PMID- 28334939
TI  - Association between tau deposition and antecedent amyloid-beta accumulation rates
      in normal and early symptomatic individuals.
AB  - See Vandenberghe and Schaeverbeke (doi:10.1093/awx065) for a scientific
      commentary on this article. A long-term goal of our field is to determine the
      sequence of pathological events, which ultimately lead to cognitive decline and
      dementia. In this study, we first assessed the patterns of brain tau tangle
      accumulation (measured with the positron emission tomography tracer 18F-AV-1451)
      associated with well-established Alzheimer's disease factors in a cohort
      including cognitively healthy elderly individuals and individuals at early
      symptomatic stages of Alzheimer's disease. We then explored highly associated
      patterns of greater 18F-AV-1451 binding and increased annualized change in
      cortical amyloid-beta plaques measured as florbetapir positron emission
      tomography binding antecedent to 18F-AV-1451 positron emission tomography scans,
      and to what extent these multimodal pattern associations explained the variance
      in cognitive performance and clinical outcome measures, independently and
      jointly. We found that: (i) 18F-AV-1451 positron emission tomography retention
      was differentially associated with age, and cross-sectional florbetapir positron
      emission tomography retention, but not with years of education, gender, or APOE
      genotype; (ii) increased annualized change in florbetapir retention, antecedent
      to 18F-AV-1451 positron emission tomography scans, in the parieto-temporal and
      precuneus brain regions was associated with greater 18F-AV-1451 PET retention
      most prominently in the inferior temporal and inferior parietal regions in the
      full cohort, with florbetapir positive/negative-associated variability; and (iii)
      this 18F-AV-1451 positron emission tomography retention pattern significantly
      explained the variance in cognitive performance and clinical outcome measures,
      independent of the associated antecedent increased annualized change in
      florbetapir positron emission tomography retention. These findings are in
      agreement with the pathology literature, which suggests that tau tangles but not
      amyloid-beta plaques correlate with cognition and clinical symptoms. Furthermore,
      non-local associations linking increased amyloid-beta accumulation rates with
      increased tau deposition are of great interest and support the idea that the
      amyloid-beta pathology might have remote effects in disease pathology spread
      potentially via the brain's intrinsic connectivity networks.

PMID- 28334940
TI  - AAV9 delivered bispecific nanobody attenuates amyloid burden in the gelsolin
      amyloidosis mouse model.
AB  - Gelsolin amyloidosis is a dominantly inherited, incurable type of amyloidosis. A
      single point mutation in the gelsolin gene (G654A is most common) results in the
      loss of a Ca2+  binding site in the second gelsolin domain. Consequently, this
      domain partly unfolds and exposes an otherwise buried furin cleavage site at the
      surface. During secretion of mutant plasma gelsolin consecutive cleavage by furin
      and MT1-MMP results in the production of 8 and 5 kDa amyloidogenic peptides.
      Nanobodies that are able to (partly) inhibit furin or MT1-MMP proteolysis have
      previously been reported. In this study, the nanobodies have been combined into a
      single bispecific format able to simultaneously shield mutant plasma gelsolin
      from intracellular furin and extracellular MT1-MMP activity. We report the
      successful in vivo expression of this bispecific nanobody following adeno
      associated virus serotype 9 gene therapy in gelsolin amyloidosis mice. Using
      SPECT/CT and immunohistochemistry, a reduction in gelsolin amyloid burden was
      detected which translated into improved muscle contractile properties. We
      conclude that a nanobody-based gene therapy using adeno-associated viruses shows
      great potential as a novel strategy in gelsolin amyloidosis and potentially other
      amyloid diseases.

PMID- 28334941
TI  - RNA-protein interactions govern antiviral specificity and encapsidation of broad
      spectrum anti-HIV reverse transcriptase aptamers.
AB  - RNA aptamers that bind HIV-1 reverse transcriptase (RT) inhibit HIV-1
      replication, but little is known about potential aptamer-specific viral
      resistance. During replication, RT interacts with diverse nucleic acids. Thus,
      the genetic threshold for eliciting resistance may be high for aptamers that make
      numerous contacts with RT. To evaluate the impact of RT-aptamer binding
      specificity on replication, we engineered proviral plasmids encoding diverse RTs
      within the backbone of HIV-1 strain NL4-3. Viruses inhibited by pseudoknot
      aptamers were rendered insensitive by a naturally occurring R277K variant,
      providing the first demonstration of aptamer-specific resistance in cell culture.
      Naturally occurring, pseudoknot-insensitive viruses were rendered sensitive by
      the inverse K277R mutation, establishing RT as the genetic locus for aptamer
      mediated HIV-1 inhibition. Non-pseudoknot RNA aptamers exhibited broad-spectrum
      inhibition. Inhibition was observed only when virus was produced in aptamer
      expressing cells, indicating that encapsidation is required. HIV-1 suppression
      magnitude correlated with the number of encapsidated aptamer transcripts per
      virion, with saturation occurring around 1:1 stoichiometry with packaged RT.
      Encapsidation specificity suggests that aptamers may encounter dimerized GagPol
      in the cytosol during viral assembly. This study provides new insights into HIV
      1's capacity to escape aptamer-mediated inhibition, the potential utility of
      broad-spectrum aptamers to overcome resistance, and molecular interactions that
      occur during viral assembly.

PMID- 28334942
TI  - Epidemiological analysis of childhood cancer in Japan based on population-based
      cancer registries, 1993-2009.
AB  - Background: There are few recent data on trends in childhood cancer incidence
      using population-based cancer registries in Japan. Methods: This study comprised
      6110 reported cases of patients aged 0-14 years who were diagnosed as having
      primary cancer between 1993 and 2009. We chose cancer registries of seven
      prefectures, according to the international cancer registry standard of fewer
      than 10% death certificate only cases among cancer registries in Japan. We
      analyzed population-based cancer registration data in the seven prefectures
      between 1993 and 2009. We calculated childhood cancer incidence, age-specific
      incidence, crude incidence rate, age-adjusted incidence rate, confidence
      intervals and annual change for each prefecture and classified the data into 12
      diagnostic groups, according to the International Classification of Childhood
      Cancer (ICCC). Results: According to sex-specific incidence, males accounted for
      slightly more cases than females. Children 0-3 years old accounted for 41.1% of
      patients. Leukemia accounted for 36.0% of cancers, followed by central nervous
      system tumors with 15.0%, according to the ICCC. The crude incidence rate did not
      change substantially, remaining at an average 8-11 per 100 000 population. In
      addition, the age-adjusted incidence rate remained constant with an average 2 per
      100 000 population. Conclusions: Using population-based cancer registry data, age
      specific incidence and 12 diagnostic groups according to the ICCC showed
      characteristics of childhood cancers. The incidence rate of childhood cancers has
      been nearly stable in Japan over the past 15 years.

PMID- 28334944
TI  - Recent Trends in Body Mass Index and Waist Circumference among Children and
      Adolescents in Shandong China.
AB  - Background: The present study examined the recent trends in body mass index (BMI)
      and waist circumference (WC), and the prevalence of general and abdominal obesity
      among children and adolescents in Shandong, China. Methods: Data for this study
      were obtained from two cross-sectional surveys of schoolchildren carried out in
      2010 and 2014 in Shandong Province, China. A total of 72 755 students aged 7-18
      years were included in this study. The BMI cutoff points recommended by the
      International Obesity Task Force were used to define overweight and general
      obesity. Abdominal obesity was defined as waist-to-height ratio (WHtR) >= 0.5.
      Both BMI and WHtR were used to define three types of obesity as follows: general
      obesity only, abdominal obesity only and combined obesity. Results: For both boys
      and girls, an increasing trend in BMI and WC was observed between 2010 and 2014 (
      p < 0.01), WC has increased faster than BMI. The sum of the prevalence of the
      three types of obesity increased from 16.63% (boys) and 8.13% (girls) in 2010 to
      20.37% (boys) and 11.61% (girls) in 2014 ( p < 0.01). Conclusion: WC and
      abdominal obesity increased faster than BMI and general obesity among children
      and adolescents between 2010 and 2014. This study also suggested that
      distinguishing the types of obesity and examining the prevalence of various types
      of obesity are useful in practice.

PMID- 28334943
TI  - Effects of prefrontal cortex damage on emotion understanding: EEG and behavioural
      evidence.
AB  - Humans are highly social beings that interact with each other on a daily basis.
      In these complex interactions, we get along by being able to identify others'
      actions and infer their intentions, thoughts and feelings. One of the major
      theories accounting for this critical ability assumes that the understanding of
      social signals is based on a primordial tendency to simulate observed actions by
      activating a mirror neuron system. If mirror neuron regions are important for
      action and emotion recognition, damage to regions in this network should lead to
      deficits in these domains. In the current behavioural and EEG study, we focused
      on the lateral prefrontal cortex including dorsal and ventral prefrontal cortex
      and utilized a series of task paradigms, each measuring a different aspect of
      recognizing others' actions or emotions from body cues. We examined 17 patients
      with lesions including (n = 8) or not including (n = 9) the inferior frontal
      gyrus, a core mirror neuron system region, and compared their performance to
      matched healthy control subjects (n = 18), in behavioural tasks and in an EEG
      observation-execution task measuring mu suppression. Our results provide support
      for the role of the lateral prefrontal cortex in understanding others' emotions,
      by showing that even unilateral lesions result in deficits in both accuracy and
      reaction time in tasks involving the recognition of others' emotions. In tasks
      involving the recognition of actions, patients showed a general increase in
      reaction time, but not a reduction in accuracy. Deficits in emotion recognition
      can be seen by either direct damage to the inferior frontal gyrus, or via damage
      to dorsal lateral prefrontal cortex regions, resulting in deteriorated
      performance and less EEG mu suppression over sensorimotor cortex.

PMID- 28334945
TI  - Ubiquitin-related network underlain by (CAG)n loci modulate age at onset in
      Machado-Joseph disease.

PMID- 28334946
TI  - Mutations affecting the transmembrane domain of the LDL receptor: impact of
      charged residues on the membrane insertion.
AB  - Familial hypercholesterolemia (FH) is caused by mutations in the low density
      lipoprotein receptor (LDLR) gene. To study the impact of mutations affecting the
      hydrophobic transmembrane domain of the LDLR, each of the 22 amino acids of the
      transmembrane domain was individually mutated to arginine. The more centrally in
      the transmembrane domain an arginine was located, the lower amounts of the 120
      kDa precursor LDLR in the endoplasmic reticulum were observed. This led to lower
      amounts of the 160 kDa mature LDLR on the cell surface. For the mutants V797R
      LDLR, L798R-LDLR and L799R-LDLR a proportion of full-length receptors including
      the transmembrane and cytoplasmic domains, was secreted into the endoplasmic
      reticulum lumen to appear in the culture medium. When the transmembrane domain of
      the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) was replaced by that of the mutant
      L799R-LDLR, similar effects were observed for the EGFR as for L799R-LDLR.
      Introducing arginines in the transmembrane domain of the LDLR also affected
      metalloproteinase cleavage of the ectodomain and gamma-secretase cleavage within
      the transmembrane domain. The most likely explanation for the low amounts of the
      120 kDa precursor is that a basic residue in the hydrophobic transmembrane domain
      prevents the mutant LDLR from being inserted in the endoplasmic reticulum
      membrane from the Sec61 translocon complex. As a consequence, quality control
      systems could be activated. However, our data indicate that proteasomal
      degradation, lysosomal degradation, autophagy or ectodomain cleavage were not the
      underlying mechanism for degradation of these mutant LDLRs.

PMID- 28334949
TI  - Mycoplasma hominis, Ureaplasma urealyticum and Chlamydia trachomatis Respiratory
      Colonization in Malaysian Preterm Infants.
AB  - This prospective observational study aims to determine the incidence, predictors
      and clinical features of Mycoplasma hominis (MH), Ureaplasma urealyticum (UU) and
      Chlamydia trachomatis (CT) respiratory colonization in infants <37 weeks of
      gestation. A total of 200 preterm newborns admitted to a tertiary center in
      Malaysia between 2013 and 2015 for increased breathing effort had their
      respiratory secretions tested for these bacteria by polymerase chain reaction.
      Fifteen of the 200 (7.5%) infants were detected to have these organisms in their
      respiratory tracts. Preterm prelabor rupture of membrane was associated with
      positive detection (odds ratio: 3.7; 95% confidence interval: 1.2-11.3). Seventy
      three of the 200 (36.5%) infants were given macrolide for presumed infection but
      only 4.1% (3 of 73) were positive for these organisms. The incidence of UU
      respiratory colonization among preterm infants in our center is lower than other
      published reports, while the frequency of MH and CT isolation is comparable with
      many studies. There should be judicious use of empirical antibiotics for presumed
      UU, MH and CT infection in preterm infants.

PMID- 28334947
TI  - Protocadherin 19 (PCDH19) interacts with paraspeckle protein NONO to co-regulate
      gene expression with estrogen receptor alpha (ERalpha).
AB  - De novo and inherited mutations of X-chromosome cell adhesion molecule
      protocadherin 19 (PCDH19) cause frequent, highly variable epilepsy, autism,
      cognitive decline and behavioural problems syndrome. Intriguingly, hemizygous
      null males are not affected while heterozygous females are, contradicting
      established X-chromosome inheritance. The disease mechanism is not known.
      Cellular mosaicism is the likely driver. We have identified p54nrb/NONO, a
      multifunctional nuclear paraspeckle protein with known roles in nuclear hormone
      receptor gene regulation, as a PCDH19 protein interacting partner. Using breast
      cancer cells we show that PCDH19-NONO complex is a positive co-regulator of
      ERalpha-mediated gene expression. Expression of mutant PCDH19 affects at least a
      subset of known ERalpha-regulated genes. These data are consistent with our
      findings that genes regulated by nuclear hormone receptors and those involved in
      the metabolism of neurosteroids in particular are dysregulated in PCDH19-epilepsy
      girls and affected mosaic males. Overall we define and characterize a novel
      mechanism of gene regulation driven by PCDH19, which is mediated by paraspeckle
      constituent NONO and is ERalpha-dependent. This PCDH19-NONO-ERalpha axis is of
      relevance not only to PCDH19-epilepsy and its comorbidities but likely also to
      ERalpha and generally nuclear hormone receptor-associated cancers.

PMID- 28334948
TI  - A Phase I/II trial of continuous hepatic intra-arterial infusion of 5
      fluorouracil, mitoxantrone and cisplatin for advanced hepatocellular carcinoma.
AB  - Background: The aim of this study was to investigate the dose-limiting toxicities
      (DLTs) and determine the recommended doses in the Phase I part of the study, and
      to evaluate the efficacy and toxicity in the Phase II part, of continuous hepatic
      intra-arterial infusion therapy with 5-fluorouracil, mitoxantrone and cisplatin
      (FMP therapy) in patients with advanced hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Methods:
      Forty-five patients with advanced HCC were enrolled. The therapy consisted of
      continuous intra-arterial infusion of 5-fluorouracil from Day 1 through Day 5,
      and intra-arterial administration of mitoxantrone and cisplatin on Day 1 [5
      fluorouracil/mitoxantrone/cisplatin (mg/m2): Level 1; 400/4/60, Level 2;
      400/6/60, Level 3; 500/6/60]. Results: In the Phase I part of the study, one of
      the six patients at Level 1 developed DLTs, including Grade 3 pulmonary embolism,
      while none of the patients at either Level 2 or Level 3 exhibited any DLTs. In
      the Phase II part, at Level 3, 36 patients were enrolled. Nine patients (25%)
      showed partial response, representing a response rate of 25% (95% confidence
      interval: 12-42%). The overall median survival time, 1-year survival rate and
      median progression-free survival time were 11.3 months, 46.9% and 7.0 months,
      respectively. The main Grade 3 or 4 hematological and non-hematological
      toxicities were leukopenia (36%), neutropenia (39%), thrombocytopenia (19%), and
      elevated serum aspartate aminotransferase (22%), elevated serum alanine
      aminotransferase (14%) and occlusion of hepatic artery (22%), respectively.
      Conclusion: Hepatic intra-arterial infusion therapy of FMP could not demonstrate
      a favorable tumor response and overall survival in patients with advanced HCC.

PMID- 28334950
TI  - Downstream targets of GWAS-detected genes for breast, lung, and prostate and
      colon cancer converge to G1/S transition pathway.
AB  - Genome-wide association studies (GWASs) identified over 500 single nucleotide
      polymorphisms (SNPs) influencing cancer risk. It is logical to expect the cancer
      associated genes to cluster in pathways directly involved in carcinogenesis, e.g.
      cell cycle. Nevertheless, analyses of the GWAS-detected cancer risk genes usually
      show no or weak enrichment by known cancer genes.We hypothesized that GWAS
      detected cancer risk-associated genes function as upstream regulators of the
      genes directly involved in carcinogenesis. We have analyzed four common cancers:
      breast, colon, lung, and prostate. To identify downstream targets of GWAS
      detected cancer risk genes we used MedScan, which is a text mining tool offered
      by PathwayStudio. We also used data on protein/protein interactions reported by
      BioGRID database. Among all identified targets we have selected common downstream
      targets. A gene was considered a common downstream target if it was a downstream
      target for at least three GWAS-detected genes for a given cancer type. Common
      downstream targets were identified separately for each cancer type. We found that
      common downstream targets for all four cancer types were enriched by cell cycle
      genes, more specifically, the genes involved in G1/S transition. Common
      downstream targets for bipolar disorder, Crohn's disease, and type 2 diabetes did
      not show G1/S transition enrichment.The results of this analysis suggest that
      many cancer risk genes function as upstream regulators of the genes directly
      involved in G1/S transition and exert their risk effects by reducing threshold
      for G1/S transition, elevating the background level of cell proliferation and
      cancer risk.

PMID- 28334951
TI  - Community participation in research from resource-constrained countries: a
      scoping review.
AB  - Participatory health research (PHR) involves equitable community participation in
      all aspects of the research process. It is a potentially beneficial approach to
      research in resource-constrained countries. Measuring participation in specific
      activities and aspects is necessary for understanding the community and research
      related benefits of PHR. The aims of this scoping review were to: develop a
      measure of lay-community participation in aspects and activities of PHR in
      resource-constrained countries; and use the measure to assess the nature and
      extent of reported participation. Directed content analysis was used to identify
      aspects and activities reported in peer-reviewed articles identified through a
      systematic search, develop the Comprehensive Community Participation in Research
      Framework (CCPRF) and use it to measure participation. Total and aspect
      participation scores, which considered both the nature and extent of
      participation, were calculated for articles reporting extensive participation.
      Eighty-five articles detailing 66 studies were included. Nine aspects and 49
      activities of research were included in the CCPRF. Community participation was
      reported in a median of 5/9 (range 1-9) aspects and 8/49 (range 1-35) activities.
      The review provided diverse examples, and enabled development of a more
      comprehensive measure, of participation. It highlighted limited lay-community
      participation is reported in research labelled participatory from resource
      constrained countries. As participation in all aspects of PHR is rarely achieved,
      strategic planning of more limited participation is imperative. More detailed and
      systematic planning, assessment and reporting of participation, guided by a
      comprehensive measure like the CCPRF, is required to develop evidence regarding
      the benefits of participation in various research activities.

PMID- 28334952
TI  - DNMT1 mutations found in HSANIE patients affect interaction with UHRF1 and
      neuronal differentiation.
AB  - DNMT1 is recruited to substrate sites by PCNA and UHRF1 to maintain DNA
      methylation after replication. The cell cycle dependent recruitment of DNMT1 is
      mediated by the PCNA-binding domain (PBD) and the targeting sequence (TS) within
      the N-terminal regulatory domain. The TS domain was found to be mutated in
      patients suffering from hereditary sensory and autonomic neuropathies with
      dementia and hearing loss (HSANIE) and autosomal dominant cerebellar ataxia
      deafness and narcolepsy (ADCA-DN) and is associated with global hypomethylation
      and site specific hypermethylation. With functional complementation assays in
      mouse embryonic stem cells, we showed that DNMT1 mutations P496Y and Y500C
      identified in HSANIE patients not only impair DNMT1 heterochromatin association,
      but also UHRF1 interaction resulting in hypomethylation. Similar DNA methylation
      defects were observed when DNMT1 interacting domains in UHRF1, the UBL and the
      SRA domain, were deleted. With cell-based assays, we could show that HSANIE
      associated mutations perturb DNMT1 heterochromatin association and catalytic
      complex formation at methylation sites and decrease protein stability in late S
      and G2 phase. To investigate the neuronal phenotype of HSANIE mutations, we
      performed DNMT1 rescue assays and could show that cells expressing mutated DNMT1
      were prone to apoptosis and failed to differentiate into neuronal lineage. Our
      results provide insights into the molecular basis of DNMT1 dysfunction in HSANIE
      patients and emphasize the importance of the TS domain in the regulation of DNA
      methylation in pluripotent and differentiating cells.

PMID- 28334954
TI  - The Science and Politics of Naming: Reforming Anatomical Nomenclature, ca. 1886
      1955.
AB  - Anatomical nomenclature is medicine's official language. Early in their medical
      studies, students are expected to memorize not only the bodily geography but also
      the names for all the structures that, by consensus, constitute the anatomical
      body. The making and uses of visual maps of the body have received considerable
      historiographical attention, yet the history of production, communication, and
      reception of anatomical names-a history as long as the history of anatomy itself
      has been studied far less. My essay examines the reforms of anatomical naming
      between the first modern nomenclature, the 1895 Basel Nomina Anatomica (BNA), and
      the 1955 Nomina Anatomica Parisiensia (NAP, also known as PNA), which is the
      basis for current anatomical terminology. I focus on the controversial and
      ultimately failed attempt to reform anatomical nomenclature, known as Jena Nomina
      Anatomica (INA), of 1935. Discussions around nomenclature reveal not only how
      anatomical names are made and communicated, but also the relationship of anatomy
      with the clinic; disciplinary controversies within anatomy; national traditions
      in science; and the interplay between international and scientific disciplinary
      politics. I show how the current anatomical nomenclature, a successor to the NAP,
      is an outcome of both political and disciplinary tensions that reached their peak
      before 1945.

PMID- 28334953
TI  - Early motor phenotype detection in a female mouse model of Rett syndrome is
      improved by cross-fostering.
AB  - Rett syndrome (RTT) is an X-linked neurodevelopmental disorder caused by
      mutations in the gene encoding methyl CpG binding protein 2 (MeCP2) that occur
      sporadically in 1:10,000 female births. RTT is characterized by a period of
      largely normal development followed by regression in language and motor skills at
      6-18 months of age. Mecp2 mutant mice recapitulate many of the clinical features
      of RTT, but the majority of behavioral assessments have been conducted in male
      Mecp2 hemizygous null mice as offspring of heterozygous dams. Given that RTT
      patients are predominantly female, we conducted a systematic analysis of
      developmental milestones, sensory abilities, and motor deficits, following the
      longitudinal decline of function from early postnatal to adult ages in female
      Mecp2 heterozygotes of the conventional Bird line (Mecp2tm1.1bird-/+), as
      compared to their female wildtype littermate controls. Further, we assessed the
      impact of postnatal maternal environment on developmental milestones and
      behavioral phenotypes. Cross-fostering to CD1 dams accelerated several
      developmental milestones independent of genotype, and induced earlier onset of
      weight gain in adult female Mecp2tm1.1bird-/+ mice. Cross-fostering improved the
      sensitivity of a number of motor behaviors that resulted in observable deficits
      in Mecp2tm1.1bird-/+ mice at much earlier (6-7 weeks) ages than were previously
      reported (6-9 months). Our findings indicate that female Mecp2tm1.1bird-/+ mice
      recapitulate many of the motor aspects of RTT syndrome earlier than previously
      appreciated. In addition, rearing conditions may impact the phenotypic severity
      and improve the ability to detect genotype differences in female Mecp2 mutant
      mice.

PMID- 28334957
TI  - QuEChERS-Based Method for Pesticides Analysis in Adipose Tissue Associated with
      Rat Ovaries.
AB  - The concomitant exposure to low doses of various pesticides is one of the most
      relevant issues in human toxicology today. An experimental toxicology study was
      developed to evaluate the effects of this type of exposure on the reproductive
      capacity of females of three species of rats that were exposed to mixtures of
      dicofol, dieldrin, endosulfan and permethrin at low doses (LOAEL and NOAEL). In
      this context, we have developed a method for determining pesticides in adipose
      tissue (0.5 g, 49% lipid) associated with the ovaries, based on the QuEChERS
      (quick, easy, cheap, effective, rugged and safe) strategy. The method
      quantification limit (LOQ) was 0.5 mg/kg for dicofol and permethrin, 0.05 mg/kg
      for endosulfan and dieldrin and 0.2 mg/kg for diclorobenzophenone. Mean
      recoveries ranged from 75% to 93% with a relative standard deviation <13%. The
      unspecific selectivity (matrix effect) indicates the mandatory use of analytical
      curves constructed on the matrix extract. All the analyzed samples (53 adipose
      tissue associated to ovaries) showed residues of dichlorobenzophenone + dicofol,
      dieldrin and cis-permethrin while trans-permethrin were detected in 40% of the
      samples but were below the LOQ. The data indicated the bioaccumulation
      characteristics of these substances.

PMID- 28334958
TI  - Self-help materials for smoking relapse prevention: a process evaluation of the
      SHARPISH randomized controlled trial.
AB  - Background: UK Stop Smoking Services are effective at assisting smokers to quit.
      However, smoking relapse rates are high, representing a significant public health
      problem. No effective interventions are currently available. This embedded
      qualitative process evaluation, within a randomized controlled trial of a self
      help smoking relapse prevention intervention, aimed to understand patient
      perspectives in explaining the null trial finding, and to make recommendations
      for intervention development. Methods: The intervention was a British version of
      the 'Forever Free' self-help booklets (SHARPISH-ISRCTN 36980856). The qualitative
      evaluation purposefully sampled 43 interview participants, triangulated with the
      views of 10 participants and 12 health professionals in focus groups. Data were
      thematically analysed. Results: Analysis revealed important variation in
      individual engagement with the self-help booklets. Variation was interpreted by
      the meta-themes of 'motivation for cessation', and 'positioning on information
      provision', interacting with the theme of 'mechanisms for information provision'.
      Conclusions: Targeting self-help information towards those most motivated to
      engage may be beneficial, considering the social and cultural realities of
      individual's lives. Individual preferences for the mechanisms of information
      delivery should be appraised when designing future interventions. Long-term
      personalized follow-up may be a simple step in improving smoking relapse rates.

PMID- 28334959
TI  - Clinical utility of a self-administered questionnaire for assessment of
      hereditary gynecologic cancer.

PMID- 28334956
TI  - PRUNE is crucial for normal brain development and mutated in microcephaly with
      neurodevelopmental impairment.
AB  - PRUNE is a member of the DHH (Asp-His-His) phosphoesterase protein superfamily of
      molecules important for cell motility, and implicated in cancer progression. Here
      we investigated multiple families from Oman, India, Iran and Italy with
      individuals affected by a new autosomal recessive neurodevelopmental and
      degenerative disorder in which the cardinal features include primary microcephaly
      and profound global developmental delay. Our genetic studies identified biallelic
      mutations of PRUNE1 as responsible. Our functional assays of disease-associated
      variant alleles revealed impaired microtubule polymerization, as well as cell
      migration and proliferation properties, of mutant PRUNE. Additionally, our
      studies also highlight a potential new role for PRUNE during microtubule
      polymerization, which is essential for the cytoskeletal rearrangements that occur
      during cellular division and proliferation. Together these studies define PRUNE
      as a molecule fundamental for normal human cortical development and define
      cellular and clinical consequences associated with PRUNE mutation.

PMID- 28334960
TI  - Neural mechanisms of reinforcement learning in unmedicated patients with major
      depressive disorder.
AB  - According to current concepts, major depressive disorder is strongly related to
      dysfunctional neural processing of motivational information, entailing
      impairments in reinforcement learning. While computational modelling can reveal
      the precise nature of neural learning signals, it has not been used to study
      learning-related neural dysfunctions in unmedicated patients with major
      depressive disorder so far. We thus aimed at comparing the neural coding of
      reward and punishment prediction errors, representing indicators of neural
      learning-related processes, between unmedicated patients with major depressive
      disorder and healthy participants. To this end, a group of unmedicated patients
      with major depressive disorder (n = 28) and a group of age- and sex-matched
      healthy control participants (n = 30) completed an instrumental learning task
      involving monetary gains and losses during functional magnetic resonance imaging.
      The two groups did not differ in their learning performance. Patients and control
      participants showed the same level of prediction error-related activity in the
      ventral striatum and the anterior insula. In contrast, neural coding of reward
      prediction errors in the medial orbitofrontal cortex was reduced in patients.
      Moreover, neural reward prediction error signals in the medial orbitofrontal
      cortex and ventral striatum showed negative correlations with anhedonia severity.
      Using a standard instrumental learning paradigm we found no evidence for an
      overall impairment of reinforcement learning in medication-free patients with
      major depressive disorder. Importantly, however, the attenuated neural coding of
      reward in the medial orbitofrontal cortex and the relation between anhedonia and
      reduced reward prediction error-signalling in the medial orbitofrontal cortex and
      ventral striatum likely reflect an impairment in experiencing pleasure from
      rewarding events as a key mechanism of anhedonia in major depressive disorder.

PMID- 28334955
TI  - The Schizosaccharomyces pombe PPR protein Ppr10 associates with a novel protein
      Mpa1 and acts as a mitochondrial translational activator.
AB  - The pentatricopeptide repeat (PPR) proteins characterized by tandem repeats of a
      degenerate 35-amino-acid motif function in all aspects of organellar RNA
      metabolism, many of which are essential for organellar gene expression. In this
      study, we report the characterization of a fission yeast Schizosaccharomyces
      pombe PPR protein, Ppr10 and a novel Ppr10-associated protein, designated Mpa1.
      The ppr10 deletion mutant exhibits growth defects in respiratory media, and is
      dramatically impaired for viability during the late-stationary phase. Deletion of
      ppr10 affects the accumulation of specific mitochondrial mRNAs. Furthermore,
      deletion of ppr10 severely impairs mitochondrial protein synthesis, suggesting
      that Ppr10 plays a general role in mitochondrial protein synthesis. Ppr10
      interacts with Mpa1 in vivo and in vitro and the two proteins colocalize in the
      mitochondrial matrix. The ppr10 and mpa1 deletion mutants exhibit very similar
      phenotypes. One of Mpa1's functions is to maintain the normal protein level of
      Ppr10 protein by protecting it from degradation by the mitochondrial matrix
      protease Lon1. Our findings suggest that Ppr10 functions as a general
      mitochondrial translational activator, likely through interaction with
      mitochondrial mRNAs and mitochondrial translation initiation factor Mti2, and
      that Ppr10 requires Mpa1 association for stability and function.

PMID- 28334961
TI  - High intra-familiar clinical variability in MORC2 mutated CMT2 patients.

PMID- 28334962
TI  - Exposure to fictional medical television and health: a systematic review.
AB  - Fictional medical television programs have long been a staple of television
      programming, and they remain popular today. We aimed to examine published
      literature assessing the influence of medical television programs on health
      outcomes. We conducted systematic literature searches in PubMed, PsychINFO and
      CINAHL. Selected studies had to be scholarly research, to involve exposure to
      fictionalized medical television programming, and to assess associations between
      exposures and outcomes. Of 3541 unique studies identified, nineteen met selection
      criteria. The most commonly studied programs were ER (73%), Grey's Anatomy (58%)
      and House M.D. (37%). Outcomes included knowledge, perceptions and behaviors
      related to topics as diverse as organ donation, cancer screening, sexually
      transmitted infections, and heart disease. Viewing fictional medical television
      programs had a negative influence on viewers' health-related knowledge,
      perceptions and/or behavior in 11% of studies, a positive influence in 32% of
      studies, and mixed influence in 58%. While most studies (58%) were characterized
      as having fair quality in terms of rigor of study design, 21% were classified as
      good and 21% were classified as poor. As such, medical television can affect
      health education and outcomes. Future work should utilize randomization, more
      longitudinal assessments, and more direct assessments of health education and
      behavioral outcomes.

PMID- 28334964
TI  - Mutations in the leukemia inhibitory factor receptor (LIFR) gene and Lifr
      deficiency cause urinary tract malformations.
AB  - Congenital anomalies of the kidneys and urinary tract (CAKUT) are the most common
      cause of chronic kidney disease in children. As CAKUT is a genetically
      heterogeneous disorder and most cases are genetically unexplained, we aimed to
      identify new CAKUT causing genes. Using whole-exome sequencing and trio-based de
      novo analysis, we identified a novel heterozygous de novo frameshift variant in
      the leukemia inhibitory factor receptor (LIFR) gene causing instability of the
      mRNA in a patient presenting with bilateral CAKUT and requiring kidney
      transplantation at one year of age. LIFR encodes a transmembrane receptor
      utilized by IL-6 family cytokines, mainly by the leukemia inhibitory factor
      (LIF). Mutational analysis of 121 further patients with severe CAKUT yielded two
      rare heterozygous LIFR missense variants predicted to be pathogenic in three
      unrelated patients. LIFR mutants showed decreased half-life and cell membrane
      localization resulting in reduced LIF-stimulated STAT3 phosphorylation. LIFR
      showed high expression in human fetal kidney and the human ureter, and was also
      expressed in the developing murine urogenital system. Lifr knockout mice
      displayed urinary tract malformations including hydronephrosis, hydroureter,
      ureter ectopia, and, consistently, reduced ureteral lumen and muscular
      hypertrophy, similar to the phenotypes observed in patients carrying LIFR
      variants. Additionally, a form of cryptorchidism was detected in all Lifr-/- mice
      and the patient carrying the LIFR frameshift mutation. Altogether, we demonstrate
      heterozygous novel or rare LIFR mutations in 3.3% of CAKUT patients, and provide
      evidence that Lifr deficiency and deactivating LIFR mutations cause highly
      similar anomalies of the urogenital tract in mice and humans.

PMID- 28334963
TI  - Three- and four-dimensional mapping of speech and language in patients with
      epilepsy.
AB  - We have provided 3-D and 4D mapping of speech and language function based upon
      the results of direct cortical stimulation and event-related modulation of
      electrocorticography signals. Patients estimated to have right-hemispheric
      language dominance were excluded. Thus, 100 patients who underwent two-stage
      epilepsy surgery with chronic electrocorticography recording were studied. An
      older group consisted of 84 patients at least 10 years of age (7367 artefact-free
      non-epileptic electrodes), whereas a younger group included 16 children younger
      than age 10 (1438 electrodes). The probability of symptoms transiently induced by
      electrical stimulation was delineated on a 3D average surface image. The
      electrocorticography amplitude changes of high-gamma (70-110 Hz) and beta (15-30
      Hz) activities during an auditory-naming task were animated on the average
      surface image in a 4D manner. Thereby, high-gamma augmentation and beta
      attenuation were treated as summary measures of cortical activation. Stimulation
      data indicated the causal relationship between (i) superior-temporal gyrus of
      either hemisphere and auditory hallucination; (ii) left superior-/middle-temporal
      gyri and receptive aphasia; (iii) widespread temporal/frontal lobe regions of the
      left hemisphere and expressive aphasia; and (iv) bilateral precentral/left
      posterior superior-frontal regions and speech arrest. On electrocorticography
      analysis, high-gamma augmentation involved the bilateral superior-temporal and
      precentral gyri immediately following question onset; at the same time, high
      gamma activity was attenuated in the left orbitofrontal gyrus. High-gamma
      activity was augmented in the left temporal/frontal lobe regions, as well as left
      inferior-parietal and cingulate regions, maximally around question offset, with
      high-gamma augmentation in the left pars orbitalis inferior-frontal, middle
      frontal, and inferior-parietal regions preceded by high-gamma attenuation in the
      contralateral homotopic regions. Immediately before verbal response, high-gamma
      augmentation involved the posterior superior-frontal and pre/postcentral regions,
      bilaterally. Beta-attenuation was spatially and temporally correlated with high
      gamma augmentation in general but with exceptions. The younger and older groups
      shared similar spatial-temporal profiles of high-gamma and beta modulation;
      except, the younger group failed to show left-dominant activation in the rostral
      middle-frontal and pars orbitalis inferior-frontal regions around stimulus
      offset. The human brain may rapidly and alternately activate and deactivate
      cortical areas advantageous or obtrusive to function directed toward speech and
      language at a given moment. Increased left-dominant activation in the anterior
      frontal structures in the older age group may reflect developmental consolidation
      of the language system. The results of our functional mapping may be useful in
      predicting, across not only space but also time and patient age, sites specific
      to language function for presurgical evaluation of focal epilepsy.

PMID- 28334967
TI  - The difference between compensation, and mechanism-specific spatial recovery.

PMID- 28334968
TI  - Postoperative Stridor following Repair of Tracheoesophageal Fistula: A Case
      Report.
AB  - We report a case of prolonged post-operative stridor in a full-term neonate who
      was operated for tracheoesophageal fistula. Initial evaluation including an
      endoscopy and contrast-enhanced computed tomography scan was normal. Repeat
      endoscopic evaluation under anesthesia revealed tight aryepiglottic folds.
      Aryepiglottic split was performed and stridor improved dramatically. Tight
      aryepiglottic folds should be kept in differential diagnosis in a case of
      postoperative stridor in an infant.

PMID- 28334965
TI  - Photosensitive epilepsy is associated with reduced inhibition of alpha rhythm
      generating networks.
AB  - See Hamandi (doi:10.1093/awx049) for a scientific commentary on this
      article.Photosensitivity is a condition in which lights induce epileptiform
      activities. This abnormal electroencephalographic response has been associated
      with hyperexcitability of the visuo-motor system. Here, we evaluate if intrinsic
      dysfunction of this network is present in brain activity at rest, independently
      of any stimulus and of any paroxysmal electroencephalographic activity. To
      address this issue, we investigated the haemodynamic correlates of the
      spontaneous alpha rhythm, which is considered the hallmark of the brain resting
      state, in photosensitive patients and in people without photosensitivity. Second,
      we evaluated the whole-brain functional connectivity of the visual thalamic
      nuclei in the various populations of subjects under investigation. Forty-four
      patients with epilepsy and 16 healthy control subjects underwent an
      electroencephalography-correlated functional magnetic resonance imaging study,
      during an eyes-closed condition. The following patient groups were included: (i)
      genetic generalized epilepsy with photosensitivity, 16 subjects (mean age 25 +/-
      10 years); (ii) genetic generalized epilepsy without photosensitivity, 13
      patients (mean age 25 +/- 11 years); (iii) focal epilepsy, 15 patients (mean age
      25 +/- 9 years). For each subject, the posterior alpha power variations were
      convolved with the standard haemodynamic response function and used as a
      regressor. Within- and between-groups second level analyses were performed. Whole
      brain functional connectivity was evaluated for two thalamic regions of interest,
      based on the haemodynamic findings, which included the posterior thalamus
      (pulvinar) and the medio-dorsal thalamic nuclei. Genetic generalized epilepsy
      with photosensitivity demonstrated significantly greater mean alpha-power with
      respect to controls and other epilepsy groups. In photosensitive epilepsy, alpha
      related blood oxygen level-dependent signal changes demonstrated lower decreases
      relative to all other groups in the occipital, sensory-motor, anterior cingulate
      and supplementary motor cortices. Coherently, the same brain regions demonstrated
      abnormal connectivity with the visual thalamus only in epilepsy patients with
      photosensitivity. As predicted, our findings indicate that the cortical
      subcortical network generating the alpha oscillation at rest is different in
      people with epilepsy and visual sensitivity. This difference consists of a
      decreased alpha-related inhibition of the visual cortex and sensory-motor
      networks at rest. These findings represent the substrate of the clinical
      manifestations (i.e. myoclonus) of the photoparoxysmal response. Moreover, our
      results provide the first evidence of the existence of a functional link between
      the circuits that trigger the visual sensitivity phenomenon and those that
      generate the posterior alpha rhythm.

PMID- 28334966
TI  - Structural and mechanistic insights into regulation of HBO1 histone
      acetyltransferase activity by BRPF2.
AB  - HBO1, a member of the MYST family of histone acetyltransferases (HATs), is
      required for global acetylation of histone H3K14 and embryonic development. It
      functions as a catalytic subunit in multisubunit complexes comprising a BRPF1/2/3
      or JADE1/2/3 scaffold protein, and two accessory proteins. BRPF2 has been shown
      to be important for the HAT activity of HBO1 toward H3K14. Here we demonstrated
      that BRPF2 can regulate the HAT activity of HBO1 toward free H3 and H4, and
      nucleosomal H3. Particularly, a short N-terminal region of BRPF2 is sufficient
      for binding to HBO1 and can potentiate its activity toward H3K14. The crystal
      structure of the HBO1 MYST domain in complex with this segment of BRPF2 together
      with the biochemical and cell biological data revealed the key residues
      responsible for the HBO1-BRPF2 interaction. Our structural and functional data
      together indicate that the N-terminal region of BRPF2 plays an important role in
      the binding of HBO1 and a minor role in the binding of nucleosomes, which provide
      new mechanistic insights into the regulation of the HAT activity of HBO1 by
      BRPF2.

PMID- 28334969
TI  - A single miR390 targeting event is sufficient for triggering TAS3-tasiRNA
      biogenesis in Arabidopsis.
AB  - In plants, tasiRNAs form a class of endogenous secondary siRNAs produced through
      the action of RNA-DEPENDENT-RNA-POLYMERASE-6 (RDR6) upon microRNA-mediated
      cleavage of non-coding TAS RNAs. In Arabidopsis thaliana, TAS1, TAS2 and TAS4
      tasiRNA production proceeds via a single cleavage event mediated by 22nt-long
      or/and asymmetric miRNAs in an ARGONAUTE-1 (AGO1)-dependent manner. By contrast,
      tasiRNA production from TAS3 seems to follow the so-called 'two-hit' process,
      where dual targeting of TAS3, specifically mediated by the 21nt-long, symmetric
      miR390, initiates AGO7-dependent tasiRNA production. Interestingly, features for
      TAS3 tasiRNA production differ in other plant species and we show here that such
      features also enable TAS3 tasiRNA biogenesis in Arabidopsis, and that a single
      miR390 targeting event is, in fact, sufficient for this process, suggesting that
      the 'one-hit' model underpins all the necessary rudiments of secondary siRNA
      biogenesis from plant TAS transcripts. Further results suggest that the two-hit
      configuration likely enhances the fidelity of tasiRNA production and, hence, the
      accuracy of downstream gene regulation. Finally, we show that a 'non-cleavable
      one-hit' process allows tasiRNA production from both TAS1 and TAS3 transcripts,
      indicating that RDR6 recruitment does not require miRNA cleavage, nor does the
      recruitment, as we further show, of SUPRRESSOR-OF-GENE-SILENCING-3, indispensable
      for tasiRNA generation.

PMID- 28334970
TI  - Expenditure tracking and review of reproductive maternal, newborn and child
      health policy in Pakistan.
AB  - Since 2001 substantial resources have been allocated to the reproductive,
      maternal, newborn and child health sector (RMNCH) in Pakistan. Many new
      programmes have been started and coverage of some existing programmes has been
      extended to un-served and rural areas. Despite these efforts the Millennium
      Development Goals (MDGs) 4 and 5 were not achieved (2000-15). Maternal Mortality
      Ratio was reduced to 170 per 100 000 live births (target 100) by 2013 at an
      annual reduction rate of 3.6% (1990-2013). Against the target of 46 per 1000 live
      births, the Under Five Mortality Rate was reduced to 81 per 1000 live births by
      2015 at an annual reduction rate of 2.1% (1990-2015). We evaluated the
      comparative expenditures for the RMNCH sector and analysed impact of public
      expenditures on the use of the public facilities for the RMNCH services.
      Expenditure on RMNCH increased by 181% (2000-10), reaching PKR 628.79 billion
      (US$9.67 billion). The Share of the RMNCH expenditure in the total health
      expenditure increased from 16 to 21% (2005-10). The share of official development
      assistance for the RMNCH increased from 36 to 51% (2003-10). Equity was modestly
      achieved with a greater proportion of the poor using public facilities for the
      childhood diarrhoea (Concentration Index -0.06 in 2001-02 to - 0.11 in 2010-11)
      and reduction in the proportion of the rich using the public health facilities
      for institutional births (Concentration Index 0.30 in 2001-02 to 0.25 in 2010
      11). Overall the RMNCH disease control programmes focused on vertical primary
      health approach and targeted the district health system in the un-served areas.
      Our findings confirm that diseconomies of scale, donor dependence and supply side
      perspective could only result in a modest progress towards achieving the MDGs. We
      call for urgent attention of the policy makers for the integration of the
      vertical and the routine primary health care and reliance on indigenous
      sustainable healthcare financing. We also recommend acknowledging economic
      perspective on health policy and health programmes.

PMID- 28334971
TI  - Expanding glycosaminoglycan chemical space: towards the creation of sulfated
      analogs, novel polymers and chimeric constructs.
AB  - Glycosaminoglycans (GAGs) have therapeutic potential in areas ranging from
      angiogenesis, inflammation, hemostasis and cancer. GAG bioactivity is conferred
      by intrinsic structural features, such as disaccharide composition, glycosidic
      linkages and sulfation pattern. Unfortunately, the in vitro enzymatic synthesis
      of defined GAGs is quite restricted by a limited understanding of current GAG
      synthases and modifying enzymes. Our work provides insights into GAG-active
      enzymes through the creation of sulfated oligosaccharides, a new polysaccharide
      and chimeric polymers. We show that a C6-sulfonated uridine diphospho (UDP)
      glucose (Glc) derivative, sulfoquinovose, can be used as an uronic acid donor,
      but not as a hexosamine donor, to cap hyaluronan (HA) chains by the HA synthase
      from the microbe Pasteurella multocida. However, the two heparosan (HEP)
      synthases from the same species, PmHS1 and PmHS2, could not employ the UDP
      sulfoquinovose under similar conditions. Serendipitously, we found that PmHS2 co
      polymerized Glc with glucuronic acid (GlcA), creating a novel HEP-like polymer we
      named hepbiuronic acid [-4-GlcAbeta1-4-Glcalpha1-]n. In addition, we created
      chimeric block polymers composed of both HA and HEP segments; in these reactions
      GlcA-, but not N-acetylglucosamine-(GlcNAc), terminated GAG acceptors were
      recognized by their noncognate synthase for further extension, likely due to the
      common beta-linkage connecting GlcA to GlcNAc in both of these GAGs. Overall,
      these GAG constructs provide new tools for studying biology and offer potential
      for future sugar-based therapeutics.

PMID- 28334972
TI  - Enrichment methods provide a feasible approach to comprehensive and adequately
      powered investigations of the brain methylome.
AB  - Methylome-wide association studies are typically performed using microarray
      technologies that only assay a very small fraction of the CG methylome and
      entirely miss two forms of methylation that are common in brain and likely of
      particular relevance for neuroscience and psychiatric disorders. The alternative
      is to use whole genome bisulfite (WGB) sequencing but this approach is not yet
      practically feasible with sample sizes required for adequate statistical power.
      We argue for revisiting methylation enrichment methods that, provided optimal
      protocols are used, enable comprehensive, adequately powered and cost-effective
      genome-wide investigations of the brain methylome. To support our claim we use
      data showing that enrichment methods approximate the sensitivity obtained with
      WGB methods and with slightly better specificity. However, this performance is
      achieved at <5% of the reagent costs. Furthermore, because many more samples can
      be sequenced simultaneously, projects can be completed about 15 times faster.
      Currently the only viable option available for comprehensive brain methylome
      studies, enrichment methods may be critical for moving the field forward.

PMID- 28334973
TI  - Analysis of dropout across the continuum of maternal health care in Tanzania:
      findings from a cross-sectional household survey.
AB  - The 'continuum of care' is proposed as a key framework for the delivery of
      maternal, neonatal and child health services. This study examined the extent of
      dropout as well as factors associated with retention across the MNCH continuum
      from antenatal care (ANC), through skilled birth attendance (SBA), to postnatal
      care (PNC).We analyzed data from 1931 women who delivered in the preceding 2-14
      months, from a two-stage cluster sampling household survey in four districts of
      Tanzania's Morogoro region. The survey was conducted in 2011 as a part of a
      baseline for an independent evaluation of a maternal health program. Using the
      Anderson model of health care seeking, we fitted logistic models for three
      transition stages in the continuum.Only 10% of women received the 'recommended'
      care package (4+ ANC visits, SBA, and 1+ PNC visit), while 1% reported not having
      care at any stage. Receipt of four ANC visits was positively associated with
      women being older in age (age 20-34 years-OR: 1.77, 95%CI: 1.22-2.56; age 35-49
      years-2.03, 1.29-3.2), and knowledge of danger signs (1.75, 1.39 -2.1). A pro
      rich bias was observed in facility-based deliveries (proxy for SBA), with women
      from the fourth (1.66, 1.12-2.47) and highest quintiles of household wealth (3.4,
      2.04-5.66) and the top tertile of communities by wealth (2.9, 1.14-7.4). Higher
      rates of facility deliveries were also reported with antenatal complications
      (1.37, 1.05-1.79), and 4+ ANC visits (1.55, 1.14-2.09). Returning for PNC was
      highest among the wealthiest communities (2.25, 1.21-4.44); catchment areas of a
      new PNC program (1.89, 1.03-3.45); knowledge of danger signs (1.78, 1.13-2.83);
      community health worker counselling (4.22, 1.97-9.05); complicated delivery
      (3.25, 1.84-5.73); and previous health provider counselling on family planning
      (2.39, 1.71-3.35).Dropout from maternal care continuum is high, especially for
      the poorest, in rural Tanzania. Interactions with formal health system and
      perceived need for future services appear to be important factors for retention.

PMID- 28334974
TI  - Efficacy and safety of sequential use of everolimus in Japanese patients with
      advanced renal cell carcinoma after failure of first-line treatment with vascular
      endothelial growth factor receptor tyrosine kinase inhibitor: a multicenter phase
      II clinical trial.
AB  - Objective: Many studies have shown the efficacy of everolimus after pretreatment
      with vascular endothelial growth factor receptor-tyrosine kinase inhibitors. We
      investigated the efficacy and safety of everolimus as a second-line treatment
      after the failure of vascular endothelial growth factor receptor-tyrosine kinase
      inhibitor therapy in Japanese patients with advanced renal cell carcinoma.
      Methods: This was an open-label, multicenter, phase II trial conducted in Japan
      through the central registration system. A total of 57  patients were enrolled.
      Patients were administered 10 mg of everolimus q.d. orally. The primary efficacy
      endpoint was progression-free survival achieved by administration of everolimus.
      Results: The median progression-free survival of patients administered everolimus
      was 5.03 months (95% confidence interval: 3.70-6.20). The median overall survival
      was not reached. The objective response rate was 9.4% (95% confidence interval:
      3.1-20.7). The progression-free survival in the group of <100% relative dose
      intensity was 6.70 months (95% confidence interval: 4.13-11.60), and that in the
      group of 100% relative dose intensity was 3.77 months (hazard ratio: 2.79, 95%
      confidence interval: 2.77-5.63). The commonly observed adverse events and
      laboratory abnormalities were stomatitis (49.1%), hypertriglyceridemia (26.4%),
      interstitial lung disease (26.4%), anemia (22.6%) and hypercholesterolemia
      (22.6%). Conclusion: The median progression-free survival was almost similar to
      that recorded in the RECORD-1 study, whereas prolongation of overall survival was
      observed in the present study compared with the RECORD-1 study. The treatment
      outcomes of first-line vascular endothelial growth factor receptor-tyrosine
      kinase inhibitor therapy and second-line everolimus treatment in Japanese
      patients were successfully established in the present study.

PMID- 28334975
TI  - APRICOT: an integrated computational pipeline for the sequence-based
      identification and characterization of RNA-binding proteins.
AB  - RNA-binding proteins (RBPs) have been established as core components of several
      post-transcriptional gene regulation mechanisms. Experimental techniques such as
      cross-linking and co-immunoprecipitation have enabled the identification of RBPs,
      RNA-binding domains (RBDs) and their regulatory roles in the eukaryotic species
      such as human and yeast in large-scale. In contrast, our knowledge of the number
      and potential diversity of RBPs in bacteria is poorer due to the technical
      challenges associated with the existing global screening approaches. We introduce
      APRICOT, a computational pipeline for the sequence-based identification and
      characterization of proteins using RBDs known from experimental studies. The
      pipeline identifies functional motifs in protein sequences using position
      specific scoring matrices and Hidden Markov Models of the functional domains and
      statistically scores them based on a series of sequence-based features.
      Subsequently, APRICOT identifies putative RBPs and characterizes them by several
      biological properties. Here we demonstrate the application and adaptability of
      the pipeline on large-scale protein sets, including the bacterial proteome of
      Escherichia coli. APRICOT showed better performance on various datasets compared
      to other existing tools for the sequence-based prediction of RBPs by achieving an
      average sensitivity and specificity of 0.90 and 0.91 respectively. The command
      line tool and its documentation are available at https://pypi.python.org/pypi/bio
      apricot.

PMID- 28334976
TI  - A sensitivity analysis of RNA folding nearest neighbor parameters identifies a
      subset of free energy parameters with the greatest impact on RNA secondary
      structure prediction.
AB  - Nearest neighbor parameters for estimating the folding energy changes of RNA
      secondary structures are used in structure prediction and analysis. Despite their
      widespread application, a comprehensive analysis of the impact of each parameter
      on the precision of calculations had not been conducted. To identify the
      parameters with greatest impact, a sensitivity analysis was performed on the 291
      parameters that compose the 2004 version of the free energy nearest neighbor
      rules. Perturbed parameter sets were generated by perturbing each parameter
      independently. Then the effect of each individual parameter change on predicted
      base-pair probabilities and secondary structures as compared to the standard
      parameter set was observed for a set of sequences including structured ncRNA,
      mRNA and randomized sequences. The results identify for the first time the
      parameters with the greatest impact on secondary structure prediction, and the
      subset which should be prioritized for further study in order to improve the
      precision of structure prediction. In particular, bulge loop initiation,
      multibranch loop initiation, AU/GU internal loop closure and AU/GU helix end
      parameters were particularly important. An analysis of parameter usage during
      folding free energy calculations of stochastic samples of secondary structures
      revealed a correlation between parameter usage and impact on structure prediction
      precision.

PMID- 28334977
TI  - sCLIP-an integrated platform to study RNA-protein interactomes in biomedical
      research: identification of CSTF2tau in alternative processing of small nuclear
      RNAs.
AB  - RNA-binding proteins (RBPs) are central for gene expression by controlling the
      RNA fate from birth to decay. Various disorders arising from perturbations of RNA
      protein interactions document their critical function. However, deciphering their
      function is complex, limiting the general functional elucidation of this growing
      class of proteins and their contribution to (patho)physiology. Here, we present
      sCLIP, a simplified and robust platform for genome-wide interrogation of RNA
      protein interactomes based on crosslinking-immunoprecipitation and high
      throughput sequencing. sCLIP exploits linear amplification of the
      immunoprecipitated RNA improving the complexity of the sequencing-library despite
      significantly reducing the amount of input material and omitting several
      purification steps. Additionally, it permits a radiolabel-free visualization of
      immunoprecipitated RNA. In a proof of concept, we identify that CSTF2tau binds
      many previously not recognized RNAs including histone, snoRNA and snRNAs.
      CSTF2tau-binding is associated with internal oligoadenylation resulting in
      shortened snRNA isoforms subjected to rapid degradation. We provide evidence for
      a new mechanism whereby CSTF2tau controls the abundance of snRNAs resulting in
      alternative splicing of several RNAs including ANK2 with critical roles in
      tumorigenesis and cardiac function. Combined with a bioinformatic pipeline sCLIP
      thus uncovers new functions for established RBPs and fosters the illumination of
      RBP-protein interaction landscapes in health and disease.

PMID- 28334978
TI  - Therapeutic window of dopamine D2/3 receptor occupancy to treat psychosis in
      Alzheimer's disease.
AB  - See Caravaggio and Graff-Guerrero (doi:10.1093/awx023) for a scientific
      commentary on this article.Antipsychotic drugs, originally developed to treat
      schizophrenia, are used to treat psychosis, agitation and aggression in
      Alzheimer's disease. In the absence of dopamine D2/3 receptor occupancy data to
      inform antipsychotic prescribing for psychosis in Alzheimer's disease, the
      mechanisms underpinning antipsychotic efficacy and side effects are poorly
      understood. This study used a population approach to investigate the relationship
      between amisulpride blood concentration and central D2/3 occupancy in older
      people with Alzheimer's disease by combining: (i) pharmacokinetic data (280
      venous samples) from a phase I single (50 mg) dose study in healthy older people
      (n = 20, 65-79 years); (ii) pharmacokinetic, 18F-fallypride D2/3 receptor imaging
      and clinical outcome data on patients with Alzheimer's disease who were
      prescribed amisulpride (25-75 mg daily) to treat psychosis as part of an open
      study (n = 28; 69-92 years; 41 blood samples, five pretreatment scans, 19 post
      treatment scans); and (iii) 18F-fallypride imaging of an antipsychotic free
      Alzheimer's disease control group (n = 10, 78-92 years), to provide additional
      pretreatment data. Non-linear mixed effects modelling was used to describe
      pharmacokinetic-occupancy curves in caudate, putamen and thalamus. Model outputs
      were used to estimate threshold steady state blood concentration and occupancy
      required to elicit a clinically relevant response (>25% reduction in scores on
      delusions, hallucinations and agitation domains of the Neuropsychiatric
      Inventory) and extrapyramidal side effects (Simpson Angus Scale scores > 3).
      Average steady state blood levels were low (71 +/- 30 ng/ml), and associated with
      high D2/3 occupancies (65 +/- 8%, caudate; 67 +/- 11%, thalamus; 52 +/- 11%,
      putamen). Antipsychotic clinical response occurred at a threshold concentration
      of 20 ng/ml and D2/3 occupancies of 43% (caudate), 25% (putamen), 43% (thalamus).
      Extrapyramidal side effects (n = 7) emerged at a threshold concentration of 60
      ng/ml, and D2/3 occupancies of 61% (caudate), 49% (putamen) and 69% (thalamus).
      This study has established that, as in schizophrenia, there is a therapeutic
      window of D2/3 receptor occupancy for optimal treatment of psychosis in
      Alzheimer's disease. We have also shown that occupancies within and beyond this
      window are achieved at very low amisulpride doses in Alzheimer's disease due to
      higher than anticipated occupancies for a given blood drug concentration. Our
      findings support a central pharmacokinetic contribution to antipsychotic
      sensitivity in Alzheimer's disease and implicate the blood-brain barrier, which
      controls central drug access. Whether high D2/3 receptor occupancies are
      primarily accounted for by age- or disease-specific blood-brain barrier
      disruption is unclear, and this is an important future area of future
      investigation, as it has implications beyond antipsychotic prescribing.

PMID- 28334979
TI  - The effectiveness of optimised clinical medication reviews for geriatric
      patients: Opti-Med a cluster randomised controlled trial.
AB  - Background: Inappropriate drug use is a frequent problem in older patients and
      associated with adverse clinical outcomes and an important determinant of
      geriatric problems. Clinical medication reviews (CMR) may reduce inappropriate
      drug use. Objective: The aim of this study is to investigate the effectiveness of
      CMR on quality of life (QoL) and geriatric problems in comparison with usual care
      in older patients with geriatric problems in the general practice. Methods: We
      performed a cluster randomised controlled trial in 22 Dutch general practices.
      Patients of >=65 years were eligible if they newly presented with pre-specified
      geriatric symptoms in general practice and the chronic use of >=1 prescribed
      drug. The intervention consisted of CMRs which were prepared by an independent
      expert team and discussed with the patient by the general practitioner. Primary
      outcomes: QoL and the presence of self-reported geriatric problems after a follow
      up period of 6 months. Results: 518 patients were included. No significant
      differences between the intervention and control group and over time were found
      for QoL, geriatric problems, satisfaction with medication and self-reported
      medication adherence. After 6 months the percentage of solved Drug Related
      Problems (DRPs) was significantly higher in the intervention group compared to
      the control group [B 22.6 (95%CI 14.1-31.1), P < 0.001]. Conclusion: The study
      intervention did not influence QoL and geriatric problems. The higher percentage
      of solved DRPs in the intervention group did not result in effects on the
      patient's health. CMRs on a large scale seem not meaningful and should be
      reconsidered.

PMID- 28334980
TI  - Public health implications of 4 decades of neoliberal policy: a qualitative case
      study from post-industrial west central Scotland.
AB  - Background: The UK has long had a strong commitment to neoliberal policy, the
      risks of which for population health are well researched. Within Europe, Scotland
      demonstrates especially poor health outcomes, much of which is driven by high
      levels of deprivation, wide inequalities and the persistent impacts of
      deindustrialisation. The processes through which neoliberalism has contributed to
      this poor health record are the subject of significant research interest.
      Methods: Qualitative case study of a post-industrial town in west central
      Scotland. Primary data were collected using photovoice (11) and oral history (9)
      interviews, supplemented by qualitative and quantitative secondary source data.
      Results: For those who fared poorly after the initial introduction of neoliberal
      policy in the 1970s, subsequent policy decisions have served to deepen and
      entrench negative impacts on the determinants of health. Neoliberalism has
      constituted a suite of rapidly and concurrently implemented policies, cross
      cutting a variety of domains, which have reached into every part of people's
      lives. Conclusions: In formerly industrial parts of west central Scotland, policy
      developments since the 1970s have generated multiple and sustained forms of
      deprivation. This case study suggests that a turn away from neoliberal policy is
      required to improve quality of life and health.

PMID- 28334981
TI  - Computer models to inform epilepsy surgery strategies: prediction of
      postoperative outcome.

PMID- 28334982
TI  - Use it or lose it: citations predict the continued online availability of
      published bioinformatics resources.
AB  - Scientific Data Analysis Resources (SDARs) such as bioinformatics programs, web
      servers and databases are integral to modern science, but previous studies have
      shown that the Uniform Resource Locators (URLs) linking to them decay in a time
      dependent manner, with ~27% decayed to date. Because SDARs are overrepresented
      among science's most cited papers over the past 20 years, loss of widely used
      SDARs could be particularly disruptive to scientific research. We identified URLs
      in MEDLINE abstracts and used crowdsourcing to identify which reported the
      creation of SDARs. We used the Internet Archive's Wayback Machine to approximate
      'death dates' and calculate citations/year over each SDAR's lifespan. At first
      glance, decayed SDARs did not significantly differ from available SDARs in their
      average citations per year over their lifespan or journal impact factor (JIF).
      But the most cited SDARs were 94% likely to be relocated to another URL versus
      only 34% of uncited ones. Taking relocation into account, we find that citations
      are the strongest predictors of current online availability after time since
      publication, and JIF modestly predictive. This suggests that URL decay is a
      general, persistent phenomenon affecting all URLs, but the most useful/recognized
      SDARs are more likely to persist.

PMID- 28334983
TI  - GWAS-linked PPARGC1A variant in Asian patients with essential tremor.

PMID- 28334984
TI  - Interdisciplinary working in public health research: a proposed good practice
      checklist.
AB  - Background: Guidance on how different disciplines from the natural, behavioural
      and social sciences can collaborate to resolve complex public health problems is
      lacking. This article presents a checklist to support researchers and principle
      investigators to develop and implement interdisciplinary collaborations. Methods:
      Fourteen individuals, representing 10 disciplines, participated in in-depth
      interviews to explore the strengths and challenges of working together on an
      interdisciplinary project to identify the determinants of substance use and
      gambling disorders, and to make recommendations for future interdisciplinary
      teams. Data were analysed thematically and a checklist was derived from insights
      offered by participants during interview and discussion among the authors on the
      implications of findings. Results: Participants identified 18 scientific,
      interactional and structural strengths and challenges of interdisciplinary
      research. These findings were used to develop an 18-item BASICS checklist to
      support future interdisciplinary collaborations. The five domains of the
      checklist are: (i) Blueprint, (ii) Attitudes, (iii) Staffing, (iv) Interactions
      and (v) Core Science. Conclusion: Interdisciplinary work has the potential to
      advance public health science but the numerous challenges should not be
      underestimated. Use of a checklist, such as BASICS, when planning and managing
      projects may help future collaborations to avoid some of the common pitfalls of
      interdisciplinary research.

PMID- 28334986
TI  - Addressing London's modern urban health challenges: learning from other global
      cities.
AB  - Around 150 cities have emerged as notable at a global scale. With a global
      population of fewer than 12%, they generate 46% of world gross domestic product.
      There is growing interest in how cities can accelerate health improvements
      through wider social and economic collaboration. A team led by Public Health
      England in London visited counterparts in New York City and Paris to examine how
      city health leaders addressed public health challenges. The three cities have
      similar health challenges but different legal, political and fiscal resources for
      promoting and protecting health. Consequently, there is no single model that
      every city could adopt. Organizational structures, interpersonal relationships
      and individual skills can play an important part in effective delivery of better
      city health. Lack of access to published evidence on how practice has been
      influenced by city health policies hampers learning between cities. There is
      little easily comparable data to guide those interested in such learning.
      Municipal governments are ideally situated to join researchers to fill this gap
      in the literature.

PMID- 28334985
TI  - Multicriteria Optimization Methodology in Stability-Indicating Method Development
      of Cilazapril and Hydrochlorothiazide.
AB  - Multicriteria optimization methodology was applied in development of UHPLC-UV-MS
      method for separation of cilazapril, hydrochlorothiazide and their degradation
      products. This method is also applicable for analysis of cilazapril,
      hydrochlorothiazide and their degradation products in combined tablet
      formulation. Prior to method optimization forced degradation studies were
      conducted. Cilazapril and hydrochlorothiazide were subjected to acidic (0.1, 0.5
      and 1.0 M HCl), basic (0.1, 0.5 and 1.0 M NaOH), thermal (70 degrees C),
      oxidative (3-30% H2O2) degradation and photodegradation (day light). Cilazapril
      appeared to be unstable toward acid and base and resulted in formation of
      cilazaprilat. Hydrochlorothiazide significantly degraded after acid, base and
      thermal hydrolysis and formed degradation product was 4-amino-6-chlorobenzene-1.3
      disulfonamide. For both substances, after oxidative degradation unknown products
      have arisen. Initial percentage of acetonitrile in mobile phase, final percentage
      of acetonitrile in mobile phase, time of gradient elution and column temperature
      were defined as variables to be optimized toward two chromatographic responses by
      means of central composite design and Derringer's desirability function. The
      satisfactory chromatographic analysis was achieved on Kinetex C18 (2.6 um, 50 *
      2.1 mm) column with temperature set at 25 degrees C. The final mobile phase
      consisted of acetonitrile and 20 mM ammonium formate buffer (pH adjusted to 8.5).
      The flow rate of the mobile phase was 400 MUL min-1 and it was pumped in a
      gradient elution mode.

PMID- 28334987
TI  - Magnetic Solid-Phase Extraction of N,N-Diethyl-m-Toluamide From Baby Toilet Water
      Prior to its HPLC-UV Detection.
AB  - Fe3O4@MIL-100 (MIL, Material Institut Lavoisier) core-shell magnetic microspheres
      were prepared and applied as the sorbent for the magnetic solid phase extraction
      (MSPE) of N,N-diethyl-m-toluamide (DEET) in baby toilet water for the first time.
      The synthesized magnetic metal-organic frameworks were characterized by
      transmission electron microscope, infrared spectroscopy and thermogravimetric
      analysis. The functionalized magnetic microparticles showed excellent
      dispersibility in aqueous solution. The MSPE conditions were investigated in
      detail. Under the optimized conditions, an MSPE-high performance liquid
      chromatography method for the determination of DEET was developed. The method was
      linear in the concentration range from 5 to 500 MUg L-1 for DEET in baby toilet
      water and good linearity (r2 > 0.9998) was obtained for the calibration curve.
      The limit of detection was 1.5 MUg L-1. Both the intra-day and inter-day
      precisions (relative standard deviations) were <3%.

PMID- 28334988
TI  - Attitudes and lifestyle changes following Jog your Mind: results from a multi
      factorial community-based program promoting cognitive vitality among seniors.
AB  - This study examined the effects on attitudes and lifestyle behavior of Jog your
      Mind, a multi-factorial community-based program promoting cognitive vitality
      among seniors with no known cognitive impairment. A quasi-experimental study was
      conducted. Twenty-three community organizations were assigned either to the
      experimental group (offering the program) or to the control group (creating a
      waiting list). They recruited 294 community-dwelling seniors. The aims of the
      study were to verify the effects of the program on attitudes and behaviors
      related to cognitive vitality and to explore its effects on cognitive vitality.
      Data was collected at baseline and after the program. Regression analyses
      revealed that, following their participation in the program, experimental group
      participants reported: (i) in terms of attitudes, having a greater feeling of
      control concerning their cognitive capacities, (ii) in terms of behaviors, using
      significantly more memory strategies and practicing more physical activity and
      stimulating activities than control group participants. However, the program had
      no significant effects on measures of cognitive vitality. This study supports the
      fact that a multi-factorial community-based program can have significant effects
      on seniors' attitudes and lifestyle behaviors related to cognitive vitality but
      at short term, no effects on cognitive vitality it-self were found.

PMID- 28334989
TI  - Impaired fetal muscle development and JAK-STAT activation mark disease onset and
      progression in a mouse model for merosin-deficient congenital muscular dystrophy.
AB  - Merosin-deficient congenital muscular dystrophy type 1A (MDC1A) is a dramatic
      neuromuscular disease in which crippling muscle weakness is evident from birth.
      Here, we use the dyW mouse model for human MDC1A to trace the onset of the
      disease during development in utero. We find that myotomal and primary myogenesis
      proceed normally in homozygous dyW-/- embryos. Fetal dyW-/- muscles display the
      same number of myofibers as wildtype (WT) muscles, but by E18.5 dyW-/- muscles
      are significantly smaller and muscle size is not recovered post-natally. These
      results suggest that fetal dyW-/- myofibers fail to grow at the same rate as WT
      myofibers. Consistent with this hypothesis between E17.5 and E18.5 dyW-/- muscles
      display a dramatic drop in the number of Pax7- and myogenin-positive cells
      relative to WT muscles, suggesting that dyW-/- muscles fail to generate enough
      muscle cells to sustain fetal myofiber growth. Gene expression analysis of dyW-/-
      E17.5 muscles identified a significant increase in the expression of the JAK-STAT
      target gene Pim1 and muscles from 2-day and 3-week old dyW-/- mice demonstrate a
      dramatic increase in pSTAT3 relative to WT muscles. Interestingly, myotubes
      lacking integrin alpha7beta1, a laminin-receptor, also show a significant
      increase in pSTAT3 levels compared with WT myotubes, indicating that alpha7beta1
      can act as a negative regulator of STAT3 activity. Our data reveal for the first
      time that dyW-/- mice exhibit a myogenesis defect already in utero. We propose
      that overactivation of JAK-STAT signaling is part of the mechanism underlying
      disease onset and progression in dyW-/- mice.

PMID- 28334991
TI  - Frameworks to assess health systems governance: a systematic review.
AB  - Governance of the health system is a relatively new concept and there are gaps in
      understanding what health system governance is and how it could be assessed. We
      conducted a systematic review of the literature to describe the concept of
      governance and the theories underpinning as applied to health systems; and to
      identify which frameworks are available and have been applied to assess health
      systems governance. Frameworks were reviewed to understand how the principles of
      governance might be operationalized at different levels of a health system.
      Electronic databases and web portals of international institutions concerned with
      governance were searched for publications in English for the period January 1994
      to February 2016. Sixteen frameworks developed to assess governance in the health
      system were identified and are described. Of these, six frameworks were developed
      based on theories from new institutional economics; three are primarily informed
      by political science and public management disciplines; three arise from the
      development literature and four use multidisciplinary approaches. Only five of
      the identified frameworks have been applied. These used the principal-agent
      theory, theory of common pool resources, North's institutional analysis and the
      cybernetics theory. Governance is a practice, dependent on arrangements set at
      political or national level, but which needs to be operationalized by individuals
      at lower levels in the health system; multi-level frameworks acknowledge this.
      Three frameworks were used to assess governance at all levels of the health
      system. Health system governance is complex and difficult to assess; the concept
      of governance originates from different disciplines and is multidimensional.
      There is a need to validate and apply existing frameworks and share lessons
      learnt regarding which frameworks work well in which settings. A comprehensive
      assessment of governance could enable policy makers to prioritize solutions for
      problems identified as well as replicate and scale-up examples of good practice.

PMID- 28334992
TI  - Utility of chromogranin B compared with chromogranin A as a biomarker in Japanese
      patients with pancreatic neuroendocrine tumors.
AB  - Objective: Currently, serum chromogranin A is a well-established biomarker for
      pancreatic neuroendocrine tumors; however, other pancreatic diseases, oral use of
      a proton pump inhibitor and renal impairment can affect chromogranin A.
      Meanwhile, chromogranin B, belonging to the same granin family as chromogranin A,
      is not fully examined in these conditions. The present study aimed to evaluate
      the utility of chromogranin B as a pancreatic neuroendocrine tumor biomarker.
      Methods: Serum chromogranin B levels were determined by radioimmunoassay and
      serum chromogranin A levels by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay in pancreatic
      neuroendocrine tumor (n = 91) and other pancreatic conditions, and in healthy
      people (n = 104), to assess the relationships with clinical features. Results:
      The diagnostic ability of chromogranin B was as good as chromogranin A. The area
      under the curve was 0.79 for chromogranin B (sensitivity/specificity: 72%/77%),
      and 0.78 for chromogranin A (sensitivity/specificity: 79%/64%). Chromogranin B
      was not affected by proton pump inhibitor use and age, which affected
      chromogranin A. The number of cases without liver metastases was larger in
      pancreatic neuroendocrine tumor patients with positive chromogranin B and
      negative chromogranin A. Though chromogranin A significantly elevated cases with
      proton pump inhibitor treatment and had positive correlation with age,
      chromogranin B did not have the tendencies. However, both chromogranin B and
      chromogranin A elevated in the case with renal impairment. In addition, the
      logistic regression analysis showed that chromogranin B was superior to
      chromogranin A in differentiation of pancreatic neuroendocrine tumor from other
      pancreatic diseases. Conclusions: Compared with chromogranin A, chromogranin B
      may be more useful during proton pump inhibitor treatment and can detect tumors
      without liver metastases. In addition, chromogranin B may be an excellent
      biomarker when differentiation of pancreatic neuroendocrine tumor from other
      pancreatic diseases is required.

PMID- 28334990
TI  - Insulin resistance and exendin-4 treatment for multiple system atrophy.
AB  - See Stayte and Vissel (doi:10.1093/awx064) for a scientific commentary on this
      article. Multiple system atrophy is a fatal sporadic adult-onset
      neurodegenerative disorder with no symptomatic or disease-modifying treatment
      available. The cytopathological hallmark of multiple system atrophy is the
      accumulation of alpha-synuclein aggregates in oligodendrocytes, forming glial
      cytoplasmic inclusions. Impaired insulin/insulin-like growth factor-1 signalling
      (IGF-1) and insulin resistance (i.e. decreased insulin/IGF-1) have been reported
      in other neurodegenerative disorders such as Alzheimer's disease. Increasing
      evidence also suggests impaired insulin/IGF-1 signalling in multiple system
      atrophy, as corroborated by increased insulin and IGF-1 plasma concentrations in
      multiple system atrophy patients and reduced IGF-1 brain levels in a transgenic
      mouse model of multiple system atrophy. We here tested the hypothesis that
      multiple system atrophy is associated with brain insulin resistance and showed
      increased expression of the key downstream messenger insulin receptor substrate-1
      phosphorylated at serine residue 312 in neurons and oligodendrocytes in the
      putamen of patients with multiple system atrophy. Furthermore, the expression of
      insulin receptor substrate 1 (IRS-1) phosphorylated at serine residue 312 was
      more apparent in inclusion bearing oligodendrocytes in the putamen. By contrast,
      it was not different between both groups in the temporal cortex, a less
      vulnerable structure compared to the putamen. These findings suggest that insulin
      resistance may occur in multiple system atrophy in regions where the
      neurodegenerative process is most severe and point to a possible relation between
      alpha-synuclein aggregates and insulin resistance. We also observed insulin
      resistance in the striatum of transgenic multiple system atrophy mice and further
      demonstrate that the glucagon-like peptide-1 analogue exendin-4, a well-tolerated
      and Federal Drug Agency-approved antidiabetic drug, has positive effects on
      insulin resistance and monomeric alpha-synuclein load in the striatum, as well as
      survival of nigral dopamine neurons. Additionally, plasma levels of exosomal
      neural-derived IRS-1 phosphorylated at serine residue 307 (corresponding to
      serine residue 312 in humans) negatively correlated with survival of nigral
      dopamine neurons in multiple system atrophy mice treated with exendin-4. This
      finding suggests the potential for developing this peripheral biomarker candidate
      as an objective outcome measure of target engagement for clinical trials with
      glucagon-like peptide-1 analogues in multiple system atrophy. In conclusion, our
      observation of brain insulin resistance in multiple system atrophy patients and
      transgenic mice together with the beneficial effects of the glucagon-like peptide
      1 agonist exendin-4 in transgenic mice paves the way for translating this
      innovative treatment into a clinical trial.

PMID- 28334994
TI  - Rural retention of new medical graduates from the Collaborative Project to
      Increase Production of Rural Doctors (CPIRD): a 12-year retrospective study.
AB  - Physician scarcity in rural areas is a major obstacle to healthcare access,
      leading to health inequity worldwide. In Thailand, a special recruitment program
      of medical education [Collaborative Project to Increase Production of Rural
      Doctors (CPIRD)] was initiated with four different medical training tracks. No
      previous research has examined the rural retention of new medical graduates
      across the CPIRD tracks, compared with those receiving conventional medical
      education (Normal track). This study examines the public retention of rural
      physicians from different tracks of entry. A retrospective study was conducted in
      new medical graduates who entered Ministry of Public Health (MoPH) hospitals from
      January 2003 to October 2014, and followed up until June 2015, using
      administrative data from the Personnel Administration Division, MoPH. The CPIRD
      registry database was used to identify physicians' tracks of entry. Survival
      analyses and multiple logistic regression analyses were applied to compare the
      annual retention and the probability of 3-year retention of rural physicians.
      Results clearly demonstrated a high rural retention of CPIRD medical graduates,
      compared with their Normal track peers, regarding both lower annual resignation
      (HR 0.456, P < 0.001) and higher 3-year retention (OR 2.441, CI: 2.192, 2.719).
      Some variations of rural retention were revealed across the different CPIRD
      tracks. Evidence from this study can be used as part of the information to
      reshape the physician production policy to reduce health inequity in rural areas.

PMID- 28334995
TI  - Reply: Clinical approach to delayed-onset cerebellar impairment following deep
      brain stimulation for tremor.

PMID- 28334993
TI  - The mechanism of the glycosylase reaction with hOGG1 base-excision repair enzyme:
      concerted effect of Lys249 and Asp268 during excision of 8-oxoguanine.
AB  - The excision of 8-oxoguanine (oxoG) by the human 8-oxoguanine DNA glycosylase 1
      (hOGG1) base-excision repair enzyme was studied by using the QM/MM (M06-2X/6
      31G(d,p):OPLS2005) calculation method and nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR)
      spectroscopy. The calculated glycosylase reaction included excision of the oxoG
      base, formation of Lys249-ribose enzyme-substrate covalent adduct and formation
      of a Schiff base. The formation of a Schiff base with DeltaG# = 17.7 kcal/mol was
      the rate-limiting step of the reaction. The excision of the oxoG base with
      DeltaG# = 16.1 kcal/mol proceeded via substitution of the C1?-N9 N-glycosidic
      bond with an H-N9 bond where the negative charge on the oxoG base and the
      positive charge on the ribose were compensated in a concerted manner by
      NH3+(Lys249) and CO2-(Asp268), respectively. The effect of Asp268 on the oxoG
      excision was demonstrated with 1H NMR for WT hOGG1 and the hOGG1(D268N) mutant:
      the excision of oxoG was notably suppressed when Asp268 was mutated to Asn. The
      loss of the base-excision function was rationalized with QM/MM calculations and
      Asp268 was confirmed as the electrostatic stabilizer of ribose oxocarbenium
      through the initial base-excision step of DNA repair. The NMR experiments and
      QM/MM calculations consistently illustrated the base-excision reaction operated
      by hOGG1.

PMID- 28334997
TI  - Self-efficacy and comfort with partner-assisted skin examination in patients
      receiving follow-up care for melanoma.
AB  - The objective of this study was to examine the role of interpersonal variables on
      melanoma survivors' self-efficacy for performing skin self-examinations (SSEs)
      during melanoma follow-up care. Specifically, the impact of comfort with partner
      assistance for SSE, SSE support received from one's partner, general partner
      support, relationship satisfaction, as well as partner attendance at a SSE
      education session, were examined. One hundred and thirty-seven patients with
      melanoma between the ages of 18 and 70 years, who also reported being involved in
      a romantic relationship, received a standardized education on SSE, and completed
      self-report questionnaires. Results indicate that SSE support and SSE comfort
      predicted patients' SSE self-efficacy. Partner attendance at the SSE education
      moderated the relationship between SSE comfort and SSE self-efficacy. In other
      words, SSE self-efficacy was found to be affected by partner attendance at the
      SSE education only in cases where the patient reported lower levels of comfort
      having his or her partner assist with SSE. Results highlight the importance of
      partner involvement in SSE education, as well as patient comfort with a partner's
      assistance during skin examinations. Findings inform potential modifications to
      the follow-up care provided to melanoma survivors by demonstrating the importance
      of partner involvement in SSE education.

PMID- 28334996
TI  - Amelogenesis imperfecta caused by N-terminal enamelin point mutations in mice and
      men is driven by endoplasmic reticulum stress.
AB  - 'Amelogenesis imperfecta' (AI) describes a group of inherited diseases of dental
      enamel that have major clinical impact. Here, we identify the aetiology driving
      AI in mice carrying a p.S55I mutation in enamelin; one of the most commonly
      mutated proteins underlying AI in humans. Our data indicate that the mutation
      inhibits the ameloblast secretory pathway leading to ER stress and an activated
      unfolded protein response (UPR). Initially, with the support of the UPR acting in
      pro-survival mode, Enamp.S55I heterozygous mice secreted structurally normal
      enamel. However, enamel secreted thereafter was structurally abnormal; presumably
      due to the UPR modulating ameloblast behaviour and function in an attempt to
      relieve ER stress. Homozygous mutant mice failed to produce enamel. We also
      identified a novel heterozygous ENAMp.L31R mutation causing AI in humans. We
      hypothesize that ER stress is the aetiological factor in this case of human AI as
      it shared the characteristic phenotype described above for the Enamp.S55I mouse.
      We previously demonstrated that AI in mice carrying the Amelxp.Y64H mutation is a
      proteinopathy. The current data indicate that AI in Enamp.S55I mice is also a
      proteinopathy, and based on comparative phenotypic analysis, we suggest that
      human AI resulting from the ENAMp.L31R mutation is another proteinopathic
      disease. Identifying a common aetiology for AI resulting from mutations in two
      different genes opens the way for developing pharmaceutical interventions
      designed to relieve ER stress or modulate the UPR during enamel development to
      ameliorate the clinical phenotype.

PMID- 28334998
TI  - Spatiotemporal mapping of epileptic spikes using simultaneous EEG-functional MRI.
AB  - Epileptic spikes occur on the sub-second timescale and are known to involve not
      only epileptic foci but also large-scale distributed brain networks. There is
      likely to be a sequence of neural activity in multiple brain regions that occurs
      within the duration of a single spike, but standard electroencephalography
      functional magnetic resonance imaging analyses, which use only the timing of the
      spikes to model the functional magnetic resonance imaging data, cannot determine
      the sequence of these activations. Our aim in this study is to temporally resolve
      these spatial activations to observe the spatiotemporal dynamics of the spike
      related neural activity at a sub-second timescale. We studied eight focal
      epilepsy patients (age 11-42 years, six female) and used amplitude features of
      the electroencephalogram specific to different spike components (early and late
      peaks and troughs) to encode temporal information into our functional magnetic
      resonance imaging models. This enables us to associate each activation with a
      specific model of each of the spike components to infer the temporal order of
      these spike-related spatial activations. In seven of eight patients the
      distributed networks were associated with the late spike component. The focal
      activations were more variably coupled with time epochs, but tended to precede
      the distributed network effects. We also found that incorporating
      electroencephalogram features into the models increased sensitivity and in six
      patients revealed additional regions unseen in the standard analysis result. This
      included strong bilateral thalamus activation in two patients. We demonstrate the
      clinical utility of this approach in a patient who recently underwent a
      successful surgical resection of the region where we saw enhanced activation
      using electroencephalogram amplitude information specific to the early spike
      component. This focal cluster of activation was larger and more precisely tracked
      the anatomy compared to what was seen using the standard timing-based analysis.
      Our novel electroencephalography-functional magnetic resonance imaging data
      fusion approach, which utilizes information based on the single spike variability
      across all electroencephalogram channels, has the potential to help us better
      understand epileptic networks and aid in the interpretation of functional
      magnetic resonance imaging activation maps during treatment planning.

PMID- 28334999
TI  - Rewiring the primary somatosensory cortex in carpal tunnel syndrome with
      acupuncture.
AB  - Carpal tunnel syndrome is the most common entrapment neuropathy, affecting the
      median nerve at the wrist. Acupuncture is a minimally-invasive and conservative
      therapeutic option, and while rooted in a complex practice ritual, acupuncture
      overlaps significantly with many conventional peripherally-focused
      neuromodulatory therapies. However, the neurophysiological mechanisms by which
      acupuncture impacts accepted subjective/psychological and objective/physiological
      outcomes are not well understood. Eligible patients (n = 80, 65 female, age: 49.3
      +/- 8.6 years) were enrolled and randomized into three intervention arms: (i)
      verum electro-acupuncture 'local' to the more affected hand; (ii) verum electro
      acupuncture at 'distal' body sites, near the ankle contralesional to the more
      affected hand; and (iii) local sham electro-acupuncture using non-penetrating
      placebo needles. Acupuncture therapy was provided for 16 sessions over 8 weeks.
      Boston Carpal Tunnel Syndrome Questionnaire assessed pain and paraesthesia
      symptoms at baseline, following therapy and at 3-month follow-up. Nerve
      conduction studies assessing median nerve sensory latency and brain imaging data
      were acquired at baseline and following therapy. Functional magnetic resonance
      imaging assessed somatotopy in the primary somatosensory cortex using
      vibrotactile stimulation over three digits (2, 3 and 5). While all three
      acupuncture interventions reduced symptom severity, verum (local and distal)
      acupuncture was superior to sham in producing improvements in neurophysiological
      outcomes, both local to the wrist (i.e. median sensory nerve conduction latency)
      and in the brain (i.e. digit 2/3 cortical separation distance). Moreover, greater
      improvement in second/third interdigit cortical separation distance following
      verum acupuncture predicted sustained improvements in symptom severity at 3-month
      follow-up. We further explored potential differential mechanisms of local versus
      distal acupuncture using diffusion tensor imaging of white matter microstructure
      adjacent to the primary somatosensory cortex. Compared to healthy adults (n = 34,
      28 female, 49.7 +/- 9.9 years old), patients with carpal tunnel syndrome
      demonstrated increased fractional anisotropy in several regions and, for these
      regions we found that improvement in median nerve latency was associated with
      reduction of fractional anisotropy near (i) contralesional hand area following
      verum, but not sham, acupuncture; (ii) ipsilesional hand area following local,
      but not distal or sham, acupuncture; and (iii) ipsilesional leg area following
      distal, but not local or sham, acupuncture. As these primary somatosensory cortex
      subregions are distinctly targeted by local versus distal acupuncture
      electrostimulation, acupuncture at local versus distal sites may improve median
      nerve function at the wrist by somatotopically distinct neuroplasticity in the
      primary somatosensory cortex following therapy. Our study further suggests that
      improvements in primary somatosensory cortex somatotopy can predict long-term
      clinical outcomes for carpal tunnel syndrome.

PMID- 28335000
TI  - Better than sham? A double-blind placebo-controlled neurofeedback study in
      primary insomnia.
AB  - See Thibault et al. (doi:10.1093/awx033) for a scientific commentary on this
      article.Neurofeedback training builds upon the simple concept of instrumental
      conditioning, i.e. behaviour that is rewarded is more likely to reoccur, an
      effect Thorndike referred to as the 'law of effect'. In the case of
      neurofeedback, information about specific electroencephalographic activity is fed
      back to the participant who is rewarded whenever the desired
      electroencephalography pattern is generated. If some kind of hyperarousal needs
      to be addressed, the neurofeedback community considers sensorimotor rhythm
      neurofeedback as the gold standard. Earlier treatment approaches using
      sensorimotor-rhythm neurofeedback indicated that training to increase 12-15 Hz
      sensorimotor rhythm over the sensorimotor cortex during wakefulness could reduce
      attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder and epilepsy symptoms and even improve
      sleep quality by enhancing sleep spindle activity (lying in the same frequency
      range). In the present study we sought to critically test whether earlier
      findings on the positive effect of sensorimotor rhythm neurofeedback on sleep
      quality and memory could also be replicated in a double-blind placebo-controlled
      study on 25 patients with insomnia. Patients spent nine polysomnography nights
      and 12 sessions of neurofeedback and 12 sessions of placebo-feedback training
      (sham) in our laboratory. Crucially, we found both neurofeedback and placebo
      feedback to be equally effective as reflected in subjective measures of sleep
      complaints suggesting that the observed improvements were due to unspecific
      factors such as experiencing trust and receiving care and empathy from
      experimenters. In addition, these improvements were not reflected in objective
      electroencephalographic-derived measures of sleep quality. Furthermore, objective
      electroencephalographic measures that potentially reflected mechanisms underlying
      the efficacy of neurofeedback such as spectral electroencephalographic measures
      and sleep spindle parameters remained unchanged following 12 training sessions. A
      stratification into 'true' insomnia patients and 'insomnia misperceivers'
      (subjective, but no objective sleep problems) did not alter the results. Based on
      this comprehensive and well-controlled study, we conclude that for the treatment
      of primary insomnia, neurofeedback does not have a specific efficacy beyond
      unspecific placebo effects. Importantly, we do not find an advantage of
      neurofeedback over placebo feedback, therefore it cannot be recommended as an
      alternative to cognitive behavioural therapy for insomnia, the current (non
      pharmacological) standard-of-care treatment. In addition, our study may foster a
      critical discussion that generally questions the effectiveness of neurofeedback,
      and emphasizes the importance of demonstrating neurofeedback efficacy in other
      study samples and disorders using truly placebo and double-blind controlled
      trials.

PMID- 28335001
TI  - FASTKD1 and FASTKD4 have opposite effects on expression of specific mitochondrial
      RNAs, depending upon their endonuclease-like RAP domain.
AB  - FASTK family proteins have been identified as regulators of mitochondrial RNA
      homeostasis linked to mitochondrial diseases, but much remains unknown about
      these proteins. We show that CRISPR-mediated disruption of FASTKD1 increases ND3
      mRNA level, while disruption of FASTKD4 reduces the level of ND3 and of other
      mature mRNAs including ND5 and CYB, and causes accumulation of ND5-CYB precursor
      RNA. Disrupting both FASTKD1 and FASTKD4 in the same cell results in decreased
      ND3 mRNA similar to the effect of depleting FASTKD4 alone, indicating that
      FASTKD4 loss is epistatic. Interestingly, very low levels of FASTKD4 are
      sufficient to prevent ND3 loss and ND5-CYB precursor accumulation, suggesting
      that FASTKD4 may act catalytically. Furthermore, structural modeling predicts
      that each RAP domain of FASTK proteins contains a nuclease fold with a conserved
      aspartate residue at the putative active site. Accordingly, mutation of this
      residue in FASTKD4 abolishes its function. Experiments with FASTK chimeras
      indicate that the RAP domain is essential for the function of the FASTK proteins,
      while the region upstream determines RNA targeting and protein localization. In
      conclusion, this paper identifies new aspects of FASTK protein biology and
      suggests that the RAP domain function depends on an intrinsic nucleolytic
      activity.

PMID- 28335002
TI  - Handcuffing reversal is facilitated by proteases and replication initiator
      monomers.
AB  - Specific nucleoprotein complexes are formed strictly to prevent over-initiation
      of DNA replication. An example of those is the so-called handcuff complex, in
      which two plasmid molecules are coupled together with plasmid-encoded replication
      initiation protein (Rep). In this work, we elucidate the mechanism of the
      handcuff complex disruption. In vitro tests, including dissociation progress
      analysis, demonstrate that the dimeric variants of plasmid RK2 replication
      initiation protein TrfA are involved in assembling the plasmid handcuff complex
      which, as we found, reveals high stability. Particular proteases, namely Lon and
      ClpAP, disrupt the handcuff by degrading TrfA, thus affecting plasmid stability.
      Moreover, our data demonstrate that TrfA monomers are able to dissociate
      handcuffed plasmid molecules. Those monomers displace TrfA molecules, which are
      involved in handcuff formation, and through interaction with the uncoupled
      plasmid replication origins they re-initiate DNA synthesis. We discuss the
      relevance of both Rep monomers and host proteases for plasmid maintenance under
      vegetative and stress conditions.

PMID- 28335004
TI  - Barriers and facilitators for institutional delivery among poor Mesoamerican
      women: a cross-sectional study.
AB  - Professional skilled care has shown to be one of the most promising strategies to
      reduce maternal mortality, and in-facility deliveries are a cost-effective way to
      ensure safe births. Countries in Mesoamerica have emphasized in-facility delivery
      care by professionally skilled attendants, but access to good-quality delivery
      care is still lacking for many women. We examined the characteristics of women
      who had a delivery in a health facility and determinants of the decision to
      bypass a closer facility and travel to a distant one. We used baseline
      information from the Salud Mesoamerica Initiative (SMI). Data were collected from
      a large household and facilities sample in the poorest quintile of the population
      in Guatemala, Honduras and Nicaragua. The analysis included 1592 deliveries.
      After controlling for characteristics of women and health facilities, being
      primiparous (RR = 1.15, 95% CI 1.10, 1.21), being literate (RR = 1.24, 95% CI
      1.04, 1.48), having antenatal care (RR = 1.68, 95% CI 1.24, 2.27), being informed
      of the need for having a C-section (RR = 1.07, 95% CI 1.02, 1.11) and travel time
      to the closest facility totaling 1-2 h vs under 30 min (RR = 0.88, 95% CI 0.77,
      0.99) were associated with in-health facility deliveries. In Guatemala, increased
      availability of medications and equipment at a distant facility was strongly
      associated with bypassing the closest facility in favor of a distant one for
      delivery (RR = 2.10, 95% CI 1.08, 4.07). Our study showed a strong correlation
      between well-equipped facilities and delivery attendance in poor areas of
      Mesoamerica. Indeed, women were more likely to travel to more distant facilities
      if the facilities were of higher level, which scored higher on our capacity
      score. Our findings call for improving the capacity of health facilities, quality
      of care and addressing cultural and accessibility barriers to increase
      institutional delivery among the poor population in Mesoamerica.

PMID- 28335003
TI  - Identification of genetic variants affecting vitamin D receptor binding and
      associations with autoimmune disease.
AB  - Large numbers of statistically significant associations between sentinel SNPs and
      case-control status have been replicated by genome-wide association studies.
      Nevertheless, few underlying molecular mechanisms of complex disease are
      currently known. We investigated whether variation in binding of a transcription
      factor, the vitamin D receptor (VDR), whose activating ligand vitamin D has been
      proposed as a modifiable factor in multiple disorders, could explain any of these
      associations. VDR modifies gene expression by binding DNA as a heterodimer with
      the Retinoid X receptor (RXR). We identified 43,332 genetic variants
      significantly associated with altered VDR binding affinity (VDR-BVs) using a high
      resolution (ChIP-exo) genome-wide analysis of 27 HapMap lymphoblastoid cell
      lines. VDR-BVs are enriched in consensus RXR::VDR binding motifs, yet most fell
      outside of these motifs, implying that genetic variation often affects the
      binding affinity only indirectly. Finally, we compared 341 VDR-BVs replicating by
      position in multiple individuals against background sets of variants lying within
      VDR-binding regions that had been matched in allele frequency and were
      independent with respect to linkage disequilibrium. In this stringent test, these
      replicated VDR-BVs were significantly (q < 0.1) and substantially (>2-fold)
      enriched in genomic intervals associated with autoimmune and other diseases,
      including inflammatory bowel disease, Crohn's disease and rheumatoid arthritis.
      The approach's validity is underscored by RXR::VDR motif sequence being
      predictive of binding strength and being evolutionarily constrained. Our findings
      are consistent with altered RXR::VDR binding contributing to immunity-related
      diseases. Replicated VDR-BVs associated with these disorders could represent
      causal disease risk alleles whose effect may be modifiable by vitamin D levels.

PMID- 28335005
TI  - TDP-43 suppresses tau expression via promoting its mRNA instability.
AB  - In the brains of individuals with Alzheimer's disease (AD) and chronic traumatic
      encephalopathy, tau pathology is accompanied usually by intracellular aggregation
      of transactive response DNA-binding protein 43 (TDP-43). However, the role of TDP
      43 in tau pathogenesis is not understood. Here, we investigated the role of TDP
      43 in tau expression in vitro and in vivo. We found that TDP-43 suppressed tau
      expression by promoting its mRNA instability through the UG repeats of its 3?
      untranslated region (3?-UTR). The C-terminal region of TDP-43 was required for
      this function. Neurodegenerative diseases-causing TDP-43 mutations affected tau
      mRNA instability differentially, in that some promoted and others did not
      significantly affect tau mRNA instability. The expression levels of tau and TDP
      43 were inverse in the frontal cortex and the cerebellum. Accompanied with
      cytoplasmic accumulation of TDP-43, tau expression was elevated in TDP-43M337V
      transgenic mouse brains. The level of TDP-43, which is decreased in AD brains,
      was found to correlate negatively with the tau level in human brain. Our findings
      indicate that TDP-43 suppresses tau expression by promoting the instability of
      its mRNA. Down-regulation of TDP-43 may be involved in the tau pathology in AD
      and related neurodegenerative disorders.

PMID- 28335006
TI  - A platform for functional assessment of large variant libraries in mammalian
      cells.
AB  - Sequencing-based, massively parallel genetic assays have revolutionized our
      ability to quantify the relationship between many genotypes and a phenotype of
      interest. Unfortunately, variant library expression platforms in mammalian cells
      are far from ideal, hindering the study of human gene variants in their
      physiologically relevant cellular contexts. Here, we describe a platform for
      phenotyping variant libraries in transfectable mammalian cell lines in two steps.
      First, a landing pad cell line with a genomically integrated, Tet-inducible
      cassette containing a Bxb1 recombination site is created. Second, a single
      variant from a library of transfected, promoter-less plasmids is recombined into
      the landing pad in each cell. Thus, every cell in the recombined pool expresses a
      single variant, allowing for parallel, sequencing-based assessment of variant
      effect. We describe a method for incorporating a single landing pad into a
      defined site of a cell line of interest, and show that our approach can be used
      generate more than 20 000 recombinant cells in a single experiment. Finally, we
      use our platform in combination with a sequencing-based assay to explore the N
      end rule by simultaneously measuring the effects of all possible N-terminal amino
      acids on protein expression.

PMID- 28335008
TI  - Corrigendum.

PMID- 28335007
TI  - A class of circadian long non-coding RNAs mark enhancers modulating long-range
      circadian gene regulation.
AB  - Circadian rhythm exerts its influence on animal physiology and behavior by
      regulating gene expression at various levels. Here we systematically explored
      circadian long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) in mouse liver and examined their
      circadian regulation. We found that a significant proportion of circadian lncRNAs
      are expressed at enhancer regions, mostly bound by two key circadian
      transcription factors, BMAL1 and REV-ERBalpha. These circadian lncRNAs showed
      similar circadian phases with their nearby genes. The extent of their nuclear
      localization is higher than protein coding genes but less than enhancer RNAs. The
      association between enhancer and circadian lncRNAs is also observed in tissues
      other than liver. Comparative analysis between mouse and rat circadian liver
      transcriptomes showed that circadian transcription at lncRNA loci tends to be
      conserved despite of low sequence conservation of lncRNAs. One such circadian
      lncRNA termed lnc-Crot led us to identify a super-enhancer region interacting
      with a cluster of genes involved in circadian regulation of metabolism through
      long-range interactions. Further experiments showed that lnc-Crot locus has
      enhancer function independent of lnc-Crot's transcription. Our results suggest
      that the enhancer-associated circadian lncRNAs mark the genomic loci modulating
      long-range circadian gene regulation and shed new lights on the evolutionary
      origin of lncRNAs.

PMID- 28335010
TI  - Schistosomiasis in Scottish travellers: public health importance of laboratory
      testing and the need for enhanced surveillance.
AB  - Background: Imported schistosomiasis is of significant public health importance
      and is likely to be underestimated since infection is often asymptomatic. We
      describe data from travellers residing in Scotland which includes a subset of
      group travellers from one of the largest Health Boards in Scotland. Methods:
      Clotted bloods were obtained during the period 2001-15 from a total of 8163
      Scottish travellers. This included seven groups comprising of 182 travellers.
      Sera were examined for the presence of Schistosome species antibody at the
      Scottish Parasite Diagnostic and Reference Laboratory (SPDRL). Results: Of all,
      25% (n = 1623) tested positive with 40% (n = 651) of those patients aged between
      20 and 24 years. Although 62% (n = 1006) of those who tested positive reported
      travel to Africa, important information on the specific region visited was
      lacking in almost one-third of samples received. Overall, 62 (34%) of group
      travellers tested positive and 95% (n = 59) reporting travel to Africa.
      Conclusions: Globalization, affordable air travel and improved awareness, are
      likely to contribute towards the increasing number of imported schistosomiasis
      cases. Therefore, enhanced surveillance capturing detailed travel history and
      fresh water exposures will improve risk stratification, pre-travel advice and
      optimize testing and treatment regimes for this increasingly important parasitic
      disease.

PMID- 28335011
TI  - Understanding public perception of the need for major change in Latin American
      healthcare systems.
AB  - The opinions and experiences of the public regarding health services are valuable
      insights into identifying opportunities to improve healthcare systems. We
      analyzed the 2012-2013 Public Opinion Health Policy Survey carried out in Brazil
      (n = 1486), Colombia (n = 1485), El Salvador (n = 1460), Jamaica (n = 1480),
      Mexico (n = 1492) and Panama (n = 1475). In these countries between 82 and 96% of
      participants perceived that their health systems needed fundamental changes. The
      most frequent barrier to access to healthcare was lack of the primary medical
      home, difficulties in obtaining medical care during the weekends and financial
      barriers. Type of health insurance and challenges in obtaining medical care
      during the weekends were associated with an increased opinion for the need for
      fundamental changes in healthcare systems, whereas having a primary medical home
      showed a protective effect. Focusing on tackling organizational and financial
      barriers and ensuring access to a primary medical home should be placed on the
      agenda of Latin American countries.

PMID- 28335009
TI  - Open chromatin profiling of human postmortem brain infers functional roles for
      non-coding schizophrenia loci.
AB  - Open chromatin provides access to DNA-binding proteins for the correct
      spatiotemporal regulation of gene expression. Mapping chromatin accessibility has
      been widely used to identify the location of cis regulatory elements (CREs)
      including promoters and enhancers. CREs show tissue- and cell-type specificity
      and disease-associated variants are often enriched for CREs in the tissues and
      cells that pertain to a given disease. To better understand the role of CREs in
      neuropsychiatric disorders we applied the Assay for Transposase Accessible
      Chromatin followed by sequencing (ATAC-seq) to neuronal and non-neuronal nuclei
      isolated from frozen postmortem human brain by fluorescence-activated nuclear
      sorting (FANS). Most of the identified open chromatin regions (OCRs) are
      differentially accessible between neurons and non-neurons, and show enrichment
      with known cell type markers, promoters and enhancers. Relative to those of non
      neurons, neuronal OCRs are more evolutionarily conserved and are enriched in
      distal regulatory elements. Transcription factor (TF) footprinting analysis
      identifies differences in the regulome between neuronal and non-neuronal cells
      and ascribes putative functional roles to a number of non-coding schizophrenia
      (SCZ) risk variants. Among the identified variants is a Single Nucleotide
      Polymorphism (SNP) proximal to the gene encoding SNX19. In vitro experiments
      reveal that this SNP leads to an increase in transcriptional activity. As
      elevated expression of SNX19 has been associated with SCZ, our data provide
      evidence that the identified SNP contributes to disease. These results represent
      the first analysis of OCRs and TF-binding sites in distinct populations of
      postmortem human brain cells and further our understanding of the regulome and
      the impact of neuropsychiatric disease-associated genetic risk variants.

PMID- 28335012
TI  - Improving working memory performance in brain-injured patients using hypnotic
      suggestion.
AB  - Working memory impairment is prevalent in brain injured patients across lesion
      aetiologies and severities. Unfortunately, rehabilitation efforts for this
      impairment have hitherto yielded small or no effects. Here we show in a
      randomized actively controlled trial that working memory performance can be
      effectively restored by suggesting to hypnotized patients that they have regained
      their pre-injury level of working memory functioning. Following four 1-h
      sessions, 27 patients had a medium-sized improvement relative to 22 active
      controls (Bayes factors of 342 and 37.5 on the two aggregate outcome measures)
      and a very large improvement relative to 19 passive controls (Bayes factor = 1.7
      * 1013). This was a long-term effect as revealed by no deterioration following a
      6.7 week no-contact period (Bayes factors = 7.1 and 1.3 in favour of no change).
      To control for participant-specific effects, the active control group was crossed
      over to the working memory suggestion and showed superior improvement. By the end
      of the study, both groups reached a performance level at or above the healthy
      population mean with standardized mean differences between 1.55 and 2.03 relative
      to the passive control group. We conclude that, if framed correctly, hypnotic
      suggestion can effectively improve working memory following acquired brain
      injury. The speed and consistency with which this improvement occurred, indicate
      that there may be a residual capacity for normal information processing in the
      injured brain.

PMID- 28335013
TI  - Lifetime and 1-year prevalence of homelessness in the US population: results from
      the National Epidemiologic Survey on Alcohol and Related Conditions-III.
AB  - Background: Homelessness remains a major public health problem in the USA but
      there have been few recent epidemiological studies in the general population.
      Methods: Using data from structured interviews with a nationally representative
      sample of 36 299 US adults from the 2012-13 Wave 3 of the National Epidemiologic
      Survey on Alcohol and Related Conditions (NESARC-III), this study examined the
      lifetime and 1-year prevalence of homelessness, and its correlates. Results:
      Lifetime and 1-year prevalence of homelessness in the US population was found to
      be 4.2 and 1.5%, respectively. Low income, debt, borderline personality disorder
      (PD), past-year tobacco use disorder, any history of suicidal attempts and being
      a victim of crime in the past year were all independently strongly associated
      with past-year homelessness (all OR > 1.5). Low income, debt, history of
      incarceration, antisocial PD and any history of suicidal attempts were all
      independently strongly associated with lifetime homelessness (all OR > 1.5).
      Conclusions: These findings provide an update to the original NESARC, suggesting
      a possible increase in lifetime homelessness (2.7-4.2%) in the past decade. Along
      with known economic and behavioral health conditions, special attention should be
      paid to PDs in efforts to prevent and end homelessness.

PMID- 28335014
TI  - Impact of high-intensity polio eradication activities on children's routine
      immunization status in Northern India.
AB  - The objective of this article is to analyse and quantify the side effects of the
      Polio Eradication Initiative on routine immunization performance in India. Past
      studies have faced methodological challenges in assessing these side effects.
      This article offers a methodological alternative for health policy analysts. The
      research uses secondary household survey data from the Indian District-Level
      Household and Facility Survey (DLHS), focusing on children aged 10-30 months in
      the Northern Indian states of Uttar Pradesh (n = 34 327) and Bihar (n = 20 525).
      Covering the years 2002-08, this is the latest large-scale data from India that
      enables the matching technique used in this article. District-level programme
      intensity data of the Polio Eradication Initiative in India were reconstructed
      using publicly available resources. The methodological innovation compared with
      previous studies consists of matching each child in the DLHS data set with a
      child-specific value of programme exposure depending on its district of
      residence, its birth date, and the date of the survey interview. Average and age
      specific associations between polio programme exposure and children's full
      immunization status were assessed using logistic regression, controlling for
      other determinants of immunization. The regression results show that the link is
      negative in Uttar Pradesh and positive in Bihar. Age-specific analysis shows that
      the positive association diminishes for older children in Bihar and that a
      negative association emerges and becomes increasingly pronounced for older
      children in Uttar Pradesh. This indicates that heterogeneous results emerge
      across two neighbouring states with similar programme intensity and suggests that
      the catch-up of unvaccinated older children may be a channel through which
      negative effects accrue. The method described in this article, based on an
      analytical focus on individual-level programme exposure, can therefore help
      health policy implementers and evaluators to illuminate positive or negative
      interactions between a health intervention and a health system.

PMID- 28335015
TI  - The synaptic function of parkin.
AB  - Loss of function mutations in the gene PARK2, which encodes the protein parkin,
      cause autosomal recessive juvenile parkinsonism, a neurodegenerative disease
      characterized by degeneration of the dopaminergic neurons localized in the
      substantia nigra pars compacta. No therapy is effective in slowing disease
      progression mostly because the pathogenesis of the disease is yet to be
      understood. From accruing evidence suggesting that the protein parkin directly
      regulates synapses it can be hypothesized that PARK2 gene mutations lead to early
      synaptic damage that results in dopaminergic neuron loss over time. We review
      evidence that supports the role of parkin in modulating excitatory and
      dopaminergic synapse functions. We also discuss how these findings underpin the
      concept that autosomal recessive juvenile parkinsonism can be primarily a
      synaptopathy. Investigation into the molecular interactions between parkin and
      synaptic proteins may yield novel targets for pharmacologic interventions.

PMID- 28335017
TI  - The Medical Battery in The United States (1870-1920): Electrotherapy at Home and
      in the Clinic.
AB  - This paper focuses on the history of a portable shock-producing
      electrotherapeutic device known as the medical battery (1870-1920), which
      provided both direct and alternating current and was thought to cure a wide
      variety of ailments. The product occupied a unique space at the nexus of
      medicine, consumerism and quackery: it was simultaneously considered a legitimate
      device by medical professionals who practiced electrotherapeutics, yet identical
      versions were sold directly to consumers, often via newspaper advertisements and
      with cure-all marketing language. Indeed, as I show in this paper, the line
      between what was considered a medical device and a consumer product was often
      blurred. Even though medical textbooks and journals never mentioned (much less
      promoted) the home use of electricity, every reputable electrotherapy instrument
      manufacturer sold a "family battery" for patients to use on themselves at home.
      While a handful of physicians spoke out against the use of electricity by the
      laity-as they felt it undermined the image of electrotherapy as a skilled medical
      procedure-existing evidence suggests that many physicians were likely
      recommending the home use of medical electricity to their patients. Taken
      together, this paper shows how the professional ideals of electrotherapeutics
      were not always aligned with physicians' actual practices.

PMID- 28335016
TI  - tRNA-derived small RNAs target transposable element transcripts.
AB  - tRNA-derived RNA fragments (tRFs) are 18-26 nucleotide small RNAs that are not
      random degradation products, but are rather specifically cleaved from mature tRNA
      transcripts. Abundant in stressed or viral-infected cells, the function and
      potential targets of tRFs are not known. We identified that in the unstressed
      wild-type male gamete containing pollen of flowering plants, and analogous
      reproductive structure in non-flowering plant species, tRFs accumulate to high
      levels. In the reference plant Arabidopsis thaliana, tRFs are processed by Dicer
      like 1 and incorporated into Argonaute1 (AGO1), akin to a microRNA. We utilized
      the fact that many plant small RNAs direct cleavage of their target transcripts
      to demonstrate that the tRF-AGO1 complex acts to specifically target and cleave
      endogenous transposable element (TE) mRNAs produced from transcriptionally active
      TEs. The data presented here demonstrate that tRFs are bona-fide regulatory
      microRNA-like small RNAs involved in the regulation of genome stability through
      the targeting of TE transcripts.

PMID- 28335019
TI  - Clinical approach to delayed-onset cerebellar impairment following deep brain
      stimulation for tremor.

PMID- 28335018
TI  - Dissecting gamma frequency activity during human memory processing.
AB  - Gamma frequency activity (30-150 Hz) is induced in cognitive tasks and is thought
      to reflect underlying neural processes. Gamma frequency activity can be recorded
      directly from the human brain using intracranial electrodes implanted in patients
      undergoing treatment for drug-resistant epilepsy. Previous studies have
      independently explored narrowband oscillations in the local field potential and
      broadband power increases. It is not clear, however, which processes contribute
      to human brain gamma frequency activity, or their dynamics and roles during
      memory processing. Here a large dataset of intracranial recordings obtained
      during encoding of words from 101 patients was used to detect, characterize and
      compare induced gamma frequency activity events. Individual bursts of gamma
      frequency activity were isolated in the time-frequency domain to determine their
      spectral features, including peak frequency, amplitude, frequency span, and
      duration. We found two distinct types of gamma frequency activity events that
      showed either narrowband or broadband frequency spans revealing characteristic
      spectral properties. Narrowband events, the predominant type, were induced by
      word presentations following an initial induction of broadband events, which were
      temporally separated and selectively correlated with evoked response potentials,
      suggesting that they reflect different neural activities and play different roles
      during memory encoding. The two gamma frequency activity types were
      differentially modulated during encoding of subsequently recalled and forgotten
      words. In conclusion, we found evidence for two distinct activity types induced
      in the gamma frequency range during cognitive processing. Separating these two
      gamma frequency activity components contributes to the current understanding of
      electrophysiological biomarkers, and may prove useful for emerging
      neurotechnologies targeting, mapping and modulating distinct neurophysiological
      processes in normal and epileptogenic brain.

PMID- 28335020
TI  - ZNHIT3 is defective in PEHO syndrome, a severe encephalopathy with cerebellar
      granule neuron loss.
AB  - Progressive encephalopathy with oedema, hypsarrhythmia, and optic atrophy (PEHO)
      syndrome is an early childhood onset, severe autosomal recessive encephalopathy
      characterized by extreme cerebellar atrophy due to almost total granule neuron
      loss. By combining homozygosity mapping in Finnish families with Sanger
      sequencing of positional candidate genes and with exome sequencing a homozygous
      missense substitution of leucine for serine at codon 31 in ZNHIT3 was identified
      as the primary cause of PEHO syndrome. ZNHIT3 encodes a nuclear zinc finger
      protein previously implicated in transcriptional regulation and in small
      nucleolar ribonucleoprotein particle assembly and thus possibly to pre-ribosomal
      RNA processing. The identified mutation affects a highly conserved amino acid
      residue in the zinc finger domain of ZNHIT3. Both knockdown and genome editing of
      znhit3 in zebrafish embryos recapitulate the patients' cerebellar defects,
      microcephaly and oedema. These phenotypes are rescued by wild-type, but not
      mutant human ZNHIT3 mRNA, suggesting that the patient missense substitution
      causes disease through a loss-of-function mechanism. Transfection of cell lines
      with ZNHIT3 expression vectors showed that the PEHO syndrome mutant protein is
      unstable. Immunohistochemical analysis of mouse cerebellar tissue demonstrated
      ZNHIT3 to be expressed in proliferating granule cell precursors, in proliferating
      and post-mitotic granule cells, and in Purkinje cells. Knockdown of Znhit3 in
      cultured mouse granule neurons and ex vivo cerebellar slices indicate that ZNHIT3
      is indispensable for granule neuron survival and migration, consistent with the
      zebrafish findings and patient neuropathology. These results suggest that loss-of
      function of a nuclear regulator protein underlies PEHO syndrome and imply that
      establishment of its spatiotemporal interaction targets will be the basis for
      developing therapeutic approaches and for improved understanding of cerebellar
      development.

PMID- 28335021
TI  - MRI-visible perivascular space location is associated with Alzheimer's disease
      independently of amyloid burden.
AB  - Perivascular spaces that are visible on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) are a
      neuroimaging marker of cerebral small vessel disease. Their location may relate
      to the type of underlying small vessel pathology: those in the white matter
      centrum semi-ovale have been associated with cerebral amyloid angiopathy, while
      those in the basal ganglia have been associated with deep perforating artery
      arteriolosclerosis. As cerebral amyloid angiopathy is an almost invariable
      pathological finding in Alzheimer's disease, we hypothesized that MRI-visible
      perivascular spaces in the centrum semi-ovale would be associated with a clinical
      diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease, whereas those in the basal ganglia would be
      associated with subcortical vascular cognitive impairment. We also hypothesized
      that MRI-visible perivascular spaces in the centrum semi-ovale would be
      associated with brain amyloid burden, as detected by amyloid positron emission
      tomography using 11C-Pittsburgh B compound (PiB-PET). Two hundred and twenty-six
      patients (Alzheimer's disease n = 110; subcortical vascular cognitive impairment
      n = 116) with standardized MRI and PiB-PET imaging were included. MRI-visible
      perivascular spaces were rated using a validated 4-point visual rating scale, and
      then categorized by severity ('none/mild', 'moderate' or 'frequent/severe').
      Univariable and multivariable regression analyses were performed. Those with
      Alzheimer's disease-related cognitive impairment were younger, more likely to
      have a positive PiB-PET scan and carry at least one apolipoprotein E E4 allele;
      those with subcortical vascular cognitive impairment were more likely to have
      hypertension, diabetes mellitus, hyperlipidaemia, prior stroke, lacunes, deep
      microbleeds, and carry the apolipoprotein E E3 allele. In adjusted analyses, the
      severity of MRI-visible perivascular spaces in the centrum semi-ovale was
      independently associated with clinically diagnosed Alzheimer's disease
      (frequent/severe grade odds ratio 6.26, 95% confidence interval 1.66-23.58; P =
      0.017, compared with none/mild grade), whereas the severity of MRI-visible
      perivascular spaces in the basal ganglia was associated with clinically diagnosed
      subcortical vascular cognitive impairment and negatively predicted Alzheimer's
      disease (frequent/severe grade odds ratio 0.03, 95% confidence interval 0.00
      0.44; P = 0.009, compared with none/mild grade). MRI-visible perivascular space
      severity in either location did not predict PiB-PET. These findings provide
      further evidence that the anatomical distribution of MRI-visible perivascular
      spaces may reflect the underlying cerebral small vessel disease. Using MRI
      visible perivascular space location and severity together with other imaging
      markers may improve the diagnostic value of neuroimaging in memory clinic
      populations, in particular in differentiating between clinically diagnosed
      Alzheimer's and subcortical vascular cognitive impairment.

PMID- 28335022
TI  - Towards local implementation of Dutch health policy guidelines: a concept-mapping
      approach.
AB  - To develop a targeted implementation strategy for a municipal health policy
      guideline, implementation targets of two guideline users [Regional Health
      Services (RHSs)] and guideline developers of leading national health institutes
      were made explicit. Therefore, characteristics of successful implementation of
      the guideline were identified. Differences and similarities in perceptions of
      these characteristics between RHSs and developers were explored. Separate concept
      mapping procedures were executed in two RHSs, one with representatives from
      partner local health organizations and municipalities, the second with RHS
      members only. A third map was conducted with the developers of the guideline. All
      mapping procedures followed the same design of generating statements up to
      interpretation of results with participants. Concept mapping, as a practical
      implementation tool, will be discussed in the context of international research
      literature on guideline implementation in public health. Guideline developers
      consider implementation successful when substantive components (health issues) of
      the guidelines, content are visible in local policy practice. RHSs, local
      organizations and municipalities view the implementation process itself within
      and between organizations as more relevant, and state that usability of the
      guideline for municipal policy and commitment by officials and municipal managers
      are critical targets for successful implementation. Between the RHSs, differences
      in implementation targets were smaller than between RHSs and guideline
      developers. For successful implementation, RHSs tend to focus on process targets
      while developers focus more on the thematic contents of the guideline.
      Implications of these different orientations for implementation strategies are
      dealt with in the discussion.

PMID- 28335023
TI  - QbD-Driven Development and Validation of Liquid Chromatography Tandem Mass
      Spectrometric Method for the Quantitation of Sildenafil in Human Plasma.
AB  - The present work was employing the Quality by Design approach for the development
      and validation of a LC-MS-MS method to support the clinical advancement in
      determination of sildenafil in human plasma using lorazepam as an internal
      standard. Sample preparation involved solid phase extraction and calibration
      range observed between 3 and 1,700 ng/mL. The method was systematically optimized
      by employing Box-Behnken design and used mobile phase flow rate, pH and
      composition of mobile phase as the critical factors, and assessing the design for
      retention time and peak area as the responses. A substantial decrease in the
      variability associated with the method variables was shown in optimization
      studies and confirmed enhanced method robustness. The present studies revealed
      that developed method achieves all the regulatory requirements for linearity,
      accuracy, precision, selectivity, sensitivity and stability for the determination
      of sildenafil in human plasma. There was not any significant change in the
      stability of the drug shown by stability studies, performed in human plasma
      through freeze-thaw cycles, bench-top stability, short-term stability, long-term
      stability and auto sampler stability. In short, this method shows satisfactory
      results for the analysis of sildenafil in human plasma and possesses high degree
      of utility in pharmacokinetic and bioequivalence studies.

PMID- 28335024
TI  - Impaired dual tasking in Parkinson's disease is associated with reduced focusing
      of cortico-striatal activity.
AB  - See Bell et al. (doi:10.1093/awx063) for a scientific commentary on this article.
      Impaired dual tasking, namely the inability to concurrently perform a cognitive
      and a motor task (e.g. 'stops walking while talking'), is a largely unexplained
      and frequent symptom of Parkinson's disease. Here we consider two circuit-level
      accounts of how striatal dopamine depletion might lead to impaired dual tasking
      in patients with Parkinson's disease. First, the loss of segregation between
      striatal territories induced by dopamine depletion may lead to dysfunctional
      overlaps between the motor and cognitive processes usually implemented in
      parallel cortico-striatal circuits. Second, the known dorso-posterior to ventro
      anterior gradient of dopamine depletion in patients with Parkinson's disease may
      cause a funnelling of motor and cognitive processes into the relatively spared
      ventro-anterior putamen, causing a neural bottleneck. Using functional magnetic
      resonance imaging, we measured brain activity in 19 patients with Parkinson's
      disease and 26 control subjects during performance of a motor task (auditory-cued
      ankle movements), a cognitive task (implementing a switch-stay rule), and both
      tasks simultaneously (dual task). The distribution of task-related activity
      respected the known segregation between motor and cognitive territories of the
      putamen in both groups, with motor-related responses in the dorso-posterior
      putamen and task switch-related responses in the ventro-anterior putamen. During
      dual task performance, patients made more motor and cognitive errors than control
      subjects. They recruited a striatal territory (ventro-posterior putamen) not
      engaged during either the cognitive or the motor task, nor used by controls.
      Relatively higher ventro-posterior putamen activity in controls was associated
      with worse dual task performance. These observations suggest that dual task
      impairments in Parkinson's disease are related to reduced spatial focusing of
      striatal activity. This pattern of striatal activity may be explained by a loss
      of functional segregation between neighbouring striatal territories that occurs
      specifically in a dual task context.

PMID- 28335025
TI  - A Novel LC-MS-MS Method With an Effective Antioxidant for the Determination of
      Edaravone, a Free-Radical Scavenger in Dog Plasma and its Application to a
      Pharmacokinetic Study.
AB  - The objective of this study was to investigate the stability of edaravone in dog
      plasma by using an added antioxidant stabilizer, with an ultimate goal of
      developing and validating a sensitive, reliable and robust LC-MS-MS method for
      determination of edaravone in plasma samples. Edaravone was unstable in plasma,
      but it presented a good stability performance in the plasma with sodium
      metabisulfite (SMB), an effective antioxidant. The blood sample was collected in
      the heparinized eppendorf tube containing SMB and plasma sample was deproteinized
      using acetonitrile containing 20 ng/mL of phenacetin (Internal standard). The
      chromatographic separation was performed on a Zorbax Extend-C18 analytical column
      (2.1 mm * 150 mm I.D., particle size 3.5 um, Agilent Technologies, USA). The
      mobile phase consisted of 0.1% formic acid in water (v/v) and methanol, and
      gradient elution was used. The analyte detection was performed on a triple
      quadrupole tandem mass spectrometer equipped with positive-ion electrospray
      ionization by multiple reaction ion monitoring mode of the transitions at m/z [M
      + H]+ 175.1 -> 77.1 for edaravone, and m/z [M + H]+ 180.2 -> 110.0 for
      phenacetin. The linearity of this method was within the concentration range of 10
      1000 ng/mL for edaravone in dog plasma. The lower limit of quantification was 10
      ng/mL. The relative standard deviations of intra- and inter-precision were <10%.
      This method was successfully employed in the pharmacokinetics evaluation of
      edaravone in beagle dogs after intravenous administration.

PMID- 28335026
TI  - Melting temperature highlights functionally important RNA structure and sequence
      elements in yeast mRNA coding regions.
AB  - Secondary structure elements in the coding regions of mRNAs play an important
      role in gene expression and regulation, but distinguishing functional from non
      functional structures remains challenging. Here we investigate the dependence of
      sequence-structure relationships in the coding regions on temperature based on
      the recent PARTE data by Wan et al. Our main finding is that the regions with
      high and low thermostability (high Tm and low Tm regions) are under evolutionary
      pressure to preserve RNA secondary structure and primary sequence, respectively.
      Sequences of low Tm regions display a higher degree of evolutionary conservation
      compared to high Tm regions. Low Tm regions are under strong synonymous
      constraint, while high Tm regions are not. These findings imply that high Tm
      regions contain thermo-stable functionally important RNA structures, which impose
      relaxed evolutionary constraint on sequence as long as the base-pairing patterns
      remain intact. By contrast, low thermostability regions contain single-stranded
      functionally important conserved RNA sequence elements accessible for binding by
      other molecules. We also find that theoretically predicted structures of
      paralogous mRNA pairs become more similar with growing temperature, while
      experimentally measured structures tend to diverge, which implies that the
      melting pathways of RNA structures cannot be fully captured by current
      computational approaches.

PMID- 28335027
TI  - A transposon-derived small RNA regulates gene expression in Salmonella
      Typhimurium.
AB  - Bacterial sRNAs play an important role in regulating many cellular processes
      including metabolism, outer membrane homeostasis and virulence. Although sRNAs
      were initially found in intergenic regions, there is emerging evidence that
      protein coding regions of the genome are a rich reservoir of sRNAs. Here we
      report that the 5?UTR of IS200 transposase mRNA (tnpA) is processed to produce
      regulatory RNAs that affect expression of over 70 genes in Salmonella
      Typhimurium. We provide evidence that the tnpA derived sRNA base-pairs with invF
      mRNA to repress expression. As InvF is a transcriptional activator of SPI-1
      encoded and other effector proteins, tnpA indirectly represses these genes. We
      show that deletion of IS200 elements in S. Typhimurium increases invasion in
      vitro and reduces growth rate, while over-expression of tnpA suppresses invasion.
      Our work indicates that tnpA acts as an sRNA 'sponge' that sets a threshold for
      activation of Salmonella pathogenicity island (SPI)-1 effector proteins and
      identifies a new class of 'passenger gene' for bacterial transposons, providing
      the first example of a bacterial transposon producing a regulatory RNA that
      controls host gene expression.

PMID- 28335029
TI  - The Challenge of Assessing Microcephaly in the Context of the Zika Virus
      Epidemic.
AB  - The present article examines the impact of the current limitations of the
      microcephaly definition in the context of the Zika virus outbreak. It highlights
      its dependence on the method used for determining gestational age and other
      anthropometric parameters, and includes original results of prevalence of
      microcephaly in four countries from two different continents (Mozambique, Brazil,
      Guatemala and Colombia). Alternative definitions of microcephaly are proposed to
      allow the identification of true cases of microcephaly in a more accurate manner.

PMID- 28335028
TI  - Defining the 5? and 3? landscape of the Drosophila transcriptome with Exo-seq and
      RNaseH-seq.
AB  - Cells regulate biological responses in part through changes in transcription
      start sites (TSS) or cleavage and polyadenylation sites (PAS). To fully
      understand gene regulatory networks, it is therefore critical to accurately
      annotate cell type-specific TSS and PAS. Here we present a simple and
      straightforward approach for genome-wide annotation of 5?- and 3?-RNA ends. Our
      approach reliably discerns bona fide PAS from false PAS that arise due to
      internal poly(A) tracts, a common problem with current PAS annotation methods. We
      applied our methodology to study the impact of temperature on the Drosophila
      melanogaster head transcriptome. We found hundreds of previously unidentified TSS
      and PAS which revealed two interesting phenomena: first, genes with multiple PASs
      tend to harbor a motif near the most proximal PAS, which likely represents a new
      cleavage and polyadenylation signal. Second, motif analysis of promoters of genes
      affected by temperature suggested that boundary element association factor of 32
      kDa (BEAF-32) and DREF mediates a transcriptional program at warm temperatures, a
      result we validated in a fly line where beaf-32 is downregulated. These results
      demonstrate the utility of a high-throughput platform for complete experimental
      and computational analysis of mRNA-ends to improve gene annotation.

PMID- 28335030
TI  - Urinary Kinetics of Heroin Metabolites in Pigs Shortly After Intake.
AB  - In previous experimental studies on heroin metabolites excretion in urine, the
      first sample was often collected a few hours after intake. In forensic cases, it
      is sometimes questioned if a positive urine result is expected e.g., 30 min after
      intake. The aim of this study was to investigate urinary excretion of heroin
      metabolites (morphine, 6-monoacetylmorphine (6-MAM) and morphine-3-glucuronide
      (M3G)) every 30 min until 330 min after injection of a 20 mg heroin dose in six
      pigs. Samples were analyzed using a previously published, fully validated liquid
      chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry method. All metabolites were detected
      after 30 min in all pigs. The time to maximum concentration (Tmax) median (range)
      for 6-MAM and morphine was 30 min (first sample) (30-120), and 90 min (30-330)
      for M3G. In four of the six pigs, the Tmax of 6-MAM and morphine was reached
      within 30 min. All analytes were still detectable at the end of study. This study
      showed that positive results in urine are expected to be seen shortly after use
      of heroin in pigs. Detection times were longer than previously indicated,
      especially for 6-MAM, but previous studies used lower doses. As the physiology of
      these animals resembles that of the humans, transferability to man is expected.

PMID- 28335031
TI  - Ethics of health policy and systems research: a scoping review of the literature.
AB  - Health policy and systems research (HPSR) is increasingly funded and undertaken
      as part of health system strengthening efforts worldwide. HPSR ethics is also a
      relatively new and emerging field, with numerous normative and descriptive
      questions that have largely not been considered. Normative questions include what
      ethical principles and values should guide HPSR. Descriptive questions include
      what ethical concerns arise when conducting HPSR. A small but growing body of
      scholarly work characterizes the various ethics issues inherent in HPSR. Towards
      informing the future development of ethics guidance for HPSR, a scoping review
      was undertaken to: (1) identify the range of ethics issues relevant to the
      conduct of HPSR-with a deliberate (though not exclusive) focus on low- and middle
      income country settings and (2) describe existing guidance on key ethics issues
      relevant to HPSR. Using the Cochrane methods as a basis, the review identified
      formal and informal literature on HPSR ethics by searching the following
      databases: PubMed's Medline, Embase, Global Health, Scopus, WHO Global Health
      Regional Libraries, LILACs, OpenDOAR and Bielefeld Academic Search Engine. In
      total, 11 062 documents were identified from the formal (10 519) and informal
      (543) literature. One hundred and seven of these documents (formal 99 and
      informal 8) met at least one inclusion criterion and underwent thematic analysis.
      Ethical issues in four main categories were identified: upholding autonomy,
      identifying and balancing risks and benefits, justice and determination of
      ethical review requirements. The review indicated that the ethical values behind
      HPSR place an emphasis on its contributing to the reduction of health
      disparities. Unsurprisingly then, numerous ethical concerns relating to justice
      arise in HPSR. However, the majority of existing guidance focuses on obtaining or
      waiving informed consent and, thus, appears to be insufficient for HPSR. A list
      of priority ethics issues in HPSR in need of guidance development is provided.

PMID- 28335032
TI  - Allele-specific ablation rescues electrophysiological abnormalities in a human
      iPS cell model of long-QT syndrome with a CALM2 mutation.
AB  - Calmodulin is a ubiquitous Ca2+ sensor molecule encoded by three distinct
      calmodulin genes, CALM1-3. Recently, mutations in CALM1-3 have been reported to
      be associated with severe early-onset long-QT syndrome (LQTS). However, the
      underlying mechanism through which heterozygous calmodulin mutations lead to
      severe LQTS remains unknown, particularly in human cardiomyocytes. We aimed to
      establish an LQTS disease model associated with a CALM2 mutation (LQT15) using
      human induced pluripotent stem cells (hiPSCs) and to assess mutant allele
      specific ablation by genome editing for the treatment of LQT15. We generated
      LQT15-hiPSCs from a 12-year-old boy with LQTS carrying a CALM2-N98S mutation and
      differentiated these hiPSCs into cardiomyocytes (LQT15-hiPSC-CMs). Action
      potentials (APs) and L-type Ca2+ channel (LTCC) currents in hiPSC-CMs were
      analyzed by the patch-clamp technique and compared with those of healthy
      controls. Furthermore, we performed mutant allele-specific knockout using a
      CRISPR-Cas9 system and analyzed electrophysiological properties.
      Electrophysiological analyses revealed that LQT15-hiPSC-CMs exhibited
      significantly lower beating rates, prolonged AP durations, and impaired
      inactivation of LTCC currents compared with control cells, consistent with
      clinical phenotypes. Notably, ablation of the mutant allele rescued the
      electrophysiological abnormalities of LQT15-hiPSC-CMs, indicating that the mutant
      allele caused dominant-negative suppression of LTCC inactivation, resulting in
      prolonged AP duration. We successfully recapitulated the disease phenotypes of
      LQT15 and revealed that inactivation of LTCC currents was impaired in CALM2-N98S
      hiPSC model. Additionally, allele-specific ablation using the latest genome
      editing technology provided important insights into a promising therapeutic
      approach for inherited cardiac diseases.

PMID- 28335033
TI  - Lingual-Alveolar Contact Pressure During Speech in Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis:
      Preliminary Findings.
AB  - Purpose: This preliminary study on lingual-alveolar contact pressures (LACP) in
      people with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) had several aims: (a) to evaluate
      whether the protocol induced fatigue, (b) to compare LACP during speech (LACP-Sp)
      and during maximum isometric pressing (LACP-Max) in people with ALS (PALS) versus
      healthy controls, (c) to compare the percentage of LACP-Max utilized during
      speech (%Max) for PALS versus controls, and (d) to evaluate relationships between
      LACP-Sp and LACP-Max with word intelligibility. Method: Thirteen PALS and 12
      healthy volunteers produced /t, d, s, z, l, n/ sounds while LACP-Sp was recorded.
      LACP-Max was obtained before and after the speech protocol. Word intelligibility
      was obtained from auditory-perceptual judgments. Results: LACP-Max values
      measured before and after completion of the speech protocol did not differ. LACP
      Sp and LACP-Max were statistically lower in the ALS bulbar group compared with
      controls and PALS with only spinal symptoms. There was no statistical difference
      between groups for %Max. LACP-Sp and LACP-Max were correlated with word
      intelligibility. Conclusions: It was feasible to obtain LACP-Sp measures without
      inducing fatigue. Reductions in LACP-Sp and LACP-Max for bulbar speakers might
      reflect tongue weakness. Although confirmation of results is needed, the data
      indicate that individuals with high word intelligibility maintained LACP-Sp at or
      above 2 kPa and LACP-Max at or above 50 kPa.

PMID- 28335034
TI  - Reply: The difference between compensation, and mechanism-specific spatial
      recovery.

PMID- 28335036
TI  - Validated Method for the Screening and Quantification of Baclofen, Gabapentin and
      Pregabalin in Human Post-Mortem Whole Blood Using Protein Precipitation and
      Liquid Chromatography-Tandem Mass Spectrometry.
AB  - There has been a rapid increase in the number of prescriptions for baclofen
      (BLF), gabapentin (GBP) and pregabalin (PGL) in the UK since their introduction
      to therapy. Recent studies across the European Union and USA have shown the
      illicit abuse potential of these drugs and deaths have been observed. A simple,
      reliable and fully validated method was developed for the screening and
      quantification of BLF, GBP and PGL in human post-mortem (PM) blood. The analytes
      and their deuterated analogs as internal standard were extracted from blood using
      a single addition acetonitrile protein precipitation reaction followed by
      analysis using liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS-MS) with
      triggered dynamic multiple reaction monitoring mode for simultaneous confirmation
      and quantification. The assay was linear from 0.05 to 1.00 ug/mL for BLF and 0.5
      to 50.0 ug/mL for GBP and PGL, respectively with r2 > 0.999 (n = 9) for all
      analytes. Intra-day and inter-day imprecisions (n = 80) were calculated using one
      way ANOVA; no significant difference (P > 0.99) was observed for all analytes
      over 8 non-consecutive days. The average recovery for all analytes was >98.9%.
      The limits of detection and quantification were both 0.05 ug/mL for BLF, and 0.5
      ug/mL for GBP and PGL. The method was highly selective with no interference from
      endogenous compounds or from 54 drugs commonly encountered in PM toxicology. To
      prove method applicability, 17 PM blood samples submitted for analysis were
      successfully analyzed. The concentration range observed in PM blood for BLF was
      0.08-102.00 ug/mL (median = 0.25 ug/mL), for GBP 1.0-134.0 ug/mL (median = 49.0
      ug/mL) and 2.0-540.0 ug/mL (median = 42.0 ug/mL) for PGL.

PMID- 28335035
TI  - A novel CISD2 mutation associated with a classical Wolfram syndrome phenotype
      alters Ca2+ homeostasis and ER-mitochondria interactions.
AB  - Wolfram syndrome (WS) is a progressive neurodegenerative disease characterized by
      early-onset optic atrophy and diabetes mellitus, which can be associated with
      more extensive central nervous system and endocrine complications. The majority
      of patients harbour pathogenic WFS1 mutations, but recessive mutations in a
      second gene, CISD2, have been described in a small number of families with
      Wolfram syndrome type 2 (WFS2). The defining diagnostic criteria for WFS2 also
      consist of optic atrophy and diabetes mellitus, but unlike WFS1, this phenotypic
      subgroup has been associated with peptic ulcer disease and an increased bleeding
      tendency. Here, we report on a novel homozygous CISD2 mutation (c.215A > G;
      p.Asn72Ser) in a Moroccan patient with an overlapping phenotype suggesting that
      Wolfram syndrome type 1 and type 2 form a continuous clinical spectrum with
      genetic heterogeneity. The present study provides strong evidence that this
      particular CISD2 mutation disturbs cellular Ca2+ homeostasis with enhanced Ca2+
      flux from the ER to mitochondria and cytosolic Ca2+ abnormalities in patient
      derived fibroblasts. This Ca2+ dysregulation was associated with increased ER
      mitochondria contact, a swollen ER lumen and a hyperfused mitochondrial network
      in the absence of overt ER stress. Although there was no marked alteration in
      mitochondrial bioenergetics under basal conditions, culture of patient-derived
      fibroblasts in glucose-free galactose medium revealed a respiratory chain defect
      in complexes I and II, and a trend towards decreased ATP levels. Our results
      provide important novel insight into the potential disease mechanisms underlying
      the neurodegenerative consequences of CISD2 mutations and the subsequent
      development of multisystemic disease.

PMID- 28335037
TI  - LRSAM1-mediated ubiquitylation is disrupted in axonal Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease
      2P.
AB  - Charcot-Marie-Tooth (CMT) disease type 2 is a genetically heterogeneous group of
      inherited neuropathies characterized by motor and sensory deficits as a result of
      peripheral axonal degeneration. We recently reported a frameshift (FS) mutation
      in the Really Interesting New Gene finger (RING) domain of LRSAM1
      (c.2121_2122dup, p.Leu708Argfs) that encodes an E3 ubiquitin ligase, as the cause
      of axonal-type CMT (CMT2P). However, the frequency of LRSAM1 mutations in CMT2
      and the functional basis for their association with disease remains unknown. In
      this study, we evaluated LRSAM1 mutations in two large Dutch cohorts. In the
      first cohort (n = 107), we sequenced the full LRSAM1 coding exons in an unbiased
      fashion, and, in the second cohort (n = 468), we specifically sequenced the last,
      RING-encoding exon in individuals where other CMT-associated genes had been ruled
      out. We identified a novel LRSAM1 missense mutation (c.2120C > T, p.Pro707Leu)
      mapping to the RING domain. Based on our genetic analysis, the occurrence of
      pathogenic LRSAM1 mutations is estimated to be rare. Functional characterization
      of the FS, the identified missense mutation, as well as of another recently
      reported pathogenic missense mutation (c.2081G > A, p.Cys694Tyr), revealed that
      in vitro ubiquitylation activity was largely abrogated. We demonstrate that loss
      of the E2-E3 interaction that is an essential prerequisite for supporting
      ubiquitylation of target substrates, underlies this reduced ubiquitylation
      capacity. In contrast, LRSAM1 dimerization and interaction with the bona fide
      target TSG101 were not disrupted. In conclusion, our study provides further
      support for the role of LRSAM1 in CMT and identifies LRSAM1-mediated
      ubiquitylation as a common determinant of disease-associated LRSAM1 mutations.

PMID- 28335038
TI  - A comparative effectiveness education trial for lifestyle health behavior change
      in African Americans.
AB  - Obesity and excess weight are significant clinical and public health issues that
      disproportionately affect African Americans because of physical inactivity and
      unhealthy eating. We compared the effects of alternate behavioral interventions
      on obesity-related health behaviors. We conducted a comparative effectiveness
      education trial in a community-based sample of 530 adult African Americans.
      Outcomes variables were physical activity (PA) and fruit and vegetable intake.
      Outcomes were evaluated at baseline and 1-month following interventions about
      shared risk factors for cancer and cardiovascular disease (CVD) (integrated, INT)
      or CVD only (disease-specific). Significant increases were found in the
      proportion of participants who met PA guidelines from baseline (47.4%) to follow
      up (52.4%) (P = 0.005). In the stratified analysis that were conducted to examine
      interaction between education and intervention group assignment, this effect was
      most apparent among participants who had <=high school education and were
      randomized to INT (OR = 2.28, 95% CI = 1.04, 5.00, P = 0.04). Completing the
      intervention was associated with a 1.78 odds of meeting PA guidelines (95% CI =
      1.02, 3.10, P = 0.04). Education about risk factors for chronic disease and
      evidence-based strategies for health behavior change may be useful for addressing
      obesity-related behaviors among African Americans.

PMID- 28335039
TI  - Brain temporal complexity in explaining the therapeutic and cognitive effects of
      seizure therapy.
AB  - Over 350 million people worldwide suffer from depression, a third of whom are
      medication-resistant. Seizure therapy remains the most effective treatment in
      depression, even when many treatments fail. The utility of seizure therapy is
      limited due to its cognitive side effects and stigma. The biological targets of
      seizure therapy remain unknown, hindering design of new treatments with
      comparable efficacy. Seizures impact the brains temporal dynamicity observed
      through electroencephalography. This dynamicity reflects richness of information
      processing across distributed brain networks subserving affective and cognitive
      processes. We investigated the hypothesis that seizure therapy impacts mood
      (depressive symptoms) and cognition by modulating brain temporal dynamicity. We
      obtained resting-state electroencephalography from 34 patients (age = 46.0 +/-
      14.0, 21 females) receiving two types of seizure treatments-electroconvulsive
      therapy or magnetic seizure therapy. We used multi-scale entropy to quantify the
      complexity of the brain's temporal dynamics before and after seizure therapy. We
      discovered that reduction of complexity in fine timescales underlined successful
      therapeutic response to both seizure treatments. Greater reduction in complexity
      of fine timescales in parieto-occipital and central brain regions was
      significantly linked with greater improvement in depressive symptoms. Greater
      increase in complexity of coarse timescales was associated with greater decline
      in cognition including the autobiographical memory. These findings were region
      and timescale specific. That is, change in complexity in occipital regions (e.g.
      O2 electrode or right occipital pole) at fine timescales was only associated with
      change in depressive symptoms, and not change in cognition, and change in
      complexity in parieto-central regions (e.g. Pz electrode or intra and
      transparietal sulcus) at coarser timescale was only associated with change in
      cognition, and not depressive symptoms. Finally, region and timescale specific
      changes in complexity classified both antidepressant and cognitive response to
      seizure therapy with good (80%) and excellent (95%) accuracy, respectively. In
      this study, we discovered a novel biological target of seizure therapy:
      complexity of the brain resting state dynamics. Region and timescale dependent
      changes in complexity of the brain resting state dynamics is a novel mechanistic
      marker of response to seizure therapy that explains both the antidepressant
      response and cognitive changes associated with this treatment. This marker has
      tremendous potential to guide design of the new generation of antidepressant
      treatments.

PMID- 28335041
TI  - The Cerebellum and Its Wrapping Meninge: Developmental Interplay between Two
      Major Structures.
AB  - Meninges have long been considered as a protective and supportive tissue for the
      central nervous system. Nevertheless, new developmental roles are now attributed
      to them. The meninges that surround the cerebellum come from the cephalic
      mesoderm. They are essential for the cerebellum to develop normally. They induce
      and maintain the basal lamina and glia limitans. In the absence of these
      structures, the external granular cells of the cerebellum migrate aberrantly and
      penetrate the subarachnoid space. The molecules involved in the recognition
      between the cerebellar primordium and the basal lamina belong to two groups in
      humans: dystroglycan and laminin on the one hand, and GPR56 and collagen III on
      the other. Finally, molecules secreted by the meninges and acting on the
      cerebellum begin to be demonstrated; such is the case of SDF1 secreted under the
      action of FOXC1.

PMID- 28335040
TI  - [New Ways of Diagnosing ADHD in Adults].
AB  - Objective Diagnosing Attention-Deficit-Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) in adults
      requires that ADHD has already been present in childhood. However, recall of ADHD
      symptoms in childhood is fallible, for example influenced by mood. Furthermore,
      diagnostics need a procedure to handle oblivion and judgment biases. The Essen
      Interview-for-school-days-related-biography (EIS-B) addresses these problems and
      offers a tool for retrospectively diagnosing childhood ADHD in adults. Method 36
      patients with ADHD, 27 patients with depression or adjustment disorders and 39
      healthy controls were included in the pilot study. All participants were
      comparable regarding age and gender. Results Internal consistency varied between
      alpha = 0.58 and alpha = 0.97, split-half-reliability was r = 0.98, inter-rater
      reliability yielded kappa = 0.66. Retest-reliability varied between r = 0.40 and
      r = 0.88. Sensitivity was 82 %. Specificity yielded 100 %. Discussion The results
      indicate that EIS-B is a reliable and valid interview to retrospectively
      elucidate symptoms of childhood ADHD in adult patients. Further studies should
      aim for replication of our results using a larger sample size.

PMID- 28335042
TI  - Acute Sensory Neuronopathy following Enterovirus Infection in a 3-Year-Old Girl.
AB  - Acute sensory neuronopathy (SNN) is a rapidly developing peripheral nervous
      system disease that primarily affects sensory neurons in the dorsal root ganglion
      or trigeminal ganglion, leading to the impairment of sensory axons. SNN is
      notably uncommon in childhood; only three cases of childhood or adolescent SNN
      have been reported to date. Moreover, SSN has never been reported in association
      with enterovirus infection. Here, we report the case of a 3-year-old girl who was
      initially diagnosed with enterovirus infection based on the presentation of
      fevers, rashes on all extremities, and ulceration over the posterior pharynx.
      Nine days later, she presented with ataxic and wide-based gait and dysmetria
      affecting the extremities, with an absence of sensory nerve action potentials in
      the upper and lower limbs. The patient was diagnosed with acute SNN based on the
      criteria developed by Camdessanche et al in 2009. To our knowledge, this is the
      youngest case of SNN reported to date. In addition, this case reveals that
      enterovirus infection can be associated with acute SNN in children in rare cases.
      Accurate diagnosis relies on clinical suspicion, comprehensive knowledge of the
      patient's history, and careful characterization of abnormal findings in
      electrodiagnostic studies.

PMID- 28335043
TI  - Platelet-Derived NO in Subjects Affected by Type 2 Diabetes with and without
      Complications: Is there any Relationship with their Offspring?
AB  - Macro- and microvascular complications are currently the principal causes of
      morbidity and mortality in patients with diabetes mellitus. Aim of this study was
      to determine if type 2 diabetic patients with nephropathy and coronary artery
      disease showed altered platelet-derived nitric oxide (NO) production, compared
      with diabetic subjects without complications, and if this alteration is also
      present in their diabetic offspring. In this case-control observational study,
      platelet NO and peroxynitrite content was determined on plasma from 60 male adult
      type 2 diabetic patients and 60 male offspring type 2 diabetic patients.
      Plasmatic levels of homocysteine were also determined in the same individuals.
      Moreover, Western blot analysis of platelet lysates was performed with specific
      monoclonal antibody for endothelial (eNOS) and inducible (iNOS) nitric oxide
      synthase. Our study showed a lower piastrinic production of NO in the group of
      parents without complications (ADH), compared with the group of offspring without
      complications (YDH) and with the groups of parents with complications.
      Furthermore, we observed a lower synthesis of peroxynitrite in platelets from the
      ADH group than in the groups of patients with complications, and in the YDH group
      compared with all other groups. Subjects from YDH group also showed lower iNOS
      expression, compared with all other groups. Our data suggest that alterations in
      nitric oxide metabolism may represent potential risk factors in type 2 diabetes
      complications, such as nephropathy and cardiovascular diseases, leading to
      development of new therapeutic strategies in order to delay and prevent the onset
      of such complications.

PMID- 28335044
TI  - Semi-automated De-identification of German Content Sensitive Reports for Big Data
      Analytics.
AB  - Purpose Projects involving collaborations between different institutions require
      data security via selective de-identification of words or phrases. A semi
      automated de-identification tool was developed and evaluated on different types
      of medical reports natively and after adapting the algorithm to the text
      structure. Materials and Methods A semi-automated de-identification tool was
      developed and evaluated for its sensitivity and specificity in detecting
      sensitive content in written reports. Data from 4671 pathology reports (4105 +
      566 in two different formats), 2804 medical reports, 1008 operation reports, and
      6223 radiology reports of 1167 patients suffering from breast cancer were de
      identified. The content was itemized into four categories: direct identifiers
      (name, address), indirect identifiers (date of birth/operation, medical ID,
      etc.), medical terms, and filler words. The software was tested natively (without
      training) in order to establish a baseline. The reports were manually edited and
      the model re-trained for the next test set. After manually editing 25, 50, 100,
      250, 500 and if applicable 1000 reports of each type re-training was applied.
      Results In the native test, 61.3 % of direct and 80.8 % of the indirect
      identifiers were detected. The performance (P) increased to 91.4 % (P25), 96.7 %
      (P50), 99.5 % (P100), 99.6 % (P250), 99.7 % (P500) and 100 % (P1000) for direct
      identifiers and to 93.2 % (P25), 97.9 % (P50), 97.2 % (P100), 98.9 % (P250), 99.0
      % (P500) and 99.3 % (P1000) for indirect identifiers. Without training, 5.3 % of
      medical terms were falsely flagged as critical data. The performance increased,
      after training, to 4.0 % (P25), 3.6 % (P50), 4.0 % (P100), 3.7 % (P250), 4.3 %
      (P500), and 3.1 % (P1000). Roughly 0.1 % of filler words were falsely flagged.
      Conclusion Training of the developed de-identification tool continuously improved
      its performance. Training with roughly 100 edited reports enables reliable
      detection and labeling of sensitive data in different types of medical reports.
      Key Points:  . Collaborations between different institutions require de
      identification of patients' data. . Software-based de-identification of content
      sensitive reports grows in importance as a result of 'Big data'. . A de
      identification software was developed and tested natively and after training. .
      The proposed de-identification software worked quite reliably, following training
      with roughly 100 edited reports. . A final check of the texts by an authorized
      person remains necessary. Citation Format . Seuss H, Dankerl P, Ihle M et al.
      Semi-automated De-identification of German Content Sensitive Reports for Big Data
      Analytics. Fortschr Rontgenstr 2017; 189: 661 - 671.

PMID- 28335045
TI  - [Imaging of Metastastic Renal Cell Carcinoma under Therapy with Immune Checkpoint
      Inhibitors].

PMID- 28335057
TI  - White Paper: Curriculum in Interventional Radiology.
AB  - Purpose Scope and clinical importance of interventional radiology markedly
      evolved over the last decades. Consequently it was acknowledged as independent
      subspecialty by the "European Union of Medical Specialists" (UEMS). Based on
      radiological imaging techniques Interventional Radiology is an integral part of
      Radiology. Materials und Methods In 2009 the German Society for Interventional
      Radiology and minimally-invasive therapy (DeGIR) developed a structured training
      in Interventional Radiology. In cooperation with the German Society of
      Neuroradiology (DGNR) this training was extended to also cover Interventional
      Neuroradiology in 2012. Tailored for this training in Interventional Radiology a
      structured curriculum was developed, covering the scope of this modular training.
      Results The curriculum is based on the DeGIR/DGNR modular training concept in
      Interventional Radiology. There is also an European Curriculum and Syllabus for
      Interventional Radiology developed by the "Cardiovascular and Interventional
      Radiological Society of Europe" (CIRSE). The presented curriculum in
      Interventional Radiology is designed to provide a uniform base for the training
      in Interventional Radiology in Germany, based on the competencies obtained during
      residency. Conclusion This curriculum can be used as a basis for training in
      Interventional Radiology by all training sites. Key Points: . Interventional
      Radiology is an integral part of clinical radiology. . The German Society for
      Interventional Radiology and minimally-invasive therapy (DeGIR) developed a
      curriculum in Interventional Radiology. . This curriculum is an integrative basis
      for the training in interventional. Citation Format . Mahnken AH, Bucker A, Hohl
      C et al. White Paper: Curriculum in Interventional Radiology. Fortschr Rontgenstr
      2017; 189: 309 - 311.

PMID- 28335058
TI  - Instructions for Radiological Case Reports.
AB  - Purpose This paper explains the purpose and structure of a radiological case
      report and provides guidance for radiologists with respect to the writing of a
      well-structured patient case report. Materials and Methods The current literature
      and the author's experience as a writer were used to create a manual that
      describes steps for preparing a radiological case report containing all of the
      important ingredients for effective communication. Results Case reports are the
      first line of evidence in documenting clinical observations in the literature. A
      case report should be written succinctly and consists of four structured main
      sections: introduction, description of the case, discussion and conclusion. Its
      structure follows the structure of an original research article, whereby the
      description of the case of the case report corresponds to the materials and
      methods section of the research article. The introduction provides the subject
      and merit of the case report with respect to the published literature. The case
      description presents the case in detail and chronological order to allow for
      plausibility. The discussion compares the case with the published literature and
      summarizes the essential features. A case report, like an original article, must
      provide a justified conclusion. The conclusion should be brief and be applicable
      to clinical practice. Conclusion The unique quality of the case, proper
      preparation and a clear conclusion are essential for a case report to be
      published. Key Points: . Case reports are the first line of evidence in
      documenting clinical observations in the literature. . The structure of a case
      report structure follows the structure of an original research article. . The
      unique quality of the case, proper preparation and a clear conclusion are
      essential for a case report to be published.. Citation Format . Bannas P.
      Anleitung zum Schreiben eines radiologischen Fallberichts. Fortschr Rontgenstr
      2017; 189: 333 - 337.

PMID- 28335059
TI  - Retrospective Evaluation of Percutaneous Access for TEVAR and EVAR: Time to Make
      it the Standard Approach?
AB  - Introduction To evaluate the safety of percutaneous endovascular aortic repair
      and the relationship of access site characteristics to complications Materials
      and Methods All patients undergoing percutaneous TEVAR, EVAR and FEVAR procedures
      from January 2010 to May 2016 were retrospectively analysed for incidence of
      complications and their relationship to various access site characteristics like
      access artery size, degree of vessel calcification, skin to artery distance and
      sheath to artery ratio. Hemostasis occurring within 15 min after suture closure
      with or without manual compression was defined as primary hemostasis. Results 92
      patients with 142 femoral access sites were included in the study. Median follow
      up was 28.13 months (range 2.5 - 76.7 months, Mean 32.39, SD - 21.66 months).
      Introducer system size ranged from 12F to 25F. Primary haemostasis was achieved
      in 97.1 % (138/142) of the total femoral access sites. Four access sites (2.8 %)
      had to be closed surgically; in all 4 cases the introducer systems was >= 18F.
      Two of these access sites had been operated upon previously. Late complications
      including inguinal hematoma (n = 7), wound infection (n = 1), scrotal hematoma (n
      = 1), pseudoaneurysm (n = 4) and late bleeding (n = 4) occurred in 17 access
      sites (11.9 %), of which 13 were managed conservatively. On account of the low
      complication rate, no correlation between the evaluated variables and observed
      complications could be established. Conclusion Percutaneous endovascular aortic
      repair is feasible and safe irrespective of the size of the introducer sheath and
      the nature of aorto-iliac pathology. The technical success rate is high and the
      incidence of complications is low. Early complications are most often associated
      with sheath sizes >= 18 F. The majority of the late complications can be treated
      conservatively. Key points:  . Percutaneous endovascular aortic repair is
      feasible and safe.. . Technical success rate is high and complication rate is
      low.. . Vascular closure device failure in the occasional patient may necessitate
      surgical intervention.. Citation Format . Thomas RP, Kowald T, Schmuck B et al.
      Retrospective Evaluation of Percutaneous Access for TEVAR and EVAR: Time to Make
      it the Standard Approach?. Fortschr Rontgenstr 2017; 189: 347 - 355.

PMID- 28335060
TI  - ?

PMID- 28335064
TI  - ?

PMID- 28335073
TI  - Clinical characteristics and whole exome/transcriptome sequencing of coexisting
      chronic myeloid leukemia and myelofibrosis.
AB  - Myeloproliferative neoplasms (MPNs) are clonal hematopoietic stem cell (HSC)
      disorders that can be classified on the basis of genetic, clinical, phenotypic
      features. Genetic lesions such as JAK2 mutations and BCR-ABL translocation are
      often mutually exclusive in MPN patients and lead to essential thrombocythemia,
      polycythemia vera, or myelofibrosis or chronic myeloid leukemia, respectively.
      Nevertheless, coexistence of these genetic aberrations in the same patient has
      been reported. Whether these aberrations occur in the same stem cell or a
      different cell is unclear, but an unstable genome in the HSCs seems to be the
      common antecedent. In an effort to characterize the underlying genetic events
      that might contribute to the appearance of more than one MPN in a patient, we
      studied neoplastic cells from patients with dual MPNs by next-generation
      sequencing. We observed that most patients with two MPNs harbored mutations in
      genes known to contribute to clonal hematopoiesis through altered epigenetic
      regulation such as TET2, ASXL1/2, SRSF2, and IDH2 at varying frequencies (1%
      47%). In addition, we found that some patients also harbored oncogenic mutations
      in N/KRAS, TP53, BRAF, EZH2, and GNAS at low frequencies, which probably
      represent clonal evolution. These findings support the hypothesis that
      hematopoietic cells from MPN patients harbor multiple genetic aberrations, some
      of which can contribute to clonal dominance. Acquiring mutations in JAK2/CALR/MPL
      or the BCR-ABL translocation probably drive the oncogenic phenotype towards a
      specific MPN. Further, we propose that the acquisition of BCR-ABL in these
      patients is frequently a secondary event resulting from an unstable genome.

PMID- 28335074
TI  - A comment on improving transcranial Doppler ultrasonography screening in children
      with sickle cell anemia.

PMID- 28335075
TI  - Breastmilk with a high omega-6 to omega-3 fatty acid ratio induced cellular
      events similar to insulin resistance and obesity in 3T3-L1 adipocytes.
AB  - BACKGROUND: An imbalance of omega (n)-3 and n-6 polyunsaturated fatty acids
      (PUFA) during critical periods of development may have adverse effects on the
      health of the newborn in later life. OBJECTIVES: We hypothesized that breastmilk
      with higher n-6 to n-3 PUFA ratio will have higher inflammatory cytokines and
      initiate cellular events similar to insulin resistance and obesity. METHODS:
      Breastmilk was collected from healthy women who gave natural birth at full term.
      Breastmilk fatty acids were measured using gas chromatography; samples were
      pooled based on the n-6 to n-3 PUFA ratio (high, medium and low), and soluble
      cytokines were measured. Pooled samples were used to treat 3T3-L1 cells; mRNA
      expression of diacylglycerol acyltransferase2, stearoyl-CoA desaturase-1, leptin
      and RPLPO was measured. RESULTS: Breastmilk with a higher ratio of n-6 to n-3
      PUFA showed higher pro-inflammatory cytokines; there was a direct correlation
      between n-6 PUFA and pro-inflammatory cytokines. Breastmilk with a higher ratio
      of n-6 to n-3 PUFA increased the expression of genes involved in lipogenesis.
      CONCLUSIONS: Pro-inflammatory cytokines in breastmilk are associated with higher
      levels of n-6 PUFA in breastmilk and has the capacity to alter adipose tissue
      metabolism to likely predispose the newborn to a higher risk of obesity in later
      life.

PMID- 28335076
TI  - Fine mapping of chromosome 5p15.33 identifies novel lung cancer susceptibility
      loci in Han Chinese.
AB  - Genome-wide association studies in European and Asian populations have
      consistently identified chromosome 5p15.33 as a lung cancer susceptibility
      region. To investigate further the genetic architecture of common variants in
      this region, we conducted a two-stage fine-mapping analysis discovered by
      targeted resequencing of 200 cases and 300 controls individually, and validated
      in multiethnic lung cancer Genome wide association studies (GWASs) with 12,843
      cases and 12,639 controls. Two independent variants were identified in
      approximate conditional analysis with GCTA and consistently validated in lung
      cancer GWASs in both Asian and European populations. These were rs10054203 in
      TERT (resequencing: OR = 1.69, p = 2.70 * 10-4 ; validation: OR = 1.34, p = 2.10
      * 10-23 for Asian, and OR = 1.09, p = 6.00 * 10-3 for European), and rs397640 in
      CLPTM1L (resequencing: OR = 0.37, p = 1.19 * 10-4 ; validation: OR = 0.75, p =
      5.89 * 10-8 for Asian, and OR = 0.90, p = 2.40 * 10-2 for European). Expression
      quantitative trait loci analysis showed the risk allele (C) of rs10054203 was
      significantly associated with lower mRNA expression of CTD-2245Ef15.3 (p = 0.019)
      and Tubulin Polymerization-Promoting Protein (TPPP, p = 0.031) in 167 lung
      tissues. In conclusion, in this largest and first resequencing-based fine-mapping
      analysis of 5p15.33 region in Han Chinese, we identified two novel variants
      associated with lung cancer susceptibility. Further validation studies and
      functional work is required to confirm the roles of the newly discovered
      variants.

PMID- 28335078
TI  - Dairy intake and prostate cancer survival.

PMID- 28335077
TI  - Introduction to the Critical Balance - Residual Kidney Function and Incremental
      Transition to Dialysis.

PMID- 28335079
TI  - Cutaneous septic emboli from Candida glabrata in a haematological patient.

PMID- 28335080
TI  - Comparisons among MRI signs, apparent diffusion coefficient, and fractional
      anisotropy in dogs with a solitary intracranial meningioma or histiocytic
      sarcoma.
AB  - Although MRI has become widely used in small animal practice, little is known
      about the validity of advanced MRI techniques such as diffusion-weighted imaging
      and diffusion tensor imaging. The aim of this retrospective analytical
      observational study was to investigate the characteristics of diffusion
      parameters, that is the apparent diffusion coefficient and fractional anisotropy,
      in dogs with a solitary intracranial meningioma or histiocytic sarcoma. Dogs were
      included based on the performance of diffusion MRI and histological confirmation.
      Statistical analyses were performed to compare apparent diffusion coefficient and
      fractional anisotropy for the two types of tumor in the intra- and peritumoral
      regions. Eleven cases with meningioma and six with histiocytic sarcoma satisfied
      the inclusion criteria. Significant differences in apparent diffusion coefficient
      value (* 10-3 mm2 /s) between meningioma vs. histiocytic sarcoma were recognized
      in intratumoral small (1.07 vs. 0.76) and large (1.04 vs. 0.77) regions of
      interest, in the peritumoral margin (0.93 vs. 1.08), and in the T2 high region
      (1.21 vs. 1.41). Significant differences in fractional anisotropy values were
      found in the peritumoral margin (0.29 vs. 0.24) and the T2 high region (0.24 vs.
      0.17). The current study identified differences in measurements of apparent
      diffusion coefficient and fractional anisotropy for meningioma and histiocytic
      sarcoma in a small sample of dogs. In addition, we observed that all cases of
      intracranial histiocytic sarcoma showed leptomeningeal enhancement and/or mass
      formation invading into the sulci in the contrast study. Future studies are
      needed to determine the sensitivity of these imaging characteristics for
      differentiating between these tumor types.

PMID- 28335081
TI  - The impact of body mass index and nuclear beta-catenin on survival in locally
      advanced rectal cancer treated with preoperative radiochemotherapy.
AB  - BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: We examined the prognostic value of obesity and nuclear
      beta-catenin in patients with locally advanced rectal cancer. METHODS: We
      prospectively recruited a total of 98 eligible patients with locally advanced
      cancer for preoperative radiochemotherapy followed by total mesorectal excision.
      Patients' height and weight were reaorded before radiochemotherapy, and the
      immunohistochemical expression of nuclear beta-catenin was analyzed. Disease-free
      survival (DFS) was analyzed using the Kaplan-Meier method and a Cox regression
      model was employed for the multivariate analysis. RESULTS: Obese patients were
      associated with a lower number of recurrences (3.6% vs. 34.3%, P = 0.001), and a
      higher DFS (95% vs. 53%; HR, 0.09; 95%CI, 0.01-0.64; P = 0.005) than non-obese
      patients. In the multivariate analysis, body mass index, nuclear beta-catenin
      expression, and the absence of lymph node metastases showed a significant
      increase in DFS. CONCLUSIONS: Obesity and nuclear beta-catenin are independent
      favorable prognostic factors for DFS in locally advanced cancer treated with
      preoperative radiochemotherapy. J. Surg. Oncol. 2017;115:301-306. (c) 2017 Wiley
      Periodicals, Inc.

PMID- 28335082
TI  - Reporting of mitotic rate in cutaneous melanoma: A study using the national
      cancer data base.
AB  - BACKGROUND: The seventh edition of the American Joint Commission on Cancer
      staging manual (AJCC7, published 2009), updated thin cutaneous melanoma staging
      protocols with the incorporation of mitotic rate (MR). In these patients, higher
      MR is associated with decreased survival. This study utilizes the National Cancer
      Data Base (NCDB) to evaluate MR reporting since AJCC7. METHODS: The NCDB was
      queried for patients with primary cutaneous melanoma from 1998 to 2013. Because
      MR reporting was infrequent prior to implementing AJCC7, records from 2010 to
      2013 were analyzed. Categorical variables were compared with chi-square tests;
      univariate and multivariate logistic regression models were constructed to
      determine the effects of covariates on MR reporting. RESULTS: A total of 107,134
      patients met inclusion criteria. From 2010 to 2013, MR reporting increased
      dramatically (64.3-80.9%). On multivariate analysis, factors significantly
      related to increased MR reporting include later diagnosis year, T-classification
      (T1a and b vs. T1), facility type (academic vs. other specified types of cancer
      programs), facility volume, patient income, level of education, and county
      population (metropolitan vs. urban and rural). CONCLUSIONS: MR reporting
      increased dramatically after the introduction of AJCC7; however, disparities in
      reporting remain across facility types. Further investigation of procedures
      performed in academic settings that may influence reporting of MR is warranted.
      J. Surg. Oncol. 2017;115:281-286. (c) 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

PMID- 28335084
TI  - Identification of new BMP6 pro-peptide mutations in patients with iron overload.
AB  - Hereditary Hemochromatosis (HH) is a genetically heterogeneous disorder caused by
      mutations in at least five different genes (HFE, HJV, TFR2, SLC40A1, HAMP)
      involved in the production or activity of the liver hormone hepcidin, a key
      regulator of systemic iron homeostasis. Nevertheless, patients with an HH-like
      phenotype that remains completely/partially unexplained despite extensive
      sequencing of known genes are not infrequently seen at referral centers,
      suggesting a role of still unknown genetic factors. A compelling candidate is
      Bone Morphogenetic Protein 6 (BMP6), which acts as a major activator of the BMP
      SMAD signaling pathway, ultimately leading to the upregulation of hepcidin gene
      transcription. A recent seminal study by French authors has described three
      heterozygous missense mutations in BMP6 associated with mild to moderate late
      onset iron overload (IO). Using an updated next-generation sequencing (NGS)-based
      genetic test in IO patients negative for the classical HFE p.Cys282Tyr mutation,
      we found three BMP6 heterozygous missense mutations in four patients from three
      different families. One mutation (p.Leu96Pro) has already been described and
      proven to be functional. The other two (p.Glu112Gln, p.Arg257His) were novel, and
      both were located in the pro-peptide domain known to be crucial for appropriate
      BMP6 processing and secretion. In silico modeling also showed results consistent
      with their pathogenetic role. The patients' clinical phenotypes were similar to
      that of other patients with BMP6-related IO recently described. Our results
      independently add further evidence to the role of BMP6 mutations as likely
      contributing factors to late-onset moderate IO unrelated to mutations in the
      established five HH genes.

PMID- 28335083
TI  - Down-regulation of DAB2IP promotes colorectal cancer invasion and metastasis by
      translocating hnRNPK into nucleus to enhance the transcription of MMP2.
AB  - DOC-2/DAB2 interacting protein (DAB2IP) is a RasGAP protein that shows a
      suppressive effect on cancer progression. Our previous study showed the
      involvement of transcription regulation of DAB2IP in metastasis of colorectal
      cancer (CRC). However, the molecular mechanisms of DAB2IP in regulating the
      progression of CRC need to be further explored. Here, we identified heterogeneous
      nuclear ribonucleoprotein K (hnRNPK) and matrix metalloproteinase 2 (MMP2) as
      vital downstream targets of DAB2IP in CRC cells by two-dimensional fluorescence
      difference gel electrophoresis and cDNA microassay, respectively.
      Mechanistically, down-regulation of DAB2IP increased the level of hnRNPK through
      MAPK/ERK signaling pathway. Subsequently, translocation of hnRNPK into nucleus
      enhanced the transcription activity of MMP2, and therefore promoted invasion and
      metastasis of CRC. Down-regulation of DAB2IP correlated negatively with hnRNPK
      and MMP2 expressions in CRC tissues. In conclusion, our study elucidates a novel
      mechanism of the DAB2IP/hnRNPK/MMP2 axis in the regulation of CRC invasion and
      metastasis, which may be a potential therapeutic target.

PMID- 28335086
TI  - Neonatal anemia: Revisiting the enigmatic pyknocyte.

PMID- 28335085
TI  - Modifications in dietary and alcohol intakes between before and after cancer
      diagnosis: Results from the prospective population-based NutriNet-Sante cohort.
AB  - Postdiagnosis diet and alcohol consumption may be associated with cancer
      prognosis, recurrence and mortality. Our aim was to investigate food, nutrient
      and alcohol intake variations between before and after cancer diagnosis and their
      determinants in a prospective cohort. Subjects (n = 696) were incident cancer
      cases diagnosed in the NutriNet-Sante cohort between 2009 and 2016. Food,
      nutrient and alcohol intakes were prospectively collected using repeated
      nonconsecutive 24-hr dietary records since subjects' inclusion (i.e. an average
      of 2 y before diagnosis). Mean number of dietary records per subject was 5.9
      before and 8.1 after diagnosis. All dietary data before and after diagnosis were
      compared by mixed models. Factors associated with the main dietary changes
      observed were also investigated using multivariable logistic regressions. We
      observed a decrease in intakes of vegetables (mean decrease in intake in patients
      who decreased their intake=-102.4 +/- 79.8 g/d), dairy products (-93.9 +/- 82.8
      g/d), meat/offal (-35.5 +/- 27.8/d), soy products (-85.8 +/- 104.1 g/d),
      sweetened soft drinks (-77.9 +/- 95.4 g/d), and alcoholic drinks (-92.9 +/- 119.9
      g/d), and an increase in broths (42.1 +/- 34.9 g/d) and fats/sauces (18.0 +/-
      13.4 g/d). We observed a decrease in energy intake (-377.2 +/- 243.5 kcal/d) and
      in intakes of alcohol (-7.6 +/- 9.4 g/d) proteins (-17.4 +/- 12.5 g/d), and
      several vitamins (p < 0.05) and micronutrients (p < 0.05). Conversely, lipid
      (19.4 +/- 14.6 g/d), SFA (9.3 +/- 7.0 g/d), MUFA (8.3 +/- 6.3 g/d) and vitamin E
      (3.9 +/- 3.3 mg/d) intakes increased after diagnosis. This large prospective
      study suggests that cancer diagnosis is a key period for nutritional changes. It
      highlights some healthy behaviors such as a decrease in alcohol and sweetened
      drink consumption, but also less favorable trends, such as a decrease in
      vegetable consumption and in many vitamin and mineral intakes. These results
      provide insights to identify and target recommendations to put forward for better
      nutritional care of cancer survivors.

PMID- 28335087
TI  - Ursolic acid and mechanisms of actions on adipose and muscle tissue: a systematic
      review.
AB  - This systematic review aimed at addressing the ursolic acid actions as an
      adjunctive treatment of the obesity-mediated metabolic abnormalities. To explore
      our aims, we used the literature search including clinical and animal studies
      using the Medline and Google Scholar (up to December 2015). Out of 63 screened
      studies, 17 presented eligibility criteria, such as the use of ursolic acid on
      adiposity, energy expenditure and skeletal muscle mass in mice and humans. In the
      literature, we found that several physiological and molecular mechanisms are
      implicated in the effects of ursolic acid on obesity, energy expenditure, hepatic
      steatosis, skeletal muscle mass loss and physical fitness, such as (1) increase
      of thermogenesis by modulation adipocyte transcription factors, activation of 5'
      adenosine monophosphate-activated protein kinase and overexpression of the
      uncoupling protein 1 thermogenic marker; (2) enhancement of skeletal muscle mass
      by activation in bloodstream growth hormone and insulin-like growth factor-1
      concentrations secretion, as well as in the activation of mammalian target of
      rapamycin and inhibition of ring-finger protein-1; and (3) improvement of
      physical fitness by skeletal muscle proliferator-activated receptor gamma co
      activator alpha and sirtuin 1 expression. Therefore, supplementation with ursolic
      acid may be an adjunctive therapy for prevention and treatment of obesity
      mediated and muscle mass-mediated metabolic consequences.

PMID- 28335088
TI  - Further characterization of computed tomographic and clinical features for
      staging and prognosis of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis in West Highland white
      terriers.
AB  - Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis is an interstitial lung disease of unknown etiology
      resulting in progressive interstitial fibrosis, with a known predilection in West
      Highland white terriers. In humans, computed tomography (CT) is a standard method
      for providing diagnostic and prognostic information, and plays a major role in
      the idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis staging process. Objectives of this
      retrospective, analytical, cross-sectional study were to establish descriptive
      criteria for reporting CT findings and test correlations among CT, clinical
      findings and survival time in West Highland white terriers with idiopathic
      pulmonary fibrosis. Inclusion criteria for affected West Highland white terriers
      were a diagnosis of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis and available CT, bronchoscopy,
      bronchoalveolar lavage, echocardiography, and routine blood analysis findings.
      Clinically normal West Highland white terriers were recruited for the control
      group. Survival times were recorded for affected dogs. The main CT lung pattern
      and clinical data were blindly and separately graded as mild, moderate, or
      severe. Twenty-one West Highland white terriers with idiopathic pulmonary
      fibrosis and 11 control West Highland white terriers were included. The severity
      of pulmonary CT findings was positively correlated with severity of clinical
      signs (rho = 0.48, P = 0.029) and negatively associated with survival time after
      diagnosis (rho = -0.56, P = 0.025). Affected dogs had higher lung attenuation
      (median: -563 Hounsfield Units (HU)) than control dogs (median: -761 HU), (P <
      0.001). The most common CT characteristics were ground-glass pattern (16/21)
      considered as a mild degree of severity, and focal reticular and mosaic ground
      glass patterns (10/21) considered as a moderate degree of severity. Findings
      supported the use of thoracic CT as a method for characterizing idiopathic
      pulmonary fibrosis in West Highland white terriers and providing prognostic
      information for owners.

PMID- 28335089
TI  - Variance components estimation for farrowing traits of three purebred pigs in
      Korea.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: This study was conducted to estimate breed-specific variance
      components for total number born (TNB), number born alive (NBA) and mortality
      rate from birth through weaning including stillbirths (MORT) of three main swine
      breeds in Korea. In addition, the importance of including maternal genetic and
      service sire effects in estimation models was evaluated. METHODS: Records of
      farrowing traits from 6,412 Duroc, 18,020 Landrace, and 54,254 Yorkshire sows
      collected from January 2001 to September 2016 from different farms in Korea were
      used in the analysis. Animal models and the restricted maximum likelihood method
      were used to estimate variances in animal genetic, permanent environmental,
      maternal genetic, service sire and residuals. RESULTS: The heritability estimates
      ranged from 0.072 to 0.102, 0.090 to 0.099, and 0.109 to 0.121 for TNB; 0.087 to
      0.110, 0.088 to 0.100, and 0.099 to 0.107 for NBA; and 0.027 to 0.031, 0.050 to
      0.053, and 0.073 to 0.081 for MORT in the Duroc, Landrace and Yorkshire breeds,
      respectively. The proportion of the total variation due to permanent
      environmental effects, maternal genetic effects, and service sire effects ranged
      from 0.042 to 0.088, 0.001 to 0.031, and 0.001 to 0.021, respectively. Spearman
      rank correlations among models ranged from 0.98 to 0.99, demonstrating that the
      maternal genetic and service sire effects have small effects on the precision of
      the breeding value. CONCLUSION: Models that include additive genetic and
      permanent environmental effects are suitable for farrowing traits in Duroc,
      Landrace, and Yorkshire populations in Korea. This breed-specific variance
      components estimates for litter traits can be utilized for pig improvement
      programs in Korea.

PMID- 28335090
TI  - In ovo vaccination using Eimeria profilin and Clostridium perfringens NetB
      proteins in Montanide IMS adjuvant increases protective immunity against
      experimentally-induced necrotic enteritis.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: The effects of vaccinating 18-day-old chicken embryos with the
      combination of recombinant Eimeria profilin plus Clostridium perfringens (C.
      perfringens) NetB proteins mixed in the Montanide IMS adjuvant on the chicken
      immune response to necrotic enteritis (NE) were investigated using an Eimeria
      maxima (E. maxima)/C. perfringens co-infection NE disease model that we
      previously developed. METHODS: Eighteen-day-old broiler embryos were injected
      with 100 MUL of phosphate-buffered saline, profilin, profilin plus necrotic
      enteritis B-like (NetB), profilin plus NetB/Montanide adjuvant (IMS 106), and
      profilin plus Net-B/Montanide adjuvant (IMS 101). After post-hatch birds were
      challenged with our NE experimental disease model, body weights, intestinal
      lesions, serum antibody levels to NetB, and proinflammatory cytokine and
      chemokine mRNA levels in intestinal intraepithelial lymphocytes were measured.
      RESULTS: Chickens in ovo vaccinated with recombinant profilin plus NetB
      proteins/IMS106 and recombinant profilin plus NetB proteins/IMS101 showed
      significantly increased body weight gains and reduced gut damages compared with
      the profilin-only group, respectively. Greater antibody response to NetB toxin
      were observed in the profilin plus NetB/IMS 106, and profilin plus NetB/IMS 101
      groups compared with the other three vaccine/adjuvant groups. Finally, diminished
      levels of transcripts encoding for proinflammatory cytokines such as
      lipopolysaccharide-induced tumor necrosis factor-alpha factor, tumor necrosis
      factor superfamily 15, and interleukin-8 were observed in the intestinal
      lymphocytes of chickens in ovo injected with profilin plus NetB toxin in
      combination with IMS 106, and profilin plus NetB toxin in combination with IMS
      101 compared with profilin protein alone bird. CONCLUSION: These results suggest
      that the Montanide IMS adjuvants potentiate host immunity to experimentally
      induced avian NE when administered in ovo in conjunction with the profilin and
      NetB proteins, and may reduce disease pathology by attenuating the expression of
      proinflammatory cytokines and chemokines implicated in disease pathogenesis.

PMID- 28335091
TI  - Assessment of genetic diversity and phylogenetic relationships of Korean native
      chicken breeds using microsatellite markers.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: This study was conducted to investigate the basic information on
      genetic structure and characteristics of Korean Native chickens (NC) and foreign
      breeds through the analysis of the pure chicken populations and commercial
      chicken lines of the Hanhyup Company which are popular in the NC market, using
      the 20 microsatellite markers. METHODS: In this study, the genetic diversity and
      phylogenetic relationships of 445 NC from five different breeds (NC, Leghorn
      [LH], Cornish [CS], Rhode Island Red [RIR], and Hanhyup [HH] commercial line)
      were investigated by performing genotyping using 20 microsatellite markers.
      RESULTS: The highest genetic distance was observed between RIR and LH (18.9%),
      whereas the lowest genetic distance was observed between HH and NC (2.7%). In the
      principal coordinates analysis (PCoA) illustrated by the first component, LH was
      clearly separated from the other groups. The correspondence analysis showed close
      relationship among individuals belonging to the NC, CS, and HH lines. From the
      STRUCTURE program, the presence of 5 clusters was detected and it was found that
      the proportion of membership in the different clusters was almost comparable
      among the breeds with the exception of one breed (HH), although it was highest in
      LH (0.987) and lowest in CS (0.578). For the cluster 1 it was high in HH (0.582)
      and in CS (0.368), while for the cluster 4 it was relatively higher in HH (0.392)
      than other breeds. CONCLUSION: Our study showed useful genetic diversity and
      phylogenetic relationship data that can be utilized for NC breeding and
      development by the commercial chicken industry to meet consumer demands.

PMID- 28335092
TI  - Effect of energy density and virginiamycin supplementation in diets on growth
      performance and digestive function of finishing steers.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: This study was determined the influence of virginiamycin
      supplementation on growth-performance and characteristics of digestion of cattle
      with decreasing dietary net energy value of the diet for maintenance (NEm) from
      2.22 to 2.10 Mcal/kg. METHODS: Eighty crossbred beef steers (298.2+/-6.3 kg) were
      used in a 152-d performance evaluation consisting of a 28-d adaptation period
      followed by a 124-d growing-finishing period. During the 124-d period steers were
      fed either a lesser energy dense (LED, 2.10 Mcal/kg NEm) or higher energy dense
      (HED, 2.22 Mcal/kg NEm) diet. Diets were fed with or without 28 mg/kg (dry matter
      [DM] basis) virginiamycin in a 2*2 factorial arrangement. Four Holstein steers
      (170.4+/-5.6 kg) with cannulas in the rumen (3.8 cm internal diameter) and
      proximal duodenum were used in 4*4 Latin square experiment to study treatment
      effects on characteristics of digestion. RESULTS: Neither diet energy density nor
      virginiamycin affected average daily gain (p>0.10). As expected, dry matter
      intake and gain efficiency were greater (p<0.01) for LED- than for HED-fed
      steers. Virginiamycin did not affect estimated net energy value of the LED diet.
      Virginiamycin increased estimated NE of the HED diet. During daylight hours when
      the temperature humidity index averaged 81.3+/-2.7, virginiamycin decreased
      (p<0.05) ruminal temperature. Virginiamycin did not influence (p>0.10) ruminal or
      total tract digestion. Ruminal (p = 0.02) and total tract digestion (p<0.01) of
      organic matter, and digestible energy (p<0.01) were greater for HED vs LED.
      Ruminal microbial efficiency was lower (p<0.01) for HED vs LED diets. CONCLUSION:
      The positive effect of virginiamycin on growth performance of cattle is due to
      increased efficiency of energy utilization, as effects of virginiamycin on
      characteristics of digestion were not appreciable. Under conditions of high
      ambient temperature virginiamycin may reduce body temperature.

PMID- 28335093
TI  - Carbohydrate and lipid spectroscopic molecular structures of different alfalfa
      hay and their relationship with nutrient availability in ruminants.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: This study was conducted to determine molecular structures related to
      carbohydrates and lipid in alfalfa hay cut at early bud, late bud and early
      flower and in the afternoon and next morning using Fourier transform infrared
      spectroscopy (FT/IR) and to determine their relationship with alfalfa hay
      nutrient profile and availability in ruminants. METHODS: Chemical composition
      analysis, carbohydrate fractionation, in situ ruminal degradability, and DVE/OEB
      model were used to measure nutrient profile and availability of alfalfa hay.
      Univariate analysis, hierarchical cluster analysis (CLA) and principal components
      analysis (PCA) were conducted to identify FT/IR spectra differences. RESULTS: The
      FT/IR non-structural carbohydrate (NSCHO) to total carbohydrates and NSCHO to
      structural carbohydrate ratios decreased (p<0.05), while lignin to NSCHO and
      lipid CH3 symmetric to CH2 symmetric ratios increased with advancing maturity
      (p<0.05). The FT/IR spectra related to structural carbohydrates, lignin and
      lipids were distinguished for alfalfa hay at three maturities by PCA and CLA,
      while FT/IR molecular structures related to carbohydrates and lipids were similar
      between alfalfa hay cut in the morning and afternoon when analyzed by PCA and CLA
      analysis. Positive correlations were found for FT/IR NSCHO to total carbohydrate
      and NSCHO to structural carbohydrate ratios with non-fiber carbohydrate (by wet
      chemistry), ruminal fast and intermediately degradable carbohydrate fractions and
      total ruminal degradability of carbohydrates and predicted intestinal nutrient
      availability in dairy cows (r>=0.60; p<0.05) whereas FT/IR lignin to NSCHO and
      CH3 to CH2 symmetric stretching ratio had negative correlation with predicted
      ruminal and intestinal nutrient availability of alfalfa hay in dairy cows (r>=
      0.60; p<0.05). CONCLUSION: FT/IR carbohydrate and lipid molecular structures in
      alfalfa hay changed with advancing maturity from early bud to early flower, but
      not during the day, and these molecular structures correlated with predicted
      nutrient supply of alfalfa hay in ruminants.

PMID- 28335094
TI  - Growth and physiological responses of broiler chickens to diets containing raw,
      full-fat soybean and supplemented with a high-impact microbial protease.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: This study evaluated the change and function of the pancreas, and
      small intestine in relation to growth performance of broilers on diets
      supplemented with raw soybean meal (RSBM) and protease. Samples of test
      ingredients and diets, after mixing and prior to being used were also assessed on
      contents of anti-nutritional factors. METHODS: A 3*3 factorial study was used,
      with three levels of RSBM (commercial soybean meal [SBM] was replaced by RSBM at
      0, 10%, or 20%) and protease (0.1, 0.2, or 0.3 g/kg). Each treatment was
      replicated six times with nine birds per replicate. Birds were housed in cages,
      in climate-controlled room and fed starter, grower and finisher diets. RESULTS:
      Levels of trypsin inhibitors in the diets, containing varying levels of RSBM
      ranged between 1,730.5 and 9,913.2 trypsin inhibitor units/g DM. Neither RSBM nor
      protease supplementation in diets significantly affected (p>0.05) the body weight
      of broilers in the entire periods (0 to 35-d). Increasing the level of RSBM in
      diets increased the weight of the pancreas at d 10 (p<0.000), d 24 (p<0.001), and
      d 35 (p<0.05). Increasing levels of RSBM in the diets reduced the apparent ileal
      digestibility of crude protein (CP), and amino acid (AA) at d 24. Increasing
      level of RSBM in the diets decreased (p<0.01) pancreatic protein content, but
      this was increased (p<0.05) when protease was added to the diets (0 to 10-d).
      Increasing the level of protease improved the pancreatic digestive enzymes,
      including trypsin (p<0.05), chymotrypsin (p<0.01), and general proteolytic
      enzymes (p<0.05). CONCLUSION: The commercial SBM could be replaced at up to 20%
      by RSBM for broilers. Although protease supplementation slightly improved the
      digestive enzymes, and the ileal digestibilities of CP and AA, the CP and AA were
      negatively affected by increasing RSBM.

PMID- 28335095
TI  - Genetic correlation between live body measurements and beef cutability traits in
      Hanwoo steers.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: The growth, carcass and retail cut yield records on 1,428 Hanwoo
      steers obtained through progeny testing were analyzed in this study, and their
      heritability and genetic relationships among the traits were estimated using
      animal models. METHODS: Two different models were compared in this study. Each
      model was fitted for different fixed class effects, date of slaughter for carcass
      traits and batch of progeny test live measurement traits, and a choice of
      covariates (carcass weight in Model 1 or backfat thickness in Model 2) for
      carcass traits. RESULTS: The differences in body composition among individuals
      were deemed being unaffected by their age at slaughter, except for carcass weight
      and backfat thickness. Heritability estimates of body size measurements were 0.21
      to 0.36. Heritability estimates of retail cut percentage were high (0.56 from
      Model 1 and 0.47 from Model 2). And the heritability estimates for loin muscle
      percentage were 0.36 from Model 1 and 0.42 from Model 2, which were high enough
      to consider direct selection on carcass cutability traits as effective. The
      genetic correlations between body size measurements and retail cut ratio (RCR)
      were close to zero. But, some negative genetic correlations were found with chest
      girths measured at yearling (Model 1) or at 24 months of age or with chest
      widths. Loin muscle ratio (LMR) was genetically negatively correlated with body
      weights or body size measurements, in general in Model 1. These relationships
      were low close to zero but positive in Model 2. Phenotypic correlation between
      cutability traits (RCR, LMR) and live body size measurements were moderate and
      negative in Model 1 while those in Model 2 were all close to zero. CONCLUSION:
      Therefore, the body weights or linear body measurements at an earlier age may not
      be the most desirable selection traits for exploitation of correlated responses
      to improve loin muscle or lean meat yield.

PMID- 28335096
TI  - Estimation of methane emissions from local and crossbreed beef cattle in Daklak
      province of Vietnam.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: This study was aimed at evaluating effects of cattle breed resources
      and alternative mixed-feeding practices on meat productivity and emission
      intensities from household farming systems (HFS) in Daklak Province, Vietnam.
      METHODS: Records from Local Yellow*Red Sindhi (Bos indicus; Lai Sind) and 1/2
      Limousin, 1/2 Drought Master, and 1/2 Red Angus cattle during the growth (0 to 21
      months) and fattening (22 to 25 months) periods were used to better understand
      variations on meat productivity and enteric methane emissions. Parameters were
      determined by the ruminant model. Four scenarios were developed: (HFS1) grazing
      from birth to slaughter on native grasses for approximately 10 h plus 1.5 kg dry
      matter/d (0.8% live weight [LW]) of a mixture of guinea grass (19%), cassava
      (43%) powder, cotton (23%) seed, and rice (15%) straw; (HFS2) growth period fed
      with elephant grass (1% of LW) plus supplementation (1.5% of LW) of rice bran
      (36%), maize (33%), and cassava (31%) meals; and HFS3 and HFS4 computed elephant
      grass, but concentrate supplementation reaching 2% and 1% of LW, respectively.
      RESULTS: Results show that compared to HFS1, emissions (72.3+/-0.96 kg
      CH4/animal/life; least squares means+/- standard error of the mean) were 15%, 6%,
      and 23% lower (p<0.01) for the HFS2, HFS3, and HFS4, respectively. The predicted
      methane efficiencies (CO2eq) per kg of LW at slaughter (4.3+/-0.15), carcass
      weight (8.8+/-0.25 kg) and kg of edible protein (44.1+/-1.29) were also lower
      (p<0.05) in the HFS4. In particular, irrespective of the HSF, feed supply and
      ratio changes had a more positive impact on emission intensities when crossbred
      1/2 Red Angus cattle were fed than in their crossbred counterparts. CONCLUSION:
      Modest improvements on feeding practices and integrated modelling frameworks may
      offer potential trade-offs to respond to climate change in Vietnam.

PMID- 28335097
TI  - Effects of dietary forage-to-concentrate ratio on nutrient digestibility and
      enteric methane production in growing goats (Capra hircus hircus) and Sika deer
      (Cervus nippon hortulorum).
AB  - OBJECTIVE: Two experiments were conducted to determine the effects of forage-to
      concentrate (F:C) ratio on the nutrient digestibility and enteric methane (CH4)
      emission in growing goats and Sika deer. METHODS: Three male growing goats (body
      weight [BW] = 19.0+/-0.7 kg) and three male growing deer (BW = 19.3+/-1.2 kg)
      were respectively allotted to a 3*3 Latin square design with an adaptation period
      of 7 d and a data collection period of 3 d. Respiration-metabolism chambers were
      used for measuring the enteric CH4 emission. Treatments of low (25:75), moderate
      (50:50), and high (73:27) F:C ratios were given to both goats and Sika deer.
      RESULTS: Dry matter (DM) and organic matter (OM) digestibility decreased linearly
      with increasing F:C ratio in both goats and Sika deer. In both goats and Sika
      deer, the CH4 emissions expressed as g/d, g/kg BW0.75, % of gross energy intake,
      g/kg DM intake (DMI), and g/kg OM intake (OMI) decreased linearly as the F:C
      ratio increased, however, the CH4 emissions expressed as g/kg digested DMI and
      OMI were not affected by the F:C ratio. Eight equations were derived for
      predicting the enteric CH4 emission from goats and Sika deer. For goat, equation
      1 was found to be of the highest accuracy: CH4 (g/d) = 3.36+4.71*DMI (kg/d)
      0.0036*neutral detergent fiber concentrate (NDFC, g/kg)+0.01563*dry matter
      digestibility (DMD, g/kg)-0.0108*neutral detergent fiber digestibility (NDFD,
      g/kg). For Sika deer, equation 5 was found to be of the highest accuracy: CH4
      (g/d) = 66.3+27.7*DMI (kg/d)-5.91*NDFC (g/kg)-7.11* DMD (g/kg)+0.0809*NDFD
      (g/kg). CONCLUSION: Digested nutrient intake could be considered when determining
      the CH4 generation factor in goats and Sika deer. Finally, the enteric CH4
      prediction model for goats and Sika deer were estimated.

PMID- 28335098
TI  - Endoscopic Submucosal Tunnel Dissection for Upper Gastrointestinal Submucosal
      Tumors Originating from the Muscularis Propria Layer: A Single-Center Study.
AB  - Background/Aims: In recent years, endoscopic submucosal tunnel dissection (ESTD)
      has gained popularity worldwide. The aim of this study was to evaluate the safety
      and efficacy of ESTD in treating upper gastrointestinal submucosal tumors (SMTs)
      in a large-volume endoscopic center. Methods: Patients with SMTs were enrolled in
      this study between January 2012 and January 2015. Demographic data, clinical
      data, and treatment outcome were collected and analyzed. Results: Seventy SMTs
      originating from the muscularis propria (MP) layer were identified in 69
      patients. All patients successfully underwent the ESTD procedure. The mean
      procedure time was 49.0+/-29.5 minutes, and the mean tumor size was 18.7+/-7.2
      mm. Among all lesions, the majority (70.0%) were located in the esophagus, 12.9%
      in the cardia, and 17.1% in the stomach. Complete resection was achieved in 67
      lesions (95.7%). Perforation occurred in three patients (4.3%), who were treated
      by endoclips. Pneumothorax occurred in two patients (2.9%) and was successfully
      managed by thoracic drainage. During a median follow-up of 18.1 months, patients
      were free of local recurrence or distant metastasis. Conclusions: Our results
      demonstrated the feasibility and safety of ESTD in treating upper
      gastrointestinal SMTs originating from the MP layer. Large-scale comparative
      studies with other treatment methods should be conducted in the future.

PMID- 28335099
TI  - Endoscopic Treatment of Diverse Complications Caused by Laparoscopic Adjustable
      Gastric Banding: A Study in Eastern Asia.
AB  - Background/Aims: The use of laparoscopic adjustable gastric banding (LAGB) is
      increasing proportionally with the obesity epidemic. However, some postoperative
      complications have been highlighted as major problems associated with LAGB. There
      is no consensus concerning the endoscopic management of these adverse events. The
      aim of this study was to retrospectively review the feasibility and effectiveness
      of endoscopic treatment for LAGB complications. Methods: We retrospectively
      evaluated 352 patients who underwent LAGB between 2011 and 2015. LAGB-associated
      complications developed in 26 patients (7.4%). This study involved six patients
      (1.7%) who received endoscopic treatment. Results: Types of LAGB-induced
      complications in our series included intragastric migration (n=3), gastric leaks
      (n=2), and gastric fistulas (n=1). The endoscopic treatment of these
      complications was successful in four of the six patients. Endoscopic band removal
      was successful in two patients. All gastric leaks were successfully closed via an
      endoscopic procedure. In two cases (intragastric migration and gastric fistula),
      endoscopic treatment was not sufficient, and surgery was performed. Conclusions:
      Endoscopic procedures afforded acceptable treatment of band migration and gastric
      leaks after LAGB. However, the results were poor in patients with gastric
      fistula.

PMID- 28335100
TI  - Is the Reinitiation of Antiplatelet Agents Safe at 1 Week after Gastric
      Endoscopic Submucosal Dissection? Assessment of Bleeding Risk Using the Forrest
      Classification.
AB  - Background/Aims: Delayed bleeding after gastric endoscopic submucosal dissection
      (ESD) commonly occurs within 3 days, but it may also occur after 1 week following
      ESD, especially in antiplatelet agent users. We evaluated the risk of delayed
      bleeding in post-ESD ulcers using the Forrest classification. Methods: Registry
      data on the Forrest classification of post-ESD ulcers (n=371) at 1 week or 2
      weeks after ESD were retrospectively evaluated. The Forrest classification was
      categorized into two groups: increased risk (Forrest Ia to IIc) or low risk
      (Forrest III). The odds ratios (ORs) were calculated using logistic regression
      analysis. Results: Among 371 post-ESD ulcers, one ulcer (0.3%) was classified as
      Forrest Ib, two (0.5%) as Forrest IIa, 17 (4.6%) as Forrest IIb, 172 (46.4%) as
      Forrest IIc, and 179 (48.2%) as Forrest III. The proportion of increased-risk
      ulcers was 72.2% (140/194) at 1 week after ESD, which decreased to 29.4% (52/177)
      at 2 weeks after ESD (p<0.001). In the multivariate analysis, a post-ESD ulcer at
      1 week after ESD (OR, 7.54), younger age (OR, 2.17), and upper/middle ulcer
      location (OR, 2.05) were associated with increased-risk ulcers. Conclusions: One
      week after ESD, ulcers still have an increased risk of bleeding when assessed
      using the Forrest classification. This risk should be considered when resuming
      antiplatelet therapy.

PMID- 28335101
TI  - Prevalence and Incidence of Depression during Interferon-Based Antiviral Therapy
      in Chronic Hepatitis C Patients in the Republic of Korea.
AB  - Background/Aims: The association between depression and chronic hepatitis C virus
      (HCV) infection or pegylated interferon alpha and ribavirin therapy (PR therapy)
      has not been extensively studied in Korea. We aimed to clarify the prevalence of
      depression and its incidence during PR therapy in chronic hepatitis C (CHC)
      patients. Methods: In this prospective, multicenter study, 114 CHC patients were
      screened for depression using two self-reported scales, the Beck Depression
      Inventory-I (BDI-I) and the Hospital Anxiety and Depression scale (HADS). The
      incidence of depression during PR therapy was evaluated in 62 patients who
      underwent PR therapy during the study period. Results: The prevalence of baseline
      depression was 17.5% according to the BDI-I score >=10 criterion and 4.4%
      according to the HADS-D score >=8 criterion in the 114 CHC patients, and it was
      significantly associated with an unmarried state. During PR therapy, depression
      developed in 34.6% according to the BDI-I scale and 29.5% according to the HADS
      D, which negatively affected sustained virologic response (SVR). Conclusions: The
      prevalence of depression in Korean CHC patients appears to be low compared to
      that in Western patients; however, its incidence during PR therapy (approximately
      30%) was similar to that of other populations, which led to a lower SVR rate.
      Active screening and multidisciplinary management of depression during PR therapy
      is warranted.

PMID- 28335102
TI  - Efficacy of a Multiplex Paclitaxel Emission Stent Using a Pluronic(r) Mixture
      Membrane versus a Covered Metal Stent in Malignant Biliary Obstruction: A
      Prospective Randomized Comparative Study.
AB  - Background/Aims: A drug-eluting stent for unresectable malignant biliary
      obstruction was developed to increase stent patency by preventing tumor ingrowth.
      The safety and efficacy of a new generation of metallic stents covered with a
      paclitaxel-incorporated membrane using a Pluronic(r) mixture (MSCPM-II) were
      compared prospectively with those of covered metal stents (CMSs) in patients with
      malignant biliary obstructions. Methods: This study was initially designed as a
      prospective randomized trial but was closed early because of a high incidence of
      early occlusion. Therefore, the data were analyzed using the intent-to-treat
      method. A total of 72 patients with unresectable distal malignant biliary
      obstructions were prospectively enrolled. Results: The two groups did not differ
      significantly in basic characteristics and mean follow-up period (MSCPM-II 194
      days vs CMS 277 days, p=0.063). Stent occlusion occurred in 14 patients (35%) who
      received MSCPM-II and in seven patients (21.9%) who received CMSs. Stent patency
      and survival time did not significantly differ between the two groups (p=0.355
      and p=0.570). The complications were mild and resolved by conservative management
      in both groups. Conclusions: There were no significant differences in stent
      patency or patient survival in MSCPM-II and CMS patients with malignant biliary
      obstructions.

PMID- 28335183
TI  - Numerical Study of Complementary Nanostructures for Light Trapping in Colloidal
      Quantum Dot Solar Cells.
AB  - We have investigated two complementary nanostructures, nanocavity and nanopillar
      arrays, for light absorption enhancement in depleted heterojunction colloidal
      quantum dot (CQD) solar cells. A facile complementary fabrication process is
      demonstrated for patterning these nanostructures over the large area required for
      light trapping in photovoltaic devices. The simulation results show that both
      proposed periodic nanostructures can effectively increase the light absorption in
      CQD layer of the solar cell throughout the near-infrared region where CQD solar
      cells typically exhibit weak light absorption. The complementary fabrication
      process for implementation of these nanostructures can pave the way for large
      area, inexpensive light trapping implementation in nanostructured solar cells.

PMID- 28335103
TI  - Correlation Between Gastric Emptying and Gastric Adaptive Relaxation Influenced
      by Amino Acids.
AB  - Background/Aims: Amino acids have many physiological activities. We report the
      correlation between gastric emptying and gastric adaptive relaxation using
      tryptophan and amino acids with a straight alkyl chain, hydroxylated chain, and
      branched chain. Here we sought to further clarify the correlation between gastric
      emptying and gastric adaptive relaxation by using other amino acids. Methods: In
      Sprague-Dawley rats, gastric emptying was evaluated by a breath test using [1
      13C] acetic acid. The expired 13CO2 pattern, Tmax, Cmax, and AUC120min values
      were used as evaluation items. Gastric adaptive relaxation was evaluated in a
      barostat experiment. Individual amino acids (1 g/kg) were administered orally 30
      minutes before each breath test or barostat test. Results: L-phenylalanine and L
      tyrosine did not influence gastric emptying. All other amino acids, ie, L
      proline, L-histidine, L-cysteine, L-methionine, L-aspartic acid, L-glutamic acid,
      L-asparagine, L-arginine, L-glutamine, and L-lysine significantly delayed and
      inhibited gastric emptying. L-Cysteine and L-aspartic acid significantly enhanced
      and L-methionine and L-glutamine significantly inhibited gastric adaptive
      relaxation. L-Phenylalanine moved the balloon toward the antrum, suggesting
      strong contraction of the fundus. Tmax showed a significant positive correlation
      (r = 0.709), and Cmax and AUC120min each showed negative correlations (r = 0.613
      and 0.667, respectively) with gastric adaptive relaxation. Conclusion: From the
      above findings, it was found that a close correlation exists between gastric
      emptying and adaptive relaxation, suggesting that enhanced gastric adaptive
      relaxation inhibits gastric emptying.

PMID- 28335185
TI  - Nanomaterials for Biosensing Applications.
AB  - Nanomaterials have shown tremendous potentials to impact the broad field of
      biological sensing. Nanomaterials, with extremely small sizes and appropriate
      surface modifications, allow intimate interaction with target biomolecules.
      [...].

PMID- 28335184
TI  - Selective Labeling of Proteins on Living Cell Membranes Using Fluorescent
      Nanodiamond Probes.
AB  - The impeccable photostability of fluorescent nanodiamonds (FNDs) is an ideal
      property for use in fluorescence imaging of proteins in living cells. However,
      such an application requires highly specific labeling of the target proteins with
      FNDs. Furthermore, the surface of unmodified FNDs tends to adsorb biomolecules
      nonspecifically, which hinders the reliable targeting of proteins with FNDs.
      Here, we combined hyperbranched polyglycerol modification of FNDs with the beta
      lactamase-tag system to develop a strategy for selective imaging of the protein
      of interest in cells. The combination of these techniques enabled site-specific
      labeling of Interleukin-18 receptor alpha chain, a membrane receptor, with FNDs,
      which eventually enabled tracking of the diffusion trajectory of FND-labeled
      proteins on the membrane surface.

PMID- 28335187
TI  - Nickel Decorated on Phosphorous-Doped Carbon Nitride as an Efficient
      Photocatalyst for Reduction of Nitrobenzenes.
AB  - Nickel nanoparticle-decorated phosphorous-doped graphitic carbon nitride (Ni@g
      PC3N4) was synthesized and used as an efficient photoactive catalyst for the
      reduction of various nitrobenzenes under visible light irradiation. Hydrazine
      monohydrate was used as the source of protons and electrons for the intended
      reaction. The developed photocatalyst was found to be highly active and afforded
      excellent product yields under mild experimental conditions. In addition, the
      photocatalyst could easily be recovered and reused for several runs without any
      detectable leaching during the reaction.

PMID- 28335186
TI  - Ex-Vivo Tissues Engineering Modeling for Reconstructive Surgery Using Human Adult
      Adipose Stem Cells and Polymeric Nanostructured Matrix.
AB  - The major challenge for stem cell translation regenerative medicine is the
      regeneration of damaged tissues by creating biological substitutes capable of
      recapitulating the missing function in the recipient host. Therefore, the current
      paradigm of tissue engineering strategies is the combination of a selected stem
      cell type, based on their capability to differentiate toward committed cell
      lineages, and a biomaterial, that, due to own characteristics (e.g., chemical,
      electric, mechanical property, nano-topography, and nanostructured molecular
      components), could serve as active scaffold to generate a bio-hybrid
      tissue/organ. Thus, effort has been made on the generation of in vitro tissue
      engineering modeling. Here, we present an in vitro model where human adipose stem
      cells isolated from lipoaspirate adipose tissue and breast adipose tissue,
      cultured on polymeric INTEGRA(r) Meshed Bilayer Wound Matrix (selected based on
      conventional clinical applications) are evaluated for their potential application
      for reconstructive surgery toward bone and adipose tissue. We demonstrated that
      human adipose stem cells isolated from lipoaspirate and breast tissue have
      similar stemness properties and are suitable for tissue engineering applications.
      Finally, the overall results highlighted lipoaspirate adipose tissue as a good
      source for the generation of adult adipose stem cells.

PMID- 28335188
TI  - Synthesis of Lithium Metal Oxide Nanoparticles by Induction Thermal Plasmas.
AB  - Lithium metal oxide nanoparticles were synthesized by induction thermal plasma.
      Four different systems-Li-Mn, Li-Cr, Li-Co, and Li-Ni-were compared to understand
      formation mechanism of Li-Me oxide nanoparticles in thermal plasma process.
      Analyses of X-ray diffractometry and electron microscopy showed that Li-Me oxide
      nanoparticles were successfully synthesized in Li-Mn, Li-Cr, and Li-Co systems.
      Spinel structured LiMn2O4 with truncated octahedral shape was formed. Layer
      structured LiCrO2 or LiCoO2 nanoparticles with polyhedral shapes were also
      synthesized in Li-Cr or Li-Co systems. By contrast, Li-Ni oxide nanoparticles
      were not synthesized in the Li-Ni system. Nucleation temperatures of each metal
      in the considered system were evaluated. The relationship between the nucleation
      temperature and melting and boiling points suggests that the melting points of
      metal oxides have a strong influence on the formation of lithium metal oxide
      nanoparticles. A lower melting temperature leads to a longer reaction time,
      resulting in a higher fraction of the lithium metal oxide nanoparticles in the
      prepared nanoparticles.

PMID- 28335190
TI  - Erratum: Tsai, S.-L.; et al. The Coupled Photothermal Reaction and Transport in a
      Laser Additive Metal Nanolayer Simultaneous Synthesis and Pattering for Flexible
      Electronics. Nanomaterials 2016, 6, 12.
AB  - Due to an error during production, the Figure 7b in the published paper [1] was
      incorrect. The correct figure is as follows:[...].

PMID- 28335189
TI  - Synergistic Antibacterial Effects of Nanoparticles Encapsulated with Scutellaria
      baicalensis and Pure Chlorhexidine on Oral Bacterial Biofilms.
AB  - Scutellariabaicalensis (SB) is a traditional Chinese medicine for treating
      infectious and inflammatory diseases. Our recent study shows potent antibacterial
      effects of nanoparticle-encapsulated chlorhexidine (Nano-CHX). Herein, we
      explored the synergistic effects of the nanoparticle-encapsulated SB (Nano-SB)
      and Nano-CHX on oral bacterial biofilms. Loading efficiency of Nano-SB was
      determined by thermogravimetric analysis, and its releasing profile was assessed
      by high-performance liquid chromatographyusing baicalin (a flavonoid compound of
      SB) as the marker. The mucosal diffusion assay on Nano-SB was undertaken in a
      porcine model. The antibacterial effects of the mixed nanoparticles (Nano-MIX) of
      Nano-SB and Nano-CHX at 9:1 (w/w) ratio were analyzed in both planktonic and
      biofilm modes of representative oral bacteria. The Nano-MIX was effective on the
      mono-species biofilms of Streptococcus (S.) mutans, S. sobrinus, Fusobacterium
      (F.) nucleatum, and Aggregatibacter (A.) actinomycetemcomitans (MIC 50 MUg/mL) at
      24 h, and exhibited an enhanced effect against the multi-species biofilms such as
      S. mutans, F. nucleatum, A. actinomycetemcomitans, and Porphyromonas (P.)
      gingivalis (MIC 12.5 MUg/mL) at 24 h that was supported by the findings of both
      scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and confocal scanning laser microscopy (CLSM).
      This study shows enhanced synergistic antibacterial effects of the Nano-MIX on
      common oral bacterial biofilms, which could be potentially developed as a novel
      antimicrobial agent for clinical oral/periodontal care.

PMID- 28335191
TI  - Nanostructured Materials for Li-Ion Batteries and Beyond.
AB  - This Special Issue "Nanostructured Materials for Li-Ion Batteries and Beyond" of
      Nanomaterials is focused on advancements in the synthesis, optimization, and
      characterization of nanostructured materials, with an emphasis on the application
      of nanomaterials for building high performance Li-ion batteries (LIBs) and future
      systems.[...].

PMID- 28335192
TI  - Morphology-Controlled High-Efficiency Small Molecule Organic Solar Cells without
      Additive Solvent Treatment.
AB  - This paper focuses on nano-morphology-controlled small-molecule organic solar
      cells without solvent treatment for high power-conversion efficiencies (PCEs).
      The maximum high PCE reaches up to 7.22% with a bulk-heterojunction (BHJ)
      thickness of 320 nm. This high efficiency was obtained by eliminating solvent
      additives such as 1,8-diiodooctane (DIO) to find an alternative way to control
      the domain sizes in the BHJ layer. Furthermore, the generalized transfer matrix
      method (GTMM) analysis has been applied to confirm the effects of applying a
      different thickness of BHJs for organic solar cells from 100 to 320 nm,
      respectively. Finally, the study showed an alternative way to achieve high PCE
      organic solar cells without additive solvent treatments to control the morphology
      of the bulk-heterojunction.

PMID- 28335193
TI  - Facile Synthesis of Gd-Functionalized Gold Nanoclusters as Potential MRI/CT
      Contrast Agents.
AB  - Multi-modal imaging plays a key role in the earlier detection of disease. In this
      work, a facile bioinspired method was developed to synthesize Gd-functionalized
      gold nanoclusters (Gd-Au NCs). The Gd-Au NCs exhibit a uniform size, with an
      average size of 5.6 nm in dynamic light scattering (DLS), which is a bit bigger
      than gold clusters (3.74 nm, DLS), while the fluorescent properties of Gd-Au NCs
      are almost the same as that of Au NCs. Moreover, the Gd-Au NCs exhibit a high
      longitudinal relaxivity value (r1) of 22.111 s-1 per mM of Gd in phosphate
      buffered saline (PBS), which is six times higher than that of commercial
      Magnevist (A complex of gadolinium with a chelating agent, diethylenetriamine
      penta-acetic acid, Gd-DTPA, r1 = 3.56 mM-1.s-1). Besides, as evaluated by nano
      single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) and computed tomography (CT)
      the Gd-Au NCs have a potential application as CT contrast agents because of the
      Au element. Finally, the Gd-Au NCs show little cytotoxicity, even when the Au
      concentration is up to 250 MUM. Thus, the Gd-Au NCs can act as multi-modal
      imaging contrast agents.

PMID- 28335194
TI  - Automatic Echographic Detection of Halloysite Clay Nanotubes in a Low
      Concentration Range.
AB  - Aim of this work was to investigate the automatic echographic detection of an
      experimental drug delivery agent, halloysite clay nanotubes (HNTs), by employing
      an innovative method based on advanced spectral analysis of the corresponding
      "raw" radiofrequency backscatter signals. Different HNT concentrations in a low
      range (5.5-66 * 1010 part/mL, equivalent to 0.25-3.00 mg/mL) were dispersed in
      custom-designed tissue-mimicking phantoms and imaged through a clinically
      available echographic device at a conventional ultrasound diagnostic frequency
      (10 MHz). The most effective response (sensitivity = 60%, specificity = 95%), was
      found at a concentration of 33 * 1010 part/mL (1.5 mg/mL), representing a kind of
      best compromise between the need of enough particles to introduce detectable
      spectral modifications in the backscattered signal and the necessity to avoid the
      losses of spectral peculiarity associated to higher HNT concentrations. Based on
      theoretical considerations and quantitative comparisons with literature-available
      results, this concentration could also represent an optimal concentration level
      for the automatic echographic detection of different solid nanoparticles when
      employing a similar ultrasound frequency. Future dedicated studies will assess
      the actual clinical usefulness of the proposed approach and the potential of HNTs
      for effective theranostic applications.

PMID- 28335195
TI  - PMN-PT/PVDF Nanocomposite for High Output Nanogenerator Applications.
AB  - The 0.7Pb(Mg1/3Nb2/3)O3-0.3PbTiO3(0.7PMN-0.3PT) nanorods were obtained via
      hydrothermal method with high yield (over 78%). Then, new piezoelectric
      nanocomposites based on (1-x)Pb(Mg1/3Nb2/3)O3-xPbTiO3 (PMN-PT) nanorods were
      fabricated by dispersing the 0.7PMN-0.3PT nanorods into piezoelectric
      poly(vinylidene fluoride) (PVDF) polymer. The mechanical behaviors of the
      nanocomposites were investigated. The voltage and current generation of PMN
      PT/PVDF nanocomposites were also measured. The results showed that the tensile
      strength, yield strength, and Young's modulus of nanocomposites were enhanced as
      compared to that of the pure PVDF. The largest Young's modulus of 1.71 GPa was
      found in the samples with 20 wt % nanorod content. The maximum output voltage of
      10.3 V and output current of 46 nA were obtained in the samples with 20 wt %
      nanorod content, which was able to provide a 13-fold larger output voltage and a
      4.5-fold larger output current than that of pure PVDF piezoelectric polymer. The
      current density of PMN-PT/PVDF nanocomposites is 20 nA/cm2. The PMN-PT/PVDF
      nanocomposites exhibited great potential for flexible self-powered sensing
      applications.

PMID- 28335196
TI  - Gold Nanomaterial Uptake from Soil Is Not Increased by Arbuscular Mycorrhizal
      Colonization of Solanum Lycopersicum (Tomato).
AB  - Bioaccumulation of engineered nanomaterials (ENMs) by plants has been
      demonstrated in numerous studies over the past 5-10 years. However, the
      overwhelming majority of these studies were conducted using hydroponic systems
      and the degree to which the addition of the biological and chemical components
      present in the soil might fundamentally alter the potential of plant
      bioaccumulation of ENMs is unclear. Here, we used two genotypes of Solanum
      lycopersicum (tomato), reduced mycorrhizal colonization (rmc), a mutant which
      does not allow arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) colonization, and its
      progenitor, 76R, to examine how colonization by AMF alters trends of gold ENM
      bioaccumulation from a natural soil. Gold was taken up and bioaccumulated by
      plants of both genotypes. Gold concentrations were significantly higher in the
      rmc treatment although this was likely attributable to the large differences in
      biomass between the 76R and rmc plants. Regardless, there was little evidence
      that AMF played a significant role in trafficking Au ENMs into the plants.
      Furthermore, despite very low NH4NO3 extractable Au concentrations, Au
      accumulated at the root-soil interface. Although this observation would seem to
      suggest that ENMs may have potential to influence this particularly biologically
      active and important soil compartment, we observed no evidence of this here, as
      the 76R plants developed a robust AMF symbiosis despite accumulation of Au ENMs
      at the rhizoplane.

PMID- 28335197
TI  - Cationic Nanoparticles Assembled from Natural-Based Steroid Lipid for Improved
      Intracellular Transport of siRNA and pDNA.
AB  - Developing new functional biomaterials from biocompatible natural-based resources
      for gene/drug delivery has attracted increasing attention in recent years. In
      this work, we prepared a series of cationic nanoparticles (Diosarg-DOPE NPs) by
      assembly of a natural steroid diosgenin-based cationic lipid (Diosarg) with
      commercially-available helper lipid 1,2-dioleoyl-sn-glycero-3
      phosphorethanolamine (DOPE). These cationic Diosarg-DOPE NPs were able to
      efficiently bind siRNA and plasmid DNA (pDNA) via electrostatic interactions to
      form stable, nano-sized cationic lipid nanoparticles instead of lamellar vesicles
      in aqueous solution. The average particle size, zeta potentials and morphologies
      of the siRNA and pDNA complexes of the Diosarg-DOPE NPs were examined. The in
      vitro cytotoxicity of NPs depends on the dose and assembly ratio of the Diosarg
      and DOPE. Notably, the intracellular transportation efficacy of the exogenesis
      siRNA and pDNA could be greatly improved by using the Diosarg-DOPE NPs as the
      cargoes in H1299 cell line. The results demonstrated that the self-assembled
      Diosarg-DOPE NPs could achieve much higher intracellular transport efficiency for
      siRNA or pDNA than the cationic lipid Diosarg, indicating that the synergetic
      effect of different functional lipid components may benefit the development of
      high efficiency nano-scaled gene carriers. Moreover, it could be noted that the
      traditional "lysosome localization" involved in the intracellular trafficking of
      the Diosarg and Diosarg-DOPE NPs, indicating the co-assembly of helper lipid
      DOPE, might not significantly affect the intracellular localization features of
      the cationic lipids.

PMID- 28335198
TI  - Gold Nanoparticles: An Efficient Antimicrobial Agent against Enteric Bacterial
      Human Pathogen.
AB  - Enteric bacterial human pathogens, i.e., Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus,
      Bacillus subtilis and Klebsiella pneumoniae, are the major cause of diarrheal
      infections in children and adults. Their structure badly affects the human immune
      system. It is important to explore new antibacterial agents instead of
      antibiotics for treatment. This project is an attempt to explain how gold
      nanoparticles affect these bacteria. We investigated the important role of the
      mean particle size, and the inhibition of a bacterium is dose-dependent. Ultra
      Violet (UV)-visible spectroscopy revealed the size of chemically synthesized gold
      nanoparticle as 6-40 nm. Atomic force microscopy (AFM) analysis confirmed the
      size and X-ray diffractometry (XRD) analysis determined the polycrystalline
      nature of gold nanoparticles. The present findings explained how gold
      nanoparticles lyse Gram-negative and Gram-positive bacteria.

PMID- 28335199
TI  - Highly-Efficient Plasmon-Enhanced Dye-Sensitized Solar Cells Created by Means of
      Dry Plasma Reduction.
AB  - Plasmon-assisted energy conversion is investigated in a comparative study of dye
      sensitized solar cells (DSCs) equipped with photo-anodes, which are fabricated by
      forming gold (Au) and silver (Ag) nanoparticles (NPs) on an fluorine-doped tin
      oxide (FTO) glass surface by means of dry plasma reduction (DPR) and coating TiO2
      paste onto the modified FTO glass through a screen printing method. As a result,
      the FTO/Ag-NPs/TiO2 photo-anode showed an enhancement of its photocurrent,
      whereas the FTO/Au-NPs/TiO2 photo-anode showed less photocurrent than even a
      standard photo-anode fabricated by simply coating TiO2 paste onto the modified
      FTO glass through screen printing. This result stems from the small size and high
      areal number density of Au-NPs on FTO glass, which prevent the incident light
      from reaching the TiO2 layer.

PMID- 28335200
TI  - Structural and Magnetic Response in Bimetallic Core/Shell Magnetic Nanoparticles.
AB  - Bimagnetic monodisperse CoFe2O4/Fe3O4 core/shell nanoparticles have been prepared
      by solution evaporation route. To demonstrate preferential coating of iron oxide
      onto the surface of ferrite nanoparticles X-ray diffraction (XRD), High
      resolution transmission electron microscope (HR-TEM) and Raman spectroscopy have
      been performed. XRD analysis using Rietveld refinement technique confirms single
      phase nanoparticles with average seed size of about 18 nm and thickness of shell
      is 3 nm, which corroborates with transmission electron microscopy (TEM) analysis.
      Low temperature magnetic hysteresis loops showed interesting behavior. We have
      observed large coercivity 15.8 kOe at T = 5 K, whereas maximum saturation
      magnetization (125 emu/g) is attained at T = 100 K for CoFe2O4/Fe3O4 core/shell
      nanoparticles. Saturation magnetization decreases due to structural distortions
      at the surface of shell below 100 K. Zero field cooled (ZFC) and Field cooled
      (FC) plots show that synthesized nanoparticles are ferromagnetic till room
      temperature and it has been noticed that core/shell sample possess high blocking
      temperature than Cobalt Ferrite. Results indicate that presence of iron oxide
      shell significantly increases magnetic parameters as compared to the simple
      cobalt ferrite.

PMID- 28335201
TI  - Size- and Shape-Dependent Antibacterial Studies of Silver Nanoparticles
      Synthesized by Wet Chemical Routes.
AB  - Silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) of different shapes and sizes were prepared by
      solution-based chemical reduction routes. Silver nitrate was used as a precursor,
      tri-sodium citrate (TSC) and sodium borohydride as reducing agents, while
      polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP) was used as a stabilizing agent. The morphology, size,
      and structural properties of obtained nanoparticles were characterized by
      scanning electron microscopy (SEM), UV-visible spectroscopy (UV-VIS), and X-ray
      diffraction (XRD) techniques. Spherical AgNPs, as depicted by SEM, were found to
      have diameters in the range of 15 to 90 nm while lengths of the edges of the
      triangular particles were about 150 nm. The characteristic surface plasmon
      resonance (SPR) peaks of different spherical silver colloids occurring in the
      wavelength range of 397 to 504 nm, whereas triangular particles showed two peaks,
      first at 392 nm and second at 789 nm as measured by UV-VIS. The XRD spectra of
      the prepared samples indicated the face-centered cubic crystalline structure of
      metallic AgNPs. The in vitro antibacterial properties of all synthesized AgNPs
      against two types of Gram-negative bacteria, Pseudomonas aeruginosa and
      Escherichia coli were examined by Kirby-Bauer disk diffusion susceptibility
      method. It was noticed that the smallest-sized spherical AgNPs demonstrated a
      better antibacterial activity against both bacterial strains as compared to the
      triangular and larger spherical shaped AgNPs.

PMID- 28335202
TI  - Versatile Production of Poly(Epsilon-Caprolactone) Fibers by Electrospinning
      Using Benign Solvents.
AB  - The electrospinning technique is widely used for the fabrication of micro- and
      nanofibrous structures. Recent studies have focused on the use of less toxic and
      harmful solvents (benign solvents) for electrospinning, even if those solvents
      usually require an accurate and longer process of optimization. The aim of the
      present work is to demonstrate the versatility of the use of benign solvents,
      like acetic acid and formic acid, for the fabrication of microfibrous and
      nanofibrous electrospun poly(epsilon-caprolactone) mats. The solvent systems were
      also shown to be suitable for the fabrication of electrospun structures with
      macroporosity, as well as for the fabrication of composite electrospun mats,
      fabricated by the addition of bioactive glass (45S5 composition) particles in the
      polymeric solution.

PMID- 28335203
TI  - Temperature-Dependent Magnetic Response of Antiferromagnetic Doping in Cobalt
      Ferrite Nanostructures.
AB  - In this work MnxCo1-xFe2O4 nanoparticles (NPs) were synthesized using a chemical
      co-precipitation method. Phase purity and structural analyses of synthesized NPs
      were performed by X-ray diffractometer (XRD). Transmission electron microscopy
      (TEM) reveals the presence of highly crystalline and narrowly-dispersed NPs with
      average diameter of 14 nm. The Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectrum was
      measured in the range of 400-4000 cm-1 which confirmed the formation of
      vibrational frequency bands associated with the entire spinel structure.
      Temperature-dependent magnetic properties in anti-ferromagnet (AFM) and
      ferromagnet (FM) structure were investigated with the aid of a physical property
      measurement system (PPMS). It was observed that magnetic interactions between the
      AFM (Mn) and FM (CoFe2O4) material arise below the Neel temperature of the
      dopant. Furthermore, hysteresis response was clearly pronounced for the
      enhancement in magnetic parameters by varying temperature towards absolute zero.
      It is shown that magnetic properties have been tuned as a function of temperature
      and an externally-applied field.

PMID- 28335206
TI  - Cytotoxic Induction and Photoacoustic Imaging of Breast Cancer Cells Using
      Astaxanthin-Reduced Gold Nanoparticles.
AB  - Astaxanthin, a kind of photosynthetic pigment, was employed for gold nanoparticle
      formation. Nanoparticles were characterized using Ulteraviolet-Visible (UV-Vis)
      spectroscopy, transmission electron microscopy, and X-ray diffraction, and the
      possible presence of astaxanthin functional groups were analyzed by Fourier
      transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). The cytotoxic effect of synthesized
      nanoparticles was evaluated against MDA-MB-231 (human breast cancer cells) using
      a tetrazolium-based assay, and synthesized nanoparticles exhibited dose-dependent
      toxicity. The morphology upon cell death was differentiated through fluorescent
      microscopy using different stains that predicted apoptosis. The synthesized
      nanoparticles were applied in ultrasound-coupled photoacoustic imaging to obtain
      good images of treated cells. Astaxanthin-reduced gold nanoparticle has the
      potential to act as a promising agent in the field of photo-based diagnosis and
      therapy.

PMID- 28335207
TI  - Synergistic Effect of Functionalized Nanokaolin Decorated MWCNTs on the
      Performance of Cellulose Acetate (CA) Membranes Spectacular.
AB  - In order to enhance salt rejection level and high pressure mechanical integrity,
      functionalized nanokaolin decorated multiwall carbon nanotubes (FNKM, 0-5 wt %
      loading) were incorporated into a cellulose acetate (CA) matrix using high
      temperature solution mixing methodology. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X
      ray diffraction technique (XRD), thermo-gravimetric analyzer (TGA) and Fourier
      transform infrared spectrometer (FTIR) were used to characterize the prepared
      membranes. The obtained results revealed that with increasing FNKM concentration
      in the host polymeric matrix, composite membrane's structural, functional,
      thermal, water permeation/flux and salt rejection characteristics were also
      modified accordingly. Percent enhancement in salt rejection was increased around
      threefold by adding 5 wt % FNKM in CA.

PMID- 28335205
TI  - Photosensitizer-Embedded Polyacrylonitrile Nanofibers as Antimicrobial Non-Woven
      Textile.
AB  - Toward the objective of developing platform technologies for anti-infective
      materials based upon photodynamic inactivation, we employed electrospinning to
      prepare a non-woven textile comprised of polyacrylonitrile nanofibers embedded
      with a porphyrin-based cationic photosensitizer; termed PAN-Por(+).
      Photosensitizer loading was determined to be 34.8 nmol/mg material; with
      thermostability to 300  degrees C. Antibacterial efficacy was evaluated against
      four bacteria belonging to the ESKAPE family of pathogens (Staphylococcus aureus;
      vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus faecium; Acinetobacter baumannii; and
      Klebsiella pneumonia), as well as Escherichia coli. Our results demonstrated
      broad photodynamic inactivation of all bacterial strains studied upon
      illumination (30 min; 65 +/- 5 mW/cm2; 400-700 nm) by a minimum of 99.9996+% (5.8
      log units) regardless of taxonomic classification. PAN-Por(+) also inactivated
      human adenovirus-5 (~99.8% reduction in PFU/mL) and vesicular stomatitis virus
      (>7 log units reduction in PFU/mL). When compared to cellulose-based materials
      employing this same photosensitizer; the higher levels of photodynamic
      inactivation achieved here with PAN-Por(+) are likely due to the combined effects
      of higher photosensitizer loading and a greater surface area imparted by the use
      of nanofibers. These results demonstrate the potential of photosensitizer
      embedded polyacrylonitrile nanofibers to serve as scalable scaffolds for anti
      infective or self-sterilizing materials against both bacteria and viruses when
      employing a photodynamic inactivation mode of action.

PMID- 28335204
TI  - Multifunctional Inorganic Nanoparticles: Recent Progress in Thermal Therapy and
      Imaging.
AB  - Nanotechnology has enabled the development of many alternative anti-cancer
      approaches, such as thermal therapies, which cause minimal damage to healthy
      cells. Current challenges in cancer treatment are the identification of the
      diseased area and its efficient treatment without generating many side effects.
      Image-guided therapies can be a useful tool to diagnose and treat the diseased
      tissue and they offer therapy and imaging using a single nanostructure. The
      present review mainly focuses on recent advances in the field of thermal therapy
      and imaging integrated with multifunctional inorganic nanoparticles. The main
      heating sources for heat-induced therapies are the surface plasmon resonance
      (SPR) in the near infrared region and alternating magnetic fields (AMFs). The
      different families of inorganic nanoparticles employed for SPR- and AMF-based
      thermal therapies and imaging are described. Furthermore, inorganic nanomaterials
      developed for multimodal therapies with different and multi-imaging modalities
      are presented in detail. Finally, relevant clinical perspectives and the future
      scope of inorganic nanoparticles in image-guided therapies are discussed.

PMID- 28335208
TI  - The Influence of Fluorination on Nano-Scale Phase Separation and Photovoltaic
      Performance of Small Molecular/PC71BM Blends.
AB  - To investigate the fluorination influence on the photovoltaic performance of
      small molecular based organic solar cells (OSCs), six small molecules based on
      2,1,3-benzothiadiazole (BT), and diketopyrrolopyrrole (DPP) as core and
      fluorinated phenyl (DFP) and triphenyl amine (TPA) as different terminal units
      (DFP-BT-DFP, DFP-BT-TPA, TPA-BT-TPA, DFP-DPP-DFP, DFP-DPP-TPA, and TPA-DPP-TPA)
      were synthesized. With one or two fluorinated phenyl as the end group(s), HOMO
      level of BT and DPP based small molecular donors were gradually decreased,
      inducing high open circuit voltage for fluorinated phenyl based OSCs. DFP-BT-TPA
      and DFP-DPP-TPA based blend films both displayed stronger nano-scale aggregation
      in comparison to TPA-BT-TPA and TPA-DPP-TPA, respectively, which would also lead
      to higher hole motilities in devices. Ultimately, improved power conversion
      efficiency (PCE) of 2.17% and 1.22% was acquired for DFP-BT-TPA and DFP-DPP-TPA
      based devices, respectively. These results demonstrated that the nano-scale
      aggregation size of small molecules in photovoltaic devices could be
      significantly enhanced by introducing a fluorine atom at the donor unit of small
      molecules, which will provide understanding about the relationship of chemical
      structure and nano-scale phase separation in OSCs.

PMID- 28335209
TI  - Dye-Doped Fluorescent Silica Nanoparticles for Live Cell and In Vivo Bioimaging.
AB  - The need for novel design strategies for fluorescent nanomaterials to improve our
      understanding of biological activities at the molecular level is increasing
      rapidly. Dye-doped fluorescent silica nanoparticles (SiNPs) emerge with great
      potential for developing fluorescence imaging techniques as a novel and ideal
      platform for the monitoring of living cells and the whole body. Organic dye
      containing fluorescent SiNPs exhibit many advantages: they have excellent
      biocompatibility, are non-toxic, highly hydrophilic, optically transparent, size
      tunable and easily modified with various biomolecules. The outer silica shell
      matrix protects fluorophores from outside chemical reaction factors and provides
      a hydrophilic shell for the insoluble nanoparticles, which enhances the photo
      stability and biocompatibility of the organic fluorescent dyes. Here, we give a
      summary of the synthesis, characteristics and applications of fluorescent SiNPs
      for non-invasive fluorescence bioimaging in live cells and in vivo. Additionally,
      the challenges and perspectives of SiNPs are also discussed. We prospect that the
      further development of these nanoparticles will lead to an exciting breakthrough
      in the understanding of biological processes.

PMID- 28335210
TI  - Application of L-Aspartic Acid-Capped ZnS:Mn Colloidal Nanocrystals as a
      Photosensor for the Detection of Copper (II) Ions in Aqueous Solution.
AB  - Water-dispersible ZnS:Mn nanocrystals (NCs) were synthesized by capping the
      surface with polar L-aspartic acid (Asp) molecules. The obtained ZnS:Mn-Asp NC
      product was optically and physically characterized using the corresponding
      spectroscopic methods. The ultra violet-visible (UV-VIS) absorption spectrum and
      photoluminescence (PL) emission spectrum of the NCs showed broad peaks at 320 and
      590 nm, respectively. The average particle size measured from the obtained high
      resolution-transmission electron microscopy (HR-TEM) image was 5.25 nm, which was
      also in accordance with the Debye-Scherrer calculations using the X-ray
      diffraction (XRD) data. Moreover, the surface charge and degree of aggregation of
      the ZnS:Mn-Asp NCs were determined by electrophoretic and hydrodynamic light
      scattering methods, respectively. These results indicated the formation of
      agglomerates in water with an average size of 19.8 nm, and a negative surface
      charge (-4.58 mV) in water at ambient temperature. The negatively-charged NCs
      were applied as a photosensor for the detection of specific cations in aqueous
      solution. Accordingly, the ZnS:Mn-Asp NCs showed an exclusive luminescence
      quenching upon addition of copper (II) cations. The kinetic mechanism study on
      the luminescence quenching of the NCs by the addition of the Cu2+ ions proposed
      an energy transfer through the ionic binding between the two oppositely-charged
      ZnS:Mn-Asp NCs and Cu2+ ions.

PMID- 28335211
TI  - Noise Removal with Maintained Spatial Resolution in Raman Images of Cells Exposed
      to Submicron Polystyrene Particles.
AB  - The biodistribution of 300 nm polystyrene particles in A549 lung epithelial cells
      has been studied with confocal Raman spectroscopy. This is a label-free method in
      which particles and cells can be imaged without using dyes or fluorescent labels.
      The main drawback with Raman imaging is the comparatively low spatial resolution,
      which is aggravated in heterogeneous systems such as biological samples, which in
      addition often require long measurement times because of their weak Raman signal.
      Long measurement times may however induce laser-induced damage. In this study we
      use a super-resolution algorithm with Tikhonov regularization, intended to
      improve the image quality without demanding an increased number of collected
      pixels. Images of cells exposed to polystyrene particles have been acquired with
      two different step lengths, i.e., the distance between pixels, and compared to
      each other and to corresponding images treated with the super-resolution
      algorithm. It is shown that the resolution after application of super-resolution
      algorithms is not significantly improved compared to the theoretical limit for
      optical microscopy. However, to reduce noise and artefacts in the hyperspectral
      Raman images while maintaining the spatial resolution, we show that it is
      advantageous to use short mapping step lengths and super-resolution algorithms
      with appropriate regularization. The proposed methodology should be generally
      applicable for Raman imaging of biological samples and other photo-sensitive
      samples.

PMID- 28335212
TI  - Rapid Nanoparticle Synthesis by Magnetic and Microwave Heating.
AB  - Traditional hot-injection (HI) syntheses of colloidal nanoparticles (NPs) allows
      good separation of the nucleation and growth stages of the reaction, a key
      limitation in obtaining monodisperse NPs, but with limited scalability. Here, two
      methods are presented for obtaining NPs via rapid heating: magnetic and microwave
      assisted. Both of these techniques provide improved engineering control over the
      separation of nucleation and growth stages of nanomaterial synthesis when the
      reaction is initiated from room temperature. The advantages of these techniques
      with preliminary data are presented in this prospective article. It is shown here
      that microwave assisted heating could possibly provide some selectivity in
      activating the nanomaterial precursor materials, while magnetic heating can
      produce very tiny particles in a very short time (even on the millisecond
      timescale), which is important for scalability. The fast magnetic heating also
      allows for synthesizing larger particles with improved size distribution,
      therefore impacting, not only the quantity, but the quality of the nanomaterials.

PMID- 28335213
TI  - Biosynthesis of Metal Nanoparticles: Novel Efficient Heterogeneous Nanocatalysts.
AB  - This review compiles the most recent advances described in literature on the
      preparation of noble metal nanoparticles induced by biological entities. The use
      of different free or substituted carbohydrates, peptides, proteins,
      microorganisms or plants have been successfully applied as a new green concept in
      the development of innovative strategies to prepare these nanoparticles as
      different nanostructures with different forms and sizes. As a second part of this
      review, the application of their synthetic ability as new heterogonous catalysts
      has been described in C-C bond-forming reactions (as Suzuki, Heck, cycloaddition
      or multicomponent), oxidations and dynamic kinetic resolutions.

PMID- 28335214
TI  - Graphene FETs with Low-Resistance Hybrid Contacts for Improved High Frequency
      Performance.
AB  - This work proposes a novel geometry field effect transistor with graphene as a
      channel-graphene field-effect transistor (GFET), having a hybrid contact that
      consists of an ohmic source/drain and its extended part towards the gate, which
      is capacitively coupled to the channel. The ohmic contacts are used for direct
      current (DC) biasing, whereas their capacitive extension reduces access region
      length and provides the radio frequency (RF) signal a low impedance path.
      Minimization of the access region length, along with the paralleling of ohmic
      contact's resistance and resistive part of capacitively coupled contact's
      impedance, lower the overall source/drain resistance, which results in an
      increase in current gain cut-off frequency, fT. The DC and high-frequency
      characteristics of the two chosen conventional baseline GFETs, and their modified
      versions with proposed hybrid contacts, have been extensively studied, compared,
      and analyzed using numerical and analytical techniques.

PMID- 28335216
TI  - Investigation of the Structural, Electrical, and Optical Properties of the Nano
      Scale GZO Thin Films on Glass and Flexible Polyimide Substrates.
AB  - In this study, Ga2O3-doped ZnO (GZO) thin films were deposited on glass and
      flexible polyimide (PI) substrates at room temperature (300 K), 373 K, and 473 K
      by the radio frequency (RF) magnetron sputtering method. After finding the
      deposition rate, all the GZO thin films with a nano-scale thickness of about 150
      +/- 10 nm were controlled by the deposition time. X-ray diffraction patterns
      indicated that the GZO thin films were not amorphous and all exhibited the (002)
      peak, and field emission scanning electron microscopy showed that only nano-scale
      particles were observed. The dependences of the structural, electrical, and
      optical properties of the GZO thin films on different deposition temperatures and
      substrates were investigated. X-ray photoemission spectroscopy (XPS) was used to
      measure the elemental composition at the chemical and electronic states of the
      GZO thin films deposited on different substrates, which could be used to clarify
      the mechanism of difference in electrical properties of the GZO thin films. In
      this study, the XPS binding energy spectra of Ga2p3/2 and Ga2p1/2 peaks, Zn2p3/2
      and Zn2p1/2 peaks, the Ga3d peak, and O1s peaks for GZO thin films on glass and
      PI substrates were well compared.

PMID- 28335215
TI  - Rapamycin Loaded Solid Lipid Nanoparticles as a New Tool to Deliver mTOR
      Inhibitors: Formulation and in Vitro Characterization.
AB  - Recently, the use of mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) inhibitors, in
      particular rapamycin (Rp), has been suggested to improve the treatment of
      neurodegenerative diseases. However, as Rp is a strong immunosuppressant,
      specific delivery to the brain has been postulated to avoid systemic exposure. In
      this work, we fabricated new Rp loaded solid lipid nanoparticles (Rp-SLN)
      stabilized with polysorbate 80 (PS80), comparing two different methods and
      lipids. The formulations were characterized by differential scanning calorimetry
      (DSC), nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR), wide angle X-ray scattering (WAXS), cryo
      transmission electron microscopy (cryo-TEM), dynamic light scattering (DLS) and
      particle tracking. In vitro release and short-term stability were assessed.
      Biological behavior of Rp-SLN was tested in SH-SY5Y neuroblastoma cells. The
      inhibition of mTOR complex 1 (mTORC1) was evaluated over time by a pulse-chase
      study compared to free Rp and Rp nanocrystals. Compritol Rp-SLN resulted more
      stable and possessing proper size and surface properties with respect to cetyl
      palmitate Rp-SLN. Rapamycin was entrapped in an amorphous form in the solid lipid
      matrix that showed partial crystallinity with stable Lbeta, sub-Lalpha and Lbeta'
      arrangements. PS80 was stably anchored on particle surface. No drug release was
      observed over 24 h and Rp-SLN had a higher cell uptake and a more sustained
      effect over a week. The mTORC1 inhibition was higher with Rp-SLN. Overall,
      compritol Rp-SLN show suitable characteristics and stability to be considered for
      further investigation as Rp brain delivery system.

PMID- 28335217
TI  - Modification of the Interfacial Interaction between Carbon Fiber and Epoxy with
      Carbon Hybrid Materials.
AB  - The mechanical properties of the hybrid materials and epoxy and carbon fiber (CF)
      composites were improved significantly as compared to the CF composites made from
      unmodified epoxy. The reasons could be attributed to the strong interfacial
      interaction between the CF and the epoxy composites for the existence of carbon
      nanomaterials. The microstructure and dispersion of carbon nanomaterials were
      characterized by transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and optical microscopy
      (OM). The results showed that the dispersion of the hybrid materials in the
      polymer was superior to other carbon nanomaterials. The high viscosity and shear
      stress characterized by a rheometer and the high interfacial friction and damping
      behavior characterized by dynamic mechanical analysis (DMA) indicated that the
      strong interfacial interaction was greatly improved between fibers and epoxy
      composites. Remarkably, the tensile tests presented that the CF composites with
      hybrid materials and epoxy composites have a better reinforcing and toughening
      effect on CF, which further verified the strong interfacial interaction between
      epoxy and CF for special structural hybrid materials.

PMID- 28335218
TI  - Aggregation and Colloidal Stability of Commercially Available Al2O3 Nanoparticles
      in Aqueous Environments.
AB  - The aggregation and colloidal stability of three, commercially-available, gamma
      aluminum oxide nanoparticles (gamma-Al2O3 NPs) (nominally 5, 10, and 20-30 nm)
      were systematically examined as a function of pH, ionic strength, humic acid (HA)
      or clay minerals (e.g., montmorillonite) concentration using dynamic light
      scattering and transmission electron microscopy techniques. NPs possess pH
      dependent surface charges, with a point of zero charge (PZC) of pH 7.5 to 8. When
      pH < PZC, gamma-Al2O3 NPs are colloidally stable up to 100 mM NaCl and 30 mM
      CaCl2. However, significant aggregation of NPs is pronounced in both electrolytes
      at high ionic strength. In mixed systems, both HA and montmorillonite enhance NP
      colloidal stability through electrostatic interactions and steric hindrance when
      pH <= PZC, whereas their surface interactions are quite limited when pH > PZC.
      Even when pH approximates PZC, NPs became stable at a HA concentration of 1 mg.L
      1. The magnitude of interactions and dominant sites of interaction (basal planes
      versus edge sites) are significantly dependent on pH because both NPs and
      montmorillonite have pH-dependent (conditional) surface charges. Thus, solution
      pH, ionic strength, and the presence of natural colloids greatly modify the
      surface conditions of commercial gamma-Al2O3 NPs, affecting aggregation and
      colloidal stability significantly in the aqueous environment.

PMID- 28335219
TI  - Post-Plasma SiOx Coatings of Metal and Metal Oxide Nanoparticles for Enhanced
      Thermal Stability and Tunable Photoactivity Applications.
AB  - The plasma-based aerosol process developed for the direct coating of particles in
      gases with silicon oxide in a continuous chemical vapor deposition (CVD) process
      is presented. It is shown that non-thermal plasma filaments induced in a
      dielectric barrier discharge (DBD) at atmospheric pressure trigger post-DBD gas
      phase reactions. DBD operating conditions are first scanned to produce ozone and
      dinitrogen pentoxide. In the selected conditions, these plasma species react with
      gaseous tetraethyl orthosilicate (TEOS) precursor downstream of the DBD. The
      gaseous intermediates then condense on the surface of nanoparticles and self
      reactions lead to homogeneous solid SiOx coatings, with thickness from nanometer
      to micrometer. This confirms the interest of post-DBD injection of the organo
      silicon precursor to achieve stable production of actives species with subsequent
      controlled thickness of SiOx coatings. SiOx coatings of spherical and
      agglomerated metal and metal oxide nanoparticles (Pt, CuO, TiO2) are achieved. In
      the selected DBD operating conditions, the thickness of homogeneous nanometer
      sized coatings of spherical nanoparticles depends on the reaction duration and on
      the precursor concentration. For agglomerates, operating conditions can be tuned
      to cover preferentially the interparticle contact zones between primary
      particles, shifting the sintering of platinum agglomerates to much higher
      temperatures than the usual sintering temperature. Potential applications for
      enhanced thermal stability and tunable photoactivity of coated agglomerates are
      presented.

PMID- 28335220
TI  - PDE5 Inhibitors-Loaded Nanovesicles: Physico-Chemical Properties and In Vitro
      Antiproliferative Activity.
AB  - Novel therapeutic approaches are required for the less differentiated thyroid
      cancers which are non-responsive to the current treatment. In this study we
      tested an innovative formulation of nanoliposomes containing sildenafil citrate
      or tadalafil, phosphodiesterase-5 inhibitors, on two human thyroid cancer cell
      lines (TPC-1 and BCPAP). Nanoliposomes were prepared by the thin layer
      evaporation and extrusion methods, solubilizing the hydrophilic compound
      sildenafil citrate in the aqueous phase during the hydration step and dissolving
      the lipophilic tadalafil in the organic phase. Nanoliposomes, made up of 1,2
      dipalmitoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphatidylcholine monohydrate (DPPC), cholesterol, and
      N-(carbonyl-methoxypolyethylene glycol-2000)-1,2-distearoyl-sn-glycero-3
      phosphoethanolamine (DSPE-mPEG2000) (6:3:1 molar ratio), were characterized by a
      mean diameter of ~100 nm, a very low polydispersity index (~0.1) and a negative
      surface charge. The drugs did not influence the physico-chemical properties of
      the systems and were efficiently retained in the colloidal structure. By using
      cell count and MTT assay, we found a significant reduction of the viability in
      both cell lines following 24 h treatment with both nanoliposomal-encapsulated
      drugs, notably greater than the effect of the free drugs. Our findings
      demonstrate that nanoliposomes increase the antiproliferative activity of
      phosphodiesterase-5 inhibitors, providing a useful novel formulation for the
      treatment of thyroid carcinoma.

PMID- 28335221
TI  - Mechanochemical Synthesis of TiO2 Nanocomposites as Photocatalysts for Benzyl
      Alcohol Photo-Oxidation.
AB  - TiO2 (anatase phase) has excellent photocatalytic performance and different
      methods have been reported to overcome its main limitation of high band gap
      energy. In this work, TiO2-magnetically-separable nanocomposites (MAGSNC)
      photocatalysts with different TiO2 loading were synthesized using a simple one
      pot mechanochemical method. Photocatalysts were characterized by a number of
      techniques and their photocatalytic activity was tested in the selective
      oxidation of benzyl alcohol to benzaldehyde. Extension of light absorption into
      the visible region was achieved upon titania incorporation. Results indicated
      that the photocatalytic activity increased with TiO2 loading on the catalysts,
      with moderate conversion (20%) at high benzaldehyde selectivity (84%) achieved
      for 5% TiO2-MAGSNC. These findings pointed out a potential strategy for the
      valorization of lignocellulosic-based biomass under visible light irradiation
      using designer photocatalytic nanomaterials.

PMID- 28335222
TI  - Effects of Atomization Injection on Nanoparticle Processing in Suspension Plasma
      Spray.
AB  - Liquid atomization is applied in nanostructure dense coating technology to inject
      suspended nano-size powder materials into a suspension plasma spray (SPS) torch.
      This paper presents the effects of the atomization parameters on the nanoparticle
      processing. A numerical model was developed to simulate the dynamic behaviors of
      the suspension droplets, the solid nanoparticles or agglomerates, as well as the
      interactions between them and the plasma gas. The plasma gas was calculated as
      compressible, multi-component, turbulent jet flow in Eulerian scheme. The
      droplets and the solid particles were calculated as discrete Lagrangian entities,
      being tracked through the spray process. The motion and thermal histories of the
      particles were given in this paper and their release and melting status were
      observed. The key parameters of atomization, including droplet size, injection
      angle and velocity were also analyzed. The study revealed that the nanoparticle
      processing in SPS preferred small droplets with better atomization and less
      aggregation from suspension preparation. The injection angle and velocity
      influenced the nanoparticle release percentage. Small angle and low initial
      velocity might have more nanoparticles released. Besides, the melting percentage
      of nanoparticles and agglomerates were studied, and the critical droplet diameter
      to ensure solid melting was drawn. Results showed that most released
      nanoparticles were well melted, but the agglomerates might be totally melted,
      partially melted, or even not melted at all, mainly depending on the agglomerate
      size. For better coating quality, the suspension droplet size should be limited
      to a critical droplet diameter, which was inversely proportional to the cubic
      root of weight content, for given critical agglomerate diameter of being totally
      melted.

PMID- 28335223
TI  - Ultraviolet Plasmonic Aluminium Nanoparticles for Highly Efficient Light
      Incoupling on Silicon Solar Cells.
AB  - Plasmonic metal nanoparticles supporting localized surface plasmon resonances
      have attracted a great deal of interest in boosting the light absorption in solar
      cells. Among the various plasmonic materials, the aluminium nanoparticles
      recently have become a rising star due to their unique ultraviolet plasmonic
      resonances, low cost, earth-abundance and high compatibility with the
      complementary metal-oxide semiconductor (CMOS) manufacturing process. Here, we
      report some key factors that determine the light incoupling of aluminium
      nanoparticles located on the front side of silicon solar cells. We first
      numerically study the scattering and absorption properties of the aluminium
      nanoparticles and the influence of the nanoparticle shape, size, surface coverage
      and the spacing layer on the light incoupling using the finite difference time
      domain method. Then, we experimentally integrate 100-nm aluminium nanoparticles
      on the front side of silicon solar cells with varying silicon nitride
      thicknesses. This study provides the fundamental insights for designing aluminium
      nanoparticle-based light trapping on solar cells.

PMID- 28335224
TI  - Structural Changes Induced in Grapevine (Vitis vinifera L.) DNA by Femtosecond IR
      Laser Pulses: A Surface-Enhanced Raman Spectroscopic Study.
AB  - In this work, surface-enhanced Raman spectra of ten genomic DNAs extracted from
      leaf tissues of different grapevine (Vitis vinifera L.) varieties, respectively,
      are analyzed in the wavenumber range 300-1800 cm-1. Furthermore, structural
      changes induced in grapevine genomic nucleic acids upon femtosecond (170 fs)
      infrared (IR) laser pulse irradiation (lambda = 1100 nm) are discussed in detail
      for seven genomic DNAs, respectively. Surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS)
      signatures, vibrational band assignments and structural characterization of
      genomic DNAs are reported for each case. As a general observation, the wavenumber
      range between 1500 and 1660 cm-1 of the spectra seems to be modified upon laser
      treatment. This finding could reflect changes in the base-stacking interactions
      in DNA. Spectral shifts are mainly attributed to purines (dA, dG) and
      deoxyribose. Pyrimidine residues seem to be less affected by IR femtosecond laser
      pulse irradiation. Furthermore, changes in the conformational properties of
      nucleic acid segments are observed after laser treatment. We have found that DNA
      isolated from Feteasca Neagra grapevine leaf tissues is the most structurally
      responsive system to the femtosecond IR laser irradiation process. In addition,
      using unbiased computational resources by means of principal component analysis
      (PCA), eight different grapevine varieties were discriminated.

PMID- 28335225
TI  - Enhancing the Photocurrent of Top-Cell by Ellipsoidal Silver Nanoparticles:
      Towards Current-Matched GaInP/GaInAs/Ge Triple-Junction Solar Cells.
AB  - A way to increase the photocurrent of top-cell is crucial for current-matched and
      highly-efficient GaInP/GaInAs/Ge triple-junction solar cells. Herein, we
      demonstrate that ellipsoidal silver nanoparticles (Ag NPs) with better extinction
      performance and lower fabrication temperature can enhance the light harvest of
      GaInP/GaInAs/Ge solar cells compared with that of spherical Ag NPs. In this
      method, appropriate thermal treatment parameters for Ag NPs without inducing the
      dopant diffusion of the tunnel-junction plays a decisive role. Our experimental
      and theoretical results confirm the ellipsoidal Ag NPs annealed at 350  degrees C
      show a better extinction performance than the spherical Ag NPs annealed at 400 
      degrees C. The photovoltaic conversion efficiency of the device with ellipsoidal
      Ag NPs reaches 31.02%, with a nearly 5% relative improvement in comparison with
      the device without Ag NPs (29.54%). This function of plasmonic NPs has the
      potential to solve the conflict of sufficient light absorption and efficient
      carrier collection in GaInP top-cell devices.

PMID- 28335227
TI  - Synthesis of Ball-Like Ag Nanorod Aggregates for Surface-Enhanced Raman
      Scattering and Catalytic Reduction.
AB  - In this work, ball-like Ag nanorod aggregates have been synthesized via a simple
      seed-mediated method. These Ag mesostructures were characterized by scanning
      electron microscope (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), ultraviolet
      visible spectroscopy (UV-Vis), and X-ray diffraction (XRD). Adding a certain
      amount of polyvinyl pyrrolidone (PVP) can prolong its coagulation time. These Ag
      nanorod aggregates exhibit effective SERS effect, evaluated by Rhodamine 6G (R6G)
      and doxorubicin (DOX) as probe molecules. The limit of detection (LOD) for R6G
      and DOX are as low as 5 * 10-9 M and 5 * 10-6 M, respectively. Moreover, these Ag
      nanorod aggregates were found to be potential catalysts for the reduction of 4
      nitrophenol (4-NP) in the presence of NaBH4.

PMID- 28335226
TI  - Improving the Photocurrent in Quantum-Dot-Sensitized Solar Cells by Employing
      Alloy PbxCd1-xS Quantum Dots as Photosensitizers.
AB  - Ternary alloy PbxCd1-xS quantum dots (QDs) were explored as photosensitizers for
      quantum-dot-sensitized solar cells (QDSCs). Alloy PbxCd1-xS QDs (Pb0.54Cd0.46S,
      Pb0.31Cd0.69S, and Pb0.24Cd0.76S) were found to substantially improve the
      photocurrent of the solar cells compared to the single CdS or PbS QDs. Moreover,
      it was found that the photocurrent increases and the photovoltage decreases when
      the ratio of Pb in PbxCd1-xS is increased. Without surface protecting layer
      deposition, the highest short-circuit current density reaches 20 mA/cm2 under
      simulated AM 1.5 illumination (100 mW/cm2). After an additional CdS coating layer
      was deposited onto the PbxCd1-xS electrode, the photovoltaic performance further
      improved, with a photocurrent of 22.6 mA/cm2 and an efficiency of 3.2%.

PMID- 28335229
TI  - TiAl3-TiN Composite Nanoparticles Produced by Hydrogen Plasma-Metal Reaction:
      Synthesis, Passivation, and Characterization.
AB  - TiAl3 and TiN composite nanoparticles were continuously synthesized from Ti-48Al
      master alloy by hydrogen plasma-metal reaction in a N2, H2 and Ar atmosphere. The
      phase, morphology, and size of the nanoparticles were studied by X-ray
      diffraction (XRD) and transmission electronic microscopy (TEM). X-ray
      photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and evolved gas analysis (EGA) were used to
      analyze the surface phase constitution and oxygen content of the nanoparticles.
      The as-synthesized nanopowders were mainly composed of nearly spherical TiAl3 and
      tetragonal TiN phases, with a mean diameter of ~42 nm and mass fractions of 49.1%
      and 24.3%, respectively. Passivation in the atmosphere of Ar and O2 for 24 h at
      room temperature led to the formation of amorphous Al2O3 shells on the TiAl3
      particle surface, with a mean thickness of ~5.0 nm and a mass fraction of ~23.5%,
      as well as TiO2 with a mass fraction of ~3.2%.

PMID- 28335228
TI  - Fabricating Water Dispersible Superparamagnetic Iron Oxide Nanoparticles for
      Biomedical Applications through Ligand Exchange and Direct Conjugation.
AB  - Stable superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles (SPIONs), which can be easily
      dispersed in an aqueous medium and exhibit high magnetic relaxivities, are ideal
      candidates for biomedical applications including contrast agents for magnetic
      resonance imaging. We describe a versatile methodology to render water
      dispersibility to SPIONs using tetraethylene glycol (TEG)-based phosphonate
      ligands, which are easily introduced onto SPIONs by either a ligand exchange
      process of surface-anchored oleic-acid (OA) molecules or via direct conjugation.
      Both protocols confer good colloidal stability to SPIONs at different NaCl
      concentrations. A detailed characterization of functionalized SPIONs suggests
      that the ligand exchange method leads to nanoparticles with better magnetic
      properties but higher toxicity and cell death, than the direct conjugation
      methodology.

PMID- 28335230
TI  - Fluorescent Nanocomposite of Embedded Ceria Nanoparticles in Crosslinked PVA
      Electrospun Nanofibers.
AB  - This paper introduces a new fluorescent nanocomposite of electrospun
      biodegradable nanofibers embedded with optical nanoparticles. In detail, this
      work introduces the fluorescence properties of PVA nanofibers generated by the
      electrospinning technique with embedded cerium oxide (ceria) nanoparticles. Under
      near-ultra violet excitation, the synthesized nanocomposite generates a visible
      fluorescent emission at 520 nm, varying its intensity peak according to the
      concentration of in situ embedded ceria nanoparticles. This is due to the fact
      that the embedded ceria nanoparticles have optical tri-valiant cerium ions,
      associated with formed oxygen vacancies, with a direct allowed bandgap around 3.5
      eV. In addition, the impact of chemical crosslinking of the PVA on the
      fluorescence emission is studied in both cases of adding ceria nanoparticles in
      situ or of a post-synthesis addition via a spin-coating mechanism. Other optical
      and structural characteristics such as absorbance dispersion, direct bandgap,
      FTIR spectroscopy, and SEM analysis are presented. The synthesized optical
      nanocomposite could be helpful in different applications such as environmental
      monitoring and bioimaging.

PMID- 28335231
TI  - Enhanced Activity of Supported Ni Catalysts Promoted by Pt for Rapid Reduction of
      Aromatic Nitro Compounds.
AB  - To improve the activities of non-noble metal catalysts is highly desirable and
      valuable to the reduced use of noble metal resources. In this work, the supported
      nickel (Ni) and nickel-platinum (NiPt) nanocatalysts were derived from a layered
      double hydroxide/carbon composite precursor. The catalysts were characterized and
      the role of Pt was analysed using X-ray diffraction (XRD), high-resolution
      transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM), energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy
      (EDS) mapping, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) techniques. The Ni2+
      was reduced to metallic Ni0 via a self-reduction way utilizing the carbon as a
      reducing agent. The average sizes of the Ni particles in the NiPt catalysts were
      smaller than that in the supported Ni catalyst. The electronic structure of Ni
      was affected by the incorporation of Pt. The optimal NiPt catalysts exhibited
      remarkably improved activity toward the reduction of nitrophenol, which has an
      apparent rate constant (Ka) of 18.82 * 10-3 s-1, 6.2 times larger than that of Ni
      catalyst and also larger than most of the reported values of noble-metal and
      bimetallic catalysts. The enhanced activity could be ascribed to the modification
      to the electronic structure of Ni by Pt and the effect of exposed crystal planes.

PMID- 28335232
TI  - The Influence of Modified Silica Nanomaterials on Adult Stem Cell Culture.
AB  - The preparation of tailored nanomaterials able to support cell growth and
      viability is mandatory for tissue engineering applications. In the present work,
      silica nanoparticles were prepared by a sol-gel procedure and were then
      functionalized by condensation of amino groups and by adsorption of silver
      nanoparticles. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) imaging was used to
      establish the morphology and the average dimensions of about 130 nm, which were
      not affected by the functionalization. The three silica samples were deposited (1
      mg/mL) on cover glasses, which were used as a substrate to culture adult human
      bone marrow-mesenchymal stem cells (hBM-MSCs) and human adipose-derived stem
      cells (hASCs). The good cell viability over the different silica surfaces was
      evaluated by monitoring the mitochondrial dehydrogenase activity. The analysis of
      the morphological parameters (aspect ratio, cell length, and nuclear shape Index)
      yielded information about the interactions of stem cells with the surface of
      three different nanoparticles. The data are discussed in terms of chemical
      properties of the surface of silica nanoparticles.

PMID- 28335233
TI  - Nanoparticles in Bioimaging.
AB  - This Special Issue of Nanomaterials is dedicated to the application of
      nanoparticulate materials in biological imaging.[...].

PMID- 28335234
TI  - Fe3+-Doped TiO2 Nanotube Arrays on Ti-Fe Alloys for Enhanced
      Photoelectrocatalytic Activity.
AB  - Highly ordered, vertically oriented Fe3+-doped TiO2 nanotube arrays (Fe-TNTs)
      were prepared on Ti-Fe alloy substrates with different Fe contents by the
      electrochemical anodization method. The as-prepared Fe-TNTs were characterized by
      scanning electron microscope (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), X-ray
      diffraction (XRD), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and related
      electrochemical techniques. XPS results demonstrated that Fe3+ ions were
      successfully doped into TiO2 nanotubes. The photoelectrochemical activity of Fe
      TNTs was compared with that of pure TiO2 nanotube arrays (TNTs). The results
      showed that Fe-TNTs grown on low concentration (0.5 wt %-1 wt % Fe) Ti-Fe alloys
      possessed higher photocurrent density than TNTs. The Fe-TNTs grown on Ti-Fe alloy
      containing 0.8 wt % Fe exhibited the highest photoelectrochemical activity and
      the photoelectrocatalytic degradation rate of methylene blue (MB) aqueous
      solution was significantly higher than that of TNTs.

PMID- 28335235
TI  - Engineered Nanomaterials in the Environment.
AB  - This Special Issue of Nanomaterials, "Engineered Nanomaterials in the
      Environment", is comprised of one communication and five research articles.[...].

PMID- 28335236
TI  - Complex-Morphology Metal-Based Nanostructures: Fabrication, Characterization, and
      Applications.
AB  - Due to their peculiar qualities, metal-based nanostructures have been extensively
      used in applications such as catalysis, electronics, photography, and information
      storage, among others. New applications for metals in areas such as photonics,
      sensing, imaging, and medicine are also being developed. Significantly, most of
      these applications require the use of metals in the form of nanostructures with
      specific controlled properties. The properties of nanoscale metals are determined
      by a set of physical parameters that include size, shape, composition, and
      structure. In recent years, many research fields have focused on the synthesis of
      nanoscale-sized metallic materials with complex shape and composition in order to
      optimize the optical and electrical response of devices containing metallic
      nanostructures. The present paper aims to overview the most recent results-in
      terms of fabrication methodologies, characterization of the physico-chemical
      properties and applications-of complex-morphology metal-based nanostructures. The
      paper strongly focuses on the correlation between the complex morphology and the
      structures' properties, showing how the morphological complexity (and its
      nanoscale control) can often give access to a wide range of innovative properties
      exploitable for innovative functional device production. We begin with an
      overview of the basic concepts on the correlation between structural and optical
      parameters of nanoscale metallic materials with complex shape and composition,
      and the possible solutions offered by nanotechnology in a large range of
      applications (catalysis, electronics, photonics, sensing). The aim is to assess
      the state of the art, and then show the innovative contributions that can be
      proposed in this research field. We subsequently report on innovative, versatile
      and low-cost synthesis techniques, suitable for providing a good control on the
      size, surface density, composition and geometry of the metallic nanostructures.
      The main purpose of this study is the fabrication of functional nanoscale-sized
      materials, whose properties can be tailored (in a wide range) simply by
      controlling the structural characteristics. The modulation of the structural
      parameters is required to tune the plasmonic properties of the nanostructures for
      applications such as biosensors, opto-electronic or photovoltaic devices and
      surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) substrates. The structural
      characterization of the obtained nanoscale materials is employed in order to
      define how the synthesis parameters affect the structural characteristics of the
      resulting metallic nanostructures. Then, macroscopic measurements are used to
      probe their electrical and optical properties. Phenomenological growth models are
      drafted to explain the processes involved in the growth and evolution of such
      composite systems. After the synthesis and characterization of the metallic
      nanostructures, we study the effects of the incorporation of the complex
      morphologies on the optical and electrical responses of each specific device.

PMID- 28335237
TI  - DNA Sequencing by Hexagonal Boron Nitride Nanopore: A Computational Study.
AB  - The single molecule detection associated with DNA sequencing has motivated
      intensive efforts to identify single DNA bases. However, little research has been
      reported utilizing single-layer hexagonal boron nitride (hBN) for DNA sequencing.
      Here we employ molecular dynamics simulations to explore pathways for single
      strand DNA (ssDNA) sequencing by nanopore on the hBN sheet. We first investigate
      the adhesive strength between nucleobases and the hBN sheet, which provides the
      foundation for the hBN-base interaction and nanopore sequencing mechanism.
      Simulation results show that the purine base has a more remarkable energy profile
      and affinity than the pyrimidine base on the hBN sheet. The threading of ssDNA
      through the hBN nanopore can be clearly identified due to their different energy
      profiles and conformations with circular nanopores on the hBN sheet. The
      sequencing process is orientation dependent when the shape of the hBN nanopore
      deviates from the circle. Our results open up a promising avenue to explore the
      capability of DNA sequencing by hBN nanopore.

PMID- 28335238
TI  - Selective Plasma Etching of Polymeric Substrates for Advanced Applications.
AB  - In today's nanoworld, there is a strong need to manipulate and process materials
      on an atom-by-atom scale with new tools such as reactive plasma, which in some
      states enables high selectivity of interaction between plasma species and
      materials. These interactions first involve preferential interactions with
      precise bonds in materials and later cause etching. This typically occurs based
      on material stability, which leads to preferential etching of one material over
      other. This process is especially interesting for polymeric substrates with
      increasing complexity and a "zoo" of bonds, which are used in numerous
      applications. In this comprehensive summary, we encompass the complete selective
      etching of polymers and polymer matrix micro-/nanocomposites with plasma and
      unravel the mechanisms behind the scenes, which ultimately leads to the
      enhancement of surface properties and device performance.

PMID- 28335239
TI  - A Flexible 360-Degree Thermal Sound Source Based on Laser Induced Graphene.
AB  - A flexible sound source is essential in a whole flexible system. It's hard to
      integrate a conventional sound source based on a piezoelectric part into a whole
      flexible system. Moreover, the sound pressure from the back side of a sound
      source is usually weaker than that from the front side. With the help of direct
      laser writing (DLW) technology, the fabrication of a flexible 360-degree thermal
      sound source becomes possible. A 650-nm low-power laser was used to reduce the
      graphene oxide (GO). The stripped laser induced graphene thermal sound source was
      then attached to the surface of a cylindrical bottle so that it could emit sound
      in a 360-degree direction. The sound pressure level and directivity of the sound
      source were tested, and the results were in good agreement with the theoretical
      results. Because of its 360-degree sound field, high flexibility, high
      efficiency, low cost, and good reliability, the 360-degree thermal acoustic sound
      source will be widely applied in consumer electronics, multi-media systems, and
      ultrasonic detection and imaging.

PMID- 28335240
TI  - Gd-Si Oxide Nanoparticles as Contrast Agents in Magnetic Resonance Imaging.
AB  - We describe the synthesis, characterization and application as contrast agents in
      magnetic resonance imaging of a novel type of magnetic nanoparticle based on Gd
      Si oxide, which presents high Gd3+ atom density. For this purpose, we have used a
      Prussian Blue analogue as the sacrificial template by reacting with soluble
      silicate, obtaining particles with nanorod morphology and of small size (75 nm).
      These nanoparticles present good biocompatibility and higher longitudinal and
      transversal relaxivity values than commercial Gd3+ solutions, which significantly
      improves the sensitivity of in vivo magnetic resonance images.

PMID- 28335241
TI  - Erratum: Mustafa, R.; Luo, Y.; Wu, Y.; Guo, R.; Shi, X. Dendrimer-Functionalized
      Laponite(r) Nanodisks as a Platform for Anticancer Drug Delivery. Nanomaterials
      2015, 5, 1716-1731.
AB  - It has been brought to our attention that Laponite(r) is a trademark of BYK
      Additives, however the trademark symbol is missing in [1].[...].

PMID- 28335242
TI  - Targeting and Photodynamic Killing of Cancer Cell by Nitrogen-Doped Titanium
      Dioxide Coupled with Folic Acid.
AB  - Titanium dioxide (TiO2) has attracted wide attention as a potential
      photosensitizer (PS) in photodynamic therapy (PDT). However, bare TiO2 can only
      be excited by ultraviolet illumination, and it lacks specific targeting ligands,
      which largely impede its application. In our study, we produced nitrogen-doped
      TiO2 and linked it with an effective cancer cell targeting agent, folic acid
      (FA), to obtain N-TiO2-FA nanoconjugates. Characterization of N-TiO2-FA included
      Zeta potential, absorption spectra and thermogravimetric analysis. The results
      showed that N-TiO2-FA was successfully produced and it possessed better
      dispersibility in aqueous solution than unmodified TiO2. The N-TiO2-FA was
      incubated with human nasopharyngeal carcinoma (KB) and human pulmonary
      adenocarcinoma (A549) cells. The KB cells that overexpress folate receptors (FR)
      on cell membranes were used as FR-positive cancer cells, while A549 cells were
      used as FR-negative cells. Laser scanning confocal microscopy results showed that
      KB cells had a higher uptake efficiency of N-TiO2-FA, which was about twice that
      of A549 cells. Finally, N-TiO2-FA is of no cytotoxicity, and has a better
      photokilling effect on KB cells under visible light irradiation. In conclusion, N
      TiO2-FA can be as high-value as a PS in cancer targeting PDT.

PMID- 28335243
TI  - Correlation between CdSe QD Synthesis, Post-Synthetic Treatment, and BHJ Hybrid
      Solar Cell Performance.
AB  - In this publication we show that the procedure to synthesize nanocrystals and the
      post-synthetic nanocrystal ligand sphere treatment have a great influence not
      only on the immediate performance of hybrid bulk heterojunction solar cells, but
      also on their thermal, long-term, and air stability. We herein demonstrate this
      for the particular case of spherical CdSe nanocrystals, post-synthetically
      treated with a hexanoic acid based treatment. We observe an influence from the
      duration of this post-synthetic treatment on the nanocrystal ligand sphere size,
      and also on the solar cell performance. By tuning the post-synthetic treatment to
      a certain degree, optimal device performance can be achieved. Moreover, we show
      how to effectively adapt the post-synthetic nanocrystal treatment protocol to
      different nanocrystal synthesis batches, hence increasing the reproducibility of
      hybrid nanocrystal:polymer bulk-heterojunction solar cells, which usually suffers
      due to the fluctuations in nanocrystal quality of different synthesis batches and
      synthesis procedures.

PMID- 28335245
TI  - Ag Nanoparticle-Functionalized Open-Ended Freestanding TiO2 Nanotube Arrays with
      a Scattering Layer for Improved Energy Conversion Efficiency in Dye-Sensitized
      Solar Cells.
AB  - Dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs) were fabricated using open-ended freestanding
      TiO2 nanotube arrays functionalized with Ag nanoparticles (NPs) in the channel to
      create a plasmonic effect, and then coated with large TiO2 NPs to create a
      scattering effect in order to improve energy conversion efficiency. Compared to
      closed-ended freestanding TiO2 nanotube array-based DSSCs without Ag or large
      TiO2 NPs, the energy conversion efficiency of closed-ended DSSCs improved by
      9.21% (actual efficiency, from 5.86% to 6.40%) with Ag NPs, 6.48% (actual
      efficiency, from 5.86% to 6.24%) with TiO2 NPs, and 14.50% (actual efficiency,
      from 5.86% to 6.71%) with both Ag NPs and TiO2 NPs. By introducing Ag NPs and/or
      large TiO2 NPs to open-ended freestanding TiO2 nanotube array-based DSSCs, the
      energy conversion efficiency was improved by 9.15% (actual efficiency, from 6.12%
      to 6.68%) with Ag NPs and 8.17% (actual efficiency, from 6.12% to 6.62%) with
      TiO2 NPs, and by 15.20% (actual efficiency, from 6.12% to 7.05%) with both Ag NPs
      and TiO2 NPs. Moreover, compared to closed-ended freestanding TiO2 nanotube
      arrays, the energy conversion efficiency of open-ended freestanding TiO2 nanotube
      arrays increased from 6.71% to 7.05%. We demonstrate that each component-Ag NPs,
      TiO2 NPs, and open-ended freestanding TiO2 nanotube arrays-enhanced the energy
      conversion efficiency, and the use of a combination of all components in DSSCs
      resulted in the highest energy conversion efficiency.

PMID- 28335244
TI  - Human Serum Albumin Nanoparticles for Use in Cancer Drug Delivery: Process
      Optimization and In Vitro Characterization.
AB  - Human serum albumin nanoparticles (HSA-NPs) are widely-used drug delivery systems
      with applications in various diseases, like cancer. For intravenous
      administration of HSA-NPs, the particle size, surface charge, drug loading and in
      vitro release kinetics are important parameters for consideration. This study
      focuses on the development of stable HSA-NPs containing the anti-cancer drug
      paclitaxel (PTX) via the emulsion-solvent evaporation method using a high
      pressure homogenizer. The key parameters for the preparation of PTX-HSA-NPs are:
      the starting concentrations of HSA, PTX and the organic solvent, including the
      homogenization pressure and its number cycles, were optimized. Results indicate a
      size of 143.4 +/- 0.7 nm and 170.2 +/- 1.4 nm with a surface charge of -5.6 +/-
      0.8 mV and -17.4 +/- 0.5 mV for HSA-NPs and PTX-HSA-NPs (0.5 mg/mL of PTX),
      respectively. The yield of the PTX-HSA-NPs was ~93% with an encapsulation
      efficiency of ~82%. To investigate the safety and effectiveness of the PTX-HSA
      NPs, an in vitro drug release and cytotoxicity assay was performed on human
      breast cancer cell line (MCF-7). The PTX-HSA-NPs showed dose-dependent toxicity
      on cells of 52%, 39.3% and 22.6% with increasing concentrations of PTX at 8, 20.2
      and 31.4 MUg/mL, respectively. In summary, all parameters involved in HSA-NPs'
      preparation, its anticancer efficacy and scale-up are outlined in this research
      article.

PMID- 28335246
TI  - Quaternized Carboxymethyl Chitosan-Based Silver Nanoparticles Hybrid: Microwave
      Assisted Synthesis, Characterization and Antibacterial Activity.
AB  - A facile, efficient, and eco-friendly approach for the preparation of uniform
      silver nanoparticles (Ag NPs) was developed. The synthesis was conducted in an
      aqueous medium exposed to microwave irradiation for 8 min, using laboratory
      prepared, water-soluble quaternized carboxymethyl chitosan (QCMC) as a chemical
      reducer and stabilizer and silver nitrate as the silver source. The structure of
      the prepared QCMC was characterized using Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) and
      1H nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR). The formation, size distribution, and
      dispersion of the Ag NPs in the QCMC matrix were determined using X-ray
      diffraction (XRD), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), ultraviolet-visible
      (UV-Vis), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and field emission scanning
      electron microscope (FESEM) analysis, and the thermal stability and antibacterial
      properties of the synthesized QCMC-based Ag NPs composite (QCMC-Ag) were also
      explored. The results revealed that (1) QCMC was successfully prepared by
      grafting quaternary ammonium groups onto carboxymethyl chitosan (CMC) chains
      under microwave irradiation in water for 90 min and this substitution appeared to
      have occurred at -NH2 sites on C2 position of the pyranoid ring; (2) uniform and
      stable spherical Ag NPs could be synthesized when QCMC was used as the reducing
      and stabilizing agent; (3) Ag NPs were well dispersed in the QCMC matrix with a
      narrow size distribiution in the range of 17-31 nm without aggregation; and (4)
      due to the presence of Ag NPs, the thermal stability and antibacterial activity
      of QCMC-Ag were dramatically improved relative to QCMC.

PMID- 28335247
TI  - Hydrothermal Fabrication of Silver Nanowires-Silver Nanoparticles-Graphene
      Nanosheets Composites in Enhancing Electrical Conductive Performance of
      Electrically Conductive Adhesives.
AB  - Silver nanowires-silver nanoparticles-graphene nanosheets (AgNWs-AgNPs-GN) hybrid
      nanomaterials were fabricated through a hydrothermal method by using glucose as a
      green reducing agent. The charge carriers of AgNWs-AgNPs-GN passed through defect
      regions in the GNs rapidly with the aid of the AgNW and AgNP building blocks,
      leading to high electrical conductivity of electrically conductive adhesives
      (ECA) filled with AgNWs-AgNPs-GN. The morphologies of synthesized AgNWs-AgNPs-GN
      hybrid nanomaterials were characterized by field emission scanning electron
      microscope (FESEM), and high resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM).
      X-ray diffraction (XRD) and laser confocal micro-Raman spectroscopy were used to
      investigate the structure of AgNWs-AgNPs-GN. The resistance of cured ECAs was
      investigated by the four-probe method. The results indicated AgNWs-AgNPs-GN
      hybrid nanomaterials exhibited excellent electrical properties for decreasing the
      resistivity of electrically conductive adhesives (ECA). The resistivity of ECA
      was 3.01 * 10-4 Omega.cm when the content of the AgNWs-AgNPs-GN hybrid
      nanomaterial was 0.8 wt %.

PMID- 28335248
TI  - A Fast Response Ammonia Sensor Based on Coaxial PPy-PAN Nanofiber Yarn.
AB  - Highly orientated polypyrrole (PPy)-coated polyacrylonitrile (PAN) (PPy-PAN)
      nanofiber yarn was prepared with an electrospinning technique and in-situ
      chemical polymerization. The morphology and chemical structure of PPy-PAN
      nanofiber yarn was characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), field
      emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM), transmission electron microscopy
      (TEM), and fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), which indicated that
      the PPy as the shell layer was homogeneously and uniformly polymerized on the
      surface of PAN nanofiber. The effects of different concentration of doping acid
      on the responses of PPy-PAN nanofiber yarn sensor were investigated. The
      electrical responses of the gas sensor based on the PPy-PAN nanofiber yarn to
      ammonia were investigated at room temperature. The nanoyarn sensor composed of
      uniaxially aligned PPy-PAN nanofibers with a one-dimensional structure exhibited
      a transient response, and the response time was less than 1 s. The excellent
      sensing properties mentioned above give rise to good potential application
      prospects in the field of ammonia sensor.

PMID- 28335249
TI  - Plasma Nanoengineering and Nanofabrication.
AB  - With the recent advances in nanotechnology, plasma nanofabrication has become an
      exciting new niche because plasma-based approaches can deliver unique structures
      at the nanoscale that cannot be achieved by other techniques and/or in a more
      economical and environmentally friendly manner.[...].

PMID- 28335250
TI  - Nanoparticles for Catalysis.
AB  - Nanoscience emerged in the last decades of the 20th century with the general aim
      to determine those properties that appear when small particles of nanometric
      dimensions are prepared and stabilized.[...].

PMID- 28335251
TI  - Nanostructured TiO2 Surfaces Promote Human Bone Marrow Mesenchymal Stem Cells
      Differentiation to Osteoblasts.
AB  - Micro- and nano-patterning/modification are emerging strategies to improve
      surfaces properties that may influence critically cells adherence and
      differentiation. Aim of this work was to study the in vitro biological reactivity
      of human bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (hBMSCs) to a nanostructured titanium
      dioxide (TiO2) surface in comparison to a coverglass (Glass) in two different
      culture conditions: with (osteogenic medium (OM)) and without (proliferative
      medium (PM)) osteogenic factors. To evaluate cell adhesion, hBMSCs phosphorylated
      focal adhesion kinase (pFAK) foci were analyzed by confocal laser scanning
      microscopy (CLSM) at 24 h: the TiO2 surface showed a higher number of pFAK foci
      with respect to Glass. The hBMSCs differentiation to osteoblasts was evaluated in
      both PM and OM culture conditions by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA),
      CLSM and real-time quantitative reverse transcription PCR (qRT-PCR) at 28 days.
      In comparison with Glass, TiO2 surface in combination with OM conditions
      increased the content of extracellular bone proteins, calcium deposition and
      alkaline phosphatase activity. The qRT-PCR analysis revealed, both in PM and OM,
      that TiO2 surface increased at seven and 28 days the expression of osteogenic
      genes. All together, these results demonstrate the capability of TiO2
      nanostructured surface to promote hBMSCs osteoblast differentiation and its
      potentiality in biomedical applications.

PMID- 28335252
TI  - Stress Waves and Characteristics of Zigzag and Armchair Silicene Nanoribbons.
AB  - The mechanical properties of silicene nanostructures subject to tensile loading
      were studied via a molecular dynamics (MD) simulation. The effects of temperature
      on Young's modulus and the fracture strain of silicene with armchair and zigzag
      types were examined. The maximum in-plane stress and the corresponding critical
      strain of the armchair and the zigzag silicene sheets at 300 K were 8.85 and
      10.62, and 0.187 and 0.244 N/m, respectively. The in-plane stresses of the
      silicene sheet in the armchair direction at the temperatures of 300, 400, 500,
      and 600 K were 8.85, 8.50, 8.26, and 7.79 N/m, respectively. The in-plane
      stresses of the silicene sheet in the zigzag direction at the temperatures of
      300, 400, 500, and 600 K were 10.62, 9.92, 9.64, and 9.27 N/m, respectively. The
      improved mechanical properties can be calculated in a silicene sheet yielded in
      the zigzag direction compared with the tensile loading in the armchair direction.
      The wrinklons and waves were observed at the shear band across the center zone of
      the silicene sheet. These results provide useful information about the mechanical
      and fracture behaviors of silicene for engineering applications.

PMID- 28335254
TI  - Quaternized Chitosan-Capped Mesoporous Silica Nanoparticles as Nanocarriers for
      Controlled Pesticide Release.
AB  - Nanotechnology-based pesticide formulations would ensure effective utilization of
      agricultural inputs. In the present work, mesoporous silica nanoparticles (MSNs)
      with particle diameters of ~110 nm and pore sizes of ~3.7 nm were synthesized via
      a liquid crystal templating mechanism. A water-soluble chitosan (CS) derivative
      (N-(2-hydroxyl)propyl-3-trimethyl ammonium CS chloride, HTCC) was successfully
      capped on the surface of pyraclostrobin-loaded MSNs. The physicochemical and
      structural analyses showed that the electrostatic interactions and hydrogen
      bonding were the major forces responsible for the formation of HTCC-capped MSNs.
      HTCC coating greatly improved the loading efficiency (LC) (to 40.3%) compared to
      using bare MSNs as a single encapsulant (26.7%). The microstructure of the
      nanoparticles was revealed by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and transmission
      electron microscopy (TEM). The pyraclostrobin-loaded nanoparticles showed an
      initial burst and subsequent sustained release behavior. HTCC-capped MSNs
      released faster than bare MSNs in the initial stage. Pyraclostrobin-loaded HTCC
      capped MSNs with half doses of pyraclostrobin technical demonstrated almost the
      same fungicidal activity against Phomopsis asparagi (Sacc.), which obviously
      reduced the applied pesticide and enhanced the utilization efficiency. Therefore,
      HTCC-decorated MSNs demonstrated great potential as nanocarriers in agrochemical
      applications.

PMID- 28335253
TI  - Soft Interaction in Liposome Nanocarriers for Therapeutic Drug Delivery.
AB  - The development of smart nanocarriers for the delivery of therapeutic drugs has
      experienced considerable expansion in recent decades, with the development of new
      medicines devoted to cancer treatment. In this respect a wide range of strategies
      can be developed by employing liposome nanocarriers with desired physico-chemical
      properties that, by exploiting a combination of a number of suitable soft
      interactions, can facilitate the transit through the biological barriers from the
      point of administration up to the site of drug action. As a result, the materials
      engineer has generated through the bottom up approach a variety of supramolecular
      nanocarriers for the encapsulation and controlled delivery of therapeutics which
      have revealed beneficial developments for stabilizing drug compounds, overcoming
      impediments to cellular and tissue uptake, and improving biodistribution of
      therapeutic compounds to target sites. Herein we present recent advances in
      liposome drug delivery by analyzing the main structural features of liposome
      nanocarriers which strongly influence their interaction in solution. More
      specifically, we will focus on the analysis of the relevant soft interactions
      involved in drug delivery processes which are responsible of main behaviour of
      soft nanocarriers in complex physiological fluids. Investigation of the
      interaction between liposomes at the molecular level can be considered an
      important platform for the modeling of the molecular recognition processes
      occurring between cells. Some relevant strategies to overcome the biological
      barriers during the drug delivery of the nanocarriers are presented which outline
      the main structure-properties relationships as well as their advantages (and
      drawbacks) in therapeutic and biomedical applications.

PMID- 28335255
TI  - A Gallium Oxide-Graphene Oxide Hybrid Composite for Enhanced Photocatalytic
      Reaction.
AB  - Hybrid composites (HCs) made up of gallium oxide (GaO) and graphene oxide (GO)
      were investigated with the intent of enhancing a photocatalytic reaction under
      ultraviolet (UV) radiation. The material properties of both GaO and GO were
      preserved, even after the formation of the HCs. The incorporation of the GO into
      the GaO significantly enhanced the photocatalytic reaction, as indicated by the
      amount of methylene blue (MB) degradation. The improvements in the reaction were
      discussed in terms of increased surface area and the retarded recombination of
      generated charged carriers.

PMID- 28335257
TI  - Characteristic Evaluation of Graphene Oxide for Bisphenol A Adsorption in Aqueous
      Solution.
AB  - This paper investigates the characteristics of graphene oxide (GO) for Bisphenol
      A (BPA) adsorption in water. Batch experiments on the influence of significant
      parameters were performed. While an improvement of the adsorption capacity of BPA
      was obtained by the increment of contact time and the initial BPA concentration,
      the increment of pH above 8, GO dosage, and temperature showed the reverse
      results. The thermodynamic study suggested that BPA adsorption on GO was an
      exothermic and spontaneous process. The kinetics was explained by the pseudo
      second-order model which covers all steps of adsorption. The fit of the results
      with the Langmuir isotherm indicated the monolayer adsorption. At 298 K, the
      adsorption reached equilibrium within 30 min with the maximum adsorption capacity
      of 49.26 mg/g. The low BPA adsorption capacity of GO can be interpreted by the
      occurrence of oxygen-containing functional groups (OCFGs) that are able to form
      hydrogen bonds with the surrounding OCFGs and water molecules. This effect
      inhibited the role of pi-pi interactions that are mainly responsible for the
      adsorption of BPA.

PMID- 28335256
TI  - Electrospinning of Nanofibers for Energy Applications.
AB  - With global concerns about the shortage of fossil fuels and environmental issues,
      the development of efficient and clean energy storage devices has been
      drastically accelerated. Nanofibers are used widely for energy storage devices
      due to their high surface areas and porosities. Electrospinning is a versatile
      and efficient fabrication method for nanofibers. In this review, we mainly focus
      on the application of electrospun nanofibers on energy storage, such as lithium
      batteries, fuel cells, dye-sensitized solar cells and supercapacitors. The
      structure and properties of nanofibers are also summarized systematically. The
      special morphology of nanofibers prepared by electrospinning is significant to
      the functional materials for energy storage.

PMID- 28335258
TI  - Nanostructures Derived from Starch and Chitosan for Fluorescence Bio-Imaging.
AB  - Fluorescent nanostructures (NSs) derived from polysaccharides have drawn great
      attention as novel fluorescent probes for potential bio-imaging applications.
      Herein, we reported a facile alkali-assisted hydrothermal method to fabricate
      polysaccharide NSs using starch and chitosan as raw materials. Transmission
      electron microscopy (TEM) demonstrated that the average particle sizes are 14 nm
      and 75 nm for starch and chitosan NSs, respectively. Fourier transform infrared
      (FT-IR) spectroscopy analysis showed that there are a large number of hydroxyl or
      amino groups on the surface of these polysaccharide-based NSs. Strong
      fluorescence with an excitation-dependent emission behaviour was observed under
      ultraviolet excitation. Interestingly, the photostability of the NSs was found to
      be superior to fluorescein and rhodamine B. The quantum yield of starch NSs could
      reach 11.12% under the excitation of 360 nm. The oxidative metal ions including
      Cu(II), Hg(II)and Fe(III) exhibited a quench effect on the fluorescence intensity
      of the prepared NSs. Both of the two kinds of the multicoloured NSs showed a
      maximum fluorescence intensity at pH 7, while the fluorescence intensity
      decreased dramatically when they were put in an either acidic or basic
      environment (at pH 3 or 11). The cytotoxicity study of starch NSs showed that low
      cell cytotoxicity and 80% viability was found after 24 h incubation, when their
      concentration was less than 10 mg/mL. The study also showed the possibility of
      using the multicoloured starch NSs for mouse melanoma cells and guppy fish
      imaging.

PMID- 28335260
TI  - A Label-Free Microelectrode Array Based on One-Step Synthesis of Chitosan-Multi
      Walled Carbon Nanotube-Thionine for Ultrasensitive Detection of Carcinoembryonic
      Antigen.
AB  - Carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) has been an extensively used tumor marker
      responsible for clinical early diagnosis of cervical carcinomas, and pancreatic,
      colorectal, gastric and lung cancer. Combined with micro-electro mechanical
      system (MEMS) technology, it is important to develop a novel immune
      microelectrode array (MEA) not only for rapid analysis of serum samples, but also
      for cell detection in vitro and in vivo. In this work, we depict a simple
      approach to modify chitosan-multi-walled carbon nanotubes-thionine (CS-MWCNTs
      THI) hybrid film through one-step electrochemical deposition and the CS-MWCNTs
      THI hybrid films are successfully employed to immobilize anti-CEA for fabricating
      simple, label-free, and highly sensitive electro-chemical immune MEAs. The
      detection principle of immune MEA was based on the fact that the increasing
      formation of the antigen-antibody immunocomplex resulted in the decreased
      response currents and the relationship between the current reductions with the
      corresponding CEA concentrations was directly proportional. Experimental results
      indicated that the label-free MEA had good selectivity and the limit of detection
      for CEA is 0.5 pg/mL signal to noise ratio (SNR) = 3. A linear calibration plot
      for the detection of CEA was obtained in a wide concentration range from 1 pg/mL
      to 100 ng/mL (r = 0.996). This novel MEA has potential applications for detecting
      CEA for the research on cancer cells and cancer tissue slices as well as for
      effective early diagnosis.

PMID- 28335259
TI  - Lipid Nanovectors to Deliver RNA Oligonucleotides in Cancer.
AB  - The growing knowledge on the mechanisms of gene silencing and gene regulation by
      non-coding RNAs (ncRNA), mainly small interfering RNA (siRNA) and microRNA
      (miRNA), is providing a significant boost to the development of new therapeutic
      strategies for the treatment of cancer. However, the design of RNA-based
      therapeutics is hampered by biopharmaceutical issues, thus requiring the use of
      suitable delivery strategies. In this regards, lipid nanovectors have been
      successfully investigated to deliver RNA in different forms of cancer. Compared
      to other biomaterials, lipids offer advantages such as biocompatibility,
      biodegradability, easy production, low cost, limited toxicity and immunogenicity.
      The possibility to formulate these materials in the form of nanovectors allows
      overcoming biopharmaceutical issues associated to the therapeutic use of RNA,
      with the possibility to target tumors. This review takes stock of the main lipid
      nanovectors proposed to deliver ncRNA. For each considered delivery strategy, the
      rational design and the most meaningful in vitro and in vivo results are reported
      and discussed.

PMID- 28335261
TI  - Nanomaterials for Cardiac Myocyte Tissue Engineering.
AB  - Since their synthesizing introduction to the research community, nanomaterials
      have infiltrated almost every corner of science and engineering. Over the last
      decade, one such field has begun to look at using nanomaterials for beneficial
      applications in tissue engineering, specifically, cardiac tissue engineering.
      During a myocardial infarction, part of the cardiac muscle, or myocardium, is
      deprived of blood. Therefore, the lack of oxygen destroys cardiomyocytes, leaving
      dead tissue and possibly resulting in the development of arrhythmia, ventricular
      remodeling, and eventual heart failure. Scarred cardiac muscle results in heart
      failure for millions of heart attack survivors worldwide. Modern cardiac tissue
      engineering research has developed nanomaterial applications to combat heart
      failure, preserve normal heart tissue, and grow healthy myocardium around the
      infarcted area. This review will discuss the recent progress of nanomaterials for
      cardiovascular tissue engineering applications through three main nanomaterial
      approaches: scaffold designs, patches, and injectable materials.

PMID- 28335263
TI  - Enhanced Deposition Uniformity via an Auxiliary Electrode in Massive
      Electrospinning.
AB  - Uniform deposition of nanofibers in the massive electrospinning process is
      critical in the industrial applications of nanofibers. Tip-Induced
      Electrospinning (TIE) is a cost-effective large-scale nanofiber-manufacturing
      method, but it has poor deposition uniformity. An auxiliary conductive electrode
      connected to the emitting electrode was introduced to improve the deposition
      uniformity of the nanofibers. The effects of the auxiliary electrode shape, the
      tilted angles and the position of the boat-like electrode on the electric field
      distribution, the diameter of the nanofibers, the jet control and the deposition
      uniformity were explored by using finite element analysis of the electric field
      and experiments. Experiments showed that the boat-like electrode at 20 mm above
      the reservoir bottom with a 5 degrees  tilted angle helped to decrease the
      relative deposition error of nanofibers in the greatest extent to about 5.66%,
      indicating such an auxiliary electrode is a good candidate method to greatly
      improve the deposition uniformity of nanofibers in massive electrospinning.

PMID- 28335264
TI  - Antimicrobial Properties of Biofunctionalized Silver Nanoparticles on Clinical
      Isolates of Streptococcus mutans and Its Serotypes.
AB  - (1) Background: Streptococcus mutans (S. mutans) is the principal pathogen
      involved in the formation of dental caries. Other systemic diseases have also
      been associated with specific S. mutans serotypes (c, e, f, and k). Silver
      nanoparticles (SNP) have been demonstrated to have good antibacterial effects
      against S. mutans; therefore, limited studies have evaluated the antimicrobial
      activity of biofunctionalized SNP on S. mutans serotypes. The purpose of this
      work was to prepare and characterize coated SNP using two different organic
      components and to evaluate the antimicrobial activity of SNP in clinical isolates
      of S. mutans strains and serotypes; (2) Methods: SNP with bovine serum albumin
      (BSA) or chitosan (CS) coatings were prepared and the physical, chemical and
      microbiological properties of SNP were evaluated; (3) Results: Both types of
      coated SNP showed antimicrobial activity against S. mutans bacteria and
      serotypes. Better inhibition was associated with smaller particles and BSA
      coatings; however, no significant differences were found between the different
      serotypes, indicating a similar sensitivity to the coated SNP; (4) Conclusion:
      This study concludes that BSA and CS coated SNP had good antimicrobial activity
      against S. mutans strains and the four serotypes, and this study suggest the
      widespread use of SNP as an antimicrobial agent for the inhibition of S. mutans
      bacteria.

PMID- 28335265
TI  - Green Synthesis of Hierarchically Structured Silver-Polymer Nanocomposites with
      Antibacterial Activity.
AB  - The in situ formation of silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) aided by chondroitin
      sulfate and the preparation of a hierarchically structured silver-polymer
      nanocomposite with antimicrobial activity is shown. Green synthesis of AgNPs is
      carried out by thermal treatment (80 and 90  degrees C) or UV irradiation of a
      chondroitin sulfate solution containing AgNO3 without using any further reducing
      agents or stabilizers. Best control of the AgNPs size and polydispersity was
      achieved by UV irradiation. The ice-segregation-induced self-assembly (ISISA)
      process, in which the polymer solution containing the AgNPs is frozen
      unidirectionally, and successively freeze-drying were employed to produce the
      chondroitin sulfate 3D scaffolds. The scaffolds were further crosslinked with
      hexamethylene diisocyanate vapors to avoid water solubility of the 3D structures
      in aqueous environments. The antimicrobial activity of the scaffolds was tested
      against Escherichia coli. The minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) found for
      AgNPs-CS (chondroitin sulfate) scaffolds was ca. 6 ppm.

PMID- 28335266
TI  - Synthesis of p-Co3O4/n-TiO2 Nanoparticles for Overall Water Splitting under
      Visible Light Irradiation.
AB  - p-Co3O4/n-TiO2 nanoparticles (~400 nm) for photocatalysis were prepared via
      carbon assisted method and sol-gel method in this work. The paper also studied
      the application of visible light illuminated p-Co3O4/n-TiO2 nanocomposites
      cocatalyst to the overall pure water splitting into H2 and O2. In addition, the
      H2 evolution rate of the p-Co3O4/n-TiO2 nanocomposites is 25% higher than that of
      the pure Co3O4 nanoparticles. Besides, according to the results of the
      characterizations, the scheme of visible light photocatalytic water splitting is
      proposed, the Co3O4 of the nanocomposites is excited by visible light, and the
      photo-generated electrons and holes existing on the conduction band of Co3O4 and
      valence band of TiO2 have endowed the photocatalytic evolution of H2 and O2 with
      higher efficiency. The optimal evolution rate of H2 and O2 is 8.16 MUmol/h.g and
      4.0 MUmol/h.g, respectively.

PMID- 28335262
TI  - Nanomaterials for Tissue Engineering In Dentistry.
AB  - The tissue engineering (TE) of dental oral tissue is facing significant changes
      in clinical treatments in dentistry. TE is based on a stem cell, signaling
      molecule, and scaffold triad that must be known and calibrated with attention to
      specific sectors in dentistry. This review article shows a summary of micro- and
      nanomorphological characteristics of dental tissues, of stem cells available in
      the oral region, of signaling molecules usable in TE, and of scaffolds available
      to guide partial or total reconstruction of hard, soft, periodontal, and bone
      tissues. Some scaffoldless techniques used in TE are also presented. Then actual
      and future roles of nanotechnologies about TE in dentistry are presented.

PMID- 28335268
TI  - Optoelectronic and Electrochemical Properties of Vanadium Pentoxide Nanowires
      Synthesized by Vapor-Solid Process.
AB  - Substantial synthetic vanadium pentoxide (V2O5) nanowires were successfully
      produced by a vapor-solid (VS) method of thermal evaporation without using
      precursors as nucleation sites for single crystalline V2O5 nanowires with a (110)
      growth plane. The micromorphology and microstructure of V2O5 nanowires were
      analyzed by scanning electron microscope (SEM), energy-dispersive X-ray
      spectroscope (EDS), transmission electron microscope (TEM) and X-ray diffraction
      (XRD). The spiral growth mechanism of V2O5 nanowires in the VS process is proved
      by a TEM image. The photo-luminescence (PL) spectrum of V2O5 nanowires shows
      intrinsic (410 nm and 560 nm) and defect-related (710 nm) emissions, which are
      ascribable to the bound of inter-band transitions (V 3d conduction band to O 2p
      valence band). The electrical resistivity could be evaluated as 64.62 Omega.cm
      via four-point probe method. The potential differences between oxidation peak and
      reduction peak are 0.861 V and 0.470 V for the first and 10th cycle,
      respectively.

PMID- 28335267
TI  - DNA-Based Enzyme Reactors and Systems.
AB  - During recent years, the possibility to create custom biocompatible nanoshapes
      using DNA as a building material has rapidly emerged. Further, these rationally
      designed DNA structures could be exploited in positioning pivotal molecules, such
      as enzymes, with nanometer-level precision. This feature could be used in the
      fabrication of artificial biochemical machinery that is able to mimic the complex
      reactions found in living cells. Currently, DNA-enzyme hybrids can be used to
      control (multi-enzyme) cascade reactions and to regulate the enzyme functions and
      the reaction pathways. Moreover, sophisticated DNA structures can be utilized in
      encapsulating active enzymes and delivering the molecular cargo into cells. In
      this review, we focus on the latest enzyme systems based on novel DNA
      nanostructures: enzyme reactors, regulatory devices and carriers that can find
      uses in various biotechnological and nanomedical applications.

PMID- 28335269
TI  - Galactosylated Liposomes for Targeted Co-Delivery of Doxorubicin/Vimentin siRNA
      to Hepatocellular Carcinoma.
AB  - The combination of therapeutic nucleic acids and chemotherapeutic drugs has shown
      great promise for cancer therapy. In this study, asialoglycoprotein receptors
      (ASGPR) targeting-ligand-based liposomes were tested to determine whether they
      can co-deliver vimentin siRNA and doxorubicin to hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC)
      selectively. To achieve this goal, we developed an ASGPR receptor targeted co
      delivery system called gal-doxorubicin/vimentin siRNA liposome (Gal-DOX/siRNA-L).
      The Gal-DOX/siRNA-L was created via electrostatic interaction of galactose linked
      cationic liposomal doxorubicin (Gal-DOX-L) on vimentin siRNA. Previous studies
      have shown that Gal-DOX/siRNA-L inhibited tumor growth by combined effect of DOX
      and vimentin siRNA than single delivery of either DOX or vimentin siRNA. These
      Gal-DOX/siRNA-Ls showed stronger affinity to human hepatocellular carcinoma cells
      (Huh7) than other cells (lung epithelial carcinoma, A549). These liposomes also
      have demonstrated that novel hepatic drug/gene delivery systems composed of
      cationic lipid (DMKE: O,O'-dimyristyl-N-lysyl glutamate), cholesterol,
      galactosylated ceramide, POPC (1-palmitoyl-2-oleoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine),
      and PEG2000-DSPE (distearoyl phosphatidyl ethanolamine) at 2:1:1:1:0.2 (moral
      ratios) can be used as an effective drug/gene carrier specifically targeting the
      liver in vivo. These results suggest that Gal-DOX-siRNA-L could effectively
      target tumor cells, enhance transfection efficacy and subsequently achieve the co
      delivery of DOX and siRNA, demonstrating great potential for synergistic anti
      tumor therapy.

PMID- 28335270
TI  - Review of Recent Developments on Using an Off-Lattice Monte Carlo Approach to
      Predict the Effective Thermal Conductivity of Composite Systems with Complex
      Structures.
AB  - Here, we present a review of recent developments for an off-lattice Monte Carlo
      approach used to investigate the thermal transport properties of multiphase
      composites with complex structure. The thermal energy was quantified by a large
      number of randomly moving thermal walkers. Different modes of heat conduction
      were modeled in appropriate ways. The diffusive heat conduction in the polymer
      matrix was modeled with random Brownian motion of thermal walkers within the
      polymer, and the ballistic heat transfer within the carbon nanotubes (CNTs) was
      modeled by assigning infinite speed of thermal walkers in the CNTs. Three case
      studies were conducted to validate the developed approach, including three-phase
      single-walled CNTs/tungsten disulfide (WS2)/(poly(ether ether ketone) (PEEK)
      composites, single-walled CNT/WS2/PEEK composites with the CNTs clustered in
      bundles, and complex graphene/poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) composites. In all
      cases, resistance to heat transfer due to nanoscale phenomena was also modeled.
      By quantitatively studying the influencing factors on the thermal transport
      properties of the multiphase composites, it was found that the orientation,
      aggregation and morphology of fillers, as well as the interfacial thermal
      resistance at filler-matrix interfaces would limit the transfer of heat in the
      composites. These quantitative findings may be applied in the design and
      synthesis of multiphase composites with specific thermal transport properties.

PMID- 28335272
TI  - Silicon Nanowire Photocathodes for Photoelectrochemical Hydrogen Production.
AB  - The performance of silicon for water oxidation and hydrogen production can be
      improved by exploiting the antireflective properties of nanostructured silicon
      substrates. In this work, silicon nanowires were fabricated by metal-assisted
      electroless etching of silicon. An enhanced photocurrent density of -17 mA/cm2
      was observed for the silicon nanowires coated with an iron sulphur carbonyl
      catalyst when compared to bare silicon nanowires (-5 mA/cm2). A substantial
      amount of 315 umol/h hydrogen gas was produced at low bias potentials for the
      silicon nanowires coated with an iron sulphur carbonyl catalyst.

PMID- 28335271
TI  - Distribution of Iron Oxide Core-Titanium Dioxide Shell Nanoparticles in VX2 Tumor
      Bearing Rabbits Introduced by Two Different Delivery Modalities.
AB  - This work compares intravenous (IV) versus fluoroscopy-guided transarterial intra
      catheter (IC) delivery of iron oxide core-titanium dioxide shell nanoparticles
      (NPs) in vivo in VX2 model of liver cancer in rabbits. NPs coated with glucose
      and decorated with a peptide sequence from cortactin were administered to animals
      with developed VX2 liver cancer. Two hours after NPs delivery tumors, normal
      liver, kidney, lung and spleen tissues were harvested and used for a series on
      histological and elemental analysis tests. Quantification of NPs in tissues was
      done both by bulk inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) analysis
      and by hard X-ray fluorescence microscopy. Both IV and IC NPs injection are
      feasible modalities for delivering NPs to VX2 liver tumors with comparable tumor
      accumulation. It is possible that this is an outcome of the fact that VX2 tumors
      are highly vascularized and hemorrhagic, and therefore enhanced permeability and
      retention (EPR) plays the most significant role in accumulation of nanoparticles
      in tumor tissue. It is, however, interesting to note that IV delivery led to
      increased sequestration of NPs by spleen and normal liver tissue, while IC
      delivery lead to more NP positive Kupffer cells. This difference is most likely a
      direct outcome of blood flow dynamics. Armed with this knowledge about
      nanoparticle delivery, we plan to test them as radiosensitizers in the future.

PMID- 28335273
TI  - Nanostructured Solar Cells.
AB  - We are glad to announce the Special Issue "Nanostructured Solar Cells", published
      in Nanomaterials. This issue consists of eight articles, two communications, and
      one review paper, covering major important aspects of nanostructured solar cells
      of varying types. From fundamental physicochemical investigations to
      technological advances, and from single junction solar cells (silicon solar cell,
      dye sensitized solar cell, quantum dots sensitized solar cell, and small molecule
      organic solar cell) to tandem multi-junction solar cells, all aspects are
      included and discussed in this issue to advance the use of nanotechnology to
      improve the performance of solar cells with reduced fabrication costs.

PMID- 28335274
TI  - Metallic Nanostructures Based on DNA Nanoshapes.
AB  - Metallic nanostructures have inspired extensive research over several decades,
      particularly within the field of nanoelectronics and increasingly in plasmonics.
      Due to the limitations of conventional lithography methods, the development of
      bottom-up fabricated metallic nanostructures has become more and more in demand.
      The remarkable development of DNA-based nanostructures has provided many
      successful methods and realizations for these needs, such as chemical DNA
      metallization via seeding or ionization, as well as DNA-guided lithography and
      casting of metallic nanoparticles by DNA molds. These methods offer high
      resolution, versatility and throughput and could enable the fabrication of
      arbitrarily-shaped structures with a 10-nm feature size, thus bringing novel
      applications into view. In this review, we cover the evolution of DNA-based
      metallic nanostructures, starting from the metallized double-stranded DNA for
      electronics and progress to sophisticated plasmonic structures based on DNA
      origami objects.

PMID- 28335275
TI  - Methanol-Tolerant Platinum-Palladium Catalyst Supported on Nitrogen-Doped Carbon
      Nanofiber for High Concentration Direct Methanol Fuel Cells.
AB  - Pt-Pd catalyst supported on nitrogen-doped carbon nanofiber (N-CNF) was prepared
      and evaluated as a cathode electrode of the direct methanol fuel cell (DMFC). The
      N-CNF, which was directly synthesized by the catalytic chemical vapor deposition
      from acetonitrile at 640  degrees C, was verified as having a change of
      electrochemical surface properties such as oxygen reduction reaction (ORR)
      activities and the electrochemical double layer compared with common carbon black
      (CB). To attain the competitive oxygen reduction reaction activity with methanol
      tolerance, the Pt and Pd metals were supported on the CB or the N-CNF. The
      physical and electrochemical characteristics of the N-CNF-supported Pt-Pd
      catalyst were examined and compared with catalyst supported on the CB. In
      addition, DMFC single cells using these catalysts as the cathode electrode were
      applied to obtain I-V polarization curves and constant current operating
      performances with high-concentration methanol as the fuel. Pt-Pd catalysts had
      obvious ORR activity even in the presence of methanol. The higher power density
      was obtained at all the methanol concentrations when it applied to the membrane
      electrode assembly (MEA) of the DMFC. When the N-CNF is used as the catalyst
      support material, a better performance with high-concentration methanol is
      expected.

PMID- 28335276
TI  - Flexible Textile-Based Organic Transistors Using Graphene/Ag Nanoparticle
      Electrode.
AB  - Highly flexible and electrically-conductive multifunctional textiles are
      desirable for use in wearable electronic applications. In this study, we
      fabricated multifunctional textile composites by vacuum filtration and wet
      transfer of graphene oxide films on a flexible polyethylene terephthalate (PET)
      textile in association with embedding Ag nanoparticles (AgNPs) to improve the
      electrical conductivity. A flexible organic transistor can be developed by direct
      transfer of a dielectric/semiconducting double layer on the graphene/AgNP textile
      composite, where the textile composite was used as both flexible substrate and
      conductive gate electrode. The thermal treatment of a textile-based transistor
      enhanced the electrical performance (mobility = 7.2 cm2.V-1.s-1, on/off current
      ratio = 4 * 105, and threshold voltage = -1.1 V) due to the improvement of
      interfacial properties between the conductive textile electrode and the ion-gel
      dielectric layer. Furthermore, the textile transistors exhibited highly stable
      device performance under extended bending conditions (with a bending radius down
      to 3 mm and repeated tests over 1000 cycles). We believe that our simple methods
      for the fabrication of graphene/AgNP textile composite for use in textile-type
      transistors can potentially be applied to the development of flexible large-area
      electronic clothes.

PMID- 28335277
TI  - Receptor-Meditated Endocytosis by Hyaluronic Acid@Superparamagnetic Nanovetor for
      Targeting of CD44-Overexpressing Tumor Cells.
AB  - The present report proposes a more rational hyaluronic acid (HA) conjugation
      protocol that can be used to modify the surface of the superparamagnetic iron
      oxide nanoparticles (SPIONs) by covalently binding the targeting molecules (HA)
      with glutamic acid as a molecular linker on peripheral surface of SPIONs. The
      synthesis of HA-Glutamic Acid (GA)@SPIONs was included oxidization of
      nanoparticle's surface with H2O2 followed by activation of hydroxyl group and
      reacting glutamic acid as an intermediate molecule demonstrating transfection of
      lung cancer cells. Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) and zeta-potential studies
      confirmed the chemical bonding between amino acid linker and polysaccharides. 3
      (4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) cytotoxicity
      assay showed that HA-SPIONs-treated cells remained 82.9% +/- 2.7% alive at high
      particle dosage (200 ug/mL iron concentration), whereas GA-SPIONs and bare SPIONs
      (B-SPIONs) treated cells had only 59.3% +/- 13.4% and 26.5% +/- 3.1% survival
      rate at the same conditions, respectively. Confocal microscopy analysis showed
      increased cellular internalization of HA-SPIONs compared to non-interacting
      agarose coated SPIONs (AgA-SPIONs).

PMID- 28335278
TI  - Recent Prospects in the Inline Monitoring of Nanocomposites and Nanocoatings by
      Optical Technologies.
AB  - Nanostructured materials have emerged as a key research field in order to confer
      materials with unique or enhanced properties. The performance of nanocomposites
      depends on a number of parameters, but the suitable dispersion of nanoparticles
      remains the key in order to obtain the full nanocomposites' potential in terms
      of, e.g., flame retardance, mechanical, barrier, thermal properties, etc.
      Likewise, the performance of nanocoatings to obtain, for example, tailored
      surface affinity with selected liquids (e.g., for self-cleaning ability or anti
      fog properties), protective effects against flame propagation, ultra violet (UV)
      radiation or gas permeation, is highly dependent on the nanocoating's thickness
      and homogeneity. In terms of recent advances in the monitoring of nanocomposites
      and nanocoatings, this review discusses commonly-used offline characterization
      approaches, as well as promising inline systems. All in all, having good control
      over both the dispersion and thickness of these materials would help with
      reaching optimal and consistent properties to allow nanocomposites to extend
      their use.

PMID- 28335279
TI  - A Novel Polyvinylidene Fluoride Tree-Like Nanofiber Membrane for Microfiltration.
AB  - A novel polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) tree-like nanofiber membrane (PVDF-TLNM)
      was fabricated by adding tetrabutylammonium chloride (TBAC) into a PVDF spinning
      solution via one-step electrospinning. The structure of the prepared membranes
      was characterized by field emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM),
      Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR) and pore size analysis, and the
      hydrophilic property and microfiltration performance were also evaluated. The
      results showed that the tree-like nanofiber was composed of trunk fibers and
      branch fibers with diameters of 100-500 nm and 5-100 nm, respectively. The pore
      size of PVDF-TLNM (0.36 MUm) was smaller than that of a common nanofiber membrane
      (3.52 MUm), and the hydrophilic properties of the membranes were improved
      significantly. The PVDF-TLNM with a thickness of 30 +/- 2 MUm showed a
      satisfactory retention ratio of 99.9% against 0.3 MUm polystyrene (PS) particles
      and a high pure water flux of 2.88 * 104 L.m-2.h-1 under the pressure of 25 psi.
      This study highlights the potential benefits of this novel PVDF tree-like
      nanofiber membrane in the membrane field, which can achieve high flux rates at
      low pressure.

PMID- 28335280
TI  - Pregnancy Vaccination with Gold Glyco-Nanoparticles Carrying Listeria
      monocytogenes Peptides Protects against Listeriosis and Brain- and Cutaneous
      Associated Morbidities.
AB  - Listeriosis is a fatal infection for fetuses and newborns with two clinical main
      morbidities in the neonatal period, meningitis and diffused cutaneous lesions. In
      this study, we vaccinated pregnant females with two gold glyconanoparticles (GNP)
      loaded with two peptides, listeriolysin peptide 91-99 (LLO91-99) or
      glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase 1-22 peptide (GAPDH1-22). Neonates born
      to vaccinated mothers were free of bacteria and healthy, while non-vaccinated
      mice presented clear brain affections and cutaneous diminishment of melanocytes.
      Therefore, these nanoparticle vaccines are effective measures to offer pregnant
      mothers at high risk of listeriosis interesting therapies that cross the
      placenta.

PMID- 28335282
TI  - Inverter Circuits Using ZnO Nanoparticle Based Thin-Film Transistors for Flexible
      Electronic Applications.
AB  - Innovative systems exploring the flexibility and the transparency of modern
      semiconducting materials are being widely researched by the scientific community
      and by several companies. For a low-cost production and large surface area
      applications, thin-film transistors (TFTs) are the key elements driving the
      system currents. In order to maintain a cost efficient integration process,
      solution based materials are used as they show an outstanding tradeoff between
      cost and system complexity. In this paper, we discuss the integration process of
      ZnO nanoparticle TFTs using a high-k resin as gate dielectric. The performance in
      dependence on the transistor structure has been investigated, and inverted
      staggered setups depict an improved performance over the coplanar device
      increasing both the field-effect mobility and the ION/IOFF ratio. Aiming at the
      evaluation of the TFT characteristics for digital circuit applications, inverter
      circuits using a load TFT in the pull-up network and an active TFT in the pull
      down network were integrated. The inverters show reasonable switching
      characteristics and V/V gains. Conjointly, the influence of the geometry ratio
      and the supply voltage on the devices have been analyzed. Moreover, as all
      integration steps are suitable to polymeric templates, the fabrication process is
      fully compatible to flexible substrates.

PMID- 28335281
TI  - Study on Utilization of Carboxyl Group Decorated Carbon Nanotubes and Carbonation
      Reaction for Improving Strengths and Microstructures of Cement Paste.
AB  - Carbon nanotubes (CNTs) have excellent mechanical properties and can be used to
      reinforce cement-based materials. On the other hand, the reaction product of
      carbonation with hydroxides in hydrated cement paste can reduce the porosity of
      cement-based materials. In this study, a novel method to improve the strength of
      cement paste was developed through a synergy of carbon nanotubes decorated with
      carboxyl group and carbonation reactions. The experimental results showed that
      the carboxyl group (-COOH) of decorated carbon nanotubes and the surfactant can
      control the morphology of the calcium carbonate crystal of carbonation products
      in hydrated cement paste. The spindle-like calcium carbonate crystals showed
      great morphological differences from those observed in the conventional
      carbonation of cement paste. The spindle-like calcium carbonate crystals can
      serve as fiber-like reinforcements to reinforce the cement paste. By the synergy
      of the carbon nanotubes and carbonation reactions, the compressive and flexural
      strengths of cement paste were significantly improved and increased by 14% and
      55%, respectively, when compared to those of plain cement paste.

PMID- 28335283
TI  - Electrically Tunable Absorption Enhancement with Spectral and Polarization
      Selectivity through Graphene Plasmonic Light Trapping.
AB  - In this paper, anisotropic graphene plasmonic structures are explored for light
      trapping and absorption enhancement in surrounding media. It is shown that
      electrically tunable and versatile spectral and polarization selectivity can be
      realized. Particularly, it is possible to control absorption of the incident
      light's polarization component at a specific wavelength by varying the Fermi
      energy with suitable geometric designs. It may find applications for new types of
      infrared and THz photodetectors and will promote the research of other novel
      polarization devices.

PMID- 28335284
TI  - Graphene-Enabled Electrodes for Electrocardiogram Monitoring.
AB  - The unique parameters of graphene (GN)-notably its considerable electron
      mobility, high surface area, and electrical conductivity-are bringing extensive
      attention into the wearable technologies. This work presents a novel graphene
      based electrode for acquisition of electrocardiogram (ECG). The proposed
      electrode was fabricated by coating GN on top of a metallic layer of a Ag/AgCl
      electrode using a chemical vapour deposition (CVD) technique. To investigate the
      performance of the fabricated GN-based electrode, two types of electrodes were
      fabricated with different sizes to conduct the signal qualities and the skin
      electrode contact impedance measurements. Performances of the GN-enabled
      electrodes were compared to the conventional Ag/AgCl electrodes in terms of ECG
      signal quality, skin-electrode contact impedance, signal-to-noise ratio (SNR),
      and response time. Experimental results showed the proposed GN-based electrodes
      produced better ECG signals, higher SNR (improved by 8%), and lower contact
      impedance (improved by 78%) values than conventional ECG electrodes.

PMID- 28335285
TI  - Graphene and Carbon Quantum Dot-Based Materials in Photovoltaic Devices: From
      Synthesis to Applications.
AB  - Graphene and carbon quantum dots have extraordinary optical and electrical
      features because of their quantum confinement properties. This makes them
      attractive materials for applications in photovoltaic devices (PV). Their
      versatility has led to their being used as light harvesting materials or
      selective contacts, either for holes or electrons, in silicon quantum dot,
      polymer or dye-sensitized solar cells. In this review, we summarize the most
      common uses of both types of semiconducting materials and highlight the
      significant advances made in recent years due to the influence that synthetic
      materials have on final performance.

PMID- 28335286
TI  - Enhanced End-Contacts by Helium Ion Bombardment to Improve Graphene-Metal
      Contacts.
AB  - Low contact resistance between graphene and metals is of paramount importance to
      fabricate high performance graphene-based devices. In this paper, the impact of
      both defects induced by helium ion (He+) bombardment and annealing on the contact
      resistance between graphene and various metals (Ag, Pd, and Pt) were
      systematically explored. It is found that the contact resistances between all
      metals and graphene are remarkably reduced after annealing, indicating that not
      only chemically adsorbed metal (Pd) but also physically adsorbed metals (Ag and
      Pt) readily form end-contacts at intrinsic defect locations in graphene. In order
      to further improve the contact properties between Ag, Pd, and Pt metals and
      graphene, a novel method in which self-aligned He+ bombardment to induce exotic
      defects in graphene and subsequent thermal annealing to form end-contacts was
      proposed. By using this method, the contact resistance is reduced significantly
      by 15.1% and 40.1% for Ag/graphene and Pd/graphene contacts with He+ bombardment
      compared to their counterparts without He+ bombardment. For the Pt/graphene
      contact, the contact resistance is, however, not reduced as anticipated with He+
      bombardment and this might be ascribed to either inappropriate He+ bombardment
      dose, or inapplicable method of He+ bombardment in reducing contact resistance
      for Pt/graphene contact. The joint efforts of as-formed end-contacts and excess
      created defects in graphene are discussed as the cause responsible for the
      reduction of contact resistance.

PMID- 28335287
TI  - Non-Enzymatic Glucose Biosensor Based on CuO-Decorated CeO2 Nanoparticles.
AB  - Copper oxide (CuO)-decorated cerium oxide (CeO2) nanoparticles were synthesized
      and used to detect glucose non-enzymatically. The morphological characteristics
      and structure of the nanoparticles were characterized through transmission
      electron microscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, and X-ray diffraction. The
      sensor responses of electrodes to glucose were investigated via an
      electrochemical method. The CuO/CeO2 nanocomposite exhibited a reasonably good
      sensitivity of 2.77 MUA mM-1cm-2, an estimated detection limit of 10 MUA, and a
      good anti-interference ability. The sensor was also fairly stable under ambient
      conditions.

PMID- 28335288
TI  - Biosynthesis of Silver Nanoparticles Using Taxus yunnanensis Callus and Their
      Antibacterial Activity and Cytotoxicity in Human Cancer Cells.
AB  - Plant constituents could act as chelating/reducing or capping agents for
      synthesis of silver nanoparticles (AgNPs). The green synthesis of AgNPs has been
      considered as an environmental friendly and cost-effective alternative to other
      fabrication methods. The present work described the biosynthesis of AgNPs using
      callus extracts from Taxus yunnanensis and evaluated their antibacterial
      activities in vitro and potential cytotoxicity in cancer cells. Callus extracts
      were able to reduce silver nitrate at 1 mM in 10 min. Transmission electron
      microscope (TEM) indicated the synthesized AgNPs were spherical with the size
      range from 6.4 to 27.2 nm. X-ray diffraction (XRD) confirmed the AgNPs were in
      the form of nanocrystals. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR)
      suggested phytochemicals in callus extracts were possible reducing and capping
      agents. The AgNPs exhibited effective inhibitory activity against all tested
      human pathogen bacteria and the inhibition against Gram-positive bacteria was
      stronger than that of Gram-negative bacteria. Furthermore, they exhibited
      stronger cytotoxic activity against human hepatoma SMMC-7721 cells and induced
      noticeable apoptosis in SMMC-7721 cells, but showed lower cytotoxic against
      normal human liver cells (HL-7702). Our results suggested that biosynthesized
      AgNPs could be an alternative measure in the field of antibacterial and
      anticancer therapeutics.

PMID- 28335289
TI  - Copper Micro-Labyrinth with Graphene Skin: New Transparent Flexible Electrodes
      with Ultimate Low Sheet Resistivity and Superior Stability.
AB  - We have developed self-assembled copper (Cu) micro-labyrinth (ML) with graphene
      skin for transparent flexible electrodes of optoelectronic devices. The Cu ML is
      simply formed by heating a thin Cu film with a 100-nm thickness on a SiO2/Si
      substrate at 950  degrees C under hydrogen ambient to block the oxidation.
      Moreover, the Cu ML can have graphene skin at the surface by inserting carbo
      hydroxyl molecules (CxHy) during heating due to the catalytic decomposition of C
      H bonds on the Cu surface. The Cu ML with graphene skin (Cu ML-G) has superior
      sheet resistivity below 5 Omega/sq and mechanical flexibility without cracks at
      the bending radius of 0.1 cm. Although the transmittance of Cu ML-G is a little
      lower (70%~80%) than that of conventional metallic nanowires electrodes (such as
      Ag, ~90% at the visible wavelength), it has good thermal stability in
      conductivity without any damage at 200  degrees C due to a micro-sized pattern
      and graphene skin which prohibits the surface migration of Cu atoms.

PMID- 28335290
TI  - The Effect of Viscous Air Damping on an Optically Actuated Multilayer MoS2
      Nanomechanical Resonator Using Fabry-Perot Interference.
AB  - We demonstrated a multilayer molybdenum disulfide (MoS2) nanomechanical resonator
      by using optical Fabry-Perot (F-P) interferometric excitation and detection. The
      thin circular MoS2 nanomembrane with an approximate 8-nm thickness was
      transferred onto the endface of a ferrule with an inner diameter of 125 MUm,
      which created a low finesse F-P interferometer with a cavity length of 39.92 MUm.
      The effects of temperature and viscous air damping on resonance behavior of the
      resonator were investigated in the range of -10-80  degrees C. Along with the
      optomechanical behavior of the resonator in air, the measured resonance
      frequencies ranged from 36 kHz to 73 kHz with an extremely low inflection point
      at 20  degrees C, which conformed reasonably to those solved by previously
      obtained thermal expansion coefficients of MoS2. Further, a maximum quality (Q)
      factor of 1.35 for the resonator was observed at 0  degrees C due to viscous
      dissipation, in relation to the lower Knudsen number of 0.0025~0.0034 in the
      tested temperature range. Moreover, measurements of Q factor revealed little
      dependence of Q on resonance frequency and temperature. These measurements shed
      light on the mechanisms behind viscous air damping in MoS2, graphene, and other
      2D resonators.

PMID- 28335291
TI  - Multispectral Emissions of Lanthanide-Doped Gadolinium Oxide Nanophosphors for
      Cathodoluminescence and Near-Infrared Upconversion/Downconversion Imaging.
AB  - Comprehensive imaging of a biological individual can be achieved by utilizing the
      variation in spatial resolution, the scale of cathodoluminescence (CL), and near
      infrared (NIR), as favored by imaging probe Gd2O3 co-doped lanthanide
      nanophosphors (NPPs). A series of Gd2O3:Ln3+/Yb3+ (Ln3+: Tm3+, Ho3+, Er3+) NPPs
      with multispectral emission are prepared by the sol-gel method. The NPPs show a
      wide range of emissions spanning from the visible to the NIR region under 980 nm
      excitation. The dependence of the upconverting (UC)/downconverting (DC) emission
      intensity on the dopant ratio is investigated. The optimum ratios of dopants
      obtained for emissions in the NIR regions at 810 nm, 1200 nm, and 1530 nm are
      applied to produce nanoparticles by the homogeneous precipitation (HP) method.
      The nanoparticles produced from the HP method are used to investigate the dual
      NIR and CL imaging modalities. The results indicate the possibility of using
      Gd2O3 co-doped Ln3+/Yb3+ (Ln3+: Tm3+, Ho3+, Er3+) in correlation with NIR and CL
      imaging. The use of Gd2O3 promises an extension of the object dimension to the
      whole-body level by employing magnetic resonance imaging (MRI).

PMID- 28335292
TI  - A Tunable Photoluminescent Composite of Cellulose Nanofibrils and CdS Quantum
      Dots.
AB  - The preparation of fluorescent nanocomposite materials with tunable emission
      wavelengths by combining cellulose nanofibrils (CNFs) with inorganic
      nanoparticles is important for promoting CNFs applications. A CNF/CdS
      nanocomposite was prepared via in situ compositing at room temperature on
      oxidized CNFs with CdS quantum dots. By controlling the -COOH/Cd2+ ratio on the
      CNF, the feeding time of Na2S and the ultrasonic maturing time, the size of the
      CdS quantum dots on the CNF surface could be adjusted so that to obtain the
      CNF/CdS nanocomposite material with different fluorescent colors. The results
      indicated that the CdS particles quantized were evenly distributed on the CNF.
      The maximum average size of the CdS nanoparticles glowed red under the excitation
      of UV light was 5.34 nm, which could be obtained with a -COOH/Cd2+ ratio of 1.0,
      a Na2S feeding time of 20 min, and an ultrasonic maturing time of 60 min. A
      series of CNF/CdS nanocomposite materials were obtained with CdS nanoparticle
      sizes varying from 3.44 nm to 5.34 nm, the emission wavelength of which varied
      from 546 nm to 655 nm, and their fluorescence color changed from green to yellow
      to red. This is the first time the fluorescence-tunable effect of the CNF/CdS
      nanocomposite has been realized.

PMID- 28335293
TI  - Cholesterol-Modified Amino-Pullulan Nanoparticles as a Drug Carrier: Comparative
      Study of Cholesterol-Modified Carboxyethyl Pullulan and Pullulan Nanoparticles.
AB  - To search for nano-drug preparations with high efficiency in tumor treatment, we
      evaluated the drug-loading capacity and cell-uptake toxicity of three kinds of
      nanoparticles (NPs). Pullulan was grafted with ethylenediamine and hydrophobic
      groups to form hydrophobic cholesterol-modified amino-pullulan (CHAP) conjugates.
      Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and nuclear magnetic resonance were used
      to identify the CHAP structure and calculate the degree of substitution of the
      cholesterol group. We compared three types of NPs with close cholesterol
      hydrophobic properties: CHAP, cholesterol-modified pullulan (CHP), and
      cholesterol-modified carboxylethylpullulan (CHCP), with the degree of
      substitution of cholesterol of 2.92%, 3.11%, and 3.46%, respectively. As compared
      with the two other NPs, CHAP NPs were larger, 263.9 nm, and had a positive
      surface charge of 7.22 mV by dynamic light-scattering measurement. CHAP NPs
      showed low drug-loading capacity, 12.3%, and encapsulation efficiency of 70.8%,
      which depended on NP hydrophobicity and was affected by surface charge. The drug
      release amounts of all NPs increased in the acid media, with CHAP NPs showing
      drug-release sensitivity with acid change. Cytotoxicity of HeLa cells was highest
      with mitoxantrone-loaded CHAP NPs on MTT assay. CHAP NPs may have potential as a
      high-efficiency drug carrier for tumor treatment.

PMID- 28335294
TI  - Preparation, Characterization and Manipulation of Conjugates between Gold
      Nanoparticles and DNA.
AB  - Here we described the preparation and characterization by atomic force microscopy
      of dumbbell-shaped conjugates between 450 bp double-stranded DNA polymer,
      poly(dG)-poly(dC), and 5 nm gold nanoparticles (GNPs). We have demonstrated that
      the size of the nanoparticles in the conjugates can be increased in a controlled
      fashion. Application of the conjugates for measuring the electrical conductivity
      of DNA is discussed.

PMID- 28335296
TI  - Controlled Mechanical Cracking of Metal Films Deposited on Polydimethylsiloxane
      (PDMS).
AB  - Stretchable large area electronics conform to arbitrarily-shaped 3D surfaces and
      enables comfortable contact to the human skin and other biological tissue. There
      are approaches allowing for large area thin films to be stretched by tens of
      percent without cracking. The approach presented here does not prevent cracking,
      rather it aims to precisely control the crack positions and their orientation.
      For this purpose, the polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) is hardened by exposure to
      ultraviolet radiation (172 nm) through an exposure mask. Only well-defined
      patterns are kept untreated. With these soft islands cracks at the hardened
      surface can be controlled in terms of starting position, direction and end
      position. This approach is first investigated at the hardened PDMS surface
      itself. It is then applied to conductive silver films deposited from the liquid
      phase. It is found that statistical (uncontrolled) cracking of the silver films
      can be avoided at strain below 35%. This enables metal interconnects to be
      integrated into stretchable networks. The combination of controlled cracks with
      wrinkling enables interconnects that are stretchable in arbitrary and changing
      directions. The deposition and patterning does not involve vacuum processing,
      photolithography, or solvents.

PMID- 28335295
TI  - Investigation of the Band Structure of Graphene-Based Plasmonic Photonic
      Crystals.
AB  - In this paper, one-dimensional (1D) and two-dimensional (2D) graphene-based
      plasmonic photonic crystals (PhCs) are proposed. The band structures and density
      of states (DOS) have been numerically investigated. Photonic band gaps (PBGs) are
      found in both 1D and 2D PhCs. Meanwhile, graphene-based plasmonic PhC nanocavity
      with resonant frequency around 175 THz, is realized by introducing point defect,
      where the chemical potential is from 0.085 to 0.25 eV, in a 2D PhC. Also, the
      bending wvaguide and the beam splitter are realized by introducing the line
      defect into the 2D PhC.

PMID- 28335297
TI  - Rotation of Magnetization Derived from Brownian Relaxation in Magnetic Fluids of
      Different Viscosity Evaluated by Dynamic Hysteresis Measurements over a Wide
      Frequency Range.
AB  - The dependence of magnetic relaxation on particle parameters, such as the size
      and anisotropy, has been conventionally discussed. In addition, the influences of
      external conditions, such as the intensity and frequency of the applied field,
      the surrounding viscosity, and the temperature on the magnetic relaxation have
      been researched. According to one of the basic theories regarding magnetic
      relaxation, the faster type of relaxation dominates the process. However, in this
      study, we reveal that Brownian and Neel relaxations coexist and that Brownian
      relaxation can occur after Neel relaxation despite having a longer relaxation
      time. To understand the mechanisms of Brownian rotation, alternating current (AC)
      hysteresis loops were measured in magnetic fluids of different viscosities. These
      loops conveyed the amplitude and phase delay of the magnetization. In addition,
      the intrinsic loss power (ILP) was calculated using the area of the AC hysteresis
      loops. The ILP also showed the magnetization response regarding the magnetic
      relaxation over a wide frequency range. To develop biomedical applications of
      magnetic nanoparticles, such as hyperthermia and magnetic particle imaging, it is
      necessary to understand the mechanisms of magnetic relaxation.

PMID- 28335298
TI  - Monitoring Damage Propagation in Glass Fiber Composites Using Carbon Nanofibers.
AB  - In this work, we report the potential use of novel carbon nanofibers (CNFs),
      dispersed during fabrication of glass fiber composites to monitor damage
      propagation under static loading. The use of CNFs enables a transformation of the
      typically non-conductive glass fiber composites into new fiber composites with
      appreciable electrical conductivity. The percolation limit of CNFs/epoxy
      nanocomposites was first quantified. The electromechanical responses of glass
      fiber composites fabricated using CNFs/epoxy nanocomposite were examined under
      static tension loads. The experimental observations showed a nonlinear change of
      electrical conductivity of glass fiber composites incorporating CNFs versus the
      stress level under static load. Microstructural investigations proved the ability
      of CNFs to alter the polymer matrix and to produce a new polymer nanocomposite
      with a connected nanofiber network with improved electrical properties and
      different mechanical properties compared with the neat epoxy. It is concluded
      that incorporating CNFs during fabrication of glass fiber composites can provide
      an innovative means of self-sensing that will allow damage propagation to be
      monitored in glass fiber composites.

PMID- 28335299
TI  - Synthesis of SiC/Ag/Cellulose Nanocomposite and Its Antibacterial Activity by
      Reactive Oxygen Species Generation.
AB  - We describe the synthesis of nanocomposites, based on nanofibers of silicon
      carbide, silver nanoparticles, and cellulose. Silver nanoparticle synthesis was
      achieved with chemical reduction using hydrazine by adding two different
      surfactants to obtain a nanocomposite with silver nanoparticles of different
      diameters. Determination of antibacterial activity was based on respiration
      tests. Enzymatic analysis indicates oxidative stress, and viability testing was
      conducted using an epifluorescence microscope. Strong bactericidal activity of
      nanocomposites was found against bacteria Escherichia coli and Bacillus cereus,
      which were used in the study as typical Gram-negative and Gram-positive bacteria,
      respectively. It is assumed that reactive oxygen species generation was
      responsible for the observed antibacterial effect of the investigated materials.
      Due to the properties of silicon carbide nanofiber, the obtained nanocomposite
      may have potential use in technology related to water and air purification.
      Cellulose addition prevented silver nanoparticle release and probably enhanced
      bacterial adsorption onto aggregates of the nanocomposite material.

PMID- 28335300
TI  - Effect of Particle Size on the Magnetic Properties of Ni Nanoparticles
      Synthesized with Trioctylphosphine as the Capping Agent.
AB  - Magnetic cores of passive components are required to have low hysteresis loss,
      which is dependent on the coercive force. Since it is well known that the
      coercive force becomes zero at the superparamagnetic regime below a certain
      critical size, we attempted to synthesize Ni nanoparticles in a size-controlled
      fashion and investigated the effect of particle size on the magnetic properties.
      Ni nanoparticles were synthesized by the reduction of Ni acetylacetonate in
      oleylamine at 220  degrees C with trioctylphosphine (TOP) as the capping agent.
      An increase in the TOP/Ni ratio resulted in the size decrease. We succeeded in
      synthesizing superparamagnetic Ni nanoparticles with almost zero coercive force
      at particle size below 20 nm by the TOP/Ni ratio of 0.8. However, the saturation
      magnetization values became smaller with decrease in the size. The saturation
      magnetizations of the Ni nanoparticles without capping layers were calculated
      based on the assumption that the interior atoms of the nanoparticles were
      magnetic, whereas the surface-oxidized atoms were non-magnetic. The measured and
      calculated saturation magnetization values decreased in approximately the same
      fashion as the TOP/Ni ratio increased, indicating that the decrease could be
      mainly attributed to increases in the amounts of capping layer and oxidized
      surface atoms.

PMID- 28335302
TI  - Effect of Graphene-Graphene Oxide Modified Anode on the Performance of Microbial
      Fuel Cell.
AB  - The inferior hydrophilicity of graphene is an adverse factor to the performance
      of the graphene modified anodes (G anodes) in microbial fuel cells (MFCs). In
      this paper, different amounts of hydrophilic graphene oxide (GO) were doped into
      the modification layers to elevate the hydrophilicity of the G anodes so as to
      further improve their performance. Increasing the GO doped ratio from 0.15 mg.mg
      1 to 0.2 mg.mg-1 and 0.25 mg.mg-1, the static water contact angle (thetac) of the
      G-GO anodes decreased from 74.2 +/- 0.52 degrees  to 64.6 +/- 2.75 degrees  and
      41.7 +/- 3.69 degrees , respectively. The G-GO0.2 anode with GO doped ratio of
      0.2 mg.mg-1 exhibited the optimal performance and the maximum power density
      (Pmax) of the corresponding MFC was 1100.18 mW.m-2, 1.51 times higher than that
      of the MFC with the G anode.

PMID- 28335301
TI  - Facile Synthesis of g-C3N4 Nanosheets/ZnO Nanocomposites with Enhanced
      Photocatalytic Activity in Reduction of Aqueous Chromium(VI) under Visible Light.
AB  - Graphitic-C3N4 nanosheets (CN)/ZnO photocatalysts (CN/ZnO) with different CN
      loadings were successfully prepared via a simple precipitation-calcination in the
      presence of exfoliated C3N4 nanosheets. Their morphology and structure were
      thoroughly characterized by powder X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron
      microscopy (SEM), high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM), X-ray
      photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), UV-Vis diffuse reflectance spectroscopy (DRS)
      and photoluminescence spectra (PL). The results showed that hexagonal wurzite
      phase ZnO nanoparticles were randomly distributed onto the CN nanosheets with a
      well-bonded interface between the two components in the CN/ZnO composites. The
      performance of the photocatalytic Cr(VI) reduction indicated that CN/ZnO
      exhibited better photocatalytic activity than pure ZnO under visible-light
      irradiation and the photocatalyst composite with a lower loading of CN sheets
      eventually displayed higher activity. The enhanced performance of CN/ZnO
      photocatalysts could be ascribed to the increased absorption of the visible light
      and the effective transfer and separation of the photogenerated charge carriers.

PMID- 28335303
TI  - Detection of Prohibited Fish Drugs Using Silver Nanowires as Substrate for
      Surface-Enhanced Raman Scattering.
AB  - Surface-enhanced Raman scattering or surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS)
      is a promising detection technology, and has captured increasing attention.
      Silver nanowires were synthesized using a rapid polyol method and optimized
      through adjustment of the molar ratio of poly(vinyl pyrrolidone) and silver
      nitrate in a glycerol system. Ultraviolet-visible spectrometry, X-ray
      diffraction, and transmission electron microscopy were used to characterize the
      silver nanowires. The optimal silver nanowires were used as a SERS substrate to
      detect prohibited fish drugs, including malachite green, crystal violet,
      furazolidone, and chloramphenicol. The SERS spectra of crystal violet could be
      clearly identified at concentrations as low as 0.01 ng/mL. The minimum detectable
      concentration for malachite green was 0.05 ng/mL, and for both furazolidone and
      chloramphenicol were 0.1 MUg/mL. The results showed that the as-prepared Ag
      nanowires SERS substrate exhibits high sensitivity and activity.

PMID- 28335305
TI  - Simultaneous Detection of Dopamine and Uric Acid Using a Poly(l-lysine)/Graphene
      Oxide Modified Electrode.
AB  - A novel, simple and selective electrochemical method was investigated for the
      simultaneous detection of dopamine (DA) and uric acid (UA) on a poly(l
      lysine)/graphene oxide (GO) modified glassy carbon electrode (PLL/GO/GCE) by
      differential pulse voltammetry (DPV). The electrochemically prepared PLL/GO
      sensory platform toward the oxidation of UA and DA exhibited several advantages,
      including high effective surface area, more active sites and enhanced
      electrochemical activity. Compared to the PLL-modified GCE (PLL/GCE), GO-modified
      GCE and bare GCE, the PLL/GO/GCE exhibited an increase in the anodic potential
      difference and a remarkable enhancement in the current responses for both UA and
      DA. For the simultaneous detection of DA and UA, the detection limits of 0.021
      and 0.074 MUM were obtained, while 0.031 and 0.018 MUM were obtained as the
      detection limits for the selective detection of UA and DA, using DPV in the
      linear concentration ranges of 0.5 to 20.0 and 0.5 to 35 MUM, respectively. In
      addition, the PLL/GO/GCE demonstrated good reproducibility, long-term stability,
      excellent selectivity and negligible interference of ascorbic acid (AA). The
      proposed modified electrode was successfully implemented in the simultaneous
      detection of DA and UA in human blood serum, urine and dopamine hydrochloride
      injection with satisfactory results.

PMID- 28335304
TI  - Silver Nanoparticle-Embedded Thin Silica-Coated Graphene Oxide as an SERS
      Substrate.
AB  - A hybrid of Ag nanoparticle (NP)-embedded thin silica-coated graphene oxide
      (GO@SiO2@Ag NPs) was prepared as a surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS)
      substrate. A 6 nm layer of silica was successfully coated on the surface of GO by
      the physical adsorption of sodium silicate, followed by the hydrolysis of 3
      mercaptopropyl trimethoxysilane. Ag NPs were introduced onto the thin silica
      coated graphene oxide by the reduction of Ag+ to prepare GO@SiO2@Ag NPs. The
      GO@SiO2@Ag NPs exhibited a 1.8-fold enhanced Raman signal compared to GO without
      a silica coating. The GO@SiO2@Ag NPs showed a detection limit of 4
      mercaptobenzoic acid (4-MBA) at 0.74 MUM.

PMID- 28335306
TI  - Ionic Adsorption and Desorption of CNT Nanoropes.
AB  - A nanorope is comprised of several carbon nanotubes (CNTs) with different
      chiralities. A molecular dynamic model is built to investigate the ionic
      adsorption and desorption of the CNT nanoropes. The charge distribution on the
      nanorope is obtained by using a modified gradient method based on classical
      electrostatic theory. The electrostatic interactions among charged carbon atoms
      are calculated by using the Coulomb law. It was found here that the charged
      nanorope can adsorb heavy metal ions, and the adsorption and desorption can be
      realized by controlling the strength of applied electric field. The distance
      between the ions and the nanorope as well as the amount of ions have an effect on
      the adsorption capacity of the nanorope. The desorption process takes less time
      than that of adsorption. The study indicates that the CNT nanorope can be used as
      a core element of devices for sewage treatment.

PMID- 28335307
TI  - Zinc Oxide Nanorods-Decorated Graphene Nanoplatelets: A Promising Antimicrobial
      Agent against the Cariogenic Bacterium Streptococcus mutans.
AB  - Nanomaterials are revolutionizing the field of medicine to improve the quality of
      life due to the myriad of applications stemming from their unique properties,
      including the antimicrobial activity against pathogens. In this study, the
      antimicrobial and antibiofilm properties of a novel nanomaterial composed by zinc
      oxide nanorods-decorated graphene nanoplatelets (ZNGs) are investigated. ZNGs
      were produced by hydrothermal method and characterized through field-emission
      scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM), energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX)
      and X-ray diffraction (XRD) techniques. The antimicrobial activity of ZNGs was
      evaluated against Streptococcus mutans, the main bacteriological agent in the
      etiology of dental caries. Cell viability assay demonstrated that ZNGs exerted a
      strikingly high killing effect on S. mutans cells in a dose-dependent manner.
      Moreover, FE-SEM analysis revealed relevant mechanical damages exerted by ZNGs at
      the cell surface of this dental pathogen rather than reactive oxygen species
      (ROS) generation. In addition, inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP
      MS) measurements showed negligible zinc dissolution, demonstrating that zinc ion
      release in the suspension is not associated with the high cell mortality rate.
      Finally, our data indicated that also S. mutans biofilm formation was affected by
      the presence of graphene-zinc oxide (ZnO) based material, as witnessed by the
      safranin staining and growth curve analysis. Therefore, ZNGs can be a remarkable
      nanobactericide against one of the main dental pathogens. The potential
      applications in dental care and therapy are very promising.

PMID- 28335309
TI  - Separation of Bacteria, Protozoa and Carbon Nanotubes by Density Gradient
      Centrifugation.
AB  - Sustainable production and use of carbon nanotube (CNT)-enabled materials require
      efficient assessment of CNT environmental hazards, including the potential for
      CNT bioaccumulation and biomagnification in environmental receptors. Microbes, as
      abundant organisms responsible for nutrient cycling in soil and water, are
      important ecological receptors for studying the effects of CNTs. Quantification
      of CNT association with microbial cells requires efficient separation of CNT
      associated cells from individually dispersed CNTs and CNT agglomerates. Here, we
      designed, optimized, and demonstrated procedures for separating bacteria
      (Pseudomonas aeruginosa) from unbound multiwall carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) and
      MWCNT agglomerates using sucrose density gradient centrifugation. We demonstrate
      separation of protozoa (Tetrahymena thermophila) from MWCNTs, bacterial
      agglomerates, and protozoan fecal pellets by centrifugation in an iodixanol
      solution. The presence of MWCNTs in the density gradients after centrifugation
      was determined by quantification of 14C-labeled MWCNTs; the recovery of microbes
      from the density gradient media was confirmed by optical microscopy. Protozoan
      intracellular contents of MWCNTs and of bacteria were also unaffected by the
      designed separation process. The optimized methods contribute to improved
      efficiency and accuracy in quantifying MWCNT association with bacteria and MWCNT
      accumulation in protozoan cells, thus supporting improved assessment of CNT
      bioaccumulation.

PMID- 28335308
TI  - Probe Microscopic Studies of DNA Molecules on Carbon Nanotubes.
AB  - Hybrids of DNA and carbon nanotubes (CNTs) are promising nanobioconjugates for
      nanobiosensors, carriers for drug delivery, and other biological applications. In
      this review, nanoscopic characterization of DNA-CNT hybrids, in particular,
      characterization by scanning probe microscopy (SPM), is summarized. In many
      studies, topographical imaging by atomic force microscopy has been performed.
      However, some researchers have demonstrated advanced SPM operations in order to
      maximize its unique and valuable functions. Such sophisticated approaches are
      attractive and will have a significant impact on future studies of DNA-CNT
      hybrids.

PMID- 28335310
TI  - Effect of Continuous Multi-Walled Carbon Nanotubes on Thermal and Mechanical
      Properties of Flexible Composite Film.
AB  - To investigate the effect of continuous multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) on
      the thermal and mechanical properties of composites, we propose a fabrication
      method for a buckypaper-filled flexible composite film prepared by a two-step
      process involving buckypaper fabrication using vacuum filtration of MWCNTs, and
      composite film fabrication using the dipping method. The thermal conductivity and
      tensile strength of the composite film filled with the buckypaper exhibited
      improved results, respectively 76% and 275% greater than those of the individual
      MWCNT-filled composite film. It was confirmed that forming continuous MWCNT
      fillers is an important factor which determines the physical characteristics of
      the composite film. In light of the study findings, composite films using
      buckypaper as a filler and polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) as a flexible matrix have
      sufficient potential to be applied as a heat-dissipating material, and as a
      flexible film with high thermal conductivity and excellent mechanical properties.

PMID- 28335311
TI  - A Study of Inverted-Type Perovskite Solar Cells with Various Composition Ratios
      of (FAPbI3)1-x(MAPbBr3)x.
AB  - : This work presents mixed (FAPbI3)1-x(MAPbBr3)x perovskite films with various
      composition ratios, x (x = 0-1), which are formed using the spin coating method.
      The structural, optical, and electronic behaviors of the mixed (FAPbI3)1
      x(MAPbBr3)x perovskite films are discussed. A device with structure glass/indium
      tin oxide (ITO)/poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) polystyrene sulfonate
      (PEDOT:PSS)/mixed perovskite/C60/BCP/Ag was fabricated. The mixed perovskite film
      was an active light-harvesting layer. PEDOT: PSS was a hole transporting layer
      between the ITO and perovskite. Both C60 and bathocuproine (BCP) were electron
      transporting layers. MAPbBr3 was added to FAPbI3 with a composition ratio of x =
      0.2, stabilizing the perovskite phase, which exhibited a uniform and dense
      morphology. The optimal device exhibited band matching with C60, resulting in a
      low series resistance (Rsh) and a high fill factor (FF). Therefore, the device
      with composition (FAPbI3)1-x(MAPbBr3)x and x = 0.2 exhibited outstanding
      performance.

PMID- 28335312
TI  - Correction: Yan, X., et al. Study on Utilization of Carboxyl Group Decorated
      Carbon Nanotubes and Carbonation Reaction for Improving Strengths and
      Microstructures of Cement Paste. Nanomaterials 2016, 6, 153.
AB  - The authors wish to make the following correction to this paper [1].[...].

PMID- 28335313
TI  - Triboelectric Hydrogen Gas Sensor with Pd Functionalized Surface.
AB  - Palladium (Pd)-based hydrogen (H2) gas sensors have been widely investigated
      thanks to its fast reaction and high sensitivity to hydrogen. Various sensing
      mechanisms have been adopted for H2 gas sensors; however, all the sensors must be
      powered through an external battery. We report here an H2 gas sensor that can
      detect H2 by measuring the output voltages generated during contact
      electrification between two friction surfaces. When the H2 sensor, composed of Pd
      coated ITO (indium tin oxide) and PET (polyethylene Terephthalate) film, is
      exposed to H2, its output voltage is varied in proportion to H2 concentration
      because the work function (WF) of Pd-coated surface changes, altering
      triboelectric charging behavior. Specifically, the output voltage of the sensor
      is gradually increased as exposing H2 concentration increases. Reproducible and
      sensitive sensor response was observed up 1% H2 exposure. The approach introduced
      here can easily be adopted to development of triboelectric gas sensors detecting
      other gas species.

PMID- 28335314
TI  - Effects of G-Quadruplex Topology on Electronic Transfer Integrals.
AB  - G-quadruplex is a quadruple helical form of nucleic acids that can appear in
      guanine-rich parts of the genome. The basic unit is the G-tetrad, a planar
      assembly of four guanines connected by eight hydrogen bonds. Its rich topology
      and its possible relevance as a drug target for a number of diseases have
      stimulated several structural studies. The superior stiffness and electronic pi
      pi overlap between consecutive G-tetrads suggest exploitation for
      nanotechnologies. Here we inspect the intimate link between the structure and the
      electronic properties, with focus on charge transfer parameters. We show that the
      electronic couplings between stacked G-tetrads strongly depend on the three
      dimensional atomic structure. Furthermore, we reveal a remarkable correlation
      with the topology: a topology characterized by the absence of syn-anti G-G
      sequences can better support electronic charge transfer. On the other hand, there
      is no obvious correlation of the electronic coupling with usual descriptors of
      the helix shape. We establish a procedure to maximize the correlation with a
      global helix shape descriptor.

PMID- 28335315
TI  - Oxidation of CO and Methanol on Pd-Ni Catalysts Supported on Different Chemically
      Treated Carbon Nanofibers.
AB  - In this work, palladium-nickel nanoparticles supported on carbon nanofibers were
      synthesized, with metal contents close to 25 wt % and Pd:Ni atomic ratios near to
      1:2. These catalysts were previously studied in order to determine their activity
      toward the oxygen reduction reaction. Before the deposition of metals, the carbon
      nanofibers were chemically treated in order to generate oxygen and nitrogen
      groups on their surface. Transmission electron microscopy analysis (TEM) images
      revealed particle diameters between 3 and 4 nm, overcoming the sizes observed for
      the nanoparticles supported on carbon black (catalyst Pd-Ni CB 1:2). From the CO
      oxidation at different temperatures, the activation energy Eact for this reaction
      was determined. These values indicated a high tolerance of the catalysts toward
      the CO poisoning, especially in the case of the catalysts supported on the non
      chemically treated carbon nanofibers. On the other hand, apparent activation
      energy Eap for the methanol oxidation was also determined finding-as a rate
      determining step-the COads diffusion to the OHads for the catalysts supported on
      carbon nanofibers. The results here presented showed that the surface functional
      groups only play a role in the obtaining of lower particle sizes, which is an
      important factor in the obtaining of low CO oxidation activation energies.

PMID- 28335316
TI  - Polymer Nanocomposite Film with Metal Rich Surface Prepared by In Situ Single
      Step Formation of Palladium Nanoparticles: An Interesting Way to Combine Specific
      Functional Properties.
AB  - This paper presents a continuous single-step route that permits preparation of a
      thermostable polymer/metal nanocomposite film and to combine different functional
      properties in a unique material. More precisely, palladium nanoparticles are in
      situ generated in a polyimide matrix thanks to a designed curing cycle which is
      applied to a polyamic acid/metal precursor solution cast on a glass plate. A
      metal-rich surface layer which is strongly bonded to the bulk film is formed in
      addition to homogeneously dispersed metal nanoparticles. This specific morphology
      leads to obtaining an optically reflective film. The metal nanoparticles act as
      gas diffusion barriers for helium, oxygen, and carbon dioxide; they induce a
      tortuosity effect which allows dividing the gas permeation coefficients by a
      factor near to 2 with respect to the neat polyimide matrix. Moreover, the ability
      of the in situ synthesized palladium nanoparticles to entrap hydrogen is
      evidenced. The nanocomposite film properties can be modulated as a function of
      the location of the film metal-rich surface with respect to the hydrogen feed.
      The synthesized nanocomposite could represent a major interest for a wide variety
      of applications, from specific coatings for aerospace or automotive industry, to
      catalysis applications or sensors.

PMID- 28335317
TI  - Cytotoxicity of Silver Nanoparticle and Chitin-Nanofiber Sheet Composites Caused
      by Oxidative Stress.
AB  - Size-controlled spherical silver nanoparticles (<10 nm) and chitin-nanofiber
      sheet composites (Ag NPs/CNFS) have previously been reported to have strong
      antimicrobial activity in vitro. Although Ag NPs/CNFS have strong antimicrobial
      activity, their cytotoxicity has not been investigated. This study was performed
      to evaluate the effects of Ag NPs/CNFS on cytotoxicity for fibroblasts in vitro
      and healing delay of wound repair in vivo, focused on oxidative stress. Cytotoxic
      activities of Ag NPs/CNFS were investigated using a fibroblast cell proliferation
      assay, nitric oxide/nitrogen dioxide (NO/NO2) measurement of the cell lysates in
      vitro, inhibitory effects of Ag NPs/CNFS on healing-impaired wound repair using
      diabetic mice in vivo, 8-hydroxy-2'-deoxyguanosine (8-OHdG) immunohistochemical
      staining of the skin sections, and generation of carbonyl protein in the wound
      was performed to evaluate cytotoxicity with oxidative stress. Ag NPs/CNFS
      exhibited cytotoxicity for fibroblasts and a significant increase of total NO/NO2
      levels in the cell lysates in vitro and increased levels of 8-OHdG and carbonyl
      proteins in vivo. Although wound repair in the continuously Ag NPs/CNFS-treated
      group was delayed, it could be mitigated by washing the covered wound with
      saline. Thus, Ag NPs/CNFS may become accepted as an anti-infectious wound
      dressing.

PMID- 28335318
TI  - A Label-Free and Sensitive Fluorescent Qualitative Assay for Bisphenol A Based on
      Rolling Circle Amplification/Exonuclease III-Combined Cascade Amplification.
AB  - Bisphenol A (BPA) detection in drinking water and food packaging materials has
      attracted much attention since the discovery that BPA can interfere with normal
      physiological processes and cause adverse health effects. Here, we constructed a
      label-free aptamer fluorescent assay for selective and sensitive detection of BPA
      based on the rolling circle amplification (RCA)/Exonuclease III (Exo III)
      combined cascade amplification strategy. First, the duplex DNA probe (RP) with
      anti-BPA aptamer and trigger sequence was designed for BPA recognition and signal
      amplification. Next, under the action of BPA, the trigger probe was liberated
      from RP to initiate RCA reaction as primary amplification. Subsequently, the RCA
      products were used to trigger Exo III assisted secondary amplification with the
      help of hairpin probes, producing plenty of "G-quadruplex" in lantern-like
      structures. Finally, the continuously enriched "G-quadruplex lanterns" were
      lightened by zinc(II)-protoporphyrin IX (ZnPPIX) generating enhanced fluorescence
      signals. By integrating the primary RCA and secondary Exo III mediated cascade
      amplification strategy, this method displayed an excellent sensitivity with the
      detection limits of 5.4 * 10-17 M. In addition, the anti-BPA aptamer exhibits
      high recognition ability with BPA, guaranteeing the specificity of detection. The
      reporter signal probe (G-quadruplex with ZnPPIX) provides a label-free
      fluorescence signals readout without complicated labeling procedures, making the
      method simple in design and cost-effective in operation. Moreover, environmental
      samples analysis was also performed, suggesting that our strategy was reliable
      and had a great potential application in environmental monitoring.

PMID- 28335319
TI  - Influence of Quantum Dot Concentration on Carrier Transport in ZnO:TiO2 Nano
      Hybrid Photoanodes for Quantum Dot-Sensitized Solar Cells.
AB  - Zinc oxide nanowire and titanium dioxide nanoparticle (ZnO:TiO2 NW/NP) hybrid
      films were utilized as the photoanode layer in quantum dot-sensitized solar cells
      (QDSSCs). CdSe quantum dots (QDs) with a ZnS passivation layer were deposited on
      the ZnO:TiO2 NW/NP layer as a photosensitizer by successive ion layer adsorption
      and reaction (SILAR). Cells were fabricated using a solid-state polymer
      electrolyte and intensity-modulated photovoltage and photocurrent spectroscopy
      (IMVS/PS) was carried out to study the electron transport properties of the cell.
      Increasing the SILAR coating number enhanced the total charge collection
      efficiency of the cell. The electron transport time constant and diffusion length
      were found to decrease as more QD layers were added.

PMID- 28335320
TI  - Cellular Interactions and Formation of an Epithelial "Nanocoating-Like Barrier"
      with Mesoporous Silica Nanoparticles.
AB  - Oral mucosa as the front-line barrier in the mouth is constantly exposed to a
      complex microenvironment with multitudinous microbes. In this study, the
      interactions of mesoporous silica nanoparticles (MSNs) with primary human
      gingival epithelial cells were analyzed for up to 72 h, and their diffusion
      capacity in the reconstructed human gingival epithelia (RHGE) and porcine ear
      skin models was further assessed at 24 h. It was found that the synthesized
      fluorescent mesoporous silica nanoparticles (RITC-NPs) with low cytotoxicity
      could be uptaken, degraded, and/or excreted by the human gingival epithelial
      cells. Moreover, the RITC-NPs penetrated into the stratum corneum of RHGE in a
      time-dependent manner, while they were unable to get across the barrier of
      stratum corneum in the porcine ear skins. Consequently, the penetration and
      accumulation of RITC-NPs at the corneum layers of epithelia could form a
      "nanocoating-like barrier". This preliminary proof-of-concept study suggests the
      feasibility of developing nanoparticle-based antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory
      agents through topical application for oral healthcare.

PMID- 28335322
TI  - Black Phosphorus: Critical Review and Potential for Water Splitting
      Photocatalyst.
AB  - A century after its first synthesis in 1914, black phosphorus has been attracting
      significant attention as a promising two-dimensional material in recent years due
      to its unique properties. Nowadays, with the development of its exfoliation
      method, there are extensive applications of black phosphorus in transistors,
      batteries and optoelectronics. Though, because of its hardship in mass production
      and stability problems, the potential of the black phosphorus in various fields
      is left unexplored. Here, we provide a comprehensive review of crystal structure,
      electronic, optical properties and synthesis of black phosphorus. Recent research
      works about the applications of black phosphorus is summarized. Among them, the
      possibility of black phosphorous as a solar water splitting photocatalyst is
      mainly discussed and the feasible novel structure of photocatalysts based on
      black phosphorous is proposed.

PMID- 28335323
TI  - Morphology Controlled Fabrication of InN Nanowires on Brass Substrates.
AB  - Growth of semiconductor nanowires on cheap metal substrates could pave the way to
      the large-scale manufacture of low-cost nanowire-based devices. In this work, we
      demonstrated that high density InN nanowires can be directly grown on brass
      substrates by metal-organic chemical vapor deposition. It was found that Zn from
      the brass substrates is the key factor in the formation of nanowires by
      restricting the lateral growth of InN. The nanowire morphology is highly
      dependent on the growth temperature. While at a lower growth temperature, the
      nanowires and the In droplets have large diameters. At the elevated growth
      temperature, the lateral sizes of the nanowires and the In droplets are much
      smaller. Moreover, the nanowire diameter can be controlled in situ by varying the
      temperature in the growth process. This method is very instructive to the
      diameter-controlled growth of nanowires of other materials.

PMID- 28335321
TI  - Two-Dimensional Semiconductor Optoelectronics Based on van der Waals
      Heterostructures.
AB  - Two-dimensional (2D) semiconductors such as transition metal dichalcogenides
      (TMDCs) and black phosphorous have drawn tremendous attention as an emerging
      optical material due to their unique and remarkable optical properties. In
      addition, the ability to create the atomically-controlled van der Waals (vdW)
      heterostructures enables realizing novel optoelectronic devices that are distinct
      from conventional bulk counterparts. In this short review, we first present the
      atomic and electronic structures of 2D semiconducting TMDCs and their exceptional
      optical properties, and further discuss the fabrication and distinctive features
      of vdW heterostructures assembled from different kinds of 2D materials with
      various physical properties. We then focus on reviewing the recent progress on
      the fabrication of 2D semiconductor optoelectronic devices based on vdW
      heterostructures including photodetectors, solar cells, and light-emitting
      devices. Finally, we highlight the perspectives and challenges of optoelectronics
      based on 2D semiconductor heterostructures.

PMID- 28335324
TI  - DNA Origami Reorganizes upon Interaction with Graphite: Implications for High
      Resolution DNA Directed Protein Patterning.
AB  - Although there is a long history of the study of the interaction of DNA with
      carbon surfaces, limited information exists regarding the interaction of complex
      DNA-based nanostructures with the important material graphite, which is closely
      related to graphene. In view of the capacity of DNA to direct the assembly of
      proteins and optical and electronic nanoparticles, the potential for combining
      DNA-based materials with graphite, which is an ultra-flat, conductive carbon
      substrate, requires evaluation. A series of imaging studies utilizing Atomic
      Force Microscopy has been applied in order to provide a unified picture of this
      important interaction of structured DNA and graphite. For the test structure
      examined, we observe a rapid destabilization of the complex DNA origami
      structure, consistent with a strong interaction of single-stranded DNA with the
      carbon surface. This destabilizing interaction can be obscured by an intentional
      or unintentional primary intervening layer of single-stranded DNA. Because the
      interaction of origami with graphite is not completely dissociative, and because
      the frustrated, expanded structure is relatively stable over time in solution, it
      is demonstrated that organized structures of pairs of the model protein
      streptavidin can be produced on carbon surfaces using DNA origami as the
      directing material.

PMID- 28335325
TI  - Nanoscale Electric Characteristics and Oriented Assembly of Halobacterium
      salinarum Membrane Revealed by Electric Force Microscopy.
AB  - Purple membranes (PM) of the bacteria Halobacterium salinarum are a unique
      natural membrane where bacteriorhodopsin (BR) can convert photon energy and pump
      protons. Elucidating the electronic properties of biomembranes is critical for
      revealing biological mechanisms and developing new devices. We report here the
      electric properties of PMs studied by using multi-functional electric force
      microscopy (EFM) at the nanoscale. The topography, surface potential, and
      dielectric capacity of PMs were imaged and quantitatively measured in parallel.
      Two orientations of PMs were identified by EFM because of its high resolution in
      differentiating electrical characteristics. The extracellular (EC) sides were
      more negative than the cytoplasmic (CP) side by 8 mV. The direction of potential
      difference may facilitate movement of protons across the membrane and thus play
      important roles in proton pumping. Unlike the side-dependent surface potentials
      observed in PM, the EFM capacitive response was independent of the side and was
      measured to be at a dC/dz value of ~5.25 nF/m. Furthermore, by modification of PM
      with de novo peptides based on peptide-protein interaction, directional oriented
      PM assembly on silicon substrate was obtained for technical devices. This work
      develops a new method for studying membrane nanoelectronics and exploring the
      bioelectric application at the nanoscale.

PMID- 28335327
TI  - Targeting at the Nanoscale: A Novel S-Layer Fusion Protein Enabling Controlled
      Immobilization of Biotinylated Molecules.
AB  - With the aim of constructing an S-layer fusion protein that combines both
      excellent self-assembly and specific ligand i.e., biotin binding ability,
      streptavidin (aa 16-133) was fused to the S-layer protein of Sporosarcina ureae
      ATCC 13881 (SslA) devoid of its N-terminal 341 and C-terminal 172 amino acids.
      The genetically engineered chimeric protein could be successfully produced in E.
      coli, isolated, and purified via Ni affinity chromatography. In vitro
      recrystallisation experiments performed with the purified chimeric protein in
      solution and on a silicon wafer have demonstrated that fusion of the streptavidin
      domain does not interfere with the self-assembling properties of the S-layer
      part. The chimeric protein self-assembled into multilayers. More importantly, the
      streptavidin domain retained its full biotin-binding ability, a fact evidenced by
      experiments in which biotinylated quantum dots were coupled to the fusion protein
      monomers and adsorbed onto the in vitro recrystallised fusion protein template.
      In this way, this S-layer fusion protein can serve as a functional template for
      the controlled immobilization of biotinylated and biologically active molecules.

PMID- 28335326
TI  - Tuning the Emission Energy of Chemically Doped Graphene Quantum Dots.
AB  - Tuning the emission energy of graphene quantum dots (GQDs) and understanding the
      reason of tunability is essential for the GOD function in optoelectronic devices.
      Besides material-based challenges, the way to realize chemical doping and band
      gap tuning also pose a serious challenge. In this study, we tuned the emission
      energy of GQDs by substitutional doping using chlorine, nitrogen, boron, sodium,
      and potassium dopants in solution form. Photoluminescence data obtained from (Cl-
      and N-doped) GQDs and (B-, Na-, and K-doped) GQDs, respectively exhibited red-
      and blue-shift with respect to the photoluminescence of the undoped GQDs. X-ray
      photoemission spectroscopy (XPS) revealed that oxygen functional groups were
      attached to GQDs. We qualitatively correlate red-shift of the photoluminescence
      with the oxygen functional groups using literature references which demonstrates
      that more oxygen containing groups leads to the formation of more defect states
      and is the reason of observed red-shift of luminescence in GQDs. Further on, time
      resolved photoluminescence measurements of Cl- and N-GQDs demonstrated that Cl
      substitution in GQDs has effective role in radiative transition whereas in N-GQDs
      leads to photoluminescence (PL) quenching with non-radiative transition to ground
      state. Presumably oxidation or reduction processes cause a change of effective
      size and the bandgap.

PMID- 28335328
TI  - Investigation of the Mechanical Properties and Microstructure of Graphene
      Nanoplatelet-Cement Composite.
AB  - In this work, graphene nanoplatelets (GNPs) were dispersed uniformly in aqueous
      solution using methylcellulose (MC) as a dispersing agent via ultrasonic
      processing. Homogenous GNP suspensions were incorporated into the cement matrix
      to investigate the effect of GNPs on the mechanical behavior of cement paste. The
      optimum concentration ratio of GNPs to MC was confirmed as 1:7 by ultraviolet
      visible spectroscopy (UV-Vis), and the optical microscope and transmission
      electron microscopy (TEM) images displayed remarkable dispersing performance. The
      GNP-cement composite exhibited better mechanical properties with the help of
      surface-modified GNPs. The flexural strength of cement paste increased up to 15%
      24% with 0.05 wt % GNPs (by weight of cement). Meanwhile, the compressive
      strength of the GNP-cement composite increased up to 3%-8%. The X-ray diffraction
      (XRD) and thermal analysis (TG/DTG) demonstrated that the GNPs could accelerate
      the degree of hydration and increase the amount of hydration products, especially
      at an early age. Meanwhile, the lower porosity and finer pore size distribution
      of GNP-cement composite were detected by mercury intrusion porosimetry (MIP). In
      addition, scanning electron microscope (SEM) analysis showed the introduction of
      GNPs could impede the development of cracks and preserve the completeness of the
      matrix through the plicate morphology and tortuous behavior of GNPs.

PMID- 28335329
TI  - Nanoparticle-Based Delivery of Anaplasma marginale Membrane Proteins; VirB9-1 and
      VirB10 Produced in the Pichia pastoris Expression System.
AB  - Bovine anaplasmosis or cattle-tick fever is a tick-borne haemolytic disease
      caused by the rickettsial haemoparasite Anaplasma marginale in tropical and
      subtropical areas of the world. While difficult to express, the proteins VirB9-1
      and VirB10 are immunogenic components of the outer membrane type IV secretion
      system that have been identified as candidate antigens for vaccines targeting of
      A. marginale. Soluble VirB9-1 and VirB10 were successfully expressed using Pichia
      pastoris. When formulated with the self-adjuvanting silica vesicles, SV-100
      (diameter: 50 nm, and pore entrance size: 6 nm), 200 ug of VirB9-1 and VirB10
      were adsorbed per milligram of nanoparticle. The VirB9-1 and VirB10, SV-100
      formulations were shown to induce higher antibody responses in mice compared to
      the QuilA formulations. Moreover, intracellular staining of selected cytokines
      demonstrated that both VirB9-1 and VirB10 formulations induced cell-mediated
      immune responses in mice. Importantly, the SV-100 VirB9-1 and VirB10 complexes
      were shown to specifically stimulate bovine T-cell linages derived from calves
      immunised with A. marginale outer membrane fractions, suggesting formulations
      will be useful for bovine immunisation and protection studies. Overall this study
      demonstrates the potential of self-adjuvanting silica vesicle formulations to
      address current deficiencies in vaccine delivery applications.

PMID- 28335330
TI  - Carbon Nanotube (CNT) Honeycomb Cell Area-Dependent Optical Reflectance.
AB  - The relationship between the physical structure of carbon nanotube (CNT)
      honeycomb structures and their total, diffuse, and specular reflectance is
      investigated for the first time. It is found that CNT honeycomb structures with
      average cell areas of smaller than 30 MUm2 show a higher total reflectance.
      Particularly, a thinner, highly packed CNT (buckypaper) film, along with a larger
      wall height and higher ratio of wall height to cell area, markedly increase the
      total reflectance for cell areas smaller than 30 MUm2, which means that a higher
      total area of buckypapers in CNT walls and bottom areas increases the total
      reflectance, including the diffuse reflectance. It is also found that the total
      reflection of non-absorbed light in CNT honeycomb structures consists primarily
      of diffuse reflectance.

PMID- 28335331
TI  - The Use of Spray-Dried Mn3O4/C Composites as Electrocatalysts for Li-O2
      Batteries.
AB  - The electrocatalytic activities of Mn3O4/C composites are studied in lithium
      oxygen (Li-O2) batteries as cathode catalysts. The Mn3O4/C composites are
      fabricated using ultrasonic spray pyrolysis (USP) with organic surfactants as the
      carbon sources. The physical and electrochemical performance of the composites is
      characterized by X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, particle size
      analysis, Brunauer-Emmett-Teller (BET) measurements, elemental analysis,
      galvanostatic charge-discharge methods and rotating ring-disk electrode (RRDE)
      measurements. The electrochemical tests demonstrate that the Mn3O4/C composite
      that is prepared using Trition X-114 (TX114) surfactant has higher activity as a
      bi-functional catalyst and delivers better oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) and
      oxygen evolution reaction (OER) catalytic performance in Li-O2 batteries because
      there is a larger surface area and particles are homogeneous with a meso/macro
      porous structure. The rate constant (kf) for the production of superoxide radical
      (O2*-) and the propylene carbonate (PC)-electrolyte decomposition rate constant
      (k) for M3O4/C and Super P electrodes are measured using RRDE experiments and
      analysis in the 0.1 M tetrabutylammonium hexafluorophosphate (TBAPF6)/PC
      electrolyte. The results show that TX114 has higher electrocatalytic activity for
      the first step of ORR to generate O2*- and produces a faster PC-electrolyte
      decomposition rate.

PMID- 28335332
TI  - Micromechanical Properties of Nanostructured Clay-Oxide Multilayers Synthesized
      by Layer-by-Layer Self-Assembly.
AB  - Clay-based nanostructured multilayers, such as clay-polymer multilayers and clay
      oxide multilayers, have attracted growing attention owing to their remarkable
      mechanical properties and promising application in various fields. In this paper,
      synthesis of a new kind of nanostructured clay-oxide multilayers by layer-by
      layer self-assembly was explored. Nano-mechanical characterization of 18 clay
      based multilayer samples, prepared under as-deposited (i.e., air-dried) and
      annealing conditions at 400  degrees C/600  degrees C with different precursor
      cations and multilayer structure, were carried out using nanoindentation testing,
      atomic force microscopy (AFM), and X-ray diffraction (XRD). The influencing
      factors, including as-deposited and annealing conditions and clay concentrations
      on the mechanical properties were analyzed. Results show that all of the
      multilayers exhibit high bonding strength between interlayers. Higher modulus and
      hardness of clay-based multilayers were obtained with lower clay concentrations
      than that with higher clay concentrations. Different relationships between the
      modulus and hardness and the annealing temperature exist for a specific type of
      clay-oxide multilayer. This work offers the basic and essential knowledge on
      design of clay-based nanostructured multilayers by layer-by-layer self-assembly.

PMID- 28335333
TI  - Plant Mediated Green Synthesis of CuO Nanoparticles: Comparison of Toxicity of
      Engineered and Plant Mediated CuO Nanoparticles towards Daphnia magna.
AB  - Research on green production methods for metal oxide nanoparticles (NPs) is
      growing, with the objective to overcome the potential hazards of these chemicals
      for a safer environment. In this study, facile, ecofriendly synthesis of copper
      oxide (CuO) nanoparticles was successfully achieved using aqueous extract of
      Pterospermum acerifolium leaves. P. acerifolium-fabricated CuO nanoparticles were
      further characterized by UV-Visible spectroscopy, field emission scanning
      electron microscopy (FE-SEM), energy dispersive X-ray (EDX), Fourier transform
      infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and dynamic
      light scattering (DLS). Plant-mediated CuO nanoparticles were found to be oval
      shaped and well dispersed in suspension. XPS confirmed the elemental composition
      of P. acerifolium-mediated copper nanoparticles as comprised purely of copper and
      oxygen. DLS measurements and ion release profile showed that P. acerifolium
      mediated copper nanoparticles were more stable than the engineered CuO NPs.
      Copper oxide nanoparticles are used in many applications; therefore, their
      potential toxicity cannot be ignored. A comparative study was performed to
      investigate the bio-toxic impacts of plant-synthesized and engineered CuO
      nanoparticles on water flea Daphnia. Experiments were conducted to investigate
      the 48-h acute toxicity of engineered CuO NPs and plant-synthesized
      nanoparticles. Lower EC50 value 0.102 +/- 0.019 mg/L was observed for engineered
      CuO NPs, while 0.69 +/- 0.226 mg/L was observed for plant-synthesized CuO NPs.
      Additionally, ion release from CuO nanoparticles and 48-h accumulation of these
      nano CuOs in daphnids were also calculated. Our findings thus suggest that the
      contribution of released ions from nanoparticles and particles/ions accumulation
      in Daphnia needs to be interpreted with care.

PMID- 28335334
TI  - Hybrid Nanostructures Containing Sulfadiazine Modified Chitosan as Antimicrobial
      Drug Carriers.
AB  - Chitosan (CH) nanofibrous structures containing sulfadiazine (SDZ) or
      sulfadiazine modified chitosan (SCH) in the form of functional nanoparticles
      attached to nanofibers (hybrid nanostructures) were obtained by mono-axial and
      coaxial electrospinning. The mono-axial design consisted of a SDZ/CH mixture
      solution fed through a single nozzle while the coaxial design consisted of SCH
      and CH solutions separately supplied to the inner and outer nozzle (or in reverse
      order). The CH ability to form nanofibers assured the formation of a nanofiber
      mesh, while SDZ and SCH, both in form of suspensions in the electrospun solution,
      assured the formation of active nanoparticles which remained attached to the CH
      nanofiber mesh after the electrospinning process. The obtained nanostructures
      were morphologically characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and
      atomic force microscopy (AFM). The SDZ release profiles and kinetics were
      analyzed. The SDZ or SCH nanoparticles loosely attached at the surface of the
      nanofibers, provide a burst release in the first 20 min, which is important to
      stop the possible initial infection in a wound, while the SDZ and SCH from the
      nanoparticles which are better confined (or even encapsulated) into the CH
      nanofibers would be slowly released with the erosion/disruption of the CH
      nanofiber mesh.

PMID- 28335335
TI  - Contact Resistance and Channel Conductance of Graphene Field-Effect Transistors
      under Low-Energy Electron Irradiation.
AB  - We studied the effects of low-energy electron beam irradiation up to 10 keV on
      graphene-based field effect transistors. We fabricated metallic bilayer
      electrodes to contact mono- and bi-layer graphene flakes on SiO2, obtaining
      specific contact resistivity rho c ~ 19 k Omega . u m 2 and carrier mobility as
      high as 4000 cm2.V-1.s-1. By using a highly doped p-Si/SiO2 substrate as the back
      gate, we analyzed the transport properties of the device and the dependence on
      the pressure and on the electron bombardment. We demonstrate herein that low
      energy irradiation is detrimental to the transistor current capability, resulting
      in an increase in contact resistance and a reduction in carrier mobility, even at
      electron doses as low as 30 e-/nm2. We also show that irradiated devices recover
      their pristine state after few repeated electrical measurements.

PMID- 28335336
TI  - Oral Toxicity and Intestinal Transport Mechanism of Colloidal Gold Nanoparticle
      Treated Red Ginseng.
AB  - (1) Background: Application of nanotechnology or nanomaterials in agricultural
      food crops has attracted increasing attention with regard to improving crop
      production, quality, and nutrient utilization. Gold nanoparticles (Au-NPs) have
      been reported to enhance seed yield, germination rate, and anti-oxidant potential
      in food crops, raising concerns about their toxicity potential. In this study, we
      evaluated the oral toxicity of red ginseng exposed to colloidal Au-NPs during
      cultivation (G-red ginseng) in rats and their intestinal transport mechanism. (2)
      Methods: 14-day repeated oral administration of G-red ginseng extract to rats was
      performed, and body weight, hematological, serum biochemical, and
      histopathological values were analyzed. An in vitro model of human intestinal
      follicle-associated epithelium (FAE) and an intestinal epithelial monolayer
      system were used for intestinal transport mechanistic study. (3) Results: No
      remarkable oral toxicity of G-red ginseng extract in rats was found, and Au-NPs
      did not accumulate in any organ, although Au-NP transfer to G-red ginseng and
      some increased saponin levels were confirmed. Au-NPs were transcytozed by
      microfold (M) cells, but not by a paracellular pathway in the intestinal
      epithelium. (4) Conclusion: These findings suggest great potential of Au-NPs for
      agricultural food crops at safe levels. Further study is required to elucidate
      the functional effects of Au-NPs on ginseng and long-term toxicity.

PMID- 28335337
TI  - Effect of Crystal Orientation on Self-Assembly Nanocones Formed on Tungsten
      Surface Induced by Helium Ion Irradiation and Annealing.
AB  - The self-assembly nanocone structures on the surface of polycrystalline tungsten
      were created by He+ ion irradiation and then annealing, and the resulting
      topography and morphology were characterized using atomic force microscopy and
      scanning electron microscopy. The cross-sectional samples of the self-assembly
      nanocones were prepared using an in situ-focused ion beam and then observed using
      transmission electron microscopy. The self-assembly nanocones were induced by the
      combined effect of He+ ion irradiation, the annealing process and the chromium
      impurity. The distribution characteristics, density and morphology of the
      nanocones exhibited a distinct difference relating to the crystal orientations.
      The highest density of the nanocones was observed on the grain surface with a (1
      1 1) orientation, with the opposite for that with a (0 0 1) orientation and a
      medium value on the (1 0 1)-oriented grain. The size of the self-assembly
      nanocones increased with increasing the annealing time which met a power-law
      relationship. Irradiation-induced defects acted as the nucleation locations of
      the protrusions which attracted the migration of the tiny amount of chromium
      atoms. Under the action of temperature, the protrusions finally evolved into the
      nanocones.

PMID- 28335338
TI  - Green Synthesis of Iron Nanoparticles and Their Environmental Applications and
      Implications.
AB  - Recent advances in nanoscience and nanotechnology have also led to the
      development of novel nanomaterials, which ultimately increase potential health
      and environmental hazards. Interest in developing environmentally benign
      procedures for the synthesis of metallic nanoparticles has been increased. The
      purpose is to minimize the negative impacts of synthetic procedures, their
      accompanying chemicals and derivative compounds. The exploitation of different
      biomaterials for the synthesis of nanoparticles is considered a valuable approach
      in green nanotechnology. Biological resources such as bacteria, algae fungi and
      plants have been used for the production of low-cost, energy-efficient, and
      nontoxic environmental friendly metallic nanoparticles. This review provides an
      overview of various reports of green synthesised zero valent metallic iron (ZVMI)
      and iron oxide (Fe2O3/Fe3O4) nanoparticles (NPs) and highlights their substantial
      applications in environmental pollution control. This review also summarizes the
      ecotoxicological impacts of green synthesised iron nanoparticles opposed to non
      green synthesised iron nanoparticles.

PMID- 28335339
TI  - Electrochemical and Capacitive Properties of Carbon Dots/Reduced Graphene Oxide
      Supercapacitors.
AB  - There is much recent interest in graphene-based composite electrode materials
      because of their excellent mechanical strengths, high electron mobilities, and
      large specific surface areas. These materials are good candidates for
      applications in supercapacitors. In this work, a new graphene-based electrode
      material for supercapacitors was fabricated by anchoring carbon dots (CDs) on
      reduced graphene oxide (rGO). The capacitive properties of electrodes in aqueous
      electrolytes were systematically studied by galvanostatic charge-discharge
      measurements, cyclic voltammetry, and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy. The
      capacitance of rGO was improved when an appropriate amount of CDs were added to
      the material. The CD/rGO electrode exhibited a good reversibility, excellent rate
      capability, fast charge transfer, and high specific capacitance in 1 M H2SO4. Its
      capacitance was as high as 211.9 F/g at a current density of 0.5 A/g. This
      capacitance was 74.3% higher than that of a pristine rGO electrode (121.6 F/g),
      and the capacitance of the CD/rGO electrode retained 92.8% of its original value
      after 1000 cycles at a CDs-to-rGO ratio of 5:1.

PMID- 28335340
TI  - Recent Advances in Chiral Nematic Structure and Iridescent Color of Cellulose
      Nanocrystal Films.
AB  - One unique property of cellulose nanocrystals (CNC) is their property of forming
      suspensions with chiral nematic order. This order can be preserved in films cast
      from the suspensions, raising the possibility of applications as photonic
      materials and templates. However, it has proved difficult to generate uniform,
      well-ordered chiral nematic materials from CNC. Recently, the importance of
      kinetic arrest due to gel formation in the later stages of evaporation has been
      recognized as a key step in film formation. In this brief review, recent
      developments regarding the structure of chiral nematic suspensions and films as
      monitored by polarized light microscopy are outlined, and attention is drawn to
      the importance of shear forces on the self-organization process.

PMID- 28335341
TI  - Design and Electrochemical Study of Platinum-Based Nanomaterials for Sensitive
      Detection of Nitric Oxide in Biomedical Applications.
AB  - The extensive physiological and regulatory roles of nitric oxide (NO) have
      spurred the development of NO sensors, which are of critical importance in
      neuroscience and various medical applications. The development of electrochemical
      NO sensors is of significant importance, and has garnered a tremendous amount of
      attention due to their high sensitivity and selectivity, rapid response, low
      cost, miniaturization, and the possibility of real-time monitoring.
      Nanostructured platinum (Pt)-based materials have attracted considerable interest
      regarding their use in the design of electrochemical sensors for the detection of
      NO, due to their unique properties and the potential for new and innovative
      applications. This review focuses primarily on advances and insights into the
      utilization of nanostructured Pt-based electrode materials, such as nanoporous
      Pt, Pt and PtAu nanoparticles, PtAu nanoparticle/reduced graphene oxide (rGO),
      and PtW nanoparticle/rGO-ionic liquid (IL) nanocomposites, for the detection of
      NO. The design, fabrication, characterization, and integration of electrochemical
      NO sensing performance, selectivity, and durability are addressed. The attractive
      electrochemical properties of Pt-based nanomaterials have great potential for
      increasing the competitiveness of these new sensors and open up new opportunities
      in the creation of novel NO-sensing technologies for biological and medical
      applications.

PMID- 28335342
TI  - Innovative Self-Cleaning and Biocompatible Polyester Textiles Nano-Decorated with
      Fe-N-Doped Titanium Dioxide.
AB  - The development of innovative technologies to modify natural textiles holds an
      important impact for medical applications, including the prevention of
      contamination with microorganisms, particularly in the hospital environment. In
      our study, Fe and N co-doped TiO2 nanoparticles have been obtained via the
      hydrothermal route, at moderate temperature, followed by short thermal annealing
      at 400  degrees C. These particles were used to impregnate polyester (PES)
      materials which have been evaluated for their morphology, photocatalytic
      performance, antimicrobial activity against bacterial reference strains, and in
      vitro biocompatibility on human skin fibroblasts. Microscopic examination and
      quantitative assays have been used to evaluate the cellular morphology and
      viability, cell membrane integrity, and inflammatory response. All treated PES
      materials specifically inhibited the growth of Gram-negative bacilli strains
      after 15 min of contact, being particularly active against Pseudomonas
      aeruginosa. PES fabrics treated with photocatalysts did not affect cell membrane
      integrity nor induce inflammatory processes, proving good biocompatibility. These
      results demonstrate that the treatment of PES materials with TiO2-1% Fe-N
      particles could provide novel biocompatible fabrics with short term protection
      against microbial colonization, demonstrating their potential for the development
      of innovative textiles that could be used in biomedical applications for
      preventing patients' accidental contamination with microorganisms from the
      hospital environment.

PMID- 28335343
TI  - Photoelectrochemical Performance Observed in Mn-Doped BiFeO3 Heterostructured
      Thin Films.
AB  - Pure BiFeO3 and heterostructured BiFeO3/BiFe0.95Mn0.05O3 (5% Mn-doped BiFeO3)
      thin films have been prepared by a chemical deposition method. The band
      structures and photosensitive properties of these films have been investigated
      elaborately. Pure BiFeO3 films showed stable and strong response to photo
      illumination (open circuit potential kept -0.18 V, short circuit photocurrent
      density was -0.023 mA.cm-2). By Mn doping, the energy band positions shifted,
      resulting in a smaller band gap of BiFe0.95Mn0.05O3 layer and an internal field
      being built in the BiFeO3/BiFe0.95Mn0.05O3 interface. BiFeO3/BiFe0.95Mn0.05O3 and
      BiFe0.95Mn0.05O3 thin films demonstrated poor photo activity compared with pure
      BiFeO3 films, which can be explained by the fact that Mn doping brought in a
      large amount of defects in the BiFe0.95Mn0.05O3 layers, causing higher carrier
      combination and correspondingly suppressing the photo response, and this negative
      influence was more considerable than the positive effects provided by the band
      modulation.

PMID- 28335344
TI  - A Targeted Nanoprobe Based on Carbon Nanotubes-Natural Biopolymer Chitosan
      Composites.
AB  - A novel targeting theranostic nanoprobe based on single-walled carbon nanotubes
      (SWCNTs)-natural biopolymer chitosan composites was developed for cancer cell
      targeting imaging and fluorescence imaging-guided photodynamic therapy. First,
      chitosan was respectively conjugated with a tumor-homing molecule folic acid, or
      a photosensitizing drug pyropheophorbide a using a water-soluble carbodiimide
      coupling chemistry. Chitosan was fluorescently labeled by fluorescein
      isothiocyanate via the covalently linkage of the isothiocyanate group with the
      amino group. Second, SWCNTs were sonicated in the functional chitosan aqueous
      solution for 6 h at room temperature in order to obtain the nanoprobe (PPa/FITC
      SWCNT-FA). The as-prepared nanoprobe has been characterized with transmission
      electron microscope, confocal microscopy, and cell cytotoxicity tests. Chitosan
      was decorated onto SWCNTs resulting in the water-dispersible PPa/FITC-SWCNT-FA,
      and can be selectively transported inside folate receptor-positive tumor cell
      with good targeting imaging. PPa/FITC-SWCNT-FA exhibited low dark toxicity about
      7%-13%, and high phototoxicity about 60%-74% against HeLa cells upon a 635 nm
      laser irradiation, indicating satisfying biocompatibility and antitumor activity.
      These results suggest the study could offer a feasible alternative to presently
      available nanoparticle-based theranostic agents.

PMID- 28335345
TI  - Electrostatic Self-Assembly of Diamond Nanoparticles onto Al- and N-Polar
      Sputtered Aluminum Nitride Surfaces.
AB  - Electrostatic self-assembly of diamond nanoparticles (DNPs) onto substrate
      surfaces (so-called nanodiamond seeding) is a notable technique, enabling
      chemical vapor deposition (CVD) of nanocrystalline diamond thin films on non
      diamond substrates. In this study, we examine this technique onto differently
      polarized (either Al- or N-polar) c-axis oriented sputtered aluminum nitride
      (AlN) film surfaces. This investigation shows that Al-polar films, as compared to
      N-polar ones, obtain DNPs with higher density and more homogeneously on their
      surfaces. The origin of these differences in density and homogeneity is discussed
      based on the hydrolysis behavior of AlN surfaces in aqueous suspensions.

PMID- 28335346
TI  - A Facile Method to In-Situ Synthesize Porous Ni2GeO4 Nano-Sheets on Nickel Foam
      as Advanced Anode Electrodes for Li-Ion Batteries.
AB  - A strategy for growth of porous Ni2GeO4 nanosheets on conductive nickel (Ni) foam
      with robust adhesion as a high-performance electrode for Li-ion batteries is
      proposed and realized, through a facile two-step method. It involves the low
      temperature hydro-thermal synthesis of bimetallic (Ni, Ge) hydroxide nanosheets
      precursor on Ni foam substrates and subsequent thermal transformation to porous
      Ni2GeO4 nanosheets. The as-prepared Ni2GeO4 nanosheets possess many interparticle
      mesopores with a size range from 5 to 15 nm. The hierarchical structure of porous
      Ni2GeO4 nanosheets supported by Ni foam promises fast electron and ion transport,
      large electroactive surface area, and excellent structural stability. The
      efficacy of the specially designed structure is demonstrated by the superior
      electrochemical performance of the generated Ni2GeO4 nanosheets including a high
      capacity of 1.8 mA.h.cm-2 at a current density of 50 MUA.cm-2, good cycle
      stability, and high power capability at room temperature. Because of simple
      conditions, this fabrication strategy may be easily extended to other mixed metal
      oxides (MxGeOy).

PMID- 28335347
TI  - The Dispersion State of Tangled Multi-Walled Carbon Nanotubes Affects Their
      Cytotoxicity.
AB  - The medical applications of carbon nanotubes (CNTs) have garnered much attention.
      However, evaluating the safety of CNTs remains difficult, and no consensus has
      been reached. Moreover, assessing the biosafety of multi-walled CNTs (MWCNTs),
      which can become tangled during manufacturing, is challenging because they do not
      readily disperse. We studied how the dispersion state of tangled MWCNTs affects
      their cytotoxicity, using three sonicators. Flotube 9110 (FT9110), tangled
      MWCNTs, were dispersed in two dispersants (fetal bovine serum and polysorbate 80)
      using a new type of sonicator (PR-1) and two conventional sonicators. The size
      and cytotoxicity of the dispersed FT9110 were measured using the BEAS-2B human
      bronchial epithelial cell line. The PR-1 dispersed the FT9110 to agglomerates
      <200 nm in diameter; FT9110 dispersed with the PR-1 did not show cytotoxicity
      regardless of dispersant. The other sonicators dispersed the FT9110 to particles
      >1000 nm in diameter, and cytotoxicity depended on the dispersant. We found that
      excluding cells adhered to agglomerated FT9110 before evaluating cytotoxicity can
      lead to false-positive results. The PR-1 sonicator dispersed tangled FT9110 to
      many single fibers, which showed lower cytotoxicity than conventionally-sonicated
      MWCNTs. We suggest that dispersion state should be accounted for when evaluating
      the cytotoxicity of MWCNTs.

PMID- 28335348
TI  - Electrochemical Synthesis of Polypyrrole, Reduced Graphene Oxide, and Gold
      Nanoparticles Composite and Its Application to Hydrogen Peroxide Biosensor.
AB  - Here we report a facile eco-friendly one-step electrochemical approach for the
      fabrication of a polypyrrole (PPy), reduced graphene oxide (RGO), and gold
      nanoparticles (nanoAu) biocomposite on a glassy carbon electrode (GCE). The
      electrochemical behaviors of PPy-RGO-nanoAu and its application to
      electrochemical detection of hydrogen peroxide were investigated by cyclic
      voltammetry. Graphene oxide and pyrrole monomer were first mixed and casted on
      the surface of a cleaned GCE. After an electrochemical processing consisting of
      the electrooxidation of pyrrole monomer and simultaneous electroreduction of
      graphene oxide and auric ions (Au3+) in aqueous solution, a PPy-RGO-nanoAu
      biocomposite was synthesized on GCE. Each component of PPy-RGO-nanoAu is
      electroactive without non-electroactive substance. The obtained PPy-RGO
      nanoAu/GCE exhibited high electrocatalytic activity toward hydrogen peroxide,
      which allows the detection of hydrogen peroxide at a negative potential of about 
      0.62 V vs. SCE. The amperometric responses of the biosensor displayed a
      sensitivity of 40 uA/mM, a linear range of 32 uM-2 mM, and a detection limit of
      2.7 uM (signal-to-noise ratio = 3) with good stability and acceptable
      reproducibility and selectivity. The results clearly demonstrate the potential of
      the as-prepared PPy-RGO-nanoAu biocomposite for use as a highly electroactive
      matrix for an amperometric biosensor.

PMID- 28335350
TI  - Shape and Charge of Gold Nanomaterials Influence Survivorship, Oxidative Stress
      and Moulting of Daphnia magna.
AB  - Engineered nanomaterials (ENMs) are materials with at least one dimension between
      1-100 nm. The small size of ENMs results in a large surface area to volume ratio,
      giving ENMs novel characteristics that are not traditionally exhibited by larger
      bulk materials. Coupled with large surface area is an enormous capacity for
      surface functionalization of ENMs, e.g., with different ligands or surface
      changes, leading to an almost infinite array of variability of ENMs. Here we
      explore the effects of various shaped (spheres, rods) and charged (negative,
      positive) gold ENMs on Daphnia magna (D. magna) in terms of survival, ENM uptake
      and production of reactive oxygen species (ROS), a key factor in oxidative stress
      responses. We also investigate the effects of gold ENMs binding to the carapace
      of D. magna and how this may induce moulting inhibition in addition to toxicity
      and stress. The findings suggest that ENM shape and surface charge play an
      important role in determining ENM uptake and toxicity.

PMID- 28335349
TI  - Exchange Bias Effects in Iron Oxide-Based Nanoparticle Systems.
AB  - The exploration of exchange bias (EB) on the nanoscale provides a novel approach
      to improving the anisotropic properties of magnetic nanoparticles for prospective
      applications in nanospintronics and nanomedicine. However, the physical origin of
      EB is not fully understood. Recent advances in chemical synthesis provide a
      unique opportunity to explore EB in a variety of iron oxide-based nanostructures
      ranging from core/shell to hollow and hybrid composite nanoparticles.
      Experimental and atomistic Monte Carlo studies have shed light on the roles of
      interface and surface spins in these nanosystems. This review paper aims to
      provide a thorough understanding of the EB and related phenomena in iron oxide
      based nanoparticle systems, knowledge of which is essential to tune the
      anisotropic magnetic properties of exchange-coupled nanoparticle systems for
      potential applications.

PMID- 28335351
TI  - Modified Nanoemulsions with Iron Oxide for Magnetic Resonance Imaging.
AB  - A nanoemulsion (NE) is a surfactant-based, oil-in-water, nanoscale, high-energy
      emulsion with a mean droplet diameter of 400-600 nm. When mixed with antigen and
      applied nasally, a NE acts as a mucosal adjuvant and induces mucosal immune
      responses. One possible mechanism for the adjuvant effect of this material is
      that it augments antigen uptake and distribution to lymphoid tissues, where the
      immune response is generated. Biocompatible iron oxide nanoparticles have been
      used as a unique imaging approach to study the dynamics of cells or molecular
      migration. To study the uptake of NEs and track them in vivo, iron oxide
      nanoparticles were synthesized and dispersed in soybean oil to make iron oxide
      modified NEs. Our results show that iron oxide nanoparticles can be stabilized in
      the oil phase of the nanoemulsion at a concentration of 30 ug/MUL and the iron
      oxide-modified NEs have a mean diameter of 521 nm. In vitro experiments
      demonstrated that iron oxide-modified NEs can affect uptake by TC-1 cells (a
      murine epithelial cell line) and reduce the intensity of magnetic resonance (MR)
      images by shortening the T2 time. Most importantly, in vivo studies demonstrated
      that iron oxide-modified NE could be detected in mouse nasal septum by both
      transmission electron microscopy and MR imaging. Altogether these experiments
      demonstrate that iron oxide-modified NE is a unique tool that can be used to
      study uptake and distribution of NEs after nasal application.

PMID- 28335352
TI  - Nano-Biosensor for Monitoring the Neural Differentiation of Stem Cells.
AB  - In tissue engineering and regenerative medicine, monitoring the status of stem
      cell differentiation is crucial to verify therapeutic efficacy and optimize
      treatment procedures. However, traditional methods, such as cell staining and
      sorting, are labor-intensive and may damage the cells. Therefore, the development
      of noninvasive methods to monitor the differentiation status in situ is highly
      desirable and can be of great benefit to stem cell-based therapies. Toward this
      end, nanotechnology has been applied to develop highly-sensitive biosensors to
      noninvasively monitor the neural differentiation of stem cells. Herein, this
      article reviews the development of noninvasive nano-biosensor systems to monitor
      the neural differentiation of stem cells, mainly focusing on optical (plasmonic)
      and eletrochemical methods. The findings in this review suggest that novel nano
      biosensors capable of monitoring stem cell differentiation are a promising type
      of technology that can accelerate the development of stem cell therapies,
      including regenerative medicine.

PMID- 28335353
TI  - The Chemical Deposition Method for the Decoration of Palladium Particles on
      Carbon Nanofibers with Rapid Conductivity Changes.
AB  - Palladium (Pd) metal is well-known for hydrogen sensing material due to its high
      sensitivity and selectivity toward hydrogen, and is able to detect hydrogen at
      near room temperature. In this work, palladium-doped carbon nanofibers (Pd/CNFs)
      were successfully produced in a facile manner via electrospinning. Well-organized
      and uniformly distributed Pd was observed in microscopic images of the resultant
      nanofibers. Hydrogen causes an increment in the volume of Pd due to the ability
      of hydrogen atoms to occupy the octahedral interstitial positions within its face
      centered cubic lattice structure, resulting in the resistance transition of
      Pd/CNFs. The resistance variation was around 400%, and it responded rapidly
      within 1 min, even in 5% hydrogen atmosphere conditions at room temperature. This
      fibrous hybrid material platform will open a new and practical route and
      stimulate further researches on the development of hydrogen sensing materials
      with rapid response, even to low concentrations of hydrogen in an atmosphere.

PMID- 28335354
TI  - Titanium Dioxide Nanoparticle-Biomolecule Interactions Influence Oral Absorption.
AB  - Titanium dioxide (TiO2) nanoparticles (NPs) have been widely applied in various
      industrial fields, such as electronics, packaging, food, and cosmetics.
      Accordingly, concerns about the potential toxicity of TiO2 NPs have increased. In
      order to comprehend their in vivo behavior and potential toxicity, we must
      evaluate the interactions between TiO2 NPs and biomolecules, which can alter the
      physicochemical properties and the fate of NPs under physiological conditions. In
      the present study, in vivo solubility, oral absorption, tissue distribution, and
      excretion kinetics of food grade TiO2 (f-TiO2) NPs were evaluated following a
      single-dose oral administration to rats and were compared to those of general
      grade TiO2 (g-TiO2) NPs. The effect of the interactions between the TiO2 NPs and
      biomolecules, such as glucose and albumin, on oral absorption was also
      investigated, with the aim of determining the surface interactions between them.
      The intestinal transport pathway was also assessed using 3-dimensional culture
      systems. The results demonstrate that slightly higher oral absorption of f-TiO2
      NPs compared to g-TiO2 NPs could be related to their intestinal transport
      mechanism by microfold (M) cells, however, most of the NPs were eliminated
      through the feces. Moreover, the biokinetics of f-TiO2 NPs was highly dependent
      on their interaction with biomolecules, and the dispersibility was affected by
      modified surface chemistry.

PMID- 28335355
TI  - Influence of External Gaseous Environments on the Electrical Properties of ZnO
      Nanostructures Obtained by a Hydrothermal Method.
AB  - This paper deals with experimental investigations of ZnO nanostructures,
      consisting of a mixture of nanoparticles and nanowires, obtained by the chemical
      (hydrothermal) method. The influences of both oxidizing (NO2) and reducing gases
      (H2, NH3), as well as relative humidity (RH) on the physical and chemical
      properties of ZnO nanostructures were tested. Carrier gas effect on the structure
      interaction with gases was also tested; experiments were conducted in air and
      nitrogen (N2) atmospheres. The effect of investigated gases on the resistance of
      the ZnO nanostructures was tested over a wide range of concentrations at room
      temperature (RT) and at 200  degrees C. The impact of near- ultraviolet (UV)
      excitation (lambda = 390 nm) at RT was also studied. These investigations
      indicated a high response of ZnO nanostructures to small concentrations of NO2.
      The structure responses to 1 ppm of NO2 amounted to about: 600% in N2/230% in air
      at 200  degrees C (in dark conditions) and 430% in N2/340% in air at RT (with UV
      excitation). The response of the structure to the effect of NO2 at 200  degrees C
      is more than 105 times greater than the response to NH3, and more than 106 times
      greater than that to H2 in the relation of 1 ppm. Thus the selectivity of the
      structure for NO2 is very good. What is more, the selectivity to NO2 at RT with
      UV excitation increases in comparison at elevated temperature. This paper
      presents a great potential for practical applications of ZnO nanostructures
      (including nanoparticles) in resistive NO2 sensors.

PMID- 28335356
TI  - Refinement of Magnetite Nanoparticles by Coating with Organic Stabilizers.
AB  - Magnetite nanoparticles are of great importance in nanotechnology and
      nanomedicine and have found manifold applications. Here, the effect of coating of
      magnetite nanoparticles with organic stabilizers, such as O-phosphoryl
      ethanolamine, glycerol phosphate, phospho-l-ascorbic acid, phospho-d,l-serine,
      glycolic acid, lactic acid, d,l-malic acid, and d,l-mandelic acid was studied.
      Remarkably, this procedure led to an improvement of saturation magnetization in
      three cases rather than to an unfavorable decrease as usually observed. Detailed
      X-ray powder diffraction investigations revealed that changes in the average
      crystallite occurred in the coating process. Surprisingly, changes of the average
      crystallite sizes in either direction were further observed, when the exposure
      time to the stabilizer was increased. These results imply a new mechanism for the
      well-known coating of magnetite nanoparticles with stabilizers. Instead of the
      hitherto accepted simple anchoring of the stabilizers to the magnetite
      nanoparticle surfaces, a more complex recrystallization mechanism is likely,
      wherein partial re-dispersion of magnetite moieties from the nanoparticles and re
      deposition are involved. The results can help producers and users of magnetite
      nanoparticles to obtain optimal results in the production of core shell magnetite
      nanoparticles.

PMID- 28335357
TI  - The Assembly of DNA Amphiphiles at Liquid Crystal-Aqueous Interface.
AB  - In this article, we synthesized a type of DNA amphiphiles (called DNA-lipids) and
      systematically studied its assembly behavior at the liquid crystal (LC)-aqueous
      interface. It turned out that the pure DNA-lipids at various concentrations
      cannot trigger the optical transition of liquid crystals from planar anchoring to
      homeotropic anchoring at the liquid crystal-aqueous interface. The co-assembly of
      DNA-lipid and l-dilauroyl phosphatidylcholine (l-DLPC) indicated that the DLPC
      assembled all over the LC-aqueous interface, and DNA-lipids prefer to couple with
      LC in certain areas, particularly in polarized and fluorescent image, forming
      micron sized net-like structures. The addition of DNA complementary to DNA-lipids
      forming double stranded DNA-lipids caused de-assembly of DNA-lipids from LC
      aqueous interface, resulting in the disappearance of net-like structures, which
      can be visualized through polarized microscope. The optical changes combined with
      DNA unique designable property and specific interaction with wide range of target
      molecules, the DNA-lipids decorated LC-aqueous interface would provide a new
      platform for biological sensing and diagnosis.

PMID- 28335358
TI  - Optimum Conditions for the Fabrication of Zein/Ag Composite Nanoparticles from
      Ethanol/H2O Co-Solvents Using Electrospinning.
AB  - The optimum conditions for the fabrication of zein/Ag composite nanoparticles
      from ethanol/H2O cosolvents using electrospinning and the properties of the
      composite were investigated. The zein/Ag nanoparticles were characterized using
      field-emission scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy
      (TEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), and thermogravimetric analysis. The antibacterial
      activity of the zein/Ag composite nanoparticles was also investigated. The XRD
      patterns and TEM images indicate the coexistence of a zein matrix and well
      distributed Ag nanoparticles.

PMID- 28335360
TI  - Super-Hydrophobic/Icephobic Coatings Based on Silica Nanoparticles Modified by
      Self-Assembled Monolayers.
AB  - A super-hydrophobic surface has been obtained from nanocomposite materials based
      on silica nanoparticles and self-assembled monolayers of 1H,1H,2H,2H
      perfluorooctyltriethoxysilane (POTS) using spin coating and chemical vapor
      deposition methods. Scanning electron microscope images reveal the porous
      structure of the silica nanoparticles, which can trap small-scale air pockets. An
      average water contact angle of 163 degrees  and bouncing off of incoming water
      droplets suggest that a super-hydrophobic surface has been obtained based on the
      silica nanoparticles and POTS coating. The monitored water droplet icing test
      results show that icing is significantly delayed by silica-based nano-coatings
      compared with bare substrates and commercial icephobic products. Ice adhesion
      test results show that the ice adhesion strength is reduced remarkably by silica
      based nano-coatings. The bouncing phenomenon of water droplets, the icing delay
      performance and the lower ice adhesion strength suggest that the super
      hydrophobic coatings based on a combination of silica and POTS also show
      icephobicity. An erosion test rig based on pressurized pneumatic water impinging
      impact was used to evaluate the durability of the super-hydrophobic/icephobic
      coatings. The results show that durable coatings have been obtained, although
      improvement will be needed in future work aiming for applications in aerospace.

PMID- 28335359
TI  - Temperature- and Angle-Dependent Magnetic Properties of Ni Nanotube Arrays
      Fabricated by Electrodeposition in Polycarbonate Templates.
AB  - Parallel arrays of Ni nanotubes with an external diameter of 150 nm, a wall
      thickness of 15 nm, and a length of 1.2 +/- 0.3 um were successfully fabricated
      in ion-track etched polycarbonate (PC) templates by electrochemical deposition.
      The morphology and crystal structure of the nanotubes were characterized by
      scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and X
      ray diffraction (XRD). Structural analyses indicate that Ni nanotubes have a
      polycrystalline structure with no preferred orientation. Angle dependent
      hysteresis studies at room temperature carried out by using a vibrating sample
      magnetometer (VSM) demonstrate a transition of magnetization between the two
      different magnetization reversal modes: curling rotation for small angles and
      coherent rotation for large angles. Furthermore, temperature dependent magnetic
      analyses performed with a superconducting quantum interference device (SQUID)
      magnetometer indicate that magnetization of the nanotubes follows modified
      Bloch's law in the range 60-300 K, while the deviation of the experimental curve
      from this law below 60 K can be attributed to the finite size effects in the
      nanotubes. Finally, it was found that coercivity measured at different
      temperatures follows Kneller's law within the premises of Stoner-Wohlfarth model
      for ferromagnetic nanostructures.

PMID- 28335361
TI  - Preparation and Characterization of Zirconia-Coated Nanodiamonds as a Pt Catalyst
      Support for Methanol Electro-Oxidation.
AB  - Zirconia-coated nanodiamond (ZrO2/ND) electrode material was successfully
      prepared by one-step isothermal hydrolyzing from ND-dispersed ZrOCl2.8H2O aqueous
      solution. High-resolution transmission electron microscopy reveals that a highly
      conformal and uniform ZrO2 shell was deposited on NDs by this simple method. The
      coating obtained at 90  degrees C without further calcination was mainly composed
      of monoclinic nanocrystalline ZrO2 rather than common amorphous Zr(OH)4 clusters.
      The ZrO2/NDs and pristine ND powder were decorated with platinum (Pt)
      nanoparticles by electrodeposition from 5 mM chloroplatinic acid solution. The
      electrochemical studies indicate that Pt/ZrO2/ND catalysts have higher
      electrocatalytic activity and better stability for methanol oxidation than Pt/ND
      catalysts in acid.

PMID- 28335362
TI  - The Change of Electronic Transport Behaviors by P and B Doping in Nano
      Crystalline Silicon Films with Very High Conductivities.
AB  - Nano-crystalline Si films with high conductivities are highly desired in order to
      develop the new generation of nano-devices. Here, we first demonstrate that the
      grain boundaries played an important role in the carrier transport process in un
      doped nano-crystalline Si films as revealed by the temperature-dependent Hall
      measurements. The potential barrier height can be well estimated from the
      experimental results, which is in good agreement with the proposed model. Then,
      by introducing P and B doping, it is found that the scattering of grain
      boundaries can be significantly suppressed and the Hall mobility is monotonously
      decreased with the temperature both in P- and B-doped nano-crystalline Si films,
      which can be attributed to the trapping of P and B dopants in the grain boundary
      regions to reduce the barriers. Consequently, a room temperature conductivity as
      high as 1.58 * 103 S/cm and 4 * 102 S/cm is achieved for the P-doped and B-doped
      samples, respectively.

PMID- 28335363
TI  - Antimicrobial, Antioxidant, and Anticancer Activities of Biosynthesized Silver
      Nanoparticles Using Marine Algae Ecklonia cava.
AB  - Green synthesis of silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) has gained great interest as a
      simple and eco-friendly alternative to conventional chemical methods. In this
      study, AgNPs were synthesized by using extracts of marine algae Ecklonia cava as
      reducing and capping agents. The formation of AgNPs using aqueous extract of
      Ecklonia cava was confirmed visually by color change and their surface plasmon
      resonance peak at 418 nm, measured by UV-visible spectroscopy. The size, shape,
      and morphology of the biosynthesized AgNPs were observed by transmission electron
      microscopy and dynamic light scattering analysis. The biosynthesized AgNPs were
      nearly spherical in shape with an average size around 43 nm. Fourier transform
      infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) analysis confirmed the presence of phenolic
      compounds in the aqueous extract of Ecklonia cava as reducing and capping agents.
      X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis was also carried out to demonstrate the
      crystalline nature of the biosynthesized AgNPs. Antimicrobial results determined
      by an agar well diffusion assay demonstrated a significant antibacterial activity
      of the AgNPs against Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus. Antioxidant
      results determined by 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) scavenging assay
      revealed an efficient antioxidant activity of the biosynthesized AgNPs. The
      biosynthesized AgNPs also exhibited a strong apoptotic anticancer activity
      against human cervical cancer cells. Our findings demonstrate that aqueous
      extract of Ecklonia cava is an effective reducing agent for green synthesis of
      AgNPs with efficient antimicrobial, antioxidant, and anticancer activities.

PMID- 28335364
TI  - Nickel Based Electrospun Materials with Tuned Morphology and Composition.
AB  - Nickel is set to play a crucial role to substitute the less-abundant platinum in
      clean electrochemical energy conversion and storage devices and catalysis. The
      controlled design of Ni nanomaterials is essential to fine-tune their properties
      to match these applications. A systematic study of electrospinning and thermal
      post-treatment parameters has been performed to synthesize Ni materials and tune
      their morphology (fibers, ribbons, and sponge-like structures) and composition
      (metallic Ni, NiO, Ni/C, Ni3N and their combinations). The obtained Ni-based spun
      materials have been characterized by scanning and transmission electron
      microscopy, X-ray diffraction and thermogravimetric analysis. The possibility of
      upscaling and the versatility of electrospinning open the way to large-scale
      production of Ni nanostructures, as well as bi- and multi-metal systems for
      widened applications.

PMID- 28335366
TI  - Nano Copper Oxide-Modified Carbon Cloth as Cathode for a Two-Chamber Microbial
      Fuel Cell.
AB  - In this work, Cu2O nanoparticles were deposited on a carbon cloth cathode using a
      facile electrochemical method. The morphology of the modified cathode, which was
      characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and Brunauer-Emmett-Teller
      (BET) tests, showed that the porosity and specific surface area of the cathode
      improved with longer deposition times. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and
      cyclic voltammetry (CV) results showed that cupric oxide and cuprous oxide
      coexisted on the carbon cloth, which improved the electrochemical activity of
      cathode. The cathode with a deposition time of 100 s showed the best performance,
      with a power density twice that of bare carbon cloth. Linear sweep voltammetry
      (LSV) and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) results revealed that
      moderate deposition of nano copper oxide on carbon cloth could dramatically
      reduce the charge transfer resistance, which contributed to the enhanced
      electrochemical performance. The mediation mechanism of copper oxide nanocatalyst
      was illustrated by the fact that the recycled conversion between cupric oxide and
      cuprous oxide accelerated the electron transfer efficiency on the cathode.

PMID- 28335365
TI  - Antibacterial Properties of Visible-Light-Responsive Carbon-Containing Titanium
      Dioxide Photocatalytic Nanoparticles against Anthrax.
AB  - The bactericidal activity of conventional titanium dioxide (TiO2) photocatalyst
      is effective only on irradiation by ultraviolet light, which restricts the
      applications of TiO2 for use in living environments. Recently, carbon-containing
      TiO2 nanoparticles [TiO2(C) NP] were found to be a visible-light-responsive
      photocatalyst (VLRP), which displayed significantly enhanced antibacterial
      properties under visible light illumination. However, whether TiO2(C) NPs exert
      antibacterial properties against Bacillus anthracis remains elusive. Here, we
      evaluated these VLRP NPs in the reduction of anthrax-induced pathogenesis.
      Bacteria-killing experiments indicated that a significantly higher proportion
      (40%-60%) of all tested Bacillus species, including B. subtilis, B. cereus, B.
      thuringiensis, and B. anthracis, were considerably eliminated by TiO2(C) NPs.
      Toxin inactivation analysis further suggested that the TiO2(C) NPs efficiently
      detoxify approximately 90% of tested anthrax lethal toxin, a major virulence
      factor of anthrax. Notably, macrophage clearance experiments further suggested
      that, even under suboptimal conditions without considerable bacterial killing,
      the TiO2(C) NP-mediated photocatalysis still exhibited antibacterial properties
      through the reduction of bacterial resistance against macrophage killing. Our
      results collectively suggested that TiO2(C) NP is a conceptually feasible anti
      anthrax material, and the relevant technologies described herein may be useful in
      the development of new strategies against anthrax.

PMID- 28335368
TI  - Shape Evolution of Hierarchical W18O49 Nanostructures: A Systematic Investigation
      of the Growth Mechanism, Properties and Morphology-Dependent Photocatalytic
      Activities.
AB  - Hierarchical tungsten oxide assemblies such as spindle-like structures, flowers
      with sharp petals, nanowires and regular hexagonal structures are successfully
      synthesized via a solvothermal reduction method by simply adjusting the reaction
      conditions. On the basis of the experimental results, it is determined that the
      reaction time significantly influences the phase transition, microstructure and
      photocatalytic activity of the prepared samples. The possible mechanisms for the
      morphology evolution process have been systematically proposed. Moreover, the as
      prepared products exhibit significant morphology-dependent photocatalytic
      activity. The flower-like W18O49 prepared at 6 h possesses a large specific
      surface area (150.1 m2?g-1), improved separation efficiency of electron-hole
      pairs and decreased electron-transfer resistance according to the
      photoelectrochemical measurements. As a result, the flower-like W18O49 prepared
      at 6 h exhibits the highest photocatalytic activity for the degradation of Methyl
      orange aqueous solution. The radical trap experiments showed that the degradation
      of MO was driven mainly by the participation of h+ and *O2- radicals.

PMID- 28335367
TI  - Investigating Polymer-Metal Interfaces by Grazing Incidence Small-Angle X-Ray
      Scattering from Gradients to Real-Time Studies.
AB  - Tailoring the polymer-metal interface is crucial for advanced material design.
      Vacuum deposition methods for metal layer coating are widely used in industry and
      research. They allow for installing a variety of nanostructures, often making use
      of the selective interaction of the metal atoms with the underlying polymer thin
      film. The polymer thin film may eventually be nanostructured, too, in order to
      create a hierarchy in length scales. Grazing incidence X-ray scattering is an
      advanced method to characterize and investigate polymer-metal interfaces. Being
      non-destructive and yielding statistically relevant results, it allows for
      deducing the detailed polymer-metal interaction. We review the use of grazing
      incidence X-ray scattering to elucidate the polymer-metal interface, making use
      of the modern synchrotron radiation facilities, allowing for very local studies
      via in situ (so-called "stop-sputter") experiments as well as studies observing
      the nanostructured metal nanoparticle layer growth in real time.

PMID- 28335369
TI  - Effect of Nano-SiO2 on the Hydration and Microstructure of Portland Cement.
AB  - This paper systematically studied the modification of cement-based materials by
      nano-SiO2 particles with an average diameter of about 20 nm. In order to obtain
      the effect of nano-SiO2 particles on the mechanical properties, hydration, and
      pore structure of cement-based materials, adding 1%, 3%, and 5% content of nano
      SiO2 in cement paste, respectively. The results showed that the reaction of nano
      SiO2 particles with Ca(OH)2 (crystal powder) started within 1 h, and formed C-S-H
      gel. The reaction speed was faster after aging for three days. The mechanical
      properties of cement-based materials were improved with the addition of 3% nano
      SiO2, and the early strength enhancement of test pieces was obvious. Three-day
      compressive strength increased 33.2%, and 28-day compressive strength increased
      18.5%. The exothermic peak of hydration heat of cement increased significantly
      after the addition of nano-SiO2. Appearance time of the exothermic peak was
      advanced and the total heat release increased. Thermogravimetric-differential
      scanning calorimetry (TG-DSC) analysis showed that nano-SiO2 promoted the
      formation of C-S-H gel. The results of mercury intrusion porosimetry (MIP) showed
      that the total porosity of cement paste with 3% nano-SiO2 was reduced by 5.51%
      and 5.4% at three days and 28 days, respectively, compared with the pure cement
      paste. At the same time, the pore structure of cement paste was optimized, and
      much-detrimental pores and detrimental pores decreased, while less harmful pores
      and innocuous pores increased.

PMID- 28335370
TI  - Vibration of Piezoelectric ZnO-SWCNT Nanowires.
AB  - A hybrid nanowire (HNW) was constructed by coating a single-wall carbon nanotube
      (SWCNT) with piezoelectric zinc oxide (ZnO). The two components of the HNW
      interact with each other via the van der Waals (vdW) force. This paper aims to
      study the effect of the piezoelectricity in the ZnO layer and the inter-phase vdW
      interaction on the fundamental vibration of the HNWs. In doing this, a new model
      was developed where the two components of the HNWs were modeled as Euler beams
      coupled via the interphase vdW interaction. Based on the model, the dependence of
      the frequency on an applied electrical voltage was calculated for HNWs of
      different geometric sizes to reveal the voltage effect. The results were then
      compared with those calculated without considering the inter-phase vdW
      interaction. It was found that the interphase vdW interaction can substantially
      decrease the structural stiffness, leading to a greatly enhanced piezoelectric
      effect but a lower frequency for the vibration of the HNWs.

PMID- 28335371
TI  - Synthesis of Antifungal Agents from Xanthene and Thiazine Dyes and Analysis of
      Their Effects.
AB  - Indoor fungi growth is an increasing home health problem as our homes are more
      tightly sealed. One thing that limits durability of the antifungal agents is the
      scarcity of reactive sites on many surfaces to attach these agents. In order to
      increase graft yield of photosensitizers to the fabrics, poly(acrylic acid-co
      styrene sulfonic acid-co-vinyl benzyl rose bengal or phloxine B) were polymerized
      and then grafted to electrospun fabrics. In an alternative process, azure A or
      toluidine blue O were grafted to poly(acrylic acid), which was subsequently
      grafted to nanofiber-based and microfiber-based fabrics. The fabrics grafted with
      photosensitizers induced antifungal effects on all seven types of fungi in the
      order of rose bengal > phloxine B > toluidine blue O > azure A, which follows the
      quantum yield production of singlet oxygen for these photoactive dyes. Their
      inhibition rates for inactivating fungal spores decreased in the order of P.
      cinnamomi, T. viride, A. niger, A. fumigatus, C. globosum, P. funiculosum, and M.
      grisea, which is associated with lipid composition in membrane and the morphology
      of fungal spores. The antifungal activity was also correlated with the surface
      area of fabric types which grafted the photosensitizer covalently on the surface
      as determined by the bound color strength.

PMID- 28335372
TI  - Graphene Oxide Bionanocomposite Coatings with High Oxygen Barrier Properties.
AB  - In this work, we present the development of bionanocomposite coatings on
      poly(ethylene terephthalate) (PET) with outstanding oxygen barrier properties.
      Pullulan and graphene oxide (GO) were used as main polymer phase and nanobuilding
      block (NBB), respectively. The oxygen barrier performance was investigated at
      different filler volume fractions (phi) and as a function of different relative
      humidity (RH) values. Noticeably, the impermeable nature of GO was reflected
      under dry conditions, in which an oxygen transmission rate (OTR, mL.m-2.24 h-1)
      value below the detection limit of the instrument (0.01 mL.m-2.24 h-1) was
      recorded, even for phi as low as 0.0004. A dramatic increase of the OTR values
      occurred in humid conditions, such that the barrier performance was totally lost
      at 90% RH (the OTR of coated PET films was equal to the OTR of bare PET films).
      Modelling of the experimental OTR data by Cussler's model suggested that the
      spatial ordering of GO sheets within the main pullulan phase was perturbed
      because of RH fluctuations. In spite of the presence of the filler, all the
      formulations allowed the obtainment of final materials with haze values below 3%,
      the only exception being the formulation with the highest loading of GO (phi ~
      0.03). The mechanisms underlying the experimental observations are discussed.

PMID- 28335373
TI  - Dietary Patterns and Insomnia Symptoms in Chinese Adults: The China Kadoorie
      Biobank.
AB  - Limited attention has been paid to the effect of dietary patterns on sleep
      problems. In the present study, we analyzed the cross-sectional data of 481,242
      adults aged 30-79 years from the China Kadoorie Biobank. A laptop-based
      questionnaire was administered to collect information on food intakes and
      insomnia symptoms. Logistic regression was used to estimate the odds ratios of
      each insomnia symptom according to quartiles of each dietary pattern, with
      adjustment for potential confounders. Two major dietary patterns were derived by
      factor analysis. The traditional northern dietary pattern was characterized by
      high intakes of wheat and other staple food, whereas the modern dietary pattern
      was characterized by high intakes of meat, poultry, fish, eggs, fresh fruit, and
      dairy products. Both dietary patterns were associated with a decreased prevalence
      of insomnia symptoms (p for trend < 0.001); after adjustment for potential
      confounders, individuals who had the highest quartile score of traditional
      northern dietary pattern were 12%-19% less likely to have insomnia symptoms
      compared to those in the lowest quartile (odds ratio: 0.81-0.88), and the
      corresponding values for the modern dietary pattern were 0.89-1.01. Furthermore,
      interactions of these two dietary patterns on insomnia symptoms were observed.
      Further prospective studies are needed to elucidate the relationship between diet
      and insomnia.

PMID- 28335374
TI  - Beverage Consumption among U.S. Children Aged 0-24 Months: National Health and
      Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES).
AB  - Data on beverage consumption patterns in early life are limited. The aim of this
      study was to describe beverage consumption by sociodemographic characteristics,
      along with water intake and sources of water among U.S. children aged 0-24
      months. Data from 2740 children in the 2005-2012 NHANES were analysed. Food
      intake was determined via one 24-h dietary recall. Beverages were categorised
      according to What We Eat In America groups. Poverty-Income ratio was used to
      define household income. During infancy (0-5.9 months and 6-11.9 months) infant
      formulas were the most commonly consumed beverage, 74.1% and 78.6% of children
      consuming, respectively. Comparatively fewer children, 41.6% and 24.3%, consumed
      breast milk. In toddlers (12-24 months), the most commonly consumed beverages
      were plain milk (83.6% of children consuming), water (68.6%), 100% fruit juice
      (51.8%) and sweetened beverages (31.2%). Non-Hispanic black and Mexican-American
      children were more likely to consume sweetened beverages, 100% fruit juice and
      infant formula than Non-Hispanic white children. Children from lower income
      households were more likely to consume sweetened beverages and 100% fruit juice
      and less likely to consume breast milk than children from higher income
      households. Total water intake increased with age and the contribution of water
      from food and beverage sources was ~20% and ~80% for all children, respectively.
      Disparities in beverage consumption by race/ethnicity and income level are
      apparent in early life.

PMID- 28335375
TI  - Assessing the Spectral Properties of Sunlit and Shaded Components in Rice
      Canopies with Near-Ground Imaging Spectroscopy Data.
AB  - Monitoring the components of crop canopies with remote sensing can help us
      understand the within-canopy variation in spectral properties and resolve the
      sources of uncertainties in the spectroscopic estimation of crop foliar
      chemistry. To date, the spectral properties of leaves and panicles in crop
      canopies and the shadow effects on their spectral variation remain poorly
      understood due to the insufficient spatial resolution of traditional spectroscopy
      data. To address this issue, we used a near-ground imaging spectroscopy system
      with high spatial and spectral resolutions to examine the spectral properties of
      rice leaves and panicles in sunlit and shaded portions of canopies and evaluate
      the effect of shadows on the relationships between spectral indices of leaves and
      foliar chlorophyll content. The results demonstrated that the shaded components
      exhibited lower reflectance amplitude but stronger absorption features than their
      sunlit counterparts. Specifically, the reflectance spectra of panicles had unique
      double-peak absorption features in the blue region. Among the examined vegetation
      indices (VIs), significant differences were found in the photochemical
      reflectance index (PRI) between leaves and panicles and further differences in
      the transformed chlorophyll absorption reflectance index (TCARI) between sunlit
      and shaded components. After an image-level separation of canopy components with
      these two indices, statistical analyses revealed much higher correlations between
      canopy chlorophyll content and both PRI and TCARI of shaded leaves than for those
      of sunlit leaves. In contrast, the red edge chlorophyll index (CIRed-edge)
      exhibited the strongest correlations with canopy chlorophyll content among all
      vegetation indices examined regardless of shadows on leaves. These findings
      represent significant advances in the understanding of rice leaf and panicle
      spectral properties under natural light conditions and demonstrate the
      significance of commonly overlooked shaded leaves in the canopy when correlated
      to canopy chlorophyll content.

PMID- 28335377
TI  - Cooperative Position Aware Mobility Pattern of AUVs for Avoiding Void Zones in
      Underwater WSNs.
AB  - In this paper, we propose two schemes; position-aware mobility pattern (PAMP) and
      cooperative PAMP (Co PAMP). The first one is an optimization scheme that avoids
      void hole occurrence and minimizes the uncertainty in the position estimation of
      glider's. The second one is a cooperative routing scheme that reduces the packet
      drop ratio by using the relay cooperation. Both techniques use gliders that stay
      at sojourn positions for a predefined time, at sojourn position self-confidence
      (s-confidence) and neighbor-confidence (n-confidence) regions that are estimated
      for balanced energy consumption. The transmission power of a glider is adjusted
      according to those confidence regions. Simulation results show that our proposed
      schemes outperform the compared existing one in terms of packet delivery ratio,
      void zones and energy consumption.

PMID- 28335376
TI  - Genetic Polymorphisms Contribute to the Individual Variations of Imatinib
      Mesylate Plasma Levels and Adverse Reactions in Chinese GIST Patients.
AB  - Imatinib mesylate (IM) has dramatically improved the outcomes of gastrointestinal
      stromal tumor (GIST) patients. However, the clinical responses of IM may
      considerably vary among single individuals. This study aimed to investigate the
      influences of genetic polymorphisms of drug-metabolizing enzyme (CYP3A4),
      transporters (ABCB1, ABCG2), and nuclear receptor (Pregnane X Receptor (PXR,
      encoded by NR1I2)) on IM plasma levels and related adverse reactions in Chinese
      GIST patients. A total of 68 Chinese GIST patients who have received IM 300-600
      mg/day were genotyped for six single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) (CYP3A4
      rs2242480; ABCB1 rs1045642; ABCG2 rs2231137; NRI12 rs3814055, rs6785049,
      rs2276706), and the steady-state IM trough plasma concentrations were measured by
      a validated HPLC method. There were statistically significant variances in the
      steady-state IM trough plasma concentrations (from 272.22 to 4365.96 ng/mL).
      Subjects of GG in rs2242480, T allele carriers in rs1045642 and CC in rs3814055
      had significantly higher steady-state IM dose-adjusted trough plasma
      concentrations. Subjects of CC in rs3814055 had significantly higher incidence
      rate of edema. The genetic polymorphisms of rs2242480, rs1045642, rs3814055 were
      significantly associated with IM plasma levels, and the genetic variations of
      rs3814055 were significantly associated with the incidence rate of edema in
      Chinese GIST patients. The current results may serve as valuable fundamental
      knowledge for IM therapy in Chinese GIST patients.

PMID- 28335378
TI  - Bioavailability of Microencapsulated Iron from Fortified Bread Assessed Using
      Piglet Model.
AB  - The aim of this study was to investigate the influence of oral iron
      supplementation, in the form of fortified breads, on the growth performance,
      health, iron status parameters, and fecal metabolome of anemic piglets. A study
      was conducted on 24 hybrid (Large White * Landrace * Duroc) piglets. From day 44,
      the post-natal 12 piglets were supplemented with 100 g of one of two experimental
      breads, each fortified with 21 mg of ferrous sulphate, either encapsulated or
      not. After one week of oral supplementation, hematological parameters (hematocrit
      value, hemoglobin, and red blood cells) showed statistically significant
      differences (p <= 0.05). Piglets fed with the fortified breads had higher iron
      concentrations in the heart, liver, and intestinal mucosa compared to anemic
      piglets fed with control bread. Gene expression of hepcidin, iron exporter
      ferroportin (IREG1), and divalent metal transporter 1 (DMT1), together with
      concentrations of plasma ferritin, showed no significant statistical differences
      between groups. Both fortified breads could be used as sources of bioavailable
      iron. The seven-day intervention trial showed microencapsulation to have only a
      mild effect on the effectiveness of iron supplementation in the form of fortified
      bread.

PMID- 28335380
TI  - Vitamin E Nicotinate.
AB  - Vitamin E refers to a family of compounds that function as lipid-soluble
      antioxidants capable of preventing lipid peroxidation. Naturally occurring forms
      of vitamin E include tocopherols and tocotrienols. Vitamin E in dietary
      supplements and fortified foods is often an esterified form of alpha-tocopherol,
      the most common esters being acetate and succinate. The vitamin E esters are
      hydrolyzed and converted into free alpha-tocopherol prior to absorption in the
      intestinal tract. Because its functions are relevant to many chronic diseases,
      vitamin E has been extensively studied in respect to a variety of diseases as
      well as cosmetic applications. The forms of vitamin E most studied are natural
      alpha-tocopherol and the esters alpha-tocopheryl acetate and alpha-tocopheryl
      succinate. A small number of studies include or focus on another ester form,
      alpha-tocopheryl nicotinate, an ester of vitamin E and niacin. Some of these
      studies raise the possibility of differences in metabolism and in efficacy
      between vitamin E nicotinate and other forms of vitamin E. Recently, through
      metabolomics studies, we identified that alpha-tocopheryl nicotinate occurs
      endogenously in the heart and that its level is dramatically decreased in heart
      failure, indicating the possible biological importance of this vitamin E ester.
      Since knowledge about vitamin E nicotinate is not readily available in the
      literature, the purpose of this review is to summarize and evaluate published
      reports, specifically with respect to alpha-tocopheryl nicotinate with an
      emphasis on the differences from natural alpha-tocopherol or alpha-tocopheryl
      acetate.

PMID- 28335381
TI  - Computational Prediction of the Protonation Sites of Ac-Lys-(Ala)n-Lys-NH2
      Peptides through Conceptual DFT Descriptors.
AB  - Six density functionals (M11, M11L, MN12L, MN12SX, N12, and N12SX) in connection
      with the Def2TZVP basis set and the SMD solvation model (water as a solvent) have
      been assessed for the calculation of the molecular structure and properties of
      several peptides with the general formulaAc-Lys-(Ala)n-Lys-NH2,withn=0to5  [...].

PMID- 28335379
TI  - The Role of Adenosine Signaling in Headache: A Review.
AB  - Migraine is the third most prevalent disease on the planet, yet our understanding
      of its mechanisms and pathophysiology is surprisingly incomplete. Recent studies
      have built upon decades of evidence that adenosine, a purine nucleoside that can
      act as a neuromodulator, is involved in pain transmission and sensitization.
      Clinical evidence and rodent studies have suggested that adenosine signaling also
      plays a critical role in migraine headache. This is further supported by the
      widespread use of caffeine, an adenosine receptor antagonist, in several headache
      treatments. In this review, we highlight evidence that supports the involvement
      of adenosine signaling in different forms of headache, headache triggers, and
      basic headache physiology. This evidence supports adenosine A2A receptors as a
      critical adenosine receptor subtype involved in headache pain. Adenosine A2A
      receptor signaling may contribute to headache via the modulation of intracellular
      Cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP) production or 5' AMP-activated protein
      kinase (AMPK) activity in neurons and glia to affect glutamatergic synaptic
      transmission within the brainstem. This evidence supports the further study of
      adenosine signaling in headache and potentially illuminates it as a novel
      therapeutic target for migraine.

PMID- 28335382
TI  - Feasibility of Assessing Diet with a Mobile Food  Record for Adolescents and
      Young Adults with  Down Syndrome.
AB  - Technology-based methods for assessing diet in those with disability remains
      largely unexplored. The aim was to assess the feasibility of assessing diet with
      an image-based mobile food record application (mFR) in 51 adolescents and young
      adults with Down syndrome (PANDs). Adherence was also assessed with the
      instruction to include a fiducial marker object in the before and after eating
      images. The PANDs sample completed a four-day mFR and results were compared with
      a sample of young adults from the Connecting Health and Technology study (CHAT, n
      = 244). Compared to the CHAT sample, PANDs participants reported more fruit (2.2
      +/- 1.8 versus 1.0 +/- 0.9 serves respectively) and vegetables (2.4 +/- 1.3
      versus 1.9 +/- 1.0 serves, respectively), but no differences in energy-dense
      nutrient-poor (EDNP) foods and beverages were observed. Compared to CHAT, PANDs
      participants captured fewer images with the mFR (4.9 +/- 2.3 versus 4.0 +/- 1.5
      images, respectively). Adherence to the instruction to include the fiducial
      marker in images was lower for PANDs compared with the CHAT sample (90.3% versus
      96.5%). Due to the quality of information captured in images and the high
      acceptability of the fiducial marker, the mFR shows great promise as a feasible
      method of assessing diet in adolescents and young adults with Down syndrome.

PMID- 28335383
TI  - A Biomedical Investigation of the Hepatoprotective Effect of Radix salviae
      miltiorrhizae and Network Pharmacology-Based Prediction of the Active Compounds
      and Molecular Targets.
AB  - Radix salviae miltiorrhizae (Danshen in Chinese), a classic traditional Chinese
      medicine (TCM) herb, has been used for centuries to treat liver diseases. In this
      study, the preventive and curative potential of Danshen aqueous extract on
      acute/chronic alcoholic liver disease (ALD) and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease
      (NAFLD) was studied. The in vivo results indicated that Danshen could alleviate
      hepatic inflammation, fatty degeneration, and haptic fibrogenesis in ALD and
      NAFLD models. In the aspect of mechanism of action, the significant reduction in
      MDA levels in both ALD and NAFLD models implies the decreased levels of oxidative
      stress by Danshen. However, Danshen treatment could not activate the internal
      enzymatic antioxidant system in ALD and NAFLD models. To further explore the
      hepatoprotective mechanism of Danshen, an in silico-based network pharmacology
      approach was employed in the present study. The pharmacological network analysis
      result revealed that six potential active ingredients such as tanshinone iia,
      salvianolic acid b, and Danshensu may contribute to the hepatoprotective effects
      of Danshen on ALD and NAFLD. The action mechanism may relate with regulating the
      intracellular molecular targets such as PPARalpha, CYP1A2, and MMP2 for
      regulation of lipid metabolism, antioxidant and anti-fibrogenesis by these
      potential active ingredients. Our studies suggest that the combination of network
      pharmacology strategy with in vivo experimental study may provide a forceful tool
      for exploring the mechanism of action of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) herb
      and developing novel bioactive ingredients.

PMID- 28335384
TI  - Localization and Tracking of Implantable Biomedical Sensors.
AB  - Implantable sensor systems are effective tools for biomedical diagnosis,
      visualization and treatment of various health conditions, attracting the interest
      of researchers, as well as healthcare practitioners. These systems efficiently
      and conveniently provide essential data of the body part being diagnosed, such as
      gastrointestinal (temperature, pH, pressure) parameter values, blood glucose and
      pressure levels and electrocardiogram data. Such data are first transmitted from
      the implantable sensor units to an external receiver node or network and then to
      a central monitoring and control (computer) unit for analysis, diagnosis and/or
      treatment. Implantable sensor units are typically in the form of mobile
      microrobotic capsules or implanted stationary (body-fixed) units. In particular,
      capsule-based systems have attracted significant research interest recently, with
      a variety of applications, including endoscopy, microsurgery, drug delivery and
      biopsy. In such implantable sensor systems, one of the most challenging problems
      is the accurate localization and tracking of the microrobotic sensor unit (e.g.,
      robotic capsule) inside the human body. This article presents a literature review
      of the existing localization and tracking techniques for robotic implantable
      sensor systems with their merits and limitations and possible solutions of the
      proposed localization methods. The article also provides a brief discussion on
      the connection and cooperation of such techniques with wearable biomedical sensor
      systems.

PMID- 28335385
TI  - Patient Posture Monitoring System Based on Flexible Sensors.
AB  - Monitoring patients using vision cameras can cause privacy intrusion problems. In
      this paper, we propose a patient position monitoring system based on a patient
      cloth with unobtrusive sensors. We use flexible sensors based on polyvinylidene
      fluoride, which is a flexible piezoelectric material.
      Theflexiblesensorsareinsertedintopartsclosetothekneeandhipoftheloosepatientcloth.
      We measure electrical signals from the sensors caused by the piezoelectric effect
      when the knee and hip in the cloth are bent. The measured sensor outputs are
      transferred to a computer via Bluetooth. We use a custom-made program to detect
      the position of the patient through a rule-based algorithm and the sensor
      outputs. The detectable postures are based on six human motions in and around a
      bed. The proposed system can detect the patient positions with a success rate
      over 88 percent for three patients.

PMID- 28335386
TI  - Revisiting the Metabolism and Bioactivation of Ketoconazole in Human and Mouse
      Using Liquid Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry-Based Metabolomics.
AB  - Although ketoconazole (KCZ) has been used worldwide for 30 years, its metabolic
      characteristics are poorly described. Moreover, the hepatotoxicity of KCZ limits
      its therapeutic use. In this study, we used liquid chromatography-mass
      spectrometry-based metabolomics to evaluate the metabolic profile of KCZ in mouse
      and human and identify the mechanisms underlying its hepatotoxicity. A total of
      28 metabolites of KCZ, 11 of which were novel, were identified in this study.
      Newly identified metabolites were classified into three categories according to
      the metabolic positions of a piperazine ring, imidazole ring, and N-acetyl
      moiety. The metabolic characteristics of KCZ in human were comparable to those in
      mouse. Moreover, three cyanide adducts of KCZ were identified in mouse and human
      liver microsomal incubates as "flags" to trigger additional toxicity study. The
      oxidation of piperazine into iminium ion is suggested as a biotransformation
      responsible for bioactivation. In summary, the metabolic characteristics of KCZ,
      including reactive metabolites, were comprehensively understood using a
      metabolomics approach.

PMID- 28335387
TI  - Dectin-1-Mediated Pathway Contributes to Fusarium proliferatum-Induced CXCL-8
      Release from Human Respiratory Epithelial Cells.
AB  - Fusarium species are causative agents of human respiratory disorders and are
      distributed widely in our environment. Little is known of their interaction with
      human respiratory epithelial cells, which may contribute to allergic airway
      responses. In this study, we report on the release of C-X-C motif chemokine
      ligand 8 (CXCL-8) from human bronchial epithelial BEAS-2B cells upon stimulation
      with Fusarium proliferatum extracts. F. proliferatum-induced cytokine release
      from BEAS-2B cells was determined by cytokine array and CXCL-8 enzyme-linked
      immunosorbent assay (ELISA) kits. Blocking antibodies and signaling pathway
      inhibitors were employed to delineate cell surface receptors and signaling
      pathways participating in CXCL-8 release. F. proliferatum extracts induced the
      release of CXCL-8 in a time-dependent manner. The dectin-1 receptor ligands,
      curdlan and laminarin, reduced CXCL-8 release. Cells pre-treated with anti-Dectin
      1 antibodies (2 ug/mL) decreased CXCL-8 release by 24%. Furthermore, F.
      proliferatum-stimulated CXCL-8 release was reduced by 32%, 53%-81%, 40% and 26%
      after BEAS-2B cells were pretreated with activation inhibitors of spleen tyrosine
      kinase (Syk)-piceatannol-, mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPKs)-PD98059,
      U0126, SB202190, SP600125-, phosphatidylinositol-3-kinase (PI3K)-LY294002-and
      nuclear factor kappa-light-chain-enhancer of activated B cells (NF-kappaB)
      BAY117082-, respectively. These results suggest that Dectin-1-mediated activation
      of the Syk, MAPKs, PI3K and NF-kappaB signaling pathways contributes to F.
      proliferatum-stimulated CXCL-8 release from BEAS-2B cells and provides an
      important basis for developing novel therapeutic strategies in clinical allergy.

PMID- 28335389
TI  - Characteristics and Lethality of a Novel Recombinant  Dermonecrotic Venom
      Phospholipase D from  Hemiscorpius lepturus.
AB  - Hemoscorpius lepturus is the most medically important scorpion in Iran. The
      clinical signs of H. lepturus envenomation are remarkably similar to those
      reported for brown spiders, including dermonecrosis, hematuria, renal failure and
      even death. The lethality and toxicity of brown spiders' venom have been
      attributed to its phospholipase D activity. This study aims to identify a
      phospholipase D with possible lethality and dermonecrotic activity in H. lepturus
      venom. In this study, a cDNA library of the venom glands was generated by
      Illumina RNA sequencing. Phospholipase D (PLD) from H. lepturus was characterized
      according to its significant similarity with PLDs from brown spiders. The main
      chain designated as Hl-RecPLD1 (the first recombinant isoform of H. lepturus PLD)
      was cloned, expressed and purified. Sphingomyelinase, dermonecrotic and lethal
      activities were examined. Hl-PLD1 showed remarkable sequence similarity and
      structural homology with PLDs of brown spiders. The conformation of Hl-PLD1 was
      predicted as a "TIM beta/alpha-barrel". The lethal dose 50 (LD50) and
      dermonecrotic activities of Hl-RecPLD1 were determined as 3.1 MUg/mouse and 0.7
      cm2 at 1 MUg respectively. It is the first report indicating that a similar
      molecular evolutionary mechanism has occurred in both American brown spiders and
      this Iranian scorpion. In conclusion, Hl-RecPLD1 is a highly active phospholipase
      D, which would be considered as the lethal dermonecrotic toxin in H. lepturus
      venom.

PMID- 28335390
TI  - A Simple Metallothionein-Based Biosensor for Enhanced Detection of Arsenic and
      Mercury.
AB  - Metallothioneins (MTs) are a family of cysteine-rich proteins whose biological
      roles include the regulation of essential metal ions and protection against the
      harmful effects of toxic metals. Due to its high affinity for many toxic, soft
      metals, recombinant human MT isoform 1a was incorporated into an electrochemical
      based biosensor for the detection of As3+ and Hg2+. A simple design was chosen to
      maximize its potential in environmental monitoring and MT was physically adsorbed
      onto paper discs placed on screen-printed carbon electrodes (SPCEs). This system
      was tested with concentrations of arsenic and mercury typical of contaminated
      water sources ranging from 5 to 1000 ppb. The analytical performance of the MT
      adsorbed paper discs on SPCEs demonstrated a greater than three-fold signal
      enhancement and a lower detection limit compared to blank SPCEs, 13 ppb for As3+
      and 45 ppb for Hg2+. While not being as low as some of the recommended drinking
      water limits, the sensitivity of the simple MT-biosensor would be potentially
      useful in monitoring of areas of concern with a known contamination problem. This
      paper describes the ability of the metal binding protein metallothionein to
      enhance the effectiveness of a simple, low-cost electrochemical sensor.

PMID- 28335388
TI  - A Combination of Flaxseed Oil and Astaxanthin Improves Hepatic Lipid Accumulation
      and Reduces Oxidative Stress in High Fat-Diet Fed Rats.
AB  - Hepatic lipid accumulation and oxidative stress are crucial pathophysiological
      mechanisms for non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). Thus, we examined the
      effect of a combination of flaxseed oil (FO) and astaxanthin (ASX) on hepatic
      lipid accumulation and oxidative stress in rats fed a high-fat diet. ASX was
      dissolved in flaxseed oil (1 g/kg; FO + ASX). Animals were fed diets containing
      20% fat, where the source was lard, or 75% lard and 25% FO + ASX, or 50% lard and
      50% FO + ASX, or FO + ASX, for 10 weeks. Substitution of lard with FO + ASX
      reduced steatosis and reduced hepatic triacylglycerol and cholesterol. The
      combination of FO and ASX significantly decreased hepatic sterol regulatory
      element-binding transcription factor 1 and 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl-CoA
      reductase but increased peroxisome proliferator activated receptor expression. FO
      + ASX significantly suppressed fatty acid synthase and acetyl CoA carboxylase but
      induced carnitine palmitoyl transferase-1 and acyl CoA oxidase expression. FO +
      ASX also significantly elevated hepatic SOD, CAT and GPx activity and GSH, and
      markedly reduced hepatic lipid peroxidation. Thus, FO and ASX may reduce NAFLD by
      reversing hepatic steatosis and reducing lipid accumulation and oxidative stress.

PMID- 28335391
TI  - New Metabolites and Bioactive Chlorinated Benzophenone Derivatives Produced by a
      Marine-Derived Fungus Pestalotiopsis heterocornis.
AB  - Four new compounds, including two isocoumarins, pestaloisocoumarins A and B (1,
      2), one sesquiterpenoid degradation, isopolisin B (4), and one furan derivative,
      pestalotiol A (5), together with one known isocoumarin, gamahorin (3), and three
      chlorinated benzophenone derivatives, pestalachloride B (6), pestalachloride E
      (7) and a mixture of pestalalactone atropisomers (8a/8b), were isolated from a
      culture of the fungus Pestalotiopsis heterocornis associated with sponge
      Phakellia fusca. These new chemical structures were established using NMR and MS
      spectroscopic data, as well as single-crystal X-ray crystallographic analysis and
      CD Cotton effects. All of the isolated compounds were evaluated for their
      antimicrobial and cytotoxic activities. Isocoumarins 1-3, showed antibacterial
      activities against Gram-positive bacteria Staphylococcus aureus and Bacillus
      subtilis with MIC values ranging from 25 to 100 MUg/mL and weak antifungal
      activities. Chlorinated benzophenone derivatives 6-8 exhibited antibacterial
      activities against S. aureus and B. subtilis with MIC values ranging from 3.0 to
      50 MUg/mL and cytotoxicities against four human cancer cell lines with IC50
      values of 6.8-87.8 MUM.

PMID- 28335392
TI  - Conscientious Objection to Animal Experimentation in Italian Universities.
AB  - In Italy, Law 413/1993 states that public and private Italian Institutions,
      including academic faculties, are obliged to fully inform workers and students
      about their right to conscientious objection to scientific or educational
      activities involving animals, hereafter written as "animal CO". However, little
      monitoring on the faculties' compliance with this law has been performed either
      by the government or other institutional bodies. Based on this premise, the
      authors have critically reviewed the existing data and compared them with those
      emerging from their own investigation to discuss limitations and inconsistencies.
      The results of this investigation revealed that less than half of Italian
      academic faculties comply with their duty to inform on animal CO. Non-compliance
      may substantially affect the right of students to make ethical choices in the
      field of animal ethics and undermines the fundamental right to express their own
      freedom of thought. The Italian Ministry of Education, Universities and Research,
      ethics committees and animal welfare bodies should cooperate to make faculties
      respect this law. Further research is needed to better understand the reasons for
      the current trend, as well as to promote the enforcement of Law 413/1993 with
      particular regard to information on animal CO.

PMID- 28335393
TI  - Solvent Retention Capacities of Oat Flour.
AB  - This study measured the solvent retention capacities (SRCs) of flours from eight
      oat varieties and one wheat variety against different solvents to explore the
      swelling volume of oat flour with different solvents, and thus provide a
      theoretical basis for quick beta-glucan analysis. The SRC profile consists of
      water SRC (WSRC), 50% sucrose SRC (SSRC), 5% lactic acid SRC (LASRC), 5% Na2CO3
      SRC (SCASRC), NaCl SRC (SCSRC), CaCl2 SRC (CCSRC), FeCl3 SRC (FCSRC), sodium
      cholate SRC (SCHSRC), NaOH (pH 10) SRC (SHSRC), Na2CO3 (pH 10) SRC (SCABSRC) and
      SDS (pH 10) SRC (SDSSRC) values, and a Chopin SRC kit was used to measure the SRC
      value. SRCs of the oat flours increased when the solvents turned from neutral
      (water and NaCl) to acidic (5% lactic acid) or alkaline (5% Na2CO3, CaCl2, FeCl3,
      NaOH and pH 10 Na2CO3), and rose as the metal ion valencies of the metal salts
      (NaCl, CaCl2 and FeCl3) increased. The beta-glucan contents were significantly
      positively correlated with the SCSRC (0.83**), CCSRC (0.82**), SCHSRC (0.80**)
      and FCSRC (0.78*). SRC measurements of beta-glucan in oat flours revealed that
      the CCSRC values were related with beta-glucan (0.64*) but not related with
      protein and starch. CaCl2 could therefore potentially be exploited as a reagent
      for beta-glucan assay.

PMID- 28335394
TI  - Motor Function Evaluation of Hemiplegic Upper-Extremities Using Data Fusion from
      Wearable Inertial and Surface EMG Sensors.
AB  - Quantitative evaluation of motor function is of great demand for monitoring
      clinical outcome of applied interventions and further guiding the establishment
      of therapeutic protocol. This study proposes a novel framework for evaluating
      upper limb motor function based on data fusion from inertial measurement units
      (IMUs) and surface electromyography (EMG) sensors. With wearable sensors worn on
      the tested upper limbs, subjects were asked to perform eleven straightforward,
      specifically designed canonical upper-limb functional tasks. A series of machine
      learning algorithms were applied to the recorded motion data to produce
      evaluation indicators, which is able to reflect the level of upper-limb motor
      function abnormality. Sixteen healthy subjects and eighteen stroke subjects with
      substantial hemiparesis were recruited in the experiment. The combined IMU and
      EMG data yielded superior performance over the IMU data alone and the EMG data
      alone, in terms of decreased normal data variation rate (NDVR) and improved
      determination coefficient (DC) from a regression analysis between the derived
      indicator and routine clinical assessment score. Three common unsupervised
      learning algorithms achieved comparable performance with NDVR around 10% and
      strong DC around 0.85. By contrast, the use of a supervised algorithm was able to
      dramatically decrease the NDVR to 6.55%. With the proposed framework, all the
      produced indicators demonstrated high agreement with the routine clinical
      assessment scale, indicating their capability of assessing upper-limb motor
      functions. This study offers a feasible solution to motor function assessment in
      an objective and quantitative manner, especially suitable for home and community
      use.

PMID- 28335395
TI  - Essential Oil Composition and Bioactivities of Waldheimia glabra (Asteraceae)
      from Qinghai-Tibet Plateau.
AB  - Waldheimia glabra is traditionally used as incense and as an anti-influenza drug
      by Tibetans in China. Here, we collected W. glabra from the Gangs Rinpoche
      mountain at an altitude of 5200 m, and analyzed its essential oil by gas
      chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) combined with the retention indices
      (RI). Twenty-seven compounds, representing 72.4% of the total essential oil, were
      identified, including alpha-bisabolol (20.2%), valeranone (11.8%), chamazulene
      (9.9%), spathulenol (8.2%), beta-caryophyllene (6.1%), and caryophyllene oxide
      (5.2%). Bioactivity evaluation of the essential oil revealed that it exhibited
      potent anti-influenza effect on viruses H3N2 and anti-inflammatory effect by
      inhibiting the lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced nitric oxide (NO) production in
      RAW 264.7 macrophages, but no anti-complementary activity.

PMID- 28335398
TI  - Tunable Plasmonic Band-Pass Filter with Dual Side-Coupled Circular Ring
      Resonators.
AB  - A wavelength band-pass filter with asymmetric dual circular ring resonators in a
      metal-insulator-metal (MIM) structure is proposed and numerically simulated. For
      the interaction of the local discrete state and the continuous spectrum caused by
      the side-coupled resonators and the baffle, respectively, the transmission
      spectrum exhibits a sharp and asymmetric profile. By adjusting the radius and
      material imbedded in one ring cavity, the off-to-on plasmon-induced absorption
      (PIA) optical response can be tunable achieved. In addition, the structure can be
      easily extended to other similar compact structures to realize the filtering
      task. Our structures have important potential applications for filters and
      sensors at visible and near-infrared regions.

PMID- 28335396
TI  - Optimization of Conditions for Cyanidin-3-OGlucoside (C3G) Nanoliposome
      Production by Response Surface Methodology and Cellular Uptake Studies in Caco-2
      Cells.
AB  - We aimed to optimize the formulation of C3G nanoliposomes using response surface
      methodology. Additionally, we evaluated the stability, particle change, and
      encapsulation efficiency (EE) of C3G nanoliposomes under different temperatures
      and storage durations, as well as in simulated gastrointestinal juice (SGF) and
      simulated intestinal fluid. The morphology of C3G nanoliposomes was observed by
      transmission electron microscope. The ability of C3G nanoliposomes to affect
      cancer cell morphology and inhibit cancer cell proliferation was studied with
      Caco-2 cells. Reverse-phase evaporation method is a simple and efficient method
      for liposome preparation. The optimal preparation conditions for this method were
      as follows: C3G concentration of 0.17 mg/mL, phosphatidylcholine/cholesterol
      ratio of 2.87, and rotary evaporation temperature of 41.41  degrees C. At optimal
      conditions, the particle size and EE of the C3G nanoliposomes were 165.78 +/- 4.3
      nm and 70.43% +/- 1.95%, respectively. The C3G nanoliposomes showed an acceptable
      stability in SGF at 37  degrees C for 4 h, but were unstable under extended
      storage durations and high temperatures. Moreover, our results showed that
      different concentrations of C3G nanoliposomes affected the morphology and
      inhibited the proliferation of Caco-2 cells.

PMID- 28335399
TI  - An Eddy Current Testing Platform System for Pipe Defect Inspection Based on an
      Optimized Eddy Current Technique Probe Design.
AB  - The use of the eddy current technique (ECT) for the non-destructive testing of
      conducting materials has become increasingly important in the past few years. The
      use of the non-destructive ECT plays a key role in the ensuring the safety and
      integrity of the large industrial structures such as oil and gas pipelines. This
      paper introduce a novel ECT probe design integrated with the distributed ECT
      inspection system (DSECT) use for crack inspection on inner ferromagnetic pipes.
      The system consists of an array of giant magneto-resistive (GMR) sensors, a
      pneumatic system, a rotating magnetic field excitation source and a host PC
      acting as the data analysis center. Probe design parameters, namely probe
      diameter, an excitation coil and the number of GMR sensors in the array sensor is
      optimized using numerical optimization based on the desirability approach. The
      main benefits of DSECT can be seen in terms of its modularity and flexibility for
      the use of different types of magnetic transducers/sensors, and signals of a
      different nature with either digital or analog outputs, making it suited for the
      ECT probe design using an array of GMR magnetic sensors. A real-time application
      of the DSECT distributed system for ECT inspection can be exploited for the
      inspection of 70 mm carbon steel pipe. In order to predict the axial and
      circumference defect detection, a mathematical model is developed based on the
      technique known as response surface methodology (RSM). The inspection results of
      a carbon steel pipe sample with artificial defects indicate that the system
      design is highly efficient.

PMID- 28335397
TI  - Emerging Anti-Mitotic Activities and Other Bioactivities of Sesquiterpene
      Compounds upon Human Cells.
AB  - We review the bio-activities of natural product sesquiterpenes and present the
      first description of their effects upon mitosis. This type of biological effect
      upon cells is unexpected because sesquiterpenes are believed to inactivate
      proteins through Michael-type additions that cause non-specific cytotoxicity.
      Yet, certain types of sesquiterpenes can arrest cells in mitosis as measured by
      cell biology, biochemical and imaging techniques. We have listed the
      sesquiterpenes that arrest cells in mitosis and analyzed the biological data that
      support those observations. In view of the biochemical complexity of mitosis, we
      propose that a subset of sesquiterpenes have a unique chemical structure that can
      target a precise protein(s) required for mitosis. Since the process of mitotic
      arrest precedes that of cell death, it is possible that some sesquiterpenes that
      are currently classified as cytotoxic might also induce a mitotic arrest. Our
      analysis provides a new perspective of sesquiterpene chemical biology.

PMID- 28335400
TI  - Online Classification of Contaminants Based on Multi-Classification Support
      Vector Machine Using Conventional Water Quality Sensors.
AB  - Water quality early warning system is mainly used to detect deliberate or
      accidental water pollution events in water distribution systems. Identifying the
      types of pollutants is necessary after detecting the presence of pollutants to
      provide warning information about pollutant characteristics and emergency
      solutions. Thus, a real-time contaminant classification methodology, which uses
      the multi-classification support vector machine (SVM), is proposed in this study
      to obtain the probability for contaminants belonging to a category. The SVM-based
      model selected samples with indistinct feature, which were mostly low
      concentration samples as the support vectors, thereby reducing the influence of
      the concentration of contaminants in the building process of a pattern library.
      The new sample points were classified into corresponding regions after
      constructing the classification boundaries with the support vector. Experimental
      results show that the multi-classification SVM-based approach is less affected by
      the concentration of contaminants when establishing a pattern library compared
      with the cosine distance classification method. Moreover, the proposed approach
      avoids making a single decision when classification features are unclear in the
      initial phase of injecting contaminants.

PMID- 28335403
TI  - Comparison of Faunal Scavenging of Submerged Carrion in Two Seasons at a Depth of
      170 m, in the Strait of Georgia, British Columbia.
AB  - The taphonomy of carcasses submerged in the ocean is little understood, yet it is
      extremely important ecologically and forensically. The objectives of this study
      were to determine the fate of pig carcasses as human proxies in the Strait of
      Georgia at 170 m in spring and fall. Using Ocean Networks Canada's Victoria
      Experimental Network Underseas (VENUS) observatory, two carcasses per season were
      placed under a cabled platform hosting a webcam and instruments measuring water
      chemistry. Two minutes of video were recorded every 15 min. In spring,
      Lyssianassidae amphipods and Pandalus platyceros were immediately attracted and
      fed on the carcasses, the amphipods removed the bulk of the soft tissue from the
      inside whilst the shrimp shredded the skin and tissue. The carcasses were
      skeletonized on Days 8 and 10. In fall, Metacarcinus magister was the major
      scavenger, removing most of the soft tissue from one carcass. Amphipods did not
      arrive in large numbers until Day 15, when they skeletonized the scavenged
      carcass by Day 22 and the less scavenged carcass by Day 24. Amphipods remained
      for some days after skeletonization. This skeletonization was very different from
      previous experiments at different depths and habitats. Such data are very
      valuable for predicting preservation, planning recoveries, and managing family
      expectations.

PMID- 28335402
TI  - 2-Hydroxymelatonin, a Predominant Hydroxylated Melatonin Metabolite in Plants,
      Shows Antitumor Activity against Human Colorectal Cancer Cells.
AB  - 2-Hydroxymelatonin is a predominant hydroxylated melatonin metabolite in plants.
      To investigate whether it has potent cytotoxic effects on colorectal cancer
      cells, four colorectal cancer cell lines, Caco2, HCT116, DLD1, and CT26, were
      treated with 2-hydroxymelatonin and melatonin. 2-Hydroxymelatonin had a much
      lower IC50 value than melatonin in the 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5
      diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay. The cytotoxic effect of 2
      hydroxymelatonin was much stronger than that of melatonin at high concentrations
      (1000 or 2000 MUM) in HCT116, DLD1, and CT26 cells, but only at intermediate
      concentrations (250 or 500 MUM) in Caco2 cells. The cytotoxicity of 2
      hydroxymelatonin was induced through activation of the apoptotic signaling
      pathway, as confirmed by Hoechst staining and Annexin V-FITC/propidium iodide
      double labeling of cells treated with a lethal dose (1 mM). However, sub-lethal
      doses of 2-hydroxymelatonin inhibited the invasive ability of Caco2 cells.
      Epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) markers were significantly regulated by 2
      hydroxymelatonin. Overall, the anti-cancer activity of 2-hydroxymelatonin is more
      potent than that of melatonin. Taken together, 2-hydroxymelatonin exhibits potent
      anti-cancer activity against human colorectal cancer cells via induction of
      apoptosis and inhibition of EMT.

PMID- 28335401
TI  - The Vital Dye CDr10b Labels the Zebrafish Mid-Intestine and Lumen.
AB  - We describe the use of the fluorescent reporter compound CDr10b to label mid
      intestinal structures in zebrafish larvae after simple immersion. CDr10b is
      deposited into the gut where it initially fills the lumen and is excreted. Using
      laser-mediated injury of the intestine, we show that CDr10b provides a useful
      readout of the integrity and repair of the epithelial cell barrier. In addition,
      CDr10b specifically labels the absorptive mid-intestine segment that is analogous
      to the mammalian small intestine. By perturbing retinoic acid signaling, which
      regulates the size of the mid-intestine segment, we show that CDr10b is a
      valuable tool to rapidly assess developmental malformations of the intestine in
      live animals.

PMID- 28335404
TI  - Perceptions of Health Co-Benefits in Relation to Greenhouse Gas Emission
      Reductions: A Survey among Urban Residents in Three Chinese Cities.
AB  - Limited information is available on the perceptions of stakeholders concerning
      the health co-benefits of greenhouse gas (GHG) emission reductions. The purpose
      of this study was to investigate the perceptions of urban residents on the health
      co-benefits involving GHG abatement and related influencing factors in three
      cities in China. Beijing, Ningbo and Guangzhou were selected for this survey.
      Participants were recruited from randomly chosen committees, following quotas for
      gender and age in proportion to the respective population shares. Chi-square or
      Fisher's exact tests were employed to examine the associations between socio
      demographic variables and individuals' perceptions of the health co-benefits
      related to GHG mitigation. Unconditional logistic regression analysis was
      performed to investigate the influencing factors of respondents' awareness about
      the health co-benefits. A total of 1159 participants were included in the final
      analysis, of which 15.9% reported that they were familiar with the health co
      benefits of GHG emission reductions. Those who were younger, more educated, with
      higher family income, and with registered urban residence, were more likely to be
      aware of health co-benefits. Age, attitudes toward air pollution and governmental
      efforts to improve air quality, suffering from respiratory diseases, and
      following low carbon lifestyles are significant predictors of respondents'
      perceptions on the health co-benefits. These findings may not only provide
      information to policy-makers to develop and implement public welcome policies of
      GHG mitigation, but also help to bridge the gap between GHG mitigation measures
      and public engagement as well as willingness to change health-related behaviors.

PMID- 28335405
TI  - Association of Short-Term Exposure to Ambient Fine Particulate Matter with Skin
      Symptoms in Schoolchildren: A Panel Study in a Rural Area of Western Japan.
AB  - Numerous studies have unmasked the deleterious effects of particulate matter less
      than 2.5 MUm (PM2.5) on health. However, epidemiologic evidence focusing on the
      effects of PM2.5 on skin health remains limited. An important aspect of Asian
      dust (AD) in relationship to health is the amount of PM2.5 contained therein.
      Several studies have demonstrated that AD can aggravate skin symptoms. The
      current study aimed to investigate the effects of short-term exposure to PM2.5
      and AD particles on skin symptoms in schoolchildren. A total of 339 children
      recorded daily skin symptom scores during February 2015. Light detection and
      ranging were used to calculate AD particle size. Generalized estimating equation
      logistic regression analyses were used to estimate the associations among skin
      symptoms and the daily levels of PM2.5 and AD particles. Increases in the levels
      of PM2.5 and AD particles were not related to an increased risk of skin symptom
      events, with increases of 10.1 MUg/m3 in PM2.5 and 0.01 km-1 in AD particles
      changing odds ratios by 1.03 and 0.99, respectively. These results suggest that
      short-term exposure to PM2.5 and AD does not impact skin symptoms in
      schoolchildren.

PMID- 28335406
TI  - Factors That Negatively Affect the Prognosis of Pediatric Community-Acquired
      Pneumonia in District Hospital in Tanzania.
AB  - Community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) is still the most important cause of death in
      countries with scarce resources. All children (33 months +/- 35 DS) discharged
      from the Pediatric Unit of Itigi Hospital, Tanzania, with a diagnosis of CAP from
      August 2014 to April 2015 were enrolled. Clinical data were gathered. Dried blood
      spot (DBS) samples for quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) for
      bacterial detection were collected in all 100 children included. Twenty-four
      percent of patients were identified with severe CAP and 11% died. Surprisingly,
      54% of patients were admitted with a wrong diagnosis, which increased
      complications, the need for antibiotics and chest X-rays, and the length of
      hospitalization. Comorbidity, found in 32% of children, significantly increased
      severity, complications, deaths, need for chest X-rays, and oxygen therapy.
      Malnourished children (29%) required more antibiotics. Microbiologically,
      Streptococcus pneumonia (S. p.), Haemophilus influenza type b (Hib) and
      Staphylococcus aureus (S. a.) were the bacteria more frequently isolated. Seventy
      five percent of patients had mono-infection. Etiology was not correlated with
      severity, complications, deaths, oxygen demand, or duration of hospitalization.
      Our study highlights that difficult diagnoses and comorbidities negatively affect
      clinical evolution. S. p. and Hib still play a large role; thus, implementation
      of current vaccine strategies is needed. DBS is a simple and efficient diagnostic
      method for bacterial identification in countries with scarce resources.

PMID- 28335407
TI  - Bovine Colostrum Whey Protein Hydrolysate Inhibits Cell DNA Damage and LDL
      Oxidation In Vitro.
AB  - Whey protein isolated from bovine colostrums collected on the second day
      postpartum was two-stage hydrolyzed by alcalase and flavourzyme [...].

PMID- 28335408
TI  - n-Hexane Insoluble Fraction of Plantago lanceolata Exerts Anti-Inflammatory
      Activity in Mice by Inhibiting Cyclooxygenase-2 and Reducing Chemokines Levels.
AB  - Inflammation is involved in the progression of many disorders, such as tumors,
      arthritis, gastritis, and atherosclerosis. Thus, the development of new agents
      targeting inflammation is still challenging. Medicinal plants have been used
      traditionally to treat various diseases including inflammation. A previous study
      has indicated that dichloromethane extract of P. lanceolata leaves exerts anti
      inflammatory activity in an in vitro model. Here, we examined the in vivo anti
      inflammatory activities of a n-hexane insoluble fraction of P. lanceolata leaves
      dichloromethane extract (HIFPL). We first evaluated its potency to reduce paw
      edema induced by carrageenan, and the expression of the proinflammatory enzyme,
      cyclooxygenase (COX)-2, in mice. The efficacy of HIFPL to inhibit COX-2 was also
      evaluated in an in vitro enzymatic assay. We further studied the effect of HIFPL
      on leukocytes migration in mice induced by thioglycollate. The level of
      chemokines facilitating the migration of leukocytes was also measured. We found
      that HIFPL (40, 80, 160 mg/kg) demonstrated anti-inflammatory activities in mice.
      The HIFPL reduced the volume of paw edema and COX-2 expression. However, HIFPL
      acts as an unselective COX-2 inhibitor as it inhibited COX-1 with a slightly
      higher potency. Interestingly, HIFPL strongly inhibited leukocyte migration by
      reducing the level of chemokines, Interleukine-8 (IL-8) and Monocyte
      chemoattractant protein-1 (MCP-1).

PMID- 28335410
TI  - Non-Canonical Roles of Dengue Virus Non-Structural Proteins.
AB  - The Flaviviridae family comprises a number of human pathogens, which, although
      sharing structural and functional features, cause diseases with very different
      outcomes. This can be explained by the plurality of functions exerted by the few
      proteins coded by viral genomes, with some of these functions shared among
      members of a same family, but others being unique for each virus species. These
      non-canonical functions probably have evolved independently and may serve as the
      base to the development of specific therapies for each of those diseases. Here it
      is discussed what is currently known about the non-canonical roles of dengue
      virus (DENV) non-structural proteins (NSPs), which may account for some of the
      effects specifically observed in DENV infection, but not in other members of the
      Flaviviridae family. This review explores how DENV NSPs contributes to the
      physiopathology of dengue, evasion from host immunity, metabolic changes, and
      redistribution of cellular components during infection.

PMID- 28335412
TI  - Ameliorative Effects of Neutral Electrolyzed Water on Growth Performance,
      Biochemical Constituents, and Histopathological Changes in Turkey Poults during
      Aflatoxicosis.
AB  - Different in vitro and in silico approaches from our research group have
      demonstrated that neutral electrolyzed water (NEW) can be used to detoxify
      aflatoxins. The objective of this investigation was to evaluate the ability of
      NEW to detoxify B-aflatoxins (AFB1 and AFB2) in contaminated maize and to confirm
      detoxification in an in vivo experimental model. Batches of aflatoxin
      contaminated maize were detoxified with NEW and mixed in commercial feed. A total
      of 240 6-day-old female large white Nicholas-700 turkey poults were randomly
      divided into four treatments of six replicates each (10 turkeys per replicate),
      which were fed ad libitum for two weeks with the following dietary treatments:
      (1) control feed containing aflatoxin-free maize (CONTROL); (2) feed containing
      the aflatoxin-contaminated maize (AF); (3) feed containing the aflatoxin
      contaminated maize detoxified with NEW (AF + NEW); and (4) control feed
      containing aflatoxin-free maize treated with NEW (NEW). Compared to the control
      groups, turkey poults of the AF group significantly reduced body weight gain and
      increased feed conversion ratio and mortality rate; whereas turkey poults of the
      AF + NEW group did not present significant differences on productive parameters.
      In addition, alterations in serum biochemical constituents, enzyme activities,
      relative organ weight, gross morphological changes and histopathological studies
      were significantly mitigated by the aflatoxin-detoxification procedure. From
      these results, it is concluded that the treatment of aflatoxin-contaminated maize
      with NEW provided reasonable protection against the effects caused by aflatoxins
      in young turkey poults.

PMID- 28335409
TI  - The Formyl Peptide Receptors: Diversity of Ligands and Mechanism for Recognition.
AB  - The formyl peptide receptors (FPRs) are G protein-coupled receptors that
      transduce chemotactic signals in phagocytes and mediate host-defense as well as
      inflammatory responses including cell adhesion, directed migration, granule
      release and superoxide production. In recent years, the cellular distribution and
      biological functions of FPRs have expanded to include additional roles in
      homeostasis of organ functions and modulation of inflammation. In a prototype,
      FPRs recognize peptides containing N-formylated methionine such as those produced
      in bacteria and mitochondria, thereby serving as pattern recognition receptors.
      The repertoire of FPR ligands, however, has expanded rapidly to include not only
      N-formyl peptides from microbes but also non-formyl peptides of microbial and
      host origins, synthetic small molecules and an eicosanoid. How these chemically
      diverse ligands are recognized by the three human FPRs (FPR1, FPR2 and FPR3) and
      their murine equivalents is largely unclear. In the absence of crystal structures
      for the FPRs, site-directed mutagenesis, computer-aided ligand docking and
      structural simulation have led to the identification of amino acids within FPR1
      and FPR2 that interact with several formyl peptides. This review article
      summarizes the progress made in the understanding of FPR ligand diversity as well
      as ligand recognition mechanisms used by these receptors.

PMID- 28335411
TI  - How the Cobra Got Its Flesh-Eating Venom: Cytotoxicity as a Defensive Innovation
      and Its Co-Evolution with Hooding, Aposematic Marking, and Spitting.
AB  - The cytotoxicity of the venom of 25 species of Old World elapid snake was tested
      and compared with the morphological and behavioural adaptations of hooding and
      spitting. We determined that, contrary to previous assumptions, the venoms of
      spitting species are not consistently more cytotoxic than those of closely
      related non-spitting species. While this correlation between spitting and non
      spitting was found among African cobras, it was not present among Asian cobras.
      On the other hand, a consistent positive correlation was observed between
      cytotoxicity and utilisation of the defensive hooding display that cobras are
      famous for. Hooding and spitting are widely regarded as defensive adaptations,
      but it has hitherto been uncertain whether cytotoxicity serves a defensive
      purpose or is somehow useful in prey subjugation. The results of this study
      suggest that cytotoxicity evolved primarily as a defensive innovation and that it
      has co-evolved twice alongside hooding behavior: once in the Hemachatus + Naja
      and again independently in the king cobras (Ophiophagus). There was a significant
      increase of cytotoxicity in the Asian Naja linked to the evolution of bold
      aposematic hood markings, reinforcing the link between hooding and the evolution
      of defensive cytotoxic venoms. In parallel, lineages with increased cytotoxicity
      but lacking bold hood patterns evolved aposematic markers in the form of high
      contrast body banding. The results also indicate that, secondary to the evolution
      of venom rich in cytotoxins, spitting has evolved three times independently: once
      within the African Naja, once within the Asian Naja, and once in the Hemachatus
      genus. The evolution of cytotoxic venom thus appears to facilitate the evolution
      of defensive spitting behaviour. In contrast, a secondary loss of cytotoxicity
      and reduction of the hood occurred in the water cobra Naja annulata, which
      possesses streamlined neurotoxic venom similar to that of other aquatic elapid
      snakes (e.g., hydrophiine sea snakes). The results of this study make an
      important contribution to our growing understanding of the selection pressures
      shaping the evolution of snake venom and its constituent toxins. The data also
      aid in elucidating the relationship between these selection pressures and the
      medical impact of human snakebite in the developing world, as cytotoxic cobras
      cause considerable morbidity including loss-of-function injuries that result in
      economic and social burdens in the tropics of Asia and sub-Saharan Africa.

PMID- 28335414
TI  - Inhibition of Listeria monocytogenes on Ready-to-Eat Meats Using Bacteriocin
      Mixtures Based on Mode-of-Action.
AB  - : Bacteriocin-producing (Bac+) lactic acid bacteria (LAB) comprising selected
      strains of Lactobacillus curvatus, Lactococcus lactis, Pediococcus acidilactici,
      and Enterococcus faecium and thailandicus were examined for inhibition of
      Listeria monocytogenes during hotdog challenge studies. The Bac+ strains, or
      their cell-free supernatants (CFS), were grouped according to mode-of-action
      (MOA) as determined from prior studies. Making a mixture of as many MOAs as
      possible is a practical way to obtain a potent natural antimicrobial mixture to
      address L. monocytogenes contamination of RTE meat products (i.e., hotdogs). The
      heat resistance of the bacteriocins allowed the use of pasteurization to
      eliminate residual producer cells for use as post-process surface application or
      their inclusion into hotdog meat emulsion during cooking. The use of Bac+ LAB
      comprising 3* MOAs directly as co-inoculants on hotdogs was not effective at
      inhibiting L. monocytogenes. However, the use of multiple MOA Bac+ CFS mixtures
      in a variety of trials demonstrated the effectiveness of this approach by showing
      a >2-log decrease of L. monocytogenes in treatment samples and 6-7 log difference
      vs. CONTROLS: These data suggest that surface application of multiple mode-of
      action bacteriocin mixtures can provide for an Alternative 2, and possibly
      Alternative 1, process category as specified by USDA-FSIS for control of L.
      monocytogenes on RTE meat products.

PMID- 28335413
TI  - Chitin Oligosaccharide (COS) Reduces Antibiotics Dose and Prevents Antibiotics
      Caused Side Effects in Adolescent Idiopathic Scoliosis (AIS) Patients with Spinal
      Fusion Surgery.
AB  - Antibiotics are always considered for surgical site infection (SSI) in adolescent
      idiopathic scoliosis (AIS) surgery. However, the use of antibiotics often causes
      the antibiotic resistance of pathogens and side effects. Thus, it is necessary to
      explore natural products as drug candidates. Chitin Oligosaccharide (COS) has
      anti-inflammation and anti-bacteria functions. The effects of COS on surgical
      infection in AIS surgery were investigated. A total of 312 AIS patients were
      evenly and randomly assigned into control group (CG, each patient took one-gram
      alternative Azithromycin/Erythromycin/Cloxacillin/Aztreonam/Ceftazidime or
      combined daily), experiment group (EG, each patient took 20 mg COS and half-dose
      antibiotics daily), and placebo group (PG, each patient took 20 mg placebo and
      half-dose antibiotics daily). The average follow-up was one month, and infection
      severity and side effects were analyzed. The effects of COS on isolated pathogens
      were analyzed. SSI rates were 2%, 3% and 8% for spine wounds and 1%, 2% and 7%
      for iliac wound in CG, EG and PG (p < 0.05), respectively. COS reduces the side
      effects caused by antibiotics (p < 0.05). COS improved biochemical indexes and
      reduced the levels of interleukin (IL)-6 and tumor necrosis factor (TNF) alpha.
      COS reduced the antibiotics dose and antibiotics-caused side effects in AIS
      patients with spinal fusion surgery by improving antioxidant and anti
      inflammatory activities. COS should be developed as potential adjuvant for
      antibiotics therapies.

PMID- 28335415
TI  - Time Modulated Arrays: From their Origin to Their Utilization in Wireless
      Communication Systems.
AB  - Time-modulated arrays (TMAs) are electromagnetic systems whose radiated power
      pattern is controlled by the application of variable-width periodical pulses to
      the individual elements. The nonlinear nature of the array operation causes the
      appearance of radiation patterns at the harmonic frequencies of such periodic
      pulses. The technique can be used for improving the side-lobe level (SLL)
      topology of the radiation pattern at the central frequency and/or to profitably
      exploit the harmonic patterns in order to supply smart antenna capabilities.
      Among the latter features, the TMA harmonic beamforming takes on special
      importance due to its attractive trade-off performance-hardware complexity. From
      this perspective, TMAs are sensors capable of transforming the spatial diversity
      of a communication channel into frequency diversity, thus improving the
      performance of a wireless communication. In addition to a walk through the
      origins of the concept, and a brief analysis of the mathematical fundamentals,
      this paper organizes the prolific state of the art of TMAs in two major thematic
      blocks: (1) TMA design from an antenna perspective; and (2) TMA design from a
      signal processing perspective.

PMID- 28335417
TI  - DNA Sequencing Sensors: An Overview.
AB  - The first sequencing of a complete genome was published forty years ago by the
      double Nobel Prize in Chemistry winner Frederick Sanger. That corresponded to the
      small sized genome of a bacteriophage, but since then there have been many
      complex organisms whose DNA have been sequenced. This was possible thanks to
      continuous advances in the fields of biochemistry and molecular genetics, but
      also in other areas such as nanotechnology and computing. Nowadays, sequencing
      sensors based on genetic material have little to do with those used by Sanger.
      The emergence of mass sequencing sensors, or new generation sequencing (NGS)
      meant a quantitative leap both in the volume of genetic material that was able to
      be sequenced in each trial, as well as in the time per run and its cost. One can
      envisage that incoming technologies, already known as fourth generation
      sequencing, will continue to cheapen the trials by increasing DNA reading lengths
      in each run. All of this would be impossible without sensors and detection
      systems becoming smaller and more precise. This article provides a comprehensive
      overview on sensors for DNA sequencing developed within the last 40 years.

PMID- 28335419
TI  - Anti-Allergic Compounds from the Deep-Sea-Derived Actinomycete Nesterenkonia
      flava MCCC 1K00610.
AB  - A novel cyclic ether, nesterenkoniane (1), was isolated from the deep-sea-derived
      actinomycete Nesterenkonia flava MCCC 1K00610, together with 12 known compounds,
      including two macrolides (2, 3), two diketopiperazines (4, 5), two nucleosides
      (6, 7), two indoles (8, 9), three phenolics (10-12), and one butanol derivate
      (13). Their structures were established mainly on detailed analysis of the NMR
      and MS spectroscopic data. All 13 compounds were tested for anti-allergic
      activities using immunoglobulin E (IgE) mediated rat mast RBL-2H3 cell model.
      Under the concentration of 20 MUg/mL, 1 exhibited moderate anti-allergic activity
      with inhibition rate of 9.86%, compared to that of 37.41% of the positive
      control, loratadine. While cyclo(d)-Pro-(d)-Leu (4) and indol-3-carbaldehyde (8)
      showed the most potent effects with the IC50 values of 69.95 and 57.12 MUg/mL,
      respectively, which was comparable to that of loratadine (IC50 = 35.01 MUg/mL).
      To the best of our knowledge, it is the first report on secondary metabolites
      from the genus of Nesterenkonia.

PMID- 28335418
TI  - Food Insecurity, Poor Diet Quality, and Suboptimal Intakes of Folate and Iron Are
      Independently Associated with Perceived Mental Health in Canadian Adults.
AB  - BACKGROUND: To address nutrition-related population mental health data gaps, we
      examined relationships among food insecurity, diet quality, and perceived mental
      health. METHODS: Stratified and logistic regression analyses of respondents aged
      19-70 years from the Canadian Community Health Survey, Cycle 2.2 were conducted
      (n = 15,546). Measures included the Household Food Security Survey Module, diet
      quality (i.e., comparisons to the Dietary Reference Intakes, Healthy Eating
      Index), perceived mental health (poor versus good), sociodemographics, and
      smoking. RESULTS: In this sample, 6.9% were food insecure and 4.5% reported poor
      mental health. Stratified analysis of food security and mental health status by
      age/gender found associations for poor diet quality, protein, fat, fibre, and
      several micronutrients (p-values < 0.05); those who were food insecure tended to
      have higher suboptimal intakes (p-values < 0.05). After adjustment for
      covariates, associations in relation to mental health emerged for food insecurity
      (OR = 1.60, 95% CI 1.45-1.71), poor diet quality (1.61, 95% CI 1.34-1.81), and
      suboptimal intakes of folate (OR = 1.58, 95% CI 1.17-1.90) and iron (OR = 1.45,
      95% CI 1.23-1.88). CONCLUSIONS: Population approaches that improve food security
      and intakes of high quality diets may protect people from poor mental health.

PMID- 28335421
TI  - PAMAM Dendrimers Cross the Blood-Brain Barrier When Administered through the
      Carotid Artery in C57BL/6J Mice.
AB  - Drug delivery into the central nervous system (CNS) is challenging due to the
      blood-brain barrier (BBB) and drug delivery into the brain overcoming the BBB can
      be achieved using nanoparticles such as dendrimers. The conventional cationic
      dendrimers used are highly toxic. Therefore, the present study investigates the
      role of novel mixed surface dendrimers, which have potentially less toxicity and
      can cross the BBB when administered through the carotid artery in mice. In vitro
      experiments investigated the uptake of amine dendrimers (G1-NH2 and G4-NH2) and
      novel dendrimers (G1-90/10 and G4-90/10) by primary cortical cultures. In vivo
      experiments involved transplantation of G4-90/10 into mice through (1) invasive
      intracranial injections into the striatum; and (2) less invasive carotid
      injections. The animals were sacrificed 24-h and 1-week post-transplantations and
      their brains were analyzed. In vivo experiments proved that the G4-90/10 can
      cross the BBB when injected through the carotid artery and localize within
      neurons and glial cells. The dendrimers were found to migrate through the corpus
      callosum 1-week post intracranial injection. Immunohistochemistry showed that the
      migrating cells are the dendrimer-infected glial cells. Overall, our results
      suggest that poly-amidoamine (PAMAM) dendrimers may be used as a minimally
      invasive means to deliver biomolecules for treating neurological diseases or
      disorders.

PMID- 28335420
TI  - Efforts and Challenges in Engineering the Genetic Code.
AB  - This year marks the 48th anniversary of Francis Crick's seminal work on the
      origin of the genetic code, in which he first proposed the "frozen accident"
      hypothesis to describe evolutionary selection against changes to the genetic code
      that cause devastating global proteome modification. However, numerous efforts
      have demonstrated the viability of both natural and artificial genetic code
      variations. Recent advances in genetic engineering allow the creation of
      synthetic organisms that incorporate noncanonical, or even unnatural, amino acids
      into the proteome. Currently, successful genetic code engineering is mainly
      achieved by creating orthogonal aminoacyl-tRNA/synthetase pairs to repurpose stop
      and rare codons or to induce quadruplet codons. In this review, we summarize the
      current progress in genetic code engineering and discuss the challenges, current
      understanding, and future perspectives regarding genetic code modification.

PMID- 28335424
TI  - An Alternative Wearable Tracking System Based on a Low-Power Wide-Area Network.
AB  - This work presents an alternative wearable tracking system based on a low-power
      wide area network. A complete GPS receiver was integrated with a textile
      substrate, and the latitude and longitude coordinates were sent to the cloud by
      means of the SIM-less SIGFOX network. To send the coordinates over SIGFOX
      protocol, a specific codification algorithm was used and a customized UHF antenna
      on jeans fabric was designed, simulated and tested. Moreover, to guarantee the
      compliance to international regulations for human body exposure to
      electromagnetic radiation, the electromagnetic specific absorption rate of this
      antenna was analyzed. A specific remote server was developed to decode the
      latitude and longitude coordinates. Once the coordinates have been decoded, the
      remote server sends this information to the open source data viewer SENTILO to
      show the location of the sensor node in a map. The functionality of this system
      has been demonstrated experimentally. The results guarantee the utility and
      wearability of the proposed tracking system for the development of sensor nodes
      and point out that it can be a low cost alternative to other commercial products
      based on GSM networks.

PMID- 28335425
TI  - Linear Mathematical Model for Seam Tracking with an Arc Sensor in P-GMAW
      Processes.
AB  - Arc sensors have been used in seam tracking and widely studied since the 80s and
      commercial arc sensing products for T and V shaped grooves have been developed.
      However, it is difficult to use these arc sensors in narrow gap welding because
      the arc stability and sensing accuracy are not satisfactory. Pulse gas melting
      arc welding (P-GMAW) has been successfully applied in narrow gap welding and all
      position welding processes, so it is worthwhile to research P-GMAW arc sensing
      technology. In this paper, we derived a linear mathematical P-GMAW model for arc
      sensing, and the assumptions for the model are verified through experiments and
      finite element methods. Finally, the linear characteristics of the mathematical
      model were investigated. In torch height changing experiments, uphill
      experiments, and groove angle changing experiments the P-GMAW arc signals all
      satisfied the linear rules. In addition, the faster the welding speed, the higher
      the arc signal sensitivities; the smaller the groove angle, the greater the arc
      sensitivities. The arc signal variation rate needs to be modified according to
      the welding power, groove angles, and weaving or rotate speed.

PMID- 28335423
TI  - Treatment with 17beta-Estradiol Reduced Body Weight and the Risk of
      Cardiovascular Disease in a High-Fat Diet-Induced Animal Model of Obesity.
AB  - Estrogen receptor alpha (ERalpha) and estrogen receptor beta (ERbeta) play
      important roles in cardiovascular disease (CVD) prevention. Recently, these
      estrogen receptors were reconsidered as an important treatment target of obesity
      leading to CVD. In this study, 17beta-estradiol (17beta-E) replacement therapy
      applied to high-fat diet-induced obese C57B male mice and ovariectomized (OVX)
      rats were evaluated, and the protective effects against high-fat diet-induced
      obesity were assessed in C57B mouse hearts. The results showed that 17beta-E
      treatment activated both ERalpha and ERbeta, and ERbeta levels increased in a
      dose-dependent manner in high-fat diet C57B mouse cardiomyocytes following 17beta
      E treatment. Notably, an almost 16% reduction in body weight was observed in the
      17beta-E-treated (12 MUg/kg/day for 60 days) high-fat diet-induced obese C57B
      male mice. These results suggested that 17beta-E supplements may reduce CVD risk
      due to obesity.

PMID- 28335416
TI  - Supplementation with Phycocyanobilin, Citrulline, Taurine, and Supranutritional
      Doses of Folic Acid and Biotin-Potential for Preventing or Slowing the
      Progression of Diabetic Complications.
AB  - Oxidative stress, the resulting uncoupling of endothelial nitric oxide synthase
      (eNOS), and loss of nitric oxide (NO) bioactivity, are key mediators of the
      vascular and microvascular complications of diabetes. Much of this oxidative
      stress arises from up-regulated nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate
      (NADPH) oxidase activity. Phycocyanobilin (PhyCB), the light-harvesting
      chromophore in edible cyanobacteria such as spirulina, is a biliverdin derivative
      that shares the ability of free bilirubin to inhibit certain isoforms of NADPH
      oxidase. Epidemiological studies reveal that diabetics with relatively elevated
      serum bilirubin are less likely to develop coronary disease or microvascular
      complications; this may reflect the ability of bilirubin to ward off these
      complications via inhibition of NADPH oxidase. Oral PhyCB may likewise have
      potential in this regard, and has been shown to protect diabetic mice from
      glomerulosclerosis. With respect to oxidant-mediated uncoupling of eNOS, high
      dose folate can help to reverse this by modulating the oxidation status of the
      eNOS cofactor tetrahydrobiopterin (BH4). Oxidation of BH4 yields dihydrobiopterin
      (BH2), which competes with BH4 for binding to eNOS and promotes its uncoupling.
      The reduced intracellular metabolites of folate have versatile oxidant-scavenging
      activity that can prevent oxidation of BH4; concurrently, these metabolites
      promote induction of dihydrofolate reductase, which functions to reconvert BH2 to
      BH4, and hence alleviate the uncoupling of eNOS. The arginine metabolite
      asymmetric dimethylarginine (ADMA), typically elevated in diabetics, also
      uncouples eNOS by competitively inhibiting binding of arginine to eNOS; this
      effect is exacerbated by the increased expression of arginase that accompanies
      diabetes. These effects can be countered via supplementation with citrulline,
      which efficiently enhances tissue levels of arginine. With respect to the loss of
      NO bioactivity that contributes to diabetic complications, high dose biotin has
      the potential to "pinch hit" for diminished NO by direct activation of soluble
      guanylate cyclase (sGC). High-dose biotin also may aid glycemic control via
      modulatory effects on enzyme induction in hepatocytes and pancreatic beta cells.
      Taurine, which suppresses diabetic complications in rodents, has the potential to
      reverse the inactivating impact of oxidative stress on sGC by boosting synthesis
      of hydrogen sulfide. Hence, it is proposed that concurrent administration of
      PhyCB, citrulline, taurine, and supranutritional doses of folate and biotin may
      have considerable potential for prevention and control of diabetic complications.
      Such a regimen could also be complemented with antioxidants such as lipoic acid,
      N-acetylcysteine, and melatonin-that boost cellular expression of antioxidant
      enzymes and glutathione-as well as astaxanthin, zinc, and glycine. The
      development of appropriate functional foods might make it feasible for patients
      to use complex nutraceutical regimens of the sort suggested here.

PMID- 28335422
TI  - Association between Coffee Consumption and Its Polyphenols with Cardiovascular
      Risk Factors: A Population-Based Study.
AB  - Epidemiological studies have examined the effect of coffee intake on
      cardiovascular disease, but the benefits and risks for the cardiovascular system
      remain controversial. Our objective was to evaluate the association between
      coffee consumption and its polyphenols on cardiovascular risk factors. Data came
      from the "Health Survey of Sao Paulo (ISA-Capital)" among 557 individuals, in Sao
      Paulo, Brazil. Diet was assessed by two 24-h dietary recalls. Coffee consumption
      was categorized into <1, 1-3, and >=3 cups/day. Polyphenol intake was calculated
      by matching food consumption data with the Phenol-Explorer database. Multiple
      logistic regression models were used to assess the associations between
      cardiovascular risk factors (blood pressure, total cholesterol, low-density
      lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-c), high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-c),
      triglycerides, fasting glucose, and homocysteine) and usual coffee intake. The
      odds were lower among individuals who drank 1-3 cups of coffee/day to elevated
      systolic blood pressure (SBP) (Odds Ratio (OR) = 0.45; 95% Confidence Interval
      (95% CI): 0.26, 0.78), elevated diastolic blood pressure (DBP) (OR = 0.44; 95%
      CI: 0.20, 0.98), and hyperhomocysteinemia (OR = 0.32; 95% CI: 0.11, 0.93).
      Furthermore, significant inverse associations were also observed between moderate
      intake of coffee polyphenols and elevated SBP (OR = 0.46; 95% CI: 0.24, 0.87),
      elevated DBP (OR = 0.51; 95% CI: 0.26, 0.98), and hyperhomocysteinemia (OR =
      0.29; 95% CI: 0.11, 0.78). In conclusion, coffee intake of 1-3 cups/day and its
      polyphenols were associated with lower odds of elevated SBP, DBP, and
      hyperhomocysteinemia. Thus, the moderate consumption of coffee, a polyphenol-rich
      beverage, could exert a protective effect against some cardiovascular risk
      factors.

PMID- 28335426
TI  - Elevated Serum Hepcidin Levels during an Intensified Training Period in Well
      Trained Female Long-Distance Runners.
AB  - Iron is essential for providing oxygen to working muscles during exercise, and
      iron deficiency leads to decreased exercise capacity during endurance events.
      However, the mechanism of iron deficiency among endurance athletes remains
      unclear. In this study, we compared iron status between two periods involving
      different training regimens. Sixteen female long-distance runners participated.
      Over a seven-month period, fasting blood samples were collected during their
      regular training period (LOW; middle of February) and during an intensified
      training period (INT; late of August) to determine blood hematological, iron, and
      inflammatory parameters. Three-day food diaries were also assessed. Body weight
      and lean body mass did not differ significantly between LOW and INT, while body
      fat and body fat percentage were significantly lower in INT (p < 0.05). Blood
      hemoglobin, serum ferritin, total protein, and iron levels, total iron-binding
      capacity, and transferrin saturation did not differ significantly between the two
      periods. Serum hepcidin levels were significantly higher during INT than LOW (p <
      0.05). Carbohydrate and iron intakes from the daily diet were significantly
      higher during INT than LOW (p < 0.05). In conclusion, an elevated hepcidin level
      was observed during an intensified training period in long-distance runners,
      despite an apparently adequate daily intake of iron.

PMID- 28335427
TI  - Laxative Effects of Total Diterpenoids Extracted from the Roots of Euphorbia
      pekinensis Are Attributable to Alterations of Aquaporins in the Colon.
AB  - This study was designed to evaluate the toxic effects of total diterpenoids
      extracted from the roots of Euphorbia pekinensis (TDEP) on the mouse colon and to
      clarify the mechanism. Dried powdered roots of E. pekinensis were extracted with
      chloroform, and then the extract (6.7 g) was subjected to column chromatography
      and preparative TLC, giving TDEP. Using the HPLC-DAD method, the purity of TDEP
      was determined as 85.26%. Mice were orally administered with TDEP (3.942, 19.71
      and 39.42 mg/kg), after which fecal water content and colon water content were
      examined. Both of them increased over time after TDEP administration, accompanied
      by severe diarrhea. Three hours after TDEP administration, the animals were
      sacrificed to obtain their colons. The mRNA and protein expression levels of
      aquaporin 1 (AQP1), AQP3 and AQP4 in the colon were measured using real-time RT
      PCR and Western blotting, respectively. TDEP significantly increased the levels
      of AQP3 and AQP4, but decreased that of AQP1 in dose-dependent manners.
      Similarly, Pekinenin C, a casbane diterpenoid, significantly increased AQP3
      protein and mRNA expressions in human intestinal epithelial cells (HT-29).
      Histopathological examination revealed that the colon was not significantly
      damaged. The laxative effects of E. pekinensis were associated with the
      alterations of AQPs in the colon by TDEP.

PMID- 28335429
TI  - The Adverse Effect of Hypertension in the Treatment of Thyroid Cancer with Multi
      Kinase Inhibitors.
AB  - The treatment of thyroid cancer has promising prospects, mostly through the use
      of surgical or radioactive iodine therapy. However, some thyroid cancers, such as
      progressive radioactive iodine-refractory differentiated thyroid carcinoma, are
      not remediable with conventional types of treatment. In these cases, a treatment
      regimen with multi-kinase inhibitors is advisable. Unfortunately, clinical trials
      have shown a large number of patients, treated with multi-kinase inhibitors,
      being adversely affected by hypertension. This means that treatment of thyroid
      cancer with multi-kinase inhibitors prolongs progression-free and overall
      survival of patients, but a large number of patients experience hypertension as
      an adverse effect of the treatment. Whether the prolonged lifetime is sufficient
      to develop sequelae from hypertension is unclear, but late-stage cancer patients
      often have additional diseases, which can be complicated by the presence of
      hypertension. Since the exact mechanisms of the rise of hypertension in these
      patients are still unknown, the only available strategy is treating the symptoms.
      More studies determining the pathogenesis of hypertension as a side effect to
      cancer treatment as well as outcomes of dose management of cancer drugs are
      necessary to improve future therapy options for hypertension as an adverse effect
      to cancer therapy with multi-kinase inhibitors.

PMID- 28335431
TI  - Building a Relationship between Robot Characteristics and Teleoperation User
      Interfaces.
AB  - The Robot Operating System (ROS) provides roboticists with a standardized and
      distributed framework for real-time communication between robotic systems using a
      microkernel environment. This paper looks at how ROS metadata, Unified Robot
      Description Format (URDF), Semantic Robot Description Format (SRDF), and its
      message description language, can be used to identify key robot characteristics
      to inform User Interface (UI) design for the teleoperation of heterogeneous robot
      teams. Logical relationships between UI components and robot characteristics are
      defined by a set of relationship rules created using relevant and available
      information including developer expertise and ROS metadata. This provides a
      significant opportunity to move towards a rule-driven approach for generating the
      designs of teleoperation UIs; in particular the reduction of the number of
      different UI configurations required to teleoperate each individual robot within
      a heterogeneous robot team. This approach is based on using an underlying rule
      set identifying robots that can be teleoperated using the same UI configuration
      due to having the same or similar robot characteristics. Aside from reducing the
      number of different UI configurations an operator needs to be familiar with, this
      approach also supports consistency in UI configurations when a teleoperator is
      periodically switching between different robots. To achieve this aim, a Matlab
      toolbox is developed providing users with the ability to define rules specifying
      the relationship between robot characteristics and UI components. Once rules are
      defined, selections that best describe the characteristics of the robot type
      within a particular heterogeneous robot team can be made. A main advantage of
      this approach is that rather than specifying discrete robots comprising the team,
      the user can specify characteristics of the team more generally allowing the
      system to deal with slight variations that may occur in the future. In fact, by
      using the defined relationship rules and characteristic selections, the toolbox
      can automatically identify a reduced set of UI configurations required to control
      possible robot team configurations, as opposed to the traditional ad-hoc approach
      to teleoperation UI design. In the results section, three test cases are
      presented to demonstrate how the selection of different robot characteristics
      builds a number of robot characteristic combinations, and how the relationship
      rules are used to determine a reduced set of required UI configurations needed to
      control each individual robot in the robot team.

PMID- 28335430
TI  - A Review on Ubiquitination of Neurotrophin Receptors: Facts and Perspectives.
AB  - Ubiquitination is a reversible post-translational modification involved in a
      plethora of different physiological functions. Among the substrates that are
      ubiquitinated, neurotrophin receptors (TrkA, TrkB, TrkC, and p75NTR) have been
      studied recently. TrkA is the most studied receptor in terms of its
      ubiquitination, and different E3 ubiquitin ligases and deubiquitinases have been
      implicated in its ubiquitination, whereas not much is known about the other
      neurotrophin receptors aside from their ubiquitination. Additional studies are
      needed that focus on the ubiquitination of TrkB, TrkC, and p75NTR in order to
      further understand the role of ubiquitination in their physiological and
      pathological functions. Here we review what is currently known regarding the
      ubiquitination of neurotrophin receptors and its physiological and pathological
      relevance.

PMID- 28335428
TI  - An Updated Review of Ciguatera Fish Poisoning: Clinical, Epidemiological,
      Environmental, and Public Health Management.
AB  - Ciguatera Fish Poisoning (CFP) is the most frequently reported seafood-toxin
      illness in the world. It causes substantial human health, social, and economic
      impacts. The illness produces a complex array of gastrointestinal, neurological
      and neuropsychological, and cardiovascular symptoms, which may last days, weeks,
      or months. This paper is a general review of CFP including the human health
      effects of exposure to ciguatoxins (CTXs), diagnosis, human pathophysiology of
      CFP, treatment, detection of CTXs in fish, epidemiology of the illness, global
      dimensions, prevention, future directions, and recommendations for clinicians and
      patients. It updates and expands upon the previous review of CFP published by
      Friedman et al. (2008) and addresses new insights and relevant emerging global
      themes such as climate and environmental change, international market issues, and
      socioeconomic impacts of CFP. It also provides a proposed universal case
      definition for CFP designed to account for the variability in symptom
      presentation across different geographic regions. Information that is important
      but unchanged since the previous review has been reiterated. This article is
      intended for a broad audience, including resource and fishery managers,
      commercial and recreational fishers, public health officials, medical
      professionals, and other interested parties.

PMID- 28335432
TI  - Marine Lectins DlFBL and HddSBL Fused with Soluble Coxsackie-Adenovirus Receptor
      Facilitate Adenovirus Infection in Cancer Cells BUT Have Different Effects on
      Cell Survival.
AB  - Cancer development and progression are usually associated with glycosylation
      change, providing prognostic and diagnostic biomarkers, as well as therapeutic
      targets, for various cancers. In this work, Dicentrarchus labrax fucose binding
      lectin (DlFBL) and Haliotis discus discus sialic acid binding lectin (HddSBL)
      were genetically fused with soluble coxsackie-adenovirus receptor (sCAR), and
      produced through a bacterial expression system. Results showed that recombinant
      sCAR-DlFBL not only facilitated adenovirus Ad-EGFP infection in K562/ADR and
      U87MG cells, but also enhanced the cytotoxicity of adenovirus harboring gene
      encoding Pinellia pedatisecta agglutinin (PPA) or DlFBL (Ad-PPA or Ad-DlFBL) on
      U87MG cells through inducing apoptosis. Recombinant sCAR-HddSBL facilitated Ad
      EGFP infection, but dramatically counteracted the cytotoxicity of both Ad-PPA and
      Ad-DlFBL in U87MG cells. Further analysis revealed that sCAR-HddSBL, but not sCAR
      DlFBL, significantly upregulated transcription factor E2F1 levels in U87MG cells,
      which might be responsible for the adverse effect of sCAR-HddSBL on Ad-PPA and Ad
      DlFBL. Taken together, our data suggested that sCAR-DlFBL could be further
      developed to redirect therapeutic adenoviruses to infect cancer cells such as
      U87MG, and the sCAR-lectin fusion proteins for adenoviral retargeting should be
      carefully examined for possible survival signaling induced by lectins, such as
      HddSBL.

PMID- 28335433
TI  - Evaluation and Adaptation of a Laboratory-Based cDNA Library Preparation Protocol
      for Retrospective Sequencing of Archived MicroRNAs from up to 35-Year-Old
      Clinical FFPE Specimens.
AB  - Formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded (FFPE) specimens, when used in conjunction with
      patient clinical data history, represent an invaluable resource for molecular
      studies of cancer. Even though nucleic acids extracted from archived FFPE tissues
      are degraded, their molecular analysis has become possible. In this study, we
      optimized a laboratory-based next-generation sequencing barcoded cDNA library
      preparation protocol for analysis of small RNAs recovered from archived FFPE
      tissues. Using matched fresh and FFPE specimens, we evaluated the robustness and
      reproducibility of our optimized approach, as well as its applicability to
      archived clinical specimens stored for up to 35 years. We then evaluated this
      cDNA library preparation protocol by performing a miRNA expression analysis of
      archived breast ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS) specimens, selected for their
      relation to the risk of subsequent breast cancer development and obtained from
      six different institutions. Our analyses identified six miRNAs (miR-29a, miR-221,
      miR-375, miR-184, miR-363, miR-455-5p) differentially expressed between DCIS
      lesions from women who subsequently developed an invasive breast cancer (cases)
      and women who did not develop invasive breast cancer within the same time
      interval (control). Our thorough evaluation and application of this laboratory
      based miRNA sequencing analysis indicates that the preparation of small RNA cDNA
      libraries can reliably be performed on older, archived, clinically-classified
      specimens.

PMID- 28335434
TI  - Induction of G2M Arrest by Flavokawain A, a Kava Chalcone, Increases the
      Responsiveness of HER2-Overexpressing Breast Cancer Cells to Herceptin.
AB  - HER2/neu positive breast tumors predict a high mortality and comprise 25%-30% of
      breast cancer. We have shown that Flavokawain A (FKA) preferentially reduces the
      viabilities of HER2-overexpressing breast cancer cell lines (i.e., SKBR3 and
      MCF7/HER2) versus those with less HER2 expression (i.e., MCF7 and MDA-MB-468).
      FKA at cytotoxic concentrations to breast cancer cell lines also has a minimal
      effect on the growth of non-malignant breast epithelial MCF10A cells. FKA induces
      G2M arrest in cell cycle progression of HER2-overexpressing breast cancer cell
      lines through inhibition of Cdc2 and Cdc25C phosphorylation and downregulation of
      expression of Myt1 and Wee1 leading to increased Cdc2 kinase activities. In
      addition, FKA induces apoptosis in SKBR3 cells by increasing the protein
      expression of Bim and BAX and decreasing expression of Bcl2, BclX/L, XIAP, and
      survivin. FKA also downregulates the protein expression of HER-2 and inhibits AKT
      phosphorylation. Herceptin plus FKA treatment leads to an enhanced growth
      inhibitory effect on HER-2 overexpressing breast cancer cell lines through
      downregulation of Myt1, Wee1, Skp2, survivin, and XIAP. Our results suggest FKA
      as a promising and novel apoptosis inducer and G2 blocking agent that, in
      combination with Herceptin, enhances for the treatment of HER2-overexpressing
      breast cancer.

PMID- 28335435
TI  - Spirobifluorene Core-Based Novel Hole Transporting Materials for Red
      Phosphorescence OLEDs.
AB  - Two new hole transporting materials, named HTM 1A and HTM 1B, were designed and
      synthesized in significant yields using the well-known Buchwald Hartwig and
      Suzuki cross- coupling reactions. Both materials showed higher decomposition
      temperatures (over 450  degrees C) at 5% weight reduction and HTM 1B exhibited a
      higher glass transition temperature of 180  degrees C. Red phosphorescence-based
      OLED devices were fabricated to analyze the device performances compared to Spiro
      NPB and NPB as reference hole transporting materials. Devices consist of hole
      transporting material as HTM 1B showed better maximum current and power
      efficiencies of 16.16 cd/A and 11.17 lm/W, at the same time it revealed an
      improved external quantum efficiency of 13.64%. This efficiency is considerably
      higher than that of Spiro-NPB and NPB-based reference devices.

PMID- 28335436
TI  - Photonic Low Cost Micro-Sensor for in-Line Wear Particle Detection in Flowing
      Lube Oils.
AB  - The presence of microscopic particles in suspension in industrial fluids is often
      an early warning of latent or imminent failures in the equipment or processes
      where they are being used. This manuscript describes work undertaken to integrate
      different photonic principles with a micro- mechanical fluidic structure and an
      embedded processor to develop a fully autonomous wear debris sensor for in-line
      monitoring of industrial fluids. Lens-less microscopy, stroboscopic illumination,
      a CMOS imager and embedded machine vision technologies have been merged to
      develop a sensor solution that is able to detect and quantify the number and size
      of micrometric particles suspended in a continuous flow of a fluid. A laboratory
      test-bench has been arranged for setting up the configuration of the optical
      components targeting a static oil sample and then a sensor prototype has been
      developed for migrating the measurement principles to real conditions in terms of
      operating pressure and flow rate of the oil. Imaging performance is quantified
      using micro calibrated samples, as well as by measuring real used lubricated
      oils. Sampling a large fluid volume with a decent 2D spatial resolution, this
      photonic micro sensor offers a powerful tool at very low cost and compacted size
      for in-line wear debris monitoring.

PMID- 28335437
TI  - Effect of Clozapine on DNA Methylation in Peripheral Leukocytes from Patients
      with Treatment-Resistant Schizophrenia.
AB  - Clozapine is an atypical antipsychotic, that is established as the treatment of
      choice for treatment-resistant schizophrenia (SCZ). To date, no study
      investigating comprehensive DNA methylation changes in SCZ patients treated with
      chronic clozapine has been reported. The purpose of the present study is to
      reveal the effects of clozapine on DNA methylation in treatment-resistant SCZ. We
      conducted a genome-wide DNA methylation profiling in peripheral leukocytes
      (485,764 CpG dinucleotides) from treatment-resistant SCZ patients treated with
      clozapine (n = 21) in a longitudinal study. Significant changes in DNA
      methylation were observed at 29,134 sites after one year of treatment with
      clozapine, and these genes were enriched for "cell substrate adhesion" and "cell
      matrix adhesion" gene ontology (GO) terms. Furthermore, DNA methylation changes
      in the CREBBP (CREB binding protein) gene were significantly correlated with the
      clinical improvements. Our findings provide insights into the action of clozapine
      in treatment-resistant SCZ.

PMID- 28335439
TI  - Mercury Levels in Human Hair and Farmed Fish near Artisanal and Small-Scale Gold
      Mining Communities in the Madre de Dios River Basin, Peru.
AB  - Artisanal and small-scale gold mining (ASGM) has been an important source of
      income for communities in the Madre de Dios River Basin in Peru for hundreds of
      years. However, in recent decades, the scale of ASGM activities in the region has
      increased dramatically, and exposures to a variety of occupational and
      environmental hazards related to ASGM, including mercury, are becoming more
      widespread. The aims of our study were to: (1) examine patterns in the total hair
      mercury level of human participants in several communities in the region and
      compare these results to the 2.2 ug/g total hair mercury level equivalent to the
      World Health Organization (WHO) Expert Committee of Food Additives (JECFA)'s
      Provisional Tolerable Weekly Intake (PTWI); and (2), to measure the mercury
      levels of paco (Piaractus brachypomus) fish raised in local aquaculture ponds, in
      order to compare these levels to the EPA Fish Tissue Residue Criterion of 0.3 ug
      Hg/g fish (wet weight). We collected hair samples from 80 participants in four
      communities (one control and three where ASGM activities occurred) in the region,
      and collected 111 samples from fish raised in 24 local aquaculture farms. We then
      analyzed the samples for total mercury. Total mercury levels in hair were
      statistically significantly higher in the mining communities than in the control
      community, and increased with increasing geodesic distance from the Madre de Dios
      headwaters, did not differ by sex, and frequently exceeded the reference level.
      Regression analyses indicated that higher hair mercury levels were associated
      with residence in ASGM communities. The analysis of paco fish samples found no
      samples that exceeded the EPA tissue residue criterion. Collectively, these
      results align with other recent studies showing that ASGM activities are
      associated with elevated human mercury exposure. The fish farmed through the
      relatively new process of aquaculture in ASGM areas appeared to have little
      potential to contribute to human mercury exposure. More research is needed on
      human health risks associated with ASGM to discern occupational, residential, and
      nutritional exposure, especially through tracking temporal changes in mercury
      levels as fish ponds age, and assessing levels in different farmed fish species.
      Additionally, research is needed to definitively determine that elevated mercury
      levels in humans and fish result from the elemental mercury from mining, rather
      than from a different source, such as the mercury released from soil erosion
      during deforestation events from mining or other activities.

PMID- 28335440
TI  - Profile of Polyphenol Compounds of Five Muscadine Grapes Cultivated in the United
      States and in Newly Adapted Locations in China.
AB  - Polyphenol compositions and concentrations in skins and seeds of five muscadine
      grapes (cv. "Noble", "Alachua", "Carlos", "Fry", and "Granny Val") cultivated in
      the United States (Tallahassee-Florida, TA-FL) and South China (Nanning-Guangxi,
      NN-GX and Pu'er-Yunnan, PE-YN) were investigated, using ultra performance liquid
      chromatography tandem triple quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry (UPLC
      Triple TOF MS/MS). Fourteen ellagitannins were newly identified in these
      muscadine grapes. The grapes grown in NN-GX accumulated higher levels of ellagic
      acid, methyl brevifolin carboxylate, and ellagic acid glucoside in skins, and
      penta-O-galloyl-glucose in seeds. In PE-YN, more flavonols were detected in
      skins, and higher contents of flavan-3-ols, ellagic acid, and methyl gallate were
      identified in seeds. Abundant seed gallic acid and flavonols were found among the
      grapes grown in TA-FL. Based on principal component analysis (PCA) of 54
      evaluation parameters, various cultivars grown in different locations could be
      grouped together and vice versa for the same cultivar cultivated in different
      regions. This is the result of the interaction between genotype and environmental
      conditions, which apparently influences the polyphenol synthesis and
      accumulation.

PMID- 28335438
TI  - The Food Production Environment and the Development of Antimicrobial Resistance
      in Human Pathogens of Animal Origin.
AB  - Food-borne pathogens are a serious human health concern worldwide, and the
      emergence of antibiotic-resistant food pathogens has further confounded this
      problem. Once-highly-efficacious antibiotics are gradually becoming ineffective
      against many important pathogens, resulting in severe treatment crises. Among
      several reasons for the development and spread of antimicrobial resistance, their
      overuse in animal food production systems for purposes other than treatment of
      infections is prominent. Many pathogens of animals are zoonotic, and therefore
      any development of resistance in pathogens associated with food animals can
      spread to humans through the food chain. Human infections by antibiotic-resistant
      pathogens such as Campylobacter spp., Salmonella spp., Escherichia coli and
      Staphylococcus aureus are increasing. Considering the human health risk due to
      emerging antibiotic resistance in food animal-associated bacteria, many countries
      have banned the use of antibiotic growth promoters and the application in animals
      of antibiotics critically important in human medicine. Concerted global efforts
      are necessary to minimize the use of antimicrobials in food animals in order to
      control the development of antibiotic resistance in these systems and their
      spread to humans via food and water.

PMID- 28335442
TI  - In Vitro and In Vivo Effects of Gracilaria verrucosa Extracts on Osteoclast
      Differentiation.
AB  - Bone remodeling, a physiological process characterized by bone formation by
      osteoblasts and bone resorption by osteoclasts, is important for the maintenance
      of healthy bone in adult humans. Osteoclasts play a critical role in bone erosion
      and osteoporosis and are bone-specific multinucleated cells generated through
      differentiation of monocyte/macrophage lineage precursors. Receptor activator of
      NF-kappaB ligand (RANKL) has been reported to induce osteoclast differentiation.
      In this study, we explored whether Gracilaria verrucosa extracts (GE) could
      affect RANKL-mediated osteoclast differentiation. GE significantly inhibited
      RANKL-activated osteoclast differentiation by inhibiting protein expression of c
      fos and nuclear factor of activated T-cells, cytoplasmic 1 (NFATc1), vital
      factors in RANKL-mediated osteoclastogenesis. In addition, GE attenuated
      ovariectomy-induced bone loss in mice. In summary, GE can prevent
      osteoclastogenesis and hormone-related bone loss via blockage of c-fos-NFATc1
      signaling. Our results suggest that GE may have therapeutic potential in the
      treatment of postmenopausal osteoporosis.

PMID- 28335441
TI  - Dietary Intake of Individual (Free and Intrinsic) Sugars and Food Sources in the
      Spanish Population: Findings from the ANIBES Study.
AB  - The consumption of total and individual sugars is controversial and little is
      known about consumption and dietary sources in Spain. The purpose was to examine
      free and intrinsic sugar intake and food and beverage sources. The ANIBES Study
      (Anthropometry, Intake and Energy Balance in Spain), a cross-sectional study of a
      representative sample of the Spanish population (9-75 years old; n = 2009)
      carried out in 2013, was used. Food and beverage records were obtained by a three
      day dietary record by using a tablet device. The median total sugar intake was
      71.5 g/day (17% Total Energy, TE), the intrinsic sugar intake was 38.3 g/day
      (9.6% TE), and the free sugar was 28.8 g/day (7.3% TE). Total sugar intake (free
      and intrinsic) was higher in men than in women for all age groups, although in
      terms of the contribution to total energy intake, the opposite was observed.
      Differences were observed for free sugar consumption dependent on age and marked
      differences (up to two-fold) were observed when considering the percent TE, which
      was much higher in children and adolescents. For the intrinsic sugar, however, a
      higher contribution to TE was observed in the elderly. The major sources of
      intrinsic sugars were fruits (31.8%), milks (19.6%), juices and nectars (11.1%),
      vegetables (9.89%), yogurt and fermented milk (7.18%), low-alcohol-content
      beverages (4,94%), bread (2.91%), and sugar soft drinks (2.24%), greater than 90%
      from diet contribution. As for free sugars, sources were sugar soft drinks
      (25.5%), sugar (17.8%), bakery and pastry items (15.2%), chocolates (11.4%),
      yogurt and fermented milk (6.44%), other dairy products (5.99%), jams (3.58%),
      juices and nectars (2.91%), and breakfast cereals and cereal bars (2.78%),
      summing up to 90% of the contribution. The present study demonstrates that only a
      moderate percentage of the Spanish population adhered to the present
      recommendations for total sugar intake, and urgent efforts are needed to improve
      diet quality in the youngest populations.

PMID- 28335444
TI  - HIV Education and Welfare Services in Primary Care: An Empirical Model of
      Integration in Brazil's Unified Health System.
AB  - Integration of health education and welfare services in primary care systems is a
      key strategy to solve the multiple determinants of chronic diseases, such as
      Human Immunodeficiency Virus Infection and Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome
      (HIV/AIDS). However, there is a scarcity of conceptual models from which to build
      integration strategies. We provide a model based on cross-sectional data from 168
      Community Health Agents, 62 nurses, and 32 physicians in two municipalities in
      Brazil's Unified Health System (UHS). The outcome, service integration, comprised
      HIV education, community activities (e.g., health walks and workshops), and
      documentation services (e.g., obtainment of working papers and birth
      certificates). Predictors included individual factors (provider confidence,
      knowledge/skills, perseverance, efficacy); job characteristics (interprofessional
      collaboration, work-autonomy, decision-making autonomy, skill variety); and
      organizational factors (work conditions and work resources). Structural equation
      modeling was used to identify factors associated with service integration.
      Knowledge and skills, skill variety, confidence, and perseverance predicted
      greater integration of HIV education alongside community activities and
      documentation services. Job characteristics and organizational factors did not
      predict integration. Our study offers an explanatory model that can be adapted to
      examine other variables that may influence integration of different services in
      global primary healthcare systems. Findings suggest that practitioner trainings
      to improve integration should focus on cognitive constructs-confidence,
      perseverance, knowledge, and skills.

PMID- 28335445
TI  - Deciphering Egyptian Hieroglyphs: Towards a New Strategy for Navigation in
      Museums.
AB  - This work presents a novel strategy to decipher fragments of Egyptian cartouches
      identifying the hieroglyphs of which they are composed. A cartouche is a drawing,
      usually inside an oval, that encloses a group of hieroglyphs representing the
      name of a monarch. Aiming to identify these drawings, the proposed method is
      based on several techniques frequently used in computer vision and consists of
      three main stages: first, a picture of the cartouche is taken as input and its
      contour is localized. In the second stage, each hieroglyph is individually
      extracted and identified. Finally, the cartouche is interpreted: the sequence of
      the hieroglyphs is established according to a previously generated benchmark.
      This sequence corresponds to the name of the king. Although this method was
      initially conceived to deal with both high and low relief writing in stone, it
      can be also applied to painted hieroglyphs. This approach is not affected by
      variable lighting conditions, or the intensity and the completeness of the
      objects. This proposal has been tested on images obtained from the Abydos King
      List and other Egyptian monuments and archaeological excavations. The promising
      results give new possibilities to recognize hieroglyphs, opening a new way to
      decipher longer texts and inscriptions, being particularly useful in museums and
      Egyptian environments. Additionally, devices used for acquiring visual
      information from cartouches (i.e., smartphones), can be part of a navigation
      system for museums where users are located in indoor environments by means of the
      combination of WiFi Positioning Systems (WPS) and depth cameras, as unveiled at
      the end of the document.

PMID- 28335443
TI  - Pharmacokinetic and Pharmacodynamic Responses to Clopidogrel: Evidences and
      Perspectives.
AB  - Clopidogrel has significantly reduced the incidence of recurrent atherothrombotic
      events in patients with acute coronary syndrome (ACS) and in those undergoing
      percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). However, recurrence events still
      remain, which may be partly due to inadequate platelet inhibition by standard
      clopidogrel therapy. Genetic polymorphisms involved in clopidogrel's absorption,
      metabolism, and the P2Y12 receptor may interfere with its antiplatelet activity.
      Recent evidence indicated that epigenetic modification may also affect
      clopidogrel response. In addition, non-genetic factors such as demographics,
      disease complications, and drug-drug interactions can impair the antiplatelet
      effect of clopidogrel. The identification of factors contributing to the
      variation in clopidogrel response is needed to improve platelet inhibition and to
      reduce risk for cardiovascular events. This review encompasses the most recent
      updates on factors influencing pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic responses to
      clopidogrel.

PMID- 28335446
TI  - Knowledge, Self-Confidence and Attitudes towards Suicidal Patients at Emergency
      and Psychiatric Departments: A Randomised Controlled Trial of the Effects of an
      Educational Poster Campaign.
AB  - Educational posters are used to enhance knowledge, attitudes and self-confidence
      of patients. Little is known on their effectiveness for educating health care
      professionals. As these professionals may play an important role in suicide
      prevention, the effects of a poster and accompanying evaluation and triage guide
      on knowledge, self-confidence and attitudes regarding suicidal thoughts and
      behaviours, were studied in a multicentre cluster randomised controlled trial,
      involving staff from 39 emergency and 38 psychiatric departments throughout
      Flanders (n = 1171). Structured self-report questionnaires assessed the
      knowledge, confidence and beliefs regarding suicidal behaviour management, and
      attitudes. Data were analysed through a Solomon four-group design, with random
      assignment to the different conditions. Baseline scores for knowledge and
      provider confidence were high. The poster and accompanying evaluation and triage
      guide did not have an effect on knowledge about suicide and self-confidence in
      suicidal behaviour management. However, the poster campaign appeared to be
      beneficial for attitudes towards suicidal patients, but only among staff from
      mental health departments that were assigned to the un-pretested condition. Given
      the limited effects of the poster campaign in the studied population with a
      relatively high baseline knowledge, the evaluation of this poster as part of a
      multimodal educational programme in a more heterogeneous sample of health care
      professionals is recommended.

PMID- 28335447
TI  - Transcriptomic Complexity of Aspergillus terreus Velvet Gene Family under the
      Influence of Butyrolactone I.
AB  - Filamentous fungi of the Ascomycota phylum are known to contain a family of
      conserved conidiation regulating proteins with distinctive velvet domains. In
      Aspergilli, this velvet family includes four proteins, VeA, VelB, VelC and VosA,
      and is involved in conidiation and secondary metabolism along with a global
      regulator LaeA. In A. terreus, the overexpression of LaeA has been observed to
      increase the biogenesis of the pharmaceutically-important secondary metabolite,
      lovastatin, while the role of the velvet family has not been studied. The
      secondary metabolism and conidiation of A. terreus have also been observed to be
      increased by butyrolactone I in a quorum-sensing manner. An enlightenment of the
      interplay of these regulators will give potential advancement to the industrial
      use of this fungus, as well as in resolving the pathogenic features. In this
      study, the Aspergillus terreus MUCL 38669 transcriptome was strand-specifically
      sequenced to enable an in-depth gene expression analysis to further investigate
      the transcriptional role of butyrolactone I in these processes. The sequenced
      transcriptome revealed intriguing properties of the velvet family transcripts,
      including the regulator laeA, and uncovered the velC gene in A. terreus. The
      reliability refining microarray gene expression analysis disclosed a positive
      regulatory role for butyrolactone I in laeA expression, as well as an influence
      on the expression of the canonical conidiation-regulating genes under submerged
      culture. All of this supports the suggested regulative role of butyrolactone I in
      A. terreus secondary metabolism, as well as conidiation.

PMID- 28335449
TI  - The Relation between Frequency of E-Cigarette Use and Frequency and Intensity of
      Cigarette Smoking among South Korean Adolescents.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: The prevalence of adolescent electronic cigarette (e-cigarette) use
      has increased in most countries. This study aims to determine the relation
      between the frequency of e-cigarette use and the frequency and intensity of
      cigarette smoking. Additionally, the study evaluates the association between the
      reasons for e-cigarette use and the frequency of its use. MATERIALS AND METHODS:
      Using the 2015 Korean Youth Risk Behavior Web-Based Survey, we included 6655
      adolescents with an experience of e-cigarette use who were middle and high school
      students aged 13-18 years. We compared smoking experience, the frequency and
      intensity of cigarette smoking, and the relation between the reasons for e
      cigarette uses and the frequency of e-cigarette use. RESULTS: The prevalence of e
      cigarette ever and current (past 30 days) users were 10.1% and 3.9%,
      respectively. Of the ever users, approximately 60% used e-cigarettes not within 1
      month. On the other hand, 8.1% used e-cigarettes daily. The frequent and
      intensive cigarette smoking was associated with frequent e-cigarette uses. The
      percentage of frequent e-cigarette users (>=10 days/month) was 3.5% in
      adolescents who did not smoke within a month, but 28.7% among daily smokers.
      Additionally, it was 9.1% in smokers who smoked less than 1 cigarette/month, but
      55.1% in smokers who smoked >=20 cigarettes/day. The most common reason for e
      cigarette use was curiosity (22.9%), followed by the belief that they are less
      harmful than conventional cigarettes (18.9%), the desire to quit smoking (13.1%),
      and the capacity for indoor use (10.7%). Curiosity was the most common reason
      among less frequent e-cigarette users; however, the desire to quit smoking and
      the capacity for indoor use were the most common reasons among more frequent
      users. CONCLUSIONS: Results showed a positive relation between frequency or
      intensity of conventional cigarette smoking and the frequency of e-cigarette use
      among Korean adolescents, and frequency of e-cigarette use differed according to
      the reason for the use of e-cigarettes.

PMID- 28335448
TI  - A Community Multi-Omics Approach towards the Assessment of Surface Water Quality
      in an Urban River System.
AB  - A multi-omics approach was applied to an urban river system (the Brisbane River
      (BR), Queensland, Australia) in order to investigate surface water quality and
      characterize the bacterial population with respect to water contaminants. To do
      this, bacterial metagenomic amplicon-sequencing using Illumina next-generation
      sequencing (NGS) of the V5-V6 hypervariable regions of the 16S rRNA gene and
      untargeted community metabolomics using gas chromatography coupled with mass
      spectrometry (GC-MS) were utilized. The multi-omics data, in combination with
      fecal indicator bacteria (FIB) counts, trace metal concentrations (by inductively
      coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS)) and in-situ water quality measurements
      collected from various locations along the BR were then used to assess the health
      of the river ecosystem. Sites sampled represented the transition from less
      affected (upstream) to polluted (downstream) environments along the BR.
      Chemometric analysis of the combined datasets indicated a clear separation
      between the sampled environments. Burkholderiales and Cyanobacteria were common
      key factors for differentiation of pristine waters. Increased sugar alcohol and
      short-chain fatty acid production was observed by Actinomycetales and
      Rhodospirillaceae that are known to form biofilms in urban polluted and brackish
      waters. Results from this study indicate that a multi-omics approach enables a
      deep understanding of the health of an aquatic ecosystem, providing insight into
      the bacterial diversity present and the metabolic output of the population when
      exposed to environmental contaminants.

PMID- 28335450
TI  - Assessment of Radioactive Materials and Heavy Metals in the Surface Soil around
      the Bayanwula Prospective Uranium Mining Area in China.
AB  - The present work is the first systematic and large scale study on radioactive
      materials and heavy metals in surface soil around the Bayanwula prospective
      uranium mining area in China. In this work, both natural and anthropogenic
      radionuclides and heavy metals in 48 surface soil samples were analyzed using
      High Purity Germanium (HPGe) gamma spectrometry and inductively coupled plasma
      mass spectrometry (ICP-MS). The obtained mean activity concentrations of 238U,
      226Ra, 232Th, 40K, and 137Cs were 25.81 +/- 9.58, 24.85 +/- 2.77, 29.40 +/- 3.14,
      923.0 +/- 47.2, and 5.64 +/- 4.56 Bq/kg, respectively. The estimated average
      absorbed dose rate and annual effective dose rate were 76.7 +/- 3.1 nGy/h and
      83.1 +/- 3.8 MUSv, respectively. The radium equivalent activity, external hazard
      index, and internal hazard index were also calculated, and their mean values were
      within the acceptable limits. The estimated lifetime cancer risk was 3.2 * 10
      4/Sv. The heavy metal contents of Cr, Ni, Cu, Zn, As, Cd, and Pb from the surface
      soil samples were measured and their health risks were then assessed. The
      concentrations of all heavy metals were much lower than the average backgrounds
      in China except for lead which was about three times higher than that of China's
      mean. The non-cancer and cancer risks from the heavy metals were estimated, which
      are all within the acceptable ranges. In addition, the correlations between the
      radionuclides and the heavy metals in surface soil samples were determined by the
      Pearson linear coefficient. Strong positive correlations between radionuclides
      and the heavy metals at the 0.01 significance level were found. In conclusion,
      the contents of radionuclides and heavy metals in surface soil around the
      Bayanwula prospective uranium mining area are at a normal level.

PMID- 28335452
TI  - Fabrication and Water Treatment Application of Carbon Nanotubes (CNTs)-Based
      Composite Membranes: A Review.
AB  - Membrane separation technology is widely explored for various applications, such
      as water desalination and wastewater treatment, which can alleviate the global
      issue of fresh water scarcity. Specifically, carbon nanotubes (CNTs)-based
      composite membranes are increasingly of interest due to the combined merits of
      CNTs and membrane separation, offering enhanced membrane properties. This article
      first briefly discusses fabrication and growth mechanisms, characterization and
      functionalization techniques of CNTs, and then reviews the fabrication methods
      for CNTs-based composite membranes in detail. The applications of CNTs-based
      composite membranes in water treatment are comprehensively reviewed, including
      seawater or brine desalination, oil-water separation, removal of heavy metal ions
      and emerging pollutants as well as membrane separation coupled with assistant
      techniques. Furthermore, the future direction and perspective for CNTs-based
      composite membranes are also briefly outlined.

PMID- 28335451
TI  - A Review of Phage Therapy against Bacterial Pathogens of Aquatic and Terrestrial
      Organisms.
AB  - Since the discovery of bacteriophage in the early 1900s, there have been numerous
      attempts to exploit their innate ability to kill bacteria. The purpose of this
      report is to review current findings and new developments in phage therapy with
      an emphasis on bacterial diseases of marine organisms, humans, and plants. The
      body of evidence includes data from studies investigating bacteriophage in marine
      and land environments as modern antimicrobial agents against harmful bacteria.
      The goal of this paper is to present an overview of the topic of phage therapy,
      the use of phage-derived protein therapy, and the hosts that bacteriophage are
      currently being used against, with an emphasis on the uses of bacteriophage
      against marine, human, animal and plant pathogens.

PMID- 28335453
TI  - A Spatially Offset Raman Spectroscopy Method for Non-Destructive Detection of
      Gelatin-Encapsulated Powders.
AB  - Non-destructive subsurface detection of encapsulated, coated, or seal-packaged
      foods and pharmaceuticals can help prevent distribution and consumption of
      counterfeit or hazardous products. This study used a Spatially Offset Raman
      Spectroscopy (SORS) method to detect and identify urea, ibuprofen, and
      acetaminophen powders contained within one or more (up to eight) layers of
      gelatin capsules to demonstrate subsurface chemical detection and identification.
      A 785-nm point-scan Raman spectroscopy system was used to acquire spatially
      offset Raman spectra for an offset range of 0 to 10 mm from the surfaces of 24
      encapsulated samples, using a step size of 0.1 mm to obtain 101 spectral
      measurements per sample. As the offset distance was increased, the spectral
      contribution from the subsurface powder gradually outweighed that of the surface
      capsule layers, allowing for detection of the encapsulated powders. Containing
      mixed contributions from the powder and capsule, the SORS spectra for each sample
      were resolved into pure component spectra using self-modeling mixture analysis
      (SMA) and the corresponding components were identified using spectral information
      divergence values. As demonstrated here for detecting chemicals contained inside
      thick capsule layers, this SORS measurement technique coupled with SMA has the
      potential to be a reliable non-destructive method for subsurface inspection and
      authentication of foods, health supplements, and pharmaceutical products that are
      prepared or packaged with semi-transparent materials.

PMID- 28335456
TI  - Mosquito Traps: An Innovative, Environmentally Friendly Technique to Control
      Mosquitoes.
AB  - We tested the use of mosquito traps as an alternative to spraying insecticide in
      Camargue (France) following the significant impacts observed on the non-target
      fauna through Bti persistence and trophic perturbations. In a village of 600
      inhabitants, 16 Techno Bam traps emitting CO2 and using octenol lures were set
      from April to November 2016. Trap performance was estimated at 70% overall based
      on mosquitoes landing on human bait in areas with and without traps. The
      reduction of Ochlerotatus caspius and Oc. detritus, the two species targeted by
      Bti spraying, was, respectively, 74% and 98%. Traps were less efficient against
      Anopheles hyrcanus (46%), which was more attracted by lactic acid than octenol
      lures based on previous tests. Nearly 300,000 mosquitoes from nine species were
      captured, with large variations among traps, emphasizing that trap performance is
      also influenced by surrounding factors. Environmental impact, based on the
      proportion of non-target insects captured, was mostly limited to small
      chironomids attracted by street lights. The breeding success of a house martin
      colony was not significantly affected by trap use, in contrast to Bti spraying.
      Our experiment confirms that the deployment of mosquito traps can offer a cost
      effective alternative to Bti spraying for protecting local populations from
      mosquito nuisance in sensitive natural areas.

PMID- 28335455
TI  - Viral Protein Kinetics of Piscine Orthoreovirus Infection in Atlantic Salmon
      Blood Cells.
AB  - Piscine orthoreovirus (PRV) is ubiquitous in farmed Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar)
      and the cause of heart and skeletal muscle inflammation. Erythrocytes are
      important target cells for PRV. We have investigated the kinetics of PRV
      infection in salmon blood cells. The findings indicate that PRV causes an acute
      infection of blood cells lasting 1-2 weeks, before it subsides into persistence.
      A high production of viral proteins occurred initially in the acute phase which
      significantly correlated with antiviral gene transcription. Globular viral
      factories organized by the non-structural protein uNS were also observed
      initially, but were not evident at later stages. Interactions between uNS and the
      PRV structural proteins lambda1, u1, sigma1 and sigma3 were demonstrated.
      Different size variants of uNS and the outer capsid protein u1 appeared at
      specific time points during infection. Maximal viral protein load was observed
      five weeks post cohabitant challenge and was undetectable from seven weeks post
      challenge. In contrast, viral RNA at a high level could be detected throughout
      the eight-week trial. A proteolytic cleavage fragment of the u1 protein was the
      only viral protein detectable after seven weeks post challenge, indicating that
      this u1 fragment may be involved in the mechanisms of persistent infection.

PMID- 28335459
TI  - Estimation of Image Sensor Fill Factor Using a Single Arbitrary Image.
AB  - Achieving a high fill factor is a bottleneck problem for capturing high-quality
      images. There are hardware and software solutions to overcome this problem. In
      the solutions, the fill factor is known. However, this is an industrial secrecy
      by most image sensor manufacturers due to its direct effect on the assessment of
      the sensor quality. In this paper, we propose a method to estimate the fill
      factor of a camera sensor from an arbitrary single image. The virtual response
      function of the imaging process and sensor irradiance are estimated from the
      generation of virtual images. Then the global intensity values of the virtual
      images are obtained, which are the result of fusing the virtual images into a
      single, high dynamic range radiance map. A non-linear function is inferred from
      the original and global intensity values of the virtual images. The fill factor
      is estimated by the conditional minimum of the inferred function. The method is
      verified using images of two datasets. The results show that our method estimates
      the fill factor correctly with significant stability and accuracy from one single
      arbitrary image according to the low standard deviation of the estimated fill
      factors from each of images and for each camera.

PMID- 28335458
TI  - In Vitro Antioxidant Activity and In Vivo Anti-Fatigue Effect of Sea Horse
      (Hippocampus) Peptides.
AB  - This study investigated changes the in vitro antioxidant activity of Hippocampus
      polypeptides during enzymatic hydrolysis, including the effects of enzyme
      species, enzyme concentration, material-liquid ratio, hydrolysis time, pH, and
      temperature of the reaction system. Its in vivo anti-fatigue activity was also
      studied. Hippocampus peptide prepared by papain digestion exhibited the highest
      1,1-diphenyl-2-picryl-hydrazyl free radical scavenging rate (71.89% +/- 1.50%)
      and strong hydroxyl radical scavenging rate (75.53% +/- 0.98%), compared to those
      prepared by five other commonly used enzymes (i.e., trypsin, neutral protease,
      compound protease, flavorzyme, and alkaline protease). Additionally, maximum
      antioxidant activity of Hippocampus polypeptide prepared by papain digestion was
      reached after hydrolysis for 40 min at pH 6.0 and 60  degrees C of the reaction
      system by using 2000 U/g enzyme and a material-liquid ratio of 1:15. Moreover,
      compared with the control group, Hippocampus peptide prolonged the swimming time
      by 33%-40%, stabilized the blood glucose concentration, increased liver glycogen
      levels, and decreased blood lactate levels and blood urea nitrogen levels in mice
      (p < 0.01). In conclusion, these results indicated that Hippocampus polypeptide
      prepared by papain digestion under optimal conditions exhibited high degrees of
      antioxidant and anti-fatigue activity.

PMID- 28335454
TI  - Porcine Rotaviruses: Epidemiology, Immune Responses and Control Strategies.
AB  - Rotaviruses (RVs) are a major cause of acute viral gastroenteritis in young
      animals and children worldwide. Immunocompetent adults of different species
      become resistant to clinical disease due to post-infection immunity, immune
      system maturation and gut physiological changes. Of the 9 RV genogroups (A-I), RV
      A, B, and C (RVA, RVB, and RVC, respectively) are associated with diarrhea in
      piglets. Although discovered decades ago, porcine genogroup E RVs (RVE) are
      uncommon and their pathogenesis is not studied well. The presence of porcine RV H
      (RVH), a newly defined distinct genogroup, was recently confirmed in diarrheic
      pigs in Japan, Brazil, and the US. The complex epidemiology, pathogenicity and
      high genetic diversity of porcine RVAs are widely recognized and well-studied.
      More recent data show a significant genetic diversity based on the VP7 gene
      analysis of RVB and C strains in pigs. In this review, we will summarize previous
      and recent research to provide insights on historic and current prevalence and
      genetic diversity of porcine RVs in different geographic regions and production
      systems. We will also provide a brief overview of immune responses to porcine
      RVs, available control strategies and zoonotic potential of different RV
      genotypes. An improved understanding of the above parameters may lead to the
      development of more optimal strategies to manage RV diarrheal disease in swine
      and humans.

PMID- 28335457
TI  - The Epigenetic Link between Prenatal Adverse Environments and Neurodevelopmental
      Disorders.
AB  - Prenatal adverse environments, such as maternal stress, toxicological exposures,
      and viral infections, can disrupt normal brain development and contribute to
      neurodevelopmental disorders, including schizophrenia, depression, and autism.
      Increasing evidence shows that these short- and long-term effects of prenatal
      exposures on brain structure and function are mediated by epigenetic mechanisms.
      Animal studies demonstrate that prenatal exposure to stress, toxins, viral
      mimetics, and drugs induces lasting epigenetic changes in the brain, including
      genes encoding glucocorticoid receptor (Nr3c1) and brain-derived neurotrophic
      factor (Bdnf). These epigenetic changes have been linked to changes in brain gene
      expression, stress reactivity, and behavior, and often times, these effects are
      shown to be dependent on the gestational window of exposure, sex, and exposure
      level. Although evidence from human studies is more limited, gestational exposure
      to environmental risks in humans is associated with epigenetic changes in
      peripheral tissues, and future studies are required to understand whether we can
      use peripheral biomarkers to predict neurobehavioral outcomes. An extensive
      research effort combining well-designed human and animal studies, with
      comprehensive epigenomic analyses of peripheral and brain tissues over time, will
      be necessary to improve our understanding of the epigenetic basis of
      neurodevelopmental disorders.

PMID- 28335460
TI  - Neuropsychology of Aesthetic Judgment of Ambiguous and Non-Ambiguous Artworks.
AB  - Several affective and cognitive processes have been found to be pivotal in
      affecting aesthetic experience of artworks and both neuropsychological as well as
      psychiatric symptoms have been found to affect artistic production. However,
      there is a paucity of studies directly investigating effects of brain lesions on
      aesthetic judgment. Here, we assessed the effects of unilateral brain damage on
      aesthetic judgment of artworks showing part/whole ambiguity. We asked 19
      unilaterally brain-damaged patients (10 left and 9 right brain damaged patients,
      respectively LBDP and RBDP) and 20 age- and education-matched healthy individuals
      (controls, C) to rate 10 Arcimboldo's ambiguous portraits (AP), 10 realistic
      Renaissance portraits (RP), 10 still life paintings (SL), and 10 Arcimboldo's
      modified portraits where only objects/parts are detectable (AO). They were also
      administered a Navon task, a facial recognition test, and evaluated on visuo
      perceptual and visuo-constructional abilities. Patients included in the study did
      not show any deficits that could affect the capability to explore and enjoy
      artworks. SL and RP was not affected by brain damage regardless of its
      laterality. On the other hand, we found that RBDP liked AP more than the C
      participants. Furthermore, we found a positive correlation between aesthetic
      judgment of AP and visuo-perceptual skills even if the single case analyses
      failed to find a systematic association between neuropsychological deficits and
      aesthetic judgment of AP. On the whole, the present data suggest that a right
      hemisphere lesion may affect aesthetic judgment of ambiguous artworks, even in
      the absence of exploration or constructional deficits.

PMID- 28335461
TI  - Design and Validation of a Low-Cost Portable Device to Quantify Postural
      Stability.
AB  - Measurement of the displacement of the center-of-pressure (COP) is an important
      tool used in biomechanics to assess postural stability and human balance. The
      goal of this research was to design and validate a low-cost portable device that
      can offer a quick indication of the state of postural stability and human balance
      related conditions. Approximate entropy (ApEn) values reflecting the amount of
      irregularity hiding in COP oscillations were used to calculate the index. The
      prototype adopted a portable design using the measurements of the load cells
      located at the four corners of a low-cost force platform. The test subject was
      asked to stand on the device in a quiet, normal, upright stance for 30 s with
      eyes open and subsequently for 30 s with eyes closed. Based on the COP
      displacement signals, the ApEn values were calculated. The results indicated that
      the prototype device was capable of capturing the increase in regularity of
      postural control in the visual-deprivation conditions. It was also able to
      decipher the subtle postural control differences along anterior-posterior and
      medial-lateral directions. The data analysis demonstrated that the prototype
      would enable the quantification of postural stability and thus provide a low-cost
      portable device to assess many conditions related to postural stability and human
      balance such as aging and pathologies.

PMID- 28335464
TI  - A Geographic Information-Assisted Temporal Mixture Analysis for Addressing the
      Issue of Endmember Class and Endmember Spectra Variability.
AB  - Spectral mixture analysis (SMA) is a common approach for parameterizing
      biophysical fractions of urban environment and widely applied in many fields. For
      successful SMA, the selection of endmember class and corresponding spectra has
      been assumed as the most important step. Thanks to the spatial heterogeneity of
      natural and urban landscapes, the variability of endmember class and
      corresponding spectra has been widely considered as the profound error source in
      SMA. To address the challenging problems, we proposed a geographic information
      assisted temporal mixture analysis (GATMA). Specifically, a logistic regression
      analysis was applied to analyze the relationship between land use/land covers and
      surrounding socio-economic factors, and a classification tree method was used to
      identify the present status of endmember classes throughout the whole study area.
      Furthermore, an ordinary kriging analysis was employed to generate a spatially
      varying endmember spectra at all pixels in the remote sensing image. As a
      consequence, a fully constrained temporal mixture analysis was conducted for
      examining the fractional land use land covers. Results show that the proposed
      GATMA achieved a promising accuracy with an RMSE of 6.81%, SE of 1.29% and MAE of
      2.6%. In addition, comparative analysis result illustrates that a significant
      accuracy improvement has been found in the whole study area and both developed
      and less developed areas, and this demonstrates that the variability of endmember
      class and endmember spectra is essential for unmixing analysis.

PMID- 28335462
TI  - Therapeutic Potentials of Microalgae in the Treatment of Alzheimer's Disease.
AB  - Current research is geared towards the discovery of new compounds with strong
      neuroprotective potential and few or no side effects compared to synthetic drugs.
      This review focuses on the potentials of extracts and biologically active
      compounds derived from microalgal biomass for the treatment and management of
      Alzheimer's disease (AD). Microalgal research has gained much attention recently
      due to its contribution to the production of renewable fuels and the ability of
      alga cells to produce several secondary metabolites such as carotenoids,
      polyphenols, sterols, polyunsaturated fatty acids and polysaccharides. These
      compounds exhibit several pharmacological activities and possess neuroprotective
      potential. The pathogenesis of Alzheimer's disease (AD) involves complex
      mechanisms that are associated with oxidative stress, cholinergic dysfunction,
      neuronal damage, protein misfolding and aggregation. The antioxidant,
      anticholinesterase activities as well as the inhibitory effects of some bioactive
      compounds from microalgae extracts on beta-amyloid aggregation and neuronal death
      are discussed extensively. Phytochemical compounds from microalgae are used as
      pharmaceuticals, nutraceuticals and food supplements, and may possess
      neuroprotective potentials that are relevant to the management and/or treatment
      of AD.

PMID- 28335465
TI  - Schrodinger's Cheshire Cat: Are Haploid Emiliania huxleyi Cells Resistant to
      Viral Infection or Not?
AB  - Emiliania huxleyi is the main calcite producer on Earth and is routinely infected
      by a virus (EhV); a double stranded DNA (dsDNA) virus belonging to the family
      Phycodnaviridae. E. huxleyi exhibits a haplodiploid life cycle; the calcified
      diploid stage is non-motile and forms extensive blooms. The haploid phase is a
      non-calcified biflagellated cell bearing organic scales. Haploid cells are
      thought to resist infection, through a process deemed the "Cheshire Cat" escape
      strategy; however, a recent study detected the presence of viral lipids in the
      same haploid strain. Here we report on the application of an E. huxleyi CCMP1516
      EhV-86 combined tiling array (TA) that further confirms an EhV infection in the
      RCC1217 haploid strain, which grew without any signs of cell lysis. Reverse
      transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and PCR verified the presence of
      viral RNA in the haploid cells, yet indicated an absence of viral DNA,
      respectively. These infected cells are an alternative stage of the virus life
      cycle deemed the haplococcolithovirocell. In this instance, the host is both
      resistant to and infected by EhV, i.e., the viral transcriptome is present in
      haploid cells whilst there is no evidence of viral lysis. This superimposed state
      is reminiscent of Schrodinger's cat; of being simultaneously both dead and alive.

PMID- 28335467
TI  - Through the Kinesthetic Lens: Observation of Social Attunement in Autism Spectrum
      Disorders.
AB  - : This paper will present a movement-informed perspective to social attunement in
      Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD). BACKGROUND: Dance movement therapy (DMT) is a
      psychotherapeutic intervention that is used with participants with ASD in various
      settings. Regular clinical outcome monitoring in an outpatient setting in the
      Netherlands had shown positive effects on social attunement capacities in young
      people with ASD. However, a systematic study of the development of social
      attunement movement behaviors of participants with ASD throughout a DMT
      intervention was not yet available. METHODS: A series of individual cases of DMT
      with young people with ASD (mean age 12.2 years.) were analyzed for changes in
      interpersonal movement behaviors employing video-based retrospective observation.
      RESULTS: The findings were summarized in an observation scale for interpersonal
      movement behaviors. This scale was then tested for its applicability for the
      monitoring of social attunement behaviors throughout therapy. DISCUSSION: A
      movement-informed perspective may be helpful to inventory changes in social
      attunement behaviors in participants with ASD. The relevance of a movement
      informed perspective for the concept of social attunement in ASD will be
      discussed.

PMID- 28335466
TI  - A Specific Mixture of Nutrients Suppresses Ovarian Cancer A-2780 Tumor Incidence,
      Growth, and Metastasis to Lungs.
AB  - Ovarian cancer is the deadliest gynecological malignancy in women, and fifth
      leading cause of death. Despite advances made in chemotherapy and surgery, the
      average time of clinical remission is approximately 2 years and the 5-year
      survival rate is 45%. Thus, there is an urgent need for the development of a
      novel therapeutic approach to ovarian cancer treatment. We investigated the
      effect of a specific nutrient mixture (EPQ) containing ascorbic acid, lysine,
      proline, green tea extract, and quercetin on human ovarian cancer cell A-2780 in
      vivo and in vitro. Athymic female nude mice (n = 12) were all inoculated
      intraperitoneally (IP) with 2 * 106 cells in 0.1 mL of phosphate buffered saline
      (PBS) and randomly divided into two groups. Upon injection, the Control group (n
      = 6) was fed a regular diet and the EPQ group (n = 6) a regular diet supplemented
      with 0.5% EPQ. Four weeks later, the mice were sacrificed and tumors that
      developed in the ovary were excised, weighed, and processed for histology. Lungs
      were inspected for metastasis. In vitro, A-2780 cells were cultured in Dulbecco
      modified Eagle medium supplemented with 10% FBS and antibiotics. At near
      confluence, cells were treated with EPQ in triplicate at concentrations between 0
      and 1000 MUg/mL. Cell proliferation was measured via MTT assay, MMP-9 secretion
      via gelatinase zymography, invasion through Matrigel and morphology via
      hematoxylin and eosin (H & E) staining. All Control mice developed large ovarian
      tumors, whereas 5 out of 6 mice in the EPQ group developed no tumors, and one, a
      small tumor. Control mice also showed lung metastasis in 6 out of 6 mice, while
      no lung metastasis was evident in EPQ mice. Zymography demonstrated only MMP-9
      expression, which EPQ inhibited in a dose-dependent fashion, with virtual total
      block at 250 MUg/mL concentration. EPQ significantly inhibited invasion through
      Matrigel with total block at 250 MUg/mL concentration. MTT showed dose-dependent
      inhibition of cell proliferation with EPQ, and H & E staining showed no
      morphological changes below 500 MUg/mL EPQ. These results suggest that EPQ has
      therapeutic potential in the treatment of ovarian cancer by significantly
      suppressing ovarian tumor incidence and growth and lung metastasis, and by
      inhibiting MMP-9 secretion and invasion of A-2780 ovarian cancer cells.

PMID- 28335463
TI  - Dysfunctional mTORC1 Signaling: A Convergent Mechanism between Syndromic and
      Nonsyndromic Forms of Autism Spectrum Disorder?
AB  - Whereas autism spectrum disorder (ASD) exhibits striking heterogeneity in
      genetics and clinical presentation, dysfunction of mechanistic target of
      rapamycin complex 1 (mTORC1) signaling pathway has been identified as a molecular
      feature common to several well-characterized syndromes with high prevalence of
      ASD. Additionally, recent findings have also implicated mTORC1 signaling
      abnormalities in a subset of nonsyndromic ASD, suggesting that defective mTORC1
      pathway may be a potential converging mechanism in ASD pathology across different
      etiologies. However, the mechanistic evidence for a causal link between aberrant
      mTORC1 pathway activity and ASD neurobehavioral features varies depending on the
      ASD form involved. In this review, we first discuss six monogenic ASD-related
      syndromes, including both classical and potentially novel mTORopathies,
      highlighting their contribution to our understanding of the neurobiological
      mechanisms underlying ASD, and then we discuss existing evidence suggesting that
      aberrant mTORC1 signaling may also play a role in nonsyndromic ASD.

PMID- 28335468
TI  - Differential Degradation and Detoxification of an Aromatic Pollutant by Two
      Different Peroxidases.
AB  - Enzymatic degradation of organic pollutants is a new and promising remediation
      approach. Peroxidases are one of the most commonly used classes of enzymes to
      degrade organic pollutants. However, it is generally assumed that all peroxidases
      behave similarly and produce similar degradation products. In this study, we
      conducted detailed studies of the degradation of a model aromatic pollutant,
      Sulforhodamine B dye (SRB dye), using two peroxidases-soybean peroxidase (SBP)
      and chloroperoxidase (CPO). Our results show that these two related enzymes had
      different optimum conditions (pH, temperature, H2O2 concentration, etc.) for
      efficiently degrading SRB dye. High-performance liquid chromatography and liquid
      chromatography -mass spectrometry analyses confirmed that both SBP and CPO
      transformed the SRB dye into low molecular weight intermediates. While most of
      the intermediates produced by the two enzymes were the same, the CPO treatment
      produced at least one different intermediate. Furthermore, toxicological
      evaluation using lettuce (Lactuca sativa) seeds demonstrated that the SBP-based
      treatment was able to eliminate the phytotoxicity of SRB dye, but the CPO-based
      treatment did not. Our results show, for the first time, that while both of these
      related enzymes can be used to efficiently degrade organic pollutants, they have
      different optimum reaction conditions and may not be equally efficient in
      detoxification of organic pollutants.

PMID- 28335471
TI  - Mobile Phonocardiogram Diagnosis in Newborns Using Support Vector Machine.
AB  - Phonocardiogram (PCG) monitoring on newborns is one of the most important and
      challenging tasks in the heart assessment in the early ages of life. In this
      paper, we present a novel approach for cardiac monitoring applied in PCG data.
      This basic system coupled with denoising, segmentation, cardiac cycle selection
      and classification of heart sound can be used widely for a large number of the
      data. This paper describes the problems and additional advantages of the PCG
      method including the possibility of recording heart sound at home, removing
      unwanted noises and data reduction on a mobile device, and an intelligent system
      to diagnose heart diseases on the cloud server. A wide range of physiological
      features from various analysis domains, including modeling, time/frequency domain
      analysis, an algorithm, etc., is proposed in order to extract features which will
      be considered as inputs for the classifier. In order to record the PCG data set
      from multiple subjects over one year, an electronic stethoscope was used for
      collecting data that was connected to a mobile device. In this study, we used
      different types of classifiers in order to distinguish between healthy and
      pathological heart sounds, and a comparison on the performances revealed that
      support vector machine (SVM) provides 92.2% accuracy and AUC = 0.98 in a time of
      1.14 seconds for training, on a dataset of 116 samples.

PMID- 28335470
TI  - Design of New Benzo[h]chromene Derivatives: Antitumor Activities and Structure
      Activity Relationships of the 2,3-Positions and Fused Rings at the 2,3-Positions.
AB  - A series of novel 4H-benzo[h]chromenes 4, 6-11, 13, 14; 7H-benzo[h]chromeno[2,3
      d]pyrimidines 15-18, 20, and 14H-benzo[h]chromeno[3,2-e][1,2,4]triazolo[1,5
      c]pyrimidine derivatives 19a-e, 24 was prepared. The structures of the
      synthesized compounds were characterized on the basis of their spectral data.
      Some of the target compounds were examined for their antiproliferative activity
      against three cell lines; breast carcinoma (MCF-7), human colon carcinoma (HCT
      116) and hepatocellular carcinoma (HepG-2). The cytotoxic behavior has been
      tested using MTT assay and the inhibitory activity was referenced to three
      standard anticancer drugs: vinblastine, colchicine and doxorubicin. The bioassays
      demonstrated that some of the new compounds exerted remarkable inhibitory effects
      as compared to the standard drugs on the growth of the three tested human tumor
      cell lines. The structure-activity relationships (SAR) study highlights that the
      antitumor activity of the target compounds was significantly affected by the
      lipophilicity of the substituent at 2- or 3- and fused rings at the 2,3
      positions.

PMID- 28335472
TI  - Detecting Breast Cancer with a Dual-Modality Device.
AB  - Although mammography has been the gold standard for the early detection of breast
      cancer, if a woman has dense breast tissue, a false negative diagnosis may occur.
      Breast ultrasound, whether hand-held or automated, is a useful adjunct to
      mammography but adds extra time and cost. The primary aim was to demonstrate that
      our second-generation Aceso system, which combines full-field digital mammography
      (FFDM) and automated breast ultrasound (ABUS) in a single platform, is able to
      produce improved quality images that provide clinically meaningful results. Aceso
      was first tested using two industry standards: a Contrast Detail Mammography
      (CDMAM) phantom to assess the FFDM images, and the CIRS 054GS phantom to evaluate
      the ABUS images. In addition, 25 women participated in a clinical trial: 14 were
      healthy volunteers, while 11 were patients referred by the breast clinic at
      Groote Schuur Hospital. The CDMAM phantom results showed the FFDM results were
      better than the European Reference (EUREF) standard of "acceptable" and were
      approaching "achievable". The ABUS results showed a lateral and axial spatial
      resolution of 0.5 mm and an adequate depth penetration of 80 mm. Our second
      generation Aceso system, with its improved quality of clinical FFDM and ABUS
      images, has demonstrated its potential for the early detection of breast cancer
      in a busy clinic.

PMID- 28335469
TI  - Comparison of the Pharmacokinetic Properties of Hemoglobin-Based Oxygen Carriers.
AB  - Hemoglobin (Hb) is an ideal material for use in the development of an oxygen
      carrier in view of its innate biological properties. However, the vascular
      retention of free Hb is too short to permit a full therapeutic effect because Hb
      is rapidly cleared from the kidney via glomerular filtration or from the liver
      via the haptogloblin-CD 163 pathway when free Hb is administered in the blood
      circulation. Attempts have been made to develop alternate acellular and cellular
      types of Hb based oxygen carriers (HBOCs), in which Hb is processed via various
      routes in order to regulate its pharmacokinetic properties. These HBOCs have been
      demonstrated to have superior pharmacokinetic properties including a longer half
      life than the Hb molecule in preclinical and clinical trials. The present review
      summarizes and compares the pharmacokinetic properties of acellular and cellular
      type HBOCs that have been developed through different approaches, such as
      polymerization, PEGylation, cross-linking, and encapsulation.

PMID- 28335473
TI  - Assessment of Antioxidant and Cytoprotective Potential of Jatropha (Jatropha
      curcas) Grown in Southern Italy.
AB  - Jatropha (Jatropha curcas L.) is a plant native of Central and South America, but
      widely distributed in the wild or semi-cultivated areas in Africa, India, and
      South East Asia. Although studies are available in literature on the polyphenolic
      content and bioactivity of Jatropha curcas L., no information is currently
      available on plants grown in pedoclimatic and soil conditions different from the
      autochthon regions. The aim of the present work was to characterize the
      antioxidant system developed by the plant under a new growing condition and to
      evaluate the polyphenol amount in a methanolic extract of leaves. Along with
      these analyses we have also tested the antioxidant and cytoprotective activities
      on lymphocytes. RP-HPLC-DAD analysis of flavonoids revealed a chromatographic
      profile dominated by the presence of flavone C-glucosydes. Vitexin is the most
      abundant identified compound followed by vicenin-2, stellarin-2, rhoifolin, and
      traces of isovitexin and isorhoifolin. Methanolic extract had high scavenging
      activity in all antioxidant assays tested and cytoprotective activity on
      lymphocytes exposed to tertz-buthylhydroperoxide. The results highlighted a well
      defined mechanism of adaptation of the plant and a significant content of
      secondary metabolites with antioxidant properties, which are of interest for
      their potential uses, especially as a rich source of biologically active
      products.

PMID- 28335475
TI  - Mobile Health Applications to Promote Active and Healthy Ageing.
AB  - The European population is ageing, and there is a need for health solutions that
      keep older adults independent longer. With increasing access to mobile
      technology, such as smartphones and smartwatches, the development and use of
      mobile health applications is rapidly growing. To meet the societal challenge of
      changing demography, mobile health solutions are warranted that support older
      adults to stay healthy and active and that can prevent or delay functional
      decline. This paper reviews the literature on mobile technology, in particular
      wearable technology, such as smartphones, smartwatches, and wristbands,
      presenting new ideas on how this technology can be used to encourage an active
      lifestyle, and discusses the way forward in order further to advance development
      and practice in the field of mobile technology for active, healthy ageing.

PMID- 28335474
TI  - Coccolithoviruses: A Review of Cross-Kingdom Genomic Thievery and Metabolic
      Thuggery.
AB  - Coccolithoviruses (Phycodnaviridae) infect and lyse the most ubiquitous and
      successful coccolithophorid in modern oceans, Emiliania huxleyi. So far, the
      genomes of 13 of these giant lytic viruses (i.e., Emiliania huxleyi viruses-EhVs)
      have been sequenced, assembled, and annotated. Here, we performed an in-depth
      comparison of their genomes to try and contextualize the ecological and
      evolutionary traits of these viruses. The genomes of these EhVs have from 444 to
      548 coding sequences (CDSs). Presence/absence analysis of CDSs identified
      putative genes with particular ecological significance, namely sialidase,
      phosphate permease, and sphingolipid biosynthesis. The viruses clustered into
      distinct clades, based on their DNA polymerase gene as well as full genome
      comparisons. We discuss the use of such clustering and suggest that a gene-by
      gene investigation approach may be more useful when the goal is to reveal
      differences related to functionally important genes. A multi domain "Best BLAST
      hit" analysis revealed that 84% of the EhV genes have closer similarities to the
      domain Eukarya. However, 16% of the EhV CDSs were very similar to bacterial
      genes, contributing to the idea that a significant portion of the gene flow in
      the planktonic world inter-crosses the domains of life.

PMID- 28335476
TI  - Inhibition of Neoplastic Transformation and Chemically-Induced Skin Hyperplasia
      in Mice by Traditional Chinese Medicinal Formula Si-Wu-Tang.
AB  - Exploring traditional medicines may lead to the development of low-cost and non
      toxic cancer preventive agents. Si-Wu-Tang (SWT), comprising the combination of
      four herbs, Rehmanniae, Angelica, Chuanxiong, and Paeoniae, is one of the most
      popular traditional Chinese medicines for women's diseases. In our previous
      studies, the antioxidant Nrf2 pathways were strongly induced by SWT in vitro and
      in vivo. Since Nrf2 activation has been associated with anticarcinogenic effects,
      the purpose of this study is to evaluate SWT's activity of cancer prevention. In
      the Ames test, SWT demonstrated an antimutagenic activity against mutagenicity
      induced by the chemical carcinogen 7,12-dimethylbenz(a)anthracene (DMBA). In JB6
      P+ cells, a non-cancerous murine epidermal model for studying tumor promotion,
      SWT inhibited epidermal growth factor (EGF)-induced neoplastic transformation.
      The luciferase reporter gene assays demonstrated that SWT suppressed EGF-induced
      AP-1 and TNF-alpha-induced NF-kappaB activation, which are essential factors
      involved in skin carcinogenesis. In a DMBA-induced skin hyperplasia assay in
      'Sensitivity to Carcinogenesis' (SENCAR) mice, both topical and oral SWT
      inhibited DMBA-induced epidermal hyperplasia, expression of the proliferation
      marker Proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA), and H-ras mutations. These
      findings demonstrate, for the first time, that SWT prevents tumor promoter and
      chemical-induced carcinogenesis in vitro and in vivo, partly by inhibiting DNA
      damage and blocking the activation of AP-1 and NF-kappaB.

PMID- 28335477
TI  - Association between Circulating Vitamin D Level and Urolithiasis: A Systematic
      Review and Meta-Analysis.
AB  - Many studies compared the serum/plasma 1,25 dihydroxyvitamin D3 (1,25(OH)2D) and
      25 hydroxyvitamin D3 (25(OH)D) between people with and without nephrolithiasis,
      and their results were conflicting. After systematically searching PubMed, Web of
      Science, The Cochrane Library, CNKI, and the Wanfang Database, we conducted a
      meta-analysis. Thirty-two observational studies involving 23,228 participants
      were included. Meta-analysis of these studies showed that of stone formers (SFs),
      calcium SFs had significantly higher concentrations of 1,25(OH)2D (weighted mean
      difference (WMD), 10.19 pg/mL; 95% confidence interval (CI), 4.31-16.07; p =
      0.0007 and WMD, 11.28 pg/mL; 95% CI, 4.07-18.50; p = 0.002, respectively) than
      non-stone formers, while the levels of 25(OH)D (WMD, 0.88 ng/mL; 95% CI, -1.04
      2.80; p = 0.37 and WMD, -0.63 ng/mL; 95% CI, -2.72-1.47; p = 0.56, respectively)
      are similar. Compared with controls and normocalciuria SFs, hypercalciuria SFs
      had increased circulating 1,25(OH)2D (WMD, 9.41 pg/mL; 95% CI, 0.15-18.67; p =
      0.05 and WMD, 2.75 pg/mL; 95% CI, -0.20-5.69; p = 0.07, respectively) and
      markedly higher 25(OH)D (WMD, 5.02 ng/mL; 95% CI, 0.99-9.06; p = 0.01 and WMD,
      5.02 ng/mL; 95% CI, 2.14-7.90; p = 0.0006, respectively). Normocalciuria SFs had
      elevated 1,25(OH)2D level (WMD, 6.85 pg/mL; 95% CI, -5.00-18.71; p = 0.26) and
      comparable 25(OH)D (WMD, 0.94 ng/mL; 95% CI, -3.55-5.43; p = 0.68). Sensitivity
      analysis generated similar results. Current evidence suggests that increased
      circulating 1,25(OH)2D is associated with urinary stones and a higher level of
      circulating 25(OH)D is significantly associated with hypercalciuria urolithiasis.
      Further studies are still needed to reconfirm and clarify the role of vitamin D
      in the pathogenesis of stones.

PMID- 28335478
TI  - Lactational Stage of Pasteurized Human Donor Milk Contributes to Nutrient
      Limitations for Infants.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Mother's own milk is the first choice for feeding preterm infants,
      but when not available, pasteurized human donor milk (PDM) is often used. Infants
      fed PDM have difficulties maintaining appropriate growth velocities. To assess
      the most basic elements of nutrition, we tested the hypotheses that fatty acid
      and amino acid composition of PDM is highly variable and standard pooling
      practices attenuate variability; however, total nutrients may be limiting without
      supplementation due to late lactational stage of the milk. METHODS: A prospective
      cross-sectional sampling of milk was obtained from five donor milk banks located
      in Ohio, Michigan, Colorado, Texas-Ft Worth, and California. Milk samples were
      collected after Institutional Review Board (#07-0035) approval and informed
      consent. Fatty acid and amino acid contents were measured in milk from individual
      donors and donor pools (pooled per Human Milk Banking Association of North
      America guidelines). Statistical comparisons were performed using Kruskal-Wallis,
      Spearman's, or Multivariate Regression analyses with center as the fixed factor
      and lactational stage as co-variate. RESULTS: Ten of the fourteen fatty acids and
      seventeen of the nineteen amino acids analyzed differed across Banks in the
      individual milk samples. Pooling minimized these differences in amino acid and
      fatty acid contents. Concentrations of lysine and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) were
      not different across Banks, but concentrations were low compared to recommended
      levels. CONCLUSIONS: Individual donor milk fatty acid and amino acid contents are
      highly variable. Standardized pooling practice reduces this variability. Lysine
      and DHA concentrations were consistently low across geographic regions in North
      America due to lactational stage of the milk, and thus not adequately addressed
      by pooling. Targeted supplementation is needed to optimize PDM, especially for
      the preterm or volume restricted infant.

PMID- 28335479
TI  - Phakellistatins: An Underwater Unsolved Puzzle.
AB  - A critical summary on the discovery of the nineteen members of the phakellistatin
      family (phakellistatin 1-19), cytotoxic proline-rich cyclopeptides of marine
      origin, is reported. Isolation, structural elucidation, and biological properties
      of the various-sized natural macrocycles are described, along with the total
      syntheses and the enigmatic issues of the cytotoxic activity reproducibility.

PMID- 28335480
TI  - Weighted Kernel Entropy Component Analysis for Fault Diagnosis of Rolling
      Bearings.
AB  - This paper presents a supervised feature extraction method called weighted kernel
      entropy component analysis (WKECA) for fault diagnosis of rolling bearings. The
      method is developed based on kernel entropy component analysis (KECA) which
      attempts to preserve the Renyi entropy of the data set after dimension reduction.
      It makes full use of the labeled information and introduces a weight strategy in
      the feature extraction. The class-related weights are introduced to denote
      differences among the samples from different patterns, and genetic algorithm (GA)
      is implemented to seek out appropriate weights for optimizing the classification
      results. The features based on wavelet packet decomposition are derived from the
      original signals. Then the intrinsic geometric features extracted by WKECA are
      fed into the support vector machine (SVM) classifier to recognize different
      operating conditions of bearings, and we obtain the overall accuracy (97%) for
      the experimental samples. The experimental results demonstrated the feasibility
      and effectiveness of the proposed method.

PMID- 28335482
TI  - Improved Wallis Dodging Algorithm for Large-Scale Super-Resolution Reconstruction
      Remote Sensing Images.
AB  - A sub-block algorithm is usually applied in the super-resolution (SR)
      reconstruction of images because of limitations in computer memory. However, the
      sub-block SR images can hardly achieve a seamless image mosaicking because of the
      uneven distribution of brightness and contrast among these sub-blocks. An
      effectively improved weighted Wallis dodging algorithm is proposed, aiming at the
      characteristic that SR reconstructed images are gray images with the same size
      and overlapping region. This algorithm can achieve consistency of image
      brightness and contrast. Meanwhile, a weighted adjustment sequence is presented
      to avoid the spatial propagation and accumulation of errors and the loss of image
      information caused by excessive computation. A seam line elimination method can
      share the partial dislocation in the seam line to the entire overlapping region
      with a smooth transition effect. Subsequently, the improved method is employed to
      remove the uneven illumination for 900 SR reconstructed images of ZY-3. Then, the
      overlapping image mosaic method is adopted to accomplish a seamless image mosaic
      based on the optimal seam line.

PMID- 28335483
TI  - Land Use for Edible Protein of Animal Origin-A Review.
AB  - The present period is characterized by a growing world population and a higher
      demand for more and better quality food, as well as other products for an
      improved standard of living. In the future, there will be increasingly strong
      competition for arable land and non-renewable resources such as fossil carbon
      sources, water, and some minerals, as well as between food, feed, fuel, fiber,
      flowers, and fun (6 F's). Proteins of animal origin like milk, meat, fish, eggs
      and, probably, insects are very valuable sources of essential amino acids,
      minerals and vitamins, but their production consumes some non-renewable resources
      including arable land and causes considerable emissions. Therefore, this study's
      objective was to calculate some examples of the land use (arable land and
      grassland) for production of edible animal protein taking into consideration
      important animal species/categories, levels of plant and animal yields, the
      latter estimated with and without co-products from agriculture, and the
      food/biofuel industry in animal feeding. There are large differences between
      animal species/categories and their potential to produce edible protein depending
      on many influencing variables. The highest amounts per kilogram body weight are
      produced by growing broiler chicken followed by laying hens and dairy cows; the
      lowest yields in edible protein and the highest land need were observed for beef
      cattle. This review clearly indicates that the production of food of animal
      origin is a very complex process, and selective considerations, i.e., focusing on
      single factors, do not provide an assessment that reflects the complexity of the
      subject.

PMID- 28335481
TI  - Genetic Variants Contributing to Colistin Cytotoxicity: Identification of TGIF1
      and HOXD10 Using a Population Genomics Approach.
AB  - Colistin sulfate (polymixin E) is an antibiotic prescribed with increasing
      frequency for severe Gram-negative bacterial infections. As nephrotoxicity is a
      common side effect, the discovery of pharmacogenomic markers associated with
      toxicity would benefit the utility of this drug. Our objective was to identify
      genetic markers of colistin cytotoxicity that were also associated with
      expression of key proteins using an unbiased, whole genome approach and further
      evaluate the functional significance in renal cell lines. To this end, we
      employed International HapMap lymphoblastoid cell lines (LCLs) of Yoruban
      ancestry with known genetic information to perform a genome-wide association
      study (GWAS) with cellular sensitivity to colistin. Further association studies
      revealed that single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) associated with gene
      expression and protein expression were significantly enriched in SNPs associated
      with cytotoxicity (p <= 0.001 for gene and p = 0.015 for protein expression). The
      most highly associated SNP, chr18:3417240 (p = 6.49 * 10-8), was nominally a cis
      expression quantitative trait locus (eQTL) of the gene TGIF1 (transforming growth
      factor beta (TGFbeta)-induced factor-1; p = 0.021) and was associated with
      expression of the protein HOXD10 (homeobox protein D10; p = 7.17 * 10-5). To
      demonstrate functional relevance in a murine colistin nephrotoxicity model,
      HOXD10 immunohistochemistry revealed upregulated protein expression independent
      of mRNA expression in response to colistin administration. Knockdown of TGIF1
      resulted in decreased protein expression of HOXD10 and increased resistance to
      colistin cytotoxicity. Furthermore, knockdown of HOXD10 in renal cells also
      resulted in increased resistance to colistin cytotoxicity, supporting the
      physiological relevance of the initial genomic associations.

PMID- 28335484
TI  - Energy of Intramolecular Hydrogen Bonding in ortho-Hydroxybenzaldehydes, Phenones
      and Quinones. Transfer of Aromaticity from ipso-Benzene Ring to the Enol
      System(s).
AB  - Intramolecular hydrogen bonding (HB) is one of the most studied noncovalent
      interactions of molecules. Many physical, spectral, and topological properties of
      compounds are under the influence of HB, and there are many parameters used to
      notice and to describe these changes. Hitherto, no general method of measurement
      of the energy of intramolecular hydrogen bond (EHB) has been put into effect. We
      propose the molecular tailoring approach (MTA) for EHB calculation, modified to
      apply it to Ar-O-H???O=C systems. The method, based on quantum calculations, was
      checked earlier for hydroxycarbonyl-saturated compounds, and for structures with
      resonance-assisted hydrogen bonding (RAHB). For phenolic compounds, the accuracy,
      repeatability, and applicability of the method is now confirmed for nearly 140
      structures. For each structure its aromaticity HOMA indices were calculated for
      the central (ipso) ring and for the quasiaromatic rings given by intramolecular
      HB. The comparison of calculated HB energies and values of estimated aromaticity
      indices allowed us to observe, in some substituted phenols and quinones, the
      phenomenon of transfer of aromaticity from the ipso-ring to the H-bonded ring via
      the effect of electron delocalization.

PMID- 28335486
TI  - Implicit Regularization for Reconstructing 3D Building Rooftop Models Using
      Airborne LiDAR Data.
AB  - With rapid urbanization, highly accurate and semantically rich virtualization of
      building assets in 3D become more critical for supporting various applications,
      including urban planning, emergency response and location-based services. Many
      research efforts have been conducted to automatically reconstruct building models
      at city-scale from remotely sensed data. However, developing a fully-automated
      photogrammetric computer vision system enabling the massive generation of highly
      accurate building models still remains a challenging task. One the most
      challenging task for 3D building model reconstruction is to regularize the noises
      introduced in the boundary of building object retrieved from a raw data with lack
      of knowledge on its true shape. This paper proposes a data-driven modeling
      approach to reconstruct 3D rooftop models at city-scale from airborne laser
      scanning (ALS) data. The focus of the proposed method is to implicitly derive the
      shape regularity of 3D building rooftops from given noisy information of building
      boundary in a progressive manner. This study covers a full chain of 3D building
      modeling from low level processing to realistic 3D building rooftop modeling. In
      the element clustering step, building-labeled point clouds are clustered into
      homogeneous groups by applying height similarity and plane similarity. Based on
      segmented clusters, linear modeling cues including outer boundaries, intersection
      lines, and step lines are extracted. Topology elements among the modeling cues
      are recovered by the Binary Space Partitioning (BSP) technique. The regularity of
      the building rooftop model is achieved by an implicit regularization process in
      the framework of Minimum Description Length (MDL) combined with Hypothesize and
      Test (HAT). The parameters governing the MDL optimization are automatically
      estimated based on Min-Max optimization and Entropy-based weighting method. The
      performance of the proposed method is tested over the International Society for
      Photogrammetry and Remote Sensing (ISPRS) benchmark datasets. The results show
      that the proposed method can robustly produce accurate regularized 3D building
      rooftop models.

PMID- 28335485
TI  - Intra Amniotic Administration of Raffinose and Stachyose Affects the Intestinal
      Brush Border Functionality and Alters Gut Microflora Populations.
AB  - This study investigates the effectiveness of two types of prebiotics-stachyose
      and raffinose-which are present in staple food crops that are widely consumed in
      regions where dietary Fe deficiency is a health concern. The hypothesis is that
      these prebiotics will improve Fe status, intestinal functionality, and increase
      health-promoting bacterial populations in vivo (Gallus gallus). By using the
      intra-amniotic administration procedure, prebiotic treatment solutions were
      injected in ovo (day 17 of embryonic incubation) with varying concentrations of a
      1.0 mL pure raffinose or stachyose in 18 MOmega H2O. Four treatment groups (50,
      100 mg.mL-1 raffinose or stachyose) and two controls (18 MOmega H2O and non
      injected) were utilized. At hatch the cecum, small intestine, liver, and blood
      were collected for assessment of the relative abundance of the gut microflora,
      relative expression of Fe-related genes and brush border membrane functional
      genes, hepatic ferritin levels, and hemoglobin levels, respectively. The
      prebiotic treatments increased the relative expression of brush border membrane
      functionality proteins (p < 0.05), decreased the relative expression of Fe
      related proteins (p < 0.05), and increased villus surface area. Raffinose and
      stachyose increased the relative abundance of probiotics (p < 0.05), and
      decreased that of pathogenic bacteria. Raffinose and stachyose beneficially
      affected the gut microflora, Fe bioavailability, and brush border membrane
      functionality. Our investigations have led to a greater understanding of these
      prebiotics' effects on intestinal health and mineral metabolism.

PMID- 28335487
TI  - Electromagnetic Vortex-Based Radar Imaging Using a Single Receiving Antenna:
      Theory and Experimental Results.
AB  - Radar imaging based on electromagnetic vortex can achieve azimuth resolution
      without relative motion. The present paper investigates this imaging technique
      with the use of a single receiving antenna through theoretical analysis and
      experimental results. Compared with the use of multiple receiving antennas, the
      echoes from a single receiver cannot be used directly for image reconstruction
      using Fourier method. The reason is revealed by using the point spread function.
      An additional phase is compensated for each mode before imaging process based on
      the array parameters and the elevation of the targets. A proof-of-concept imaging
      system based on a circular phased array is created, and imaging experiments of
      corner-reflector targets are performed in an anechoic chamber. The azimuthal
      image is reconstructed by the use of Fourier transform and spectral estimation
      methods. The azimuth resolution of the two methods is analyzed and compared
      through experimental data. The experimental results verify the principle of
      azimuth resolution and the proposed phase compensation method.

PMID- 28335488
TI  - Italian Registry of Congenital Bleeding Disorders.
AB  - In Italy, the surveillance of people with bleeding disorders is based on the
      National Registry of Congenital Coagulopathies (NRCC) managed by the Italian
      National Institute of Health (Istituto Superiore di Sanita). The NRCC collects
      epidemiological and therapeutic data from the 54 Hemophilia Treatment Centers,
      members of the Italian Association of Hemophilia Centres (AICE). The number of
      people identified with bleeding disorders has increased over the years, with the
      number rising from approx. 7000 in 2000 to over 11,000 in 2015. The NRCC includes
      4020 patients with hemophilia A and 859 patients with hemophilia B. The
      prevalence of the rare type 3 vWD is 0.20/100,000 inhabitants. Less common
      congenital bleeding disorders include the following deficiencies: Factor I
      (fibrinogen), Factor II (prothrombin), Factor V, Factor VII, Factor X, Factor XI
      and Factor XIII, which affect 1953 patients. Hepatitis C Virus (HCV) infection
      affects 1561 patients, more than 200 of whom have two infections (HCV + HIV).
      Estimated hemophilia-related drug consumption in 2015 was approx. 550 million IU
      of FVIII for hemophilia A patients and approx. 70 million IU of FIX for
      hemophilia B patients. The NRCC, with its bleeding disorder data set, is a tool
      that can provide answers to fundamental questions in public health, monitoring
      care provision and drug treatment, as well as facilitating clinical and
      epidemiological research.

PMID- 28335489
TI  - Effects of the Mediterranean Diet before and after Weight Loss on Eating
      Behavioral Traits in Men with Metabolic Syndrome.
AB  - The objective of this study was to investigate the impact of the Mediterranean
      diet (MedDiet) consumed before and after weight loss on eating behavioral traits
      as measured by the Three-Factor Eating Questionnaire (TFEQ) in men with metabolic
      syndrome (MetS). In this fixed sequence study, 19 men with MetS (National
      Cholesterol Education Program-Adult Treatment Panel III (NCEP-ATPIII) criteria),
      aged between 24 and 62 years, first consumed a five-week standardized North
      American control diet followed by a five-week MedDiet, both under weight
      maintaining controlled-feeding conditions. This was followed by a 20-week caloric
      restriction weight loss period in free-living conditions, without specific
      recommendations towards adhering to the principles of the MedDiet. Participants
      were finally subjected to a final five-week MedDiet phase under isoenergetic
      controlled-feeding conditions. The MedDiet before weight loss had no impact on
      eating behavioral traits. Body weight reduction by caloric restriction (-10.2% of
      initial weight) was associated with increased cognitive restraint (p < 0.0001)
      and with reduced disinhibition (p = 0.02) and susceptibility to hunger (p =
      0.01). Feeding the MedDiet for five weeks under isoenergetic conditions after the
      weight loss phase had no further impact on eating behavioral traits. Results of
      this controlled-feeding study suggest that consumption of the MedDiet per se has
      no effect on eating behavioral traits as measured by TFEQ, unless it is combined
      with significant weight loss.

PMID- 28335490
TI  - Monitoring of Selected Health Indicators in Children Living in a Copper Mine
      Development Area in Northwestern Zambia.
AB  - The epidemiology of malaria, anaemia and malnutrition in children is potentially
      altered in mining development areas. In a copper extraction project in
      northwestern Zambia, a health impact assessment (HIA) was commissioned to
      predict, manage and monitor health impacts. Two cross-sectional surveys were
      conducted: at baseline prior to project development (2011) and at four years into
      development (2015). Prevalence of Plasmodium falciparum, anaemia and stunting
      were assessed in under-five-year-old children, while hookworm infection was
      assessed in children aged 9-14 years in communities impacted and comparison
      communities not impacted by the project. P. falciparum prevalence was
      significantly higher in 2015 compared to 2011 in both impacted and comparison
      communities (odds ratio (OR) = 2.51 and OR = 6.97, respectively). Stunting was
      significantly lower in 2015 in impacted communities only (OR = 0.63). Anaemia was
      slightly lower in 2015 compared to baseline in both impacted and comparison
      communities. Resettlement due to the project and migration background (i.e.,
      moving into the area within the past five years) were generally associated with
      better health outcomes in 2015. We conclude that repeated cross-sectional surveys
      to monitor health in communities impacted by projects should become an integral
      part of HIA to deepen the understanding of changing patterns of health and
      support implementation of setting-specific public health measures.

PMID- 28335491
TI  - Health and Wellbeing of Occupants in Highly Energy Efficient Buildings: A Field
      Study.
AB  - Passive houses and other highly energy-efficient buildings need mechanical
      ventilation. However, ventilation systems in such houses are regarded with a
      certain degree of skepticism by parts of the public due to alleged negative
      health effects. Within a quasi-experimental field study, we investigated if
      occupants of two types of buildings (mechanical vs. natural ventilation)
      experience different health, wellbeing and housing satisfaction outcomes and if
      associations with indoor air quality exist. We investigated 123 modern homes
      (test group: with mechanical ventilation; control group: naturally ventilated)
      built in the years 2010 to 2012 in the same geographic area and price range.
      Interviews of occupants based on standardized questionnaires and measurements of
      indoor air quality parameters were conducted twice (three months after moving in
      and one year later). In total, 575 interviews were performed (respondents' mean
      age 37.9 +/- 9 years in the test group, 37.7 +/- 9 years in the control group).
      Occupants of the test group rated their overall health status and that of their
      children not significantly higher than occupants of the control group at both
      time points. Adult occupants of the test group reported dry eyes statistically
      significantly more frequently compared to the control group (19.4% vs. 12.5%).
      Inhabitants of energy-efficient, mechanically ventilated homes rated the quality
      of indoor air and climate significantly higher. Self-reported health improved
      more frequently in the mechanically ventilated new homes (p = 0.005). Almost no
      other significant differences between housing types and measuring time points
      were observed concerning health and wellbeing or housing satisfaction.
      Associations between vegetative symptoms (dizziness, nausea, headaches) and
      formaldehyde concentrations as well as between CO2 levels and perceived stale air
      were observed. However, both associations were independent of the type of
      ventilation. In summary, occupants of the mechanically ventilated homes rated
      their health status slightly higher and their health improved significantly more
      frequently than in occupants of the control group. As humidity in homes with
      mechanical ventilation was lower, it seems plausible that the inhabitants
      reported dry eyes more frequently.

PMID- 28335492
TI  - Novel Approach for the Recognition and Prediction of Multi-Function Radar
      Behaviours Based on Predictive State Representations.
AB  - The extensive applications of multi-function radars (MFRs) have presented a great
      challenge to the technologies of radar countermeasures (RCMs) and electronic
      intelligence (ELINT). The recently proposed cognitive electronic warfare (CEW)
      provides a good solution, whose crux is to perceive present and future MFR
      behaviours, including the operating modes, waveform parameters, scheduling
      schemes, etc. Due to the variety and complexity of MFR waveforms, the existing
      approaches have the drawbacks of inefficiency and weak practicability in
      prediction. A novel method for MFR behaviour recognition and prediction is
      proposed based on predictive state representation (PSR). With the proposed
      approach, operating modes of MFR are recognized by accumulating the predictive
      states, instead of using fixed transition probabilities that are unavailable in
      the battlefield. It helps to reduce the dependence of MFR on prior information.
      And MFR signals can be quickly predicted by iteratively using the predicted
      observation, avoiding the very large computation brought by the uncertainty of
      future observations. Simulations with a hypothetical MFR signal sequence in a
      typical scenario are presented, showing that the proposed methods perform well
      and efficiently, which attests to their validity.

PMID- 28335494
TI  - Cooperative Opportunistic Pressure Based Routing for Underwater Wireless Sensor
      Networks.
AB  - In this paper, three opportunistic pressure based routing techniques for
      underwater wireless sensor networks (UWSNs) are proposed. The first one is the
      cooperative opportunistic pressure based routing protocol (Co-Hydrocast), second
      technique is the improved Hydrocast (improved-Hydrocast), and third one is the
      cooperative improved Hydrocast (Co-improved Hydrocast). In order to minimize
      lengthy routing paths between the source and the destination and to avoid void
      holes at the sparse networks, sensor nodes are deployed at different strategic
      locations. The deployment of sensor nodes at strategic locations assure the
      maximum monitoring of the network field. To conserve the energy consumption and
      minimize the number of hops, greedy algorithm is used to transmit data packets
      from the source to the destination. Moreover, the opportunistic routing is also
      exploited to avoid void regions by making backward transmissions to find reliable
      path towards the destination in the network. The relay cooperation mechanism is
      used for reliable data packet delivery, when signal to noise ratio (SNR) of the
      received signal is not within the predefined threshold then the maximal ratio
      combining (MRC) is used as a diversity technique to improve the SNR of the
      received signals at the destination. Extensive simulations validate that our
      schemes perform better in terms of packet delivery ratio and energy consumption
      than the existing technique; Hydrocast.

PMID- 28335493
TI  - Melatonin MT1 and MT2 Receptors in the Ram Reproductive Tract.
AB  - Some melatonin functions in mammals are exerted through MT1 and MT2 receptors.
      However, there are no reports of their presence in the reproductive tract of the
      ram, a seasonal species. Thus, we have investigated their existence in the ram
      testis, epididymis, accessory glands and ductus deferens. Real-time polymerase
      chain reaction (qPCR) revealed higher levels of m-RNA for both receptors in the
      testis, ampulla, seminal vesicles, and vas deferens, than in the other organs of
      the reproductive tract (p < 0.05). Western blot analyses showed protein bands
      compatible with the MT1 in the testis and cauda epididymis, and for the MT2 in
      the cauda epididymis and deferent duct. Immunohistochemistry analyses revealed
      the presence of MT1 receptors in spermatogonias, spermatocytes, and spermatids,
      and MT2 receptors in the newly-formed spermatozoa in the testis, whereas both
      receptors were located in the epithelial cells of the ampulla, seminal vesicles,
      and ductus deferens. Indirect immunofluorescence showed significant differences
      in the immunolocation of both receptors in spermatozoa during their transit in
      the epididymis. In conclusion, it was demonstrated that melatonin receptors are
      present in the ram reproductive tract. These results open the way for new studies
      on the molecular mechanism of melatonin and the biological significance of its
      receptors.

PMID- 28335495
TI  - Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor Loaded PS80 PBCA Nanocarrier for In Vitro
      Neural Differentiation of Mouse Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells.
AB  - Brain derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) can induce neural differentiation in
      stem cells and has the potential for repair of the nervous system. In this study,
      a polysorbate 80-coated polybutylcyanoacrylate nanocarrier (PS80 PBCA NC) was
      constructed to deliver plasmid DNAs (pDNAs) containing BDNF gene attached to a
      hypoxia-responsive element (HRE-cmvBDNF). The hypoxia-sensing mechanism of BDNF
      expression and inductiveness of the nano-formulation on mouse induced pluripotent
      stem cells (iPSCs) to differentiate into neurons following hypoxia was tested in
      vitro with immunofluorescent staining and Western blotting. The HRE-cmvBDNF
      appeared to adsorb onto the surface of PS80 PBCA NC, with a resultant mean
      diameter of 92.6 +/- 1.0 nm and zeta potential of -14.1 +/- 1.1 mV. HIF-1alpha
      level in iPSCs was significantly higher in hypoxia, which resulted in a 51%
      greater BDNF expression when transfected with PS80 PBCA NC/HRE-cmvBDNF than those
      without hypoxia. TrkB and phospho-Akt were also elevated which correlated with
      neural differentiation. The findings suggest that PS80 PBCA NC too can be
      endocytosed to serve as an efficient vector for genes coupled to the HRE in
      hypoxia-sensitive cells, and activation of the PI3/Akt pathway in iPSCs by BDNF
      is capable of neural lineage specification.

PMID- 28335498
TI  - On the Prediction of Flickr Image Popularity by Analyzing Heterogeneous Social
      Sensory Data.
AB  - The increase in the popularity of social media has shattered the gap between the
      physical and virtual worlds. The content generated by people or social sensors on
      social media provides information about users and their living surroundings,
      which allows us to access a user's preferences, opinions, and interactions. This
      provides an opportunity for us to understand human behavior and enhance the
      services provided for both the real and virtual worlds. In this paper, we will
      focus on the popularity prediction of social images on Flickr, a popular social
      photo-sharing site, and promote the research on utilizing social sensory data in
      the context of assisting people to improve their life on the Web. Social data are
      different from the data collected from physical sensors; in the fact that they
      exhibit special characteristics that pose new challenges. In addition to their
      huge quantity, social data are noisy, unstructured, and heterogeneous. Moreover,
      they involve human semantics and contextual data that require analysis and
      interpretation based on human behavior. Accordingly, we address the problem of
      popularity prediction for an image by exploiting three main factors that are
      important for making an image popular. In particular, we investigate the impact
      of the image's visual content, where the semantic and sentiment information
      extracted from the image show an impact on its popularity, as well as the textual
      information associated with the image, which has a fundamental role in boosting
      the visibility of the image in the keyword search results. Additionally, we
      explore social context, such as an image owner's popularity and how it positively
      influences the image popularity. With a comprehensive study on the effect of the
      three aspects, we further propose to jointly consider the heterogeneous social
      sensory data. Experimental results obtained from real-world data demonstrate that
      the three factors utilized complement each other in obtaining promising results
      in the prediction of image popularity on social photo-sharing site.

PMID- 28335496
TI  - Quantitative Analysis of the KSHV Transcriptome Following Primary Infection of
      Blood and Lymphatic Endothelial Cells.
AB  - The transcriptome of the Kaposi's sarcoma-associated herpesvirus (KSHV/HHV8)
      after primary latent infection of human blood (BEC), lymphatic (LEC) and
      immortalized (TIME) endothelial cells was analyzed using RNAseq, and compared to
      long-term latency in BCBL-1 lymphoma cells. Naturally expressed transcripts were
      obtained without artificial induction, and a comprehensive annotation of the KSHV
      genome was determined. A set of unique coding sequence (UCDS) features and a
      process to resolve overlapping transcripts were developed to accurately
      quantitate transcript levels from specific promoters. Similar patterns of KSHV
      expression were detected in BCBL-1 cells undergoing long-term latent infections
      and in primary latent infections of both BEC and LEC cultures. High expression
      levels of poly-adenylated nuclear (PAN) RNA and spliced and unspliced transcripts
      encoding the K12 Kaposin B/C complex and associated microRNA region were
      detected, with an elevated expression of a large set of lytic genes in all
      latently infected cultures. Quantitation of non-overlapping regions of
      transcripts across the complete KSHV genome enabled for the first time accurate
      evaluation of the KSHV transcriptome associated with viral latency in different
      cell types. Hierarchical clustering applied to a gene correlation matrix
      identified modules of co-regulated genes with similar correlation profiles, which
      corresponded with biological and functional similarities of the encoded gene
      products. Gene modules were differentially upregulated during latency in specific
      cell types indicating a role for cellular factors associated with differentiated
      and/or proliferative states of the host cell to influence viral gene expression.

PMID- 28335497
TI  - Ginsenoside PPD's Antitumor Effect via Down-Regulation of mTOR Revealed by Super
      Resolution Imaging.
AB  - Derived from Panax ginseng, the natural product 20(S)-Protopanaxadiol (PPD) has
      been reported for its cytotoxicity against several cancer cell lines. The
      molecular mechanism is, however, not well understood. Here we show that PPD
      significantly inhibits proliferation, induces apoptosis and causes G2/M cell
      cycle arrest in human laryngeal carcinoma cells (Hep-2 cells). PPD also decreases
      the levels of proteins related to cell proliferation. Moreover, PPD-induced
      apoptosis is characterized by a dose-dependent down-regulation of Bcl-2
      expression and up-regulation of Bax, and is accompanied by the activation of
      Caspase-3 as well. Further molecular mechanism is revealed by direct stochastic
      optical reconstruction microscopy (dSTORM)-a novel high-precision localization
      microscopy which enables effective resolution down to the order of 10 nm. It
      shows the expression and spatial arrangement of mTOR and its downstream
      effectors, demonstrating that this ginsenoside exerts its excellent anticancer
      effects via down-regulation of mTOR signaling pathway in Hep-2 cells. Taken
      together, our findings elucidate that the antitumor effect of PPD is associated
      with its regulation of mTOR expression and distribution, which encourages further
      studies of PPD as a promising therapeutic agent against laryngeal carcinoma.

PMID- 28335499
TI  - Synthesis of Substituted alpha-Trifluoromethyl Piperidinic Derivatives.
AB  - A comprehensive survey of pathways leading to the generation of alpha
      trifluoromethyl monocyclic piperidinic derivatives is provided (65 references).
      These compounds have been synthesized either from 6-membered rings e.g.,
      pipecolic acid or lactam derivatives by introduction a trifluoromethyl group,
      from pyridine or pyridinone derivatives by reduction, and from 5-membered rings
      e.g., prolinol derivatives by ring expansion, from linear amines by cyclization
      or from dienes/dienophiles by [4 + 2]-cycloaddition.

PMID- 28335500
TI  - Comparison of Two Types of Overoxidized PEDOT Films and Their Application in
      Sensor Fabrication.
AB  - Poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) (PEDOT) films were prepared by electro-oxidation
      on Au microelectrodes in an aqueous solution. Electrolyte solutions and
      polymerization parameters were optimized prior to overoxidation. The effect of
      overoxidation time has been optimized by cyclic voltammetry (CV) and
      electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS), which results in the film
      overoxidized for 45 s at 1.35 V presenting a strong adsorption. The other one
      step overoxidation film prepared by direct CV ranging from -0.6 V to 1.35 V was
      polymerized for comparison. Scanning electron microscope (SEM) analysis and
      Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy were used for monitoring
      morphological changes and the evolution of functional groups. Both of them
      indicate increased abundant oxygen functional groups and roughness, yet the
      products exhibit dendritic morphology and piles of spherical protrusions,
      respectively. Moreover, double-step overoxidized film showed better
      electrochemical performance toward lead ion sensing. These characterizations
      highlight some novel properties that may be beneficial for specific sensing
      applications.

PMID- 28335501
TI  - Communication Matters: Exploring the Intersection of Family and Practitioner End
      of Life Communication.
AB  - After establishing a baseline understanding of some of the factors that influence
      and shape family end of life communication, empirical research centered on the
      communication tendencies of nationally-recognized palliative care clinicians is
      presented. Because death is no longer confined to the bedroom and individuals are
      increasingly turning to hospitals and health care institutes to assist with end
      of life, the role of palliative care practitioners is vital. To that end, common
      communication-rooted issues that may transpire among various medical personnel
      are explored. Focus on a shared underlying tension-care vs. cure-links the
      findings between family and palliative care clinician communication regarding end
      of life. Practical communication solutions and suggestions are offered to
      facilitate productive and mindful end of life communication between and among
      family members and health care practitioners.

PMID- 28335503
TI  - Synthesis of Randomly Substituted Anionic Cyclodextrins in Ball Milling.
AB  - A number of influencing factors mean that the random substitution of
      cyclodextrins (CD) in solution is difficult to reproduce. Reaction assembly in
      mechanochemistry reduces the number of these factors. However, lack of water can
      improve the reaction outcomes by minimizing the reagent's hydrolysis. High-energy
      ball milling is an efficient, green and simple method for one-step reactions and
      usually reduces degradation and byproduct formation. Anionic CD derivatives have
      successfully been synthesized in the solid state, using a planetary ball mill.
      Comparison with solution reactions, the solvent-free conditions strongly reduced
      the reagent hydrolysis and resulted in products of higher degree of substitution
      (DS) with more homogeneous DS distribution. The synthesis of anionic CD
      derivatives can be effectively performed under mechanochemical activation without
      significant changes to the substitution pattern but the DS distributions were
      considerably different from the products of solution syntheses.

PMID- 28335504
TI  - Diagnosis of Breast Cancer Tissues Using 785 nm Miniature Raman Spectrometer and
      Pattern Regression.
AB  - For achieving the development of a portable, low-cost and in vivo cancer
      diagnosis instrument, a laser 785 nm miniature Raman spectrometer was used to
      acquire the Raman spectra for breast cancer detection in this paper. However,
      because of the low spectral signal-to-noise ratio, it is difficult to achieve
      high discrimination accuracy by using the miniature Raman spectrometer.
      Therefore, a pattern recognition method of the adaptive net analyte signal (NAS)
      weight k-local hyperplane (ANWKH) is proposed to increase the classification
      accuracy. ANWKH is an extension and improvement of K-local hyperplane distance
      nearest-neighbor (HKNN), and combines the advantages of the adaptive weight k
      local hyperplane (AWKH) and the net analyte signal (NAS). In this algorithm, NAS
      was first used to eliminate the influence caused by other non-target factors.
      Then, the distance between the test set samples and hyperplane was calculated
      with consideration of the feature weights. The HKNN only works well for small
      values of the nearest-neighbor. However, the accuracy decreases with increasing
      values of the nearest-neighbor. The method presented in this paper can resolve
      the basic shortcoming by using the feature weights. The original spectra are
      projected into the vertical subspace without the objective factors. NAS was
      employed to obtain the spectra without irrelevant information. NAS can improve
      the classification accuracy, sensitivity, and specificity of breast cancer early
      diagnosis. Experimental results of Raman spectra detection in vitro of breast
      tissues showed that the proposed algorithm can obtain high classification
      accuracy, sensitivity, and specificity. This paper demonstrates that the ANWKH
      algorithm is feasible for early clinical diagnosis of breast cancer in the
      future.

PMID- 28335502
TI  - Catechins and Their Therapeutic Benefits to Inflammatory Bowel Disease.
AB  - Catechins are natural polyphenolic phytochemicals that exist in food and
      medicinal plants, such as tea, legume and rubiaceae. An increasing number of
      studies have associated the intake of catechins-rich foods with the prevention
      and treatment of chronic diseases in humans, such as inflammatory bowel disease
      (IBD). Some studies have demonstrated that catechins could significantly inhibit
      the excessive oxidative stress through direct or indirect antioxidant effects and
      promote the activation of the antioxidative substances such as glutathione
      peroxidases (GPO) and glutathione (GSH), reducing the oxidative damages to the
      colon. In addition, catechins can also regulate the infiltration and
      proliferation of immune related-cells, such as neutrophils, colonic epithelial
      cells, macrophages, and T lymphocytes, helping reduce the inflammatory relations
      and provide benefits to IBD. Perhaps catechins can further inhibit the
      deterioration of intestinal lesions through regulating the cell gap junctions.
      Furthermore, catechins can exert their significant anti-inflammatory properties
      by regulating the activation or deactivation of inflammation-related oxidative
      stress-related cell signaling pathways, such as nuclear factor-kappa B (NF
      kappaB), mitogen activated protein kinases (MAPKs), transcription factor nuclear
      factor (erythroid-derived 2)-like 2 (Nrf2), signal transducer and the activator
      of transcription 1/3 (STAT1/3) pathways. Finally, catechins can also stabilize
      the structure of the gastrointestinal micro-ecological environment via promoting
      the proliferation of beneficial intestinal bacteria and regulating the balance of
      intestinal flora, so as to relieve the IBD. Furthermore, catechins may regulate
      the tight junctions (TJ) in the epithelium. This paper elaborates the currently
      known possible molecular mechanisms of catechins in favor of IBD.

PMID- 28335506
TI  - A Colorimetric Sensor for the Highly Selective Detection of Sulfide and 1,4
      Dithiothreitol Based on the In Situ Formation of Silver Nanoparticles Using
      Dopamine.
AB  - Hydrogen sulfide (H2S) has attracted attention in biochemical research because it
      plays an important role in biosystems and has emerged as the third endogenous
      gaseous signaling compound along with nitric oxide (NO) and carbon monoxide (CO).
      Since H2S is a kind of gaseous molecule, conventional approaches for H2S
      detection are mostly based on the detection of sulfide (S2-) for indirectly
      reflecting H2S levels. Hence, there is a need for an accurate and reliable assay
      capable of determining sulfide in physiological systems. We report here a
      colorimetric, economic, and green method for sulfide anion detection using in
      situ formation of silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) using dopamine as a reducing and
      protecting agent. The changes in the AgNPs absorption response depend linearly on
      the concentration of Na2S in the range from 2 to 15 MUM, with a detection limit
      of 0.03 MUM. Meanwhile, the morphological changes in AgNPs in the presence of S2-
      and thiol compounds were characterized by transmission electron microscopy (TEM).
      The as-synthetized AgNPs demonstrate high selectivity, free from interference,
      especially by other thiol compounds such as cysteine and glutathione.
      Furthermore, the colorimetric sensor developed was applied to the analysis of
      sulfide in fetal bovine serum and spiked serum samples with good recovery.

PMID- 28335505
TI  - Porcine Epidemic Diarrhea Virus Induces Autophagy to Benefit Its Replication.
AB  - The new porcine epidemic diarrhea (PED) has caused devastating economic losses to
      the swine industry worldwide. Despite extensive research on the relationship
      between autophagy and virus infection, the concrete role of autophagy in porcine
      epidemic diarrhea virus (PEDV) infection has not been reported. In this study,
      autophagy was demonstrated to be triggered by the effective replication of PEDV
      through transmission electron microscopy, confocal microscopy, and Western blot
      analysis. Moreover, autophagy was confirmed to benefit PEDV replication by using
      autophagy regulators and RNA interference. Furthermore, autophagy might be
      associated with the expression of inflammatory cytokines and have a positive
      feedback loop with the NF-kappaB signaling pathway during PEDV infection. This
      work is the first attempt to explore the complex interplay between autophagy and
      PEDV infection. Our findings might accelerate our understanding of the
      pathogenesis of PEDV infection and provide new insights into the development of
      effective therapeutic strategies.

PMID- 28335508
TI  - Detrimental Effect Elimination of Laser Frequency Instability in Brillouin
      Optical Time Domain Reflectometer by Using Self-Heterodyne Detection.
AB  - A useful method for eliminating the detrimental effect of laser frequency
      instability on Brillouin signals by employing the self-heterodyne detection of
      Rayleigh and Brillouin scattering is presented. From the analysis of Brillouin
      scattering spectra from fibers with different lengths measured by heterodyne
      detection, the maximum usable pulse width immune to laser frequency instability
      is obtained to be about 4 us in a self-heterodyne detection Brillouin optical
      time domain reflectometer (BOTDR) system using a broad-band laser with low
      frequency stability. Applying the self-heterodyne detection of Rayleigh and
      Brillouin scattering in BOTDR system, we successfully demonstrate that the
      detrimental effect of laser frequency instability on Brillouin signals can be
      eliminated effectively. Employing the broad-band laser modulated by a 130-ns wide
      pulse driven electro-optic modulator, the observed maximum errors in temperatures
      measured by the local heterodyne and self-heterodyne detection BOTDR systems are
      7.9  degrees C and 1.2  degrees C, respectively.

PMID- 28335510
TI  - Gender Recognition from Human-Body Images Using Visible-Light and Thermal Camera
      Videos Based on a Convolutional Neural Network for Image Feature Extraction.
AB  - Extracting powerful image features plays an important role in computer vision
      systems. Many methods have previously been proposed to extract image features for
      various computer vision applications, such as the scale-invariant feature
      transform (SIFT), speed-up robust feature (SURF), local binary patterns (LBP),
      histogram of oriented gradients (HOG), and weighted HOG. Recently, the
      convolutional neural network (CNN) method for image feature extraction and
      classification in computer vision has been used in various applications. In this
      research, we propose a new gender recognition method for recognizing males and
      females in observation scenes of surveillance systems based on feature extraction
      from visible-light and thermal camera videos through CNN. Experimental results
      confirm the superiority of our proposed method over state-of-the-art recognition
      methods for the gender recognition problem using human body images.

PMID- 28335509
TI  - Novel Diagnostic and Predictive Biomarkers in Pancreatic Adenocarcinoma.
AB  - Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is a highly lethal disease for a
      multitude of reasons including very late diagnosis. This in part is due to the
      lack of understanding of the biological behavior of PDAC and the ineffective
      screening for this disease. Significant efforts have been dedicated to finding
      the appropriate serum and imaging biomarkers to help early detection and predict
      response to treatment of PDAC. Carbohydrate antigen 19-9 (CA 19-9) has been the
      most validated serum marker and has the highest positive predictive value as a
      stand-alone marker. When combined with carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) and
      carbohydrate antigen 125 (CA 125), CA 19-9 can help predict the outcome of
      patients to surgery and chemotherapy. A slew of novel serum markers including
      multimarker panels as well as genetic and epigenetic materials have potential for
      early detection of pancreatic cancer, although these remain to be validated in
      larger trials. Imaging studies may not correlate with elevated serum markers.
      Critical features for determining PDAC include the presence of a mass, dilated
      pancreatic duct, and a duct cut-off sign. Features that are indicative of early
      metastasis includes neurovascular bundle involvement, duodenal invasion, and
      greater post contrast enhancement. 18-F-fluorodeoxyglucose (18-FDG) radiotracer
      uptake and changes following treatment may predict patient overall survival
      following treatment. Similarly, pretreatment apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC)
      values may predict prognosis with lower ADC lesions having worse outcome.
      Although these markers have provided significant improvement in the care of
      pancreatic cancer patients, further advancements can be made with perhaps better
      combination of markers or discovery of unique marker(s) to pancreatic cancer.

PMID- 28335507
TI  - Hydroxytyrosol in the Prevention of the Metabolic Syndrome and Related Disorders.
AB  - Virgin olive oil (VOO) constitutes the main source of fat in the Mediterranean
      diet. VOO is rich in oleic acid, displaying health-promoting properties, but also
      contains minor bioactive components, especially phenolic compounds.
      Hydroxytyrosol (HT), the main polyphenol of olive oil, has been reported to be
      the most bioactive component. This review aims to compile the results of
      clinical, animal and cell culture studies evaluating the effects of HT on the
      features of Metabolic Syndrome (MetS) (body weight/adiposity, dyslipidemia,
      hypertension, and hyperglycemia/insulin resistance) and associated complications
      (oxidative stress and inflammation). HT was able to improve the lipid profile,
      glycaemia, and insulin sensitivity, and counteract oxidative and inflammatory
      processes. Experimental studies identified multiple molecular targets for HT
      conferring its beneficial effect on health in spite of its low bioavailability.
      However, rodent experiments and clinical trials with pure HT at biologically
      relevant concentrations are still lacking. Moreover, the roles of intestine and
      its gut microbiota have not been elucidated.

PMID- 28335511
TI  - 1st Workshop of the Canadian Society for Virology.
AB  - The 1st Workshop of the Canadian Society for Virology (CSV2016) was a Special
      Workshop of the 35th Annual Meeting for the American Society for Virology, held
      on 18 June 2016 on the beautiful Virginia Tech campus in Blacksburg, Virginia.
      The workshop provided a forum for discussion of recent advances in the field, in
      an informal setting conducive to interaction with colleagues. CSV2016 featured
      two internationally-renowned Canadian keynote speakers who discussed
      translational virology research; American Society for Virology President Grant
      McFadden (then from University of Florida, now relocated to Arizona State
      University) who presented his studies of oncolytic poxviruses, while Matthew
      Miller (McMaster University) reviewed the prospects for a universal influenza
      vaccine. The workshop also featured a variety of trainee oral and poster
      presentations, and a panel discussion on the topic of the future of the CSV and
      virus research in Canada.

PMID- 28335512
TI  - Symptoms Relevant to Surveillance for Ovarian Cancer.
AB  - To examine how frequently and confidently healthy women report symptoms during
      surveillance for ovarian cancer. A symptoms questionnaire was administered to
      24,526 women over multiple visits accounting for 70,734 reports. A query of
      reported confidence was included as a confidence score (CS). Chi square, McNemars
      test, ANOVA and multivariate analyses were performed. 17,623 women completed the
      symptoms questionnaire more than one time and >9500 women completed it more than
      one four times for >43,000 serially completed questionnaires. Reporting ovarian
      cancer symptoms was ~245 higher than ovarian cancer incidence. The positive
      predictive value (0.073%) for identifying ovarian cancer based on symptoms alone
      would predict one malignancy for 1368 cases taken to surgery due to reported
      symptoms. Confidence on the first questionnaire (83.3%) decreased to 74% when
      more than five questionnaires were completed. Age-related decreases in confidence
      were significant (p < 0.0001). Women reporting at least one symptom expressed
      more confidence (41,984/52,379 = 80.2%) than women reporting no symptoms
      (11,882/18,355 = 64.7%), p < 0.0001. Confidence was unrelated to history of
      hormone replacement therapy or abnormal ultrasound findings (p = 0.30 and 0.89).
      The frequency of symptoms relevant to ovarian cancer was much higher than the
      occurrence of ovarian cancer. Approximately 80.1% of women expressed confidence
      in what they reported.

PMID- 28335513
TI  - Bioactive Potential of Marine Macroalgae from the Central Red Sea (Saudi Arabia)
      Assessed by High-Throughput Imaging-Based Phenotypic Profiling.
AB  - Marine algae represent an important source of novel natural products. While their
      bioactive potential has been studied to some extent, limited information is
      available on marine algae from the Red Sea. This study aimed at the broad
      discovery of new bioactivities from a collection of twelve macroalgal species
      from the Central Red Sea. We used imaging-based High-Content Screening (HCS) with
      a diverse spectrum of cellular markers for detailed cytological profiling of
      fractionated algal extracts. The cytological profiles for 3 out of 60 algal
      fractions clustered closely to reference inhibitors and showed strong inhibitory
      activities on the HIV-1 reverse transcriptase in a single-enzyme biochemical
      assay, validating the suggested biological target. Subsequent chemical profiling
      of the active fractions of two brown algal species by ultra-high resolution mass
      spectrometry (FT-ICR-MS) revealed possible candidate molecules. A database query
      of these molecules led us to groups of compounds with structural similarities,
      which are suggested to be responsible for the observed activity. Our work
      demonstrates the versatility and power of cytological profiling for the
      bioprospecting of unknown biological resources and highlights Red Sea algae as a
      source of bioactives that may serve as a starting point for further studies.

PMID- 28335514
TI  - The Association between Vitamin D Deficiency and Diabetic Retinopathy in Type 2
      Diabetes: A Meta-Analysis of Observational Studies.
AB  - Emerging evidence from in vivo and in vitro studies have shown that vitamin D may
      play an important role in the development of diabetic retinopathy (DR), but
      individually published studies showed inconclusive results. The aim of this study
      was to quantitatively summarize the association between vitamin D and the risk of
      diabetic retinopathy. We conducted a systematic literature search of Pubmed,
      Medline, and EMBASE updated in September 2016 with the following keywords:
      "vitamin D" or "cholecalciferol" or "25-hydroxyvitamin D" or "25(OH)D" in
      combination with "diabetic retinopathy" or "DR". Fifteen observational studies
      involving 17,664 subjects were included. In this meta-analysis, type 2 diabetes
      patients with vitamin D deficiency (serum 25(OH)D levels <20 ng/mL) experienced a
      significantly increased risk of DR (odds ratio (OR) = 2.03, 95% confidence
      intervals (CI): 1.07, 3.86), and an obvious decrease of 1.7 ng/mL (95% CI: -2.72,
      -0.66) in serum vitamin D was demonstrated in the patients with diabetic
      retinopathy. Sensitivity analysis showed that exclusion of any single study did
      not materially alter the overall combined effect. In conclusion, the evidence
      from this meta-analysis indicates an association between vitamin D deficiency and
      an increased risk of diabetic retinopathy in type 2 diabetes patients.

PMID- 28335515
TI  - Dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) Feeding Protects Liver Steatosis in Obese Breast
      Cancer Rat Model.
AB  - Obesity is a major health problem in the US and globally. Obesity is associated
      with the risk of cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, cancers,
      hyperlipidemia, and liver steatosis development. Dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) is
      a dietary supplement used as an anti-obesity supplement. Previously, we reported
      that DHEA feeding protects 7,12-dimethylbenz(a)anthracene (DMBA)-induced mammary
      tumors. The objectives of this study were to investigate the effects of obesity
      and DHEA feeding on liver steatosis, body weight gain, and serum DHEA, DHEA
      sulfate (DHEA-S), insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1), and insulin-like growth
      factor binding protein-3 (IGFBP-3) levels. Female Zucker rats were randomly
      assigned to either a control diet or a control diet with DHEA supplementation for
      155 days. Livers were collected for histological examination. Serum was collected
      to measure DHEA, DHEA-S, IGF-1, and IGFBP-3. Our results show that DHEA-fed rats
      had significantly less liver steatosis (p < 0.001) than control-fed rats and
      gained less weight (p < 0.001). DHEA feeding caused significant decreases (p <
      0.001) in the serum levels of IGF-1 and IGFBP-3 and significantly increased (p <
      0.001) serum levels of DHEA and DHEA-S. Our results suggest that DHEA feeding can
      protect against liver steatosis by reducing body weight gain and modulating serum
      IGF-1 and IGFBP-3 levels in an obese breast cancer rat model.

PMID- 28335516
TI  - Marine Diterpenes: Molecular Modeling of Thrombin Inhibitors with Potential
      Biotechnological Application as an Antithrombotic.
AB  - Thrombosis related diseases are among the main causes of death and incapacity in
      the world. Despite the existence of antithrombotic agents available for therapy,
      they still present adverse effects like hemorrhagic risks which justify the
      search for new options. Recently, pachydictyol A, isopachydictyol A, and
      dichotomanol, three diterpenes isolated from Brazilian marine brown alga Dictyota
      menstrualis were identified as potent antithrombotic molecules through inhibition
      of thrombin, a key enzyme of coagulation cascade and a platelet agonist. Due to
      the biotechnological potential of these marine metabolites, in this work we
      evaluated their binding mode to thrombin in silico and identified structural
      features related to the activity in order to characterize their molecular
      mechanism. According to our theoretical studies including structure-activity
      relationship and molecular docking analysis, the highest dipole moment, polar
      surface area, and lowest electronic density of dichotomanol are probably involved
      in its higher inhibition percentage towards thrombin catalytic activity compared
      to pachydictyol A and isopachydictyol A. Interestingly, the molecular docking
      studies also revealed a good shape complementarity of pachydictyol A and
      isopachydictyol A and interactions with important residues and regions (e.g.,
      H57, S195, W215, G216, and loop-60), which probably justify their thrombin
      inhibitor effects demonstrated in vitro. Finally, this study explored the
      structural features and binding mode of these three diterpenes in thrombin which
      reinforced their potential to be further explored and may help in the design of
      new antithrombotic agents.

PMID- 28335518
TI  - New Chiral Ebselen Analogues with Antioxidant and Cytotoxic Potential.
AB  - New chiral camphane-derived benzisoselenazol-3(2H)-ones and corresponding
      diselenides have been synthetized using a convenient one-pot procedure. Se-N bond
      was efficiently converted to an Se-Se bond, which could also be easily re
      oxidized to the initial benzisoselenazolone moiety. The antioxidant activity of
      camphor derivatives was evaluated and compared to the reactivity of a series of N
      amino acid benzisoselenazol-3(2H)-ones obtained by a modified procedure involving
      the improved synthesis and isolation of the diseleno bis(dibenzoic) acid. The
      most efficient peroxide scavengers, N-bornyl and N-leucine methyl ester
      benzisoselenazol-3(2H)-ones, were further evaluated as cytotoxic agents on four
      cancer cell lines (MCF-7, HEP G2, HL 6, and DU 145) and normal cell line PNT1A.
      The highest antiproliferative potential was evaluated for two compounds bearing a
      3-methylbutyl carbon chain, N-leucine methyl ester and N-3-methylbutyl
      benzisoselenazol-3(2H)-ones.

PMID- 28335517
TI  - State of the Art on Functional Virgin Olive Oils Enriched with Bioactive
      Compounds and Their Properties.
AB  - Virgin olive oil, the main fat of the Mediterranean diet, is per se considered as
      a functional food-as stated by the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA)-due to
      its content in healthy compounds. The daily intake of endogenous bioactive
      phenolics from virgin olive oil is variable due to the influence of multiple
      agronomic and technological factors. Thus, a good strategy to ensure an optimal
      intake of polyphenols through habitual diet would be to produce enriched virgin
      olive oil with well-known bioactive polyphenols. Different sources of natural
      biological active substances can be potentially used to enrich virgin olive oil
      (e.g., raw materials derived from the same olive tree, mainly olive leaves and
      pomaces, and/or other compounds from plants and vegetables, mainly herbs and
      spices). The development of these functional olive oils may help in prevention of
      chronic diseases (such as cardiovascular diseases, immune frailty, ageing
      disorders and degenerative diseases) and improving the quality of life for many
      consumers reducing health care costs. In the present review, the most relevant
      scientific information related to the development of enriched virgin olive oil
      and their positive human health effects has been collected and discussed.

PMID- 28335519
TI  - Translating Developmental Origins: Improving the Health of Women and Their
      Children Using a Sustainable Approach to Behaviour Change.
AB  - Theories of the developmental origins of health and disease imply that optimising
      the growth and development of babies is an essential route to improving the
      health of populations. A key factor in the growth of babies is the nutritional
      status of their mothers. Since women from more disadvantaged backgrounds have
      poorer quality diets and the worst pregnancy outcomes, they need to be a
      particular focus. The behavioural sciences have made a substantial contribution
      to the development of interventions to support dietary changes in disadvantaged
      women. Translation of such interventions into routine practice is an ideal that
      is rarely achieved, however. This paper illustrates how re-orientating health and
      social care services towards an empowerment approach to behaviour change might
      underpin a new developmental focus to improving long-term health, using learning
      from a community-based intervention to improve the diets and lifestyles of
      disadvantaged women. The Southampton Initiative for Health aimed to improve the
      diets and lifestyles of women of child-bearing age through training health and
      social care practitioners in skills to support behaviour change. Analysis
      illustrates the necessary steps in mounting such an intervention: building trust;
      matching agendas and changing culture. The Southampton Initiative for Health
      demonstrates that developing sustainable; workable interventions and effective
      community partnerships; requires commitment beginning long before intervention
      delivery but is key to the translation of developmental origins research into
      improvements in human health.

PMID- 28335521
TI  - Gene-Transformation-Induced Changes in Chemical Functional Group Features and
      Molecular Structure Conformation in Alfalfa Plants Co-Expressing Lc-bHLH and C1
      MYB Transcriptive Flavanoid Regulatory Genes: Effects of Single-Gene and Two-Gene
      Insertion.
AB  - Alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.) genotypes transformed with Lc-bHLH and Lc
      transcription genes were developed with the intention of stimulating
      proanthocyanidin synthesis in the aerial parts of the plant. To our knowledge,
      there are no studies on the effect of single-gene and two-gene transformation on
      chemical functional groups and molecular structure changes in these plants. The
      objective of this study was to use advanced molecular spectroscopy with
      multivariate chemometrics to determine chemical functional group intensity and
      molecular structure changes in alfalfa plants when co-expressing Lc-bHLH and C1
      MYB transcriptive flavanoid regulatory genes in comparison with non-transgenic
      (NT) and AC Grazeland (ACGL) genotypes. The results showed that compared to NT
      genotype, the presence of double genes (Lc and C1) increased ratios of both the
      area and peak height of protein structural Amide I/II and the height ratio of
      alpha-helix to beta-sheet. In carbohydrate-related spectral analysis, the double
      gene-transformed alfalfa genotypes exhibited lower peak heights at 1370, 1240,
      1153, and 1020 cm-1 compared to the NT genotype. Furthermore, the effect of
      double gene transformation on carbohydrate molecular structure was clearly
      revealed in the principal component analysis of the spectra. In conclusion,
      single or double transformation of Lc and C1 genes resulted in changing
      functional groups and molecular structure related to proteins and carbohydrates
      compared to the NT alfalfa genotype. The current study provided molecular
      structural information on the transgenic alfalfa plants and provided an insight
      into the impact of transgenes on protein and carbohydrate properties and their
      molecular structure's changes.

PMID- 28335520
TI  - Endoplasmic Reticulum Stress and Unfolded Protein Response in Cartilage
      Pathophysiology; Contributing Factors to Apoptosis and Osteoarthritis.
AB  - Chondrocytes of the growth plate undergo apoptosis during the process of
      endochondral ossification, as well as during the progression of osteoarthritis.
      Although the regulation of this process is not completely understood, alterations
      in the precisely orchestrated programmed cell death during development can have
      catastrophic results, as exemplified by several chondrodystrophies which are
      frequently accompanied by early onset osteoarthritis. Understanding the
      mechanisms that underlie chondrocyte apoptosis during endochondral ossification
      in the growth plate has the potential to impact the development of therapeutic
      applications for chondrodystrophies and associated early onset osteoarthritis. In
      recent years, several chondrodysplasias and collagenopathies have been recognized
      as protein-folding diseases that lead to endoplasmic reticulum stress,
      endoplasmic reticulum associated degradation, and the unfolded protein response.
      Under conditions of prolonged endoplasmic reticulum stress in which the protein
      folding load outweighs the folding capacity of the endoplasmic reticulum,
      cellular dysfunction and death often occur. However, unfolded protein response
      (UPR) signaling is also required for the normal maturation of chondrocytes and
      osteoblasts. Understanding how UPR signaling may contribute to cartilage
      pathophysiology is an essential step toward therapeutic modulation of skeletal
      disorders that lead to osteoarthritis.

PMID- 28335523
TI  - [2 + 2] Photodimerization of Naphthylvinylpyridines through Cation-pi
      Interactions in Acidic Solution.
AB  - Irradiation of (E)-4-(2-(2-naphthyl)vinyl)pyridine (1a) and (E)-4-(2-(1
      naphthyl)vinyl)pyridine (1b) with a 250 W high-pressure mercury lamp in acidic
      solution afforded synHT dimers in high stereoselectivities. Similar results were
      obtained by visible light irradiation. On the other hand, when the reactions were
      carried out under neutral conditions, the stereoselectivities were very low, and
      the yields were decreased by visible light irradiation. Comparison of the UV-vis
      spectra between the acidic and the neutral conditions elucidated that the red
      shift was observed in acidic solutions. These results show that HCl plays
      essential roles not only in the preorientation of substrates through cation-pi
      interactions, but also in the changes in the absorption properties of substrates
      that enable visible light reactions.

PMID- 28335522
TI  - Extracellular Vesicles Deliver Host and Virus RNA and Regulate Innate Immune
      Response.
AB  - The innate immune system plays a crucial role in controlling viral infection.
      Pattern recognition receptors (PRRs), such as Toll-like receptors and RIG-I-like
      receptors, sense viral components called pathogen-associated molecular patterns
      (PAMPs) and trigger signals to induce innate immune responses. Extracellular
      vesicles (EVs), including exosomes and microvesicles, deliver functional RNA and
      mediate intercellular communications. Recent studies have revealed that EVs
      released from virus-infected cells deliver viral RNA to dendritic cells and
      macrophages, thereby activating PRRs in recipient cells, which results in the
      expression of type I interferon and pro-inflammatory cytokines. On the other
      hand, EVs transfer not only viral RNA but also host microRNAs to recipient cells.
      Recently, infection of hepatocytes with hepatitis B virus (HBV) was shown to
      affect microRNA levels in EVs released from virus-infected cells, leading to
      attenuation of host innate immune response. This suggests that the virus utilizes
      the EVs and host microRNAs to counteract the antiviral innate immune responses.
      In this review, we summarize recent findings related to the role of EVs in
      antiviral innate immune responses.

PMID- 28335524
TI  - Roles of CDK and DDK in Genome Duplication and Maintenance: Meiotic
      Singularities.
AB  - Cells reproduce using two types of divisions: mitosis, which generates two
      daughter cells each with the same genomic content as the mother cell, and
      meiosis, which reduces the number of chromosomes of the parent cell by half and
      gives rise to four gametes. The mechanisms that promote the proper progression of
      the mitotic and meiotic cycles are highly conserved and controlled. They require
      the activities of two types of serine-threonine kinases, the cyclin-dependent
      kinases (CDKs) and the Dbf4-dependent kinase (DDK). CDK and DDK are essential for
      genome duplication and maintenance in both mitotic and meiotic divisions. In this
      review, we aim to highlight how these kinases cooperate to orchestrate diverse
      processes during cellular reproduction, focusing on meiosis-specific adaptions of
      their regulation and functions in DNA metabolism.

PMID- 28335525
TI  - The History of Clotting Factor Concentrates Pharmacokinetics.
AB  - Clotting factor concentrates (CFCs) underwent tremendous modifications during the
      last forty years. Plasma-derived concentrates made the replacement therapy
      feasible not only in the hospital but also at patients' home by on-demand or
      prophylactic regimen. Virucidal methods, implemented soon after hepatitis and
      AIDS outbreak, and purification by Mabs made the plasma-derived concentrates
      safer and purer. CFCs were considered equivalent to the other drugs and general
      rules and methods of pharmacokinetics (PK) were applied to their study. After the
      first attempts by graphical methods and calculation of In Vivo Recovery,
      compartment and non-compartment methods were applied also to the study of PK of
      CFCs. The bioequivalence of the new concentrates produced by means of recombinant
      DNA biotechnology was evaluated in head-to-head PK studies. Since the beginning,
      the large inter-patient variability of dose/response of replacement therapy was
      realized. PK allowed tailoring haemophilia therapy and PK driven prophylaxis
      resulted more cost effective. Unfortunately, the need of several blood samples
      and logistic difficulties made the PK studies very demanding. Recently,
      population PK (PopPK) has been applied to the prediction of CFCs dosing by
      Bayesian methodology. By PopPK also sparse data may allow evaluating the
      appropriateness of replacement therapy.

PMID- 28335526
TI  - Oral Cyanocobalamin is Effective in the Treatment of Vitamin B12 Deficiency in
      Crohn's Disease.
AB  - Cobalamin deficiency is common in patients with Crohn's disease (CD).
      Intramuscular cobalamin continues to be the standard therapy for the deficiency
      and maintenance treatment in these patients, although oral route has been
      demonstrated to be effective in other pathologies with impaired absorption. Our
      aims were to evaluate the efficacy of oral therapy in the treatment of cobalamin
      deficiency and in long-term maintenance in patients with Crohn's disease. We
      performed a multicenter retrospective cohort study that included 94 patients with
      Crohn's disease and cobalamin deficiency. Seventy-six patients had B12 deficiency
      and 94.7% of them normalized their cobalamin levels with oral treatment. The most
      used dose was 1 mg/day, but there were no significant differences in treatment
      effectiveness depending on the dose used (>=1 mg/24 h vs. <1 mg/24 h). Eighty-two
      patients had previous documented B12 deficiency and were treated with oral B12 to
      maintain their correct cobalamin levels. After a mean follow-up of 3 years, the
      oral route was effective as maintenance treatment in 81.7% of patients. A lack of
      treatment adherence was admitted by 46.6% of patients in who the oral route
      failed. In conclusion, our study shows that oral cyanocobalamin provides
      effective acute and maintenance treatment for vitamin B12 deficiency caused by CD
      with or without ileum resection.

PMID- 28335527
TI  - Metabolic Disorder in Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) Patients:
      Towards a Personalized Approach Using Marine Drug Derivatives.
AB  - Metabolic disorder has been frequently observed in chronic obstructive pulmonary
      disease (COPD) patients. However, the exact correlation between obesity, which is
      a complex metabolic disorder, and COPD remains controversial. The current study
      summarizes a variety of drugs from marine sources that have anti-obesity effects
      and proposed potential mechanisms by which lung function can be modulated with
      the anti-obesity activity. Considering the similar mechanism, such as
      inflammation, shared between obesity and COPD, the study suggests that marine
      derivatives that act on the adipose tissues to reduce inflammation may provide
      beneficial therapeutic effects in COPD subjects with high body mass index (BMI).

PMID- 28335528
TI  - Pretreatment of Lignocellulosic Biomass with Ionic Liquids and Ionic Liquid-Based
      Solvent Systems.
AB  - Pretreatment is very important for the efficient production of value-added
      products from lignocellulosic biomass. However, traditional pretreatment methods
      have several disadvantages, including low efficiency and high pollution. This
      article gives an overview on the applications of ionic liquids (ILs) and IL-based
      solvent systems in the pretreatment of lignocellulosic biomass. It is divided
      into three parts: the first deals with the dissolution of biomass in ILs and IL
      based solvent systems; the second focuses on the fractionation of biomass using
      ILs and IL-based solvent systems as solvents; the third emphasizes the enzymatic
      saccharification of biomass after pretreatment with ILs and IL-based solvent
      systems.

PMID- 28335529
TI  - Effects of Momordica charantia (Bitter Melon) on Ischemic Diabetic Myocardium.
AB  - Objective: A rat model is here used to test a hypothesis that Momordica charantia
      (Bitter melon (BM)) extract favorably alters processes in cardiovascular tissue
      and is systemically relevant to the pathophysiology of type 2 diabetes (T2DM) and
      related cardiovascular disease. Methods: Male Lean and Zucker Obese (ZO) rats
      were gavage-treated for six weeks with 400 mg/kg body weight bitter melon (BM)
      extract suspended in mucin-water vehicle, or with vehicle (Control). Animals were
      segregated into four treatment groups, 10 animals in each group, according to
      strain (Lean or ZO) and treatment (Control or BM). Following six-week treatment
      periods, peripheral blood was collected from selected animals, followed by
      sacrifice, thoracotomy and mounting of isolated working heart setup. Results:
      Body mass of both Lean and ZO rats was unaffected by treatment, likewise,
      peripheral blood fasting glucose levels showed no significant treatment-related
      effects. However, some BM treatment-related improvement was noted in postischemic
      cardiac functions when Lean, BM-treated animals were compared to vehicle treated
      Lean control rats. Treatment of Lean, but not ZO, rats significantly reduced the
      magnitude of infarcted zone in isolated hearts subjected to 30 min of ischemia
      followed by 2 h of working mode reperfusion. Immunohistochemical demonstration of
      caspase-3 expression by isolated heart tissues subjected to 30 min of ischemia
      followed by 2 h of reperfusion, revealed significant correlation between BM
      treatment and reduced expression of this enzyme in hearts obtained from both Lean
      and ZO animals. The hierarchy and order of caspase-3 expression from highest to
      lowest was as follows: ZO rats receiving vehicle > ZO rats receiving BM extract >
      Lean rats treated receiving vehicle > Lean rats administered BM extract. Outcomes
      of analyses of peripheral blood content of cardiac-related analytics: with
      particular relevance to clinical application was a significant elevation in blood
      of ZO and ZO BM-treated, versus Lean rats of total cholesterol (high density
      lipoprotein HDL-c + low density lipoprotein LDL-c), with an inferred increase in
      HDL-c/LDL-c ratio-an outcome associated with decreased risk of atherosclerotic
      disease. Conclusions: BM extract failed to positively affect T2DM- and
      cardiovascular-related outcomes at a level suggesting use as a standalone
      treatment. Nevertheless, the encouraging effects of BM in enhancement of cardiac
      function, suppression of post-ischemic/reperfused infarct size extent and
      capacity to modulate serum cholesterol, will likely make it useful as an adjuvant
      therapy for the management of T2DM and related cardiovascular diseases.

PMID- 28335530
TI  - Risk of Suicide and Dysfunctional Patterns of Personality among Bereaved
      Substance Users.
AB  - Background: Research has shown that suicide is a phenomenon highly present among
      the drug dependent population. Different studies have demonstrated an upraised
      level of comorbidity between personality disorders (PD) and substance use
      disorders (SUD). This study aimed to describe which PDs are more frequent among
      those patients with a risk of suicide. Methods: The study was based on a
      consecutive non-probabilistic convenience sample of 196 bereaved patients
      attended to in a Public Addiction Center in Girona (Spain). Sociodemographic
      data, as well as suicide and drug related characteristics were recorded. The risk
      of suicide was assessed with the Spanish version of "Risk of suicide".
      Personality disorders were measured with the Spanish version of Millon Multiaxial
      Clinical Inventory. Results: The PDs more associated with the presence of risk of
      suicide were depressive, avoidant, schizotypal and borderline disorders. However,
      the histrionic, narcissistic and compulsive PDs are inversely associated with
      risk of suicide even though the narcissistic scale had no statistical
      correlation. Conclusions: The risk of suicide is a significant factor to take
      into account related to patients with SUD and especially with the presence of
      specific PDs. These findings underline the importance of diagnosing and treating
      rigorously patients with SUD.

PMID- 28335532
TI  - Separation of Alkyne Enantiomers by Chiral Column HPLC Analysis of Their Cobalt
      Complexes.
AB  - Separation of the enantiomers of new chiral alkynes in strategic syntheses and
      bioorthogonal studies is always problematic. The chiral column high-performance
      liquid chromatography (HPLC) method in general could not be directly used to
      resolve such substrates, since the differentiation of the alkyne segment with the
      other alkane/alkene segment is not significant in the stationary phase, and the
      alkyne group is not a good UV chromophore. Usually, a pre-column derivatization
      reaction with a tedious workup procedure is needed. Making use of easily-prepared
      stable alkyne-cobalt-complexes, we developed a simple and general method by
      analyzing the in situ generated cobalt-complex of chiral alkynes using chiral
      column HPLC. This new method is especially suitable for the alkynes without
      chromophores and other derivable groups.

PMID- 28335531
TI  - Associations among Substance Use, Mental Health Disorders, and Self-Harm in a
      Prison Population: Examining Group Risk for Suicide Attempt.
AB  - Substance use disorders (SUD) and mental health disorders are significant public
      health issues that co-occur and are associated with high risk for suicide
      attempts. SUD and mental health disorders are more prevalent among offenders
      (i.e., prisoners or inmates) than the non-imprisoned population, raising concerns
      about the risk of self-harm. This cross-sectional study examined the population
      of a state prison system (10,988 out of 13,079) to identify associations among
      SUD (alcohol, cannabis, intravenous drugs, narcotics, and tobacco smoking),
      mental health disorders (anxiety, bipolar, depression, and psychotic disorders),
      and suicide attempts. The primary aim was to determine which groups (SUD, mental
      health disorders, and co-occurrences) were strongly association with suicide
      attempts. Groups with a documented SUD or mental health disorders compared to
      peers without these issues had 2.0 and 9.2 greater odds, respectively, for
      attempting suicide, which was significant at p < 0.0001 for both conditions.
      There were also significant differences within SUD and mental health disorders
      groups in regard to suicide attempts. Groups with the greatest odds for suicide
      attempts were offenders with comorbid bipolar comorbid and anxiety, alcohol
      combined with depression, and cannabis co-occurring with depression.
      Documentation of suicide attempts during imprisonment indicates awareness, but
      also suggest a need to continue enhancing screening and evaluating environmental
      settings.

PMID- 28335534
TI  - A Networked Sensor System for the Analysis of Plot-Scale Hydrology.
AB  - This study presents the latest updates to the Audubon Society of Western
      Pennsylvania (ASWP) testbed, a $50,000 USD, 104-node outdoor multi-hop wireless
      sensor network (WSN). The network collects environmental data from over 240
      sensors, including the EC-5, MPS-1 and MPS-2 soil moisture and soil water
      potential sensors and self-made sap flow sensors, across a heterogeneous
      deployment comprised of MICAz, IRIS and TelosB wireless motes. A low-cost sensor
      board and software driver was developed for communicating with the analog and
      digital sensors. Innovative techniques (e.g., balanced energy efficient routing
      and heterogeneous over-the-air mote reprogramming) maintained high success rates
      (>96%) and enabled effective software updating, throughout the large-scale
      heterogeneous WSN. The edaphic properties monitored by the network showed strong
      agreement with data logger measurements and were fitted to pedotransfer functions
      for estimating local soil hydraulic properties. Furthermore, sap flow
      measurements, scaled to tree stand transpiration, were found to be at or below
      potential evapotranspiration estimates. While outdoor WSNs still present numerous
      challenges, the ASWP testbed proves to be an effective and (relatively) low-cost
      environmental monitoring solution and represents a step towards developing a
      platform for monitoring and quantifying statistically relevant environmental
      parameters from large-scale network deployments.

PMID- 28335533
TI  - Exploring Impacts of Taxes and Hospitality Bans on Cigarette Prices and Smoking
      Prevalence Using a Large Dataset of Cigarette Prices at Stores 2001-2011, USA.
AB  - In the USA, little is known about local variation in retail cigarette prices;
      price variation explained by taxes, bans, and area-level socio-demographics, and
      whether taxes and hospitality bans have synergistic effects on smoking
      prevalence. Cigarette prices 2001-2011 from chain supermarkets and drug stores (n
      = 2973) were linked to state taxes (n = 41), state and county bar/restaurant
      smoking bans, and census block group socio-demographics. Hierarchical models
      explored effects of taxes and bans on retail cigarette prices as well as county
      smoking prevalence (daily, non-daily). There was wide variation in store-level
      cigarette prices in part due to differences in state excise taxes. Excise taxes
      were only partially passed onto consumers (after adjustment, $1 tax associated
      with $0.90 increase in price, p < 0.0001) and the pass-through was slightly
      higher in areas that had bans but did not differ by area-level socio
      demographics. Bans were associated with a slight increase in cigarette price
      (after adjustment, $0.09 per-pack, p < 0.0001). Taxes and bans were associated
      with reduction in smoking prevalence and taxes had a stronger association when
      combined with bans, suggesting a synergistic effect. Given wide variation in
      store-level prices, and uneven state/county implementation of taxes and bans,
      more federal policies should be considered.

PMID- 28335535
TI  - Enterovirus 71 Neutralizing Antibodies Seroepidemiological Research among
      Children in Guangzhou, China between 2014 and 2015: A Cross-Sectional Study.
AB  - A hand-foot-mouth disease outbreak occurred in 2014 around Guangdong. The purpose
      of this study was investigating the status and susceptibility of infectious
      neutralizing antibodies to enterovirus 71 among children so as to provide
      scientific evidence for the population immunity level of hand-foot-mouth disease
      and prepare for enterovirus 71 vaccination implementation. Serum specimens were
      collected from children in communities from January 2014 to March 2015 in
      Guangzhou. A total of 197 serum samples from children 1-5 years old were
      collected for this cross-sectional study via non-probabilistic sampling from the
      database of Chinese National Science and Technique Major Project. Neutralization
      activity was measured via micro neutralization test in vitro. The positive rate
      of enterovirus 71 neutralizing antibodies was 59.4%, whereas the geometric mean
      titre was 1:12.7. A statistically significant difference in true positive rates
      was found between different age groups but not between different genders. Being
      the most susceptible population of hand-foot-mouth disease, children under 3
      years of age are more likely to be infected with enterovirus 71, and the immunity
      of children increases with increasing age. Further cohort studies should be
      conducted, and measures for prevention and vaccination should be taken.

PMID- 28335536
TI  - DOA Estimation Based on Real-Valued Cross Correlation Matrix of Coprime Arrays.
AB  - A fast direction of arrival (DOA) estimation method using a real-valued cross
      correlation matrix (CCM) of coprime subarrays is proposed. Firstly, real-valued
      CCM with extended aperture is constructed to obtain the signal subspaces
      corresponding to the two subarrays. By analysing the relationship between the two
      subspaces, DOA estimations from the two subarrays are simultaneously obtained
      with automatic pairing. Finally, unique DOA is determined based on the common
      results from the two subarrays. Compared to partial spectral search (PSS) method
      and estimation of signal parameter via rotational invariance (ESPRIT) based
      method for coprime arrays, the proposed algorithm has lower complexity but
      achieves better DOA estimation performance and handles more sources. Simulation
      results verify the effectiveness of the approach.

PMID- 28335537
TI  - An Effective and Robust Decentralized Target Tracking Scheme in Wireless Camera
      Sensor Networks.
AB  - In this paper, we propose an effective and robust decentralized tracking scheme
      based on the square root cubature information filter (SRCIF) to balance the
      energy consumption and tracking accuracy in wireless camera sensor networks
      (WCNs). More specifically, regarding the characteristics and constraints of
      camera nodes in WCNs, some special mechanisms are put forward and integrated in
      this tracking scheme. First, a decentralized tracking approach is adopted so that
      the tracking can be implemented energy-efficiently and steadily. Subsequently,
      task cluster nodes are dynamically selected by adopting a greedy on-line decision
      approach based on the defined contribution decision (CD) considering the limited
      energy of camera nodes. Additionally, we design an efficient cluster head (CH)
      selection mechanism that casts such selection problem as an optimization problem
      based on the remaining energy and distance-to-target. Finally, we also perform
      analysis on the target detection probability when selecting the task cluster
      nodes and their CH, owing to the directional sensing and observation limitations
      in field of view (FOV) of camera nodes in WCNs. From simulation results, the
      proposed tracking scheme shows an obvious improvement in balancing the energy
      consumption and tracking accuracy over the existing methods.

PMID- 28335538
TI  - Precise Orbit Solution for Swarm Using Space-Borne GPS Data and Optimized Pseudo
      Stochastic Pulses.
AB  - Swarm is a European Space Agency (ESA) project that was launched on 22 November
      2013, which consists of three Swarm satellites. Swarm precise orbits are
      essential to the success of the above project. This study investigates how well
      Swarm zero-differenced (ZD) reduced-dynamic orbit solutions can be determined
      using space-borne GPS data and optimized pseudo-stochastic pulses under high
      ionospheric activity. We choose Swarm space-borne GPS data from 1-25 October
      2014, and Swarm reduced-dynamic orbits are obtained. Orbit quality is assessed by
      GPS phase observation residuals and compared with Precise Science Orbits (PSOs)
      released by ESA. Results show that pseudo-stochastic pulses with a time interval
      of 6 min and a priori standard deviation (STD) of 10-2 mm/s in radial (R), along
      track (T) and cross-track (N) directions are optimized to Swarm ZD reduced
      dynamic precise orbit determination (POD). During high ionospheric activity, the
      mean Root Mean Square (RMS) of Swarm GPS phase residuals is at 9-11 mm, Swarm
      orbit solutions are also compared with Swarm PSOs released by ESA and the
      accuracy of Swarm orbits can reach 2-4 cm in R, T and N directions. Independent
      Satellite Laser Ranging (SLR) validation indicates that Swarm reduced-dynamic
      orbits have an accuracy of 2-4 cm. Swarm-B orbit quality is better than those of
      Swarm-A and Swarm-C. The Swarm orbits can be applied to the geomagnetic,
      geoelectric and gravity field recovery.

PMID- 28335539
TI  - Abundance of Pathogenic Escherichia coli Virulence-Associated Genes in Well and
      Borehole Water Used for Domestic Purposes in a Peri-Urban Community of South
      Africa.
AB  - In the absence of pipe-borne water, many people in Africa, especially in rural
      communities, depend on alternative water sources such as wells, boreholes and
      rivers for household and personal hygiene. Poor maintenance and nearby pit
      latrines, however, lead to microbial pollution of these sources. We evaluated the
      abundance of Escherichia coli and the prevalence of pathogenic E. coli virulence
      genes in water from wells, boreholes and a river in a South African peri-urban
      community. Monthly samples were collected between August 2015 and November 2016.
      In all, 144 water samples were analysed for E. coli using the Colilert 18 system.
      Virulence genes (eagg, eaeA, stx1, stx2, flichH7, ST, ipaH, ibeA) were
      investigated using real-time polymerase chain reaction. Mean E. coli counts
      ranged between 0 and 443.1 Most Probable Number (MPN)/100 mL of water sample.
      Overall, 99.3% of samples were positive for at least one virulence gene studied,
      with flicH7 being the most detected gene (81/140; 57.6%) and the stx2 gene the
      least detected gene (8/140; 5.7%). Both intestinal and extraintestinal pathogenic
      E. coli genes were detected. The detection of virulence genes in these water
      sources suggests the presence of potentially pathogenic E. coli strains and is a
      public health concern.

PMID- 28335540
TI  - A Vehicle Steering Recognition System Based on Low-Cost Smartphone Sensors.
AB  - Recognizing how a vehicle is steered and then alerting drivers in real time is of
      utmost importance to the vehicle and driver's safety, since fatal accidents are
      often caused by dangerous vehicle maneuvers, such as rapid turns, fast lane
      changes, etc. Existing solutions using video or in-vehicle sensors have been
      employed to identify dangerous vehicle maneuvers, but these methods are subject
      to the effects of the environmental elements or the hardware is very costly. In
      the mobile computing era, smartphones have become key tools to develop innovative
      mobile context-aware systems. In this paper, we present a recognition system for
      dangerous vehicle steering based on the low-cost sensors found in a smartphone:
      i.e., the gyroscope and the accelerometer. To identify vehicle steering
      maneuvers, we focus on the vehicle's angular velocity, which is characterized by
      gyroscope data from a smartphone mounted in the vehicle. Three steering maneuvers
      including turns, lane-changes and U-turns are defined, and a vehicle angular
      velocity matching algorithm based on Fast Dynamic Time Warping (FastDTW) is
      adopted to recognize the vehicle steering. The results of extensive experiments
      show that the average accuracy rate of the presented recognition reaches 95%,
      which implies that the proposed smartphone-based method is suitable for
      recognizing dangerous vehicle steering maneuvers.

PMID- 28335542
TI  - The Impact of Bending Stress on the Performance of Giant Magneto-Impedance (GMI)
      Magnetic Sensors.
AB  - The flexibility of amorphous Giant Magneto-Impedance (GMI) micro wires makes them
      easy to use in several magnetic field sensing applications, such as electrical
      current sensing, where they need to be deformed in order to be aligned with the
      measured field. The present paper deals with the bending impact, as a parameter
      of influence of the sensor, on the GMI effect in 100 um Co-rich amorphous wires.
      Changes in the values of key parameters associated with the GMI effect have been
      investigated under bending stress. These parameters included the GMI ratio, the
      intrinsic sensitivity, and the offset at a given bias field. The experimental
      results have shown that bending the wire resulted in a reduction of GMI ratio and
      sensitivity. The bending also induced a net change in the offset for the
      considered bending curvature and the set of used excitation parameters (1 MHz, 1
      mA). Furthermore, the field of the maximum impedance, which is generally related
      to the anisotropy field of the wire, was increased. The reversibility and the
      repeatability of the bending effect were also evaluated by applying repetitive
      bending stresses. The observations have actually shown that the behavior of the
      wire under the bending stress was roughly reversible and repetitive.

PMID- 28335541
TI  - Effects of Forest Therapy on Depressive Symptoms among Adults: A Systematic
      Review.
AB  - This study systematically reviewed forest therapy programs designed to decrease
      the level of depression among adults and assessed the methodological rigor and
      scientific evidence quality of existing research studies to guide future studies.
      This systematic review was conducted in accordance with the Preferred Reporting
      Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines. The authors
      independently screened full-text articles from various databases using the
      following criteria: (1) intervention studies assessing the effects of forest
      therapy on depressive symptoms in adults aged 18 years and older; (2) studies
      including at least one control group or condition; (3) peer-reviewed studies; and
      (4) been published either in English or Korean before July 2016. The Scottish
      Intercollegiate Guideline Network measurement tool was used to assess the risk of
      bias in each trial. In the final sample, 28 articles (English: 13, Korean: 15)
      were included in the systematic review. We concluded that forest therapy is an
      emerging and effective intervention for decreasing adults' depression levels.
      However, the included studies lacked methodological rigor. Future studies
      assessing the long-term effect of forest therapy on depression using rigorous
      study designs are needed.

PMID- 28335543
TI  - Influence of Transportation Noise and Noise Sensitivity on Annoyance: A Cross
      Sectional Study in South Korea.
AB  - Environmental noise is known to cause noise annoyance. Since noise annoyance is a
      subjective indicator, other mediators-such as noise sensitivity-may influence its
      perception. However, few studies have thus far been conducted on noise annoyance
      in South Korea that consider noise sensitivity and noise level simultaneously.
      The aim of this study was to evaluate the correlations between noise sensitivity
      or noise level and noise annoyance on a large scale in South Korea. This study
      estimated the level of noise exposure based on a noise map created in 2014;
      identified and surveyed 1836 subjects using a questionnaire; and assessed the
      impact of transportation noise and noise sensitivity on noise annoyance. The
      result showed that noise exposure level and noise sensitivity simultaneously
      affect noise annoyance, and noise sensitivity has a relatively larger impact on
      noise annoyance. In conclusion, when study subjects were exposed to a similar
      level of noise, the level of noise annoyance differed depending on the noise
      sensitivity of the individual.

PMID- 28335544
TI  - Combination Effect of Antituberculosis Drugs and Ethanolic Extract of Selected
      Medicinal Plants against Multi-Drug Resistant Mycobacterium tuberculosis
      Isolates.
AB  - Adverse drug reaction and resistance to antituberculosis drugs remain the causes
      of tuberculosis therapeutic failure. This research aimed to find the combination
      effect of standard antituberculosis drugs with Hibiscus sabdariffa L., Kaempferia
      galanga L., and Piper crocatum N.E. Br against multi-drug resistant (MDR)
      Mycobacterium tuberculosis isolates. Two MDR strains (i.e., isoniazid/ethambutol
      resistant and rifampicin/streptomycin resistant) of M. tuberculosis were
      inoculated in Lowenstein-Jensen medium containing a combination of standard
      antituberculosis drugs and ethanolic extracts of H. sabdariffa calyces, K.
      galanga rhizomes, and P. crocatum leaves using various concentration combinations
      of drug and extract. The colony numbers were observed for 8 weeks. The effect of
      the combination was analyzed using the proportion method which was calculated by
      the mean percentage of inhibition reduction in a number of colonies on drug
      extract containing medium compared to extract-free control medium. The results
      showed that all three plant extracts achieved good combination effects with
      rifampicin against the rifampicin/streptomycin resistant strain. Antagonistic
      effects were, however, observed with streptomycin, ethambutol and isoniazid,
      therefore calling for caution when using these plants in combination with
      antituberculosis treatment.

PMID- 28335545
TI  - Reference Values of 14 Serum Trace Elements for Pregnant Chinese Women: A Cross
      Sectional Study in the China Nutrition and Health Survey 2010-2012.
AB  - The development of reference values of trace elements is recognized as a
      fundamental prerequisite for the assessment of trace element nutritional status
      and health risks. In this study, a total of 1400 pregnant women aged 27.0 +/- 4.5
      years were randomly selected from the China Nutrition and Health Survey 2010-2012
      (CNHS 2010-2012). The concentrations of 14 serum trace elements were determined
      by high-resolution inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry. Reference values
      were calculated covering the central 95% reference intervals (P2.5-P97.5) after
      excluding outliers by Dixon's test. The overall reference values of serum trace
      elements were 131.5 (55.8-265.0 MUg/dL for iron (Fe), 195.5 (107.0-362.4) MUg/dL
      for copper (Cu), 74.0 (51.8-111.3) MUg/dL for zinc (Zn), 22.3 (14.0-62.0) MUg/dL
      for rubidium (Rb), 72.2 (39.9-111.6) MUg/L for selenium (Se), 45.9 (23.8-104.3)
      MUg/L for strontium (Sr), 1.8 (1.2-3.6) MUg/L for molybdenum (Mo), 2.4 (1.2-8.4)
      MUg/L for manganese (Mn), 1.9 (0.6-9.0) ng/L for lead (Pb), 1.1 (0.3-5.6) ng/L
      for arsenic (As), 835.6 (219.8-4287.7) ng/L for chromium (Cr), 337.9 (57.0
      1130.0) ng/L for cobalt (Co), 193.2 (23.6-2323.1) ng/L for vanadium (V), and
      133.7 (72.1-595.1) ng/L for cadmium (Cd). Furthermore, some significant
      differences in serum trace element reference values were observed between
      different groupings of age intervals, residences, anthropometric status, and
      duration of pregnancy. We found that serum Fe, Zn, and Se concentrations
      significantly decreased, whereas serum Cu, Sr, and Co concentrations elevated
      progressively compared with reference values of 14 serum trace elements in
      pregnant Chinese women. The reference values of serum trace elements established
      could play a key role in the following nutritional status and health risk
      assessment.

PMID- 28335547
TI  - Genomic Loads and Genotypes of Respiratory Syncytial Virus: Viral Factors during
      Lower Respiratory Tract Infection in Chilean Hospitalized Infants.
AB  - The clinical impact of viral factors (types and viral loads) during respiratory
      syncytial virus (RSV) infection is still controversial, especially regarding
      newly described genotypes. In this study, infants with RSV bronchiolitis were
      recruited to describe the association of these viral factors with severity of
      infection. RSV antigenic types, genotypes, and viral loads were determined from
      hospitalized patients at Hospital Roberto del Rio, Santiago, Chile. Cases were
      characterized by demographic and clinical information, including days of lower
      respiratory symptoms and severity. A total of 86 patients were included: 49
      moderate and 37 severe cases. During 2013, RSV-A was dominant (86%). RSV-B
      predominated in 2014 (92%). Phylogenetic analyses revealed circulation of GA2,
      Buenos Aires (BA), and Ontario (ON) genotypes. No association was observed
      between severity of infection and RSV group (p = 0.69) or genotype (p = 0.87).
      After a clinical categorization of duration of illness, higher RSV genomic loads
      were detected in infants evaluated earlier in their disease (p < 0.001) and also
      in infants evaluated later, but coursing a more severe infection (p = 0.04).
      Although types and genotypes did not associate with severity in our children,
      higher RSV genomic loads and delayed viral clearance in severe patients define a
      group that might benefit from new antiviral therapies.

PMID- 28335546
TI  - Dietary Protein and Amino Acid Supplementation in Inflammatory Bowel Disease
      Course: What Impact on the Colonic Mucosa?
AB  - Inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD), after disease onset, typically progress in two
      cyclically repeated phases, namely inflammatory flare and remission, with
      possible nutritional status impairment. Some evidence, either from
      epidemiological, clinical, and experimental studies indicate that the quantity
      and the quality of dietary protein consumption and amino acid supplementation may
      differently influence the IBD course according to the disease phases. For
      instance, although the dietary protein needs for mucosal healing after an
      inflammatory episode remain undetermined, there is evidence that amino acids
      derived from dietary proteins display beneficial effects on this process, serving
      as building blocks for macromolecule synthesis in the wounded mucosal area,
      energy substrates, and/or precursors of bioactive metabolites. However, an
      excessive amount of dietary proteins may result in an increased intestinal
      production of potentially deleterious bacterial metabolites. This could possibly
      affect epithelial repair as several of these bacterial metabolites are known to
      inhibit colonic epithelial cell respiration, cell proliferation, and/or to affect
      barrier function. In this review, we present the available evidence about the
      impact of the amount of dietary proteins and supplementary amino acids on IBD
      onset and progression, with a focus on the effects reported in the colon.

PMID- 28335549
TI  - Understanding the Fresh Produce Safety Challenges.
AB  - Consumption of fresh fruits and vegetables is important for a balanced diet and
      healthy life-style. [...].

PMID- 28335548
TI  - Study of Different Variants of Mo Enzyme crARC and the Interaction with Its
      Partners crCytb5-R and crCytb5-1.
AB  - The mARC (mitochondrial Amidoxime Reducing Component) proteins are recently
      discovered molybdenum (Mo) Cofactor containing enzymes. They are involved in the
      reduction of several N-hydroxylated compounds (NHC) and nitrite. Some NHC are
      prodrugs containing an amidoxime structure or mutagens such as 6
      hydroxylaminopurine (HAP). We have studied this protein in the green alga
      Chlamydomonas reinhardtii (crARC). Interestingly, all the ARC proteins need the
      reducing power supplied by other proteins. It is known that crARC requires a
      cytochrome b5 (crCytb5-1) and a cytochrome b5 reductase (crCytb5-R) that form an
      electron transport chain from NADH to the substrates. Here, we have investigated
      NHC reduction by crARC, the interaction with its partners and the function of
      important conserved amino acids. Interactions among crARC, crCytb5-1 and crCytb5
      R have been studied by size-exclusion chromatography. A protein complex between
      crARC, crCytb5-1 and crCytb5-R was identified. Twelve conserved crARC amino acids
      have been substituted by alanine by in vitro mutagenesis. We have determined that
      the amino acids D182, F210 and R276 are essential for NHC reduction activity,
      R276 is important and F210 is critical for the Mo Cofactor chelation. Finally,
      the crARC C-termini were shown to be involved in protein aggregation or
      oligomerization.

PMID- 28335550
TI  - Preparation of Biodegradable and Elastic Poly(epsilon-caprolactone-co-lactide)
      Copolymers and Evaluation as a Localized and Sustained Drug Delivery Carrier.
AB  - To develop a biodegradable polymer possessing elasticity and flexibility, we
      synthesized MPEG-b-(PCL-co-PLA) copolymers (PCxLyA), which display specific rates
      of flexibility and elasticity. We synthesize the PCxLyA copolymers by ring
      opening polymerization of epsilon-caprolactone and l-lactide. PCxLyA copolymers
      of various compositions were synthesized with 500,000 molecular weight. The
      PCxLyA copolymers mechanical properties were dependent on the mole ratio of the
      epsilon-caprolactone and l-lactide components. Cyclic tensile tests were carried
      out to investigate the resistance to creep of PCxLyA specimens after up to 20
      deformation cycles to 50% elongation. After in vivo implantation, the PCxLyA
      implants exhibited biocompatibility, and gradually biodegraded over an eight-week
      experimental period. Immunohistochemical characterization showed that the PCxLyA
      implants provoked in vivo inflammation, which gradually decreased over time. The
      copolymer was used as a drug carrier for locally implantable drugs, the
      hydrophobic drug dexamethasone (Dex), and the water-soluble drug dexamethasone 21
      phosphate disodium salt (Dex(p)). We monitored drug-loaded PCxLyA films for in
      vitro and in vivo drug release over 40 days and observed real-time sustained
      release of near-infrared (NIR) fluorescence over an extended period from
      hydrophobic IR-780- and hydrophilic IR-783-loaded PCxLyA implanted in live
      animals. Finally, we confirmed that PCxLyA films are usable as biodegradable,
      elastic drug carriers.

PMID- 28335552
TI  - Virological Surveillance of Influenza A Subtypes Isolated in 2014 from Clinical
      Outbreaks in Canadian Swine.
AB  - Influenza A viruses (IAVs) are respiratory pathogens associated with an acute
      respiratory disease that occurs year-round in swine production. It is currently
      one of the most important pathogens in swine populations, with the potential to
      infect other host species including humans. Ongoing research indicates that the
      three major subtypes of IAV-H1N1, H1N2, and H3N2-continue to expand in their
      genetic and antigenic diversity. In this study, we conducted a comprehensive
      genomic analysis of 16 IAVs isolated from different clinical outbreaks in
      Alberta, Manitoba, Ontario, and Saskatchewan in 2014. We also examined the
      genetic basis for probable antigenic differences among sequenced viruses. On the
      basis of phylogenetic analysis, all 13 Canadian H3N2 viruses belonged to cluster
      IV, eight H3N2 viruses were part of the IV-C cluster, and one virus belonged to
      the IV-B and one to the IV-D cluster. Based on standards used in this study,
      three H3N2 viruses could not be clearly classified into any currently established
      group within cluster IV (A to F). Three H1N2 viruses were part of the H1alpha
      cluster.

PMID- 28335551
TI  - Molecular Basis for Modulation of Metabotropic Glutamate Receptors and Their Drug
      Actions by Extracellular Ca2.
AB  - Metabotropic glutamate receptors (mGluRs) associated with the slow phase of the
      glutamatergic signaling pathway in neurons of the central nervous system have
      gained importance as drug targets for chronic neurodegenerative diseases. While
      extracellular Ca2+ was reported to exhibit direct activation and modulation via
      an allosteric site, the identification of those binding sites was challenged by
      weak binding. Herein, we review the discovery of extracellular Ca2+ in regulation
      of mGluRs, summarize the recent developments in probing Ca2+ binding and its co
      regulation of the receptor based on structural and biochemical analysis, and
      discuss the molecular basis for Ca2+ to regulate various classes of drug action
      as well as its importance as an allosteric modulator in mGluRs.

PMID- 28335553
TI  - Biosynthesis of Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids in Octopus vulgaris: Molecular
      Cloning and Functional Characterisation of a Stearoyl-CoA Desaturase and an
      Elongation of Very Long-Chain Fatty Acid 4 Protein.
AB  - Polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) have been acknowledged as essential nutrients
      for cephalopods but the specific PUFAs that satisfy the physiological
      requirements are unknown. To expand our previous investigations on
      characterisation of desaturases and elongases involved in the biosynthesis of
      PUFAs and hence determine the dietary PUFA requirements in cephalopods, this
      study aimed to investigate the roles that a stearoyl-CoA desaturase (Scd) and an
      elongation of very long-chain fatty acid 4 (Elovl4) protein play in the
      biosynthesis of essential fatty acids (FAs). Our results confirmed the Octopus
      vulgaris Scd is a ?9 desaturase with relatively high affinity towards saturated
      FAs with >= C18 chain lengths. Scd was unable to desaturate 20:1n-15 (?520:1)
      suggesting that its role in the biosynthesis of non-methylene interrupted FAs
      (NMI FAs) is limited to the introduction of the first unsaturation at ?9
      position. Interestingly, the previously characterised ?5 fatty acyl desaturase
      was indeed able to convert 20:1n-9 (?1120:1) to ?5,1120:2, an NMI FA previously
      detected in octopus nephridium. Additionally, Elovl4 was able to mediate the
      production of 24:5n-3 and thus can contribute to docosahexaenoic acid (DHA)
      biosynthesis through the Sprecher pathway. Moreover, the octopus Elovl4 was
      confirmed to play a key role in the biosynthesis of very long-chain (>C24) PUFAs.

PMID- 28335555
TI  - Activity Recognition and Semantic Description for Indoor Mobile Localization.
AB  - As a result of the rapid development of smartphone-based indoor localization
      technology, location-based services in indoor spaces have become a topic of
      interest. However, to date, the rich data resulting from indoor localization and
      navigation applications have not been fully exploited, which is significant for
      trajectory correction and advanced indoor map information extraction. In this
      paper, an integrated location acquisition method utilizing activity recognition
      and semantic information extraction is proposed for indoor mobile localization.
      The location acquisition method combines pedestrian dead reckoning (PDR), human
      activity recognition (HAR) and landmarks to acquire accurate indoor localization
      information. Considering the problem of initial position determination, a hidden
      Markov model (HMM) is utilized to infer the user's initial position. To provide
      an improved service for further applications, the landmarks are further assigned
      semantic descriptions by detecting the user's activities. The experiments
      conducted in this study confirm that a high degree of accuracy for a user's
      indoor location can be obtained. Furthermore, the semantic information of a
      user's trajectories can be extracted, which is extremely useful for further
      research into indoor location applications.

PMID- 28335554
TI  - Complete and Incomplete Hepatitis B Virus Particles: Formation, Function, and
      Application.
AB  - Hepatitis B virus (HBV) is a para-retrovirus or retroid virus that contains a
      double-stranded DNA genome and replicates this DNA via reverse transcription of a
      RNA pregenome. Viral reverse transcription takes place within a capsid upon
      packaging of the RNA and the viral reverse transcriptase. A major characteristic
      of HBV replication is the selection of capsids containing the double-stranded
      DNA, but not those containing the RNA or the single-stranded DNA replication
      intermediate, for envelopment during virion secretion. The complete HBV virion
      particles thus contain an outer envelope, studded with viral envelope proteins,
      that encloses the capsid, which, in turn, encapsidates the double-stranded DNA
      genome. Furthermore, HBV morphogenesis is characterized by the release of
      subviral particles that are several orders of magnitude more abundant than the
      complete virions. One class of subviral particles are the classical surface
      antigen particles (Australian antigen) that contain only the viral envelope
      proteins, whereas the more recently discovered genome-free (empty) virions
      contain both the envelope and capsid but no genome. In addition, recent evidence
      suggests that low levels of RNA-containing particles may be released, after all.
      We will summarize what is currently known about how the complete and incomplete
      HBV particles are assembled. We will discuss briefly the functions of the
      subviral particles, which remain largely unknown. Finally, we will explore the
      utility of the subviral particles, particularly, the potential of empty virions
      and putative RNA virions as diagnostic markers and the potential of empty virons
      as a vaccine candidate.

PMID- 28335556
TI  - Trm5 and TrmD: Two Enzymes from Distinct Origins Catalyze the Identical tRNA
      Modification, m1G37.
AB  - The N1-atom of guanosine at position 37 in transfer RNA (tRNA) is methylated by
      tRNA methyltransferase 5 (Trm5) in eukaryotes and archaea, and by tRNA
      methyltransferase D (TrmD) in bacteria. The resultant modified nucleotide m1G37
      positively regulates the aminoacylation of the tRNA, and simultaneously functions
      to prevent the +1 frameshift on the ribosome. Interestingly, Trm5 and TrmD have
      completely distinct origins, and therefore bear different tertiary folds. In this
      review, we describe the different strategies utilized by Trm5 and TrmD to
      recognize their substrate tRNAs, mainly based on their crystal structures
      complexed with substrate tRNAs.

PMID- 28335557
TI  - ROS Production and ERK Activity Are Involved in the Effects of d-beta
      Hydroxybutyrate and Metformin in a Glucose Deficient Condition.
AB  - Hypoglycemia, a complication of insulin or sulfonylurea therapy in diabetic
      patients, leads to brain damage. Furthermore, glucose replenishment following
      hypoglycemic coma induces neuronal cell death. In this study, we investigated the
      molecular mechanism underlying glucose deficiency-induced cytotoxicity and the
      protective effect of d-beta-hydroxybutyrate (D-BHB) using SH-SY5Y cells. The
      cytotoxic mechanism of metformin under glucose deficiency was also examined. Cell
      viability under 1 mM glucose (glucose deficiency) was significantly decreased
      which was accompanied by increased production of reactive oxygen species (ROS)
      and decreased phosphorylation of extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) and
      glycogen synthase 3 (GSK3beta). ROS inhibitor reversed the glucose deficiency
      induced cytotoxicity and restored the reduced phosphorylation of ERK and
      GSK3beta. While metformin did not alter cell viability in normal glucose media,
      it further increased cell death and ROS production under glucose deficiency.
      However, D-BHB reversed cytotoxicity, ROS production, and the decrease in
      phosphorylation of ERK and GSK3beta induced by the glucose deficiency. ERK
      inhibitor reversed the D-BHB-induced increase in cell viability under glucose
      deficiency, whereas GSK3beta inhibitor did not restore glucose deficiency-induced
      cytotoxicity. Finally, the protective effect of D-BHB against glucose deficiency
      was confirmed in primary neuronal cells. We demonstrate that glucose deficiency
      induced cytotoxicity is mediated by ERK inhibition through ROS production, which
      is attenuated by D-BHB and intensified by metformin.

PMID- 28335558
TI  - Modeling the Development of Audiovisual Cue Integration in Speech Perception.
AB  - Adult speech perception is generally enhanced when information is provided from
      multiple modalities. In contrast, infants do not appear to benefit from combining
      auditory and visual speech information early in development. This is true despite
      the fact that both modalities are important to speech comprehension even at early
      stages of language acquisition. How then do listeners learn how to process
      auditory and visual information as part of a unified signal? In the auditory
      domain, statistical learning processes provide an excellent mechanism for
      acquiring phonological categories. Is this also true for the more complex problem
      of acquiring audiovisual correspondences, which require the learner to integrate
      information from multiple modalities? In this paper, we present simulations using
      Gaussian mixture models (GMMs) that learn cue weights and combine cues on the
      basis of their distributional statistics. First, we simulate the developmental
      process of acquiring phonological categories from auditory and visual cues,
      asking whether simple statistical learning approaches are sufficient for learning
      multi-modal representations. Second, we use this time course information to
      explain audiovisual speech perception in adult perceivers, including cases where
      auditory and visual input are mismatched. Overall, we find that domain-general
      statistical learning techniques allow us to model the developmental trajectory of
      audiovisual cue integration in speech, and in turn, allow us to better understand
      the mechanisms that give rise to unified percepts based on multiple cues.

PMID- 28335559
TI  - The Optimization and Characterization of an RNA-Cleaving Fluorogenic DNAzyme
      Probe for MDA-MB-231 Cell Detection.
AB  - Breast cancer is one of the most frequently diagnosed cancers in females
      worldwide and lacks specific biomarkers for early detection. In a previous study,
      we obtained a selective RNA-cleaving Fluorogenic DNAzyme (RFD) probe against MDA
      MB-231 cells, typical breast cancer cells, through the systematic evolution of
      ligands by exponential process (SELEX). To improve the performance of this probe
      for actual application, we carried out a series of optimization experiments on
      the pH value of a reaction buffer, the type and concentration of cofactor ions,
      and sequence minimization. The length of the active domain of the probe reduced
      to 25 nt from 40 nt after optimization, which was synthesized more easily and
      economically. The detection limit of the optimized assay system was 2000 MDA-MB
      231 cells in 30 min, which is more sensitive than the previous one (almost 5000
      cells). The DNAzyme probe was also capable of distinguishing MDA-MB-231 cell
      specifically from 3 normal cells and 10 other tumor cells. This probe with high
      sensitivity, selectivity, and economic efficiency enhances the feasibility for
      further clinical application in breast cancer diagnosis. Herein, we developed an
      optimization system to produce a general strategy to establish an easy-to-use
      DNAzyme-based assay for other targets.

PMID- 28335561
TI  - Optimal Power Allocation of Relay Sensor Node Capable of Energy Harvesting in
      Cooperative Cognitive Radio Network.
AB  - A cooperative cognitive radio scheme exploiting primary signals for energy
      harvesting is proposed. The relay sensor node denoted as the secondary
      transmitter (ST) harvests energy from the primary signal transmitted from the
      primary transmitter, and then uses it to transmit power superposed codes of the
      secrecy signal of the secondary network (SN) and of the primary signal of the
      primary network (PN). The harvested energy is split into two parts according to a
      power splitting ratio, one for decoding the primary signal and the other for
      charging the battery. In power superposition coding, the amount of fractional
      power allocated to the primary signal is determined by another power allocation
      parameter (e.g., the power sharing coefficient). Our main concern is to
      investigate the impact of the two power parameters on the performances of the PN
      and the SN. Analytical or mathematical expressions of the outage probabilities of
      the PN and the SN are derived in terms of the power parameters, location of the
      ST, channel gain, and other system related parameters. A jointly optimal power
      splitting ratio and power sharing coefficient for achieving target outage
      probabilities of the PN and the SN, are found using these expressions and
      validated by simulations.

PMID- 28335560
TI  - Serum Amyloid A Production Is Triggered by Sleep Deprivation in Mice and Humans:
      Is That the Link between Sleep Loss and Associated Comorbidities?
AB  - Serum amyloid A (SAA) was recently associated with metabolic endotoxemia, obesity
      and insulin resistance. Concurrently, insufficient sleep adversely affects
      metabolic health and is an independent predisposing factor for obesity and
      insulin resistance. In this study we investigated whether sleep loss modulates
      SAA production. The serum SAA concentration increased in C57BL/6 mice subjected
      to sleep restriction (SR) for 15 days or to paradoxical sleep deprivation (PSD)
      for 72 h. Sleep restriction also induced the upregulation of Saa1.1/Saa2.1 mRNA
      levels in the liver and Saa3 mRNA levels in adipose tissue. SAA levels returned
      to the basal range after 24 h in paradoxical sleep rebound (PSR). Metabolic
      endotoxemia was also a finding in SR. Increased plasma levels of SAA were also
      observed in healthy human volunteers subjected to two nights of total sleep
      deprivation (Total SD), returning to basal levels after one night of recovery.
      The observed increase in SAA levels may be part of the initial biochemical
      alterations caused by sleep deprivation, with potential to drive deleterious
      conditions such as metabolic endotoxemia and weight gain.

PMID- 28335562
TI  - Virus-Bacteria Interactions: An Emerging Topic in Human Infection.
AB  - Bacteria and viruses often occupy the same niches, however, interest in their
      potential collaboration in promoting wellness or disease states has only recently
      gained traction. While the interaction of some bacteria and viruses is well
      characterized (e.g., influenza virus), researchers are typically more interested
      in the location of the infection than the manner of cooperation. There are two
      overarching types of bacterial-virus disease causing interactions: direct
      interactions that in some way aid the viruses, and indirect interactions aiding
      bacteria. The virus-promoting direct interactions occur when the virus exploits a
      bacterial component to facilitate penetration into the host cell. Conversely,
      indirect interactions result in increased bacterial pathogenesis as a consequence
      of viral infection. Enteric viruses mainly utilize the direct pathway, while
      respiratory viruses largely affect bacteria in an indirect fashion. This review
      focuses on some key examples of how virus-bacteria interactions impact the
      infection process across the two organ systems, and provides evidence supporting
      this as an emerging theme in infectious disease.

PMID- 28335563
TI  - The Effects of Sweet Foods on the Pharmacokinetics of Glycyrrhizic Acid by
      icELISA.
AB  - The effect of sweet foods, such as honey, was investigated from the perspective
      of pharmacokinetics on the absorption of glycyrrhizic acid (GA). Due to the
      unique properties of indirect competitive enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay
      (icELISA), namely, its: specificity, sensitivity, repeatability, simple
      pretreatment of samples, fast and simple operation, and because it is economic
      and non-polluting, it has received increased attention. In this study, we used
      the advantages of this method to see how honey affected the pharmacokinetics of
      GA. The effects of honey on the pharmacokinetics of GA by ELISA were investigated
      for the first time. The results indicate that honey can postpone the peak
      concentration of GA in mouse blood, and this effect correlates well with
      fructose. As a representative of sweet foods, the result provides the valuable
      information that honey, or fructose, may act as sustained-releasing drugs in
      clinical scenarios; and that sweet foods may have some influences on drugs when
      taken together.

PMID- 28335565
TI  - An Eco-Safety Assessment of Glyoxal-Containing Cellulose Ether on Freeze-Dried
      Microbial Strain, Cyanobacteria, Daphnia, and Zebrafish.
AB  - The objective of this study was to investigate the aquatic-toxic effects of
      glyoxal-containing cellulose ether with four different glyoxal concentrations
      (0%, 1.4%, 2.3%, and 6.3%) in response to global chemical regulations, e.g.,
      European Union Classification, Labeling and Packaging (EU CLP). Toxicity tests of
      glyoxal-containing cellulose ether on 11 different microbial strains, Microcystis
      aeruginosa, Daphnia magna, and zebrafish embryos were designed as an initial
      stage of toxicity screening and performed in accordance with standardized
      toxicity test guidelines. Glyoxal-containing cellulose ether showed no
      significant toxic effects in the toxicity tests of the 11 freeze-dried microbial
      strains, Daphnia magna, and zebrafish embryos. Alternatively, 6.3% glyoxal
      containing cellulose ether led to a more than 60% reduction in Microcystis
      aeruginosa growth after 7 days of exposure. Approximately 10% of the
      developmental abnormalities (e.g., bent spine) in zebrafish embryos were also
      observed in the group exposed to 6.3% glyoxal-containing cellulose ether after 6
      days of exposure. These results show that 6.3% less glyoxal-containing cellulose
      ether has no acute toxic effects on aquatic organisms. However, 6.3% less glyoxal
      containing cellulose ether may affect the health of aquatic organisms with long
      term exposure. In order to better evaluate the eco-safety of cellulosic products
      containing glyoxal, further studies regarding the toxic effects of glyoxal
      containing cellulose ether with long-term exposure are required. The results from
      this study allow us to evaluate the aquatic-toxic effects of glyoxal-containing
      cellulosic products, under EU chemical regulations, on the health of aquatic
      organisms.

PMID- 28335564
TI  - Passage through the Ocular Barriers and Beneficial Effects in Retinal Ischemia of
      Topical Application of PACAP1-38 in Rodents.
AB  - The neuropeptide pituitary adenylate cyclase activating polypeptide (PACAP) has
      two active forms, PACAP1-27 and PACAP1-38. Among the well-established actions are
      PACAP's neurotrophic and neuroprotective effects, which have also been proven in
      models of different retinopathies. The route of delivery is usually intravitreal
      in studies proving PACAP's retinoprotective effects. Recently, we have shown that
      PACAP1-27 delivered as eye drops in benzalkonium-chloride was able to cross the
      ocular barriers and exert retinoprotection in ischemia. Since PACAP1-38 is the
      dominant form of the naturally occurring PACAP, our aim was to investigate
      whether the longer form is also able to cross the barriers and exert protective
      effects in permanent bilateral common carotid artery occlusion (BCCAO), a model
      of retinal hypoperfusion. Our results show that radioactive PACAP1-38 eye drops
      could effectively pass through the ocular barriers to reach the retina. Routine
      histological analysis and immunohistochemical evaluation of the Muller glial
      cells revealed that PACAP1-38 exerted retinoprotective effects. PACAP1-38
      attenuated the damage caused by hypoperfusion, apparent in almost all retinal
      layers, and it decreased the glial cell overactivation. Overall, our results
      confirm that PACAP1-38 given in the form of eye drops is a novel protective
      therapeutic approach to treat retinal diseases.

PMID- 28335566
TI  - Profiling and Preparation of Metabolites from Pyragrel in Human Urine by Online
      Solid-Phase Extraction Coupled with High Performance Liquid Chromatography Tandem
      Mass Spectrometry Followed by a Macroporous Resin-Based Purification Approach.
AB  - Pyragrel, a new anticoagulant drug, is derived from the molecular combination of
      ligustrazine and ferulic acid. Pyragrel showed significant inhibitory activity
      against platelet aggregation induced by adenosine diphosphate (ADP), and had been
      approved for a phase I clinical trial by CFDA. To characterize the metabolites of
      Pyragrel in human urine after intravenous administration, a reliable online solid
      phase extraction couple with high performance liquid chromatography tandem mass
      spectrometry (online SPE-HPLC-MSn) method was conceived and applied. Five
      metabolites were detected and tentatively identified, which suggested that the
      major metabolic pathways of Pyragrel in human were double-bond reduction, double
      bond oxidation, and then followed by glucuronide conjugation. Two main
      metabolites were then prepared using beta-glucuronide hydrolysis and macroporous
      resin purification approach followed by preparative high-performance liquid
      chromatography (PHPLC) method, with their structures confirmed on the basis of
      nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) data. This study provided information for the
      further study of the metabolism and excretion of Pyragrel.

PMID- 28335568
TI  - An Electricity Price-Aware Open-Source Smart Socket for the Internet of Energy.
AB  - The Internet of Energy (IoE) represents a novel paradigm where electrical power
      systems work cooperatively with smart devices to increase the visibility of
      energy consumption and create safer, cleaner and sustainable energy systems. The
      implementation of IoE services involves the use of multiple components, like
      embedded systems, power electronics or sensors, which are an essential part of
      the infrastructure dedicated to the generation and distribution energy and the
      one required by the final consumer. This article focuses on the latter and
      presents a smart socket system that collects the information about energy price
      and makes use of sensors and actuators to optimize home energy consumption
      according to the user preferences. Specifically, this article provides three main
      novel contributions. First, what to our knowledge is the first hardware prototype
      that manages in a practical real-world scenario the price values obtained from a
      public electricity operator is presented. The second contribution is related to
      the definition of a novel wireless sensor network communications protocol based
      on Wi-Fi that allows for creating an easy-to-deploy smart plug system that self
      organizes and auto-configures to collect the sensed data, minimizing user
      intervention. Third, it is provided a thorough description of the design of one
      of the few open-source smart plug systems, including its communications
      architecture, the protocols implemented, the main sensing and actuation
      components and the most relevant pieces of the software. Moreover, with the aim
      of illustrating the capabilities of the smart plug system, the results of
      different experiments performed are shown. Such experiments evaluate in real
      world scenarios the system's ease of use, its communications range and its
      performance when using HTTPS. Finally, the economic savings are estimated for
      different appliances, concluding that, in the practical situation proposed, the
      smart plug system allows certain energy-demanding appliances to save almost ?70
      per year.

PMID- 28335569
TI  - A Quantitative Risk Assessment Model Involving Frequency and Threat Degree under
      Line-of-Business Services for Infrastructure of Emerging Sensor Networks.
AB  - The prospect of Line-of-Business Services (LoBSs) for infrastructure of Emerging
      Sensor Networks (ESNs) is exciting. Access control remains a top challenge in
      this scenario as the service provider's server contains a lot of valuable
      resources. LoBSs' users are very diverse as they may come from a wide range of
      locations with vastly different characteristics. Cost of joining could be low and
      in many cases, intruders are eligible users conducting malicious actions. As a
      result, user access should be adjusted dynamically. Assessing LoBSs' risk
      dynamically based on both frequency and threat degree of malicious operations is
      therefore necessary. In this paper, we proposed a Quantitative Risk Assessment
      Model (QRAM) involving frequency and threat degree based on value at risk. To
      quantify the threat degree as an elementary intrusion effort, we amend the
      influence coefficient of risk indexes in the network security situation
      assessment model. To quantify threat frequency as intrusion trace effort, we make
      use of multiple behavior information fusion. Under the influence of intrusion
      trace, we adapt the historical simulation method of value at risk to dynamically
      access LoBSs' risk. Simulation based on existing data is used to select
      appropriate parameters for QRAM. Our simulation results show that the duration
      influence on elementary intrusion effort is reasonable when the normalized
      parameter is 1000. Likewise, the time window of intrusion trace and the weight
      between objective risk and subjective risk can be set to 10 s and 0.5,
      respectively. While our focus is to develop QRAM for assessing the risk of LoBSs
      for infrastructure of ESNs dynamically involving frequency and threat degree, we
      believe it is also appropriate for other scenarios in cloud computing.

PMID- 28335570
TI  - An Improved Multi-Sensor Fusion Navigation Algorithm Based on the Factor Graph.
AB  - An integrated navigation system coupled with additional sensors can be used in
      the Micro Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (MUAV) applications because the multi-sensor
      information is redundant and complementary, which can markedly improve the system
      accuracy. How to deal with the information gathered from different sensors
      efficiently is an important problem. The fact that different sensors provide
      measurements asynchronously may complicate the processing of these measurements.
      In addition, the output signals of some sensors appear to have a non-linear
      character. In order to incorporate these measurements and calculate a navigation
      solution in real time, the multi-sensor fusion algorithm based on factor graph is
      proposed. The global optimum solution is factorized according to the chain
      structure of the factor graph, which allows for a more general form of the
      conditional probability density. It can convert the fusion matter into connecting
      factors defined by these measurements to the graph without considering the
      relationship between the sensor update frequency and the fusion period. An
      experimental MUAV system has been built and some experiments have been performed
      to prove the effectiveness of the proposed method.

PMID- 28335567
TI  - Cross-Regulation between Transposable Elements and Host DNA Replication.
AB  - Transposable elements subvert host cellular functions to ensure their survival.
      Their interaction with the host DNA replication machinery indicates that
      selective pressures lead them to develop ancestral and convergent evolutionary
      adaptations aimed at conserved features of this fundamental process. These
      interactions can shape the co-evolution of the transposons and their hosts.

PMID- 28335571
TI  - 3-Substituted N-Benzylpyrazine-2-carboxamide Derivatives: Synthesis,
      Antimycobacterial and Antibacterial Evaluation.
AB  - A series of substituted N-benzyl-3-chloropyrazine-2-carboxamides were prepared as
      positional isomers of 5-chloro and 6-chloro derivatives, prepared previously.
      During the aminolysis of the acyl chloride, the simultaneous substitution of
      chlorine with benzylamino moiety gave rise to N-benzyl-3-(benzylamino)pyrazine-2
      carboxamides as side products, in some cases. Although not initially planned, the
      reaction conditions were modified to populate this double substituted series. The
      final compounds were tested against four mycobacterial strains. N-(2
      methylbenzyl)-3-((2-methylbenzyl)amino)pyrazine-2-carboxamide (1a) and N-(3,4
      dichlorobenzyl)-3-((3,4-dichlorobenzyl)amino)pyrazine-2-carboxamide (9a) proved
      to be the most effective against Mycobacterium tuberculosis H37Rv, with MIC =
      12.5 MUg.mL-1. Compounds were screened for antibacterial activity. The most
      active compound was 3-chloro-N-(2-chlorobenzyl)pyrazine-2-carboxamide (5) against
      Staphylococcus aureus with MIC = 7.81 MUM, and Staphylococcus epidermidis with
      MIC = 15.62 MUM. HepG2 in vitro cytotoxicity was evaluated for the most active
      compounds; however, no significant toxicity was detected. Compound 9a was docked
      to several conformations of the enoyl-ACP-reductase of Mycobacterium
      tuberculosis. In some cases, it was capable of H-bond interactions, typical for
      most of the known inhibitors.

PMID- 28335572
TI  - Efficient and Security Enhanced Anonymous Authentication with Key Agreement
      Scheme in Wireless Sensor Networks.
AB  - At present, users can utilize an authenticated key agreement protocol in a
      Wireless Sensor Network (WSN) to securely obtain desired information, and
      numerous studies have investigated authentication techniques to construct
      efficient, robust WSNs. Chang et al. recently presented an authenticated key
      agreement mechanism for WSNs and claimed that their authentication mechanism can
      both prevent various types of attacks, as well as preserve security properties.
      However, we have discovered that Chang et al's method possesses some security
      weaknesses. First, their mechanism cannot guarantee protection against a password
      guessing attack, user impersonation attack or session key compromise. Second, the
      mechanism results in a high load on the gateway node because the gateway node
      should always maintain the verifier tables. Third, there is no session key
      verification process in the authentication phase. To this end, we describe how
      the previously-stated weaknesses occur and propose a security-enhanced version
      for WSNs. We present a detailed analysis of the security and performance of our
      authenticated key agreement mechanism, which not only enhances security compared
      to that of related schemes, but also takes efficiency into consideration.

PMID- 28335573
TI  - Ultratrace Detection of Histamine Using a Molecularly-Imprinted Polymer-Based
      Voltammetric Sensor.
AB  - Rapid and cost-effective analysis of histamine, in food, environmental, and
      diagnostics research has been of interest recently. However, for certain
      applications, the already-existing biological receptor-based sensing methods have
      usage limits in terms of stability and costs. As a result, robust and cost
      effective imprinted polymeric receptors can be the best alternative. In the
      present work, molecularly-imprinted polymers (MIPs) for histamine were
      synthesized using methacrylic acid in chloroform and acetonitrile as two
      different porogens. The binding affinity of the MIPs with histamine was evaluated
      in aqueous media. MIPs synthesized in chloroform displayed better imprinting
      properties for histamine. We demonstrate here histamine MIPs incorporated into a
      carbon paste (CP) electrode as a MIP-CP electrode sensor platforms for detection
      of histamine. This simple sensor format allows accurate determination of
      histamine in the sub-nanomolar range using an electrochemical method. The sensor
      exhibited two distinct linear response ranges of 1 * 10-10-7 * 10-9 M and 7 * 10
      9-4 * 10-7 M. The detection limit of the sensor was calculated equal to 7.4 * 10
      11 M. The specificity of the proposed electrode for histamine is demonstrated by
      using the analogous molecules and other neurotransmitters such as serotonin,
      dopamine, etc. The MIP sensor was investigated with success on spiked serum
      samples. The easy preparation, simple procedure, and low production cost make the
      MIP sensor attractive for selective and sensitive detection of analytes, even in
      less-equipped laboratories with minimal training.

PMID- 28335574
TI  - Proof of Concept: Development of Snow Liquid Water Content Profiler Using CS650
      Reflectometers at Caribou, ME, USA.
AB  - The quantity of liquid water in the snowpack defines its wetness. The temporal
      evolution of snow wetness's plays a significant role in wet-snow avalanche
      prediction, meltwater release, and water availability estimations and assessments
      within a river basin. However, it remains a difficult task and a demanding issue
      to measure the snowpack's liquid water content (LWC) and its temporal evolution
      with conventional in situ techniques. We propose an approach based on the use of
      time-domain reflectometry (TDR) and CS650 soil water content reflectometers to
      measure the snowpack's LWC and temperature profiles. For this purpose, we created
      an easily-applicable, low-cost, automated, and continuous LWC profiling
      instrument using reflectometers at the Cooperative Remote Sensing Science and
      Technology Center-Snow Analysis and Field Experiment (CREST-SAFE) in Caribou, ME,
      USA, and tested it during the snow melt period (February-April) immediately after
      installation in 2014. Snow Thermal Model (SNTHERM) LWC simulations forced with
      CREST-SAFE meteorological data were used to evaluate the accuracy of the
      instrument. Results showed overall good agreement, but clearly indicated
      inaccuracy under wet snow conditions. For this reason, we present two (for dry
      and wet snow) statistical relationships between snow LWC and dielectric
      permittivity similar to Topp's equation for the LWC of mineral soils. These
      equations were validated using CREST-SAFE in situ data from winter 2015. Results
      displayed high agreement when compared to LWC estimates obtained using empirical
      formulas developed in previous studies, and minor improvement over wet snow LWC
      estimates. Additionally, the equations seemed to be able to capture the snowpack
      state (i.e., onset of melt, medium, and maximum saturation). Lastly, field test
      results show advantages, such as: automated, continuous measurements, the
      temperature profiling of the snowpack, and the possible categorization of its
      state. However, future work should focus on improving the instrument's capability
      to measure the snowpack's LWC profile by properly calibrating it with in situ LWC
      measurements. Acceptable validation agreement indicates that the developed snow
      LWC, temperature, and wetness profiler offers a promising new tool for snow
      hydrology research.

PMID- 28335575
TI  - Public Preferences for the Use of Taxation and Labelling Policy Measures to
      Combat Obesity in Young Children in Australia.
AB  - Objective: Childhood obesity is a serious concern for developed and developing
      countries. This study aimed to assess the level of support in Australia for
      regulation and to assess whether systematic differences occur between individuals
      who support increased regulation and individuals who oppose it. Methods: An
      online survey (n = 563) was used to assess parental/caregiver preferences for
      taxation policy options and nutrition labelling designed to address the incidence
      of childhood obesity. Participants were parents or caregivers of young children
      (3 to 7 years) who were actively enrolled in an existing birth cohort study in
      South-East Queensland, Australia. Results: The majority of the parents (over 80%)
      strongly agreed or agreed with labelling food and drink with traffic light or
      teaspoon labelling. Support for taxation was more variable with around one third
      strongly supporting and a further 40% of participants equivocal about using
      taxation; however, a quarter strongly rejected this policy. Cluster analysis did
      not detect any socio-demographic differences between those who strongly supported
      taxation and those who did not. Conclusions: Better food labelling would be
      welcomed by parents to enhance food choices for their children. Taxation for
      health reasons would not be opposed by most parents. Implications for Public
      Health: Governments should consider taxation of unhealthy drinks and improved
      labelling to encourage healthy food purchasing.

PMID- 28335577
TI  - GC-MS Metabolomic Analysis to Reveal the Metabolites and Biological Pathways
      Involved in the Developmental Stages and Tissue Response of Panax ginseng.
AB  - Ginsenosides, the major compounds present in ginseng, are known to have numerous
      physiological and pharmacological effects. The physiological processes, enzymes
      and genes involved in ginsenoside synthesis in P. ginseng have been well
      characterized. However, relatively little information is known about the dynamic
      metabolic changes that occur during ginsenoside accumulation in ginseng. To
      explore this topic, we isolated metabolites from different tissues at different
      growth stages, and identified and characterized them by using gas chromatography
      coupled with mass spectrometry (GC-MS). The results showed that a total of 30,
      16, 20, 36 and 31 metabolites were identified and involved in different
      developmental stages in leaf, stem, petiole, lateral root and main root,
      respectively. To investigate the contribution of tissue to the biosynthesis of
      ginsenosides, we examined the metabolic changes of leaf, stem, petiole, lateral
      root and main root during five development stages: 1-, 2-, 3-, 4- and 5-years.
      The score plots of partial least squares-discriminate analysis (PLS-DA) showed
      clear discrimination between growth stages and tissue samples. Kyoto Encyclopedia
      of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway analysis in the same tissue at different
      growth stages indicated profound biochemical changes in several pathways,
      including carbohydrate metabolism and pentose phosphate metabolism, in addition,
      the tissues displayed significant variations in amino acid metabolism, sugar
      metabolism and energy metabolism. These results should facilitate further
      dissection of the metabolic flux regulation of ginsenoside accumulation in
      different developmental stages or different tissues of ginseng.

PMID- 28335576
TI  - Genome-Wide Identification and Evolutionary Analysis of Sarcocystis neurona
      Protein Kinases.
AB  - The apicomplexan parasite Sarcocystis neurona causes equine protozoal
      myeloencephalitis (EPM), a degenerative neurological disease of horses. Due to
      its host range expansion, S. neurona is an emerging threat that requires close
      monitoring. In apicomplexans, protein kinases (PKs) have been implicated in a
      myriad of critical functions, such as host cell invasion, cell cycle progression
      and host immune response evasion. Here, we used various bioinformatics methods to
      define the kinome of S. neurona and phylogenetic relatedness of its PKs to other
      apicomplexans. We identified 97 putative PKs clustering within the various
      eukaryotic kinase groups. Although containing the universally-conserved PKA (AGC
      group), S. neurona kinome was devoid of PKB and PKC. Moreover, the kinome
      contains the six-conserved apicomplexan CDPKs (CAMK group). Several OPK atypical
      kinases, including ROPKs 19A, 27, 30, 33, 35 and 37 were identified. Notably, S.
      neurona is devoid of the virulence-associated ROPKs 5, 6, 18 and 38, as well as
      the Alpha and RIO kinases. Two out of the three S. neurona CK1 enzymes had high
      sequence similarities to Toxoplasma gondii TgCK1-alpha and TgCK1-beta and the
      Plasmodium PfCK1. Further experimental studies on the S. neurona putative PKs
      identified in this study are required to validate the functional roles of the PKs
      and to understand their involvement in mechanisms that regulate various cellular
      processes and host-parasite interactions. Given the essentiality of apicomplexan
      PKs in the survival of apicomplexans, the current study offers a platform for
      future development of novel therapeutics for EPM, for instance via application of
      PK inhibitors to block parasite invasion and development in their host.

PMID- 28335579
TI  - Application of a MEMS-Based TRNG in a Chaotic Stream Cipher.
AB  - In this work, we used a sensor-based True Random Number Generator in order to
      generate keys for a stream cipher based on a recently published hybrid algorithm
      mixing Skew Tent Map and a Linear Feedback Shift Register. The stream cipher was
      implemented and tested in a Field Programmable Gate Array (FPGA) and was able to
      generate 8-bit width data streams at a clock frequency of 134 MHz, which is fast
      enough for Gigabit Ethernet applications. An exhaustive cryptanalysis was
      completed, allowing us to conclude that the system is secure. The stream cipher
      was compared with other chaotic stream ciphers implemented on similar platforms
      in terms of area, power consumption, and throughput.

PMID- 28335578
TI  - Exploring the Antitumor Mechanism of High-Dose Cytarabine through the Metabolic
      Perturbations of Ribonucleotide and Deoxyribonucleotide in Human Promyelocytic
      Leukemia HL-60 Cells.
AB  - Despite the apparent clinical benefits of high-dose cytarabine (Ara-C) over lower
      dose Ara-C in acute myeloid leukemia (AML) therapy, the mechanism behind high
      dose Ara-C therapy remains uncertain. In this study, a LC-MS-based method was
      carried out to investigate the metabolic alteration of ribonucleotide and
      deoxyribonucleotide in human promyelocytic leukemia cells (HL-60) after treatment
      with Ara-C to reveal its antitumor mechanism. The metabolic results revealed that
      four nucleotides (ATP, ADP, CDP, and dCTP) could be used as potential biomarkers
      indicating the benefit of high-dose Ara-C over lower dose Ara-C treatment.
      Combining metabolic perturbation and cell cycle analysis, we conjectured that,
      apart from the acknowledged mechanism of Ara-C on tumor inhibition, high-dose Ara
      C could present a specific action pathway. It was suggested that the pronounced
      rise in AMP/ATP ratio induced by high-dose Ara-C can trigger AMP-activated
      protein kinase (AMPK) and subsequently Forkhead Box, class O (FoxO), to promote
      cell cycle arrest. Moreover, the significant decrease in CDP pool induced by high
      dose Ara-C might further accelerate the reduction of dCTP, which then aggravates
      DNA synthesis disturbance. As a result, all of these alterations led to
      heightened tumor inhibition. This study provides new insight in the investigation
      of potential mechanisms in the clinical benefits of high-dose Ara-C in therapy
      for AML.

PMID- 28335580
TI  - The Development of Psychiatric Services Providing an Alternative to Full-Time
      Hospitalization Is Associated with Shorter Length of Stay in French Public
      Psychiatry.
AB  - International recommendations for mental health care have advocated for a
      reduction in the length of stay (LOS) in full-time hospitalization and the
      development of alternatives to full-time hospitalizations (AFTH) could facilitate
      alignment with those recommendations. Our objective was therefore to assess
      whether the development of AFTH in French psychiatric sectors was associated with
      a reduction in the LOS in full-time hospitalization. Using data from the French
      national discharge database of psychiatric care, we computed the LOS of patients
      admitted for full-time hospitalization. The level of development of AFTH was
      estimated by the share of human resources allocated to those alternatives in the
      hospital enrolling the staff of each sector. Multi-level modelling was carried
      out to adjust the analysis on other factors potentially associated with the LOS
      (patients', psychiatric sectors' and environmental characteristics). We observed
      considerable variations in the LOS between sectors. Although the majority of
      these variations resulted from patients' characteristics, a significant negative
      association was found between the LOS and the development of AFTH, after
      adjusting for other factors. Our results provide first evidence of the impact of
      the development of AFTH on mental health care and will provide a lever for policy
      makers to further develop these alternatives.

PMID- 28335581
TI  - Biosynthesis of Oligomeric Anthocyanins from Grape Skin Extracts.
AB  - We synthesized oligomeric anthocyanins from grape skin-derived monomeric
      anthocyanins such as anthocyanidin and proanthocyanidin by a fermentation
      technique using Aspergillus niger, crude enzymes and glucosidase. The
      biosyntheses of the oligomeric anthocyanins carried out by the conventional
      method using Aspergillus niger and crude enzymes were confirmed by ESI-MS. The
      molecular weight of the synthesized anthocyanin oligomers was determined using
      MALDI-MS. The yield of anthocyanin oligomers using crude enzymes was higher than
      that of the synthesis using Aspergillus fermentation. Several studies have been
      demonstrated that oligomeric anthocyanins have higher antioxidant activity than
      monomeric anthocyanins. Fermentation-based synthesis of oligomeric anthocyanins
      is an alternative way of producing useful anthocyanins that could support the
      food industry.

PMID- 28335582
TI  - Nonradiative Relaxation Mechanisms of UV Excited Phenylalanine Residues: A
      Comparative Computational Study.
AB  - The present work is directed toward understanding the mechanisms of excited state
      deactivation in three neutral model peptides containing the phenylalanine
      residue. The excited state dynamics of thegammaL(g+)folded form of N
      acetylphenylalaninylamide (NAPA B) and its amide-N-methylated derivative (NAPMA
      B) is reviewed and compared to the dynamics of the monohydrated structure of NAPA
      (NAPAH). The goal is to unravel how the environment, and in particular solvation,
      impacts the photodynamics of peptides. The systems are investigated using
      reaction path calculations and surface hopping nonadiabatic dynamics based on the
      coupled cluster doubles (CC2) method and time-dependent density functional
      theory. The work emphasizes the role that excitation transfer from the
      phenylpipi*to amidenpi*state plays in the deactivation of the three systems and
      shows how the ease of out-of-plane distortions of the amide group determines the
      rate of population transfer between the two electronic states. The subsequent
      dynamics on thenpi*state is barrierless along several pathways and leads to fast
      deactivation to the ground electronic state.

PMID- 28335583
TI  - Is Accessibility to Dental Care Facilities in Rural Areas Associated with Number
      of Teeth in Elderly Residents?
AB  - Given that public transportation networks are less developed in rural than in
      urban areas, a lack of accessibility to dental care facilities could be a barrier
      to routine dental checkups. Thus, we hypothesized that the distance to the dental
      care facilities is a risk factor for tooth loss. The aim of this study was to
      test whether there is an association between the distance to dental care
      facilities, estimated by geographic information systems, and number of teeth,
      assessed by an oral examination, among elderly residents of a rural area in
      Japan. Data were collected in 2016 from a cross-sectional study conducted in
      Shimane prefecture, Japan. After excluding participants with missing data (n =
      21), we analyzed data from 710 participants. Of them, 40.6% were male and the
      mean (standard deviation) age was 67.4 (7.4) years. Further, 68.0% (n = 483) had
      at least 20 teeth. We found that the distance to dental care facilities was
      significantly associated with the number of teeth (less than 20) (odds ratio =
      1.07, 95% confidence interval = 1.01-1.12) after adjustment for potential
      confounders. This result suggested that individuals without easy access to dental
      care facilities may be important targets for dental care.

PMID- 28335586
TI  - Can Characteristic Mri Brain Substitute Invasive Lumbar Puncture Search For 14-3
      3 Immunoassay For Creutzfeldt Jakob Disease? Suggestions From A Case Study

PMID- 28335585
TI  - Anisotropic Magnetoresistance of Nano-conductive Filament in Co/HfO2/Pt Resistive
      Switching Memory.
AB  - Conductive bridge random access memory (CBRAM) has been extensively studied as a
      next-generation non-volatile memory. The conductive filament (CF) shows rich
      physical effects such as conductance quantization and magnetic effect. But so
      far, the study of filaments is not very sufficient. In this work, Co/HfO2/Pt
      CBRAM device with magnetic CF was designed and fabricated. By electrical
      manipulation with a partial-RESET method, we controlled the size of ferromagnetic
      metal filament. The resistance-temperature characteristics of the ON-state after
      various partial-RESET behaviors have been studied. Using two kinds of magnetic
      measurement methods, we measured the anisotropic magnetoresistance (AMR) of the
      CF at different temperatures to reflect the magnetic structure characteristics.
      By rotating the direction of the magnetic field and by sweeping the magnitude, we
      obtained the spatial direction as well as the easy-axis of the CF. The results
      indicate that the easy-axis of the CF is along the direction perpendicular to the
      top electrode plane. The maximum magnetoresistance was found to appear when the
      angle between the direction of magnetic field and that of the electric current in
      the CF is about 30 degrees , and this angle varies slightly with temperature,
      indicating that the current is tilted.

PMID- 28335584
TI  - ATRAP Expression in Brown Adipose Tissue Does Not Influence the Development of
      Diet-Induced Metabolic Disorders in Mice.
AB  - Activation of tissue renin-angiotensin system (RAS), mainly mediated by an
      angiotensin II (Ang II) type 1 receptor (AT1R), plays an important role in the
      development of obesity-related metabolic disorders. We have shown that AT1R
      associated protein (ATRAP), a specific binding protein of AT1R, functions as an
      endogenous inhibitor to prevent excessive activation of tissue RAS. In the
      present study, we newly generated ATRAP/Agtrap-floxed (ATRAPfl/fl) mice and
      adipose tissue-specific ATRAP downregulated (ATRAPadipoq) mice by the Cre/loxP
      system using Adipoq-Cre. Using these mice, we examined the functional role of
      adipose ATRAP in the pathogenesis of obesity-related metabolic disorders.
      Compared with ATRAPfl/fl mice, ATRAPadipoq mice exhibited a decreased ATRAP
      expression in visceral white adipose tissue (WAT) and brown adipose tissue (BAT)
      by approximately 30% and 85%, respectively. When mice were fed a high-fat diet,
      ATRAPfl/fl mice showed decreased endogenous ATRAP expression in WAT that was
      equivalent to ATRAPadipoq mice, and there was no difference in the exacerbation
      of dietary obesity and glucose and lipid metabolism. These results indicate that
      ATRAP in BAT does not influence the pathogenesis of dietary obesity or metabolic
      disorders. Future studies that modulate ATRAP in WAT are necessary to assess its
      in vivo functions in the development of obesity-related metabolic disorders.

PMID- 28335587
TI  - Neuronatin Is Associated with an Anti-Inflammatory Role in the White Adipose
      Tissue.
AB  - Neuronatin (NNAT) is known to regulate ion channels during brain development and
      plays a role in maintaining the structure of the nervous system. A previous in
      silico analysis showed that Nnat was overexpressed in the adipose tissue of an
      obese rodent model relative to the wild type. Therefore, the aim of the present
      study was to investigate the function of Nnat in the adipose tissue. Because
      obesity is known to systemically induce low-grade inflammation, the Nnat
      expression level was examined in the adipose tissue obtained from C57BL/6 mice
      administered lipopolysaccharide (LPS). Unexpectedly, the Nnat expression level
      decreased in the white adipose tissue after LPS administration. To determine the
      role of NNAT in inflammation, 3T3-L1 cells overexpressing Nnat were treated with
      LPS. The level of the p65 subunit of nuclear factor-kappa B (NF-kappaB) and the
      activity of NF-kappaB luciferase decreased following LPS treatment. These results
      indicate that NNAT plays an anti-inflammatory role in the adipose tissue.

PMID- 28335588
TI  - Recovery of NK(CD56+CD3-) Cells after One Year of Tenofovir Therapy for Chronic
      Hepatitis B Infection.
AB  - Natural killer (NK) cells have been reported to be dysfunctional in chronic
      hepatitis B (CHB) infection. However, the functional recovery of NK cells under
      antiviral therapeutic agents in CHB was not clearly understood. In this study, we
      investigated the phenotypic changes of NK(CD56+CD3-) cells in terms of their
      functional markers (CD16, NKG2A, NKG2D) during tenofovir therapy in CHB. The
      frequency of NK(CD56+CD3-) cells in CHB patients was significantly increased
      after 12 months of tenofovir therapy when compared with baseline. The expression
      levels of CD16+/CD56+CD3- and NKG2A+/CD56+CD3- cells were also affected by
      tenofovir treatment. In addition, there was a positive correlation between the
      proportion of NK(CD56+CD3-) cells and HBV DNA (log copies/ml) in CHB patients.

PMID- 28335589
TI  - Global Functional Analysis of Butanol-Sensitive Escherichia coli and Its Evolved
      Butanol-Tolerant Strain.
AB  - Butanol is a promising alternative to ethanol and is desirable for use in
      transportation fuels and additives to gasoline and diesel fuels. Microbial
      production of butanol is challenging primarily because of its toxicity and low
      titer of production. Herein, we compared the transcriptome and phenome of wild
      type Escherichia coli and its butanol-tolerant evolved strain to understand the
      global cellular physiology and metabolism responsible for butanol tolerance. When
      the ancestral butanol-sensitive E. coli was exposed to butanol, gene activities
      involved in respiratory mechanisms and oxidative stress were highly perturbed.
      Intriguingly, the evolved butanol-tolerant strain behaved similarly in both the
      absence and presence of butanol. Among the mutations occurring in the evolved
      strain, cis-regulatory mutations may be the cause of butanol tolerance. This
      study provides a foundation for the rational design of the metabolic and
      regulatory pathways for enhanced biofuel production.

PMID- 28335590
TI  - Roles of Budding Yeast Hrr25 in Recombination and Sporulation.
AB  - Hrr25, a casein kinase 1 delta/epsilon homolog in budding yeast, is essential to
      set up mono-orientation of sister kinetochores during meiosis. Hrr25 kinase
      activity coordinates sister chromatid cohesion via cohesin phosphorylation. Here,
      we investigated the prophase role of Hrr25 using the auxin-inducible degron
      system and by ectopic expression of Hrr25 during yeast meiosis. Hrr25 mediates
      nuclear division in meiosis I but does not affect DNA replication. We also found
      that initiation of meiotic double-strand breaks as well as joint molecule
      formation were normal in HRR25-deficient cells. Thus, Hrr25 is essential for
      termination of meiotic division but not homologous recombination.

PMID- 28335591
TI  - Heteroatom-Doped Perihexacene from a Double Helicene Precursor: On-Surface
      Synthesis and Properties.
AB  - We report on the surface-assisted synthesis and spectroscopic characterization of
      the hitherto longest periacene analogue with oxygen-boron-oxygen (OBO) segments
      along the zigzag edges, that is, a heteroatom-doped perihexacene 1. Surface
      catalyzed cyclodehydrogenation successfully transformed the double helicene
      precursor 2, i.e., 12a,26a-dibora-12,13,26,27-tetraoxa-benzo[1,2,3-hi:4,5,6
      h'i']dihexacene, into the planar perihexacene analogue 1, which was visualized by
      scanning tunneling microscopy and noncontact atomic force microscopy. X-ray
      photoelectron spectroscopy, Raman spectroscopy, together with theoretical
      modeling, on both precursor 2 and product 1, provided further insights into the
      cyclodehydrogenation process. Moreover, the nonplanar precursor 2 underwent a
      conformational change upon adsorption on surfaces, and one-dimensional self
      assembled superstructures were observed for both 2 and 1 due to the presence of
      OBO units along the zigzag edges.

PMID- 28335592
TI  - Air- and Light-Stable P4 and As4 within an Anion-Coordination-Based Tetrahedral
      Cage.
AB  - In contrast to the stable dinitrogen molecule, white phosphorus (P4) and yellow
      arsenic (As4) are very reactive allotropic modifications of these two heavier
      pnictogen elements, which has greatly hampered the study of their properties and
      applications. Thus, the safe storage and transport of them is imperative.
      Supramolecular caged structures are one of the most efficient approaches for the
      encapsulation and stabilization of reactive species; however, their use in the P4
      and As4 chemistry is very rare. In the current work, we demonstrate a new design
      strategy for constructing finite cages and including guests based on anion
      coordination chemistry. The phosphate-coordination-based tetrahedral cages can
      readily accommodate the tetrahedral guests P4 and As4, which is facilitated by
      the shape and size complementarity as well as favorable sigma-pi and lone-pair-pi
      interactions. Moreover, the latter case represents the first example of As4
      inclusion in a well-defined tetrahedral cage.

PMID- 28335593
TI  - Simultaneous Single-Cell Analysis of Na+, K+, Ca2+, and Mg2+ in Neuron-Like PC-12
      Cells in a Microfluidic System.
AB  - Various intracellular metal ions have closely related functional roles in the
      nervous system. An excess or deficiency of essential metal ions can contribute to
      neurodegenerative diseases. Thus, the detection of various metal ions in neurons
      is important for diagnosing and monitoring these diseases. In particular, single
      cell analysis of multiple metal ions allows us to not only understand the
      cellular heterogeneity and differentiation but also determine the actual
      relationships among multiple metal ions in each individual cell. Aiming at the
      low efficient single-cell manipulation and interference of complex biological
      matrices within cells in the existing method for single-cell metal ion detection,
      in this manuscript, we present a convenient, sensitive, and reliable method to
      simultaneously identify and quantify multiple metal ions at the single-cell level
      using a microfluidic system. Using the combination of on-chip electrophoresis
      separation and multicolor fluorescence detection, we achieved the simultaneous
      analysis of Na+, K+, Ca2+, and Mg2+ in single PC-12 cells and studied changes in
      these four metal ions in Abeta25-35-treated PC-12 cells, which is a model of
      Alzheimer's disease (AD). The data showed that metal ions imbalances in neuron
      like cells may be associated with AD induced by Abeta25-35. This method paves the
      way for multiple metal ion detection in single neuron-like cells, and the results
      provide insights regarding synergistic function of multiple metal ions in
      regulation of neurological diseases at the single-cell level.

PMID- 28335595
TI  - Ligand-Exchange Dynamics on Gold Nanocrystals: Direct Monitoring of Nanoscale
      Polyvinylpyrrolidone-Thiol Domain Surface Morphology.
AB  - We report direct high-resolution monitoring of an evolving mixed nanodomain
      surface morphology during thiol adsorption on polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP)
      stabilized single crystal gold nanocrystals. The thiol adsorption and replacement
      dynamics are much more complex than a simple complete substitution of the initial
      polymer ligand. We observed that during ligand exchange with linear thiol, the
      nanocrystal surface evolved from an initial 1 nm uniform PVP coating into a
      remarkably stable network of globular PVP domains 20-100 nm in size and ~4 nm in
      height surrounded by thiol self-assembled monolayers. The final stability of such
      a mixed thiol-PVP surface morphology can possibly be attributed to the
      interfacial energy reduction from partially solvophilic surfaces and the entropic
      gain from mixed ligand surface layers. The ligand-exchange dynamics and the
      unusual equilibrium morphology revealed here provide important insights into both
      displacement dynamics of surface-bound molecules and the nanoscale peculiarities
      of surface functionalization of colloidal metal substrates.

PMID- 28335594
TI  - Skeletal Transformation of a Classical Fullerene C88 into a Nonclassical
      Fullerene Chloride C84Cl30 Bearing Quaternary Sequentially Fused Pentagons.
AB  - A classical fullerene is composed of hexagons and pentagons only, and its
      stability is generally determined by the Isolated-Pentagon-Rule (IPR). Herein,
      high-temperature chlorination of a mixture containing a classical IPR-obeying
      fullerene C88 resulted in isolation and X-ray crystallographic characterization
      of non-IPR, nonclassical (NC) fullerene chloride C84(NC2)Cl30 (1) containing two
      heptagons. The carbon cage in C84(NC2)Cl30 contains 14 pentagons, 12 of which
      form two pairs of fused pentagons and two groups of quaternary sequentially fused
      pentagons, which have never been observed in reported carbon cages. All 30 Cl
      atoms form an unprecedented single chain of ortho attachments on the C84 cage. A
      reconstruction of the pathway of the chlorination-promoted skeletal
      transformation revealed that the previously unknown IPR isomer C88(3) is
      converted into 1 by two losses of C2 fragments followed by two Stone-Wales
      rearrangements, resulting in the formation of very stable chloride with rather
      short C-Cl bonds.

PMID- 28335596
TI  - Fast Fabrication of a Stable Perovskite Solar Cell with an Ultrathin Effective
      Novel Inorganic Hole Transport Layer.
AB  - With the aim of fabricating simple, reproducible, and scalable perovskite solar
      cells (PSCs) with least time consumption, a novel CoOx hole transport layer (HTL)
      was first proposed and introduced in this work. The CoOx HTL thickness was
      minimized to about 10 nm with complete coverage on the FTO substrate (F-doped
      SnO2) by direct current magnetron sputtering. The ultrathin HTL could minimize
      the incident light loss caused by cobalt ion absorption and reduce the carrier
      transport loss by shortening the transport path. Copper was incorporated into the
      CoOx lattice to address the low conductivity of the CoOx film and the energy
      level mismatch between CoOx and the perovskite material. On the basis of cobalt
      copper binary oxide (Co1-yCuyOx), the highest power conversion efficiency (PCE)
      of about 10% was achieved, which was acceptable for mass production. Moreover,
      the deposition of such Co1-yCuyOx films takes only 2 min without size limitation
      of substrates. A well-functioned device based on the Co1-yCuyOx HTL could hence
      be fabricated within 100 min. Excellent stability was demonstrated as well, with
      over 90% of the initial PCE remaining after being stored in a dark and humid
      environment (relative humidity 60%) for 12 days.

PMID- 28335597
TI  - Enantioselective Conjunctive Cross-Coupling of Bis(alkenyl)borates: A General
      Synthesis of Chiral Allylboron Reagents.
AB  - Palladium-catalyzed conjunctive cross-coupling is used for the synthesis of
      enantioenriched allylboron reagents. This reaction employs nonsymmetric
      bis(alkenyl)borates as substrates and appears to occur by a mechanism that
      involves selective activation of the less substituted alkene followed by
      migration of the more substituted alkene during the course of a Pd-induced
      metalate rearrangement.

PMID- 28335598
TI  - Predicting the Rate of Skin Penetration Using an Aggregated Conformal Prediction
      Framework.
AB  - Skin serves as a drug administration route, and skin permeability of chemicals is
      of significant interest in the pharmaceutical and cosmetic industries. An
      aggregated conformal prediction (ACP) framework was used to build models for
      predicting the permeation rate (log Kp) of chemical compounds through human skin.
      The conformal prediction method gives as an output the prediction range at a
      given level of confidence for each compound, which enables the user to make a
      more informed decision when, for example, suggesting the next compound to
      prepare. Predictive models were built using both the random forest and the
      support vector machine methods and were based on experimentally derived
      permeability data on 211 diverse compounds. The derived models were of similar
      predictive quality as compared to earlier published models but have the extra
      advantage of not only presenting a single predicted value for each compound but
      also a reliable, individually assigned prediction range. The models use
      calculated descriptors and can quickly predict the skin permeation rate of new
      compounds.

PMID- 28335599
TI  - Cl2 Elimination in 248 nm Photolysis of (COCl)2 Probed with Cavity Ring-Down
      Absorption Spectroscopy.
AB  - Cavity ring-down absorption spectroscopy (CRDS) is employed to investigate one
      photon dissociation of (COCl)2 at 248 nm obtaining a primary Cl2 elimination
      channel. A ratio of vibrational population is estimated to be 1:(0.12 +/-
      0.03):(0.011 +/- 0.003) for the v = 0, 1, and 2 levels. The quantum yield of Cl2
      molecular channel is obtained to be 0.8 +/- 0.4 initiated from the X 1Ag ground
      state surface (COCl)2 via internal conversion. The obtained total quantum yield
      is attributed to both primary ((COCl)2 + hnu -> 2CO + Cl2) and secondary
      reactions (dominated by Cl + COCl -> Cl2 + CO). The former is estimated to share
      a yield of >0.14, while the latter contributes up to 0.66. The photodissociation
      pathway to the molecular products is calculated to proceed via a four-center
      transition state (TS) from which Cl2 is eliminated synchronously. Installation of
      the mirrors with reflectivity of 99.995% in the CRDS apparatus prolongs the ring
      down time to 70 MUs, thus allowing for the contribution from 17% up to 66% of the
      total Cl2 yield from secondary reaction depending on the reaction temperature.
      Despite uncertainty in determining the product yield, the primary Cl2
      dissociation channel eliminated from (COCl)2 is observed for the first time.

PMID- 28335601
TI  - Cu-Mediated Rearrangements of Allenylcyclopropanols to Cyclopentenones: Two
      Divergent Pathways.
AB  - Two CuCN-mediated rearrangement reactions of allenylcyclopropanols to
      cyclopentenones have been achieved by means of Et2Zn/CuCN.2LiCl or CuCN.2LiCl to
      afford 5-alkyl or 4-alkyl cyclopentenone regioisomers: the former conditions
      afford 5-alkyl substituted cyclopentenones via beta-carbon elimination, whereas
      the latter result in the 4-alkyl substituted regioisomers with concomitant
      oxidation at the gamma-position, via a free radical mechanism.

PMID- 28335600
TI  - Redox Potential-Sensitive N-Acetyl Cysteine-Prodrug Nanoparticles Inhibit the
      Activation of Microglia and Improve Neuronal Survival.
AB  - One hallmark of neuroinflammation is the activation of microglia, which triggers
      the production and release of reactive oxygen species (ROS), nitrate, nitrite,
      and cytokines. N-Acetyl cysteine (NAC) is a free radical scavenger that is
      involved in the intracellular and extracellular detoxification of reactive oxygen
      species in the brain. However, the clinical application of NAC is limited by its
      low bioavailability and short half-life. Herein, NAC was conjugated to a polymer
      through a disulfide bond to form a NAC-prodrug nanoparticle (NAC-NP). Dynamic
      light scattering found that the NAC-NP has a size of around 50 nm. In vitro
      studies revealed that the release of NAC from NAC-NP is responsive to its
      environmental redox potential. For mimicking neuroinflammation in vitro,
      microglial cells were stimulated by a lipopolysaccharide (LPS), and the effect of
      NAC-NP on activated microglia was investigated. The study found that the
      morphology as well as the expression of microgliosis marker Iba-1 of the cells
      treated with NAC-NPs and LPS were close to those of control cells, indicating
      that NAC-NPs can inhibit the activation of microglia stimulated by LPS. Compared
      with free NAC, the production of ROS, NO3-, NO2-, tumor necrosis factor-alpha
      (TNF-alpha), and interleukin (IL)-1beta from the LPS-stimulated microglia was
      considerably decreased when the cells were pretreated with NAC-NPs. Furthermore,
      LPS-induced microglial phagocytocis of neurons was inhibited in the presence of
      NAC-NPs. These results indicated that NAC-NPs are more effective than free NAC
      for reversing the effect of LPS on microglia and subsequently protecting neurons.

PMID- 28335602
TI  - Local Structure and Dynamics of Water Absorbed in Poly(ether imide): A Hydrogen
      Bonding Anatomy.
AB  - Hydrogen bonding (HB) interactions play a major role in determining the behavior
      of macromolecular systems absorbing water. In fact, functional and structural
      properties of polymer-water mixtures are affected by the amount and type of these
      interactions. This contribution aims at a molecular level understanding of the
      interactional scenario for the technologically relevant case of the poly(ether
      imide)-water system. The problem has been tackled by combining different
      experimental and theoretical approaches which, taken together, provide a
      comprehensive physical picture. Relevant experimental data were gathered by in
      situ FTIR spectroscopy, while molecular dynamics (MD) and statistical
      thermodynamics approaches were used as modeling theoretical tools. It was found
      that, among the possible configurations, some are strongly prevailing. In
      particular, water molecules preferentially establish water bridges with two
      carbonyl groups of the same PEI repeating unit. Water self-interactions were also
      detected, giving rise to a "second shell" species in the prevalent form of
      dimers. The population of the different water species was evaluated
      spectroscopically, and a remarkable agreement with theoretical predictions was
      found.

PMID- 28335603
TI  - Molecular Dynamics Simulation of Water Transport Mechanisms through Nanoporous
      Boron Nitride and Graphene Multilayers.
AB  - In this study, molecular dynamics simulations are used to investigate water
      transport mechanisms through hourglass-shaped pore structure in nanoporous boron
      nitride (BN) and graphene multilayers. An increase in water flux is evidenced as
      the gap between the layers increases, reaching a maximum of 41 and 43 ns-1 at d =
      6 A in BN and graphene multilayers, respectively. Moreover, the BN multilayer
      exhibits less flux compared to graphene due to large friction force and energy
      barrier. In BN, the friction force dramatically increases when the layers are
      strongly stacked (d = 3.5 A), whereas it would be independent of the layer
      separation when the layers are sufficiently spaced (d >= 5 A). In contrast, it
      was shown that the friction force is independent of the layer spacing in
      graphene. On the other hand, water molecules across the BN exhibits larger energy
      barriers compared to graphene when the layers are highly spaced at d = 8 A.
      Consistent with the result reported for the flux, the axial diffusion coefficient
      of water molecules in graphene increases with layer spacing, reaching a maximum
      of 6.8 * 10-5 cm2/s when the layers are spaced at d = 6 A.

PMID- 28335604
TI  - Prioritizing Natural Product Diversity in a Collection of 146 Bacterial Strains
      Based on Growth and Extraction Protocols.
AB  - In order to expedite the rapid and efficient discovery and isolation of novel
      specialized metabolites, while minimizing the waste of resources on rediscovery
      of known compounds, it is crucial to develop efficient approaches for strain
      prioritization, rapid dereplication, and the assessment of favored cultivation
      and extraction conditions. Herein we interrogated bacterial strains by
      systematically evaluating cultivation and extraction parameters with LC-MS/MS
      analysis and subsequent dereplication through the Global Natural Product Social
      Molecular Networking (GNPS) platform. The developed method is fast, requiring
      minimal time and sample material, and is compatible with high-throughput extract
      analysis, thereby streamlining strain prioritization and evaluation of culturing
      parameters. With this approach, we analyzed 146 marine Salinispora and
      Streptomyces strains that were grown and extracted using multiple different
      protocols. In total, 603 samples were analyzed, generating approximately 1.8
      million mass spectra. We constructed a comprehensive molecular network and
      identified 15 molecular families of diverse natural products and their analogues.
      The size and breadth of this network shows statistically supported trends in
      molecular diversity when comparing growth and extraction conditions. The network
      provides an extensive survey of the biosynthetic capacity of the strain
      collection and a method to compare strains based on the variety and novelty of
      their metabolites. This approach allows us to quickly identify patterns in
      metabolite production that can be linked to taxonomy, culture conditions, and
      extraction methods, as well as informing the most valuable growth and extraction
      conditions.

PMID- 28335607
TI  - Special Issue in Honor of Professor Phil Crews.

PMID- 28335606
TI  - Isolation and Identification of the Novel Tubulin Polymerization Inhibitor
      Bifidenone.
AB  - The pursuit of structurally novel compounds has led to the isolation of a series
      of neolignans (2-6), for which the structures have been determined from microgram
      quantities using microcryoprobe NMR technology. Compounds 2-6 provided some
      unexpectedly clear structure-activity relationship data, with compound 2
      demonstrating significantly more potency in the in vitro cytotoxicity assay than
      the other analogues. Further screening found that compound 2 induces apoptosis
      with activation of caspase 3/7. The NCI Compare algorithm suggested that compound
      2 acts through the inhibition of tubulin/microtubule dynamics. Compound 2 was
      confirmed to be a tubulin polymerization inhibitor that binds directly to
      tubulin.

PMID- 28335608
TI  - Superhydrophobic Breakdown of Nanostructured Surfaces Characterized in Situ Using
      ATR-FTIR.
AB  - In situ characterization of the underwater stability of superhydrophobic micro-
      and nanostructured surfaces is important for the development of self-cleaning and
      antifouling materials. In this work, we demonstrate a novel attenuated total
      reflectance-Fourier transform infrared (ATR-FTIR) spectroscopy-based method for
      large-area wetting characterization of silicon nanopillars. When air is present
      in between the structures, as is characteristic of the Cassie-Baxter state, the
      relative intensities of the water bands in the absorption spectrum change because
      of the wavelength-dependent attenuation of the evanescent wave. This phenomenon
      enables unambiguous identification of the wetting state and assessment of liquid
      impalement. Using mixtures of isopropanol and water with different
      concentrations, the breakdown of superhydrophobic states and the wetting
      hysteresis effects are systematically studied on uniform arrays of silicon
      nanopillars. A transition from the Cassie-Baxter to Wenzel state is observed when
      the isopropanol concentration exceeds 2.8 mol %, corresponding to a critical
      surface tension of 39 mN/m. Spontaneous dewetting does not occur upon decreasing
      the isopropanol concentration, and pure water can be obtained in a stable Wenzel
      state on the originally superhydrophobic substrates. The developed ATR-FTIR
      method can be promising for real-time monitoring of the wetting kinetics on
      nanostructured surfaces.

PMID- 28335605
TI  - Opportunistic Sampling of Roadkill as an Entry Point to Accessing Natural
      Products Assembled by Bacteria Associated with Non-anthropoidal Mammalian
      Microbiomes.
AB  - Few secondary metabolites have been reported from mammalian microbiome bacteria
      despite the large numbers of diverse taxa that inhabit warm-blooded higher
      vertebrates. As a means to investigate natural products from these
      microorganisms, an opportunistic sampling protocol was developed, which focused
      on exploring bacteria isolated from roadkill mammals. This initiative was made
      possible through the establishment of a newly created discovery pipeline, which
      couples laser ablation electrospray ionization mass spectrometry (LAESIMS) with
      bioassay testing, to target biologically active metabolites from microbiome
      associated bacteria. To illustrate this process, this report focuses on samples
      obtained from the ear of a roadkill opossum (Dideiphis virginiana) as the source
      of two bacterial isolates (Pseudomonas sp. and Serratia sp.) that produced
      several new and known cyclic lipodepsipeptides (viscosin and serrawettins,
      respectively). These natural products inhibited biofilm formation by the human
      pathogenic yeast Candida albicans at concentrations well below those required to
      inhibit yeast viability. Phylogenetic analysis of 16S rRNA gene sequence
      libraries revealed the presence of diverse microbial communities associated with
      different sites throughout the opossum carcass. A putative biosynthetic pathway
      responsible for the production of the new serrawettin analogues was identified by
      sequencing the genome of the Serratia sp. isolate. This study provides a
      functional roadmap to carrying out the systematic investigation of the genomic,
      microbiological, and chemical parameters related to the production of natural
      products made by bacteria associated with non-anthropoidal mammalian microbiomes.
      Discoveries emerging from these studies are anticipated to provide a working
      framework for efforts aimed at augmenting microbiomes to deliver beneficial
      natural products to a host.

PMID- 28335610
TI  - Rheumatoid Forefoot Reconstruction in the Nonrheumatoid Patient.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Recurrent pain and deformity following forefoot surgery can cause
      significant patient disability. In patients with rheumatoid arthritis, first
      metatarsophalangeal (MTP) joint arthrodesis with lesser metatarsal head
      resections-termed the rheumatoid forefoot reconstruction-has been shown to be a
      reliable operation for pain relief and deformity correction. Limited data,
      however, have been published on outcomes of the same forefoot reconstruction
      operation in the nonrheumatoid patient. Here, we describe our experience with
      this procedure in patients without rheumatoid disease, hypothesizing improved
      clinical and radiographic outcomes following surgery. METHODS: Following chart
      review and reviewing billing codes, we retrospectively identified patients
      without a diagnosis of rheumatoid arthritis who underwent first MTP arthrodesis
      with lesser metatarsal head resections. Phone surveys were conducted to assess
      clinical outcomes including pain and patient satisfaction. Preoperative and
      postoperative radiographs were reviewed for 1, 2 intermetatarsal angle (IMA),
      hallux valgus angle (HVA), second MTP angle (MTP-2), and lesser MTP alignment (in
      both sagittal and axial planes). Postoperative radiographs were assessed for
      radiographic union. We identified 14 nonrheumatoid patients (16 feet) who
      underwent forefoot reconstruction. Of those, 13 patients (15 feet) were
      successfully contacted via follow-up phone survey at an average of 44.3 months
      postoperatively (range: 20-76 months). RESULTS: Mean postoperative satisfaction
      scores were 9.0 (out of 10). No patients required reoperation at final phone
      follow-up. Pain scores significantly decreased from 6.2 preoperatively to 1.9
      postoperatively ( P <.001). Radiographic parameters (1,2 IMA, HVA, MTP-2, and
      lesser MTP alignment in the sagittal plane) improved with surgery ( P <.05), and
      all 16 feet achieved union of the first MTP arthrodesis. CONCLUSION: With
      decreased pain, high satisfaction rates, and improved radiographic parameters,
      first MTP arthrodesis coupled with lesser metatarsal head resection was a viable
      option for nonrheumatoid patients who failed prior attempts at forefoot
      reconstruction or have chronic forefoot pain with deformity. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE:
      Level IV, retrospective case series.

PMID- 28335609
TI  - Early and Delayed Antiretroviral Therapy Results in Comparable Reductions in CD8+
      T Cell Exhaustion Marker Expression.
AB  - In untreated HIV infection, CD8+ T cell exhaustion (i.e., decreased proliferative
      and effector capacity) is associated with high levels of expression of
      coinhibitory receptors, including PD-1, T cell immunoreceptor with Ig and ITIM
      domains (TIGIT), CD160, and 2B4. This is evident for both HIV-specific and non
      HIV-specific CD8+ T cells. Antiretroviral therapy (ART) initiated during chronic
      infection decreases but may not completely normalize the expression of such
      "exhaustion markers." Compared to initiation of ART later in the course of
      disease, initiation soon after infection reduces some parameters of chronic
      inflammation and adaptive immune dysfunction. However, it is not known if Early
      ART (e.g., initiated within the first 6 months after HIV infection) versus
      Delayed ART (e.g., initiated during chronic infection) preferentially reduces
      expression of exhaustion markers. We evaluated exhaustion marker expression on
      subsets of circulating effector and memory CD8+ T cells at longitudinal pre- and
      post-ART (2 and 5 years on ART) time points from n = 19 (Early ART) and n = 23
      (Delayed ART) individuals. Before ART, TIGIT and CD160 were expressed on a
      statistically significantly higher proportion of effector and transitional memory
      cells from individuals in the Delayed ART group: the timing of ART initiation,
      however, did not consistently affect the expression of the exhaustion markers
      once viral suppression was achieved. Understanding which factors do and do not
      regulate aspects of CD8+ T cell exhaustion, including the expression of
      exhaustion markers, is critical to inform the rational design of CD8+ T cell
      based therapies to treat HIV, for which CD8+ T cell exhaustion remains an
      important barrier to efficacy.

PMID- 28335611
TI  - Evaluation of thioesterases from Acinetobacter baylyi for production of free
      fatty acids.
AB  - Acinetobacter baylyi is one of few Gram-negative bacteria capable of accumulating
      storage lipids in the form of triacylglycerides and wax esters, which makes it an
      attractive candidate for production of lipophilic products, including biofuel
      precursors. Thioesterases play a significant dual role in the triacylglyceride
      and wax ester biosynthesis by either providing or removing acyl-CoA from this
      pathway. Therefore, 4 different thioesterase genes were cloned from Acinetobacter
      baylyi ADP1 and expressed in Escherichia coli to investigate their contribution
      to free fatty acids (FFAs) accumulation. Overexpression of the genes tesA' (a
      leaderless form of the gene tesA) and tesC resulted in increased accumulation of
      FFAs when compared with the host E. coli strain. Overexpression of tesA' showed a
      1.87-fold increase in production of long-chain fatty acids (C16 to C18) over the
      host strain. Unlike TesC and the other investigated thioesterases, the TesA'
      thioesterase also produced shorter chain FFAs (e.g., myristic acid) and
      unsaturated FFAs (e.g., cis-vaccenic acid (18:1Delta11)). A comparison of the
      remaining 3 A. baylyi ADP1 thioesterases (encoded by the tesB, tesC, and tesD
      genes) revealed that only the strain containing the tesC gene produced
      statistically higher levels of FFAs over the control, suggesting that it
      possesses the acyl-ACP thioesterase activity. Both E. coli strains containing the
      tesB and tesD genes produced levels of FFAs similar to those of the plasmid-free
      control E. coli strain, which indicates that TesB and TesD lack the acyl-ACP
      thioesterase activity.

PMID- 28335612
TI  - Thrombin Generation in Patients With Suspected Venous Thromboembolism.
AB  - Increasing number of patients with clinically suspected venous thromboembolism is
      referred to radiological departments for definitive diagnosis. A simple assay to
      exclude the diagnosis and avoid radiological examinations is needed. We have
      reported correlations between D-dimer and prothrombin fragment 1 + 2 measured in
      plasma and urine. To further develop an analysis based on urine, more
      understanding of thrombin generation in these patients is needed. The aim of this
      study was to compare ex vivo thrombin generation with in vivo markers in plasma
      and urine in patients with and without venous thromboembolism. Urine and blood
      samples were collected from patients with suspected venous thromboembolism.
      Commercially available enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) kits were used
      to analyze the samples for in vivo thrombin generation. The ex vivo thrombogram
      parameters were measured by the calibrated automated thrombogram assay. Venous
      thromboembolism was verified with compression ultrasound of the lower extremity
      deep veins or with computer tomography of the pulmonary arteries. Venous
      thromboembolism was diagnosed in 117 of 591 patients, and they had significantly
      higher levels of urine and plasma prothromin fragment 1 + 2, D-dimer, lag time,
      time to peak, and endogenous thrombin potential when adjusted for covariates. The
      pattern of ex vivo and in vivo thrombin generation in patients with suspected
      venous thromboembolism was comparable when adjusted for covariates. Prothrombin
      fragment 1 + 2 in plasma and urine reflects thrombin generation ex vivo in the
      same manner. This indicates that urine may be an alternative substrate to
      quantify a procoagulant state.

PMID- 28335613
TI  - Tightly bound soil water introduces isotopic memory effects on mobile and
      extractable soil water pools.
AB  - Cryogenic vacuum extraction is the well-established method of extracting water
      from soil for isotopic analyses of waters moving through the soil-plant
      atmosphere continuum. We investigate if soils can alter the isotopic composition
      of water through isotope memory effects, and determined which mechanisms are
      responsible for it. Soils with differing physicochemical properties were re
      wetted with reference water and subsequently extracted by cryogenic water
      distillation. Results suggest some reference waters bind tightly to the soil and
      not all of this tightly bound water is removed during cryogenic vacuum
      extraction. Kinetic isotopic fractionation occurring when reference water binds
      to the soil is likely responsible for the 18O-depletion of re-extracted reference
      water, suggesting an enrichment of the tightly bound soil water pool. Further re
      wetting of cryogenically extracted soils indicates an isotopic memory effect of
      tightly bound soil water on water added to the soil. The data suggest tightly
      bound soil water can influence the isotopic composition of mobile soil water.
      Findings show that soils influence the isotope composition of soil water by (i)
      kinetic fractionation when water is bound to the soil and (ii) equilibrium
      fractionation between different soil water pools. These findings could be
      relevant for plant water uptake investigations and complicate ecohydrological and
      paleohydrological studies.

PMID- 28335615
TI  - Personality and sexuality in older adults.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: This study explored cross-time associations between personality and
      multiple components of sexual functioning and behaviour in a large cohort of
      older adults (n = 5745). DESIGN: Participants (Mage = 65.57 +/- 8.28 years)
      completed questionnaires in 2010 and 2012. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Outcomes
      explored included sexual attitudes, sexual activity, sexual satisfaction,
      lifetime sexual partners, sexual orientation and sexual dysfunction. RESULTS: We
      found that higher levels of openness and lower levels of agreeableness were
      related to more liberal attitudes toward sex, a greater number of sexual
      partners, a higher sex drive, more frequent sexual activity, lower levels of
      sexual dysfunction and (for women) a greater tendency towards homosexuality.
      Higher levels of conscientiousness were also related to more conservative
      attitudes towards sex, lower levels of sexual dysfunction and a greater tendency
      towards heterosexuality. For sexually active older adults, higher levels of
      extraversion and lower levels of neuroticism were related to greater sexual
      satisfaction. Higher levels of extraversion and lower levels of conscientiousness
      were also related to a greater number of sexual partners in men but not women.
      CONCLUSION: These findings provide evidence that personality is an important
      correlate of sexual functioning and behaviour in older adults.

PMID- 28335614
TI  - Therapeutic Targeting of Protein Kinase CK2 Gene Expression in Feline Oral
      Squamous Cell Carcinoma: A Naturally Occurring Large-Animal Model of Head and
      Neck Cancer.
AB  - Protein kinase CK2 (CK2) is a highly promising target for cancer therapy, and
      anti-CK2 gene expression therapy has shown effectiveness in rodent models of
      human head and neck cancer (HNC). To date, there has been no large-animal model
      of cancer in which to further explore anti-CK2 therapies. Feline oral squamous
      cell carcinoma (FOSCC) has been proposed as a large-animal model for human HNC,
      and we have previously shown that CK2 is a rational target in FOSCC. Here we have
      tested the hypothesis that a novel tenfibgen-coated tumor-specific nanocapsule
      carrying RNA interference (RNAi) oligonucleotides targeting feline CK2alpha and
      CK2alpha' (TBG-RNAi-fCK2alphaalpha') would be safe in cats with FOSCC; assessment
      of target inhibition and tumor response were secondary aims. Nine cats were
      enrolled and treated at two dose levels in a 3+3 escalation. Cats received a
      total of six treatments with TBG-RNAi-fCK2alphaalpha'. Pre- and posttreatment,
      tumor and normal oral mucosa biopsies were collected to assess CK2 expression,
      using immunohistochemistry (IHC) preparations evaluated by light microscopy.
      Toxicity and tumor response were assessed on the basis of standard criteria. The
      most common adverse events were grade 1 or 2 weight loss and anorexia. Grade 3
      tissue necrosis was seen in association with tumor response in one cat,
      asymptomatic grade 4 elevations in aspartate transaminase and creatine
      phosphokinase in one cat, and asymptomatic grade 3 hypokalemia in one cat. Of six
      cats with evaluable biopsies, two had a reduction in CK2 IHC score in tumors
      after treatment. Four cats had progressive disease during the study period, three
      had stable disease, one had partial response, and response could not be evaluated
      in one cat. We conclude that the drug appeared safe and that there is some
      evidence of efficacy in FOSCC. Further investigation regarding dosing, schedule,
      target modulation, toxicity, and efficacy in a larger group of cats is warranted
      and may inform future clinical studies in human head and neck cancer.

PMID- 28335616
TI  - Predictors of CD4 health and viral suppression outcomes for formerly homeless
      people living with HIV/AIDS in scattered site supportive housing.
AB  - Stable housing is key to improving health outcomes for people living with
      HIV/AIDS. Though many formerly homeless HIV positive individuals reside in
      supportive housing, little research has examined biometric HIV health outcomes
      for residents of these programs. Through a community-based research partnership,
      this study analyzed secondary data from a Shelter Plus Care supportive housing
      program in Cincinnati, Ohio to examine the likelihood of participants achieving a
      healthy CD4 count (>500 cells/mm3) and viral suppression (viral load <200
      copies/mL) while in supportive housing and to identify participant
      characteristics associated with these outcomes. The study sample was 86
      participants who entered the program between 2008 and 2016, including 50 current
      residents and 36 exited participants. Participants' average length of stay in
      Shelter Plus Care was 35.2 months (range 3.2-108.1 months) during the study
      period. Bivariate analysis indicated statistically significant improvements on
      both outcome variables, with 45% of participants achieving a healthy CD4 count
      and 79% achieving viral suppression by program exit or most recent time point.
      Participants who had health insurance at intake and who had never been
      incarcerated were more likely to achieve viral suppression, and longer length of
      stay in the program was also positively associated with viral suppression. These
      results add to the literature on the relationship between housing conditions and
      HIV health outcomes by demonstrating that residence in supportive housing is
      associated with improvements in CD4 count and viral load for a sample of formerly
      homeless persons living with HIV/AIDS, two-thirds of whom had co-occurring
      physical health, mental health, or substance abuse problems. Further research
      collaborations should expand on these findings to examine the service packages
      that are associated with optimal HIV health outcomes for supportive housing
      residents.

PMID- 28335617
TI  - Operative Treatment of Traumatic Hallux Valgus in Elite Athletes.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Traumatic hallux valgus is an increasingly common injury in the
      athletic population and represents a unique variant of turf toe. Failure to
      appropriately recognize and treat these injuries can lead to continued pain,
      decreased performance, progressive deformities, and ultimately degeneration of
      the hallux metatarsophalangeal joint. Limited literature currently exists to
      assist in the diagnosis, management, and operative treatment. METHODS: Nineteen
      patients were reviewed in this series, including 12 National Football League, 6
      college, and 1 high school player who was a college prospect. The average age for
      all patients at the time of surgery was 24.4 years (range, 19-33 years). Return
      to play and complications were evaluated. RESULTS: Overall, good operative
      results were obtained, with 74% of patients returning to their preinjury level of
      play at an average recovery time of 3.4 months. CONCLUSION: Traumatic hallux
      valgus is an increasingly common injury in the athletic population and represents
      a unique variant of turf toe. The impact of this injury cannot be overstated, as
      one-quarter of players were unable to return to play. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Level
      IV, case series.

PMID- 28335618
TI  - AAV: An Overview of Unanswered Questions.
AB  - AAV has been studied for 55 years and has been developed as a vector for about 35
      years. By now, there is a fairly good idea of the dimensions of what would be
      useful to know to employ AAV optimally as a vector, but there are still many
      unanswered questions within the system. As with all biological systems, each good
      experiment raises further questions to answer. This article provides an overview
      of those areas in which unknown information can be identified and of those
      questions that have not yet been recognized. Some of these are touched on in the
      six review articles in this issue of Human Gene Therapy.

PMID- 28335620
TI  - A novel mutation of BICD2 gene associated with juvenile amyotrophic lateral
      sclerosis.

PMID- 28335619
TI  - Overexpression of the X-Linked Inhibitor of Apoptosis Protects Against Retinal
      Degeneration in a Feline Model of Retinal Detachment.
AB  - Retinal detachment is an acute disorder in humans that is caused by trauma or
      disease, and it can often lead to permanent visual deficits that result from the
      death of photoreceptors in the retina. The final pathway for photoreceptor cell
      death is apoptosis and necroptosis. The X-linked inhibitor of apoptosis (XIAP)
      has been shown to block both of these cell death pathways. This study tested the
      effects of XIAP on photoreceptor survival in a feline model of retinal
      detachment. The study was performed in 12 cats, divided into two experimental
      groups. Six animals received a subretinal injection of adeno-associated virus
      (AAV) carrying XIAP, and six animals received AAV carrying green fluorescent
      protein (GFP) as a control. Three weeks after viral delivery, retinas were
      detached by injecting C3F8 gas into the subretinal space. Optical coherence
      tomography revealed that the retinal detachments resolved within 3-6 weeks as the
      gas was slowly resorbed. Analysis of histological sections through the plane of
      the detachment showed significant preservation of the photoreceptor layer in AAV
      XIAP-treated animals compared to AAV-GFP-treated animals at 9 weeks after the
      detachment. XIAP-treated detached retinas were similar to intact controls. These
      studies support the potential for XIAP therapy in the treatment of human retinal
      detachment.

PMID- 28335621
TI  - Re: Srivastava A, Carter BJ; AAV Infection: Protection from Cancer; Hum Gene Ther
      2017;28:323-327; DOI: 10.1089/hum.2016.147.

PMID- 28335625
TI  - Is ICU Safety Threatened by the Straight Corridor?

PMID- 28335622
TI  - Functional Connectivity of the Subcallosal Cingulate Cortex And Differential
      Outcomes to Treatment With Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy or Antidepressant
      Medication for Major Depressive Disorder.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this article was to inform the first-line treatment
      choice between cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) or an antidepressant medication
      for treatment-naive adults with major depressive disorder by defining a
      neuroimaging biomarker that differentially identifies the outcomes of remission
      and treatment failure to these interventions. METHOD: Functional MRI resting
      state functional connectivity analyses using a bilateral subcallosal cingulate
      cortex (SCC) seed was applied to 122 patients from the Prediction of Remission to
      Individual and Combined Treatments (PReDICT) study who completed 12 weeks of
      randomized treatment with CBT or antidepressant medication. Of the 122
      participants, 58 achieved remission (Hamilton Depression Rating Scale [HAM-D]
      score <=7 at weeks 10 and 12), and 24 had treatment failure (<30% decrease from
      baseline in HAM-D score). A 2*2 analysis of variance using voxel-wise subsampling
      permutation tests compared the interaction of treatment and outcome. Receiver
      operating characteristic curves constructed using brain connectivity measures
      were used to determine possible classification rates for differential treatment
      outcomes. RESULTS: The resting-state functional connectivity of the following
      three regions with the SCC was differentially associated with outcomes of
      remission and treatment failure to CBT and antidepressant medication and survived
      application of the subsample permutation tests: the left anterior ventrolateral
      prefrontal cortex/insula, the dorsal midbrain, and the left ventromedial
      prefrontal cortex. Using the summed SCC functional connectivity scores for these
      three regions, overall classification rates of 72%-78% for remission and 75%-89%
      for treatment failure was demonstrated. Positive summed functional connectivity
      was associated with remission with CBT and treatment failure with medication,
      whereas negative summed functional connectivity scores were associated with
      remission to medication and treatment failure with CBT. CONCLUSIONS: Imaging
      based depression subtypes defined using resting-state functional connectivity
      differentially identified an individual's probability of remission or treatment
      failure with first-line treatment options for major depression. This biomarker
      should be explored in future research through prospective testing and as a
      component of multivariate treatment prediction models.

PMID- 28335623
TI  - Genetic Heterogeneity in Depressive Symptoms Following the Death of a Spouse:
      Polygenic Score Analysis of the U.S. Health and Retirement Study.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: Experience of stressful life events is associated with risk of
      depression. Yet many exposed individuals do not become depressed. A controversial
      hypothesis is that genetic factors influence vulnerability to depression
      following stress. This hypothesis is often tested with a "diathesis-stress"
      model, in which genes confer excess vulnerability. The authors tested an
      alternative formulation of this model: genes may buffer against depressogenic
      effects of life stress. METHOD: The hypothesized genetic buffer was measured
      using a polygenic score derived from a published genome-wide association study of
      subjective well-being. The authors tested whether married older adults who had
      higher polygenic scores were less vulnerable to depressive symptoms following the
      death of their spouse compared with age-matched peers who had also lost their
      spouse and who had lower polygenic scores. Data were analyzed from 8,588 non
      Hispanic white adults in the Health and Retirement Study (HRS), a population
      representative longitudinal study of older adults in the United States. RESULTS:
      HRS adults with higher well-being polygenic scores experienced fewer depressive
      symptoms during follow-up. Those who survived the death of their spouses
      (N=1,647) experienced a sharp increase in depressive symptoms following the death
      and returned toward baseline over the following 2 years. Having a higher well
      being polygenic score buffered against increased depressive symptoms following a
      spouse's death. CONCLUSIONS: The effects were small, and the clinical relevance
      is uncertain, although polygenic score analyses may provide clues to behavioral
      pathways that can serve as therapeutic targets. Future studies of gene
      environment interplay in depression may benefit from focus on genetics discovered
      for putative protective factors.

PMID- 28335624
TI  - Effects of Patient Preferences on Outcomes in the Predictors of Remission in
      Depression to Individual and Combined Treatments (PReDICT) Study.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: The Predictors of Remission in Depression to Individual and Combined
      Treatments [PReDICT] study aimed to identify clinical and biological factors
      predictive of treatment outcomes in major depressive disorder among treatment
      naive adults. The authors evaluated the efficacy of cognitive-behavioral therapy
      (CBT) and two antidepressant medications (escitalopram and duloxetine) in
      patients with major depression and examined the moderating effect of patients'
      treatment preferences on outcomes. METHOD: Adults aged 18-65 with treatment-naive
      major depression were randomly assigned with equal likelihood to 12 weeks of
      treatment with escitalopram (10-20 mg/day), duloxetine (30-60 mg/day), or CBT (16
      50-minute sessions). Prior to randomization, patients indicated whether they
      preferred medication or CBT or had no preference. The primary outcome was change
      in the 17-item Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HAM-D), administered by raters
      blinded to treatment. RESULTS: A total of 344 patients were randomly assigned,
      with a mean baseline HAM-D score of 19.8 (SD=3.8). The mean estimated overall
      decreases in HAM-D score did not significantly differ between treatments (CBT:
      10.2, escitalopram: 11.1, duloxetine: 11.2). Last observation carried forward
      remission rates did not significantly differ between treatments (CBT: 41.9%,
      escitalopram: 46.7%, duloxetine: 54.7%). Patients matched to their preferred
      treatment were more likely to complete the trial but not more likely to achieve
      remission. CONCLUSIONS: Treatment guidelines that recommend either an evidence
      based psychotherapy or antidepressant medication for nonpsychotic major
      depression can be extended to treatment-naive patients. Treatment preferences
      among patients without prior treatment exposure do not significantly moderate
      symptomatic outcomes.

PMID- 28335627
TI  - State of the Science in Healthcare Design.

PMID- 28335629
TI  - Executive Summary of Key Concepts.

PMID- 28335628
TI  - Letter to the Editors and Response.

PMID- 28335630
TI  - The Design, Prototyping, and Formative Evaluation of an Assistive Robotic Table
      (ART) for Stroke Patients.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: This article presents the results of an exploratory study in which 14
      healthcare subject matter experts (H-SMEs) in addition to four research and
      design subject matter experts (RD-SMEs) at a regional rehabilitation hospital
      engaged in a series of complementary, participatory activities in order to design
      an assistive robotic table (ART). BACKGROUND: As designers, human factor experts,
      and healthcare professionals continue to work to integrate assistive human-robot
      technologies in healthcare, it is imperative to understand how the technology
      affects patient care from clinicians' perspectives. METHOD: Fourteen clinical H
      SMEs rated a subset of conceptual ART design ideas; participated in the iterative
      design process of ART; and evaluated a final cardboard prototype, the
      rehabilitation hospital's current over-the-bed table (OBT), an ART built with
      true materials, and two therapy surface prototypes. Four RD-SMEs conducted a
      heuristic evaluation on the ART built with true materials. Data were analyzed by
      frequency and content analysis. RESULTS: The results include a design and
      prototype for the next generation ART and a pneumatically controlled therapy
      surface, a broadened list of specifications for the future design and
      implementation of assistive robotic furniture, and final observations.
      CONCLUSION: When compared to the rehabilitation hospital's current OBT, the
      developed ART in this study was successful. Designing novel features is dependent
      upon ensuring patient safety. The inclusion of clinicians in the participatory
      iterative design and evaluation process and the use of personas provided a
      broadened list of specifications for the successful implementation of assistive
      robotic furniture.

PMID- 28335632
TI  - Executive Summary of Key Concepts.

PMID- 28335631
TI  - Demystifying the Peer-Review Process for HERD.

PMID- 28335633
TI  - If A, Then B.

PMID- 28335634
TI  - Applying Lean Methods to Healthcare Design.

PMID- 28335636
TI  - Utility values associated with advanced or metastatic non-small cell lung cancer:
      data needs for economic modeling.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: Cost-effectiveness analyses often inform healthcare reimbursement
      decisions. The preferred measure of effectiveness is the quality adjusted life
      year (QALY) gained, where the quality of life adjustment is measured in terms of
      utility. Areas covered: We assessed the availability and variation of utility
      values for health states associated with advanced or metastatic non-small cell
      lung cancer (NSCLC) to identify values appropriate for cost-effectiveness models
      assessing alternative treatments. Our systematic search of six electronic
      databases (January 2000 to August 2015) found the current literature to be sparse
      in terms of utility values associated with NSCLC, identifying 27 studies. Utility
      values were most frequently reported over time and by treatment type, and less
      frequently by disease response, stage of disease, adverse events or disease
      comorbidities. Expert commentary: In response to rising healthcare costs, payers
      increasingly consider the cost-effectiveness of novel treatments in reimbursement
      decisions, especially in oncology. As the number of therapies available to treat
      NSCLC increases, cost-effectiveness analyses will play a key role in
      reimbursement decisions in this area. Quantifying the relationship between health
      and quality of life for NSCLC patients via utility values is an important
      component of assessing the cost effectiveness of novel treatments.

PMID- 28335637
TI  - Reversing the anticoagulation effects of dabigatran.
AB  - The standard of care for oral anticoagulation therapy has primarily been
      warfarin, which is limited by its indirect mechanism-of-action, variable
      kinetics, tolerability, and routine monitoring concerns. The direct-acting oral
      anticoagulants (DOACs) have predictable pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics,
      and improved safety and efficacy compared to warfarin for the prevention of
      stroke in patients with nonvalvular atrial fibrillation and prevention or
      management of venous thromboembolism. Consequential bleeding is a concern with
      all anticoagulants. Vitamin K is not a rapid reversal agent for warfarin; rather
      it facilitates synthesis of new vitamin K-dependent clotting factors, which can
      take longer than 24 h. Other nonspecific agents, including recombinant activated
      factor VII, three- and four-factor prothrombin complex concentrates (PCC), and
      activated PCC or Factor Eight Inhibitor Bypassing Activity (FEIBA(r)), are
      options based on clinical need. Specific agents to quickly reverse the effects of
      DOACs have been under development, and idarucizumab, a monoclonal antibody
      fragment that rapidly binds dabigatran, has been approved for clinical use in
      cases of dabigatran-related life-threatening bleeding, or if a dabigatran-treated
      patient needs emergency surgery or an invasive procedure. Idarucizumab
      specifically and rapidly reverses dabigatran-induced anticoagulation as measured
      by established coagulation assays. However, this does not guarantee complete
      hemostasis, especially if a patient has underlying comorbidities such as renal or
      liver disease, or has experienced recent trauma that requires urgent surgery. In
      these cases, concomitant supportive therapy and/or administration of concentrated
      clotting factors may be considered. Emerging data from ongoing trials and
      clinical experience will further inform providers regarding optimal approaches
      for anticoagulation reversal.

PMID- 28335638
TI  - Incidence and clinical predictors of subsequent atrial fibrillation requiring
      additional ablation after cavotricuspid isthmus ablation for typical atrial
      flutter.
AB  - OBJECTIVES: We sought to investigate the incidence of atrial fibrillation after
      catheter ablation for typical atrial flutter and to determine the predictors for
      symptomatic atrial fibrillation that required a further additional dedicated
      ablation procedure. DESIGN: 127 patients underwent elective cavotricuspid isthmus
      ablation with the indication of symptomatic, typical atrial flutter. The
      occurrence of atrial flutter, atrial fibrillation, cerebrovascular events and the
      need for additional ablation procedures for symptomatic atrial fibrillation was
      assessed during long-term follow-up. RESULTS: The majority of patients (70%)
      manifested atrial fibrillation during a follow-up period of 68 +/- 24 months, and
      a significant proportion (42%) underwent one or multiple atrial fibrillation
      ablation procedures after an average of 26 months from the index procedure.
      Recurrence of typical atrial flutter was rare. Ten patients (8%) suffered
      cerebrovascular events. Earlier documentation of atrial fibrillation (OR 3.53),
      previous use of flecainide (OR 3.33) and left atrial diameter (OR 2.96)
      independently predicted occurrence of atrial fibrillation during the follow-up. A
      combination of pre- and intra-procedural documentation of atrial fibrillation (OR
      3.81) and previous use of flecainide (OR 2.43) independently predicted additional
      atrial fibrillation ablation. DISCUSSION: Atrial fibrillation occurred in the
      majority of patients after ablation for typical atrial flutter and 42% of them
      required an additional dedicated ablation procedure. Pre- and intraprocedural
      documentation of atrial fibrillation together with previous use of flecainide
      independently predicted atrial fibrillation occurrence and a need for additional
      ablation. Anticoagulation treatment should be continued in high-risk patients in
      spite of clinical disappearance of atrial flutter.

PMID- 28335639
TI  - A teachers' training program accompanying the "School Fruit Scheme" fruit
      distribution improves children's adherence to the Mediterranean diet: an Italian
      trial.
AB  - The effects of a nutrition education program, led by trained teachers within the
      Italian School Fruit Scheme, were evaluated. Pre-post intervention children's
      adherence to the Mediterranean diet (MD) was assessed by the KIDMED test. A
      representative cluster sample of 494 fourth grade students from thirteen Italian
      schools in the three areas of low (North), medium (Centre) and high (South)
      prevalence of overweight and obesity was investigated. Within the same schools,
      the intervention group (n = 395) received the program, the control group (n = 99)
      did not. In the intervention group, the proportion of children with high
      adherence to the MD significantly increased in the total sample, females and
      South in the post-intervention; no significant changes in levels of adherence
      related to ponderal status were detected. A significant increase was found,
      particularly, in the proportion of children who improved their frequency of
      consumption of fruit and vegetables (FV) daily, especially in the South.

PMID- 28335640
TI  - Nebivolol attenuates cerebral vasospasm both by increasing endothelial nitric
      oxide and by decreasing oxidative stress in an experimental subarachnoid
      haemorrhage.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: Evidence suggests that reduction of nitric oxide (NO) bioavailability
      due to oxidative stress plays a central role in the pathophysiology of cerebral
      vasospasm after subarachnoid haemorrhage (SAH). To prevent SAH-induced cerebral
      vasospasm, therefore we used nebivolol hydrochloride as a NO-mediated vasodilator
      and an antioxidant drug in an experimental rat model of SAH. MATERIALS AND
      METHODS: Forty female Wistar rats were divided into control, SAH, SAH plus
      placebo, and SAH plus nebivolol groups. Starting six hours after inducing SAH, 5
      mg/kg of nebivolol hydrochloride and of pharmaceutical excipients of nebivolol
      was given orally once daily for five days to SAH plus nebivolol and SAH plus
      placebo groups, respectively. The lumen diameter and vessel wall thickness of the
      basilar artery were measured in brain sections. The serum and brain supernatant
      levels of nitric oxide (NO) were analysed. The brain supernatant levels of
      intrinsic antioxidants superoxide dismutase (SOD) and glutathione peroxidase (GSH
      Px) were measured as markers of the antioxidant status. RESULTS: Nebivolol
      administration attenuated cerebral vasospasm both by increasing NO levels and by
      decreasing oxidative stress. Our study also demonstrated that nebivolol
      administration reverses SAH created imbalance between SOD and GSH-Px by
      increasing GSH-Px activity relative to SOD. CONCLUSIONS: Nebivolol attenuates the
      cerebral vasospasm after SAH both increasing NO levels and decreasing oxidative
      stress. Therefore, it may promise to prevent SAH-induced cerebral vasospasm as an
      anti-spasmodic and anti-oxidant agent.

PMID- 28335641
TI  - Corrigendum.

PMID- 28335642
TI  - Voriconazole for prophylaxis of invasive fungal infections after allogeneic
      hematopoietic stem cell transplantation.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: Invasive fungal infections (IFIs) following allogeneic
      hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (alloHSCT) are associated with a high
      mortality, and accordingly most alloHSCT recipients receive prophylaxis with
      antifungal agents. Despite some improvement in outcomes of IFIs over time, they
      continue to represent substantial clinical risk, mortality, and financial burden.
      Areas covered: We review the main pathogens responsible for IFIs in recipients of
      alloHSCT, current treatment recommendations, and discuss clinical and economic
      considerations associated with voriconazole prophylaxis of IFIs in these
      patients. Expert commentary: The clinical efficacy of voriconazole appears to be
      at least equivalent to other antifungal treatments, and generally well tolerated.
      Overall, benefit-risk balance is favorable, and findings from cost-effectiveness
      analyses support the use of voriconazole prophylaxis of IFIs in recipients of
      alloHSCT.

PMID- 28335643
TI  - Prospects and progress of atezolizumab in non-small cell lung cancer.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: Immunotherapy has recently come to the forefront of oncology
      treatment as a potential means of combating cancer by restoring the body's
      adaptive cancer-immunity cycle. Atezolizumab is a monoclonal antibody agent that
      specifically targets programmed death ligand 1 (PD-L1), a key molecule in the
      cancer-immunity pathway, to block binding to its receptors PD-1 and B7.1. Areas
      covered: This review covers the role of atezolizumab in the treatment of non
      small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Several studies have reported promising efficacy
      in this indication. The phase II FIR and BIRCH studies evaluated atezolizumab
      monotherapy across different lines of therapy in NSCLC selected by PD-L1
      expression status. The randomized POPLAR and OAK trials of atezolizumab versus
      docetaxel in previously treated NSCLC reported improved efficacy in the
      atezolizumab arm. Several ongoing studies yet to report data are also described
      and treatment-related adverse events are discussed. Expert opinion: Clinical
      trials have shown that atezolizumab has a favorable risk-benefit ratio compared
      with standard chemotherapy in second-line treatment of non-oncogene-driven
      advanced NSCLC. Promising response rates and survival over 2 years has been
      reported in the first-line setting; however, more research is needed in this
      setting and in evaluating combinatorial strategies to treat NSCLC.

PMID- 28335645
TI  - Treatment of sleep disorders in youth with ADHD: what is the evidence from
      randomised controlled trials and how should the field move forward?

PMID- 28335644
TI  - Heart rate and dyssynchrony in patients with cardiac resynchronization therapy: a
      pilot study.
AB  - OBJECTIVES: The objective of this pilot study was to describe the impact of paced
      heart rate on left ventricular (LV) mechanical dyssynchrony in synchronous
      compared to dyssynchronous pacing modes in patients with heart failure. METHODS:
      Echocardiography was performed in 14 cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT)
      patients at paced heart rates of 70 and 90 bpm in synchronous- (CRT), and
      dyssynchronous (atrial pacing + wide QRS activation) pacing modes. LV
      dyssynchrony was quantified using the 12-segment standard deviation model (Ts-SD)
      derived from Tissue Doppler Imaging. In addition, cardiac cycle intervals were
      assessed using cardiac state diagrams and stroke volume (SV) and filling pressure
      were estimated. RESULTS: Ts-SD decreased significantly with CRT at 90 bpm (25 +/-
      12 ms) compared to 70 bpm (35 +/- 15 ms, p = .01), but remained unchanged with
      atrial pacing at different paced heart rates (p = .96). The paced heart rate
      dependent reduction in Ts-SD was consistent when Ts-SD was indexed to average Ts
      and systolic time interval. Cardiac state diagram derived analysis of cardiac
      cycle intervals demonstrated a significant reduction of the pre-ejection interval
      and an increase in diastole with CRT compared to atrial pacing. SV was maintained
      at the higher paced heart rate with CRT pacing but decreased with atrial pacing.
      DISCUSSION: Due to the small sample size in this pilot study general and firm
      conclusions are difficult to render. However, the data suggest that pacing at
      higher heart rates acutely reduces remaining LV dyssynchrony during CRT, but not
      during atrial pacing with dyssynchronous ventricular activation. These results
      need confirmation in a larger patient cohort.

PMID- 28335646
TI  - Synthesis of an acridine orange sulfonamide derivative with potent carbonic
      anhydrase IX inhibitory action.
AB  - Acridine orange (AO) a fluorescent cationic dye used for the management of human
      musculoskeletal sarcomas, due to its strong tumoricidal action and accumulation
      in the acidic environment typical of hypoxic tumors, was used for the preparation
      of a primary sulfonamide derivative. The rationale behind the drug design is the
      fact that hypoxic, acidic tumors overexpress carbonic anhydrase (CA, EC 4.2.1.1)
      isoforms, such as CA IX, which is involved in pH regulation, proliferation, cell
      migration and invasion, and this enzyme is strongly inhibited by primary
      sulfonamides. The AO-sulfonamide derivative was indeed a potent, low nanomolar CA
      IX inhibitor whereas its inhibition of the cytosolic isoforms CA I and II was in
      the micromolar range. A second transmembrane, tumor-associated isoform, CA XII,
      was also effectively inhibited by the AO-sulfonamide derivative, making this
      compound an interesting theranostic agent for the management of hypoxic tumors.

PMID- 28335647
TI  - Sorafenib for the treatment of breast cancer.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: Breast cancer treatment includes many options depending on the
      tumor clinicopathological profile, which groups breast cancer into various
      subtypes. Bevacizumab is currently the only drug capable of targeting
      angiogenesis in breast cancer. Sorafenib has also been studied in combination
      with other agents. Areas covered: Pharmacological aspects of sorafenib, including
      results from preclinical studies on breast cancer cells; findings about clinical
      efficacy and safety in both single-arm and randomized clinical trials; ongoing
      trials. Expert opinion: Since sorafenib as a single agent has shown limited
      efficacy in breast cancer, its combination with other drugs is under
      investigation. Dose reduction is the main challenge when sorafenib is combined
      with chemotherapy or endocrine therapy. Although randomized phase-II trials on
      sorafenib plus chemotherapy versus chemotherapy alone have shown potential
      benefits in progression-free survival, preliminary results from a phase-III study
      in combination with capecitabine are negative. The definitive results of this
      trial and results from other ongoing phase-II trials will determine further
      developments of sorafenib in breast cancer. Although these additional data could
      help determine the most appropriate dose, drug combination and patient settings,
      a confirmation of the preliminary negative results reported in the phase-III
      trial are likely to discourage further use of sorafenib in breast cancer, given
      its non-negligible toxicity, lack of predicting markers, and the number of more
      promising drugs for breast cancer.

PMID- 28335648
TI  - Inflammation and pharmacokinetics: potential implications for HIV-infection.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: The physiological changes accompanying inflammation may alter the
      pharmacokinetics (PK) of certain medications. Individuals infected with HIV have
      chronically elevated inflammatory markers despite viral suppression following
      effective antiretroviral therapy (ART), as well as age-related inflammation.
      Understanding the potential clinical implications of inflammation on the PK of
      medications is important for understanding dose-response relationships and
      necessitates future research. Areas covered: An extensive literature search was
      carried out using PubMed and associated bibliographies to summarize the current
      state of knowledge regarding altered PK in response to inflammation and its
      application to the field of HIV. Expert opinion: Preclinical and clinical studies
      show that inflammation leads to a downregulation of certain drug metabolizing
      enzymes and both up and down regulation of transporters depending on the
      transporter and cell type. Decreased gastric acidity, fluid shifts, and plasma
      protein alterations also occur with inflammation, leading to potential
      absorption, distribution, and clearance changes. More research is needed
      including controlled PK studies to address the clinical relevance of these
      observations, especially in the aging HIV-infected population. Results from
      future studies will enable us to better predict drug concentrations in
      individuals with inflammation, in line with efforts to provide personalized
      pharmacotherapy in our healthcare system.

PMID- 28335649
TI  - Plasma growth arrest-specific 6 levels in term and preterm newborns.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: Growth Arrest-Specific 6 (GAS6) is a vitamin K-dependent protein.
      Despite a similar structure to Protein S, it has no anticoagulant activity. An
      association between GAS6 and some diseases for adults has been reported. In the
      absence of prospective clinical studies of GAS6 in neonates, so far, the
      objective of this study is to obtain, for the first time, plasma GAS6 levels
      before and after vitamin K1 prophylaxis in full-term and pre-term newborns.
      METHODS: 80 newborns (40 term and 40 preterm) were recruited for this study. Cord
      blood samples and peripheral blood samples 48 h after vitamin K1 injection were
      collected into EDTA-tubes. GAS6 levels were measured in platelet-poor plasma by
      ELISA. RESULTS: Cord blood plasma GAS6 levels in preterm and term newborns were
      9.07 +/- 5.30 ng/mL and 9.75 +/- 4.34 ng/mL, respectively. In response to vitamin
      K1 injection, GAS6 levels increased in preterm newborns (10.50 +/- 5.28 ng/mL) (p
      < .05), but not in term newborns (9.12 +/- 3.42 ng/mL, p > .05). CONCLUSION: This
      pilot study provided, to the best of our knowledge, the first report that GAS6
      levels increased significantly after vitamin K1 prophylaxis in preterm newborns
      but not in term infants. This study may serve as a first step toward more
      extensive studies in neonates.

PMID- 28335650
TI  - Are we nearing the end in the fight against hepatitis C?

PMID- 28335651
TI  - From mystery to mechanism: can proteomics build systems-level understanding of
      our gut microbes?

PMID- 28335652
TI  - Positive vaginal culture at rescue cerclage predicts subsequent preterm delivery.
AB  - PURPOSE: This retrospective case-control study is aimed to extract predictors of
      preterm delivery after rescue cerclage. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We collected the
      data from all the pregnant women who underwent rescue cerclage before 26+0
      gestational weeks at our facility between July 2006 and July 2016. These women
      were divided into "delivery at <34 weeks" group (n = 12) and "delivery at >=34
      weeks" group (n = 12). Multiple factors that had been detected at the time of
      cerclage were compared between these two groups. RESULTS: "Gestational weeks at
      cerclage >=23" and "positive vaginal culture at cerclage" were significantly more
      prevalent in the "delivery at <34 weeks" group than in the "delivery at >=34
      weeks" group. "Prolapsed membranes at cerclage" tended to be more prevalent in
      the "delivery at <34 weeks" group than in the "delivery at >=34 weeks" group.
      "Positive vaginal culture at cerclage" was the only independent risk factor
      associated with eventual preterm delivery before 34 gestational weeks.
      CONCLUSIONS: Simple aerobic bacterial culture of the vaginal swab sampled at the
      time of cerclage could be used as a reliable test to predict subsequent preterm
      delivery before 34 gestational weeks.

PMID- 28335653
TI  - Anesthesia management of complete versus incomplete placenta previa: a
      retrospective cohort study.
AB  - PURPOSE: Placenta previa (PP) is a major cause of obstetric hemorrhage. Clinical
      diagnosis of complete versus incomplete PP has a significant impact on the
      peripartum outcome. Our study objective is to examine whether distinction between
      PP classifications effect anesthetic management. METHODS AND MATERIALS: This
      multi-center, retrospective, cohort study was performed in two tertiary
      university-affiliated medical centers between the years 2005 and 2013. Electronic
      delivery databases were reviewed for demographic, anesthetic, obstetric
      hemorrhage, and postoperative outcomes for all cases. RESULTS: Throughout the
      study period 452 cases of PP were documented. We found 134 women (29.6%) had a
      complete PP and 318 (70.4%) had incomplete PP. Our main findings were that women
      with complete PP intraoperatively had higher incidence of general anesthesia (p =
      .017), higher mean estimated blood loss (p < .001), increased blood components
      transfusions (p < .001), and significant increase in cesarean hysterectomy rate
      (p < .001) than women with incomplete PP. Additionally, complete PP was
      associated with more postoperative complications: higher incidence of admission
      to the intensive care unit (ICU) (p < .001), more mechanical ventilation (p =
      .02), a longer median postoperative care unit (PACU) (p = .02), ICU (p = .002),
      and overall length of stay in the hospital (p < .001). CONCLUSIONS: Complete PP
      is associated with increased risk of hemorrhage compared with incomplete PP.
      Therefore distinction between classifications should be factored into anesthetic
      management protocols.

PMID- 28335654
TI  - Gestational weight gain among nutritionally treated GDM patients.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: We aimed to evaluate pregnancy outcome in diet-treated gestational
      diabetes mellitus (GDM) patients according to the 2009 Institute of Medicine
      (IOM) guidelines concerning gestational weight gain (GWG). DESIGN AND PATIENTS:
      This was a retrospective cohort study, limited to women with singleton
      pregnancies and diet-treated GDM. Women with preexisting diabetes or women with
      pharmaceutical treatment were excluded. We compared patients with adequate GWG
      with patients with excess GWG according to the 2009 IOM guidelines. RESULTS:
      Overall, 142 women were evaluated, of which 99 (69.7%) had adequate GWG and 43
      (30.3%) had excess GWG. All demonstrated good glycemic control. Patients in the
      excess GWG group had higher mean pre-pregnancy weight and body mass index (BMI).
      No other obstetrical or perinatal statistically significant differences were
      demonstrated, although there was a trend for higher birth weight percentile and
      higher rate of respiratory distress among the excess GWG group. CONCLUSIONS:
      Higher pre-pregnancy BMI is a risk factor for failing to comply with the 2009 IOM
      GWG guidelines. However, it seems that in pregnancies complicated by diet-treated
      GDM, GWG is not a reliable marker for adverse pregnancy outcome if glycemic
      control is adequate.

PMID- 28335655
TI  - The therapeutic potential of targeting ABC transporters to combat multi-drug
      resistance.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: Most disseminated cancers remain fatal despite the availability of
      a variety of conventional and novel treatments including surgery, chemotherapy,
      radiotherapy, immunotherapy, and biologically targeted therapy. A major factor
      responsible for the failure of chemotherapy in the treatment of cancer is the
      development of multidrug resistance (MDR). The overexpression of various ABC
      transporters in cancer cells can efficiently remove the anticancer drug from the
      cell, thus causing the drug to lose its effect. Areas covered: In this review, we
      summarised the ongoing research related to the mechanism, function, and
      regulation of ABC transporters. We integrated our current knowledge at different
      levels from molecular biology to clinical trials. We also discussed potential
      therapeutic strategies of targeting ABC transporters to reverse MDR in cancer
      cells. Expert opinion: Involvement of various ABC transporters to cancer MDR lays
      the foundation for developing tailored therapies that can overcome MDR. An ideal
      MDR reversal agent should have broad-spectrum ABC-transporter inhibitory
      activity, be potent, have good pharmacokinetics, have no trans-stimulation
      effects, and have low or no toxicity. Alternatively, nanotechnology-based drug
      delivery systems containing both the cytotoxic drug and reversing agent may
      represent a useful approach to reversing MDR with minimal off-target toxicity.

PMID- 28335656
TI  - Response to letter to the editor "Mean platelet volume may have not a predictive
      value for placental invasion anomalies".

PMID- 28335657
TI  - Molecular characteristics of uterine sarcomas.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: Uterine sarcomas are rare cancers, of which the most common
      entities are leiomyosarcoma and endometrial stromal sarcoma. These two tumors may
      have overlapping clinical presentation, morphology and immunohistochemical
      profile, but are increasingly recognized to be two molecularly distinct entities.
      Endometrial stromal sarcomas are further currently divided into a low-grade and
      high-grade group based on molecular characteristics. Area covered: This review
      discusses recent data which shed light on the molecular profile of these two
      cancers and may aid in understanding their evolution and progression, in the aim
      of improving their diagnosis and management. Search was through PubMed, with
      focus on studies published in the last 5 years. Expert commentary: The literature
      presented and discussed documents rapidly expanding knowledge of the genetic
      characteristics of leiomyosarcoma and endometrial stromal sarcoma, with an array
      of molecules and pathways implicated in the biology of these cancers. Several of
      these molecules are potential therapeutic targets. Assessment of their predictive
      and prognostic role awaits larger studies.

PMID- 28335658
TI  - Dopamine antagonists for treatment resistance in autism spectrum disorders:
      review and focus on BDNF stimulators loxapine and amitriptyline.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: Drug development and repurposing are urgently needed for
      individuals with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) and psychiatric comorbidity,
      which often presents as aggression and self-injury. Areas covered: We review
      dopamine antagonists, including classical and atypical, as well as unconventional
      antipsychotics in ASD. The older antipsychotic loxapine is discussed in terms of
      preliminary albeit limited evidence in ASD. Emerging promise of amitriptyline in
      ASD is discussed, together with promising BDNF effects of loxapine and
      amitriptyline. Expert opinion: In ASD, pharmacotherapy and specifically dopamine
      antagonist drugs are often prescribed for challenging behaviors including
      aggression. The novel antipsychotics risperidone and aripiprazole have received
      most study in ASD and are FDA-approved for irritability in children with ASD over
      age 5 years; individuals with ASD are prone to weight gain, Type II diabetes and
      associated side effects. Low dose loxapine has properties of classical and novel
      antipsychotics but importantly appears more weight neutral, and with promising
      use in adolescents and adults with ASD. Amitriptyline appears effective in ASD
      for irritability, aggression, gastrointestinal problems, and insomnia, in
      children, adolescents and adults however our adult data on amitriptyline in ASD
      is still in preparation for publication. Both loxapine and amitriptyline may
      stimulate BDNF; further studies are warranted.

PMID- 28335660
TI  - Recommendation of the WFITN regarding simulation in neurointerventional training.

PMID- 28335659
TI  - Factors associated with weight gain among adult patients initiating
      antiretroviral therapy in Port Harcourt, Nigeria: a retrospective cohort study.

PMID- 28335661
TI  - Safety and efficacy of balloon angioplasty of the anterior cerebral artery for
      vasospasm treatment after subarachnoid hemorrhage.
AB  - Balloon angioplasty is often performed for symptomatic vasospasm following
      aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage. Angioplasty of the anterior cerebral artery
      (ACA), however, is perceived to be a challenging endeavor and not routinely
      performed due to technical and safety concerns. Here, we evaluate the safety and
      efficacy of balloon angioplasty of the anterior cerebral artery for vasospasm
      treatment. Patients with vasospasm following subarachnoid hemorrhage who
      underwent balloon angioplasty at our institution between 2011 and 2016 were
      retrospectively reviewed. All ACA angioplasty segments were analyzed for pre- and
      post-angioplasty radiographic measurements. The degree of vasospasm was
      categorized as mild (<25%), moderate (25-50%), or severe (>50%), and relative
      change in caliber was measured following treatment. Clinical outcomes following
      treatment were also assessed. Among 17 patients, 82 total vessel segments and 35
      ACA segments were treated with balloon angioplasty. Following angioplasty, 94% of
      segments had increased caliber. Neurological improvement was noted in 75% of
      awake patients. There were no intra-procedural complications, but two patients
      developed ACA territory infarction, despite angioplasty treatment. We demonstrate
      that balloon angioplasty of the ACA for vasospasm treatment is safe and
      effective. Thus, ACA angioplasty should be considered to treat vasospasm in
      symptomatic patients recalcitrant to vasodilation infusion therapy.

PMID- 28335662
TI  - Performance of computed tomography angiography to determine anterograde and
      collateral blood flow status in patients with symptomatic middle cerebral artery
      stenosis.
AB  - Background The purpose of this study was to determine the performance of computed
      tomography angiography (CTA) by using a scoring system to predict anterograde and
      collateral blood flow status in patients with symptomatic middle cerebral artery
      (MCA) stenosis with use of conventional angiography as standard reference.
      Methods We retrospectively identified all consecutive patients with unilateral
      symptomatic MCA stenosis in our center who underwent conventional angiography and
      CTA within 1 month. The anterograde and collateral blood flow (AnCo) scoring
      system consisted of anterograde score (AnS) and collateral score (CoS).
      Evaluation of the CTA images was done independently by two readers, based on the
      AnCo scoring system. The conventional angiography was assessed by using the
      Thrombolysis in Cerebral Infarction (TICI) and American Society of Interventional
      and Therapeutic Neuroradiology (ASITN/SIR) scoring system to determine the status
      of anterograde and collateral blood flow. Diagnostic performance of AnCo was
      evaluated by using the area under the receiver operating characteristic (ROC)
      curve. Results A total of 61 patients were included in the analysis with mean age
      of 53.4 +/- 11.0 years. AnS demonstrated a strong correlation with TICI with
      statistical significance ( r = 0.786; p < 0.001). CoS had a modest yet
      statistically significant correlation with ASITN/SIR ( r = 0.574; p < 0.001). The
      ROC curve analysis for AnS demonstrated an area under the curve (AUC) of 0.894 (
      p < 0.001) and the ROC curve analysis for CoS showed an AUC of 0.824 ( p <
      0.001). Conclusions CTA was a potential method to evaluate anterograde and
      collateral blood flow status in patients with symptomatic unilateral MCA
      stenosis.

PMID- 28335663
TI  - Universal and particular in morphological processing: Evidence from Hebrew.
AB  - Do properties of individual languages shape the mechanisms by which they are
      processed? By virtue of their non-concatenative morphological structure, the
      recognition of complex words in Semitic languages has been argued to rely
      strongly on morphological information and on decomposition into root and pattern
      constituents. Here, we report results from a masked priming experiment in Hebrew
      in which we contrasted verb forms belonging to two morphological classes, Paal
      and Piel, which display similar properties, but crucially differ on whether they
      are extended to novel verbs. Verbs from the open-class Piel elicited familiar
      root priming effects, but verbs from the closed-class Paal did not. Our findings
      indicate that, similarly to other (e.g., Indo-European) languages, down-to-the
      root decomposition in Hebrew does not apply to stems of non-productive verbal
      classes. We conclude that the Semitic word processor is less unique than
      previously thought: Although it operates on morphological units that are combined
      in a non-linear way, it engages the same universal mechanisms of storage and
      computation as those seen in other languages.

PMID- 28335664
TI  - Cognitive Behavioral Intervention Compared to Telephone Counseling Early after
      Mild Traumatic Brain Injury: A Randomized Trial.
AB  - Many patients do not return to work (RTW) after mild traumatic brain injury
      (mTBI) because of persistent complaints that are often resistant to therapy in
      the chronic phase. Recent studies suggest that psychological interventions should
      be implemented early post-injury to prevent patients from developing chronic
      complaints. This study is a randomized, controlled trial that examines the
      effectiveness of a newly developed cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT)
      intervention (CBTi) compared to telephonic counseling (TC) in at-risk mTBI
      patients (patients with high reports of early complaints). Patients underwent
      either five sessions of CBT treatment or five phone conversations starting 4-6
      weeks post-trauma. The main outcome measure was RTW 6 and 12 months post-trauma.
      Secondary measures comprised functional outcome at 6 and 12 months, and
      depression, anxiety, and reported post-traumatic complaints at 3, 6, and 12
      months post-injury. After excluding dropouts, CBTi consisted of 39 patients and
      TC of 45 patients. No significant differences were found with regard to RTW, with
      65% of CBTi patients and 67% of TC patients reporting a RTW at previous level.
      However, TC patients reported fewer complaints at 3 (8 vs. 6; p = 0.010) and 12
      months post-injury (9 vs. 5; p = 0.006), and more patients in the TC group showed
      a full recovery 12 months post-injury compared to the CBTi group (62% vs. 39%).
      The results of this study suggest that early follow-up of at-risk patients can
      have a positive influence on patients' well-being, and that a low-intensive, low
      cost telephonic intervention might be more effective than a CBT intervention at
      improving outcome in at-risk patients.

PMID- 28335666
TI  - Control of dental-derived induced pluripotent stem cells through modified
      surfaces for dental application.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study is to investigate the behaviour of iPSc derived
      from dental stem cells in terms of initial adhesion, differentiation potential on
      differently surface-treated titanium disc. MATERIALS AND METHODS: iPSc derived
      from human gingival fibroblasts (hGFs) were established using 4-reprogramming
      factors transduction with Sendai virus. The hGF-iPSc established in this study
      exhibited the morphology and growth properties similar to human embryonic stem
      (ES) cells and expressed pluripotency makers. Alkaline Phosphatase (AP) staining,
      Embryoid Body (EB) formation and in vitro differentiation and karyotyping further
      confirmed pluripotency of hGF-iPSc. Then, hGF-iPSc were cultured on machined- and
      Sandblasted and acid etched (SLA)-treated titanium discs with osteogenic
      induction medium and their morphological as well as quantitative changes
      according to different surface types were investigated using Alizrin Red S
      staining, Scanning electron microscopy (SEM), Flow cytometry and RT-PCR. RESULTS:
      Time-dependent and surface-dependent morphological changes as well as
      quantitative change in osteogenic differentiation of hGF-iPSc were identified and
      osteogenic gene expression of hGF-iPSc cultured on SLA-treated titanium disc
      found to be greater than machined titanium disc, suggesting the fate of hGF-iPSc
      may be determined by the characteristics of surface to which hGF-iPSc first
      adhere. CONCLUSIONS: iPSc derived from dental stem cell can be one of the most
      promising and practical cell sources for personalized regenerative dentistry and
      their morphological change as well as quantitative change in osteogenic
      differentiation according to different surface types may be further utilized for
      future clinical application incorporated with dental implant.

PMID- 28335665
TI  - Calcium oxalate crystals induces tight junction disruption in distal renal
      tubular epithelial cells by activating ROS/Akt/p38 MAPK signaling pathway.
AB  - Tight junction plays important roles in regulating paracellular transports and
      maintaining cell polarity. Calcium oxalate monohydrate (COM) crystals, the major
      crystalline composition of kidney stones, have been demonstrated to be able to
      cause tight junction disruption to accelerate renal cell injury. However, the
      cellular signaling involved in COM crystal-induced tight junction disruption
      remains largely to be investigated. In the present study, we proved that COM
      crystals induced tight junction disruption by activating ROS/Akt/p38 MAPK
      pathway. Treating Madin-Darby canine kidney (MDCK) cells with COM crystals
      induced a substantial increasing of ROS generation and activation of Akt that
      triggered subsequential activation of ASK1 and p38 mitogen-activated protein
      kinase (MAPK). Western blot revealed a significantly decreased expression of ZO-1
      and occludin, two important structural proteins of tight junction. Besides,
      redistribution and dissociation of ZO-1 were observed by COM crystals treatment.
      Inhibition of ROS by N-acetyl-l-cysteine (NAC) attenuated the activation of Akt,
      ASK1, p38 MAPK, and down-regulation of ZO-1 and occludin. The redistribution and
      dissociation of ZO-1 were also alleviated by NAC treatment. These results
      indicated that ROS were involved in the regulation of tight junction disruption
      induced by COM crystals. In addition, the down-regulation of ZO-1 and occludin,
      the phosphorylation of ASK1 and p38 MAPK were also attenuated by MK-2206, an
      inhibitor of Akt kinase, implying Akt was involved in the disruption of tight
      junction upstream of p38 MAPK. Thus, these results suggested that ROS-Akt-p38
      MAPK signaling pathway was activated in COM crystal-induced disruption of tight
      junction in MDCK cells.

PMID- 28335668
TI  - Directions for use of intracranial pressure monitoring in treatment of severe
      traumatic brain injury using data from the Japan Neurotrauma Data Bank.
AB  - Neuromonitoring can be used to observe intracranial pathological conditions in
      neurointensive care, but use of intracranial pressure (ICP) monitoring is low in
      Japan. In this study, we retrospectively investigated the effects of ICP
      monitoring in treatment of severe traumatic brain injury (TBI) using data from
      the Japan Neurotrauma Data Bank (JNTDB). The study was conducted in 1,091
      subjects enrolled in the JNTDB (Project 2009) from July 2009 to June 2011. The
      subjects were divided into those treated with and without ICP monitoring in
      intensive care for severe TBI. Age at admission, sex, level of consciousness
      (Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS)), pupillary findings, findings on head CT, treatment,
      and outcome were compared between these groups. The subjects were also classified
      into two groups based on the outcome. Relationships between patient background
      factors, including ICP, and clinical outcome were evaluated. The rate of ICP
      monitoring in treatment of severe TBI was 28%. Therapies were performed
      aggressively in the ICP monitoring group and this group had a significant
      reduction in mortality, but no increase in the favorable outcome rate. In
      multivariate analysis, age, GCS, pupillary abnormalities, perimesencephalic
      cistern disappearance or compression, and ICP were associated with a favorable
      outcome, but the therapeutic method did not affect outcome. We conclude that ICP
      monitoring and management of ICP are both important for management and care of
      severe TBI. However, current therapies do not control ICP sufficiently and more
      effective therapies are needed.

PMID- 28335669
TI  - The experience of modified sequential selective laser photocoagulation of
      communicating vessels technique for twin-twin transfusion syndrome.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: Fetoscopic laser photocoagulation of vascular anastomoses (FLP) is the
      essential choice in twin-twin transfusion syndrome (TTTS). We proposed that the
      modified sequential selective laser photocoagulation of communicating vessels
      (modified SQLPCV) to clarify the perinatal outcomes in TTTS. METHODS: The
      modified SQLPCV was designed with the following order: 1, artery-to-artery
      anastomoses; 2, venous-to-venous anastomoses; 3, artery-to-venous anastomoses
      from donor to recipient; and 4, artery-to-venous anastomoses from recipient to
      donor. The perinatal outcomes were present in TTTS patients who underwent the
      modified SQLPCV. RESULTS: A total of 203 women underwent modified SQLPCV. The
      mean pregnancy prolongation period was 83 days, and the mean gestational age at
      delivery was 33 weeks (range 23-40 weeks). There was a significantly lower rate
      of recipient fetal demise than donor fetal demise (4% vs. 13%; p < .01). The
      survival rate of zero and one were respectively 6% (13/203) and 19% (39/203). Two
      survivors were seen in 74% (151/203), and at least one survivor in 94% (190/203).
      Univariate and multivariate analysis showed that abnormal fetal Doppler
      measurements in donor were correlated with donor demise after surgery.
      CONCLUSIONS: The modified SQLPCV represents satisfactory outcomes for fetuses
      complicating with TTTS.

PMID- 28335670
TI  - Different lengths, copies and expression levels of the mitochondrial atp6 gene in
      male sterile and fertile lines of carrot (Daucus carota L.).
AB  - The male-sterile carrot is an effective material for carrot breeding. The atp6
      gene is involved in carrot fertility. However, the differences in lengths,
      copies, and expression profiles of the atp6 gene in fertile and male-sterile
      lines of carrot are unclear. In this study, one copy atp6 gene was found in the
      mtDNAs of 'Kuroda' (fertility, 954 bp) and 'Wuye-BY' (male sterility, 819 bp)
      carrot lines, while two copies atp6 genes (Wuye-L and Wuye-D, 954 bp and 819 bp,
      respectively) were found in the mtDNA of 'Wuye' (fertility). Two putative
      conserved domains have been detected in the carrot atp6 protein. Evolutionary
      analysis showed that the atp6 protein sequences of Wuye-L and Kuroda were
      clustered in the same branch, while Wuye-D and Wuye-BY were clustered in the same
      branch. The atp6 gene was higher expressed in the flowers of 'Kuroda' and 'Wuye'
      (Wuye-L), while lower expressed in 'Wuye-BY' and 'Wuye' (Wuye-D).

PMID- 28335672
TI  - Effect of Severe Vitamin D Deficiency at Admission on Shock Reversal in Children
      With Septic Shock.
AB  - OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the association of severe vitamin D deficiency with
      clinically important outcomes in children with septic shock. METHODS: We enrolled
      children <=17 years with septic shock prospectively over a period of 6 months. We
      estimated 25-hydroxyvitamin D [25 (OH) D] levels at admission and 72 hours.
      Severe deficiency was defined as serum 25 (OH) <10 ng/mL. We performed univariate
      and multivariate analysis to evaluate association with clinically important
      outcomes. RESULTS: Forty-three children were enrolled in the study. The
      prevalence of severe vitamin D deficiency was 72% and 69% at admission and 72
      hours, respectively. On univariate analysis, severe vitamin D deficiency at
      admission was associated with lower rates of shock reversal, 74% (23) versus 25%
      (3); relative risk (95% confidence interval [CI]): 2.9 (1.09-8.08), at 24 hours
      and greater need for fluid boluses (75 vs 59 mL/kg). On multivariate analysis,
      nonresolution of shock at 24 hours was significantly associated with severe
      vitamin D deficiency after adjusting for other key baseline and clinical
      variables, adjusted odds ratio (95% CI): 12 (2.01-87.01); 0.01. CONCLUSION: The
      prevalence of severe vitamin D deficiency is high in children with septic shock
      admitted to pediatric intensive care unit. Severe vitamin D deficiency at
      admission seems to be associated with lower rates of shock reversal at 24 hours
      of ICU stay. Our study provides preliminary data for planning interventional
      studies in children with septic shock and severe vitamin D deficiency.

PMID- 28335671
TI  - The relationship between survival rate and intradialytic blood pressure changes
      in maintenance hemodialysis patients.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study is to investigate the relationship between
      blood pressure changes and all-cause mortality, and between blood pressure
      changes and cardiovascular mortality, for maintenance hemodialysis (MHD) patients
      during dialysis. METHODS: Data regarding general condition, biochemical indices,
      and survival prognosis of MHD patients who were treated at the Shanghai Jiao Tong
      University School of Medicine-affiliated Renji Hospital from July 2007 to
      December 2012 were collected, in order to evaluate the relationship between
      patients' blood pressure changes during hemodialysis and mortality. RESULTS:
      Among 364 patients, with an average age of 63.07 +/- 13.93 years, an average
      dialysis vintage of 76.00 (range, 42.25-134.00) months, and a follow-up time of
      54.86 +/- 19.84 months, there were 85 cases (23.4%) of all-cause death and 46
      cases (14.2%) of cardiovascular death. All-cause mortality and cardiovascular
      mortality were lowest (OR, 0.324 and 0.335; 95% CI, 0.152-0.692 and 0.123-0.911;
      p value, .004 and .032, respectively) in patients whose systolic blood pressure
      difference (DeltaSBP) before and after dialysis was between 7.09 and 14.25 mmHg.
      Kaplan-Meier analysis indicated that both all-cause mortality and cardiovascular
      mortality were markedly increased for patients with DeltaSBPless than -0.25 mmHg
      (p value, .001 and .044, respectively). Cox regression analysis showed that
      DeltaSBP< -0.25 mmHg, hemoglobin concentration, Kt/v and albumin were independent
      risk factors for all-cause mortality in MHD patients. CONCLUSIONS: MHD patients
      whose blood pressure increased significantly after hemodialysis had a higher risk
      of dying; DeltaSBP, hemoglobin concentration, Kt/v and albumin were independent
      risk factors for all-cause mortality in MHD patients.

PMID- 28335673
TI  - Modifiable Risk Factors for Delirium in Critically Ill Trauma Patients.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: Intensive care unit (ICU)-acquired delirium has been associated with
      increased morbidity and mortality. Prevention strategies including modification
      of delirium risk factors are emphasized by practice guidelines. No study has
      specifically evaluated modifiable delirium risk factors in trauma ICU patients.
      Our goal was to evaluate modifiable risk factors for delirium among trauma
      patients admitted to the ICU. DESIGN: Prospective observational study. SETTING:
      Two level 1 trauma ICU centers. PATIENTS: Patients 18 years of age or older
      admitted for trauma including mild to moderate traumatic brain injury were
      eligible for the study. INTERVENTIONS AND MEASUREMENTS: Delirium was assessed
      daily using the confusion assessment method for the ICU (CAM-ICU). The effect of
      modifiable risk factors was assessed using multivariate Cox regression analysis
      adjusting for severity of illness and significant nonmodifiable risk factors.
      MAIN RESULTS: A total of 58 of 150 recruited patients (38.7%; 95% confidence
      interval [CI] 30.9-46.5) screened positive for delirium during ICU stay. When
      adjusting for significant nonmodifiable risk factors, physical restraints (hazard
      ratio [HR]: 2.13; 95% CI: 1.07-4.24) and active infection or sepsis (HR: 2.12;
      95% CI: 1.18-3.81) significantly increased the risk of delirium, whereas opioids
      (HR: 0.35; 95% CI: 0.13-0.98), episodes of hypoxia (HR: 0.55; 95% CI: 0.31-0.95),
      access to a television/radio in the room (HR: 0.26; 95% CI: 0.11-0.62), and
      number of hours mobilized per day (HR: 0.77; 95% CI: 0.68-0.88) were associated
      with significantly less risk of delirium. CONCLUSION: We have identified
      modifiable risk factors for delirium. Future studies should aim at implementing
      strategies to modify these risk factors and evaluate their impact on the risk of
      delirium.

PMID- 28335674
TI  - An unexpected cause of transient diarrhea.
AB  - Migration of percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy (PEG) tube to colon with gastro
      colonic-cutaneous fistula formation is a rare complication of the procedure.
      Transient episodic diarrhea following each PEG tube feeding is typical of this
      complication. We present a 72-year-old man with cerebrovascular disease and
      scoliosis who encountered episodes of transient diarrhea after each PEG tube
      feeding. His diarrhea was refractory to medications. Colonoscopy demonstrated a
      mal-positioned PEG in the transverse colon. Computed tomogram (CT) of abdomen
      further confirmed the finding. After removal of the migrated PEG, his diarrhea
      had ceased completely. The gastro-colonic-cutaneous fistula was further managed
      with endoscopic clipping method with no complications encountered during follow
      up.

PMID- 28335675
TI  - Development and Application of an Indirect Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay
      Using Recombinant Mag1 for Serodiagnosis of Toxoplasma gondii In Dogs.
AB  - Serologic tests are widely accepted and applied as means to detect anti-
      Toxoplasma gondii immunoglobulin G antibodies. In this study, recombinant matrix
      antigen (rMAG1) was induced by isopropyl-beta-d-thiogalactoside and purified by
      nickel-nitrilotriacetic acid purification system. We then developed and optimized
      an indirect enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) through checkerboard assays
      using serial dilutions of antigens and sera to assess the potential use of rMAG1
      in serologic detection of T. gondii infection in dogs. Serum samples from 93
      domestic dogs were analyzed by western blot and rMAG1-ELISA. The results were
      compared with those obtained from an ELISA with the soluble Toxoplasma lysate
      antigens (TLA). We found that although yielding an excellent agreement (96.7%)
      with western blot data (kappa = 0.9659), rMAG1-ELISA produced higher sensitivity
      (93.9% vs. 87.8%) and specificity (98.3% vs. 96.7%) than TLA-ELISA. In addition,
      receiver operating characteristic analysis also revealed that rMAG1-ELISA is in
      more agreement with western blot (area under the curve [AUC] = 0.985) relative to
      TLA-ELISA (AUC = 0.955). These results indicated that the rMAG1-ELISA established
      in this study provides a promising and reliable tool for serologic detection of
      T. gondii infection in dogs.

PMID- 28335677
TI  - Comparison of anti-pertussis toxin ELISA and agglutination assays to assess
      immune responses to pertussis.
AB  - BACKGROUND: The goal of our study was to compare the following two methods of
      assessment of pertussis post-vaccination immunity: bacterial agglutination test
      and pertussis toxin enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). METHODS: The study
      was carried out in Perm Region, Russia. We measured pertussis immunity using two
      serological methods: ELISA of IgG to pertussis toxin (PT) and the agglutination
      test (AT) among 135 children, in the age range from 2 months to 17 years old. The
      immunization schedule included four doses of DTwP: at 3, 4.5 and 6 months of age
      and a booster at 18 months. All participants were divided into six age groups.
      RESULTS: The percentage of samples with IgG level less than the detection limit
      in vaccinated children was 52.2%. The total seropositivity rate (the percent of
      children with agglutinin titres >=1:160) in vaccinated children was 47.8%. Only a
      weak association was observed between agglutinin and anti-PT IgG titres (R = .3).
      Neither the primary nor the booster vaccination with DTwP influenced the IgG
      levels in children. Agglutinin titres significantly increased after vaccination
      and declined 5 years after the booster dose. Significant growth of IgG
      concentration was observed in 11-year-olds, indicating the presence of B.
      pertussis circulation in the childhood population. CONCLUSIONS: Based on the
      obtained results and the results of other authors, we summarize that anti-PT
      ELISA should be carefully used to assess the population immunity to pertussis.
      Currently, there is neither a serological test that accurately determines the
      protection against pertussis nor a distinctive criterion of protection that can
      be applied in seroepidemiological studies.

PMID- 28335676
TI  - Physiopathological approach to infective endocarditis in chronic hemodialysis
      patients: left heart versus right heart involvement.
AB  - Infectious endocarditis (IE), a complication that is both cardiac and infectious,
      occurs frequently and is associated with a heavy burden of morbidity and
      mortality in chronic hemodialysis patients (CHD). About 2-6% of chronic
      hemodialysis patients develop IE and the incidence is 50-60 times higher among
      CHD patients than in the general population. The left heart is the most frequent
      location of IE in CHD and the different published series report a prevalence of
      left valve involvement varying from 80% to 100%. Valvular and perivalvular
      abnormalities, alteration of the immune system, and bacteremia associated with
      repeated manipulation of the vascular access, particularly central venous
      catheters, comprise the main factors explaining the left heart IE in CHD
      patients. While left-sided IE develops in altered valves in a high-pressure
      system, right-sided IE on the contrary, generally develops in healthy valves in a
      low-pressure system. Right-sided IE is rare, with its incidence varying from 0%
      to 26% depending on the study, and the tricuspid valve is the main location.
      Might the massive influx of pathogenic and virulent germs via the central venous
      catheter to the right heart, with the tricuspid being the first contact valve,
      have a role in the physiopathology of IE in CHD, thus facilitating bacterial
      adhesion? While the physiopathology of left-sided IE entails multiple and
      convincing mechanisms, it is not the case for right-sided IE, for which the
      physiopathological mechanism is only partially understood and remains shrouded in
      mystery.

PMID- 28335678
TI  - Computational study on transfer of L-ascorbic acid by UlaA through Escherichia
      coli membrane.
AB  - In this study, the transfer of L-ascorbic acid by UlaA through Escherichia coli
      (E. coli) membrane was evaluated using density functional theory (DFT), molecular
      docking, and molecular dynamics (MD) simulation methods. DFT calculations at the
      B3lyp/6[Formula: see text]311[Formula: see text]G(p,d) level were performed to
      investigate the interaction properties and molecular descriptors. The physical
      properties, such as chemical potential, chemical hardness, and chemical
      electrophilicity of all studied molecules, were investigated. Natural population
      analysis was employed to describe the state of charge transfer between
      interactions using the natural bond orbital (NBO). The atoms in molecules (AIM)
      theory was used to examine the properties of the bond critical points such as
      their electron densities and Laplacians. Molecular docking studies showed that L
      ascorbic acid was bounded to the internal cavity of UlaA. It was found that there
      were some hydrogen bond interactions between L-ascorbic acid and active sites of
      UlaA. The results of the MD simulation showed that the root mean square deviation
      (RMSD) of UlaA and L-ascorbic acid bound-UlaA reached equilibrium after
      3.7[Formula: see text]ns. An evaluation of the radius of gyration ([Formula: see
      text]) revealed that UlaA and L-ascorbic acid bound-UlaA were stabilized around
      10,000[Formula: see text]ns. Finally, analysis of the RMS fluctuations suggested
      that the structure of the L-ascorbic acid binding site remained approximately
      rigid during simulation. All obtained results shed light on the special manner of
      L-ascorbic acid transfer through E. coli membrane, and confirmed the results of
      previous studies on this issue.

PMID- 28335681
TI  - Is action video gaming related to sustained attention of adolescents?
AB  - Over the past few years, an increasing number of studies have shown that playing
      action video games can have positive effects on tasks that involve attention and
      visuo-spatial cognition (e.g., visual search, enumeration tasks, tracking
      multiple objects). Although playing action video games can improve several
      cognitive functions, the intensive interaction with the exciting, challenging,
      intrinsically stimulating and perceptually appealing game environments may
      adversely affect other functions, including the ability to maintain attention
      when the level of stimulation is not as intense. This study investigated whether
      a relationship existed between action video gaming and sustained attention
      performance in a sample of 45 Italian teenagers. After completing a questionnaire
      about their video game habits, participants were divided into Action Video Game
      Player (AVGP) and Non-Action Video Game Player (NAVGP) groups and underwent
      cognitive tests. The results confirm previous findings of studies of AVGPs as
      they had significantly enhanced performance for instantly enumerating a set of
      items. Nevertheless, we found that the drop in performance over time, typical of
      a sustained attention task, was significantly greater in the AVGP compared with
      the NAVGP group. This result is consistent with our hypothesis and demonstrates a
      negative effect of playing action video games.

PMID- 28335680
TI  - AMPK Knockdown in Placental Labyrinthine Progenitor Cells Results in Restriction
      of Critical Energy Resources and Terminal Differentiation Failure.
AB  - Placental abnormalities can cause Pregnancy-Associated Disorders, including
      preeclampsia, intrauterine growth restriction, and placental insufficiency,
      resulting in complications for both the mother and fetus. Trophoblast cells
      within the labyrinthine layer of the placenta facilitate the exchange of
      nutrients, gases, and waste between mother and fetus; therefore, the development
      of this cell layer is critical for fetal development. As trophoblast cells
      differentiate, it is assumed their metabolism changes with their energy
      requirements. We hypothesize that proper regulation of trophoblast metabolism is
      a key component of normal placental development; therefore, we examined the role
      of AMP-activated kinase (AMPK, PRKAA1/2), a sensor of cellular energy status. Our
      previous studies have shown that AMPK knockdown alters both trophoblast
      differentiation and nutrient transport. In this study, AMPKalpha1/2 shRNA was
      used to investigate the metabolic effects of AMPK knockdown on SM10 placental
      labyrinthine progenitor cells before and after differentiation. Extracellular
      flux analysis confirmed that AMPK knockdown was sufficient to reduce trophoblast
      glycolysis, mitochondrial respiration, and ATP coupling efficiency. A reduction
      in AMPK in differentiated trophoblasts also resulted in increased mitochondrial
      volume. These data indicate that a reduction in AMPK disrupts cellular metabolism
      in both progenitors and differentiated placental trophoblasts. This disruption
      correlates to abortive trophoblast differentiation that may contribute to the
      development of Pregnancy-Associated Disorders.

PMID- 28335682
TI  - Effect of lipophilicity of amylamine and amylglycine ligands on biological
      activity of new anticancer cisplatin analog.
AB  - Investigation of side effects and solubility of anticancer drugs is a major
      challenge in chemotherapy science. Thus, design and synthesis of cisplatin
      analogs with higher lipophilicity as novel water-soluble anticancer drugs is
      valuable. In this work, two new Pt(II) complexes were synthesized with formula
      cis-[Pt(NH3)2(amylgly)]NO3 and cis-[Pt(amylamine)2(amylgly)]NO3, where gly is
      penthyl glycine as an amino acid. The new compounds were synthesized and
      extensively characterized using analytical techniques; spectroscopic methods, and
      conductivity measurement. The anticancer activity of synthesized complexes was
      investigated against colon cancer cell line HCT116 using MTT assay and results
      showed excellent anticancer activity with Cc50 values of 36 and 270 M after 24-h
      incubation time for cis-[Pt(NH3)2(amylgly)]NO3 and cis-[Pt(NH2
      amyl)2(amylgly)]NO3, respectively; which is lower than that for cisplatin. These
      complexes were also interacted with highly polymerized calf thymus DNA and the
      binding mode of the complexes to CT-DNA was evaluated by fluorescence, circular
      dichroism, and UV spectroscopy. The calculation of binding and thermodynamic of
      Pt(II) complexes with CT-DNA can provide deeper insight into mechanism of the
      action of these types of complexes with nucleic acids. So, thermodynamic
      parameters were also determined according to isothermal titration. In comparison
      with cis-[Pt(NH3)2(amylgly)]NO3 in DNA interaction, the result show that cis
      [Pt(NH2-amyl)2(amylgly)]NO3 has higher affinity with binding constant Kf = 8.72
      mM to CT-DNA. The results indicate that cis-[Pt(amylamine)2(amylgly)]NO3 with
      large and bulky aliphatic group bind to CT-DNA by different modes and covalent
      and groove bindings were preferred mode of interaction with DNA.

PMID- 28335679
TI  - Puerarin attenuates renal fibrosis by reducing oxidative stress induced
      epithelial cell apoptosis via MAPK signal pathways in vivo and in vitro.
AB  - Puerarin (PR) is an isoflavonoid isolated from the root of the plant Pueraria
      lobata and has been widely used in traditional Chinese herbal medicine for the
      treatment of various diseases. Oxidative stress and epithelial cell apoptosis
      play important roles in the renal fibrotic process. The present study aimed to
      determine whether or not PR inhibits renal fibrosis by reducing oxidative stress
      induced-epithelial cell apoptosis. In vivo, unilateral ureteral obstruction (UUO)
      induced renal fibrosis, and epithelial cell apoptosis. A total of 24 mice were
      randomly assigned to four experimental groups: sham, UUO alone, UUO +50 mg/kg PR,
      and UUO +100 mg/kg PR. In vitro, 200 MUM hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) induced
      epithelial cell apoptosis. The experiments were dived into four groups: control,
      H2O2 alone, H2O2+50 MUM PR, and H2O2+100 MUM PR. Tubular injury was measured in
      the renal cortex of the mice through periodic acid-Schiff (PAS) staining, and the
      extracellular matrix (ECM) was measured through Sirius red (SR),
      immunohistochemistry (IHC) staining, and Western blot. Renal epithelial cell
      apoptosis was measured through terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated
      dUTP Nick-End labeling (TUNEL), flow cytometry (FCM), and Hoechst assays. The
      protein expression of NOX4, caspase3, ERK, P38, and JNK was assessed through
      Western blot. PAS staining showed that PR decreased renal tubular injury in UUO
      mice. SR and IHC staining demonstrated that PR decreased the accumulation of ECM.
      PR treatment significantly inhibited epithelial cell apoptosis according to the
      results of TUNEL, FCM, Hoechst, and Western blot. Furthermore, NOX4 increased in
      UUO mice and decreased with PR treatment. H2O2-derived oxidative stress activated
      epithelial apoptosis and mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPK), and PR
      treatment significantly reversed it. These results suggest that PR treatment
      ameliorates renal fibrosis by inhibiting oxidative stress induced-epithelial cell
      apoptosis through MAPK signaling.

PMID- 28335683
TI  - Redescription of Pallisentis (Brevitritospinus) Indica (Acanthocephala:
      Quadrigyridae) from Channa punctatus Bloch & Schneider (Channidae) in Aligarh,
      India with New Understandings of Old Structures.
AB  - Pallisentis indica Mital and Lal, 1976 was originally described from Channa
      gachua Hamilton (Channidae) in Kali Nadi River, Aligarh, India. The parasite was
      later placed in the subgenus Brevitritospinus Amin, Heckmann, Ha, Luc, and Doanh,
      2000 . Our collection from the spotted snakehead Channa punctatus Bloch &
      Schneider in another locality of the same stream in Aligarh produced many
      specimens with variable traits, revealing new structures that have never before
      been described in the Acanthocephala, especially relating to the ducted trunk
      spines. The proboscis has 4 circles of 10 hooks each, with hooks in the anterior
      2 circles being considerably larger than those in the posterior 2 circles. Y
      shaped trunk spines are ducted in 2 regions separated by a spineless zone. The
      anterior collar spines are in complete rings of 9-17 circles of crowded spines
      and the larger posterior trunk spines are in 1 (posterior) to 41 (anterior)
      circles extending to level of cement glands in males posteriorly. Considerable
      variations from the original description and new structures are reported for the
      first time.

PMID- 28335684
TI  - Bone-Marrow-Derived Endothelial Progenitor Cell Treatment in a Model of Lateral
      Fluid Percussion Injury in Rats: Evaluation of Acute and Subacute Outcome
      Measures.
AB  - Traumatic brain injury (TBI) continues to be a serious health care issue while
      therapies to treat TBI remain elusive. Promising results from the use of
      endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs) in numerous disease states highlight the
      pleiotropic capacity of this cell type. We have previously demonstrated that EPC
      conditioned media reduces axonal degeneration subsequent to in vitro oxygen
      glucose deprivation insult and concurrently improves white matter and
      microvascular outcome in vivo after mid-line fluid percussion injury. In the
      current study, we evaluated the effectiveness of allogeneic endothelial cells
      derived from rat bone marrow on microvascular recovery and neuronal sparing after
      lateral fluid percussion injury. We observed reduced expression of activated
      caspase-3 and poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase cleavage at 72 h post-injury. Subacute
      injury assessments at 30 days post-injury using immunohistochemistry indicated
      nonsignificant effects on microvascular outcome and neuronal cell density in the
      hippocampus. Behavioral testing using the Morris Water Maze and rotarod
      demonstrated significant improvement in locomotor function, as measured by the
      rotarod task, but no significant differences in spatial memory ability. The data
      suggest that EPCs contribute to improvements in the early phase of secondary
      injury through inhibition of apoptosis whereas the effects on longer-term
      recovery were less clearly defined. There is potential in the use of EPCs to
      treat secondary injury post-TBI; however, optimization of their effects through
      increased duration or homing capacities remains to be examined.

PMID- 28335685
TI  - Preterm Delivery as a Unique Pathophysiologic State Characterized by Maternal
      Soluble FMS-Like Tyrosine Kinase 1 and Uterine Artery Resistance During
      Pregnancy: A Longitudinal Cohort Study.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Preterm delivery (PTD) may be characterized by altered
      interrelationships among angiogenic factors and measures of placental function.
      We analyzed the longitudinal relationship between maternal serum concentrations
      of soluble fms-like tyrosine kinase 1 (sFlt1), an important antiangiogenic
      factor, and uterine artery resistance in pregnancies resulting in preterm and
      term deliveries. METHODS: Data were collected in a longitudinal cohort study
      involving 278 women monitored at 6 to 10, 10 to 14, 16 to 20, 22 to 26, and 32 to
      36 weeks of gestation. Concentrations of maternal serum sFlt1 were determined
      using solid-phase enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, and uterine artery
      resistance indices (RI) were measured by Doppler velocimetry at each interval.
      Preterm delivery was defined as birth before 37-weeks completed gestation. Data
      analyses used multivariable repeated measures regression models. RESULTS: Uterine
      artery RI decreased across gestation. As pregnancy progressed, RI trajectories
      diverged for term and preterm deliveries; the mean RI was significantly higher in
      third trimester for pregnancies resulting in PTD ( P = .08). sFlt1 was stable
      through 21 3/7 weeks of gestation and then increased rapidly; women who delivered
      preterm had significantly higher sFlt1 levels in the third trimester ( P = .04).
      The relationship between uterine artery RI and sFlt1 from the prior visit was
      significantly different between the groups ( P < .0001). For term deliveries,
      higher sFlt1 concentrations were associated with a smaller RI at the subsequent
      visit (beta = -.08, 95% confidence interval [CI]: -0.14 to -0.02). For PTD,
      higher sFlt1 concentrations were associated with a larger uterine artery RI (beta
      = .14, 95% CI: 0.06 to 0.22). CONCLUSION: PTD is characterized by altered
      relationships between angiogenic factors and placental vascular blood flow
      starting in early pregnancy.

PMID- 28335686
TI  - Grammatical-gender effects in noun-noun compound production: Evidence from
      German.
AB  - We examined how noun-noun compounds and their syntactic properties are lexically
      stored and processed in speech production. Using gender-marked determiner primes
      ( dermasc, diefem, dasneut [the]) in a picture naming task, we tested for
      specific effects from determiners congruent with either the modifier or the head
      of the compound target (e.g., Teemasckannefem [teapot]) to examine whether the
      constituents are processed independently at the syntactic level. Experiment 1
      assessed effects of auditory gender-marked determiner primes in bare noun picture
      naming, and Experiment 2 assessed effects of visual gender-marked determiner
      primes in determiner-noun picture naming. Three prime conditions were
      implemented: (a) head-congruent determiner (e.g., diefem), (b) modifier-congruent
      determiner (e.g., dermasc), and (c) incongruent determiner (e.g., dasneuter). We
      observed a facilitation effect of head congruency but no effect of modifier
      congruency. In Experiment 3, participants produced novel noun-noun compounds in
      response to two pictures, demanding independent processing of head and modifier
      at the syntactic level. Now, head and modifier congruency effects were obtained,
      demonstrating the general sensitivity of our task. Our data support the notion of
      a single-lemma representation of lexically stored compound nouns in the German
      production lexicon.

PMID- 28335687
TI  - Isolated HAGL lesion after arthroscopic Bankart repair in a professional soccer
      player.
AB  - Post-traumatic anterior shoulder instability commonly occurs following an
      avulsion of capsulolabral complex from glenoid (Bankart lesion) or rarely after
      humeral avulsion of the glenohumeral ligaments (HAGL lesion). Arthroscopic
      Bankart repair offers high success rates of healing. However, trauma following
      the treatment may cause implant failure or re-avulsion of the treated tissue. We
      aim to present the diagnosis and treatment of an isolated HAGL lesion in a
      professional soccer player who had previously undergone arthroscopic Bankart
      repair.

PMID- 28335688
TI  - Predictors of Resourcefulness in Preadolescent Children.
AB  - Resourcefulness is a set of cognitive-behavioral self-control skills for coping
      with stress to maintain quality of life. However, research examining precursors
      in the development of resourcefulness in preadolescents is scant. A cross
      sectional approach was used to investigate hypothesized predicting effects of
      intrinsic contextual factors (children's age, gender, and school performance),
      extrinsic contextual factors (parents' age, gender, education, income, and
      resourcefulness), and process regulators (academic stress and dispositional
      optimism) in a convenience sample of 361 preadolescent-parent dyads. Results show
      that preadolescents' process regulators, academic stress, and dispositional
      optimism were significant predictors of resourcefulness. The findings suggest
      that preadolescents' resourcefulness was greatly influenced by process
      regulators, which are cognitive perceptions intervening the use of
      resourcefulness. Further research with various study designs is needed to examine
      additional factors that may influence resourcefulness in large and more diverse
      child-parent samples.

PMID- 28335689
TI  - Trends in occupational hygiene in Finland.
AB  - The aim of this work is to evaluate and describe the current status of, and
      prospects for, the future of occupational hygiene in Finland. The main sources of
      information include a seminar held in the annual meeting of Finnish Occupational
      Hygiene Society and interviews with different stakeholders. Nanotechnology and
      other new materials, changing work environments, circular economy including green
      jobs, new medical methods and advances of construction methods were recognized as
      future challenges. Future work opportunities for occupational hygiene experts
      included exposure assessments in indoor air surveys, private consulting and
      entrepreneurship in general, international activities and product safety issues.
      Unclear topics needing more attention in the future were thought to be in new
      exposures, sensitive persons, combined effects, skin exposures and applicability
      of personal protective equipment. Occupational hygiene should broaden its view;
      occupational hygienists should have to cooperate with other specialists and grasp
      new challenges.

PMID- 28335690
TI  - Promoting physical activity after stroke via self-management: a feasibility
      study.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Many people with mild disability after stroke are physically inactive
      despite the risk of recurrent stroke. A self-management program may be one
      strategy to increase physical activity in stroke survivors. OBJECTIVES: To
      investigate the feasibility of a self-management program, and determine whether
      self-management can increase daily physical activity levels and self-efficacy for
      exercise, decrease cardiovascular risk, and improve walking ability,
      participation, and quality of life in people with mild disability after stroke.
      METHOD: A Phase I, single-group, pre-post intervention study was carried out with
      twenty stroke survivors who had mild disability and were discharged directly home
      from acute stroke units. A self-management program was delivered via five home
      based sessions over 3 months, incorporating: education, goal setting, barrier
      identification, self-monitoring, and feedback. Feasibility of the intervention
      was determined by examining adherence, duration, usefulness, and safety. Clinical
      outcomes were amount of physical activity (duration of moderate physical activity
      in min/day and counts of physical activity in steps/day), self-efficacy,
      cardiovascular risk, walking ability, participation, and quality of life.
      RESULTS: The intervention was feasible with 96% of sessions being delivered, each
      taking less than an hour (41 min, SD 12). Participants perceived the self
      management program to be useful and there were few adverse events. At 3 months,
      participants completed 27 min/day (95% CI 4-49) more moderate physical activity
      than at baseline and 16 min/day (95% CI -10 to 42) at 6 months. CONCLUSION: Self
      management appears to be feasible and has the potential to increase physical
      activity in people with mild disability after stroke. A Phase II randomized trial
      is warranted.

PMID- 28335691
TI  - Cases of drug-induced Torsade de Pointes: a review of Belgian cases in the
      EudraVigilance database.
AB  - OBJECTIVES: Post-marketing surveillance is very important, especially for rare
      adverse drug reactions like QTc-prolongation and Torsade de Pointes (TdP). The
      objective of this study was to investigate the characteristics of Belgian cases
      of drug-related TdP reported in the EudraVigilance database. METHODS: The
      EudraVigilance database was searched for Belgian post-marketing cases of TdP
      reported between December 2001-April 2015. These cases were identified with
      MedDRA preferred terms. Duplicate reports were excluded. Each included case
      report was reviewed to collect data about age, gender, seriousness, suspected
      drug, concomitant drugs, causality, and other known risk factors for QTc
      prolongation. RESULTS: Between 2001 and 2015, only 31 cases coded as TdP were
      identified; 16 cases were also coded as 'prolonged QT' and 2 patients died. In
      total, 21 suspected drugs were implicated and most of them (N = 11) were part of
      list 1 of CredibleMeds. The most common suspected drugs were citalopram (N = 4)
      and amiodarone (N = 3). In 18 cases, a pharmacodynamic drug-drug interaction with
      risk of QTc-prolongation was present. Most patients (N = 25) had >=2 other risk
      factors for QTc-prolongation. CONCLUSION: Over 15 years, only a low number of
      Belgian cases of TdP were identified in the EudraVigilance database. In most case
      reports, multiple risk factors for QTc-prolongation could be detected. This
      illustrates that there is a clear underreporting of QTc-prolongation and TdP in
      Belgium. Initiatives are needed to improve the awareness and knowledge of health
      care professionals regarding the risk of QTc-prolongation and TdP, both to
      prevent cases of TdP and to stimulate the reporting of these cases.

PMID- 28335693
TI  - Erratum.

PMID- 28335692
TI  - Liposomal amphotericin B (AmBisome(r)) at beginning of its third decade of
      clinical use.
AB  - Haematologists have been using liposomal amphotericin-B (L-AMB) since 1993 and
      despite the introduction of several novel antifungal agents over the past decade,
      their propensity to prescribe L-AMB remains unchanged. Although antifungal
      guidelines strongly recommend voriconazole as the drug of choice in the treatment
      of probable and proven invasive fungal disease (IFD), L-AMB is widely used in the
      real life because of its several advantages in terms of wide anti-mould spectrum,
      tolerability and efficacy. Furthermore, the concept that L-AMB is endowed with
      immune-modulating effects, which may have a role in fighting IFD, represent
      another reason for its use in patients who do not tolerate an excess of
      inflammation. Finally, given its tolerability and safety, L-AMB is an ideal
      partner for combining therapy, particularly with echinocandins with which shares
      the immunological properties that result in a synergistic effect.

PMID- 28335694
TI  - Construction of Three-Dimensional Dermo-Epidermal Skin Equivalents Using Cell
      Coating Technology and Their Utilization as Alternative Skin for Permeation
      Studies and Skin Irritation Tests<sup/>.
AB  - In vitro generated human skin equivalents are generating interest as promising
      tools in basic study, as alternatives to animal testing, and for clinical
      applications in regenerative medicine. For prediction of skin irritation and
      corrosion, three-dimensional human skin equivalents consisting of differentiated
      human keratinocytes (KCs) have been developed and some models have been
      internationally accepted. However, more delicate assessments using full-thickness
      skin models, such as skin sensitization tests, cannot be performed due to the
      lack of a dermis containing fibroblasts or appendages. In a previous study, we
      developed dermo-epidermal human skin equivalents (DESEs) using a cell coating
      technique, which employs cell surface coating by layer-by-layer assembled
      extracellular matrix (ECM) films. The DESEs with dermis consisting of normal
      human dermal fibroblasts (NHDFs) and epidermis consisting of human KCs were
      easily fabricated by using this technology. In this study, the constructed DESEs
      were evaluated as an alternative skin for skin permeation and irritation tests. A
      good relationship of permeability coefficient of chemicals was observed between
      the DESEs and human skin data. We investigated whether the DESEs, a new in vitro
      skin model, are capable of identifying skin irritant and nonirritant substances
      among 20 reference chemicals. It was confirmed that the DESEs are applicable to
      skin irritation testing as defined in the European Centre for the Validation of
      Alternative Methods (ECVAM) Performance Standard (OECD Test Guideline 439). We
      further studied the construction of DESEs with density-controlled blood capillary
      networks using human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs). The results
      suggest that DESEs allowing incorporation of skin appendages are more promising
      alternatives to animal testing and can be applied to the design of
      physiologically relevant in vitro skin models.

PMID- 28335695
TI  - Impact of cognition and noise reduction on speech perception in adults with
      unilateral cochlear implants.
AB  - OBJECTIVES: The purpose of this study was to investigate the impact of cognition
      and noise reduction (NR) technology in cochlear implants (CIs) on speech
      perception and listening effort. METHODS: Thirteen adults fitted with unilateral
      CIs (Nucleus(r) 6, CP900) participated in this study. Participants performed: (I)
      cognitive tests of working memory and processing speed, (II) speech perception in
      noise tests, and (III) an auditory-visual dual-task paradigm to quantify
      listening effort, as a part of the three-phase experimental study. Both the
      participant and the tester, performing the outcome measures, were blinded to the
      NR settings (ON/OFF) of the CI for phases II and III. RESULTS: Speech
      intelligibility significantly improved with the NR activated, but was independent
      of individual differences in cognitive abilities. Listening effort did not
      significantly change with NR setting; however, there was a trend for participants
      with good working memory to have better speech perception scores with NR
      activated during the effortful listening task (dual-task paradigm). CONCLUSION:
      Future studies are warranted to explore the interaction between cognition and CI
      NR algorithms during an effortful listening task.

PMID- 28335696
TI  - Development and initial evaluation of a lateral flow dipstick test for antigen
      detection of Entamoeba histolytica in stool sample.
AB  - Entamoeba histolytica infection remains a public health concern in developing
      countries. Early diagnosis of amoebiasis can avoid disease complications, thus
      this study was aimed at developing a test that can rapidly detect the parasite
      antigens in stool samples. Rabbits were individually immunized with recombinant
      pyruvate phosphate dikinase (rPPDK) and E. histolytica excretory-secretory
      antigens to produce polyclonal antibodies. A rapid dipstick test was produced
      using anti-rPPDK PAb lined on the dipstick as capture reagent and anti-EhESA PAb
      conjugated to colloidal gold as the detector reagent. Using E. histolytica-spiked
      in stool sample of a healthy individual, the detection limit of the dipstick test
      was found to be 1000 cells ml-1. Meanwhile when rPPDK was spiked in the stool
      sample, the minimum concentration detected by the dipstick test was 0.1 MUg ml-1.
      The performances of the dipstick, commercial Techlab E. histolytica II enzyme
      linked immunosorbent assays (ELISA) and real-time PCR were compared using 70
      stool samples from patients infected with Entamoeba species (n = 45) and other
      intestinal pathogens (n = 25). When compared to real-time PCR, the diagnostic
      sensitivity of the dipstick for detection of E. histolytica was 65.4% (n =
      17/26); while the diagnostic specificity when tested with stool samples
      containing other intestinal pathogens was 92% (23/25). In contrast, Techlab E.
      histolytica II ELISA detected 19.2% (5/26) of the E. histolytica-positive samples
      as compared to real-time PCR. The lateral flow dipstick test produced in this
      study enabled rapid detection of E. histolytica, thus it showed good potential to
      be further developed into a diagnostic tool for intestinal amoebiasis.

PMID- 28335697
TI  - Investigation of a Lifestyle Intervention in Women at High Risk of Breast Cancer.
AB  - One fourth of breast cancer can be attributed to sedentary lifestyles and being
      overweight or obese. This pilot study was conducted to explore whether a 6-month
      lifestyle intervention affected body composition and obesity-related biomarkers
      among women at high risk of breast cancer. Overweight/obese women at high risk of
      breast cancer were randomized to the control group or to the intervention. The
      intervention was an individually tailored, cognitive-behavioral therapy program
      that assists women in identifying strategies to improve their nutrition and
      physical activity habits with the goal of reduced adiposity. We compared changes
      in body composition and plasma biomarkers from baseline to 6 months. Body weight,
      adiposity, leptin, insulin resistance, and C-reactive protein were significantly
      reduced in the intervention group versus controls. No significant differences
      were observed in adiponectin, insulin, glucose, or interleukin-6. Our findings
      suggest that this intervention improves the metabolic and inflammatory profiles
      of overweight/obese women at risk of breast cancer.

PMID- 28335699
TI  - Approaches to paraspinal tumours - a technical note.
AB  - Neurogenic tumours of the paraspinal space can occur in all age groups. It is
      common in adult population and relatively rare in elderly group. Usually they are
      benign, but in children, arising from the autonomic system, tends to be malignant
      in nature. Usually in adults, they arise from peripheral nerve sheath and are
      labelled as schwannomas. For a given tumour, determination of a correct surgical
      approach is mandatory to achieve a successful surgical outcome. Several factors
      like tumour size, histology, involvement of the bony spinal canal, etc. are some
      of the deciding factors for a correct surgical approach. Since many such tumours
      are benign, total excision is possible with a correct surgical approach. If the
      tumour involves the integrity of the spine then additionally a stabilization
      procedure may have to be carried out. Unfortunately, there are still no
      guidelines regarding the choice of surgical approach for the excision of such
      tumors. Presented here is a series of five patients managed by us over a period
      of 10 years. Four patients were adults and one female child was three years old.
      Four patients were operated upon successfully and the fifth one is waiting for
      surgery.

PMID- 28335698
TI  - Person-Centered Communication for Nursing Home Residents With Dementia: Four
      Communication Analysis Methods.
AB  - Person-centered communication recognizes the individual as a person and responds
      to the individual's feelings, preferences, and needs. This secondary analysis
      tested four interdisciplinary strategies to measure changes in person-centered
      communication used by nursing home staff following an intervention. Thirty-nine
      nursing assistants were recruited from 11 nursing homes and participated in the
      three-session Changing Talk communication training. Video recordings were
      collected at baseline, immediately postintervention, and at 3-month follow-up.
      Staff communication was analyzed using behavioral, psycholinguistic, and
      emotional tone coding of elderspeak communication and content analysis of
      communication topics. Sign rank test was used to compare postintervention changes
      for each measure of communication. Postintervention improvements in communication
      occurred for each measure; however, the changes were statistically significant
      only for behavioral and psycholinguistic measures. Methods and results for each
      communication measure were compared. Implications for future research and use of
      measures of person-centered communication as a tool to improve care are
      discussed.

PMID- 28335701
TI  - The effect of a whole-body vibration therapy on the sitting balance of subacute
      stroke patients: a randomized controlled trial.
AB  - BACKGROUND: The use of a whole-body vibration (WBV) therapy has recently been
      applied and investigated as a rehabilitation method for subacute stroke patients.
      OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the effects of a WBV therapy on recovery of balance in
      subacute stroke patients who were unable to gain sitting balance. METHODS: The
      conventional rehabilitation group (CG) received conventional physical therapy,
      including sitting balance training by a physical therapist, for 30 min a one
      session, for twice a day for five days a week for two weeks. The whole-body
      vibration group (VG) received one session of conventional physical therapy, and
      received WBV therapy instead of conventional physical therapy for 30 min a day
      for five days a week for two weeks. RESULTS: There were 15 patients in the CG and
      15 patients in the VG who completed the two-week therapy. After the two-week
      therapy, both groups showed functional improvement. Patients in the VG improved
      functional ambulation categories, Berg balance scale, trunk impairment scale
      scores. But, no statistically significant correlations between the therapeutic
      methods and outcomes were observed in either group. CONCLUSION: Our results
      suggest that WBV therapy led to improvement of the recovery in balance recovery
      for subacute stroke patients. Because the WBV therapy was as effective as
      conventional physical therapy, we can consider a WBV therapy as a clinical method
      to improve the sitting balance of subacute stoke patients.

PMID- 28335700
TI  - Cochlear implants in the management of hearing loss in Neurofibromatosis Type 2.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: Review of cochlear implant (CI) outcomes in patients with
      Neurofibromatosis Type 2 (NF2), implanted in the presence of an ipsilateral
      vestibular schwannoma (VS). Hearing restoration was combined in some cases with a
      Bevacizumab regime. METHOD: Retrospective review of 12 patients, managed over the
      period 2009-2016, at a tertiary referral multidisciplinary NF2 clinic. The
      patients are grouped by hearing outcomes to explore likely protective factors,
      and to generate a proposed decision-making tool for the selection of either CI or
      Auditory Brainstem Implant (ABI). RESULTS: Four of the 12 patients achieved
      speech discrimination without lip-reading. In these individuals there is reason
      to think that the mechanism of their hearing loss was cochlear dysfunction. A
      further four patients received benefit to lip-reading and awareness of
      environmental sound. For such patients their hearing loss may have been due to
      both cochlear and neural dysfunction. Two patients gained access to environmental
      sound only from their CI. Two patients derived no benefit from their CIs, which
      were subsequently explanted. Both these latter patients had had prior ipsilateral
      tumour surgery, one just before the CI insertion. CONCLUSION: Cochlear
      implantation can lead to open set speech discrimination in patients with NF2 in
      the presence of a stable VS. Use of promontory stimulation and intraoperative
      electrically evoked auditory brainstem response testing, along with case history,
      can inform the decision whether to implant an ABI or CI.

PMID- 28335703
TI  - Corrigendum.
AB  - Holden A, Merrilees S, Buckley B, et al. First-in-human experience with the Gore
      balloon-expandable covered endoprosthesis in iliac artery occlusive disease. J
      Endovasc Ther. 2017;24:11-18. doi: 10.1177/1526602816680570 .

PMID- 28335702
TI  - A Benign but Unusual Radiological Sign During EVAS Follow-up.
AB  - PURPOSE: To report a heretofore undescribed complication seen on imaging after
      endovascular aortic sealing (EVAS). CASE REPORT: A 77-year-old woman was treated
      with the Nellix EVAS device for an infrarenal aortic aneurysm. After a normal
      computed tomography (CT) scan at 15 days, the 6-month CT showed the onset of
      perianeurysmal inflammatory tissue. The patient was asymptomatic, and blood tests
      were normal. Imaging suggested a nonaggressive inflammatory process, so a
      conservative approach was adopted with close follow-up. The periaortic tissue
      remitted without any treatment after a further 9 months (16 months after EVAS).
      CONCLUSION: The cause of this nonacute complication is unclear. Some clues
      suggest that interaction between the endobags and aneurysm wall could be
      involved. Imaging and clinical data led to a successful conservative strategy.

PMID- 28335704
TI  - Edward B. Diethrich, MD (1935-2017).

PMID- 28335705
TI  - Commentary: Outcome of Fenestrated Stent-Graft Repair for Abdominal Aortic
      Aneurysms.

PMID- 28335707
TI  - History of Proximal Carotid Protection and Flow Reversal.

PMID- 28335706
TI  - Transcarotid Artery Revascularization With Flow Reversal.
AB  - PURPOSE: To report a study evaluating the safety and efficacy of stenting via
      direct carotid access with flow reversal using the ENROUTE Transcarotid
      Neuroprotection System. METHODS: Between March 2009 and June 2012, 75 patients
      (mean age 72.6 years; 45 men) underwent carotid artery stenting with the ENROUTE
      System; the majority of patients (63, 84%) were asymptomatic. The primary safety
      endpoint was the composite of major stroke, myocardial infarction, or death at 30
      days. Efficacy outcomes included acute device success, procedure success, and
      tolerance to flow reversal. Fifty-six (74.7%) patients underwent diffusion
      weighted magnetic resonance imaging (DW-MRI) before and after the procedure to
      assess the development of new ischemic brain lesions. RESULTS: Acute device and
      procedure success were achieved in 68 (90.6%) patients. The reverse flow circuit
      was established in 71 (94.6%) patients; only 5 patients demonstrated transient
      intolerance to flow reversal that did not interfere with completion of the
      procedure. The mean time on flow reversal was 19.1 minutes. In the DW-MRI
      substudy, 10 (17.9%) of 56 patients had ipsilateral new white lesions with a mean
      volume of 0.17 mL. At 30 days, no major stroke, myocardial infarction, or death
      occurred; 1 patient had experienced a minor stroke that was adjudicated as not
      related to either the device or procedure. CONCLUSION: Results of the PROOF study
      demonstrate the safety and efficacy of transcarotid revascularization with the
      ENROUTE Transcarotid Neuroprotection System.

PMID- 28335708
TI  - Will Carotid Artery Stenting Become a Safer Procedure Than Carotid
      Endarterectomy?

PMID- 28335709
TI  - Another Possible Pattern of Chimney EVAR-Related Type I Endoleak.

PMID- 28335710
TI  - Treatment of Posterior Circulation Symptomatic Disease: A Reappraisal May Be
      Needed.

PMID- 28335711
TI  - Peer Group and Text Message-Based Weight-Loss and Management Intervention for
      African American Women.
AB  - About 80% of African American (AA) women are overweight or obese. Accessible and
      effective weight management programs targeting weight loss, weight maintenance
      and the prevention of weight regain are needed to improve health of AA women. A
      feasibility study was conducted to examine the feasibility, acceptability, and
      potential efficacy of a 16-week intervention protocol for weight loss and
      management that combined daily text messages and biweekly peer group sessions.
      Modest but statistically significant reductions were detected in weight and body
      mass index from baseline to 16 weeks. At baseline, 36% of participants were in
      action and maintenance stages in measures of the stages of change for weight loss
      and management; this percent increased to 82% at 16 weeks. Findings of this
      feasibility study provide preliminary evidence of an educational intervention
      that could motivate women and lead to successful behavior change, and successful
      weight loss and management for AA women.

PMID- 28335713
TI  - Erratum to: An integrative Bayesian Dirichlet-multinomial regression model for
      the analysis of taxonomic abundances in microbiome data.

PMID- 28335712
TI  - Exploring the evolutionary origin of floral organs of Erycina pusilla, an
      emerging orchid model system.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Thousands of flowering plant species attract pollinators without
      offering rewards, but the evolution of this deceit is poorly understood.
      Rewardless flowers of the orchid Erycina pusilla have an enlarged median sepal
      and incised median petal ('lip') to attract oil-collecting bees. These bees also
      forage on similar looking but rewarding Malpighiaceae flowers that have five
      unequally sized petals and gland-carrying sepals. The lip of E. pusilla has a
      'callus' that, together with winged 'stelidia', mimics these glands. Different
      hypotheses exist about the evolutionary origin of the median sepal, callus and
      stelidia of orchid flowers. RESULTS: The evolutionary origin of these organs was
      investigated using a combination of morphological, molecular and phylogenetic
      techniques to a developmental series of floral buds of E. pusilla. The vascular
      bundle of the median sepal indicates it is a first whorl organ but its convex
      epidermal cells reflect convergence of petaloid features. Expression of AGL6
      EpMADS4 and APETALA3 EpMADS14 is low in the median sepal, possibly correlating
      with its petaloid appearance. A vascular bundle indicating second whorl
      derivation leads to the lip. AGL6 EpMADS5 and APETALA3 EpMADS13 are most highly
      expressed in lip and callus, consistent with current models for lip identity. Six
      vascular bundles, indicating a stamen-derived origin, lead to the callus,
      stelidia and stamen. AGAMOUS is not expressed in the callus, consistent with its
      sterilization. Out of three copies of AGAMOUS and four copies of SEPALLATA,
      EpMADS22 and EpMADS6 are most highly expressed in the stamen. Another copy of
      AGAMOUS, EpMADS20, and the single copy of SEEDSTICK, EpMADS23, are most highly
      expressed in the stelidia, suggesting EpMADS22 may be required for fertile
      stamens. CONCLUSIONS: The median sepal, callus and stelidia of E. pusilla appear
      to be derived from a sepal, a stamen that gained petal identity, and stamens,
      respectively. Duplications, diversifying selection and changes in spatial
      expression of different MADS-box genes shaped these organs, enabling the
      rewardless flowers of E. pusilla to mimic an unrelated rewarding flower for
      pollinator attraction. These genetic changes are not incorporated in current
      models and urge for a rethinking of the evolution of deceptive flowers.

PMID- 28335715
TI  - Cytotype coexistence in the field cannot be explained by inter-cytotype
      hybridization alone: linking experiments and computer simulations in the sexual
      species Pilosella echioides (Asteraceae).
AB  - BACKGROUND: Processes driving ploidal diversity at the population level are
      virtually unknown. Their identification should use a combination of large-scale
      screening of ploidy levels in the field, pairwise crossing experiments and
      mathematical modelling linking these two types of data. We applied this approach
      to determine the drivers of frequencies of coexisting cytotypes in mixed-ploidy
      field populations of the fully sexual plant species Pilosella echioides. We
      examined fecundity and ploidal diversity in seeds from all possible pairwise
      crosses among 2x, 3x and 4x plants. Using these data, we simulated the dynamics
      of theoretical panmictic populations of individuals whose progeny structure is
      identical to that determined by the hybridization experiment. RESULTS: The seed
      set differed significantly between the crossing treatments, being highest in
      crosses between diploids and tetraploids and lowest in triploid-triploid crosses.
      The number of progeny classes (with respect to embryo and endosperm ploidy)
      ranged from three in the 2x-2x cross to eleven in the 3x-3x cross. Our
      simulations demonstrate that, provided there is no difference in clonal growth
      and/or survival between cytotypes, it is a clear case of minority cytotype
      exclusion depending on the initial conditions with two stable states, neither of
      which corresponds to the ploidal structure in the field: (i) with prevalent
      diploids and lower proportions of other ploidies, and (ii) with prevalent
      tetraploids and 9% of hexaploids. By contrast, if clonal growth differs between
      cytotypes, minority cytotype exclusion occurs only if the role of sexual
      reproduction is high; otherwise differences in clonal growth are sufficient to
      maintain triploid prevalence (as observed in the field) independently of initial
      conditions. CONCLUSIONS: The projections of our model suggest that the ploidal
      structure observed in the field can only be reached via a relatively high
      capacity for clonal growth (and proportionally lower sexual reproduction) in all
      cytotypes combined with higher clonal growth in the prevailing cytotype (3x).

PMID- 28335714
TI  - Testis-specific ATP synthase peripheral stalk subunits required for tissue
      specific mitochondrial morphogenesis in Drosophila.
AB  - BACKGROUND: In Drosophila early post-meiotic spermatids, mitochondria undergo
      dramatic shaping into the Nebenkern, a spherical body with complex internal
      structure that contains two interwrapped giant mitochondrial derivatives. The
      purpose of this study was to elucidate genetic and molecular mechanisms
      underlying the shaping of this structure. RESULTS: The knotted onions (knon) gene
      encodes an unconventionally large testis-specific paralog of ATP synthase subunit
      d and is required for internal structure of the Nebenkern as well as its
      subsequent disassembly and elongation. Knon localizes to spermatid mitochondria
      and, when exogenously expressed in flight muscle, alters the ratio of ATP
      synthase complex dimers to monomers. By RNAi knockdown we uncovered mitochondrial
      shaping roles for other testis-expressed ATP synthase subunits. CONCLUSIONS: We
      demonstrate the first known instance of a tissue-specific ATP synthase subunit
      affecting tissue-specific mitochondrial morphogenesis. Since ATP synthase
      dimerization is known to affect the degree of inner mitochondrial membrane
      curvature in other systems, the effect of Knon and other testis-specific paralogs
      of ATP synthase subunits may be to mediate differential membrane curvature within
      the Nebenkern.

PMID- 28335716
TI  - Human MFAP1 is a cryptic ortholog of the Saccharomyces cerevisiae Spp381 splicing
      factor.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Pre-mRNA splicing involves the stepwise assembly of a pre-catalytic
      spliceosome, followed by its catalytic activation, splicing catalysis and
      disassembly. Formation of the pre-catalytic spliceosomal B complex involves the
      incorporation of the U4/U6.U5 tri-snRNP and of a group of non-snRNP B-specific
      proteins. While in Saccharomyces cerevisiae the Prp38 and Snu23 proteins are
      recruited as components of the tri-snRNP, metazoan orthologs of Prp38 and Snu23
      associate independently of the tri-snRNP as members of the B-specific proteins.
      The human spliceosome contains about 80 proteins that lack obvious orthologs in
      yeast, including most of the B-specific proteins apart from Prp38 and Snu23.
      Conversely, the tri-snRNP protein Spp381 is one of only five S. cerevisiae
      splicing factors without a known human ortholog. RESULTS: Using InParanoid, a
      state-of-the-art method for ortholog inference between pairs of species, and
      systematic BLAST searches we identified the human B-specific protein MFAP1 as a
      putative ortholog of the S. cerevisiae tri-snRNP protein Spp381. Bioinformatics
      revealed that MFAP1 and Spp381 share characteristic structural features,
      including intrinsic disorder, an elongated shape, solvent exposure of most
      residues and a trend to adopt alpha-helical structures. In vitro binding studies
      showed that human MFAP1 and yeast Spp381 bind their respective Prp38 proteins via
      equivalent interfaces and that they cross-interact with the Prp38 proteins of the
      respective other species. Furthermore, MFAP1 and Spp381 both form higher-order
      complexes that additionally include Snu23, suggesting that they are parts of
      equivalent spliceosomal sub-complexes. Finally, similar to yeast Spp381, human
      MFAP1 partially rescued a growth defect of the temperature-sensitive mutant yeast
      strain prp38-1. CONCLUSIONS: Human B-specific protein MFAP1 structurally and
      functionally resembles the yeast tri-snRNP-specific protein Spp381 and thus
      qualifies as its so far missing ortholog. Our study indicates that the yeast
      Snu23-Prp38-Spp381 triple complex was evolutionarily reprogrammed from a tri
      snRNP-specific module in yeast to the B-specific Snu23-Prp38-MFAP1 module in
      metazoa, affording higher flexibility in spliceosome assembly and thus,
      presumably, in splicing regulation.

PMID- 28335717
TI  - Genomic regions underlying susceptibility to bovine tuberculosis in Holstein
      Friesian cattle.
AB  - BACKGROUND: The significant social and economic loss as a result of bovine
      tuberculosis (bTB) presents a continuous challenge to cattle industries in the UK
      and worldwide. However, host genetic variation in cattle susceptibility to bTB
      provides an opportunity to select for resistant animals and further understand
      the genetic mechanisms underlying disease dynamics. METHODS: The present study
      identified genomic regions associated with susceptibility to bTB using genome
      wide association (GWA), regional heritability mapping (RHM) and chromosome
      association approaches. Phenotypes comprised de-regressed estimated breeding
      values of 804 Holstein-Friesian sires and pertained to three bTB indicator
      traits: i) positive reactors to the skin test with positive post-mortem
      examination results (phenotype 1); ii) positive reactors to the skin test
      regardless of post-mortem examination results (phenotype 2) and iii) as in (ii)
      plus non-reactors and inconclusive reactors to the skin tests with positive post
      mortem examination results (phenotype 3). Genotypes based on the 50 K SNP DNA
      array were available and a total of 34,874 SNPs remained per animal after quality
      control. RESULTS: The estimated polygenic heritability for susceptibility to bTB
      was 0.26, 0.37 and 0.34 for phenotypes 1, 2 and 3, respectively. GWA analysis
      identified a putative SNP on Bos taurus autosomes (BTA) 2 associated with
      phenotype 1, and another on BTA 23 associated with phenotype 2. Genomic regions
      encompassing these SNPs were found to harbour potentially relevant annotated
      genes. RHM confirmed the effect of these genomic regions and identified new
      regions on BTA 18 for phenotype 1 and BTA 3 for phenotypes 2 and 3.
      Heritabilities of the genomic regions ranged between 0.05 and 0.08 across the
      three phenotypes. Chromosome association analysis indicated a major role of BTA
      23 on susceptibility to bTB. CONCLUSION: Genomic regions and candidate genes
      identified in the present study provide an opportunity to further understand
      pathways critical to cattle susceptibility to bTB and enhance genetic improvement
      programmes aiming at controlling and eradicating the disease.

PMID- 28335718
TI  - rNAV 2.0: a visualization tool for bacterial sRNA-mediated regulatory networks
      mining.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Bacterial sRNA-mediated regulatory networks has been introduced as a
      powerful way to analyze the fast rewiring capabilities of a bacteria in response
      to changing environmental conditions. The identification of mRNA targets of
      bacterial sRNAs is essential to investigate their functional activities. However,
      this step remains challenging with the lack of knowledge of the topological and
      biological constraints behind the formation of sRNA-mRNA duplexes. Even with the
      most sophisticated bioinformatics target prediction tools, the large proportion
      of false predictions may be prohibitive for further analyses. To deal with this
      issue, sRNA target analyses can be carried out from the resulting gene lists
      given by RNA-SEQ experiments when available. However, the number of resulting
      target candidates may be still huge and cannot be easily interpreted by domain
      experts who need to confront various biological features to prioritize the target
      candidates. Therefore, novel strategies have to be carried out to improve the
      specificity of computational prediction results, before proposing new candidates
      for an expensive experimental validation stage. RESULT: To address this issue, we
      propose a new visualization tool rNAV 2.0, for detecting and filtering bacterial
      sRNA targets for regulatory networks. rNAV is designed to cope with a variety of
      biological constraints, including the gene annotations, the conserved regions of
      interaction or specific patterns of regulation. Depending on the application,
      these constraints can be variously combined to analyze the target candidates,
      prioritized for instance by a known conserved interaction region, or because of a
      common function. CONCLUSION: The standalone application implements a set of known
      algorithms and interaction techniques, and applies them to the new problem of
      identifying reasonable sRNA target candidates.

PMID- 28335719
TI  - Enhanced construction of gene regulatory networks using hub gene information.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Gene regulatory networks reveal how genes work together to carry out
      their biological functions. Reconstructions of gene networks from gene expression
      data greatly facilitate our understanding of underlying biological mechanisms and
      provide new opportunities for biomarker and drug discoveries. In gene networks, a
      gene that has many interactions with other genes is called a hub gene, which
      usually plays an essential role in gene regulation and biological processes. In
      this study, we developed a method for reconstructing gene networks using a
      partial correlation-based approach that incorporates prior information about hub
      genes. Through simulation studies and two real-data examples, we compare the
      performance in estimating the network structures between the existing methods and
      the proposed method. RESULTS: In simulation studies, we show that the proposed
      strategy reduces errors in estimating network structures compared to the existing
      methods. When applied to Escherichia coli, the regulation network constructed by
      our proposed ESPACE method is more consistent with current biological knowledge
      than the SPACE method. Furthermore, application of the proposed method in lung
      cancer has identified hub genes whose mRNA expression predicts cancer progress
      and patient response to treatment. CONCLUSIONS: We have demonstrated that
      incorporating hub gene information in estimating network structures can improve
      the performance of the existing methods.

PMID- 28335720
TI  - Widespread promoter methylation of synaptic plasticity genes in long-term
      potentiation in the adult brain in vivo.
AB  - BACKGROUND: DNA methylation is a key modulator of gene expression in mammalian
      development and cellular differentiation, including neurons. To date, the role of
      DNA modifications in long-term potentiation (LTP) has not been explored. RESULTS:
      To investigate the occurrence of DNA methylation changes in LTP, we undertook the
      first detailed study to describe the methylation status of all known LTP
      associated genes during LTP induction in the dentate gyrus of live rats. Using a
      methylated DNA immunoprecipitation (MeDIP)-array, together with previously
      published matched RNA-seq and public histone modification data, we discover
      widespread changes in methylation status of LTP-genes. We further show that the
      expression of many LTP-genes is correlated with their methylation status. We show
      that these correlated genes are enriched for RNA-processing, active histone
      marks, and specific transcription factors. These data reveal that the synaptic
      activity-evoked methylation changes correlates with pre-existing activation of
      the chromatin landscape. Finally, we show that methylation of Brain-derived
      neurotrophic factor (Bdnf) CpG-islands correlates with isoform switching from
      transcripts containing exon IV to exon I. CONCLUSIONS: Together, these data
      provide the first evidence of widespread regulation of methylation status in LTP
      associated genes.

PMID- 28335722
TI  - Generalizing cell segmentation and quantification.
AB  - BACKGROUND: In recent years, the microscopy technology for imaging cells has
      developed greatly and rapidly. The accompanying requirements for automatic
      segmentation and quantification of the imaged cells are becoming more and more.
      After studied widely in both scientific research and industrial applications for
      many decades, cell segmentation has achieved great progress, especially in
      segmenting some specific types of cells, e.g. muscle cells. However, it lacks a
      framework to address the cell segmentation problems generally. On the contrary,
      different segmentation methods were proposed to address the different types of
      cells, which makes the research work divergent. In addition, most of the popular
      segmentation and quantification tools usually require a great part of manual
      work. RESULTS: To make the cell segmentation work more convergent, we propose a
      framework that is able to segment different kinds of cells automatically and
      robustly in this paper. This framework evolves the previously proposed method in
      segmenting the muscle cells and generalizes it to be suitable for segmenting and
      quantifying a variety of cell images by adding more union cases. Compared to the
      previous methods, the segmentation and quantification accuracy of the proposed
      framework is also improved by three novel procedures: (1) a simplified
      calibration method is proposed and added for the threshold selection process; (2)
      a noise blob filter is proposed to get rid of the noise blobs. (3) a boundary
      smoothing filter is proposed to reduce the false seeds produced by the iterative
      erosion. As it turned out, the quantification accuracy of the proposed framework
      increases from 93.4 to 96.8% compared to the previous method. In addition, the
      accuracy of the proposed framework is also better in quantifying the muscle cells
      than two available state-of-the-art methods. CONCLUSIONS: The proposed framework
      is able to automatically segment and quantify more types of cells than state-of
      the-art methods.

PMID- 28335721
TI  - Transcriptomic insights into the genetic basis of mammalian limb diversity.
AB  - BACKGROUND: From bat wings to whale flippers, limb diversification has been
      crucial to the evolutionary success of mammals. We performed the first
      transcriptome-wide study of limb development in multiple species to explore the
      hypothesis that mammalian limb diversification has proceeded through the
      differential expression of conserved shared genes, rather than by major changes
      to limb patterning. Specifically, we investigated the manner in which the
      expression of shared genes has evolved within and among mammalian species.
      RESULTS: We assembled and compared transcriptomes of bat, mouse, opossum, and pig
      fore- and hind limbs at the ridge, bud, and paddle stages of development. Results
      suggest that gene expression patterns exhibit larger variation among species
      during later than earlier stages of limb development, while within species
      results are more mixed. Consistent with the former, results also suggest that
      genes expressed at later developmental stages tend to have a younger evolutionary
      age than genes expressed at earlier stages. A suite of key limb-patterning genes
      was identified as being differentially expressed among the homologous limbs of
      all species. However, only a small subset of shared genes is differentially
      expressed in the fore- and hind limbs of all examined species. Similarly, a small
      subset of shared genes is differentially expressed within the fore- and hind limb
      of a single species and among the forelimbs of different species. CONCLUSIONS:
      Taken together, results of this study do not support the existence of a
      phylotypic period of limb development ending at chondrogenesis, but do support
      the hypothesis that the hierarchical nature of development translates into
      increasing variation among species as development progresses.

PMID- 28335723
TI  - Erratum to: Unity in defence: honeybee workers exhibit conserved molecular
      responses to diverse pathogens.

PMID- 28335725
TI  - Surface layer proteins from virulent Clostridium difficile ribotypes exhibit
      signatures of positive selection with consequences for innate immune response.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Clostridium difficile is a nosocomial pathogen prevalent in hospitals
      worldwide and increasingly common in the community. Sequence differences have
      been shown to be present in the Surface Layer Proteins (SLPs) from different C.
      difficile ribotypes (RT) however whether these differences influence severity of
      infection is still not clear. RESULTS: We used a molecular evolutionary approach
      to analyse SLPs from twenty-six C. difficile RTs representing different slpA
      sequences. We demonstrate that SLPs from RT 027 and 078 exhibit evidence of
      positive selection (PS). We compared the effect of these SLPs to those purified
      from RT 001 and 014, which did not exhibit PS, and demonstrate that the presence
      of sites under positive selection correlates with ability to activate
      macrophages. SLPs from RTs 027 and 078 induced a more potent response in
      macrophages, with increased levels of IL-6, IL-12p40, IL-10, MIP-1alpha, MIP-2
      production relative to RT 001 and 014. Furthermore, RTs 027 and 078 induced
      higher expression of CD40, CD80 and MHC II on macrophages with decreased ability
      to phagocytose relative to LPS. CONCLUSIONS: These results tightly link sequence
      differences in C. difficile SLPs to disease susceptibility and severity, and
      suggest that positively selected sites in the SLPs may play a role in driving the
      emergence of hyper-virulent strains.

PMID- 28335724
TI  - A genetic chronology for the Indian Subcontinent points to heavily sex-biased
      dispersals.
AB  - BACKGROUND: India is a patchwork of tribal and non-tribal populations that speak
      many different languages from various language families. Indo-European, spoken
      across northern and central India, and also in Pakistan and Bangladesh, has been
      frequently connected to the so-called "Indo-Aryan invasions" from Central Asia
      ~3.5 ka and the establishment of the caste system, but the extent of immigration
      at this time remains extremely controversial. South India, on the other hand, is
      dominated by Dravidian languages. India displays a high level of endogamy due to
      its strict social boundaries, and high genetic drift as a result of long-term
      isolation which, together with a very complex history, makes the genetic study of
      Indian populations challenging. RESULTS: We have combined a detailed, high
      resolution mitogenome analysis with summaries of autosomal data and Y-chromosome
      lineages to establish a settlement chronology for the Indian Subcontinent.
      Maternal lineages document the earliest settlement ~55-65 ka (thousand years
      ago), and major population shifts in the later Pleistocene that explain previous
      dating discrepancies and neutrality violation. Whilst current genome-wide
      analyses conflate all dispersals from Southwest and Central Asia, we were able to
      tease out from the mitogenome data distinct dispersal episodes dating from
      between the Last Glacial Maximum to the Bronze Age. Moreover, we found an
      extremely marked sex bias by comparing the different genetic systems.
      CONCLUSIONS: Maternal lineages primarily reflect earlier, pre-Holocene processes,
      and paternal lineages predominantly episodes within the last 10 ka. In
      particular, genetic influx from Central Asia in the Bronze Age was strongly male
      driven, consistent with the patriarchal, patrilocal and patrilineal social
      structure attributed to the inferred pastoralist early Indo-European society.
      This was part of a much wider process of Indo-European expansion, with an
      ultimate source in the Pontic-Caspian region, which carried closely related Y
      chromosome lineages, a smaller fraction of autosomal genome-wide variation and an
      even smaller fraction of mitogenomes across a vast swathe of Eurasia between 5
      and 3.5 ka.

PMID- 28335727
TI  - Overexpression of snapdragon Delila (Del) gene in tobacco enhances anthocyanin
      accumulation and abiotic stress tolerance.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Rosea1 (Ros1) and Delila (Del) co-expression controls anthocyanin
      accumulation in snapdragon flowers, while their overexpression in tomato strongly
      induces anthocyanin accumulation. However, little data exist on how Del
      expression alone influences anthocyanin accumulation. RESULTS: In tobacco
      (Nicotiana tabacum 'Xanthi'), Del expression enhanced leaf and flower anthocyanin
      production through regulating NtCHS, NtCHI, NtF3H, NtDFR, and NtANS transcript
      levels. Transgenic lines displayed different anthocyanin colors (e.g., pale red:
      T0-P, red: T0-R, and strong red: T0-S), resulting from varying levels of
      biosynthetic gene transcripts. Under salt stress, the T2 generation had higher
      total polyphenol content, radical (DPPH, ABTS) scavenging activities, antioxidant
      related gene expression, as well as overall greater salt and drought tolerance
      than wild type (WT). CONCLUSION: We propose that Del overexpression elevates
      transcript levels of anthocyanin biosynthetic and antioxidant-related genes,
      leading to enhanced anthocyanin production and antioxidant activity. The
      resultant increase of anthocyanin and antioxidant activity improves abiotic
      stress tolerance.

PMID- 28335726
TI  - Analysis of hepatic transcript profile and plasma lipid profile in early
      lactating dairy cows fed grape seed and grape marc meal extract.
AB  - BACKGROUND: It was recently reported that dairy cows fed a polyphenol-rich grape
      seed and grape marc meal extract (GSGME) during the transition period had an
      increased milk yield, but the underlying reasons remained unclear. As polyphenols
      exert a broad spectrum of metabolic effects, we hypothesized that feeding of
      GSGME influences metabolic pathways in the liver which could account for the
      positive effects of GSGME in dairy cows. In order to identify these pathways, we
      performed genome-wide transcript profiling in the liver and lipid profiling in
      plasma of dairy cows fed GSGME during the transition period at 1 week postpartum.
      RESULTS: Transcriptomic analysis of the liver revealed 207 differentially
      expressed transcripts, from which 156 were up- and 51 were down-regulated,
      between cows fed GSGME and control cows. Gene set enrichment analysis of the 155
      up-regulated mRNAs showed that the most enriched gene ontology (GO) biological
      process terms were dealing with cell cycle regulation and the most enriched Kyoto
      Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes pathways were p53 signaling and cell cycle.
      Functional analysis of the 43 down-regulated mRNAs revealed that a great part of
      these genes are involved in endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress-induced unfolded
      protein response (UPR) and inflammatory processes. Accordingly, protein folding,
      response to unfolded protein, unfolded protein binding, chemokine activity and
      heat shock protein binding were identified as one of the most enriched GO
      biological process and molecular function terms assigned to the down-regulated
      genes. In line with the transcriptomics data the plasma concentrations of the
      acute phase proteins serum amyloid A (SAA) and haptoglobin were reduced in cows
      fed GSGME compared to control cows. Lipidomic analysis of plasma revealed no
      differences in the concentrations of individual species of major and minor lipid
      classes between cows fed GSGME and control cows. CONCLUSIONS: Analysis of hepatic
      transcript profile in cows fed GSGME during the transition period at 1 week
      postpartum indicates that polyphenol-rich feed components are able to inhibit ER
      stress-induced UPR and inflammatory processes, both of which are considered to
      contribute to liver-associated diseases and to impair milk performance in dairy
      cows, in the liver of dairy cows during early lactation.

PMID- 28335728
TI  - Allelic incompatibility can explain female biased sex ratios in dioecious plants.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Biased sex ratios are common among dioecious plant species despite
      the theoretical prediction of selective advantage of even sex ratios. Albeit the
      high prevalence of deviations from even sex ratios, the genetic causes to sex
      biases are rarely known outside of a few model species. Here we present a
      mechanism underlying the female biased sex ratio in the dioecious willow species
      Salix viminalis. RESULTS: We compared the segregation pattern of genome-wide
      single nucleotide polymorphism markers in two contrasting bi-parental pedigree
      populations, the S3 with even sex ratio and the S5 with a female biased sex
      ratio. With the segregation analysis and comparison between the two populations,
      we were able to demonstrate that sex determination and sex ratio distortion are
      controlled by different genetic mechanisms. We furthermore located the sex ratio
      distorter locus to a Z/W-gametologous region on chromosome 15, which was in close
      linkage with the sex determination locus. Interestingly, all males in the
      population with biased sex ratio have in this sex ratio distorter locus the same
      genotype, meaning that males with the Z1/Z3-genotype were missing from the
      population, thereby creating the 2:1 female biased sex ratio. CONCLUSIONS: We
      attribute the absence of Z1/Z3 males to an allelic incompatibility between
      maternally and paternally inherited alleles in this sex ratio distorter locus.
      Due to the tight linkage with the sex determination locus only male individuals
      are purged from the population at an early age, presumably before or during seed
      development. We showed that such allelic incompatibility could be stably
      maintained over evolutionary times through a system of overdominant or
      pseudooverdominant alleles. Thus, it is possible that the same mechanism
      generates the female biased sex ratio in natural willow populations.

PMID- 28335729
TI  - Study protocol for the SOFIA project: Swallowing function, Oral health, and Food
      Intake in old Age: a descriptive study with a cluster randomized trial.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Extensive studies have shown that older people are negatively
      impacted by impaired eating and nutrition. The abilities to eat, enjoy food, and
      participate in social activities associated with meals are important aspects of
      health-related quality of life (HRQoL) and recovery after illness. This project
      aims to (i) describe and analyze relationships between oral health and oral
      HRQoL, swallowing ability, eating ability, and nutritional risk among older
      individuals admitted to short-term care; (ii) compare the perceptions that older
      individuals and staff report on care quality related to oral hygiene and eating;
      and (iii) study the feasibility and effects of a training program for people with
      impaired swallowing (i.e., dysphagia). METHODS/DESIGN: This project consists of
      two parts, which will be performed in five Swedish counties. It will include
      approximately 400 older individuals and 200 healthcare professionals. Part 1 is a
      cross-sectional, descriptive study of older people admitted to short-term care.
      Subjects will be assessed by trained professionals regarding oral health status,
      oral HRQoL, eating and nutritional risk, and swallowing ability. Swallowing
      ability will be measured with a teaspoon test and a swallowing capacity test
      (SCT). Furthermore, subjects and staff will complete a questionnaire regarding
      their perceptions of care quality. Part 2 is a cluster randomized intervention
      trial with controls. Older participants with dysphagia (i.e., SCT <10 ml/s,
      measured in part 1) will be recruited consecutively to either the intervention or
      control group, depending on where they were admitted for short-term care. At
      baseline, all subjects will be assessed for oral health status, oral HRQoL,
      eating and nutritional risk, swallowing ability, and swallowing-related QoL.
      Then, the intervention group will receive 5 weeks of training with an oral screen
      for neuromuscular training focused on orofacial and pharyngeal muscles. After
      completing the intervention, and at six months post-intervention, all assessments
      will be repeated in both study groups. DISCUSSION: The results will make
      important contributions to rehabilitation knowledge, including approaches for
      improving swallowing function, oral health, and food intake and for improving the
      quality of oral care for older people. TRIAL REGISTRATION: This trial was
      retrospectively registered at ClinicalTrials.gov, on July 4, 2016, identifier:
      NCT02825927 .

PMID- 28335730
TI  - Auscultatory versus oscillometric blood pressure measurement in patients with
      atrial fibrillation and arterial hypertension.
AB  - BACKGROUND: The aim of our study was to investigate the reliability of automated
      oscillometric blood pressure (BP) monitoring in the presence and absence of
      atrial fibrillation (AF) in hypertensive patients. METHODS: BP was measured and
      compared in 71 randomly selected patients with AF and arterial hypertension
      diagnosis, 4 times each by auscultatory and oscillometric (Microlife BP A6 PC
      with AF detection system) methods. RESULTS: Study included 71 patients: 36 males
      (mean age 67.4 years) and 35 females (70.2 years). At the time of BP measuring
      procedure, 36 patients were in sinus rhythm (SR) and 35 in AF. In SR patients
      mean systolic blood pressure (SBP) was 132 +/- 17.9 mmHg with auscultatory method
      (AM), 137.4 +/- 19.4 mmHg with oscillometric method (OM); mean diastolic BP was
      77.1 +/- 10.9 mmHg (AM), 78.5 +/- 12.2 mmHg (OM), in AF patients mean SBP was
      127.5 +/- 15.1 mmHg (AM), 133.6 +/- 17.4 mmHg (OM); mean diastolic BP was 81.4 +/
      9.9 mmHg (AM), 83.5 +/- 11.8 mmHg (OM), p = 0.037. The averages of differences
      for SBP and DBP in sinus rhythm group were (-5.3 mmHg (95% limits of agreement 
      27.2 - 16.6)) and (-1.4 mmHg (95% limits of agreement -12.8 - 10.0)),
      respectively. In patients with AF the averages of differences for SBP and DBP
      were (-6.1 mmHg (95% limits of agreement -23.9 - 11.7)) and (-2.1 mmHg (95%
      limits of agreement -12.9 - 8.7)), respectively. CONCLUSIONS: The oscillometric
      device validated for patients with AF on average gives 5.3 mmHg higher systolic
      BP values for patients with SR and 6.3 mmHg higher BP values for patients with
      AF. However, the limits of agreement between two methods reveal wide range of
      random error rates which is a questionable topic in clinical practice, as it
      could possibly affect the treatment of arterial hypertension in patients with AF.

PMID- 28335731
TI  - Highly diverse population of Picornaviridae and other members of the
      Picornavirales, in Cameroonian fruit bats.
AB  - BACKGROUND: The order Picornavirales represents a diverse group of positive
      stranded RNA viruses with small non-enveloped icosahedral virions. Recently, bats
      have been identified as an important reservoir of several highly pathogenic human
      viruses. Since many members of the Picornaviridae family cause a wide range of
      diseases in humans and animals, this study aimed to characterize members of the
      order Picornavirales in fruit bat populations located in the Southwest region of
      Cameroon. These bat populations are frequently in close contact with humans due
      to hunting, selling and eating practices, which provides ample opportunity for
      interspecies transmissions. RESULTS: Fecal samples from 87 fruit bats (Eidolon
      helvum and Epomophorus gambianus), were combined into 25 pools and analyzed using
      viral metagenomics. In total, Picornavirales reads were found in 19 pools, and
      (near) complete genomes of 11 picorna-like viruses were obtained from 7 of these
      pools. The picorna-like viruses possessed varied genomic organizations
      (monocistronic or dicistronic), and arrangements of gene cassettes. Some of the
      viruses belonged to established families, including the Picornaviridae, whereas
      others clustered distantly from known viruses and most likely represent novel
      genera and families. Phylogenetic and nucleotide composition analyses suggested
      that mammals were the likely host species of bat sapelovirus, bat kunsagivirus
      and bat crohivirus, whereas the remaining viruses (named bat iflavirus, bat
      posalivirus, bat fisalivirus, bat cripavirus, bat felisavirus, bat dicibavirus
      and bat badiciviruses 1 and 2) were most likely diet-derived. CONCLUSION: The
      existence of a vast genetic variability of picorna-like viruses in fruit bats may
      increase the probability of spillover infections to humans especially when humans
      and bats have direct contact as the case in this study site. However, further
      screening for these viruses in humans will fully indicate their zoonotic
      potential.

PMID- 28335732
TI  - Lung function associated gene Integrator Complex subunit 12 regulates protein
      synthesis pathways.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Genetic studies of human lung function and Chronic Obstructive
      Pulmonary Disease have identified a highly significant and reproducible signal on
      4q24. It remains unclear which of the two candidate genes within this locus may
      regulate lung function: GSTCD, a gene with unknown function, and/or INTS12, a
      member of the Integrator Complex which is currently thought to mediate 3'end
      processing of small nuclear RNAs. RESULTS: We found that, in lung tissue, 4q24
      polymorphisms associated with lung function correlate with INTS12 but not
      neighbouring GSTCD expression. In contrast to the previous reports in other
      species, we only observed a minor alteration of snRNA processing following INTS12
      depletion. RNAseq analysis of knockdown cells instead revealed dysregulation of a
      core subset of genes relevant to airway biology and a robust downregulation of
      protein synthesis pathways. Consistent with this, protein translation was
      decreased in INTS12 knockdown cells. In addition, ChIPseq experiments
      demonstrated INTS12 binding throughout the genome, which was enriched in
      transcriptionally active regions. Finally, we defined the INTS12 regulome which
      includes genes belonging to the protein synthesis pathways. CONCLUSION: INTS12
      has functions beyond the canonical snRNA processing. We show that it regulates
      translation by regulating the expression of genes belonging to protein synthesis
      pathways. This study provides a detailed analysis of INTS12 activities on a
      genome-wide scale and contributes to the biology behind the genetic association
      for lung function at 4q24.

PMID- 28335733
TI  - Effects of short-term hyperoxia on erythropoietin levels and microcirculation in
      critically Ill patients: a prospective observational pilot study.
AB  - BACKGROUND: The normobaric oxygen paradox states that a short exposure to
      normobaric hyperoxia followed by rapid return to normoxia creates a condition of
      'relative hypoxia' which stimulates erythropoietin (EPO) production. Alterations
      in glutathione and reactive oxygen species (ROS) may be involved in this process.
      We tested the effects of short-term hyperoxia on EPO levels and the
      microcirculation in critically ill patients. METHODS: In this prospective,
      observational study, 20 hemodynamically stable, mechanically ventilated patients
      with inspired oxygen concentration (FiO2) <=0.5 and PaO2/FiO2 >= 200 mmHg
      underwent a 2-hour exposure to hyperoxia (FiO2 1.0). A further 20 patients acted
      as controls. Serum EPO was measured at baseline, 24 h and 48 h. Serum glutathione
      (antioxidant) and ROS levels were assessed at baseline (t0), after 2 h of
      hyperoxia (t1) and 2 h after returning to their baseline FiO2 (t2). The
      microvascular response to hyperoxia was assessed using sublingual sidestream dark
      field videomicroscopy and thenar near-infrared spectroscopy with a vascular
      occlusion test. RESULTS: EPO increased within 48 h in patients exposed to
      hyperoxia from 16.1 [7.4-20.2] to 22.9 [14.1-37.2] IU/L (p = 0.022). Serum ROS
      transiently increased at t1, and glutathione increased at t2. Early reductions in
      microvascular density and perfusion were seen during hyperoxia (perfused small
      vessel density: 85% [95% confidence interval 79-90] of baseline). The response
      after 2 h of hyperoxia exposure was heterogeneous. Microvascular
      perfusion/density normalized upon returning to baseline FiO2. CONCLUSIONS: A two
      hour exposure to hyperoxia in critically ill patients was associated with a
      slight increase in EPO levels within 48 h. Adequately controlled studies are
      needed to confirm the effect of short-term hyperoxia on erythropoiesis. TRIAL
      REGISTRATION: ClinicalTrials.gov ( www.clinicaltrials.gov ), NCT02481843 ,
      registered 15th June 2015, retrospectively registered.

PMID- 28335734
TI  - Evaluation of AMSTAR to assess the methodological quality of systematic reviews
      in overviews of reviews of healthcare interventions.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Overviews of reviews (overviews) compile information from multiple
      systematic reviews (SRs) to provide a single synthesis of relevant evidence for
      decision-making. It is recommended that authors assess and report the
      methodological quality of SRs in overviews-for example, using A MeaSurement Tool
      to Assess systematic Reviews (AMSTAR). Currently, there is variation in whether
      and how overview authors assess and report SR quality, and limited guidance is
      available. Our objectives were to: examine methodological considerations involved
      in using AMSTAR to assess the quality of Cochrane and non-Cochrane SRs in
      overviews of healthcare interventions; identify challenges (and develop potential
      decision rules) when using AMSTAR in overviews; and examine the potential impact
      of considering methodological quality when making inclusion decisions in
      overviews. METHODS: We selected seven overviews of healthcare interventions and
      included all SRs meeting each overview's inclusion criteria. For each SR, two
      reviewers independently conducted AMSTAR assessments with consensus and discussed
      challenges encountered. We also examined the correlation between AMSTAR
      assessments and SR results/conclusions. RESULTS: Ninety-five SRs were included
      (30 Cochrane, 65 non-Cochrane). Mean AMSTAR assessments (9.6/11 vs. 5.5/11; p <
      0.001) and inter-rater reliability (AC1 statistic: 0.84 vs. 0.69; "almost
      perfect" vs. "substantial" using the Landis & Koch criteria) were higher for
      Cochrane compared to non-Cochrane SRs. Four challenges were identified when
      applying AMSTAR in overviews: the scope of the SRs and overviews often differed;
      SRs examining similar topics sometimes made different methodological decisions;
      reporting of non-Cochrane SRs was sometimes poor; and some non-Cochrane SRs
      included other SRs as well as primary studies. Decision rules were developed to
      address each challenge. We found no evidence that AMSTAR assessments were
      correlated with SR results/conclusions. CONCLUSIONS: Results indicate that the
      AMSTAR tool can be used successfully in overviews that include Cochrane and non
      Cochrane SRs, though decision rules may be useful to circumvent common
      challenges. Findings support existing recommendations that quality assessments of
      SRs in overviews be conducted independently, in duplicate, with a process for
      consensus. Results also suggest that using methodological quality to guide
      inclusion decisions (e.g., to exclude poorly conducted and reported SRs) may not
      introduce bias into the overview process.

PMID- 28335735
TI  - Population diversity of the genetically determined TTR expression in human
      tissues and its implications in TTR amyloidosis.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Transthyretin (TTR) amyloidosis is a hereditary disease with a
      complex genotype-phenotype correlation. We conducted a literature survey to
      define the clinical landscape of TTR amyloidosis across populations worldwide.
      Then, we investigated whether the genetically determined TTR expression differs
      among human populations, contributing to the differences observed in patients.
      Polygenic scores for genetically determined TTR expression in 14 clinically
      relevant tissues were constructed using data from the GTEx (Genotype-Tissue
      Expression) project and tested in the samples from the 1,000 Genomes Project.
      RESULTS: We observed differences among the ancestral groups and, to a lesser
      extent, among the investigated populations within the ancestry groups.
      Scandinavian populations differed in their genetically determined TTR expression
      of skeletal muscle tissue with respect to Southern Europeans (p = 6.79*10-6).
      This is in line with epidemiological data related to Swedish and Portuguese TTR
      Val30Met endemic areas. Familial amyloidotic cardiomyopathy (TTR deposits occur
      primarily in heart tissues) presents clinical variability among human
      populations, a finding that agrees with the among-ancestry diversity of
      genetically determined TTR expression in heart tissues (i.e., Atrial Appendage p
      = 4.55*10-28; Left Ventricle p = 6.54*10-35). CONCLUSIONS: Genetically determined
      TTR expression varied across human populations. This might contribute to the
      genotype-phenotype correlation of TTR amyloidosis.

PMID- 28335736
TI  - The association of Emergency Department presentations in pregnancy with hospital
      admissions for postnatal depression (PND): a cohort study based on linked
      population data.
AB  - BACKGROUND: To investigate the impact of presenting to an Emergency Department
      (ED) during pregnancy on postnatal depression (PND) in women in New South Wales
      (NSW), Australia. METHOD: An epidemiological population-based study using linked
      data from the NSW Emergency Department Data Collection (EDDC), the NSW Perinatal
      Data Collection (PDC) and the NSW Admitted Patients Data Collection (APDC) was
      conducted. Women who gave birth to their first child in NSW between 1 January
      2006 and 31 December 2010 were followed up from pregnancy to the end of the first
      year after birth. RESULTS: The study population includes 154,328 women who gave
      birth to their first child in NSW between 2006 and 2010. Of these, 31,764 women
      (20.58%) presented to ED during pregnancy (95%CI = 20.38-20.78). Women who
      presented to ED during pregnancy were more likely to be admitted to hospital for
      the diagnosis of unipolar depression (the adjusted relative risk (RR) =1.86,
      95%CI = 1.49-2.31) and the diagnosis of mild mental and behavioural disorders
      associated with the puerperium (the adjusted RR = 1.55, 95%CI = 1.29-1.87) than
      those without ED presentation. CONCLUSION: Women's hospital admissions for
      postnatal depression were associated with frequent ED presentations during
      pregnancy.

PMID- 28335737
TI  - Cytomegalovirus infection in HIV-infected versus non-infected infants and HIV
      disease progression in Cytomegalovirus infected versus non infected infants early
      treated with cART in the ANRS 12140-Pediacam study in Cameroon.
AB  - BACKGROUND: The outcome of CMV/HIV co-infection in infants treated early with
      combined antiretroviral therapy (cART) in resource-limited settings has not been
      described. We aimed to estimate the prevalence and identify factors associated
      with early CMV infection in HIV-infected and non-infected infants included in a
      study in Cameroon, and to compare HIV disease progression and survival after 1
      year of early cART, following infants' CMV status. METHODS: HIV-infected infants
      followed from birth or from HIV diagnosis before 7 months old and HIV-uninfected
      infants born to HIV-infected or uninfected mothers were tested for CMV at a
      median age of 4.0 months [Interquartile range (IQR): 3.4-4.9]. Multivariable
      logistic regression was performed to identify factors associated with CMV
      infection. Early cART was offered to HIV-infected infants: mortality,
      immunological and virological outcomes were assessed. RESULTS: Three hundred and
      sixty-nine infants were tested. The proportion of infants infected with CMV at
      baseline was significantly higher in HIV-infected than in HIV-uninfected groups
      (58.9% (86/146) vs 30.0% (67/223), p < 0.001). At baseline, median CMV viral load
      was higher in HIV-infected (3.7 log copies/ml [IQR; 3.1-4.3]) than in HIV
      uninfected infants (2.8 log copies [IQR; 2.1-3.4], p < 0.001). cART was initiated
      in 90% of HIV-infected infants (132/146) at a median age of 4.0 months (IQR; 3.2
      5.9); in this sub-group CMV infection was independently associated with being
      followed from the time of HIV diagnosis rather than from birth (aOR = 3.1, 95%CI
      [1.2-8.0]), born to a non-single mother (aOR = 3.4[1.4-8.1]), and breastfeeding
      (aOR = 7.3 [2.7-19.4]). HIV-infected infants were retested after a median of 7.1
      months [4.8-9.5]: CMV was undetectable in 37 of the 61 (60.7%) initially CMV
      infected cases and became detectable in 8 of the 38 (21.1%) initially CMV
      negative cases. After 1 year of cART, the probability of death (0.185 vs 0.203; p
      = 0.75), the proportion of cases with HIV RNA viral load <400 copies/ml (75.5% vs
      61.5%; p = 0.17) and the mean CD4 percentage increase (10.97% vs 6.88%; p = 0.15)
      did not differ between CMV+ and CMV- infants. CONCLUSIONS: We observed a high
      prevalence of CMV infection among HIV-infected infants. Early initiation of cART
      may have limited the negative impact of CMV even in the absence of specific anti
      CMV treatment.

PMID- 28335738
TI  - Genome-wide expression profiling establishes novel modulatory roles of vitamin C
      in THP-1 human monocytic cell line.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Vitamin C (vit C) is an essential dietary nutrient, which is a potent
      antioxidant, a free radical scavenger and functions as a cofactor in many
      enzymatic reactions. Vit C is also considered to enhance the immune effector
      function of macrophages, which are regarded to be the first line of defence in
      response to any pathogen. The THP-1 cell line is widely used for studying
      macrophage functions and for analyzing host cell-pathogen interactions. RESULTS:
      We performed a genome-wide temporal gene expression and functional enrichment
      analysis of THP-1 cells treated with 100 MUM of vit C, a physiologically relevant
      concentration of the vitamin. Modulatory effects of vitamin C on THP-1 cells were
      revealed by differential expression of genes starting from 8 h onwards. The
      number of differentially expressed genes peaked at the earliest time-point i.e. 8
      h followed by temporal decline till 96 h. Further, functional enrichment analysis
      based on statistically stringent criteria revealed a gamut of functional
      responses, namely, 'Regulation of gene expression', 'Signal transduction', 'Cell
      cycle', 'Immune system process', 'cAMP metabolic process', 'Cholesterol
      transport' and 'Ion homeostasis'. A comparative analysis of vit C-mediated
      modulation of gene expression data in THP-1cells and human skin fibroblasts
      disclosed an overlap in certain functional processes such as 'Regulation of
      transcription', 'Cell cycle' and 'Extracellular matrix organization', and THP-1
      specific responses, namely, 'Regulation of gene expression' and 'Ion
      homeostasis'. It was noteworthy that vit C modulated the 'Immune system' process
      throughout the time-course. CONCLUSIONS: This study reveals the genome-wide
      effects of physiological levels of vit C on THP-1 gene expression. The multitude
      of effects impacted by vit C in macrophages highlights its role in maintaining
      homeostasis of several cellular functions. This study provides a rational basis
      for the use of the Vitamin C- THP-1 cell model, to study biochemical and cellular
      responses to stresses, including infection with M. tuberculosis and other
      intracellular pathogens.

PMID- 28335739
TI  - Identification of long non-coding transcripts with feature selection: a
      comparative study.
AB  - BACKGROUND: The unveiling of long non-coding RNAs as important gene regulators in
      many biological contexts has increased the demand for efficient and robust
      computational methods to identify novel long non-coding RNAs from transcripts
      assembled with high throughput RNA-seq data. Several classes of sequence-based
      features have been proposed to distinguish between coding and non-coding
      transcripts. Among them, open reading frame, conservation scores, nucleotide
      arrangements, and RNA secondary structure have been used with success in
      literature to recognize intergenic long non-coding RNAs, a particular subclass of
      non-coding RNAs. RESULTS: In this paper we perform a systematic assessment of a
      wide collection of features extracted from sequence data. We use most of the
      features proposed in the literature, and we include, as a novel set of features,
      the occurrence of repeats contained in transposable elements. The aim is to
      detect signatures (groups of features) able to distinguish long non-coding
      transcripts from other classes, both protein-coding and non-coding. We evaluate
      different feature selection algorithms, test for signature stability, and
      evaluate the prediction ability of a signature with a machine learning algorithm.
      The study reveals different signatures in human, mouse, and zebrafish,
      highlighting that some features are shared among species, while others tend to be
      species-specific. Compared to coding potential tools and similar supervised
      approaches, including novel signatures, such as those identified here, in a
      machine learning algorithm improves the prediction performance, in terms of area
      under precision and recall curve, by 1 to 24%, depending on the species and on
      the signature. CONCLUSIONS: Understanding which features are best suited for the
      prediction of long non-coding RNAs allows for the development of more effective
      automatic annotation pipelines especially relevant for poorly annotated genomes,
      such as zebrafish. We provide a web tool that recognizes novel long non-coding
      RNAs with the obtained signatures from fasta and gtf formats. The tool is
      available at the following url: http://www.bioinformatics-sannio.org/software/ .

PMID- 28335740
TI  - miR-21 enhances cardiac fibrotic remodeling and fibroblast proliferation via
      CADM1/STAT3 pathway.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Cardiac fibrosis play a key role in the atrial fibrillation
      pathogenesis but the underlying potential molecular mechanism is still
      understood. However, potential mechanisms for miR-21 upregulation and its role in
      cardiac fibrosis remain unclear. The controls cell proliferation and processes
      fundamental to disease progression. METHODS: In this study, immunohistochemistry,
      real-time RT-PCR, cell transfection, cell cycle, cell proliferation and Western
      blot were used, respectively. RESULTS: Here we have been demonstrated that the
      tumor suppressor cell adhesion molecule 1 (CADM1) is the potential target of miR
      21. Our study revealed that miR-21 regulation of CADM1 expression, which was
      decreased in cardiac fibroblasts and fibrosis tissue. The cardiac fibroblasts
      transfected with miR-21 mimic promoted miR-21 overexpression enhanced STAT3
      expression and decreased CADM1 expression. Nevertheless, the cardiac fibroblasts
      transfected with miR-21 inhibitor obtained the opposite expression result.
      Furthermore, downexpression of miR-21 suppressed cardiac fibroblast
      proliferation. CONCLUSIONS: These results suggested that miR-21 overexpression
      promotes cardiac fibrosis via STAT3 signaling pathway by decrease CADM1
      expression, indicating miR-21 as an important signaling molecule for cardiac
      fibrotic remodeling and AF.

PMID- 28335741
TI  - High-throughput sequencing of pituitary and hypothalamic microRNA transcriptome
      associated with high rate of egg production.
AB  - BACKGROUND: MicroRNAs exist widely in viruses, plants and animals. As endogenous
      small non-coding RNAs, miRNAs regulate a variety of biological processes. Tissue
      miRNA expression studies have discovered numerous functions for miRNAs in various
      tissues of chicken, but the regulation of miRNAs in chicken pituitary and
      hypothalamic development related to high and low egg-laying performance has
      remained unclear. RESULTS: In this study, using high-throughput sequencing
      technology, we sequenced two tissues (pituitary and hypothalamus) in 3 high- and
      3 low-rate egg production Luhua chickens at the age of 300 days. By comparing low
      and high-rate egg production chickens, 46 known miRNAs and 27 novel miRNAs were
      identified as differentially expressed (P < 0.05). Six differentially expressed
      known miRNAs, which are expressed in both tissues, were used in RT-qPCR
      validation and SNP detection. Among them, seven SNPs in two miRNA precursors (gga
      miR-1684a and gga-miR-1434) were found that might enhance or reduce the
      production of the mature miRNAs. In addition, 124 and 30 reciprocally expressed
      miRNA-target pairs were identified by RNA-seq in pituitary and hypothalamic
      tissues, respectively and randomly selected candidate miRNA and miRNA-target
      pairs were validated by RT-qPCR in Jiuyuan black fowl. Gene Ontology (GO) and
      Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway annotation illustrated
      that a large number of egg laying-related pathways were enriched in the high-rate
      egg production chickens, including ovarian steroidogenesis and steroid hormone
      biosynthesis. CONCLUSIONS: These differentially expressed miRNAs and their
      predicted target genes, especially identified reciprocally expressed miRNA-target
      pairs, advance the study of miRNA function and egg production associated miRNA
      identification. The analysis of the miRNA-related SNPs and their effects provided
      insights into the effects of SNPs on miRNA biogenesis and function. The data
      generated in this study will further our understanding of miRNA regulation
      mechanisms in the chicken egg-laying process.

PMID- 28335743
TI  - Reasons for discontinuation of subcutaneous interferon beta-1a three times a week
      among patients with multiple sclerosis: a real-world cohort study.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Continuation of interferon (IFN) beta-based therapies is important
      for maximum treatment effectiveness in patients with multiple sclerosis (MS);
      however, few real-world data are available on discontinuation from IFN beta. The
      aim of this cohort analysis was to estimate real-world discontinuation rates up
      to 3 years among MS patients in the United States taking subcutaneous (sc) IFN
      beta-1a three times a week (tiw) and to identify whether the factors associated
      with discontinuation change over time. METHODS: Patient data were pooled from the
      MarketScan(c) Commercial and Medicare Supplemental healthcare claims databases.
      Patients with >=1 multiple sclerosis diagnosis who were sc IFN beta-1a tiw naive,
      had >=1 year of continuous eligibility before treatment, and >=1 prescription
      were followed from first prescription (index date) until date of discontinuation,
      switch, or end of observation. Treatment status was analysed at exactly 1, 2 or 3
      years after index. Multivariable models were used to identify drivers of
      discontinuation. RESULTS: Data from 5956 patients were included; 2862 patients
      (48.1%) discontinued therapy. Discontinuation rates were 36.9% (1 year), 49.5% (2
      years) and 55.8% (3 years). A greater proportion of discontinuing patients had
      poor adherence (<80% [94.0%] versus >=80% [51.7%]) or were taking additional
      medication at follow-up versus the overall population. Factors independently
      associated with discontinuation irrespective of time on therapy were increasing
      number of magnetic resonance imaging scans (1 year adjusted odds ratio 1.45, 95%
      confidence interval 1.26-1.67; 2 years 1.18, 1.06-1.32; 3 years 1.20, 1.07-1.34)
      and adherence <80% versus >=80% (1 year 180.95, 135.84-241.03; 2 years 135.80,
      100.10-184.23; 3 years 174.89, 115.27-265.38). Factors associated only with early
      discontinuation (at 1 year) were >=3 sets of laboratory investigations versus
      none (2.54, 1.20-5.38), and anxiolytic use at follow-up (1.40, 1.06-1.82).
      Factors associated only with later discontinuation (at 2 years and/or at 3 years)
      were antidepressant use at follow-up (2 years 1.46, 1.10-1.94) and greater number
      of relapses (2 years 1.60, 1.11-2.30; 3 years 2.31, 1.27-4.22). CONCLUSIONS:
      Potential drivers of discontinuation change over time. Improved awareness of the
      drivers of discontinuation could lead to targeted interventions to improve
      adherence.

PMID- 28335742
TI  - Characteristics of early-onset hematotoxicity of sunitinib in Japanese patients
      with renal cell carcinoma.
AB  - BACKGROUND: A high incidence of severe hematological adverse events during
      sunitinib treatment complicates decision making on dose and treatment cycle. We
      identified the characteristics of early-onset hematotoxicity of sunitinib in
      Japanese patients with renal cell carcinoma (RCC). METHODS: Seventy-nine patients
      were treated with sunitinib as 6-week cycles of "4-week on 2-week off" schedule.
      To evaluate early-onset hematotoxicity, we compared patients with dose reduction
      during the first cycle (dose-reduced group, n = 57) and those who maintained the
      initial dose (dose-maintained group, n = 22). ABCG2 and FLT3 genotypes were
      analyzed for association between hematotoxicity and reported gene polymorphisms.
      RESULTS: Mean relative dose intensity (RDI) was similar in the two groups during
      the first 2 weeks of dosing in the first cycle, but was significantly lower in
      the dose-reduced group during the last 2 weeks. Lymphocytopenia and
      thrombocytopenia were observed in the dose-reduced group within the first 2
      weeks. Genetic analysis indicated a significantly higher frequency of FLT3 738
      T/C polymorphism in the dose-reduced group, but no significant difference in the
      ABCG2 421 C/A polymorphism. CONCLUSIONS: This study showed a high incidence of
      sunitinib-induced hematotoxicity in Japanese patients with RCC, many of whom need
      dose adjustment during the first cycle. Further studies should verify whether
      dose adjustment based on early-onset thrombocytopenia prolongs sunitinib
      treatment.

PMID- 28335744
TI  - A systematic review of prognostic factors at the end of life for people with a
      hematological malignancy.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Accurate prognosticating is needed when patients are nearing the end
      of life to ensure appropriate treatment decisions, and facilitate palliative care
      provision and transitioning to terminal care. People with a hematological
      malignancy characteristically experience a fluctuating illness trajectory leading
      to difficulties with prognosticating. The aim of this review was to identify
      current knowledge regarding 'bedside' prognostic factors in the final 3 months of
      life for people with a hematological malignancy associated with increased risk of
      mortality. METHODS: A systematic review of the literature was performed across:
      PubMed; CINAHL; PsycINFO; and Cochrane with set inclusion criteria: 1) prognostic
      cohort studies; 2) published 2004-2014; 3) sample >= 18 years; 4) >50% sample had
      a hematological malignancy; 5) reported 'bedside' prognostic factors; 6) median
      survival of <3 months; and 7) English language. Quality appraisal was performed
      using the Quality In Prognostic Studies (QUIPS) tool. Results are reported in
      line with PRISMA guidelines. RESULTS: The search returned 4860 studies of which
      28 met inclusion criteria. Twenty-four studies were rated moderate quality, three
      were high quality and one study was deemed to be of low quality. Most studies
      were set in the ICU (n = 24/28) and were retrospective (n = 25/28). Forty
      'bedside' prognostic factors were identified as associated with increased risk of
      mortality encompassing the following broad categories: 1) demographics; 2)
      physiological complications or conditions; 3) disease characteristics; 4)
      laboratory blood values; and 5) interventions. CONCLUSIONS: The literature on
      prognosticating in the final months of life was predominantly focused on people
      who had experienced acute physiological deterioration and were being treated
      aggressively in the in-patient setting. A significant gap in the literature
      exists for people who are treated less aggressively or are on a palliative
      trajectory. Findings did not report on, or confirm the significance of, many of
      the key prognostic factors associated with increased risk of mortality at the end
      of life in the solid tumour population, demonstrating key differences in the two
      populations. TRIAL REGISTRATION: This systematic review was not registered.

PMID- 28335745
TI  - Ipsilateral and contralateral sensory changes in healthy subjects after
      experimentally induced concomitant sensitization and hypoesthesia.
AB  - BACKGROUND: In unilateral neuropathic pain. e.g. after peripheral nerve injury,
      both positive and negative sensory signs occur often, accompanied by minor but
      equally directed contralateral sensory changes. To mimic this feature, we
      experimentally aimed to induce concomitant c-fibre sensitization and block in
      healthy subjects and analyzed the bilateral sensory changes by quantitative
      sensory testing (QST) using the protocol of the German Research Network on
      Neuropathic Pain. METHODS: Twenty eight healthy subjects were firstly randomized
      in 2 groups to receive either topical capsaicin (0.6%, 12 cm2, application
      duration: 15 min.) or a lidocaine/prilocaine patch (25/25 mg, 10 cm2, application
      duration: 60 min.) on the right volar forearm. Secondly, 7-14 days later in the
      same area either at first capsaicin (for 15 min.) and immediately afterwards
      local anesthetics (for 60 min.) was applied (Cap/LA), or in inversed order with
      the same application duration (LA/Cap). Before, after each application and 7-14
      days later a QST was performed bilaterally. STATISTICS: Wilcoxon-test, ANOVA, p <
      0.05. RESULTS: Single application of 0,6% capsaicin induced thermal hypoesthesia,
      cold hypoalgesia, heat hyperalgesia and tactile allodynia. Lidocaine/prilocaine
      alone induced thermal and tactile hypoesthesia as well as mechanical and cold
      hypoalgesia, and a heat hyperalgesia (to a smaller extent). Ipsilaterally both co
      applications induced a combination of the above mentioned changes. Significant
      contralateral sensory changes occurred only after the co-application with
      concomitant sensitization and hypoesthesia and comprised increased cold (Cap/LA,
      LA/Cap) and mechanical detection as well as cold pain threshold (LA/Cap).
      CONCLUSION: The present experimental model using combined application of
      capsaicin and LA imitates partly the complex sensory changes observed in patients
      with unilateral neuropathic pain and might be used as an additional surrogate
      model. Only the concomitant use both agents in the same area induces both
      positive and negative sensory signs ipsilaterally as well as parallel
      contralateral sensory changes (to a lesser extent). TRIAL REGISTRATION:
      ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier NCT01540877 , registered on 23 February 2012.

PMID- 28335746
TI  - Does continuous trusted adult support in childhood impart life-course resilience
      against adverse childhood experiences - a retrospective study on adult health
      harming behaviours and mental well-being.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) including child abuse and
      household problems (e.g. domestic violence) increase risks of poor health and
      mental well-being in adulthood. Factors such as having access to a trusted adult
      as a child may impart resilience against developing such negative outcomes. How
      much childhood adversity is mitigated by such resilience is poorly quantified.
      Here we test if access to a trusted adult in childhood is associated with reduced
      impacts of ACEs on adoption of health-harming behaviours and lower mental well
      being in adults. METHODS: Cross-sectional, face-to-face household surveys (aged
      18-69 years, February-September 2015) examining ACEs suffered, always available
      adult (AAA) support from someone you trust in childhood and current diet,
      smoking, alcohol consumption and mental well-being were undertaken in four UK
      regions. Sampling used stratified random probability methods (n = 7,047).
      Analyses used chi squared, binary and multinomial logistic regression. RESULTS:
      Adult prevalence of poor diet, daily smoking and heavier alcohol consumption
      increased with ACE count and decreased with AAA support in childhood. Prevalence
      of having any two such behaviours increased from 1.8% (0 ACEs, AAA support, most
      affluent quintile of residence) to 21.5% (>=4 ACEs, lacking AAA support, most
      deprived quintile). However, the increase was reduced to 7.1% with AAA support
      (>=4 ACEs, most deprived quintile). Lower mental well-being was 3.27 (95% CIs,
      2.16-4.96) times more likely with >=4 ACEs and AAA support from someone you trust
      in childhood (vs. 0 ACE, with AAA support) increasing to 8.32 (95% CIs, 6.53
      10.61) times more likely with >=4 ACEs but without AAA support in childhood.
      Multiple health-harming behaviours combined with lower mental well-being rose
      dramatically with ACE count and lack of AAA support in childhood (adjusted odds
      ratio 32.01, 95% CIs 18.31-55.98, >=4 ACEs, without AAA support vs. 0 ACEs, with
      AAA support). CONCLUSIONS: Adverse childhood experiences negatively impact mental
      and physical health across the life-course. Such impacts may be substantively
      mitigated by always having support from an adult you trust in childhood.
      Developing resilience in children as well as reducing childhood adversity are
      critical if low mental well-being, health-harming behaviours and their combined
      contribution to non-communicable disease are to be reduced.

PMID- 28335747
TI  - Effects of diurnal, lighting, and angle-of-incidence variation on anterior
      segment optical coherence tomography (AS-OCT) angle metrics.
AB  - BACKGROUND: First reported study to assess the effect of diurnal variation on
      anterior chamber angle measurements, as well as, to re-test the effects of
      lighting and angle-of-incidence variation on anterior chamber angle (ACA)
      measurements acquired by time-domain anterior segment optical coherence
      tomography (AS-OCT). METHODS: A total of 30 eyes from 15 healthy, normal subjects
      underwent anterior chamber imaging using a Visante time-domain AS-OCT according
      to an IRB-approved protocol. For each eye, the inferior angle was imaged twice in
      the morning (8 am - 10 am) and then again in the afternoon (3 pm - 5 pm), under
      light meter-controlled conditions with ambient room lighting 'ON' and lights
      'OFF', and at 5 degrees  angle of incidence increments. The ACA metrics measured
      for each eye were: angle opening distance (AOD, measured 500 and 750 MUm anterior
      from scleral spur), the trabecular-iris-space area (TISA, measured 500 and 750
      MUm anterior from scleral spur), and scleral spur angle. Measurements were
      performed by masked, certified Reading Center graders using the Visante's
      Internal Measurement Tool. Differences in measurements between morning and
      afternoon, lighting variations, and angle of incidence were compared. RESULTS:
      Mean age of the participants was 31.2 years (range 23-58). Anterior chamber angle
      metrics did not differ significantly from morning to afternoon imaging, or when
      the angle of incidence was offset by 5 degrees  in either direction away from the
      inferior angle 6 o'clock position. (p-value 0.13-0.93). Angle metrics at the
      inferior corneal limbus, 6 o'clock position (IC270), with room lighting 'OFF',
      showed a significant decrease (p < 0.05) compared to room lighting 'ON'.
      CONCLUSIONS: There does not appear to be significant diurnal variation in AS-OCT
      parameters in normal individuals, but lighting conditions need to be strictly
      controlled since variation in lighting led to significant variability in AS-OCT
      parameters. No changes in ACA parameters were noted by varying the angle-of
      incidence, which gives confidence in being able to perform longitudinal studies
      in approximately the same area (plus/minus 5 degrees  of original scan location).

PMID- 28335748
TI  - Steroid-resistant nephrotic syndrome as the initial presentation of nail-patella
      syndrome: a case of a de novo LMX1B mutation.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Nail-patella syndrome (NPS) is an autosomal dominant disorder caused
      by mutations in the LMX1B gene and is characterized by nail dysplasia, skeletal
      abnormalities, and nephropathy. We herein report a case of steroid-resistant
      nephrotic syndrome (SRNS) prior to overt orthopedic symptoms in a patient with
      NPS. CASE PRESENTATION: A 24-year-old woman presented to our hospital with knee
      pain. She had poorly developed nails, hypoplastic patellas, dislocation of the
      elbows, and iliac horns in the pelvis. At the age of 7, she developed nephrotic
      syndrome and was diagnosed with primary focal segmental glomerulosclerosis by
      renal biopsy. She received long-term corticosteroid therapy with no obvious
      response. Her clinical course and orthopedic manifestations indicated NPS, and a
      genetic analysis showed a de novo mutation in the LMX1B gene (c.819 + 1G > A).
      Nephropathy in this case was considered to be associated with NPS. Therefore, we
      discontinued corticosteroids without the exacerbation of nephrotic syndrome.
      CONCLUSIONS: Patients with NPS may develop nephrotic syndrome prior to overt
      orthopedic symptoms and only show non-specific findings in renal biopsy at an
      early stage of NPS nephropathy. Hereditary nephrotic syndrome, often presenting
      as childhood-onset SRNS, may also be difficult to diagnose in patients with the
      following conditions: renal symptoms prior to overt extrarenal symptoms, de novo
      mutations, and non-specific findings in renal biopsy. Therefore, in the
      management of SRNS in children, we need to reconsider the possibility of
      hereditary diseases such as NPS even without a family history.

PMID- 28335749
TI  - Women's perceptions of discussions about gestational weight gain with health care
      providers during pregnancy and postpartum: a qualitative study.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Maternal body weight is an indicator of the health of a mother and
      her developing fetus. Risks of poor maternal and fetal health issues increase
      when women gain too little or too much weight during pregnancy. A study of 600
      women from Alberta, Canada, reported approximately 30, 46, 80, and 80% of
      underweight, healthy weight, overweight, and obese women, respectively, gained in
      excess of Health Canada gestational weight gain guidelines. Behavioural
      interventions during pregnancy have shown to be effective at supporting women
      achieve gestational weight gain (GWG) recommendations and return to their pre
      pregnancy weight postpartum, yet few women are counseled about weight gain during
      pregnancy. A discrepancy exists between health care providers' (HCP) reported
      counseling behaviours and women's perceptions of counseling by HCPs; most HCPs
      report counseling women about GWG; conversely, most women report not receiving
      counseling about GWG. This study explored women's experiences with GWG and their
      perceptions of discussions about GWG with HCPs during pregnancy and postpartum.
      This will help to identify gaps in service delivery and highlight areas for
      improvement that may better support women to achieve GWG recommendations leading
      to better health outcomes for women and children. METHODS: Five focus groups (n =
      26) were conducted with women up to 1 year postpartum across the five Alberta
      health zones. Focus groups were transcribed verbatim and analyzed using
      qualitative content analysis. RESULTS: GWG is important to women, for their
      health and for the health of their baby. In-depth conversations with HCPs about
      GWG or weight loss do not occur; however, women want the opportunity to discuss
      weight gain/loss with HCPs. Women would like discussions about gestational weight
      gain/loss to become part of standard care and offered to all women. CONCLUSIONS:
      Women suggested that discussions about GWG should occur with all women, and that
      HCPs should initiate these discussions by asking women how they feel about
      discussing weight. Conversations should begin early on in pregnancy and continue
      through to the postpartum period. Interventions assessing discussions about GWG
      should be implemented and evaluated as this has been identified as a gap in
      prenatal service delivery.

PMID- 28335750
TI  - Novel compound heterozygous mutations in the OTOF Gene identified by whole-exome
      sequencing in auditory neuropathy spectrum disorder.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Many hearing-loss diseases are demonstrated to have Mendelian
      inheritance caused by mutations in single gene. However, many deaf individuals
      have diseases that remain genetically unexplained. Auditory neuropathy is a
      sensorineural deafness in which sounds are able to be transferred into the inner
      ear normally but the transmission of the signals from inner ear to auditory nerve
      and brain is injured, also known as auditory neuropathy spectrum disorder (ANSD).
      The pathogenic mutations of the genes responsible for the Chinese ANSD population
      remain poorly understood. METHODS: A total of 127 patients with non-syndromic
      hearing loss (NSHL) were enrolled in Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region. A
      hereditary deafness gene mutation screening was performed to identify the
      mutation sites in four deafness-related genes (GJB2, GJB3, 12S rRNA, and
      SLC26A4). In addition, whole-exome sequencing (WES) was applied to explore
      unappreciated mutation sites in the cases with the singularity of its phenotype.
      RESULTS: Well-characterized mutations were found in only 8.7% (11/127) of the
      patients. Interestingly, two mutations in the OTOF gene were identified in two
      affected siblings with ANSD from a Chinese family, including one nonsense
      mutation c.1273C > T (p.R425X) and one missense mutation c.4994 T > C (p.L1665P).
      Furthermore, we employed Sanger sequencing to confirm the mutations in each
      subject. Two compound heterozygous mutations in the OTOF gene were observed in
      the two affected siblings, whereas the two parents and unaffected sister were
      heterozygous carriers of c.1273C > T (father and sister) and c.4994 T > C
      (mother). The nonsense mutation p.R425X, contributes to a premature stop codon,
      may result in a truncated polypeptide, which strongly suggests its pathogenicity
      for ANSD. The missense mutation p.L1665P results in a single amino acid
      substitution in a highly conserved region. CONCLUSIONS: Two mutations in the OTOF
      gene in the Chinese deaf population were recognized for the first time. These
      findings not only extend the OTOF gene mutation spectrum for ANSD but also
      indicate that whole-exome sequencing is an effective approach to clarify the
      genetic characteristics in non-syndromic ANSD patients.

PMID- 28335751
TI  - Exploring community participation in project design: application of the community
      conversation approach to improve maternal and newborn health in Zambia.
AB  - BACKGROUND: The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) has adopted an
      approach entitled Community Conversation (CC) to improve community engagement in
      addressing health challenges. CCs are based on Paulo Freire's transformative
      communication approach, in which communities pose problems and critically examine
      their everyday life experiences through discussion. We adopted this approach to
      engage communities in maternal and newborn health discussions in three rural
      districts of Zambia, with the aim of developing community-generated
      interventions. METHODS: Sixty (60) CCs were held in three target districts,
      covering a total of 20 health facilities. Communities were purposively selected
      in each district to capture a range of rural and peri-urban areas at varying
      distances from health facilities. Conversations were held four times in each
      community between May and September 2014. All conversations were digitally
      recorded and later transcribed. NVivo version 10 was used for data analysis.
      RESULTS AND DISCUSSION: The major barriers to accessing maternal health services
      included geography, limited infrastructure, lack of knowledge, shortage of human
      resources and essential commodities, and insufficient involvement of male
      partners. From the demand side, a lack of information and misconceptions, and,
      from the supply side, inadequately trained health workers with poor attitudes,
      negatively affected access to maternal health services in target districts either
      directly or indirectly. At least 17 of 20 communities suggested solutions to
      these challenges, including targeted community sensitisation on the importance of
      safe motherhood, family planning and prevention of teenage pregnancy. Community
      members and key stakeholders committed time and resources to address these
      challenges with minimal external support. CONCLUSION: We successfully applied the
      CC approach to explore maternal health challenges in three rural districts of
      Zambia. CCs functioned as an advocacy platform to facilitate direct engagement
      with key decision makers within the community and to align priorities while
      incorporating community views. There was a general lack of knowledge about safe
      motherhood and family planning in all three districts. However, other problems
      were unique to health facilities, demonstrating the need for tailored
      interventions.

PMID- 28335752
TI  - Development of a rapid loop-mediated isothermal amplification assay for diagnosis
      and assessment of cure of Leishmania infection.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Leishmaniasis is a spectrum of diseases with great relevance to
      public health. Conventional diagnostic methods are time consuming, needing
      trained personnel. A robust, rapid and cost effective diagnostic test is
      warranted for on-time diagnosis and field application. METHODS: We have developed
      a loop mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP) assay with primers (n = 6) based
      on Leishmania donovani kDNA for detection of Leishmania infection, using a closed
      tube to prevent cross-contamination. The assay was used to detect Leishmania
      infection in biological samples obtained from patients of visceral leishmaniasis
      (VL), post kala-azar dermal leishmaniasis (PKDL) and cutaneous leishmaniasis
      (CL). RESULTS: The assay was positive for L. donovani, L. tropica and L. major
      parasites, with the highest sensitivity towards L. donovani (1 fg DNA). The high
      sensitivity of the assay for detection of L. donovani was reflected in its
      ability to detect parasite DNA within 30 min of amplification time with a
      threshold detection limit of >=25 copies per reaction. The assay detected
      parasite in 64 of 66 VL blood samples (sensitivity, 96.9%; 95% CI: 89.6-99.2%),
      15 of 15 VL bone marrow aspirate samples (sensitivity, 100%; 95% CI:79.6-100%),
      65 of 67 PKDL tissue biopsy samples (sensitivity, 97%; 95% CI:89.7-99.2%). The
      assay was evaluated in a few cases of CL wherein it was found positive in 8 of 10
      tissue biopsies (sensitivity, 80%; 95% CI: 49-94.3%). The assay was negative in
      all control blood (n = 76) and tissue biopsy (n = 24) samples (specificity, 100%;
      95% CI: 96.3-100%). Further, the assay was evaluated for its utility in
      assessment of cure in treated VL and PKDL patients. The assay detected parasite
      DNA in 2 of 20VL blood samples and 2 of 21 PKDL tissue samples. Out of 4 cases
      that were positive for parasite DNA at post treatment stage, 2 patients (1VL and
      1 PKDL) returned with relapse. CONCLUSIONS: The study demonstrated a Leishmania
      genus specific closed tube LAMP assay for reliable and rapid molecular diagnosis
      of VL and PKDL with potential for application in assessment of cure.

PMID- 28335753
TI  - Leuconostoc mesenteroides periprosthetic knee infection, an unusual fastidious
      Gram-positive bacteria: a case report.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Periprosthetic joint infections are mainly caused by Gram-positive
      cocci. Leuconostoc mesenteroides is a rare microorganism mainly causing
      bloodstream infections. At times, it might be confused with another type of cocci
      and give rise to misdiagnosed infections. Molecular diagnosis and biofilm
      production comprise important techniques to guide antibiotic treatment. CASE
      PRESENTATION: A 68-year-old Hispanic female with a previous history of bilateral
      knee arthroplasty presented with acute right-knee inflammation and gait
      impairment. Blood tests showed inflammatory response and knee x-ray revealed no
      prosthesis loosening. Irrigation and debridement was performed. Gram-positive
      cocci were obtained from cultures, and then biochemical and molecular
      identification revealed L. mesenteroides. Susceptibility and biofilm production
      were performed. The patient was treated with IntraVenous (IV) Ceftriaxone for ten
      days and was then switched to Amoxicillin-Clavulanate for 3 months with clinical
      and laboratory success. CONCLUSIONS: Microbiology diagnosis of fastidious
      microorganisms is mandatory to treat periprosthetic joint infections adequately.
      L. mesenteroides may infect non-immunocompromised persons; however, treatment
      guidelines are lacking.

PMID- 28335754
TI  - The structural and health policy environment for delivering integrated HIV and
      substance use disorder treatments in Puerto Rico.
AB  - BACKGROUND: HIV prevalence in Puerto Rico is nearly twice that of the mainland
      United States, a level that was substantially fueled by injection drug use.
      Puerto Rico has a longstanding history of health provision by the public sector
      that directly affects how HIV and substance use disorder (SUD) treatment services
      are provided and funded. As part of pre-implementation research for a randomized
      trial of a community-level intervention to enhance HIV care access for substance
      users in San Juan, Puerto Rico, we sought to understand the structural and health
      policy environment for providing HIV and SUD treatments. METHODS: We conducted
      semi-structured qualitative interviews (n = 8) with government and program
      administrators in English and Spanish. Data were analyzed to identify dominant
      and recurrent themes. RESULTS: Participants discussed how lack of integration
      among medical and mental health service providers, lack of public transportation,
      and turnover in appointed government officials were barriers to integrated HIV
      and SUD treatment. Federal funding for support services for HIV patients was a
      facilitator. The Affordable Care Act has limited impact in Puerto Rico because
      provisions related to health insurance reform do not apply to U.S. territories.
      DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSIONS: Implications for intervention design include the need
      to provide care coordination for services from multiple providers, who are often
      physically separated and working in different reimbursement systems, and the
      potential for mobile and patient transportation services to bridge these gaps.
      Continuous interaction with political leaders is needed to maintain current
      facilitators. These findings are relevant as the current economic crisis in
      Puerto Rico affects funding, and may be relevant for other settings with
      substance use-driven epidemics.

PMID- 28335755
TI  - The incidence of diabetes mellitus and diabetic retinopathy in a population-based
      cohort study of people age 50 years and over in Nakuru, Kenya.
AB  - BACKGROUND: The epidemic rise of diabetes carries major negative public health
      and economic consequences particularly for low and middle-income countries. The
      highest predicted percentage growth in diabetes is in the sub-Saharan Africa
      (SSA) region where to date there has been no data on the incidence of diabetic
      retinopathy from population-based cohort studies and minimal data on incident
      diabetes. The primary aims of this study were to estimate the cumulative six-year
      incidence of Diabetes Mellitus (DM) and DR (Diabetic Retinopathy), respectively,
      among people aged >=50 years in Kenya. METHODS: Random cluster sampling with
      probability proportionate to size were used to select a representative cross
      sectional sample of adults aged >=50 years in 2007-8 in Nakuru District, Kenya. A
      six-year follow-up was undertaken in 2013-14. On both occasions a comprehensive
      ophthalmic examination was performed including LogMAR visual acuity, digital
      retinal photography and independent grading of images. Data were collected on
      general health and risk factors. The primary outcomes were the incidence of
      diabetes mellitus and the incidence of diabetic retinopathy, which were
      calculated by dividing the number of events identified at 6-year follow-up by the
      number of people at risk at the beginning of follow-up. Age-adjusted risk ratios
      of the outcomes (DM and DR respectively) were estimated for each covariate using
      a Poisson regression model with robust error variance to allow for the clustered
      design and including inverse-probability weighting. RESULTS: At baseline, 4414
      participants aged >=50 years underwent complete examination. Of the 4104 non
      diabetic participants, 2059 were followed-up at six-years (50 . 2%). The
      cumulative incidence of DM was estimated at 61 . 0 per 1000 (95% CI: 50 . 3-73 .
      7) in people aged >=50 years. The cumulative incidence of DR in the sample
      population was estimated at 15 . 8 per 1000 (95% CI: 9 . 5-26 . 3) among those
      without DM at baseline, and 224 . 7 per 1000 (116.9-388.2) among participants
      with known DM at baseline. A multivariable risk factor analysis demonstrated
      increasing age and higher body mass index to be associated with incident DM. DR
      incidence was strongly associated with increasing age, and with higher BMI, urban
      dwelling and higher socioeconomic status. CONCLUSIONS: Diabetes Mellitus is a
      growing public health concern with a major complication of diabetic retinopathy.
      In a population of 1 . 6 million, of whom 150,000 are >=50 years, we estimated
      that 1650 people aged >=50 develop DM per year, and 450 develop DR. Strengthening
      of health systems is necessary to reduce incident diabetes and its complications
      in this and similar settings.

PMID- 28335756
TI  - Acupuncture and moxibustion for chronic fatigue syndrome in traditional Chinese
      medicine: a systematic review and meta-analysis.
AB  - BACKGROUND: As the etiology of chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) is unclear and the
      treatment is still a big issue. There exists a wide range of literature about
      acupuncture and moxibustion (AM) for CFS in traditional Chinese medicine (TCM).
      But there are certain doubts as well in the effectiveness of its treatment due to
      the lack of a comprehensive and evidence-based medical proof to dispel the
      misgivings. Current study evaluated systematically the effectiveness of
      acupuncture and moxibustion treatments on CFS, and clarified the difference among
      them and Chinese herbal medicine, western medicine and sham-acupuncture. METHODS:
      We comprehensively reviewed literature including PubMed, EMBASE, Cochrane
      library, CBM (Chinese Biomedical Literature Database) and CNKI (China National
      Knowledge Infrastructure) up to May 2016, for RCT clinical research on CFS
      treated by acupuncture and moxibustion. Traditional direct meta-analysis was
      adopted to analyze the difference between AM and other treatments. Analysis was
      performed based on the treatment in experiment and control groups. Network meta
      analysis was adopted to make comprehensive comparisons between any two kinds of
      treatments. The primary outcome was total effective rate, while relative risks
      (RR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) were used as the final pooled statistics.
      RESULTS: A total of 31 randomized controlled trials (RCTs) were enrolled in
      analyses. In traditional direct meta-analysis, we found that in comparison to
      Chinese herbal medicine, CbAM (combined acupuncture and moxibustion, which meant
      two or more types of acupuncture and moxibustion were adopted) had a higher total
      effective rate (RR (95% CI), 1.17 (1.09 ~ 1.25)). Compared with Chinese herbal
      medicine, western medicine and sham-acupuncture, SAM (single acupuncture or
      single moxibustion) had a higher total effective rate, with RR (95% CI) of 1.22
      (1.14 ~ 1.30), 1.51 (1.31-1.74), 5.90 (3.64-9.56). In addition, compared with
      SAM, CbAM had a higher total effective rate (RR (95% CI), 1.23 (1.12 ~ 1.36)). In
      network meta-analyses, similar results were recorded. Subsequently, we ranked all
      treatments from high to low effective rate and the order was CbAM, SAM, Chinese
      herbal medicine, western medicine and sham-acupuncture. CONCLUSIONS: In the
      treatment of CFS, CbAM and SAM may have better effect than other treatments.
      However, the included trials have relatively poor quality, hence high quality
      studies are needed to confirm our finding.

PMID- 28335757
TI  - Sophorae Flos extract inhibits RANKL-induced osteoclast differentiation by
      suppressing the NF-kappaB/NFATc1 pathway in mouse bone marrow cells.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Sophorae Flos (SF) is a composite of flowers and buds of
      Styphnolobium japonicum (L.) Schott and has been used in traditional Korean and
      Chinese medicine for the treatment of hemostasis and inflammation. Previous
      studies reported that SF possesses anti-obesity properties, as well as anti
      allergic, anti-proliferative, and anti-inflammatory activities. However, the
      effect of SF in bone resorption has not been studies. In this study, we examined
      the potential of SF extract (SFE) to inhibit receptor activator of NF-kappaB
      ligand (RANKL) -induced osteoclast differentiation in cultured mouse-derived bone
      marrow macrophages (BMMs). METHODS: BMMs, that act as osteoclast precursors, were
      cultured with M-CSF (50 ng/ml) and RANKL (100 ng/ml) for 4 days to generate
      osteoclasts. Osteoclast differentiation was measured by tartrate-resistant acidic
      phosphatase (TRAP) staining and the TRAP solution assay. Osteoclast
      differentiation marker genes were analyzed by the quantitative real-time
      polymerase chain reaction analysis. RANKLs signaling pathways were confirmed
      through western blotting. RESULTS: SFE significantly decreased osteoclast
      differentiation in a dose-dependent manner. SFE inhibited RANKL-induced
      osteoclastogenesis by suppressing NF-kappaB activation. By contrast, SFE did not
      affect phospholipase C gamma 2 or subsequent cAMP response element binding
      activation. SFE inhibited the RANKL-induced expression of nuclear factor of
      activated T cells c1 (NFATc1). CONCLUSIONS: SFE attenuated the RANKL-mediated
      induction of NF-kappaB through inhibition of IkappaBalpha phosphorylation, which
      contributed to inhibiting of RANKL-induced osteoclast differentiation through
      downregulation of NFATc1.

PMID- 28335759
TI  - Mobile radiography services in nursing homes: a systematic review of residents'
      and societal outcomes.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Demographic changes are leading to an ageing population in Europe,
      and predict an increase in the number of nursing home residents over the next 30
      years. Nursing home residents need specialised healthcare services such as
      radiology due to both chronic and acute illnesses. Mobile radiography, x-ray
      examinations performed in the nursing homes, may be a good way of providing
      services to this population. The aim of this systematic review was to identify
      the outcomes of mobile radiography services for nursing home residents and
      society. METHODS: A systematic review based on searches in the Medline, Cochrane,
      PubMed, Embase and Svemed + databases was performed. Titles and abstracts were
      screened according to a predefined set of inclusion criteria: empirical studies
      in the geriatric population, and reports of mobile radiography services in a
      clinical setting. All publications were quality appraised using MMAT or CASP
      appraisal tools. Data were extracted using a summary table and results were
      narratively synthesised. RESULTS: Ten publications were included. Three
      overarching outcomes were identified: 1) reduced number of hospitalisations and
      outpatient examinations or treatments, 2) reduced number of transfers between
      nursing homes and hospitals and 3) increased access to x-ray examinations. These
      outcomes were interlinked with the more specific outcomes for residents and
      society reported in the literature. For residents there was a reduction in
      burdensome transfers and waiting time and adequate treatment and care increased.
      For society, released resources could be used more efficiently, and overall costs
      were reduced substantially. CONCLUSIONS: This review indicates that mobile
      radiography services for nursing home residents in the western world are of
      comparable quality to hospital-based examinations and have clear potential
      benefits. Mobile radiography reduced transfers to and from hospital, increased
      the number of examinations carried out and facilitated timely diagnosis and
      access to treatments. Further research is needed to formally evaluate potential
      improvements in care quality and cost-effectiveness.

PMID- 28335758
TI  - What's wrong with John? a randomised controlled trial of Mental Health First Aid
      (MHFA) training with nursing students.
AB  - BACKGROUND: The prevalence of mental health problems have been found to be higher
      among university students compared to their non-student peers. Nursing students
      in particular face a range of additional stressors which may impact their
      undergraduate performance and their careers. Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) aims
      to increase mental health literacy and to reduce stigma and may positively impact
      on the student population. This paper describes a MHFA randomised controlled
      trial targeting nursing students at a large Australian university. This study
      aimed to measure the impact of the MHFA course on mental health literacy, mental
      health first aid intentions, confidence in helping someone with a mental health
      problem and stigmatising attitudes including social distance. METHODS:
      Participants were first year nursing students (n = 181) randomly allocated to the
      intervention (n = 92) or control (n = 89) group. Intervention group participants
      received the standardised MHFA course for nursing students. Online self-report
      questionnaires were completed at three time intervals: baseline (one week prior
      to the intervention: T1) (n = 140), post intervention (T2) (n = 120), and two
      months post intervention (T3) (n = 109). Measures included demographics, mental
      health knowledge, recognition of depression, confidence in helping, mental health
      first aid intentions and stigmatising attitudes including social distance.
      Repeated measures ANOVA was computed to measure if the impact of time (T1, T2,
      T3) and group (intervention and control) on the outcome variables. RESULTS: There
      was a significant improvement among intervention compared to control group
      participants across the three time periods for knowledge scores (p < 0.001),
      confidence in helping (p < 0.001), mental health first aid intentions (p <
      0.001), total personal stigma (p < 0.05), personal dangerous/unpredictable stigma
      (p < 0.05) and social distance (p < 0.05) scores. CONCLUSION: MHFA is useful
      training to embed in university courses and has the potential to enhance mental
      health literacy and reduce stigmatising attitudes and social distance. While this
      course has particular salience for nursing and other health science students,
      there are broader benefits to the general university population that should be
      considered and opportunities accordingly explored for all students to complete
      the course. TRIAL REGISTRATION: Australian New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry
      ACTRN12614000861651 . Retrospectively registered 11 August 2014.

PMID- 28335760
TI  - Midkine is a potential novel marker for malignant mesothelioma with different
      prognostic and diagnostic values from mesothelin.
AB  - BACKGROUND: We evaluated possible diagnostic and prognostic values of serum
      midkine in malignant pleural mesothelioma in comparison with those of serum
      mesothelin, a well-established diagnostic biomarker. METHODS: Serum mesothelin
      and midkine levels were determined with an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. We
      examined specimens from 95 Turkish cases with malignant pleural mesothelioma, 56
      metastatic cancers to pleura, 27 other types of benign pleural diseases and 20
      benign asbestos pleurisy. The cut-off values were 1.5 nmol/L for mesothelin and
      421 pg/mL for midkine. RESULTS: Sensitivity and specificity of mesothelin were
      51.6 and 71.4%, 51.6 and 85.2%, and 51.6 and 85% for differentiating mesothelioma
      from metastatic cancers to pleura, other benign pleural diseases and benign
      asbestos pleurisy, respectively. Sensitivity and specificity of midkine were 61.1
      and 41.1%, 61.1 and 48.1%, and 61.1 and 75% to distinguish mesothelioma from
      metastatic cancers to pleura, other benign pleural diseases and benign asbestos
      pleurisy, respectively. Combination of both biomarkers did not improve the
      differential diagnostic efficacy. Mesothelin levels were elevated in the
      epitheloid type and in the advanced cases, but were not related to the prognosis.
      In contrast, elevated baseline levels of midkine were independently associated
      with a poor prognosis of mesothelioma patients after adjusting for the stage, the
      histological subtypes and treatment schedules (HR = 1.84; 95% CI: 1.09-3.09) (p =
      0.022). CONCLUSIONS: Serum mesothelin showed moderate sensitivity and high
      specificity to differentiate malignant pleural mesothelioma from metastatic
      malignancy to pleura and from benign pleural diseases. In contrast, midkine was a
      useful marker for predicting prognosis of mesothelioma patients.

PMID- 28335761
TI  - The effects of Jiao-Tai-Wan on sleep, inflammation and insulin resistance in
      obesity-resistant rats with chronic partial sleep deprivation.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Jiao-Tai-Wan (JTW), composed of Rhizome Coptidis and Cortex
      Cinnamomi, is a classical traditional Chinese prescription for treating insomnia.
      Several in vivo studies have concluded that JTW could exert its therapeutical
      effect in insomnia rats. However, the specific mechanism is still unclear. The
      present study aimed to explore the effect of JTW on sleep in obesity-resistant
      (OR) rats with chronic partial sleep deprivation (PSD) and to clarify its
      possible mechanism. METHODS: JTW was prepared and the main components contained
      in the granules were identified by 3D-High Performance Liquid Chromatography (3D
      HPLC) assay. The Male Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats underwent 4 h PSD by environmental
      noise and the treatment with low and high doses of JTW orally for 4 weeks,
      respectively. Then sleep structure was analyzed by electroencephalographic (EEG).
      Inflammation markers including high-sensitivity C reactive protein (hs-CRP),
      tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) and interleukin-6 (IL-6) levels were
      examined in the rat plasma. Meanwhile, metabolic parameters as body weight
      increase rate, fasting plasma glucose (FPG), fasting insulin (FINS) levels and
      insulin resistance index (HOMA-IR) were measured. The expressions of clock gene
      cryptochromes (Cry1 and Cry2) and inflammation gene nuclear factor-kappaB (NF
      kappaB) in peripheral blood monocyte cells (PBMC) were also determined. RESULTS:
      The result showed that the administration of JTW significantly increased total
      sleep time and total slow wave sleep (SWS) time in OR rats with PSD. Furthermore,
      the treatment with JTW reversed the increase in the markers of systemic
      inflammation and insulin resistance caused by sleep loss. These changes were also
      associated with the up-regulation of Cry1 mRNA and Cry 2 mRNA and the down
      regulation of NF-kappaB mRNA expression in PBMC. CONCLUSIONS: This study suggests
      that JTW has the beneficial effects of improving sleep, inflammation and insulin
      sensitivity. The mechanism appears to be related to the modulation of circadian
      clock and inflammation genes expressions in PBMC.

PMID- 28335762
TI  - Oral Cancer Awareness Among Dental Patients in Omdurman, Sudan: a cross-sectional
      Study.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Oral cancer is a preventable disease. Its occurrence is mostly due to
      lifestyle. In Sudan, the use of smokeless tobacco (Toombak) has long been linked
      to oral cancer. Knowledge of the signs and symptoms of oral cancer may well aid
      in early diagnosis and treatment. This is bound to result in increasing survival
      rates, as well as reducing the oral cancer burden on the society. This study
      aimed to assess oral cancer awareness regarding knowledge of signs, symptoms,
      risk factors and sources of the information. Furthermore, it attempts to evaluate
      attitudes towards oral cancer screening and any previous experience of screening,
      amongst dental patients attending University of Science and Technology (UST)
      Dental Teaching Hospital. Omdurman, Sudan. METHODS: A hospital based cross
      sectional study, interviewer-administered questionnaire was conducted amongst 500
      adult patients attending the UST Dental Hospital during 2015. RESULTS: A total of
      57.7% (286) of the individuals demonstrated good knowledge of signs and symptoms,
      whereas 49% (139) expressed good knowledge of risk factors of oral cancer. For
      the majority of the individuals 66.1% (290), the most common source of
      information about oral cancer was from the media, while 33.9% individuals (149),
      obtained knowledge from direct contact of health workers. The overwhelming
      majority, 93.2% (466) never screened for oral cancer despite their positive
      attitude towards it 66.4% (332). Knowledge of risk factors associated
      significantly with those reported positive attitude towards oral cancer screening
      and those reported direct contact with health workers as a source of information,
      (p <= 0.001). Moreover, females and those living in urban districts scores higher
      than their counterpart in knowledge of risk factor of oral cancer. In addition,
      those employed 58.6% (280) and 62.8% (164) with correct believes about oral
      cancer showed significant association with positive knowledge of signs and
      symptoms (p <= 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Awareness levels, knowledge of risk factors
      and identifying early signs and symptoms of oral cancer necessitate the need for
      more structured preventive programs using media. Dentists and health workers
      should do more because they have a pivotal role in early diagnosis by performing
      oral cancer screening, raising levels of knowledge and in rectifying
      misconceptions about oral cancer. This would entail a reduction in high rates of
      morbidity and mortality associated with oral cancer.

PMID- 28335763
TI  - Identification of drug combinations administered by continuous subcutaneous
      infusion that require analysis for compatibility and stability.
AB  - BACKGROUND: A continuous subcutaneous infusion (CSCI) delivered via syringe pump
      is a method of drug administration used to maintain symptom control when a
      patient is no longer able to tolerate oral medication. Several classes of drugs,
      such as opioids, antiemetics, anticholinergics, antipsychotics and
      benzodiazepines are routinely administered by CSCI alone or in combinations.
      Previous studies attempting to identify the most-common CSCI combinations are now
      several years old and no longer reflect current clinical practice. The aim of
      this work was to review current clinical practice and identify CSCI drug
      combinations requiring analysis for chemical compatibility and stability.
      METHODS: UK pharmacy professionals involved in the delivery of care to palliative
      patients in hospitals and hospices were invited to enter CSCI combinations
      comprised of two or more drugs onto an electronic database over a 12-month
      period. In addition, a separate Delphi study with a panel of 15 expert healthcare
      professionals was completed to identify a maximum of five combinations of drugs
      used to treat more complex, but less commonly encountered symptoms unlikely to be
      identified by the national survey. RESULTS: A total of 57 individuals
      representing 33 separate palliative care services entered 1,945 drug combinations
      suitable for analysis, with 278 discrete combinations identified. The top 40 drug
      combinations represented nearly two-thirds of combinations recorded. A total of
      23 different drugs were administered in combination and the median number of
      drugs in a combination was three. The Delphi study identified five combinations
      for the relief of complex or refractory symptoms. CONCLUSION: This study
      represents the first step towards developing authoritative national guidance on
      the administration of drugs by CSCI. Further work will ensure healthcare
      practitioners have the knowledge and confidence that a prescribed combination
      will be both safe and efficacious.

PMID- 28335764
TI  - Health care cost associated with the use of enzyme-inducing and non-enzyme-active
      antiepileptic drugs in the UK: a long-term retrospective matched cohort study.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Some antiepileptic drugs (AEDs) induce expression of hepatic enzymes.
      This can contribute to comorbidities via interference with metabolic pathways and
      concomitant drug metabolization, thereby increasing the likelihood of health care
      interventions. Using medical records, we compared the direct health care cost in
      patients initiating epilepsy therapy with enzyme-inducing AEDs (EIAEDs) vs non
      enzyme-active AEDs (nEAAEDs) over up to 12 years. METHODS: Patients with
      untreated epilepsy were indexed in the UK Clinical Practice Research Datalink and
      Hospital Episode Statistics database when prescribed a new EIAED or nEAAED
      between January 2001 and December 2010. Propensity score matching reduced
      confounding factors between cohorts. Patients were followed until cohort
      treatment failure or data cut-off. The primary outcome was the median
      standardized monthly direct health care cost during follow-up in 2014 LGBP,
      calculated using published reference costs and compared using a Mann-Whitney U
      test. RESULTS: The unmatched EIAED cohort (n = 2752) was older (54 vs 46 years),
      more likely to be male, had more comorbidities, and higher health care resource
      use/cost during the 1-year pre-index period (median L3014 vs L2516) than the
      nEAAED cohort (n = 2,137). The most common index EIAED and nEAAED were
      carbamazepine (63.3%) and lamotrigine (58.0%), respectively. After matching,
      cohorts had similar features (n = 951 each). Over up to 12 years of follow-up,
      the median standardized monthly direct health care cost was L229 for the EIAED
      and L188 for the nEAAED cohorts (p = 0.0091). The median cost was higher for the
      EIAED cohort in every year of follow-up. In the two cohorts, 25.1% and 20.1% of
      total mean cost during follow-up was epilepsy-related, with approximately 4.6%
      and 3.0% for AED acquisition, respectively. The median time to cohort treatment
      failure was shorter in the matched EIAED cohort (468 vs 1194 days). CONCLUSIONS:
      Patients in the UK who initiated epilepsy therapy with an EIAED appeared to be at
      higher risk of complications associated with enzyme induction. In long-term
      matched cohort analyses, the median total direct health care cost associated with
      EIAED therapy was higher than with nEAAEDs. Changing current treatment practices
      could potentially improve patient outcomes and reduce costs.

PMID- 28335765
TI  - A structural model of treatment program and individual counselor leadership in
      innovation transfer.
AB  - BACKGROUND: A number of program-level and counselor-level factors are known to
      impact the adoption of treatment innovations. While program leadership is
      considered a primary factor, the importance of leadership among clinical staff to
      innovation transfer is less known. Objectives included explore (1) the influence
      of two leadership roles, program director and individual counselor, on recent
      training activity and (2) the relationship of counselor attributes on training
      endorsement. METHODS: The sample included 301 clinical staff in 49 treatment
      programs. A structural equation model was evaluated for key hypothesized
      relationships between exogenous and endogenous variables related to the two
      leadership roles. RESULTS: The importance of organizational leadership, climate,
      and counselor attributes (particularly counseling innovation interest and
      influence) to recent training activity was supported. In a subset of 68
      counselors who attended a developer-led training on a new intervention, it was
      found that training endorsement was higher among those with high innovation
      interest and influence. CONCLUSIONS: The findings suggest that each leadership
      level impacts the organization in different ways, yet both can promote or impede
      technology transfer.

PMID- 28335766
TI  - Barriers to the conduct and application of research in complementary and
      alternative medicine: a systematic review.
AB  - BACKGROUND: The popularity of Complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) has
      grown considerably over the past few decades. This has been accompanied by
      increasing public pressure for CAM to be evidence-based. Notwithstanding, the
      conduct and application of research in CAM faces a number of obstacles. No
      systematic review has mapped these barriers to date. Therefore, this systematic
      literature review aimed to explore, identify and map the barriers to the conduct
      and application of research in CAM. METHODS: Systematic searching of MEDLINE,
      Embase, AMED, CINAHL, The Cochrane library, Google scholar and Google was
      conducted between February and June 2016 for pertinent publications. Pearling
      (secondary searching) of retrieved publications was also undertaken. Literature
      published only in English were included; however, no year limit was placed for
      searching. Two critical appraisal tools were used to critically appraise
      descriptive studies and opinion publications. RESULTS: A total of 21 eligible
      publications were included in this review; this comprised of eight primary
      research articles and thirteen opinion publications. A critical appraisal process
      found two categories of good quality publications while recognising their
      limitations in terms of descriptive and opinion publications. The synthesised
      data from the selected publications about the barriers to the conduct and
      application of research within CAM were captured within two broad components,
      namely capacity and culture. Capacity encompassed elements such as access,
      competency, bias, incentives and time. Encompassed within culture were elements
      relating to the values and complex system of CAM. CONCLUSIONS: Multiple barriers
      exist for the conduct and application of research in CAM. Given the growing
      popularity of these therapies, it is essential that the evidence base
      underpinning CAM also continues to expand. Without overt recognition of these
      barriers, enabling strategies cannot be applied. By addressing these barriers,
      CAM professions will be able to develop a critical mass and a well-coordinated
      research effort to assist the integration of evidence - based practice in CAM.

PMID- 28335767
TI  - Feasibility, acceptability and efficacy of a web-based computer-tailored physical
      activity intervention for pregnant women - the Fit4Two randomised controlled
      trial.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Physical activity (PA) during pregnancy is associated with a variety
      of health benefits including a reduced risk of pregnancy related conditions such
      as pre-eclampsia and pregnancy-induced hypertension and leads to greater control
      over gestational weight gain. Despite these associated health benefits, very few
      pregnant women are sufficiently active. In an attempt to increase health
      outcomes, it is important to explore innovative ways to increase PA among
      pregnant women. Therefore, the aim of this study was to assess the feasibility,
      acceptability and efficacy of a four week web-based computer-tailored PA
      intervention among pregnant women. METHODS: Seventy-seven participants were
      randomised into either: (1) an intervention group that received tailored PA
      advice and access to a resource library of articles relating to PA during
      pregnancy; or (2) a standard information group that only received access to the
      resources library. Objective moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) was
      assessed at baseline and immediately post-intervention. Recruitment, attrition,
      intervention adherence, and website engagement were assessed. Questions on
      usability and satisfaction were administered post-intervention. RESULTS:
      Feasibility was demonstrated through acceptable recruitment (8.5 participants
      recruited and randomised/month), and attrition (25%). Acceptability among
      intervention group participants was positive with high intervention adherence
      (96% of 4 modules completed). High website engagement (participants logged in 1.6
      times/week although only required to log in once per week), usability (75/100),
      and satisfaction outcomes were reported in both groups. However, participants in
      the intervention group viewed significantly more pages on the website (p < 0.05),
      reported that the website felt more personally relevant (p < 0.05), and
      significantly increased their MVPA from baseline to post-intervention (mean
      difference = 35.87 min), compared to the control group (mean difference = 9.83
      min) (p < 0.05), suggesting efficacy. CONCLUSIONS: The delivery of a computer
      tailored web-based intervention designed to increase PA in pregnant women is
      feasible, well accepted and associated with increases in short-term MVPA.
      Findings suggest the use of computer-tailored information leads to greater
      website engagement, satisfaction and greater PA levels among pregnant women
      compared to a generic information only website. TRIAL REGISTRATION: The trial was
      'retrospectively registered' with the Australian New Zealand Clinical Trials
      Registry ( ACTRN12614001105639 ) on 17th October, 2014.

PMID- 28335768
TI  - Leisure sedentary time is differentially associated with hypertension, diabetes
      mellitus, and hyperlipidemia depending on occupation.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Sedentary behavior is considered an independent cause of cardio
      metabolic diseases, regardless of physical activity level and obesity. Few
      studies have reported the association between leisure sedentary time and cardio
      vascular diseases in terms of occupation. METHODS: We performed a cross-sectional
      study using data from the Korean Community Health Survey (KCHS) for 240,086
      participants assessed in 2011 and 2013. Occupation was categorized into four
      groups: farmer or fisherman, laborer, and soldier (Group I); service worker,
      salesperson, technician, mechanic, production worker, and engineer (Group II);
      manager, expert, specialist, and clerk (Group III); and unemployed (Group IV).
      Leisure sedentary time was divided into five groups: 0 h, 1 h, 2 h, 3 h, and 4+
      h. The association between leisure sedentary time on weekdays and
      hypertension/diabetes mellitus/hyperlipidemia for different occupations was
      analyzed using simple and multiple logistic regression analyses with complex
      sampling. RESULTS: In Groups I, II and III, no length of sedentary time was
      associated with hypertension, and only 3 h or 4+ h of sedentary time was
      associated with diabetes mellitus and hyperlipidemia. Group IV showed a
      significant association with hypertension and diabetes mellitus for the 2 h, 3 h,
      and 4+ h sedentary times. CONCLUSIONS: The unemployed are more susceptible than
      other occupation groups to cardio-metabolic diseases when leisure time is
      sedentary.

PMID- 28335769
TI  - Cost-effectiveness of CRAG-LFA screening for cryptococcal meningitis among people
      living with HIV in Uganda.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Cryptococcal meningitis (CM) constitutes a significant source of
      mortality in resource-limited regions. Cryptococcal antigen (CRAG) can be
      detected in the blood before onset of meningitis. We sought to determine the cost
      effectiveness of implementing CRAG screening using the recently developed CRAG
      lateral flow assay in Uganda compared to current practice without screening.
      METHODS: A decision-analytic model was constructed to compare two strategies for
      cryptococcal prevention among people living with HIV with CD4 < 100 in Uganda: No
      cryptococcal screening vs. CRAG screening with WHO-recommended preemptive
      treatment for CRAG-positive patients. The model was constructed to reflect
      primary HIV clinics in Uganda, with a cohort of HIV-infected patients with CD4 <
      100 cells/uL. Primary outcomes were expected costs, DALYs, and incremental cost
      effectiveness ratios (ICERs). We evaluated varying levels of programmatic
      implementation in secondary analysis. RESULTS: CRAG screening was considered
      highly cost-effective and was associated with an ICER of $6.14 per DALY averted
      compared to no screening (95% uncertainty range: $-20.32 to $36.47). Overall,
      implementation of CRAG screening was projected to cost $1.52 more per person, and
      was projected to result in a 40% relative reduction in cryptococcal-associated
      mortality. In probabilistic sensitivity analysis, CRAG screening was cost
      effective in 100% of scenarios and cost saving (ie cheaper and more effective
      than no screening) in 30% of scenarios. Secondary analysis projected a total cost
      of $651,454 for 100% implementation of screening nationally, while averting 1228
      deaths compared to no screening. CONCLUSION: CRAG screening for PLWH with low CD4
      represents excellent value for money with the potential to prevent cryptococcal
      morbidity and mortality in Uganda.

PMID- 28335770
TI  - A model of influences on the clinical learning environment: the case for change
      at one U.S. medical school.
AB  - BACKGROUND: The learning environment within a school of medicine influences
      medical students' values and their professional development. Despite national
      requirements to monitor the learning environment, mistreatment of medical
      students persists. METHODS: We designed a program called WE SMILE: We can
      Eradicate Student Mistreatment In the Learning Environment with a vision to
      enhance trainee and faculty awareness and ultimately eliminate medical student
      mistreatment. We provide a description of our program and early outcomes.
      RESULTS: The program has enhanced student awareness of what constitutes
      mistreatment and how to report it. Faculty members are also aware of the formal
      processes and procedures for review of such incidents. Our proposed model of
      influences on the learning environment and the clinical workforce informs the
      quality of trainee education and safety of patient care. Institutional leadership
      and culture play a prominent role in this model. Our integrated institutional
      response to learning environment concerns is offered as a strategy to improve
      policy awareness, reporting and management of student mistreatment concerns.
      CONCLUSIONS: Our WE SMILE program was developed to enhance education and
      awareness of what constitutes mistreatment and to provide multiple pathways for
      student reporting, with clear responsibilities for review, adjudication and
      enforcement. The program is demonstrating several signs of early success and is
      offered as a strategy for other schools to adopt or adapt. We have recognized a
      delicate balance between preserving student anonymity and informing them of
      specific actions taken. Providing students and other stakeholders with clear
      evidence of institutional response and accountability remains a key challenge.
      Multiple methods of reporting have been advantageous in eliciting information on
      learning environment infringements. These routes and types of reporting have
      enhanced our understanding of student perceptions and the specific contexts in
      which mistreatment occurs, allowing for targeted interventions. A common platform
      across the healthcare professions to report and review concerns has afforded us
      opportunities to deal with interprofessional issues in a respectful and
      trustworthy manner. We offer a model of learning environment influences with
      leadership and institutional culture at the helm, as a way to frame a
      comprehensive perspective on this challenging and complex concern.

PMID- 28335771
TI  - Understanding the motivations of health-care providers in performing female
      genital mutilation: an integrative review of the literature.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Female genital mutilation (FGM) is a traditional harmful practice
      that can cause severe physical and psychological damages to girls and women.
      Increasingly, trained health-care providers carry out the practice at the request
      of families. It is important to understand the motivations of providers in order
      to reduce the medicalization of FGM. This integrative review identifies,
      appraises and summarizes qualitative and quantitative literature exploring the
      factors that are associated with the medicalization of FGM and/or re
      infibulation. METHODS: Literature searches were conducted in PubMed, CINAHL and
      grey literature databases. Hand searches of identified studies were also
      examined. The "CASP Qualitative Research Checklist" and the "STROBE Statement"
      were used to assess the methodological quality of the qualitative and
      quantitative studies respectively. A total of 354 articles were reviewed for
      inclusion. RESULTS: Fourteen (14) studies, conducted in countries where FGM is
      largely practiced as well as in countries hosting migrants from these regions,
      were included. The main findings about the motivations of health-care providers
      to practice FGM were: (1) the belief that performing FGM would be less harmful
      for girls or women than the procedure being performed by a traditional
      practitioner (the so-called "harm reduction" perspective); (2) the belief that
      the practice was justified for cultural reasons; (3) the financial gains of
      performing the procedure; (4) responding to requests of the community or feeling
      pressured by the community to perform FGM. The main reasons given by health-care
      providers for not performing FGM were that they (1) are concerned about the risks
      that FGM can cause for girls' and women's health; (2) are preoccupied by the
      legal sanctions that might result from performing FGM; and (3) consider FGM to be
      a "bad practice". CONCLUSION: The findings of this review can inform public
      health program planners, policy makers and researchers to adapt or create
      strategies to end medicalization of FGM in countries with high prevalence of this
      practice, as well as in countries hosting immigrants from these regions. Given
      the methodological limitations in the included studies, it is clear that more
      robust in-depth qualitative studies are needed, in order to better tackle the
      complexity of this phenomenon and contribute to eradicating FGM throughout the
      world.

PMID- 28335772
TI  - Production of (S)-2-aminobutyric acid and (S)-2-aminobutanol in Saccharomyces
      cerevisiae.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Saccharomyces cerevisiae (baker's yeast) has great potential as a
      whole-cell biocatalyst for multistep synthesis of various organic molecules. To
      date, however, few examples exist in the literature of the successful
      biosynthetic production of chemical compounds, in yeast, that do not exist in
      nature. Considering that more than 30% of all drugs on the market are purely
      chemical compounds, often produced by harsh synthetic chemistry or with very low
      yields, novel and environmentally sound production routes are highly desirable.
      Here, we explore the biosynthetic production of enantiomeric precursors of the
      anti-tuberculosis and anti-epilepsy drugs ethambutol, brivaracetam, and
      levetiracetam. To this end, we have generated heterologous biosynthetic pathways
      leading to the production of (S)-2-aminobutyric acid (ABA) and (S)-2-aminobutanol
      in baker's yeast. RESULTS: We first designed a two-step heterologous pathway,
      starting with the endogenous amino acid L-threonine and leading to the production
      of enantiopure (S)-2-aminobutyric acid. The combination of Bacillus subtilis
      threonine deaminase and a mutated Escherichia coli glutamate dehydrogenase
      resulted in the intracellular accumulation of 0.40 mg/L of (S)-2-aminobutyric
      acid. The combination of a threonine deaminase from Solanum lycopersicum (tomato)
      with two copies of mutated glutamate dehydrogenase from E. coli resulted in the
      accumulation of comparable amounts of (S)-2-aminobutyric acid. Additional L
      threonine feeding elevated (S)-2-aminobutyric acid production to more than 1.70
      mg/L. Removing feedback inhibition of aspartate kinase HOM3, an enzyme involved
      in threonine biosynthesis in yeast, elevated (S)-2-aminobutyric acid biosynthesis
      to above 0.49 mg/L in cultures not receiving additional L-threonine. We
      ultimately extended the pathway from (S)-2-aminobutyric acid to (S)-2
      aminobutanol by introducing two reductases and a phosphopantetheinyl transferase.
      The engineered strains produced up to 1.10 mg/L (S)-2-aminobutanol. CONCLUSIONS:
      Our results demonstrate the biosynthesis of (S)-2-aminobutyric acid and (S)-2
      aminobutanol in yeast. To our knowledge this is the first time that the purely
      synthetic compound (S)-2-aminobutanol has been produced in vivo. This work paves
      the way to greener and more sustainable production of chemical entities hitherto
      inaccessible to synthetic biology.

PMID- 28335773
TI  - Oral administration of propionic acid during lactation enhances the colonic
      barrier function.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Propionic acid is a three-carbon short chain fatty acid (SCFA) that
      has various effects on colonic functions. Although several studies have shown the
      effects of propionic acid on intestinal mucosal barrier function, studies of the
      promotion effect during pre-weaning are rare in the literature as far as we know.
      METHODS: Pre-weaning male Sprague-Dawley rats 7 days after birth were given an
      oral 0.2 mL/10 g of 200 mM propionic acid solution in the propionic acid group or
      normal saline solution in the control group by gavage twice a day for ten days.
      The proximal colonic contents were used for extraction and determination of
      propionic acid by gas chromatographic analysis; the transepithelial electrical
      resistance (TER) of colonic tissue was detected by an Ussing chamber; the
      alterations of ZO-1, Claudin-1, Claudin-8 and Occludin proteins were analyzed by
      Western blot and immunohistochemistry; and The activity of ERK and p38 MAPK was
      determined by the phosphorylation status of ERK1/2 and p38 with Western blot.
      RESULTS: Our results suggested a higher concentration (23.5 +/- 1.9 mmol/kg) of
      propionic acid compared to the physiological concentration (18.1 +/- 0.9 mmol/kg)
      in colonic contents after oral administration increased the value of TER and the
      expression of ZO-1, Claudin-1, Claudin-8 and Occludin compared to the control
      group. Furthermore, the expression levels of phosphorylated ERK1/2 and p38 MAPK
      were increased in propionic acid group. CONCLUSIONS: We concluded that continuous
      oral administration of propionic acid during lactation may increase its
      concentration in the proximal colon and promote epithelial barrier function of
      proximal colon by enhancing the expression of ZO-1, Claudin-8, Claudin-1 and
      Occludin via increases in the expression of ERK1/2 and p38 MAPK.

PMID- 28335775
TI  - Evaluation of biomarker canine-prostate specific arginine esterase (CPSE) for the
      diagnosis of benign prostatic hyperplasia.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) is the most common canine
      prostatic disorder. Although most or even all intact male dogs may develop BPH by
      5-8 years of age, many show no clinical signs. Taking into account the non
      specific character of clinical and ultrasonographic findings, a new diagnostic
      approach has recently been proposed based on the augmentation of blood canine
      prostate-specific arginine esterase (CPSE) in hyperplasic dogs. The aim of the
      present study was to verify CPSE levels in negative controls and hyperplasic
      dogs, considering cytological findings as the reference method and taking into
      account the fact that controls were middle-aged intact dogs (median of 5.0
      years), contrarily to previous studies carried out with very young control dogs.
      RESULTS: Significant differences of median CPSE levels were found between
      controls and hyperplasic dogs (29.1 versus 160.7 ng/mL, respectively); and
      significant positive correlations were found between median CPSE levels and age
      or prostatic volume (r = 0.549 and 0.448, respectively; p < 0.001). Sensitivity,
      specificity, positive and negative likelihood ratios put into evidence the good
      performance of the test. The agreement between methods was found to be very high,
      notably between CPSE levels and cytological results (Cohen's kappa coefficients
      above 0.8). CONCLUSIONS: Considering the results all together, measurement of
      CPSE is confirmed as a useful and accurate method and should be considered as an
      alternative or complementary tool to conventional methods for the diagnosis of
      BPH in middle-aged dogs.

PMID- 28335776
TI  - Challenges and strategies to improve the availability and geographic
      accessibility of physicians in Portugal.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Shortages of physicians in remote, rural and other underserved areas
      and lack of general practitioners limit access to health services. The aims of
      this article are to identify the challenges faced by policy and decision-makers
      in Portugal to guarantee the availability and geographic accessibility to
      physicians in the National Health Service and to describe and analyse their
      causes, the strategies to tackle them and their results. We also raise the issue
      of whether research evidence was used or not in the process of policy
      development. METHODS: We analysed policy and technical documents, peer-reviewed
      papers and newspaper articles from 1995 to 2015 through a structured search of
      government websites, Portuguese online newspapers and PubMed and Virtual Health
      Library (Biblioteca Virtual em Saude (BVS)) databases; key informants were
      consulted to validate and complement the documentary search. RESULTS: The
      challenges faced by decision-makers to ensure access to physicians were
      identified as a forecasted shortage of physicians, geographical imbalances and
      maldistribution of physicians by level of care. To date, no human resources for
      health policy has been formulated, in spite of most documents reviewed stating
      that it is needed. On the other hand, various isolated and ad hoc strategies have
      been adopted, such as incentives to choose family health as a specialty or to
      work in an underserved region and recruitment of foreign physicians through
      bilateral agreements. CONCLUSIONS: Health workforce research in Portugal is
      scarce, and therefore, policy decisions regarding the availability and
      accessibility of physicians are not based on evidence. The policy interventions
      described in this paper should be evaluated, which would be a good starting point
      to inform health workforce policy development.

PMID- 28335774
TI  - How does the multifaceted plant hormone salicylic acid combat disease in plants
      and are similar mechanisms utilized in humans?
AB  - Salicylic acid (SA) is an important plant hormone that regulates many aspects of
      plant growth and development, as well as resistance to (a)biotic stress. Efforts
      to identify SA effector proteins have revealed that SA binds to and alters the
      activity of multiple plant proteins-this represents a shift from the paradigm
      that hormones mediate their functions via one or a few receptors. SA and its
      derivatives also have multiple targets in animals; some of these proteins, like
      their plant counterparts, are associated with pathological processes. Together,
      these findings suggest that SA exerts its defense-associated effects in both
      kingdoms via a large number of targets.

PMID- 28335777
TI  - The reasons why Pakistan might be at high risk of Crimean Congo haemorrhagic
      fever epidemic; a scoping review of the literature.
AB  - Pakistan has faced a number of significant healthcare challenges over the past
      decade. In 2000, one of these events - a deadly epidemic of Crimean Congo
      Haemorrhagic Fever (CCHF) - struck Pakistan. The people of Pakistan are at a very
      high risk of acquiring CCHF, due to a number of factors which emerge from a
      scoping review of the literature. First, the underdeveloped healthcare system of
      the country is currently not prepared to cope with challenges of this nature.
      Healthcare professionals and medical institutes are not sufficiently equipped to
      properly diagnose, manage and prevent CCHF. Second, a large percentage of the
      general public is unaware of the spread and control of the vector. The
      agricultural sector of Pakistan is vast and thus many people are involved in
      animal husbandry and the handling of livestock which can lead to the transmission
      of the CCHF virus. Even in urban areas the risk of transmission is significantly
      higher around the time of Eid-ul-Azha, when Muslims slaughter animals. Finally,
      the political upheavals faced by the country have also increased Pakistan's
      vulnerability because a large number of refugees from Afghanistan, a CCHF endemic
      country, have migrated to Pakistan as a result of the Afghan war. Most of the
      refugees and their animals settle in Baluchistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa
      provinces, which consequently have a higher prevalence of CCHF. This scoping
      review of the literature highlights the potential causes of high risk CCHF and
      draws conclusions and makes recommendations that policy-makers in Pakistan may
      wish to consider in-order to improve on the current situation.

PMID- 28335778
TI  - Radiation dose escalation based on FDG-PET driven dose painting by numbers in
      oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma: a dosimetric comparison between
      TomoTherapy-HA and RapidArc.
AB  - PURPOSE: Validation of dose escalation through FDG-PET dose painting (DP) for
      oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) requires randomized clinical trials
      with large sample size, potentially involving different treatment planning and
      delivery systems. As a first step of a joint clinical study of DP, a planning
      comparison was performed between Tomotherapy HiArt(r) (HT) and Varian RapidArc(r)
      (RA). METHODS: The planning study was conducted on five patients with
      oropharyngeal SCC. Elective and therapeutic CTVs were delineated based on
      anatomic information, and the respective PTVs (CTVs + 4 mm) were prescribed a
      dose of 56 (PTV56) and 70 Gy (PTV70). A gradient-based method was used to
      delineate automatically the external contours of the FDG-PET volume (GTVPET).
      Variation of the FDG uptake within the GTVPET was linearly converted into a
      prescription between 70 and 86 Gy. A dilation of the voxel-by-voxel prescription
      of 2.5 mm was applied to account for geometric errors in dose delivery (PTVPET).
      The study was divided in two planning phases aiming at maximizing target coverage
      (phase I) and lowering doses to OAR (phase II). A Quality-Volume Histogram (QVH)
      assessed conformity with the DP prescription inside the PTVPET. RESULTS: In phase
      I, for both HT and RA, all plans achieved comparable target coverage for PTV56
      and PTV70, respecting the planning objectives. A median value of 99.9 and 97.2%
      of all voxels in the PTVPET received at least 95% of the prescribed dose for RA
      and HT, respectively. A median value of 0.0% and 3.7% of the voxels in the PTVPET
      received 105% or more of prescribed dose for RA and HT, respectively. In phase
      II, no significant differences were found in OAR sparing. Median treatment times
      were 13.7 min for HT and 5 min for RA. CONCLUSIONS: Both HT and RA can generate
      similar dose distributions for FDG-PET based dose escalation and dose painting in
      oropharyngeal SCC patients.

PMID- 28335779
TI  - Activity of AMP2041 against human and animal multidrug resistant Pseudomonas
      aeruginosa clinical isolates.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Antimicrobial resistance is a growing threat to public health.
      Pseudomonas aeruginosa is a relevant pathogen causing human and animal
      infections, frequently displaying high levels of resistance to commonly used
      antimicrobials. The increasing difficulty to develop new effective antibiotics
      have discouraged investment in this area and only a few new antibiotics are
      currently under development. An approach to overcome antibiotic resistance could
      be based on antimicrobial peptides since they offer advantages over currently
      used microbicides. METHODS: The antimicrobial activity of the synthetic peptide
      AMP2041 was evaluated against 49 P. aeruginosa clinical strains with high levels
      of antimicrobial resistance, isolated from humans (n = 19) and animals (n = 30).
      In vitro activity was evaluated by a microdilution assay for lethal dose 90%
      (LD90), while the activity over time was performed by time-kill assay with 12.5
      ug/ml of AMP2014. Evidences for a direct membrane damage were investigated on P.
      aeruginosa ATCC 27853 reference strain, on animal isolate PA-VET 38 and on human
      isolate PA-H 24 by propidium iodide and on P. aeruginosa ATCC 27853 by scanning
      electron microscopy. RESULTS: AMP2041 showed a dose-dependent activity, with a
      mean (SEM) LD90 of 1.69 and 3.3 ug/ml for animal and human strains, respectively.
      AMP2041 showed microbicidal activity on P. aeruginosa isolates from a patient
      with cystic fibrosis (CF) and resistance increased from first infection isolate
      (LD90 = 0.3 MUg/ml) to the mucoid phenotype (LD90 = 10.4 MUg/ml). The time-kill
      assay showed a time-dependent bactericidal effect of AMP2041 and LD90 was reached
      within 20 min for all the strains. The stain-dead assay showed an increasing of
      membrane permeabilization and SEM analysis revealed holes, dents and bursts
      throughout bacterial cell wall after 30 min of incubation with AMP2041.
      CONCLUSIONS: The obtained results assessed for the first time the good
      antimicrobial activity of AMP2041 on P. aeruginosa strains of human origin,
      including those deriving from a CF patient. We confirmed the excellent
      antimicrobial activity of AMP2041 on P. aeruginosa strains derived from dog
      otitis. We also assessed that AMP2041 antimicrobial activity is linked to changes
      of the P. aeruginosa cell wall morphology and to the increasing of membrane
      permeability.

PMID- 28335780
TI  - Considerable interobserver variation in delineation of pancreatic cancer on 3DCT
      and 4DCT: a multi-institutional study.
AB  - BACKGROUND: The delineation of pancreatic tumors on CT is challenging. In this
      study, we quantified the interobserver variation for pancreatic tumor delineation
      on 3DCT as well as on 4DCT. METHODS: Eight observers (radiation oncologists) from
      six institutions delineated pancreatic tumors of four patients with (borderline)
      resectable pancreatic cancer. The study consisted of two stages. In the 3DCT
      stage, the gross tumor volume (GTV) was delineated on a contrast-enhanced scan.
      In the 4DCT-stage, the internal GTV (iGTV) was delineated, accounting for the
      respiratory motion. We calculated the volumes of the (i)GTV, the overlap of the
      delineated volumes (expressed as generalized conformity index: CIgen), the local
      observer variation (local standard deviation: SD) and the overall observer
      variation (overall SD). We compared these results between GTVs and iGTVs.
      Additionally, observers were asked to fill out a questionnaire concerning the
      difficulty of the delineation and their experience in delineating pancreatic
      tumors. RESULTS: The ratios of the largest to the smallest delineated GTV and
      iGTV within the same patient were 6.8 and 16.5, respectively. As the iGTV
      incorporates the GTV during all respiratory phases, the mean volumes of the iGTV
      (40.07 cm3) were larger than those of the GTV (29.91 cm3). For all patients,
      CIgen was larger for the iGTV than for the GTV. The mean overall observer
      variation (root-mean-square of all local SDs over four patients) was 0.63 cm and
      0.80 cm for GTV and iGTV, respectively. The largest local observer variations
      were seen close to biliary stents and suspicious pathological enlarged lymph
      nodes, as some observers included them and some did not. This variation was more
      pronounced for the iGTV than for the GTV. The observers rated the 3DCT-stage and
      4DCT-stage equally difficult and treated on average three to four pancreatic
      cancer patients per year. CONCLUSIONS: A considerable interobserver variation in
      delineation of pancreatic tumors was observed. This variation was larger for 4D
      than for 3D delineation. The largest local observer variation was found around
      biliary stents and suspicious pathological enlarged lymph nodes.

PMID- 28335781
TI  - Tailored design of NKT-stimulatory glycolipids for polarization of immune
      responses.
AB  - Natural killer T (NKT) cell is a distinct population of T lymphocytes that can
      rapidly release massive amount of Th1 and Th2 cytokines upon the engagement of
      their T cell receptor with glycolipids presented by CD1d. The secreted cytokines
      can promote cell-mediated immunity to kill tumor cells and intracellular
      pathogens, or suppress autoreactive immune cells in autoimmune diseases. Thus,
      NKT cell is an attractive target for developing new therapeutics to manipulate
      immune system. The best-known glycolipid to activate NKT cells is alpha
      galactosylceramide (alpha-GalCer), which has been used as a prototype for
      designing new NKT stimulatory glycolipids. Many analogues have been generated by
      modification of the galactosyl moiety, the acyl chain or the phytosphingosine
      chain of alpha-GalCer. Some of the analogues showed greater abilities than alpha
      GalCer in polarizing immune responses toward Th1 or Th2 dominance. Among them,
      several analogues containing phenyl groups in the lipid tails were more potent in
      inducing Th1-skewed cytokines and exhibited greater anticancer efficacy than
      alpha-GalCer. Analyses of the correlation between structure and activity of
      various alpha-GalCer analogues on the activation of iNKT cell revealed that CD1d
      glycolipid complexes interacted with the same population of iNKT cell expressing
      similar T-cell receptor Vbeta as alpha-GalCer. On the other hand, those phenyl
      glycolipids with propensity for Th1 dominant responses showed greater binding
      avidity and stability than alpha-GalCer for iNKT T-cell receptor when complexed
      with CD1d. Thus, it is the avidity and stability of the ternary complexes of CD1d
      glycolipid-iNKT TCR that dictate the polarity and potency of immune responses.
      These findings provide a key to the rationale design of immune modulating
      glycolipids with desirable Th1/Th2 polarity for clinical application. In
      addition, elucidation of alpha-GalCer-induced anergy, liver damage and
      accumulation of myeloid derived suppressor cells has offered explanation for its
      lacklustre anti-cancer activities in clinical trials. On other hand, the lack of
      such drawbacks in glycolipid analogues containing phenyl groups in the lipid
      tails of alpha-GalCer coupled with the greater binding avidity and stability of
      CD1d-glycolipid complex for iNKT T-cell receptor, account for their superior anti
      cancer efficacy in tumor bearing mice. Further clinical development of these
      phenyl glycolipids is warranted.

PMID- 28335783
TI  - SVR Rates of HCV-infected population under PEG-IFN-alpha/R treatment in Northwest
      China.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Chronic HCV Patients taking PEG-IFN-alpha/R from different ethnic
      groups have different probabilities of reaching a sustained viral response (SVR).
      There are many influence factors, such as HCV genotype, IL-28B single-nucleotide
      polymorphisms (SNP), Fibrosis 4 index (FIB-4), and aspartate aminotransferase-to
      platelet ratio index (APRI) score. But the baseline factors in relation to
      treatment outcome was still not much clear. METHODS: We evaluated data from 231
      chronic HCV patients with or without liver fibrosis and their antiviral efficacy
      after treatment with pegylated interferon plus ribavirin (PEG-IFN-alpha/R) for 24
      48 weeks. IL-28B SNP and HCV genotypes were analyzed with genome sequencing using
      pyrosequencing. RESULTS: Sustained viral response (SVR) rates of patients with
      HCV 1b and 2a genotypes were 52.25% (58/111) and 75.28% (67/89) (P < 0.01). SVR
      rates of patients with IL-28B rs8099917 TT, rs12979860 CC and rs12980275 AA were
      92.41% (25/27), 92.86% (26/28) and 88.89% (24/27) separately. We found that SVR
      rates in HCV 1b and 2a patients were only 31.0 and 39.4% if their FIB-4 > 3.25.
      In addition, when their APRI > 2, only 30.3% of HCV 1b patients and 50.2% of HCV
      2a patients could obtain SVR. CONCLUSIONS: There were high proportion of HCV
      genotype 1b and 2a in Northwest China. In both HCV 1b and 2a genotypes, patients
      with protective-genotype of IL-28B were more likely to obtain SVR. However, those
      with significant fibrosis or cirrhosis were less likely, no matter their
      genotype. Combined factors of HCV genotype, IL-28B genotype, FIB-4 and ARPI may
      indicate high prediction and clinical value regarding treatment with PEG-IFN
      alpha/R and prognostic evaluation of chronic hepatitis C patients.

PMID- 28335784
TI  - The benefit of adjuvant radiotherapy after breast conserving surgery in older
      patients with low risk breast cancer- a meta-analysis of randomized trials.
AB  - PURPOSE/OBJECTIVE(S): It is currently unclear whether patients with low risk
      breast cancer receiving adjuvant endocrine therapy need adjuvant radiation
      therapy after breast conserving surgery. The data of randomized trials are
      available. MATERIALS/METHODS: In a database search 5 randomized trials including
      in total 3766 mostly elderly patients with early stage breast cancer tr eated
      either with adjuvant endocrine therapy or with endocrine therapy and additional
      whole breast radiation after breast conserving surgery were identified. Published
      hazard ratios for time to local recurrence were the basis of our meta-analysis.
      Meta-analysis of the effect sizes on local recurrence was performed using a
      random effects model based on parameter estimates of log hazard ratios in Cox
      models and their standard errors. Furthermore, overall survival was examined.
      RESULTS: Adjuvant hormone therapy alone in mostly older patients with low risk
      breast cancer resulted in significantly shorter time to local relapse compared to
      radiation therapy combined with hormone therapy (Hazard Ratio: 6.8, 95% CI: 4.23
      10.93, p < 0.0001) . There was no significant difference for overall survival.
      CONCLUSION: Additional radiation therapy to hormone therapy did improve local
      relapse in breast cancer patients but did not show significant impact on overall
      survival.

PMID- 28335785
TI  - We need to include bystander first aid in trauma research.
AB  - BACKGROUND: The chain of trauma survival is a concept that originated in the area
      of out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) and was adapted to the treatment of
      trauma. In out-of-hospital cardiac arrest research into bystander first aid has
      resulted in improved outcome. Whereas, in trauma research the first link of the
      chain of survival is almost ignored. METHODS: In OHCA, cardiopulmonary
      resuscitation (CPR) from bystanders has been subject of a vast amount of
      research, as well as measures and programs to raise the rate of bystander CPR to
      cardiac arrest victims. These efforts have resulted in improved survival. The
      research effort has been well grounded in the research community, as demonstrated
      by its natural inclusion in the uniform reporting template (Utstein) for the
      treatment of OHCA. In trauma the bystander may contribute by providing an open
      airway, staunch bleedings, or prevent hypothermia. In trauma however, while the
      chain of survival has been adopted along with it distinct links, including
      bystander first aid, the consensus-based uniform reporting template for trauma
      (the Utstein template) does not include the bystander first aid efforts. There is
      extremely little research on what first aid measures bystanders provide to trauma
      victims, and on what impact such measures have on outcome. An important step to
      improve research on bystander first aid in trauma would be to include this as
      part of the uniform reporting template for trauma CONCLUSION: The lack of
      research on bystander first aid makes the first link in the trauma chain of
      survival the weakest link. We, the trauma research community, should either
      improve our research and knowledge in this area, or remove the link from the
      chain of survival.

PMID- 28335786
TI  - Matching safety to access: global actors and pharmacogovernance in Kenya- a case
      study.
AB  - BACKGROUND: The Kenyan government has sought to address inadequacies in its
      National Pharmaceutical Policy and the Pharmacy and Poisons Board's (PPB)
      medicines governance by engaging with global actors (e.g. the World Health
      Organization). Policy actors have influenced the way pharmacovigilance is
      defined, how challenges are understood and which norms are requisite to address
      drug safety issues. In this paper, we investigate the relationship between
      specific modes of engagement among global (exogenous) and domestic actors at the
      national and sub-national level to identify the positive or negative effect on
      pharmacovigilance and pharmacogovernance in Kenya. Pharmacogovernance is defined
      as the manner in which governing structures; policy instruments; institutional
      authority (e.g., ability to act, implement and enforce norms, policies and
      processes) and resources are managed to promote societal interests for patient
      safety and protection from adverse drug reactions (ADRs). Qualitative research
      methods that included key informant interviews and document analysis, were
      employed to investigate the relationship between global actors' patterns of
      engagement with national actors and pharmacogovernance in Kenya. RESULTS: Global
      actors' influence on pharmacogovernance and pharmacovigilance priorities in Kenya
      (e.g., legislation and adverse drug reaction surveillance) was positively
      perceived by key informants. We found that global actors' engagement with state
      actors produced positive and negative outcomes. Engagement with the PPB and
      Ministry of Health (MOH) that was characterized as dependent (advocacy,
      empowerment, delegated) or interdependent (collaborative, cooperative,
      consultative) was mostly associated with positive outcomes e.g., capacity
      building; strengthening legislation and stakeholder coordination. Fragmentation
      (independent engagement) hindered risk communication between public, private, and
      NGO health programs. CONCLUSION: A framework for assessing pharmacogovernance
      would support policy makers' evidence-based decision making regarding investments
      to strengthen capacity for pharmacovigilance and guide policies regarding the
      state and exogenous actor relationship pertaining to pharmacogovernance. Ideally,
      dependency on exogenous actors should be reduced while retaining consultative,
      collaborative, and cooperative engagement when inter-dependency is appropriate.
      The use of global actors to address Kenya's pharmacovigilance inadequacies leaves
      the country vulnerable to 1) ad hoc drug surveillance; 2) pharmacovigilance
      fragmentation; 3) shifting priorities; and 4) cross purpose interests.

PMID- 28335782
TI  - The HIV-1 transmission bottleneck.
AB  - It is well established that most new systemic infections of HIV-1 can be traced
      back to one or a limited number of founder viruses. Usually, these founders are
      more closely related to minor HIV-1 populations in the blood of the presumed
      donor than to more abundant lineages. This has led to the widely accepted idea
      that transmission selects for viral characteristics that facilitate crossing the
      mucosal barrier of the recipient's genital tract, although the specific selective
      forces or advantages are not completely defined. However, there are other steps
      along the way to becoming a founder virus at which selection may occur. These
      steps include the transition from the donor's general circulation to the genital
      tract compartment, survival within the transmission fluid, and establishment of a
      nascent stable local infection in the recipient's genital tract. Finally, there
      is the possibility that important narrowing events may also occur during
      establishment of systemic infection. This is suggested by the surprising
      observation that the number of founder viruses detected after transmission in
      intravenous drug users is also limited. Although some of these steps may be
      heavily selective, others may result mostly in a stochastic narrowing of the
      available founder pool. Collectively, they shape the initial infection in each
      recipient.

PMID- 28335787
TI  - Risk factors of atherosclerotic tissue types in single-vessel and intermediate
      coronary lesions: a cross-sectional study.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Few data exist that correlate lesion-related risk factors such as
      conventional cardiovascular risks or lipoprotein-associated phospholipase A2 (Lp
      PLA2) with tissue types within atherosclerotic plaques in patients with single
      vessel and intermediate coronary lesions. METHODS: One hundred and ninety-two
      patients with single-vessel and intermediate coronary lesions were enrolled in a
      cross-sectional study and divided into two groups: stable angina pectoris (SAP)
      and acute coronary syndrome (ACS) groups. Data regarding clinical characteristics
      and Lp-PLA2 mass were collected. Using iMAP-IVUS, lumen areas were manually
      traced to determine the minimum lumen area (MLA) at 1-mm intervals in diseased
      segments. At the minimum lumen lesion, areas of different types of
      atherosclerotic tissue [i.e., areas of fibrous plaque tissue (FP), fibro-fatty
      tissue (FF), dense calcium (DC) and necrotic core (NC)], vascular external
      elastic membrane (EEMCSA) and plaque and media (P&MCSA) were calculated using the
      built-in iMap algorithm. Plaque burden was computed as P&MCSA divided by EEMCSA.
      RESULTS: In a univariate analysis, glycosylated hemoglobin A1C (GHbA1C), low
      density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), high-density lipoprotein cholesterol
      (HDL-C), hypertension, Lp-PLA2 and a history of taking statins predicted the
      degree of FP and NC area, as well as plaque burden, but were not significant
      predictors of FF or DC area. In a multivariate analysis, Lp-PLA2 and HbA1c
      remained independent predictors of plaque burden, FP and NC area. However, the
      results of the regression analyses were not identical when the SAP and ACS groups
      were analyzed separately. Lp-PLA2, diabetes and NC area were significant
      predictors of acute coronary lesions, and the predictive value of Lp-PLA2 was
      confirmed by the finding of a high area-under-the-curve in a ROC analysis (0.837,
      95% CI:0.778-0.895, P = 0.000), as well as by the reasonable sensitivity and
      specificity of cut-off values. CONCLUSIONS: GHbA1C and Lp-PLA2 were strong
      independent predictors of plaque burden and FP and NC area at the minimum lumen
      lesion in patients with single-vessel and intermediate coronary lesions.
      Furthermore, Lp-PLA2 has a certain predictive value for acute coronary lesions.

PMID- 28335788
TI  - Accuracy of left ventricular ejection fraction by contemporary multiple gated
      acquisition scanning in patients with cancer: comparison with cardiovascular
      magnetic resonance.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Multiple gated acquisition scanning (MUGA) is a common imaging
      modality for baseline and serial assessment of left ventricular ejection fraction
      (LVEF) for cardiotoxicity risk assessment prior to, surveillance during, and
      surveillance after administration of potentially cardiotoxic cancer treatment.
      The objective of this study was to compare the accuracy of left ventricular
      ejection fractions (LVEF) obtained by contemporary clinical multiple gated
      acquisition scans (MUGA) with reference LVEFs from cardiovascular magnetic
      resonance (CMR) in consecutive patients with cancer. METHODS: In a cross
      sectional study, we compared MUGA clinical and CMR reference LVEFs in 75 patients
      with cancer who had both studies within 30 days. Misclassification was assessed
      using the two most common thresholds of LVEF used in cardiotoxicity clinical
      studies and practice: 50 and 55%. RESULTS: Compared to CMR reference LVEFs, MUGA
      clinical LVEFs were only lower by a mean of 1.5% (48.5% vs. 50.0%, p = 0.17).
      However, the limits of agreement between MUGA clinical and CMR reference LVEFs
      were wide at -19.4 to 16.5%. At LVEF thresholds of 50 and 55%, there was
      misclassification of 35 and 20% of cancer patients, respectively. CONCLUSIONS:
      MUGA clinical LVEFs are only modestly accurate when compared with CMR reference
      LVEFs. These data have significant implications on clinical research and patient
      care of a population with, or at risk for, cardiotoxicity.

PMID- 28335789
TI  - Sex-determining region Y-box protein 3 induces epithelial-mesenchymal transition
      in osteosarcoma cells via transcriptional activation of Snail1.
AB  - BACKGROUND: The transcription factor sex-determining region Y-box protein 3
      (SOX3) plays important roles in various types of cancer. However, its expression
      and function have not yet been elucidated in osteosarcoma (OS). METHODS: The
      expression levels of SOX3 in OS tissues and OS cell lines were determined by
      quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) and Western blot
      analysis. The effects of SOX3 expression on OS cell biological traits were
      investigated by overexpressing and downregulating SOX3 protein. The expression of
      epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) markers and transcription factors
      associated with EMT (EMT-TFs), were detected simultaneously. The mechanism
      underlying SOX3-mediated Snail1 expression was further investigated. RESULTS:
      SOX3 was upregulated in human OS tissues. SOX3 overexpression promoted the EMT,
      migration and invasion in OS cells. The downregulation of SOX3 resulted in
      opposing effects. Furthermore, SOX3 upregulation enhanced the expression of the
      transcriptional repressor Snail1 by binding to its promoter region. Additionally,
      a positive correlation among the expression of SOX3, Snail1, and E-cadherin was
      demonstrated in human OS tissues. CONCLUSIONS: SOX3 promotes migration,
      invasiveness, and EMT in OS cells via transcriptional activation of Snail1
      expression, suggesting that SOX3 is a novel regulator of EMT in OS and may serve
      as a therapeutic target for the treatment of OS metastasis.

PMID- 28335790
TI  - Physical mechanism and modeling of heat generation and transfer in magnetic fluid
      hyperthermia through Neelian and Brownian relaxation: a review.
AB  - Current clinically accepted technologies for cancer treatment still have
      limitations which lead to the exploration of new therapeutic methods. Since the
      past few decades, the hyperthermia treatment has attracted the attention of
      investigators owing to its strong biological rationales in applying hyperthermia
      as a cancer treatment modality. Advancement of nanotechnology offers a potential
      new heating method for hyperthermia by using nanoparticles which is termed as
      magnetic fluid hyperthermia (MFH). In MFH, superparamagnetic nanoparticles
      dissipate heat through Neelian and Brownian relaxation in the presence of an
      alternating magnetic field. The heating power of these particles is dependent on
      particle properties and treatment settings. A number of pre-clinical and clinical
      trials were performed to test the feasibility of this novel treatment modality.
      There are still issues yet to be solved for the successful transition of this
      technology from bench to bedside. These issues include the planning, execution,
      monitoring and optimization of treatment. The modeling and simulation play
      crucial roles in solving some of these issues. Thus, this review paper provides a
      basic understanding of the fundamental and rationales of hyperthermia and recent
      development in the modeling and simulation applied to depict the heat generation
      and transfer phenomena in the MFH.

PMID- 28335791
TI  - Fischer's Plants in folk beliefs and customs: a previously unknown contribution
      to the ethnobotany of the Polish-Lithuanian-Belarusian borderland.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Historical ethnobotanical studies are useful starting points for
      further diachronic analysis. The aim of this contribution is to present archival
      data from the Polish-Lithuanian-Belarusian borderland, which were collected by
      Adam Fischer, a Polish ethnographer from Lviv, in the 1930s. These data were
      originally gathered for publication in the first part of the Lexicon of Slavic
      beliefs and customs, dedicated to plant uses in traditional Slavonic culture. It
      was intended to be a joint international enterprise, but was never actually
      fulfilled. METHODS: In this article we used information from historical Lithuania
      (the Great Duchy of Lithuania), nowadays a border region between Poland,
      Lithuania and Belarus. We applied cultural importance indices such as Use Value,
      Relative Importance value and Sorensen similarity coefficient, in order to
      compare our data with a western Ukraine data set from the same research
      framework. RESULTS: In total, 153 plant taxa were registered as used in peasant
      culture in the Polish-Lithuanian-Belarusian borderland in the 1930s. The species
      which achieved the highest Use Values were: Calendula officinalis, Cyanus
      segetum, Helichrysum arenarium, Betula sp., Prunella vulgaris, and Nuphar lutea
      or Lilium sp. The most salient use categories were medicinal, followed by food
      and home garden plants. The overall similarity to plants recorded in western
      Ukraine within the same project of Fischer's is quite low (46%), which may be
      explained by the partly different flora found in the regions, and a cultural
      discontinuity, revealed by the difference in species with the highest UV.
      Moreover, the field collaborators were different in the two regions and may have
      paid attention to different cultural spheres of use. CONCLUSIONS: The presented
      ethnobotanical data are a valuable contribution to the ethnobotany of Eastern
      Europe as a whole. In particular, the presented list of plants may be a rich
      source for future studies on the ethnobotany of the Polish diaspora in Lithuania,
      and diachronic studies in north-east Poland and Belarus.

PMID- 28335792
TI  - Can incontinence be cured? A systematic review of cure rates.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Incontinence constitutes a major health problem affecting millions of
      people worldwide. The present study aims to assess cure rates from treating
      urinary (UI) or fecal incontinence (FI) and the number of people who may remain
      dependent on containment strategies. METHODS: Medline, Embase, PsycINFO, Cochrane
      Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL), CINAHL, and PEDro were searched
      from January 2005 to June 2015. Supplementary searches included conference
      abstracts and trials registers (2013-2015). Included studies had patients >= 18
      years with UI or FI, reported treatment cure or success rates, had >= 50 patients
      treated with any intervention recognized in international guideline algorithms, a
      follow-up >= 3 months, and were published from 2005 onwards. Title and abstract
      screening, full paper screening, data extraction and risk-of-bias assessment were
      performed independently by two reviewers. Disagreements were resolved through
      discussion or referral to a third reviewer where necessary. A narrative summary
      of included studies is presented. RESULTS: Most evidence was found for UI:
      Surgical interventions for stress UI showed a median cure rate of 82.3%
      (interquartile range (IQR), 72-89.5%); people with urgency UI were mostly treated
      using medications (median cure rate for antimuscarinics = 49%; IQR, 35.6-58%).
      Pelvic floor muscle training and bulking agents showed lower cure rates for UI.
      Sacral neuromodulation for FI had a median cure rate of 38.6% (IQR, 35.6-40.6%).
      CONCLUSIONS: Many individuals were not cured and hence may continue to rely on
      containment. No studies were found assessing success of containment strategies.
      There was a lack of data in the disabled and in those with neurological diseases,
      in the elderly and those with cognitive impairment. Surgical interventions were
      effective for stress UI. Other interventions for UI and FI showed lower cure
      rates. Many individuals are likely to be reliant on containment strategies.
      PROSPERO REGISTRATION: PROSPERO registration number: CRD42015023763 .

PMID- 28335794
TI  - Tumor motion changes in stereotactic body radiotherapy for liver tumors: an
      evaluation based on four-dimensional cone-beam computed tomography and fiducial
      markers.
AB  - BACKGROUND: For stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT) of liver tumors, tumor
      motion induced by respiration must be taken into account in planning and
      treatment. We evaluated whether liver tumor motion at the planning simulation
      represents liver tumor motion during SBRT, and estimated inter- and
      intrafractional tumor motion changes in patients undergoing liver SBRT. METHODS:
      Ten patients underwent four-dimensional cone-beam computed tomography (4D-CBCT)
      image-guided liver SBRT with abdominal compression (AC) and fiducial markers. 4D
      CBCT was performed to evaluate liver tumor motion at the planning simulation, pre
      , and post-SBRT. The translational distances at the center position of the
      fiducial markers from all 10 phases on the 4D-CBCT images were measured as the
      extent of the liver tumor motion in the left-right (LR), anterior-posterior (AP),
      and superior-inferior (SI) directions. Pearson correlation coefficients were
      calculated to evaluate the correlation between liver tumor motion of the planning
      simulation and the mean liver tumor motion of the pre-SBRT. Inter- and
      intrafractional liver tumor motion changes were measured based on the 4D-CBCT of
      planning simulation, pre-, and post-SBRT. Significant inter- and intrafractional
      changes in liver tumor motion were defined as a change of >3 mm. RESULTS: The
      mean (+/- SD) liver tumor motion of the planning simulation 4D-CBCT was 1.7 +/-
      0.8 mm, 2.4 +/- 2.2 mm, and 5.3 +/- 3.3 mm, in the LR, AP, and SI directions,
      respectively. Those of the pre-SBRT 4D-CBCT were 1.2 +/- 0.7 mm, 2.3 +/- 2.3 mm,
      and 4.5 +/- 3.8 mm, in the LR, AP, and SI directions, respectively. There was a
      strong significant correlation between liver tumor motion of the planning
      simulation and pre-SBRT in the LR (R = 0.7, P < 0.01), AP (R = 0.9, P < 0.01),
      and SI (R = 0.9, P < 0.01) directions. Significant inter- and intrafractional
      liver tumor motion changes occurred in 10 and 2% of treatment fractions,
      respectively. CONCLUSIONS: Liver tumor motion at the planning simulation
      represents liver tumor motion during SBRT. Inter- and intrafractional liver tumor
      motion changes were small in patients with AC.

PMID- 28335795
TI  - Gemella morbillorum endocarditis of pulmonary valve:a case report.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Pulmonary valve infective endocarditis is a rare finding for
      endocarditis. Infective endocarditis caused by Gemella morbillorum remains a
      scanty occurrence. CASE PRESENTATION: This is a case reported of a 28-year-old
      Chinese male with endocarditis caused by pulmonary valve infection of Gemella
      morbillorum associated with congenital ventricular septal defect, atrial septal
      defect and double-chambered right ventricle. The patient presented with fever,
      shortness of breath, progressively worsening exertional fatigue, dyspnea and
      weight loss for 3 months. The diagnosis was made with transthoracic
      echocardiogram, blood cultures, and post-operative pathology. The patient
      developed congestive heart failure and was managed with aggressive antibiotic
      therapy followed by surgery. He underwent replacement of the pulmonary valve with
      an aortic bioprosthetic valve, repair of ventricular septal defect and atrial
      septal defect, reconstruction of the right ventricular outlflow tract, and
      excision of vegetations. His postoperative recovery was uneventful. No bacteria
      were isolated from the excised tissues. He was asymptomatic without recurrence at
      3-month follow-up. CONCLUSIONS: The rare pathogen such as Gemella morbillorum can
      be the cause of infective endocarditis and timely surgical repair is necessary if
      the infection is refractory or there is progression of congestive heart failure
      under antibiotic cover.

PMID- 28335793
TI  - Thrombus leukocytes exhibit more endothelial cell-specific angiogenic markers
      than peripheral blood leukocytes do in acute coronary syndrome patients,
      suggesting a possibility of trans-differentiation: a comprehensive database
      mining study.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Current angiogenic therapies for cancers and cardiovascular diseases
      have not yet achieved expected benefits, which reflects the need for improved
      understanding of angiogenesis. In this study, we focused on solving the problem
      of whether tissues have different angiogenic potentials (APs) in physiological
      conditions and how angiogenesis is regulated in various disease conditions.
      METHODS: In healthy and diseased human and mouse tissues, we profiled the
      expression of 163 angiogenic genes, including transcription regulators (TRs),
      growth factors and receptors (GF/Rs), cytokines and chemokines (C/Cs), and
      proteases and inhibitors (P/Is). TRs were categorized as inflammatory,
      homeostatic, and endothelial cell-specific TRs, and C/Cs were categorized as pro
      angiogenic, anti-angiogenic, and bi-functional C/Cs. RESULTS: We made the
      following findings: (1) the human heart, muscle, eye, pancreas, and lymph node
      are among the tissues with the highest APs; (2) tissues with high APs have more
      active angiogenic pathways and angiogenic C/C responses; (3) inflammatory TRs
      dominate regulation of all angiogenic C/Cs; homeostatic TRs regulate all to a
      lower extent, while endothelial cell-specific TRs mainly regulate pro-angiogenic
      and bi-functional C/Cs; (4) tissue AP is positively correlated with the
      expression of oxygen sensors PHD2 and HIF1B, VEGF pathway gene VEGFB, and stem
      cell gene SOX2; (5) cancers of the digestive system tend to have increased
      angiogenesis dominated by endothelial cell-specific pro-angiogenic pathways,
      while lung cancer and prostate cancer have significantly decreased angiogenesis;
      and (6) endothelial cell-specific pro-angiogenic pathways are significantly
      increased in thrombus-derived leukocytes in patients with acute coronary artery
      disease. CONCLUSIONS: Our results demonstrate that thrombus-derived leukocytes
      express more endothelial cell-specific angiogenic markers to directly promote
      angiogenesis after myocardial infarction and that certain solid tumors may be
      more sensitive to anti-angiogenic therapies than others.

PMID- 28335796
TI  - Predicting dementia using socio-demographic characteristics and the Free and Cued
      Selective Reminding Test in the general population.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Our study aimed to determine whether the consideration of socio
      demographic features improves the prediction of Alzheimer's dementia (AD) at 5
      years when using the Free and Cued Selective Reminding Test (FCSRT) in the
      general older population. METHODS: Our analyses focused on 2558 subjects from the
      prospective Three-City Study, a cohort of community-dwelling individuals aged 65
      years and over, with FCSRT scores. Four "residual scores" and "risk scores" were
      built that included the FCSRT scores and socio-demographic variables. The
      predictive performance of crude, residual and risk scores was analyzed by
      comparing the areas under the ROC curve (AUC). RESULTS: In total, 1750 subjects
      were seen 5 years after completing the FCSRT. AD was diagnosed in 116 of them.
      Compared with the crude free-recall score, the predictive performances of the
      residual score and of the risk score were not significantly improved (AUC: 0.83
      vs 0.82 and 0.88 vs 0.89 respectively). CONCLUSION: Using socio-demographic
      features in addition to the FCSRT does not improve its predictive performance for
      dementia or AD.

PMID- 28335797
TI  - Poor prognostic factors guiding treatment decisions in rheumatoid arthritis
      patients: a review of data from randomized clinical trials and cohort studies.
AB  - Prognostic factors are used for treatment decisions in rheumatoid arthritis (RA).
      High disease activity, the early presence of erosions, and autoantibody
      positivity are the most frequently used poor prognostic factors but other
      features, such as functional disability, extraarticular disease, or
      multibiomarkers, are also assessed. Prognostic factors are incorporated in
      current treatment recommendations for the management of RA and are used as
      inclusion criteria in randomized controlled trials. They are defined
      heterogeneously and the relevance of a single or combined presence of poor
      prognostic factors remains unclear. This review summarizes the current
      definitions of poor prognostic factors and their use in clinical research.
      Perspectives on future research are also outlined.

PMID- 28335798
TI  - Treatment of mucocutaneous manifestations in Behcet's disease with anakinra: a
      pilot open-label study.
AB  - BACKGROUND: The effect of IL-1 blocking therapy on mucocutaneous manifestations
      of Behcet's disease is incompletely understood. METHODS: Six patients with
      Behcet's disease and ongoing oral/genital ulcers for >=1 month were enrolled into
      an adaptive, two-phase clinical trial and included in the analysis. Study
      duration was 6 months with extension up to 16 months. All were treated non
      blinded with anakinra 100 mg subcutaneous daily with the option to escalate the
      dose to 200 mg in partial responders after 1 month and 300 mg after 6 months.
      Patients recorded the number and severity of ulcers in daily diaries. The primary
      outcome was remission defined as no ulcers on physical exam for two consecutive
      monthly visits between months 3 and 6. Secondary outcomes included the number and
      severity of patient-reported ulcers, patient/physician global scores, and
      standardized disease activity scores. RESULTS: Two of six patients achieved the
      primary outcome. Five of six patients had improvement in the number and severity
      of ulcers. Non-statistically significant improvements were seen in secondary
      outcomes. Over the entire study, patients reported >=1 oral and >=1 genital ulcer
      on 665 (66%) and 139 (14%) days, respectively. On anakinra 200 mg vs 100 mg,
      patients reported fewer days with oral ulcers (65% vs 74% of days, p = 0.01) and
      genital ulcers (10% vs 22% of days, p < 0.001) and milder oral ulcer severity (p
      < 0.001). Increase of anakinra to 300 mg did not result in further improvements.
      Adverse events were notable for mild infections. CONCLUSION: Anakinra at an
      optimal dose of 200 mg daily had an acceptable safety profile and was partially
      effective in the treatment of resistant oral and genital ulcers in Behcet's
      disease. TRIAL REGISTRATION: Clinicaltrials.gov. NCT01441076 . Registered on 24
      September 2011.

PMID- 28335799
TI  - Convergent and sequential synthesis designs: implications for conducting and
      reporting systematic reviews of qualitative and quantitative evidence.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Systematic reviews of qualitative and quantitative evidence can
      provide a rich understanding of complex phenomena. This type of review is
      increasingly popular, has been used to provide a landscape of existing knowledge,
      and addresses the types of questions not usually covered in reviews relying
      solely on either quantitative or qualitative evidence. Although several
      typologies of synthesis designs have been developed, none have been tested on a
      large sample of reviews. The aim of this review of reviews was to identify and
      develop a typology of synthesis designs and methods that have been used and to
      propose strategies for synthesizing qualitative and quantitative evidence.
      METHODS: A review of systematic reviews combining qualitative and quantitative
      evidence was performed. Six databases were searched from inception to December
      2014. Reviews were included if they were systematic reviews combining qualitative
      and quantitative evidence. The included reviews were analyzed according to three
      concepts of synthesis processes: (a) synthesis methods, (b) sequence of data
      synthesis, and (c) integration of data and synthesis results. RESULTS: A total of
      459 reviews were included. The analysis of this literature highlighted a lack of
      transparency in reporting how evidence was synthesized and a lack of consistency
      in the terminology used. Two main types of synthesis designs were identified:
      convergent and sequential synthesis designs. Within the convergent synthesis
      design, three subtypes were found: (a) data-based convergent synthesis design,
      where qualitative and quantitative evidence is analyzed together using the same
      synthesis method, (b) results-based convergent synthesis design, where
      qualitative and quantitative evidence is analyzed separately using different
      synthesis methods and results of both syntheses are integrated during a final
      synthesis, and (c) parallel-results convergent synthesis design consisting of
      independent syntheses of qualitative and quantitative evidence and an
      interpretation of the results in the discussion. CONCLUSIONS: Performing
      systematic reviews of qualitative and quantitative evidence is challenging
      because of the multiple synthesis options. The findings provide guidance on how
      to combine qualitative and quantitative evidence. Also, recommendations are made
      to improve the conducting and reporting of this type of review.

PMID- 28335800
TI  - A new method for in vitro feeding of Rhipicephalus australis (formerly
      Rhipicephalus microplus) larvae: a valuable tool for tick vaccine development.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Rhipicephalus microplus is a hard tick that has a major impact on
      cattle health in tropical and subtropical regions because it feeds on cattle and
      is implicated in the transmission of pathogens that cause diseases such as bovine
      anaplasmosis and babesiosis. Presently, acaricides are used to control tick
      infestation but this is becoming increasingly less effective due to the emergence
      of tick strains that are resistant to one or more classes of acaricides. Anti
      tick vaccines are a promising alternative to control tick infestation in cattle.
      The life-cycle and host preference of R. microplus, however, makes vaccine
      research in cattle costly and would therefore greatly benefit from an in vitro
      screening system. METHODS: To this aim, a stacked 24-well in vitro feeding system
      was designed in which the blood meal was administered in a chamber on top of the
      compartment containing the ticks, exploiting their anti-gravitational tendency.
      Both compartments were separated by a special feeding membrane, which was made by
      applying a silicone mixture to a gold beater's skin (baudruche membrane) with a
      paint roller to create a slightly uneven surface of 17-40 MUm variable thickness.
      To further stimulate feeding, the membrane was treated with bovine hair extract
      and the unit was placed at 37  degrees C with 90% RH and 5% CO2. RESULTS: Using
      this set-up with Rhipicephalus australis (formerly Rhipicephalus microplus), a
      larval engorgement rate of up to 71% could be achieved. The larvae could
      successfully feed on blood, but also on serum. The latter allows easy screening
      of the effect of sera that are raised against tick proteins on feeding. As an
      example, serum from cattle that were vaccinated with the Bm86 midgut protein of
      R. microplus significantly reduced larval engorgement rates by 42%. CONCLUSION:
      The in vitro feeding system's high throughput design and its ability to measure
      statistically significant anti-tick effects in sera from immunized cattle enables
      screening of multiple vaccine candidates in a cost-effective manner.

PMID- 28335801
TI  - Different challenges, different approaches and related expenditures of community
      based tuberculosis activities by international non-governmental organizations in
      Myanmar.
AB  - BACKGROUND: International non-governmental organizations (INGOs) have been
      implementing community-based tuberculosis (TB) care (CBTBC) in Myanmar since
      2011. Although the National TB Programme (NTP) ultimately plans to take over
      CBTBC, there have been no evaluations of the models of care or of the costs of
      providing CBTBC in Myanmar by INGOs. METHODS: This was a descriptive study using
      routinely-collected programmatic and financial data from four INGOs during 2013
      and 2014, adjusted for inflation. Data analysis was performed from the provider
      perspective. Costs for sputum examination were not included as it was provided
      free of charge by NTP. We calculated the average cost per year of each programme
      and cost per patient completing treatment. RESULTS: Four INGOs assisted the NTP
      by providing CBTBC in areas where access to TB services was challenging. Each
      INGO faced different issues in their contexts and responded with a diversity of
      strategies. The total costs ranged from US$ 140 754 to US$ 550 221 during the
      study period. The cost per patient completing treatment ranged from US$ 215 to
      US$ 1 076 for new cases and US$ 354 to US$ 1 215 for retreatment cases, depending
      on the targeted area and the package of services offered. One INGO appeared less
      costly, more sustainable and patient oriented than others. CONCLUSIONS: This
      study revealed a wide variety of models of care and associated costs for
      implementing CBTBC in diverse and challenging populations and contexts in
      Myanmar. Consequently, we recommend a more comprehensive evaluation, including
      development of a cost model, to estimate the costs of scaling up CBTBC country
      wide, and cost-effectiveness studies, to best inform the NTP as it prepares to
      takeover CBTBC activities from INGOs. While awaiting evidence from these studies,
      model of CBTBC that have higher sustainability potential and allocate more
      resources to patient-centered care should be given priority support.

PMID- 28335802
TI  - Use of low-dose computed tomography to assess pulmonary tuberculosis among
      healthcare workers in a tuberculosis hospital.
AB  - BACKGROUND: According to the World Health Organization, China is one of 22
      countries with serious tuberculosis (TB) infections and one of the 27 countries
      with serious multidrug-resistant TB strains. Despite the decline of tuberculosis
      in the overall population, healthcare workers (HCWs) are still at a high risk of
      infection. Compared with high-income countries, the TB prevalence among HCWs is
      higher in low- and middle-income countries. Low-dose computed tomography (LDCT)
      is becoming more popular due to its superior sensitivity and lower radiation
      dose. However, there have been no reports about active pulmonary tuberculosis
      (PTB) among HCWs as assessed with LDCT. The purposes of this study were to
      examine PTB statuses in HCWs in hospitals specializing in TB treatment and
      explore the significance of the application of LDCT to these workers. METHODS:
      This study retrospectively analysed the physical examination data of healthcare
      workers in the Beijing Chest Hospital from September 2012 to December 2015. Low
      dose lung CT examinations were performed in all cases. The comparisons between
      active and inactive PTB according to the CT findings were made using the Pearson
      chi-square test or the Fisher's exact test. Comparisons between the incidences of
      active PTB in high-risk areas and non-high-risk areas were performed using the
      Pearson chi-square test. Analyses of active PTB were performed according to
      different ages, numbers of years on the job, and the risks of the working areas.
      Active PTB as diagnosed by the LDCT examinations alone was compared with the
      final comprehensive diagnoses, and the sensitivity and positive predictive value
      were calculated. RESULTS: A total of 1 012 participants were included in this
      study. During the 4-year period of medical examinations, active PTB was found in
      19 cases, and inactive PTB was found in 109 cases. The prevalence of active PTB
      in the participants was 1.24%, 0.67%, 0.81%, and 0.53% for years 2012 to 2015.
      The corresponding incidences of active PTB among the tuberculosis hospital
      participants were 0.86%, 0.41%, 0.54%, and 0.26%. Most HCWs with active TB
      (78.9%, 15/19) worked in the high-risk areas of the hospital. There was a
      significant difference in the incidences of active PTB between the HCWs who
      worked in the high-risk and non-high-risk areas (odds ratio [OR], 14.415; 95%
      confidence interval (CI): 4.733 - 43.896). Comparisons of the CT signs between
      the active and inactive groups via chi-square tests revealed that the tree-in
      bud, cavity, fibrous shadow, and calcification signs exhibited significant
      differences (P = 0.000, 0.021, 0.001, and 0.024, respectively). Tree-in-bud and
      cavity opacities suggest active pulmonary tuberculosis, whereas fibrous shadow
      and calcification opacities are the main features of inactive pulmonary
      tuberculosis. Comparison with the final comprehensive diagnoses revealed that the
      sensitivity and positive predictive value of the diagnoses of active PTB based on
      LDCT alone were 100% and 86.4%, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: Healthcare workers in
      tuberculosis hospitals are a high-risk group for active PTB. Yearly LDCT
      examinations of such high-risk groups are feasible and necessary.

PMID- 28335805
TI  - Erratum to: Cognitive rehabiliation for Parkinson's disease dementia: a study
      protocol for a pilot randomised controlled trial.

PMID- 28335804
TI  - Symbolic time series analysis of electroencephalographic (EEG) epileptic seizure
      and brain dynamics with eye-open and eye-closed subjects during resting states.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: Epilepsy is a neuronal disorder for which the electrical discharge in
      the brain is synchronized, abnormal and excessive. To detect the epileptic
      seizures and to analyse brain activities during different mental states, various
      methods in non-linear dynamics have been proposed. This study is an attempt to
      quantify the complexity of control and epileptic subject with and without seizure
      as well as to distinguish eye-open (EO) and eye-closed (EC) conditions using
      threshold-based symbolic entropy. METHODS: The threshold-dependent symbolic
      entropy was applied to distinguish the healthy and epileptic subjects with
      seizure and seizure-free intervals (i.e. interictal and ictal) as well as to
      distinguish EO and EC conditions. The original time series data was converted
      into symbol sequences using quantization level, and word series of symbol
      sequences was generated using a word length of three or more. Then, normalized
      corrected Shannon entropy (NCSE) was computed to quantify the complexity. The
      NCSE values were not following the normal distribution, and the non-parametric
      Mann-Whitney-Wilcoxon (MWW) test was used to find significant differences among
      various groups at 0.05 significance level. The values of NCSE were presented in a
      form of topographic maps to show significant brain regions during EC and EO
      conditions. The results of the study were compared to those of the multiscale
      entropy (MSE). RESULTS: The results indicated that the dynamics of healthy
      subjects are more complex compared to epileptic subjects (during seizure and
      seizure-free intervals) in both EO and EC conditions. The comparison of the
      dynamics of epileptic subjects revealed that seizure-free intervals are more
      complex than seizure intervals. The dynamics of healthy subjects during EO
      conditions are more complex compared to those during EC conditions. Further, the
      results clearly demonstrated that threshold-dependent symbolic entropy outperform
      MSE in distinguishing different physiological and pathological conditions.
      CONCLUSION: The threshold symbolic entropy has provided improved accuracy in
      quantifying the dynamics of healthy and epileptic subjects during EC an EO
      conditions for each electrode compared to the MSE.

PMID- 28335803
TI  - Spatial-temporal analysis of pulmonary tuberculosis in the northeast of the
      Yunnan province, People's Republic of China.
AB  - BACKGROUND: The number of pulmonary tuberculosis (PTB) cases in China ranks third
      in the world. A continuous increase in cases has recently been recorded in
      Zhaotong prefecture-level city, which is located in the northeastern part of
      Yunnan province. This study explored the space-time dynamics of PTB cases in
      Zhaotong to provide useful information that will help guide policymakers to
      formulate effective regional prevention and control strategies. METHODS: The data
      on PTB cases were extracted from the nationwide tuberculosis online registration
      system. Time series and spatial cluster analyses were applied to detect PTB
      temporal trends and spatial patterns at the town level between 2011 and 2015 in
      Zhaotong. Three indicators of PTB treatment registration history were used:
      initial treatment registration rate, re-treatment registration rate, and total
      PTB registration rate. RESULTS: Seasonal trends were detected with an apparent
      symptom onset peak during the winter season and a registration peak during the
      spring season. A most likely cluster and six secondary clusters were identified
      for the total PTB registration rate, one most likely cluster and five secondary
      clusters for the initial treatment registration rate, and one most likely cluster
      for the re-treatment registration rate. The most likely cluster of the three
      indicators had a similar spatial distribution and size in Zhenxiong County, which
      is characterised by a poor socio-economic level and the largest population in
      Yunnan. CONCLUSION: This study identified temporal and spatial distribution of
      PTB in a high PTB burden area using existing health data. The results of the
      study provide useful information on the prevailing epidemiological situation of
      PTB in Zhaotong and could be used to develop strategies for more effective PTB
      control at the town level. The cluster that overlapped the three PTB indicators
      falls within the geographic areas where PTB control efforts should be
      prioritised.

PMID- 28335806
TI  - Effectiveness of early interventions for parental sensitivity following preterm
      birth: a systematic review protocol.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Parental sensitivity is the interaction process by which parents (a)
      recognize cues from their infant, (b) interpret these cues adequately, (c)
      identify an appropriate response and (d) apply this response in an appropriate
      time frame. In the neonatal intensive care unit, parents of preterm infants often
      encounter factors hampering the establishment of their parental sensitivity.
      Parents report the need to be in proximity to and to participate in their preterm
      infant's care in order to develop their sensitivity to their newborn infant. To
      do so, the effectiveness of interventions promoting their parental sensitivity
      has been evaluated with randomized controlled trials. The purpose of this
      systematic review is to evaluate the effectiveness of early interventions
      promoting parental sensitivity of preterm infants' parents. METHODS/DESIGN: A
      search will be done in the following databases: CINAHL, PubMed in addition to
      Medline, Embase, PsycInfo, Web of Science, Scopus and ProQuest. No restriction
      for the years of publication will be considered. Two experts will be conducting
      independently each step of the review. All studies of randomized controlled
      trials of early interventions, for parents of preterm infants, implemented in the
      neonatal intensive care unit before the infant has reached 37 weeks of corrected
      gestational age, will be considered eligible. Primary outcome is parental
      sensitivity. Depending on the availability and quality of data, a meta-analysis
      will be done. Alternatively, a qualitative synthesis of data is planned. The
      systematic review follows the PRISMA recommendations. Finally, risk of bias and
      quality of the evidence of included studies will be assessed. DISCUSSION: To our
      knowledge, this will be the first systematic review to examine the effect of
      early interventions that promote parental sensitivity of parents of preterm
      infants in the neonatal intensive care unit. The results of this review will
      guide development of best practice guidelines and recommendations for further
      research and will have implications for neonatal clinical practice. SYSTEMATIC
      REVIEW REGISTRATION: PROSPERO CRD42016047083.

PMID- 28335808
TI  - Potential for hydrogen-oxidizing chemolithoautotrophic and diazotrophic
      populations to initiate biofilm formation in oligotrophic, deep terrestrial
      subsurface waters.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Deep terrestrial biosphere waters are separated from the light-driven
      surface by the time required to percolate to the subsurface. Despite biofilms
      being the dominant form of microbial life in many natural environments, they have
      received little attention in the oligotrophic and anaerobic waters found in deep
      bedrock fractures. This study is the first to use community DNA sequencing to
      describe biofilm formation under in situ conditions in the deep terrestrial
      biosphere. RESULTS: In this study, flow cells were attached to boreholes
      containing either "modern marine" or "old saline" waters of different origin and
      degree of isolation from the light-driven surface of the earth. Using 16S rRNA
      gene sequencing, we showed that planktonic and attached populations were
      dissimilar while gene frequencies in the metagenomes suggested that hydrogen-fed,
      carbon dioxide- and nitrogen-fixing populations were responsible for biofilm
      formation across the two aquifers. Metagenome analyses further suggested that
      only a subset of the populations were able to attach and produce an extracellular
      polysaccharide matrix. Initial biofilm formation is thus likely to be mediated by
      a few bacterial populations which were similar to Epsilonproteobacteria,
      Deltaproteobacteria, Betaproteobacteria, Verrucomicrobia, and unclassified
      bacteria. CONCLUSIONS: Populations potentially capable of attaching to a surface
      and to produce extracellular polysaccharide matrix for attachment were identified
      in the terrestrial deep biosphere. Our results suggest that the biofilm
      populations were taxonomically distinct from the planktonic community and were
      enriched in populations with a chemolithoautotrophic and diazotrophic metabolism
      coupling hydrogen oxidation to energy conservation under oligotrophic conditions.

PMID- 28335809
TI  - Poor uptake of an online intervention in a cluster randomised controlled trial of
      online diabetes education for rural general practitioners.
AB  - BACKGROUND: In Australia, rural and remote communities have high rates of
      diabetes-related death and hospitalisation. General practitioners (GPs) play a
      major role in diabetes detection and management. Education of GPs could optimise
      diabetes management and improve patient outcomes at a population level. The study
      aimed to describe the uptake of a continuing medical education intervention for
      rural GPs and its impact on the viability of a cluster randomised controlled
      trial of the effects of continuing medical education on whole-town diabetes
      monitoring and control. METHOD: Trial design: the cluster randomised controlled
      trial involved towns as the unit of allocation and analysis with outcomes
      assessed by de-identified pathology data (not reported here). The intervention
      programme consisted of an online active learning module, direct electronic access
      to specialist advice and performance feedback. Multiple rounds of invitation were
      used to engage GPs with the online intervention content. Evidence-based
      strategies (e.g. pre-notification, rewards, incentives) were incorporated into
      the invitations to enrol in the programme. Recruitment to the programme was
      electronically monitored through the hosting software package during the study
      intervention period. RESULTS: Eleven matched pairs of towns were included in the
      study. There were 146 GPs in the 11 intervention towns, of whom 34 (23.3%)
      enrolled in the programme, and 8 (5.5%) completed the online learning module. No
      town had more than 10% of the resident GPs complete the learning module. There
      were no contacts made by GPs regarding requests for specialist advice.
      Consequently, the trial was discontinued. CONCLUSION: There is an ongoing need to
      engage primary care physicians in improving diabetes monitoring and management in
      rural areas. Online training options, while notionally attractive and accessible,
      are not likely to have high levels of uptake, even when evidence-based
      recruitment strategies are implemented. TRIAL REGISTRATION: Australian New
      Zealand Clinical Trials Registry, identifier: ACTRN12611000553976 .
      Retrospectively registered on 31 May 2011.

PMID- 28335807
TI  - Time-dependent association of glucocorticoids with adverse outcome in community
      acquired pneumonia: a 6-year prospective cohort study.
AB  - BACKGROUND: The hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal stress axis plays a crucial role
      in community-acquired pneumonia (CAP), with high cortisol being associated with
      disease severity and corticosteroid treatment resulting in earlier time to
      recovery. Our aim in the present study was to compare different glucocorticoid
      hormones, including cortisol, 11-deoxycortisol, cortisone, and corticosterone,
      regarding their association with short- and long-term adverse outcomes in a well
      defined CAP cohort. METHODS: We prospectively followed 285 patients with CAP from
      a previous Swiss multicenter trial for a median of 6.1 years and measured
      different admission glucocorticoid serum levels by liquid chromatography coupled
      with tandem mass spectrometry. We used adjusted Cox regression models to
      investigate associations between admission hormone levels and all-cause mortality
      at different time points. RESULTS: Mortality was 5.3% after 30 days and increased
      to 47.3% after 6 years. High admission cortisol was associated with adverse
      outcome after 30 days (adjusted OR 3.85, 95% CI 1.10-13.49, p = 0.035). In the
      long term (i.e.,), however, high admission cortisol was associated with better
      survival (adjusted HR after 3 years 0.53, 95% CI 0.32-0.89, p = 0.017; adjusted
      HR after 6 years 0.57, 95% CI 0.36-0.90, p = 0.015). Compared with 11
      deoxycortisol, cortisone, and corticosterone, cortisol showed the highest
      association with mortality. CONCLUSIONS: Among different glucocorticoid hormones,
      cortisol showed the highest association with mortality in CAP. Whereas a more
      pronounced glucocorticoid stress response on hospital admission was associated
      with higher short-term adverse outcome, long-term outcome was favorable in these
      patients. These data should support the correct interpretation of glucocorticoid
      blood data.

PMID- 28335810
TI  - Structured relearning of activities of daily living in dementia: the randomized
      controlled REDALI-DEM trial on errorless learning.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Errorless learning (EL) is a method for optimizing learning, which
      uses feed-forward instructions in order to prevent people from making mistakes
      during the learning process. The majority of previous studies on EL taught
      patients with dementia artificial tasks of little or no relevance for their daily
      lives. Furthermore, only a few controlled studies on EL have so far been
      performed and just a handful of studies have examined the long-term effects of
      EL. Tasks were not always trained in the patients' natural or home environment,
      limiting the external validity of these studies. This multicenter parallel
      randomized controlled trial examines the effects of EL compared with trial and
      error learning (TEL) on the performance of activities of daily living in persons
      with Alzheimer's or mixed-type dementia living at home. METHODS: Patients
      received nine 1-hour task training sessions over eight weeks using EL or TEL.
      Task performance was measured using video observations at week 16. Secondary
      outcome measures were task performance measured at week 26, satisfaction with
      treatment, need for assistance, challenging behavior, adverse events, resource
      utilization and treatment costs. RESULTS: A total of 161 participants were
      randomized, of whom 71 completed the EL and 74 the TEL arm at week 11. Sixty-nine
      EL patients and 71 TEL patients were assessed at the 16-week follow-up (the
      primary measurement endpoint). Intention-to-treat analysis showed a significantly
      improved task performance in both groups. No significant differences between the
      treatment groups were found for primary or secondary outcomes. CONCLUSIONS:
      Structured relearning improved the performance of activities of daily living.
      Improvements were maintained for 6 months. EL had no additional effect over TEL.
      TRIAL REGISTRATION: German Register of Clinical Trials DRKS00003117 . Registered
      31 May 2011.

PMID- 28335811
TI  - Three patients presenting with severe macrosomia and congenital hypertrophic
      cardiomyopathy: a case series.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Macrosomia and hypertrophic cardiomyopathy are two features often
      associated in neonates of diabetic mothers. We report the cases of three patients
      with severe macrosomia and critical hypertrophic cardiomyopathy without severely
      unbalanced maternal diabetes. Only three patients with those two features and no
      uncontrolled maternal diabetes have been previously reported. CASE PRESENTATION:
      The first patient was a 39-week-old girl, the second patient was a 39-week-old
      girl, and the third patient was a 41-week-old boy. The two French girls and the
      French boy had severe macrosomia and hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, leading to the
      death of the boy. The outcome of the two girls was favorable, with a
      standardization of growth curves and ventricular hypertrophy. Their mothers
      presented with high body mass index but no severe documented maternal diabetes;
      glycemic imbalance was only suspected on postnatal analyses. There was no
      hydramnios during pregnancy and no other environmental factor, especially toxic
      exposure. Their parents are from Mayotte, Guadeloupe, and Guinea-Conakry. The
      usual genetics causes, Beckwith-Wiedemann syndrome, and chromosomal copy number
      variation, were also excluded. CONCLUSIONS: This report suggests the implication
      of other factors in addition to glycemic disorders, including genetic factors, in
      the occurrence of macrosomia and severe hypertrophic cardiomyopathy in neonates.
      These three original observations indicate that gynecologists and neonatologists
      should pay attention to neonates from mothers with a high body mass index and
      when maternal diabetes is not documented.

PMID- 28335812
TI  - CancerLocator: non-invasive cancer diagnosis and tissue-of-origin prediction
      using methylation profiles of cell-free DNA.
AB  - We propose a probabilistic method, CancerLocator, which exploits the diagnostic
      potential of cell-free DNA by determining not only the presence but also the
      location of tumors. CancerLocator simultaneously infers the proportions and the
      tissue-of-origin of tumor-derived cell-free DNA in a blood sample using genome
      wide DNA methylation data. CancerLocator outperforms two established multi-class
      classification methods on simulations and real data, even with the low proportion
      of tumor-derived DNA in the cell-free DNA scenarios. CancerLocator also achieves
      promising results on patient plasma samples with low DNA methylation sequencing
      coverage.

PMID- 28335813
TI  - Tumor lysis syndrome in an extraskeletal osteosarcoma: a case report and review
      of the literature.
AB  - BACKGROUND: This case report describes a spontaneous tumor lysis syndrome due to
      a rare solid tumor. CASE PRESENTATION: A 65-year-old white woman had tumor lysis
      syndrome, which represent a dangerous oncological emergency. This syndrome occurs
      usually with a hematological tumor, but in this case our patient had a solid
      tumor, which was a rare extraskeletal osteosarcoma, localized in her pelvic
      region. She also had lung metastases and bilateral hydronephrosis. After
      spontaneous tumor lysis syndrome, she had acute renal insufficiency, which was
      treated with hemodialysis and successively with rasburicase, Kayexalate (sodium
      polystyrene sulfonate), and febuxostat. CONCLUSION: Tumor lysis syndrome
      represents an oncological emergency, which must be suspected and treated as soon
      as possible.

PMID- 28335814
TI  - Symbiosis and microbiome flexibility in calcifying benthic foraminifera of the
      Great Barrier Reef.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Symbiosis is a phenomenon that allows organisms to colonise a wide
      range of environments and occupy a variety of ecological niches in marine
      environments. Large benthic foraminifera (LBF) are crucial marine calcifiers that
      rely on photo-endosymbionts for growth and calcification, yet the influence of
      environmental conditions in shaping their interactions with prokaryotic and
      eukaryotic associates is poorly known. RESULTS: Here, we used next-generation
      sequencing to identify eukaryotic photosynthesizing and prokaryotic microbes
      associated with the common LBF Amphistegina lobifera across a physio-chemical
      gradient on the Great Barrier Reef (GBR). We collected samples from three reef
      sites located in the inner-, mid- and outer-shelf regions of the northern section
      of the GBR. Results showed the consistent presence of Bacillaryophyta as the main
      eukaryotic taxa associated with A. lobifera across all reef sites analysed;
      however, the abundance and the diversity of prokaryotic organisms varied among
      reef sites. Inner-shelf specimens showed the highest diversity of prokaryote
      associates, with a total of 231 genotypes in their core microbiome. A total of 30
      taxa were identified in the core microbiome across all reef sites. Within these
      taxa, Proteobacteria was the most abundant bacteria present. The presence of
      groups such as Actinobacteria was significantly correlated with inner-shelf
      populations, whereas the abundance of Bacteroidetes and Firmicutes was associated
      with A. lobifera collected from mid- and outer-shelf reef sites. CONCLUSIONS: We
      found that benthic foraminifera form stable and persistent symbiosis with
      eukaryotic partners, but flexible and site-specific associations with prokaryotic
      microbes that likely influence the ecological success of these crucial calcifying
      organisms on the GBR.

PMID- 28335815
TI  - Skin snips have no role in programmatic evaluations for onchocerciasis
      elimination: a reply to Bottomley et al.
AB  - A critique of the recommendation that skin snips be used for post-MDA
      surveillance of formerly endemic onchocerciasis areas is provided. After
      considering several fundamental aspects of the use of this methodology within the
      context of prolonged mass distribution of ivermectin, we argue that skin-snipping
      has no value for monitoring onchocerciasis elimination programs.

PMID- 28335816
TI  - Diagnostic delay and associated factors among patients with pulmonary
      tuberculosis in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Tanzania is among the 30 countries with the highest tuberculosis (TB)
      burdens. Because TB has a long infectious period, early diagnosis is not only
      important for reducing transmission, but also for improving treatment outcomes.
      We assessed diagnostic delay and associated factors among infectious TB patients.
      METHODS: We interviewed new smear-positive adult pulmonary TB patients enrolled
      in an ongoing TB cohort study in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, between November 2013
      and June 2015. TB patients were interviewed to collect information on socio
      demographics, socio-economic status, health-seeking behaviour, and residential
      geocodes. We categorized diagnostic delay into <= 3 or > 3 weeks. We used
      logistic regression models to identify risk factors for diagnostic delay,
      presented as crude (OR) and adjusted Odds Ratios (aOR). We also assessed
      association between geographical distance (incremental increase of 500 meters
      between household and the nearest pharmacy) with binary outcomes. RESULTS: We
      analysed 513 patients with a median age of 34 years (interquartile range 27-41);
      353 (69%) were men. Overall, 444 (87%) reported seeking care from health care
      providers prior to TB diagnosis, of whom 211 (48%) sought care > 2 times. Only
      six (1%) visited traditional healers before TB diagnosis. Diagnostic delay was
      positively associated with absence of chest pain (aOR = 7.97, 95% confidence
      intervals [CI]: 3.15-20.19; P < 0.001), and presence of hemoptysis (aOR = 25.37,
      95% CI: 11.15-57.74; P < 0.001) and negatively associated with use of medication
      prior to TB diagnosis (aOR = 0.31, 95% CI: 0.14-0.71; P = 0.01). Age, sex, HIV
      status, education level, household income, and visiting health care facilities
      (HCFs) were not associated with diagnostic delay. Patients living far from
      pharmacies were less likely to visit a HCF (incremental increase of distance
      versus visit to any facility: OR = 0.51, 95% CI: 0.28-0.96; P = 0.037).
      CONCLUSIONS: TB diagnostic delay was common in Dar es Salaam, and was more likely
      among patients without prior use of medication and presenting with hemoptysis.
      Geographical distance to HCFs may have an impact on health-seeking behaviour.
      Increasing community awareness of TB signs and symptoms could further reduce
      diagnostic delays and interrupt TB transmission.

PMID- 28335817
TI  - Gene expression differences between PAXgene and Tempus blood RNA tubes are highly
      reproducible between independent samples and biobanks.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Gene expression profiling from blood is sensitive to technology
      choices. For example, the main blood RNA collection systems-the PAXgene and
      Tempus tubes-differently influence RNA expression signatures. The aim of this
      study was to establish a common RNA isolation protocol for these two systems and
      investigate if it could reduce the differences in gene expression between them.
      RESULTS: We collected identical blood samples on the PAXgene and Tempus systems
      and retrieved blood samples from two independent biobanks-NOWAC and HUNT3-which
      are based on PAXgene and Tempus, respectively. High-quality RNA was extracted
      from both sampling systems by using their original protocols and our common
      modified protocol, and were profiled on Illumina microarrays. Regardless of the
      protocol used, we found most of the measured transcripts to be differently
      affected by the two sampling systems. However, our modified protocol reduced the
      number of transcripts that were significantly differentially expressed between
      PAXgene and Tempus by approximately 50%. Expression differences between PAXgene
      and Tempus were highly reproducible both between protocols and between different
      independent sample sets (Pearson correlation 0.563-0.854 across 47323 probes).
      Moreover, the modified protocol increased the microRNA output of the system with
      lowest microRNA yield, the PAXgene system. CONCLUSIONS: Most transcripts are
      affected by the choice of sampling system, but these effects are highly
      reproducible between independent samples. We propose that by running a control
      experiment with samples on both systems in parallel with biologically relevant
      samples, researchers may adjust for technical differences between the sampling
      systems.

PMID- 28335818
TI  - Genotype distribution characteristics of multiple human papillomavirus in women
      from the Taihu River Basin, on the coast of eastern China.
AB  - BACKGROUND: There is limited data on the genotype distribution of human
      papillomavirus (HPV) in the Taihu River Basin, home to 1.29 million people on the
      coast of eastern China. This study evaluated the prevalence and genotypes among
      different female age groups in this region. METHODS: Twenty-six HPV strains (low
      risk HPV 6, 11, 40, 42, 44, 61, 73 and high-risk HPV 16, 18, 26, 31, 33, 35, 39,
      45, 51, 52, 53, 55, 56, 58, 59, 66, 68, 82, and 83) were detected using
      TellgenplexTM HPV technology in samples obtained from three clinical hospitals
      located in different regions of the Taihu Lake Basin. RESULTS: The results showed
      that 1855 samples (20.97% of all samples) were found to be HPV-positive. Of
      these, 1375 samples (15.55% of all samples) were found to have a single HPV
      infection. Age-specific prevalence showed two peaks, one that corresponded to the
      group of 21-30 year-old women and the other peak that corresponded to the group
      of women over 51 years old. The three most prevalent genotypes were HPV52
      (19.95%, 370/1855), HPV16 (13.48%, 150/1855), and HPV58 (11.32%, 210/1855). Mixed
      strains HPV58 + HPV33 and HPV58 + HPV52 were most commonly found in females
      infected with multiple HPV types. CONCLUSIONS: This investigation reveals that
      HPV infection in the Taihu River Basin varied significantly among different age
      groups. The most prevalent genotypes are included in the nonavalent vaccine,
      V503, however this vaccine is not licensed for use in mainland China. The most
      frequently occurring genotypes should be considered in the development of next
      generation HPV vaccines for optimal protection of public health.

PMID- 28335819
TI  - Concordance analysis of microarray studies identifies representative gene
      expression changes in Parkinson's disease: a comparison of 33 human and animal
      studies.
AB  - BACKGROUND: As the popularity of transcriptomic analysis has grown, the reported
      lack of concordance between different studies of the same condition has become a
      growing concern, raising questions as to the representativeness of different
      study types, such as non-human disease models or studies of surrogate tissues, to
      gene expression in the human condition. METHODS: In a comparison of 33 microarray
      studies of Parkinson's disease, correlation and clustering analyses were used to
      determine the factors influencing concordance between studies, including
      agreement between different tissue types, different microarray platforms, and
      between neurotoxic and genetic disease models and human Parkinson's disease.
      RESULTS: Concordance over all studies is low, with correlation of only 0.05
      between differential gene expression signatures on average, but increases within
      human patients and studies of the same tissue type, rising to 0.38 for studies of
      human substantia nigra. Agreement of animal models, however, is dependent on
      model type. Studies of brain tissue from Parkinson's disease patients
      (specifically the substantia nigra) form a distinct group, showing patterns of
      differential gene expression noticeably different from that in non-brain tissues
      and animal models of Parkinson's disease; while comparison with other brain
      diseases (Alzheimer's disease and brain cancer) suggests that the mixed study
      types display a general signal of neurodegenerative disease. A meta-analysis of
      these 33 microarray studies demonstrates the greater ability of studies in humans
      and highly-affected tissues to identify genes previously known to be associated
      with Parkinson's disease. CONCLUSIONS: The observed clustering and concordance
      results suggest the existence of a 'characteristic' signal of Parkinson's disease
      found in significantly affected human tissues in humans. These results help to
      account for the consistency (or lack thereof) so far observed in microarray
      studies of Parkinson's disease, and act as a guide to the selection of
      transcriptomic studies most representative of the underlying gene expression
      changes in the human disease.

PMID- 28335820
TI  - Exploring the tensions of being and becoming a medical educator.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Previous studies have identified tensions medical faculty encounter
      in their roles but not specifically those with a qualification in medical
      education. It is likely that those with postgraduate qualifications may face
      additional tensions (i.e., internal or external conflicts or concerns) from
      differentiation by others, greater responsibilities and translational work
      against the status quo. This study explores the complex and multi-faceted
      tensions of educators with qualifications in medical education at various stages
      in their career. METHODS: The data described were collected in 2013-14 as part of
      a larger, three-phase mixed-methods research study employing a constructivist
      grounded theory analytic approach to understand identity formation among medical
      educators. The over-arching theoretical framework for the study was Communities
      of Practice. Thirty-six educators who had undertaken or were undertaking a
      postgraduate qualification in medical education took part in semi-structured
      interviews. RESULTS: Participants expressed multiple tensions associated with
      both becoming and being a healthcare educator. Educational roles had to be
      juggled with clinical work, challenging their work-life balance. Medical
      education was regarded as having lower prestige, and therefore pay, than other
      healthcare career tracks. Medical education is a vast speciality, making it
      difficult as a generalist to keep up-to-date in all its areas. Interestingly, the
      graduates with extensive experience in education reported no fears, rather
      asserting that the qualification gave them job variety. CONCLUSION: This is the
      first detailed study exploring the tensions of educators with postgraduate
      qualifications in medical education. It complements and extends the findings of
      the previous studies by identifying tensions common as well as specific to active
      students and graduates. These tensions may lead to detachment, cynicism and a
      weak sense of identity among healthcare educators. Postgraduate programmes in
      medical education can help their students identify these tensions in becoming and
      develop coping strategies. Separate career routes, specific job descriptions and
      academic workload models for medical educators are recommended to further the
      professionalisation of medical education. (Tensions, Fears, Healthcare Educators,
      Medical Education, Postgraduate Programmes, Identity, Career Choice, Faculty
      Development, Communities of Practice).

PMID- 28335822
TI  - Erratum to: Transcriptome profile analysis reflects rat liver and kidney damage
      following chronic ultra-low dose Roundup exposure.

PMID- 28335821
TI  - Differential gene expression profiling of endometrium during the mid-luteal phase
      of the estrous cycle between a repeat breeder (RB) and non-RB cows.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Repeat breeding directly affects reproductive efficiency in cattle
      due to an increase in services per conception and calving interval. This study
      aimed to investigate whether changes in endometrial gene expression profile are
      involved in repeat breeding in cows. Differential gene expression profiles of the
      endometrium were investigated during the mid-luteal phase of the estrous cycle
      between repeat breeder (RB) and non-RB cows using microarray analysis. METHODS:
      The caruncular (CAR) and intercaruncular (ICAR) endometrium of both ipsilateral
      and contralateral uterine horns to the corpus luteum were collected from RB
      (inseminated at least three times but not pregnant) and non-RB cows on Day 15 of
      the estrous cycle (4 cows/group). Global gene expression profiles of these
      endometrial samples were analyzed with a 15 K custom-made oligo-microarray for
      cattle. Immunohistochemistry was performed to investigate the cellular
      localization of proteins of three identified transcripts in the endometrium.
      RESULTS: Microarray analysis revealed that 405 and 397 genes were differentially
      expressed in the CAR and ICAR of the ipsilateral uterine horn of RB, respectively
      when compared with non-RB cows. In the contralateral uterine horn, 443 and 257
      differentially expressed genes were identified in the CAR and ICAR of RB,
      respectively when compared with non-RB cows. Gene ontology analysis revealed that
      genes involved in development and morphogenesis were mainly up-regulated in the
      CAR of RB cows. In the ICAR of both the ipsilateral and contralateral uterine
      horns, genes related to the metabolic process were predominantly enriched in the
      RB cows when compared with non-RB cows. In the analysis of the whole uterus
      (combining the data above four endometrial compartments), RB cows showed up
      regulation of 37 genes including PRSS2, GSTA3 and PIPOX and down-regulation of 39
      genes including CHGA, KRT35 and THBS4 when compared with non-RB cows.
      Immunohistochemistry revealed that CHGA, GSTA3 and PRSS2 proteins were localized
      in luminal and glandular epithelial cells and stroma of the endometrium.
      CONCLUSION: The present study showed that endometrial gene expression profiles
      are different between RB and non-RB cows. The identified candidate endometrial
      genes and functions in each endometrial compartment may contribute to bovine
      reproductive performance.

PMID- 28335824
TI  - The biomechanical and histological effects of posterior cruciate ligament rupture
      on the medial tibial plateau.
AB  - BACKGROUND: The objective of this study was to investigate the biomechanical and
      histological effects of the posterior cruciate ligament (PCL) on the medial
      tibial plateau. METHODS: A total of 12 cadaveric human knee specimens were
      collected and grouped as follows: the PCL intact group (n = 12), the
      anterolateral bundle rupture group (n = 6), the postmedial bundle rupture group
      (n = 6), and the PCL rupture group (n = 12). The strain on the anterior, middle,
      and posterior parts of the medial tibial plateau with an axial loading force at
      different flexion angles was measured and analyzed, respectively. Forty-eight
      rabbits were chosen for animal study: surgery was performed on the one side of
      each rabbit randomly (experimental group), while the other side was taken as
      control (control group). Every 12 rabbits were culled at each of the four
      selected time points to collect the medial tibial plateau for morphological and
      histological observation. RESULTS: The PCL rupture, either partial or complete,
      may generate an abnormal load on all the parts of the medial tibial plateau with
      axial loading at all positions. Noticeable time-dependent degenerative
      histological changes of the medial tibial plateau were observed in the rabbit
      models of PCL rupture. Compared with the control group, all the PCL rupture
      groups exhibited a higher expression of the matrix metalloproteinase-7 (MMP-7)
      and the tissue inhibitors of metalloproteinase-1 (TIMP-1) at all the time points.
      CONCLUSIONS: Either partial or complete PCL rupture may generate an abnormal load
      on all the parts of the medial tibial plateau with axial loading at all the
      positions and may cause cartilage degeneration on the medial tibial plateau.

PMID- 28335823
TI  - The FORGE AHEAD clinical readiness consultation tool: a validated tool to assess
      clinical readiness for chronic disease care mobilization in Canada's First
      Nations.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Given the astounding rates of diabetes and related complications, and
      the barriers to providing care present in Indigenous communities in Canada,
      intervention strategies that take into account contextual factors such as
      readiness to mobilize are needed to maximize improvements and increase the
      likelihood of success and sustainment. As part of the national FORGE AHEAD
      Program, we sought to develop, test and validate a clinical readiness
      consultation tool aimed at assessing the readiness of clinical teams working on
      reserve in First Nations communities to participate in quality improvement (QI)
      to enhance diabetes care in Canada. METHODS: A literature review was conducted to
      identify existing readiness tools. The ABCD - SAT was adapted using a consensus
      approach that emphasized a community-based participatory approach and prioritized
      the knowledge and wisdom held by community members. The tool was piloted with a
      group of 16 people from 7 provinces and 11 partnering communities to assess
      language use, clarity, relevance, format, and ease of completion using examples.
      Internal reliability analysis and convergence validity were conducted with data
      from 53 clinical team members from 11 First Nations communities (3-5 per
      community) who have participated in the FORGE AHEAD program. RESULTS: The 27-page
      Clinical Readiness Consultation Tool (CRCT) consists of five main components, 21
      sub-components, and 74 items that are aligned with the Expanded Chronic Care
      Model. Five-point Likert scale feedback from the pilot ranged from 3.25 to 4.5.
      Length of the tool was reported as a drawback but respondents noted that all the
      items were needed to provide a comprehensive picture of the healthcare system.
      Results for internal consistency showed that all sub-components except for two
      were within acceptable ranges (0.77-0.93). The Team Structure and Function sub
      component scale had a moderately significant positive correlation with the
      validated Team Climate Inventory, r = 0.45, p < 0.05. CONCLUSIONS: The testing
      and validation of the FORGE AHEAD CRCT demonstrated that the tool is acceptable,
      valid and reliable. The CRCT has been successfully used to support the
      implementation of the FORGE AHEAD Program and the health services changes that
      partnering First Nations communities have designed and undertaken to improve
      diabetes care. TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER: Current ClinicalTrial.gov protocol ID
      NCT02234973 . Date of Registration: July 30, 2014.

PMID- 28335825
TI  - Canine tick-borne diseases in pet dogs from Romania.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Tick-borne diseases are of substantial concern worldwide for animals
      as well as humans. Dogs have been a human companion for millennia, and their
      significant impact on human life renders disease in dogs to be of great concern.
      Tick-borne diseases in dogs represent a substantial diagnostic challenge for
      veterinarians in that clinical signs are often diffuse and overlapping. In
      addition, co-infections with two or more pathogens enhance this problem further.
      Molecular methods are useful to disentangle co-infections and to accurately
      describe prevalence and geographical distribution of tick-borne diseases. At this
      point, this information is lacking in many areas worldwide. Romania is one such
      area, where prevalence and distribution of several important pathogens need to be
      further investigated. To address this, we screened blood samples from 96 sick
      dogs with molecular methods for eight different pathogens including Babesia spp.,
      Theileria spp., Hepatozoon spp., Anaplasma spp., Ehrlichia spp., "Candidatus
      Neoehrlichia mikurensis", Mycoplasma spp., and Borrelia spp. RESULTS: As many as
      45% (43/96) of the dogs in the study were infected with protozoan parasites.
      Babesia canis was the most frequent of these (28 infected dogs), whereas
      Hepatozoon canis was detected in 15% (14/96) and Babesia gibsoni was found in a
      single sample. Bacterial infection with Mycoplasma spp. occurred in 18% (17/96)
      of the sampled dogs. Obtained bacterial sequences revealed the occurrence of two
      species: Mycoplasma canis and "Candidatus Mycoplasma haematoparvum". In several
      cases co-infection with protozoan parasites and Mycoplasma sp. were detected. All
      dogs were negative for Anaplasma spp., Ehrlichia spp., "Ca. Neoehrlichia
      mikurensis", and for Borrelia spp. CONCLUSIONS: The results from the present
      study reinforce the notion that Babesia canis is an important pathogen in the
      Romanian dog population. However, more surprisingly, another protozoan species,
      H. canis, seems to be infecting dogs to a larger extent than previously
      recognized in Romania. Well-known tick-borne bacterial disease agents such as
      Anaplasma spp. and Borrelia spp. were not detected. In contrast, less well
      studied bacteria such as hemotropic Mycoplasma spp. were detected frequently.
      Moreover, co-infection might aggravate disease and complicate diagnosis and
      should be further studied in dogs.

PMID- 28335826
TI  - First establishment of microsatellite markers in clausiliid snails (Mollusca:
      Gastropoda: Clausiliidae).
AB  - BACKGROUND: Clausiliidae (door snails) are gastropods with a very high diversity
      concerning shell morphology, especially of their complex closing apparatus, which
      provides the most important diagnostic traits for classification of taxa. Due to
      the high variability, a high number of taxa has been described, though their
      systematics and taxonomy is partially controversially discussed. Montenegrina is
      the second most speciose door snail genus in Europe. It is an obligate rock
      dwelling land snail and has, compared to its complex systematics, a rather small
      distribution range in the western parts of the Balkan Peninsula. The different
      taxa themselves show a very narrow and patchy distribution range. As Montenegrina
      is comprehensively sampled over the whole distribution range, it is a perfect
      study system for general questions on speciation and morphological
      differentiation in land snails. To study the amount of gene flow between
      geographically close or co-occurring populations, highly polymorphic markers are
      needed. RESULTS: Thirteen microsatellite loci with a tetranucleotid repeat were
      isolated and tested in three geographically close Montenegrina populations (two
      populations of M. dofleini prespaensis from the Prespa Lake, n = 35 and one
      population from M. stankovici from the Ohrid Lake, n = 20). The number of alleles
      per locus ranged from 2 to 27. No significant linkage disequilibria between the
      same two loci were found in all three tested populations. The deviation from
      Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium reveal only for two loci a significant deviation from
      HWE in more than one population (Mont_5483 and Mont_4477). CONCLUSION: The 13
      newly established genetic markers will help to gain better insights to the
      population genetic structure of Montenegrina and might reveal new results about
      speciation processes in co-occurring taxa. Furthermore, these microsatellite loci
      could also be tested in other clausiliid species.

PMID- 28335829
TI  - Comparison of nasopharyngeal and guttural pouch specimens to determine the
      optimal sampling site to detect Streptococcus equi subsp equi carriers by DNA
      amplification.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Streptococcus equi subsp equi (S. equi) is the cause of "equine
      strangles" which is a highly infectious upper respiratory disease. Detection of
      S. equi is influenced by site of specimen collection, method of sampling, and
      type of diagnostic test that is performed. We hypothesized i) that a loop
      mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP) assay that targets the S. equi-specific
      eqbE gene would be more sensitive than a realtime PCR assay that targets the S.
      equi-specific seeI gene and ii) that LAMP of specimens obtained by guttural pouch
      lavage (GPL) would be more sensitive than LAMP of nasopharyngeal specimens to
      identify S. equi carriers. METHODS: A nasopharyngeal flocked swab, nasopharyngeal
      wash, and GPL specimen was collected from 44 convalescent horses and the eqbE
      LAMP assay was performed. The seeI realtime PCR assay and aerobic culture were
      also performed on the GPL specimen. Logistic regression was performed to compare
      sampling sites and test methods (P-values <=0.05 were considered significant).
      RESULTS: One of 41 nasopharyngeal flocked swabs, 6/38 nasopharyngeal wash and
      24/44 GPL specimens were positive by eqbE LAMP. 18/44 GPL specimens were positive
      by seeI PCR and S. equi was isolated from 4/44 of these specimens. Detection of
      S. equi DNA was 51 times more likely from the GPL samples than nasopharyngeal
      samples (OR 51.0, P < 0.0001). When eqbE LAMP GPL samples were positive, it was
      eight times more likely that the guttural pouch had any abnormality on endoscopy
      (OR 8.2, P <= 0.005), almost 20 times more likely that mild empyema was found (OR
      19.7, P <= 0.002), and eight times more likely that the SeeI PCR was positive for
      S. equi DNA (OR 8.1, P <= 0.006). CONCLUSION: This study demonstrates that
      guttural pouch lavage specimens should be used to detect S. equi and that the
      eqbE LAMP assay was comparable to the seeI PCR.

PMID- 28335828
TI  - DHA brain uptake and APOE4 status: a PET study with [1-11C]-DHA.
AB  - BACKGROUND: The apolipoprotein E E4 (APOE4) allele is the strongest genetic risk
      factor identified for developing Alzheimer's disease (AD). Among brain lipids,
      alteration in the omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acid docosahexaenoic acid (DHA)
      homeostasis is implicated in AD pathogenesis. APOE4 may influence both brain DHA
      metabolism and cognitive outcomes. METHODS: Using positron emission tomography,
      regional incorporation coefficients (k*), rates of DHA incorporation from plasma
      into the brain using [1-11C]-DHA (J in), and regional cerebral blood flow using
      [15O]-water were measured in 22 middle-aged healthy adults (mean age 35 years,
      range 19-65 years). Data were partially volume error-corrected for brain atrophy.
      APOE4 phenotype was determined by protein expression, and unesterified DHA
      concentrations were quantified in plasma. An exploratory post hoc analysis of the
      effect of APOE4 on DHA brain kinetics was performed. RESULTS: The mean global
      gray matter DHA incorporation coefficient, k*, was significantly higher (16%)
      among APOE4 carriers (n = 9) than among noncarriers (n = 13, p = 0.046). Higher
      DHA incorporation coefficients were observed in several brain regions,
      particularly in the entorhinal subregion, an area affected early in AD
      pathogenesis. Cerebral blood flow, unesterified plasma DHA, and whole brain DHA
      incorporation rate (J in) did not differ significantly between the APOE groups.
      CONCLUSIONS: Our findings suggest an increase in the DHA incorporation
      coefficient in several brain regions in APOE4 carriers. These findings may
      contribute to understanding how APOE4 genotypes affect AD risk.

PMID- 28335831
TI  - Matrix Biology Highlights.

PMID- 28335830
TI  - International non-governmental organizations' provision of community-based
      tuberculosis care for hard-to-reach populations in Myanmar, 2013-2014.
AB  - BACKGROUND: National tuberculosis (TB) programs increasingly engage with
      international non-governmental organizations (INGOs), especially to provide TB
      care in complex settings where community involvement might be required. In
      Myanmar, however, there is limited data on how such INGO community-based programs
      are organized and how effective they are. In this study, we describe four INGO
      strategies for providing community-based TB care to hard-to-reach populations in
      Myanmar, and assess their contribution to TB case detection. METHODS: We
      conducted a descriptive study using program data from four INGOs and the National
      TB Program (NTP) in 2013-2014. For each INGO, we extracted information on its
      approach and key activities, the number of presumptive TB cases referred and
      undergoing TB testing, and the number of patients diagnosed with TB and their
      treatment outcomes. The contribution of INGOs to TB diagnosis in their selected
      townships was calculated as the proportion of INGO-diagnosed new TB cases out of
      the total NTP-diagnosed new TB cases in the same townships. RESULTS: All four
      INGOs implemented community-based TB care in challenging contexts, targeting
      migrants, post-conflict areas, the urban poor, and other vulnerable populations.
      Two recruited community volunteers via existing community health volunteers or
      health structures, one via existing community leaderships, and one directly
      involved TB infected/affected individuals. Two INGOs compensated volunteers via
      performance-based financing, and two provided financial and in-kind initiatives.
      All relied on NTP laboratories for diagnosis and TB drugs, but provided direct
      observation treatment support and treatment follow-up. A total of 21 995
      presumptive TB cases were referred for TB diagnosis, with 7 383 (34%) new TB
      cases diagnosed and almost all (98%) successfully treated. The four INGOs
      contributed to the detection of, on average, 36% (7 383/20 663) of the total new
      TB cases in their respective townships (range: 15-52%). CONCLUSION: Community
      based TB care supported by INGOs successfully achieved TB case detection in hard
      to-reach and vulnerable populations. This is vital to achieving the World Health
      Organization End TB Strategy targets. Strategies to ensure sustainability of the
      programs should be explored, including the need for longer-term commitment of
      INGOs.

PMID- 28335827
TI  - Management of acute respiratory diseases in the pediatric population: the role of
      oral corticosteroids.
AB  - Respiratory diseases account for about 25% of all pediatric consultations, and
      10% of these are for asthma. The other main pediatric respiratory diseases, in
      terms of incidence, are bronchiolitis, acute bronchitis and respiratory
      infections. Oral corticosteroids, in particular prednisolone, are often used to
      treat acute respiratory diseases given their anti-inflammatory effects. However,
      the efficacy of treatment with oral corticosteroids differs among the various
      types of pediatric respiratory diseases. Notably, also the adverse effects of
      corticosteroid treatment can differ depending on dosage, duration of treatment
      and type of corticosteroid administered - a case in point being growth
      retardation in long-course treatment. A large body of data has accumulated on
      this topic. In this article, we have reviewed the data and guidelines related to
      the role of oral corticosteroids in the treatment and management of pediatric
      bronchiolitis, wheezing, asthma and croup in the attempt to provide guidance for
      physicians. Also included is a section on the management of acute respiratory
      failure in children.

PMID- 28335832
TI  - Development of 126Sn separation method by means of anion exchange resin and gamma
      spectroscopy.
AB  - This paper describes a method employing anion exchange resin for determination of
      126Sn in radioactive waste. The method is suitable for the separation of 126Sn
      isotope from hydrochloric and hydrofluoric acid solution. The separation is based
      on precipitation of tin with ammonium sulfide in 0.5molL-1 HCl, dissolution of
      the precipitate in concentrated HCl, loading in 2molL-1 HCl onto anion exchange
      resin column and elution with 2molL-1 HNO3. 126Sn was measured by gamma
      spectrometry.

PMID- 28335833
TI  - Association Between Cardiovascular Risk Factors and Aortic Stenosis: The CANHEART
      Aortic Stenosis Study.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Few longitudinal studies have delineated the association between
      traditional cardiovascular risk factors and development of aortic stenosis (AS).
      OBJECTIVES: The authors examined the association between traditional
      cardiovascular risk factors and incident severe AS in a large, unselected elderly
      population. METHODS: This observational cohort study used multiple linked health
      care population-based databases of individuals older than 65 years on April 1,
      2002, without prior valvular disease, coronary artery disease, heart failure,
      cardiac arrhythmia, cerebrovascular disease, congenital heart disease, or
      admissions with cardiac symptoms. The relationship between hypertension (HTN),
      diabetes, dyslipidemia, and incident severe AS requiring hospitalization or
      surgical or interventional treatment was examined. RESULTS: Among 1.12 million
      individuals followed for a median of 13 years, 20,995 subjects developed severe
      AS. Overall absolute incidence was 144 per 100,000 person-years (169 and 127 per
      100,000 person-years in men and women, respectively). In cause-specific hazard
      models, HTN (adjusted hazard ratio [HR]: 1.71; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.66
      to 1.76), diabetes (HR: 1.49; 95% CI: 1.44 to 1.54), and dyslipidemia (HR: 1.17;
      95% CI: 1.14 to 1.21) were all significantly associated with increased risk of
      developing severe AS (all p < 0.001). There was a positive dose-response
      relationship between the number and duration of cardiac risk factors and risk of
      AS. In the Fine-Gray model, all 3 risk factors were independently associated with
      a higher incidence of AS. The population-attributable risk of AS associated with
      3 cardiac risk factors was 34.4% (95% CI: 32.8 to 36.0). CONCLUSIONS: HTN,
      diabetes, and dyslipidemia have independent and dose-response associations with
      incident AS in an unselected population of older individuals, and together
      accounted for approximately one-third of the incidence of severe AS.

PMID- 28335834
TI  - Aortic Stenosis: Moving From Treatment to Prevention.

PMID- 28335836
TI  - PEITHO Long-Term Outcomes Study: Data Disrupt Dogma.

PMID- 28335835
TI  - Impact of Thrombolytic Therapy on the Long-Term Outcome of Intermediate-Risk
      Pulmonary Embolism.
AB  - BACKGROUND: The long-term effect of thrombolytic treatment of pulmonary embolism
      (PE) is unknown. OBJECTIVES: This study investigated the long-term prognosis of
      patients with intermediate-risk PE and the effect of thrombolytic treatment on
      the persistence of symptoms or the development of late complications. METHODS:
      The PEITHO (Pulmonary Embolism Thrombolysis) trial was a randomized (1:1)
      comparison of thrombolysis with tenecteplase versus placebo in normotensive
      patients with acute PE, right ventricular (RV) dysfunction on imaging, and a
      positive cardiac troponin test result. Both treatment arms received standard
      anticoagulation. Long-term follow-up was included in the third protocol
      amendment; 28 sites randomizing 709 of the 1,006 patients participated. RESULTS:
      Long-term (median 37.8 months) survival was assessed in 353 of 359 (98.3%)
      patients in the thrombolysis arm and in 343 of 350 (98.0%) in the placebo arm.
      Overall mortality rates were 20.3% and 18.0%, respectively (p = 0.43). Between
      day 30 and long-term follow-up, 65 deaths occurred in the thrombolysis arm and 53
      occurred in the placebo arm. At follow-up examination of survivors, persistent
      dyspnea (mostly mild) or functional limitation was reported by 36.0% versus 30.1%
      of the patients (p = 0.23). Echocardiography (performed in 144 and 146 patients
      randomized to thrombolysis and placebo, respectively) did not reveal significant
      differences in residual pulmonary hypertension or RV dysfunction. Chronic
      thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension (CTEPH) was confirmed in 4 (2.1%) versus 6
      (3.2%) cases (p = 0.79). CONCLUSIONS: Approximately 33% of patients report some
      degree of persistent functional limitation after intermediate-risk PE, but CTEPH
      is infrequent. Thrombolytic treatment did not affect long-term mortality rates,
      and it did not appear to reduce residual dyspnea or RV dysfunction in these
      patients. (Pulmonary Embolism Thrombolysis study [PEITHO]; NCT00639743).

PMID- 28335838
TI  - Do Women Really Respond Differently to Antiplatelet Therapies?: The Evidence Just
      Doesn't Add Up.

PMID- 28335837
TI  - Potent P2Y12 Inhibitors in Men Versus Women: A Collaborative Meta-Analysis of
      Randomized Trials.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Sex-specific differences in response to antiplatelet therapies have
      been described. Whether women and men derive comparable benefit from
      intensification of antiplatelet therapy remains uncertain. OBJECTIVES: The study
      investigated the efficacy and safety of the potent P2Y12 inhibitors in patients
      with coronary artery disease. METHODS: A collaborative sex-specific meta-analysis
      was conducted of phase III or IV randomized trials of potent P2Y12 inhibitors,
      including prasugrel, ticagrelor, and intravenous cangrelor. Seven trials were
      included that enrolled a total of 24,494 women and 63,346 men. Major adverse
      cardiovascular events (MACE) were defined as the primary endpoint for each trial.
      RESULTS: Potent P2Y12 inhibitors significantly reduced the risk of MACE by 14% in
      women (hazard ratio [HR]: 0.86; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.78 to 0.94) and
      by 15% in men (HR: 0.85; 95% CI: 0.80 to 0.90; p interaction = 0.93). Treatment
      reduced the risk of myocardial infarction by 13% in women (HR: 0.87; 95% CI: 0.78
      to 0.96) and 16% in men (HR: 0.84; 95% CI: 0.77 to 0.91; p interaction = 0.65),
      and the risk of stent thrombosis by 51% in women (HR: 0.49; 95% CI: 0.37 to 0.65)
      and 41% in men (HR: 0.59; 95% CI: 0.42 to 0.84; p interaction = 0.85).
      Directional consistency was seen for cardiovascular death in women (HR: 0.87; 95%
      CI: 0.76 to 1.01) and men (HR: 0.85; 95% CI: 0.77 to 0.95; p interaction = 0.86).
      The potent P2Y12 inhibitors increased major bleeding in women (HR: 1.28; 95% CI:
      0.87 to 1.88) and men (HR: 1.52; 95% CI: 1.12 to 2.07; p interaction = 0.62).
      CONCLUSIONS: In randomized trials, the efficacy and safety of the potent P2Y12
      inhibitors were comparable between men and women. Given these data, sex should
      not influence patient selection for the administration of potent P2Y12
      inhibitors.

PMID- 28335840
TI  - Apolipoproteins and Blood Pressure: A Story of Evolution in Biomarker Analysis.

PMID- 28335842
TI  - Central Sleep Apnea in Heart Failure: Sleeping With the Wrong Enemy?

PMID- 28335839
TI  - Apolipoprotein L1 Variants and Blood Pressure Traits in African Americans.
AB  - BACKGROUND: African Americans (AA) are disproportionately affected by
      hypertension-related health disparities. Apolipoprotein L1 (APOL1) risk variants
      are associated with kidney disease in hypertensive AAs. OBJECTIVES: This study
      assessed the APOL1 risk alleles' association with blood pressure traits in AAs.
      METHODS: The discovery cohort included 5,204 AA participants from Mount Sinai's
      BioMe biobank. Replication cohorts included additional BioMe (n = 1,623),
      Vanderbilt BioVU (n = 1,809), and Northwestern NUgene (n = 567) AA biobank
      participants. Single nucleotide polymorphisms determining APOL1 G1 and G2 risk
      alleles were genotyped in BioMe and imputed in BioVU/NUgene participants. APOL1
      risk alleles' association with blood pressure-related traits was tested in the
      discovery cohort, a meta-analysis of replication cohorts, and a combined meta
      analysis under recessive and additive models after adjusting for age, sex, body
      mass index, and estimated glomerular filtration rate. RESULTS: There were 14% to
      16% of APOL1 variant allele homozygotes (2 copies of G1/G2) across cohorts. APOL1
      risk alleles were associated under an additive model with systolic blood pressure
      (SBP) and age at diagnosis of hypertension, which was 2 to 5 years younger in the
      APOL1 variant allele homozygotes (Cox proportional hazards analysis, p value for
      combined meta-analysis [pcom] = 1.9 * 10-5). APOL1 risk alleles were associated
      with overall SBP (pcom = 7.0 * 10-8) and diastolic blood pressure (pcom = 2.8 *
      10-4). After adjustment for all covariates, those in the 20- to 29-year age range
      showed an increase in SBP of 0.94 +/- 0.44 mm Hg (pcom = 0.01) per risk variant
      copy. APOL1-associated estimated glomerular filtration rate decline was observed
      starting a decade later in life in the 30- to 39-year age range. CONCLUSIONS:
      APOL1 risk alleles are associated with higher SBP and earlier hypertension
      diagnoses in young AAs; this relationship appears to follow an additive model.

PMID- 28335841
TI  - Cardiovascular Outcomes With Minute Ventilation-Targeted Adaptive Servo
      Ventilation Therapy in Heart Failure: The CAT-HF Trial.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Sleep apnea is common in hospitalized heart failure (HF) patients and
      is associated with increased morbidity and mortality. OBJECTIVES: The CAT-HF
      (Cardiovascular Improvements With MV-ASV Therapy in Heart Failure) trial
      investigated whether minute ventilation (MV) adaptive servo-ventilation (ASV)
      improved cardiovascular outcomes in hospitalized HF patients with moderate-to
      severe sleep apnea. METHODS: Eligible patients hospitalized with HF and moderate
      to-severe sleep apnea were randomized to ASV plus optimized medical therapy (OMT)
      or OMT alone (control). The primary endpoint was a composite global rank score
      (hierarchy of death, cardiovascular hospitalizations, and percent changes in 6
      min walk distance) at 6 months. RESULTS: 126 of 215 planned patients were
      randomized; enrollment was stopped early following release of the SERVE-HF
      (Adaptive Servo-Ventilation for Central Sleep Apnea in Systolic Heart Failure)
      trial results. Average device usage was 2.7 h/night. Mean number of events
      measured by the apnea-hypopnea index decreased from 35.7/h to 2.1/h at 6 months
      in the ASV group versus 35.1/h to 19.0/h in the control group (p < 0.0001). The
      primary endpoint did not differ significantly between the ASV and control groups
      (p = 0.92 Wilcoxon). Changes in composite endpoint components were not
      significantly different between ASV and control. There was no significant
      interaction between treatment and ejection fraction (p = 0.10 Cox model);
      however, pre-specified subgroup analysis suggested a positive effect of ASV in
      patients with HF with preserved ejection fraction (p = 0.036). CONCLUSIONS: In
      hospitalized HF patients with moderate-to-severe sleep apnea, adding ASV to OMT
      did not improve 6-month cardiovascular outcomes. Study power was limited for
      detection of safety signals and identifying differential effects of ASV in
      patients with HF with preserved ejection fraction, but additional studies are
      warranted in this population. (Cardiovascular Improvements With MV ASV Therapy in
      Heart Failure [CAT-HF]; NCT01953874).

PMID- 28335843
TI  - Anomalous Aortic Origin of a Coronary Artery From the Inappropriate Sinus of
      Valsalva.
AB  - Anomalous aortic origin of a coronary artery (AAOCA) from the inappropriate sinus
      of Valsalva is increasingly recognized by cardiac imaging. Although most AAOCA
      subtypes are benign, autopsy studies report an associated risk of sudden death
      with interarterial anomalous left coronary artery (ALCA) and anomalous right
      coronary artery (ARCA). Despite efforts to identify high-risk ALCA and ARCA
      patients who may benefit from surgical repair, debate remains regarding their
      classification, prevalence, risk stratification, and management. We
      comprehensively reviewed 77 studies reporting the prevalence of AAOCA among >1
      million patients, and 20 studies examining outcomes of interarterial ALCA/ARCA
      patients. Observational data suggests that interarterial ALCA is rare (weighted
      prevalence = 0.03%; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.01% to 0.04%) compared with
      interarterial ARCA (weighted prevalence = 0.23%; 95% CI: 0.17% to 0.31%).
      Recognizing the challenges in managing these patients, we review cardiac tests
      used to examine AAOCA and knowledge gaps in management.

PMID- 28335845
TI  - Recognizing Inevitable Change and Responding Responsibly.

PMID- 28335846
TI  - The Proliferation of Scoring Systems: Trying to Keep Our Heads Out of The Clouds.

PMID- 28335844
TI  - Heart Failure-Induced Brain Injury.
AB  - Heart failure (HF) is a systemic illness with grave implications for bodily
      functions. The brain, among other vital organs, often suffers insults as a result
      of HF, and both anatomic and functional brain abnormalities were found in the HF
      population. This injury was demonstrated across a wide range of clinical
      conditions and cardiac functions and was shown to affect patients' outcomes.
      Although reduced cardiac output and high burden of cardiovascular risk factors
      are the prevailing explanations for these findings, there are data showing the
      involvement of neurohormonal, nutritional, and inflammatory mechanisms in this
      complex process. Here, the authors review the suggested pathophysiology behind
      brain injury in HF, describe its effect on patients' outcomes, offer a diagnostic
      approach, and discuss possible therapeutic options.

PMID- 28335847
TI  - Familial Catecholamine-Induced QT Prolongation in Unexplained Sudden Cardiac
      Death.

PMID- 28335848
TI  - Sudden Cardiac Death in Pre-Excitation and Wolff-Parkinson-White: Demographic and
      Clinical Features.

PMID- 28335849
TI  - Diastolic Blood Pressure and Myocardial Damage: What About Coronary Perfusion
      Time?

PMID- 28335850
TI  - Diastolic Hypotension and Myocardial Ischemia: A Reason to Remember Cuff Artifact
      in Blood Pressure Measurement.

PMID- 28335851
TI  - The Role of Heart Rate in Diastolic Coronary Perfusion and Subclinical Myocardial
      Ischemia.

PMID- 28335852
TI  - In the Treatment of Hypertension, Lowering of Diastolic Pressure to <70 mm Hg Is
      Often Unavoidable.

PMID- 28335853
TI  - Reply: Diastolic Blood Pressure: Myocardial Damage and Coronary Ischemic Events.

PMID- 28335854
TI  - Valve Thrombosis After Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement.

PMID- 28335855
TI  - Correction.

PMID- 28335856
TI  - Correction.

PMID- 28335857
TI  - Modeling Syndromic Congenital Heart Defects in Zebrafish.
AB  - Cardiac development is a dynamic process regulated by spatial and temporal cues
      that are integrated to effect molecular, cellular, and tissue-level events that
      form the adult heart. Disruption of these highly orchestrated events can be
      devastating for cardiac form and function. Aberrations in heart development
      result in congenital heart defects (CHDs), which affect 1 in 100 infants in the
      United States each year. Zebrafish have proven informative as a model organism to
      understand both heart development and the mechanisms associated with CHDs due to
      the similarities in heart morphogenesis among vertebrates, as well as their
      genetic tractability and amenability to live imaging. In this review, we discuss
      the mechanisms of zebrafish heart development and the utility of zebrafish for
      understanding syndromic CHDs, those cardiac abnormalities that occur in the
      context of multisystem disorders. We conclude with avenues of zebrafish research
      that will potentially inform future therapeutic approaches for the treatment of
      CHDs.

PMID- 28335858
TI  - Netting Novel Regulators of Hematopoiesis and Hematologic Malignancies in
      Zebrafish.
AB  - Zebrafish are one of the preeminent model systems for the study of blood
      development (hematopoiesis), hematopoietic stem and progenitor cell (HSPC)
      biology, and hematopathology. The zebrafish hematopoietic system shares strong
      similarities in functional populations, genetic regulators, and niche
      interactions with its mammalian counterparts. These evolutionarily conserved
      characteristics, together with emerging technologies in live imaging, compound
      screening, and genetic manipulation, have been employed to successfully identify
      and interrogate novel regulatory mechanisms and molecular pathways that guide
      hematopoiesis. Significantly, perturbations in many of the key developmental
      signals controlling hematopoiesis are associated with hematological disorders and
      disease, including anemia, bone marrow failure syndromes, and leukemia. Thus,
      understanding the regulatory pathways controlling HSPC production and function
      has important clinical implications. In this review, we describe how the blood
      system forms and is maintained in zebrafish, with particular focus on new
      insights into vertebrate hematological regulation gained using this model. The
      interplay of factors controlling development and disease in the hematopoietic
      system combined with the unique attributes of the zebrafish make this a powerful
      platform to discover novel targets for the treatment of hematological disease.

PMID- 28335859
TI  - Making It New Again: Insight Into Liver Development, Regeneration, and Disease
      From Zebrafish Research.
AB  - The adult liver of most vertebrates is predominantly comprised of hepatocytes.
      However, these cells must work in concert with biliary, stellate, vascular, and
      immune cells to accomplish the vast array of hepatic functions required for
      physiological homeostasis. Our understanding of liver development was accelerated
      as zebrafish emerged as an ideal vertebrate system to study embryogenesis.
      Through work in zebrafish and other models, it is now clear that the cells in the
      liver develop in a coordinated fashion during embryogenesis through a complex yet
      incompletely understood set of molecular guidelines. Zebrafish research has
      uncovered many key players that govern the acquisition of hepatic potential, cell
      fate, and plasticity. Although rare, some hepatobiliary diseases-especially
      biliary atresia-are caused by developmental defects; we discuss how research
      using zebrafish to study liver development has informed our understanding of and
      approaches to liver disease. The liver can be injured in response to an array of
      stressors including viral, mechanical/surgical, toxin-induced, immune-mediated,
      or inborn defects in metabolism. The liver has thus evolved the capacity to
      efficiently repair and regenerate. We discuss the emerging field of using
      zebrafish to study liver regeneration and highlight recent advances where
      zebrafish genetics and imaging approaches have provided novel insights into how
      cell plasticity contributes to liver regeneration.

PMID- 28335860
TI  - "Muscling" Throughout Life: Integrating Studies of Muscle Development,
      Homeostasis, and Disease in Zebrafish.
AB  - The proper development and function of skeletal muscle is vital for health
      throughout the lifespan. Skeletal muscle function enables posture, breathing, and
      locomotion; and also impacts systemic processes-such as metabolism,
      thermoregulation, and immunity. Diseases of skeletal muscle (myopathies, muscular
      dystrophies) and even some neurological, age-related, and metabolic diseases
      compromise muscle function and negatively affect health span and quality of life.
      There have been numerous, recent examples of studies on skeletal muscle
      development with exciting, therapeutic implications for muscle diseases. The
      zebrafish (Danio rerio) is a vertebrate model organism well accepted for
      developmental biology and biomedical research and thus an ideal system in which
      to elucidate the translational implications of mechanisms regulating skeletal
      muscle development and homeostasis. Muscle fiber types (slow- vs fast-twitch) are
      spatially segregated in zebrafish allowing for the opportunity to identify
      distinct mechanisms regulating fiber type specification during development as
      well as observe fiber type-specific effects in zebrafish models of muscle
      diseases. Accessible genetics coupled with transparent zebrafish embryos has
      enabled in vivo cell biology experiments allowing for the visualization and
      understanding of never-before-seen cellular processes occurring in muscle
      development, regeneration, and disease. In addition, high-throughput drug
      screening provides a platform for efficient drug discovery. The purpose of this
      chapter is to review the studies in zebrafish that significantly contributed to
      our understanding of cellular and molecular mechanisms regulating skeletal muscle
      development, homeostasis, or disease in vertebrates, with a particular emphasis
      on the basic developmental biology studies with promising therapeutic
      implications.

PMID- 28335861
TI  - Zebrafish Pancreas Development and Regeneration: Fishing for Diabetes Therapies.
AB  - The zebrafish pancreas shares its basic organization and cell types with the
      mammalian pancreas. In addition, the developmental pathways that lead to the
      establishment of the pancreatic islets of Langherhans are generally conserved
      from fish to mammals. Zebrafish provides a powerful tool to probe the mechanisms
      controlling establishment of the pancreatic endocrine cell types from early
      embryonic progenitor cells, as well as the regeneration of endocrine cells after
      damage. This knowledge is, in turn, applicable to refining protocols to generate
      renewable sources of human pancreatic islet cells that are critical for
      regulation of blood sugar levels. Here, we review how previous and ongoing
      studies in zebrafish and beyond are influencing the understanding of molecular
      mechanisms underlying various forms of diabetes and efforts to develop cell-based
      approaches to cure this increasingly widespread disease.

PMID- 28335862
TI  - Modeling Infectious Diseases in the Context of a Developing Immune System.
AB  - Zebrafish has been used for over a decade to study the mechanisms of a wide
      variety of inflammatory disorders and infections, with models ranging from
      bacterial, viral, to fungal pathogens. Zebrafish has been especially relevant to
      study the differentiation, specialization, and polarization of the two main
      innate immune cell types, the macrophages and the neutrophils. The optical
      accessibility and the early appearance of myeloid cells that can be tracked with
      fluorescent labels in zebrafish embryos and the ability to use genetics to
      selectively ablate or expand immune cell populations have permitted studying the
      interaction between infection, development, and metabolism. Additionally,
      zebrafish embryos are readily colonized by a commensal flora, which facilitated
      studies that emphasize the requirement for immune training by the natural
      microbiota to properly respond to pathogens. The remarkable conservation of core
      mechanisms required for the recognition of microbial and danger signals and for
      the activation of the immune defenses illustrates the high potential of the
      zebrafish model for biomedical research. This review will highlight recent
      insight that the developing zebrafish has contributed to our understanding of
      host responses to invading microbes and the involvement of the microbiome in
      several physiological processes. These studies are providing a mechanistic basis
      for developing novel therapeutic approaches to control infectious diseases.

PMID- 28335864
TI  - Using Zebrafish to Study Kidney Development and Disease.
AB  - The kidneys are a crucial pair of organs that are responsible for filtering the
      blood to remove waste, maintain electrolyte and water homeostasis, and regulate
      blood pressure. There are a number of factors, both genetic and environmental,
      that can impair the function of the kidneys resulting in significant morbidity
      and mortality for millions of people affected by kidney disease worldwide. The
      zebrafish, Danio rerio, has emerged as an attractive vertebrate model in the
      study of kidney development and disease and has proven to be a powerful tool in
      the advancement of how kidney development occurs in vertebrates and how the
      kidney repairs itself after injury. Zebrafish share significant similarities in
      kidney development and composition of nephrons, the functional unit of the
      kidney. This makes the zebrafish a very promising model to study the mechanisms
      by which renal developmental defects occur. Furthermore, zebrafish are ideally
      suited for the study of how vertebrate kidneys respond to injury and have
      provided researchers with invaluable information on repair processes after kidney
      injury. Importantly, zebrafish have profound potential for discovering treatment
      modalities and, in fact, studies in zebrafish models have provided leads for
      therapeutics for human patients suffering from kidney disease and kidney injury.
      Here, we discuss the similarities and differences in zebrafish and mammalian
      kidney models, and highlight some of the major contributions the zebrafish has
      made in the understanding of kidney development and disease.

PMID- 28335866
TI  - Preface.

PMID- 28335865
TI  - Zebrafish Developmental Models of Skeletal Diseases.
AB  - The zebrafish skeleton shares many similarities with human and other vertebrate
      skeletons. Over the past years, work in zebrafish has provided an extensive
      understanding of the basic developmental mechanisms and cellular pathways
      directing skeletal development and homeostasis. This review will focus on the
      cell biology of cartilage and bone and how the basic cellular processes within
      chondrocytes and osteocytes function to assemble the structural frame of a
      vertebrate body. We will discuss fundamental functions of skeletal cells in
      production and secretion of extracellular matrix and cellular activities leading
      to differentiation of progenitors to mature cells that make up the skeleton. We
      highlight important examples where findings in zebrafish provided direction for
      the search for genes causing human skeletal defects and also how zebrafish
      research has proven important for validating candidate human disease genes. The
      work we cover here illustrates utility of zebrafish in unraveling molecular
      mechanisms of cellular functions necessary to form and maintain a healthy
      skeleton.

PMID- 28335867
TI  - Here/In This Issue and There/Abstract Thinking: Some Identification, Please.

PMID- 28335863
TI  - Zebrafish in Toxicology and Environmental Health.
AB  - As manufacturing processes and development of new synthetic compounds increase to
      keep pace with the expanding global demand, environmental health, and the effects
      of toxicant exposure are emerging as critical public health concerns.
      Additionally, chemicals that naturally occur in the environment, such as metals,
      have profound effects on human and animal health. Many of these compounds are in
      the news: lead, arsenic, and endocrine disruptors such as bisphenol A have all
      been widely publicized as causing disease or damage to humans and wildlife in
      recent years. Despite the widespread appreciation that environmental toxins can
      be harmful, there is limited understanding of how many toxins cause disease.
      Zebrafish are at the forefront of toxicology research; this system has been
      widely used as a tool to detect toxins in water samples and to investigate the
      mechanisms of action of environmental toxins and their related diseases. The
      benefits of zebrafish for studying vertebrate development are equally useful for
      studying teratogens. Here, we review how zebrafish are being used both to detect
      the presence of some toxins as well as to identify how environmental exposures
      affect human health and disease. We focus on areas where zebrafish have been most
      effectively used in ecotoxicology and in environmental health, including
      investigation of exposures to endocrine disruptors, industrial waste byproducts,
      and arsenic.

PMID- 28335869
TI  - How Environmental Factors Can Get Under the Skin: Epigenetics in Attention
      Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder.

PMID- 28335868
TI  - Ten Things Transgender and Gender Nonconforming Youth Want Their Doctors to Know.

PMID- 28335871
TI  - Early Identification of Autism Spectrum Disorder: Is Diagnosis by Age 3 a
      Reasonable Goal?

PMID- 28335870
TI  - Persistent Tics, Tourette Syndrome, and Psychopathology: Where Are We Now, and
      Where Are We Going?

PMID- 28335872
TI  - Cognitive Impairment in Euthymic Pediatric Bipolar Disorder: A Systematic Review
      and Meta-Analysis.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: To perform a systematic review and meta-analysis of studies
      investigating neurocognition in euthymic youths with bipolar disorder (BD)
      compared to healthy controls (HCs). METHOD: A systematic literature search was
      conducted in the PubMed/MEDLINE, PsycINFO, and EMBASE databases from inception up
      until March 23, 2016, for original peer-reviewed articles that investigated
      neurocognition in euthymic youths with BD compared to HCs. Effect sizes (ES) for
      individual tests were extracted. In addition, results were grouped according to
      cognitive domain. This review complied with the PRISMA statement guidelines.
      RESULTS: A total of 24 studies met inclusion criteria (N = 1,146; 510 with BD).
      Overall, euthymic youths with BD were significantly impaired in verbal learning,
      verbal memory, working memory, visual learning, and visual memory, with moderate
      to large ESs (Hedge's g 0.76-0.99); significant impairments were not observed for
      attention/vigilance, reasoning and problem solving, and/or processing speed.
      Heterogeneity was moderate to large (I2 >= 50%) for most ES estimates.
      Differences in the definition of euthymia across studies explained the
      heterogeneity in the ES estimate for verbal learning and memory. We also found
      evidence for other potential sources of heterogeneity in several ES estimates
      including co-occurring attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and
      anxiety disorders, and the use of medications. In addition, the use of different
      neuropsychological tests appeared to contribute to heterogeneity of some
      estimates (e.g., attention/vigilance domain). CONCLUSION: Euthymic youths with BD
      exhibit significant cognitive dysfunction encompassing verbal learning and
      memory, working memory, and/or visual learning and memory domains. These data
      indicate that for a subset of individuals with BD, neurodevelopmental factors may
      contribute to cognitive dysfunction.

PMID- 28335873
TI  - Parental Psychopathology and Tourette Syndrome/Chronic Tic Disorder in Offspring:
      A Nationwide Case-Control Study.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: To determine the associations between maternal and paternal
      psychiatric diagnoses and Tourette syndrome (TS)/chronic tic disorder (CT) in a
      nationwide study. METHOD: This nested case-control study linked data derived from
      three national registers. All singletons born and diagnosed with TS/CT in Finland
      between January 1991 and December 2010 were identified (n = 1,120) and matched to
      four controls (n = 4,299). Conditional logistic regression was used to examine
      the associations between parental psychopathology and TS/CT. RESULTS: Altogether,
      24.9% of patients with TS/CT and 12.0% of controls had a mother with a
      psychiatric diagnosis. Similarly, 17.9% and 12.9% had a father with a psychiatric
      diagnosis. Any maternal and any paternal psychiatric diagnosis was associated
      with offspring TS/CT (odds ratio [OR] 2.3; 95% CI 1.9-2.7 and OR 1.2; 95% CI 1.01
      1.5, respectively). The association between maternal psychiatric diagnosis and
      TS/CT was stronger than that between paternal psychiatric diagnosis and TS/CT (p
      < .001). Maternal personality disorders (OR 3.1, 95% CI 1.9-5.1), anxiety
      disorders (OR 2.6, 95% CI 1.9-3.5), affective disorders (OR 2.3, 95% CI 1.8-2.9),
      psychotic disorders (OR 2.0, 95% CI 1.2-3.3), and addiction disorders (OR 1.8,
      95% CI 1.1-2.8) were associated with TS/CT. Paternal OCD (OR 6.5, 95% CI 1.1
      39.5) and anxiety disorders (OR 1.5, 95% CI 1.1-2.3) were associated with TS/CT.
      CONCLUSION: Parental psychiatric diagnoses (especially in the mother) are
      associated with diagnosed offspring TS/CT. Further studies are required before
      the results can be generalized to all children with TS/CT. The associations
      between maternal psychiatric disorders and TS may reflect both maternal specific
      environmental and/or genetic influences.

PMID- 28335874
TI  - Course of Tourette Syndrome and Comorbidities in a Large Prospective Clinical
      Study.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: Tourette syndrome (TS) is a childhood-onset neurodevelopmental
      disorder characterized by tics and frequent comorbidities. Although tics often
      improve during adolescence, recent studies suggest that comorbid obsessive
      compulsive disorder (OCD) and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD)
      tend to persist. This large prospective follow-up study describes the clinical
      course of tics and comorbidities during adolescence and the prevalence of
      coexisting psychopathologies. METHOD: The clinical cohort was recruited at the
      Danish National Tourette Clinic, and data were collected at baseline (n = 314,
      age range 5-19 years) and at follow-up 6 years later (n = 227) to establish the
      persistence and severity of tics and comorbidities. During follow-up, the
      Development and Well-Being Assessment (DAWBA) was used to diagnose coexisting
      psychopathologies. Repeated measures of severity scores were modeled using mixed
      effects models. RESULTS: Tic severity declined yearly (0.8 points, CI: 0.58-1.01,
      on the Yale Global Tic Severity Scale [YGTSS]) during adolescence; 17.7% of
      participants above age 16 years had no tics, whereas 59.5% had minimal or mild
      tics, and 22.8% had moderate or severe tics. Similarly, significant yearly
      declines in severity of both OCD (0.24, CI: 0.09-0.39, on the Yale-Brown
      Obsessive Compulsive Scale for Adults [Y-BOCS] and Yale-Brown Obsessive
      Compulsive Scale for Children [CY-BOCS]) and ADHD (0.42, CI: 0.32-0.52, DSM-IV)
      were recorded. At follow-up, 63.0% of participants had comorbidities or
      coexistent psychopathologies, whereas 37.0% had pure TS. CONCLUSION: Severity of
      tics, OCD, and ADHD were significantly associated with age and declined during
      adolescence. However, considerable comorbidities and coexisting psychopathologies
      persist throughout adolescence and require monitoring by clinicians.

PMID- 28335875
TI  - Age at First Identification of Autism Spectrum Disorder: An Analysis of Two US
      Surveys.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: Evidence regarding the age at which autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is
      identified is essential for improving early detection, yet many extant studies
      have not applied time-to-event analyses, which account for statistical biases
      that arise from sampling in cross-sectional surveys by adjusting for child age at
      time of parental report. Our objective was to estimate age distributions for
      first identification of ASD in national parent surveys using time-to-event
      analyses. METHOD: We conducted time-to-event analyses of responses to identical
      questions in the 2011 to 2012 National Survey of Children's Health (n = 95,677)
      and the 2009 to 2010 National Survey of Children with Special Health Care Needs
      (n = 371,617). RESULTS: Parents in both surveys reported that a minority of ASD
      cases were identified before age 3 years, and that one-third to one-half of cases
      were identified after 6 years. In both surveys, a majority of parents described
      their child's ASD severity as mild, and these parents reported the oldest age at
      identification (mean, 5.6 and 8.6 years). In contrast, parents who described
      their child's ASD as severe reported earlier age at identification (mean, 3.7 and
      4.5 years). Time-to-event analyses yielded older estimates of age at
      identification than analyses based on raw distributions. CONCLUSION: In two
      national surveys, a majority of parents of children with ASD reported
      identification after 3 years, when eligibility for early intervention services
      expires, and many reported identification of ASD after school age. Later
      identification of children with milder symptoms highlights the need for early
      screening that is sensitive to all forms of ASD, regardless of severity.

PMID- 28335876
TI  - Child Abuse, Neural Structure, and Adolescent Psychopathology: A Longitudinal
      Study.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: Child abuse exerts a deleterious impact on a broad array of mental
      health outcomes. However, the neurobiological mechanisms that mediate this
      association remain poorly characterized. Here, we use a longitudinal design to
      prospectively identify neural mediators of the association between child abuse
      and psychiatric disorders in a community sample of adolescents. METHOD:
      Structural magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) data and assessments of mental health
      were acquired for 51 adolescents (aged 13-20; M=16.96; SD=1.51), 19 of whom were
      exposed to physical or sexual abuse. Participants were assessed for abuse
      exposure (time 1), participated in MRI scanning and a diagnostic structured
      interview (time 2), and 2 years later were followed-up to assess psychopathology
      (time 3). We examined associations between child abuse and neural structure, and
      identified whether abuse-related differences in neural structure prospectively
      predicted psychiatric symptoms. RESULTS: Abuse was associated with reduced
      cortical thickness in medial and lateral prefrontal and temporal lobe regions.
      Thickness of the left and right parahippocampal gyrus predicted antisocial
      behavior symptoms, and thickness of the middle temporal gyrus predicted symptoms
      of generalized anxiety disorder. Thickness of the left parahippocampal gyrus
      mediated the longitudinal association of abuse with antisocial behavior.
      CONCLUSION: Child abuse is associated with widespread disruptions in cortical
      structure, and these disruptions are selectively associated with increased
      vulnerability to internalizing and externalizing psychopathology. Identifying
      predictive biomarkers of vulnerability following childhood maltreatment may
      uncover neurodevelopmental mechanisms linking environmental experience with the
      onset of psychopathology.

PMID- 28335877
TI  - Cognitive-Behavioral and Psychodynamic Therapy in Female Adolescents With Bulimia
      Nervosa: A Randomized Controlled Trial.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: The authors compared cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) and
      psychodynamic therapy (PDT) for the treatment of bulimia nervosa (BN) in female
      adolescents. METHOD: In this randomized controlled trial, 81 female adolescents
      with BN or partial BN according to the DSM-IV received a mean of 36.6 sessions of
      manualized disorder-oriented PDT or CBT. Trained psychologists blinded to
      treatment condition administered the outcome measures at baseline, during
      treatment, at the end of treatment, and 12 months after treatment. The primary
      outcome was the rate of remission, defined as a lack of DSM-IV diagnosis for BN
      or partial BN at the end of therapy. Several secondary outcome measures were
      evaluated. RESULTS: The remission rates for CBT and PDT were 33.3% and 31.0%,
      respectively, with no significant differences between them (odds ratio [OR] =
      0.90, 95% CI = 0.35-2.28, p = .82). The within-group effect sizes were h = 1.22
      for CBT and h = 1.18 for PDT. Significant improvements in all secondary outcome
      measures were found for both CBT (d = 0.51-0.82) and PDT (d = 0.24-1.10). The
      improvements remained stable at the 12-month follow-up in both groups. There were
      small between-group effect sizes for binge eating (d = 0.23) and purging (d =
      0.26) in favor of CBT and for eating concern (d = -0.35) in favor of PDT.
      CONCLUSION: CBT and PDT were effective in promoting recovery from BN in female
      adolescents. The rates of remission for both therapies were similar to those in
      other studies evaluating CBT. This trial identified differences with small
      effects in binge eating, purging, and eating concern. Clinical trial registration
      information-Treating Bulimia Nervosa in Female Adolescents With Either Cognitive
      Behavioral Therapy (CBT) or Psychodynamic Therapy (PDT). http://isrctn.com/;
      ISRCTN14806095.

PMID- 28335880
TI  - Ketamine as a Treatment for Adolescent Depression: A Case Report.

PMID- 28335878
TI  - Psychotic Symptoms in Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder: An Analysis of
      the MTA Database.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: To assess the prevalence of psychotic symptoms among youths (14-25
      years of age) with a childhood diagnosis of attention-deficit/hyperactivity
      disorder (ADHD) combined type. METHOD: Participants in the Multimodal Treatment
      Study of Children with ADHD (MTA) and a local normative comparison group (LNCG)
      were systematically assessed 6, 8, 10, 12, 14, and 16 years after the original
      enrollment at a mean age of 8.5 years. Trained research assistants administered a
      psychosis screener, and positive screens were referred to study clinicians to
      confirm or exclude psychosis. Possible associations between screening positive
      and alcohol or substance use were assessed. RESULTS: Data were available from 509
      MTA participants (88% of original MTA sample; mean age 25.1 years) and 276 LNCG
      participants (96% of original sample; mean age 24.6 years) at year 16. Twenty-six
      MTA participants (5%; 95% CI 3-7) and 11 LNCG participants (4%; 95% CI 2-6)
      screened positive for at least 1 psychotic symptom (p = .60). Most psychotic
      symptoms were transient. The prevalence of clinician-confirmed psychotic symptoms
      was 1.1% (95% CI 0.2-2.1) in the MTA group and 0.7% (0-1.7) in the LNCG (p =
      .72). Greater cannabis use was reported by those who screened positive (p < .05)
      and were confirmed positive (p < .01). CONCLUSION: There was no evidence that
      ADHD increased the risk for psychotic symptoms. In the ADHD and normative
      comparison groups, more frequent cannabis use was associated with a greater
      likelihood of experiencing psychotic symptoms, thus supporting the recommendation
      that youth should not use cannabis.

PMID- 28335881
TI  - Measurement of Autism Symptomatology in Children With Neurodevelopmental
      Impairment.

PMID- 28335879
TI  - Are Social and Communication Difficulties a Risk Factor for the Development of
      Social Anxiety?
AB  - OBJECTIVE: Social anxiety (SA) is a common condition associated with social and
      communication (SC) difficulties in typically developing young people, as well as
      those with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Whether SC difficulties place children
      at risk for developing SA is unclear. Using a longitudinal design, the present
      study aimed to disentangle the relationship between SA symptoms and SC
      difficulties using a population-based sample of 9,491 children from the Avon
      Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children (ALSPAC). METHOD: Parent-reported data
      on SC difficulties and SA symptoms were collected at ages 7, 10, and 13 years. A
      cross-lagged panel model was used to investigate the longitudinal stability and
      directional relationship between latent SC difficulties and SA constructs over
      time. RESULTS: More SC difficulties were associated with greater SA symptoms at
      all ages. Earlier SC difficulties predicted a small but significant amount of
      variance in later SA symptoms. The reverse relationship from SA to SC
      difficulties was not observed. The relationship from SC difficulties to SA was
      strongest from age 7 to 10 years. No sex differences were observed. CONCLUSION:
      The evidence suggests that SC difficulties may be an important risk factor for
      the development of SA. These findings suggest the potential usefulness of
      incorporating social skills training alongside effective interventions to prevent
      or alleviate symptoms of SA in childhood.

PMID- 28335882
TI  - In Reply.

PMID- 28335883
TI  - Power.

PMID- 28335884
TI  - Prognostic factors and survival according to tumour subtype in women presenting
      with breast cancer brain metastases at initial diagnosis.
AB  - BACKGROUND: The presence of brain metastases at the time of initial breast cancer
      diagnosis (BMIBCD) is uncommon. Hence, the prognostic assessment and management
      of these patients is very challenging. The aim of this study was to analyse the
      influence of tumour subtype compared with other prognostic factors in the
      survival of patients with BMIBCD. METHODS: We evaluated women with BMIBCD,
      reported to Surveillance, Epidemiology and End Results program from 2010 to 2013.
      Patients with other primary malignancy were excluded. Univariate and multivariate
      analyses were performed to determine the effects of each variable on overall
      survival (OS). RESULTS: We included 740 patients. Median OS for the whole
      population was 10 months, and 20.7% of patients were alive at 36 months. Tumour
      subtype distribution was: 46.6% hormone receptor (HR)+/HER2-, 17% HR+/HER2+,
      14.1% HR-/HER2+ and 22.3% triple-negative. Univariate analysis showed that the
      presence of liver metastases, lung metastases and triple-negative patients
      (median OS 6 months) had worse prognosis. The HR+/HER2+ subtype had the longest
      OS with a median of 22 months. In multivariate analysis, older age (hazard ratio
      1.8), lobular histology (hazard ratio 2.08), triple-negative subtype (hazard
      ratio 2.25), liver metastases (hazard ratio 1.6) and unmarried patients (hazard
      ratio 1.39) had significantly shorter OS. CONCLUSIONS: Although the prognosis of
      patients with BMIBCD is generally poor, 20.7% were still alive 3 years after the
      diagnosis. There were substantial differences in OS according to tumour subtype.
      In addition to tumour subtype, other independent predictors of OS are age at
      diagnosis, marital status, histology and liver metastases.

PMID- 28335885
TI  - Policy and priorities for national cancer control planning in low- and middle
      income countries: Lessons from the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN)
      Costs in Oncology prospective cohort study.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Evidence to guide policymakers in developing affordable and equitable
      cancer control plans are scarce in low- and middle-income countries (LMIC).
      METHODS: The 2012-2014 ASEAN Costs in Oncology Study prospectively followed-up
      9513 newly diagnosed cancer patients from eight LMIC in Southeast Asia for 12
      months. Overall and country-specific incidence of financial catastrophe (out-of
      pocket health costs >= 30% of annual household income), economic hardship
      (inability to make necessary household payments), poverty (living below national
      poverty line), and all-cause mortality were determined. Stepwise multinomial
      regression was used to estimate the extent to which health insurance, cancer
      stage and treatment explained these outcomes. RESULTS: The one-year incidence of
      mortality (12% in Malaysia to 45% in Myanmar) and financial catastrophe (24% in
      Thailand to 68% in Vietnam) were high. Economic hardship was reported by a third
      of families, including inability to pay for medicines (45%), mortgages (18%) and
      utilities (12%), with 28% taking personal loans, and 20% selling assets (not
      mutually exclusive). Out of households that initially reported incomes above the
      national poverty levels, 4.9% were pushed into poverty at one year. The adverse
      economic outcomes in this study were mainly attributed to medical costs for
      inpatient/outpatient care, and purchase of drugs and medical supplies. In all the
      countries, cancer stage largely explained the risk of adverse outcomes. Stage
      stratified analysis however showed that low-income patients remained vulnerable
      to adverse outcomes even when diagnosed with earlier cancer stages. CONCLUSION:
      The LMIC need to realign their focus on early detection of cancer and provision
      of affordable cancer care, while ensuring adequate financial risk protection,
      particularly for the poor.

PMID- 28335887
TI  - Trastuzumab in combination with weekly paclitaxel and carboplatin as neo-adjuvant
      treatment for HER2-positive breast cancer: The TRAIN-study.
AB  - AIM: To determine the efficacy and safety of an anthracycline-free neo-adjuvant
      regimen consisting of weekly paclitaxel, carboplatin and trastuzumab in HER2
      positive breast cancer. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Patients with stage II or III HER2
      positive breast cancer received weekly paclitaxel ([P], 70 mg/m2), trastuzumab
      ([T], 2 mg/kg, loading dose 4 mg/kg) and carboplatin ([C], AUC = 3 mg ml-1 min)
      for 24 weeks. In weeks 7, 8, 15, 16, 23 and 24, trastuzumab was administered
      without chemotherapy. The primary end-point was pathologic complete response in
      the surgical resection specimen, defined as the absence of invasive tumour cells
      in breast and axilla. RESULTS: One hundred and eleven patients were included in
      the study, and 108 were evaluable for the primary end-point. The pathologic
      complete response rate was 43% (95% confidence interval [CI]: 33-52). Median
      follow-up was 52 months, and the 3-year event-free survival was 88% (95% CI: 82
      94), and the 3-year overall survival was 92% (95% CI: 88-98). The most common
      grade 3-4 adverse events were neutropenia (67%) and thrombocytopenia (43%). Less
      than five percent of patients experienced febrile neutropenia. No symptomatic
      left ventricular systolic dysfunction was observed during neo-adjuvant treatment.
      CONCLUSION: An anthracycline-free neo-adjuvant regimen of weekly paclitaxel,
      trastuzumab and carboplatin is highly effective in HER2-positive breast cancer
      with manageable toxicity.

PMID- 28335888
TI  - Second- and third-generation drugs for immuno-oncology treatment-The more the
      better?
AB  - Recent success in cancer immunotherapy (anti-CTLA-4, anti-PD1/PD-L1) has
      confirmed the hypothesis that the immune system can control many cancers across
      various histologies, in some cases producing durable responses in a way not seen
      with many small-molecule drugs. However, only less than 25% of all patients do
      respond to immuno-oncology drugs and several resistance mechanisms have been
      identified (e.g. T-cell exhaustion, overexpression of caspase-8 and beta-catenin,
      PD-1/PD-L1 gene amplification, MHC-I/II mutations). To improve response rates and
      to overcome resistance, novel second- and third-generation immuno-oncology drugs
      are currently evaluated in ongoing phase I/II trials (either alone or in
      combination) including novel inhibitory compounds (e.g. TIM-3, VISTA, LAG-3, IDO,
      KIR) and newly developed co-stimulatory antibodies (e.g. CD40, GITR, OX40, CD137,
      ICOS). It is important to note that co-stimulatory agents strikingly differ in
      their proposed mechanism of action compared with monoclonal antibodies that
      accomplish immune activation by blocking negative checkpoint molecules such as
      CTLA-4 or PD-1/PD-1 or others. Indeed, the prospect of combining agonistic with
      antagonistic agents is enticing and represents a real immunologic opportunity to
      'step on the gas' while 'cutting the brakes', although this strategy as a novel
      cancer therapy has not been universally endorsed so far. Concerns include the
      prospect of triggering cytokine-release syndromes, autoimmune reactions and hyper
      immune stimulation leading to activation-induced cell death or tolerance,
      however, toxicity has not been a major issue in the clinical trials reported so
      far. Although initial phase I/II clinical trials of agonistic and novel
      antagonistic drugs have shown highly promising results in the absence of
      disabling toxicity, both in single-agent studies and in combination with
      chemotherapy or other immune system targeting drugs; however, numerous questions
      remain about dose, schedule, route of administration and formulation as well as
      identifying the appropriate patient populations. In our view, with such a wealth
      of potential mechanisms of action and with the ability to fine-tune monoclonal
      antibody structure and function to suit particular requirements, the second and
      third wave of immuno-oncology drugs are likely to provide rapid advances with new
      combinations of novel immunotherapy (especially co-stimulatory antibodies). Here,
      we will review the mechanisms of action and the clinical data of these new
      antibodies and discuss the major issues facing this rapidly evolving field.

PMID- 28335886
TI  - NEOSCOPE: A randomised phase II study of induction chemotherapy followed by
      oxaliplatin/capecitabine or carboplatin/paclitaxel based pre-operative
      chemoradiation for resectable oesophageal adenocarcinoma.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Oxaliplatin-capecitabine (OxCap) and carboplatin-paclitaxel (CarPac)
      based neo-adjuvant chemoradiotherapy (nCRT) have shown promising activity in
      localised, resectable oesophageal cancer. PATIENTS AND METHODS: A non-blinded,
      randomised (1:1 via a centralised computer system), 'pick a winner' phase II
      trial. Patients with resectable oesophageal adenocarcinoma >= cT3 and/or >= cN1
      were randomised to OxCapRT (oxaliplatin 85 mg/m2 day 1, 15, 29; capecitabine 625
      mg/m2 bd on days of radiotherapy) or CarPacRT (carboplatin AUC2; paclitaxel 50
      mg/m2 day 1, 8, 15, 22, 29). Radiotherapy dose was 45 Gy/25 fractions/5 weeks.
      Both arms received induction OxCap chemotherapy (2 * 3 week cycles of oxaliplatin
      130 mg/m2 day 1, capecitabine 625 mg/m2 bd days 1-21). Surgery was performed 6-8
      weeks after nCRT. Primary end-point was pathological complete response (pCR).
      Secondary end-points included toxicity, surgical morbidity/mortality, resection
      rate and overall survival. STATISTICS: Based on pCR <= 15% not warranting future
      investigation, but pCR >= 35% would, 76 patients (38/arm) gave 90% power (one
      sided alpha 10%), implying that arm(s) having >=10 pCR out of first 38 patients
      could be considered for phase III trials. ClinicalTrials.gov: NCT01843829.
      Funder: Cancer Research UK (C44694/A14614). RESULTS: Eighty five patients were
      randomised between October 2013 and February 2015 from 17 UK centres. Three of 85
      (3.5%) died during induction chemotherapy. Seventy-seven patients (OxCapRT = 36;
      CarPacRT = 41) underwent surgery. The 30-d post-operative mortality was 2/77
      (2.6%). Grade III/IV toxicity was comparable between arms, although neutropenia
      was higher in the CarPacRT arm (21.4% versus 2.6%, p = 0.01). Twelve of 41
      (29.3%) (10 of first 38 patients) and 4/36 (11.1%) achieved pCR in the CarPacRT
      and OxcapRT arms, respectively. Corresponding R0 resection rates were 33/41
      (80.5%) and 26/36 (72.2%), respectively. CONCLUSION: Both regimens were well
      tolerated. Only CarPacRT passed the predefined pCR criteria for further
      investigation.

PMID- 28335889
TI  - Human papillomavirus as prognostic marker with rising prevalence in neck squamous
      cell carcinoma of unknown primary: A retrospective multicentre study.
AB  - Patients with neck squamous cell carcinomas of unknown primary tumour (NSCCUP)
      present with lymph node metastasis without evidence for a primary tumour. Most
      patients undergo an aggressive multimodal treatment, which induces severe,
      potentially unnecessary toxicity. Primary tumours of NSCCUP can be hidden in the
      oropharynx. Human papillomavirus (HPV) is causally involved in a subgroup of
      oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinomas (OPSCC) associated with early lymph node
      metastasis and good prognosis. Detection of markers for HPV transformation in
      NSCCUP could allow focussing on the oropharynx in primary tumour search and could
      be of value for choice and extent of treatment. In a retrospective multicentre
      study (Germany, Italy and Spain), we analysed metastatic lymph nodes from 180
      NSCCUP patients for the presence of HPV DNA, HPV E6*I mRNA and cellular p16INK4a
      overexpression, a surrogate marker for HPV-induced transformation. HPV status,
      defined as positivity for viral mRNA with at least one additional marker, was
      correlated with clinical parameters and survival outcome. A substantial
      proportion (16%) of NSCCUP were HPV-driven, mainly by HPV16 (89%). HPV prevalence
      increased with year of diagnosis from 9% during 1998-2004 to 23% during 2005-2014
      (p = 0.007). HPV-driven NSCCUP had significantly better overall and progression
      free survival rates (p <= 0.008). Based on this survival benefit, it is contended
      that HPV RNA status should be included in NSCCUP diagnosis and in therapeutic
      decision-making. Deintensification of radiation in patients with HPV-driven
      NSCCUP, while concurrently concentrating on the oropharynx appears to be a
      promising therapeutic strategy, the efficacy of which should be assessed in
      prospective trials. To our knowledge, this is the largest study on HPV in NSCCUP.

PMID- 28335890
TI  - Cervical cancer incidence in elderly women-biology or screening history?
AB  - AIM: In many countries, the age-specific pattern of cervical cancer incidence is
      currently bipolar with peaks at for instance 45 and 65 years of age.
      Consequently, a large proportion of cervical cancer cases are presently diagnosed
      in women above the screening age. The purpose of the study was to determine
      whether this bipolar pattern in age-specific incidence of cervical cancer
      reflects underlying biology or can be explained by the fact that the data come
      from birth cohorts with different screening histories. METHODS: Combination of
      historical data on cervical screening and population-based cancer incidence data
      from Denmark 1943-2013, Finland and Norway 1953-2013, and Sweden 1958-2013.
      RESULTS: Since the implementation of screening, the incidence of cervical cancer
      has decreased for each successive birth cohort. All birth cohorts showed a
      unipolar age-specific pattern. In unscreened women in Denmark and Sweden, the
      incidence peaked around the age of 50; the peak was less marked in Finland; while
      peak age for unscreened women could not be determined for Norway due to
      widespread opportunistic screening. The current old-age peak in the incidence of
      cervical cancer represents residuals from unscreened or underscreened birth
      cohorts. CONCLUSION: The current bipolar pattern in age-specific incidence of
      cervical cancer can largely be explained by the different screening histories of
      successive birth cohorts. While it is reasonable to offer screening to elderly
      women today, birth cohort trends in disease burden should be carefully monitored
      to justify permanent changes in upper screening age.

PMID- 28335891
TI  - The majority of patients with metastatic melanoma are not represented in pivotal
      phase III immunotherapy trials.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Recent randomised phase III trials have led to the approval of
      several immune checkpoint inhibitors for unresectable or metastatic melanoma
      (MM). These trials all employed strict patient selection criteria, and it is
      currently unknown how large proportion of 'real-world' patients diagnosed with MM
      is not represented in these trials. PATIENTS AND METHODS: The Danish MM Database
      contains data on the entire, unselected population of MM within a nationwide
      geographical area. A total of 276 unselected cases of MM (ocular melanoma
      excluded), referred for first oncological evaluation in 2014, were included in
      the analysis. Seven pre-defined eligibility criteria, all used to select patients
      for enrolment in five recent randomised phase III immunotherapy trials, were
      analysed. RESULTS: Fifty-five percent of the total population with MM did not
      meet one or more eligibility criteria ('not eligible' group) at first evaluation.
      PS >= 2 or active/untreated known brain metastases accounted alone for 74% of non
      eligibility cases. Median overall survival in the 'not eligible' group was 5.43
      months versus 18.3 months for the eligible (p < 0.0001, hazard ratio (HR) 2.44),
      reflected by significantly worse baseline prognostic features. However, patients
      treated with immunotherapy had similar survival outcomes regardless of
      eligibility. CONCLUSION: Over half of the patients evaluated for systemic
      treatment of MM are not represented in phase III registration immunotherapy
      trials. The data reveal a huge knowledge gap regarding the usefulness of new
      immunotherapies in the 'real-world' patient population, and urge additional
      testing of known regimens in selected poor prognosis cohorts.

PMID- 28335892
TI  - Hybrid Percutaneous Coronary Intervention With Bioresorbable Vascular Scaffolds
      in Combination With Drug-Eluting Stents or Drug-Coated Balloons for Complex
      Coronary Lesions.
AB  - Bioresorbable vascular scaffolds (BVS) have become an attractive option in the
      percutaneous coronary intervention field due to the potential advantages
      associated with the complete resorption process that occurs within a few years.
      However, current-generation BVS have several limitations including thicker
      struts, reduced radial strength, and limited expansion capability when compared
      with drug-eluting stents (DES). As a result, complex coronary disease often
      contains BVS-inappropriate/unfavorable segments. This does not necessarily mean
      that BVS use must be completely avoided, and minimizing the length of permanent
      metallic caging may still be advantageous. Operators should fully understand the
      limitations of current BVS, and when to consider a hybrid strategy of BVS in
      combination with DES or drug-coated balloons.

PMID- 28335894
TI  - Proximal Left Anterior Descending Coronary Artery PCI: Is it No Longer the Last
      Lesion Standing?

PMID- 28335893
TI  - Long-Term Outcomes of Stenting the Proximal Left Anterior Descending Artery in
      the PROTECT Trial.
AB  - OBJECTIVES: This study sought to compare the outcomes of patients undergoing drug
      eluting stent implantation according to lesion location within or outside the
      proximal left anterior descending (LAD) artery. BACKGROUND: Proximal LAD artery
      involvement is considered uniquely in revascularization guidelines. The impact of
      LAD lesion location on long-term outcomes after revascularization is poorly
      understood in context of current percutaneous coronary intervention and medical
      therapy. METHODS: Among 8,709 patients enrolled in PROTECT (Patient Related
      Outcomes with Endeavor Versus Cypher Stenting Trial), a multicenter percutaneous
      coronary intervention trial, we compared the outcomes of 2,534 patients (29.1%)
      (3,871 lesions [31.5%]) with stents implanted in the proximal LAD to 6,172
      patients (70.9%) (8,419 lesions [68.5%]) with stents implanted outside the
      proximal LAD. RESULTS: At the 4-year follow-up, death rates were the same (5.8%
      vs. 5.8%; p > 0.999), but more myocardial infarctions occurred in the proximal
      LAD group (6.2% vs. 4.9%; p = 0.015). The rate of clinically driven target vessel
      failure (TVF) (14.8% vs. 13.5%; p = 0.109), major adverse cardiac event(s) (MACE)
      (15.0% vs. 13.7%; hazard ratio: 1.1; 95% confidence interval: 0.97 to 1.31; p =
      0.139), and stent thrombosis (2.1% vs. 2.0%; p = 0.800) were similar. Drug
      eluting stent type had no interaction with MACE or TVF. In multivariate analysis,
      the proximal LAD was a predictor of myocardial infarction (p = 0.038) but not of
      TVF (p = 0.149) or MACE (p = 0.069). CONCLUSIONS: In this study of contemporary
      percutaneous coronary intervention, proximal LAD location was associated with
      higher rates of myocardial infarction during the long-term follow-up, but there
      were no differences in stent thrombosis, death, TVF, or overall MACE. This
      finding may suggest that, in the drug-eluting stent era, proximal LAD no longer
      confers a different prognosis than other lesion sites. (Randomized Study
      Comparing Endeavor With Cypher Stents [PROTECT]; NCT00476957).

PMID- 28335896
TI  - Collateral Damage: Sufficient Coronary Collaterals Provide Important, Yet
      Limited, Protection in Chronic Total Occlusions.

PMID- 28335895
TI  - Coronary Collaterals Function and Clinical Outcome Between Patients With Acute
      and Chronic Total Occlusion.
AB  - OBJECTIVES: This study sought to demonstrate how changes in the collateral
      function and its clinical significance before and after percutaneous coronary
      interventions (PCIs) are compared between patients with acute coronary syndrome
      and total or nearly total occlusions (ATOs) and chronic total occlusions (CTOs).
      BACKGROUND: The functional relevance of the collateral circulation in patients
      with ATOs and CTOs has not been fully investigated. METHODS: The pressure-derived
      collateral pressure index (CPI), myocardial fractional flow reserve (FFRmyo), and
      coronary fractional flow reserve (FFRcor) at maximum hyperemia induced by
      intravenous adenosine were evaluated in occluded vessels at baseline, after the
      PCI, and at 1 year in 23 ATO and 74 CTO patients. RESULTS: The FFRmyo and FFRcor
      were significantly lower, but the CPI was significantly higher in the CTO than
      ATO patients at baseline and after the PCI. There were significant increases in
      the FFRmyo (p < 0.001) and FFRcor (p < 0.001), whereas there was no significant
      change in the CPI immediately after the PCI in both ATO and CTO patients. In the
      CTO patients, a post-PCI FFRmyo <0.90 (p = 0.01) and post-PCI CPI <0.25 (p =
      0.033) were independent predictors of the clinical outcome. Patients with a high
      post-PCI CPI had better clinical outcomes in CTO patients with a low post-PCI
      FFRmyo (log-rank p = 0.009), but not a high post-PCI FFRmyo (log-rank p = 0.492).
      CONCLUSIONS: Recruitable coronary collateral flow did not regress completely
      immediately after the PCI both in patients with ATOs and CTOs. Despite good
      collaterals in CTO patients, aggressive efforts to reduce the ischemic burden
      might improve the clinical outcome.

PMID- 28335898
TI  - Mitral Loop Cerclage: Encircling Functional Mitral Regurgitation.

PMID- 28335897
TI  - Mitral Loop Cerclage Annuloplasty for Secondary Mitral Regurgitation: First Human
      Results.
AB  - OBJECTIVES: This is an early feasibility clinical test of mitral loop cerclage
      annuloplasty to treat secondary mitral valve regurgitation. BACKGROUND: Secondary
      mitral regurgitation is characterized by cardiomyopathy, mitral annular
      enlargement, and leaflet traction contributing to malcoaptation. Transcatheter
      mitral loop cerclage applies circumferential compression to the mitral annulus by
      creating a loop through the coronary sinus across the interventricular septum,
      protecting entrapped coronary arteries from compression, and interactive annular
      reduction under echocardiographic guidance. This is the first human test of
      mitral loop annuloplasty. METHODS: Five subjects with severe symptomatic
      secondary mitral regurgitation underwent mitral loop cerclage, with
      echocardiographic and computed tomography follow-up over 6 months. RESULTS:
      Mitral loop cerclage was successful in 4 of 5 subjects and aborted in 1 of the 5
      because of unsuitable septal coronary vein anatomy. Immediately and over 6
      months, measures of both mitral valve regurgitation (effective orifice area and
      regurgitation fraction) and chamber dimensions (left atrial and left ventricular
      volumes) were reduced progressively and ejection fractions increased. Two with
      persistent and permanent atrial fibrillation spontaneously reverted to sinus
      rhythm during follow-up. One subject experienced a small myocardial infarction
      from an unrecognized small branch coronary occlusion. Another, experiencing
      cardiogenic shock at baseline, died of intractable heart failure after 6 weeks.
      CONCLUSIONS: In this first human test, mitral loop cerclage annuloplasty was
      successful in 4 of 5 attempts, caused reverse remodeling (reduction in secondary
      mitral regurgitation and heart chamber volumes), and suggested electrical
      remodeling (reversion of atrial fibrillation). Further evaluation is warranted.

PMID- 28335901
TI  - Feasibility of Early Mechanical Support During Mechanical Reperfusion of Acute
      Myocardial Infarct Cardiogenic Shock.

PMID- 28335899
TI  - Percutaneous Plug-Based Arteriotomy Closure Device for Large-Bore Access: A
      Multicenter Prospective Study.
AB  - OBJECTIVES: The authors sought to study the safety and efficacy of the MANTA
      Vascular Closure Device (VCD), a novel collagen-based technology dedicated to
      closure of large-bore arteriotomies. BACKGROUND: Novel transfemoral therapeutic
      interventions requiring large-bore catheters have become valid minimally invasive
      options but have inherent access management challenges. To date, no dedicated
      vascular closure devices exist for large arteriotomies. METHODS: A prospective,
      single-arm clinical investigation enrolling patients who underwent elective
      percutaneous interventions with large-bore catheters and planned percutaneous
      arteriotomy closure in 3 European institutions. RESULTS: A total of 50 patients
      with a mean age of 79.5 +/- 8.3 years underwent high-risk percutaneous coronary
      intervention, balloon aortic valvuloplasty, or transcatheter aortic valve
      replacement with large-bore catheters sized 12-F to 19-F. MANTA closure was
      performed by 9 different operators. The 14-F MANTA VCD was deployed in one-third
      of the overall cohort (16 of 50, 32%), and the 18-F MANTA VCD in the remainder.
      The MANTA VCD was deployed successfully in all patients. The mean time to
      hemostasis was 2 min, 23 s. One patient had a major vascular and major bleeding
      complication with prolonged femoral bleeding that was successfully treated with a
      covered stent and eventual surgical repair. There were no other access site
      related complications. CONCLUSIONS: This first multicenter experience
      demonstrates rapid and reliable hemostasis and low complication rates with the
      use of the plug-based MANTA VCD for large-bore arteriotomy closure.

PMID- 28335900
TI  - Percutaneous Tricuspid Valve Annuloplasty Under Conscious Sedation (With Only
      Fluoroscopic and Intracardiac Echocardiography Monitoring).

PMID- 28335902
TI  - Very Late Scaffold Thrombosis in Absorb BVS: Association With DAPT Termination?

PMID- 28335903
TI  - High Radiation Exposure of the Imaging Specialist During Structural Heart
      Interventions With Echocardiographic Guidance.

PMID- 28335904
TI  - Percutaneous Rescue of an Embolized Valve After Transcatheter Mitral Valve
      Replacement.

PMID- 28335905
TI  - The Effect of Survivor Bias on Observational Analyses of Staged PCI in STEMI
      Patients.

PMID- 28335906
TI  - Reply: The Effect of Survivor Bias on Observational Analyses of Staged PCI in
      STEMI Patients.

PMID- 28335907
TI  - Stop and Smell the Plumeria.

PMID- 28335908
TI  - Predicting Psychosis with Accuracy.

PMID- 28335909
TI  - Erratum to "2016 SCCT/STR guidelines for coronary artery calcium scoring of
      noncontrast noncardiac chest CT scans a report of the society of Cardiovascular
      Computed Tomography and Society of Thoracic Radiology" [J. Cardiovasc. Comput.
      Tomogr. 11 (2017) 74-84].

PMID- 28335911
TI  - Adolescent Male With Right Shoulder Pain After Football Injury.

PMID- 28335910
TI  - Management Strategies for CLN2 Disease.
AB  - CLN2 disease (neuronal ceroid lipofuscinosis type 2) is a rare, autosomal
      recessive, pediatric-onset, rapidly progressive neurodegenerative lysosomal
      storage disorder caused by tripeptidyl peptidase 1 (TPP1) enzyme deficiency, and
      is characterized by language delay, seizures, rapid cognitive and motor decline,
      blindness, and early death. No management guidelines exist and there is a paucity
      of published disease-specific evidence to inform clinical practice, which
      currently draws upon experience from the field of childhood neurodisability.
      Twenty-four disease experts were surveyed on CLN2 disease management and a subset
      met to discuss current practice. Management goals and strategies are consistent
      among experts globally and are guided by the principles of pediatric palliative
      care. Goals and interventions evolve as the disease progresses, with a shift in
      focus from maintenance of function early in the disease to maintenance of quality
      of life. A multidisciplinary approach is critical for optimal patient care. This
      work represents an initial step toward the development of consensus-based
      management guidelines for CLN2 disease.

PMID- 28335912
TI  - A Middle-aged Female with Dyspnea.

PMID- 28335914
TI  - Bluey.

PMID- 28335915
TI  - Yet Another.

PMID- 28335913
TI  - Clinical Policy: Critical Issues in the Diagnosis and Management of the Adult
      Psychiatric Patient in the Emergency Department.

PMID- 28335916
TI  - Yet Another Cut.

PMID- 28335917
TI  - Stepwise.

PMID- 28335918
TI  - One and Done: Steroids for Adult Asthma: Answers to the November 2016 Journal
      Club Questions.

PMID- 28335919
TI  - A Man With Severe Back Pain.

PMID- 28335920
TI  - Man With Throat Pain.

PMID- 28335921
TI  - Boy With Fever and Abdominal Pain.

PMID- 28335922
TI  - Just How Good Are Handheld Metal Detectors for Ingested Foreign Bodies?

PMID- 28335923
TI  - Woman With Left Shoulder Bumps.

PMID- 28335924
TI  - In-Flight Emergency.

PMID- 28335925
TI  - In reply.

PMID- 28335926
TI  - Sedating the Agitated Patient: A Moving Target?

PMID- 28335927
TI  - Should Kidney Stone Patients With Diagnosis by Ultrasonography Be Prescribed
      Tamsulosin?

PMID- 28335928
TI  - In reply.

PMID- 28335929
TI  - Clarification: Editorial Oversight of Results Reported in Annals.

PMID- 28335930
TI  - Young Woman With Epigastric Pain.

PMID- 28335931
TI  - An irregular pulse in a 72-year-old woman.

PMID- 28335932
TI  - Predictive Medicine in Ophthalmology.

PMID- 28335933
TI  - Screening for Diabetic Retinopathy in Youth-Onset Diabetes.

PMID- 28335934
TI  - Optical Coherence Tomography Angiography of Conjunctival Racemose Hemangioma.

PMID- 28335935
TI  - Fluorescein Angiography in Persistent Fetal Vasculature.

PMID- 28335937
TI  - Paracentral Acute Middle Maculopathy After Cardiac Arrest.

PMID- 28335936
TI  - Traumatic Maculopathy with Macular Hole.

PMID- 28335938
TI  - Malignant Orbital Melanoma Associated with Oculodermal Melanocytosis.

PMID- 28335939
TI  - Subretinal Hemorrhage Associated with Astrocytic Hamartoma.

PMID- 28335940
TI  - Combined Central Retinal Vein Occlusion and Central Retinal Arterial Obstruction
      with Cilioretinal Artery Sparing.

PMID- 28335941
TI  - Association of Carotid-Cavernous Fistula with Central Retinal Vein Occlusion.

PMID- 28335942
TI  - Reply.

PMID- 28335943
TI  - Re: Narayanaswamy et al.: Argon laser peripheral iridoplasty for primary angle
      closure glaucoma: a randomized controlled trial (Ophthalmology. 2016;123:514
      521).

PMID- 28335944
TI  - Re: Kontadakis et al.: Long-term comparison of simultaneous topography-guided
      photorefractive keratectomy followed by corneal cross-linking versus corneal
      cross-linking alone (Ophthalmology. 2016;123:974-983).

PMID- 28335945
TI  - Reply.

PMID- 28335946
TI  - Re: Mayer et al.: Pupillary reconstruction and outcome after artificial iris
      implantation (Ophthalmology. 2016;123:1011-1018).

PMID- 28335947
TI  - Reply.

PMID- 28335948
TI  - Re: Wells et al.: Aflibercept, Bevacizumab, or Ranibizumab for diabetic macular
      edema: two year results from a comparative effectiveness randomized clinical
      trial (Ophthalmology. 2016;123:1351-1359).

PMID- 28335949
TI  - Reply.

PMID- 28335950
TI  - Re: Yu et al.: Risk of visual field progression in glaucoma patients with
      progressive retinal nerve fiber layer thinning (Ophthalmology. 2016;123:1201
      1210).

PMID- 28335951
TI  - Re: Price et al.: Three-year longitudinal survey comparing visual satisfaction
      with LASIK and contact lenses (Ophthalmology. 2016;123:1659-1666).

PMID- 28335952
TI  - Reply.

PMID- 28335953
TI  - Re: Floud et al.: Risk factors for cataracts treated surgically in postmenopausal
      women (Ophthalmology. 2016;123:1704-1710).

PMID- 28335954
TI  - Reply.

PMID- 28335955
TI  - Reply.

PMID- 28335956
TI  - Re: Schwartz et al.: Intracameral antibiotics and cataract surgery:
      endophthalmitis rates, cost, and stewardship (Ophthalmology. 2016;123:1411-1413).

PMID- 28335957
TI  - Reply.

PMID- 28335958
TI  - Re: Alfawaz et al.: Corneal endothelium in patients with anterior uveitis
      (Ophthalmology. 2016;123:1637-1645).

PMID- 28335959
TI  - Reply.

PMID- 28335960
TI  - Reply.

PMID- 28335961
TI  - Re: Jaffe et al.: Injectable fluocinolone acetonide long-acting implant for
      noninfectious intermediate uveitis, posterior uveitis, and panuveitis: two-year
      results (Ophthalmology. 2016;123:1940-1948).

PMID- 28335962
TI  - Combining ANOVA-PCA with POCHEMON to analyse micro-organism development in a
      polymicrobial environment.
AB  - Revealing the biochemistry associated to micro-organismal interspecies
      interactions is highly relevant for many purposes. Each pathogen has a
      characteristic metabolic fingerprint that allows identification based on their
      unique multivariate biochemistry. When pathogen species come into mutual contact,
      their co-culture will display a chemistry that may be attributed both to mixing
      of the characteristic chemistries of the mono-cultures and to competition between
      the pathogens. Therefore, investigating pathogen development in a polymicrobial
      environment requires dedicated chemometric methods to untangle and focus upon
      these sources of variation. The multivariate data analysis method Projected
      Orthogonalised Chemical Encounter Monitoring (POCHEMON) is dedicated to highlight
      metabolites characteristic for the interaction of two micro-organisms in co
      culture. However, this approach is currently limited to a single time-point,
      while development of polymicrobial interactions may be highly dynamic. A well
      known multivariate implementation of Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) uses Principal
      Component Analysis (ANOVA-PCA). This allows the overall dynamics to be separated
      from the pathogen-specific chemistry to analyse the contributions of both aspects
      separately. For this reason, we propose to integrate ANOVA-PCA with the POCHEMON
      approach to disentangle the pathogen dynamics and the specific biochemistry in
      interspecies interactions. Two complementary case studies show great potential
      for both liquid and gas chromatography - mass spectrometry to reveal novel
      information on chemistry specific to interspecies interaction during pathogen
      development.

PMID- 28335963
TI  - Copper chromogenic reaction based colorimetric immunoassay for rapid and
      sensitive detection of a tumor biomarker.
AB  - A new colorimetric immunoassay method was developed for the rapid and sensitive
      detection of a tumor biomarker of carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) by combination
      of a magnetic bead (MB)-based sandwich immunoassay and a copper chromogenic
      reaction. The magnetic immunoassay platform was constructed through the covalent
      immobilization of the capture antibody on the surface of carboxylated magnetic
      beads. After immuno-recognition of CEA, signal antibody-functionalized copper
      oxide nanoparticle (CuO NP) probes were applied for sandwich immunoreaction to
      form an immunocomplex. The CuO NP labels quantitatively captured onto the
      immunocomplex were then dissolved in acid solution to release high-content copper
      ions. Based on the coordination of these ions with the newly synthesized
      chromogenic agent of 1,2-diphenyl-2-(2-(pyridin-2-yl)hydrazono)ethanone, a red
      complex was produced for the colorimetric signal readout, resulting in the
      successful construction of a sensitive immunoassay method for CEA detection.
      Under the optimum conditions, this method showed a wide linear range over three
      orders of magnitude and a low detection limit of 26 pg/mL. Besides, this method
      showed excellent performance with low cost, rapid and convenient operation as
      well as satisfactory reproducibility, stability and accuracy, thus providing
      great potentials for practical applications.

PMID- 28335964
TI  - Highly sensitive colorimetric immunosensor for influenza virus H5N1 based on
      enzyme-encapsulated liposome.
AB  - Development of simple but sensitive biosensor for influenza detection is highly
      important in immediate and effective clinical treatment. In this study, a
      sensitive colorimetric immunosensor which combines the advantages of high
      selectivity of immunoassay and simplicity of colorimetric detection has been
      developed to detect influenza virus H5N1 based on enzyme-encapsulated liposome.
      Biotin-tagged liposome encapsulated with large amount of horseradish peroxidase
      (HRP) was firstly synthesized. In the presence of H5N1, H5N1 co-bound with the
      capture antibody and the biotinylated detection antibody to form sandwich
      immunocomplex. Subsequently, the HRP-encapsulated liposome was introduced to
      conjugate with the detection antibody through biotin-avidin-biotin linkage. Upon
      the addition of substrate (mixture of 3,3',5,5'-tetramethylbenzidine (TMB) and
      H2O2), the liposome was directly lysed to release large amount of HRP by TMB. The
      released HRP catalyzed the H2O2-mediated oxidation of TMB, resulting in color
      change of the system, which was observed by naked eyes or UV-vis spectra. The
      result showed that the absorption intensity enhanced with the increase of H5N1
      concentration ranging from 0.1 to 4.0 ng/mL, and the detection limit was
      calculated to be 0.04 ng/mL. The sensitivity of the proposed biosensor is much
      higher than that of conventional enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay method. The
      proposed immunosensor is relatively simple, low-cost, sensitive, and selective
      without using any sophisticated instruments, therefore it may have a promising
      prospect for detecting targets in clinical medicine, food safety analysis, and
      environmental monitoring.

PMID- 28335965
TI  - "Turn-off" fluorescent sensor for highly sensitive and specific simultaneous
      recognition of 29 famous green teas based on quantum dots combined with
      chemometrics.
AB  - Fluorescent "turn-off" sensors based on water-soluble quantum dots (QDs) have
      drawn increasing attention owing to their unique properties such as high
      fluorescence quantum yields, chemical stability and low toxicity. In this work, a
      novel method based on the fluorescence "turn-off" model with water-soluble CdTe
      QDs as the fluorescent probes for differentiation of 29 different famous green
      teas is established. The fluorescence of the QDs can be quenched in different
      degrees in light of positions and intensities of the fluorescent peaks for the
      green teas. Subsequently, with aid of classic partial least square discriminant
      analysis (PLSDA), all the green teas can be discriminated with high sensitivity,
      specificity and a satisfactory recognition rate of 100% for training set and
      98.3% for prediction set, respectively. Especially, the "turn-off" fluorescence
      PLSDA model based on second-order derivatives (2nd der) with reduced least
      complexity (LVs = 3) was the most effective one for modeling. Most importantly,
      we further demonstrated the established "turn-off" fluorescent sensor mode has
      several significant advantages and appealing properties over the conventional
      fluorescent method for large-class-number classification (LCNC) of green teas.
      This work is, to the best of our knowledge, the first report on the rapid and
      effective identification of so many kinds of famous green teas based on the "turn
      off" model of QDs combined with chemometrics, which also implies other potential
      applications on complex LCNC classification system with weak fluorescence or even
      without fluorescence to achieve higher detective response and specificity.

PMID- 28335966
TI  - A concentration-dependent multicolor conversion strategy for ultrasensitive
      colorimetric immunoassay with the naked eye.
AB  - Colorimetric immunoassays have been attracting more attention for use in
      practical applications, especially in point-of-care diagnostics. In comparison
      with a single color immunoassay, the dose-dependent multicolor strategy greatly
      improves the detection resolution and accuracy of visual inspection. In the
      current study, a concentration-dependent multicolor conversion strategy was
      developed based on gold nanoparticle (AuNP)-mediated copper deposition for signal
      amplification and Prussian blue for color generation. Under optimal conditions, a
      dose-dependent multicolor from yellow through green to blue were successfully
      achieved, which was easier to be differentiated from each other by the naked
      eyes. With rabbit IgG and prostate specific antigen (PSA) as model analytes, semi
      quantitative evaluations were demonstrated in lab buffer and serum by direct
      readout with the naked eyes. Quantitative detections were also accomplished by
      measurement of absorbance of Prussian blue with a common UV-Vis
      spectrophotometer. A limit of detection (LOD) down to sub-picogram per milliliter
      was determined. In addition, this newly developed colorimetric assay method can
      be easily adapted for the detection of other biomolecules by simply changing the
      recognition pairs.

PMID- 28335967
TI  - An innovative monolithic zwitterionic stationary phase for the separation of
      phenolic acids in coffee bean extracts by capillary electrochromatography.
AB  - A methacrylate based monolith, containing the innovative zwitterionic monomer (3
      allyl-1-imidazol)propane sulfonate, was prepared in 100 MUm I.D. silica
      capillaries by UV initiated photo-polymerization. Composition of the porogen,
      i.e. a mixture of 1-propanol, 1,4 butanediol and water, was of great importance
      to obtain a homogeneous monolith with satisfactory permeability and good
      electrochromatographic performance. Morphology of the stationary phase was
      studied in Scanning Electron Microscopy and IR experiments, which revealed a good
      attachment to the capillary wall, flowthrough-pores in the range of 0.5-2 MUm,
      and a continuous monolithic structure. The developed material was well suited for
      the analysis of six common phenolic acids (salicylic, cinnamic, syringic,
      rosmarinic, caffeic and chlorogenic acid) by CEC. Their separation was possible
      in less than 8 min with a mobile phase comprising a 12 mM aqueous ammonium
      acetate solution with pH 8.5 and acetonitrile, at an applied voltage of - 20 kV.
      The developed method was validated (R2 >= 0.995; LOD <= 3.9 MUg mL-1, except for
      salicylic acid; recovery rates from 94 to 104%) and successfully used for the
      determination of phenolic acids in Coffea arabica samples. All of them contained
      cinnamic, syringic and caffeic acid, however only in unroasted coffee beans
      chlorogenic acid (0.06%) was found. The quantitative results were in good
      agreement to reported literature data.

PMID- 28335968
TI  - Dipentaerythritol penta-/hexa-acrylate based-highly cross-linked hybrid
      monolithic column: Preparation and its applications for ultrahigh efficiency
      separation of proteins.
AB  - In this study, multi-acrylate based dipentaerythritol penta-/hexa-acrylate
      (DPEPA) was exploited for fabrication of highly cross-linked hybrid monolithic
      column by copolymerization with polyhedral oligomeric silsesquioxane methacryl
      substituted (POSS-MA) via a "one-pot" method. The new DPEPA-POSS hybrid
      monolithic column was respectively characterized by Fourier transform infrared
      spectrometry, thermogravimetric analysis, scanning electron microscopy and
      nitrogen adsorption/desorption measurement. When it was used for the separation
      of amides, thioureas and positional isomers of phenols, ultrahigh column
      efficiency separation (up to 511,000 N m-1) was achieved with excellent
      selectivity. Moreover, intact protein standards could be efficiently separated
      with minimum tailing peaks, outperforming the commercially available silica-based
      C8 column. Furthermore, successful separation of complex egg white proteins and
      expressed BARD1 BRCT domains protein sample was also achieved with good
      chromatographic performance. In the future work, the DPEPA-POSS hybrid monolithic
      column will be further exploited and applied in capillary electrochromatography
      as well as the top-down based proteome research.

PMID- 28335969
TI  - Design, synthesis and application of a new class of stimuli-responsive separation
      materials.
AB  - A new class of efficient stationary phase has been investigated for use in the
      liquid chromatographic separation of low molecular weight analytes and high
      molecular weight biomolecules, based on the application of immobilised stimuli
      responsive polymers (SRPs). To this end, two polymeric units, namely poly(2
      dimethylaminoethyl methacrylate) (PDMAEMA) and poly(acrylic acid) (PAA) were
      tethered to a triazine core. The derived poly(2-dimethyl-aminoethyl methacrylate)
      block-poly(acrylic acid) (PDMAEMA-b-PAA), as a diblock co-polymer, was then
      immobilised onto the surface of porous silica particles. The performance of this
      microparticulate adsorbent was evaluated under various temperature, ionic
      strength and/or pH conditions in packed columns in a high-performance liquid
      chromatography (HPLC) format. Baseline separations of a variety of low molecular
      weight analytes were achieved at different temperatures with this SRP-based
      adsorbent using 10 mM sodium phosphate buffer, pH 6.0, as the mobile phase.
      Moreover, when the ionic strength of the mobile phase was increased to 40 mM
      sodium phosphate buffer, pH 6.0, similar temperature changes resulted in further
      increases in resolution for the hydrophobic analytes. In addition, changes in the
      pH of the mobile phase from pH 6.0 to pH 8.0 led to significant changes in
      selectivity of the analytes, including reversal in their elution orders. Upon
      increasing the temperature, the retention times of all analytes decreased but
      without loss of resolution. These findings can be attributed to the consequence
      of the immobilised copolymer undergoing a phase transition at its lower critical
      solution temperature (LCST), which leads to changes in its solvated structure,
      including how the electrostatic, hydrophilic and hydrophobic regions/domains of
      the copolymer are exposed to the bulk mobile phase. Thermodynamic data were
      indicative of a temperature-related re-organisation of the structure of the
      immobilised PDMAEMA-b-PAA stationary phase with exothermic binding of the
      analytes occurring at temperatures below the lower critical solution temperature
      (LCST). In this manner; changes in the system temperature could directly be used
      to manipulate the adsorption and desorption behaviour of these analytes with this
      stimuli-responsive, polymer-modified porous silica stationary phase. Additional
      studies with several proteins further documented the versatility of these stimuli
      responsive separation materials. The results indicated that these separations
      could be tuned by variation of the temperature with fully aqueous mobile phases
      at specific ionic strength and pH values, without the need to use an organic
      solvent as a component in the mobile phase.

PMID- 28335970
TI  - Quinine bonded to superficially porous particles for high-efficiency and
      ultrafast liquid and supercritical fluid chromatography.
AB  - Two new anion-exchange columns were prepared by bonding tert-butyl carbamoylated
      quinine to 2.7 MUm superficially porous particle (SPP) silica to create chiral
      stationary phases for high-efficiency and ultrafast chromatography. Performance
      and retention parameters of these new columns are compared with an analogous 5
      MUm fully porous particle (FPP) based Chiralpak QNAX column and a 3-4 fold
      increase in efficiency was observed. Ultrafast separations ranging from 12 s down
      to sub-second are shown using 2.7 MUm SPPs bonded via hydrosilation to the
      selector. Potential benefits of 2.7 MUm SPP based columns for increased LC-MS
      compatibility were investigated. A van Deemter plot comparison showed 2.7 MUm SPP
      based columns provided a lower reduced plate height and a higher optimal linear
      velocity compared to the 5 MUm FPP based column. With geometry-independent
      kinetic plots, 2.7 MUm SPP and 5 MUm FPP based columns were assessed for their
      kinetic performance and the maximal number of plates each column can generate in
      a given analysis time. The 2.7 MUm SPP based column showed remarkable performance
      improvements in speed and efficiency as indicated by the kinetic plots.

PMID- 28335971
TI  - Ultrasensitive immunosensor for prostate specific antigen using biomimetic
      polydopamine nanospheres as an electrochemiluminescence superquencher and
      antibody carriers.
AB  - In this work, biomimetic polydopamine nanospheres (PDANSs) were easily prepared
      and were firstly exploited as an electrochemiluminescence (ECL) nanoquencher for
      the development of a sandwich type immunosensor. The PDANSs with abundant active
      functional groups can facilely label the detection antibody and show remarkable
      quenching effect towards the ECL of the tris-(2,2'-bipyridine)ruthenium
      (Ru(bpy)32+). The amino-modified multiwall carbon nanotubes/Nafion (MWCNTs-NH2@N)
      composite-film was adopted as a matrix to incorporate the luminophor Ru(bpy)32+
      and immobilize the capture antibody. The prominent decrease of ECL signal
      intensity was obtained on account of the unique quenching ability of the labeled
      PDANSs. The quenching mechanism is believed that the excited states of Ru(bpy)32+
      can be annihilated by quinone units in PDANSs via energy transfer. The ECL
      quenching efficiency was logarithmically related to the concentration of the
      prostate specific antigen (PSA) in the range from 0.1 pg mL-1 to 20 ng mL-1 with
      a detection limit of 35 fg mL-1. Furthermore, the proposed ECL immunosensor
      presented good stability, repeatability and selectivity.

PMID- 28335972
TI  - Ultrasound-assisted ionic liquid-based micellar extraction combined with
      microcrystalline cellulose as sorbent in dispersive microextraction for the
      determination of phenolic compounds in propolis.
AB  - An ionic liquid-(IL) based micellar extraction combined with microcrystalline
      cellulose- (MCC) assisted dispersive micro solid-phase extraction method was
      developed to extract phenolic compounds from propolis. A total of 20 target
      compounds were identified by ultra-high- performance liquid chromatography
      coupled with quadrupole time-of-flight tandem mass spectrometry. The main
      extraction parameters were optimized and included the ultrasonic power,
      ultrasonic time, sample pH, type of IL, the concentration of [C12mim]Br,
      extraction time, concentration of MCC, type of sorbent and type of elution
      solvents. Under the optimum conditions, the proposed method exhibited good
      linearities (r2 >= 0.999) for all plant phenolic compounds with the lower limits
      of detection in the range of 0.21-0.41 ng/mL. The recoveries ranged from 82.74%
      to 97.88% for pinocembrin, chrysin and galangin. Compared with conventional
      solvent extraction, the present method was simpler and more efficient and
      required less organic solvent and a shorter extraction time. Finally, the
      methodology was successfully used for the extraction and enrichment of phenolic
      compounds in propolis.

PMID- 28335973
TI  - Papain-functionalized gold nanoparticles as heterogeneous biocatalyst for
      bioanalysis and biopharmaceuticals analysis.
AB  - Surface-modified gold nanoparticles (GNPs) were synthesized via layer-by-layer
      process with alternating cationic polyallylamine and anionic poly(acrylic acid)
      polyelectrolyte layers leading to a highly hydrophilic biocompatible shell
      supporting colloidal stability. Afterwards, papain was covalently immobilized on
      the modified GNPs via amide coupling between the amino groups on papain and the
      terminal carboxylic groups of the modified GNPs by using N-(3
      dimethylaminopropyl)-N'-ethylcarbodiimide and N-hydroxysulfosuccinimide sodium as
      coupling agents. The resultant papain-functionalized gold nanoparticles were
      characterized by surface plasmon resonance, dynamic light scattering and zeta
      potential measurements. The new technology resonant mass measurement was applied
      for determining the average number of papain molecules immobilized per GNP by
      measurement of the single nanoparticle buoyant mass in the range of femtograms.
      The activity of the immobilized enzyme was estimated by determination of the
      kinetic parameters (Km, Vmax and kcat) with the standard chromogenic substrate
      Nalpha-benzoyl-dl-arginine-4-nitroanilide hydrochloride. It was found that Km of
      immobilized and free enzyme are in the same order of magnitude. On contrary,
      turnover numbers kcat were significantly higher for GNP-conjugated papain.
      Further, the gold nanobiocatalyst was applied for digestion of polyclonal human
      immunoglobulin G to yield protein fragments. The resultant fragment mixture was
      further analyzed by high-performance liquid chromatography-microelectrospray
      ionization-quadrupole-time-of-flight mass spectrometry, which demonstrated the
      applicability of the bioreactor based on papain functionalized GNPs. The
      immobilized papain not only has higher catalytic activity and better stability,
      but also can be easily isolated from the reaction medium by straightforward
      centrifugation steps for reuse.

PMID- 28335974
TI  - Selective solid phase extraction of lanthanides from tap and river waters with
      ion imprinted polymers.
AB  - For the first time, an ion imprinted polymer (IIP) able to selectively extract
      simultaneously all the lanthanide ions was successfully synthesized in
      acetonitrile using Nd3+ as a template ion, methacrylic acid as a complexing
      monomer, and ethylene glycol dimethacrylate as a cross-linker. A non-imprinted
      polymer (NIP) was synthesized under the same conditions as those of the IIP, but
      in the absence of the template ion. After the removal of the template ions,
      grounding and sieving, the IIP particles were packed in solid phase extraction
      (SPE) cartridges. The selectivity of the IIP was evaluated by comparing its
      behavior with the one of the NIP. Each SPE step (percolation, washing, and
      elution) was optimized in order to find the best compromise between the
      selectivity and the extraction recoveries. Using the optimized SPE conditions,
      the extraction recoveries of eight lanthanide ions representative of the
      lanthanide family were higher than 77% with an average value of 83% with the IIP,
      whereas, in the case of the NIP, they ranged between 14 and 36% and they were
      below 3% for the interfering ions from alkali, transition, and post-transition
      metal families with the IIP. A first evaluation of the reproducibility of the SPE
      profiles was carried out by performing statistical tests on the data obtained
      with several cartridges filled with particles obtained from two different IIP and
      NIP syntheses. Promising results were obtained. The specific capacity, i. e. the
      adsorption capacity of Nd3+ ions by the specific cavities of the imprinted
      polymer, was about 9 mg of Nd3+ per gram of IIP (60 MUmol g-1), which is more
      than enough for the extraction of the lanthanide ions at trace levels. The
      breakthrough volume was about 1 mL per mg of IIP, leading to an enrichment factor
      of 15, which allows not only to selectively extract the lanthanides but also to
      concentrate them. Finally, the imprinted polymer was successfully used to
      selectively extract lanthanides from tap and river waters spiked at 1 MUg L-1.

PMID- 28335975
TI  - In-field determination of trace dissolved manganese in estuarine and coastal
      waters with automatic on-line preconcentration and flame atomic fluorescence
      spectrometry.
AB  - An automatic on-line preconcentration and detection system for analysis of trace
      dissolved manganese (Mn) in estuarine and coastal waters was established, using
      preconcentration with IDA chelating resin and detection with flame atomic
      fluorescence spectrometer (FAFS). The rinse (pre-eluent) solution was optimized,
      for removing the interference ions while retaining the target element. It was
      found that the interference ions affected the chelating efficiency of Mn, causing
      variation of the detection blank and sensitivity. This effect varied when sample
      volume presented as preconcentration time changed. The influence at
      preconcentration times of 120 s, 30 s and 10 s were carefully investigated and
      reported. Ten folds of the foreign trace metals Zn, Cu, Ni, Fe, and Al did not
      show obvious interference on Mn preconcentration and detection. The method
      detection limit was 0.9 nmol L-1 (n = 7, preconcentration time 120 s). The linear
      detection range could be adjusted with designed preconcentration time. In
      addition to high precision and accuracy, the proposed analytical system had the
      advantages of high integration, and required normal site preparation, low energy
      supply and simple auxiliary equipment, which was appropriate for in-field
      operation. Compared with other common in-field applied molecular spectrometry
      instruments, the inherent high selectivity and multi-element applicability of
      FAFS highlighted the superiority and potential of the proposed analytical system.
      It was successfully applied to in-field vehicle-board determination of dissolved
      Mn in coastal waters around Xiamen, Fujian, China, and it was also used to
      analyze natural water samples collected from the Jiulongjiang Estuary, Fujian,
      China.

PMID- 28335976
TI  - Quantitative determination of trace hydrogen peroxide in the presence of sulfide
      using the Amplex Red/horseradish peroxidase assay.
AB  - The Amplex Red/horseradish peroxidase (AR/HRP) assay for H2O2 is one of the most
      sensitive and simple approaches for H2O2 quantification, which is effected by
      measuring the highly-fluorescent resorufin formed from oxidation of AR by the
      oxidizing intermediates generated by reaction of HRP and H2O2. The direct
      reactions of S(-II) with both H2O2 and resorufin are too slow to be of relevance
      on analytical timescales, however, the reaction between S(-II) and the HRP/H2O2
      oxidizing intermediates is rapid enough to compete with the desired reaction of
      these oxidizing intermediates with AR, suppressing formation of the resorufin
      analyte. As this mode of interference can be considered simply a competition
      between the AR reagent and S(-II) for the intermediate oxidizing species, a
      simple equation is derived in this work enabling one to correct for this
      interference and obtain a good estimate of the true H2O2 concentration after
      measuring the apparent H2O2 concentration and the S(-II) concentration. This mode
      of interference is general to any compound that can act as a HRP substrate even
      if not directly reactive with H2O2. As such, the approach described is widely
      applicable to many potential reducing interferents and opens up the use of the
      AR/HRP assay to a much wider range of conditions, as well as demonstrating the
      utility of explicitly considering the mechanism of the analytical process.

PMID- 28335977
TI  - Simultaneous determination of ethanol's four types of non-oxidative metabolites
      in human whole blood by liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry.
AB  - The importance of ethanol non-oxidative metabolites as the specific biomarkers of
      alcohol consumption in clinical and forensic settings is increasingly
      acknowledged. Simultaneous determination of these metabolites can provide a
      wealth of information like drinking habit and history, but it was difficult to
      achieve because of their wide range of polarity. This work describes development
      and validation of a simple liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry (LC
      MS/MS) assay for 4 types of ethanol non-oxidative metabolites (ethyl glucuronide,
      ethyl sulfate, fatty acid ethyl esters and phosphatidylethanols) in 50 MUL of
      human whole blood. Pretreatment method, column and MS conditions were optimized.
      For the first time, the four types of ethanol non-oxidative metabolites with
      enormous discrepancies of property were simultaneously extracted and analyzed in
      one run within 40 min. The limits of detections (LODs) were among 0.1-10 ng/mL,
      and good linearity was obtained. Deviations in precision and accuracy were all
      lower than 15% at three QC levels. This method was then applied to two forensic
      samples, resulting in information on drinking habits and drinking time which were
      very useful for the interpretation of the blood alcohol results.

PMID- 28335978
TI  - Systematic assessment of surfactants for matrix-assisted laser
      desorption/ionization mass spectrometry imaging.
AB  - A systematic method for evaluation of MALDI profiling and imaging was developed
      and applied to the use of three surfactants, sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS), Triton
      X-100, and Tween 20, on rat brain tissue. For profiling studies, mass spectra
      were acquired from regular arrays of spots with manually deposited surfactant and
      matrix. The studies recorded the total number of peaks in the mass spectra from 2
      to 20 kDa and compared the number of peaks and peak intensities with and without
      surfactant. It was found that SDS decreases the total number of peaks at all
      concentrations but does lead to an increase in the number of peaks below 5 kDa.
      Triton X-100 at 0.05% concentration yielded the highest number of peaks and
      highest number of new peaks, with the best results above 5 kDa. Correlation of
      the increase in signal with the estimated hydrophobicity suggests that Triton X
      100 improves mass spectrometry quality through an increase in the intensity of
      hydrophobic protein peaks. Tween 20 provided good performance at 0.05%
      concentration across all mass ranges. For imaging studies, multiple images were
      obtained and the integrated intensity ratio for images obtained with and without
      surfactant was compared for 10 selected peaks. It was found that SDS tends to
      degrade imaging performance whereas Triton X-100 and Tween 20 improved
      performance compared to no surfactant, especially above 7 kDa.

PMID- 28335980
TI  - Paper-polymer composite devices with minimal fluorescence background.
AB  - Polymer film incorporated paper-based devices show advantages in simplicity and
      rugged backing. However, their applications are restricted by the high
      fluorescence background interference of conventional laminating pouches. Herein,
      we report a straightforward approach for minimal fluorescence background device
      fabrication, in which filter paper was shaped and laminated in between two
      biaxially oriented polypropylene (OPP) and polyvinyl butyral (PVB) composite
      films. This composite film provides mechanical strength for enhanced device
      durability, protection from environmental contamination, and prevents reagent
      degradation. This approach was tested by the determination of copper ions with a
      fluorescent probe, while the detection of glucose was used to illustrate the
      improved device durability. Our results show that lamination by the polymer
      composite lengthens device lifetime, while allowing for fluorescence detection
      methods combination with greatly reduced fluorescent background widely present in
      commercially available lamination pouches. By the combination of rapid device
      prototyping with low cost materials, we believe that this composite design would
      further expand the potential of paper-based devices.

PMID- 28335979
TI  - Microfluidic immunosensor based on mesoporous silica platform and CMK-3/poly
      acrylamide-co-methacrylate of dihydrolipoic acid modified gold electrode for
      cancer biomarker detection.
AB  - We report a hybrid glass-poly (dimethylsiloxane) microfluidic immunosensor for
      epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) determination, based on the covalent
      immobilization of anti-EGFR antibody (anti-EGFR) on amino-functionalized
      mesoporous silica (AMS) retained in the central channel of a microfluidic device.
      The synthetized AMS was characterized by N2 adsorption-desorption isotherm,
      scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy dispersive spectrometry (EDS) and
      infrared spectroscopy. The cancer biomarker was quantified in human serum samples
      by a direct sandwich immunoassay measuring through a horseradish peroxidase
      conjugated anti-EGFR. The enzymatic product was detected at -100 mV by
      amperometry on a sputtering gold electrode, modified with an ordered mesoporous
      carbon (CMK-3) in a matrix of poly-acrylamide-co-methacrylate of dihydrolipoic
      acid (poly(AC-co-MDHLA)) through in situ copolymerization. CMK-3/poly(AC-co
      MDHLA)/gold was characterized by cyclic voltammetry, EDS and SEM. The measured
      current was directly proportional to the level of EGFR in human serum samples.
      The linear range was from 0.01 ng mL-1 to 50 ng mL-1. The detection limit was
      3.03 pg mL-1, and the within- and between-assay coefficients of variation were
      below 5.20%. The microfluidic immunosensor is a very promising device for the
      diagnosis of several kinds of epithelial origin carcinomas.

PMID- 28335981
TI  - External cavity-quantum cascade laser (EC-QCL) spectroscopy for protein analysis
      in bovine milk.
AB  - The analytical determination of bovine milk proteins is important in food and non
      food industrial applications and yet, rather labour-intensive wet-chemical, low
      throughput methods have been employed since decades. This work proposes the use
      of external cavity-quantum cascade laser (EC-QCL) spectroscopy for the
      simultaneous quantification of the most abundant bovine milk proteins and the
      total protein content based on the chemical information contained in mid-infrared
      (IR) spectral features of the amide I band. Mid-IR spectra of protein standard
      mixtures were used for building partial least squares (PLS) regression models.
      Protein concentrations in commercial bovine milk samples were calculated after
      chemometric compensation of the matrix contribution employing science-based
      calibration (SBC) without sample pre-processing. The use of EC-QCL spectroscopy
      together with advanced multivariate data analysis allowed the determination of
      casein, alpha-lactalbumin, beta-lactoglobulin and total protein content within
      several minutes.

PMID- 28335984
TI  - Tumor Necrosis Factor Inhibitors, Antinuclear Antibodies, and Autoimmunity in
      Patients With Psoriasis.

PMID- 28335982
TI  - Comparison of Displacement Encoding With Stimulated Echoes to Magnetic Resonance
      Feature Tracking for the Assessment of Myocardial Strain in Patients With Acute
      Myocardial Infarction.
AB  - The aim of this study was to compare myocardial strain by cardiovascular magnetic
      resonance feature tracking (CMR-FT) to those derived from displacement encoding
      with stimulated echoes (DENSE) in patients with acute myocardial infarction
      (AMI). Twenty patients (65 pa13 years) with AMI underwent cine, DENSE, black
      blood T2-weighted and late gadolinium enhancement CMR at 1.5 T. Global and
      segmental strain was determined by CMR-FT analysis and DENSE on matched 3 short
      axis planes. Global circumferential strain by CMR-FT showed a good agreement with
      that by DENSE (r = 0.85, p <0.001; bias 0.02, limits of agreement -0.03 to 0.06).
      For segmental circumferential strain, r coefficient between CMR-FT and DENSE was
      0.61 (p <0.001) with bias of 0.02, limits of agreement of -0.07 to 0.11. Regional
      circumferential strain determined by CMR-FT in infarct segments (-0.08 +/- 0.05)
      was significantly altered compared with that in remote normal segments (-0.15 +/-
      0.05, p <0.001). CMR-FT measurement of regional and global circumferential strain
      showed good agreement with DENSE in patients with AMI.

PMID- 28335983
TI  - Ideal Guiding Catheter Position During Bilaterally Engaged Percutaneous Coronary
      Intervention.
AB  - Using a novel combined angiography computed tomography (CT) system, we evaluated
      the impact of the intra-aortic root position of a right coronary artery (RCA)
      catheter on its coaxiality. We retrospectively enrolled 19 patients who underwent
      CT scans during bilaterally engaged percutaneous coronary intervention.
      Coaxiality was defined as the angle between the RCA and the RCA catheter. The
      coaxiality was better when the RCA catheter was placed anterior to the left main
      coronary artery catheter (median 27.0 degrees  vs 53.7 degrees , p = 0.02). The
      position of the RCA catheter had a significant impact on the coaxiality of it,
      with a coaxiality improvement ratio of 0.506 (95% confidence interval 0.294 to
      0.871, p = 0.017). Three-dimensional reconstructed CT images of the right
      anterior oblique projection could determine the position of catheters in all
      cases. In conclusion, the RCA catheter should be placed anterior, rather than
      posterior, to the left main coronary artery catheter for better coaxiality during
      bilaterally engaged percutaneous coronary intervention. The right anterior
      oblique projection is useful for determining the catheter position.

PMID- 28335985
TI  - Aqueous-phase synthesis of iron oxide nanoparticles and composites for cancer
      diagnosis and therapy.
AB  - The design and development of multifunctional nanoplatforms for biomedical
      applications still remains to be challenging. This review reports the recent
      advances in aqueous-phase synthesis of iron oxide nanoparticles (Fe3O4 NPs) and
      their composites for magnetic resonance (MR) imaging and photothermal therapy of
      cancer. Water dispersible and colloidally stable Fe3O4 NPs synthesized via
      controlled coprecipitation route, hydrothermal route and mild reduction route are
      introduced. Some of key strategies to improve the r2 relaxivity of Fe3O4 NPs and
      to enhance their uptake by cancer cells are discussed in detail. These aqueous
      phase synthetic methods can also be applied to prepare Fe3O4 NP-based composites
      for dual-mode molecular imaging applications. More interestingly, aqueous-phase
      synthesized Fe3O4 NPs are able to be fabricated as multifunctional theranostic
      agents for multi-mode imaging and photothermal therapy of cancer. This review
      will provide some meaningful information for the design and development of
      various Fe3O4 NP-based multifunctional nanoplatforms for cancer diagnosis and
      therapy.

PMID- 28335988
TI  - Omitting adjuvant chemotherapy in patients with rectal cancer who received
      neoadjuvant chemoradiation followed by total mesorectal excision and achieved a
      pathological complete response.

PMID- 28335986
TI  - On the formation and role of reactive oxygen species in light-driven LPMO
      oxidation of phosphoric acid swollen cellulose.
AB  - Light-driven activation of lytic polysaccharide monooxygenases (LPMOs) has been
      attributed to the transfer of high redox potential electrons from excited
      photopigments to the enzyme. However, due to the formation of reactive oxygen
      species (ROS) in such a system, not only electrons from the pigments but also ROS
      could be part of the enzyme mechanism. This work investigates the role of ROS in
      the oxidation of phosphoric acid swollen cellulose (PASC) by a light-driven LPMO
      system. Our results clearly show that the addition of superoxide dismutase or
      catalase to remove ROS did not attenuate the capacity of the light-driven LPMO
      system to oxidize PASC, as measured by formation of oxidized oligosaccharides. We
      conclude that ROS are not part of the light-driven LPMO activation; hence,
      transfer of high redox potential electrons from the excited photopigment to the
      LPMO remains the most likely mechanism under the conditions tested in this study.

PMID- 28335987
TI  - Community health indicators associated with outcomes of pancreatectomy.
AB  - PURPOSE: This study evaluates the association of environmental, social and health
      risk factors in relation to outcomes of pancreatic surgery. METHODS: Patients who
      underwent pancreatectomy with a 30 day postoperative follow up in Florida, New
      York and Washington states were identified using the State Inpatient Databases
      (SID) from 2010 to 2011. This data was merged with community health indicators
      complied from the County Health Ranking database. Fourteen community health
      indicators were used to determine higher risk communities. Communities were then
      divided into low and high risk communities based on a scoring system using
      accumulative community risk. RESULTS: Among 3494 patients included recipients in
      high-risk communities were more likely African American (p < 0.001), younger (age
      40-59; p = 0.001), and had Medicaid as primary insurance (p = 0.001). Management
      of patients in high-risk communities was associated with increased risk of
      postoperative complications (p < 0.001), ICU admissions (p < 0.001), increased
      length of stay (p < 0.001). CONCLUSION: Health indicators from patients'
      communities are predictors of increased risk of perioperative complications for
      individuals undergoing pancreas surgery.

PMID- 28335989
TI  - Sentinel lymph node biopsy in low risk settings.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Sentinel lymph node biopsy (SLNB) should be performed in patients
      with ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS) undergoing mastectomy. Yet, the same logic
      is controversial in the setting of prophylactic mastectomy. METHODS: Surgeons
      were surveyed as to their practices. Statistical analyses were performed to
      identify associated factors. RESULTS: 238 surgeons responded to the survey. 73.1%
      of respondents stated they would always perform SLNB in the setting of mastectomy
      for DCIS, but only 6.6% would always do so in the prophylactic setting. While
      generally perceived that the rate of SLN positivity in the setting of pure DCIS
      and prophylactic mastectomy was <5% (96.9% and 99.5%, respectively), 61.8% of
      surgeons who reported "always" performing SLNB in the setting of DCIS treated
      with mastectomy stated they "never" performed a SLNB for prophylactic mastectomy.
      CONCLUSION: SLNB practice patterns for these low risk settings are disparate.
      Consensus is required to rationalize practice.

PMID- 28335990
TI  - Trial type mixing substantially reduces the response set effect in the Stroop
      task.
AB  - The response set effect refers to the finding that an irrelevant incongruent
      colour-word produces greater interference when it is one of the response options
      (referred to as a response set trial), compared to when it is not (a non-response
      set trial). Despite being a key effect for models of selective attention, the
      magnitude of the effect varies considerably across studies. We report two within
      subjects experiments that tested the hypothesis that presentation format
      modulates the magnitude of the response set effect. Trial types (e.g. response
      set, non-response set, neutral) were either presented in separate blocks (pure)
      or in blocks containing trials from all conditions presented randomly (mixed). In
      the first experiment we show that the response set effect is substantially
      reduced in the mixed block context as a result of a decrease in RTs to response
      set trials. By demonstrating the modulation of the response set effect under
      conditions of trial type mixing we present evidence that is difficult for models
      of the effect based on strategic, top-down biasing of attention to explain. In a
      second experiment we tested a stimulus-driven account of the response set effect
      by manipulating the number of colour-words that make up the non-response set of
      distractors. The results show that the greater the number of non-response set
      colour concepts, the smaller the response set effect. Alternative accounts of the
      data and its implications for research debating the automaticity of reading are
      discussed.

PMID- 28335991
TI  - Corrigendum to: "Saliva initiates the formation of pro-inflammatory macrophages
      in vitro" [Arch. Oral Biol. 73 (January) (2017) 295-301].

PMID- 28335993
TI  - Biomaterials innovation for next generation ex vivo immune tissue engineering.
AB  - Primary and secondary lymphoid organs are tissues that facilitate differentiation
      of B and T cells, leading to the induction of adaptive immune responses. These
      organs are present in the body from birth and are also recognized as locations
      where self-reactive B and T cells can be eliminated during the natural selection
      process. Many insights into the mechanisms that control the process of immune
      cell development and maturation in response to infection come from the analysis
      of various gene-deficient mice that lack some or all hallmark features of
      lymphoid tissues. The complexity of such animal models limits our ability to
      modulate the parameters that control the process of immune cell development,
      differentiation, and immunomodulation. Engineering functional, living immune
      tissues using biomaterials can grant researchers the ability to reproduce
      immunological events with tunable parameters for more rapid development of
      immunotherapeutics, cell-based therapy, and enhancing our understanding of
      fundamental biology as well as improving efforts in regenerative medicine. Here
      the author provides his review and perspective on the bioengineering of primary
      and secondary lymphoid tissues, and biomaterials innovation needed for the
      construction of these immune organs in tissue culture plates and on-chip.

PMID- 28335994
TI  - Differential expression of serpins may selectively licence distinct granzyme B
      functions including antigen cross-presentation.

PMID- 28335992
TI  - Varicella zoster virus vasculopathy: The expanding clinical spectrum and
      pathogenesis.
AB  - Varicella zoster virus (VZV) is a ubiquitous, human alphaherpesvirus that
      produces varicella on primary infection then becomes latent in ganglionic neurons
      along the entire neuraxis. In elderly and immunocompromised individuals, VZV
      reactivates and travels along nerve fibers peripherally resulting in zoster.
      However, VZV can also spread centrally and infect cerebral and extracranial
      arteries (VZV vasculopathy) to produce transient ischemic attacks, stroke,
      aneurysm, sinus thrombosis and giant cell arteritis, as well as granulomatous
      aortitis. The mechanisms of virus-induced pathological vascular remodeling are
      not fully elucidated; however, recent studies suggest that inflammation and
      dysregulation of programmed death ligand-1 play a significant role.

PMID- 28335995
TI  - Assessment of dietary exposure to organohalogen contaminants, legacy and emerging
      flame retardants in a Norwegian cohort.
AB  - Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), organochlorine pesticides (OCPs),
      polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs), emerging halogenated flame retardants
      (EHFRs) and organophosphate flame retardants (PFRs) were detected in 24h
      duplicate diet samples from a Norwegian cohort (n=61), with concentrations
      ranging from <method limit of quantification (MLQ)-0.64ng/g ww, <MLQ-0.70ng/g ww,
      <MLQ-0.93ng/g ww, <MLQ-0.14ng/g ww, and <MLQ-150ng/g ww, respectively. All
      studied contaminants were detected in the duplicate diet samples with detection
      frequencies (DF) ranging from 1.6 to 98%. The major contaminants were CB153
      (median 0.042ng/g ww), alpha-HCH (median 0.22ng/g ww), BDE209 (median 0.45ng/g
      ww), ethyl hexyl diphenyl phosphate (EHDPHP) (median 3.0ng/g ww) and bis(2
      ethylhexyl)-3,4,5,6-tetrabromo-phthalate (BEH-TEBP) (<MLQ-0.14ng/g ww). Human
      dietary exposure assessment was conducted for each participant based on
      individual body weight and contaminant concentrations in their collected
      duplicate diet samples. The estimated median (95th percentile) dietary exposures
      for SigmaPFR, SigmaPCB, SigmaOCP, SigmaPBDE, and SigmaEHFR were 87 (340), 5.8
      (27), 11 (31), 1.3 (14), and <0.01 (3.4) ng/kgbw/day, respectively. The median
      and 95th percentile dietary exposures of most of the target analytes did not
      exceed the reference dose (RfD), except for PCBs where 16% of the participants
      exceeded the RfD. However, a relatively short period of such high intake is not
      expected to result in any adverse health effects. Participants of this cohort
      were exposed to higher levels of EHDPHP than any other FRs. Fish was the major
      dietary route for PCB, OCP and PBDE exposure, while meat was the main dietary
      exposure route for PFRs.

PMID- 28335996
TI  - Spontaneous uterine artery rupture during pregnancy: About two cases.

PMID- 28335997
TI  - "Re: Campbell S, Corcoran P, Manning E, Greene R, for the Irish Maternal
      Morbidity Advisory Group. Peripartum hysterectomy incidence, risk factors and
      clinical characteristics in Ireland" [Eur. J. Obstet. Gynecol. Reprod. Biol. 207
      (2016) 56-61].

PMID- 28335998
TI  - Point Shear Wave Elastography to Evaluate and Monitor Changing Portal Venous
      Pressure in Patients with Decompensated Cirrhosis.
AB  - This study evaluated whether the stiffness of the liver and spleen, measured
      using the point shear wave elastography (pSWE) technique, correlates with portal
      venous pressure (PVP) and whether the result extends to estimate the diminishing
      change in PVP (DeltaPVP) in patients with decompensated cirrhosis. We evaluated
      the data of 67 prospectively enrolled patients who underwent both transjugular
      intrahepatic portosystemic shunt (TIPS) and pSWE. The stiffness of liver and
      spleen were evaluated by measuring shear wave velocity (SWV) to determine the
      statistical correlation with PVP. We also analyzed whether change in SWV
      (DeltaSWV) correlates with DeltaPVP. The correlations were assessed with
      Spearman's rank correlation coefficients. Furthermore, receiver operating
      characteristic (ROC) curves were constructed to evaluate diagnostic capacity of
      DeltaSWV. Spleen stiffness (SS) was positively correlated with PVP before and
      after TIPS (p < 0.002), although no correlation between liver stiffness and PVP
      was detected. A strong relationship between DeltaSWV in SS and DeltaPVP change in
      portal hypertension (r = 0.871) was also found in the overall population. The
      area under the ROC curve for the diagnosis of TIPS technical success was 0.869
      and at a DeltaSWV cut-off value of 0.36 m/s sensitivity was 77%. Measurement of
      SS can be used for non-invasive assessment and monitoring of PVP in patients with
      decompensated cirrhosis.

PMID- 28335999
TI  - Model for Porosity Changes Occurring during Ultrasound-Enhanced Transcorneal Drug
      Delivery.
AB  - Ultrasound-enhanced drug delivery through the cornea has considerable therapeutic
      potential. However, our understanding of how ultrasound enhances drug transport
      is poor, as is our ability to predict the increased level of transport for given
      ultrasound parameters. Described here is a computational model for quantifying
      changes in corneal porosity during ultrasound exposure. The model is calibrated
      through experiments involving sodium fluorescein transport through rabbit cornea.
      Validation was performed using nylon filters, for which the properties are known.
      It was found that exposure to 800-kHz ultrasound at an intensity 2 W/cm2 for 5
      min increased the porosity of the epithelium by a factor of 5. The model can be
      useful for determining the extent to which ultrasound enhances the amount of drug
      transported through biological barriers, and the time at which a therapeutic dose
      is achieved at a given location, for different drugs and exposure strategies.

PMID- 28336001
TI  - Detection of cognitive impairment using self-rated AD8 and informant-reported
      AD8.
AB  - BACKGROUND/PURPOSE: Screening of dementia can help to initiate proper management
      of the disorder. The use of the Ascertain Dementia 8-item Questionnaire (AD8) in
      screening has been promoted in Taiwan recently. The purpose of this study was to
      compare the psychometric properties and appropriateness of informant-reported and
      self-rated AD8 in cognitive impairment screening in Taiwan. METHODS: The AD8 were
      administered to 153 participants and their informants recruited from two
      neurology out-patient clinics. The discriminative abilities for early cognitive
      impairment [Clinical Dementia Rating scale (CDR) 0.5 and 1] of informant-based
      and self-rating AD8 were determined and compared with their areas under the
      receiver operating curve. kappa coefficients representing the agreement between
      self-rated and informant-reported AD8 scores were also calculated. RESULTS:
      Participants and their informants were aged 76.9 years and 56.0 years on average,
      respectively. Only informant-reported AD8 was significantly associated with CDR
      level (Spearman rho=0.469, p<0.001) and Cognitive Abilities Screening Instrument
      score (Spearman rho=-0.458, p<0.001). The item-by-item agreements between self
      rated and informant-reported AD8 were poor (kappa coefficients: -0.030 to 0.206).
      The area under the receiver-operator characteristic curve was 0.59 for self-rated
      AD8 scores, and 0.77 for informant-reported AD8 scores, indicating that the
      discriminating ability of AD8 scores between CDR 0 and CDR 0.5 or greater is
      better when reported by informant than when rated by self. CONCLUSION: Informant
      rated AD8 gave more accurate screening results than self-reported AD8 in an out
      patient clinic setting.

PMID- 28336000
TI  - High-intensity cannabis use and HIV clinical outcomes among HIV-positive people
      who use illicit drugs in Vancouver, Canada.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Reforms to the legal status of medical and non-medical cannabis are
      underway in many jurisdictions, including Canada, as are renewed efforts to scale
      up HIV treatment-as-prevention (TasP) initiatives. It has been suggested that
      high-intensity cannabis use may be associated with sub-optimal HIV treatment
      outcomes. Thus, using data from a setting with a community-wide treatment-as
      prevention (TasP) initiative coinciding with increasing access to medical
      cannabis, we sought to investigate the possible impact of high-intensity cannabis
      use on HIV clinical outcomes. METHODS: Data was derived from the ACCESS study, a
      prospective cohort of HIV-positive people who use illicit drugs (PWUD) in
      Vancouver, Canada. Cohort data was confidentially linked to comprehensive
      clinical profiles, including records of all antiretroviral therapy (ART)
      dispensations and longitudinal plasma HIV-1 RNA viral load (VL) monitoring. We
      used generalized estimating equations (GEEs) to estimate the longitudinal
      bivariable and multivariable relationships between at least daily cannabis use
      and two key clinical outcomes: overall engagement in ART care, and achieving a
      non-detectable VL among ART-exposed participants. RESULTS: Between December 2005
      and June 2015, 874 HIV-positive PWUD (304 [35%] non-male) were included in this
      study. In total, 788 (90%) were engaged in HIV care at least once over the study
      period, of whom 670 (85%) achieved non-detectable VL at least once. In
      multivariable analyses, >= daily cannabis use did not predict lower odds of ART
      care (Adjusted Odds Ratio [AOR]: 1.02, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.77-1.36)
      or VL non-detectability among ART-exposed (AOR: 0.96, 95% CI: 0.75-1.21). Upon
      testing for potential interactions, >= daily cannabis use was found to be
      negatively associated with ART engagement during periods of binge alcohol use
      (p<0.05). CONCLUSION: With the exception of frequent cannabis use during periods
      of binge alcohol use, our results showed no statistically significant impact of
      daily cannabis use on the likelihood of ART care or VL non-detectability among
      ART-exposed HIV-positive PWUD. These findings are reassuring in light of the
      impending legalization of cannabis in Canada and ongoing efforts to expand TasP
      initiatives.

PMID- 28336002
TI  - World TB Day 2017: Strengthening the fight against TB.

PMID- 28336004
TI  - [Postnatal diagnosis of gastric volvulus revealing congenital diaphragmatic
      hernia].
AB  - Postnatally diagnosed congenital diaphragmatic hernias (CDH) are rare and have a
      better prognosis than those diagnosed prenatally. Postnatal symptoms can be
      respiratory, digestive, or mixed. Gastric volvulus can reveal CDH. Symptoms are
      pain, abdominal distension, and/or vomiting. Upper gastrointestinal barium X-ray
      radiography provides the diagnosis. Prognosis is related to early surgical
      management in complicated forms with intestinal occlusion or sub-occlusion. We
      report on an infant who presented with vomiting, which revealed gastric volvulus
      associated with a CDH. Progression was favorable after surgical treatment.

PMID- 28336003
TI  - Efficacy of a titanium dioxide nanoparticles - based indoor anti-odor product as
      assessed by electronic nose and gaschromatography-mass spectrometry.
AB  - Indoor air pollutants and odorants may have psychological and physical impact on
      exposed individuals and the unpleasant room air is considered as one of the
      factors associated with sick building syndrome comprising general symptoms such
      as headache and lethargy. Approaches for improving the quality of indoor air are
      thus important as support for human health and well-being. Photo-oxidation
      catalyzed by titanium dioxide (TiO2), is one of the methods used for elimination
      of volatile organic compounds, which are the cause of odor nuisance in indoor and
      outdoor air. In the present investigation, the efficacy of an experimental anti
      odor air freshener based on TiO2 nanoparticles was estimated by testing its
      ability in removing from a small air chamber (200mL) the odor of triethylamine
      solutions (50MUL at concentrations between 0.700 to 700mM), used as a model
      volatile molecule for simulating fish-like unpleasant indoor environment. The
      evaluation was performed by electronic nose which provided a holistic and
      objective data on the efficacy of the product, demonstrating that the effects of
      triethylamine even at the highest tested concentrations can be completely removed
      by application of 3.0g of the product at 25% TiO2 nanoparticles concentration.
      The obtained results were confirmed by gaschromatography-mass spectrometry (GC
      MS) analysis addressed to the quantitative determination of residual
      triethylamine in the environment after treatment by the anti-odor product.

PMID- 28336005
TI  - [Need for an overall reflexion on personalized medicine in pediatric oncology].

PMID- 28336007
TI  - Diagnostic Performance of Automated Breast Volume Scanning (ABVS) Compared to
      Handheld Ultrasonography With Breast MRI as the Gold Standard.
AB  - RATIONALE AND OBJECTIVES: This study aimed to compare the diagnostic value of
      automated breast volume scanning (ABVS) to that of handheld ultrasonography
      (HHUS) using breast magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) as the gold standard.
      MATERIALS AND METHODS: Twenty-eight patients with 39 examined breasts with at
      least one lesion visible in breast MRI underwent HHUS and ABVS. Detection rate,
      localization, maximum diameter, and Breast Imaging Reporting and Data System
      classification were compared. Sensitivity, specificity, diagnostic accuracy,
      positive predictive value, and negative predictive value were calculated for HHUS
      and ABVS. Lesion localization and maximum diameters based on HHUS and ABVS were
      compared to size measurement in MRI. Breast Imaging Reporting and Data System
      categories based on each method were compared to the MRI diagnosis (malignant or
      benign) or, if available (21 cases), with the histologic diagnosis. RESULTS: MRI
      detected 72 lesions, ABVS 59 lesions, and HHUS 54 lesions. Malignancy was proven
      histopathologically in 15 cases. There was no significant difference between ABVS
      and HHUS in terms of sensitivity (93.3% vs. 100%), specificity (83.3% vs. 83.3%),
      diagnostic accuracy (87.2% vs. 89.7%), positive predictive value (77.8% vs.
      78.9%), and negative predictive value (95.2% vs. 100%). Agreement regarding
      lesion localization (same quadrant) was 94.3% for ABVS and MRI and 91.2% for HHUS
      and MRI. Lesion size compared to MRI lesion size was assessed correctly (+/- 3
      mm) in 79.4% (HHUS) and 80% (ABVS). The correlation of size measurement was
      slightly higher for ABVS-MRI (r = 0.89) than for HHUS-MRI (r = 0.82) with P <
      .001. CONCLUSIONS: ABVS can be used as an alternative to HHUS. ABVS has the
      advantage of operator independence and better reproducibility although it is
      limited in evaluating axillary lymph nodes and lacks Doppler or elastrography
      capabilities, which sometimes provide important supplementary information in
      HHUS.

PMID- 28336006
TI  - Influence of the Integral Quality Monitor transmission detector on high energy
      photon beams: A multi-centre study.
AB  - PURPOSE: The influence of the Integral Quality Monitor (IQM) transmission
      detector on photon beam properties was evaluated in a preclinical phase, using
      data from nine participating centres: (i) the change of beam quality (beam
      hardening), (ii) the influence on surface dose, and (iii) the attenuation of the
      IQM detector. METHODS: For 6 different nominal photon energies (4 standard, 2
      FFF) and square field sizes from 1*1cm2 to 20*20cm2, the effect of IQM on beam
      quality was assessed from the PDD20,10 values obtained from the percentage dose
      depth (PDD) curves, measured with and without IQM in the beam path. The change in
      surface dose with/without IQM was assessed for all available energies and field
      sizes from 4*4cm2 to 20*20cm2. The transmission factor was calculated by means of
      measured absorbed dose at 10cm depth for all available energies and field sizes.
      RESULTS: (i) A small (0.11-0.53%) yet statistically significant beam hardening
      effect was observed, depending on photon beam energy. (ii) The increase in
      surface dose correlated with field size (p<0.01) for all photon energies except
      for 18MV. The change in surface dose was smaller than 3.3% in all cases except
      for the 20*20cm2 field and 10MV FFF beam, where it reached 8.1%. (iii) For
      standard beams, transmission of the IQM showed a weak dependence on the field
      size, and a pronounced dependence on the beam energy (0.9412 for 6MV to 0.9578
      for 18MV and 0.9440 for 6MV FFF; 0.9533 for 10MV FFF). CONCLUSIONS: The effects
      of the IQM detector on photon beam properties were found to be small yet
      statistically significant. The magnitudes of changes which were found justify
      treating IQM either as tray factors within the treatment planning system (TPS)
      for a particular energy or alternatively as modified outputs for specific beam
      energy of linear accelerators, which eases the introduction of the IQM into
      clinical practice.

PMID- 28336009
TI  - Case Study in Critical Care Transport: A 51-Year-Old Male With Ludwig Angina.

PMID- 28336010
TI  - Looking Forward.

PMID- 28336011
TI  - Winner, Winner, Chicken Dinner.

PMID- 28336014
TI  - Clinical Significance of Fibrinogen Degradation Product Among Traumatized
      Patients.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: We retrospectively analyzed trauma patients who were transported by a
      physician-staffed helicopter (doctor helicopter) to investigate the clinical
      significance of the fibrinogen degradation product (FDP) level on arrival.
      METHODS: From February 2011 to July 2016, a medical chart review was
      retrospectively performed for all patients with trauma who were transported by
      the doctor helicopter. The subjects were divided into 2 groups: a survival group
      and a fatal group. RESULTS: There were 135 patients in the survival group and 16
      in the fatal group. The ratio of head injury, value of Injury Severity Score
      (ISS), and level of FDP in the fatal group were significantly greater than in the
      survival group. The average Glasgow Coma Scale and systolic blood pressure in the
      fatal group were significantly smaller than in the survival group. The FDP level
      at arrival was positively associated with the ISS (R = 0.74, P < .0001). After
      excluding subjects with shock, unconsciousness, and head injury, the FDP level
      was still positively associated with the ISS (R = 0.60, P < .0001). CONCLUSION:
      Therefore, the FDP level may be a useful biochemical parameter for the initial
      evaluation of the severity of trauma, even in blunt trauma patients without head
      injury or with stable vital signs.

PMID- 28336015
TI  - Ten Years of En Route Critical Care Training.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: The French Military Health Service (FMHS) has developed a training
      program for medical evacuation (MEDEVAC) of critical care patients on fixed wing
      aircraft. METHODS: We conducted a 10-year retrospective analysis (2006-2015) of
      the data from the FMHS Academy. The number of trainees was listed according to
      the different courses and medical specialties. The number of MEDEVACs recorded
      during the period was described. RESULTS: Since 2006, the FMHS has developed
      training courses designed for MEDEVAC of critical care patients. Forty-five
      collective strategic MEDEVAC courses were delivered to 91 intensivists, 130
      anesthetic nurses, 79 flight surgeons, 55 flight nurses, and 89 nurses. Five
      sessions of tactical MEDEVAC courses were performed for 14 flight surgeons, 6
      flight nurses, and 17 other nurses. Ten sessions of individual strategic MEDEVAC
      courses were delivered to 17 intensivists, 10 flight surgeons, 21 flight nurses,
      and 7 other nurses. Between 2006 and 2015, 818 (+/- 68) individual strategic
      MEDEVACs were performed per year. Thirty-three (+/- 19) concerned critical care
      patients. Five missions of collective strategic MEDEVAC were performed for 56
      patients. CONCLUSION: The FMHS has developed specific courses for the MEDEVAC of
      critical care patients, allowing the training of numerous MEDEVAC teams.

PMID- 28336016
TI  - Review of Issues and Challenges of Practicing Emergency Medicine Above 30,000
      Feet Altitude: 2 Anonymized Cases.
AB  - We present 2 anonymized cases to identify issues and challenges associated with
      long-haul in-flight medical emergencies. The first case involved a middle-aged
      man with a history of carditis on a systemic steroid who developed vomiting and
      rigor. Four physicians, including a pediatric intensivist, responded to the
      emergency call. In the second case, a pediatric trainee who was the only onboard
      medical personnel was summoned for help when a middle-aged man developed acute
      shortness of breath while traveling on a commercial flight. The cases illustrate
      the challenges and issues on the critical decisions of diagnosis, resuscitation,
      and whether the flight had to be returned or diverted. An extensive literature
      search is made to summarize the evidence available for these decisions and
      challenges. Epidemiology and outcomes associated with these medical emergencies
      are reviewed. In-flight medical emergencies are not rare. Physicians of all
      disciplines should be prepared to deal with these emergencies and make sensible
      decisions when equipment and resources are likely to be limited.

PMID- 28336017
TI  - Weather Webcam System for the Safety of Helicopter Emergency Medical Services in
      Miyazaki, Japan.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: In Japan, the helicopter emergency medical services (HEMS) system was
      initiated in 2001 and introduced to Miyazaki Prefecture in 2012. Mountainous
      areas occupy 88% of Miyazaki's land area, and HEMS flights can be subject to the
      effects of weather. Therefore, ensuring safety in changing weather conditions is
      a necessity for HEMS. METHODS: The weather webcam system (WWS) was established to
      observe the meteorological conditions in 29 locations. Assessments of the
      probability of a flight based on conventional data including a weather chart
      provided by the Japan Meteorological Agency and meteorological reports provided
      by the Miyazaki Airport were compared with the assessment based on the
      combination of the information obtained from the WWS and the conventional data.
      RESULTS: The results showed that the probability of a flight by HEMS increased
      when using the WSS, leading to an increased transportation opportunity for
      patients in the mountains who rely on HEMS. In addition, the results indicate
      that the WWS may prevent flights in unfavorable weather conditions. CONCLUSION:
      The WWS used in conjunction with conventional weather data within Miyazaki HEMS
      increased the pilot's awareness of current weather conditions throughout the
      Prefecture, increasing the probability of accepting a flight.

PMID- 28336018
TI  - Air Medical Transport Residency Program for Flight Nurses and Paramedics.

PMID- 28336020
TI  - Embrace Action: Mind, Body, and Spirit.

PMID- 28336019
TI  - Endotracheal Cuff Pressure Changes During Helicopter Transport: A Systematic
      Review.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: Cuff pressures are important in ventilated patients undergoing
      helicopter transport. An altitude-related increase in endotracheal tube (ETT)
      intracuff pressure has been shown in simulated hypobaric environments, model
      tracheas, and animal studies and may not accurately reflect in vivo pressures.
      The aim of this study was to determine if ETT intracuff pressure increases above
      the critical perfusion pressure of the trachea in ventilated patients during
      helicopter transport. METHODS: Ovid Medline, CINAHL, Embase, Scopus, and the
      Cochrane Library were searched from their commencement to January 29, 2016.
      Google Scholar was searched, and reference lists of relevant articles were
      examined to identify additional studies. Articles were included if they reported
      on ETT intracuff pressure in ventilated patients during helicopter emergency
      medical service transport. RESULTS: A total of 330 articles were identified; only
      2 prospective observational studies met the inclusion criteria. The studies
      reported a mean cuff pressure increase of 23 cm H2O and 33.9 cm H2O. Both studies
      reported ETT intracuff pressure to frequently exceed the critical perfusion
      pressure of the tracheal mucosa during helicopter transport. CONCLUSION: Further
      research with longitudinal follow-up is required to confirm these findings to
      determine if the effects of transient increased ETT intracuff pressure are
      clinically significant.

PMID- 28336021
TI  - Leading Learning in the Internet Age.

PMID- 28336022
TI  - Author response.

PMID- 28336023
TI  - Expectations of Perioperative Nurse and Surgeon Behavior in the OR.

PMID- 28336024
TI  - Postoperative Pain Self-Management Behavior in Patients Who Underwent Total Knee
      or Hip Arthroplasty.
AB  - The self-management of acute postoperative pain is not well researched. This
      cross-sectional study investigates postoperative pain and pain self-management
      behavior. We recruited 127 patients who underwent total knee or total hip
      arthroplasty in an acute care hospital. We measured postoperative pain intensity
      and pain self-management behavior for three postoperative days. The results
      showed that the participants experienced mild and moderate pain intensity and
      perceived moderate to severe pain interference, which influenced their mood,
      sleep patterns, ability to walk, and performance of general activities and
      rehabilitation exercises. Female participants reported significantly higher pain
      intensity and lower pain self-management behavior; highly educated participants
      reported significantly lower pain intensity and higher self-management behavior.
      Pain intensity scores had a significant negative correlation with the total self
      management behavior score (r = -0.719, P < .01). Health care professionals must
      consider patients' demographic characteristics when providing education and
      support regarding pain self-management for postoperative pain control.

PMID- 28336025
TI  - Service Dogs in the Perioperative Setting.
AB  - Service dogs are critical for the independence of individuals with disabilities
      because they assist with daily living activities and help these individuals
      navigate society. Perioperative nurses need a working knowledge of disability
      laws pertaining to service dogs to provide patient-centered care for individuals
      using service dogs. This article provides information on the Americans With
      Disabilities Act regulations regarding service dogs, makes recommendations for
      the care of patients with service dogs across the perioperative continuum, and
      offers policy directives to ensure that safe, high-quality care is delivered to
      patients using service dogs.

PMID- 28336026
TI  - Viscoelastic Studies: Effective Tools for Trauma and Surgical Resuscitation
      Efforts.
AB  - Trauma-induced coagulopathy (TIC) is an abrupt disruption of all hemostatic
      components of coagulation resulting from severe tissue injury and hypoperfusion.
      The effective management of TIC has remained elusive to clinicians using
      traditional laboratory methods, challenging efforts to improve outcomes related
      to uncontrolled bleeding. Recent initiatives have aimed to reduce TIC-associated
      morbidity and mortality, further invoking trauma experts to explore innovative
      modalities in the field of viscoelastic studies, such as thromboelastography
      (TEG) and rotational thromboelastometry (ROTEM). These tests are able to guide
      proper blood product administration more effectively during trauma and surgical
      resuscitation compared with conventional laboratory tests. Although TEG and ROTEM
      are similar tests, inherent differences in their features produce variation in
      output results. This article calls on the perioperative clinician to evaluate TEG
      and ROTEM tests and consider their implementation based on the benefits of their
      application to clinical practice.

PMID- 28336027
TI  - Reducing Surgery Cancellations at a Pediatric Ambulatory Surgery Center.
AB  - Surgery cancellations are costly and can be frustrating for patients, their
      families, and the surgical team. Because of the inherent nature of an ambulatory
      surgery center, which only performs scheduled elective procedures, surgical
      cancellations typically result in wasted time and resources. Pediatric surgery
      cancellations can be mitigated with proper preoperative screening and
      communication between nurses and patients' guardians. To reduce the rate of
      cancellation at our pediatric ambulatory surgery center, we implemented a Nurse
      Patient Preoperative Call Log. Preoperative nurses called patients or their
      guardians on two separate occasions during the two weeks before surgery to review
      health history and instructions and answer questions about the upcoming surgery.
      Three months after implementing the call log, surgery cancellation rates
      significantly decreased from 16.8% to 8.8% (P < .05). Nurses used the call log
      for all patients, with 85.6% of patients receiving two calls in the two weeks
      before their surgery.

PMID- 28336028
TI  - Guideline Implementation: Energy-Generating Devices, Part 2-Lasers.
AB  - Lasers have been used in the OR for many years and are essential tools in many
      different types of procedures. However, laser beams that come into contact with
      unintended targets directly or via reflection can cause injury to patients or
      personnel or pose other hazards, such as fires. The new AORN "Guideline for safe
      use of energy-generating devices" provides guidance on the use of all energy
      generating devices in the OR. This article focuses on key points of the guideline
      that address the safe use of lasers. These include the components of the laser
      safety program, the responsibilities of the personnel in roles specific to use of
      a laser, laser safety measures, and documentation of laser use. Perioperative RNs
      should review the complete guideline for additional information and for guidance
      when writing and updating policies and procedures.

PMID- 28336029
TI  - Guideline Summary: Energy-Generating Devices, Part 2-Lasers.

PMID- 28336030
TI  - Applying Human-Centered Design Thinking to Enhance Safety in the OR.

PMID- 28336031
TI  - Clinical Issues-April 2017.
AB  - Patient involvement in hand hygiene Key words: patient engagement, hand hygiene,
      hand washing stations, hand hygiene promotion. Alcohol-based surgical hand rubs
      in the OR Key words: hand hygiene, hand rub, dispenser. Personal hand hygiene
      dispensers Key words: hand hygiene, hand rub, hand rub dispenser, personal
      dispenser. Hand soap Key words: soap, hand hygiene, hand wash, plain soap,
      triclosan. Disposal of water used for plaster application in scrub sinks Key
      words: plaster, pour, sink, scrub sink. Multiple hand hygiene indications Key
      words: hand hygiene, hand wash, hand rub.

PMID- 28336032
TI  - Evidence appraisal of Koh BTH, Tan JH, Ramruttun AK, Wang W. Effect of storage
      temperature and equilibration time on polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA) bone cement
      polymerization in joint replacement surgery.: J Orthop Surg Res. 2015;10(1):178.
      doi:10.1186/s13018-015-0320-7.

PMID- 28336034
TI  - A Fumbled Handoff to Inpatient Rehab.

PMID- 28336033
TI  - Guideline at a Glance: Environmental Cleaning.

PMID- 28336035
TI  - Effect of Tranexamic Acid on Transfusion Rates Following Total Joint
      Arthroplasty: A Cost and Comparative Effectiveness Analysis.
AB  - Tranexamic acid (TXA) is used to reduce blood loss in orthopedic total joint
      arthroplasty (TJA). This study evaluates the effectiveness of TXA in reducing
      transfusions and hospital cost in TJA. Participants undergoing elective TJA were
      stratified into 2 cohorts: those not receiving and those receiving intravenous
      TXA. TXA decreased total hip arthroplasty (THA) transfusions from 22.7% to 11.9%,
      and total knee arthroplasty (TKA) from 19.4% to 7.0%. The average direct hospital
      cost reduction for THA and TKA was $3083 and $2582, respectively. Implementation
      of a TJA TXA protocol significantly reduced transfusions in a safe and cost
      effective manner.

PMID- 28336036
TI  - Physical Function and Physical Activity in Obese Adults After Total Knee
      Arthroplasty.
AB  - Obese patients are more likely to have osteoarthritis and total knee arthroplasty
      (TKA). This investigation sought to evaluate physical function, activity level,
      and quality of life (QOL). Obese participants near 1-year postsurgical follow-up
      appointment were recruited. Evaluation included QOL and activity questionnaire,
      medical histories, anthropometrics, strength, and aerobic capacity. Sixty
      participants completed assessments. Obese TKA patients have physical performance
      limitations and low physical activity levels 1 year after surgery and completion
      of postoperative rehabilitation.

PMID- 28336037
TI  - Deep Vein Thrombosis and Pulmonary Embolism Considerations in Orthopedic Surgery.
AB  - Patients undergoing orthopedic surgery have an increased risk for deep venous
      thrombosis (DVT) and pulmonary embolism (PE). These complications are considered
      detrimental, as they cause major postoperative morbidity and mortality and lead
      to a substantial health care burden. Because of the high incidence and serious
      nature of these complications, it is essential for orthopedic surgeons to have a
      comprehensive knowledge of the risk factors, diagnosis, and treatment of acute
      DVT and PE. Perioperative management of orthopedic patients to prevent
      postoperative DVT and PE and optimize postoperative outcomes is also discussed in
      this review.

PMID- 28336038
TI  - Role of Systemic and Local Antibiotics in the Treatment of Open Fractures.
AB  - The orthopedic community has learned much about the treatment of open fractures
      from the tremendous work of Ramon Gustilo, Michael Patzakis, and others; however,
      open fractures continue to be very difficult challenges. Type III open fractures
      continue to be associated with high infection rates. Some combination of systemic
      and local antibiotics may be most appropriate in these high-grade open fractures.
      Further research is still necessary in determining optimal systemic antibiotic
      regimens as well as the role of local antibiotics. Any new discoveries related to
      novel systemic antibiotics or local antibiotic carriers will need to be evaluated
      related to cost.

PMID- 28336039
TI  - The Antibiotic Nail in the Treatment of Long Bone Infection: Technique and
      Results.
AB  - Antibiotic cement nails provide a useful and relatively simple technique to treat
      intramedullary osteomyelitis of the long bones. These devices provide stability
      as well as local, targeted antibiotics, which are both critical aspects of
      osteomyelitis management. Additionally, the use of a threaded core is a critical
      component of successful cement nail assembly. With adherence to the simple
      principles outlined in this review, surgeons can expect reliably good results
      using these drug-delivery implants.

PMID- 28336040
TI  - The Impact of Negative Pressure Wound Therapy on Orthopaedic Infection.
AB  - By hastening the resolution of edema and improving local microcirculation,
      topical negative pressure wound therapy (TNP) aids the establishment of early
      wound coverage. Its use in the setting of type III open fractures is reviewed.
      The author's initial use of TNP for closed surgical incisions and how it morphed
      its way into being applied to closed surgical wounds with heightened likelihood
      for infection is presented. Several case studies are presented to illustrate the
      role and the technique for management of acute or subacute infections involving
      bone and implant.

PMID- 28336041
TI  - Double-Edged Sword: Musculoskeletal Infection Provoked Acute Phase Response in
      Children.
AB  - The acute phase response has a crucial role in mounting the body's response to
      tissue injury. Excessive activation of the acute phase response is responsible
      for many complications that occur in orthopedic patients. Given that infection
      may be considered continuous tissue injury that persistently activates the acute
      phase response, children with musculoskeletal infections are at markedly
      increased risk for serious complications. Future strategies that modulate the
      acute phase response have the potential to improve treatment and prevent
      complications associated with musculoskeletal infection.

PMID- 28336042
TI  - Acute Hematogenous Osteomyelitis in Children: Pathogenesis, Diagnosis, and
      Treatment.
AB  - Acute hematogenous osteomyelitis (AHO) in children is an ideal condition to study
      due to its representation of a wide spectrum of disorders that comprise pediatric
      musculoskeletal infection. Proper care for children with AHO is multidisciplinary
      and collaborative. AHO continues to present a significant clinical challenge due
      to evolving epidemiology and complex pathogenesis. A guideline-driven,
      multidisciplinary approach has been introduced and shown to effectively reduce
      hospital stay, improve the timing and selection of empirical antibiotic
      administration, reduce delay to initial MRI, reduce the rate of readmission, and
      shorten antibiotic duration.

PMID- 28336043
TI  - Pediatric Septic Arthritis.
AB  - Acute septic arthritis is a condition with the potential for joint destruction,
      physeal damage, and osteonecrosis, which warrants urgent identification and
      treatment. The organism most frequently responsible is Staphylococcus aureus;
      however, our understanding of pathogens continues to evolve as detection methods
      continue to improve. MRI has improved our ability to detect concurrent infections
      and is a useful clinical tool where available. The treatment course involves
      intravenous antibiotics followed by transition to oral antibiotics when
      clinically appropriate. The recommended surgical treatment of septic arthritis is
      open arthrotomy with decompression of the joint, irrigation, and debridement and
      treatment of concurrent infections.

PMID- 28336044
TI  - Flexor Tenosynovitis.
AB  - For patients with suspected flexor tenosynovitis, the mainstay of diagnosis is a
      thorough history and physical examination. The examination is guided by
      evaluating the patient for Kanavel's four cardinal signs. Empiric antibiotics
      should be started immediately on diagnosis covering skin flora and gram-negative
      bacteria. Typically, surgery is required. Appropriate exposure is required for
      adequate treatment and incisions should be tailored to preserve areas of skin
      compromised from draining sinuses and abscess pressure. Diabetes mellitus and
      peripheral vascular disease place patients at higher risk of poor outcomes
      including stiffness and amputation; early administration of antibiotics is the
      intervention that correlates most closely with good outcomes.

PMID- 28336045
TI  - Atypical Hand Infections.
AB  - Atypical infections of the hand are caused by organisms such as Mycobacterium,
      fungi, and viruses, and often do not respond to conventional management. They
      exist within a wide spectrum of presentations, ranging from cutaneous lesions to
      deep infections such as tenosynovitis and osteomyelitis. Having a high clinical
      suspicion for atypical hand infections is vital because diagnosis often requires
      special tests and/or cultures. Obtaining a detailed medical, work, and travel
      history is extremely important. An indolent clinical course, late diagnosis, and
      delayed treatment are common. In addition to medical therapies, surgical
      debridement is often required to effectively treat these infections.

PMID- 28336046
TI  - Charcot Arthropathy Versus Osteomyelitis: Evaluation and Management.
AB  - Charcot arthropathy of the foot and ankle is a severe complication of peripheral
      neuropathy and is most commonly seen in the developed world in association with
      diabetes mellitus. Correct diagnosis and differentiation from osteomyelitis of
      the foot and ankle are critical to guide treatment. It can exist concomitantly
      with osteomyelitis, typically in the setting of an advanced midfoot ulcer. Simple
      plain radiographs and contrasted MRI studies often yield inconclusive or
      confusing data. Correct use of imaging studies and a clinical algorithm can be
      effective tools to help make accurate and early diagnoses and guide clinical
      interventions for these conditions.

PMID- 28336047
TI  - Posttraumatic Reconstruction of the Foot and Ankle in the Face of Active
      Infection.
AB  - Posttraumatic infection of the foot and ankle is a challenging issue for
      orthopedic surgeons. Making the diagnosis often requires combining laboratory and
      radiologic testing, patient examination, and history. Patient comorbidities
      should be identified and optimized whenever possible. Treatment must combine
      effective antibiotic therapy with thorough debridement of the infected zone.
      Reconstruction often requires a 2-staged approach using antibiotic spacers and
      temporary external fixation, with the goal of obtaining a functional, pain-free
      limb that is free of infection.

PMID- 28336048
TI  - Infection.

PMID- 28336049
TI  - Hypothyroidism.
AB  - Hypothyroidism is a common condition of thyroid hormone deficiency, which is
      readily diagnosed and managed but potentially fatal in severe cases if untreated.
      The definition of hypothyroidism is based on statistical reference ranges of the
      relevant biochemical parameters and is increasingly a matter of debate. Clinical
      manifestations of hypothyroidism range from life threatening to no signs or
      symptoms. The most common symptoms in adults are fatigue, lethargy, cold
      intolerance, weight gain, constipation, change in voice, and dry skin, but
      clinical presentation can differ with age and sex, among other factors. The
      standard treatment is thyroid hormone replacement therapy with levothyroxine.
      However, a substantial proportion of patients who reach biochemical treatment
      targets have persistent complaints. In this Seminar, we discuss the epidemiology,
      causes, and symptoms of hypothyroidism; summarise evidence on diagnosis, long
      term risk, treatment, and management; and highlight future directions for
      research.

PMID- 28336051
TI  - Optimising care for children with kidney disease.

PMID- 28336050
TI  - Mortality risk disparities in children receiving chronic renal replacement
      therapy for the treatment of end-stage renal disease across Europe: an ESPN
      ERA/EDTA registry analysis.
AB  - BACKGROUND: We explored the variation in country mortality rates in the
      paediatric population receiving renal replacement therapy across Europe, and
      estimated how much of this variation could be explained by patient-level and
      country-level factors. METHODS: In this registry analysis, we extracted patient
      data from the European Society for Paediatric Nephrology/European Renal
      Association-European Dialysis and Transplant Association (ESPN/ERA-EDTA) Registry
      for 32 European countries. We included incident patients younger than 19 years
      receiving renal replacement therapy. Adjusted hazard ratios (aHR) and the
      explained variation were modelled for patient-level and country-level factors
      with multilevel Cox regression. The primary outcome studied was all-cause
      mortality while on renal replacement therapy. FINDINGS: Between Jan 1, 2000, and
      Dec 31, 2013, the overall 5 year renal replacement therapy mortality rate was
      15.8 deaths per 1000 patient-years (IQR 6.4-16.4). France had a mortality rate
      (9.2) of more than 3 SDs better, and Russia (35.2), Poland (39.9), Romania
      (47.4), and Bulgaria (68.6) had mortality rates more than 3 SDs worse than the
      European average. Public health expenditure was inversely associated with
      mortality risk (per SD increase, aHR 0.69, 95% CI 0.52-0.91) and explained 67% of
      the variation in renal replacement therapy mortality rates between countries.
      Child mortality rates showed a significant association with renal replacement
      therapy mortality, albeit mediated by macroeconomics (eg, neonatal mortality
      reduced from 1.31 [95% CI 1.13-1.53], p=0.0005, to 1.21 [0.97-1.51], p=0.10).
      After accounting for country distributions of patient age, the variation in renal
      replacement therapy mortality rates between countries increased by 21%.
      INTERPRETATION: Substantial international variation exists in paediatric renal
      replacement therapy mortality rates across Europe, most of which was explained by
      disparities in public health expenditure, which seems to limit the availability
      and quality of paediatric renal care. Differences between countries in their
      ability to accept and treat the youngest patients, who are the most complex and
      costly to treat, form an important source of disparity within this population.
      Our findings can be used by policy makers and health-care providers to explore
      potential strategies to help reduce these health disparities. FUNDING: ERA-EDTA
      and ESPN.

PMID- 28336052
TI  - Does reef structure affect oyster food resources? A stable isotope assessment.
AB  - As ecosystem engineers, oysters create and maintain structured habitat and can
      influence trophodynamics and benthic-pelagic coupling in the surrounding
      landscape. The physical reef structure and associated biotic parameters can
      affect the availability of food resources for oysters. Oysters and potential
      composite food sources - suspended particulate organic matter (SPOM) and surface
      sediment organic matter (SSOM) - were assessed using a dual stable isotope
      (delta13C, delta15N) approach at three reef types (natural, restored, and
      unconsolidated) seasonally for two years to determine if changes in physical
      and/or biotic parameters affected the relative availability and/or use of food
      resources by oysters. SPOM was more depleted in 13C (-24.2 +/- 0.60/00, mean +/-
      SD) than SSOM (-21.2 +/- 0.80/00). SPOM composition is likely dominated by
      autochthonous phytoplankton production, while SSOM includes trapped phytoplankton
      and benthic microalgae. SSOM was used by oysters in increasing proportions
      relative to SPOM over time at all reef types. This temporal trend is likely due
      to increased oyster biomass over time, promoting enhanced microphytobenthos
      growth through feedback effects related to oyster biodeposits. Structural
      differences between reef types observed in this study had no effect on food
      resource availability and use by oysters, indicating strong bentho-pelagic
      coupling likely due to shallow depths as well as strong and consistent winds.
      This study provides insights for restoration of oyster reefs as it highlights
      that food resources used by oysters remain similar among reef types despite
      changes in abiotic and biotic parameters among habitats and over time.

PMID- 28336053
TI  - Non-indigenous predators threaten ecosystem engineers: Interactive effects of
      green crab and oyster size on American oyster mortality.
AB  - Non-indigenous green crabs (Carcinus maenas) are emerging as important predators
      of autogenic engineers like American oysters (Crassostrea virginica) throughout
      the eastern seaboard of Canada and the United States. To document the spreading
      distribution of green crabs, we carried out surveys in seven sites of Prince
      Edward Island during three fall seasons. To assess the potential impact of green
      crabs on oyster mortality in relation to predator and prey size, we conducted
      multiple predator-prey manipulations in the field and laboratory. The surveys
      confirmed an ongoing green crab spread into new productive oyster habitats while
      rapidly increasing in numbers in areas where crabs had established already. The
      experiments measured mortality rates on four sizes of oysters exposed to three
      sizes of crab, and lasted 3-5 days. The outcomes of experiments conducted in
      Vexar(r) bags, laboratory tanks and field cages were consistent and were heavily
      dependent on both crab size and oyster size: while little predation occurred on
      large oysters, large and medium green crabs preyed heavily on small sizes.
      Oysters reached a refuge within the 35-55 mm shell length range; below that
      range, oysters suffered high mortality due to green crab predation and thus
      require management measures to enhance their survival. These results are most
      directly applicable to aquaculture operations and restoration initiatives but
      have implications for oyster sustainability.

PMID- 28336054
TI  - Atypical Mesenteric Revascularisation.

PMID- 28336055
TI  - Shamanic Healing for Veterans with PTSD: A Case Series.
AB  - CONTEXT: Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a serious health concern.
      Current evidence-based treatments for PTSD are efficacious; however, they are not
      appropriate or tolerated by everyone who needs them. Alternative treatment
      approaches are needed. Shamanic healing is one such therapy that may potentially
      be beneficial but no systematic research has been conducted on it for PTSD.
      OBJECTIVE: The objectives of the case series are to (1) develop a structured
      replicable shamanic treatment plan for veterans with posttraumatic stress
      disorder (PTSD); (2) collect preliminary data on PTSD-related outcomes, and (3)
      explore the feasibility and potential for adverse events of the plan. DESIGN:
      Case series. SETTING: Clinical. PATIENTS OR OTHER PARTICIPANTS: Veterans with
      PTSD. INTERVENTION: Shamanic healing. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE(S): PTSD symptoms,
      quality of life, and piritual wellness. RESULTS: A semi-structured shamanic
      healing protocol was created with the following components: rapport building,
      power animal retrieval, extraction, compassionate spirit release, curse
      unraveling, soul retrieval, forgiveness/cord-cutting, aspect maturing/soul
      rematrixing, and divination. Six veterans enrolled in the study (mean age = 49.3
      +/- 13.1). Qualitative descriptions of the participants, their histories, and
      effects from the intervention are reported. Preliminary data was collected on
      PTSD-related outcomes. The protocol was found feasible and acceptable and
      recommendations for its future use are suggested. Future research is warranted
      and needed to evaluate the efficacy of shamanic healing as a potential therapy
      for veterans with PTSD.

PMID- 28336056
TI  - Persistent Hemoptysis in an Elderly Patient with Pseudoallescheria boydii
      Mycetoma.

PMID- 28336058
TI  - Large (9 mm) Deep Anterior Lamellar Keratoplasty with Clearance of a 6-mm Optical
      Zone Optimizes Outcomes of Keratoconus Surgery.
AB  - PURPOSE: To evaluate the outcomes of a 9-mm deep anterior lamellar keratoplasty
      (DALK) with removal of the deep stroma limited to the central 6-mm optical zone.
      DESIGN: Prospective, noncomparative, interventional case series. PARTICIPANTS: A
      total of 80 consecutive keratoconic eyes without deep stromal scarring, with at
      least 1 postoperative examination 1 month after complete suture removal.
      INTERVENTION: A standardized DALK was performed, including (1) deep trephination
      of the recipient bed 450 to 550 MUm in depth and 9 mm in diameter; (2) pneumatic
      dissection; (3) debulking of approximately 80% of the anterior stroma; (4)
      removal of the deep stroma (bubble roof) from a central 6-mm optical zone; and
      (5) transplantation of a 9-mm anterior corneal lamella cut by microkeratome
      assisted dissection (400-MUm head) and sutured with a double running 10-0 nylon
      suture. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Success rate and type of pneumatic dissection
      obtained; best spectacle-corrected visual acuity (BSCVA), refractive astigmatism
      (RA), and topographic astigmatism (TA), central corneal thickness (CCT) and
      endothelial cell density 12 months postoperatively; and intraoperative and
      postoperative complications. RESULTS: Pneumatic dissection created a "big bubble"
      in 67 of 80 eyes (83.7%), all of them but 1 (1.5%) being of type 1 according to
      the classification by Dua et al. After complete suture removal, BSCVA averaged
      0.09+/-0.72 logarithm of the minimum angle of resolution (logMAR) and was >=20/20
      in 28 eyes (35%), >=20/25 in 54 eyes (67.5%), and >=20/40 in 76 eyes (95%); RA
      averaged 3.10+/-1.30 diopters (D), with 73 eyes (91%) within 4.5 D and none above
      6 D; regular TA was detected in 72 eyes (90%); mean CCT was 492+/-62.10 MUm;
      postoperative endothelial cell density averaged 2026+/-397cells/mm2 with a mean
      cell loss of 11.2%. Intraoperative complications included loss of suction (n = 1)
      and perforation (n = 4). No conversion to penetrating keratoplasty was necessary.
      After surgery, double anterior chamber was observed in 2 cases (2.5%), both
      managed successfully by air filling of the anterior chamber. Stromal rejection
      was observed in 6 eyes (7.5%) and was reversed with topical steroids in all
      cases. CONCLUSIONS: In keratoconic eyes without deep stromal scars, the
      combination of a graft larger than conventional ones with limited removal of deep
      stroma can improve visual and refractive outcomes of DALK, while minimizing the
      rate of complications.

PMID- 28336057
TI  - Hemorrhage and/or Microaneurysm Severity and Count in Ultrawide Field Images and
      Early Treatment Diabetic Retinopathy Study Photography.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: To evaluate detection of hemorrhage and/or microaneurysm (H/Ma) using
      ultrawide field (UWF) retinal imaging as compared with standard Early Treatment
      Diabetic Retinopathy Study (ETDRS) 7-field photographs (ETDRS photos). DESIGN:
      Single-site comparative study of UWF images and ETDRS photos. PARTICIPANTS: One
      hundred twenty-six eyes of 69 patients with no diabetic retinopathy (DR) or mild
      or moderate nonproliferative DR (NPDR). METHODS: Stereoscopic 200 degrees  UWF
      images and stereoscopic 35mm 30 degrees  7-field color photographs were acquired
      on the same visit. Images were graded for severity and distribution of H/Ma.
      H/Mas were counted in ETDRS fields 2 to 7 in both ETDRS photos and UWF images.
      H/Mas in the UWF peripheral fields were also counted. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES:
      Kappa (kappa) and weighted kappa statistics for agreement. Number of H/Ma within
      and outside ETDRS fields identified in UWF images and ETDRS photos. RESULTS:
      Distribution of DR severity by ETDRS photos was 24 (19.0%) no DR, 48 (38.1%) mild
      NPDR, and 54 (42.9%) moderate NPDR. A total of 748 of 756 fields (98.9%) were
      gradable for H/Mas on ETDRS photos and UWF images. Simple kappa/weighted kappa
      statistics for severity of H/Ma: all fields 0.61/0.69, field 2 0.70/0.77, field 3
      0.62/0.73, field 4 0.50/0.62, field 5 0.54/0.65, field 6 0.64/0.70, and field 7
      0.58/0.63 with overall exact agreement in 81.3% and within 1 step in 97.9% of
      fields. A greater proportion of fields was graded a more severe H/Ma level in UWF
      images than in the corresponding ETDRS photos (UWF: 12.7% vs. ETDRS: 6.5%).
      Evaluating comparable areas in UWF images and ETDRS photos (fields 2-7), a mean
      of 42.8 H/Mas were identified using ETDRS photos and 48.8 in UWF images (P =
      0.10). An additional mean of 21.3 H/Mas (49.8% increase, P < 0.0001) were
      identified in the peripheral fields of the UWF images. CONCLUSIONS: There is good
      to excellent agreement between UWF images and ETDRS photos in determining H/Ma
      severity, with excellent correlation of H/Ma counts within ETDRS photo fields.
      UWF peripheral fields identified 49.8% more H/Ma, suggesting a more severe H/Ma
      in 12.7% of eyes. Given the additional lesions detected in peripheral fields and
      the known risks associated with H/Ma and peripheral lesions, quantification of
      H/Ma using UWF images may provide a more accurate representation of DR disease
      activity and potential greater accuracy in predicting DR progression.

PMID- 28336060
TI  - Recent Advances in Development of Genetically Encoded Fluorescent Sensors.
AB  - Genetically encoded fluorescent sensors are essential tools in modern biological
      research, and recent advances in fluorescent proteins (FPs) have expanded the
      scope of sensor design and implementation. In this review we compare different
      sensor platforms, including Forster resonance energy transfer (FRET) sensors,
      fluorescence-modulated single FP-based sensors, translocation sensors,
      complementation sensors, and dimerization-based sensors. We discuss elements of
      sensor design and engineering for each platform, including the incorporation of
      new types of FPs and sensor screening techniques. Finally, we summarize the wide
      range of sensors in the literature, exploring creative new sensor architectures
      suitable for different applications.

PMID- 28336059
TI  - Progression of Near Vision Loss and Incidence of Near Vision Impairment in an
      Adult Chinese Population.
AB  - PURPOSE: To investigate the progression of near vision loss and the cumulative
      incidence of near vision impairment (NVI) 6 years after initial examination of an
      urban Chinese cohort. DESIGN: Population-based, prospective cohort study.
      PARTICIPANTS: People aged >=35 years examined at baseline in the Yuexiu District
      of Guangzhou, China. METHODS: Participants examined at baseline were invited for
      2-year and 6-year follow-up examinations in 2010 and 2014, respectively.
      Examinations included noncycloplegic autorefraction and binocular near visual
      acuity (NVA) with and without current near correction measured at 40 cm using a
      LogMAR ETDRS near vision tumbling E chart. Those with uncorrected binocular NVA
      (UCNVA) <=20/40 underwent subjective refraction to obtain best-corrected
      binocular NVA (BCNVA). MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Change in UCNVA between baseline
      and 2014 follow-up examinations and the 6-year cumulative incidence of vision
      impairment based on 3 definitions: NVA <=20/40, <=20/50, and <=20/63. RESULTS:
      Among the 1817 baseline participants, 1595 (87.8%) were reexamined in 2010 and
      1427 (78.5%) in 2014. Mean vision loss between baseline and the 2014 follow-up
      was 1.54 (+/-1.74) lines of UCNVA. Vision loss was associated with age 80 years
      or older, less education, and better baseline UCNVA. The 6-year cumulative
      incidence of uncorrected binocular NVI (UCNVI) across the 3 vision impairment
      definitions was 55.2% (95% confidence interval [CI], 46.1%-64.3%), 51.3% (95% CI,
      44.0%-58.7%), and 42.4% (95% CI, 35.5%-49.3%), respectively. With best-corrected
      binocular NVI (BCNVI), incidence was 6.89% (95% CI, 4.28%-9.50%), 5.17% (95% CI,
      2.89%-7.44%), and 2.62% (95% CI, 1.11%-4.12%), respectively. A higher incidence
      of UCNVI was associated with worse baseline UCNVA for all 3 impairment
      definitions. Similarly, incidence of BCNVI was associated with worse baseline
      BCNVA, but also with older age and education at the primary level or less. Gender
      was not significant for either UCNVI or BCNVI. CONCLUSIONS: Approximately half of
      those aged 35 years or older develop UCNVI in 6 years, the overwhelming majority
      of whom can be corrected with spectacles. Cost-effective strategies to provide
      spectacles to this at-risk population remains an issue requiring further study.

PMID- 28336061
TI  - Enzymes as Sensors.
AB  - Over the last few decades the development of new technologies, the fabrication of
      new materials, and the introduction of nanotechnologies created new trends in a
      series of advances that produced innovations in biological sensing devices with a
      wide range of application from health, security, defense, food, and medicine, to
      the environment. Specificity, low cost, rapidity, sensitivity, and multiplicity
      are some of the reasons for their growth, and their commercial success is
      expected to increase in the next future. Biosensors are devices in which the
      recognition part of the target molecule is accomplished by biological
      macromolecules such as proteins, enzymes, antibodies, aptamers, etc. These
      biomolecules are able to bind to the target molecules with high selectivity and
      specificity. The interaction between the target molecule and the specific
      biomolecule is reflected as a change of the biomolecule structural features. The
      extent of this change is strictly related to the biosensor response. Fluorescence
      spectroscopy, due to its sensitivity, is often used as the principal technique to
      monitor biological interactions, and thus the biosensor response as well. Both
      the intrinsic ultraviolet fluorescence of protein, arising from aromatic amino
      acids (tryptophan, tyrosine, and phenylalanine), and extrinsic fluorescent labels
      emitting in the visible region of the spectrum together allow for very flexible
      transduction of the analyte recognition, suitable for many different
      applications. This chapter focuses special attention on enzymes as practically
      unmatched recognition elements for biosensors and emphasizes the potential
      advantages of customized biosensor devices using apo- or holo forms of enzymes
      also isolated from thermophile sources.

PMID- 28336064
TI  - Novel Fluorescence-Based Biosensors Incorporating Unnatural Amino Acids.
AB  - Fluorescent proteins of different colors are useful probes to study protein
      structure and function, and to investigate cellular events and conditions. Large
      efforts have focused on engineering new properties into fluorescent proteins via
      rational design and directed evolution. In addition to applications in imaging of
      protein expression level and subcellular localization, fluorescent proteins have
      been increasingly engineered to act as biosensors to track concentrations of
      small-molecule metabolites, enzyme activities, and protein conformational changes
      in living cells. Unlike small-molecule fluorescence biosensors, fluorescent
      proteins are genetically encodable, and thus can be expressed inside living
      cells. Attachment of organelle-specific signals to the proteins allows their
      localization to be specified. Recently, a new class of fluorescent protein
      biosensors has been developed to include unnatural amino acids as the sensing
      element. The unique chemical and physical properties of the unnatural amino acids
      enable sensor designs that cannot be realized by using the standard genetic code
      with the 20 canonical amino acids. In this chapter, we detail the general
      procedure for the genetic incorporation of unnatural amino acids. We further
      present two protocols for the in vitro and in vivo detection of hydrogen peroxide
      (H2O2) using a fluorescent protein biosensor that contains an unnatural amino
      acid, p-boronophenylalanine.

PMID- 28336063
TI  - Probing Cdc42 Polarization Dynamics in Budding Yeast Using a Biosensor.
AB  - Cdc42 is a small guanosine triphosphatase (GTPase) that plays a central role in
      polarity development in diverse cell types. Since the activity of Cdc42 is
      dynamically controlled in time and space, it is required to develop a biosensor
      to monitor its activation in vivo. In this chapter, we describe the construction
      and usage of a simple and robust biosensor for monitoring active Cdc42 in budding
      yeast. This affinity-based biosensor uses a red fluorescent protein fused to a
      Cdc42- and Rac-interactive binding motif from one of the Cdc42 effector proteins.
      Because it binds specifically to the GTP-bound Cdc42, this biosensor can be used
      to monitor Cdc42 activation in vivo. This or similar biosensors can be widely
      used for studying GTPase signaling in other cell types because of the conserved
      CRIB motif present among GTPase targets.

PMID- 28336062
TI  - Integrated Strategies to Gain a Systems-Level View of Dynamic Signaling Networks.
AB  - In order to survive and function properly in the face of an ever changing
      environment, cells must be able to sense changes in their surroundings and
      respond accordingly. Cells process information about their environment through
      complex signaling networks composed of many discrete signaling molecules.
      Individual pathways within these networks are often tightly integrated and highly
      dynamic, allowing cells to respond to a given stimulus (or, as is typically the
      case under physiological conditions, a combination of stimuli) in a specific and
      appropriate manner. However, due to the size and complexity of many cellular
      signaling networks, it is often difficult to predict how cellular signaling
      networks will respond under a particular set of conditions. Indeed, crosstalk
      between individual signaling pathways may lead to responses that are nonintuitive
      (or even counterintuitive) based on examination of the individual pathways in
      isolation. Therefore, to gain a more comprehensive view of cell signaling
      processes, it is important to understand how signaling networks behave at the
      systems level. This requires integrated strategies that combine quantitative
      experimental data with computational models. In this chapter, we first examine
      some of the progress that has recently been made toward understanding the systems
      level regulation of cellular signaling networks, with a particular emphasis on
      phosphorylation-dependent signaling networks. We then discuss how genetically
      targetable fluorescent biosensors are being used together with computational
      models to gain unique insights into the spatiotemporal regulation of signaling
      networks within single, living cells.

PMID- 28336065
TI  - Folding- and Dynamics-Based Electrochemical DNA Sensors.
AB  - A number of electrochemical DNA sensors based on the target-induced change in the
      conformation and/or flexibility of surface-bound oligonucleotides have been
      developed in recent years. These sensors, which are often termed E-DNA sensors,
      are comprised of an oligonucleotide probe modified with a redox label (e.g.,
      methylene blue) at one terminus and attached to a gold electrode via a thiol-gold
      bond at the other. Binding of the target to the DNA probe changes its structure
      and dynamics, which, in turn, influences the efficiency of electron transfer to
      the interrogating electrode. Since electrochemically active contaminants are less
      common, these sensors are resistant to false-positive signals arising from the
      nonspecific adsorption of contaminants and perform well even when employed
      directly in serum, whole blood, and other realistically complex sample matrices.
      Moreover, because all of the sensor components are chemisorbed to the electrode,
      the E-DNA sensors are essentially label-free and readily reusable. To date, these
      sensors have achieved state-of-the-art sensitivity, while offering the
      unprecedented selectivity, reusability, and the operational convenience of direct
      electrochemical detection. This chapter reviews the recent advances in the
      development of both "signal-off" and "signal-on" E-DNA sensors. Critical aspects
      that dictate the stability and performance of these sensors are also addressed so
      as to provide a realistic overview of this oligonucleotide detection platform.

PMID- 28336066
TI  - Construction of Protein-Based Biosensors Using Ligand-Directed Chemistry for
      Detecting Analyte Binding.
AB  - Protein-based fluorescent biosensors are powerful tools for quantitative
      detection of biomolecules or drugs with high sensitivity under physiological
      conditions. However, conventional methods for construction of biosensors require
      structural data with high resolution or amino acid sequence information in most
      cases, which hampers applicability of this method to structurally complicated
      receptor proteins. To sidestep such limitations, we recently developed a new
      method that employs ligand-directed chemistry coupled with a bimolecular
      fluorescence quenching and recovery system, which enabled the conversion of
      various kinds of membrane-bound receptors to "turn-on" type fluorescent sensors.
      Here, we describe a protocol for construction of "turn-on" type fluorescent
      biosensors based on the GABAA receptor which permits quantitative analysis of the
      ligand affinity.

PMID- 28336067
TI  - Measuring and Imaging Metal Ions With Fluorescence-Based Biosensors: Speciation,
      Selectivity, Kinetics, and Other Issues.
AB  - Fluorescence-based biosensors have shown themselves to be a powerful tool for the
      study of a variety of chemical species in biological systems, notably including
      metal ions. This chapter provides an overview of several important issues in
      using such sensors to study metallobiochemistry. These issues include selectivity
      for the analyte over potential interferents, including those that do not
      themselves induce a signal, the different forms in which metal ions are found
      (speciation), the utility of metal ion buffers, and the importance of kinetics in
      studying metal ion binding reactions. Finally, the chapter briefly discusses some
      of the issues in understanding whole-organism distribution of metal ions and its
      control.

PMID- 28336068
TI  - Bioapplications of Electrochemical Sensors and Biosensors.
AB  - Recent progress in the electrochemical field enabled development of miniaturized
      sensing devices that can be used in biological settings to obtain fundamental and
      practical biochemically relevant information on physiology, metabolism, and
      disease states in living systems. Electrochemical sensors and biosensors have
      demonstrated potential for rapid, real-time measurements of biologically relevant
      molecules. This chapter provides an overview of the most recent advances in the
      development of miniaturized sensors for biological investigations in living
      systems, with focus on the detection of neurotransmitters and oxidative stress
      markers. The design of electrochemical (bio)sensors, including their detection
      mechanism and functionality in biological systems, is described as well as their
      advantages and limitations. Application of these sensors to studies in live
      cells, embryonic development, and rodent models is discussed.

PMID- 28336069
TI  - A Highly Sensitive Biosensor for ATP Using a Chimeric Firefly Luciferase.
AB  - Firefly luciferases, which emit visible light in a highly specific ATP-dependent
      process, have been adapted for a variety of applications based on the detection
      of the enzymes or using the proteins to measure ATP levels. Based on studies of
      chimeric luciferases, we engineered a novel luciferase called PLG2 that has
      enhanced specific activity, and thermal and pH stability compared to the commonly
      used Photinus pyralis luciferase. We present here protocols for preparing a
      single assay mixture containing PLG2 that can be used to readily detect femtomole
      levels of ATP. Our methodology can be used with a variety of samples, including
      human and bacterial cells, where measurements of ATP can be used as a biosensor
      for the detection of viable cells.

PMID- 28336070
TI  - Highly Modular Bioluminescent Sensors for Small Molecules and Proteins.
AB  - Obtaining patient-specific information through the quantification of small
      molecules and proteins in bodily fluids is essential for personalized therapies.
      Point-of-care (POC) diagnostic devices hold the promise of delivering such
      benefit to a wide range of patients. However, there is a lack of enabling
      technology, as the majority of newly developed POC devices focus on the same
      underlying core technologies. Here we provide an overview of a new technology
      based on highly modular bioluminescent sensors that enables the quantification of
      small molecules and proteins at the POC with low-cost devices.

PMID- 28336071
TI  - Sensitive Protein Detection and Quantification in Paper-Based Microfluidics for
      the Point of Care.
AB  - The design of appropriate diagnostic assays for the point of care requires
      development of suitable biosensors, detection methods, and diagnostic platforms
      for sensitive, quantitative detection of biological analytes. Protein targets in
      particular are especially challenging to detect quantitatively and sensitively
      due to the lack of amplification strategies akin to nucleic acid amplification.
      However, recent advances in transducer and biosensor design, new detection
      labels, and paper-based microfluidics may realize the goal of sensitive, fast,
      portable, and low-cost protein detection. In this review, we discuss the
      biochemistry, optics, and engineering advances that may be leveraged to design
      such a sensitive protein diagnostic assay. The binding kinetics, mechanisms of
      binding in porous networks, and potential transducers are explained in detail. We
      discuss the relative merits of various optical detection strategies, potential
      detection labels, optical readout approaches, and image-processing techniques
      that are amenable to point-of-care use. To conclude, we present a systematic
      analysis of potential approaches to enhance the sensitivity of paper-based
      assays. The assay development framework presented here provides bioassay
      developers a strategy to methodically enhance the sensitivity and point-of-care
      suitability of protein diagnostics.

PMID- 28336072
TI  - Microneedle Enzyme Sensor Arrays for Continuous In Vivo Monitoring.
AB  - Microneedle enzyme sensors by virtue of their minimally invasive and hence pain
      free penetration of skin allow for the measurement of metabolites, biomarkers,
      and drugs in the interstitial fluid that bathes the dermal tissue. Such devices
      if they are to be adopted widely into clinical practice need to be capable of
      delivering reliable measurements over extended periods of time (days) and to be
      fabricated by low-cost, scalable methods. Using injection molding of the base
      structures in polycarbonate, metal film deposition by sputtering and enzyme
      immobilization by electrodeposition can meet these requirements. The workflow to
      produce devices for clinical evaluation is then completed by sterilization and
      packaging. In vitro evaluation of the sensors' response to varying analyte
      concentrations and their mechanical testing establish performance and safety
      characteristics. While most of the work is focused on glucose sensing, reflecting
      the significance of the global diabetes "epidemic," the microneedles can also be
      used to measure lactate (another metabolite) and theophylline (a therapeutic
      drug).

PMID- 28336074
TI  - Engineering Rugged Field Assays to Detect Hazardous Chemicals Using Spore-Based
      Bacterial Biosensors.
AB  - Bacterial whole cell-based biosensors have been genetically engineered to achieve
      selective and reliable detection of a wide range of hazardous chemicals. Although
      whole-cell biosensors demonstrate many advantages for field-based detection of
      target analytes, there are still some challenges that need to be addressed. Most
      notably, their often modest shelf life and need for special handling and storage
      make them challenging to use in situations where access to reagents,
      instrumentation, and expertise are limited. These problems can be circumvented by
      developing biosensors in Bacillus spores, which can be engineered to address all
      of these concerns. In its sporulated state, a whole cell-based biosensor has a
      remarkably long life span and is exceptionally resistant to environmental insult.
      When these spores are germinated for use in analytical techniques, they show no
      loss in performance, even after long periods of storage under harsh conditions.
      In this chapter, we will discuss the development and use of whole cell-based
      sensors, their adaptation to spore-based biosensors, their current applications,
      and future directions in the field.

PMID- 28336073
TI  - Visualization of the Genomic Loci That Are Bound by Specific Multiprotein
      Complexes by Bimolecular Fluorescence Complementation Analysis on Drosophila
      Polytene Chromosomes.
AB  - We have developed a procedure that enables visualization of the genomic loci that
      are bound by complexes formed by a specific combination of chromatin-binding
      proteins. This procedure is based on imaging bimolecular fluorescence
      complementation (BiFC) complexes on Drosophila polytene chromosomes. BiFC
      complexes are formed by the facilitated association of two fluorescent protein
      fragments that are fused to proteins that interact with, or are in close
      proximity to, each other. The intensity of BiFC complex fluorescence at
      individual genomic loci is greatly enhanced by the parallel alignment of hundreds
      of chromatids within the polytene chromosomes. The loci that are bound by the
      complexes are mapped by comparing the locations of BiFC complex fluorescence with
      the stereotypical banding patterns of the chromosomes. We describe strategies for
      the design, expression, and validation of fusion proteins for the analysis of
      BiFC complex binding on polytene chromosomes. We detail protocols for the
      preparation of polytene chromosome spreads that have been optimized for the
      purpose of BiFC complex visualization. Finally, we provide guidance for the
      interpretation of results from studies of BiFC complex binding on polytene
      chromosomes and for comparison of the genomic loci that are bound by BiFC
      complexes with those that are bound by subunits of the corresponding endogenous
      complexes. The visualization of BiFC complex binding on polytene chromosomes
      provides a unique method to visualize multiprotein complex binding at specific
      loci, throughout the genome, in individual cells.

PMID- 28336076
TI  - Preface.

PMID- 28336075
TI  - Engineering BRET-Sensor Proteins.
AB  - FRET-sensors have become important tools for intracellular imaging, but their
      dependence on external illumination presents some limitations, such as
      photobleaching and phototoxicity, which limit measurements over extended periods
      of time. Fluorescence measurements also suffer from autofluorescence and light
      scattering, which hampers in vivo imaging and measurements in strongly absorbing
      and scattering media such as blood. In principle, these issues can be resolved by
      using sensors based on bioluminescence resonance energy transfer (BRET). The
      recent development of brighter and more stable luciferases and the concomitant
      improvement in luciferase substrates have substantially decreased the sensitivity
      gap between fluorescence and bioluminescence. As a result, the application of
      BRET-sensors is no longer restricted to measurements on cell populations, but
      they can also be used for imaging of single living cells, and BRET has started to
      emerge as an attractive sensor format for point-of-care diagnostics. The aim of
      this chapter is to first provide a brief overview of the basic design principles
      for BRET-sensors. Next, important design considerations will be discussed in more
      detail by describing the development of three different classes of BRET-sensors,
      both from our own work and that of others. These examples are all based on the
      NanoLuc luciferase, a bright and very stable blue light-emitting luciferase
      developed by Promega that has quickly risen to prominence in the bioluminescence
      field.

PMID- 28336077
TI  - Out-of-hospital cardiac arrest: Concise review of strategies to improve outcome.
AB  - Despite decades of research, cardiac arrest remains a major cause of morbidity
      and mortality, with frustratingly poor survival rates of approximately 10% to
      hospital discharge. Various strategies have been shown to improve survival, but
      differing degrees of implementation have led to a disparity in survival rates.
      These improvements, however, are balanced against the increasing age of patients
      presenting with out of hospital cardiac arrest and decreasing incidence of
      ventricular fibrillation, the rhythm with the best outcome. In this review, we
      will summarize the most up-to-date literature on key questions in the management
      pathway and recommend evidence based strategies to improve care.

PMID- 28336078
TI  - What Is the Negative Predictive Value of Multiparametric Magnetic Resonance
      Imaging in Excluding Prostate Cancer at Biopsy? A Systematic Review and Meta
      analysis from the European Association of Urology Prostate Cancer Guidelines
      Panel.
AB  - CONTEXT: It remains unclear whether patients with a suspicion of prostate cancer
      (PCa) and negative multiparametric magnetic resonance imaging (mpMRI) can safely
      obviate prostate biopsy. OBJECTIVE: To systematically review the literature
      assessing the negative predictive value (NPV) of mpMRI in patients with a
      suspicion of PCa. EVIDENCE ACQUISITION: The Embase, Medline, and Cochrane
      databases were searched up to February 2016. Studies reporting prebiopsy mpMRI
      results using transrectal or transperineal biopsy as a reference standard were
      included. We further selected for meta-analysis studies with at least 10-core
      biopsies as the reference standard, mpMRI comprising at least T2-weighted and
      diffusion-weighted imaging, positive mpMRI defined as a Prostate Imaging
      Reporting Data System/Likert score of >=3/5 or >=4/5, and results reported at
      patient level for the detection of overall PCa or clinically significant PCa
      (csPCa) defined as Gleason >=7 cancer. EVIDENCE SYNTHESIS: A total of 48 studies
      (9613 patients) were eligible for inclusion. At patient level, the median
      prevalence was 50.4% (interquartile range [IQR], 36.4-57.7%) for overall cancer
      and 32.9% (IQR, 28.1-37.2%) for csPCa. The median mpMRI NPV was 82.4% (IQR, 69.0
      92.4%) for overall cancer and 88.1% (IQR, 85.7-92.3) for csPCa. NPV significantly
      decreased when cancer prevalence increased, for overall cancer (r=-0.64,
      p<0.0001) and csPCa (r=-0.75, p=0.032). Eight studies fulfilled the inclusion
      criteria for meta-analysis. Seven reported results for overall PCa. When the
      overall PCa prevalence increased from 30% to 60%, the combined NPV estimates
      decreased from 88% (95% confidence interval [95% CI], 77-99%) to 67% (95% CI, 56
      79%) for a cut-off score of 3/5. Only one study selected for meta-analysis
      reported results for Gleason >=7 cancers, with a positive biopsy rate of 29.3%.
      The corresponding NPV for a cut-off score of >=3/5 was 87.9%. CONCLUSIONS: The
      NPV of mpMRI varied greatly depending on study design, cancer prevalence, and
      definitions of positive mpMRI and csPCa. As cancer prevalence was highly variable
      among series, risk stratification of patients should be the initial step before
      considering prebiopsy mpMRI and defining those in whom biopsy may be omitted when
      the mpMRI is negative. PATIENT SUMMARY: This systematic review examined if
      multiparametric magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scan can be used to reliably
      predict the absence of prostate cancer in patients suspected of having prostate
      cancer, thereby avoiding a prostate biopsy. The results suggest that whilst it is
      a promising tool, it is not accurate enough to replace prostate biopsy in such
      patients, mainly because its accuracy is variable and influenced by the prostate
      cancer risk. However, its performance can be enhanced if there were more accurate
      ways of determining the risk of having prostate cancer. When such tools are
      available, it should be possible to use an MRI scan to avoid biopsy in patients
      at a low risk of prostate cancer.

PMID- 28336079
TI  - Re: Radiation With or Without Antiandrogen Therapy in Recurrent Prostate Cancer.

PMID- 28336080
TI  - Re: Mid-term Outcomes After AdvanceXP Male Sling Implantation.

PMID- 28336081
TI  - Depression screening and treatment recall in male and female coronary artery
      disease inpatients: Association with symptoms one year later.
AB  - BACKGROUND: This study examined whether cardiac inpatients recall depression
      screening and how it is related to depressive symptoms and treatment one year
      later. METHODS: 2635 cardiac inpatients from 11 hospitals completed a survey and
      were mailed a follow-up survey one year later; both surveys included the BDI-II.
      RESULTS: Of the 1809 (68.7%) retained participants, 513 (30.0%) recalled
      depression screening. Recall was not significantly related to depressive symptoms
      at either time point (P > 0.05). Participants who were recommended
      antidepressants had higher BDI-II scores than those who were not, both as
      inpatients (P < 0.01) and one year later (P < 0.05). There was no significant
      change in depressive symptoms over time in patients who received any type of
      therapy. CONCLUSION: Less than one-third of cardiac inpatients recalled being
      screened for depression. Recall of screening was not significantly related to
      depressive symptoms, and use of treatment was related to greater symptoms.

PMID- 28336082
TI  - [Social and health resources in Catalonia. Current situation].
AB  - The network of social and health care has advanced since its inception.
      Furthermore, news services have been created and some resources have been adapted
      within the framework of respective health plans. This article presents the
      current situation of the different social and health resources in Catalonia, as
      well as the main changes that have occurred in recent years, more specifically in
      the period of the Health Plan 2011-2015. This period is characterised by an
      adaptation of the social and health network within the context of chronic care,
      for which the development of intermediate care resources has become the most
      relevant aspect. There is also a need to create a single long-term care sector in
      which the health care quality is guaranteed. Moreover, in this period, integral
      and cross-care level is promoted in the health system through a greater
      coordination between all different levels of care. The social and health network,
      due to its trajectory and expertise, plays a key role in the quality of care for
      people with social and medical needs.

PMID- 28336083
TI  - Surviving the Intensive Care Units looking through the family's eyes.

PMID- 28336084
TI  - Propofol-induced non-convulsive epileptic crisis.

PMID- 28336085
TI  - The dual effect of vegetation green-up date and strong wind on the return period
      of spring dust storms.
AB  - Vegetation phenology changes have been widely applied in the disaster risk
      assessments of the spring dust storms, and vegetation green-up date shifts have a
      strong influence on dust storms. However, the effect of earlier vegetation green
      up dates due to climate warming on the evaluation of dust storms return periods
      remains an important, but poorly understood issue. In this study, we evaluate the
      spring dust storm return period (February to June) in Inner Mongolia, Northern
      China, using 165 observations of severe spring dust storm events from 16 weather
      stations, and regional vegetation green-up dates as an integrated factor from
      NDVI (Normalized Difference Vegetation Index), covering a period from 1982 to
      2007, by building the bivariate Copula model. We found that the joint return
      period showed better fitting results than without considering the integrated
      factor when the actual dust storm return period is longer than 2years. Also, for
      extremely severe dust storm events, the gap between simulation result and actual
      return period can be narrowed up to 0.4888years by using integrated factor.
      Furthermore, the risk map based on the return period results shows that the
      Mandula, Zhurihe, Sunitezuoqi, Narenbaolige stations are identified as high risk
      areas. In this study area, land surface is extensively covered by grasses and
      shrubs, vegetation green-up date can play a significant role in restraining
      spring dust storm outbreaks. Therefore, we suggest that Copula method can become
      a useful tool for joint return period evaluation and risk analysis of severe dust
      storms.

PMID- 28336086
TI  - Incretin hormones regulate microglia oxidative stress, survival and expression of
      trophic factors.
AB  - The incretin hormones glucagon-like peptide (GLP)-1 and glucose-dependent
      insulinotropic polypeptide (GIP) are primarily known for their metabolic function
      in the periphery. GLP-1 and GIP are secreted by intestinal endocrine cells in
      response to ingested nutrients. Both GLP-1 and GIP stimulate the production and
      release of insulin from pancreatic beta cells as well as exhibit several growth
      regulating effects on peripheral tissues. GLP-1 and GIP are also present in the
      brain, where they provide modulatory and anti-apoptotic signals to neurons.
      However, very limited information is available regarding the effects of these
      hormones on glia, the immune and supporting cells of the brain. Therefore, we set
      out to resolve whether primary human microglia and astrocytes, two subtypes of
      glial cells, express the GLP-1 receptor (GLP-1R) and GIP receptor (GIPR), which
      are necessary to detect and respond to GLP-1 and GIP, respectively. We further
      tested whether these hormones, similar to their effects on neuronal cells, have
      growth-regulating, antioxidant and anti-apoptotic effects on microglia. We show
      for the first time expression of the GLP-1R and the GIPR by primary human
      microglia and astrocytes. We demonstrate that GLP-1 and GIP reduce apoptotic
      death of murine BV-2 microglia through the binding and activation of the GLP-1R
      and GIPR, respectively, with subsequent activation of the protein kinase A (PKA)
      pathway. Moreover, we reveal that incretins upregulate BV-2 microglia expression
      of brain derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), glial cell-line derived neurotrophic
      factor (GDNF) and nerve growth factor (NGF) in a phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3K)
      and PKA-dependent manner. We also show that incretins reduce oxidative stress in
      BV-2 microglia by inhibiting the accumulation of intracellular reactive oxygen
      species (ROS) and release of nitric oxide (NO), as well as by increasing the
      expression of the antioxidant glutathione peroxidase 1 (GPx1) and superoxide
      dismutase 1 (SOD1). We confirm these results by demonstrating that GLP-1 and GIP
      also inhibit apoptosis of primary murine microglia, and upregulate expression of
      BDNF by primary murine microglia. These results indicate that GLP-1 and GIP
      affect several critical homeostatic functions of microglia, and could therefore
      be tested as a novel therapeutic treatment option for brain disorders that are
      characterized by increased oxidative stress and microglial degeneration.

PMID- 28336088
TI  - Trends in ADHD medication use in children and adolescents in five western
      countries, 2005-2012.
AB  - Over the last two decades, the use of ADHD medication in US youth has markedly
      increased. However, less is known about ADHD medication use among European
      children and adolescents. A repeated cross-sectional design was applied to
      national or regional data extracts from Denmark, Germany, the Netherlands, the
      United Kingdom (UK) and the United States (US) for calendar years 2005/2006-2012.
      The prevalence of ADHD medication use was assessed, stratified by age and sex.
      Furthermore, the most commonly prescribed ADHD medications were assessed. ADHD
      medication use prevalence increased from 1.8% to 3.9% in the Netherlands cohort
      (relative increase: +111.9%), from 3.3% to 3.7% in the US cohort (+10.7%), from
      1.3% to 2.2% in the German cohort (+62.4%), from 0.4% to 1.5% in the Danish
      cohort (+302.7%), and from 0.3% to 0.5% in the UK cohort (+56.6%). ADHD
      medication use was highest in 10-14-year olds, peaking in the Netherlands (7.1%)
      and the US (8.8%). Methylphenidate use predominated in Europe, whereas in the US
      amphetamines were nearly as common as methylphenidate. Although there was a
      substantially greater use of ADHD medications in the US cohort, there was a
      relatively greater increase in ADHD medication use in youth in the four European
      countries. ADHD medication use patterns in the US differed markedly from those in
      western European countries.

PMID- 28336087
TI  - Dermatopontin augments angiogenesis and modulates the expression of transforming
      growth factor beta 1 and integrin alpha 3 beta 1 in endothelial cells.
AB  - Dermatopontin (DPT) is a matricellular protein with cardinal roles in cutaneous
      wound healing. The protein is also reported to be altered in various anomalies
      including cancer. The present study is aimed to unravel the role of DPT in
      angiogenesis which is imperative in many physiological and pathological
      processes. DPT's capabilities on promoting angiogenesis were assessed using
      various in vitro and ex vivo systems. The results indicated that DPT enhances
      cell motility and induces lamellipodia formation in endothelial cells.
      Additionally, we noticed that DPT stimulates tube formation in endothelial cells
      when plated on a matrigel substrate. However, it was observed that DPT had no
      effect on the proliferation of endothelial cells even at higher concentrations
      and prolonged treatment periods. Additional experiments on CAM and aortic arch
      assays apparently depicted that DPT promotes neovascularisation and tube
      sprouting, thus unraveling its prominent role in angiogenesis. Further, PCR
      analysis revealed that endothelial cells are devoid of DPT expression, but when
      exogenously supplied, modulates the expression of transforming growth factor
      beta1 and integrin alpha3beta1 which are reported to have crucial roles in
      endothelial cell behaviour during angiogenesis. In conclusion, DPT possess vital
      pro-angiogenic properties and thus retains promising therapeutic values in
      managing chronic wounds and cancer.

PMID- 28336089
TI  - Cold Lake Blend diluted bitumen toxicity to the early development of Japanese
      medaka.
AB  - Diluted bitumen (dilbit) from Alberta oil sands (Canada) is transported across
      major continental watersheds, yet little is known about its toxicity to fish if
      spilled into aquatic environments. The toxicity of Cold Lake (CLB) dilbit was
      assessed for medaka embryos (Oryzias latipes) exposed to water accommodated
      fractions (WAF) and chemically-enhanced WAF (CEWAF) using Corexit(r)EC9500A as
      dispersant. The effects of CLB toxicity were similar to conventional crude oils
      and Access Western Blend (AWB) dilbit. The prevalence of malformations and cyp1a
      mRNA synthesis in hatched fish increased monotonically with concentration during
      WAF and CEWAF treatments and provided a novel indicator of dilbit PAH toxicity.
      Apart from nfe2 (an antioxidant transcription factor), there were no
      statistically significant monotonic exposure-responses of ahr, arnt2, cat, sod,
      gpx, gst, gsr, g6pdh, p53, and hsp70 transcripts at total polycyclic aromatic
      hydrocarbons (TPAH) concentrations bracketing EC50s for embryotoxicity (WAF ? 3
      MUg/L; CEWAF ? 0.1 MUg/L TPAH). Based on measured TPAH concentrations in exposure
      test solutions, CLB dilbit was 6-10 fold more toxic to medaka than AWB during
      chronic exposures. Lack of direct monotonic gene transcription responses to
      increasing oil concentrations during exposures that were embryotoxic suggests
      that the capacity of the oxidative stress response is limited in earlier
      lifestages or that differences exist among species in mechanisms of toxicity.
      This study provides a comparative framework for identifying suitable biomarkers
      and toxicity methods for those fish species in sensitive lifestages at highest
      risk of Canadian oil sands dilbit exposure following a spill in the freshwater
      environment.

PMID- 28336090
TI  - Trace metal behavior in sediments of Jiulong River Estuary and implication for
      benthic exchange fluxes.
AB  - Severe metal pollution due to industrial effluents releases has been documented
      in Jiulong River estuary, Southern China. However, integrated understanding of
      trace metal behavior in the sediment is lacking. In the present study, DGT
      (diffusive gradients in thin films) technique was employed together with sediment
      cores to study the porewater dynamics of trace metals as well as the benthic
      exchange fluxes from four sampling sites over three different months. The
      sedimentary environment showed distinct spatial and temporal variations due to
      effluent discharge and biological activities. Metal behavior was controlled by
      early diagenetic reactions below the interface, in suboxic layer and in deeper
      sediment. Precipitation as sulfides and adsorption onto Mn/Fe (hydr)oxides were
      important in scavenging trace metals. Estimated exchange fluxes at sediment-water
      interface in this estuary indicated that the overlying water was a major source
      for trace metals, whereas sediments could also be the source if surface
      remobilization (Mn/Fe reduction) dominated. Our results highlighted the impacts
      of both natural and anthropogenic processes on the source, fate and
      transformation of trace metals in this dynamic system.

PMID- 28336091
TI  - Altered cellular metabolism of HepG2 cells caused by microcystin-LR.
AB  - This study aimed to evaluate the possible effects of microcystin-LR (MC-LR)
      exposure on the metabolism and drug resistance of human hepatocellular carcinoma
      (HepG2) cells. For this purpose, we first conducted an experiment to make sure
      that MC-LR could penetrate the HepG2 cell membrane effectively. The
      transcriptional levels of phase I (such as CYP2E1, CYP3A4, and CYP26B1) and phase
      II (such as EPHX1, SULTs, and GSTM) enzymes and export pump genes (such as MRP1
      and MDR1) were altered by MC-LR-exposure for 24 h, indicating that MC-LR
      treatment may destabilize the metabolism of HepG2 cells. Further research showed
      that the CYP inducers omeprazole, ethanol, and rifampicin inhibited cell
      viability, in particular, ethanol, a CYP2E1 inducer, induced ROS generation,
      lipid peroxidation, and apoptosis in HepG2 cells treated with MC-LR. The CYP2E1
      inhibitor chlormethiazole inhibited ROS generation, mitochondrial membrane
      potential loss, caspase-3 activity, and cytotoxicity caused by MC-LR. Meanwhile,
      the results also showed that co-incubation with the ROS scavenger l-ascorbic acid
      and MC-LR decreased ROS levels and effectively prevented apoptosis. These
      findings provide an interesting mechanistic explanation of cellular metabolism
      associated with MC-LR, i.e., MC-LR-exposure exerted toxicity on HepG2 cells and
      induced apoptosis of HepG2 cells via promoting CYP2E1 expression and inducing
      excessive ROS in HepG2 cells.

PMID- 28336092
TI  - Physiological and biochemical responses of Salix integra Thunb. under copper
      stress as affected by soil flooding.
AB  - To explore the joint effect of copper (Cu) and flooding on Salix integra Thunb.
      (S. integra), the physiological and biochemical parameters of the seedlings grown
      in Cu amended soil (50, 150, 450 mg kg-1) with or without the flooding for 60
      days were evaluated. The results suggested that the flooding significantly
      inhibited the root growth in terms of root length and root tips. The Cu exposures
      of 50 and 150 mg kg-1 notably enhanced the root growth as compared to the
      control. Majority of Cu was accumulated in S. integra roots, while flooding
      significantly reduced the Cu content, except the 150 mg kg-1 Cu treatment, but
      the iron (Fe) and manganese (Mn) content on the root surface were both markedly
      increased relative to non-flooded control. The malonaldehyde (MDA) and
      glutathione (GSH) contents in leaves showed a dose-response upon Cu exposure.
      Soil flooding enhanced the GSH level, which displayed 4.50-49.59% increases
      compared to its respective non-flooded treatment, while no difference was evident
      on MDA contents between the flooding and the non-flooded treatments. Both
      superoxide dismutase (SOD) and peroxidase (POD) activities were boosted while the
      catalase (CAT) was suppressed with increasing Cu exposure dose, and soil flooding
      reduced the POD and CAT activities. The elevated Cu level caused the evident
      increases of root calcium (Ca), potassium (K), and sulfur (S) concentrations and
      decreases of root phosphorus (P), sodium (Na), and zinc (Zn) concentrations. Soil
      flooding increased the concentrations of Fe, S, Na, Ca, and magnesium (Mg) in S.
      integra root. Taken together, our results suggested S. integra has high tolerance
      to the joint stress from Cu and flooding.

PMID- 28336093
TI  - Concurrent methylation and demethylation of arsenic by fungi and their
      differential expression in the protoplasm proteome.
AB  - Microbial methylation and demethylation are central to arsenic's (As)
      biogeochemical cycling. Here, the transformations of monomethylarsonic acid
      (MMA(V)) (50 mg L-1) for 15 days in cells of As-methylating fungi, Fusarium
      oxysporum CZ-8F1, Penicillium janthinellum SM-12F4, and Trichoderma asperellum SM
      12F1, were evaluated, and trace concentrations of As(III) and As(V) were observed
      in fungal cell extracts. Trace amounts of DMA(V) were also detected in MMA(V) and
      P. janthinellum SM-12F4 incubations. In situ X-ray absorption near edge structure
      (XANES) indicated that after exposure to MMA(V) (500 mg L-1) for 15 days, 28.6
      48.6% of accumulated As in fungal cells was DMA(V), followed by 18.4-30.3% from
      As(V), 0-28.1% from As(III), and 4.8-28.9% from MMA(V). The concurrent
      methylation and demethylation of As occurs in fungal cells. Furthermore, a
      majority of proteins involved in metabolism, transport, ATP activity,
      biosynthesis, signal transduction, DNA activity, translation, and oxidative
      stress were upregulated in T. asperellum SM-12F1 cells after MMA(V) exposure
      compared to As(III), As(V), and DMA(V). The detoxification process of T.
      asperellum SM-12F1 was As species-specific. Methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase
      (R7YMH0) donation of a methyl group for S-adenosylmethionine (SAM) generation
      significantly increased following MMA(V) exposure.

PMID- 28336094
TI  - Distinct succession patterns of abundant and rare bacteria in temporal microcosms
      with pollutants.
AB  - Elucidating the driving forces behind the temporal dynamics of abundant and rare
      microbes is essential for understanding the assembly and succession of microbial
      communities. Here, we explored the successional trajectories and mechanisms of
      abundant and rare bacteria via soil-enrichment subcultures in response to various
      pollutants (phenanthrene, n-octadecane, and CdCl2) using time-series Illumina
      sequencing datasets. The results reveal different successional patterns of
      abundant and rare sub-communities in eighty pollutant-degrading consortia and two
      original soil samples. A temporal decrease in alpha-diversity and high turnover
      rate for beta-diversity indicate that deterministic processes are the main
      drivers of the succession of the abundant sub-community; however, the high
      cumulative species richness indicates that stochastic processes drive the
      succession of the rare sub-community. A functional prediction showed that
      abundant bacteria contribute primary functions to the pollutant-degrading
      consortia, such as amino acid metabolism, cellular responses to stress, and
      hydrocarbon degradation. Meanwhile, rare bacteria contribute a substantial
      fraction of auxiliary functions, such as carbohydrate-active enzymes,
      fermentation, and homoacetogenesis, which indicates their roles as a source of
      functional diversity. Our study suggests that the temporal succession of microbes
      in polluted microcosms is mainly associated with abundant bacteria rather than
      the high proportion of rare taxa. The major forces (i.e., stochastic or
      deterministic processes) driving microbial succession could be dependent on the
      low- or high-abundance community members in temporal microcosms with pollutants.

PMID- 28336096
TI  - Multigenerational effects of two glucocorticoids (prednisolone and dexamethasone)
      on life-history parameters of crustacean Ceriodaphnia dubia (Cladocera).
AB  - Synthetic glucocorticoids (GCs) such as dexamethasone (DEX) and prednisolone
      (PDS) have been used since the 1940s to cure inflammatory and auto-immune
      disorders. Their use has been linked to a host of deleterious effects in aquatic
      ecosystems such as osteoporosis in vertebrates, developmental impairments in
      molluscs and reduced fecundity and growth in cladocerans. Apart from these
      handful of studies, the effects of GCs on aquatic biota are largely unknown. The
      present study is a first of its kind aiming to assess the multi-generational
      exposure effects of DEX and PDS on the life history parameters of Ceriodaphnia
      dubia (C. dubia). Multigenerational studies have proved to be an advantage in
      assessing the cumulative damage caused by aquatic toxicants at the population
      level of the exposed organisms over a period of successive generations using
      multiple biological endpoints. Test results demonstrated that C. dubia exhibited
      varied sensitivities towards both the studied chemicals however were more
      sensitive to DEX with 48-h EC50 (95% confidence interval) of 0.75 mg/L (CI: 0.59
      0.92) in comparison to PDS [19 mg/L (CI: 15-23)]. EC10 values for F0 in a
      multigenerational chronic bioassays were 48 MUg/L (CI: 37.4-61) for DEX and 460
      MUg/L (CI: 341-606) for PDS and in F3 were 2.2 MUg/L (CI: 1.6-3.1) for DEX and 31
      MUg/L (CI: 19.4-46) for PDS. There was a positive trend of increased toxicity
      followed by reduced life history traits such as fecundity, brood size and time to
      first brood and intrinsic rate of population increase and body growth (length and
      area) of C. dubia in the case of both studied chemicals. The results from the
      current work highlighted the importance of multigenerational studies in
      identifying the evolutionary responses of stressed non-target aquatic organisms,
      and data obtained can be further used in developing water quality guidelines.

PMID- 28336095
TI  - Chlorinated pesticides and natural brominated anisoles in air at three northern
      Baltic stations.
AB  - Polyurethane foam (PUF) disk passive samplers were deployed at one inland and two
      island locations in the Bothnian Bay region of the northern Baltic Sea. Uptake
      was linear over 81-147 d and a temperature range of -2.6 to 14.2  degrees C for
      organochlorine pesticides (OCPs) and current-use pesticides (CUPs) having log KOA
      >=9 at ambient temperatures. Partial saturation of the PUF disks occurred for the
      more volatile OCPs hexachlorocyclohexanes (HCHs) and hexachlorobenzene (HCB), and
      for bromoanisoles (BAs), which are products of bromophenols released by natural
      and anthropogenic sources. Correction for nonlinear uptake of these was made
      using experimentally measured PUF-air partition coefficients. Passive-derived air
      concentrations of pesticides were uniform over the bay and agreed within a factor
      of 2 or better with levels determined by active (pumped) sampling at one of the
      island stations. Levels of OCPs were similar to those reported at background
      sites in the European and Canadian Arctic and at monitoring stations in the
      central Baltic and southern Scandinavia, indicating long-range transport. The
      insecticide chlorpyrifos was 10 times lower at bay stations than in the Canadian
      Arctic. Insight to sources and processes was gained by examining compound
      profiles. Fractions Falpha = alpha-HCH/(alpha-HCH + gamma-HCH) and FTC = trans
      chlordane/(trans-chlordane + cis-chlordane) at bay stations were higher than in
      the Norwegian and Finnish Arctic and similar to those at the southern monitoring
      stations. Volatilization of chlordanes from Baltic seawater may also modify FTC.
      Higher FTriBA = 2,4,6-TriBA/(2,4,6-TriBA + 2,4-DiBA) distinguished local
      volatilization from the Baltic Sea versus lower FTriBA found at the inland site
      and reported in air on the Norwegian coast, suggesting westerly transport from
      the Atlantic across Norway and Sweden.

PMID- 28336097
TI  - Ranking current and prospective NO2 pollution mitigation strategies: An
      environmental and economic modelling investigation in Oxford Street, London.
AB  - Air pollution continues to be a problem in the urban environment. A range of
      different pollutant mitigation strategies that promote dispersion and deposition
      exist, but there is little evidence with respect to their comparative performance
      from both an environmental and economic perspective. This paper focuses on
      examining different NO2 mitigation strategies such as trees, buildings facades
      coated with photocatalytic paint and solid barriers in Oxford Street in London.
      The case study findings will support ranking the environmental and economic
      impacts of these different strategies to improve personal exposure conditions on
      the footpath and on the road in a real urban street canyon. CFD simulations of
      airflow and NO2 dispersion in Oxford Street in London were undertaken using the
      OpenFOAM software platform with the k-epsilon model, taking into account local
      prevailing wind conditions. Trees are shown to be the most cost-effective
      strategy, with a small reduction in NO2 concentrations of up to 0.7% on the road.
      However, solid barriers with and without the application of photocatalytic paint
      and an innovative material (20 times more expensive than trees) can improve air
      quality on the footpaths more substantially, up to 7.4%, yet this has a
      significant detrimental impact on NO2 concentrations (<=23.8%) on the road.
      Photocatalytic paint on building surfaces presented a minimal environmental
      reductions (1.2%) and economic (>100 times more expensive than trees) mitigation
      strategy. The findings recognised the differences between footpath and road
      concentrations occurred and that a focused examination of three pollution
      hotspots can provide more cost effective pollution mitigation. This study
      considers how a number of pollutant mitigation measures can be applied in a
      single street canyon and demonstrates the strengths and weaknesses of these
      strategies from economic and environmental perspectives. Further research is
      required to extrapolate the findings presented here to different street
      geometries.

PMID- 28336098
TI  - Complications of volar locking plating of distal radius fractures in 576 patients
      with 3.2 years follow-up.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Volar plating of unstable distal radius fractures (DRF) has become
      the favoured treatment. The complication rates vary from 3 to 36%. The purpose of
      the study was to estimate the complication rate of volar plating of DRF and its
      association with AO/OTA fracture type, surgeon experience and type of volar
      plate. METHODS: Retrospectively, all patients treated with volar plating of a DRF
      between February 2009 and June 2013 at Aarhus University Hospital, Denmark were
      included. AO/OTA fracture type, surgeon experience (1st year, 2nd-5th year
      resident or consultant), type of plate (VariAx(r), Acu-Loc(r)) and complications
      were extracted from the electronic medical records. Complications were
      categorized as carpal tunnel syndrome, other sensibility issues, tendon
      complications including irritation and rupture, deep infections, complex regional
      pain syndrome and unidentified DRUJ or scapholunar problems. Reoperations
      including hardware removal were also charted. RESULTS: 576 patients with a median
      age of 63 years (min: 15; max: 87) were included. 78% were female and the mean
      observation time was 3.2 years (min: 2.0; max: 5.4). 78% (n=451) of the patients
      were treated with VariAx(r) and 22% (n=125) with Acu-Loc(r). The overall
      complication rate was 14.6% (95% CI 11.8-17.7) including carpal tunnel syndrome
      or change in sensibility in 5.2% and tendon complications in 4.7%. Five flexor
      tendon ruptures and 12 extensor tendon ruptures were observed. The reoperation
      rate was 10.4% including 41 cases of hardware removal. A statistically
      significant association between AO/OTA fracture type C and complications was
      found. No statistically significant association between complication rate and
      surgeon experience and type of plate was observed. CONCLUSION: The majority of
      DRF patients treated with a volar plate suffer no complications. However, the
      overall complication rate of 14.6% is substantial. Intra-articular fractures,
      e.g. AO/OTA-type 23C1-3, had significantly higher complication rates. Neither
      surgeon experience, nor type of volar plate was able to predict complications.

PMID- 28336099
TI  - Direct fixation of fractures of the posterior pilon via a posteromedial approach.
AB  - The treatment of fractures of the posterior pilon is a timely issue. Restoration
      of the integrity of the incisura fibularis and subsequent anatomic reduction of
      the fibula are essential for reconstruction of the ankle mortise after trauma,
      and syndesmotic stability. Inappropriate treatment ultimately will lead to a poor
      functional outcome and quality of life. Open reduction and direct internal
      fixation through a posterolateral or posteromedial approach are increasingly
      preferred over indirect reduction and anteroposterior screw fixation. The
      posteromedial approach, although elegant, straightforward, and offering an
      excellent exposure of the fracture site, is used less frequently than the
      posterolateral approach. In this technical note we describe the posteromedial
      approach for the treatment of posterior pilon fractures in a step-by-step
      fashion. We will discuss the indications, its benefits and limitations.

PMID- 28336100
TI  - In vivo evaluation of the hippocampal glutamate, GABA and the BDNF levels
      associated with spatial memory performance in a rodent model of neuropathic pain.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Patients with chronic pain usually suffer from learning and memory
      impairment which may significantly decrease their quality of life. Despite
      laboratory and clinical studies, the mechanism underlying this memory impairment
      remains elusive. We evaluated the effect of chronic pain on the glutamate and
      GABA levels and BDNF expression in the CA1 region of hippocampus as a possible
      explanation for memory impairment related to neuropathic pain. METHODS: In this
      respect, 30 male rats were randomly allocated to 3 groups as control, sham and
      neuropathic. Neuropathic pain was induced by a chronic constriction injury of the
      sciatic nerve (CCI) and mechanical allodynia and the spatial memory was assessed
      using the Von Frey filaments and Morris water maze respectively. To determine the
      potential mechanisms, the in vivo extracellular levels of glutamate and gamma
      aminobutyric acid (GABA) were measured by microdialysis and the brain-derived
      neurotrophic factor (BDNF) expression was determined by using western blots
      technique in the hippocampus on days 14 and 21 post-CCI. RESULTS: We showed that
      CCI impaired spatial learning and memory in Morris water maze (MWM) task. BDNF
      expression level and glutamate concentration significantly decreased in rats with
      chronic constriction injury of the sciatic nerve (P<0.001, F=7.3, F=23.23). In
      addition, GABA increased in hippocampal CA1 region (P<0.001, F=39.2) when the
      pain threshold was minimum. Nevertheless, these changes reversed while pain was
      relieved spontaneously. CONCLUSION: Chronic pain induced by constriction of the
      sciatic nerve impairs the spatial learning and memory function in rats. This
      effect exerts through the increase in GABA concentration and decrease in the
      glutamate and BDNF levels in the CA1 region of the hippocampus.

PMID- 28336101
TI  - Metabolic syndrome, hepatic steatosis, and cardiovascular risk in children.
AB  - OBJECTIVES: Pediatric metabolic syndrome (MetS) is a well-recognized entity;
      however, there is no consensus on its exact value in predicting long-term
      cardiovascular (CV) risk. Hepatic steatosis (HS) is another emerging condition
      associated with pediatric obesity, and data have been reported suggesting a
      possible role of HS in CV risk linked to MetS. The aim of the present study was
      to evaluate the usefulness of HS and MetS cluster in predicting CV risk linked to
      pediatric obesity. METHODS: We studied 803 overweight and obese children (395
      girls and 408 boys, mean age 9.4 +/- 2.5 y, body mass index z-score 2.2 +/- 0.53)
      with complete clinical and biological assessment. MetS was defined using the
      modified criteria of the American Heart Association. The diagnosis and severity
      of the HS was based on ultrasound. To assess CV risk, all patients underwent
      ultrasonography to measure carotid intima-media thickness (cIMT)-a validated
      marker of subclinical vascular disease. RESULTS: The overall prevalence of MetS
      was 13.07%; HS was significantly higher in patients with MetS (40.9 versus 18.5%;
      P < 0.001; odds ratio, 3.059; 95% confidence interval, 1.98-4.7). Spearman's
      correlation between HS grade and the number of MetS criteria met by each patient
      was significant (r = 0.285; P < 0.001). No statistical difference was recorded in
      cIMT and cIMT z-scores between patients with or without MetS, until inclusion of
      HS as an additional criterion for the diagnosis of MetS. In this case, there was
      a significant difference in cIMT z-scores between the two groups. In multiple
      linear regression analysis, the cIMT z-score value was better predicted with HS
      grade and the MetS cluster (adjusted R2 = 2.6%; P = 0.002) than when using the
      MetS cluster only. CONCLUSIONS: HS could be used as additional criterion in
      detecting pediatric MetS phenotype at higher risk for long-term CV morbidity.

PMID- 28336102
TI  - Influence of gestational diabetes mellitus on fatty acid concentrations in human
      colostrum.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to examine differences in fatty acid
      concentrations in colostrum of women with and without gestational diabetes
      mellitus (GDM). The effect of GDM on fatty acid composition of colostrum is not
      fully understood, although rates of GDM are increasing globally. METHODS: A
      prospective case-control study was conducted of postpartum women with and without
      GDM. Gas chromatographic analysis was conducted to examine differences in
      colostral fatty acids of the colostrum samples of 29 women with and 34 without
      GDM. RESULTS: Analyses of the fatty acid composition revealed significantly
      higher concentrations of four essential omega-6 polyunsaturated fatty acids-gamma
      linolenic, eicosatrienoic, arachidonic, and docosatetraenoic-in the colostrum of
      GDM women compared with non-GDM women. Timing of collection influenced saturated
      medium chain fatty acid and monounsaturated fatty acid levels. CONCLUSIONS:
      Differences in concentrations of omega-6 fatty acids but not in dietary linoleic
      fatty acid or omega-3 fatty acids suggest that altered concentrations are
      attributed to changes in specific endogenous metabolic pathways. Implications of
      higher concentrations of omega-6 fatty acids in the colostrum of women with GDM
      have yet to be determined. Timing of colostrum collection is critical in
      determining colostral fatty acid and metabolite concentrations.

PMID- 28336104
TI  - Serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D and metabolic syndrome in a Japanese working
      population: The Furukawa Nutrition and Health Study.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: Increasing evidence has suggested a protective role of vitamin D on
      metabolic syndrome (MetS). However, studies addressing this issue are limited in
      Asia and it remains unclear whether calcium could modify the association. We
      examined the association of serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25(OH)D) status with MetS,
      and the potential effect modification by calcium intake in a Japanese working
      population. METHODS: Study subjects were 1790 workers, ages 18 to 69 y, who
      participated in a health survey at the time of periodic checkup. MetS was defined
      according to the joint interim statement. Serum 25(OH)D was measured by a protein
      binding assay. Multilevel logistic regression was used to estimate the odds ratio
      (OR) with adjustment for potential confounding variables. RESULTS: An inverse
      trend was observed between 25(OH)D and MetS. Compared with those with a 25(OH)D
      of <20 ng/mL, multivariable adjusted OR (95% confidence interval) for MetS was
      0.79 (0.55-1.15) and 0.52 (0.25-1.04) for those with a 25(OH)D of 20 to 29 ng/mL
      and >=30 ng/mL, respectively (P for trend = 0.051). Similar association was
      observed in the analysis using quartile categories of 25(OH)D; the OR in the
      highest quartile of 25(OH)D compared with the lowest quartile was 0.61 (0.36
      1.01) (P for trend = 0.046). This association was noted only in older subjects
      (>=44 y). The inverse association between serum 25(OH)D and MetS was more
      pronounced in subjects with high calcium intake. The inverse association between
      25(OH)D and MetS appears to be linear according to restricted cubic spline
      regression. There was inverse, but statistically nonsignificant, associations
      between 25(OH)D and each component of MetS. CONCLUSION: Our results suggest that
      higher circulating vitamin D is associated with decreased likelihood of having
      MetS among Japanese adults.

PMID- 28336103
TI  - 25-hydroxyvitamin D is differentially associated with calcium intakes of
      Northern, Central, and Southern European adolescents: Results from the HELENA
      study.
AB  - OBJECTIVES: Adolescents in the European Union (EU) exhibit a higher prevalence of
      vitamin D (VitD) deficiency than other age groups. The degree to which sunlight
      exposure 25-hydroxyvitamin D [25(OH)D] concentrations depends on a variety of
      factors, including diet. Nevertheless, the relationship between calcium and VitD
      intake and 25(OH)D concentrations has not been previously studied among
      adolescents living in different EU countries and consequently in different
      latitudes. Therefore, the aim of this study was to examine whether calcium and
      VitD intakes are differentially associated with 25(OH)D in adolescents from
      northern, central and southern EU countries. METHODS: The present analysis
      included 178 adolescents from northern EU countries, 251 from central EU
      countries, and 212 from southern EU countries (ages 12.5-17.5 y). Mixed model
      linear regression analyses stratified by geographic location were used to verify
      associations between calcium and VitD intake and 25(OH)D concentrations. Age,
      Tanner stage, seasonality, energy intake, and supplement use were entered as
      covariates. RESULTS: Only the calcium intake of central EU adolescents was
      positively associated with 25(OH)D (alpha = 0.005; 95% confidence interval, 0.007
      0.028). CONCLUSIONS: Further longitudinal studies should confirm these
      observations, as this could be important for future public health interventions
      aiming to increase 25(OH)D concentrations in adolescents.

PMID- 28336105
TI  - Tolerance and efficacy of a polyamine-deficient diet for the treatment of
      perioperative pain.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Polyamines have been identified as pain agonists and interact with N
      methyl-D-aspartate receptors. A prospective, randomized, multicenter, and blinded
      phase II clinical trial was conducted to evaluate a polyamine-deficient diet for
      the treatment of perioperative pain in patients during spinal surgery. METHODS:
      All analyses followed the intention-to-treat principle. The trial was designed to
      evaluate the dose-ranging effect of a low polyamine diet with respect to a total
      (group 1) or partial (group 2) polyamine diet on perioperative pain (7 d before
      and 5 d after surgery). Pain (numerical scale at rest and motion), quality of
      life questionnaires (Brief Pain Inventory, EIFEL questionnaire, and Short Form-12
      acute questionnaire), and tolerance of and compliance with the nutritional
      program were measured. RESULTS: Compliance (preoperatively: 100% in group 1 and
      83% in group 2; postoperatively: 83% in group 1 and 71% in group 2) and tolerance
      were good. After 7 d following the diet before surgery, decreased pain was
      observed in group 1 whereas no effect was observed in group 2 (P = 0.144). This
      analgesic effect became significant in group 1 in the subgroup of patients with
      initial high levels of pain (NS >= 4) at rest (P = 0.03) and during motion (P =
      0.011). Quality of life was significantly improved in group 1 (P = 0.0465). In
      the postoperative period, pain was significantly decreased in group 1 compared to
      group 2 at rest (P = 0.022) and during motion (P = 0.029). The effect was
      significantly better on patients with higher initial pain both at rest (P =
      0.013) and during motion (P = 0.005) in group 1 compared to group 2. CONCLUSION:
      Suppression of polyamines from the diet offers a nutrition-based treatment option
      for perioperative pain reduction independent of and complementary to typical
      analgesic approaches.

PMID- 28336106
TI  - Nomogram for predicting oral feeding intolerance in patients with acute
      pancreatitis.
AB  - OBJECTIVES: Oral feeding intolerance (OFI) is a common complication of acute
      pancreatitis that leads to prolonged hospitalization, increased use of hospital
      resources, and impaired quality of life. However, there are no clinically useful
      predictors of OFI. The aims of this study were to determine whether
      gastrointestinal dysmotility is associated with the development of OFI, and
      whether the gastroparesis cardinal symptom index (GCSI) can be used as a
      predictive tool in a clinical setting. METHODS: This was a prospective cohort
      study. The primary outcome was the development of OFI. Daily GCSI total score and
      subscores (nausea/vomiting, early satiety, and bloating) were recorded.
      Univariate and multivariate binary logistic regression analyses were conducted,
      adjusting for age, etiology of pancreatitis, severity, diabetes status, and time
      from symptom onset to hospital admission. RESULTS: The study included 217
      consecutive adult patients with acute pancreatitis. Multivariate analyses showed
      significant associations between OFI occurrence and the total GCSI score on day 2
      of hospital admission (odds ratio [OR], 1.42; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.02
      2.00), the highest total GCSI score (OR, 1.38; 95% CI, 1.03-1.86), the day 2
      nausea/vomiting subscore (OR, 1.40; 95% CI, 1.04-1.89), the day 2 bloating
      subscore (OR, 1.25; 95% CI, 1.01-1.54), and the highest bloating subscore (OR,
      1.32; 95% CI, 1.08-1.63). CONCLUSIONS: Gastrointestinal dysmotility is associated
      with the development of OFI and the GCSI has potential as a clinically useful
      predictive tool in the setting of acute pancreatitis. The developed nomogram
      holds promise but needs to be validated externally.

PMID- 28336107
TI  - Enriched enteral nutrition may improve short-term survival in stage IV gastric
      cancer patients: A randomized, controlled trial.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: The aim of the study was to determine whether the postoperative use of
      enteral nutrition enriched with arginine, glutamine, and omega-3 fatty acids
      influences survival in patients diagnosed with stomach cancer. For the purpose of
      the study, the second wave of the trial performed in 2003 to 2009 was done.
      METHODS: Ninety-nine patients who underwent surgery for gastric cancer (27 F, 72
      M, mean age: 62.9 y) met the inclusion criteria. Of those, 54 were randomized to
      standard and 45 to enriched enteral nutrition (EEN). In all patients, short- and
      long-term (5 y) survival was analyzed. RESULTS: Analysis of the overall survival
      time did not reveal differences between groups (P = 0.663). Until the end of the
      third month, however, there were nine deaths in the standard enteral nutrition
      group and no deaths in the EEN group (16.7% versus 0.0%, P = 0.004). The
      univariate analyses suggested that the EEN group may have lower risk, especially
      during the first year after intervention. A significant reduction in the risk of
      death was seen during the early period after surgery (first 6 mo) in the EEN
      group in stage IV patients (hazard ratio = 0.25, P = 0.049). The use of enriched
      enteral diet did not influence, however, the risk of dying when patients were
      analyzed together. CONCLUSIONS: The study does not support the beneficial effect
      of enriched enteral nutrition in long-term survival; however, the positive impact
      on the stage IV patients suggests the need for further, more detailed studies.

PMID- 28336108
TI  - Vitamin D increases PPARgamma expression and promotes beneficial effects of
      physical activity in metabolic syndrome.
AB  - OBJECTIVES: Peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor (PPAR) and vitamin D
      signaling pathways regulate a multitude of genes involved in different
      physiological functions. The aim of the present study was to examine the effects
      of vitamin D supplementation and aerobic training on metabolic syndrome and
      PPARgamma expression. METHODS: Forty female ovariectomized rats were divided into
      five groups of aerobic training with high (OVX + Exe + HD), moderate (OVX + Exe +
      MD), and low dose of vitamin D (OVX + Exe + LD), aerobic training receving
      vehicle (sesame oil; OVX + Exe + oil), and sham-operated control (sham) groups.
      After 2 mo of treatment, serum insulin, vitamin D, glucose, lipid profile,
      visceral fat, and liver PPARgamma gene expression were measured. RESULTS: The
      combination of exercise and high doses of vitamin D significantly reduced insulin
      (P = 0.039), blood glucose (P = 0.024), and homeostatic model assessment for
      insulin resistance (P = 0.011), and elevated PPARgamma gene expression (P =
      0.032). Also, treatment with aerobic training and either high or moderate vitamin
      D, ameliorated overall metabolic syndrome Z scores (P = 0.001). CONCLUSION:
      Findings from the present study suggested that a sedentary lifestyle and vitamin
      D deficiency accelerated the occurrence of metabolic syndrome probably by
      decreasing the expression of nuclear receptor PPARgamma. Additionally, adequate
      levels of plasma vitamin D are necessary to achieve the beneficial metabolic
      effects of physical activity.

PMID- 28336109
TI  - Multivitamin/mineral supplements: Rationale and safety.
AB  - Multivitamin/mineral supplements (MVMs) are widely used in many populations.
      MVMs, together with iron and folic acid, are recommended for pregnant women to
      improve birth outcome and to reduce low-birthweight and rates of miscarriage.
      However, MVM use is common in the general population as well. The aim of the
      present review was to evaluate the safety of long-term use of these supplements.
      To examine the safety of MVM use, we performed a literature search for randomized
      controlled studies involving supplementation with a combination of at least nine
      vitamins and three minerals at a maximum concentration of 100% of the Recommended
      Dietary Allowance. We found nine studies evaluating the use and efficacy of MVMs
      in pregnant women and healthy adults and six studies in the elderly where adverse
      effects were explicitly addressed. Only minor adverse events (e.g., unspecific
      gastrointestinal symptoms) were reported in all studies. In particular, there
      were no significant differences between treatment and placebo groups. MVM use
      within the range of the Dietary Reference Intake will not result in excess
      intake, even when including the effect of food and fortified food, and does not
      increase mortality. Taken together, these findings indicate that MVMs can be safe
      for long-term use (>10 y).

PMID- 28336110
TI  - Patient-Generated Subjective Global Assessment as a prognosis tool in patients
      with multiple myeloma.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: Disease-related weight loss is relatively common in patients with
      newly diagnosed multiple myeloma (MM), but limited data exist regarding the
      effects of nutritional status on survival. The aim of this study was to assess
      the relationship between malnutrition (as measured by Patient-Generated
      Subjective Global Assessment [PG-SGA]) and clinical characteristics of patients
      with MM, and to investigate the association between the PG-SGA score before
      chemotherapy and overall survival in MM patients. METHODS: Using the PG-SGA
      score, we retrospectively explored the effect of malnutrition on the survival of
      Asian patients with MM. RESULTS: We divided 216 patients with MM into three
      groups based on their PG-SGA scores. Of these patients 23% (n = 50) had PG-SGA
      scores >=9, indicating severe malnutrition requiring specialist nutrition
      intervention. Body mass index and serum hemoglobin were independently associated
      with PG-SGA scores (P < 0.05). The median survival time was not reached in
      nourished patients with PG-SGA scores of 0 to 3, 58.7 mo in moderately
      malnourished patients with PG-SGA scores of 4 to 8, and 35 mo in severely
      malnourished patients with PG-SGA scores >=9 (P = 0.001). Multivariate analysis
      revealed that PG-SGA scores >=9 compared with PG-SGA scores of 0 to 3 (hazard
      ratio [HR], 2.347; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.271-4.334; P = 0.006),
      International Staging System (ISS) stage III compared with ISS stage I (HR,
      2.360; 95% CI, 1.271-4.379; P = 0.007), and autologous stem cell transplantation
      (HR, 0.388; 95% CI, 0.248-0.606; P < 0.001) were associated with overall
      survival. CONCLUSIONS: A higher PG-SGA score before chemotherapy was associated
      with reduced survival among patients with MM. Nutritional evaluation should be an
      integral part of the clinical assessment of MM patients, and the PG-SGA score
      would be an appropriate tool to evaluate nutritional status.

PMID- 28336111
TI  - Hepatoprotective effects of curcumin in rats after bile duct ligation via
      downregulation of Rac1 and NOX1.
AB  - OBJECTIVES: New evidence has proven the hepatoprotective activity of curcumin;
      however, its underlying mechanisms remain to be elucidated. The aim of this study
      was to investigate the protective effect of curcumin on hepatic damage by
      measuring the antioxidant capacity and expression level of Rho-related C3
      botulinum toxin substrate (Rac1), Rac1-Guanosine triphosphate (Rac1-GTP), and
      NADPH oxidase 1(NOX1) in biliary duct-ligated (BDL)-fibrotic rat model. METHODS:
      Wistar rats weighing 200 to 250 g were divided into four groups (n = 8 for each):
      sham group, sham+Cur group (received curcumin 100 mg/kg daily), BDL+Cur group,
      and BDL group. The mRNA and protein expression levels of Rac1, Rac1-GTP, and NOX1
      were measured by real-time polymerase chain reaction and Western blotting,
      respectively. RESULTS: Curcumin treatment of BDL rats reduced liver injury, as
      verified by improvement of hepatic cell histologic alterations, and by reduction
      of hepatic enzymes. Moreover, the increase in the expression of Rac1, Rac1-GTP,
      and NOX1 observed in BDL rats was precluded and reversed back toward normalcy by
      curcumin treatment (P < 0.05). We also observed an escalation of protein thiol
      groups, increased enzyme activity of serum antioxidant markers (e.g., superoxide
      dismutase) and a decrease of carbonylation in curcumin-treated BDL rats compared
      with BDL rats (P < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Curcumin attenuated liver damage through
      the downregulation of Rac1, Rac1-GTP, and NOX1 as well as reduced oxidative
      stress in the serum and liver tissue of BDL rats.

PMID- 28336112
TI  - Evaluation of daily ginger consumption for the prevention of chronic diseases in
      adults: A cross-sectional study.
AB  - OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study was to assess daily ginger consumption and
      explore its correlation with chronic diseases among adults and to analyze further
      how different levels of ginger intake affect the prevalence of chronic diseases.
      METHODS: We examined the prevalence rate of chronic diseases (diabetes,
      hypertension, coronary heart disease [CHD], hyperlipidemia, cerebrovascular
      disease, fatty liver, anemia, and tumor), as well as the daily ginger intake in a
      large cross-sectional study. In all, 4628 participants (1823 men and 2805 women)
      ages 18 to 77 y completed face-to-face dietary and health questionnaires. We
      extracted diagnoses and investigation results from the participants' health
      records. The association between the level of ginger intake (0-2 g/d, 2-4 g/d,
      and 4-6 g/d) and the prevalence of chronic diseases was analyzed by using chi2
      statistical test and unconditional logistic model. RESULTS: Overall, daily ginger
      consumption was associated with decreased risk for hypertension (odds ratio [OR],
      0.92; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.86-0.98) and CHD (OR, 0.87; 95% CI, 0.78
      0.96) in adults ages >=18 y. Differences were also observed in adults ages >=40
      y: hypertension (OR, 0.92; 95% CI, 0.87-0.99), CHD (OR, 0.87; 95% CI, 0.78-0.97).
      However, after 20 y, no association was seen for hypertension but there was still
      a difference between ginger consumption and CHD in adults ages >=60 y (OR, 0.84;
      95% CI, 0.73-0.96). Again, the probability of illness (hypertension or CHD)
      decreased when the level of daily ginger intake increased. CONCLUSIONS: These
      data indicate that ginger has a potential preventive property against some
      chronic diseases, especially hypertension and CHD, as well as its ability to
      reduce the probability of illness.

PMID- 28336114
TI  - Paradoxical aortic stenosis: A systematic review.
AB  - Aortic stenosis (AS) is a complex systemic valvular and vascular disease with a
      high prevalence in developed countries. The new entity "paradoxical low-flow, low
      gradient aortic stenosis" refers to cases in which patients have severe AS based
      on assessment of aortic valve area (AVA) (<=1 cm2) or indexed AVA (<=0.6 cm2/m2),
      but paradoxically have a low mean transvalvular gradient (<40 mmHg) and a low
      stroke volume index (<=35 ml/m2), despite preserved left ventricular ejection
      fraction (>=50%). A search was carried out in the PubMed database on paradoxical
      AS for the period 2007-2014. A total of 57 articles were included for this
      review. The prevalence of paradoxical AS ranged from 3% to 35% of the population
      with severe degenerative AS. It was more frequent in females and in older
      patients. Paradoxical AS was associated with characteristic left ventricular
      remodeling as well as an increase in systemic arterial stiffness. It was noted
      that there may be errors and inaccuracies in the calculation of AVA by the
      continuity equation, which could erroneously suggest the paradoxical phenotype.
      There are new diagnostic methods to facilitate the study of AS, such as aortic
      valve calcium score, valvuloarterial impedance and the longitudinal mechanics of
      the left ventricle. With regard to its natural history, it is not clear whether
      paradoxical AS corresponds to an advance stage of the disease or if paradoxical
      AS patients have a distinct phenotype with specific characteristics. Valve
      replacement, either surgical or percutaneous, may be indicated in patients with
      severe and symptomatic paradoxical AS.

PMID- 28336113
TI  - Effect of branched-chain amino acid ratio on the proliferation, differentiation,
      and expression levels of key regulators involved in protein metabolism of
      myocytes.
AB  - OBJECTIVES: Branched-chain amino acids (BCAAs), including leucine (Leu),
      isoleucine (Ile), and valine (Val), are key regulators of protein synthesis in
      muscle. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of different BCAA
      ratios (Leu:Ile:Val) on the proliferation, differentiation, and expression levels
      of the regulators related to protein metabolism of C2 C12 myocytes. METHODS:
      Studies were conducted in C2C12 myocytes exposed to different BCAA ratios (Leu:
      Ile: Val = 0, 1:0.25:0.25, 1:1:1). RESULTS: The ratio of 1:0.25:0.25 increased
      cell viability and promoted cell cycle progression from G0/G1 phase to S phase,
      which was an indicator of proliferation enhancement (P < 0.05). Moreover, this
      optimal ratio (1:0.25:0.25) promoted the differentiation of myocytes into
      myotubes by upregulating myogenin and interleukin-15 gene expression, and
      differently regulated the expression of L-type amino acid transporter 1 and 4 and
      system ASC amino acid transporters 2. Furthermore, the ratio stimulated mTOR
      expression at the mRNA and phosphorylated protein levels, as well as ribosomal
      protein S6 kinase and regulatory-associated protein of mTOR (raptor). In
      contrast, the optimal ratio decreased the amount of ubiquitin ligase muscle
      specific RING finger 1 and muscle atrophy F-box during proliferation and
      differentiation (P < 0.05). No change was observed in the expression of key genes
      related to energy metabolism except for uncoupling protein 3 (P > 0.05).
      CONCLUSIONS: The results suggested that appropriate BCAA ratios could enhance
      proliferation and differentiation of the C2 C12 myocytes, also mediate the key
      regulators related to protein metabolism including the mTORC1 pathway. A proper
      utilization of balanced BCAA ratio in food would be beneficial to human and
      animal nutrition.

PMID- 28336115
TI  - Anomalous pulmonary venous connection: An underestimated entity.

PMID- 28336117
TI  - Moraxella catarrhalis meningitis during certolizumab pegol treatment.

PMID- 28336116
TI  - Purulent pericarditis by Staphylococcus Panton-Valentine secondary to hair
      implants.

PMID- 28336119
TI  - Intestinal obstruction due to olive.

PMID- 28336118
TI  - Anticoagulation quality control in Primary Care with vitamin K antagonists.

PMID- 28336120
TI  - Spontaneous severe hemoperitoneum in peritoneal dialysis patients.

PMID- 28336121
TI  - Septic arthritis due to Klebsiella oxytoca.

PMID- 28336122
TI  - Familial acute necrotizing encephalopathy with RANBP2 mutation: The first report
      in Northeast Asia.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Acute necrotizing encephalopathy (ANE) is a rare but rapidly
      progressing encephalopathy following a febrile illness, commonly a viral
      infection. It is characterized by the features of acute encephalopathy such as
      seizure, alteration of consciousness, and symmetric involvement of the bilateral
      thalamus on neuroimaging tests. Although most ANE cases have occurred
      sporadically, familial or recurrent ANE has been reported in Caucasian patients,
      with genetic susceptibility to ANE noted in some patients due to a RANBP2
      mutation. We report the cases of two Korean siblings with typical ANE and RANBP2
      mutation. CASE REPORT: A 2year-old Korean girl presented with prolonged seizures
      and encephalopathy after two days of febrile illness. Brain computed tomography
      (CT) showed diffuse brain swelling and low attenuation in the bilateral thalamus.
      Two months later, her younger sister presented with lethargy and flurries of
      seizures after a Mycoplasma pneumoniae infection. Brain magnetic resonance
      imaging scan (MRI) showed a characteristic involvement of the bilateral thalamus,
      suggesting ANE. Although they received intravenous steroids and immunoglobulin,
      the older child died; her sister remained in a coma. Both were diagnosed with
      familial ANE after identifying a common missense mutation in RANBP2 (c.1754C>T:
      p.Thr585Met) in the younger sister and their father. CONCLUSIONS: This report is
      the first case of familial ANE in Northeast Asia identifying a RANBP2 mutation
      with poor outcome. Due to rapidly deterioration and recurrent nature of familial
      ANE, genetic test of RANBP2 mutation should be considered for early diagnosis.
      Further studies are needed to elucidate the nature of ANE.

PMID- 28336123
TI  - Yellow fever outbreak in Brazil, 2017.

PMID- 28336124
TI  - Ultraviolet B inhibition of DNMT1 activity via AhR activation dependent SIRT1
      suppression in CD4+ T cells from systemic lupus erythematosus patients.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Previous studies have reported that ultraviolet B (UVB) inhibits DNA
      methyltransferase1 (DNMT1) activity in CD4+ T cells from systemic lupus
      erythematosus (SLE) patients. Silent mating type information regulation 2 homolog
      1 (SIRT1) is a type of Class III histone deacetylases (HDACs), and has been
      reported to play roles in the pathogenesis of different autoimmune diseases and
      can modulate DNMT1 activity. Moreover, aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR) has been
      reported to link UVB with SLE. However, the exact mechanisms by which DNMT1
      activity is inhibited by UVB in lupus CD4+ T cells remain largely unknown.
      OBJECTIVE: To elucidate the exact mechanisms by which DNMT1 activity is inhibited
      by UVB in lupus CD4+ T cells. METHODS: Twenty-two newly diagnosed active SLE
      patients and 30 healthy controls were enrolled in the study. CD4+ T cells were
      isolated, cultured and treated. DNMT1 activity assay, quantitative real-time PCR
      (qRT-PCR), Western blotting, RNA interference using small interfering RNA and
      Chromatin Immunoprecipitation (ChIP) assay were employed. RESULTS: DNMT1 activity
      was inhibited in si-SIRT1-transfected CD4+ T cells, and increased by the
      established SIRT1 activator, SRT1720. Moreover, the mRNA and protein expression
      of SIRT1 were suppressed by UVB exposure in lupus CD4+ T cells. UVB-inhibited
      DNMT1 activity was reversed by SRT1720 in si-control-transfected lupus CD4+ T
      cells, but not in si-SIRT1-transfected lupus CD4 + T cells. Furthermore, AhR
      activation by VAF347 reduced the mRNA and protein expression of SIRT1. ChIP using
      an antibody against AhR in normal CD4+ T cells revealed a 16-fold stronger signal
      at the site about 1.6kb upstream from the translation start site of the SIRT1
      promoter. Finally, UVB could activate AhR and inhibit the mRNA and protein
      expression of SIRT1. AhR knockdown abrogated the inhibition of UVB-mediated SIRT1
      mRNA and protein expression and DNMT1 activity in lupus CD4+ T cells. CONCLUSION:
      UVB suppressed SIRT1 expression via activating AhR, and subsequently inhibited
      DNMT1 activity in CD4+ T cells from SLE patients.

PMID- 28336125
TI  - Differences in short and long-term survival between males and females with new
      onset heart failure: A retrospective cohort study.

PMID- 28336126
TI  - Epidemiology of cystic fibrosis-related diabetes in Madrid (Spain) and frequency
      of hospitalization.

PMID- 28336127
TI  - Commitment to life and the right to die.

PMID- 28336128
TI  - Retinal pigment epithelium tears: Classification, pathogenesis, predictors, and
      management.
AB  - Various eye conditions cause tears in the retinal pigment epithelium (RPE). The
      most common cause of a RPE tear is vascularized retinal pigment epithelial
      detachment (PED) in patients with exudative age-related macular degeneration.
      Although RPE tears can develop spontaneously in vascularized PEDs, most recent
      cases have been associated with anti-vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF)
      injections. The subretinal fluid within the PED applies hydrostatic pressure to
      the RPE and stretches it. The PED enlarges as the hydrostatic pressure increases.
      Contraction of the choroidal neovascular membrane adds tractional forces to the
      RPE monolayer. Especially in larger PEDs, the risk of a RPE tear increases after
      anti-VEGF therapy owing to increasing contraction of the choroidal neovascular
      membrane. The risk factors and predictors defined by retinal imaging can
      contribute to prevention of RPE tears, and modified therapies can be used for
      patients at most risk; however, there is no proven method for prevention of RPE
      tears. After tear formation, in the presence of an active choroidal neovascular
      membrane, anti-VEGF should be repeated until the underlying disease has been
      suppressed. When the subretinal fluid is present for more than 6 months, the
      denuded area is covered with thickened fibrotic tissue. We review the literature
      to describe the classification, epidemiology, mechanisms of development, and
      repair of RPE tears, diagnosis, risk factors and predictors, prevention, and
      management.

PMID- 28336129
TI  - Labile iron potentiates ascorbate-dependent reduction and mobilization of
      ferritin iron.
AB  - Ascorbate mobilizes iron from equine spleen ferritin by two separate processes.
      Ascorbate alone mobilizes ferritin iron with an apparent Km (ascorbate) ~1.5mM.
      Labile iron >2MUM, complexed with citrate (10mM), synergises ascorbate-dependent
      iron mobilization by decreasing the apparent Km (ascorbate) to ~270MUM and
      raising maximal mobilization rate by ~5-fold. Catalase reduces the apparent
      Km(ascorbate) for both ascorbate and ascorbate+iron dependent mobilization by
      ~80%. Iron mobilization by ascorbate alone has a higher activation energy
      (Ea=45.0+/-5.5kJ/mole) than when mediated by ascorbate with labile iron (10MUM)
      (Ea=13.7+/-2.2kJ/mole); also mobilization by iron-ascorbate has a three-fold
      higher pH sensitivity (pH range 6.0-8.0) than with ascorbate alone. Hydrogen
      peroxide inhibits ascorbate's iron mobilizing action. EPR and
      autochemiluminescence studies show that ascorbate and labile iron within ferritin
      enhances radical formation, whereas ascorbate alone produces negligible radicals.
      These findings suggest that iron catalysed single electron transfer reactions
      from ascorbate, involving ascorbate or superoxide and possibly ferroxidase
      tyrosine radicals, accelerate iron mobilization from the ferroxidase centre more
      than EPR silent, bi-dentate two-electron transfers. These differing modes of
      electron transference from ascorbate mirror the known mono and bidentate
      oxidation reactions of dioxygen and hydrogen peroxide with di-ferrous iron at the
      ferroxidase centre. This study implies that labile iron, at physiological pH,
      complexed with citrate, synergises iron mobilization from ferritin by ascorbate
      (50-4000MUM). This autocatalytic process can exacerbate oxidative stress in
      ferritin-containing inflamed tissue.

PMID- 28336130
TI  - Organizers and activators: Cytosolic Nox proteins impacting on vascular function.
AB  - NADPH oxidases of the Nox family are important enzymatic sources of reactive
      oxygen species (ROS) in the cardiovascular system. Of the 7 members of the Nox
      family, at least three depend for their activation on specific cytosolic
      proteins. These are p47phox and its homologue NoxO1 and p67phox and its homologue
      NoxA1. Also the Rho-GTPase Rac is important but as this protein has many
      additional functions, it will not be covered here. The Nox1 enzyme is
      preferentially activated by the combination of NoxO1 with NoxA1, whereas Nox2
      gains highest activity with p47phox together with p67phox. As p47phox, different
      to NoxO1 contains an auto inhibitory region it has to be phosphorylated prior to
      complex formation. In the cardio-vascular system, all cytosolic Nox proteins are
      expressed but the evidence for their contribution to ROS production is not well
      established. Most data have been collected for p47phox, whereas NoxA1 has
      basically not yet been studied. In this article the specific aspects of cytosolic
      Nox proteins in the cardiovascular system with respect to Nox activation, their
      expression and their importance will be reviewed. Finally, it will be discussed
      whether cytosolic Nox proteins are suitable pharmacological targets to tamper
      with vascular ROS production.

PMID- 28336131
TI  - Modulating the DNA Damage Response to Improve Treatment Response in Cervical
      Cancer.
AB  - Cervical cancer is the fourth most common cause of cancer-related death in women
      worldwide and new therapeutic approaches are needed to improve clinical outcomes
      for this group of patients. Current treatment protocols for locally advanced and
      metastatic disease consist of ionising radiation and chemotherapy. Chemoradiation
      induces cytotoxic levels of DNA double-strand breaks, which activates programmed
      cell death via the DNA damage response (DDR). Cervical cancers are unique given
      an almost exclusive association with human papillomavirus (HPV) infection; a
      potent manipulator of the DDR, with the potential to alter tumour sensitivity to
      DNA-damaging agents and influence treatment response. This review highlights the
      wide range of therapeutic strategies in development that have the potential to
      modulate DDR and sensitise cervical tumours to DNA-damaging agents in the context
      of HPV oncogenesis.

PMID- 28336132
TI  - Complete genome sequence of sequential Pandoraea apista isolates from the same
      cystic fibrosis patient supports a model of chronic colonization with in vivo
      strain evolution over time.
AB  - Pandoraea apista in the family Burkholderiaceae is an emerging opportunistic
      pathogen in cystic fibrosis patients. Here, we describe a case from which 3
      separate isolates of P. apista were recovered over a 1-year period. Using a
      combination of first-, second-, and third-generation sequencing technologies, we
      sequenced and de novo assembled the complete genomes of these 3 P. apista
      isolates. The genome of P. apista TF81F4 sequenced in this study was 5.58 Mb with
      a GC% of 62.3%, differed in sequence from other Pandoraea species by >20%, and
      included a number of previously undescribed loci. Three P. apista isolates
      cultured over a 12-month period were >99.999% identical by nucleotide, consistent
      with a model of chronic colonization by a single strain. Over time, the isolates
      accumulated point mutations, deletions, and insertions in a stepwise fashion,
      indicating in vivo strain evolution within the cystic fibrosis lung niche.

PMID- 28336133
TI  - Comparison of Cobas(r) HPV and AnyplexTM II HPV28 assays for detecting and
      genotyping human papillomavirus.
AB  - Persistent infection with high-risk human papillomavirus (HPV-HR) is a recognized
      cause of cervical cancer. The aim of this study was to compare analytical and
      clinical performances of the Cobas(r) HPV and AnyplexTM II HPV28 assays for HPV
      detection and genotyping. A total of 94 cervical samples were tested. For HPV-HR,
      the results agreed very well (94.68%), with 100% agreement when detecting CIN2+.
      The AnyplexTM II HPV28 assay detected more genotypes than the Cobas(r) HPV Test,
      but their clinical performances were similar.

PMID- 28336134
TI  - Evaluation of matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-fight mass
      spectrometry for identification of 345 clinical isolates of Aspergillus species
      from 11 Korean hospitals: comparison with molecular identification.
AB  - We evaluated the ability of the Filamentous Fungi Library 1.0 of the MALDI-TOF MS
      Biotyper system to identify 345 clinical Aspergillus isolates from 11 Korean
      hospitals. Compared with results of the internal transcribed spacer region
      sequencing, the frequencies of correct identification at the species-complex
      level were 94.5% and 98.8% with cutoff values of 2.0 and 1.7, respectively.
      Compared with results of beta-tubulin gene sequencing, the frequencies of correct
      identification at the species level were 96.0% (cutoff 2.0) and 100% (cutoff 1.7)
      for 303 Aspergillus isolates of five common, non-cryptic species, but only 4.8%
      (cutoff 1.7) and 0% (cutoff 2.0) for 42 Aspergillus isolates of six cryptic
      species (identifiable by beta-tubulin or calmodulin sequencing). These results
      show that the MALDI Biotyper using the Filamentous Fungi Library version 1.0
      enables reliable identification of the majority of common clinical Aspergillus
      isolates, although the database should be expanded to facilitate identification
      of cryptic species.

PMID- 28336135
TI  - High prevalence of non-clonal imipenem-nonsusceptible Enterobacter spp. isolates
      in Korea and their association with porin down-regulation.
AB  - We investigated the prevalence and clonal distribution of imipenem-nonsusceptible
      Enterobacter clinical isolates from hospitals in Korea and the contributions of
      various mechanisms to imipenem nonsusceptibility. The in vitro antimicrobial
      susceptibility to imipenem of 357 non-duplicated Enterobacter isolates obtained
      from eight geographically distant tertiary care hospitals in Korea was evaluated.
      Imipenem-nonsusceptible Enterobacter isolates were genotyped. Additionally, beta
      lactamase genes were screened using PCR, and the expression of efflux pump and
      porin genes was investigated using quantitative RT-PCR. A total of 31 isolates
      (8.7%) were not susceptible to imipenem. Clonal diversity of 17 imipenem
      nonsusceptible E. cloacae isolates was demonstrated by multilocus sequence
      typing. Fourteen imipenem-nonsusceptible E. aerogenes isolates were found to be
      distantly genetically related by an ERIC-PCR analysis. Expression levels of porin
      ompD and ompK35 genes were decreased in all imipenem-nonsusceptible E. cloacae
      and E. aerogenes isolates. However, only two isolates were found positive for
      blaIMP and blaVIM genes, and expression of the efflux pump gene, acrB, was not
      associated with reduced imipenem susceptibility. Imipenem resistance seems to
      have occurred independently in most of the imipenem-nonsusceptible isolates in
      this study, and decreased porin expression was found to be the main mechanism
      underlying this reduced susceptibility to imipenem.

PMID- 28336136
TI  - Antimicrobial susceptibility of 2906 Pseudomonasaeruginosa clinical isolates
      obtained from patients in Canadian hospitals over a period of 8 years: Results of
      the Canadian Ward surveillance study (CANWARD), 2008-2015.
AB  - Pseudomonas aeruginosa is an important nosocomial pathogen. The purpose of this
      study was to evaluate the antimicrobial susceptibility profile of P. aeruginosa
      clinical isolates obtained from inpatients and outpatients at hospitals across
      Canada from January 2008 to December 2015 (CANWARD Study). Susceptibility testing
      was performed using broth microdilution, as described by the Clinical and
      Laboratory Standards Institute. In total, 2906 P. aeruginosa isolates were
      evaluated. The percentage of isolates susceptible to common antipseudomonal
      antimicrobials was: colistin 94.9%, amikacin 93.2%, piperacillin-tazobactam
      84.3%, ceftazidime 83.1%, gentamicin 82.7%, meropenem 80.5%, ciprofloxacin 76.5%.
      In general, susceptibility to the antipseudomonal antimicrobials tested remained
      fairly stable or slightly improved (ciprofloxacin, gentamicin, colistin) over the
      8year study period. Multidrug-resistant (MDR = non-susceptible to at least one
      antimicrobial from >=3 classes) and extensively drug-resistant (XDR = non
      susceptible to at least one antimicrobial from 5 classes) P. aeruginosa accounted
      for 14.5% and 2.6% of the isolates, respectively. Colistin remained active
      against 92.9% of MDR and 88.3% of XDR P. aeruginosa.

PMID- 28336137
TI  - An ultra-sensitive method for the analysis of perfluorinated alkyl acids in
      drinking water using a column switching high-performance liquid chromatography
      tandem mass spectrometry.
AB  - In epidemiological research, it has become increasingly important to assess
      subjects' exposure to different classes of chemicals in multiple environmental
      media. It is a common practice to aliquot limited volumes of samples into smaller
      quantities for specific trace level chemical analyses. A novel method was
      developed for the determination of 14 perfluorinated alkyl acids (PFAAs) in small
      volumes (10mL) of drinking water using off-line solid phase extraction (SPE) pre
      treatment followed by on-line pre-concentration on a WAX column before analysis
      on column-switching high performance liquid chromatography tandem mass
      spectrometry (HPLC-MS/MS). In general, large volumes (100-1000mL) have been used
      for the analysis of PFAAs in drinking water. The current method requires
      approximately 10mL of drinking water concentrated by using an SPE cartridge and
      eluted with methanol. A large volume injection of the extract was introduced on
      to a column-switching HPLC-MS/MS using a mix-mode SPE column for the trace level
      analysis of PFAAs in water. The recoveries for most of the analytes in the
      fortified laboratory blanks ranged from 73+/-14% to 128+/-5%. The lowest
      concentration minimum reporting levels (LCMRL) for the 14 PFAAs ranged from 0.59
      to 3.4ng/L. The optimized method was applied to a pilot-scale analysis of a
      subset of drinking water samples from an epidemiological study. These samples
      were collected directly from the taps in the households of Ohio and Northern
      Kentucky, United States and the sources of drinking water samples are both
      surface water and ground water, and supplied by different water distribution
      facilities. Only five PFAAs, perfluoro-1-butanesulfonic acid (PFBS), perfluoro-1-
      -hexanesulfonic acid (PFHxS), perfluoro-1-octanesulfonic acid (PFOS), perfluoro-n
      heptanoic acid (PFHpA) and perfluoro-n-octanoic acid (PFOA) are detected above
      the LCMRL values. The median concentrations of these five PFAAs detected in the
      samples was <=4.1ng/L with PFOS at 7.6ng/L and PFOA at 10ng/L. Concentrations of
      perfluoro-1-decanesulfonic acid, PFDS and other perfluoroalkyl carboxylic acids
      were below the LCMRL values.

PMID- 28336138
TI  - Preparation of an epitope-imprinted polymer with antibody-like selectivity for
      beta2-microglobulin and application in serum sample analysis with a facile method
      of on-line solid-phase extraction coupling with high performance liquid
      chromatography.
AB  - Molecularly imprinted polymers (MIPs) for protein recognition have great
      application potential in the biological analysis. However, preparation of protein
      imprinted polymer is still facing challenge. Beta2-microglobulin (beta2m) is a
      protein biomarker that can be used in diagnosis of different diseases. In this
      research, a novel MIP with ability of beta2m recognition has been developed by
      epitope and surface-confined imprinting approaches. A peptide with sequence of
      MIQRTPKIQ was selected as template. A strategy of combination of hierarchical
      imprinting and template immobilization was employed in the beta2m-MIP synthesis.
      Imprinted binding sites with open-entrance have been created that have good
      accessibility for beta2m and facilitated fast reversible binding kinetics. The
      experimental results demonstrated that the MIP has good selectivity. It can
      differentiate the template from peptide with different sequence and distinguish
      the beta2m from other proteins with similar size and pI values. After binding
      property study of the beta2m-MIP, a method of beta2m determination in serum was
      established in which beta2m was on-line extracted by MIP and analyzed by HPLC
      process. The recoveries for spiked serum was >=83% with RSD <1.1%, indicating
      that the method has good accuracy and precisions. The LOD and LOQ were 0.058 and
      0.195mgL-1 respectively, which meet the requirements of the beta2m analysis. The
      successful application of the beta2m-MIP demonstrated that beta2m has reversible
      binding on the MIP with a kinetics that can meet the requirements of the HPLC
      analysis. It also indicated that the beta2m-MIP has good mechanical strength and
      reusability that can be applied reliably in the practical analysis. As a
      synthetic antibody, beta2m-MIP is advantageous compared to the biological
      molecules.

PMID- 28336139
TI  - Separation of phytochemicals from Helichrysum italicum: An analysis of different
      isolation techniques and biological activity of prepared extracts.
AB  - Helichrysum italicum presents a valuable source of natural bioactive compounds.
      In this work, a literature review of terpenes, phenolic compounds, and other less
      common phytochemicals from H. italicum with regard to application of different
      separation methods is presented. Data including extraction/separation methods and
      experimental conditions applied, obtained yields, number of identified compounds,
      content of different compound groups, and analytical techniques applied are shown
      as corresponding tables. Numerous biological activities of both isolates and
      individual compounds are emphasized. In addition, the data reported are
      discussed, and the directions for further investigations are proposed.

PMID- 28336140
TI  - Corrigendum to "Synthesis and preliminary pharmacological evaluation of N-2-(4-(4
      (2-substitutedthiazol-4-yl) piperazin-1-yl)-2-oxoethyl)acetamides as novel
      atypical antipsychotic agents" [Bioorg. Med. Chem. Lett. 18 (2008) 6054-6057].

PMID- 28336143
TI  - Reply.

PMID- 28336142
TI  - Novel 11-norbetaenone isolated from an entomopathogenic fungus Lecanicillium
      antillanum.
AB  - A novel nor-betaenone compound, 11-norbetaenone (1), was isolated from the
      culture broth of an entomopathogenic fungus Lecanicillium antillanum. The
      structure was determined on the basis of 1D and 2D NMR spectroscopic data. The
      absolute stereochemistry of 1 was further confirmed by X-ray single
      crystallography analysis. It is the first secondary metabolite reported from the
      species Lecanicillium antillanum. And it is also the first time that a betaenone
      type compound was isolated from the genus Lecanicillium. Furthermore, 11
      norbetaenone (1) displayed significant anti-angiogenic effect by suppressing tube
      formation.

PMID- 28336141
TI  - The discovery of potent and selective kynurenine 3-monooxygenase inhibitors for
      the treatment of acute pancreatitis.
AB  - A series of potent, competitive and highly selective kynurenine monooxygenase
      inhibitors have been discovered via a substrate-based approach for the treatment
      of acute pancreatitis. The lead compound demonstrated good cellular potency and
      clear pharmacodynamic activity in vivo.

PMID- 28336144
TI  - Complications of endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography in children with
      chronic pancreatitis depends on center experience.

PMID- 28336145
TI  - Legionella pneumophila Pneumonia in Two Infants Treated with Adrenocorticotropic
      Hormone.
AB  - Patients with infantile spasms, an intractable epileptic disorder, often are
      treated with adrenocorticotropic hormone. Legionella pneumophila is a rare cause
      of pneumonia in children. We describe 2 infants with Legionella pneumonia whose
      infection occurred within 1 month after starting adrenocorticotropic hormone.

PMID- 28336146
TI  - An Investigation of Connections between Birth Defects and Cancers Arising in
      Adolescence and Very Young Adulthood.
AB  - This study investigated the relationship between birth defects and cancer in
      adolescents and very young adults using California's population-based registries.
      Although overall cancer risk was elevated among individuals with chromosomal
      birth defects, this was not observed in those with nonchromosomal birth defects,
      as was demonstrated previously in younger children.

PMID- 28336147
TI  - Overcoming Diagnostic Errors in Medical Practice.

PMID- 28336150
TI  - Effects of foot rotation positions on knee valgus during single-leg drop landing:
      Implications for ACL injury risk reduction.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Non-contact anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injuries commonly occur
      when athletes land in high risk positions such as knee valgus. The position of
      the foot at landing may influence the transmission of forces from the ankle to
      the knee. Using an experimental approach to manipulate foot rotation positions,
      this study aimed to provide new insights on how knee valgus during single-leg
      landing may be influenced by foot positions. METHODS: Eleven male recreational
      basketball players performed single-leg drop landings from a 30-cm high platform
      in three foot rotation positions (toe-in, toe-forward and toe-out) at initial
      contact. A motion capture system and a force plate were used to measure lower
      extremity kinematics and kinetics. Knee valgus angles at initial contact (KVA)
      and maximum knee valgus moments (KVM), which were known risk factors associated
      with ACL injury, were measured. A one-way repeated measures Analysis of Variance
      was conducted (alpha=0.05) to compare among the three foot positions. RESULTS:
      Foot rotation positions were found to have a significant effect on KVA (p<0.001,
      eta2=0.66) but the difference between conditions (about 1 degrees ) was small and
      not clinically meaningful. There was a significant effect of foot position on KVM
      (p<0.001, eta2=0.55), with increased moment observed in the toe-out position as
      compared to toe-forward (p=0.012) or toe-in positions (p=0.002). CONCLUSIONS:
      When landing with one leg, athletes should avoid extreme toe-out foot rotation
      positions to minimise undesirable knee valgus loading associated with non-contact
      ACL injury risks.

PMID- 28336149
TI  - The ACL injury response: A collagen-based analysis.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injuries do not effectively heal.
      Tendon graft tissue after reconstruction shows rapid tissue turnover and
      'ligamentization.' It is unknown whether native torn ACL tissue undergoes
      significant collagen turnover after injury or is arrested by the intraarticular
      environment. It is also unknown whether injury mechanism or chronicity affect
      torn ligament tissue turnover. METHODS: Thirty-three mid-substance ACL biopsies
      were obtained during primary arthroscopic ACL reconstruction (n=31; nine contact
      injuries, 22 non-contact injuries, 22 males, 11 females; mean age 28.5 years;
      median injury to surgery time 12 weeks), or from cadavers as uninjured ACL (n=2).
      As a marker for collagen turnover, immature collagen cross-link content was
      determined by ninhydrin reagent assays. The immature cross-link content was
      assessed against injury mechanism, patient age, and injury to surgery time.
      Histochemical analysis was conducted on two uninjured ACL cadaveric controls, a
      four-week-old ACL tear, and a four-year-old ACL tear. RESULTS: Contact and non
      contact groups were not demographically different with respect to sex, patient
      age, injury to surgery time, and activity involvement prior to injury, which
      ranged from basketball to logging. Collagen crosslink content was very low across
      all samples, suggesting high tissue turnover between injury and surgery
      regardless of injury mechanism (non-contact: 1.68ng/mol, CI 0.48-2.89; contact:
      1.50ng/mol, CI 0.14-2.86; p=0.842). CONCLUSION: Collagen turnover occurs rapidly
      after ACL injury regardless of contact or non-contact mechanism. Robust tissue
      turnover starts within the first several weeks after injury and persists to some
      extent throughout the life of the torn ACL.

PMID- 28336148
TI  - Preoperative body mass index and physical function are associated with length of
      stay and facility discharge after total knee arthroplasty.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Hospital length of stay (LOS) and facility discharge are primary
      drivers of the cost of total knee arthroplasty (TKA). We sought to identify
      modifiable patient factors that were associated with increased LOS and facility
      discharge after TKA. METHODS: Prospective data were reviewed from 716
      consecutive, primary TKA procedures performed by two arthroplasty surgeons
      between 2006 and 2012 at a single institution. Preoperative body mass index
      (BMI), Veterans RAND-12 (VR-12) physical component score (PCS), and hemoglobin
      level were collected in addition to other adjusters. Multivariate linear and
      logistic models were constructed to predict LOS and facility discharge,
      respectively. RESULTS: After adjustment, higher BMI was associated with increased
      LOS in a dose-response effect: Compared to normal weight (BMI <25) overweight (25
      29.9) was associated with longer LOS by 0.32days (P=0.038), class-I obesity (30
      34.9) by 0.33days (P=0.024), class-II obesity (35-39.9) by 0.67days (P=0.012) and
      class-III obesity (>40) by 1.15days (P<0.001). Class-III obesity was associated
      with facility discharge (odds ratio=2.08, P=0.008). Poor PCS was associated with
      increasing LOS: compared to PCS>=50, PCS 20-29 was associated with a LOS increase
      of 0.40days (P=0.014) and PCS<20 with a LOS increase of 0.64days (P=0.031).
      CONCLUSION: Patient BMI has a dose-response effect in increasing LOS. Poor PCS
      was associated similarly with increased LOS. These associations for of BMI and
      PCS suggest that improvement preoperatively, by any amount, may potentially
      translate to decreased LOS and perhaps lower the cost associated with TKA.

PMID- 28336151
TI  - Corrigendum to "A wearable multisensing patch for continuous sweat monitoring"
      [Biosens. Bioelectron. (2016)].

PMID- 28336153
TI  - Quantification and comparison of the mechanical properties of four human cardiac
      valves.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: Although having the same ability to permit unidirectional flow within
      the heart, the four main valves-the mitral valve (MV), aortic (AV), tricuspid
      (TV) and pulmonary (PV) valves-experience different loading conditions; thus,
      they exhibit different structural integrity from one another. Most research on
      heart valve mechanics have been conducted mainly on MV and AV or an individual
      valve, but none quantify and compare the mechanical and structural properties
      among the four valves from the same aged patient population whose death was
      unrelated to cardiovascular disease. METHODS: A total of 114 valve leaflet
      samples were excised from 12 human cadavers whose death was unrelated to
      cardiovascular disease (70.1+/-3.7years old). Tissue mechanical and structural
      properties were characterized by planar biaxial mechanical testing and
      histological methods. The experimental data were then fitted with a Fung-type
      constitutive model. RESULTS: The four valves differed substantially in thickness,
      degree of anisotropy, and stiffness. The leaflets of the left heart (the AV
      leaflets and the anterior mitral leaflets, AML) were significantly stiffer and
      less compliant than their counterparts in the right heart. TV leaflets were the
      most extensible and isotropic, while AML and AV leaflets were the least
      extensible and the most anisotropic. Age plays a significant role in the
      reduction of leaflet stiffness and extensibility with nearly straightened
      collagen fibers observed in the leaflet samples from elderly groups (65years and
      older). CONCLUSIONS: Results from 114 human leaflet samples not only provided a
      baseline quantification of the mechanical properties of aged human cardiac
      valves, but also offered a better understanding of the age-dependent differences
      among the four valves. It is hoped that the experimental data collected and the
      associated constitutive models in this study can facilitate future studies of
      valve diseases, treatments and the development of interventional devices.
      STATEMENT OF SIGNIFICANCE: Most research on heart valve mechanics have been
      conducted mainly on mitral and aortic valves or an individual valve, but none
      quantify and compare the mechanical and structural properties among the four
      valves from the same relatively healthy elderly patient population. In this
      study, the mechanical and microstructural properties of 114 leaflets of aortic,
      mitral, pulmonary and tricuspid valves from 12 human cadaver hearts were
      mechanically tested, analyzed and compared. Our results not only provided a
      baseline quantification of the mechanical properties of aged human valves, but a
      age range between patients (51-87years) also offers a better understanding of the
      age-dependent differences among the four valves. It is hoped that the obtained
      experimental data and associated constitutive parameters can facilitate studies
      of valve diseases, treatments and the development of interventional devices.

PMID- 28336152
TI  - Development of hypomelanotic macules is associated with constitutive activated
      mTORC1 in tuberous sclerosis complex.
AB  - TSC1 and TSC2 are genes mutated in the syndrome TSC (tuberous sclerosis complex).
      We describe a 3-generation family with 17 affected members, all presenting
      classic TSC features except renal manifestations. The disease segregates with a
      silent substitution in TSC2, c.4149C>T, p.(Ser1838Ser), which leads to the
      formation of an active donor splice site, resulting in three shorter
      alternatively spliced transcripts with premature stop codons. However a small
      amount of normal spliced transcript is apparently produced from the mutated
      allele, which might explain the milder phenotype. The gene products of TSC1/2
      form a complex which at energy limiting states, down-regulates the activity of
      the regulator of protein synthesis, the mammalian target of rapamycin complex1
      (mTORC1). As expected, in contrast to cultured control fibroblasts, starvation of
      cultured patient fibroblasts obtained from a hypomelanotic macule did not lead to
      repression of mTORC1, whereas partial repression was observed in patient
      fibroblasts obtained from non-lesional skin. The findings indicate that the
      development of hypomelanotic macules is associated with constitutive activated
      mTORC1, whereas mild deregulation of mTORC1 allows the maintenance of normal
      skin. Furthermore, the finding establishes the pathogenic effect of the "silent"
      c.4149C>T substitution and emphasizes the need for awareness when interpreting
      silent substitutions in general.

PMID- 28336155
TI  - Emergency nurses' perceptions of emergency department preparedness for an ebola
      outbreak: A qualitative descriptive study.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Ebola Virus Disease is highly contagious and has high mortality. In
      2014, when the outbreak in West Africa was declared a public health emergency,
      emergency departments in Australia commenced preparation and vigilance for people
      presenting with ebola like symptoms, to limit spread of the disease. RESEARCH
      AIM: To examine Australian emergency nurses' perceptions regarding their own and
      their emergency departments' preparedness to manage an ebola outbreak. METHOD: A
      qualitative descriptive design was used to collect and analyse data in one
      metropolitan emergency department in Victoria, Australia. Four focus groups were
      conducted with 13 emergency nurses. Data were thematically analysed. RESULTS:
      Major themes emerged from the data: organisational, personal and future
      preparedness. Participants' believed that both the organisation and themselves
      had achieved desirable and appropriate preparedness for ebola in their emergency
      setting. CONCLUSION: Participants trusted their organisation to prepare and
      protect them for ebola. Appropriate policies, procedures, and equipment
      infrastructure were reportedly in place. Nurses' decisions to care for a patient
      with ebola were informed by professional commitment, and personal
      responsibilities. Participants were concerned about transmitting ebola to their
      families, and suggested that more regular training in personal protective
      equipment would increase confidence and skill in self-protection.

PMID- 28336156
TI  - Pediatric arterial ischemic stroke: Epidemiology, risk factors, and management.
AB  - Pediatric arterial ischemic stroke (AIS) is an uncommon but important cause of
      neurologic morbidity in neonates and children, with consequences including
      hemiparesis, intellectual disabilities, and epilepsy. The causes of pediatric AIS
      are unique to those typically associated with stroke in adults. Familiarity with
      the risk factors for AIS in children will help with efficient diagnosis, which is
      unfortunately frequently delayed. Here we review the epidemiology and risk
      factors for AIS in neonates and children. We also outline consensus-based
      practices in the evaluation and management of pediatric AIS. Finally we discuss
      the outcomes observed in this population. While much has been learned in recent
      decades, many uncertainties sill persist in regard to pediatric AIS. The ongoing
      development of specialized centers and investigators dedicated to pediatric
      stroke will continue to answer such questions and improve our ability to
      effectively care for these patients.

PMID- 28336157
TI  - [Prescription of acetaminophen in five French hospitals: What are the practices?]
AB  - AIM: Acetaminophen is widely used in hospital settings and often considered as
      nontoxic. We conducted a multicentric study in order to evaluate its proper use.
      METHOD: Prescriptions from five general hospitals were analyzed, according to
      dose adjustments required in renal or liver failure, weight or chronic
      alcoholism, determined using a literature review. Other criteria have been
      assessed: indication for parenteral access, accuracy of administration time and
      pain assessment. RESULTS: Among the 1256 analyzed prescriptions, 21% are non
      compliants. The main causes of non-compliance (NC) are adjustments to weight and
      renal failure. Higher NC rates concern chronic alcoholism and liver failure.
      CONCLUSION: Misuse of acetaminophen seems related to a lack of official
      recommendations concerning dose adjustments. Hospital pharmacists have an
      important role to play in the promotion of proper use of acetaminophen. Therefore
      we established a prescribing aid.

PMID- 28336158
TI  - [Acetaminophen: Knowledge, use and overdose risk in urban patients consulting
      their general practitioner. A prospective, descriptive and transversal study].
AB  - INTRODUCTION: Acetaminophen is the most involved active substance in both
      unintentional and intentional drug poisoning. However, its availability outside
      community pharmacies is being debated in France. METHODS: We made, via a self
      administered questionnaire, a prospective assessment of knowledge, use and
      acetaminophen overdose risk in patients consulting their general practitioner, in
      the Metz Metropole urban area, between May 2015 and February 2016. We estimated
      the prevalence of potential unintentional overdosage by capture-recapture method.
      RESULTS: Among 819 responding patients, only 17.9 % had a sufficient knowledge
      and 20.3 % were at risk for potential unintentional overdose. The risk was higher
      for patients aged over 55 years or belonging to socioprofessional categories of
      laborers and inactive. A good knowledge score was a protective factor for
      overdose risk (P<0.0001). The liver toxicity of acetaminophen was particularly
      unknown. The prevalence of potential unintentional acetaminophen overdose was
      estimated at 1 to2 % of the population. CONCLUSION: Proposing acetaminophen
      outside of pharmacies cannot be recommended in France in such conditions.
      Information campaigns are needed to limit the risk of unintentional overdose and
      its consequences on liver toxicity.

PMID- 28336159
TI  - The anticholinergic impregnation scale: Towards the elaboration of a scale
      adapted to prescriptions in French psychiatric settings.
AB  - PURPOSE: Some drugs have anticholinergic activity and can cause peripheral or
      central side effects. Several scales exist to evaluate the potential
      anticholinergic effect of prescribed drugs but: (i) they are validated in the
      elderly and mainly assess the cognitive side effect of treatments; (ii) they do
      not concern some of the drugs frequently used in clinical psychiatry in France.
      The aim of our study is to develop a new scale, the anticholinergic impregnation
      scale (AIS), with drugs used in France and based on an assessment of the drugs
      used against peripheral anticholinergic adverse effects. METHODS: We assigned a
      score, ranging from 1 to 3, to a list of 128 drugs with a consensus approach
      obtained via literature data and expert opinions. We collected data from 7278
      prescriptions in 34 French psychiatric facilities: age, sex, atropinic drugs,
      laxatives and treatments of xerophthalmia and xerostomia, in order to evaluate
      the association between AIS score and the prescription of drugs aiming to reduce
      peripheral anticholinergic side effects. RESULTS: The most frequently prescribed
      drugs were cyamemazine (n=1429; 20%) and tropatepine (n=1403; 19%), two drugs
      marketed almost exclusively in France and with a score of 3. The frequency of
      patients with a high AIS score, greater than 5, was significantly higher in
      patients who received laxatives and treatments of xerostomia. AIS score
      represents the first validated solution to evaluate anticholinergic load in
      psychiatry settings in France. CONCLUSION: The anticholinergic problem remains
      underevaluated in mental health settings. In order to rule out the confounding
      factor of mental disease, assessment of peripheral side effects can be considered
      more objective than the evaluation of cognitive function in psychiatric patients.
      Building scales appropriate for each state also appear essential to obtain an
      useful and effective tool in clinical practice.

PMID- 28336160
TI  - Unexpected drug-induced Raynaud phenomenon: Analysis from the French national
      pharmacovigilance database.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: To estimate the association between exposure to medicinal products and
      Raynaud phenomenon. METHODS: The study used the data of all adverse drug
      reactions notified to the French national pharmacovigilance database. All cases
      reported between 1st January 1995 and 10th December 2012 were selected. A
      case/non-case method was used to measure disproportionality of the association
      between drug exposure and Raynaud phenomenon. The cases concerned all
      observations involving Raynaud phenomenon. Non-cases comprised all other reports
      of adverse drug reactions over the same period. RESULTS/DISCUSSION: Among the
      307,128 adverse drug reaction reports selected from the French national
      pharmacovigilance database, 175 involved Raynaud phenomenon, most of them
      affecting women (61.1%). The mean age was 50.1 years, and 8% had a past medical
      history of Raynaud phenomenon. According to the summaries of product
      characteristics, 42.3% of these cases were exposed to drugs known to induce
      Raynaud phenomenon. Unexpected Raynaud phenomenons (unlisted in the summaries of
      product characteristics) were associated with exposure to drugs for which Raynaud
      phenomenons are published (interferons, ribavirin, gemcitabine) or for which
      Raynaud phenomenons are not published (hepatitis B vaccine, isotretinoin,
      leflunomide, hydroxycarbamide, rofecoxib, telmisartan, zolmitriptan). CONCLUSION:
      The case/non-case method is usually used to generate signals. Further
      epidemiological studies are now necessary to confirm these findings.

PMID- 28336162
TI  - Meiotic segregation analyses of reciprocal translocations in spermatozoa and
      embryos: no support for predictive value regarding PGD outcome.
AB  - Translocation heterozygotes have an increased risk of producing gametes with
      unbalanced chromosome content. This often leads to reproductive problems such as
      infertility, repeated miscarriages or birth of an affected child. To increase the
      chances of having a healthy live-born child, translocation heterozygotes often
      opt for preimplantation genetic diagnosis (PGD). The aim of this study was to
      investigate whether there is a correlation between chromosome segregation in
      spermatozoa from translocation heterozygotes and the number of balanced embryos
      produced during PGD that may be used to predict the PGD outcome. Ten male
      reciprocal translocation heterozygotes that went through PGD at a Stockholm PGD
      centre were included. We analysed 1000 spermatozoa from each patient and between
      3 and 29 embryos from the total of PGD cycles that the couples went through.
      Fluorescence in-situ hybridization (FISH) analysis of spermatozoa and embryos was
      performed with the same DNA probes. We found that the proportion of balanced
      spermatozoa was much higher than the proportion of balanced embryos during PGD.
      Our results indicate that a sperm FISH analysis prior to PGD is not a reliable
      predictor of the PGD outcome. PGD is a valuable reproductive alternative for
      translocation heterozygotes with reproductive problems and should be offered to
      these couples.

PMID- 28336161
TI  - [Hemorrhage treatment: Evaluation of the proper use of fibrinogen concentrate].
AB  - An increase in fibrinogen concentrate prescriptions was noticed in 2015 after
      several guidelines regarding their use were published. We tried to evaluate if
      they were used appropriately. To evaluate the conformity of the prescriptions to
      these guidelines, we searched for each prescription if a dosage of blood
      fibrinogen was made, if its result was below the limit recommended to prescribe
      fibrinogen concentrate, and if the posology was in line with the recommendations.
      Effect and security of the treatment was also evaluated. We analyzed 202
      prescriptions for 117 patients. The indications are respected except for one
      prescription for which we could not find it. The blood fibrinogen is measured for
      76% of the prescriptions, 59% of the results are below the limit recommended to
      prescribe. The posology is conforming to the guidelines for 73% of the
      prescriptions, it is below the dose recommended for 20%. Patients who were
      prescribed low doses seemed less at risk than the others which questions the
      necessity of the prescriptions. The guidelines respect depends on the emergency
      of the prescription situation. It would be interesting to conduct a prospective
      study to better explain why doses below those recommended are prescribed.

PMID- 28336163
TI  - A meta-analysis of the impact of human leukocyte antigen-G on the outcomes of
      IVF/ICSI.
AB  - This analysis was performed to determine whether the presence of soluble human
      leukocyte antigen-G (sHLA-G) in embryo culture medium is predictive of clinical
      outcomes in IVF treatment. The outcomes of implantation, clinical pregnancy,
      multiple pregnancy and miscarriage, between groups with and without sHLA-G in
      embryo culture media, were analysed. Fifteen studies with a total of 6170 cases
      were included. Ten of them were prospective studies while five were retrospective
      studies. Embryo culture media with sHLA-G were associated with significantly
      higher implantation rate and clinical pregnancy rate when compared with those
      without; the odd ratios (ORs) were 2.66 [95% confidence interval (CI): 1.75-4.06,
      P < 0.00001], 3.79 (95% CI: 2.69-5.33, P < 0.00001), respectively. There was no
      significant difference in the rate of multiple pregnancy (OR: 1.87, 95% CI: 0.55
      6.31) and miscarriage (OR: 0.77, 95% CI: 0.52-1.16). The results suggested that
      the presence of sHLA-G in the embryo culture medium favoured higher implantation
      rate and pregnancy rate. However, the conclusion needs to be consolidated by
      further clinical studies using a more precise method of determination of sHLA-G
      and research on the physiological and molecular mechanisms of the beneficial
      effect of sHLA-G on early embryo development and implantation.

PMID- 28336164
TI  - Expression of unusual immunohistochemical markers in mucinous breast carcinoma.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Mucinous breast carcinoma is characterized by the production of
      variable amounts of mucin. Some studies have addressed immunohistochemical
      characterization of mucinous breast carcinoma using a limited set of antibodies.
      However, the purpose of the present study was to investigate a larger panel of
      markers not widely used in daily practice and to determine their pathological
      implications. METHODS: Forty patients diagnosed with mucinous breast carcinoma
      were enrolled. An immunohistochemical study was performed on whole sections of
      paraffin embedded tissue, using antibodies for the following markers: estrogen
      receptor alpha and beta, progesterone receptor, androgen receptor, HER2, EGFR, Ki
      67, E-cadherin, beta-catenin, p53, chromogranin, synaptophysin, GCDFP15,
      mammaglobin, and CDX2. RESULTS: The pure mucinous type was more prevalent in
      older patients and more frequently expressed GCDFP15. Capella type B presented
      more frequently with a high Ki-67 index and neuroendocrine differentiation.
      Although there was a lower frequency of vascular invasion and lymph node
      metastases in the pure type, the difference was not statistically significant. No
      case expressed CDX2 (a marker for gastrointestinal tumors), while 85% of the
      cases expressed at least one of the two typical breast markers (GCDFP15 and
      mammaglobin), suggesting that these markers may be reliably used for differential
      diagnosis. Expression of estrogen receptor beta was related to the presence of
      mucin cell producing lymph node metastasis, with potential prognostic and
      predictive value. CONCLUSION: our findings support the immunohistochemical
      homogeneity of mucinous breast carcinomas because only minor differences were
      found when subgrouping them into Capella types A and B or into types pure and
      mixed.

PMID- 28336165
TI  - Suspicious outbreak of ventilator-associated pneumonia caused by Burkholderia
      cepacia in a surgical intensive care unit.
AB  - BACKGROUND: We reviewed Burkholderia cepacia infections in a hospital from 2013
      2016 to report a suspicious outbreak that occurred in a surgical intensive care
      unit in 2015, and to outline the infection control measures adopted thereafter.
      METHODS: Review of the health care-associated infection data regarding B cepacia
      via the surveillance system, hospital information system, electronic medical
      records, and laboratory information system together with the outbreak
      investigation was managed by the health care-associated infection control team.
      RESULTS: During June 1-14, 2015, 4 cases of ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP)
      were identified; B cepacia was isolated from endotracheal aspirate samples. On
      June 16, 120 environmental samples were collected and analyzed for microbiologic
      differentiation. Thirteen strains of B cepacia were prominently found in the
      expiratory blocks of ventilators, revealing the biocontamination source. After
      chemical disinfection without damaging ventilator components, repeat
      microbiologic testing of random ventilator samples yielded negative results until
      July 30, 2015. Retrospective data showed that isolation rates of B cepacia
      strains had increased since 2014. Although the resistance phenotype of these
      strains varied slightly, they exhibited similar patterns of antibiotic
      susceptibility. CONCLUSIONS: Routine cleaning and disinfection of ventilators, in
      addition to an intervention bundle, should form part of an integrated VAP
      prevention and management approach.

PMID- 28336166
TI  - Methodological issues in determination of low muscle mass reference cut-off
      values: Reply to Comment on "Cut-off points to identify sarcopenia according to
      European Working Group on Sarcopenia in Older People (EWGSOP) definition".

PMID- 28336167
TI  - Biologically-Inspired Biomarkers for Mental Disorders.

PMID- 28336168
TI  - [Pseudo-tumoral invasive fungus infection of the maxillary sinus in Abidjan].
AB  - INTRODUCTION: The invasive fungal infection of the maxillary sinus is a rare and
      serious disease generally favored by immunosuppression. We report an exceptional
      case of pseudotumoral invasive fungal infection of the maxillary sinus in an
      immunocompetent patient. OBSERVATION: A 32-year-old patient consulted for labial
      and left temporal swelling associated with proptosis and chemosis that has been
      developing for 18 months. The scanner objectified a filling of the left maxillary
      sinus, and the ipsilateral orbital cavity, and the surrounding muscles.
      Histological examination of the surgical specimen revealed invasive fungal
      infection of the left maxillary sinus. The relevant antifungal therapy, namely
      voriconazole, could not be administered due to the unavailability of the
      medicine. However, the patient has received 200mg of itraconazole every 12hours
      for three weeks. The change proved disappointing with recurrence and significant
      sequelae, sort of sagging of the right hemifacial, severe limitation of mouth
      opening and functional loss of the right eye. CONCLUSION: The invasive fungus
      infections of the maxillary sinus and the orbit are exceptional in
      immunocompetent patient. Healing is based on early diagnosis and administration
      of the reference antifungal to face the risk of recurrence.

PMID- 28336170
TI  - [Drug syrups: Errors in drug labels with possible consequences in patients with
      heritary fructose intolerance].

PMID- 28336169
TI  - [Evaluation of school menu food balance in the Autonomous Community of Valencia
      (Spain) by means of a questionnaire].
AB  - OBJECTIVE: To evaluate school menu food balance in the Autonomous Community of
      Valencia (Spain) by means of a questionnaire. METHOD: Observational cross-section
      study. For convenience it shows of 255 monthly school menus (20 days each).
      INDEPENDENT VARIABLES: size of the city the school is in, province, location
      (coast vs. inland), ownership (public vs. private), design of the menu (company
      vs. school) and month (May vs. October). The 17-item EQ-MEs questionnaire was
      used as a tool to measure balance. Differences in the balance of the menus and
      the average of monthly servings were compared, taking into account the different
      levels of the independent variables. RESULTS: The average of the balance index
      obtained was 9.19 points (range: 0-17). Approximately 78.4% of menus were
      designed by companies. Approximately 60.4% were classified as suitable and 0.8%
      as balanced. The menus designed by companies obtained a higher score (9.49) than
      those designed by schools (8.13). Menus in Castellon (10.35) achieved a higher
      score than those in Alicante (9.43) and Valencia (8.86). Only 3.1% of the studied
      menus met serving recommendations in terms of meat, 37.6% met pulses serving
      recommendations, 49.4% met fish serving recommendations and 37% met fruit serving
      recommendations. CONCLUSION: With the EQ-MEs questionnaire, most of the menus
      offered in the Autonomous Community of Valencia are suitable for children. To
      improve them, they should reduce fried potato, rice, pasta, meat, fried food and
      dairy product servings, while increasing pulses, fish, oily fish and fruit
      servings.

PMID- 28336171
TI  - [Virus and wheezing in infants. Certainties or doubts?]

PMID- 28336172
TI  - Curcuma longa Linn. extract and curcumin protect CYP 2E1 enzymatic activity
      against mercuric chloride-induced hepatotoxicity and oxidative stress: A
      protective approach.
AB  - The present investigation has been conducted to evaluate the therapeutic
      potential of Curcuma longa (200mgkg-1, po) and curcumin (80mgkg-1, po) for their
      hepatoprotective efficacy against mercuric chloride (HgCl2: 12MUmolkg-1, ip; once
      only) hepatotoxicity. The HgCl2 administration altered various biochemical
      parameters, including transaminases, alkaline phosphatase, lactate dehydrogenase,
      bilirubin, gamma-glutamyl transferase, triglycerides and cholesterol contents
      with a concomitant decline in protein and albumin concentration in serum which
      were restored towards control by therapy of Curcuma longa or curcumin. On the
      other hand, both treatments showed a protective effect on drug metabolizing
      enzymes viz. aniline hydroxylase (AH) and amidopyrine-N-demethylase (AND),
      hexobarbitone induced sleep time and BSP retention. Choleretic, 1,1-diphenyl-2
      picryl-hydrazil (DPPH)-free radical scavenging activities and histological
      studies also supported the biochemical findings. The present study concludes that
      Curcuma longa extract or curcumin has the ability to alleviate the hepatotoxic
      effects caused by HgCl2 in rats.

PMID- 28336173
TI  - Effects of Artesunate on some biochemical parameters in pregnant albino Wistar
      rats challenged with lethal strain Plasmodium berghei NK65: Appreciating the
      activities of artemisinin drugs on key pregnancy hormone balance.
AB  - In humans, malaria in pregnancy can cause serious maternal and foetal morbidity
      and in extreme untreated cases, foetal mortality occurs. The therapeutic approach
      to curbing this malaise is the administration of an effective and/or combinations
      of anti-malaria medicaments. Acute or chronic administration of some of these
      drugs, however, gives rise to some adverse medical conditions including
      reproductive dysfunction, especially in pregnancy. Studies aimed at the hormonal
      interplays following administration of these drugs in pregnancy have been limited
      due to too few appropriate animal models. In this experiment, pregnant albino
      rats were infected with rodent parasite, Plasmodium berghei on the 5th day of
      gestation, following which biochemical changes, specific for pregnancy
      maintenance were monitored in the blood of test rats. We observed that infecting
      the pregnant rats with P. berghei negatively impacted the measured biological
      parameters (hormones) compared to unchallenged controls. The observed effect was
      however retreated following oral administration of 3mg/kg body weight, qDay of
      Artesunate until the 17th day of gestation. Findings, therefore, suggest that
      Artesunate is an effective therapeutic agent in pregnancy, demonstrated by the
      restoration of the hormonal changes occasioned by the parasitic infection.

PMID- 28336175
TI  - The academic-industrial complex: navigating the translational and cultural
      divide.
AB  - In general, the fruits of academic discoveries can only be realized through joint
      efforts with industry. However, the poor reproducibility of much academic
      research has damaged credibility and jeopardized translational efforts that could
      benefit patients. Meanwhile, journals are rife with articles bemoaning the
      limited productivity and increasing costs of the biopharmaceutical industry and
      its resultant predilection for mergers and reorganizations while decreasing
      internal research efforts. The ensuing disarray and uncertainty has created
      tremendous opportunities for academia and industry to form even closer ties, and
      to embrace new operational and financial models to their joint benefit. This
      review article offers a personal perspective on the opportunities, models and
      approaches that harness the increased interface and growing interdependency
      between biomedical research institutes, the biopharmaceutical industry and the
      technological world.

PMID- 28336174
TI  - The exposure to formaldehyde causes renal dysfunction, inflammation and redox
      imbalance in rats.
AB  - Twenty-eight Fischer male rats were divided into four groups: control group (CG),
      exposed to the ambient air, and groups exposed to formaldehyde (FA) at
      concentrations of 1% (FA1%), 5% (FA5%) and 10% (FA10%). Kidney function was
      assessed by dosage of uric acid, creatinine and urea. Morphometry was performed
      on the thickness of the lumen of Bowman's capsule and diameter of the lumen of
      the renal tubules. We evaluated the redox imbalance through the catalase and
      superoxide dismutase activity as well as oxidative damage by lipid peroxidation.
      Inflammatory chemokines CCL2, CCL3 and CCL5 were analyzed by enzyme immunoassays.
      There was an increase in the concentration of urea in FA10% compared with CG and
      FA1%. The levels of creatinine, renal lumen and lipid peroxidation increased in
      all FA-treated groups compared with CG. The concentration of uric acid in FA10%
      was lower compared with all other groups. There was an increase in the space of
      Bowman's capsule in FA5% and FA10% compared with CG and FA1%. However, the
      superoxide dismutase activity was higher in FA5% compared with other groups while
      CCL5 was higher in FA1% compared with CG. The exposure to formaldehyde in a short
      period of time leads to changes in the kidney function, inflammation and
      morphology, as well as promoted the increase of superoxide dismutase activity and
      oxidative damage.

PMID- 28336178
TI  - Symbiont Acquisition and Replacement as a Source of Ecological Innovation.
AB  - Nutritional symbionts play a major role in the ecology and evolution of insects.
      The recent accumulation of knowledge on the identity, function, genomics, and
      phylogenetic relationships of insect-bacteria symbioses provides the opportunity
      to assess the effects of symbiont acquisitions and replacements on the shift into
      novel ecological niches and subsequent lineage diversification. The megadiverse
      insect order Hemiptera presents a particularly large diversity of symbiotic
      associations that has frequently undergone shifts in symbiont localization and
      identity, which have contributed to the exploitation of nutritionally imbalanced
      diets such as plant saps or vertebrate blood. Here we review the known ecological
      and evolutionary implications of symbiont gains, switches, and replacements, and
      identify future research directions that can contribute to a more comprehensive
      understanding of symbiosis as a major driving force of ecological adaptation.

PMID- 28336179
TI  - Control of DNA end resection by yeast Hmo1p affects efficiency of DNA end
      joining.
AB  - The primary pathways for DNA double strand break (DSB) repair are homologous
      recombination (HR) and non-homologous end-joining (NHEJ). The choice between HR
      and NHEJ is influenced by the extent of DNA end resection, as extensive resection
      is required for HR but repressive to NHEJ. Conversely, association of the DNA end
      binding protein Ku, which is integral to classical NHEJ, inhibits resection. In
      absence of key NHEJ components, a third repair pathway is exposed; this
      alternative-end joining (A-EJ) is a highly error-prone process that uses micro
      homologies at the breakpoints and is initiated by DNA end resection. In
      Saccharomyces cerevisiae, the high mobility group protein Hmo1p has been
      implicated in controlling DNA end resection, suggesting its potential role in
      repair pathway choice. Using a plasmid end-joining assay, we show here that
      absence of Hmo1p results in reduced repair efficiency and accuracy, indicating
      that Hmo1p promotes end-joining; this effect is only observed on DNA with
      protruding ends. Notably, inhibition of DNA end resection in an hmo1Delta strain
      restores repair efficiency to the levels observed in wild-type cells. In absence
      of Ku, HMO1 deletion also reduces repair efficiency further, while inhibition of
      resection restores repair efficiency to the levels observed in kuDelta. We
      suggest that Hmo1p functions to control DNA end resection, thereby preventing
      error-prone A-EJ repair and directing repairs towards classical NHEJ. The very
      low efficiency of DSB repair in kuDeltahmo1Delta cells further suggests that
      excessive DNA resection is inhibitory for A-EJ.

PMID- 28336180
TI  - An important intestinal transporter that regulates the enterohepatic circulation
      of bile acids and cholesterol homeostasis: The apical sodium-dependent bile acid
      transporter (SLC10A2/ASBT).
AB  - The enterohepatic circulation of bile acids (BAs) is governed by specific
      transporters expressed in the liver and the intestine and plays a critical role
      in the digestion of fats and oils. During this process, the majority of the BAs
      secreted from the liver is reabsorbed in intestinal epithelial cells via the
      apical sodium-dependent bile acid transporter (ASBT/SLC10A2) and then transported
      into the portal vein. Previous studies revealed that regulation of the ASBT
      involves BAs and cholesterol. In addition, abnormal ASBT expression and function
      might lead to some diseases associated with disorders in the enterohepatic
      circulation of BAs and cholesterol homeostasis, such as diarrhoea and gallstones.
      However, decreasing cholesterol or BAs by partly inhibiting ASBT-mediated
      transport might be used for treatments of hypercholesterolemia, cholestasis and
      diabetes. This review mainly discusses the regulation of the ASBT by BAs and
      cholesterol and its relevance to diseases and treatment.

PMID- 28336181
TI  - Experimental comparison of the bioaccumulation of anthropogenic radionuclides by
      egg and juvenile life stages of a small shark.
AB  - This study compared the bioaccumulation of anthropogenic nuclides (65Zn, 134Cs,
      60Co and 241Am) between the egg and juvenile life stages of a small shark
      (Scyliorhinus canicula), based on previously published experimental data. Rates
      of accumulation over 15 days were derived and summed for the transfer pathways
      which were specific to these two life stages. Radionuclide transfers to the egg
      and its embryo & yolk were quantified for i) the maternal pathway following her
      uptake of radionuclides via food and seawater and ii) from seawater following its
      oviposition. For the juvenile, the transfer of radionuclides were measured for
      aqueous & dietary pathways. The results show that, compared to juveniles, eggs
      have equivalent rates of accumulation of 65Zn and 134Cs but enhanced accumulation
      of 241Am by a factor of five and of 60Co by two orders of magnitude. The
      radiological exposure of the embryo due to radionuclides maternally transferred
      to the embryo & yolk is also enhanced for the alpha-emitting 241Am. This enhanced
      accumulation of 241Am and 60Co, as well as the equivalent accumulation of 65Zn
      and 134Cs, suggest greater likely vulnerability to radiation damage in eggs as
      compared to juveniles. Radiological dose assessment confirmed highest doses to
      the egg which is predominantly due to accumulated 241Am.

PMID- 28336182
TI  - Light chain amyloidosis: Where are the light chains from and how they play their
      pathogenic role?
AB  - Amyloid light-chain (AL) amyloidosis is a plasma-cell dyscrasia, as well as the
      most common type of systematic amyloidosis. Pathogenic plasma cells that have
      distinct cytogenetic and molecular properties secrete an excess amount of
      amyloidogenic light chains. Assisted by post-translational modifications, matrix
      components, and other environmental factors, these light chains undergo a
      conformational change that triggers the formation of amyloid fibrils that
      overrides the extracellular protein quality control system. Moreover, the
      amyloidogenic light-chain itself is cytotoxic. As a consequence, organ
      dysfunction is caused by both organ architecture disruption and the direct
      cytotoxic effect of amyloidogenic light chains. Here, we reviewed the molecular
      mechanisms underlying this sequence of events that ultimately leads to AL
      amyloidosis and also discuss current in vitro and in vivo models, as well as
      relevant novel therapeutic approaches.

PMID- 28336183
TI  - Evosystem Services: Rapid Evolution and the Provision of Ecosystem Services.
AB  - Evolution is recognized as the source of all organisms, and hence many ecosystem
      services. However, the role that contemporary evolution might play in maintaining
      and enhancing specific ecosystem services has largely been overlooked. Recent
      advances at the interface of ecology and evolution have demonstrated how
      contemporary evolution can shape ecological communities and ecosystem functions.
      We propose a definition and quantitative criteria to study how rapid evolution
      affects ecosystem services (here termed contemporary evosystem services) and
      present plausible scenarios where such services might exist. We advocate for the
      direct measurement of contemporary evosystem services to improve understanding of
      how changing environments will alter resource availability and human well-being,
      and highlight the potential utility of managing rapid evolution for future
      ecosystem services.

PMID- 28336184
TI  - Atrial fibrillation management in a breeding stallion.
AB  - A 20-year-old warmblood breeding stallion presented to a University practice for
      semen collection and evaluation was incidentally diagnosed with atrial
      fibrillation (AF). Electrocardiogram recordings during breeding revealed
      inappropriately rapid tachycardia and occasional ventricular premature
      depolarizations/aberrant ventricular conduction. Transvenous electrical
      cardioversion was performed. After successful cardioversion the horse displayed
      supraventricular ectopy and atrial contractile dysfunction and was administered
      sotalol hydrochloride in an attempt to decrease the risk of AF recurrence.
      Supraventricular ectopy and echocardiographic evidence of atrial dysfunction
      gradually improved and normalized over 6 months. No direct adverse effects of the
      chronic anti-arrhythmic treatment were observed and libido and semen quality were
      unaffected. AF recurred 6 months after cardioversion and sotalol therapy was
      continued to control the ventricular ectopy/aberrant ventricular conduction
      during semen collection. Considerations regarding pathologic arrhythmias and
      inappropriately high heart rates in breeding stallions with AF may be similar to
      those in riding horses. Sotalol hydrochloride was a safe anti-arrhythmic drug in
      the management of this case.

PMID- 28336185
TI  - Self-expanding metallic stent as a bridge to surgery in the treatment of left
      colon cancer obstruction: Cost-benefit analysis and oncologic results.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: The use of a self-expanding metallic stent as a bridge to surgery
      in acute malignant left colonic obstruction has been suggested as an alternative
      treatment to emergency surgery. The aim of the present study was to compare the
      morbi-mortality, cost-benefit and long-term oncological outcomes of both
      therapeutic options. METHODS: This is a prospective, comparative, controlled, non
      randomized study (2005-2010) performed in a specialized unit. The study included
      82 patients with left colon cancer obstruction treated by stent as a bridge to
      surgery (n=27) or emergency surgery (n=55) operated with local curative
      intention. The main outcome measures (postoperative morbi-mortaliy, cost-benefit,
      stoma rate and long-term oncological outcomes) were compared based on an
      "intention-to-treat" analysis. RESULTS: There were no significant statistical
      differences between the two groups in terms of preoperative data and tumor
      characteristics. The technically successful stenting rate was 88.9% (11.1%
      perforation during stent placement) and clinical success was 81.4%. No difference
      was observed in postoperative morbi-mortality rates. The primary anastomosis rate
      was higher in the bridge to surgery group compared to the emergency surgery group
      (77.8% vs. 56.4%; P=.05). The mean costs in the emergency surgery group resulted
      to be ?1,391.9 more expensive per patient than in the bridge to surgery group.
      There was no significant statistical difference in oncological long-term
      outcomes. CONCLUSIONS: The use of self-expanding metalllic stents as a bridge to
      surgery is a safe option in the urgent treatment of obstructive left colon
      cancer, with similar short and long-term results compared to direct surgery,
      inferior mean costs and a higher rate of primary anastomosis.

PMID- 28336187
TI  - The chaotic characteristic of the carbon-monoxide utilization ratio in the blast
      furnace.
AB  - In this paper, carbon monoxide utilization ratio (CMUR) is served as a real-time
      index to evaluate the energy consumption of blast furnace (BF), and the chaotic
      analysis method is also presented to study the characteristic of CMUR. Firstly,
      the time series data measured from two representative BFs are adopted as the
      sample to investigate the characteristics of CMUR. Secondly, the phase space
      model of CMUR is reconstructed, and two key related parameters of the model are
      derived as well. Finally, the value of the chaotic attractor's saturated
      correlative dimensions in the reconstructed phase space of CMUR is obtained. The
      result shows that the sample time series of these two BFs have chaos property.
      Furthermore, the development process of CMUR is also proved to be the chaotic
      process. It provides a solid foundation for us to further study the chaotic
      predication and control of CMUR, which helps us to better master the variational
      tendency of CMUR and provides the effective operation guidance for the BF on the
      spot to reduce the energy consumption in BF.

PMID- 28336186
TI  - Variation in head and neck cancer care in the Netherlands: A retrospective cohort
      evaluation of incidence, treatment and outcome.
AB  - BACKGROUND: To explore variation in numbers and treatment between hospitals that
      treat head and neck cancer (HNC) in the Netherlands. MATERIAL AND METHODS:
      Patient, tumor and treatment characteristics were collected from the Netherlands
      Cancer Registry, while histopathological features were obtained by linkage to the
      national pathology record register PALGA. Inter-hospital variation in volume,
      stage, treatment, pathologically confirmed loco-regional recurrence and overall
      survival rate was evaluated by tumor site. RESULTS: In total, 2094 newly
      diagnosed patients were included, ranging from 65 to 417 patients in
      participating hospitals treating HNC in 2008. Oral cavity cancer was mainly
      treated by surgery only, ranging from 46 to 82% per hospital, while the
      proportion of surgery with (chemo)radiotherapy ranged from 18 to 40%. Increasing
      age, male sex, and high stage were associated with a higher hazard of dying. In
      oropharynx cancer, the use of (chemo)radiotherapy varied from 31 to 82% between
      hospitals. We found an indication that higher volume was associated with a lower
      overall hazard of dying for the total group, but not by subsite. Low numbers,
      e.g. for salivary gland, nasopharynx, nasal cavity and paranasal sinus, did not
      permit all desired analyses. CONCLUSION: This study revealed significant
      interhospital variation in numbers and treatment of especially oropharyngeal and
      oral cavity cancer. This study is limited because we had to rely on data recorded
      in the past for a different purpose. To understand whether this variation is
      unwanted, future research should be based on prospectively collected data,
      including detailed information on recurrences, additional case-mix information
      and cause of death.

PMID- 28336189
TI  - 3D CAD/reverse engineering technique for assessment of Thai morphology: Proximal
      femur and acetabulum.
AB  - PURPOSE: To assess morphological parameters of proximal femur and acetabulum in
      Thai population with three-dimensional measurement technique, and to analysis of
      collateral side symmetric, gender difference, and correlation between
      morphometric parameters. METHODS: Investigation was performed in 240 femurs. All
      three-dimensional femur models were acquitted from 64-slice spiral CT scanner.
      Morphometric parameters under consideration included acetabular diameter, femoral
      head diameter, shaft isthmus location, intramedullary canal diameter, diaphyseal
      diameter, femoral head height, femoral neck isthmus, femoral neck length, neck
      shaft angle, bow angle, and anteversion angle. All parameters were measured based
      on functions and least-square regression function in CAD software. Obtained
      measured data were then used for analysis of collateral side symmetric, gender
      difference, correlation between morphometric parameters, and compared with other
      populations. RESULTS: Female had a smaller dimension compared with male in most
      of the parameters. No significant difference was observed between left and right
      femurs. High correlation pairs of morphometric parameters included femoral head
      diameter-acetabular diameter, femoral head diameter-neck isthmus diameter,
      femoral head diameter-diaphyseal diameter at shaft isthmus level, acetabular
      diameter-neck isthmus diameter, neck isthmus diameter-diaphyseal diameter at
      shaft isthmus level, and acetabular diameter-diaphyseal diameter at shaft isthmus
      level. Some morphometric parameters of Thai are smaller than other Caucasian, and
      some Asian nation, i.e. femoral head diameter, femoral neck length, and femoral
      head height. CONCLUSIONS: This study provides essential morphometric data for
      various orthopedic implant designs relating to proximal femur region.

PMID- 28336188
TI  - Identification, characterization and modulation of ferritin-H in the sub
      Antarctic Notothenioid Eleginops maclovinus challenged with Piscirickettsia
      salmonis.
AB  - Ferritin is a major iron storage protein essential not only in the infectious
      process, but also in any circumstance generating oxidative stress. In this study,
      the cDNA coding sequence of ferritin-H was obtained from the sub-Antarctic
      Notothenioid fish Eleginops maclovinus through transcriptomic analysis of the
      head kidney. This sequence contained a 534 bp open reading frame that coded for a
      177 amino acid protein with a molecular weight of 20,786.2 Da and a theoretical
      pI of 5.56. The protein displayed a region of iron putative response elements in
      the 5'UTR, two putative ferritin iron-binding region signatures, and seven
      characteristic amino acids with ferroxidase functions. Phylogenetic analysis
      related this sequence to ferritin-H sequences of other Antarctic Notothenioid
      fish, sharing 96.61% similarity. Constitutive gene expression analysis in
      different organs revealed increased ferritin-H gene expression in the gills,
      spleen, muscle, and liver. After infection with two bacterial strains of
      Piscirickettsia salmonis (LF-89 and Austral-005), ferritin-H was differentially
      expressed depending on bacterial strain and tissue. This study provides relevant
      information towards understanding the iron metabolism of a sub-Antarctic
      Notothenioid fish.

PMID- 28336190
TI  - Clinical and radiological outcomes of midfoot derotational osteotomy for midfoot
      forefoot varus deformity.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Moderate to severe midfoot-forefoot varus deformities are commonly
      found in several conditions. However, few techniques are available to correct
      these deformities. So, we evaluated the clinical and radiological outcomes of
      patients who underwent midfoot derotational osteotomy to achieve plantigrade
      foot. METHODS: From 2006 to 2014, 6 patients (7 feet) underwent midfoot
      derotational osteotomy. A visual analog scale (VAS) pain and the American
      Orthopedic Foot & Ankle Society (AOFAS) functional score were evaluated.
      Radiographic parameters, including tibiocalcaneal angle (TCA) and navicular
      height (NH), were assessed. RESULTS: The mean patient age at surgery was 48.0
      years (37-58). From before the operation to the final follow-up, the mean VAS
      score decreased from 6.5 (2-9) to 1.3 (0-4) and the mean AOFAS score improved
      from 42.7 (34-58) to 77 (68-87). All patients were satisfied with outcomes. The
      mean TCA significantly improved from 33.8 degrees  (9.9-66.7) to 12.7 (5.1-27.6)
      (p = 0.018)and the mean NH decreased from 46.7 mm (32.8-67) to42.6 (30.1-60.8) (p
      = 0.018). CONCLUSION: Severe midfoot-forefoot varus deformities can be
      efficiently corrected by midfoot derotational osteotomy resulting in favorable
      clinical and radiological outcomes and high patient satisfaction. LEVEL OF
      EVIDENCE: IV, case series.

PMID- 28336191
TI  - Implantation of the anterior atlantoaxial lateral mass intervertebral cage using
      the transoral approach.
AB  - BACKGROUND: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the possibility of
      implanting the anterior atlantoaxial lateral mass intervertebral cage, a new type
      of fixation, by the transoral approach. METHOD: This study examined the
      possibility of implantation in vivo by the quantitative measurement on the dry
      atlantoaxial bone and implantation of the anterior atlantoaxial lateral mass
      intervertebral cage in specimens. Anterior atlantoaxial lateral mass
      intervertebral cages were implanted in 10 atlantoaxial joint specimens using the
      transoral approach. Eight anatomical parameters (width, the thickness, ordinates,
      abscissas, and declination angles of the mass) from each of the 30 dry atlas and
      axis bone specimens were measured. These parameters determined the size and the
      design of the cage and the way of implantation. RESULTS: The course of the
      vertebral artery forms the safe boundary for transoral surgery. The shape of the
      area of work exposure was an inverted trapezoid. In specimens, the anterior
      atlantoaxial lateral mass intervertebral cages could be successfully implanted
      using the transoral approach. The parameters of the human atlantoaxial lateral
      masses exposed anteriorly showed that there was enough space, for the safe
      anterior implantation of the cage. The surgery using the transoral atlantoaxial
      reduction and plate makes possible the implantation of the anterior cage.
      CONCLUSION: The implantation of anterior atlantoaxial lateral mass intervertebral
      cage through transoral approach is possible.

PMID- 28336192
TI  - Radiological morphology variances of transient osteoporosis of the hip.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Although several morphological abnormalities or variances of the hip
      joint have been proposed to be associated with hip joint degeneration, few
      studies have investigated any radiological features in patients with transient
      osteoporosis of the hip (TOH). The purpose of this study is to evaluate the
      morphological variances of the hip joint in TOH patients radiographically.
      METHODS: The TOH group consisted of 31 hips in 31 patients. Age- and gender
      matched asymptomatic hips in patients with unilateral osteonecrosis of the
      femoral head were served as controls. Radiographs and MRI were utilized to
      examine the following parameters: acetabular dysplasia, acetabular overcoverage,
      acetabular retroversion, and asphericity of the femoral head-neck junction. Also,
      localization of the main bone marrow edema (BME) lesion was investigated.
      RESULTS: TOH patients had a significantly higher incidence of acetabular
      retroversion (52% with a positive cross-over sign and 29% with posterior wall
      deficiency) than the controls (13%, P = 0.0023; 6%, P = 0.043, respectively),
      which was also confirmed by smaller acetabular anteversion angles on axial MRI.
      In addition, TOH patients tended to show asphericity of the anterior femoral head
      neck junction compared to controls (39% vs. 13%, P = 0.040). In 90% of the TOH
      patients, the main BME lesion was located in the subchondral area of the superior
      portion of the femoral head, and 77% of the lesion were recognized as a band-like
      pattern in MRI. CONCLUSIONS: Acetabular retroversion and asphericity of the
      femoral head-neck junction were more commonly observed in TOH patients compared
      to controls. The main BME lesion was most frequently located in the superior
      portion of the femoral head.

PMID- 28336193
TI  - Insights into Chronic Functional Movement Disorders: The Value of Qualitative
      Psychiatric Interviews.

PMID- 28336194
TI  - Screening Medical Patients for Depression: Lessons From a National Program in
      Cancer Clinics.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Screening has been recommended to improve the identification of
      depression in medical patients. There is, therefore, a need for useful practical
      information on how to successfully implement large-scale depression screening in
      medical clinics. OBJECTIVE: To describe the practical lessons learned from our
      experience of implementing a large-scale depression screening program in cancer
      clinics throughout Scotland, UK. METHOD: Reflective review based on the
      experience of the screening team and records of the iterative development of the
      program. FINDINGS: Systematic screening for depression in patients with medical
      illnesses can be delivered in clinics as long as the program is well designed.
      Design issues include ensuring the engagement of staff and patients, implementing
      efficient 2-stage screening processes and effectively managing workflow and
      quality assurance. DISCUSSION: Screening has the potential to offer a solution to
      the well-documented problem of missed depression and other psychiatric diagnoses,
      thereby improving patient care if closely linked to treatment provision.

PMID- 28336195
TI  - Cognitive correlates of visual neural plasticity in schizophrenia.
AB  - Neuroplasticity may be an important treatment target to improve the cognitive
      deficits in schizophrenia (SZ). Yet, it is poorly understood and difficult to
      assess. Recently, a visual high-frequency stimulation (HFS) paradigm that
      potentiates electroencephalography (EEG)-based visual evoked potentials (VEP) has
      been developed to assess neural plasticity in the visual cortex. Using this
      paradigm, we examined visual plasticity in SZ patients (N=64) and its
      correlations with clinical symptoms, neurocognition, functional capacity, and
      community functioning. VEPs were assessed prior to (baseline), and 2-, 4-, and 20
      min after (Post-1, Post-2, and Post-3, respectively) 2min of visual HFS. Cluster
      based permutation tests were conducted to identify time points and electrodes at
      which VEP amplitudes were significantly different after HFS. Compared to
      baseline, there was increased negativity between 140 and 227ms for the early post
      HFS block (average of Post-1 and Post-2), and increased positivity between 180
      and 281ms for the late post-HFS block (Post-3), at parieto-occipital and
      occipital electrodes. The increased negativity in the early post-HFS block did
      not correlate with any of the measures, whereas increased positivity in the late
      post-HFS block correlated with better neurocognitive performance. Results suggest
      that SZ patients exhibit both short- and long-term plasticity. The long-term
      plasticity effect, which was present 22min after HFS, was evident relatively late
      in the VEP, suggesting that neuroplastic changes in higher-order visual
      association areas, rather than earlier short-term changes in primary and
      secondary visual cortex, may be particularly important for the maintenance of
      neurocognitive function in SZ.

PMID- 28336196
TI  - New strategy of closed suction drainage after primary total hip arthroplasty.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effect of late applied
      negative pressure on postoperative drain output after primary total hip
      arthroplasty (THA). PATIENTS AND METHODS: 100 patients (100 hips) were treated by
      closed suction drainage applying negative pressure immediately after THA (group
      I). The remaining 100 patients (100 hips) were treated by the same drainage
      system, but the negative pressure was not applied in the first 24 h after THA and
      then negative pressure was applied (group II). RESULTS: The mean total drain
      output was different between the two groups (group I: 597 +/- 200.1 mL, group II:
      403 +/- 204.1 mL; p < 0.05). Reported drain output from immediate postoperative
      to postoperative day one was 369 +/- 125.5 ml in group I and 221 +/- 141.3 ml in
      group II (p < 0.05). The change of hemoglobin from immediate postoperative to 24
      h after THA was lower in group II (group I: 1.5 +/- 0.62 g/dL, group II: 1.1 +/-
      0.73 g/dL; p = 0.004). The mean unit number of blood transfusions was 1.0 (range,
      0.0-5.0) in group I and 0.3 (range, 0.0-2.0) in group II (p < 0.05). There was no
      difference in Harris hip score between the two groups at postoperative 1 year or
      last follow-up (p = 0.073). CONCLUSION: The minor change in drain system
      management can reduce postoperative blood loss after primary THA and the need for
      transfusion. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Level III, Therapeutic study.

PMID- 28336197
TI  - Determination of specific IgE in pericardial fluid.

PMID- 28336198
TI  - Augmented oxidative stress in infertile women with persistent chlamydial
      infection.
AB  - There is established association between oxidative stress, infections of genital
      tract and fertility. Genital tract infections may provoke increased production of
      free radicals and generate oxidative stress that can be involved in
      pathophysiology of a number of reproductive diseases and complications during
      pregnancy. The aim of this study was to determine connection between oxidative
      stress and infertility associated with persistent chlamydial infection. Serum
      samples of infertile women with tubal factor infertility (TFI), women with
      multiple spontaneous abortions (MSA) and fertile women was screened for C.
      trachomatis MOMP specific IgG and IgA antibodies and cHSP60 specific igG
      antibodies using ELISA. The levels of superoxide anion radical, nitric oxide and
      reduced glutathione were determined spectrophotometricaly. Serum levels of
      testosterone, luteinizing hormone and follicle stimulating hormone were
      determined by enzyme-linked fluorescent immunoassay method. Our results showed
      that persistent infection was more prevalent in TFI than in MSA group, whereas
      seropositivity was higher in MSA than in TFI group of patients. We also found
      that superoxide anion was significantly lower, while LH was markedly higher in
      TFI and MSA group of patients. However, when our results were analyzed according
      to the serological status of chlamydial infection, we found that parameters of
      oxidative stress, superoxide anion and index of oxidative stress, defined as
      relative ratio between superoxide anion and nitrites sum and glutathione ((O2
      +NO2-)/GSH) were significantly elevated in infertile patients with persistent
      chlamydial infection compared to seropositive and seronegative patients. Our
      findings point to the possible impact of Chlamydia trachomatis infection on
      prooxidative-antioxidative balance that can influence fertility potential in
      women with persistent chlamydial infection.

PMID- 28336199
TI  - Primary care physician decision making regarding referral for bariatric surgery:
      a national survey.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Bariatric surgery is the most effective treatment for severe obesity.
      It results in significant and sustained weight loss and reduces obesity-related
      co-morbidities. Despite an increasing prevalence of severe obesity, the number of
      bariatric operations performed in Denmark has decreased during the past years.
      This is only partly explained by changes in the national guidelines for bariatric
      surgery. The purpose of the cross-sectional study is to investigate referral
      patterns and possible reservations regarding bariatric surgery among Danish
      primary care physicians (PCPs). SETTING: Primary care physicians in Denmark
      METHODS: A total of 300 Danish PCPs were invited to participate in a
      questionnaire survey regarding experiences with bariatric surgery, reservations
      about bariatric surgery, attitudes to specific patient cases, and the future
      treatment of severe obesity. Most questions required a response on a 5-point
      Likert scale (strongly disagree, disagree, neither agree nor disagree, agree, and
      strongly agree) and frequency distributions were calculated. RESULTS: 133
      completed questionnaires (44%) were returned. Most physicians found that they had
      good knowledge about the national referral criteria for bariatric surgery. With
      respect to the specific patient cases, a remarkably smaller part of physicians
      would refer patients on their own initiative, compared with the patient's
      initiative. Fear of postoperative surgical complications and medical
      complications both influenced markedly the decision to refer patients for
      surgery. Only 9% of the respondents indicated that bariatric surgery should be
      the primary treatment option for severe obesity in the future. CONCLUSION: Danish
      PCPs express severe concerns about surgical and medical complications following
      bariatric surgery. This might, in part, result in a low rate of referral to
      bariatric surgery.

PMID- 28336200
TI  - Systematic review of transgastric ERCP in Roux-en-Y gastric bypass patients.
AB  - Balloon-assisted endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatoscopy (ERCP) in Roux-en
      Y gastric bypass (RYGB) patients is technically challenging due to anatomic and
      accessory constraints, thus success rates are modest. Transgastric ERCP (TG-ERCP)
      offers a viable alternative. We aimed to systematically review the literature on
      TG-ERCP in RYGB patients to better define the technical approaches, success
      rates, and adverse events of this procedure. A computer-assisted search of the
      Embase and PubMed databases was performed to identify studies that focused on the
      techniques and clinical outcomes of TG-ERCP. Two investigators independently
      identified studies and abstracted relevant data. The literature search yielded 26
      eligible studies comprising 509 TG-ERCP cases. Access to the excluded stomach to
      facilitate ERCP was achieved laparoscopically in 58% of reported cases, via open
      surgery (6% of reported cases), by antecedent placement of a percutaneous
      gastrostomy tube (33%), or with endoscopic ultrasound assistance (3%). Successful
      gastric access was reported in 100% of cases and successful ductal cannulation in
      98.5%. Adverse events were reported in 14% of cases; 80% of these were related to
      gastrostomy creation and the rest were attributable to ERCP. Wound infections (n
      = 19, 3.7%) were the most common gastrostomy-related adverse event, and post-ERCP
      pancreatitis (n = 7, 1.4%) was the most common ERCP-related adverse event. No
      deaths were reported. Based on existing observational studies, TG-ERCP appears to
      be a safe and highly effective approach in patients with RYGB anatomy. Additional
      research and clinical experience are needed to more precisely define the risk
      benefit ratio and optimal technique of TG-ERCP.

PMID- 28336201
TI  - A facile method for isolation of recombinant human apolipoprotein A-I from E.
      coli.
AB  - Apolipoprotein (apo) A-I is the major protein component of high-density
      lipoprotein (HDL) and plays key roles in the Reverse Cholesterol Transport
      pathway. In the past decade, reconstituted HDL (rHDL) has been employed as a
      therapeutic agent for treatment of atherosclerosis. The ability of rHDL to
      promote cholesterol efflux from peripheral cells has been documented to reduce
      the size of atherosclerotic plaque lesions. However, development of apoA-I rHDL
      based therapeutics for human use requires a cost effective process to generate an
      apoA-I product that meets "Good Manufacturing Practice" standards. Methods
      available for production and isolation of unmodified recombinant human apoA-I at
      scale are cumbersome, laborious and complex. To overcome this obstacle, a
      streamlined two-step procedure has been devised for isolation of recombinant
      untagged human apoA-I from E. coli that takes advantage of its ability to re-fold
      to a native conformation following denaturation. Heat treatment of a sonicated E.
      coli supernatant fraction induced precipitation of a large proportion of host
      cell proteins (HCP), yielding apoA-I as the major soluble protein. Reversed-phase
      HPLC of this material permitted recovery of apoA-I largely free of HCP and
      endotoxin. Purified apoA-I possessed alpha-helix secondary structure, formed rHDL
      upon incubation with phospholipid and efficiently promoted cholesterol efflux
      from cholesterol loaded J774 macrophages.

PMID- 28336202
TI  - Medical-surgical activity and the current state of training of urology residents
      in Spain: Results of a national survey.
AB  - OBJECTIVES: To determine the actual state of medical-surgical activity and
      training for urology residents in Spain. MATERIAL AND METHOD: We designed 2
      anonymous surveys, which were uploaded with the Google Docs(c) tool so that the
      respondents could answer the surveys online. The online collection period was
      September 2015 to January 2016. The collected data were processing using the
      statistical programme IBM SPSS for Windows, Version 21.0 and the programme R
      version 3.2.3. RESULTS: The total number of responders was 163. In reference to
      the number of physically present on-call residents, the majority conducted
      between 4 and 6 shifts a month. Eighty-four of those surveyed indicated that they
      were in the operating room less than 20hours a week, and 43 of these even less
      than 10hours. Thirty percent of those surveyed had not performed any
      transurethral resection. The majority had performed at least one prostatic
      adenomectomy, but had not performed any major oncologic procedure, either
      laparoscopically or openly. In the questions concerning training and training
      courses, we found that most of the residents trained in laparoscopy at the
      hospital or at home. The overall satisfaction for the residence was assessed at
      2.6. Based on this score, the overall satisfaction could be considered moderate.
      CONCLUSIONS: Efforts should be directed towards standardising the acquisition of
      surgical and nonsurgical skills, ensuring access to training courses,
      establishing a minimum of required operations per year and achieving an objective
      assessment of the specialty.

PMID- 28336203
TI  - Is extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy a current treatment for urolithiasis? A
      systematic review.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: Technological advances have prompted a change in the management of
      urolithiasis. Endourological techniques are gaining importance because they are
      highly effective treatments. The aim of this study was to answer the question of
      whether extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy (ESWL) is still a competitive
      alternative compared with other therapeutic modalities. ACQUISITION OF EVIDENCE:
      We conducted a literature search of articles published in the past 5 years. We
      identified 12 randomized and comparative studies and assessed the methodology and
      results of the study variables. We performed a narrative synthesis of the
      included studies. To summarise the variables, we used the mean and standard
      deviation for continuous variables and absolute numbers and percentages for the
      qualitative variables. ANALYSIS OF THE EVIDENCE: Of the studies reviewed, 7
      evaluated the various treatments for nephrolithiasis and 5 evaluated the
      treatments for ureteral lithiasis. At the renal level, a stone-free rate of 33.33
      91.5% at 3 months was reached with ESWL, while a rate of 90.4-100% was achieved
      with the other endourological techniques, without finding statistically
      significant differences in the studies. At the ureteral level, a stone-free rate
      of 73.5-82.2% at 3 months was reached with ESWL, while a rate of 79-94.1% was
      achieved with the other endourological techniques, without finding statistically
      significant differences in the studies. CONCLUSION: There is a lack of
      homogeneity among the published studies. ESWL is a minimally invasive treatment
      that with an appropriate technique and patient selection achieves high
      effectiveness, thus maintaining an important role at this time.

PMID- 28336204
TI  - N-terminal pro-brain natriuretic peptide is related with coronary flow velocity
      reserve and diastolic dysfunction in patients with asymmetric hypertrophic
      cardiomyopathy.
AB  - BACKGROUND: The relations of elevated N-terminal pro-brain natriuretic peptide
      (NT-pro-BNP) and cardiac ischemia in hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) patients
      is uncertain. Therefore we designed the study with the following aims: (1) to
      analyze plasma concentrations of NT-pro-BNP in various subsets of HCM patients;
      (2) to reveal the correlations of NT-pro-BNP, myocardial ischemia, and diastolic
      dysfunction; (3) to assess predictors of the elevated plasma levels of NT-pro
      BNP. METHODS AND RESULTS: In 61 patients (mean age 48.9+/-16.3 years; 26 male)
      with asymmetric HCM plasma levels of NT-pro-BNP were obtained. Standard
      transthoracic examination, tissue Doppler echocardiography with measurement of
      transthoracic coronary flow velocity reserve (CFVR) in left anterior descending
      artery (LAD) was done. Mean natural logarithm value of NT-pro-BNP was 7.11+/
      0.95pg/ml [median value 1133 (interquartile range 561-2442)pg/ml]. NT-pro-BNP was
      significantly higher in patients with higher NYHA class, in obstructive HCM, more
      severe mitral regurgitation, increased left atrial volume index (LAVI), presence
      of calcified mitral annulus, elevated left ventricular (LV) filling pressure and
      in decreased CFVR. Levels of NT-pro-BNP significantly correlated with the ratio
      of E/e' (r=0.534, p<0.001), LV outflow tract gradient (r=0.503, p=0.024), LAVI
      (r=0.443, p<0.001), while inversely correlated with CFVR LAD (r=-0.569, p<0.001).
      When multivariate analysis was done only CFVR LAD and E/e' emerged as independent
      predictors of NT-pro-BNP. CONCLUSION: Plasma levels of NT-pro-BNP were
      significantly higher in HCM patients with more advanced disease. Elevated NT-pro
      BNP not only reflects the diastolic impairment of the LV, but it might also be
      the result of cardiac ischemia in patients with HCM.

PMID- 28336206
TI  - Toxic metal pollution in the Yellow Sea and Bohai Sea, China: distribution,
      controlling factors and potential risk.
AB  - The Bohai Sea (BS) and Yellow Sea (YS), which are adjacent to the most urbanized
      and industrialized areas in China, are facing a variety of environmental
      problems. Two cruises were conducted to investigate the pollution status of toxic
      metals in BS and YS sediments. They generally presented a decreasing trend from
      near shore to offshore. In addition, two high concentration areas were observed
      in the central south YS and north of the Shandong Peninsula. The results of
      multiple regression analyses suggest that Hg is mainly controlled by
      anthropogenic loading, whereas for Cr, Cu, Ni, Pb and Zn, sediment properties,
      especially the Fe oxides content, play a more important role. For As and Cd, the
      contribution of anthropogenic loading and sediment properties are comparable. The
      risk assessment indicates that Hg, As, Cd and Ni should be listed as the primary
      contaminant metals in the BS and YS.

PMID- 28336205
TI  - Andersen-Tawil syndrome: Clinical presentation and predictors of symptomatic
      arrhythmias - Possible role of polymorphisms K897T in KCNH2 and H558R in SCN5A
      gene.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Andersen-Tawil syndrome (ATS) is rare channelopathy caused by KCNJ2
      mutation and probably KCNJ5. It is characterized by arrhythmias, neurological
      symptoms, and dysmorphic features. The present study retrospectively examined the
      characteristics of 11 unrelated families with ATS. METHODS: This study consisted
      of 11 probands positive for KCNJ2 variants and 33 family members (mean age 30.0+/
      17.3 years, female n=31). Additional genetic screening of 3 LQTS genes (KCNQ1,
      KCNH2, SCN5A) was performed in 9 families. Predictors of arrhythmias [premature
      ventricular beats>2000/24h, biventricular and polymorphic ventricular tachycardia
      (VT)], syncope, and/or cardiac arrest (CA) were evaluated. RESULTS: In KCNJ2
      mutation carriers vs non-carriers (n=25 vs n=19) significant differences were
      observed in U-wave manifestations in V2-V4, Tpeak-Tend duration, QTUc duration
      (p<0.0001), dysmorphic features, and neurological symptoms. Compared to
      asymptomatic carriers (n=9), in those with arrhythmias and/or syncope and/or CA
      (n=16) micrognathia (p=0.004), periodic paralysis (p=0.019), palpitation
      (p=0.005), U-wave n V2-V4 (p=0.049) were more frequent; QTU (p=0.045) and Tpeak
      Tend (p=0.014) were also longer (n=9). In the subgroup of carriers with syncope
      and/or cardiac arrest (n=10, 90% women), K897T-KCNH2 polymorphism (p=0.02),
      periodic paralysis (p=0.004), muscle weakness (p=0.04), palpitations (p=0.04),
      arrhythmias (biventricular VT, p=0.003; polymorphic VT, p=0.009) were observed
      more frequently. Tpeak-Tend duration was longer (p=0.007) and the percentage of
      patients with premature ventricular contraction >2000/24h was higher (p=0.005).
      CONCLUSION: A higher risk of arrhythmia, syncope, and/or CA is associated with
      the presence of micrognathia, periodic paralysis, and prolonged Tpeak-Tend time.
      Our findings suggest that K897T may contribute to the occurrence of syncope.

PMID- 28336207
TI  - Heavy metal concentrations in some gastropods and bivalves collected from the
      fishing zone of South India.
AB  - The present study investigates heavy metal concentrations in gastropods and
      bivalves collected from major fishing centers in South India. Three gastropods,
      Bursa spinosa, Tibia curta, and Murex trapa, and two bivalves, Perna viridis and
      Villoritta cyprinoids, were collected for the analysis of heavy metals. The
      metals in the present study followed the order Mg>Ca>Zn>Fe>Cu>Mn>Cr>Pb>Ni>Co>Cd.
      Trace metal concentrations in the soft tissue of the molluscs varied as follows:
      for Cd: 0.04-5.33, Co: 0.09-0.87, Cr: 2.18-7.59, Cu: 9.54-37.02, Mn: 1.30-8.50,
      Ni: 0.94-3.21, Pb: 1.16-2.64 and Zn: 68.16-113.64mgkg-1. Metal concentrations in
      all the species were below the limits proposed by the World Health Organization,
      except for Pb and Cd. This baseline study suggests that the levels of toxic
      metals in M. trapa, T. curta, and B. spinosa should be continuously monitored to
      assess the fate and effects of these metals in this fragile ecosystem.

PMID- 28336208
TI  - Reducing the marine debris of recreational hoop nets in south-eastern Australia.
AB  - Alternative configurations of Australian recreational portunid hoop nets were
      investigated to address debris and selectivity issues. Four treatment nets (all
      comprising 152-mm polyamide-PA mesh) were assessed that differed in their twine
      (conventional multifilament vs new multi-monofilament) and fishing configuration
      (conventional conical vs inverted shapes). The conical multifilament design lost
      means (+/-SEs) of 130.6+/-23.1 and 5.3+/-1.2mm of twine 3-h soak-1 when used to
      target Scylla serrata and Portunus pelagicus. Inverting this hoop net
      significantly reduced legal-sized catches (by up to 70%) and with greater twine
      loss (*5) when targeting P. pelagicus. Conversely, both multi-monofilament
      configurations maintained legal catches of S. serrata and P. pelagicus, but lost
      78 and 95% less twine than the conical multifilament design. Using multi
      monofilament hoop nets could reduce PA debris by thousands of m p.a. in south
      eastern Australia, without affecting targeted catches. Further, a lower fishing
      height of inverted multi-monofilament nets might reduce non-portunid bycatch.

PMID- 28336209
TI  - Transboundary movement of marine litter in an estuarine gradient: Evaluating
      sources and sinks using hydrodynamic modelling and ground truthing estimates.
AB  - Marine debris' transboundary nature and new strategies to identify sources and
      sinks in coastal areas were investigated along the Paranagua estuarine gradient
      (southern Brazil), through integration of hydrodynamic modelling, ground truthing
      estimates and regressive vector analysis. The simulated release of virtual
      particles in different parts of the inner estuary suggests a residence time
      shorter than 5days before being exported through the estuary mouth (intermediate
      compartment) to the open ocean. Stranded litter supported this pathway, with
      beaches in the internal compartment presenting proportionally more items from
      domestic sources, while fragmented items with unknown sources were proportionally
      more abundant in the oceanic beaches. Regressive vector analysis reinforced the
      inner estuarine origin of the stranded litter in both estuarine and oceanic
      beaches. These results support the applicability of simple hydrodynamic models to
      address marine debris' transboundary issues in the land-sea transition zone, thus
      supporting an ecosystem transboundary (and not territorial) management approach.

PMID- 28336210
TI  - Burkholderia pseudomallei and Burkholderia mallei vaccines: Are we close to
      clinical trials?
AB  - B. pseudomallei is the cause of melioidosis, a serious an often fatal disease of
      humans and animals. The closely related bacterium B. mallei, which cases
      glanders, is considered to be a clonal derivative of B. pseudomallei. Both B.
      pseudomallei and B. mallei were evaluated by the United States and the former
      USSR as potential bioweapons. Much of the effort to devise biodefence vaccines in
      the past decade has been directed towards the identification and formulation of
      sub-unit vaccines which could protect against both melioidosis and glanders. A
      wide range of proteins and polysaccharides have been identified which protective
      immunity in mice. In this review we highlight the significant progress that has
      been made in developing glycoconjugates as sub-unit vaccines. We also consider
      some of the important the criteria for licensing, including the suitability of
      the "animal rule" for assessing vaccine efficacy, the protection required from a
      vaccine and the how correlates of protection will be identified. Vaccines
      developed for biodefence purposes could also be used in regions of the world
      where naturally occurring disease is endemic.

PMID- 28336211
TI  - The state of midwifery in small island Pacific nations.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Strengthening midwifery is a global priority. Recently, global
      evidence has provided momentum toward developing the midwifery workforce. In
      2014, the State of the World's Midwifery 2014 Report explored midwifery services
      in 73 low to middle income countries. In the South Pacific region, only Papua New
      Guinea and the Solomon Islands were included. This means that there is little
      known on the state of midwifery in the small island countries in the South
      Pacific. AIM: To explore the current situation of the education, regulation and
      association of midwives in 12 small island nations of the South Pacific and
      determine the gaps in these areas. METHODS: A descriptive study was undertaken.
      Data were collected through a survey completed by key representatives (usually
      the Chief Nursing and Midwifery Officer) from each of the 12 countries. Ethical
      approval was received from the relevant Human Research Ethics Committee.
      FINDINGS: Many of the countries had few midwives, in some instances, only two
      midwives for the whole country. Midwifery education programs included post
      graduate diploma, certificates and bachelor degrees. Midwives were required to be
      registered nurses in all countries. Regulation and licensing also varied - most
      countries did not have a separate licensing system for midwives. Only three
      countries have a specific professional association for midwives. CONCLUSION: The
      variation and the small number of midwives poses challenges for workforce
      planning. Consideration could be given to developing regional standards and
      potentially a shared curriculum framework. Ongoing collaboration and networking
      between countries is a critical part of future developments.

PMID- 28336212
TI  - Impact of a continuing professional development intervention on midwifery
      academics' awareness of cultural safety.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Cultural safety in higher education learning and teaching
      environments is paramount to positive educational outcomes for Aboriginal and/or
      Torres Strait Islander (hereafter called First Peoples) students. There is a lack
      of research evaluating the impact of continuing professional development on
      midwifery academics' awareness of cultural safety. AIM: To implement and evaluate
      a continuing professional development intervention to improve midwifery
      academics' awareness of cultural safety in supporting First Peoples midwifery
      students success. METHODS: A pre-post intervention mixed methods design was used.
      Academics (n=13) teaching into a Bachelor of Midwifery program agreed to
      participate. The intervention consisted of two workshops and five yarning circles
      across a semester. Data included the Awareness of Cultural Safety Scale, self
      assessment on cultural safety and perceptions of racism, evaluation of the
      intervention, participants' journal entries, and researcher's reflections.
      FINDINGS: Responses on the Awareness of Cultural Safety Scale revealed
      significant improvement in participants' awareness of cultural safety. There was
      an upward trend in self-assessment ratings. Participants reported high levels of
      satisfaction with the intervention or workshops and yarning circles.
      Participants' journal entries revealed themes willingness to participate and
      learn, confidence as well as anger and distress. CONCLUSION: Increased awareness
      of cultural safety can be transformative for midwifery academics. Workshops and
      yarning circles can support academics in moving beyond a 'sense of paralysis' and
      engage in challenging conversations to transform their learning and teaching and
      in turn foster a culturally safe learning and teaching environment for First
      Peoples midwifery students towards success.

PMID- 28336213
TI  - Transient and permanent changes in DNA methylation patterns in inorganic arsenic
      mediated epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition.
AB  - Chronic low dose inorganic arsenic exposure causes cells to take on an epithelial
      to-mesenchymal phenotype, which is a crucial process in carcinogenesis. Inorganic
      arsenic is not a mutagen and thus epigenetic alterations have been implicated in
      this process. Indeed, during the epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition,
      morphologic changes to cells correlate with changes in chromatin structure and
      gene expression, ultimately driving this process. However, studies on the effects
      of inorganic arsenic exposure/withdrawal on the epithelial-to-mesenchymal
      transition and the impact of epigenetic alterations in this process are limited.
      In this study we used high-resolution microarray analysis to measure the changes
      in DNA methylation in cells undergoing inorganic arsenic-induced epithelial-to
      mesenchymal transition, and on the reversal of this process, after removal of the
      inorganic arsenic exposure. We found that cells exposed to chronic, low-dose
      inorganic arsenic exposure showed 30,530 sites were differentially methylated,
      and with inorganic arsenic withdrawal several differential methylated sites were
      reversed, albeit not completely. Furthermore, these changes in DNA methylation
      mainly correlated with changes in gene expression at most sites tested but not at
      all. This study suggests that DNA methylation changes on gene expression are not
      clear-cut and provide a platform to begin to uncover the relationship between DNA
      methylation and gene expression, specifically within the context of inorganic
      arsenic treatment.

PMID- 28336215
TI  - Association of increased levels of MCP-1 and cathepsin-D in young onset type 2
      diabetes patients (T2DM-Y) with severity of diabetic retinopathy.
AB  - AIM: Young onset type 2 diabetes patients (T2DM-Y) have been shown to possess an
      increased risk of developing microvascular complications particularly diabetic
      retinopathy. However, the molecular mechanisms are not clearly understood. In
      this study, we investigated the serum levels of monocyte chemotactic protein 1
      (MCP-1) and cathepsin-D in patients with T2DM-Y without and with diabetic
      retinopathy. METHODS: In this case-control study, participants comprised
      individuals with normal glucose tolerance (NGT=40), patients with type 2 diabetes
      mellitus (T2DM=35), non-proliferative diabetic retinopathy (NPDR=35) and
      proliferative diabetic retinopathy (PDR=35). Clinical characterization of the
      study subjects was done by standard procedures and MCP-1 and cathepsin-D were
      measured by ELISA. RESULTS: Compared to control individuals, patients with T2DM
      Y, NPDR and PDR exhibited significantly (p<0.001) higher levels of MCP-1.
      Cathepsin-D levels were also significantly (p<0.001) higher in patients with T2DM
      Y without and with diabetic retinopathy. Correlation analysis revealed a positive
      association (p<0.001) between MCP-1 and cathepsin-D levels. There was also a
      significant negative correlation of MCP1/cathepsin-D with C-peptide levels. The
      association of increased levels of MCP-1/cathepsin-D in patients with DR
      persisted even after adjusting for all the confounding factors. CONCLUSION: As
      both MCP-1 and cathepsin-D are molecular signatures of cellular senescence, we
      suggest that these biomarkers might be useful to predict the development of
      retinopathy in T2DM-Y patients.

PMID- 28336216
TI  - Leptin is associated with cardiopulmonary fitness independent of body-mass index
      and insulin sensitivity in adolescents with type 1 diabetes: a brief report from
      the EMERALD study.
AB  - Cardiopulmonary fitness is decreased in type 1 diabetes for reasons that are
      incompletely understood. In this study, leptin was associated with exercise
      capacity independent of insulin sensitivity (IS) and body mass index (BMI),
      suggesting that leptin may relate to cardiopulmonary fitness by mechanisms beyond
      IS and/or obesity.

PMID- 28336214
TI  - Indoleamine 2,3-dioxygenase 1 (IDO1) inhibitors activate the aryl hydrocarbon
      receptor.
AB  - Indoleamine 2,3-dioxygenase 1 (IDO1) plays a key role in the immune system by
      regulating tryptophan levels and T cell differentiation. Several tumor types
      overexpress IDO1 to avoid immune surveillance making IDO1 of interest as a target
      for therapeutic intervention. As a result, several IDO1 inhibitors are currently
      being tested in clinical trials for cancer treatment as well as several other
      diseases. Many of the IDO1 inhibitors in clinical trials naturally bear
      structural similarities to the IDO1 substrate tryptophan, as such, they fulfill
      many of the structural and functional criteria as potential AHR ligands. Using
      mouse and human cell-based luciferase gene reporter assays, qPCR confirmation
      experiments, and CYP1A1 enzyme activity assays, we report that some of the
      promising clinical IDO1 inhibitors also act as agonists for the aryl hydrocarbon
      receptor (AHR), best known for its roles in xenobiotic metabolism and as another
      key regulator of the immune response. The dual role as IDO antagonist and AHR
      agonist for many of these IDO target drugs should be considered for full
      interrogation of their biological mechanisms and clinical outcomes.

PMID- 28336217
TI  - Pathogenic Mechanisms of Cryptosporidium and Giardia.
AB  - Intestinal protozoa are important etiological agents of diarrhea, particularly in
      children, yet the public health risk they pose is often neglected. Results from
      the Global Enteric Multicenter Study (GEMS) showed that Cryptosporidium is among
      the leading causes of moderate to severe diarrhea in children under 2 years.
      Likewise, Giardia infects approximately 200 million individuals worldwide, and
      causes acute diarrhea in children under 5 years. Despite this recognized role as
      pathogens, the question is why and how these parasites cause disease in some
      individuals but not in others. This review focuses on known pathogenic mechanisms
      of Cryptosporidium and Giardia, and infection progress towards disease.

PMID- 28336218
TI  - Malaria Altering Host Attractiveness and Mosquito Feeding.
AB  - Several studies have suggested that malaria parasites stack the odds of
      transmission in their favour by manipulating the attraction profiles of their
      hosts. A recent study provides evidence that a specific parasite factor, (E)-4
      hydroxy-3-methyl-but-2-enyl pyrophosphate, may increase both the attractiveness
      of infected vertebrates and the susceptibility of mosquitoes to infection.

PMID- 28336219
TI  - Comparison of the mesophilic and thermophilic anaerobic digestion of spent cow
      bedding in leach-bed reactors.
AB  - Anaerobic digestion of spent cow bedding in batch leach-bed reactors (LBRs) was
      compared in mesophilic and thermophilic conditions for the first time. Results
      show that the use of thermophilic conditions enhanced only the degradation
      kinetics of easily-degradable matter during the first days of the digestion,
      whereas similar methane yields (80% of the Biomethane Potential) were reached
      after 42days at both temperatures. Therefore, the anaerobic digestion in LBRs of
      spent cow bedding, a substrate rich in slowly-degradable compounds, was not
      improved in term of methane production considering the overall digestion time.
      Moreover, the high initial biogas production rate in thermophilic reactors was
      found to significantly reduce the energetic performance of the cogeneration unit
      at industrial scale, leading to a 5.9% decrease in the annual electricity
      production when compared to a mesophilic one.

PMID- 28336220
TI  - Ureteroscopy and laser stone fragmentation (URSL) for large (>=1 cm) paediatric
      stones: Outcomes from a university teaching hospital.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: The treatment of large renal stones (>=1 cm) in paediatric patients
      is challenging. The usual treatment options include percutaneous nephrolithotomy
      (PCNL) or shockwave lithotripsy (SWL). There is a rise in the use of ureteroscopy
      and laser stone fragmentation (URSL) for paediatric stones; however, outcomes of
      treatment for large renal stones in this age group are still largely unknown.
      OBJECTIVE: To investigate the outcome of URSL for large paediatric renal stones
      >=1 cm treated at the present institution over the last 5 years. METHODS: A
      retrospective review was performed of outcomes from the prospectively maintained
      stone database. Only paediatric patients undergoing ureteroscopic (rigid or
      flexible ureteroscopy (URS)) procedures for stones >=1 cm were included. Patient
      demographics, operative details, stone burden, hospital stay, complications and
      stone clearance were recorded and analysed. RESULTS: From April 2010 to June
      2015, 18 paediatric patients with a mean age of 10.4 years (range 3.6-15)
      underwent 35 ureteroscopic procedures for large stones (>=1 cm). The stone
      location was in the kidney (n = 14), ureter (n = 1), and in both the kidney and
      ureter for the remaining three patients. Nine patients had multiple stones. There
      was a preceding history of PCNL in four patients, with one patient having URS
      combined with a PCNL. The mean follow-up was 2.7 years (range 0-5). A
      postoperative stent was inserted in 21 (60%) patients. The overall stone-free
      rate (SFR) was 89% for a mean of 1.8 procedures per patient (range 1-4) - see
      Summary Table below. There was an inability to access stone within a lower pole
      calyx in one patient, despite maximum deflection of the ureteroscope. No intra-
      or post-operative complications were noted, and mean hospital stay was 1.1 days
      (range 0-5). DISCUSSION: Published papers in adult literature have shown that
      ureteroscopy and laser fragmentation (URSL) is a viable alternative to PCNL.
      Newer equipment and improved techniques have resulted in SFRs being comparable
      with PCNL. A recent systematic review reported an SFR of 91% for large adult
      stones (>2 cm) for a mean 1.45 procedures per patient, and an overall
      complication rate of 8.6%. The present study has also demonstrated excellent
      outcomes in the use of ureteroscopy and laser fragmentation for the management of
      large paediatric stones with no complications. CONCLUSION: The results show that
      paediatric URSL for large stones achieves a good SFR with minimal morbidity and
      is a good treatment option in established endourological units.

PMID- 28336221
TI  - The use of contact lens telescopic systems in low vision rehabilitation.
AB  - Refracting telescopes are afocal compound optical systems consisting of two
      lenses that produce an apparent magnification of the retinal image. They are
      routinely used in visual rehabilitation in the form of monocular or binocular
      hand held low vision aids, and head or spectacle-mounted devices to improve
      distance visual acuity, and with slight modifications, to enhance acuity for near
      and intermediate tasks. Since the advent of ground glass haptic lenses in the
      1930's, contact lenses have been employed as a useful refracting element of
      telescopic systems; primarily as a mobile ocular lens (the eyepiece), that moves
      with the eye. Telescopes which incorporate a contact lens eyepiece significantly
      improve the weight, comesis, and field of view compared to traditional spectacle
      mounted telescopes, in addition to potential related psycho-social benefits. This
      review summarises the underlying optics and use of contact lenses to provide
      telescopic magnification from the era of Descartes, to Dallos, and the present
      day. The limitations and clinical challenges associated with such devices are
      discussed, along with the potential future use of reflecting telescopes
      incorporated within scleral lenses and tactile contact lens systems in low vision
      rehabilitation.

PMID- 28336222
TI  - Evaluation of the shifting of the line of sight and higher order aberrations of
      eyes with keratoconus after corneal cross-linking.
AB  - AIM: To evaluate changes in the coordinates of the line of sight (LoS) and higher
      order aberrations (HOAs) of eyes with keratoconus, following corneal cross
      linking (CXL). METHODS: All patients (93 eyes) underwent detailed ophthalmologic
      examination and Pentacam HR measurements at baseline and at 3, 6, and 12 months
      after corneal CXL. LoS coordinates on the horizontal (x) and vertical (y) axes,
      vertical coma, vertical trefoil, spherical aberration, total root-mean square
      (RMS), and HOA-RMS values were recorded along with visual acuity and
      topographical parameters. RESULTS: LoS significantly shifted to the nasal region
      after corneal CXL in both right and left eyes (p=0.003 and p=0.01, respectively).
      Horizontal axis values of both eyes significantly shifted to the temporal region
      at postoperative 6th months compared to the baseline measurements (p=0.02 and
      p=0.02, respectively) and remained the same between postoperative 6th months and
      12th months (p=1.00 and p=0.97, respectively). Total-RMS, HOA-RMS, vertical coma,
      and spherical aberration values significantly improved after corneal CXL
      (p<0.001, p=0.02, p=0.04, and p<0.001, respectively). The improvements in HOAs
      were significant at postoperative 6th months compared to the baseline
      measurements (p=0.003, p=0.02, p<0.001, and p=0.003, respectively) while remained
      the same between postoperative 6th months and 12th months (p>0.05 for all
      values). The changes in horizontal-axis coordinates in left eyes were
      significantly correlated with anterior elevation, anterior astigmatism, total-RMS
      and HOA-RMS changes (r2=0.20, p=0.03; r2=0.35, p<0.01; r2=0.50, p<0.001 and
      r2=0.35, p=0.004; respectively). CONCLUSIONS: LoS significantly shifted to the
      nasal region and HOAs improved after corneal CXL and these changes stabilized 6th
      months after corneal CXL. It would be more better to perform refractive surgery
      in crosslinked corneas at least 6th months after corneal CXL.

PMID- 28336223
TI  - Paediatric idiopathic limbal stem cell deficiency.
AB  - Acquired limbal stem cell deficiency (LSCD) describes a condition in which the
      corneal limbal stem cells are altered or destroyed, typically due to ocular
      trauma, chronic allergy or inflammation. Idiopathic LSCD is a term used to
      describe limbal stem cell failure in the absence of any identifiable causative
      factor. While several cases of adult-onset LSCD have been identified previously,
      this case report describes a rare presentation of bilateral asymmetric idiopathic
      paediatric limbal stem cell deficiency in a sixteen-year-old male with an
      otherwise unremarkable ocular history.

PMID- 28336224
TI  - Surface coverage with single vs. multiple gaze surface topography to fit scleral
      lenses.
AB  - OBJECTIVES: To determine surface coverage of measurements using the sMap3D(r)
      corneo-scleral topographer in patients presenting for scleral lens fitting.
      METHODS: Twenty-five eyes of 23 scleral lens patients were examined. Up-gaze,
      straight-gaze, and down-gaze positions of each eye were "stitched" into a single
      map. The percentage surface coverage between 10mm and 20mm diameter circles from
      corneal center was compared between the straight-gaze and stitched images.
      Scleral toricity magnitude was calculated at 100% coverage and at the same
      diameter after 50% of the data was removed. RESULTS: At a 10mm diameter from
      corneal center, the straight-gaze and stitched images both had 100% coverage. At
      the 14, 15, 16, 18 and 20mm diameters, the straight-gaze image only covered 68%,
      53%, 39%, 18%, and 6% of the ocular surface diameters while the stitched image
      covered 98%, 96%, 93%, 75%, and 32% respectively. In the case showing the most
      scleral coverage at 16mm (straight-gaze), there was only 75% coverage (straight
      gaze) compared to 100% (stitched image); the case with the least coverage had 7%
      (straight gaze) and 92% (stitched image). The 95% limits of agreement between the
      50% and 100% coverage scleral toricity was between -1.4D (50% coverage value
      larger) and 1.2D (100% coverage larger), a 2.6D spread. The absolute difference
      between 50% to 100% coverage scleral toricity was >=0.50D in 28% and >=1.0D in
      16% of cases. CONCLUSIONS: It appears that a single straight-gaze image would
      introduce significant measurement inaccuracy in fitting scleral lenses using the
      sMap3D while a 3-gaze stitched image would not.

PMID- 28336226
TI  - Systematic review of the clinical significance of lymph node micrometastases of
      pancreatic adenocarcinoma following surgical resection.
AB  - OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study is to perform a systematic review of the
      clinical impact of lymph node micrometastasis in pancreatic adenocarcinoma
      following surgical resection. METHODS: A systematic review was conducted and
      published literature were searched using "pancreas or pancreatic" and "cancer or
      carcinoma or neoplasm", and "micrometastasis or micrometastses" in the PubMed,
      EMBAE, and Web of Science. RESULTS: Thirteen publications with 726 patients and
      3701 lymph nodes were included in this systematic review. The detection method
      was immunohistochemical stains or polymerase chain reaction. The pooled
      proportion of patients with positive lymph node micrometastasis was 43.1% (95%
      Confidence interval (CI) 0.254-0.628). The pooled proportion of positive lymph
      node micrometastasis (number of positive lymph node micrometastasis/total number
      of lymph nodes examined) was 10.8% (95% CI 4.8-22.6). Among the conventional H &E
      negative patients, the reported 5-year survival rates of the patients without
      lymph node micrometastases vs. those with lymph node micrometastases in the
      ranged from 50% to 61% and from 0% to 36%, respectively Patients with lymph node
      micrometastasis showed poorer survival (Hazard ratio 4.29, 95% CI 1.27-14.41).
      CONCLUSIONS: The presence of lymph node micrometastasis is associated with poorer
      survival. Lymph node micrometastasis is applicable to stratify the risk of
      recurrence and the need for adjuvant therapy of post-resection patients with
      pancreatic adenocarcinoma in the conventional H & E lymph node negative patients.

PMID- 28336225
TI  - Abdominal contamination with Candida albicans after pancreaticoduodenectomy is
      related to hemorrhage associated with pancreatic fistulas.
AB  - BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES: Pancreatic fistulas are one of the most frequent
      morbidities after pancreaticoduodenectomy. Several reports have suggested a
      relationship between bacterial infections and postoperative pancreatic fistulas,
      although details of the mechanisms involved in hemorrhage in association with the
      fistulas have not been elucidated. This study retrospectively examined the
      relationship between positive drainage culture and hemorrhage associated with
      pancreatic fistulas after pancreaticoduodenectomy. METHODS: From January 2012 to
      December 2015, 142 consecutive patients underwent pancreaticoduodenectomy at our
      institution. We retrospectively reviewed the patients' demographic data,
      perioperative laboratory data, and drainage culture results. RESULTS: Twenty-four
      (17%) patients had clinically relevant postoperative pancreatic fistulas, whereas
      thirty-four (24%) patients experienced positive drainage culture. Multivariable
      analysis revealed that positive drainage culture was independently associated
      with clinically relevant postoperative pancreatic fistulas (odds ratio, 18.1; 95%
      confidence interval, 5.5-72.2; P < 0.001). Additionally, the prevalence of
      Candida albicans in the lavage of eight patients significantly correlated with
      hemorrhage associated with pancreatic fistulas (odds ratio, 43.5; 95% confidence
      interval, 6.2-513.3; P < 0.001). Seventy-five percent (6/8) of these patients
      suffered potentially lethal hemorrhagic complications and needed intervention.
      CONCLUSIONS: A positive abdominal drainage culture is associated with the
      development of pancreatic fistulas. Moreover, the presence of Candida albicans in
      drainage fluid may be a risk factor for hemorrhagic complications.

PMID- 28336227
TI  - Aqueous calyxes extract of Roselle or Hibiscus sabdariffa Linn supplementation
      improves liver morphology in streptozotocin induced diabetic rats.
AB  - BACKGROUND AND STUDY AIMS: The complex series of deleterious events among
      diabetes patients leads to multiple organ failure. Therefore, a holistic approach
      of treatment is urgently required to prevent worsening of complications. The
      present investigation was carried out to study the possible protective effects of
      Roselle or Hibiscus sabdariffa Linn (HSL) calyxes aqueous extract, as an
      antidiabetic and antioxidant agent against oxidative liver injury in
      streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats. MATERIAL AND METHODS: A single dose of
      streptozotocin (45mg/kg body weight, iv) was used to induced diabetes in male
      Sprague Dawley rats which were then divided into two groups: Diabetic control
      (DC) and HSL-treated diabetic (DR) group. Normal rats were divided into normal
      control (NC), HSL-treated control (NR). Aqueous calyxes extract of HSL
      (100mg/kg/day, orally) was given for 28 consecutive days in the treated group.
      Weight, biochemical and histopathological (light and electron microscopic)
      parameters were compared in all groups. RESULTS: Supplementation of HSL
      significantly lowered the level of fasting blood glucose and increased plasma
      insulin level in DR group compared to DC group (p<0.05). Alanine
      aminotransaminases and aspartate aminotransferase enzymes level were found to be
      significantly reduced in DR compared to DC. Microscopic examination demonstrated
      destruction of the liver architecture, cytoplasmic vacuolation of the hepatocytes
      and signs of necrosis in diabetic rats. Moreover, dilatation and congestion of
      blood vessels with leucocytes adherence were detected. Ultrastructural study
      using electron microscope showed homogeneous substance accumulation in nuclear
      chromatin, a decrease of organelles and mitochondrial degeneration in the
      diabetic rats. CONCLUSION: Administration of HSL in diabetic rats causes
      significant decrease in hepatocyte destruction and prevented the changes
      associated with the diabetic condition. Thus, our findings provide a scientific
      rationale for the use of HSL as promising agent in preventing liver injury in
      diabetes.

PMID- 28336228
TI  - Ultrasound guided serratus plane block for management of acute thoracic herpes
      zoster.

PMID- 28336229
TI  - Arthroscopic in Situ Repair of Partial Bursal Rotator Cuff Tears Without
      Acromioplasty.
AB  - PURPOSE: To evaluate functional outcomes and complications in a consecutive group
      of patients with partial bursal rotator cuff tears (PBRCTs) treated with insitu
      repair without acromioplasty. METHODS: Seventy-four patients who had undergone an
      arthroscopic single row in situ repair for bursal-sided rotator cuff tears were
      evaluated. Clinical assessment consisted of glenohumeral range of motion
      measurement, the American Shoulder and Elbow Surgeons score, and the University
      of California at Los Angeles score. Pain was recorded using a visual analog
      scale. Postoperative complications were also assessed. RESULTS: Mean age was 55.2
      years (+/-6.3) with a minimum of 2-year follow-up. After arthroscopic repair, all
      active range of motion parameters improved significantly (P < .0001). The
      American Shoulder and Elbow Surgeons scores improved from 42.5 to 86.1; the
      University of California at Los Angeles scores improved from 15.8 to 31.4, and
      the visual analog scale scores improved from 6.6 to 0.7 (P < .0001). Only 3
      patients developed a postoperative adhesive capsulitis that responded to physical
      therapy. CONCLUSIONS: In the midterm follow-up (42 months), arthroscopic in situ
      repair of PBRCTs without acromioplasty is a reliable procedure that produces
      significant functional improvements and pain relief. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Level IV,
      therapeutic case series.

PMID- 28336230
TI  - The Effect of Concomitant Biceps Tenodesis on Reoperation Rates After Rotator
      Cuff Repair: A Review of a Large Private-Payer Database From 2007 to 2014.
AB  - PURPOSE: To determine if reoperation rates are higher for patients who underwent
      isolated rotator cuff repair (RCR) than those who underwent RCR with concomitant
      biceps tenodesis using a large private-payer database. METHODS: A national
      insurance database was queried for patients who underwent arthroscopic RCR
      between the years 2007 and 2014 (PearlDiver, Warsaw, IN). The Current Procedural
      Terminology (CPT) 29,827 (arthroscopy, shoulder, surgical; with RCR) identified
      RCR patients who were subdivided into 3 groups-group 1: RCR without biceps
      tenodesis; group 2: RCR with concomitant arthroscopic biceps tenodesis (CPT 29827
      and 29,828); group 3: RCR with concomitant open biceps tenodesis (CPT 29827 and
      23,430). Reoperation rates (revision RCR, subsequent biceps surgeries) and
      complications at 30 days, 90 days, 6 months, and 1 year were analyzed.
      Multivariate logistic regression was used to compare reoperations and
      complications between groups. Rotator cuff tear size, whether the biceps was
      ruptured and whether a biceps tenotomy was performed, was not available. RESULTS:
      Group 1: 27,178 patients. Group 2: 4,810 patients. Group 3: 1,493 patients. More
      patients underwent concomitant arthroscopic than concomitant open tenodesis (P <
      .001). A total of 2,509 patients underwent a reoperation for RCR or biceps
      tenodesis within 1 year after RCR. When adjusted for age, sex, and comorbidities,
      no significant differences in reoperation rates at 30 days or 90 days among the 3
      groups, but significantly more patients who had a tenodesis, required a
      reoperation compared with those who did not have a tenodesis at 6 months and 1
      year (both P < .001). Urinary tract infections were more common in patients who
      did not have a tenodesis, whereas dislocation, nerve injury, and surgical site
      infection were more common in tenodesis patients. CONCLUSIONS: Higher reoperation
      rates at 1 year were seen in patients who had concomitant biceps tenodesis. LEVEL
      OF EVIDENCE: Level III, case-control database review study.

PMID- 28336231
TI  - TNF-alpha inhibits the migration of oral squamous cancer cells mediated by miR
      765-EMP3-p66Shc axis.
AB  - Whereas TNF-alpha can facilitate the metastasis of oral squamous cancer cells
      (OSCC), whether it inhibits the metastasis is not clear so far. In this study, we
      demonstrated that high dose TNF-alpha at 100ng/mL could in vitro significantly
      inhibit the migration of two OSCC cell lines, CAL-27 and SCC-25. To explore the
      related mechanisms, we focused on the involvement of the microRNAs and found that
      TNF-alpha increased the expression of miR-765. The upregulation of miR-765 was
      attributed to the inhibition of the migration. We showed that miR-765 directly
      targeted EMP3 and suppressed its expression. We also found that the expression of
      EMP3 was much higher in human oral squamous cancer in compare with the
      surrounding normal tissue. Interestingly, p66Shc, a downstream molecule in the
      EMP3-related signaling pathway, was increased by TNF-alpha. We found that the
      overexpression of p66Shc could suppress the migration through the enhanced E
      cadherin and ZO-1 signals. Either silencing the expression of EMP3 or enhancing
      the expression of miR-765 could upregulate the expression of p66Shc. Together,
      our results demonstrated that TNF-alpha inhibited the metastasis of oral squamous
      cancer cell through the miR-765-EMP3-p66Shc axis, which may provide new insights
      for the therapy of oral squamous cancer.

PMID- 28336233
TI  - Roles for RACK1 in cancer cell migration and invasion.
AB  - Migration and invasion of cancer cells into surrounding tissue and vasculature is
      an important initial step in cancer metastasis. Metastasis is the leading cause
      of cancer related death and thus it is crucial that we improve our understanding
      of the mechanisms that promote this life-threatening phenomenon. Cell migration
      involves a complex, multistep process that leads to the actin-driven movement of
      cells on or through the tissues of the body. The multifunctional scaffolding
      protein RACK1 plays important roles in nucleating cell signalling hubs, anchoring
      proteins at specific subcellular locations and regulating protein activity. It is
      essential for cell migration and accumulating evidence now demonstrates multiple
      roles for RACK1 in regulating migration and invasion of tumour cells. The
      possibility of designing drugs that block the migratory and invasive capabilities
      of cancer cells represents an attractive therapeutic strategy for treating
      malignant disease with RACK1 being a potential target. In this review we
      summarize this evidence and examine the mechanisms that underlie the contribution
      of RACK1 to the various stages of cell migration and invasion.

PMID- 28336232
TI  - TGFbeta1 induces endometrial cancer cell adhesion and migration by up-regulating
      integrin alphavbeta3 via SMAD-independent MEK-ERK1/2 signaling.
AB  - Endometrial cancer is the most common, and second most lethal, gynecological
      malignancy, and its rates of incidence and death are growing. This is likely
      attributable to increased numbers of high-risk type II endometrial cancers which
      account for ~30% of cases but ~75% of deaths due to their aggressive and
      metastatic behaviour. Histopathological and in vitro functional studies suggest
      that aberrant TGFbeta1 signaling may contribute to endometrial cancer development
      and the acquisition of invasive/metastatic characteristics. However, little is
      known about the cellular and molecular mechanisms of TGFbeta1 in high-risk
      endometrial cancers. In the present study, we examined the roles and mechanisms
      of TGFbeta1 on cell adhesion and motility in type II endometrial cancer cell
      lines, KLE and HEC-1B. We show that treatment with TGFbeta1 increases cell
      adhesion to vitronectin and transwell cell migration. We also demonstrate that
      TGFbeta1 treatment increases integrin beta3 and alphav mRNA and protein levels
      via SMAD-independent MEK-ERK1/2 signaling. Importantly, siRNA depletion or
      antibody-mediated blocking of integrin alphavbeta3 reversed the effects of
      TGFbeta1 on cell adhesion and migration. Our results suggest that TGFbeta1-MEK
      ERK1/2-integrin alphavbeta3 signaling could contribute to the invasive behaviour
      of high-risk endometrial cancer by promoting cell adhesion and migration.

PMID- 28336234
TI  - Ubiquitin-specific protease 4 (USP4) suppresses myoblast differentiation by down
      regulating MyoD activity in a catalytic-independent manner.
AB  - For myotube formation, proliferation and differentiation of myoblasts must be
      tightly regulated by various myogenic regulatory factors (MRFs) such as MyoD,
      myogenic factor 5 (Myf5), myogenin, and muscle-specific regulatory factor 4
      (MRF4). However, it is not clear how the expression or activity of these MRFs is
      controlled during myogenesis. In this study, we identified ubiquitin-specific
      protease 4 (USP4), one of deubiquitinating enzymes, as a suppressor of MRFs by
      demonstrating that a knockdown of USP4 enhances myogenesis by controlling MyoD
      and the level of myogenesis marker proteins in C2C12 cells. However, it was
      revealed that the effect of USP4 on myogenesis is independent of its
      deubiquitinase activity because the catalytic-site mutant has the same inhibitory
      effects as the wild-type USP4 on myogenesis. We observed that the activity and
      protein levels of both HDAC1 and HDAC4 are decreased when myoblast
      differentiation is promoted by the USP4 knockdown. We also found that the role of
      USP4 in muscle differentiation is correlated with two major signaling pathways in
      myogenesis, AKT and the p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase pathways. According
      to these results, we propose that USP4 is a key player in myogenic
      differentiation; it controls myogenic regulatory factors in a catalytic
      independent manner.

PMID- 28336235
TI  - Tyrosine phosphorylation of Rab7 by Src kinase.
AB  - The small molecular weight GTPase Rab7 is a key regulator for late
      endosomal/lysosomal membrane trafficking, it was known that Rab7 is
      phosphorylated, but the corresponding kinase and the functional regulation of
      Rab7 phosphorylation remain unclear. We provide evidence here that Rab7 is a
      substrate of Src kinase, and is tyrosine-phosphorylated by Src, withY183 residue
      of Rab7 being the optimal phosphorylation site for Src. Further investigations
      demonstrated that the tyrosine phosphorylation of Rab7 depends on the guanine
      nucleotide binding activity of Rab7 and the activity of Src kinase. The tyrosine
      phosphorylation of Rab7 is physiologically induced by EGF, and impairs the
      interaction of Rab7 with RILP, consequently inhibiting EGFR degradation and
      sustaining Akt signaling. These results suggest that the tyrosine phosphorylation
      of Rab7 may be involved in coordinating membrane trafficking and cell signaling.

PMID- 28336237
TI  - Point-of-Care Ultrasound: Sonographic Posterior Fat Pad Sign: A Case Report and
      Brief Literature Review.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Diagnosis of elbow fracture can sometimes be difficult with plain
      radiography due to overlapping bones, growth plates, and maturing bones in the
      pediatric population. The radiographic posterior fat pad (PFP) sign is one of the
      frequently referenced indirect signs of an occult elbow fracture. This sign can
      be falsely negative if the sign is subtle, and can be falsely positive when the
      position of the elbow is not flexed at 90 degrees. CASE REPORT: We discuss a case
      in which sonographic PFP sign helped to diagnose an elbow fracture. A 57-year-old
      female presented to the emergency department (ED) after a fall on an outstretched
      hand. The point-of-care ultrasound (POCUS) was completed identifying an elevated
      PFP and an anechoic joint fluid collection with innumerous floating
      hyperechogenic spicules visualized in the olecranon fossa. Diagnosis of a radial
      head fracture was later confirmed by plain radiograph. WHY SHOULD AN EMERGENCY
      PHYSICIAN BE AWARE OF THIS?: The increase in use and availability of POCUS in the
      ED makes this a very practical application. Our ability to rapidly perform the
      ultrasound of the elbow may allow us a more rapid diagnosis of pathology, as well
      as provide a way to further triage our patients. With time, it may even allow us
      to avoid routine use of plain radiography.

PMID- 28336236
TI  - Non-invasive measurement of peripheral, central and 24-hour blood pressure in
      patients with continuous-flow left ventricular assist device.

PMID- 28336238
TI  - Hydropneumothorax Due to Esophageal Rupture.
AB  - BACKGROUND: A brief review of the historical aspects of esophageal rupture is
      presented along with a case and current recommendations for diagnostic evaluation
      and treatment. CASE REPORT: A 97-year-old woman complained of acute dyspnea
      without prior vomiting. Chest x-ray study showed a large right pneumothorax with
      associated effusion. A thoracostomy tube was placed with return of > 1 L turbid
      fluid with polymicrobial culture and elevated pleural fluid amylase level. Chest
      computed tomography (CT) scan demonstrated overt leakage of oral contrast into
      the right pleural space. She was treated with ongoing pleural evacuation,
      antibiotics, antifungals, and total parenteral nutrition. The patient and family
      declined surgical resection as well as endoscopic stent placement. In 1724,
      Boerhaave described spontaneous rupture of the esophagus postmortem; Boerhaave
      syndrome remains the name for complete disruption of the esophageal wall in the
      absence of pre-existing pathology typically occurring after vomiting. It most
      commonly occurs in the distal left posterolateral thoracic esophagus. Contrast
      esophagram is considered the "gold standard" for diagnosing esophageal rupture
      although CT esophagography also shows good diagnostic performance. Treatment
      includes nil per os status, broad-spectrum antibiotics, and drainage of the
      pleural space. Surgical repair of the esophageal perforation should be done early
      if the patient is deemed a good candidate, and esophageal stenting is also an
      option. WHY SHOULD AN EMERGENCY PHYSICIAN BE AWARE OF THIS?: Esophageal
      perforation should be suspected in patients with new pleural effusion, often with
      overt pneumothorax, that is polymicrobial with elevated amylase.

PMID- 28336239
TI  - Penile Gangrene by Calciphylaxis: An Unusual Clinical Presentation in a Patient
      with Diabetic Nephropathy on Hemodialysis.

PMID- 28336240
TI  - What's the Evidence: Self-Assessment Implications for Life-Long Learning in
      Emergency Medicine.
AB  - BACKGROUND: The 2012 Academic Emergency Medicine Consensus Conference, "Education
      Research in Emergency Medicine: Opportunities, Challenges, and Strategies for
      Success" noted that emergency medicine (EM) educators often rely on theory and
      tradition when molding their approaches to teaching and learning, and called on
      the EM education community to advance the teaching of our specialty through the
      performance and application of research in teaching and assessment methods,
      cognitive function, and the effects of education interventions. OBJECTIVE: The
      purpose of this article was to review the research-based evidence for the
      effectiveness of self-assessment and to provide suggestions for its use in
      clinical teaching and practice in EM. DISCUSSION: This article reviews hypothesis
      testing research related to self-assessment behaviors and learning. Evidence
      indicates that self-assessment is inherently flawed when used in isolation. We
      review a multi-dimensional approach to informed self-assessment that can serve as
      the basis for life-long learning and development. CONCLUSIONS: Advancing EM
      education will require that high-quality education research results be translated
      into actual curricular, pedagogical, assessment, and professional development
      changes. The informed self-assessment framework is a method that is applicable to
      teaching and practice in EM.

PMID- 28336241
TI  - Intracardiac Venous Stent Migration: Emergency Department Presentation of a
      Catastrophic Complication.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Venous stents are commonly placed to ensure patency in patients with
      chronic peripheral venous insufficiency. Although serious complications are
      uncommon, peripheral venous stent placement can have some potentially life
      threatening complications. One of the most feared, and certainly the most
      dramatic, complication is stent migration. CASE REPORT: We report on a 55-year
      old woman with transvenous migration of an infrarenal inferior vena cava stent
      into the right atrium and through the intra-atrial septum. The patient expired in
      the emergency department (ED). WHY SHOULD AN EMERGENCY PHYSICIAN BE AWARE OF
      THIS?: There are several potentially life-threatening post-surgical complications
      after an endovascular procedure, some of which occur shortly after the patient is
      discharged from the recovery unit. Frequently, these patients present to the ED
      for initial evaluation. Although details of the procedure performed and the
      surgical intervention might not be available immediately, emergency physicians
      should consider stent migration when a patient presents in extremis shortly after
      an endovascular procedure.

PMID- 28336243
TI  - Hand-arm vibration syndrome: Workers' experience with functional impairment and
      disability.
AB  - STUDY DESIGN: Qualitative and descriptive study. INTRODUCTION: Hand-arm vibration
      syndrome (HAVS) is a prevalent disease in Canada. There is little work on the
      perspectives of HAVS patients. PURPOSE OF THE STUDY: Explore perceptions of
      disability and functional compromise in patients with HAVS. METHODS: Semi
      structured telephone interviews were conducted with HAVS patients and analysed
      using content analysis. RESULTS: The 11 participants reported numbness, pain, and
      reduced dexterity, strength, and sensation. Participants noted that HAVS was an
      inevitable aspect of their work. They indicated frustration with their condition
      and viewed it as a disability. To overcome impairments risky strategies are often
      used. Participants reported lack of support to manage symptoms and overcome work
      disability. DISCUSSION: HAVS related impairment is disabling. Workers require
      improved resources and support to address symptom management and safe strategies
      to minimize work disability. CONCLUSION: HAVS patients experience functional,
      social, emotional, and psychological disability. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Not
      applicable.

PMID- 28336242
TI  - Pacritinib versus best available therapy for the treatment of myelofibrosis
      irrespective of baseline cytopenias (PERSIST-1): an international, randomised,
      phase 3 trial.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Available therapies for myelofibrosis can exacerbate cytopenias and
      are not indicated for patients with severe thrombocytopenia. Pacritinib, which
      inhibits both JAK2 and FLT3, induced spleen responses with limited
      myelosuppression in phase 1/2 trials. We aimed to assess the efficacy and safety
      of pacritinib versus best available therapy in patients with myelofibrosis
      irrespective of baseline cytopenias. METHODS: This international, multicentre,
      randomised, phase 3 trial (PERSIST-1) was done at 67 sites in 12 countries.
      Patients with higher-risk myelofibrosis (with no exclusions for baseline anaemia
      or thrombocytopenia) were randomly assigned (2:1) to receive oral pacritinib 400
      mg once daily or best available therapy (BAT) excluding JAK2 inhibitors until
      disease progression or unacceptable toxicity. Randomisation was stratified by
      risk category, platelet count, and region. Treatment assignments were known to
      investigators, site personnel, patients, clinical monitors, and pharmacovigilance
      personnel. The primary endpoint was spleen volume reduction (SVR) of 35% or more
      from baseline to week 24 in the intention-to-treat population as assessed by
      blinded, centrally reviewed MRI or CT. We did safety analyses in all randomised
      patients who received either treatment. Here we present the final data. This
      trial is registered with ClinicalTrials.gov, number NCT01773187. FINDINGS:
      Between Jan 8, 2013, and Aug 1, 2014, 327 patients were randomly assigned to
      pacritinib (n=220) or BAT (n=107). Median follow-up was 23.2 months (IQR 14.8
      28.7). At week 24, the primary endpoint of SVR of 35% or more was achieved by 42
      (19%) patients in the pacritinib group versus five (5%) patients in the BAT group
      (p=0.0003). 90 patients in the BAT group crossed over to receive pacritinib at a
      median of 6.3 months (IQR 5.8-6.7). The most common grade 3-4 adverse events
      through week 24 were anaemia (n=37 [17%]), thrombocytopenia (n=26 [12%]), and
      diarrhoea (n=11 [5%]) in the pacritinib group, and anaemia (n=16 [15%]),
      thrombocytopenia (n=12 [11%]), dyspnoea (n=3 [3%]), and hypotension (n=3 [3%]) in
      the BAT group. The most common serious adverse events that occurred through week
      24 were anaemia (10 [5%]), cardiac failure (5 [2%]), pyrexia (4 [2%]), and
      pneumonia (4 [2%]) with pacritinib, and anaemia (5 [5%]), sepsis (2 [2%]), and
      dyspnoea (2 [2%]) with BAT. Deaths due to adverse events were observed in 27
      (12%) patients in the pacritinib group and 14 (13%) patients in the BAT group
      throughout the duration of the study. INTERPRETATION: Pacritinib therapy was well
      tolerated and induced significant and sustained SVR and symptom reduction, even
      in patients with severe baseline cytopenias. Pacritinib could be a treatment
      option for patients with myelofibrosis, including those with baseline cytopenias
      for whom options are particularly limited. FUNDING: CTI BioPharma Corp.

PMID- 28336244
TI  - [Commitment in plasmapheresis donation: A study of determinants among regular
      donors in plasmapheresis].
AB  - The purpose of this study, based on the Theory of planned behavior, is to
      identify and ultimately better understand what determines the fidelity and the
      regularity of donors committed in plasmapheresis donation. This qualitative study
      is a primary stage to establish a classification of donors in a French socio
      cultural context. For this reason, we have carried out a survey among 16 regular
      plasmapheresis donors, by way of semi-structured individual interviews at the
      Etablissement francais du sang - Brittany. The level of commitment of these
      regular donors is considered as a level of appropriation. If subjective norms
      have initially influenced their decision to donate blood, no specific motivation
      has been highlighted for them to donate plasma except a generally favourable
      attitude towards the voluntary donation process. The perception of control over
      their environment is a variable which played a decisive role in the donor's
      intention to give, with little cost associated to plasmapheresis donation and
      recourse to internal causal explanations. A better comprehension of the
      plasmapheresis donors' determinants should lead us to a more efficient awareness
      of new potential donors, thereby enhancing recruitment and retention. Due to the
      increasing need for plasma-derived products, this study's ultimate issue is
      closely correlated both with ethical and socio-economic aspects. Following which,
      after analysing the results, a certain number of recommendations will be made.

PMID- 28336245
TI  - Does the Timing of Chemotherapy Affect Post-Mastectomy Breast Reconstruction
      Complications?
AB  - INTRODUCTION: In this study we evaluated how the timing of chemotherapy for
      breast cancer affects post-reconstruction complications to determine whether
      there is an optimal time for breast reconstruction after chemotherapy. PATIENTS
      AND METHODS: A retrospective review identified 344 breast cancer patients who
      underwent chemotherapy with mastectomy and autologous/prosthetic reconstruction
      from 2011 to 2014. A control group of 127 breast cancer patients who underwent
      mastectomy and autologous/prosthetic reconstruction without chemotherapy was also
      identified from the same period. The 2 groups were compared and analyzed for
      differences in demographic characteristics, treatment, and postoperative
      complication rates. The chemotherapy group was subsequently stratified into 3
      subgroups on the basis of the number of days between chemotherapy treatment and
      reconstructive surgery (<= 30 days, 30-60 days, > 60 days) for further analysis.
      RESULTS: Patients who received chemotherapy were followed for an average of 803.4
      days (26.4 months) from the time of initial reconstruction (mean time to
      complication, 43.3 +/- 82.7 days), and experienced an overall greater
      complication rate compared with control subjects (32.8% vs. 24.4%; P = .078).
      When complications were divided into minor, major, and reconstructive failure
      categories, analysis revealed that the chemotherapy group experienced more minor
      complications than the control group (18% vs. 11%; P = .067). However, there were
      no statistically significant differences in major complication rates (10.5% vs.
      9.4%) and reconstructive failure complication rates (3.8% vs. 2.4%) between the
      chemotherapy group and control group. Sixty-eight patients (19.8%) underwent
      surgery within 30 days of chemotherapy, 210 patients (61%) within 30 to 60 days,
      and 66 patients (19.2%) after 60 days. Of note, patients in the <= 30 days group
      underwent surgery at a mean time of 24.8 days with 2 patients who underwent
      surgery in < 15 days. The 3 groups did not differ with respect to demographic
      factors or breast reconstructive modality, and there were no significant
      differences in overall complication rates (33.8% for <= 30 days, 31.4% for 30-60
      days, and 36.4% for > 60 days), time to complication, complication severity, or
      complication type. Whereas patients who underwent surgery 30 to 60 days from the
      time of chemotherapy had lower rates of skin necrosis (3.8%) and infection
      (15.7%) compared with the <= 30 days and 60 to 90 days groups, this finding was
      not statistically significant. CONCLUSION: Results of this study suggest that
      chemotherapy does increase overall breast reconstruction complications, however,
      a decreased time between chemotherapy and surgical reconstruction does not
      predispose patients to postoperative complications. Consequently, surgery might
      be feasible in close temporal proximity to chemotherapy administration.

PMID- 28336246
TI  - Does Hip Arthroscopy Have a Role in the Treatment of Developmental Hip Dysplasia?
AB  - BACKGROUND: Indications for hip arthroscopy in mildly dysplastic patients with a
      symptomatic hip remain controversial. METHODS: This article provides a concise
      review of the available literature evaluating the role of hip arthroscopy in
      treating symptomatic dysplasia. Potential indications for hip arthroscopy in
      isolation are reviewed. Emerging evidence on the role of hip arthroscopy based on
      patient-specific pathomorphology is highlighted. RESULTS: Hip arthroscopy in
      isolation may be helpful for select dysplastic patients with dynamic impingement
      or microinstability. Isolated arthroscopic treatment of intra-articular pathology
      resulting from static overload is unlikely to be successful in the long term and
      may be detrimental. CONCLUSION: Arthroscopic procedures for individuals with mild
      dysplasia in the absence of frank instability may be effective; however, great
      caution should be exercised when approaching dysplastic patients with symptomatic
      hips.

PMID- 28336247
TI  - Surgical Case Order Has an Effect on the Risk of Subsequent Periprosthetic Joint
      Infection.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Periprosthetic joint infection (PJI) after total joint arthroplasty
      (TJA) is a serious complication with multiple etiologies. Prior spine literature
      has shown that later cases in the day were more likely to develop surgical site
      infection. However, the effect of case order on PJI after TJA is unknown. This
      study aims to determine the influence of case order, prior infected case, and
      terminal cleaning on the risk for a subsequent PJI. METHODS: A retrospective,
      single-institution study was conducted on 31,499 TJAs performed from 2000 to
      2014. Case order was determined by case start times per date within the same
      operating room. PJI was defined by the Musculoskeletal Infection Society
      criteria. Logistic regression was used to determine risk factors for a subsequent
      PJI. RESULTS: Noninfected cases followed an infected case in 92 of 31,499 cases
      (0.29%) and were more likely to develop PJI (adjusted odds ratio [OR], 2.43; P =
      .029). However, terminal cleaning after infected cases did not affect the risk
      for PJI in cases the following morning (OR, 1.42; P = .066). Case order had an OR
      of 0.98 (P = .655), implying that later cases did not have a higher likelihood of
      infection. CONCLUSION: Although surgical case order is not an independent risk
      factor for subsequent PJI, TJA cases following an infected case in the same room
      on the same day have a higher infection risk. Despite improved sterile technique
      and clean air operating rooms, the risk of contaminating a TJA with pathogens
      from a prior infected case appears to be high. Terminal cleaning appears to be
      effective in reducing the bioburden in the operating room.

PMID- 28336248
TI  - Numbness Around the Total Knee Arthroplasty Surgical Scar: Prevalence and Effect
      on Functional Outcome.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Numbness around the surgical scar can be a source of discomfort or
      dissatisfaction in a proportion of patients undergoing total knee arthroplasty
      (TKA). Literature reports wide variation in its prevalence and the consequence of
      numbness on the outcome of TKA is not clear. We investigated the prevalence of
      numbness, along with contributing factors, and assessed its effect on the
      functional outcome of TKA. METHODS: In total, 258 knees were included in this
      prospective patient-reported outcome measure case-control study. Demographic
      details, type and length of incision, pre-operative and 1-year post-operative
      Knee Society Scores were recorded and compared. RESULTS: The prevalence of
      numbness at 1 year was 53%, with a female preponderance. Patients older than 70
      years were less affected. Discomfort due to numbness was recorded in 8.7% of the
      patients, 75% of which were female. The length of the incision correlated
      positively with the presence of numbness. The Knee Society Scores did not
      correlate with the presence or area of numbness. CONCLUSION: Our findings
      indicate a high prevalence of numbness after TKA. Nevertheless, numbness does not
      affect the functional outcome.

PMID- 28336249
TI  - Current Epidemiology of Revision Total Hip Arthroplasty in the United States:
      National Inpatient Sample 2009 to 2013.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Despite the excellent outcomes associated with primary total hip
      arthroplasty (THA), implant failure and revision continues to burden the
      healthcare system. THA failure has evolved and displays variability throughout
      the literature. In order to understand how THAs are failing and how to reduce
      this burden, it is essential to assess modes of implant failure on a large scale.
      Thus, we report: (1) etiologies for revision THA; (2) frequencies of revision THA
      procedures; (3) patient demographics, payor type, and US Census region of
      revision THA patients; and (4) the length of stay and total costs based on the
      type of revision THA procedure. METHODS: We queried the National Inpatient Sample
      database for all revision THA procedures performed between January 1, 2009 and
      December 31, 2013. This yielded 258,461 revision THAs. Patients specific
      demographics were identified in order to determine the prevalence of revision
      procedure performed. RESULTS: Dislocation was the main indication for revision
      THA (17.3%), followed by mechanical loosening (16.8%). All-component revision was
      the most common procedure performed (41.8%). Patients were most commonly white
      (77.4%), aged 75 years and older (31.6%), and resided in the South US Census
      region (37.0%). The average length of stay for all procedures was 5.29 days. The
      mean total charge for revision THA procedures was $77,851.24. CONCLUSION:
      Dislocation and mechanical loosening is the predominant indication for revision
      THA in the United States. With the frequency of revision THAs projected to double
      in the next decade, orthopedists must take steps to mitigate this potentially
      devastating complication.

PMID- 28336250
TI  - Response to Letter to the Editor on 'The Prevalence of Positive Findings on Metal
      Artifact Reduction Sequence Magnetic Resonance Imaging in Metal-on-Metal Total
      Hip Arthroplasty'.

PMID- 28336251
TI  - Distal Extension of the Anterior Approach to the Hip Using the Femoral
      Interbundle Technique: Surgical Technique and Case Series.
AB  - BACKGROUND: The direct anterior approach (DAA) is becoming more popular as the
      standard surgical approach for primary total hip arthroplasty. However, it has
      been associated with an increased incidence of intraoperative femoral fractures
      in particular during the learning curve. Distal extension of the approach may be
      needed in case of intraoperative complications. The aim of the present study is
      to describe the distal extension of the DAA using the femoral interbundle
      technique. METHODS: A stepwise approach based on a cadaveric study to extend the
      DAA distally is presented. The interval between the neurovascular bundles running
      to the vastus lateralis is used to gain access to the femur. Clinical and
      electromyography results of 5 patients undergoing a revision of the femoral
      component through an extended anterior approach are reported. RESULTS: In 2
      cases, the proximal bundle was exposed whereas in 3 cases the interval between
      the proximal and distal bundle was developed and cerclage wires were applied
      around the isthmus of the femur. All fractures had healed at 6 months of follow
      up. Four cases had a normal electromyography, and 1 case demonstrated a
      neuropraxia of a branch to the vastus lateralis. All cases had a 5/5 extension
      power of the quadriceps muscle clinically. CONCLUSION: The interbundle technique
      is an alternative way to gain additional exposure of the femur during the DAA and
      is based on precise knowledge of the periarticular neurovascular structures. This
      approach can be helpful to safely deal with intraoperative complications such as
      fractures requiring proximal femoral cerclage wiring during the anterior
      approach.

PMID- 28336252
TI  - Trends in cervical cancer brachytherapy volume suggest case volume is not the
      primary driver of poor compliance rates with brachytherapy delivery for locally
      advanced cervical cancer.
AB  - PURPOSE: The aim of this study was to evaluate temporal trends in the volume of
      cervical cancer brachytherapy cases available to trainees as a potential
      contributing factor to national trends toward decreased utilization of
      brachytherapy for locally advanced cervical cancer. METHODS AND MATERIALS: The
      National Cancer Database was queried to identify a cohort of women diagnosed with
      locally advanced cervical cancer during 2004-2013 who received primary radiation
      therapy. We identified academic facilities that reported radiation therapy and
      brachytherapy delivery the study period, categorized facilities based on annual
      number of cases, and evaluated temporal trends. RESULTS: A total of 6290 patients
      treated at 220 facilities were evaluated. During the study period, the proportion
      of facilities with higher brachytherapy volume remained stable. The trend of each
      grouping was not significant (p > 0.05) with the exception of centers treating
      one case per year, which demonstrated a decrease over time (p = 0.022).
      CONCLUSIONS: Our analysis suggests that cervical cancer case volume at academic
      institutions, available for resident training, was stable throughout the study
      period. These findings suggest that targeting resident educational programs
      should not be the highest priority for interventions to improve rates of
      appropriate brachytherapy utilization for cervical cancer.

PMID- 28336253
TI  - Mitochondrial matters: Mitochondrial bottlenecks, self-assembling structures, and
      entrapment in the female germline.
AB  - Mitochondrial replacement therapy, a procedure to generate embryos with the
      nuclear genome of a donor mother and the healthy mitochondria of a recipient egg,
      has recently emerged as a promising strategy to prevent transmission of
      devastating mitochondrial DNA diseases and infertility. The procedure may produce
      an embryo that is free of diseased mitochondria. A recent study addresses
      important fundamental questions about the mechanisms underlying maternal
      inheritance and translational questions regarding the transgenerational
      effectiveness of this promising therapeutic strategy. This review considers
      recent advances in our understanding of maternal inheritance of mitochondria,
      implications for fertility and mitochondrial disease, and potential roles for the
      Balbiani body, an ancient oocyte structure, in mitochondrial selection in
      oocytes, with emphasis on therapies to remedy mitochondrial disorders.

PMID- 28336254
TI  - Effectiveness of training patients using DVD in the accurate use of inhalers for
      the treatment of bronchial asthma.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Inhalants are the standard treatment for patients with bronchial
      asthma. Inaccurate inhaler use leads to inadequate therapeutic effects and
      unnecessary dosage increases. However, it is a challenge for practitioners to
      master the various devices available and train patients on the accurate use of
      inhalers. Thus, establishing a system to instruct patients on how to accurately
      use inhalers is essential. We prepared a DVD and accompanying user manual
      explaining the operation of each inhaler device used in Japan. This pilot study
      aimed to examine the efficacy of these materials. METHODS: The subjects were 33
      outpatients with bronchial asthma who received treatment in our facility for
      asthma and had already received conventional inhalant training. The oral
      medication and inhalants used by the patients were not changed. The patients were
      randomly assigned to a DVD viewing group or non-viewing group; various parameters
      were comparatively examined after 4 weeks. RESULTS: Significant improvements in
      Asthma Control Test scores, inhalation technique, forced vital capacity, forced
      expiratory volume in 1 s, impulse oscillometry resonant frequency, and induced
      sputum eosinophil count were observed in the DVD viewing group at 4 weeks post
      training. CONCLUSIONS: Pulmonary function and inflammatory parameters improved
      significantly in the DVD viewing group. These findings suggest that unnecessary
      step-up of asthma treatment can be avoided, leading to treatment cost reduction.
      Training patients with asthma in accurate inhaler use improves quality of life
      and therefore has great clinical significance. Hence, this method should be used
      more extensively in Japan and worldwide.

PMID- 28336255
TI  - Homelessness following disability-related discharges from active duty military
      service in Afghanistan and Iraq.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Many dynamics in the relationship among military service-related
      disabilities, health care benefits, mental health disorders, and post-deployment
      homelessness among US Veterans are not well understood. OBJECTIVES: Determine
      whether Veterans with a disability-related discharge from military service are at
      higher risk for homelessness, whether Veterans Health Administration (VHA)
      service-connected disability benefits mitigates that risk, and whether risks
      associated with discharge type, service-connected disability, or the interaction
      between them vary as a function of mental health disorders. METHODS:
      Retrospective cohort study of 364,997 Veterans with a disability-related or
      routine discharge and initial VHA encounter between 2005 and 2013. Logistic
      regression and survival analyses were used to estimate homelessness risk as a
      function of discharge status, mental health disorders, and receipt of VHA
      disability benefits. RESULTS: Disability-discharged Veterans had higher rates of
      homelessness compared to routine discharges (15.1 verses 9.1 per 1000 person
      years at risk). At the time of the first VHA encounter, mental health disorders
      were associated with differentially greater risk for homelessness among Veterans
      with a disability discharge relative to those with a routine discharge. During
      the first year of VHA service usage, higher levels of disability benefits were
      protective against homelessness among routinely-discharged Veterans, but not
      among disability-discharged Veterans. By 5-years, disability discharge was a risk
      factor for homelessness (AOR = 1.30). CONCLUSIONS: In the long-term, disability
      discharge is an independent risk factor for homelessness. While VHA disability
      benefits help mitigate homelessness risk among routinely-discharged Veterans
      during the early reintegration period, they may not offer sufficient protection
      for disability-discharged Veterans.

PMID- 28336256
TI  - Nose burns: 4-dimensional analysis.
AB  - The nose is the central organ of the face. It has two essential roles, aesthetic
      and breathing. It is often seriously damaged in the context of facial burns,
      causing grotesque facial disfigurement. As this disfigurement is visible on
      frontal and profile views, the patient suffers both socially and psychologically.
      The nose is a three-dimensional organ. Reconstruction is therefore more difficult
      and needs to be more precise than in other parts of the face. Maintaining
      symmetry, contour and function are essential for successful nasal reconstruction.
      Multiple factors determine the optimal method of reconstruction, including the
      size of the defect, its depth and its site. Satisfactory social life is recovered
      only after multiple surgical procedures and long-term rehabilitation and
      physiotherapy.

PMID- 28336258
TI  - A comparison of combined intravenous and topical administration of tranexamic
      acid with intravenous tranexamic acid alone for blood loss reduction after total
      hip arthroplasty: A meta-analysis.
AB  - BACKGROUND: The optimal dose and protocol of tranexamic acid (TXA) for reducing
      blood loss in total hip arthroplasty (THA) is controversial. Intravenous TXA (IV
      TXA) and combined IV-TXA with topical TXA are the two common protocol after THA.
      A meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) to compare the efficacy
      and safety of combined IV and topical TXA with IV-TXA alone in reducing blood
      loss after THA. METHODS: PubMed, Medline, Embase, Web of Science, the Cochrane
      Library, China Wanfang database and Google database were searched from the
      inception to February 2017 to identify RCTs that comparing combined IV and
      topical TXA with IV-TXA alone for patients prepared for primary THA. Total blood
      loss, hidden blood loss, transfusion rate, hemoglobin drop, length of hospital
      stay and the occurrence of deep venous thrombosis (DVT) were pooled to
      comprehensive analyses the efficacy and safety of combined IV and topical TXA
      with IV-TXA alone. Software Stata 12.0 was used to calculated relevant data.
      RESULTS: Six RCTs involving 747 patients were finally included in the meta
      analysis. Combined TXA decrease the volume of total blood loss and hidden blood
      loss by 250.37 ml (MD = -250.37; 95% CI: -376.43 to -124.31, P = 0.000) and
      117.23 ml respectively (MD = -117.23; 95% CI: 228.38 to -6.07, P = 0.091).
      Meanwhile, combined TXA can also decrease the transfusion rate by 9.1% (RR =
      0.32; 95% CI: 0.17 to 0.63; P = 0.001). No significant differences were seen in
      hemoglobin drop, the length of hospital stay and the occurrence of DVT between
      the two groups (P > 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Our meta-analysis suggests that the
      combined application of IV and topical TXA for patients undergoing THA may reduce
      the total blood loss compared with IV use alone without increasing the risk of
      postoperative complications. However, due to the quality and number of included
      studies, more studies were need to further identify the optimal dose for combine
      IV-TXA.

PMID- 28336257
TI  - A novel pyrazole-containing indolizine derivative suppresses NF-kappaB activation
      and protects against TNBS-induced colitis via a PPAR-gamma-dependent pathway.
AB  - The nuclear factor-kappaB (NF-kappaB)-mediated activation of macrophages plays a
      key role in mucosal immune responses in Crohn's disease (CD). Moreover,
      increasing evidence shows that the activation of peroxisome proliferator
      activated receptor-gamma (PPAR-gamma) exerts satisfactory anti-inflammatory
      effects in experimental colitis models, mostly by suppressing NF-kappaB-mediated
      macrophage activation. Therefore, exploring therapeutic strategies to activate
      PPAR-gamma and inhibit the NF-kappaB pathway in colonic macrophages holds great
      promise for the treatment of CD. In this study, five novel pyrazole-containing
      indolizine derivatives (B1, B2, B3, B4 and B5) were successfully synthesized and
      characterized, and their anti-inflammatory activities for CD treatment were also
      investigated. Among the five compounds, compound B4 effectively decreased the NF
      kappaB-mediated production of the pro-inflammatory cytokine TNF-alpha in LPS
      stimulated peritoneal macrophages. Moreover, compound B4 significantly
      ameliorated 2,4,6-trinitrobenzene sulfonic acid (TNBS)-induced mouse colitis
      symptoms, including body weight loss, colonic pathological damage and
      inflammatory cell infiltration. The results of western blotting and luciferase
      reporter assays indicated that compound B4 activated PPAR-gamma and subsequently
      suppressed NF-kappaB activation. Conversely, the addition of the PPAR-gamma
      antagonist GW9662 abrogated the anti-inflammatory effects of compound B4 both in
      vitro and in vivo. In summary, compound B4 activated the PPAR-gamma pathway to
      inhibit downstream NF-kappaB signaling, which alleviated experimental colitis.
      Thus, this compound may serve as a potential therapeutic agent for patients with
      CD.

PMID- 28336261
TI  - Methane rescues retinal ganglion cells and limits retinal mitochondrial
      dysfunction following optic nerve crush.
AB  - Secondary degeneration is a common event in traumatic central nervous system
      disorders, which involves neuronal apoptosis and mitochondrial dysfunction.
      Exogenous methane exerts the therapeutic effects in many organ injury. Our study
      aims to investigate the potential neuroprotection of methane in a rat model of
      optic nerve crush (ONC). Adult male Sprague-Dawley rats were subjected to ONC and
      administrated intraperitoneally with methane-saturated or normal saline (10
      ml/kg) once per day for one week after ONC. The retinal ganglion cells (RGCs)
      density was assessed by hematoxylin and eosin staining and Fluoro-Gold
      retrogradely labeling. Visual function was evaluated by flash visual evoked
      potentials (FVEP). The retinal apoptosis was measured by terminal-deoxy
      transferase-mediated dUTP nick end labeling (TUNEL) assay and the expression of
      apoptosis-related factors, such as phosphorylated Bcl-2-associated death promoter
      (pBAD), phosphorylated glycogen synthase kinase-3beta (pGSK-3beta), Bcl-2
      associated X protein (Bax) and Bcl-2 extra large (Bcl-xL). Retinal mitochondrial
      function was assessed by the mRNA expressions of peroxisome proliferator
      activated receptor gamma coactivator-1alpha (PGC-1alpha), nuclear respiratory
      factor 1 (NRF1) and mitochondrial transcription factor A (TFAM), the
      mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) copy number, citrate synthase activity and ATP content.
      Methane treatment significantly improved the RGC loss and visual dysfunction
      following ONC. As expected, methane also remarkably inhibited the retinal neural
      apoptosis, such as the fewer TUNEL-positive cells in ganglion cell layer,
      accompanied by the up-regulations of anti-apoptotic factors (pGSK-3beta, pBAD,
      Bcl-xL) and the down-regulation of pro-apoptotic factor (Bax). Furthermore,
      methane treatment suppressed up-regulations of critical mitochondrial components
      (PGC-1alpha, NRF1 and TFAM) mRNA and mtDNA copy number, as well as improved the
      reduction of functional mitochondria markers, including citrate synthase activity
      and ATP content, in retinas with ONC. Taken together, methane treatment promotes
      RGC survival and limits retinal mitochondrial dysfunction against ONC insult.
      Methane can be a potential neuroprotective agent for traumatic and glaucomatous
      neurodegeneration.

PMID- 28336260
TI  - The analysis of human conjunctival epithelium proteome in ocular surface diseases
      using impression cytology and 2D-DIGE.
AB  - Conjunctival impression cytology samples from patients with meibomian gland
      dysfunction (MGD), dry eye (DE), and healthy subjects (CT) were collected for
      determination of the degree of squamous metaplasia (SM) by PAS-hematoxylin
      staining and for comparative proteomic analyses by 2D-DIGE. The protein spots
      with discriminant expression were identified by MALDI-TOF/TOF mass spectrometry.
      Three independent statistical studies were conducted: i). Analysis of
      differential protein expression between study groups: We observed increased
      expression of proteins S100A4, S100A8, retinal dehydrogenase-1, peroxiredoxin-1,
      annexin-A1, annexin-A2, alpha-enolase, and glutathione S-transferase-P in DE,
      whereas the highest expression of peroxiredoxin-6, actin cytoplasmic-1,
      peroxiredoxin-2, and heat shock protein HSP-90-alpha was observed in MGD; ii).
      Correlation between changes in the proteome profile and the grade of SM: The
      expression of 5 different cytokeratins (KRT1, KRT4, KRT8, KRT10, and KRT13)
      correlated with the degree of SM; iii). Proteome profile differences between
      pathological and CT groups: An overall proteome analysis revealed upregulation of
      9 proteins in the pathological groups (Annexin-A1, alpha-enolase, Annexin-A2,
      S100A8, cytokeratin-1, Peroxiredoxin-2 and Leukocyte elastase inhibitor) and
      downregulation of 2 proteins (Galectin-3 and Lipocalin-1). In conclusion, a
      sensitive proteomic approach to study conjunctival tissue collected from
      minimally invasive impression cytology was implemented. Differential proteomics
      analyses showed that in comparison with the MGD, the DE patients presented higher
      overexpression of proteins related to antimicrobial defense, tissue-damage
      response, and regulation of body fluid secretions. Changes in MGD proteome were
      associated with oxidative stress and anti-apoptotic processes. We found a
      correlation between the grade of SM and expression of proteins associated with
      cytoskeleton and keratinization. The studied pathological groups shared elements
      related to the defense and inflammatory responses. Dot blot assays of proteins
      ANXA1, S100A8, and S100A4 validated the proteomic results obtained from 2D-DIGE
      experiments and confirmed the correlation between the expression of these
      proteins and the clinical parameters.

PMID- 28336259
TI  - The role of pili in Bacillus cereus intraocular infection.
AB  - Bacterial endophthalmitis is a potentially blinding intraocular infection. The
      bacterium Bacillus cereus causes a devastating form of this disease which
      progresses rapidly, resulting in significant inflammation and loss of vision
      within a few days. The outer surface of B. cereus incites the intraocular
      inflammatory response, likely through interactions with innate immune receptors
      such as TLRs. This study analyzed the role of B. cereus pili, adhesion appendages
      located on the bacterial surface, in experimental endophthalmitis. To test the
      hypothesis that the presence of pili contributed to intraocular inflammation and
      virulence, we analyzed the progress of experimental endophthalmitis in mouse eyes
      infected with wild type B. cereus (ATCC 14579) or its isogenic pilus-deficient
      mutant (DeltabcpA-srtD-bcpB or DeltaPil). One hundred CFU were injected into the
      mid-vitreous of one eye of each mouse. Infections were analyzed by quantifying
      intraocular bacilli and retinal function loss, and by histology from 0 to 12 h
      postinfection. In vitro growth and hemolytic phenotypes of the infecting strains
      were also compared. There was no difference in hemolytic activity (1:8 titer),
      motility, or in vitro growth (p > 0.05, every 2 h, 0-18 h) between wild type B.
      cereus and the DeltaPil mutant. However, infected eyes contained greater numbers
      of wild type B. cereus than DeltaPil during the infection course (p <= 0.05, 3-12
      h). Eyes infected with wild type B. cereus experienced greater losses in retinal
      function than eyes infected with the DeltaPil mutant, but the differences were
      not always significant. Eyes infected with DeltaPil or wild type B. cereus
      achieved similar degrees of severe inflammation. The results indicated that the
      intraocular growth of pilus-deficient B. cereus may have been better controlled,
      leading to a trend of greater retinal function in eyes infected with the pilus
      deficient strain. Although this difference was not enough to significantly alter
      the severity of the inflammatory response, these results suggest a potential role
      for pili in protecting B. cereus from clearance during the early stages of
      endophthalmitis, which is a newly described virulence mechanism for this organism
      and this infection.

PMID- 28336262
TI  - Increased susceptibility to fundus camera-delivered light-induced retinal
      degeneration in mice deficient in oxidative stress response proteins.
AB  - Oxidative stress is an important contributor to the pathogenesis of many retinal
      diseases including age-related macular degeneration and retinal dystrophies.
      Light-induced retinal degeneration (LIRD) can serve as a model in which to study
      the response of the retina to stress. Of note, many genetic mutant mice are in a
      C57BL/6 J background and are thus resistant to the usual LIRD models. We recently
      developed a new model of fundus camera-delivered light-induced retinal
      degeneration (FCD-LIRD) which is effective in strains of mice expressing the
      light-resistant variant of RPE65 (450Met), including C57BL/6 J. In this work we
      investigated whether FCD-LIRD would be useful as a model in which to test the
      effect of genetic mutations on the response of the retina to stress. Furthermore,
      we tested whether oxidative stress plays an important role in the setting of this
      new FCD-LIRD model. FCD-LIRD was applied to C57BL/6 J mice and to mice
      simultaneously deficient in three proteins that are important in the response of
      the retina to oxidative stress (SOD1, DJ-1 and Parkin). Using fundus photography,
      we found that retinal damage was dramatically increased in the SOD1/DJ-1/Parkin
      deficient mice compared to C57BL/6 J. Outer retinal OCT volume and RPE cell
      morphology analysis in ZO-1-stained flat mounts added support to these findings.
      Gene expression analysis confirmed a strong oxidative stress response after FCD
      LIRD, which was differentially altered in the SOD1/DJ1/Parkin deficient mice. We
      conclude that FCD-LIRD is useful to study the effect of genetic mutations on the
      response of the retina to light stress in light-resistant strains of mice.
      Furthermore, oxidative stress seems to be an important component of FCD-LIRD.
      Finally, we have established protocols to quantify the effect of FCD-LIRD on the
      retina and RPE which will be useful for future studies. Further dissection of the
      mechanisms by which the retina responds to light-induced oxidative stress may
      result in new strategies to modulate this response, which could lead to a
      reduction in retinal and RPE damage.

PMID- 28336263
TI  - Environmental radioactivity study of Austrian and Bavarian forest ecosystems:
      Long-term behaviour of contamination of soil, vegetation and wild boar and its
      radioecological coherences.
AB  - 137Cs and 40K in soil, vegetation and flesh of wild boar samples from Austrian
      and Bavarian regions were investigated by gamma-ray spectrometry and 90Sr in
      bones of wild boar with Liquid Scintillation Counting (LSC) after radiochemical
      separation. The soil core profiles revealed that 70-97% of the soil caesium
      content is still accumulated in the 0-10cm soil depth. From all vegetation
      samples the mushrooms, particularly the bay boletus showed the highest 137Cs
      contamination. The activity concentration of 137Cs in muscle tissue of boar
      ranged from 14.9+/-1.5Bq/kg (Bavaria) to 4711+/-377Bq/kg (Lower Austria). In the
      bones of wild boars, 90Sr activity concentration ranged from 1.4+/-0.2Bq/kg
      (Bavaria) to 70.3+/-10.5Bq/kg (Upper Austria).

PMID- 28336264
TI  - Genomic imbalances in syndromic congenital heart disease.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: To identify pathogenic genomic imbalances in patients presenting
      congenital heart disease (CHD) with extra cardiac anomalies and exclusion of
      22q11.2 deletion syndrome (22q11.2 DS). METHODS: 78 patients negative for the
      22q11.2 deletion, previously screened by fluorescence in situ hybridization
      (FISH) and/or multiplex ligation probe amplification (MLPA) were tested by
      chromosomal microarray analysis (CMA). RESULTS: Clinically significant copy
      number variations (CNVs >=300kb) were identified in 10% (8/78) of cases. In
      addition, potentially relevant CNVs were detected in two cases (993kb duplication
      in 15q21.1 and 706kb duplication in 2p22.3). Genes inside the CNV regions found
      in this study, such as IRX4, BMPR1A, SORBS2, ID2, ROCK2, E2F6, GATA4, SOX7,
      SEMAD6D, FBN1, and LTPB1 are known to participate in cardiac development and
      could be candidate genes for CHD. CONCLUSION: These data showed that patients
      presenting CHD with extra cardiac anomalies and exclusion of 22q11.2 DS should be
      investigated by CMA. The present study emphasizes the possible role of CNVs in
      CHD.

PMID- 28336266
TI  - Progesterone and estradiol profiles in different reproductive stages of captive
      collared peccary (Pecari tajacu) females assessed by fecal metabolites.
AB  - The study determined the fecal progesterone and estradiol profiles in different
      reproductive stages of captive collared peccary (Pecari tajacu) females from
      eastern Mexico. Fifteen adult females were included. At the start of the study
      the females were either pregnant (early, mid, or late pregnancy), lactating, or
      non-lactating of unknown pregnancy status. Feces from each female were collected
      once a week during nine consecutive months to determine concentrations of fecal
      progesterone and estradiol metabolites using ELISA. Progesterone was similar in
      early (2048+/-285ng/g), mid (2254+/-274ng/g), and late pregnancy (2491+/
      374ng/g), and in early-pregnant and non-lactating females (1154+/-274ng/g).
      Progesterone in lactating females (442+/-255ng/g) was lower than in females at
      any stage of pregnancy, but was similar to non-lactating females. Overall
      progesterone in pregnant females (2229+/-173ng/g) was higher than in lactating
      and non-lactating females together (772+/-189ng/g). Estradiol was similar in
      early (66+/-8ng/g), mid (83+/-9ng/g), late pregnant (109+/-15ng/g), and non
      lactating females (64+/-9ng/g). Estradiol in lactating females (34+/-8ng/g) was
      similar to estradiol in early-pregnant and non-lactating females, but was lower
      than in females in late and mid pregnancy. Overall estradiol in pregnant females
      (79+/-6ng/g) was similar to non-lactating females, but higher than in lactating
      females. The progesterone and estradiol profiles of captive collared peccary
      females at different reproductive stages were determined by assessing
      concentrations of fecal hormone metabolites.

PMID- 28336267
TI  - Association analysis of polymorphism in KiSS1 gene with reproductive traits in
      goats.
AB  - Understanding the genetic information of related genes is helpful for the
      selection and breeding course through marker assisted selection. The aim of the
      current study was to detect polymorphisms of the KiSS1 gene in 137 animals,
      including Baladi, Zaraibi and Damascus goat breeds by PCR-RFLP, and DNA
      sequencing and to investigate the association between these variants and
      reproductive traits. Comparison of the nucleotide sequence indicated the
      substitution of T with A at position 121 (T121A) in the intron 1 of the KiSS1
      gene in all goat breeds. This substitution distorts the restriction site of the
      XmnI restriction enzyme and consequently two genotypes were detected (TA and TT).
      The T121A SNP is associated significantly with litter size in Damascus and Zaribi
      breeds (p=0.025 and 0.001, respectively). The animals with the TT genotype in
      Damascus and Zaribi breeds had a significantly higher estradiol17beta level than
      that recorded in TA genotype at estrus phase (p=0.013 and 0.028, respectively)
      and late-luteal phase (p=0.067 and 0.041, respectively) of the estrus cycle.
      Furthermore, animals with the TT genotype in Damascus and Zaribi breeds had
      significant higher progesterone level at mid-luteal (p=0.037 and 0.045,
      respectively) phase. Meanwhile, there were no significant differences in
      progesterone level in late-luteal phase between both genotypes in Zaribi breed
      (p=0.267). The current trial indicated that the prolific TT genotype in both
      Damascus and Zaribi breeds had superior estradiol17beta level at estrus phase and
      an eminent progesterone level at both early and mid-luteal phases of the estrous
      cycle.

PMID- 28336268
TI  - Malaria incidence during early childhood in rural Burkina Faso: Analysis of a
      birth cohort protected with insecticide-treated mosquito nets.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Even in the high transmission areas of sub-Saharan Africa (SSA), the
      incidence of falciparum malaria varies greatly depending on factors such as age,
      rainfall pattern, distance to breeding places, quality of houses, and existing
      vector control measures. Insecticide-treated mosquito nets (ITN) have now become
      the vector control standard in nearly all of SSA. This study aims to describe and
      analyse the incidence of malaria in a cohort of young children protected with ITN
      in rural West Africa. METHODS: Data of a subsample from a large community trial
      in rural north-western Burkina Faso consisting of 420 children were analysed. The
      main aim of the trial was to evaluate the long-term effects of ITNs in two groups
      of new-borns; Group A was protected with ITN from birth onwards while Group B was
      protected only from month six onwards. The primary objective of this study was to
      describe malaria incidence in detail with an analysis of the impact of
      potentially relevant determinants of malaria incidence, in particular age, sex,
      ITN protection, village, month and season as secondary objective. Bivariate
      negative binomial regression analysis was used to calculate incidence rate ratios
      of malaria incidence. Moreover, relevant variables were included in a
      multivariate negative binomial regression model to examine possible risk factors
      for malaria. RESULTS: Out of the 420 study children 387 (92.1%) developed a total
      of 1822 falciparum malaria episodes; the malaria incidence rate was 7.6 per 1000
      child days. Group A children had lower malaria incidence rates compared to group
      B, but only in early infancy. Malaria incidence varied significantly between
      villages and increased with age, but no sex-specific differences were observed;
      these findings were confirmed in the multi-variate analysis. Malaria incidence
      peaked sharply towards the end of the rainy season in September but there were no
      differences in the seasonal pattern by study group. CONCLUSIONS: The study,
      carried out in a high-transmission West African area, shows that malaria
      incidence remains high in spite of maximum ITN coverage.

PMID- 28336265
TI  - Brain Structural Markers and Caregiving Characteristics as Interacting Correlates
      of Caregiving Strain.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the association between brain structural markers and
      caregiving strain among older informal caregivers. DESIGN: A secondary data
      analysis combining data from the Caregiver Health Effects Study (1993-1994) and
      the Cardiovascular Health Study MRI examination (1992-1994). SETTING: Four United
      States communities. PARTICIPANTS: Co-residing spousal caregivers (N = 237; mean
      age: 76.2 years, SD: 2.2 years). MEASUREMENTS: Visually rated ventricular and
      white matter (WM) grades from magnetic resonance imaging, caregiving strain
      defined as "emotional or physical strain associated with providing care" for any
      of 12 activities of daily living (ADLs) and instrumental activities of daily
      living (IADLs), plus measures of caregiving characteristics and caregiver's
      health. RESULTS: Overall, 56% of caregivers reported strain. We detected an
      interaction where strain was very common (>82%) among caregivers who helped with
      four or more IADLs, regardless of WM grades, and among caregivers with the worst
      WM grades (WM grades >=4), regardless of the number of IADLs they helped with.
      Among caregivers helping with fewer than four IADLs, having WM grade 4 or greater
      was associated with a 55% higher prevalence ratio for reporting strain. This
      association remained statistically significant but was most markedly attenuated
      by adjustments for: care recipient's memory and behavioral problems, caregiver's
      depression symptoms, and caregiver's ADL impairment. CONCLUSIONS: Caregiving
      strain is very common among older informal caregivers who provide help with many
      IADLs, and among caregivers who help with fewer IADLs, but have manifest signs of
      white matter pathology. Modern quantitative-neuroimaging studies are needed to
      evaluate whether more subtle variability in brain structure confers caregiving
      strain and the related health consequences.

PMID- 28336269
TI  - Epidemiology of polyparasitism with Taenia solium, schistosomes and soil
      transmitted helminths in the co-endemic village of Malanga, Democratic Republic
      of Congo.
AB  - Helminth co-infections are common in sub-Saharan Africa. However, little is known
      about the distribution and determinants of co-infections with Taenia solium
      taeniasis/cysticercosis. Building on a previous community-based study on human
      cysticercosis in Malanga village, we investigated co-infections with Taenia
      solium, soil-transmitted helminths (STHs) and Schistosoma spp and associated risk
      factors in a random subsample of 330 participants. Real time PCR assays were used
      to detect DNA of soil-transmitted helminths (STHs), T. solium and Schistosoma in
      stool samples and Schistosoma DNA in urine samples. Serum samples were tested for
      T. solium cysticercosis using the B158/B60 monoclonal antibody-based antigen
      ELISA. Bivariate analysis and logistic regression were applied to assess
      associations of single and co-infections with common risk factors (age, sex,
      area, hygiene) as well as pair wise associations between helminth species.
      Overall, 240 (72.7%) participants were infected with at least one helminth
      species; 128 (38.8%) harbored at least two helminth species (16.1% with STHs
      Schistosoma, 14.5% with STHs-T. solium taeniasis/cysticercosis and 8.2% with
      Schistosoma-T. solium taeniasis/cysticercosis co-infections). No significant
      associations were found between Schistosoma-T. solium taeniasis/cysticercosis co
      infection and any of the risk factors studied. Males (OR=2 (95%CI=1.1-5), p=0.03)
      and open defecation behavior (OR=3.8 (95%CI=1.1-6.5), p=0.04) were associated
      with higher odds of STHs-T. solium taeniasis/cysticercosis co-infection. Village
      districts that were found at high risk of T. solium taeniasis/cysticercosis were
      also at high risk of co-infection with STHs and T. solium taeniasis/cysticercosis
      (OR=3.2 (95%CI=1.1-7.8), p=0.03). Significant pair-wise associations were found
      between T. solium cysticerci and Necator americanus (OR=2.2 (95%CI=1.2-3.8),
      p<0.01) as well as Strongyloides stercoralis (OR=2.7 (95%CI=1.1-6.5), p=0.02).
      These findings show that co-infections with T. solium are common in this
      polyparasitic community in DRC. Our results on risk factors of helminth co
      infections and specific associations between helminths may contribute to a better
      integration of control within programmes that target more than one NTD.

PMID- 28336270
TI  - The natural history of cystic echinococcosis in untreated and albendazole-treated
      patients.
AB  - The World Health Organization (WHO) treatment protocols for cystic echinococcosis
      (CE) are based on the standardized ultrasound (US) classification. This study
      examined whether the classification reflected the natural history of CE in
      untreated and albendazole-treated patients. Data were collected during mass US
      screenings in CE endemic regions among transhumant populations, the Turkana and
      Berber peoples of Kenya and Morocco. Cysts were classified using the WHO
      classification. Patient records occurring prior to treatment, and after
      albendazole administration, were selected. 852 paired before/after observations
      of 360 cysts from 257 patients were analyzed. A McNemar-Bowker chi2 test for
      symmetry was significant (p<0.0001). 744 observations (87.3%) maintained the same
      class, and 101 (11.9%) progressed, consistent with the classification. Regression
      to CE3B occurred in seven of 116 CE4 cyst observations (6.0%). A McNemar-Bowker
      chi2 test of 1414 paired before/after observations of 288 cysts from 157
      albendazole-treated patients was significant (p<0.0001). 1236 observations
      (87.4%) maintained the same class, and 149 (10.5%) progressed, consistent with
      the classification. Regression to CE3B occurred in 29 of 206 CE4 observations
      (14.1%). Significant asymmetry confirms the WHO classification's applicability to
      the natural history of CE and albendazole-induced changes. Regressions may
      reflect the stability of CE3B cysts.

PMID- 28336271
TI  - Helminth secretomes reflect different lifestyles and parasitized hosts.
AB  - Helminths cause a number of medical and agricultural problems and are a major
      cause of parasitic infections in humans, animals and plants. Comparative analysis
      of helminth genes and genomes are important to understand the genomic
      biodiversity and evolution of parasites and their hosts in terms of different
      selective pressures in their habitats. The interactions between the infective
      organisms and their hosts are mediated in large part by secreted proteins, known
      collectively as the "secretome". Proteins secreted by parasites are able to
      modify a host's environment and modulate their immune system. The composition and
      function of this set of proteins varies depending on the ecology, lifestyle and
      environment of an organism. The present study aimed to predict, in silico, the
      secretome in 44 helminth species including Nematoda (31 species) and
      Platyhelminthes (13 species) and, understand the diversity and evolution of
      secretomes. Secretomes from plant helminths range from 7.6% (943 proteins) to
      13.9% (2,077 proteins) of the filtered proteome with an average of 10.2% (1,412
      proteins) and from free-living helminths range from 4.4% (870 proteins) to 13%
      (3,121 proteins) with an average of 9.8% (2,126 proteins), respectively, and thus
      are considerably larger secretomes in relation to animal helminth secretomes
      which range from 4.2% (431 proteins) to 11.8% (2,419 proteins) of the proteomes,
      with an average of 7.1% (804 proteins). Across 44 secretomes in different
      helminth species, we found five conserved domains: (i) PF00014 (Kunitz/Bovine
      pancreatic trypsin inhibitor domain), (ii) PF00046 (Homeobox domain), (iii)
      PF00188 (cysteine-rich secretory proteins, antigen 5, and pathogenesis-related 1
      proteins), (iv) PF00085 (Thioredoxin) and (v) PF07679 (Immunoglobulin I-set
      domain). Our results detected secreted proteins associated with invasion,
      infection, adhesion and immunoregulation processes as protease inhibitors and
      cytokines, among other functions. In summary, this study will contribute towards
      the understanding of host-parasite interactions and possibly identify new
      molecular targets for the treatment or diagnosis of helminthiases.

PMID- 28336273
TI  - Soft palate fistula after radiofrequency ablation for primary snoring: a case
      report and literature review.

PMID- 28336272
TI  - Apigenin-7-diglucuronide protects retinas against bright light-induced
      photoreceptor degeneration through the inhibition of retinal oxidative stress and
      inflammation.
AB  - Vision impairment in retinal degenerative diseases such as age-related macular
      degeneration is primarily associated with photoreceptor degeneration, in which
      oxidative stress and inflammatory responses are mechanistically involved as
      central players. Therapies with photoreceptor protective properties remain to be
      developed. Apigenin-7-diglucuronide (A7DG), a flavonoid glycoside, is present in
      an assortment of medicinal plants with anti-inflammatory or ant-oxidant
      activities. However, the pharmacological significance of A7DG remains unknown in
      vivo. The current study isolated A7DG from Glechoma longituba (Nakai) Kuprian and
      investigated the retinal protective effect A7DG in mice characterized by bright
      light-induced photoreceptor degeneration. The results showed that A7DG treatment
      led to remarkable photoreceptor protection in bright light-exposed BALB/c mice.
      Moreover, A7DG treatment alleviated photoreceptor apoptosis, mitigated oxidative
      stress, suppressed reactive gliosis and microglial activation and attenuated the
      expression of proinflammatory genes in bright light-exposed retinas. The results
      demonstrated for the first time remarkable photoreceptor protective activities of
      A7DG in vivo. Inhibition of bright light-induced retinal oxidative stress and
      retinal inflammatory responses was associated with the retinal protection
      conferred by A7DG. The work here warrants further evaluation of A7DG as a
      pharmacological candidate for the treatment of vision-threatening retinal
      degenerative disorders. Moreover, given the general implication of oxidative
      stress and inflammation in the pathogenesis of neurodegeneration, A7DG could be
      further tested for the treatment of other neurodegenerative disorders.

PMID- 28336274
TI  - Characterization, molecular docking, dynamics simulation and metadynamics of
      kisspeptin receptor with kisspeptin.
AB  - We report molecular characterization of the kisspeptin receptor (kiss1r), an
      essential gatekeeper for reproduction and onset of puberty in vertebrates. The
      full-length cDNA sequence of kiss1r is 1786bp which consist of 5' UTR
      (untranslated region) 261bp, 3' UTR of 424bp and open reading frame of 1101
      encoding a putative protein of 366 amino acids. Basal tissue expression pattern
      of kiss1r mRNA revealed that it is mainly expressed in the brain and testis. We
      also report the structure of the kiss1r, along with plausible activation
      mechanism of this receptor by kisspeptin using computational modelling and
      dynamic simulation approach of multiple 100ns of timescale. A present modelling
      and simulations studies shed light on the molecular level of interaction,
      suggesting that direct hydrogen bonds between ASN4, SER5, GLY7, ARG9 and PHE10 of
      kisspeptin and TRP7, ASN8, GLU11, ILE17, ASN19 and TYR183 of kiss1r could be
      crucial role players in initial binding of receptor and the kisspeptin towards
      allosteric modulatory effects of kisspeptin on the receptor. To the best our
      knowledge, this is the first report on computational modelling and molecular
      dynamic simulations of kiss1r in animals shedding light on its possible mode of
      activation.

PMID- 28336275
TI  - Structural characterization of purine nucleoside phosphorylase from human
      pathogen Helicobacter pylori.
AB  - Microaerophilic bacterium Helicobacer pylori is a well known human pathogen
      involved in the development of many diseases. Due to the evergrowing infection
      rate and increase of H. pylori antibiotic resistence, it is of utmost importance
      to find a new way to attack and eradicate H. pylori. The purine metabolism in H.
      pylori is solely dependant on the salvage pathway and one of the key enzymes in
      this pathway is purine nucleoside phosphorylase (PNP). In this timely context, we
      report here the basic biochemical and structural characterization of recombinant
      PNP from the H. pylori clinical isolate expressed in Escherichia coli. Structure
      of H. pylori PNP is typical for high molecular mass PNPs. However, its activity
      towards adenosine is very low, thus resembling more that of low molecular mass
      PNPs. Understanding the molecular mechanism of this key enzyme may lead to the
      development of new drug strategies and help in the eradication of H. pylori.

PMID- 28336276
TI  - Chitin extraction from blue crab (Portunus segnis) and shrimp (Penaeus
      kerathurus) shells using digestive alkaline proteases from P. segnis viscera.
AB  - Since chitin is closely associated with proteins, deproteinization is a crucial
      step in the process of extracting chitin. Thus, this research aimed to extract
      chitin from Portunus segnis and Penaeus kerathurus shells by means of crude
      digestive alkaline proteases from the viscera of P. segnis, regarding
      deproteinization step, as an alternative to chemical treatment. Casein zymography
      revealed that five caseinolytic proteases bands exist, suggesting the presence of
      at least five different major proteases. The optimum pH and temperature for
      protease activity were pH 8.0 and 60 degrees C, respectively, using casein as a
      substrate. The crude enzymes extract was highly stable at low temperatures and
      over a wide range of pH from 6.0 to 12.0. The crude alkaline protease extract was
      found to be effective in the deproteinization of blue crab and shrimp shells, to
      produce chitin. The best efficiency in deproteinization (84.69+/-0.65% for blue
      crab shells and 91.06+/-1.40% for shrimp shells) was achieved with an E/S ratio
      of 5U/mg of proteins after 3h incubation at 50 degrees C. These results suggest
      that enzymatic deproteinization of crab and shrimp wastes by fish endogenous
      alkaline proteases could be a potential alternative in the chitin production
      process.

PMID- 28336278
TI  - Thermoplastic starch composites with TiO2 particles: Preparation, morphology,
      rheology and mechanical properties.
AB  - Composites of thermoplastic starch (TPS) with titanium dioxide particles (mTiO2;
      average size 0.1MUm) with very homogeneous matrix and well-dispersed filler were
      prepared by a two-step method, including solution casting (SC) followed by melt
      mixing (MM). Light and scanning electron microscopy confirmed that only the two
      step procedure (SC+MM) resulted in ideally homogeneous TPS/mTiO2 systems. The
      composites prepared by single-step MM contained non-plasticized starch granules
      and the composites prepared by single-step SC suffered from mTiO2 agglomeration.
      Dynamic mechanical measurements showed an increase modulus with increasing filler
      concentration. In TPS containing 3wt.% of mTiO2 the stiffness was enhanced by
      >40%. Further experiments revealed that the recommended addition of chitosan or
      the exchange of mTiO2 for anisometric titanate nanotubes with high aspect ratio
      did not improve the properties of the composites.

PMID- 28336277
TI  - Structure characteristics of an acidic polysaccharide purified from banana (Musa
      nana Lour.) pulp and its enzymatic degradation.
AB  - Banana is one of the most important fruits over the world. The chemical
      composition is critical for the organoleptic properties and health benefits. As
      one of the leading bioactive components in banana pulp, the polysaccharides may
      contribute to the beneficial health effects. However, their precise structure
      information remains unknown. A leading acidic polysaccharide (ABPP) of banana
      pulp was purified and identified by nuclear magnetic resonnance spectroscopy
      (NMR) and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). ->4-alpha-d-GalpA-1-> and
      ->4-alpha-d-GalpAMe-1-> constituted the backbone. No branch chains were detected.
      The molecular weight was determined to be 8.9kDa by gel permeation
      chromatography, which was smaller than previously reported fruit-derived
      polygalacturonic acids. The precise structure was identified as below. Digestion
      by enzyme would lead to production of oligogalacturonic acids and quick
      accumulation of 5000-7000Da fraction.

PMID- 28336279
TI  - [Brimonidine and acute anterior granulomatous uveitis: A case report and
      literature review].

PMID- 28336280
TI  - [Intraocular pressure decrease after manual small incision cataract surgery].
AB  - PURPOSE: We decided to evaluate the decrease in intraocular pressure six months
      after cataract surgery. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We evaluated patients' IOP using
      an applanation tonometer. The patients then underwent cataract surgery. Six
      months after cataract surgery, we reevaluated the IOP by the same method, and we
      determined the post-operative change. RESULTS: Among the 147 operated eyes, 123
      eyes or 83.67% exhibited a decrease in IOP. The mean preoperative IOP for the
      operative eye was 15.61+/-4.5mmHg; the mean post-operative IOP was 12.57+/
      3.5mmHg; the mean IOP decrease after surgery was 3.16+/-4mmHg, for a mean
      decrease of 20%. This decrease is statistically significant, P<001. The decrease
      in IOP varies proportionally to the initial IOP. In glaucomatous patients, the
      mean preoperative IOP was 23.16+/-5.68mmHg and mean post-operative IOP was 14.5+/
      2.7mmHg, a decrease of 37.39%. CONCLUSION: The decrease in IOP after cataract
      surgery was generally moderate. However, this IOP decreased proportionally to the
      initial IOP, thus giving significant decreases for higher IOPs. This decrease in
      IOP, well known after phacoemulsification, was also obtained after Manual Small
      Incision Cataract Surgery, a surgical technique which is increasingly employed in
      developing countries.

PMID- 28336281
TI  - [Optic disc changes by optical coherence tomography in optic disc edema in Lome].
AB  - OBJECTIVE: To study the influence of optic disc edema (ODE) on the dimensions of
      the disc and the thickness of the retinal nerve fiber layer (RNFL) by optical
      coherence tomography (OCT) in Lome. PATIENTS AND METHODS: This was a
      retrospective study which took place in a general ophthalmology office in the
      city. Twenty-six eyes were examined for ODE (cases) between January 2013 and May
      2015, and 26 healthy eyes (control group) were considered in this study. The
      control group was recruited taking age into account with a variation not
      exceeding 5 years compared to the ODE cases. Topcon 3D-OCT 2000 software was used
      to analyze the disc and to measure the thickness of the peripapillary RNFL. The
      results were compared with software integrated into the OCT device, to the normal
      range of databases (normative basis) of RNFL thickness. The variables studied
      were age, gender, etiology of the edema, disc dimensions (optic disc surface
      area, vertical cup to disc ratio [CDR]), and the thickness of the peripapillary
      RNFL. Chi2 tests were used for comparison of proportions with a significance
      level less than or equal to 0.05. RESULTS: Twenty-six eyes of 16 patients with
      ODE (mean age 25.88+/-14.35years) and 26 eyes of 16 control group patients (mean
      age 25.73+/-15.90 years) were recruited. The ODE was caused by inflammatory optic
      neuropathies in 10 cases, malignant hypertension in 8 cases and intracranial
      hypertension in 8 cases. The surface area of the disc was 3.77+/-1.82mm2 for the
      ODE group vs. 2.74+/-0.57mm2 for the control group (P=0.009). The vertical CDR
      was 0.11+/-0.15 for the ODE group vs. 0.50+/-0.15 for the control group (P=0).
      The mean RNFL thickness was 117.12+/-18.30MUm for the ODE group vs. 95.77+/
      2.52MUm for the control group (P=0.006). This study reveals an increase in RNFL
      in all quadrants (superior, P=0.027; inferior, P=0.007; nasal, P=0.026; temporal,
      P=0.032). Of the 26 ODE cases, we noted an increase beyond the normative base;
      superiorly (in 9 cases), inferiorly (in 12 cases), nasally (in 10 cases) and
      temporally (in 11 cases). CONCLUSION: The study of papillary changes with OCT in
      ODE has allowed us to note an increase in the surface area of the disc, a
      reduction of the vertical CDR, and an increase in the thickness of the average
      RNF in all quadrants.

PMID- 28336282
TI  - [Management of upper eyelid retraction associated with dysthyroid orbitopathy
      during the acute inflammatory phase with botulinum toxin type A].
AB  - PURPOSE: To evaluate the efficacy of transconjunctival botulinum toxin type A
      (BTX-A) in the treatment of upper eyelid retraction in the active inflammatory
      phase of dysthyroid orbitopathy, establish the ideal dose, and evaluate side
      effects. METHODS: This is a comparative, prospective study in patients with
      thyroid orbitopathy, conducted at the Conde Ophthalmology Institute in
      Valenciana, Mexico. The patients included had dysthyroid orbitopathy in the
      inflammatory phase, and they were treated with subconjunctival injection of
      botulinum toxin type A (BTX-A) in the upper eyelid. Five units (group 1) and ten
      units (group 2) of BTX-A, in a single subconjunctival dose were applied to the
      non-dominant eye. We evaluated visual acuity, margin-to-reflex distance (RPM1),
      crease height, ocular motility, diplopia and keratitis, before and after
      administration of the toxin. The patients were followed at one, 4 and 16 weeks,
      with the Student t-test as a statistical analysis. RESULTS: At week 4, 15
      patients (100%) showed a reduced margin to reflex distance. The mean result for
      group 1 was -1.75mm (range -1 to -2.5mm) and group 2 was -2mm (range -1 to -4mm).
      Statistically significant differences were seen between pre-treatment and week 4
      in both groups, but no differences between doses. Complete improvement of
      keratitis and lagophthalmos was observed in 5 and 2 patients, respectively.
      Visual acuity, ocular motility and crease height did not change in 93% of the
      patients. One patient (group 1) exhibited complete ptosis and vertical diplopia,
      which resolved spontaneously at week 6. CONCLUSION: Transconjunctival BTX-A
      application is safe and effective for the treatment of eyelid retraction in
      dysthyroid orbitopathy. No difference was found between doses. No severe side
      effects were reported.

PMID- 28336283
TI  - [Early efficacy of dexamethasone implant (OZURDEX(r)) in diabetic macular edema:
      Real life study].
AB  - PURPOSE: To assess early efficacy of dexamethasone intravitreal implant 0.7mg
      (OZURDEX(r)) at the time of peak efficacy (2 months after injection) in patients
      with decreased visual acuity secondary to diabetic macular edema (DME). MATERIALS
      AND METHODS: Retrospective monocentric study. Inclusion criteria were best
      corrected visual acuity (BCVA)<=70 letters (20/40) due to DME and central retinal
      thickness (CRT)>=300 microns (Cirrus 2, Carl Zeiss Meditec, Inc, Dublin).
      Enrolled patients could be treatment naive or not (after failure of laser
      photocoagulation and/or anti-VEGF therapy). Follow-up was at least 6 months. Our
      primary endpoint was BCVA gain at M2 after injection. Secondary endpoints were
      best-corrected visual acuity at 2 and 4 months, central retinal thickness at 2
      and 4 months, mean interval between 2 injections, and adverse events. RESULT:
      Nineteen eyes of 19 patients were included in this study. The mean age was 67.45
      years, sex ratio was 2.17 men/women, and the patients were all type 2 diabetics.
      Three of 19 patients were treatment naive for anti-VEGF intravitreal injection,
      and 52.3% were pseudophakic (10/19 patients). The mean gain of BCVA at M2 was
      +7.7 letters. The mean BCVA was 51.1 ETDRS letters at baseline and 58.8 at M2.
      Mean CRT was 568.9MUm at baseline and 291.2MUm at M2. Treatment with
      dexamethasone implant was mainly a second-line treatment after failure of other
      treatments (macular laser photocoagulation and/or intravitreal injection of anti
      VEGF). Three patients were naive of anti-VEGF treatment. Intraocular
      pressure>=25mmHg was found in 2 patients, and controlled medically. No glaucoma
      surgery was performed. CONCLUSION: The dexamethasone implant (OZURDEX(r)) allows
      an anatomical and functional improvement in patients suffering from vision loss
      due to DME. In this series, the implant was well tolerated.

PMID- 28336285
TI  - [Response to aflibercept in patients with fibrovascular pigment epithelial
      detachment refractory to ranibizumab in exudative age-related macular
      degeneration].

PMID- 28336284
TI  - Macular pigment density variation after supplementation of lutein and zeaxanthin
      using the Visucam(r) 200 pigment module: Impact of age-related macular
      degeneration and lens status.
AB  - PURPOSE: To assess the evolution of macular pigment optical density (MPOD)
      following supplementation with various macular formulations obtained with the
      Visucam(r) 200, and to study the factors affecting MPOD measurements. MATERIALS
      AND METHODS: In this prospective, randomized, double-masked multicenter study,
      patients were divided into 2 groups: group A (patients without retinal pathology
      who underwent cataract surgery 1 month previously) and group B (patients with
      neovascular age-related macular degeneration [AMD] in one eye). In each group,
      half of the patients were randomly assigned to receive a food supplementation
      either with or without carotenoids (5mg of Lutein and 1mg of Zeaxanthin). Outcome
      measures included MPOD responses obtained with the Visucam(r) 200 for one year.
      RESULTS: In total, 126 subjects (52 men, 74 women) with a mean age of 75.3+/-7.61
      years were enrolled. Mean MPOD values at the time of inclusion were statistically
      lower in group A (0.088 density unit [DU]) compared to group B (0.163 DU,
      P<0.05). No statistically significant increase in MPOD was noted in either group,
      even after discontinuation of the supplementation. By multiple regression
      analysis, age, female gender, lens status and the presence of AMD seemed to
      significantly affect MPOD measurements. CONCLUSION: No significant improvement in
      MPOD seems to be detected with the Visucam(r) 200 after carotenoid
      supplementation. The MPOD measurement seems to be highly affected by cataract
      extraction and the presence of AMD.

PMID- 28336286
TI  - Robotic Surgery in Uro-oncology: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis of
      Randomized Controlled Trials.
AB  - Robotic surgery represents a new horizon in minimally invasive urologic surgery.
      This systematic review of the literature and meta-analysis examines the
      effectiveness of robotic surgery compared with laparoscopic or open surgery for
      major uro-oncological procedures. Twenty-five articles reported findings from 8
      trials of prostatectomy (4 trials) and cystectomy (4 trials) including 1033
      participants. Robotic surgery is comparable with laparoscopic or open surgery for
      oncological outcomes and overall complications, and provides somewhat better
      functional outcome when compared with laparoscopic and open surgery.

PMID- 28336287
TI  - A Unique Case of Pentaorchidism.
AB  - Polyorchidism is a rare congenital anomaly with less than 200 case reports in
      literature. Triorchidism, the condition of having 3 testicles, is the most common
      presentation. We present an unusual case of a patient who was diagnosed with 5
      testicles by magnetic resonance imaging. To the best of our knowledge, this rare
      presentation has not previously been reported in the medical literature.

PMID- 28336288
TI  - Incidental Malignancies Identified During Staging for Prostate Cancer With 68Ga
      Prostate-specific Membrane Antigen HBED-CC Positron Emission Tomography Imaging.
AB  - The rapid uptake of 68Ga prostate-specific membrane antigen HBED-CC positron
      emission tomography (PSMA PET) imaging for prostate cancer staging has led to
      concerns regarding its specificity, with uptake in both malignant and
      nonmalignant tissues. We describe 3 separate malignancies identified on PSMA PET
      imaging. The misnomer "prostate-specific membrane antigen" is demonstrated by
      this case and highlights the importance of continued investigation of the
      potential role of PSMA PET in other malignancies.

PMID- 28336289
TI  - Prospective Case-crossover Study Investigating the Possible Association Between
      Nonarteritic Anterior Ischemic Optic Neuropathy and Phosphodiesterase Type 5
      Inhibitor Exposure.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the association between intermittent phosphodiesterase
      type 5 inhibitor (PDE5i) exposure and risk of acute nonarteritic anterior
      ischemic optic neuropathy (NAION) using a case-crossover design. METHODS: Male
      adults with suspected NAION were enrolled at 41 US ophthalmology sites from 2010
      to 2015 and were interviewed regarding risk factors for NAION, medical history,
      and PDE5i use before NAION onset (index date of onset [IDO]). An adjudication
      committee confirmed the NAION cases. The primary analysis, using the person-time
      method, examined the rate of PDE5i exposure within 5 half-lives of NAION onset
      relative to PDE5i exposure over a 30-day study period preceding the IDO in men
      exposed to PDE5i intermittently as a measure of NAION risk associated with PDE5i
      exposure. Rate ratios were estimated using the Mantel-Haenszel estimator.
      Secondary analyses included person-time analyses over the 12-months preceding the
      IDO and matched-interval analyses over 42 days preceding the IDO. RESULTS: Of 279
      men with confirmed NAION, 22 were exposed to PDE5i intermittently within 30 days
      of IDO. The Mantel-Haenszel rate ratio for risk of NAION associated with PDE5i
      exposure within 5 half-lives of IDO was 2.27 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.99
      5.20) over the 30-day period (n = 22) and 3.52 (95% CI: 1.59-7.79) over the 12
      month period (n = 26). Sensitivity analyses showed similar results and were
      statistically significant. The matched-interval method found no association
      (hazard ratio = 1.64 [95% CI: 0.60-4.51]). CONCLUSION: Overall, the study
      suggests an increased risk of NAION associated with PDE5i use. Patients and
      health-care providers should continue to weigh the risks and benefits of PDE5i
      use, including the potential for NAION.

PMID- 28336290
TI  - Serum microRNA Expression Profiling: Potential Diagnostic Implications of a Panel
      of Serum microRNAs for Clear Cell Renal Cell Cancer.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: To study the expression profiles of 5 microRNAs in tissue and serum of
      patients with clear cell renal cell cancer (ccRCC) and evaluate their diagnostic
      and prognostic potential. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We prospectively analyzed 30
      patients of histologically proven ccRCC and collected 3 mL of serum
      preoperatively and small pieces of tumor and adjacent non-tumor renal tissue
      intraoperatively. Control serum samples were obtained from 15 patients of non
      renal benign diseases. We analyzed 5 miRNAs-miR-34a, miR-141, miR-200c, miR-1233,
      and miR-21-2. Freshly collected samples were immediately frozen in liquid
      nitrogen and total RNA was extracted. cDNA was synthesized by reverse
      transcription, and quantitative polymerase chain reaction was performed to
      determine relative miRNA expression. RESULTS: In the renal tissue and serum
      samples, 3 out of 5 miRNAs were differentially expressed; that is, the expression
      levels of miR-34a and miR-141 were significantly decreased, whereas that of miR
      1233 was significantly increased. Serum miR-34a, miR-141, and miR-1233 were able
      to diagnose ccRCC with a sensitivity of 80.76%, 75%, and 93.33%, and specificity
      of 80%, 73.33%, and 100%, respectively, as compared to histopathology. Using a
      panel of 2 serum miRNAs (miR-141 and miR-1233) ccRCC can be diagnosed with 100%
      sensitivity and 73.3% specificity. CONCLUSION: miRNAs are differentially
      expressed in serum of patients with ccRCC and can be used to diagnose ccRCC with
      high sensitivity and specificity. Diagnostic sensitivity can be further improved
      by using a panel of miRNAs and has the potential to serve as novel diagnostic
      markers of ccRCC.

PMID- 28336291
TI  - Reply by the Authors.

PMID- 28336294
TI  - Palmitate mediated diacylglycerol accumulation causes endoplasmic reticulum
      stress, Plin2 degradation, and cell death in H9C2 cardiomyoblasts.
AB  - We have previously shown that palmitate causes ER stress in primary
      cardiomyocytes and this was associated with a diffuse lipid staining histology.
      In contrast, oleate, which was non-toxic, led to the formation of abundant,
      clearly delineated lipid droplets. The aberrant lipid histology in palmitate
      treated cells led us to hypothesize that perhaps there was an impairment in lipid
      droplet formation, which could lead to accumulation of lipids in the ER and
      consequent ER stress. To test this hypothesis we treated H9C2s (a cardiomyoblast
      cell line) with either 300uM oleate or palmitate for 8h. We found that palmitate
      resulted in significantly less lipid droplet abundance despite elevated
      intracellular lipid accumulation. Next we showed that palmitate was packaged
      primarily as diacylglycerol (DAG), in contrast oleate formed primarily
      triacylglycerol (TAG). Furthermore, the palmitate induced DAG accumulated mostly
      in the ER, while oleate treatment resulted in accumulation of TAG primarily in
      lipid droplets. The palmitate-induced accumulation of lipid in the ER was
      associated with a strong ER stress response. Interestingly, we found that ER
      stress induced by either palmitate, tunicamycin, or thapsigargin led to the
      degradation of Plin2, an important lipid droplet binding protein. In contrast
      palmitate had little effect on either Plin3 or Plin5. Furthermore, we found that
      acute MG132 administration significantly attenuated palmitate mediated ER stress
      and cell death. This protection was associated with a moderate attenuation of
      Plin2 degradation.

PMID- 28336295
TI  - Botryococcus braunii strains compared for biomass productivity, hydrocarbon and
      carbohydrate content.
AB  - Botryococcus braunii can produce both long-chain hydrocarbons as well as
      carbohydrates in large quantities, and is therefore a promising industrial
      organism for the production of biopolymer building blocks. Many studies describe
      the use of different strains of Botryococcus braunii but differences in handling
      and cultivation conditions make the comparison between strains difficult. In this
      study, 16 B. braunii strains obtained from six culture collections were compared
      for their biomass productivity and hydrocarbon and carbohydrate content. Biomass
      productivity was highest for AC768 strain with 1.8gL-1day-1, while hydrocarbon
      production ranged from none to up to 42% per gram biomass dry weight, with Showa
      showing the highest hydrocarbon content followed by AC761. The total carbohydrate
      content varied from 20% to 76% per gram of the biomass dry weight, with CCALA777
      as the highest producer. Glucose and galactose are the main monosaccharides in
      most strains and fucose content reached 463mgL-1 in CCALA778.

PMID- 28336292
TI  - Structural elucidation and physiologic functions of specialized pro-resolving
      mediators and their receptors.
AB  - The acute inflammatory response is host-protective to contain foreign invaders.
      Many of today's pharmacopeia that block pro-inflammatory chemical mediators can
      cause serious unwanted side effects such as immune suppression. Uncontrolled
      inflammation is now considered a pathophysiologic basis associated with many
      widely occurring diseases such as cardiovascular disease, neurodegenerative
      diseases, diabetes, obesity and asthma, as well as the classic inflammatory
      diseases, e.g. arthritis, periodontal diseases. The inflammatory response is
      designated to be a self-limited process that produces a superfamily of chemical
      mediators that stimulate resolution of inflammatory responses. Specialized
      proresolving mediators (SPM) uncovered in recent years are endogenous mediators
      that include omega-3-derived families resolvins, protectins and maresins, as well
      as arachidonic acid-derived (n-6) lipoxins that stimulate and promote resolution
      of inflammation, clearance of microbes, reduce pain and promote tissue
      regeneration via novel mechanisms. Here, we review recent evidence from human and
      preclinical animal studies, together with the structural and functional
      elucidation of SPM indicating the SPM as physiologic mediators and pharmacologic
      agonists that stimulate resolution of inflammation and infection. These results
      suggest that it is time to develop immunoresolvents as agonists for testing
      resolution pharmacology in nutrition and health as well as in human diseases and
      during surgery.

PMID- 28336297
TI  - Home-based telerehabilitation is not inferior to a centre-based program in
      patients with chronic heart failure: a randomised trial.
AB  - QUESTION: Is a 12-week, home-based telerehabilitation program conducted in small
      groups non-inferior to a traditional centre-based program in terms of the change
      in 6-minute walk distance? Is the telerehabilitation program also non-inferior to
      a centre-based program in terms of functional capacity, muscle strength, quality
      of life, urinary incontinence, patient satisfaction, attendance rates, and
      adverse events? DESIGN: Randomised, parallel, non-inferiority trial with
      concealed allocation, intention-to-treat analysis and assessor blinding.
      PARTICIPANTS: Patients with stable chronic heart failure (including heart failure
      with reduced or preserved ejection fraction) were recruited from two tertiary
      hospitals in Brisbane, Australia. INTERVENTION: The experimental group received a
      12-week, real-time exercise and education intervention delivered into the
      participant's home twice weekly, using online videoconferencing software. The
      control group received a traditional hospital outpatient-based program of the
      same duration and frequency. Both groups received similar exercise prescription.
      OUTCOME MEASURES: Participants were assessed by independent assessors at baseline
      (Week 0), at the end of the intervention (Week 12) and at follow-up (Week 24).
      The primary outcome was a between-group comparison of the change in 6-minute walk
      distance, with a non-inferiority margin of 28m. Secondary outcomes included other
      functional measures, quality of life, patient satisfaction, program attendance
      rates and adverse events. RESULTS: In 53 participants (mean age 67 years, 75%
      males), there were no significant between-group differences on 6-minute walk
      distance gains, with a mean difference of 15m (95% CI -28 to 59) at Week 12. The
      confidence intervals were within the predetermined non-inferiority range. The
      secondary outcomes indicated that the experimental intervention was at least as
      effective as traditional rehabilitation. Significantly higher attendance rates
      were observed in the telerehabilitation group. CONCLUSION: Telerehabilitation was
      not inferior to a hospital outpatient-based rehabilitation program in patients
      with chronic heart failure. Telerehabilitation appears to be an appropriate
      alternative because it promotes greater attendance at the rehabilitation
      sessions. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ACTRN12613000390785. [Hwang R, Bruning J, Morris
      NR, Mandrusiak A, Russell T (2017) Home-based telerehabilitation is not inferior
      to a centre-based program in patients with chronic heart failure: a randomised
      trial. Journal of Physiotherapy 63: 101-107].

PMID- 28336293
TI  - A compendium of proteins that interact with HIF-1alpha.
AB  - Hypoxia-inducible factor 1 (HIF-1) is the founding member of a family of
      transcription factors that function as master regulators of oxygen homeostasis.
      HIF-1 is composed of an O2-regulated HIF-1alpha subunit and a constitutively
      expressed HIF-1beta subunit. This review provides a compendium of proteins that
      interact with the HIF-1alpha subunit, many of which regulate HIF-1 activity in
      either an O2-dependent or O2-independent manner.

PMID- 28336298
TI  - Working Alliance Inventory-Short Form Revised.

PMID- 28336299
TI  - Inhibitory Effect of Crizotinib on Creatinine Uptake by Renal Secretory
      Transporter OCT2.
AB  - Crizotinib, a tyrosine kinase inhibitor, exhibits some cases of an increase in
      serum creatinine levels. Creatinine is excreted by not only glomerular filtration
      but also active secretion by organic cation transporters such as organic cation
      transporter 2 (OCT2). In the present study, we evaluated in vitro inhibitory
      effect of crizotinib on OCT2 by directly measuring creatinine uptake by OCT2.
      Coincubation of crizotinib reduced uptake of [14C]creatinine by cultured HEK293
      cells expressing OCT2 (HEK293/OCT2) in a concentration-dependent manner with IC50
      values of 1.58 +/- 0.24 MUM. Preincubation or both preincubation and coincubation
      (preincubation/coincubation) with crizotinib showed stronger inhibitory effect on
      [14C]creatinine uptake compared with that in coincubation alone with IC50 values
      of 0.499 +/- 0.076 and 0.347 +/- 0.040 MUM, respectively. These IC50 values of
      crizotinib on [3H]N-methyl-4-phenylpyridinium acetate uptake by OCT2 were 10-20
      times higher than those of [14C]creatinine uptake. Furthermore, preincubation of
      crizotinib inhibited creatinine uptake by OCT2 in an apparently competitive
      manner. In conclusion, crizotinib at a clinically relevant concentration has the
      potential to inhibit creatinine transport by OCT2, suggesting an increase of
      serum creatinine levels in clinical use.

PMID- 28336296
TI  - Serotonin and dopamine transporter PET changes in the premotor phase of LRRK2
      parkinsonism: cross-sectional studies.
AB  - BACKGROUND: People with Parkinson's disease can show premotor neurochemical
      changes in the dopaminergic and non-dopaminergic systems. Using PET, we assessed
      whether dopaminergic and serotonin transporter changes are similar in LRRK2
      mutation carriers with Parkinson's disease and individuals with sporadic
      Parkinson's disease, and whether LRRK2 mutation carriers without motor symptoms
      show PET changes. METHODS: We did two cross-sectional PET studies at the Pacific
      Parkinson's Research Centre in Vancouver, BC, Canada. We included LRRK2 mutation
      carriers with or without manifest Parkinson's disease, people with sporadic
      Parkinson's disease, and age-matched healthy controls, all aged 18 years or
      older. People with Parkinson's disease were diagnosed by a neurologist with
      movement disorder training, in accordance with the UK Parkinson's Disease Society
      Brain Bank criteria. LRRK2 carrier status was confirmed by bidirectional Sanger
      sequencing. In the first study, LRRK2 mutation carriers with or without manifest
      Parkinson's disease who were referred for investigation between July, 1999, and
      January, 2012, were scanned with PET tracers for the membrane dopamine
      transporter, and dopamine synthesis and storage (18F-6-fluoro-L-dopa; 18F-FDOPA).
      We compared findings with those in people with sporadic Parkinson's disease and
      age-matched healthy controls. In the second study, distinct groups of LRRK2
      mutation carriers, individuals with sporadic Parkinson's disease, and age-matched
      healthy controls seen from November, 2012, to May, 2016, were studied with
      tracers for the serotonin transporter and vesicular monoamine transporter 2
      (VMAT2). Striatal dopamine transporter binding, VMAT2 binding, 18F-FDOPA uptake,
      and serotonin transporter binding in multiple brain regions were compared by
      ANCOVA, adjusted for age. FINDINGS: Between January, 1997, and January, 2012, we
      obtained data for our first study from 40 LRRK2 mutation carriers, 63 individuals
      with sporadic Parkinson's disease, and 35 healthy controls. We identified
      significant group differences in striatal dopamine transporter binding (all age
      ranges in caudate and putamen, p<0.0001) and 18F-FDOPA uptake (in caudate: age
      <=50 years, p=0.0002; all other age ranges, p<0.0001; in putamen: all age ranges,
      p<0.0001). LRRK2 mutation carriers with manifest Parkinson's disease (n=15) had
      reduced striatal dopamine transporter binding and 18F-FDOPA uptake, comparable
      with amounts seen in individuals with sporadic Parkinson's disease of similar
      duration. LRRK2 mutation carriers without manifest Parkinson's disease (n=25) had
      greater 18F-FDOPA uptake and dopamine transporter binding than did individuals
      with sporadic Parkinson's disease, with 18F-FDOPA uptake comparable with controls
      and dopamine transporter binding lower than in controls. Between November, 2012,
      and May, 2016, we obtained data for our second study from 16 LRRK2 mutation
      carriers, 13 individuals with sporadic Parkinson's disease, and nine healthy
      controls. Nine LRRK2 mutation carriers without manifest Parkinson's disease had
      significantly elevated serotonin transporter binding in the hypothalamus
      (compared with controls, individuals with LRRK2 Parkinson's disease, and people
      with sporadic Parkinson's disease, p<0.0001), striatum (compared with people with
      sporadic Parkinson's disease, p=0.02), and brainstem (compared with LRRK2
      mutation carriers with manifest Parkinson's disease, p=0.01), after adjustment
      for age. Serotonin transporter binding in the cortex did not differ significantly
      between groups after age adjustment. Striatal VMAT2 binding was reduced in all
      individuals with manifest Parkinson's disease and reduced asymmetrically in one
      LRRK2 mutation carrier without manifest disease. INTERPRETATION: Dopaminergic and
      serotonergic changes progress in a similar fashion in LRRK2 mutation carriers
      with manifest Parkinson's disease and individuals with sporadic Parkinson's
      disease, but LRRK2 mutation carriers without manifest Parkinson's disease show
      increased serotonin transporter binding in the striatum, brainstem, and
      hypothalamus, possibly reflecting compensatory changes in serotonergic
      innervation preceding the motor onset of Parkinson's disease. Increased
      serotonergic innervation might contribute to clinical differences in LRRK2
      Parkinson's disease, including the emergence of non-motor symptoms and,
      potentially, differences in the long-term response to levodopa. FUNDING: Canada
      Research Chairs, Michael J Fox Foundation, National Institutes of Health, Pacific
      Alzheimer Research Foundation, Pacific Parkinson's Research Institute, National
      Research Council of Canada.

PMID- 28336301
TI  - Big cats as a model system for the study of the evolution of intelligence.
AB  - Currently, carnivores, and felids in particular, are vastly underrepresented in
      cognitive literature, despite being an ideal model system for tests of social and
      ecological intelligence hypotheses. Within Felidae, big cats (Panthera) are
      uniquely suited to studies investigating the evolutionary links between social,
      ecological, and cognitive complexity. Intelligence likely did not evolve in a
      unitary way but instead evolved as the result of mutually reinforcing feedback
      loops within the physical and social environments. The domain-specific social
      intelligence hypothesis proposes that social complexity drives only the evolution
      of cognitive abilities adapted only to social domains. The domain-general
      hypothesis proposes that the unique demands of social life serve as a bootstrap
      for the evolution of superior general cognition. Big cats are one of the few
      systems in which we can directly address conflicting predictions of the domain
      general and domain-specific hypothesis by comparing cognition among closely
      related species that face roughly equivalent ecological complexity but vary
      considerably in social complexity.

PMID- 28336300
TI  - Development of Topical Delivery Systems for Flightless Neutralizing Antibody.
AB  - Flightless I (Flii) is an actin remodeling protein important for cytoskeletal
      regulation and cellular processes including migration, proliferation, and
      adhesion. Previous studies have clearly identified Flii as a novel therapeutical
      target for improved wound repair and have demonstrated Flii regulation using Flii
      neutralizing antibodies (FnAb) in different models of wound healing in vivo. Here
      we describe the development of an optimized topical delivery system that can
      neutralize Flii activity in the epidermis. Topical delivery of FnAb is an
      attractive approach as it provides a convenient application, sustained release,
      localized effect, and reduced dosage. Three successful formulations were
      developed, and their physical and chemical stability examined. The in vitro
      release revealed prolonged and sustained release of FnAb in all the tested
      formulations. Additionally, penetration studies using intact porcine skin showed
      that FnAb penetrated the epidermis and upper papillary dermis. The penetrated
      FnAb significantly reduced Flii expression compared to dosed matched IgG
      controls. This study has successfully developed a topical delivery system for
      FnAb that could serve as a potential platform for future localized wound
      treatments.

PMID- 28336302
TI  - [Vasopressors and inotropes: use in paediatrics].
AB  - The cardiovascular system is a dynamic system, which is required to ensure
      adequate delivery of oxygen, nutrients, and hormones to the tissues that are
      necessary for cell metabolism. It also synthesises and modifies the vasoactive
      components that regulate vascular tone and myocardial function. These vasoactive
      components have demonstrated their beneficial effects in the management of
      paediatric patients in a critical condition with heart failure and shock.
      However, their use and abuse brings harmful effects, increases mortality, and is
      associated with arrhythmias. An increase in myocardial oxygen consumption favours
      the presence of ischaemia, therefore it is necessary to know the mechanism of
      action and indications of these drugs to minimise their harmful effects. The
      purpose of this review is to describe the pharmacology and clinical applications
      of inotropic and vasopressor agents in the paediatric patient in acritical
      condition.

PMID- 28336303
TI  - Rituximab maintenance improves overall survival of patients with follicular
      lymphoma-Individual patient data meta-analysis.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Randomised trials of rituximab maintenance (MR) for patients with
      follicular lymphoma support improved progression-free survival (PFS), but the
      effect on overall survival has been inconclusive. To evaluate the effect of MR on
      overall survival according to patient and disease characteristics, and to explore
      certain adverse events, we performed an individual patient data (IPD) meta
      analysis. METHODS: All investigators of randomised controlled trials that
      compared MR therapy with observation or treatment only at relapse (no MR) for
      patients with follicular lymphoma were invited to participate in an IPD meta
      analysis. We obtained baseline patient and disease characteristics and time to
      progression and death for each patient. All analyses took into account the trial
      and original randomised treatment group. We analysed data in two ways: a two
      stage analysis and a multivariate model including patient and disease
      characteristics. FINDINGS: Seven trials including 2315 patients were analysed.
      Overall survival of patients improved with MR compared with no MR (hazard ratio
      [HR] 0.79, 95% CI 0.66-0.96). We could not detect any patient or disease
      characteristics that were associated with a survival benefit with MR. In all of
      the models, MR had a beneficial effect on overall survival compared with
      observation for all types of patients, which was not shown in a particular
      subgroup in which the patient had already received rituximab in the induction
      phase and received first-line therapy. MR improved PFS compared with observation
      (HR 0.57, 95% CI 0.51-0.64). The risk of adverse events was higher with MR,
      specifically infection of any grade and grade 3-4 infections. INTERPRETATION:
      Based on IPD from randomised controlled trials, MR improves overall survival
      consistently in all patients, regardless of patient and disease characteristics
      when compared with observation, and should be prescribed after a successful
      induction with R-CVP or R-CHOP for patients with follicular lymphoma. It is still
      uncertain if that holds when the patient has already received rituximab in
      his/hers first induction. The effect of MR after bendamustine-rituximab induction
      compared with rituximab at progression should be further explored.

PMID- 28336304
TI  - Management of adult infectious encephalitis in metropolitan France.
AB  - Infectious encephalitis is a severe disease leading to a high mortality and
      morbidity. The most frequent causes include Herpes simplex virus, Varicella
      Zoster virus, Listeria monocytogenes, and Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Urgent
      treatment is required (anti-infective therapy and nonspecific supportive care).
      The aim of this study was to define treatment strategy, empirical and after
      microbiological documentation at 48hours, through a systematic literature review.

PMID- 28336306
TI  - Efficacy of Acellular Nerve Allografts in Trigeminal Nerve Reconstruction.
AB  - PURPOSE: During trigeminal nerve repair, a gap is sometimes encountered that
      prevents the tension-free apposition of nerve endings. The use of a processed
      acellular nerve allograft is a novel technique that shows promise in overcoming
      this problem. The goal of the present study was to support the slowly evolving
      body of evidence that acellular processed nerve allografts (Avance; Axogen,
      Alachua, FL) are a viable alternative to autogenous nerve grafting and the use of
      conduits for reconstructing defects of the trigeminal nerve. PATIENTS AND
      METHODS: The study design consisted of a retrospective review of the medical
      records of patients referred to Rutgers School of Dental Medicine for management
      of trigeminal nerve injuries from July 2008 to August 2014. Sixteen patients met
      the inclusion criteria for the present study. All patients underwent nerve
      grafting using a processed nerve allograft. All operations were performed by the
      same surgeon (V.Z.). Serial neurosensory testing was performed by 1 clinician
      (V.Z.) in a standardized fashion. The primary outcome variable was the interval
      to functional sensory recovery as defined by the Medical Research Council Scale.
      RESULTS: The participants ranged in age from 16 to 62 years (mean 32). Of the 16
      patients, 12 were female (75%) and 4 were male (25%), and 3 were smokers (18.75%)
      and 13 were nonsmokers (81.25%). One half of the patients (n = 8; 50%) underwent
      surgery on the inferior alveolar nerve, and 8 (50%) underwent surgery on the
      lingual nerve. The most common mechanism of injury was impacted third molar
      removal (n = 9; 56.25%) Of the 16 patients, 15 (93.75%) achieved functional
      sensory recovery during the study period. CONCLUSIONS: The results of the present
      study support the hypothesis that processed nerve allografts are effective in
      reconstructing small (<2-cm) trigeminal nerve defects.

PMID- 28336305
TI  - From point process observations to collective neural dynamics: Nonlinear Hawkes
      process GLMs, low-dimensional dynamics and coarse graining.
AB  - This review presents a perspective on capturing collective dynamics in recorded
      neuronal ensembles based on multivariate point process models, inference of low
      dimensional dynamics and coarse graining of spatiotemporal measurements. A
      general probabilistic framework for continuous time point processes reviewed,
      with an emphasis on multivariate nonlinear Hawkes processes with exogenous
      inputs. A point process generalized linear model (PP-GLM) framework for the
      estimation of discrete time multivariate nonlinear Hawkes processes is described.
      The approach is illustrated with the modeling of collective dynamics in
      neocortical neuronal ensembles recorded in human and non-human primates, and
      prediction of single-neuron spiking. A complementary approach to capture
      collective dynamics based on low-dimensional dynamics ("order parameters")
      inferred via latent state-space models with point process observations is
      presented. The approach is illustrated by inferring and decoding low-dimensional
      dynamics in primate motor cortex during naturalistic reach and grasp movements.
      Finally, we briefly review hypothesis tests based on conditional inference and
      spatiotemporal coarse graining for assessing collective dynamics in recorded
      neuronal ensembles.

PMID- 28336308
TI  - Robotic Intracorporeal Continent Cutaneous Diversion.
AB  - PURPOSE: Robotic intracorporeal urinary diversion has mostly been done for ileal
      conduit or orthotopic neobladder diversion. We present what is to our knowledge
      the initial series, detailed technique and outcomes of the robotic intracorporeal
      Indiana pouch with a minimum 1-year followup. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Ten patients
      underwent robotic radical cystectomy, pelvic lymphadenectomy and intracorporeal
      Indiana pouch urinary diversion for cancer in 9 and benign disease in 1. Data
      were collected prospectively. Baseline demographics, pathology data, and 1-year
      complication rates and functional outcomes were assessed. RESULTS: All 10 cases
      were successfully completed intracorporeally without open conversion. Median
      total operative time was 6 hours, including 3.5 hours for pouch creation. Median
      blood loss was 200 cc and median hospital stay was 10 days. Four Clavien grade 1
      2 and 3 Clavien 3-5 complications occurred. None of the patients had a bowel
      leak. One noncompliant patient requested undiversion to an ileal conduit. The
      remaining 9 patients successfully catheterized the ileal channel and were
      completely continent at the last followup at a median of 13.7 months (range 12.3
      to 15.2). Study limitations include small sample size and short followup.
      CONCLUSIONS: We present what is to our knowledge the initial series of robotic
      completely intracorporeal Indiana pouch diversion. Early perioperative data
      indicate acceptable operative efficiency and complication rates. Longer followup
      is required to assess the functional outcomes of this less commonly performed
      diversion.

PMID- 28336307
TI  - Measuring RNA structure transcriptome-wide with icSHAPE.
AB  - RNA molecules can be found at the heart of nearly every aspect of gene
      regulation: from gene expression to protein translation. The ability of RNA
      molecules to fold into intricate structures guides their function. Chemical
      methods to measure RNA structure have been part of the RNA biologists toolkit for
      several decades. These methods, although often cumbersome and difficult to
      perform on large RNAs, are notable for their accuracy and precision of structural
      measurements. Recent extension of these methods to transcriptome-wide analyses
      has opened the door to interrogating the structure of complete RNA molecules
      inside cells. Within this manuscript we describe the biochemical basis for the
      methodology behind a novel technology, icSHAPE, which measures RNA flexibility
      and single-strandedness in RNA. Novel methods such as icSHAPE have greatly
      expanded our understanding of RNA function and have paved the way to expansive
      analyses of large groups of RNA structures as they function inside the native
      environment of the cell.

PMID- 28336309
TI  - Usefulness of the ElliPro epitope predictor program in defining the repertoire of
      HLA-ABC eplets.
AB  - HLA matching at the epitope level offers new opportunities to identify suitable
      donors for transplant patients. The International HLA Epitope Registry
      (www.Epregistry.com.br) describes for the various HLA loci, repertoires of eplets
      including those that correspond to epitopes experimentally verified with specific
      antibodies. There are also many eplets which have remained as theoretical
      entities because no informative antibodies have been found. Which of them have
      immunogenic potential or conversely, might be considered as non-epitopes that
      cannot elicit specific antibody responses? This question is important for the
      application of epitope-based HLA matching in clinical transplantation. Correct
      predictions of B-cell epitopes on antigenic proteins are essential to the
      effective design of microbial vaccines and the development of specific antibodies
      used in immunotherapy and immunodiagnostics but prediction programs based on
      structural and physiochemical properties of amino acid residues are generally
      ineffective. Recent prediction programs based on three-dimensional structures of
      antigen-antibody complexes are more promising. One such program is called ElliPro
      developed by Ponomarenko. This report describes studies demonstrating that
      ElliPro can predict alloantibody responses to HLA-ABC eplets. Antibody-verified
      eplets have amino acid residues with much higher ElliPro scores than eplets for
      which no specific antibodies have been found. The latter group includes residues
      with very low ElliPro scores; they appear to represent eplets that might be
      classified as non-epitopes. In conclusion, ElliPro offers a new approach to
      characterize epitope repertoires that are clinically relevant in HLA matching.

PMID- 28336310
TI  - Regulatory role of CCL5 (rs2280789) and CXCL10 (rs56061981) gene polymorphisms on
      intracellular CCL5 and CXCL10 expression in pulmonary tuberculosis.
AB  - Genetic variations in chemokine genes influence the chemoattractive properties of
      T cells which may be associated with outcome of infections. In present study, we
      have investigated the regulatory role played by In1.1T/C (rs2280789) polymorphism
      of CCL5 and -135G/A (rs56061981) polymorphism of CXCL10 gene on intracellular
      CCL5 and CXCL10 expression in T cells. Whole blood cell cultures were stimulated
      with culture filtrate antigen (CFA) and infected with live M. tuberculosis were
      used for intracellular CCL5 and CXCL10 expression using flow cytometry.
      Genotyping was performed using polymerase chain reaction based restriction
      fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP). Significantly higher expression of CCL5
      expressing CD3+ and CD3+ CD8+ T cells were observed in HCs with In1.1TT genotype
      compared to C allele carrier (TT+TC) under unstimulated and CFA induced cultures
      (p<0.05). In -135G/A (rs56061981) polymorphism, PTB patients with GG genotype
      showed a significantly decreased expression of CD3+ CXCL10+ and CD3+ CD4+ CXCL10+
      T cells compared to A allele carrier (GA+AA) under unstimulated, CFA induced and
      M. tuberculosis infected cultures (P<0.05). The present study suggest that TT
      genotype of CCL5 In1.1T/C (rs2280789) polymorphism play an important role to
      increased CCL5 expression in T cell which may enhanced Th1 immunity and help in
      protection against tuberculosis. The study also suggests GG genotype of CXCL10 
      135G/A (rs56061981) polymorphism decreased CXCL10 expression in T cells which may
      have defective recruitment of mononuclear cells at the site of infection as well
      granuloma formation and in turn contribute to progression of TB.

PMID- 28336311
TI  - Polyclonal dissemination of KPC-2 in Serratia marcescens, including a clone with
      epidemic behaviour in the nosocomial niche.

PMID- 28336312
TI  - Old antibiotics for emerging multidrug-resistant/extensively drug-resistant
      tuberculosis (MDR/XDR-TB).
AB  - Recently, multidrug-resistant tuberculosis (MDR-TB) has become a therapeutic
      challenge. In addition to drug resistance, drug adverse events, intravenous
      delivery, cost and availability of some antibiotics in low-income countries have
      led to a look back to old drugs, especially those efficient against closely
      related organisms such as Mycobacterium leprae. Here we review the available
      drugs that respect the conditions above and could be upgraded to first-line
      therapy for treating MDR-TB and extensively drug-resistant tuberculosis (XDR-TB).

PMID- 28336313
TI  - Vancomycin-resistant enterococci colonisation, risk factors and risk for
      infection among hospitalised paediatric patients: a systematic review and meta
      analysis.
AB  - The objective of this study was to estimate the rate and significance of
      colonisation with vancomycin-resistant enterococci (VRE) among hospitalised
      children. The PubMed and EMBASE databases were systematically searched (last
      accessed on 29 May 2016) to identify studies evaluating VRE colonisation of the
      gastrointestinal tract of hospitalised children in non-outbreak periods. Of 945
      non-duplicate citations, 19 studies enrolling 20 234 children were included. The
      overall and paediatric intensive care unit (PICU) rate of VRE colonisation were
      both 5% [95% confidence interval (CI) 3-8% overall and 95% CI 2-9% in the PICU]
      but was 23% in haematology/oncology units (95% CI 18-29%). Studies that were
      exclusively performed in haematology/oncology units reported significantly higher
      rates compared with all other studies in the univariate and multivariate analyses
      (P = 0.001). Previous vancomycin [risk ratio (RR) = 4.34, 95% CI 2.77-6.82] or
      ceftazidime (RR = 4.15, 95% CI 2.69-6.40) use was a risk factor for VRE
      colonisation. Importantly, VRE colonisation increased the risk of subsequent VRE
      infection (RR = 8.75, 95% CI 3.19-23.97). In conclusion, a high rate of VRE
      colonisation was found among hospitalised children in institutions that performed
      targeted screening. Importantly, colonised children were almost 9 times more
      likely to develop subsequent VRE infection. Judicious use of specific antibiotics
      along with intensification of infection control measures should be considered in
      high-prevalence institutions. Also, the high incidence of VRE colonisation among
      children with haematological/oncological diseases identifies a high-risk
      population.

PMID- 28336314
TI  - Non-linear van't Hoff behavior in pulmonary surfactant model membranes.
AB  - Pulmonary surfactant exhibits phase coexistence over a wide range of surface
      pressure and temperature. Less is known about the effect of temperature on
      pulmonary surfactant models. Given the lack of studies on this issue, we used
      electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) and nonlinear least-squares (NLLS)
      simulations to investigate the thermotropic phase behavior of the matrix that
      mimics the pulmonary surfactant lipid complex, i.e., the lipid mixture composed
      of dipalmitoyl phosphatidylcholine (DPPC), palmitoyl-oleoyl phosphatidylcholine
      (POPC) and palmitoyl-oleoyl phosphatidylglycerol (POPG). Irrespective of pH, the
      EPR spectra recorded from 5 degrees C to 25 degrees C in the DPPC/POPC/POPG
      (4:3:1) model membrane contain two spectral components corresponding to lipids in
      gel-like and fluid-like phases, indicating a coexistence of two domains in that
      range. The temperature dependence of the distribution of spin labels between the
      domains yielded nonlinear van't Hoff plots. The thermodynamic parameters
      evaluated were markedly different for DPPC and for the ternary DPPC/POPC/POPG
      (4:3:1) membranes and exhibited a dependence on chemical environment. While
      enthalpy and entropy changes for DPPC were always positive and presented a
      quadratic behavior with temperature, those of the ternary mixture were linearly
      dependent on temperature and changed from negative to positive values. Despite
      that, enthalpy-entropy compensation takes place in the two systems. The
      thermotropic process associated with the coexistence of the two domains is
      entropically-driven in DPPC and either entropically- or enthalpically-driven in
      the pulmonary surfactant membrane depending on the pH, ionic strength and
      temperature. The significance of these results to the structure and function of
      the pulmonary surfactant lipid matrix is discussed.

PMID- 28336318
TI  - Concentric muscle involvement in POLG-related distal myopathy.

PMID- 28336316
TI  - Effects of age and soybean isoflavones on hepatic cholesterol metabolism and
      thyroid hormone availability in acyclic female rats.
AB  - Soy-food and its isoflavones, genistein (G) and daidzein (D), were reported to
      exert mild cholesterol-lowering effect, but the underlying mechanism is still
      unclear. In this research, first we studied age-related alterations in hepatic
      cholesterol metabolism of acyclic middle-aged (MA) female rats. Then we tested if
      purified isoflavones may prevent or reverse these changes, and whether putative
      changes in hepatic thyroid hormone availability may be associated with this
      effect. Serum and hepatic total cholesterol (TChol), bile acid and cholesterol
      precursors, as well as serum TSH and T4 concentrations, hepatic deiodinase (Dio)
      1 enzyme activity and MCT8 protein expression were determined by comparing data
      obtained for MA with young adult (YA) intact (IC) females. Effects of
      subcutaneously administered G or D (35mg/kg) to MA rats were evaluated versus
      vehicle-treated MA females. MA IC females were characterized by: higher (p<0.05)
      serum TChol, lower (p<0.05) hepatic TChol and its biosynthetic precursors, lower
      (p<0.05) hepatic 7alpha-hydroxycholesterol but elevated (p<0.05) 27- and 24
      hydroxycholesterol in comparison to YA IC. Both isoflavone treatments decreased
      (p<0.05) hepatic 27-hydroxycholesterol, G being more effective than D, without
      affecting any other parameter of Chol metabolism. Only G elevated hepatic Dio1
      activity (p<0.05). In conclusion, age-related hypercholesteremia was associated
      with lower hepatic Chol synthesis and shift from main neutral (lower 7alpha
      hydroxycholesterol) to alternative acidic pathway (higher 27-hydroxycholesterol)
      of Chol degradation to bile acid. Both isoflavones lowered hepatic 27
      hydroxycholesterol, which may be considered beneficial. Only G treatment
      increased hepatic Dio1 activity, thus indicating local increase in thyroid
      hormones, obviously insufficient to induce prominent cholesterol-lowering effect.

PMID- 28336315
TI  - Cardiolipin and mitochondrial cristae organization.
AB  - A fundamental question in cell biology, under investigation for over six decades,
      is the structural organization of mitochondrial cristae. Long known to harbor
      electron transport chain proteins, crista membrane integrity is key to
      establishment of the proton gradient that drives oxidative phosphorylation.
      Visualization of cristae morphology by electron microscopy/tomography has
      provided evidence that cristae are tube-like extensions of the mitochondrial
      inner membrane (IM) that project into the matrix space. Reconciling
      ultrastructural data with the lipid composition of the IM provides support for a
      continuously curved cylindrical bilayer capped by a dome-shaped tip. Strain
      imposed by the degree of curvature is relieved by an asymmetric distribution of
      phospholipids in monolayer leaflets that comprise cristae membranes. The
      signature mitochondrial lipid, cardiolipin (~18% of IM phospholipid mass), and
      phosphatidylethanolamine (34%) segregate to the negatively curved monolayer
      leaflet facing the crista lumen while the opposing, positively curved, matrix
      facing monolayer leaflet contains predominantly phosphatidylcholine. Associated
      with cristae are numerous proteins that function in distinctive ways to establish
      and/or maintain their lipid repertoire and structural integrity. By combining
      unique lipid components with a set of protein modulators, crista membranes adopt
      and maintain their characteristic morphological and functional properties. Once
      established, cristae ultrastructure has a direct impact on oxidative
      phosphorylation, apoptosis, fusion/fission as well as diseases of compromised
      energy metabolism.

PMID- 28336317
TI  - Lethal multiple pterygium syndrome: A severe phenotype associated with a novel
      mutation in the nebulin gene.
AB  - Fetal akinesia deformation sequence is a clinically and genetically heterogeneous
      disorder characterized by a variable combination of fetal akinesia, intrauterine
      growth restriction, developmental abnormalities such as cystic hygroma, hydrops
      fetalis, pulmonary hypoplasia, occasional arthrogryposis, and pterygia. The
      pathogenetic mechanisms of fetal akinesia deformation sequence include
      neuropathy, muscular disorders, neuromuscular junction disorders, maternal
      myasthenia gravis, restrictive dermopathy and others. We here report an Egyptian
      family presenting with recurrent lethal multiple pterygium syndrome. The
      diagnosis was based on antenatal sonographic demonstration of complete fetal
      akinesia and a large cystic hygroma with severe limb contractures evident on
      postmortem examination. Next generation sequencing performed on the second
      affected fetus identified a novel homozygous essential splice-site variant in the
      nebulin gene. In conclusion, our report adds further evidence for the involvement
      of the nebulin gene in the etiology of fetal akinesia deformation sequence/lethal
      multiple pterygium syndrome.

PMID- 28336320
TI  - Preliminary research on DNA methylation changes during murine palatogenesis
      induced by TCDD.
AB  - 2,3,7,8-Tetrachlrodibenzo-p-dioxin (TCDD) has been shown to induce cleft palate
      through growth factor and receptor expression changes during palatogenesis. DNA
      methylation is an important epigenetic modification that can regulate gene
      expressions and may be involved in TCDD-induced cleft palate. In this study, we
      investigated the effects of TCDD on the global and CpG DNA methylation status and
      the expression levels of DNA methyltransferases (Dnmts) in palate tissue of fetal
      mice. Pregnant C57BL/6J mice were administered with corn oil or TCDD 28 MUg/kg at
      gestation day 10.5(GD10.5), and sacrificed at GD13.5, 14.5, 15.5. Fetal palates
      were collected for molecular analysis. Global DNA methylation status was detected
      by MethylampTM Global DNA Methylation Quantification Ultra Kit. The expression of
      DNA methyltransferases were examined by quantitative real-time PCR(q-PCR).
      Methylation Specific PCR (MSP) was performed to analyze CpG methylation status of
      Dnmts. We found that the global DNA methylation level and the expression of
      Dnmt3a were higher at GD13.5 in the TCDD group. The methylation level of CpG site
      2 in the promoter region of Dnmt3a in the control group was higher than that of
      the TCDD group at GD13.5. The low CpG methylation level of Dnmt3a at GD13.5 which
      causes the up-expression of Dnmt3a may induce global hypermethylation in fetal
      palate tissue. The aberrant global methylation status at GD13.5 may be the cause
      of palate malformation in fetal mice induced by TCDD.

PMID- 28336319
TI  - Influence of gender of the teaching staff on students' acceptance of a virtual
      implant planning course.
AB  - Acceptance of new technology is influenced by a number of situational and social
      factors. So far, only limited data are available on the influence of the teaching
      staff's gender on the acceptance of virtual dental implant planning by students.
      This study aimed at assessing the influence of the teaching staff's gender on the
      acceptance of a virtual implant planning course by male and female undergraduate
      dental students and their general attitude toward implantology. Two groups of
      third-year dental students (group 1, 9 males, 22 females; group 2, 12 males, 20
      females) attended a virtual dental implant planning course. For the first group
      the teaching staff was all-male, while the teaching staff was all-female for the
      second group. After completion of the course the students filled in a technology
      acceptance questionnaire. An all-female teaching staff led to a degree of
      technology acceptance that did not differ significantly for male and female
      students. When the teaching staff was all-male, significant differences for
      technology acceptance occurred between male and female students. However, male as
      well as female students attributed the practice of implantology to both genders
      of dentists, equally, without statistically significant difference independent of
      the gender of the teaching staff. The more evenly distributed degree of
      technology acceptance of students of both genders being taught by a female staff
      is a favorable effect which may be explained by the more egalitarian style of
      women. Therefore, while feminization in dentistry proceeds, adequate measures
      should be taken to increase the number of female teachers.

PMID- 28336321
TI  - The histological and histomorphometric changes in the mandible after
      radiotherapy: An animal model.
AB  - PURPOSE: Approximately 5% of irradiated head and neck cancer patients develop
      osteoradionecrosis of the mandible. The current non-surgical treatment options
      for osteoradionecrosis have limited effects and are based on a small number of
      studies. Therefore, we aimed to enhance the understanding of the pathophysiology
      of osteoradionecrosis by investigating changes induced by external irradiation in
      mini-pigs. METHODS: Sixteen Gottingen mini-pigs were divided into four groups for
      the application in two fractions with total equivalent radiation dosages of 25,
      50, 70 Gray, and one group served as control. Thirteen weeks after irradiation,
      the left lateral teeth the mandible were removed and implants were placed. The
      pigs were sacrificed twenty-six weeks after irradiation, and the bone samples
      were stained with Masson's trichrome. RESULTS: The amount of fibrosis, resorption
      lacunae, necrosis, and the woven/lamellar bone ratios were increased after higher
      radiation dosages. The diameter of the lumen of the inferior alveolar artery was
      reduced depending on the irradiation dosages. The rate of bone remodeling
      decreased after irradiation. CONCLUSION: Both surgery and increasing irradiation
      dosages cause architectural bone changes and damage the vascularization. This
      might result in a chronic hypoxic state of the mandibular bone. In general, the
      bone formation rate was markedly decreased after radiotherapy.

PMID- 28336322
TI  - A novel semi-automatic segmentation protocol for volumetric assessment of
      alveolar cleft grafting procedures.
AB  - A novel protocol for volumetric assessment of alveolar cleft grafting procedures
      is presented. Eleven cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT) datasets of patients
      who underwent secondary alveolar cleft reconstructive surgery for a unilateral
      alveolar cleft were evaluated by two investigators. Residual bone volumes 1 year
      after surgery were analysed using a semi-automated technique in which
      preoperative CBCT datasets were superimposed on the postoperative scans using
      voxel-based registration. To define the correct boundaries of the alveolar cleft
      defect in the preoperative CBCT dataset, a mirror image of the preoperative CBCT
      dataset was superimposed on the preoperative CBCT dataset. For the difference in
      residual bone volume between the two observers, an intraclass correlation of 0.98
      and a Dice coefficient of 0.89 were found. This study describes a reliable
      segmentation protocol for volumetric analysis of the alveolar cleft defect in
      patients with a unilateral alveolar cleft.

PMID- 28336324
TI  - First detection of Klebsiella pneumoniae producing OXA-48 in fresh vegetables
      from Bejaia city, Algeria.

PMID- 28336325
TI  - Allogeneic Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation Is Underutilized in Older
      Patients with Myelodysplastic Syndromes.
AB  - Allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HCT) is the only curative
      treatment for myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS). The proportion of MDS patients
      referred for transplantation evaluation, those undergoing transplantation, and
      the reasons for not undergoing transplantation are unknown. In this retrospective
      analysis, predefined HCT eligibility and indications criteria were applied to 362
      unselected patients with newly diagnosed MDS seen by leukemia faculty between
      2008 and 2015 at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center. Two hundred ninety-four
      patients (81%) were deemed eligible for transplantation and among these,
      transplantation was considered indicated in 244 (83%). Of these, 158 of 244 (65%)
      were referred for transplantation evaluation at a median of 3.9 months from
      diagnosis. Overall 120 of 362 (33%) underwent transplantation at a median of 7.7
      months from diagnosis. Metastatic solid-organ malignancy was the major reason for
      transplantation ineligibility (54%), and death due to MDS, which occurred in 41%
      of candidates who did not undergo transplantation, was the major reason for not
      undergoing transplantation. Factors associated with a lower likelihood of
      referral for transplantation evaluation included age >=65 (P < .001), >=2
      comorbidities (P = .008), intermediate-1/low risk MDS (P < .001), <5% blasts at
      diagnosis (overall P < .001), having Medicare/Medicaid health insurance (P <
      .001), not being married (P = .017), and diagnosis between 2008 and 2011 (P =
      .035). On multivariate analysis adjusting for all of the previous factors,
      diagnosis between 2008 and 2011 (P < .001), age >=65 (P = .001), and <5% blasts
      at diagnosis (overall P = .031) were associated with a lower likelihood of
      referral for transplantation evaluation. Factors associated with a lower
      likelihood of undergoing transplantation included age >=65 (P < .001), >=2
      comorbidities (P = .003), intermediate-1/low risk MDS (P < .001), <5% blasts
      (overall P < .001), very low/low/intermediate risk International Prognostic
      Scoring System-revised karyotype (P = .018), and having Medicare/Medicaid health
      insurance (P < .001). In multivariate analysis adjusting for all of the previous
      factors, age >=65 (P = .021), presence of >=2 comorbidities (P = .018), and <5%
      blasts (overall P = .011) were associated with a lower likelihood of undergoing
      transplantation. The results highlight that transplantation for MDS remains
      underutilized, particularly for candidates over the age of 65.

PMID- 28336323
TI  - M1 muscarinic activation induces long-lasting increase in intrinsic excitability
      of striatal projection neurons.
AB  - The dorsolateral striatum is critically involved in movement control and motor
      learning. Striatal function is regulated by a variety of neuromodulators
      including acetylcholine. Previous studies have shown that cholinergic activation
      excites striatal principal projection neurons, medium spiny neurons (MSNs), and
      this action is mediated by muscarinic acetylcholine subtype 1 receptors (M1)
      through modulating multiple potassium channels. In the present study, we used
      electrophysiology techniques in conjunction with optogenetic and pharmacological
      tools to determine the long-term effects of striatal cholinergic activation on
      MSN intrinsic excitability. A transient increase in acetylcholine release in the
      striatum by optogenetic stimulation resulted in a long-lasting increase in
      excitability of MSNs, which was associated with hyperpolarizing shift of action
      potential threshold and decrease in afterhyperpolarization (AHP) amplitude,
      leading to an increase in probability of EPSP-action potential coupling. The M1
      selective antagonist VU0255035 prevented, while the M1 selective positive
      allosteric modulator (PAM) VU0453595 potentiated the cholinergic activation
      induced persistent increase in MSN intrinsic excitability, suggesting that M1
      receptors are critically involved in the induction of this long-lasting response.
      This M1 receptor-dependent long-lasting change in MSN intrinsic excitability
      could have significant impact on striatal processing and might provide a novel
      mechanism underlying cholinergic regulation of the striatum-dependent motor
      learning and cognitive function. Consistent with this, behavioral studies
      indicate that potentiation of M1 receptor signaling by VU0453595 enhanced
      performance of mice in cue-dependent water-based T-maze, a dorsolateral striatum
      dependent learning task.

PMID- 28336326
TI  - Oxidative stress and genes regulation of cerebral malaria upon Zizyphus spina
      christi treatment in a murine model.
AB  - The development and spread of multidrug-resistant strains of malarial parasites
      have led to an overwhelming increase in the resistance to current antimalarial
      drugs. The urgent need for alternative antimalarial drugs has directed some of
      the current studies toward folkloric medicine approaches. Interestingly, the
      Zizyphus spina Cristi leaf extract (ZLE) has been found to exhibit antiplasmodial
      activity. This study evaluated the protective effect of ZLE against Plasmodium
      berghei-induced cerebral tissue injuries in mice. Male C57Bl/6 mice received an
      injection of P. berghei-infected red blood cells. Mice were divided into three
      groups (control, infected, and ZLE-treated), and were subjected to histological,
      biochemical, and molecular analyses. Murine malaria infections induced
      significant weight loss; however, upon ZLE treatment, the weight of mice was
      markedly restored. Additionally, infected mice showed brain histopathological
      changes and induction of oxidative damage. Significantly, ZLE treatment restored
      the levels of oxidative markers and antioxidant enzyme to the normal ranges. The
      mRNA expression of several genes in the brain of mice including Cacnb4, Adam23,
      Glrb, Vdac3, and Cabp1 was significantly upregulated during P. berghei infection.
      In contrast, ZLE markedly reduced the mRNA expression of these genes. To
      conclude, the results indicate that ZLE could play an important role in reducing
      the destructive effect of P. berghei-induced cerebral malaria owing to its
      antiplasmodial and antioxidant activities.

PMID- 28336327
TI  - Galectin-1-driven upregulation of SDF-1 in pancreatic stellate cells promotes
      pancreatic cancer metastasis.
AB  - Galectin-1, mainly expressed in activated pancreatic stellate cells (PSCs), is
      involved in many important cancer-related processes. However, very little is
      known how Galectin-1 modulates PSCs and subsequently impacts pancreatic cancer
      cells (PCCs). Our chemokine antibody array and in vitro studies demonstrates that
      Galectin-1 induces secretion of stromal cell-derived factor-1(SDF-1) in PSCs by
      activating NF-kappaB signaling. The secreted SDF-1 increases migration and
      invasion of PCCs. Knockdown of Galectin-1 and inhibitor-mediated blockade of SDF
      1 as well as its ligand CXCR4 and NF-kappaB verifies the findings. In vivo
      experiment by knockdown of Galectin-1 in PSCs further demonstrates the
      conclusion. Collectively, the present studies demonstrate that Galectin-1-driven
      production of SDF-1 in PSCs through activation of NF-kappaB promotes metastasis
      in PDAC, offering a potential target in the treatment of pancreatic cancer.

PMID- 28336328
TI  - Bone healing is achievable despite extensive wound dehiscence and wide plate and
      screws exposure in children.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Extensive wound dehiscence and wide plate and screw exposure in the
      early weeks following orthopaedic surgery in children is usually managed either
      by extensive debridement, lavage and secondary closure or hardware removal and
      external fixation. PATIENTS: Three children with LCP plate and screws exposure
      were managed by simple repetitive debridement and local wound care without any IV
      antibiotics, nor secondary closure or hardware removal. All three cases occurred
      in the tibia, one following tibial osteotomy in lateral hemimelia with a long
      history of previous surgeries, one following wide excision of a tibial Ewing
      sarcoma with chemo- and radiotherapy, and the third following wide excision of a
      12cm necrotic tibial segment due to chronic osteomyelitis. Bone healing was
      uneventful in 2 cases and was in progress in the case with the Ewing sarcoma.
      Plate and screws were removed in all cases, following an obvious bone healing in
      2 cases, and forced by the need for chemotherapy due to the presence of lung
      metastases in the third case. Spontaneous soft tissue healing occurred
      thereafter. CONCLUSION: A stable fixation may lead to a good bone healing despite
      an extensive wound dehiscence and a wide plate and screws exposure with just a
      proper local wound care and without any major additional surgery. LEVEL OF
      EVIDENCE: Level IV.

PMID- 28336329
TI  - An aromatic amino acid within intracellular loop 2 of the prostaglandin EP2
      receptor is a prerequisite for selective association and activation of Galphas.
AB  - We previously demonstrated that the aromatic moiety of Tyr143 within the
      intracellular loop 2 (ICL2) region of the prostaglandin EP2 receptor plays a
      crucial role in Gs coupling. Here we investigated whether the ICL2 of the EP2
      receptor directly binds to Galphas and whether an aromatic moiety affects this
      interaction. In Chinese hamster ovary cells, mutations of Tyr143 reduced the
      ability of the EP2 receptor to interact with G proteins as demonstrated by
      GTPgammaS sensitivity, as well as the ability of agonist-induced cAMP formation,
      with the rank order of Phe>Tyr (wild-type)=Trp>Leu>Ala (=0). We found that the
      wild-type ICL2 peptide (i2Y) and its mutant with Phe at Tyr143 (i2F) inhibited
      receptor-G protein complex formation of wild-type EP2 in membranes, whereas the
      Ala-substituted mutant (i2A) did not. Specific interactions between these
      peptides and the Galphas protein were detected by surface plasmon resonance, but
      Galphas showed different association rates, with a rank order of i2F>i2Y?i2A,
      with similar dissociation rates. Moreover, i2F and i2Y, but not i2A activated
      membrane adenylyl cyclase. These results indicate that the ICL2 region of the EP2
      receptor is its potential interaction site with Galphas, and that the aromatic
      side chain moiety at position 143 is a determinant for the accessibility of the
      ICL2 to the Galphas protein.

PMID- 28336330
TI  - Requirement of cytosolic phospholipase A2 gamma in lipid droplet formation.
AB  - Lipid droplet (LD) accumulation in hepatocytes is a typical character of
      steatosis. Hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection, one of the risk factors related to
      steatosis, induced LD accumulation in cultured cells. However, the mechanisms of
      which HCV induce LD formation are not fully revealed. Previously we identified
      cytosolic phospholipase A2 gamma (PLA2G4C) as a host factor upregulated by HCV
      infection and involved in HCV replication. Here we further revealed that PLA2G4C
      plays an important role in LD biogenesis and refined the functional analysis of
      PLA2G4C in LD biogenesis and HCV assembly. LD formation upon fatty acid and HCV
      stimulation in PLA2G4C knockdown cells was impaired and could not be restored by
      complementation with PLA2G4A. PLA2G4C was tightly associated in the membrane with
      the domain around the amino acid residues 260-292, normally in ER but relocated
      into LDs upon oleate stimulation. Mutant PLA2G4C without enzymatic activity was
      not able to restore LD formation in PLA2G4C knockdown cells. Thus, both the
      membrane attachment and the enzymatic activity of PLA2G4C were required for its
      function in LD formation. The participation of PLA2G4C in LD formation is
      correlated with its involvement in HCV assembly. Finally, PLA2G4C overexpression
      itself led to LD formation in hepatic cells and enhanced LD accumulation in the
      liver of high-fat diet (HFD)-fed mice, suggesting its potential role in fatty
      liver disease.

PMID- 28336331
TI  - Are neutral loss and internal product ions useful for top-down protein
      identification?
AB  - : Neutral loss and internal product ions have been found to be significant in
      both peptide and protein tandem mass spectra and they have been proposed to be
      included in database search and for protein identification. In addition to common
      canonical b/y ions in collision-based dissociation or c/z ions in electron-based
      dissociation, inclusion of neutral loss and internal product ions would certainly
      make better use of tandem mass spectra data; however, their ultimate utility for
      protein identification with false discovery rate control remains unclear. Here we
      report our proteome-level utility benchmarking of neutral loss and internal
      product ions with tandem mass spectra of intact E. coli proteome. Utility of
      internal product ions was further evaluated at the protein level using selected
      tandem mass spectra of individual E. coli proteins. We found that both neutral
      loss and internal products ions do not have direct utility for protein
      identification when they were used for scoring of P Score; but they do have
      indirect utility for provision of more canonical b/y ions when they are included
      in the database search and overlapping ions between different ion types are
      resolved. BIOLOGICAL SIGNIFICANCE: Tandem mass spectrometry has evolved to be a
      state-of-the-art method for characterization of protein primary structures
      (including amino acid sequence, post-translational modifications (PTMs) as well
      as their site location), where full study and utilization tandem mass spectra and
      product ions are indispensable. This primary structure information is essential
      for higher order structure and eventual function study of proteins.

PMID- 28336333
TI  - Lithium recycling and cathode material regeneration from acid leach liquor of
      spent lithium-ion battery via facile co-extraction and co-precipitation
      processes.
AB  - A novel process for extracting transition metals, recovering lithium and
      regenerating cathode materials based on facile co-extraction and co-precipitation
      processes has been developed. 100% manganese, 99% cobalt and 85% nickel are co
      extracted and separated from lithium by D2EHPA in kerosene. Then, Li is recovered
      from the raffinate as Li2CO3 with the purity of 99.2% by precipitation method.
      Finally, organic load phase is stripped with 0.5M H2SO4, and the cathode material
      LiNi1/3Co1/3Mn1/3O2 is directly regenerated from stripping liquor without
      separating metal individually by co-precipitation method. The regenerative
      cathode material LiNi1/3Co1/3Mn1/3O2 is miro spherical morphology without any
      impurities, which can meet with LiNi1/3Co1/3Mn1/3O2 production standard of China
      and exhibits good electrochemical performance. Moreover, a waste battery
      management model is introduced to guarantee the material supply for spent battery
      recycling.

PMID- 28336332
TI  - How to use and integrate bioinformatics tools to compare proteomic data from
      distinct conditions? A tutorial using the pathological similarities between
      Aortic Valve Stenosis and Coronary Artery Disease as a case-study.
AB  - : Nowadays we are surrounded by a plethora of bioinformatics tools, powerful
      enough to deal with the large amounts of data arising from proteomic studies, but
      whose application is sometimes hard to find. Therefore, we used a specific
      clinical problem - to discriminate pathophysiology and potential biomarkers
      between two similar cardiovascular diseases, aortic valve stenosis (AVS) and
      coronary artery disease (CAD) - to make a step-by-step guide through four
      bioinformatics tools: STRING, DisGeNET, Cytoscape and ClueGO. Proteome data was
      collected from articles available on PubMed centered on proteomic studies
      enrolling subjects with AVS or CAD. Through the analysis of gene ontology
      provided by STRING and ClueGO we could find specific biological phenomena
      associated with AVS, such as down-regulation of elastic fiber assembly, and with
      CAD, such as up-regulation of plasminogen activation. Moreover, through Cytoscape
      and DisGeNET we could pinpoint surrogate markers either for AVS (e.g. popeye
      domain containing protein 2 and 28S ribosomal protein S36, mitochondrial) or for
      CAD (e.g. ankyrin repeat and SOCS box protein 7) which deserve future validation.
      Data recycling and integration as well as research orientation are among the main
      advantages of resorting to bioinformatics analysis, hence these tutorials can be
      of great convenience for proteomics investigators. BIOLOGICAL SIGNIFICANCE: As we
      saw for aortic valve stenosis and coronary artery disease, it can be of great
      relevance to perform preliminary bioinformatics analysis with already published
      proteomics data. It not only saves us time in the lab (avoiding work duplication)
      as it points out new hypothesis to explain the phenotypical presentation of the
      diseases as well as new surrogate markers with clinical relevance, deserving
      future scrutiny. These essential steps can be easily overcome if one follows the
      steps proposed in our tutorial for STRING, DisGeNET, Cytoscape and ClueGO
      utilization.

PMID- 28336334
TI  - Agricultural utilization of biosolids: A review on potential effects on soil and
      plant grown.
AB  - Environmental and economic implications linked with the proper ecofriendly
      disposal of modern day wastes, has made it essential to come up with alternative
      waste management practices that reduce the environmental pressures resulting from
      unwise disposal of such wastes. Urban wastes like biosolids are loaded with
      essential plant nutrients. In this view, agricultural use of biosolids would
      enable recycling of these nutrients and could be a sustainable approach towards
      management of this hugely generated waste. Therefore biosolids i.e. sewage sludge
      can serve as an important resource for agricultural utilization. Biosolids are
      characterized by the occurrence of beneficial plant nutrients (essential elements
      and micro and macronutrients) which can make help them to work as an effective
      soil amendment, thereby minimizing the reliance on chemical fertilizers. However,
      biosolids might contain toxic heavy metals that may limit its usage in the
      cropland. Heavy metals at higher concentration than the permissible limits may
      lead to food chain contamination and have fatal consequences. Biosolids amendment
      in soil can improve physical and nutrient property of soil depending on the
      quantity and portion of the mixture. Hence, biosolids can be a promising soil
      ameliorating supplement to increase plant productivity, reduce bioavailability of
      heavy metals and also lead to effective waste management.

PMID- 28336335
TI  - Management of spent shea waste: An instrumental characterization and valorization
      in clay bricks construction.
AB  - This work studies the reuse of spent shea waste as an economic construction
      material in improving fired clay bricks manufacture aside providing a novel
      approach to ecofriendly managing its excessive generated from the shea
      agroindustry. For this purpose, the influence of spent shea waste addition on the
      chemical, mineralogical, molecular bonding and technological properties (i.e.
      compressive strength and water absorption) of the fired clay bricks were
      extensively investigated. The results indicated that the chemical, mineralogical,
      phase transformations, molecular bonding and thermal behavior of the produced
      bricks were practically unaffected by the addition of spent shea waste. However,
      spent shea waste addition increased the compressive strengths and water
      absorptions of the brick products. Potential performance benefits of reusing
      spent shea waste was improved fluxing agents, energy-contribution reaction,
      excellent porosifying effect, reduced thermal conductivity and enhanced
      compressive strengths of the brick products. This research has therefore provided
      compelling evidence that could create newfound route for the synergistic
      ecofriendly reuse of spent shea waste to enhance clay brick construction aside
      being a potential mainstream disposal option.

PMID- 28336336
TI  - Sunbed use among 64,000 Danish students and the associations with demographic
      factors, health-related behaviours, and appearance-related factors.
AB  - Sunbed use is associated with an increased risk for skin cancer and is
      particularly dangerous for younger persons. The objective of this study was to
      assess how demographic factors, health-related behaviours and appearance-related
      factors are associated with sunbed use. Cross-sectional data from the Danish
      National Youth Study collected by the National Institute of Public Health during
      2014 was used. A total of 64,382 students aged 15-25years were included in the
      present study. Multilevel logistic regression analyses were used to determine
      associations. Sunbed use during the past 12months was reported by 22% of
      students, with a higher proportion among females (29%) than males (12%). Factors
      associated with sunbed use were older age, studying at a vocational college or a
      higher preparatory examination school compared to upper secondary school, and
      lower parental education. Furthermore, being a smoker, been binge-drinking,
      longer duration of exercise and been dieting were also associated with sunbed
      use. For females, poor dietary habits were also associated with sunbed use.
      Feeling overweight was associated with lower odds for sunbed use for males, but
      with higher odds for females. Lower body satisfaction was associated with higher
      odds of sunbed use, except for overweight males. Students who were underweight
      had lower odds for sunbed use, than normal weight students. Conclusively, we
      found evidence of associations between demographic factors, health-related
      behaviours and appearance-related factors and sunbed use. Understanding these
      relations could help to identify high-risk groups and guide preventive strategies
      for sunbed use and skin cancer prevention.

PMID- 28336337
TI  - Mismatch negativity as a potential neurobiological marker of early-stage
      Alzheimer disease and vascular dementia.
AB  - Alzheimer's disease (AD) and vascular dementia (VD) are serious, irreversible
      forms of cognitive impairment, which means that an early diagnosis is essential
      to slow down their progression. One potential neurophysiological biomarker of
      these diseases is the mismatch negativity (MMN) event-related potentials (ERP)
      component, which reflects an automatic detection mechanism at the pre-attentive
      stages of information processing. We evaluated the auditory MMN response in
      individuals from two patient groups: those in the prodromal stages of AD (P-AD)
      and those in the prodromal stages of VD (P-VD). Thirty patients (15 P-AD patients
      and 15 P-VD patients) and 30 age-matched controls were recruited to undergo
      electrophysiological recordings during the presentation of an auditory deviant
      standard-reverse oddball paradigm that was used to elicit genuine MMN responses.
      We show that over the frontal-central area, the mean amplitude of the MMN was
      significantly reduced in both the P-AD (p=0.017) and P-VD groups (p=0.013)
      compared with controls. The MMN peak latency in P-VD patients was significantly
      shorter than in controls (p=0.027). No MMN response differences between the P-AD
      and P-VD were found in either the frontal-central or the temporal areas. These
      results indicate that P-AD and P-VD patients exhibit impaired pre-attentive
      information processing mechanisms as revealed by the frontal-central area MMN
      response, which is associated with sensory memory and cognitive deficits.

PMID- 28336338
TI  - Knockdown of APPL mimics transgenic Abeta induced neurodegenerative phenotypes in
      Drosophila.
AB  - A variety of Drosophila mutant lines have been established as potential disease
      models to study various disease mechanisms including human neurodegenerative
      diseases like Alzheimer's disease (AD), Huntington's disease (HD) and Parkinson's
      disease (PD). The evolutionary conservation of APP (Amyloid Precursor Protein)
      and APPL (Amyloid Precursor Protein-Like) and the comparable detrimental effects
      caused by their metabolic products strongly implies the conservation of their
      normal physiological functions. In view of this milieu, a comparative analysis on
      the pattern of neurodegenerative phenotypes between Drosophila APPL-RNAi line and
      transgenic Drosophila line expressing eye tissue specific human Abeta (Amyloid
      beta) was undertaken. Our results clearly show that Drosophila APPL-RNAi largely
      mimics transgenic Abeta in various phenotypes which include eye degeneration,
      reduced longevity and motor neuron deficit functions, etc. The ultra-structural
      morphological pattern of eye degeneration was confirmed by scanning electron
      microscopy. Further, a comparative study on longevity and motor behaviour between
      Abeta expressing and APPL knockdown lines revealed similar kind of behavioural
      deficit and longevity phenotypes. Therefore, it is suggested that APPL-knockdown
      approach can be used as an alternative approach to study neurodegenerative
      diseases in the fly model. To the best of our knowledge this is the first report
      showing comparable phenotypes between APPL and Abeta in AD model of Drosophila.

PMID- 28336339
TI  - Optimal feature selection from fNIRS signals using genetic algorithms for BCI.
AB  - In this paper, a novel technique for determination of the optimal feature
      combinations and, thereby, acquisition of the maximum classification performance
      for a functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS)-based brain-computer
      interface (BCI), is proposed. After obtaining motor-imagery and rest signals from
      the motor cortex, filtering is applied to remove the physiological noises. Six
      features (signal slope, signal mean, signal variance, signal peak, signal
      kurtosis and signal skewness) are then extracted from the oxygenated hemoglobin
      (HbO). Afterwards, the hybrid genetic algorithm (GA)-support vector machine (SVM)
      is applied in order to determine and classify 2- and 3-feature combinations
      across all subjects. The SVM classifier is applied to classify motor imagery
      versus rest. Moreover, four time windows (0-20s, 0-10s, 11-20s and 6-15s) are
      selected, and the hybrid GA-SVM is applied in order to extract the optimal 2- and
      3-feature combinations. In the present study, the 11-20s time window showed
      significantly higher classification accuracies - the minimum accuracy was 91% -
      than did the other time windows (p<0.05). The proposed hybrid GA-SVM technique,
      by selecting optimal feature combinations for an fNIRS-based BCI, shows positive
      classification-performance-enhancing results.

PMID- 28336340
TI  - Basal prolactin levels in rat plasma correlates with response to antidepressant
      treatment in animal model of depression.
AB  - Prolactin (PRL) has been shown to be altered by psychotropic drugs, including
      antidepressant drugs (ADs). Many studies have focused on the response to
      antidepressant treatment (especially related to the serotonergic system) using
      the fenfluramine test (PRF), however some data suggest lack of correlation
      between PRF and prediction of clinical response to ADs. In our study we have
      investigated the hypothesis that basal plasma level of prolactin is a better
      predictor of antidepressant treatment. We have used Chronic Mild Stress (CMS) -
      the animal model of depression. Rats are exposed to CMS in combination with
      imipramine (IMI) treatment for 5 consecutive weeks. Blood samples were collected
      from the rat tail vein three times: before the CMS procedure, after 2 weeks of
      stress and after the complete CMS procedure (after 5 weeks of stress and IMI
      treatment). The PRL level in plasma was determined using the commercially
      available ELISA kit. In CMS, anhedonia in rats is manifested by reduced
      consumption of sucrose solution while administration of antidepressant drugs
      reverses anhedonia. Some animals (ca.30%) did not respond to antidepressant
      therapy and were considered treatment-resistant. There was no correlation between
      basal PRL levels and stress response, however, from the results obtained by
      Spearman Rank Correlation analysis we have observed a significant negative
      correlation between basal PRL levels before the CMS procedure and behavioral
      response to IMI administration. The obtained results indicate that the basal PRL
      level in rat plasma correlates with a good response to treatment in the animal
      model of depression.

PMID- 28336341
TI  - Visuospatial information processing load and the ratio between parietal cue and
      target P3 amplitudes in the Attentional Network Test.
AB  - In ERP studies of cognitive processes during attentional tasks, the cue signals
      containing information about the target can increase the amplitude of the
      parietal cue P3 in relation to the 'neutral' temporal cue, and reduce the
      subsequent target P3 when this information is valid, i.e. corresponds to the
      target's attributes. The present study compared the cue-to-target P3 ratios in
      neutral and visuospatial cueing, in order to estimate the contribution of valid
      visuospatial information from the cue to target stages of the task performance,
      in terms of cognitive load. The P3 characteristics were also correlated with the
      results of individuals' performance of the visuospatial tasks, in order to
      estimate the relationship of the observed ERP with spatial reasoning. In 20
      typically developing boys, aged 10-13 years (11.3+/-0.86), the intelligence
      quotient (I.Q.) was estimated by the Block Design and Vocabulary subtests from
      the WISC-III. The subjects performed the Attentional Network Test (ANT)
      accompanied by EEG recording. The cued two-choice task had three equiprobable cue
      conditions: No cue, with no information about the target; Neutral (temporal) cue,
      with an asterisk in the center of the visual field, predicting the target onset;
      and Spatial cues, with an asterisk in the upper or lower hemifield, predicting
      the onset and corresponding location of the target. The ERPs were estimated for
      the mid-frontal (Fz) and mid-parietal (Pz) scalp derivations. In the Pz, the
      Neutral cue P3 had a lower amplitude than the Spatial cue P3; whereas for the
      target ERPs, the P3 of the Neutral cue condition was larger than that of the
      Spatial cue condition. However, the sums of the magnitudes of the cue and target
      P3 were equal in the spatial and neutral cueing, probably indicating that in both
      cases the equivalent information processing load is included in either the cue or
      the target reaction, respectively. Meantime, in the Fz, the analog ERP components
      for both the cue and target stimuli did not depend on the cue condition. The
      results show that, in the parietal site, the spatial cue P3 reflects the
      processing of visuospatial information regarding the target position. This
      contributes to the subsequent "decision-making", thus reducing the information
      processing load on the target response, which is probably reflected in the lower
      P3. This finding is consistent with the positive correlation of parietal cue P3
      with the individual's ability to perform spatial tasks as scored by the Block
      Design subtest.

PMID- 28336342
TI  - Pharmacological assessments of potent A2A receptor antagonist IDPU (1-(7-imino-3
      propyl-2,3-dihydrothiazolo[4,5-d]pyrimidin-6(7H)-yl)urea) in rodent model of
      haloperidol induced Parkinson like symptoms.
AB  - A2A receptor antagonists emerged as potential candidate for management of
      Parkinson's disease. Earlier we had reported the therapeutic potential of 1-(7
      imino-3-propyl-2,3-dihydrothiazolo[4,5-d]pyrimidin-6(7H)-yl) urea (IDPU) as A2A
      receptor antagonist. Herein, we have investigated the effect of IDPU in
      attenuation of haloperidol induced Parkinson like symptoms in rats. It has
      successfully restored hypo-locomotion induced by haloperidol and NECA. IDPU also
      displayed protective effect against oxidative stress induced by chronic
      haloperidol treatment in rats. The antidepressant activity of IDPU was determined
      in mice showed that it imperatively reduced depression like symptoms in well
      established depression models viz. TST and FST. Additionally, IDPU was found to
      be a safe and non-toxic chemical entity in acute, sub-acute and neurotoxicity
      studies. In silico study of IDPU showed acceptable physicochemical parameters and
      in vitro screening exhibited satisfactory metabolic stability. This study clearly
      indicates that A2A receptor antagonist IDPU is able to ameliorate Parkinsonian
      symptoms without exerting any significant toxicity.

PMID- 28336343
TI  - Viral delivered gene therapy to treat catecholaminergic polymorphic ventricular
      tachycardia (CPVT2) in mouse models.
AB  - BACKGROUND: The recessive form of catecholaminergic polymorphic ventricular
      tachycardia 2 (CPVT2) is caused by mutations in cardiac calsequestrin (CASQ2),
      leading to protein deficiency. OBJECTIVES: The aims of this study were to develop
      a viral-delivered gene therapy for CPVT2 and to determine the relationship
      between CASQ2 expression and antiarrhythmic efficacy in a murine model. METHODS:
      We used a murine model of CPVT2 caused by the D307H human mutation (CASQ2D307H)
      or CASQ2 knockout (CASQ2Delta/Delta). Adeno-associated virus (AAV) particles
      containing the CASQ2 gene (AAVCASQ2) were injected into the heart or
      intraperitoneally to 12-week-old mice. A telemetry device was implanted, and mice
      underwent provocation testing 7-8 weeks after gene therapy. RESULTS:
      CASQ2Delta/Delta mice injected intracardiacally with AAVCASQ2 expressed 40% +/-
      25% of the normal CASQ2 protein level, which was increased compared to untreated
      CASQ2Delta/Delta mice (n = 10; P < .05). Intraperitoneal therapy led to a
      significantly elevated expression of the CASQ2 protein, which was comparable in
      CASQ2D307H (n = 12) and CASQ2Delta/Delta (n = 4) mice. All control mice with
      CPVT2 had nonsustained ventricular tachycardia (VT) and 8 of 13 had sustained VT
      on provocation. Expressing >=33% of the normal CASQ2 level was needed to protect
      from nonsustained VT as well as stress-induced premature ventricular
      contractions. Lower levels of expression prevented sustained VT in AAVCASQ2
      treated mice (0 of 26; P < .001 vs controls). CONCLUSION: AAVCASQ2 displays a
      long-lasting capacity to attenuate and potentially cure CPVT2. Systemic delivery
      is feasible and convenient, reproducibly providing adequate levels of transgene
      expression. Antiarrhythmic efficacy depends on the CASQ2 level: >=33% of the
      normal CASQ2 level is needed to prevent arrhythmia. However, even lower levels of
      protein protect from sustained VT, thereby potentially reducing the risk of
      sudden death.

PMID- 28336344
TI  - Participation Restriction in People With Multiple Sclerosis: Prevalence and
      Correlations With Cognitive, Walking, Balance, and Upper Limb Impairments.
AB  - OBJECTIVES: To calculate the percentage of participation restrictions according
      to disability level in multiple sclerosis (MS), and to assess the relationship
      between participation restrictions and cognitive, gait, balance, and upper limb
      deficits. DESIGN: Cross-sectional study. SETTING: Rehabilitation unit.
      PARTICIPANTS: Participants (N=125) consisted of people with MS (n=105) and
      healthy subjects (HS; n=20). INTERVENTIONS: Not applicable. MAIN OUTCOME
      MEASURES: The Community integration Questionnaire was used to assess
      participation in home, social, and productive activities. Percentages of people
      with MS having Community Integration Questionnaire scores lower than the 10th
      percentile of those of HS were calculated for each subscale to categorize the
      persons with participation restrictions. Cognitive deficits (Symbol Digit
      Modalities Test), walking disability (25-ft walking test/Expanded Disability
      Status Scale [EDSS]), balance disorders (Bohannon Standing Balance Test), and
      manual dexterity (Nine Hole Peg Test) were recorded. RESULTS: Seventy-seven
      percent of participants showed participation restrictions, which increased with
      higher EDSS scores from 40% (EDSS<4) to 82% (EDSS>5.5). Social participation was
      more restricted than home integration, with <20% of participants shopping for
      groceries alone. Cognitive deficits were more highly associated (r=.60) with
      participation restrictions than balance (r=.47), gait (r=-.45), and hand
      dexterity (r=.45) limitations. CONCLUSIONS: Participation restrictions are
      present in MS and increase with disability level. However, the results also show
      that MS does not restrict participation in all domains. Participation
      restrictions at home are less restricted compared with social participation.
      Cognitive disorders are more associated with participation restrictions than
      physical limitations.

PMID- 28336345
TI  - Dancing for Parkinson Disease: A Randomized Trial of Irish Set Dancing Compared
      With Usual Care.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: To examine the feasibility of a randomized controlled study design and
      to explore the benefits of a set dancing intervention compared with usual care.
      DESIGN: Randomized controlled design, with participants randomized to Irish set
      dance classes or a usual care group. SETTING: Community based. PARTICIPANTS:
      Individuals with idiopathic Parkinson disease (PD) (N=90). INTERVENTIONS: The
      dance group attended a 1.5-hour dancing class each week for 10 weeks and
      undertook a home dance program for 20 minutes, 3 times per week. The usual care
      group continued with their usual care and daily activities. MAIN OUTCOME
      MEASURES: The primary outcome was feasibility, determined by recruitment rates,
      success of randomization and allocation procedures, attrition, adherence, safety,
      willingness of participants to be randomized, resource availability, and cost.
      Secondary outcomes were motor function (motor section of the Unified Parkinson's
      Disease Rating Scale), quality of life (Parkinson's Disease Questionnaire-39),
      functional endurance (6-min walk test), and balance (mini-BESTest). RESULTS:
      Ninety participants were randomized (45 per group). There were no adverse effects
      or resource constraints. Although adherence to the dancing program was 93.5%,
      there was >40% attrition in each group. Postintervention, the dance group had
      greater nonsignificant gains in quality of life than the usual care group. There
      was a meaningful deterioration in endurance in the usual care group. There were
      no meaningful changes in other outcomes. The exit questionnaire showed
      participants enjoyed the classes and would like to continue participation.
      CONCLUSIONS: For people with mild to moderately severe PD, set dancing is
      feasible and enjoyable and may improve quality of life.

PMID- 28336346
TI  - Antiviral activity of the adenosine analogue BCX4430 against West Nile virus and
      tick-borne flaviviruses.
AB  - There are currently no approved antiviral therapies against medically important
      human flaviviruses. The imino-C-nucleoside BCX4430 shows broad-spectrum antiviral
      activity against a wide range of RNA viruses. Here, we demonstrate that BCX4430
      inhibits tick-borne species of the genus Flavivirus; however, the antiviral
      effect varies against individual species. Micro-molar BCX4430 levels inhibited
      tick-borne encephalitis virus (TBEV); while, approximately 3-8-fold higher
      concentrations were needed to inhibit louping ill virus and Kyasanur Forest
      disease virus. Moreover, the compound strongly inhibited in vitro replication of
      West Nile virus, a typical mosquito-transmitted flavivirus. Two chemical forms of
      the compound, i.e. BCX4430 and BCX4430 hydrochloride, were compared and both
      exerted similar inhibitory profiles in our in vitro antiviral assay systems and
      no or negligible cytotoxicity in porcine kidney stable and Vero cells. The
      obtained data indicate that, in addition to mosquito-borne flaviviruses, the
      compound has strong antiviral activity against members of the TBEV serocomplex.

PMID- 28336347
TI  - Solution conformations of a linked construct of the Zika virus NS2B-NS3 protease.
AB  - The Zika virus presents a serious risk for global health. Crystal structures of
      different constructs of the Zika virus NS2B-NS3 protease (NS2B-NS3pro) have been
      determined with the aim to provide a basis for rational drug discovery. In these
      structures, the C-terminal beta-hairpin of NS2B, NS2Bc, was observed to be either
      disordered (open conformation) or bound to NS3pro complementing the substrate
      binding site (closed conformation). Enzymatically active constructs of flaviviral
      NS2B-NS3 proteases commonly used for inhibitor testing contain a covalent peptide
      linker between NS2B and NS3pro. Using a linked construct of Zika virus NS2B
      NS3pro, we studied the location of NS2Bc relative to NS3pro in solution by
      pseudocontact shifts generated by a paramagnetic lanthanide tag attached to
      NS3pro. Both closed and open conformations were observed with different
      inhibitors. As the NS2B co-factor is involved in substrate binding of flaviviral
      NS2B-NS3 proteases, the destabilization of the closed conformation in the linked
      construct makes it an attractive tool to search for inhibitors that interfere
      with the formation of the enzymatically active, closed conformation.

PMID- 28336348
TI  - Neurovascular uncoupling after rapid glycemic control as a trigger of the
      diabetic-uremic striatopallidal syndrome.

PMID- 28336349
TI  - Decisional capacity for advanced care directives in Parkinson's disease with
      cognitive concerns.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: Physician Orders for Life Sustaining Therapies (POLST) or Goals of
      Care (GOC) are legal documents to guide intensity of interventions (ICU,
      resuscitation, hospitalization or comfort care) completed by healthcare
      professionals following counseling of patients or their designated medical
      decision makers. Capacity (understanding, appreciation, reasoning and expressing
      a choice) to consent to POLST or GOC has not been determined among Parkinson's
      disease (PD) patients. We sought to assess GOC PD decisional capacity for those
      with cognitive complaints but not dementia. METHODS: Fifty consecutive PD
      patients were recruited from the Movement Disorders Program. Mini Mental Status
      Examination (MMSE), Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) and the MacArthur
      Competency Assessment Test (MacCAT) for GOC were administered. RESULTS: Mean MMSE
      and MOCA was 27.76 and 24.5 respectively. Twenty subjects had impaired executive
      function. MacCAT correlated with MoCA and MMSE (p < 0.001, 0.001) but despite
      impaired understanding, appreciation and reasoning among some subjects, all
      subjects expressed a choice. CONCLUSIONS: This exploratory study demonstrates PD
      with cognitive concerns had a range in decisional capacity with lower MoCA and
      MMSE scores predicting impaired MacCAT subscores. Clinicians should be aware that
      cognitive complaints without dementia may impact capacity. Despite impairments in
      understanding, appreciation or reasoning, patients may still express a choice.
      Hence, a choice in this setting may not represent their true values and goals.
      GOC discussions require explicit determination of the domains of capacity.
      Discussions regarding GOC should occur early in the course of PD.

PMID- 28336350
TI  - Smoking as a Risk Factor for the Occurrence of Atrial Fibrillation in Men Versus
      Women: A Meta-Analysis of Prospective Cohort Studies.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Although smoking is known to be associated with cardiovascular
      diseases, the number of large-scale cohort studies on the association between
      smoking and atrial fibrillation (AF) is limited and the results obtained are also
      inconsistent, and even fewer studies have addressed the difference between the
      male and female genders. The present study was intended to clarify and quantify
      the association between smoking and the risk of AF in men versus women. METHODS:
      Using AF- and smoking-related keywords, a comprehensive literature search on
      PubMed, Embase and Web of Science was conducted with a time limit until December
      2016, which was followed by manual screening, quality assessment and data
      extraction. The pooled relative risk (RR) of the included studies was estimated
      by using the random-effects model. Subgroup, heterogeneity and sensitivity
      analyses were also conducted. RESULTS: A total of 14 prospective studies and
      222,159 individuals were included in this meta-analysis, and the pooled RR of the
      14 studies was 1.24 (95% CI, 1.12-1.36; p<0.0001) for the occurrence of AF in
      smoking populations. The pooled RR in men was 1.38 (95% CI, 1.21-1.57 p<0.0001)
      versus 1.28 in women (95% CI, 0.93-1.76; p=0.1356). The male-to-female ratio of
      relative risk (RRR) was 1.17 (95% CI, 0.84-1.63; p=0.3418) of smoking versus non
      smoking individuals. CONCLUSION: Smoking is a risk factor for the occurrence of
      AF. Compared with women, male smokers are more likely to develop AF.

PMID- 28336351
TI  - Proposed Medicare Coverage for Diabetes Prevention: Strengths, Limitations, and
      Recommendations for Improvement.

PMID- 28336352
TI  - Accessibility and Affordability of Supermarkets: Associations With the DASH Diet.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: It is unknown whether there is an interplay of affordability
      (economic accessibility) and proximity (geographic accessibility) of supermarkets
      in relation to having a Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH)-accordant
      diet. METHODS: Data (collected: 2005-2015, analyzed: 2016) were from the cross
      sectional, population-based Fenland Study cohort: 9,274 adults aged 29-64 years,
      living in Cambridgeshire, United Kingdom. Dietary quality was evaluated using an
      index of DASH dietary accordance, based on recorded consumption of foods and
      beverages in a validated 130-item, semi-quantitative food frequency
      questionnaire. DASH accordance was defined as a DASH score in the top quintile.
      Dietary costs (L/day) were estimated by attributing a food price variable to the
      foods consumed according to the questionnaire. Individuals were classified as
      having low-, medium-, or high-cost diets. Supermarket affordability was
      determined based on the cost of a 101-item market basket. Distances between home
      address to the nearest supermarket (geographic accessibility) and nearest
      economically-appropriate supermarket (economic accessibility) were divided into
      tertiles. RESULTS: Higher-cost diets were more likely to be DASH-accordant. After
      adjustment for key demographics and exposure to other food outlets, individuals
      with lowest economic accessibility to supermarkets had lower odds of being DASH
      accordant (OR=0.59, 95% CI=0.52, 0.68) than individuals with greatest economic
      accessibility. This association was stronger than with geographic accessibility
      alone (OR=0.85, 95% CI=0.74, 0.98). CONCLUSIONS: Results suggest that geographic
      and economic access to food should be taken into account when considering
      approaches to promote adherence to healthy diets for the prevention of
      cardiovascular diseases and other chronic disease.

PMID- 28336354
TI  - Educational Disparities in Mortality Between Adults Aged 50-64 and 66-79 Years,
      U.S.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: This study estimated differences in educational disparities in
      mortality between ages 50-64 and 66-79 years in the U.S. and explored factors
      contributing to the differences. METHODS: Based on the follow-up of a nationally
      representative cohort in the National Longitudinal Mortality Study 2002-2011,
      relative differences in educational disparities (relative index of inequality)
      between people aged 50-64 and 66-79 years were calculated for deaths from all
      causes, cancer, cardiovascular disease, injuries, and other causes by sex and
      race/ethnicity. Analyses were conducted in 2016. RESULTS: In all racial/ethnic-,
      sex-, and age-specific groups, death rates were higher among the least educated
      than the most educated groups for all causes combined and most specific causes
      except for injuries in non-Hispanic blacks. Among non-Hispanic whites, the
      relative index of inequality for all causes combined among the younger and older
      age groups was 5.6 (95% CI=4.9, 6.5) and 2.8 (95% CI=2.6, 3.0), respectively.
      Among non-Hispanic blacks, corresponding index values were 4.1 (95% CI=3.6, 4.6)
      and 1.7 (95% CI=1.6, 1.8). Larger disparities in the younger age group were also
      observed for cardiovascular disease, cancer, and other causes among non-Hispanic
      whites, non-Hispanic blacks, and all races combined. CONCLUSIONS: Educational
      disparities in mortality among non-Hispanic whites and blacks were 41%-61% lower
      in people aged 66-79 years than in those aged 50-64 years. Various factors may
      contribute to diminished disparities in the elderly, including differences in
      access to care, health perception, stress level, lifestyle, and health behaviors
      with advancing age and retirement.

PMID- 28336353
TI  - Effectiveness of Switching Smoking-Cessation Medications Following Relapse.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: Nicotine dependence is a chronic disorder often characterized by
      multiple failed quit attempts (QAs). Yet, little is known about the sequence of
      methods used across multiple QAs or how this may impact future ability to abstain
      from smoking. This prospective cohort study examines the effectiveness of
      switching smoking-cessation medications (SCMs) across multiple QAs. METHODS:
      Adult smokers (aged >=18 years) participating in International Tobacco Control
      surveys in the United Kingdom, U.S., Canada, and Australia (N=795) who: (1)
      completed two consecutive surveys between 2006 and 2011; (2) initiated a QA at
      least 1 month before each survey; and (3) provided data for the primary predictor
      (SCM use during most recent QA), outcome (1-month point prevalence abstinence),
      and relevant covariates. Analyses were conducted in 2016. RESULTS: Five SCM user
      classifications were identified: (1) non-users (43.5%); (2) early users (SCM used
      for initial, but not subsequent QA; 11.4%); (3) later users (SCM used for
      subsequent, but not initial QA; 18.4%); (4) repeaters (same SCM used for both
      QAs; 10.7%); and (5) switchers (different SCM used for each QA; 14.2%).
      Abstinence rates were lower for non-users (15.9%, OR=0.48, p=0.002), early users
      (16.6%, OR=0.27, p=0.03), and repeaters (12.4%, OR=0.36, p=0.004) relative to
      switchers (28.5%). CONCLUSIONS: Findings suggest smokers will be more successful
      if they use a SCM in QAs and vary the SCM they use across time. That smokers can
      increase their odds of quitting by switching SCMs is an important message that
      could be communicated to smokers.

PMID- 28336355
TI  - Estimated HIV Inter-test Interval Among People at High Risk for HIV Infection in
      the U.S.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: Knowing the HIV testing frequency and its temporal changes are
      central to evaluate public adherence to HIV testing recommendations and
      performance of HIV prevention programs. This study intended to estimate the mean
      HIV inter-test interval (ITI) and monitor its trends among men who have sex with
      men (MSM); people who inject drugs (PWID); and high-risk heterosexuals (HRH).
      METHODS: Using National HIV Behavioral Surveillance data collected during 2008
      2015, this analysis estimated the mean HIV ITI for each year by race/ethnicity
      and age among MSM, PWID, and HRH who reported the most recent HIV test date.
      Separate statistical models based on renewal process theory were fit using PROC
      NLIN with Newton-Raphson method. Estimated mean HIV ITI lengths were compared
      using the z-test. RESULTS: Estimated HIV ITI generally decreased in the past
      decade among MSM, PWID, and HRH who reported the most recent HIV test date. In
      most recent study years, estimated HIV ITI (in months) ranged from 5.8 to 12.5
      among MSM, from 9.0 to 13.1 among PWID, and from 15.3 to 26.7 among HRH. Within
      each risk group, estimated HIV ITI was shortest among blacks and individuals aged
      18-24 years. CONCLUSIONS: People at high risk for HIV infection who ever tested
      for HIV tested more frequently in the past decade. Most recently, MSM and PWID
      largely adhered to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's HIV testing
      recommendations, but HRH tested less frequently. Identifying factors associated
      with infrequent testing among HRH may provide information for future HIV testing
      initiatives.

PMID- 28336356
TI  - Primary Enforcement of Mandatory Seat Belt Laws and Motor Vehicle Crash Deaths.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: Policies that allow directly citing motorists for seat belt non-use
      (primary enforcement) have been shown to reduce motor vehicle crash deaths
      relative to secondary enforcement, but the evidence base is dated and does not
      account for recent improvements in vehicle designs and road safety. The purpose
      of this study was to test whether recent upgrades to primary enforcement still
      reduce motor vehicle crash deaths. METHODS: In 2016, researchers used motor
      vehicle crash death data from the Fatal Analysis Reporting System for 2000-2014
      and calculated rates using both person- and exposure-based denominators.
      Researchers used a difference-in-differences design to estimate the effect of
      primary enforcement on death rates, and estimated negative binomial regression
      models, controlling for age, substance use involvement, fixed state
      characteristics, secular trends, state median household income, and other state
      level traffic safety policies. RESULTS: Models adjusted only for crash
      characteristics and state-level covariates models showed a protective effect of
      primary enforcement (rate ratio, 0.88, 95% CI=0.77, 0.98; rate difference, -1.47
      deaths per 100,000 population, 95% CI= -2.75, -0.19). After adjustment for fixed
      state characteristics and secular trends, there was no evidence of an effect of
      upgrading from secondary to primary enforcement in the whole population (rate
      ratio, 0.98, 95% CI=0.92, 1.04; rate difference, -0.22, 95% CI= -0.90, 0.46) or
      for any age group. CONCLUSIONS: Upgrading to primary enforcement no longer
      appears protective for motor vehicle crash death rates.

PMID- 28336357
TI  - Assessment of vestibulo-ocular function without measuring eye movements.
AB  - BACKGROUND: The vestibulo-ocular reflex (VOR) maintains stable gaze during head
      motion. Deficiencies lead to apparent world motion due to incomplete
      stabilization of eyes in space. VOR measurement requires specialized apparatus,
      trained operators, and significant setup time. NEW METHOD: We present a system
      (VON: vestibulo-ocular nulling) for rapid vestibulo-ocular assessment without
      measuring eye movements per se. VON uses a head-mounted motion sensor, laptop
      computer with user input control, and laser target whose position is controlled
      by the computer. As the head moves, the target is made to move in the same manner
      with a gain set by the subject. When the subject sets the gain so the target
      appears stationary in space, it is stationary on the retinas. One can determine
      from this gain the extent to which the eyes move in space when the head moves,
      which is the amount by which the VOR is deficient. From this the gain of the
      compensatory eye movements is derived. RESULTS: VON was compared with
      conventional video-based VOR measures. Both methods track expected changes in
      gain over 20min of adaptation to minifying spectacles. VON measures are more
      consistent across subjects, and pre-adaptation values are closer to compensatory.
      COMPARISON WITH EXISTING METHOD: VON is a rapid means to assess vestibulo-ocular
      performance. As a functional perceptual measure, it accounts for gaze-stabilizing
      contributions that are not apparent in the standard VOR, such as pursuit and
      perceptual tolerance. CONCLUSIONS: VON assesses functional VOR performance.
      Future implementations will make VOR assessment widely available to investigators
      and clinicians.

PMID- 28336358
TI  - Assessing hemispheric specialization for processing arithmetic skills in adults:
      A functional transcranial doppler ultrasonography (fTCD) study.
AB  - BACKGROUND: A major model of the cerebral circuits that underpin arithmetic
      calculation is the triple-code model of numerical processing. This model proposes
      that the lateralization of mathematical operations is organized across three
      circuits: a left-hemispheric dominant verbal code; a bilateral magnitude
      representation of numbers and a bilateral Arabic number code. NEW METHOD: This
      study simultaneously measured the blood flow of both middle cerebral arteries
      using functional transcranial Doppler ultrasonography to assess hemispheric
      specialization during the performance of both language and arithmetic tasks. The
      propositions of the triple-code model were assessed in a non-clinical adult group
      by measuring cerebral blood flow during the performance of multiplication and
      subtraction problems. Participants were 17 adults aged between 18-27 years. We
      obtained laterality indices for each type of mathematical operation and compared
      these in participants with left-hemispheric language dominance. It was
      hypothesized that blood flow would lateralize to the left hemisphere during the
      performance of multiplication operations, but would not lateralize during the
      performance of subtraction operations. RESULTS: Hemispheric blood flow was
      significantly left lateralized during the multiplication task, but was not
      lateralized during the subtraction task. COMPARISON WITH EXISTING METHOD(S):
      Compared to high spatial resolution neuroimaging techniques previously used to
      measure cerebral lateralization, functional transcranial Doppler ultrasonography
      is a cost-effective measure that provides a superior temporal representation of
      arithmetic cognition. CONCLUSIONS: These results provide support for the triple
      code model of arithmetic processing and offer complementary evidence that
      multiplication operations are processed differently in the adult brain compared
      to subtraction operations.

PMID- 28336359
TI  - Enrichment and isolation of neurons from adult mouse brain for ex vivo analysis.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Isolation of neurons from the adult mouse CNS is important in order
      to study their gene expression during development or the course of different
      diseases. NEW METHODS: Here we present two different methods for the enrichment
      or isolation of neurons from adult mouse CNS. These methods: are either based on
      flow cytometry sorting of eYFP expressing neurons, or by depletion of non
      neuronal cells by sorting with magnetic-beads. RESULTS: Enrichment by FACS
      sorting of eYFP positive neurons results in a population of 62.4% NeuN positive
      living neurons. qPCR data shows a 3-5fold upregulation of neuronal markers. The
      isolation of neurons based on depletion of non-neuronal cells using the Miltenyi
      Neuron Isolation Kit, reaches a purity of up to 86.5%. qPCR data of these
      isolated neurons shows an increase in neuronal markers and an absence of glial
      markers, proving pure neuronal RNA isolation. COMPARISON WITH EXISTING METHODS:
      Former data related to neuronal gene expression are mainly based on histology,
      which does not allow for high-throughput transcriptome analysis to examine
      differential gene expression. CONCLUSION: These protocols can be used to study
      cell type specific gene expression of neurons to unravel their function in the
      process of damage to the CNS.

PMID- 28336362
TI  - Broad Ligament Ectopic Pregnancy after Bilateral Tubal Ligation.

PMID- 28336360
TI  - GAIN: A graphical method to automatically analyze individual neurite outgrowth.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Neurite outgrowth is a metric widely used to assess the success of in
      vitro neural stem cell differentiation or neuron reprogramming protocols and to
      evaluate high-content screening assays for neural regenerative drug discovery.
      However, neurite measurements are tedious to perform manually, and there is a
      paucity of freely available, fully automated software to determine neurite
      measurements and neuron counting. To provide such a tool to the neurobiology,
      stem cell, cell engineering, and neuroregenerative communities, we developed an
      algorithm for performing high-throughput neurite analysis in immunofluorescent
      images. NEW METHOD: Given an input of paired neuronal nuclear and cytoskeletal
      microscopy images, the GAIN algorithm calculates neurite length statistics linked
      to individual cells or clusters of cells. It also provides an estimate of the
      number of nuclei in clusters of overlapping cells, thereby increasing the
      accuracy of neurite length statistics for higher confluency cultures. GAIN
      combines image processing for neuronal cell bodies and neurites with an algorithm
      for resolving neurite junctions. RESULTS: GAIN produces a table of neurite
      lengths from cell body to neurite tip per cell cluster in an image along with a
      count of cells per cluster. COMPARISON WITH EXISTING METHODS: GAIN's performance
      compares favorably with the popular ImageJ plugin NeuriteTracer for counting
      neurons, and provides the added benefit of assigning neurites to their respective
      cell bodies. CONCLUSIONS: In summary, GAIN provides a new tool to improve the
      robust assessment of neural cells by image-based analysis.

PMID- 28336361
TI  - A novel multiplex PCR assay for simultaneous detection of nine clinically
      significant bacterial pathogens associated with bovine mastitis.
AB  - For rapid and simultaneous detection of nine bovine mastitic pathogens, a
      sensitive and specific multiplex PCR assay was developed. The assay was
      standardized using reference strains and validated on mastitic milk cultures
      which were identified to species level based on 16S rRNA sequencing. Multiplex
      PCR assay also efficiently detected the target bacterial strains directly from
      milk. The detection limit of the assay was up to 50 pg for DNA isolated from pure
      cultures and 104 CFU/ml for spiked milk samples. As estimated by latent class
      analysis, the assay was sensitive up to 88% and specific up to 98% for targeted
      mastitic pathogens, compared with the bacterial culture method and the 16S rRNA
      sequence analysis. This novel molecular assay could be useful for monitoring and
      maintaining the bovine udder health, ensuring the bacteriological safety of milk,
      and conducting epidemiological studies.

PMID- 28336364
TI  - Mechanisms and roles by which IRF-3 mediates the regulation of ORMDL3
      transcription in respiratory syncytial virus infection.
AB  - Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) is the leading cause of bronchiolitis in
      infancy, which is a major risk factor for recurrent wheezing and asthma.
      Orosomucoid 1-like protein 3 (ORMDL3) has been reported to associate with virus
      triggered recurrent wheezing and asthma in children. However, little is known
      about how ORMDL3 is involved into RSV infection. In this study, we showed that
      the mRNA expression of ORMDL3 is significantly increased in the peripheral blood
      lymphocytes of infants with RSV-induced bronchiolitis compared with uninfected
      controls, also increased in bronchial epithelial cells and lung fibroblasts
      following RSV infection in vitro. To investigate the underlying mechanisms of RSV
      induced ORMDL3 expression, we performed in silico analysis of the binding sites
      of several transcription factors in the ORMDL3 promoter. The proximal interferon
      regulatory factor-3 (IRF-3) binding site positively regulated ORMDL3
      transcription following exposure to RSV, as determined through mutational
      analysis. Overexpression and RNA interference experiments targeting IRF-3 showed
      that it regulates the expression of ORMDL3 following RSV exposure.
      Electrophoretic mobility shift assay (EMSA) and chromatin immunoprecipitation
      (ChIP) assay showed that IRF-3 binds directly to the promoter of the ORMDL3 gene.
      Furthermore, we confirmed that expression of IRF-3 is significantly increased and
      shows a strong linear correlation with increased ORMDL3 in the peripheral blood
      lymphocytes from infants with RSV-induced bronchiolitis. Our results indicate
      that IRF-3 is an important regulator of ORMDL3 induction following RSV infection
      by binding directly to the promoter of ORMDL3, which may be implicated in the
      inflammatory and immune reactions involved in bronchiolitis and wheezing
      diseases.

PMID- 28336365
TI  - Breast cancer cells: Focus on the consequences of epithelial-to-mesenchymal
      transition.
AB  - Breast cancers are highly heterogeneous and successful treatment of those
      subtypes with a high frequency of metastases and resistance to clinically
      available therapies remains a challenge. An understanding of mechanisms which may
      contribute to this heterogeneity and generation of more resilient cancer cells is
      therefore essential. Epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT) is a dynamic two
      way process that occurs during embryonic development and wound healing whereby
      epithelial cells can gain plasticity and switch to a mesenchymal-like phenotype.
      EMT has received interest from cancer researchers due to its potential role in
      processes important in cancer progression and metastasis. Recent evidence has
      revealed a clear association between EMT and resistance to therapeutics.
      Targeting of EMT and/or the mesenchymal-like phenotype may be a promising avenue
      for future therapeutic intervention. This review provides a brief summary of the
      functional consequences of EMT in breast cancer, with a focus on the mesenchymal
      like phenotype.

PMID- 28336363
TI  - Does Surgical Teaching Take Time? Resident Participation in Minimally Invasive
      Hysterectomy for Endometrial Cancer.
AB  - STUDY OBJECTIVE: To determine the association between resident involvement and
      operative time for minimally invasive surgery (MIS) for endometrial cancer.
      DESIGN: A retrospective cohort study (Canadian Task Force classification II-2).
      SETTING: An integrated health care system in Northern California. PATIENTS: A
      total of 1433 women who underwent MIS for endometrial cancer and endometrial
      intraepithelial neoplasia from January 2009 to January 2014. INTERVENTIONS:
      Resident participation in 430 of 688 laparoscopic cases (62%) and 341 of 745
      robotic cases (46%). MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: The primary outcome was the
      impact of resident involvement on surgical time. When residents were involved in
      laparoscopic and robotic surgery, there was an increase of 61 minutes (median
      operative time, 186 vs 125 minutes; p < .001) and 31 minutes (median operative
      time, 165 vs 134 minutes; p < .001), respectively. Resident participation was
      associated with increased operative times in all levels of surgical complexity
      from hysterectomy alone to hysterectomy with pelvic and para-aortic lymph node
      dissection. Resident participation was also associated with increased major
      intraoperative complications (3.4% vs 1.8%, p = .02) as well as major
      postoperative complications (6.4% vs 3.8%, p = .003). CONCLUSION: The presence of
      a resident was associated with a 32% increase in operative time for minimally
      invasive cases in gynecologic oncology for endometrial cancer. Because of the
      retrospective nature, we cannot infer causality of operative outcomes because
      residents were also involved in more high-risk patients and complex cases. For
      health care systems using surgical metrics, there may be a need to allocate more
      time for resident involvement.

PMID- 28336366
TI  - [Foruncular myiasis; presentation of an imported case].

PMID- 28336368
TI  - Novel strategies in the oral delivery of antidiabetic peptide drugs - Insulin,
      GLP 1 and its analogs.
AB  - As diabetes is a complex disorder being a major cause of mortality and morbidity
      in epidemic rates, continuous research has been done on new drug types and
      administration routes. Up to now, a large number of therapeutic peptides have
      been produced to treat diabetes including insulin, glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP
      1) and its analogs. The most common route of administration of these antidiabetic
      peptides is parenteral. Due to several drawbacks associated with this invasive
      route, delivery of these antidiabetic peptides by the oral route has been a goal
      of pharmaceutical technology for many decades. Dosage form development should
      focus on overcoming the limitations facing oral peptides delivery as degradation
      by proteolytic enzymes and poor absorption in the gastrointestinal tract (GIT).
      This review focuses on currently developed strategies to improve oral
      bioavailability of these peptide based drugs; evaluating their advantages and
      limitations in addition to discussing future perspectives on oral peptides
      delivery. Depending on the previous reports and papers, the area of nanocarriers
      systems including polymeric nanoparticles, solid lipid nanoparticles, liposomes
      and micelles seem to be the most promising strategy that could be applied for
      successful oral peptides delivery; but still further potential attempts are
      required to be able to achieve the FDA approved oral antidiabetic peptide
      delivery system.

PMID- 28336367
TI  - New real time and conventional RT-PCRs for updated molecular diagnosis of
      infectious bronchitis virus infection (IBV) in chickens in Egypt associated with
      frequent co-infections with avian influenza and Newcastle Disease viruses.
AB  - In Egypt, currently two geographically restricted genotypes of the infectious
      bronchitis coronavirus (IBV) are circulating with detrimental effects for poultry
      industry. A sensitive real-time RT-PCR assay targeting the IBV nucleocapsid gene
      (N) was developed to screen clinical samples for presence of IBV. Conventional RT
      PCRs amplifying hypervariable regions (HVRs 1-2 and 3) of the IBV S1 gene were
      developed and amplificates used for nucleotide sequence-based typing of IBV field
      strains in Egyptian chickens directly from clinical samples.

PMID- 28336369
TI  - RETRACTED: Pre-exposures to taro (Colocasia esculenta) leaf volatiles enhance the
      reproductive behaviors in Spodoptera litura.
AB  - This article has been retracted: please see Elsevier Policy on Article Withdrawal
      (https://www.elsevier.com/about/our-business/policies/article-withdrawal).This
      article has been retracted at the request of the authors of the paper.Some of the
      data of the work published was work of a different researcher (the principal
      investigator), and published without their permission. Furthermore, it has been
      realised that the analysis and calculation methods used for the gene expressions
      and some other results in this paper need to be tested further before
      publication.

PMID- 28336370
TI  - Purinergic P2Y6 receptors: A new therapeutic target of age-dependent
      hypertension.
AB  - Aging has a remarkable effect on cardiovascular homeostasis and it is known as
      the major non-modifiable risk factor in the development of hypertension.
      Medications targeting sympathetic nerve system and/or renin-angiotensin
      aldosterone system are widely accepted as a powerful therapeutic strategy to
      improve hypertension, although the control rates remain unsatisfactory especially
      in the elder patients with hypertension. Purinergic receptors, activated by
      adenine, uridine nucleotides and nucleotide sugars, play pivotal roles in many
      biological processes, including platelet aggregation, neurotransmission and
      hormone release, and regulation of cardiovascular contractility. Since
      clopidogrel, a selective inhibitor of G protein-coupled purinergic P2Y12 receptor
      (P2Y12R), achieved clinical success as an anti-platelet drug, P2YRs has been
      attracted more attention as new therapeutic targets of cardiovascular diseases.
      We have revealed that UDP-responsive P2Y6R promoted angiotensin type 1 receptor
      (AT1R)-stimulated vascular remodeling in mice, in an age-dependent manner.
      Moreover, the age-related formation of heterodimer between AT1R and P2Y6R was
      disrupted by MRS2578, a P2Y6R-selective inhibitor. These findings suggest that
      P2Y6R is a therapeutic target to prevent age-related hypertension.

PMID- 28336372
TI  - Doxorubicin targets multiple players: A new view of an old problem.
AB  - Anthracycline cardiotoxicity remains a serious problem in paediatric and adult
      cancer survivors, and the advancement of cardio-oncology is a necessary step for
      an effective care of the patients that experience adverse cardiovascular effects.
      In this review, we discuss the multiple instruments used by clinicians that
      constitute the current strategies for primary and secondary prevention aiming at
      contrasting the onset of early and late doxorubicin-induced cardiotoxic events.
      The importance of early detection of cardiotoxicity and the following
      pharmacological therapy has been acknowledged with the emphasis put on impaired
      diastolic function, an increasingly recognized precocious sign of doxorubicin
      cardiotoxicity with an emerging scientific and clinical interest. We highlight
      the involvement of progenitor cells of cardiac and extra-cardiac origin as well
      as multiple cardiac cell types (fibroblasts and vasculature cells), focusing on
      molecular signals involved in cellular injury and response. Oxidative stress, DNA
      damage, senescence and cell death are established mechanisms driving
      anthracycline toxicity, but the comprehension of their relative weight on
      affecting specific cell type behaviour remains to be consolidated. The
      contribution of these crucial stressors and the emerging tools for preserving
      cell function are discussed.

PMID- 28336373
TI  - Gender differences in liver disease and the drug-dose gender gap.
AB  - Although gender-based medicine is a relatively recent concept, it is now emerging
      as an important field of research, supported by the finding that many diseases
      manifest differently in men and women and therefore, might require a different
      treatment. Sex-related differences regarding the epidemiology, progression and
      treatment strategies of certain liver diseases have long been known, but most of
      the epidemiological and clinical trials still report results only about one sex,
      with consequent different rate of response and adverse reactions to treatment
      between men and women in clinical practice. This review reports the data found in
      the literature concerning the gender-related differences for the most
      representative hepatic diseases.

PMID- 28336371
TI  - Novel adaptive and innate immunity targets in hypertension.
AB  - Hypertension is a worldwide epidemic and global health concern as it is a major
      risk factor for the development of cardiovascular diseases. A relationship
      between the immune system and its contributing role to the pathogenesis of
      hypertension has been long established, but substantial advancements within the
      last few years have dissected specific causal molecular mechanisms. This review
      will briefly examine these recent studies exploring the involvement of either
      innate or adaptive immunity pathways. Such pathways to be discussed include
      innate immunity factors such as antigen presenting cells and pattern recognition
      receptors, adaptive immune elements including T and B lymphocytes, and more
      specifically, the emerging role of T regulatory cells, as well as the potential
      of cytokines and chemokines to serve as signaling messengers connecting innate
      and adaptive immunity. Together, we summarize these studies to provide new
      perspective for what will hopefully lead to more targeted approaches to
      manipulate the immune system as hypertensive therapy.

PMID- 28336374
TI  - Developments and future clinical outlook of taxane nanomedicines.
AB  - Taxanes are highly valuable drugs for cancer treatment. Low water-solubility
      however puts a major challenge in obtaining formulations that are stable and easy
      to-use in clinical practice. Initially, solubilization and lowering toxicity of
      taxanes has been the main research focus. However, emerging passive and active
      targeting strategies, especially in the field of nanomedicine, have been capital
      incentives to further broaden therapeutic index by improving efficacy. This
      review provides an up-to-date clinical track record of taxane nanomedicines in
      view of the current state-of-the-art in anti-cancer drug delivery. Additionally,
      the clinical status of taxane nanomedicines is discussed and considerations are
      provided for improving future clinical translation.

PMID- 28336375
TI  - Tumortropic adipose-derived stem cells carrying smart nanotherapeutics for
      targeted delivery and dual-modality therapy of orthotopic glioblastoma.
AB  - Chemotherapy is typically used to treat malignant brain tumors, especially for
      the tumors in surgically inaccessible areas. However, owing to the existence of
      blood-brain barrier (BBB), the tumor accumulation and therapeutic efficacy of
      clinical therapeutics is still of great concerns. To this end, we present herein
      a prominent therapeutic strategy adopting adipose-derived stem cells (ADSCs)
      capable of carrying nanotherapeutic payloads selectively toward brain tumors for
      thermo/chemotherapy. The nanoparticle (NP) payload was obtained from co-assembly
      of poly(gamma-glutamic acid-co-distearyl gamma-glutamate) with poly(lactic-co
      glycolic acid), paclitaxel (PTX), and oleic acid-coated superparamagnetic iron
      oxide NPs in aqueous solution. The particle size and drug loading content were ca
      110nm and 8.4wt%, respectively. After being engulfed by ADSCs, the
      nanotherapeutics was found rather harmless to cellular hosts at a PTX
      concentration of 30MUM over 48h in the absence of pertinent stimulus.
      Nevertheless, the ADSC-based approach combined with high frequency magnetic field
      exhibits a sound therapeutic performance with a 4-fold increase in therapeutic
      index on brain astrocytoma (ALTS1C1)-bearing mice (C57BL/6J) as compared to the
      typical chemotherapy using a current first-line chemodrug, temozolomide.
      Immunohistochemical examination of brain tumor sections confirms the successful
      cellular transport and pronounced cytotoxic action of therapeutics against tumor
      cells in vivo. This work demonstrates the promise of ADSC-mediated chemo/thermal
      therapy against brain tumors.

PMID- 28336376
TI  - Effect of anesthetics on microglial activation and nanoparticle uptake:
      Implications for drug delivery in traumatic brain injury.
AB  - Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is a serious public health problem, often with
      devastating consequences for patients and their families. Affordable and timely
      therapies can have a substantial impact on outcomes in severe TBI. Despite the
      common use of sedatives and anesthetics in the acute phase of TBI management,
      their effect on glial cells is not well understood. We investigated the effect of
      a commonly used sedative, pentobarbital, on glial cells and their uptake of
      nanoparticles. First, we studied how pentobarbital affects BV2 mouse microglial
      cells in culture. The cell morphology was imaged by confocal microscopy and
      analyzed. Our results suggest that microglia change to a more swollen,
      'activated' shape with pentobarbital (cell area increased by approximately 20%,
      p<0.001). Such glial activation may have negative implications for the ability of
      the injured brain to clear edema. Second, we investigated how pentobarbital
      treatment affected nanoparticle uptake. BV-2 mouse microglial cells in the
      presence and absence of pentobarbital were treated with fluorescently-labeled,
      hydroxyl-functionalized poly(amidoamine) dendrimer nanoparticles (Dendrimer-Cy5).
      We demonstrated that the presence of pentobarbital increased the dendrimer
      nanoparticle uptake significantly (~2-fold both 2 and 6h following treatment).
      This semi-quantitative fluorescence assessment was broadly consistent among
      confocal image analysis, flow cytometry, and fluorescence quantification of cell
      extracted dendrimer-Cy5. Although anesthetics appear to activate microglia, the
      increased uptake of dendrimer nanoparticles in their presence can be exploited to
      deliver drug-loaded nanoparticles directly to microglia after TBI. These drugs
      could restore glial and glymphatic function, enabling efficient drainage of waste
      and fluid from the brain and effectively improving recovery after TBI. A key
      future direction is to validate these findings in TBI models.

PMID- 28336377
TI  - Block copolymer-boron cluster conjugate for effective boron neutron capture
      therapy of solid tumors.
AB  - Boron neutron capture therapy is a promising tumor treatment method, though its
      wide application has been limited due to the poor tumor selectivity and
      intracellular delivery of 10B-compounds. Here, block copolymer-boron cluster
      conjugate based on the clinically used sodium borocaptate (BSH) and poly(ethylene
      glycol)-b-poly(glutamic acid) copolymer have been developed for effectively
      penetrating tumor tissues and homogeneously delivering the boron clusters into
      cancer cells towards safe and efficient boron neutron capture therapy. The
      PEGylated block copolymer-boron cluster (BSH) conjugate has demonstrated
      significant higher cellular uptake and tumor accumulation when compared to the
      non-PEGylated formulations and BSH. Moreover, the enhanced delivery to tumors of
      the conjugates, as well as their superior intratumoral penetration, which
      facilitated reaching the intracellular space of most cells in tumors, allowed the
      effective ablation of tumors after neutron irradiation.

PMID- 28336378
TI  - Optimized biodegradable polymeric reservoir-mediated local and sustained co
      delivery of dendritic cells and oncolytic adenovirus co-expressing IL-12 and GM
      CSF for cancer immunotherapy.
AB  - Administration of dendritic cells (DCs) combined with oncolytic adenovirus (Ad)
      expressing antitumor cytokines induces a potent antitumor effect and antitumor
      immunity by ameliorating the immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment. However,
      this combination therapy has significant limitations due to rapid dissemination
      and inactivation of the therapeutics at the tumor site, necessitating multiple
      injections of both therapeutics. To overcome these limitations, we have utilized
      gelatin-based hydrogel to co-deliver oncolytic Ad co-expressing interleukin (IL)
      12 and granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF) (oAd) and DCs
      for sustained release of both therapeutics. The injectable and biodegradable
      hydrogels were prepared by mixing the polymer solutions containing horseradish
      peroxidase and hydrogen peroxide. Gel matrix enabled sustained release of both
      oAd and DCs while preserving their biological activity over a considerable time
      period, leading to efficient retention of both therapeutics in tumor tissue.
      Further, tumors treated with oAd- and DC-loaded gel (oAd+DC/gel) showed a
      significantly greater expression level of IL-12, GM-CSF, and interferon-gamma
      (IFN-gamma) than either single treatment (oAd or DC) or oAd in combination with
      DC (oAd+DC), resulting in efficient activation of both endogenous and exogenous
      DCs, migration of DCs to draining lymph nodes, and tumor infiltration of CD4+ and
      CD8+ T cells. Moreover, oAd+DC/gel resulted in a significantly higher number of
      tumor-specific IFN-gamma-secreting immune cells compared with oAd+DC. Lastly,
      oAd+DC/gel significantly attenuated tumor-mediated thymic atrophy, which is
      associated with immunosuppression in the tumor microenvironment, compared with
      oAd+DC. Taken together, these results demonstrate that gelatin gel-mediated co
      delivery of oncolytic Ad and DCs might be a promising strategy to efficiently
      retain both therapeutics in tumor tissue and induce a potent antitumor immune
      response for an extended time period via a single administration.

PMID- 28336380
TI  - Risk Prediction Models for Incident Heart Failure: A Systematic Review of
      Methodology and Model Performance.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Numerous models predicting the risk of incident heart failure (HF)
      have been developed; however, evidence of their methodological rigor and
      reporting remains unclear. This study critically appraises the methods
      underpinning incident HF risk prediction models. METHODS AND RESULTS: EMBASE and
      PubMed were searched for articles published between 1990 and June 2016 that
      reported at least 1 multivariable model for prediction of HF. Model development
      information, including study design, variable coding, missing data, and predictor
      selection, was extracted. Nineteen studies reporting 40 risk prediction models
      were included. Existing models have acceptable discriminative ability (C
      statistics > 0.70), although only 6 models were externally validated. Candidate
      variable selection was based on statistical significance from a univariate
      screening in 11 models, whereas it was unclear in 12 models. Continuous
      predictors were retained in 16 models, whereas it was unclear how continuous
      variables were handled in 16 models. Missing values were excluded in 19 of 23
      models that reported missing data, and the number of events per variable was < 10
      in 13 models. Only 2 models presented recommended regression equations. There was
      significant heterogeneity in discriminative ability of models with respect to age
      (P < .001) and sample size (P = .007). CONCLUSIONS: There is an abundance of HF
      risk prediction models that had sufficient discriminative ability, although few
      are externally validated. Methods not recommended for the conduct and reporting
      of risk prediction modeling were frequently used, and resulting algorithms should
      be applied with caution.

PMID- 28336381
TI  - Stop the Next Readmission for Heart Failure With Gap Time and a Natriuretic
      Peptide?

PMID- 28336382
TI  - Migration and infectious diseases.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Infectious diseases still represent an important cause of morbidity
      and mortality among foreign-born individuals. The rising migration flows towards
      Europe throughout the last few years are raising renewed concerns about
      management issues and the potential associated risk for the native population.
      AIMS: To discuss the health implications and challenges related to the four
      phases of migration, from first arrival to stable resettlement. SOURCES:
      Scientific literature and relevant statistical reports. CONTENT: Although
      infectious diseases are not a health priority at first arrival, a syndromic
      screening to identify the most common communicable conditions (pulmonary
      tuberculosis above all) should be promptly conducted. Reception centres where
      asylum seekers are gathered after arrival may be crowded, so favouring epidemic
      outbreaks, sometimes caused by incomplete vaccine coverage for preventable
      diseases. After resettlement, the prevalence of some chronic infections such as
      human immunodeficiency virus, viral hepatitis or tuberculosis largely reflects
      the epidemiological pattern in the country of origin, with poor living conditions
      being an additional driver. Once resettled, migrants usually travel back to their
      country of origin without seeking pre-travel advice, which results in a high
      incidence of malaria and other infections. IMPLICATIONS: Although infectious
      diseases among migrants are known to have a negligible impact on European
      epidemiology, screening programmes need to be implemented and adapted to the
      different stages of the migratory process to better understand the trends and set
      priorities for action. Appropriate access to care regardless of the legal status
      is crucial to improve the health status and prevent the spread of contagious
      conditions.

PMID- 28336379
TI  - Synthetic nanovaccines for immunotherapy.
AB  - Although vaccination is historically one of the most successful strategies for
      the prevention of infectious diseases, development of vaccines for cancer and
      many chronic infections, such as HIV, malaria, and tuberculosis, has remained a
      challenge. Strong and long-lasting antigen-specific T cell responses are critical
      for therapy of these diseases. A major challenge in achieving a robust CD8+ T
      cell response is the requirement of spatio-temporal orchestration of antigen
      cross-presentation in antigen-presenting cells with innate stimulation. Here, we
      discuss the development of nanoparticle vaccine (nanovaccine) that modulates the
      innate immune system and enhances adaptive immunity with reduced toxicity. We
      address how nanovaccines can integrate multiple functions, such as lymph node
      targeting, antigen presentation, and stimulation of innate immunity, to achieve a
      robust T cell response for immunotherapy.

PMID- 28336383
TI  - The ability of Group A streptococcus to adhere to immortalized human skin versus
      throat cell lines does not reflect their predicted tissue tropism.
AB  - OBJECTIVES: To determine if emm pattern-inferred tissue tropisms of Group A
      streptococcus strains is reflected in their ability to adhere to immortalized
      human HaCat (keratinocyte) and Detroit 562 (pharyngeal) cell lines. METHODS:
      Human epithelial cell line monolayers were inoculated with Group A streptococcus,
      and the percentage of adhered bacteria after a 1-h incubation period was
      calculated. RESULTS: Of the 21/69 inferred-skin-tropic, and the 25/69 inferred
      throat-tropic isolates no preferential adherence was observed to a particular
      cell line. The 23/69 strains classified as 'generalists', however, showed an
      overall greater ability to adhere to both cell lines. CONCLUSIONS: Predicted
      tissue-tropism based on emm patterns is not reflected by preferential adherence
      to a specific cell line, suggesting that early adhesion events may not be as
      important in establishing infection at a particular ecological niche than
      originally expected.

PMID- 28336384
TI  - Predictors for individual patient antibiotic treatment effect in hospitalized
      community-acquired pneumonia patients.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: Our objective was to identify clinical predictors of antibiotic
      treatment effects in hospitalized patients with community-acquired pneumonia
      (CAP) who were not in the intensive care unit (ICU). METHODS: Post-hoc analysis
      of three prospective cohorts (from the Netherlands and Spain) of adult patients
      with CAP admitted to a non-ICU ward having received either beta-lactam
      monotherapy, beta-lactam + macrolide, or a fluoroquinolone-based therapy as
      empirical antibiotic treatment. We evaluated candidate clinical predictors of
      treatment effects in multiple mixed-effects models by including interactions of
      the predictors with empirical antibiotic choice and using 30-day mortality, ICU
      admission and length of hospital stay as outcomes. RESULTS: Among 8562 patients,
      empirical treatment was beta-lactam in 4399 (51.4%), fluoroquinolone in 3373
      (39.4%), and beta-lactam + macrolide in 790 (9.2%). Older age (interaction OR
      1.67, 95% CI 1.23-2.29, p 0.034) and current smoking (interaction OR 2.36, 95% CI
      1.34-4.17, p 0.046) were associated with lower effectiveness of fluoroquinolone
      on 30-day mortality. Older age was also associated with lower effectiveness of
      beta-lactam + macrolide on length of hospital stay (interaction effect ratio
      1.14, 95% CI 1.06-1.22, p 0.008). CONCLUSIONS: Older age and smoking could
      influence the response to specific antibiotic regimens. The effect modification
      of age and smoking should be considered hypothesis generating to be evaluated in
      future trials.

PMID- 28336385
TI  - Frequency and pattern of chronic complications of diabetes and their association
      with glycemic control.
AB  - BACKGROUND: The study was conducted in diabetes care centers to explore
      association of chronic complications of diabetes with glycemic status along with
      their frequency and pattern among adult patients with type 2 diabetes. METHODS: A
      cross-sectional study was conducted at outpatient departments of eight diabetes
      care centers in Dhaka. Data were collected by face to face interview by trained
      research physicians. Disease related information was recorded in the checklist
      from diabetes guide books of the patients. Chronic complications of diabetes were
      recorded from the records of expert consultation. RESULTS: Records of 5215
      patients with type diabetes (59.4% males) were analyzed. Mean age of the male and
      female subjects was 52.7 and 50.6 years, respectively. Hypertriglyceridemia [OR
      1.74, 95% CI (1.18-2.57)], increased LDL [OR 1.27, 95% CI (0.78-2.07)] and
      decreased HDL [OR 0.81, 95% CI (0.43-1.53)] and diabetic foot ulcers [OR 2.32,
      95% CI (1.14-4.01)] were significantly associated with poor glycemic control,
      whereas hypertriglyceridemia [OR 2.39, 95% CI (1.42-4.03)] diabetic foot ulcer
      [OR 2.32, 95% CI (1.14-4.01)], hypetension [OR 1.65, 95% CI (1.15-2.43)] and
      coronary artery diasease [OR 1.23, 95% CI (0.77-2.13) were significantly
      associated with poor glycemic control according to FPG. CONCLUSION: The study
      finds association of chronic complications of diabetes with glycemic control
      among type 2 diabetes patients in Bangladesh.

PMID- 28336386
TI  - The WHF Roadmap for Reducing CV Morbidity and Mortality Through Prevention and
      Control of RHD.
AB  - Rheumatic heart disease (RHD) is a preventable non-communicable condition that
      disproportionately affects the world's poorest and most vulnerable. The World
      Heart Federation Roadmap for improved RHD control is a resource designed to help
      a variety of stakeholders raise the profile of RHD nationally and globally, and
      provide a framework to guide and support the strengthening of national, regional
      and global RHD control efforts. The Roadmap identifies the barriers that limit
      access to and uptake of proven interventions for the prevention and control of
      RHD. It also highlights a variety of established and promising solutions that may
      be used to overcome these barriers. As a general guide, the Roadmap is meant to
      serve as the foundation for the development of tailored plans of action to
      improve RHD control in specific contexts.

PMID- 28336387
TI  - The World Heart Federation Roadmap for Nonvalvular Atrial Fibrillation.
AB  - BACKGROUND: The World Heart Federation has undertaken an initiative to develop a
      series of Roadmaps to promote development of national policies and health systems
      approaches, and to identify potential roadblocks on the road to effective
      prevention, detection, and management of cardiovascular disease in low-and middle
      income countries (LMICs) and develop strategies for overcoming these. This
      Roadmap focuses on atrial fibrillation (AF). AF is the most common, clinically
      significant arrhythmia and, among other clinical outcomes, is associated with
      increased risk of stroke. METHODS: Development of this Roadmap included a review
      of published guidelines and research papers, and consultation with an expert
      committee comprising experts in clinical management of AF and health systems
      research in LMICs. The Roadmap identifies 1) key interventions for detection,
      diagnosis, and management of AF; 2) gaps in implementation of these interventions
      (knowledge-practice gaps); 3) health system roadblocks to implementation of AF
      interventions in LMICs; and 4) potential strategies for overcoming these.
      RESULTS: More research is needed on determinants and primary prevention of AF.
      Knowledge-practice gaps for detection, diagnosis, and management of AF are
      present worldwide, but may be more prominent in LMICs. Potential barriers to
      implementation of AF interventions include long distances to health facilities,
      shortage of health care professionals with training in AF, including
      interpretation of ECG, unaffordability of oral anticoagulants for patient
      households, reluctance on the part of physicians to initiate oral anticoagulant
      (OAC) therapy, and lack of awareness of the importance of persistent adherence to
      OAC therapy. Potential solutions include training of nonphysician health workers
      and pharmacists in pulse-taking, use of telemedicine technologies to transmit
      electrocardiogram results, engagement of nonphysician health workers in OAC
      therapy adherence support, and country-specific support and education programs
      for noncardiologist health care professionals. CONCLUSIONS: AF affects millions
      of people worldwide and, left untreated, increases the risk and severity of
      stroke and heart failure. Although guidelines for the detection, diagnosis, and
      management of AF exist, there are gaps in implementation of these guidelines
      globally, and in particular in LMICs. This Roadmap identifies some potential
      solutions that may improve AF outcomes in LMICs but require further evaluation in
      these settings.

PMID- 28336388
TI  - The Importance of Conducting Stroke Genomics Research in African Ancestry
      Populations.

PMID- 28336390
TI  - Is parasternal intercostal EMG an accurate surrogate of respiratory neural drive
      and biomarker of dyspnea during cycle exercise testing?
AB  - Recent evidence suggests that surface electromyography of the parasternal
      intercostals (EMGpara) can be a non-invasive alternative to diaphragmatic EMG
      (EMGdi) for estimating neural respiratory drive (NRD) during cardiopulmonary
      exercise testing (CPET). The purpose of this study was to determine if non
      respiratory muscles influence EMGpara by having subjects place their hands on
      (Hon) and off (Hoff) the handlebars during cycling-based CPET. Ten healthy adults
      performed an incremental cycling test until volitional exhaustion. Participants
      were instrumented with an esophageal electrode catheter to measure EMGdi, and
      surface electrodes on the 2nd intercostal space to measure EMGpara. Subjects
      alternated between 30s of Hon and 30s Hoff during each exercise stage. There were
      no differences in EMGdi across all exercise intensities. However, EMGpara was
      significantly greater during the Hon vs. Hoff condition at all exercise
      intensities (p<0.05). These results suggest that EMGpara may not be an
      appropriate surrogate of NRD during cycle exercise testing due to co-activation
      of adjacent skeletal muscles.

PMID- 28336389
TI  - Metformin Ameliorates Uterine Defects in a Rat Model of Polycystic Ovary
      Syndrome.
AB  - Adult rats treated concomitantly with insulin and human chorionic gonadotropin
      exhibit endocrine, metabolic, and reproductive abnormalities that are very
      similar to those observed in polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) patients. In this
      study, we used this rat model to assess the effects of metformin on PCOS-related
      uterine dysfunction. In addition to reducing androgen levels, improving insulin
      sensitivity, and correcting the reproductive cycle, metformin treatment induced
      morphological changes in the PCOS-like uterus. At the molecular and cellular
      levels, metformin normalized the androgen receptor-mediated transcriptional
      program and restored epithelial-stromal interactions. In contrast to glucose
      transport, uterine inflammatory gene expression was suppressed through the PI3K
      Akt-NFkappaB network, but without affecting apoptosis. These effects appeared to
      be independent of AMPK subunit and autophagy-related protein regulation. We found
      that when metformin treatment partially restored implantation, several
      implantation-related genes were normalized in the PCOS-like rat uterus. These
      results improve our understanding of how metformin rescues the disruption of the
      implantation process due to the uterine defects that result from hyperandrogenism
      and insulin resistance. Our data provide insights into the molecular and
      functional clues that might help explain, at least in part, the potential
      therapeutic options of metformin in PCOS patients with uterine dysfunction.

PMID- 28336391
TI  - Serum high C reactive protein concentrations are related to the intake of dietary
      macronutrients and fiber: Findings from a large representative Persian population
      sample.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: Serum high-sensitivity CRP is a marker of inflammation and an
      independent predictor of chronic diseases. However, the effect of diet on serum
      hs-CRP is unclear. The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship
      between dietary macronutrient intake and serum hs-CRP. DESIGN AND METHODS: We
      recruited 9778 adults, aged 35-65years as part of the MASHAD study. Dietary
      intake was determined using 24-hour dietary recall and several biochemical
      parameters including serum hs-CRP were measured. Analysis of covariance was used
      for assessment of crude and energy-adjusted nutrients across quartiles of serum
      hs-CRP. To find the association of dietary nutrients intake and serum hs-CRP
      level, we used logistic regression in different model. RESULTS: Unadjusted and
      adjusted multivariate analyses indicate that there was a significant positive
      association between dietary protein and sodium intake and serum hs-CRP
      concentrations. There was also a positive association with dietary fat and
      cholesterol and serum hs-CRP in the adjusted models. There was a significant
      inverse association between dietary carbohydrate and fiber consumption and serum
      hs-CRP in both crude and adjusted models. CONCLUSION: We have found a significant
      positive association between the dietary intake of fat, protein, cholesterol and
      sodium and hs-CRP level, and an inverse correlation between dietary carbohydrate
      and fiber and serum hs-CRP in a large representative Iranian population.

PMID- 28336392
TI  - Diagnostic laboratories in Asia Pacific region: Investigation on quality
      characteristics and time of reporting.
AB  - This is the result of a Survey of various aspects of quality, cost and speed in a
      large sample of diagnostic laboratories in the Asia Pacific region. It is the
      first of its type to be published and represents a snapshot of the current
      performance in a large number of diagnostic laboratories in a broad range of
      countries in the Asia Pacific region. This demonstrates that there are common
      issues facing all the laboratories surveyed but also common solutions using a
      Quality Systems approach which involves Accreditation, Customer responsiveness,
      greater use of IT, automation and Lean principles. The Survey provides data on
      some quality characteristics such as Turnaround Time (TAT) and quality
      improvement activities. It has been the case that some of the KPIs have improved
      over the course of the Surveys for example a reduction in the average TAT, and it
      might be that this occurred as a result of participation. Most laboratories have
      a target of 46-60min for STAT (Short Turnaround Time) on Clinical Chemistry and
      Immunoassay samples.

PMID- 28336393
TI  - Contributions of beta-tubulin to cellular morphology, sporulation and virulence
      in the insect-fungal pathogen, Metarhizium acridum.
AB  - beta-tubulin is an elementary subunit of microtubules that form the cytoskeleton,
      participating in a wide range of cellular processes. The contributions of the
      single beta-tubulin gene in affecting cell morphology, sporulation and virulence
      were examined in the entomopathogenic fungus Metarhizium acridum. Targeted gene
      knockout of beta-tubulin resulted in resistance to benomyl but impaired proper
      nuclear segregation, lipid droplet transport, and deposition of chitin to the
      cell wall. M. acridum beta-tubulin mutants displayed wavy hyphal growth and
      densely packed, wrinkled colonies. Decreases in the rate of phialides formation
      and conidial yield were observed for the beta-tubulin mutant, which was also
      impaired in virulence towards locust hosts as compared to wild type and
      complemented strains. Morphological analyses of infection structures revealed
      development of bifurcated germ tubes, with reduced appressoria formation seen in
      the beta-tubulin mutant. M. acridum beta-tubulin mutant appressoria were aberrant
      in morphology and displayed decreased turgor pressure. The ability of the M.
      acridum beta-tubulin mutant to proliferate in the insect hemolymph both in vitro
      and in vivo was also significantly reduced. Our results indicate that in M.
      acridum, beta-tubulin is not essential for survival but that it contributes to
      cellular transport of organelles and cell wall materials, impacting growth,
      appressorial differentiation, virulence, and sporulation.

PMID- 28336394
TI  - Ts1Cje Down syndrome model mice exhibit environmental stimuli-triggered locomotor
      hyperactivity and sociability concurrent with increased flux through central
      dopamine and serotonin metabolism.
AB  - Ts1Cje mice have a segmental trisomy of chromosome 16 that is orthologous to
      human chromosome 21 and display Down syndrome-like cognitive impairments. Despite
      the occurrence of affective and emotional impairments in patients with Down
      syndrome, these parameters are poorly documented in Down syndrome mouse models,
      including Ts1Cje mice. Here, we conducted comprehensive behavioral analyses,
      including anxiety-, sociability-, and depression-related tasks, and biochemical
      analyses of monoamines and their metabolites in Ts1Cje mice. Ts1Cje mice showed
      enhanced locomotor activity in novel environments and increased social contact
      with unfamiliar partners when compared with wild-type littermates, but a
      significantly lower activity in familiar environments. Ts1Cje mice also exhibited
      some signs of decreased depression like-behavior. Furthermore, Ts1Cje mice showed
      monoamine abnormalities, including increased extracellular dopamine and
      serotonin, and enhanced catabolism in the striatum and ventral forebrain. This
      study constitutes the first report of deviated monoamine metabolism that may help
      explain the basis for abnormal behaviors, including the environmental stimuli
      triggered hyperactivity, increased sociability and decreased depression-like
      behavior in Ts1Cje mice.

PMID- 28336396
TI  - Tumor Control Index as a new tool to assess tumor growth in experimental animals.
AB  - Measurement of tumor diameters, tumor volumes, or area under the curve has been
      traditionally used to quantitate and compare tumor growth curves in immune
      competent as well as immune-compromised mice and rats. Here, using tumor growth
      data from a large number of mice challenged with live tumor cells, we describe
      the use of a new composite parameter, Tumor Control Index (TCI) as an alternative
      method to do the same. This index, comprised of three distinct values, the Tumor
      Inhibition Score, Tumor Rejection Score, and Tumor Stability Score, provides a
      complete picture of nearly every aspect of tumor growth in large numbers of
      animals, can be deduced automatically from tumor diameter or volume data, and can
      be used to compare several groups of animals in different experiments. This
      automatically derivable index also corresponds neatly to the use of complete and
      partial responses and tumor stability data generated in human tumors, and can be
      used to assess the efficacy of interventions to be used in clinical studies.

PMID- 28336395
TI  - Human immune compartment comparisons: Optimization of proliferative assays for
      blood and gut T lymphocytes.
AB  - The accumulation of peripheral blood late-differentiated memory CD8 T cells with
      features of replicative (cellular) senescence, including inability to proliferate
      in vitro, has been extensively studied. Importantly, the abundance of these cells
      is directly correlated with increased morbidity and mortality in older persons.
      Of note, peripheral blood contains only 2% of the total body lymphocyte
      population. By contrast, the gut-associated lymphoid tissue (GALT) is the most
      extensive lymphoid organ, housing up to 60% of total body lymphocytes, but has
      never been assessed with respect to senescence profiles. We report here the
      development of a method for measuring and comparing proliferative capacity of
      peripheral blood and gut colorectal mucosa-derived CD8 T cells. The protocol
      involves a 5-day culture of mononuclear leukocyte populations, from blood and gut
      colorectal mucosa respectively, labeled with 5-(and 6)-carboxyfluorescein
      diacetate succinimidyl ester (CFSE) and 5-bromo-2'-deoxyuridine (BrdU) and
      stimulated with anti-CD2/3/28-linked microbeads. Variables tested and optimized
      as part of the protocol development include: mode of T cell stimulation, CFSE
      concentration, inclusion of a second proliferation marker, BrdU, culture
      duration, initial culture concentration, and inclusion of autologous irradiated
      feeder cells. Moving forward, this protocol demonstrates a significant advance in
      the ability of researchers to study compartment-specific differences of in vitro
      proliferative dynamics of CD8 T cells, as an indicator of replicative senescence
      and immunological aging. The study's two main novel contributions are (1)
      Optimization and adaptation of standard proliferative dynamics blood T cell
      protocols for T cells within the mucosal immune system. (2) Introduction of the
      novel technique of combining CFSE and BrdU staining to do so.

PMID- 28336397
TI  - Soluble endoglin modulates the pro-inflammatory mediators NF-kappaB and IL-6 in
      cultured human endothelial cells.
AB  - AIMS: Endoglin is a transmembrane glycoprotein, that plays an important role in
      regulating endothelium. Proteolytic cleavage of membrane endoglin releases
      soluble endoglin (sEng), whose increased plasma levels have been detected in
      diseases related to the cardiovascular system. It was proposed that sEng might
      damage vascular endothelium, but detailed information about the potential
      mechanisms involved is not available. Thus, we hypothesized that sEng contributes
      to endothelial dysfunction, leading to a pro-inflammatory phenotype by a possible
      modulation of the TGF-beta and/or inflammatory pathways. MAIN METHODS: Human
      umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) and Human embryonic kidney cell line
      (HEK293T) were treated with different sEng concentration and time in order to
      reveal possible effect on biomarkers of inflammation and TGF-beta signaling. IL6
      and NFkappaB reporter luciferase assays, quantitative real-time PCR analysis,
      Western blot analysis and immunofluorescence flow cytometry were used. KEY
      FINDINGS: sEng treatment results in activation of NF-kappaB/IL-6 expression,
      increased expression of membrane endoglin and reduced expression of Id-1. On the
      other hand, no significant effects on other markers of endothelial dysfunction
      and inflammation, including eNOS, peNOSS1177, VCAM-1, COX-1, COX-2 and ICAM-1
      were detected. SIGNIFICANCE: As a conclusion, sEng treatment resulted in an
      activation of NF-kappaB, IL-6, suggesting activation of pro-inflammatory
      phenotype in endothelial cells. The precise mechanism of this activation and its
      consequence remains to be elucidated. A combined treatment of sEng with other
      cardiovascular risk factors will be necessary in order to reveal whether sEng is
      not only a biomarker of cardiovascular diseases, but also a protagonist of
      endothelial dysfunction.

PMID- 28336398
TI  - Modulation of mammary tumor vascularization by mast cells: Ultrasonographic and
      histopathological approaches.
AB  - AIMS: The inhibition of mast cells' degranulation may be an approach to prevent
      the formation of new vessels during the mammary carcinogenesis. MATERIALS AND
      METHODS: Female Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly divided into five experimental
      groups. Mammary tumors were induced by intraperitoneal injection of N-methyl-N
      nitrosourea (MNU). Animals from group II were treated with ketotifen for 18weeks
      immediately after the MNU administration, while animals from group III only
      received the ketotifen after the development of the first mammary tumor. Mammary
      tumors vascularization was assessed by ultrasonography (Doppler, B Flow and
      contrast-enhanced ultrasound) and immunohistochemistry (vascular endothelial
      growth factor-A). KEY FINDINGS AND SIGNIFICANCE: Similar to what occurs in women
      with breast cancer, the majority of MNU-induced mammary tumors exhibited a
      centripetal enhancement order of the contrast agent, clear margin and
      heterogeneous enhancement. Ultrasonographic and immunohistochemical data suggest
      that the inhibition of mast cells' degranulation did not change the mammary
      tumors vascularization.

PMID- 28336399
TI  - Synthetic matrix of polyether-polyurethane as a biological platform for
      pancreatic regeneration.
AB  - AIMS: Several alternative cellular approaches using biomaterials to host insulin
      producing cells derived from stem cells have been developed to overcome the
      limitations of type 1 diabetes treatment (exogenous insulin injection). However,
      none seem to fulfill all requirements needed to induce pancreatic cells
      successful colonization of the scaffolds. Here, we report a polymeric platform
      adherent to the native mice pancreas filled with human adipose stem cells (hASCs)
      that was able to induce growth of pancreatic parenchyma. MAIN METHODS: Synthetic
      polyether-polyurethane discs were placed adjacent to pancreas of normoglycemic
      and streptozotocin-induced diabetic mice. At day 4 post implantation, 1*106 hASCs
      were injected intra-implant in groups of normoglycemic and diabetic mice.
      Immunohistochemistry analysis of the implants was performed to identify insulin
      positive cells in the newly formed tissue. In addition, metabolic, inflammatory
      and angiogenic parameters were carried out in those mice. KEY FINDINGS: This
      study provides evidence of the ability of a biohybrid device to induce the growth
      of differentiated pancreas parenchyma in both normoglycemic and streptozotocin
      induced diabetic mice as detected by histological analysis. Glucose metabolism
      and body weight of hyperglycemic mice bearing hASCs implants improved.
      SIGNIFICANCE: The synthetic porous scaffold bearing hASC cells placed adjacent to
      the native animal pancreas exhibits the potential to be exploited in future cell
      based type 1 diabetes therapies.

PMID- 28336400
TI  - Mechanistic characterization of S 38093, a novel inverse agonist at histamine H3
      receptors.
AB  - Histaminergic H3 inverse agonists, by stimulating central histamine release,
      represent attractive drug candidates to treat cognitive disorders. The present
      studies aimed to describe the mechanistic profile of S 38093 a novel H3 receptors
      inverse agonist. S 38093 displays a moderate affinity for rat, mouse and human H3
      receptors (Ki=8.8, 1.44 and 1.2uM, respectively) with no affinity for other
      histaminergic receptors. In cellular models, the compound was able to antagonize
      mice H3 receptors (KB=0.65uM) and to suppress cAMP decrease induced by an H3
      agonist via human H3 receptors (KB=0.11uM). The antagonism properties of the
      compound were confirmed by electrophysiological studies on rat hippocampal slices
      (from 0.1MUM). In cells expressing a high H3 density, S 38093 behaved as a
      moderate inverse agonist at rat and human H3 receptors (EC50=9 and 1.7uM,
      respectively). S 38093 was rapidly absorbed in mouse and rat (Tmax=0.25-0.5h),
      slowly in monkey (2h), with a bioavailability ranging from 20% to 60% and t1/2
      ranging from 1.5 to 7.4h. The compound was widely distributed with a moderate
      volume of distribution and low protein binding. The brain distribution of S 38093
      was rapid and high. In mice, S 38093 significantly increased ex vivo N-tele
      Methylhistamine cerebral levels from 3mg/kg p.o. and antagonized R-alpha
      Methylhistamine-induced dipsogenia from 10mg/kg i.p. Taken together, these data
      suggest that S 38093, a novel H3 inverse agonist, is a good candidate for further
      in vivo evaluations, in particular in animal models of cognition.

PMID- 28336401
TI  - Performance of the Spot Vision Screener in Children Younger Than 3 Years of Age.
AB  - PURPOSE: To evaluate the use of the Spot Vision Screener (Spot; Welch Allyn,
      Skaneateles Falls, New York, USA) for detection of amblyopia risk factors in
      children aged 6 months to 3 years, as defined by the 2013 guidelines of the
      American Association for Pediatric Ophthalmology and Strabismus. DESIGN:
      Reliability analysis. METHODS: In this study, children seen from June 1, 2012, to
      April 30, 2016 were tested with the Spot during a routine visit. Enrolled
      children underwent a comprehensive eye examination including cycloplegic
      refraction and sensorimotor testing within 6 months of the testing date by a
      pediatric ophthalmologist masked to the Spot results. RESULTS: A total of 184
      children were included. The Spot successfully obtained readings in 89.7% of
      patients. Compared with the ophthalmologist's examination, the Spot had an
      overall sensitivity of 89.8% and a specificity of 70.4%. CONCLUSION: The Spot
      achieved good sensitivity and specificity for detection of amblyopia risk factors
      in this young cohort, particularly in the older subgroup. Our data offer support
      for automated vision screening in young children.

PMID- 28336402
TI  - Postoperative Efficacy, Predictability, Safety, and Visual Quality of Laser
      Corneal Refractive Surgery: A Network Meta-analysis.
AB  - PURPOSE: To compare the postoperative efficacy, predictability, safety, and
      visual quality of all major forms of laser corneal refractive surgeries for
      correcting myopia. DESIGN: Systematic review and network meta-analysis. METHODS:
      Search of MEDLINE, EMBASE, Cochrane Library, and the US trial registry was
      conducted up to November 2015. Randomized controlled trials (RCT) reporting in
      accordance with the eligibility criteria were included in this review. We
      performed a Bayesian random-effects network meta-analysis. RESULTS: Forty-eight
      RCTs were identified. For efficacy (uncorrected visual acuity [UCVA]), there were
      no statistically significant differences between any pair of treatments analyzed.
      The SUCRA (surface under the cumulative ranking curve) ranking (from best to
      worst) was femtosecond-based laser in situ keratomileusis (FS-LASIK), LASIK,
      small-incision lenticule extraction, femtosecond lenticule extraction (FLEx),
      photorefractive keratectomy (PRK), laser epithelial keratomileusis (LASEK),
      epipolis (Epi)-LASIK, transepithelial PRK (T-PRK). For predictability (refractive
      spherical equivalent [SE]), a statistically significant difference was found when
      FS-LASIK was compared with LASIK (odds ratio [OR] 2.29, 95% credible interval
      [CrI] 1.20-4.14), PRK (OR 2.16, 95% CrI 1.15-4.03), LASEK (OR 2.09, 95% CrI 1.08
      4.55), and Epi-LASIK (OR 2.74, 95% CrI 1.11-6.20). The SUCRA ranking (from best
      to worst) was FS-LASIK, T-PRK, LASEK, PRK, LASIK, Epi-LASIK. There were no
      statistically significant differences in the safety (best spectacle-corrected
      visual acuity) comparisons. For both postoperative higher-order aberrations
      (HOAs) and contrast sensitivity (CS), there were no statistically significant
      differences between any pair of treatments analyzed. The SUCRA ranking results
      show that some corneal surface ablation techniques (PRK and LASEK) rank highest.
      CONCLUSIONS: This network meta-analysis shows that there were no statistically
      significant differences in either visual outcomes (efficacy and safety) or visual
      quality (HOAs and CS). FS-LASIK behaved better in predictability than any other
      type of surgeries.

PMID- 28336404
TI  - Mapping Region of Human Restriction Factor APOBEC3H Critical for Interaction with
      HIV-1 Vif.
AB  - The APOBEC3 (A3) family of cellular cytidine deaminases comprises seven members
      (A, B, C, D, F, G, and H) that potently inhibit retroviral replication. Human
      immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) Vif is a small pleiotropic protein that
      specifically inactivates these enzymes, targeting them for ubiquitin-mediated
      proteasomal degradation. A3 Vif-interaction sites are presumed to fall into three
      distinct types: A3C/D/F, A3G, and A3H. To date, two types of A3G and A3C/D/F
      sites have been well characterized, whereas the A3H Vif-binding site remains
      poorly defined. Here, we explore the residues critical for the A3H-type Vif
      interaction. To avoid technical difficulties in performing experiments with human
      A3H haplotype II (hapII), which is relatively resistant to HIV-1 Vif, we employed
      its ortholog chimpanzee A3H (cA3H), which displays high Vif sensitivity, for a
      comparison of sensitivity with that of A3H hapII. The Vif susceptibility of A3H
      hapII-cA3H chimeras and their substitution mutants revealed a single residue at
      position 97 as a major determinant for the difference in their Vif sensitivities.
      We further surveyed critical residues by structure-guided mutagenesis using an
      A3H structural model and thus identified eight additional residues important for
      Vif sensitivity, which mapped to the alpha3 and alpha4 helices of A3H.
      Interestingly, this area is located on a surface adjacent to the A3G and A3C/D/F
      interfaces and is composed of negatively charged and hydrophobic patches. These
      findings suggest that HIV-1 Vif has evolved to utilize three dispersed surfaces
      for recognizing three types of interfaces on A3 proteins under certain structural
      constraints.

PMID- 28336403
TI  - Broad Analysis of Vicinal Disulfides: Occurrences, Conformations with Cis or with
      Trans Peptides, and Functional Roles Including Sugar Binding.
AB  - Vicinal disulfides between sequence-adjacent cysteine residues are very rare and
      rather startling structural features which play a variety of functional roles.
      Typically discussed as an isolated curiosity, they have never received a general
      treatment covering both cis and trans forms. Enabled by the growing database of
      high-resolution structures, required deposition of diffraction data, and improved
      methods for discriminating reliable from dubious cases, we identify and describe
      distinct protein families with reliably genuine examples of cis or trans vicinal
      disulfides and discuss their conformations, conservation, and functions. No cis
      trans interconversions and only one case of catalytic redox function are seen.
      Some vicinal disulfides are essential to large, functionally coupled motions,
      whereas most form the centers of tightly packed internal regions. Their most
      widespread biological role is providing a rigid hydrophobic contact surface under
      the undecorated side of a sugar or multiring ligand, contributing an important
      aspect of binding specificity.

PMID- 28336405
TI  - Photoactivation Mechanism of a Bacterial Light-Regulated Adenylyl Cyclase.
AB  - Light-regulated enzymes enable organisms to quickly respond to changing light
      conditions. We characterize a photoactivatable adenylyl cyclase (AC) from
      Beggiatoa sp. (bPAC) that translates a blue light signal into the production of
      the second messenger cyclic AMP. bPAC contains a BLUF photoreceptor domain that
      senses blue light using a flavin chromophore, linked to an AC domain. We present
      a dark state crystal structure of bPAC that closely resembles the recently
      published structure of the homologous OaPAC from Oscillatoria acuminata. To
      elucidate the structural mechanism of light-dependent AC activation by the BLUF
      domain, we determined the crystal structures of illuminated bPAC and of a pseudo
      lit state variant. We use hydrogen-deuterium exchange measurements of secondary
      structure dynamics and hypothesis-driven point mutations to trace the activation
      pathway from the chromophore in the BLUF domain to the active site of the
      cyclase. The structural changes are relayed from the residues interacting with
      the excited chromophore through a conserved kink of the BLUF beta-sheet to a
      tongue-like extrusion of the AC domain that regulates active site opening and
      repositions catalytic residues. Our findings not only show the specific molecular
      pathway of photoactivation in BLUF-regulated ACs but also have implications for
      the general understanding of signaling in BLUF domains and of the activation of
      ACs.

PMID- 28336406
TI  - Reagent-free continuous thermal tert-butyl ester deprotection.
AB  - Continuous processing enables the use of non-standard reaction conditions such as
      high temperatures and pressures while in the liquid phase. This expands the
      chemist's toolbox and can enable previously unthinkable chemistry to proceed with
      ease. For a series of amphoteric amino acid derivatives, we have demonstrated the
      ability to hydrolyze the tert-butyl ester functionality in protic solvent
      systems. Using a continuous plug flow reactor at 120-240 degrees C and 15-40min
      reaction times, no pH modification or additional reagents are needed to achieve
      the desired transformation. The method was then expanded to encompass a variety
      of more challenging substrates to test selectivity and racemization potential.
      The acid products were generally isolated as crystalline solids by simple solvent
      exchange after the deprotection reaction in good to high yield and purity.

PMID- 28336407
TI  - Development of N-hydroxycinnamamide-based HDAC inhibitors with improved HDAC
      inhibitory activity and in vitro antitumor activity.
AB  - Histone deacetylase inhibitors (HDACIs) are promising in the treatment of various
      diseases, among which cancer treatment has achieved the most success. We have
      previously developed series of HDACIs combining N-hydroxycinnamamide bioactive
      fragment and indole bioactive fragment, which showed moderate to potent antitumor
      activities. Herein, further structural derivatization based on our previous
      structure-activity relationship (SAR) got 25 novel compounds. Most compounds
      showed much more potent histone deacetylases (HDACs) inhibitory activity than
      their parent compound 1 and even the positive control SAHA. What's more, compared
      with the approved HDACs inhibitor SAHA, compounds 6i, 6k, 6q and 6t displayed
      better in vitro antiproliferation against multiple tumor cell lines. It is worth
      noting that though the 4-hydroxycinnamic acid-based compound 2 showed HDAC1/3
      dual selectivity, its 4-hydroxy-3-methoxycinnamic acid-based analog 6t turned out
      to be a pan-HDACs inhibitor as SAHA, indicating that the 3-methoxy group on the N
      hydroxycinnamamide fragment could dramatically influence the HDACs isoform
      selectivity of this series of compounds.

PMID- 28336408
TI  - Synthesis, properties, antitumor and antibacterial activity of new Pt(II) and
      Pd(II) complexes with 2,2'-dithiobis(benzothiazole) ligand.
AB  - Mono- and binuclear Pt(II) and Pd(II) complexes with 2,2'
      dithiobis(benzothiazole) (DTBTA) ligand are reported. [Pt(DTBTA)(DMSO)Cl]Cl?CHCl3
      (1) and [Pd2(u-Cl)2(DTBTA)2]Cl2 (2) have been synthesized and structurally
      characterized by elemental analysis, IR, 1H and 13C NMR spectroscopy, MS
      spectrometry and the content of platinum and palladium was determined using a
      flame atomic spectrometer. Two different coordination modes of 1 and 2 complexes
      were found; in both complexes, the coordination of Pt(II) and Pd(II) ions
      involves the N(3) atoms of the ligand but the binuclear complex 2, is a cis
      chloro-bridged palladium complex. Evaluation of their in vitro antitumor activity
      against two human tumor cell lines human breast cancer (MCF-7) and hepatocellular
      carcinoma (HepG2); and their antimicrobial activity against Escherichia coli and
      Kokuria rhizophila was performed. Only complex 1 showed a dose- and time
      dependent cytotoxic activity against the two tumor cell lines, associated to
      apoptosis and accumulation of treated cells in G0/G1 phase of cell cycle, while
      both 1 and 2 exhibited antimicrobial activity with complex 1 much more potent.
      The study on intracellular uptake in both MCF-7 and HepG2 cell lines revealed
      that only platinum of complex 1 is present inside the cells, suggesting a
      different mode of action of the two compounds. This was also in agreement with
      the results obtained for the antitumor and antibacterial activity.

PMID- 28336409
TI  - Development and crystallographic evaluation of histone H3 peptide with N-terminal
      serine substitution as a potent inhibitor of lysine-specific demethylase 1.
AB  - Lysine-specific demethylase 1 (LSD1/KDM1A) is a flavoenzyme demethylase, which
      removes mono- and dimethyl groups from histone H3 Lys4 (H3K4) or Lys9 (H3K9) in
      complexes with several nuclear proteins. Since LSD1 is implicated in the
      tumorigenesis and progression of various cancers, LSD1-specific inhibitors are
      considered as potential anti-cancer agents. A modified H3 peptide with
      substitution of Lys4 to Met [H3K4M] is already known to be a potent competitive
      inhibitor of LSD1. In this study, we synthesized a series of H3K4M peptide
      derivatives and evaluated their LSD1-inhibitory activities in vitro. We found
      that substitutions of the N-terminal amino acid with amino acids having a larger
      side chain were generally not tolerated, but substitution of Ala1 to Ser
      unexpectedly resulted in more potent inhibitory activity toward LSD1. X-ray
      crystallographic analysis of H3K4M derivatives bound to the LSD1.CoREST complex
      revealed the presence of additional hydrogen bonding between the N-terminal Ser
      residue of the H3 peptide derivative and LSD1. The present structural and
      biochemical findings will be helpful for obtaining more potent peptidic
      inhibitors of LSD1.

PMID- 28336410
TI  - The spatial-temporal interaction in the LTP induction between layer IV to layer
      II/III and layer II/III to layer II/III connections in rats' visual cortex during
      the development.
AB  - During the early developmental period, long-term potentiation (LTP) can be
      induced in both vertical and horizontal connections in the rat visual cortex.
      However, the temporal difference in LTP change between the two pathways during
      animal development remains unclear. In this study, LTP in vertical (from layer IV
      to layer II/III) and horizontal (from layer II/III to layer II/III) synaptic
      connections were recorded in brain slices from the same rats, and the
      developmental changes of LTP in both directions were compared within the animals'
      eye-opening period. The results showed that the LTP amplitudes declined to
      unobservable levels on P16 in the horizontal connections and on P20 in the
      vertical synaptic connections. Meanwhile, V-LTP (LTP induced in the vertical
      direction) was always stronger than H-LTP (LTP induced in the horizontal
      direction) under the same conditions of pairing stimulus (PS). Next, H-LTP and V
      LTP were induced from the same neuron in layer II/III to determine the
      spatiotemporal interactions between layer II/III horizontal inputs and ascending
      synaptic inputs during the maturation of rat visual cortex. The data show that
      the weak PS, which failed to induce H-LTP alone, was able to induce H-LTP
      effectively while V-LTP was performed on P10. Our results suggest that V-LTP can
      strengthen H-LTP induction in the visual cortex during the early developmental
      period. In contrast, the regulatory effect of H-LTP on V-LTP was much weaker.

PMID- 28336411
TI  - Exogenous hydrogen sulfide eliminates spatial memory retrieval impairment and
      hippocampal CA1 LTD enhancement caused by acute stress via promoting glutamate
      uptake.
AB  - Acute stress impairs the hippocampus-dependent spatial memory retrieval, and its
      synaptic mechanisms are associated with hippocampal CA1 long-term depression
      (LTD) enhancement in the adult rats. Endogenous hydrogen sulfide (H2S) is
      recognized as a novel gasotransmitter and has the neural protective roles.
      However, very little attention has been paid to understanding the effects of H2S
      on spatial memory retrieval impairment. We observed the protective effects of
      NaHS (a donor of H2S) against spatial memory retrieval impairment caused by acute
      stress and its synaptic mechanisms. Our results showed that NaHS abolished
      spatial memory retrieval impairment and hippocampal CA1 LTD enhancement caused by
      acute stress, but not by glutamate transporter inhibitor l-trans-pyrrolidine-2,4
      dicarboxylic (tPDC), indicating that the activation of glutamate transporters is
      necessary for exogenous H2S to exert its roles. Moreover, NaHS restored the
      decreased glutamate uptake in the hippocampal CA1 synaptosomal fraction caused by
      acute stress. Dithiothreitol (DTT, a disulfide reducing agent) abolished a
      decrease in the glutamate uptake caused by acute stress, and NaHS eradicated the
      decreased glutamate uptake caused by 5,5'-dithio-bis(2-nitrobenzoic)acid (DTNB, a
      thiol oxidizing agent), collectively, revealing that exogenous H2S increases
      glutamate uptake by reducing disulfide bonds of the glutamate transporters.
      Additionally, NaHS inhibited the increased expression level of phosphorylated c
      Jun-N-terminal kinase (JNK) in the hippocampal CA1 region caused by acute stress.
      The JNK inhibitor SP600125 eliminated spatial memory retrieval impairment,
      hippocampal CA1 LTD enhancement and the decreased glutamate uptake caused by
      acute stress, indicating that exogenous H2S exerts these roles by inhibiting the
      activation of JNK signaling pathway.

PMID- 28336412
TI  - A pilot, prospective, randomized trial of video versus direct laryngoscopy for
      paramedic endotracheal intubation.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Prehospital intubation poses several unique challenges. Video
      assisted laryngoscopy has been shown to help increase intubation success in the
      hospital setting; however, little prospective data have examined video assisted
      laryngoscopy in traditional ground ambulance agencies. METHODS: We performed a
      randomized, cross-over, non-blinded trial in ground ambulances comparing first
      attempt success and overall intubation success between video assisted
      laryngoscopy using the King Video Laryngoscope (KVL) and direct laryngoscopy
      (DL). We collected patient and provider demographics along with intubation
      details. Success rates were compared on a per-protocol and an intention-to-treat
      analysis. RESULTS: Over 34 months, a total of 82 intubations were performed with
      42 DL and 40 KVL based on the intention-to-treat analysis. First attempt success
      (28/42, 66.7% vs 25/40, 62.5%, p=0.69) and overall success (34/42, 81% vs 29/40,
      72.5%, p=0.37) were similar between DL and KVL. Cormack-Lehane view and
      percentage of glottic opening were similar between devices. These results were
      consistent in the per-protocol analysis. CONCLUSIONS: In our study utilizing two
      ground EMS agencies, video assisted laryngoscopy with the KVL had similar first
      attempt success rates to direct laryngoscopy.

PMID- 28336413
TI  - Stent thrombosis in patients undergoing coronary stenting after return of
      spontaneous circulation. Does the choice of antiplatelet drug matter?

PMID- 28336414
TI  - CCR6+ Th cells in the cerebrospinal fluid of persons with multiple sclerosis are
      dominated by pathogenic non-classic Th1 cells and GM-CSF-only-secreting Th cells.
AB  - Considerable attention has been given to CCR6+ IL-17-secreting CD4+ T cells
      (Th17) in the pathology of a number of autoimmune diseases including multiple
      sclerosis (MS). However, other Th subsets also play important pathogenic roles,
      including those that secrete IFNgamma and GM-CSF. CCR6 expression by Th17 cells
      allows their migration across the choroid plexus into the cerebrospinal fluid
      (CSF), where they are involved in the early phase of experimental autoimmune
      encephalomyelitis (EAE), and in MS these cells are elevated in the CSF during
      relapses and contain high frequencies of autoreactive cells. However, the
      relatively low frequency of Th17 cells suggests they cannot by themselves account
      for the high percentage of CCR6+ cells in MS CSF. Here we identify the dominant
      CCR6+ T cell subsets in both the blood and CSF as non-classic Th1 cells,
      including many that secrete GM-CSF, a key encephalitogenic cytokine. In addition,
      we show that Th cells secreting GM-CSF but not IFNgamma or IL-17, a subset termed
      GM-CSF-only-secreting Th cells, also accumulate in the CSF. Importantly, in MS
      the proportion of IFNgamma- and GM-CSF-secreting T cells expressing CCR6 was
      significantly enriched in the CSF, and was elevated in MS, suggesting these cells
      play a pathogenic role in this disease.

PMID- 28336415
TI  - sNCAM as a specific marker of peripheral demyelination.
AB  - Adhesion molecules are involved in nerve growth, synaptic plasticity and myelin
      formation and maintenance process. Neural cell adhesion molecule (CD56 or NCAM)
      seems to play a crucial role in all the above-mentioned events. Having found poly
      sialylated NCAM increased re-expression on demyelinated axons within multiple
      sclerosis plaques we assessed soluble NCAM (sNCAM) in sera of patients with
      various types of peripheral nerve affections - demyelinating, axonal
      "inflammatory", axonal metabolic polyneuropathies and healthy controls. These
      data were compared with the clinical state using Overall Neuropathy Limitations
      Scale (ONLS) and nerve conduction studies. We found significantly increased sNCAM
      concentration in demyelinating polyneuropathies in comparison to axonal group and
      healthy controls as well as significantly increased sNCAM level in axonal group
      in comparison to healthy subjects. We also found high positive correlation
      between sNCAM and ONLS and strong negative correlation between sNCAM level and
      the lowest conduction velocity (Vmin) found in a patient. We conclude that sNCAM
      might be thought as a specific marker of peripheral nerve demyelination and as a
      sensitive marker of peripheral nerve injuries.

PMID- 28336416
TI  - Repression of the DCL2 and DCL4 genes in Nicotiana benthamiana plants for the
      transient expression of recombinant proteins.
AB  - The production of recombinant proteins in plants has many advantages, including
      safety and reduced costs. However, this technology still faces several issues,
      including low levels of production. The repression of RNA silencing seems to be
      particularly important for improving recombinant protein production because RNA
      silencing effectively degrades transgene-derived mRNAs in plant cells. Therefore,
      to overcome this, we used RNA interference technology to develop DCL2- and DCL4
      repressed transgenic Nicotiana benthamiana plants (DeltaD2, DeltaD4, and
      DeltaD2DeltaD4 plants), which had much lower levels of NbDCL2 and/or NbDCL4 mRNAs
      than wild-type plants. A transient gene expression assay showed that the
      DeltaD2DeltaD4 plants accumulated larger amounts of green fluorescent protein
      (GFP) and human acidic fibroblast growth factor (aFGF) than DeltaD2, DeltaD4, and
      wild-type plants. Furthermore, the levels of GFP and aFGF mRNAs were also higher
      in DeltaD2DeltaD4 plants than in DeltaD2, DeltaD4, and wild-type plants. These
      findings demonstrate that DeltaD2DeltaD4 plants express larger amounts of
      recombinant proteins than wild-type plants, and so would be useful for
      recombinant protein production.

PMID- 28336417
TI  - Demonstrating the value and importance of combining DNA barcodes and discriminant
      morphological characters for polystome taxonomy (Platyhelminthes, Monogenea).
AB  - Polystomes are monogenean parasites that infest mainly semi aquatic vertebrates,
      such as amphibians and chelonians. Owing to the lack of discriminative
      morphological characters and because polystomes are considered to be strictly
      host- and site-specific, host identity is often used as an additional character
      for parasite identification. Recent genetic studies, however, showed that
      polystomes infecting freshwater turtles in outdoor turtle enclosures and natural
      environments, were not strictly host-specific. Therefore, we proposed a new
      procedure for turtle polystome taxonomy based on the combination of Cytochrome c
      Oxydase I sequences and two discriminant morphological characters, namely the
      number of genital spines and the testis shape. We tested the validity of this
      procedure with Polystomoides oris, which was collected from the pharyngeal cavity
      of the American painted turtle Chrysemys picta and two undescribed species, both
      collected from the pharyngeal cavity of the American slider Trachemys scripta and
      two other European turtles, namely the European pond turtle Emys orbicularis and
      the Mediterranean turtle Mauremys leprosa. A Principal Component Analysis based
      on both morphological characters allowed the separation of all specimens in three
      morphological groups, which matched well with the molecular data. As a result, we
      describe two new polystome species, i.e., Polystomoides soredensis n. sp. and
      Polystomoides scriptanus n. sp.

PMID- 28336418
TI  - Treatment of cerebrospinal fluid leak after spine surgery.
AB  - Owing to the complexity of spinal surgery, there is a great prevalence of dural
      tear causing cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) leakage. Many studies focused on suture
      repair for dural tear to stop CSF leak. Now some new treatment strategies have
      shown a promising effect that is listed as follows: 1) creating watertight dural
      closure to stop CSF leak with the help of dural substitute material; and 2)
      retarding CSF leak by changing pressure difference, including reducing the
      subarachnoid fluid pressure, increasing the epidural space pressure and both. In
      fact several methods mentioned above are usually combined to treat CSF leak.
      However, no update review summarized the relevant studies implemented in recent
      years. In this review, the authors would compare the effects of different dural
      closure techniques, and introduce the latest treatment methods and mechanisms.

PMID- 28336419
TI  - Scarf-related injuries at a major trauma center in northern India.
AB  - PURPOSE: Scarf is a long loose piece of cloth worn around the neck and shoulder.
      Despite cultural association of this apparel, it is part of numerous injury
      episodes of varying enormity. Entanglement of loose scarf in spoke wheels of
      bike, tricycle, belt driven machines like sugarcane juice machine, thresher,
      grinding machines, etc is observed both in social and industrial milieu. This
      study aims to investigate the scarf-related injuries at a major trauma center in
      northern India. METHODS: From June 2013 to May 2015, a hospital-based prospective
      observational study was done in patients who presented to a level 1 trauma center
      in northern India with the mode of injury involving scarf around the neck.
      Demographic profile, mode of trauma, contributing factors, injury pattern, and
      the early management as well as early complications were recorded. RESULTS: There
      were 76 injuries directly related from scarf with the mean age of patients being
      32.4 years. The most common primary factor involved was rotating wheel of
      motorbike/tricycle (46.1%), followed by belt driven machines (28.9%). The
      spectrum of injuries was diverse, including minor abrasions or lacerations
      (53.9%), large lacerations (15.8%), fractures and spine trauma (18.4%), mangled
      extremity and amputations (7.9%) and death (3.9%). More severe injury patterns
      were noted with belt driven machines. CONCLUSION: Scarf-related injuries
      constitute a sizable proportion of trauma, with varying degrees of severity.
      Devastating consequences in significant proportion of cases dictate the call for
      a prevention plan comprising both educational and legislative measures. Urgent
      preventive measures targeting scarf-related injuries will help reduce mortality
      and morbidity.

PMID- 28336421
TI  - Percutaneous planter fasciitis release under local anesthesia: A prospective
      study.
AB  - PURPOSE: Plantar fasciitis is the most common cause of pain on the bottom of the
      heel. It occurs when the strong band of the tissue supporting the arch of foot
      becomes irritated and inflamed. The majority of patients can be treated
      conservatively but some resistant cases need surgery eventually. This study aims
      to evaluate the outcome results of percutaneous planter fascia release under
      local anesthesia for chronic planter fasciitis. METHODS: This prospective study
      was conducted in the Department of Orthopaedic Surgery in the School of Medical
      Science and Research, Sharda University, India from December 2010 to December
      2013. Totally 78 patients with planter fasciitis for more than 6-12 months were
      recruited from the outpatient department. All patients were operated on under
      local anesthesia and followed up for a year. RESULTS: The clinical results were
      evaluated in terms of pain, activity level and patient satisfaction. Pain relief
      was achieved averagely at eight weeks after surgery. The results were excellent
      in 88.46% (69/78) patients and good in 6.41% (9/78) patients. Neither
      complications of lateral column instability, sinus tarsitis and metatarsalgia nor
      wound-related complications were encountered. On subjective evaluations, 88.46%
      (69/78) patients reported full satisfaction and 6.41% (9/78) reported partial
      satisfaction after treatment. CONCLUSION: Percutaneous planter fasciitis release
      under local anesthesia is a minimally invasive procedure that can be performed in
      the outpatient setting. It is easy, quick, effective and moreover with few
      complications.

PMID- 28336420
TI  - Injury prevention, performance and return to sport: How can science help?

PMID- 28336422
TI  - Nomenclatural stability does not justify recognition of paraphyletic taxa: A
      response to Scherz et al. (2016).
AB  - Peloso et al. (2015: PELOSO) published a comprehensive phylogenetic study of the
      frog family Microhylidae, which resulted in the discovery that several taxa were
      not monophyletic. To remedy this, a series of nomenclatural changes were proposed
      (several generic synonymies and two new subfamilies named). A recent study
      published in this journal by Scherz et al. (2016: SCHERZ), provided a novel
      phylogeny for the Malagasy subfamily Cophylinae. SCHERZ dispute the analyses and
      taxonomic conclusions of PELOSO. Their study is, however, based on substantial
      reduction of data from the PELOSO study, limited addition of new data, and
      different analytical methods. In spite of the fact that their own results are
      consistent with the taxonomy of PELOSO, SCHERZ reject that conservative taxonomy
      and suggest the revalidation of Platypelis (from the synonymy of Cophyla), the
      revalidation of Stumpffia (from the synonymies of Rhombophryne), and the creation
      of at least two new genera (only one named therein). In doing so, SCHERZ accept
      the recognition of likely paraphyletic taxa, with Stumpffia paraphyletic in their
      parsimony analysis. Herein, we provide a response to several points raised in
      SCHERZ: (1) we discuss issues with their interpretation (and selective use) of
      available phylogenetic and phenotypic evidence; (2) and provide a new
      phylogenetic analysis of all the data in PELOSO and SCHERZ combined. In the new
      analysis Stumpffia is paraphyletic with respect to Rhombophryne, whereas Cophyla
      and Platypelis are both monophyletic and sister taxa. We provide a case for the
      use of the taxonomy suggested in PELOSO.

PMID- 28336423
TI  - Comparative analysis of complete genome sequences of European subtype tick-borne
      encephalitis virus strains isolated from Ixodes persulcatus ticks, long-tailed
      ground squirrel (Spermophilus undulatus), and human blood in the Asian part of
      Russia.
AB  - Tick-borne encephalitis virus (TBEV) is divided into three subtypes: European
      (TBEV-Eu), Siberian (TBEV-Sib), and Far Eastern (TBEV-FE) subtypes. The
      geographical range of TBEV-Eu dominates in Europe, but this subtype is present
      focally across the whole non-tropical forested Eurasian belt, through Russia to
      South Korea. However, the TBEV-Eu strains isolated outside Europe remain poorly
      characterized. In this study, full-genome sequences of eight TBEV-Eu isolates
      were determined. These strains were isolated from Ixodes persulcatus ticks, long
      tailed ground squirrel (Spermophilus undulatus), and human blood in the natural
      foci of Western and Eastern Siberia, Russia. A phylogenetic analysis of all
      available TBEV-Eu genomic sequences revealed that strains from Siberia were
      closely related to other strains from Europe and South Korea. The closest
      relation was identified between the Siberian strains and strains from Zmeinogorsk
      (Western Siberia, Russia) and strain Absettarov (Karelia, Russia), and were most
      divergent from strains from the Czech Republic and Norway. TBEV-Eu strains
      isolated in Eastern Siberia were more closely related phylogenetically to strains
      from South Korea, but strains from Western Siberia grouped together with the
      strains from Europe, suggesting two genetic TBEV-Eu lineages present in Siberia.

PMID- 28336425
TI  - Characterizing object- and position-dependent response profiles to uni- and
      bilateral stimulus configurations in human higher visual cortex: a 7T fMRI study.
AB  - Visual scenes are initially processed via segregated neural pathways dedicated to
      either of the two visual hemifields. Although higher-order visual areas are
      generally believed to utilize invariant object representations (abstracted away
      from features such as stimulus position), recent findings suggest they retain
      more spatial information than previously thought. Here, we assessed the nature of
      such higher-order object representations in human cortex using high-resolution
      fMRI at 7T, supported by corroborative 3T data. We show that multi-voxel
      activation patterns in both the contra- and ipsilateral hemisphere can be
      exploited to successfully classify the object category of unilaterally presented
      stimuli. Moreover, robustly identified rank order-based response profiles
      demonstrated a strong contralateral bias which frequently outweighed object
      category preferences. Finally, we contrasted different combinatorial operations
      to predict the responses during bilateral stimulation conditions based on
      responses to their constituent unilateral elements. Results favored a max
      operation predominantly reflecting the contralateral stimuli. The current
      findings extend previous work by showing that configuration-dependent modulations
      in higher-order visual cortex responses as observed in single unit activity have
      a counterpart in human neural population coding. They furthermore corroborate the
      emerging view that position coding is a fundamental functional characteristic of
      ventral visual stream processing.

PMID- 28336426
TI  - SAR Simulations & Safety.
AB  - At ultra-high fields, the assessment of radiofrequency (RF) safety presents
      several new challenges compared to low-field systems. Multi-channel RF transmit
      coils in combination with parallel transmit techniques produce time-dependent and
      spatially varying power loss densities in the tissue. Further, in ultra-high
      field systems, localized field effects can be more pronounced due to a transition
      from the quasi stationary to the electromagnetic field regime. Consequently,
      local information on the RF field is required for reliable RF safety assessment
      as well as for monitoring of RF exposure during MR examinations. Numerical RF and
      thermal simulations for realistic exposure scenarios with anatomical body models
      are currently the only practical way to obtain the requisite local information on
      magnetic and electric field distributions as well as tissue temperature. In this
      article, safety regulations and the fundamental characteristics of RF field
      distributions in ultra-high-field systems are reviewed. Numerical methods for
      computation of RF fields as well as typical requirements for the analysis of
      realistic multi-channel RF exposure scenarios including anatomical body models
      are highlighted. In recent years, computation of the local tissue temperature has
      become of increasing interest, since a more accurate safety assessment is
      expected because temperature is directly related to tissue damage. Regarding
      thermal simulation, bio-heat transfer models and approaches for taking into
      account the physiological response of the human body to RF exposure are
      discussed. In addition, suitable methods are presented to validate calculated RF
      and thermal results with measurements. Finally, the concept of generalized
      simulation-based specific absorption rate (SAR) matrix models is discussed. These
      models can be incorporated into local SAR monitoring in multi-channel MR systems
      and allow the design of RF pulses under constraints for local SAR.

PMID- 28336428
TI  - Emergence of norovirus GII.2 and its novel recombination during the
      gastroenteritis outbreak in Japanese children in mid-2016.
AB  - In mid-2016, norovirus GII.2 emerged as a major cause of gastroenteritis outbreak
      in Japan with overall detection rate of 56.3% of norovirus cases. The differences
      in ORF1 and ORF2 of some norovirus GII were observed. Inter-subtype recombinants
      GII.Pe/GII.2, GII.P16/GII.2 and GII.P17/GII.2 were detected. Three amino acid
      substitutions were noted at P2 antigenic site of GII.P16/GII.2 recombinants.
      Furthermore, this study revealed that the current immunochromatographic kit
      available in Japan could be used effectively for the detection of recent GII.2
      genotype.

PMID- 28336427
TI  - High resolution anatomical and quantitative MRI of the entire human occipital
      lobe ex vivo at 9.4T.
AB  - Several magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) contrasts are sensitive to myelin
      content in gray matter in vivo which has ignited ambitions of MRI-based in vivo
      cortical histology. Ultra-high field (UHF) MRI, at fields of 7T and beyond, is
      crucial to provide the resolution and contrast needed to sample contrasts over
      the depth of the cortex and get closer to layer resolved imaging. Ex vivo MRI of
      human post mortem samples is an important stepping stone to investigate MRI
      contrast in the cortex, validate it against histology techniques applied in situ
      to the same tissue, and investigate the resolutions needed to translate ex vivo
      findings to in vivo UHF MRI. Here, we investigate key technology to extend such
      UHF studies to large human brain samples while maintaining high resolution, which
      allows investigation of the layered architecture of several cortical areas over
      their entire 3D extent and their complete borders where architecture changes. A
      16 channel cylindrical phased array radiofrequency (RF) receive coil was
      constructed to image a large post mortem occipital lobe sample (~80*80*80mm3) in
      a wide-bore 9.4T human scanner with the aim of achieving high-resolution
      anatomical and quantitative MR images. Compared with a human head coil at 9.4T,
      the maximum Signal-to-Noise ratio (SNR) was increased by a factor of about five
      in the peripheral cortex. Although the transmit profile with a circularly
      polarized transmit mode at 9.4T is relatively inhomogeneous over the large
      sample, this challenge was successfully resolved with parallel transmit using the
      kT-points method. Using this setup, we achieved 60MUm anatomical images for the
      entire occipital lobe showing increased spatial definition of cortical details
      compared to lower resolutions. In addition, we were able to achieve sufficient
      control over SNR, B0 and B1 homogeneity and multi-contrast sampling to perform
      quantitative T2* mapping over the same volume at 200MUm. Markov Chain Monte Carlo
      sampling provided maximum posterior estimates of quantitative T2* and their
      uncertainty, allowing delineation of the stria of Gennari over the entire length
      and width of the calcarine sulcus. We discuss how custom RF receive coil arrays
      built to specific large post mortem sample sizes can provide a platform for UHF
      cortical layer-specific quantitative MRI over large fields of view.

PMID- 28336429
TI  - Insight into stereochemistry of a new IMP allelic variant (IMP-55) metallo-beta
      lactamase identified in a clinical strain of Acinetobacter baumannii.
AB  - Metallo-beta-lactamases (MBLs) such as IMPs are broad-spectrum beta-lactamases
      that inactivate virtually all beta-lactam antibiotics including carbapenems. In
      this study, we investigated the hydrolytic activity, phylogenetic relationship,
      three dimensional (3D) structure including zinc binding motif of a new IMP
      variant (IMP-55) identified in a clinical strain of Acinetobacter baumannii (AB).
      AB strain 56 was isolated from an adult ICU of a teaching hospital in Kerman,
      Iran. It exhibited MIC 32MUg/ml to imipenem and showed MBL activity. Hydrolytic
      property of the MBL enzyme was measured phenotypically. Presence of blaIMP gene
      encoded by class 1 integrons was detected by PCR-sequencing. Phylogenetic tree of
      IMP protein was constructed using the Unweighted Pair Group Method with
      Arithmetic Mean (UPGMA) and 3D model including zinc binding motif was predicted
      by bioinformatics softwares. Analysis of IMP sequence led to the identification
      of a novel IMP-type designated as IMP-55 (GenBank: KU299753.1; UniprotKB:
      A0A0S2MTX2). Impact in term of hydrolytic activity compared to the closest
      variants suggested efficient imipenem hydrolysis by this enzyme. Evolutionary
      distance matrix assessment indicated that IMP-55 protein is not closely related
      to other A. baumannii IMPs, however, shared 98% homology with Escherichia coli
      IMP-30 (UniprotKB: A0A0C5PJR0) and Pseudomonas aeruginosa IMP-1 (UniprotKB:
      Q19KT1). It consisted of five alpha-helices, ten beta-sheets and six loops. A
      monovalent zinc ion attached to core of enzyme via His95, His97, His157 and
      Cys176. Multiple amino acid sequence alignments and mutational trajectory with
      reported IMPs showed 4 amino acid substitutions at positions 12(Phe->Ile), 31(Asp
      >Glu), 172(Leu->Phe) and 185(Asn->Lys). We suggest that the pleiotropic effect of
      mutations due to frequent administration of imipenem is responsible for emergence
      of new IMP variant in our hospitals.

PMID- 28336430
TI  - Female Physicians Are Underrepresented in Recognition Awards from the American
      Academy of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Medical specialty societies are important resources for physicians in
      advancing their careers. There is a gap in the literature regarding gender
      disparities within these societies. This study assesses one area where
      disparities may exist: recognition awards. OBJECTIVE: To determine whether female
      physicians are underrepresented among recognition award recipients by the
      American Academy of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation (AAPM&R). DESIGN:
      Surveillance study. SETTING AND METHODS: A published online list of national
      award recipients from the AAPM&R was analyzed. Forty-eight years of data were
      included, as the list contained all major recognition award recipients from 1968
      to 2015. All awards that were given exclusively to physicians were included.
      There were eight award categories listed online; seven met this criterion, with a
      total of 264 individual awards presented. One award category was excluded because
      it focused on distinguished public service and included both physician and
      nonphysician (eg, public official) recipients. Awards that were not published
      online were also excluded. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Total awards given to female
      versus male physicians from 1968 to 2015, with awards given over the past decade
      (2006-2015) assessed independently. Lectureships were also analyzed as a set. For
      awards given to groups of physician recipients, analysis included gender
      composition of the group (eg, male only versus female only versus mixed-gender
      physician groups). To assess the proportion of female versus male physiatrists
      over time, physician gender and specialty data from 3 sources were used: the
      American Medical Association (AMA), the Association of American Medical Colleges
      (AAMC), and the AAPM&R. RESULTS: Over the past 48 years, the AAPM&R presented 264
      recognition awards to physicians. Award recipients were overwhelmingly male (n =
      222; 84.1%). Females received 15.9% (n = 42) of the total awards, although there
      was an upward trend in female physician recipients to 26.8% (n = 26) from 2006 to
      2015. Lectureships were given to 8 female physicians (n = 8 of 77, 10.4%). These
      results were lower than the proportion of female physicians in the field of
      physiatry (35% in 2013). Female physicians were more likely to receive awards if
      they were part of a group and less likely to be recognized if the award was given
      to only 1 recipient each year or involved a lectureship with a speaking
      opportunity at a national meeting. CONCLUSIONS: To our knowledge, this is the
      first study in medicine to assess whether female physicians are underrepresented
      among recipients of recognition awards presented by a national medical society.
      For nearly half a century, female physicians have been underrepresented in awards
      presented by the AAPM&R. Although it is encouraging that the proportion of female
      physicians receiving awards is increasing, further research is needed to
      understand why underrepresentation remains. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Not applicable.

PMID- 28336424
TI  - The impact of oxidative stress and inflammation on RPE degeneration in non
      neovascular AMD.
AB  - The retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) is a highly specialized, unique epithelial
      cell that interacts with photoreceptors on its apical side and with Bruch's
      membrane and the choriocapillaris on its basal side. Due to vital functions that
      keep photoreceptors healthy, the RPE is essential for maintaining vision. With
      aging and the accumulated effects of environmental stresses, the RPE can become
      dysfunctional and die. This degeneration plays a central role in age-related
      macular degeneration (AMD) pathobiology, the leading cause of blindness among the
      elderly in western societies. Oxidative stress and inflammation have both
      physiological and potentially pathological roles in RPE degeneration. Given the
      central role of the RPE, this review will focus on the impact of oxidative stress
      and inflammation on the RPE with AMD pathobiology. Physiological sources of
      oxidative stress as well as unique sources from photo-oxidative stress, the
      phagocytosis of photoreceptor outer segments, and modifiable factors such as
      cigarette smoking and high fat diet ingestion that can convert oxidative stress
      into a pathological role, and the negative impact of impairing the cytoprotective
      roles of mitochondrial dynamics and the Nrf2 signaling system on RPE health in
      AMD will be discussed. Likewise, the response by the innate immune system to an
      inciting trigger, and the potential role of local RPE production of inflammation,
      as well as a potential role for damage by inflammation with chronicity if the
      inciting trigger is not neutralized, will be debated.

PMID- 28336431
TI  - Calcium-sensing receptor antagonist NPS2390 attenuates neuronal apoptosis though
      intrinsic pathway following traumatic brain injury in rats.
AB  - Traumatic brain injury (TBI) initiates a complex cascade of neurochemical and
      signaling changes that leads to neuronal apoptosis, which contributes to poor
      outcomes for patients with TBI. Previous study indicates that calcium-sensing
      receptor (CaSR) activation contributes to neuron death in focal cerebral ischemia
      reperfusion mice, however, its role in neuronal apoptosis after TBI is not well
      established. Using a controlled cortical impact model in rats, the present study
      was designed to determine the effect of CaSR inhibitor NPS2390 upon neuronal
      apoptosis after TBI. Rats were randomly distributed into three groups undergoing
      the sham surgery or TBI procedure, and NPS2390 (1.5 mg/kg) was infused
      subcutaneously at 30 min and 120 min after TBI. All rats were sacrificed at 24 h
      after TBI. Our data indicated that NPS2390 significantly reduced the brain edema
      and improved the neurological function after TBI. In addition, NPS2390 decreased
      caspase-3 levels and the number of apoptotic neurons. Furthermore, NPS2390 up
      regulated anti-apoptotic protein Bcl-2 expression and down-regulated pro
      apoptotic protein Bax, and reduced subsequent release of cytochrome c into the
      cytosol. In summary, this study indicated that inhibition of CaSR by NPS2390
      attenuates neuronal apoptosis after TBI, in part, through modulating intrinsic
      apoptotic pathway.

PMID- 28336432
TI  - Behavioral abnormalities and reduced norepinephrine in EP4 receptor-associated
      protein (EPRAP)-deficient mice.
AB  - EP4 receptor-associated protein (EPRAP) is a newly identified molecule that
      regulates macrophage activation. We recently demonstrated the presence of EPRAP
      in the mice brain; however, little is known about the function of EPRAP in this
      tissue. Therefore, we investigated the role of EPRAP in behavior and emotion
      using behavioral analysis in mice. In this study, we subjected EPRAP-deficient
      (KO) mice and wild-type C57BL/6 (WT) mice to a battery of behavioral tests. EPRAP
      KO mice tended to have shorter latencies to fall in the wire hang test, but had
      normal neuromuscular strength. EPRAP-KO mice exhibited elevated startle responses
      and reduced pre-pulse inhibition. Compared with WT mice, EPRAP-KO mice increased
      depression-like behavior in the forced swim test. These abnormal behaviors
      partially mimic symptoms of depression, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder
      (ADHD) and schizophrenia. Methylphenidate administration increased locomotor
      activity less in EPRAP-KO mice than in WT mice. Finally, levels of norepinephrine
      were reduced in the EPRAP-KO mouse brain. These behavioral abnormalities in EPRAP
      KO mice may result from the dysfunction of monoamines, in particular,
      norepinephrine. Our results suggest that EPRAP participates in the pathogenesis
      of various behavioral disorders.

PMID- 28336433
TI  - Early-stage reduction of the dendritic complexity in basolateral amygdala of a
      transgenic mouse model of Alzheimer's disease.
AB  - Alzheimer's disease is a representative age-related neurodegenerative disease
      that could result in loss of memory and cognitive deficiency. However, the
      precise onset time of Alzheimer's disease affecting neuronal circuits and the
      mechanisms underlying the changes are not clearly known. To address the
      neuroanatomical changes during the early pathologic developing process, we
      acquired the neuronal morphological characterization of AD in APP/PS1 double
      transgenic mice using the Micro-Optical Sectioning Tomography system. We
      reconstructed the neurons in 3D datasets with a resolution of 0.32 * 0.32 * 1 MUm
      and used the Sholl method to analyze the anatomical characterization of the
      dendritic branches. The results showed that, similar to the progressive change in
      amyloid plaques, the number of dendritic branches were significantly decreased in
      9-month-old mice. In addition, a distinct reduction of dendritic complexity
      occurred in third and fourth-order dendritic branches of 9-month-old mice, while
      no significant changes were identified in these parameters in 6-month-old mice.
      At the branch-level, the density distribution of dendritic arbors in the radial
      direction decreased in the range of 40-90 MUm from the neuron soma in 6-month-old
      mice. These changes in the dendritic complexity suggest that these reductions
      contribute to the progressive cognitive impairment seen in APP/PS1 mice. This
      work may yield insights into the early changes in dendritic abnormality and its
      relevance to dysfunctional mechanisms of learning, memory and emotion in
      Alzheimer's disease.

PMID- 28336434
TI  - Vav1 expression is increased in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma and indicates
      poor prognosis.
AB  - Recently, Vav1 has been suggested to play an essential role in the progression of
      human cancers. However, the correlation between Vav1 expression and prognosis of
      esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) is still unknown. The aim of this study
      was to investigate Vav1 expression and its prognostic value in ESCC. The
      expression of Vav1 was detected by real-time quantitative reverse transcription
      polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) and Western blotting in ESCC tissues and
      matched nontumorous tissues. Immunohistochemistry (IHC) was carried out to detect
      Vav1 expression in paraffin samples from 112 primary ESCC patients. Survival
      analysis was performed using Kaplan-Meier method. Univariate and multivariate Cox
      regression analyses were performed to evaluate the correlation of Vav1 expression
      with prognosis of ESCC patients. The expression levels of Vav1 mRNA and protein
      in ESCC tissues were both significantly higher than those in adjacent nontumorous
      tissues. High Vav1 expression was significantly correlated with larger tumor size
      (P = 0.015), depth of tumor invasion (P = 0.023), lymph node metastasis (P =
      0.008) and TNM stage (P < 0.001). The rate of overall survival (OS) was
      significantly lower in patients with high Vav1 expression than those with low
      Vav1 expression (P = 0.014). Multivariate Cox analysis indicated that Vav1
      expression is an independent prognostic factor for OS (HR = 1.660, 95%CI = 1.058
      2.607, P = 0.028). In summary, our findings demonstrate that Vav1 may be a
      candidate molecular prognostic marker for patients with ESCC.

PMID- 28336435
TI  - In vitro model of cerebral ischemia by using brain microvascular endothelial
      cells derived from human induced pluripotent stem cells.
AB  - Brain-derived microvascular endothelial cells (BMECs), which play a central role
      in blood brain barrier (BBB), can be used for the evaluation of drug transport
      into the brain. Although human BMEC cell lines have already been reported, they
      lack original properties such as barrier integrity. Pluripotent stem cells (PSCs)
      can be used for various applications such as regenerative therapy, drug
      screening, and pathological study. In the recent study, an induction method of
      BMECs from PSCs has been established, making it possible to more precisely study
      the in vitro human BBB function. Here, using induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cell
      derived BMECs, we examined the effects of oxygen-glucose deprivation (OGD) and
      OGD/reoxygenation (OGD/R) on BBB permeability. OGD disrupted the barrier
      function, and the dysfunction was rapidly restored by re-supply of the oxygen and
      glucose. Interestingly, TNF-alpha, which is known to be secreted from astrocytes
      and microglia in the cerebral ischemia, prevented the restoration of OGD-induced
      barrier dysfunction in an apoptosis-independent manner. Thus, we could establish
      the in vitro BBB disease model that mimics the cerebral ischemia by using iPS
      cell-derived BMECs.

PMID- 28336436
TI  - Induction of dopamine D1 and D5 receptors in R28 cells by light exposures.
AB  - Dopamine is known to play an important role in the pathophysiological process of
      myopia development relevant to the ambient lighting, but it is still poorly
      understood about how lighting regulates dopamine and its interaction with
      dopamine receptors to mediate the pathogenic signal transduction leading to
      alterations of ocular globe and the pathogenesis of myopia. Many studies have
      highlighted changes of ocular dopamine amount in response to different lighting
      conditions, but little attention has been paid to the dopamine receptors during
      these processes. Here we examined the effects of different lighting exposures on
      the expression of dopamine receptors in rat R28 retinal precursor cells. R28
      cells normally grown in dark were exposed to a low (10 lux) or high (500 lux)
      intensity of a source of LED white light (5000 K-6000 K) for 12 h and total RNA
      was isolated either immediately or after certain time continuous growing in dark.
      Both conventional and real-time RT-PCR were performed to determine the expression
      of all five different dopamine receptors in cells after treatments. While the
      transcripts of dopamine D2, D3, and D4 receptors were not detected in the total
      RNA preparations of all the cells, those of D1 and D5 receptors (DRD1 and DRD5)
      were induced by lighting in contrast to the dark control. Elevated levels of DRD1
      and DRD5 mRNA returned back close to the original levels once the cells were
      maintained in dark after light exposures. Immunofluorescence microscopy using a
      specific antibody confirmed an increase in the immunoreactivity of DRD1 in the
      cells exposed to 500 lux lighting versus dark control. Notably, treatments of R28
      cells with nanomolar dosages of dopamine (0-500 nM) directly downregulated
      expression of both DRD1 and DRD5, whereas haloperidol (0-50 nM), a DRD2
      antagonist, significantly induced expression of DRD1. These results suggest that
      dopamine receptors in the retinal cells might actively respond to the
      environmental lighting to act as an important player in the activation of the
      dopaminergic system in the ocular structures relevant to the lighting-induced
      pathogenic development of myopia.

PMID- 28336437
TI  - Overexpression of TACC3 is correlated with tumor aggressiveness and poor
      prognosis in prostate cancer.
AB  - Transforming acidic coiled-coil (TACC3), a member of the TACC family, has been
      shown to be deregulated in various cancers and involved in tumor progression.
      However, its biological role and molecular mechanism in prostate cancer (PCa)
      have not been elucidated. Herein, we reported that TACC3 was markedly upregulated
      in metastatic PCa. The upregulation of TACC3 was significantly associated with
      the metastasis status, tumor stage, total prostate-specific antigen (PSA) level,
      and Gleason score in patients with PCa. Moreover, a Kaplan-Meier survival
      analysis showed that patients with PCa who had high TACC3 expression experienced
      shorter disease-free survival than patients with a low TACC3 expression. In
      addition, the knockdown of TACC3 dramatically reduced the migratory speed and
      invasiveness of PCa cells. Furthermore, silencing TACC3 markedly suppressed the
      Wnt/beta-catenin signaling pathway. Taken together, these findings uncover a
      supportive role for TACC3 in PCa metastasis, which is mediated by the activation
      of the Wnt/beta-catenin signaling pathway, suggesting that TACC3 may serve as a
      prognostic marker in patients with metastatic PCa.

PMID- 28336439
TI  - Reproductive toxicity provoked by titanium dioxide nanoparticles and the
      ameliorative role of Tiron in adult male rats.
AB  - Titanium dioxide nanoparticles (TDN) are widely used in paints, plastics,
      ceramics, cosmetics, printing ink, rubber and paper. Tiron is a water soluble
      metal chelator and antioxidant. This study was designed to investigate the
      reproductive toxicity of TDN in male albino rats and the ameliorative role of
      Tiron to minimize such toxic effects. Eighty adult male albino rats were assigned
      into 4 equal groups, group 1: control; group 2: received TDN at 100 mg/kg/day
      orally for 8 weeks; group 3: received Tiron at 470 mg/kg/day intraperitoneally
      for 2 weeks (the last 2 weeks of the experimental period); group 4: received both
      TDN and Tiron by the same previously mentioned dose, route and duration. The
      results revealed that TDN provoked reproductive toxicity which was proved by the
      deteriorated spermogram picture, high incidence of micronucleated RBCs, elevated
      oxidative stress parameters and up regulation of Testin gene. Whereas, Tiron co
      treatment ameliorated most of these toxic alterations. Our findings highlighted
      the protective role of tiron against TDN intoxication.

PMID- 28336438
TI  - KLF15 protects against isoproterenol-induced cardiac hypertrophy via regulation
      of cell death and inhibition of Akt/mTOR signaling.
AB  - Increasing evidence indicate that the Kruppel-like factor KLF15, a member of
      Cys2/His2 zinc-finger DNA-binding proteins, attenuates cardiac hypertrophy.
      However, the role of KLF15 in cardiovascular system is largely unknown and the
      exact molecular mechanism of its protective function is not fully elucidated. In
      the present study, we established a mouse model of cardiac hypertrophy and found
      that KLF15 expression was down-regulated in hypertrophic hearts. To evaluate the
      roles of KLF15 in cardiac hypertrophy, we generated transgenic mice
      overexpressing KLF15 of KLF15 knockdown mice and subsequently induced cardiac
      hypertrophy. The results indicated that KLF15 overexpression protects mice from
      ISO-induced cardiac hypertrophy, with reduced ratios of heart weight (HW)/body
      weight (BW) and cross-sectional area. We also observed that KLF15 overexpression
      attenuated cardiac fibrosis, inhibited apoptosis and induced autophagy in
      cardiomyocytes compared with KLF15 knockdown mice. More importantly, we found
      that the KLF15 overexpression inhibited the Akt/mTOR signaling pathway. Taken
      together, our findings imply that KLF15 possesses potential anti-hypertrophic and
      anti-fibrotic functions, possibly via regulation of cell death pathways and the
      inhibition of Akt/mTOR axis. KLF15 may constitute an efficient candidate drug for
      the treatment of heart failure and other cardiovascular diseases.

PMID- 28336440
TI  - Astroglial Ca2+ signaling is generated by the coordination of IP3R and store
      operated Ca2+ channels.
AB  - Astrocytes play key roles in the central nervous system and regulate local blood
      flow and synaptic transmission via intracellular calcium (Ca2+) signaling.
      Astrocytic Ca2+ signals are generated by multiple pathways: Ca2+ release from the
      endoplasmic reticulum (ER) via the inositol 1, 4, 5-trisphosphate receptor (IP3R)
      and Ca2+ influx through various Ca2+ channels on the plasma membrane. However,
      the Ca2+ channels involved in astrocytic Ca2+ homeostasis or signaling have not
      been fully characterized. Here, we demonstrate that spontaneous astrocytic Ca2+
      transients in cultured hippocampal astrocytes were induced by cooperation between
      the Ca2+ release from the ER and the Ca2+ influx through store-operated calcium
      channels (SOCCs) on the plasma membrane. Ca2+ imaging with plasma membrane
      targeted GCaMP6f revealed that spontaneous astroglial Ca2+ transients were
      impaired by pharmacological blockade of not only Ca2+ release through IP3Rs, but
      also Ca2+ influx through SOCCs. Loss of SOCC activity resulted in the depletion
      of ER Ca2+, suggesting that SOCCs are activated without store depletion in
      hippocampal astrocytes. Our findings indicate that sustained SOCC activity,
      together with that of the sarco-endoplasmic reticulum Ca2+-ATPase, contribute to
      the maintenance of astrocytic Ca2+ store levels, ultimately enabling astrocytic
      Ca2+ signaling.

PMID- 28336442
TI  - Total coliform and E. coli in public water systems using undisinfected ground
      water in the United States.
AB  - Public water systems (PWSs) in the United States generate total coliform (TC) and
      Escherichia coli (EC) monitoring data, as required by the Total Coliform Rule
      (TCR). We analyzed data generated in 2011 by approximately 38,000 small (serving
      fewer than 4101 individuals) undisinfected public water systems (PWSs). We used
      statistical modeling to characterize a distribution of TC detection probabilities
      for each of nine groupings of PWSs based on system type (community, non-transient
      non-community, and transient non-community) and population served (less than 101,
      101-1000 and 1001-4100 people). We found that among PWS types sampled in 2011, on
      average, undisinfected transient PWSs test positive for TC 4.3% of the time as
      compared with 3% for undisinfected non-transient PWSs and 2.5% for undisinfected
      community PWSs. Within each type of PWS, the smaller systems have higher median
      TC detection than the larger systems. All TC-positive samples were assayed for
      EC. Among TC-positive samples from small undisinfected PWSs, EC is detected in
      about 5% of samples, regardless of PWS type or size. We evaluated the upper tail
      of the TC detection probability distributions and found that significant
      percentages of some system types have high TC detection probabilities. For
      example, assuming the systems providing data are nationally-representative, then
      5.0% of the ~50,000 small undisinfected transient PWSs in the U.S. have TC
      detection probabilities of 20% or more. Communities with such high TC detection
      probabilities may have elevated risk of acute gastrointestinal (AGI) illness -
      perhaps as great or greater than the attributable risk to drinking water (6-22%)
      calculated for 14 Wisconsin community PWSs with much lower TC detection
      probabilities (about 2.3%, Borchardt et al., 2012).

PMID- 28336441
TI  - Chronic stress-induced dendritic reorganization and abundance of synaptosomal PKA
      dependent CP-AMPA receptor in the basolateral amygdala in a mouse model of
      depression.
AB  - Chronic stress is a precipitating factor for disorders including depression. The
      basolateral amygdala (BLA) is a critical substrate that interconnects with stress
      modulated neural networks to generate emotion- and mood-related behaviors. The
      current study shows that 3 h per day of restraint stress for 14 days caused mice
      to exhibit long-term depressive behaviors, manifested by disrupted sociality and
      despair levels, which were rescued by fluoxetine. These behavioral changes
      corresponded with morphological and molecular changes in BLA neurons, including
      chronic stress-elicited increases in arborization, dendritic length, and spine
      density of BLA principal neurons. At the molecular level, calcium-permeable alpha
      amino-3-hydroxy-5-methyl-4-isoxazolepropionic acid receptors (CP-AMPARs) within
      the synaptosome exhibited an increased GluR1:GluR2 subunit ratio. We also
      observed increased GluR1 phosphorylation at Ser 845 and enhanced cyclic AMP
      dependent protein kinase (PKA) activity in the BLA. These molecular changes
      reverted to the basal state post-treatment with fluoxetine. The expression of
      synaptophysin (SYP) and postsynaptic density protein 95 (PSD-95) at BLA neuronal
      synapses was also enhanced by chronic stress, which was reversed post-treatment.
      Finally, chronic stress-provoked depressive behavior was overcome by local
      blockage of CP-AMPARs in the BLA via stereotaxic injection (IEM-1460). Chronic
      stress-elicited depressive behavior may be due to hypertrophy of BLA neuronal
      dendrites and increased of PKA-dependent CP-AMPAR levels in BLA neurons.
      Furthermore, fluoxetine can reverse chronic stress-triggered cytoarchitectural
      and functional changes of BLA neurons. These findings provide insights into
      depression-linked structural and functional changes in BLA neurons.

PMID- 28336443
TI  - Predicting Academic Career Placement: Neurosurgery's Quest for the Holy Grail.

PMID- 28336444
TI  - Tool-Tissue Interaction Forces in Brain Arteriovenous Malformation Surgery.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: Surgical resection of a brain arteriovenous malformation (AVM) poses a
      technical challenge because of the fragility and number of small feeding and
      draining vessels around the nidus. Acquiring knowledge of the optimal force
      applied to such tissue is important in surgical performance and education.
      METHODS: A force-sensing bipolar forceps was developed through installation of
      strain gauge sensors, and force profiles were obtained from 2 AVM surgeries. The
      force data associated with vessel injury, unsuccessful trial, was compared with
      that from successful trials. Receiver operating curve analysis was used for
      determining optimal force threshold and evaluating the discriminative accuracy of
      measurement. RESULTS: Force data from 519 trials was collected, of which 16
      (3.1%) were unsuccessful. The mean and maximum forces in successful trials were
      0.23 +/- 0.06 N and 0.35 +/- 0.11 N compared with unsuccessful trials of 0.33 +/-
      0.05 N and 0.53 +/- 0.11 N, respectively (P < 0.001). There was a strong
      association of mean and maximum force peaks with unsuccessful trials as reflected
      by the area under the curve of 0.91 and 0.87, respectively. Threshold analysis
      showed that the rate of unsuccessful trials and error forces tended to increase
      with surgical time. CONCLUSIONS: Excessive force at the tool tip may result in
      injury to fragile vessels during AVM surgery. A quantifiable metric through force
      sensing instruments can detect and predict the occurrence of such injury. Such an
      instrument may be ideal for resident training and evaluation.

PMID- 28336446
TI  - Ethical Obligations in Attempting to Do Good in a Surgical Mission: Reflections
      on the Neurosurgical Mission to Mongolia.

PMID- 28336445
TI  - Mortality-Associated Characteristics of Patients with Traumatic Brain Injury at
      the University Teaching Hospital of Kigali, Rwanda.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is a leading cause of death and
      disability. Patients with TBI in low and middle-income countries have worse
      outcomes than patients in high-income countries. We evaluated important clinical
      indicators associated with mortality for patients with TBI at University Teaching
      Hospital of Kigali, Kigali, Rwanda. METHODS: A prospective consecutive sampling
      of patients with TBI presenting to University Teaching Hospital of Kigali
      Accident and Emergency Department was screened for inclusion criteria: reported
      head trauma, alteration in consciousness, headache, and visible head trauma.
      Exclusion criteria were age <10 years, >48 hours after injury, and repeat visit.
      Data were assessed for association with death using logistic regression.
      Significant variables were included in a multivariate logistic regression model
      and refined via backward elimination. RESULTS: Between October 7, 2013, and April
      6, 2014, 684 patients were enrolled; 14 (2%) were excluded because of incomplete
      data. Of patients, 81% were male with mean age of 31 years (range, 10-89 years;
      SD 11.8). Most patients (80%) had mild TBI (Glasgow Coma Scale [GCS] score 13
      15); 10% had moderate (GCS score 9-12) and 10% had severe (GCS score 3-8) TBI.
      Multivariate logistic regression determined that GCS score <13, hypoxia,
      bradycardia, tachycardia, and age >50 years were significantly associated with
      death. CONCLUSIONS: GCS score <13, hypoxia, bradycardia, tachycardia, and age >50
      years were associated with mortality. These findings inform future research that
      may guide clinicians in prioritizing care for patients at highest risk of
      mortality.

PMID- 28336448
TI  - Permanent implants for lip augmentation: Results from a retrospective study and
      presentation of tips and tricks.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Requests for lip augmentation are increasing because of expanding
      media exposure and consumer needs. Temporary effects can be obtained by several
      techniques, but a recent procedure consisting of lip prosthesis implantation,
      offering a permanent result, is emerging. Accordingly, the implantation of solid
      lip prosthesis represents an innovation in the field of esthetic medicine and
      surgery. METHODS: A total of 100 women with atrophic or hypoplastic lips were
      treated with lip implants. The treatment was performed in a single session, and
      controls were scheduled at fixed time intervals. A standard digital photo was
      used for measurement and analysis. Data concerning patient satisfaction and
      complications of the technique were collected and analyzed. Variations to the
      original technique were also discussed. RESULTS: Patient evaluation revealed that
      a permanent and natural result without discomfort for the patient and/or the
      partner was reached with the implantation of silicone prosthesis in the upper
      and/or lower lip. Swelling, bruising, and malpositions were the most frequent
      adverse events. A case of severe edema was reported. Practical tricks acquired
      through experience were discussed to prevent complications. CONCLUSIONS: One of
      the most widespreading methods for lip remodeling is hyaluronic acid injections.
      Nevertheless, hyaluronic acid has a variable duration, and it is not always the
      first choice. This context allowed for the development of other techniques such
      as the implantation of silicone prosthesis. The advantages of this prosthesis are
      as follows: safety, definitive result, and reversibility considering the
      possibility to remove the implanted prosthesis in the case of a request.

PMID- 28336447
TI  - Anatomical reconstruction of the fourth brachymetatarsia with one-stage iliac
      bone and cartilage cap grafting.
AB  - BACKGROUND: We present a one-stage procedure for lengthening the fourth
      brachymetatarsia with autogenous iliac bone and cartilage cap grafting for the
      anatomical reconstruction of the metatarsophalangeal (MTP) joint METHODS: During
      the last 8 years, 56 feet in 41 patients with congenital brachymetatarsia of the
      fourth toe were corrected with a one-stage operation to reposition the articular
      cartilage cap to the distal part of interpositional iliac bone graft at the
      metatarsal epiphysis. RESULTS: The length of the harvested iliac bone graft was
      22.9 mm on average. The mean fixation period was 58.5 days, and the mean gain in
      length and percentage increase was 20.9 mm and 39%, respectively. MRI showed a
      stable MTP joint over viable cartilage cap in 83.3% of the cases. Mean
      postoperative American Orthopedic Foot and Ankle Society lesser MTP
      interphalangeal score was 82.0. Neither neurovascular impairment nor recurrence
      of brachymetatarsia occurred in the mean follow-up period of 43.6 months. All
      patients were satisfied with the postoperative cosmetic results. Thirteen
      patients (23.2%) complained of limited active dorsiflexion of the fourth toe, and
      extensor adhesion was released by extensor tenolysis in only one patient. In a
      single case of nonunion at the bone graft site, additional surgery was not
      necessary. CONCLUSIONS: Anatomical reconstruction of the fourth brachymetatarsia
      with one-stage interpositional iliac bone and cartilage cap grafting resulted in
      excellent cosmetic results and a physiologic MTP joint, providing the benefits of
      one-stage lengthening with a low complication rate. CLINICAL QUESTION/LEVEL OF
      EVIDENCE: Therapeutic, IV.

PMID- 28336449
TI  - Objective sensory and functional outcomes at the donor site following endoscopic
      assisted sural nerve harvest.
AB  - BACKGROUND: The sural nerve is a common choice for a nerve graft. Understanding
      the potential morbidity associated with its harvest is important. In this study,
      we describe the objective sensory and functional outcomes associated with
      endoscopic sural nerve harvest from a combined paediatric and adult population.
      METHODS: Data were collected prospectively from patients attending for follow-up
      between August 2015 and January 2016, who had previously undergone an endoscopic
      sural nerve graft harvest. Sensory loss was evaluated using a 5.07 Semmes
      Weinstein monofilament. The lower extremity functional scale was used to evaluate
      the patients' lower limb function. Statistical comparison was made using the
      Student's t-test. RESULTS: The outcomes from 46 sural nerve grafts were
      evaluated. The mean age of the patients was 18.1 years (range 4-45 years old).
      The mean time since surgery was 4.3 years. Those aged <=18 years had a
      significantly smaller area of sensory loss (p = 0.003), which was not related to
      a difference in foot size. Those who had undergone surgery >6 months previously
      had a significantly smaller area of sensory loss than those who had undergone
      surgery <6 months ago (p = 0.0002). The mean lower extremity functional scale
      score was 78.7/80. CONCLUSION: We demonstrated a significantly reduced post
      harvest sensory deficit among a paediatric population compared to that seen in
      adults. Furthermore, sensory loss reduces with time. Despite the sensory loss
      resulting from sural nerve graft harvest, there is minimal loss of function. As
      such, the sural nerve continues to be an excellent donor for a nerve graft
      procedure.

PMID- 28336450
TI  - Commentary on the Furlow paper.

PMID- 28336451
TI  - Effect of soybean phosphatidylcholine on lipid profile of bovine oocytes matured
      in vitro.
AB  - The phospholipid (PL) composition of embryo and oocyte membranes affects thermal
      phase behavior and several physicochemical properties such as fluidity and
      permeability. The characterization of PL profiles and the development of suitable
      in vitro maturation (IVM) protocols, that are able to modify membrane's
      composition, may result in significant improvements in oocyte developmental
      potential and cryotolerance. Using soybean phosphatidylcholine (PC) as a model
      supplement, we evaluated the effect of PL supplementation during IVM on bovine
      cumulus-oocyte-complex (COC). Substantial changes in the lipid profiles of oocyte
      membrane were observed and associated with pre-implantation data. The propensity
      of the PC supplement to become soluble in the maturation medium and/or diffuse
      into mineral oil was also assessed. Oocytes were matured in TCM without
      supplementation, i.e. control, (n=922) or supplemented with 50 or 100MUM PC
      (n=994). The maturation media and mineral oil pre- and post- IVM, along with
      control and PC-treated oocytes were then analyzed using matrix-assisted laser
      desorption/ionization mass spectrometry (MALDI-MS), and the lipid profiles were
      compared via principal component analysis (PCA). Soybean PCs are bioavailable and
      stable in IVM medium; further, PCs did not diffuse to the mineral oil, which also
      remained unaltered by the metabolism of treated oocytes. PC supplementation at
      100MUM resulted in substantially greater relative abundances of polyunsatured PL,
      namely PC (32:1), PC (34:2), PC (36:6), PC (36:4), and PC (38:6), in oocyte
      membrane. These differences indicated that short-term exposure to the PC
      supplement could indeed modify the lipid composition of IVM-oocytes in a dose
      dependent manner. Membrane incorporation of polyunsaturated molecular species of
      PC was favored, and does so without compromising the viability of the subsequent
      embryo in regards to cleavage, blastocyst development and hatching rate. The
      reported approach will allow for the development of novel strategies to modulate
      oocyte membrane dynamics and structure.

PMID- 28336452
TI  - The relationship of bone properties using high resolution peripheral quantitative
      computed tomography to radiographic components of hip osteoarthritis.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: Positive associations between radiographic osteoarthritis (OA) and
      areal bone mineral density (BMD) have been demonstrated and appear strongest when
      bony features of OA are considered. To date, these associations have not been
      assessed using HRpQCT. DESIGN: A total of 318 participants (170 men and 148
      women), aged 72.1-81.4 years from a non-selected cohort, underwent HRpQCT of the
      distal radius and tibia along with hip radiography. Differences in bone
      microarchitecture were assessed between those with and without osteophytes,
      sclerosis or joint space narrowing (JSN) in either hip. RESULTS: Men with
      osteophytes alone had significantly higher radial trabecular volumetric BMD
      (Tb.vBMD) and radial and tibial trabecular thickness (Tb.Th). Men with both
      sclerosis and osteophytes had significantly higher cortical volumetric BMD
      (Ct.vBMD) and cortical thickness (Ct.Th) at the distal tibia than those with
      osteophytes alone (P < 0.05). These relationships were maintained after
      adjustment for age and Body Mass Index (BMI), and were not replicated in women.
      Bone microarchitecture did not differ significantly in those with JSN from those
      without it in men or women. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings suggest higher Tb.vBMD and
      Tb.Th in men with osteophytosis but higher tibial Ct.vBMD and Ct.Th in men with
      hip joint sclerosis. These results do however require replication in other
      cohorts.

PMID- 28336453
TI  - A bioinformatic analysis of microRNAs role in osteoarthritis.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the underlying function of microRNAs (miRNAs) in
      osteoarthritis (OA). DESIGN: A bioinformatic analysis of miRNAs-OA studies was
      completed in multiple databases. All identified articles were assessed using
      specific inclusion and exclusion criteria (Eligible case-control studies for the
      present study included those which investigated miRNAs differential expression in
      cartilage tissues and cells of OA and controls. Abstracts, case reports,
      conference presentations, editorials, and expert opinions were excluded.). We
      performed bioinformatic analysis and assessed which miRNAs are commonly elevated
      or decreased in cartilage of OA, and assessed putative targets of these miRNAs
      using TargetScan, Database for Annotation, Visualization and Integrated Discovery
      (DAVID), FunRich and String. RESULTS: Fifty seven studies were included in this
      study. Our current review has identified 46 differentially expressed miRNAs
      involved in autophagy, inflammation, chondrocyte apoptosis, chondrocyte
      differentiation & homeostasis, chondrocyte metabolism and degradation of the
      extracellular matrix (ECM). Additionally, our literature search identified a wide
      range of miRNAs that have been shown to be differentially expressed in OA. The
      function of up-regulated miRNAs primarily target nucleus, whereas the function of
      down-regulated miRNAs primarily target transcription. CONCLUSIONS: Comprehensive
      analysis of all miRNAs studies reveals cooperation in miRNA signatures and
      suggests that there may be two biologically synergic classes of miRNAs that are
      associated with OA. This finding suggests that miRNAs may be useful as diagnostic
      biomarkers and/or may provide new therapeutic targets in OA. Furthermore, a
      better understanding of the targets of these miRNAs will accelerate biomedical
      discoveries and improve clinical care based on new knowledge of OA-related
      disease mechanisms.

PMID- 28336454
TI  - Cryoneurolysis to treat the pain and symptoms of knee osteoarthritis: a
      multicenter, randomized, double-blind, sham-controlled trial.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: Evaluate the efficacy and safety/tolerability of cryoneurolysis for
      reduction of pain and symptoms associated with knee osteoarthritis (OA). DESIGN:
      Randomized, double-blind, sham-controlled, multicenter trial with a 6-month
      follow-up in patients with mild-to-moderate knee OA. Patients were randomized 2:1
      to cryoneurolysis targeting the infrapatellar branch of the saphenous nerve
      (IPBSN) or sham treatment. The primary endpoint was the change from baseline to
      Day 30 in the Western Ontario and McMaster Osteoarthritis Index (WOMAC) pain
      score adjusted by the baseline score and site. Secondary endpoints, including
      visual analogue scale (VAS) pain score and total WOMAC score, were tested in a
      pre-defined order. RESULTS: The intent-to-treat (ITT) population consisted of 180
      patients (n = 121 active treatment, n = 59 sham treatment). Compared to the sham
      group, patients who received active treatment had a statistically significant
      greater change from baseline in the WOMAC pain subscale score at Day 30 (P =
      0.0004), Day 60 (P = 0.0176), and Day 90 (P = 0.0061). Patients deemed WOMAC pain
      responders at Day 120 continued to experience a statistically significant
      treatment effect at Day 150. Most expected side effects were mild in severity and
      resolved within 30 days. The incidence of device- or procedure-related adverse
      events was similar in the two treatment groups with no occurrence of serious or
      unanticipated adverse device effects (ADE). CONCLUSIONS: Cryoneurolysis of the
      IPBSN resulted in statistically significant decreased knee pain and improved
      symptoms compared to sham treatment for up to 150 days, and appeared safe and
      well tolerated.

PMID- 28336455
TI  - Targeted delivery of epirubicin to tumor-associated macrophages by sialic acid
      cholesterol conjugate modified liposomes with improved antitumor activity.
AB  - With the knowledge that the receptors of sialic acid are overexpressed on the
      surface of tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs), which play a crucial role in the
      tumor's progression and metastasis, a sialic acid-cholesterol conjugate (SA-CH)
      was synthesized and modified on the surface of epirubicin (EPI)-loaded liposomes
      (EPI-SAL) to improve the delivery of EPI to the TAMs. The liposomes were
      developed using remote loading technology via a pH gradient. The liposomes were
      evaluated for particle size, encapsulation efficiency, in vitro release,
      stability, in vitro cytotoxicity and pharmacokinetics. And the in vitro and in
      vivo cellular uptake studies demonstrated EPI-SAL achieved enhanced accumulation
      of EPI into TAMs. The antitumor studies indicated that EPI-SAL provided the
      strongest antitumor activity compared with the other formulations (EPI-S, EPI-CL
      and EPI-PL represent EPI solution, conventional liposomal EPI, PEGylated
      liposomal EPI, respectively), and the survival percent of tumor-bearing mice was
      83.3%. The superior antitumor efficacy was probably attributed to the killing of
      TAMs by EPI-SAL, and modulating the tumor microenvironment with the depletion of
      TAMs. These findings suggested that SA-CH decorated EPI-loaded liposomes may
      present an effective strategy to eradicate TAMs, which may be a promising
      approach for cancer therapy.

PMID- 28336456
TI  - Small nanosized poly(vinyl benzyl trimethylammonium chloride) based polyplexes
      for siRNA delivery.
AB  - The success of siRNA gene therapy requires the availability of safe and efficient
      delivery systems. In the present study, we investigated poly(vinyl benzyl
      trimethylammonium chloride) (PVTC) and its block copolymer with
      poly(oligo(ethyleneglycol) methacrylate) (POEGMA) as delivery vector for siRNA.
      Small polyplexes ranging from 8 to 25nm in diameter were formed in aqueous
      solution by spontaneous self-assembly of both the homopolymer and block copolymer
      with siRNA and the formed particles were stable at physiological ionic strength.
      It was shown that when human ovarian adenocarcinoma cells were transfected, siRNA
      polyplexes based on PVTC (40kDa) and PVTC-POEGMA-4 (PP4, 34kDa) efficiently
      induced luciferase gene silencing to the same extent as the formulation based on
      a commercial lipid (Lipofectamine(r)) (~80%), and showed higher gene silencing
      than the linear polyethylenimine formulation linear polyethylenimine (~35%).
      Importantly, the POEGMA block polymers displayed a significantly lower
      cytotoxicity as compared to L-pEI. siRNA polyplexes based on the block polymers
      displayed high cellular uptake resulting in ~50% silencing of luciferase
      expression also in the presence of serum. These results demonstrate that PVTC
      based polymers are promising siRNA delivery vectors.

PMID- 28336457
TI  - Synergistic inhibition of migration and invasion of breast cancer cells by dual
      docetaxel/quercetin-loaded nanoparticles via Akt/MMP-9 pathway.
AB  - Metastasis impedes the successful chemotherapy for breast cancer. In this study,
      an Akt inhibitor (quercetin, Qu) was co-delivered with a chemotherapeutic agent
      (docetaxel, DTX) by using hyaluronic acid (HA)-modified nanoparticles (NPs) as
      vectors to block metastasis. Dual DTX/Qu-loaded HA/polylactic-co-glycolic acid
      polyethyleneimine NPs (PP-HA/NPs) were prepared through a modified emulsion
      solvent evaporation technique. The particle size of PP-HA/NPs with narrow
      polydispersity was 209.8+/-10.8nm. Wound healing assay revealed that Qu co
      delivery and HA modification elicited synergistic inhibitory effects on cell
      motility. The downregulation of p-Akt and matrix metalloproteinase-9 (MMP-9)
      expression contributed to the significant inhibition of cell migration and
      invasion with inhibition rates of 95.6% and 99.3%, respectively. Further studies
      indicated that PP-HA/NPs could be efficiently uptaken by 4T1 breast cancer cells
      and could further induce cytotoxicity, decrease colony formation and promote cell
      apoptosis. Biodistribution assay demonstrated PP-HA/NPs also enhanced drug
      accumulation in the tumor and lungs and predicted that PP-HA/NPs could be
      employed as an effective therapy for primary tumor and pulmonary metastasis.
      Therefore, PP-HA/NPs could be a promising delivery system to treat metastatic
      breast cancer effectively.

PMID- 28336458
TI  - Nile red nanosuspensions as investigative model to study the follicular targeting
      of drug nanocrystals.
AB  - The strategy of formulating poorly soluble actives as nanosuspension has been
      explored by more than a thousand research papers, with some medicinal products
      for oral and intravenous use having reached the market or advanced clinical
      trials. Interestingly, there is a limited number of reports of nanosuspensions
      formulated for dermal and transdermal drug delivery. In the present work, a
      nanocrystals suspension of the fluorescent, water-insoluble dye Nile Red, is
      prepared through a media milling technique and exploited to characterize the fate
      of the nanosuspended drug when applied on the skin. More in detail, the
      accumulation of Nile Red nanocrystals inside the hair follicles is evidenced by
      scanning electron microscopy, and the diffusion of drug molecules in the
      different skin layers is evaluated by confocal microscopy and skin permeation
      studies. Overall, the combination of the analytical techniques provide a
      description of the mechanisms underlying dermal accumulation, and transdermal
      penetration of a drug formulated as a nanosuspension.

PMID- 28336459
TI  - Correlation between calculated molecular descriptors of excipient amino acids and
      experimentally observed thermal stability of lysozyme.
AB  - A quantitative structure-property relationship (QSPR) between protein stability
      and the physicochemical properties of excipients was investigated to enable a
      more rational choice of stabilizing excipients than prior knowledge. The thermal
      transition temperature and aggregation time were determined for lysozyme in
      combination with 13 different amino acids using high throughput fluorescence
      spectroscopy and kinetic static light scattering measurements. On the theoretical
      side, around 200 2D and 3D molecular descriptors were calculated based on the
      amino acids' chemical structure. Multivariate data analysis was applied to
      correlate the descriptors with the experimental results. It was possible to
      identify descriptors, i.e. amino acids properties, with a positive influence on
      either transition temperature or aggregation onset time, or both. A high number
      of hydrogen bond acceptor moieties was the most prominent stabilizing factor for
      both responses, whereas hydrophilic surface properties and high molecular mass
      density mostly had a positive influence on the unfolding temperature. A high
      partition coefficient (logP(o/w)) was identified as the most prominent
      destabilizing factor for both responses. The QSPR shows good correlation between
      calculated molecular descriptors and the measured stabilizing effect of amino
      acids on lysozyme.

PMID- 28336460
TI  - Nanoincorporation of bioactive compounds from red grape pomaces: In vitro and ex
      vivo evaluation of antioxidant activity.
AB  - In this study, the active components of grape pomaces were first extracted by
      maceration in ethanol and propylene glycol, then in extra virgin olive oil. The
      main components of the hydrophilic extractive solutions were flavonoids, while
      monounsaturated fatty acids were the most abundant constituents of the extractive
      oil, with high levels of oleic acid, which were identified by HPLC/DAD and GC/MS,
      respectively. The hydrophilic extractive solutions and the lipophilic extractive
      oil were used to prepare phospholipid vesicles, avoiding the energetically and
      economically expensive steps required to obtain solid matrixes or pure compounds.
      The obtained grape bioactive enriched penetration enhancer containing vesicles
      (PEVs) were multilamellar, around 200nm in size, and more viscous than the
      corresponding solutions. The antioxidant activity, evaluated by the Folin
      Ciocalteu and DPPH assays, was potentiated when the extractive solutions were
      loaded in PEVs. Further, the grape enriched PEVs were able to ensure an optimal
      protection against oxidative stress in an ex vivo human erythrocytes-based model.

PMID- 28336461
TI  - Chloroform-free permeabilization for improved detection of beta-galactosidase
      activity in Vibrio cholerae.
AB  - LacZ (beta-galactosidase) is used to monitor the transcription of genes in
      reporter strains carrying the lacZ gene under the control of a promotor of
      interest. This protocol for LacZ activity determinations in Vibrio cholerae
      following detergent lysis results in 2.5-fold increase of LacZ activities
      compared to lysis with chloroform.

PMID- 28336462
TI  - The molecular mechanisms of androgen receptor in nephrolithiasis.
AB  - OBJECTIVES: This study aimed to investigate the molecular mechanisms of androgen
      receptor (AR) in nephrolithiasis. METHODS: Human kidney 2(HK-2) cells were
      transfected with Lentiviruses expressing AR (DEC-AR), shRNA targeting AR (sh-AR)
      or the empty vector control using the pLEX lentiviral vector system. The
      expression levels of AR were measured by qRT-PCR at 72h postinfection, and cells
      under different treatments were collected for microarray analysis. Differentially
      expressed genes (DEGs) were identified using Student's t-test. The protein
      protein interaction (PPI) network was constructed for negatively correlated DEGs
      using GeneMANIA. Then, functional and pathway enrichment analysis were performed
      for the genes in the PPI network. RESULTS: The qRT-PCR revealed that expression
      level of AR in DEC-AR cells was obviously increased and decreased in sh-AR cells
      at 72h postinfection (p<0.05). Totally, 64 negatively correlated DEGs showed
      lower expressions and 63 negatively correlated DEGs were up-regulated in the DEC
      AR HK2 cells. Negatively correlated DEGs were significantly related to cell
      differentiation, response to stimulus, multicellular organismal process and
      multicellular organismal development. Pathway enrichment analysis revealed that
      DEGs mainly participated in the rheumatoid arthritis (CCL2, CSF1, IL11, LTB and
      MMP1), gematopoietic cell lineage (CD33, CD44, CSF1 and IL11) and TNF signaling
      pathway (CCL2, CSF1, MMP9 and VCAM1). Meanwhile, CD44, LAMC2 and THBS2 were
      significantly enriched in ECM-receptor interaction. CONCLUSION: The negatively
      correlated DEGs, especially CCL2, CD44, MMP1 and MMP9, might play critical roles
      in nephrolithiasis.

PMID- 28336463
TI  - Identification of a de novo microdeletion 1q44 in a patient with hypogenesis of
      the corpus callosum, seizures and microcephaly - A case report.
AB  - Microdeletion 1q44 on the long arm of chromosome 1 leads to a phenotype that
      includes microcephaly, seizure, agenesis or hypogenesis of the corpus callosum,
      polydactyly, congenital heart defects and severe developmental delay along with
      characteristic facial dysmorphic signs. Until today, the distinct genetic causes
      for the different symptoms remain unclear. We here report a 1.2Mb de novo
      microdeletion 1q44 identified by performing a SNP array analysis. The female
      patient presented with microcephaly, seizure, hypogenesis of corpus callosum,
      postaxial hexadactyly, an atrial septal defect, a ventricular septal defect,
      hypertelorism, a long and smooth philtrum, thin vermilion borders, and
      micrognathia, all common features of microdeletion 1q44. An additionally
      performed chromosome analysis excluded any chromosomal rearrangements. The
      deleted region included the genes ZBTB18 as well as HNRNPU amongst others. Both
      are possibly candidate genes for the dysgenesis of the corpus callosum. AKT3,
      another candidate gene, was not affected by the deletion in this patient. Thus,
      the genetic findings in this case report spotlight ZBTB18 and HNRNPU in the
      genesis of the typical microdeletion 1q44 symptoms, especially concerning the
      dysgenesis of the corpus callosum, and therefore could help to unveil more of the
      genetic background of this syndrome.

PMID- 28336464
TI  - New insights into the codon usage patterns of the bactericidal/permeability
      increasing (BPI) gene across nine species.
AB  - Bactericidal/permeability-increasing (BPI) protein is a member of a new
      generation of proteins known as super-antibiotics that are implicated as
      endotoxin neutralising agents. Non-uniform usage of synonymous codons for a
      specific amino acid during translation of a protein is known as codon usage bias
      (CUB). Analysis of CUB and compositional dynamics of coding sequences could
      contribute to a better understanding of the molecular mechanism and the evolution
      of a particular gene. In this study, we performed CUB analysis of the complete
      coding sequences of the BPI gene from nine different species. The codon usage
      patterns of BPI across different species were found to be influenced by GC bias,
      particularly GC3s, with a moderate bias in the codon usage of BPI. We found
      significant similarities in the codon usage patterns in BPI gene among closely
      related species, such as Sus_scrofa and Bos_taurus. Moreover, we observed
      evolutionary conservation of the most over-represented codon CUG for the amino
      acid leucine in the BPI gene across all species. In conclusion, our analysis
      provides a novel insight into the codon usage patterns of BPI. This information
      facilitates an improved understanding of the structural, functional and
      evolutionary significance of BPI gene among species, and provides a theoretical
      reference for developing antiseptic drug proteins with high efficiency across
      species.

PMID- 28336466
TI  - Global trends and predictions in hepatocellular carcinoma mortality.
AB  - BACKGROUND & AIMS: Trends in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) mortality rates have
      increased over recent decades in most countries. It is also the third cause of
      cancer death worldwide. The aim of this study is to update global trends in HCC
      mortality to 2014, and predict trends in rates in the EU, USA and Japan to 2020.
      METHODS: Death certification data for HCC over the 1990-2014 period from the
      World Health Organization database were analyzed. Sixteen European, five American
      countries, and six other countries worldwide were included, as well as the EU as
      a whole. RESULTS: In European men, mortality rates were stable during the last
      decade (3.5/100,000). HCC mortality increased in Northern and Central Europe, and
      decreased in Southern Europe. In the USA, HCC mortality increased by 35% between
      2002 and 2012, reaching 3.1/100,000 men in 2012; it is predicted to remain stable
      to 2020. Reduced mortality rates were observed in East Asia, although they
      remained around 10-24/100,000 men. In Japan, HCC mortality is predicted to
      decrease (5.4/100,000 men in 2020). Trends were favorable in the young, but
      unfavorable in middle aged, except in East Asia. Mortality rates were 3- to 5
      fold lower in women than men in most regions, but trends were similar.
      CONCLUSIONS: Control of hepatitis B (HBV) and hepatitis C virus (HCV) infections
      has contributed to the decrease in HCC-related mortality in East Asia and
      Southern Europe. Unfavorable trends in other regions can be attributed to HCV
      (and HBV) epidemics in the 1960s and 1980s, alcohol consumption, increased
      overweight/obesity, and diabetes. Better management of cirrhosis, HCC diagnosis
      and treatment are also influencing the mortality trends worldwide. LAY SUMMARY:
      Mortality rates due to HCC have increased in many countries over recent decades.
      In this study, we updated worldwide mortality trends for HCC from 1990 to 2014,
      and predicted trends for some countries to 2020. We observed unfavorable trends
      in Northern and Central Europe, North and Latin America. East Asia showed an
      improvement, however mortality rates in this region were 2- to 5-fold higher than
      in most European countries and the Americas. Steady declines to 2020 are
      predicted for East Asia but not for Europe and the Americas.

PMID- 28336465
TI  - Smoking and the risk of type 2 diabetes.
AB  - Despite accumulating evidence demonstrating strong epidemiologic and mechanistic
      associations between cigarette smoking, hyperglycemia, and the development of
      type 2 diabetes, tobacco abuse has not been uniformly recognized as a modifiable
      risk factor in diabetes prevention or screening strategies. In this review, we
      highlight population-based studies that have linked cigarette smoking with an
      increased risk of type 2 diabetes and summarize clinical and preclinical studies
      offering insight into mechanisms through which cigarette smoking and nicotine
      exposure impact body composition, insulin sensitivity, and pancreatic beta cell
      function. Key questions for future studies are identified and strategies for
      smoking cessation as a means to decrease diabetes risk are discussed.

PMID- 28336467
TI  - An evaluation of portion size estimation aids: Consumer perspectives on their
      effectiveness.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: This qualitative study aimed to investigate consumer opinions on the
      usefulness of portion size estimation aids (PSEA); consumer preferences in terms
      of format and context for use; and the level of detail of guidance considered
      necessary for the effective application of PSEA. DESIGN: Six focus groups (three
      to eight participants per group) were conducted to elicit views on PSEA. The
      discussions were recorded, transcribed verbatim and analysed by two independent
      researchers using a template approach. SETTING: The focus groups were conducted
      in 2013 by an experienced moderator in various sites across the island of Ireland
      (three in the Republic of Ireland and three in Northern Ireland) including local
      leisure, community and resource centres; the home environment; and a university
      meeting room. PARTICIPANTS: General population, males (n = 17) and females (n =
      15) aged 18-64 years old. Participants were recruited from both urban and rural
      locations representing a range of socio-economic groups. RESULTS: The majority of
      participants deemed the coloured portion pots and disposable plastic cup
      (household measures) to be useful particularly for the estimation of amorphous
      cereal products (e.g. breakfast cereals). Preferences were evident for "visual"
      PSEA (reference objects, household measures and food packaging) rather than
      'quantities and measures' such as weighing in grams or ounces. Participants
      stated that PS education should be concise, consistent, from a reputable source,
      initiated at school age and communicated innovatively e.g. mobile app or TV
      advertisement. Guidance in relation to gender, age and activity level was
      favoured over a "one size fits all" approach. CONCLUSIONS: This study identified
      consumer preferences and acceptance of "visual" PSEA such as portion pots/cups to
      estimate appropriate PS of amorphous grain foods such as breakfast cereals, pasta
      and rice. Concise information from a reputable source in relation to gender, age
      and activity level should accompany PSEA.

PMID- 28336468
TI  - The effect of a change to healthy vending in a major Australian health service on
      sales of healthy and unhealthy food and beverages.

PMID- 28336469
TI  - A review of the ethnopharmacology, phytochemistry and pharmacology of
      Notopterygium incisum.
AB  - ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE: Notopterygium incisum Ting ex H.T. Chang, known
      in Chinese as 'Qianghuo' is a traditional Chinese medicinal herb with the rhizome
      and roots associated with meridians of the kidney and urinary bladder. It is
      pungent, bitter and warm in nature. It has been used over the years to disperse
      cold, prevent painful obstructions from wind, damp and warm pain. It has also
      been used with other herbs to treat wind-cold exterior syndrome and wind-cold
      damp bi-syndromes and has been known to grow well in regions of high altitude
      such as Gansu, Tibet etc. THE AIM OF THE REVIEW: This systematic review focuses
      on the ethnopharmacological uses of this herb, including recent advances on the
      phytochemical and pharmacological study of N. incisum. Recent analytical methods
      developed for the quantitative and qualitative determination of constituents in
      this herb have also been reviewed. Additionally, future trends and prospects in
      the study of this herb have been proposed. MATERIALS AND METHOD: Various
      literature and electronic databases such as Pubmed, Science Direct, Springer,
      Wiley etc were searched and data obtained. Other online academic libraries such
      as Google Scholar and ethnopharmacological literature were searched
      systematically for more information on the herb. RESULTS: This review focuses on
      the ethnopharmacological uses of N. incisum and also the various chemical
      constituents present in the herb and their various therapeutic effects such as
      analgesic, anti-inflammatory, anti-cancer and antioxidants effects. Analytical
      methods developed for the quantitative and qualitative determination of various
      compounds in this herb were further reviewed. CONCLUSION: In this paper, we have
      reviewed various researches conducted on N. incisum especially in areas of its
      ethnopharmacological use, phytochemicals, pharmacology and developed analytical
      methods. This herb has been used over the years in treating headache, rheumatoid
      arthritis, cold, diaphoretic etc, prompting many types of research into
      identifying which compounds are responsible for these activities and their
      mechanism of action. More research is needed in the area of pharmacokinetics and
      toxicology to give further information on the clinical use and control the
      quality of the herb.

PMID- 28336470
TI  - Bioassay-guided isolation of active principles from Nigerian medicinal plants
      identifies new trypanocides with low toxicity and no cross-resistance to
      diamidines and arsenicals.
AB  - ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE: Leaves from the plant species studied herein are
      traditionally used in northern Nigeria against various protozoan infections.
      However, none of these herbal preparations have been standardized, nor have their
      toxicity to mammalian cells been investigated. In search of improved and non
      toxic active antiprotozoal principles that are not cross-resistant with current
      anti-parasitics, we here report the results of the in vitro screening of extracts
      from seven selected medicinal plant species (Centrosema pubescens, Moringa
      oleifera, Tridax procumbens, Polyalthia longifolia, Newbouldia laevis, Eucalyptus
      maculate, Jathropha tanjorensis), used traditionally to treat kinetoplastid
      infections in Nigeria, and the isolation of their bioactive principles. AIM OF
      THE STUDY: To investigate the efficacies of medicinal plant extracts, and of
      compounds isolated therefrom, against kinetoplastid parasites, assess cross
      resistance to existing chemotherapy, and assay their toxicity against mammalian
      cells in vitro. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Plants were extracted with hexane, ethyl
      acetate and methanol. Active principles were isolated by bioassay-led
      fractionation, testing for trypanocidal activity, and identified using NMR and
      mass spectrometry. EC50 values for their activity against wild-type and multi
      drug resistant Trypanosoma brucei were obtained using the viability indicator dye
      resazurin. RESULTS: Seven medicinal plants were evaluated for activity against
      selected kinetoplastid parasites. The result shows that crude extracts and
      isolated active compounds from Polyalthia longifolia and Eucalyptus maculata, in
      particular, display promising activity against drug-sensitive and multi-drug
      resistant Trypanosoma brucei. The EC50 value of a clerodane (16alpha-hydroxy
      cleroda-3,13(14)-Z-dien-15,16-olide) isolated from Polyalthia longifolia was as
      low as 0.38ug/mL, while a triterpenoid (3beta,13beta-dihydroxy-urs-11-en-28-oic
      acid) isolated from Eucalyptus maculata displayed an EC50 of 1.58ug/mL. None of
      the isolated compounds displayed toxicity towards Human Embryonic Kidney cells at
      concentrations up to 400ug/mL. In addition, the isolated compounds were active
      against Leishmania mexicana, as well as against T. congolense. CONCLUSION: We
      have isolated a clerodane compound from Polyalthia longifolia that shows low
      toxicity, no cross-resistance with current treatments, and promising activity
      against both human-infective and veterinary Trypanosoma species.

PMID- 28336471
TI  - Cutaneous myiasis.

PMID- 28336473
TI  - Unravelling the complexities of vascular smooth muscle ion channels: Fine tuning
      of activity by ancillary subunits.
AB  - Which ion channel is the most important for regulating vascular tone? Which one
      is responsible for controlling the resting membrane potential or repolarization?
      Which channels are recruited by different intracellular signalling pathways or
      change in certain vascular diseases? Many different ion channels have been
      identified in the vasculature over the years and claimed as future therapeutic
      targets. Unfortunately, several of these ion channels are not just found in the
      vasculature, with many of them also found to have prominent functional roles in
      different organs of the body, which then leads to off-target effects. As
      cardiovascular diseases are expected to increase worldwide to epidemic
      proportions, ion channel research and the hunt for the next major therapeutic
      target to treat different vascular diseases has never been more important.
      However, I believe that the question we should now be asking is: which ancillary
      subunits are involved in regulating specific ion channels in the vasculature and
      do they have the potential to be new therapeutic targets?

PMID- 28336474
TI  - The evolution of heart failure with reduced ejection fraction pharmacotherapy:
      What do we have and where are we going?
AB  - Cardiovascular diseases represent a leading cause of mortality and increased
      healthcare expenditure worldwide. Heart failure, which simply describes an
      inability of the heart to meet the body's needs, is the end point for many other
      cardiovascular conditions. The last three decades have witnessed significant
      efforts aiming at the discovery of treatments to improve the survival and quality
      of life of patients with heart failure; many were successful, while others
      failed. Given that most of the successes in treating heart failure were achieved
      in patients with reduced left ventricular ejection fraction (HFrEF), we
      constructed this review to look at the recent evolution of HFrEF pharmacotherapy.
      We also explore some of the ongoing clinical trials for new drugs, and
      investigate potential treatment targets and pathways that might play a role in
      treating HFrEF in the future.

PMID- 28336472
TI  - Comparison of strategies for grading retinal images of premature infants for
      referral warranted retinopathy of prematurity.
AB  - PURPOSE: To determine the accuracy of identifying referral-warranted retinopathy
      of prematurity (RW-ROP, defined as any zone I ROP, stage 3 or worse, or plus
      disease) from retinal image sets using three grading protocols: a single optic
      disk-centered image, a set of 3 horizontal images, and a 5-image set. METHODS: In
      this secondary analysis of images from the e-ROP study, a weighted sample of 250
      image sets from 250 infants (125 with RW-ROP and 125 without RW-ROP) was randomly
      selected. The sensitivities and specificities for detecting RW-ROP and its
      components from a single disk center image, along with nasal and temporal retinal
      images, were calculated and compared with the e-ROP grading of RW-ROP of all 5
      retinal images (disk center and nasal, temporal, superior, and inferior retinal
      images). RESULTS: RW-ROP was identified with a sensitivity of 11.2% (95% CI,
      6.79%-17.9%) using a single disk center image, with a sensitivity of 70.4% (95%
      CI, 61.9%-77.9%) using 3 horizontal images, and a statistically higher
      sensitivity of 82.4% (95% CI, 75.0%-89.0%) using all 5 images (P = 0.002). The
      specificities were 100%, 86.4%, and 90.4%, respectively. For grading using 3
      horizontal images, sensitivity was 14.3% for plus disease, 25% for zone I ROP,
      and 71.2% for stage 3 or worse compared to 40.8%, 50%, and 79.8% for grading
      using 5-image sets, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: Both a single, disk-centered,
      posterior pole image and 3 horizontal images were less effective than a 5-image
      set in determining the presence of RW-ROP on qualitative grading by trained
      readers.

PMID- 28336476
TI  - Associations of water balance and thermal sensitivity of toads with macroclimatic
      characteristics of geographical distribution.
AB  - Interspecific variation in patterns of geographical distribution of
      phylogenetically related species of amphibians might be related to physiological
      adaptation to different climatic conditions. In this way, a comparative study of
      resistance to evaporative water loss, rehydration rates and sensitivity of
      locomotor performance to variations on hydration level and temperature was
      performed for five species of Bufonidae toads (Rhinella granulosa, R. jimi, R.
      ornata, R. schneideri and R. icterica) inhabiting different Brazilian biomes. The
      hypotheses tested were that, when compared to species inhabiting mesic
      environments, species living at hot and dry areas would show: (1) greater
      resistance to evaporative water loss, (2) higher rates of water uptake, (3) lower
      sensitivity of locomotor performance to dehydration and (4) lower sensitivity of
      locomotor performance at higher temperatures and higher sensitivity of locomotor
      performance at lower temperatures. This comparative analysis showed relations
      between body mass and interspecific variation in rehydration rates and resistance
      to evaporative water loss in opposite directions. These results might represent a
      functional compensation associated with relatively lower absorption areas in
      larger toads and higher evaporative areas in smaller ones. Moreover, species from
      the semi-arid Caatinga showed locomotor performance less sensitive to dehydration
      but highly affected by lower temperatures, as well greater resistance to
      evaporative water loss, when compared to the other species from the mesic
      Atlantic Forest and the savannah-like area called Cerrado. These results suggest
      adaptation patterns to environmental conditions.

PMID- 28336475
TI  - Intraoperative Rupture of Ovarian Dermoid Cysts in the Pediatric and Adolescent
      Population: Should This Change Your Surgical Management?
AB  - STUDY OBJECTIVE: (1) To determine the incidence of chemical peritonitis after
      cystectomy for ovarian dermoid cysts with intraoperative cyst rupture in the
      pediatric and adolescent population; and (2) to examine the intraoperative and
      postoperative outcomes of cystectomies performed for ovarian dermoid cysts using
      laparoscopy and laparotomy, especially those with intraoperative cyst rupture.
      DESIGN: A retrospective cohort study of female patients who underwent ovarian
      cystectomy with proven ovarian dermoid pathology between July 2007 and July 2015.
      SETTING: Texas Children's Hospital, Houston, Texas. PARTICIPANTS: One hundred
      forty-four patients between the ages of 1 and 21 years who underwent an ovarian
      cystectomy with proven benign ovarian dermoid histology on the basis of pathology
      reports. INTERVENTIONS AND MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Occurrence of spill of cyst
      contents, chemical peritonitis, postoperative complications, and hospital
      readmissions. RESULTS: One hundred forty-four female patients underwent
      cystectomy (38 laparotomy and 106 laparoscopy) resulting in benign ovarian
      dermoid histology. Their mean age was 12.4 +/- 4.1 years (range, 1-21), mean cyst
      size was 9.2 +/- 6.4 cm (range, 1-30 cm), no patients had elevated tumor markers,
      42 (29.1%) presented with torsion, 73 (50.7%) had cyst fluid spill, and there
      were no cases of chemical peritonitis. Few significant differences were found
      between cases performed via laparoscopy and laparotomy and those with and without
      intraoperative cyst rupture resulting in spill of contents. Laparotomy cases were
      found to have larger mean cyst size (P < .001), estimated blood loss (P = .003),
      and presence of bilateral cysts (P = .017) compared with laparoscopic cases. Cyst
      fluid spill occurred in more laparoscopic cases ([67/106] 63.2% vs [6/38] 15.8%;
      P < .001), and risk increased with cyst size greater than 5 cm (P < .001). In the
      laparoscopy group, cyst size greater than 5 cm was more likely to present with
      torsion (P < .001). There was no significant difference in the repeat cystectomy
      rate between the laparoscopy and laparotomy groups even with cyst rupture (P =
      .394). Only 5 cases presented to the emergency room postoperatively and 2 were
      admitted postoperatively for umbilical port site dehiscence and pyelonephritis.
      CONCLUSION: Laparoscopic cystectomy of ovarian dermoid cysts is associated with
      greater intraoperative cyst rupture. However, cyst rupture is rarely associated
      with complications, therefore minimally invasive surgical management of ovarian
      dermoid cysts is a reasonable surgical approach.

PMID- 28336477
TI  - A novel semantic representation for eligibility criteria in clinical trials.
AB  - Eligibility Criteria (EC) comprise an important part of a clinical study, being
      determinant of its cost, duration and overall success. Their formal, computer
      processable description can significantly improve clinical trial design and
      conduction by enabling their intelligent processing, replicability and
      linkability with other data. For EC representation purposes, related standards
      were investigated, along with published literature. Moreover, a considerable
      number of clinicaltrials.gov studies was analyzed in collaboration with clinical
      experts for the determination and classification of parameters of clinical
      research importance. The outcome of this process was the EC Representation; a
      CDISC-compliant schema for organizing criteria along with a patient-centric model
      for their formal expression, properly linked with international classifications
      and codifications. Its evaluation against 200 randomly selected EC indicated that
      it can adequately serve its purpose, while it can be also combined with existing
      tools and components developed for both EC specification and especially
      application to Electronic Health Records.

PMID- 28336478
TI  - An extended protocol for usability validation of medical devices: Research design
      and reference model.
AB  - This paper proposes and demonstrates an extended protocol for usability
      validation testing of medical devices. A review of currently used methods for the
      usability evaluation of medical devices revealed two main shortcomings. Firstly,
      the lack of methods to closely trace the interaction sequences and derive
      performance measures. Secondly, a prevailing focus on cross-sectional validation
      studies, ignoring the issues of learnability and training. The U.S. Federal Drug
      and Food Administration's recent proposal for a validation testing protocol for
      medical devices is then extended to address these shortcomings: (1) a novel
      process measure 'normative path deviations' is introduced that is useful for both
      quantitative and qualitative usability studies and (2) a longitudinal, completely
      within-subject study design is presented that assesses learnability, training
      effects and allows analysis of diversity of users. A reference regression model
      is introduced to analyze data from this and similar studies, drawing upon
      generalized linear mixed-effects models and a Bayesian estimation approach. The
      extended protocol is implemented and demonstrated in a study comparing a novel
      syringe infusion pump prototype to an existing design with a sample of 25
      healthcare professionals. Strong performance differences between designs were
      observed with a variety of usability measures, as well as varying training-on-the
      job effects. We discuss our findings with regard to validation testing
      guidelines, reflect on the extensions and discuss the perspectives they add to
      the validation process.

PMID- 28336479
TI  - Radiosurgical target distance from the root entry zone in the treatment of
      trigeminal neuralgia.
AB  - PURPOSE: Stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS) provides a noninvasive treatment
      modality for patients with medically refractory trigeminal neuralgia. The root
      entry zone (REZ) has been proposed to be an ideal stereotactic target because it
      is partially composed of centrally produced myelin, conferring a theoretical
      increased sensitivity to irradiation as well as increased susceptibility to
      neurovascular conflict, making it the site in which nociceptive signals likely
      arise. The aim of this study is to determine if there is a statistically and
      clinically significant difference in pain relief or facial hypesthesia following
      SRS based on distance of the stereotactic isocenter from REZ. METHODS AND
      MATERIALS: Patients undergoing Novalis radiosurgery for the treatment of
      trigeminal neuralgia with at least 3 months' follow-up were included in this
      study. Postoperative outcomes were stratified by Barrow Neurological Institute
      (BNI) score for pain relief and BNI facial numbness score for facial hypesthesia.
      RESULTS: Sixty-seven patients met inclusion criteria and were included in this
      study. BNI score of I-IIIa was attained in 82% of patients at 3 months and 65% at
      1 year following SRS. Distance from isocenter to REZ varied from 0 to 8.6 mm,
      with a mean of 1.94 +/- 1.62 mm. Logistic regression of target-REZ distance
      against pain relief outcome (patients with score I-IIIa and IIIb-V) was
      insignificant at 3 months (P = .988), 6 months (P = .925), 9 months (P = .845),
      and 12 months (P = .547) postoperatively. Furthermore, no significant correlation
      was found with logistic regression of target-REZ distance with pain relief
      outcome (patients with score I and score II-IV) (P = .544). CONCLUSIONS: The
      current analysis suggests that distance from REZ does not correlate with degree
      of postoperative pain relief or facial hypesthesia; thus, targeting specific
      regions within the trigeminal nerve in relation to these anatomical
      characteristics may not afford any advantage from this perspective.

PMID- 28336480
TI  - Can a commercially available EPID dosimetry system detect small daily patient
      setup errors for cranial IMRT/SRS?
AB  - PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to determine if the Sun Nuclear
      PerFRACTION electronic portal imager device dosimetry software would be able to
      detect setup errors in a clinical setting and would be able to correctly identify
      the direction in which the setup error was introduced. METHODS AND MATERIALS: A 7
      field intensity modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) treatment plan for a centrally
      located tumor was developed for 1 phantom and 5 canine cadaver heads. Systematic
      setup errors were introduced by manually moving the treatment couch by 1, 3, and
      5 mm in each translational direction to assess stereotactic radiation surgery
      (SRS), IMRT, and 3-dimensional (3D) treatment tolerances after the initial
      alignment was performed. An angular setup error of 5 degrees  yaw was also
      assessed. The delivered treatment fluence was automatically imported in the
      PerFRACTION software and compared with the baseline fluence. RESULTS: In the
      canine phantom, a 5-mm shift was undetected by gamma analysis, and up to a 2-cm
      shift had to be introduced for the gamma pass rate of 3%/3 mm to fall below a 95%
      pass rate criterion. The same 5-mm shift using 3% difference caused the pass
      rates for 2 fields to drop below the 95% tolerance. For each respective
      translational shift, the affected beam angles were consistent across the cadaver
      heads and correlated with the direction of translational shift. The best field
      pass rate, worst field pass rate, and average pass rate across all 7 fields was
      analyzed to develop clinical guidance on parameter settings for SRS, IMRT, and 3D
      tolerances. CONCLUSIONS: PerFRACTION 2-dimensional mode successfully detected
      setup errors outside the systematic error tolerance for SRS, IMRT, and 3D when an
      appropriate analysis metric and pass/fail criteria was implemented. Our data
      confirm that percent difference may be more sensitive in detecting plan failure
      than gamma analysis.

PMID- 28336481
TI  - Irinotecan-induced radiation-recall myositis in a patient with metastatic breast
      cancer: A case report.

PMID- 28336482
TI  - Surgical treatment of lumbar disc herniation in different ages-evaluation of
      11,237 patients.
AB  - BACKGROUND CONTEXT: Surgical treatment of lumbar disc herniation (LDH) may lead
      to different outcomes in young, middle-aged, and elderly patients. However, no
      study has, by the same data ascertainment, evaluated referral pattern,
      improvement, and outcome in different age strata. PURPOSE: This study aimed to
      evaluate referral pattern and outcome in patients of different ages surgically
      treated because of LDH. STUDY DESIGN: This is a register study of prospectively
      collected data. PATIENT SAMPLE: In SweSpine, the national Swedish register for
      spinal surgery, we identified 11,237 patients who between 2000 and 2010 had their
      outcome of LDH surgery registered in pre-, per-, and 1-year postoperative
      evaluations. OUTCOME MEASURES: The data collected included age, gender, smoking
      habits, walking distance, preoperative duration and degree of back and leg pain,
      consumption of analgesics, quality of life in the patient-reported outcome
      measure (PROM) Short-Form 36 (SF-36) and EuroQol 5 dimensions (EQ5D), disability
      in the Oswestry Disability Index, operated level, type of surgery, and
      complications. METHODS: We compared the outcome in patients within different 10
      year age strata. IBM SPSS Statistics 22 was used in the statistical calculations.
      No funding was obtained for this study. The authors have no conflicts of interest
      to declare. RESULTS: Patients in all ages referred to surgery had inferior PROM
      data compared with published normative age-matched PROM data. Referral to LDH
      surgery demanded of each 10-year strata statistically significantly more pain,
      lower quality of life, and more disability (all p<.001). Surgery markedly
      improved quality of life and reduced disability in all age groups (all p<.001),
      but with statistically significantly less PROM improvement with each older 10
      year strata (all p<.001). This resulted in statistically significantly inferior
      PROM values for pain, quality of life, and disability postoperatively for each 10
      year strata (all p<.001). There were also more complications (p<.001) with each
      10-year older strata. CONCLUSIONS: In general, older patients referred to LDH
      surgery have statistically significantly inferior PROM scores, improve less, and
      reach inferior PROM scores postoperatively. The clinical relevance must however
      be questioned because most patients reach, independent of age group, the defined
      level for a successful outcome, and the patient satisfaction rate is high.

PMID- 28336483
TI  - "Text neck": an epidemic of the modern era of cell phones?

PMID- 28336484
TI  - Lumbar magnetic resonance imaging findings in patients with and without Waddell
      Signs.
AB  - BACKGROUND CONTEXT: Waddell Signs (WS), introduced as a method to establish
      patients with substantial psychosocial components to their low back pain, carry a
      negative association despite no literature evaluating whether physical disease is
      associated with them. PURPOSE: To compare lumbar magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)
      findings between the patients with and without WS. STUDY DESIGN: Retrospective
      cohort study based on prospectively collected data. PATIENT SAMPLE: Thirty
      patients aged 35 to 55 years with an Oswestry Disability Index (ODI) score >50
      randomly selected such that there was an even distribution of patients based on
      the number of WS. OUTCOME MEASURES: ODI and Short Form-12 scores, number of WS,
      presence and severity of spinal pathology. METHODS: MRIs were reviewed by three
      spine specialists blinded to clinical exam findings, number of WS, and patient
      identity. Type and severity of pathology and presence of surgical and non
      surgical lesions were assessed, and findings were rank ordered based on the
      overall impression of the pathology. There was no external funding or potential
      conflicts of interest for this study. RESULTS: There were significantly more
      individual pathologic findings in patients without WS (p=.02). However, there was
      no difference in the severity of pathology based on WS (p=.46). Furthermore, the
      rank ordering based on overall impression of severity showed no difference
      between the patients with and without WS (p=.20). Although 100% of the patients
      without WS showed pathologic findings on MRI, 70% of WS patients also had
      significant pathology on MRI. The prevalence of spondylolisthesis, stenosis, and
      disc herniation was similar (p=.41, p=.22, and p=.43, respectively). The
      prevalence and mean number of lesion amenable to surgery did not differ based on
      presence of WS (p=.21 and p=.18, respectively). CONCLUSIONS: Patients with WS
      present a difficult diagnostic challenge for the physician as their organic
      symptoms are often coexistent with emotional fear avoidance behavior. Although
      there is more overall pathology in patients without WS, a significant number of
      these patients appear to have comparable spinal pathology with equivalent
      severity, which may be contributing to patients' symptoms and disability.
      Presence of these non-organic symptoms often makes us doubt these patients.
      However, as part of effective treatment, physicians should better understand both
      the physical and psychological components of patient disability.

PMID- 28336485
TI  - Low-Dose CT Scan for Lung Cancer Screening: Clinical and Coding Considerations.
AB  - Lung cancer screening with low-dose CT (LDCT) scan was shown to reduce lung
      cancer mortality in the National Lung Screening Trial, a large randomized
      controlled trial of high-risk current and former smokers. Despite ongoing
      uncertainty over the effectiveness of LDCT scan in the real-world setting, the
      Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) decided to cover LDCT scan as a
      preventive service. As part of its National Coverage Determination, CMS set forth
      a series of requirements for reimbursement of LDCT scan, including a counseling
      and shared decision-making visit prior to a LDCT scan being ordered. During this
      visit, providers must determine patient eligibility, engage in shared decision
      making around LDCT scan, discuss the importance of adherence to screening, and
      provide smoking cessation counseling (if applicable). Two new billing codes were
      introduced for the counseling and shared decision-making visit and subsequent
      LDCT scan. In this review, we summarize the evidence around lung cancer screening
      and describe practical aspects of the counseling and shared decision-making,
      including billing considerations. We conclude with a discussion of the greater
      implications of CMS National Coverage Determination, especially as it pertains to
      quality assurance around new screening tests.

PMID- 28336487
TI  - Phylogeny and expression analysis of C-reactive protein (CRP) and serum amyloid-P
      (SAP) like genes reveal two distinct groups in fish.
AB  - The acute phase response (APR) is an early innate immune function that is
      initiated by inflammatory signals, leading to the release of acute phase proteins
      to the bloodstream to re-establish homeostasis following microbial infection. In
      this study we analysed the Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) whole-genome database
      and identified five C-reactive protein (CRP)/serum amyloid P component (SAP) like
      molecules namely CRP/SAP-1a, CRP/SAP-1b, CRP/SAP-1c, CRP/SAP-2 and CRP/SAP-3.
      These CRP/SAP genes formed two distinct sub-families, a universal group (group I)
      present in all vertebrates and a fish/amphibian specific group (group II). Salmon
      CRP/SAP-1a, CRP/SAP-1b and CRP/SAP-1c and CRP/SAP-2 belong to the group I family
      whilst salmon CRP/SAP-3 is a member of group II. Gene expression analysis showed
      that the salmon CRP/SAP-1a as well as serum amyloid A-5 (SAA-5), one of the major
      acute phase proteins, were significantly up-regulated by recombinant cytokines
      (rIL-1beta and rIFNgamma) in primary head kidney cells whilst the other four
      CRP/SAPs remained refractory. Furthermore, SAA-5 was produced as the main acute
      phase protein (APP) in Atlantic salmon challenged with Aeromonas salmonicida
      (aroA(-) strain) whilst salmon CRP/SAPs remained unaltered. Overall, these data
      illustrate the potential different functions of expanded salmon CRP/SAPs to their
      mammalian homologues.

PMID- 28336488
TI  - Isolation and characterization of two glutathione S-transferases from freshwater
      bivalve Anodonta woodiana: Chronic effects of pentachlorophenol on gene
      expression profiles.
AB  - Glutathione S-transferases (GST) play a prominent role in protecting cells
      against oxidative stress. Our previous study showed that the reactive oxygen
      species (ROS) generated from pentachlorophenol (PCP) could cause an acute impact
      on freshwater bivalve Anodonta Woodiana, but its chronic toxicity remain unclear.
      In order to investigate the chronic effect of PCP, clams A. Woodiana were
      randomly grouped into PCP treated group in which animals were administrated with
      13.9 MUg/L concentrations of PCP, and control group those with similar volume
      dimethyl sulfoxide. In addition, two complete GST sequences were isolated from A.
      Woodianaa and respectively named AwGST1 and AwGST2. The full-length cDNA of
      AwGST1 was consisted of a 5' untranslated region (UTR) of 132 bp, a 3' UTR of 80
      bp and an open reading frame (ORF) of 609 bp encoding a polypeptide of 203 amino
      acids. The full-length cDNA of AwGST2 contained a 5' UTR of 57 bp, a 3' UTR of
      291 bp and an ORF of 678 bp encoding a polypeptide of 226 amino acids. The
      constitutive expression levels of AwGST1 and AwGST2 were examined in different
      tissues including foot, mantle, adductor muscle, heart, hepatopancreas, hemocytes
      and gill. Administration of PCP could result in a significant increase of AwGST1
      and AwGST2 expression in the hepatopancreas, gill and hemocytes. In the
      hepatopancreas, AwGST1 mRNA levels of PCP treated group increased more than
      28.73% at day 1, then 70.37% (P < 0.05) at day 3, reach to 6.64 times (P < 0.01)
      at day 15 in contrasted with that of control group. AwGST2 increased more 18.18%,
      82.88% (P < 0.05) and 2.43 times (P < 0.01) at day 1, 3 and 15, respectively. In
      the gill, AwGST1 expression showed a significant up-regulation in the PCP treated
      group during experiment observed compared with that of control group, mRNA level
      of AwGST2 increased more than 1.44 times (P < 0.05). In addition, expressions of
      AwGST1 and AwGST2 were significantly induced after PCP treatment in the
      hemocytes. These results indicated that up-regulations of AwGST1 and AwGST2
      expression in bivalve A. woodiana are contribute to against oxidative stress
      derived from PCP treatment during experiment observed.

PMID- 28336486
TI  - Mitochondrial Dysfunction in Airway Disease.
AB  - There is increasing appreciation that mitochondria serve cellular functions
      beyond oxygen sensing and energy production. Accordingly, it has become important
      to explore noncanonical roles of mitochondria in normal and pathophysiological
      processes that influence airway structure and function in the context of diseases
      such as asthma and COPD. Mitochondria can sense upstream processes such as
      inflammation, infection, tobacco smoke, and environmental insults important in
      these diseases and in turn can respond to such stimuli through altered
      mitochondrial protein expression, structure, and resultant dysfunction.
      Conversely, mitochondrial dysfunction has downstream influences on cytosolic and
      mitochondrial calcium regulation, airway contractility, gene and protein
      housekeeping, responses to oxidative stress, proliferation, apoptosis, fibrosis,
      and certainly metabolism, which are all key aspects of airway disease
      pathophysiology. Indeed, mitochondrial dysfunction is thought to play a role even
      in normal processes such as aging and senescence and in conditions such as
      obesity, which impact airway diseases. Thus, understanding how mitochondrial
      structure and function play central roles in airway disease may be critical for
      the development of novel therapeutic avenues targeting dysfunctional
      mitochondria. In this case, it is likely that mitochondria of airway epithelium,
      smooth muscle, and fibroblasts play differential roles, consistent with their
      contributions to disease biology, underlining the challenge of targeting a
      ubiquitous cellular element of existential importance. This translational review
      summarizes the current state of understanding of mitochondrial processes that
      play a role in airway disease pathophysiology and identifying areas of unmet
      research need and opportunities for novel therapeutic strategies.

PMID- 28336489
TI  - Current applications, selection, and possible mechanisms of actions of synbiotics
      in improving the growth and health status in aquaculture: A review.
AB  - Synbiotics, a conjunction between prebiotics and probiotics, have been used in
      aquaculture for over 10 years. However, the mechanisms of how synbiotics work as
      growth and immunity promoters are far from being unraveled. Here, we show that a
      prebiotic as part of a synbiotic is hydrolyzed to mono- or disaccharides as the
      sole carbon source with diverse mechanisms, thereby increasing biomass and
      colonization that is established by specific crosstalk between probiotic bacteria
      and the surface of intestinal epithelial cells of the host. Synbiotics may
      indirectly and directly promote the growth of aquatic animals through releasing
      extracellular bacterial enzymes and bioactive products from synbiotic metabolic
      processes. These compounds may activate precursors of digestive enzymes of the
      host and augment the nutritional absorptive ability that contributes to the
      efficacy of food utilization. In fish immune systems, synbiotics cause intestinal
      epithelial cells to secrete cytokines which modulate immune functional cells as
      of dendritic cells, T cells, and B cells, and induce the ability of
      lipopolysaccharides to trigger tumor necrosis factor-alpha and Toll-like receptor
      2 gene transcription leading to increased respiratory burst activity,
      phagocytosis, and nitric oxide production. In shellfish, synbiotics stimulate the
      proliferation and degranulation of hemocytes of shrimp due to the presence of
      bacterial cell walls. Pathogen-associated molecular patterns are subsequently
      recognized and bound by specific pattern-recognition proteins, triggering
      melanization and phagocytosis processes.

PMID- 28336491
TI  - Neurobehavioral effects of lithium in the rat: Investigation of the
      effect/concentration relationships and the contribution of the poisoning pattern.
AB  - Severity of lithium poisoning depends on the ingested dose, previous treatment
      duration and renal function. No animal study has investigated neurobehavioral
      differences in relation to the lithium poisoning pattern observed in humans,
      while differences in lithium pharmacokinetics have been reported in lithium
      pretreated rats mimicking chronic poisonings with enhanced brain accumulation in
      rats with renal failure. Our objectives were: 1)-to investigate lithium-related
      effects in overdose on locomotor activity, anxiety-like behavior, spatial
      recognition memory and anhedonia in the rat; 2)-to model the relationships
      between lithium-induced effects on locomotion and plasma, erythrocyte,
      cerebrospinal fluid and brain concentrations previously obtained according to the
      poisoning pattern. Open-field, elevated plus-maze, Y-maze and sucrose consumption
      tests were used. In acutely lithium-poisoned rats, we observed horizontal
      (p<0.001) and vertical hypolocomotion (p<0.0001), increased anxiety-like behavior
      (p<0.05) and impaired memory (p<0.01) but no altered hedonic status. Horizontal
      (p<0.01) and vertical (p<0.001) hypolocomotion peaked more markedly 24h after
      lithium injection and was more prolonged in acute-on-chronically vs. acutely
      lithium-poisoned rats. Hypolocomotion in chronically lithium-poisoned rats with
      impaired renal function did not differ from acutely poisoned rats 24h after the
      last injection. Interestingly, hypolocomotion/concentration relationships best
      fitted a sigmoidal Emax model in acute poisoning and a linear regression model
      linked to brain lithium in acute-on-chronic poisoning. In conclusion, lithium
      overdose alters rat behavior and consistently induces hypolocomotion which is
      more marked and prolonged in repeatedly lithium-treated rats. Our data suggest
      that differences between poisoning patterns regarding lithium-induced
      hypolocomotion are better explained by the duration of lithium exposure than by
      its brain accumulation.

PMID- 28336492
TI  - Looking into the brain through the retinal ganglion cells in psychiatric
      disorders: A review of evidences.
AB  - Psychiatry and neuroscience research need novel approaches to indirectly
      investigate brain function. As the retina is an anatomical and developmental
      extension of the central nervous system (CNS), changes in retinal function may
      reflect neurological dysfunctions in psychiatric disorders. The last and most
      integrated retinal relay before visual information transfer to the brain is the
      ganglion cell layer. Here, based on collected arguments, we argue that these
      cells offer a crucial site for indirectly investigating brain function. We
      describe the anatomical and physiological properties of these cells together with
      measurements of their functional properties named pattern electroretinogram
      (PERG). Based on ganglion cell dysfunctions measured with PERG in neurological
      disorders, we argue for the relevance of studying ganglion cell function in
      psychiatric research. We review studies that have evaluated ganglion cell
      function in psychiatric and addictive disorders and discuss how changes in PERG
      measurements could be functional markers of pathophysiological mechanisms of
      psychiatric disorders.

PMID- 28336490
TI  - Novel therapeutic interventions for pseudoachondroplasia.
AB  - Pseudoachondroplasia (PSACH), a severe short-limbed dwarfing condition, is
      associated with life-long joint pain and early onset osteoarthritis. PSACH is
      caused by mutations in cartilage oligomeric matrix protein (COMP), a pentameric
      matricellular protein expressed primarily in cartilage and other musculoskeletal
      tissues. Mutations in COMP diminish calcium binding and as a result perturb
      protein folding and export to the extracellular matrix. Mutant COMP is retained
      in the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) of growth plate chondrocytes resulting in
      massive intracellular COMP retention. COMP trapped in the ER builds an
      intracellular matrix network that may prevent the normal cellular clearance
      mechanisms. We have shown that accumulation of intracellular matrix in mutant
      COMP (MT-COMP) mice stimulates intense unrelenting ER stress, inflammation and
      oxidative stress. This cytotoxic stress triggers premature death of growth plate
      chondrocytes limiting long-bone growth. Here, we review the mutant COMP
      pathologic mechanisms and anti-inflammatory/antioxidant therapeutic approaches to
      reduce ER stress. In MT-COMP mice, aspirin and resveratrol both dampen the mutant
      COMP chondrocyte phenotype by decreasing intracellular accumulation, chondrocyte
      death and inflammatory marker expression. This reduction in chondrocyte stress
      translates into an improvement in long-bone growth in the MT-COMP mice. Our
      efforts now move to translational studies targeted at reducing the clinical
      consequences of MT-COMP and painful sequelae associated with PSACH.

PMID- 28336493
TI  - The central mechanism of risperidone-induced hyperprolactinemia.
AB  - Risperidone is known to increase prolactin secretion in treating mental illness
      patients. This side-effect is thought to be mediated via central signaling
      pathway. However, the exact pathway involved between risperidone and
      hyperprolactinemia are still unknown. Therefore, we have treated mice with
      risperidone and investigated the central mechanisms. The present study showed
      that in risperidone treated group, the level of the serum prolactin significantly
      increased, which was consistent with increased positive prolactin staining in
      pituitary gland. Elevated c-fos expression was observed in the arcuate
      hypothalamic nucleus (Arc) where we found 65% c-fos positive neurons co-localised
      with neuropeptide Y (NPY) in mice treated with risperidone. In addition, the
      results from in situ hybridization showed that the NPY mRNA in the Arc was
      significantly increased, whereas the tyrosine hydroxylase (TH) mRNA dramatically
      decreased compared with control group in the paraventricular hypothalamic nucleus
      (PVN). These findings revealed that risperidone may mediate the transcriptional
      regulation of Arc NPY and TH in the PVN. Furthermore, risperidone induced a
      decreased dopamine synthesis in the PVN and thus reduced the dopamine-induced
      inhibition of prolactin release, ultimately lead to hyperprolactinemia.
      Therefore, insights into these neuronal mechanisms open up potential new ways to
      treat schizophrenia patients in order to ameliorate hyperprolactinemia.

PMID- 28336494
TI  - Minocycline reduces inflammatory parameters in the brain structures and serum and
      reverses memory impairment caused by the administration of amyloid beta (1-42) in
      mice.
AB  - Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a neurodegenerative disorder and the most common type
      of age-related dementia. Cognitive decline, beta-amyloid (Abeta) accumulation,
      neurofibrillary tangles, and neuroinflammation are the main pathophysiological
      characteristics of AD. Minocycline is a tetracycline derivative with anti
      inflammatory properties that has a neuroprotective effect. The aim of this study
      was to evaluate the effect of minocycline on memory, neurotrophins and
      neuroinflammation in an animal model of AD induced by the administration of Abeta
      (1-42) oligomer. Male BALB/c mice were treated with minocycline (50mg/kg) via the
      oral route for a total of 17days, 24h after intracerebroventricular
      administration of Abeta (1-42) oligomer. At the end of this period, was performed
      the radial maze test, and 24h after the last minocycline administration, serum
      was collected and the cortex and hippocampus were dissected for biochemical
      analysis. The administration of minocycline reversed the memory impairment caused
      by Abeta (1-42). In the hippocampus, minocycline reversed the increases in the
      levels of interleukin (IL-1beta), Tumor Necrosis Factor- alpha (TNF-alpha) and,
      IL-10 caused by Abeta (1-42). In the cortex, AD-like model increase the levels of
      IL-1beta, TNF-alpha and, IL-4. Minocycline treatment reversed this. In the serum,
      Abeta (1-42) increased the levels of IL-1beta and IL-4, and minocycline was able
      to reverse this action, but not to reverse the decrease of IL-10 levels.
      Minocycline also reversed the increase in the levels of Brain-derived
      neurotrophic factor (BDNF) in the hippocampus caused by Abeta (1-42), and reduced
      Nerve Growth Factor (NGF) increases in the total cortex. Therefore, our results
      indicate that minocycline causes improvements in the spatial memory, and cytokine
      levels were correlated with this effect in the brain it. Besides this,
      minocycline reduced BDNF and NGF levels, highlighting the promising effects of
      minocycline in treating AD-like dementia.

PMID- 28336495
TI  - Genetic variation and epigenetic modification of the prodynorphin gene in
      peripheral blood cells in alcoholism.
AB  - Dynorphins are critically involved in the development, maintenance and relapse of
      alcoholism. Alcohol-induced changes in the prodynorphin gene expression may be
      influenced by both gene polymorphisms and epigenetic modifications. The present
      study of human alcoholics aims to evaluate DNA methylation patterns in the
      prodynorphin gene (PDYN) promoter and to identify single nucleotide polymorphisms
      (SNPs) associated with alcohol dependence and with altered DNA methylation.
      Genomic DNA was isolated from peripheral blood cells of alcoholics and healthy
      controls, and DNA methylation was studied in the PDYN promoter by bisulfite
      pyrosequencing. In alcoholics, DNA methylation increased in three of the seven
      CpG sites investigated, as well as in the average of the seven CpG sites. Data
      stratification showed lower increase in DNA methylation levels in individuals
      reporting craving and with higher levels of alcohol consumption. Association with
      alcoholism was observed for rs2235751 and the presence of the minor allele G was
      associated with reduced DNA methylation at PDYN promoter in females and younger
      subjects. Genetic and epigenetic factors within PDYN are related to risk for
      alcoholism, providing further evidence of its involvement on ethanol effects.
      These results might be of relevance for developing new biomarkers to predict
      disease trajectories and therapeutic outcome.

PMID- 28336496
TI  - Functional EEG network analysis in schizophrenia: Evidence of larger segregation
      and deficit of modulation.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: Higher mental functions depend on global cerebral functional
      coordination. Our aim was to study fast modulation of functional networks in
      schizophrenia that has not been previously assessed. METHODS: Graph-theory was
      used to analyze the electroencephalographic (EEG) activity during an odd-ball
      task in 57 schizophrenia patients (18 first episode patients, FEPs) and 59
      healthy controls. Clustering coefficient (CLC), characteristic path length (PL)
      and small-worldness (SW) were computed at baseline ([-300 0] ms prior to stimulus
      delivery) and response ([150 450] ms post-stimulus) windows. Clinical and
      cognitive assessments were performed. RESULTS: CLC, PL and SW showed a
      significant modulation between baseline and response in controls but not in
      patients. Patients obtained higher CLC and SW at baseline, lower CLC and higher
      PL at response, and diminished modulation of CLC and SW as compared to controls.
      In patients, CLC and SW modulation were inversely associated to cognitive
      performance in executive tasks and directly associated to working memory. Similar
      patterns were observed in FEPs. CLC and SW during the baseline were inversely
      associated to their respective modulation magnitudes. CONCLUSIONS: Our results
      are coherent with a hyper-segregated network at baseline (higher CLC) and a
      decreased modulation of the functional connectivity during cognition in
      schizophrenia.

PMID- 28336497
TI  - Intrinsic disruption of white matter microarchitecture in first-episode, drug
      naive major depressive disorder: A voxel-based meta-analysis of diffusion tensor
      imaging.
AB  - Previous studies have demonstrated the influences of episodes and antidepressant
      drugs on white matter (WM) in patients with major depressive disorder (MDD).
      However, most diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) studies included highly
      heterogeneous individuals with different numbers of depressive episodes or
      medication status. To exclude the confounding effects of multiple episodes or
      medication, we conducted a quantitative voxel-based meta-analysis of fractional
      anisotropy (FA) in patients with first-episode, drug-naive MDD to identify the
      intrinsic WM alterations involved in the pathogenesis of MDD. The pooled meta
      analysis revealed significant FA reductions in the body of the corpus callosum
      (CC), bilateral anterior limb of the internal capsule (ALIC), right inferior
      temporal gyrus (ITG) and right superior frontal gyrus (SFG) in MDD patients
      relative to healthy controls. Meta-regression analyses revealed that FA reduction
      in the right ALIC and right SFG was negatively correlated with symptom severity
      and duration of depression, respectively. Our findings provide robust evidence
      that the WM impairments in the interhemispheric connections and frontal
      subcortical neuronal circuits may play an important role in MDD pathogenesis.

PMID- 28336498
TI  - Pregnancy does not affect fecal calprotectin concentration in healthy women.
AB  - BACKGROUND/AIMS: Noninvasive activity markers are extremely important in
      conditions, such as pregnancy, when endoscopy is not recommended. The aim of this
      prospective study was to determine fecal calprotectin (FC) concentrations in
      healthy non-pregnant and pregnant women and in patients with inflammatory bowel
      disease (IBD). MATERIALS AND METHODS: Healthy pregnant and non-pregnant women and
      patients with active and inactive IBD were prospectively enrolled in this study.
      Demographic and clinical parameters and clinical disease activity scores in
      patients with IBD were recorded. Blood and stool samples of every patient were
      obtained to determine C-reactive protein and FC levels. FC levels were measured
      with a quantitative lateral flow assay. RESULTS: One hundred and thirty-five
      subjects were enrolled in the study (24 non-pregnant and 48 pregnant healthy
      women, 40 non-pregnant patients with active IBD and 23 non-pregnant patients with
      inactive IBD). FC was significantly higher in active IBD patients than in
      pregnant (p<0.001) and non-pregnant healthy women (p<0.001). No difference could
      be detected in FC concentrations between pregnant and non-pregnant healthy women.
      CONCLUSION: Since FC levels remained unchanged during pregnancy, it may be a
      useful noninvasive diagnostic tool in pregnancy for monitoring mucosal
      inflammation.

PMID- 28336499
TI  - Radical resection of the pancreas should not always be necessary in the surgical
      management of pancreatic solid pseudopapillary tumor in children.
AB  - BACKGROUND/AIMS: Pancreatic solid pseudopapillary tumor (SPT) is a rare neoplasm
      in children. In this study, we aimed to present our surgical strategy based on
      minimal resection by enucleation or limited resection in localized pancreatic
      SPT. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We retrospectively analyzed the medical records of
      children who underwent surgical resection between October 2011 and September
      2016. RESULTS: Five female patients with a median age of 15 years (range, 14-17
      years) were operated. Tumors were located in the pancreatic head (n=4) or tail
      (n=1). The median greatest tumor diameter was 9 cm (range, 5-13 cm). All the
      patients were investigated with MRI before the resection to demonstrate the
      relationship between the tumor and the main pancreatic duct. Patients underwent
      enucleation (n=4) for head localization or local distal resection without
      splenectomy (n=1) at the pancreatic tail. At postoperative follow-up, major
      pancreatic leakage was observed in two patients and endoscopically treated.
      Surgical margins were negative in all patients. The median follow-up period was
      44 months (range, 2-59 months) and no local recurrence or distant metastasis was
      observed in the postoperative period. CONCLUSION: An optimal surgical strategy is
      still controversial in pancreatic SPT in children. Radical resections such as
      pancreaticoduodenoctomy or distal pancreatectomy with splenectomy result in loss
      of pancreatic tissue for endocrine and exocrine functions. Minimal resections
      such as enucleation or limited pancreatic resection with negative surgical
      margins should be performed in selected patients with no invasion to the main
      pancreatic duct or adjacent organs.

PMID- 28336500
TI  - Stump Appendicitis: Result of an Incomplete Surgery.

PMID- 28336501
TI  - Extraordinary biliary variant.

PMID- 28336502
TI  - A new accurate model for predicting mortality up to 12 months after ERCP.

PMID- 28336503
TI  - Tweet for Behavior Change: Using Social Media for the Dissemination of Public
      Health Messages.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Social media public health campaigns have the advantage of tailored
      messaging at low cost and large reach, but little is known about what would
      determine their feasibility as tools for inducing attitude and behavior change.
      OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to test the feasibility of designing,
      implementing, and evaluating a social media-enabled intervention for skin cancer
      prevention. METHODS: A quasi-experimental feasibility study used social media
      (Twitter) to disseminate different message "frames" related to care in the sun
      and cancer prevention. Phase 1 utilized the Northern Ireland cancer charity's
      Twitter platform (May 1 to July 14, 2015). Following a 2-week "washout" period,
      Phase 2 commenced (August 1 to September 30, 2015) using a bespoke Twitter
      platform. Phase 2 also included a Thunderclap, whereby users allowed their social
      media accounts to automatically post a bespoke message on their behalf. Message
      frames were categorized into 5 broad categories: humor, shock or disgust,
      informative, personal stories, and opportunistic. Seed users with a notable
      following were contacted to be "influencers" in retweeting campaign content. A
      pre- and postintervention Web-based survey recorded skin cancer prevention
      knowledge and attitudes in Northern Ireland (population 1.8 million). RESULTS:
      There were a total of 417,678 tweet impressions, 11,213 engagements, and 1211
      retweets related to our campaign. Shocking messages generated the greatest
      impressions (shock, n=2369; informative, n=2258; humorous, n=1458; story,
      n=1680), whereas humorous messages generated greater engagement (humorous, n=148;
      shock, n=147; story, n=117; informative, n=100) and greater engagement rates
      compared with story tweets. Informative messages, resulted in the greatest number
      of shares (informative, n=17; humorous, n=10; shock, n=9; story, n=7). The study
      findings included improved knowledge of skin cancer severity in a pre- and
      postintervention Web-based survey, with greater awareness that skin cancer is the
      most common form of cancer (preintervention: 28.4% [95/335] vs postintervention:
      39.3% [168/428] answered "True") and that melanoma is most serious (49.1%
      [165/336] vs 55.5% [238/429]). The results also show improved attitudes toward
      ultraviolet (UV) exposure and skin cancer with a reduction in agreement that
      respondents "like to tan" (60.5% [202/334] vs 55.6% [238/428]). CONCLUSIONS:
      Social media-disseminated public health messages reached more than 23% of the
      Northern Ireland population. A Web-based survey suggested that the campaign might
      have contributed to improved knowledge and attitudes toward skin cancer among the
      target population. Findings suggested that shocking and humorous messages
      generated greatest impressions and engagement, but information-based messages
      were likely to be shared most. The extent of behavioral change as a result of the
      campaign remains to be explored, however, the change of attitudes and knowledge
      is promising. Social media is an inexpensive, effective method for delivering
      public health messages. However, existing and traditional process evaluation
      methods may not be suitable for social media.

PMID- 28336504
TI  - mHealth for Clinical Decision-Making in Sub-Saharan Africa: A Scoping Review.
AB  - BACKGROUND: In a bid to deliver quality health services in resource-poor
      settings, mobile health (mHealth) is increasingly being adopted. The role of
      mHealth in facilitating evidence-based clinical decision-making through data
      collection, decision algorithms, and evidence-based guidelines, for example, is
      established in resource-rich settings. However, the extent to which mobile
      clinical decision support systems (mCDSS) have been adopted specifically in
      resource-poor settings such as Africa and the lessons learned about their use in
      such settings are yet to be established. OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to
      synthesize evidence on the use of mHealth for point-of-care decision support and
      improved quality of care by health care workers in Africa. METHODS: A scoping
      review of 4 peer-reviewed and 1 grey literature databases was conducted. No date
      limits were applied, but only articles in English language were selected. Using
      pre-established criteria, 2 reviewers screened articles and extracted data.
      Articles were analyzed using Microsoft Excel and MAXQDA. RESULTS: We retained 22
      articles representing 11 different studies in 7 sub-Saharan African countries.
      Interventions were mainly in the domain of maternal health and ranged from simple
      text messaging (short message service, SMS) to complex multicomponent
      interventions. Although health workers are generally supportive of mCDSS and
      perceive them as useful, concerns about increased workload and altered workflow
      hinder sustainability. Facilitators and barriers to use of mCDSS include
      technical and infrastructural support, ownership, health system challenges, and
      training. CONCLUSIONS: The use of mCDSS in sub-Saharan Africa is an indication of
      progress in mHealth, although their effect on quality of service delivery is yet
      to be fully explored. Lessons learned are useful for informing future research,
      policy, and practice for technologically supported health care delivery,
      especially in resource-poor settings.

PMID- 28336505
TI  - Internet-based Self-Management Support for Patients With Well-Controlled Type 2
      Diabetes: A Real-Life Study.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Little attention has been paid to self-management support of patients
      with well-controlled type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). Most studies evaluated the
      addition of self-management support to regular diabetes care, but self-management
      as an alternative for part of regular diabetes care has hardly been studied. In
      this study, we offered patients with well-controlled T2DM the opportunity to
      perform the 3 quarterly monitoring sessions at home using an Internet-based self
      management program, resulting in online personalized advice. OBJECTIVE: The aim
      of our study was to assess the reach and feasibility of an Internet-based
      diabetes self-management support program for patients with well-controlled T2DM,
      addressing both primary care providers' (PCPs) opinions and patients' willingness
      to participate in such a support program. METHODS: PCPs assessed patients'
      eligibility for Internet-based self-management, and patients were offered the
      opportunity to participate. Characteristics of eligible and ineligible patients
      were compared, as well as those of participants and nonparticipants, also with
      regard to quality of life, treatment satisfaction, and illness perceptions.
      Multivariate logistic regression models were performed and odds ratios (ORs)
      calculated with 95% CIs. RESULTS: Almost half (128/282, 45.4%) of the patients
      with well-controlled T2DM were considered ineligible by their PCPs mainly because
      of cognitive impairment and language barriers (8.2% and 8.9%). Older patients (OR
      for each year 1.06, 95% CI 1.03-1.09, P<.001), non-Western European patients (OR
      3.64, 95% CI 1.67-7.92, P=.001), and patients with a longer diabetes duration (OR
      for each year 1.56, 95% CI 1.04-2.34, P=.03) were more often regarded as
      ineligible. Of the 154 patients considered eligible, 57 (37.0%) consented to
      participate and 30 (10.6%) started the program. Of 57 participants, 45 returned
      the 3 questionnaires; 21 of 97 nonparticipants returned the questionnaires.
      Nonparticipants less often thought that their disease would last their entire
      life (median 8.0 vs 10.0, P=.03) and they were more satisfied with their current
      treatment than participants (DTSQ total score 44.0 vs 40.0, P=.05). There was no
      significant difference in quality of life between the 2 groups. CONCLUSIONS: PCPs
      considered half of their patients with well-controlled T2DM incapable of Internet
      based self-management mainly because of cognitive impairment and language
      barriers; of the selected patients, about 1 out of 3 was willing to participate.
      Older patients, non-Western European patients, and patients with a higher BMI
      were less likely to participate. Predominantly, practical issues (such as
      Internet problems) hindered implementation of the Internet-based self-management
      program.

PMID- 28336506
TI  - Using eHealth Technologies: Interests, Preferences, and Concerns of Older Adults.
AB  - BACKGROUND: The Internet and eHealth technologies represent new opportunities for
      managing health. Age, sex, socioeconomic status, and current technology use are
      some of the known factors that influence individuals' uptake of eHealth; however,
      relatively little is known about facilitators and barriers to eHealth uptake
      specific to older adults, particularly as they relate to their experiences in
      accessing health care. OBJECTIVE: The aim of our study was to explore the
      interests, preferences, and concerns of older adults in using the Internet and
      eHealth technologies for managing their health in relation to their experiences
      with the current health care system. METHODS: Two focus groups (n=15) were
      conducted with adults aged 50+ years. Pragmatic thematic analysis using an
      inductive approach was conducted to identify the interests, preferences, and
      concerns of using the Internet and eHealth technologies. RESULTS: Five themes
      emerged that include (1) Difficulty in identifying credible and relevant sources
      of information on the Web; (2) Ownership, access, and responsibility for medical
      information; (3) Peer communication and support; (4) Opportunities to enhance
      health care interactions; and (5) Privacy concerns. These findings support the
      potential value older adults perceive in eHealth technologies, particularly in
      their ability to provide access to personal health information and facilitate
      communication between providers and peers living with similar conditions.
      However, in order to foster acceptance, these technologies will need to provide
      personal and general health information that is secure, readily accessible, and
      easily understood. CONCLUSIONS: Older adults have diverse needs and preferences
      that, in part, are driven by their experiences and frustrations with the health
      care system. Results can help inform the design and implementation of
      technologies to address gaps in care and access to health information for older
      adults with chronic conditions who may benefit the most from this approach.

PMID- 28336507
TI  - Planking or the "Lying-Down Game:" Two Case Reports.
AB  - BACKGROUND: The monitoring and management of risks regarding children and young
      people admitted to the emergency department as a result of dangerous behaviors
      distributed via the Internet should be based on clinical reasoning and knowledge
      about these social media-related phenomena. Here we examine 2 cases of teenagers
      who reported severe injuries while performing the "planking" craze, a challenge
      that consists in lying face-down stiffly like a board on any kind of surface.
      OBJECTIVE: Our objective is to examine and describe the Internet craze called
      planking, also known as the "lying-down game," through 2 case reports from our
      experience, enriching this study with information gained through discussions with
      secondary school teenagers. METHODS: Details of the 2 case reports were taken
      from electronic medical records giving information on care support processes,
      care management, and the costs of traumatic episodes. Demographic data,
      hemoglobin and serum lactate values, and Injury Severity Scores were evaluated.
      The study took place in secondary schools of our city from 2013 to 2014 during
      medical education courses, with the aim of analyzing the influence of social
      media on teenagers' activities and behaviors. RESULTS: Both patients suffered
      multiple trauma injuries and needed high-level health assistance. The first
      patient underwent a splenectomy and the second one a nephrectomy; both of them
      required a long hospital stay (14 and 20 days, respectively), and the costs for
      their management have been estimated at US $27,000 and US $37,000, respectively.
      Their decision to perform the planking in dangerous locations was due to their
      ambition to gain peers' acclaim through shared videos and pictures. CONCLUSIONS:
      Reporting and understanding these cases may potentially help prevent future
      events occurring in similar circumstances: the scientific community cannot leave
      this problem unaddressed. There is also a role of education resources for health
      care professionals; for this, we must identify and follow up strange or
      misleading information found on websites. A key element of this research study
      was to report physicians' misperceptions concerning planking and, with these
      cases used for teaching purposes, improve knowledge of the clinical and forensic
      aspects of this emerging problem.

PMID- 28336508
TI  - Using Web-Based Search Data to Study the Public's Reactions to Societal Events:
      The Case of the Sandy Hook Shooting.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Internet search is the most common activity on the World Wide Web and
      generates a vast amount of user-reported data regarding their information-seeking
      preferences and behavior. Although this data has been successfully used to
      examine outbreaks, health care utilization, and outcomes related to quality of
      care, its value in informing public health policy remains unclear. OBJECTIVE: The
      aim of this study was to evaluate the role of Internet search query data in
      health policy development. To do so, we studied the public's reaction to a major
      societal event in the context of the 2012 Sandy Hook School shooting incident.
      METHODS: Query data from the Yahoo! search engine regarding firearm-related
      searches was analyzed to examine changes in user-selected search terms and
      subsequent websites visited for a period of 14 days before and after the shooting
      incident. RESULTS: A total of 5,653,588 firearm-related search queries were
      analyzed. In the after period, queries increased for search terms related to
      "guns" (+50.06%), "shooting incident" (+333.71%), "ammunition" (+155.14%), and
      "gun-related laws" (+535.47%). The highest increase (+1054.37%) in Web traffic
      was seen by news websites following "shooting incident" queries whereas searches
      for "guns" (+61.02%) and "ammunition" (+173.15%) resulted in notable increases in
      visits to retail websites. Firearm-related queries generally returned to baseline
      levels after approximately 10 days. CONCLUSIONS: Search engine queries present a
      viable infodemiology metric on public reactions and subsequent behaviors to major
      societal events and could be used by policymakers to inform policy development.

PMID- 28336511
TI  - New negligence claims service aims to resolve cases more quickly.

PMID- 28336510
TI  - David Oliver: Getting real about care closer to home.

PMID- 28336509
TI  - Decriminalisation of abortion.

PMID- 28336512
TI  - An easily mistaken pulmonary opacity.

PMID- 28336513
TI  - Promises, promises.

PMID- 28336514
TI  - Doctors at India's top hospital call for new inquiry into woman's death after
      resident is sacked.

PMID- 28336515
TI  - The motor activity of DNA2 functions as an ssDNA translocase to promote DNA end
      resection.
AB  - DNA2 nuclease-helicase functions in DNA replication and recombination. This
      requires the nuclease of DNA2, while, in contrast, the role of the helicase
      activity has been unclear. We now show that the motor activity of both
      recombinant yeast and human DNA2 promotes efficient degradation of long stretches
      of ssDNA, particularly in the presence of the replication protein A. This
      degradation is further stimulated by a direct interaction with a cognate RecQ
      family helicase, which functions with DNA2 in DNA end resection to initiate
      homologous recombination. Consequently, helicase-deficient yeast dna2 K1080E
      cells display reduced resection speed of HO-induced DNA double-strand breaks.
      These results support a model of DNA2 and the RecQ family helicase partner
      forming a bidirectional motor machine, where the RecQ family helicase is the lead
      helicase, and the motor of DNA2 functions as a ssDNA translocase to promote
      degradation of 5'-terminated DNA.

PMID- 28336517
TI  - Gender-specific outcomes of cardiac resynchronisation therapy with or without
      defibrillator.

PMID- 28336516
TI  - A novel role of the Dna2 translocase function in DNA break resection.
AB  - DNA double-strand break repair by homologous recombination entails nucleolytic
      resection of the 5' strand at break ends. Dna2, a flap endonuclease with 5'-3'
      helicase activity, is involved in the resection process. The Dna2 helicase
      activity has been implicated in Okazaki fragment processing during DNA
      replication but is thought to be dispensable for DNA end resection. Unexpectedly,
      we found a requirement for the helicase function of Dna2 in end resection in
      budding yeast cells lacking exonuclease 1. Biochemical analysis reveals that ATP
      hydrolysis-fueled translocation of Dna2 on ssDNA facilitates 5' flap cleavage
      near a single-strand-double strand junction while attenuating 3' flap incision.
      Accordingly, the ATP hydrolysis-defective dna2-K1080E mutant is less able to
      generate long products in a reconstituted resection system. Our study thus
      reveals a previously unrecognized role of the Dna2 translocase activity in DNA
      break end resection and in the imposition of the 5' strand specificity of end
      resection.

PMID- 28336520
TI  - Surge in child emergency admissions prompts new care standards.

PMID- 28336518
TI  - BMP-9 interferes with liver regeneration and promotes liver fibrosis.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: Bone morphogenetic protein (BMP)-9, a member of the transforming
      growth factor-beta family of cytokines, is constitutively produced in the liver.
      Systemic levels act on many organs and tissues including bone and endothelium,
      but little is known about its hepatic functions in health and disease. DESIGN:
      Levels of BMP-9 and its receptors were analysed in primary liver cells. Direct
      effects of BMP-9 on hepatic stellate cells (HSCs) and hepatocytes were studied in
      vitro, and the role of BMP-9 was examined in acute and chronic liver injury
      models in mice. RESULTS: Quiescent and activated HSCs were identified as major
      BMP-9 producing liver cell type. BMP-9 stimulation of cultured hepatocytes
      inhibited proliferation, epithelial to mesenchymal transition and preserved
      expression of important metabolic enzymes such as cytochrome P450. Acute liver
      injury caused by partial hepatectomy or single injections of carbon tetrachloride
      (CCl4) or lipopolysaccharide (LPS) into mice resulted in transient downregulation
      of hepatic BMP-9 mRNA expression. Correspondingly, LPS stimulation led to
      downregulation of BMP-9 expression in cultured HSCs. Application of BMP-9 after
      partial hepatectomy significantly enhanced liver damage and disturbed the
      proliferative response. Chronic liver damage in BMP-9-deficient mice or in mice
      adenovirally overexpressing the selective BMP-9 antagonist activin-like kinase 1
      Fc resulted in reduced deposition of collagen and subsequent fibrosis.
      CONCLUSIONS: Constitutive expression of low levels of BMP-9 stabilises hepatocyte
      function in the healthy liver. Upon HSC activation, endogenous BMP-9 levels
      increase in vitro and in vivo and high levels of BMP-9 cause enhanced damage upon
      acute or chronic injury.

PMID- 28336519
TI  - Anticollagen type II antibodies are associated with an acute onset rheumatoid
      arthritis phenotype and prognosticate lower degree of inflammation during 5 years
      follow-up.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: Antifibrillar collagen type II (anti-CII) antibody-positive patients
      with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) have early but not late signs of increased
      inflammation and joint erosions. We wanted to replicate this in a large RA
      cohort, and to relate to human leukocyte antigen (HLA)-DRB1* alleles. METHODS:
      Anti-CII and anti-cyclic citrullinated peptide (CCP)2 were measured at baseline
      in 773 patients with RA from the Swedish Epidemiological Investigation in
      Rheumatoid Arthritis (EIRA) study with clinical follow-up data from the Swedish
      Rheumatology Quality Register (SRQ) registry, and 1476 with HLA-DRB1*
      information. Comparisons were done concerning C reactive protein (CRP),
      erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR), tender joint count (TJC), swollen joint
      count (SJC), Disease Activity Score encompassing 28 joints based on ESR (DAS28),
      DAS28CRP, pain-Visual Analogue Scale (VAS), global-VAS and Health Assessment
      Questionnaire Score (HAQ) at eight occasions during 5 years, and association with
      HLA-DRB1* alleles. RESULTS: Anti-CII associated with elevated CRP, ESR, SJC,
      DAS28 and DAS28CRP at diagnosis and up to 6 months, whereas anti-CCP2 associated
      with SJC and DAS28 from 6 months to 5 years, but not earlier. The anti-CII
      associated phenotype was strong, and predominated in anti-CII/anti-CCP2 double
      positive patients. Anti-CII was associated with improvements in CRP, ESR, SJC,
      TJC and DAS28, whereas anti-CCP2 was associated with deteriorations in SJC and
      DAS28 over time. Anti-CII-positive patients achieved European League Against
      Rheumatism good or moderate response more often than negative patients. Anti-CII
      was positively associated with HLA-DRB1*01 and HLA-DRB1*03, with significant
      interaction, and double-positive individuals had >14 times higher mean anti-CII
      levels than HLA double negatives. Whereas smoking was associated with elevated
      anti-CCP2 levels, smokers had lower anti-CII levels. CONCLUSIONS: Anti-CII
      seropositive RA represents a distinct phenotype, in many respects representing
      the converse to the clinical, genetic and smoking associations described for
      anticitrullinated protein peptide autoantibodies. Although not diagnostically
      useful, early anti-CII determinations predict favourable inflammatory outcome in
      RA.

PMID- 28336521
TI  - Defending strong tobacco packaging and labelling regulations in Uruguay:
      transnational tobacco control network versus Philip Morris International.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: Describe the process of enacting and defending strong tobacco
      packaging and labelling regulations in Uruguay amid Philip Morris International's
      (PMI) legal threats and challenges. METHODS: Triangulated government legislation,
      news sources and interviews with policy-makers and health advocates in Uruguay.
      RESULTS: In 2008 and 2009, the Uruguayan government enacted at the time the
      world's largest pictorial health warning labels (80% of front and back of
      package) and prohibited different packaging or presentations for cigarettes sold
      under a given brand. PMI threatened to sue Uruguay in international courts if
      these policies were implemented. The Vazquez administration maintained the
      regulations, but a week prior to President Vazquez's successor, President Mujica,
      took office on 1 March 2010 PMI announced its intention to file an investment
      arbitration dispute against Uruguay in the International Centre for the
      Settlement of Investment Disputes. Initially, the Mujica administration announced
      it would weaken the regulations to avoid litigation. In response, local public
      health groups in Uruguay enlisted former President Vazquez and international
      health groups and served as brokers to develop a collaboration with the Mujica
      administration to defend the regulations. This united front between the Uruguayan
      government and the transnational tobacco control network paid off when Uruguay
      defeated PMI's investment dispute in July 2016. CONCLUSION: To replicate
      Uruguay's success, other countries need to recognise that strong political
      support, an actively engaged local civil society and financial and technical
      support are important factors in overcoming tobacco industry's legal threats to
      defend strong public health regulations.

PMID- 28336524
TI  - Dual roles for bone marrow-derived Sca-1 cells in cardiac function.
AB  - Recruitment of stem cells from the bone marrow (BM) is an important aspect of
      cardiac healing that becomes inefficient with age. We investigated the role of
      young stem cell antigen 1 (Sca-1)-positive BM cells on the aged heart by
      microarray analysis after BM reconstitution. Sca-1+ and Sca-1- BM cells from
      young green fluorescent protein (GFP)-positive mice were used to reconstitute the
      BM of aged mice. Myocardial infarction (MI) was induced 3 mo later. GFP+ cells
      were more abundant in the BM, blood, and heart of Sca-1+ mice, which corresponded
      to preserved cardiac function after MI. At baseline, Sca-1+ BM reconstitution
      increased cardiac expression of serum response factor, vascular endothelial
      growth factor A, and myogenic genes, but reduced the expression of Il-1beta.
      After MI, inflammation was identified as a key difference between Sca-1- and Sca
      1+ groups, as cytokine expression and cell surface markers associated with
      inflammatory cells were up-regulated with Sca-1+ reconstitution. Mac-3 and F4/80
      staining showed that the postinfarction heart was composed of a mixture of GFP+
      (donor) macrophages, GFP- (host) macrophages, and GFP+ cells that did not
      contribute to the macrophage population. This study demonstrates that Sca-1+ BM
      cells regulate cardiac healing though an acute inflammatory response and also
      before injury by stimulating formation of a beneficial cardiac niche.-Tobin, S.
      W., Li, S.-H., Li, J., Wu, J., Yeganeh, A., Yu, P., Weisel, R. D., Li, R.-K. Dual
      roles for bone marrow-derived Sca-1 cells in cardiac function.

PMID- 28336525
TI  - Extracellular TDP-43 aggregates target MAPK/MAK/MRK overlapping kinase (MOK) and
      trigger caspase-3/IL-18 signaling in microglia.
AB  - Dysregulated microglial responses are central in neurodegenerative
      proteinopathies, including amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and frontotemporal
      lobar disease (FTLD). Pathologic TDP-43, which is typically found in
      intracellular inclusions, is a misfolding protein with emerging roles in ALS and
      FTLD. Recently, TDP-43 species have been found in extracellular fluids of
      patients; however, the overall implications of TDP-43-mediated signaling linked
      to neuroinflammation are poorly understood. Our work-the first, to our knowledge,
      to focus on innate immunity responses to TDP-43 aggregates-shows that such
      species are internalized by microglia and cause abnormal mobilization of
      endogenous TDP-43. Exposure to TDP-43 aggregates elicited not only IL-1beta, but
      also NLRP3-dependent and noncanonical IL-18 processing. Moreover, we report a
      link between TDP-43 and neuronal loss via the apoptosis-independent emerging
      roles of caspase-3 in neurotoxic inflammation. Our results further support the
      view of noncell autonomous neurodegenerative mechanisms in ALS. Remarkably, we
      demonstrate that TDP-43 aggregates bind to and colocalize with MAPK/MAK/MRK
      overlapping kinase (MOK) and show that its phosphorylation status is disrupted.
      Finally, we show that this TDP-43-caused activation state can be altered by
      exogenous Hsp27 and Hsp70 chaperones. Our study provides new insight into the
      immune phenotype, mechanisms, and signaling pathways that operate in microglial
      neurotoxic activation in ALS.-Leal-Lasarte, M. M., Franco, J. M., Labrador
      Garrido, A., Pozo, D., Roodveldt, C. Extracellular TDP-43 aggregates target
      MAPK/MAK/MRK overlapping kinase (MOK) and trigger caspase-3/IL-18 signaling in
      microglia.

PMID- 28336526
TI  - Identification of unipotent megakaryocyte progenitors in human hematopoiesis.
AB  - The developmental pathway for human megakaryocytes remains unclear, and the
      definition of pure unipotent megakaryocyte progenitor is still controversial.
      Using single-cell transcriptome analysis, we have identified a cluster of cells
      within immature hematopoietic stem- and progenitor-cell populations that
      specifically expresses genes related to the megakaryocyte lineage. We used CD41
      as a positive marker to identify these cells within the CD34+CD38+IL
      3RalphadimCD45RA- common myeloid progenitor (CMP) population. These cells lacked
      erythroid and granulocyte-macrophage potential but exhibited robust
      differentiation into the megakaryocyte lineage at a high frequency, both in vivo
      and in vitro. The efficiency and expansion potential of these cells exceeded
      those of conventional bipotent megakaryocyte/erythrocyte progenitors.
      Accordingly, the CD41+ CMP was defined as a unipotent megakaryocyte progenitor
      (MegP) that is likely to represent the major pathway for human megakaryopoiesis,
      independent of canonical megakaryocyte-erythroid lineage bifurcation. In the bone
      marrow of patients with essential thrombocythemia, the MegP population was
      significantly expanded in the context of a high burden of Janus kinase 2
      mutations. Thus, the prospectively isolatable and functionally homogeneous human
      MegP will be useful for the elucidation of the mechanisms underlying normal and
      malignant human hematopoiesis.

PMID- 28336529
TI  - TOE imaging of a large aortic mass: an unusual cause of systemic embolization in
      a septic patient.

PMID- 28336528
TI  - Platelet CD36 promotes thrombosis by activating redox sensor ERK5 in
      hyperlipidemic conditions.
AB  - Atherothrombosis is a process mediated by dysregulated platelet activation that
      can cause life-threatening complications and is the leading cause of death by
      cardiovascular disease. Platelet reactivity in hyperlipidemic conditions is
      enhanced when platelet scavenger receptor CD36 recognizes oxidized lipids in
      oxidized low-density lipoprotein (oxLDL) particles, a process that induces an
      overt prothrombotic phenotype. The mechanisms by which CD36 promotes platelet
      activation and thrombosis remain incompletely defined. In this study, we identify
      a mechanism for CD36 to promote thrombosis by increasing activation of MAPK
      extracellular signal-regulated kinase 5 (ERK5), a protein kinase known to be
      exquisitely sensitive to redox stress, through a signaling pathway requiring Src
      kinases, NADPH oxidase, superoxide radical anion, and hydrogen peroxide.
      Pharmacologic inhibitors of ERK5 blunted platelet activation and aggregation in
      response to oxLDL and targeted genetic deletion of ERK5 in murine platelets
      prevented oxLDL-induced platelet deposition on immobilized collagen in response
      to arterial shear. Importantly, in vivo thrombosis experiments after bone marrow
      transplantation from platelet-specific ERK5 null mice into hyperlipidemic
      apolipoprotein E null mice showed decreased platelet accumulation and increased
      thrombosis times compared with mice transplanted with ERK5 expressing control
      bone marrows. These findings suggest that atherogenic conditions critically
      regulate platelet CD36 signaling by increasing superoxide radical anion and
      hydrogen peroxide through a mechanism that promotes activation of MAPK ERK5.

PMID- 28336530
TI  - Using chiral tactoids as optical probes to study the aggregation behavior of
      chromonics.
AB  - Tactoids are nuclei of an orientationally ordered nematic phase that emerge upon
      cooling the isotropic phase. In addition to providing a natural setting for
      exploring chromonics under confinement, we show that tactoids can also serve as
      optical probes to delineate the role of temperature and concentration in the
      aggregation behavior of chromonics. For high concentrations, we observe the
      commonly reported elongated bipolar tactoids. As the concentration is lowered,
      breaking of achiral symmetry in the director configuration is observed with a
      predominance of twisted bipolar tactoids. On further reduction of concentration,
      a remarkable transformation of the director configuration occurs, wherein it
      conforms to a unique splay-minimizing configuration. Based on a simple model, we
      arrive at an interesting result that lower concentrations have longer aggregates
      at the same reduced temperature. Hence, the splay deformation that scales
      linearly with the aggregate length becomes prohibitive for lower concentrations
      and is relieved via twist and bend deformations in this unique configuration.
      Raman scattering measurements of the order parameters independently verify the
      trend in aggregate lengths and provide a physical picture of the nematic-biphasic
      transition.

PMID- 28336527
TI  - A phase 1 clinical trial of single-agent selinexor in acute myeloid leukemia.
AB  - Selinexor is a novel, first-in-class, selective inhibitor of nuclear export
      compound, which blocks exportin 1 (XPO1) function, leads to nuclear accumulation
      of tumor suppressor proteins, and induces cancer cell death. A phase 1 dose
      escalation study was initiated to examine the safety and efficacy of selinexor in
      patients with advanced hematological malignancies. Ninety-five patients with
      relapsed or refractory acute myeloid leukemia (AML) were enrolled between January
      2013 and June 2014 to receive 4, 8, or 10 doses of selinexor in a 21- or 28-day
      cycle. The most frequently reported adverse events (AEs) in patients with AML
      were grade 1 or 2 constitutional and gastrointestinal toxicities, which were
      generally manageable with supportive care. The only nonhematological grade 3/4
      AE, occurring in >5% of the patient population, was fatigue (14%). There were no
      reported dose-limiting toxicities or evidence of cumulative toxicity. The
      recommended phase 2 dose was established at 60 mg (~35 mg/m2) given twice weekly
      in a 4-week cycle based on the totality of safety and efficacy data. Overall, 14%
      of the 81 evaluable patients achieved an objective response (OR) and 31% percent
      showed >=50% decrease in bone marrow blasts from baseline. Patients achieving an
      OR had a significant improvement in median progression-free survival (PFS) (5.1
      vs 1.3 months; P = .008; hazard ratio [HR], 3.1) and overall survival (9.7 vs 2.7
      months; P = .01; HR, 3.1) compared with nonresponders. These findings suggest
      that selinexor is safe as a monotherapy in patients with relapsed or refractory
      AML and have informed subsequent phase 2 clinical development. This trial was
      registered at www.clinicaltrials.gov as #NCT01607892.

PMID- 28336531
TI  - Vasopressin-induced serine 269 phosphorylation reduces Sipa1l1 (signal-induced
      proliferation-associated 1 like 1)-mediated aquaporin-2 endocytosis.
AB  - The abundance of integral membrane proteins in the plasma membrane is determined
      by a dynamic balance between exocytosis and endocytosis, which can often be
      regulated by physiological stimuli. Here, we describe a mechanism that accounts
      for the ability of the peptide hormone vasopressin to regulate water excretion
      via a phosphorylation-dependent modulation of the PDZ domain-ligand interaction
      involving the water channel protein aquaporin-2. We discovered that the PDZ
      domain-containing protein Sipa1l1 (signal-induced proliferation-associated 1 like
      1) binds to the cytoplasmic PDZ-ligand motif of aquaporin-2 and accelerates its
      endocytosis in the absence of vasopressin. Vasopressin-induced aquaporin-2
      phosphorylation within the type I PDZ-ligand motif disrupted the interaction, in
      association with reduced aquaporin-2 endocytosis and prolonged plasma membrane
      aquaporin-2 retention. This phosphorylation-dependent alteration in the PDZ
      domain-ligand interaction was explained by 3D structural models, which showed a
      hormone-regulated mechanism that controls osmotic water transport and systemic
      water balance in mammals.

PMID- 28336534
TI  - Muscle length-dependent contribution of motoneuron Cav1.3 channels to force
      production in model slow motor unit.
AB  - Persistent inward current (PIC)-generating Cav1.3 channels in spinal motoneuron
      dendrites are thought to be actively recruited during normal behaviors. However,
      whether and how the activation of PIC channels influences force output of motor
      unit remains elusive. Here, building a physiologically realistic model of slow
      motor unit I demonstrated that force production induced by the PIC activation is
      much smaller for short than lengthened muscles during the regular firing of the
      motoneuron that transitions from the quiescent state by either a brief current
      pulse at the soma or a brief synaptic excitation at the dendrites. By contrast,
      the PIC-induced force potentiation was maximal for short muscles when the
      motoneuron switched from a stable low-frequency firing state to a stable high
      frequency firing state by the current pulse at the soma. Under the synaptic
      excitation at the dendrites, however, the force could not be potentiated by the
      transitioning of the motoneuron from a low- to a high-frequency firing state due
      to the simultaneous onset of PIC at the dendrites and firing at the soma. The
      strong dependency of the input-output relationship of the motor unit on the
      neuromodulation and Ia afferent inputs for the PIC channels was further shown
      under static variations in muscle length. Taken together, these findings suggest
      that the PIC activation in the motoneuron dendrites may differentially affect the
      force production of the motor unit, depending not only on the firing state
      history of the motoneuron and the variation in muscle length but also on the mode
      of motor activity.NEW & NOTEWORTHY Cav1.3 channels in motoneuron dendrites are
      actively involved during normal motor activities. To investigate the effects of
      the activation of motoneuron Cav1.3 channels on force production, a model motor
      unit was built based on best-available data. The simulation results suggest that
      force potentiation induced by Cav1.3 channel activation is strongly modulated not
      only by firing history of the motoneuron but also by length variation of the
      muscle as well as neuromodulation inputs from the brainstem.

PMID- 28336532
TI  - MOAG-4 promotes the aggregation of alpha-synuclein by competing with self
      protective electrostatic interactions.
AB  - Aberrant protein aggregation underlies a variety of age-related neurodegenerative
      disorders, including Alzheimer's and Parkinson's diseases. Little is known,
      however, about the molecular mechanisms that modulate the aggregation process in
      the cellular environment. Recently, MOAG-4/SERF has been identified as a class of
      evolutionarily conserved proteins that positively regulates aggregate formation.
      Here, by using nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy, we examine the
      mechanism of action of MOAG-4 by characterizing its interaction with alpha
      synuclein (alpha-Syn). NMR chemical shift perturbations demonstrate that a
      positively charged segment of MOAG-4 forms a transiently populated alpha-helix
      that interacts with the negatively charged C terminus of alpha-Syn. This process
      interferes with the intramolecular interactions between the N- and C-terminal
      regions of alpha-Syn, resulting in the protein populating less compact forms and
      aggregating more readily. These results provide a compelling example of the
      complex competition between molecular and cellular factors that protect against
      protein aggregation and those that promote it.

PMID- 28336533
TI  - Critical residues and motifs for homodimerization of the first transmembrane
      domain of the plasma membrane glycoprotein CD36.
AB  - The plasma transmembrane (TM) glycoprotein CD36 is critically involved in many
      essential signaling processes, especially the binding/uptake of long-chain fatty
      acids and oxidized low-density lipoproteins. The association of CD36 potentially
      activates cytosolic protein tyrosine kinases that are thought to associate with
      the C-terminal cytoplasmic tail of CD36. To understand the mechanisms by which
      CD36 mediates ligand binding and signal transduction, we have characterized the
      homo-oligomeric interaction of CD36 TM domains in membrane environments and with
      molecular dynamics (MD) simulations. Analysis of pyrene- and coumarin-labeled TM1
      peptides in SDS by FRET confirmed the homodimerization of the CD36 TM1 peptide.
      Homodimerization assays of CD36 TM domains with the TOXCAT technique showed that
      its first TM (TM1) domain, but not the second TM (TM2) domain, could homodimerize
      in a cell membrane. Small-residue, site-specific mutation scanning revealed that
      the CD36 TM1 dimerization is mediated by the conserved small residues Gly12,
      Gly16, Ala20, and Gly23 Furthermore, molecular dynamics (MD) simulation studies
      demonstrated that CD36 TM1 exhibited a switching dimerization with two right
      handed packing modes driven by the 12GXXXGXXXA20 and 20AXXG23 motifs, and the
      mutational effect of G16I and G23I revealed these representative conformations of
      CD36 TM1. This packing switch pattern of CD36 TM1 homodimer was further examined
      and confirmed by FRET analysis of monobromobimane (mBBr)-labeled CD36 TM1
      peptides. Overall, this work provides a structural basis for understanding the
      role of TM association in regulating signal transduction via CD36.

PMID- 28336535
TI  - The effects of short work vs. longer work periods within intermittent exercise on
      Vo2p kinetics, muscle deoxygenation, and energy system contribution.
AB  - We examined the effects of inserting 3-s recovery periods during high-intensity
      cycling exercise at 25-s and 10-s intervals on pulmonary oxygen uptake (Vo2p),
      muscle deoxygenation [deoxyhemoglobin (HHb)], their associated kinetics (tau),
      and energy system contributions. Eleven men (24 +/- 3 yr) completed two trials of
      three cycling protocols: an 8-min continuous protocol (CONT) and two 8-min
      intermittent exercise protocols with work-to-rest periods of 25 s to 3 s (25INT)
      and 10 s to 3 s (10INT). Each protocol began with a step-transition from a 20-W
      baseline to a power output (PO) of 60% between lactate threshold and maximal Vo2p
      (Delta60). This PO was maintained for 8 min in CONT, whereas 3-s periods of 20-W
      cycling were inserted every 10 s and 25 s after the transition to Delta60 in
      10INT and 25INT, respectively. Breath-by-breath gas exchange measured by mass
      spectrometry and turbine and vastus lateralis [HHb] measured by near-infrared
      spectroscopy were recorded throughout. Arterialized-capillary lactate
      concentration ([Lac-]) was obtained before and 2 min postexercise. The tauVo2p
      was lowest (P < 0.05) for 10INT (24 +/- 4 s) and 25INT (23 +/- 5 s) compared with
      CONT (28 +/- 4 s), whereas HHb kinetics did not differ (P > 0.05) between
      conditions. Postexercise [Lac-] was lowest (P < 0.05) for 10INT (7.0 +/- 1.7 mM),
      was higher for 25INT (10.3 +/- 1.9 mM), and was greatest in CONT (14.3 +/- 3.1
      mM). Inserting 3-s recovery periods during heavy-intensity exercise speeded Vo2p
      kinetics and reduced overall Vo2p, suggesting an increased reliance on PCr
      derived phosphorylation during the work period of INT compared with an identical
      PO performed continuously.NEW & NOTEWORTHY We report novel observations on the
      effects of differing heavy-intensity work durations between 3-s recovery periods
      on pulmonary oxygen uptake (Vo2p) kinetics, muscle deoxygenation, and energy
      system contributions. Relative to continuous exercise, Vo2p kinetics are faster
      in intermittent exercise, and increased frequency of 3-s recovery periods
      improves microvascular O2 delivery and reduces Vo2p and arterialized-capillary
      lactate concentration. The metabolic burden of identical intensity work is
      altered when performed intermittently vs. continuously.

PMID- 28336536
TI  - The effect of aging and cardiorespiratory fitness on the lung diffusing capacity
      response to exercise in healthy humans.
AB  - Aging is associated with deterioration in the structure and function of the
      pulmonary circulation. We characterized the lung diffusing capacity for carbon
      monoxide (DLCO), alveolar-capillary membrane conductance (DmCO), and pulmonary
      capillary blood volume (Vc) response to discontinuous incremental exercise at 25,
      50, 75, and 90% of peak work (Wpeak) in four groups: 1) Young [27 +/- 3 yr,
      maximal oxygen consumption (Vo2max): 110 +/- 18% age predicted]; 2) Young Highly
      Fit (27 +/- 3 yr, Vo2max: 147 +/- 8% age predicted); 3) Old (69 +/- 5 yr, Vo2max:
      116 +/- 13% age predicted); and 4) Old Highly Fit (65 +/- 5 yr, Vo2max: 162 +/-
      18% age predicted). At rest and at 90% Wpeak, DLCO, DmCO, and Vc were decreased
      with age. At 90% Wpeak, DLCO, DmCO, and Vc were greater in Old Highly Fit vs. Old
      adults. The slope of the DLCO-cardiac output (Q) relationship from rest to end
      exercise at 90% Wpeak was not different between Young, Young Highly Fit, Old, and
      Old Highly Fit (1.35 vs. 1.44 vs. 1.10 vs. 1.35 mlCO.mmHg-1.liter blood-1, P =
      0.388), with no evidence of a plateau in this relationship during exercise; this
      was also true for DmCO-Q and Vc-Q. Vo2max was positively correlated with 1) DLCO,
      DmCO, and Vc at rest; and 2) the rest to end exercise change in DLCO, DmCO, and
      Vc. In conclusion, these data suggest that despite the age-associated
      deterioration in the structure and function of the pulmonary circulation,
      expansion of the pulmonary capillary network does not become limited during
      exercise in healthy individuals regardless of age or cardiorespiratory fitness
      level.NEW & NOTEWORTHY Healthy aging is a crucial area of research. This article
      details how differences in age and cardiorespiratory fitness level affect lung
      diffusing capacity, particularly during high-intensity exercise. We conclude that
      highly fit older adults do not experience a limit in lung diffusing capacity
      during high-intensity exercise. Interestingly, however, we found that highly fit
      older individuals demonstrate greater values of lung diffusing capacity during
      high-intensity exercise than their less fit age-matched counterparts.

PMID- 28336539
TI  - The influence of gravity on regional lung blood flow in humans: SPECT in the
      upright and head-down posture.
AB  - Previous studies in humans have shown that gravity has little influence on the
      distribution of lung blood flow while changing posture from supine to prone. This
      study aimed to evaluate the maximal influence of posture by comparison of
      regional lung blood flow in the upright and head-down posture in 8 healthy
      volunteers, using a tilt table. Regional lung blood flow was marked by
      intravenous injection of macroaggregates of human albumin labeled with 99mTc or
      113mIn, in the upright and head-down posture, respectively, during tidal
      breathing. Both radiotracers remain fixed in the lung after administration. The
      distribution of radioactivity was mapped using quantitative single photon
      emission computed tomography (SPECT) corrected for attenuation and scatter. All
      images were obtained supine during tidal breathing. A shift from upright to the
      head-down posture caused a clear redistribution of blood flow from basal to
      apical regions. We conclude that posture plays a role for the distribution of
      lung blood flow in upright humans, and that the influence of posture, and thereby
      gravity, is much greater in the upright and head-down posture than in horizontal
      postures. However, the results of the study demonstrate that lung structure is
      the main determinant of regional blood flow and gravity is a secondary
      contributor to the distribution of lung blood flow in the upright and head-down
      positions.NEW & NOTEWORTHY Using a dual-isotope quantitative SPECT method, we
      demonstrated that although a shift in posture redistributes blood flow in the
      direction of gravity, the results are also consistent with lung structure being a
      greater determinant of regional blood flow than gravity. To our knowledge, this
      is the first study to use modern imaging methods to quantify the shift in
      regional lung blood flow in humans at a change between the upright and head-down
      postures.

PMID- 28336537
TI  - Muscle-specific and age-related changes in protein synthesis and protein
      degradation in response to hindlimb unloading in rats.
AB  - Disuse is a potent inducer of muscle atrophy, but the molecular mechanisms
      driving this loss of muscle mass are highly debated. In particular, the extent to
      which disuse triggers decreases in protein synthesis or increases in protein
      degradation, and whether these changes are uniform across muscles or influenced
      by age, is unclear. We aimed to determine the impact of disuse on protein
      synthesis and protein degradation in lower limb muscles of varied function and
      fiber type in adult and old rats. Alterations in protein synthesis and
      degradation were measured in the soleus, medial gastrocnemius, and tibialis
      anterior (TA) muscles of adult and old rats subjected to hindlimb unloading (HU)
      for 3, 7, or 14 days. Loss of muscle mass was progressive during the unloading
      period, but highly variable (-9 to -38%) across muscle types and between ages.
      Protein synthesis decreased significantly in all muscles, except for the old TA.
      Atrophy-associated gene expression was only loosely associated with protein
      degradation as muscle RING finger-1, muscle atrophy F-box (MAFbx), and Forkhead
      box O1 expression significantly increased in all muscles, but an increase in
      proteasome activity was only observed in the adult soleus. MAFbx protein levels
      were significantly higher in the old muscles compared with adult muscles, despite
      the old having higher expression of microRNA-23a. These results indicate that
      adult and old muscles respond similarly to HU, and the greatest loss in muscle
      mass occurs in predominantly slow-twitch extensor muscles due to a concomitant
      decrease in protein synthesis and increase in protein degradation.NEW &
      NOTEWORTHY In this study, we showed that age did not intensify the atrophy
      response to unloading in rats, but rather that the degree of atrophy was highly
      variable across muscles, indicating that changes in protein synthesis and protein
      degradation occur in a muscle-specific manner. Our data emphasize the importance
      of studying muscles of varying fiber-type and physiological function at multiple
      time points to fully understand the molecular mechanisms responsible for disuse
      atrophy.

PMID- 28336538
TI  - Effects of dobutamine on intestinal microvascular blood flow heterogeneity and O2
      extraction during septic shock.
AB  - Derangements of microvascular blood flow distribution might contribute to
      disturbing O2 extraction by peripheral tissues. We evaluated the dynamic
      relationships between the mesenteric O2 extraction ratio ([Formula: see text])
      and the heterogeneity of microvascular blood flow at the gut and sublingual
      mucosa during the development and resuscitation of septic shock in a swine model
      of fecal peritonitis. Jejunal-villi and sublingual microcirculation were
      evaluated using a portable intravital-microscopy technique. Simultaneously, we
      obtained arterial, mixed-venous, and mesenteric blood gases, and jejunal
      tonometric measurements. During resuscitation, pigs were randomly allocated to a
      fixed dose of dobutamine (5 ug.kg-1.min-1) or placebo while three sham models
      with identical monitoring served as controls. At the time of shock, we observed a
      significant decreased proportion of perfused intestinal-villi (villi-PPV) and
      sublingual percentage of perfused small vessels (SL-PPV), paralleling an increase
      in [Formula: see text] in both dobutamine and placebo groups. After starting
      resuscitation, villi-PPV and SL-PPV significantly increased in the dobutamine
      group with subsequent improvement of functional capillary density, whereas
      [Formula: see text] exhibited a corresponding significant decrease (repeated
      measures ANOVA, P = 0.02 and P = 0.04 for time * group interactions and
      intergroup differences for villi-PPV and [Formula: see text], respectively).
      Variations in villi-PPV were paralleled by variations in [Formula: see text] (R2
      = 0.88, P < 0.001) and these, in turn, by mesenteric lactate changes (R2 = 0.86,
      P < 0.001). There were no significant differences in cardiac output and systemic
      O2 delivery throughout the experiment. In conclusion, dynamic changes in
      microvascular blood flow heterogeneity at jejunal mucosa are closely related to
      the mesenteric O2 extraction ratio, suggesting a crucial role for microvascular
      blood flow distribution on O2 uptake during development and resuscitation from
      septic shock.NEW & NOTEWORTHY Our observations suggest that dynamic changes in
      the heterogeneity of microvascular blood flow at the gut mucosa are closely
      related to mesenteric O2 extraction, thus supporting the role of decreasing
      functional capillary density and increased intercapillary distances on
      alterations of O2 uptake during development and resuscitation from septic shock.
      Addition of a low-fixed dose of dobutamine might reverse such flow heterogeneity,
      improving microcirculatory flow distribution and tissue O2 consumption.

PMID- 28336540
TI  - Effects of midline sagittal location on bone-conducted cervical and ocular
      vestibular evoked myogenic potentials.
AB  - We have investigated the effectiveness of two bone-conducted (BC) stimuli in
      producing vestibular evoked myogenic potentials (VEMPs) following stimulation
      along midsagittal skull sites. Twenty subjects (mean age 24 yr, range: 18-34 yr;
      6 men; 14 women) were studied using a smoothed impulse and a 500-Hz tone burst
      applied to Nz, Fpz, AFz, Fz, FCz, and Cz with both compressive and rarefactive
      onset phases. Cervical (cVEMPs) and ocular VEMPs (oVEMPs) were recorded as well
      as linear acceleration in three axes. cVEMPs evoked by 500 Hz showed no change in
      response polarity to either stimulus location or phase. cVEMPs evoked by the
      impulsive stimulus showed larger initial peak amplitudes at AFz and Fz using
      compressive stimuli and differences in initial peak latency between the two
      phases. In contrast, amplitude, latency, and response polarity for oVEMPs were
      markedly affected by stimulus location and phase, which were similar for both BC
      stimuli, with little correlation with induced acceleration of the head. Latencies
      were earliest at AFz and Fz where compressive onset stimuli evoked an initial
      negativity (average latency 8.6-11.0 ms). At other sites compressive onset
      stimuli usually evoked oVEMPs with an initial positivity. We conclude that both
      500 Hz and impulsive stimuli are effective means of evoking cVEMPs and oVEMPs
      from mid sagittal skull sites. The effects depend upon both location and phase
      and differ for oVEMPs and cVEMPs. Initial negativities for oVEMPs following
      compressive stimuli were most consistently obtained using the AFz and Fz
      sites.NEW & NOTEWORTHY We investigated the effect of stimulus location and phase
      (compressive and rarefactive) in the midsagittal plane for the cVEMP and oVEMP
      evoked by bone-conducted (BC) 500 Hz and BC impulsive stimuli. For cVEMPs,
      location effects were limited but were observed for BC impulses. For oVEMPs, both
      stimuli affected amplitude, latency, and polarity, depending on stimulus location
      and phase. Compressive stimuli at Fz and AFz evoked early negative oVEMPs most
      reliably.

PMID- 28336541
TI  - Unilateral nasal obstruction affects motor representation development within the
      face primary motor cortex in growing rats.
AB  - Postnatal growth is influenced by genetic and environmental factors. Nasal
      obstruction during growth alters the electromyographic activity of orofacial
      muscles. The facial primary motor area represents muscles of the tongue and jaw,
      which are essential in regulating orofacial motor functions, including chewing
      and jaw opening. This study aimed to evaluate the effect of chronic unilateral
      nasal obstruction during growth on the motor representations within the face
      primary motor cortex (M1). Seventy-two 6-day-old male Wistar rats were randomly
      divided into control (n = 36) and experimental (n = 36) groups. Rats in the
      experimental group underwent unilateral nasal obstruction after cauterization of
      the external nostril at 8 days of age. Intracortical microstimulation (ICMS)
      mapping was performed when the rats were 5, 7, 9, and 11 wk old in control and
      experimental groups (n = 9 per group per time point). Repeated-measures
      multivariate ANOVA was used for intergroup and intragroup statistical
      comparisons. In the control and experimental groups, the total number of positive
      ICMS sites for the genioglossus and anterior digastric muscles was significantly
      higher at 5, 7, and 9 wk, but there was no significant difference between 9 and
      11 wk of age. Moreover, the total number of positive ICMS sites was significantly
      smaller in the experimental group than in the control at each age. It is possible
      that nasal obstruction induced the initial changes in orofacial motor behavior in
      response to the altered respiratory pattern, which eventually contributed to face
      M1 neuroplasticity.NEW & NOTEWORTHY Unilateral nasal obstruction in rats during
      growth periods induced changes in arterial oxygen saturation (SpO2) and altered
      development of the motor representation within the face primary cortex.
      Unilateral nasal obstruction occurring during growth periods may greatly affect
      not only respiratory function but also craniofacial function in rats. Nasal
      obstruction should be treated as soon as possible to avoid adverse effects on
      normal growth, development, and physiological functions.

PMID- 28336542
TI  - Seten: a tool for systematic identification and comparison of processes,
      phenotypes, and diseases associated with RNA-binding proteins from condition
      specific CLIP-seq profiles.
AB  - RNA-binding proteins (RBPs) control the regulation of gene expression in
      eukaryotic genomes at post-transcriptional level by binding to their cognate
      RNAs. Although several variants of CLIP (crosslinking and immunoprecipitation)
      protocols are currently available to study the global protein-RNA interaction
      landscape at single-nucleotide resolution in a cell, currently there are very few
      tools that can facilitate understanding and dissecting the functional
      associations of RBPs from the resulting binding maps. Here, we present Seten, a
      web-based and command line tool, which can identify and compare processes,
      phenotypes, and diseases associated with RBPs from condition-specific CLIP-seq
      profiles. Seten uses BED files resulting from most peak calling algorithms, which
      include scores reflecting the extent of binding of an RBP on the target
      transcript, to provide both traditional functional enrichment as well as gene set
      enrichment results for a number of gene set collections including BioCarta, KEGG,
      Reactome, Gene Ontology (GO), Human Phenotype Ontology (HPO), and MalaCards
      Disease Ontology for several organisms including fruit fly, human, mouse, rat,
      worm, and yeast. It also provides an option to dynamically compare the associated
      gene sets across data sets as bubble charts, to facilitate comparative analysis.
      Benchmarking of Seten using eCLIP data for IGF2BP1, SRSF7, and PTBP1 against
      their corresponding CRISPR RNA-seq in K562 cells as well as randomized negative
      controls, demonstrated that its gene set enrichment method outperforms functional
      enrichment, with scores significantly contributing to the discovery of true
      annotations. Comparative performance analysis using these CRISPR control data
      sets revealed significantly higher precision and comparable recall to that
      observed using ChIP-Enrich. Seten's web interface currently provides precomputed
      results for about 200 CLIP-seq data sets and both command line as well as web
      interfaces can be used to analyze CLIP-seq data sets. We highlight several
      examples to show the utility of Seten for rapid profiling of various CLIP-seq
      data sets. Seten is available on http://www.iupui.edu/~sysbio/seten/.

PMID- 28336543
TI  - In vivo binding of PRDM9 reveals interactions with noncanonical genomic sites.
AB  - In mouse and human meiosis, DNA double-strand breaks (DSBs) initiate homologous
      recombination and occur at specific sites called hotspots. The localization of
      these sites is determined by the sequence-specific DNA binding domain of the
      PRDM9 histone methyl transferase. Here, we performed an extensive analysis of
      PRDM9 binding in mouse spermatocytes. Unexpectedly, we identified a noncanonical
      recruitment of PRDM9 to sites that lack recombination activity and the PRDM9
      binding consensus motif. These sites include gene promoters, where PRDM9 is
      recruited in a DSB-dependent manner. Another subset reveals DSB-independent
      interactions between PRDM9 and genomic sites, such as the binding sites for the
      insulator protein CTCF. We propose that these DSB-independent sites result from
      interactions between hotspot-bound PRDM9 and genomic sequences located on the
      chromosome axis.

PMID- 28336544
TI  - High-resolution anatomic correlation of cyclic motor patterns in the human colon:
      Evidence of a rectosigmoid brake.
AB  - Colonic cyclic motor patterns (CMPs) have been hypothesized to act as a brake to
      limit rectal filling. However, the spatiotemporal profile of CMPs, including
      anatomic origins and distributions, remains unclear. This study characterized
      colonic CMPs using high-resolution (HR) manometry (72 sensors, 1-cm resolution)
      and their relationship with proximal antegrade propagating events. Nine healthy
      volunteers were recruited. Recordings were performed over 4 h, with a 700-kcal
      meal given after 2 h. Propagating events were visually identified and analyzed by
      pattern, origin, amplitude, extent of propagation, velocity, and duration.
      Manometric data were normalized using anatomic landmarks identified on abdominal
      radiographs. These were mapped over a three-dimensional anatomic model. CMPs
      comprised a majority of detected propagating events. Most occurred postprandially
      and were retrograde propagating events (84.9 +/- 26.0 retrograde vs. 14.3 +/-
      11.8 antegrade events/2 h, P = 0.004). The dominant sites of initiation for
      retrograde CMPs were in the rectosigmoid region, with patterns proximally
      propagating by a mean distance of 12.4 +/- 0.3 cm. There were significant
      differences in the characteristics of CMPs depending on the direction of travel
      and site of initiation. Association analysis showed that proximal antegrade
      propagating events occurred independently of CMPs. This study accurately
      characterized CMPs with anatomic correlation. CMPs were unlikely to be triggered
      by proximal antegrade propagating events in our study context. However, the
      distal origin and prominence of retrograde CMPs could still act as a mechanism to
      limit rectal filling and support the theory of a "rectosigmoid brake."NEW &
      NOTEWORTHY Retrograde cyclic motor patterns (CMPs) are the dominant motor
      patterns in a healthy prepared human colon. The major sites of initiation are in
      the rectosigmoid region, with retrograde propagation, supporting the idea of a
      "rectosigmoid brake." A significant increase in the number of CMPs is seen after
      a meal. In our study context, the majority of CMPs occurred independent of
      proximal propagating events, suggesting that CMPs are primarily controlled by
      external innervation.

PMID- 28336545
TI  - Changes in intestinal microbiota composition and metabolism coincide with
      increased intestinal permeability in young adults under prolonged physiological
      stress.
AB  - The magnitude, temporal dynamics, and physiological effects of intestinal
      microbiome responses to physiological stress are poorly characterized. This study
      used a systems biology approach and a multiple-stressor military training
      environment to determine the effects of physiological stress on intestinal
      microbiota composition and metabolic activity, as well as intestinal permeability
      (IP). Soldiers (n = 73) were provided three rations per day with or without
      protein- or carbohydrate-based supplements during a 4-day cross-country ski-march
      (STRESS). IP was measured before and during STRESS. Blood and stool samples were
      collected before and after STRESS to measure inflammation, stool microbiota, and
      stool and plasma global metabolite profiles. IP increased 62 +/- 57% (mean +/-
      SD, P < 0.001) during STRESS independent of diet group and was associated with
      increased inflammation. Intestinal microbiota responses were characterized by
      increased alpha-diversity and changes in the relative abundance of >50% of
      identified genera, including increased abundance of less dominant taxa at the
      expense of more dominant taxa such as Bacteroides Changes in intestinal
      microbiota composition were linked to 23% of metabolites that were significantly
      altered in stool after STRESS. Together, pre-STRESS Actinobacteria relative
      abundance and changes in serum IL-6 and stool cysteine concentrations accounted
      for 84% of the variability in the change in IP. Findings demonstrate that a
      multiple-stressor military training environment induced increases in IP that were
      associated with alterations in markers of inflammation and with intestinal
      microbiota composition and metabolism. Associations between IP, the pre-STRESS
      microbiota, and microbiota metabolites suggest that targeting the intestinal
      microbiota could provide novel strategies for preserving IP during physiological
      stress.NEW & NOTEWORTHY Military training, a unique model for studying temporal
      dynamics of intestinal barrier and intestinal microbiota responses to stress,
      resulted in increased intestinal permeability concomitant with changes in
      intestinal microbiota composition and metabolism. Prestress intestinal microbiota
      composition and changes in fecal concentrations of metabolites linked to the
      microbiota were associated with increased intestinal permeability. Findings
      suggest that targeting the intestinal microbiota could provide novel strategies
      for mitigating increases in intestinal permeability during stress.

PMID- 28336546
TI  - Barrett's metaplasia develops from cellular reprograming of esophageal squamous
      epithelium due to gastroesophageal reflux.
AB  - Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) clinically predisposes to columnar
      Barrett's metaplasia (BM) in the distal esophagus. We demonstrate evidence
      supporting the cellular origin of BM from reprograming or transcommitment of
      resident normal esophageal squamous (NES) epithelial cells in response to acid
      and bile (A + B) exposure using an in vitro cell culture model. The hTERT
      immortalized NES cell line NES-B10T was exposed 5 min/day to an A + B mixture for
      30 wk. Morphological changes, mRNA, and protein expression levels for the
      inflammatory marker cyclooxygenase-2; the lineage-determining transcription
      factors TAp63 (squamous), CDX2, and SOX9 (both columnar); and the columnar
      lineage markers Villin, Muc-2, CK8, and mAb Das-1 (incomplete phenotype of
      intestinal metaplasia) were assessed every 10 wk. Markers of columnar lineage and
      inflammation increased progressively, while squamous lineage-determining
      transcriptional factors were significantly decreased both at the mRNA and/or
      protein level in the NES-B10T cells at/after A + B treatment for 30 wk. Distinct
      modifications in morphological features were only observed at/after 30 wk of A +
      B exposure. These changes acquired by the NES-B10T 30-wk cells were retained even
      after cessation of A + B exposure for at least 3 wk. This study provides evidence
      that chronic exposure to the physiological components of gastric refluxate leads
      to repression of the discernable squamous transcriptional factors and activation
      of latent columnar transcriptional factors. This reflects the alteration in
      lineage commitment of the precursor-like biphenotypic, NES-B10T cells in response
      to A + B exposure as the possible origin of BM from the resident NES cells.NEW &
      NOTEWORTHY This study provides evidence of the origins of Barrett's metaplasia
      from lineage transcommitment of resident esophageal cells after chronic exposure
      to gastroesophageal refluxate. The preterminal progenitor-like squamous cells
      alter their differentiation and develop biphenotypic characteristics, expressing
      markers of incomplete-type columnar metaplasia. Development of these biphenotypic
      precursors in vitro is a unique model to study pathogenesis of Barrett's
      metaplasia and esophageal adenocarcinoma.

PMID- 28336547
TI  - Glycans in the intestinal peptide transporter PEPT1 contribute to function and
      protect from proteolysis.
AB  - Despite the fact that many membrane proteins carry extracellular glycans, little
      is known about whether the glycan chains also affect protein function. We
      recently demonstrated that the proton-coupled oligopeptide transporter 1 (PEPT1)
      in the intestine is glycosylated at six asparagine residues (N50, N406, N439,
      N510, N515, and N532). Mutagenesis-induced disruption of the individual N
      glycosylation site N50, which is highly conserved among mammals, was detected to
      significantly enhance the PEPT1-mediated inward transport of peptides. Here, we
      show that for the murine protein the inhibition of glycosylation at sequon N50 by
      substituting N50 with glutamine, lysine, or cysteine or by replacing S52 with
      alanine equally altered PEPT1 transport kinetics in oocytes. Furthermore, we
      provide evidence that the uptake of [14C]glycyl-sarcosine in immortalized murine
      small intestinal (MODE-K) or colonic epithelial (PTK-6) cells stably expressing
      the PEPT1 transporter N50Q is also significantly increased relative to the wild
      type protein. By using electrophysiological recordings and tracer flux studies,
      we further demonstrate that the rise in transport velocity observed for PEPT1
      N50Q is bidirectional. In line with these findings, we show that attachment of
      biotin derivatives, comparable in weight with two to four monosaccharides, to the
      PEPT1 N50C transporter slows down the transport velocity. In addition, our
      experiments provide strong evidence that glycosylation of PEPT1 confers
      resistance against proteolytic cleavage by proteinase K, whereas a remarkable
      intrinsic stability against trypsin, even in the absence of N-linked glycans, was
      detected.NEW & NOTEWORTHY This study highlights the role of N50-linked glycans in
      modulating the bidirectional transport activity of the murine peptide transporter
      PEPT1. Electrophysiological and tracer flux measurements in Xenopus oocytes have
      shown that removal of the N50 glycans increases the maximal peptide transport
      rate in the inward and outward directions. This effect could be largely reversed
      by replacement of N50 glycans with structurally dissimilar biotin derivatives. In
      addition, N-glycans were detected to stabilize PEPT1 against proteolytic
      cleavage.

PMID- 28336548
TI  - Nutrient sensing by absorptive and secretory progenies of small intestinal stem
      cells.
AB  - Nutrient sensing triggers responses by the gut-brain axis modulating hormone
      release, feeding behavior and metabolism that become dysregulated in metabolic
      syndrome and some cancers. Except for absorptive enterocytes and secretory
      enteroendocrine cells, the ability of many intestinal cell types to sense
      nutrients is still unknown; hence we hypothesized that progenitor stem cells
      (intestinal stem cells, ISC) possess nutrient sensing ability inherited by
      progenies during differentiation. We directed via modulators of Wnt and Notch
      signaling differentiation of precursor mouse intestinal crypts into specialized
      organoids each containing ISC, enterocyte, goblet, or Paneth cells at relative
      proportions much higher than in situ as determined by mRNA expression and
      immunocytochemistry of cell type biomarkers. We identified nutrient sensing cell
      type(s) by increased expression of fructolytic genes in response to a fructose
      challenge. Organoids comprised primarily of enterocytes, Paneth, or goblet, but
      not ISC, cells responded specifically to fructose without affecting
      nonfructolytic genes. Sensing was independent of Wnt and Notch modulators and of
      glucose concentrations in the medium but required fructose absorption and
      metabolism. More mature enterocyte- and goblet-enriched organoids exhibited
      stronger fructose responses. Remarkably, enterocyte organoids, upon forced
      dedifferentiation to reacquire ISC characteristics, exhibited a markedly extended
      lifespan and retained fructose sensing ability, mimicking responses of some
      dedifferentiated cancer cells. Using an innovative approach, we discovered that
      nutrient sensing is likely repressed in progenitor ISCs then irreversibly
      derepressed during specification into sensing-competent absorptive or secretory
      lineages, the surprising capacity of Paneth and goblet cells to detect fructose,
      and the important role of differentiation in modulating nutrient sensing.NEW &
      NOTEWORTHY Small intestinal stem cells differentiate into several cell types
      transiently populating the villi. We used specialized organoid cultures each
      comprised of a single cell type to demonstrate that 1) differentiation seems
      required for nutrient sensing, 2) secretory goblet and Paneth cells along with
      enterocytes sense fructose, suggesting that sensing is acquired after
      differentiation is triggered but before divergence between absorptive and
      secretory lineages, and 3) forcibly dedifferentiated enterocytes exhibit fructose
      sensing and lifespan extension.

PMID- 28336549
TI  - EAVK segment "c" sequence confers Ca2+-dependent changes to the kinetics of full
      length human Ano1.
AB  - Anoctamin1 (Ano1 and TMEM16A) is a calcium-activated chloride channel
      specifically expressed in the interstitial cells of Cajal (ICC) of the
      gastrointestinal tract muscularis propria. Ano1 is necessary for normal
      electrical slow waves and ICC proliferation. The full-length human Ano1 sequence
      includes an additional exon, exon "0," at the NH2 terminus. Ano1 with exon 0
      [Ano1(0)] had a lower EC50 for intracellular calcium ([Ca2+]i) and faster
      chloride current (ICl) kinetics. The Ano1 alternative splice variant with segment
      "c" encoding exon 13 expresses on the first intracellular loop four additional
      amino acid residues, EAVK, which alter ICl at low [Ca2+]i Exon 13 is expressed in
      75-100% of Ano1 transcripts in most human tissues but only 25% in the human
      stomach. Our aim was to determine the effect of EAVK deletion on Ano1(0)ICl
      parameters. By voltage-clamp electrophysiology, we examined ICl in HEK293 cells
      transiently expressing Ano1(0) with or without the EAVK sequence
      [Ano1(0)DeltaEAVK]. The EC50 values of activating and deactivating ICl for
      [Ca2+]i were 438 +/- 7 and 493 +/- 9 nM for Ano1(0) but higher for
      Ano1(0)DeltaEAVK at 746 +/- 47 and 761 +/- 26 nM, respectively. Meanwhile, the
      EC50 values for the ratio of instantaneous to steady-state ICl were not different
      between variants. Congruently, the time constant of activation was slower for
      Ano1(0)DeltaEAVK than Ano1(0) currents at intermediate [Ca2+]i These results
      suggest that EAVK decreases the calcium sensitivity of Ano1(0) current activation
      and deactivation by slowing activation kinetics. Differential expression of EAVK
      in the human stomach may function as a switch to increase sensitivity to [Ca2+]i
      via faster gating of Ano1.NEW & NOTEWORTHY Calcium-activated chloride channel
      anoctamin1 (Ano1) is necessary for normal slow waves in the gastrointestinal
      interstitial cells of Cajal. Exon 0 encodes the NH2 terminus of full-length human
      Ano1 [Ano1(0)], while exon 13 encodes residues EAVK on its first intracellular
      loop. Splice variants lack EAVK more often in the stomach than other tissues.
      Ano1(0) without EAVK [Ano1(0)DeltaEAVK] has reduced sensitivity for intracellular
      calcium, attributable to slower kinetics. Differential expression of EAVK may
      function as a calcium-sensitive switch in the human stomach.

PMID- 28336551
TI  - Gut Microbes May Up PD-1 Inhibitor Response.
AB  - Confirming the results of animal studies, new research shows that the composition
      of patients' microbiome influences their response to checkpoint inhibitors.
      Patients with melanoma who benefit from PD-1 inhibitors carry a greater variety
      of species and higher numbers of microbes in the Clostridiales group. Increased
      abundance of certain bacteria in this group also correlated with higher numbers
      of CD8+ T cells in patients' tumors.

PMID- 28336550
TI  - The effect of intravenous corticotropin-releasing hormone administration on
      esophageal sensitivity and motility in health.
AB  - Esophageal hypersensitivity is important in gastroesophageal reflux disease
      (GERD) patients who are refractory to acid-suppressive therapy. Stress affects
      visceral sensitivity and exacerbates heartburn in GERD. Peripheral CRH is a key
      mediator of the gut stress response. We hypothesize that CRH increases esophageal
      sensitivity and alters esophageal motility in health. Esophageal sensitivity to
      thermal, mechanical, electrical, and chemical stimuli was assessed in 14 healthy
      subjects after administration of placebo or CRH (100 MUg iv). Perception scores
      were assessed for first perception, pain perception threshold (PPT), and pain
      tolerance threshold (PTT). Esophageal motility was investigated by high
      resolution impedance manometry, before and after CRH and evaluated by distal
      contractile integral (DCI) and intrabolus pressure (IBP). Pressure flow analysis
      assessed bolus clearance (impedance ratio), degree of pressurization needed to
      propel bolus onward (IBP slope), and pressure flow (pressure flow index, PFI).
      Stress and mood were assessed during the study. Sensitivity to mechanical
      distention was increased after CRH compared with placebo (PPT: P = 0.0023; PTT: P
      = 0.0253). CRH had no influence on the other stimulations. DCI was increased for
      all boluses (liquid, P = 0.0012; semisolid, P = 0.0017; solid, P = 0.0107).
      Impedance ratio for liquid (P < 0.0001) and semisolid swallows (P = 0.0327)
      decreased after CRH. IBP slope increased after CRH for semisolid (P = 0.0041) and
      solid (P = 0.0003) swallows. PFI increased for semisolid (P = 0.0017) and solid
      swallows (P = 0.0031). CRH increased esophageal sensitivity to mechanical
      distention, not to the other stimulation modalities. CRH increased esophageal
      contractility and tone, decreased LES relaxation, increased esophageal bolus
      pressurization, improved esophageal bolus clearance, and increased pressure
      flow.NEW & NOTEWORTHY This is the first study to address the effect of
      corticotropin-releasing hormone (CRH) on esophageal sensitivity and alterations
      in motility in health. CRH administration increased esophageal sensitivity to
      mechanical distention. This effect is accompanied by an increase in esophageal
      contractility and tone and a decrease in lower esophageal sphincter relaxation.
      CRH increased esophageal bolus pressurization, improved esophageal bolus
      clearance, and increased pressure flow. The changes in esophageal contractile
      properties may underlie the increased sensitivity to mechanical distention after
      CRH.

PMID- 28336554
TI  - Depersonalisation and derealisation: assessment and management.

PMID- 28336552
TI  - Prospective Comprehensive Molecular Characterization of Lung Adenocarcinomas for
      Efficient Patient Matching to Approved and Emerging Therapies.
AB  - Tumor genetic testing is standard of care for patients with advanced lung
      adenocarcinoma, but the fraction of patients who derive clinical benefit remains
      undefined. Here, we report the experience of 860 patients with metastatic lung
      adenocarcinoma analyzed prospectively for mutations in >300 cancer-associated
      genes. Potentially actionable genetic events were stratified into one of four
      levels based upon published clinical or laboratory evidence that the mutation in
      question confers increased sensitivity to standard or investigational therapies.
      Overall, 37.1% (319/860) of patients received a matched therapy guided by their
      tumor molecular profile. Excluding alterations associated with standard-of-care
      therapy, 14.4% (69/478) received matched therapy, with a clinical benefit of 52%.
      Use of matched therapy was strongly influenced by the level of preexistent
      clinical evidence that the mutation identified predicts for drug response.
      Analysis of genes mutated significantly more often in tumors without known
      actionable mutations nominated STK11 and KEAP1 as possible targetable mitogenic
      drivers.Significance: An increasing number of therapies that target molecular
      alterations required for tumor maintenance and progression have demonstrated
      clinical activity in patients with lung adenocarcinoma. The data reported here
      suggest that broader, early testing for molecular alterations that have not yet
      been recognized as standard-of-care predictive biomarkers of drug response could
      accelerate the development of targeted agents for rare mutational events and
      could result in improved clinical outcomes. Cancer Discov; 7(6); 596-609. (c)2017
      AACR.See related commentary by Liu et al., p. 555This article is highlighted in
      the In This Issue feature, p. 539.

PMID- 28336553
TI  - TLR2 knockout protects against diabetes-mediated changes in cerebral perfusion
      and cognitive deficits.
AB  - The risk of cognitive decline in diabetes (Type 1 and Type 2) is significantly
      greater compared with normoglycemic patients, and the risk of developing dementia
      in diabetic patients is doubled. The etiology for this is likely multifactorial,
      but one mechanism that has gained increasing attention is decreased cerebral
      perfusion as a result of cerebrovascular dysfunction. The innate immune system
      has been shown to play a role in diabetic vascular complications, notably through
      the Toll-like receptor (TLR)-stimulated release of proinflammatory cytokines and
      chemokines that lead to vascular damage. TLR2 has been implicated in playing a
      crucial role in the development of diabetic microvascular complications, such as
      nephropathy, and thus, we hypothesized that TLR2-mediated cerebrovascular
      dysfunction leads to decreased cerebral blood flow (CBF) and cognitive impairment
      in diabetes. Knockout of TLR2 conferred protection from impaired CBF in early
      stage diabetes and from hyperperfusion in long-term diabetes, prevented the
      development of endothelium-dependent vascular dysfunction in diabetes, created a
      hyperactive and anxiolytic phenotype, and protected against diabetes-induced
      impairment of long-term hippocampal and prefrontal cortex-mediated fear learning.
      In conclusion, these findings support the involvement of TLR2 in the pathogenesis
      of diabetic vascular disease and cognitive impairment.

PMID- 28336556
TI  - Human MicroRNA-548p Decreases Hepatic Apolipoprotein B Secretion and Lipid
      Synthesis.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: MicroRNAs (miRs) play important regulatory roles in lipid metabolism.
      Apolipoprotein B (ApoB), as the only essential scaffolding protein in the
      assembly of very-low-density lipoproteins, is a target to treat hyperlipidemia
      and atherosclerosis. We aimed to find out miRs that reduce apoB expression.
      APPROACH AND RESULTS: Bioinformatic analyses predicted that hsa-miR-548p can
      interact with apoB mRNA. MiR-548p or control miR was transfected in human and
      mouse liver cells to test its role in regulating apoB secretion and mRNA
      expression levels. Site-directed mutagenesis was used to identify the interacting
      site of miR-548p in human apoB 3'-untranslated region. Fatty acid oxidation and
      lipid syntheses were examined in miR-548p overexpressing cells to investigate its
      function in lipid metabolism. We observed that miR-548p significantly reduces
      apoB secretion from human hepatoma cells and primary hepatocytes. Mechanistic
      studies showed that miR-548p interacts with the 3'-untranslated region of human
      apoB mRNA to enhance post-transcriptional degradation. Bioinformatic algorithms
      suggested 2 potential binding sites of miR-548p on human apoB mRNA. Site-directed
      mutagenesis studies revealed that miR-548p targets site I involving both seed and
      supplementary sequences. MiR-548p had no effect on fatty acid oxidation but
      significantly decreased lipid synthesis in human hepatoma cells by reducing HMGCR
      (3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl-coenzyme A reductase) and ACSL4 (Acyl-CoA synthetase
      long-chain family member 4) enzymes involved in cholesterol and fatty acid
      synthesis. In summary, miR-548p reduces lipoprotein production and lipid
      synthesis by reducing expression of different genes in human liver cells.
      CONCLUSIONS: These studies suggest that miR-548p regulates apoB secretion by
      targeting mRNA. It is likely that it could be useful in treating atherosclerosis,
      hyperlipidemia, and hepatosteatosis.

PMID- 28336557
TI  - Catechins as Potential Mediators of Cardiovascular Health.
AB  - The impact of diet on cardiovascular disease has become an increasingly relevant
      topic as ongoing epidemiological evidence continues to demonstrate clear
      associations with disease burden and mortality. Certain diets, such as those high
      in sodium and saturated fat, are associated with cardiovascular disease states,
      while other diets can be cardioprotective. However, there is limited knowledge on
      how the micro- and macronutrients within such cardioprotective diets afford their
      benefits. One such micronutrient is the catechin class, which are naturally
      occurring compounds in plant foods, such as teas, cocoa, wine, pears, and apples.
      Recent evidence reveals that catechins may be a key mediator in cardiovascular
      health via mechanisms of blood pressure reduction, flow-mediated vasodilation,
      and atherosclerosis attenuation. This review evaluates the current literature on
      the interplay between catechins and cardiovascular disease, which may have
      important implications for nutrition counseling and pharmaceutical drug
      development.

PMID- 28336558
TI  - Remnant Cholesterol Elicits Arterial Wall Inflammation and a Multilevel Cellular
      Immune Response in Humans.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: Mendelian randomization studies revealed a causal role for remnant
      cholesterol in cardiovascular disease. Remnant particles accumulate in the
      arterial wall, potentially propagating local and systemic inflammation. We
      evaluated the impact of remnant cholesterol on arterial wall inflammation,
      circulating monocytes, and bone marrow in patients with familial
      dysbetalipoproteinemia (FD). APPROACH AND RESULTS: Arterial wall inflammation and
      bone marrow activity were measured using 18F-FDG PET/CT. Monocyte phenotype was
      assessed with flow cytometry. The correlation between remnant levels and
      hematopoietic activity was validated in the CGPS (Copenhagen General Population
      Study). We found a 1.2-fold increase of 18F-FDG uptake in the arterial wall in
      patients with FD (n=17, age 60+/-8 years, remnant cholesterol: 3.26 [2.07-5.71])
      compared with controls (n=17, age 61+/-8 years, remnant cholesterol 0.29 [0.27
      0.40]; P<0.001). Monocytes from patients with FD showed increased lipid
      accumulation (lipid-positive monocytes: Patients with FD 92% [86-95], controls
      76% [66-81], P=0.001, with an increase in lipid droplets per monocyte), and a
      higher expression of surface integrins (CD11b, CD11c, and CD18). Patients with FD
      also exhibited monocytosis and leukocytosis, accompanied by a 1.2-fold increase
      of 18F-FDG uptake in bone marrow. In addition, we found a strong correlation
      between remnant levels and leukocyte counts in the CGPS (n=103 953, P for trend
      5*10-276). In vitro experiments substantiated that remnant cholesterol
      accumulates in human hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells coinciding with
      myeloid skewing. CONCLUSIONS: Patients with FD have increased arterial wall and
      cellular inflammation. These findings imply an important inflammatory component
      to the atherogenicity of remnant cholesterol, contributing to the increased
      cardiovascular disease risk in patients with FD.

PMID- 28336559
TI  - Microvascular Endothelial Dysfunction in Obesity Is Driven by Macrophage
      Dependent Hydrogen Sulfide Depletion.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: The function of perivascular adipose tissue as an anticontractile
      mediator in the microvasculature is lost during obesity. Obesity results in
      inflammation and recruitment of proinflammatory macrophages to the perivascular
      adipose tissue that is paralleled by depletion of the vasorelaxant signaling
      molecule hydrogen sulfide (H2S) in the vessel. The current objective was to
      assess the role of macrophages in determining vascular [H2S] and defining how
      this impinged on vasodilation. APPROACH AND RESULTS: Contractility and [H2S] were
      measured in mesenteric resistance arterioles from lean and obese mice by using
      pressure myography and confocal microscopy, respectively. Vasodilation was
      impaired and smooth muscle and endothelial [H2S] decreased in vessels from obese
      mice compared with those from lean controls. Coculturing vessels from lean mice
      with macrophages from obese mice, or macrophage-conditioned media, recapitulated
      obese phenotypes in vessels. These effects were mediated by low molecular weight
      species and dependent on macrophage inducible nitric oxide synthase activity.
      CONCLUSIONS: The inducible nitric oxide synthase activity of perivascular adipose
      tissue-resident proinflammatory macrophages promotes microvascular endothelial
      dysfunction by reducing the bioavailability of H2S in the vessel. These findings
      support a model in which vascular H2S depletion underpins the loss of
      perivascular adipose tissue anticontractile function in obesity.

PMID- 28336561
TI  - Mice Lacking the Inhibitory Collagen Receptor LAIR-1 Exhibit a Mild
      Thrombocytosis and Hyperactive Platelets.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: Leukocyte-associated immunoglobulin-like receptor-1 (LAIR-1) is a
      collagen receptor that belongs to the inhibitory immunoreceptor tyrosine-based
      inhibition motif-containing receptor family. It is an inhibitor of signaling via
      the immunoreceptor tyrosine-based activation motif-containing collagen receptor
      complex, glycoprotein VI-FcRgamma-chain. It is expressed on hematopoietic cells,
      including immature megakaryocytes, but is not detectable on platelets. Although
      the inhibitory function of LAIR-1 has been described in leukocytes, its
      physiological role in megakaryocytes and in particular in platelet formation has
      not been explored. In this study, we investigate the role of LAIR-1 in
      megakaryocyte development and platelet production by generating LAIR-1-deficient
      mice. APPROACH AND RESULTS: Mice lacking LAIR-1 exhibit a significant increase in
      platelet counts, a prolonged platelet half-life in vivo, and increased
      proplatelet formation in vitro. Interestingly, platelets from LAIR-1-deficient
      mice exhibit an enhanced reactivity to collagen and the glycoprotein VI-specific
      agonist collagen-related peptide despite not expressing LAIR-1, and mice showed
      enhanced thrombus formation in the carotid artery after ferric chloride injury.
      Targeted deletion of LAIR-1 in mice results in an increase in signaling
      downstream of the glycoprotein VI-FcRgamma-chain and integrin alphaIIbbeta3 in
      megakaryocytes because of enhanced Src family kinase activity. CONCLUSIONS:
      Findings from this study demonstrate that ablation of LAIR-1 in megakaryocytes
      leads to increased Src family kinase activity and downstream signaling in
      response to collagen that is transmitted to platelets, rendering them hyper
      reactive specifically to agonists that signal through Syk tyrosine kinases, but
      not to G-protein-coupled receptors.

PMID- 28336560
TI  - Lipoprotein(a) and HIV: Allele-Specific Apolipoprotein(a) Levels Predict Carotid
      Intima-Media Thickness in HIV-Infected Young Women in the Women's Interagency HIV
      Study.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: In the general population, lipoprotein(a) [Lp(a)] has been established
      as an independent causal risk factor for cardiovascular disease. Lp(a) levels are
      to a major extent regulated by a size polymorphism in the apolipoprotein(a)
      [apo(a)] gene. The roles of Lp(a)/apo(a) in human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)
      related elevated cardiovascular disease risk remain unclear. APPROACH AND
      RESULTS: The associations between total plasma Lp(a) level, allele-specific
      apo(a) level, an Lp(a) level carried by individual apo(a) alleles, and common
      carotid artery intima-media thickness were assessed in 150 HIV-infected and 100
      HIV-uninfected women in the WIHS (Women's Interagency HIV Study). Linear
      regression analyses with and without adjustments were used. The cohort was young
      (mean age, ~31 years), with the majority being Blacks (~70%). The prevalence of a
      small size apo(a) (<=22 Kringle repeats) or a high Lp(a) level (>=30 mg/dL) was
      similar by HIV status. Total plasma Lp(a) level (P=0.029) and allele-specific
      apo(a) level carried by the smaller apo(a) sizes (P=0.022) were significantly
      associated with carotid artery intima-media thickness in the HIV-infected women
      only. After accounting for confounders (age, race, smoking, body mass index,
      blood pressure, hepatitis C virus coinfection, menopause, plasma lipids,
      treatment status, CD4+ T cell count, and HIV/RNA viral load), the association
      remained significant for both Lp(a) (P=0.035) and allele-specific apo(a) level
      carried by the smaller apo(a) sizes (P=0.010) in the HIV-infected women. Notably,
      none of the other lipids/lipoproteins was associated with carotid artery intima
      media thickness. CONCLUSIONS: Lp(a) and allele-specific apo(a) levels predict
      carotid artery intima-media thickness in HIV-infected young women. Further
      research is needed to identify underlying mechanisms of an increased Lp(a)
      atherogenicity in HIV infection.

PMID- 28336562
TI  - De novo assembly of the Aedes aegypti genome using Hi-C yields chromosome-length
      scaffolds.
AB  - The Zika outbreak, spread by the Aedes aegypti mosquito, highlights the need to
      create high-quality assemblies of large genomes in a rapid and cost-effective
      way. Here we combine Hi-C data with existing draft assemblies to generate
      chromosome-length scaffolds. We validate this method by assembling a human
      genome, de novo, from short reads alone (67* coverage). We then combine our
      method with draft sequences to create genome assemblies of the mosquito disease
      vectors Aeaegypti and Culex quinquefasciatus, each consisting of three scaffolds
      corresponding to the three chromosomes in each species. These assemblies indicate
      that almost all genomic rearrangements among these species occur within, rather
      than between, chromosome arms. The genome assembly procedure we describe is fast,
      inexpensive, and accurate, and can be applied to many species.

PMID- 28336565
TI  - Rare lymphoma is linked to breast implants, US officials conclude.

PMID- 28336564
TI  - Identification of a Novel SYK/c-MYC/MALAT1 Signaling Pathway and Its Potential
      Therapeutic Value in Ewing Sarcoma.
AB  - Purpose: Ewing sarcoma (EWS) is a devastating soft tissue sarcoma affecting
      predominantly young individuals. Tyrosine kinases (TK) and associated pathways
      are continuously activated in many malignancies, including EWS; these enzymes
      provide candidate therapeutic targets.Experimental Design: Two high-throughput
      screens (a siRNA library and a small-molecule inhibitor library) were performed
      in EWS cells to establish candidate targets. Spleen tyrosine kinase (SYK)
      phosphorylation was assessed in EWS patients and cell lines. SYK was inhibited by
      a variety of genetic and pharmacological approaches, and SYK-regulated pathways
      were investigated by cDNA microarrays. The transcriptional regulation of MALAT1
      was examined by ChIP-qPCR, luciferase reporter, and qRT-PCR assays.Results: SYK
      was identified as a candidate actionable target through both high-throughput
      screens. SYK was highly phosphorylated in the majority of EWS cells, and SYK
      inhibition by a variety of genetic and pharmacologic approaches markedly
      inhibited EWS cells both in vitro and in vivo Ectopic expression of SYK rescued
      the cytotoxicity triggered by SYK-depletion associated with the reactivation of
      both AKT and c-MYC. A long noncoding RNA, MALAT1, was identified to be dependent
      on SYK-mediated signaling. Moreover, c-MYC, a SYK-promoted gene, bound to the
      promoter of MALAT1 and transcriptionally activated MALAT1, which further promoted
      the proliferation of EWS cells.Conclusions: This study identifies a novel
      signaling involving SYK/c-MYC/MALAT1 as a promising therapeutic target for the
      treatment of EWS. Clin Cancer Res; 23(15); 4376-87. (c)2017 AACR.

PMID- 28336563
TI  - Complex multifault rupture during the 2016 Mw 7.8 Kaikoura earthquake, New
      Zealand.
AB  - On 14 November 2016, northeastern South Island of New Zealand was struck by a
      major moment magnitude (Mw) 7.8 earthquake. Field observations, in conjunction
      with interferometric synthetic aperture radar, Global Positioning System, and
      seismology data, reveal this to be one of the most complex earthquakes ever
      recorded. The rupture propagated northward for more than 170 kilometers along
      both mapped and unmapped faults before continuing offshore at the island's
      northeastern extent. Geodetic and field observations reveal surface ruptures
      along at least 12 major faults, including possible slip along the southern
      Hikurangi subduction interface; extensive uplift along much of the coastline; and
      widespread anelastic deformation, including the ~8-meter uplift of a fault
      bounded block. This complex earthquake defies many conventional assumptions about
      the degree to which earthquake ruptures are controlled by fault segmentation and
      should motivate reevaluation of these issues in seismic hazard models.

PMID- 28336567
TI  - SOX9 Is an Astrocyte-Specific Nuclear Marker in the Adult Brain Outside the
      Neurogenic Regions.
AB  - Astrocytes have in recent years become the focus of intense experimental
      interest, yet markers for their definitive identification remain both scarce and
      imperfect. Astrocytes may be recognized as such by their expression of glial
      fibrillary acidic protein, glutamine synthetase, glutamate transporter 1 (GLT1),
      aquaporin-4, aldehyde dehydrogenase 1 family member L1, and other proteins.
      However, these proteins may all be regulated both developmentally and
      functionally, restricting their utility. To identify a nuclear marker
      pathognomonic of astrocytic phenotype, we assessed differential RNA expression by
      FACS-purified adult astrocytes and, on that basis, evaluated the expression of
      the transcription factor SOX9 in both mouse and human brain. We found that SOX9
      is almost exclusively expressed by astrocytes in the adult brain except for
      ependymal cells and in the neurogenic regions, where SOX9 is also expressed by
      neural progenitor cells. Transcriptome comparisons of SOX9+ cells with GLT1+
      cells showed that the two populations of cells exhibit largely overlapping gene
      expression. Expression of SOX9 did not decrease during aging and was instead
      upregulated by reactive astrocytes in a number of settings, including a murine
      model of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (SOD1G93A), middle cerebral artery
      occlusion, and multiple mini-strokes. We quantified the relative number of
      astrocytes using the isotropic fractionator technique in combination with SOX9
      immunolabeling. The analysis showed that SOX9+ astrocytes constitute ~10-20% of
      the total cell number in most CNS regions, a smaller fraction of total cell
      number than previously estimated in the normal adult brain.SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT
      Astrocytes are traditionally identified immunohistochemically by antibodies that
      target cell-specific antigens in the cytosol or plasma membrane. We show here
      that SOX9 is an astrocyte-specific nuclear marker in all major areas of the CNS
      outside of the neurogenic regions. Based on SOX9 immunolabeling, we document that
      astrocytes constitute a smaller fraction of total cell number than previously
      estimated in the normal adult mouse brain.

PMID- 28336569
TI  - Cued Memory Retrieval Exhibits Reinstatement of High Gamma Power on a Faster
      Timescale in the Left Temporal Lobe and Prefrontal Cortex.
AB  - Converging evidence suggests that reinstatement of neural activity underlies our
      ability to successfully retrieve memories. However, the temporal dynamics of
      reinstatement in the human cortex remain poorly understood. One possibility is
      that neural activity during memory retrieval, like replay of spiking neurons in
      the hippocampus, occurs at a faster timescale than during encoding. We tested
      this hypothesis in 34 participants who performed a verbal episodic memory task
      while we recorded high gamma (62-100 Hz) activity from subdural electrodes
      implanted for seizure monitoring. We show that reinstatement of distributed
      patterns of high gamma activity occurs faster than during encoding. Using a time
      warping algorithm, we quantify the timescale of the reinstatement and identify
      brain regions that show significant timescale differences between encoding and
      retrieval. Our data suggest that temporally compressed reinstatement of cortical
      activity is a feature of cued memory retrieval.SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT We show
      that cued memory retrieval reinstates neural activity on a faster timescale than
      was present during encoding. Our data therefore provide a link between
      reinstatement of neural activity in the cortex and spontaneous replay of cortical
      and hippocampal spiking activity, which also exhibits temporal compression, and
      suggest that temporal compression may be a universal feature of memory retrieval.

PMID- 28336570
TI  - Task-Dependent Behavioral Dynamics Make the Case for Temporal Integration in
      Multiple Strategies during Odor Processing.
AB  - Differing results in olfactory-based decision-making research regarding the
      amount of time that rats and mice use to identify odors have led to some
      disagreements about odor-processing mechanics, including whether or not rodents
      use temporal integration (i.e., sniffing longer to identify odors better).
      Reported differences in behavioral strategies may be due to the different types
      of tasks used in different laboratories. Some researchers have reported that
      animals performing two-alternative choice (TAC) tasks need only 1-2 sniffs and do
      not increase performance with longer sampling. Others have reported that animals
      performing go/no-go (GNG) tasks increase sampling times and performance for
      difficult discriminations, arguing for temporal integration. We present results
      from four experiments comparing GNG and TAC tasks over several behavioral
      variables (e.g., performance, sampling duration). When rats know only one task,
      they perform better in GNG than in TAC. However, performance was not
      statistically different when rats learned and were tested in both tasks. Rats
      sample odors longer in GNG than in TAC, even when they know both tasks and
      perform them in the same or different sessions. Longer sampling is associated
      with better performance for both tasks in difficult discriminations, which
      supports the case for temporal integration over >=2-6 sniffs in both tasks. These
      results illustrate that generalizations from a single task about behavioral or
      cognitive abilities (e.g., processing, perception) do not capture the full range
      of complexity and can significantly impact inferences about general abilities in
      sensory perception.SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT Behavioral tasks and training and
      testing history affect measured outcomes in cognitive tests. Rats sample odors
      longer in a go/no-go (GNG) than in a two-alternative choice (TAC) task,
      performing better in GNG unless they know both tasks. Odor-sampling time is
      extended in both tasks when the odors to be discriminated are very similar. Rats
      may extend sampling time to integrate odor information up to ~0.5 s (2-6 sniffs).
      Such factors as task, task parameters, and training history affect decision times
      and performance, making it important to use multiple tasks when making inferences
      about sensory or cognitive processing.

PMID- 28336568
TI  - Cholinergic, But Not Dopaminergic or Noradrenergic, Enhancement Sharpens Visual
      Spatial Perception in Humans.
AB  - The neuromodulator acetylcholine modulates spatial integration in visual cortex
      by altering the balance of inputs that generate neuronal receptive fields. These
      cholinergic effects may provide a neurobiological mechanism underlying the
      modulation of visual representations by visual spatial attention. However, the
      consequences of cholinergic enhancement on visuospatial perception in humans are
      unknown. We conducted two experiments to test whether enhancing cholinergic
      signaling selectively alters perceptual measures of visuospatial interactions in
      human subjects. In Experiment 1, a double-blind placebo-controlled pharmacology
      study, we measured how flanking distractors influenced detection of a small
      contrast decrement of a peripheral target, as a function of target-flanker
      distance. We found that cholinergic enhancement with the cholinesterase inhibitor
      donepezil improved target detection, and modeling suggested that this was mainly
      due to a narrowing of the extent of facilitatory perceptual spatial interactions.
      In Experiment 2, we tested whether these effects were selective to the
      cholinergic system or would also be observed following enhancements of related
      neuromodulators dopamine or norepinephrine. Unlike cholinergic enhancement,
      dopamine (bromocriptine) and norepinephrine (guanfacine) manipulations did not
      improve performance or systematically alter the spatial profile of perceptual
      interactions between targets and distractors. These findings reveal mechanisms by
      which cholinergic signaling influences visual spatial interactions in perception
      and improves processing of a visual target among distractors, effects that are
      notably similar to those of spatial selective attention.SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT
      Acetylcholine influences how visual cortical neurons integrate signals across
      space, perhaps providing a neurobiological mechanism for the effects of visual
      selective attention. However, the influence of cholinergic enhancement on
      visuospatial perception remains unknown. Here we demonstrate that cholinergic
      enhancement improves detection of a target flanked by distractors, consistent
      with sharpened visuospatial perceptual representations. Furthermore, whereas most
      pharmacological studies focus on a single neurotransmitter, many neuromodulators
      can have related effects on cognition and perception. Thus, we also demonstrate
      that enhancing noradrenergic and dopaminergic systems does not systematically
      improve visuospatial perception or alter its tuning. Our results link
      visuospatial tuning effects of acetylcholine at the neuronal and perceptual
      levels and provide insights into the connection between cholinergic signaling and
      visual attention.

PMID- 28336571
TI  - Regulation of Alcohol Extinction and Cue-Induced Reinstatement by Specific
      Projections among Medial Prefrontal Cortex, Nucleus Accumbens, and Basolateral
      Amygdala.
AB  - The ability to inhibit drinking is a significant challenge for recovering
      alcoholics, especially in the presence of alcohol-associated cues. Previous
      studies have demonstrated that the regulation of cue-guided alcohol seeking is
      mediated by the basolateral amygdala (BLA), nucleus accumbens (NAc), and medial
      prefrontal cortex (mPFC). However, given the high interconnectivity between these
      structures, it is unclear how mPFC projections to each subcortical structure, as
      well as projections between BLA and NAc, mediate alcohol-seeking behaviors. Here,
      we evaluate how cortico-striatal, cortico-amygdalar, and amygdalo-striatal
      projections control extinction and relapse in a rat model of alcohol seeking.
      Specifically, we used a combinatorial viral technique to express diphtheria toxin
      receptors in specific neuron populations based on their projection targets. We
      then used this strategy to create directionally selective ablations of three
      distinct pathways after acquisition of ethanol self-administration but before
      extinction and reinstatement. We demonstrate that ablation of mPFC neurons
      projecting to NAc, but not BLA, blocks cue-induced reinstatement of alcohol
      seeking and neither pathway is necessary for extinction of responding. Further,
      we show that ablating BLA neurons that project to NAc disrupts extinction of
      alcohol approach behaviors and attenuates reinstatement. Together, these data
      provide evidence that the mPFC->NAc pathway is necessary for cue-induced
      reinstatement of alcohol seeking, expand our understanding of how the BLA->NAc
      pathway regulates alcohol behavior, and introduce a new methodology for the
      manipulation of target-specific neural projections.SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT The
      vast majority of recovering alcoholics will relapse at least once and
      understanding how the brain regulates relapse will be key to developing more
      effective behavior and pharmacological therapies for alcoholism. Given the high
      interconnectivity of cortical, striatal, and limbic structures that regulate
      alcohol intake, it has been difficult to disentangle how separate projections
      between them may control different aspects of these complex behaviors. Here, we
      demonstrate a new approach for noninvasively ablating each of these pathways and
      testing their necessity for both extinction and relapse. We show that inputs to
      the nucleus accumbens from medial prefrontal cortex and amygdala regulate alcohol
      seeking behaviors differentially, adding to our understanding of the neural
      control of alcoholism.

PMID- 28336572
TI  - The Computational and Neural Basis of Rhythmic Timing in Medial Premotor Cortex.
AB  - The neural underpinnings of rhythmic behavior, including music and dance, have
      been studied using the synchronization-continuation task (SCT), where subjects
      initially tap in synchrony with an isochronous metronome and then keep tapping at
      a similar rate via an internal beat mechanism. Here, we provide behavioral and
      neural evidence that supports a resetting drift-diffusion model (DDM) during SCT.
      Behaviorally, we show the model replicates the linear relation between the mean
      and standard-deviation of the intervals produced by monkeys in SCT. We then show
      that neural populations in the medial premotor cortex (MPC) contain an accurate
      trial-by-trial representation of elapsed-time between taps. Interestingly, the
      autocorrelation structure of the elapsed-time representation is consistent with a
      DDM. These results indicate that MPC has an orderly representation of time with
      features characteristic of concatenated DDMs and that this population signal can
      be used to orchestrate the rhythmic structure of the internally timed elements of
      SCT.SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT The present study used behavioral data, ensemble
      recordings from medial premotor cortex (MPC) in macaque monkeys, and
      computational modeling, to establish evidence in favor of a class of drift
      diffusion models of rhythmic timing during a synchronization-continuation tapping
      task (SCT). The linear relation between the mean and standard-deviation of the
      intervals produced by monkeys in SCT is replicated by the model. Populations of
      MPC cells faithfully represent the elapsed time between taps, and there is
      significant trial-by-trial relation between decoded times and the timing behavior
      of the monkeys. Notably, the neural decoding properties, including its
      autocorrelation structure are consistent with a set of drift-diffusion models
      that are arranged sequentially and that are resetting in each SCT tap.

PMID- 28336573
TI  - A randomised cross-over study of methods of acquiring ECG heart rate in newborns.

PMID- 28336575
TI  - Pharmacologic Profile of Naloxegol, a Peripherally Acting u-Opioid Receptor
      Antagonist, for the Treatment of Opioid-Induced Constipation.
AB  - Opioid-induced constipation (OIC) is a common side effect of opioid
      pharmacotherapy for the management of pain because opioid agonists bind to u
      opioid receptors in the enteric nervous system (ENS). Naloxegol, a polyethylene
      glycol derivative of naloxol, which is a derivative of naloxone and a
      peripherally acting u-opioid receptor antagonist, targets the physiologic
      mechanisms that cause OIC. Pharmacologic measures of opioid activity and
      pharmacokinetic measures of central nervous system (CNS) penetration were
      employed to characterize the mechanism of action of naloxegol. At the human u
      opioid receptor in vitro, naloxegol was a potent inhibitor of binding (Ki = 7.42
      nM) and a neutral competitive antagonist (pA2 - 7.95); agonist effects were <10%
      up to 30 MUM and identical to those of naloxone. The oral doses achieving 50% of
      the maximal effect in the rat for antagonism of morphine-induced inhibition of
      gastrointestinal transit and morphine-induced antinociception in the hot plate
      assay were 23.1 and 55.4 mg/kg for naloxegol and 0.69 and 1.14 mg/kg by for
      naloxone, respectively. In the human colon adenocarcinoma cell transport assay,
      naloxegol was a substrate for the P-glycoprotein transporter, with low apparent
      permeability in the apical to basolateral direction, and penetrated the CNS 15
      fold slower than naloxone in a rat brain perfusion model. Naloxegol-derived
      radioactivity was poorly distributed throughout the rat CNS and was eliminated
      from most tissues within 24 hours. These findings corroborate phase 3 clinical
      studies demonstrating that naloxegol relieves OIC-associated symptoms in patients
      with chronic noncancer pain by antagonizing the u-opioid receptor in the ENS
      while preserving CNS-mediated analgesia.

PMID- 28336574
TI  - Switching head group selectivity in mammalian sphingolipid biosynthesis by active
      site-engineering of sphingomyelin synthases.
AB  - SM is a fundamental component of mammalian cell membranes that contributes to
      mechanical stability, signaling, and sorting. Its production involves the
      transfer of phosphocholine from phosphatidylcholine onto ceramide, a reaction
      catalyzed by SM synthase (SMS)1 in the Golgi and SMS2 at the plasma membrane.
      Mammalian cells also synthesize trace amounts of the SM analog, ceramide
      phosphoethanolamine (CPE), but the physiological relevance of CPE production is
      unclear. Previous work revealed that SMS2 is a bifunctional enzyme producing both
      SM and CPE, whereas a closely related enzyme, SMS-related protein (SMSr)/SAMD8,
      acts as a monofunctional CPE synthase in the endoplasmic reticulum. Using domain
      swapping and site-directed mutagenesis on enzymes expressed in defined lipid
      environments, we here identified structural determinants that mediate the head
      group selectivity of SMS family members. Notably, a single residue adjacent to
      the catalytic histidine in the third exoplasmic loop profoundly influenced enzyme
      specificity, with Glu permitting SMS-catalyzed CPE production and Asp confining
      the enzyme to produce SM. An exchange of exoplasmic residues with SMSr proved
      sufficient to convert SMS1 into a bulk CPE synthase. This allowed us to establish
      mammalian cells that produce CPE rather than SM as the principal
      phosphosphingolipid and provide a model of the molecular interactions that impart
      catalytic specificity among SMS enzymes.

PMID- 28336577
TI  - Fruit Juice and Child Health.

PMID- 28336576
TI  - Fruit Juice and Change in BMI: A Meta-analysis.
AB  - CONTEXT: Whether 100% fruit juice consumption causes weight gain in children
      remains controversial. OBJECTIVE: To determine the association between 100% fruit
      juice consumption and change in BMI or BMI z score in children. DATA SOURCES:
      PubMed, Embase, CINAHL, and Cochrane databases. STUDY SELECTION: Longitudinal
      studies examining the association of 100% fruit juice and change in BMI measures
      were included. DATA EXTRACTION: Two independent reviewers extracted data using a
      predesigned data collection form. RESULTS: Of the 4657 articles screened, 8
      prospective cohort studies (n = 34 470 individual children) met the inclusion
      criteria. Controlling for total energy intake, 1 daily 6- to 8-oz serving
      increment of 100% fruit juice was associated with a 0.003 (95% CI: 0.001 to
      0.004) unit increase in BMI z score over 1 year in children of all ages (0%
      increase in BMI percentile). In children ages 1 to 6 years, 1 serving increment
      was associated with a 0.087 (95% confidence interval: 0.008 to 0.167) unit
      increase in BMI z score (4% increase in BMI percentile). 100% fruit juice
      consumption was not associated with BMI z score increase in children ages 7 to 18
      years. LIMITATIONS: All observational studies; studies differed in exposure
      assessment and covariate adjustment. CONCLUSIONS: Consumption of 100% fruit juice
      is associated with a small amount of weight gain in children ages 1 to 6 years
      that is not clinically significant, and is not associated with weight gain in
      children ages 7 to 18 years. More studies are needed in children ages 1 to 6
      years.

PMID- 28336578
TI  - Quantitative Prediction of CYP3A4 Induction: Impact of Measured, Free, and
      Intracellular Perpetrator Concentrations from Human Hepatocyte Induction Studies
      on Drug-Drug Interaction Predictions.
AB  - Typically, concentration-response curves are based upon nominal inducer
      concentrations for in-vitro-to-in-vivo extrapolation of CYP3A4 induction. The
      limitation of this practice is that it assumes the hepatocyte culture model is a
      static system. We assessed whether correcting for: 1) changes in perpetrator
      concentration in the induction medium during the incubation period, 2)
      perpetrator binding to proteins in the induction medium, and 3) nonspecific
      binding of perpetrator can improve the accuracy of CYP3A4 induction predictions.
      Of the seven compounds used in this evaluation, significant parent loss and
      nonspecific binding were observed for rifampicin (29.3-38.3%), pioglitazone (64.3
      78.6%), and rosiglitazone (57.1-75.5%). As a result, the free measured EC50
      values (EC50u) of pioglitazone, rosiglitazone, and rifampicin were significantly
      lower than the nominal EC50 values. In general, the accuracy of the induction
      predictions, using multiple static models, improved when corrections were made
      for measured medium concentrations, medium protein binding, and nonspecific
      binding of the perpetrator, as evidenced by 18-29% reductions in the root mean
      square error. The relative induction score model performed better than the basic
      static and mechanistic static models, resulting in lower prediction error and no
      false-positive or false-negative predictions. However, even when the EC50u value
      was used, the induction prediction for bosentan, which is a substrate of organic
      anion transporter proteins, was overpredicted by approximately 2-fold. Accounting
      for the ratio of unbound intracellular concentrations to unbound medium
      concentrations (Kpuu,in vitro) (0.5-7.5) and the predicted multiple-dose Kpuu,in
      vivo (0.6) for bosentan resulted in induction predictions within 35% of the
      observed interaction.

PMID- 28336579
TI  - Implementation of a Modified WHO Pediatric Procedural Sedation Safety Checklist
      and Its Impact on Risk Reduction.
AB  - BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Major adverse events (AEs) related to pediatric deep
      sedation occur at a low frequency but can be of high acuity. The high volume of
      deep sedations performed by 3 departments at our institution provided an
      opportunity to reduce variability and increase safety through implementation of a
      procedural sedation safety checklist. We hypothesized that implementation of a
      checklist would improve compliance of critical safety elements (CSEs) (primary
      outcome variable) and reduce the sedation-related AE rate (secondary outcome
      variable). METHODS: This process improvement project was divided into 5 phases: a
      retrospective analysis to assess variability in capture of CSE within 3
      departments that perform deep sedation and the association between noncapture of
      CSE and AE occurrence (phase 1), design of the checklist and trial in simulation
      (phase 2), provider education (phase 3), implementation and interim analysis of
      checklist completion (phase 4), and final analysis of completion and impact on
      outcome (phase 5). RESULTS: We demonstrated interdepartmental variability in
      compliance with CSE completion prechecklist implementation, and we identified
      elements associated with AEs. Completion of provider education was 100% in all 3
      departments. Final analysis showed a checklist completion rate of 75%, and its
      use significantly improved capture of several critical safety elements. Its use
      did not significantly reduce AEs (P = .105). CONCLUSIONS: This study demonstrates
      that the implementation of a sedation checklist improved process adherence and
      capture of critical safety elements; however, it failed to show a significant
      reduction in sedation-related AEs.

PMID- 28336583
TI  - Bruising and abnormal leucocytes on a blood film--a haematological emergency.

PMID- 28336582
TI  - High Mammographic Density in Long-Term Night-Shift Workers: DDM-Spain/Var-DDM.
AB  - Background: Night-shift work (NSW) has been suggested as a possible cause of
      breast cancer, and its association with mammographic density (MD), one of the
      strongest risk factors for breast cancer, has been scarcely addressed. This study
      examined NSW and MD in Spanish women.Methods: The study covered 2,752 women aged
      45-68 years recruited in 2007-2008 in 7 population-based public breast cancer
      screening centers, which included 243 women who had performed NSW for at least
      one year. Occupational data and information on potential confounders were
      collected by personal interview. Two trained radiologist estimated the percentage
      of MD assisted by a validated semiautomatic computer tool (DM-scan).
      Multivariable mixed linear regression models with random screening center
      specific intercepts were fitted using log-transformed percentage of MD as the
      dependent variable and adjusting by known confounding variables.Results: Having
      ever worked in NSW was not associated with MD [Formula: see text]:0.96; 95%
      confidence interval (CI), 0.86-1.06]. However, the adjusted geometric mean of the
      percentage of MD in women with NSW for more than 15 years was 25% higher than
      that of those without NSW history (MD>15 years:20.7% vs. MDnever:16.5%;[Formula:
      see text]:1.25; 95% CI,1.01-1.54). This association was mainly observed in
      postmenopausal participants ([Formula: see text]:1.28; 95% CI, 1.00-1.64). Among
      NSW-exposed women, those with <=2 night-shifts per week had higher MD than those
      with 5 to 7 nightshifts per week ([Formula: see text]:1.42; 95% CI, 1.10
      1.84).Conclusions: Performing NSW was associated with higher MD only in women
      with more than 15 years of cumulated exposure. These findings warrant replication
      in futures studies.Impact: Our findings suggest that MD could play a role in the
      pathway between long-term NSW and breast cancer. Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers
      Prev; 26(6); 905-13. (c)2017 AACR.

PMID- 28336584
TI  - Complete Genome Sequences of Six Copper-Resistant Xanthomonas citri pv. citri
      Strains Causing Asiatic Citrus Canker, Obtained Using Long-Read Technology.
AB  - The gammaproteobacterium Xanthomonas citri pv. citri causes Asiatic citrus
      canker. Pathotype A strains have a broad host range, which includes most
      commercial citrus species, and they cause important economic losses worldwide.
      Control often relies on frequent copper sprays. We present here the complete
      genomes of six X. citri pv. citri copper-resistant strains.

PMID- 28336581
TI  - Differential Impact of Symptom Prevalence and Chronic Conditions on Quality of
      Life in Cancer Survivors and Non-Cancer Individuals: A Population Study.
AB  - Background: To compare associations of symptom prevalence, chronic conditions,
      and health-related quality of life (HRQOL) between cancer survivors and non
      cancer individuals using the U.S. National Health Interview Survey.Methods: Study
      samples comprised 604 survivors and 6,166 non-cancer individuals. Symptoms
      included sensation abnormality, pain, fatigue, cognitive disturbance, depression,
      and anxiety. Physical and mental HRQOL was measured by the Patient-Reported
      Outcomes Measurement Information System.Results: Compared with non-cancer
      individuals, survivors had higher prevalence in sensation abnormality (OR = 2.4;
      95% CI = 1.9 to 3.0), pain (OR = 2.1; 95% CI = 1.7 to 2.6), fatigue (OR = 1.4;
      95% CI = 1.1 to 1.8), and decremented physical HRQOL (difference = -3.7; 95% CI =
      -4.7 to -2.6). The prevalence of individual symptoms was significantly associated
      with decremented physical HRQOL [range = -5.9 (anxiety) to -8.9 (pain)] and
      mental HRQOL [range = -4.7 (sensation) to -8.4 (depression)]. The association
      between cancer experience and physical and mental HRQOL was chiefly explained by
      the prevalence of six symptoms and presence of chronic conditions. Pain (beta = 
      4.0; 95% CI = -4.5 to -3.6) and >=2 chronic conditions (beta = -9.2; 95% CI = 
      10.2 to -8.2) significantly decremented physical HRQOL. Depression (beta = -5.2;
      95% CI = -5.8 to -4.6) and >=2 chronic conditions (beta = -3.3; 95% CI = -4.4 to 
      2.3) significantly decremented mental HRQOL.Conclusions: Cancer survivors
      experience more symptom burden than non-cancer individuals, which is associated
      with more chronic conditions and impaired HRQOL.Impacts: Interventions to manage
      symptom prevalence especially for older cancer survivors and survivors with more
      chronic conditions may improve their HRQOL outcomes. Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers
      Prev; 26(7); 1124-32. (c)2017 AACR.

PMID- 28336585
TI  - Genome Sequence of Deinococcus marmoris PAMC 26562 Isolated from Antarctic
      Lichen.
AB  - Deinococcus marmoris strain PAMC 26562 was isolated from Usnea sp., a lichen
      collected from King George Island, Antarctica. We report here the draft genome
      sequence of strain PAMC 26562, which has xanthorhodopsin and carbon monoxide
      dehydrogenase genes in addition to major metabolic pathways presented in
      deinococcal genomes.

PMID- 28336586
TI  - Draft Genome Sequence of Tannerella forsythia Clinical Isolate 9610.
AB  - We present here the draft genome sequence of Tannerella forsythia 9610, a
      clinical isolate obtained from a periodontitis patient. The genome is composed of
      79 scaffolds with 82 contigs, for a length of 3,201,941 bp and a G+C of 47.3%.

PMID- 28336587
TI  - Draft Genome Sequence of Propionibacterium avidum Strain UCD-PD2 Isolated from a
      Feline Anal Sac.
AB  - Here, we present the draft genome sequence of Propionibacterium (Cutibacterium)
      avidum strain UCD-PD2. The assembly contains 2,667,287 bp in 51 contigs. The
      strain was isolated from anal sac secretion samples collected from a feral
      domestic cat (Felis catus) as part of a larger project to study the microbiology
      of cats.

PMID- 28336589
TI  - First Complete Genome Sequence of Cucumber green mottle mosaic virus Isolated
      from Australia.
AB  - We present here the first complete genome sequence of the tobamovirus Cucumber
      green mottle mosaic virus (CGMMV) from Australia, obtained from an infected
      cucumber plant. Compared with other CGMMV genomes, its closest nucleotide
      identities were 99.6% to KP772568, 99.3% to KF155229, and 99.1% to DQ767631 from
      Canada, Israel, and India, respectively.

PMID- 28336588
TI  - Draft Genome Sequences of Three Nontypeable Strains of Haemophilus influenzae,
      C188, R535, and 1200, Isolated from Different Types of Disease.
AB  - Nontypeable Haemophilus influenzae is a persistent human respiratory pathogen
      known to be involved in a range of acute and chronic respiratory diseases. Here,
      we report the genome sequences of three H. influenzae strains isolated from
      sputum, otitis media, and blood. Comparative analyses revealed significant
      differences in the gene contents including the presence of genes mediating
      antibiotic resistance.

PMID- 28336590
TI  - First Insights into the Genome Sequence of the Strictly Anaerobic Homoacetogenic
      Sporomusa sphaeroides Strain E (DSM 2875).
AB  - Here, we report the draft genome sequence of Sporomusa sphaeroides strain E (DSM
      2875), a strict anaerobic homoacetogenic bacterium. It is able to grow
      autotrophically on different one-carbon compounds. The strain possesses several
      genes of the Wood-Ljungdahl pathway. The genome consists of a single chromosome
      (4.98 Mb).

PMID- 28336591
TI  - Draft Genome Sequence of Corynebacterium pseudotuberculosis Strain PA07 Biovar
      ovis, Isolated from a Sheep Udder in Amazonia.
AB  - In this work, we present the draft genome sequence of Corynebacterium
      pseudotuberculosis strain PA07 biovar ovis, isolated from a caseous secretion
      from a sheep udder in Para, Brazil. The genome contains 2,320,235 bp, 52.2% G+C
      content, 2,191 coding sequences (CDSs), five pseudogenes, 48 tRNAs, and three
      rRNAs.

PMID- 28336592
TI  - Complete Coding Sequence of Usutu Virus Strain Gracula
      religiosa/U1609393/Belgium/2016 Obtained from the Brain Tissue of an Infected
      Captive Common Hill Myna (Gracula religiosa).
AB  - The complete and annotated coding sequence and partial noncoding sequence of an
      Usutu virus genome were sequenced from RNA extracted from a clinical brain tissue
      sample obtained from a common hill myna (Gracula religiosa), demonstrating close
      homology with Usutu viruses circulating in Europe.

PMID- 28336593
TI  - Complete Genome Sequence of the Plasmid-Bearing Lactobacillus fermentum Strain
      SNUV175, a Probiotic for Women's Health Isolated from the Vagina of a Healthy
      South Korean Woman.
AB  - Lactobacillus fermentum SNUV175 has been identified as a probiotic strain that
      inhibits pathogenic microorganisms related to women's health. We present the
      complete genomic sequence of the strain L. fermentum SNUV175 isolated from the
      vagina of a South Korean woman. This genomic information may provide insight into
      the functional activity of this strain.

PMID- 28336594
TI  - First Report on the Complete Genome Sequence of Lactobacillus crustorum MN047, a
      Potent Probiotic Strain Isolated from Koumiss in China.
AB  - The complete genome sequence of Lactobacillus crustorum deciphered by PacBio RS
      II and Illumina HiSeq 4000 sequencing was first reported with one chromosome and
      two plasmids. Sequence analysis of L. crustorum MN047 showed probiotic
      characteristics.

PMID- 28336595
TI  - Genome Sequence of Creatinine-Fermenting Tissierella creatinophila Strain KRE 4T
      (DSM 6911).
AB  - Tissierella creatinophila strain KRE 4T (DSM 6911) is a strictly anaerobic,
      creatinine-fermenting, and creatine-fermenting organism, which has been isolated
      from sewage sludge. The draft genome consists of one circular chromosome (2.5 Mb)
      and harbors 2,533 predicted protein-encoding genes.

PMID- 28336596
TI  - Whole-Genome Shotgun Sequence of Escherichia coli Strain MN067 from India, a
      Commensal Bacterium with Potent Pathogenic Ability.
AB  - Escherichia coli is one of the most frequently prevalent pathogens, causing
      infections in health care settings throughout the world. Here, we report the
      whole-genome sequence of MN067, a commensal bacterium with a pathogenic
      potential.

PMID- 28336597
TI  - Draft Genome Sequence of Providencia stuartii PS71, a Multidrug-Resistant Strain
      Associated with Nosocomial Infections in Greece.
AB  - Providencia stuartii is frequently associated with nosocomial outbreaks and
      displays intrinsic resistance to many commonly used antimicrobials. We report
      here the draft genome sequence of a P. stuartii strain carrying acquired
      resistance genes conferring panresistance to cephalosporins (blaSHV-5 and blaVEB
      1), carbapenems (blaVIM-1), and aminoglycosides (rmtB) involved in an outbreak in
      Greek hospitals.

PMID- 28336598
TI  - Draft Genome Sequence of the Mycoparasitic Oomycete Pythium periplocum Strain CBS
      532.74.
AB  - The oomycete Pythium periplocum is an aggressive mycoparasite of a number of
      plant pathogenic fungi and oomycetes and therefore has potential as a biological
      control agent. Here, we report the first draft genome sequence of P. periplocum,
      which comprises 35.89 Mb. It contains 1,043 scaffolds and 14,399 predicted
      protein-coding genes.

PMID- 28336599
TI  - Complete Genome Sequence and Methylome Analysis of Acinetobacter calcoaceticus
      65.
AB  - Acinetobacter calcoaceticus 65 is the original source strain for the restriction
      enzyme Acc65I. Its complete sequence and full methylome were determined using
      single-molecule real-time (SMRT) sequencing.

PMID- 28336600
TI  - Complete Genome Sequences, before and after Mammalian Cell Culture, of Zika Virus
      Isolated from the Serum of a Symptomatic Male Patient from Oaxaca, Mexico.
AB  - Zika virus (ZIKV) is an emerging arthropod-borne flavivirus associated with
      severe congenital malformations and neurological complications. Although the ZIKV
      genome is well characterized, there is limited information regarding changes
      after cell isolation and culture adaptation. We isolated, and passaged in Vero
      cells, ZIKV from the serum of a symptomatic male patient and compared the viral
      genomes before and after culture. Single nucleotide polymorphisms were
      characteristic among serum-circulating genomes, while such diversity decreased
      after cell culture.

PMID- 28336601
TI  - Draft Genome Sequence of the Murine Bacterial Isolate Lactobacillus murinus EF-1.
AB  - Screening for lysogenic lactobacilli in rat fecal samples has identified
      Lactobacillus murinus EF-1. Whole-genome sequencing revealed a 2.30-Mb draft
      genome with 39.6% G+C content and 2,196 open reading frames. PHAST analysis
      identified three intact prophages of 26.1 kb, 25.4 kb, and 49.6 kb in size.

PMID- 28336602
TI  - Complete Genome Sequences of Pseudomonas fluorescens Bacteriophages Isolated from
      Freshwater Samples in Omaha, Nebraska.
AB  - The complete genome sequences of four Pseudomonas fluorescens bacteriophages, UNO
      SLW1 to UNO-SLW4, isolated from freshwater samples, are 39,092 to 39,215 bp long.
      The genomes are highly similar (identity, >0.995) but dissimilar from that of
      Pseudomonas phage Pf-10 (the closest relative, 0.685 to 0.686 identity), with 48
      to 49 protein-coding genes and 66 regulatory sites predicted.

PMID- 28336604
TI  - Draft Genome Sequence of Chromobacterium pseudoviolaceum LMG 3953T, an Enigmatic
      Member of the Genus Chromobacterium.
AB  - Chromobacterium pseudoviolaceum LMG 3953T was separated from Chromobacterium
      violaceum in 2009, but little is known of its origin or environmental role. Here,
      the genome of LMG 3953T was sequenced to understand the evolution of the genus
      Chromobacterium It is not clear from this sequence that C. pseudoviolaceum is
      taxonomically distinct from C. violaceum.

PMID- 28336603
TI  - High-Quality Draft Genome Sequence of Francisella tularensis subsp. holarctica
      Strain 08T0073 Isolated from a Wild European Hare.
AB  - Here, we report a high-quality draft genome sequence of Francisella tularensis
      subsp. holarctica strain 08T0073, isolated from the cadaver of a wild European
      hare (Lepus europaeus) found near Helmstedt, Lower Saxony, Germany, in 2007. In
      Germany, infected hares are a major source of tularemia in humans.

PMID- 28336605
TI  - Draft Genome Sequence of Chromobacterium subtsugae MWU12-2387 Isolated from a
      Wild Cranberry Bog in Truro, Massachusetts.
AB  - Chromobacterium subtsugae MWU12-2387 was isolated from the rhizosphere of
      cranberry plants. While it is unknown what environmental role these bacteria play
      in bog soils, they hold potential as biological control agents against nematodes
      and insect pests. Potential virulence genes were identified, including the
      violacein synthesis pathway, siderophores, and several chitinases.

PMID- 28336606
TI  - Draft Genome Sequence of Chromobacterium aquaticum CC-SEYA-1, a Nonpigmented
      Member of the Genus Chromobacterium.
AB  - Chromobacterium aquaticum CC-SEYA-1T, isolated from a spring in Taiwan, shares
      many characteristics with other members of the genus but also contains auxin
      biosynthesis genes and does not produce the pigment violacein. Chromobacterium
      sp. 49, isolated from Brazil, is identified here as C. aquaticum, indicating that
      this is a cosmopolitan species.

PMID- 28336607
TI  - Genome Sequence of Human Rhinovirus A22, Strain Lancaster/2015.
AB  - The genome of human rhinovirus A22 (HRV-A22) was assembled by deep sequencing RNA
      samples from nasopharyngeal swabs. The assembled genome is 8.7% divergent from
      the HRV-A22 reference strain over its full length, and it is only the second full
      length genome sequence for HRV-A22. The new strain is designated strain HRV
      A22/Lancaster/2015.

PMID- 28336608
TI  - Draft Genome Sequence of Klebsiella pneumoniae subsp. pneumoniae ATCC 9621.
AB  - We present here the 5.561-Mbp assembled draft genome sequence of Klebsiella
      pneumoniae subsp. pneumoniae ATCC 9621, a phosphite- and organophosphonate
      assimilating Gammaproteobacterium. The genome harbors 5,179 predicted protein
      coding genes.

PMID- 28336609
TI  - Transition from turbulent to coherent flows in confined three-dimensional active
      fluids.
AB  - Transport of fluid through a pipe is essential for the operation of macroscale
      machines and microfluidic devices. Conventional fluids only flow in response to
      external pressure. We demonstrate that an active isotropic fluid, composed of
      microtubules and molecular motors, autonomously flows through meter-long three
      dimensional channels. We establish control over the magnitude, velocity profile,
      and direction of the self-organized flows and correlate these to the structure of
      the extensile microtubule bundles. The inherently three-dimensional transition
      from bulk-turbulent to confined-coherent flows occurs concomitantly with a
      transition in the bundle orientational order near the surface and is controlled
      by a scale-invariant criterion related to the channel profile. The nonequilibrium
      transition of confined isotropic active fluids can be used to engineer self
      organized soft machines.

PMID- 28336610
TI  - Vertically extensive and unstable magmatic systems: A unified view of igneous
      processes.
AB  - Volcanoes are an expression of their underlying magmatic systems. Over the past
      three decades, the classical focus on upper crustal magma chambers has expanded
      to consider magmatic processes throughout the crust. A transcrustal perspective
      must balance slow (plate tectonic) rates of melt generation and segregation in
      the lower crust with new evidence for rapid melt accumulation in the upper crust
      before many volcanic eruptions. Reconciling these observations is engendering
      active debate about the physical state, spatial distribution, and longevity of
      melt in the crust. Here we review evidence for transcrustal magmatic systems and
      highlight physical processes that might affect the growth and stability of melt
      rich layers, focusing particularly on conditions that cause them to destabilize,
      ascend, and accumulate in voluminous but ephemeral shallow magma chambers.

PMID- 28336612
TI  - UK science, post-Brexit.

PMID- 28336611
TI  - Self-assembly of genetically encoded DNA-protein hybrid nanoscale shapes.
AB  - We describe an approach to bottom-up fabrication that allows integration of the
      functional diversity of proteins into designed three-dimensional structural
      frameworks. A set of custom staple proteins based on transcription activator-like
      effector proteins folds a double-stranded DNA template into a user-defined shape.
      Each staple protein is designed to recognize and closely link two distinct double
      helical DNA sequences at separate positions on the template. We present design
      rules for constructing megadalton-scale DNA-protein hybrid shapes; introduce
      various structural motifs, such as custom curvature, corners, and vertices; and
      describe principles for creating multilayer DNA-protein objects with enhanced
      rigidity. We demonstrate self-assembly of our hybrid nanostructures in one-pot
      mixtures that include the genetic information for the designed proteins, the
      template DNA, RNA polymerase, ribosomes, and cofactors for transcription and
      translation.

PMID- 28336613
TI  - News at a glance.

PMID- 28336614
TI  - Trump's 2018 budget proposal 'devalues' science.

PMID- 28336615
TI  - Can flu shots help women get pregnant?

PMID- 28336616
TI  - Ma, where did they put T. rex?

PMID- 28336618
TI  - In search for unseen matter, physicists turn to dark sector.

PMID- 28336617
TI  - New Zealand temblor points to threat of compound quakes.

PMID- 28336619
TI  - Tweak makes U.S. nukes more precise-and deadlier.

PMID- 28336620
TI  - Fishy business.

PMID- 28336621
TI  - Macrophage, a long-distance middleman.

PMID- 28336622
TI  - Powering up perovskite photoresponse.

PMID- 28336623
TI  - Bringing proteins into the fold.

PMID- 28336624
TI  - From chaos to order in active fluids.

PMID- 28336625
TI  - Using fire to promote biodiversity.

PMID- 28336626
TI  - Genes, environment, and "bad luck".

PMID- 28336627
TI  - Hans Rosling (1948-2017).

PMID- 28336629
TI  - Rain check.

PMID- 28336628
TI  - A roadmap for rapid decarbonization.

PMID- 28336630
TI  - Stranger than fiction.

PMID- 28336631
TI  - Patent pools for CRISPR technology.

PMID- 28336632
TI  - Patent pools for CRISPR technology-Response.

PMID- 28336633
TI  - Specimen collection crucial to taxonomy.

PMID- 28336635
TI  - Cell projections set up pigment pattern.

PMID- 28336634
TI  - Identifying the hosts of quasar absorbers.

PMID- 28336636
TI  - Nanograined metals avoid going soft.

PMID- 28336638
TI  - Using "you" to generalize from me to others.

PMID- 28336637
TI  - Metal-oxide synergy.

PMID- 28336639
TI  - Estimating transmission chains for dengue.

PMID- 28336640
TI  - Helping T cells feel at home in the liver.

PMID- 28336641
TI  - Why pain and stress lead to depression.

PMID- 28336642
TI  - Cancer and the unavoidable R factor.

PMID- 28336643
TI  - Making magma chambers from mush.

PMID- 28336645
TI  - Added complexity in an asymmetric receptor.

PMID- 28336646
TI  - Protein-folded DNA nanostructures.

PMID- 28336644
TI  - Dendrites are more active than expected.

PMID- 28336647
TI  - Go with the changing flow.

PMID- 28336649
TI  - Chromatin state dictates drug response.

PMID- 28336648
TI  - How perovskites have the edge.

PMID- 28336650
TI  - Lysosomal cholesterol activates mTORC1.

PMID- 28336651
TI  - NAD+ binding modulates protein interactions.

PMID- 28336652
TI  - Tugging on Notch receptor tunes signaling.

PMID- 28336653
TI  - Fire management, made to measure.

PMID- 28336654
TI  - Influenz-ing IFN responses in dendritic cells.

PMID- 28336655
TI  - It's easier to see green.

PMID- 28336656
TI  - A new angle on streams.

PMID- 28336657
TI  - Turning toys into tools.

PMID- 28336658
TI  - Stronger pancreas through starvation.

PMID- 28336659
TI  - The evolution of edited RNA transcripts.

PMID- 28336661
TI  - Notch1 promotes cancer spread.

PMID- 28336660
TI  - Recovering galaxy images from noisy data.

PMID- 28336662
TI  - Dirac cones in a boron monolayer.

PMID- 28336663
TI  - [C ii] 158-MUm emission from the host galaxies of damped Lyman-alpha systems.
AB  - Gas surrounding high-redshift galaxies has been studied through observations of
      absorption line systems toward background quasars for decades. However, it has
      proven difficult to identify and characterize the galaxies associated with these
      absorbers due to the intrinsic faintness of the galaxies compared with the
      quasars at optical wavelengths. Using the Atacama Large Millimeter/Submillimeter
      Array, we report on detections of [C ii] 158-MUm line and dust-continuum emission
      from two galaxies associated with two such absorbers at a redshift of z ~ 4. Our
      results indicate that the hosts of these high-metallicity absorbers have physical
      properties similar to massive star-forming galaxies and are embedded in enriched
      neutral hydrogen gas reservoirs that extend well beyond the star-forming
      interstellar medium of these galaxies.

PMID- 28336664
TI  - Grain boundary stability governs hardening and softening in extremely fine
      nanograined metals.
AB  - Conventional metals become harder with decreasing grain sizes, following the
      classical Hall-Petch relationship. However, this relationship fails and softening
      occurs at some grain sizes in the nanometer regime for some alloys. In this
      study, we discovered that plastic deformation mechanism of extremely fine
      nanograined metals and their hardness are adjustable through tailoring grain
      boundary (GB) stability. The electrodeposited nanograined nickel-molybdenum (Ni
      Mo) samples become softened for grain sizes below 10 nanometers because of GB
      mediated processes. With GB stabilization through relaxation and Mo segregation,
      ultrahigh hardness is achieved in the nanograined samples with a plastic
      deformation mechanism dominated by generation of extended partial dislocations.
      Grain boundary stability provides an alternative dimension, in addition to grain
      size, for producing novel nanograined metals with extraordinary properties.

PMID- 28336665
TI  - Active sites for CO2 hydrogenation to methanol on Cu/ZnO catalysts.
AB  - The active sites over commercial copper/zinc oxide/aluminum oxide (Cu/ZnO/Al2O3)
      catalysts for carbon dioxide (CO2) hydrogenation to methanol, the Zn-Cu
      bimetallic sites or ZnO-Cu interfacial sites, have recently been the subject of
      intense debate. We report a direct comparison between the activity of ZnCu and
      ZnO/Cu model catalysts for methanol synthesis. By combining x-ray photoemission
      spectroscopy, density functional theory, and kinetic Monte Carlo simulations, we
      can identify and characterize the reactivity of each catalyst. Both experimental
      and theoretical results agree that ZnCu undergoes surface oxidation under the
      reaction conditions so that surface Zn transforms into ZnO and allows ZnCu to
      reach the activity of ZnO/Cu with the same Zn coverage. Our results highlight a
      synergy of Cu and ZnO at the interface that facilitates methanol synthesis via
      formate intermediates.

PMID- 28336666
TI  - How "you" makes meaning.
AB  - "You" is one of the most common words in the English language. Although it
      typically refers to the person addressed ("How are you?"), "you" is also used to
      make timeless statements about people in general ("You win some, you lose
      some."). Here, we demonstrate that this ubiquitous but understudied linguistic
      device, known as "generic-you," has important implications for how people derive
      meaning from experience. Across six experiments, we found that generic-you is
      used to express norms in both ordinary and emotional contexts and that producing
      generic-you when reflecting on negative experiences allows people to "normalize"
      their experience by extending it beyond the self. In this way, a simple
      linguistic device serves a powerful meaning-making function.

PMID- 28336667
TI  - Dengue diversity across spatial and temporal scales: Local structure and the
      effect of host population size.
AB  - A fundamental mystery for dengue and other infectious pathogens is how observed
      patterns of cases relate to actual chains of individual transmission events.
      These pathways are intimately tied to the mechanisms by which strains interact
      and compete across spatial scales. Phylogeographic methods have been used to
      characterize pathogen dispersal at global and regional scales but have yielded
      few insights into the local spatiotemporal structure of endemic transmission.
      Using geolocated genotype (800 cases) and serotype (17,291 cases) data, we show
      that in Bangkok, Thailand, 60% of dengue cases living <200 meters apart come from
      the same transmission chain, as opposed to 3% of cases separated by 1 to 5
      kilometers. At distances <200 meters from a case (encompassing an average of 1300
      people in Bangkok), the effective number of chains is 1.7. This number rises by a
      factor of 7 for each 10-fold increase in the population of the "enclosed" region.
      This trend is observed regardless of whether population density or area
      increases, though increases in density over 7000 people per square kilometer do
      not lead to additional chains. Within Thailand these chains quickly mix, and by
      the next dengue season viral lineages are no longer highly spatially structured
      within the country. In contrast, viral flow to neighboring countries is limited.
      These findings are consistent with local, density-dependent transmission and
      implicate densely populated communities as key sources of viral diversity, with
      home location the focal point of transmission. These findings have important
      implications for targeted vector control and active surveillance.

PMID- 28336669
TI  - A conserved NAD+ binding pocket that regulates protein-protein interactions
      during aging.
AB  - DNA repair is essential for life, yet its efficiency declines with age for
      reasons that are unclear. Numerous proteins possess Nudix homology domains (NHDs)
      that have no known function. We show that NHDs are NAD+ (oxidized form of
      nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide) binding domains that regulate protein-protein
      interactions. The binding of NAD+ to the NHD domain of DBC1 (deleted in breast
      cancer 1) prevents it from inhibiting PARP1 [poly(adenosine diphosphate-ribose)
      polymerase], a critical DNA repair protein. As mice age and NAD+ concentrations
      decline, DBC1 is increasingly bound to PARP1, causing DNA damage to accumulate, a
      process rapidly reversed by restoring the abundance of NAD+ Thus, NAD+ directly
      regulates protein-protein interactions, the modulation of which may protect
      against cancer, radiation, and aging.

PMID- 28336668
TI  - Lysosomal cholesterol activates mTORC1 via an SLC38A9-Niemann-Pick C1 signaling
      complex.
AB  - The mechanistic target of rapamycin complex 1 (mTORC1) protein kinase is a master
      growth regulator that becomes activated at the lysosome in response to nutrient
      cues. Here, we identify cholesterol, an essential building block for cellular
      growth, as a nutrient input that drives mTORC1 recruitment and activation at the
      lysosomal surface. The lysosomal transmembrane protein, SLC38A9, is required for
      mTORC1 activation by cholesterol through conserved cholesterol-responsive motifs.
      Moreover, SLC38A9 enables mTORC1 activation by cholesterol independently from its
      arginine-sensing function. Conversely, the Niemann-Pick C1 (NPC1) protein, which
      regulates cholesterol export from the lysosome, binds to SLC38A9 and inhibits
      mTORC1 signaling through its sterol transport function. Thus, lysosomal
      cholesterol drives mTORC1 activation and growth signaling through the SLC38A9
      NPC1 complex.

PMID- 28336673
TI  - Learning from rejections.

PMID- 28336670
TI  - PI3K pathway regulates ER-dependent transcription in breast cancer through the
      epigenetic regulator KMT2D.
AB  - Activating mutations in PIK3CA, the gene encoding phosphoinositide-(3)-kinase
      alpha (PI3Kalpha), are frequently found in estrogen receptor (ER)-positive breast
      cancer. PI3Kalpha inhibitors, now in late-stage clinical development, elicit a
      robust compensatory increase in ER-dependent transcription that limits
      therapeutic efficacy. We investigated the chromatin-based mechanisms leading to
      the activation of ER upon PI3Kalpha inhibition. We found that PI3Kalpha
      inhibition mediates an open chromatin state at the ER target loci in breast
      cancer models and clinical samples. KMT2D, a histone H3 lysine 4
      methyltransferase, is required for FOXA1, PBX1, and ER recruitment and
      activation. AKT binds and phosphorylates KMT2D, attenuating methyltransferase
      activity and ER function, whereas PI3Kalpha inhibition enhances KMT2D activity.
      These findings uncover a mechanism that controls the activation of ER by the
      posttranslational modification of epigenetic regulators, providing a rationale
      for epigenetic therapy in ER-positive breast cancer.

PMID- 28336671
TI  - Stem cell divisions, somatic mutations, cancer etiology, and cancer prevention.
AB  - Cancers are caused by mutations that may be inherited, induced by environmental
      factors, or result from DNA replication errors (R). We studied the relationship
      between the number of normal stem cell divisions and the risk of 17 cancer types
      in 69 countries throughout the world. The data revealed a strong correlation
      (median = 0.80) between cancer incidence and normal stem cell divisions in all
      countries, regardless of their environment. The major role of R mutations in
      cancer etiology was supported by an independent approach, based solely on cancer
      genome sequencing and epidemiological data, which suggested that R mutations are
      responsible for two-thirds of the mutations in human cancers. All of these
      results are consistent with epidemiological estimates of the fraction of cancers
      that can be prevented by changes in the environment. Moreover, they accentuate
      the importance of early detection and intervention to reduce deaths from the many
      cancers arising from unavoidable R mutations.

PMID- 28336676
TI  - Assessment of current practices for developing "preceptors in training".

PMID- 28336675
TI  - Evolving risk factors and antibiotic sensitivity patterns for microbial keratitis
      at a large county hospital.
AB  - : Purpose: To identify the risk factors, causative organisms, antimicrobial
      susceptibility and outcomes of microbial keratitis in a large county hospital in
      Houston, Texas.Design: Case series. METHODS: Setting: A large county hospital in
      Houston, Texas. STUDY POPULATION: Patients with known diagnosis of microbial
      keratitis from January 2011 to May 2015. OBSERVATION PROCEDURE: Retrospective
      chart review. MAIN OUTCOMES: Epidemiology, risk factors, outcomes and antibiotic
      susceptibility of microbial keratitis. RESULTS: The most commonly identified risk
      factors were contact lens use (34.4%), ocular trauma (26.3%), diabetes mellitus
      (16.7%), ocular surgery (13.5%), ocular surface diseases (11.5%), previous
      keratitis (10.4%), glaucoma (6.3%), cocaine use (5.2%) and HIV-positive status
      (4.2%). Eyes with positive cultures (61.5%) were associated with worse visual
      outcomes (p=0.019) and a higher number of follow-up visits (p=0.007) than eyes
      with negative cultures (38.5%). Corneal perforation was the most common
      complication (11.5%). Gram-negative organisms (21.9%) were all susceptible to
      ceftazidime, tobramycin and fluoroquinolones. Gram-positive organisms (33.3%) had
      worse outcomes than Gram-negative organisms (21.9%) and exhibited a wide spectrum
      of antibiotic resistance, but all were susceptible to vancomycin. Twenty-seven
      per cent of the coagulase-negative Staphylococci were resistant to
      fluoroquinolones. CONCLUSION: This study identified a recent shift in risk
      factors and antibiotic resistance patterns in microbial keratitis at a County
      Hospital in Houston, Texas. In our patient population, fluoroquinolone
      monotherapy is not recommended for severe corneal ulcers. On the basis of these
      results, vancomycin and tobramycin should be used for empirical therapy until
      microbial identity and sensitivity results are available.

PMID- 28336677
TI  - The ongoing threat of rising drug prices: ASHP's work goes on.

PMID- 28336674
TI  - Interchangeability and reliability of macular perfusion parameter measurements
      using optical coherence tomography angiography.
AB  - AIM: The aim of the study was to investigate the interchangeability and
      reliability of macular perfusion measurements using optical coherence tomography
      angiography. METHODS: A prospective cross-sectional observational study. Healthy
      adult Chinese subjects were recruited. Macular perfusion parameters were
      automatically analysed by software included in a spectral-domain optical
      coherence tomography system. The vessel density (VD) of the whole, parafovea,
      superior-hemi, inferior-hemi, fovea, temporal, superior, nasal and inferior
      quadrants as well as the foveal avascular zone (FAZ) and choroidal capillary VD
      (CCVD) were quantified. RESULTS: A total of 51 eyes in 27 subjects were included
      (8 men and 19 women, mean age 24+/-4 years). Significant differences in VD of all
      quadrants (all p<0.001) was detected between the 3*3 mm and 6*6 mm macular scan
      size. The biggest difference of VD between the two scan size was 5.14+/-4.03,
      which was not clinically meaningful. No statistically significant differences
      were found in FAZ or CCVD between the two different scan sizes. The mean
      intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) between two measurements from the inter
      rater of 20 eyes was from 0.560 to 0.893 for VD and 0.845 for FAZ. The mean ICC
      between two measurements from the intrarater of 20 eyes was from 0.497 to 0.870
      for VD and 0.780 for FAZ. CONCLUSIONS: FAZ and CCVD are interchangeable between
      the 3*3 mm and 6*6 mm macular scan sizes. The VD differences between the two
      different scan sizes are not clinically meaningful. The macular perfusion
      parameters presented good but not perfect reliability, which should be
      acknowledged in clinical practice.

PMID- 28336680
TI  - Stroke Diagnosis in the Pediatric Emergency Department: An Ongoing Challenge.

PMID- 28336678
TI  - Neutrophils regulate the lung inflammatory response via gammadelta T cell
      infiltration in an experimental mouse model of human metapneumovirus infection.
AB  - Neutrophils are the most abundant leukocytes in human circulation. They are the
      first immune cell population recruited to the sites of infection. However, the
      role of neutrophils to regulate host immune responses during respiratory viral
      infections is largely unknown. To elucidate the role of neutrophils in
      respiratory antiviral defense, we used an experimental mouse model of human
      metapneumovirus (HMPV) infection. HMPV, a member of the Paramyxoviridae family,
      is a leading respiratory pathogen causing severe symptoms, such as bronchiolitis
      and pneumonia, in young, elderly, and immunocompromised patients. We demonstrate
      that neutrophils are the predominant population of immune cells recruited into
      the lungs after HMPV infection. This led us to hypothesize that neutrophils
      represent a key player of the immune response during HMPV infection, thereby
      regulating HMPV-induced lung pathogenesis. Specific depletion of neutrophils in
      vivo using a mAb and simultaneous infection with HMPV exhibited higher levels of
      inflammatory cytokines, pulmonary inflammation, and severe clinical disease
      compared with HMPV-infected, competent mice. Interestingly, the lack of
      neutrophils altered gammadelta T cell accumulation in the lung. The absence of
      gammadelta T cells during HMPV infection led to reduced pulmonary inflammation.
      These novel findings demonstrate that neutrophils play a critical role in
      controlling HMPV-induced inflammatory responses by regulating gammadelta T cell
      infiltration to the site of infection.

PMID- 28336679
TI  - Transfer to High-Volume Centers Associated With Reduced Mortality After
      Endovascular Treatment of Acute Stroke.
AB  - BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Some have argued that it may be beneficial to expand the
      availability of endovascular revascularization services to lower-volume hospitals
      to minimize the morbidity associated with transfer to larger endovascular
      centers. We compared the outcomes after revascularization of patients directly
      admitted to a low-volume center and those transferred to a high-volume center.
      METHODS: We searched a national database of hospital-reported outcomes for
      patients who underwent endovascular revascularization for acute ischemic stroke.
      Hospitals were categorized as low, medium, or high procedural volume hospitals.
      Outcomes of inpatient admissions were collected and compared on the basis of
      admission source and hospital procedural volume. RESULTS: A total of 118
      institutions with 8533 patients were included. Mortality rate (14.9% versus
      18.6%; P=0.049) and mortality index (1.1 versus 1.6; P=0.048) were significantly
      lower among directly admitted relative to transferred patients. For all patients,
      there were significant differences in institutional mortality rate (low: 19.7%,
      medium: 14.9%, high: 9.8%; P=0.003) and mortality index (low: 1.5, medium: 1.1,
      high: 0.8; P=0.004) between low-, medium-, and high-volume hospitals. For
      transferred patients to high-volume centers, both mortality rate (high: 10.0%
      versus low: 20.4%; P=0.005) and mortality index (high: 0.8 versus low: 1.5;
      P=0.034) were significantly lower than that observed for directly admitted
      patients to low-volume hospitals. CONCLUSIONS: We report a beneficial effect of
      treatment at high-volume hospitals in spite of the detrimental effects of
      transfer. These findings argue for the centralization of care.

PMID- 28336681
TI  - Accuracy and Reliability of Stroke Diagnosis in the Pediatric Emergency
      Department.
AB  - BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Access to acute stroke interventions in the emergency
      department (ED) relies on correct clinical diagnosis. Our aims were to determine
      the accuracy and reliability of pediatric ED physician diagnosis of childhood
      stroke and other conditions presenting with brain attack symptoms. METHODS:
      Prospective study of consecutive children aged 1 month to 18 years presenting to
      the ED from June 2009 to December 2010 with focal neurological deficits. Accuracy
      (sensitivity, specificity, and receiver operator characteristic curves [ROCs])
      and interrater agreement (kappa) were determined, between ED physician diagnoses,
      as recorded in the electronic hospital administrative software system, and final
      neurological diagnosis, after completion of diagnostic work-up. RESULTS: Two
      hundred eighty-seven children with 301 consecutive presentations were recruited.
      The most common final brain attack diagnoses included migraine in 84 children,
      first seizure in 48, Bell's palsy in 29, stroke in 21, and conversion disorders
      in 18 children. Sensitivity of ED physician stroke diagnosis was 62%, and
      specificity was 98% (ROC, 0.8). Inter-rater agreement for ED physician and final
      stroke diagnosis was substantial (kappa=0.61). ED physician diagnostic accuracy
      and reliability was highest for Bell's palsy (ROC=0.98; kappa=0.96), and lowest
      for central nervous system demyelination (ROC=0.5; kappa=-0.01) and cerebellitis
      (ROC=0.50; kappa=0.50). CONCLUSIONS: ED physician diagnostic accuracy and
      reliability varies considerably across disorders presenting with brain attack
      symptoms. Clinical recognition tools are required to assist pediatric ED
      physicians with diagnosis of stroke and other serious neurological disorders.

PMID- 28336686
TI  - It's now time to curb advertising using flat-faced dogs, say vets.

PMID- 28336692
TI  - Sharing expertise on all aspects of small ruminant dairying.
AB  - Delegates from across the UK, Europe and the USA gathered in Bristol last month
      to hear world leaders in the field of small ruminant dairy medicine and
      production discuss matters such as milk quality, disease control and feeding at
      the second annual Dairy Sheep and Goat Conference. Anthony Wilkinson, one of the
      conference organisers, gives a flavour of proceedings.

PMID- 28336683
TI  - let-7 regulates radial migration of new-born neurons through positive regulation
      of autophagy.
AB  - During adult neurogenesis, newly formed olfactory bulb (OB) interneurons migrate
      radially to integrate into specific layers of the OB Despite the importance of
      this process, the intracellular mechanisms that regulate radial migration remain
      poorly understood. Here, we find that microRNA (miRNA) let-7 regulates radial
      migration by modulating autophagy in new-born neurons. Using Argonaute2
      immunoprecipitation, we performed global profiling of miRNAs in adult-born OB
      neurons and identified let-7 as a highly abundant miRNA family. Knockdown of let
      7 in migrating neuroblasts prevented radial migration and led to an immature
      morphology of newly formed interneurons. This phenotype was accompanied by a
      decrease in autophagic activity. Overexpression of Beclin-1 or TFEB in new-born
      neurons lacking let-7 resulted in re-activation of autophagy and restored radial
      migration. Thus, these results reveal a miRNA-dependent link between autophagy
      and adult neurogenesis with implications for neurodegenerative diseases where
      these processes are impaired.

PMID- 28336695
TI  - Equine disease surveillance: quarterly summary.
AB  - of surveillance testing, October to December 2016International disease occurrence
      in the fourth quarter of 2016These are among matters discussed in the most recent
      quarterly equine disease surveillance report, prepared by Defra, the Animal
      Health Trust and the British Equine Veterinary Association.

PMID- 28336682
TI  - Molecular mechanism of mRNA repression in trans by a ProQ-dependent small RNA.
AB  - Research into post-transcriptional control of mRNAs by small noncoding RNAs
      (sRNAs) in the model bacteria Escherichia coli and Salmonella enterica has mainly
      focused on sRNAs that associate with the RNA chaperone Hfq. However, the recent
      discovery of the protein ProQ as a common binding partner that stabilizes a
      distinct large class of structured sRNAs suggests that additional RNA regulons
      exist in these organisms. The cellular functions and molecular mechanisms of
      these new ProQ-dependent sRNAs are largely unknown. Here, we report in Salmonella
      Typhimurium the mode-of-action of RaiZ, a ProQ-dependent sRNA that is made from
      the 3' end of the mRNA encoding ribosome-inactivating protein RaiA. We show that
      RaiZ is a base-pairing sRNA that represses in trans the mRNA of histone-like
      protein HU-alpha. RaiZ forms an RNA duplex with the ribosome-binding site of hupA
      mRNA, facilitated by ProQ, to prevent 30S ribosome loading and protein synthesis
      of HU-alpha. Similarities and differences between ProQ- and Hfq-mediated
      regulation will be discussed.

PMID- 28336696
TI  - Time to standardise dry cow therapy terminology.

PMID- 28336700
TI  - Correction.

PMID- 28336704
TI  - Leptospira vaccine in dogs.

PMID- 28336705
TI  - Improving pedigree dog health.

PMID- 28336706
TI  - Improving pedigree dog health.

PMID- 28336707
TI  - Study on the impact of liver fluke infection on the welfare of horses.

PMID- 28336714
TI  - My life with elephants.
AB  - Born and raised in western Nepal, Sarad Paudel saw his first elephant at Chitwan
      National Park, southern Nepal, and resolved to build his career around them.

PMID- 28336716
TI  - Correction to 'Differential effects of food availability on minimum and maximum
      rates of metabolism'.

PMID- 28336717
TI  - Publisher's Expression of Concern: Lactobacillus bulgaricus Prevents Intestinal
      Epithelial Cell Injury Caused by Enterobacter sakazakii-Induced Nitric Oxide both
      In Vitro and in the Newborn Rat Model of Necrotizing Enterocolitis.

PMID- 28336715
TI  - Monitoring Cell-surface N-Glycoproteome Dynamics by Quantitative Proteomics
      Reveals Mechanistic Insights into Macrophage Differentiation.
AB  - The plasma membrane proteome plays a crucial role in inter- and intracellular
      signaling, cell survival, and cell identity. As such, it is a prominent target
      for pharmacological intervention. The relatively low abundance of this
      subproteome in conjunction with challenging extractability and solubility still
      hampers its comprehensive analysis. Here, we combined a chemical glycoprotein
      tagging strategy with mass spectrometry to enable comprehensive analysis of the
      cell-surface glycoproteome. To benchmark this workflow and to provide guidance
      for cell line selection for functional experiments, we generated an inventory of
      the N-linked cell-surface glycoproteomes of 15 standard laboratory human cell
      lines and three primary lymphocytic cell types. On average, about 900 plasma
      membrane and secreted proteins were identified per experiment, including more
      than 300 transporters and ion channels. Primary cells displayed distinct
      expression of surface markers and transporters underpinning the importance of
      carefully validating model cell lines selected for the study of cell surface
      mediated processes. To monitor dynamic changes of the cell-surface proteome in a
      highly multiplexed experiment, we employed an isobaric mass tag-based chemical
      labeling strategy. This enabled the time-resolved analysis of plasma membrane
      protein presentation during differentiation of the monocytic suspension cell line
      THP-1 into macrophage-like adherent cells. Time-dependent changes observed in
      membrane protein presentation reflect functional remodeling during the phenotypic
      transition in three distinct phases: rapid surface presentation and secretion of
      proteins from intracellular pools concurrent with rapid internalization of no
      longer needed proteins and finally delayed presentation of newly synthesized
      macrophage markers. Perturbation of this process using marketed receptor tyrosine
      kinase inhibitors revealed dasatinib to severely compromise macrophage
      differentiation due to an off-target activity. This finding suggests that dynamic
      processes can be highly vulnerable to drug treatment and should be monitored more
      rigorously to identify adverse drug effects.

PMID- 28336720
TI  - Preventing the Progression of AKI to CKD: The Role of Mitochondria.

PMID- 28336719
TI  - Colon Cancer Screening among Patients Receiving Dialysis in the United States:
      Are We Choosing Wisely?
AB  - The American Society of Nephrology recommends against routine cancer screening
      among asymptomatic patients receiving maintenance dialysis on the basis of
      limited survival benefit. To determine the frequency of colorectal cancer
      screening among patients on dialysis and the extent to which screening tests were
      targeted toward patients at lower risk of death and higher likelihood of
      receiving a kidney transplant, we performed a cohort study of 469,574 Medicare
      beneficiaries ages >=50 years old who received dialysis between January 1, 2007
      and September 30, 2012. We examined colorectal cancer screening tests according
      to quartiles of risk of mortality and kidney transplant on the basis of
      multivariable Cox modeling. Over a median follow-up of 1.5 years, 11.6% of
      patients received a colon cancer screening test (57.9 tests per 1000 person
      years). Incidence rates of colonoscopy, flexible sigmoidoscopy, and fecal occult
      blood test were 27.9, 0.6, and 29.5 per 1000 person-years, respectively. Patients
      in the lowest quartile of mortality risk were more likely to be screened than
      those in the highest quartile (hazard ratio, 1.53; 95% confidence interval, 1.49
      to 1.57; 65.1 versus 46.4 tests per 1000 person-years, respectively), amounting
      to a 33% higher rate of testing. Additionally, compared with patients least
      likely to receive a transplant, patients most likely to receive a transplant were
      more likely to be screened (hazard ratio, 1.68; 95% confidence interval, 1.64 to
      1.73). Colon cancer screening is being targeted toward patients on dialysis at
      lowest risk of mortality and highest likelihood of transplantation, but absolute
      rates are high, suggesting overscreening.

PMID- 28336722
TI  - Kim Harmon #SayNoToSuddenCardiacDeath #SuperEverything.

PMID- 28336723
TI  - Ewa Roos #MorningRun #InspirationalLeadership.

PMID- 28336721
TI  - Tubule-Derived Wnts Are Required for Fibroblast Activation and Kidney Fibrosis.
AB  - Cell-cell communication via Wnt ligands is necessary in regulating embryonic
      development and has been implicated in CKD. Because Wnt ligands are ubiquitously
      expressed, the exact cellular source of the Wnts involved in CKD remains
      undefined. To address this issue, we generated two conditional knockout mouse
      lines in which Wntless (Wls), a dedicated cargo receptor that is obligatory for
      Wnt secretion, was selectively ablated in tubular epithelial cells or
      interstitial fibroblasts. Blockade of Wnt secretion by genetic deletion of Wls in
      renal tubules markedly inhibited myofibroblast activation and reduced renal
      fibrosis after unilateral ureteral obstruction. This effect associated with
      decreased activation of beta-catenin and downstream gene expression and preserved
      tubular epithelial integrity. In contrast, fibroblast-specific deletion of Wls
      exhibited little effect on the severity of renal fibrosis after obstructive or
      ischemia-reperfusion injury. In vitro, incubation of normal rat kidney
      fibroblasts with tubule-derived Wnts promoted fibroblast proliferation and
      activation. Furthermore, compared with kidney specimens from patients without
      CKD, biopsy specimens from patients with CKD also displayed increased expression
      of multiple Wnt proteins, predominantly in renal tubular epithelium. These
      results illustrate that tubule-derived Wnts have an essential role in promoting
      fibroblast activation and kidney fibrosis via epithelial-mesenchymal
      communication.

PMID- 28336724
TI  - Quantitative Age-specific Variability of Plasma Proteins in Healthy Neonates,
      Children and Adults.
AB  - Human blood plasma is a complex biological fluid containing soluble proteins,
      sugars, hormones, electrolytes, and dissolved gasses. As plasma interacts with a
      wide array of bodily systems, changes in protein expression, or the presence or
      absence of specific proteins are regularly used in the clinic as a molecular
      biomarker tool. A large body of literature exists detailing proteomic changes in
      pathologic contexts, however little research has been conducted on the
      quantitation of the plasma proteome in age-specific, healthy subjects, especially
      in pediatrics. In this study, we utilized SWATH-MS to identify and quantify
      proteins in the blood plasma of healthy neonates, infants under 1 year of age,
      children between 1-5 years, and adults. We identified more than 100 proteins that
      showed significant differential expression levels across these age groups, and we
      analyzed variation in protein expression across the age spectrum. The plasma
      proteomic profiles of neonates were strikingly dissimilar to the older children
      and adults. By extracting the SWATH data against a large human spectral library
      we increased protein identification more than 6-fold (940 proteins) and confirmed
      the concentrations of several of these using ELISA. The results of this study map
      the variation in expression of proteins and pathways often implicated in disease,
      and so have significant clinical implication.

PMID- 28336725
TI  - Quantitative Shotgun Proteomics Unveils Candidate Novel Esophageal Adenocarcinoma
      (EAC)-specific Proteins.
AB  - Esophageal cancer is the eighth most common cancer worldwide and the majority of
      patients have systemic disease at presentation. Esophageal adenocarcinoma (OAC),
      the predominant subtype in western countries, is largely resistant to current
      chemotherapy regimens. Selective markers are needed to enhance clinical staging
      and to allow targeted therapies yet there are minimal proteomic data on this
      cancer type. After histological review, lysates from OAC and matched normal
      esophageal and gastric samples from seven patients were subjected to LC MS/MS
      after tandem mass tag labeling and OFFGEL fractionation. Patient matched samples
      of OAC, normal esophagus, normal stomach, lymph node metastases and uninvolved
      lymph nodes were used from an additional 115 patients for verification of
      expression by immunohistochemistry (IHC).Over six thousand proteins were
      identified and quantified across samples. Quantitative reproducibility was
      excellent between technical replicates and a moderate correlation was seen across
      samples with the same histology. The quantitative accuracy was verified across
      the dynamic range for seven proteins by immunohistochemistry (IHC) on the
      originating tissues. Multiple novel tumor-specific candidates are proposed and
      EPCAM was verified by IHC.This shotgun proteomic study of OAC used a comparative
      quantitative approach to reveal proteins highly expressed in specific tissue
      types. Novel tumor-specific proteins are proposed and EPCAM was demonstrated to
      be specifically overexpressed in primary tumors and lymph node metastases
      compared with surrounding normal tissues. This candidate and others proposed in
      this study could be developed as tumor-specific targets for novel clinical
      staging and therapeutic approaches.

PMID- 28336727
TI  - Multicentric Castleman disease: consensus at last?

PMID- 28336726
TI  - Proteomic Signature of Acute Liver Failure: From Discovery and Verification in a
      Pig Model to Confirmation in Humans.
AB  - Acute liver failure (ALF) is a fatal condition hallmarked by rapid development.
      The present study aimed to describe the dynamic alterations of serum proteins
      associated with ALF development, and to seek for novel biomarkers of ALF.
      Miniature pigs (n = 38) were employed to establish ALF models by infusing d
      galactosamine (GALN, 1.3 g/kg). A total of 1310 serum proteins were compared in
      pooled serum samples (n = 10) before and 36 h after GALN administration through
      label-free quantitation (LFQ) based shotgun proteomics. Functional analysis
      suggested a significant enrichment of ALF-related proteins involved in energy
      metabolism. Temporal changes of 20 energy metabolism related proteins were
      investigated in individual pigs (n = 8) via parallel reaction monitoring (PRM)
      based targeted proteomics. In addition, mitochondrion degeneration and gene
      expression alteration of aerobic metabolism genes were confirmed in GALN-insulted
      pig liver. In clinical validation study enrolled 34 ALF patients and 40 healthy
      controls, fructose-1,6-bisphosphatase 1 (FBP1) showed a prognostic value for
      short-term survival (30 days) equal to that of the Model of End-stage Liver
      Disease score (ROC-AUC = 0.778). Survival analysis suggested significantly higher
      death-related hazard in ALF patients with higher FBP1 levels (>16.89 MUg/dL) than
      in those with lower FBP1 levels (p = 0.002). Additionally, serum retinol binding
      protein 4 (RBP4) level was found decreased prior to ALT elevation in GALN
      insulted pig model. We also confirmed that serum level of RBP4 is significantly
      lower in ALF patients (p < 0.001) as compared with healthy controls. In summary,
      this translational study, displayed by multistaged proteomics techniques,
      unveiled underlying functional changes related to the development of ALF and
      facilitated the discovery of novel ALF markers.

PMID- 28336728
TI  - Unraveling Castleman: progress in a complex process.

PMID- 28336729
TI  - Platelets: killers of parasites or patients?

PMID- 28336730
TI  - Is CMV in utero the first event in pediatric ALL?

PMID- 28336731
TI  - Platelet granules in vascular integrity.

PMID- 28336732
TI  - Platelet polyphosphate: the long and the short of it.

PMID- 28336733
TI  - A case of bad Carma!

PMID- 28336734
TI  - Time to publication for publicly funded clinical trials in Australia: an
      observational study.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: To examine the length of time between receiving funding and publishing
      the protocol and main paper for randomised controlled trials. DESIGN: An
      observational study using survival analysis. SETTING: Publicly funded health and
      medical research in Australia. PARTICIPANTS: Randomised controlled trials funded
      by the National Health and Medical Research Council of Australia between 2008 and
      2010. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Time from funding to the protocol paper and main
      results paper. Multiple variable survival models examining whether study
      characteristics predicted publication times. RESULTS: We found 77 studies with a
      total funding of $A59 million. The median time to publication of the protocol
      paper was 6.4 years after funding (95% CI 4.1 to 8.1). The proportion with a
      published protocol paper 8 years after funding was 0.61 (95% CI 0.48 to 0.74).
      The median time to publication of the main results paper was 7.1 years after
      funding (95% CI 6.3 to 7.6). The proportion with a published main results paper 8
      years after funding was 0.72 (95% CI 0.56 to 0.87). The HRs for how study
      characteristics might influence timing were generally close to one with narrow
      CIs, the notable exception was that a longer study length lengthened the time to
      the main paper (HR=0.62 per extra study year, 95% CI 0.43 to 0.89). CONCLUSIONS:
      Despite the widespread registration of clinical trials, there remain serious
      concerns of trial results not being published or being published with a long
      delay. We have found that these same concerns apply to protocol papers, which
      should be publishable soon after funding. Funding agencies could set a target of
      publishing the protocol paper within 18 months of funding.

PMID- 28336737
TI  - Comparative effectiveness of different wound dressings for patients with partial
      thickness burns: study protocol of a systematic review and a Bayesian framework
      network meta-analysis.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: Selecting a suitable wound dressing for patients with partial
      thickness burns (PTBs) is important in wound care. However, the comparative
      effectiveness of different dressings has not been studied. We report the protocol
      of a network meta-analysis designed to combine direct and indirect evidence of
      wound dressings in the management of PTB. METHODS AND ANALYSIS: We will search
      for randomised controlled trials (RCTs) evaluating the wound-healing effect of a
      wound dressing in the management of PTB. Searches will be conducted in MEDLINE,
      EMBASE, the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, the Cochrane Wounds
      Group Specialised Register and CINAHL. A comprehensive search strategy is
      developed to retrieve articles reporting potentially eligible RCTs. Besides, we
      will contact the experts in the field and review the conference proceedings to
      locate non-published studies. The reference lists of articles will be reviewed
      for any candidate studies. Two independent reviewers will screen titles and
      abstracts of the candidate articles. All eligible RCTs will be obtained in full
      text to perform a review. Disagreement on eligibility of an RCT will be solved by
      group discussion. The information of participants, interventions, comparisons and
      outcomes from included RCTs will be recorded and summarised. The primary outcome
      is time to complete wound healing. Secondary outcomes include the proportion of
      burns completely healed at the end of treatment, change in wound surface area at
      the end of treatment, incidence of adverse events, etc. ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION:
      The result of this review will provide evidence for the comparative effectiveness
      of different wound dressings in the management of PTB. It will also facilitate
      decision-making in choosing a suitable wound dressing. We will disseminate the
      review through a peer-review journal and conference abstracts or posters. TRIAL
      REGISTRATION NUMBER: PROSPERO CRD42016041574; Pre-results.

PMID- 28336735
TI  - Risk of tuberculosis in patients treated with TNF-alpha antagonists: a systematic
      review and meta-analysis of randomised controlled trials.
AB  - OBJECTIVES: An increased risk of tuberculosis (TB) has been reported in patients
      treated with TNF-alpha antagonists, an issue that has been highlighted in a WHO
      black box warning. This review aimed to assess the risk of TB in patients
      undergoing TNF-alpha antagonists treatment. METHODS: A systematic literature
      search for randomised controlled trials (RCTs) was performed in MEDLINE, Embase
      and Cochrane library and studies selected for inclusion according to predefined
      criteria. ORs with 95% CIs were calculated using the random-effect model.
      Subgroup analyses considered the effects of drug type, disease and TB endemicity.
      The quality of evidence was assessed using the Grades of Recommendation,
      Assessment, Development and Evaluation (GRADE) approach. RESULTS: 29 RCTs
      involving 11 879 patients were included (14 for infliximab, 9 for adalimumab, 2
      for golimumab, 1 for etanercept and 3 for certolizumab pegol). Of 7912 patients
      allocated to TNF-alpha antagonists, 45 (0.57%) developed TB, while only 3 cases
      occurred in 3967 patients allocated to control groups, resulting in an OR of 1.94
      (95% CI 1.10 to 3.44, p=0.02). Subgroup analyses indicated that patients of
      rheumatoid arthritis (RA) had a higher increased risk of TB when treated with TNF
      alpha antagonists (OR 2.29 (1.09 to 4.78), p=0.03). The level of the evidence was
      recommended as 'low' by the GRADE system. CONCLUSIONS: Findings from our meta
      analysis indicate that the risk of TB may be significantly increased in patients
      treated with TNF-alpha antagonists. However, further studies are needed to reveal
      the biological mechanism of the increased TB risk caused by TNF-alpha antagonists
      treatment.

PMID- 28336736
TI  - Identifying possible reasons why female street sex workers have poor drug
      treatment outcomes: a qualitative study.
AB  - AIMS: To explore street sex workers (SSWs) views and experiences of drug
      treatment, in order to understand why this population tend to experience poor
      drug treatment outcomes. DESIGN: In-depth interviews. SETTING: Bristol, UK.
      PARTICIPANTS: 24 current and exited SSWs with current or previous experience of
      problematic use of heroin and/or crack cocaine. FINDINGS: Participants described
      how feeling unable to discuss their sex work in drug treatment groups undermined
      their engagement in the treatment process. They outlined how disclosure of sex
      work resulted in stigma from male and female service users as well as adverse
      interactions with male service users. Participants highlighted that non
      disclosure meant they could not discuss unresolved trauma issues which were
      common and which emerged or increased when they reduced their drug use. As trauma
      experiences had usually involved men as perpetrators participants said it was not
      appropriate to discuss them in mixed treatment groups. SSWs in recovery described
      how persistent trauma-related symptoms still affected their lives many years
      after stopping sex work and drug use. Participants suggested SSW-only services
      and female staff as essential to effective care and highlighted that recent
      service changes were resulting in loss of trusted staff and SSW-only treatment
      services. This was reported to be reducing the likelihood of SSWs engaging in
      drug services, with the resultant loss of continuity of care and reduced time
      with staff acting as barriers to an effective therapeutic relationship.
      CONCLUSIONS: SSWs face many barriers to effective drug treatment. SSW-only
      treatment groups, continuity of care with treatment staff and contact with female
      staff, particularly individuals who have had similar lived experience, could
      improve the extent to which SSWs engage and benefit from drug treatment services.
      Service engagement and outcomes may also be improved by drug services that
      include identification and treatment of trauma-related symptoms.

PMID- 28336738
TI  - Single-stage osseointegrated reconstruction and rehabilitation of lower limb
      amputees: the Osseointegration Group of Australia Accelerated Protocol-2 (OGAAP
      2) for a prospective cohort study.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: Lower limb amputations have detrimental influences on the quality
      of life, function and body image of the affected patients. Following amputation,
      prolonged rehabilitation is required for patients to be fitted with traditional
      socket prostheses, and many patients experience symptomatic socket-residuum
      interface problems which lead to reduced prosthetic use and quality of life.
      Osseointegration has recently emerged as a novel approach for the reconstruction
      of amputated limbs, which overcomes many of the socket-related problems by
      directly attaching the prosthesis to the skeletal residuum. To date, the vast
      majority of osseointegration procedures worldwide have been performed in 2
      stages, which require at least 4 months and up to 18 months for the completion of
      reconstruction and rehabilitation from the time of the initial surgery. The
      current prospective cohort study evaluates the safety and efficacy of a single
      stage osseointegration procedure performed under the Osseointegration Group of
      Australia Accelerated Protocol-2 (OGAAP-2), which dramatically reduces the time
      of recovery to ~3-6 weeks. METHODS AND ANALYSIS: The inclusion criteria for
      osseointegrated reconstruction under the OGAAP-2 procedure are age over 18 years,
      unilateral transfemoral amputation and experiencing problems or difficulties in
      using socket prostheses. All patients receive osseointegrated implants which are
      press-fitted into the residual bone. Functional and quality-of-life outcome
      measures are recorded preoperatively and at defined postoperative follow-up
      intervals up to 2 years. Postoperative adverse events are also recorded. The
      preoperative and postoperative values are compared for each outcome measure, and
      the benefits and harms of the single-stage OGAAP-2 procedure will be compared
      with the results obtained using a previously employed 2-stage procedure. ETHICS
      AND DISSEMINATION: This study has received ethics approval from the University of
      Notre Dame, Sydney, Australia (014153S). The study outcomes will be disseminated
      by publications in peer-reviewed academic journals and presentations at relevant
      clinical and orthopaedic conferences.

PMID- 28336739
TI  - Disparities between research attention and burden in liver diseases: implications
      on uneven advances in pharmacological therapies in Europe and the USA.
AB  - OBJECTIVES: Effective oral therapies for hepatitis B and C have recently been
      developed, while there are no approved pharmacological therapies for alcoholic
      and non-alcoholic fatty liver diseases (ALD and NAFLD). We hypothesise that fewer
      advances in fatty liver diseases could be related to disparities in research
      attention. METHODS: We developed the Attention-to-Burden Index (ABI) that
      compares the research activities during 2010-2014, and an estimate of disease
      burden of these 4 major liver diseases. The resulting ratio reflects either
      overattention (positive value) or inadequate attention (negative value) compared
      with disease burden. The mean research attention and disease burden were
      calculated from 5 and 6 different parameters, respectively. The efficacy rate of
      current pharmacological therapies was assessed from published clinical trials.
      FINDINGS: The mean research attention for hepatitis B and C was 31% and 47%,
      respectively, while NAFLD and ALD received 17% and 5%. The overall burden was 5%
      and 28% for hepatitis B and C, and 17% and 50% for NAFLD and ALD. The calculated
      ABI for hepatitis B and C revealed a +6.7-fold and +1.7-fold overattention,
      respectively. NAFLD received an appropriate attention compared with its burden,
      while ALD received marked inadequate attention of -9.7-fold. The efficacy rate of
      current pharmacological agents was 72% for hepatitis B, 89% for hepatitis C, 25%
      for non-alcoholic steatohepatitis and 13% for alcoholic hepatitis. Importantly,
      we found a positive correlation between the mean attention and the efficacy rate
      of current therapies in these 4 major liver diseases. INTERPRETATION: There are
      important disparities between research attention and disease burden among the
      major liver diseases. While viral hepatitis has received considerable attention,
      there is a marked inadequate attention to ALD. There is a critical need to
      increase awareness of ALD in the liver research community.

PMID- 28336741
TI  - Differences between determinants of in-hospital mortality and hospitalisation
      costs for patients with acute heart failure: a nationwide observational study
      from Japan.
AB  - OBJECTIVES: Although current case-mix classifications in prospective payment
      systems were developed to estimate patient resource usage, whether these
      classifications reflect clinical outcomes remains unknown. The efficient
      management of acute heart failure (AHF) with high mortality is becoming more
      important in many countries as its prevalence and associated costs are rapidly
      increasing. Here, we investigate the determinants of in-hospital mortality and
      hospitalisation costs to clarify the impact of severity factors on these outcomes
      in patients with AHF, and examine the level of agreement between the predicted
      values of mortality and costs. DESIGN: Cross-sectional observational study.
      SETTING AND PARTICIPANTS: A total of 19 926 patients with AHF from 261 acute care
      hospitals in Japan were analysed using administrative claims data. MAIN OUTCOME
      MEASURES: Multivariable logistic regression analysis and linear regression
      analysis were performed to examine the determinants of in-hospital mortality and
      hospitalisation costs, respectively. The independent variables were grouped into
      patient condition on admission, postadmission procedures indicating disease
      severity (eg, intra-aortic balloon pumping) and other high-cost procedures (eg,
      single-photon emission CT). These groups of independent variables were
      cumulatively added to the models, and their effects on the models' abilities to
      predict the respective outcomes were examined. The level of agreement between the
      quartiles of predicted mortality and predicted costs was analysed using Cohen's
      kappa coefficient. RESULTS: In-hospital mortality was associated with patient's
      condition on admission and severity-indicating procedures (C-statistics 0.870),
      whereas hospitalisation costs were associated with severity-indicating procedures
      and high-cost procedures (R2 0.32). There were substantial differences in
      determinants between the outcomes. In addition, there was no consistent
      relationship observed (kappa=0.016, p<0.0001) between the quartiles of in
      hospital mortality and hospitalisation costs. CONCLUSIONS: The determinants of
      mortality and costs for hospitalised patients with AHF were generally different.
      Our results indicate that the same case-mix classifications should not be used to
      predict both these outcomes.

PMID- 28336740
TI  - Towards personalised intra-arterial treatment of patients with acute ischaemic
      stroke: a study protocol for development and validation of a clinical decision
      aid.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: Overall, intra-arterial treatment (IAT) proved to be beneficial in
      patients with acute ischaemic stroke due to a proximal occlusion in the anterior
      circulation. However, heterogeneity in treatment benefit may be relevant for
      personalised clinical decision-making. Our aim is to improve selection of
      patients for IAT by predicting individual treatment benefit or harm. METHODS AND
      ANALYSIS: We will use data collected in the Multicenter Randomized Clinical Trial
      of Endovascular Treatment for Acute Ischemic Stroke in the Netherlands (MR CLEAN)
      trial to analyse the effect of baseline characteristics on outcome and treatment
      effect. A multivariable proportional odds model with interaction terms will be
      developed to predict the outcome for each individual patient, both with and
      without IAT. Model performance will be expressed as discrimination and
      calibration, after bootstrap resampling and shrinkage of regression coefficients,
      to correct for optimism. External validation will be conducted on data of
      patients in the Interventional Management of Stroke III trial (IMS III). Primary
      outcome will be the modified Rankin Scale (mRS) at 90 days after stroke. ETHICS
      AND DISSEMINATION: The proposed study will provide an internationally applicable
      clinical decision aid for IAT. Findings will be disseminated widely through peer
      reviewed publications, conference presentations and in an online web application
      tool. Formal ethical approval was not required as primary data were already
      collected. TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBERS: ISRCTN10888758; Post-results and
      NCT00359424; Post-resultsc.

PMID- 28336742
TI  - Current and potential providers of blood pressure self-screening: a mixed methods
      study in Oxfordshire.
AB  - OBJECTIVES: To (1) establish the extent of opportunities for members of the
      public to check their own blood pressure (BP) outside of healthcare consultations
      (BP self-screening), (2) investigate the reasons for and against hosting such a
      service and (3) ascertain how BP self-screening data are used in primary care.
      DESIGN: A mixed methods, cross-sectional study. SETTING: Primary care and
      community locations in Oxfordshire, UK. PARTICIPANTS: 325 sites were surveyed to
      identify where and in what form BP self-screening services were available. 23
      semistructured interviews were then completed with current and potential hosts of
      BP self-screening services. RESULTS: 18/82 (22%) general practices offered BP
      self-screening and 68/110 (62%) pharmacies offered professional-led BP screening.
      There was no evidence of permanent BP self-screening activities in other
      community settings.Healthcare professionals, managers, community workers and
      leaders were interviewed. Those in primary care generally felt that practice
      based BP self-screening was a beneficial activity that increased the attainment
      of performance targets although there was variation in its perceived usefulness
      for patient care. The pharmacists interviewed provided BP checking as a service
      to the community but were unable to develop self-screening services without a
      clear business plan. Among potential hosts, barriers to providing a BP self
      screening service included a perceived lack of healthcare commissioner and public
      demand, and a weak-if any-link to their core objectives as an organisation.
      CONCLUSIONS: BP self-screening currently occurs in a minority of general
      practices. Any future development of community BP self-screening programmes will
      require (1) public promotion and (2) careful consideration of how best to support
      and reward-the community hosts who currently perceive little if any benefit.

PMID- 28336743
TI  - Is socioeconomic position associated with risk of attempted suicide in rural Sri
      Lanka? A cross-sectional study of 165 000 individuals.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Lower socioeconomic position (SEP) is associated with an increased
      risk of suicidal behaviour in high-income countries, but this association is
      unclear in low-income and middle-income countries. METHODS: We investigated the
      association of SEP with attempted suicide in a cross-sectional survey of 165 233
      Sri Lankans. SEP data were collected at the household (assets, social standing
      (highest occupation of a household member), foreign employment and young (<=40
      years) female-headed households) and individual level (education and occupation).
      Respondent-reported data on suicide attempts in the past year were recorded.
      Random-effects logistic regression models, accounting for clustering, were used
      to investigate the association of SEP with attempted suicide. RESULTS: Households
      reported 398 attempted suicides in the preceding year (239 per 100 000). Fewer
      assets (OR 3.2, 95% CI 2.4 to 4.4) and having a daily wage labourer (ie,
      insecure/low-income job; OR 2.3, 95% CI 1.6 to 3.2) as the highest occupation
      increased the risk of an attempted suicide within households. At an individual
      level, daily wage labourers were at an increased risk of attempted suicide
      compared with farmers. The strongest associations were with low levels of
      education (OR 4.6, 95% CI 2.5 to 8.4), with a stronger association in men than
      women. CONCLUSIONS: We found that indicators of lower SEP are associated with
      increased risk of attempted suicide in rural Sri Lanka. Longitudinal studies with
      objective measures of suicide attempts are needed to confirm this association.
      TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER: NCT01146496; Pre-results.

PMID- 28336744
TI  - Association of respiratory symptoms and asthma with occupational exposures:
      findings from a population-based cross-sectional survey in Telemark, Norway.
AB  - OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study was to estimate the prevalence of respiratory
      symptoms and physician-diagnosed asthma and assess the impact of current
      occupational exposure. DESIGN: Cross-sectional analyses of the prevalence of self
      reported respiratory health and association with current occupational exposure in
      a random sample of the general population in Telemark County, Norway. SETTINGS:
      In 2013, a self-administered questionnaire was mailed to a random sample of the
      general population, aged 16-50, in Telemark, Norway. The overall response rate
      was 33%, comprising 16 099 responders. OUTCOME MEASURES: The prevalence for
      respiratory symptoms and asthma, and OR of respiratory symptoms and asthma for
      occupational groups and exposures were calculated. Occupational exposures were
      assessed using self-reported exposure and an asthma-specific job-exposure matrix
      (JEM). RESULTS: The prevalence of physician-diagnosed asthma was 11.5%. For the
      occupational groups, the category with agriculture/fishery workers and
      craft/related trade workers was associated with wheezing and asthma attack in the
      past 12 months, showing OR 1.3 (1.1 to 1.6) and 1.9 (1.2 to 2.8), respectively.
      The group including technicians and associated professionals was also associated
      with wheezing OR 1.2 (1.0 to 1.3) and asthma attack OR 1.4 (1.1 to 1.9). The JEM
      data show that exposure to flour was associated with wheezing OR 3.2 (1.4 to 7.3)
      and woken with dyspnoea OR 3.5 (1.3 to 9.5), whereas exposures to diisocyanates,
      welding/soldering fumes and exposure to vehicle/motor exhaust were associated
      with dyspnoea OR 2.9 (1.5 to 5.7), 3.2 (1.6 to 6.4) and 1.4 (1.0 to 1.8),
      respectively. CONCLUSIONS: The observed prevalence of physician-diagnosed asthma
      was 11.5%. The 'manual' occupations were associated with respiratory symptoms.
      Occupational exposure to flour, diisocyanates, welding/soldering fumes and
      vehicle/motor exhaust was associated with respiratory symptoms in the past 12
      months and use of asthma medication. However, prospective data are needed to
      confirm the observed associations.

PMID- 28336745
TI  - Sport and scholastic factors in relation to smoking and smoking initiation in
      older adolescents: a prospective cohort study in Bosnia and Herzegovina.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: Sport and scholastic factors are known to be associated with cigarette
      smoking in adolescence, but little is known about the causality of this
      association. The aim of this study was to prospectively explore the relationships
      of different sport and scholastic factors with smoking prevalence initiation in
      older adolescents from Bosnia and Herzegovina. METHODS: In this 2-year
      prospective cohort study, there were 872 adolescent participants (16 years at
      baseline; 46% females). The study consisted of baseline tests at the beginning of
      the third year (September 2013) and follow-up at the end of the fourth year of
      high school (late May to early June 2015). The independent variables were
      scholastic and sport-related factors. The dependent variables were (1) smoking at
      baseline, (2) smoking at follow-up and (3) smoking initiation over the course of
      the study. Logistic regressions controlling for age, gender and socioeconomic
      status were applied to define the relationships between independent and dependent
      variables. RESULTS: School absence at the baseline study was a significant
      predictor of smoking initiation during the course of the study (OR 1.4, 95% CI
      1.1 to 1.8). Those who reported quitting sports at baseline showed an increased
      risk of smoking at the end of the study (OR 1.4, 95% CI 1.1 to 2.0) and of
      smoking initiation (OR 1.8, 95% CI 1.3 to 2.0). Adolescents who reported lower
      competitive achievements in sport were at a higher risk of (1) smoking at
      baseline (OR 1.5, 95% CI 1.1 to 2.1), (2) smoking at follow-up (OR 1.5, 95% CI
      1.1 to 2.1) and (3) smoking initiation (OR 1.6, 95% CI 1.1 to 2.6). CONCLUSIONS:
      In developing accurate antismoking public health policies for older adolescents,
      the most vulnerable groups should be targeted. The results showed that most
      participants initiated smoking before 16 years of age. Therefore, further
      investigations should evaluate the predictors of smoking in younger ages.

PMID- 28336746
TI  - Understanding Dutch practice nurses' adherence to evidence-based smoking
      cessation guidelines and their needs for web-based adherence support: results
      from semistructured interviews.
AB  - OBJECTIVES: Practice nurses in general practices suboptimally adhere to smoking
      cessation guidelines. Since the effectiveness of their smoking cessation support
      is greatest when full adherence to these guidelines is achieved, interventions
      need to be developed to improve practice nurses' guideline adherence, for
      example, by tailoring their content to adherence determinants. However, the
      sociocognitive determinants explaining adherence have not yet been investigated.
      Therefore, this qualitative needs assessment aimed to explore practice nurses'
      current counselling practices, as well as their sociocognitive beliefs related to
      their smoking cessation guideline adherence and their needs regarding web-based
      adherence support. SETTING: Primary care; general practices in the Netherlands.
      PARTICIPANTS: 19 practice nurses, actively involved in smoking cessation
      counselling. METHODS: Semistructured individual interviews, based on the I-Change
      Model and the Diffusion of Innovations Theory, were conducted from May to
      September 2014. Data were systematically analysed using the Framework Method and
      considered reliable (kappa 0.77; % agreement 99%). RESULTS: Respondents felt able
      to be empathic and collaborative during smoking cessation consultations. They
      also reported psychological (eg, low self-efficacy to increase patient motivation
      and arranging adequate follow-up consultations) and practical barriers (eg,
      outdated information on quit support compensation and a perceived lack of high
      quality trainings for practice nurses) to smoking cessation guideline adherence.
      Most respondents were interested in web-based adherence support to overcome these
      barriers. CONCLUSIONS: Sociocognitive determinants influence practice nurses'
      smoking cessation guideline adherence. To improve their adherence, web-based
      tailored adherence support can provide practice nurses with personally relevant
      feedback tailored to individually perceived barriers to smoking cessation
      guideline adherence. More specifically, low self-efficacy levels can be increased
      by peer modelling (eg, presenting narratives of colleagues) and up-to-date
      information can be presented online, enabling practice nurses to use it during
      patient consultations, resulting in more effective communication with their
      smoking patients. TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER: NTR4436; Pre-results.

PMID- 28336749
TI  - FDA outlines conditions for pharmacies to repackage drug products.

PMID- 28336748
TI  - The sweet side of AMPK signaling: regulation of GFAT1.
AB  - Maintaining a steady balance between nutrient supply and energy demand is
      essential for all living organisms and is achieved through the dynamic control of
      metabolic processes that produce and consume adenosine-5'-triphosphate (ATP), the
      universal currency of energy in all cells. A key sensor of cellular energy is the
      adenosine-5'-monophosphate (AMP)-activated protein kinase (AMPK), which is the
      core component of a signaling network that regulates energy and nutrient
      metabolism. AMPK is activated by metabolic stresses that decrease cellular ATP,
      and functions to restore energy balance by orchestrating a switch in metabolism
      away from anabolic pathways toward energy-generating catabolic processes. A new
      study published in a recent issue of Biochemical Journal by Zibrova et al. shows
      that glutamine:fructose-6-phosphate amidotransferase-1 (GFAT1), the rate-limiting
      enzyme of the hexosamine biosynthesis pathway (HBP), is a physiological substrate
      of AMPK. The HBP is an offshoot of the glycolytic pathway that drives the
      synthesis of uridine-5'-diphospho-N-acetylglucosamine, the requisite donor
      metabolite needed for dynamic beta-N-acetylglucosamine (O-GlcNAc) modification (O
      GlcNAcylation) of cellular proteins. O-GlcNAcylation is a nutrient-sensitive post
      translational modification that, like phosphorylation, regulates numerous
      intracellular processes. Zibrova et al. show that inhibitory phosphorylation of
      the GFAT1 residue Ser243 by AMPK in response to physiological or small-molecule
      activators leads to a reduction in cellular protein O-GlcNAcylation. Further work
      revealed that AMPK-dependent phosphorylation of GFAT1 promotes angiogenesis in
      endothelial cells. This elegant study demonstrates that the AMPK-GFAT1 signaling
      axis serves as an important communication point between two nutrient-sensitive
      signaling pathways and is likely to play a significant role in controlling
      physiological processes in many other tissues.

PMID- 28336750
TI  - New drugs and dosage forms.

PMID- 28336751
TI  - Maine pharmacists eye legislation to end drug plans' retroactive fees.

PMID- 28336752
TI  - Alabama pharmacists push for state collaborative therapy law.

PMID- 28336747
TI  - Cross-sectional associations between dietary intake and carotid intima media
      thickness in type 2 diabetes: baseline data from a randomised trial.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: To assess associations between dietary intake and carotid intima media
      thickness (CIMT) by carotid ultrasound (CUS), a surrogate marker of
      cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk, in those with type 2 diabetes. DESIGN: Cross
      sectional analysis of baseline data from 325 participants from three randomised
      controlled trials collected in the same way. SETTING: Risk Factor Modification
      Centre, St. Michael's Hospital, Toronto, Canada. PARTICIPANTS: 325 participants
      with type 2 diabetes, taking oral antidiabetic agents, with an HbA1c between 6.5%
      and 8.0% at screening, without a recent cardiovascular event. MAIN OUTCOME
      MEASURES: CIMT by CUS and associations with dietary intake from 7-day food
      records, as well as anthropometric measures and fasting serum samples. RESULTS:
      CIMT was significantly inversely associated with dietary pulse intake (beta=
      0.019, p=0.009), available carbohydrate (beta=-0.004, p=0.008), glycaemic load
      (beta=-0.001, p=0.007) and starch (beta=-0.126, p=0.010), and directly associated
      with total (beta=0.004, p=0.028) and saturated (beta=0.012, p=0.006) fat intake
      in multivariate regression models adjusted for age, smoking, previous CVD event,
      blood pressure medication, antidiabetic medication and ultrasonographer.
      CONCLUSIONS: Lower CIMT was significantly associated with greater consumption of
      dietary pulses and carbohydrates and lower total and saturated fat intake,
      suggesting a potential role for diet in CVD risk management in type 2 diabetes.
      Randomised controlled trials are anticipated to explore these associations
      further. TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER: NCT01063374.

PMID- 28336755
TI  - Standardizing i.v. infusion concentrations: The time has come.

PMID- 28336753
TI  - Correction.

PMID- 28336756
TI  - Empirical gentamicin dosing based on serum creatinine levels in premature and
      term neonates.
AB  - PURPOSE: Empirical gentamicin dosing based on serum creatinine (SCr) levels in
      premature and term neonates was evaluated. METHODS: This single-center,
      retrospective cohort study was conducted in a standalone children's hospital with
      a level IIIB, 44-bed neonatal intensive care unit (NICU). Data were abstracted
      and collected for all neonates admitted to the NICU from March 5, 2012, through
      March 5, 2014. Patients were included in the study if gentamicin was administered
      within the first 7 days of life, a trough gentamicin level was measured, and the
      neonate had a baseline SCr level measured within the first 24 hours of life. A
      series of logistic regressions was conducted to determine if gentamicin trough
      levels were influenced by gestational age (<=29 weeks [group 1], 30 weeks to 34
      weeks and 6 days [group 2], and >=35 weeks [group 3]) and SCr level (0.81-0.99
      mg/dL [mildly elevated] and >=1 mg/dL [elevated]). RESULTS: Of the 577 neonates
      reviewed during the study period, 507 met the inclusion criteria. Mildly elevated
      and elevated SCr levels were significantly associated with the presence of an
      elevated gentamicin trough (p < 0.001). When the effect of gestational age was
      evaluated, the data suggested that SCr is a strong predictor of elevated
      gentamicin troughs. CONCLUSION: Neonates with a gestational age of >=30 weeks who
      had an SCr level of >=1 mg/dL within the first 12-24 hours of life were more
      likely to have an elevated gentamicin trough level than their counterparts with
      normal SCr levels.

PMID- 28336757
TI  - Development of a bedside scoring system for predicting a first recurrence of
      Clostridium difficile-associated diarrhea.
AB  - PURPOSE: A scoring system for identifying patients at high or low risk for
      recurrent Clostridium difficile-associated diarrhea (CDAD) is described. METHODS:
      A retrospective cohort study was performed using data on adults with CDAD
      admitted to a 3-hospital system from 2009 to 2014. The primary endpoint was the
      rate of recurrent CDAD within 60 days of clinical cure of CDAD. Risk factors for
      CDAD recurrence were identified, and a risk prediction tool was developed using
      multivariate logistic regression. RESULTS: The CDAD cure rate in the study cohort
      (n = 340) was 92.3%; the 60-day recurrence rate was 16.9%. Five factors were
      significantly associated with high recurrence risk: presence of CDAD at
      admission, body temperature of >37.8  degrees C at admission, leukocytosis,
      nosocomial CDAD, and abdominal distention on CDAD presentation. From that
      information a risk prediction tool, the CDAD "recurrence score," was developed (1
      point is assigned for each factor present, for a maximum score of 5). Validation
      testing of the recurrence score indicated an area under the receiver operating
      characteristic curve of 0.72 (95% confidence interval, 0.65-0.80). A score of >=2
      had a negative predictive value of 91%, while a score of >=4 had a positive
      predictive value of 70%. CONCLUSION: If externally validated in future studies, a
      tool for predicting the risk of recurrent CDAD using data readily available at
      the time of presentation could allow clinicians to identify patients at high risk
      for recurrence, address modifiable risk factors, and select tailored treatments
      to improve patient outcomes.

PMID- 28336758
TI  - Evaluation of a pharmacist-led outpatient direct oral anticoagulant service.
AB  - PURPOSE: The impact of a pharmacist-led direct oral anticoagulant (DOAC) service
      on prescription appropriateness and patient adherence was simultaneously
      evaluated. METHODS: In this retrospective analysis, patients age 18 years or
      older for whom a DOAC was prescribed from September 20, 2013, through December
      31, 2014, were identified through electronic medical record review of all DOAC
      prescriptions within the University of Michigan Health System. Patients had their
      DOAC therapy managed by a pharmacist-led DOAC service or by their physician
      (usual care). Primary endpoints included the percentage of patients who had
      appropriate DOAC therapy prescribed at baseline and at follow-up appointments at
      3-6 months. Secondary endpoints included mean medication possession ratios
      (MPRs). RESULTS: A total of 258 patients were included in the study, with 129 in
      each group. Patients in the pharmacist-led DOAC service were significantly more
      likely to have an appropriate combination of DOAC and dosage prescribed for their
      indication at baseline compared with the usual care group (p = 0.009), a finding
      that persisted at follow up (p = 0.016). There was no significant difference
      between groups in the number of patients determined to have an appropriate DOAC
      prescribed for an approved indication (independent of dose) in the pharmacist-led
      service (95.3%) versus usual care (93.0%) at baseline. Patients in the pharmacist
      led service had a greater mean adjusted MPR compared with the usual care group (p
      = 0.0014) over a median follow-up period of 248 days. CONCLUSION: A pharmacist
      led DOAC service increased appropriate dosing of DOACs at baseline and follow up
      as well as patient adherence to therapy.

PMID- 28336759
TI  - Standardizing concentrations of adult drug infusions in Indiana.
AB  - PURPOSE: A multidisciplinary, consensus-driven initiative to promote the use of
      standardized medication concentrations for adult drug infusions across the state
      of Indiana is described. METHODS: To accomplish development of the Indiana
      Standard Concentrations of Adult Drug Infusions List ("the Indiana List"),
      several available lists of i.v. concentrations were compiled, consolidated, and
      compared. Lists of adult standardized i.v. concentrations were primarily drawn
      from Indiana regional patient safety coalitions, published literature, and
      publicly available lists of recommended i.v. concentrations. The standardization
      project, which expanded initial work completed by the Indianapolis Coalition for
      Patient Safety, was conducted in conjunction with Purdue University's Center for
      Medication Safety Advancement, the Indiana Hospital Association, and the 11
      regional patient safety coalitions across the state. RESULTS: After a review of 9
      existing lists of standard i.v. concentrations, an initial list of 69
      concentrations representing a total of 37 medications was derived; 34 of those
      concentrations were represented on at least 1 of the 3 evaluated Indiana regional
      patient safety coalition lists. A statewide interdisciplinary work group of
      representatives of regional patient safety coalitions and 9 health systems
      representing a total of 81 hospitals ranging from academic medical centers to
      critical access hospitals assembled to develop consensus on a final list of
      standard medication concentrations for adult i.v. infusions. CONCLUSION: A final
      list of 28 concentrations of 26 medications was identified for the recommended
      Indiana List by an interdisciplinary work group. A checklist of considerations
      for implementation was also developed.

PMID- 28336760
TI  - Analysis of variations in the display of drug names in computerized prescriber
      order-entry systems.
AB  - PURPOSE: The variations in how drug names are displayed in computerized
      prescriber-order-entry (CPOE) systems were analyzed to determine their
      contribution to potential medication errors. METHODS: A diverse set of 10
      inpatient and outpatient CPOE system vendors and self-developed CPOE systems in 6
      U.S. healthcare institutions was evaluated. A team of pharmacists, physicians,
      patient-safety experts, and informatics experts created a CPOE assessment tool to
      standardize the assessment of CPOE features across the systems studied.
      Hypothetical scenarios were conducted with test patients to study the medication
      ordering workflow and ways in which medications were displayed in each system.
      Brand versus generic drug name ordering was studied at 1 large outpatient system
      to understand why prescribers ordered both brand and generic forms of the same
      drug. RESULTS: Widespread variations in the display of drug names were observed
      both within and across the 6 study sites and 10 systems, including the
      inconsistent display of brand and generic names. Some displayed drugs differently
      even on the same screen. Combination products were often displayed
      inconsistently, and some systems required prescribers to know the first drug
      listed in the combination in order for the correct product to appear in a search.
      It also appeared that prescribers may have prescribed both brand and generic
      forms of the same medication, creating the potential for drug duplication errors.
      CONCLUSION: A review of 10 CPOE systems revealed that medication names were
      displayed inconsistently, which can result in confusion or errors in reviewing,
      selecting, and ordering medications.

PMID- 28336761
TI  - Impact of an antimicrobial stewardship initiative on time to administration of
      empirical antibiotic therapy in hospitalized patients with bacteremia.
AB  - PURPOSE: The impact of an antimicrobial stewardship initiative on time to first
      antibiotic dose and clinical outcomes in bacteremic patients was evaluated.
      METHODS: A single-center, retrospective study was conducted for adult inpatients
      who received antibiotics before and after implementation of a rapid
      administration of antimicrobials by an infectious diseases specialist (RAIDS)
      protocol. Patients admitted to an inpatient service from June to October 2011
      (pre-RAIDS protocol) and from December 2011 to February 2012 (post-RAIDS
      protocol) were eligible for inclusion if (1) they were age 18 years or older, (2)
      their infection occurred two or more days after hospital admission, and (3) they
      had a blood culture growing an organism other than common skin contaminants
      (i.e., coagulase-negative staphylococci, Bacillus species). The primary outcome
      was the time to the first antibiotic dose (TFAD), defined as the time that
      elapsed from a positive blood culture result to administration of the first
      empirical antimicrobial dose. RESULTS: A total of 111 bacteremic patients were
      included in the analysis. Implementation of the RAIDS protocol led to
      significantly faster antibiotic order entry, verification, and administration of
      empirical antibiotics in patients with bacteremia. The median TFAD was
      approximately 8 hours faster in the post-RAIDS group than in the pre-RAIDS group
      (9:09 hr:min versus 1:23 hr:min, p < 0.001). Patients in the post-RAIDS group had
      a significant reduction in infection-related mortality (p = 0.047), though all
      cause 30-day mortality was similar. CONCLUSION: Early notification of an
      infectious diseases pharmacist about positive blood cultures using the RAIDS
      protocol led to increased appropriateness of empirical drug selection and a
      dramatic reduction in the administration of antibiotics and was associated with
      decreased infection-related mortality.

PMID- 28336762
TI  - Automated detection of look-alike/sound-alike medication errors.
AB  - PURPOSE: The development and evaluation of an algorithm for detecting potential
      medication errors due to look-alike/sound-alike (LASA) drug names are described.
      SUMMARY: A computer algorithm that detects potential LASA errors by analyzing
      medication orders and diagnostic claims data was developed. The algorithm flags a
      potential error when (1) a medication order is not justified by a diagnosis
      documented in the patient's record, (2) another medication whose orthographic
      similarity to the index drug exceeds a specified threshold exists, and (3) the
      latter drug has an indication that matches an active documented diagnosis. A
      review of medication orders and diagnostic claims at a large health system
      identified cases in which cycloserine was ordered but cyclosporine was the
      intended treatment. Subsequent review of all cycloserine orders over a 7-year
      period indicated that 11 of 16 orders were erroneous, prompting placement of an
      alert regarding the potential for LASA errors involving cycloserine and
      cyclosporine in the electronic order-entry system. Automated detection and
      confirmation of LASA errors via chart review can be used retrospectively to
      identify problematic pairs of drug names and to assess associated error rates
      within a healthcare system. The same techniques can be used to prevent errors in
      real time through indication alerts if accurate diagnostic information is
      available at the time of order entry. CONCLUSION: Automated methods involving the
      use of medication orders, diagnostic claims, and indications can be used to
      detect and prevent LASA errors.

PMID- 28336763
TI  - Improving patients' pain experience in a large rural hospital.

PMID- 28336764
TI  - Anti-hyperglycaemic activity of Moringa oleifera is partly mediated by
      carbohydrase inhibition and glucose-fibre binding.
AB  - Moringa oleifera has potential anti-hyperglycaemic effects that have been
      reported earlier by different scientific groups using animal models of diabetes.
      We aimed to explore the possible mechanisms of action of M. oleifera extract
      through different methods. Primarily, we measured fasting blood glucose and
      performed glucose tolerance test, in Type 2 diabetic rats. Further, we studied
      the effects of extracts on pancreatic insulin concentration. Extracts' effect on
      carbohydrate breakdown was assayed using alpha-amylase inhibition assays and
      assay of six different segments of gastrointestinal (GI) tracts. An in situ
      intestinal perfusion model and a glucose fibre assay were performed to see the
      potentiality of M. oleifera on glucose absorption. M. oleifera showed no
      significant change in insulin secretion in vivo Additionally, substantial effect
      of the extract was seen on retarded glucose absorption and in the in situ
      perfusion study of rat intestinal model. alpha-amylase action was inhibited by
      the extract, yet again, these findings were further confirmed via the Six Segment
      assay, where sucrose digestion was found to be inhibited throughout the length of
      the GI tract. A combined in vitro, in vivo and in situ tests justified the
      potential of anti-hyperglycaemic activity of M. oleifera and its tissue level
      mechanism is also justified.

PMID- 28336765
TI  - miR-330-5p suppresses glioblastoma cell proliferation and invasiveness through
      targeting ITGA5.
AB  - The present study intended to investigate the biological effects of miR-330-5p on
      glioblastoma (GBM) cell proliferation and invasiveness by targeting integrin
      alpha5 (ITGA5). The expressions of miR-330-5p and ITGA5 mRNA in GBM cell lines
      (U87, U251, and U373) and normal brain glial cell line (HEB) were detected using
      RT-qPCR. Protein expression of ITGA5 was examined using Western blot. The present
      study used MTT assay, colony formation assay, Transwell assay, wound healing
      assay, and flow cytometry analysis in order to determine the biological functions
      of GBM cells (including cell proliferation, invasion, migration, apoptosis, and
      cell cycle). The present study applied dual-luciferase reporter gene assay to
      identify the target relationship between miR-330-5p and ITGA5. miR-330-5p was low
      expressed in GBM cell lines while ITGA5 was high-expressed compared with HEB. miR
      330-5p could directly target ITGA5 as well as suppress its expression in GBM
      cells. Up-regulation of miR-330-5p and down-regulation of ITGA5 both have an
      inhibitory effect on cell proliferation, invasion, and migration. Meanwhile, they
      could also promote GBM cell apoptosis. miR-330-5p could suppress proliferation
      and invasion of GBM cells through targeting ITGA5.

PMID- 28336766
TI  - Abdominal obesity and gastroesophageal cancer risk: systematic review and meta
      analysis of prospective studies.
AB  - To systematically and quantitatively review the relation of abdominal obesity, as
      measured by waist circumference (WC) and waist to hip ratio (WHR), to total
      gastroesophageal cancer, gastric cancer (GC), and esophageal cancer. PubMed and
      Web of Science databases were searched for studies assessing the association
      between abdominal obesity and gastroesophageal cancer (GC and/or esophageal
      cancer) up to August 2016. A random-effect model was used to calculate the
      summary relative risks (RRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs). Seven
      prospective cohort studies - one publication included two separate cohorts - from
      six publications were included in the final analysis. A total of 2130
      gastroesophageal cancer cases diagnosed amongst 913182 participants. Higher WC
      and WHR were significantly associated with increased risk of total
      gastroesophageal cancer (WC: RR 1.68, 95% CI: 1.38, 2.04; WHR: RR 1.49, 95% CI:
      1.19, 1.88), GC (WC: RR 1.48, 95% CI: 1.24, 1.78; WHR: 1.33, 95% CI: 1.04, 1.70),
      and esophageal cancer (WC: RR 2.06, 95% CI: 1.30, 3.24; WHR: RR 1.99, 95% CI:
      1.05, 3.75).Findings from our subgroup analyses showed non-significant positive
      associations between gastric non-cardia adenocarcinoma (GNCA) and both measures
      of abdominal adiposity, while gastric cardia adenocarcinoma (GCA) was positively
      associated with WC but not with WHR. On analysis restricted to studies that
      adjusted for body mass index (BMI), WC was positively associated with GC and
      esophageal cancer, whereas WHR was positively associated with risk of GC only.
      Although limited, the findings from our meta-analysis suggest the potential role
      of abdominal obesity in the etiology of gastric and esophageal cancers.

PMID- 28336769
TI  - Health workers are vital to sustainable development goals and universal health
      coverage.

PMID- 28336767
TI  - Correlations between ACE single nucleotide polymorphisms and prognosis of
      patients with septic shock.
AB  - The aim of the present study is to investigate association between septic shock
      (SS) and angiotensin I-converting enzyme (ACE) single nucleotide polymorphisms
      (SNPs). From October 2009 to December 2016, 238 SS patients and 242 healthy
      individuals were selected for our study. ACE activity was detected, ACE rs4291
      and rs4646994 polymorphisms were detected using PCR-restriction fragment length
      polymorphism (PCR-RFLP). The Kaplan-Meier survival curve was employed to evaluate
      the association between ACE SNPs and patients' survival and univariate and
      multivariate analyses to estimate risk factors for SS. ACE activity in the case
      group was increased in comparison with the control group. Allele and genotype
      frequencies of rs4291 and rs4646994 were different between the case and control
      groups. The TT genotype frequency of the rs4291 polymorphisms and the DD genotype
      of the rs4646994 polymorphisms of the case group were higher than those in the
      control group. The AT and TT genotypes indicated a significant elevation of ACE
      activity than the AA genotype, while a significant decline was found in the DI
      and II genotypes in comparison with the DI genotype. Patients with TT or DD
      genotypes had increased fatality rate within 7 and 30 days when compared with
      those with non-TT or non-DD genotypes. Lower sepsis-related organ failure
      assessment (SOFA) scores, rs4291, serum ACE and rs4646994 were all considered as
      risky factors for SS patients. The study demonstrates that TT genotype of rs4291
      or DD genotype of rs4646994 may be indicative of a higher risk of SS and a poorer
      prognosis in SS patients.

PMID- 28336768
TI  - Care of girls and women with Turner syndrome: beyond growth and hormones.
AB  - Turner syndrome (TS), although considered a rare disease, is the most common sex
      chromosome abnormality in women, with an incident of 1 in 2500 female births. TS
      is characterized by distinctive physical features such as short stature, ovarian
      dysgenesis, an increased risk for heart and renal defects as well as a specific
      cognitive and psychosocial phenotype. Given the complexity of the condition,
      patients face manifold difficulties which increase over the lifespan.
      Furthermore, failures during the transitional phase to adult care result in
      moderate health outcomes and decreased quality of life. Guidelines on the optimal
      screening procedures and medical treatment are easy to find. However,
      recommendations for the treatment of the incriminating psychosocial aspects in TS
      are scarce. In this work, we first reviewed the literature on the cognitive and
      psychosocial development of girls with TS compared with normal development, from
      disclosure to young adulthood, and then introduce a psychosocial approach to
      counseling and treating patients with TS, including recommendations for age
      appropriate psychological diagnostics. With this work, we aim to facilitate the
      integration of emphasized psychosocial care in state-of-the-art treatment for
      girls and women with TS.

PMID- 28336770
TI  - pTAC10, a Key Subunit of Plastid-Encoded RNA Polymerase, Promotes Chloroplast
      Development.
AB  - Regulation of photosynthetic gene expression by plastid-encoded RNA polymerase
      (PEP) is essential for chloroplast development. The activity of PEP largely
      relies on at least 12 PEP-associated proteins (PAPs) encoded in the nuclear
      genome of plant cells. A recent model proposed that these PAPs regulate the
      establishment of the PEP complex through broad PAP-PEP or PAP-PAP interactions.
      In this study, we identified the Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana) seedling
      lethal mutant ptac10-1, which has defects in chloroplast development, and found
      that the mutant phenotype is caused by the suppression of PLASTID S1 RNA-BINDING
      DOMAIN PROTEIN (pTAC10/PAP3). Analysis of the heterozygous mutant and pTAC10
      overexpressing transgenic plants indicated that the expression level of pTAC10 is
      tightly linked to chloroplast development. Characterization of the interaction of
      pTAC10 with PAPs revealed that pTAC10 interacts with other PAPs, such as FSD2,
      FSD3, TrxZ, pTAC7, and pTAC14, but it does not interact with PEP core enzymes,
      such as rpoA and rpoB. Analysis of pTAC10 interactions using truncated pTAC10
      proteins showed that the pTAC10 carboxyl-terminal region downstream of the S1
      domain is involved in the pTAC10-PAP interaction. Furthermore, overexpression of
      truncated pTAC10s lacking the C-terminal regions downstream of the S1 domain
      could not rescue the ptac10-1 mutant phenotype and induced an abnormal whitening
      phenotype in Columbia-0 plants. Our observations suggested that these pTAC10-PAP
      interactions are essential for the formation of the PEP complex and chloroplast
      development.

PMID- 28336771
TI  - Dimerization in LBD16 and LBD18 Transcription Factors Is Critical for Lateral
      Root Formation.
AB  - LATERAL ORGAN BOUNDARIES DOMAIN/ASYMMETRIC LEAVES2-LIKEs (hereafter referred to
      as LBD) are plant-specific transcription factors that play important roles in a
      plethora of plant growth and development. The leucine (Leu) zipper-like coiled
      coil motif in the lateral organ boundaries domain of the class I LBD proteins has
      been proposed to mediate protein dimerization, but it has not been experimentally
      assessed yet. LBD16 and LBD18 have been well characterized to play important
      roles in lateral root development in Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana). Here, we
      investigated the role of the coiled-coil motif in the dimerization of LBD16 and
      LBD18 and in transcriptional regulation and biological function. We built the
      molecular models of the coiled coil of LBD16 and LBD18, providing the probable
      Leu zipper models of the helix dimer. Using a variety of molecular techniques,
      such as bimolecular fluorescence complementation, luciferase complementation
      imaging, GST pull down, and coimmunoprecipitation assays, we showed that the
      conserved Leu or valine residues in the coiled-coil motif are critical for the
      dimerization of LBD16 or LBD18. Using transgenic Arabidopsis plants that
      overexpress HA:LBD16 or HA:LBD16Q in lbd16 or HA:LBD18 or HA:LBD18Q in lbd18, we
      demonstrated that the homodimerization of LBD18 mediated by the coiled-coil motif
      is crucial for transcriptional regulation via promoter binding and for lateral
      root formation. In addition, we found that the carboxyl-terminal region beyond
      the coiled-coil motif in LBD18 acts as an additional dimerization domain. These
      results provide a molecular basis for homodimerization and heterodimerization
      among the 42 Arabidopsis LBD family members for displaying their biological
      functions.

PMID- 28336773
TI  - ELKS1 helps neuronal synapses diversify.
AB  - Study reveals how neurons vary the properties of individual synapses by
      recruiting different Munc13 proteins to presynaptic active zones.

PMID- 28336772
TI  - GmILPA1, Encoding an APC8-like Protein, Controls Leaf Petiole Angle in Soybean.
AB  - Leaf petiole angle (LPA) is an important plant architectural trait that affects
      canopy coverage, photosynthetic efficiency, and ultimately productivity in many
      legume crops. However, the genetic basis underlying this trait remains unclear.
      Here, we report the identification, isolation, and functional characterization of
      Glycine max Increased Leaf Petiole Angle1 (GmILPA1), a gene encoding an APC8-like
      protein, which is a subunit of the anaphase-promoting complex/cyclosome in
      soybean (Glycine max). A gamma ray-induced deletion of a fragment involving the
      fourth exon of GmILPA1 and its flanking sequences led to extension of the third
      exon and formation of, to our knowledge, a novel 3'UTR from intronic and
      intergenic sequences. Such changes are responsible for enlarged LPAs that are
      associated with reduced motor cell proliferation in the Gmilpa1 mutant. GmILPA1
      is mainly expressed in the basal cells of leaf primordia and appears to function
      by promoting cell growth and division of the pulvinus that is critical for its
      establishment. GmILPA1 directly interacts with GmAPC13a as part of the putative
      anaphase-promoting complex. GmILPA1 exhibits variable expression levels among
      varieties with different degrees of LPAs, and expression levels are correlated
      with the degrees of the LPAs. Together, these observations revealed a genetic
      mechanism modulating the plant petiole angle that could pave the way for
      modifying soybean plant architecture with optimized petiole angles for enhanced
      yield potential.

PMID- 28336774
TI  - In situ structure of the Legionella Dot/Icm type IV secretion system by electron
      cryotomography.
AB  - Type IV secretion systems (T4SSs) are large macromolecular machines that
      translocate protein and DNA and are involved in the pathogenesis of multiple
      human diseases. Here, using electron cryotomography (ECT), we report the in situ
      structure of the Dot/Icm type IVB secretion system (T4BSS) utilized by the human
      pathogen Legionella pneumophila This is the first structure of a type IVB
      secretion system, and also the first structure of any T4SS in situ While the
      Dot/Icm system shares almost no sequence similarity with type IVA secretion
      systems (T4ASSs), its overall structure is seen here to be remarkably similar to
      previously reported T4ASS structures (those encoded by the R388 plasmid in
      Escherichia coli and the cag pathogenicity island in Helicobacter pylori). This
      structural similarity suggests shared aspects of mechanism. However, compared to
      the negative-stain reconstruction of the purified T4ASS from the R388 plasmid,
      the L. pneumophila Dot/Icm system is approximately twice as long and wide and
      exhibits several additional large densities, reflecting type-specific
      elaborations and potentially better structural preservation in situ.

PMID- 28336775
TI  - NELF-E is recruited to DNA double-strand break sites to promote transcriptional
      repression and repair.
AB  - Double-strand breaks (DSBs) trigger rapid and transient transcription pause to
      prevent collisions between repair and transcription machineries at damage sites.
      Little is known about the mechanisms that ensure transcriptional block after DNA
      damage. Here, we reveal a novel role of the negative elongation factor NELF in
      blocking transcription activity nearby DSBs. We show that NELF-E and NELF-A are
      rapidly recruited to DSB sites. Furthermore, NELF-E recruitment and its
      repressive activity are both required for switching off transcription at DSBs.
      Remarkably, using I-SceI endonuclease and CRISPR-Cas9 systems, we observe that
      NELF-E is preferentially recruited, in a PARP1-dependent manner, to DSBs induced
      upstream of transcriptionally active rather than inactive genes. Moreover, the
      presence of RNA polymerase II is a prerequisite for the preferential recruitment
      of NELF-E to DNA break sites. Additionally, we demonstrate that NELF-E is
      required for intact repair of DSBs. Altogether, our data identify the NELF
      complex as a new component in the DNA damage response.

PMID- 28336777
TI  - Switching genes to silent mode near DNA double-strand breaks.

PMID- 28336778
TI  - The Predictive Value of Early In-Treatment 18F-FDG PET/CT Response to
      Chemotherapy in Combination with Bevacizumab in Advanced Nonsquamous Non-Small
      Cell Lung Cancer.
AB  - 18F-FDG PET/CT is potentially applicable to predict response to chemotherapy in
      combination with bevacizumab in patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer
      (NSCLC). Methods: In 25 patients with advanced nonsquamous NSCLC, 18F-FDG PET/CT
      was performed before treatment and after 2 wk, at the end of the second week of
      first cycle carboplatin-paclitaxel and bevacizumab (CPB) treatment. Patients
      received up to a total of 4 cycles of CPB treatment. Maintenance treatment with
      bevacizumab monotherapy was continued until progressive disease without
      significant treatment-related toxicities of first-line treatment. In the case of
      progressive disease, bevacizumab was combined with erlotinib. SUV corrected for
      lean body mass (SUL and SULpeak) were obtained. PERCIST were used for response
      evaluation. These semiquantitative parameters were correlated with progression
      free survival and overall survival (OS). Results: Metabolic response, defined by
      a significant reduction in SULpeak of 30% or more after 2 wk of CPB, was
      predictive of progression-free survival and OS. For partial metabolic responders
      (n = 19), the median OS was 22.8 mo. One-year and 2-y OS were 79% and 47%,
      respectively. Nonmetabolic responders (n = 6) (stable metabolic disease or
      progressive disease) showed a median OS of 4.4 mo (1-y and 2-y OS was 33% and 0%,
      respectively) (P < 0.001). Conclusion:18F-FDG PET/CT after 1 treatment cycle is
      predictive of outcome to first-line chemotherapy with bevacizumab in patients
      with advanced nonsquamous NSCLC. This enables identification of patients at risk
      of treatment failure, permitting treatment alternatives such as early switch to a
      different therapy.

PMID- 28336776
TI  - Apoptosis inhibitor 5 is an endogenous inhibitor of caspase-2.
AB  - Caspases are key enzymes responsible for mediating apoptotic cell death. Across
      species, caspase-2 is the most conserved caspase and stands out due to unique
      features. Apart from cell death, caspase-2 also regulates autophagy, genomic
      stability and ageing. Caspase-2 requires dimerization for its activation which is
      primarily accomplished by recruitment to high molecular weight protein complexes
      in cells. Here, we demonstrate that apoptosis inhibitor 5 (API5/AAC11) is an
      endogenous and direct inhibitor of caspase-2. API5 protein directly binds to the
      caspase recruitment domain (CARD) of caspase-2 and impedes dimerization and
      activation of caspase-2. Interestingly, recombinant API5 directly inhibits full
      length but not processed caspase-2. Depletion of endogenous API5 leads to an
      increase in caspase-2 dimerization and activation. Consistently, loss of API5
      sensitizes cells to caspase-2-dependent apoptotic cell death. These results
      establish API5/AAC-11 as a direct inhibitor of caspase-2 and shed further light
      onto mechanisms driving the activation of this poorly understood caspase.

PMID- 28336779
TI  - Validation of the Semiquantitative Static SUVR Method for 18F-AV45 PET by
      Pharmacokinetic Modeling with an Arterial Input Function.
AB  - Increased brain uptake of 18F-AV45 visualized by PET is a key biomarker for
      Alzheimer disease (AD). The SUV ratio (SUVR) is widely used for quantification,
      but is subject to variability based on choice of reference region and changes in
      cerebral blood flow. Here we validate the SUVR method against the gold standard
      volume of distribution (VT) to assess cross-sectional differences in plaque load.
      Methods: Dynamic 60-min 18F-AV45 (291 +/- 67 MBq) and 1-min 15O-H2O (370 MBq)
      scans were obtained in 35 age-matched elderly subjects, including 10 probable AD,
      15 amnestic mild cognitive impairment (aMCI), and 10 cognitively healthy controls
      (HCs). 18F-AV45 VT was determined from 2-tissue-compartment modeling using a
      metabolite-corrected plasma input function. Static SUVR was calculated at 50-60
      min after injection, using either cerebellar gray matter (SUVRCB) or whole
      subcortical white matter (SUVRWM) as the reference. Additionally, whole
      cerebellum, pons, centrum semiovale, and a composite region were examined as
      alternative references. Blood flow was quantified by 15O-H2O SUV. Data are
      presented as mean +/- SEM. Results: There was rapid metabolization of 18F-AV45,
      with only 35% of unchanged parent remaining at 10 min. Compared with VT,
      differences in cortical Abeta load between aMCI and AD were overestimated by
      SUVRWM (+4% +/- 2%) and underestimated by SUVRCB (-10% +/- 2%). VT correlated
      better with SUVRWM (Pearson r: from 0.63 for posterior cingulate to 0.89 for
      precuneus, P < 0.0001) than with SUVRCB (Pearson r: from 0.51 for temporal lobe
      [P = 0.002] to 0.82 for precuneus [P < 0.0001]) in all tested regions.
      Correlation results for the alternative references were in between those for CB
      and WM. 15O-H2O data showed that blood flow was decreased in AD compared with
      aMCI in cortical regions (-5% +/- 1%) and in the reference regions (CB, -9% +/-
      8%; WM, -8% +/- 8%). Conclusion: Increased brain uptake of 18F-AV45 assessed by
      the simplified static SUVR protocol does not truly reflect Abeta load. However,
      SUVRWM is better correlated with VT and more closely reflects VT differences
      between aMCI and AD than SUVRCB.

PMID- 28336781
TI  - Quantitative Evaluation of 2 Scatter-Correction Techniques for 18F-FDG Brain
      PET/MRI in Regard to MR-Based Attenuation Correction.
AB  - In PET, corrections for photon scatter and attenuation are essential for visual
      and quantitative consistency. MR attenuation correction (MRAC) is generally
      conducted by image segmentation and assignment of discrete attenuation
      coefficients, which offer limited accuracy compared with CT attenuation
      correction. Potential inaccuracies in MRAC may affect scatter correction, because
      the attenuation image (MU-map) is used in single scatter simulation (SSS) to
      calculate the scatter estimate. We assessed the impact of MRAC to scatter
      correction using 2 scatter-correction techniques and 3 MU-maps for MRAC. Methods:
      The tail-fitted SSS (TF-SSS) and a Monte Carlo-based single scatter simulation
      (MC-SSS) algorithm implementations on the Philips Ingenuity TF PET/MR were used
      with 1 CT-based and 2 MR-based MU-maps. Data from 7 subjects were used in the
      clinical evaluation, and a phantom study using an anatomic brain phantom was
      conducted. Scatter-correction sinograms were evaluated for each scatter
      correction method and MU-map. Absolute image quantification was investigated with
      the phantom data. Quantitative assessment of PET images was performed by volume
      of-interest and ratio image analysis. Results: MRAC did not result in large
      differences in scatter algorithm performance, especially with TF-SSS. Scatter
      sinograms and scatter fractions did not reveal large differences regardless of
      the MU-map used. TF-SSS showed slightly higher absolute quantification. The
      differences in volume-of-interest analysis between TF-SSS and MC-SSS were 3% at
      maximum in the phantom and 4% in the patient study. Both algorithms showed
      excellent correlation with each other with no visual differences between PET
      images. MC-SSS showed a slight dependency on the MU-map used, with a difference
      of 2% on average and 4% at maximum when a MU-map without bone was used.
      Conclusion: The effect of different MR-based MU-maps on the performance of
      scatter correction was minimal in non-time-of-flight 18F-FDG PET/MR brain
      imaging. The SSS algorithm was not affected significantly by MRAC. The
      performance of the MC-SSS algorithm is comparable but not superior to TF-SSS,
      warranting further investigations of algorithm optimization and performance with
      different radiotracers and time-of-flight imaging.

PMID- 28336780
TI  - Biodistribution and Radiation Dosimetry for the Tau Tracer 18F-THK-5351 in
      Healthy Human Subjects.
AB  - 18F-THK-5351 is a novel radiotracer that demonstrates high binding selectivity
      and affinity for tau pathology and exhibits better pharmacokinetics in the living
      brain than previous THK tau probes. The aim of the present study was to estimate
      the radiation dose of 18F-THK-5351 in humans and to compare the clinical
      radiation dosimetry results to estimations published previously with preclinical
      data. Methods: Serial whole-body PET/CT imaging was performed for 240 min on 12
      healthy volunteers after injecting 18F-THK-5351 (mean administered activity,
      377.8 +/- 14.0 MBq; range, 340-397 MBq). The bladder and gallbladder were
      delineated on PET images, and the other organs were delineated on CT images.
      Voided urine activity was recorded. The decay-corrected and normalized 18F-THK
      5351 activity of 15 source-organ regions as a function of time was entered into
      the OLINDA/EXM software to calculate the effective dose for each subject
      following the medical internal radiation dosimetry schema. Results: Overall, the
      18F-THK-5351 injection was well tolerated. The highest mean initial uptake at 10
      min after injection was in the liver (11.4% +/- 2.0%), lung (5.7% +/- 2.1%),
      intestine (3.4% +/- 0.8%), and kidney (1.4% +/- 0.3%). The highest mean absorbed
      dose of radiation was in the gallbladder wall (242.2 +/- 105.2 MUGy/MBq), upper
      large intestine (90.0 +/- 15.8 MUGy/MBq), small intestine (79.5 +/- 13.8
      MUGy/MBq), and liver (55.8 +/- 6.1 MUGy/MBq). The resultant whole-body effective
      dose was 22.7 +/- 1.3 MUSv/MBq. Conclusion: Our results suggest that a routine
      injection of 370 MBq of 18F-THK-5351 would lead to an estimated effective dose of
      8.4 mSv; hence, 18F-THK-5351 has a radiation burden similar to that of other
      commonly used clinical tracers. Our findings in humans were compatible with
      recently published preclinical dosimetry data extrapolated from mice.

PMID- 28336783
TI  - Three-Dimensional Dosimetry for Radiation Safety Estimates from Intrathecal
      Administration.
AB  - Intrathecal administration is of growing interest for drug delivery, and its
      utility is being increasingly investigated through imaging. In this work, the 3
      dimensional Voxel-Based Internal Dosimetry Application (VIDA) and 4D Extended
      Cardiac Torso Phantom (XCAT) were extended to provide radiation safety estimates
      specific to intrathecal administration. Methods: The 3-dimensional VIDA dosimetry
      application Monte Carlo simulation was run using a modified XCAT phantom with
      additional and edited cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) regions to produce voxel-level
      absorbed dose per unit cumulated activity maps for 9 selected source regions.
      Simulation validation was performed to compare absorbed dose estimates for common
      organs in a preexisting dosimetry tool (OLINDA/EXM). Dynamic planar imaging data
      were acquired in 6 healthy subjects using administered volumes of 5 or 15 mL (n =
      3 each) of 185 MBq of 99mTc-diethylenetriaminepentaacetic acid. Absorbed dose was
      estimated for each subject using the intrathecal-specific dosimetry application.
      Results: Simulation results were within 6% of OLINDA estimates for common organs.
      Absorbed dose estimates were highest (0.3-0.8 mGy/MBq) in the lumbar CSF space. A
      whole-body effective dose estimate of 0.003 mSv/MBq was observed. An administered
      volume dependency was observed with a 15-mL volume, resulting in lower absorbed
      dose estimates for several intrathecal and nonintrathecal regions. Conclusion:
      The intrathecal-specific VIDA implementation enables tailored dosimetry
      estimation for regions most relevant in intrathecal administration. Absorbed
      doses are highly localized to CSF and spinal regions and should be taken into
      consideration when designing intrathecal imaging studies. A potentially
      interesting relationship was observed between absorbed dose and administered
      volume, which merits further investigation.

PMID- 28336782
TI  - Functional Imaging Signature of Patients Presenting with
      Polycythemia/Paraganglioma Syndromes.
AB  - Pheochromocytoma/paraganglioma (PPGL) syndromes associated with polycythemia have
      previously been described in association with mutations in the von Hippel-Lindau
      gene. Recently, mutations in the prolyl hydroxylase gene (PHD) 1 and 2 and in the
      hypoxia-inducible factor 2 alpha (HIF2A) were also found to be associated with
      multiple and recurrent PPGL. Such patients also presented with PPGL and
      polycythemia, and later on, some presented with duodenal somatostatinoma. In
      additional patients presenting with PPGL and polycythemia, no further mutations
      have been discovered. Because the functional imaging signature of patients with
      PPGL-polycythemia syndromes is still unknown, and because these tumors (in most
      patients) are multiple, recurrent, and metastatic, the goal of our study was to
      assess the optimal imaging approach using 4 different PET radiopharmaceuticals
      and CT/MRI in these patients. Methods: Fourteen patients (10 women, 4 men) with
      confirmed PPGL and polycythemia prospectively underwent 68Ga-DOTATATE (13
      patients), 18F-FDG (13 patients), 18F-fluorodihydroxyphenylalanine (18F-FDOPA)
      (14 patients), 18F-fluorodopamine (18F-FDA) (11 patients), and CT/MRI (14
      patients). Detection rates of PPGL lesions were compared between all imaging
      studies and stratified between the underlying mutations. Results:18F-FDOPA and
      18F-FDA PET/CT showed similar combined lesion-based detection rates of 98.7% (95%
      confidence interval [CI], 92.7%-99.8%) and 98.3% (95% CI, 90.9%-99.7%),
      respectively. The detection rates for 68Ga-DOTATATE (35.3%; 95% CI, 25.0%-47.2%),
      18F-FDG (42.3; 95% CI, 29.9%-55.8%), and CT/MRI (60.3%; 95% CI, 48.8%-70.7%) were
      significantly lower (P < 0.01), irrespective of the mutation status.
      Conclusion:18F-FDOPA and 18F-FDA are superior to 18F-FDG, 68Ga-DOTATATE, and
      CT/MRI and should be the radiopharmaceuticals of choice in this rare group of
      patients.

PMID- 28336785
TI  - Thyroid Cancer: A Comprehensive Guide to Clinical Management.

PMID- 28336784
TI  - Evaluation of the Effect of Fingolimod Treatment on Microglial Activation Using
      Serial PET Imaging in Multiple Sclerosis.
AB  - Traditionally, multiple sclerosis (MS) has been considered a white matter disease
      with focal inflammatory lesions. It is, however, becoming clear that significant
      pathology, such as microglial activation, also takes place outside the plaque
      areas, that is, in areas of normal-appearing white matter (NAWM) and gray matter
      (GM). Microglial activation can be detected in vivo using 18-kDa translocator
      protein (TSPO)-binding radioligands and PET. It is unknown whether fingolimod
      affects microglial activation in MS. The aim of this study was to investigate
      whether serial PET can be used to evaluate the effect of fingolimod treatment on
      microglial activation. Methods: Ten relapsing-remitting MS patients were studied
      using the TSPO radioligand 11C-(R)-PK11195. Imaging was performed at baseline and
      after 8 and 24 wk of fingolimod treatment. Eight healthy individuals were imaged
      for comparison. Microglial activation was evaluated as distribution volume ratio
      of 11C-(R)-PK11195. Results: The patients had MS for an average of 7.9 +/- 4.3 y
      (mean +/- SD), their total relapses averaged 4 +/- 2.4, and their Expanded
      Disability Status Scale was 2.7 +/- 0.5. The patients were switched to fingolimod
      because of safety reasons or therapy escalation. The mean washout period before
      the initiation of fingolimod was 2.3 +/- 1.1 mo. The patients were clinically
      stable on fingolimod. At baseline, microglial activation was significantly higher
      in the combined NAWM and GM areas of MS patients than in healthy controls (P =
      0.021). 11C-(R)-PK11195 binding was reduced (-12.31%) within the combined T2
      lesion area after 6 mo of fingolimod treatment (P = 0.040) but not in the areas
      of NAWM or GM. Conclusion: Fingolimod treatment reduced microglial/macrophage
      activation at the site of focal inflammatory lesions, presumably by preventing
      leukocyte trafficking from the periphery. It did not affect the widespread,
      diffuse microglial activation in the NAWM and GM. The study opens new vistas for
      designing future therapeutic studies in MS that use the evaluation of microglial
      activation as an imaging outcome measure.

PMID- 28336786
TI  - 18F-FDG PET/CT Optimizes Treatment in Staphylococcus Aureus Bacteremia and Is
      Associated with Reduced Mortality.
AB  - Metastatic infection is an important complication of Staphylococcus aureus
      bacteremia (SAB). Early diagnosis of metastatic infection is crucial, because
      specific treatment is required. However, metastatic infection can be asymptomatic
      and difficult to detect. In this study, we investigated the role of 18F-FDG
      PET/CT in patients with SAB for detection of metastatic infection and its
      consequences for treatment and outcome. Methods: All patients with SAB at Radboud
      University Medical Center were included between January 2013 and April 2016.
      Clinical data and results of 18F-FDG PET/CT and other imaging techniques,
      including echocardiography, were collected. Primary outcomes were newly diagnosed
      metastatic infection by 18F-FDG PET/CT, subsequent treatment modifications, and
      patient outcome. Results: A total of 184 patients were included, and 18F-FDG
      PET/CT was performed in 105 patients, of whom 99 had a high-risk bacteremia. 18F
      FDG PET/CT detected metastatic infectious foci in 73.7% of these high-risk
      patients. In 71.2% of patients with metastatic infection, no signs and symptoms
      suggesting metastatic complications were present before 18F-FDG PET/CT was
      performed. 18F-FDG PET/CT led to a total of 104 treatment modifications in 74
      patients. Three-month mortality was higher in high-risk bacteremia patients
      without 18F-FDG PET/CT performed than in those in whom 18F-FDG PET/CT was
      performed (32.7% vs. 12.4%, P = 0.003). In multivariate analysis, 18F-FDG PET/CT
      was the only factor independently associated with reduced mortality (P = 0.005;
      odds ratio, 0.204; 95% confidence interval, 0.066-0.624). A higher comorbidity
      score was independently associated with increased mortality (P = 0.003; odds
      ratio, 1.254; 95% confidence interval, 1.078-1.457). Conclusion:18F-FDG PET/CT is
      a valuable technique for early detection of metastatic infectious foci, often
      leading to treatment modification. Performing 18F-FDG PET/CT is associated with
      significantly reduced 3-mo mortality.

PMID- 28336789
TI  - Percutaneous Therapy for Tricuspid Regurgitation: A New Frontier for
      Interventional Cardiology.

PMID- 28336787
TI  - Probabilistic divergence time estimation without branch lengths: dating the
      origins of dinosaurs, avian flight and crown birds.
AB  - Branch lengths-measured in character changes-are an essential requirement of
      clock-based divergence estimation, regardless of whether the fossil calibrations
      used represent nodes or tips. However, a separate set of divergence time
      approaches are typically used to date palaeontological trees, which may lack such
      branch lengths. Among these methods, sophisticated probabilistic approaches have
      recently emerged, in contrast with simpler algorithms relying on minimum node
      ages. Here, using a novel phylogenetic hypothesis for Mesozoic dinosaurs, we
      apply two such approaches to estimate divergence times for: (i) Dinosauria, (ii)
      Avialae (the earliest birds) and (iii) Neornithes (crown birds). We find: (i) the
      plausibility of a Permian origin for dinosaurs to be dependent on whether
      Nyasasaurus is the oldest dinosaur, (ii) a Middle to Late Jurassic origin of
      avian flight regardless of whether Archaeopteryx or Aurornis is considered the
      first bird and (iii) a Late Cretaceous origin for Neornithes that is broadly
      congruent with other node- and tip-dating estimates. Demonstrating the
      feasibility of probabilistic time-scaling further opens up divergence estimation
      to the rich histories of extinct biodiversity in the fossil record, even in the
      absence of detailed character data.

PMID- 28336788
TI  - Transcatheter Treatment of Severe Tricuspid Regurgitation With the Edge-to-Edge
      MitraClip Technique.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Current surgical and medical treatment options for severe tricuspid
      regurgitation (TR) are limited, and additional interventional approaches are
      required. In the present observational study, the safety and feasibility of
      transcatheter repair of chronic severe TR with the MitraClip system were
      evaluated. In addition, the effects on clinical symptoms were assessed. METHODS:
      Patients with heart failure symptoms and severe TR on optimal medical treatment
      were treated with the MitraClip system. Safety, defined as periprocedural adverse
      events such as death, myocardial infarction, stroke, or cardiac tamponade, and
      feasibility, defined as successful implantation of 1 or more MitraClip devices
      and reduction of TR by at least 1 grade, were evaluated before discharge and
      after 30 days. In addition, functional outcome, defined as changes in New York
      Heart Assocation class and 6-minute walking distance, were assessed. RESULTS: We
      included 64 consecutive patients (mean age 76.6+/-10 years) deemed unsuitable for
      surgery who underwent MitraClip treatment for chronic, severe TR for
      compassionate use. Functional TR was present in 88%; in addition, 22 patients
      were also treated with the MitraClip system for mitral regurgitation as a
      combined procedure. The degree of TR was severe or massive in 88% of patients
      before the procedure. The MitraClip device was successfully implanted in the
      tricuspid valve in 97% of the cases. After the procedure, TR was reduced by at
      least 1 grade in 91% of the patients, thereof 4% that were reduced from massive
      to severe. In 13% of patients, TR remained severe after the procedure.
      Significant reductions in effective regurgitant orifice area (0.9+/-0.3cm2 versus
      0.4+/-0.2cm2; P<0.001), vena contracta width (1.1+/-0.5 cm versus 0.6+/-0.3 cm;
      P=0.001), and regurgitant volume (57.2+/-12.8 mL/beat versus 30.8+/-6.9 mL/beat;
      P<0.001) were observed. No intraprocedural deaths, cardiac tamponade, emergency
      surgery, stroke, myocardial infarction, or major vascular complications occurred.
      Three (5%) in-hospital deaths occurred. New York Heart Association class was
      significantly improved (P<0.001), and 6-minute walking distance increased
      significantly (165.9+/-102.5 m versus 193.5+/-115.9 m; P=0.007). CONCLUSIONS:
      Transcatheter treatment of TR with the MitraClip system seems to be safe and
      feasible in this cohort of preselected patients. Initial efficacy analysis showed
      encouraging reduction of TR, which may potentially result in improved clinical
      outcomes.

PMID- 28336790
TI  - Prioritizing Functional Capacity as a Principal End Point for Therapies Oriented
      to Older Adults With Cardiovascular Disease: A Scientific Statement for
      Healthcare Professionals From the American Heart Association.
AB  - Adults are living longer, and cardiovascular disease is endemic in the growing
      population of older adults who are surviving into old age. Functional capacity is
      a key metric in this population, both for the perspective it provides on
      aggregate health and as a vital goal of care. Whereas cardiorespiratory function
      has long been applied by cardiologists as a measure of function that depended
      primarily on cardiac physiology, multiple other factors also contribute, usually
      with increasing bearing as age advances. Comorbidity, inflammation, mitochondrial
      metabolism, cognition, balance, and sleep are among the constellation of factors
      that bear on cardiorespiratory function and that become intricately entwined with
      cardiovascular health in old age. This statement reviews the essential physiology
      underlying functional capacity on systemic, organ, and cellular levels, as well
      as critical clinical skills to measure multiple realms of function (eg, aerobic,
      strength, balance, and even cognition) that are particularly relevant for older
      patients. Clinical therapeutic perspectives and patient perspectives are
      enumerated to clarify challenges and opportunities across the caregiving
      spectrum, including patients who are hospitalized, those managed in routine
      office settings, and those in skilled nursing facilities. Overall, this
      scientific statement provides practical recommendations and vital conceptual
      insights.

PMID- 28336791
TI  - Faultless responsibility: on the nature and allocation of moral responsibility
      for distributed moral actions.
AB  - The concept of distributed moral responsibility (DMR) has a long history. When it
      is understood as being entirely reducible to the sum of (some) human, individual
      and already morally loaded actions, then the allocation of DMR, and hence of
      praise and reward or blame and punishment, may be pragmatically difficult, but
      not conceptually problematic. However, in distributed environments, it is
      increasingly possible that a network of agents, some human, some artificial (e.g.
      a program) and some hybrid (e.g. a group of people working as a team thanks to a
      software platform), may cause distributed moral actions (DMAs). These are morally
      good or evil (i.e. morally loaded) actions caused by local interactions that are
      in themselves neither good nor evil (morally neutral). In this article, I analyse
      DMRs that are due to DMAs, and argue in favour of the allocation, by default and
      overridably, of full moral responsibility (faultless responsibility) to all the
      nodes/agents in the network causally relevant for bringing about the DMA in
      question, independently of intentionality. The mechanism proposed is inspired by,
      and adapts, three concepts: back propagation from network theory, strict
      liability from jurisprudence and common knowledge from epistemic logic.This
      article is part of the themed issue 'The ethical impact of data science'.

PMID- 28336792
TI  - Data philanthropy and the design of the infraethics for information societies.
AB  - In mature information societies, sharing data is increasingly recognized as a
      crucial means to foster their development. However, competing tensions on data
      control and ownership, limited technical understanding, and the lack of an
      adequate governance framework pose serious challenges to attempts to share data
      among different actors. Data philanthropy, understood as the donation of data
      from both individuals and private companies, has been proposed as means to meet
      these challenges. While at first sight data philanthropy may seem an
      uncontroversial phenomenon, a closer analysis reveals a bewildering network of
      problems. In this article, I analyse the role of data philanthropy in
      contemporary societies and the moral problems that it yields. I argue that the
      solution to these problems rests on the understanding of the infraethical nature
      of data philanthropy and on the design of an ethical framework encompassing the
      right infraethics and the right ethics. This is a framework able to address the
      changes brought about by the information revolution and to harness the
      opportunities that these pose for the prosperity of current and future
      information societies.This article is part of the themed issue 'The ethical
      impact of data science'.

PMID- 28336793
TI  - Compelling truth: legal protection of the infosphere against big data spills.
AB  - The paper explores whether legal and ethical concepts that have been used to
      protect the natural environment can also be leveraged to protect the
      'infosphere', a neologism used by Luciano Floridi to characterize the totality of
      the informational environment. We focus, in particular, on the interaction
      between allocation of (intellectual) property rights and 'communication duties',
      in particular, data breach notification duties.This article is part of the themed
      issue 'The ethical impact of data science'.

PMID- 28336795
TI  - The opportunities and ethics of big data: practical priorities for a national
      Council of Data Ethics.
AB  - In order to generate the gains that can come from analysing and linking big
      datasets, data holders need to consider the ethical frameworks, principles and
      applications that help to maintain public trust. In the USA, the National Science
      Foundation helped to set up a Council for Big Data, Ethics and Society, of which
      there is no equivalent in the UK. In November 2015, the Royal Statistical Society
      convened a workshop of 28 participants from government, academia and the private
      sector, and discussed the practical priorities that might be assisted by a new
      Council of Data Ethics in the UK. This article draws together the views from that
      meeting. Priorities for policy-makers and others include seeking a public mandate
      and informing the terms of the social contract for use of data; building
      professional competence and due diligence on data protection; appointment of
      champions who are competent to address public concerns; and transparency, across
      all dimensions. For government data, further priorities include improvements to
      data access, and development of data infrastructure. In conclusion, we support
      the establishment of a national Data Ethics Council, alongside wider and deeper
      engagement of the public to address data ethics dilemmas.This article is part of
      the themed issue 'The ethical impact of data science'.

PMID- 28336794
TI  - The ethics of smart cities and urban science.
AB  - Software-enabled technologies and urban big data have become essential to the
      functioning of cities. Consequently, urban operational governance and city
      services are becoming highly responsive to a form of data-driven urbanism that is
      the key mode of production for smart cities. At the heart of data-driven urbanism
      is a computational understanding of city systems that reduces urban life to logic
      and calculative rules and procedures, which is underpinned by an instrumental
      rationality and realist epistemology. This rationality and epistemology are
      informed by and sustains urban science and urban informatics, which seek to make
      cities more knowable and controllable. This paper examines the forms, practices
      and ethics of smart cities and urban science, paying particular attention to:
      instrumental rationality and realist epistemology; privacy, datafication,
      dataveillance and geosurveillance; and data uses, such as social sorting and
      anticipatory governance. It argues that smart city initiatives and urban science
      need to be re-cast in three ways: a re-orientation in how cities are conceived; a
      reconfiguring of the underlying epistemology to openly recognize the contingent
      and relational nature of urban systems, processes and science; and the adoption
      of ethical principles designed to realize benefits of smart cities and urban
      science while reducing pernicious effects.This article is part of the themed
      issue 'The ethical impact of data science'.

PMID- 28336796
TI  - The ethics of data and of data science: an economist's perspective.
AB  - Data collection and modelling are increasingly important in social science and
      science-based policy, but threaten to crowd out other ways of thinking.
      Economists recognize that markets embody and shed light on human sentiments.
      However, their ethical consequences have been difficult to interpret, let alone
      manage. Although economic mechanisms are changed by data intensity, they can be
      redesigned to restore their benefits. We conclude with four cautions: if data are
      good, more may not be better; scientifically desirable data properties may not
      help policy; consent is a double-edged tool; and data exist only because someone
      thought to capture and codify them.This article is part of the themed issue 'The
      ethical impact of data science'.

PMID- 28336797
TI  - Privacy is an essentially contested concept: a multi-dimensional analytic for
      mapping privacy.
AB  - The meaning of privacy has been much disputed throughout its history in response
      to wave after wave of new technological capabilities and social configurations.
      The current round of disputes over privacy fuelled by data science has been a
      cause of despair for many commentators and a death knell for privacy itself for
      others. We argue that privacy's disputes are neither an accidental feature of the
      concept nor a lamentable condition of its applicability. Privacy is essentially
      contested. Because it is, privacy is transformable according to changing
      technological and social conditions. To make productive use of privacy's
      essential contestability, we argue for a new approach to privacy research and
      practical design, focused on the development of conceptual analytics that
      facilitate dissecting privacy's multiple uses across multiple contexts.This
      article is part of the themed issue 'The ethical impact of data science'.

PMID- 28336798
TI  - Data science ethics in government.
AB  - Data science can offer huge opportunities for government. With the ability to
      process larger and more complex datasets than ever before, it can provide better
      insights for policymakers and make services more tailored and efficient. As with
      all new technologies, there is a risk that we do not take up its opportunities
      and miss out on its enormous potential. We want people to feel confident to
      innovate with data. So, over the past 18 months, the Government Data Science
      Partnership has taken an open, evidence-based and user-centred approach to
      creating an ethical framework. It is a practical document that brings all the
      legal guidance together in one place, and is written in the context of new data
      science capabilities. As part of its development, we ran a public dialogue on
      data science ethics, including deliberative workshops, an experimental conjoint
      survey and an online engagement tool. The research supported the principles set
      out in the framework as well as provided useful insight into how we need to
      communicate about data science. It found that people had a low awareness of the
      term 'data science', but that showing data science examples can increase broad
      support for government exploring innovative uses of data. But people's support is
      highly context driven. People consider acceptability on a case-by-case basis,
      first thinking about the overall policy goals and likely intended outcome, and
      then weighing up privacy and unintended consequences. The ethical framework is a
      crucial start, but it does not solve all the challenges it highlights,
      particularly as technology is creating new challenges and opportunities every
      day. Continued research is needed into data minimization and anonymization,
      robust data models, algorithmic accountability, and transparency and data
      security. It also has revealed the need to set out a renewed deal between the
      citizen and state on data, to maintain and solidify trust in how we use people's
      data for social good.This article is part of the themed issue 'The ethical impact
      of data science'.

PMID- 28336799
TI  - Locating ethics in data science: responsibility and accountability in global and
      distributed knowledge production systems.
AB  - The distributed and global nature of data science creates challenges for
      evaluating the quality, import and potential impact of the data and knowledge
      claims being produced. This has significant consequences for the management and
      oversight of responsibilities and accountabilities in data science. In
      particular, it makes it difficult to determine who is responsible for what
      output, and how such responsibilities relate to each other; what 'participation'
      means and which accountabilities it involves, with regard to data ownership,
      donation and sharing as well as data analysis, re-use and authorship; and whether
      the trust placed on automated tools for data mining and interpretation is
      warranted (especially as data processing strategies and tools are often developed
      separately from the situations of data use where ethical concerns typically
      emerge). To address these challenges, this paper advocates a participative,
      reflexive management of data practices. Regulatory structures should encourage
      data scientists to examine the historical lineages and ethical implications of
      their work at regular intervals. They should also foster awareness of the
      multitude of skills and perspectives involved in data science, highlighting how
      each perspective is partial and in need of confrontation with others. This
      approach has the potential to improve not only the ethical oversight for data
      science initiatives, but also the quality and reliability of research
      outputs.This article is part of the themed issue 'The ethical impact of data
      science'.

PMID- 28336801
TI  - What's the good of a science platform?

PMID- 28336800
TI  - The ethics of big data as a public good: which public? Whose good?
AB  - International development and humanitarian organizations are increasingly calling
      for digital data to be treated as a public good because of its value in
      supplementing scarce national statistics and informing interventions, including
      in emergencies. In response to this claim, a 'responsible data' movement has
      evolved to discuss guidelines and frameworks that will establish ethical
      principles for data sharing. However, this movement is not gaining traction with
      those who hold the highest-value data, particularly mobile network operators who
      are proving reluctant to make data collected in low- and middle-income countries
      accessible through intermediaries. This paper evaluates how the argument for
      'data as a public good' fits with the corporate reality of big data, exploring
      existing models for data sharing. I draw on the idea of corporate data as an
      ecosystem involving often conflicting rights, duties and claims, in comparison to
      the utilitarian claim that data's humanitarian value makes it imperative to share
      them. I assess the power dynamics implied by the idea of data as a public good,
      and how differing incentives lead actors to adopt particular ethical positions
      with regard to the use of data.This article is part of the themed issue 'The
      ethical impact of data science'.

PMID- 28336802
TI  - The dynamics of big data and human rights: the case of scientific research.
AB  - In this paper, we address the complex relationship between big data and human
      rights. Because this is a vast terrain, we restrict our focus in two main ways.
      First, we concentrate on big data applications in scientific research, mostly
      health-related research. And, second, we concentrate on two human rights: the
      familiar right to privacy and the less well-known right to science. Our
      contention is that human rights interact in potentially complex ways with big
      data, not only constraining it, but also enabling it in various ways; and that
      such rights are dynamic in character, rather than fixed once and for all,
      changing in their implications over time in line with changes in the context we
      inhabit, and also as they interact among themselves in jointly responding to the
      opportunities and risks thrown up by a changing world. Understanding this dynamic
      interaction of human rights is crucial for formulating an ethic tailored to the
      realities-the new capabilities and risks-of the rapidly evolving digital
      environment.This article is part of the themed issue 'The ethical impact of data
      science'.

PMID- 28336804
TI  - Beyond privacy and exposure: ethical issues within citizen-facing analytics.
AB  - We discuss the governing forces for analytics, especially concerning citizens'
      behaviours and their transactions, that depend on which of three spheres of
      operation an institution is in (corporate, public sector/government and
      academic). We argue that aspirations and missions also differ by sphere even as
      digital spaces have drawn these spheres ever closer together. We propose that
      citizens' expectations and implicit permissions for any exploitation of their
      data require the perception of a fair balance of benefits, which should be
      transparent (accessible to citizens) and justifiable. We point out that within
      the corporate sphere most analytics does not concern identity, targeted marketing
      nor any direct interference with individual citizens; but instead it supports
      strategic decision-making, where the data are effectively anonymous. With the
      three spheres we discuss the nature of models deployed in analytics, including
      'black-box' modelling uncheckable by a human mind, and the need to track the
      provenance and workings or models. We also examine the recent evolution of
      personal data, where some behaviours, or tokens, identifying individuals (unique
      and yet non-random) are partially and jointly owned by other individuals that are
      themselves connected. We consider the ability of heavily and lightly regulated
      sectors to increase access or to stifle innovation. We also call for clear and
      inclusive definitions of 'data science and analytics', avoiding the narrow claims
      of those in technical sub-sectors or sub-themes. Finally, we examine some
      examples of unethical and abusive practices. We argue for an ethical
      responsibility to be placed upon professional data scientists to avoid abuses in
      the future.This article is part of the themed issue 'The ethical impact of data
      science'.

PMID- 28336803
TI  - Facilitating the ethical use of health data for the benefit of society:
      electronic health records, consent and the duty of easy rescue.
AB  - Advances in data science allow for sophisticated analysis of increasingly large
      datasets. In the medical context, large volumes of data collected for healthcare
      purposes are contained in electronic health records (EHRs). The real-life
      character and sheer amount of data contained in them make EHRs an attractive
      resource for public health and biomedical research. However, medical records
      contain sensitive information that could be misused by third parties. Medical
      confidentiality and respect for patients' privacy and autonomy protect patient
      data, barring access to health records unless consent is given by the data
      subject. This creates a situation in which much of the beneficial records-based
      research is prevented from being used or is seriously undermined, because the
      refusal of consent by some patients introduces a systematic deviation, known as
      selection bias, from a representative sample of the general population, thus
      distorting research findings. Although research exemptions for the requirement of
      informed consent exist, they are rarely used in practice due to concerns over
      liability and a general culture of caution. In this paper, we argue that the
      problem of research access to sensitive data can be understood as a tension
      between the medical duties of confidentiality and beneficence. We attempt to show
      that the requirement of informed consent is not appropriate for all kinds of
      records-based research by distinguishing studies involving minimal risk from
      those that feature moderate or greater risks. We argue that the duty of easy
      rescue-the principle that persons should benefit others when this can be done at
      no or minimal risk to themselves-grounds the removal of consent requirements for
      minimally risky records-based research. Drawing on this discussion, we propose a
      risk-adapted framework for the facilitation of ethical uses of health data for
      the benefit of society.This article is part of the themed issue 'The ethical
      impact of data science'.

PMID- 28336805
TI  - What is data ethics?
AB  - This theme issue has the founding ambition of landscaping data ethics as a new
      branch of ethics that studies and evaluates moral problems related to data
      (including generation, recording, curation, processing, dissemination, sharing
      and use), algorithms (including artificial intelligence, artificial agents,
      machine learning and robots) and corresponding practices (including responsible
      innovation, programming, hacking and professional codes), in order to formulate
      and support morally good solutions (e.g. right conducts or right values). Data
      ethics builds on the foundation provided by computer and information ethics but,
      at the same time, it refines the approach endorsed so far in this research field,
      by shifting the level of abstraction of ethical enquiries, from being information
      centric to being data-centric. This shift brings into focus the different moral
      dimensions of all kinds of data, even data that never translate directly into
      information but can be used to support actions or generate behaviours, for
      example. It highlights the need for ethical analyses to concentrate on the
      content and nature of computational operations-the interactions among hardware,
      software and data-rather than on the variety of digital technologies that enable
      them. And it emphasizes the complexity of the ethical challenges posed by data
      science. Because of such complexity, data ethics should be developed from the
      start as a macroethics, that is, as an overall framework that avoids narrow, ad
      hoc approaches and addresses the ethical impact and implications of data science
      and its applications within a consistent, holistic and inclusive framework. Only
      as a macroethics will data ethics provide solutions that can maximize the value
      of data science for our societies, for all of us and for our environments.This
      article is part of the themed issue 'The ethical impact of data science'.

PMID- 28336807
TI  - PMP22 Regulates Self-Renewal and Chemoresistance of Gastric Cancer Cells.
AB  - Cancer stem cells possess self-renewal and chemoresistance activities. However,
      the manner in which these features are maintained remains obscure. We sought to
      identify cell surface protein(s) that mark self-renewing and chemoresistant
      gastric cancer cells using the explorer antibody microarray. We identified PMP22,
      a target gene of the Wnt/beta-catenin pathway, as the most upregulated cell
      surface protein in gastric cancer xenografts exposed to cisplatin (DDP). PMP22
      expression was markedly upregulated in tumorspheric cells and declined with
      differentiation. Infecting gastric cancer cells with lentivirus expressing PMP22
      shRNAs reduced proliferation, tumorsphere formation, and chemoresistance to
      cisplatin in vitro and in NOD/SCID mice. When combined with bortezomib, a PMP22
      inhibitor, the chemotherapeutic sensitivity to cisplatin treatment was
      dramatically increased by inducing cell apoptosis in cultured cells and xenograft
      mouse models. Finally, mRNA expression levels of PMP22 were detected in 38 tumor
      specimens from patients who received six cycles of perioperative chemotherapy. A
      strong correlation between PMP22 level and tumor recurrence was revealed, thus
      showing a pivotal role of PMP22 in the clinical chemoresistance of gastric
      cancer. Our study is the first to show the role of PMP22 in gastric cancer
      stemness and chemoresistance and reveals a potential new target for the diagnosis
      and treatment of recurrent gastric cancer. Mol Cancer Ther; 16(6); 1187-98.
      (c)2017 AACR.

PMID- 28336806
TI  - Fluorouracil Enhances Photodynamic Therapy of Squamous Cell Carcinoma via a p53
      Independent Mechanism that Increases Protoporphyrin IX levels and Tumor Cell
      Death.
AB  - Photodynamic therapy (PDT), using 5-aminolevulinic acid (ALA) to drive synthesis
      of protoporphryin IX (PpIX) is a promising, scar-free alternative to surgery for
      skin cancers, including squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) and SCC precursors called
      actinic keratoses. In the United States, PDT is only FDA approved for treatment
      of actinic keratoses; this narrow range of indications could be broadened if PDT
      efficacy were improved. Toward that goal, we developed a mechanism-based
      combination approach using 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) as a neoadjuvant for ALA-based
      PDT. In mouse models of SCC (orthotopic UV-induced lesions, and subcutaneous A431
      and 4T1 tumors), pretreatment with 5-FU for 3 days followed by ALA for 4 hours
      led to large, tumor-selective increases in PpIX levels, and enhanced cell death
      upon illumination. Several mechanisms were identified that might explain the
      relatively improved therapeutic response. First, the expression of key enzymes in
      the heme synthesis pathway was altered, including upregulated coproporphyrinogen
      oxidase and downregulated ferrochelatase. Second, a 3- to 6-fold induction of p53
      in 5-FU-pretreated tumors was noted. The fact that A431 contains a mutant form
      p53 did not prevent the development of a neoadjuvantal 5-FU effect. Furthermore,
      5-FU pretreatment of 4T1 tumors (cells that completely lack p53), still led to
      significant beneficial inductions, that is, 2.5-fold for both PpIX and PDT
      induced cell death. Thus, neoadjuvantal 5-FU combined with PDT represents a new
      therapeutic approach that appears useful even for p53-mutant and p53-null tumors.
      Mol Cancer Ther; 16(6); 1092-101. (c)2017 AACR.

PMID- 28336809
TI  - Lectin, Galactoside-Binding Soluble 3 Binding Protein Promotes 17-N-Allylamino-17
      demethoxygeldanamycin Resistance through PI3K/Akt Pathway in Lung Cancer Cell
      Line.
AB  - Heat shock protein 90 (HSP90) stabilizing oncoproteins has been an attractive
      target in cancer therapy. 17-N-Allylamino-17-demethoxygeldanamycin (17-AAG), an
      HSP90 inhibitor, was tested in phase II/III clinical trials, but due to lack of
      efficacy, clinical evaluation of 17-AAG has achieved limited success, which led
      to resistance to 17-AAG. However, the mechanism of 17-AAG resistance has not
      clearly been identified. Here, we identified LGALS3BP (Lectin, galactoside
      binding soluble 3 binding protein), a secretory glycoprotein, as a 17-AAG
      resistance factor. In the clinical reports, it was suggested that LGALS3BP was
      associated with low survival rate, development of cancer progression, and
      enhancement of metastasis in human cancers. As we confirmed that the LGALS3BP
      level was increased in 17-AAG-resistant cells (H1299_17R) compared with that of
      the parental cell line (H1299_17P), knockdown of LGALS3BP expression increased
      sensitivity to 17-AAG in H1299_17R cells. Overexpression of LGALS3BP also
      augmented PI3K/Akt and ERK signaling pathways. Furthermore, we determined that
      the PI3K/Akt signaling pathway was involved in LGALS3BP-mediated 17-AAG
      resistance in vitro and in vivo, demonstrating that LGALS3BP mediates the
      resistance against 17-AAG through PI3K/Akt activation rather than ERK activation.
      These findings suggest that LGALS3BP would be a target to overcome resistance to
      17-AAG in lung cancer. For example, the combination of 17-AAG and PI3K/Akt
      inhibitor would effectively suppress acquired resistance to 17-AAG. In
      conclusion, targeting of LGALS3BP-mediated-specific survival signaling pathway in
      resistant cells may provide a novel therapeutic model for the cancer therapy. Mol
      Cancer Ther; 16(7); 1355-65. (c)2017 AACR.

PMID- 28336811
TI  - The circadian protein BMAL1 in myeloid cells is a negative regulator of allergic
      asthma.
AB  - Our body clock drives rhythms in the expression of genes that have a 24-h
      periodicity. The transcription factor BMAL1 is a crucial component of the
      molecular clock. A number of physiological processes, including immune function,
      are modulated by the circadian clock. Asthma, a disease with very strong clinical
      evidence demonstrating regulation by circadian variation, is of particular
      relevance to circadian control of immunity. Airway hypersensitivity and asthma
      attacks are more common at night in humans. The molecular basis for this is
      unknown, and there is no model of asthma in animals with genetic distortion of
      the molecular clock. We used mice lacking BMAL1 in myeloid cells (BMAL1-LysM-/-)
      to determine the role of BMAL1 in allergic asthma. Using the ovalbumin model of
      allergic asthma, we demonstrated markedly increased asthma features, such as
      increased lung inflammation, demonstrated by drastically higher numbers of
      eosinophils and increased IL-5 levels in the lung and serum, in BMAL1-LysM-/-
      mice. In vitro studies demonstrated increased proinflammatory chemokine and
      mannose receptor expression in IL-4- as well as LPS-treated macrophages from
      BMAL1-LysM-/- mice compared with wild-type controls. This suggests that Bmal1 is
      a potent negative regulator in myeloid cells in the context of allergic asthma.
      Our findings might explain the increase in asthma incidents during the night,
      when BMAL1 expression is low.

PMID- 28336808
TI  - Potent Dual BET Bromodomain-Kinase Inhibitors as Value-Added Multitargeted
      Chemical Probes and Cancer Therapeutics.
AB  - Synergistic action of kinase and BET bromodomain inhibitors in cell killing has
      been reported for a variety of cancers. Using the chemical scaffold of the JAK2
      inhibitor TG101348, we developed and characterized single agents which potently
      and simultaneously inhibit BRD4 and a specific set of oncogenic tyrosine kinases
      including JAK2, FLT3, RET, and ROS1. Lead compounds showed on-target inhibition
      in several blood cancer cell lines and were highly efficacious at inhibiting the
      growth of hematopoietic progenitor cells from patients with myeloproliferative
      neoplasm. Screening across 931 cancer cell lines revealed differential growth
      inhibitory potential with highest activity against bone and blood cancers and
      greatly enhanced activity over the single BET inhibitor JQ1. Gene drug
      sensitivity analyses and drug combination studies indicate synergism of BRD4 and
      kinase inhibition as a plausible reason for the superior potency in cell killing.
      Combined, our findings indicate promising potential of these agents as novel
      chemical probes and cancer therapeutics. Mol Cancer Ther; 16(6); 1054-67. (c)2017
      AACR.

PMID- 28336810
TI  - Role of transient receptor potential vanilloid 1 in the modulation of airway
      smooth muscle tone and calcium handling.
AB  - Asthma is a common disorder characterized, in part, by airway smooth muscle (ASM)
      hyperresponsiveness. Transient receptor potential vanilloid 1 (TRPV1) is a
      nonselective cation channel expressed on airway nerve fibers that modulates
      afferent signals, resulting in cough, and potentially bronchoconstriction. In the
      present study, the TRPV1 transcript was detected by RT-PCR in primary cultured
      human ASM cells, and the TRPV1 protein was detected in ASM of human trachea by
      immunohistochemistry. Proximity ligation assays suggest that TRPV1 is expressed
      in the sarcoplasmic reticulum membrane of human ASM cells in close association
      with sarco/endoplasmic reticulum Ca2+-ATPase-2. In guinea pig tracheal ring organ
      bath experiments, the TRPV1 agonist capsaicin led to ASM contraction, but this
      contraction was significantly attenuated by the sodium channel inhibitor
      bupivacaine (n = 4, P < 0.05) and the neurokinin-2 receptor antagonist GR-159897
      (n = 4, P < 0.05), suggesting that this contraction is neutrally mediated.
      However, pretreatment of guinea pig and human ASM in organ bath experiments with
      the TRPV1 antagonist capsazepine inhibited the maintenance phase of an
      acetylcholine-induced contraction (n = 4, P < 0.01 for both species). Similarly,
      capsazepine inhibited methacholine-induced contraction of peripheral airways in
      mouse precision-cut lung slice (PCLS) experiments (n = 4-5, P < 0.05). Although
      capsazepine did not inhibit store-operated calcium entry in mouse ASM cells in
      PCLS (n = 4-7, P = nonsignificant), it did inhibit calcium oscillations (n = 3, P
      < 0.001). These studies suggest that TRPV1 is expressed on ASM, including the SR,
      but that ASM TRPV1 activation does not play a significant role in initiation of
      ASM contraction. However, capsazepine does inhibit maintenance of contraction,
      likely by inhibiting calcium oscillations.

PMID- 28336812
TI  - TGF-beta1 stimulates HDAC4 nucleus-to-cytoplasm translocation and NADPH oxidase 4
      derived reactive oxygen species in normal human lung fibroblasts.
AB  - Myofibroblasts are important mediators of fibrogenesis; thus blocking fibroblast
      to-myofibroblast differentiation (FMD) may be an effective strategy to treat
      pulmonary fibrosis (PF). Previously, we reported that histone deacetylase 4
      (HDAC4) activity is necessary for transforming growth factor-beta1 (TGF-beta1)
      induced human lung FMD. Here, we show that TGF-beta1 increases NADPH oxidase 4
      (NOX4) mRNA and protein expression in normal human lung fibroblasts (NHLFs) and
      causes nuclear export of HDAC4. Application of the NOX family inhibitor
      diphenyleneiodonium chloride reduces TGF-beta1-induced HDAC4 nuclear export,
      expression of the myofibroblast marker alpha-smooth muscle actin (alpha-SMA), and
      alpha-SMA fiber formation. Inhibition of HDAC4 nucleus-to-cytoplasm translocation
      using leptomycin B (LMB) had little effect on alpha-SMA expression but blocked
      alpha-SMA fiber formation. A coimmunoprecipitation assay showed that HDAC4
      associates with alpha-SMA. Moreover, LMB abolishes TGF-beta1-induced alpha-SMA
      fiber formation and cell contraction. Relevant to human pulmonary fibrosis,
      idiopathic PF specimens showed significantly higher NOX4 RNA expression and scant
      HDAC4 staining within nuclei of fibroblast foci myofibroblasts. Taken together,
      these results indicate that reactive oxygen species promote TGF-beta1-mediated
      myofibroblast differentiation and HDAC4 nuclear export. The physical association
      of HDAC4 with alpha-SMA suggests that HDAC4 has a role in regulating the alpha
      SMA cytoskeleton arrangement.

PMID- 28336813
TI  - The innate immune response in fetal lung mesenchymal cells targets VEGFR2
      expression and activity.
AB  - In preterm infants, soluble inflammatory mediators target lung mesenchymal cells,
      disrupting airway and alveolar morphogenesis. However, how mesenchymal cells
      respond directly to microbial stimuli remains poorly characterized. Our objective
      was to measure the genome-wide innate immune response in fetal lung mesenchymal
      cells exposed to the bacterial endotoxin lipopolysaccharide (LPS). With the use
      of Affymetrix MoGene 1.0st arrays, we showed that LPS induced expression of
      unique innate immune transcripts heavily weighted toward CC and CXC family
      chemokines. The transcriptional response was different between cells from E11,
      E15, and E18 mouse lungs. In all cells tested, LPS inhibited expression of a
      small core group of genes including the VEGF receptor Vegfr2 Although best
      characterized in vascular endothelial populations, we demonstrated here that
      fetal mouse lung mesenchymal cells express Vegfr2 and respond to VEGF-A
      stimulation. In mesenchymal cells, VEGF-A increased cell migration, activated the
      ERK/AKT pathway, and promoted FOXO3A nuclear exclusion. With the use of an
      experimental coculture model of epithelial-mesenchymal interactions, we also
      showed that VEGFR2 inhibition prevented formation of three-dimensional
      structures. Both LPS and tyrosine kinase inhibition reduced three-dimensional
      structure formation. Our data suggest a novel mechanism for inflammation-mediated
      defects in lung development involving reduced VEGF signaling in lung mesenchyme.

PMID- 28336814
TI  - Airway smooth muscle dysfunction in Pompe (Gaa-/- ) mice.
AB  - Pompe disease is an autosomal recessive disorder caused by a deficiency of acid
      alpha-glucosidase (GAA), an enzyme responsible for hydrolyzing lysosomal
      glycogen. Deficiency of GAA leads to systemic glycogen accumulation in the
      lysosomes of skeletal muscle, motor neurons, and smooth muscle. Skeletal muscle
      and motor neuron pathology are known to contribute to respiratory insufficiency
      in Pompe disease, but the role of airway pathology has not been evaluated. Here
      we propose that GAA enzyme deficiency disrupts the function of the trachea and
      bronchi and this lower airway pathology contributes to respiratory insufficiency
      in Pompe disease. Using an established mouse model of Pompe disease, the Gaa-/-
      mouse, we compared histology, pulmonary mechanics, airway smooth muscle (ASM)
      function, and calcium signaling between Gaa-/- and age-matched wild-type (WT)
      mice. Lysosomal glycogen accumulation was observed in the smooth muscle of both
      the bronchi and the trachea in Gaa-/- but not WT mice. Furthermore, Gaa-/- mice
      had hyporesponsive airway resistance and bronchial ring contraction to the
      bronchoconstrictive agents methacholine (MCh) and potassium chloride (KCl) and to
      a bronchodilator (albuterol). Finally, calcium signaling during bronchiolar
      smooth muscle contraction was impaired in Gaa-/- mice indicating impaired
      extracellular calcium influx. We conclude that GAA enzyme deficiency leads to
      glycogen accumulation in the trachea and bronchi and impairs the ability of lower
      ASM to regulate calcium and respond appropriately to bronchodilator or
      constrictors. Accordingly, ASM dysfunction may contribute to respiratory
      impairments in Pompe disease.

PMID- 28336815
TI  - Can Renal Biopsy Be Used to Estimate Total Nephron Number?

PMID- 28336816
TI  - Glomerular Density and Volume in Renal Biopsy Specimens of Children with
      Proteinuria Relative to Preterm Birth and Gestational Age.
AB  - BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: A low total nephron number, which is associated with
      low birth weight (LBW), may indicate increased susceptibility to early-onset
      renal diseases in children. However, few studies have assessed renal biopsy
      findings in LBW children. We examined the relationship between LBW and glomerular
      density (GD) and/or glomerular volume (GV) in renal biopsy samples as a surrogate
      for total nephron number. DESIGN, SETTING, PARTICIPANTS, & MEASUREMENTS: Renal
      biopsy findings of children of LBW were compared with those of age-matched
      control subjects of normal birth weight (NBW) who were histopathologically
      diagnosed with FSGS or minimal change nephrotic syndrome (MCNS) from 1995 to
      2011. The GD and GV were estimated on the basis of measurements obtained by
      computerized image analysis. RESULTS: A total of 31 subjects (mean age 11 years;
      eight with low birth weight-FSGS [LBW-FSGS], 10 with normal birth weight-FSGS
      [NBW-FSGS], and 13 with normal birth weight-minimal change nephrotic syndrome
      [NBW-MCNS]) were analyzed. The mean birth weight of each group was 777 g (629
      1000), 3110 g (2888-3358), and 3120 g (2748-3398), respectively (median [25th
      75th percentile]). Age, body mass index, BP, and degrees of globally sclerotic
      glomeruli at biopsy were comparable between the groups. The GD was lower (LBW
      FSGS, 1.4+/-0.6/mm2; NBW-FSGS, 3.3+/-1.2/mm2; and NBW-MCNS, 3.6+/-1.1/mm2;
      P<0.05) and the GV was greater (LBW-FSGS, 4.1 [3.1-5.1]*106um3; NBW-FSGS, 1.6
      [1.5-2.1]*106um3; and NBW-MCNS, 1.3 [1.1-1.8]*106um3 [median, (25th-75th
      percentile)]; P<0.05) in patients with LBW-FSGS than in the other patient groups.
      The GD showed close positive correlations with birth weight (r=0.48) and
      gestational age (r=0.54), independent of renal function and degree of global
      glomerular sclerosis. CONCLUSIONS: A low GD together with marked glomerular
      enlargement characterizes renal biopsy samples of children born with a LBW at an
      early stage of gestation.

PMID- 28336817
TI  - Slow Rise in Serum Creatinine Level in a Kidney Transplant Recipient 3 Years Post
      Transplant.

PMID- 28336818
TI  - Increased exposure to sodium during pregnancy and lactation changes basal and
      induced behavioral and neuroendocrine responses in adult male offspring.
AB  - Excessive sodium (Na+) intake in modern society has been associated with several
      chronic disorders such as hypertension. Several studies suggest that early life
      events can program physiological systems and lead to functional changes in
      adulthood. Therefore, we investigated behavioral and neuroendocrine responses
      under basal conditions and after 48 h of water deprivation in adult (60-day-old
      Wistar rats) male, Wistar rats originating from dams were offered only water or
      0.15 mol/L NaCl during pregnancy and lactation. Early life salt exposure induced
      kidney damage, as shown by a higher number of ED-1 positive cells
      (macrophages/monocytes), increased daily urinary volume and Na+ excretion,
      blunted basal water intake and plasma oxytocin levels, and increased plasma
      corticosterone secretion. When challenged with water deprivation, animals exposed
      to 0.15 mol/L NaCl during early life showed impaired water intake, reduced salt
      preference ratio, and vasopressin (AVP) secretion. In summary, our data
      demonstrate that the perinatal exposure to excessive Na+ intake can induce kidney
      injury in adult offspring and significantly affect the key mechanisms regulating
      water balance, fluid intake, and AVP release in response to water deprivation.
      Collectively, these novel results highlight the impact of perinatal programming
      on the homeostatic mechanisms regulating fluid and electrolyte balance during
      exposure to an environmental stress (i.e. dehydration) in later life.

PMID- 28336819
TI  - Fundamental hemodynamic mechanisms mediating the response to myocardial ischemia
      in conscious paraplegic mice: cardiac output versus peripheral resistance.
AB  - Autonomic dysfunction, a relative sedentary lifestyle, a reduced muscle mass and
      increased adiposity leads to metabolic abnormalities that accelerate the
      development of coronary artery disease (CAD) in individuals living with spinal
      cord injury (SCI). An untoward cardiac incident is related to the degree of CAD,
      suggesting that the occurrence of a significant cardiac event is significantly
      higher for individuals with SCI Thus, understanding the fundamental hemodynamic
      mechanisms mediating the response to myocardial ischemia has the potential to
      positively impact individuals and families living with SCI Accordingly, we
      systematically investigated if thoracic level 5 spinal cord transection (T5X;
      paraplegia) alters the arterial blood pressure response to coronary artery
      occlusion and if the different arterial blood pressure responses to coronary
      artery occlusion between intact and paraplegic mice are mediated by changes in
      cardiac output and or systemic peripheral resistance and whether differences in
      cardiac output are caused by changes in heart rate and or stroke volume. To
      achieve this goal, the tolerance to 3 min of coronary artery occlusion was
      determined in conscious intact and paraplegic mice. Paraplegic mice had an
      impaired ability to maintain arterial blood pressure during coronary artery
      occlusion as arterial pressure fell to near lethal levels by 1.38 +/- 0.64 min.
      The lower arterial pressure was mediated by a lower cardiac output as systemic
      peripheral resistance was elevated in paraplegic mice. The lower cardiac output
      was mediated by a reduced heart rate and stroke volume. These results indicate
      that in paraplegic mice, the arterial pressure response to coronary artery
      occlusion is hemodynamically mediated primarily by cardiac output which is
      determined by heart rate and stroke volume.

PMID- 28336822
TI  - Erratum.

PMID- 28336821
TI  - Hyperbaric oxygen therapy reduces renal lactate production.
AB  - Intrarenal hypoxia is an acknowledged factor contributing to the development of
      diabetic nephropathy. Hyperbaric oxygen (HBO) therapy is a well-known adjuvant
      treatment for several medical conditions, such as decompression sickness,
      infections, and wound healing. The underlying metabolic response of HBO is
      largely unknown. In this study, we investigated the effect of HBO on the
      intrarenal metabolic alteration in diabetes. Hyperpolarized [1-13C]pyruvate MRI
      was performed to assess intrarenal energy metabolism in normoglycemic controls
      and short-term (2 weeks) streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats with and without
      HBO for five consecutive days. HBO therapy blunted intrarenal lactate production,
      3 days after the therapy, in both normoglycemic controls and diabetic rats
      without affecting either lactate dehydrogenase mRNA expression or activity. HBO
      therapy reduced lactate formation in both normoglycemic and hyperglycemic rats.
      These findings support hyperpolarized [1-13C]pyruvate MRI as a novel method for
      monitoring HBO therapy via the pyruvate to lactate conversion.

PMID- 28336820
TI  - An advanced glycation endproduct (AGE)-rich diet promotes accumulation of AGEs in
      Achilles tendon.
AB  - Advanced Glycation Endproducts (AGEs) accumulate in long-lived tissue proteins
      like collagen in bone and tendon causing modification of the biomechanical
      properties. This has been hypothesized to raise the risk of orthopedic injury
      such as bone fractures and tendon ruptures. We evaluated the relationship between
      AGE content in the diet and accumulation of AGEs in weight-bearing animal
      Achilles tendon. Two groups of mice (C57BL/6Ntac) were fed with either high-fat
      diet low in AGEs high-fat diet (HFD) (n = 14) or normal diet high in AGEs (ND) (n
      = 11). AGE content in ND was six to 50-fold higher than HFD The mice were
      sacrificed at week 40 and Achilles and tail tendons were carefully excised to
      compare weight and nonweight-bearing tendons. The amount of the AGEs
      carboxymethyllysine (CML), methylglyoxal-derived hydroimidazolone (MG-H1) and
      carboxyethyllysine (CEL) in Achilles and tail tendon was measured using
      ultraperformance liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry (UPLC-MS/MS) and
      pentosidine with high-pressure liquid chromatography (HPLC) with fluorescent
      detection. AGEs in Achilles tendon were higher than in tail tendon for CML (P <
      0.0001), CEL (P < 0.0001), MG-H1 and pentosidine (for both ND and HFD) (P <
      0.0001). The AGE-rich diet (ND) resulted in an increase in CML (P < 0.0001), MG
      H1 (P < 0.001) and pentosidine (P < 0.0001) but not CEL, in Achilles and tail
      tendon. This is the first study to provide evidence for AGE accumulation in
      injury-prone, weight-bearing Achilles tendon associated with intake of an AGE
      rich diet. This indicates that food-derived AGEs may alter tendon properties and
      the development of tendon injuries.

PMID- 28336823
TI  - [Regulatory mechanism of calcium metabolism.]
AB  - It is often difficult for terrestrial animals to take enough calcium. To maintain
      serum or extracellular calcium levels is very important for muscle and nerve
      function. Two major regulators to increase the serum calcium levels are
      parathyroid hormone(PTH)and vitamin D. PTH binds to the G protein coupling
      receptor, PTH1R, and increases intracellular cAMP levels. Impirement in the PTH
      signalling causes many diseases such as pseudohypoparathyroidism and
      acrodysostosis with hormone resistance. Vitamin D is activated to 1,25
      dihydroxyvitamin D[1,25(OH)2D]by two steps of hydroxylation which occurs in the
      Liver and Kidney. Then, 1,25(OH)2D binds to vitamin D receptor(VDR), which works
      as a ligand-dependent transcription factor. Hypocalcemia and hypercalcemia are
      caused by various disorders including abnormal regulation of PTH and vitamin D
      production and their signal transduction.

PMID- 28336824
TI  - [The functions of calcium-sensing receptor in regulating mineral metabolism.]
AB  - Calcium-sensing receptor(CaSR)which belongs to a G protein-coupled receptor
      family is one of the key elements in regulating calcium homeostasis. CaSR has
      been identified as a receptor to control parathyroid hormone(PTH)secretion in
      parathyroid glands according to serum calcium ion(Ca2+)levels. It has also been
      shown that CaSR controls reabsorption of water and several cations including
      Ca2+and magnesium ion(Mg2+)in renal tubular cells. This review summarizes the
      functions and roles of CaSR in mineral metabolism that are exerted in parathyroid
      glands, kidney, and intestine.

PMID- 28336825
TI  - [Divergent functions of the calcium-sensing receptor other than regulation
      ofmineral metabolism.]
AB  - The calcium-sensing receptor(CaSR)is a G protein-coupled membrane receptor that
      binds extracellular Ca2+and other cations as a ligand. CaSR is expressed in
      parathyroid glands at the highest level and plays a critical role in the
      regulation of extracellular calcium. CaSR is also expressed by a wide variety of
      tissues other than calcium metabolic organs. In this overview, divergent roles of
      CaSR in inflammasome as well as various tissues including intestines, lungs,
      neurons and endocrine pancreas will be briefly summarized.

PMID- 28336827
TI  - [Pathophysiology of secondary hyperparathyroidism.]
AB  - Secondary hyperparathyroidism(SHPT)is the result of a compensatory response of
      the calcium phosphate homeostatic mechanism. Vitamin D deficiency and chronic
      kidney disease, both representative pathophysiological causes of SHPT, have been
      related not only to skeletal disorders but also cardiovascular diseases, ADL and
      QOL. This relates the importance of SHPT as a pathological cause or marker of
      such states.

PMID- 28336826
TI  - [Etiology and pathogenesis of primary hyperparathyroidism.]
AB  - Primary hyperparathyroidism(pHPT)is a frequent endocrine disease in which
      abnormal calcium(Ca)regulation leads to hypercalcemia. The most frequent cause of
      pHPT in more than 80% of patients is an adenoma, followed by hyperplasia in about
      15%, and cancer in 1~5%. Although most cases of pHPT are sporadic, a few are
      familial(hereditary), and this is known as familial hyperparathyroidism(FHPT).
      Gene abnormalities that affect cyclin D1 signaling(CCND1, CDC73, CDKN1B),
      Wnt/beta-catenin signaling(MEN1), and calcium-sensing receptor signaling(CaSR,
      GNA11, AP2S1)play a role in the etiology and pathogenesis of pHPT. Vitamin D
      insufficiency/deficiency and CaSR dysfunction also play a role in pHPT severity.
      Continued elucidation of the etiology and pathogenesis of pHPT may lead to
      development of new treatments for pHPT as well as further understanding of Ca
      regulation.

PMID- 28336828
TI  - [Disorders Caused by Mutations in Calcium-Sensing Receptor and Related Diseases.]
AB  - Sensing of extracellular calcium(Ca2+)levels involves the Ca-sensing
      receptor(CaSR), its downstream signaling molecule Galpha11, and the adaptor
      related protein complex 2(AP2)that plays a role in clathrin-dependent endocytosis
      of CaSR. Inactivating mutations in CaSR cause familial hypocalciuric
      hypercalcemia type 1(FHH1)and neonatal severe hyperparathyroidism(NSHPT), while
      activating mutations lead to autosomal dominant hypocalcemia type 1(ADH1)and
      Bartter syndrome type V. Recent studies have identified that inactivating
      mutations in Galpha11 and sigma-subunit of AP2(AP2sigma)also cause FHH, and these
      conditions have been classified as FHH2 and FHH3, respectively. In addition, it
      has been revealed that activating mutations in Galpha11 are responsible for
      ADH(ADH2). Calcimimetics and calcilytics may be beneficial in the treatment of
      these disorders.

PMID- 28336829
TI  - [The effect of oral calcimimetics on cardiovascular events.]
AB  - The Evolve Trial showed no significant benefit of cinacalcet on the primary
      composite outcome(death or first non-fatal myocardial infarction, hospitalization
      for unstable angina, heart failure, or peripheral vascular event)but
      significantly reduced the incidence of heart failure in an intention-to
      treat(ITT)analysis. In an adjusted ITT analysis and lag-censoring analysis, the
      effect of cinacalcet on the primary outcome was significant. The reduced
      incidence of cardiovascular events in the cinacalcet arm could by predicted by a
      >=30% reduction in FGF23 levels at week 20. In a post-hoc analysis stratified by
      age, cinacalcet reduced the primary outcome only in elderly patients(>=65 years).
      In Japanese MBD-5D cohort study, cinacalcet administration was associated with
      significantly lower mortality in patients with baseline iPTH >500 pg/mL and lower
      risk of death or hospitalization due to cardiovascular events in patients with
      iPTH >300 pg/mL, respectively.

PMID- 28336830
TI  - [The Discovery, Research and Development of Etelcalcetide Hydrochloride, the
      World 1st Intravenous Calcimimetics.]
AB  - Etelcalcetide hydrochloride is the first intravenous calcimimetics agent for
      secondary hyperparathyroidism (SHPT). Etelcalcetide hydrochloride is to be
      administered through dialysis circuit by physician or medical staff upon
      completion of dialysis and such administration is expected to reduce the burden
      of medication in patients. From the nonclinical study results, etelcalcetide
      functions as an allosteric activator of calcium-sensing receptor(CaSR).
      Etelcalcetide suppressed PTH secretion both in vitro and in vivo. In a rat model
      of chronic renal insufficiency, etelcalcetide suppressed SHPT disorders, such as
      parathyroid gland hypertrophy, bone disorder, and ectopic calcification. In
      conclusion, etelcalcetide hydrochloride is expected to exhibit therapeutic effect
      against each SHPT condition by decreasing blood PTH concentrations via CaSR
      agonist activity in the clinical situation.

PMID- 28336831
TI  - [Calcilytic drugs:Feature and future.]
AB  - Calcium-sensing receptor(CaSR)is highly expressed in parathyroid, kidney, bone,
      and small and large intestines to regulate Ca homeostasis. Calcilytics are
      allosteric antagonists of CaSR, and stimulate endogenous PTH release. Several
      calcilytics have been evaluated as anabolic therapies for postmenopausal
      osteoporosis but clinical development of all of them has been abandoned because
      the lacked clinical efficacy. Calcilytics might be repurposed for new indications
      like autosomal dominant hypocalcemia or other disorders.

PMID- 28336832
TI  - [Surgical and non-surgical management of primary hyperparathyroidism:How do
      calcimimetics work?]
AB  - Primary hyperparathyroidism is a common endocrine disease. The first line therapy
      for the disease is surgical removal of affected parathyroid gland(s). Other
      therapeutic options with medication are needed to be established, because many of
      patients with primary hyperparathyroidism have few or no symptoms and are
      expected to have a long life expectancy without surgery. Cinacalcet as a
      calcimimetic, bisphosphonates and denosumab are promising candidates for medical
      management of the disease. Effectiveness and efficiency of these drugs for
      patients with primary hyperparathyroidism is to be evaluated in comparison with
      surgical treatment.

PMID- 28336833
TI  - [Oral calcimimetics on secondary hyperparathyroidism of uremia.]
AB  - Secondary hyperparathyroidism of uremia is associated with poor health outcomes,
      including all-cause mortality, cardiovascular mortality, and fractures. Standard
      therapy for secondary hyperparathyroidism includes vitamin D receptor activators,
      and phosphate binders. Persistently elevated parathyroid hormone(PTH)levels may
      require the addition of calcimimetics which sensitizes calcium-sensing receptors
      on the parathyroid glands.

PMID- 28336834
TI  - [Parenteral calcimimetics for the treatment of secondary hyperparathyroidism.]
AB  - The oral calcimimetics, cinacalcet, is reported to be effective on secondary
      hyperparathyroidism resistant to classical treatment like phosphate binders or
      vitamin D receptor activator. The problem that gastrointestinal adverse events
      cause poor adherence, drug discontinuation, and insufficient dose escalation
      remains unsolved. The novel injectable calcimimetic, etelcalcetide, is recently
      developed and is expected to reduce such adverse events and improve the
      therapeutic effects on moderate to severe secondary hyperparathyroidism. Further
      studies are needed to demonstrate the potential benefits of etelcalcetide
      compared to cinacalcet.

PMID- 28336835
TI  - Improving Powder Magnetic Core Properties via Application of Thin, Insulating
      Silica-Nanosheet Layers on Iron Powder Particles.
AB  - A thin, insulating layer with high electrical resistivity is vital to achieving
      high performance of powder magnetic cores. Using layer-by-layer deposition of
      silica nanosheets or colloidal silica over insulating layers composed of
      strontium phosphate and boron oxide, we succeeded in fabricating insulating
      layers with high electrical resistivity on iron powder particles, which were
      subsequently used to prepare toroidal cores. The compact density of these cores
      decreased after coating with colloidal silica due to the substantial increase in
      the volume, causing the magnetic flux density to deteriorate. Coating with silica
      nanosheets, on the other hand, resulted in a higher electrical resistivity and a
      good balance between high magnetic flux density and low iron loss due to the
      thinner silica layers. Transmission electron microscopy images showed that the
      thickness of the colloidal silica coating was about 700 nm, while that of the
      silica nanosheet coating was 30 nm. There was one drawback to using silica
      nanosheets, namely a deterioration in the core mechanical strength. Nevertheless,
      the silica nanosheet coating resulted in nanoscale-thick silica layers that are
      favorable for enhancing the electrical resistivity.

PMID- 28336836
TI  - Visible Light-Responsive Platinum-Containing Titania Nanoparticle-Mediated
      Photocatalysis Induces Nucleotide Insertion, Deletion and Substitution Mutations.
AB  - Conventional photocatalysts are primarily stimulated using ultraviolet (UV) light
      to elicit reactive oxygen species and have wide applications in environmental and
      energy fields, including self-cleaning surfaces and sterilization. Because UV
      illumination is hazardous to humans, visible light-responsive photocatalysts
      (VLRPs) were discovered and are now applied to increase photocatalysis. However,
      fundamental questions regarding the ability of VLRPs to trigger DNA mutations and
      the mutation types it elicits remain elusive. Here, through plasmid
      transformation and beta-galactosidase alpha-complementation analyses, we observed
      that visible light-responsive platinum-containing titania (TiO2) nanoparticle
      (NP)-mediated photocatalysis considerably reduces the number of Escherichia coli
      transformants. This suggests that such photocatalytic reactions cause DNA damage.
      DNA sequencing results demonstrated that the DNA damage comprises three mutation
      types, namely nucleotide insertion, deletion and substitution; this is the first
      study to report the types of mutations occurring after photocatalysis by TiO2
      VLRPs. Our results may facilitate the development and appropriate use of new
      generation TiO2 NPs for biomedical applications.

PMID- 28336837
TI  - Pnma-BN: Another Boron Nitride Polymorph with Interesting Physical Properties.
AB  - Structural, mechanical, electronic properties, and stability of boron nitride
      (BN) in Pnma structure were studied using first-principles calculations by
      Cambridge Serial Total Energy Package (CASTEP) plane-wave code, and the
      calculations were performed with the local density approximation and generalized
      gradient approximation in the form of Perdew-Burke-Ernzerhof. This BN, called
      Pnma-BN, contains four boron atoms and four nitrogen atoms buckled through sp3
      hybridized bonds in an orthorhombic symmetry unit cell with Space group of Pnma.
      Pnma-BN is energetically stable, mechanically stable, and dynamically stable at
      ambient pressure and high pressure. The calculated Pugh ratio and Poisson's ratio
      revealed that Pnma-BN is brittle, and Pnma-BN is found to turn brittle to ductile
      (~94 GPa) in this pressure range. It shows a higher mechanical anisotropy in
      Poisson's ratio, shear modulus, Young's modulus, and the universal elastic
      anisotropy index AU. Band structure calculations indicate that Pnma-BN is an
      insulator with indirect band gap of 7.18 eV. The most extraordinary thing is that
      the band gap increases first and then decreases with the increase of pressure
      from 0 to 60 GPa, and from 60 to 100 GPa, the band gap increases first and then
      decreases again.

PMID- 28336838
TI  - On the Use of the Electrospinning Coating Technique to Produce Antimicrobial
      Polyhydroxyalkanoate Materials Containing In Situ-Stabilized Silver
      Nanoparticles.
AB  - Electro-hydrodynamic processing, comprising electrospraying and electrospinning
      techniques, has emerged as a versatile technology to produce nanostructured fiber
      based and particle-based materials. In this work, an antimicrobial active
      multilayer system comprising a commercial polyhydroxyalkanoate substrate (PHA)
      and an electrospun PHA coating containing in situ-stabilized silver nanoparticles
      (AgNPs) was successfully developed and characterized in terms of morphology,
      thermal, mechanical, and barrier properties. The obtained materials reduced the
      bacterial population of Salmonella enterica below the detection limits at very
      low silver loading of 0.002 +/- 0.0005 wt %. As a result, this study provides an
      innovative route to generate fully renewable and biodegradable materials that
      could prevent microbial outbreaks in food packages and food contact surfaces.

PMID- 28336839
TI  - Synthesis of Polyhydroxybutyrate Particles with Micro-to-Nanosized Structures and
      Application as Protective Coating for Packaging Papers.
AB  - This study reports on the development of bio-based hydrophobic coatings for
      packaging papers through deposition of polyhydroxybutyrate (PHB) particles in
      combination with nanofibrillated cellulose (NFC) and plant wax. In the first
      approach, PHB particles in the micrometer range (PHB-MP) were prepared through a
      phase-separation technique providing internally-nanosized structures. The
      particles were transferred as a coating by dip-coating filter papers in the
      particle suspension, followed by sizing with a carnauba wax solution. This
      approach allowed partial to almost full surface coverage of PHB-MP over the paper
      surface, resulting in static water contact angles of 105 degrees -122 degrees 
      and 129 degrees -144 degrees  after additional wax coating. In the second
      approach, PHB particles with submicron sizes (PHB-SP) were synthesized by an oil
      in-water emulsion (o/w) solvent evaporation method and mixed in aqueous
      suspensions with 0-7 wt % NFC. After dip-coating filter papers in PHB-SP/NFC
      suspensions and sizing with a carnauba wax solution, static water contact angles
      of 112 degrees -152 degrees  were obtained. The intrinsic properties of the
      particles were analyzed by scanning electron microscopy, thermal analysis and
      infrared spectroscopy, indicating higher crystallinity for PHB-SP than PHB-MP.
      The chemical interactions between the more amorphous PHB-MP particles and paper
      fibers were identified as an esterification reaction, while the morphology of the
      NFC fibrillar network was playing a key role as the binding agent in the
      retention of more crystalline PHB-SP at the paper surface, hence contributing to
      higher hydrophobicity.

PMID- 28336841
TI  - Bulk Surfaces Coated with Triangular Silver Nanoplates: Antibacterial Action
      Based on Silver Release and Photo-Thermal Effect.
AB  - A layer of silver nanoplates, specifically synthesized with the desired localized
      surface plasmon resonance (LSPR) features, was grafted on amino-functionalized
      bulk glass surfaces to impart a double antibacterial action: (i) the well-known,
      long-term antibacterial effect based on the release of Ag+; (ii) an "on demand"
      action which can be switched on by the use of photo-thermal properties of silver
      nano-objects. Irradiation of these samples with a laser having a wavelength
      falling into the so called "therapeutic window" of the near infrared region
      allows the reinforcement, in the timescale of minutes, of the classical
      antibacterial effect of silver nanoparticles. We demonstrate how using the two
      actions allows for almost complete elimination of the population of two bacterial
      strains of representative Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria.

PMID- 28336840
TI  - Spectroscopic Characterization of Copper-Chitosan Nanoantimicrobials Prepared by
      Laser Ablation Synthesis in Aqueous Solutions.
AB  - Copper-chitosan (Cu-CS) nanoantimicrobials are a novel class of bioactive agents,
      providing enhanced and synergistic efficiency in the prevention of
      biocontamination in several application fields, from food packaging to
      biomedical. Femtosecond laser pulses were here exploited to disrupt a Cu solid
      target immersed into aqueous acidic solutions containing different CS
      concentrations. After preparation, Cu-CS colloids were obtained by tuning both
      Cu/CS molar ratios and laser operating conditions. As prepared Cu-CS colloids
      were characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), to study
      copper complexation with the biopolymer. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS)
      was used to elucidate the nanomaterials' surface chemical composition and
      chemical speciation of the most representative elements. Transmission electron
      microscopy was used to characterize nanocolloids morphology. For all samples, xi
      potential measurements showed highly positive potentials, which could be
      correlated with the XPS information. The spectroscopic and morphological
      characterization herein presented outlines the characteristics of a
      technologically-relevant nanomaterial and provides evidence about the optimal
      synthesis parameters to produce almost monodisperse and properly-capped Cu
      nanophases, which combine in the same core-shell structure two renowned
      antibacterial agents.

PMID- 28336842
TI  - SERS-Based Flavonoid Detection Using Ethylenediamine-beta-Cyclodextrin as a
      Capturing Ligand.
AB  - Ethylenediamine-modified beta-cyclodextrin (Et-beta-CD) was immobilized on
      aggregated silver nanoparticle (NP)-embedded silica NPs (SiO2@Ag@Et-beta-CD NPs)
      for the effective detection of flavonoids. Silica NPs were used as the template
      for embedding silver NPs to create hot spots and enhance surface-enhanced Raman
      scattering (SERS) signals. Et-beta-CD was immobilized on Ag NPs to capture
      flavonoids via host-guest inclusion complex formation, as indicated by enhanced
      ultraviolet absorption spectra. The resulting SiO2@Ag@Et-beta-CD NPs were used as
      the SERS substrate for detecting flavonoids, such as hesperetin, naringenin,
      quercetin, and luteolin. In particular, luteolin was detected more strongly in
      the linear range 10-7 to 10-3 M than various organic molecules, namely ethylene
      glycol, beta-estradiol, isopropyl alcohol, naphthalene, and toluene. In addition,
      the SERS signal for luteolin captured by the SiO2@Ag@Et-beta-CD NPs remained even
      after repeated washing. These results indicated that the SiO2@Ag@Et-beta-CD NPs
      can be used as a rapid, sensitive, and selective sensor for flavonoids.

PMID- 28336843
TI  - Synthesis of Vertically-Aligned Zinc Oxide Nanowires and Their Application as a
      Photocatalyst.
AB  - Vertically aligned zinc oxide (ZnO) nanowires were hydrothermally synthesized on
      a glass substrate with the assistance of a pre-coated ZnO seeding layer. The
      crystalline structure, morphology and transmission spectrum of the as-synthesized
      sample were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), field-emission scanning
      electron microscopy (FE-SEM), and ultraviolet-visible (UV-Vis) spectrophotometry,
      respectively, indicating a wurzite ZnO material of approximately 100 nm wire
      diameter and absorbance at 425 nm and lower wavelengths. The photocatalytic
      activity of the sample was tested via the degradation of methyl orange in aqueous
      solution under UV-A irradiation. The synthesized nanowires showed a high
      photocatalytic activity, which increased up to 90% degradation in 2 h as pH was
      increased to 12. It was shown that the photocatalytic activity of the nanowires
      was proportional to the length to diameter ratio of the nanowires, which was in
      turn controlled by the growth time and grain size of the seed layer. Estimates
      suggest that diffusion into the regions between nanowires may be significantly
      hindered. Finally, the reusability of the prepared ZnO nanowire samples was also
      investigated, with results showing that the nanowires still showed 97% of its
      original photoactivity after ten cycles of use.

PMID- 28336844
TI  - Gold Nanobeacons for Tracking Gene Silencing in Zebrafish.
AB  - The use of gold nanoparticles for effective gene silencing has demonstrated its
      potential as a tool for gene expression experiments and for the treatment of
      several diseases. Here, we used a gold nanobeacon designed to specifically
      silence the enhanced green fluorescence protein (EGFP) mRNA in embryos of a fli
      EGFP transgenic zebrafish line, while simultaneously allowing the tracking and
      localization of the silencing events via the beacon's emission. Fluorescence
      imaging measurements demonstrated a decrease of the EGFP emission with a
      concomitant increase in the fluorescence of the Au-nanobeacon. Furthermore,
      microinjection of the Au-nanobeacon led to a negligible difference in mortality
      and malformations in comparison to the free oligonucleotide, indicating that this
      system is a biocompatible platform for the administration of gene silencing
      moieties. Together, these data illustrate the potential of Au-nanobeacons as
      tools for in vivo zebrafish gene modulation with low toxicity which may be used
      towards any gene of interest.

PMID- 28336845
TI  - Parametrically Optimized Carbon Nanotube-Coated Cold Cathode Spindt Arrays.
AB  - Here, we investigate, through parametrically optimized macroscale simulations,
      the field electron emission from arrays of carbon nanotube (CNT)-coated Spindts
      towards the development of an emerging class of novel vacuum electron devices.
      The present study builds on empirical data gleaned from our recent experimental
      findings on the room temperature electron emission from large area CNT electron
      sources. We determine the field emission current of the present microstructures
      directly using particle in cell (PIC) software and present a new CNT cold cathode
      array variant which has been geometrically optimized to provide maximal emission
      current density, with current densities of up to 11.5 A/cm2 at low operational
      electric fields of 5.0 V/MUm.

PMID- 28336846
TI  - Preparation of g-C3N4/Graphene Composite for Detecting NO2 at Room Temperature.
AB  - Graphitic carbon nitride (g-C3N4) nanosheets were exfoliated from bulk g-C3N4 and
      utilized to improve the sensing performance of a pure graphene sensor for the
      first time. The role of hydrochloric acid treatment on the exfoliation result was
      carefully examined. The exfoliated products were characterized by X-ray
      diffraction (XRD) patterns, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), atomic force
      microscopy (AFM), and UV-Vis spectroscopy. The exfoliated g-C3N4 nanosheets
      exhibited a uniform thickness of about 3-5 nm and a lateral size of about 1-2 um.
      A g-C3N4/graphene nanocomposite was prepared via a self-assembly process and was
      demonstrated to be a promising sensing material for detecting nitrogen dioxide
      gas at room temperature. The nanocomposite sensor exhibited better recovery as
      well as two-times the response compared to pure graphene sensor. The detailed
      sensing mechanism was then proposed.

PMID- 28336848
TI  - Effects of Iodine Doping on Optoelectronic and Chemical Properties of
      Polyterpenol Thin Films.
AB  - Owing to their amorphous, highly cross-liked nature, most plasma polymers display
      dielectric properties. This study investigates iodine doping as the means to tune
      optoelectronic properties of plasma polymer derived from a low-cost, renewable
      resource, i.e., Melaleuca alternifolia oil. In situ exposure of polyterpenol to
      vapors of electron-accepting dopant reduced the optical band gap to 1.5 eV and
      increased the conductivity from 5.05 * 10-8 S/cm to 1.20 * 10-6 S/cm. The
      increased conductivity may, in part, be attributed to the formation of charge
      transfer complexes between the polymer chain and halogen, which act as a cation
      and anion, respectively. Higher levels of doping notably increased the refractive
      index, from 1.54 to 1.70 (at 500 nm), and significantly reduced the transparency
      of films.

PMID- 28336849
TI  - Modification of the Surface Topography and Composition of Ultrafine and Coarse
      Grained Titanium by Chemical Etching.
AB  - In this study, we present the detailed investigation of the influence of the
      etching medium (acidic or basic Piranha solutions) and the etching time on the
      morphology and surface relief of ultrafine grained (UFG) and coarse grained (CG)
      titanium. The surface relief and morphology have been studied by means of
      scanning electron microscopy (SEM), atomic force microscopy (AFM), and the
      spectral ellipsometry. The composition of the samples has been determined by X
      ray fluorescence analysis (XRF) and X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy (XPS).
      Significant difference in the etching behavior of UFG and CG titanium has been
      found. UFG titanium exhibits higher etching activity independently of the etching
      medium. Formed structures possess higher homogeneity. The variation of the
      etching medium and time leads to micro-, nano-, or hierarchical
      micro/nanostructures on the surface. Significant difference has been found
      between surface composition for UFG titanium etched in basic and acidic Piranha
      solution. Based on the experimental data, the possible reasons and mechanisms are
      considered for the formation of nano- and microstructures. The prospects of
      etched UFG titanium as the material for implants are discussed.

PMID- 28336850
TI  - Influence of Solution Properties and Process Parameters on the Formation and
      Morphology of YSZ and NiO Ceramic Nanofibers by Electrospinning.
AB  - The fabrication process of ceramic yttria-stabilized zirconia (YSZ) and nickel
      oxide nanofibers by electrospinning is reported. The preparation of hollow YSZ
      nanofibers and aligned nanofiber arrays is also demonstrated. The influence of
      the process parameters of the electrospinning process, the physicochemical
      properties of the spinning solutions, and the thermal treatment procedure on
      spinnability and final microstructure of the ceramic fibers was determined. The
      fiber diameter can be varied from hundreds of nanometers to more than a
      micrometer by controlling the solution properties of the electrospinning process,
      while the grain size and surface roughness of the resulting fibers are mainly
      controlled via the final thermal annealing process. Although most observed
      phenomena are in qualitative agreement with previous studies on the
      electrospinning of polymeric nanofibers, one of the main differences is the high
      ionic strength of ceramic precursor solutions, which may hamper the spinnability.
      A strategy to control the effective ionic strength of precursor solutions is also
      presented.

PMID- 28336851
TI  - Nano-Photonic Structures for Light Trapping in Ultra-Thin Crystalline Silicon
      Solar Cells.
AB  - Thick wafer-silicon is the dominant solar cell technology. It is of great
      interest to develop ultra-thin solar cells that can reduce materials usage, but
      still achieve acceptable performance and high solar absorption. Accordingly, we
      developed a highly absorbing ultra-thin crystalline Si based solar cell
      architecture using periodically patterned front and rear dielectric nanocone
      arrays which provide enhanced light trapping. The rear nanocones are embedded in
      a silver back reflector. In contrast to previous approaches, we utilize
      dielectric photonic crystals with a completely flat silicon absorber layer,
      providing expected high electronic quality and low carrier recombination. This
      architecture creates a dense mesh of wave-guided modes at near-infrared
      wavelengths in the absorber layer, generating enhanced absorption. For thin
      silicon (<2 MUm) and 750 nm pitch arrays, scattering matrix simulations predict
      enhancements exceeding 90%. Absorption approaches the Lambertian limit at small
      thicknesses (<10 MUm) and is slightly lower (by ~5%) at wafer-scale thicknesses.
      Parasitic losses are ~25% for ultra-thin (2 MUm) silicon and just 1%-2% for
      thicker (>100 MUm) cells. There is potential for 20 MUm thick cells to provide 30
      mA/cm2 photo-current and >20% efficiency. This architecture has great promise for
      ultra-thin silicon solar panels with reduced material utilization and enhanced
      light-trapping.

PMID- 28336853
TI  - Enhanced Photocatalytic Performance under Visible and Near-Infrared Irradiation
      of Cu1.8Se/Cu3Se2 Composite via a Phase Junction.
AB  - A novel Cu1.8Se/Cu3Se2 composite photocatalyst was prepared by the simple
      precipitation method. This composite possesses a wide photoabsorption until the
      range of near-infrared light, and exhibits significantly enhanced photocatalytic
      activity for methyl orange degradation under visible and near-infrared light
      irradiation compared with bare Cu1.8Se and Cu3Se2. The mechanism of this
      outstanding photocatalytic behavior can be explained by the calculated energy
      band positions. The efficient charge separation via a phase junction of
      Cu1.8Se/Cu3Se2 composite would make a great contribution to its much-enhanced
      photocatalytic efficiency.

PMID- 28336852
TI  - Amorphous Silica Particles Relevant in Food Industry Influence Cellular Growth
      and Associated Signaling Pathways in Human Gastric Carcinoma Cells.
AB  - Nanostructured silica particles are commonly used in biomedical and biotechnical
      fields, as well as, in cosmetics and food industry. Thus, their environmental and
      health impacts are of great interest and effects after oral uptake are only
      rarely investigated. In the present study, the toxicological effects of
      commercially available nano-scaled silica with a nominal primary diameter of 12
      nm were investigated on the human gastric carcinoma cell line GXF251L. Besides
      the analysis of cytotoxic and proliferative effects and the comparison with
      effects of particles with a nominal primary diameter of 200 nm, emphasis was also
      given to their influence on the cellular epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR)
      and mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPK) signaling pathways-both of them
      deeply involved in the regulation of cellular processes like cell cycle
      progression, differentiation or proliferation. The investigated silica
      nanoparticles (NPs) were found to stimulate cell proliferation as measured by
      microscopy and the sulforhodamine B assay. In accordance, the nuclear level of
      the proliferation marker Ki-67 was enhanced in a concentration-dependent manner.
      At high particle concentrations also necrosis was induced. Finally, silica NPs
      affected the EGFR and MAPK pathways at various levels dependent on concentration
      and time. However, classical activation of the EGFR, to be reflected by enhanced
      levels of phosphorylation, could be excluded as major trigger of the
      proliferative stimulus. After 45 min of incubation the level of phosphorylated
      EGFR did not increase, whereas enhanced levels of total EGFR protein were
      observed. These results indicate interference with the complex homeostasis of the
      EGFR protein, whereby up to 24 h no impact on the transcription level was
      detected. In addition, downstream on the level of the MAP kinases ERK1/2 short
      term incubation appeared to affect total protein levels without clear increase in
      phosphorylation. Depending on the concentration range, enhanced levels of ERK1/2
      phosphorylation were only observed after 24 h of incubation. Taken together, the
      present study demonstrates the potential of the tested silica particles to
      enhance the growth of gastric carcinoma cells. Although interference with the
      EGFR/MAPK cascade is observed, additional mechanisms are likely to be involved in
      the onset of the proliferative stimulus.

PMID- 28336854
TI  - Enhanced Visible Light Photocatalytic Activity of ZnO Nanowires Doped with Mn2+
      and Co2+ Ions.
AB  - In this research, ZnO nanowires doped with Mn2+ and Co2+ ions were synthesized
      through a facile and inexpensive hydrothermal approach, in which Mn2+ and Co2+
      ions successfully substituted Zn2+ in the ZnO crystal lattice without changing
      the morphology and crystalline structure of ZnO. The atomic percentages of Mn and
      Co were 6.29% and 1.68%, respectively, in the doped ZnO nanowires. The
      photocatalytic results showed that Mn-doped and Co-doped ZnO nanowires both
      exhibited higher photocatalytic activities than undoped ZnO nanowires. Among the
      doped ZnO nanowires, Co-doped ZnO, which owns a twice active visible-light
      photocatalytic performance compared to pure ZnO, is considered a more efficient
      photocatalyst material. The enhancement of its photocatalytic performance
      originates from the doped metal ions, which enhance the light absorption ability
      and inhibit the recombination of photo-generated electron-hole pairs as well. The
      effect of the doped ion types on the morphology, crystal lattice and other
      properties of ZnO was also investigated.

PMID- 28336856
TI  - A Novel Heterostructure of BiOI Nanosheets Anchored onto MWCNTs with Excellent
      Visible-Light Photocatalytic Activity.
AB  - Developing efficient visible-light-driven (VLD) photocatalysts for environmental
      decontamination has drawn significant attention in recent years. Herein, we have
      reported a novel heterostructure of multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) coated
      with BiOI nanosheets as an efficient VLD photocatalyst, which was prepared via a
      simple solvothermal method. The morphology and structure were characterized by
      powder X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission
      electron microscopy (TEM), UV-Vis diffuse reflectance spectroscopy (DRS), and
      specific surface area measurements. The results showed that BiOI nanosheets were
      well deposited on MWCNTs. The MWCNTs/BiOI composites exhibited remarkably
      enhanced photocatalytic activity for the degradation of rhodamine B (RhB), methyl
      orange (MO), and para-chlorophenol (4-CP) under visible-light, compared with pure
      BiOI. When the MWCNTs content is 3 wt %, the MWCNTs/BiOI composite (3%M-Bi)
      achieves the highest activity, which is even higher than that of a mechanical
      mixture (3 wt % MWCNTs + 97 wt % BiOI). The superior photocatalytic activity is
      predominantly due to the strong coupling interface between MWCNTs and BiOI, which
      significantly promotes the efficient electron-hole separation. The photo-induced
      holes (h+) and superoxide radicals (O2-) mainly contribute to the photocatalytic
      degradation of RhB over 3%M-Bi. Therefore, the MWCNTs/BiOI composite is expected
      to be an efficient VLD photocatalyst for environmental purification.

PMID- 28336857
TI  - Linear and Nonlinear Rheology Combined with Dielectric Spectroscopy of Hybrid
      Polymer Nanocomposites for Semiconductive Applications.
AB  - The linear and nonlinear oscillatory shear, extensional and combined rheology
      dielectric spectroscopy of hybrid polymer nanocomposites for semiconductive
      applications were investigated in this study. The main focus was the influence of
      processing conditions on percolated poly(ethylene-butyl acrylate) (EBA)
      nanocomposite hybrids containing graphite nanoplatelets (GnP) and carbon black
      (CB). The rheological response of the samples was interpreted in terms of
      dispersion properties, filler distortion from processing, filler percolation, as
      well as the filler orientation and distribution dynamics inside the matrix.
      Evidence of the influence of dispersion properties was found in linear
      viscoelastic dynamic frequency sweeps, while the percolation of the
      nanocomposites was detected in nonlinearities developed in dynamic strain sweeps.
      Using extensional rheology, hybrid samples with better dispersion properties lead
      to a more pronounced strain hardening behavior, while samples with a higher
      volume percentage of fillers caused a drastic reduction in strain hardening. The
      rheo-dielectric time-dependent response showed that in the case of nanocomposites
      containing only GnP, the orientation dynamics leads to non-conductive samples.
      However, in the case of hybrids, the orientation of the GnP could be offset by
      the dispersing of the CB to bridge the nanoplatelets. The results were
      interpreted in the framework of a dual PE-BA model, where the fillers would be
      concentrated mainly in the BA regions. Furthermore, better dispersed hybrids
      obtained using mixing screws at the expense of filler distortion via extrusion
      processing history were emphasized through the rheo-dielectric tests.

PMID- 28336858
TI  - One-Step Reduction and Surface Modification of Graphene Oxide by 3-Hydroxy-2
      Naphthoic Acid Hydrazide and Its Polypropylene Nanocomposites.
AB  - 3-Hydroxy-2-naphthoic acid hydrazide (HNH), a new reductant and modifier, was
      applied to reduce and modify graphene oxide (GO) in a one-step process. The
      obtained HNH reduced graphene oxide (HNH-rGO) was characterized by X-ray
      diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscope (SEM), Raman spectroscopy, X-ray
      photoelectron spectroscopic (XPS) and Fourier transform infrared spectra (FTIR).
      The results demonstrated that GO was successfully reduced to graphene and the
      surface of HNH-rGO was grafted with HNH. The interlayer space was increased from
      0.751 nm to 1.921 nm, and its agglomeration was much more attenuated compared
      with GO. HNH-rGO/polypropylene and graphene/polypropylene composites were
      synthesized through melt-blending method. The viscosity was enhanced with
      increased addition of graphene and surface modified graphene demonstrated
      stronger rheological behavior improving effect than the untreated graphene.

PMID- 28336859
TI  - Design and Synthesis of TiO2 Hollow Spheres with Spatially Separated Dual
      Cocatalysts for Efficient Photocatalytic Hydrogen Production.
AB  - TiO2 hollow spheres modified with spatially separated Ag species and RuO2
      cocatalysts have been prepared via an alkoxide hydrolysis-precipitation method
      and a facile impregnation method. High-resolution transmission electron
      microscopy studies indicate that Ag species and RuO2 co-located on the inner and
      outer surface of TiO2 hollow spheres, respectively. The resultant catalysts show
      significantly enhanced activity in photocatalytic hydrogen production under
      simulated sunlight attributed to spatially separated Ag species and RuO2
      cocatalysts on TiO2 hollow spheres, which results in the efficient separation and
      transportation of photogenerated charge carriers.

PMID- 28336860
TI  - Light Emission Intensities of Luminescent Y2O3:Eu and Gd2O3:Eu Particles of
      Various Sizes.
AB  - There is great technological interest in elucidating the effect of particle size
      on the luminescence efficiency of doped rare earth oxides. This study
      demonstrates unambiguously that there is a size effect and that it is not
      dependent on the calcination temperature. The Y2O3:Eu and Gd2O3:Eu particles used
      in this study were synthesized using wet chemistry to produce particles ranging
      in size between 7 nm and 326 nm and a commercially available phosphor. These
      particles were characterized using three excitation methods: UV light at 250 nm
      wavelength, electron beam at 10 kV, and X-rays generated at 100 kV. Regardless of
      the excitation source, it was found that with increasing particle diameter there
      is an increase in emitted light. Furthermore, dense particles emit more light
      than porous particles. These results can be explained by considering the larger
      surface area to volume ratio of the smallest particles and increased internal
      surface area of the pores found in the large particles. For the small particles,
      the additional surface area hosts adsorbates that lead to non-radiative
      recombination, and in the porous particles, the pore walls can quench
      fluorescence. This trend is valid across calcination temperatures and is evident
      when comparing particles from the same calcination temperature.

PMID- 28336861
TI  - Modified Continuum Mechanics Modeling on Size-Dependent Properties of
      Piezoelectric Nanomaterials: A Review.
AB  - Piezoelectric nanomaterials (PNs) are attractive for applications including
      sensing, actuating, energy harvesting, among others in nano-electro-mechanical
      systems (NEMS) because of their excellent electromechanical coupling, mechanical
      and physical properties. However, the properties of PNs do not coincide with
      their bulk counterparts and depend on the particular size. A large amount of
      efforts have been devoted to studying the size-dependent properties of PNs by
      using experimental characterization, atomistic simulation and continuum mechanics
      modeling with the consideration of the scale features of the nanomaterials. This
      paper reviews the recent progresses and achievements in the research on the
      continuum mechanics modeling of the size-dependent mechanical and physical
      properties of PNs. We start from the fundamentals of the modified continuum
      mechanics models for PNs, including the theories of surface piezoelectricity,
      flexoelectricity and non-local piezoelectricity, with the introduction of the
      modified piezoelectric beam and plate models particularly for nanostructured
      piezoelectric materials with certain configurations. Then, we give a review on
      the investigation of the size-dependent properties of PNs by using the modified
      continuum mechanics models, such as the electromechanical coupling, bending,
      vibration, buckling, wave propagation and dynamic characteristics. Finally,
      analytical modeling and analysis of nanoscale actuators and energy harvesters
      based on piezoelectric nanostructures are presented.

PMID- 28336855
TI  - Behavior and Potential Impacts of Metal-Based Engineered Nanoparticles in Aquatic
      Environments.
AB  - The specific properties of metal-based nanoparticles (NPs) have not only led to
      rapidly increasing applications in various industrial and commercial products,
      but also caused environmental concerns due to the inevitable release of NPs and
      their unpredictable biological/ecological impacts. This review discusses the
      environmental behavior of metal-based NPs with an in-depth analysis of the
      mechanisms and kinetics. The focus is on knowledge gaps in the interaction of NPs
      with aquatic organisms, which can influence the fate, transport and toxicity of
      NPs in the aquatic environment. Aggregation transforms NPs into micrometer-sized
      clusters in the aqueous environment, whereas dissolution also alters the size
      distribution and surface reactivity of metal-based NPs. A unique toxicity
      mechanism of metal-based NPs is related to the generation of reactive oxygen
      species (ROS) and the subsequent ROS-induced oxidative stress. Furthermore,
      aggregation, dissolution and ROS generation could influence each other and also
      be influenced by many factors, including the sizes, shapes and surface charge of
      NPs, as well as the pH, ionic strength, natural organic matter and experimental
      conditions. Bioaccumulation of NPs in single organism species, such as aquatic
      plants, zooplankton, fish and benthos, is summarized and compared. Moreover, the
      trophic transfer and/or biomagnification of metal-based NPs in an aquatic
      ecosystem are discussed. In addition, genetic effects could result from direct or
      indirect interactions between DNA and NPs. Finally, several challenges facing us
      are put forward in the review.

PMID- 28336862
TI  - Oscillating Magnet Array-Based Nanomagnetic Gene Transfection: A Valuable Tool
      for Molecular Neurobiology Studies.
AB  - To develop treatments for neurodegenerative disorders, it is critical to
      understand the biology and function of neurons in both normal and diseased
      states. Molecular studies of neurons involve the delivery of small biomolecules
      into cultured neurons via transfection to study genetic variants. However, as
      cultured primary neurons are sensitive to temperature change, stress, and shifts
      in pH, these factors make biomolecule delivery difficult, particularly non-viral
      delivery. Herein we used oscillating nanomagnetic gene transfection to
      successfully transfect SH-SY5Y cells as well as primary hippocampal and cortical
      neurons on different days in vitro. This novel technique has been used to
      effectively deliver genetic material into various cell types, resulting in high
      transfection efficiency and viability. From these observations and other related
      studies, we suggest that oscillating nanomagnetic gene transfection is an
      effective method for gene delivery into hard-to-transfect neuronal cell types.

PMID- 28336863
TI  - A High Power, Frequency Tunable Colloidal Quantum Dot (CdSe/ZnS) Laser.
AB  - Tunable lasers are essential for medical, engineering and basic science research
      studies. Most conventional solid-state lasers are capable of producing a few
      million laser shots, but limited to specific wavelengths, which are bulky and
      very expensive. Dye lasers are continuously tunable, but exhibit very poor
      chemical stability. As new tunable, efficient lasers are always in demand, one
      such laser is designed with various sized CdSe/ZnS quantum dots. They were used
      as a colloid in tetrahydrofuran to produce a fluorescent broadband emission from
      520 nm to 630 nm. The second (532 nm) and/or third harmonic (355 nm) of the
      Nd:YAG laser (10 ns, 10 Hz) were used together as the pump source. In this study,
      different sized quantum dots were independently optically pumped to produce
      amplified spontaneous emission (ASE) with 4 nm to 7 nm of full width at half
      maximum (FWHM), when the pump power and focusing were carefully optimized. The
      beam was directional with a 7 mrad divergence. Subsequently, these quantum dots
      were combined together, and the solution was placed in a resonator cavity to
      obtain a laser with a spectral width of 1 nm and tunable from 510 to 630 nm, with
      a conversion efficiency of about 0.1%.

PMID- 28336864
TI  - Formation of Platinum Catalyst on Carbon Black Using an In-Liquid Plasma Method
      for Fuel Cells.
AB  - Platinum (Pt) catalyst was formed on the surface of carbon black using an in
      liquid plasma method. The formed Pt catalyst showed the average particle size of
      4.1 nm. This Pt catalyst was applied to a polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cell
      (PEMFC). The PEMFC showed an open voltage of 0.85 V and a maximum output power
      density of 216 mW/cm2.

PMID- 28336865
TI  - Synthesis, Optical and Structural Properties of Copper Sulfide Nanocrystals from
      Single Molecule Precursors.
AB  - We report the synthesis and structural studies of copper sulfide nanocrystals
      from copper (II) dithiocarbamate single molecule precursors. The precursors were
      thermolysed in hexadecylamine (HDA) to prepare HDA-capped CuS nanocrystals. The
      optical properties of the nanocrystals studied using UV-visible and
      photoluminescence spectroscopy showed absorption band edges at 287 nm that are
      blue shifted, and the photoluminescence spectra show emission curves that are red
      shifted with respect to the absorption band edges. These shifts are as a result
      of the small crystallite sizes of the nanoparticles leading to quantum size
      effects. The structural studies were carried out using powder X-ray diffraction
      (XRD), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), scanning electron microscopy
      (SEM), energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS), and atomic force microscopy.
      The XRD patterns indicates that the CuS nanocrystals are in hexagonal covellite
      crystalline phases with estimated particles sizes of 17.3-18.6 nm. The TEM images
      showed particles with almost spherical or rod shapes, with average crystallite
      sizes of 3-9.8 nm. SEM images showed morphology with ball-like microspheres on
      the surfaces, and EDS spectra confirmed the presence of CuS nanoparticles.

PMID- 28336866
TI  - {Ni4O4} Cluster Complex to Enhance the Reductive Photocurrent Response on Silicon
      Nanowire Photocathodes.
AB  - Metal organic {Ni4O4} clusters, known oxidation catalysts, have been shown to
      provide a valuable route in increasing the photocurrent response on silicon
      nanowire (SiNW) photocathodes. {Ni4O4} clusters have been paired with SiNWs to
      form a new photocathode composite for water splitting. Under AM1.5 conditions,
      the combination of {Ni4O4} clusters with SiNWs gave a current density of -16
      mA/cm2, which corresponds to an increase in current density of 60% when compared
      to bare SiNWs. The composite electrode was fully characterised and shown to be an
      efficient and stable photocathode for water splitting.

PMID- 28336867
TI  - Synthesis of Multicolor Core/Shell NaLuF4:Yb3+/Ln3+@CaF2 Upconversion
      Nanocrystals.
AB  - The ability to synthesize high-quality hierarchical core/shell nanocrystals from
      an efficient host lattice is important to realize efficacious photon upconversion
      for applications ranging from bioimaging to solar cells. Here, we describe a
      strategy to fabricate multicolor core @ shell alpha-NaLuF4:Yb3+/Ln3+@CaF2 (Ln =
      Er, Ho, Tm) upconversion nanocrystals (UCNCs) based on the newly established host
      lattice of sodium lutetium fluoride (NaLuF4). We exploited the liquid-solid
      solution method to synthesize the NaLuF4 core of pure cubic phase and the thermal
      decomposition approach to expitaxially grow the calcium fluoride (CaF2) shell
      onto the core UCNCs, yielding cubic core/shell nanocrystals with a size of 15.6
      +/- 1.2 nm (the core ~9 +/- 0.9 nm, the shell ~3.3 +/- 0.3 nm). We showed that
      those core/shell UCNCs could emit activator-defined multicolor emissions up to
      about 772 times more efficient than the core nanocrystals due to effective
      suppression of surface-related quenching effects. Our results provide a new
      paradigm on heterogeneous core/shell structure for enhanced multicolor
      upconversion photoluminescence from colloidal nanocrystals.

PMID- 28336869
TI  - Non-Enzymatic Glucose Sensor Composed of Carbon-Coated Nano-Zinc Oxide.
AB  - Nowadays glucose detection is of great importance in the fields of biological,
      environmental, and clinical analyzes. In this research, we report a zinc oxide
      (ZnO) nanorod powder surface-coated with carbon material for non-enzymatic
      glucose sensor applications through a hydrothermal process and chemical vapor
      deposition method. A series of tests, including crystallinity analysis,
      microstructure observation, and electrochemical property investigations were
      carried out. For the cyclic voltammetric (CV) glucose detection, the low
      detection limit of 1 mM with a linear range from 0.1 mM to 10 mM was attained.
      The sensitivity was 2.97 MUA/cm2mM, which is the most optimized ever reported.
      With such good analytical performance from a simple process, it is believed that
      the nanocomposites composed of ZnO nanorod powder surface-coated with carbon
      material are promising for the development of cost-effective non-enzymatic
      electrochemical glucose biosensors with high sensitivity.

PMID- 28336868
TI  - Eu, Gd-Codoped Yttria Nanoprobes for Optical and T1-Weighted Magnetic Resonance
      Imaging.
AB  - Nanoprobes with multimodal functionality have attracted significant interest
      recently because of their potential applications in nanomedicine. This paper
      reports the successful development of lanthanide-doped Y2O3 nanoprobes for
      potential applications in optical and magnetic resonance (MR) imaging. The
      morphology, structural, and optical properties of these nanoprobes were
      characterized by transmission electron microscope (TEM), field emission scanning
      electron microscope (FESEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), energy-dispersive X-ray
      (EDX), and photoluminescence (PL). The cytotoxicity test showed that the prepared
      lanthanide-doped Y2O3 nanoprobes have good biocompatibility. The obvious contrast
      enhancement in the T1-weighted MR images suggested that these nanoprobes can be
      used as a positive contrast agent in MRI. In addition, the clear fluorescence
      images of the L-929 cells incubated with the nanoprobes highlight their potential
      for optical imaging. Overall, these results suggest that prepared lanthanide
      doped Y2O3 nanoprobes can be used for simultaneous optical and MR imaging.

PMID- 28336870
TI  - Evidence of Protein Adsorption in Pegylated Liposomes: Influence of Liposomal
      Decoration.
AB  - In order to contribute to a better knowledge of the events involved in the
      formation of the protein corona when nanoparticles (NPs) come in contact with
      proteins, we report a study about the changes on the physicochemical properties
      of pristine, PEGylated and Cyclic Arginine-Glycine-Aspartate peptide (RGD)
      functionalized large unilamelar liposomes (LUVs) or magnetoliposomes (MLs) upon
      incubation with Bovine Serum Albumin (BSA). The main phospholipid component of
      both LUVs and MLs was l-alpha-phosphatydylcholine (PC) or 1,2-dimyristoyl-sn
      glycero-3-phosphocholine (DMPC) with 20% of cholesterol. The most obvious
      indication of the interaction of BSA-nanosystems is given by changes in the
      hydrodynamic diameter of the particles but other evidence is needed to
      corroborate the process. Our findings indicate that size modification is a
      process that is accomplished in few hours and that is strongly dependent not only
      on the surface decoration but also of the lipid composition of both LUVs and MLs.
      Fluorescence quenching experiments as well as cryogenic transmission electron
      microscopy (Cryo-TEM) images assessed these changes and confirmed that although
      each system has to be studied in a particular way, we can establish three
      distinctive features that turn into more reactive systems: (a) compositions
      containing PC compared with their DMPC counterparts; (b) the presence of PEG
      and/or RGD compared to the pristine counterparts; and (c) the presence of SPIONs:
      MLs show higher interaction than LUVs of the same lipid composition.
      Consequently, PEGylation (that is supposed to make stealth NPs) actually fails in
      preventing complete protein binding.

PMID- 28336872
TI  - An Enzymatic Glucose Sensor Composed of Carbon-Coated Nano Tin Sulfide.
AB  - In this study, a biosensor, based on a glucose oxidase (GOx) immobilized, carbon
      coated tin sulfide (SnS) assembled on a glass carbon electrode (GCE) was
      developed, and its direct electrochemistry was investigated. The carbon coated
      SnS (C-SnS) nanoparticle was prepared through a simple two-step process, using
      hydrothermal and chemical vapor deposition methods. The large reactive surface
      area and unique electrical potential of C-SnS could offer a favorable
      microenvironment for facilitating electron transfer between enzymes and the
      electrode surface. The structure and sensor ability of the proposed GOx/C-SnS
      electrode were characterized using scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray
      diffraction (XRD), Raman spectroscopy, UV-vis spectroscopy, Fourier transform
      infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), and cyclic voltammetry study (CV).

PMID- 28336871
TI  - Magnetic Nanovectors for the Development of DNA Blood-Stage Malaria Vaccines.
AB  - DNA vaccines offer cost, flexibility, and stability advantages, but administered
      alone have limited immunogenicity. Previously, we identified optimal
      configurations of magnetic vectors comprising superparamagnetic iron oxide
      nanoparticles (SPIONs), polyethylenimine (PEI), and hyaluronic acid (HA) to
      deliver malaria DNA encoding Plasmodium yoelii (Py) merozoite surface protein
      MSP119 (SPIONs/PEI/DNA + HA gene complex) to dendritic cells and transfect them
      with high efficiency in vitro. Herein, we evaluate their immunogenicity in vivo
      by administering these potential vaccine complexes into BALB/c mice. The
      complexes induced antibodies against PyMSP119, with higher responses induced
      intraperitoneally than intramuscularly, and antibody levels further enhanced by
      applying an external magnetic field. The predominant IgG subclasses induced were
      IgG2a followed by IgG1 and IgG2b. The complexes further elicited high levels of
      interferon gamma (IFN-gamma), and moderate levels of interleukin (IL)-4 and IL-17
      antigen-specific splenocytes, indicating induction of T helper 1 (Th1), Th2, and
      Th17 cell mediated immunity. The ability of such DNA/nanoparticle complexes to
      induce cytophilic antibodies together with broad spectrum cellular immunity may
      benefit malaria vaccines.

PMID- 28336873
TI  - Synthesis, Characterization, and Biological Evaluation of Nanostructured
      Hydroxyapatite with Different Dimensions.
AB  - Nanosized hydroxyapatite (HA) is a promising candidate for a substitute for
      apatite in bone in biomedical applications. Furthermore, due to its excellent
      bone bioactivity, nanosized strontium-substituted HA (SrHA) has aroused intensive
      interest. However, the size effects of these nanoparticles on cellular
      bioactivity should be considered. In this study, nanosized HA and SrHA with
      different dimensions and crystallization were synthesized by hydrothermal
      methods. The phase, crystallization and chemical composition were analyzed by X
      ray diffraction (XRD) and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR),
      respectively. The morphology was observed under field emission scanning electron
      microscopy (FE-SEM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The degradation
      behaviors of the samples were monitored by determining the ions release profile
      with inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS). The releasing
      behavior of Ca2+ and Sr2+ showed that the degradation rate was proportional to
      the specific surface area and inversely proportional to crystallization. The in
      vitro experiment evaluated by MG63 cells showed that SrHA nanorods with a length
      greater than 100 nm had the best biological performance both in cell
      proliferation and differentiation (* p < 0.05 compared with HA-1 and SrHA-1; * p
      < 0.01 compared with HA-2). In addition, HA nanoparticles with a lower aspect
      ratio had better bioactivity than higher ones (* p < 0.05). This study
      demonstrated that nanosized HA and SrHA with subtle differences (including
      dimensions, crystallization, specific surface area, and degradation rate) could
      affect the cellular growth and thus might have an impact on bone growth in vivo.
      This work provides a view of the role of nano-HAs as ideal biocompatible
      materials in future clinical applications.

PMID- 28336875
TI  - NiCo2O4-Based Supercapacitor Nanomaterials.
AB  - In recent years, the research on supercapacitors has ushered in an explosive
      growth, which mainly focuses on seeking nano-/micro-materials with high energy
      and power densities. Herein, this review will be arranged from three aspects. We
      will summarize the controllable architectures of spinel NiCo2O4 fabricated by
      various approaches. Then, we introduce their performances as supercapacitors due
      to their excellent electrochemical performance, including superior electronic
      conductivity and electrochemical activity, together with the low cost and
      environmental friendliness. Finally, the review will be concluded with the
      perspectives on the future development of spinel NiCo2O4 utilized as the
      supercapacitor electrodes.

PMID- 28336874
TI  - Electrospun Nanofibres Containing Antimicrobial Plant Extracts.
AB  - Over the last 10 years great research interest has been directed toward
      nanofibrous architectures produced by electrospinning bioactive plant extracts.
      The resulting structures possess antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory, and anti
      oxidant activity, which are attractive for biomedical applications and food
      industry. This review describes the diverse approaches that have been developed
      to produce electrospun nanofibres that are able to deliver naturally-derived
      chemical compounds in a controlled way and to prevent their degradation. The
      efficacy of those composite nanofibres as wound dressings, scaffolds for tissue
      engineering, and active food packaging systems will be discussed.

PMID- 28336876
TI  - Recent Advances in Research on the Synthetic Fiber Based Silica Aerogel
      Nanocomposites.
AB  - The presented paper contains a brief review on the synthesis and characterization
      of silica aerogels and its nanocomposites with nanofibers and fibers based on a
      literature study over the past twenty years and my own research. Particular
      attention is focused on carbon fiber-based silica aerogel nanocomposites. Silica
      aerogel is brittle in nature, therefore, it is necessary to improve this
      drawback, e.g., by polymer modification or fiber additives. Nevertheless, there
      are very few articles in the literature devoted to the synthesis of silica
      aerogel/fiber nanocomposites, especially those focusing on carbon fibers and
      nanofibers. Carbon fibers are very interesting materials, namely due to their
      special properties: high conductivity, high mechanical properties in relation to
      very low bulk densities, high thermal stability, and chemical resistance in the
      silica aerogel matrix, which can help enhance silica aerogel applications in the
      future.

PMID- 28336877
TI  - Lipoic Acid Gold Nanoparticles Functionalized with Organic Compounds as Bioactive
      Materials.
AB  - Water soluble gold nanoparticles protected by lipoic acid were obtained and
      further functionalized by standard coupling reaction with 1-naphtylamine, 4
      aminoantipyrine, and 4'-aminobenzo-15-crown-5 ether. Derivatives of lipoic acid
      with 1-naphtylamine, 4-aminoantipyrine, and 4'-aminobenzo-15-crown-5 ether were
      also obtained and characterized. All these were tested for their antimicrobial
      activity, as well as for their influence on mammalian cell viability and cellular
      cycle. In all cases a decreased antimicrobial activity of the obtained bioactive
      nanoparticles was observed as compared with the organic compounds, proving that a
      possible inactivation of the bioactive groups could occur during
      functionalization. However, both the gold nanoparticles as well as the
      functionalized bioactive nanosystems proved to be biocompatible at concentrations
      lower than 50 ug/mL, as revealed by the cellular viability and cell cycle assay,
      demonstrating their potential for the development of novel antimicrobial agents.

PMID- 28336878
TI  - Ag Nanoparticles-Modified 3D Graphene Foam for Binder-Free Electrodes of
      Electrochemical Sensors.
AB  - Ag nanoparticles-modified 3D graphene foam was synthesized through a one-step in
      situ approach and then directly applied as the electrode of an electrochemical
      sensor. The composite foam electrode exhibited electrocatalytic activity towards
      Hg(II) oxidation with high limit of detection and sensitivity of 0.11 MUM and 8.0
      MUA/MUM, respectively. Moreover, the composite foam electrode for the sensor
      exhibited high cycling stability, long-term durability and reproducibility. These
      results were attributed to the unique porous structure of the composite foam
      electrode, which enabled the surface of Ag nanoparticles modified reduced
      graphene oxide (Ag NPs modified rGO) foam to become highly accessible to the
      metal ion and provided more void volume for the reaction with metal ion. This
      work not only proved that the composite foam has great potential application in
      heavy metal ions sensors, but also provided a facile method of gram scale
      synthesis 3D electrode materials based on rGO foam and other electrical active
      materials for various applications.

PMID- 28336880
TI  - Synthesis of Carbon Nanotubes in Thermal Plasma Reactor at Atmospheric Pressure.
AB  - In this paper, a novel approach to the synthesis of the carbon nanotubes (CNTs)
      in reactors operating at atmospheric pressure is presented. Based on the
      literature and our own research results, the most effective methods of CNT
      synthesis are investigated. Then, careful selection of reagents for the synthesis
      process is shown. Thanks to the performed calculations, an optimum composition of
      gases and the temperature for successful CNT synthesis in the CVD (chemical vapor
      deposition) process can be chosen. The results, having practical significance,
      may lead to an improvement of nanomaterials synthesis technology. The study can
      be used to produce CNTs for electrical and electronic equipment (i.e.,
      supercapacitors or cooling radiators). There is also a possibility of using them
      in medicine for cancer diagnostics and therapy.

PMID- 28336879
TI  - In Vitro and In Vivo Evaluation of a Three-Dimensional Porous Multi-Walled Carbon
      Nanotube Scaffold for Bone Regeneration.
AB  - Carbon nanotubes (CNTs) have attracted a great deal of attention for the
      biological and medical science fields because of their characteristic physical
      and biological properties. In this study, we investigated the capacity of the 3D
      porous CNT scaffold (CNT porous block; CNTp) for bone regenerative medicine.
      Surface observations using a scanning electron microscope (SEM), crystal
      depositions on the surface of CNTps immersed in simulated body fluid (SBF), and
      evaluations of protein adsorption and controlled releasing were conducted to
      assess physical properties. The cell proliferation and cell morphology were
      observed using SEM and fluorescent microscopy. CNTps were implanted into critical
      size mouse calvarial defects and evaluated for their osteoconductive ability and
      in vivo controlled release of recombinant human BMP-2 (rhBMP-2). Interconnected
      porous HA ceramics (IP-CHAs) were used for comparison. CNTps have multiporous
      structures with interporous connections with networks of multiwalled CNTs.
      Crystals containing calcium and phosphate were deposited in CNTps and on the
      surface of the CNT networks by immersing CNTps in SBF. CNTps adsorbed more
      significantly and released protein more gradually than IP-CHAs. Preosteoblasts
      seeded onto CNTps filled pores with stretched actin filaments and filopodia.
      Compared with IP-CHAs, CNTps showed significantly higher cell proliferation,
      better osteoconduction, and more bone generation with rhBMP-2. In this study,
      CNTps demonstrated good osteoconductive ability, cell attachment and
      proliferation capacity, and growth factor retaining ability. CNTps have the
      potential not only as artificial bones for the treatment of bone defects, but
      also as scaffolds for regenerative medicine using tissue engineering approaches.

PMID- 28336881
TI  - The Influence of New Hydrophobic Silica Nanoparticles on the Surface Properties
      of the Films Obtained from Bilayer Hybrids.
AB  - Ultra-hydrophobic bilayer coatings on a glass surface were fabricated by sol-gel
      process using hexadecyltrimethoxysilane (C16TMS) and tetramethoxysilane (TMOS)
      (1:4 molar ratio) as precursors. After coating, silica nanoparticles (SiO2 NPs)
      functionalized with different mono-alkoxy derivatives (methoxytrimethylsilane,
      TMeMS; ethoxydimethylvinylsilane, DMeVES; ethoxydimethylphenylsilane, DMePhES;
      and methoxydimethyloctylsilane, DMeC8MS) were added, assuring the microscale
      roughness on the glass surface. Influences of the functionalized SiO2 NPs and
      surface morphology on the hydrophobicity of the hybrid films were discussed. The
      successful functionalization of SiO2 NPs with hydrophobic alkyl groups were
      confirmed by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). The thermal
      stability of hydrophobic SiO2 NPs showed that the degradation of the alkyl groups
      takes place in the 200-400  degrees C range. Bilayer coating with C16TMS/TMOS and
      SiO2 NPs modified with alkoxysilane substituted with C8 alkyl chain (SiO2 NP-C8)
      has micro/nano structure. Hydrophobicity of functionalized SiO2 NPs-C8 and its
      higher degree of nanometer-scale roughness gave rise to ultra-hydrophobicity
      performance for bilayer coating C16TMS/TMOS + SiO2 NPs-C8 (145 degrees ),
      compared to other similar hybrid structures. Our synthesis method for the
      functionalization of SiO2 NPs is useful for the modification of surface polarity
      and roughness.

PMID- 28336884
TI  - Influence of Plasma Jet Temperature Profiles in Arc Discharge Methods of Carbon
      Nanotubes Synthesis.
AB  - One of the most common methods of carbon nanotubes (CNTs) synthesis is
      application of an electric-arc plasma. However, the final product in the form of
      cathode deposit is composed of carbon nanotubes and a variety of carbon
      impurities. An assay of carbon nanotubes produced in arc discharge systems
      available on the market shows that commercial cathode deposits contain about 10%
      CNTs. Given that the quality of the final product depends on carbon-plasma jet
      parameters, it is possible to increase the yield of the synthesis by plasma jet
      control. Most of the carbon nanotubes are multiwall carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs). It
      was observed that the addition of catalysts significantly changes the plasma
      composition, effective ionization potential, the arc channel conductance, and in
      effect temperature of the arc and carbon elements flux. This paper focuses on the
      influence of metal components on plasma-jet forming containing carbon nanotubes
      cathode deposit. The plasma jet temperature control system is presented.

PMID- 28336883
TI  - Evaluating Adverse Effects of Inhaled Nanoparticles by Realistic In Vitro
      Technology.
AB  - The number of daily products containing nanoparticles (NP) is rapidly increasing.
      NP in powders, dispersions, or sprays are a yet unknown risk for incidental
      exposure, especially at workplaces during NP production and processing, and for
      consumers of any health status and age using NP containing sprays. We developed
      the nano aerosol chamber for in vitro toxicity (NACIVT), a portable instrument
      for realistic safety testing of inhaled NP in vitro and evaluated effects of
      silver (Ag) and carbon (C) NP-which belong to the most widely used nanomaterials
      on normal and compromised airway epithelia. We review the development, physical
      performance, and suitability of NACIVT for short and long-term exposures with air
      liquid interface (ALI) cell cultures in regard to the prerequisites of a
      realistic in vitro test system for inhalation toxicology and in comparison to
      other commercially available, well characterized systems. We also review doses
      applied to cell cultures in vitro and acknowledge that a single exposure to
      realistic doses of spark generated 20-nm Ag- or CNP results in small, similar
      cellular responses to both NP types and that cytokine release generally increased
      with increasing NP dose.

PMID- 28336885
TI  - Preparation and Characterization of Cellulose Nanocrystals from the Bio-ethanol
      Residuals.
AB  - This study was to explore the conversion of low-cost bio-residuals into high
      value-added cellulose nanocrystals. Two enzymatic hydrolyzed residuals (i.e.,
      HRMMW and HRSPW) were collected from two different bio-ethanol producing
      processes-hydrolyzing medium-milled wood (MMW) and hydrolyzing acid sulfite
      pretreated wood (SPW), respectively. The results showed that both residuals
      contained over 20 wt % glucan with a crystallinity of about 30%, confirming the
      existence of cellulose in a well-organized structure in two bio-residuals. The
      cellulose nanocrystals (CNCs) were successfully extracted by first bleaching the
      hydrolyzed residuals to remove lignin and then hydrolyzing them with sulfuric
      acid. The resulting CNCs displayed the flow birefringence under two crossed
      polarizers. Compared with CNCs from microfibrillated cellulose (CNCMCC), HRMMW
      and its resulted CNC present the smallest particle size and aspect ratio. CNCMCC
      had the larger particle size, aspect ratio, and higher z-potential value, CNCSPW
      presented a similar morphology to CNCMCC, and had the largest aspect ratio. The
      CNCMCC enhanced its high crystallinity to 85.5%. However, CNCMMW and CNCSPW had a
      better thermal stability and higher activation energy as well as onset
      temperature and maximum decomposition temperature. As a result, the CNCs from bio
      ethanol residuals are valued and promising cellulose nanoparticle resources.

PMID- 28336882
TI  - Antimicrobial Polymers in the Nano-World.
AB  - Infections are one of the main concerns of our era due to antibiotic-resistant
      infections and the increasing costs in the health-care sector. Within this
      context, antimicrobial polymers present a great alternative to combat these
      problems since their mechanisms of action differ from those of antibiotics.
      Therefore, the microorganisms' resistance to these polymeric materials is
      avoided. Antimicrobial polymers are not only applied in the health-care sector,
      they are also used in many other areas. This review presents different strategies
      that combine nanoscience and nanotechnology in the polymer world to combat
      contaminations from bacteria, fungi or algae. It focuses on the most relevant
      areas of application of these materials, viz. health, food, agriculture, and
      textiles.

PMID- 28336887
TI  - SiO2/ZnO Composite Hollow Sub-Micron Fibers: Fabrication from Facile Single
      Capillary Electrospinning and Their Photoluminescence Properties.
AB  - In this work, SiO2/ZnO composite hollow sub-micron fibers were fabricated by a
      facile single capillary electrospinning technique followed by calcination, using
      tetraethyl orthosilicate (TEOS), polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP) and ZnO nanoparticles
      as raw materials. The characterization results of the scanning electron
      microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD)
      and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR) spectra indicated that the
      asprepared composite hollow fibers consisted of amorphous SiO2 and hexagonal
      wurtzite ZnO. The products revealed uniform tubular structure with outer
      diameters of 400-500 nm and wall thickness of 50-60 nm. The gases generated and
      the directional escaped mechanism was proposed to illustrate the formation of
      SiO2/ZnO composite hollow sub-micron fibers. Furthermore, a broad blue emission
      band was observed in the photoluminescence (PL) of SiO2/ZnO composite hollow sub
      micron fibers, exhibiting great potential applications as blue light-emitting
      candidate materials.

PMID- 28336886
TI  - Preparation and Electrochemical Properties of Li3V2(PO4)3-xBrx/Carbon Composites
      as Cathode Materials for Lithium-Ion Batteries.
AB  - Li3V2(PO4)3-xBrx/carbon (x = 0.08, 0.14, 0.20, and 0.26) composites as cathode
      materials for lithium-ion batteries were prepared through partially substituting
      PO43- with Br-, via a rheological phase reaction method. The crystal structure
      and morphology of the as-prepared composites were characterized by X-ray
      diffraction (XRD) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and electrochemical
      properties were evaluated by charge/discharge cycling and electrochemical
      impedance spectroscopy (EIS). XRD results reveal that the Li3V2(PO4)3-xBrx/carbon
      composites with solid solution phase are well crystallized and have the same
      monoclinic structure as the pristine Li3V2(PO4)3/carbon composite. It is
      indicated by SEM images that the Li3V2(PO4)3-xBrx/carbon composites possess large
      and irregular particles, with an increasing Br- content. Among the Li3V2(PO4)3
      xBrx/carbon composites, the Li3V2(PO4)2.86Br0.14/carbon composite shows the
      highest initial discharge capacity of 178.33 mAh.g-1 at the current rate of 30
      mA.g-1 in the voltage range of 4.8-3.0 V, and the discharge capacity of 139.66
      mAh.g-1 remains after 100 charge/discharge cycles. Even if operated at the
      current rate of 90 mA.g-1, Li3V2(PO4)2.86Br0.14/carbon composite still releases
      the initial discharge capacity of 156.57 mAh.g-1, and the discharge capacity of
      123.3 mAh.g-1 can be maintained after the same number of cycles, which is beyond
      the discharge capacity and cycleability of the pristine Li3V2(PO4)3/carbon
      composite. EIS results imply that the Li3V2(PO4)2.86Br0.14/carbon composite
      demonstrates a decreased charge transfer resistance and preserves a good
      interfacial compatibility between solid electrode and electrolyte solution,
      compared with the pristine Li3V2(PO4)3/carbon composite upon cycling.

PMID- 28336888
TI  - Microwave-Hydrothermal Synthesis of SnO2-CNTs Hybrid Nanocomposites with Visible
      Light Photocatalytic Activity.
AB  - SnO2 nanoparticles coated on carbon nanotubes (CNTs) were prepared via a simple
      microwave-hydrothermal route. The as-obtained SnO2-CNTs composites were
      characterized using X-ray powder diffraction, Raman spectroscopy, and
      transmission electron microscopy. The photocatalytic activity of as-prepared SnO2
      CNTs for degradation of Rhodamine B under visible light irradiation was
      investigated. The results show that SnO2-CNTs nanocomposites have a higher
      photocatalytic activity than pure SnO2 due to the rapid transferring of electrons
      and the effective separation of holes and electrons on SnO2-CNTs.

PMID- 28336889
TI  - Self-propagating Combustion Triggered Synthesis of  3D Lamellar
      Graphene/BaFe12O19 Composite and Its  Electromagnetic Wave Absorption Properties.
AB  - The synthesis of 3D lamellar graphene/BaFe12O19 composites was performed by
      oxidizing graphite and sequentially self-propagating combustion triggered
      process. The 3D lamellar graphene structures were formed due to the synergistic
      effect of the tremendous heat induced gasification as well as huge volume
      expansion. The 3D lamellar graphene/BaFe12O19 composites bearing 30 wt % graphene
      present the reflection loss peak at -27.23 dB as well as the frequency bandwidth
      at 2.28 GHz (< -10 dB). The 3D lamellar graphene structures could consume the
      incident waves through multiple Reflection and scattering within the layered
      structures, Prolonging the propagation path of electromagnetic waves in the
      absorbers.

PMID- 28336890
TI  - In Vitro Comparative Skin Irritation Induced by Nano and Non-Nano Zinc Oxide.
AB  - This study was designed to determine whether nano-sized ZnO has the potential to
      cause acute cutaneous irritation using cultured HaCaT keratinocytes and a human
      skin equivalent as in vitro models, compared to non-nanomaterials. Commercial
      nano ZnO with different sizes (50 nm and 100 nm) was characterized by dynamic
      light scattering (DLS) and microscopy (SEM) in different media. Nano ZnO reduced
      the cell viability of HaCaT in a dose-dependent and time-dependent manner, in a
      similar way to macro ZnO. However, the 3D-epidermis model revealed no irritation
      at 1 mg/mL after 24 h of exposure. In conclusion, nano-sized ZnO does not
      irritate skin, in a similar manner to non-nano ZnO.

PMID- 28336891
TI  - Nanocellulose-Based Materials for Water Purification.
AB  - Nanocellulose is a renewable material that combines a high surface area with high
      strength, chemical inertness, and versatile surface chemistry. In this review, we
      will briefly describe how nanocellulose is produced, and present-in particular,
      how nanocellulose and its surface modified versions affects the adsorption
      behavior of important water pollutants, e.g., heavy metal species, dyes,
      microbes, and organic molecules. The processing of nanocellulose-based membranes
      and filters for water purification will be described in detail, and the uptake
      capacity, selectivity, and removal efficiency will also be discussed. The
      processing and performance of nanocellulose-based membranes, which combine a high
      removal efficiency with anti-fouling properties, will be highlighted.

PMID- 28336892
TI  - Effect of the Polymeric Stabilizer in the Aqueous Phase Fischer-Tropsch Synthesis
      Catalyzed by Colloidal Cobalt Nanocatalysts.
AB  - A series of small and well defined cobalt nanoparticles were synthesized by the
      chemical reduction of cobalt salts in water using NaBH4 as a reducing agent and
      using various polymeric stabilizers. The obtained nanocatalysts of similar mean
      diameters (ca. 2.6 nm) were fully characterized and tested in the aqueous phase
      Fischer-Tropsch Synthesis (AFTS). Interestingly, the nature and structure of the
      stabilizers used during the synthesis of the CoNPs affected the reduction degree
      of cobalt and the B-doping of these NPs and consequently, influenced the
      performance of these nanocatalysts in AFTS.

PMID- 28336894
TI  - Fabrication of Functional Polyurethane/Rare Earth Nanocomposite Membranes by
      Electrospinning and Its VOCs Absorption Capacity from Air.
AB  - Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) are a source of air pollution and are harmful
      to both human health and the environment. In this study, we fabricated
      polyurethane/rare earth (PU/RE) composite nanofibrous membranes via
      electrospinning with the aim of removing VOCs from air. The morphological
      structure of PU/RE nanofibrous mats was investigated using field emission
      scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM), fourier transform infrared spectroscopy
      (FTIR), and X-ray diffraction (XRD) experimental analyses. A certain amount of RE
      (up to 50 wt. % compared to PU pellets) nanoparticles (NPs) could be loaded
      on/into PU fibers. The tensile strength of PU/RE nanofibrous membranes decreased
      slightly with the increasing RE powder content. The PU nanofiber containing 50
      wt. % RE powder had the smallest fiber diameter of 356 nm; it also showed the
      highest VOC absorption capacity compared with other composite membranes, having
      an absorption capacity about three times greater than pure PU nanofibers. In
      addition, all of the PU/RE nanofibrous membranes readily absorbed styrene the
      most, followed by xylene, toluene, benzene and chloroform. Therefore, the PU/RE
      nanofibrous membrane can play an important role in removing VOCs from the air,
      and its development prospects are impressive because they are emerging materials.

PMID- 28336893
TI  - Chitosan-Functionalized Graphene Oxide as a Potential Immunoadjuvant.
AB  - The application of graphene oxide (GO) as a potential vaccine adjuvant has
      recently attracted considerable attention. However, appropriate surface
      functionalization of GO is crucial to improve its biocompatibility and enhance
      its adjuvant activity. In this study, we developed a simple method to prepare
      chitosan (CS)-functionalized GO (GO-CS) and further investigated its potential as
      a nanoadjuvant. Compared with GO, GO-CS possessed considerably smaller size,
      positive surface charge, and better thermal stability. The functionalization of
      GO with CS was effective in decreasing the non-specific protein adsorption and
      improving its biocompatibility. Furthermore, GO-CS significantly activated
      RAW264.7 cells and stimulated more cytokines for mediating cellular immune
      response, which was mainly due to the synergistic immunostimulatory effect of
      both GO and CS. GO-CS exhibits strong potential as a safe nanoadjuvant for
      vaccines and immunotherapy.

PMID- 28336895
TI  - Exchange Bias Optimization by Controlled Oxidation of Cobalt Nanoparticle Films
      Prepared by Sputter Gas Aggregation.
AB  - Porous films of cobalt nanoparticles have been obtained by sputter gas
      aggregation and controllably oxidized by air annealing at 100  degrees C for
      progressively longer times (up to more than 1400 h). The magnetic properties of
      the samples were monitored during the process, with a focus on the exchange bias
      field. Air annealing proves to be a convenient way to control the Co/CoO ratio in
      the samples, allowing the optimization of the exchange bias field to a value
      above 6 kOe at 5 K. The occurrence of the maximum in the exchange bias field is
      understood in terms of the density of CoO uncompensated spins and their degree of
      pinning, with the former reducing and the latter increasing upon the growth of a
      progressively thicker CoO shell. Vertical shifts exhibited in the magnetization
      loops are found to correlate qualitatively with the peak in the exchange bias
      field, while an increase in vertical shift observed for longer oxidation times
      may be explained by a growing fraction of almost completely oxidized particles.
      The presence of a hummingbird-like form in magnetization loops can be understood
      in terms of a combination of hard (biased) and soft (unbiased) components;
      however, the precise origin of the soft phase is as yet unresolved.

PMID- 28336896
TI  - Nanofibrous Silver-Coated Polymeric Scaffolds with Tunable Electrical Properties.
AB  - Electrospun micro- and nanofibrous poly(glycerol sebacate)-poly(epsilon
      caprolactone) (PGS-PCL) substrates have been extensively used as scaffolds for
      engineered tissues due to their desirable mechanical properties and their tunable
      degradability. In this study, we fabricated micro/nanofibrous scaffolds from a
      PGS-PCL composite using a standard electrospinning approach and then coated them
      with silver (Ag) using a custom radio frequency (RF) sputtering method. The Ag
      coating formed an electrically conductive layer around the fibers and decreased
      the pore size. The thickness of the Ag coating could be controlled, thereby
      tailoring the conductivity of the substrate. The flexible, stretchable patches
      formed excellent conformal contact with surrounding tissues and possessed
      excellent pattern-substrate fidelity. In vitro studies confirmed the platform's
      biocompatibility and biodegradability. Finally, the potential controlled release
      of the Ag coating from the composite fibrous scaffolds could be beneficial for
      many clinical applications.

PMID- 28336897
TI  - Three-Dimensional BiOI/BiOX (X = Cl or Br) Nanohybrids for Enhanced Visible-Light
      Photocatalytic Activity.
AB  - Three-dimensional flower-like BiOI/BiOX (X = Br or Cl) hybrids were synthesized
      via a facile one-pot solvothermal approach. With systematic characterizations by
      X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), Transmission
      electron microscopy (TEM), the Brunauer-Emmett-Teller (BET)specific surface area,
      X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), and the UV-Vis diffuse reflectance
      spectra (DRS), the BiOI/BiOCl composites showed a fluffy and porous 3-D
      architecture with a large specific surface area (SSA) and high capability for
      light absorption. Among all the BiOX (X = Cl, Br, I) and BiOI/BiOX (X = Cl or Br)
      composites, BiOI/BiOCl stands out as the most efficient photocatalyst under both
      visible and UV light irradiations for methyl orange (MO) oxidation. The reaction
      rate of MO degradation on BiOI/BiOCl was 2.1 times higher than that on pure BiOI
      under visible light. Moreover, BiOI/BiOCl exhibited enhanced water oxidation
      efficiency for O2 evolution which was 1.5 times higher than BiOI. The enhancement
      of photocatalytic activity could be attributed to the formation of a
      heterojunction between BiOI and BiOCl, with a nanoporous structure, a larger SSA,
      and a stronger light absorbance capacity especially in the visible-light region.
      The in situ electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) revealed that BiOI/BiOCl
      composites could effectively evolve superoxide radicals and hydroxyl radicals for
      photodegradation, and the superoxide radicals are the dominant reactive species.
      The superb photocatalytic activity of BiOI/BiOCl could be utilized for the
      degradation of various industrial dyes under natural sunlight irradiation which
      is of high significance for the remediation of industrial wastewater in the
      future.

PMID- 28336898
TI  - 2D Transition Metal Dichalcogenides and Graphene-Based Ternary Composites for
      Photocatalytic Hydrogen Evolution and Pollutants Degradation.
AB  - Photocatalysis have attracted great attention due to their useful applications
      for sustainable hydrogen evolution and pollutants degradation. Transition metal
      dichalcogenides (TMDs) such as MoS2 and WS2 have exhibited great potential as
      cocatalysts to increase the photo-activity of some semiconductors. By combination
      with graphene (GR), enhanced cocatalysts of TMD/GR hybrids could be synthesized.
      GR here can act as a conductive electron channel for the transport of the
      photogenerated electrons, while the TMDs nanosheets in the hybrids can collect
      electrons and act as active sites for photocatalytic reactions. This mini review
      will focus on the application of TMD/GR hybrids as cocatalysts for semiconductors
      in photocatalytic reactions, by which we hope to provide enriched information of
      TMD/GR as a platform to develop more efficient photocatalysts for solar energy
      utilization.

PMID- 28336900
TI  - Improvement of Scratch and Wear Resistance of Polymers by Fillers Including
      Nanofillers.
AB  - Polymers have lower resistance to scratching and wear than metals. Liquid
      lubricants work well for metals but not for polymers nor for polymer-based
      composites (PBCs). We review approaches for improvement of tribological
      properties of polymers based on inclusion of fillers. The fillers can be metallic
      or ceramic-with obvious consequences for electrical resistivity of the
      composites. Distinctions between effectiveness of micro- versus nano-particles
      are analyzed. For example, aluminum nanoparticles as filler are more effective
      for property improvement than microparticles at the same overall volumetric
      concentration. Prevention of local agglomeration of filler particles is discussed
      along with a technique to verify the prevention.

PMID- 28336899
TI  - Nanoemulsified D-Limonene Reduces the Heat Resistance of Salmonella Senftenberg
      over 50 Times.
AB  - Salmonella Senftenberg is a pathogen agent causative of foodborne disease and it
      is considered the most heat-resistant serovar within this genus. Food industries
      use heat treatment and chemical antimicrobials in order to eliminate this
      microorganism in food, but consumers prefer natural antimicrobials as essential
      oils and their components. This study evaluates the combined effect of thermal
      treatments and different concentrations of D-limonene nanoemulsion on the
      inactivation of Salmonella (S.) Senftenberg. The results showed an important
      effect of the nanoemulsified D-limonene on the heat resistance of S. Senftenberg.
      The delta50  degrees C value was reduced by 85%, 96% and 98% when 0.1, 0.5 and 1
      mM of nanoemulsified D-limonene was added to the heating medium. The effect was
      kept along all the heating temperatures researched and the shape of the survival
      curves did not change with the addition of the antimicrobial. The results
      obtained in this research could be very useful for food industries for optimizing
      or improving heat treatments applied to food.

PMID- 28336901
TI  - An Optical Sensor with Polyaniline-Gold Hybrid Nanostructures for Monitoring pH
      in Saliva.
AB  - Saliva contains important personal physiological information that is related to
      some diseases, and it is a valuable source of biochemical information that can be
      collected rapidly, frequently, and without stress. In this article, we reported a
      new and simple localized surface plasmon resonance (LSPR) substrate composed of
      polyaniline (PANI)-gold hybrid nanostructures as an optical sensor for monitoring
      the pH of saliva samples. The overall appearance and topography of the
      substrates, the composition, and the wettability of the LSPR surfaces were
      characterized by optical and scanning electron microscope (SEM) images, infrared
      spectra, and contact angles measurement, respectively. The PANI-gold hybrid
      substrate readily responded to the pH. The response time was very short, which
      was 3.5 s when the pH switched from 2 to 7, and 4.5 s from 7 to 2. The changes of
      visible-near-infrared (NIR) spectra of this sensor upon varying pH in solution
      showed that-for the absorption at given wavelengths of 665 nm and 785 nm-the
      sensitivities were 0.0299 a.u./pH (a.u. = arbitrary unit) with a linear range of
      pH = 5-8 and 0.0234 a.u./pH with linear range of pH = 2-8, respectively. By using
      this new sensor, the pH of a real saliva sample was monitored and was consistent
      with the parallel measurements with a standard laboratory method. The results
      suggest that this novel LSPR sensor shows great potential in the field of mobile
      healthcare and home medical devices, and could also be modified by different
      sensitive materials to detect various molecules or ions in the future.

PMID- 28336902
TI  - Magnetic Hybrid Nanosorbents for the Uptake of Paraquat from Water.
AB  - Although paraquat has been banned in European countries, this herbicide is still
      used all over the world, thanks to its low-cost, high-efficiency, and fast
      action. Because paraquat is highly toxic to humans and animals, there is interest
      in mitigating the consequences of its use, namely by implementing removal
      procedures capable of curbing its environmental and health risks. This research
      describes new magnetic nanosorbents composed of magnetite cores functionalized
      with bio-hybrid siliceous shells, that can be used to uptake paraquat from water
      using magnetically-assisted procedures. The biopolymers kappa-carrageenan and
      starch were introduced into the siliceous shells, resulting in two hybrid
      materials, Fe3O4@SiO2/SiCRG and Fe3O4@SiO2/SiStarch, respectively, that exhibit a
      distinct surface chemistry. The Fe3O4@SiO2/SiCRG biosorbents displayed a superior
      paraquat removal performance, with a good fitting to the Langmuir and Toth
      isotherm models. The maximum adsorption capacity of paraquat for Fe3O4@SiO2/SiCRG
      biosorbents was 257 mg.g-1, which places this sorbent among the best systems for
      the removal of this herbicide from water. The interesting performance of the
      kappa-carrageenan hybrid, along with its magnetic properties and good
      regeneration capacity, presents a very efficient way for the remediation of water
      contaminated with paraquat.

PMID- 28336903
TI  - Melanin-Associated Synthesis of SERS-Active Nanostructures and the Application
      for Monitoring of Intracellular Melanogenesis.
AB  - Melanin plays an indispensable role in the human body. It serves as a biological
      reducer for the green synthesis of precious metal nanoparticles. Melanin-Ag
      nanocomposites were successfully produced which exhibited very strong surface
      enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) effect because of the reducibility property of
      melanin. A melanin-Ag composite structure was synthesized in situ in melanin
      cells, and SERS technique was performed for the rapid imaging and quantitative
      assay of intracellular melanin. This imaging technique was also used to
      successfully trace the formation and secretion of intracellular melanin after
      stimulation with melanin-stimulating hormones. Based on the self-reducing
      property of melanin, the proposed SERS imaging method can provide potentially
      powerful analytical detection tools to study the biological functions of melanin
      and to prevent and cure melanin-related diseases.

PMID- 28336904
TI  - Optoelectronic Properties of Van Der Waals Hybrid Structures: Fullerenes on
      Graphene Nanoribbons.
AB  - The search for new optical materials capable of absorbing light in the frequency
      range from visible to near infrared is of great importance for applications in
      optoelectronic devices. In this paper, we report a theoretical study of the
      electronic and optical properties of hybrid structures composed of fullerenes
      adsorbed on graphene and on graphene nanoribbons. The calculations are performed
      in the framework of the density functional theory including the van der Waals
      dispersive interactions. We found that the adsorption of the C 60 fullerenes on a
      graphene layer does not modify its low energy states, but it has strong
      consequences for its optical spectrum, introducing new absorption peaks in the
      visible energy region. The optical absorption of fullerenes and graphene
      nanoribbon composites shows a strong dependence on photon polarization and
      geometrical characteristics of the hybrid systems, covering a broad range of
      energies. We show that an external electric field across the nanoribbon edges can
      be used to tune different optical transitions coming from nanoribbon-fullerene
      hybridized states, which yields a very rich electro-absorption spectrum for
      longitudinally polarized photons. We have carried out a qualitative analysis on
      the potential of these hybrids as possible donor-acceptor systems in photovoltaic
      cells.

PMID- 28336905
TI  - A Nanostructured Matrices Assessment to Study Drug Distribution in Solid Tumor
      Tissues by Mass Spectrometry Imaging.
AB  - The imaging of drugs inside tissues is pivotal in oncology to assess whether a
      drug reaches all cells in an adequate enough concentration to eradicate the
      tumor. Matrix-Assisted Laser Desorption Ionization Mass Spectrometry Imaging
      (MALDI-MSI) is one of the most promising imaging techniques that enables the
      simultaneous visualization of multiple compounds inside tissues. The choice of a
      suitable matrix constitutes a critical aspect during the development of a MALDI
      MSI protocol since the matrix ionization efficiency changes depending on the
      analyte structure and its physico-chemical properties. The objective of this
      study is the improvement of the MALDI-MSI technique in the field of pharmacology;
      developing specifically designed nanostructured surfaces that allow the imaging
      of different drugs with high sensitivity and reproducibility. Among several
      nanomaterials, we tested the behavior of gold and titanium nanoparticles, and
      halloysites and carbon nanotubes as possible matrices. All nanomaterials were
      firstly screened by co-spotting them with drugs on a MALDI plate, evaluating the
      drug signal intensity and the signal-to-noise ratio. The best performing matrices
      were tested on control tumor slices, and were spotted with drugs to check the ion
      suppression effect of the biological matrix. Finally; the best nanomaterials were
      employed in a preliminary drug distribution study inside tumors from treated
      mice.

PMID- 28336907
TI  - New Task Force Criteria Provide Evolution in Diagnosis of Arrhythmogenic
      Cardiomyopathy in Patients without Typical Progression of the Disease.
AB  - BACKGROUND The original Task Force Criteria from 1994 for the clinical diagnosis
      of ARVC were highly specific and based on structural, histological, EKG, and
      familial features of disease. However, recommendations for clinical diagnosis and
      management of ARVC are sparse and lacked sensitivity for early disease. CASE
      REPORT Ventricular electrical instability and sudden cardiac death are the
      hallmarks of ARVC, and are often present before structural abnormalities. In this
      case report, we describe a patient who had detectable electrical abnormalities
      and structural changes that remained unchanged for over 10 years. CONCLUSIONS The
      disease progression in this case was defined as the development of a new 2010
      TFC, which was absent at enrolment in 1994 and in 2008.

PMID- 28336906
TI  - Identification and Evaluation of New Immunoregulatory Genes in Mesenchymal
      Stromal Cells of Different Origins: Comparison of Normal and Inflammatory
      Conditions.
AB  - BACKGROUND Mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs) possess potent immunomodulatory
      properties that increase their value as a cell-based therapeutic tool for
      managing various immune-based disorders. Over the past years, accumulated results
      from trials using MSCs-based therapy have shown substantial contradictions.
      Although the reasons underlying these discrepancies are still not completely
      understood, it is well known that the immunomodulatory activities mediated by
      distinct MSCs differ in a manner dependent on their tissue origin and adequate
      response to inflammation priming. Thus, characterization of new molecular
      pathway(s) through which distinct MSC populations can exert their
      immunomodulatory effects, particularly during inflammation, will undoubtedly
      enhance their therapeutic potential. MATERIAL AND METHODS After confirming their
      compliance with ISCT criteria, quantitative real time-PCR (qRT-PCR) was used to
      screen new immunoregulatory genes in MSCs, derived from adipose tissue, foreskin,
      Wharton's jelly or the bone-marrow, after being cultivated under normal and
      inflammatory conditions. RESULTS FGL2, GAL, SEMA4D, SEMA7A, and IDO1 genes
      appeared to be differentially transcribed in the different MSC populations.
      Moreover, these genes were not similarly modulated following MSCs-exposure to
      inflammatory signals. CONCLUSIONS Our observations suggest that these identified
      immunoregulatory genes may be considered as potential candidates to be targeted
      in order to enhance the immunomodulatory properties of MSCs towards more
      efficient clinical use.

PMID- 28336908
TI  - Early Chimerism After Liver Transplantation Reflects the Clinical Course of
      Recurrent Hepatitis C.
AB  - BACKGROUND Human leukocyte antigen (HLA) mismatch is a characteristic feature of
      post-orthotopic liver transplantation (OLT) hepatitis C. To investigate the
      importance of donor HLA-restricted immune cells in post-OLT hepatitis C
      recurrence, we analyzed the frequency of donor chimerism and the clinical course
      of post-OLT hepatitis C. MATERIAL AND METHODS We analyzed peripheral blood
      chimerism in 11 HCV-reinfected patients with post-HLA mismatched OLT. Patients
      were divided into 2 groups: the OLT chronic hepatitis C (CHC) group (n=8),
      exhibiting active hepatitis C recurrence; and the OLT-persistently normal ALT
      (PNALT) group (n=3), without active hepatitis. Chimerism was analyzed by flow
      cytometry using donor-specific anti-HLA antibodies in peripheral blood
      mononuclear cells from 1-100 days after OLT. Kidney (n=7) and lung (n=7)
      transplant recipients were also analyzed for comparison. As immune cells from the
      donor liver might contribute to post-OLT chimerism, the characteristics of
      perfusates from donor livers (n=10) were analyzed and defined. RESULTS Donor
      derived cells were frequently observed in liver and lung transplant recipients.
      The frequency of donor-derived cells from the B cell subset was significantly
      higher in peripheral blood from OLT-CHC group than in that of the OLT-PNALT
      group. B cells, however, were not the predominant subset in the perfusates,
      indicating that inflow of donor-derived cells alone did not cause the chimerism.
      CONCLUSIONS Chimerism of B cells is frequent in liver transplant patients with
      early recurrence of hepatitis C. We propose that monitoring of early chimerism
      could facilitate early detection of chronic hepatitis C recurrence, although we
      need more cases to investigate.

PMID- 28336909
TI  - Stair-Climbing Test Predicts Postoperative Cardiopulmonary Complications and
      Hospital Stay in Patients with Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer.
AB  - BACKGROUND There is currently no reliable method to predict major postoperative
      cardiopulmonary complications for patients with non-small cell lung cancer
      (NSCLC). In this study, we hypothesized that exercise oxygen desaturation (EOD)
      and heart rate change results in a stair-climbing test (SCT) would predict
      postoperative cardiopulmonary complications for patients with NSCLC. MATERIAL AND
      METHODS We examined 171 patients (41 females and 130 males) with NSCLC by
      preoperative SCT from January 2010 to July 2015. Among them, 27 underwent wedge
      resection, 122 underwent lobectomy, and 22 underwent pneumonectomy. The
      correlation between postoperative cardiopulmonary complications and parameters of
      SCT and pulmonary function test (PFT) parameters were analyzed retrospectively.
      RESULTS The overall 30-day postoperative morbidity of the patients was 46/171
      (26.9%), with death occurring in 3/171(1.8%). The age, FEV1%, MVV, height of
      climbing, EOD, and heart rate change were found to be significantly different
      between the group with postoperative cardiopulmonary complications and those
      without. Binary logistic regression analysis showed that EOD and heart rate
      change were independently correlated with postoperative cardiopulmonary
      complications. In addition, a model predicting the probability of postoperative
      cardiopulmonary complication based on logistic regression for multivariable
      analysis was used to confirm our findings. CONCLUSIONS A symptom-limited SCT with
      oxygen saturation monitoring is a safe, simple, and low-cost method to evaluate
      cardiopulmonary function preoperatively.

PMID- 28336911
TI  - 2D hybrid analysis: Approach for building three-dimensional atomic model by
      electron microscopy image matching.
AB  - In this study, we develop an approach termed "2D hybrid analysis" for building
      atomic models by image matching from electron microscopy (EM) images of
      biological molecules. The key advantage is that it is applicable to flexible
      molecules, which are difficult to analyze by 3DEM approach. In the proposed
      approach, first, a lot of atomic models with different conformations are built by
      computer simulation. Then, simulated EM images are built from each atomic model.
      Finally, they are compared with the experimental EM image. Two kinds of models
      are used as simulated EM images: the negative stain model and the simple
      projection model. Although the former is more realistic, the latter is adopted to
      perform faster computations. The use of the negative stain model enables
      decomposition of the averaged EM images into multiple projection images, each of
      which originated from a different conformation or orientation. We apply this
      approach to the EM images of integrin to obtain the distribution of the
      conformations, from which the pathway of the conformational change of the protein
      is deduced.

PMID- 28336910
TI  - Populus trichocarpa encodes small, effector-like secreted proteins that are
      highly induced during mutualistic symbiosis.
AB  - During symbiosis, organisms use a range of metabolic and protein-based signals to
      communicate. Of these protein signals, one class is defined as 'effectors', i.e.,
      small secreted proteins (SSPs) that cause phenotypical and physiological changes
      in another organism. To date, protein-based effectors have been described in
      aphids, nematodes, fungi and bacteria. Using RNA sequencing of Populus
      trichocarpa roots in mutualistic symbiosis with the ectomycorrhizal fungus
      Laccaria bicolor, we sought to determine if host plants also contain genes
      encoding effector-like proteins. We identified 417 plant-encoded putative SSPs
      that were significantly regulated during this interaction, including 161 SSPs
      specific to P. trichocarpa and 15 SSPs exhibiting expansion in Populus and
      closely related lineages. We demonstrate that a subset of these SSPs can enter L.
      bicolor hyphae, localize to the nucleus and affect hyphal growth and morphology.
      We conclude that plants encode proteins that appear to function as effector
      proteins that may regulate symbiotic associations.

PMID- 28336912
TI  - Fgf21 regulates T-cell development in the neonatal and juvenile thymus.
AB  - We have previously shown that Fibroblast growth factor 21 (Fgf21) is expressed in
      the thymus as well as in the liver. In line with this expression profile, Fgf21
      was recently reported to protect against ageing-related thymic senescence by
      improving the function of thymic epithelial cells (TECs). However, the function
      of Fgf21 in the juvenile thymus remained to be elucidated. We investigated the
      physiological roles of Fgf21 in the juvenile thymus and found that young Fgf21
      knockout mice, but not beta-Klotho knockout mice nor adult Fgf21 knockout mice,
      showed a significant reduction in the percentage of single-positive CD4+ and CD8+
      thymocytes without obvious alteration in TECs. Furthermore, treatment with
      recombinant FGF21 protein rescued the impairment in fetal thymus organ culture
      (FTOC) of Fgf21 knockout mice. Annexin V staining revealed FGF21 protein enhanced
      apoptosis of immature thymocytes undergoing selection process in FTOC, suggesting
      that FGF21 may facilitate the selection of developing T cells. Endocrine Fgf21
      from the liver induced by metabolic stimulation did not affect juvenile thymocyte
      development. Our data suggest that Fgf21 acts as one of intrathymic cytokines in
      the neonatal and juvenile thymus, involving thymocyte development in a beta
      Klotho-independent manner.

PMID- 28336913
TI  - Fission-fusion dynamics over large distances in raven non-breeders.
AB  - The influence of fission-fusion dynamics, i.e., temporal variation in group size
      and composition, on social complexity has been studied in large-brained mammals
      that rely on social bonds. Little is known about birds, even though some species
      like ravens have recently received attention for their socio-cognitive skills and
      use of social bonds. While raven breeders defend territories year-round, non
      breeders roam through large areas and form groups at food sources or night
      roosts. We here examined the fission-fusion patterns of non-breeding ravens over
      years, investigating whether birds meet repeatedly either at the same or at
      different locations. We combined four large datasets: presence-absence
      observations from two study sites (Austria, Italy) and GPS-tracking of ravens
      across two study areas (Austria, France). As expected, we found a highly dynamic
      system in which individuals with long phases of temporary settlement had a high
      probability of meeting others. Although GPS-tagged ravens spread out over
      thousands of square kilometres, we found repeated associations between almost
      half of the possible combinations at different locations. Such a system makes
      repeated interactions between individuals at different sites possible and likely.
      High fission-fusion dynamics may thus not hinder but shape the social complexity
      of ravens and, possibly, other long-term bonded birds.

PMID- 28336915
TI  - A Novel Method of Evaluating Knee Joint Stability of Patients with Knee
      Osteoarthritis: Multiscale Entropy Analysis with A Knee-Aiming Task.
AB  - Deteriorating knee stability is a local risk factor that reflects the occurrence
      and aggregative of osteoarthritis (OA). Despite the many biomechanics-based
      methods for assessing the structural stability of knee joints in clinics, these
      methods have many limitations. The stability of the knee joint relies on not only
      biomechanical factors, but also proprioception and the central nervous system. In
      this study, we attempt to depict the stability of knee joint from a holistic
      viewpoint, and a novel index of knee joint stability (IKJS) was thus extracted.
      We compared the differences of IKJS in 57 healthy volunteers and 55 patients with
      OA before and after total knee replacement (TKR). Analysis of Variance results
      demonstrated that there existed significant differences in IKJS among the three
      participating groups (<0.0001). Also, the IKJS of the operated leg in patients
      with knee OA increased remarkably after TKR (p < 0.0001). Furthermore, the
      results of the experiment suggested that the IKJS has sufficient reproducibility
      (ICC = 0.80). In conclusion, the proposed IKJS that employs the knee-aiming task
      is feasible for quantitatively determining knee stability. It can provide a
      potentially valuable and convenient tool to evaluate the effect of postoperative
      rehabilitation for patients with knee OA.

PMID- 28336914
TI  - Inhibition of serum and glucocorticoid regulated kinase-1 as novel therapy for
      cardiac arrhythmia disorders.
AB  - Alterations in sodium flux (INa) play an important role in the pathogenesis of
      cardiac arrhythmias and may also contribute to the development of
      cardiomyopathies. We have recently demonstrated a critical role for the
      regulation of the voltage-gated sodium channel NaV1.5 in the heart by the serum
      and glucocorticoid regulated kinase-1 (SGK1). Activation of SGK1 in the heart
      causes a marked increase in both the peak and late sodium currents leading to
      prolongation of the action potential duration and an increased propensity to
      arrhythmia. Here we show that SGK1 directly regulates NaV1.5 channel function,
      and genetic inhibition of SGK1 in a zebrafish model of inherited long QT syndrome
      rescues the long QT phenotype. Using computer-aided drug discovery coupled with
      in vitro kinase assays, we identified a novel class of SGK1 inhibitors. Our lead
      SGK1 inhibitor (5377051) selectively inhibits SGK1 in cultured cardiomyocytes,
      and inhibits phosphorylation of an SGK1-specific target as well as proliferation
      in the prostate cancer cell line, LNCaP. Finally, 5377051 can reverse SGK1's
      effects on NaV1.5 and shorten the action potential duration in induced
      pluripotent stem cell (iPSC)-derived cardiomyocytes from a patient with a gain-of
      function mutation in Nav 1.5 (Long QT3 syndrome). Our data suggests that SGK1
      inhibitors warrant further investigation in the treatment of cardiac arrhythmias.

PMID- 28336916
TI  - Evaluation of the effects of irrigation and fertilization on tomato fruit yield
      and quality: a principal component analysis.
AB  - Irrigation and fertilization are key practices for improving the fruit quality
      and yield of vegetables grown in greenhouses. We carried out an experiment in a
      solar greenhouse spanning three consecutive growing seasons to evaluate the
      effects of irrigation and fertilization on the fruit yield and quality, water use
      efficiency (WUE) and fertilizer partial factor productivity (PFP) of tomatoes.
      Interactions between irrigation and fertilization treatments and individual
      factors of irrigation and fertilization significantly (p < 0.01) affected fruit
      yield, WUE and PFP. WUE and fruit yield and quality were more sensitive to
      changes in irrigation than to changes in fertilizer, but PFP showed the opposite
      trend. Interestingly, the treatment with moderate irrigation (W2: 75% ET 0 ) and
      high fertilizer level (F1: 240N-120P2O5-150K2O kg ha-1) was twice ranked first
      after a combinational evaluation. In conclusion, the proper application of drip
      fertigation (W2F1) may be a good compromise for solar greenhouse-grown tomatoes
      with regard to fruit yield and quality, WUE, and PFP. The present study sheds
      light on the contributions of these practices, clarifies their impacts, and
      provides a basis for evaluating and selecting better management practices for
      growing greenhouse vegetables.

PMID- 28336917
TI  - Acclimation of a low iron adapted Ostreococcus strain to iron limitation through
      cell biomass lowering.
AB  - Iron is an essential micronutrient involved in many biological processes and is
      often limiting for primary production in large regions of the World Ocean.
      Metagenomic and physiological studies have identified clades or ecotypes of
      marine phytoplankton that are specialized in iron depleted ecological niches.
      Although less studied, eukaryotic picophytoplankton does contribute significantly
      to primary production and carbon transfer to higher trophic levels. In
      particular, metagenomic studies of the green picoalga Ostreococcus have revealed
      the occurrence of two main clades distributed along coast-offshore gradients,
      suggesting niche partitioning in different nutrient regimes. Here, we present a
      study of the response to iron limitation of four Ostreococcus strains isolated
      from contrasted environments. Whereas the strains isolated in nutrient-rich
      waters showed high iron requirements, the oceanic strains could cope with lower
      iron concentrations. The RCC802 strain, in particular, was able to maintain high
      growth rate at low iron levels. Together physiological and transcriptomic data
      indicate that the competitiveness of RCC802 under iron limitation is related to a
      lowering of iron needs though a reduction of the photosynthetic machinery and of
      protein content, rather than to cell size reduction. Our results overall suggest
      that iron is one of the factors driving the differentiation of physiologically
      specialized Ostreococcus strains in the ocean.

PMID- 28336918
TI  - Clinically applicable GABA receptor positive allosteric modulators promote beta
      cell replication.
AB  - A key goal of diabetes research is to develop treatments to safely promote human
      beta-cell replication. It has recently become appreciated that activation of
      gamma-aminobutyric acid receptors (GABA-Rs) on beta-cells can promote their
      survival and replication. A number of positive allosteric modulators (PAMs) that
      enhance GABA's actions on neuronal GABAA-Rs are in clinical use. Repurposing
      these GABAA-R PAMs to help treat diabetes is theoretically appealing because of
      their safety and potential to enhance the ability of GABA, secreted from beta
      cells, or exogenously administered, to promote beta-cell replication and
      survival. Here, we show that clinically applicable GABAA-R PAMs can increase
      significantly INS-1 beta-cell replication, which is enhanced by exogenous GABA
      application. Furthermore, a GABAA-R PAM promoted human islet cell replication in
      vitro. This effect was abrogated by a GABAA-R antagonist. The combination of a
      PAM and low levels of exogenous GABA further increased human islet cell
      replication. These findings suggest that PAMs may potentiate the actions of GABA
      secreted by islet beta-cells on GABAA-Rs and provide a new class of drugs for
      diabetes treatment. Finally, our findings may explain a past clinical observation
      of a GABAA-R PAM reducing HbA1c levels in diabetic patients.

PMID- 28336919
TI  - Altered spontaneous brain activity in chronic smokers revealed by fractional
      ramplitude of low-frequency fluctuation analysis: a preliminary study.
AB  - Although a substantial body of previous functional magnetic resonance imaging
      (fMRI) studies have revealed different brain responses to external stimuli in
      chronic cigarette smokers compared with nonsmokers, only a few studies assessed
      brain spontaneous activity in the resting state in chronic smokers. The aim of
      this study was to investigate alterations of brain activity during the resting
      state in chronic smokers using fractional amplitude of low-frequency fluctuation
      (fALFF). In the present study, 55 smokers and 49 healthy nonsmokers were
      included. All the subjects underwent resting-state fMRI scans and the data were
      analyzed by the fALFF approach. The smokers showed significantly decreased fALFF
      in the left precuneus, right inferior temporal and occipital gyrus(ITG/IOG),
      while significantly increased fALFF in the right caudate. Subsequent correlation
      analysis revealed that the fALFF values of the left precuneus and right ITG/IOG
      were positively correlated with years of smoking across the smokers. This resting
      state fMRI study suggests that the changed spontaneous neuronal activity, as
      reflected by the fALFF, in these regions may be implicated in the underlying the
      pathophysiology of smoking.

PMID- 28336921
TI  - Different antiviral effects of IFNalpha subtypes in a mouse model of HBV
      infection.
AB  - Interferon alpha (IFNalpha) is commonly used for the treatment of chronic
      hepatitis B (CHB) patients. There are 13 different IFNalpha subtypes in humans,
      but only the subtype IFNalpha2 is used for clinical treatment. The antiviral
      activities of all other IFNalpha subtypes against HBV have not been studied. To
      obtain basic knowledge about the direct antiviral as well as the immunomodulatory
      effects of IFNalpha subtypes, we used the HBV hydrodynamic injection (HI) mouse
      model. Application of most IFNalpha subtype proteins inhibited HBV replication in
      vivo, with IFNalpha4 and IFNalpha5 being the most effective subtypes. Decreased
      viral loads after therapeutic application of IFNalpha4 and IFNalpha5 correlated
      with expanded effector cell populations of NK cells and T cells in both liver and
      spleen. Hydrodynamic injection of plasmids encoding for the effective IFNalpha
      subtypes (pIFNalpha) was even more potent against HBV than injecting IFNalpha
      proteins. The combination of pIFNalpha4 and pIFNalpha5 showed a synergistic
      antiviral effect on HBV replication, with a strong increase in NK cell and T cell
      activity. The results demonstrate distinct anti-HBV effects of different IFNalpha
      subtypes against HBV in the mouse model, which may be relevant for new
      therapeutic approaches.

PMID- 28336920
TI  - Xiaoyaosan exerts anxiolytic-like effects by down-regulating the TNF-alpha/JAK2
      STAT3 pathway in the rat hippocampus.
AB  - Although the anxiolytic-like effects of Xiaoyaosan, a Chinese herbal formula,
      have been described in many previous studies, its underlying mechanism remains
      undefined. The cytokine tumour necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) and its closely
      associated janus kinase 2 (JAK2)-signal transducer and activator of transcription
      (STAT3) signalling pathway regulate the neuro-inflammatory response in the brain,
      thus participating in the development of anxiety. Our purpose was to investigate
      whether the anxiolytic-like effects of Xiaoyaosan are related to the TNF
      alpha/JAK2-STAT3 pathway in the hippocampus. We examined the effects of
      Xiaoyaosan on behaviours exhibited in the elevated plus maze test, open field
      test and novelty-suppressed feeding test as well as hippocampal neuron damage and
      changes in the TNF-alpha/JAK2-STAT3 pathway in a rat model of chronic
      immobilization stress (CIS)-induced anxiety. Xiaoyaosan exerts anxiolytic-like
      effects on CIS-induced anxiety, with a significant alleviation of anxiety-like
      behaviours, an attenuation of hippocampal neuron damage, and a reversal of the
      activation of the TNF-alpha/JAK2-STAT3 pathway in the hippocampus that are
      similar to the effects of the JAK2 antagonist AG490. However, Xiaoyaosan and
      AG490 failed to effectively regulate apoptosis-related factors, including Bax and
      Caspase-3. These results suggest that Xiaoyaosan attenuates stress-induced
      anxiety behaviours by down-regulating the TNF-alpha/JAK2-STAT3 pathway in the rat
      hippocampus.

PMID- 28336922
TI  - Novel and traditional lipid-related biomarkers and their combinations in
      predicting coronary severity.
AB  - We investigated simultaneously traditional and novel lipid indices, alone or in
      combination, in predicting coronary severity assessed by Gensini score (GS) in
      1605 non-lipid-lowering-drug-treated patients undergoing coronary angiography.
      Firstly, levels of triglycerides (TG), total cholesterol (TC), low density
      lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), non high density lipoprotein cholesterol (non
      HDL-C), apolipoprotein (apo) B, lipoprotein (a) [Lp(a)], proprotein convertase
      subtilisin/kexin type 9 (PCSK9), apoC3, small dense LDL (sdLDL) and large HDL
      were increased, while HDL-C and apoA1 levels were decreased as GS status (all p
      for trend <0.05). However, gender stratification analyses showed similar
      associations between lipids and GS in men but not in women. Secondly, multiple
      logistic regression analyses indicated that the 12 indices were predictive for
      high GS (>=24) but not for low GS (1-23) compared with normal coronary (GS = 0)
      except for TG (neither) and apoB (both). Finally, we found that interactions
      between two indices with mutually exclusive composition were positively
      associated with GS status except for couples of TC + apoC3, apoB/PCSK9/apoC3 +
      sdLDL-C. Concordant elevations in the two showed the highest predictive values
      for high GS (all p for trend <0.05). Therefore, lipid biomarkers were associated
      with coronary severity and their adverse changes in combination emerged greater
      risks in men but not in women.

PMID- 28336923
TI  - Integrative analysis of multi-omics data reveals distinct impacts of DDB1-CUL4
      associated factors in human lung adenocarcinomas.
AB  - Many DDB1-CUL4 associated factors (DCAFs) have been identified and serve as
      substrate receptors. Although the oncogenic role of CUL4A has been well
      established, specific DCAFs involved in cancer development remain largely
      unknown. Here we infer the potential impact of 19 well-defined DCAFs in human
      lung adenocarcinomas (LuADCs) using integrative omics analyses, and discover that
      mRNA levels of DTL, DCAF4, 12 and 13 are consistently elevated whereas VBRBP is
      reduced in LuADCs compared to normal lung tissues. The transcriptional levels of
      DCAFs are significantly correlated with their gene copy number variations. SKIP2,
      DTL, DCAF6, 7, 8, 13 and 17 are frequently gained whereas VPRBP, PHIP, DCAF10, 12
      and 15 are frequently lost. We find that only transcriptional level of DTL is
      robustly, significantly and negatively correlated with overall survival across
      independent datasets. Moreover, DTL-correlated genes are enriched in cell cycle
      and DNA repair pathways. We also identified that the levels of 25 proteins were
      significantly associated with DTL overexpression in LuADCs, which include
      significant decreases in protein level of the tumor supressor genes such as
      PDCD4, NKX2-1 and PRKAA1. Our results suggest that different CUL4-DCAF axis plays
      the distinct roles in LuADC development with possible relevance for therapeutic
      target development.

PMID- 28336925
TI  - Prosocial Orientation Alters Network Dynamics and Fosters Cooperation.
AB  - Dynamic networks have been shown to increase cooperation, but prior findings are
      compatible with two different mechanisms for the evolution of cooperation. It may
      be that dynamic networks promote cooperation even in networks composed entirely
      of egoists, who strategically cooperate to attract and maintain profitable
      interaction partners. Alternatively, drawing on recent insights into
      heterogeneous social preferences, we expect that dynamic networks will increase
      cooperation only when nodes are occupied by persons with more prosocial
      preferences, who tend to attract and keep more cooperative partners relative to
      egoists. Our experiment used a standard procedure to classify participants a
      priori as egoistic or prosocial and then embedded them in homogeneous networks of
      all prosocials or all egoists, or in heterogeneous networks (50/50). Participants
      then interacted in repeated prisoner's dilemma games with alters in both static
      and dynamic networks. In both heterogeneous and homogeneous networks, we find
      dynamic networks only promote cooperation among prosocials. Resulting from their
      greater cooperation, prosocials' relations are more stable, yielding
      substantially higher fitness compared to egoists in both heterogeneous and
      homogeneous dynamic networks. Our results suggest that a key to the evolution and
      stability of cooperation is the ability of those with prosocial preferences to
      alter their networks.

PMID- 28336924
TI  - Rtn1a-Mediated Endoplasmic Reticulum Stress in Podocyte Injury and Diabetic
      Nephropathy.
AB  - We previously reported a critical role of reticulon (RTN) 1A in mediating
      endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress in kidney tubular cells and the expression of
      RTN1A correlates with the renal function and the severity of kidney injury in
      patients with diabetic nephropathy (DN). Here, we determined the roles of RTN1A
      and ER stress in podocyte injury and DN. We used db/db mice with early unilateral
      nephrectomy (Unx) as a murine model of progressive DN and treated mice with
      tauroursodeoxycholic acid (TUDCA), a specific inhibitor of ER stress. We found
      increased expression of RTN1A and ER stress markers in the kidney of db/db-Unx
      mice. Treatment of TUDCA not only attenuated proteinuria and kidney histological
      changes, but also ameliorated podocyte and glomeruli injury in diabetic mice,
      which were associated with reduction of RTN1A and ER stress marker expression in
      the podocytes of TUDCA-treated mice. In vitro, we showed RTN1A mediates albumin
      induced ER stress and apoptosis in human podocytes. A positive feedback loop
      between RTN1A and CHOP was found leading to an enhanced ER stress in podocytes.
      Our data suggest that ER stress plays a major role in podocyte injury in DN and
      RTN1A might be a key regulator of ER stress in podocytes.

PMID- 28336926
TI  - Alleviation of mercury toxicity to a marine copepod under multigenerational
      exposure by ocean acidification.
AB  - Ocean acidification (OA) may potentially modify the responses of aquatic
      organisms to other environmental stressors including metals. In this study, we
      investigated the effects of near-future OA (pCO2 1000 MUatm) and mercury (Hg) on
      the development and reproduction of marine copepod Tigriopus japonicus under
      multigenerational life-cycle exposure. Metal accumulation as well as seven life
      history traits (survival rate, sex ratio, developmental time from nauplius to
      copepodite, developmental time from nauplius to adult, number of clutches, number
      of nauplii/clutch and fecundity) was quantified for each generation. Hg exposure
      alone evidently suppressed the number of nauplii/clutch, whereas single OA
      exposure negligibly affected the seven traits of copepods. However, OA exposure
      significantly alleviated the Hg inhibitory effects on number of nauplii/clutch
      and fecundity, which could be explained by the reduced Hg accumulation under OA.
      Such combined exposure also significantly shortened the development time. Thus,
      in contrast to earlier findings for other toxic metals, this study demonstrated
      that OA potentially mitigated the Hg toxicity to some important life traits in
      marine copepods during multigenerational exposure.

PMID- 28336927
TI  - Combination of Electroencephalography and Near-Infrared Spectroscopy in
      Evaluation of Mental Concentration during the Mental Focus Task for Wisconsin
      Card Sorting Test.
AB  - Near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) is a noninvasive neuroimaging tool for
      measuring evoked functional changes in brain oxygenation. Electroencephalography
      (EEG) can be used to evaluate the functionality of cortical connections and
      obtain information on regional cortical activity. Coregistration of EEG-NIRS is a
      recent technique that has been applied for measuring changes in electrical and
      hemodynamic activity in the human brain. EEG-NIRS coregistration facilitates the
      avoidance of misleading interpretations of NIRS, particularly in the diagnosis of
      neurological disorders. In this study, we investigated an approach for enhancing
      accuracy of NIRS by using EEG to monitor physiological activity during a mental
      focus task. Using the Wisconsin Card Sorting Test for the subjects mental focus
      task, we identified two trend types in the EEG and NIRS signals of normal
      subjects. These data can assist in understanding brain activation statuses and
      enable determining subjects' degree of mental concentration. If the data can be
      standardized for the diagnosis of neurological disorders, they can provide a new
      index to improve traditional methods (e.g., questionnaires) to assist clinical
      doctors in diagnosing cognitive disorders.

PMID- 28336928
TI  - Expression of canine distemper virus receptor nectin-4 in the central nervous
      system of dogs.
AB  - Canine distemper virus (CDV) exhibits lymphotropic, epitheliotropic, and
      neurotropic nature, and causes a severe systemic infection in susceptible
      animals. Initially, signaling lymphocyte activation molecule (SLAM) expressed on
      immune cells has been identified as a crucial cellular receptor for CDV.
      Currently, nectin-4 expressed in epithelia has been shown to be another receptor
      for CDV. Our previous study demonstrated that neurons express nectin-4 and are
      infected with CDV. In this study, we investigated the distribution pattern of
      nectin-4 in various cell types in the canine central nervous system and showed
      its relation to CDV infection to further clarify the pathology of disease.
      Histopathological, immunohistochemical and immunofluorescent analyses were done
      using formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded tissues of CDV-infected dogs. Dual
      staining of nectin-4 and CDV antigen or nectin-4 and brain cell markers was
      performed. Nectin-4 was detected in ependymal cells, epithelia of choroid plexus,
      meningeal cells, neurons, granular cells, and Purkinje's cells. CDV antigens were
      detected in these nectin-4-positive cells, further suggesting contribution of
      nectin-4 for the CDV neurovirulence. On the other hand, astrocytes did not
      express nectin-4, although they were frequently infected with CDV. Since
      astrocytes are negative for SLAM expression, they must express an unidentified
      CDV receptor, which also contributes to CDV neurovirulence.

PMID- 28336929
TI  - Developmental Whole Brain White Matter Alterations in Transgenic Huntington's
      Disease Monkey.
AB  - Transgenic Huntington's disease monkey (HD monkey) model provides great
      opportunity for studying disease progression that could lead to new insight for
      developing biomarker, early intervention and novel therapeutics. Whole brain
      white matter integrity of HD-monkeys was examined longitudinally from 6 to 48
      months using diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) and tract-based spatial statistics
      (TBSS). Progressive developmental white matter alterations in HD monkeys were
      widespread and were observed not only in fiber bundles connecting cortical areas
      to the striatum (e.g. striatal bundle and external capsule), but also in long
      association fiber pathways, commissural fibers, and subcortical fiber bundle. In
      all fiber tracts, the data indicate an arrest in white matter development around
      23 months followed by slight decline until adulthood in HD monkeys. The
      microstructural changes parallel the progressive motor, memory and cognitive
      decline previously reported as HD monkeys aged. The findings revealed the
      widespread progressive temporal-spatial microstructural changes in HD monkey
      brains from infancy to adulthood, suggesting differentiated degenerations across
      different brain areas during brain development.

PMID- 28336931
TI  - Observation of biexcitonic emission at extremely low power density in tungsten
      disulfide atomic layers grown on hexagonal boron nitride.
AB  - Monolayer transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDCs) including WS2, MoS2, WSe2 and
      WS2, are two-dimensional semiconductors with direct bandgap, providing an
      excellent field for exploration of many-body effects in 2-dimensions (2D) through
      optical measurements. To fully explore the physics of TMDCs, the prerequisite is
      preparation of high-quality samples to observe their intrinsic properties. For
      this purpose, we have focused on high-quality samples, WS2 grown by chemical
      vapor deposition method with hexagonal boron nitride as substrates. We observed
      sharp exciton emissions, whose linewidth is typically 22~23 meV, in
      photoluminescence spectra at room temperature, which result clearly demonstrates
      the high-quality of the current samples. We found that biexcitons formed with
      extremely low-excitation power (240 W/cm2) at 80 K, and this should originate
      from the minimal amount of localization centers in the present high-quality
      samples. The results clearly demonstrate that the present samples can provide an
      excellent field, where one can observe various excitonic states, offering
      possibility of exploring optical physics in 2D and finding new condensates.

PMID- 28336930
TI  - TP53 Arg72Pro, mortality after cancer, and all-cause mortality in 105,200
      individuals.
AB  - Rs1042522 (Arg72Pro) is a functional polymorphism of TP53. Pro72 has been
      associated with lower all-cause mortality and lower mortality after cancer. We
      hypothesized that TP53 Pro72 is associated with lower mortality after cancer,
      lower all-cause mortality, and with increased cancer incidence in the general
      population in a contemporary cohort. We genotyped 105,200 individuals aged 20-100
      years from the Copenhagen General Population Study, recruited in 2003-2013, and
      followed them in Danish health registries. During follow-up 5,531 individuals
      died and 5,849 developed cancer. Hazard ratios for mortality after cancer were
      1.03 (95% confidence interval:0.93-1.15) for Arg/Pro and 0.96 (95% CI:0.79-1.18)
      for Pro/Pro versus Arg/Arg. Hazard ratios for all-cause mortality were 0.99 (95%
      CI:0.93-1.04) for Arg/Pro and 1.09 (95% CI:0.98-1.21) for Pro/Pro versus Arg/Arg.
      Risk of cancer specific mortality, cardiovascular mortality, and respiratory
      mortality were not associated with Arg72Pro genotype overall; however, in
      exploratory subgroup analyses, genotype-associated risks of malignant melanoma
      and diabetes were altered. Considering multiple comparisons the latter findings
      may represent play of chance. The TP53 Arg72Pro genotype was not associated with
      mortality after cancer, all-cause mortality, or cancer incidence in the general
      population in a contemporary cohort. Our main conclusion is therefore a lack of
      reproducing an effect of TP53 Arg72Pro genotype on mortality.

PMID- 28336932
TI  - Tmeff2 is expressed in differentiating oligodendrocytes but dispensable for their
      differentiation in vivo.
AB  - Myelin elaborated by oligodendrocytes (OLs) in the central nervous system (CNS)
      is required for saltatory conduction of action potentials along neuronal axons.
      We found that TMEFF2, a transmembrane protein with EGF-like and two follistatin
      like domains, is selectively expressed in differentiating/myelinating OLs.
      Previous studies showed that TMEFF2 is capable of binding to PDGFA, which plays
      important roles in the proliferation, migration and differentiation of
      oligodendrocyte progenitor cells (OPCs). However, molecular and genetic analysis
      revealed that Tmeff2 is a weak binder of PDGFA, and not required for OL
      differentiation and myelin gene expression in vivo. Together, our data suggested
      that Tmeff2 is specifically upregulated in OLs, but dispensable for OL
      differentiation and maturation.

PMID- 28336933
TI  - Internal valence modulates the speed of object recognition.
AB  - Brain regions that process affect are strongly connected with visual regions, but
      the functional consequences of this structural organization have been relatively
      unexplored. How does the momentary affect of an observer influence perception? We
      induced either pleasant or unpleasant affect in participants and then recorded
      their neural activity using magnetoencephalography while they completed an object
      recognition task. We hypothesized, and found, that affect influenced the speed of
      object recognition by modulating the speed and amplitude of evoked responses in
      occipitotemporal cortex and regions important for representing affect.
      Furthermore, affect modulated functional interactions between affective and
      perceptual regions early during perceptual processing. These findings indicate
      that affect can serve as an important contextual influence on object recognition
      processes.

PMID- 28336934
TI  - Low-frequency stimulation of the primary focus retards positive transfer of
      secondary focus.
AB  - Positive transfer of secondary focus (PTS) refers to new epileptogenesis outside
      the primary focus and is minimally controlled by existing treatments. Low
      frequency stimulation (LFS) has benefits on the onset of epilepsy and
      epileptogenesis. However, it's unclear whether LFS can retard the PTS in
      epilepsy. Here we found that PTS at both contralateral amygdala and ipsilateral
      hippocampus were promoted after the primary focus was fully kindled in rat
      kindling model. The promotion of PTS at the mirror focus started when the primary
      kindling acquisition reached focal seizures. LFS retarded the promotion of PTS
      when it was applied at the primary focus during its kindling acquisition, while
      it only slightly retarded the promotion of PTS when applied after generalized
      seizures. Meanwhile, we found the expression of potassium chloride cotransporter
      2 (KCC2) decreased during PTS, and LFS reversed this. Further, the decreased
      expression of KCC2 was verified in patients with PTS. These findings suggest that
      LFS may be a potential therapeutic approach for PTS in epilepsy.

PMID- 28336935
TI  - Preservation of organic matter in marine sediments by inner-sphere interactions
      with reactive iron.
AB  - Interactions between organic matter and mineral matrices are critical to the
      preservation of soil and sediment organic matter. In addition to clay minerals,
      Fe(III) oxides particles have recently been shown to be responsible for the
      protection and burial of a large fraction of sedimentary organic carbon (OC).
      Through a combination of synchrotron X-ray techniques and high-resolution images
      of intact sediment particles, we assessed the mechanism of interaction between OC
      and iron, as well as the composition of organic matter co-localized with ferric
      iron. We present scanning transmission x-ray microscopy images at the Fe L3 and C
      K1 edges showing that the organic matter co-localized with Fe(III) consists
      primarily of C=C, C=O and C-OH functional groups. Coupling the co-localization
      results to iron K-edge X-ray absorption spectroscopy fitting results allowed to
      quantify the relative contribution of OC-complexed Fe to the total sediment iron
      and reactive iron pools, showing that 25-62% of total reactive iron is directly
      associated to OC through inner-sphere complexation in coastal sediments, as much
      as four times more than in low OC deep sea sediments. Direct inner-sphere
      complexation between OC and iron oxides (Fe-O-C) is responsible for transferring
      a large quantity of reduced OC to the sedimentary sink, which could otherwise be
      oxidized back to CO2.

PMID- 28336936
TI  - No evidence for microsatellite instability in acute myeloid leukemia.

PMID- 28336938
TI  - A PSO-based multi-objective multi-label feature selection method in
      classification.
AB  - Feature selection is an important data preprocessing technique in multi-label
      classification. Although a large number of studies have been proposed to tackle
      feature selection problem, there are a few cases for multi-label data. This paper
      studies a multi-label feature selection algorithm using an improved multi
      objective particle swarm optimization (PSO), with the purpose of searching for a
      Pareto set of non-dominated solutions (feature subsets). Two new operators are
      employed to improve the performance of the proposed PSO-based algorithm. One
      operator is adaptive uniform mutation with action range varying over time, which
      is used to extend the exploration capability of the swarm; another is a local
      learning strategy, which is designed to exploit the areas with sparse solutions
      in the search space. Moreover, the idea of the archive, and the crowding distance
      are applied to PSO for finding the Pareto set. Finally, experiments verify that
      the proposed algorithm is a useful approach of feature selection for multi-label
      classification problem.

PMID- 28336937
TI  - Results of the randomized phase IIB ARCTIC trial of low-dose rituximab in
      previously untreated CLL.
AB  - ARCTIC was a multicenter, randomized-controlled, open, phase IIB non-inferiority
      trial in previously untreated chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL). Conventional
      frontline therapy in fit patients is fludarabine, cyclophosphamide and rituximab
      (FCR). The trial hypothesized that including mitoxantrone with low-dose rituximab
      (FCM-miniR) would be non-inferior to FCR. A total of 200 patients were recruited
      to assess the primary end point of complete remission (CR) rates according to
      IWCLL criteria. Secondary end points were progression-free survival (PFS),
      overall survival (OS), overall response rate, minimal residual disease (MRD)
      negativity, safety and cost-effectiveness. The trial closed following a pre
      planned interim analysis. At final analysis, CR rates were 76 FCR vs 55% FCM
      miniR (adjusted odds ratio: 0.37; 95% confidence interval: 0.19-0.73). MRD
      negativity rates were 54 FCR vs 44% FCM-miniR. More participants experienced
      serious adverse reactions with FCM-miniR (49%) compared to FCR (41%). There are
      no significant differences between the treatment groups for PFS and OS. FCM-miniR
      is not expected to be cost-effective over a lifetime horizon. In summary, FCM
      miniR is less well tolerated than FCR with an inferior response and MRD
      negativity rate and increased toxicity, and will not be taken forward into a
      confirmatory trial. The trial demonstrated that oral FCR yields high response
      rates compared to historical series with intravenous chemotherapy.

PMID- 28336939
TI  - Locating the Human Cardiac Conduction System Using a 3D Model of Its Nutritious
      Arteries.
AB  - It is difficult for anatomists to dissect the human cardiac conduction system
      (CCS) on specimens as well as for cardiovascular clinicians to locate the CCS
      during cardiac operations. Here, we demonstrate a new method for locating the CCS
      using a 3D model of its nutritious arteries. First, we perfused the coronary
      arteries with contrast material and then acquired a set of data of thin computer
      tomography (CT) scans. Then, we generated a 3D model of the coronary artery and
      distinguished the arteries that supply the CCS. We then located the CCS on the 3D
      model via its nutritious arteries and dissected the CCS. Finally, the structures
      that were dissected were removed for histological and immunofluorescent staining.
      The results of histological and immunofluorescence examination proved the
      structure to be the CCS. Thus, we successfully located the CCS using a 3D model
      of its nutritious arteries. We suggest that with this new method, cardiac
      surgeons can locate a patient's CCS during cardiac surgeries such as
      transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) or radiofrequency catheter
      ablation (RFCA).

PMID- 28336940
TI  - Genetic Analysis of the IncX4 Plasmids: Implications for a Unique Pattern in the
      mcr-1 Acquisition.
AB  - IncX4 plasmids are associated with the dissemination of the mcr-1 genes in
      Enterobacteriaceae. We screened IncX4 plasmids among 2,470 isolates of
      Enterobacteriaceae and determined the mcr-1 positive isolates. Forty-three
      isolates were observed to carry IncX4 type plasmid, among which 13 were
      identified to carry mcr-1 gene. Three representative mcr-1-positive IncX4
      plasmids were selected for high-throughput sequencing. Comparative genomics
      showed that the mcr-1-carrying IncX4 plasmids exhibit remarkable similarity in
      the backbone, and the major distinction lies in the region containing mcr-1. The
      major variable regions of all the IncX4 plasmids were fully characterized by PCR
      RFLP. The results revealed that the mcr-1 was located on the Variable Region I of
      IncX4 plasmids in 11 E. coli isolates. Among them, nine E. coli strains possess
      an epidemic pCSZ4-like IncX4 plasmid containing mcr-1. ISApl1 was presumably
      involved in the transposition of the mcr-1 cassette and then was lost. Similar
      genetic contexts were found in different plasmids, even the E. coli chromosome,
      implying the acquisition of mcr-1 by a unique common mechanism.

PMID- 28336941
TI  - Analysis of factors affecting the therapeutic effect of propranolol for infantile
      haemangioma of the head and neck.
AB  - Infantile haemangiomas (IHs) are the most common congenital vascular tumours of
      infancy. Propranolol has been demonstrated to be effective for IHs; however, the
      factors affecting its therapeutic effect remain unknown. We enrolled 169 infants
      with IHs of the head and neck region treated with oral propranolol at a dose of
      2.0 mg/kg/day. We evaluated the therapeutic responses 6 months after treatment
      and the end of treatment, which were categorized into four grades. The type and
      location of the lesions and the infant age at treatment initiation were analysed.
      The clinical response rate (III + IV) was 91.72% at 6 months after treatment and
      97.63% at the end of treatment. The average treatment duration was 9.99 (2-24)
      months. The group aged 4-6 months exhibited a greater therapeutic response rate
      (98.48%). The treatment duration was shorter (9.52 months) for mixed-type IHs.
      Better therapeutic responses were observed for IHs located around the parotid,
      periorbital, cheek, and neck regions and for multiple IH lesions. Our study
      indicated that propranolol is effective for IHs affecting the head and neck. The
      age at treatment initiation and the location of the lesions had a significant
      effect on the therapeutic response, whereas the lesion type might affect the
      treatment duration.

PMID- 28336942
TI  - Selective inhibitor of Wnt/beta-catenin/CBP signaling ameliorates hepatitis C
      virus-induced liver fibrosis in mouse model.
AB  - Chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection is one of the major causes of serious
      liver diseases, including liver cirrhosis. There are no anti-fibrotic drugs with
      efficacy against liver cirrhosis. Wnt/beta-catenin signaling has been implicated
      in the pathogenesis of a variety of tissue fibrosis. In the present study, we
      investigated the effects of a beta-catenin/CBP (cyclic AMP response element
      binding protein) inhibitor on liver fibrosis. The anti-fibrotic activity of PRI
      724, a selective inhibitor of beta-catenin/CBP, was assessed in HCV GT1b
      transgenic mice at 18 months after HCV genome expression. PRI-724 was injected
      intraperitoneally or subcutaneously in these mice for 6 weeks. PRI-724 reduced
      liver fibrosis, which was indicated by silver stain, Sirius Red staining, and
      hepatic hydroxyproline levels, in HCV mice while attenuating alphaSMA induction.
      PRI-724 led to increased levels of matrix metalloproteinase (MMP)-8 mRNA in the
      liver, along with elevated levels of intrahepatic neutrophils and
      macrophages/monocytes. The induced intrahepatic neutrophils and
      macrophages/monocytes were identified as the source of MMP-8. In conclusion, PRI
      724 ameliorated HCV-induced liver fibrosis in mice. We hypothesize that
      inhibition of hepatic stellate cells activation and induction of fibrolytic cells
      expressing MMP-8 contribute to the anti-fibrotic effects of PRI-724. PRI-724 is a
      drug candidate which possesses anti-fibrotic effect.

PMID- 28336943
TI  - Altered glutamatergic tone reveals two distinct resting state networks at the
      cellular level in hippocampal sclerosis.
AB  - Hippocampal sclerosis (HS), the most common subset of drug-resistant epilepsy
      (DRE), is associated with large-scale network abnormalities, even under resting
      state. We studied the excitatory postsynaptic currents (EPSCs) recorded from
      pyramidal neurons in resected samples under resting conditions from the
      hippocampal and anterior temporal lobe (ATL) obtained from patients with HS (n =
      14) undergoing resective surgery. We observed higher frequency and amplitude of
      spontaneous EPSCs in both the samples compared to non-seizure control samples.
      Application of tetrodotoxin (TTX) reduced the frequency of spontaneous EPSCs by
      49.6 +/- 4.3% and 61.8 +/- 6.2% in the hippocampal and ATL samples, respectively.
      The magnitude of reduction caused by TTX with respect to non-seizure controls was
      significantly higher in the ATL samples than in the hippocampal samples. The
      magnitude of the change in the expression of the NR2A subunit of the NMDA
      receptors also varied in these two regions. Thus, the mechanism of
      hyperexcitabilty mediated by glutamatergic network reorganization in the
      hippocampal region is different from that in the ATL region of patients with HS,
      suggesting two independent resting-state networks at the cellular level. Taken
      together, these findings will improve the understanding of the broadly
      distributed resting-state networks in HS.

PMID- 28336944
TI  - Kaposi's sarcoma-associated herpesvirus ORF34 is essential for late gene
      expression and virus production.
AB  - Kaposi's sarcoma-associated herpesvirus (KSHV) is the causative agent of Kaposi's
      sarcoma, primary effusion lymphoma, and multicentric Castleman's disease. KSHV
      establishes a life-long infection in its host and alternates between a latent and
      lytic infection state. During lytic infection, lytic-related genes are expressed
      in a temporal manner and categorized as immediate early, early, and late gene
      transcripts. ORF34 is an early-late gene that interacts with several viral
      transcription-associated factors, however its physiological importance remains
      poorly understood. Here, we investigated the role of ORF34 during KSHV infection
      by generating ORF34-deficient KSHV, using a bacterial artificial chromosome
      system. Our results reveal that ORF34-deficient KSHV exhibited significantly
      attenuated late gene expression and viral production but did not affect viral DNA
      replication. ORF34 interacted with transcription factors ORF18, ORF24, ORF31, and
      ORF66, and a novel ORF34-interaction partner, ORF23. The C-terminal region of
      ORF34 was important for interaction with ORF24 and viral production. Our data
      support a model, in which ORF34 serves as a hub for recruiting a viral
      transcription complex to ORF24 to promote late viral gene expression.

PMID- 28336945
TI  - X-ray dark-field radiography facilitates the diagnosis of pulmonary fibrosis in a
      mouse model.
AB  - The aim of this study was to evaluate whether diagnosing pulmonary fibrosis with
      projection radiography can be improved by using X-ray dark-field radiograms.
      Pulmonary X-ray transmission and dark-field images of C57Bl/6N mice, either
      treated with bleomycin to induce pulmonary fibrosis or PBS to serve as controls,
      were acquired with a prototype grating-based small-animal scanner. Two blinded
      readers, both experienced radiologists and familiar with dark-field imaging, had
      to assess dark-field and transmission images for the absence or presence of
      fibrosis. Furthermore readers were asked to grade their stage of diagnostic
      confidence. Histological evaluation of the lungs served as the standard of
      reference in this study. Both readers showed a notably higher diagnostic
      confidence when analyzing the dark-field radiographs (p < 0.001). Diagnostic
      accuracy improved significantly when evaluating the lungs in dark-field images
      alone (p = 0.02) or in combination with transmission images (p = 0.01) compared
      to sole analysis of absorption images. Interreader agreement improved from good
      when assessing only transmission images to excellent when analyzing dark-field
      images alone or in combination with transmission images. Adding dark-field images
      to conventional transmission images in a murine model of pulmonary fibrosis leads
      to an improved diagnosis of this disease on chest radiographs.

PMID- 28336947
TI  - An ideal dielectric coat to avoid prosthesis RF-artefacts in Magnetic Resonance
      Imaging.
AB  - The number of people submitted to total hip or knee arthroplasty increased in the
      last years and it is likely to grow further. Hence, the importance of a proper
      investigation tool that allows to determine and recognize the potential presence
      of perioperative and/or postoperative diseases becomes clear. Although the
      Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) technique demonstrated several advantages over
      the other common tomography tools, it suffers from the arise of image artefacts
      if it is performed in presence of metallic prostheses. In particular, the so
      called RF-artefacts are caused by the inhomogeneity in the radiofrequency
      magnetic field of MRI, due to the electric currents induced on the metal surface
      by the field itself. In this work, a near-zero permittivity dielectric coat is
      simulated to reduce those currents and, therefore, the RF-artefacts onset in the
      final image. Numerical results confirm that the dielectric coat strongly reduces
      the magnetic field inhomogeneity, suggesting a possible solution to a well-known
      problem in the MRI field.

PMID- 28336946
TI  - Real-time observational evidence of changing Asian dust morphology with the
      mixing of heavy anthropogenic pollution.
AB  - Natural mineral dust and heavy anthropogenic pollution and its complex
      interactions cause significant environmental problems in East Asia. Due to
      restrictions of observing technique, real-time morphological change in Asian dust
      particles owing to coating process of anthropogenic pollutants is still
      statistically unclear. Here, we first used a newly developed, single-particle
      polarization detector and quantitatively investigate the evolution of the
      polarization property of backscattering light reflected from dust particle as
      they were mixing with anthropogenic pollutants in North China. The decrease in
      observed depolarization ratio is mainly attributed to the decrease of aspect
      ratio of the dust particles as a result of continuous coating processes.
      Hygroscopic growth of Calcium nitrate (Ca(NO3)2) on the surface of the dust
      particles played a vital role, particularly when they are stagnant in the
      polluted region with high RH conditions. Reliable statistics highlight the
      significant importance of internally mixed, 'quasi-spherical' Asian dust
      particles, which markedly act as cloud condensation nuclei and exert regional
      climate change.

PMID- 28336948
TI  - Plasminogen Activator Inhibitor-1 Protects Mice Against Cardiac Fibrosis by
      Inhibiting Urokinase-type Plasminogen Activator-mediated Plasminogen Activation.
AB  - Plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 (PAI-1) is known to protect mice against
      cardiac fibrosis. It has been speculated that PAI-1 may regulate cardiac fibrosis
      by inactivating urokinase-type plasminogen activator (uPA) and ultimately plasmin
      (Pm) generation. However, the in vivo role of PAI-1 in inactivating uPA and
      limiting the generation of Pm during cardiac fibrosis remains to be established.
      The objective of this study was to determine if the cardioprotective effect of
      PAI-1 is mediated through its ability to directly regulate urokinase -mediated
      activation of plasminogen (Pg). An Angiotensin II (AngII)-aldosterone (Ald)
      infusion mouse model of hypertension was utilised in this study. Four weeks after
      AngII-Ald infusion, PAI-1-deficient (PAI-1-/-) mice developed severe cardiac
      fibrosis. However, a marked reduction in cardiac fibrosis was observed in PAI-1-/
      /uPA-/- double knockout mice that was associated with reduced inflammation, lower
      expression levels of TGF-beta and proteases associated with tissue remodeling,
      and diminished Smad2 signaling. Moreover, total ablation of cardiac fibrosis was
      observed in PAI-1-/- mice that express inactive plasmin (Pm) but normal levels of
      zymogen Pg (PAI-1-/-/PgS743A/S743A). Our findings indicate that PAI-1 protects
      mice from hypertension-induced cardiac fibrosis by inhibiting the generation of
      active Pm.

PMID- 28336949
TI  - Induction of apoptosis and ganoderic acid biosynthesis by cAMP signaling in
      Ganoderma lucidum.
AB  - Apoptosis is an essential physiological process that controls many important
      biological functions. However, apoptosis signaling in relation to secondary
      metabolite biosynthesis in plants and fungi remains a mystery. The fungus
      Ganoderma lucidum is a popular herbal medicine worldwide, but the biosynthetic
      regulation of its active ingredients (ganoderic acids, GAs) is poorly understood.
      We investigated the role of 3',5'-cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP) signaling
      in fungal apoptosis and GA biosynthesis in G. lucidum. Two phosphodiesterase
      inhibitors (caffeine and 3-isobutyl-1-methylxanthine, IBMX) and an adenylate
      cyclase activator (sodium fluoride, NaF) were used to increase intracellular cAMP
      levels. Fungal apoptosis was identified by terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase
      mediated dUTP nick end labeling (TUNEL) assay and a condensed nuclear morphology.
      Our results showed that GA production and fungal apoptosis were induced when the
      mycelium was treated with NaF, caffeine, or cAMP/IBMX. Downregulation of squalene
      synthase and lanosterol synthase gene expression by cAMP was detected in the
      presence of these chemicals, which indicates that these two genes are not
      critical for GA induction. Transcriptome analysis indicated that mitochondria
      might play an important role in cAMP-induced apoptosis and GA biosynthesis. To
      the best of our knowledge, this is the first report to reveal that cAMP signaling
      induces apoptosis and secondary metabolite production in fungi.

PMID- 28336952
TI  - A DFT Study on the Electronic Structures and Conducting Properties of Rubrene and
      its Derivatives in Organic Field-Effect Transistors.
AB  - We systematically studied the electronic structures and conducting properties of
      rubrene and its derivatives reported recently, and disscussed the influences of
      electron-withdrawing groups and chemical oxidation on the reorganization
      energies, crystal packing, electronic couplings, and charge injection barrier of
      rubrene. Hirshfeld surface analysis and quantum-chemical calculations revealed
      that the introduction of CF3 groups into rubrene decreases the H...H repulsive
      interaction and increases intermolecular F...H/H...F attractive interactions,
      which resulted in the tight packing arrangement and the increase of the
      electronic couplings, and finally cause the higer intrinsic hole-mobility in
      bis(trifluoromethyl)-dimethyl-rubrene crystal (MUh = 19.2 cm2 V-1 s-1) than in
      rubrene crystal (MUh = 15.8 cm2 V-1 s-1). In comparison, chemical oxidation
      reduces charge-carrier mobility of rubrene crystal by 2~4 orders of magnitude and
      increased the hole and electron injection barrier, which partly explains the
      rubrene-based field-effect transistor performance degrades upon exposure to air.
      Furthermore, we also discussed the influence of structural parameters of carbon
      nanotube (CNT) electrode on charge injection process, which suggests that the
      regulation of CNT diameters and increasing in thickness is an effective strategy
      to optimize CNT work functions and improve n-type OFET performances based on
      these organic materials.

PMID- 28336950
TI  - Dual regulation of water retention and cell growth by a stress-associated protein
      (SAP) gene in Prunus.
AB  - We have identified a gene (PpSAP1) of Prunus persica coding for a stress
      associated protein (SAP) containing Zn-finger domains A20 and AN1. SAPs have been
      described as regulators of the abiotic stress response in plant species, emerging
      as potential candidates for improvement of stress tolerance in plants. PpSAP1 was
      highly expressed in leaves and dormant buds, being down-regulated before bud
      dormancy release. PpSAP1 expression was moderately induced by water stresses and
      heat in buds. In addition, it was found that PpSAP1 strongly interacts with
      polyubiquitin proteins in the yeast two-hybrid system. The overexpression of
      PpSAP1 in transgenic plum plants led to alterations in leaf shape and an increase
      of water retention under drought stress. Moreover, we established that leaf
      morphological alterations were concomitant with a reduced cell size and down
      regulation of genes involved in cell growth, such as GROWTH-REGULATING FACTOR
      (GRF)1-like, TONOPLAST INTRINSIC PROTEIN (TIP)-like, and TARGET OF RAPAMYCIN
      (TOR)-like. Especially, the inverse expression pattern of PpSAP1 and TOR-like in
      transgenic plum and peach buds suggests a role of PpSAP1 in cell expansion
      through the regulation of TOR pathway.

PMID- 28336951
TI  - Determination of leaf carbon isotope discrimination in C4 plants under variable N
      and water supply.
AB  - Understanding the mechanisms underlying variations in carbon isotope
      discrimination (Delta) in C4 plants is critical for predicting the C3/C4 ratio in
      C3/C4 mixed grassland. The value of Delta is determined by bundle sheath
      leakiness (F) and the ratio of intercellular to ambient CO2 concentration (C i /C
      a ). Leaf nitrogen concentration (N leaf ) is considered a driver of Delta in C4
      plants. However, little is known about how N leaf affects F and C i /C a , and
      subsequently Delta. Here leaf carbon isotope composition, N leaf , F, and leaf
      gas exchange were measured in Cleistogenes squarrosa, a dominant C4 species in
      the Inner Mongolia grassland. Delta remained relatively stable under variable N
      and water supply. Higher N supply and lower water supply increased N leaf ,
      stimulated photosynthesis and further decreased C i /C a . High N supply
      increased F, which responded weakly to water supply. N leaf exerted similar
      effects on C i /C a and on F in the field and pot experiments. Pooling all the
      data, N leaf explained 73% of the variation in C i /C a . Overall, both F and C i
      /C a determined Delta; however, the contribution of F was stronger. N leaf
      influenced Delta primarily though C i /C a , rather than F. F should be
      considered in estimating Delta of C4 endmember.

PMID- 28336954
TI  - Special issue on therapeutic antibodies and biopharmaceuticals.

PMID- 28336953
TI  - Palmitoylethanolamide induces microglia changes associated with increased
      migration and phagocytic activity: involvement of the CB2 receptor.
AB  - The endogenous fatty acid amide palmitoylethanolamide (PEA) has been shown to
      exert anti-inflammatory actions mainly through inhibition of the release of pro
      inflammatory molecules from mast cells, monocytes and macrophages. Indirect
      activation of the endocannabinoid (eCB) system is among the several mechanisms of
      action that have been proposed to underlie the different effects of PEA in vivo.
      In this study, we used cultured rat microglia and human macrophages to evaluate
      whether PEA affects eCB signaling. PEA was found to increase CB2 mRNA and protein
      expression through peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-alpha (PPAR-alpha)
      activation. This novel gene regulation mechanism was demonstrated through: (i)
      pharmacological PPAR-alpha manipulation, (ii) PPAR-alpha mRNA silencing, (iii)
      chromatin immunoprecipitation. Moreover, exposure to PEA induced morphological
      changes associated with a reactive microglial phenotype, including increased
      phagocytosis and migratory activity. Our findings suggest indirect regulation of
      microglial CB2R expression as a new possible mechanism underlying the effects of
      PEA. PEA can be explored as a useful tool for preventing/treating the symptoms
      associated with neuroinflammation in CNS disorders.

PMID- 28336955
TI  - Progress of antibody-based inhibitors of the HGF-cMET axis in cancer therapy.
AB  - Dysregulated receptor tyrosine kinase signaling in human cancer cells leads to
      tumor progression, invasion and metastasis. The receptor tyrosine kinase cMET is
      frequently overexpressed in cancer tissue, and activation of cMET signaling is
      related to drug resistance and the processes of carcinogenesis, invasion and
      metastasis. For that reason, cMET and its ligand, hepatocyte growth factor (HGF),
      are considered prime targets for the development of anticancer drugs. At least
      eight anti-cMET and four anti-HGF antibodies have been tested or are being tested
      in clinical trials. However, to date none of these HGF/cMET inhibitors have shown
      significant efficacy in clinical trials. Furthermore, no receptor tyrosine kinase
      inhibitors primarily targeting cMET have been approved. Given that neutralization
      of HGF or cMET does not cause significant adverse effects, inhibition of the
      HGF/cMET signaling pathway appears to be safe. In this review, we summarized the
      completed and ongoing clinical trials testing antibody- or protein-based
      anticancer drugs targeting cMET and HGF.

PMID- 28336956
TI  - Preclinical development of a humanized neutralizing antibody targeting HGF.
AB  - Hepatocyte growth factor (HGF) and its receptor, cMET, play critical roles in
      cell proliferation, angiogenesis and invasion in a wide variety of cancers. We
      therefore examined the anti-tumor activity of the humanized monoclonal anti-HGF
      antibody, YYB-101, in nude mice bearing human glioblastoma xenografts as a single
      agent or in combination with temozolomide. HGF neutralization, The extracellular
      signal-related kinases 1 and 2 (ERK1/2) phosphorylation, and HGF-induced
      scattering were assessed in HGF-expressing cell lines treated with YYB-101. To
      support clinical development, we also evaluated the preclinical pharmacokinetics
      and toxicokinetics in cynomolgus monkeys, and human and cynomolgus monkey tissue
      was stained with YYB-101 to test tissue cross-reactivity. We found that YYB-101
      inhibited cMET activation in vitro and suppressed tumor growth in the orthotopic
      mouse model of human glioblastoma. Combination treatment with YYB-101 and
      temozolomide decreased tumor growth and increased overall survival compared with
      the effects of either agent alone. Five cancer-related genes (TMEM119, FST,
      RSPO3, ROS1 and NBL1) were overexpressed in YYB-101-treated mice that showed
      tumor regrowth. In the tissue cross-reactivity assay, critical cross-reactivity
      was not observed. The terminal elimination half-life was 21.7 days. Taken
      together, the in vitro and in vivo data demonstrated the anti-tumor efficacy of
      YYB-101, which appeared to be mediated by blocking the HGF/cMET interaction. The
      preclinical pharmacokinetics, toxicokinetics and tissue cross-reactivity data
      support the clinical development of YYB-101 for advanced cancer.

PMID- 28336957
TI  - Next-generation sequencing enables the discovery of more diverse positive clones
      from a phage-displayed antibody library.
AB  - Phage display technology provides a powerful tool to screen a library for a
      binding molecule via an enrichment process. It has been adopted as a critical
      technology in the development of therapeutic antibodies. However, a major
      drawback of phage display technology is that because the degree of the enrichment
      cannot be controlled during the bio-panning process, it frequently results in a
      limited number of clones. In this study, we applied next-generation sequencing
      (NGS) to screen clones from a library and determine whether a greater number of
      clones can be identified using NGS than using conventional methods. Three chicken
      immune single-chain variable fragment (scFv) libraries were subjected to bio
      panning on prostate-specific antigen (PSA). Phagemid DNA prepared from the
      original libraries as well as from the Escherichia coli pool after each round of
      bio-panning was analyzed using NGS, and the heavy chain complementarity
      determining region 3 (HCDR3) sequences of the scFv clones were determined.
      Subsequently, through two-step linker PCR and cloning, the entire scFv gene was
      retrieved and analyzed for its reactivity to PSA in a phage enzyme immunoassay.
      After four rounds of bio-panning, the conventional colony screening method was
      performed for comparison. The scFv clones retrieved from NGS analysis included
      all clones identified by the conventional colony screening method as well as many
      additional clones. The enrichment of the HCDR3 sequence throughout the bio
      panning process was a positive predictive factor for the selection of PSA
      reactive scFv clones.

PMID- 28336959
TI  - Affibody molecules as engineered protein drugs.
AB  - Affibody molecules can be used as tools for molecular recognition in diagnostic
      and therapeutic applications. There are several preclinical studies reported on
      diagnostic and therapeutic use of this molecular class of alternative scaffolds,
      and early clinical evidence is now beginning to accumulate that suggests the
      Affibody molecules to be efficacious and safe in man. The small size and ease of
      engineering make Affibody molecules suitable for use in multispecific constructs
      where AffiMabs is one such that offers the option to potentiate antibodies for
      use in complex disease.

PMID- 28336961
TI  - Voltage-induced Interface Reconstruction and Electrical Instability of the
      Ferromagnet-Semiconductor Device.
AB  - Using x-ray magnetic spectroscopy with in-situ electrical characterizations, we
      investigated the effects of external voltage on the spin-electronic and transport
      properties at the interface of a Fe/ZnO device. Layer-, element-, and spin
      resolved information of the device was obtained by cross-tuning of the x-ray mode
      and photon energy, when voltage was applied. At the early stage of the operation,
      the device exhibited a low-resistance state featuring robust Fe-O bonds. However,
      the Fe-O bonds were broken with increasing voltage. Breaking of the Fe-O bonds
      caused the formation of oxygen vacancies and resulted in a high-resistance state.
      Such interface reconstruction was coupled to a charge-transfer effect via Fe-O
      hybridization, which suppressed/enhanced the magnetization/coercivity of Fe
      electronically. Nevertheless, the interface became stabilized with the metallic
      phase if the device was continuously polarized. During this stage, the spin
      polarization of Fe was enhanced whereas the coercivity was lowered by voltage,
      but changes of both characteristics were reversible. This stage is desirable for
      spintronic device applications, owing to a different voltage-induced electronic
      transition compared to the first stage. The study enabled a straightforward
      detection of the spin-electronic state at the ferromagnet-semiconductor interface
      in relation to the transport and reversal properties during operation process of
      the device.

PMID- 28336962
TI  - Optomechanically induced transparency of x-rays via optical control.
AB  - The search for new control methods over light-matter interactions is one of the
      engines that advances fundamental physics and applied science alike. A specific
      class of light-matter interaction interfaces are setups coupling photons of
      distinct frequencies via matter. Such devices, nontrivial in design, could be
      endowed with multifunctional tasking. Here we envisage for the first time an
      optomechanical system that bridges optical and robust, high-frequency x-ray
      photons, which are otherwise notoriously difficult to control. The x-ray-optical
      system comprises of an optomechanical cavity and a movable microlever interacting
      with an optical laser and with x-rays via resonant nuclear scattering. We show
      that optomechanically induced transparency of a broad range of photons (10 eV-100
      keV) is achievable in this setup, allowing to tune nuclear x-ray absorption
      spectra via optomechanical control. This paves ways for metrology applications,
      e.g., the detection of the 229Thorium clock transition, and an unprecedentedly
      precise control of x-rays using optical photons.

PMID- 28336958
TI  - From rabbit antibody repertoires to rabbit monoclonal antibodies.
AB  - In this review, we explain why and how rabbit monoclonal antibodies have become
      outstanding reagents for laboratory research and increasingly for diagnostic and
      therapeutic applications. Starting with the unique ontogeny of rabbit B cells
      that affords highly distinctive antibody repertoires rich in in vivo pruned
      binders of high diversity, affinity and specificity, we describe the generation
      of rabbit monoclonal antibodies by hybridoma technology, phage display and
      alternative methods, along with an account of successful humanization strategies.

PMID- 28336960
TI  - Co-expression of BirA with biotin bait achieves in vivo biotinylation of
      overexpressed stable N-glycosylated sRAGE in transgenic silkworms.
AB  - Here, we demonstrated the expression of the N-glycosylated extracellular ligand
      binding domain of receptor for advanced glycation end products (sRAGE) in middle
      silk glands (MSGs) of transgenic silkworms using the GAL4/UAS system. Over 1 mg
      of sRAGE was obtained from one transgenic silkworm. sRAGE purified from the
      silkworm exhibited good stability and maintained specific ligand-binding ability.
      In addition, N-glycan analysis of sRAGE revealed that N-glucan completely lacked
      potentially allergenic fucose. Moreover, co-expression of biotin ligase (BirA)
      with C-terminal BioEase-tagged sRAGE in MSGs resulted in efficient biotinylation
      of sRAGE after addition of biotin bait. C-terminal biotinylated sRAGE could be
      immobilized onto a solid surface in one direction through binding to streptavidin
      without any loss of ability. The dissociation constant of sRAGE with fructose
      BSA, a typical RAGE ligand, was 7.25 * 10-7 M, consistent with that on the
      mammalian cell surface. Thus, we developed a novel, innovative silkworm
      expression system for efficient expression of recombinant sRAGE, which could
      serve as a basis for the elucidation of RAGE-ligand interactions and facilitate
      the search for new ligands and inhibitors.

PMID- 28336963
TI  - Radiological and Clinical Features associated with Epidermal Growth Factor
      Receptor Mutation Status of Exon 19 and 21 in Lung Adenocarcinoma.
AB  - The exon 19 and 21 in Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor (EGFR) mutation are the
      most common subtype of lung adenocarcinoma, and the strongest predictive
      biomarker for progression-free survival and tumor response. Although some studies
      have shown differences in radiological features between cases with and without
      EFGR mutations, they lacked necessary stratification. This article is to evaluate
      the association of CT features between the wild type and the subtype (exon 19 and
      21) of EGFR mutations in patients with lung adenocarcinoma. Of the 721 finally
      included patients, 132 were positive for EGFR mutation in exon 19, 140 were
      positive for EGFR mutation in exon 21, and 449 were EGFR wild type. EGFR mutation
      in exon 19 was associated with a small-maximum diameter (28.51 +/- 14.07) (p <
      0.0001); sex (p < 0.0001); pleural retraction (p = 0.0034); and the absence of
      fibrosis (p < 0.0001), while spiculated margins (p = 0.0095), subsolid density (p
      < 0.0001) and no smoking (p < 0.0001) were associated with EGFR mutation in exon
      21. Receiver Operating Characteristic (ROC) curves suggested that the maximum
      Area Under the Curve (AUC) was related to the female gender (AUC = 0.636) and the
      absence of smoking (AUC = 0.681). This study demonstrated the radiological and
      clinical features could be used to prognosticate EGFR mutation subtypes in exon
      19 and 21.

PMID- 28336964
TI  - Na-rich layered Na2Ti1-xCrxO3-x/2 (x = 0, 0.06): Na-ion battery cathode materials
      with high capacity and long cycle life.
AB  - Rechargeable lithium batteries have been well-known and indispensable for
      portable electronic devices, and have the potential to be used in electric
      vehicles and smart grids. However, the growing concerns about the availability of
      lithium resources for large-scale applications have revived interest in sodium
      ion batteries. Of many obstacles to commercialization of Na-ion batteries,
      achieving simultaneously a large reversible capacity and good cycling capability
      of electrode materials remains a major challenge. Here, we report a new cathode
      material, Na-rich layered oxide Na2Ti0.94Cr0.06O2.97, that delivers high
      reversible capacity of 336 mAh g-1 at current density of 18.9 mA g-1 along with
      promising cycling capability of 74% capacity retention over 1000 cycles at
      current of 378 mA g-1. The high capacity is associated to the redox reaction of
      oxygen, which is confirmed here by a combined experimental and theoretical study.
      The present work therefore shows that materials beyond mainstream layered oxides
      and polyanion compounds should be considered as candidate high-performance
      cathodes for Na-ion batteries.

PMID- 28336965
TI  - Exploring Approaches for Detecting Protein Functional Similarity within an
      Orthology-based Framework.
AB  - Protein functional similarity based on gene ontology (GO) annotations serves as a
      powerful tool when comparing proteins on a functional level in applications such
      as protein-protein interaction prediction, gene prioritization, and disease gene
      discovery. Functional similarity (FS) is usually quantified by combining the GO
      hierarchy with an annotation corpus that links genes and gene products to GO
      terms. One large group of algorithms involves calculation of GO term semantic
      similarity (SS) between all the terms annotating the two proteins, followed by a
      second step, described as "mixing strategy", which involves combining the SS
      values to yield the final FS value. Due to the variability of protein annotation
      caused e.g. by annotation bias, this value cannot be reliably compared on an
      absolute scale. We therefore introduce a similarity z-score that takes into
      account the FS background distribution of each protein. For a selection of
      popular SS measures and mixing strategies we demonstrate moderate accuracy
      improvement when using z-scores in a benchmark that aims to separate orthologous
      cases from random gene pairs and discuss in this context the impact of annotation
      corpus choice. The approach has been implemented in Frela, a fast high-throughput
      public web server for protein FS calculation and interpretation.

PMID- 28336966
TI  - An Integrated H-G Scheme Identifying Areas for Soil Remediation and Primary Heavy
      Metal Contributors: A Risk Perspective.
AB  - Traditional sampling for soil pollution evaluation is cost intensive and has
      limited representativeness. Therefore, developing methods that can accurately and
      rapidly identify at-risk areas and the contributing pollutants is imperative for
      soil remediation. In this study, we propose an innovative integrated H-G scheme
      combining human health risk assessment and geographical detector methods that was
      based on geographical information system technology and validated its feasibility
      in a renewable resource industrial park in mainland China. With a discrete site
      investigation of cadmium (Cd), arsenic (As), copper (Cu), mercury (Hg) and zinc
      (Zn) concentrations, the continuous surfaces of carcinogenic risk and non
      carcinogenic risk caused by these heavy metals were estimated and mapped. Source
      apportionment analysis using geographical detector methods further revealed that
      these risks were primarily attributed to As, according to the power of the
      determinant and its associated synergic actions with other heavy metals.
      Concentrations of critical As and Cd, and the associated exposed CRs are closed
      to the safe thresholds after remediating the risk areas identified by the
      integrated H-G scheme. Therefore, the integrated H-G scheme provides an effective
      approach to support decision-making for regional contaminated soil remediation at
      fine spatial resolution with limited sampling data over a large geographical
      extent.

PMID- 28336967
TI  - The gene expression profiles in response to 102 traditional Chinese medicine
      (TCM) components: a general template for research on TCMs.
AB  - Traditional Chinese medicines (TCMs) have important therapeutic value in long
      term clinical practice. However, because TCMs contain diverse ingredients and
      have complex effects on the human body, the molecular mechanisms of TCMs are
      poorly understood. In this work, we determined the gene expression profiles of
      cells in response to TCM components to investigate TCM activities at the
      molecular and cellular levels. MCF7 cells were separately treated with 102
      different molecules from TCMs, and their gene expression profiles were compared
      with the Connectivity Map (CMAP). To demonstrate the reliability and utility of
      our approach, we used nitidine chloride (NC) from the root of Zanthoxylum
      nitidum, a topoisomerase I/II inhibitor and alpha-adrenoreceptor antagonist, as
      an example to study the molecular function of TCMs using CMAP data as references.
      We successfully applied this approach to the four ingredients in Danshen and
      analyzed the synergistic mechanism of TCM components. The results demonstrate
      that our newly generated TCM data and related methods are valuable in the
      analysis and discovery of the molecular actions of TCM components. This is the
      first work to establish gene expression profiles for the study of TCM components
      and serves as a template for general TCM research.

PMID- 28336968
TI  - New cofactors and inhibitors for a DNA-cleaving DNAzyme: superoxide anion and
      hydrogen peroxide mediated an oxidative cleavage process.
AB  - Herein, we investigated the effects of new cofactors and inhibitors on an
      oxidative cleavage of DNA catalysis, known as a pistol-like DNAzyme (PLDz), to
      discuss its catalytic mechanism. PLDz performed its catalytic activity in the
      presence of ascorbic acid (AA), in which Cu2+ promoted, whereas Fe2+
      significantly inhibited the catalytic function. Since Fe2+/AA-generated hydroxyl
      radicals are efficient on DNA damage, implying that oxidative cleavage of PLDz
      had no relation with hydroxyl radical. Subsequently, we used Fe2+/H2O2 and
      Cu2+/H2O2 to identify the role of hydroxyl radicals in PLDz catalysis. Data
      showed that PLDz lost its activity with Fe2+/H2O2, but exhibited significant
      cleavage with Cu2+/H2O2. Because Fe2+/H2O2 and Cu2+/H2O2 are popular reagents to
      generate hydroxyl radicals and the latter also produces superoxide anions, we
      excluded the possibility that hydroxyl radical participated in oxidative cleavage
      and confirmed that superoxide anion was involved in PLDz catalysis. Moreover,
      pyrogallol, riboflavin and hypoxanthine/xanthine oxidase with superoxide anion
      and hydrogen peroxide generation also induced self-cleavage of PLDz, where
      catalase inhibited but superoxide dismutase promoted the catalysis, suggesting
      that hydrogen peroxide played an essential role in PLDz catalysis. Therefore, we
      proposed a catalytic mechanism of PLDz in which superoxide anion and hydrogen
      peroxide mediated an oxidative cleavage process.

PMID- 28336970
TI  - A Steep-Slope Transistor Combining Phase-Change and Band-to-Band-Tunneling to
      Achieve a sub-Unity Body Factor.
AB  - Steep-slope transistors allow to scale down the supply voltage and the energy per
      computed bit of information as compared to conventional field-effect transistors
      (FETs), due to their sub-60 mV/decade subthreshold swing at room temperature.
      Currently pursued approaches to achieve such a subthermionic subthreshold swing
      consist in alternative carrier injection mechanisms, like quantum mechanical band
      to-band tunneling (BTBT) in Tunnel FETs or abrupt phase-change in metal-insulator
      transition (MIT) devices. The strengths of the BTBT and MIT have been combined in
      a hybrid device architecture called phase-change tunnel FET (PC-TFET), in which
      the abrupt MIT in vanadium dioxide (VO2) lowers the subthreshold swing of
      strained-silicon nanowire TFETs. In this work, we demonstrate that the principle
      underlying the low swing in the PC-TFET relates to a sub-unity body factor
      achieved by an internal differential gate voltage amplification. We study the
      effect of temperature on the switching ratio and the swing of the PC-TFET,
      reporting values as low as 4.0 mV/decade at 25  degrees C, 7.8 mV/decade at 45 
      degrees C. We discuss how the unique characteristics of the PC-TFET open new
      perspectives, beyond FETs and other steep-slope transistors, for low power
      electronics, analog circuits and neuromorphic computing.

PMID- 28336969
TI  - Complete genome sequence and comparative genomics of the probiotic yeast
      Saccharomyces boulardii.
AB  - The probiotic yeast, Saccharomyces boulardii (Sb) is known to be effective
      against many gastrointestinal disorders and antibiotic-associated diarrhea. To
      understand molecular basis of probiotic-properties ascribed to Sb we determined
      the complete genomes of two strains of Sb i.e. Biocodex and unique28 and the
      draft genomes for three other Sb strains that are marketed as probiotics in
      India. We compared these genomes with 145 strains of S. cerevisiae (Sc) to
      understand genome-level similarities and differences between these yeasts. A
      distinctive feature of Sb from other Sc is absence of Ty elements Ty1, Ty3, Ty4
      and associated LTR. However, we could identify complete Ty2 and Ty5 elements in
      Sb. The genes for hexose transporters HXT11 and HXT9, and asparagine-utilization
      are absent in all Sb strains. We find differences in repeat periods and copy
      numbers of repeats in flocculin genes that are likely related to the differential
      adhesion of Sb as compared to Sc. Core-proteome based taxonomy places Sb strains
      along with wine strains of Sc. We find the introgression of five genes from Z.
      bailii into the chromosome IV of Sb and wine strains of Sc. Intriguingly, genes
      involved in conferring known probiotic properties to Sb are conserved in most Sc
      strains.

PMID- 28336971
TI  - Targeting to the non-genomic activity of retinoic acid receptor-gamma by acacetin
      in hepatocellular carcinoma.
AB  - We recently demonstrated that retinoic acid receptor-gamma (RARgamma) is
      overexpressed and acts as a tumor promoter in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). The
      oncogenic activity of RARgamma is mainly attributed to its physiological
      interaction with p85alpha regulatory subunit of PI3K leading to constitutive
      activation of AKT. Here we report RARgamma as a negative regulator of p53
      signaling and thus extend the oncogenic potential of RARgamma to a new role in
      controlling the balance between AKT and p53. A natural flavonoid acacetin is then
      identified to be capable of modulating RARgamma-dependent AKT-p53 network. It
      specifically binds to RARgamma and inhibits all-trans retinoic acid (atRA)
      stimulation of RARgamma transactivation. However, the anticancer action of
      acacetin is independent on its modulation of RARgamma-driven transcriptional
      activity. Acacetin induces cancer cell apoptosis through antagonizing the non
      genomic effect of RARgamma on AKT and p53. When bound to RARgamma, acacetin
      prevents RARgamma from its activation of AKT followed by recovery of the normal
      p53 signaling. Given the implication of AKT-p53 dysregulation in most HCC,
      targeting the non-genomic signaling of RARgamma that switches AKT-p53 from a pro
      survival to a pro-apoptotic program in cancer cells should be a promising
      strategy for developing novel anti-HCC drugs.

PMID- 28336972
TI  - Microsatellite analysis for differentiating the origin of renal angiomyolipoma
      and involved regional lymph node.
AB  - Renal angiomyolipoma (AML) with the regional lymph node (LN) involved leads to a
      question of metastasis versus multicentric origin when their histology are
      similar. As the genomic instability is a common feature of cancer, we
      hypothesized that independently arising neoplasms in an individual patient would
      exhibit measurable genomic variation, facilitating the discrimination of tumor
      lineage and relatedness. Our study enrolled 12 patients who were diagnosed with
      nodal-involved renal AML at West China Hospital. Genomic DNA from kidney and
      lymph node lesion from individuals was analyzed through PCR-based analysis which
      using six microsatellite markers to identify discordant allelic variation. The
      results showed all 12 patients underwent surgical treatment and none suffered
      local recurrence or distant metastasis during the follow-up. Ten patients of the
      included cases showed a consistent trend that all corresponding to six
      microsatellite markers were detected in DNA from renal AMLs but were reduced or
      not observed in DNA from the paired LN. With this technique, a possible lineage
      relationship cannot be excluded between renal AMLs and LN. Thus when enlarged LN
      were found in images, active surveillance should be taken into consider; if
      enlarged LN were found intraoperatively, LN resection might be necessary to
      demonstrate their pathological nature.

PMID- 28336973
TI  - Microbial community composition is related to soil biological and chemical
      properties and bacterial wilt outbreak.
AB  - Soil microbes play important roles in plant growth and health. Little is known
      about the differences of soil microbes between healthy and bacterial wilt
      infected soils with Ralstonia solanacearum. By Illumina-MiSeq sequencing of 16S
      rRNA and 18S rRNA gene amplicons, we found the soil microbial composition and
      diversity were distinct between healthy and bacterial wilt infected soils. Soil
      microbial community varied at different plant growth stages due to changes of
      root exudates composition and soil pH. Healthy soils exhibited higher microbial
      diversity than the bacterial wilt infected soils. More abundant beneficial
      microbes including Bacillus, Agromyces, Micromonospora, Pseudonocardia,
      Acremonium, Lysobacter, Mesorhizobium, Microvirga, Bradyrhizobium, Acremonium and
      Chaetomium were found in the healthy soils rather than the bacterial wilt
      infected soils. Compared to bacterial wilt infected soils, the activities of
      catalase, invertase and urease, as well as soil pH, available phosphorous and
      potassium content, were all significantly increased in the healthy soils. In a
      conclusion, the higher abundance of beneficial microbes are positively related
      the higher soil quality, including better plant growth, lower disease incidence,
      and higher nutrient contents, soil enzyme activities and soil pH.

PMID- 28336975
TI  - Colette Bridgman: 'The two prototype practices in Wales have been a sensational
      success'.

PMID- 28336978
TI  - Child dental health: Forty year overview.

PMID- 28336979
TI  - A dental student's life: 'This is definitely the right profession for me!'

PMID- 28336976
TI  - The Hall Technique 10 years on: Questions and answers.
AB  - It is ten years since the first paper on the Hall Technique was published in the
      British Dental Journal and almost 20 years since the technique first came to
      notice. Dr Norna Hall a (now retired) general dental practitioner from the north
      of Scotland had, for many years, been managing carious primary molar teeth by
      cementing preformed metal crowns over them, with no local anaesthesia, tooth
      preparation or carious tissue removal. This first report, a retrospective
      analysis of Dr Hall's treatments, caused controversy. How could simply sealing a
      carious lesion, with all the associated bacteria and decayed tissues, possibly be
      clinically successful? Since then, growing understanding that caries is
      essentially a biofilm driven disease rather than an infectious disease, explains
      why the Hall Technique, and other 'sealing in' carious lesion techniques, are
      successful. The intervening ten years has seen robust evidence from several
      randomised control trials that are either completed or underway. These have found
      the Hall Technique superior to comparator treatments, with success rates (no pain
      or infection) of 99% (UK study) and 100% (Germany) at one year, 98% and 93% over
      two years (UK and Germany) and 97% over five years (UK). The Hall Technique is
      now regarded as one of several biological management options for carious lesions
      in primary molars. This paper covers commonly asked questions about the Hall
      Technique and speculates on what lies ahead.

PMID- 28336974
TI  - PET Radiomics in NSCLC: state of the art and a proposal for harmonization of
      methodology.
AB  - Imaging with positron emission tomography (PET)/computed tomography (CT) is
      crucial in the management of cancer because of its value in tumor staging,
      response assessment, restaging, prognosis and treatment responsiveness
      prediction. In the last years, interest has grown in texture analysis which
      provides an "in-vivo" lesion characterization, and predictive information in
      several malignances including NSCLC; however several drawbacks and limitations
      affect these studies, especially because of lack of standardization in features
      calculation, definitions and methodology reporting. The present paper provides a
      comprehensive review of literature describing the state-of-the-art of FDG-PET/CT
      texture analysis in NSCLC, suggesting a proposal for harmonization of
      methodology.

PMID- 28336982
TI  - Taxes on sugar-sweetened beverages (Editorial) Effects of taxing sugar-sweetened
      beverages on caries and treatment costs.
AB  - 'The oral health community needs to band with our public health colleagues to
      support SSB (sugar-sweetened beverages) taxation to improve health.'

PMID- 28336983
TI  - Dental research: Trainee collaborations.

PMID- 28336985
TI  - The Hall Technique 10 years on: its effect and influence.
AB  - Dental caries in early childhood can have a very significant effect not only on
      the oral health of young children but on their quality of life and that of their
      families. Added to this are the long-term infective risks to the host of
      untreated caries in primary teeth but also the risk of damage to successor
      permanent teeth. Traditional restoration of damaged primary teeth has been shown
      to have only moderate outcomes depending on the techniques and materials used and
      the ability of children to cooperate because of age or other factors. The Hall
      technique has outperformed other techniques in randomised clinical trials. In
      this Opinion Article I will take a look back at the Innes et al. paper, first
      published in this Journal in 2006, that introduced the Hall Technique and the
      subsequent scientific literature which provided us with high quality scientific
      evidence of the efficacy of the technique. I will evaluate how this new technique
      has affected the management of early childhood caries and hence its influence on
      wider oral and general health.

PMID- 28336988
TI  - Restorative dentistry: Occlusal hypervigilance.

PMID- 28336989
TI  - Meeting and greeting in the clinical setting - are we doing what patients want?
AB  - Objective To determine how patients want to be greeted by clinicians on a first
      encounter in the clinical setting.Setting A UK dental teaching hospital in
      2015/16.Materials and methods Data was collected prospectively via 450 patient
      questionnaires. The results were stratified by generational cohort and compared
      to assess if there was an association between patient preferences and the
      generational theory.Results Patients preferred to be greeted informally by their
      first name and didn't mind how the clinician introduced themselves or preferred
      them to use their first name also. Patients showed a preference to shake hands
      with their clinician, particularly in older generational cohorts. The majority of
      patients believed that it was helpful to know the training grade of the clinician
      providing treatment but didn't understand what the different grades meant.
      Patients believed that explaining the different training grades and using colour
      coded uniforms would be useful.Conclusions Consideration should be given to
      addressing patients informally by their first name and shaking hands at a first
      encounter. Clinicians should routinely disclose their training grade when
      introducing themselves and consideration should be given to providing patients
      with an explanation of the different training grades and using colour-coded
      uniforms to avoid confusion.

PMID- 28336991
TI  - Dental radiography: Vanishing implant.

PMID- 28336997
TI  - Oral health: Welcome progress.

PMID- 28336995
TI  - Conference report: Dental Speciality Trainee National Committee Conference.

PMID- 28337000
TI  - NiHiliStic Dentistry.

PMID- 28337001
TI  - Outreach teachers essential.

PMID- 28336998
TI  - Characteristics and treatment of invasive cervical resorption in vital teeth. A
      narrative review and a report of two cases.
AB  - Invasive cervical resorption (ICR) is a significant defect of the root surface
      where the hard dental tissues are undermined and become translucent due to the
      resorptive granulomatous tissue. It is mainly detected on radiographs. The
      radiographic appearance of ICR is asymmetrical radiolucency with irregular
      margins and an unchanged root canal. The purpose of this study is to present a
      comprehensive review together with the characteristics and the treatment of ICR
      through two cases which were followed-up for 36 months. In both cases the teeth
      were vital and the management consisted of raising a flap, granulomatous tissue
      removal, thorough debridement, restoration of the resorptive defect by placing a
      suitable filling material and follow-up examinations. Our results indicate that
      the specific treatment protocol has very positive outcomes. After 36 months
      pulpal vitality tests revealed a healthy pulp, and clinical and radiographic
      examination confirmed a stable periodontal condition.

PMID- 28337003
TI  - Shade of resin-based luting agents and final color of porcelain veneers.
AB  - All that is required is three shades of luting cement.

PMID- 28337002
TI  - A case series of trigeminal nerve injuries caused by periapical lesions of
      mandibular teeth.
AB  - Aims Periapical lesions have been implicated in mandibular trigeminal sensory
      neuropathy. This study aimed to report on a case series of consecutive patients
      presenting with mandibular division trigeminal nerve injuries (TNI) caused by
      periapical lesions. Common presenting characteristics and possible strategies for
      management were also investigated.Materials and methods A retrospective study of
      22 patients with TNI caused by periapical lesions. Data were extracted from
      patient records and analysed using Microsoft Excel and SPSS. Factors associated
      with TNI resolution were assessed using Student's t-Tests and one-way Analysis of
      Variance (ANOVA), where P <0.05 indicated statistical significance.Results Twenty
      one patients had inferior alveolar nerve injuries (IANI) and one had a lingual
      nerve injury (LNI). The most commonly affected teeth were the first molars (11
      patients; 50%). TNI symptoms included numbness, pain and/or paraesthesia. IANI
      resolved completely among five patients within a mean time of 4.7 months (range
      1.5-12 months). Patients who showed complete resolution had the affected teeth
      extracted or primary endodontic treatment with antibiotics.Conclusions Patients
      with TNI caused by periapical lesions can suffer significantly from combined
      numbness, pain and paraesthesia. Resolution of these injuries may be maximised
      upon early diagnosis and treatment of the periapical lesion by tooth extraction
      or primary endodontic treatment.

PMID- 28337004
TI  - Adequacy and clarity of information on out-of-hours emergency dental services at
      Greater Manchester NHS dental practices: a cross-sectional study.
AB  - Objective To perform an evaluation of the information given to patients seeking
      emergency dental services during out-of-hours periods in Greater
      Manchester.Method This is a cross-sectional study. A list of all NHS dental
      practices in Greater Manchester was obtained from the NHS website. The
      investigators then accessed websites and voicemails of all practices to assess
      the information given to patients.Results The study shows that most practices
      have voicemail, which includes varying information on how to access emergency
      dental services during out-of-hours periods. Few of those included advice on the
      management of common dental emergencies. On the other hand, the majority of
      practices did not have websites. From those who included advice on how to access
      emergency dental services during out-of-hours periods on how to manage common
      dental emergencies on their websites, the information was easy to find.Conclusion
      The current information could be improved by ensuring the inclusion of essential
      details. Websites would help by including more details. In turn, this could help
      to reduce the number of inappropriate presentations to A&E departments.

PMID- 28337007
TI  - Cost-effectiveness of regular versus irregular supportive periodontal therapy or
      tooth removal.
AB  - Regular SPT (supportive periodontal treatment) retains teeth longer than
      irregular SPT but this regimen is not necessarily cheaper; extraction and
      replacement of teeth was usually the most expensive.

PMID- 28337006
TI  - Challenges in X-ray diagnosis: a review of referrals for specialist opinion.
AB  - The aim of this study was to determine the common reasons why a dental
      professional might request a second opinion on a dental radiograph from a Dental
      and Maxillofacial (DMF) radiologist. The study was a retrospective analysis of
      consecutive referrals for an opinion received by post or email by one DMF
      radiologist based in a UK dental hospital. The study period was from March 2009
      to November 2015. Referrals came from a mixture of sources: mainly from general
      dental practitioners and specialists working in primary care, but with some
      referrals from hospital-based practitioners. An enormous range in diagnoses were
      made by the DMF radiologist, but the ten most frequent diagnostic categories
      contributed 57.5% of the total. Normal anatomy and anatomical variations in
      normal anatomy made up the largest category. Common dental disease was often
      diagnosed, but idiopathic osteosclerosis and maxillary antrum pathosis were both
      frequent reasons for seeking a second opinion. This service evaluation may assist
      in developing curricula for undergraduates and in designing continuing education
      courses. It also highlights a service that may avoid unnecessary referrals to
      hospital specialists but which currently is not commissioned by the NHS.

PMID- 28337008
TI  - BDA Museum acquires nineteenth century dental mirror.

PMID- 28337011
TI  - PTFE tape inspiration.

PMID- 28337012
TI  - Preparedness of undergraduate dental students in the United Kingdom: a national
      study.
AB  - Aims To evaluate the self-perceived preparedness of final year dental
      undergraduate students in the United Kingdom.Methods Dental undergraduate
      students in their final year were invited by email through the Dental Schools
      Council (DSC) to provide their responses to an online preparedness assessment
      scale. The data analysis was carried out using the RUMM2030 software which is
      specifically designed for Rasch analysis, a measurement model based on item
      response theory.Results Students felt adequately prepared to carry out simple
      clinical procedures and communication skills. However, low scores were reported
      on ability to assess orthodontic treatment needs, treatment planning, crowns,
      endodontics, research skills, referral for suspected oral cancer and raising
      concerns regarding inappropriate behaviour of colleagues.Conclusions The scale
      used in this study explored the self-perceived preparedness on a range of
      cognitive, clinical and behavioural attributes. The data show that the students
      felt prepared for the majority of the attributes expected from dentists. However,
      a number of areas were identified where students may benefit from further
      training and consolidation.

PMID- 28337014
TI  - Dental student tackles strict pull-up challenge for charity.

PMID- 28337016
TI  - Dental education: Oral biology teaching.

PMID- 28337015
TI  - Natural tooth preservation versus extraction and implant placement: patient
      preferences and analysis of the willingness to pay.
AB  - Objectives The aim of this study was to evaluate the patients' willingness to pay
      (WTP) values and preference for the treatment of a tooth with very poor
      prognosis, among two options: root canal therapy and crown positioning or tooth
      extraction, implant insertion and crown positioning.Methods A total of 103
      patients were recruited from a private dental clinic and interviewed. A
      questionnaire measured individuals' preferences among the two alternative
      treatments for a tooth with poor prognosis and the maximum amount of money they
      would be willing to pay for their choice with a starting bid of [euro]2,000 in
      [euro]100 increment/decrement. Demographic data, patient choice, median values
      and WTP association with socio-demographic factors (Student ttest and one-way
      ANOVA) and correlation between variables (Pearson chi-square test) were
      revealed.Results Seventy-six percent of patients expressed a preference for root
      canal therapy, while the remaining 24% chose the dental surgery. A fair agreement
      between previous experience and current therapeutic choice was found (P =
      0.0001). The WTP median value was [euro]2,000 and 46% of participants would pay
      an additional sum of money for the therapy (median: [euro]300). The preferred
      treatment was influenced by previous experience, but no association was found
      between WTP values and socio-demographic factors.Conclusion Patients tend to
      prefer a conservative approach for the treatment of a tooth with poor prognosis
      and are willing to pay an additional fee to receive their treatment choice.

PMID- 28337017
TI  - Multidisciplinary teamwork: Collaborating on diabetes.

PMID- 28337018
TI  - Rheumatoid Arthritis Fibroblast-like Synoviocyte Suppression Mediated by PTEN
      Involves Survivin Gene Silencing.
AB  - Survivin is a proto-oncogene biomarker known for its anti-apoptotic and cell
      cycle regulating properties induced by the activation of the phosphoinositide 3
      kinase (PI3K)/Akt pathway. In the context of non-cancer pathology, such as
      rheumatoid arthritis (RA), survivin has emerged as a feature associated with
      severe joint damage and poor treatment response. Phosphatase and tensin homolog
      (PTEN) is a phosphatase antagonizing all classes of PI3K. The interplay between
      survivin oncogenic mechanisms and proliferation suppression networks in RA has
      remained largely elusive. This study investigated the effect of PTEN on survivin
      gene expression in rheumatiod arthritis fibroblast-like synoviocyte (RA-FLS). We
      showed for the first time that the suppression of RA-FLS was mediated by PTEN
      involving survivin silencing. Considering that survivin suppressants are
      currently available in clinical trials and clinical use, their effects in RA-FLS
      support a probably RA therapy to clinical practice.

PMID- 28337019
TI  - Apigenin-induced lysosomal degradation of beta-catenin in Wnt/beta-catenin
      signaling.
AB  - The bioflavonoid apigenin has been shown to possess cancer-preventive and anti
      cancer activities. In a drug screening, we found that apigenin can inhibit
      Wnt/beta-catenin signaling, a pathway that participates in pivotal biological
      functions, which dis-regulation results in various human diseases including
      cancers. However, the underlying mechanism of apigenin in this pathway and its
      link to anti-cancer activities remain largely unknown. Here we showed that
      apigenin reduced the amount of total, cytoplasmic, and nuclear beta-catenin,
      leading to the suppression in the beta-catenin/TCF-mediated transcriptional
      activity, the expression of Wnt target genes, and cell proliferation of Wnt
      stimulated P19 cells and Wnt-driven colorectal cancer cells. Western blotting and
      immunofluorescent staining analyses further revealed that apigenin could induce
      autophagy-mediated down-regulation of beta-catenin in treated cells. Treatment
      with autophagy inhibitors wortmannin and chloroquine compromised this effect,
      substantiating the involvement of autophagy-lysosomal system on the degradation
      of beta-catenin during Wnt signaling through inhibition of the AKT/mTOR signaling
      pathway. Our data not only pointed out a route for the inhibition of canonical
      Wnt signaling through the induction of autophagy-lysosomal degradation of key
      player beta-catenin, but also suggested that apigenin or other treatments which
      can initiate this degradation event are potentially used for the therapy of Wnt
      related diseases including cancers.

PMID- 28337021
TI  - Different drugs for bad bugs: antivirulence strategies in the age of antibiotic
      resistance.
AB  - The rapid evolution and dissemination of antibiotic resistance among bacterial
      pathogens are outpacing the development of new antibiotics, but antivirulence
      agents provide an alternative. These agents can circumvent antibiotic resistance
      by disarming pathogens of virulence factors that facilitate human disease while
      leaving bacterial growth pathways - the target of traditional antibiotics -
      intact. Either as stand-alone medications or together with antibiotics, these
      drugs are intended to treat bacterial infections in a largely pathogen-specific
      manner. Notably, development of antivirulence drugs requires an in-depth
      understanding of the roles that diverse virulence factors have in disease
      processes. In this Review, we outline the theory behind antivirulence strategies
      and provide examples of bacterial features that can be targeted by antivirulence
      approaches. Furthermore, we discuss the recent successes and failures of this
      paradigm, and new developments that are in the pipeline.

PMID- 28337020
TI  - Delivery technologies for genome editing.
AB  - With the recent development of CRISPR technology, it is becoming increasingly
      easy to engineer the genome. Genome-editing systems based on CRISPR, as well as
      transcription activator-like effector nucleases (TALENs) and zinc-finger
      nucleases (ZFNs), are becoming valuable tools for biomedical research, drug
      discovery and development, and even gene therapy. However, for each of these
      systems to effectively enter cells of interest and perform their function,
      efficient and safe delivery technologies are needed. This Review discusses the
      principles of biomacromolecule delivery and gene editing, examines recent
      advances and challenges in non-viral and viral delivery methods, and highlights
      the status of related clinical trials.

PMID- 28337022
TI  - Model explanation of the seasonal variation of delta18O in cow (Bos taurus) hair
      under temperate conditions.
AB  - Oxygen isotopes (delta18O) in animal and human tissues are expected to be good
      recorders of geographical origin and migration histories. However, seasonal
      variation of delta18O may diminish the origin information in the tissues. Here
      the seasonality of delta18O in tail hair was investigated in a domestic suckler
      cow (Bos taurus) that underwent different ambient conditions, physiological
      states, keeping and feeding during five years. A detailed mechanistic model was
      built to explain this variation. The measured delta18O in hair significantly
      related (p < 0.05) to the delta18O in meteoric water in a regression analysis.
      Modelling suggested that this relation was only partly derived from the direct
      influence of feed moisture. Ambient conditions (temperature, moisture) also
      affected the animal itself (drinking water demand, transcutaneous vapor etc.).
      The clear temporal variation thus resulted from complex interactions with
      multiple influences. The twofold influence of ambient conditions via the feed and
      via the animal itself is advantageous for tracing the geographic origin because
      delta18O is then less influenced by variations in moisture uptake; however, it is
      unfavorable for indicating the production system, e.g. to distinguish between
      milk produced from fresh grass or from silage. The model is versatile but needs
      testing under a wider range of conditions.

PMID- 28337024
TI  - Angiotensin II promotes the anticoagulant effects of rivaroxaban via angiotensin
      type 2 receptor signaling in mice.
AB  - Rivaroxaban is an oral direct factor Xa inhibitor approved for the treatment of
      stroke and systemic thromboembolism in patients with non-valvular atrial
      fibrillation. Despite its efficacy, rivaroxaban therapy results in adverse
      effects and complications, such as bleeding. Angiotensin II (AngII) is implicated
      in many cardiovascular conditions, such as hypertension and heart failure. In
      this study, we investigate whether AngII influences anticoagulant effects of
      rivaroxaban by using an experimental mouse model with type 2 diabetes mellitus
      and advanced glycation end product (AGE)-exposed human umbilical vein endothelial
      cells (HUVECs). We found that AngII promoted the anticoagulant effects of
      rivaroxaban in KKAy mice. The combination of rivaroxaban and AngII enhanced in
      vivo tissue factor pathway inhibitor (TFPI) activity and induced TFPI expression
      and activity in AGE-exposed HUVECs. Angiotensin type 2 receptor (AT2R) and Mas
      antagonists attenuated the AngII-enhanced anticoagulant action of rivaroxaban in
      vivo, and abolished the increased endothelial TFPI expression and activity.
      However, angiotensin type 1 receptor (AT1R) antagonist exerted no effects.
      Additionally, combination of rivaroxaban and AngII induced aortic AT2R and Mas
      expression. Our data suggest that the anticoagulant effects of rivaroxaban are
      promoted by AngII via AT2R and Mas signaling. These findings are significant for
      the clinical administration of rivaroxaban.

PMID- 28337023
TI  - Reconstruction of Large-scale Defects with a Novel Hybrid Scaffold Made from
      Poly(L-lactic acid)/Nanohydroxyapatite/Alendronate-loaded Chitosan Microsphere:
      in vitro and in vivo Studies.
AB  - A chitosan-based microsphere delivery system has been fabricated for controlled
      release of alendronate (AL). The present study aimed to incorporate the
      chitosan/hydroxyapatite microspheres-loaded with AL (CH/nHA-AL) into poly(L
      lactic acid)/nanohydroxyapatite (PLLA/nHA) matrix to prepare a novel microspheres
      scaffold hybrid system (CM-ALs) for drug delivery and bone tissue engineering
      application. The characteristics of CM-ALs scaffolds containing 10% and 20%
      CH/nHA-AL were evaluated in vitro, including surface morphology and porosity,
      mechanical properties, drug release, degradation, and osteogenic differentiation.
      The in vivo bone repair for large segmental radius defects (1.5 cm) in a rabbit
      model was evaluated by radiography and histology. In vitro study showed more
      sustained drug release of CM-AL-containing scaffolds than these of CM/nHA-AL and
      PLLA/nHA/AL scaffolds, and the mechanical and degradation properties of CM-ALs
      (10%) scaffolds were comparable to that of PLLA/nHA control. The osteogenic
      differentiation of adipose-derived stem cells (ASCs) was significantly enhanced
      as indicated by increased alkaline phosphates (ALP) activity and calcium
      deposition. In vivo study further showed better performance of CM-ALs (10%)
      scaffolds with complete repair of large-sized bone defects within 8 weeks. A
      microspheres-scaffold-based release system containing AL-encapsulated chitosan
      microspheres was successfully fabricated in this study. Our results suggested the
      promising application of CM-ALs (10%) scaffolds for drug delivery and bone tissue
      engineering.

PMID- 28337025
TI  - Prevalence of obesity and comorbid eating disorder behaviors in South Australia
      from 1995 to 2015.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Obesity and eating disorders are often studied and treated
      separately. While the increases in obesity prevalence are well known, examination
      of its co-occurrence with eating disorders, a problem also of public health
      concern, is important because eating disorder behaviors are known to contribute
      to obesity onset and maintenance, and vice versa. METHODS: Data from large cross
      sectional representative statewide community samples of people in the years of
      1995 (n=3001), 2005 (n=3047) and 2015 (n=3005) were analyzed. Data were collected
      using a structured, self-report interview that included demographic, health
      related, weight, height and eating disorder behavior questions. Eating behavior
      questions assessed binge eating, very strict dieting/fasting and purging, and
      were derived from the Eating Disorder Examination. Logistic regression analyses
      were conducted comparing prevalence of obesity, eating disorder behaviors and
      their co-occurrence. RESULTS: The prevalence of obesity or binge eating, or
      obesity with comorbid binge eating, each increased significantly from 1995 to
      2005 (P<0.001 for each comparison) and continued to increase significantly from
      2005 to 2015 (P<0.001 for each comparison). The highest increases from 1995 to
      2015 were in the prevalence of obesity with comorbid binge eating (7.3-fold), or
      obesity with comorbid very strict dieting/fasting (11.5-fold). The prevalence of
      very strict dieting/fasting also increased significantly from 1995 to 2015 (3.8
      fold). The prevalence of purging, or obesity with comorbid purging, did not
      change significantly from 1995 to 2015. CONCLUSION: There were statewide
      increases during the 20 years from 1995 to 2015 in the independent prevalence of
      obesity, binge eating and very strict dieting/fasting, and even higher increases
      in the prevalence of obesity with comorbid binge eating, and obesity with
      comorbid very strict dieting/fasting. These findings support the need for more
      integrated approaches to both the prevention and treatment of obesity and eating
      disorder behaviors, namely binge eating and very strict dieting/fasting.

PMID- 28337026
TI  - Increased GLP2R expression in gastric chief cells of patients with severe obesity
      regardless of diabetes status.
AB  - Glucagon-like peptide-2 (GLP-2) affects multiple facets of gastrointestinal
      physiology and have been used to treat patients with short bowel syndrome, but
      the distribution of its receptor (GLP2R) in human remains poorly understood.
      Gastric tissue samples of non-obese patients (NOB, n=10) and obese patients
      without diabetes (OB, n=31) and with diabetes (OWD, n=12) were used to evaluate
      GLP2R expression and distribution. Immunostaining with a validated antibody, as
      well as fluorescence in situ hybridization, showed that GLP2R expression was
      significantly increased in gastric chief cells in OB and OWD patients. PKCzeta
      expression was also significantly increased. This is the first evidence of
      increased GLP2R expression in chief cells of patients with severe obesity
      regardless of diabetes status.

PMID- 28337027
TI  - Obesity-induced decreases in muscle performance are not reversed by weight loss.
AB  - BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES: Obesity can affect muscle phenotypes, and may thereby
      constrain movement and energy expenditure. Weight loss is a common and intuitive
      intervention for obesity, but it is not known whether the effects of obesity on
      muscle function are reversible by weight loss. Here we tested whether obesity
      induced changes in muscle metabolic and contractile phenotypes are reversible by
      weight loss. SUBJECTS/METHODS: We used zebrafish (Danio rerio) in a factorial
      design to compare energy metabolism, locomotor capacity, muscle isometric force
      and work-loop power output, and myosin heavy chain (MHC) composition between lean
      fish, diet-induced obese fish, and fish that were obese and then returned to lean
      body mass following diet restriction. RESULTS: Obesity increased resting
      metabolic rates (P<0.001) and decreased maximal metabolic rates (P=0.030), but
      these changes were reversible by weight loss, and were not associated with
      changes in muscle citrate synthase activity. In contrast, obesity-induced
      decreases in locomotor performance (P=0.0034), and isolated muscle isometric
      stress (P=0.01), work-loop power output (P<0.001) and relaxation rates (P=0.012)
      were not reversed by weight loss. Similarly, obesity-induced decreases in
      concentrations of fast and slow MHCs, and a shift toward fast MHCs were not
      reversed by weight loss. CONCLUSION: Obesity-induced changes in locomotor
      performance and muscle contractile function were not reversible by weight loss.
      These results show that weight loss alone may not be a sufficient intervention.

PMID- 28337028
TI  - Modifiable risk factors of maternal postpartum weight retention: an analysis of
      their combined impact and potential opportunities for prevention.
AB  - BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES: Pregnancy triggers a physiological change in weight
      status. Postpartum weight retention in the childbearing years can substantially
      alter a woman's weight gain trajectory, with several potential contributing
      factors identified. Most research has relied on women's recall of pre-pregnancy
      weight during pregnancy or later, and not considered risk factors in combination.
      Using measured pre-pregnancy weight, this study aimed to examine the associations
      of maternal postpartum weight retention with parity, pre-pregnancy BMI, excessive
      gestational weight gain (GWG), maternal serum vitamin D concentration and dietary
      Glycaemic Index in early and late pregnancy, and breastfeeding duration,
      including analysis of the combined impact of potentially modifiable risk factors.
      SUBJECTS/METHODS: Prospective cohort study of 12 583 non-pregnant women aged 20
      34 years in Southampton (UK) who were assessed prior to pregnancy, with those who
      subsequently became pregnant followed up in early and late gestation, and after
      delivery (n=2559 in the final sample). Linear regression models examined
      potential predictors of weight retention in adjusted individual and multivariate
      analyses, and as a risk factor score. RESULTS: Compared with pre-pregnancy
      weight, 73% of women retained some weight at 6 months postpartum (mean (s.d.):
      3.5 (6.2) kg). In the adjusted multivariate model, women who were primiparous,
      had a lower pre-pregnancy BMI, excessive GWG, a lower early pregnancy vitamin D
      concentration and breastfed for <6 months had greater weight retention 6 months
      postpartum (P<0.05 for all variables). For each additional modifiable risk factor
      (excessive GWG, low vitamin D concentration in early pregnancy and short
      breastfeeding duration; scale 0-3), women retained an additional 2.49 kg (95% CI:
      2.16, 2.82; P<0.001). CONCLUSIONS: Having a greater number of modifiable risk
      factors was associated with greater weight retention 6 months postpartum.
      Initiatives supporting women to target these risk factors in the years prior to,
      during and after pregnancy could impact on their weight gain trajectory and later
      risk of adverse weight-related outcomes.

PMID- 28337029
TI  - The impact of protein quantity during energy restriction on genome-wide gene
      expression in adipose tissue of obese humans.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Overweight and obesity is a growing health problem worldwide. The
      most effective strategy to reduce weight is energy restriction (ER). ER has been
      shown to be beneficial in disease prevention and it reduces chronic inflammation.
      Recent studies suggest that reducing the protein quantity of a diet contributes
      to the beneficial effects by ER. The organ most extensively affected during ER is
      white adipose tissue (WAT). OBJECTIVE: The first objective was to assess changes
      in gene expression between a high-protein diet and a normal protein diet during
      ER. Second, the total effect of ER on changes in gene expression in WAT was
      assessed. METHODS: In a parallel double-blinded controlled study, overweight
      older participants adhered to a 25% ER diet, either combined with high-protein
      intake (HP-ER, 1.7 g kg-1 per day), or with normal protein intake (NP-ER, 0.9 g
      kg-1 per day) for 12 weeks. From 10 HP-ER participants and 12 NP-ER participants
      subcutaneous WAT biopsies were collected before and after the diet intervention.
      Adipose tissue was used to isolate total RNA and to evaluate whole-genome gene
      expression changes upon a HP-ER and NP-ER diet. RESULTS: A different gene
      expression response between HP-ER and NP-ER was observed for 530 genes. After NP
      ER, a downregulation in expression of genes linked to immune cell infiltration,
      adaptive immune response and inflammasome was found, whereas no such effect was
      found after HP-ER. HP-ER resulted in upregulation in expression of genes linked
      to cell cycle, GPCR signalling, olfactory signalling and nitrogen metabolism.
      Upon 25% ER, gene sets related to energy metabolism and immune response were
      decreased. CONCLUSIONS: Based on gene expression changes, we concluded that
      consumption of normal protein quantity compared with high-protein quantity during
      ER has a more beneficial effect on inflammation-related gene expression in WAT.

PMID- 28337031
TI  - Multimode fiber tip Fabry-Perot cavity for highly sensitive pressure measurement.
AB  - We demonstrate an optical Fabry-Perot interferometer fiber tip sensor based on an
      etched end of multimode fiber filled with ultraviolet adhesive. The fiber device
      is miniature (with diameter of less than 60 MUm), robust and low cost, in a
      convenient reflection mode of operation, and has a very high gas pressure
      sensitivity of -40.94 nm/MPa, a large temperature sensitivity of 213 pm/ degrees
      C within the range from 55 to 85  degrees C, and a relatively low temperature
      cross-sensitivity of 5.2 kPa/ degrees C. This device has a high potential in
      monitoring environment of high pressure.

PMID- 28337030
TI  - Prenatal steroid administration leads to adult pericardial and hepatic steatosis
      in male baboons.
AB  - Developmental programming studies indicate that glucocorticoids modify fetal
      development. We hypothesized that administration of the synthetic glucocorticoid
      (sGC) betamethasone to pregnant baboons at doses and stages of fetal life
      equivalent to human obstetric practice to decrease premature offspring morbidity
      and mortality, programs lipid metabolism. In 10-year-old male baboons (human
      equivalent 40) exposed in fetal life to betamethasone or saline, we quantified
      pericardial fat and hepatic lipid content with magnetic resonance imaging and
      spectroscopy. sGC offspring delivered at term as do most sGC-exposed human
      neonates. Pericardial fat thickness (7.7+/-3.6 mm vs 3.1+/-1.1 mm, M+/-s.d.;
      P=0.022; n=5) and hepatic fatty acids (13.3+/-11.0% vs 2.5+/-2.2%; P=0.046; n=5)
      increased following sGC without birth weight or current body morphometric
      differences. Our results indicate that antenatal sGC therapy caused abnormal fat
      deposition and adult body composition in mid-life primate offspring. The concern
      raised is that this degree of pericardial and hepatic lipid accumulation can lead
      to harmful local lipotoxicity. In summary, developmental programing by sGC
      produces a mid-life metabolically obese but normal weight phenotype. Prior
      studies show sexually dimorphic responses to some programming challenges thus
      female studies are necessary.

PMID- 28337032
TI  - Drosophila dyskerin is required for somatic stem cell homeostasis.
AB  - Drosophila represents an excellent model to dissect the roles played by the
      evolutionary conserved family of eukaryotic dyskerins. These multifunctional
      proteins are involved in the formation of H/ACA snoRNP and telomerase complexes,
      both involved in essential cellular tasks. Since fly telomere integrity is
      guaranteed by a different mechanism, we used this organism to investigate the
      specific role played by dyskerin in somatic stem cell maintenance. To this aim,
      we focussed on Drosophila midgut, a hierarchically organized and well
      characterized model for stemness analysis. Surprisingly, the ubiquitous loss of
      the protein uniquely affects the formation of the larval stem cell niches,
      without altering other midgut cell types. The number of adult midgut precursor
      stem cells is dramatically reduced, and this effect is not caused by premature
      differentiation and is cell-autonomous. Moreover, a few dispersed precursors
      found in the depleted midguts can maintain stem identity and the ability to
      divide asymmetrically, nor show cell-growth defects or undergo apoptosis.
      Instead, their loss is mainly specifically dependent on defective amplification.
      These studies establish a strict link between dyskerin and somatic stem cell
      maintenance in a telomerase-lacking organism, indicating that loss of stemness
      can be regarded as a conserved, telomerase-independent effect of dyskerin
      dysfunction.

PMID- 28337035
TI  - Addressing the complex challenge of unmet need: a moral and equity imperative?

PMID- 28337034
TI  - Exposure to an acute hypoxic stimulus during early life affects the expression of
      glucose metabolism-related genes at first-feeding in trout.
AB  - Rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) is considered a "glucose-intolerant" species.
      With the aim of programming trout to improve their metabolic use of dietary
      carbohydrates, we hypothesised that a hypoxic stimulus applied during
      embryogenesis could later affect glucose metabolism at the first-feeding stage.
      An acute hypoxic stimulus (2.5 or 5.0 mg.L-1 O2) was applied for 24 h to non
      hatched embryos or early hatched alevins followed by a challenge test with a high
      carbohydrate diet at first-feeding. The effectiveness of the early hypoxic
      stimulus was confirmed by the induction of oxygen-sensitive markers such as
      egln3. At first-feeding, trout previously subjected to the 2.5 mg.L-1 O2 hypoxia
      displayed a strong induction of glycolytic and glucose transport genes, whereas
      these glucose metabolism-related genes were affected much less in trout subjected
      to the less severe (5.0 mg.L-1 O2) hypoxia. Our results demonstrate that an acute
      hypoxic stimulus during early development can affect glucose metabolism in trout
      at first-feeding.

PMID- 28337033
TI  - Cortical cells reveal APP as a new player in the regulation of GABAergic
      neurotransmission.
AB  - The amyloid precursor protein (APP) modulates synaptic activity, resulting from
      the fine tuning of excitatory and inhibitory neurotransmission. GABAergic
      inhibitory neurotransmission is affected by modifications in intracellular
      chloride concentrations regulated by Na+-K+-2Cl- cotransporter 1 (NKCC1) and
      neuronal K+-Cl- cotransporter 2 (KCC2), allowing entrance and efflux of chloride,
      respectively. Modifications in NKCC1 and KCC2 expression during maturation of
      cortical cells induce a shift in GABAergic signaling. Here, we demonstrated that
      APP affects this GABA shift. Expression of APP in cortical cells decreased the
      expression of KCC2, without modifying NKCC1, eliciting a less inhibitory GABA
      response. Downregulation of KCC2 expression by APP was independent of the APP
      intracellular domain, but correlated with decreased expression of upstream
      stimulating factor 1 (USF1), a potent regulator of Slc12a5 gene expression
      (encoding KCC2). KCC2 was also downregulated in vivo following APP expression in
      neonatal mouse brain. These results argue for a key role of APP in the regulation
      of GABAergic neurotransmission.

PMID- 28337036
TI  - Trends in genital warts diagnoses in New Zealand five years following the
      quadrivalent human papillomavirus vaccine introduction.
AB  - AIM: To investigate whether changes in rates of genital warts diagnosis at
      Auckland Sexual Health Service (ASHS), pre and post the quadrivalent human
      papillomavirus (4vHPV) vaccine introduction in late 2008, differed between
      clients vaccine-eligible and not eligible. METHOD: All new clients attending ASHS
      from 2007 to 2013 were categorised as having genital warts or not. Generalised
      linear mixed models were used to compare differences in rates of change in
      diagnoses. RESULTS: Overall, 43,480 were seen with genital warts diagnosed in
      13.1%. The difference in rate of change over time in diagnosis pre- to post
      vaccine differed in females vaccine-eligible to not (p=0.004). The relative risk
      of diagnosis per year pre-vaccine was 0.98 (0.84, 1.13) and post-vaccine 0.77
      (0.74, 0.81) in those eligible compared to 0.87 (0.80, 0.95) and 0.95 (0.91,
      0.98), respectively, in those not eligible. This difference in change, between
      vaccine eligible or not, differed between males and females (p=0.02), with males
      considered eligible if the same aged female would have been. In males, no
      difference in rate change pre- to post-vaccine could be shown in those eligible
      or not (p=0.53). CONCLUSION: In this study a population effect for women of the
      4vHPV vaccine was demonstrated.

PMID- 28337037
TI  - The diagnostic performance of ultrasound in the detection of ectopic pregnancy.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Accurate diagnosis of ectopic pregnancy is essential in reducing
      maternal mortality and morbidity. Transvaginal ultrasound (TVUS) is the accepted
      imaging modality of choice for the diagnosis of ectopic pregnancy (EP). AIMS: To
      assess the effectiveness of transvaginal ultrasound (TVUS) in the detection of EP
      in consecutive women presenting for ultrasound to a radiology department with a
      clinical suspicion of EP. METHODS: Retrospective analysis of 585 women presenting
      for TVUS over a 2.5-year period was performed. Women were classified as having a
      confirmed EP on the basis of surgery and histology. Women with a suspected EP who
      were treated medically or expectantly were also included. RESULTS: Eighty-seven
      women had a confirmed EP and 29 women had a suspected EP. The sensitivity and
      specificity of ultrasound for the detection of confirmed EP was 88.5% and 96.5%
      on the initial TVUS and 93.1% and 95.7% with an additional rescan. CONCLUSION:
      TVUS in the radiology setting of a tertiary hospital has excellent diagnostic
      performance for the detection of EP.

PMID- 28337038
TI  - Pilot study of methods for assessing unmet secondary health care need in New
      Zealand.
AB  - AIMS: In this pilot study, the primary aim was to compare four potential methods
      for undertaking a national survey of unmet secondary healthcare need in New
      Zealand (one collecting data from GPs, and three from community surveys). The
      secondary aim was to obtain an estimate of the prevalence of unmet secondary
      healthcare need, to inform sample size calculations for a national survey.
      METHODS: An electronic system was set up for GPs in Christchurch (Pegasus PHO)
      and Auckland (Auckland PHO) to record cases of unmet need as encountered in
      clinics. For the community surveys, a questionnaire developed by the authors was
      administered to people from the same electoral wards as the GP clinics. Three
      modes of questionnaire administration were trialled: online, telephone and face
      to-face interview. Random population sampling from the Maori and General
      Electoral Rolls was used to identify eligible survey participants until there
      were approximately 200 respondents for each method in each city. Data collection
      took place from November 2015 to February 2016. RESULTS: GP reports: Pegasus PHO:
      8/78 eligible practices recorded 28 cases of unmet secondary healthcare need in
      10 weeks. Auckland PHO: 3/26 practices participated and recorded no cases in
      three weeks. Surveys: 1,277 interviews were completed (online 428, telephone 447,
      face-to-face 402). For primary healthcare, 211/1,277 (16.5%) had missed a GP
      visit because of cost (online 25.0%, telephone 11.6%, face-to-face 12.9%). For
      secondary healthcare, 119/1,277 (9.3%) reported unmet healthcare need that had
      been identified by a health professional (online 11.2%; telephone 9.2%; face-to
      face 7.5%). Of these, 75/119 (63.0%) required a consultation, and 47/119 (39.5%)
      required a procedure. Completed interview rates as a percentage of names on the
      Electoral Roll were low (online 8.8%, telephone 15.4%, face-to-face 13.9%),
      affected by changed addresses and lack of listed telephone numbers. The response
      rate for those with valid phone numbers was 47.6%, and for those with valid
      addresses was 31.5%. CONCLUSIONS: Using the Electoral Rolls to identify
      respondents is problematic. For a national survey, random population sampling by
      address, similar to the method employed for the New Zealand Health Survey, but
      giving respondents a choice between face-to-face and phone interviews, is
      proposed. Asking GPs to record data on unmet need for secondary care was not
      successful. Our pilot study suggests there is sufficient unmet secondary
      healthcare need in New Zealand to merit a national survey.

PMID- 28337039
TI  - Rationing of hip and knee referrals in the public hospital: the true unmet need.
AB  - AIM: The aim of this paper is to outline the development of a triage system for
      elective hip and knee referrals to the Orthopaedic Department of the Canterbury
      District Health Board (CDHB), and to determine the unmet need within this
      population for accessing first specialist assessment (FSA). METHODS: Between 1
      August 2015 and 31 March 2016 data was collected from all elective hip and knee
      referrals that underwent triage for a FSA. The number of outpatient appointments
      available according to the government four-month waiting time is set by the CDHB.
      Patients were triaged by two consultant surgeons on the basis of their referral
      letter and radiological imaging into one of five categories: accepted for FSA,
      insufficient information, no capacity, low priority or direct entry to waiting
      list (if already seen by a specialist). Those not accepted for an FSA were
      returned to general practitioner (GP) care. RESULTS: During the study period
      there were 1,733 referrals (838 hip related referrals and 895 knee related
      referrals) to the orthopaedic department with a request for FSA. All patients had
      failed conservative management. Of these referrals 43% of hip and 54% of knee
      related referrals could not be offered an FSA and were returned, following
      triage, to general practitioner care unseen. Only 8% and 9% respectively were
      declined for insufficient information in the referral letter or lack of need.
      CONCLUSION: This study details the implementation of a triage system for elective
      hip and knee referrals to the CDHB and with accurate data we have been able to
      determine the large number of patients unable to access a specialist opinion.
      These patients represent the unmet need within our community and highlights the
      degree of rationing taking place within the public hospital.

PMID- 28337040
TI  - Refining metformin prescribing in New Zealand.
AB  - Metformin is the mainstay of treatment of type 2 diabetes. However, there has
      been significant concern on prescribing metformin in patients with renal
      impairment as a result of metformin-associated lactic acidosis (MALA). Recent
      studies have cast doubt on the existence of MALA purely related to metformin use.
      Medsafe recently initiated changes to datasheet so lower doses of metformin could
      be used in patients with GFR down to 15ml/min. In this paper we outline the
      context and implications of this change.

PMID- 28337041
TI  - Getting the foundations right for the measurement of medication safety: the need
      for a meaningful conceptual frame.
AB  - A number of initiatives aimed at improving medication safety in and across New
      Zealand public hospitals have been introduced over recent years. Clinicians,
      policymakers and patients now want to know whether patients are safer today from
      medicine use than they have been in the past. The challenge has been determining
      exactly what should be measured. In this viewpoint, we critically examine the
      suitability of adverse drug events (ADE) as a primary metric for assessing the
      progress of medication safety improvement. We provide an overview of contemporary
      dialogue on medication safety measurement and highlight the emergent challenges.
      Finally, we reflect on how New Zealand has approached medication safety
      measurement so far and argue the need for a multi-stakeholder informed conceptual
      framework with a view to further enhancing meaningful assessment of medication
      safety.

PMID- 28337042
TI  - Household transmission of NDM-producing E. coli in New Zealand.
AB  - This report describes the introduction of an extensively antibiotic-resistant
      carbapenemase-producing Escherichia coli into a hospital in Auckland, New
      Zealand, by a patient who was a household contact of recent travellers to the
      Indian subcontinent. The carbapenemase was identified as New Delhi metallo-beta
      lactamase (NDM) and reflects probable household transmission in the context of a
      recent upsurge in NDM-producing Enterobacteriaceae isolation in New Zealand. The
      observations in this report suggest that hospital screening practices to identify
      carbapenemase-producing Enterobacteriaceae (CPE) colonised patients may need to
      be extended to include travellers to high-risk countries who were not
      hospitalised during their trip, and possibly also their close contacts.

PMID- 28337043
TI  - Poststreptococcal episcleritis.
AB  - This report describes the case of a patient presenting with an unusual
      poststreptococcal syndrome that featured episcleritis as a prominent
      manifestation. To my knowledge, this is the first time that poststreptococcal
      episcleritis has been described in the literature.

PMID- 28337044
TI  - Clostridium difficile infections in patients with inflammatory bowel disease.
AB  - Case report of a 23-year-old male presenting with a severe flare of Crohn's
      disease, exacerbated by community-acquired infection with Clostridium difficile.
      This case outlines the association between C. difficile infection and
      inflammatory bowel disease, as both a mimic and a precipitant of flares. The
      discussion concerns the latest literature consensus on assessment and management
      of Clostridium difficile infection in patients with inflammatory bowel disease.

PMID- 28337045
TI  - Pick a bogus treatment....

PMID- 28337046
TI  - What Skills Can Buy: Transmission of advantage through cognitive and noncognitive
      skills.
AB  - Parental income and wealth contribute to children's success but are at least
      partly endogenous to parents' cognitive and noncognitive skills. We estimate the
      degree to which mothers' skills measured in early adulthood confound the
      relationship between their economic resources and their children's postsecondary
      education outcomes. Analyses of NLSY79 suggest that maternal cognitive and
      noncognitive skills attenuate half of parental income's association with child
      baccalaureate college attendance, a fifth of its association with elite college
      attendance, and a quarter of its association with bachelor's degree completion.
      Maternal skills likewise attenuate a third of parental wealth's association with
      children's baccalaureate college attendance, half of its association with elite
      college attendance, and a fifth of its association with bachelor's degree
      completion. Observational studies of the relationship between parents' economic
      resources and children's postsecondary attainments that fail to account for
      parental skills risk seriously overstating the benefits of parental income and
      wealth.

PMID- 28337047
TI  - Enhancing Parenting Practices with Latino/a Immigrants: Integrating Evidence
      based Knowledge and Culture According to the Voices of Latino/a Parents.

PMID- 28337050
TI  - Neuropsychology across the Lifespan: Proceedings of the Third Meeting of the
      Federation of European Societies of Neuropsychology.

PMID- 28337048
TI  - Validity of a New Kit Measuring Salivary Lactate Dehydrogenase Level for
      Screening Gingivitis.
AB  - Aim. The aim of this study was to determine the usefulness of a new kit that can
      evaluate salivary lactate dehydrogenase (LD) level in real time for screening
      gingivitis. Materials and Methods. The study included 70 systemic healthy
      volunteers [29 males and 41 females; mean age +/- SD: 24.1 +/- 2.6 years].
      Resting saliva was collected from each participant and LD level was evaluated in
      real time using the kit (a color-changing sheet with an integer scale ranging
      from 1 to 10). A dentist measured probing pocket depth, clinical attachment
      level, and the proportion of sites with bleeding on probing (% BOP) at six sites
      on all teeth. Gingivitis was diagnosed when the BOP value was >=20%. Results.
      Salivary LD level was positively correlated with mean % BOP (odds ratio: 1.47,
      95% confidence interval: 1.132-1.916, and P < 0.001) in a logistic regression
      model. The sensitivity and specificity of the kit were 0.89 and 0.98,
      respectively, at a cut-off value of 8.0 for LD level. Conclusions. The new kit
      for measurement of salivary LD level may be a useful tool to screen for
      gingivitis in young adults, which contributes to early detection of future
      periodontitis.

PMID- 28337049
TI  - Use of 3D Printed Bone Plate in Novel Technique to Surgically Correct Hallux
      Valgus Deformities.
AB  - Three-dimensional (3-D) printing offers many potential advantages in designing
      and manufacturing plating systems for foot and ankle procedures that involve
      small, geometrically complex bony anatomy. Here, we describe the design and
      clinical use of a Ti-6Al-4V ELI bone plate (FastForwardTM Bone Tether Plate,
      MedShape, Inc., Atlanta, GA) manufactured through 3-D printing processes. The
      plate protects the second metatarsal when tethering suture tape between the first
      and second metatarsals and is a part of a new procedure that corrects hallux
      valgus (bunion) deformities without relying on doing an osteotomy or fusion
      procedure. The surgical technique and two clinical cases describing the use of
      this procedure with the 3-D printed bone plate are presented within.

PMID- 28337052
TI  - An eigenvalue localization set for tensors and its applications.
AB  - A new eigenvalue localization set for tensors is given and proved to be tighter
      than those presented by Li et al. (Linear Algebra Appl. 481:36-53, 2015) and
      Huang et al. (J. Inequal. Appl. 2016:254, 2016). As an application of this set,
      new bounds for the minimum eigenvalue of [Formula: see text]-tensors are
      established and proved to be sharper than some known results. Compared with the
      results obtained by Huang et al., the advantage of our results is that, without
      considering the selection of nonempty proper subsets S of [Formula: see text], we
      can obtain a tighter eigenvalue localization set for tensors and sharper bounds
      for the minimum eigenvalue of [Formula: see text]-tensors. Finally, numerical
      examples are given to verify the theoretical results.

PMID- 28337051
TI  - A Novel CD48-Based Analysis of Sepsis-Induced Mouse Myeloid-Derived Suppressor
      Cell Compartments.
AB  - Myeloid-derived suppressor cells (MDSCs) are a heterogeneous subset of cells that
      expands dramatically in many disease states and can suppress T-cell responses.
      MDSCs mainly include monocytic and granulocytic subpopulations that can be
      distinguished in mice by the expression of Ly6G and Ly6C cell surface markers.
      This identification system has been validated in experimental tumor models, but
      not in models of inflammation-associated conditions such as sepsis. We challenged
      growth factor independent 1 transcription repressor green fluorescent protein
      (Gfi1:GFP) knock-in reporter mice with cecal ligation and puncture surgery and
      found that CD11b+Ly6GlowLy6Chigh MDSCs in this sepsis model comprised both
      monocytic and granulocytic MDSCs. The evidence that conventional Ly6G/Ly6C marker
      analysis may not be suited to study of inflammation-induced MDSCs led to the
      development of a novel strategy of distinguishing granulocytic MDSCs from
      monocytic MDSCs in septic mice by expression of CD48. Application of this novel
      model should help achieve a more accurate understanding of the inflammation
      induced MDSC activity.

PMID- 28337053
TI  - Adolescents' Behaviors as Moderators for the Link between Parental Self-Efficacy
      and Parenting Practices.
AB  - Based on theory that parents with higher levels of self-efficacy (PSE) should
      find it easier to parent effectively in the face of challenging child behaviors
      than should parents with lower levels of PSE, this study examines the link
      between PSE and parenting using children's behaviors as potential moderators.
      Participants were 130 parents who had an older adolescent (Mage = 17.58) in
      addition to the target adolescent (Mage = 11.79), and both adolescents'
      externalizing behaviors were used as moderators for the link between PSE and
      parenting of the target adolescent. Path analysis in Mplus showed that higher PSE
      was linked to more promotive parenting but only among parents who had an older
      adolescent with lower levels of externalizing behaviors. Among parents of
      adolescents with higher levels of externalizing behaviors, whose promotive
      parenting was significantly lower than other parents overall, PSE did not predict
      promotive parenting. The link between PSE and parenting did not differ depending
      on the target adolescents' behavior. Findings suggest that the link between
      parents' beliefs and parenting depends on the broader family context. More
      specifically, how PSE is linked to parenting practices depends at least partly on
      the experiences that parents bring from parenting an older adolescent to their
      interactions with a later-born adolescent. From a clinical perspective, parents
      might need guidance in how to think about their earlier parenting experiences
      when parenting a younger adolescent.

PMID- 28337054
TI  - The environmental needs of clinician-scientists in ophthalmology.

PMID- 28337055
TI  - Diabetic retinopathy: Knowledge, awareness and practices of physicians in primary
      care centers in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
AB  - PURPOSE: Diabetic retinopathy (DR) is a serious cause of irreversible blindness
      and is the most common complication of diabetes. Annual fundus examination for
      diabetics aids in the prevention of blindness and allows intervening at a timely
      manner. As primary care physicians (PCP) are the main providers for diabetic care
      in Saudi Arabia, we aim to evaluate the current knowledge and awareness, and to
      assess practices among PCP regarding DR. METHODS: We conducted a cross-sectional
      study covering 46 randomly selected primary-care centers in Riyadh during October
      2015. A Self-administered questionnaire was distributed to PCP containing 3
      sections. The first section covered participants' demographics and professional
      background. The second section contained multiple-choice questions on knowledge
      related to diabetes and DR. The third section was to assess physicians'
      practices. RESULTS: A total of 216 PCPs completed the questionnaire. The mean
      overall knowledge score was 57 +/- 14 out of 100. There was a significant
      difference in knowledge score between physicians who had obtained a subspecialty
      degree in family medicine compared to others (59 +/- 14, 53.3 +/- 14
      respectively; P = 0.003). Only 19% of PCPs were aware of anti-vascular
      endothelial growth factor (VEGF) injections as a modality of treatment. A defect
      was found in the screening and follow-up of type 1 diabetics, and only 24% of
      physicians correctly referred patients with type 1 diabetes to an
      ophthalmologist. CONCLUSION: Our study uncovered areas of defects in knowledge
      among PCP regarding DR. This needs to be addressed in future seminars and
      workshops with an emphasis on the proper ophthalmological screening and
      management of diabetic patients.

PMID- 28337056
TI  - Normative values and contralateral comparison of anterior chamber parameters
      measured by Pentacam and its correlation with corneal biomechanical factors.
AB  - PURPOSE: To evaluate the normative values of anterior chamber parameters measured
      by Pentacam and corneal hysteresis (CH) and corneal resistance factor (CRF)
      measured by Ocular Response Analyzer (ORA) and their relationship. METHODS: In an
      observational cross-sectional study, patients aged 18-35 years were included.
      Exclusion criteria were history of any intraocular or corneal disease, anomaly or
      surgery; hyperopic spherical refraction more than +3, and myopic spherical
      refraction less than -5.00 diopters (D) or cylindrical refraction more than 2.00
      D. ORA was used to measure CH and CRF. Corneal volume (CV), anterior and
      posterior Q value (QA and QP), anterior and posterior elevation (AE and PE),
      central corneal thickness (CCT), corneal thinnest thickness (CTT), anterior
      chamber depth (ACD), anterior chamber volume (ACV) and anterior chamber angle
      (ACA) were measured with Pentacam. RESULTS: This study evaluated 506 eyes of 253
      cases (182 females) with a mean age of 28.43 +/- 6.36 years. The average CH and
      CRF were 10.07 +/- 1.61 and 10.33 +/- 1.68 mmHg. CH and CRF were not correlated
      with PQ, AQ, AE and PE. CH and CRF were significantly correlated with CCT (r =
      0.499, p < 0.0001 and r = 0.591, p < 0.0001 respectively), CTT (r = 0.469, p <
      0.0001 and r = 0.593, p < 0.0001 respectively) and CV (r = 0.443, p < 0.0001 and
      r = 0.526, p < 0.0001 respectively). CONCLUSION: A significant positive
      correlation was found between CH and CRF, and CCT, CTT and CV. This study also
      provided data about wide range normative values of corneal parameters.

PMID- 28337057
TI  - Accelerated corneal collagen cross-linking in pediatric keratoconus: One year
      study.
AB  - PURPOSE: To evaluate the safety and effectiveness of accelerated corneal collagen
      crosslinking (CXL) in pediatric keratoconus. DESIGN: Prospective non-randomized
      observational study. METHODS: 33 eyes of 25 children with keratoconus were
      included. The corneal epithelium was mechanically removed. Next,
      riboflavin/hydroxypropyl methylcellulose solution) was applied for 10 min.
      Accelerated CXL (10 mW/cm2 for 9 min), was accomplished. Visual acuity, slit lamp
      examination, refraction, keratometry readings, pachymetry, anterior and posterior
      elevations, average progression indices, and Q values were recorded. The follow
      up visits were scheduled on one day, 3 days, 7 days, one month and then on 3, 6,
      12 months after the procedure. RESULTS: It was statistically significant
      improvement of the mean UAVA, AVA, and the mean corneal astigmatism (P < .0001).
      The mean corneal thickness showed a significant reduction. The preoperative mean
      K max reading was reduced from 49.12 +/- 3.7 D preoperatively to 47.9 +/- 3.7 D
      at 12 months. The mean max anterior elevation, average progression index and Q
      value showed statistically significant improvement. No significant impact on
      posterior elevation was recorded. Serious complications were not encountered in
      this study. CONCLUSION: Accelerated CXL shows a stabilization and beneficial
      clinical outcomes in pediatric keratoconus. It seems an effective and safe
      procedure in this age group. Effects of accelerated CXL on the posterior corneal
      surface will need further evaluation.

PMID- 28337058
TI  - Comparison of microkeratome assisted sub-Bowman keratomileusis with
      photorefractive keratectomy.
AB  - PURPOSE: To compare the outcomes of photorefractive keratectomy (PRK) and thin
      flap Laser-Assisted in Situ Keratomileusis/sub-Bowman keratomileusis (SBK) with
      intended flap thicknesses of 100 MUm using the One Use-Plus SBK microkeratome.
      METHODS: Ninety-eight eyes of 52 subjects with myopic manifest refraction
      spherical equivalent (MRSE) of up to -5 diopters (D), a stable refraction for 1
      year and a corrected distance visual acuity (CDVA) of at least 20/20 in each eye
      which had undergone SBK or PRK were reviewed retrospectively. Primary outcome
      measures were MRSE, uncorrected distance visual acuity (UDVA), CDVA, pachymetry
      and higher order aberrations (HOA). All patients were seen at 1 and 3 days, 1
      week, and 1, 3, and 6 months after surgery. RESULTS: Both MRSE and UDVA showed a
      statistically significant improvement at postoperative 1, 3 and 6 months from
      baseline in both SBK and PRK groups. At postoperative 6 months, 100% of eyes were
      within +/-0.50 D of attempted correction in both groups. However, SBK group
      demonstrated better outcomes with 81% of eyes within +/-0.13 D, compared to 70%
      eyes in the PRK group. Both SBK and PRK group demonstrated similar refractive
      astigmatism accuracy at postoperative 6 months, with 88% of eyes having
      cylindrical error ?0.25 D. None of eyes lost any lines of CDVA in the PRK, and 2%
      eyes lost one line of CDVA in SBK group at postoperative 6 months. CONCLUSION:
      The visual and refractive outcomes after both PRK and microkeratome assisted SBK
      are comparable, albeit with a higher complication rate in the SBK group.

PMID- 28337059
TI  - Cataract surgical rate in Yemen: 2012.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: To determine cataract surgical rate (CSR) in 2012 (01 January to 31
      December 2012) in 22 Governorates of Yemen in order to identify the needs to
      reduce cataract related blindness. METHODS: A standardized questionnaire was sent
      to the 184 eye units in governmental, university, military, private and charity
      clinics and hospitals in Yemen. RESULTS: The response rate to the questionnaire
      was 80.7%, and the collected data are summarized. During the 12-month period, a
      total of 62,577 cataract surgeries were performed by 268 ophthalmology
      specialists and residents. The cataract surgical rate was 2473 cataract
      operations per million inhabitants per year. Intraocular lens implantation was
      performed on 98% of the cases. CONCLUSION: CSR has increased in Yemen in the
      recent years but is still below the target suggested by WHO. There is need to
      increase the cataract surgical rate in Yemen mainly in rural areas. Inadequate
      number of eye surgeons, limited accessibility of cataract surgical services in
      rural areas and the affordability of surgery to large sections of society are
      major constraints that have to be addressed. The information from this study will
      help and enable Ministry of Health and other eye care providers to more equitably
      disperse trained ophthalmic personnel and eye units in Yemeni governorates.

PMID- 28337061
TI  - An introduction to DARC technology.
AB  - Glaucoma is a multi-factorial neurodegenerative disorder. The common denominator
      in all types of glaucomas is retinal ganglion cell death through apoptosis.
      However, this cellular demise in glaucoma is detected late by structural or
      functional analyses. There can be a 10-year delay prior to the appearance of
      visual field defects and pre-perimetric glaucoma is an issue still being
      addressed. However, a new cutting-edge technology called detection of apoptosing
      retinal cells (DARC) is being developed. This technique is capable of non
      invasive, real-time visualization of apoptotic changes at the cellular level. It
      can detect glaucomatous cell damage at a very early stage, at the moment
      apoptosis starts, and thus management can be initiated even prior to development
      of visual field changes. In future, this technique will also be able to provide
      conclusive evidence of the effectiveness of treatment protocol and the need for
      any modifications which may be required. This article aims to provide a concise
      review of DARC technology.

PMID- 28337062
TI  - Successful treatment of Behcet's uveitis with Tocilizumab.
AB  - A 33-year-old man with history of lymphoma was misdiagnosed as multiple sclerosis
      (MS) 18 months previously, developed intermediate uveitis, unresponsive to
      interferon, and corticosteroids. A diagnosis of Behcet's disease (BD) was made on
      the basis of recurrent orogenital ulceration, erythema nodosum, and a positive
      pathergy test. The patient was started on Tocilizumab and experienced an
      improvement in visual acuity and intraocular inflammation over the following 2
      weeks. In patients with BD-related uveitis, Tocilizumab can be an effective
      alternative to anti-tumor necrosis factor alpha medications.

PMID- 28337060
TI  - Nutraceuticals in prevention of cataract - An evidence based approach.
AB  - Cataract is a principal cause of blindness in the world and is characterized by
      clouding of eye's natural lens. Surgery is the major therapeutic step taken to
      cure cataract; however, it is having its own limitations and complications such
      as iris prolapse, raised IOP, infection, cystoid macular edema and posterior
      capsular opacification (PCO). So world is looking toward more robust and natural
      ways to prevent cataract. One of the important factors that can play a role in
      prevention of any and many diseases is diet of the people. The inclusion of
      certain naturally occurring food and nutraceuticals is coming up as a best
      alternative for curing cataract because of their presumed safety, potential
      nutritional and therapeutic effects. Some nutraceuticals can act as an
      anticataract agent through some or the other molecular mechanism if consumed by
      normal population deliberately or inadvertently.

PMID- 28337064
TI  - Canalicular pyocele: A new entity and literature review.
AB  - Canaliculoceles are rare, and under-recognized lesions of the upper lacrimal
      drainage system that may present as medial canthal masses or swelling. The
      current case is that of an 85-year-old female patient presented with a painful
      right upper lid medial, cystic swelling of 10-day duration involving the punctum
      and the upper canaliculus. A literature review showed that this is the seventh
      reported case of a canaliculocele but the first case of acute onset that is
      associated with inflammatory signs and symptoms and accumulation of purulent
      material. The term canalicular pyocele is suggested to describe this condition.

PMID- 28337063
TI  - A novel mutation and in vivo confocal microscopic findings in Fabry disease.
AB  - Fabry disease is a hereditary, X-linked lysosomal storage disease due to a
      deficiency of the alpha galactosidase A enzyme. Globotriaosylceramide accumulates
      in tissues and results in multiorgan dysfunction. The most common ocular finding
      in Fabry disease is cornea verticillata. Increase in conjunctival vascular
      tortuosity, and cataract may also be seen. Herein, we demonstrate the in vivo
      confocal microscopic findings of a genetically proven Fabry disease patient with
      a novel hemizygous R112L mutation in GLA gene.

PMID- 28337065
TI  - Acute bacterial endophthalmitis following intravitreal dexamethasone implant: A
      case report and review of literature.
AB  - Endophthalmitis following intravitreal dexamethasone (DEX) implant has been
      rarely reported. This report describes the case of a 70-year-old male who
      underwent intravitreal DEX implant injection under aseptic conditions, for
      diabetic macular edema. He developed a clinical picture suggestive of
      endophthalmitis within 2 weeks of the injection, and vitreous culture grew
      coagulase negative Staphylococcus. He was treated with intravitreal antibiotics
      followed by pars plana vitrectomy and removal of the implant. This was followed
      by resolution of the infection with a favorable final visual outcome. The
      challenges faced during surgical management of this case are discussed.

PMID- 28337066
TI  - Paintball related ocular injuries: First case report in Saudi patients.
AB  - Paintball is a popular recreational sport. This case series describes three Saudi
      patients exposed to paintball ocular injuries with sever ocular trauma. Two
      patients developed hyphema and traumatic cataract and one patient had vitreous
      hemorrhage, choroidal detachment, commotio retinae and retinal tear. All patients
      require surgical intervention. Final best corrected visual acuity was 20/200,
      20/30 and 20/50 respectively. Paintball related ocular injuries can result in
      severe visual loss and in most of the time requires surgical intervention. Most
      injuries occur in under-supervised settings and are easily preventable. Our main
      aim was to increase awareness among local ophthalmologists and eye professionals
      about this new game. Improved safety measures and appropriate public education
      could prevent such serious ocular injuries.

PMID- 28337067
TI  - Late spontaneous resolution of a double anterior chamber post deep anterior
      lamellar keratoplasty.
AB  - A 31-year-old healthy male underwent deep anterior lamellar keratoplasty with big
      bubble technique for treatment of keratoconus in his right eye. One week after
      surgery, he presented with detachment of the endothelium-Descemet complex with
      formation of a double anterior chamber, despite the apparent absence of an
      intraoperative Descemet membrane rupture. A subsequent intervention with the
      intent to relocate the corneal graft button was not effective, because the
      detachment appeared again one day later. The authors hypothesized that, at the
      time of the stromal dissection with big bubble technique, a small amount of air
      penetrated into the anterior chamber, creating a false pathway through the
      trabecular meshwork. The aqueous humor then penetrated the graft flowing through
      the false pathway, causing the endothelium-Descemet detachment. The persistence
      of that pathway, even after the intervention of graft repositioning, caused the
      failure of the latter procedure and persistence of the double chamber. We decided
      to wait and observe. The double anterior chamber spontaneously resolved in
      approximately three months.

PMID- 28337068
TI  - Statistical analysis of latent generalized correlation matrix estimation in
      transelliptical distribution.
AB  - Correlation matrix plays a key role in many multivariate methods (e.g., graphical
      model estimation and factor analysis). The current state-of-the-art in estimating
      large correlation matrices focuses on the use of Pearson's sample correlation
      matrix. Although Pearson's sample correlation matrix enjoys various good
      properties under Gaussian models, its not an effective estimator when facing
      heavy-tail distributions with possible outliers. As a robust alternative, Han and
      Liu (2013b) advocated the use of a transformed version of the Kendall's tau
      sample correlation matrix in estimating high dimensional latent generalized
      correlation matrix under the transelliptical distribution family (or elliptical
      copula). The transelliptical family assumes that after unspecified marginal
      monotone transformations, the data follow an elliptical distribution. In this
      paper, we study the theoretical properties of the Kendall's tau sample
      correlation matrix and its transformed version proposed in Han and Liu (2013b)
      for estimating the population Kendall's tau correlation matrix and the latent
      Pearson's correlation matrix under both spectral and restricted spectral norms.
      With regard to the spectral norm, we highlight the role of "effective rank" in
      quantifying the rate of convergence. With regard to the restricted spectral norm,
      we for the first time present a "sign subgaussian condition" which is sufficient
      to guarantee that the rank-based correlation matrix estimator attains the optimal
      rate of convergence. In both cases, we do not need any moment condition.

PMID- 28337069
TI  - Detection of alien genetic introgressions in bread wheat using dot-blot genomic
      hybridisation.
AB  - Simple, reliable methods for the identification of alien genetic introgressions
      are required in plant breeding programmes. The use of genomic dot-blot
      hybridisation allows the detection of small Hordeum chilense genomic
      introgressions in the descendants of genetic crosses between wheat and H.
      chilense addition or substitution lines in wheat when molecular markers are
      difficult to use. Based on genomic in situ hybridisation, DNA samples from wheat
      lines carrying putatively H. chilense introgressions were immobilised on a
      membrane, blocked with wheat genomic DNA and hybridised with biotin-labelled H.
      chilense genomic DNA as a probe. This dot-blot screening reduced the number of
      plants necessary to be analysed by molecular markers or in situ hybridisation,
      saving time and money. The technique was sensitive enough to detect a minimum of
      5 ng of total genomic DNA immobilised on the membrane or about 1/420 dilution of
      H. chilense genomic DNA in the wheat background. The robustness of the technique
      was verified by in situ hybridisation. In addition, the detection of other wheat
      relative species such as Hordeum vulgare, Secale cereale and Agropyron cristatum
      in the wheat background was also reported.

PMID- 28337070
TI  - Genomic Methods and Microbiological Technologies for Profiling Novel and Extreme
      Environments for the Extreme Microbiome Project (XMP).
AB  - The Extreme Microbiome Project (XMP) is a project launched by the Association of
      Biomolecular Resource Facilities Metagenomics Research Group (ABRF MGRG) that
      focuses on whole genome shotgun sequencing of extreme and unique environments
      using a wide variety of biomolecular techniques. The goals are multifaceted,
      including development and refinement of new techniques for the following: 1) the
      detection and characterization of novel microbes, 2) the evaluation of nucleic
      acid techniques for extremophilic samples, and 3) the identification and
      implementation of the appropriate bioinformatics pipelines. Here, we highlight
      the different ongoing projects that we have been working on, as well as details
      on the various methods we use to characterize the microbiome and metagenome of
      these complex samples. In particular, we present data of a novel multienzyme
      extraction protocol that we developed, called Polyzyme or MetaPolyZyme.
      Presently, the XMP is characterizing sample sites around the world with the
      intent of discovering new species, genes, and gene clusters. Once a project site
      is complete, the resulting data will be publically available. Sites include Lake
      Hillier in Western Australia, the "Door to Hell" crater in Turkmenistan, deep
      ocean brine lakes of the Gulf of Mexico, deep ocean sediments from Greenland,
      permafrost tunnels in Alaska, ancient microbial biofilms from Antarctica, Blue
      Lagoon Iceland, Ethiopian toxic hot springs, and the acidic hypersaline ponds in
      Western Australia.

PMID- 28337071
TI  - International Standards for Genomes, Transcriptomes, and Metagenomes.
AB  - Challenges and biases in preparing, characterizing, and sequencing DNA and RNA
      can have significant impacts on research in genomics across all kingdoms of life,
      including experiments in single-cells, RNA profiling, and metagenomics (across
      multiple genomes). Technical artifacts and contamination can arise at each point
      of sample manipulation, extraction, sequencing, and analysis. Thus, the
      measurement and benchmarking of these potential sources of error are of paramount
      importance as next-generation sequencing (NGS) projects become more global and
      ubiquitous. Fortunately, a variety of methods, standards, and technologies have
      recently emerged that improve measurements in genomics and sequencing, from the
      initial input material to the computational pipelines that process and annotate
      the data. Here we review current standards and their applications in genomics,
      including whole genomes, transcriptomes, mixed genomic samples (metagenomes), and
      the modified bases within each (epigenomes and epitranscriptomes). These
      standards, tools, and metrics are critical for quantifying the accuracy of NGS
      methods, which will be essential for robust approaches in clinical genomics and
      precision medicine.

PMID- 28337074
TI  - The flare Package for High Dimensional Linear Regression and Precision Matrix
      Estimation in R.
AB  - This paper describes an R package named flare, which implements a family of new
      high dimensional regression methods (LAD Lasso, SQRT Lasso, l q Lasso, and
      Dantzig selector) and their extensions to sparse precision matrix estimation
      (TIGER and CLIME). These methods exploit different nonsmooth loss functions to
      gain modeling exibility, estimation robustness, and tuning insensitiveness. The
      developed solver is based on the alternating direction method of multipliers
      (ADMM), which is further accelerated by the multistage screening approach. The
      package flare is coded in double precision C, and called from R by a user
      friendly interface. The memory usage is optimized by using the sparse matrix
      output. The experiments show that flare is efficient and can scale up to large
      problems.

PMID- 28337072
TI  - Precision Metagenomics: Rapid Metagenomic Analyses for Infectious Disease
      Diagnostics and Public Health Surveillance.
AB  - Next-generation sequencing (NGS) technologies have ushered in the era of
      precision medicine, transforming the way we treat cancer patients and diagnose
      disease. Concomitantly, the advent of these technologies has created a surge of
      microbiome and metagenomic studies over the last decade, many of which are
      focused on investigating the host-gene-microbial interactions responsible for the
      development and spread of infectious diseases, as well as delineating their key
      role in maintaining health. As we continue to discover more information about the
      etiology of infectious diseases, the translational potential of metagenomic NGS
      methods for treatment and rapid diagnosis is becoming abundantly clear. Here, we
      present a robust protocol for the implementation and application of "precision
      metagenomics" across various sequencing platforms for clinical samples. Such a
      pipeline integrates DNA/RNA extraction, library preparation, sequencing, and
      bioinformatics analyses for taxonomic classification, antimicrobial resistance
      (AMR) marker screening, and functional analysis (biochemical and metabolic
      pathway abundance). Moreover, the pipeline has 3 tracks: STAT for results within
      24 h; Comprehensive that affords a more in-depth analysis and takes between 5 and
      7 d, but offers antimicrobial resistance information; and Targeted, which also
      requires 5-7 d, but with more sensitive analysis for specific pathogens. Finally,
      we discuss the challenges that need to be addressed before full integration in
      the clinical setting.

PMID- 28337073
TI  - Real-Time DNA Sequencing in the Antarctic Dry Valleys Using the Oxford Nanopore
      Sequencer.
AB  - The ability to sequence DNA outside of the laboratory setting has enabled novel
      research questions to be addressed in the field in diverse areas, ranging from
      environmental microbiology to viral epidemics. Here, we demonstrate the
      application of offline DNA sequencing of environmental samples using a hand-held
      nanopore sequencer in a remote field location: the McMurdo Dry Valleys,
      Antarctica. Sequencing was performed using a MK1B MinION sequencer from Oxford
      Nanopore Technologies (ONT; Oxford, United Kingdom) that was equipped with
      software to operate without internet connectivity. One-direction (1D) genomic
      libraries were prepared using portable field techniques on DNA isolated from
      desiccated microbial mats. By adequately insulating the sequencer and laptop, it
      was possible to run the sequencing protocol for up to 21/2 h under arduous
      conditions.

PMID- 28337075
TI  - Intranasal Dexmedetomidine as a Sedative for Pediatric Procedural Sedation.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: This study seeks to evaluate the efficacy and safety of intranasal
      (IN) dexmedetomidine as a sedative medication for non-invasive procedural
      sedation. METHODS: Subjects 6 months to 18 years of age undergoing non-invasive
      elective procedures were included. Dexmedetomidine (3 mcg/kg) was administered IN
      40 minutes before the scheduled procedure time. The IN dexmedetomidine cohort was
      matched and compared to a cohort of 690 subjects who underwent sedation for
      similar procedures without the use of dexmedetomidine to evaluate for observed
      events/interventions and procedural times. RESULTS: One hundred (92%) of the 109
      included subjects were successfully sedated with IN dexmedetomidine. There were
      no significant differences in the rate of observed events/interventions in
      comparison to the non-dexmedetomidine cohort. However, the IN dexmedetomidine
      group had a longer postprocedure sleep time when compared to the non
      dexmedetomidine cohort (p < 0.001), which had a significant effect on recovery
      time (p = 0.024). Also, the dexmedetomidine cohort had longer procedure time and
      total admit time (p < 0.001 and p = 0.037, respectively). CONCLUSIONS: IN
      dexmedetomidine may be used for non-invasive pediatric procedural sedation.
      Subjects receiving IN dexmedetomidine had a similar rate of observed
      events/interventions as the subjects receiving non-dexmedetomidine sedation, with
      the exception of sleeping time. Also, patients sedated with IN dexmedetomidine
      had longer time to discharge, procedure time, and total admit time in comparison
      to other forms of sedation.

PMID- 28337076
TI  - Nebulized Gentamicin as an Alternative to Nebulized Tobramycin for Tracheitis in
      Pediatric Patients.
AB  - OBJECTIVES: Tracheitis is an infection of the lower respiratory tract and is
      defined by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) based on signs
      and symptoms with no radiographic evidence of pneumonia. One method of treatment
      involves the use of tobramycin given by nebulizer. The purpose of this study was
      to compare the safety and efficacy of nebulized gentamicin with nebulized
      tobramycin. METHODS: This study was conducted in patients under 21 years of age
      who received greater than or equal to 1 day of gentamicin, 80 mg, or tobramycin,
      300 mg, given twice a day by nebulization within the 14-month study period. The
      primary endpoint was amount of time until the patient no longer met the CDC
      definition of tracheitis. RESULTS: There were 19 patients who presented with 60
      separate encounters. The average age of the patients within the gentamicin group
      was 7.2 and 5 years old within the tobramycin group. The average duration of time
      for the gentamicin treatment encounters to be free of the CDC definition of
      tracheitis was 3.36 days compared to 3.17 days with tobramycin. No adverse
      effects were observed that were attributable to aminoglycoside nebulization.
      CONCLUSIONS: No differences were detected between the safety and efficacy of
      intravenous gentamicin administered twice a day by nebulizer and that of
      tobramycin inhalation solution given twice daily in children without cystic
      fibrosis.

PMID- 28337077
TI  - Antithrombin III Doses Rounded to Available Vial Sizes in Critically Ill
      Pediatric Patients.
AB  - OBJECTIVES: Children have decreased levels of antithrombin III (AT III) compared
      to adults. These levels may be further decreased during acute illness.
      Administration of exogenous AT III can increase anticoagulant efficacy. The
      objective of this study was to evaluate AT III doses rounded to available vial
      sizes compared to partial vial doses in critically ill pediatric patients,
      including patients receiving extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) and
      continuous renal replacement therapy (CRRT). METHOD: This retrospective review
      evaluated pediatric patients 0-18 years of age admitted to a 24-bed
      medical/surgical pediatric intensive care unit between June 1, 2012, and December
      31, 2014, who received plasma-derived AT III. Patients received unfractionated
      heparin, low-molecular-weight heparin, or no anticoagulation. This review
      included patients who received ECMO and CRRT. RESULTS: Eighty doses of AT III
      were administered to 24 patients (38 full vial size doses and 42 partial vial
      size doses). The AT III level following dose administration was >=80% for 26 full
      vial doses (70%) and 16 partial vial doses (41%; p = 0.010). For patients who
      received multiple doses of AT III, the median time between doses was 45 hours
      following full vial doses, and 23 hours following partial vial doses (p = 0.011).
      Seven patients (29%) had documentation of new or increased bleeding. The median
      waste prevented from rounding doses to full vial sizes was 363 units.
      CONCLUSIONS: After receiving AT III doses rounded to full vial sizes, patients
      were more likely to have a therapeutic AT III level and a longer interval between
      administrations. Rounding AT III doses to full vial sizes reduces waste and can
      result in cost savings.

PMID- 28337078
TI  - Comparison of the Efficacy and Safety of 2 Acetaminophen Dosing Regimens in
      Febrile Infants and Children: A Report on 3 Legacy Studies.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: Compare efficacy and safety of 10 to 15 mg/kg with 20 to 30 mg/kg
      acetaminophen in febrile children 6 months to <= 11 years from 3 double-blind,
      randomized, single or multiple dose studies. METHODS: Doses were compared on sum
      of the temperature differences (SUMDIFF), maximum temperature difference
      (MAXDIFF), temperature differences at each time point, and dose by time
      interactions. Alanine aminotransferase (ALT) was evaluated in the 72-hour
      duration study. RESULTS: A single dose of acetaminophen 20 to 30 mg/kg produced a
      greater effect on temperature decrement and duration of antipyretic effect over 8
      hours than a single dose of 10 to 15 mg/kg. When equivalent total doses (i.e., 2
      doses of 10 to 15 mg/kg given at 4-hour intervals and 1 dose of 20 to 30 mg/kg)
      were given over the initial 8-hour period, there were no significant temperature
      differences. Over a 72-hour period, 10 to 15 mg/kg acetaminophen administered
      every 4 hours maintained a more consistent temperature decrement than 20 to 30
      mg/kg acetaminophen administered every 8 hours. Following doses of 60 to 90
      mg/kg/day for up to 72 hours, no child had a clinically important increase in ALT
      from baseline. The number of children with reported adverse events was similar
      between doses. CONCLUSIONS: Data demonstrate the antipyretic effect of
      acetaminophen is dependent on total dose over a given time interval. These 3
      studies provide clinical evidence that the recommended standard acetaminophen
      dose of 10 to 15 mg/kg is a safe and effective dose for treating fever in
      pediatric patients when administered as a single dose or as multiple doses for up
      to 72 hours.

PMID- 28337079
TI  - Comparison of Amikacin Pharmacokinetics in Neonates Following Implementation of a
      New Dosage Protocol.
AB  - OBJECTIVES: The primary aim was to compare attainment of goal serum amikacin
      concentrations using two dosage regimens in patients admitted to a neonatal
      intensive care unit. Secondary objectives included comparison of percentages of
      supratherapeutic trough concentrations, and subtherapeutic and supratherapeutic
      peak concentrations. METHODS: This was an Institutional Review Board-approved,
      retrospective study of neonates receiving amikacin during January-December 2013
      (group 1) and January-December 2014 (group 2). Group 1 received amikacin dosage
      consistent with published recommendations, whereas group 2 was dosed using a
      modified protocol that was based on postmenstrual and postnatal age. Goal serum
      amikacin peak concentration was defined as 20 to 35 mg/L; hence, subtherapeutic
      and supratherapeutic peak concentrations were defined as <20 mg/L and >35 mg/L,
      respectively. Supratherapeutic trough concentrations were >8 mg/L. Between-group
      analysis was performed using Wilcoxon-Mann-Whitney test, Student t-test or chi2,
      or Fisher exact analysis as appropriate with a p value <0.05. RESULTS: A total of
      278 neonates were included (group 1: n = 144; group 2: n = 134). Most patients
      were male (60%) and were admitted for prematurity or respiratory distress (77%).
      The median gestational age in group 1 was 34.4 weeks (range, 30.0-37.9 weeks)
      versus group 2 at 36.9 weeks (range, 31.4-38.9 weeks), whereas the postnatal age
      was similar between both groups at 4 days. There was a significant increase in
      attaining goal peak amikacin concentrations between groups 1 and 2, 34% versus
      84%, p < 0.001, and decrease in supratherapeutic peak concentrations, 65% versus
      12%, p < 0.001. There was no significant difference in subtherapeutic peak or
      supratherapeutic trough concentrations. CONCLUSIONS: A modified neonatal amikacin
      dosage protocol resulted in increased peak amikacin serum concentration compared
      with published dosage recommendations. Future research should focus on
      determination of the optimal dosage regimen in neonates.

PMID- 28337080
TI  - Vancomycin AUC/MIC and Corresponding Troughs in a Pediatric Population.
AB  - OBJECTIVES: Adult guidelines suggest an area under the curve/minimum inhibitory
      concentration (AUC/MIC) > 400 corresponds to a vancomycin trough serum
      concentration of 15 to 20 mg/L for methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus
      infections, but obtaining these troughs in children are difficult. The primary
      objective of this study was to assess the likelihood that 15 mg/kg of vancomycin
      every 6 hours in a child achieves an AUC/MIC > 400. METHODS: This retrospective
      chart review included pediatric patients >2 months to <18 years with a positive S
      aureus blood culture and documented MIC who received at least two doses of
      vancomycin with corresponding trough. Patients were divided into two groups:
      group 1 initially receiving >=15 mg/kg every 6 hours, and group 2 initially
      receiving any other dosing ranges or intervals. AUCs were calculated four times
      using three pharmacokinetic methods. RESULTS: A total of 36 patients with 99
      vancomycin trough serum concentrations were assessed. Baseline characteristics
      were similar between groups. For troughs in group 1 (n = 55), the probability of
      achieving an AUC/MIC > 400 ranged from 16.4% to 90.9% with a median trough
      concentration of 11.4 mg/L, while in group 2 (n = 44) the probability of
      achieving AUC/MIC > 400 ranged from 15.9% to 54.5% with mean trough concentration
      of 9.2 mg/L. The AUC/MICs were not similar between the different pharmacokinetic
      methods used; however, a trapezoidal equation (Method A) yielded the highest
      correlation coefficient (r2 = 0.59). When dosing every 6 hours, an AUC/MIC of 400
      correlated to a trough serum concentration of 11 mg/L. CONCLUSIONS: The
      probability of achieving an AUC/MIC > 400 using only a trough serum concentration
      and an MIC with patients receiving 15 mg/kg every 6 hours is variable based on
      the method used to calculate the AUC. An AUC/MIC of 400 in children correlated to
      a trough concentration of 11 mg/L using a trapezoidal Method to calculate AUC.

PMID- 28337081
TI  - A Comprehensive List of Items to be Included on a Pediatric Drug Monograph.
AB  - OBJECTIVES: Children require special considerations for drug prescribing. Drug
      information summarized in a formulary containing drug monographs is essential for
      safe and effective prescribing. Currently, little is known about the information
      needs of those who prescribe and administer medicines to children. Our primary
      objective was to identify a list of important and relevant items to be included
      in a pediatric drug monograph. METHODS: Following the establishment of an expert
      steering committee and an environmental scan of adult and pediatric formulary
      monograph items, 46 participants from 25 countries were invited to complete a 2
      round Delphi survey. Questions regarding source of prescribing information and
      importance of items were recorded. An international consensus meeting to vote on
      and finalize the items list with the steering committee followed. RESULTS:
      Pediatric formularies are most commonly the first resource consulted for
      information on medication used in children by 31 Delphi participants. After the
      Delphi rounds, 116 items were identified to be included in a comprehensive
      pediatric drug monograph, including general information, adverse drug reactions,
      dosages, precautions, drug-drug interactions, formulation, and drug properties.
      CONCLUSIONS: Health care providers identified 116 monograph items as important
      for prescribing medicines for children by an international consensus-based
      process. This information will assist in setting standards for the creation of
      new pediatric drug monographs for international application and for those
      involved in pediatric formulary development.

PMID- 28337082
TI  - Pharmacokinetics of Peramivir in an Adolescent Patient Receiving Continuous
      Venovenous Hemodiafiltration.
AB  - Critically ill patients requiring renal replacement therapy commonly experience
      pharmacokinetic alterations. This case report describes the pharmacokinetics of
      peramivir (Rapivab, BioCryst Pharmaceuticals, Inc, Durham, NC), the first US Food
      and Drug Administration-approved intravenous neuraminidase inhibitor for the
      treatment of influenza, in an adolescent patient receiving continuous renal
      replacement therapy (CRRT). A 49.5-kg, 17-year-old Caucasian female presented
      with fever, cough, and persistent hypoxia. She quickly progressed to acute
      respiratory and renal failure in the setting of viral septic shock as a result of
      a severe influenza H1N1 infection. On hospital day 3, therapy was switched from
      oseltamivir (Tamiflu, Roche Laboratories Inc, Nutley, NJ) to peramivir owing to
      the concern for inadequate enteral absorption. On the third day of peramivir
      treatment, at a dose of 200 mg daily, peramivir serum concentrations revealed a
      smaller peak concentration, larger volumes of distribution, similar 24-hour area
      under the curve, and a shorter half-life as compared to adult patients with
      normal renal function. This illustrated the significant differences in
      pharmacokinetics when administered in the setting of CRRT. The patient had
      resolution of viral infection as evidenced by negative respiratory viral panel
      polymerase chain reaction at hospital day 14 and was eventually discharged at her
      baseline.

PMID- 28337083
TI  - Continuous-Infusion Etomidate in a Patient Receiving Extracorporeal Membrane
      Oxygenation.
AB  - We describe a 16-year-old, 65-kg male deployed on extracorporeal membrane
      oxygenation (ECMO) for refractory respiratory failure secondary to ingestion of
      multiple substances. During his ECMO course, standard sedative and analgesic
      strategies failed and alternative medications were used. The patient received
      various dosages of fentanyl, morphine, hydromorphone, clonidine patches,
      dexmedetomidine, lorazepam, methadone, pentobarbital, olanzapine, and propofol.
      Despite administration of multiple agents, on day 29 of ECMO the patient
      experienced elevated blood pressures due to agitation, and continuous infusion
      etomidate was started. At the time of etomidate initiation, the osmolar gap was 8
      mOsm/kg. During etomidate therapy, the blood pressure remained normal, sedative
      agents were slowly weaned, and the patient required few PRN medications. On day 6
      of etomidate, the osmolar gap increased to 127 mOsm/kg and etomidate was
      discontinued. Continuous-infusion ketamine was started, but the blood pressure
      was not controlled. Metabolic acidosis is a known side effect of etomidate due to
      inclusion of propylene glycol as a pharmaceutical solvent in the formulation.
      Despite high-dose etomidate (20 mcg/kg/min) for approximately 6 days, our patient
      did not experience metabolic acidosis. Absence of this adverse effect caused us
      to question the role of the ECMO circuit. To our knowledge, this is the first
      report of the use of continuous-infusion etomidate during ECMO. Etomidate
      infusion could be considered in difficult-to-manage patients after other
      alternatives have failed.

PMID- 28337084
TI  - Therapeutic Drug Monitoring of Continuous Infusion Doripenem in a Pediatric
      Patient on Continuous Renal Replacement Therapy.
AB  - An 11-year-old African American male with severe combined immunodeficiency
      variant, non-cystic fibrosis bronchiectasis, pancreatic insufficiency, chronic
      mycobacterium avium-intracellulare infection, chronic sinusitis, and malnutrition
      presented with a 1-week history of fevers. He subsequently developed respiratory
      decompensation and cefepime was discontinued and doripenem was initiated.
      Doripenem was the carbapenem used due to a national shortage of meropenem. By day
      7 the patient (24.7 kg) had a positive fluid balance of 6925 mL (28% FO), and on
      days 7 into 8 developed acute kidney injury evidenced by an elevated serum
      creatinine of 0.68 mg/dL, an increase from the baseline of 0.28 mg/dL. On day 9,
      the patient was initiated on continuous renal replacement therapy (CRRT) and the
      doripenem dosing was changed to a continuous infusion of 2.5 mg/kg/hr (60
      mg/kg/day). Approximately 12.5 hours after the start of the doripenem a serum
      concentration was obtained, which was 4.01 mg/L corresponding to a clearance of
      10.5 mL/min/kg. The pediatric dosing and pharmacokinetic data available for
      doripenem suggest a clearance estimate of 4.4 to 4.8 mL/min/kg, and the adult
      clearance estimate is 2.4 to 3.78 mL/min/kg. The calculated clearance in our
      patient of 10.5 mL/min/kg is over double the highest clearance estimate in the
      pediatric literature. This case demonstrates that doripenem clearance is
      significantly increased with CRRT in comparison with the published pediatric and
      adult data. An appropriate pharmacodynamic outcome (time that free drug
      concentration > minimum inhibitory concentration) can be achieved by continuous
      infusion doripenem with concurrent therapeutic drug monitoring.

PMID- 28337085
TI  - Duty to Advocate: Human Papillomavirus Vaccination.
AB  - Despite the excellent benefit-to-risk ratio for human papillomavirus (HPV)
      vaccination and recommendations for its routine use from the Advisory Committee
      on Immunization Practices (ACIP), significant controversy surrounding HPV
      vaccination continues to exist. In light of this controversy and continued low
      rates of vaccination among U.S. adolescents, the Pediatric Pharmacy Advocacy
      Group (PPAG) endorses the safety and efficacy of HPV vaccination and agrees with
      ACIP recommendations for protection of the U.S. population against the
      potentially severe consequences of HPV. The PPAG recommends that all eligible
      individuals undergo vaccination. We further recommend that pediatric pharmacists
      participate in the education of patients and their families and serve as
      advocates for HPV vaccination. This document serves as an update to the 2008 PPAG
      position statement.1.

PMID- 28337086
TI  - Pediatric Antimicrobial Stewardship Programs.
AB  - The frequent use of antimicrobials in pediatric patients has led to a significant
      increase in multidrug-resistant bacterial infections among children.
      Antimicrobial stewardship programs have been created in many hospitals in an
      effort to curtail and optimize the use of antibiotics. Pediatric-focused programs
      are necessary because of the differences in antimicrobial need and use among this
      patient population, unique considerations and dosing, vulnerability for
      resistance due to a lifetime of antibiotic exposure, and the increased risk of
      adverse events. This paper serves as a position statement of the Pediatric
      Pharmacy Advocacy Group (PPAG) who supports the implementation of antimicrobial
      stewardship programs for all pediatric patients. PPAG also believes that a
      pediatric pharmacy specialist should be included as part of that program and that
      services be covered by managed care organizations and government insurance
      entities. PPAG also recommends that states create legislation similar to that in
      existence in California and Missouri and that a federal Task Force for Combating
      Antibiotic-Resistant Bacteria be permanently established. PPAG also supports post
      doctoral pharmacy training programs in antibiotic stewardship.

PMID- 28337087
TI  - Medication Dosage in Overweight and Obese Children.
AB  - Approximately 31.8% of U.S. children ages 2 to 19 years are considered overweight
      or obese. This creates significant challenges to dosing medications that are
      primarily weight based (mg/kg) and in predicting pharmacokinetics parameters in
      pediatric patients. Obese individuals generally have a larger volume of
      distribution for lipophilic medications. Conversely, the Vd of hydrophilic
      medications may be increased or decreased due to increased lean body mass, blood
      volume, and decrease percentage of total body water. They may also experience
      decreased hepatic clearance secondary to fatty infiltrates of the liver. Hence,
      obesity may affect loading dose, dosage interval, plasma half-life, and time to
      reach steady-state concentration for various medications. Weight-based dosing is
      also a cause for potential medication errors. This position statement of the
      Pediatric Pharmacy Advocacy Group recommends that weight-based dosing should be
      used in patients ages < 18 years who are < 40 kg; weight-based dosing should be
      used in patients >= 40 kg, unless, unless the recommended adult dose for the
      specific indication is exceeded; clinicians should use pharmacokinetic analysis
      for adjusting medications in overweight/obese children; and research efforts
      continue to evaluate dosing of medications in obese/overweight children.

PMID- 28337088
TI  - THE TREASURE CALLED ANTIBIOTICS.

PMID- 28337089
TI  - EVALUATION OF THE ENVIRONMENTAL NOISE LEVELS IN ABUJA MUNICIPALITY USING MOBILE
      PHONES.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Noise remains a nuisance which impacts negatively on the physical,
      social and psychological wellbeing of man. It aggravates chronic illnesses like
      hypertension and other cardiopulmonary diseases. Unfortunately, increased
      activities from industrialization and technological transfers/drifts have
      tumultuously led to increased noise pollution in most of our fast growing cities
      today and hence the need for concerted efforts in monitoring and regulating our
      environmental noise. OBJECTIVE: To assess the equivalent noise level (Leq) in
      Abuja municipality and promote a simple method for regular assessment of Leq
      within our environment. METHOD: This is a cross-sectional community based study
      of the environmental Leq of Abuja municipality conducted between January 2014 and
      January 2016. The city was divided into 12 segments including residential,
      business and market areas via the Abuja Geographic Information System. The major
      markets were captured separately on a different scale. Measurements were taken
      with the mobile phone softwares having validated this with Extech 407730 digital
      sound level meter, serial no Z310135. Leq(A) were measured at different points
      and hours of the day and night. The average Leq(A) were classified according to
      localities and compared with WHO standard safety levels. RESULTS: LeqD ranged 71
      92dB(A); 42-79dB(A) and 69-90dB(A) in business/ parks, residential and market
      places respectively. The Night measurements were similar 18dB(A)-56dB(A) and the
      day-night Leq(A)=77.2dB(A) and 90.4dB(A) for residential and business zones.
      CONCLUSION: The night noise levels are satisfactory but the day and day-night
      levels are above the recommended tolerable values by WHO and therefore urgently
      call for awareness and legislative regulations.

PMID- 28337090
TI  - IS THE CHILD-TO-CHILD APPROACH USEFUL IN IMPROVING UPTAKE OF EYE CARE SERVICES IN
      DIFFICULT-TO-REACH RURAL COMMUNITIES? EXPERIENCE FROM SOUTHWEST NIGERIA.
AB  - BACKGROUND: To determine if primary school pupils aged 9-14 years can be
      satisfactorily trained, using the child-to- parent approach, to assess vision,
      refer and motivate people to attend screening eye camps. METHOD: Ninety pupils
      aged 9-14 years attending two purposively-selected primary schools were selected
      by simple random sampling. Using the child-to-parent approach and Snellens 6/60
      illiterate E-chart, participants had a three-day knowledge and skill-based
      training followed by 2 days of community-based vision assessment and referral of
      those assessed. The adequacy and success of the training were assessed by
      comparing preand post-test scores. RESULTS: Three hundred and thirty-six persons
      were referred and examined; of these, 142 (42.3%) persons were reviewed. Overall,
      there was significant improvement in knowledge. The accuracy of assessments was
      82.1% for Right Eyes (RE), 83.3% for Left Eyes (LE) and 72.1% for presbyopia. The
      sensitivities for the RE, LE and presbyopia were 84.8%, 86.1% and 76.3%
      respectively. Similarly, the specificities were 44.4% for RE, 50.0% for LE and
      68.6% for presbyopia. The performances were not significantly influenced by age,
      sex and locality. CONCLUSION: Children aged 9-14 years in primary schools can be
      empowered, using the child-to-child approach, to assess vision and motivate
      members of their communities to utilize available eye care services.

PMID- 28337091
TI  - A SURVEY OF DISPOSITION OF PHYSICIANS TOWARDS PHYSICAL ACTIVITY PROMOTION AT TWO
      TERTIARY HOSPITALS IN NORTH-EASTERN NIGERIA.
AB  - BACKGROUND: A general presumption is that any advice from physicians would likely
      be taken seriously by patients, and patients are more likely to see their doctors
      in the event of any health complaints than any other health professionals. The
      perceptions and practice of Nigerian physicians on their role in physical
      activity promotion are not well known. This study aimed to determine the
      knowledge of physical activity message, confidence, role perceptions, barriers
      and feasibility of physical activity promotion among physicians in two tertiary
      health institutions in North-Eastern Nigeria. METHOD: A total of 153 (84.5%
      response) physicians at the University of Maiduguri Teaching Hospital and Federal
      Medical Center Yola completed a previously developed questionnaire that elicited
      information on their knowledge, barrier, feasibility, role and confidence in
      physical activity promotion. RESULTS: Physicians in this study reported fairly
      good knowledge (mean score=14.7+/-2.2/20), minimal or little barrier to physical
      activity promotion (mean score=24.4+/-3.5/30), perceived physical activity
      promotion as their role (mean score=12.9+/-1.6/15), were confident in their
      ability to discuss and recommend exercises for physical activity promotion (mean
      score=7.9+/-1.3/ 10) and believed promoting physical activity was feasible for
      them (mean score=15.0+/-2.5/20). The physicians had good disposition to physical
      activity promotion (Mean score=78.5+/-6.7/100), but male physicians showed better
      disposition than their female counterparts. CONCLUSION: Overall these cohorts of
      physicians are somewhat knowledgeable on physical activity promotion and are
      positively disposed to promoting physical activity among their patients. These
      findings can be leveraged upon to optimize outcome of campaigns or interventions
      to change physical activity behaviour in Nigerian populace.

PMID- 28337092
TI  - PATRONAGE AND COST OF MALARIA TREATMENT IN PRIVATE HOSPITALS IN IBADAN NORTH
      L.G.A SOUTH WESTERN, NIGERIA.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Malaria accounts for about 60% of all clinic attendance in Nigeria.
      About 300,000 children die of malaria annually while an estimated 4,500 pregnant
      women are lost annually on account of malaria in Nigeria alone. High cost of
      treatment is a barrier to the uptake of health services in low resource settings,
      therefore an exploration of the cost of malaria management will reveal possible
      components that may benefit from intervention and thus reveal important clues for
      improving access to malaria treatment. Objective of this study therefore is to
      describe patronage and cost of malaria treatment in private hospitals in Ibadan.
      METHOD: This was a descriptive cross sectional study, carried out in private
      hospitals in Ibadan, South Western Nigeria. A self-administered questionnaire
      with open and close-ended questions was used to collect data on patronage and
      cost of treatment in adults, children and pregnant women attending private health
      facilities in Ibadan, Nigeria. Data were presented using tables of frequencies
      and proportions while analysis was by descriptive statistics. RESULTS: A total of
      40 doctors and hospitals participated in the study. Average patronage for
      malaria, both complicated and uncomplicated per month was 153 patients per
      hospital. Malaria cases accounts for 331 (46.2%) of total clinic cases seen in
      private hospitals in a month. About 121 (78%) of malaria cases seen were
      uncomplicated while 32 (21%) of cases were complicated malaria. Average amount
      charged patient for treating uncomplicated malaria in private hospitals was
      N3,941. Average amount spent on antimalarial drugs was about N2,443 (62%) while
      N1,064 (27.7%) was spent on laboratory investigation and N406.00 (10.3%) for
      medical consultation. CONCLUSION: Drugs cost constitute the bulk of expenses on
      malaria treatment. Policy makers may improve access to malaria treatment by
      subsidizing the cost of anti-malaria drugs for pregnant women and children, who
      might not be able to afford treatment.

PMID- 28337093
TI  - ASSESSMENT OF SOCIOECONOMIC STATUS AND CONTROL OF ASTHMA IN ADULTS.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Asthma is a chronic disease which places considerable economic,
      social and public health burdens on the society. Education, occupation and income
      are the most widely used indicators of socioeconomic status (SES). Studies have
      shown increased asthma hospital admissions for those who are materially deprived
      and increased asthma severity in low social class groups. The aim of this study
      is to determine the impact of socioeconomic status on control of asthma in
      adults. METHOD: The study was a cross-sectional analytical one, conducted over a
      year at the Medical Outpatient Clinic of the University College Hospital Ibadan.
      The study population was composed of 355 randomly selected adults aged between
      18years and 55years with an established diagnosis of asthma already on treatment.
      RESULTS: Respondents with monthly income of 40000 and above had a higher
      proportion with good asthma control (74.1%) compared to those that earned 10000
      to 39999 (69.0%) and less than 10000 (47.8%). This was statistically significant.
      Respondents in occupational class I/II had a slightly higher proportion with good
      asthma control (70.9%) compared to those in occupation class III/IV (70.1%) and
      occupation class V/VI (50.6%). This was statistically significant at p = 0.003.
      CONCLUSION: Respondents in the higher occupational class had better asthma
      control than respondents in the lower occupational class. Respondents who were
      earning 40000 and above as monthly income had better control of asthma than other
      respondents. After adjusting for other variables, the predictor of good asthma
      control was monthly income of the respondents.

PMID- 28337094
TI  - PREVALENCE AND CORRELATES OF JOB STRESS AMONG JUNIOR DOCTORS IN THE UNIVERSITY
      COLLEGE HOSPITAL, IBADAN.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Doctors respond differently to their complex work environment, some
      find it stimulating while others find it stressful. This study aimed to assess
      the prevalence and correlates of stress among junior doctors in a teaching
      hospital in Southwest Nigeria. METHOD: A descriptive cross sectional survey of
      all junior doctors employed at the University College Hospital, Ibadan was
      carried out. Information was collected with a structured pretested questionnaire
      from 253 doctors. Descriptive statistics were generated. T-test, chi square and
      logistic regression analyses were conducted using SPSS version 16. Statistical
      significance was set at 5%. RESULTS: Mean age of respondents was 29.9 (+/-4.1)
      years, 61.3% were males, 59% had spent less than 5 years in medical practice, and
      34.8% were married. Majority (79.4%) were resident doctors. Prevalence of stress,
      job dissatisfaction and poor mental health were 31.6%, 15.4% and 9.9%
      respectively. Age, gender, years of medical practice, religion, ethnicity and
      marital status were not significantly associated with job stress (p>0.05).
      Doctors who were stressed were more likely to be dissatisfied with their jobs
      (OR=2.33; CI=1.08-4.04) and to have poor mental health (OR=3.82; CI=1.47-9.95)
      than those who were not stressed. CONCLUSION: The prevalence of stress in this
      study is high, and job dissatisfaction and poor mental health have been
      implicated as determinants of stress. As such, there should be an improvement in
      doctors' welfare, health care facilities and delivery.

PMID- 28337095
TI  - ROUTINE SALINE INFUSION SONOHYSTEROGRAPHY PRIOR TO ASSISTED CONCEPTION: A REVIEW
      OF OUR INITIAL EXPERIENCE.
AB  - Saline infusion sonohysterography has been employed to evaluate the uterine
      cavity prior to commencement of assisted conception.Intra-uterine lesions play an
      important role in the outcome of assisted conception procedures. A descriptive
      retrospective study of 760 patients who had saline infusion sonohysterography
      prior to assisted conception, between January 2008 and December, 2010. Forty-six
      percent of the patients had intra-uterine pathologies. Submucous fibroids
      accounted for almost half (48.57%) of the pathologies, followed by adhesions
      (28.57%) and endometrial polyps (22.86%). Complications arising from the
      procedure were minor and occurred in 26 patients (3.42%). Abdominal cramps,
      vaginal bleeding and vaginal discharge occurred in 14 (53.85%), 8 (30.77%) and 4
      (15.38%) respectively. The average duration of the procedure was 6 minutes with a
      range of 4-9 minutes. Saline infusion sonohysterography is a reliable, cost
      effective and safe diagnostic tool in the evaluation of the uterine cavity prior
      to assisted conception.

PMID- 28337096
TI  - MORPHOLOGICAL PATTERN OF ENDOMETRIAL BIOPSIES IN SOUTHWESTERN NIGERIA.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Endometrium remains the most sensitive indicator of ovarian function
      and endometrial biopsy is one of the diagnostic procedures in endometrial
      pathology. The current study was carried out to examine the morphological pattern
      of endometrial biopsies in Ibadan, South-western Nigeria and compare the results
      with similar studies. METHOD: A retrospective study was undertaken to review all
      cases of endometrial biopsies received in the Department of Pathology, University
      College Hospital, Ibadan between January 1999 and December 2008. The patients'
      data were retrieved from the surgical pathology daybooks and Histology Request
      forms. The neoplastic lesions were classified according to 2003 World Health
      Organization classification for endometrial neoplasms. RESULTS: A total of 2,444
      cases of endometrial biopsies were received during the 10-year study period. The
      functional endometrial changes were the most common histopathological diagnostic
      category, accounting for 53.8% (1035) of cases. Other pathological diagnoses
      included endometritis (7.8%), simple endometrial hyperplasia (5.8%), partial
      hydatidiform mole (2.3%), complete hydatidiform mole (2.1%) and malignant
      neoplastic lesions (3.9%). Infertility was the most common (57%) indication for
      endometrial biopsies followed by uterine bleeding (33%) while the least common
      clinical indication were the menstrual disorders (10%). CONCLUSION: The
      functional endometrial changes account for the highest morphological patterns
      while malignant lesions account for the least pattern of the endometrial biopsies
      evaluated for etiological basis of infertility, uterine bleeding and menstrual
      disorders in Ibadan. Infertility was the commonest indication for endometrial
      biopsies while the least common clinical indication was menstrual disorders.

PMID- 28337097
TI  - NEUROMUSCULAR DISEASE MIMICKING MYASTHENIA GRAVIS IN A NIGERIAN FEMALE
      ADOLESCENT: COULD THIS BE NEMALINE ROD DISEASE?
AB  - BACKGROUND: Nemaline rod disease is a congenital myopathy, presentation of which
      may mimic myasthenia gravis. METHOD: We report a suspected case of nemaline rod
      disease in a female adolescent who presented with features similar to myasthenia
      gravis but failed to respond effectively to its conventional management. She had
      features of respiratory failure and cardiomyopathy. RESULTS: Patient had a
      turbulent clinical course and finally succumbed to illness on the fifth day of
      admission. CONCLUSION: This report is meant to sensitize child neurologists and
      general paediatricians on the need to have a broad spectrum of considerations in
      the management of suspected myasthenia gravis, especially when response to
      anticholinesterase is poor.

PMID- 28337098
TI  - Effect of undifferentiated versus hepatogenic partially differentiated
      mesenchymal stem cells on hepatic and cognitive functions in liver cirrhosis.
AB  - Liver cirrhosis is the outcome of chronic liver injury. The current study aimed
      to investigate the therapeutic effect of undifferentiated mesenchymal stem cells
      versus in vitro partially differentiated mesenchymal stem cells on liver
      cirrhosis and hepatic encephalopathy. 50 adult male albino rats constituted the
      animal model and were divided into the following groups: control, thioacetamide,
      undifferentiated mesenchymal stem cells and hepatocyte growth factor
      differentiated mesenchymal stem cells groups. Cognitive assessment was achieved
      by open field test and Y-maze task. We measured serum alanine aminotransferase,
      albumin and transforming growth factor-beta1, gene expression of alpha-smooth
      muscle actin, matrix metalloprotein-2, its tissue inhibitor and apoptotic
      markers: Bax and Bcl2, brain glial fibrillary acidic protein, synaptophysin, and
      dopaminergic receptors.

PMID- 28337099
TI  - Development and validation of instrument for ergonomic evaluation of tablet arm
      chairs.
AB  - The purpose of this study was to develop and validate an evaluation instrument
      for tablet arm chairs based on ergonomic requirements, focused on user
      perceptions and using Item Response Theory (IRT). This exploratory study involved
      1,633 participants (university students and professors) in four steps: a pilot
      study (n=26), semantic validation (n=430), content validation (n=11) and
      construct validation (n=1,166). Samejima's graded response model was applied to
      validate the instrument. The results showed that all the steps (theoretical and
      practical) of the instrument's development and validation processes were
      successful and that the group of remaining items (n=45) had a high consistency
      (0.95). This instrument can be used in the furniture industry by engineers and
      product designers and in the purchasing process of tablet arm chairs for schools,
      universities and auditoriums.

PMID- 28337100
TI  - Effect of prolyl hydroxylase domain 2 haplodeficiency on liver progenitor cell
      characteristics in early mouse hepatocarcinogenesis.
AB  - Activation of the hypoxia-inducible factor (HIF)-pathway in hepatocellular
      carcinoma (HCC) induces therapy resistant tumours, characterized by increased
      liver progenitor cell (LPCs) characteristics and poor prognosis. We previously
      reported corresponding results in mice with HCC in which hypoxia was mimicked by
      prolyl hydroxylase domain (PHD) inhibition. Here, we aimed at investigating
      whether induction of LPC characteristics occurs during the onset of
      hepatocarcinogenesis and if this is associated with activation of Notch
      signalling. Dietheylnitrosamine (DEN) was used to induce hepatic tumours in PHD2
      haplodeficient (PHD2+/-) mice which were euthanized at 5, 10, 15 and 17 weeks
      following DEN during neoplastic transformation, before tumour formation.
      Neoplasia and mRNA expression of LPC and Notch markers were evaluated by
      histology and qPCR on isolated livers. PHD2 haplodeficiency resulted in enhanced
      expression of HIF target genes after 17 weeks of DEN compared to wild type (WT)
      littermates but had no effect on the onset of neoplastic transformation. The mRNA
      expression of Afp and Epcam was increased at all time points following DEN
      whereas CK19, Prom1 and Notch3 were increased after 17 weeks of DEN, without
      difference between PHD2+/- and WT mice. MDR1 mRNA expression was increased in all
      DEN treated mice compared to saline control with increased expression in PHD2+/-
      compared to WT from 15 weeks. These results indicate that the effects of PHD2
      haplodeficiency on the expression of LPC and Notch markers manifest during tumour
      nodule formation and not early on during neoplastic transformation.

PMID- 28337102
TI  - Peritoneal tuberculosis with elevated CA-125 mimicking ovarian cancer with
      carcinomatosis peritonei: Crucial CT findings.
AB  - Preoperative diagnosis of peritoneal tuberculosis is often difficult because of
      confusion with ovarian cancer. A 56-year-old woman was admitted to our hospital
      with abdominal fullness. Ascites, prominent bilateral ovaries, and elevated CA
      125 were noted. Computed tomography showed thickened peritoneum and strandings in
      the mesentery and omentum. Exploratory laparotomy was performed under the
      provisional diagnosis of ovarian cancer, but the final diagnosis was peritoneal
      tuberculosis. Careful evaluation of bilateral fallopian tubes and ovaries and
      peritoneum are helpful for correct diagnosis.

PMID- 28337101
TI  - Anti-cancer activities of Brassica juncea leaves in vitro.
AB  - Mustard (Brassica juncea) leaves are commonly consumed in different Asian and
      African countries. Cancer is a major burden of disease worldwide, and the
      colorectal and lung cancers are the leading cause of morbidity and mortality
      among cancers. In the current study, we aimed to investigate the effects of
      ethanol extract of mustard leaf (MLE) on the growth, angiogenic, and metastatic
      potentials of HCT116 colorectal carcinoma and H1299 non-small cell lung carcinoma
      cells in vitro. Treatment of HCT116 and H1299 cells with MLE inhibited cell
      growth in a dose-dependent manner (in the range of 175-700 ug/ml, by 39-86 %) and
      anchorage-independent colonization (at 700 ug/ml, by 56-86 %). Induction of
      apoptosis by MLE was evidenced by heterogeneous and condensed nucleus morphology,
      increased 4',6-diamidino-2-phenylindole dihydrochloride staining intensity, and
      elevated sub-G1 cell population. In both HCT116 and H1299 cells, treatment with
      MLE markedly suppressed the secretion of key pro-angiogenic factors, such as
      vascular endothelial cell growth factor (by >92 %) and basic fibroblast growth
      factor (by 73-94 %). MLE was also effective in inhibiting critical events during
      metastasis, such as invasion (by 18-33 % in HCT116 and H1299), migration (45-82 %
      in H1299), and adhesion (by 17-45 % in HCT116 and H1299). These results indicate
      that MLE possesses in vitro anti-cancer activities against colon and lung
      cancers. It needs to be verified whether similar effects are reproduced in vivo.

PMID- 28337103
TI  - Tiagabine treatment in kainic acid induced cerebellar lesion of dystonia rat
      model.
AB  - Dystonia is a neurological disorder characterized by excessive involuntary muscle
      contractions that lead to twisting movements. The exaggerated movements have been
      studied and have implicated basal ganglia as the point of origin. In more recent
      studies, the cerebellum has also been identified as the possible target of
      dystonia, in the search for alternative treatments. Tiagabine is a selective GABA
      transporter inhibitor, which blocks the reuptake and recycling of GABA. The study
      of GABAergic drugs as an alternative treatment for cerebellar induced dystonia
      has not been reported. In our study, tiagabine was i.p. injected into kainic acid
      induced, cerebellar dystonic adult rats, and the effects were compared with non
      tiagabine injected and sham-operated groups. Beam walking apparatus, telemetric
      electromyography (EMG) recording, and histological verification were performed to
      confirm dystonic symptoms in the rats on post-surgery treatment. Involuntary
      dystonic spasm was observed with repetitive rigidity, and twisting movements in
      the rats were also confirmed by a high score on the dystonic scoring and a high
      amplitude on the EMG data. The rats with tiagabine treatment were scored based on
      motor amelioration assessed via beam walking. The result of this study suggests
      and confirms that low dose of kainic acid microinjection is sufficient to induce
      dystonia from the cerebellar vermis. In addition, from the results of the EMG
      recording and the behavioral assessment through beam walking, tiagabine is
      demonstrated as being effective in reducing dystonic spasm and may be a possible
      alternative therapeutic drug in the treatment of dystonia.

PMID- 28337104
TI  - Synthesis and antimalarial potential of some novel quinoline-pyrazolopyridine
      derivatives.
AB  - A series of 1-(4-methylquinolin-2-yl)-4,6-diaryl-1H-pyrazolo[3,4-b]pyridin-3
      amine derivatives was synthesized by the reaction of 3-cinnamoyl-4-hydroxy-6
      methyl-2H-pyran-2-ones with 2-chloro-4,6-diphenylnicotinonitrile analogues in the
      presence of 2-hydrazino-4-methyl quinoline and ethanol. The newly synthesized
      compounds were characterized by IR, 1H NMR and mass spectral data. The synthetic
      series of novel quinoline-pyrazolopyridine hybrids were screened for in vitro
      schizont maturation assay against chloroquine sensitive 3D7 strain of Plasmodium
      falciparum, from which the most five active analogues were further evaluated for
      in vivo 4-day suppressive test in Swiss albino mice. Among the series, 5p
      (containing 4-Cl substituent attached to both aryl ring) portrayed considerable
      potent antimalarial activity during in vitro as well as in vivo study.

PMID- 28337105
TI  - Colorectal cancer in Iran: Epidemiology and morphology trends.
AB  - Colorectal cancer is one of the most prevalent cancers in different countries,
      including Iran. No comprehensive study has been done in the country for
      colorectal cancer, but information on the incidence and trends is essential to
      planning. This study aimed to evaluate the occurrence and morphology of
      colorectal cancer and its trend in Iran. This study was conducted using data from
      the national cancer registry system in Iran from 2003-2008. We used joinpoint
      regression analysis for assessing incidence time trends and morphology change
      percentage. Of all cases of colorectal cancer, 61.83 % were colon cancer, 27.54 %
      rectal cancer, 7.46 % rectosigmoid cancer, and 3.10 anal cancer. The most common
      histological types with the frequencies of 80.85 % was related to adenocarcinoma,
      NOS. The Annual percentage changes (APC) in ASIR for colorectal cancer
      significantly increased in both men and women. APC in ASIR was 13.7 (CI: 10.5
      17.1) in women and 16.4 (CI: 12.4-20.5) in men. APC of adenocarcinoma in villous
      adenoma showed significant declining trend (p<0.05), while APC of adenocarcinoma,
      NOS had a constant trend. The incidence of the cancer in recent years has
      increased in Iran because of changes in lifestyle and diet. Therefore, further
      studies are necessary to detect the cause of this cancer and perform preventive
      measures.

PMID- 28337106
TI  - AEG-1 is associated with hypoxia-induced hepatocellular carcinoma chemoresistance
      via regulating PI3K/AKT/HIF-1alpha/MDR-1 pathway.
AB  - Hypoxia is a common characteristic of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) associated
      with reduced response to chemotherapy, thus increasing the probability of tumor
      recurrence. Astrocyte elevated gene-1 (AEG-1) has been involved in a wide array
      of cancer progression including proliferation, chemoresistance, angiogenesis and
      metastasis, but its effect on HCC chemoresistance induced by hypoxia is unclear.
      In this study, expression of AEG-1 and multiple drug resistance (MDR-1) were
      examined in HCC using immunohistochemical staining and RT-PCR. Furthermore, their
      expression levels were detected in HCC HepG2 cells in normoxia or hypoxia via RT
      PCR and Western blot assays. Specific shRNAs were used to silence AEG-1
      expression in HepG2 cells. Results showed AEG-1 and MDR-1 expression were higher
      in HCC tissues than in adjacent normal tissues. Incubation of HepG2 cells in
      hypoxia increased expression of AEG-1 and MDR-1, compared to incubation in
      normoxia. Exposure to hypoxia blunted sensitivity of HepG2 cells to Adriamycin, 5
      fluorouracil and cis-platinum, as evidenced by modest alterations in cell
      viability and apoptosis rate, however the sensitivity was elevated with AEG-1
      knockdown. PI3K/AKT/HIF-1/MDR-1 pathway was attenuated following AEG-1 knockdown
      in hypoxia. Based on these data, it was suggested that AEG-1 is associated with
      hypoxia-induced hepatocellular carcinoma chemoresistance via regulating
      PI3K/AKT/HIF-1/MDR-1 pathway. This study uncovered a novel potential target for
      development of an effective therapy against hypoxia-induced HCC chemoresistance.

PMID- 28337107
TI  - Lupane-type triterpenes and their anti-cancer activities against most common
      malignant tumors: A review.
AB  - In recent times, a great deal of interest has been motivated on plant derived
      compounds known as nutraceuticals. These compounds exert important beneficial
      activities that improve people's health status when are consumed regularly, and
      now they appear as a viable option to explore their possible therapeutic effects
      against diseases like cancer. Particularly, lupane-type triterpenes have shown
      great ability to modulate multiple cancer-related signaling pathways and
      processes, including NF-kappaB, Wnt/beta-catenin, PI3K/Akt, apoptosis, and many
      other routes related to proliferation or cell death, which are uncontrolled in
      malignant tumors. These investigations have promoted in vitro and in vivo
      studies, searching their mechanisms of action; although more research is still
      needed to prove its potential in human clinical trials. This review focuses on
      the ability of betulin, betulinic acid and lupeol to show benefits against the
      most common types of malignant tumors, which are considered a major global threat
      for public health.

PMID- 28337108
TI  - Bromelain capped gold nanoparticles as the novel drug delivery carriers to
      aggrandize effect of the antibiotic levofloxacin.
AB  - To develop bromelain capped gold nanoparticles (BRN capped Au-NPs) as the
      effective drug delivery carriers of the antibiotic levofloxacin (LvN) and
      evaluate antibacterial potential of its bioconjugated form compared to pure LvN.
      BRN capped Au-NPs were synthesized by in vitro method and bioconjugated to LvN
      using 1-ethyl-3-(3-dimethylamino-propyl)-carbodiimide as activator to form Au-BRN
      LvN-NPs. These were characterized for mean particle size by dynamic light
      scattering analysis, zeta potential by Zetasizer nanosystem analysis and
      transmission electron microscopy (TEM) on carbon coated TEM copper grids by TEM
      respectively. Drug loading efficiency of LvN was calculated using UV-visible
      spectroscopy by standard curve of pure LvN. Antibacterial efficacy of Au-BRN-LvN
      NPs and pure LvN was determined by evaluating minimum inhibitory concentration
      (MIC) against Staphylococcus aureus and Eschereschia coli. Two peaks were
      observed in Au-BRN-LvN-NPs spectrum one at 307 nm and other at 526 nm while one
      peak in BRN capped Au-NPs at 522 nm during UV spectroscopy suggesting red shift.
      The drug loading efficiency of LvN was found to be 84.8 +/- 2.41 %. The diameter
      of Au-BRN-LvN-NPs and BRN capped Au-NPs were found to be (58.65 +/- 2 nm, 38.11
      +/- 2 nm), zeta potential (-9.01 mV, -13.8 mV) and surface morphology (~13.2 nm,
      11.4 nm) respectively. The MICs against S. aureus and E. coli were found to be
      (0.128 ug/mL, 1.10 ug/mL) for Au-BRN-LvN-NPs and (0.547 ug/mL, 1.96 ug/mL) for
      pure LvN. The results suggested that BRN capped Au-NPs can be used as effective
      drug delivery carriers of the antibiotic LvN. The Au-BRN-LvN-NPs exhibited
      enhanced antibacterial activity compared to pure LvN alone. (Graphical abstract
      see Figure 1(Fig. 1)).

PMID- 28337110
TI  - The effect of hydroalcoholic extract of Achillea eriophora DC. on blood pressure
      of anaesthetized male rat.
AB  - Achillea eriophora (Asteraceae) is a medicinal plant commonly used in Iran. This
      study was performed to determine the cardiovascular effects of hydroethanolic
      extract of A. eriophora (HEAE) and the underlying mechanisms in anaesthetized
      rats. The acute effects of intravenous (i.v.) administration of different doses
      of HEAE (40, 50, 60, 80 mg/kg), and its probable interaction with cholinergic and
      nitrergic systems were investigated in the presence of ACh and NOS blocker (L
      NAME) as well as ethanol (HEAE solvent in sham group). Intravenous administration
      of different doses of HEAE induced hypotension. HEAE (60 mg/kg) significantly
      reduced mean arterial blood pressure (MAP), systolic arterial blood pressure
      (SBP) and diastolic arterial blood pressure (DBP) compared to control rats that
      treated with ethanol only, but no change in heart rate (HR) was seen in both
      groups. The results showed significant decrease in MAP, SBP, DBP and increase of
      HR in the presence of HEAE plus ACh (10 ug/kg) compared to when ACh was injected
      alone. Finally i.v. administration of HEAE, significantly reduced MAP and DBP in
      L-NAME (5 mg/kg) treated animals, while bradycardic responses to L-NAME were not
      significantly changed by HEAE. It can be concluded that Achillea eriophora
      induced hypotensive effect via lowering total peripheral resistance and cardiac
      output that may be synergist with cholinergic and independent of nitrergic
      system.

PMID- 28337109
TI  - Discovery of novel phthalimide analogs: Synthesis, antimicrobial and
      antitubercular screening with molecular docking studies.
AB  - In continuation of our endeavor towards the design and development of potent and
      effective antimicrobial agents, three series of phthalimide derivatives (4a-i, 5a
      f, and 6a-c) were synthesized, fully characterized and evaluated for their
      potential antibacterial, antifungal and antimycobacterial activities. These
      efforts led to the discovery of nine compounds 4c, 4f, 4g, 4h, 4i, 5c, 5d, 5e,
      and 6c (MIC range from 0.49 to 31.5 MUg/mL) with potent antibacterial,
      antifungal, and antimycobacterial activities. Ampicillin, ciprofloxacin,
      amphotericin B were used as references for antibacterial and antifungal screening
      respectively, while isoniazid was used as a reference for antimycobacterial
      testing. Furthermore, molecular modeling studies were done to explore the binding
      mode of the most active derivatives to M. tuberculosis enoyl reductase (InhA) and
      DNA gyrase B. Our study showed the importance of both hydrogen bonding and
      hydrophobic interactions as a key interaction with the target enzymes.

PMID- 28337111
TI  - Hepato- and nephroprotective effects of bradykinin potentiating factor from
      scorpion (Buthus occitanus) venom on mercuric chloride-treated rats.
AB  - Bioactive peptides such as bradykinin potentiating factor (BPF), have, anti
      oxidative, anti-inflammatory, immunomodulatory and ameliorative effects in
      chronic diseases and play a potential role in cancer prevention. It is known that
      the liver and kidney accumulate inorganic mercury upon exposure, which often
      leads to mercury intoxication in these organs. In this study, we investigated the
      effect of bradykinin potentiating factor (BPF), a scorpion venom peptide, on
      mercuric chloride-induced hepatic and renal toxicity in rats. We used 20 adult
      male Albino rats divided into four equal groups: the first group was injected
      with saline (control); the second group was administered daily with mercuric
      chloride (HgCl2) for 2 weeks; the third group was administered with BPF twice
      weekly for 2 successive weeks, while the fourth group was exposed to BPF followed
      by HgCl2. We observed that HgCl2 treated rats had a significant increase in serum
      ALT, AST, ALP, creatinine and urea levels compared to control. Furthermore, HgCl2
      treated rats showed a marked decrease in total proteins, albumin and uric acids
      compared to control. The previously studied parameters were not significantly
      changed in BPF pretreated rats compared to control. Moreover, a significant
      decrease in the activities of glutathione perioxidase (GSH), superoxide dismutase
      (SOD), and catalase (CAT), in addition to a significant increase in the level of
      malondialdehyde (MDA) were observed in hepatic and renal tissues of rats after
      HgCl2 treatment. In contrast, the HgCl2/BPF treated rats showed a significant
      elevation in the activity of GSH, SOD, and CAT accompanied with a significant
      regression in the level of MDA compared to the HgCl2 exposed rats. We conclude
      that treatment with BPF is a promising prophylactic approach for the management
      of mercuric chloride-induced hepato- and nephro-toxicities.

PMID- 28337112
TI  - The past and present of serum aminotransferases and the future of liver injury
      biomarkers.
AB  - Laboratory testing is important in the diagnosis and monitoring of liver injury
      and disease. Current liver tests include plasma markers of injury (e.g.
      aminotransferases, gamma-glutamyl transferase, and alkaline phosphatase), markers
      of function (e.g. prothrombin time, bilirubin), viral hepatitis serologies, and
      markers of proliferation (e.g. alpha-fetoprotein). Among the injury markers, the
      alanine and aspartate aminotransferases (ALT and AST, respectively) are the most
      commonly used. However, interpretation of ALT and AST plasma levels can be
      complicated. Furthermore, both have poor prognostic utility in acute liver injury
      and liver failure. New biomarkers of liver injury are rapidly being developed,
      and the US Food and Drug Administration the European Medicines Agency have
      recently expressed support for use of some of these biomarkers in drug trials.
      The purpose of this paper is to review the history of liver biomarkers, to
      summarize mechanisms and interpretation of ALT and AST elevation in plasma in
      liver injury (particularly acute liver injury), and to discuss emerging liver
      injury biomarkers that may complement or even replace ALT and AST in the future.

PMID- 28337113
TI  - Chemical composition and inhibitory effects of water extract of Henna leaves on
      reactive oxygen species, DNA scission and proliferation of cancer cells.
AB  - From the centuries, Lawsonia inermis L. (Henna) is utilized in traditional health
      care system as a medicinal and cosmetic agent. The present study was intended to
      assess antiradical, DNA protective and antiproliferative activity of water
      extract of Lawsonia inermis L. leaves (W-LI). Antioxidant activity was estimated
      using various in vitro assays such as DPPH, ABTS, superoxide anion radical
      scavenging, FRAP, deoxyribose degradation and DNA protection assay. Growth
      inhibitory effects of W-LI were assessed using MTT assay against different cancer
      cell lines viz. HeLa, MCF-7, A549, C6 and COLO-205. From the results of
      antioxidant assays, it was found that W-LI quenched DPPH and ABTS cation radicals
      with IC50 value of 352.77 ug/ml and 380.87 ug/ml respectively. It demonstrated
      hydroxyl radical scavenging potential of 59.75 % at highest test dose of 1000
      ug/ml in deoxyribose degradation assay. The results of FRAP assay showed that W
      LI also possesses significant reducing activity. Extract inhibited hydroxyl
      radical induced pBR322 plasmid DNA strand scission, thus conferring DNA
      protection. Growth inhibition of various cancer cell lines was achieved to the
      varying extent on treatment with W-LI. Further, it was observed that activity was
      quite promising against colon cancer COLO-205 cells (GI50 121.03 ug/ml). HPLC
      profiling of W-LI revealed the presence of different polyphenolic compounds such
      as ellagic acid, catechin, quercetin, kaempferol etc. which might be contributing
      towards antioxidant and cytotoxic activity. The present study demonstrated that
      polyphenols rich W-LI extract from leaves of L. inermis possesses ability to
      inhibit oxidative radicals and cancer cells proliferation.

PMID- 28337114
TI  - Precondition of right frontal region with anodal tDCS can restore the fear memory
      impairment induced by ACPA in male mice.
AB  - Fear memory and learning cause behavioural patterns such as fight or flight
      responses, which increase survival probability, but unfit processing of fear
      memory and learning can lead to maladaptive behaviours and maladies such as
      phobias, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and anxiety disorders. The growing
      prevalence of these maladies shows the need to quest novel methods for their
      treatment. We used anodal transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) on the
      right frontal region as a precondition neuromodulator and
      arachidonylcyclopropylamide (ACPA), a selective CB1 cannabinoid receptor agonist,
      as a fear memory impairing agent to assess their effects on contextual and
      auditory fear conditioning (reliable model for fear studies). Right frontal
      anodal tDCS (0.2 mA for. 20 minutes) 24 hours before the train did not alter
      contextual and auditory learning and memory in short-term (24 hrs after the
      training phase). Moreover, intraperitoneal pre-train injection of ACPA (0.1
      mg/kg) alone, decreased both contextual and auditory learning and memory in short
      but not long-term. Right frontal anodal tDCS improved short-term contextual fear
      memory in subthreshold doses of ACPA. On the other hand, right frontal anodal
      tDCS in long-term improved (lower doses of ACPA) and restored (higher doses of
      ACPA) both fear memories. These findings showed that, aforementioned approach
      could cause durable learning and memory improvements. Also this combined modality
      could be useful for fear extinction training and maladies which inflict amnesia.

PMID- 28337115
TI  - HPLC-DAD analysis, antinociceptive and anti-inflammatory properties of the
      ethanolic extract of Hyptis umbrosa in mice.
AB  - Hyptis umbrosa (syn. Mesosphaerum sidifolium) (Lamiaceae Family) has been used to
      treat several conditions such as gastrointestinal disorders, skin infections,
      nasal congestion, fever and cramps. The objective of this study was to evaluate
      the chemical composition, analgesic and anti-inflammatory profiles of ethanol
      extract from leaves of Hyptis umbrosa (EEB). HPLC-DAD was used to determine the
      fingerprint chromatogram of the extract. Male Swiss mice were orally pretreated
      with EEB (100, 200 or 400 mg/kg; 60 min before initiating algesic stimulation)
      and antinociceptive activity was assessed using the acetic acid-induced writhing
      model, formalin test and hyperalgesia induced by glutamate or capsaicin. Also,
      peritonitis was induced by the intrathoracic injection of carrageenan to quantify
      the total number of leukocytes. The presence of phenolic compounds in the extract
      was confirmed using HPLC-DAD. The treatment with EEB, at all doses, produced a
      significant analgesic effect against acetic acid-induced antinociceptive
      activity. In the formalin test, only the 400-mg/kg-dose of EEB had a significant
      effect in the first phase. However, all doses tested were able to reverse
      nociception in the second phase. The effect of all doses of EEB also showed a
      significant antinociceptive effect in the glutamate and capsaicin tests and
      inhibited the carrageenan-induced leukocyte migration to the peritoneal cavity.
      The present study suggests that the EEB possesses peripheral analgesic action and
      showed potential in reducing the spreading of the inflammatory processes. Also,
      it seems to be related with vanilloid and glutamate receptors.

PMID- 28337116
TI  - Assessment of usefulness of synchrotron radiation techniques to determine arsenic
      species in hair and rice grain samples.
AB  - The arseniasis in Southwest Guizhou, China has been identified as a unique case
      of endemic arseniasis caused by exposure to indoor combustion of high As-content
      coal. Present investigation targeted the microdistribution and speciation of the
      element arsenic in human hair and environmental samples collected in one of the
      hyper-endemic villages of arseniasis in the area. Analyses were performed by
      micro-beam X-ray fluorescence (MU-XRF) and X-ray absorption fine structure
      (XAFS). The total As level in hair samples of diagnosed patients was detected at
      almost the same level as in their asymptomatic neighbors. Concentrations in the
      lateral cut of hair samples were high-low-high (from surface to center). XAFS
      revealed the coexistence of both the As+3 and As+5 states in hair samples.
      However, the samples from patients displayed a tendency of higher As+3 / As+5
      ratio than the asymptomatic fellow villagers. The MU-XRF mapping of rice grains
      shows that arsenic penetrates the endosperm, the major edible part of the grain,
      when rice grains were stored over the open fire of high As-content coal.
      Synchrotron radiation techniques are suitable to determine arsenic species
      concentrations in different parts of hair and rice grain samples. As arsenic
      penetrates the endosperm, rinsing the rice grains with water will remain largely
      ineffective.

PMID- 28337118
TI  - Toxicological risk at workplace and toxicity as Life Cycle Assessment impact
      category: Substitution of solvents as an example.
AB  - Substitution of hazardous substances against less hazardous ones is a central
      requirement of the European Chemical Regulation REACH (European Regulation
      1907/2006/EC). Hazardous substances emitted from products may not only affect the
      worker; drift off and distribution in the environment may finally result in
      exposure of the general population. This potential threat to health is covered by
      the impact category "toxicity" in Life Cycle Assessments. In this paper, we
      present a case of a substitution of volatile organic compounds in a reactive
      varnish, and compare the "old" formulation with the "new" formulation against
      health risk to the worker, and concerning the Life Cycle Assessment impact
      category "toxicity". The "old" formulation contained Naphtha (petroleum),
      hydrodesulfurized, heavy and Solvent naphtha (petroleum), light, aromatic. In the
      new formulation, both naphthas were replaced by n-Butylacetate, 1-Ethoxy-2-propyl
      acetate and Ethyl-3-ethoxy propionate. In the European Union, the naphthas are
      classified as mutagens and carcinogens category 1, officially. However, if
      benzene is below 0.1 %, registrants in the EU proposed to omit this
      classification, and todays naptha products on the market obviously have benzene
      contents below 0.1 %. On a first glance, the improvement for workplace safety
      introduced by the substitution, therefore, is comparatively small, as it is for
      toxicity in Life Cycle Assessment. However, when background knowledge concerning
      chemical production processes of naphtha is included, benzene below a content of
      0.1 % needs to be taken into consideration, and the benefit of substitution is
      more obvious.

PMID- 28337117
TI  - Pharmacological aspects of galantamine for the treatment of Alzheimer's disease.

PMID- 28337119
TI  - Analysis of the Precision of Variable Flip Angle T1 Mapping with Emphasis on the
      Noise Propagated from RF Transmit Field Maps.
AB  - In magnetic resonance imaging, precise measurements of longitudinal relaxation
      time (T1) is crucial to acquire useful information that is applicable to numerous
      clinical and neuroscience applications. In this work, we investigated the
      precision of T1 relaxation time as measured using the variable flip angle method
      with emphasis on the noise propagated from radiofrequency transmit field
      ([Formula: see text]) measurements. The analytical solution for T1 precision was
      derived by standard error propagation methods incorporating the noise from the
      three input sources: two spoiled gradient echo (SPGR) images and a [Formula: see
      text] map. Repeated in vivo experiments were performed to estimate the total
      variance in T1 maps and we compared these experimentally obtained values with the
      theoretical predictions to validate the established theoretical framework. Both
      the analytical and experimental results showed that variance in the [Formula: see
      text] map propagated comparable noise levels into the T1 maps as either of the
      two SPGR images. Improving precision of the [Formula: see text] measurements
      significantly reduced the variance in the estimated T1 map. The variance
      estimated from the repeatedly measured in vivoT1 maps agreed well with the
      theoretically-calculated variance in T1 estimates, thus validating the analytical
      framework for realistic in vivo experiments. We concluded that for T1 mapping
      experiments, the error propagated from the [Formula: see text] map must be
      considered. Optimizing the SPGR signals while neglecting to improve the precision
      of the [Formula: see text] map may result in grossly overestimating the precision
      of the estimated T1 values.

PMID- 28337121
TI  - Logo Effects on Brand Extension Evaluations from the Electrophysiological
      Perspective.
AB  - Brand extension typically has two strategies: brand name extension (BN) and brand
      logo extension (BL). The current study explored which strategy (BN or BL) better
      enhanced the success of dissimilar brand extension and product promotion in
      enterprises. Event-related potentials (ERPs) were used to investigate
      electrophysiological processes when subjects evaluated their acceptance of the
      brand extension using a combined picture of S1 and S2. S1 was a famous brand
      presented by two identity signs (brand name and brand logo). S2 was a picture of
      an extension product that belonged to a dissimilar product category than S1. The
      behavior data showed that BL was more acceptable than BN in the dissimilar brand
      extension. The neurophysiology process was reflected by a less negative N2
      component and a larger P300 component in the BL than in the BN. We suggested that
      N2 reflected a whole conflict between the brand-product combination and the long
      term memory and that P300 could be regarded as the reflection of the
      categorization process in the working memory.

PMID- 28337120
TI  - Antidyskinetic Effects of MEK Inhibitor Are Associated with Multiple
      Neurochemical Alterations in the Striatum of Hemiparkinsonian Rats.
AB  - L-DOPA-induced dyskinesia (LID) represents one of the major problems of the long
      term therapy of patients with Parkinson's disease (PD). Although, the
      pathophysiologic mechanisms underlying LID are not completely understood,
      activation of the extracellular signal regulated kinase (ERK) is recognized to
      play a key role. ERK is phosphorylated by mitogen-activated protein kinase kinase
      (MEK), and thus MEK inhibitor can prevent ERK activation. Here the effect of the
      MEK inhibitor PD98059 on LID and the associated molecular changes were examined.
      Rats with unilateral 6-OHDA lesions of the nigrostriatal pathway received daily L
      DOPA treatment for 3 weeks, and abnormal involuntary movements (AIMs) were
      assessed every other day. PD98059 was injected in the lateral ventricle daily for
      12 days starting from day 10 of L-DOPA treatment. Striatal molecular markers of
      LID were analyzed together with gene regulation using microarray. The
      administration of PD98059 significantly reduced AIMs. In addition, ERK activation
      and other associated molecular changes including DeltaFosB were reversed in rats
      treated with the MEK inhibitor. PD98059 induced significant up-regulation of 418
      transcripts and down-regulation of 378 transcripts in the striatum. Tyrosine
      hydroxylase (Th) and aryl hydrocarbon receptor nuclear translocator (Arnt) genes
      were down-regulated in lesioned animals and up-regulated in L-DOPA-treated
      animals. Analysis of protein levels showed that PD98059 reduced the striatal TH.
      These results support the association of p-ERK1/2, DeltaFosB, p-H3 to the
      regulation of TH and ARNT in the mechanisms of LID, and pinpoint other gene
      regulatory changes, thus providing clues for identifying new targets for LID
      therapy.

PMID- 28337122
TI  - Cerebrospinal Fluid Cortisol Mediates Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor
      Relationships to Mortality after Severe TBI: A Prospective Cohort Study.
AB  - Distinct regulatory signaling mechanisms exist between cortisol and brain derived
      neurotrophic factor (BDNF) that may influence secondary injury cascades
      associated with traumatic brain injury (TBI) and predict outcome. We investigated
      concurrent CSF BDNF and cortisol relationships in 117 patients sampled days 0-6
      after severe TBI while accounting for BDNF genetics and age. We also determined
      associations between CSF BDNF and cortisol with 6-month mortality. BDNF variants,
      rs6265 and rs7124442, were used to create a gene risk score (GRS) in reference to
      previously published hypothesized risk for mortality in "younger patients" (<48
      years) and hypothesized BDNF production/secretion capacity with these variants.
      Group based trajectory analysis (TRAJ) was used to create two cortisol groups
      (high and low trajectories). A Bayesian estimation approach informed the
      mediation models. Results show CSF BDNF predicted patient cortisol TRAJ group (P
      = 0.001). Also, GRS moderated BDNF associations with cortisol TRAJ group.
      Additionally, cortisol TRAJ predicted 6-month mortality (P = 0.001). In a
      mediation analysis, BDNF predicted mortality, with cortisol acting as the
      mediator (P = 0.011), yielding a mediation percentage of 29.92%. Mediation
      effects increased to 45.45% among younger patients. A BDNF*GRS interaction
      predicted mortality in younger patients (P = 0.004). Thus, we conclude 6-month
      mortality after severe TBI can be predicted through a mediation model with CSF
      cortisol and BDNF, suggesting a regulatory role for cortisol with BDNF's
      contribution to TBI pathophysiology and mortality, particularly among younger
      individuals with severe TBI. Based on the literature, cortisol modulated BDNF
      effects on mortality after TBI may be related to known hormone and neurotrophin
      relationships to neurological injury severity and autonomic nervous system
      imbalance.

PMID- 28337123
TI  - Analysis of the Serotonergic System in a Mouse Model of Rett Syndrome Reveals
      Unusual Upregulation of Serotonin Receptor 5b.
AB  - Mutations in the transcription factor methyl-CpG-binding-protein 2 (MeCP2) cause
      a delayed-onset neurodevelopmental disorder known as Rett syndrome (RTT).
      Although alteration in serotonin levels have been reported in RTT patients, the
      molecular mechanisms underlying these defects are not well understood. Therefore,
      we chose to investigate the serotonergic system in hippocampus and brainstem of
      male Mecp2-/y knock-out mice in the B6.129P2(C)-Mecp2(tm1.1Bird) mouse model of
      RTT. The serotonergic system in mouse is comprised of 16 genes, whose mRNA
      expression profile was analyzed by quantitative RT-PCR. Mecp2-/y mice are an
      established animal model for RTT displaying most of the cognitive and physical
      impairments of human patients and the selected areas receive significant
      modulation through serotonin. Using anatomically and functional characterized
      areas, we found region-specific differential expression between wild type and
      Mecp2-/y mice at post-natal day 40. In brainstem, we found five genes to be
      dysregulated, while in hippocampus, two genes were dysregulated. The one gene
      dysregulated in both brain regions was dopamine decarboxylase, but of special
      interest is the serotonin receptor 5b (5-ht5b), which showed 75-fold
      dysregulation in brainstem of Mecp2-/y mice. This dysregulation was not due to
      upregulation, but due to failure of down-regulation in Mecp2-/y mice during
      development. Detailed analysis of 5-ht5b revealed a receptor that localizes to
      endosomes and interacts with Galphai proteins.

PMID- 28337124
TI  - Interleukin-4 Protects Dopaminergic Neurons In vitro but Is Dispensable for MPTP
      Induced Neurodegeneration In vivo.
AB  - Microglia are involved in physiological as well as neuropathological processes in
      the central nervous system (CNS). Their functional states are often referred to
      as M1-like and M2-like activation, and are believed to contribute to
      neuroinflammation-mediated neurodegeneration or neuroprotection, respectively.
      Parkinson's disease (PD) is one the most common neurodegenerative disease and is
      characterized by the progressive loss of midbrain dopaminergic (mDA) neurons in
      the substantia nigra resulting in bradykinesia, tremor, and rigidity. Interleukin
      4 (IL4)-mediated M2-like activation of microglia, which is characterized by
      upregulation of alternative markers Arginase 1 (Arg1) and Chitinase 3 like 3
      (Ym1) has been well studied in vitro but the role of endogenous IL4 during CNS
      pathologies in vivo is not well understood. Interestingly, microglia activation
      by IL4 has been described to promote neuroprotective and neurorestorative
      effects, which might be important to slow the progression of neurodegenerative
      diseases. In the present study, we addressed the role of endogenous and exogenous
      IL4 during MPP+-induced degeneration of mDA neurons in vitro and further
      addressed the impact of IL4-deficiency on neurodegeneration in the 1-methyl-4
      phenyl-1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine (MPTP) mouse model of PD in vivo. Our results
      clearly demonstrate that exogenous IL4 is important to protect mDA neurons in
      vitro, but endogenous IL4 seems to be dispensable for development and maintenance
      of the nigrostriatal system as well as MPTP-induced loss of TH+ neurons in vivo.
      These results underline the importance of IL4 in promoting a neuroprotective
      microglia activation state and strengthen the therapeutic potential of exogenous
      IL4 for protection of mDA neurons in PD models.

PMID- 28337125
TI  - Neuronal Mitophagy in Neurodegenerative Diseases.
AB  - Neuronal homeostasis depends on the proper functioning of different quality
      control systems. All intracellular components are subjected to continuous
      turnover through the coordinated synthesis, degradation and recycling of their
      constituent elements. Autophagy is the catabolic mechanism by which intracellular
      cytosolic components, including proteins, organelles, aggregates and any other
      intracellular materials, are delivered to lysosomes for degradation. Among the
      different types of selective autophagy described to date, the process of
      mitophagy involves the selective autophagic degradation of mitochondria. In this
      way, mitophagy is responsible for basal mitochondrial turnover, but can also be
      induced under certain physiological or pathogenic conditions to eliminate
      unwanted or damaged mitochondria. Dysfunctional cellular proteolytic systems have
      been linked extensively to neurodegenerative diseases (ND) like Alzheimer's
      disease (AD), Parkinson's disease (PD), or Huntington's disease (HD), with
      autophagic failure being one of the main factors contributing to neuronal cell
      death in these diseases. Neurons are particularly vulnerable to autophagic
      impairment as well as to mitochondrial dysfunction, due mostly to their
      particular high energy dependence and to their post-mitotic nature. The accurate
      and proper degradation of dysfunctional mitochondria by mitophagy is essential
      for maintaining control over mitochondrial quality and quantity in neurons. In
      this report, I will review the role of mitophagy in neuronal homeostasis and the
      consequences of its dysfunction in ND.

PMID- 28337126
TI  - Competition between Persistent Na+ and Muscarine-Sensitive K+ Currents Shapes
      Perithreshold Resonance and Spike Tuning in CA1 Pyramidal Neurons.
AB  - Neurons from many brain regions display intrinsic subthreshold theta-resonance,
      responding preferentially to theta-frequency oscillatory stimuli. Resonance may
      contribute to selective communication among neurons and to orchestrate brain
      rhythms. CA1 pyramidal neurons receive theta activity, generating place fields.
      In these neurons the expression of perithreshold frequency preference is
      controversial, particularly in the spiking regime, with evidence favoring either
      non-resonant (integrator-like) or resonant behavior. Perithreshold dynamics
      depends on the persistent Na+ current INaP developing above -70 mV and the
      muscarine-sensitive K+ current IM activating above -60 mV. We conducted current
      and voltage clamp experiments in slices to investigate perithreshold excitability
      of CA1 neurons under oscillatory stimulation. Around 20% of neurons displayed
      perithreshold resonance that is expressed in spiking. The remaining neurons
      (~80%) acted as low-pass filters lacking frequency preference. Paired voltage
      clamp measurement of INaP and IM showed that perithreshold activation of IM is in
      general low while INaP is high enough to depolarize neurons toward threshold
      before resonance expression, explaining the most abundant non-resonant
      perithreshold behavior. Partial blockade of INaP by pharmacological tools or
      dynamic clamp changed non-resonant to resonant behavior. Furthermore, shifting IM
      activation toward hyperpolarized potentials by dynamic clamp also transformed non
      resonant neurons into resonant ones. We propose that the relative levels of INaP
      and IM control perithreshold behavior of CA1 neurons constituting a gating
      mechanism for theta resonance in the spiking regime. Both currents are regulated
      by intracellular signaling and neuromodulators which may allow dynamic switching
      of perithreshold behavior between resonant and non-resonant.

PMID- 28337128
TI  - Connexin36 Expression in the Mammalian Retina: A Multiple-Species Comparison.
AB  - Much knowledge about interconnection of human retinal neurons is inferred from
      results on animal models. Likewise, there is a lack of information on human
      retinal electrical synapses/gap junctions (GJ). Connexin36 (Cx36) forms GJs in
      both the inner and outer plexiform layers (IPL and OPL) in most species including
      humans. However, a comparison of Cx36 GJ distribution in retinas of humans and
      popular animal models has not been presented. To this end a multiple-species
      comparison was performed in retinas of 12 mammals including humans to survey the
      Cx36 distribution. Areas of retinal specializations were avoided (e.g., fovea,
      visual streak, area centralis), thus observed Cx36 distribution differences were
      not attributed to these species-specific architecture of central retinal areas.
      Cx36 was expressed in both synaptic layers in all examined retinas. Cx36 plaques
      displayed an inhomogenous IPL distribution favoring the ON sublamina, however,
      this feature was more pronounced in the human, swine and guinea pig while it was
      less obvious in the rabbit, squirrel monkey, and ferret retinas. In contrast to
      the relative conservative Cx36 distribution in the IPL, the labels in the OPL
      varied considerably among mammals. In general, OPL plaques were rare and rather
      small in rod dominant carnivores and rodents, whereas the human and the cone rich
      guinea pig retinas displayed robust Cx36 labels. This survey presented that the
      human retina displayed two characteristic features, a pronounced ON dominance of
      Cx36 plaques in the IPL and prevalent Cx36 plaque conglomerates in the OPL. While
      many species showed either of these features, only the guinea pig retina shared
      both. The observed similarities and subtle differences in Cx36 plaque
      distribution across mammals do not correspond to evolutionary distances but may
      reflect accomodation to lifestyles of examined species.

PMID- 28337129
TI  - Novel Neuromodulation Techniques to Assess Interhemispheric Communication in
      Neural Injury and Neurodegenerative Diseases.
AB  - Interhemispheric interaction has a major role in various neurobehavioral
      functions. Its disruption is a major contributor to the pathological changes in
      the setting of brain injury such as traumatic brain injury, peripheral nerve
      injury, and stroke, as well as neurodegenerative diseases. Because
      interhemispheric interaction has a crucial role in functional consequence in
      these neuropathological states, a review of noninvasive and state-of-the-art
      molecular based neuromodulation methods that focus on or have the potential to
      elucidate interhemispheric interaction have been performed. This yielded
      approximately 170 relevant articles on human subjects or animal models. There has
      been a recent surge of reports on noninvasive methods such as transcranial
      magnetic stimulation and transcranial direct current stimulation. Since these are
      noninvasive techniques with little to no side effects, their widespread use in
      clinical studies can be easily justified. The overview of novel neuromodulation
      methods and how they can be applied to study the role of interhemispheric
      communication in neural injury and neurodegenerative disease is provided.
      Additionally, the potential of each method in therapeutic use as well as
      investigating the pathophysiology of interhemispheric interaction in
      neurodegenerative diseases and brain injury is discussed. New technologies such
      as transcranial magnetic stimulation or transcranial direct current stimulation
      could have a great impact in understanding interhemispheric pathophysiology
      associated with acquired injury and neurodegenerative diseases, as well as
      designing improved rehabilitation therapies. Also, advances in molecular based
      neuromodulation techniques such as optogenetics and other chemical, thermal, and
      magnetic based methods provide new capabilities to stimulate or inhibit a
      specific brain location and a specific neuronal population.

PMID- 28337132
TI  - Habituation Training Improves Locomotor Performance in a Forced Running Wheel
      System in Rats.
AB  - Increasing evidence supports that physical activity promotes mental health; and
      regular exercise may confer positive effects in neurological disorders. There is
      growing number of reports that requires the analysis of the impact of physical
      activity in animal models. Exercise in rodents can be performed under voluntary
      or forced conditions. The former presents the disadvantage that the volume and
      intensity of exercise varies from subject to subject. On the other hand, a major
      challenge of the forced training protocol is the low level of performance
      typically achieved within a given session. Thus, the aim of the present study was
      to evaluate the effectiveness of gradual increasing of the volume and intensity
      (training habituation protocol) to improve the locomotor performance in a forced
      running-wheel system in rats. Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly assigned to
      either a group that received an exercise training habituation protocol, or a
      control group. The locomotor performance during forced running was assessed by an
      incremental exercise test. The experimental results reveal that the total running
      time and the distance covered by habituated rats was significantly higher than in
      control ones. We conclude that the exercise habituation protocol improves the
      locomotor performance in forced running wheels.

PMID- 28337127
TI  - NLRP3 Inflammasome in Neurological Diseases, from Functions to Therapies.
AB  - Neuroinflammation has been identified as a causative factor of multiple
      neurological diseases. The nucleotide-binding oligomerization domain-, leucine
      rich repeat- and pyrin domain-containing 3 (NLRP3) inflammasome, a subcellular
      multiprotein complex that is abundantly expressed in the central nervous system
      (CNS), can sense and be activated by a wide range of exogenous and endogenous
      stimuli such as microbes, aggregated and misfolded proteins, and adenosine
      triphosphate, which results in activation of caspase-1. Activated caspase-1
      subsequently leads to the processing of interleukin-1beta (IL-1beta) and
      interleukin-18 (IL-18) pro-inflammatory cytokines and mediates rapid cell death.
      IL-1beta and IL-18 drive inflammatory responses through diverse downstream
      signaling pathways, leading to neuronal damage. Thus, the NLRP3 inflammasome is
      considered a key contributor to the development of neuroinflammation. In this
      review article, we briefly discuss the structure and activation the NLRP3
      inflammasome and address the involvement of the NLRP3 inflammasome in several
      neurological disorders, such as brain infection, acute brain injury and
      neurodegenerative diseases. In addition, we review a series of promising
      therapeutic approaches that target the NLRP3 inflammasome signaling including
      anti-IL-1 therapy, small molecule NLRP3 inhibitors and other compounds, however,
      these approaches are still experimental in neurological diseases. At present, it
      is plausible to generate cell-specific conditional NLRP3 knockout (KO) mice via
      the Cre system to investigate the role of the NLRP3 inflammasome, which may be
      instrumental in the development of novel pharmacologic investigations for
      neuroinflammation-associated diseases.

PMID- 28337130
TI  - The Brainstem in Emotion: A Review.
AB  - Emotions depend upon the integrated activity of neural networks that modulate
      arousal, autonomic function, motor control, and somatosensation. Brainstem nodes
      play critical roles in each of these networks, but prior studies of the
      neuroanatomic basis of emotion, particularly in the human neuropsychological
      literature, have mostly focused on the contributions of cortical rather than
      subcortical structures. Given the size and complexity of brainstem circuits,
      elucidating their structural and functional properties involves technical
      challenges. However, recent advances in neuroimaging have begun to accelerate
      research into the brainstem's role in emotion. In this review, we provide a
      conceptual framework for neuroscience, psychology and behavioral science
      researchers to study brainstem involvement in human emotions. The "emotional
      brainstem" is comprised of three major networks - Ascending, Descending and
      Modulatory. The Ascending network is composed chiefly of the spinothalamic tracts
      and their projections to brainstem nuclei, which transmit sensory information
      from the body to rostral structures. The Descending motor network is subdivided
      into medial projections from the reticular formation that modulate the gain of
      inputs impacting emotional salience, and lateral projections from the
      periaqueductal gray, hypothalamus and amygdala that activate characteristic
      emotional behaviors. Finally, the brainstem is home to a group of modulatory
      neurotransmitter pathways, such as those arising from the raphe nuclei
      (serotonergic), ventral tegmental area (dopaminergic) and locus coeruleus
      (noradrenergic), which form a Modulatory network that coordinates interactions
      between the Ascending and Descending networks. Integration of signaling within
      these three networks occurs at all levels of the brainstem, with progressively
      more complex forms of integration occurring in the hypothalamus and thalamus.
      These intermediary structures, in turn, provide input for the most complex
      integrations, which occur in the frontal, insular, cingulate and other regions of
      the cerebral cortex. Phylogenetically older brainstem networks inform the
      functioning of evolutionarily newer rostral regions, which in turn regulate and
      modulate the older structures. Via these bidirectional interactions, the human
      brainstem contributes to the evaluation of sensory information and triggers fixed
      action pattern responses that together constitute the finely differentiated
      spectrum of possible emotions.

PMID- 28337133
TI  - Inferring Master Painters' Esthetic Biases from the Statistics of Portraits.
AB  - The Processing Fluency Theory posits that the ease of sensory information
      processing in the brain facilitates esthetic pleasure. Accordingly, the theory
      would predict that master painters should display biases toward visual properties
      such as symmetry, balance, and moderate complexity. Have these biases been
      occurring and if so, have painters been optimizing these properties (fluency
      variables)? Here, we address these questions with statistics of portrait
      paintings from the Early Renaissance period. To do this, we first developed
      different computational measures for each of the aforementioned fluency
      variables. Then, we measured their statistics in 153 portraits from 26 master
      painters, in 27 photographs of people in three controlled poses, and in 38
      quickly snapped photographs of individual persons. A statistical comparison
      between Early Renaissance portraits and quickly snapped photographs revealed that
      painters showed a bias toward balance, symmetry, and moderate complexity.
      However, a comparison between portraits and controlled-pose photographs showed
      that painters did not optimize each of these properties. Instead, different
      painters presented biases toward different, narrow ranges of fluency variables.
      Further analysis suggested that the painters' individuality stemmed in part from
      having to resolve the tension between complexity vs. symmetry and balance. We
      additionally found that constraints on the use of different painting materials by
      distinct painters modulated these fluency variables systematically. In
      conclusion, the Processing Fluency Theory of Esthetic Pleasure would need
      expansion if we were to apply it to the history of visual art since it cannot
      explain the lack of optimization of each fluency variables. To expand the theory,
      we propose the existence of a Neuroesthetic Space, which encompasses the possible
      values that each of the fluency variables can reach in any given art period. We
      discuss the neural mechanisms of this Space and propose that it has a distributed
      representation in the human brain. We further propose that different artists
      reside in different, small sub-regions of the Space. This Neuroesthetic-Space
      hypothesis raises the question of how painters and their paintings evolve across
      art periods.

PMID- 28337131
TI  - Changes in Neuronal Oscillations Accompany the Loss of Hippocampal LTP that
      Occurs in an Animal Model of Psychosis.
AB  - The first-episode of psychosis is followed by a transient time-window of ca. 60
      days during which therapeutic interventions have a higher likelihood of being
      effective than interventions that are started with a greater latency. This
      suggests that, in the immediate time-period after first-episode psychosis,
      functional changes occur in the brain that render it increasingly resistant to
      intervention. The precise mechanistic nature of these changes is unclear, but at
      the cognitive level, sensory and hippocampus-based dysfunctions become
      increasingly manifest. In an animal model of first-episode psychosis that
      comprises acute treatment of rats with the irreversible N-methyl-D-aspartate
      receptor (NMDAR)-antagonist, MK801, acute but also chronic deficits in long-term
      potentiation (LTP) and spatial memory occur. Neuronal oscillations, especially in
      the form of information transfer through theta and gamma frequency oscillations
      are an intrinsic component of normal information processing in the hippocampus.
      Changes in theta-gamma coupling and power are known to accompany deficits in
      hippocampal plasticity. Here, we examined whether changes in delta, theta, alpha,
      beta and gamma oscillations, or theta-gamma coupling accompany the chronic loss
      of LTP that is observed in the MK801-animal model of psychosis. One and 4 weeks
      after acute systemic treatment of adult rats with MK801, a potent loss of
      hippocampal in vivo LTP was evident compared to vehicle-treated controls.
      Overall, the typical pattern of theta-gamma oscillations that are characteristic
      for the successful induction of LTP was altered. In particular, theta-power was
      lower and an uncoupling of theta-gamma oscillations was evident in MK801-treated
      rats. The alterations in network oscillations that accompany LTP deficits in this
      animal model may comprise a mechanism through which disturbances in sensory
      information processing and hippocampal function occur in psychosis. These data
      suggest that the hippocampus is likely to comprise a very early locus of
      functional change after instigation of a first-episode psychosis-like state in
      rodents.

PMID- 28337136
TI  - Corrigendum: Brain networks of perceptual decision-making: an fMRI ALE meta
      analysis.
AB  - [This corrects the article on p. 445 in vol. 8, PMID: 24994979.].

PMID- 28337134
TI  - Acoustic Enhancement of Sleep Slow Oscillations and Concomitant Memory
      Improvement in Older Adults.
AB  - Acoustic stimulation methods applied during sleep in young adults can increase
      slow wave activity (SWA) and improve sleep-dependent memory retention. It is
      unknown whether this approach enhances SWA and memory in older adults, who
      generally have reduced SWA compared to younger adults. Additionally, older adults
      are at risk for age-related cognitive impairment and therefore may benefit from
      non-invasive interventions. The aim of this study was to determine if acoustic
      stimulation can increase SWA and improve declarative memory in healthy older
      adults. Thirteen participants 60-84 years old completed one night of acoustic
      stimulation and one night of sham stimulation in random order. During sleep, a
      real-time algorithm using an adaptive phase-locked loop modeled the phase of
      endogenous slow waves in midline frontopolar electroencephalographic recordings.
      Pulses of pink noise were delivered when the upstate of the slow wave was
      predicted. Each interval of five pulses ("ON interval") was followed by a pause
      of approximately equal length ("OFF interval"). SWA during the entire sleep
      period was similar between stimulation and sham conditions, whereas SWA and
      spindle activity were increased during ON intervals compared to matched periods
      during the sham night. The increases in SWA and spindle activity were sustained
      across almost the entire five-pulse ON interval compared to matched sham periods.
      Verbal paired-associate memory was tested before and after sleep. Overnight
      improvement in word recall was significantly greater with acoustic stimulation
      compared to sham and was correlated with changes in SWA between ON and OFF
      intervals. Using the phase-locked-loop method to precisely target acoustic
      stimulation to the upstate of sleep slow oscillations, we were able to enhance
      SWA and improve sleep-dependent memory storage in older adults, which strengthens
      the theoretical link between sleep and age-related memory integrity.

PMID- 28337135
TI  - Deficits in Letter-Speech Sound Associations but Intact Visual Conflict
      Processing in Dyslexia: Results from a Novel ERP-Paradigm.
AB  - The reading and spelling deficits characteristic of developmental dyslexia
      (dyslexia) have been related to problems in phonological processing and in
      learning associations between letters and speech-sounds. Even when children with
      dyslexia have learned the letters and their corresponding speech sounds, letter
      speech sound associations might still be less automatized compared to children
      with age-adequate literacy skills. In order to examine automaticity in letter
      speech sound associations and to overcome some of the disadvantages associated
      with the frequently used visual-auditory oddball paradigm, we developed a novel
      electrophysiological letter-speech sound interference paradigm. This letter
      speech sound interference paradigm was applied in a group of 9-year-old children
      with dyslexia (n = 36) and a group of typically developing (TD) children of
      similar age (n = 37). Participants had to indicate whether two letters look
      visually the same. In the incongruent condition (e.g., the letter pair A-a) there
      was a conflict between the visual information and the automatically activated
      phonological information; although the visual appearance of the two letters is
      different, they are both associated with the same speech sound. This conflict
      resulted in slower response times (RTs) in the incongruent than in the congruent
      (e.g., the letter pair A-e) condition. Furthermore, in the TD control group, the
      conflict resulted in fast and strong event-related potential (ERP) effects
      reflected in less negative N1 amplitudes and more positive conflict slow
      potentials (cSP) in the incongruent than in the congruent condition. However, the
      dyslexic group did not show any conflict-related ERP effects, implying that
      letter-speech sound associations are less automatized in this group. Furthermore,
      we examined general visual conflict processing in a control visual interference
      task, using false fonts. The conflict in this experiment was based purely on the
      visual similarity of the presented objects. Visual conflict resulted in slower
      RTs, less negative N2 amplitudes and more positive cSP in both groups. Thus, on a
      general, basic level, visual conflict processing does not seem to be affected in
      children with dyslexia.

PMID- 28337137
TI  - An Adaptive Neural Mechanism for Acoustic Motion Perception with Varying
      Sparsity.
AB  - Biological motion-sensitive neural circuits are quite adept in perceiving the
      relative motion of a relevant stimulus. Motion perception is a fundamental
      ability in neural sensory processing and crucial in target tracking tasks.
      Tracking a stimulus entails the ability to perceive its motion, i.e., extracting
      information about its direction and velocity. Here we focus on auditory motion
      perception of sound stimuli, which is poorly understood as compared to its visual
      counterpart. In earlier work we have developed a bio-inspired neural learning
      mechanism for acoustic motion perception. The mechanism extracts directional
      information via a model of the peripheral auditory system of lizards. The
      mechanism uses only this directional information obtained via specific motor
      behaviour to learn the angular velocity of unoccluded sound stimuli in motion. In
      nature however the stimulus being tracked may be occluded by artefacts in the
      environment, such as an escaping prey momentarily disappearing behind a cover of
      trees. This article extends the earlier work by presenting a comparative
      investigation of auditory motion perception for unoccluded and occluded tonal
      sound stimuli with a frequency of 2.2 kHz in both simulation and practice. Three
      instances of each stimulus are employed, differing in their movement velocities
      0.5 degrees /time step, 1.0 degrees /time step and 1.5 degrees /time step. To
      validate the approach in practice, we implement the proposed neural mechanism on
      a wheeled mobile robot and evaluate its performance in auditory tracking.

PMID- 28337138
TI  - Motor-Skill Learning in an Insect Inspired Neuro-Computational Control System.
AB  - In nature, insects show impressive adaptation and learning capabilities. The
      proposed computational model takes inspiration from specific structures of the
      insect brain: after proposing key hypotheses on the direct involvement of the
      mushroom bodies (MBs) and on their neural organization, we developed a new
      architecture for motor learning to be applied in insect-like walking robots. The
      proposed model is a nonlinear control system based on spiking neurons. MBs are
      modeled as a nonlinear recurrent spiking neural network (SNN) with novel
      characteristics, able to memorize time evolutions of key parameters of the neural
      motor controller, so that existing motor primitives can be improved. The adopted
      control scheme enables the structure to efficiently cope with goal-oriented
      behavioral motor tasks. Here, a six-legged structure, showing a steady-state
      exponentially stable locomotion pattern, is exposed to the need of learning new
      motor skills: moving through the environment, the structure is able to modulate
      motor commands and implements an obstacle climbing procedure. Experimental
      results on a simulated hexapod robot are reported; they are obtained in a dynamic
      simulation environment and the robot mimicks the structures of Drosophila
      melanogaster.

PMID- 28337140
TI  - Antioxidant and Anti-tyrosinase Activities of Phenolic Extracts from Rape Bee
      Pollen and Inhibitory Melanogenesis by cAMP/MITF/TYR Pathway in B16 Mouse
      Melanoma Cells.
AB  - Rape bee pollen possesses many nutritional and therapeutic properties because of
      its abundant nutrimental and bioactive components. In this study, free (FPE) and
      bound (BPE) phenolic extracts of rape bee pollen were obtained, phenolic and
      flavonoid contents were determined, and composition of phenolic acids was
      analyzed. In vitro antioxidant and anti-tyrosinase (TYR) activities of FPE and
      BPE were compared, and inhibitory melanogenesis of FPE was further evaluated.
      Results showed FPE and BPE contain total phenolic contents of 11.76 and 0.81 mg
      gallic acid equivalents/g dry weight (DW) and total flavonoid contents of 19.24
      and 3.65 mg rutin equivalents/g DW, respectively. Phenolic profiling showed FPE
      and BPE fractions contained 12 and 9 phenolic acids, respectively. FPE contained
      the highest rutin content of 774.87 MUg/g. FPE and BPE showed the high
      antioxidant properties in vitro and high inhibitory activities for mushroom TYR.
      Higher activities of FPE than those of BPE can be attributed to difference in
      their phenolic compositions. Inhibitory melanogenesis activities of FPE against
      B16 were further evaluated. Results showed suppressed intracellular TYR activity,
      reduced melanin content, and promoted glutathione synthesis (p < 0.05) in FPE
      treated cells. FPE reduced mRNA expression of TYR, TYR-related protein (TRP)-1
      and TRP-2, and significantly suppressed cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP)
      levels through down-regulation of melanocortin 1 receptor gene expression (p <
      0.05). FPE reduced mRNA expression of microphthalmia-associated transcription
      factor (MITF), significantly inhibiting intracellular melanin synthesis (p <
      0.05). Hence, FPE regulates melanogenesis of B16 cells involved in cAMP/MITF/TYR
      pathway. These results revealed that FPE can be used as pharmaceutical agents and
      cosmetics to protect cells from abnormal melanogenesis.

PMID- 28337139
TI  - A Mixed-Methods Trial of Broad Band Noise and Nature Sounds for Tinnitus Therapy:
      Group and Individual Responses Modeled under the Adaptation Level Theory of
      Tinnitus.
AB  - Objectives: A randomized cross-over trial in 18 participants tested the
      hypothesis that nature sounds, with unpredictable temporal characteristics and
      high valence would yield greater improvement in tinnitus than constant,
      emotionally neutral broadband noise. Study Design: The primary outcome measure
      was the Tinnitus Functional Index (TFI). Secondary measures were: loudness and
      annoyance ratings, loudness level matches, minimum masking levels, positive and
      negative emotionality, attention reaction and discrimination time, anxiety,
      depression and stress. Each sound was administered using MP3 players with earbuds
      for 8 continuous weeks, with a 3 week wash-out period before crossing over to the
      other treatment sound. Measurements were undertaken for each arm at sound
      fitting, 4 and 8 weeks after administration. Qualitative interviews were
      conducted at each of these appointments. Results: From a baseline TFI score of
      41.3, sound therapy resulted in TFI scores at 8 weeks of 35.6; broadband noise
      resulted in significantly greater reduction (8.2 points) after 8 weeks of sound
      therapy use than nature sounds (3.2 points). The positive effect of sound on
      tinnitus was supported by secondary outcome measures of tinnitus, emotion,
      attention, and psychological state, but not interviews. Tinnitus loudness level
      match was higher for BBN at 8 weeks; while there was little change in loudness
      level matches for nature sounds. There was no change in minimum masking levels
      following sound therapy administration. Self-reported preference for one sound
      over another did not correlate with changes in tinnitus. Conclusions: Modeled
      under an adaptation level theory framework of tinnitus perception, the results
      indicate that the introduction of broadband noise shifts internal adaptation
      level weighting away from the tinnitus signal, reducing tinnitus magnitude.
      Nature sounds may modify the affective components of tinnitus via a secondary,
      residual pathway, but this appears to be less important for sound effectiveness.
      The different rates of adaptation to broadband noise and nature sound by the
      auditory system may explain the different tinnitus loudness level matches. In
      addition to group effects there also appears to be a great deal of individual
      variation. A sound therapy framework based on adaptation level theory is proposed
      that accounts for individual variation in preference and response to sound.
      Clinical Trial Registration: www.anzctr.org.au, identifier #12616000742471.

PMID- 28337141
TI  - beta-Elemene: Mechanistic Studies on Cancer Cell Interaction and Its
      Chemosensitization Effect.
AB  - Over the past decade, screening and identifying novel compounds for their
      biomedical applications has become an upcoming area of research. Identifying the
      molecular mechanisms of these compounds has become an integral part of anticancer
      research. beta-elemene, a sesquiterpene, is renowned for its anticancer activity
      against a variety of cell lines. Recent studies on beta-elemene have elucidated
      that it possesses anti-proliferative effect on cancer cells by creating an
      apoptotic trigger. Interestingly, it also induces protective autophagy in some
      cancerous cell lines and is less cytotoxic compared to other widely accepted
      chemotherapeutic agents. This provides an edge with the perception of limited
      toxicity to normal cells. This mini-review precisely focuses on the studies
      performed to identify the mechanism of anticancer activity of beta-elemene
      against cancer cells of multiple origin. In accordance to the evaluation made by
      the studies mentioned, apoptosis has been identified to be most possible reason
      behind anticancer activity exerted by beta-elemene against a variety of cancer
      cell lines. Cell cycle arrest and necrosis have been credited to be possible
      alternate mechanisms for the anticancer effect of beta-elemene.

PMID- 28337142
TI  - Icariside II Effectively Reduces Spatial Learning and Memory Impairments in
      Alzheimer's Disease Model Mice Targeting Beta-Amyloid Production.
AB  - Icariside II (ICS II) is a broad-spectrum anti-cancer natural compound extracted
      from Herba Epimedii Maxim. Recently, the role of ICS II has been investigated in
      central nervous system, especially have a neuroprotective effect in Alzheimer's
      disease (AD). In this study, we attempted to investigate the effects of ICS II,
      on cognitive deficits and beta-amyloid (Abeta) production in APPswe/PS1dE9
      (APP/PS1) double transgenic mice. It was found that chronic ICS II administrated
      not only effectively ameliorated cognitive function deficits, but also inhibited
      neuronal degeneration and reduced the formation of plaque burden. ICS II
      significantly suppressed Abeta production via promoting non-amyloidogenic APP
      cleavage process by up-regulating a disintegrin and metalloproteinase domain 10
      (ADAM10) expression, inhibited amyloidogenic APP processing pathway by down
      regulating amyloid precursor protein (APP) and beta-site amyloid precursor
      protein cleavage enzyme 1 (BACE1) expression in APP/PS1 transgenic mice.
      Meanwhile, ICS II attenuated peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-gamma
      (PPARgamma) degradation as well as inhibition of eukaryotic initiation factor
      alpha phosphorylation (p-eIF2alpha) and PKR endoplasmic reticulum regulating
      kinase phosphorylation (p-PERK). Moreover, phosphodiesterase type 5 inhibitors
      (PDE5-Is) have recently emerged as a possible therapeutic target for cognitive
      enhancement via inhibiting Abeta levels, and we also found that ICS II markedly
      decreased phosphodiesterase-5A (PDE5A) expression. In conclusion, the present
      study demonstrates that ICS II could attenuate spatial learning and memory
      impairments in APP/PS1 transgenic mice. This protection appears to be due to the
      increased ADAM10 expression and decreased expression of both APP and BACE1,
      resulting in inhibition of Abeta production in the hippocampus and cortex.
      Inhibition of PPARgamma degradation and PERK/eIF2alpha phosphorylation are
      involved in the course, therefore suggesting that ICS II might be a promising
      potential compound for the treatment of AD.

PMID- 28337143
TI  - Anti-adipogenic Effects and Mechanisms of Ginsenoside Rg3 in Pre-adipocytes and
      Obese Mice.
AB  - Red or black ginseng has been reported more powerful than white/fresh ginseng in
      dealing with various diseases/conditions including obesity. The major reason is
      that heating/steaming, the process of making red or black ginseng, produces large
      amount of bioactive compounds including ginsenoside Rg3 (Rg3), which are trace in
      fresh or white ginseng. In the present study, Rg3 was applied both in pre
      adipocytes and obese mice to investigate the anti-adipogenic effects and relevant
      mechanisms. Our results show that Rg3 dose-dependently inhibited cell
      differentiation both in 3T3-L1 cells (30, 50, and 100 MUM) and human primary pre
      adipocytes (10, 20, and 30 MUM). This inhibitory effect is accompanied by the
      attenuation of the expressions of adipogenic markers including peroxisome
      proliferator-activated receptor gamma (PPAR-gamma), CCAAT/enhancer binding
      protein alpha (C/EBP-alpha), fatty acid synthase (FAS), fatty acid binding
      protein 4 (FABP4) and perilipin. Although dietary intake of Rg3 (0.1 mg Rg3/kg
      diet, 8 weeks) did not significantly affect body weight gain, fat pads and food
      intake as well as of PPAR-gamma expression in fat tissues, we found that hepatic
      PPAR-gamma and C/EBP-alpha protein expressions and hepatic glutathione reductase
      and glutathione S-transferase, two major antioxidants molecules were
      significantly reduced by Rg3. These results suggest that ginsenoside Rg3 may be a
      potential agent in reducing/preventing obesity.

PMID- 28337144
TI  - Generation and Characterization of Specific Antibodies to the Murine and Human
      Ectonucleotidase NTPDase8.
AB  - The ectonucleotidase nucleoside triphosphate diphosphohydrolase-8 (NTPDase8) is
      the last member of the Ecto-NTPDase family to be discovered and characterized. It
      is a transmembrane protein which regulates the concentration of the agonists of
      P1 and P2 receptors at the cell surface. The functions of the enzyme are still
      not known partly due to the lack of specific tools such as antibodies. In this
      work, guinea pig polyclonal antibodies against mouse NTPDase8 and mouse
      monoclonal antibodies against human NTPDase8 have been generated and
      characterized. For the production of antibodies against mouse NTPDase8 several
      techniques have been tried. Several peptide antigens in several hosts (rabbit,
      rat, hamster, and guinea pig) failed to give a positive reaction suggesting that
      NTPDase8 is poorly immunogenic. In this study, we describe the successful process
      that led to anti-mouse NTPDase8, namely the cDNA immunization technique.
      Monoclonal antibodies to human NTPDase8 were also obtained by cDNA immunization
      followed by a final injection with transfected human embryonic kidney (HEK 293T)
      cells expressing human NTPDase8. The specificity of these antibodies was
      evaluated by Western blot, immunocytochemistry, immunohistochemistry and flow
      cytometry. In contrast, all commercial antibodies to NTPDase8 peptides that we
      have tested failed to give a specific positive signal against the expressed
      NTPDase8 protein when used to probe Western blots. In addition,
      immunohistochemistry experiments confirmed the presence of NTPDase8 in mouse
      liver canaliculi. The tools generated in this work will help characterize
      NTPDase8 localization and function in future studies and its contribution to the
      modulation of P1 and P2 receptor activation.

PMID- 28337146
TI  - Corrigendum: Pharmacological Characterization of the Native Store-Operated
      Calcium Channels of Cortical Neurons from Embryonic Mouse Brain.
AB  - [This corrects the article on p. 486 in vol. 7, PMID: 28018223.].

PMID- 28337145
TI  - Dioscin Protects ANIT-Induced Intrahepatic Cholestasis Through Regulating
      Transporters, Apoptosis and Oxidative Stress.
AB  - Intrahepatic cholestasis, a clinical syndrome, is caused by excessive
      accumulation of bile acids in body and liver. Proper regulation of bile acids in
      liver cells is critical for liver injury. We previously reported the effects of
      dioscin against alpha-naphthylisothio- cyanate (ANIT)-induced cholestasis in
      rats. However, the pharmacological and mechanism data are limited. In our work,
      the animals of rats and mice, and Sandwich-cultured hepatocytes (SCHs) were
      caused by ANIT, and dioscin was used for the treatment. The results showed that
      dioscin markedly altered relative liver weights, restored ALT, AST, ALP, TBIL,
      GSH, GSH-Px, MDA, SOD levels, and rehabilitated ROS level and cell apoptosis. In
      mechanism study, dioscin not only significantly regulated the protein levels of
      Ntcp, OAT1, OCT1, Bsep and Mrp2 to accelerate bile acids excretion, but also
      regulated the expression levels of Bak, Bcl-xl, Bcl-2, Bax, Caspase 3 and Caspase
      9 in vivo and in vitro to improve apoptosis. In addition, dioscin markedly
      inhibited PI3K/Akt pathway and up-regulated the levels of Nrf2, GCLc, GCLm, NQO1
      and HO-1 against oxidative stress (OS) caused by bile acids. These results were
      further validated by inhibition of PI3K and Akt using the inhibitors of
      wortmannin and perifosine in SCHs. Our data showed that dioscin had good action
      against ANIT-caused intrahepatic cholestasis through regulating transporters,
      apoptosis and OS. This natural product can be considered as one active compound
      to treat intrahepatic cholestasis in the future.

PMID- 28337147
TI  - 3D Proximal Tubule Tissues Recapitulate Key Aspects of Renal Physiology to Enable
      Nephrotoxicity Testing.
AB  - Due to its exposure to high concentrations of xenobiotics, the kidney proximal
      tubule is a primary site of nephrotoxicity and resulting attrition in the drug
      development pipeline. Current pre-clinical methods using 2D cell cultures and
      animal models are unable to fully recapitulate clinical drug responses due to
      limited in vitro functional lifespan, or species-specific differences. Using
      Organovo's proprietary 3D bioprinting platform, we have developed a fully
      cellular human in vitro model of the proximal tubule interstitial interface
      comprising renal fibroblasts, endothelial cells, and primary human renal proximal
      tubule epithelial cells to enable more accurate prediction of tissue-level
      clinical outcomes. Histological characterization demonstrated formation of
      extensive microvascular networks supported by endogenous extracellular matrix
      deposition. The epithelial cells of the 3D proximal tubule tissues demonstrated
      tight junction formation and expression of renal uptake and efflux transporters;
      the polarized localization and function of P-gp and SGLT2 were confirmed.
      Treatment of 3D proximal tubule tissues with the nephrotoxin cisplatin induced
      loss of tissue viability and epithelial cells in a dose-dependent fashion, and
      cimetidine rescued these effects, confirming the role of the OCT2 transporter in
      cisplatin-induced nephrotoxicity. The tissues also demonstrated a fibrotic
      response to TGFbeta as assessed by an increase in gene expression associated with
      human fibrosis and histological verification of excess extracellular matrix
      deposition. Together, these results suggest that the bioprinted 3D proximal
      tubule model can serve as a test bed for the mechanistic assessment of human
      nephrotoxicity and the development of pathogenic states involving epithelial
      interstitial interactions, making them an important adjunct to animal studies.

PMID- 28337148
TI  - On the Estimation Accuracy of the 3D Body Center of Mass Trajectory during Human
      Locomotion: Inverse vs. Forward Dynamics.
AB  - The dynamics of body center of mass (BCoM) 3D trajectory during locomotion is
      crucial to the mechanical understanding of the different gaits. Forward Dynamics
      (FD) obtains BCoM motion from ground reaction forces while Inverse Dynamics (ID)
      estimates BCoM position and speed from motion capture of body segments. These two
      techniques are widely used by the literature on the estimation of BCoM. Despite
      the specific pros and cons of both methods, FD is less biased and considered as
      the golden standard, while ID estimates strongly depend on the segmental model
      adopted to schematically represent the moving body. In these experiments a single
      subject walked, ran, (uni- and bi-laterally) skipped, and race-walked at a wide
      range of speeds on a treadmill with force sensors underneath. In all conditions a
      simultaneous motion capture (8 cameras, 36 markers) took place. 3D BCoM
      trajectories computed according to five marker set models of ID have been
      compared to the one obtained by FD on the same (about 2,700) strides. Such a
      comparison aims to check the validity of the investigated models to capture the
      "true" dynamics of gaits in terms of distance between paths, mechanical external
      work and energy recovery. Results allow to conclude that: (1) among gaits, race
      walking is the most critical in being described by ID, (2) among the investigated
      segmental models, those capturing the motion of four limbs and trunk more closely
      reproduce the subtle temporal and spatial changes of BCoM trajectory within the
      strides of most gaits, (3) FD-ID discrepancy in external work is speed dependent
      within a gait in the most unsuccessful models, and (4) the internal work is not
      affected by the difference in BCoM estimates.

PMID- 28337149
TI  - Influence of Inspiratory Muscle Training on Ventilatory Efficiency and Cycling
      Performance in Normoxia and Hypoxia.
AB  - The aim of this study was to analyse the influence of inspiratory muscle training
      (IMT) on ventilatory efficiency, in normoxia and hypoxia, and to investigate the
      relationship between ventilatory efficiency and cycling performance. Sixteen
      sport students (23.05 +/- 4.7 years; 175.11 +/- 7.1 cm; 67.0 +/- 19.4 kg; 46.4 +/
      8.7 ml.kg-1.min-1) were randomly assigned to an inspiratory muscle training
      group (IMTG) and a control group (CG). The IMTG performed two training
      sessions/day [30 inspiratory breaths, 50% peak inspiratory pressure (Pimax), 5
      days/week, 6-weeks]. Before and after the training period subjects carried out an
      incremental exercise test to exhaustion with gas analysis, lung function testing,
      and a cycling time trial test in hypoxia and normoxia. Simulated hypoxia (FiO2 =
      16.45%), significantly altered the ventilatory efficiency response in all
      subjects (p < 0.05). Pimax increased significantly in the IMTG whereas no changes
      occurred in the CG (time * group, p < 0.05). Within group analyses showed that
      the IMTG improved ventilatory efficiency (VE/VCO2 slope; EqCO2VT2) in hypoxia (p
      < 0.05) and cycling time trial performance [WTTmax (W); WTTmean (W); PTF(W)] (p <
      0.05) in hypoxia and normoxia. Significant correlations were not found in hypoxia
      nor normoxia found between ventilatory efficiency parameters (VE/VCO2 slope;
      LEqCO2; EqCO2VT2) and time trial performance. On the contrary the oxygen uptake
      efficiency slope (OUES) was highly correlated with cycling time trial performance
      (r = 0.89; r = 0.82; p < 0.001) under both conditions. Even though no interaction
      effect was found, the within group analysis may suggest that IMT reduces the
      negative effects of hypoxia on ventilatory efficiency. In addition, the data
      suggest that OUES plays an important role in submaximal cycling performance.

PMID- 28337151
TI  - A Reduction in Maximal Incremental Exercise Test Duration 48 h Post Downhill Run
      Is Associated with Muscle Damage Derived Exercise Induced Pain.
AB  - Purpose: To examine whether exercise induced muscle damage (EIMD) and muscle
      soreness reduce treadmill maximal incremental exercise (MIE) test duration, and
      true maximal physiological performance as a consequence of exercise induced pain
      (EIP) and perceived effort. Methods: Fifty (14 female), apparently healthy
      participants randomly allocated into a control group (CON, n = 10), or
      experimental group (EXP, n = 40) visited the laboratory a total of six times:
      visit 1 (familiarization), visit 2 (pre 1), visit 3 (pre 2), visit 4
      (intervention), visit 5 (24 h post) and visit 6 (48 h post). Both groups
      performed identical testing during all visits, except during visit 4, where only
      EXP performed a 30 min downhill run and CON performed no exercise. During visits
      2, 3, and 6 all participants performed MIE, and the following measurements were
      obtained: time to exhaustion (TTE), EIP, maximal oxygen consumption [Formula: see
      text], rate of perceived exertion (RPE), maximum heart rate (HRmax), maximum
      blood lactate (BLamax), and the contribution of pain to terminating the MIE
      (assessed using a questionnaire). Additionally during visits 1, 2, 3, 5, and 6
      the following markers of EIMD were obtained: muscle soreness, maximum voluntary
      contraction (MVC), voluntary activation (VA), creatine kinase (CK). Results:
      There were no significant differences (p >= 0.32) between any trials for any of
      the measures obtained during MIE for CON. In EXP, TTE decreased by 34 s (3%),
      from pre 2 to 48 h post (p < 0.001). There was a significant association between
      group (EXP, CON) and termination of the MIE due to "pain" during 48 h post (chi2
      = 14.7, p = 0.002). Conclusion: EIMD resulted in premature termination of a MIE
      test (decreased TTE), which was associated with EIP, MVC, and VA. The exact
      mechanisms responsible for this require further investigation.

PMID- 28337150
TI  - Alteration in Taste Perception in Cancer: Causes and Strategies of Treatment.
AB  - The sense of taste is responsible for the detection and ingestion of food to
      cover energetic requirements in health and disease. The change in taste
      perception might lead to malnutrition that is usually one of the frequent causes
      of morbidity and mortality in patients with cancer. In this review, we summarize
      the mechanisms of taste perception and how they are altered in cancer. We also
      address the question of the implication of inflammation, responsible for the
      alterations in taste modalities. We highlight the role of radio- and chemotherapy
      in the modulation of taste physiology. Other several factors like damage to taste
      progenitor cells and disruption of gut microbiota are also dealt with relation to
      taste perception in cancer. We further shed light on how to restore taste acuity,
      by using different preventive methods, dietary modifications and pharmacotherapy
      in subjects with advanced cancer state.

PMID- 28337152
TI  - Maintaining the Phenotype Stability of Chondrocytes Derived from MSCs by C-Type
      Natriuretic Peptide.
AB  - Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) play a critical role in cartilage tissue
      engineering. However, MSCs-derived chondrocytes or cartilage tissues are not
      stable and easily lose the cellular and cartilage phenotype during long-term
      culture in vitro or implantation in vivo. As a result, chondrocytes phenotypic
      instability can contribute to accelerated ossification. Thus, it is a big
      challenge to maintain their correct phenotype for engineering hyaline cartilage.
      As one member of the natriuretic peptide family, C-type natriuretic peptide (CNP)
      is found to correlate with the development of the cartilage, affect the
      chondrocytes proliferation and differentiation. Besides, based on its biological
      effects on protection of extracellular matrix of cartilage and inhibition of
      mineralization, we hypothesize that CNP may contribute to the stability of
      chondrocyte phenotype of MSCs-derived chondrocytes.

PMID- 28337153
TI  - Defense Responses to Short-term Hypoxia and Seawater Acidification in the Thick
      Shell Mussel Mytilus coruscus.
AB  - The rising anthropogenic atmospheric CO2 results in the reduction of seawater pH,
      namely ocean acidification (OA). In East China Sea, the largest coastal hypoxic
      zone was observed in the world. This region is also strongly impacted by ocean
      acidification as receiving much nutrient from Changjiang and Qiantangjiang, and
      organisms can experience great short-term natural variability of DO and pH in
      this area. In order to evaluate the defense responses of marine mussels under
      this scenario, the thick shell mussel Mytilus coruscus were exposed to three
      pH/pCO2 levels (7.3/2800 MUatm, 7.7/1020 MUatm, 8.1/376 MUatm) at two dissolved
      oxygen concentrations (DO, 2.0, 6.0 mg L-1) for 72 h. Results showed that byssus
      thread parameters, such as the number, diameter, attachment strength and plaque
      area were reduced by low DO, and shell-closing strength was significantly weaker
      under both hypoxia and low pH conditions. Expression patterns of genes related to
      mussel byssus protein (MBP) were affected by hypoxia. Generally, hypoxia reduced
      MBP1 and MBP7 expressions, but increased MBP13 expression. In conclusion, both
      hypoxia and low pH induced negative effects on mussel defense responses, with
      hypoxia being the main driver of change. In addition, significant interactive
      effects between pH and DO were observed on shell-closing strength. Therefore, the
      adverse effects induced by hypoxia on the defense of mussels may be aggravated by
      low pH in the natural environments.

PMID- 28337155
TI  - Impact of Different e-Cigarette Generation and Models on Cognitive Performances,
      Craving and Gesture: A Randomized Cross-Over Trial (CogEcig).
AB  - : Introduction: Most electronic-cigarettes (e-cigarette) are designed to look
      like traditional cigarettes and simulate the visual, sensory, and behavioral
      aspects of smoking traditional cigarettes. This research aimed to explore whether
      different e-cigarette models and smokers' usual classic cigarettes can impact on
      cognitive performances, craving and gesture. Methods: The study is randomized
      cross-over trial designed to compare cognitive performances, craving, and gesture
      in subjects who used first generation electronic cigarettes, second generation
      electronic cigarettes with their usual cigarettes. (Trial registration:
      ClinicalTrials.gov number NCT01735487). Results: Cognitive performance was not
      affected by "group condition." Within-group repeated measures analyses showed a
      significant time effect, indicating an increase of participants' current craving
      measure in group "usual classic cigarettes (group C)," "disposable cigalike
      electronic cigarette loaded with cartridges with 24 mg nicotine (group H), second
      generation electronic cigarette, personal vaporizer model Ego C, loaded with
      liquid nicotine 24 mg (group E). Measures of gesture not differ over the course
      of the experiment for all the products under investigation Conclusion: All
      cognitive measures attention, executive function and working memory are not
      influenced by the different e-cigarette and gender showing that in general
      electronics cigarettes could become a strong support also from a cognitive point
      of view for those who decide to quit smoking. It seems that not only craving and
      other smoke withdrawal symptoms but also cognitive performance is not only linked
      to the presence of nicotine; this suggests that the reasons behind the dependence
      and the related difficulty to quit smoking needs to be looked into also other
      factors like the gesture. CLINICAL TRIAL REGISTRATION: www.ClinicalTrials.gov,
      identifier NCT01735487.

PMID- 28337154
TI  - The Reciprocal Relationship between Suicidality and Stigma.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: Although suicidality is frequently the cause of stigma, it is
      conversely true that stigma may be the cause of suicidality. The present paper
      focuses on the complex relationships that exist between suicidal behavior and
      stigmatizing attitudes. METHODS: A narrative review of the topic will be
      presented on the basis of the relevant literature collected from an electronic
      search of PubMed, ISI Web of Knowledge, and Scopus databases, using stigma,
      public stigma, structural stigma, perceived stigma, self-stigma, suicide,
      attempted suicide, and suicidality as key words. RESULTS: A negative perception
      is frequently held of suicidal people, labeling them as weak and unable to cope
      with their problems, or selfish. Individuals who have attempted suicide are
      subject to similar processes of stigmatization and "social distancing"; insurance
      policies include an exclusion clause against death by suicide. Subjects with a
      direct personal experience of depression or suicide strongly endorse a feeling of
      self-stigma; those who have attempted suicide are often ashamed and embarrassed
      by their behavior and tend to hide the occurrence as much as possible. Similar
      processes are observed among family members of subjects who have committed
      suicide or made a suicide attempt, with a higher perceived stigma present in
      those bereaved by suicide. Perceived or internalized stigma produced by mental or
      physical disorders, or through belonging to a minority group, may represent a
      significant risk factor for suicide, being severely distressing, reducing self
      esteem and acting as a barrier in help-seeking behaviors. CONCLUSION: With the
      aim of preventing suicide, greater efforts should be made to combat the
      persisting stigmatizing attitudes displayed toward mental disorders and suicide
      itself. Indeed, the role of stigma as a risk factor for suicide should further
      motivate and spur more concerted efforts to combat public stigma and support
      those suffering from perceived or internalized stigma. Experts and scientific
      societies should form an alliance with the media in an effort to promote a marked
      change in the societal perception of mental health issues and suicide. As stigma
      may result in severe consequences, specialist care and psychological
      interventions should be provided to populations submitted to stigma.

PMID- 28337156
TI  - Lack of Evidence That Neural Empathic Responses Are Blunted in Excessive Users of
      Violent Video Games: An fMRI Study.
AB  - The use of violent video games has been often linked to increase of aggressive
      behavior. According to the General Aggression Model, one of the central
      mechanisms for this aggressiveness inducing impact is an emotional
      desensitization process resulting from long lasting repeated violent game
      playing. This desensitization should evidence itself in a lack of empathy. Recent
      research has focused primarily on acute, short term impact of violent media use
      but only little is known about long term effects. In this study 15 excessive
      users of violent games and control subjects matched for age and education viewed
      pictures depicting emotional and neutral situations with and without social
      interaction while fMRI activations were obtained. While the typical pattern of
      activations for empathy and theory of mind networks was seen, both groups showed
      no differences in brain responses. We interpret our results as evidence against
      the desensitization hypothesis and suggest that the impact of violent media on
      emotional processing may be rather acute and short-lived.

PMID- 28337157
TI  - Pitch Perception in the First Year of Life, a Comparison of Lexical Tones and
      Musical Pitch.
AB  - Pitch variation is pervasive in speech, regardless of the language to which
      infants are exposed. Lexical tone is influenced by general sensitivity to pitch.
      We examined whether the development in lexical tone perception may develop in
      parallel with perception of pitch in other cognitive domains namely music. Using
      a visual fixation paradigm, 100 and one 4- and 12-month-old Dutch infants were
      tested on their discrimination of Chinese rising and dipping lexical tones as
      well as comparable three-note musical pitch contours. The 4-month-old infants
      failed to show a discrimination effect in either condition, whereas the 12-month
      old infants succeeded in both conditions. These results suggest that lexical tone
      perception may reflect and relate to general pitch perception abilities, which
      may serve as a basis for developing more complex language and musical skills.

PMID- 28337158
TI  - How Not to Do a Mindset Intervention: Learning from a Mindset Intervention among
      Students with Good Grades.
AB  - The present study examined the effectiveness of a Growth Mindset intervention
      based on Dweck et al.'s (1995) theory in the Hungarian educational context. A
      cluster randomized controlled trial classroom experiment was carried out within
      the framework of a train-the-trainer intervention among 55 Hungarian 10th grade
      students with high Grade Point Average (GPA). The results suggest that students'
      IQ and personality mindset beliefs were more incremental in the intervention
      group than in the control group 3 weeks after the intervention. Furthermore,
      compared to both the baseline measure and the control group, students'
      amotivation decreased. However, no intrinsic and extrinsic motivation change was
      found. Students with low grit scores reported lower amotivation following the
      intervention. However, in the second follow-up measurement-the end of the
      semester-all positive changes disappeared; and students' GPA did not change
      compared to the previous semester. These results show that mindset beliefs are
      temporarily malleable and in given circumstances, they can change back to their
      pre-intervention state. The potential explanation is discussed in the light of
      previous mindset intervention studies and recent findings on wise social
      psychological interventions.

PMID- 28337159
TI  - Hey Teacher, Don't Leave Them Kids Alone: Action Is Better for Memory than
      Reading.
AB  - There is no consensus on how the enactment effect (EE), although it is robust,
      enhances memory. Researchers are currently investigating the cognitive processes
      underlying this effect, mostly during adulthood; the link between EE and crucial
      function identified in adulthood such as episodic memory and binding process
      remains elusive. Therefore, this study aims to verify the existence of EE in 6-10
      years old and assess cognitive functions potentially linked to this effect in
      order to shed light on the mechanisms underlying the EE during childhood. Thirty
      five children (15 second graders and 20 fifth graders) were included in this
      study. They encoded 24 action phrases from a protocol adapted from Hainselin et
      al. (2014). Encoding occurred under four conditions: Verbal Task, Listening Task,
      Experimenter-Performed Task, and Subject-Performed Task. Memory performance was
      assessed for free and cued recall, as well as source memory abilities. ANOVAS
      were conducted to explore age-related effects on the different scores according
      to encoding conditions. Correlations between EE scores (Subject-Performed
      Task/Listening Task) and binding memory scores (short-term binding and episodic
      memory) were run. Both groups benefited from EE. However, in both groups,
      performance did not significantly differ between Subject-Performed Task and
      Experimenter-Performed Task. A positive correlation was found between EE and
      episodic memory score for second graders and a moderate negative correlation was
      found between EE and binding scores for fifth graders. Our results confirm the
      existence of EE in 6 and 10 year olds, but they do not support the multimodal
      theory (Engelkamp, 2001) or the "glue" theory (Kormi-Nouri and Nilsson, 2001).
      This suggests instead that episodic memory might not underlie EE during early
      childhood.

PMID- 28337161
TI  - Editorial: Learning in Social Context: The Nature and Profit of Living in Groups
      for Development.

PMID- 28337160
TI  - The Association between Self-Reported Difficulties in Emotion Regulation and
      Heart Rate Variability: The Salient Role of Not Accepting Negative Emotions.
AB  - Difficulties in emotion regulation are associated with development and
      maintenance of psychopathology. Typically, features of emotion regulation are
      assessed with self-report questionnaires. Heart rate variability (HRV) is an
      objective measure proposed as an index of emotional regulation capacity. A
      limited number of studies have shown that self-reported difficulties in emotion
      regulation are associated with HRV. However, results from prior studies are
      inconclusive, and an ecological validation of the association has not yet been
      tested. Therefore, further exploration of the relation between self-report
      questionnaires and psychophysiological measures of emotional regulation is
      needed. The present study investigated the contribution of self-reported emotion
      regulation difficulties on HRV in a student sample. We expected higher scores on
      emotion regulation difficulties to be associated with lower vagus-mediated HRV
      (vmHRV). Sixty-three participants filled out the Difficulties in Emotion
      Regulation Scale and their resting HRV was assessed. In addition, a subsample of
      participants provided ambulatory 24-h HRV data, in order to ecologically validate
      the resting data. Correlation analyses indicated that self-reported difficulties
      in emotion regulation was negatively associated with vmHRV in both resting HRV
      and 24-h HRV. Specifically, when exploring the contribution of the different
      facets of emotion dysregulation, the inability to accept negative emotions showed
      the strongest association with HRV. The results are discussed and need for future
      research is described.

PMID- 28337163
TI  - A New Method of Random Environmental Walking for Assessing Behavioral Preferences
      for Different Lighting Applications.
AB  - Accurate assessment of people's preferences for different outdoor lighting
      applications is increasingly considered important in the development of new urban
      environments. Here a new method of random environmental walking is proposed to
      complement current methods of assessing urban lighting applications, such as self
      report questionnaires. The procedure involves participants repeatedly walking
      between different lighting applications by random selection of a lighting
      application and preferred choice or by random selection of a lighting application
      alone. In this manner, participants are exposed to all lighting applications of
      interest more than once and participants' preferences for the different lighting
      applications are reflected in the number of times they walk to each lighting
      application. On the basis of an initial simulation study, to explore the
      feasibility of this approach, a comprehensive field test was undertaken. The
      field test included random environmental walking and collection of participants'
      subjective ratings of perceived pleasantness (PP), perceived quality, perceived
      strength, and perceived flicker of four lighting applications. The results
      indicate that random environmental walking can reveal participants' preferences
      for different lighting applications that, in the present study, conformed to
      participants' ratings of PP and perceived quality of the lighting applications.
      As a complement to subjectively stated environmental preferences, random
      environmental walking has the potential to expose behavioral preferences for
      different lighting applications.

PMID- 28337162
TI  - Time-Order Errors in Duration Judgment Are Independent of Spatial Positioning.
AB  - Time-order errors (TOEs) occur when the discriminability between two stimuli are
      affected by the order in which they are presented. While TOEs have been studied
      since the 1860s, it is unknown whether the spatial properties of a stimulus will
      affect this temporal phenomenon. In this experiment, we asked whether perceived
      duration, or duration discrimination, might be influenced by whether two
      intervals in a standard two-interval method of constants paradigm were spatially
      overlapping in visual short-term memory. Two circular sinusoidal gratings (one
      standard and the other a comparison) were shown sequentially and participants
      judged which of the two was presented for a longer duration. The test stimuli
      were either spatially overlapping (in different spatial frames) or separate.
      Stimulus order was randomized between trials. The standard stimulus lasted 600
      ms, and the test stimulus had one of seven possible values (between 300 and 900
      ms). There were no overall significant differences observed between spatially
      overlapping and separate stimuli. However, in trials where the standard stimulus
      was presented second, TOEs were greater, and participants were significantly less
      sensitive to differences in duration. TOEs were also greater in conditions
      involving a saccade. This suggests there is an intrinsic memory component to two
      interval tasks in that the information from the first interval has to be stored;
      this is more demanding when the standard is presented in the second interval.
      Overall, this study suggests that while temporal information may be encoded in
      some spatial form, it is not dependent on visual short-term memory.

PMID- 28337164
TI  - Implicit Processes, Self-Regulation, and Interventions for Behavior Change.
AB  - The ability to regulate and subsequently change behavior is influenced by both
      reflective and implicit processes. Traditional theories have focused on conscious
      processes by highlighting the beliefs and intentions that influence decision
      making. However, their success in changing behavior has been modest with a gap
      between intention and behavior apparent. Dual-process models have been recently
      applied to health psychology; with numerous models incorporating implicit
      processes that influence behavior as well as the more common conscious processes.
      Such implicit processes are theorized to govern behavior non-consciously. The
      article provides a commentary on motivational and volitional processes and how
      interventions have combined to attempt an increase in positive health behaviors.
      Following this, non-conscious processes are discussed in terms of their
      theoretical underpinning. The article will then highlight how these processes
      have been measured and will then discuss the different ways that the non
      conscious and conscious may interact. The development of interventions
      manipulating both processes may well prove crucial in successfully altering
      behavior.

PMID- 28337165
TI  - Motivation Measures in Sport: A Critical Review and Bibliometric Analysis.
AB  - Motivation is widely-researched, in both sport psychology and other fields. As
      rigorous measurement is essential to understanding this latent construct, a
      critical appraisal of measurement instruments is needed. Thus, the purpose of
      this review was to evaluate the six most highly cited motivation measures in
      sport. Peer-reviewed articles published prior to August 2016 were searched to
      identify the six most highly cited motivation questionnaires in sport: Sport
      Motivation Scale (SMS), Intrinsic Motivation Inventory (IMI), Situational
      Motivational Scale (SIMS), Perceptions of Success Questionnaire (POSQ),
      Behavioural Regulation in Sport Questionnaire (BRSQ), and Task and Ego
      Orientation in Sport Questionnaire (TEOSQ). The questionnaires were then
      evaluated and discussed in four sections: Development, Reliability, Correlates,
      and Summary. Bibliometric data were also calculated (average weighted impact
      factor) and assessed (e.g., citations per year) to evaluate the impact of the use
      of each questionnaire. Despite some variance in their psychometric properties,
      conceptualization, structure, and utility, the six questionnaires are
      psychometrically strong instruments for quantifying motivation that are widely
      supported in the literature. Bibliometric analyses suggested that the IMI ranks
      first and the SMS ranks sixth according to the average weighted impact factors of
      their original publications. Consideration of each questionnaire's psychometric
      strengths/limitations, and conceptualization of motivation in the context of
      specific research questions should guide researchers in selecting the most
      appropriate instrument to measure motivation in sport. The average weighted
      impact factor of each questionnaire is a useful value to consider as well. With
      these points in mind, recommendations are provided.

PMID- 28337166
TI  - Difference between Leisure and Work Contexts: The Roles of Perceived Enjoyment
      and Perceived Usefulness in Predicting Mobile Video Calling Use Acceptance.
AB  - There is a rapidly growing body of literature on mobile video calling, which is a
      promising communication technology; however, little research has focused on user
      acceptance of mobile video calling, especially in different use contexts. This
      study explored factors (especially perceived enjoyment) influencing the intention
      of users to employ video calling in different contexts (a work and a leisure
      context) by applying the technology acceptance model (TAM) combined with the
      theory of planned behavior. The revised research model differentiated external
      factors (subjective norms and personal innovativeness) from internal factors
      (perceived usefulness, perceived ease of use (PEU), perceived enjoyment, and
      intention to use mobile video calling). In addition, the current study
      investigated predictors of perceived enjoyment across these two contexts. With
      the use of a structured questionnaire, participants were divided in two groups
      and completed self-report measures related to one context; a total of 386 student
      respondents' responses were analyzed. The results indicated that users'
      intentions were directly predicted by their perceived enjoyment of video calling
      (beta >= 0.35) and the call's perceived usefulness (beta >= 0.27) and PEU (beta =
      0.13, only for the leisure context), which jointly explained at least 55.6% of
      the variance in use intention. In addition to the effects of these predictors on
      mobile video calling use acceptance, an assessment of the moderating effects of
      different contexts indicated that perceived enjoyment played a more important
      role in influencing intention for the leisure context, while perceived usefulness
      appeared to be more important for the work context. This study's findings are
      important in that they provide strong support for the necessity of distinguishing
      among different types of contexts when predicting users' intentions to use video
      calling. Furthermore, the results showed that perceived enjoyment was most
      significantly influenced by perceived usefulness (beta >= 0.61), followed by PEU
      (beta >= 0.13). In summary, the roles of core TAM variables (especially perceived
      enjoyment and perceived usefulness) and of external factors (subjective norms and
      personal innovativeness) differed between the leisure and work contexts. The
      implications of these findings are discussed.

PMID- 28337167
TI  - Research Recommendations for Improving Measurement of Treatment Effectiveness in
      Depression.
AB  - Background: Despite the steadily escalating psychological and economic burden of
      depression, there is a lack of evidence for the effectiveness of available
      interventions on functioning areas beyond symptomatology. Therefore, the main
      objective of this study was to give an insight into the current measurement of
      treatment effectiveness in depression and to provide recommendations for its
      improvement. Materials and Methods: The study was based on a multi-informant
      approach, comparing data from a systematic literature review, an expert survey
      with representatives from clinical practice (130), and qualitative interviews
      with patients (11) experiencing depression. Results: Current literature places
      emphasis on symptomatic outcomes and neglects other domains of functioning,
      whereas clinicians and depressed patients highlight the importance of both.
      Interpersonal relationships, recreation and daily activities, communication,
      social participation, work difficulties were identified as being crucial for
      recovery. Personal factors, neglected by the literature, such as self-efficacy
      were introduced by experts and patients. Furthermore, clinicians and patients
      identified a number of differences regarding the areas improved by
      psychotherapeutic or pharmacological interventions that were not addressed by the
      pertinent literature. Conclusion: Creation of a new cross-nationally applicable
      measure of psychosocial functioning, broader remission criteria, report of domain
      specific information, and a personalized approach in treatment decision-making
      are the first crucial steps needed for the improvement of the measurement of
      treatment effectiveness in depression. A better measurement will facilitate the
      clinical decision making and answer the escalating burden of depression.

PMID- 28337168
TI  - Working Memory Capacity as a Factor Influencing the Relationship between Language
      Outcome and Rehabilitation in Mandarin-Speaking Preschoolers with Congenital
      Hearing Impairment.
AB  - Memory processes could account for a significant part of the variance in language
      performances of hearing-impaired children. However, the circumstance in which the
      performance of hearing-impaired children can be nearly the same as the
      performance of hearing children remains relatively little studied. Thus, a group
      of pre-school children with congenital, bilateral hearing loss and a group of pre
      school children with normal hearing were invited to participate in this study. In
      addition, the hearing-impaired participants were divided into two groups
      according to their working memory span. A language disorder assessment test for
      Mandarin-speaking preschoolers was used to measure the outcomes of receptive and
      expressive language of the two groups of children. The results showed that the
      high-span group performed as good as the hearing group, while the low-span group
      showed lower accuracy than the hearing group. A linear mixed-effects analysis
      showed that not only length of rehabilitation but also the memory span affected
      the measure of language outcome. Furthermore, the rehabilitation length
      positively correlated with the measure of expressive language only among the
      participants of the high-span group. The pattern of the results indicates that
      working memory capacity is one of the factors that could support the children to
      acquire age-equivalent language skills.

PMID- 28337169
TI  - Commentary: Can Inner Experience Be Apprehended in High Fidelity? Examining Brain
      Activation and Experience from Multiple Perspectives.

PMID- 28337170
TI  - Why Your Body Can Jog Your Mind.

PMID- 28337171
TI  - The Skull Vibration-Induced Nystagmus Test of Vestibular Function-A Review.
AB  - A 100-Hz bone-conducted vibration applied to either mastoid induces
      instantaneously a predominantly horizontal nystagmus, with quick phases beating
      away from the affected side in patients with a unilateral vestibular loss (UVL).
      The same stimulus in healthy asymptomatic subjects has little or no effect. This
      is skull vibration-induced nystagmus (SVIN), and it is a useful, simple, non
      invasive, robust indicator of asymmetry of vestibular function and the side of
      the vestibular loss. The nystagmus is precisely stimulus-locked: it starts with
      stimulation onset and stops at stimulation offset, with no post-stimulation
      reversal. It is sustained during long stimulus durations; it is reproducible; it
      beats in the same direction irrespective of which mastoid is stimulated; it shows
      little or no habituation; and it is permanent-even well-compensated UVL patients
      show SVIN. A SVIN is observed under Frenzel goggles or videonystagmoscopy and
      recorded under videonystagmography in absence of visual-fixation and strong
      sedative drugs. Stimulus frequency, location, and intensity modify the results,
      and a large variability in skull morphology between people can modify the
      stimulus. SVIN to 100 Hz mastoid stimulation is a robust response. We describe
      the optimum method of stimulation on the basis of the literature data and testing
      more than 18,500 patients. Recent neural evidence clarifies which vestibular
      receptors are stimulated, how they cause the nystagmus, and why the same
      vibration in patients with semicircular canal dehiscence (SCD) causes a nystagmus
      beating toward the affected ear. This review focuses not only on the optimal
      parameters of the stimulus and response of UVL and SCD patients but also shows
      how other vestibular dysfunctions affect SVIN. We conclude that the presence of
      SVIN is a useful indicator of the asymmetry of vestibular function between the
      two ears, but in order to identify which is the affected ear, other information
      and careful clinical judgment are needed.

PMID- 28337172
TI  - Bone Marrow-Derived Cell Accumulation in the Spinal Cord Is Independent of
      Peripheral Mobilization in a Mouse Model of Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis.
AB  - Bone marrow-derived cells (BMDCs) are capable of migrating across the blood-brain
      barrier (BBB) and accumulating in the central nervous system (CNS) when
      transplanted into recipients conditioned with whole-body irradiation or
      chemotherapy. We used the chemotherapeutic agents busulfan and treosulfan to
      condition recipient mice for transplantation with bone marrow (BM) cells isolated
      from donor mice ubiquitously expressing green fluorescent protein. We attempted
      to increase the accumulation of BMDCs in the CNS by mobilization of BMDCs using
      either, or both, granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (GCSF) or plerixafor
      (AMD3100). We also used several concentrations of busulfan. We hypothesized that
      higher concentrations of busulfan and BMDC mobilization would increase numbers of
      GFP+ cells in the CNS. The doses of busulfan employed (60-125 mg/kg) all resulted
      in high levels of sustained chimerism (>85% 1 year post-transplant) in both the
      blood and BM of wild-type (WT) mice and an amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS)
      mouse model. Moreover, cells accumulated within the CNS in a dose-, time-, and
      disease-dependent manner. Conditioning with the hydrophilic busulfan analog
      treosulfan, which is unable to cross the BBB efficiently, also resulted in a high
      degree of BM chimerism. However, few GFP+ BMDCs were found within the CNS of WT
      or ALS mice of treosulfan-conditioned mice. Mobilization of BMDCs into the
      circulation using GCSF and/or AMD3100 did not lead to increased accumulation of
      GFP+ BMDCs within the CNS of WT or ALS mice. Weekly analysis of BMDC accumulation
      revealed that BMDCs accumulated more rapidly and to a greater extent in the CNS
      of ALS mice conditioned with a high dose (125 mg/kg) of busulfan compared to a
      lower dose (80 mg/kg). The number of GFP+ BMDCs in the CNS labeling with the
      proliferation marker Ki67 increased in parallel with BMDC accumulation within the
      CNS. Our results indicate that establishment of high levels of blood and BM
      chimerism alone is not sufficient to induce BMDC accumulation within the CNS and
      that CNS conditioning is a crucial requirement for BMDC accumulation to occur.
      Moreover, it appears that proliferation of BMDCs that infiltrate the CNS is
      partly responsible for cell accumulation in busulfan-conditioned ALS mice.

PMID- 28337173
TI  - Twenty-Year Clinical Progression of Dysferlinopathy in Patients from Dagestan.
AB  - To date, over 30 genes with mutations causing limb-girdle muscle dystrophy have
      been described. Dysferlinopathies are a form of limb-girdle muscle dystrophy type
      2B with an incidence ranging from 1:1,300 to 1:200,000 in different populations.
      In 1996, Dr. S. N. Illarioshkin described a family from the Botlikhsky district
      of Dagestan, where limb-girdle muscle dystrophy type 2B and Miyoshi myopathy were
      diagnosed in 12 members from three generations of a large Avar family. In 2000, a
      previously undescribed mutation in the DYSF gene (c.TG573/574AT; p. Val67Asp) was
      detected in the affected members of this family. Twenty years later, in this
      work, we re-examine five known and seven newly affected family members previously
      diagnosed with dysferlinopathy. We observed disease progression in family members
      who were previously diagnosed and noted obvious clinical polymorphism of the
      disease. A typical clinical case is provided.

PMID- 28337175
TI  - Effects of Chronic ACTH Excess on Human Adrenal Cortex.
AB  - Chronic ACTH excess leads to chronic cortisol excess, without escape phenomenon,
      resulting in Cushing's syndrome. Excess adrenal androgens also occur: in females,
      they will overcompensate the gonadotrophic loss, inducing high testosterone; in
      males, they will not compensate it, inducing low testosterone. Chronic ACTH
      excess leads to chronic adrenal mineralocorticoid excess and low aldosterone
      levels: after an acute rise, aldosterone plasma levels resume low values after a
      few days when ACTH is prolonged. Two other mineralocorticoids in man, cortisol
      and 11 deoxycorticosterone (DOC), at the zona fasciculata, will not escape the
      long-term effect of chronic ACTH excess and their secretion rates will remain
      elevated in parallel. Over all, the concomitant rise in cortisol and 11 DOC will
      more than compensate the loss of aldosterone, and eventually create a state of
      chronic mineralocorticoid excess, best evidenced by the accompanying suppression
      of the renin plasma levels, a further contribution to the suppression of
      aldosterone secretion. Prolonged in vivo stimulation with ACTH leads to an
      increase in total adrenal protein and RNA synthesis. Cell proliferation is
      indicated by an increase in total DNA the resulting adrenocortical hyperplasia
      participates in the amplified response of the chronically stimulated gland, and
      the weight of each gland can be greatly increased. The growth-stimulatory effect
      of ACTH in vivo most likely proceeds through the activation of a local and
      complex network of autocrine growth factors and their own receptors; a number of
      compounds, including non-ACTH proopiomelanocortin peptides such as gamma3-MSH,
      have been shown to exert some adrenocortical growth effect.

PMID- 28337176
TI  - Osteoporosis Therapy: Bone Modeling during Growth and Aging.

PMID- 28337174
TI  - Regulation of Mammalian Physiology by Interconnected Circadian and Feeding
      Rhythms.
AB  - Circadian clocks are endogenous timekeeping systems that adapt in an anticipatory
      fashion the physiology and behavior of most living organisms. In mammals, the
      master pacemaker resides in the suprachiasmatic nucleus and entrains peripheral
      clocks using a wide range of signals that differentially schedule physiology and
      gene expression in a tissue-specific manner. The peripheral clocks, such as those
      found in the liver, are particularly sensitive to rhythmic external cues like
      feeding behavior, which modulate the phase and amplitude of rhythmic gene
      expression. Consequently, the liver clock temporally tunes the expression of many
      genes involved in metabolism and physiology. However, the circadian modulation of
      cellular functions also relies on multiple layers of posttranscriptional and
      posttranslational regulation. Strikingly, these additional regulatory events may
      happen independently of any transcriptional oscillations, showing that complex
      regulatory networks ultimately drive circadian output functions. These rhythmic
      events also integrate feeding-related cues and adapt various metabolic processes
      to food availability schedules. The importance of such temporal regulation of
      metabolism is illustrated by metabolic dysfunctions and diseases resulting from
      circadian clock disruption or inappropriate feeding patterns. Therefore, the
      study of circadian clocks and rhythmic feeding behavior should be of interest to
      further advance our understanding of the prevention and therapy of metabolic
      diseases.

PMID- 28337177
TI  - Diversity and Abundance of Ice Nucleating Strains of Pseudomonas syringae in a
      Freshwater Lake in Virginia, USA.
AB  - The bacterium Pseudomonas syringae is found in a variety of terrestrial and
      aquatic environments. Some strains of P. syringae express an ice nucleation
      protein (hereafter referred to as Ice+) allowing them to catalyze the
      heterogeneous freezing of water. Though P. syringae has been sampled intensively
      from freshwater sources in France, little is known about the genetic diversity of
      P. syringae in natural aquatic habitats in North America. We collected samples of
      freshwater from three different depths in Claytor Lake, Virginia, USA between
      November 2015 and June 2016. Samples were plated on non-selective medium (TSA)
      and on medium selective for Pseudomonas (KBC) and closely related species to
      estimate the total number of culturable bacteria and of Pseudomonas,
      respectively. A droplet freezing assay was used to screen colonies for the Ice+
      phenotype. Ice+ colonies were then molecularly identified based on the cts
      (citrate synthase) gene and the 16S rDNA gene. Phylogenetic analysis of cts
      sequences showed a surprising diversity of phylogenetic subgroups of P. syringae.
      Frequencies of Ice+ isolates on P. syringae selective medium ranged from 0 to 15%
      per sample with the highest frequency being found in spring. Our work shows that
      freshwater lakes can be a significant reservoir of Ice+ P. syringae. Future work
      is needed to determine the contribution of P. syringae from freshwater lakes to
      the P. syringae populations present in the atmosphere and on plants and, in
      particular, if freshwater lakes could be an inoculum source of P. syringae-caused
      plant disease outbreaks.

PMID- 28337178
TI  - Glucose Uptake in Prochlorococcus: Diversity of Kinetics and Effects on the
      Metabolism.
AB  - We have previously shown that Prochlorococcus sp. SS120 strain takes up glucose
      by using a multiphasic transporter encoded by the Pro1404 gene. Here, we studied
      the glucose uptake kinetics in multiple Prochlorococcus strains from different
      ecotypes, observing diverse values for the Ks constants (15-126.60 nM) and the
      uptake rates (0.48-6.36 pmol min-1 mg prot-1). Multiphasic kinetics was observed
      in all studied strains, except for TAK9803-2. Pro1404 gene expression studies
      during the 21st Atlantic Meridional Transect cruise showed positive correlation
      with glucose concentrations in the ocean. This suggests that the Pro1404
      transporter has been subjected to diversification along the Prochlorococcus
      evolution, in a process probably driven by the glucose availabilities at the
      different niches it inhabits. The glucose uptake mechanism seems to be a primary
      transporter. Glucose addition induced detectable transcriptomic and proteomic
      changes in Prochlorococcus SS120, but photosynthetic efficiency was unaffected.
      Our studies indicate that glucose is actively taken up by Prochlorococcus, but
      its uptake does not significantly alter the trophic ways of this cyanobacterium,
      which continues performing photosynthesis. Therefore Prochlorococcus seems to
      remain acting as a fundamentally phototrophic organism, capable of using glucose
      as an extra resource of carbon and energy when available in the environment.

PMID- 28337179
TI  - Characterization of a Novel Nicotine Degradation Gene Cluster ndp in Sphingomonas
      melonis TY and Its Evolutionary Analysis.
AB  - Sphingomonas melonis TY utilizes nicotine as a sole source of carbon, nitrogen,
      and energy through a variant of the pyridine and pyrrolidine pathways (VPP). A 31
      kb novel nicotine-degrading gene cluster, ndp, in strain TY exhibited a different
      genetic organization with the vpp cluster in strains Ochrobactrum rhizosphaerae
      SJY1 and Agrobacterium tumefaciens S33. Genes in vpp were separated by a 20-kb
      interval sequence, while genes in ndp were localized together. Half of the
      homolog genes were in different locus in ndp and vpp. Moreover, there was a gene
      encoding putative transporter of nicotine or other critical metabolite in ndp.
      Among the putative nicotine-degrading related genes, the nicotine hydroxylase, 6
      hydroxy-L-nicotine oxidase, 6-hydroxypseudooxynicotine oxidase, and 6-hydroxy-3
      succinyl-pyridine monooxygenase responsible for catalyzing the transformation of
      nicotine to 2, 5-dihydropyridine in the initial four steps of the VPP were
      characterized. Hydroxylation at C6 of the pyridine ring and dehydrogenation at
      the C2-C3 bond of the pyrrolidine ring were the key common reactions in the VPP,
      pyrrolidine and pyridine pathways. Besides, VPP and pyrrolidine pathway shared
      the same latter part of metabolic pathway. After analysis of metabolic genes in
      the pyridine, pyrrolidine, and VPP pathways, we found that both the evolutionary
      features and metabolic mechanisms of the VPP were more similar to the pyrrolidine
      pathway. The linked ndpHFEG genes shared by the VPP and pyrrolidine pathways
      indicated that these two pathways might share the same origin, but variants were
      observed in some bacteria. And we speculated that the pyridine pathway was
      distributed in Gram-positive bacteria and the VPP and pyrrolidine pathways were
      distributed in Gram-negative bacteria by using comprehensive homologs searching
      and phylogenetic tree construction.

PMID- 28337180
TI  - The Effect of Increased Loads of Dissolved Organic Matter on Estuarine Microbial
      Community Composition and Function.
AB  - Increased river loads are projected as one of the major consequences of climate
      change in the northern hemisphere, leading to elevated inputs of riverine
      dissolved organic matter (DOM) and inorganic nutrients to coastal ecosystems. The
      objective of this study was to investigate the effects of elevated DOM on a
      coastal pelagic food web from the coastal northern Baltic Sea, in a 32-day
      mesocosm experiment. In particular, the study addresses the response of
      bacterioplankton to differences in character and composition of supplied DOM. The
      supplied DOM differed in stoichiometry and quality and had pronounced effects on
      the recipient bacterioplankton, driving compositional changes in response to DOM
      type. The shifts in bacterioplankton community composition were especially driven
      by the proliferation of Bacteroidetes, Gemmatimonadetes, Planctomycetes, and
      Alpha- and Betaproteobacteria populations. The DOM additions stimulated protease
      activity and a release of inorganic nutrients, suggesting that DOM was actively
      processed. However, no difference between DOM types was detected in these
      functions despite different community compositions. Extensive release of re
      mineralized carbon, nitrogen and phosphorus was associated with the bacterial
      processing, corresponding to 25-85% of the supplied DOM. The DOM additions had a
      negative effect on phytoplankton with decreased Chl a and biomass, particularly
      during the first half of the experiment. However, the accumulating nutrients
      likely stimulated phytoplankton biomass which was observed to increase towards
      the end of the experiment. This suggests that the nutrient access partially
      outweighed the negative effect of increased light attenuation by accumulating
      DOM. Taken together, our experimental data suggest that parts of the future
      elevated riverine DOM supply to the Baltic Sea will be efficiently mineralized by
      microbes. This will have consequences for bacterioplankton and phytoplankton
      community composition and function, and significantly affect nutrient
      biogeochemistry.

PMID- 28337181
TI  - Comparative Genomic Analysis Reveals Ecological Differentiation in the Genus
      Carnobacterium.
AB  - Lactic acid bacteria (LAB) differ in their ability to colonize food and animal
      associated habitats: while some species are specialized and colonize a limited
      number of habitats, other are generalist and are able to colonize multiple animal
      linked habitats. In the current study, Carnobacterium was used as a model genus
      to elucidate the genetic basis of these colonization differences. Analyses of 16S
      rRNA gene meta-barcoding data showed that C. maltaromaticum followed by C.
      divergens are the most prevalent species in foods derived from animals (meat,
      fish, dairy products), and in the gut. According to phylogenetic analyses, these
      two animal-adapted species belong to one of two deeply branched lineages. The
      second lineage contains species isolated from habitats where contact with animal
      is rare. Genome analyses revealed that members of the animal-adapted lineage
      harbor a larger secretome than members of the other lineage. The predicted cell
      surface proteome is highly diversified in C. maltaromaticum and C. divergens with
      genes involved in adaptation to the animal milieu such as those encoding
      biopolymer hydrolytic enzymes, a heme uptake system, and biopolymer-binding
      adhesins. These species also exhibit genes for gut adaptation and respiration. In
      contrast, Carnobacterium species belonging to the second lineage encode a poorly
      diversified cell-surface proteome, lack genes for gut adaptation and are unable
      to respire. These results shed light on the important genomics traits required
      for adaptation to animal-linked habitats in generalist Carnobacterium.

PMID- 28337182
TI  - New Insights into the Anti-pathogenic Potential of Lactococcus garvieae against
      Staphylococcus aureus Based on RNA Sequencing Profiling.
AB  - The bio-preservation potential of Lactococcus garvieae lies in its capacity to
      inhibit the growth of staphylococci, especially Staphylococcus aureus, in dairy
      products and in vitro. In vitro, inhibition is modulated by the level of
      aeration, owing to hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) production by L. garvieae under
      aeration. The S. aureus response to this inhibition has already been studied.
      However, the molecular mechanisms of L. garvieae underlying the antagonism
      against S. aureus have never been explored. This study provides evidence of the
      presence of another extracellular inhibition effector in vitro. This effector was
      neither a protein, nor a lipid, nor a polysaccharide, nor related to an L
      threonine deficiency. To better understand the H2O2-related inhibition mechanism
      at the transcriptome level and to identify other mechanisms potentially involved,
      we used RNA sequencing to determine the transcriptome response of L. garvieae to
      different aeration levels and to the presence or absence of S. aureus. The L.
      garvieae transcriptome differed radically between different aeration levels
      mainly in biological processes related to fundamental functions and nutritional
      adaptation. The transcriptomic response of L. garvieae to aeration level differed
      according to the presence or absence of S. aureus. The higher concentration of
      H2O2 with high aeration was not associated with a higher expression of L.
      garvieae H2O2-synthesis genes (pox, sodA, and spxA1) but rather with a repression
      of L. garvieae H2O2-degradation genes (trxB1, ahpC, ahpF, and gpx). We showed
      that L. garvieae displayed an original, previously undiscovered, H2O2 production
      regulation mechanism among bacteria. In addition to the key factor H2O2, the
      involvement of another extracellular effector in the antagonism against S. aureus
      was shown. Future studies should explore the relation between H2O2-metabolism,
      H2O2-producing LAB and the pathogen they inhibit. The nature of the other
      extracellular effector should also be determined.

PMID- 28337183
TI  - Are Oligotypes Meaningful Ecological and Phylogenetic Units? A Case Study of
      Microcystis in Freshwater Lakes.
AB  - Oligotyping is a computational method used to increase the resolution of marker
      gene microbiome studies. Although oligotyping can distinguish highly similar
      sequence variants, the resulting units are not necessarily phylogenetically and
      ecologically informative due to limitations of the selected marker gene. In this
      perspective, we examine how oligotyping data is interpreted in recent literature,
      and we illustrate some of the method's constraints with a case study of the
      harmful bloom-forming cyanobacterium Microcystis. We identified three Microcystis
      oligotypes from a western Lake Erie bacterial community 16S rRNA gene (V4 region)
      survey that had previously clustered into one OTU. We found the same three
      oligotypes and two additional sequence variants in 46 Microcystis cultures
      isolated from Michigan inland lakes spanning a trophic gradient. In Lake Erie,
      shifts in Microcystis oligotypes corresponded to spatial nutrient gradients and
      temporal transitions in bloom toxicity. In the cultures, Microcystis oligotypes
      showed preferential distributions for different trophic states, but genomic data
      revealed that the oligotypes identified in Lake Erie did not correspond to toxin
      gene presence. Thus, oligotypes could not be used for inferring toxic ecotypes.
      Most strikingly, Microcystis oligotypes were not monophyletic. Our study supports
      the utility of oligotyping for distinguishing sequence types along certain
      ecological features, while it stresses that 16S rRNA gene sequence types may not
      reflect ecologically or phylogenetically cohesive populations. Therefore, we
      recommend that studies employing oligotyping or related tools consider these
      caveats during data interpretation.

PMID- 28337184
TI  - The Maternally Inheritable Wolbachia wAlbB Induces Refractoriness to Plasmodium
      berghei in Anopheles stephensi.
AB  - The endosymbiont Wolbachia wAlbB induces refractoriness to Plasmodium falciparum
      in Anopheles stephensi, the primary mosquito vector of human malaria in the
      Middle East and South Asia. However, it remains unknown whether such
      refractoriness can be extended to other malaria species. In particular, it was
      reported that under very specific conditions, wAlbB can enhance Plasmodium
      infection in some hosts. Here, we measured the impact of wAlbB on the rodent
      malaria parasite Plasmodium berghei in A. stephensi by comparing the load of
      oocysts and sporozoites in midguts and salivary glands, respectively, between
      wAlbB-infected and -uninfected mosquitoes. To investigate whether wAlbB modulated
      mosquito immune defense against parasites, we compared the expression of the
      immune genes, which were previously reported to involve in antimalarial response,
      in both midguts and the remaining carcass tissues of mosquitoes. The stable
      association of wAlbB with A. stephensi resulted in reduction of parasites by more
      than half at the oocyst stage, and up to 91.8% at the sporzoite stage. The anti
      plasmodium immune genes, including TEP1, LRIM1, Toll pathway gene Rel1 and the
      effector Defensin 1, were induced by wAlbB in different mosquito body tissues.
      These findings suggest that immune priming is a potential cause of wAlbB-mediated
      antimalarial response in A. stephensi. More importantly, no evidence was found
      for any enhancement of Plasmodium infection in A. stephensi stably infected with
      wAlbB. We discuss these findings with possible implementations of Wolbachia for
      malaria control in disease endemic areas.

PMID- 28337185
TI  - Food-Like Growth Conditions Support Production of Active Vitamin B12 by
      Propionibacterium freudenreichii 2067 without DMBI, the Lower Ligand Base, or
      Cobalt Supplementation.
AB  - Propionibacterium freudenreichii is a traditional dairy bacterium and a producer
      of short chain fatty acids (propionic and acetic acids) as well as vitamin B12.
      In food applications, it is a promising organism for in situ fortification with
      B12 vitamin since it is generally recognized as safe (GRAS) and it is able to
      synthesize biologically active form of the vitamin. In the present study, vitamin
      B12 and pseudovitamin biosynthesis by P. freudenreichii was monitored by UHPLC as
      a function of growth in food-like conditions using a medium mimicking cheese
      environment, without cobalt or 5,6-dimethylbenzimidazole (DMBI) supplementation.
      Parallel growth experiments were performed in industrial-type medium known to
      support the biosynthesis of vitamin B12. The production of other key metabolites
      in the two media were determined by HPLC, while the global protein production was
      compared by gel-based proteomics to assess the effect of growth conditions on the
      physiological status of the strain and on the synthesis of different forms of
      vitamin. The results revealed distinct protein and metabolite production, which
      reflected the growth conditions and the potential of P. freudenreichii for
      synthesizing nutritionally relevant amounts of active vitamin B12 regardless of
      the metabolic state of the cells.

PMID- 28337187
TI  - Defining and Evaluating a Core Genome Multilocus Sequence Typing Scheme for Whole
      Genome Sequence-Based Typing of Klebsiella pneumoniae.
AB  - At present, the most used methods for Klebsiella pneumoniae subtyping are
      multilocus sequence typing (MLST) and pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE).
      However, the discriminatory power of MLST could not meet the need for
      distinguishing outbreak and non-outbreak isolates and the PFGE is time-consuming
      and labor-intensive. A core genome multilocus sequence typing (cgMLST) scheme for
      whole-genome sequence-based typing of K. pneumoniae was developed for solving the
      disadvantages of these traditional molecular subtyping methods. Firstly, we used
      the complete genome of K. pneumoniae strain HKUOPLC as the reference genome and
      907 genomes of K. pneumoniae download from NCBI database as original genome
      dataset to determine cgMLST target genes. A total of 1,143 genes were retained as
      cgMLST target genes. Secondly, we used 26 K. pneumoniae strains from a nosocomial
      infection outbreak to evaluate the cgMLST scheme. cgMLST enabled clustering of
      outbreak strains with <10 alleles difference and unambiguous separation from
      unrelated outgroup strains. Moreover, cgMLST revealed that there may be several
      sub-clones of epidemic ST11 clone. In conclusion, the novel cgMLST scheme not
      only showed higher discriminatory power compared with PFGE and MLST in outbreak
      investigations but also showed ability to reveal more population structure
      characteristics than MLST.

PMID- 28337188
TI  - Influence of Herbicide Triasulfuron on Soil Microbial Community in an Unamended
      Soil and a Soil Amended with Organic Residues.
AB  - The effect of organic amendments and pesticides on a soil microbial community has
      garnered considerable interest due to the involvement of microorganisms in
      numerous soil conservation and maintenance reactions. The aim of this work was to
      assess the influence on a soil microbial community of the simultaneous
      application of the herbicide triasulfuron at three doses (2, 10, and 50 mg kg-1),
      with an organic amendment [sewage sludge (SS) or green compost (GC)]. Dissipation
      kinetics, soil microbial biomass, dehydrogenase activity (DHA) and respiration,
      and the profile of phospholipid fatty acids (PLFAs) extracted from the soil, were
      determined in unamended (S) soil and amended (S+SS and S+GC) ones. Triasulfuron
      dissipation followed the single first-order kinetics model. Half-life (DT50)
      values were higher in the amended soils than in the unamended one for the 10 and
      50 mg kg-1 doses. The dissipation rates were lower in the S+GC soil for the three
      herbicide doses applied. In general, soil biomass, DHA and respiration values
      increased in SS- and GC-amended soils compared to the unamended one. DHA values
      decreased (S and S+SS) or increased (S+GC) with the incubation time of soil with
      herbicide at the different doses applied. Respiration values increased with the
      herbicide doses applied and decreased with the incubation time, although maximum
      values were obtained for soils treated with the highest dose after 70 days of
      incubation. PLFA analysis indicated different effects of triasulfuron on the soil
      microbial community structure depending on the organic amendments. While the
      increasing triasulfuron doses resulted in deeper alterations in the S soil, the
      time after triasulfuron application was the most important variation in the S+SS
      and S+GC soils. The overall results indicate that the soil amendment has an
      effect on herbicide dissipation rate and the soil microbial community. Initially,
      a high dose of triasulfuron had detrimental effects on the soil microbial
      community, which is important in the case of the long-term use of this compound.

PMID- 28337189
TI  - Elizabethkingia anophelis Isolated from Patients with Multiple Organ Dysfunction
      Syndrome and Lower Respiratory Tract Infection: Report of Two Cases and
      Literature Review.
AB  - Elizabethkingia anophelis, originally discovered from Anopheles mosquito gut, is
      an emerging pathogen, especially in immunocompromised patients. We isolated two
      strains of E. anophelis from two separate patients with multiple organ
      dysfunction syndrome and lower respiratory tract infection. In this paper, we
      reviewed the status of E. anophelis infection and its antibiotics resistance from
      reported cases.

PMID- 28337186
TI  - Genotypes Associated with Listeria monocytogenes Isolates Displaying Impaired or
      Enhanced Tolerances to Cold, Salt, Acid, or Desiccation Stress.
AB  - The human pathogen Listeria monocytogenes is a large concern in the food industry
      where its continuous detection in food products has caused a string of recalls in
      North America and Europe. Most recognized for its ability to grow in foods during
      refrigerated storage, L. monocytogenes can also tolerate several other food
      related stresses with some strains possessing higher levels of tolerances than
      others. The objective of this study was to use a combination of phenotypic
      analyses and whole genome sequencing to elucidate potential relationships between
      L. monocytogenes genotypes and food-related stress tolerance phenotypes. To
      accomplish this, 166 L. monocytogenes isolates were sequenced and evaluated for
      their ability to grow in cold (4 degrees C), salt (6% NaCl, 25 degrees C), and
      acid (pH 5, 25 degrees C) stress conditions as well as survive desiccation (33%
      RH, 20 degrees C). The results revealed that the stress tolerance of L.
      monocytogenes is associated with serotype, clonal complex (CC), full length inlA
      profiles, and the presence of a plasmid which was identified in 55% of isolates.
      Isolates with full length inlA exhibited significantly (p < 0.001) enhanced cold
      tolerance relative to those harboring a premature stop codon (PMSC) in this gene.
      Similarly, isolates possessing a plasmid demonstrated significantly (p = 0.013)
      enhanced acid tolerance. We also identified nine new L. monocytogenes sequence
      types, a new inlA PMSC, and several connections between CCs and the
      presence/absence or variations of specific genetic elements. A whole genome
      single-nucleotide-variants phylogeny revealed sporadic distribution of tolerant
      isolates and closely related sensitive and tolerant isolates, highlighting that
      minor genetic differences can influence the stress tolerance of L. monocytogenes.
      Specifically, a number of cold and desiccation sensitive isolates contained PMSCs
      in sigmaB regulator genes (rsbS, rsbU, rsbV). Collectively, the results suggest
      that knowing the sequence type of an isolate in addition to screening for the
      presence of full-length inlA and a plasmid, could help food processors and food
      agency investigators determine why certain isolates might be persisting in a food
      processing environment. Additionally, increased sequencing of L. monocytogenes
      isolates in combination with stress tolerance profiling, will enhance the ability
      to identify genetic elements associated with higher risk strains.

PMID- 28337190
TI  - Epidemiological Characteristics and Environmental Risk Factors of Severe Fever
      with Thrombocytopenia Syndrome in Hubei Province, China, from 2011 to 2016.
AB  - Severe fever with thrombocytopenia syndrome (SFTS) is a tick-borne viral disease
      affecting hundreds of people in China each year. To better understand the
      epidemiological characteristics and environmental risk factors associated with
      the incidence of SFTS in Hubei Province, China, we conducted a retrospective
      epidemiological study and risk assessment of SFTS from 2011 to 2016. Although,
      the incidence and epidemic areas of SFTS are increasing, the fatality rate has
      decreased. Elderly farmers are the population most commonly infected with SFTS
      virus between May and July in the northeast Hubei Province, which seems to be
      consistent with local agricultural activities and the seasonal abundance of
      ticks. Spatial scanning showed that regions bordering with Xinyang City, Henan
      Province accounted for most of the SFTS cases in Hubei Province, and there was a
      significant association of SFTS incidence with temporal changes in the climate
      within these clusters. Multivariate modeling analysis identified density of
      cattle, rain-fed cropland, built-up land, temperature, and relative humidity as
      independent risk factors for the distribution of SFTS. Future epidemiological and
      serological studies are warranted to elucidate the dynamics and immunity patterns
      of local SFTS disease and to optimize interventions.

PMID- 28337192
TI  - Editorial: Bioactive Compounds from Microbes.

PMID- 28337191
TI  - Toxoplasma gondii Infection in Immunocompromised Patients: A Systematic Review
      and Meta-Analysis.
AB  - Toxoplasma gondii has been suggested as an important opportunistic pathogen in
      immunocompromised patients. We conducted a global meta-analysis to assess the
      prevalence and odds ratios (ORs) of T. gondii infection in immunocompromised
      individuals. Electronic databases were reviewed for T. gondii infection in
      HIV/AIDS patients, cancer patients, and transplant recipients, and meta-analyses
      were conducted to calculate overall estimated prevalence and ORs using random or
      fixed-effects models. Totally, 72 eligible studies were included. The estimated
      pooled prevalence of T. gondii infection in immunocompromised patients and the
      control was 35.9 and 24.7% (p < 0.001), with an OR of 2.24, i.e., 42.1 and 32.0%
      for HIV/AIDS patients and the control (p < 0.05), 26.0 and 12.1% for cancer
      patients and the control (p < 0.001), and 42.1 and 34.5% for transplant
      recipients and the control (p > 0.05), whose estimated pooled ORs were 1.92 (95%
      CI, 1.44-2.55), 2.89 (95% CI, 2.36-3.55), and 1.51 (95% CI, 1.16-1.95),
      respectively. This study is the first to demonstrate that the immunocompromised
      patients are associated with higher odds of T. gondii infection, and appropriate
      prevention and control measures are highly recommended for these susceptible
      populations.

PMID- 28337193
TI  - Baicalin Protects Mice from Lethal Infection by Enterohemorrhagic Escherichia
      coli.
AB  - Shiga-like toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC) O157:H7 poses grave challenges
      to public health by its ability to cause severe colonic diseases and renal
      failure in both human and animals. Shiga-like toxins are the major pathogenic
      factor for some highly virulent E. coli expecially Shiga-like toxin 2.
      Conventional treatments such as antibiotics can facilitate the release of the
      toxin thus potentially exacerbate the diseases. Small molecule inhibitors and
      antibodies capable of neutralizing the toxins are the two major venues for the
      development of therapeutics against enterohemorrhagic serotype E. coli infection.
      While promising and potentially effective at clinical settings, these approaches
      need to overcome obstacles such as the limited routes of administration,
      responses from the host immune system, which are known to differ greatly among
      individuals. Our previous studies demonstrate that Baicalin (BAI), a flavonoid
      compound isolated from Scutellaria baicalensis protects against rStx2-induced
      cell cytotoxicity and also protects mice from lethal rStx2 challenges by inducing
      Stx2 to form inactive oligomers. In this manuscript, we present some exciting
      work showing that baicalin is an effective agent for therapeutic treatment of
      STEC O157:H7 infection.

PMID- 28337194
TI  - IL-1beta, IL-8, and Matrix Metalloproteinases-1, -2, and -10 Are Enriched upon
      Monocyte-Breast Cancer Cell Cocultivation in a Matrigel-Based Three-Dimensional
      System.
AB  - Breast cancer remains the first cancer-related cause of death in women worldwide,
      particularly in developing countries in which most cases are diagnosed in late
      stages. Although most cancer studies are based in the genetic or epigenetic
      changes of the tumor cells, immune cells within the tumor stroma often cooperate
      with cancer progression. Particularly, monocytes are attracted to the tumor
      primary site in which they are differentiated into tumor-associated macrophages
      that facilitate tumor cell invasion and metastasis. In this study, we used three
      dimensional cultures to form acini-like structures to analyze the inflammatory
      secretion profile of tumor cells individually or in co-culture with monocytes.
      Breast cancer cell lines and primary isolates from eight Mexican patients with
      breast cancer were used. We found high levels of RANTES/CCL5, MCP-1/CCL2, and G
      CSF in the breast cancer individual cultures, supporting an important recruitment
      capacity of monocytes, but also of neutrophils. The co-cultures of the tumor
      cells and monocytes were significantly enriched with the potent pro-inflammatory
      cytokines interleukin (IL)-1beta and IL-8, known to support malignant
      progression. We also found that the interaction of tumor cells with monocytes
      promoted high levels of matrix metalloproteinases (MMP)-1, MMP-2, and MMP-10. Our
      study supports that a key event for malignant progression is the recruitment of
      different immune cell populations, which help to sustain and enhance a chronic
      inflammatory microenvironment that highly favors tumor malignancy.

PMID- 28337196
TI  - Salmonella Typhi Porins OmpC and OmpF Are Potent Adjuvants for T-Dependent and T
      Independent Antigens.
AB  - Several microbial components, such as bacterial DNA and flagellin, have been used
      as experimental vaccine adjuvants because of their inherent capacity to
      efficiently activate innate immune responses. Likewise, our previous work has
      shown that the major Salmonella Typhi (S. Typhi) outer membrane proteins OmpC and
      OmpF (porins) are highly immunogenic protective antigens that efficiently
      stimulate innate and adaptive immune responses in the absence of exogenous
      adjuvants. Moreover, S. Typhi porins induce the expression of costimulatory
      molecules on antigen-presenting cells through toll-like receptor canonical
      signaling pathways. However, the potential of major S. Typhi porins to be used as
      vaccine adjuvants remains unknown. Here, we evaluated the adjuvant properties of
      S. Typhi porins against a range of experimental and clinically relevant antigens.
      Co-immunization of S. Typhi porins with ovalbumin (OVA), an otherwise poorly
      immunogenic antigen, enhanced anti-OVA IgG titers, antibody class switching, and
      affinity maturation. This adjuvant effect was dependent on CD4+ T-cell
      cooperation and was associated with an increase in IFN-gamma, IL-17A, and IL-2
      production by OVA-specific CD4+ T cells. Furthermore, co-immunization of S. Typhi
      porins with an inactivated H1N1 2009 pandemic influenza virus experimental
      vaccine elicited higher hemagglutinating anti-influenza IgG titers, antibody
      class switching, and affinity maturation. Unexpectedly, co-administration of S.
      Typhi porins with purified, unconjugated Vi capsular polysaccharide vaccine (Vi
      CPS)-a T-independent antigen-induced higher IgG antibody titers and class
      switching. Together, our results suggest that S. Typhi porins OmpC and OmpF are
      versatile vaccine adjuvants, which could be used to enhance T-cell immune
      responses toward a Th1/Th17 profile, while improving antibody responses to
      otherwise poorly immunogenic T-dependent and T-independent antigens.

PMID- 28337197
TI  - Hypofractionated Irradiation Has Immune Stimulatory Potential and Induces a
      Timely Restricted Infiltration of Immune Cells in Colon Cancer Tumors.
AB  - In addition to locally controlling the tumor, hypofractionated radiotherapy (RT)
      particularly aims to activate immune cells in the RT-modified microenvironment.
      Therefore, we examined whether hypofractionated RT can activate dendritic cells
      (DCs), induce immune cell infiltration in tumors, and how the chronology of
      immune cell migration into tumors occurs to gain knowledge for future definition
      of radiation breaks and inclusion of immunotherapy. Colorectal cancer treatments
      offer only limited survival benefit, and immunobiological principles for
      additional therapies need to be explored with preclinical models. The impact of
      hypofractionated RT on CT26 colon cancer tumor cell death, migration of DCs
      toward supernatants (SN) of tumor cells, and activation of DCs by SN were
      analyzed. The subcutaneous tumor of a BALB/c-CT26 mouse model was locally
      irradiated with 2 * 5 Gy, the tumor volume was monitored, and the infiltration of
      immune cells in the tumor was determined by flow cytometry daily.
      Hypofractionated RT induced a mixture of apoptotic and necrotic CT26 cells, which
      is known to be in particular immunogenic. DCs that migrated toward SN of CT26
      cells particularly upregulated the activation markers CD80 and CD86 when in
      contact with SN of irradiated tumor cells. After hypofractionated RT, the tumor
      outgrowth was significantly retarded and in the irradiated tumors an increased
      infiltration of macrophages (CD11bhigh/F4-80+) and DCs (MHC-II+), but only
      between day 5 and 10 after the first irradiation, takes place. While CD4+ T cells
      migrated into non-irradiated and irradiated tumors, CD8+ T cells were only found
      in tumors that had been irradiated and they were highly increased at day 8 after
      the first irradiation. Myeloid-derived suppressor cells and regulatory T cells
      show regular turnover in irradiated and non-irradiated tumors. Tumor cell
      specific anti-IgM antibodies were enhanced in the serum of animals with
      irradiated tumors. We conclude that hypofractionated RT suffices to activate DCs
      and to induce infiltration of innate and adaptive immune cells into solid
      colorectal tumors. However, the presence of immune cells in the tumor which are
      beneficial for antitumor immune responses is timely restricted. These findings
      should be considered when innovative multimodal tumor treatment protocols of
      distinct RT with immune therapies are designed and clinically implemented.

PMID- 28337195
TI  - NK Cells: Uncertain Allies against Malaria.
AB  - Until recently, studies of natural killer (NK) cells in infection have focused
      almost entirely on their role in viral infections. However, there is an
      increasing awareness of the potential for NK cells to contribute to the control
      of a wider range of pathogens, including intracellular parasites such as
      Plasmodium spp. Given the high prevalence of parasitic diseases in the developing
      world and the devastating effects these pathogens have on large numbers of
      vulnerable people, investigating interactions between NK cells and parasitized
      host cells presents the opportunity to reveal novel immunological mechanisms with
      the potential to aid efforts to eradicate these diseases. The capacity of NK
      cells to produce inflammatory cytokines early after malaria infection, as well as
      a possible role in direct cytotoxic killing of malaria-infected cells, suggests a
      beneficial impact of NK cells in this disease. However, NK cells may also
      contribute to overproduction of pro-inflammatory cytokines and the consequent
      immunopathology. As comparatively little is known about the role of NK cells
      later in the course of infection, and growing evidence suggests that
      heterogeneity in NK cell responses to malaria may be influenced by KIR/HLA
      interactions, a better understanding of the mechanisms by which NK cells might
      directly interact with parasitized cells may reveal a new role for these cells in
      the course of malaria infection.

PMID- 28337198
TI  - Role of Metallic Nanoparticles in Vaccinology: Implications for Infectious
      Disease Vaccine Development.
AB  - Subunit vaccines are safer but less immunogenic than live-attenuated vaccines or
      whole cell inactivated vaccines. Adjuvants are used to enhance and modulate
      antigen (Ag) immunogenicity, aiming to induce a protective and long-lasting
      immune response. Several molecules and formulations have been studied for their
      adjuvanticity, but only seven have been approved to formulate human vaccines.
      Metallic nanoparticles (MeNPs), particularly those containing gold and iron
      oxides, are widely used in medicine for diagnosis and therapy and have been used
      as carriers for drugs and vaccines. However, little is known about the immune
      response elicited by MeNPs or about their importance in the development of new
      vaccines. There is evidence that these particles display adjuvant
      characteristics, promoting cell recruitment, antigen-presenting cell activation,
      cytokine production, and inducing a humoral immune response. This review focuses
      on the characteristics of MeNPs that could facilitate the induction of a cellular
      immune response, particularly T-helper 1 and T-helper 17, and their potential
      functions as adjuvants for subunit vaccines.

PMID- 28337201
TI  - Phenotype and Tissue Residency of Lymphocytes in the Murine Oral Mucosa.
AB  - The oral mucosa is a critical barrier tissue that harbors a series of distinct
      immune cell subsets. Immune surveillance in the oral mucosa is important for both
      local and systemic immunity because the oral cavity is a heavily utilized route
      of pathogen entry and also serves as site of pathogen propagation. Nonetheless,
      composition and phenotype of the lymphocyte pool in the oral mucosa have remained
      poorly characterized. Utilizing a newly established protocol for mucosal immune
      cell isolation, here, we report that the oral mucosa features a unique cellular
      composition of immune cells, which differed not only from secondary lymphoid
      organs but also from mucosal tissues in the gut and lung. We observed profound
      accumulation of CD11b+Ly6Clo monocytes in the oral mucosa that were maintained
      independently of T- and B-lymphocytes. Unlike the gut mucosa, the oral mucosa
      neither contained CD8alphaalpha T cells nor was it enriched for CD103+CD69+
      tissue-resident memory CD8 T cells. In fact, a major fraction of T cells
      circulated and trafficked through the mucosa as revealed by treatment with the
      S1P1 receptor antagonist, FTY720, a potent inhibitor of lymphocyte migration.
      Collectively, these results provide a comprehensive picture of immune cells in
      the oral mucosa as an active site of lymphocyte recruitment and surveillance.

PMID- 28337199
TI  - Nutrient and Metabolic Sensing in T Cell Responses.
AB  - T cells play pivotal roles in shaping host immune responses in infectious
      diseases, autoimmunity, and cancer. The activation of T cells requires immune and
      growth factor-derived signals. However, alterations in nutrients and metabolic
      signals tune T cell responses by impinging upon T cell fates and immune
      functions. In this review, we summarize how key nutrients, including glucose,
      amino acids, and lipids, and their sensors and transporters shape T cell
      responses. We also briefly discuss regulation of T cell responses by oxygen and
      energy sensing mechanisms.

PMID- 28337200
TI  - Metabolic Hallmarks of Tumor and Immune Cells in the Tumor Microenvironment.
AB  - Cytotoxic T lymphocytes and NK cells play an important role in eliminating
      malignant tumor cells and the number and activity of tumor-infiltrating T cells
      represent a good marker for tumor prognosis. Based on these findings,
      immunotherapy, e.g., checkpoint blockade, has received considerable attention
      during the last couple of years. However, for the majority of patients, immune
      control of their tumors is gray theory as malignant cells use effective
      mechanisms to outsmart the immune system. Increasing evidence suggests that
      changes in tumor metabolism not only ensure an effective energy supply and
      generation of building blocks for tumor growth but also contribute to inhibition
      of the antitumor response. Immunosuppression in the tumor microenvironment is
      often based on the mutual metabolic requirements of immune cells and tumor cells.
      Cytotoxic T and NK cell activation leads to an increased demand for glucose and
      amino acids, a well-known feature shown by tumor cells. These close metabolic
      interdependencies result in metabolic competition, limiting the proliferation,
      and effector functions of tumor-specific immune cells. Moreover, not only
      nutrient restriction but also tumor-driven shifts in metabolite abundance and
      accumulation of metabolic waste products (e.g., lactate) lead to local
      immunosuppression, thereby facilitating tumor progression and metastasis. In this
      review, we describe the metabolic interplay between immune cells and tumor cells
      and discuss tumor cell metabolism as a target structure for cancer therapy.
      Metabolic (re)education of tumor cells is not only an approach to kill tumor
      cells directly but could overcome metabolic immunosuppression in the tumor
      microenvironment and thereby facilitate immunotherapy.

PMID- 28337202
TI  - Murine Cytomegalovirus Disrupts Splenic Dendritic Cell Subsets via Type I
      Interferon-Dependent and -Independent Mechanisms.
AB  - Dendritic cells (DC) are well-known modulators of immunity. This heterogeneous
      population is composed of defined subsets that exhibit functional specialization
      and are critical in initiating responses to pathogens. As such, many infectious
      agents employ strategies to disrupt DC functioning in attempts to evade the
      immune system. In some instances, this manifests as an outright loss of these
      cells. Previous work has suggested that, in the absence of an efficient natural
      killer (NK) cell response, murine cytomegalovirus (MCMV) induces large amounts of
      interferon (IFN)-I. This heightened IFN-I response is thought to contribute to
      conventional DC (cDC) loss and delayed development of T cell immunity. However,
      the precise role of IFN-I in such cDC loss remains unclear. We investigated the
      effects of licensed NK cells and IFN-I signaling on splenic cDC subsets during
      MCMV infection and found that a licensed NK cell response partially protects cDC
      numbers, but does not prevent increases in serum IFN-I. This suggested that high
      residual IFN-I could contribute to cDC loss. Therefore, we used multiple
      strategies to modulate IFN-I signaling during MCMV infection including
      plasmacytoid DC depletion, IFN-I receptor (IFNAR) blockade, and genetic ablation
      of IFNAR expression. Interestingly, restriction of IFN-I signals did not
      substantially preserve either CD8+ or CD4+ DC total numbers, but resulted in
      significant retention and/or accumulation of the splenic CD8- CD4- [double
      negative (DN)] subset. However, the DN DC effect manifested in a DC-extrinsic
      manner since IFNAR-deficient cells were not preferentially retained over their
      IFNAR wild-type counterparts in a mixed-chimera setting. Our results show that
      IFN-I signaling is not responsible for overt cDC toxicity in the setting of acute
      MCMV infection and emphasize that additional mechanisms contribute to DC loss and
      require exploration.

PMID- 28337204
TI  - Phenol-Soluble Modulin alpha Peptide Toxins from Aggressive Staphylococcus aureus
      Induce Rapid Formation of Neutrophil Extracellular Traps through a Reactive
      Oxygen Species-Independent Pathway.
AB  - Neutrophils have the ability to capture and kill microbes extracellularly through
      the formation of neutrophil extracellular traps (NETs). These are DNA and protein
      structures that neutrophils release extracellularly and are believed to function
      as a defense mechanism against microbes. The classic NET formation process,
      triggered by, e.g., bacteria, fungi, or by direct stimulation of protein kinase C
      through phorbol myristate acetate, is an active process that takes several hours
      and relies on the production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) that are further
      modified by myeloperoxidase (MPO). We show here that NET-like structures can also
      be formed by neutrophils after interaction with phenol-soluble modulin alpha
      (PSMalpha) that are cytotoxic membrane-disturbing peptides, secreted from
      community-acquired methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (CA-MRSA). The
      PSMalpha-induced NETs contained the typical protein markers and were able to
      capture microbes. The PSMalpha-induced NET structures were disintegrated upon
      prolonged exposure to DNase-positive S. aureus but not on exposure to DNase
      negative Candida albicans. Opposed to classic NETosis, PSMalpha-triggered NET
      formation occurred very rapidly, independently of ROS or MPO, and was also
      manifest at 4 degrees C. These data indicate that rapid NETs release may result
      from cytotoxic membrane disturbance by PSMalpha peptides, a process that may be
      of importance for CA-MRSA virulence.

PMID- 28337205
TI  - High Interferon-gamma Uniquely in Vdelta1 T Cells Correlates with Markers of
      Inflammation and Axonal Damage in Early Multiple Sclerosis.
AB  - We have identified a population of T lymphocytes in peripheral blood, Vdelta1
      TCRgammadelta T lymphocytes, which unexpectedly was uniquely expressing high
      production of interferon-gamma in newly diagnosed, untreated multiple sclerosis
      (MS) patients. IFN-gamma production in this population distinctly correlated to
      parameters of clinical disease activity, inflammation, and neuronal damage. These
      Vdelta1 T lymphocytes belong to a population of innate T lymphocytes that
      recognize antigen in the context of CD1d/CD1c and which include reactivity to the
      myelin glycosphingolipid sulfatide. Importantly, patients treated with
      natalizumab, blocking leukocyte transmigration to central nervous system, had
      completely normalized levels of interferon-gamma-producing Vdelta1 T lymphocytes.
      A biomarker and early sign of demyelinating disease in MS is much warranted and
      would help identify immunopathogenesis and prognosis of disease as well as
      monitor success with adequate treatment. The present study identifies the Vdelta1
      T lymphocytes as an early marker of MS and a possible link to understanding the
      disease etiology.

PMID- 28337206
TI  - Cases of Impaired Oxidative Burst in HIV-Exposed Uninfected Infants' Neutrophils
      A Pilot Study.
AB  - An increased risk of serious bacterial infections in HIV-exposed uninfected (HEU)
      infants has been demonstrated. Although neutrophils are essential for the
      protection of infants against bacterial infections, no study has investigated
      their profile in HEU infants to date. In this study, we assessed the function of
      neutrophils in HEU infants using the nitroblue tetrazolium reduction test. Among
      25 HEU infants, 9 (36%) showed a reduced ability of their neutrophils to produce
      reactive oxygen species upon stimulation with bacteria. No alteration of total
      neutrophil counts was noted in the blood of HEU infants indicating that the
      alteration observed in the 36% of HEU infants may only be functional.
      Conclusively, impaired neutrophil function could be a factor of vulnerability in
      HEU infants.

PMID- 28337203
TI  - A Universal Vaccine against Leptospirosis: Are We Going in the Right Direction?
AB  - Leptospirosis is the most widespread zoonosis in the world and a neglected
      tropical disease estimated to cause severe infection in more than one million
      people worldwide every year that can be combated by effective immunization.
      However, no significant progress has been made on the leptospirosis vaccine since
      the advent of bacterins over 100 years. Although protective against lethal
      infection, particularly in animals, bacterin-induced immunity is considered short
      term, serovar restricted, and the vaccine can cause serious side effects. The
      urgent need for a new vaccine has motivated several research groups to evaluate
      the protective immune response induced by recombinant vaccines. Significant
      protection has been reported with several promising outer membrane proteins,
      including LipL32 and the leptospiral immunoglobulin-like proteins. However,
      efficacy was variable and failed to induce a cross-protective response or sterile
      immunity among vaccinated animals. As hundreds of draft genomes of all known
      Leptospira species are now available, this should aid novel target discovery
      through reverse vaccinology (RV) and pangenomic studies. The identification of
      surface-exposed vaccine candidates that are highly conserved among infectious
      Leptospira spp. is a requirement for the development of a cross-protective
      universal vaccine. However, the lack of immune correlates is a major drawback to
      the application of RV to Leptospira genomes. In addition, as the protective
      immune response against leptospirosis is not fully understood, the rational use
      of adjuvants tends to be a process of trial and error. In this perspective, we
      discuss current advances, the pitfalls, and possible solutions for the
      development of a universal leptospirosis vaccine.

PMID- 28337207
TI  - Gastrointestinal Microbiome Dysbiosis in Infant Mice Alters Peripheral CD8+ T
      Cell Receptor Signaling.
AB  - We recently reported that maternal antibiotic treatment (MAT) of mice in the last
      days of pregnancy and during lactation dramatically alters the density and
      composition of the gastrointestinal microbiota of their infants. MAT infants also
      exhibited enhanced susceptibility to a systemic viral infection and altered
      adaptive immune cell activation phenotype and function. CD8+ effector T cells
      from MAT infants consistently demonstrate an inability to sustain interferon
      gamma (IFN-gamma) production in vivo following vaccinia virus infection and in
      vitro upon T cell receptor (TCR) stimulation. We hypothesize that T cells
      developing in infant mice with gastrointestinal microbiota dysbiosis and
      insufficient toll-like receptor (TLR) exposure alters immune responsiveness
      associated with intrinsic T cell defects in the TCR signaling pathway and
      compromised T cell effector function. To evaluate this, splenic T cells from day
      of life 15 MAT infant mice were stimulated in vitro with anti-CD3 and anti-CD28
      antibodies prior to examining the expression of ZAP-70, phosphorylated ZAP-70,
      phospho-Erk-1/2, c-Rel, total protein tyrosine phosphorylation, and IFN-gamma
      production. We determine that MAT infant CD8+ T cells fail to sustain total
      protein tyrosine phosphorylation and Erk1/2 activation. Lipopolysaccharide
      treatment in vitro and in vivo, partially restored IFN-gamma production in MAT
      effector CD8+ T cells and reduced mortality typically observed in MAT mice
      following systemic viral infection. Our results demonstrate a surprising
      dependence on the gastrointestinal microbiome and TLR ligand stimulation toward
      shaping optimal CD8+ T cell function during infancy.

PMID- 28337208
TI  - Natural Killer Cell Development and Maturation Revisited: Possible Implications
      of a Novel Distinct Lin-CD34+DNAM-1brightCXCR4+ Cell Progenitor.
AB  - Since the first description of natural killer (NK) cells, the view on their role
      in innate immunity has evolved considerably. In addition to first-line defense
      against transformed and pathogen-infected autologous cells, NK cells contribute
      to modulate adaptive immune responses and in some cases acquire specialized
      functions, including exhausted, adaptive, and decidual NK cells. NK cells derive
      from CD34+ progenitors, in vivo and in vitro; however, it is unclear whether the
      high phenotype diversity in vivo may be generated from these precursors alone.
      The recent characterization of a novel CD34+DNAM-1brightCXCR4+ precursor giving
      rise to apparently licensed and functional maturing NK cells may suggest the
      possibility for a higher than expected common lymphocyte precursor diversity and
      a consequently higher peripheral NK cell phenotype variability. Here, we review
      the evidences on NK cell central and peripheral development from CD34+ precursors
      and propose a possible updated reading frame based on the characterization of
      CD34+DNAM-1brightCXCR4+ cell progenies, which favors the possibility of
      concurrent NK cell maturation from different CD34+ precursors.

PMID- 28337209
TI  - Transcriptional Responses of Chilean Quinoa (Chenopodium quinoa Willd.) Under
      Water Deficit Conditions Uncovers ABA-Independent Expression Patterns.
AB  - HIGHLIGHTS R49 genotype displayed best performance on selected physiological
      parameters and highest tolerance to drought.R49 drought over-represented
      transcripts has exhibited 19% of genes (306 contigs) that presented no homology
      to published databases.Expression pattern for canonical responses to drought such
      as ABA biosynthesis and other genes induced in response to drought were assessed
      by qPCR. Global freshwater shortage is one of the biggest challenges of our time,
      often associated to misuse, increased consumption demands and the effects of
      climate change, paralleled with the desertification of vast areas. Chenopodium
      quinoa (Willd.) represents a very promising species, due to both nutritional
      content and cultivation under water constraint. We characterized drought
      tolerance of three Chilean genotypes and selected Genotype R49 (Salares ecotype)
      based upon Relative Water Content (RWC), Electrolyte Leakage (EL) and maximum
      efficiency of photosystem II (Fv/Fm) after drought treatment, when compared to
      another two genotypes. Exploratory RNA-Seq of R49 was generated by Illumina
      paired-ends method comparing drought and control irrigation conditions. We
      obtained 104.8 million reads, with 54 million reads for control condition and 51
      million reads for drought condition. Reads were assembled in 150,952 contigs,
      were 31,523 contigs have a reading frame of at least 300 nucleotides (100
      aminoacids). BLAST2GO annotation showed a 15% of genes without homology to NCBI
      proteins, but increased to 19% (306 contigs) when focused into drought-induced
      genes. Expression pattern for canonical drought responses such as ABA
      biosynthesis and other genes induced were assessed by qPCR, suggesting novelty of
      R49 drought responses.

PMID- 28337210
TI  - Assessing Wheat Traits by Spectral Reflectance: Do We Really Need to Focus on
      Predicted Trait-Values or Directly Identify the Elite Genotypes Group?
AB  - Phenotyping, via remote and proximal sensing techniques, of the agronomic and
      physiological traits associated with yield potential and drought adaptation could
      contribute to improvements in breeding programs. In the present study, 384
      genotypes of wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) were tested under fully irrigated (FI)
      and water stress (WS) conditions. The following traits were evaluated and
      assessed via spectral reflectance: Grain yield (GY), spikes per square meter
      (SM2), kernels per spike (KPS), thousand-kernel weight (TKW), chlorophyll content
      (SPAD), stem water soluble carbohydrate concentration and content (WSC and WSCC,
      respectively), carbon isotope discrimination (Delta13C), and leaf area index
      (LAI). The performances of spectral reflectance indices (SRIs), four regression
      algorithms (PCR, PLSR, ridge regression RR, and SVR), and three classification
      methods (PCA-LDA, PLS-DA, and kNN) were evaluated for the prediction of each
      trait. For the classification approaches, two classes were established for each
      trait: The lower 80% of the trait variability range (Class 1) and the remaining
      20% (Class 2 or elite genotypes). Both the SRIs and regression methods performed
      better when data from FI and WS were combined. The traits that were best
      estimated by SRIs and regression methods were GY and Delta13C. For most traits
      and conditions, the estimations provided by RR and SVR were the same, or better
      than, those provided by the SRIs. PLS-DA showed the best performance among the
      categorical methods and, unlike the SRI and regression models, most traits were
      relatively well-classified within a specific hydric condition (FI or WS), proving
      that classification approach is an effective tool to be explored in future
      studies related to genotype selection.

PMID- 28337211
TI  - Nutritional, Biophysical and Physiological Characteristics of Wild Rocket
      Genotypes As Affected by Soilless Cultivation System, Salinity Level of Nutrient
      Solution and Growing Period.
AB  - With the aim of defining the best management of nutrient solution (NS) in a
      soilless system for obtaining high quality baby-leaf rocket, the present study
      focuses on two wild rocket genotypes ("Nature" and "Naturelle"), grown in a
      greenhouse under two Southern Italy growing conditions-autumn-winter (AW) and
      winter-spring (WS)-using two soilless cultivation systems (SCS)-at two electrical
      conductivity values (EC) of NS. The SCSs used were the Floating System (FS) and
      Ebb and Flow System (EFS) and the EC values were 2.5 and 3.5 dS m-1 (EC2.5;
      EC3.5) for the AW cycle and 3.5 and 4.5 dS m-1 (EC3.5; EC4.5) for the WS cycle.
      The yield, bio-physical, physiological and nutritional characteristics were
      evaluated. Higher fresh (FY) (2.25 vs. 1.50 kg m-2) and dry (DY) (230.6 vs. 106.1
      g m-2) weight yield, leaf firmness (dry matter, 104.3 vs. 83.2 g kg-1 FW;
      specific leaf area, 34.8 vs. 24.2 g cm-2) and antioxidant compounds (vitamin C,
      239.0 vs. 152.7 mg kg-1 FW; total phenols, 997 vs. 450 mg GAE mg kg-1 FW; total
      glucosinulates-GLSs, 1,078.8 vs. 405.7 mg kg-1 DW; total antioxidant capacity
      TAC, 11,534 vs. 8,637 MUmol eq trolox kg-1 FW) and lower nitrates (1,470 vs.
      3,460 mg kg-1 FW) were obtained under WS conditions. The seasonal differences
      were evident on the GLS profile: some aliphatic GLSs (gluconapoleiferin,
      glucobrassicanapin) and indolic 4-OH-glucobrassicin were only expressed in WS
      conditions, while indolic glucobrassicin was only detected in the AW period.
      Compared with EFS, FS improved leaf firmness, visual quality, antioxidant content
      (TAC, +11.6%) and reduced nitrate leaf accumulation (-37%). "Naturelle" performed
      better than "Nature" in terms of yield, visual quality and nutritional profile,
      with differences more evident under less favorable climatic conditions and when
      the cultivars were grown in FS. Compared to EC2.5, the EC3.5 treatment did not
      affect DY while enhancing firmness, visual quality, and antioxidant compounds
      (TAC, +8%), and reducing the nitrate content (-47%). The EC4.5 treatment reduced
      FY and DY and the antioxidant content. Despite seasonal climatic condition
      variability, FS and the moderate salinity level of NS (3.5 dS m-1) can be
      suggested as optimum.

PMID- 28337212
TI  - Identification of Norway Spruce MYB-bHLH-WDR Transcription Factor Complex Members
      Linked to Regulation of the Flavonoid Pathway.
AB  - Transcription factors (TFs) forming MYB-bHLH-WDR complexes are known to regulate
      the biosynthesis of specialized metabolites in angiosperms through an intricate
      network. These specialized metabolites participate in a wide range of biological
      processes including plant growth, development, reproduction as well as in plant
      immunity. Studying the regulation of their biosynthesis is thus essential. While
      MYB (TFs) have been previously shown to control specialized metabolism (SM) in
      gymnosperms, the identity of their partners, in particular bHLH or WDR members,
      has not yet been revealed. To gain knowledge about MYB-bHLH-WDR transcription
      factor complexes in gymnosperms and their regulation of SW, we identified two
      bHLH homologs of AtTT8, six homologs of the MYB transcription factor AtTT2 and
      one WDR ortholog of AtTTG1 in Norway spruce. We investigated the expression
      levels of these genes in diverse tissues and upon treatments with various stimuli
      including methyl-salicylate, methyl-jasmonate, wounding or fungal inoculation. In
      addition, we also identified protein-protein interactions among different
      homologs of MYB, bHLH and WDR. Finally, we generated transgenic spruce cell lines
      overexpressing four of the Norway spruce AtTT2 homologs and observed differential
      regulation of genes in the flavonoid pathway and flavonoid contents.

PMID- 28337213
TI  - Root Branching Is a Leading Root Trait of the Plant Economics Spectrum in
      Temperate Trees.
AB  - Global vegetation models use conceived relationships between functional traits to
      simulate ecosystem responses to environmental change. In this context, the
      concept of the leaf economics spectrum (LES) suggests coordinated leaf trait
      variation, and separates species which invest resources into short-lived leaves
      with a high expected energy return rate from species with longer-lived leaves and
      slower energy return. While it has been assumed that being fast (acquisitive) or
      slow (conservative) is a general feature for all organ systems, the translation
      of the LES into a root economics spectrum (RES) for tree species has been
      hitherto inconclusive. This may be partly due to the assumption that the bulk of
      tree fine roots have similar uptake functions as leaves, despite the
      heterogeneity of their environments and resources. In this study we investigated
      well-established functional leaf and stature traits as well as a high number of
      fine root traits (14 traits split by different root orders) of 13 dominant or
      subdominant temperate tree species of Central Europe, representing two
      phylogenetic groups (gymnosperms and angiosperms) and two mycorrhizal
      associations (arbuscular and ectomycorrhizal). We found reflected variation in
      leaf and lower-order root traits in some (surface areas and C:N) but not all (N
      content and longevity) traits central to the LES. Accordingly, the LES was not
      mirrored belowground. We identified significant phylogenetic signal in
      morphological lower-order root traits, i.e., in root tissue density, root
      diameter, and specific root length. By contrast, root architecture (root
      branching) was influenced by the mycorrhizal association type which developed
      independent from phylogeny of the host tree. In structural equation models we
      show that root branching significantly influences both belowground (direct
      influence on root C:N) and aboveground (indirect influences on specific leaf area
      and leaf longevity) traits which relate to resource investment and lifespan. We
      conclude that branching of lower order roots can be considered a leading root
      trait of the plant economics spectrum of temperate trees, since it relates to the
      mycorrhizal association type and belowground resource exploitation; while the
      dominance of the phylogenetic signal over environmental filtering makes
      morphological root traits less central for tree economics spectra across
      different environments.

PMID- 28337214
TI  - Crystal Structure of the Chloroplastic Oxoene Reductase ceQORH from Arabidopsis
      thaliana.
AB  - Enzymatic and non-enzymatic peroxidation of polyunsaturated fatty acids give rise
      to accumulation of aldehydes, ketones, and alpha,beta-unsaturated carbonyls of
      various lengths, known as oxylipins. Oxylipins with alpha,beta-unsaturated
      carbonyls are reactive electrophile species and are toxic. Cells have evolved
      several mechanisms to scavenge reactive electrophile oxylipins and decrease their
      reactivity such as by coupling with glutathione, or by reduction using NAD(P)H
      dependent reductases and dehydrogenases of various substrate specificities. Plant
      cell chloroplasts produce reactive electrophile oxylipins named gamma-ketols
      downstream of enzymatic lipid peroxidation. The chloroplast envelope quinone
      oxidoreductase homolog (ceQORH) from Arabidopsis thaliana was previously shown to
      reduce the reactive double bond of gamma-ketols. In marked difference with its
      cytosolic homolog alkenal reductase (AtAER) that displays a high activity toward
      the ketodiene 13-oxo-9(Z),11(E)-octadecadienoic acid (13-KODE) and the ketotriene
      13-oxo-9(Z), 11(E), 15(Z)-octadecatrienoic acid (13-KOTE), ceQORH binds, but does
      not reduce, 13-KODE and 13-KOTE. Crystal structures of apo-ceQORH and ceQORH
      bound to 13-KOTE or to NADP+ and 13-KOTE have been solved showing a large ligand
      binding site, also observed in the structure of the cytosolic alkenal/one
      reductase. Positioning of the alpha,beta-unsaturated carbonyl of 13-KOTE in
      ceQORH-NADP+-13-KOTE, far away from the NADP+ nicotinamide ring, provides a
      rational for the absence of activity with the ketodienes and ketotrienes. ceQORH
      is a monomeric enzyme in solution whereas other enzymes from the quinone
      oxidoreductase family are stable dimers and a structural explanation of this
      difference is proposed. A possible in vivo role of ketodienes and ketotrienes
      binding to ceQORH is also discussed.

PMID- 28337216
TI  - Smart Data: Where the Big Data Meets the Semantics.

PMID- 28337215
TI  - Root Adaptive Responses to Aluminum-Treatment Revealed by RNA-Seq in Two Citrus
      Species With Different Aluminum-Tolerance.
AB  - Seedlings of aluminum (Al)-tolerant Citrus sinensis and Al-intolerant Citrus
      grandis were fertigated daily with nutrient solution containing 0 and 1.0 mM
      AlCl3?6H2O for 18 weeks. The Al-induced decreases of biomass and root total
      soluble proteins only occurred in C. grandis, demonstrating that C. sinensis had
      higher Al-tolerance than C. grandis. Under Al-treatment, C. sinensis roots
      secreted more citrate and malate than C. grandis ones; less Al was accumulated in
      C. sinenis than in C. grandis leaves. The Al-induced reduction of phosphorus was
      lesser in C. sinensis roots and leaves than in C. grandis ones, whereas the Al
      induced increase of sulfur was greater in C. sinensis roots and leaves. Using RNA
      seq, we isolated 1905 and 2670 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) from Al
      treated C. sinensis than C. grandis roots, respectively. Among these DEGs, only
      649 DEGs were shared by the two species. Further analysis suggested that the
      following several aspects conferred C. sinensis higher Al-tolerance: (a) Al
      treated C. sinensis seedlings had a higher external Al detoxification capacity
      via enhanced Al-induced secretion of organic acid anions, a higher antioxidant
      capacity and a more efficient chelation system in roots; (b) Al-treated C.
      sinensis seedlings displayed a higher level of sulfur in roots and leaves
      possibly due to increased uptake and decreased export of sulfur and a higher
      capacity to maintain the cellular phosphorus homeostasis by enhancing phosphorus
      acquisition and utilization; (c) Cell wall and cytoskeleton metabolism, energy
      and carbohydrate metabolism and signal transduction displayed higher adaptative
      responses to Al in C. sinensis than in C. grandis roots; (d) More upregulated
      than downregulated genes related to fatty acid and amino acid metabolisms were
      isolated from Al-treated C. sinensis roots, but the reverse was the case for Al
      treated C. grandis roots. These results provide a platform for further
      investigating the roles of genes possibly responsible for citrus Al-tolerance.

PMID- 28337217
TI  - Cost-Effectiveness Analysis of Helicobacter pylori Diagnostic Methods in Patients
      with Atrophic Gastritis.
AB  - Background. There are several diagnostic methods for Helicobacter pylori (H.
      pylori) infection. A cost-effective analysis is needed to decide on the optimal
      diagnostic method. The aim of this study was to determine a cost-effective
      diagnostic method in patients with atrophic gastritis (AG). Methods. A decision
      analysis model including seven diagnostic methods was constructed for patients
      with AG diagnosed by esophagogastroduodenoscopy. Expected values of cost and
      effectiveness were calculated for each test. Results. If the prevalence of H.
      pylori in the patients with AG is 85% and CAM-resistant H. pylori is 30%,
      histology, stool H. pylori antigen (SHPAg), bacterial culture (BC), and urine H.
      pylori antibody (UHPAb) were dominated by serum H. pylori IgG antibody (SHPAb),
      rapid urease test (RUT), and urea breath test (UBT). Among three undominated
      methods, the incremental cost-effective ratios (ICER) of RUT versus SHPAb and UBT
      versus RUT were $214 and $1914, respectively. If the prevalence of CAM-sensitive
      H. pylori was less than 55%, BC was not dominated, but its H. pylori eradication
      success rate was 0.86. Conclusions. RUT was the most cost-effective at the
      current prevalence of CAM-resistant H. pylori. BC could not be selected due to
      its poor effectiveness even if CAM-resistant H. pylori was more than 45%.

PMID- 28337218
TI  - Effect of Transplantation of Bone Marrow Derived Mesenchymal Stem Cells and
      Platelets Rich Plasma on Experimental Model of Radiation Induced Oral Mucosal
      Injury in Albino Rats.
AB  - Normal tissue damage following radiotherapy is still a major problem in cancer
      treatment. Therefore, the current work aimed at exploring the possible role of
      systemically injected bone marrow derived mesenchymal stem cells (BM-MSCs) and/or
      locally injected platelet rich plasma (PRP) in ameliorating the side effects of
      ionizing radiation on the rat's tongue. Twelve rats served as control group (N)
      and 48 rats received a single radiation dose of 13 Gy to the head and neck
      region; then, they were equally divided into 4 experimental groups: irradiated
      only (C), irradiated + MSCs (S), irradiated + (PRP) (P), and combined group (PS).
      Animal scarification occurred in 3 and 7 days after radiation. Then, tongues were
      dissected and examined histologically and for expression of bcl-2 by RT-PCR.
      Histological examination of the treated groups (S), (P), and (PS) revealed an
      obvious improvement in the histological structure of the tongue, compared to
      group (C), in addition to upregulated expression of bcl-2, indicating decreased
      apoptotic activity. Conclusion. BM-MSCs and PRP have shown positive effect in
      minimizing the epithelial atrophy of normal oral mucosa after regional
      radiotherapy, which was emphasized by decreasing apoptotic activity in these
      tissues. Nevertheless, combined use of BM-MSCs and PRP did not reveal the assumed
      synergetic effect in oral tissue protection.

PMID- 28337219
TI  - Neural Differentiation in HDAC1-Depleted Cells Is Accompanied by Coilin
      Downregulation and the Accumulation of Cajal Bodies in Nucleoli.
AB  - Cajal bodies (CBs) are important compartments containing accumulated proteins
      that preferentially regulate RNA-related nuclear events, including splicing.
      Here, we studied the nuclear distribution pattern of CBs in neurogenesis. In
      adult brains, coilin was present at a high density, but CB formation was absent
      in the nuclei of the choroid plexus of the lateral ventricles. Cells of the adult
      hippocampus were characterized by a crescent-like morphology of coilin protein.
      We additionally observed a 70 kDa splice variant of coilin in adult mouse brains,
      which was different to embryonic brains and mouse pluripotent embryonic stem
      cells (mESCs), characterized by the 80 kDa standard variant of coilin. Here, we
      also showed that depletion of coilin is induced during neural differentiation and
      HDAC1 deficiency in mESCs caused coilin accumulation inside the fibrillarin
      positive region of the nucleoli. A similar distribution pattern was observed in
      adult brain hippocampi, characterized by lower levels of both coilin and HDAC1.
      In summary, we observed that neural differentiation and HDAC1 deficiency lead to
      coilin depletion and coilin accumulation in body-like structures inside the
      nucleoli.

PMID- 28337220
TI  - Paracrine Secreted Frizzled-Related Protein 4 Inhibits Melanocytes
      Differentiation in Hair Follicle.
AB  - Wnt signaling plays crucial role in regulating melanocyte stem cells/melanocyte
      differentiation in the hair follicle. However, how the Wnt signaling is balanced
      to be overactivated to control follicular melanocytes behavior remains unknown.
      Here, by using immunofluorescence staining, we showed that secreted frizzled
      related protein 4 (sFRP4) is preferentially expressed in the skin epidermal cells
      rather than in melanocytes. By overexpression of sFRP4 in skin cells in vivo and
      in vitro, we found that sFRP4 attenuates activation of Wnt signaling, resulting
      in decrease of melanocytes differentiation in the regenerating hair follicle. Our
      findings unveiled a new regulator that involves modulating melanocytes
      differentiation through a paracrine mechanism in hair follicle, supplying a hope
      for potential therapeutic application to treat skin pigmentation disorders.

PMID- 28337221
TI  - Cancer Stem Cells and Their Microenvironment: Biology and Therapeutic
      Implications.
AB  - Tumor consists of heterogeneous cancer cells including cancer stem cells (CSCs)
      that can terminally differentiate into tumor bulk. Normal stem cells in normal
      organs regulate self-renewal within a stem cell niche. Likewise, accumulating
      evidence has also suggested that CSCs are maintained extrinsically within the
      tumor microenvironment, which includes both cellular and physical factors. Here,
      we review the significance of stromal cells, immune cells, extracellular matrix,
      tumor stiffness, and hypoxia in regulation of CSC plasticity and therapeutic
      resistance. With a better understanding of how CSC interacts with its niche, we
      are able to identify potential therapeutic targets for the development of more
      effective treatments against cancer.

PMID- 28337222
TI  - A Conditioned Medium of Umbilical Cord Mesenchymal Stem Cells Overexpressing
      Wnt7a Promotes Wound Repair and Regeneration of Hair Follicles in Mice.
AB  - Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) can affect the microenvironment of a wound and
      thereby accelerate wound healing. Wnt proteins act as key mediators of skin
      development and participate in the formation of skin appendages such as hair. The
      mechanisms of action of MSCs and Wnt proteins on skin wounds are largely unknown.
      Here, we prepared a Wnt7a-containing conditioned medium (Wnt-CM) from the
      supernatant of cultured human umbilical cord-MSCs (UC-MSCs) overexpressing Wnt7a
      in order to examine the effects of this CM on cutaneous healing. Our results
      revealed that Wnt-CM can accelerate wound closure and induce regeneration of hair
      follicles. Meanwhile, Wnt-CM enhanced expression of extracellular matrix (ECM)
      components and cell migration of fibroblasts but inhibited the migratory ability
      and expression of K6 and K16 in keratinocytes by enhancing expression of c-Myc.
      However, we found that the CM of fibroblasts treated with Wnt-CM (HFWnt-CM-CM)
      can also promote wound repair and keratinocyte migration; but there was no
      increase in the number of hair follicles of regeneration. These data indicate
      that Wnt7a and UC-MSCs have synergistic effects: they can accelerate wound repair
      and induce hair regeneration via cellular communication in the wound
      microenvironment. Thus, this study opens up new avenues of research on the
      mechanisms underlying wound repair.

PMID- 28337224
TI  - Gut Mesenchymal Stromal Cells in Immunity.
AB  - Mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs), first found in bone marrow (BM), are the
      structural architects of all organs, participating in most biological functions.
      MSCs possess tissue-specific signatures that allow their discrimination according
      to their origin and location. Among their multiple functions, MSCs closely
      interact with immune cells, orchestrating their activity to maintain overall
      homeostasis. The phenotype of tissue MSCs residing in the bowel overlaps with
      myofibroblasts, lining the bottom walls of intestinal crypts (pericryptal) or
      interspersed within intestinal submucosa (intercryptal). In Crohn's disease,
      intestinal MSCs are tightly stacked in a chronic inflammatory milieu, which
      causes their enforced expression of Class II major histocompatibility complex
      (MHC). The absence of Class II MHC is a hallmark for immune-modulator and
      tolerogenic properties of normal MSCs and, vice versa, the expression of HLA-DR
      is peculiar to antigen presenting cells, that is, immune-activator cells.
      Interferon gamma (IFNgamma) is responsible for induction of Class II MHC
      expression on intestinal MSCs. The reversal of myofibroblasts/MSCs from an immune
      modulator to an activator phenotype in Crohn's disease results in the formation
      of a fibrotic tube subverting the intestinal structure. Epithelial metaplastic
      areas in this context can progress to dysplasia and cancer.

PMID- 28337223
TI  - Emerging Perspectives in Scaffold for Tissue Engineering in Oral Surgery.
AB  - Bone regeneration is currently one of the most important and challenging tissue
      engineering approaches in regenerative medicine. Bone regeneration is a promising
      approach in dentistry and is considered an ideal clinical strategy in treating
      diseases, injuries, and defects of the maxillofacial region. Advances in tissue
      engineering have resulted in the development of innovative scaffold designs,
      complemented by the progress made in cell-based therapies. In vitro bone
      regeneration can be achieved by the combination of stem cells, scaffolds, and
      bioactive factors. The biomimetic approach to create an ideal bone substitute
      provides strategies for developing combined scaffolds composed of adult stem
      cells with mesenchymal phenotype and different organic biomaterials (such as
      collagen and hyaluronic acid derivatives) or inorganic biomaterials such as
      manufactured polymers (polyglycolic acid (PGA), polylactic acid (PLA), and
      polycaprolactone). This review focuses on different biomaterials currently used
      in dentistry as scaffolds for bone regeneration in treating bone defects or in
      surgical techniques, such as sinus lift, horizontal and vertical bone grafts, or
      socket preservation. Our review would be of particular interest to medical and
      surgical researchers at the interface of cell biology, materials science, and
      tissue engineering, as well as industry-related manufacturers and researchers in
      healthcare, prosthetics, and 3D printing, too.

PMID- 28337225
TI  - Bufei Huoxue Capsule Attenuates PM2.5-Induced Pulmonary Inflammation in Mice.
AB  - Atmospheric fine particulate matter 2.5 (PM 2.5) may carry many toxic substances
      on its surface and this may pose a public health threat. Epidemiological research
      indicates that cumulative ambient PM2.5 is correlated to morbidity and mortality
      due to pulmonary and cardiovascular diseases and cancer. Mitigating the toxic
      effects of PM2.5 is therefore highly desired. Bufei Huoxue (BFHX) capsules have
      been used in China to treat pulmonary heart disease (cor pulmonale). Thus, we
      assessed the effects of BFHX capsules on PM2.5-induced pulmonary inflammation and
      the underlying mechanisms of action. Using Polysearch and Cytoscape 3.2.1
      software, pharmacological targets of BFHX capsules in atmospheric PM2.5-related
      respiratory disorders were predicted and found to be related to biological
      pathways of inflammation and immune function. In a mouse model of PM2.5-induced
      inflammation established with intranasal instillation of PM2.5 suspension, BFHX
      significantly reduced pathological response and inflammatory mediators including
      IL-4, IL-6, IL-10, IL-8, TNF-alpha, and IL-1beta. BFHX also reduced keratinocyte
      growth factor (KGF), secretory immunoglobulin A (sIgA), and collagen fibers
      deposition in lung and improved lung function. Thus, BFHX reduced pathological
      responses induced by PM2.5, possibly via regulation of inflammatory mediators in
      mouse lungs.

PMID- 28337226
TI  - Tetramethylpyrazine Protects against Early Brain Injury after Experimental
      Subarachnoid Hemorrhage by Affecting Mitochondrial-Dependent Caspase-3 Apoptotic
      Pathway.
AB  - This study was to test the hypothesis that tetramethylpyrazine (TMP) protected
      against early brain injury after subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH) by affecting the
      mitochondrial-dependent caspase-3 apoptotic pathway. TMP was administrated after
      the rats' prechiasmatic SAH mode. Animal neurobehavioral functions were assessed
      and the mitochondrial morphology, mitochondrial and cytoplasmic calcium, and
      mitochondrial membrane potential changes (Deltapsim) of the brain tissues were
      measured. The expressions of cytoplasmic cytochrome c (cyt c), second
      mitochondria-derived activator of caspases (Smac), and cleaved caspase-3 B-cell
      lymphoma 2 (bcl-2) in cells were determined and cellular apoptosis was detected.
      The treatment of TMP resulted in less apoptotic cells and milder mitochondrial
      injury and potentially performed better in the neurobehavioral outcome compared
      to those with saline. Also, TMP ameliorated calcium overload in mitochondria and
      cytoplasm and alleviated the decrease of Deltapsim. In addition, TMP inhibited
      the expression of cytoplasmic cyt c, Smac, and cleaved caspase-3, yet it
      upregulated the expression of bcl-2. These findings suggest that TMP exerts an
      antiapoptosis property in the SAH rat model and this is probably mediated by the
      caspase-3 apoptotic pathway triggered by mitochondrial calcium overload. The
      finding offers a new therapeutic candidate for early brain injury after SAH.

PMID- 28337227
TI  - Potential Protective Effects of Bioactive Constituents from Chinese Propolis
      against Acute Oxidative Stress Induced by Hydrogen Peroxide in Cardiac H9c2
      Cells.
AB  - Chinese propolis (CP) is known as a health food but its beneficial effects in
      protecting cardiomyocytes remain elusive. Here, we investigated the effects of CP
      and its active compounds on hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) induced rats cardiomyocytes
      (H9c2) oxidative injury. Cell viability decreases induced by H2O2 were mitigated
      by different CP extracts using various solvents. From these active fractions, six
      active compounds were separated and identified. Among tested isolated compound,
      the cytoprotective activities of three caffeates, caffeic acid phenethyl ester
      (CAPE), benzyl caffeate (BZC), and cinnamyl caffeate (CNC), exerted stronger
      effects than chrysin, pinobanksin, and 3,4-dimethoxycinnamic acid (DMCA). These
      three caffeates also increased H9c2 cellular antioxidant potential, decreased
      intracellular calcium ion ([Ca2+]i) level, and prevented cell apoptosis. Overall,
      the cardiovascular protective effects of the CP might be attributed to its
      caffeates constituents (CAPE, BZC, and CNC) and provide evidence for its usage in
      complementary and alternative medicine.

PMID- 28337228
TI  - Evaluation of Efficacy and Safety of Dan'e-Fukang Soft Extract in the Treatment
      of Endometriosis: A Meta-Analysis of 39 Randomized Controlled Trials Enrolling
      5442 Patients.
AB  - Objective. To systematically evaluate the efficacy and safety of Dan'e-fukang
      soft extract in endometriosis treatment. Method. PubMed, CNKI, Wanfang Database,
      VIP, SinoMed, and Cochrane Library were searched. Randomized controlled trials
      (RCTs) comparing the efficacy of Dan'e-fukang soft extract and conventional
      western medicines for endometriosis treatment were included. The data were
      extracted independently by two people and analyzed using RevMan 5.2.0 software.
      The relative risk (RR) and mean difference (MD) with 95% confidence intervals
      were considered as effective outcome indicators. Results. Thirty-nine papers
      including 5442 patients with endometriosis were included in this study. A meta
      analysis revealed that Dan'e-fukang soft extract was more efficient than
      gestrinone in the treatment of endometriosis (RR = 1.08, 95% CI = 1.03 to 1.15,
      I2 = 71%, REM, 18 trials) and its efficacy was comparable to that of danazol and
      mifepristone. Dan'e-fukang soft extract was also as effective as gestrinone and
      mifepristone in terms of relapse rate and relieving dysmenorrhea. The incidence
      of adverse reactions was lower than that of conventional western medicines.
      Conclusions. The results of this study showed that Dan'e-fukang soft extract
      offers certain advantages in endometriosis treatment, but rigorously designed,
      strictly implemented RCTs are needed to further validate its efficacy.

PMID- 28337229
TI  - Allergic enteritis in children.
AB  - The gastrointestinal form of food allergy is very common in children. The most
      frequently observed types are allergic proctitis and proctocolitis. In most cases
      the symptoms subside within the first 2 months of life. The babies seem healthy,
      and the only abnormality is a small amount of blood in stool. Symptoms can also
      include small intestine inflammation and colitis. Patients may present with
      irritability, abdominal pain, flatulence, colic, postprandial vomiting, chronic
      diarrhoea, and hindered physical development. The diagnosis of allergic enteritis
      is based on the clinical examination and the results of additional tests
      including an endoscopy of the lower digestive tract with histopathological
      assessment. Cow's milk proteins are the most common nutrition proteins
      responsible for the development of the symptoms of allergic enteritis. The most
      essential method of treating allergic enteritis is the elimination diet. The
      symptoms should subside within 1-2 weeks from the beginning of the diet.

PMID- 28337231
TI  - Role of endoscopic submucosal dissection in treatment of rectal
      gastroenteropancreatic neuroendocrine neoplasms.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: A significant rise in incidence of rectal gastroenteropancreatic
      neuroendocrine neoplasms (GEP-NENs) has been observed in the last decade. Most
      detected gastroenteropancreatic neuroendocrine tumors (GEP-NETs) are well
      differentiated and less than 2 cm in diameter. Endoscopic submucosal dissection
      (ESD) is a new method for endoscopic treatment of such tumors, difficult to
      resect by conventional endoscopic techniques and thus subject to surgical
      treatment. AIM: To present the results of the endoscopic treatment of GEP NET
      tumors in the rectum using ESD in single academic center. MATERIAL AND METHODS:
      From June 2013 to April 2014, 4 cases of GEP-NET in the rectum were treated by
      ESD in our center. Effectiveness of dissection, complications and tumor
      recurrence after 3 months of treatment were then retrospectively investigated.
      RESULTS: The group contained 2 patients with primary rectal GEP-NET (1 male, 1
      female; age range: 48-60 years) and 2 with scars after incomplete polypectomy of
      rectal GEP-NET (1 male, 1 female; 61-65 years). Primary rectal GEP-NET diameters
      were 0.6 cm and 1.5 cm. Scar resection specimen diameters were 0.7 cm and 1 cm.
      Mean resection time was 28 min. The en bloc resection rate was 100% (2 of 2) and
      the histologically complete resection was confirmed in both cases. No foci of
      neuroendocrine neoplasia were reported in dissected scars. No complications were
      observed. After 3 months, 3 patients underwent follow-up colonoscopy - no local
      recurrence was reported. CONCLUSIONS: Endoscopic submucosal dissection of rectal
      GEP-NET should be recommended as a treatment of choice when dealing with lesions
      over 1 cm in diameter without invasion of the muscle layer. Due to technical
      difficulties, performing this procedure should be reserved for centers with
      appropriately trained endoscopic staff.

PMID- 28337230
TI  - Health-related quality of life assessment among patients with inflammatory bowel
      diseases after surgery - review.
AB  - Aim of the work was to review systematically the published literature addressing
      whether quality of life (QoL) and health-related QoL (HRQoL) are influenced by
      surgery among patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). Electronic
      databases and published articles were searched to identify relevant studies
      published in the years 1990-2015. Then, a multistep selection was undertaken to
      identify articles that met specific selection criteria, such us specific key
      words (IBD, HRQoL, ulcerative colitis (UC), Crohn's disease (CD), and surgery),
      and the population was assessed (studies concerning patients < 18 years old were
      excluded). The review included 27 studies that were evaluated in the context of
      the influence of surgery on QoL and HRQoL. Concluding, with the increase in the
      incidence of IBD, monitoring of QoL is an important indicator of the health
      effects at each stage of the surgical treatment.

PMID- 28337233
TI  - Diagnostic value of optimised real-time sonoelastography in the assessment of
      liver fibrosis in chronic hepatitis B and C.
AB  - AIM: To optimise the method of real-time elastography (RTE) in the assessment of
      liver fibrosis using an in-house prepared method for elastogram analysis, as well
      as a semiquantitative analysis based on newly introduced parameters. MATERIAL AND
      METHODS: Sonoelastography was performed in 94 patients with various degrees of
      liver fibrosis and also in 25 healthy volunteers. As a reference method for
      diagnostic efficacy of sonoelastography-based parameters used for the assessment
      of fibrosis degree in patients with chronic B and C hepatitis, a liver biopsy was
      used. Patient's elastograms were analysed using in-house prepared software, Pixel
      Count, calculating two semiquantitative parameters: mean stiffness fraction
      (MSF%) and intrinsic stiffness ratio (ISR). RESULTS: Statistically significant
      differences between distributions of the above presented parameters for different
      degrees of liver fibrosis were revealed. Indices of diagnostic efficacy for
      detection of significant liver fibrosis (F >= 2) using MSF% amounted to:
      sensitivity - 76%, specificity - 87% and ISR: 81% and 87%, respectively.
      Sensitivity of both parameters in detection of cirrhosis (F = 4) was equal to 88%
      and specificity amounted to: for MSF% - 84% and ISR - 86%. Interobserver
      reproducibility determined for both of the above parameters was high, intraclass
      correlation coefficients (ICC) were 0.91 for MSF% and 0.93 for ISR. CONCLUSIONS:
      Real-time elastography applied in this study, using in-house prepared Pixel Count
      software, provided good reproducibility and diagnostic efficacy, especially
      specificity, in the assessment of liver fibrosis degree.

PMID- 28337232
TI  - Melanosis coli in patients with colon cancer.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: Melanosis coli is a benign lesion affecting the mucosa of the large
      intestine. There is a relationship between the presence of melanosis and
      anthraquinone laxative use. Melanosis coli is also observed in patients with
      colon cancer, but there is doubt whether these two conditions are related. AIM:
      To analyze the correlation between melanosis and colon cancer. MATERIAL AND
      METHODS: We analyzed retrospectively 436 patients undergoing colon cancer
      surgery. There were 246 women and 190 men. Patients were divided into three age
      groups: under 50 years, between 51 and 65 years, and over 66 years. We analyzed
      sections of the cancer and intestinal mucosa from the tumor's proximal (2-5 cm)
      and distal (8-10 cm) zone. RESULTS: Melanosis coli was present in 52 patients,
      which represents 11.9% of patients with colon cancer. More often it was present
      in women. The most common location of melanosis and colon cancer was the terminal
      part of the large intestine. In patients below 50 years of age in both sexes
      melanosis coli did not occur. In men, melanosis was more common in the age group
      over 66 years. Intensity of pigmentation was higher in the tumor's distal zone.
      CONCLUSIONS: The incidence of melanosis coli increases with age, similar to that
      of colon cancer. Melanosis was not present inside tumors, in almost half of the
      cases it was not present in the proximal zone, and the degree of pigmentation
      increased in distal zone. The cause-effect relationship between melanosis coli
      and colon cancer remains uncertain.

PMID- 28337234
TI  - Is computerised tomography better than fibreoptic gastroscopy for early detection
      of gastric varices?
AB  - INTRODUCTION: Video endoscopic diagnosis of gastric varices is particularly
      limited, owing to the deep submucosal or subserosal location of the varices and
      the normal appearance of the overlying mucosa. AIM: We present and emphasise the
      value of computerised tomography (CT) examination in the early detection of
      gastric varices (GVs). MATERIAL AND METHODS: In this retrospective study, a total
      of 216 consecutive patients with cirrhosis were evaluated at the Turkiye Yuksek
      Ihtisas Training and Research Hospital between September 2008 and March 2011.
      RESULTS: One hundred and thirty patients with cirrhosis were enrolled in the
      study. The mean age of the male (88 cases) patients was 59.45 +/-2.42 years, and
      the mean age of the female (42 cases) patients was 56.29 +/-1.14 years.
      Computerised tomography identified oesophageal varices (EVs) in 103/130 patients,
      and endoscopy identified EVs in 103/130 patients. Computerised tomography
      identified GVs in 86/130 patients, and endoscopy identified GVs in 26/130
      patients. After endoscopic elastic band ligation (EBL), CT identified GVs in
      22/26 patients, and endoscopy identified GVs in 7/26 patients. CONCLUSIONS:
      Gastric varices lie in the submucosa, deeper than EVs, and distinguishing GVs
      from gastric rugae may be difficult with video endoscopy. This study demonstrated
      that CT is a sensitive method for early detection of GVs and has been used
      previously in the evaluation of GVs.

PMID- 28337235
TI  - The concentration of calprotectin in the stools of children with diagnosed cystic
      fibrosis.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: Calprotectin is a protein that plays a regulatory role in
      inflammatory reactions as an antibacterial and antiproliferative factor. AIM: To
      assess the concentration of calprotectin in the stools of patients with diagnosed
      cystic fibrosis. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Forty-one patients were included in the
      study, 24 boys and 17 girls, aged from 7 weeks to 18 years. The concentration of
      calprotectin in stools was assessed with the ELISA method. The analysis included
      clinical symptoms and the results of laboratory tests and the type of mutation.
      RESULTS: An elevated level of calprotectin in the stool was observed in 4/41
      (9.7%) patients, mainly in older children, and mainly delta F508/deltaF508
      mutation. The correlation between the concentration of calprotectin and clinical
      symptoms, age, increased indicators of an inflammatory process, levels of protein
      and aminotransferases in blood serum and the values of acid steatocrit of the
      stool was not proven. CONCLUSIONS: High concentrations of calprotectin in the
      stools of children with diagnosed cystic fibrosis do not correlate with the level
      of advancement of lesions within the gastrointestinal tract. Elevated
      concentrations of calprotectin in the stools of patients with cystic fibrosis may
      indicate inflammation of intestine and should be further scrutinised.

PMID- 28337236
TI  - Adalimumab for endoscopic and histopathological mucosal healing in paediatric
      patients with moderate to severe Crohn's disease.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: Deep remission, defined as clinical remission with mucosal healing
      (MH), with anti-tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-alpha agents is a new target for
      therapy in Crohn's disease (CD). Provided that the efficacy of infliximab (IFX)
      for induction of MH in CD has been demonstrated, there are much less data for
      adalimumab (ADA), and none concerning MH on histopathological examination. AIM:
      To assess the impact of biological therapy with ADA on both endoscopic and
      histopathological MH in paediatric patients with CD. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Twenty
      three children (10 boys and 13 girls) aged 13.0 +/-9.3 years with moderate to
      severely active CD diagnosed at the mean age of 5.5 +/-0.83 years were included
      into the study. Seven (30.4%) patients had been previously treated with
      infliximab and switched to ADA due to intolerance or loss of response.
      Colonoscopy and gastroscopy with sample collection were performed in all patients
      before and after induction treatment with ADA. Clinical activity of the disease
      was assessed using the Paediatric Crohn's Disease Activity Index (PCDAI), and the
      endoscopic activity was scored using the Simple Endoscopic Score (SES-CD).
      Histological changes were evaluated by a self-adapted numerical scoring system.
      RESULTS: Four (17.4%) patients reached clinical remission (PCDAI <= 10). When
      comparing data at baseline and at a week after ADA treatment, a significant
      decrease was observed in median PCDAI and in SES-CD score between the initial and
      control colonoscopies. We reported a decrease in histological scale, which was
      not statistically significant. A correlation was found between PCDAI and SES-CD
      score. CONCLUSIONS: Biological therapy with ADA has a positive impact on
      endoscopic mucosal healing in paediatric patients with CD, which is not
      associated with histological evidence of suppression of inflammation. Endoscopic
      MH correlates better than microscopic one with clinical remission.

PMID- 28337238
TI  - Body composition as an indicator of the nutritional status in children with newly
      diagnosed ulcerative colitis and Crohn's disease - a prospective study.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: The prevalence of nutritional status disorders in children with
      ulcerative colitis (UC) is much lower than in the case of Crohn's disease (CD).
      The largest variability in the components of body composition occurs at the time
      of a new diagnosis and in periods of disease exacerbation. AIM: Assessment of
      body composition in children with UC and CD. MATERIAL AND METHODS: The
      preliminary study included 59 children with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) (34
      children with UC vs. 25 children with CD) aged 4-18 years. The final analysis
      included 26 newly diagnosed children (16 children with UC vs. 10 children with
      CD). The evaluation of body composition was conducted by means of BIA-101
      bioimpedance analyser. RESULTS: Decreased values of lean mass were found in
      children with newly diagnosed IBD (UC: 41.13 kg vs. control group: 42.06 kg; CD:
      35.50 kg vs. control group: 45.50 kg). After a year interval, an increase in fat
      (UC 1: 7.67 kg vs. UC 2: 10.33 kg; CD 1: 7.36 kg vs. CD 2: 9.47 kg) as well as
      lean body mass (UC 1: 35.22 kg vs. UC 2: 39.00 kg; CD 1: 35.99 kg vs. CD 2: 42.41
      kg) was found in children. CONCLUSIONS: Children with newly diagnosed IBD were
      highly vulnerable to nutritional status disturbances. The increase in fat and
      lean body mass in an annual interval may be due to the treatment regime and
      control of the children.

PMID- 28337237
TI  - Relationship between Helicobacter pylori infection and celiac disease: a cross
      sectional study and a brief review of the literature.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: Whether Helicobacter pylori triggers celiac disease (CD) or
      protects against CD is currently the subject of research. In the literature,
      there are epidemiologic studies that have reported conflicting results regarding
      the association between H. pylori and CD. AIM: To compare the prevalence of CD
      autoantibody positivity and the levels of CD autoantibodies between H. pylori
      positive and H. pylori-negative subjects. MATERIAL AND METHODS: This study was
      prospectively designed and included 240 dyspeptic patients who underwent upper
      gastrointestinal endoscopy with gastric and duodenal biopsies. The patients were
      divided into two groups according to presence of H. pylori infection. The serum
      levels of immunoglobulin (Ig) A, tissue transglutaminase antibodies (tTGA; IgA
      and IgG classes), and anti-endomysial antibodies (EMA; IgA and IgG classes) were
      measured for all participants by a blinded biochemistry expert. RESULTS: There
      were no significant differences in the serum levels of CD autoantibodies or IgA
      between the two groups. There were also no significant differences in the
      percentages of subjects with positive CD serologies or subjects with IgA
      deficiencies between the groups. CONCLUSIONS: Helicobacter pylori remains one of
      the bacterial species that is most likely to trigger autoimmunity. However,
      studies have failed to reveal a relationship between H. pylori and CD; thus,
      additional basic work on the immunological aspects of the microbial-host
      interactions and longitudinal studies enrolling patients at very early stages of
      the disease may help us to address this issue.

PMID- 28337239
TI  - Disease activity, quality of life, and indirect costs of ulcerative colitis in
      Poland.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: Ulcerative colitis (UC) require expensive, lifelong treatment,
      which generates huge direct costs and has a significant impact on the quality of
      life, especially in the active state of the disease. AIM: To assess the indirect
      costs, health-related quality of life, and clinical characteristics of patients
      with UC in Poland. Additionally, we investigated the association between activity
      of UC and productivity loss of patients in a Polish setting. MATERIAL AND
      METHODS: A questionnaire survey was conducted using the Patient Simple Clinical
      Colitis Activity Index (P-SCCAI) to assess disease activity, as well as the
      modified Work Productivity and Activity Impairment Questionnaire to assess
      productivity loss. The quality of life was presented as utility calculated with
      the EQ-5D-3L questionnaire. Indirect costs were assessed with the Human Capital
      Approach and were expressed in Polish zlotys (PLN) as well as in euros (?).
      Correlations were presented using the Spearman coefficient. RESULTS: We performed
      our analysis based on 202 full questionnaires collected. Mean patient age and age
      at disease onset were 33.14 years (standard deviation (SD): 9.90) and 26.35 years
      (SD: 8.89), respectively. The mean P-SCCAI score in the analysed group of
      patients was 8.26, and the mean utility was 0.8651. Average and median annual
      indirect costs per working person were ?2043 and ?1389 (8543 PLN and 5808 PLN),
      respectively, calculated using the gross domestic product, as well as ?4791 and
      ?3257 (20,026 PLN and 13,615 PLN), respectively, calculated using the gross value
      added. Total productivity loss was significantly correlated with the disease
      activity. CONCLUSIONS: Ulcerative colitis causes a decrease in the quality of
      life as well as patients' productivity loss associated with both absenteeism and
      with presenteeism.

PMID- 28337240
TI  - Autoimmune pancreatitis as a component of autoimmune polyglandular syndrome.

PMID- 28337241
TI  - Rotavirus gastroenteritis and a rare case accompanying acute pancreatitis.

PMID- 28337242
TI  - Mucosal gastric calcinosis in a hypocalcaemic patient.

PMID- 28337243
TI  - Residue-Specific Interactions of an Intrinsically Disordered Protein with Silica
      Nanoparticles and their Quantitative Prediction.
AB  - Elucidation of the driving forces that govern interactions between nanoparticles
      and intrinsically disordered proteins (IDP) is important for the understanding of
      the effect of nanoparticles in living systems and for the design of new
      nanoparticle-based assays to monitor health and combat disease. The quantitative
      interaction profile of the intrinsically disordered transactivation domain of p53
      and its mutants with anionic silica nanoparticles is reported at atomic
      resolution using nuclear magnetic spin relaxation experiments. These profiles are
      analyzed with a novel interaction model that is based on a quantitative
      nanoparticle affinity scale separately derived for the 20 natural amino acids.
      The results demonstrate how the interplay of attractive and repulsive Coulomb
      interactions with hydrophobic effects is responsible for the sequence-dependent
      binding of a disordered protein to nanoparticles.

PMID- 28337246
TI  - Lipid Peroxidation Products in Human Health and Disease 2016.

PMID- 28337244
TI  - Rat Liver Enzyme Release Depends on Blood Flow-Bearing Physical Forces Acting in
      Endothelium Glycocalyx rather than on Liver Damage.
AB  - We have found selective elevation of serum enzyme activities in rats subjected to
      partial hepatectomy (PH), apparently controlled by hemodynamic flow-bearing
      physical forces. Here, we assess the involvement of stretch-sensitive calcium
      channels and calcium mobilization in isolated livers, after chemical
      modifications of the endothelial glycocalyx and changing perfusion
      directionality. Inhibiting in vivo protein synthesis, we found that liver enzyme
      release is influenced by de novo synthesis of endothelial glycocalyx components,
      and released enzymes are confined into a liver "pool." Moreover, liver enzyme
      release depended on extracellular calcium entry possibly mediated by stretch
      sensitive calcium channels, and this endothelial-mediated mechanotransduction in
      liver enzyme release was also evidenced by modifying the glycocalyx carbohydrate
      components, directionality of perfusing flow rate, and the participation of
      nitric oxide (NO) and malondialdehyde (MDA), leading to modifications in the
      intracellular distribution of these enzymes mainly as nuclear enrichment of
      "mitochondrial" enzymes. In conclusion, the flow-induced shear stress may provide
      fine-tuned control of released hepatic enzymes through mediation by the
      endothelium glycocalyx, which provides evidence of a biological role of the
      enzyme release rather to be merely a biomarker for evaluating hepatotoxicity and
      liver damage, actually positively influencing progression of liver regeneration
      in mammals.

PMID- 28337247
TI  - Neuroprotection in Neurodegenerative Disease: From Basic Science to Clinical
      Applications.

PMID- 28337245
TI  - Multifarious Beneficial Effect of Nonessential Amino Acid, Glycine: A Review.
AB  - Glycine is most important and simple, nonessential amino acid in humans, animals,
      and many mammals. Generally, glycine is synthesized from choline, serine,
      hydroxyproline, and threonine through interorgan metabolism in which kidneys and
      liver are the primarily involved. Generally in common feeding conditions, glycine
      is not sufficiently synthesized in humans, animals, and birds. Glycine acts as
      precursor for several key metabolites of low molecular weight such as creatine,
      glutathione, haem, purines, and porphyrins. Glycine is very effective in
      improving the health and supports the growth and well-being of humans and
      animals. There are overwhelming reports supporting the role of supplementary
      glycine in prevention of many diseases and disorders including cancer. Dietary
      supplementation of proper dose of glycine is effectual in treating metabolic
      disorders in patients with cardiovascular diseases, several inflammatory
      diseases, obesity, cancers, and diabetes. Glycine also has the property to
      enhance the quality of sleep and neurological functions. In this review we will
      focus on the metabolism of glycine in humans and animals and the recent findings
      and advances about the beneficial effects and protection of glycine in different
      disease states.

PMID- 28337248
TI  - Oxidative Stress and Autophagy in Metabolism and Longevity.

PMID- 28337249
TI  - Cellular Homeostasis and Antioxidant Response in Epithelial HT29 Cells on Titania
      Nanotube Arrays Surface.
AB  - Cell growth and proliferative activities on titania nanotube arrays (TNA) have
      raised alerts on genotoxicity risk. Present toxicogenomic approach focused on
      epithelial HT29 cells with TNA surface. Fledgling cell-TNA interaction has
      triggered G0/G1 cell cycle arrests and initiates DNA damage surveillance
      checkpoint, which possibly indicated the cellular stress stimuli. A profound gene
      regulation was observed to be involved in cellular growth and survival signals
      such as p53 and AKT expressions. Interestingly, the activation of redox regulator
      pathways (antioxidant defense) was observed through the cascade interactions of
      GADD45, MYC, CHECK1, and ATR genes. These mechanisms furnish to protect DNA
      during cellular division from an oxidative challenge, set in motion with XRRC5
      and RAD50 genes for DNA damage and repair activities. The cell fate decision on
      TNA-nanoenvironment has been reported to possibly regulate proliferative
      activities via expression of p27 and BCL2 tumor suppressor proteins, cogent with
      SKP2 and BCL2 oncogenic proteins suppression. Findings suggested that epithelial
      HT29 cells on the surface of TNA may have a positive regulation via cell
      homeostasis mechanisms: a careful circadian orchestration between cell
      proliferation, survival, and death. This nanomolecular knowledge could be
      beneficial for advanced medical applications such as in nanomedicine and
      nanotherapeutics.

PMID- 28337250
TI  - Podocyte Injury and Albuminuria in Experimental Hyperuricemic Model Rats.
AB  - Although hyperuricemia is shown to accelerate chronic kidney disease, the
      mechanisms remain unclear. Accumulating studies also indicate that uric acid has
      both pro- and antioxidant properties. We postulated that hyperuricemia impairs
      the function of glomerular podocytes, resulting in albuminuria. Hyperuricemic
      model was induced by oral administration of 2% oxonic acid, a uricase inhibitor.
      Oxonic acid caused a twofold increase in serum uric acid levels at 8 weeks when
      compared to control animals. Hyperuricemia in this model was associated with the
      increase in blood pressure and the wall-thickening of afferent arterioles as well
      as arcuate arteries. Notably, hyperuricemic rats showed significant albuminuria,
      and the podocyte injury marker, desmin, was upregulated in the glomeruli.
      Conversely, podocin, the key component of podocyte slit diaphragm, was
      downregulated. Structural analysis using transmission electron microscopy
      confirmed podocyte injury in this model. We found that urinary 8-hydroxy-2'
      deoxyguanosine levels were significantly increased and correlated with
      albuminuria and podocytopathy. Interestingly, although the superoxide dismutase
      mimetic, tempol, ameliorated the vascular changes and the hypertension, it failed
      to reduce albuminuria, suggesting that vascular remodeling and podocyte injury in
      this model are mediated through different mechanisms. In conclusion, vasculopathy
      and podocytopathy may distinctly contribute to the kidney injury in a
      hyperuricemic state.

PMID- 28337251
TI  - Pentaerythritol Tetranitrate In Vivo Treatment Improves Oxidative Stress and
      Vascular Dysfunction by Suppression of Endothelin-1 Signaling in Monocrotaline
      Induced Pulmonary Hypertension.
AB  - Objective. Oxidative stress and endothelial dysfunction contribute to pulmonary
      arterial hypertension (PAH). The role of the nitrovasodilator pentaerythritol
      tetranitrate (PETN) on endothelial function and oxidative stress in PAH has not
      yet been defined. Methods and Results. PAH was induced by monocrotaline (MCT,
      i.v.) in Wistar rats. Low (30 mg/kg; MCT30), middle (40 mg/kg; MCT40), or high
      (60 mg/kg; MCT60) dose of MCT for 14, 28, and 42 d was used. MCT induced
      endothelial dysfunction, pulmonary vascular wall thickening, and fibrosis, as
      well as protein tyrosine nitration. Pulmonary arterial pressure and heart/body
      and lung/body weight ratio were increased in MCT40 rats (28 d) and reduced by
      oral PETN (10 mg/kg, 24 d) therapy. Oxidative stress in the vascular wall, in the
      heart, and in whole blood as well as vascular endothelin-1 signaling was
      increased in MCT40-treated rats and normalized by PETN therapy, likely by
      upregulation of heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1). PETN therapy improved endothelium
      dependent relaxation in pulmonary arteries and inhibited endothelin-1-induced
      oxidative burst in whole blood and the expression of adhesion molecule (ICAM-1)
      in endothelial cells. Conclusion. MCT-induced PAH impairs endothelial function
      (aorta and pulmonary arteries) and increases oxidative stress whereas PETN
      markedly attenuates these adverse effects. Thus, PETN therapy improves pulmonary
      hypertension beyond its known cardiac preload reducing ability.

PMID- 28337252
TI  - Small Interfering RNA Targeting Mitochondrial Calcium Uniporter Improves
      Cardiomyocyte Cell Viability in Hypoxia/Reoxygenation Injury by Reducing Calcium
      Overload.
AB  - Intracellular Ca2+ mishandling is an underlying mechanism in
      hypoxia/reoxygenation (H/R) injury that results in mitochondrial dysfunction and
      cardiomyocytes death. These events are mediated by mitochondrial Ca2+ (mCa2+)
      overload that is facilitated by the mitochondrial calcium uniporter (MCU)
      channel. Along this line, we evaluated the effect of siRNA-targeting MCU in
      cardiomyocytes subjected to H/R injury. First, cardiomyocytes treated with siRNA
      demonstrated a reduction of MCU expression by 67%, which resulted in significant
      decrease in mitochondrial Ca2+ transport. siRNA treated cardiomyocytes showed
      decreased mitochondrial permeability pore opening and oxidative stress trigger by
      Ca2+ overload. Furthermore, after H/R injury MCU silencing decreased necrosis and
      apoptosis levels by 30% and 50%, respectively, and resulted in reduction in
      caspases 3/7, 9, and 8 activity. Our findings are consistent with previous
      conclusions that demonstrate that MCU activity is partly responsible for cellular
      injury induced by H/R and support the concept of utilizing siRNA-targeting MCU as
      a potential therapeutic strategy.

PMID- 28337253
TI  - Hepatoprotective Effects of Antrodia cinnamomea: The Modulation of Oxidative
      Stress Signaling in a Mouse Model of Alcohol-Induced Acute Liver Injury.
AB  - In the present study, the components of A. cinnamomea (AC) mycelia were
      systematically analyzed. Subsequently, its hepatoprotective effects and the
      underlying mechanisms were explored using a mouse model of acute alcohol-induced
      liver injury. AC contained 25 types of fatty acid, 16 types of amino acid, 3
      types of nucleotide, and 8 types of mineral. The hepatoprotective effects were
      observed after 2 weeks of AC treatment at doses of 75 mg/kg, 225 mg/kg, and 675
      mg/kg in the mouse model. These effects were indicated by the changes in the
      levels of aspartate aminotransferase, alanine aminotransferase, several oxidation
      related factors, and inflammatory cytokines in serum and/or liver samples. AC
      reduced the incidence rate of necrosis, inflammatory infiltration, fatty droplets
      formation, and cell apoptosis in liver detecting via histological and TUNEL
      assay. In addition, AC reduced the expression of cleaved caspase-3, -8, and -9
      and the levels of phosphor-protein kinase B (Akt) and phosphor-nuclear factor
      kappaB (NF-kappaB) in the liver samples. Collectively, AC-mediated
      hepatoprotective effects in a mouse model of acute alcohol-induced liver injury
      are the result of reduction in oxidative stress. This may be associated with
      Akt/NF-kappaB signaling. These results provide valuable evidence to support the
      use of A. cinnamomea as a functional food and/or medicine.

PMID- 28337255
TI  - Combined therapy with melatonin and exendin-4 effectively attenuated the
      deterioration of renal function in rat cardiorenal syndrome.
AB  - This study tested the hypothesis that combined therapy with melatonin (Mel) and
      exendin-4 (Ex4) would be superior to either therapy alone for preventing the
      deterioration of renal function in cardiorenal syndrome (CRS). Male adult Sprague
      Dawley rats (n = 48) were randomly and equally divided into sham-control (SC),
      chronic kidney disease (CKD; induced by 5/6 nephrectomy), CRS (CKD + dilated
      cardiomyopathy, DCM; induced by doxorubicin 7 mg/kg i.p. every 5 days, 4 doses),
      CRS-Mel (20 mg/kg/day), CRS-Ex4 (10 ug/kg/day) and CRS-Mel-Ex4. They were
      euthanized by day 60 after CRS induction. By day 60, plasma creatinine level,
      urine protein/creatinine ratio and kidney injury histopathology score were
      highest in CRS, lowest in SC, and progressively decreased from CKD, CRS-Mel, CRS
      Ex4 to CRS-Mel-Ex4 (all P<0.0001). The kidney protein expressions of inflammation
      (TNF-alpha/NF-kappaB/MMP-9/iNOS/RANTES), oxidative stress (NOX-1/NOX-2/NOX
      4/oxidized protein), apoptosis (cleaved caspase-3/cleaved PARP/Bax), DNA-damaged
      marker (gamma-H2AX) and fibrosis (p-mad3/TFG-beta) showed identical patterns of
      creatinine level, whereas kidney protein expressions of GLP-1R showed a
      progressive increase from SC to CRS-Mel-Ex4 (all P<0.0001). Cellular expressions
      of inflammatory (CD14/CD68), DNA/kidney-damaged (gamma-H2AX/KIM-1) and
      podocyte/renal tubule dysfunction signaling (beta-catenin/Wnt1/Wnt4) biomarkers
      in kidney tissue exhibited an identical pattern of creatinine level (all
      P<0.0001). Podocyte components (podocin/dystroglycan/p-cadherin/synatopodin) were
      highest in SC, lowest in CRS, and significantly progressively increased from CKD
      to CRS-Mel-Ex4 (all P<0.0001). In conclusion, combined Mel-Ex4 therapy was
      superior to either one alone in preserving renal-function and kidney
      architectural integrity in the setting of CRS.

PMID- 28337254
TI  - AMP-activated protein kinase and energy balance in breast cancer.
AB  - Cancer growth and metastasis depends on the availability of energy. Energy
      sensing systems are critical in maintaining a balance between the energy supply
      and utilization of energy for tumor growth. A central regulator in this process
      is AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK). In times of energy deficit, AMPK is
      allosterically modified by the binding of increased levels of AMP and ADP, making
      it a target of specific AMPK kinases (AMPKKs). AMPK signaling prompts cells to
      produce energy at the expense of growth and motility, opposing the actions of
      insulin and growth factors. Increasing AMPK activity may thus prevent the
      proliferation and metastasis of tumor cells. Activated AMPK also suppresses
      aromatase, which lowers estrogen formation and prevents breast cancer growth.
      Biguanides can be used to activate AMPK, but AMPK activity is modified by many
      different interacting factors; understanding these factors is important in order
      to control the abnormal growth processes that lead to breast cancer neoplasia.
      Fatty acids, estrogens, androgens, adipokines, and another energy sensor, sirtuin
      1, alter the phosphorylation and activation of AMPK. Isoforms of AMPK differ
      among tissues and may serve specific functions. Targeting AMPK regulatory
      processes at points other than the upstream AMPKKs may provide additional
      approaches for prevention of breast cancer neoplasia, growth, and metastasis.

PMID- 28337256
TI  - Human mesenchymal stem cell homing induced by SKOV3 cells.
AB  - Human mesenchymal stem cell (hMSC) homing is the migration of endogenous and
      exogenous hMSCS to the target organs and the subsequent colonization under the
      action chemotaxic factors. This is an important process involved in the repair of
      damaged tissues. However, we know little about the mechanism of hMSC homing.
      Stromal cell derived factor-1 (SDF-1) is a cytokine secreted by stromal cells.
      Its only receptor CXCR4 is widely expressed in blood cells, immune cells and
      cells in the central nervous system. SDF-1/CXCR4 signaling pathway plays an
      important role in hMSC homing and tissue repair. Human cbll1 gene encodes E3
      ubiquitin-protein ligase Hakai (also known as CBLL1) consisting of RING-finger
      domain that is involved in ubiquitination, endocytosis and degradation of
      epithelial cadherin (E-cadherin) as well as in the regulation of cell
      proliferation. We successfully constructed LV3-CXCR4 siRNA lentiviral vector, LV3
      CBLL1 RNAi lentiviral vector and the corresponding cell systems which were used
      to induce hMSC homing in the presence of SKOV3 cells. Thus the mechanism of hMSC
      homing was studied.

PMID- 28337257
TI  - Subcutaneous liraglutide ameliorates methylglyoxal-induced Alzheimer-like tau
      pathology and cognitive impairment by modulating tau hyperphosphorylation and
      glycogen synthase kinase-3beta.
AB  - Memory deterioration and synapse damage with accumulation of beta-amyloid and
      hyperphosphorylated tau are hallmark lesions of Alzheimer's disease (AD).
      Methylglyoxal (MG), a key intermediate of glucose metabolism, is elevated in AD
      brains and modifies Abeta42, increasing misfolding and leading to the
      accumulation of senile plaques. Liraglutide, an analog of glucagon-like peptide-1
      (GLP-1), is neurotrophic and neuroprotective. However, whether liraglutide can
      protect against AD-like memory-related deficits and tau hyperphosphorylation
      caused by MG in vivo is not known. Here, we report that MG induces tau
      hyperphosphorylation and causes ultrastructural hippocampal damage and cognitive
      impairment in C57BL/6J mice. Liraglutide reduced these effects via activation of
      the protein kinase B and glycogen synthase kinase-3beta pathways. Our data reveal
      that liraglutide may alleviate AD-like cognitive impairment by decreasing the
      phosphorylation of tau.

PMID- 28337259
TI  - Intranasal basic fibroblast growth factor attenuates endoplasmic reticulum stress
      and brain injury in neonatal hypoxic-ischaemic injury.
AB  - Brain injury secondary to birth asphyxia is the major cause of death and long
      term disability in newborns. Intranasal drug administration enables agents to
      bypass the blood-brain barrier (BBB) and enter the brain directly. In this study,
      we determined whether intranasal basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF) could
      exert neuroprotective effects in neonatal rats after hypoxic-ischaemic (HI) brain
      injury and assessed whether attenuation of endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress was
      associated with these neuroprotective effects. Rats were subjected to HI brain
      injury via unilateral carotid artery ligation followed by 2.5 h of hypoxia and
      then treated with intranasal bFGF or vehicle immediately after HI injury. We
      found that the unfolded protein response (UPR) was strongly activated after HI
      injury and that bFGF significantly reduced the levels of the ER stress signalling
      proteins GRP78 and PDI. bFGF also decreased brain infarction volumes and
      conferred long-term neuroprotective effects against brain atrophy and neuron loss
      after HI brain injury. Taken together, our results suggest that intranasal bFGF
      provides neuroprotection function partly by inhibiting HI injury-induced ER
      stress. bFGF may have potential as a therapy for human neonates after birth
      asphyxia.

PMID- 28337258
TI  - Neuroprotective effect of WIN55,212-2 against 3-nitropropionic acid-induced
      toxicity in the rat brain: involvement of CB1 and NMDA receptors.
AB  - The endocannabinoid system (ECS), and agonists acting on cannabinoid receptors
      (CBr), are known to regulate several physiological events in the brain, including
      modulatory actions on excitatory events probably through N-methyl-D-aspartate
      receptor (NMDAr) activity. Actually, CBr agonists can be neuroprotective. The
      synthetic CBr agonist WIN55,212-2 acts mainly on CB1 receptor. In turn, the
      mitochondrial toxin 3-nitropropionic acid (3-NP) produces striatal alterations in
      rats similar to those observed in the brain of Huntington's disease patients.
      Herein, the effects of WIN55,212-2 were tested on different endpoints of the 3-NP
      induced toxicity in rat brain synaptosomes and striatal tissue. Motor activity
      was also evaluated. The 3-NP (1 mM)-induced mitochondrial dysfunction and lipid
      peroxidation was attenuated by WIN55,212-2 (1 uM) in synaptosomal fractions. The
      intrastriatal bilateral injection of 3-NP (500 nmol/uL) to rats increased lipid
      peroxidation and locomotor activity, augmented the rate of cell damage, and
      decreased the striatal density of neuronal cells. These alterations were
      accompanied by transcriptional changes in the NMDA (NR1 subunit) content. The
      administration of WIN55212-2 (1 mg/kg, i.p.) to rats for six consecutive days,
      before the 3-NP injection, exerted preventive effects on all alterations elicited
      by the toxin. The prevention of the 3-NP-induced NR1 transcriptional alterations
      by the CBr agonist together with the increase of CB1 content suggest an early
      reduction of the excitotoxic process via CBr activation. Our results demonstrate
      a protective role of WIN55,212-2 on the 3-NP-induced striatal neurotoxicity that
      could be partially related to the ECS stimulation and induction of NMDAr
      hypofunction, representing an effective therapeutic strategy at the experimental
      level for further studies.

PMID- 28337260
TI  - miR-590-3p mediates the protective effect of curcumin on injured endothelial
      cells induced by angiotensin II.
AB  - Curcumin (Cur) has multiple pharmacological effects including antitumor, anti
      inflammatory, antioxidant and cardiovascular protective effects. This research
      aims to further explore whether the cardiovascular protective effects of Cur are
      mediated by the miR-590-3p/CD40 pathway. Endothelial cells (ECs) were cultivated
      with 10-7 mol/L angiotensin II (Ang II) to establish a damage model. Real-time
      PCR was used to determine the expression of CD40 and eNOS mRNA on ECs. The
      protein expressions of CD40 and eNOS were detected by Western blot analysis. The
      intracellular activities of SOD, CAT and MDA level were determined by
      corresponding detection kits, and the level of reactive oxygen species (ROS) in
      ECs was measured by ROS assay kit. Ang II increased both the mRNA and protein
      level of CD40, while it down-regulated the expression of eNOS at mRNA and protein
      level. These observations were accompanied by decreased activities of SOD and CAT
      with increased levels of intracellular MDA and ROS. Cur and miR-590-3p mimics
      inhibited the expressions of CD40 mRNA and protein induced by Ang II and
      alleviated the intracellular oxidative stress seen with increased levels of eNOS.
      However, these beneficial effects caused by Cur were partially reversed in the
      presence of miR-590-3p inhibitors. Our results indicate miR-590-3p is involved in
      the anti-inflammatory effects of Cur in ECs damaged by Ang II.

PMID- 28337261
TI  - Glutathione-s-transferase A 4 (GSTA4) suppresses tumor growth and metastasis of
      human hepatocellular carcinoma by targeting AKT pathway.
AB  - Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is one of the most lethal malignancies of cancers
      and its prognosis remains dismal due to the paucity of effective therapeutic
      targets. Up-regulation of glutathione-s-transferase A 4 (GSTA4) is associated
      with poor prognosis of HCC, but its functional mechanism in HCC remains unclear.
      In this study, we investigated the roles of GSTA4 in tumor growth and metastasis
      of HCC and found that GSTA4 was frequently up-regulated in HCC tissues. Through
      gain- and loss-of-function studies, GSTA4 was demonstrated to significantly
      regulate cell proliferation, migration, and invasion in vitro. Furthermore, GSTA4
      overexpressing significantly promoted the tumorigenicity and metastasis of HCC
      cells in nude mice models bearing human HCC, whereas silencing endogenous GSTA4
      caused an opposite outcome. Moreover, we demonstrated that GSTA4 enhanced HCC
      aggressiveness by activating protein kinase B (AKT) signaling. In multivariate
      analysis, our results GSTA4 overexpression promotes the progression of
      hepatocellular carcinoma and might represent a novel therapeutic target for its
      treatment.

PMID- 28337262
TI  - Osteopontin stimulates matrix metalloproteinase expression through the nuclear
      factor-kappaB signaling pathway in rat temporomandibular joint and condylar
      chondrocytes.
AB  - BACKGROUND: To examine the possible regulatory mechanisms of osteopontin (OPN)
      and the nuclear factor-kappaB (NF-kappaB) signaling pathway in the
      temporomandibular joint (TMJ) of rats subjected to chronic sleep deprivation
      (CSD). METHODS: Rats were subjected to CSD using the modified multiple platform
      method. The histomorphology of the TMJ was observed by hematoxylin-eosin
      staining. OPN and NF-kappaB/p65 expression were detected by immunohistochemical
      and immunofluorescence staining together with western blotting. The condylar
      chondrocytes were isolated from the rat TMJ and treated with recombinant OPN (r
      OPN) before detection for the expression of NF-kappaB/p65 and matrix
      metalloproteinases (MMPs). Western blotting and reverse transcription-polymerase
      chain reaction were performed to determine the expression of MMP-1, MMP-3, MMP-9,
      and MMP-13 in the TMJ and chondrocytes respectively. RESULTS: There was a
      statistically significant difference in OPN and NF-kappaB/p65 expression between
      the CSD group and control (CON) group. OPN and NF-kappaB/p65 expression was
      increased in the CSD group as compared with in the CON group. NF-kappaB/p65
      expression was significantly increased by r-OPN treatment in the chondrocytes.
      Furthermore, MMP-1, MMP-3, MMP-9, and MMP-13 production was also remarkably
      elevated in the CSD group as well as in the chondrocytes. Treatment with 1 MUg/ml
      r-OPN for 48 h led to the highest production of inflammatory cytokines in
      chondrocytes. CONCLUSIONS: CSD causes pathological alterations in the TMJ. OPN
      treatment activates the NF-kappaB signaling pathway and stimulates MMPs in the
      TMJ and condylar chondrocytes through NF-kappaB signaling pathway. Chondrocytes
      treated with 1 MUg/ml r-OPN for 48 h produced the highest level of inflammatory
      cytokines.

PMID- 28337263
TI  - Receptor for advanced glycation end as drug targets in diabetes-induced skin
      lesion.
AB  - The involvement of the receptor for advanced glycation end (RAGE) in different
      diseases has been reviewed in great detail, previously, but the effects of
      diabetic drugs on RAGE-induced skin lesion during long course diabetes remains
      poorly understood. In the present study, we have shown that RAGE was
      overexpressed in both diabetic rats and human keratinocytes (HaCaT cells). Cell
      cycle arrest and apoptosis as well as alternations of relative protein levels
      were also found in diabetic rats and HaCaT cells with overexpression of RAGE that
      were rectified by metformin (Met) treatment. Moreover, overexpression of RAGE was
      also found to induce secretions of TNF-alpha, IL-1beta, IL-6, ICAM-1 and COX-2 in
      HaCaT cells, and Met treatment corrected these inflammatory factor secretions. In
      addition, treatment with Met markedly reduced RAGE overexpression-induced p38 and
      NF-kappaB activation. Taken together, the findings of the present study have
      demonstrated, for the first time that Met protects HaCaT cells against diabetes
      induced injuries and inflammatory responses through inhibiting activated RAGE.

PMID- 28337264
TI  - IP3R and RyR calcium channels are involved in neonatal rat cardiac myocyte
      hypertrophy induced by tumor necrosis factor-alpha.
AB  - To investigate which calcium channels are involved in cardiac myocyte hypertrophy
      induced by TNF-alpha, cultured cardiomyocytes were treated with 100 MUg/L TNF
      alpha. In addition, three different calcium channel blockers (2-APB, ryanodine
      and nifedipine) were used, and the effects of each calcium channel blocker on
      cardiac hypertrophy induced by TNF-alpha were carefully observed. Measurements
      included cytosolic calcium transients ([Ca2+]i), the level of intracellular
      calcium in individual cells, cell protein content, cell protein synthesis and
      cell volume. We found that the IP3R inhibitor (2-APB) and RyR inhibitor
      (ryanodine) both had significant suppressive effects on the level of [Ca2+]i,
      calcium concentration, cell protein content, cell protein synthesis and cell
      volume of cardiomyocytes treated with TNF-alpha (P<0.01). Moreover, their
      combined effects were significantly enhanced compared with their single effects
      (P<0.01). However, the inhibitor of the L type Ca2+ channel nifedipine exhibited
      no significant suppressive effects on the increase in [Ca2+]i, calcium
      concentration, cell protein content, cell protein synthesis and cell volume of
      cardiomyocytes induced by TNF-alpha (P>0.05). Our results suggest that TNF-alpha
      probably induces cardiac myocyte hypertrophy by activating IP3R and RyR calcium
      channels, which control the release of calcium ions from the sarcoplasmic
      reticulum (SR) in cardiomyocytes. On the other hand, extracellular calcium
      influx, which is mainly regulated by the L type Ca2+ channel, may not be involved
      in cardiac myocyte hypertrophy induced by TNF-alpha.

PMID- 28337266
TI  - Long non-coding RNA UCA1 promotes cell progression by acting as a competing
      endogenous RNA of ATF2 in prostate cancer.
AB  - Prostate cancer (PCa) is a leading cause of cancer-related deaths in elder men.
      This disease has limited therapeutic options and poor prognosis as the underlying
      molecular mechanisms are not clearly understood. LncRNA UCA1 functions as an
      oncogene in many types of cancers. However, the role of UCA1 in PCa remains
      unclear. In the present study, we showed that UCA1 was significantly up-regulated
      in PCa cell lines and tissue samples. High UCA1 expression was positively
      associated with high gleason score, advanced TNM stage and shorter overall
      survival of PCa patients. Inhibition of UCA1 suppressed PCa cells proliferation,
      migration and invasion in vitro. Moreover, UCA1 depletion inhibited the growth of
      PCa cells in vivo. In addition, we found that ATF2 was a direct target gene of
      UCA1. UCA1 regulated ATF2 expression through functioning as a competing
      endogenous RNA (ceRNA). UCA1 directly interacted with miR-204 and decreased the
      binding of miR-204 to ATF2 3'UTR, which suppressed the degradation of ATF2 mRNA
      by miR-204. In summary, we unveil a branch of the UCA1-miR-204-ATF2 pathway that
      regulates the progression of PCa. The inhibition of UCA1 expression may be a
      promising strategy for PCa therapy.

PMID- 28337265
TI  - Pulmonary surfactant synthesis in miRNA-26a-1/miRNA-26a-2 double knockout mice
      generated using the CRISPR/Cas9 system.
AB  - Pulmonary surfactant (PS), which is synthesized by type II alveolar epithelial
      cells (AECIIs), maintains alveolar integrity by reducing surface tension. Many
      premature neonates who lack adequate PS are predisposed to developing respiratory
      distress syndrome (RDS), one of the leading causes of neonatal morbidity and
      mortality. PS synthesis is influenced and regulated by various factors, including
      microRNAs. Previous in vitro studies have shown that PS synthesis is regulated by
      miR-26a in fetal rat AECIIs. This study aimed to investigate the role of miR-26a
      in PS synthesis in vivo. To obtain a miR-26a-1/miR-26a-2 double knockout mouse
      model, we used the clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic
      repeat/CRISPR-associated protein 9 (CRISPR/Cas9) system, an important genome
      editing technology. Real-time PCR was performed to determine the miR-26a levels
      in various organs, as well as the mRNA levels of surfactant-associated proteins.
      Moreover, AECIIs and surfactant-associated proteins in lung tissues were analyzed
      by hematoxylin-eosin staining and immunohistochemistry. Homozygous offspring of
      miR-26a-1/miR-26a-2 double knockout mice generated using the CRISPR/Cas9 system
      were successfully obtained, and PS synthesis and the number of AECIIs were
      significantly increased in the miR-26a knockout mice. These results indicate that
      miR-26a plays an important role in PS synthesis in AECIIs.

PMID- 28337267
TI  - Exploration of the effect of probiotics supplementation on intestinal microbiota
      of food allergic mice.
AB  - Environmental factor-induced alterations in intestinal microbiota have been
      demonstrated to be associated with increasing prevalence of food allergy.
      However, it is not clear to what extent oral administration of probiotics can
      affect gut microbiota composition, thus inhibiting food allergy development.
      Using ovalbumin (OVA)-sensitized murine model, it was demonstrated that
      probiotics ameliorated allergic symptoms, including reducing OVA specific-IgE,
      and -IgG1 levels in the serum, Th2 cytokines release in spleen, and occurrence of
      diarrhea. Moreover, 16S rRNA analysis showed that the probiotics-mediated
      protection was conferred by an enrichment of Coprococcus and Rikenella. The
      present study supports the theory that probiotics can treat food allergy by
      modulating specific genera of the gut microbiota.

PMID- 28337268
TI  - Geranylgeranylacetone attenuates myocardium ischemic/reperfusion injury through
      HSP70 and Akt/GSK-3beta/eNOS pathway.
AB  - Early reperfusion of myocardial infarction area is the most effective and
      important therapy to acute myocardial infarction, but could induce reperfusion
      injury. Geranylgeranylacetone (GGA), an acyclic polyisoprenoid used as an oral
      anti-ulcer medication, has been reported to have protective effects on
      reperfusion injury. In the present study, we explored the protective effect of
      GGA against MIRI and the underlying mechanism. We pretreated rats with four daily
      GGA, and then observed its effects on heart function parameters following in situ
      ischemia/reperfusion. GGA exhibited dramatic improvement in cardiac functions, as
      manifested by increased LVSP and +/- (dP/dt) max and decreased LVDP. Oxidative
      injury and inflammatory response were also relieved by GGA. Western blot showed
      that the HSP70 protein expression and the Akt/GSK-3beta/eNOS pathway were
      activated. The inhibition of HSP70 and the Akt/GSK-3beta/eNOS pathway
      significantly reversed the protective effects of GGA on MIRI, indicating the
      involvements of HSP70 and the Akt/GSK-3beta/eNOS pathway.

PMID- 28337269
TI  - The role of PRRX1 in the apoptosis of A549 cells induced by cisplatin.
AB  - Paired related homeobox1 (PRRX1) was a newly identified Epithelial mesenchymal
      transition (EMT) inducer. It was found that the decreased expression of PRRX1 in
      breast cancer and liver cancer could enable tumor cells to obtain tumor stem cell
      characteristics in vitro studies. However, the role of PRRX1 in lung cancer was
      still unknown. The down-regulated PRRX1 gene in A549 cells was established by
      slow virus infection in this study. The apoptosis of A549 cells was observed
      after the treatment of different concentrations of cisplatin and the role of
      PRRX1 in the apoptosis of A549 cells was explored. MTT results showed that down
      regulated PRRX1 gene could resist the inhibitory effect of cisplatin on cell
      proliferation. The results of flow cytometry assay showed that down-regulated
      PRRX1 gene could reduce the apoptosis and promote A549 cells to enter G2 phase.
      Mitochondrial membrane potential detection showed that PRRX1 gene could inhibit
      the decrease of mitochondrial membrane potential. Western blotting results showed
      that down-regulated PRRX1 gene could reduce the expression levels of Caspase3,
      caspase9, Apaf-1 and cytochrome C. In a word, down-regulation of PRRX1 could
      cause lung cancer cells to produce anti apoptotic ability and resistance to
      cisplatin, which maybe through caspase3 pathway.

PMID- 28337270
TI  - N-WASP promotes invasion and migration of cervical cancer cells through
      regulating p38 MAPKs signaling pathway.
AB  - Neural Wiskott-Aldrich syndrome protein (N-WASP) is an important member of the
      WASP family involved in the actin cytoskeleton reorganization. Recent evidence
      suggests that N-WASP may play important roles in tumor progression and
      metastasis. However, the contribution of N-WASP to cervical cancer is still
      unknown. The present study focused on elucidating the role of N-WASP in the
      malignant behavior of cervical cancer cells. We found that N-WASP overexpressed
      in cervical cancer tissues compared with paired paracancerous tissues and normal
      tissues, and similar results were observed in several cervical cancer cell lines.
      Furthermore, we demonstrated that overexpression of N-WASP facilitated migration
      and invasion of cervical cancer cells, while downregulation of N-WASP resulted in
      decreased cell migration and invasion. In addition, the data showed that N-WASP
      might promote invasion and migration of cervical cancer cells via regulating the
      activity of p38 MAPKs pathway. Altogether, the study suggested that N-WASP might
      serve as an oncogene in cervical cancer, and provided novel insights into the
      mechanism that how N-WASP promoted invasion and migration of cervical cancer
      cells.

PMID- 28337271
TI  - Effects of long term low- and high-dose sodium arsenite exposure in human
      transitional cells.
AB  - Epidemiological studies have revealed the association between increased risk of
      bladder cancer and chronic arsenic exposure. Here, we explored biological effects
      of arsenic in T24. Microarray analysis was applied to analyze mRNA in T24
      following 0, 2 or 5 MUM sodium arsenite (As) exposure for 72 hours. Long term (up
      to 140 days) low-dose (200 nM) and high-dose (1,000 nM) As decreased E-cadherin
      protein level through different mechanisms because the mRNA levels of E-cadherin
      increased following low-dose As exposure but decreased following high-dose As
      exposure. Long term As increased the protein levels of N-cadherin, vimentin, beta
      catenin, and slug. Low-dose As exposure resulted in a change in the morphology of
      T24 cells from an epithelial to a mesenchymal-like appearance. Knockdown of E
      cadherin increased the protein levels of N-cadherin, vimentin, beta-catenin, and
      slug. Cell proliferation and growth of T24 with or without As exposure for 100
      days were assayed using EdU and WST, respectively. Low-dose As exposure increased
      cell proliferation and growth while high-dose As exposure decreased both. Long
      term As activated p53 on account of increasing protein levels of p53, p-p53
      (Ser15), and mRNA levels of p21. These demonstrate that arsenic exposure exerts
      multiple effects. Long term low- or high-dose arsenic induces epithelial
      mesenchymal transition, likely via downregulation of E-cadherin, activates p53,
      and differently affects cell proliferation/growth.

PMID- 28337272
TI  - Cold preservation with hyperbranched polyglycerol-based solution improves kidney
      functional recovery with less injury at reperfusion in rats.
AB  - Minimizing donor organ injury during cold preservation (including cold perfusion
      and storage) is the first step to prevent transplant failure. We recently
      reported the advantages of hyperbranched polyglycerol (HPG) as a novel substitute
      for hydroxyethyl starch in UW solution for both cold heart preservation and cold
      kidney perfusion. This study evaluated the functional recovery of the kidney at
      reperfusion after cold preservation with HPG solution. The impact of HPG solution
      compared to conventional UW and HTK solutions on tissue weight and cell survival
      at 4 degrees C was examined using rat kidney tissues and cultured human umbilical
      vein endothelial cells (HUVECs), respectively. The kidney protection by HPG
      solution was tested in a rat model of cold kidney ischemia-reperfusion injury,
      and was evaluated by histology and kidney function. Here, we showed that
      preservation with HPG solution prevented cell death in cultured HUVECs and edema
      formation in kidney tissues at 4 degrees C similar to UW solution, whereas HTK
      solution was less effective. In rat model of cold ischemia-reperfusion injury,
      the kidneys perfused and subsequently stored 1-hour with cold HPG solution showed
      less leukocyte infiltration, less tubular damage and better kidney function
      (lower levels of serum creatinine and blood urea nitrogen) at 48 h of reperfusion
      than those treated with UW or HTK solution. In conclusion, our data show the
      superiority of HPG solution to UW or HTK solution in the cold perfusion and
      storage of rat kidneys, suggesting that the HPG solution may be a promising
      candidate for improved donor kidney preservation prior to transplantation.

PMID- 28337273
TI  - T-box family of transcription factor-TBX5, insights in development and disease.
AB  - The T-box gene family refers to a group of transcription factors that share a
      highly conserved, sequence-specific DNA-binding domain (T-box) containing around
      180-amino acids. According to HUGO gene nomenclature committee (HGNC), there are
      18 T-box family members. These T-box genes have been implicated essential roles
      during embryogenesis and cardiac development, given their specific expression
      pattern in developing mammalian heart for several T-box genes, including TBX5.
      TBX5 is consisted of three transcriptional variants which cover 9 exons and
      encode two distinct isoforms that differ in N-terminus. TBX5 is probably the most
      frequently studied T-box gene over the past decade due to the typical cardiac
      defects observed in Holt-Oram syndrome (HOS), which is caused by TBX5 mutation.
      Most of the mutations are within exons 3-7 where locate sequence coding for the T
      box domain. Notably, a variety of cardiac defects, as well as abnormalities in
      limb and other organs have been seen in HOS syndrome with different kinds of TBX5
      mutations, suggesting a heterogeneous disease mechanism. We have performed a meta
      analysis of TBX5 and found a significant correlation between its single
      nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) rs3825214 (A to G), and risk of atrial fibrillation
      and its subtypes, supporting TBX5 as a master transcription factor for cardiac
      development. In addition, bioinformatics analysis of this SNP identified several
      TFs that may be affected for their binding affinity with TBX5. Identification and
      characterization of more TBX5 mutations and SNPs hold promise for therapeutic
      strategy targeting TBX5 associated developmental abnormalities and diseases.

PMID- 28337274
TI  - Decitabine treatment sensitizes tumor cells to T-cell-mediated cytotoxicity in
      patients with myelodysplastic syndromes.
AB  - Decitabine treatment improves immunological recognition that increases expression
      of cancer-testis antigens (CTAs) against solid tumors. The mechanisms of
      decitabine enhancement of immunogenicity when used for patients with
      myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS) remain unclear. In the present study, we found
      relatively low baseline expression of MAGE-A1, MAGE-A3, and SP17 in MDS-derived
      cell lines. Decitabine treatment significantly improved MAGE-A1, MAGE-A3, and
      SP17 expression in these cell lines and in MDS patients. Decitabine-treated K562
      and SKM-1 target cells with incrementally induced MAGE-A1, MAGE-A3, or SP17
      levels up-regulated T lymphocyte function. Decitabine treatment improved CTA
      specific cytotoxic T lymphocyte (CTL) recognition of MDS cells via the up
      regulation of CTAs. This response was accompanied by enhanced T lymphocyte
      function and HLA class antigen expression, and increased ICAM-1. These findings
      suggested that decitabine may have a broad range of therapeutic applications when
      it is used in association with active adaptive immunity responses against up
      regulated CTAs.

PMID- 28337275
TI  - MicroRNA-215 targets NOB1 and inhibits growth and invasion of epithelial ovarian
      cancer.
AB  - MicroRNA-215 (miR-215) has been showed to play crucial roles in tumorigenesis and
      tumor progression in many types of cancer. However, its biological function and
      underlying mechanism in epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC) remains greatly unknown.
      The aims of this study were to investigate biological role and underlying
      mechanism of miR-215 in EOC. Here, we found that miR-215 expression was
      significantly decreased in EOC tissues or cell lines compared with adjacent
      normal tissues or normal ovarian cell line. Decreased miR-215 expression was
      significantly associated with International Federation of Gynaecology and
      Obstetrics (FIGO) stage and lymph node metastasis. Function analysis revealed
      that overexpression of miR-215 using miR-215 mimic significantly inhibit EOC cell
      proliferation, colony formation, migration and invasion in vitro. as well as
      suppress tumor growth in vivo. Moreover, we identified ribosome assembly factor
      NIN/RPN12 binding protein (NOB1) as a direct targets for miR-215 binding,
      resulting in suppression it expression, which in turn activated the MAPK
      signaling pathway. In clinical EOC specimens, NOB1 expression was upregulated,
      and inversely correlated with miR-215 expression (r = -0.675, P<0.001).
      Overexpression of NOB1 effectively rescued inhibition effect on EOC cells by
      induced miR-215 overexpression. Taken together, our findings suggested that miR
      215 suppressed EOC growth and invasion by targeting NOB1.

PMID- 28337276
TI  - MicroRNA-9 regulates non-small cell lung cancer cell invasion and migration by
      targeting eukaryotic translation initiation factor 5A2.
AB  - MicroRNAs (miRNAs) play a critical role in cancer development and progression.
      Bioinformatics analyses has identified eukaryotic translation initiation factor
      5A2 (eIF5A2) as a target of miR-9. In this study, we attempted to determine
      whether miR-9 regulates non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) cell invasion and
      migration by targeting eIF5A2 We examined eIF5A2 expression using reverse
      transcription-quantitative PCR (RT-qPCR) and subsequently transfected A549 and
      NCI-H1299 NSCLC cells with a miR-9 mimic or miR-9 inhibitor to determine the
      migration and invasive capability of the cells via wound healing assay and
      Transwell invasion assay, respectively. E-cadherin and vimentin expression was
      detected with western blotting. The miR-9 mimic significantly reduced NSCLC cell
      invasive and metastatic ability, and the miR-9 inhibitor enhanced NSCLC cell
      migration activity, increasing the number of migrated cells. There was no
      significant difference between the negative control siRNA and miR-9 mimic groups
      after knockdown of eIF5A2; western blotting showed that miR-9 regulated E
      cadherin and vimentin expression. These data show that miR-9 regulates NSCLC cell
      invasion and migration through regulating eIF5A2 expression. Taken together, our
      findings suggest that the mechanism of miR-9-regulated NSCLC cell invasion and
      migration may be related to epithelial-mesenchymal transition.

PMID- 28337277
TI  - Effect and mechanism of SHED on ulcer wound healing in Sprague-Dawley rat models
      with diabetic ulcer.
AB  - To evaluate the effect of stem cells from human exfoliated deciduous teeth (SHED)
      upon the ulcer wound healing and evaluate the mechanism underlying the role of
      SHED in Sprague-Dawley rat models with diabetic foot ulcer. The rats with
      diabetic ulcer were established and treated with SHED, mesenchymal stem cell
      (MSC) and PBS, respectively. The expression of vascular endothelial growth factor
      (VEGF), endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS), matrix metalloproteinase-2 (MMP
      2) and MMP9 at both protein and RNA levels was quantitatively measured. The serum
      levels of VEGF, IL-1beta, TNF-1alpha and IL-10 were detected by ELISA. The
      remaining tissues were fixed in 4% chloral hydrate for hematoxylin and eosin
      (H.E) staining and immunohistochemical staining. MSC and SHED administration
      could reduce ulceration area and accelerate wound healing at 7 and 14 d after
      treatment as compared with the control group (all P<0.05), which were validated
      by H.E and immunohistochemical staining. Western blot results revealed that the
      expression levels of VEGF, eNOS, MMP2 and MMP9 proteins in the MSC and SHED
      groups were considerably up-regulated compared with those in the control group at
      different time points (all P<0.05). The same trend was also observed in the mRNA
      expression of these cytokines detected by RT-PCR. At 3-d after treatment, no
      statistical significance was noted in the IL-10 level among three groups, but the
      IL-10 concentration in the SHED and MSC groups was significantly down-regulated
      at 7- and 14-d post-treatment (all P<0.05). SHED administration, similar to MSCs,
      could accelerate wound healing, promote angiogenesis and suppress inflammatory
      responses in rat models with diabetic ulceration.

PMID- 28337278
TI  - Synthesis of huaicarbon A/B and their activating effects on platelet glycoprotein
      VI receptor to mediate collagen-induced platelet aggregation.
AB  - Quercetin and rhamnose were efficiently converted into huaicarbon A/B by heating
      at 250 degrees C for 10-15 min or at 200 degrees C for 25-30 min. With the
      optimum molar ratio of quercetin/rhamnose (1:3), huaicarbon A and B yields
      reached 25% and 16% respectively after heating at 250 degrees C, with 55%
      quercetin conversion. Huaicarbon A/B both promoted washed platelet aggregation
      dose-dependently, which was antagonized by an inhibitor of glycoprotein VI (GPVI)
      receptor. Similarly, they both promoted collagen-induced platelet aggregation in
      platelet-rich plasma in dose-dependent manners. According to the S type dose
      response model, EC50 values of huaicarbon A and huaicarbon B were calculated as
      33.48 MUM and 48.73 MUM respectively. They induced intracellular Ca2+
      accumulation that was specifically blocked by GPVI antagonist. Huaicarbon A/B
      enhanced intracellular Ca2+ accumulation and facilitated collagen-induced
      platelet aggregation, which were blocked by GPVI antagonist. They were conducive
      to collagen-induced platelet aggregation by activating platelet GPVI receptor.

PMID- 28337279
TI  - AGR2 promotes the proliferation, migration and regulates epithelial-mesenchymal
      transition in salivary adenoid cystic carcinoma.
AB  - Salivary adenoid cystic carcinoma (AdCC) is a common head and neck cancer with
      the propensity for local spread and distant metastasis. In our previous study,
      elevated expression of Anterior gradient 2 (AGR2) was detected in head and neck
      squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC), associated with epithelial-mesenchymal
      transition (EMT) and cancer stemness. However, to date, the expression and
      function of AGR2 in AdCC has yet to be elucidated. In the present study, human
      AdCC tissue microarrays including 18 cases of normal salivary gland (NSG), 12
      cases of pleomorphic adenoma (PMA) and 72 cases of AdCC were employed for
      immunohistochemical staining analysis. Results indicated that AGR2, which was
      remarkably correlated with Ki-67, transforming growth factor beta-1 (TGF-beta1)
      and CD147, was significantly elevated in human salivary AdCC tissues. Knockdown
      of AGR2 significantly repressed the proliferation and migration of human SACC-83
      and SACC-LM cell lines. Additionally, AGR2 silencing obviously reversed the EMT
      phenomena induced by TGF-beta1. Taken together, our present study revealed the
      potential pro-metastasis role of AGR2 in AdCC, indicating that AGR2 might be a
      novel therapeutic target of AdCC with distant metastasis.

PMID- 28337280
TI  - MiR-15a suppresses hepatocarcinoma cell migration and invasion by directly
      targeting cMyb.
AB  - PURPOSE: This study aimed to determine the function of miR-15a in HCC, and
      identify cMyb as a target of miR-15a. METHODS: RNA expression was evaluated by
      quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR). The effects of miR-15a or cMyb on HCC cells
      were evaluated by transwell migration assay and western blot analysis. CMyb, the
      predicted target, has been frequently verified by luciferase assay. RESULTS: MiR
      15a was markedly downregulated in sphere culture HCC cells by qRT-PCR. CMyb was
      predicted to be a potential target of miR-15a using bioinformatics analysis. This
      prediction has been frequently verified by luciferase assay and western blot. A
      positive correlation between cMyb and the migration ability of HCC cells was
      demonstrated by transwell assays. MiR-15a mimic suppressed cMyb expression to
      weaken HCC cell migration ability. On the other hand, miR-15a inhibitor
      upregulated cMyb and induced HCC cell migration. CONCLUSION: MiR-15a could
      suppress HCC progression through the repression of cMyb, making miR-15a a
      potential therapeutic target.

PMID- 28337281
TI  - C-MYC-induced upregulation of lncRNA SNHG12 regulates cell proliferation,
      apoptosis and migration in triple-negative breast cancer.
AB  - Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) is one of the most aggressive subtypes of
      breast cancer, with a significantly higher recurrence and mortality rate. There
      is an urgent need to uncover the mechanism underlying TNBC and establish
      therapeutic targets. Long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) are involved in a series of
      biological functions and provide novel insights into the molecular mechanism of
      cancer. Based on their expression specificity and large number, lncRNAs are
      likely to serve as the basis for clinical applications in oncology. In our
      previous study, we utilized RNA sequencing (RNA-seq) to explore the lncRNAs
      expression profiles in TNBC and identified that small nucleolar RNA host gene 12
      (SNHG12) was remarkably increased in TNBC. However, the role of SNHG12 in TNBC
      has not been clarified. Herein, we determine that SNHG12 is upregulated in TNBC,
      and its high expression is significantly correlated with tumor size and lymph
      node metastasis. Mechanistic investigations show that SNHG12 is a direct
      transcriptional target of c-MYC. Silencing SNHG12 expression inhibits TNBC cells
      proliferation and apoptosis promotion, whereas SNHG12 overexpression has the
      opposite effect. In addition, we reveal that SNHG12 may promote cells migration
      by regulating MMP13 expression. To the best of our knowledge, it is the first
      report indicating that SNHG12 is involved in breast cancer. Taken together, our
      findings suggest that SNHG12 contributes to the oncogenic potential of TNBC and
      may be a promising therapeutic target.

PMID- 28337282
TI  - Chronic intermittent hypoxia affects endogenous serotonergic inputs and
      expression of synaptic proteins in rat hypoglossal nucleus.
AB  - Evidence has shown that hypoxic episodes elicit hypoglossal neuroplasticity which
      depends on elevated serotonin (5-HT), in contrast to the rationale of obstructive
      sleep apnea (OSA) that deficient serotonergic input to HMs fails to keep airway
      patency. Therefore, understanding of the 5-HT dynamic changes at hypoglossal
      nucleus (HN) during chronic intermittent hypoxia (CIH) will be essential to
      central pathogenic mechanism and pharmacological therapy of OSA. Moreover, the
      effect of CIH on BDNF-TrkB signaling proteins was quantified in an attempt to
      elucidate cellular cascades/synaptic mechanisms following 5-HT alteration. Male
      rats were randomly exposed to normal air (control), intermittent hypoxia of 3
      weeks (IH3) and 5 weeks (IH5) groups. Through electrical stimulation of dorsal
      raphe nuclei (DRN), we conducted amperometric technique with carbon fiber
      electrode in vivo to measure the real time release of 5-HT at XII nucleus. 5-HT2A
      receptors immunostaining measured by intensity and c-Fos quantified visually were
      both determined by immunohistochemistry. CIH significantly reduced endogenous
      serotonergic inputs from DRN to XII nucleus, shown as decreased peak value of 5
      HT signals both in IH3 and IH5groups, whereas time to peak and half-life period
      of 5-HT were unaffected. Neither 5-HT2A receptors nor c-Fos expression in HN were
      significantly altered by CIH. Except for marked increase in phosphorylation of
      ERK in IH5 rats, BDNF-TrkB signaling and synaptophys consistently demonstrated
      downregulated levels. These results suggest that the deficiency of 5-HT and BDNF
      dependent synaptic proteins in our CIH protocol contribute to the decompensated
      mechanism of OSA.

PMID- 28337283
TI  - Intracoronary hypothermia for acute myocardial infarction in the isolated beating
      pig heart.
AB  - Hypothermia may attenuate reperfusion injury and thereby improve acute myocardial
      infarction therapy. Systemic cooling trials failed to reduce infarct size,
      perhaps because the target temperature was not reached fast enough. The use of
      selective intracoronary hypothermia combined with intracoronary temperature
      monitoring allows for titrating to target temperature and optimizing the cooling
      rate. We aimed to the test the feasibility of intracoronary cooling for
      controlled, selective myocardial hypothermia in an isolated beating pig heart. In
      five porcine hearts the left anterior descending artery (LAD) was occluded by an
      over-the-wire balloon (OTWB). After occlusion, saline at 22 degrees C was infused
      through the OTWB lumen for 5 minutes into the infarct area at a rate of 30
      ml/min. Thereafter the balloon was deflated but infusion continued with saline at
      4 degrees C for 5 minutes. Distal coronary temperature was continuously monitored
      by a pressure/temperature guidewire. Myocardial temperature at several locations
      in the infarct and control areas was recorded using needle thermistors. In the
      occlusion phase, coronary temperature decreased by 11.4 degrees C (range 9.4-12.5
      degrees C). Myocardial temperature throughout the infarct area decreased by 5.1
      degrees C (range 1.8-8.1 degrees C) within three minutes. During the reperfusion
      phase, coronary temperature decreased by 6.2 degrees C (range 4.1-10.3 degrees C)
      and myocardial temperature decreased by 4.5 degrees C (range 1.5-7.4 degrees C).
      Myocardial temperature outside the infarct area was not affected. In the isolated
      beating pig heart with acute occlusion of the LAD, we were able to rapidly
      "induce, maintain, and control" a stable intracoronary and myocardial target
      temperature of at least 4 degrees C below body temperature without side effects
      and using standard PCI equipment, justifying further studies of this technique in
      humans.

PMID- 28337284
TI  - Hepatoprotective effects of Gentianella turkestanerum extracts on acute liver
      injury induced by carbon tetrachloride in mice.
AB  - Objective: To investigate the contents of secoiridoid compounds (i.e. sweroside,
      swertiamarin and gentiopicrin) from Gentianella turkestanerum extracts, and the
      potential effects of G. turkestanerum extracts against carbon tetrachloride
      (CCl4) induced liver injury in mice. Methods: The contents of swertiamarin,
      gentiopicroside and sweroside from different G. turkestanerum extracts were
      determined with high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). CCl4 was used to
      induce acute liver injury in mice. The serum aspartate amino transferase (AST),
      alanine aminotransferase (ALT), alkaline phosphatase (ALP), total protein (TP),
      total bilirubin (TB), superoxide dismutase (SOD), malondialdehyde (MDA),
      glutathione transferase (GSH) and catalase (CAT) were measured. HE staining was
      performed to investigate the pathological changes of liver. Results: Iridoid
      glycoside showed the highest content in the product extracted by butanol
      (designated as GBA), but lower in the products extracted by ethyl acetate and
      water designated as GEA and GW, respectively. All G. turkestanerum extracts
      showed protective effects against CCl4 induced acute liver injury in mice, among
      which GBA showed the maximal protective effects. G. turkestanerum extracts
      induced significant decrease in the serum ALT, AST, ALP and TB compared with
      those in the mice with acute lung injury (P < 0.01). Obvious increase was noticed
      in serum TP (P < 0.01). Moreover, such effects presented in a dose-dependent
      manner. Compared with the control group, the MDA was significantly elevated in
      the model group (P < 0.01), while significant decrease was observed in the levels
      of SOD, GSH and CAT in model group compared with the control group (P < 0.01).
      Whereas, such phenomenon was completely reversed by G. turkestanerum extracts in
      a dose-dependent manner. Conclusion:G. turkestanerum showed protective effects
      against CCl4 induced acute liver injury in mice.

PMID- 28337285
TI  - Preclinical and clinical evaluation of the liver tumor irreversible
      electroporation by magnetic resonance imaging.
AB  - Irreversible electroporation (IRE) is a relatively new technique for tumor
      ablation. It has shown promising results in difficult cases where surgery is not
      recommended and delicate anatomic structures are present near or within the
      tumor. Currently, liver cancer is one of the most common targets for IRE
      treatment. Pre-operative and post-operative imaging has a key role in IRE
      procedures and research studies. Although ultrasound is usually the first choice,
      especially for intra-operative guidance, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) plays
      an important role in the visualization and characterization of tumor before and
      after IRE in clinical and preclinical studies. However, the appearance of liver
      lesions after IRE with different MRI sequences has never been systematically
      investigated, and the most common practice is to limit the acquisition protocol
      to only contrast-enhanced T1-weighted images. In this work, the role of MRI in
      clinical and preclinical assessment of hepatic tumors treated with IRE is
      reviewed and discussed.

PMID- 28337286
TI  - LPS induces HUVEC angiogenesis in vitro through miR-146a-mediated TGF-beta1
      inhibition.
AB  - Angiogenesis is an essential process for tissue growth and embryo development.
      However, inflammation, abnormal wound healing, vascular diseases, and tumor
      development and progression can result from inappropriate angiogenesis.
      Lipopolysaccharide (LPS) can activate various cells and alter endothelium
      function and angiogenesis. This study investigated the underlying molecular
      events involved in LPS-induced angiogenesis and revealed a novel strategy for
      controlling abnormal angiogenesis. LPS treatment promoted wound healing and tube
      formation in human umbilical vein endothelial cell (HUVEC) cultures and induced
      their expression of miR-146a. miR-146a was previously shown to regulate
      angiogenesis in HUVECs. Knockdown of miR-146a expression antagonized LPS-induced
      angiogenesis in vitro. Moreover, bioinformatic analyses predicted TGF-beta1 as a
      target gene for miR-146a, which was confirmed by aluciferase reporter assay.
      Expression of miR-146a in HUVECs resulted in downregulation of TGF-beta1 in
      HUVECs, whereas a miR-146a inhibitor upregulated the expression of TGF-beta1 and
      TGF-beta1 downstream proteins, such as phosphoraylation-Smad2 and plasminogen
      activator inhibitor type 1 (PAI-1). Furthermore, the TGF-beta1 signaling
      inhibitor SB431542 impaired the ability of miR-146a knockdown to suppress LPS
      induced angiogenesis. Thus, LPS-induced angiogenesis of HUVECs functions through
      miR-146a upregulation and TGF-beta1 inhibition. This study suggests that
      knockdown of miR-146a could activate TGF-beta1 signaling to inhibit angiogenesis
      as a potential therapy for angiogenesis-related diseases.

PMID- 28337287
TI  - MEMRI is a biomarker defining nicotine-specific neuronal responses in subregions
      of the rodent brain.
AB  - Nicotine dependence is defined by dopaminergic neuronal activation within the
      nucleus accumbens (ACB) and by affected neural projections from nicotine
      stimulated neurons. Control of any subsequent neural activities would underpin
      any smoking cessation strategy. While extensive efforts have been made to study
      the pathophysiology of nicotine addiction, more limited works were developed to
      find imaging biomarkers. If such biomarkers are made available, addictive
      behaviors could be monitored noninvasively. To such ends, we employed manganese
      (Mn2+)-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging (MEMRI) to determine whether it could
      be used to monitor neuronal activities after acute and chronic nicotine exposure
      in rats. The following were observed. Mn2+ infusion identified ACB and
      hippocampal (HIP) neuronal activities following acute nicotine administration.
      Chronic exposure was achieved by week long subcutaneously implanted nicotine mini
      pump. Here nicotine was shown to activate neurons in the ACB, HIP, and the
      prefrontal and insular cortex. These are all central nervous system reward
      regions linked to drug addiction. In conclusion, MEMRI is demonstrated to be a
      powerful imaging tool to study brain subregion specific neuronal activities
      affected by nicotine. Thus, we posit that MEMRI could be used to assess smoking
      associated tolerance, withdrawal and as such serve as a pre-clinical screening
      tool for addiction cessation strategies in humans.

PMID- 28337289
TI  - Overexpression of TRIM24 is correlated with the progression of human cervical
      cancer.
AB  - TRIM24, originally known as intermediary factor 1-alpha, is involved in the
      development of several cancers. This study aimed to evaluate the expression level
      and prognostic value of TRIM24 in cervical cancer. In the present study, we
      showed that the expression of TRIM24 was markedly upregulated in cervical cancer
      cell lines and cancerous specimens at both transcriptional and translational
      levels. TRIM24 expression was analyzed in 147 archived cervical cancer specimens
      using immunohistochemistry, and the correlation between TRIM24 expression and
      clinicopathological parameters was evaluated. Statistical analysis suggested that
      TRIM24 expression was significantly correlated with clinical stage and (P=0.007)
      and lymphatic metastasis (P=0.001). Patients with higher TRIM24 expression had
      shorter overall (P=0.005) and recurrence-free (P=0.011) survival time. Moreover,
      we found that silencing TRIM24 by short hairpin RNAi caused an inhibition of cell
      migration and invasion. Further study indicated that TRIM24 induced cervical
      cancer cell migration and invasion was through the NF-kappaB and AKT signaling
      pathways. In conclusion, TRIM24 is overexpressed in cervical cancer and regulates
      malignant cell metastasis, which makes TRIM24 a candidate therapeutic target for
      cervical cancer.

PMID- 28337288
TI  - Which has more stem-cell characteristics: Muller cells or Muller cells derived
      from in vivo culture in neurospheres?
AB  - OBJECTIVE: Muller cells can be acquired from in vitro culture or a neurosphere
      culture system. Both culture methods yield cells with progenitor-cell
      characteristics that can differentiate into mature nervous cells. We compared the
      progenitor-cell traits of Muller cells acquired from each method. METHODS:
      Primary murine Muller cells were isolated in serum culture media and used to
      generate Muller cells derived from neurospheres in serum-free culture conditions.
      Gene expression of neural progenitor cell markers was examined by Q-PCR in the
      two groups. Expression of rhodopsin and the cone-rod homeobox protein CRX were
      assessed after induction with 1 MUM all-trans retinoic acid (RA) for 7 days.
      RESULTS: After more than four passages, many cells were large, flattened, and
      difficult to passage. A spontaneously immortalized Muller cell line was not
      established. Three-passage neurospheres yielded few new spheres. Genes coding for
      Nestin, Sox2, Chx10, and Vimentin were downregulated in cells derived from
      neurospheres compared to the cells from standard culture, while Pax6 was
      upregulated. Muller cells from both culture methods were induced into rod
      photoreceptors, but expression of rhodopsin and CRX was greater in the Muller
      cells from the standard culture. CONCLUSION: Both culture methods yielded cells
      with stem-cell characteristics that can be induced into rod photoreceptor neurons
      by RA. Serum had no influence on the "stemness" of the cells. Cells from standard
      culture had greater "stemness" than cells derived from neurospheres. The standard
      Muller cells would seem to be the best choice for transplantation in cell
      replacement therapy for photoreceptor degeneration.

PMID- 28337290
TI  - Down-regulation of hsa-miR-148b inhibits vascular smooth muscle cells
      proliferation and migration by directly targeting HSP90 in atherosclerosis.
AB  - The abnormal proliferation and migration of vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs)
      are crucial pathological processes that are involved in atherosclerosis. Growing
      evidence suggests that microRNAs (miRNAs) play critical roles in VSMCs functions.
      Here, we analyzed the expression of four atherosclerosis-related miRNAs and found
      that hsa-miR-148b was significantly down-regulated in plaques from
      atherosclerotic patients compared to a healthy control group. The restoration of
      hsa-miR-148b function in cells transfected with a hsa-miR-148b mimicmarkedly
      inhibited VSMCs proliferation and migration compared to a hsa-miR-148b mimic
      control. Furthermore, we discovered that heat shock protein 90 (HSP90) was a
      direct target of hsa-miR-148b in VSMCs. Hsa-miR-148b suppressed HSP90 expression
      by directly binding its 3'-untranslated region (UTR). In addition, the expression
      of hsa-miR-148b was negatively correlated with the HSP90 mRNA levels in plaques
      of atherosclerotic patients. Interestingly, the overexpression of HSP90 partly
      abrogated the hsa-miR-148b-mediated inhibition of VSMCs proliferation and
      migration. Our study provides the first evidence that hsa-miR-148b has anti
      proliferative and migratory functions by targeting HSP90 in VSMCs and may aidin
      the development of new biomarkers and potential therapeutic targets for
      atherosclerosis.

PMID- 28337291
TI  - Cholecystokinin attenuates radiation-induced lung cancer cell apoptosis by
      modulating p53 gene transcription.
AB  - The deregulation of p53 in cancer cells is one of the important factors by which
      cancer cells escape from the immune surveillance. Cholecystokinin (CCK) has
      strong bioactivity in the regulation of a number of cell activities. This study
      tests a hypothesis that CCK interferes with p53 expression to affect the
      apoptotic process in lung cancer (tumor) cells. In this study, tumor-bearing mice
      and A549 cells (a tumor cell line) were irradiated. The expression of CCK and p53
      in tumor cells was assessed with RT-qPCR and Western blotting. The binding of
      p300 to the promoter of p53 was evaluated by chromatin immunoprecipitation. We
      observed that, with a given amount and within a given period, small doses/more
      sessions of irradiation markedly increased the levels of CCK in the sera and
      tumor cells, which were positively correlated with the tumor growth in mice and
      negatively correlated with tumor cell apoptosis. CCK increased the levels of
      histone acetyltransferase p300 and repressed the levels of nuclear factor-kB at
      the p53 promoter locus in tumor cells, which suppressed the expression of p53. In
      conclusion, CCK plays an important role in attenuating the radiation-induced lung
      cancer cell apoptosis. CCK may be a novel therapeutic target in the treatment of
      lung cancers.

PMID- 28337292
TI  - MiR-217 promotes cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma progression by targeting PTRF.
AB  - Increasing evidences have suggested that microRNAs (miRNAs) act a critical role
      in tumor initiation, progression and metastasis. Deregulated expression of miR
      217 has been identified in various tumors. However, the expression and role of
      miR-217 in the development of cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma (cSCC) remain
      unclear. In our study, we showed that miR-217 expression was upregulated in the
      cSCC tissues compared to adjacent non-tumor samples. We also demonstrated that
      miR-217 expression was upregualted in the cSCCcSCC cell lines. Overexpression of
      miR-217 promoted cSCCcSCC cell growth, cell cycle and invasion. We identified
      Polymerase I and Transcript Release Factor (PTRF) as a direct target gene of miR
      217 in the SCC13 cell. In addition, PTRF expression was downregulated in the
      cSCCcSCC tissues. Moreover, we demonstrated that there was a significant inverse
      correlation between miR-217 and PTRF expression in the cSCCcSCC. Furthermore,
      overexpression of PTRF could rescue miR-217's oncogenic effect on cSCC.
      Therefore, these results suggested that upregulation of miR-217 could contribute
      to development of cSCCcSCC through targeting PTRF.

PMID- 28337294
TI  - Hypoxic preconditioning of human cardiosphere-derived cell sheets enhances
      cellular functions via activation of the PI3K/Akt/mTOR/HIF-1alpha pathway.
AB  - Cell sheet technology is a promising therapeutic strategy for the treatment of
      ischemic diseases such as myocardial infarction. We recently developed a novel
      protocol, termed "hypoxic preconditioning," capable of augmenting the therapeutic
      efficacy of cell sheets. Following this protocol, the pro-angiogenic and anti
      fibrotic activity of cell sheets were enhanced by brief incubation of cell sheets
      under hypoxic culture conditions. However, the precise molecular mechanism
      underlying the hypoxic preconditioning of cell sheets is unclear. In the present
      study, we examined signal transducers in cell sheets to identify those responsive
      to hypoxic preconditioning, using cardiosphere-derived cell (CDC) sheets. We
      initially tested whether sheet-like structures were suitable for hypoxic
      preconditioning by comparing them with individual cells. Hypoxic preconditioning
      was more effective in sheeted cells than in individual cells. Expression of
      hypoxia inducible factor-1alpha (HIF-1alpha) and mammalian target of rapamycin
      (mTOR) were induced upon hypoxic preconditioning of cell sheets, as was the
      phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3K)/Akt pathway. In addition, hypoxic
      preconditioning increased phosphorylation of epidermal growth factor receptor
      (EGFR) and heat shock protein 60 (HSP60) in CDC sheets. Our findings provide
      novel insights into the utility of hypoxic preconditioning in cell sheet-based
      technologies for the treatment of ischemic diseases.

PMID- 28337293
TI  - MiR-146b protects cardiomyocytes injury in myocardial ischemia/reperfusion by
      targeting Smad4.
AB  - MicroRNAs, a class of small and non-encoding RNAs that transcriptionally or post
      transcriptionally modulate the expression of their target genes, have been
      implicated as critical regulatory molecules in many cardiovascular diseases,
      including ischemia-/reperfusion-induced cardiac injury. In the present study, we
      report on the role of miR-146b in myocardial I/R injury and the underlying cardio
      protective mechanism. Antagomir-146b was used to explore the effects of miR-146b
      on cardiac ischemia/reperfusion injury (30 min ischemia followed by 180 min
      reperfusion). As predicted, miR-146b overexpression significantly reduced the
      infarct size and cardiomyocytes apoptosis and release of creatine kinase and
      lactate dehydrogenase. In addition, miR-146b attenuated H9c2 cell apoptosis.
      Furthermore, Smad4 was predicted and verified as a potential miR-146b target
      using bioinformatics and luciferase assay. In summary, this study demonstrated
      that miR-146b plays a critical protective role in cardiac ischemic injury and may
      provide a new therapeutic approach for the treatment of myocardial I/R injury.

PMID- 28337296
TI  - Tumor suppressor p53 induces miR-15a processing to inhibit neuronal apoptosis
      inhibitory protein (NAIP) in the apoptotic response DNA damage in breast cancer
      cell.
AB  - This study was aimed to investigate the functional role of miR-15a in breast
      cancer cells in response to DNA damage and to illustrate the possible potential
      underlying molecular mechanism(s). Human breast cancer cell lines MCF-7 cells
      and/or MDA-MB-231 cells were pre-treated with or without bleomycin. Cells were
      transfected with corresponding vectors. qRT-PCR was used to detect the expression
      of mRNA or miRNA, and immunoprecipitation and immunoblot analysis were performed
      to explore the status of protein association. Cell apoptosis was analyzed with
      flow cytometry. The results showed that neuronal apoptosis inhibitory protein
      (NAIP) was negatively regulated by p53 in MCF-7 cells, and NAIP expression was
      still high in bleomycin-treated MCF-7 cells. In addition, we observed that miR
      15a expression was regulated by p53, and the effects of miR-15a on DNA damage was
      also mediated by p53. Furthermore, the results revealed that the cell apoptosis
      was mediated by miR-15a. Taken together, this study reveals that p53 negatively
      regulates NAIP expression by targeting miR-15a processing from primary into
      precursor miRNA in breast cancer.

PMID- 28337295
TI  - RNA helicase DHX9 may be a therapeutic target in lung cancer and inhibited by
      enoxacin.
AB  - RNA helicase DHX9 is a member of human RNA enzymes. Previous studies have
      reported that DHX9 is highly expressed in various types of malignant tumor.
      However, its role in the progression of lung cancer remains to be fully
      clarified. The present study aims to investigate the oncogenic role of DHX9 in
      serum, tissues and lung cancer cell lines in vitro. We used RNA interference to
      downregulate DHX9 expression in A549 cells using a small interfering RNA
      lentiviral vector. Subsequently, enoxacin was used to inhibit cell proliferation,
      and this effect was detected using MTT. The results showed that DHX9 was
      overexpressed in the serum and tissues of lung cancer, especially in small cell
      lung cancer. Though enoxacin suppressed the proliferation of NSCLC cells, the
      inhibition effect was diminished when DHX9 was knocked down. In conclusion, the
      present study provided evidence suggesting that DHX9 was overexpressed in lung
      cancer and may contribute to the growth of lung cancer, and enoxacin may inhibit
      the proliferation based on DHX9. Thus DHX9 may be used as a diagnostic marker and
      a potential therapeutic target for the treatment of NSCLC.

PMID- 28337297
TI  - Protective effect of a novel antibody against TLR2 on zymosan-induced acute
      peritonitis in NF-kappaB transgenic mice.
AB  - In addition to antibiotic therapy for treatment of peritonitis, biologics have
      also been found to exhibit both anti-inflammatory and inflammation-resolving
      properties. Here, we first developed NF-kappaB transgenic mice with zymosan
      induced acute peritonitis to investigate the effects of a novel anti-Toll-like
      receptor (TLR)2 antibody (anti-T20). In this mouse model, anti-T20 treatment
      significantly attenuated the increase of peritoneal NF-kappaB activity and serum
      levels of inflammatory cytokines, including monocyte chemoattractant protein
      (MCP)-1, interleukin (IL)-6 and tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-alpha, in a dose
      dependent manner compared to mice treated with isotype control antibody.
      Additionally, anti-T20 treatment significantly reduced MCP-1 levels as well as
      the leukocyte and total protein concentrations in the peritoneal exudates of
      peritonitis mice. Moreover, anti-T20 treatment significantly reduced TLR2 signal
      transduction in the leukocytes in peritoneal exudates from the experimental
      peritonitis mice. In conclusion, we developed a zymosan-induced acute peritonitis
      mouse model that facilitated visualization of NF-kappaB activity and demonstrated
      that anti-T20 treatment plays a protective role in this model concomitant with
      the inhibition of the zymosan-induced inflammatory response.

PMID- 28337298
TI  - XBP1-LOX Axis is critical in ER stress-induced growth of lung adenocarcinoma in
      3D culture.
AB  - Rapid growth of tumor cells needs to consume large amounts of oxygen and glucose,
      due to lack of blood supply within the tumor, cells live in an environment that
      lack of oxygen and nutrients. This environment results in endoplasmic reticulum
      (ER) stress and activates the UPR (unfolded protein response). More and more
      evidence suggests UPR provides a growth signal pathway required for tumor growth.
      In the present study, we investigated the relationship between XBP1, one
      transcription factor in UPR, and the expression of LOX. We found that ER stress
      induces high expression of XBP1, one transcription factor in UPR, in both 2D
      culture and 3D culture; but only promotes growth of lung adenocarcinoma cells in
      in vitro 3D culture other than 2D culture. In 3D culture, we further showed that
      knockdown XBP1 expression can block Tm/Tg-induced cell growth. LOX genes may be
      key downstream effector of XBP1. Knockdown LOX expression can partially block
      XBP1-induced cell growth. Then we showed XBP1 suppressed by RNA interference
      (RNAi) can reduce the expression of LOX. For the first time, it is being shown
      that XBP1 can regulate the expression of LOX to promote cell growth.

PMID- 28337299
TI  - Poly r(C) binding protein (PCBP) 1 expression is regulated at the post
      translation level in thyroid carcinoma.
AB  - Poly r(C) binding protein (PCBP) 1 or heterogeneous ribonucleoprotein (hnRNP) E1
      is a RNA binding protein that plays a vital role in a wide variety of biological
      processes. PCBP1 has been shown to function as a tumor suppressor by negatively
      regulating translation of pro-metastatic proteins in different cancers. Loss of
      PCBP1 expression or its Akt2-mediated phosphorylation at serine 43 residue has
      both been indicated to de-repress its regulation of EMT inducer proteins. Our
      previous work has established that PCBP1 functions as a tumor suppressor in
      thyroid cancer, where its translation is inhibited by microRNA-490-3p. Here we
      show that thyroid cancer patients can be divided into 2 cohorts based on miR-490
      3p expression and PCBP1 mRNA expression-one cohort with high PCBP1 mRNA
      expression and basal miR-490-3p expression and a second cohort with low PCBP1
      mRNA expression and high miR-490-3p expression. However, PCBP1 protein expression
      is also downregulated in the cohort with high PCBP1 mRNA expression, with
      expression levels similar to what is observed in patients with the low PCBP1 mRNA
      expression. Our analysis shows that PCBP1 mRNA is actively translated in patients
      with high PCBP1 mRNA expression, but that the protein is post translationally
      degraded by the proteasome machinery. Our results thus elucidate a novel
      mechanism responsible for down regulation of PCBP1 expression in thyroid cancer.
      It will be important in future to identify the mechanism that causes degradation
      of PCBP1 protein and to identify if similar mechanisms are active in other tumors
      characterized by low PCBP1 protein expression.

PMID- 28337300
TI  - Mutation of miR-21 targets endogenous lipoprotein receptor-related protein 6 and
      nonalcoholic fatty liver disease.
AB  - Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is a chronic disorder characterized by
      hepatic fat accumulation and abnormal lipid metabolism. Although miR-21 has been
      implicated in nonalcoholic fatty liver disease, it is unknown whether miR-21
      could function as a therapeutic target. Here, we perform transfection analysis of
      miR-21 mimic or control mimic to evaluate the effects of miR-21 expression levels
      on human HepG2 nonalcoholic fatty liver cells. We used siRNA techniques to knock
      down miR-21 in HepG2 and control 293T cell lines, and then monitored lipid
      production and the expression levels of genes involved in lipid metabolism. The
      effects of miR-21 expression levels on LDL receptor-related protein 6 (LRP6)
      expression were evaluated using qRT-PCR and western blot analyses. Luciferase
      reporter assays were conducted to confirm the effects of miR-21 expression levels
      on LRP6. The results indicated that transfection of miR-21 mimic induced changes
      in the expression levels of lipogenic enzymes, including acetyl-CoA carboxylase 1
      (ACC1), stearoyl CoA desaturase (1SCD1), sterol regulatory element-binding
      protein 1 (SREBP1), and liver X receptor alpha (LXRalpha). Transfection of miR-21
      mimic suppressed the transcription and translation of LRP6 at the mRNA and
      protein levels, whereas miR-21 knockdown increased the expression levels of LRP6.
      Transfection of miR-21 mimic in HepG2 cells also induced lipid production and
      triggered the expression of critical lipid metabolic enzymes. These data suggest
      that mutation of miR-21 may be a new therapeutic strategy to treat nonalcoholic
      fatty liver diseases by targeting endogenous LRP6.

PMID- 28337302
TI  - Different impairment of immune and inflammation functions in short and long-term
      after ischemic stroke.
AB  - Ischemic stroke therapy and prognosis outcomes largely depend on the time periods
      after symptom onset. This study aims to explore the difference of global gene
      expression profiles and impairment of biological functions between short-term and
      long-term after stroke onset. We compared three short-term (3 h, 5 h and 24 h)
      and a long-term (6-month) gene expression levels by a multi-platform microarray
      data integration method. RankProd was used to calculate the differentially
      expressed genes between stroke patients and controls. DAVID Bioinformatics
      Resources was utilized to determine affected biological functions. Consensus
      cluster and hierarchical cluster methods were employed to compare the gene
      expression patterns of the commonly biological functions among these four time
      course groups. The results showed that severe impairment of inflammation and
      immune related functions in 5 h and 24 h after symptom onset. However, these
      functions were less affected in the 3 h and the 6-month groups. In addition,
      several key genes (CCL20, THBS1, EREG, and IL6 et al.) were dramatically down
      regulated in 5 h and 24 h groups, whereas these genes showed no change or even a
      slight contrary expression in 3 h or 6-month groups. This study has identified
      the large differences of altered immune and inflammation functions based on gene
      levels between short and long-term after stroke onset. The findings provide
      valuable insight into the clinical practice and prognosis evaluation of ischemic
      stroke.

PMID- 28337303
TI  - The involvement and possible mechanism of NR4A1 in chondrocyte apoptosis during
      osteoarthritis.
AB  - Osteoarthritis (OA) is a joint disease caused by the breakdown of joint cartilage
      and underlying bone, and places great burdens to daily life of patients. Nuclear
      orphan receptor nuclear receptor subfamily 4, group A, member 1 (NR4A1) is vital
      for cell apoptosis, but little is known about its role in OA. This study aims to
      reveal the expression and function of NR4A1 during OA chondrocyte apoptosis.
      NR4A1 expression by qRT-PCR and western blot, and chondrocyte apoptosis by TUNEL
      assay were detected in normal and OA joint cartilage. NR4A1 was located in
      cartilage sections by immunohistofluorescence. Chondrocytes from normal joint
      cartilage were cultured in vitro for interleukin 6 (IL6) or tumor necrosis factor
      (TNF) treatment and si-NR4A1 transfection, after which the possible mechanism
      involving NR4A1 was analyzed. Results showed that NR4A1 expression and
      chondrocyte apoptosis were significantly elevated in OA cartilage (P < 0.05 and P
      < 0.01). NR4A1 was located in nuclei of normal cartilage chondrocytes, but was
      translocated to mitochondria and co-located with B-cell lymphoma 2 in OA
      chondrocytes. NR4A1 expression in cultured chondrocytes could be promoted by both
      IL6 and TNF treatment. si-NR4A1 partly reduced TNF-induced cell apoptosis.
      Inhibiting p38 by SB203580 could decrease TNF-induced NR4A1 to some extent, while
      inhibiting JNK could not. So NR4A1 is likely to facilitate OA chondrocyte
      apoptosis, which is associated with p38 MAPK and mitochondrial apoptosis pathway.
      This study provides a potential therapeutic target for OA treatment and offers
      information for regulatory mechanisms in OA.

PMID- 28337301
TI  - Endoplasmic reticulum stress, a new wrestler, in the pathogenesis of idiopathic
      pulmonary fibrosis.
AB  - Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) has attracted extensive attention for its
      unexplained progressive lung scarring, short median survival and its
      unresponsiveness to traditional therapies. Despite extensive studies, the
      mechanisms underlying IPF pathoetiologies, however, remain poorly understood.
      Recent advances delineated a potential function of endoplasmic reticulum (ER)
      stress in meeting the need of fibrotic response, which pinpointed a critical role
      for the unfolded protein response (UPR) pathways in IPF pathogenesis. In this
      review, we highlight the effect of ER stress and the activation of UPR on the
      survival, differentiation, function and proliferation of major profibrotic cells
      in lung tissues during the course of IPF, and discuss the feasibility whether
      targeting UPR components could be an orientation for developing effective
      therapeutic strategies against this devastating disorder in clinical settings.

PMID- 28337304
TI  - Down-regulation of mediator complex subunit 19 (Med19) induces apoptosis in human
      laryngocarcinoma HEp2 cells in an Apaf-1-dependent pathway.
AB  - Mediator 19 (Med19) is a component of the mediator complex which is a co
      activator for DNA-binding factors that activate transcription via RNA polymerase
      II. Accumulating evidence has shown that Med19 plays important roles in cancer
      cell proliferation and tumorigenesis. The physiological mechanism by which Med19
      exerts its promoting effects in laryngocarcinoma is not yet fully understood.
      Here, we found that the expression of Med19 was increased in laryngocarcinoma
      samples from patients compared to normal bone tissues. Med19 knockdown
      significantly induced growth inhibition and suppressed migration in the HEp2 cell
      lines. Med19 knockdown also induced apoptosis in HEp2 cells via activation of
      caspase-3, 9 and Apaf-1. In addition, The tumorigenicity of Med19 short hairpin
      RNA (shRNA)-expressing cells were decreased after inoculating into nude mice.
      Taken together, our data suggest that Med19 acts as an oncogene in
      laryngocarcinoma via a possible caspase modulation pathway.

PMID- 28337305
TI  - Rho kinase regulates neurite outgrowth of hippocampal neurons via calcium
      dependent cytoskeleton regulation.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: To investigate whether calcium is involved in downstream signal
      transduction in neurite outgrowth regulated by Rho kinase. METHODS: In vitro
      primary hippocampal neurons were cultured and treated with Rho kinase agonist
      (LPA) or antagonist (Y-27632). Then, the cytoskeleton and neurite outgrowth were
      observed. After addition of calcium antagonist BAPTA/AM to reduce intracellular
      calcium, the cytoskeleton distribution and neurite outgrowth were observed.
      RESULTS: The activation or inhibition of Rho kinase could significantly alter the
      number and length of neurites of hippocampal neurons. Rho kinase regulated the
      cytoskeleton to regulate the neurite outgrowth, and LPA could significantly
      increase intracellular calcium. After BAPTA/AM treatment, the length and branch
      number of neurites of neurons reduced markedly. BAPTA/AM was able to reduce
      intracellular calcium and decrease neuronal cytoskeleton. Treatment with both
      BAPTA/AM and LPA could stop the retraction of neurites, but the length and branch
      number of neurites remained unchanged after treatment with Y-27632 and LPA.
      CONCLUSION: Calcium may affect the cytoskeleton arrangement to regulate neurite
      outgrowth, and calcium is involved in the downstream signal transduction of Rho
      kinase regulated neurite outgrowth of hippocampal neurons.

PMID- 28337306
TI  - Thymoquinone potentiates chemoprotective effect of Vitamin D3 against colon
      cancer: a pre-clinical finding.
AB  - Prevention of colon cancer among high-risk group has been long lasting research
      goal. Emerging data have evidenced the anticancer activities of Vitamin D3
      (Vit.D) and Thymoquinone (TQ). The aim of the current study was to evaluate the
      synergistic potential of Thymoquinone and Vitamin D3 in the control of colon
      cancer progression using azoxymethane-induced rat model. Vit.D and TQ were given
      individually or in combination 4 week prior to induction and continued for a
      total of 20 week. At the end of the study, all animals were euthanized and their
      resected colons were examined macroscopically and microscopically for tumor
      growth. Colonic tissue preparations were used for measuring gene expression
      and/or protein levels of selected pro and anti-tumor biomarkers using
      quantitative RT-PCR, ELISA and immunohistochemistry. Compared with their
      individual supplementation, combined Vit.D/TQ showed prominent anti-tumor effect
      manifested by significant reduction (P < 0.05) of the numbers of grown tumors and
      large aberrant crypts foci. Mechanistically, gene expression and/or protein
      quantification studies revealed that combined Vit.D/TQ supplementation induced
      significant reduction (P < 0.01 and P < 0.05) of pro-cancerous molecules (Wnt,
      beta-catenin, NF-kappaB, COX-2, iNOS, VEGF and HSP-90) as well as significant
      increase (P < 0.01 and P < 0.05, respectively) of anti-tumorigenesis biomarkers
      (DKK-1, CDNK-1A, TGF-beta1, TGF-beta/RII and smad4) as compared to un
      supplemented or individually supplemented groups, respectively. In conclusion, TQ
      augmented the chemopreventive effect of Vit.D during the initiation phase of
      colon cancer in rat model, with the potential to suppress progression of pre
      neoplastic lesions in colon carcinogenesis.

PMID- 28337307
TI  - Effects of microRNA-29a on retinopathy of prematurity by targeting AGT in a mouse
      model.
AB  - BACKGROUND: This study aimed to explore the effects of microRNA-29a (miR-29a) on
      retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) by targeting angiotensinogen (AGT) expression in
      a mouse model. METHODS: Ninety-six C57BL/6J mice were selected and divided into
      the normal control group (n = 12) and the oxygen-induced retinopathy (OIR) group
      (n = 84). All the mice in the OIR group were assigned to the following seven
      groups (12 mice in each group): the blank, miR-29a mimics, miR-29a inhibitors,
      empty plasmid, miR-29a mimics + si-AGT, miR-29a inhibitors + si-AGT and si-AGT
      groups. ADPase histochemical staining was conducted to detect the morphology of
      retinal neovascularization. H&E staining was performed to quantify retinal
      neovascularization. The qRT-PCR assay was applied to detect the expression levels
      of miR-29a and the AGT mRNA. Western blotting was used to detect the protein
      expressions of AGT, vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), hepatocyte growth
      factor (HGF), angiotensin (ANG) and angiotensin II (AngII). RESULTS: Compared
      with the normal control group, miR-29a expression decreased, while the AGT mRNA
      expression and the protein expression levels of AGT, VEGF, HGF, ANG and AngII
      increased, and retinal vascular density and neovascularization also increased in
      the OIR group. In the OIR group, compared with the blank, empty plasmid, miR-29a
      inhibitors and miR-29a inhibitors + si-AGT groups, miR-29a expression increased,
      while the AGT mRNA expression and protein expression levels of AGT, VEGF, HGF,
      ANG and AngII decreased, and retinal vascular density and neovascularization also
      decreased in the miR-29a mimics, miR-29a mimics + si-AGT and si-AGT groups.
      CONCLUSION: MiR-29a could inhibit retinal neovascularization to prevent the
      development and progression of ROP by down-regulating AGT.

PMID- 28337308
TI  - Erratum: Effect of granatin B on the glioma cancer by inducing apoptosis.
AB  - [This corrects the article on p. 3970 in vol. 8, PMID: 27725877.].

PMID- 28337309
TI  - GKN2 increases apoptosis, reduces the proliferation and invasion ability of
      gastric cancer cells through down-regulating the JAK/STAT signaling pathway.
AB  - OBJECTIVES: To investigate the effect of gastric motility protein 2 (GKN2) on the
      proliferation, apoptosis and invasion of gastric cancer cell and on the
      JAK/signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3) signaling pathway.
      METHODS: Expression of GKN2 was qualified using Western blot analysis in four
      gastric cancer cell lines and immortalized human gastric mucosal epithelial cell
      line GES-1. The cells were then transfected with pcDNA3.1-GKN2 and control vector
      using Lipofectaminetm2000 and assayed for viability, apoptosis, cell cycle
      changes, invasion ability as well as expression of cell cycle protein D1 (Cylin
      D1), Bcl-2, Bax, matrix metalloproteinase 2 (MMP2), MMP9, JAK2 and p-STAT3.
      RESULTS: Western blot analyses showed that the expression of GKN2 was
      significantly lower in 4 gastric cancer cell lines (BGC-823, SGC-7901, AGS and
      MKN-45) than in GES-1. Of them, SGC-7901 had the lowest expression. The line was
      chosen for subsequent transfection experiments. Compared with control
      (transfection with empty vector), pcDNA3.1-GKN2-transfected cells had
      significantly more GKN2 protein and mRNA, decreased cell viability, increased
      apoptosis, more cells arrested at G1 phase and reduced invasiveness. Expression
      analyses showed that expression of Cyclin D1, Bcl-2, MMP2, MMP9, JAK2 and STAT3
      was significantly down-regulated, while Bax was significantly up-regulated.
      CONCLUSION: Over-expression of GKN2 can increase apoptosis, reduce proliferation
      and invasion ability of gastric cancer cells as a result of down-regulated
      JAK2/STAT3 signaling pathway.

PMID- 28337310
TI  - Upregulation of TSPAN12 is associated with the colorectal cancer growth and
      metastasis.
AB  - Tetraspanin 12 (TSPAN12), as an earliest member of tetraspanin family, has been
      recently shown to be highly expressed in several malignant tumors, such as lung
      cancer and breast cancer, which plays an important role in regulating cell
      proliferation, migration and invasion. However, the functional roles of TSPAN12
      in colorectal cancer (CRC) remain largely unclear. In this study, the expression
      of TSPAN12 was up-regulated compared to that in paracarcinoma tissues. Higher
      TSPAN12 expression was significantly correlated with TNM stage, tumor size and
      lymph node metastasis. The vitro functional analysis, including MTT, colony
      formation, flow cytometry and transwell assays indicated that lentivirus-mediated
      TSPAN12 knockdown significantly suppressed cell proliferation, migration and
      invasion, induced cell apoptosis of CRC cells. In addition, knockdown of TSPAN12
      remarkably decreased the growth of subcutaneously inoculated tumors in nude mice.
      Our findings for the first time supported that TSPAN12 might play a positive role
      in the regulation of CRC cell proliferation, migration and invasion. The
      inhibition of TSPAN12 may serve as a novel promising therapeutic strategy against
      human CRC.

PMID- 28337314
TI  - Curcumin May Defy Medicinal Chemists.

PMID- 28337313
TI  - Editorial: Medicinal Chemistry Research in India.

PMID- 28337312
TI  - pri-miR-34b/c rs4938723 polymorphism is associated with hepatocellular carcinoma
      risk: a case-control study in a Chinese population.
AB  - Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is one of the most common cancers worldwide. miR
      34 induces changes of its downstream genes, and plays a key role in altering the
      apoptotic cycle and pathways of downstream cells, and finally influences the
      development of cancer. We assessed the relationship of the pri-miR-34b/c
      rs4938723 polymorphism with hepatocellular carcinoma risk in a Chinese
      population. During the period of January 2014 and December 2015, a total of 164
      HCC patients and 305 healthy controls were recruited from the Inner Mongolia
      People's Hospital. Genotyping of the pri-miR-34b/c rs4938723 was determined using
      the polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR
      RFLP). Using chi2 test, we observed that HCC patients were likely to have a habit
      of alcohol consumption (chi2 = 10.24, P = 0.001) and infect with HBV or HCV (chi2
      = 128.17, P < 0.001). In co-dominant model, the CC genotype of pri-miR-34b/c
      rs4938723 had a significant higher risk of HCC as compared with the TT genotype,
      and the corresponding adjusted OR (95% CI) was 4.14 (1.91-9.75). In dominant
      model, we observed that the TC+CC genotype were associated with an increased risk
      of HCC in comparison to the TT genotype (OR = 1.67, 95% CI = 1.17-2.55). In
      recessive model, the CC genotype was correlated with an elevated risk of HCC when
      compared with the TT+TC genotype (OR = 3.46, 95% CI = 1.62-8.54). The pri-miR
      34b/c rs4938723 polymorphism was associated with a higher risk of HCC in the
      Chinese population examined. Further large-scale and multi-center studies are
      required to confirm these results.

PMID- 28337311
TI  - Consciousness loss during epileptogenesis: implication for VLPO-PnO circuits.
AB  - There is a growing concern about consciousness loss during epileptic seizures.
      Understanding neural mechanisms could lead to a better comprehension of cerebral
      circuit function in the control of consciousness loss in intractable epilepsy. We
      propose that ventrolateral preoptic area (VLPO)- PnO (nucleus pontis oralis)
      circuits may serve a major role in the loss of consciousness in drug-refractory
      epilepsy. Future behavioural and neuroimaging studies are clearly needed to
      understand the functional connectivity between the VLPO and PnO during loss of
      consciousness in drug-refractory epilepsy, to greatly prevent unconsciousness in
      this disorder and improve the quality of life in patients with intractable
      epilepsy.

PMID- 28337316
TI  - Bicyclic Ketone Sulfonamide Compounds.

PMID- 28337315
TI  - Sodium Channel Blockers.

PMID- 28337318
TI  - Development of [18F]Maleimide-Based Glycogen Synthase Kinase-3beta Ligands for
      Positron Emission Tomography Imaging.
AB  - Dysregulation of glycogen synthase kinase-3beta (GSK-3beta) is implicated in the
      pathogenesis of neurodegenerative and psychiatric disorders. Thus, development of
      GSK-3beta radiotracers for positron emission tomography (PET) imaging is of
      paramount importance, because such a noninvasive imaging technique would allow
      better understanding of the link between the activity of GSK-3beta and central
      nervous system disorders in living organisms, and it would enable early detection
      of the enzyme's aberrant activity. Herein, we report the synthesis and biological
      evaluation of a series of fluorine-substituted maleimide derivatives that are
      high-affinity GSK-3beta inhibitors. Radiosynthesis of a potential GSK-3beta
      tracer [18F]10a is achieved. Preliminary in vivo PET imaging studies in rodents
      show moderate brain uptake, although no saturable binding was observed in the
      brain. Further refinement of the lead scaffold to develop potent [18F]-labeled
      GSK-3 radiotracers for PET imaging of the central nervous system is warranted.

PMID- 28337319
TI  - Bifunctional Inhibitors as a New Tool To Reduce Cancer Cell Invasion by Impairing
      MMP-9 Homodimerization.
AB  - Protein homodimers play important roles in physiological and pathological
      processes, including cancer invasion and metastasis. Recently, MMP-9 natural
      homodimerization via the PEX domain has been correlated with high migration rates
      of aggressive cancer cells. Here we propose that bifunctional MMP-9 inhibitors
      designed to impair natural MMP-9 homodimerization promoted by PEX-PEX
      interactions might be an effective tool to fight cancer cell invasion.
      Elaborating a previously described dimeric hydroxamate inhibitor 1, new ligands
      were synthesized with different linker lengths and branch points. Evaluation of
      the modified bifunctional ligands by X-ray crystallography and biological assays
      showed that 7 and 8 could reduce invasion in three glioma cell lines expressing
      MMP-9 at different levels. To rationalize these results, we present a theoretical
      model of full-length MMP-9 in complex with 7. This pioneering study suggests that
      a new approach using MMP-9 selective bifunctional inhibitors might lead to an
      effective therapy to reduce cancer cell invasion.

PMID- 28337317
TI  - Structural Requirements of HDAC Inhibitors: SAHA Analogues Modified at the C2
      Position Display HDAC6/8 Selectivity.
AB  - Histone deacetylase (HDAC) proteins are epigenetic regulators that deacetylate
      protein substrates, leading to subsequent changes in cell function. HDAC proteins
      are implicated in cancers, and several HDAC inhibitors have been approved by the
      FDA as anticancer drugs, including SAHA (suberoylanilide hydroxamic acid;
      Vorinostat and Zolinza). Unfortunately, SAHA inhibits most HDAC isoforms, which
      limits its use as a pharmacological tool and may lead to side effects in the
      clinic. In this work SAHA analogues substituted at the C2 position were
      synthesized and screened for HDAC isoform selectivity in vitro and in cells. The
      most potent and selective compound, C2-n-hexyl SAHA, displayed submicromolar
      potency with 49- to 300-fold selectivity for HDAC6 and HDAC8 compared to HDAC1, 
      2, and -3. Docking studies provided a structural rationale for selectivity.
      Modification of the nonselective inhibitor SAHA generated HDAC6/HDAC8 dual
      selective inhibitors, which can be useful lead compounds toward developing
      pharmacological tools and more effective anticancer drugs.

PMID- 28337320
TI  - Discovery and Assessment of Atropisomers of (+/-)-Lesinurad.
AB  - (+)- and (-)-Lesinurad were isolated as atropisomers from racemic lesinurad for
      the first time. No interconversion was observed between the two atropisomers
      under various conditions tested. The two atropisomers showed significant
      differences in hURAT1 highly expressed HEK293 cell-based inhibition assays,
      monkey pharmacokinetic studies, and in vitro human recombinant CYP2C9 stability
      studies. It was speculated that (+)-lesinurad might offer a better
      hyperuricemia/gout therapy than (-)-lesinurad or the racemate.

PMID- 28337321
TI  - Prototypic 18F-Labeled Argininamide-Type Neuropeptide Y Y1R Antagonists as
      Tracers for PET Imaging of Mammary Carcinoma.
AB  - The neuropeptide Y (NPY) Y1 receptor (Y1R) selective radioligand (R)-Nalpha-(2,2
      diphenylacetyl)-Nomega-[4-(2-[18F]fluoropropanoylamino)butyl]aminocarbonyl-N-(4
      hydroxybenzyl)argininamide ([18F]23), derived from the high-affinity Y1R
      antagonist BIBP3226, was developed for imaging studies of Y1R-positive tumors.
      Starting from the argininamide core bearing amine-functionalized spacer moieties,
      a series of fluoropropanoylated and fluorobenzoylated derivatives was synthesized
      and studied for Y1R affinity. The fluoropropanoylated derivative 23 displayed
      high affinity (Ki = 1.3 nM) and selectivity toward Y1R. Radiosynthesis was
      accomplished via 18F-fluoropropanoylation, yielding [18F]23 with excellent
      stability in mice; however, the biodistribution study revealed pronounced
      hepatobiliary clearance with high accumulation in the gall bladder (>100 %ID/g).
      Despite the unfavorable biodistribution, [18F]23 was successfully used for
      imaging of Y1R positive MCF-7 tumors in nude mice. Therefore, we suggest [18F]23
      as a lead for the design of PET ligands with optimized physicochemical properties
      resulting in more favorable biodistribution and higher Y1R-dependent enrichment
      in mammary carcinoma.

PMID- 28337322
TI  - Platinum(II) Ring-Fused Chlorins as Near-Infrared Emitting Oxygen Sensors and
      Photodynamic Agents.
AB  - Novel near-infrared luminescent compounds based on platinum(II) 4,5,6,7
      tetrahydropyrazolo[1,5-a]pyridine-fused chlorins are described. These compounds
      have high photostability and display light emission, in particular simultaneous
      fluorescence and phosphorescence emission in solution at room temperature, in the
      biologically relevant 700-850 nm red and near-infrared (NIR) spectral region,
      making them excellent materials for biological imaging. The simultaneous presence
      of fluorescence and phosphorescence emission at room temperature, with the
      phosphorescence strongly quenched by oxygen whereas fluorescence remains
      unaffected, allows these compounds to be used as ratiometric oxygen sensors in
      chemical and biological media. Both steady-state (fluorescence vs phosphorescence
      intensities) and dynamic (dependence of phosphorescence lifetimes upon oxygen
      concentration) luminescence approaches can be used. Photocytotoxicity studies
      against human melanocytic melanoma cells (A375) indicate that these compounds
      display potential as photosensitizers in photodynamic therapy.

PMID- 28337323
TI  - Structure-Based Design of ASK1 Inhibitors as Potential Agents for Heart Failure.
AB  - Apoptosis signal-regulating kinase 1 (ASK1/MAP3K) is a mitogen-activated protein
      kinase family member shown to contribute to acute ischemia/reperfusion injury.
      Using structure-based drug design, deconstruction, and reoptimization of a known
      ASK1 inhibitor, a lead compound was identified. This compound displayed robust
      MAP3K pathway inhibition and reduction of infarct size in an isolated perfused
      heart model of cardiac injury.

PMID- 28337325
TI  - Tetrahydroisoquinoline-7-carboxamide Derivatives as New Selective Discoidin
      Domain Receptor 1 (DDR1) Inhibitors.
AB  - Acute lung injury (ALI) is a deadly symptom for serious lung inflammation.
      Discoidin Domain Receptor 1 (DDR1) is a new potential target for anti
      inflammatory drug discovery. A new selective tetrahydroisoquinoline-7-carboxamide
      based DDR1 inhibitor 7ae was discovered to tightly bind the DDR1 protein and
      potently inhibit its kinase function with a Kd value of 2.2 nM and an IC50 value
      of 6.6 nM, respectively. The compound dose-dependently inhibited
      lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced interleukin-6 (IL-6) and tumor necrosis factor
      alpha (TNF-alpha) release in mouse primary peritoneal macrophages (MPMs). In
      addition, 7ae also exhibited promising in vivo anti-inflammatory effects in a LPS
      induced mouse ALI model. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first "proof
      of concept" investigation on the potential application of a small molecule DDR1
      inhibitor to treat ALI.

PMID- 28337326
TI  - Crystal Structures of ERAP2 Complexed with Inhibitors Reveal Pharmacophore
      Requirements for Optimizing Inhibitor Potency.
AB  - Endoplasmic reticulum aminopeptidase 2 assists with the generation of antigenic
      peptides for presentation onto Major Histocompatibility Class I molecules in
      humans. Recent evidence has suggested that the activity of ERAP2 may contribute
      to the generation of autoimmunity, thus making ERAP2 a possible pharmacological
      target for the regulation of adaptive immune responses. To better understand the
      structural elements of inhibitors that govern their binding affinity to the ERAP2
      active site, we cocrystallized ERAP2 with a medium activity 3,4-diaminobenzoic
      acid inhibitor and a poorly active hydroxamic acid derivative. Comparison of
      these two crystal structures with a previously solved structure of ERAP2 in
      complex with a potent phosphinic pseudopeptide inhibitor suggests that engaging
      the substrate N-terminus recognition properties of the active site is crucial for
      inhibitor binding even in the absence of a potent zinc-binding group. Proper
      utilization of all five major pharmacophores is necessary, however, to optimize
      inhibitor potency.

PMID- 28337324
TI  - Discovery of GBT440, an Orally Bioavailable R-State Stabilizer of Sickle Cell
      Hemoglobin.
AB  - We report the discovery of a new potent allosteric effector of sickle cell
      hemoglobin, GBT440 (36), that increases the affinity of hemoglobin for oxygen and
      consequently inhibits its polymerization when subjected to hypoxic conditions.
      Unlike earlier allosteric activators that bind covalently to hemoglobin in a 2:1
      stoichiometry, 36 binds with a 1:1 stoichiometry. Compound 36 is orally
      bioavailable and partitions highly and favorably into the red blood cell with a
      RBC/plasma ratio of ~150. This partitioning onto the target protein is
      anticipated to allow therapeutic concentrations to be achieved in the red blood
      cell at low plasma concentrations. GBT440 (36) is in Phase 3 clinical trials for
      the treatment of sickle cell disease (NCT03036813).

PMID- 28337327
TI  - Discovery of Potent, Selective, and Structurally Novel Dot1L Inhibitors by a
      Fragment Linking Approach.
AB  - Misdirected catalytic activity of histone methyltransferase Dot1L is believed to
      be causative for a subset of highly aggressive acute leukemias. Targeting the
      catalytic domain of Dot1L represents a potential therapeutic approach for these
      leukemias. In the context of a comprehensive Dot1L hit finding strategy, a
      knowledge-based virtual screen of the Dot1L SAM binding pocket led to the
      discovery of 2, a non-nucleoside fragment mimicking key interactions of SAM bound
      to Dot1L. Fragment linking of 2 and 3, an induced back pocket binder identified
      in earlier studies, followed by careful ligand optimization led to the
      identification of 7, a highly potent, selective and structurally novel Dot1L
      inhibitor.

PMID- 28337328
TI  - Structure-Activity Relationship Study of QL47: A Broad-Spectrum Antiviral Agent.
AB  - Here we report the structure-activity relationship (SAR) investigations of QL-XII
      47 (QL47), a compound that possesses broad-spectrum antiviral activity against
      dengue virus and other RNA viruses. A medicinal chemistry campaign initiated from
      QL47, a previously reported covalent BTK inhibitor, to derive YKL-04-085, which
      is devoid of any kinase activity when screened against a panel of 468 kinases and
      with improved pharmacokinetic properties. Both QL47 and YKL-04-085 are potent
      inhibitors of viral translation and exhibit cellular antiviral activity at 35
      fold lower concentrations relative to inhibition of host-cell proliferation.

PMID- 28337330
TI  - Antimalarial Properties of Simplified Kalihinol Analogues.
AB  - Several kalihinol natural products, members of the broader isocyanoterpene family
      of antimalarial agents, are potent inhibitors of Plasmodium falciparum, the agent
      of the most severe form of human malaria. Our previous total synthesis of
      kalihinol B provided a blueprint to generate many analogues within this family,
      some as complex as the natural product and some much simplified and easier to
      access. Each analogue was tested for blood-stage antimalarial activity using both
      drug-sensitive and -resistant P. falciparum strains. Many considerably simpler
      analogues of the kalihinols retained potent activity, as did a compound with a
      different decalin scaffold made in only three steps from sclareolide. Finally,
      one representative compound showed reasonable stability toward microsomal
      metabolism, suggesting that the isonitrile functional group that is critical for
      activity is not an inherent liability in these compounds.

PMID- 28337329
TI  - Antiparasitic Lead Discovery: Toward Optimization of a Chemotype with Activity
      Against Multiple Protozoan Parasites.
AB  - Human African trypanosomiasis (HAT), Chagas disease, and leishmaniasis present a
      significant burden across the developing world. Existing therapeutics for these
      protozoal neglected tropical diseases suffer from severe side effects and
      toxicity. Previously, NEU-1045 (3) was identified as a promising lead with cross
      pathogen activity, though it possessed poor physicochemical properties. We have
      designed a library of analogues with improved calculated physicochemical
      properties built on the quinoline scaffold of 3 incorporating small, polar
      aminoheterocycles in place of the 4-(3-fluorobenzyloxy)aniline substituent. We
      report the biological activity of these inhibitors against Trypanosoma brucei
      (HAT), T. cruzi (Chagas disease), and Leishmania major (cutaneous leishmaniasis)
      and describe the identification of N-(5-chloropyrimidin-2-yl)-6-(4
      (morpholinosulfonyl)phenyl)quinolin-4-amine (13t) as a promising inhibitor of L.
      major proliferation and 6-(4-(morpholinosulfonyl)phenyl)-N-(pyrimidin-4
      yl)quinolin-4-amine (13j), a potent inhibitor of T. brucei proliferation with
      improved drug-like properties.

PMID- 28337331
TI  - Light-Regulated NO Release as a Novel Strategy To Overcome Doxorubicin Multidrug
      Resistance.
AB  - Nitric oxide (NO) release from a suitable NO photodonor (NOP) can be fine-tuned
      by visible light stimuli at doses that are not toxic to cells but that inhibit
      several efflux pumps; these are mainly responsible for the multidrug resistance
      of the anticancer agent doxorubicin (DOX). The strategy may thus increase DOX
      toxicity against resistant cancer cells. Moreover, a novel molecular hybrid
      covalently joining DOX and NOP showed similar increased toxicity toward resistant
      cancer cells and, in addition, lower cardiotoxicity than DOX. This opens new and
      underexplored approaches to overcoming the main therapeutic drawbacks of this
      chemotherapeutic based on light-controlled release of NO.

PMID- 28337333
TI  - Efficient Semisynthesis of (-)-Pseudoirroratin A from (-)-Flexicaulin A and
      Assessment of Their Antitumor Activities.
AB  - Accumulating evidence indicates that natural ent-kaurane diterpenoids show great
      potential for medical treatment of different pathological conditions including
      cytotoxicity, antibacterial, and anti-inflammatory activity. Among a variety of
      diterpenoids tested, (-)-pseudoirroratin A displayed a promising antitumor
      property in vitro and in vivo. However, this diterpenoid could merely be isolated
      in a limited amount from a rare source of Isodon pseudoirrorata. To overcome such
      scanty source, we developed a novel, facile, and efficient semisynthetic strategy
      to prepare (-)-pseudoirroratin A from natural (-)-flexicaulin A, which can be
      expediently obtained from I. flexicaulis in a great quantity. The three
      dimensional structure and the absolute configuration of our synthetic diterpenoid
      have been determined and confirmed with the X-ray crystallographic analysis. More
      importantly, we demonstrated for the first time that pseudoirroratin A exerted
      significant cytotoxicity against human colorectal carcinoma cells via an
      induction of apoptosis, as well as a remarkable suppression on tumor growth in a
      colon cancer xenograft mouse model.

PMID- 28337334
TI  - Correction to "Chiral Cyclohexane 1,3-Diones as Inhibitors of Mutant SOD1
      Dependent Protein Aggregation for the Treatment of ALS".
AB  - [This corrects the article DOI: 10.1021/ml3000963.].

PMID- 28337332
TI  - BMS-933043, a Selective alpha7 nAChR Partial Agonist for the Treatment of
      Cognitive Deficits Associated with Schizophrenia.
AB  - The therapeutic treatment of negative symptoms and cognitive dysfunction
      associated with schizophrenia is a significant unmet medical need. Preclinical
      literature indicates that alpha7 neuronal nicotinic acetylcholine (nACh) receptor
      agonists may provide an effective approach to treating cognitive dysfunction in
      schizophrenia. We report herein the discovery and evaluation of 1c (BMS-933043),
      a novel and potent alpha7 nACh receptor partial agonist with high selectivity
      against other nicotinic acetylcholine receptor subtypes (>100-fold) and the 5
      HT3A receptor (>300-fold). In vivo activity was demonstrated in a preclinical
      model of cognitive impairment, mouse novel object recognition. BMS-933043 has
      completed Phase I clinical trials.

PMID- 28337335
TI  - Correction to "Sulfonamides as Selective NaV1.7 Inhibitors: Optimizing Potency
      and Pharmacokinetics to Enable in Vivo Target Engagement".
AB  - [This corrects the article DOI: 10.1021/acsmedchemlett.6b00243.].

PMID- 28337336
TI  - SAR and identification of 2-(quinolin-4-yloxy)acetamides as Mycobacterium
      tuberculosis cytochrome bc1 inhibitors.
AB  - A previous phenotypic screen by GSK identified 2-(quinolin-4-yloxy)acetamides as
      potent growth inhibitors of Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb). We report the
      results of a preliminary structure-activity relationship (SAR) study of the
      compound class which has yielded more potent inhibitors. An Mtb cytochrome bd
      oxidase deletion mutant (cydKO) was found to be hypersensitive to most members of
      the compound library, while strains carrying single-nucleotide polymorphisms of
      the qcrB gene, which encodes a subunit of the menaquinol cytochrome c
      oxidoreductase (bc1) complex, were resistant to the library. These results
      identify that the 2-(quinolin-4-yloxy)acetamide class of Mtb growth inhibitors
      can be added to the growing number of scaffolds that target the M. tuberculosis
      bc1 complex.

PMID- 28337337
TI  - Drug trapping in hERG K+ channels: (not) a matter of drug size?
AB  - Inhibition of hERG K+ channels by structurally diverse drugs prolongs the
      ventricular action potential and increases the risk of torsade de pointes
      arrhythmias and sudden cardiac death. The capture of drugs behind closed channel
      gates, so-called drug trapping, is suggested to harbor an increased pro
      arrhythmic risk. In this study, the trapping mechanisms of a trapped hERG blocker
      propafenone and a bulky derivative (MW: 647.24 g mol-1) were studied by making
      use of electrophysiological measurements in combination with molecular dynamics
      simulations. Our study suggests that the hERG cavity is able to accommodate very
      bulky compounds without disturbing gate closure.

PMID- 28337338
TI  - Synthesis of malhamensilipin A exploiting iterative epoxidation/chlorination:
      experimental and computational analysis of epoxide-derived chloronium ions.
AB  - We report a 12-step catalytic enantioselective formal synthesis of
      malhamensilipin A (3) and diastereoisomeric analogues from (E)-2-undecenal. The
      convergent synthesis relied upon iterative epoxidation and phosphorus(v)-mediated
      deoxydichlorination reactions as well a titanium-mediated epoxide-opening to
      construct the C11-C16 stereohexad. The latter transformation occurred with very
      high levels of stereoretention regardless of the C13 configuration of the parent
      epoxide, implicating anchimeric assistance of either the gamma- or delta-chlorine
      atoms, and the formation of chloretanium or chlorolanium ions, respectively. A
      computational analysis of the chloronium ion intermediates provided support for
      the involvement of chlorolanium ions, whereas the potential chloretanium ions
      were found to be less likely intermediates on the basis of their greater
      carbocationic character.

PMID- 28337339
TI  - Intermolecular oxidative decarbonylative [2 + 2 + 2] carbocyclization of N-(2
      ethynylaryl)acrylamides with tertiary and secondary alkyl aldehydes involving
      C(sp3)-H functionalization.
AB  - A new metal-free oxidative decarbonylative [2 + 2 + 2] carbocyclization of N-(2
      ethynylaryl)acrylamides with tertiary and secondary alkyl aldehydes is described.
      This reaction enables the formation of three new C-C bonds in a single reaction
      by a sequence of oxidative decarbonylation, radical addition across C-C
      unsaturated bonds, C-H functionalization and annulation, and represents the first
      oxidative decarbonylative [2 + 2 + 2] carbocyclization approach using tertiary
      and secondary alkyl aldehydes as a two carbon unit for assembling six-membered
      carbocycle-fused polycycles.

PMID- 28163893
TI  - Kv4.2 knockout mice display learning and memory deficits in the Lashley maze.
AB  - Background: Potassium channels have been shown to be involved in neural
      plasticity and learning. Kv4.2 is a subunit of the A-type potassium channel.
      Kv4.2 channels modulate excitability in the dendrites of pyramidal neurons in the
      cortex and hippocampus. Deletion of Kv4.2 results in spatial learning and
      conditioned fear deficits; however, previous studies have only examined deletion
      of Kv4.2 in aversive learning tests. Methods: For the current study, we used the
      Lashley maze as an appetitive learning test. We examined Kv4.2 wildtype (WT) and
      knockout (KO) mice in the Lashley maze over 4 days during adulthood. The first
      day consisted of habituating the mice to the maze. The mice then received five
      trials per day for the next 3 days. The number of errors and the time to the goal
      box was recorded for each trial. The goal box contained a weigh boat with an
      appetitive reward (gelatin with sugar). There was an intertrial interval of 15
      minutes. Results: We found that Kv4.2 KO mice committed more errors across the
      trials compared to the WT mice p<0.001. There was no difference in the latency to
      find the goal box over the period. Discussion: Our finding that deletion of Kv4.2
      resulted in more errors in the Lashley maze across 15 trials contribute to a
      growing body of evidence that Kv4.2 channels are significantly involved in
      learning and memory.

PMID- 28337342
TI  - First Indian report of IncX3 plasmid carrying blaNDM-7 in Escherichia coli from
      bloodstream infection: potential for rapid dissemination.
AB  - Enterobacteriaceae with blaNDM-7 is only infrequently observed. Self
      transmissible plasmids carrying the blaNDM gene increase the dissemination of
      carbapenem resistance in developing countries. This study investigates the whole
      genome sequence of a blaNDM-7-positive Escherichia coli. The isolate was an
      extended-spectrum beta-lactamase producer by combined disc diffusion test and
      carbapenemase producer by CarbaNP method. Sequencing results revealed the isolate
      as E. coli ST-167 with IncX3 plasmid carrying blaNDM-7 in addition to blaTEM-1
      and blaCMY-42 genes. The identification of IncX3-blaNDM-7 combination is the
      first report in India where blaNDM-7 is known to cause higher resistance to
      carbapenems compared to its variants.

PMID- 28337343
TI  - Long-Term Outcomes of Primary Trabeculectomy in Diabetic Patients without
      Retinopathy with Primary Angle-Closure Glaucoma.
AB  - Purpose. To evaluate primary trabeculectomy with adjunctive mitomycin-C (MMC) in
      diabetic patients without retinopathy with primary angle-closure glaucoma (PACG).
      Design. This is a retrospective case series comparison. Participants. This
      retrospective trial compared outcomes of 88 eyes that underwent trabeculectomy in
      patients with diabetes mellitus (DM) without retinopathy and in 97 patients
      without DM. Methods. In this study, the intraocular pressure (IOP), visual
      acuity, visual field, and postoperative complications were compared between the
      two groups. Qualified surgical success is defined as an IOP between 6 and 18 mmHg
      with or without topical antiglaucoma medication. Results. After a follow-up of 5
      years, the IOP decreased from a mean basal IOP of 27.8 +/- 7.3 mmHg to 15.0 +/-
      5.6 mmHg in the DM group and from 27.3 +/- 6.0 mmHg to 12.4 +/- 5.3 mmHg in the
      control group. The mean number of antiglaucoma medications was 3.4 +/- 1.3 and
      3.3 +/- 1.2 preoperatively (P = 0.587) whereas it was 1.7 +/- 1.5 and 1.1 +/- 1.4
      at the 5-year follow-up (P = 0.049). The 5-year qualified surgical success rates
      were 42.9% and 65.4% for both groups (P = 0.046; log-rank test). Encysted blebs
      were seen in 21 (23.9%) patients in the DM group and in 12 (12.4%) patients in
      the control group (P = 0.041). Conclusion. PACG patients with DM without
      retinopathy undergoing primary trabeculectomy with MMC may have a lower long-term
      surgical survival rate compared with patients without DM.

PMID- 28337341
TI  - Aetiological influences on stability and change in emotional and behavioural
      problems across development: a systematic review.
AB  - Emotional and behavioural problems in childhood and adolescence can be chronic
      and are predictive of future psychiatric problems. Understanding what factors
      drive the development and maintenance of these problems is therefore crucial.
      Longitudinal behavioural genetic studies using twin, sibling or adoption data can
      be used to explore the developmental aetiology of stability and change in
      childhood and adolescent psychopathology. We present a systematic review of
      longitudinal, behavioural genetic analyses of emotional and behavioural problems
      between ages 0 to 18 years. We identified 58 studies, of which 19 examined
      emotional problems, 30 examined behavioural problems, and 9 examined both. In the
      majority of studies, stability in emotional and behavioural problems was
      primarily genetically influenced. Stable environmental factors were also widely
      found, although these typically played a smaller role. Both genetic and
      environmental factors were involved in change across development. We discuss the
      findings in the context of the wider developmental literature and make
      recommendations for future research.

PMID- 28337345
TI  - Effective role of CaO/P2O5 ratio on SiO2-CaO-P2O5 glass system.
AB  - In the present work, the effect of the CaO/P2O5 ratio on the composition of sol
      gel synthesized 58SiO2-(19 - x)P2O5-(23 + x)CaO (x = 0, 5, 10 and 15 mol%) glass
      samples was studied. Further, the effect of NBO/BO ratio on hydroxy carbonated
      apatite layer (HCA) forming ability based on dissolution behavior in simulated
      body fluid (SBF) solution was also investigated. CaO/P2O5 ratios of synthesized
      glass samples were 1.2, 2, 3.6, and 9.5, respectively. NBO/BO ratios were
      obtained using Raman spectroscopic analysis as 0.58, 1.20, 1.46, and 1.78,
      respectively. All samples were soaked in the SBF solution for 7 days. The
      calculated weight losses of these samples were 58%, 64%, 83%, and 89% for
      corresponding NBO/BO ratios. The increase in CaO/P2O5 ratio increases the NBO/BO
      ratios. However, the increase in NBO/BO ratio increases HCA forming ability of
      SBF treated samples. The HCA crystalline layer formation was confirmed through X
      ray Diffraction (XRD), Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM), Scanning Electron
      Microscopy (SEM), Raman and Infrared spectroscopic analysis. Higher CaO/P2O5
      ratio favors the increase in HCA formation for SBF treated calcium phospho
      silicate glasses.

PMID- 28337344
TI  - Is Fibroblast growth factor 23 the leading cause of increased mortality among
      chronic kidney disease patients? A narrative review.
AB  - The death rate among chronic kidney disease patients is the highest compared to
      other chronic diseases. 60% of these fatalities are cardiovascular.
      Cardiovascular calcifications and chronic inflammation affect almost all chronic
      kidney disease patients and are associated with cardiovascular mortality.
      Fibroblast growth factor 23 is associated with vascular calcification. Systemic
      inflammation in chronic kidney disease patients is multifactorial. The role of
      systemic inflammation in the pathogenesis of vascular calcification was recently
      reappraised. Fibroblast growth factor 23 was accused as a direct stimulus of left
      ventricular hypertrophy, uremic inflammation, and impaired neutrophil function.
      This review will discuss the underlying mechanisms that underlie the link between
      Fibroblast growth factor 23 and increased mortality encountered among chronic
      kidney disease patients.

PMID- 28337346
TI  - Therapeutic effect of green tea extract on alcohol induced hepatic mitochondrial
      DNA damage in albino wistar rats.
AB  - The present study principally sought to investigate the effect of green tea
      extract (GTE) supplementation on hepatic mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) damage in
      alcohol receiving rats. MtDNA was isolated from hepatic tissues of albino wistar
      rats after alcohol treatment with and without GTE supplementation. Entire
      displacement loop (D-loop) of mtDNA was screened by PCR-Sanger's sequencing
      method. In addition, mtDNA deletions and antioxidant activity were measured in
      hepatic tissue of all rats. Results showed increased frequency of D-loop
      mutations in alcoholic rats (ALC). DNA mfold analysis predicted higher free
      energy for 15507C and 16116C alleles compared to their corresponding wild alleles
      which represents less stable secondary structures with negative impact on overall
      mtDNA function. Interestingly, D-loop mutations observed in ALC rats were
      successfully restored on GTE supplementation. MtDNA deletions were observed in
      ALC rats, but intact native mtDNA was found in ALC + GTE group suggesting alcohol
      induced oxidative damage of mtDNA and ameliorative effect of GTE. Furthermore,
      markedly decreased activities of glutathione peroxidise, superoxide dismutase,
      catalase and glutathione content were identified in ALC rats; however, GTE
      supplementation significantly (P < 0.05) restored these levels close to normal.
      In conclusion, green tea could be used as an effective nutraceutical against
      alcohol induced mitochondrial DNA damage.

PMID- 28337347
TI  - Myocardial Infarction after Endoscopic Removal of Foreign Body.
AB  - The development of cardiac complications during or after endoscopic procedures is
      rare. However, mortality from myocardial ischemia, particularly in the elderly
      population, is elevated. We illustrate the rare case of a 79-year-old man with
      multiple cardiovascular risk factors who developed a non-ST elevation myocardial
      infarction (NSTEMI) after endoscopic removal of a foreign body. This case report
      summarizes a rare complication of a low-risk procedure and highlights the
      importance of considering this potential adverse event, particularly in patients
      with significant cardiovascular risk factors, to promote early diagnosis and
      proper treatment.

PMID- 28337348
TI  - Effective and Safe Use of Glucocorticosteroids for Rescue of Late ARDS.
AB  - We describe a case of severe refractory hypoxemia requiring prolonged extra
      corporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) support in a case of postpartum acute
      respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS). The clinical course was marked by
      persistently poor lung compliance and several complications of ECMO, that is,
      significant hemolysis, hemothorax, and intracranial bleeding. We report marked
      improvement of lung mechanics and respiratory function, leading to accelerated
      separation from ECMO, following rescue administration of low dose
      methylprednisolone 24 days after the onset of ARDS. Corticosteroid treatment was
      safe and well tolerated. In contrast with the conclusions of the 2006 ARDS
      Network trial, our report establishes a case in support of the use of low dose
      methylprednisolone as a safe and effective rescue treatment option in selected
      subsets of patients with nonresolving ARDS.

PMID- 28337349
TI  - A Rational Approach to Sinus Augmentation: The Low Window Sinus Lift.
AB  - Sinus augmentation is a well-known approach to treating alveolar bone ridge
      atrophy in the posterior maxilla. The preparation of the lateral window is
      crucial. Its size, design, and position in the vestibular sinus wall may affect
      the intra- and postsurgical complication rates and affect the intrasurgical
      activity of both surgeons and assistants. The present paper describes a rational
      technique that also exploits the guided surgery approach for design and
      preparation of a lateral window for sinus augmentation, the Low Window Sinus
      Lift. To illustrate the use of this approach, a case is presented in which the 50
      year-old patient had the left maxillary first molar extracted, followed two
      months later by sinus augmentation and placement of three implants. One year
      after delivery of the definitive prosthesis, all three implants were successful,
      and the prosthesis was fully functional. Controlled studies should be undertaken
      to assess whether this technique provides significant advantages compared to
      other sinus augmentation approaches.

PMID- 28337350
TI  - Seat Belt Compression Appendicitis following Motor Vehicle Collision.
AB  - Appendicitis and trauma both present in emergency department commonly but their
      presentation together in the same patient is unusual. We present a case of a
      middle-aged man brought by emergency medical services (EMS) to the emergency
      department with complaints of abdominal pain after he was involved in motor
      vehicle collision. He was perfectly fine before the accident. His primary survey
      was normal. Secondary survey revealed tenderness in right iliac fossa with seat
      belt mark overlying it. Computerized tomography (CT) of the abdomen and pelvis
      was performed which showed 8 mm thickening of appendix with minimal adjacent fat
      stranding. There is also subcutaneous fat stranding of anterior lower abdominal
      wall possibly due to bruising. Impression of posttraumatic seat belt compression
      appendicitis was made. Laparoscopic appendectomy was done and patient recovered
      uneventfully. Histopathology showed inflamed appendix, proving it to be a case of
      seat belt compression appendicitis.

PMID- 28337351
TI  - A Rare Form of Brucella Bursitis with Negative Serology: A Case Report and
      Literature Review.
AB  - Brucellosis is still endemic in certain parts of the world including the
      Mediterranean, the Middle East, Latin America, and African regions.
      Osteoarticular manifestations are common presenting features. Brucellosis
      presenting as prepatellar bursitis has already been reported. We present a case
      of seronegative olecranon bursitis with positive blood and aspirate cultures. The
      patient improved remarkably by treatment with streptomycin and doxycycline with
      no evidence or relapse.

PMID- 28337352
TI  - Revisiting Cementoblastoma with a Rare Case Presentation.
AB  - Cementoblastoma is a rare benign odontogenic neoplasm which is characterized by
      the proliferation of cellular cementum. Diagnosis of cementoblastoma is
      challenging because of its protracted clinical, radiographic features, and bland
      histological appearance; most often cementoblastoma is often confused with other
      cementum and bone originated lesions. The aim of this article is to
      overview/revisit, approach the diagnosis of cementoblastoma, and also present a
      unique radiographic appearance of a cementoblastoma lesion associated with an
      impacted tooth.

PMID- 28337353
TI  - Gastric Duplication: A Rare Cause of Recurrent Vomiting.
AB  - Vomiting is a physical finding that can occur at any age but presents the
      greatest challenge when it is recurrent in a child. The etiology is varied
      (Sieunarine and Manmohansingh, 1989; Suzuki, 1982), and recurrent vomiting can be
      a symptom of life threatening medical or surgical emergencies. Early recognition
      is mandatory for preventing delay in management and potential complications.
      Gastric duplication is rare and mostly diagnosed in infancy with only a few cases
      documented in the medical literature presenting in childhood. We present a three
      year-old Vietnamese female with recurrent vomiting. Obstruction and sepsis were
      ruled out as a cause of the recurrent vomiting by history and appropriate tests.
      Persistent vomiting and paucity of air on the plain abdominal films provided a
      clue to the diagnosis. A CT scan of the abdomen with contrast revealed a
      uniformly thin walled fluid attenuation mass in the epigastric region which did
      not opacify with contrast. An abdominal ultrasound confirmed gastric duplication
      cyst and the patient was taken to the operating room for excision of the cyst.

PMID- 28337354
TI  - Facial Asymmetry in a Crying Newborn: A Comparison of Two Cases and Review of
      Literature.
AB  - Facial asymmetry in a crying newborn can be due to a variety of different causes.
      Neonatal asymmetric crying facies (NACF) is a specific phenotype, which is often
      underrecognized. It is defined as asymmetry of the mouth and lips with grimacing
      or smiling, but a symmetric appearance at rest. NACF needs to be differentiated
      from complete facial palsy in a newborn, which can occur due to traumatic or
      developmental etiologies. Developmental causes can be present in isolation or may
      be a part of a recognized syndrome. While asymmetric lower lip depression may be
      seen in both conditions, complete facial palsy is also associated with upper and
      mid face deformities. We present a case of NACF and compare it to a case of
      facial palsy due to perinatal trauma. The purpose of this case series is to
      clarify some of the confusing nomenclatures and highlight the differences in the
      physical exam findings, diagnosis, and eventual prognosis of these cases.

PMID- 28337355
TI  - Osteonecrosis of the Femoral Head in an Adolescent on Long-Term Inhalational
      Corticosteroids.
AB  - A relationship between the development of osteonecrosis of the femoral head and
      systemic corticosteroids has been well established in the literature,
      particularly in adults. However, the link between osteonecrosis and inhaled
      corticosteroids is less researched and understood. We report an usual case report
      of a 10-year-old male who developed ipsilateral femoral head osteonecrosis after
      long-term inhalational corticosteroid and intermittent short courses of oral
      steroid usage with a unique presentation and delayed diagnosis.

PMID- 28337356
TI  - Cervical Stimulation in the Treatment of Children with Lymphedema of All Four
      Extremities: A Case Report and Literature Review.
AB  - Aim. The aim of this study is to report on the use of cervical stimulation as
      monotherapy to reduce swelling and normalize the size of limbs in two children
      with lymphedema of all four extremities. Case Presentation. One child also had
      hemifacial edema. In both cases, the mothers were trained to perform cervical
      stimulation under professional supervision. The cases of two girls, one of eight
      months and the other of six months, with primary congenital lymphedema are
      described. Outcome. After clinical diagnosis, the patients started treatment with
      cervical stimulation three times per week. The mothers were trained in cervical
      stimulation and, when the therapy team was confident about the mothers' ability
      to perform the technique, the children began to be treated at home. The Godoy &
      Godoy cervical stimulation technique consists of around 20 to 30 light stroking
      movements per minute in the cervical region which stimulate the lymphatics.
      Perimetric measurements were made of the feet, legs, and the hands. Only two
      points (3 and 6 cm) along the dorsum of the feet and hands and points at 5 cm
      intervals up the legs starting at the ankle were considered. Today, the children
      are 5 and 6 years of age, without edema and with a normal life, without
      limitations, except with respect to precautions against injuries to the limbs and
      against infections particularly erysipelas. Conclusion. Cervical Lymphatic
      Therapy as monotherapy is an option in the treatment of primary congenital
      lymphedema.

PMID- 28337357
TI  - Solitary Fibrous Tumor of the Prostate Which Was Initially Misdiagnosed as
      Prostate Cancer.
AB  - Solitary fibrous tumor (SFT) of the prostate is a very rare tumor. We report a
      case of 65-year-old man with SFT of the prostate which was initially misdiagnosed
      as prostate cancer. Finally, we performed total prostatectomy and the tumor was
      histologically diagnosed as SFT of the prostate. The patient's clinical course
      has progressed favorably with no obvious recurrence 18 months postoperatively.

PMID- 28337358
TI  - Gastric Cancer and Angiogenesis: Is VEGF a Useful Biomarker to Assess Progression
      and Remission?
AB  - Gastric cancer (GC) has high mortality owing to its aggressive nature. Tumor
      angiogenesis plays an essential role in the growth, invasion, and metastatic
      spread of GC. The aim of this work was to review the angiogenic biomarkers
      related to the behavior of GC, documented in the literature. A search of the
      PubMed database was conducted with the MeSH terms: "Stomach neoplasms/blood
      [MeSH] or stomach neoplasms/blood supply [MeSH] and angiogenic proteins/blood
      [Major]". A total of 30 articles were initially collected, and 4 were
      subsequently excluded. Among the 26 articles collected, 16 examined the role of
      vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), 4 studied endostatin, 3 investigated
      angiopoietin (Ang)-2, 2 studied the Ang-like protein 2 (ANGTPL2), and 1 each
      examined interleukin (IL)-12, IL-8, and hypoxia inducible factor. Regarding VEGF,
      6 articles concluded that the protein was related to lymph node metastasis or
      distant metastases. Five articles concluded that VEGF levels were elevated in the
      presence of GC and decreased following tumor regression, suggesting that VEGF
      levels could be a predictor of recurrence. Four articles concluded that high VEGF
      levels were correlated with poor prognosis and lower survival rates. Ang-2 and
      ANGTPL2 were elevated in GC and associated with more aggressive disease.
      Endostatin was associated with intestinal GC. VEGF is the most extensively
      studied angiogenic factor. It is associated with the presence of neoplastic
      disease and lymph node metastasis. It appears to be a good biomarker for disease
      progression and remission, but not for diagnosis. The data regarding other
      biomarkers are inconclusive.

PMID- 28337359
TI  - Effect of Acupuncture on Postoperative Ileus after Distal Gastrectomy for Gastric
      Cancer.
AB  - PURPOSE: Acupuncture has recently been accepted as a treatment option for
      managing postoperative ileus (POI) and various functional gastrointestinal
      disorders. Therefore, we conducted a prospective randomized study to evaluate the
      effect of acupuncture on POI and other surgical outcomes in patients who
      underwent gastric surgery. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Thirty-six patients who
      underwent distal gastrectomy for gastric cancer from March to December 2015 were
      randomly assigned to acupuncture or non-acupuncture (NA) groups at 1:1 ratio. The
      acupuncture treatment was administered treatment once daily for 5 consecutive
      days starting at postoperative day 1. The primary outcome measure was the number
      of remnant sitz markers in the small intestine on abdominal radiograph. The
      secondary outcome measure was the surgical outcome, including the times to first
      flatus, first defecation, start of water intake, and start of soft diet, as well
      as length of hospital stay and laboratory findings. RESULTS: The acupuncture
      group had significantly fewer remnant sitz markers in the small intestine on
      postoperative days 3 and 5 compared to those in the NA group. A significant
      difference was observed in the numbers of remnant sitz markers in the small
      intestine with respect to group differences by time (P<0.0001). The acupuncture
      group showed relatively better surgical outcomes than those in the NA group, but
      the differences were not statistically significant. CONCLUSIONS: In this clinical
      trial, acupuncture promoted the passage of sitz markers, which may reflect the
      possibility of reducing POI after distal gastrectomy.

PMID- 28337360
TI  - Perioperative Epirubicin, Oxaliplatin, and Capecitabine Chemotherapy in Locally
      Advanced Gastric Cancer: Safety and Feasibility in an Interim Survival Analysis.
AB  - PURPOSE: Perioperative chemotherapy improves survival outcomes in locally
      advanced (LA) gastric cancer. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We retrospectively analyzed
      patients with LA gastric cancer who were offered perioperative chemotherapy
      consisting of epirubicin, oxaliplatin, and capecitabine (EOX) from May 2013 to
      December 2015 at Tata Memorial Hospital in Mumbai. RESULTS: Among the 268
      consecutive patients in our study, 260 patients (97.0%) completed neoadjuvant
      chemotherapy, 200 patients (74.6%) underwent D2 lymphadenectomy, and 178 patients
      (66.4%) completed adjuvant chemotherapy. The median follow-up period was 17
      months. For the entire cohort, the median overall survival (OS), 3-year OS rate,
      median progression-free survival (PFS), and 3-year PFS rate were 37 months,
      64.4%, 31 months, and 40%, respectively. PFS and OS were significantly inferior
      in patients who presented with features of obstruction than in those who did not
      (P=0.0001). There was no difference in survival with respect to tumor histology
      (well to moderately differentiated vs. poorly differentiated, signet ring vs. non
      signet ring histology) or location (proximal vs. distal). Survival was prolonged
      in patients with an early pathological T stage and a pathological node-negative
      status. In a multivariate analysis, postoperative pathological nodal status and
      gastric outlet obstruction on presentation significantly correlated with
      survival. CONCLUSIONS: EOX chemotherapy with curative resection and D2
      lymphadenectomy is a suggested alternative to the existing perioperative
      regimens. The acceptable postoperative complication rate and relatively high
      resection, chemotherapy completion, and survival rates obtained in this study
      require further evaluation and validation in a clinical trial.

PMID- 28337362
TI  - Analysis of G3BP1 and VEZT Expression in Gastric Cancer and Their Possible
      Correlation with Tumor Clinicopathological Factors.
AB  - PURPOSE: This study aimed to analyze G3BP1 and VEZT expression profiles in
      patients with gastric cancer, and examine the possible relationship between the
      expressions of each gene and clinicopathological factors. MATERIALS AND METHODS:
      Expression of these genes in formalin-fixed paraffin embedded (FFPE) tissues,
      collected from 40 patients with gastric cancer and 40 healthy controls, was
      analyzed. Differences in gene expression among patient and normal samples were
      identified using the GraphPad Prism 5 software. For the analysis of real-time
      polymerase chain reaction products, GelQuantNET software was used. RESULTS: Our
      findings demonstrated that both VEZT and G3BP1 mRNA expression levels were
      downregulated in gastric cancer samples compared with those in the normal
      controls. No significant relationship was found between the expression of these
      genes and gender (P-value, 0.4835 vs. 0.6350), but there were significant changes
      associated with age (P-value, 0.0004 vs. 0.0001) and stage of disease (P-value,
      0.0019 vs. 0.0001). In addition, there was a direct relationship between VEZT
      gene expression and metastasis (P-value, 0.0462), in contrast to G3BP1 that did
      not demonstrate any significant correlation (P-value, 0.1833). CONCLUSIONS: The
      results suggest that expression profiling of VEZT and G3BP1 can be used for
      diagnosis of gastric cancer, and specifically, VEZT gene could be considered as a
      biomarker for the detection of gastric cancer progression.

PMID- 28337361
TI  - The Effect of Endoscopic Resection on Short-Term Surgical Outcomes in Patients
      with Additional Laparoscopic Gastrectomy after Non-Curative Resection for Gastric
      Cancer.
AB  - PURPOSE: Endoscopic submucosal dissection (ESD) in early gastric cancer causes an
      artificial gastric ulcer and local inflammation that has a negative
      intraprocedural impact on additional laparoscopic gastrectomy in patients with
      noncurative ESD. In this study, we analyzed the effect of ESD on short-term
      surgical outcomes and evaluated the risk factors. MATERIALS AND METHODS: From
      January 2003 to January 2013, 1,704 patients of the National Cancer Center
      underwent laparoscopic gastrectomy with lymph node dissection because of
      preoperative stage Ia or Ib gastric cancer. They were divided into 2 groups: (1)
      with preoperative ESD or (2) without preoperative ESD. Clinicopathologic factors
      and short-term surgical outcomes were retrospectively evaluated along with risk
      factors such as preoperative ESD. RESULTS: Several characteristics differed
      between patients who underwent ESD-surgery (n=199) or surgery alone (n=1,505).
      The mean interval from the ESD procedure to the operation was 43.03 days.
      Estimated blood loss, open conversion rate, mean operation time, and length of
      hospital stay were not different between the 2 groups. Postoperative
      complications occurred in 23 patients (11.56%) in the ESD-surgery group and in
      189 patients (12.56%) in the surgery-only group, and 3 deaths occurred among
      patients with complications (1 patient [ESD-surgery group] vs. 2 patients
      [surgery-only group]; P=0.688). A history of ESD was not significantly associated
      with postoperative complications (P=0.688). Multivariate analysis showed that
      male sex (P=0.008) and laparoscopic total or proximal gastrectomy (P=0.000) were
      independently associated with postoperative complications. CONCLUSIONS: ESD did
      not affect short-term surgical outcomes during and after an additional
      laparoscopic gastrectomy.

PMID- 28337363
TI  - Epidemiologic Study of Human Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor 2 Expression in
      Advanced/Metastatic Gastric Cancer: an Assessment of Human Epidermal Growth
      Factor Receptor 2 Status in Tumor Tissue Samples of Gastric and Gastro-Esophageal
      Junction Cancer.
AB  - PURPOSE: The Trastuzumab for gastric cancer (GC) trial identified human epidermal
      growth factor receptor 2 (HER2) as a predictor of successful treatment with
      trastuzumab (HER2 receptor targeting agent) among patients with
      advanced/metastatic GC. To date, the prevalence of HER2 overexpression in the
      Korean population is unknown. The present study aimed to assess the incidence of
      HER2 positivity among GC and gastroesophageal (GE) junction cancer samples and
      the relationship between HER2 overexpression and clinicopathological
      characteristics in Korean patients. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Tumor samples
      collected from 1,695 patients with histologically proven GC or GE junction
      enrolled at 14 different hospitals in Korea were examined. After gathering
      clinicopathological data of all patients, HER2 status was assessed by
      immunohistochemistry (IHC) at each hospital, and IHC 2+ cases were subjected to
      silver-enhanced in situ hybridization at 3 central laboratories. RESULTS: A total
      of 182 specimens tested positive for HER2, whereas 1,505 tested negative.
      Therefore, the overall HER2-positive rate in this study was 10.8% (95% confidence
      interval=9.3%-12.3%). The HER2-positive rate was higher among intestinal-type
      cases (17.6%) than among other types, and was higher among patients older than 70
      years and 50 years of age, compared to other age groups. CONCLUSIONS: Our
      evaluation of the HER2 positivity rate (10.8%) among Korean patients with GC and
      GE junction indicated the necessity of epidemiological data when conducting
      studies related to HER2 expression in GC and GE junction.

PMID- 28337364
TI  - Surgical Outcomes Associated with Operable Gastric Cancer in a Tertiary Care
      Indian Hospital.
AB  - PURPOSE: Data on operable gastric cancer from India is sparse. The purpose of
      this study was to investigate the clinical details, histopathological
      demographics, and 5-year overall survival (OS) and disease free survival (DFS)
      associated with operable, non-metastatic gastric cancer in a dedicated upper
      gastrointestinal (GI) surgical unit in India. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Data for
      patients diagnosed with operable gastric cancer between January 2006 and December
      2014 were retrospectively analyzed. Data were collected from electronic hospital
      records in addition to mail and telephonic interviews when possible. RESULTS: A
      total of 427 patients were included. The tumor was located in the pyloro-antral
      region in 263 patients (61.7%). Subtotal gastrectomy was performed in 291
      patients and total gastrectomy in 136 patients. Tumor stage classification
      revealed 43 patients (10.0%) with stage I, 40 patients (9.4%) with stage IIA, 59
      patients (13.9%) with stage IIB, 76 patients (17.8%) with stage IIIA, 96 patients
      (22.5%) with stage IIIB, and 113 patients (26.4%) with stage IIIC disease. Follow
      up data were available for 71.6% of the patients with a mean duration of 32.4
      months. Five-year DFS and OS were 39% and 59%, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: Despite
      presenting at an advanced stage, the 5-year DFS and OS of patients with operable
      gastric cancer treated at a dedicated upper GI unit of a tertiary care center in
      India was good.

PMID- 28337366
TI  - Natural History of Early Gastric Cancer: a Case Report and Literature Review.
AB  - Early detection and treatment decrease the mortality rate associated with gastric
      cancer (GC). However, the natural history of GC remains unclear. An 85-year-old
      woman was referred to our hospital for evaluation of a gastric tumor.
      Esophagogastroduodenoscopy identified a 6 mm, flat-elevated lesion at the lesser
      curvature of the antrum. A biopsy specimen showed a well-differentiated tubular
      adenocarcinoma. The depth of the lesion was estimated to be intramucosal.
      Although the lesion met the indications for endoscopic resection, periodic
      endoscopic follow-up was performed due to the patient's advanced age and
      comorbidities. The mucosal GC invaded into the submucosa 3 years later, and
      finally progressed to advanced cancer 5 years after the initial examination. The
      patient died of tumor hemorrhage 6.4 years after the initial examination. In this
      case, mucosal GC progressed to advanced GC, eventually leading to the patient's
      death from GC. Early and appropriate treatment is required to prevent GC-related
      death.

PMID- 28337365
TI  - Body Composition as a Prognostic Factor of Neoadjuvant Chemotherapy Toxicity and
      Outcome in Patients with Locally Advanced Gastric Cancer.
AB  - PURPOSE: Neoadjuvant chemotherapy has been shown to improve survival in locally
      advanced gastric cancer, but it is associated with significant toxicity.
      Sarcopenia and sarcopenic obesity have been studied in several types of cancers
      and have been reported to be associated with higher chemotherapy toxicity and
      morbi-mortality. The aim of this study was to assess the prevalence of
      sarcopenia/sarcopenic obesity in patients with gastric cancer, as well as its
      association with chemotherapy toxicity and long-term outcomes. MATERIALS AND
      METHODS: A retrospective analysis was performed using an academic cancer center
      patient cohort diagnosed with locally advanced gastric cancer between January
      2012 and December 2014 and treated with neoadjuvant chemotherapy. We analyzed
      body composition (skeletal muscle and visceral fat index) in axial computed
      tomography images. RESULTS: A total of 48 patients met the inclusion criteria.
      The mean age was 68+/-10 years, and 33 patients (69%) were men. Dose-limiting
      toxicity was observed in 22 patients (46%), and treatment was terminated early
      owing to toxicity in 17 patients (35%). Median follow-up was 17 months.
      Sarcopenia and sarcopenic obesity were found at diagnosis in 23% and 10% of
      patients, respectively. We observed an association between termination of
      chemotherapy and both sarcopenia (P=0.069) and sarcopenic obesity (P=0.004). On
      multivariate analysis, the odds of treatment termination were higher in patients
      with sarcopenia (odds ratio=4.23; P=0.050). Patients with sarcopenic obesity
      showed lower overall survival (median survival of 6 months [95% confidence
      interval {CI}=3.9-8.5] vs. 25 months [95% CI=20.2-38.2]; log-rank test P=0.000).
      CONCLUSIONS: Sarcopenia and sarcopenic obesity were associated with early
      termination of neoadjuvant chemotherapy in patients with gastric cancer;
      additionally, sarcopenic obesity was associated with poor survival.

PMID- 28337367
TI  - A Case of Advanced Gastric Cancer with Para-Aortic Lymph Node Metastasis from Co
      Occurring Prostate Cancer.
AB  - An 84-year-old man was diagnosed with two synchronous adenocarcinomas, a Borrmann
      type IV advanced gastric adenocarcinoma in his antrum and a well-differentiated
      Borrmann type I carcinoma on the anterior wall of the higher body of his stomach.
      Pre-operatively, computed tomography of the abdomen revealed the presence of
      advanced gastric cancer with peri-gastric and para-aortic lymph node (LN)
      metastasis. He planned for palliative total gastrectomy owing to the risk of
      obstruction by the antral lesion. We performed a frozen biopsy of a para-aortic
      LN during surgery and found that the origin of the para-aortic LN metastasis was
      from undiagnosed prostate cancer. Thus, we performed radical total gastrectomy
      and D2 LN dissection. Post-operatively, his total prostate-specific antigen
      levels were high (227 ng/mL) and he was discharged 8 days after surgery without
      any complications.

PMID- 28337368
TI  - Do Personality and Organizational Politics Predict Workplace Victimization? A
      Study among Ghanaian Employees.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Workplace victimization is considered a major social stressor with
      significant implications for the wellbeing of employees and organizations. The
      aim of this study was to examine the influences of employees' personality traits
      and organizational politics on workplace victimization among Ghanaian employees.
      METHODS: Using a cross-sectional design, data were collected from 631 employees
      selected from diverse occupations through convenience sampling. Data collection
      tools were standardized questionnaires that measured experiences of negative acts
      at work (victimization), the Big Five personality traits, and organizational
      politics. RESULTS: The results from hierarchical multiple regression analysis
      showed that among the personality traits neuroticism and conscientiousness had
      significant, albeit weak relationships with victimization. Organizational
      politics had a significant positive relationship with workplace victimization
      beyond employees' personality. CONCLUSION: The study demonstrates that compared
      with personal characteristics such as personality traits, work environment
      factors such as organizational politics have a stronger influence on the
      occurrence of workplace victimization.

PMID- 28337371
TI  - Combinational therapy of crizotinib and afatinib for malignant pleural
      mesothelioma.
AB  - Malignant pleural mesothelioma (MPM) is a relative rare but highly aggressive
      neoplasm which is associated with asbestos exposure in most patients. The
      majority of patients are diagnosed in advanced stages so patients neither benefit
      from chemotherapy (e.g. pemetrexed-platinum combination) nor from surgery. It has
      been reported that cellular-mesenchymal to epithelial transition factor (MET) and
      epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) were critical for MPM cell proliferation.
      Moreover, targeting MET and EGFR drugs have gained promising results on anti
      tumor therapy. Here, a striking difference in overall survival was observed
      between the MET and EGFR co-expression group (median survival time = 13.5 months)
      and non-co-expression group (median survival time = 20.5 months). In addition,
      treatment with combination of crizotinib and afatinib showed stronger inhibition
      on cell proliferation of MPM than the treatment by either one in vitro and in
      vivo. In conclusion, our data illustrated that crizotinib combined with afatinib
      may be a potentially effective strategy for treating MPM patients with over
      expression of MET and EGFR.

PMID- 28337370
TI  - Role of epidermal growth factor receptor in lung cancer and targeted therapies.
AB  - Lung cancer is the foremost cause of cancer-related deaths world-wide. Both, the
      major forms of lung cancer, Non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) and Small cell
      lung cancers (SCLC), have responded effectively to chemo-, radiation and adjuvant
      therapies. Tumor removal through surgery also appeared as a good therapeutic
      strategy. However, these therapies demonstrated unfavourable side-effects, and
      hence novel drugs targeting lung cancer emerged essential. Activation of
      epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR)-tyrosine kinases is a key reason for lung
      cancer progression. Two important strategies that have attenuated lung cancers
      were through treatments with EGFR-tyrosine kinase-inhibitors, erlotinib and
      gefitinib, or EGFR-neutralizing antibodies, cetuximab and bevacizumab. A major
      advantage with erlotinib and gefitinib was their role in second and third-line
      treatments following chemotherapies. Phase II/III clinical trials showed that
      combinatorial treatment of tyrosine kinase (TK)-inhibitors with
      chemotherapeutics, such as docetaxel and pemetrexed, caused significant
      improvements in progression-free survival and overall survival.Phase I and II
      clinical studies also revealed that combination of tyrosine kinase-inhibitors
      with the EGFR-targeted antibodies was an effective approach for treating lung
      cancer. However, patients having T790M-mutations within EGFR gene were resistant
      to erlotinib and gefitinib. Alternatively, another second-generation EGFR
      tyrosine kinase-inhibitor, afatinib, that could circumvent the problem of drug
      resistance has been developed as lung cancer therapy. The current review focuses
      on the role of EGFR in lung cancer progression and apprises about the EGFR
      targeted therapies. The review also informs on the adverse side-effects of these
      therapies and enlightens the need for safer therapeutic regimens to eradicate
      this dreaded disease.

PMID- 28337369
TI  - Role of Notch signaling pathway in pancreatic cancer.
AB  - Pancreatic cancer (PC) is one of the highly aggressive malignancies in the United
      States. It has been shown that multiple signaling pathways are involved in the
      pathogenesis of PC, such as JNK, PI3K/AKT, Rho GTPase, Hedgehog (Hh) and Skp2. In
      recent years, accumulated evidence has demonstrated that Notch signaling pathway
      plays critical roles in the development and progression of PC. Therefore, in this
      review we discuss the recent literature regarding the function and regulation of
      Notch in the pathogenesis of PC. Moreover, we describe that Notch signaling
      pathway could be down-regulated by its inhibitors or natural compounds, which
      could be a novel approach for the treatment of PC patients.

PMID- 28337372
TI  - miR-429 mediates tumor growth and metastasis in colorectal cancer.
AB  - Colorectal cancer (CRC), presenting the third most common malignancy worldwide.
      In recent years, the aberrantly upregulation or downregulation of miRNAs in CRC
      have been evidenced in a number of studies. In this study, our results showed
      that the expression of miR-429 was significantly higher in CRC tissue compared
      with adjacent non-tumor tissue. In addition, our findings showed that miR-429
      level was significantly associated with clinicoplathological features and
      prognosis of patients with CRC. Moreover, our findings showed that miR-429
      exerted oncogenic effect by directly targeting HOXA5, a transcription factor of
      HOX families that is involved in the development and progression of CRC.

PMID- 28337373
TI  - Heparanase promotes radiation resistance of cervical cancer by upregulating
      hypoxia inducible factor 1.
AB  - Heparanase (HPSE1) is elevated in various types of cancers including cervical
      cancer, and correlated with poor prognosis. Current study is to investigate the
      effects of HPSE1 on radiation response in cervical cancer. Colony formation
      assays after radiation were performed to compare the radiation response among
      control, HPSE1 knockdown and HPSE1 overexpression HeLa cells. The mRNA and
      protein levels of HIF1, bFGF and VEGF were measured as indicators for the
      activity of HIF1 pathway. Xenograft mouse model were used to study the HPSE1
      radiation regulator effects in vivo. Microvessel densities (MVD) were measured in
      xenograft tumor samples. The survival fractions were significantly lower in HPSE1
      knockdown cells and higher in HPSE1 overexpression cells compared with control
      cells. The mRNA and protein levels of HIF1, VEGF and bFGF are decreased in HPSE1
      knockdown cells and increased in HPSE1 overexpression cells. HIF1 inhibition
      eliminated the radiation protection effects by HPSE1 overexpression. Our results
      demonstrate HPSE1 is an important regulator of radiation response both in vivo
      and in vitro. Further studies are warranted to determine the underlie mechanism
      of how HPSE1 regulate HIF1 activity and the clinical effects of HPSE1 inhibitors
      in cervical cancer.

PMID- 28337376
TI  - Curcumin derivative WZ35 efficiently suppresses colon cancer progression through
      inducing ROS production and ER stress-dependent apoptosis.
AB  - Colon cancer is characterized by its fast progression and poor prognosis, and
      novel agents of treating colon cancer are urgently needed. WZ35, a synthetic
      curcumin derivative, has been reported to exhibit promising antitumor activity.
      Here, we investigated the in vitro and in vivo activities of WZ35 and explored
      the underlying mechanisms in colon cancer cell lines. WZ35 treatment
      significantly decreased the cell viability associated with G2/M cell cycle arrest
      and apoptosis induction in colon cancer cell lines. We also show that WZ35 is
      highly effective in inhibiting tumor growth in a CT26 xenograft mouse model.
      Mechanistically, WZ35 treatment significantly induced reactive oxygen species
      (ROS) generation and endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress in CT26 cells. Abrogation
      of ROS production by N-acetylcysteine (NAC) co-treatment almost totally reversed
      the WZ35-induced cell apoptosis and ER stress activation. Inhibition of p-PERK by
      GSK2606414 can significantly reverse WZ35-induced cell apoptosis in CT26 cells.
      Taken together, the curcumin derivative WZ35 exhibited anti-tumor effects in
      colon cancer cells both in vitro and in vivo, via a ROS-ER stress-mediated
      mechanism. These findings indicate that activating ROS generation could be an
      important strategy for the treatment of colon cancers.

PMID- 28337374
TI  - Polypyrimidine Tract-Binding Protein 1 promotes proliferation, migration and
      invasion in clear-cell renal cell carcinoma by regulating alternative splicing of
      PKM.
AB  - Polypyrimidine Tract-Binding Protein 1 (PTBP1) is an essential RNA-binding
      protein that regulates diverse biological events through regulating alternative
      splice of mRNA. PTBP1 induces cancer-promoting splice variants and is related to
      tumorigenesis in several cancers. However, both the expression patterns and
      biological mechanisms of PTBP1 in clear-cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC) are
      unclear. We investigated PTBP1 expression in 533 ccRCC patients from TCGA and 30
      ccRCC patients by immunohistochemistry, and found that PTBP1 expression levels
      were significantly increased in ccRCC tissues and that high PTBP1 expression was
      closely correlated with advanced tumor stage, AJCC stage and poor prognosis. Cell
      biological assays with siRNA-mediated knockdown and lentivirus vector-mediated
      over-expression demonstrated that PTBP1 promoted proliferation, migration and
      invasion in ccRCC cells in vitro. Furthermore, PTBP1 increased the transformation
      from pyruvate kinase muscle 1 (PKM1) to PKM2. Knockdown of PKM2 mainly abolished
      PTBP1-induced proliferation, migration and invasion in ccRCC cells in vitro. In
      conclusion, our study indicates that PTBP1 plays a tumorigenic role in ccRCC by
      mediating PKM2 alternative splicing and it may be a potential prognostic marker
      and a promising target for treatment of ccRCC.

PMID- 28337375
TI  - HMGA2 regulates CD44 expression to promote gastric cancer cell motility and
      sphere formation.
AB  - High mobility group AT-hook 2 (HMGA2) is a transcriptional modulator that
      mediates motility and self-renewal in cancer stem cells. Gastric cancer (GC) is
      the third leading cause of cancer-related deaths worldwide. GC contains a
      population of stem-like cells that promote tumor invasion and resistance to
      therapy. In the current study, we investigated the expression of HMGA2 and the
      cancer stem cell marker CD44 in 200 GC samples and found that HMGA2 and CD44 were
      significantly associated with distant metastasis, histological differentiation
      and poor prognosis in GC patients. Positive clinical correlations of HMGA2 with
      CD44 were also observed in tissue sections. In vitro, overexpression of HMGA2
      promoted GC sphere formation and migration in MKN74/MKN28 cells, whereas
      downregulation of HMGA2 decreased GC sphere formation and migration in
      MKN45/MGC803 cells. In addition, western blot and immunofluorescent analyses
      showed that HMGA2 increased the expression of the stem cell markers CD44, ALDH1,
      Sox2, and Oct4 and the EMT-related factors Snail and beta-catenin. In a xenograft
      mouse model, overexpression of HMGA2 promoted tumor growth. Further
      immunohistochemical (IHC) analysis showed that HMGA2 increased the expression of
      CD44 and beta-catenin, resulting in the promotion of tumor growth. Taken
      together, our findings indicate that HMGA2 promotes GC cancer stem cell induction
      and cell motility by regulating the expression of CD44. Therefore, targeting
      HMGA2 in GC may be therapeutically beneficial.

PMID- 28337378
TI  - In vivo growth and responses to treatment of renal cell carcinoma in different
      environments.
AB  - Renal cell carcinoma is the most common type of kidney cancer in adults and is
      associated with poor prognosis. The hydrodynamic cell delivery technique was
      employed in this study to establish tumor growth in mouse lung, liver and
      kidneys. We demonstrate that RencaLuc cells exhibit different growth rates and
      responses to the cancer treatment of 5-florouracil and cytokine gene therapy when
      growing in different organs. The tumor growth rate was faster in the kidneys
      compared to that in the lung and liver. The liver is the second-best organ in
      support of tumor growth. Tumors in the liver and lung respond to 5-florouracil
      treatment but are less responsive in the kidneys. IL-12 gene therapy resulted in
      whole-body tumor suppression and prolonged animal survival. IFN-beta gene therapy
      was effective in suppressing tumor growth in the liver but not effective for
      those in the lung and kidneys. These results suggest that kidney cancer cells,
      once metastasized in different organs, show different growth patterns and respond
      differently to treatment. Our data also imply that an animal model with multi
      organ tumor growth is critical for development of a new strategy for treatment of
      tumors when metastasis is suspected. At the same time, the results also provide
      direct evidence in support of the usefulness of the hydrodynamic tail vein
      injection as a tool for establishment of tumor growth in the lung, liver and
      kidneys.

PMID- 28337377
TI  - The E3 ubiquitin ligase CHIP/miR-92b/PTEN regulatory network contributes to
      tumorigenesis of glioblastoma.
AB  - Glioblastoma (GBM) is the most frequent, aggressive and fatal tumor in the
      central nervous system, while PTEN signaling is frequently deregulated in human
      GBM. We previously reported the up-regulation of the carboxyl terminal of Hsp70
      interacting protein (CHIP) in GBM, however, the causal link between its
      dysregulation and tumorigenesis has not been established. Using miRNA microarrays
      and quantitative RT-PCR (qRT-PCR), we found activation of CHIP leads to increased
      transcription of miR-92b. Further studies in T98G and LN229 cells showed
      overexpression of miR-92b elicited reduction of PTEN and efficiently rescued
      glioma development in CHIP knock-down cells. The core pathway, PI3K/Akt pathway,
      was then upregulated, which promoted GBM cell proliferation. Meanwhile, genetic
      ablation of miR-92b could restore PTEN expression and inhibit glioma growth.
      These data demonstrate that the CHIP/miR-92b/PTEN axis serves as a new mechanism
      underlying GBM tumorigenesis, providing potential new therapeutic targets.

PMID- 28337379
TI  - Long intergenic non-coding RNA 00152 promotes renal cell carcinoma progression by
      epigenetically suppressing P16 and negatively regulates miR-205.
AB  - Long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) have been reported to play important roles in the
      tumorigenesis and development of several human cancers. Long intergenic non
      coding RNA 152 (LINC00152) is significantly up-regulated in some solid tumors.
      However, the role of LINC00152 in the pathogenesis and development of renal cell
      carcinoma (RCC) remains largely unclear. In the study, we showed that LINC00152
      expression was up-regulated in RCC tissues compared with adjacent normal tissues
      and revealed that LINC00152 expression was positively correlated with lymph node
      metastasis, higher TNM stage, and poor over survival (OS) time in RCC patients.
      Furthermore, knockdown of LINC00152 inhibited RCC cell proliferation and S phase
      cell proportion in vitro. Mechanistically, RNA immunoprecipitation (RIP) and
      Chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP) verified that LINC00152 bound to Enhancer of
      zeste homolog 2 (EZH2), LSD1 and histone H3 at lysine 27 (H3K27me3) and
      epigenetically suppressing P16 expression. In addition, LINC00152 expression was
      negatively correlated with miR-205 in RCC and luciferase reporter assays
      demonstrated that miR-205 was a target of LINC00152. These findings suggested
      that LINC00152 may contribute to RCC progression by epigenetically repressing P16
      expression and interacted with miR-205. Thus, LINC00152 acted as a novel
      prognostic marker and a potential therapeutic target for RCC.

PMID- 28337380
TI  - MicroRNA-122 inhibits proliferation and invasion in gastric cancer by targeting
      CREB1.
AB  - MicroRNA-122 (miR-122) has been implicated in tumor development and progression
      in various types of cancers. However, the biological function and regulatory
      mechanisms of miR-122 in gastric cancer (GC) remain largely unknown. We aimed to
      determine the biological role and underlying mechanism of miR-122 in GC. Real
      time quantitative RT-PCR (qRT-PCR) was performed to detect the expression of miR
      122 in GC tissues and cell lines. CCK8, wound healing, and transwell assays were
      conducted to determine the effect of miR-122 on cell proliferation, migration,
      and invasion, respectively. Target molecules were identified by luciferase
      activity, quantitative RT-PCR, and western blotting. We found that miR-122
      expression was significantly decreased in both GC tissues and cell lines and that
      reduced expression was significantly associated with aggressive
      clinicopathological features in patients. We also found that overexpression of
      miR-122 markedly inhibited proliferation, migration, and invasion in GC cell
      lines. In addition, cAMP responsive element binding protein 1 (CREB1) was
      identified as a direct target of miR-122, and its expression was negatively
      correlated with miR-122 expression in GC tissues (r = -0.711, P < 0.001).
      CREB1overexpression rescued the suppressive effect of miR-122 on GC cell
      proliferation, migration, and invasion. Moreover, we demonstrated that miR-122
      inhibited GC tumorigenesis in vivo by repressing CREB1 expression. These findings
      suggest that miR-122 might function as a tumor suppressor in GC and could serve
      as a promising candidate for therapeutic applications regarding GC treatment.

PMID- 28337381
TI  - HLA-E inhibitor enhances the killing of neuroblastoma stem cells by co-cultured
      dendritic cells and cytokine-induced killer cells loaded with membrane-based
      microparticles.
AB  - Neuroblastoma stem cells (NSCs) can cause drug resistance and tumor recurrence.
      This study aimed to enhance the lytic effect of dendritic cells (DCs) co-cultured
      with cytokine-induced killer (CIK) cells. NSCs were obtained by suspension
      culture, and DC-CIK cells were loaded with extracted NSC membrane-based
      microparticles (MMPs) before evaluating the lytic effect of DC-CIK cells on NSCs.
      After inhibiting the function or expression of human leukocyte antigen-E (HLA-E)
      in NSCs by anti-HLA-E monoclonal antibody or siRNA, the DC-CIK cell lytic effect
      on NSCs was re-assessed. NSC nestin expression was high, but glial fibrillary
      acid protein expression and class IIIbeta-tubulin-1 expression were low.
      Moreover, NSCs exhibited strong tumorigenic ability in nude mice. Loading DCs
      with NSC-derived MMPs induced the differentiation of DCs and CIK cells and
      enhanced the killing of NSCs by DC-CIK cells. Inhibiting the function or
      expression of HLA-E in NSCs further enhanced the cytolytic capability of DC-CIK
      cells loaded with NSC-derived MMPs. HLA-E inhibitor can enhance the killing of
      NSC by DC-CIK cells loaded with NSC-derived MMPs.

PMID- 28337382
TI  - A new T staging system for nasopharyngeal carcinoma based on intensity-modulated
      radiation therapy: results from a prospective multicentric clinical study.
AB  - PURPOSE: This prospective multicentric study aimed to establish a new clinical T
      staging standard for nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) based on intensity-modulated
      radiotherapy (IMRT). METHODS AND MATERIALS: Between January 2006 and December
      2009, four hundred and ninety-two NPC patients undergoing IMRT were staged
      according to the seventh edition of the UICC/AJCC staging system. The Kaplan
      Meier method was used to calculate survival rates, and the log-rank test was used
      to compare survival differences. RESULTS: The 5-year overall survival (OS),
      disease-free survival (DFS), recurrence-free survival (RFS), and distant
      metastasis-free survival (DMSF) rates were 80.5%, 78.6%, 94.1%, and 84.3%,
      respectively. Univariate and multivariate analyses showed that the invasion of
      the nasal cavity, parapharyngeal space, oropharynx, skull base, internal
      pterygoid muscle, external pterygoid muscle, paranasal sinus, infratemporal
      fossa, orbit, cranial nerves, cavernous sinus, and intracalvarium were
      independent prognostic factors (P<0.05). According to the results of risk variety
      and survival curves, we suggest that the new T staging system for NPC based on
      magnetic resonance imaging and intensity modulated radiation therapy can be
      classified as T1 (nasopharynx, nasal cavity, parapharyngeal space, oropharynx,
      skull base and internal pterygoid muscle) and T2 (external pterygoid muscle,
      paranasal sinus, infratemporal fossa, orbit, cranial nerves, cavernous sinus and
      intracalvarium). Compared to the seventh edition of UICC/AJCC staging system, our
      new recommended staging system performs better in risk difference and
      distribution balance. Furthermore, the differences between the substages of 5
      year curves of LRFS, DMFS and OS were all statistically significant in our new
      recommended staging system. CONCLUSIONS: Our new recommended staging system is
      more adaptable to IMRT and can predict the prognosis of NPC patient in a more
      objective and accurate manner.

PMID- 28337383
TI  - Pancreatic cancer screening in different risk individuals with family history of
      pancreatic cancer-a prospective cohort study in Taiwan.
AB  - Pancreatic cancer (PC) is usually diagnosed at advanced stage. Our aim was to
      investigate the risk of malignant and premalignant pancreatic lesions in
      individuals with family history of PC. Individuals at risk of PC were enrolled
      prospectively in a screening program in Taiwan. All risk individuals received
      genetic testing of cationic trypsinogen (PRSS1) gene and the serine protease
      inhibitor Kazal type 1 (SPINK1) gene. They were stratified into three risk groups
      (high, moderate, and low) based on the family history and genetic testing.
      Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) with magnetic resonance cholangiopancreatogram
      (MRCP) were performed in all screened individuals. A total of three hundred and
      three risk individuals in 165 families were enrolled with the mean age of 51.1
      years, 38.3% of whom were male. A total of 24 of 303 (7.9%) screened individuals
      had the PRSS1 mutation, and 7/234 (0.3%) had the SPINK1 mutation. Nineteen (6.3%)
      risk individuals had pancreatic pathology including seven with pancreatic cancer,
      and four with pancreatic mucinous neoplasms. The earliest age of onset of PC in
      affected members was an independent factor associated with risk of developing PC
      in all risk groups. DM was associated with much-increased risk of developing PC
      in low and moderate risk groups (OR45.8. 95% CI. 13.82-151.64, P=0.001). Combined
      family history of non-PC malignancy in the family in the low-risk individual was
      associated with abnormal findings on MRI (OR8.4, 95% CI 3.29-21.88, P < 0.0001).
      There was no any complication of screening. In summary, pancreatic cancer
      screening may benefit in risk individuals with family history of pancreatic
      cancer in our population. The diagnostic yield is similar to prior studies. MRCP
      as initial screening modality is safe and effective. Future study will be needed
      to tailor PC screening strategy in different risk populations.

PMID- 28337384
TI  - Topoisomerase I (Top1): a major target of FL118 for its antitumor efficacy or
      mainly involved in its side effects of hematopoietic toxicity?
AB  - FL118 is a novel camptothecin (CPT) analogue that possesses exceptional antitumor
      efficacy in human tumor animal models. To date, two CPT analogues, irinotecan and
      topotecan, have been approved by the FDA for cancer treatment. FL118 exhibits
      superior antitumor activity over irinotecan and topotecan, and effectively
      overcomes the irinotecan- or topotecan-resistant human tumors in animal models.
      Accordingly, FL118 selectively inhibits the expression of multiple cancer
      associated proteins (survivin, Mcl-1, XIAP, cIAP2, MdmX). However, FL118 has
      hematopoietic toxicity similar to irinotecan and topotecan, suggesting that
      FL118's hematopoietic toxicity may share a mechanism similar to irinotecan and
      topotecan. It is known that CPTs including irinotecan, SN-38 (active metabolite
      of irinotecan) and topotecan are topoisomerase I (Top1) inhibitors. However, the
      evidence from our studies failed to reveal that FL118 is a better Top1 inhibitor
      than SN-38. It was documented that Top1 expression level is positively associated
      with CPTs' sensitivity. Low Top1 expression links to CPTs' resistance. In
      contrast to these findings, we found that human colorectal tumor sensitivity to
      FL118 is irrelevant to the expression level of Top1 protein. FL118 can show high
      antitumor efficacy in Top1-negative tumors, while Top1 highly positive tumors can
      exhibit FL118 resistance. This suggests that the presence of Top1 target is not
      critical for FL118 antitumor activity. In other words, targeting Top1 by FL118
      may not play a major role for its antitumor efficacy. However, studies indicate
      that FL118 can bind to, and inhibit Top1 activity. This raises the possibility
      that inhibition of Top1 by FL118 may predominantly be involved in hematopoietic
      toxicity, but not in FL118 antitumor activity. In this article, we will summarize
      existing observations and provide our up-to-date research results to support our
      opinion on this important topic.

PMID- 28337385
TI  - Comparison of ticagrelor and high-dose clopidogrel on the platelet functions in
      patients with inadequate response to clopidogrel.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the effects of ticagrelor and high-dose clopidogrel on the
      platelet functions in patients with inadequate response to clopidogrel. METHODS:
      In this prospective, randomized and controlled study, patients who had been
      diagnosed as acute coronary syndrome (ACS) with inadequate response to
      clopidogrel in the Second Hospital of Hebei Medical University from July 2015 to
      June 2016 were enrolled. Inadequate response to clopidogrel was defined as
      absolute reduction of platelet aggregation rate (PAR) <30% or PAR >70%. Eligible
      patients were randomly assigned to two groups, the high-dose group and the
      ticagrelor group. Clinical information and intervention protocols were compared.
      The PAR of the two groups were measured at the time of baseline, the 24th hour,
      72nd hour, and the 7th day after treatments, the other platelet-related
      parameters were measured including platelet count (PLT), mean platelet volume
      (MPV), platelet distribution width (PDW) at the same time points. Besides, the
      markers of platelet activation human P-selectin (CD62P) and thromboxane A2 (TXA2)
      were also recorded to compare. The incidence of major adverse cardiac events
      (MACE) and the side effects between two groups were followed up for three months.
      RESULTS: A total of 74 patients were finally enrolled, 38 of whom were assigned
      to the ticagrelor group and the rest of them to the high-dose clopidogrel group.
      The baseline clinical and procedural characterists were similar. There were no
      significant differences in baseline levels of PAR between the two groups
      [(79.38+/-11.20)% vs. (73.97+/-12.74)%, P>0.05]. For both groups, the levels of
      PAR significantly decreased at each time point (P<0.001). Besides, the levels of
      PAR in ticagrelor group were lower than those in high-dose clopidogrel group at
      the 24th hour, 72nd hour and 7th day after treatments: [(25.92+/-10.31)% vs.
      (37.95+/-11.63)%, P<0.001], [(28.02+/-14.61)% vs. (30.64+/-10.73)%, P<0.001],
      [(37.17+/-11.11)% vs. (36.80+/-7.26)%, P<0.001]. The baseline levels of platelet
      related parameters were similar between the two groups (P>0.05), and there were
      no significant differences in the levels of PLT, PDW, and MPV at the 24th hour,
      72nd hour and 7th day. It was lower in ticagrelor group than that in clopidogrel
      group at the 24th hour [(5.47+/-1.03) ng/ml vs. (8.02+/-1.45) ng/ml, P<0.001]
      while the CD62P concentrations in the two groups significantly decreased
      comparing to the baseline levels (P<0.001). During 3-month follow-up, the
      incidences of MACE and side effects were not significantly different between the
      two group. CONCLUSIONS: ticagrelor could further decrease levels of platelet
      aggression rate and CD62p compared with high-dose clopidogrel, without serious
      side effects.

PMID- 28337386
TI  - Long-term clinical outcomes of patients with rheumatoid arthritis and concomitant
      coronary artery disease.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is associated with high morbidity and
      mortality predominately due to increased cardiovascular risk. Few reports are
      available regarding the management of coronary artery disease (CAD) in RA
      patients and the long-term clinical outcomes after coronary revascularization.
      METHODS AND RESULTS: All consecutive patients with RA were identified by
      retrospective review at a rheumatology tertiary center in Milan, Italy between
      2001 and 2013. RA patients affected by significant CAD (RA-CAD+) were
      prospectively followed for major adverse cardiovascular and cerebrovascular
      events (MACCE) after percutaneous coronary revascularization (RA-PCI), coronary
      artery bypass grafting (RA-CABG) or medical therapy (RA-MT). Among 936 patients
      with RA, the presence of clinically significant CAD was found in 5.6% (53
      patients, RA-CAD+). Of these, 32 patients (60%) underwent PCI (RA-PCI), 10
      patients (19%) underwent CABG (RA-CABG) and 11 patients (21%) treated with MT (RA
      MT). After a mean follow-up of 9+/-7 years, the rate of MACCE was 56% in RA-PCI
      patients, 50% in RA-CABG and 27% in RA-MT patients (P=0.184). The high MACCE rate
      was mainly driven by repeat coronary revascularization (47%) in the RA-PCI group
      and high rate of strokes (30%) in RA-CABG patients. CONCLUSION: In patients with
      rheumatoid arthritis and concomitant coronary artery disease (RA-CAD+), we
      observed at long-term follow-up a high MACCE rate, predominantly in those who
      underwent coronary revascularization.

PMID- 28337388
TI  - The clinical significance of anti-mitotic spindle apparatus antibody (MSA) and
      anti-centromere antibody (ACA) detected in patients with small cell lung cancer
      (SCLC).
AB  - PURPOSE: The project is aimed to detect anti-mitotic spindle apparatus antibody
      (MSA) and anti-centromere antibody (ACA) and explore the clinical value for the
      diagnosis of small cell lung cancer (SCLC), providing clinical evidence for
      molecular studies of SCLC. METHODS: 93 SCLC patients, 208 patients with other
      cancers and 50 healthy controls were enrolled in this study. MSA antibodies were
      detected by enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). MSA, ACA and anti nuclear
      antibodies (ANA) were examined by indirect immuno-fluorescence (IIF). And the
      results were retrospectively analyzed. RESULTS: 1 the positivity for MSA and ACA
      by IIF assay was respectively 36.56% and 30.11% in SCLC group, higher than in
      other tumor groups (P<0.01), 2 in correlative analysis, the RR (Relative Ratio)
      value between MSA and SCLC was as high as 12.93, 12.74, and the RR value of ACA
      and ANA with SCLC was respectively 4.31 and 3.48. 3 the area under ROC (Receiver
      operating characteristic) curve (AUC) of MSA detection for SCLC was 0.778, with
      medium diagnostic value. CONCLUSION: MSA and ACA might serve as a new marker for
      SCLC because of its high detection rate. These two markers may participate in the
      occurrence and development of SCLC, resulting from the highly strong risk. So,
      the study have some application value for early detection, clinical diagnosis and
      potential treatments of SCLC.

PMID- 28337387
TI  - Pro- and anti-inflammatory cytokines in children with malaria in Franceville,
      Gabon.
AB  - Severe Plasmodium falciparum malaria anemia (SMA) is a major cause of mortality
      in pediatric wards. Variations in inflammatory mediator production play an
      essential role in disease outcomes. Indeed, several studies have shown the
      involvement of pro- and anti-inflammatory cytokines such as IFN-gamma, IL-6, TNF
      alpha and IL-10 in malaria immunopathology. In other hand the exact role of Th17
      cytokines such as IL-17, IL-22 and IL-21 in malaria remains poorly documented.
      Here, we investigated IFN-gamma, TNF-alpha, IL-6, IL-12, IL-10, IL-4, IL-13, IL
      17, IL-22 and IL-21 circulating levels and their association with malaria anemia
      and parasitemia in Gabonese children. Levels of IFN-gamma (500 +/- 100.2 pg/ml),
      IL-6 (64 +/- 14.2 pg/ml), IL-10 (505 +/- 35 pg/ml), IL-13 (30.6 +/- 5.6 pg/ml)
      were significantly higher (P < 0.03) in infected children than in uninfected
      controls (210 +/- 20 pg/ml, 17.5 pg/ml, 50 +/- 25.9, pg/ml, 17.48 pg/ml,
      respectively). IFN-gamma levels were significantly lower (P = 0.04) in children
      with SMA (400 +/- 200 pg/ml) than in those with uncomplicated malaria (900 +/-
      450 pg/ml) and higher in those with parasitemia (P = 0.019). Levels of IL-6 and
      IL-10 were significantly higher in children with malarial anemia (P < 0.001) and
      hyperparasitemia (P < 0.0001). A significant association between IL-10 levels and
      parasite density was observed (P < 0.00001). IL-22 levels were significantly
      higher (P = 0.01) in infected children (72.57 +/- 7.5 pg/ml) than in the controls
      (54.96 +/- 1.93 pg/ml). IL-21 levels (44.46 +/- 17.27 pg/ml) decreased with the
      severity of anemia (P < 0.05), whereas IL-17 levels increased in children with
      SMA (12.25 +/- 1.25 pg/ml) than in those with mild malaria anemia (MMA: 6.2 +/-
      5.25 pg/ml, P = 0.002). Data suggest possible role of IFN-gamma in the protection
      against SMA and parasite clearance. However, IL-6 and IL-10 could play a role in
      inflammatory response and pathophysiology of severe malaria anemia. Also, the
      role of IL-22 and IL-17 in P. falciparum malaria infection should be
      investigated.

PMID- 28337389
TI  - Development of microsatellite markers using Illumina MiSeq sequencing to
      characterize Ephedra gerardiana (Ephedraceae).
AB  - PREMISE OF THE STUDY: Ephedragerardiana (Ephedraceae), occurring in the Himalayan
      ranges, is an important plant species used in Tibetan medicine. Due to the lack
      of molecular markers to characterize genetic diversity, knowledge for
      conservation and uses of E. gerardiana resources is limited; we therefore
      developed microsatellite markers for use in this species. METHODS AND RESULTS:
      Using Illumina MiSeq sequencing technology, we developed 29 polymorphic
      microsatellite loci suitable for E. gerardiana, of which 15 loci also showed
      polymorphisms in two related Ephedra species, E. saxatilis and E. monosperma. The
      average number of effective alleles per locus ranged from two to six. The
      observed and expected heterozygosity ranged from 0.23 to 0.83 and 0.44 to 0.86,
      respectively, in E. gerardiana populations. CONCLUSIONS: The developed 29
      microsatellite markers are effective for the study of genetic structure and
      genetic diversity of E. gerardiana, and 15 of these markers are suitable for
      related Ephedra species.

PMID- 28337390
TI  - An rbcL reference library to aid in the identification of plant species mixtures
      by DNA metabarcoding.
AB  - PREMISE OF THE STUDY: DNA metabarcoding has broad-ranging applications in
      ecology, aerobiology, biosecurity, and forensics. A bioinformatics pipeline has
      recently been published for identification using a comprehensive database of
      ITS2, one of the common plant DNA barcoding markers. There is, however, no
      corresponding database for rbcL, the other primary marker used in plants.
      METHODS: Using publicly available data, we compiled a reference library of rbcL
      sequences and trained databases for use with UTAX and RDP classifier algorithms.
      We used this reference library, along with the existing bioinformatics pipeline
      and ITS2 reference library, to identify species in an artificial mixture of nine
      species of pollen. We have made this database publicly available in multiple
      formats, to allow use with multiple bioinformatics pipelines, now and in the
      future. RESULTS: Using the rbcL database, in addition to the ITS2 database, we
      succeeded in making species-level identifications for eight species and a family
      level identification of the ninth species. This is an improvement on ITS2
      sequence alone. DISCUSSION: The reference library described here will assist with
      identification of plant species using rbcL. By making another gene region
      available for standard barcoding, this will increase the resolution and accuracy
      of identifications.

PMID- 28337391
TI  - An efficient field and laboratory workflow for plant phylotranscriptomic
      projects.
AB  - PREMISE OF THE STUDY: We describe a field and laboratory workflow developed for
      plant phylotranscriptomic projects that involves cryogenic tissue collection in
      the field, RNA extraction and quality control, and library preparation. We also
      make recommendations for sample curation. METHODS AND RESULTS: A total of 216
      frozen tissue samples of Caryophyllales and other angiosperm taxa were collected
      from the field or botanical gardens. RNA was extracted, stranded mRNA libraries
      were prepared, and libraries were sequenced on Illumina HiSeq platforms. These
      included difficult mucilaginous tissues such as those of Cactaceae and
      Droseraceae. CONCLUSIONS: Our workflow is not only cost effective (ca. $270 per
      sample, as of August 2016, from tissue to reads) and time efficient (less than 50
      h for 10-12 samples including all laboratory work and sample curation), but also
      has proven robust for extraction of difficult samples such as tissues containing
      high levels of secondary compounds.

PMID- 28337392
TI  - Microsatellite markers for population studies of the salt marsh species Juncus
      roemerianus (Juncaceae).
AB  - PREMISE OF THE STUDY: Juncus roemerianus (Juncaceae) is a foundational species
      and ecosystem engineer of salt marshes in the Gulf of Mexico. These ecosystems
      provide coastal flood attenuation, nurseries for important species, and other
      ecosystem services, but are experiencing significant decline. Nuclear
      microsatellite markers were developed for J. roemerianus to study genetic
      diversity and population structure for conservation and restoration efforts.
      METHODS AND RESULTS: Illumina NextSeq high-throughput sequencing was used to
      develop a panel of 19 polymorphic microsatellite markers that were tested across
      individuals from three populations on the Gulf Coast. All markers were
      polymorphic, with observed and expected heterozygosities ranging from 0.212 to
      0.828 and from 0.362 to 0.873, respectively. Allelic richness ranged from two to
      13 alleles per locus with an average of 5.737. CONCLUSIONS: The 19 microsatellite
      markers are useful for population studies throughout the range of J. roemerianus.
      Three loci cross-amplified in the related taxon J. effusus.

PMID- 28337393
TI  - Development and validation of EST-SSR markers for Fokienia hodginsii
      (Cupressaceae).
AB  - PREMISE OF THE STUDY: Fokienia hodginsii (Cupressaceae) is a Tertiary relict
      evergreen conifer of the monotypic genus Fokienia. Polymorphic microsatellite
      markers were developed to investigate its genetic diversity and population
      structure. METHODS AND RESULTS: RNA transcripts of F. hodginsii were sequenced
      and de novo assembled into 85,818 unigenes, and 1892 simple sequence repeat (SSR)
      markers were detected from the unigenes. A total of 273 expressed sequence tag
      SSR primer pairs were designed and tested, and 129 successfully amplified. Eleven
      displayed clear polymorphisms in F. hodginsii. Amplification of these polymorphic
      primers across three populations of F. hodginsii showed the number of alleles per
      locus ranged from two to seven, and the expected heterozygosity per locus varied
      from 0.067 to 0.847. All 11 polymorphic primers amplified in Thuja occidentalis,
      while 10 amplified in T. standishii, Platycladus orientalis, and Chamaecyparis
      obtusa. CONCLUSIONS: These microsatellite markers will be useful in exploring
      genetic diversity of F. hodginsii and other conifer trees.

PMID- 28337395
TI  - Isolation and characterization of microsatellite loci for Smilax sieboldii
      (Smilacaceae).
AB  - PREMISE OF THE STUDY: Polymorphic microsatellite markers were developed for
      Smilax sieboldii (Smilacaceae), a member of the S. hispida group with a
      biogeographic disjunction between eastern Asia and North America, to study the
      phylogeography and incipient speciation of this species and its close relatives.
      METHODS AND RESULTS: Transcriptome sequencing produced 47,628 unigenes. Seventeen
      loci were developed from 122 randomly selected primer pairs. Polymorphism and
      genetic variation were evaluated for 68 accessions representing five populations
      of S. sieboldii. The number of alleles per locus ranged from four to 18; the
      expected heterozygosity ranged from 0.59 to 0.92. Twelve loci were successfully
      amplified in five related species: S. scobinicaulis, S. californica, S. hispida,
      S. moranensis, and S. jalapensis. CONCLUSIONS: These novel expressed sequence tag
      derived microsatellite markers will facilitate further population genetic
      research of S. sieboldii and its close allies of the S. hispida group.

PMID- 28337394
TI  - Chloroplast microsatellite markers for Pseudotaxus chienii developed from the
      whole chloroplast genome of Taxus chinensis var. mairei (Taxaceae).
AB  - PREMISE OF THE STUDY: Pseudotaxus chienii (Taxaceae) is an old rare species
      endemic to China that has adapted well to ecological heterogeneity with high
      genetic diversity in its nuclear genome. However, the genetic variation in its
      chloroplast genome is unknown. METHODS AND RESULTS: Eighteen chloroplast
      microsatellite markers (cpSSRs) were developed from the whole chloroplast genome
      of Taxus chinensis var. mairei and successfully amplified in four P. chienii
      populations and one T. chinensis var. mairei population. Of these loci, 10 were
      polymorphic in P. chienii, whereas six were polymorphic in T. chinensis var.
      mairei. The unbiased haploid diversity per locus ranged from 0.000 to 0.641 and
      0.000 to 0.545 for P. chienii and T. chinensis var. mairei, respectively.
      CONCLUSIONS: The 18 cpSSRs will be used to further investigate the chloroplast
      genetic structure and adaptive evolution in P. chienii populations.

PMID- 28337396
TI  - Development of a Miniature Mass Spectrometer and an Automated Detector for
      Sampling Explosive Materials.
AB  - The development of a robust ionization source using the counter-flow APCI,
      miniature mass spectrometer, and an automated sampling system for detecting
      explosives are described. These development efforts using mass spectrometry were
      made in order to improve the efficiencies of on-site detection in areas such as
      security, environmental, and industrial applications. A development team,
      including the author, has struggled for nearly 20 years to enhance the robustness
      and reduce the size of mass spectrometers to meet the requirements needed for on
      site applications. This article focuses on the recent results related to the
      detection of explosive materials where automated particle sampling using a
      cyclone concentrator permitted the inspection time to be successfully reduced to
      3 s.

PMID- 28337397
TI  - Development and Application of a Brush-Spray Derived from a Calligraphy-Brush
      Style Synthetic Hair Pen for Use in ESI/MS.
AB  - The development of a novel type of a sampling/ionization kit for use in
      electrospray ionization/mass spectrometry is reported. Using a small calligraphy
      brush-style synthetic hair pen (nylon-brush), and analogous to paper-spray mass
      spectrometry, the analytes can be collected, elution/desorption and then ionized
      from the surface of the nylon-brush. The body of the kit was produced by means of
      a commercial 3D-printer, in which ABS (acrylonitrile butadiene styrene) was used
      as the starting material. Meanwhile, a small nylon-brush was embedded inside a 3D
      printed plastic cell, in which a solvent was supplied to rinse the brush by means
      of capillary action. The size and weight of the kit were 1 g and 4 cm,
      respectively. The kit is disposable and it has various functions, including non
      invasive sampling, sample-evaporation and ionization. As a result, when a type of
      pesticide was selected as the test sample (dimethoate; C5H12NO3PS2), the limit of
      detection was determined to be 0.1 MUg/mL. Collecting the pesticide from a leaf
      surface (lettuce) was also successful. The process for fabricating the nylon
      brush kit and the optimized experimental conditions are reported herein.

PMID- 28337398
TI  - Desorption in Mass Spectrometry.
AB  - In mass spectrometry, analytes must be released in the gas phase. There are two
      representative methods for the gasification of the condensed samples, i.e.,
      ablation and desorption. While ablation is based on the explosion induced by the
      energy accumulated in the condensed matrix, desorption is a single molecular
      process taking place on the surface. In this paper, desorption methods for mass
      spectrometry developed in our laboratory: flash heating/rapid cooling,
      Leidenfrost phenomenon-assisted thermal desorption (LPTD), solid/solid friction,
      liquid/solid friction, electrospray droplet impact (EDI) ionization/desorption,
      and probe electrospray ionization (PESI), will be described. All the methods are
      concerned with the surface and interface phenomena. The concept of how to desorb
      less-volatility compounds from the surface will be discussed.

PMID- 28337400
TI  - Prototype of an Interface for Hyphenating Distillation with Gas Chromatography
      and Mass Spectrometry.
AB  - Chemical analysis of complex matrices-containing hundreds of compounds-is
      challenging. Two-dimensional separation techniques provide an efficient way to
      reduce complexity of mixtures analyzed by mass spectrometry (MS). For example,
      gasoline is a mixture of numerous compounds, which can be fractionated by
      distillation techniques. However, coupling conventional distillation with other
      separations as well as MS is not straightforward. We have established an
      automatic system for online coupling of simple microscale distillation with gas
      chromatography (GC) and electron ionization MS. The developed system incorporates
      an interface between the distillation condenser and the injector of a fused
      silica capillary GC column. Development of this multidimensional separation
      (distillation-GC-MS) was preceded by a series of preliminary off-line
      experiments. In the developed technique, the components with different boiling
      points are fractionated and instantly analyzed by GC-MS. The obtained data sets
      illustrate dynamics of the distillation process. An important advantage of the
      distillation-GC-MS technique is that raw samples can directly be analyzed without
      removal of the non-volatile matrix residues that could contaminate the GC
      injection port and the column. Distilling the samples immediately before the
      injection to the GC column may reduce possible matrix effects-especially in the
      early phase of separation, when molecules with different volatilities co-migrate.
      It can also reduce losses of highly volatile components (during fraction
      collection and transfer). The two separation steps are partly orthogonal, what
      can slightly increase selectivity of the entire analysis.

PMID- 28337401
TI  - A Rapid Approach for Fabricating Boronic Acid-Functionalized Plates for On-Probe
      Detection of Glycoprotein and Glycopeptide.
AB  - We developed a rapid and simple approach without using complex mechanical or
      chemical protocols to fabricate boronic acid-functionalized plates for
      glycoprotein or glycopeptide enrichment and mass spectrometry (MS) analysis. By
      coating the boronic acid-functionalized silica particles on a
      polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS)-coated matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization
      (MALDI) plate, these particles can form a firmly monolayer of particles on PDMS
      membrane for sample handling without peeling off. The boronic acid particles
      coated PDMS plate (BP plate) was successfully applied to the enrichment of
      horseradish peroxidase (HRP) protein and their digested glycopeptides.

PMID- 28337399
TI  - Clinical Application of Ambient Ionization Mass Spectrometry.
AB  - Ambient ionization allows mass spectrometry analysis directly on the sample
      surface under atmospheric pressure with almost zero sample pretreatment. Since
      the development of desorption electrospray ionization (DESI) in 2004, many other
      ambient ionization techniques were developed. Due to their simplicity and low
      operation cost, rapid and on-site clinical mass spectrometry analysis becomes
      real. In this review, we will highlight some of the most widely used ambient
      ionization mass spectrometry approaches and their applications in clinical study.

PMID- 28337402
TI  - A Brief Review of Bioinformatics Tools for Glycosylation Analysis by Mass
      Spectrometry.
AB  - The purpose of this review is to provide updated information regarding
      bioinformatic software for the use in the characterization of glycosylated
      structures since 2013. A comprehensive review by Woodin et al.Analyst 138: 2793
      2803, 2013 (ref. 1) described two main approaches that are introduced for
      starting researchers in this area; analysis of released glycans and the
      identification of glycopeptide in enzymatic digests, respectively. Complementary
      to that report, this review focuses on mass spectrometry related bioinformatics
      tools for the characterization of N-linked and O-linked glycopeptides.
      Specifically, it also provides information regarding automated tools that can be
      used for glycan profiling using mass spectrometry.

PMID- 28337403
TI  - An expanded conceptual framework for solution-focused management of chemical
      pollution in European waters.
AB  - BACKGROUND: This paper describes a conceptual framework for solutions-focused
      management of chemical contaminants built on novel and systematic approaches for
      identifying, quantifying and reducing risks of these substances. METHODS: The
      conceptual framework was developed in interaction with stakeholders representing
      relevant authorities and organisations responsible for managing environmental
      quality of water bodies. Stakeholder needs were compiled via a survey and
      dialogue. The content of the conceptual framework was thereafter developed with
      inputs from relevant scientific disciplines. RESULTS: The conceptual framework
      consists of four access points: Chemicals, Environment, Abatement and Society,
      representing different aspects and approaches to engaging in the issue of
      chemical contamination of surface waters. It widens the scope for assessment and
      management of chemicals in comparison to a traditional (mostly) perchemical risk
      assessment approaches by including abatement- and societal approaches as optional
      solutions. The solution-focused approach implies an identification of abatement-
      and policy options upfront in the risk assessment process. The conceptual
      framework was designed for use in current and future chemical pollution
      assessments for the aquatic environment, including the specific challenges
      encountered in prioritising individual chemicals and mixtures, and is applicable
      for the development of approaches for safe chemical management in a broader
      sense. The four access points of the conceptual framework are interlinked by four
      key topics representing the main scientific challenges that need to be addressed,
      i.e.: identifying and prioritising hazardous chemicals at different scales;
      selecting relevant and efficient abatement options; providing regulatory support
      for chemicals management; predicting and prioritising future chemical risks. The
      conceptual framework aligns current challenges in the safe production and use of
      chemicals. The current state of knowledge and implementation of these challenges
      is described. CONCLUSIONS: The use of the conceptual framework, and addressing
      the challenges, is intended to support: (1) forwarding sustainable use of
      chemicals, (2) identification of pollutants of priority concern for cost
      effective management, (3) the selection of optimal abatement options and (4) the
      development and use of optimised legal and policy instruments.

PMID- 28337404
TI  - Revising REACH guidance on information requirements and chemical safety
      assessment for engineered nanomaterials for aquatic ecotoxicity endpoints:
      recommendations from the EnvNano project.
AB  - The European Chemical Agency (ECHA) is in the process of revising its guidance
      documents on how to address the challenges of ecotoxicological testing of
      nanomaterials. In these revisions, outset is taken in the hypothesis that
      ecotoxicological test methods, developed for soluble chemicals, can be made
      applicable to nanomaterials. European Research Council project EnvNano
      Environmental Effects and Risk Evaluation of Engineered, which ran from 2011 to
      2016, took another outset by assuming that: "The behaviour of nanoparticles in
      suspension is fundamentally different from that of chemicals in solution". The
      aim of this paper is to present the findings of the EnvNano project and through
      these provide the scientific background for specific recommendations on how ECHA
      guidance could be further improved. Key EnvNano findings such as the need to
      characterize dispersion and dissolution rates in stock and test media have
      partially been addressed in the updated guidance. However, it has to be made
      clear that multiple characterization methods have to be applied to describe state
      of dispersion and dissolution over time and for various test concentration. More
      detailed information is called for on the specific characterization methods and
      techniques available and their pros and cons. Based on findings in EnvNano, we
      recommend that existing algal tests are supplemented with tests where suspensions
      of nanomaterials are aged for 1-3 days for nanomaterials that dissolve in testing
      media. Likewise, for daphnia tests we suggest to supplement with tests where (a)
      exposure is shortened to a 3 h pulse exposure in daphnia toxicity tests with
      environmentally hazardous metal and metal oxide nanomaterials prone to
      dissolution; and (b) food abundance is three to five times higher than normal,
      respectively. We further suggest that the importance of considering the impact of
      shading in algal tests is made more detailed in the guidance and that it is
      specified that determination of uptake, depuration and trophic transfer of
      nanomaterials for each commercialized functionalization of the nanomaterials is
      required. Finally, as an outcome of the project a method for assessing the
      regulatory adequacy of ecotoxicological studies of nanomaterials is proposed.

PMID- 28337406
TI  - The influence of health concern on travel plans with focus on the Zika virus in
      2016.
AB  - Tourists consider many factors, including health, when choosing travel
      destinations. The potential for exposure to novel or foreign diseases alone can
      deter travelers from selecting high-risk locations for disease transmission. The
      2015-2016 Zika Virus (ZIKV) outbreak in the Americas and Caribbean prompted the
      World Health Organization (WHO) to declare a Public Health Emergency of
      International Concern. This study investigated factors that may contribute to
      travel avoidance to areas experiencing ZIKV transmission while also considering
      different levels of health concern and awareness among groups with varying
      demographics. An online survey was administered February 10-12, 2016 to a sample
      of U.S. residents (n = 964). Demographics, information about travel behaviors,
      and levels of health concern were collected. Ordered logit models were employed
      to assess the impacts of the ZIKV outbreak on travel planning. Respondents giving
      higher levels of attention to general health were more likely to avoid travel to
      areas experiencing ZIKV transmission. It is anticipated that the findings of this
      study may be of interest to public health officials, healthcare providers, and
      government officials attempting to mitigate impacts of ZIKV. Disease outbreaks in
      regions of the world typically frequented by vacation or leisure travelers are
      particularly problematic due to the increased amount of exposure to disease in an
      immunologically naive population that may then contribute to the outbreak through
      their travel plans. Avoiding travel to destinations experiencing outbreaks of
      disease due to health concerns may be interpreted positively by the public health
      community but can have negative economic consequences.

PMID- 28337405
TI  - Tailored algorithms for hepatocellular carcinoma surveillance: Is one-size-fits
      all strategy outdated?
AB  - PURPOSE OF REVIEW: Current clinical practice guidelines recommend regular
      hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) surveillance with biannual ultrasound with or
      without serum alpha-fetoprotein uniformly applied to all patients with cirrhosis.
      However, clinical implementation of this one-size-fits-all strategy has been
      challenging as evidenced by very low application rate below 20% due to various
      reasons, including suboptimal performance of the surveillance modalities. RECENT
      FINDINGS: Newly emerging imaging techniques such as abbreviated MRI (AMRI) and
      molecular HCC risk biomarkers have increasingly become available for clinical
      evaluation and implementation. These technologies may have a potential to reshape
      HCC surveillance by enabling tailored strategies. This would involve performing
      optimized surveillance tests according to individual HCC risk, and allocating
      limited medical resources for HCC surveillance based on cost-effectiveness.
      SUMMARY: Tailored HCC surveillance could lead to achievement of precision HCC
      care and substantial improvement of the current dismal patient prognosis.

PMID- 28337407
TI  - Fentanyl-induced chest wall rigidity syndrome in a routine bronchoscopy.
AB  - Combination of sedatives such as fentanyl and midazolam during bronchoscopy is
      recommended by American College of Chest Physician due to its favourable drug
      profile. It improves patient comfort and tolerance, and is commonly given unless
      contraindicated. We describe a rare case of fentanyl-induced chest wall rigidity
      syndrome during a routine bronchoscopy with endobronchial ultrasound guided
      transbronchial needle aspiration (EBUS-TBNA) in a 55 year old male presenting
      with a lung mass and mediastinal lymphadenopathy. This was effectively managed
      with neuromuscular blockade, intubation and reversal agents including naloxone.
      This rare complication should be effectively managed by all bronchoscopist as it
      carries significant mortality and morbidity if not recognised early. We review
      the literature on the occurrence of fentanyl-induced chest wall rigidity and its
      predisposing risks factors.

PMID- 28337408
TI  - Eosinophilic granulomatosis with polyangiitis (formerly known as Churg-Strauss
      syndrome) as a differential diagnosis of hypereosinophilic syndromes.
AB  - Eosinophilic granulomatosis with polyangiitis (EGPA), formerly known as Churg
      Strauss syndrome, is a rare systemic disease situated between primary small
      vessel vasculitides associated with antineutrophil cytoplasmic antibodies (ANCAs)
      and hypereosinophilic syndromes (HES). Here, we present a case of EGPA in a 38
      year-old male, with a previous diagnosis of asthma, who presented with fever,
      migratory lung infiltrates and systemic eosinophilia that was refractory to
      previous courses of antibiotics. This case highlights the importance of the
      primary care physician understanding the differential diagnosis of pulmonary
      eosinophilic syndromes.

PMID- 28337410
TI  - Damage to white matter bottlenecks contributes to language impairments after left
      hemispheric stroke.
AB  - Damage to the white matter underlying the left posterior temporal lobe leads to
      deficits in multiple language functions. The posterior temporal white matter may
      correspond to a bottleneck where both dorsal and ventral language pathways are
      vulnerable to simultaneous damage. Damage to a second putative white matter
      bottleneck in the left deep prefrontal white matter involving projections
      associated with ventral language pathways and thalamo-cortical projections has
      recently been proposed as a source of semantic deficits after stroke. Here, we
      first used white matter atlases to identify the previously described white matter
      bottlenecks in the posterior temporal and deep prefrontal white matter. We then
      assessed the effects of damage to each region on measures of verbal fluency,
      picture naming, and auditory semantic decision-making in 43 chronic left
      hemispheric stroke patients. Damage to the posterior temporal bottleneck
      predicted deficits on all tasks, while damage to the anterior bottleneck only
      significantly predicted deficits in verbal fluency. Importantly, the effects of
      damage to the bottleneck regions were not attributable to lesion volume, lesion
      loads on the tracts traversing the bottlenecks, or damage to nearby cortical
      language areas. Multivariate lesion-symptom mapping revealed additional lesion
      predictors of deficits. Post-hoc fiber tracking of the peak white matter lesion
      predictors using a publicly available tractography atlas revealed evidence
      consistent with the results of the bottleneck analyses. Together, our results
      provide support for the proposal that spatially specific white matter damage
      affecting bottleneck regions, particularly in the posterior temporal lobe,
      contributes to chronic language deficits after left hemispheric stroke. This may
      reflect the simultaneous disruption of signaling in dorsal and ventral language
      processing streams.

PMID- 28337411
TI  - Physiological and pathological high-frequency oscillations have distinct sleep
      homeostatic properties.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: The stage of sleep is a known modulator of high-frequency oscillations
      (HFOs). For instance, high amplitude slow waves during NREM sleep and the
      subtypes of REM sleep were shown to contribute to a better separation between
      physiological and pathological HFOs. This study investigated rates and spatial
      spread of the different HFO types (physiological and pathological ripples in the
      80-250 Hz frequency band, and fast ripples above 250 Hz) depending on time spent
      in sleep across the different sleep cycles. METHODS: Fifteen patients with focal
      pharmaco-resistant epilepsy underwent one night of video-polysomnography during
      chronic intracranial EEG recording for presurgical epilepsy evaluation. The HFO
      rate and spread across the different sleep cycles were determined with an
      automatic HFO detector. We built models to explain the observed rate and spread
      based on time in sleep and other variables i.e. sleep stage, delta band and sigma
      band activity, and slow wave amplitude. Statistical significance of the different
      variables was determined by a model comparison using the Akaike information
      criterion. RESULTS: The rate of HFOs depends significantly on the accumulated
      time of sleep. As the night advanced, the rate of pathological ripples and fast
      ripples decreased during NREM sleep (up to 15% per hour spent in the respective
      sleep stages), while the rate of physiological ripples increased during REM sleep
      (8% per hour spent in REM sleep). Interestingly, the stage of sleep but not the
      sleep cycle determined the extent of spread of HFOs, showing a larger field
      during NREM sleep and a more restricted field during REM sleep. CONCLUSION: The
      different dependence with sleep time for physiological and pathological ripples
      is in keeping with their distinct underlying generating mechanisms. From a
      practical point of view, the first sleep cycle seems to be best suitable for
      studying HFOs in epilepsy, given that the contrast between physiological and
      pathological ripple rates is largest during this time.

PMID- 28337409
TI  - Network degeneration and dysfunction in presymptomatic C9ORF72 expansion
      carriers.
AB  - Hexanucleotide repeat expansions in C9ORF72 are the most common known genetic
      cause of familial and sporadic frontotemporal dementia and amyotrophic lateral
      sclerosis. Previous work has shown that patients with behavioral variant
      frontotemporal dementia due to C9ORF72 show salience and sensorimotor network
      disruptions comparable to those seen in sporadic behavioral variant
      frontotemporal dementia, but it remains unknown how early in the lifespan these
      and other changes in brain structure and function arise. To gain insights into
      this question, we compared 15 presymptomatic carriers (age 43.7 +/- 10.2 years,
      nine females) to matched healthy controls. We used voxel-based morphometry to
      assess gray matter, diffusion tensor imaging to interrogate white matter tracts,
      and task-free functional MRI to probe the salience, sensorimotor, default mode,
      and medial pulvinar thalamus-seeded networks. We further used a retrospective
      chart review to ascertain psychiatric histories in carriers and their non-carrier
      family members. Carriers showed normal cognition and behavior despite gray matter
      volume and brain connectivity deficits that were apparent as early as the fourth
      decade of life. Gray matter volume deficits were topographically similar though
      less severe than those in patients with behavioral variant frontotemporal
      dementia due to C9ORF72, with major foci in cingulate, insula, thalamus, and
      striatum. Reduced white matter integrity was found in the corpus callosum,
      cingulum bundles, corticospinal tracts, uncinate fasciculi and inferior
      longitudinal fasciculi. Intrinsic connectivity deficits were detected in all four
      networks but most prominent in salience and medial pulvinar thalamus-seeded
      networks. Carrier and control groups showed comparable relationships between
      imaging metrics and age, suggesting that deficits emerge during early adulthood.
      Carriers and non-carrier family members had comparable lifetime histories of
      psychiatric symptoms. Taken together, the findings suggest that presymptomatic
      C9ORF72 expansion carriers exhibit functionally compensated brain volume and
      connectivity deficits that are similar, though less severe, to those reported
      during the symptomatic phase. The early adulthood emergence of these deficits
      suggests that they represent aberrant network patterning during development, an
      early neurodegeneration prodrome, or both.

PMID- 28337412
TI  - Differential involvement of corticospinal tract (CST) fibers in UMN-predominant
      ALS patients with or without CST hyperintensity: A diffusion tensor tractography
      study.
AB  - Diagnosis of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) depends on clinical evidence of
      combined upper motor neuron (UMN) and lower motor neuron (LMN) degeneration,
      although ALS patients can present with features predominantly of one or the
      other. Some UMN-predominant patients show hyperintense signal along the
      intracranial corticospinal tract (CST) on T2- and proton density (PD)-weighted
      images (ALS-CST +), and appear to have faster disease progression when compared
      to those without CST hyperintensity (ALS-CST -). The reason for this is unknown.
      We hypothesized that diffusion tensor tractography (DTT) would reveal differences
      in DTI abnormalities along the intracranial CST between these two patient
      subgroups. Clinical DTI scans were obtained at 1.5T in 14 neurologic controls and
      45 ALS patients categorized into two UMN phenotypes based on clinical measures
      and MRI. DTT was used to quantitatively assess the CST in control and ALS groups.
      DTT revealed subcortical loss ('truncation') of virtual motor CST fibers
      (presumably) projecting from the precentral gyrus (PrG) in ALS patients but not
      in controls; in contrast, virtual fibers (presumably) projecting to the adjacent
      postcentral gyrus (PoG) were spared. No significant differences in virtual CST
      fiber length were observed between controls and ALS patients. However, the
      frequency of CST truncation was significantly higher in the ALS-CST + subgroup (9
      of 21) than in the ALS-CST - subgroup (4 of 24; p = 0.049), suggesting this
      finding could differentiate these ALS subgroups. Also, because virtual CST
      truncation occurred only in the ALS patient group and not in the control group (p
      = 0.018), this DTT finding could prove to be a diagnostic biomarker of ALS.
      Significantly shorter disease duration and faster disease progression rate were
      observed in ALS patients with CST fiber truncation than in those without (p <
      0.05). DTI metrics of fractional anisotropy (FA), mean diffusivity (MD), axial
      diffusivity (AD) and radial diffusivity (RD) were also determined in four regions
      of interest (ROIs) along the CST, namely: cerebral peduncle (CP), posterior limb
      of internal capsule (PLIC), centrum semiovale at top of lateral ventricle (CSoLV)
      and subcortical to primary motor cortex (subPMC). Of note, FA values along the
      left hemisphere virtual CST tract were significantly different between controls
      and ALS-CST + patients (p < 0.05) only at the PLIC level, but not at the CSoLV or
      subPMC level. Also, no significant differences in FA values were observed between
      ALS subgroups or between control and ALS-CST - groups (p > 0.05) in any of the
      ROIs. In addition, comparing FA values between ALS patients with CST truncation
      and those without in the aforementioned four ROIs, revealed no significant
      differences in either hemisphere. However, visual evaluation of DTT was able to
      identify UMN degeneration in patients with ALS, particularly in those with a more
      aggressive clinical disease course and possibly different pathologic processes.

PMID- 28337414
TI  - Pheochromocytoma with Negative Metanephrines: A Rarity and the Significance of
      Dopamine Secreting Tumors.
AB  - We describe a case of a 25-year-old female with a dopamine secreting PPGL
      diagnosed retrospectively with biochemical analysis. This finding resulted in
      change in approach to investigation and management, given their important
      clinical implications. There are important differences in management of dopamine
      secreting PPGL compared to classical noradrenaline and adrenaline-secreting PPGL.
      This includes the risk of peri-operative cardiovascular collapse peri-operatively
      with alpha/beta blockade, risk of malignancy/recurrence, and associated genetic
      abnormalities.

PMID- 28337413
TI  - Draft genome sequence of Thermoanaerobacterium sp. strain PSU-2 isolated from
      thermophilic hydrogen producing reactor.
AB  - Thermoanaerobacterium sp. strain PSU-2 was isolated from thermophilic hydrogen
      producing reactor and subjected to draft genome sequencing on 454 pyrosequencing
      and annotated on RAST. The draft genome sequence of strain PSU-2 contains
      2,552,497 bases with an estimated G + C content of 35.2%, 2555 CDS, 8 rRNAs and
      57 tRNAs. The strain had a number of genes responsible for carbohydrates
      metabolic, amino acids and derivatives, and protein metabolism of 17.7%, 14.39%
      and 9.81%, respectively. Strain PSU-2 also had gene responsible for hydrogen
      biosynthesis as well as the genes related to Ni-Fe hydrogenase. Comparative
      genomic analysis indicates strain PSU-2 shares about 94% genome sequence
      similarity with Thermoanaerobacterium xylanolyticum LX-11. The nucleotide
      sequence of this draft genome was deposited into DDBJ/ENA/GenBank under the
      accession MSQD00000000.

PMID- 28337415
TI  - A modification of the constant-head permeameter to measure saturated hydraulic
      conductivity of highly permeable media.
AB  - The saturated hydraulic conductivity (Ks ) is a key characteristic of porous
      media, describing the rate of water flow through saturated porous media. It is an
      indispensable parameter in a broad range of simulation models that quantify
      saturated and/or unsaturated water flow. The constant-head permeameter test is a
      common laboratory method to determine Ks on undisturbed soil samples collected
      from the field. In this paper we show that the application of this conventional
      method may result in a biased Ks in the case of highly permeable media, such as
      the top layer of Sphagnum peat and gravel. Tubes in the conventional permeameter,
      that collect water under the sample, introduce a hydraulic head-dependent
      resistance for highly permeable media and result in an underestimation of Ks . We
      present a simple and low-budget alternative of the constant-head permeameter test
      that overcomes the disadvantages of conventional permeameters. The new method was
      successfully tested on intact highly permeable peatmoss collected from a northern
      peatland. *Conventional constant-head permeameters underestimate Ks of highly
      permeable media due to flow resistance in tubing systems*We developed the low
      resistance permeameter to overcome this disadvantage.*Testing of the low
      resistance permeameter demonstrated no systematic bias and successful application
      for highly permeable media.

PMID- 28337416
TI  - Reader's Forum.

PMID- 28337417
TI  - Skeletal and dentoalveolar changes after miniscrew-assisted rapid palatal
      expansion in young adults: A cone-beam computed tomography study.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to evaluate the skeletal and dentoalveolar
      changes after miniscrew-assisted rapid palatal expansion (MARPE) in young adults
      by cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT). METHODS: This retrospective study
      included 14 patients (mean age, 20.1 years; range, 16-26 years) with maxillary
      transverse deficiency treated with MARPE. Skeletal and dentoalveolar changes were
      evaluated using CBCT images acquired before and after expansion. Statistical
      analyses were performed using paired t-test or Wilcoxon signed-rank test
      according to normality of the data. RESULTS: The midpalatal suture was separated,
      and the maxilla exhibited statistically significant lateral movement (p < 0.05)
      after MARPE. Some of the landmarks had shifted forwards or upwards by a
      clinically irrelevant distance of less than 1 mm. The amount of expansion
      decreased in the superior direction, with values of 5.5, 3.2, 2.0, and 0.8 mm at
      the crown, cementoenamel junction, maxillary basal bone, and zygomatic arch
      levels, respectively (p < 0.05). The buccal bone thickness and height of the
      alveolar crest had decreased by 0.6-1.1 mm and 1.7-2.2 mm, respectively, with the
      premolars and molars exhibiting buccal tipping of 1.1 degrees -2.9 degrees .
      CONCLUSIONS: Our results indicate that MARPE is an effective method for the
      correction of maxillary transverse deficiency without surgery in young adults.

PMID- 28337419
TI  - Smile esthetics: Evaluation of long-term changes in the transverse dimension.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: To analyze the long-term changes in maxillary arch widths and buccal
      corridor ratios in orthodontic patients treated with and without premolar
      extractions. METHODS: The study included 53 patients who were divided into the
      extraction (n = 28) and nonextraction (n = 25) groups. These patients had
      complete orthodontic records from the pretreatment (T1), posttreatment (T2), and
      postretention (T3) periods. Their mean retention and postretention times were 4
      years 2 months and 17 years 8 months, respectively. Dental models and smiling
      photographs from all three periods were digitized to compare the changes in three
      dental arch width measurements and three buccal corridor ratios over time between
      the extraction and nonextraction groups. Data were analyzed using analysis of
      variance tests. Post-hoc multiple comparisons were made using Bonferroni
      correction. RESULTS: Soft-tissue extension during smiling increased with age in
      both groups. The maximum dental width to smile width ratio (MDW/SW) also showed a
      favorable increase with treatment in both groups (p < 0.05), and remained
      virtually stable at T3 (p > 0.05). According to the MDW/SW ratio, the mean
      difference in the buccal corridor space of the two groups was 2.4 +/- 0.2% at T3.
      Additionally, no significant group * time interaction was found for any of the
      buccal corridor ratios studied. CONCLUSIONS: Premolar extractions did not
      negatively affect transverse maxillary arch widths and buccal corridor ratios.
      The long-term outcome of orthodontic treatment was comparable between the study
      groups.

PMID- 28337418
TI  - A three-dimensional photogrammetric analysis of the facial esthetics of the Miss
      Korea pageant contestants.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: The aims of this study were to measure and compare the facial
      dimensions of the Miss Korea pageant contestants and a selected group of women
      from the general population by using three-dimensional (3D) image analysis, as
      well as to compare various facial ratios to the golden ratio within each group.
      METHODS: Three-dimensional images of 52 Miss Korea pageant contestants (MK group)
      and 41 young female adults selected from the general population (GP group) were
      acquired. Fifty-four variables and ratios were measured and calculated.
      Intergroup comparisons were performed using multivariate analysis of variance.
      RESULTS: Compared to the GP group, the MK group showed greater total facial
      height and eye width, lesser lower-facial height, and lesser facial, lower
      facial, and nasal widths. Moreover, compared to the GP group, the MK group had
      more protruded noses with greater nasolabial angle, greater vertical curvature of
      the foreheads, lesser horizontal curvature of the cheek, and lesser lower-lip-and
      chin volume. CONCLUSIONS: The MK group had longer faces but smaller lower lips
      and chins than did the GP group. The golden ratio was not matching the current
      facial esthetic standards. These data might be beneficial for treatment planning
      of patients undergoing orthognathic and plastic surgeries.

PMID- 28337420
TI  - Effect of frontal facial type and sex on preferred chin projection.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: To investigate the effects of frontal facial type (FFT) and sex on
      preferred chin projection (CP) in three-dimensional (3D) facial images. METHODS:
      Six 3D facial images were acquired using a 3D facial scanner (euryprosopic [Eury
      FFT], mesoprosopic [Meso-FFT], and leptoprosopic [Lepto-FFT] for each sex). After
      normal CP in each 3D facial image was set to 10 degrees  of the facial profile
      angle (glabella-subnasale-pogonion), CPs were morphed by gradations of 2 degrees 
      from normal (moderately protrusive [6 degrees ], slightly protrusive [8 degrees
      ], slightly retrusive [12 degrees ], and moderately retrusive [14 degrees ]).
      Seventy-five dental students (48 men and 27 women) were asked to rate the CPs (6
      degrees , 8 degrees , 10 degrees , 12 degrees , and 14 degrees ) from the most to
      least preferred in each 3D image. Statistical analyses included the Kolmogorov
      Smirnov test, Kruskal-Wallis test, and Bonferroni correction. RESULTS: No
      significant difference was observed in the distribution of preferred CP in the
      same FFT between male and female evaluators. In Meso-FFT, the normal CP was the
      most preferred without any sex difference. However, in Eury-FFT, the slightly
      protrusive CP was favored in male 3D images, but the normal CP was preferred in
      female 3D images. In Lepto-FFT, the normal CP was favored in male 3D images,
      whereas the slightly retrusive CP was favored in female 3D images. The mean
      preferred CP angle differed significantly according to FFT (Eury-FFT: male, 8.7
      degrees , female, 9.9 degrees ; Meso-FFT: male, 9.8 degrees , female, 10.7
      degrees ; Lepto-FFT: male, 10.8 degrees , female, 11.4 degrees ; p < 0.001).
      CONCLUSIONS: Our findings might serve as guidelines for setting the preferred CP
      according to FFT and sex.

PMID- 28337421
TI  - Zygomatic miniplates for skeletal anchorage in orthopedic correction of Class III
      malocclusion: A controlled clinical trial.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the effects of facemask therapy, which was anchored from
      the zygomatic buttresses of the maxilla by using two miniplates, in skeletal
      Class III patients with maxillary deficiency. METHODS: Eighteen skeletal Class
      III patients (10 girls and 8 boys; mean age, 11.4 +/- 1.28 years) with maxillary
      deficiency were treated using miniplate-anchored facemasks, and their outcomes
      were compared with those of a Class III control group (9 girls and 9 boys; mean
      age, 10.6 +/- 1.12 years). Two I-shaped miniplates were placed on the right and
      left zygomatic buttresses of the maxilla, and a facemask was applied with a 400 g
      force per side. Intragroup comparisons were made using the Wilcoxon test, and
      intergroup comparisons were made using the Mann-Whitney U-test (p < 0.05).
      RESULTS: In the treatment group, the maxilla moved 3.3 mm forward, the mandible
      showed posterior rotation by 1.5 degrees , and the lower incisors were
      retroclined after treatment. These results were significantly different from
      those in the control group (p < 0.05). No significant anterior rotation of the
      palatal plane was observed after treatment. Moreover, changes in the sagittal
      positions of the maxillary incisors and molars were similar between the treatment
      and control groups. CONCLUSIONS: Skeletally anchored facemask therapy is an
      effective method for correcting Class III malocclusions, which also minimizes the
      undesired dental side effects of conventional methods in the maxilla.

PMID- 28337422
TI  - The combined use of computer-guided, minimally invasive, flapless corticotomy and
      clear aligners as a novel approach to moderate crowding: A case report.
AB  - The aim of this case report was to describe an innovative orthodontic treatment
      method that combined surgical and orthodontic techniques. The novel method was
      used to achieve a positive result in a case of moderate crowding by employing a
      computer-guided piezocision procedure followed by the use of clear aligners. A 23
      year-old woman had a malocclusion with moderate crowding. Her periodontal
      indices, oral health-related quality of life (OHRQoL), and treatment time were
      evaluated. The treatment included interproximal corticotomy cuts extending
      through the entire thickness of the cortical layer, without a full-thickness flap
      reflection. This was achieved with a three-dimensionally printed surgical guide
      using computer-aided design and computer-aided manufacturing. Orthodontic force
      was applied to the teeth immediately after surgery by using clear appliances for
      better control of tooth movement. The total treatment time was 8 months. The
      periodontal indices improved after crowding correction, but the oral health
      impact profile showed a slight deterioration of OHRQoL during the 3 days
      following surgery. At the 2-year retention follow-up, the stability of treatment
      was excellent. The reduction in surgical time and patient discomfort, increased
      periodontal safety and patient acceptability, and accurate control of orthodontic
      movement without the risk of losing anchorage may encourage the use of this
      combined technique in appropriate cases.

PMID- 28337423
TI  - Immediate changes in the mandibular dentition after maxillary molar distalization
      using headgear.
AB  - The purpose of this study was to investigate immediate changes in the mandibular
      dentition after maxillary molar distalization using headgear in non-growing
      patients. Sixteen patients (mean age, 18.9 +/- 2.0 years) with Class II molar
      relationship and crowding were included in the present study. To correct the
      molar relationship, headgear was used for maxillary molar distalization. Cone
      beam computed tomography-generated half-cephalograms (CG Cephs) and dental casts
      were used to evaluate dental changes for each subject before and immediately
      after molar distalization using headgear. The mean duration that subjects wore
      the headgear was 6.3 months. CG Cephs showed that the first maxillary molars were
      distalized 4.2 +/- 1.6 mm with 9.7 degrees  +/- 6.1 degrees  of distal
      angulation. The intercanine, interpremolar, and intermolar widths of the mandible
      increased after maxillary molar distalization. The present study's results
      suggest that maxillary molar distalization using headgear induces a spontaneous
      response in the untreated mandibular dentition of non-growing patients.

PMID- 28337424
TI  - Single Institutional Experience of Stereotactic Radiosurgery Alone for First
      Brain Metastatic Event and Salvage of Second Brain Metastatic Event in a
      Community Setting with Review of the Literature.
AB  - PURPOSE: To document survival for patients treated with stereotactic radiosurgery
      (SRS) alone for brain metastases either at initial presentation or for salvage in
      conjunction with other known prognostic factors in a single institutional
      community setting with comparison to current literature. METHODS: All patients
      treated for brain metastases with SRS between October 2006 and October 2013 were
      reviewed. We identified 91 patients treated with SRS alone for first brain
      metastatic event (FBME) and 87 patients treated with SRS for second brain
      metastatic event (SBME). We excluded the 14 patients treated with SRS for both
      FBME and SBME to satisfy the independence assumption for comparison of groups.
      Patient demographics, including age, gender, primary cancer type, presence of
      extracranial metastases, number of brain metastases, initial site of metastases
      (brain vs. other), recursive partitioning analysis (RPA), and Karnofsky
      Performance status (KPS) were documented. RESULTS: There were no significant
      differences in overall survival for patients treated with SRS for FBME compared
      with SBME (log-rank p = 0.9347). Univariate and multivariable Cox regression
      modeling revealed KPS (p = 0.0003) and RPA (p = 0.0143) were the only independent
      prognostic factors for survival. Specifically, patients with RPA 1 had a 61%
      decreased risk of death compared to those with RPA 3. Patients with RPA 2 had a
      33% decreased risk of death compared to those with RPA 3. The 1-year survival
      rate was 36.5% for patients with RPA1, 33.3% for those with RPA 2, and 17.1% for
      those with RPA 3. Patients with KPS 90-100 had a 62% decreased risk of death
      compared to those with KPS < 70. The 1-year survival rate for patients KPS 90
      100, 70-80, and <70 were 60.7, 24.6, and 16.7%, respectively. CONCLUSION: No
      difference in survival was noted for FBME and SBME with performance status, the
      single most important prognostic factor following SRS. Aggressive treatment
      should be considered for patients with good performance status regardless if
      presenting with FBME or SBME. Our results are consistent with single, multi
      institutional, and randomized trials after literature review.

PMID- 28337425
TI  - Post-Prostatectomy Image-Guided Radiotherapy: The Invisible Target Concept.
AB  - In the era of intensity-modulated radiation therapy, image-guided radiotherapy
      (IGRT) appears crucial to control dose delivery and to promote dose escalation
      while allowing healthy tissue sparing. The place of IGRT following radical
      prostatectomy is poorly described in the literature. This review aims to
      highlight some key points on the different IGRT techniques applicable to
      prostatic bed radiotherapy. Furthermore, methods used to evaluate target motion
      and to reduce planning target volume margins will also be explored.

PMID- 28337426
TI  - Pathogen Identification in Suspected Cases of Pyogenic Spondylodiscitis.
AB  - Pyogenic spinal infection continues to represent a worldwide problem. In
      approximately one-third of patients with pyogenic spondylodiscitis, the
      infectious agent is never identified. Of the cases that lead to organismal
      identification, bacteria are more commonly isolated from the spine rather than
      fungi and parasites. This study applied universal prokaryotic 16S rRNA PCR as a
      rapid diagnostic tool for the detection of bacterial agents in specimens from
      patients suspected of pyogenic spondylodiscitis. Gram and Ziehl-Neelsen staining
      were used as a preliminary screening measure for microbiologic evaluation of
      patient samples. PCR amplification targeting 16S rRNA gene was performed on DNA
      extracted from 57 cases including specimens from epidural abscesses, vertebral,
      and disc biopsies. Positive samples were directly sequenced. MRI findings
      demonstrated that disc destruction and inflammation were the major imaging
      features of suspected pyogenic spondylodiscitis cases, as 44 cases showed such
      features. The most common site of infection was the lumbar spine (66.7%),
      followed by thoracic spine (19%), the sacroiliac joint (9.5%), and lumbar
      thoracic spine (4.8%) regions. A total of 21 samples amplified the 16S rRNA-PCR
      product. Sanger sequencing of the PCR products identified the following
      bacteriological agents: Mycobacterium tuberculosis (n = 9; 42.9%), Staphylococcus
      aureus (n = 6; 28.5%), Mycobacterium abscessus (n = 5; 23.8%), and Mycobacterium
      chelonae (n = 1; 4.8%). 36 samples displayed no visible 16S rRNA PCR signal,
      which suggested that non-bacterial infectious agents (e.g., fungi) or non
      infectious processes (e.g., inflammatory, or neoplastic) may be responsible for
      some of these cases. The L3-L4 site (23.8%) was the most frequent site of
      infection. Single disc/vertebral infection were observed in 9 patients (42.85%),
      while 12 patients (57.15%) had 2 infected adjacent vertebrae. Elevated
      erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) and C-reactive protein (CRP) inflammatory
      markers were noted in majority of the patients. In conclusion, microbiological
      methods and MRI findings are vital components for the proper diagnosis of
      pyogenic spondylodiscitis. Our findings suggest that molecular methods such as
      clinical application of 16S rRNA PCR and sequencing may be useful as adjunctive
      diagnostic tools for pyogenic spondylodiscitis. The rapid turnaround time of 16S
      rRNA PCR and sequencing submission and results can potentially decrease the time
      to diagnosis and improve the therapeutic management and outcome of these
      infections. Although S. aureus and M. tuberculosis were the most common causes of
      pyogenic spinal infections in this study, other infectious agents and non
      infectious etiologies should be considered. Based on study results, we advise
      that antibiotic therapy should be initiated after a definitive etiological
      diagnosis.

PMID- 28337429
TI  - Investigating Cardiac Motion Patterns Using Synthetic High-Resolution 3D
      Cardiovascular Magnetic Resonance Images and Statistical Shape Analysis.
AB  - Diagnosis of ventricular dysfunction in congenital heart disease is more and more
      based on medical imaging, which allows investigation of abnormal cardiac
      morphology and correlated abnormal function. Although analysis of 2D images
      represents the clinical standard, novel tools performing automatic processing of
      3D images are becoming available, providing more detailed and comprehensive
      information than simple 2D morphometry. Among these, statistical shape analysis
      (SSA) allows a consistent and quantitative description of a population of complex
      shapes, as a way to detect novel biomarkers, ultimately improving diagnosis and
      pathology understanding. The aim of this study is to describe the implementation
      of a SSA method for the investigation of 3D left ventricular shape and motion
      patterns and to test it on a small sample of 4 congenital repaired aortic
      stenosis patients and 4 age-matched healthy volunteers to demonstrate its
      potential. The advantage of this method is the capability of analyzing subject
      specific motion patterns separately from the individual morphology, visually and
      quantitatively, as a way to identify functional abnormalities related to both
      dynamics and shape. Specifically, we combined 3D, high-resolution whole heart
      data with 2D, temporal information provided by cine cardiovascular magnetic
      resonance images, and we used an SSA approach to analyze 3D motion per se.
      Preliminary results of this pilot study showed that using this method, some
      differences in end-diastolic and end-systolic ventricular shapes could be
      captured, but it was not possible to clearly separate the two cohorts based on
      shape information alone. However, further analyses on ventricular motion allowed
      to qualitatively identify differences between the two populations. Moreover, by
      describing shape and motion with a small number of principal components, this
      method offers a fully automated process to obtain visually intuitive and
      numerical information on cardiac shape and motion, which could be, once validated
      on a larger sample size, easily integrated into the clinical workflow. To
      conclude, in this preliminary work, we have implemented state-of-the-art
      automatic segmentation and SSA methods, and we have shown how they could improve
      our understanding of ventricular kinetics by visually and potentially
      quantitatively highlighting aspects that are usually not picked up by traditional
      approaches.

PMID- 28337428
TI  - Niacin-mediated Gene Expression and Role of NiaR as a Transcriptional Repressor
      of niaX, nadC, and pnuC in Streptococcus pneumoniae.
AB  - NAD (Nicotinamide Adenine Dinucleotide) biosynthesis is vital for bacterial
      physiology and plays an important role in cellular metabolism. A naturally
      occurring vitamin B complex, niacin (nicotinic acid), is a precursor of coenzymes
      NAD and NADP. Here, we study the impact of niacin on global gene expression of
      Streptococcus pneumoniae D39 and elucidate the role of NiaR as a transcriptional
      regulator of niaX, nadC, and pnuC. Transcriptome comparison of the D39 wild-type
      grown in chemically defined medium (CDM) with 0 to 10 mM niacin revealed elevated
      expression of various genes, including niaX, nadC, pnuC, fba, rex, gapN, pncB,
      gap, adhE, and adhB2 that are putatively involved in the transport and
      utilization of niacin. Niacin-dependent expression of these genes is confirmed by
      promoter lacZ-fusion studies. Moreover, the role of transcriptional regulator
      NiaR in the regulation of these genes is explored by DNA microarray analysis. Our
      transcriptomic comparison of D39 DeltaniaR to D39 wild-type revealed that the
      transcriptional regulator NiaR acts as a transcriptional repressor of niaX, pnuC,
      and nadC. NiaR-dependent regulation of niaX, nadC, and pnuC is further confirmed
      by promoter lacZ-fusion studies. The putative operator site of NiaR (5'
      TACWRGTGTMTWKACASYTRWAW-3') in the promoter regions of niaX, nadC, and pnuC is
      predicted and further confirmed by promoter mutational experiments.

PMID- 28337427
TI  - Comparative Proteomics Analysis of Human Macrophages Infected with Virulent
      Mycobacterium bovis.
AB  - Mycobacterium bovis (M. bovis), the most common pathogens of tuberculosis (TB),
      is virulent to human and cattle, and transmission between cattle and humans
      warrants reconsideration concerning food safety and public health. Recently,
      efforts have begun to analyze cellular proteomic responses induced by
      Mycobacterium tuberculosis (M. tb). However, the underlying mechanisms by which
      virulent M. bovis affects human hosts are not fully understood. For the present
      study, we utilized a global and comparative labeling strategy of isobaric tag for
      relative and absolute quantitation (iTRAQ) to assess proteomic changes in the
      human monocyte cell line (THP-1) using a vaccine strain and two virulent strains
      H37Rv and M. bovis. We measured 2,032 proteins, of which 61 were significantly
      differentially regulated. Ingenuity Pathway Analysis was employed to investigate
      the canonical pathways and functional networks involved in the infection. Several
      pathways, most notably the phagosome maturation pathway and TNF signaling
      pathway, were differentially affected by virulent strain treatment, including the
      key proteins CCL20 and ICAM1. Our qRT-PCR results were in accordance with those
      obtained from iTRAQ. The key enzyme MTHFD2, which is mainly involved in
      metabolism pathways, as well as LAMTOR2 might be effective upon M. bovis
      infection. String analysis also suggested that the vacuolar protein VPS26A
      interacted with TBC1D9B uniquely induced by M. bovis. In this study, we have
      first demonstrated the application of iTRAQ to compare human protein alterations
      induced by virulent M. bovis infections, thus providing a conceptual
      understanding of mycobacteria pathogenesis within the host as well as insight
      into preventing and controlling TB in human and animal hosts' transmission.

PMID- 28337430
TI  - Improving Access to, Use of, and Outcomes from Public Health Programs: The
      Importance of Building and Maintaining Trust with Patients/Clients.
AB  - The central argument in this paper is that "public trust" is critical for
      developing and maintaining the health and wellbeing of individuals, communities,
      and societies. I argue that public health practitioners and policy makers need to
      take "public trust" seriously if they intend to improve both the public's health
      and the engagement between members of the public and public health systems.
      Public health practitioners implement a range of services and interventions aimed
      at improving health but implicit a requirement for individuals to trust the
      practitioners and the services/interventions, before they engage with them. I
      then go on to provide an overview of the theory of trust within sociology and
      show why it is important to understand this theory in order to promote trust in
      public health services. I then draw on literature in three classic areas of
      public health-hospitals, cancer screening, and childhood immunization-to show why
      trust is vital in terms of understanding and potentially improving uptake of
      services. The case studies in this paper reveal that public health practitioners
      need to understand the centrality of building and maintaining trusting
      relationships with patients/clients because people who distrust public health
      services are less likely to use them, less likely to follow advice or
      recommendations, and more likely to have poorer health outcomes.

PMID- 28337431
TI  - Enhancing an International Perspective in Public Health Teaching through
      Formalized University Partnerships.
AB  - Teaching in the field of public health needs to employ a global perspective to
      account for the fact that public health problems and solutions have global
      determinants and implications as well. International university partnerships can
      promote such a perspective through the strengthening of cooperation, exchange,
      and communication between academic institutions across national boundaries. As an
      example for such an academic network in the field of public health, we introduce
      the International Public Health Partnership-a collaboration between a university
      in Germany and universities in India, Turkey, and Nigeria. Formed in 2005, it
      facilitated the exchange of information, fostered discussion about the
      transferability of public health concepts, contributed to the structural
      development of the universities involved, and promoted an intercultural dialog
      through a combination of local and distance learning activities. Although well
      accepted by students and staff, different obstacles were encountered; these
      included limited external funding, scarce own financial, time and personnel
      resources, and diverging regulations and structures of degree programs at the
      partnership sites. In the present article, we share several lessons that we
      learned during our joint collaboration and provide recommendations for other
      universities that are involved in partnerships with institutions of higher
      education or are interested to initiate such collaborations.

PMID- 28337432
TI  - The Current and Future Role of Heart Rate Variability for Assessing and Training
      Compassion.
AB  - The evolution of mammalian caregiving involving hormones, such as oxytocin,
      vasopressin, and the myelinated vagal nerve as part of the ventral
      parasympathetic system, enables humans to connect, co-regulate each other's
      emotions and create prosociality. Compassion-based interventions draw upon a
      number of specific exercises and strategies to stimulate these physiological
      processes and create conditions of "interpersonal safeness," thereby helping
      people engage with, alleviate, and prevent suffering. Hence, compassion-based
      approaches are connected with our evolved caring motivation and attachment and
      our general affiliative systems that help regulate distress. Physiologically,
      they are connected to activity of the vagus nerve and corresponding adaptive
      heart rate variability (HRV). HRV is an important physiological marker for
      overall health, and the body-mind connection. Therefore, there is significant
      value of training compassion to increase HRV and training HRV to facilitate
      compassion. Despite the significance of compassion in alleviating and preventing
      suffering, there remain difficulties in its precise assessment. HRV offers a
      useful form of measurement to assess and train compassion. Specific examples of
      what exercises can facilitate HRV and how to measure HRV will be described. This
      paper argues that the field of compassion science needs to move toward including
      HRV as a primary outcome measure in its future assessment and training, due to
      its connection to vagal regulatory activity, and its link to overall health and
      well-being.

PMID- 28337433
TI  - Occupational Stress and Burnout among Surgeons in Fiji.
AB  - AIM: This study examined the levels of occupational stress and burnout among
      surgeons in Fiji. METHODS: A document set comprising a cover letter; a consent
      form; a sociodemographic and supplementary information questionnaire; the Maslach
      Burnout Inventory (MBI); the 12-item General Health Questionnaire (GHQ-12); the
      Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT); and the Professional Quality
      of Life (ProQOL) questionnaires were provided to surgeons from three public
      divisional hospitals in Fiji. Thirty-six of 43 (83.7%) invited surgeons
      participated in the study. RESULTS: According to their MBI scores, surgeons
      suffered from low (10, 27.8%), moderate (23, 63.9%), and high (3, 8.3%) levels of
      burnout. Comparatively, 23 (63.9%) demonstrated moderate burnout according to
      their ProQOL scores. Substantial psychiatric morbidity was observed in 16 (44.0%)
      surgeons per their GHQ-12 scores. Consumption of alcohol was noted in 29 (80.6%)
      surgeons, and 12 (33.4%) had AUDIT scores characterizing their alcohol use in
      excess of low-risk guidelines or as harmful or hazardous drinking. Surgeons of
      Fijian nationality showed higher MBI emotional exhaustion and depersonalization
      scores compared with surgeons of other nationalities. Surgeons with an awareness
      of the availability of counseling services at their hospitals showed low AUDIT
      and ProQOL burnout scores. Smokers, alcohol drinkers, and kava drinkers showed
      higher AUDIT scores. CONCLUSION: This study highlights a level of occupational
      stress and burnout among surgeons in Fiji and a lack of awareness of their mental
      and physical well-being. The authors recommend that occupational stress and
      burnout intervention strategies be put in place in hospitals in Fiji.

PMID- 28337434
TI  - Influence of Power Delivery Timing on the Energetics and Biomechanics of Humans
      Wearing a Hip Exoskeleton.
AB  - A broad goal in the field of powered lower limb exoskeletons is to reduce the
      metabolic cost of walking. Ankle exoskeletons have successfully achieved this
      goal by correctly timing a plantarflexor torque during late stance phase. Hip
      exoskeletons have the potential to assist with both flexion and extension during
      walking gait, but the optimal timing for maximally reducing metabolic cost is
      unknown. The focus of our study was to determine the best assistance timing for
      applying hip assistance through a pneumatic exoskeleton on human subjects. Ten
      non-impaired subjects walked with a powered hip exoskeleton, and both hip flexion
      and extension assistance were separately provided at different actuation timings
      using a simple burst controller. The largest average across-subject reduction in
      metabolic cost for hip extension was at 90% of the gait cycle (just prior to heel
      contact) and for hip flexion was at 50% of the gait cycle; this resulted in an
      8.4 and 6.1% metabolic reduction, respectively, compared to walking with the
      unpowered exoskeleton. However, the ideal timing for both flexion and extension
      assistance varied across subjects. When selecting the assistance timing that
      maximally reduced metabolic cost for each subject, average metabolic cost for hip
      extension was 10.3% lower and hip flexion was 9.7% lower than the unpowered
      condition. When taking into account user preference, we found that subject
      preference did not correlate with metabolic cost. This indicated that user
      feedback was a poor method of determining the most metabolically efficient
      assistance power timing. The findings of this study are relevant to developers of
      exoskeletons that have a powered hip component to assist during human walking
      gait.

PMID- 28337435
TI  - Commentary: Bioceramics and Scaffolds: A Winning Combination for Tissue
      Engineering.

PMID- 28337437
TI  - Bioengineering Approaches to Mature Human Pluripotent Stem Cell-Derived
      Cardiomyocytes.
AB  - Human pluripotent stem cell-derived cardiomyocytes (hPSC-CM) represent a
      potential unlimited cell supply for cardiac tissue engineering and possibly
      regenerative medicine applications. However, hPSC-CMs produced by current
      protocols are not representative of native adult human cardiomyocytes as they
      display immature gene expression profile, structure and function. In order to
      improve hPSC-CM maturity and function, various approaches have been developed,
      including genetic manipulations to induce gene expression, delivery of
      biochemical factors, such as triiodothyronine and alpha-adrenergic agonist
      phenylephrine, induction of cell alignment in 3D tissues, mechanical stress as a
      mimic of cardiac load and electrical stimulation/pacing or a combination of
      these. In this mini review, we discuss biomimetic strategies for the maturation
      for hPSC-CMs with a particular focus on electromechanical conditioning methods.

PMID- 28337436
TI  - The Lid Domain in Lipases: Structural and Functional Determinant of Enzymatic
      Properties.
AB  - Lipases are important industrial enzymes. Most of the lipases operate at lipid
      water interfaces enabled by a mobile lid domain located over the active site. Lid
      protects the active site and hence responsible for catalytic activity. In pure
      aqueous media, the lid is predominantly closed, whereas in the presence of a
      hydrophobic layer, it is partially opened. Hence, the lid controls the enzyme
      activity. In the present review, we have classified lipases into different groups
      based on the structure of lid domains. It has been observed that thermostable
      lipases contain larger lid domains with two or more helices, whereas mesophilic
      lipases tend to have smaller lids in the form of a loop or a helix. Recent
      developments in lipase engineering addressing the lid regions are critically
      reviewed here. After on, the dramatic changes in substrate selectivity, activity,
      and thermostability have been reported. Furthermore, improved computational
      models can now rationalize these observations by relating it to the mobility of
      the lid domain. In this contribution, we summarized and critically evaluated the
      most recent developments in experimental and computational research on lipase
      lids.

PMID- 28337438
TI  - MAGE-A Antigens and Cancer Immunotherapy.
AB  - MAGE-A antigens are expressed in a variety of cancers of diverse histological
      origin and germinal cells. Due to their relatively high tumor specificity, they
      represent attractive targets for active specific and adoptive cancer
      immunotherapies. Here, we (i) review past and ongoing clinical studies targeting
      these antigens, (ii) analyze advantages and disadvantages of different
      therapeutic approaches, and (iii) discuss possible improvements in MAGE-A
      specific immunotherapies.

PMID- 28337439
TI  - A Brief Review of Non-invasive Monitoring of Respiratory Condition for Extubated
      Patients with or at Risk for Obstructive Sleep Apnea after Surgery.
AB  - Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is one of the important risk factors contributing
      to postoperative airway complications. OSA alters the respiratory physiology and
      increases the sensitivity of muscle tone of the upper airway after surgery to
      residual anesthetic medication. In addition, the prevalence of OSA was reported
      to be much higher among surgical patients than the general population. Therefore,
      appropriate monitoring to detect early respiratory impairment in postoperative
      extubated patients with possible OSA is challenging. Based on the comprehensive
      clinical observation, several equipment have been used for monitoring the
      respiratory conditions of OSA patients after surgery, including the continuous
      pulse oximetry, capnography, photoplethysmography (PPG), and respiratory volume
      monitor (RVM). To date, there has been no consensus on the most suitable device
      as a recommended standard of care. In this review, we describe the advantages and
      disadvantages of some possible monitoring strategies under certain clinical
      conditions. According to the literature, the continuous pulse oximetry, with its
      high sensitivity, is still the most widely used device. It is also cost-effective
      and convenient to use but has low specificity and does not reflect ventilation.
      Capnography is the most widely used device for detection of hypoventilation, but
      it may not provide reliable data for extubated patients. Even normal capnography
      cannot exclude the existence of hypoxia. PPG shows the state of both ventilation
      and oxygenation, but its sensitivity needs further improvement. RVM provides real
      time detection of hypoventilation, quantitative precise demonstration of
      respiratory rate, tidal volume, and MV for extubated patients, but no reflection
      of oxygenation. Altogether, the sole use of any of these devices is not ideal for
      monitoring of extubated patients with or at risk for OSA after surgery. However,
      we expect that the combined use of continuous pulse oximetry and RVM may be
      promising for these patients due to their complementary function, which need
      further study.

PMID- 28337440
TI  - Rabies Control: Could Innovative Financing Break the Deadlock?
AB  - The neglected zoonotic diseases (NZDs) have been all but eradicated in wealthier
      countries but remain major causes of ill-health and mortality in over 80
      countries across Africa, Asia, and Latin America. The nature of neglect for the
      NZDs has been ascribed, in part, to underreporting resulting in an
      underestimation of their global burden that, together with a lack of advocacy,
      downgrades their relevance to policy-makers and funding agencies. While this may
      be the case for many NZDs, for rabies this is not the case. The global burden
      estimates for rabies (931,600 DALYs) more than justify prioritizing rabies
      control building on the strong advocacy platforms, functioning at local,
      regional, and global levels (including the Global Alliance for Rabies Control),
      and commitments from WHO, OIE, and FAO. Simple effective tools for rabies control
      exist together with blueprints for operationalizing control, yet, despite
      elimination targets being set, no global affirmative action has been taken.
      Rabies control demands activities both in the short term and over a long period
      of time to achieve the desired cumulative gains. Despite the availability of
      effective vaccines and messaging tools, rabies will not be sustainably controlled
      in the near future without long-term financial commitment, particularly as
      disease incidence decreases and other health priorities take hold. While rabies
      control is usually perceived as a public good, public private partnerships could
      prove equally effective in addressing endemic rabies through harnessing social
      investment and demonstrating the cost-effectiveness of control. It is
      acknowledged that greater attention to navigating local realities in planning and
      implementation is essential to ensuring that rabies, and other neglected
      diseases, are controlled sustainably. In the shadows of resource and
      institutional limitations in the veterinary sector in low- and middle-income
      countries, sufficient funding is required so that top-down interventions for
      rabies can more explicitly engage with local project organization capacity and
      affected communities in the long term. Development Impact Bonds have the
      potential to secure the financing required to deliver effective rabies control.

PMID- 28337442
TI  - Intelligent Informatics in Translational Medicine 2016.

PMID- 28337441
TI  - Pentoxifylline Regulates Plasminogen Activator Inhibitor-1 Expression and Protein
      Kinase A Phosphorylation in Radiation-Induced Lung Fibrosis.
AB  - Purpose. Radiation-induced lung fibrosis (RILF) is a serious late complication of
      radiotherapy. In vitro studies have demonstrated that pentoxifylline (PTX) has
      suppressing effects in extracellular matrix production in fibroblasts, while the
      antifibrotic action of PTX alone using clinical dose is yet unexplored. Materials
      and Methods. We used micro-computed tomography (micro-CT) and histopathological
      analysis to evaluate the antifibrotic effects of PTX in a rat model of RILF.
      Results. Micro-CT findings showed that lung density, volume loss, and mediastinal
      shift are significantly increased at 16 weeks after irradiation. Simultaneously,
      histological analysis demonstrated thickening of alveolar walls, destruction of
      alveolar structures, and excessive collagen deposition in the irradiated lung.
      PTX treatment effectively attenuated the fibrotic changes based on both micro-CT
      and histopathological analyses. Western analysis also revealed increased levels
      of plasminogen activator inhibitor- (PAI-) 1 and fibronectin (FN) and PTX
      treatment reduced expression of PAI-1 and FN by restoring protein kinase A (PKA)
      phosphorylation but not TGF-beta/Smad in both irradiated lung tissues and
      epithelial cells. Conclusions. Our results demonstrate the antifibrotic effect of
      PTX on radiation-induced lung fibrosis and its effect on modulation of PKA and
      PAI-1 expression as possible antifibrotic mechanisms.

PMID- 28337444
TI  - Female Functional Constipation Is Associated with Overactive Bladder Symptoms and
      Urinary Incontinence.
AB  - This noninterventional cross-sectional study aims to assess the association
      between functional constipation (FC) and urinary symptoms in female patients with
      no treatment for urination and defecation. The Rome III criteria for evaluation
      of defecation, Overactive Bladder Symptom Score (OABSS) for evaluation of urinary
      symptoms, and clinical features were investigated in 145 female patients. Latent
      FC and moderate to severe overactive bladder (OAB) were defined on the basis of
      positivity for two or more of the Rome III criteria and an OABSS >= 6 with OABSS
      Q3 >= 2, respectively. In 60 latent FC patients, the OABSS was higher (5.0 versus
      3.2, p = 0.001), and concurrent moderate to severe OAB symptoms and OAB with
      urinary incontinence were more frequent than those in 85 nonlatent FC patients
      (33.3 versus 10.6%, p = 0.001, and 31.7 versus 7.1%, p < 0.001). Multivariate
      analysis demonstrated that moderate to severe OAB symptoms were a significant
      associated factor of latent FC (odds ratio (OR) = 4.125, p = 0.005), while latent
      FC was the only associated factor of moderate to severe OAB and OAB with urinary
      incontinence (OR = 4.227, p = 0.005 and OR = 4.753, p = 0.004). In conclusion,
      moderate to severe OAB symptoms are correlated with FC. Moreover, FC is related
      to moderate to severe OAB symptoms and to OAB with urinary incontinence.

PMID- 28337443
TI  - Urethral Reconstruction Using Mesothelial Cell-Seeded Autogenous Granulation
      Tissue Tube: An Experimental Study in Male Rabbits.
AB  - Objective. This study was to evaluate the utility of the compound graft for
      tubularized urethroplasty by seeding mesothelial cells onto autogenous
      granulation tissue. Methods. Silastic tubes were implanted subcutaneously in 18
      male rabbits, of which nine underwent omentum biopsies simultaneously for in
      vitro expansion of mesothelial cells. The granulation tissue covering the tubes
      was harvested 2 weeks after operation. Mesothelial cells were seeded onto and
      cocultured with the tissue for 7 days. A pendulous urethral segment of 1.5 cm was
      totally excised. Urethroplasty was performed with mesothelial cell-seeded tissue
      tubes in an end-to-end fashion in nine rabbits and with unseeded grafts in others
      as controls. Serial urethrograms were performed at 1, 2, and 6 months
      postoperatively. Meanwhile, the neourethra was harvested and analyzed grossly and
      histologically. Results. Urethrograms showed cell-seeded grafts maintained wide
      at each time point, while strictures formation was found in unseeded grafts.
      Histologically, layers of urothelium surrounded by increasingly organized smooth
      muscles were observed in seeded grafts. In contrast, myofibroblasts accumulation
      and extensive scarring occurred in unseeded grafts. Conclusions. Mesothelial cell
      seeded granulation tissue tube can be successfully used for tubularized
      urethroplasty in male rabbits.

PMID- 28337445
TI  - Rapid Chondrocyte Isolation for Tissue Engineering Applications: The Effect of
      Enzyme Concentration and Temporal Exposure on the Matrix Forming Capacity of
      Nasal Derived Chondrocytes.
AB  - Laboratory based processing and expansion to yield adequate cell numbers had been
      the standard in Autologous Disc Chondrocyte Transplantation (ADCT), Allogeneic
      Juvenile Chondrocyte Implantation (NuQu(r)), and Matrix-Induced Autologous
      Chondrocyte Implantation (MACI). Optimizing cell isolation is a key challenge in
      terms of obtaining adequate cell numbers while maintaining a vibrant cell
      population capable of subsequent proliferation and matrix elaboration. However,
      typical cell yields from a cartilage digest are highly variable between donors
      and based on user competency. The overall objective of this study was to optimize
      chondrocyte isolation from cartilaginous nasal tissue through modulation of
      enzyme concentration exposure (750 and 3000 U/ml) and incubation time (1 and 12
      h), combined with physical agitation cycles, and to assess subsequent cell
      viability and matrix forming capacity. Overall, increasing enzyme exposure time
      was found to be more detrimental than collagenase concentration for subsequent
      viability, proliferation, and matrix forming capacity (sGAG and collagen) of
      these cells resulting in nonuniform cartilaginous matrix deposition. Taken
      together, consolidating a 3000 U/ml collagenase digest of 1 h at a ratio of 10
      ml/g of cartilage tissue with physical agitation cycles can improve efficiency of
      chondrocyte isolation, yielding robust, more uniform matrix formation.

PMID- 28337446
TI  - Lack of Clinical Relevance of ANA and ASMA Positivity in Patients with Liver
      Transplantation without a History of Autoimmune Diseases.
AB  - The relevance of isolated autoimmunity elevation in orthotopic liver
      transplantation (OLT) patients is unknown. Our aim was to analyse how serum
      autoantibodies change in time and to evaluate their clinical relevance in OLT
      patients. Patients were invited to provide samples to evaluate ANA, AMA, ASMA,
      and LKM at the time of enrolment (T0), after 6 months (T6), and after 12 months
      (T12). We included 114 patients in the study (76% males, median age 62.5 years),
      finding isolated elevation of at least one serum antibody in up to 80% of them.
      We described fluctuating positive autoantibodies in the one year of observation,
      with only 45.6% of patients positive for ANA and less than 2% positive for ASMA,
      at all three times. Isolated elevation of tissue antibodies was not related to
      gender, age, HCC at transplant, early rejection, cause of transplantation,
      immunotherapy taken, and age at the time of the study. We did not detect a higher
      prevalence of positive autoimmunity in patients with signs of liver injury. ANA
      and ASMA evaluation in patients with liver transplantation and no history of
      autoimmune disease has no clinical relevance, since it varies in time and is not
      related to any risk factors or liver injury. Routine autoimmunity evaluation
      should be avoided.

PMID- 28337447
TI  - Genotypic Diversity of Mycobacterium tuberculosis Clinical Isolates in the
      Multiethnic Area of the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region in China.
AB  - Objectives. We studied the genetic diversity of clinical isolates from patients
      with tuberculosis in the multiethnic area of Xinjiang autonomous region in China.
      A total of 311 clinical M. tuberculosis isolates were collected in 2006 and 2011
      and genotyped by two genotyping methods. All isolates were grouped into 68
      distinct spoligotypes using the spoligotyping method. The Beijing family was
      dominant, followed by T1 and CAS. MIRU-VNTR results showed that a total of 195
      different VNTR types were identified. Ten of the 15 loci were highly or
      moderately discriminant according to their HGDI scores, and 13 loci had good
      discriminatory power in non-Beijing family strains, whereas only two loci had
      good discriminatory power in Beijing family strains. Chi-square tests
      demonstrated that there were no correlations between four characteristics (sex,
      age, type of case, and treatment history) and the Beijing family. In summary,
      Beijing family strains were predominant in Xinjiang, and the VNTR-15China locus
      set was suitable for genotyping all Xinjiang strains, but not for the Beijing
      family strains. Thus, these data suggested that different genotype distributions
      may exist in different regions; MLVA locus-sets should be adjusted accordingly,
      with newly added loci to increase resolution if necessary.

PMID- 28337448
TI  - Percutaneous Transforaminal Endoscopic Lumbar Interbody Fusion: Clinical and
      Radiological Results of Mean 46-Month Follow-Up.
AB  - Background. Spinal fusion has been shown to be the preferred surgical option to
      reduce pain, recover function, and increase quality of life in the treatment of a
      variety of lumbar spinal disorders. The main goal of the present study is to
      report our clinical experience and results of percutaneous transforaminal
      endoscopic lumbar interbody fusion (PELIF) applications using the expandable
      spacer in a single institution. Methods. We performed a retrospective review of
      18 patients with >12-month follow-up who had been operated on PELIF using
      expandable spacer from 2001 to 2007. Their clinical and radiological data were
      collected and analyzed. Results. The mean follow-up period was 46 months. The
      mean DH before the surgery was 8.3 mm which improved to 11.4 mm at the early
      postoperative period and regressed to 9.3 mm at the last follow-up visit. The VAS
      B, VAS-L, and ODI scores at the last follow-up showed a 54%, 72%, and 69%
      improvement from the preoperative period, respectively. Conclusions. The
      presented PELIF technique with the expandable spacer seems to be a promising
      surgical technique for the treatment of a variety of lumbar spinal disorders.
      Conversely, radiological results including disc space subsidence make the stand
      alone application of the expandable spacer debatable.

PMID- 28337450
TI  - Scalable Data Mining Algorithms in Computational Biology and Biomedicine.

PMID- 28337449
TI  - Prediction of Radix Astragali Immunomodulatory Effect of CD80 Expression from
      Chromatograms by Quantitative Pattern-Activity Relationship.
AB  - The current use of a single chemical component as the representative quality
      control marker of herbal food supplement is inadequate. In this CD80-Quantitative
      Pattern-Activity-Relationship (QPAR) study, we built a bioactivity predictive
      model that can be applicable for complex mixtures. Through integrating the
      chemical fingerprinting profiles of the immunomodulating herb Radix Astragali
      (RA) extracts, and their related biological data of immunological marker CD80
      expression on dendritic cells, a chemometric model using the Elastic Net Partial
      Least Square (EN-PLS) algorithm was established. The EN-PLS algorithm increased
      the biological predictive capability with lower value of RMSEP (11.66) and higher
      values of Rp2 (0.55) when compared to the standard PLS model. This CD80-QPAR
      platform provides a useful predictive model for unknown RA extract's
      bioactivities using the chemical fingerprint inputs. Furthermore, this
      bioactivity prediction platform facilitates identification of key bioactivity
      related chemical components within complex mixtures for future drug discovery and
      understanding of the batch-to-batch consistency for quality clinical trials.

PMID- 28337451
TI  - In Vitro Studies on the Degradability, Bioactivity, and Cell Differentiation of
      PRP/AZ31B Mg Alloys Composite Scaffold.
AB  - In recent years, more and more methods have been developed to improve the
      bioactivity of the biodegradable materials in bone tissue regeneration. In
      present study, we used rat mesenchymal stem cells (rMSCs) to evaluate the
      outcomes of Mg alloys (AZ31B, Magnesium, and Aluminum) and Platelet-rich plasma
      (PRP)/Mg alloys on rMSCs biocompatibility and osteogenic differentiation. Water
      absorption experiments indicated that both bare AZ31B and PRP/AZ31B were capable
      of absorbing large amounts of water. But the water absorption ratio for PRP/AZ31B
      was significantly higher than that for bare AZ31B. The degradability experiments
      implied that both samples degraded at same speed. rMSCs on the surface of AZ31B
      distributed more and better than those on the AZ31B scaffold. In ALP activity
      experiment, the activity of rMSCs on the PRP/AZ31B was markedly higher than that
      on the AZ31B scaffolds on the 7th day and 14th day. qRT-PCR also showed that OPN
      and OCN were expressed in both samples. OPN and OCN expression in PRP/AZ31B
      sample were higher than those in bare AZ31B samples. In summary, the in vitro
      study implied that AZ31B combined with PRP could remarkably improve cell seeding,
      attachment, proliferation, and differentiation.

PMID- 28337452
TI  - Teratogenic Effect of Usnic Acid from Cladonia substellata Vainio during
      Organogenesis.
AB  - Studies about toxicological potential of usnic acid are limited. This way, the
      vast majority of data available in the literature are related only to biological
      activities. This is the first study that aimed to evaluate the oral toxicity of
      usnic acid during the period of organogenesis. Females rats were distributed in
      the control groups, treated I and II, at doses of 15 and 25 mg/kg, administered
      by gavage during the 6 degrees  to 15 degrees  days of pregnancy. After 20 days
      the fetuses were removed and analyzed. A reduction in weight gain during
      pregnancy, increased resorption, reduction in the number of viable fetuses, and
      their body weight were observed. Morphological changes in the litter were
      visualized as exposure of the eye and atrophy of the limbs at the dose of 25
      mg/kg. Histological analysis of the liver of the fetus showed reduction in the
      number of megakaryocytes between experimental groups and increase in the number
      of hepatocytes in a dose of 25 mg/kg. The experimental model used in this study
      reveals teratogenic effect of usnic acid in the period of organogenesis. Since
      this achievement, the importance of evaluating the toxic effects of natural
      substances is imperative, in order to elucidate the care in their indication as
      drug.

PMID- 28337453
TI  - miR-373-3p Targets DKK1 to Promote EMT-Induced Metastasis via the Wnt/beta
      Catenin Pathway in Tongue Squamous Cell Carcinoma.
AB  - MicroRNAs (miRNAs) regulate gene expression and at the same time mediate
      tumorigenesis. miR-373-3p has diverse effects in tumors, but its role in tongue
      squamous cell carcinoma (TSCC) remains unknown. The purpose of this study is to
      determine the function of miR-373-3p in the progression of TSCC. Our results
      brought to light that miR-373-3p is markedly upregulated in clinical TSCC tissues
      compared with paired adjacent normal tissues and has significant correlation with
      a more aggressive TSCC phenotype in patients. Gain-of-function and loss-of
      function studies revealed that ectopic miR-373-3p overexpression promoted the
      metastasis of TSCC cells. Notably, Wnt/beta-catenin signaling was hyperactivated
      in TSCC cells overexpressing miR-373-3p, and this pathway was responsible for the
      epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) induced by miR-373-3p. Furthermore, miR
      373-3p directly targeted and suppressed Dickkopf-1 (DKK1), a negative regulator
      of the Wnt/beta-catenin signaling cascade. These results demonstrate that, by
      directly targeting DKK1, miR-373-3p constitutively activated Wnt/beta-catenin
      signaling, thus promoting the EMT-induced metastasis of TSCC. Taken together, our
      findings reveal a new regulatory mechanism for miR-373-3p and suggest that miR
      373-3p might be a potential target in TSCC therapy.

PMID- 28337454
TI  - The State of the Art in Minimally Invasive Spine Surgery.

PMID- 28337455
TI  - Analysis of the Bacterial Communities in Two Liquors of Soy Sauce Aroma as
      Revealed by High-Throughput Sequencing of the 16S rRNA V4 Hypervariable Region.
AB  - Chinese liquor is one of the world's oldest distilled alcoholic beverages and an
      important commercial fermented product in China. The Chinese liquor fermentation
      process has three stages: making Daqu (the starter), stacking fermentation on the
      ground, and liquor fermentation in pits. We investigated the bacterial diversity
      of Maotai and Guotai Daqu and liquor fermentation using high-throughput
      sequencing of the V4 hypervariable region of the 16S rRNA gene. A total of 70,297
      sequences were obtained from the Daqu samples and clustered into 17 phyla. The
      composition of the bacterial communities in the Daqu from these two soy sauce
      aroma-style Chinese liquors was the same, although some bacterial species changed
      in abundance. Between the Daqu and liquor fermentation samples, 12 bacterial
      phyla increased. The abundance of Lactobacillus and Pseudomonas increased in the
      liquor fermentation. This study has used high-throughput sequencing to provide
      new insights into the bacterial composition of the Chinese liquor Daqu and
      fermentation. Similarities in the distribution of bacteria in the soy sauce aroma
      style Chinese liquors Daqu suggest that the abundance of bacteria might be
      generally concerned to other liquor.

PMID- 28337456
TI  - Comparison of the Protective Effects of Individual Components of Particulated
      trans-Sialidase (PTCTS), PTC and TS, against High Cholesterol Diet-Induced
      Atherosclerosis in Rabbits.
AB  - Previous studies showed the presence of Mycoplasma pneumoniae (M. pneumoniae) and
      membrane-shed microparticles (MPs) in vulnerable atherosclerotic plaques. H&S
      Science and Biotechnology developed PTCTS, composed by natural particles from
      medicinal plants (PTC) combined with trans-Sialidase (TS), to combat MPs and
      Mycoplasma pneumoniae. Our aim was to determine the effects of the different
      components of PTCTS in a rabbit model of atherosclerosis. Rabbits were fed with
      high cholesterol diet for 12 weeks and treated during the last 6 weeks with
      either vehicle, PTC, TS, or PTCTS. Lipid profile and quantification of MPs
      positive for Mycoplasma pneumoniae and oxidized LDL antigens were carried out.
      Aortas and organs were then histologically analyzed. PTCTS reduced circulating
      MPs positive for Mycoplasma pneumoniae and oxidized LDL antigens, reduced the
      plaque area in the abdominal aorta, and caused positive remodeling of the
      ascendant aorta. PTC caused positive remodeling and reduced plaque area in the
      abdominal aorta; however, TS had a lipid lowering effect. PTCTS components
      combined were more effective against atherosclerosis than individual components.
      Our data reinforce the infectious theory of atherosclerosis and underscore the
      potential role of circulating MPs. Therefore, the removal of Mycoplasma-derived
      MPs could be a new therapeutic approach in the treatment of atherosclerosis.

PMID- 28337457
TI  - Screening for Tuberculosis in Health Care Workers: Experience in an Italian
      Teaching Hospital.
AB  - Health care workers (HCW) are particularly at risk of acquiring tuberculosis
      (TB), even in countries with low TB incidence. Therefore, TB screening in HCW is
      a useful prevention strategy in countries with both low and high TB incidence.
      Tuberculin skin test (TST) is widely used although it suffers of low specificity;
      on the contrary, the in vitro enzyme immunoassay tests (IGRA) show superior
      specificity and sensitivity but are more expensive. The present study reports the
      results of a three-year TB surveillance among HCW in a large teaching hospital in
      Rome, using TST (by standard Mantoux technique) and IGRA (by QuantiFERON-TB) as
      first- and second-level screening tests, respectively. Out of 2290 HCW enrolled,
      141 (6.1%) had a positive TST; among them, 99 (70.2%) underwent the IGRA and 16
      tested positive (16.1%). The frequency of HCW tested positive for TB seems not
      far from other experiences in low incidence countries. Our results confirm the
      higher specificity of IGRA, but, due to its higher cost, TST can be considered a
      good first level screening test, whose positive results should be further
      confirmed by IGRA before the patients undergo X-ray diagnosis and/or
      chemotherapy.

PMID- 28337458
TI  - Protein Array-Based Detection of Proteins in Kidney Tissues from Patients with
      Membranous Nephropathy.
AB  - Membranous nephropathy (MN) is an autoimmune inflammatory disease in which
      proteins related with plenty of biological processes play an important role.
      However, the role of these proteins in the pathogenesis of MN is still unclear.
      This study aimed to screen differential proteins in kidney tissue samples from MN
      patients by using protein arrays and determine the pathways involved in the
      pathogenesis of MN. This study first tested a quantitative protein array (QAH-INF
      3) and two semiquantitative protein arrays (L-493 and L-507) with normal renal
      tissue and identified L-493 as the most appropriate assay to compare protein
      levels between MN tissues and normal control tissues. The L-493 array identified
      66 differentially expressed proteins (DEPs) that may be associated with MN. The
      gene oncology (GO) and protein-protein interaction (PPI) analyses revealed
      several processes potentially involved in MN, including extracellular matrix
      disassembly and organization, cell adhesion, cell-cell signaling, cellular
      protein metabolic process, and immune response (P < 0.05). We suggest that these
      different pathways work together via protein signaling and result in the
      pathogenesis and progression of MN.

PMID- 28337459
TI  - Maxillofacial Prosthesis in Dentofacial Traumas: A Retrospective Clinical Study
      and Introduction of New Classification Method.
AB  - Background. Maxillofacial trauma represents a field of common interest as regards
      both the maxillofacial surgery and prosthodontics, especially for the functional
      and aesthetic stomatognathic rehabilitation. This condition necessitates
      relationship between maxillofacial surgeon and prosthodontist, to achieve the
      ultimate treatment goal. Purpose. The purpose of this study is to make
      predictable patients outcomes classifying their clinical data, using certain
      parameters and introducing a new classification method. Materials and Methods. We
      have chosen 7 parameters to classify the entity of the damage of these patients
      and to make their treatment and their prognosis predictable: number of teeth lost
      (T1-T4), upper/lower maxilla (U/L), alveolar/basal bone (Alv/B), gingival tissues
      (G), soft tissues (S), adult/child (a/c), and reconstructed patient (R). Results
      and Conclusions. The multidisciplinary approach and the collaboration between
      multiple clinical figures are therefore critical for the success of the treatment
      of these patients. The presence and quantification of above parameters influence
      the treatment protocol; patients undergo different levels of treatment depending
      on the measured data. The recognition of certain clinical parameters is
      fundamental to frame diagnosis and successful treatment planning.

PMID- 28337460
TI  - Caudal Epidural Block: An Updated Review of Anatomy and Techniques.
AB  - Caudal epidural block is a commonly used technique for surgical anesthesia in
      children and chronic pain management in adults. It is performed by inserting a
      needle through the sacral hiatus to gain entrance into the sacral epidural space.
      Using conventional blind technique, the failure rate of caudal epidural block in
      adults is high even in experienced hands. This high failure rate could be
      attributed to anatomic variations that make locating sacral hiatus difficult.
      With the advent of fluoroscopy and ultrasound in guiding needle placement, the
      success rate of caudal epidural block has been markedly improved. Although
      fluoroscopy is still considered the gold standard when performing caudal epidural
      injection, ultrasonography has been demonstrated to be highly effective in
      accurately guiding the needle entering the caudal epidural space and produce
      comparative treatment outcome as fluoroscopy. Except intravascular and
      intrathecal injection, ultrasonography could be as effective as fluoroscopy in
      preventing complications during caudal epidural injection. The relevant anatomy
      and techniques in performing the caudal epidural block will be briefly reviewed
      in this article.

PMID- 28337461
TI  - Molecular Mechanism for the Regulation of Microcystin Toxicity to Protein
      Phosphatase 1 by Glutathione Conjugation Pathway.
AB  - Glutathione (GSH) conjugation was an important pathway to regulate the toxicity
      of microcystins (MCs) targeted to protein phosphatases. To explore the specific
      molecular mechanism for GSH detoxification, two typical MC-GSHs (derived from
      MCLR and MCRR) were synthesized, prepared, and purified according to previous
      research. Then, the reduced inhibition effect for MC-GSHs on protein phosphatase
      1 was verified by comparing with their original toxins. To further clarify the
      molecular mechanism for MC-GSHs detoxification, we evaluated the interactions
      between MCs/MC-GSHs and PP1 with the assistance of MOE molecule simulation. When
      GSH was introduced to MCs, the covalent binding (Mdha7 to Cys273), the
      hydrophobic interaction (Adda5 with PP1), the hydrogen bonds (especially for Lys2
      Arg96 and Glu6-Tyr272), the covalent combination (between Mdha7 and Cys273), and
      the ion bonds (between Mn2+ and Asn124/His248/Asp64/His66) of MCLR/MCRR-PP1
      complexes weakened to a certain extent, while the ion bonds between Mn2+ and
      His173/Asp92 residues increased. It was not difficult to find that the toxicity
      of MCs was closely related to the above sites/interactions and the above key
      information for MCs-PP1; MC-GSHs-PP1 complexes were important for clarifying the
      detoxification mechanism of MC-GSHs pathway. This study offers a comprehensive
      cognition on MCs toxicity regulation and provides valid theoretical support to
      control their potential risk.

PMID- 28337462
TI  - Time- and Dose-Dependent Effects of 17 Beta-Estradiol on Short-Term, Real-Time
      Proliferation and Gene Expression in Porcine Granulosa Cells.
AB  - The key mechanisms responsible for achievement of full reproductive and
      developmental capability in mammals are the differentiation and transformation of
      granulosa cells (GCs) during folliculogenesis, oogenesis, and oocyte maturation.
      Although the role of 17 beta-estradiol (E2) in ovarian activity is widely known,
      its effect on proliferative capacity, gap junction connection (GJC) formation,
      and GCs-luteal cells transformation requires further research. Therefore, the
      goal of this study was to assess the real-time proliferative activity of porcine
      GCs in vitro in relation to connexin (Cx), luteinizing hormone receptor (LHR),
      follicle stimulating hormone receptor (FSHR), and aromatase (CYP19A1) expression
      during short-term (168 h) primary culture. The cultured GCs were exposed to acute
      (at 96 h of culture) and/or prolonged (between 0 and 168 h of culture)
      administration of 1.8 and 3.6 MUM E2. The relative abundance of Cx36, Cx37, Cx40,
      Cx43, LHR, FSHR, and CYP19A1 mRNA was measured. We conclude that the
      proliferation capability of GCs in vitro is substantially associated with
      expression of Cxs, LHR, FSHR, and CYP19A1. Furthermore, the GC-luteal cell
      transformation in vitro may be significantly accompanied by the proliferative
      activity of GCs in pigs.

PMID- 28337464
TI  - Obesity, age, ethnicity, and clinical features of prostate cancer patients.
AB  - Approximately 36.5% of the U.S. adults (>= 20 years old) are obese. Obesity has
      been associated with type 2 diabetes mellitus, cardiovascular disease, stroke,
      and several types of cancer. The present study included 1788 prostate cancer
      patients who were treated with radical prostatectomy at the Ochsner Health
      System, New Orleans, Louisiana, from January, 2001 to March, 2016. The patient's
      medical records were retrospectively reviewed. Body mass index (BMI), age,
      ethnicity (Caucasians versus African Americans), clinical stage, Gleason score,
      and prostate-specific antigen (PSA) levels were retrieved. The relative risk of
      the patients was stratified into low risk and high risk groups. Associative
      analyses found that BMI was associated with age, clinical stage, Gleason score,
      but not ethnicity, PSA levels, or the relative risk in this cohort. Age was
      associated with ethnicity, clinical stage, Gleason score, and PSA levels, as well
      as the relative risk. Ethnicity was associated with Gleason score and PSA levels
      as well as the relative risk, but not clinical stage. These findings suggest that
      obesity is associated with advanced prostate cancer with stage T3 or Gleason
      score >= 7 diseases, and age and ethnicity are important factors that are
      associated with the clinical features of prostate cancer patients.

PMID- 28337463
TI  - Skin Tissue Engineering: Application of Adipose-Derived Stem Cells.
AB  - Perception of the adipose tissue has changed dramatically over the last few
      decades. Identification of adipose-derived stem cells (ASCs) ultimately
      transformed paradigm of this tissue from a passive energy depot into a promising
      stem cell source with properties of self-renewal and multipotential
      differentiation. As compared to bone marrow-derived stem cells (BMSCs), ASCs are
      more easily accessible and their isolation yields higher amount of stem cells.
      Therefore, the ASCs are of high interest for stem cell-based therapies and skin
      tissue engineering. Currently, freshly isolated stromal vascular fraction (SVF),
      which may be used directly without any expansion, was also assessed to be highly
      effective in treating skin radiation injuries, burns, or nonhealing wounds such
      as diabetic ulcers. In this paper, we review the characteristics of SVF and ASCs
      and the efficacy of their treatment for skin injuries and disorders.

PMID- 28337465
TI  - Inflammatory Response and Barrier Dysfunction by Different e-Cigarette Flavoring
      Chemicals Identified by Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry in e-Liquids and e
      Vapors on Human Lung Epithelial Cells and Fibroblasts.
AB  - Recent studies suggest that electronic cigarette (e-cig) flavors can be harmful
      to lung tissue by imposing oxidative stress and inflammatory responses. The
      potential inflammatory response by lung epithelial cells and fibroblasts exposed
      to e-cig flavoring chemicals in addition to other risk-anticipated flavor
      enhancers inhaled by e-cig users is not known. The goal of this study was to
      evaluate the release of the proinflammatory cytokine (interleukin-8 [IL-8]) and
      epithelial barrier function in response to different e-cig flavoring chemicals
      identified in various e-cig e-liquid flavorings and vapors by chemical
      characterization using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry analysis. Flavorings,
      such as acetoin (butter), diacetyl, pentanedione, maltol (malt), ortho-vanillin
      (vanilla), coumarin, and cinnamaldehyde in comparison with tumor necrosis factor
      alpha (TNFalpha), were used in this study. Human bronchial epithelial cells
      (Beas2B), human mucoepidermoid carcinoma epithelial cells (H292), and human lung
      fibroblasts (HFL-1) were treated with each flavoring chemical for 24 hours. The
      cells and conditioned media were then collected and analyzed for toxicity
      (viability %), lung epithelial barrier function, and proinflammatory cytokine IL
      8 release. Cell viability was not significantly affected by any of the flavoring
      chemicals tested at a concentration of 10 MUM to 1 mM. Acetoin and diacetyl
      treatment induced IL-8 release in Beas2B cells. Acetoin- and pentanedione-treated
      HFL-1 cells produced a differential, but significant response for IL-8 release
      compared to controls and TNFalpha. Flavorings, such as ortho-vanillin and maltol,
      induced IL-8 release in Beas2B cells, but not in H292 cells. Of all the flavoring
      chemicals tested, acetoin and maltol were more potent inducers of IL-8 release
      than TNFalpha in Beas2B and HFL-1 cells. Flavoring chemicals rapidly impaired
      epithelial barrier function in human bronchial epithelial cells (16-HBE) as
      measured by electric cell surface impedance sensing. Our findings suggest that
      some of the e-cig liquids/aerosols containing flavoring chemicals can cause
      significant loss of epithelial barrier function and proinflammatory response in
      lung cells.

PMID- 28337467
TI  - The data set describing cognitive performance after varenicline administration in
      a 3-choice serial reaction time task in rats.
AB  - The data shows attentional function, impulsivity, motivation, motor function, and
      motor activity in rats treated with varenicline, a stop-smoking aid. The data
      also shows these parameters in rats treated with varenicline after acute/chronic
      nicotine administration. Our interpretation and discussion of these data were
      described in the article "Varenicline Provokes Impulsive Action by Stimulating
      alpha4beta2 Nicotinic Acetylcholine Receptors in the Infralimbic Cortex in a
      Nicotine Exposure Status-Dependent Manner" (Ohmura et al., 2017) [1].

PMID- 28337468
TI  - Comparative analysis data of SF1 and SF2 helicases from three domains of life.
AB  - SF1 and SF2 helicases are important molecular motors that use the energy of ATP
      to unwind nucleic acids or nucleic-acid protein complexes. They are ubiquitous
      enzymes and found in almost all organisms sequenced to date. This article
      provides a comparative analysis for SF1 and SF2 helicase families from three
      domains of life archaea, human, bacteria. Seven families are conserved in these
      three representatives and includes Upf1-like, UvrD-like, Rad3-like, DEAD-box,
      RecQ-like. Snf2 and Ski2-like. The data highlight conservation of the helicase
      core motifs for each of these families. Phylogenetic analysis presented on
      certain protein families are essential for further studies tracing the
      evolutionary history of helicase families. The data supplied in this article
      support publication "Genome-wide identification of SF1 and SF2 helicases from
      archaea" (Chamieh et al., 2016) [1].

PMID- 28337466
TI  - In Vitro and Ex Vivo Approaches to Evaluate Next-Generation Tobacco and Non
      Tobacco Products on Human Blood Platelets.
AB  - Human blood platelets are major hemostatic regulators in the circulation and
      important in the mediation of chronic inflammation and immunomodulation. They are
      key elements that promote cardiovascular pathogenesis that leads to
      atherosclerosis, thrombosis, myocardial infarction, and stroke. New information
      on tobacco use and platelet dysregulation shows that these highly understudied
      vascular cells are dysregulated by tobacco smoke. Thus, platelet function studies
      should be an important consideration for the evaluation of existing and next
      generation tobacco and non-tobacco products. Novel in vitro approaches are being
      sought to investigate these products and their influence on platelet function.
      Platelets are ideally suited for product assessment, as robust and novel in vitro
      translational methods are available to assess platelet function. Furthermore, the
      use of human biological systems has the advantage that risk predictions will
      better reflect the human condition.

PMID- 28337469
TI  - A case of autoinflammatory skin and bone disease flared by a change in
      osteoporosis management.

PMID- 28337470
TI  - Bilateral malar milia en plaque as primary presentation of discoid lupus
      erythematosus.

PMID- 28337471
TI  - Intractable pyoderma gangrenosum in a Crohn's disease patient on vedolizumab.

PMID- 28337472
TI  - Bullous pemphigoid localized in a primarily hemiplegic distribution.

PMID- 28337473
TI  - Macular lymphocytic arteritis: Clinical-pathologic correlation of a rare
      vasculitis.

PMID- 28337474
TI  - Cervical cancer prevention in El Salvador (CAPE)-An HPV testing-based
      demonstration project: Changing the secondary prevention paradigm in a lower
      middle-income country.
AB  - *CareHPV tests were used to compare screen-and-treat and colposcopy
      management.*Screen-and-treat strategy with HPV testing was found to be very cost
      effective.*CAPE has screened > 25,000 women in the Paracentral region.*Over 70%
      of screen-positive women received recommended treatment within six months.*CAPE
      is an example of public-private partnership resulting in paradigm change.

PMID- 28337475
TI  - Age at injury is associated with the long-term cognitive outcome of traumatic
      brain injuries.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: The association between age at injury (AAI) and long-term cognitive
      outcome of traumatic brain injuries (TBI) is debatable. METHODS: Eligible
      participants with a history of TBI from Alzheimer's Disease Neuroimaging
      Initiative were divided into a childhood TBI (cTBI) group (the AAI <= 21 years
      old) and an adult TBI (aTBI) group (the AAI > 21 years old). RESULTS: The cTBI
      group has a higher Everyday Cognition total score than the aTBI group. All
      perceived cognitive functions are worse for the cTBI group than for the aTBI
      group except memory. By contrast, the cTBI group has higher assessment scores on
      either the Boston Naming Test or Rey Auditory Verbal Learning Test than the aTBI
      group. DISCUSSION: The AAI is associated with the long-term cognitive outcomes in
      older adults with a history of TBI.

PMID- 28337478
TI  - Efficacy of single-incision needle-knife biopsy for sampling subepithelial
      lesions.
AB  - Background and study aims Single-incision needle-knife (SINK) biopsy is a
      diagnostic method for acquiring tissue samples for subepithelial lesions (SELs).
      A single linear incision is made in the overlying mucosa and tissue samples are
      obtained by passing conventional biopsy forceps through the opening and deep into
      the lesion. The aim of this study was to describe the efficacy and safety of this
      technique. Patients and methods Consecutive patients who underwent SINK biopsy
      for an upper gastrointestinal SEL between October 2013 and September 2015 were
      retrospectively reviewed. Results Forty-nine patients underwent 50 SINK biopsies.
      Sufficient sampling for a definite pathologic diagnosis was obtained in 42 (86 %)
      cases, with 91 % (40/44) having sufficient sample to perform immunohistochemistry
      when deemed clinically relevant. Of the 26 patients with prior non-diagnostic
      biopsies or FNA, a specific diagnosis was obtained in 85 % (22/26). There were no
      significant adverse events. Conclusions SINK biopsy is a safe and feasible
      strategy for obtaining a definitive tissue diagnosis with immunohistochemistry
      for SELs.

PMID- 28337477
TI  - Heating Has No Effect on the Net Protein Utilisation from Egg Whites in Rats.
AB  - Egg whites (EW) are a good source of protein; however, they are typically heated
      prior to consumption. Therefore, we investigated the effects of different heating
      conditions on the protein utilisation rate of EW. Male Sprague-Dawley rats (n =
      36, 198 +/- 1 g) were divided into six groups and fed American Institute of
      Nutrition-76 chow containing unheated EW, soft-boiled EW, boiled EW, milk whey
      protein, soybean protein, or no protein over a 10-day period using pair-feeding.
      Urine and faeces were sampled daily beginning on day 5 to measure nitrogen
      content and the net protein utilisation (NPU) rate. The soybean protein group had
      a significantly lower level of food intake and was thus excluded from subsequent
      analyses. The NPU value was similar among the unheated, soft-boiled, and boiled
      EW groups (97.5 +/- 0.4, 96.5 +/- 0.1, and 96.5 +/- 0.7, resp.). The EW group
      values were significantly higher than the whey group values (90.5 +/- 1.0). These
      results show that EW serve as a good source of protein, irrespective of heating.

PMID- 28337476
TI  - Cerebrospinal fluid biomarker examination as a tool to discriminate behavioral
      variant frontotemporal dementia from primary psychiatric disorders.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: To prospectively determine the diagnostic value of cerebrospinal
      fluid (CSF) levels total-tau (tau) to amyloid-beta1-42 ratio (Abeta1-42) ratio
      (tau/Abeta1-42 ratio), phosphorylated-tau (p-tau) to tau ratio (p-tau/tau ratio),
      neurofilament light chain (NfL) and YKL40 in the late-onset frontal lobe
      syndrome, in particular for the differential diagnosis of behavioral variant
      frontotemporal dementia (bvFTD) versus primary psychiatric disorders (PSY).
      METHOD: We included patients with a multidisciplinary 2-year-follow-up diagnosis
      of probable/definite bvFTD (n = 22) or PSY (n = 25), who underwent a detailed
      neuropsychiatric clinical examination, neuropsychological test battery, and
      magnetic resonance imaging at baseline. In all cases, CSF was collected through
      lumbar puncture at baseline. We compared CSF biomarker levels between the two
      groups and measured the diagnostic accuracy for probable/definite bvFTD, using
      the follow-up diagnosis as the reference standard. RESULTS: The best
      discriminators between probable/definite bvFTD and PSY were the levels of CSF NfL
      (area under the curve [AUC] 0.93, P < .001, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.85
      1.00), p-tau/tau ratio (AUC 0.87, P < .001, 95% CI 0.77-0.97), and YKL40 (AUC
      0.82, P = .001, 95% CI 0.68-0.97). The combination of these three biomarkers had
      a sensitivity of 91% (95% CI 66%-100%) at a specificity of 83% (95% CI 65%-95%)
      with an AUC of 0.94 (P < .001, 95% CI 0.87-1.00) for bvFTD. CSF tau/Abeta1-42
      ratio was less accurate in differentiating between bvFTD and PSY. DISCUSSION: We
      found a good diagnostic accuracy for higher levels of CSF NfL and YKL40 and
      reduced p-tau/tau ratio in distinguishing bvFTD from PSY. We advocate the use of
      these CSF biomarkers as potential additional tools to neuroimaging in the
      diagnosis of bvFTD versus PSY.

PMID- 28337479
TI  - Technical feasibility of line-assisted complete closure technique for large
      mucosal defects after colorectal endoscopic submucosal dissection.
AB  - Background and study aims Complete closure of large mucosal defects after
      colorectal endoscopic submucosal dissection (C-ESD) is considered impossible in
      most cases because of the limited width of the open clip. We therefore invented a
      simple closure technique using clip-and-line, named "line-assisted complete
      closure (LACC)", and assessed its technical feasibility. Patients and methods
      Between January and February 2016, we performed LACC in 11 patients after C-ESD
      and included them in this retrospective feasibility study. Outcome measures were
      procedural success rate, procedure time, and post-procedural complications.
      Results The median size of the resected specimen was 36 mm (range 30 - 72 mm).
      Procedural success was achieved in 10 of 11 cases (91 %). Those 10 cases required
      a median of 9 endoclips (range 6 - 12) for complete closure. Median procedure
      time for LACC was 14 minutes (range 6 - 22). No complications were observed in
      any of the cases after the procedure. Conclusion LACC is a simple and feasible
      technique for complete closure of large mucosal defects after C-ESD.

PMID- 28337480
TI  - Intra-channel stent release technique for fluoroless endoscopic ultrasound-guided
      lumen-apposing metal stent placement: changing the paradigm.
AB  - Background Recently, a novel lumen-apposing fully covered self-expanding metal
      stent (LA-FCSEMS) mounted on an electrocautery-enhanced delivery system has been
      developed to perform endoscopic ultrasound (EUS)-guided transluminal drainage.
      From early experience, however, release of the proximal flange of the stent has
      mostly been done using endoscopic view guidance to ensure proper positioning. Aim
      We describe a new technique that we have named the Intra-Channel Stent Release
      Technique (ICSRT) to perform stent placement under complete EUS control, without
      the use of either fluoroscopic or endoscopic views. Material and methods Data on
      all consecutive patients who underwent EUS-guided drainage using the new ICSRT
      between June 2014 and April 2016 were retrospectively retrieved from two
      institution databases. All EUS procedures were performed by experienced
      endoscopists with the patient under conscious or deep sedation. The total
      procedure and stent deployment time, and adverse events related to stent
      positioning with the ICSRT were evaluated. Results One hundred consecutive
      patients (51 women; mean age +/- SD, 66 +/- 15.2 years, range 34 - 95) underwent
      EUS-guided transluminal drainage with the Hot AXIOSTM device using the new ICSRT.
      The procedure was technically successful in all but one patient (1 %). The mean
      total procedural time was 21.9 minutes (range 7 - 50), while the mean time for
      stent placement was 3.2 minutes (range 1 - 15). No major adverse events occurred.
      Discussion The ICSRT has been used to deploy the newly developed lumen-apposing
      FCSEMS under complete EUS guidance without fluoroscopic and/or endoscopic
      assistance. The technique appears to be safe and highly effective and should be
      learned by all interventional endosonographers in order to be able to perform
      drainage in all clinical scenarios.

PMID- 28337481
TI  - Waterjet submucosal dissection of porcine esophagus with the HybridKnife and
      ERBEJET 2 system: a pilot study.
AB  - Background and study aims Esophageal endoscopic submucosal dissection (ESD) is
      technically difficult because of narrow working spaces and ease of perforation
      due to the lack of serosa. HybridKnife is a recently developed ESD device that is
      combined with the high pressure waterjet ERBEJET 2 system to lift mucosa. We
      hypothesized that this waterjet could make submucosal dissection safer and
      studied this in porcine esophagus. Materials and methods Water pressures of 30 -
      70 bar were tested to determine the appropriate pressure for waterjet ESD with
      HybridKnife (WJ-ESD) in one pig. WJ-ESD safety and completion were compared with
      those of conventional ESD using DualKnife (C-ESD) as a reference. Each of three
      virtual esophageal lesions in two pigs were resected alternatively using both
      methods from the lower to upper esophagus. For WJ-ESD, the submucosa, apart from
      hard fibrous tissues, was dissected using water pressure alone. Results Using 50
      bar of water pressure resulted in the best balance between proper dissection and
      view-disturbing water backflow. The dissection speeds for the lower, middle, and
      upper esophagus were 0.2, 0.9, and 0.2 cm2/min in 50 bar WJ-ESD and 1.1, 0.5, and
      1.0 cm2/min in C-ESD, respectively. Minor bleeding was frequent in WJ-ESD, but
      was easily stopped by electrocoagulation with the same needle. No perforation was
      observed in either procedure. Thermal damage to dissected tissues appeared mild,
      and the extent of muscle injury was lower for WJ-ESD (4, 6, and 8 %) compared
      with C-ESD (14, 16, and 7 %). Conclusions WJ-ESD could be completed safely for
      porcine esophagus with less damage to the muscle layer compared with C-ESD.

PMID- 28337482
TI  - Efficacy and safety of novel digital single-operator peroral cholangioscopy
      guided laser lithotripsy for complicated biliary stones.
AB  - Background/study aims Laser lithotripsy can effectively fragment complicated
      biliary stones, but current cholangioscopes are limited by fragility, restricted
      mobility or moderate visual resolution. The efficacy and safety of a new digital
      single-operator peroral cholangioscope to guide laser lithotripsy were evaluated.
      Patients and methods In this prospective single-center series, consecutive
      patients with complicated biliary stones, defined as impacted stones > 1.5 cm in
      size and wider than the more distal common bile duct, or stones that failed
      extraction by basket mechanical lithotripsy, underwent ERCP and SpyGlass DS
      peroral cholangioscope (Boston Scientific, Marlborough, United States)-guided
      laser lithotripsy. Stone clearance rate and incidence of adverse events were
      determined. Results Seventeen patients (10 men, 7 women; median age 76 years)
      with a median biliary stone size of 2 cm underwent predominantly holmium:yttrium
      aluminum garnet laser lithotripsy, achieving a 94 % stone clearance rate over 1
      median procedure. Lithotripsy was performed in 8 of 17 patients due to an
      impacted biliary stone. The remaining patients underwent lithotripsy due to prior
      failure of the basket mechanical lithotripter to capture or crush their stones.
      Post lithotripsy, 2 patients developed cholangitis and 1 patient with underlying
      COPD developed respiratory distress, all resolved with conservative management.
      There were no hemobilia, perforations, pancreatitis nor any deaths. Conclusion
      SpyGlass DS peroral cholangioscopy-guided laser lithotripsy is an efficient and
      safe modality for management of complicated biliary stones.

PMID- 28337483
TI  - Pocket-creation method facilitates endoscopic submucosal dissection of colorectal
      laterally spreading tumors, non-granular type.
AB  - Background and study aims The pocket-creation method (PCM) is a novel strategy
      for endoscopic submucosal dissection (ESD). The aim of this study is to determine
      the efficacy of the PCM for colorectal laterally spreading tumors, non-granular
      type (LST-NG). Patients and methods The records of 126 consecutive patients with
      colorectal LST-NG who underwent ESD between April 2012 and July 2015 were
      retrospectively reviewed. Patients were divided into PCM (n = 73) and
      conventional method (CM) (n = 53) groups. Results The en bloc resection rate in
      the PCM group was significantly higher than in the CM group (100 % [73/73] vs. 92
      % [49/53], P = 0.03). The en bloc resection rate with severe fibrosis was higher
      in the PCM group than in the CM group (100 % [3/3] vs. 60 % [3/5]). The R0
      resection rate for the two groups was not statistically significantly different
      (93 % [68/73] vs. 91 % [48/53], P = 0.74). The perforation rate in the PCM group
      was lower than in the CM group although not statistically significantly less (0 %
      0/73 vs. 4 % 2/53, P = 0.18). For lesions resected en bloc, dissection speed for
      the PCM group was significantly faster than for the CM group (median [IQR], 19
      [13 -24] vs. 14 [10 - 22] mm2/min, P = 0.03). Conclusion ESD using PCM achieves a
      reliable and safe resection of colorectal LST-NG.

PMID- 28337484
TI  - First reported case of per anal endoscopic myectomy (PAEM): A novel endoscopic
      technique for resection of lesions with severe fibrosis in the rectum.
AB  - Background and study aims A 54-year-old man was diagnosed with a rectal tumor
      extending through the submucosal layer. The patient refused surgery and therefore
      endoscopic submucosal dissection (ESD) was pursued. The lesion exhibited the
      muscle retraction sign. After dissecting circumferentially around the fibrotic
      area by double tunneling method, a myotomy was performed through the internal
      circular muscle layer, creating a plane of dissection between the internal
      circular muscle layer and the external longitudinal muscle layer, and a myectomy
      was completed. The pathologic specimen verified T1b grade 1 sprouting
      adenocarcinoma with 4350 um invasion into the submucosa with negative resection
      margins.

PMID- 28337485
TI  - Safety and efficacy of minimal biliary sphincterotomy with papillary balloon
      dilation (m-EBS+EPBD) in patients using clopidogrel or anticoagulation.
AB  - Background and study aims Endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP)
      with endoscopic biliary sphincterotomy (EBS) or endoscopic papillary balloon
      dilation (EPBD) are common techniques of biliary decompression. Potential risks
      include gastrointestinal hemorrhage, which can be increased by antiplatelet
      agents, anticoagulants (AC) and/or novel oral anticoagulants (NOACs) (ie.
      apixaban, dabigatran and rivaroxaban). The study aim is to evaluate the
      safety/efficacy of an alternative technique, minimal-EBS plus EPBD (m-EBS +
      EPBD), in individuals for whom clopidogrel, AC, and/or NOACs cannot be
      interrupted due to high cardiovascular or thromboembolic risk. Patients and
      methods Patients undergoing m-EBS + EPBD while taking clopidogrel and/or AC were
      retrospectively evaluated at two United States tertiary care centers for
      efficacy, GIB and procedure-related, cardiovascular and thromboembolic adverse
      events (AE). Results Ninety-five patients were identified [55 = clopidogrel and
      45 = AC (31.1 % NOACs)]. The main indication for ERCP was choledocholithiasis (34
      %). 100 % clinical improvement and 97.9 % endoscopic success were found. The
      incidence of AE was 5.3 %. There was a 4.2 % incidence of gastrointestinal
      hemorrhage (2 cases requiring endoscopic intervention). Both severe
      gastrointestinal hemorrhages also experienced the cases of post-ERCP
      pancreatitis, and 2 /3 of cholangitis (all aspirin + AC). There was
      1cardiovascular event (non-ST elevation myocardial infarction), and no
      thromboembolic events. Conclusions Minimal-EBS + EPBD is an effective and safe
      therapy with an incidence of gastrointestinal hemorrhage of 4.2 %, (2.1 %
      requiring endoscopic intervention), for patients on clopidogrel and/or AC, with a
      high risk for cardiovascular/thromboembolic events.

PMID- 28337486
TI  - Rapeseed-legume intercrops: plant growth and nitrogen balance in early stages of
      growth and development.
AB  - In this study we tested whether legumes can improve the growth and N and S
      nutrition of rapeseed in an intercropping system and compared the effect of
      mixtures on legume N-fixation and soil N-resources. Rapeseed was cultivated in
      low N conditions in monocrops using one (R) or two plants (RR) per pot and in
      mixtures with lupine, clover or vetch. The R monocrop was the most relevant
      control, intraspecific competition inducing a significant growth delay resulting
      in a significantly lower leaf number, in RR monocrop compared to R and the three
      mixtures considered. Plant biomass, and the N and S contents of rapeseed grown in
      mixtures were the same than those measured in R monocrop. Compared to the
      monocrop, the proportion of N derived from the atmosphere was increased by 34,
      140 and 290% in lupine, clover and vetch, respectively when intercropped with
      rapeseed. In mixture with clover and lupine, the soil N pool at harvest was
      higher than in other treatments, while N export by crop was constant. Legumes
      suffered from competition for soil S resulting in a decrease of 40% in their S
      content compared to the monocrop. Compared to rapeseeds grown in R monocrop and
      in mixture with lupine and vetch, rapeseed mixed with clover showed significantly
      higher SPAD values in old leaves. In our conditions, mixing legumes with rapeseed
      is relevant to reduce N fertilization and improve nutrition and growth of
      rapeseed.

PMID- 28337487
TI  - Gender discrimination, gender disparities in obesity and human development.
AB  - Measuring gender inequality and women's empowerment is essential to understand
      the determinants of gender gaps, evaluate policies and monitor countries'
      progress. With this aim, over the past two decades, research has mainly been
      directed towards the development of composite indices. The purpose of this paper
      is to introduce a new and interdisciplinary perspective to the current debate on
      measuring gender inequality in human development. As a starting point, we develop
      a simple macroeconomic model of the interdependence between human development and
      gender inequality. We then introduce a biometric indicator, based on the ratio of
      female to male body mass index, to measure women's empowerment at the country
      level. Finally, by using the latest available data, we examine the ability of
      this biometric indicator to capture countries' performance in achieving gender
      equality. We obtain five main results: 1) we provide a theoretical framework to
      explain the joint determination of human development and gender inequality; 2) we
      show how to use this framework to simulate the impact of exogenous shocks or
      policy changes; 3) we demonstrate that exogenous changes have a direct and a
      multiplier effect on human development and gender inequality; 4) we find that the
      distribution of obesity between the female and male populations represents a
      useful proxy variable for measuring gender equality at the country level; 5)
      finally, we use these results to integrate and develop existing knowledge on the
      'ecological' approach to the overweight and obesity pandemic.

PMID- 28337488
TI  - Supercritical carbon dioxide-based sterilization of decellularized heart valves.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: The goal of this research project encompasses finding the most
      efficient and effective method of decellularized tissue sterilization.
      BACKGROUND: Aortic tissue grafts have been utilized to repair damaged or diseased
      valves. Although, the tissues for grafting are collected aseptically, it does not
      eradicate the risk of contamination nor disease transfer. Thus, sterilization of
      grafts is mandatory. Several techniques have been applied to sterilize grafts;
      however, each technique shows drawbacks. In this study, we compared several
      sterilization techniques: supercritical carbon dioxide, electrolyzed water, gamma
      radiation, ethanol-peracetic acid, and hydrogen peroxide for impact on the
      sterility and mechanical integrity of porcine decellularized aortic valves.
      METHODS: Valve sterility was characterized by histology, microbe culture, and
      electron microscopy. Uniaxial tensile testing was conducted on the valve cusps
      along their circumferential orientation to study these sterilization techniques
      on their integrity. RESULTS: Ethanol-peracetic acid and supercritical carbon
      dioxide treated valves were found to be sterile. The tensile strength of
      supercritical carbon dioxide treated valves (4.28 +/- 0.22 MPa) was higher to
      those valves treated with electrolyzed water, gamma radiation, ethanol-peracetic
      acid and hydrogen peroxide (1.02 +/- 0.15, 1.25 +/- 0.25, 3.53 +/- 0.41 and 0.37
      +/- 0.04 MPa, respectively). CONCLUSIONS: Superior sterility and integrity were
      found in the decellularized porcine aortic valves with supercritical carbon
      dioxide sterilization. This sterilization technique may hold promise for other
      decellularized soft tissues. SUMMARY: Sterilization of grafts is essential.
      Supercritical carbon dioxide, electrolyzed water, gamma radiation, ethanol
      peracetic acid, and hydrogen peroxide techniques were compared for impact on
      sterility and mechanical integrity of porcine decellularized aortic valves.
      Ethanol-peracetic acid and supercritical carbon dioxide treated valves were found
      to be sterile using histology, microbe culture and electron microscopy assays.
      The cusp tensile properties of supercritical carbon dioxide treated valves were
      higher compared to valves treated with other techniques. Superior sterility and
      integrity was found in the decellularized valves treated with supercritical
      carbon dioxide sterilization. This sterilization technique may hold promise for
      other decellularized soft tissues.

PMID- 28337489
TI  - ANTIBIOTIC RESISTANCE PROFILING AND MICROBIOTA OF THE UPPER RESPIRATORY TRACT OF
      APPARENTLY HEALTHY DOGS IN IBADAN, SOUTH WEST NIGERIA.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Rearing of dogs and other pets has become increasingly popular in
      modern society. Bacterial flora resides within the nasal and oral cavities of
      dogs and when chanced, can be pathogenic. Certain similarities between humans and
      dogs portends dangerous behavioral habits that could lead to zoonotic disease
      transmission. This study was aimed at isolation, identification and antibiotic
      profiling of bacteria from nasal swabs of apparently healthy dogs. The zoonotic
      risk was also considered. METHODOLOGY: A total of 173 nasal swabs were collected
      from 173 apparently healthy dogs. Structured questionnaires were administered to
      investigate human behavioral habits. RESULTS: Two hundred and twenty two (222)
      bacterial isolates were obtained from the culture with ten (10) potentially
      pathogenic bacteria in the order of Escherichia coli (18.5%), Proteus species
      (17.1%), Staphylococcus aureus (14.0%), Klebsiella species (9.0%), Acinetobacter
      species (9.0%), coagulase negative Staphylococcus species (7.7%), Pseudomonas
      species (6.8%), Actinobacter species (6.8%), Citrobacter species (5.9%) and
      Streptococcus species (5.4%). Overall, the Gram negative isolates showed
      resistance to ciprofloxacin (9.3%), sparfloxacin (16.0%), perfloxacin (17.3%),
      ofloxacin (21.6%), chloramphenicol (34..6%), gentamycin (36.4%), streptomycin
      (37.%), septrin (49.4%), amoxillin (59.3%), augmentin (62.3%) while the Gram
      positive bacteria showed resistance to ciprofloxacin (3.3%), perfloxacin (6.7%),
      erythromycin (13.3%), streptomycin (21.7%), rocephin (28.3%), septrin (28.3%),
      gentamycin (36.7%), zinnacef (68.3%), ampiclox (81.7%) and amoxillin (85.0%).
      Multi-drug resistance (MDR) to three or more antimicrobials was observed in some
      of the isolates. Seventy - seven resistance patterns were observed, 16 in Gram
      positive and 61 in Gram negative bacteria. CONCLUSION: This study revealed MDR to
      two or more antimicrobials in all the isolates. These can pose antibiotic
      resistance challenges in situation of primary or secondary canine respiratory
      infections. Also, this study revealed that 82% of the dog owners/lovers had less
      than 50cm face-to-face contact with these dogs while playing with them, thus
      increasing their chances of acquiring MDR bacteria from apparently healthy dogs.

PMID- 28337490
TI  - EFFECT OF TRIMETHOPRIM-SULFAMETHOXAZOLE PROPHYLAXIS ON FEACAL CARRIAGE RATES OF
      RESISTANT ISOLATES OF ESCHERICHIA COLI IN HIV-INFECTED ADULT PATIENTS IN LAGOS.
AB  - BACKGROUND: The daily use of Trimethoprim-Sulfamethoxazole (TMP-SMX) prophylaxis
      reduces morbidity and mortality among patients infected with human
      immunodeficiency virus (HIV) but its impact on increasing antimicrobial
      resistance rates has been of public health concern, globally. This study
      investigated the effect of daily TMP-SMX prophylaxis on feacal carriage rates of
      resistant isolates of Escherichia coli in HIV-infected adult patients in Lagos.
      METHODS: A total of 550 HIV-infected patients with CD4-cell counts of less than
      350 cells/mm3 who were eligible for TMP-SMX prophylaxis and attending Lagos
      University Teaching Hospital, Lagos, Nigeria, were recruited for this study.
      Stool/rectal swab samples were aseptically collected from the patients and
      processed using standard methods for culture and sensitivity. RESULTS: There was
      a baseline Trimethoprim-Sulfamethoxazole resistance rate of 54% which increased
      to 77.9% in first 3 months, rising to 96.1% by 6 months and all isolates were
      resistant by the 9th month. There was also evidence of cross-resistance to other
      antibiotics with significance in association with TMP-SMX resistance (p<0.0001).
      The Escherichia coli isolates showed a progressive increase in resistance to the
      tested antibiotics over the 12-month period. The resistance was in the following
      order: Ampicillin (74% to 82.6% in the first 3 months; 98.3% by the 6th month and
      99.4% by the 9th month; all isolates were resistant by the 12th month), Augmentin
      (32.5% to 47.7% in first 3 months; 76.1% by the 6th month; 86.3% by the 9th
      month; all isolates were resistant by 12 months), Ceftriaxone (2.0% to 10.8% in
      first 3 months; 20.6% by the 6th month; 24.2% by the 9th month; 54.3% by the 12
      months). CONCLUSIONS: The carriage rate of feacal E. coli resistant to TMP-SMX is
      common before TMP-SMX prophylaxis. Initiation of TMP-SMX leads to further
      increase in resistance to TMP-SMX and cross-resistance to other antimicrobials.

PMID- 28337491
TI  - MEETING REPORT: UNESCO-MERCK AFRICA RESEARCH SUMMIT 2015- ACCELERATING ACCESS AND
      SUSTAINING INNOVATION 'FROM AFRICA FOR AFRICA'.
AB  - BACKGROUND: The Ebola virus disease outbreak of 2014 was the largest, longest and
      most devastating in the history of the disease. It demonstrated the social and
      economic impact an emerging infectious disease can have in a globalized world.
      Health systems in affected countries were stretched to the point of near
      collapse, while social relations and traditional practices were negatively
      impacted. Heads of African research institutions, African government
      representatives, leaders of global pharmaceutical companies, global infectious
      disease experts and close to 100 young African researchers from 25 countries;
      Assembled in Geneva on 19 and 20th October 2015, for the inaugural UNESCO-Merck
      Africa Summit sponsored by the United Nations Educational, Science and Culture
      Organization and Merck KGA. GOAL OF SUMMIT: The primary goal of the summit was to
      develop strategies to increase health research capacity in Africa, with special
      focus on Ebola and enhancing pandemic preparation for emerging infectious
      diseases. The summit was also provide a forum to showcase the research taking
      place in Africa, and provided platform for African researchers to network. Some
      of the key issues discussed included; strategies for enhancing policy frameworks
      to promote knowledge translation, strengthening of health systems, enhancing
      knowledge and data sharing, and increasing innovation in Africa. CONCLUSIONS:
      Summit attendees recognized that Africa still bore the heaviest burden of
      infectious disease, and increased commitment by African governments to fund
      health research, offered the best hope for developing health solutions and
      interventions to improve the health of Africans. Improved health in turn would
      enhance the productivity of Africans, further supporting the socio-economic
      transformation currently taking place on the continent.

PMID- 28337493
TI  - Editorial.
AB  - Adrian Lim On behalf of the UIO editorsIt is with great pleasure and honour that
      I introduce the March 2017 issue of Ultrasound International Open. The journal
      continues to grow from strength to strength with every issue and is now indexed
      in PubMed Central. This is a testament to the hardwork of the journal editors,
      editorial board, reviewers as well as the high quality publications and
      submissions.

PMID- 28337492
TI  - FLOCK-BASED SURVEILLANCE FOR LOW PATHOGENIC AVIAN INFLUENZA VIRUS IN COMMERCIAL
      BREEDERS AND LAYERS, SOUTHWEST NIGERIA.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Flock surveillance systems for avian influenza (AI) virus play a
      critical role in countries where vaccination is not practiced so as to establish
      the epidemiological characteristics of AI needed for the development of
      prevention and control strategies in such countries. MATERIALS AND METHODS: As
      part of routine AI monitoring in southwest Nigeria, a competitive ELISA was used
      for detecting influenza A virus antibodies in the sera of 461 commercial breeder
      and layer birds obtained from different flocks in Oyo State, Nigeria while
      haemagglutination inhibiting antibodies against low pathogenic AI viruses
      (LPAIVs) were detected using H5N2, H7N7 and H9N2 subtype-specific antigens.
      Suspensions prepared from cloacal swabs were tested for AI virus RNA using
      reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction. RESULTS: Results showed that
      influenza A virus antibody prevalence was 12.8% and 9.3% for breeders and layers,
      respectively while HI assay revealed 22.0%, 2.0% and 78.0% prevalence of LPAIV
      H5N2, H7N7 and H9N2 antibodies respectively. All cloacal swab suspensions were
      negative for AIV RNA. CONCLUSION: Since LPAI infections result in decreased or
      complete cessation of egg production in breeder and layer birds, increased
      infection severity due to co-infection with other poultry viruses have
      occasionally been transmitted to humans, the detection of LPAIV H5N2, H7N7 and
      H9N2 antibodies in these birds is of both economic and public health
      significance. These findings underscore the need for continuous flock monitoring
      as part of early warning measure to facilitate rapid detection and sustainable
      control of AI in Nigerian poultry.

PMID- 28337494
TI  - H2O-Improved O2 activation on the Pd-Au bimetallic surface.
AB  - Improved activation of adsorbed O2 by co-adsorbed H2O on the Pd-Au(111) surface
      has been observed. When co-adsorbed with H2O, O2 admolecules on the Pd-Au surface
      are more strongly bound via their interactions with H2O. This interaction leads
      to large enhancements in the dissociation of O2 as determined via the generation
      of CO2 upon exposure to CO.

PMID- 28337495
TI  - Encapsulation induced aggregation: a self-assembly strategy for weakly pi
      stacking chromophores.
AB  - Molecular assembly of weakly pi-stacking core-substituted naphthalene diimides
      (cNDIs) requires the participation of strong side-group interactions. Spatial
      confinement within a micellar core leads to locally elevated concentrations and
      reduced entropy that drives a rapid aggregation, often followed by a slower
      aggregate reorganization. Fast aggregation kinetics leads to self-sorting of
      aggregates.

PMID- 28337496
TI  - Sugar-coated proteins: the importance of degree of polymerisation of oligo
      galacturonic acid on protein binding and aggregation.
AB  - We have simplified the structural heterogeneity of protein-polysaccharide binding
      by investigating protein binding to oligosaccharides. The interactions between
      bovine beta-lactoglobulin A (betaLgA) and oligo-galacturonic acids (OGAs) with
      various numbers of sugar residues have been investigated with a range of
      biophysical techniques. We show that the betaLgA-OGA interaction is critically
      dependent on the length of the oligosaccharide. Isothermal titration calorimetry
      results suggest that a minimum length of 7 or 8 sugar residues is required in
      order to exhibit appreciable exothermic interactions with betaLgA - shorter
      oligosaccharides show no enthalpic interactions at any concentration ratio. When
      titrating betaLgA into OGAs with more than 7-8 sugar residues the sample solution
      also became turbid with increasing amounts of betaLgA, indicating the formation
      of macroscopic assemblies. Circular dichroism, thioflavin T fluorescence and
      small angle X-ray/neutron scattering experiments revealed two structural regimes
      during the titration. When OGAs were in excess, betaLgA formed discrete
      assemblies upon OGA binding, and no subsequent aggregation was observed. However,
      when betaLgA was present in excess, multi-scale structures were formed and this
      eventually led to the separation of the solution into two liquid-phases.

PMID- 28337498
TI  - Palladium-catalyzed intermolecular amination of unactivated C(sp3)-H bonds via a
      cleavable directing group.
AB  - Palladium-catalyzed intermolecular amination of unactivated C(sp3)-H bonds was
      developed. Using NFSI as both the amino source and the oxidant, this protocol
      operates under mild conditions with excellent terminal selectivity and a broad
      substrate scope. Moreover, the directing group can be easily removed to produce
      1,2-amino alcohols.

PMID- 28337497
TI  - Dimerization and conformation-related free energy landscapes of dye-tagged
      amyloid-beta12-28 linked to FRET experiments.
AB  - We have investigated the free energy landscape of Abeta-peptide dimer models in
      connection to gas-phase FRET experiments. We use a FRET-related distance
      coordinate and one conformation-related coordinate per monomer for accelerated
      structural exploration with well-tempered metadynamics in solvent and in vacuo.
      The free energy profiles indicate that FRET under equilibrium conditions should
      be significantly affected by the de-solvation upon the transfer of ions to the
      gas-phase. In contrast, a change in the protonation state is found to be less
      impacting once de-solvated. Comparing F19P and WT alloforms, for which we measure
      different FRET efficiencies in the gas-phase, we predict only the relevant
      structural differences in the solution populations, not under gas-phase
      equilibrium conditions. This finding supports the hypothesis that the gas-phase
      action-FRET measurement after ESI operates under non-equilibrium conditions, with
      a memory of the solution conditions - even for the dimer of this relatively short
      peptide. The structural differences in solution are rationalized in terms of
      conformational propensities around residue 19, which show a transition to a poly
      proline type of pattern upon mutation to F19P - a difference that gets lost in
      the gas-phase.

PMID- 28337499
TI  - Organic nanostructure-based probes for two-photon imaging of mitochondria and
      microbes with emission between 430 nm and 640 nm.
AB  - Multi-photon excitation and versatile fluorescent probes are in high need for
      biological imaging, since one probe can satisfy many needs as a biosensor. Herein
      we synthesize a series of two-photon excited probes based on tetraphenylethene
      (TPE) structures (TPE-Acr, TPE-Py, and TPE-Quino), which can image both mammalian
      cells and bacteria based on aggregation-induced emission (AIE) without washing
      them. Because of cationic moieties, the fluorescent molecules can aggregate into
      nanoscale fluorescent organic nanoscale dots to image mitochondria and bacteria
      with tunable emissions using both one-photon and two-photon excitation. Our
      research demonstrates that these AIE-dots expand the functions of luminescent
      organic dots to construct efficient fluorescent sensors applicable to both one
      photon and two-photon excitation for bio-imaging of bacteria and mammalian cells.

PMID- 28337500
TI  - Direct observation of orientation distributions of actin filaments in a solution
      undergoing shear banding.
AB  - Shear banding is frequently observed in complex fluids. However, the
      configuration of macromolecules in solutions undergoing shear banding has not yet
      been directly observed. In this study, by using the fact that F-actin solutions
      exhibit shear banding and actin filaments are visualized by fluorescent labels,
      we directly observed the intrinsic states of an actin solution undergoing shear
      banding. By combining the 3D imaging of labeled actin filaments and particle
      image velocimetry (PIV), we obtained orientation distributions of actin filaments
      in both high and low shear rate regions, whose quantitative differences are
      indicated. In addition, by using the orientation distributions and applying
      stress expression for rod-like polymers, we estimated stress tensors in both high
      and low shear rate regions. This evaluation indicates that different orientation
      distributions of filamentous macromolecules can exhibit a common shear stress.

PMID- 28337501
TI  - Behavior of Thiophanate Methyl and Propiconazole in Grape and Mango Fruits Under
      the Egyptian Field Conditions.
AB  - This research aims at determining residues of thiophanate methyl and
      propiconazole in grape and mango fruits as an indication for their persistence in
      this environmental compartment. Fruit extracts were analyzed for thiophanate
      methyl using High Performance Liquid Chromatography and using Gas Chromatography
      Electron Capture Detector (GC/ECD), respectively. The results indicated that
      propiconazole had a less environmental impact since propiconazole had shorter
      residue half-lives which were 1.24 and 1.19 days in grape and mango fruits,
      respectively, while thiophanate methyl had half-lives of 2.49 and 2.64 days in
      mango and grape, respectively. The degradation rates of propiconazole in grape
      and mango fruits did not change significantly and neither did those of
      thiophanate methyl. According to the maximum residue level, the pre-harvest
      intervals of propiconazole were set to be 3 and 7 days for grape and mango
      fruits, respectively, and the pre-harvest intervals for thiophanate methyl were
      15 days for both grape and mango fruits. Propiconazole was generally considered
      to be less hazardous to humans and will leave the environment less altered
      because of its faster degradation than that of thiophanate methyl.

PMID- 28337502
TI  - [Metastasized urological malignancies : Is resection of the primary tumor or
      destruction using alternative procedures worthwhile?]

PMID- 28337503
TI  - Gut microbiome-related metabolic changes in plasma of antibiotic-treated rats.
AB  - The intestinal microbiota contributes to the metabolism of its host. Adequate
      identification of the microbiota's impact on the host plasma metabolites is
      lacking. As antibiotics have a profound effect on the microbial composition and
      hence on the mammalian-microbiota co-metabolism, we studied the effects of
      antibiotics on the "functionality of the microbiome"-defined as the production of
      metabolites absorbed by the host. This metabolomics study presents insights into
      the mammalian-microbiome co-metabolism of endogenous metabolites. To identify
      plasma metabolites related to microbiome changes due to antibiotic treatment, we
      have applied broad-spectrum antibiotics belonging to the class of aminoglycosides
      (neomycin, gentamicin), fluoroquinolones (moxifloxacin, levofloxacin) and
      tetracyclines (doxycycline, tetracycline). These were administered orally for 28
      days to male rats including blood sampling for metabolic profiling after 7, 14
      and 28 days. Fluoroquinolones and tetracyclines can be absorbed from the gut;
      whereas, aminoglycosides are poorly absorbed. Hippuric acid, indole-3-acetic acid
      and glycerol were identified as key metabolites affected by antibiotic treatment,
      beside changes mainly concerning amino acids and carbohydrates. Inter alia,
      effects on indole-3-propionic acid were found to be unique for aminoglycosides,
      and on 3-indoxylsulfate for tetracyclines. For each class of antibiotics,
      specific metabolome patterns could be established in the MetaMap(r)Tox data base,
      which contains metabolome data for more than 550 reference compounds. The results
      suggest that plasma-based metabolic profiling (metabolomics) could be a suitable
      tool to investigate the effect of antibiotics on the functionality of the
      microbiome and to obtain insight into the mammalian-microbiome co-metabolism.

PMID- 28337504
TI  - Biotransformation of 2,4-toluenediamine in human skin and reconstructed tissues.
AB  - Reconstructed human epidermis (RHE) is used for risk assessment of chemicals and
      cosmetics and RHE as well as reconstructed human full-thickness skin (RHS) become
      important for e.g., the pre-clinical development of drugs. Yet, the knowledge
      regarding their biotransformation capacity is still limited, although the
      metabolic activity is highly relevant for skin sensitization, genotoxicity, and
      the efficacy of topical dermatics. The biotransformation of the aromatic amine
      2,4-toluenediamine (2,4-TDA) has been compared in two commercially available RHS
      to normal human skin ex vivo, and in primary epidermal keratinocytes and dermal
      fibroblasts as well as in vitro generated epidermal Langerhans cells and dermal
      dendritic cells. The mono N-acetylated derivative N-(3-amino-4-methyl
      phenyl)acetamide (M1) was the only metabolite detectable in substantial amounts
      indicating the predominance of N-acetylation. RHS exceeded human skin ex vivo in
      N-acetyltransferase activity and in cell cultures metabolite formation ranked as
      follows: keratinocytes > fibroblasts ~ Langerhans cells ~ dendritic cells. In
      conclusion, our results underline the principal suitability of RHS as an adequate
      test matrix for the investigation of N-acetylation of xenobiotics which is most
      relevant for risk assessment associated with cutaneous exposure to aromatic
      amines.

PMID- 28337505
TI  - Osteochondroma causing cervical spinal cord compression.
AB  - Osteochondromas are the most common benign tumors of the bone. They occur in
      young adolescent patients and are frequently located in the metaphyses of the
      long bones; they do not grow after skeletal maturity. The incidence of
      osteochondroma in the spine is reported to be rare. Moreover, patients with
      spinal osteochondroma who develop symptoms of myelopathy are extremely rare. We
      report the case of an 8-year-old girl who experienced myelopathy due to spinal
      compression of the cervical osteochondroma. This case suggests that if a
      cartilage cap is observed on the spinal canal with magnetic resonance imaging
      (MRI), the tumor may extend to the spinal canal, resulting in neurologic
      dysfunction. Therefore, careful follow-up until bone maturity should be
      performed.

PMID- 28337506
TI  - 24th Annual Scientific Meeting of the European Society of Musculoskeletal
      Radiology (ESSR), Bari/Italy, June 15-17, 2017.

PMID- 28337507
TI  - Reversal in order of ventricular filling is associated with a positive fluid
      balance in sepsis.

PMID- 28337508
TI  - Compliance and statistics : Discussion on "Severe hypercapnia and outcomes of
      mechanically ventilated patients with moderate or severe acute respiratory
      distress syndrome".

PMID- 28337509
TI  - Understanding renal recovery.

PMID- 28337510
TI  - [Seven years of the National Action League for People with Rare Diseases : NAMSE 
      a success story?!]
AB  - It is estimated that four million people in Germany are living with a rare
      disease; in the EU, approximately 30 million people are affected. All rare
      diseases are chronic, linked to invalidity and/or restricted life expectancy, and
      their symptoms are often already manifest in childhood. Some 80% of rare diseases
      are genetically determined; they can rarely be cured. Furthermore, the
      pathogenesis of many rare diseases is unknown.In a move to ameliorate the
      situation of persons with rare diseases, the National Action League for People
      with Rare Diseases (NAMSE) published the National Plan of Action for People with
      Rare Diseases containing 52 measures that aim to achieve the desired
      improvements. More than half of these measures have already been implemented or
      are currently in the process of implementation. The Federal Ministry of Health is
      supporting this implementation process with numerous projects.NAMSE has achieved
      a great deal as a result of the National Plan of Action for People with Rare
      Diseases, even though not all of the measures included in the National Plan of
      Action have been implemented. The first results of individual measures are
      already becoming apparent. In order to achieve long-lasting improvements in the
      prevention, diagnosis and therapy of rare diseases, initiatives will have to be
      coordinated in the future as well.The Federal Ministry of Health will be funding
      the NAMSE Coordinating Office until mid-2018, thus ensuring that NAMSE will
      remain operational until that time. All of the partners collaborating in the
      Action League agree on the need for NAMSE, together with its coordinating office,
      to remain in place. To this end, a structure that keeps the health care situation
      of persons with rare diseases under observation, that suggests solutions and
      offers a possibility for the parties involved to network, is necessary. The
      question of conducting a legal restructuring of NAMSE in the future that will be
      sustainable in the long term is currently under discussion.

PMID- 28337511
TI  - [Dementia in the focus of health research : A comparative analysis of current
      ageing studies].
AB  - Health research on an increasingly aging population calls for careful
      consideration of aging-associated phenomena, such as dementia. Accounting for
      such diseases is a necessary step for gaining a view of health in the elderly. It
      is moreover imperative to gather data on subjects' mental limitations in surveys
      to better evaluate the validity of answers disclosed by elderly participants.
      This article discusses the availability of data on individuals suffering from
      dementia in national studies on aging. It centers on the question of how surveys
      respond to the challenge of diagnosing dementia. The analysis is based on a
      literature review, which focuses on national studies on aging that were conducted
      no later than 2005, and that enforced an upper age limit of at least 79 years old
      for their subjects. By evaluating these published studies, and analyzing their
      data descriptively, it was determined how many subjects suffering from dementia
      were part of each sample, and which methods were applied to diagnose such
      illnesses. Overall, the availability of data on age and aging is satisfactory in
      Germany. The literature review discovered seven studies on aging, as well as five
      that lend themselves to a framework oriented toward research on aging. The number
      of subjects suffering from dementia in the samples is between 0 and 14% - over
      half of the studies reach less than 1.5% of those affected. These results thus
      point out problems in surveying individuals suffering from dementia. They
      highlight the limitations of studies on aging that do not account for dementia in
      their subjects. The following discussion aims to contribute to the debate on
      relevant research methodology, and to the development of methodological
      approaches that consider dementia as a crucial factor.

PMID- 28337512
TI  - Parks and green areas and the risk for depression and suicidal indicators.
AB  - OBJECTIVES: There is increasing evidence that parks and green areas have
      beneficial effects on mental health; however, most studies have been limited to a
      certain or small geographic area. This study investigated whether parks and green
      areas were associated with the risk for depression or suicidal indicators among
      adults. METHODS: We used the 2009 Korean Community Health Survey data (n =
      169,029). Residential geographical codes were used to determine the amount of
      parks and green areas in each administrative district. RESULTS: The median amount
      of parks and green areas was 19.73 m2 per capita. Compared with adults living the
      highest amount of parks and green areas (1st quartile), those living in regions
      with the lowest amount of parks and green areas (4th quartile) had 16-27% greater
      odds for depression and suicidal indicators, after adjusting for all potential
      variables. People without moderate physical activity had higher odds for self
      reported depression and suicidal ideation than those with moderate physical
      activity. CONCLUSIONS: We observed protective associations between parks and
      green areas and depression and suicidal indicators. In addition, moderate
      physical activity may help to lower the risk for depression and suicidal
      indicators.

PMID- 28337514
TI  - Effect of Sequential Treatment with Bisphosphonates After Teriparatide in
      Ovariectomized Rats: A Direct Comparison Between Risedronate and Alendronate.
AB  - Teriparatide (TPTD), a recombinant human parathyroid hormone N-terminal fragment
      (1-34), is a widely used bone anabolic drug for osteoporosis. Sequential
      treatment with antiresorptives such as bisphosphonates after TPTD discontinuation
      is generally recommended. However, relative effects of bisphosphonates have not
      been determined. In the present study, we directly compared effects of
      risedronate (RIS) and alendronate (ALN) on bone mineral density (BMD), bone
      turnover, structural property and strength in ovariectomized (OVX) rats, when
      administered after TPTD. Female Sprague Dawley rats were divided into one sham
      operated and eight ovariectomized groups. TPTD, RIS, and ALN were given
      subcutaneously twice per week for 4 or 8 weeks after 4 week treatment with TPTD.
      TPTD significantly increased BMD (+9.6%) in OVX rats after 4 weeks of treatment.
      8 weeks after TPTD withdrawal, vehicle-treated group showed a blunted BMD
      increase of +8.4% from the baseline. In contrast, 8 weeks of treatment with RIS
      and ALN significantly increased BMD to 17.4 and 21.8%, respectively. While ALN
      caused a consistently larger increase in BMD, sequential treatment with RIS
      resulted in lower Tb.Sp compared to ALN in the fourth lumbar vertebra as well as
      in greater stiffness in compression test. In conclusion, the present study
      demonstrated that sequential therapy with ALN and RIS after TPTD both improved
      bone mass and structure. Our results further suggest that RIS may have a greater
      effect on improving bone quality and stiffness than ALN despite less prominent
      effect on BMD. Further studies are necessary to determine clinical relevance of
      these findings to fracture rate.

PMID- 28337515
TI  - Assessment of Cardiac Function in Fetuses of Gestational Diabetic Mothers During
      the Second Trimester.
AB  - Fetuses of diabetic mothers may have structural or functional cardiac
      abnormalities which increase morbidity and mortality. Isolated functional
      abnormalities have been identified in the third trimester. The aim of the present
      study was to assess fetal cardiac function (systolic, diastolic, and global
      myocardial performance) in the second trimester in mothers with gestational
      diabetes, and also to relate cardiac function with glycemic control. Mothers with
      gestational diabetes mellitus referred for fetal cardiac evaluation in the second
      trimester (between 19 and 24 weeks) from March 2015 to February 2016 were
      enrolled as case subjects in this study. Non-diabetic mothers who had a fetal
      echocardiogram done between 19 and 24 weeks for other indications were enrolled
      as controls. Functional cardiac variables showed a statistically significant
      difference in isovolumetric relaxation and contraction times and the myocardial
      performance index and mitral E/A ratios in the gestational diabetic group (p =
      0.003). Mitral annular plane systolic excursion was significantly less in the
      diabetic group (p = 0.01). The only functional cardiac variable found abnormal in
      mothers with poor glycemic control was the prolonged isovolumetric relaxation
      time. Functional cardiac abnormalities can be detected in the second trimester in
      fetuses of gestational diabetic mothers and timely intervention can improve
      postnatal outcomes.

PMID- 28337516
TI  - Exploring the potential of high resolution mass spectrometry for the
      investigation of lignin-derived phenol substitutes in phenolic resin syntheses.
AB  - Chemical degradation is an efficient method to obtain bio-oils and other
      compounds from lignin. Lignin bio-oils are potential substitutes for the phenol
      component of phenol formaldehyde (PF) resins. Here, we developed an analytical
      method based on high resolution mass spectrometry that provided structural
      information for the synthesized lignin-derived resins and supported the
      prediction of their properties. Different model resins based on typical lignin
      degradation products were analyzed by electrospray ionization in negative
      ionization mode. Utilizing enhanced mass defect filter techniques provided
      detailed structural information of the lignin-based model resins and readily
      complemented the analytical data from differential scanning calorimetry and
      thermogravimetric analysis. Relative reactivity and chemical diversity of the
      phenol substitutes were significant determinants of the outcome of the PF resin
      synthesis and thus controlled the areas of application of the resulting polymers.
      Graphical abstract ?.

PMID- 28337517
TI  - A column switching ultrahigh-performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass
      spectrometry method to determine anandamide and 2-arachidonoylglycerol in plasma
      samples.
AB  - This study reports a fast, sensitive, and selective column switching ultrahigh
      performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (UHPLC-MS/MS) method
      to determine the endocannabinoids (eCBs), anandamide (AEA), and 2
      arachidonoylglycerol (2-AG) in plasma samples. This bidimensional system used a
      restricted access media column (RP-8 ADS, 25 mm * 4 mm * 25 MUM) in the first
      dimension and a core-shell Kinetex C18 (100 mm * 2, 1.7 mm * 1 MUM) column in the
      second dimension, followed by detection in a mass spectrometer triple quadrupole
      (multiple reactions monitoring mode) operating in the positive mode. RP-8 ADS was
      used for trace enrichment of eCBs (reverse phase partitioning) and macromolecular
      matrix size exclusion; the core-shell column was used for the chromatographic
      separation. The column switching UHPLC-MS/MS method presented a linear range
      spanning from 0.1 ng mL-1 (LOQ) to 6 ng mL-1 for AEA and from 0.04 ng mL-1 (LOQ)
      to 10 ng mL-1 for 2-AG. Excluding the LLOQ values, the precision assays provided
      coefficients of variation lower than 8% and accuracy with relative standard error
      values lower than 14%. Neither carryover nor matrix effects were detected. This
      high-throughput column switching method compared to conventional methods is time
      saving as it involves fewer steps, consumes less solvent, and presents lower
      LLOQ. The column switching UHPLC-MS/MS method was successfully applied to
      determine AEA and 2-AG in plasma samples obtained from Alzheimer's disease
      patients. Graphical abstract A column switching ultra high-performance liquid
      chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry method using RP-8 ADS column and core
      shell column to determine endocannabinoids in plasma samples.

PMID- 28337519
TI  - The draped aorta sign of impending aortic aneurysm rupture.

PMID- 28337518
TI  - Both AtrbohD and AtrbohF are essential for mediating responses to oxygen
      deficiency in Arabidopsis.
AB  - KEY MESSAGE: Both AtrbohD and AtrbohF promote the increases in activities of ADH,
      PDC, LDH, and Ca2+ levels, and induce the expression of multiple hypoxia response
      genes, thus improving Arabidopsis adaptation to oxygen deficiency. NADPH oxidase
      AtrbohD and AtrbohF cooperatively play key roles in regulation of growth and
      stress signaling in Arabidopsis. However, reports on AtrbohD and AtrbohF
      functioning together in hypoxia signaling are scarce, and the underlying
      mechanisms remain elusive. Here, we show that the double null mutant atrbohD/F is
      more sensitive to oxygen deprivation compared with wild type (WT) and the single
      mutant atrbohD and atrbohF. Under oxygen deficiency, enhancements of the
      transcripts of alcohol dehydrogenase 1 (ADH1) and pyruvate decarboxylase 1 (PDC1)
      and the activities of ADH, PDC and lactate dehydrogenase in WT are clearly
      reduced in the single mutants, and more strongly reduced in the double mutant.
      Moreover, increases in the production of ATP, H2O2 and Ca2+ in WT are
      significantly arrested in atrbohD, atrbohF, and especially in atrbohD/F. Hypoxia
      promoted rise in the expression of some hypoxic responsive genes is also
      inhibited in atrbohD/F relative to WT, atrbohD and atrbohF. These genes include
      ethylene response factor 73, lactate dehydrogenase, MYB transcription factor 2,
      sucrose synthase 1 (SUS1), SUS4, heat stress transcription factor A2 and heat
      shock protein 18.2. These results suggest that both AtrbohD and AtrbohF are
      essential for mediating hypoxia signaling. H2O2 derived from AtrbohD and AtrbohF
      triggers the Ca2+ increase and induces the expression of multiple hypoxia
      response genes, thus improving Arabidopsis tolerance to low-oxygen stress. These
      findings provide new insights into the mechanisms of AtrbohF in regulating the
      responses to oxygen deprivation in Arabidopsis.

PMID- 28337520
TI  - The "polka-dot" sign.

PMID- 28337521
TI  - Evaluating histologic differentiation of hepatitis B virus-related hepatocellular
      carcinoma using intravoxel incoherent motion and AFP levels alone and in
      combination.
AB  - PURPOSE: To evaluate histologic differentiation of hepatitis B virus (HBV)
      related hepatocellular carcinomas (HCCs) using apparent diffusion coefficient
      (ADC) and intravoxel incoherent motion (IVIM)-derived metrics and to compare
      findings with alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) levels alone and in combination. MATERIALS
      AND METHOD: One hundred and six chronic HBV-related HCC patients who underwent
      IVIM diffusion-weighted magnetic resonance imaging with eleven b values were
      enrolled. Mean ADC, diffusion coefficient (D), pseudodiffusion coefficient (D*),
      and perfusion fraction (f) values were determined for all detected lesions. The
      metrics and AFP levels of different histologically differentiated groups were
      compared. Spearman's rank correlation was used to assess the statistical
      dependence among the histologically differentiated HCCs. Receiver operating
      characteristic (ROC) analysis was performed to evaluate diagnostic performance of
      these metrics and AFP levels alone and in combination. RESULTS: ADC, D, and f
      values and AFP levels were significantly different among well-, moderately, and
      poorly differentiated HCCs. The four metrics were significantly correlated with
      histologic differentiation. The area under the ROC curve (AUC-ROC) of ADC, D, f,
      and AFP for diagnosing well-differentiated HCCs was 0.903, 0.84, 0.782, and
      0.806, respectively, and the AUC-ROC of above metrics for diagnosing poorly
      differentiated HCCs was 0.787, 0.726, 0.624, and 0.633, respectively. The
      combination of ADC and AFP provided an AUC-ROC of 0.945 for well-differentiated
      HCC. However, this did not provide better performance for diagnosing poorly
      differentiated HCC. CONCLUSION: ADC, IVIM metrics, and AFP levels may be useful
      for evaluating histologic differentiation of HBV-related HCCs, and the
      combination of ADC and AFP provides better diagnostic performance for well
      differentiated HCC.

PMID- 28337523
TI  - Hip fracture incidence and social deprivation: results from a French ecological
      study.
AB  - : The association between socioeconomic status (SES) and hip fracture (HF)
      incidence was analyzed in France in 2008. In men and women, a decrease in HF
      incidence was observed as the social deprivation index increased. This result may
      be partly due to the protective effect of increasing body weight against HF.
      INTRODUCTION: Regional variations in hip fracture (HF) incidence exist worldwide.
      Reasons for these variations remain unknown. As regional variations have also
      been observed for socioeconomic status, we analyzed the association between
      socioeconomic deprivation (SED) and HF incidence in France in 2008. METHODS: From
      the French Hospital National Database, we selected all HF encoded as primary
      diagnosis in persons aged 30 years and over. The recently published French
      version of the European Deprivation Index (EDI) was used for SED analysis, and an
      EDI score was measured for the year 2007 in each French local municipality. The
      EDI score was categorized in quintiles. Poisson regression was performed to
      examine the association between HF incidence and EDI adjusted for age and sex.
      The population attributable fraction (PAF) was measured to calculate the
      proportion of excess cases of HF associated with social affluence. RESULTS: In
      2008, 83,538 HF were reported in France of which 59,143 were included in this
      study. Among them, 44,401 fractures occurred in women (75%) and 14,742 in men
      (25%). In both men and women, there was a decrease in the HF incidence with
      increasing SED index. In Poisson regression, the interaction of age class and sex
      was significant (p < 0.0001) and the EDI in quintiles was significantly
      associated with the incidence of HF (p < 0.0001). A higher number of people
      living in affluent residential areas corresponded to a higher risk of HF. The
      risk of HF is 2.42 times higher for those living in the most affluent group
      compared to those living in the most underprivileged group. The value of the PAF
      was calculated at 27.1%. CONCLUSION: Social disparities in HF incidence exist in
      France with the most deprived municipalities having the lowest incidence. Prior
      knowledge demonstrates the strong relationships between body weight and HF risk
      as well as between body weight and the SED. The link found in our study between
      EDI and HF incidence as well as regional and temporal variations in HF incidence
      may be partly due to the protective effect of increased body weight against HF.

PMID- 28337522
TI  - Pre-symptomatic autoimmunity in rheumatoid arthritis: when does the disease
      start?
AB  - It is well recognised that a state of autoimmunity, in which immunological
      tolerance is broken, precedes the development of symptoms in the majority of
      patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA). For individuals who will later develop
      seropositive disease, this manifests as autoantibodies directed against proteins
      that have undergone specific post-translational modifications. There is evidence
      that the induction of this autoantibody response occurs at peripheral extra
      articular mucosal sites, such as the periodontium and lung. In addition to their
      utility as diagnostic markers, these autoantibodies may have a pathogenic role
      that helps localise disease to the synovium. Alongside the development of
      autoantibodies, other factors contributing to pre-symptomatic autoimmunity may
      include dysbiosis of the gastrointestinal tract, abnormal development of lymphoid
      tissue, and dysregulated autonomic and lipid-mediated anti-inflammatory
      signalling. These factors combine to skew the balance between pro-inflammatory
      and anti-inflammatory signalling in a manner that is permissive for the
      development of clinical arthritis. We present data to support the concept that
      the transitions from at-risk states to systemic autoimmunity and then to
      classifiable RA depend on multiple "switches". However, further prospective
      studies are necessary to define the molecular basis of these switches and the
      specific features of pre-symptomatic autoimmunity, so that preventative
      treatments can be targeted to individuals at high risk for RA. In this review, we
      analyse mechanisms that may contribute to the development of autoimmunity in at
      risk individuals and discuss the relationship between this pre-symptomatic state
      and subsequent development of RA.

PMID- 28337524
TI  - Quantitative analysis of efficacy and associated factors of calcium intake on
      bone mineral density in postmenopausal women.
AB  - : A model-based meta-analysis method was performed to quantitatively analyze the
      efficacy characteristics of calcium intake in BMD increase among postmenopausal
      women. We found that age and calcium intake dose were key factors affecting the
      efficiency and onset of BMD change, and daily 1200 mg calcium was suggested to be
      a beneficial dosage. INTRODUCTION: This paper aims to quantify the efficacy of
      calcium intake in preventing bone mineral density (BMD) decrease among
      postmenopausal women and to investigate the factors that may affect the efficacy.
      METHODS: Comprehensive literature search was conducted in PubMed and EMBASE from
      January 2016. Placebo-controlled or no-treatment controlled randomized trials
      focused on calcium intake for the management of osteoporosis in postmenopausal
      women were included. The clinical and demographic characteristics of participants
      and efficacy data, defined as the mean percentage change of spine BMD (L2-L4) at
      each observation time point compared with that of baseline, were extracted from
      the studies. Model-based meta-analysis (MBMA) was used to describe the time
      course of BMD change by calcium intake and identify the related factors. RESULTS:
      This study includes 17 trials involving 2537 subjects. The results showed that a
      classic pharmacodynamic maximal effect (E max) model could describe the time
      course of BMD change by calcium intake. Using this model, we found that age and
      calcium intake dose were key factors affecting the efficiency and onset of BMD
      change. A 60-year-old woman administered with 800 mg/day calcium can achieve a
      maximum BMD increasing rate of 2.38%, and the time to reach 50% of this maximum
      (known as onset time) was 9.44 months. An increase of 0.0817% per year was noted
      in the maximal effect value for women aged between 50 and 83 years. For calcium
      dose interval from 250 to 2000 mg/day, the onset time was expressed as 9.44 *
      (dose/800)-1.33 months. Two-year calcium intake of 700, 1200, and 2000 mg/day
      resulted in a maximum efficacy of BMD of 68.0, 81.3, and 89.6%, respectively.
      This indicates that the final efficacy had already reached the plateau (>80% E
      max) under the 1200-mg/day dose. CONCLUSION: Calcium intake can effectively
      postpone the tendency of BMD decrease in postmenopausal women. An increased
      calcium dose contributes to the shortening of the onset time. Considering the
      drug-acting rate and safety into account, menopausal women can be administered
      with a rational dose of 1200 mg/day to reduce bone loss.

PMID- 28337525
TI  - Phosphodiesterase-1b (Pde1b) knockout mice are resistant to forced swim and tail
      suspension induced immobility and show upregulation of Pde10a.
AB  - RATIONALE: Major depressive disorder is a leading cause of suicide and
      disability. Despite this, current antidepressants provide insufficient efficacy
      in more than 60% of patients. Most current antidepressants are presynaptic
      reuptake inhibitors; postsynaptic signal regulation has not received as much
      attention as potential treatment targets. OBJECTIVES: We examined the effects of
      disruption of the postsynaptic cyclic nucleotide hydrolyzing enzyme,
      phosphodiesterase (PDE) 1b, on depressive-like behavior and the effects on PDE1B
      protein in wild-type (WT) mice following stress. METHODS: Littermate knockout
      (KO) and WT mice were tested in locomotor activity, tail suspension (TST), and
      forced swim tests (FST). FST was also used to compare the effects of two
      antidepressants, fluoxetine and bupropion, in KO versus WT mice. Messenger RNA
      (mRNA) expression changes were also determined. WT mice underwent acute or
      chronic stress and markers of stress and PDE1B expression were examined. RESULTS:
      Pde1b KO mice exhibited decreased TST and FST immobility. When treated with
      antidepressants, both WT and KO mice showed decreased FST immobility and the
      effect was additive in KO mice. Mice lacking Pde1b had increased striatal Pde10a
      mRNA expression. In WT mice, acute and chronic stress upregulated PDE1B
      expression while PDE10A expression was downregulated after chronic but not acute
      stress. CONCLUSIONS: PDE1B is a potential therapeutic target for depression
      treatment because of the antidepressant-like phenotype seen in Pde1b KO mice.

PMID- 28337526
TI  - Arthritis and cognitive impairment in older adults.
AB  - Adults aged 65 or older with arthritis may be at increased risk for cognitive
      impairment [cognitive impairment but not dementia (CIND) or dementia]. Studies
      have found associations between arthritis and cognition impairments; however,
      none have examined whether persons with arthritis develop cognitive impairments
      at higher rates than those without arthritis. Using data from the Health and
      Retirement Study, we estimated the prevalence of cognitive impairments in older
      adults with and without arthritis, and examined associations between arthritis
      status and cognitive impairments. We calculated incidence density ratios (IDRs)
      using generalized estimating equations to estimate associations between arthritis
      and cognitive impairments adjusting for age, sex, race/ethnicity, marital status,
      education, income, depression, obesity, smoking, the number of chronic
      conditions, physical activity, and birth cohort. The prevalence of CIND and
      dementia did not significantly differ between those with and without arthritis
      (CIND: 20.8%, 95% CI 19.7-21.9 vs. 18.3%, 95% CI 16.8-19.8; dementia: 5.2% 95% CI
      4.6-5.8 vs. 5.1% 95% CI 4.3-5.9). After covariate control, older adults with
      arthritis did not differ significantly from those without arthritis for either
      cognitive outcome (CIND IDR: 1.6, 95% CI = 0.9-2.9; dementia IDR: 1.1, 95% CI =
      0.4-3.3) and developed cognitive impairments at a similar rate to those without
      arthritis. Older adults with arthritis were not significantly more at risk to
      develop cognitive impairments and developed cognitive impairments at a similar
      rate as older adults without arthritis over 6 years.

PMID- 28337527
TI  - Phase II study of the c-MET inhibitor tivantinib (ARQ 197) in patients with
      relapsed or relapsed/refractory multiple myeloma.
AB  - The hepatocyte growth factor/c-MET pathway has been implicated in the
      pathobiology of multiple myeloma, and c-MET inhibitors induce myeloma cell
      apoptosis, suggesting that they could be useful clinically. We conducted a phase
      II study with the c-MET inhibitor tivantinib in patients with relapsed, or
      relapsed and refractory myeloma whose disease had progressed after one to four
      prior therapies. Tivantinib, 360 mg orally per dose, was administered twice daily
      continuously over a 4-week treatment cycle without a cap on the number of allowed
      cycles, barring undue toxicities or disease progression. Primary objectives were
      to determine the overall response rate and the toxicities of tivantinib in this
      patient population. Sixteen patients were enrolled in a two-stage design. Notable
      grade 3 and 4 hematological adverse events were limited to neutropenia in five
      and four patients, respectively. Nonhematological adverse events of grade 3 or
      higher included hypertension (in four patients); syncope, infection, and pain
      (two each); and fatigue, cough, and pulmonary embolism (one each). Four of 11
      evaluable patients (36%) had stable disease as their best response, while the
      remainder showed disease progression. Overall, tivantinib as a single agent did
      not show promise for unselected relapsed/refractory myeloma patients. However,
      the ability to achieve stable disease does suggest that combination regimens
      incorporating targeted inhibitors in patients with c-MET pathway activation could
      be of interest.

PMID- 28337528
TI  - A molecular study on the role of alpha-hemoglobin-stabilizing protein in
      hemoglobin H disease.
AB  - The clinical course of hemoglobin H (HbH) disease is remarkably variable. It is
      not completely clear how genetic and environmental factors interplay to modify
      clinical severity in affected individuals. Previous studies suggested that
      altered structure or function of alpha-hemoglobin-stabilizing protein (AHSP)
      could modify the clinical phenotypes of thalassemias. The present study attempted
      to explore the potential role of AHSP in the pathophysiology of HbH disease in 95
      Chinese and Thai/Sino-Thai patients with deletional and non-deletional form of
      this disease. We identified six polymorphic sites in AHSP which were subgrouped
      into major haplotype clades. No association between AHSP genotypes or haplotypes
      and clinical phenotypes was observed. Instead, multiple linear regression
      analysis indicated that expression of AHSP correlated negatively with age (P <
      0.001) and hemoglobin (P = 0.007), but positively with reticulocyte count (P =
      0.003) and severity score (P = 0.003). Subgroup analysis showed that AHSP
      expression was higher in the non-deletional form than in the deletional form (P <
      0.001). Moreover, specific types of non-deletional HbH disease with production of
      mutant alpha-globin chains that do not bind to AHSP (Hb Constant Spring and Hb
      Pakse) showed the highest AHSP expression. The present findings demonstrate that
      AHSP expression is a biomarker of HbH disease severity and infer an important
      role of AHSP in modulating the pathophysiology of this disease. Pharmacological
      or genetic means to alter AHSP expression may be a novel approach for
      amelioration of disease severity in HbH disease.

PMID- 28337530
TI  - Chronic sialadenitis due to the stone inside the accessory duct of submandibular
      gland.
AB  - PURPOSE: Sialolithiasis is the most common cause of chronic sialadenitis. In this
      case report, intraoperative finding of an accessory submandibular duct,
      obstructed with stone, originating from the same gland nearby the main Warthon's
      duct, is presented. CASE REPORT: A 22-year-old male patient, suffering from
      eating-related pain and swelling in his left submandibular region, was diagnosed
      with left sublandibular gland sialadenitis with radiologically manifested
      sialolithiasis, and gland excision was advised. Surgery was performed under
      general anesthesia. When the full anatomical scenery was delineated before
      excision of the gland, we surprisingly encountered two submandibular ducts
      originating from ipsilateral gland, one of them was obstructed with stone. After
      two ducts were ligated, the gland with sialolith was excised. According to
      histopathologic examination, the duct obstructed with stone was identified as the
      accessory duct and the other one was the main Wharton's duct. Postoperative days
      were uneventful; no neurologic complication was observed. CONCLUSIONS:
      Otolaryngologists should be aware of anatomic variations of the submandibular
      duct(s) to avoid possible complications, especially intraoperatively, because
      rutine preoperative radiologic preparation does not include investigation of
      possible accessory ducts.

PMID- 28337529
TI  - The impact of repeated cycles of radioligand therapy using [177Lu]Lu-PSMA-617 on
      renal function in patients with hormone refractory metastatic prostate cancer.
AB  - BACKGROUND: [177Lu]Lu-PSMA-617 is a well-tolerated therapy for the treatment of
      metastatic prostate cancer. However, because of the mainly renal excretion of the
      tracer, the kidneys are one of the most limiting organs. The purpose of this
      study was to examine the post-therapeutic changes in renal function over time and
      to identify risk factors for developing renal toxicity. We also tested the
      reliability of markers for renal function monitoring. METHODS: Fifty-five
      patients with castrate-resistant metastatic prostate cancer treated with at least
      three cycles of [177Lu]Lu-PSMA-617 were investigated. Renal function was assessed
      through laboratory tests (creatinine, GFR, cystatin C) and Tc-99 m-MAG3
      measurements. Adverse events were classified according to the Common Terminology
      Criteria for Adverse Events (CTCAE) v4.0. To identify risk factors for renal
      toxicity, we used Pearson's correlation coefficient and the corresponding p
      values. RESULTS: None of the 55 patients experienced severe nephrotoxicity (grade
      3/4). In 14 patients (25%), we observed increased creatinine levels of CTC 1
      degrees  or 2 degrees . There were 16 cases of increased GFR (grade 1/2). At the
      baseline, only 14 patients had elevated cystatin C. However, post-therapeutic
      cystatin C was elevated in 32 patients (58%). A significant effect on renal
      function was found for age (p = 0.049), hypertension (p = 0.001) and pre-existing
      kidney disease (p = 0.001). The most reliable predictive markers of
      nephrotoxicity were TER-MAG3 and cystatin C. CONCLUSION: Renal toxicity in
      patients treated with [177Lu]Lu-PSMA-617 was low. There was no (sub)acute grade 3
      or 4 nephrotoxicity.

PMID- 28337531
TI  - Advancement Flap for Treatment of Complex Cryptoglandular Anal Fistula:
      Prediction of Therapy Success or Failure Using Anamnestic and Clinical
      Parameters.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Multiple new procedures for treatment of complex anal fistula have
      been described in the past decades, but an ideal single technique has yet not
      been identified. Factors that predict the outcome are required to identify the
      best procedure for each individual patient. The aim of this study was to find
      those predictors for advancement flap at midterm follow-up. METHODS: From 2012 to
      2015 in a tertiary university clinic, all patients who underwent advancement flap
      for treatment of complex cryptoglandular fistula were prospectively enrolled. Pre
      and postoperatively standardized anamnestic and clinical examinations were
      performed. Predictive factors for therapy failure were identified using
      univariate and multivariate analysis. RESULTS: Out of 65 patients, 61 (93%)
      completed all examinations and were included in the study. Therapy failure after
      a mean follow-up period of 25 months occurred in total n = 11 patients (18%).
      There was no significant disturbance of continence among the entire study cohort
      as shown by the incontinence score (preop 0.34 +/- 0.91 pts., postop 0.37 +/-
      0.97 pts.; p = 0.59). Univariate analysis for risk factors for therapy failure
      revealed age (p = 0.004), history of surgical abscess drainage (p = 0.04), BMI (p
      = 0.002), suprasphincteric fistula (p = 0.019) and horseshoe abscess (p = 0.036)
      as independent parameters for therapy failure. During multivariate analysis, only
      history of surgical abscess drainage (OR = 8.09, p = 0.048, 95% CI 0.98-64.96),
      suprasphincteric fistula (OR = 6.83, p = 0.032, 95% CI 1.17-6.83) and BMI (OR =
      1.23, p = 0.017, 95% CI 1.03-1.46) were independent parameters for therapy
      failure. CONCLUSION: Advancement flap for treatment of complex fistula is
      effective and has low risk of disturbed continence. BMI, suprasphincteric fistula
      and history of surgical abscess drainage are predictors for therapy failure.

PMID- 28337532
TI  - Transition from Laparoscopic Totally Extraperitoneal Inguinal Hernia Repair to
      Robotic Transabdominal Preperitoneal Inguinal Hernia Repair: A Retrospective
      Review of a Single Surgeon's Experience.
AB  - BACKGROUND: There is a paucity of literature comparing laparoscopic to robotic
      inguinal hernia repair. We present a single surgeon's transition from
      laparoscopic totally extraperitoneal (L-TEP) to robotic transabdominal
      preperitoneal (R-TAPP) inguinal hernia repair and compare outcomes from the two
      approaches. METHODS: This retrospective review and analysis of prospectively
      collected data compare outcomes during the transition from L-TEP to R-TAPP
      inguinal hernia repair by a single surgeon at one institution. Operating times
      and surgical outcomes and complications are analyzed. All consecutive L-TEP cases
      from November 2012 to August 2014 and all consecutive R-TAPP cases from March
      2013 to October 2015 were included in the analysis. RESULTS: A total of 157 and
      118 patients underwent L-TEP and R-TAPP inguinal hernia repair, respectively. The
      groups were similar regarding demographics and ASA class. A significantly higher
      number of complex cases were performed in the R-TAPP group compared to L-TEP
      group (n = 11 vs. n = 1, p = 0.0001). Mean surgical times were nearly identical
      (69.12 +/- 35.13 min, R-TAPP; 69.05 +/- 26.31, L-TEP) as were intraoperative and
      postoperative complication rates-despite the significantly higher number of
      complex cases in the R-TAPP group. CONCLUSIONS: This is the largest study in the
      literature comparing a single surgeon's experience transitioning from L-TEP to R
      TAPP inguinal hernia repair. Results from the R-TAPP cases were similar to those
      achieved from laparoscopic cases. The robotic platform may have facilitated the
      execution of complex hernia cases during the proficiency phase.

PMID- 28337534
TI  - Intermediate osteotomies in rhinoplasty: a new perspective.
AB  - The nasal dorsum framework plays a major role in nasal and facial harmony. This
      study presents a new approach to an already known technique, intermediate
      osteotomies, which can be used routinely in patients with cosmetically unpleasant
      changes in eyebrow-tip line features, allowing the acquisition of a natural,
      aesthetically agreeable and harmonious dorsum contour, while preserving nasal
      function. The approach was evaluated retrospectively in 50 consecutive patients
      at a tertiary referral hospital. Patients were asked to complete a survey to rate
      their satisfaction with the cosmetic outcome on a 5-point visual analog scale
      (VAS) and to compare the impact of nasal obstruction on their quality of life,
      pre- and postoperatively, by completing the validated Nasal Obstruction Symptom
      Evaluation (NOSE) scale. Satisfaction was scored as excellent (satisfaction level
      VAS average score, 4.4), with more than 50% of the patients completely satisfied
      with the aesthetic result, while NOSE scale scores demonstrated preservation of
      nasal function postoperatively. Typical complications of the upper third of the
      nose following osteotomies were not observed.

PMID- 28337533
TI  - Incidence of second surgery following pediatric adenotonsillar surgery: a
      population-based cohort study.
AB  - The aim of the study is to evaluate the incidence and risk factors of a second
      surgery of the adenoids or tonsils for hypertrophy in children who have already
      undergone surgery for the same condition. This is a retrospective study (2004
      2013) based on data from the National patient registry in Sweden. A total of
      41,401 children underwent a first surgery of the adenoids or tonsils during the
      studied period. The most commonly performed (first) surgical procedure was
      adenoidectomy followed by adenotonsillotomy, adenotonsillectomy, tonsillotomy,
      and tonsillectomy. A total of 4459 patients underwent a second surgery for the
      same condition. The incidence of a second surgery was the highest in the primary
      adenoidectomy group (72.2, 95% CI 69.7-74.7) and lowest in the primary
      adenotonsillectomy group (14.2, 95% CI 12.6-15.9). A lower age at first surgery
      significantly increased the risk for a second surgery. A second surgery of the
      adenoids and tonsils due to lymphoid hypertrophy was common in the pediatric
      population. Adenoidectomy stands out in a negative way in most aspects of this
      study compared to the other types of first surgery. However, due to the design of
      this study, the results of this study cannot be taken as proof of a full
      adenotonsillectomy as the most appropriate first surgery in children with
      lymphoid upper airway obstruction. Nevertheless, the results clearly show that
      the topic needs to be addressed in future studies.

PMID- 28337535
TI  - Anatomical and reverse shoulder replacement with a convertible, uncemented short
      stem shoulder prosthesis: first clinical and radiological results.

PMID- 28337536
TI  - Functional and patient-reported outcomes of the Swanson metacarpo-phalangeal
      arthroplasty in the rheumatoid hand.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: Replacement of the metacarpo-phalangeal joints (MCPJ) with silastic
      Swanson's implants can help decrease pain, stiffness and allow for improved
      function in rheumatoid arthritis (RA). There is a lack of patient reported
      outcome measure (PROM) studies assessing the efficacy of this procedure in RA.
      The aim of this study was to report any change in function, pain, stiffness and
      satisfaction following the Swanson MCPJ replacement using patient reported
      outcomes in a rheumatoid population. METHODS: The combined results of 64 RA
      patients (71 hands) with 284 Swanson MCPJ arthroplasties (mean follow-up: 75.85
      months) were assessed using the validated M-SACRAH questionnaire and a separate
      satisfaction questionnaire. Radiographic evaluation was performed to insure
      correct alignment of the hinged prosthesis postoperatively. No attempt was made
      to identify other predictors, radiologically or clinically. Data analysed in the
      study was interpreted in the context of the number of hands and survivorship was
      defined as implant fracture, loosening or revision. RESULTS: The mean total
      functional outcome score improved by 46.2% and the total pain outcome improved by
      60.2%. The total stiffness outcome improved by 56.9% postoperatively and the
      results obtained from the satisfaction questions revealed that 73.2% of patients
      would retrospectively elect to have the procedure again. We report two
      postoperative complications in this group of superficial wound infections.
      Radiographically, all MCPJs showed improved alignment, however five patients
      reported worsening pain, four patients reported increased stiffness and four
      reported reduced function postoperatively. There was one re-operation of a 5th
      MCPJ Swanson's, which did not require implant exchange and one implant was
      revised. Implant survivorship was 98.6%. CONCLUSIONS: Patient satisfaction and
      functional surrogate markers were overall favourable. Our results support the
      continued use of Swanson silastic arthoplasty in advanced RA.

PMID- 28337538
TI  - Prevalence and genetic characterization of Toxoplasma gondii in free-range
      chickens from grocery stores and farms in Maryland, Ohio and Massachusetts, USA.
AB  - Chickens are considered important in the epidemiology of Toxoplasma gondii.
      Chicken hearts (n = 1185) obtained from grocery stores were tested for T. gondii
      infection. Antibodies to T. gondii were assayed in fluid removed from the heart
      cavity using the modified agglutination test (MAT) at 1:5, 1:25, and 1:100
      dilutions. MAT antibodies were detected in 222 hearts at 1:5 dilution and 8
      hearts at 1:25 dilution, but none were positive at 1:100 dilution. Seropositive
      (n = 230, 19.4%) chicken hearts were bioassayed in mice and seronegative (n =
      157) chickens were bioassayed in cats. Viable T. gondii was not isolated from any
      hearts by bioassays in mice. The 2 cats fed 60 and 97 hearts did not excrete T.
      gondii oocysts. The results indicate a low prevalence of viable T. gondii in
      chickens from grocery stores. Molecular typing of 23 archived T. gondii strains
      isolated from free-range chickens from Ohio and Massachusetts using the 10 PCR
      RFLP markers including SAG1, SAG2 (5'-3'SAG2 and altSAG2), SAG3, BTUB, GRA6, c22
      8, c29-2, L358, PK1, and Apico revealed that seven were ToxoDB PCR-RFLP genotype
      #1, 11 were genotype #2, one was genotype #3, three were genotype #170, and one
      was mixed genotype. These results indicate that the clonal genotypes #1 (type
      II), #2 (type III), and #3 (type II variant) are common in free-range chickens.

PMID- 28337537
TI  - Is prepulse modification altered by continuous theta burst stimulation? DAT1
      genotype and motor threshold interact on prepulse modification following brain
      stimulation.
AB  - Previous studies suggest an inhibitory top-down control of the amygdala by the
      prefrontal cortex (PFC). Both brain regions play a role in the modulation of
      prepulse modification (PPM) of the acoustic startle response by a pre-stimulus.
      Repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) can modulate the activity of
      the PFC and might thus affect PPM. This study tested the effect of inhibitory
      rTMS on PPM accounting for a genetic variant of the dopamine transporter gene
      (DAT1). Healthy participants (N = 102) were stimulated with continuous theta
      burst stimulation (cTBS, an intense form of inhibitory rTMS) or sham treatment
      over the right PFC. Afterwards, during continuous presentation of a background
      white noise a louder noise burst was presented either alone (control startle) or
      preceded by a prepulse. Participants were genotyped for a DAT1 variable number
      tandem repeat (VNTR) polymorphism. Two succeeding sessions of cTBS over the right
      PFC (2 * 600 stimuli with a time lag of 15 min) attenuated averaged prepulse
      inhibition (PPI) in participants with a high resting motor threshold. An
      attenuation of PPI induced by prepulses with great distances to the pulse (480,
      2000 ms) was observed following active cTBS in participants that were homozygous
      carriers of the 10-repeat-allele of the DAT1 genotype and had a high resting
      motor threshold. Our results confirm the importance of the prefrontal cortex for
      the modulation of PPM. The effects were observed in participants with a high
      resting motor threshold only, probably because they received a higher dose of
      cTBS. The effects in homozygous carriers of the DAT1 10-repeat allele confirm the
      relevance of dopamine for PPM. Conducting an exploratory study we decided against
      the use of a correction for multiple testing.

PMID- 28337539
TI  - Homer1 (VesL-1) in the rat esophagus: focus on myenteric plexus and neuromuscular
      junction.
AB  - Homer1, a scaffolding protein of the postsynaptic density (PSD), enriched at
      excitatory synapses is known to anchor and modulate group I metabotropic
      glutamate receptors (mGluRs) and different channel- and receptor-proteins. Homer
      proteins are expressed in neurons of different brain regions, but also in non
      neuronal tissues like skeletal muscle. Occurrence and location of Homer1 and
      mGluR5 in myenteric plexus and neuromuscular junctions (NMJ) of rat esophagus
      have yet not been characterized. We located Homer1 and mGluR5 immunoreactivity (
      iry) in rat esophagus and focused on myenteric neurons, intraganglionic laminar
      endings (IGLEs) and NMJs, using double- and triple-label immunohistochemistry and
      confocal laser scanning microscopy. Homer1-iry was found in a subpopulation of
      vesicular glutamate transporter 2 (VGLUT2) positive IGLEs and cholinergic
      varicosities within myenteric ganglia, but neither in nitrergic nor cholinergic
      myenteric neuronal cell bodies. Homer1-iry was detected in 63% of esophageal and,
      for comparison, in 35% of sternomastoid NMJs. Besides the location in the PSD,
      Homer1-iry colocalized with cholinergic markers, indicating a presynaptic
      location in coarse VAChT/CGRP/NF200- immunoreactive (-ir) terminals of nucleus
      ambiguus neurons supplying striated esophageal muscle. mGluR5-iry was found in
      subpopulations of myenteric neuronal cell bodies, VGLUT2-ir IGLEs and cholinergic
      varicosities within the myenteric neuropil and NMJs of esophagus and
      sternomastoid muscles. Thus, Homer1 may anchor mGluR5 at presynaptic sites of
      cholinergic boutons at esophageal motor endplates, in a small subpopulation of
      VGLUT2-ir IGLEs and cholinergic varicosities within myenteric ganglia possibly
      modulating Ca2+-currents and neurotransmitter release.

PMID- 28337540
TI  - The discovery of plastid-to-nucleus retrograde signaling-a personal perspective.
AB  - DNA and machinery for gene expression have been discovered in chloroplasts during
      the 1960s. It was soon evident that the chloroplast genome is relatively small,
      that most genes for chloroplast-localized proteins reside in the nucleus and that
      chloroplast membranes, ribosomes, and protein complexes are composed of proteins
      encoded in both the chloroplast and the nuclear genome. This situation has made
      the existence of mechanisms highly probable that coordinate the gene expression
      in plastids and nucleus. In the 1970s, the first evidence for plastid signals
      controlling nuclear gene expression was provided by studies on plastid ribosome
      deficient mutants with reduced amounts and/or activities of nuclear-encoded
      chloroplast proteins including the small subunit of Rubisco, ferredoxin NADP+
      reductase, and enzymes of the Calvin cycle. This review describes first models of
      plastid-to-nucleus signaling and their discovery. Today, many plastid signals are
      known. They do not only balance gene expression in chloroplasts and nucleus
      during developmental processes but are also generated in response to
      environmental changes sensed by the organelles.

PMID- 28337541
TI  - Tyrosine kinase inhibitor therapy-induced changes in humoral immunity in patients
      with chronic myeloid leukemia.
AB  - PURPOSE: Tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) have well-characterized
      immunomodulatory effects on T and NK cells, but the effects on the humoral
      immunity are less well known. In this project, we studied TKI-induced changes in
      B cell-mediated immunity. METHODS: We collected peripheral blood (PB) and bone
      marrow (BM) samples from chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) patients before and
      during first-line imatinib (n = 20), dasatinib (n = 16), nilotinib (n = 8), and
      bosutinib (n = 12) treatment. Plasma immunoglobulin levels were measured, and
      different B cell populations in PB and BM were analyzed with flow cytometry.
      RESULTS: Imatinib treatment decreased plasma IgA and IgG levels, while dasatinib
      reduced IgM levels. At diagnosis, the proportion of patients with IgA, IgG, and
      IgM levels below the lower limit of normal (LLN) was 0, 11, and 6% of all CML
      patients, respectively, whereas at 12 months timepoint the proportions were 6% (p
      = 0.13), 31% (p = 0.042) and 28% (p = 0.0078). Lower initial Ig levels
      predisposed to the development of hypogammaglobulinemia during TKI therapy.
      Decreased Ig levels in imatinib-treated patients were associated with higher
      percentages of immature BM B cells. The patients, who had low Ig levels during
      the TKI therapy, had significantly more frequent minor infections during the
      follow-up compared with the patients with normal Ig values (33% vs. 3%, p =
      0.0016). No severe infections were reported, except recurrent upper respiratory
      tract infections in one imatinib-treated patient, who developed severe
      hypogammaglobulinemia. CONCLUSIONS: TKI treatment decreases plasma Ig levels,
      which should be measured in patients with recurrent infections.

PMID- 28337544
TI  - Complete genome sequences of cowpea polerovirus 1 and cowpea polerovirus 2
      infecting cowpea plants in Burkina Faso.
AB  - The full-length genome sequences of two novel poleroviruses found infecting
      cowpea plants, cowpea polerovirus 1 (CPPV1) and cowpea polerovirus 2 (CPPV2),
      were determined using overlapping RT-PCR and RACE-PCR. Whereas the 5845-nt CPPV1
      genome was most similar to chickpea chlorotic stunt virus (73% identity), the
      5945-nt CPPV2 genome was most similar to phasey bean mild yellow virus (86%
      identity). The CPPV1 and CPPV2 genomes both have a typical polerovirus genome
      organization. Phylogenetic analysis of the inferred P1-P2 and P3 amino acid
      sequences confirmed that CPPV1 and CPPV2 are indeed poleroviruses. Four
      apparently unique recombination events were detected within a dataset of 12 full
      polerovirus genome sequences, including two events in the CPPV2 genome. Based on
      the current species demarcation criteria for the family Luteoviridae, we
      tentatively propose that CPPV1 and CPPV2 should be considered members of novel
      polerovirus species.

PMID- 28337543
TI  - Superiority of stapled side-to-side gastrojejunostomy over conventional hand-sewn
      end-to-side gastrojejunostomy for reducing the risk of primary delayed gastric
      emptying after subtotal stomach-preserving pancreaticoduodenectomy.
AB  - BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Delayed gastric emptying (DGE) is the most common
      complication following pancreaticoduodenectomy (PD). The clinical efficacy of
      stapled side-to-side anastomosis using a laparoscopic stapling device during
      alimentary reconstruction in PD is not well understood and its superiority over
      conventional hand-sewn end-to-side anastomosis remains controversial. The
      objective of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of the stapled side-to
      side anastomosis in preventing the development of DGE after PD. METHODS: The
      subjects of this retrospective study were 137 patients who underwent
      pancreaticoduodenectomy, as subtotal stomach-preserving pancreaticoduodenectomy
      (SSPPD; n = 130), or conventional whipple procedure (n = 7) with Child
      reconstruction, between January 2010 and May 2014. The patients were divided into
      two groups according to whether they had had a stapled side-to-side anastomosis
      (SA group; n = 57) or a conventional hand-sewn end-to-side anastomosis (HA group;
      n = 80). RESULTS: SA reduced the operative time (SA vs. HA: 508 vs. 557 min, p =
      0.028) and the incidence of delayed gastric emptying (SA vs. HA: 21.1 vs. 46.3%,
      p = 0.003) and was associated with shorter hospitalization (SA vs. HA: 33 vs.
      39.5 days, p = 0.007). In this cohort, SA was the only significant factor
      contributing to a reduction in the incidence of DGE (p = 0.002). CONCLUSIONS:
      Stapled side-to-side gastrojejunostomy reduced the operative time and the
      incidence of DGE following PD with Child reconstruction, thereby also reducing
      the length of hospitalization.

PMID- 28337545
TI  - Retrospective investigation and evolutionary analysis of a novel porcine
      deltacoronavirus strain detected in Thailand from 2008 to 2015.
AB  - Porcine deltacoronavirus (PDCoV) in Thailand was first detected in 2015. We
      performed a retrospective investigation of the presence of PDCoV in intestinal
      samples collected from piglets with diarrhea in Thailand from 2008 to 2015 using
      RT-PCR. PDCoV was found to be present as early as February 2013. Phylogenetic
      analysis demonstrated that all PDCoV variants from Thailand differ from those
      from other countries and belong to a novel group of PDCoV that is separate from
      the US and Chinese PDCoV variants. Evolutionary analysis suggested that the Thai
      PDCoV isolates probably diverged from a different ancestor from that of the
      Chinese and US PDCoV isolates and that this separation occurred after 1994.

PMID- 28337542
TI  - alpha-Synuclein binds to the ER-mitochondria tethering protein VAPB to disrupt
      Ca2+ homeostasis and mitochondrial ATP production.
AB  - alpha-Synuclein is strongly linked to Parkinson's disease but the molecular
      targets for its toxicity are not fully clear. However, many neuronal functions
      damaged in Parkinson's disease are regulated by signalling between the
      endoplasmic reticulum (ER) and mitochondria. This signalling involves close
      physical associations between the two organelles that are mediated by binding of
      the integral ER protein vesicle-associated membrane protein-associated protein B
      (VAPB) to the outer mitochondrial membrane protein, protein tyrosine phosphatase
      interacting protein 51 (PTPIP51). VAPB and PTPIP51 thus act as a scaffold to
      tether the two organelles. Here we show that alpha-synuclein binds to VAPB and
      that overexpression of wild-type and familial Parkinson's disease mutant alpha
      synuclein disrupt the VAPB-PTPIP51 tethers to loosen ER-mitochondria
      associations. This disruption to the VAPB-PTPIP51 tethers is also seen in neurons
      derived from induced pluripotent stem cells from familial Parkinson's disease
      patients harbouring pathogenic triplication of the alpha-synuclein gene. We also
      show that the alpha-synuclein induced loosening of ER-mitochondria contacts is
      accompanied by disruption to Ca2+ exchange between the two organelles and
      mitochondrial ATP production. Such disruptions are likely to be particularly
      damaging to neurons that are heavily dependent on correct Ca2+ signaling and ATP.

PMID- 28337547
TI  - Retinal vascular changes after vitrectomy for idiopathic epiretinal membrane: a
      pilot study with dynamic vessel analysis.
AB  - PURPOSE: To investigate, using the Dynamic Vessel Analyzer (DVA), the retinal
      vascular changes that may occur after vitrectomy for idiopathic epiretinal
      membrane (ERM). METHODS: Twenty-six eyes of 13 patients affected by unilateral
      idiopathic ERM were prospectively analyzed. 13 fellow eyes were used as control.
      The static (central retinal artery and vein equivalents) and dynamic (after
      flicker light stimulus) DVA analysis was performed at baseline (1 day before
      surgery) and 6 months after vitrectomy. RESULTS: The static DVA analysis did not
      highlight any significant change between investigational eyes and controls at
      baseline and 6 months after surgery. The DVA dynamic analysis showed similar
      arterial flicker response between cases and controls at baseline (p = 0.3396),
      but disclosed a significant reduction of the arterial flicker response after
      surgery in the study eyes compared to fellow eyes (p = 0.0024). No significant
      changes were appreciated in the venous flicker response after surgery between
      cases and controls, both at baseline (p = 0.3450) and at the follow-up
      examination (p = 0.4214). CONCLUSIONS: The physiological flicker-induced
      vasoconstriction is reduced after vitrectomy in arteries. The oxygen saturation
      change occurring after vitrectomy might have a role in the vascular tone
      modification.

PMID- 28337546
TI  - Robotic thyroidectomy versus conventional open thyroidectomy for thyroid cancer:
      a systematic review and meta-analysis.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Despite the new technical alternative offered by the robotic surgery
      for minimally invasive thyroid surgery, the role of the robotic thyroidectomy
      (RT) in thyroid cancer has been highly disputed. This paper gives a systematic
      review and meta-analysis aiming to compare RT and open thyroidectomy (OT) based
      on the surgical outcomes and oncologic results. METHODS: Relevant literature was
      searched from various databases up to July 2016, including PubMed, MEDLINE,
      EMBASE, Cochrane Library, Web of science and Clinical Trials. gov. Outcomes of
      interest included patient characteristics, surgical outcomes, adverse events and
      complications, recurrence rate, and surgical completeness. RESULTS: The
      systematic review and meta-analysis were based on the 5200 cases selected from
      the twenty-three publications. RT was associated with an equivalent adverse event
      and complication rate including transient hypocalcemia, permanent hypocalcemia,
      transient hoarseness, permanent recurrent laryngeal nerve (RLN) palsy, transient
      hypoparathyroidism, permanent hypoparathyroidism, hematoma, postoperative
      bleeding, seroma, chyle leakage, the Voice Handicap Index-10 (VHI-10) score, as
      well as equivalent surgical completeness including postoperative radioactive
      iodine (RAI) ablation rate, number of RAI ablation sessions, mean total RAI
      ablation dose, mean stimulated Tg of postoperation RAI, and proportion of
      stimulated Tg < 1.0 ng/ml on first ablation. Moreover, RT had lesser blood loss
      (WMD - 1.47, p = 0.04), smaller number of retrieved lymph nodes (WMD - 1.21, p =
      0.0002), a low level of swallowing impairment (WMD - 4.17, p < 0.00001), and
      better cosmetic satisfaction (OR 4.05, p < 0.00001). However, OT was associated
      with shorter operation time (WMD 69.80, p < 0.00001), less total drain amount
      (WMD 66.53, p < 0.0001), and lower postoperative serum Tg level (WMD 0.21, p <
      0.00001). CONCLUSIONS: RT is as safe as OT for the treatment of thyroid cancer.
      Based on the long-time follow-up and surgical completeness, the adverse events
      and complications, and recurrence rate of RT were comparable with OT. RT was
      associated with a significantly lesser blood loss, smaller number of retrieved
      lymph nodes, a lower level of swallowing impairment, and better cosmetic
      satisfaction. In contrast, OT was associated with shorter operation time, smaller
      total drain amount, and lower postoperative serum Tg level. Overall, randomized
      clinical trials and larger patient cohort with long-term follow-up are still
      essential to further demonstrate the value of the robotic approach.

PMID- 28337548
TI  - The effects of anxiety and situation-specific context on perceptual-motor skill:
      a multi-level investigation.
AB  - We examined the effects of anxiety and situation-specific contextual information
      on attentional, interpretational, and behavioural processes underpinning
      perceptual-motor performance as proposed by Nieuwenhuys and Oudejans
      (Psychological Research 76:747-759; Nieuwenhuys, Oudejans, Psychological Research
      76:747-759, 2012) using an in situ task. Twelve skilled cricket batsmen played
      against a skilled spin bowler under conditions manipulated to induce low and high
      levels of anxiety and the presence of low and high levels of situation-specific
      context. High anxiety decreased the number of good bat-ball contacts, while high
      levels of situation-specific context increased the number of times the ball was
      missed. When under high anxiety, participants employed significantly more
      fixations of shorter duration to more locations, but the effects of anxiety were
      restricted to the attentional level only. Situation-specific context affected
      performance and behavioural measures but not anxiety, cognitive load or
      perceptual-cognitive processes, suggesting that performance is influenced through
      different mechanisms from anxiety that are independent of working memory load.

PMID- 28337549
TI  - Perceptual impressions of causality are affected by common fate.
AB  - Many studies of perceptual impressions of causality have used a stimulus in which
      a moving object (the launcher) contacts a stationary object (the target) and the
      latter then moves off. Such stimuli give rise to an impression that the launcher
      makes the target move. In the present experiments, instead of a single target
      object, an array of four vertically aligned objects was used. The launcher
      contacted none of them, but stopped at a point between the two central objects.
      The four objects then moved with similar motion properties, exhibiting the
      Gestalt property of common fate. Strong impressions of causality were reported
      for this stimulus. It is argued that the array of four objects was perceived, by
      the likelihood principle, as a single object with some parts unseen, that the
      launcher was perceived as contacting one of the unseen parts of this object, and
      that the causal impression resulted from that. Supporting that argument, stimuli
      in which kinematic features were manipulated so as to weaken or eliminate common
      fate yielded weaker impressions of causality.

PMID- 28337551
TI  - Purkinje-related trigger and substrate of recurrent ventricular tachycardia in a
      patient with ischemic cardiomyopathy.

PMID- 28337550
TI  - Common genetic etiology between "multiple sclerosis-like" single-gene disorders
      and familial multiple sclerosis.
AB  - Several single-gene disorders with clinical and radiological characteristics
      similar to those observed in multiple sclerosis (MS) patients have been
      described. To evaluate whether this phenotypic overlap can be ascribed to a
      common genetic etiology, 28 genes known to present pathogenic mutations for 24 of
      these disorders were sequenced in 270 MS patients. All identified variants were
      genotyped in 2131 MS cases and 830 healthy controls, and those exclusively
      observed in patients were assessed for segregation within families. This analysis
      identified 9 rare variants in 6 genes segregating with disease in 13 families.
      Four different mutations were identified in CYP27A1, including a reported
      pathogenic mutation for cerebrotendinous xanthomatosis (p.R405W), which was
      observed in six patients from a multi-incident family, three diagnosed with MS,
      two with an undefined neurological disease and one seemingly healthy. A LYST
      p.V1678A and a PDHA1 p.K387Q mutation were both observed in five MS patients from
      three separate multi-incident families. In addition, CLCN2 p.V174G, GALC p.D162E
      and POLG p.R361G were each identified in two MS patients from one family. This
      study suggests a shared genetic etiology between MS and the characterized single
      gene disorders, and highlights cholesterol metabolism and the synthesis of
      oxysterols as important biological mechanisms for familial MS.

PMID- 28337553
TI  - Early palliative care: current status of integration within German comprehensive
      cancer centers.
AB  - PURPOSE: The aim of this study is to describe how models of early integration
      (EI) of specialized palliative care (SPC) are applied to German comprehensive
      cancer center (CCCs). METHODS: Heads of SPC departments of the 15 German CCCs
      were asked by email to describe the situation of early SPC in their CCC. The
      responses were analyzed using MAXQDA. RESULTS: Thirteen answers were allowed to
      be analyzed. Most of the department heads report that EI models of SPC are
      partially applied in the CCC (responses with "yes" or "partly," n = 10). Though
      they often describe that the models' implementation needs optimization and
      depends on temporary and financial restrictions or it has a pilot character.
      Models compromise structures like SPC unit, inpatient/outpatient SPC consultation
      team, and participation of members of SPC team in tumor boards. Moreover, other
      EI models of SPC quoted by the participants were standard operating procedures
      (SOP), screening tools, and information material for physicians, patients, and
      their related persons. CONCLUSIONS: Currently, German CCC models of EI of SPC are
      not applied in a standardized way. Approaches are still very diverse.

PMID- 28337554
TI  - Successive relaxation cycles during long-time cell aggregate rounding after uni
      axial compression.
AB  - The mean features of cell surface rearrangement during cell aggregate rounding
      after uni-axial compression between parallel plates are considered. This is based
      on long-time rheological modeling approaches in order to shed further light on
      collective cell migration. Many aspects of cell migration at the supra-cellular
      level, such as the coordination between surrounding migrating cell groups that
      leads to uncorrelated motility, have remained unclear. Aggregate shape changes
      during rounding are considered depending on the size and homogeneity of 2-D and 3
      D cell aggregates. Cell aggregate shape changes that are taking place during
      successive relaxation cycles have various relaxation rates per cycle. Every
      relaxation rate is related to the corresponding cell migrating state. If most of
      the cells migrate per cycle, the relaxation rate is maximal. If most of the cells
      are in a resting state per cycle, the relaxation rate is nearing zero. If some
      cell groups migrate while the others, at the same time, stay in a resting state,
      the relaxation rate is lower than that obtained for the migrating cells. The
      relaxation rates per cycles are not random, but they have a tendency to gather
      around two or three values indicating an organized cell migrating pattern. Such
      behavior suggests that uncorrelated motility during collective cell migration in
      one cycle induces a decrease of the relaxation rate in the next cycle caused by
      an accumulation of cells in the resting state. However, cells have the ability to
      overcome these perturbations and re-establish an ordered migrating trend in the
      next cycle. These perturbations of the cell migrating state are more pronounced
      for: (1) more mobile cells, (2) a heterogeneous cell population, and (3) a larger
      cell population under the same experimental conditions.

PMID- 28337552
TI  - Clinical utility of resting-state functional connectivity magnetic resonance
      imaging for mood and cognitive disorders.
AB  - Although functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) has long been used to
      assess task-related brain activity in neuropsychiatric disorders, it has not yet
      become a widely available clinical tool. Resting-state fMRI (rs-fMRI) has been
      the subject of recent attention in the fields of basic and clinical neuroimaging
      research. This method enables investigation of the functional organization of the
      brain and alterations of resting-state networks (RSNs) in patients with
      neuropsychiatric disorders. Rs-fMRI does not require participants to perform a
      demanding task, in contrast to task fMRI, which often requires participants to
      follow complex instructions. Rs-fMRI has a number of advantages over task fMRI
      for application with neuropsychiatric patients, for example, although
      applications of task fMR to participants for healthy are easy. However, it is
      difficult to apply these applications to patients with psychiatric and
      neurological disorders, because they may have difficulty in performing demanding
      cognitive task. Here, we review the basic methodology and analysis techniques
      relevant to clinical studies, and the clinical applications of the technique for
      examining neuropsychiatric disorders, focusing on mood disorders (major
      depressive disorder and bipolar disorder) and dementia (Alzheimer's disease and
      mild cognitive impairment).

PMID- 28337555
TI  - Erratum to: Construction of a thermo-sensitive pRI857 vector for efficient DNA
      capturing in Escherichia coli.

PMID- 28337556
TI  - Homologous gene targeting of a carotenoids biosynthetic gene in Rhodosporidium
      toruloides by Agrobacterium-mediated transformation.
AB  - OBJECTIVES: To target a carotenoid biosynthetic gene in the oleaginous yeast
      Rhodosporidium toruloides by using the Agrobacterium-mediated transformation
      (AMT) method. RESULTS: The RHTO_04602 locus of R. toruloides NP11, previously
      assigned to code the carotenoid biosynthetic gene CRTI, was amplified from
      genomic DNA and cloned into the binary plasmid pZPK-mcs, resulting in pZPK-CRT. A
      HYG-expression cassette was inserted into the CRTI sequence of pZPK-CRT by
      utilizing the restriction-free clone strategy. The resulted plasmid was used to
      transform R. toruloides cells according to the AMT method, leading to a few white
      transformants. Sequencing analysis of those transformants confirmed homologous
      recombination and insertional inactivation of CRTI. When the white variants were
      transformed with a CRTI-expression cassette, cells became red and produced
      carotenoids as did the wild-type strain NP11. CONCLUSIONS: Successful homologous
      targeting of the CrtI locus confirmed the function of RHTO_04602 in carotenoids
      biosynthesis in R. toruloides. It provided valuable information for metabolic
      engineering of this non-model yeast species.

PMID- 28337557
TI  - MiR-9 enhances the sensitivity of A549 cells to cisplatin by inhibiting
      autophagy.
AB  - OBJECTIVES: To demonstrate that miR-9 inhibits autophagy by down-regulating
      Beclin1 and thus enhances the sensitivity of A549 cells to cisplatin. RESULTS:
      MiR-9 inhibited Beclin1 expression by binding to its 3'UTR. The inhibition
      decreased the cisplatin-induced autophagy in A549 cells, evidenced by the
      decreased expression of LC3II and GFP-LC3 puncta and the increased expression of
      P62. Upregulation of miR-9 level enhanced the sensibility of A549 cells to
      cisplatin and increased the cisplatin-induced apoptosis. Overexpression of
      Beclin1 reversed above effects of miR-9 mimics, cisplatin-induced autophagy was
      increased and apoptosis was decreased. CONCLUSIONS: MiR-9 inhibits autophagy via
      targeting Beclin1 3'UTR and thus enhances cisplatin sensitivity in A549 cells.

PMID- 28337558
TI  - Improving on the diagnostic characteristics of echocardiography for pulmonary
      hypertension.
AB  - This retrospective study evaluated the diagnostic characteristics of a
      combination of echocardiographic parameters for pulmonary hypertension (PH).
      Right ventricular systolic pressure (RVSP) estimation by echocardiography (echo)
      is used to screen for PH. However, the sensitivity of this method is suboptimal.
      We hypothesized that RVSP estimation in conjunction with other echo parameters
      would improve the value of echo for PH. The Duke Echo database was queried for
      adult patients with known or suspected PH who had undergone both echo and right
      heart catheterization (RHC) within a 24 h period between 1/1/2008 and 12/31/2013.
      Patients with complex congenital heart disease, heart transplantation,
      ventricular assist device, or on mechanical ventilation at time of study were
      excluded. Diagnostic characteristics of several echo parameters (right atrial
      enlargement, pulmonary artery (PA) enlargement, RV enlargement, RV dysfunction,
      and RVSP) for PH (mean PA pressure 25 mmHg on RHC) were evaluated among 1007
      patients. RVSP >=40 had a sensitivity of 77% (accuracy 77), while RVSP >=35 had
      the highest sensitivity at 88% (81% accuracy). PA enlargement had the lowest
      sensitivity at 17%. The area under the curve (AUC) for RVSP was 0.844. A model
      including RVSP, RA, PA, RV enlargement and RV dysfunction had a higher AUC (AUC =
      0.87) than RVSP alone. The value of echo as a screening test for PH is improved
      by a model incorporating a lower RVSP in addition to other right heart
      parameters. These findings need to be validated in prospective cohorts.

PMID- 28337559
TI  - Dietary fiber intake and risk of breast cancer defined by estrogen and
      progesterone receptor status: the Japan Public Health Center-based Prospective
      Study.
AB  - PURPOSE: Epidemiological studies have suggested a protective effect of dietary
      fiber intake on breast cancer risk while the results have been inconsistent. Our
      study aimed to investigate the association between dietary fiber intake and
      breast cancer risk and to explore whether this association is modified by
      reproductive factors and hormone receptor status of the tumor. METHODS: A total
      of 44,444 women aged 45 to 74 years from the Japan Public Health Center-based
      Prospective Study were included in analyses. Dietary intake assessment was
      performed using a validated 138-item food frequency questionnaire (FFQ). Hazard
      ratios (HRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for breast cancer incidence were
      calculated by multivariate Cox proportional hazards regression models. RESULTS:
      During 624,423 person-years of follow-up period, 681 breast cancer cases were
      identified. After adjusting for major confounders for breast cancer risk, inverse
      trends were observed but statistically non-significant. Extremely high intake of
      fiber was associated with decreased risk of breast cancer but this should be
      interpreted with caution due to limited statistical power. In stratified analyses
      by menopausal and hormone receptor status, null associations were observed except
      for ER-PR- status. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings suggest that extreme high fiber
      intake may be associated with decreased risk of breast cancer but the level of
      dietary fiber intake among Japanese population might not be sufficient to examine
      the association between dietary fiber intake and breast cancer risk.

PMID- 28337560
TI  - Medical mistrust as a key mediator in the association between perceived
      discrimination and adherence to antiretroviral therapy among HIV-positive Latino
      men.
AB  - Discrimination has been found to have deleterious effects on physical health. The
      goal of the present study was to examine the association between perceived
      discrimination and adherence to antiretroviral therapy (ART) among HIV-positive
      Latino men and the extent to which medical mistrust serves as a mediator of that
      association. A series of linear and logistic regression models was used to test
      for mediation for three types of perceived discrimination (related to being
      Latino, being perceived as gay and being HIV-positive). Medical mistrust was
      found to be significantly associated with perceived discrimination based on
      Latino ethnicity and HIV serostatus. Medical mistrust was found to mediate the
      associations between two types of perceived discrimination (related to being
      Latino and being HIV-positive) and ART adherence. Given these findings,
      interventions should be developed that increase the skills of HIV-positive Latino
      men to address both perceived discrimination and medical mistrust.

PMID- 28337561
TI  - Optimization of ultraviolet ozone treatment process for improvement of
      polycaprolactone (PCL) microcarrier performance.
AB  - Growing cells on microcarriers may have overcome the limitation of conventional
      cell culture system. However, the surface functionality of certain polymeric
      microcarriers for effective cell attachment and growth remains a challenge.
      Polycaprolactone (PCL), a biodegradable polymer has received considerable
      attention due to its good mechanical properties and degradation rate. The
      drawback is the non-polar hydrocarbon moiety which makes it not readily suitable
      for cell attachment. This report concerns the modification of PCL microcarrier
      surface (introduction of functional oxygen groups) using ultraviolet irradiation
      and ozone (UV/O3) system and investigation of the effects of ozone concentration,
      the amount of PCL and exposure time; where the optimum conditions were found to
      be at 60,110.52 ppm, 5.5 g PCL and 60 min, respectively. The optimum
      concentration of carboxyl group (COOH) absorbed on the surface was 1495.92 nmol/g
      and the amount of gelatin immobilized was 320 +/- 0.9 ug/g on UV/O3 treated
      microcarriers as compared to the untreated (26.83 +/- 3 ug/g) microcarriers. The
      absorption of functional oxygen groups on the surface and the immobilized gelatin
      was confirmed with the attenuated total reflectance Fourier transformed infrared
      spectroscopy (ATR-FTIR) and the enhancement of hydrophilicity of the surface was
      confirmed using water contact angle measurement which decreased (86.93 degrees 
      49.34 degrees ) after UV/O3 treatment and subsequently after immobilization of
      gelatin. The attachment and growth kinetics for HaCaT skin keratinocyte cells
      showed that adhesion occurred much more rapidly for oxidized surfaces and gelatin
      immobilized surface as compared to untreated PCL.

PMID- 28337563
TI  - Role of low-level laser therapy added to facial expression exercises in patients
      with idiopathic facial (Bell's) palsy.
AB  - The aim of the present study was to investigate the efficacy of low-level laser
      therapy in conjunction with conventional facial exercise treatment on functional
      outcomes during the early recovery period in patients with facial paralysis.
      Forty-six patients (mean age 41 +/- 9.7 years; 40 women and 6 men) were
      randomized into two groups. Patients in the first group received low-level laser
      treatment as well as facial exercise treatment, while patients in the second
      group participated in facial exercise intervention alone. Laser treatment was
      administered at a wavelength of 830 nm, output power of 100 Mw, and frequency of
      1 KHz using a gallium-aluminum-arsenide (GaAIAs, infrared laser) diode laser. A
      mean energy density of 10 J/cm2 was administered to eight points of the affected
      side of the face three times per week, for a total of 6 weeks. The rate of facial
      improvement was evaluated using the facial disability index (FDI) before, 3 weeks
      after, and 6 weeks after treatment. Friedman analysis of variance was performed
      to compare the data from the parameters repeatedly measured in the inner-group
      analysis. Bonferroni correction was performed to compare between groups as a post
      hoc test if the variance analysis test result was significant. To detect the
      group differences, the Bonferroni Student t test was used. The Mann-Whitney U
      test was used to compare numeric data between the groups. In the exercise group,
      although no significant difference in FDI scores was noted between the start of
      treatment and week 3 (p < 0.05), significant improvement was observed at week 6
      (p < 0.001). In the laser group, significant improvement in FDI scores relative
      to baseline was observed at 3 and 6 weeks (p < 0.001). Improvements in FDI scores
      were significantly greater at weeks 3 and 6 in the laser group than those in the
      exercise group (p < 0.05). Our findings indicate that combined treatment with low
      level laser therapy (LLLT) and exercise therapy is associated with significant
      improvements in FDI when compared with exercise therapy alone.

PMID- 28337564
TI  - Lower face cephalometry based on quadrilateral analysis with cone-beam computed
      tomography: a clinical pilot study.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: As most orthognathic surgeries focus on the lower face, the aim of
      this study was to transfer previously developed two-dimensional cephalometry
      which is useful for surgeons in the orthognathic surgery of the lower face-to
      three-dimensional (3D) cephalometry by using cone-beam computed tomography
      (CBCT). We selected the quadrilateral lower face analysis developed by the
      surgeon Di Paolo, who focused only for the lower face and mentioned that data in
      millimeters are more easy to use than angles for surgeons. Additionally, we
      wanted to create a 3D lower face analysis approach based on quadrilateral
      analysis and establish a reference table for surgical planning. STUDY DESIGN:
      Three investigators assigned 16 landmarks on CBCT images from 30 patients with
      normocclusion. Intra-class correlation coefficients (ICCs) and standard
      deviations (SDs) were calculated according to each landmark. The maxillary and
      mandibular lengths and widths and the anterior and posterior lower facial heights
      (ALFH and PLFH) are presented as means and SDs. The asymmetry of the face was
      calculated with paired t test, and the coherence of the lower face was assessed
      with correlation coefficients (r) and regression models. RESULTS: The ICCs were
      >=0.90, and the SDs of the landmarks were lower than 1.00 mm, except for the J
      point, which was located at the junction of the anterior border of the ramus and
      the corpus of the mandible. The SDs of linear measurements were 3.06-5.20 mm, and
      there was no significant facial asymmetry. The r among the structures was greater
      than 0.3 in 13 of 15 assessments. Based on these values, we could establish a
      floating norm of the lower face using the following five regressions: one linear
      regression for the mandibular length, two quadratic models for the ALFH and PLFH,
      and two multivariate regressions for the posterior widths of the maxillae and
      mandible. CONCLUSION: The adaptation of quadrilateral analysis can provide
      accurate 3D characterization of the morphology of the lower face and the floating
      norm based on millimeter values, which is practical for surgeons. As the 3D
      extension of quadrilateral analysis could provide references of the lower face,
      which might be an accurate 3D approach for presurgical planning, the further
      investigation in bigger sample would be relevant in the practice.

PMID- 28337565
TI  - Blood trace metals in a sporadic amyotrophic lateral sclerosis geographical
      cluster.
AB  - Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a fatal disorder with unknown etiology, in
      which genetic and environmental factors interplay to determine the onset and the
      course of the disease. Exposure to toxic metals has been proposed to be involved
      in the etiology of the disease either through a direct damage or by promoting
      oxidative stress. In this study we evaluated the concentration of a panel of
      metals in serum and whole blood of a small group of sporadic patients, all living
      in a defined geographical area, for which acid mine drainage has been reported.
      ALS prevalence in this area is higher than in the rest of Italy. Results were
      analyzed with software based on artificial neural networks. High concentrations
      of metals (in particular Se, Mn and Al) were associated with the disease group.
      Arsenic serum concentration resulted lower in ALS patients, but it positively
      correlated with disease duration. Comet assay was performed to evaluate
      endogenous DNA damage that resulted not different between patients and controls.
      Up to now only few studies considered geographically well-defined clusters of ALS
      patients. Common geographical origin among patients and controls gave us the
      chance to perform metallomic investigations under comparable conditions of
      environmental exposure. Elaboration of these data with software based on machine
      learning processes has the potential to be extremely useful to gain a
      comprehensive view of the complex interactions eventually leading to disease,
      even in a small number of subjects.

PMID- 28337562
TI  - BACE2 suppression promotes beta-cell survival and function in a model of type 2
      diabetes induced by human islet amyloid polypeptide overexpression.
AB  - BACE2 (beta-site APP-cleaving enzyme 2) is a protease expressed in the brain, but
      also in the pancreas, where it seems to play a physiological role. Amyloidogenic
      diseases, including Alzheimer's disease and type 2 diabetes (T2D), share the
      accumulation of abnormally folded and insoluble proteins that interfere with cell
      function. In T2D, islet amyloid polypeptide (IAPP) deposits have been shown to be
      a pathogenic key feature of the disease. The aim of the present study was to
      investigate the effect of BACE2 modulation on beta-cell alterations in a mouse
      model of T2D induced by IAPP overexpression. Heterozygous mice carrying the human
      transcript of IAPP (hIAPP-Tg) were used as a model to study the deleterious
      effects of IAPP upon beta-cell function. These animals showed glucose intolerance
      and impaired insulin secretion. When crossed with BACE2-deficient mice, the
      animals presented a significant improvement in glucose tolerance accompanied with
      an enhanced insulin secretion, as compared to hIAPP-Tg mice. BACE2 deficiency
      also partially reverted gene expression changes observed in islets from hIAPP-Tg
      mice, including a set of genes related to inflammation. Moreover, homozygous
      hIAPP mice presented a severe hyperglycemia and a high lethality rate from 8
      weeks onwards due to a massive destruction of beta-cell mass. This process was
      significantly reduced when crossed with the BACE2-KO model, improving the
      survival rate of the animals. Altogether, the absence of BACE2 ameliorates
      glucose tolerance defects induced by IAPP overexpression in the beta-cell and
      promotes beta-cell survival. Thus, targeting BACE2 may represent a promising
      therapeutic strategy to improve beta-cell function in T2D.

PMID- 28337566
TI  - Liver mitochondrial membrane fluidity at early development of diabetes and its
      correlation with the respiration.
AB  - The biological membranes are important in cell function but, during development
      of diseases such as diabetes, they are impaired. Consequently, membrane
      associated biological processes are impaired as well. The mitochondria are
      important organelles where oxidative phosphorylation takes place, a process
      closely related with the membranes. In general, it is accepted that the
      development process of diabetes decreases membrane fluidity. However, in some
      cases, it has been found to increase membrane fluidity of mitochondria but to
      decrease the Respiratory Control (RC) index. In this study we found an increase
      of membrane fluidity and an increase of the RC at an early phase of the
      development of a type 2 diabetes model. We measured the lipoperoxidation,
      analyzed the fatty acids composition by gas chromatography, and assessed membrane
      fluidity using three fluorescent monitors located at different depths inside the
      bilayer, dipyrenilpropane (DPyP), diphenylhexatriene (DPH), and trimethylammonium
      diphenylhexatriene (TMA-DPH). Our findings indicate that in the initial stage of
      diabetes development, when lipoperoxidation still is not significant, the
      membrane fluidity of liver mitochondria increases because of the increment in the
      unsaturated to saturated fatty acids ratio (U/S), thus producing an increase of
      the RC. The membrane fluidity is not the same at all depths in the bilayer.
      Contrary to the results obtained in mitochondria, the diabetes induced a decrease
      in the U/S fatty acids ratio of liver total lipids, indicating that the
      mitochondria might have an independent mechanism for regulating its fatty acids
      composition.

PMID- 28337567
TI  - Novel 16S rDNA primers revealed the diversity and habitats-related community
      structure of sphingomonads in 10 different niches.
AB  - It is believed that sphingomonads are ubiquitously distributed in environments.
      However detailed information about their community structure and their co
      relationship with environmental parameters remain unclear. In this study, novel
      sphingomonads-specific primers based on the 16S rRNA gene were designed to
      investigate the distribution of sphingomonads in 10 different niches. Both in
      silico and in-practice tests on pure cultures and environmental samples showed
      that Sph384f/Sph701r was an efficient primer set. Illumina MiSeq sequencing
      revealed that community structures of sphingomonads were significantly different
      among the 10 samples, although 12 sphingomonad genera were present in all
      samples. Based on RDA analysis and Monte Carlo permutation test, sphingomonad
      community structure was significantly correlated with limnetic and marine habitat
      types. Among these niches, the genus Sphingomicrobium showed strong positive
      correlation with marine habitats, whereas genera Sphingobium, Novosphingobium,
      Sphingopyxis, and Sphingorhabdus showed strong positive correlation with limnetic
      habitats. Our study provided direct evidence that sphingomonads are ubiquitously
      distributed in environments, and revealed for the first time that their community
      structure can be correlated with habitats.

PMID- 28337569
TI  - Erratum to: A Profile on Emergency Department Utilization in Adolescents and
      Young Adults with Autism Spectrum Disorders.

PMID- 28337568
TI  - Hospital microbial surface colonization revealed during monitoring of Klebsiella
      spp., Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and non-tuberculous mycobacteria.
AB  - Hospital environmental conditions, human occupancy, and the characteristics of
      the equipment influence the survival of microbial communities and raise a concern
      with regard to nosocomial infections. The objective of the present work was to
      use the monitoring of Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Klebsiella spp. and non-tuberculous
      mycobacteria as a strategy to improve knowledge on microbial colonization of non
      critical equipment and surfaces, in a tertiary hospital from Central Portugal. A
      3-month microbiological survey was performed in a district teaching hospital. A
      total of 173 samples were obtained from the wards Hematology, Urology, Medicine,
      and Renal Transplants, and 102 presumptive strains recovered. Per sampling,
      Pseudomonas Isolation agar showed 42.8 to 73.3% of presumptive P. aeruginosa
      colonies and MacConkey agar recovered mostly Staphylococcus. Most of the colonies
      recovered in Middlebrook 7H10-PANTA belonged to the genus Methylobacterium. Taps
      and WC shower curtains carry high bacterial species diversity. The Redundancy
      Analysis grouped the samples in those mostly handled by patients, and those
      mostly handled by healthcare staff or of mixed use. This study shows that the
      preferential users of the space and equipment seem to be important contributors
      to the microbial community. The most recovered genus was Methylobacterium, known
      as colonizer of the water distribution system therefore, it is possible that the
      water points and biofilms in taps also contribute as dispersion hotspots.

PMID- 28337570
TI  - Economics of Chronic Rhinosinusitis.
AB  - PURPOSE OF REVIEW: The objective of this article is to provide an updated review
      of the economic burden of chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS) and discuss how both
      medical and surgical interventions impact direct and indirect costs related to
      CRS. By understanding the economics of CRS, clinicians may improve the patient
      centeredness of their care and help distinguish between low and high value
      interventions. RECENT FINDINGS: Direct costs related to CRS are primarily driven
      by outpatient physician visits, prescription medical therapy, and endoscopic
      sinus surgery (ESS). CRS produces large indirect costs and these costs often vary
      based on the severity of the patients CRS-specific QoL impairment. The overall
      direct cost related to CRS is estimated to range between $10 and $13 billion per
      year in the USA. The overall indirect cost related to CRS-related losses in work
      productivity is estimated to be in excess of $20 billion per year. In the
      appropriate patients with refractory CRS, ESS provides significant reductions in
      both direct and indirect costs; however, continued medical therapy alone may be a
      high value intervention in select patients who have lower severity in their
      baseline QoL and work productivity.

PMID- 28337572
TI  - Genetic appraisal of serological response post vaccination against enterotoxaemia
      (ET) in Malpura and Avikalin sheep.
AB  - Enterotoxaemia (ET) is a fatal enteric disease of small ruminants attributable to
      a toxigenic type of Clostridium perfringens. The key strategy for prevention of
      ET is the management and vaccination. Present study aimed at identifying the
      sources of variation for ET vaccine response especially against epsilon toxin in
      173 sheep that included 83 Avikalin and 90 Malpura lambs raised at the institute
      flock in the semi-arid region of India. The mean age at vaccination was 90 days.
      Sera were tested by blocking ELISA. Study showed significant variability for
      response to ET vaccine. 5.2% animals had + positivity, 20.8% animals had ++
      positivity, 51.4% animals had +++ positivity and 22.5% animals had ++++
      positivity. Amongst environmental determinants, breed, season, sex and age at
      vaccination proved to be non-significant sources of variation (P > 0.05). MHC
      genotypes with DRB1 gene and DQA2 genes also revealed non-significant association
      with ET vaccine response; however, a trend of decreasing PI values with
      increasing ranks was observed. Study revealed strong response of epsilon toxin
      along with complexity of the ET vaccine response as phenotype to be explained by
      genetic and non-genetic factors. The importance of better management practices
      and vaccination is suggested for preventive measures.

PMID- 28337571
TI  - Effects of feeding ground pods of Enterolobium cyclocarpum Jacq. Griseb on dry
      matter intake, rumen fermentation, and enteric methane production by Pelibuey
      sheep fed tropical grass.
AB  - An experiment was carried out to determine the effect of supplementing ground
      pods of Enterolobium cyclocarpum in a basal ration of Pennisetum purpureum grass
      on feed intake, rumen volatile fatty acids (VFAs), and protozoa and methane (CH4)
      production by hair sheep. Four male sheep (Pelibuey * Katahdin) with a mean live
      weight of 27.0 kg (SD +/- 0.5) were supplemented with 0.00, 0.15, 0.30, and 0.45
      kg of dry matter (DM) of E. cyclocarpum pods daily; equivalent to 0.00, 4.35,
      8.70, and 13.05 g of crude saponins, respectively. Dry matter intake (DMI),
      organic matter intake (OMI), and molar proportions of propionic acid increased
      linearly (P < 0.05) as pods of E. cyclocarpum in the ration were increased.
      Higher intakes of DM and OM were found when lambs were fed 0.45 kg DM per day of
      E. cyclocarpum, and the highest proportion of propionic acid (0.21 and 0.22,
      respectively) was obtained with 0.15 and 0.30 kg of DM per lamb of E.
      cyclocarpum, while apparent digestibility of neutral detergent fiber (NDF) and
      molar proportion of acetic acid were reduced (P < 0.05). Rumen CH4 production
      decreased (P < 0.05) when 0.30 and 0.45 kg of DM/lamb/day of E. cyclocarpum were
      fed (21.8 and 25.3 L CH4/lamb/day, respectively). These results suggest that to
      improve the feeding of sheep fed tropical grass, it is advisable to supplement
      the basal ration with up to 0.30 kg DM of E. cyclocarpum pods.

PMID- 28337573
TI  - Neuroimmune Pharmacology, 2nd Edition - A Perspective.
AB  - It has been almost nine years since the 1st edition of Neuroimmune Pharmacology
      was published on May 23rd, 2008. The 2nd edition of Neuroimmune Pharmacology by
      Ikezu and Gendelman (Editors) with Przedborski, Masliah and Cosentino (Associate
      Editors) manages to fulfill two separate missions: to provide comprehensive, but
      highly topical access to a rapidly evolving field and to serve as a standalone
      reference for scientists and clinicians in need of guidance regarding questions
      pertinent to neuroimmune pharmacology. Doing a PubMed search on the terms
      neuroimmune and pharmacology yields 1090 publications, with a first publication
      by Dougherty and Dafny, published in the Journal of Neuroscience Research in
      1988, entitled "Neuroimmune intercommunication, central opioids, and the immune
      response to bacterial endotoxin." Since 2000, there have been 979 publications
      using these search terms, with 137 published since the beginning of 2016. The
      obvious conclusion to be drawn is that this is a burgeoning field that represents
      the cusp between our understanding of relationships between the immune and
      nervous systems and how we might treat disease with pharmacologic approaches when
      normal homeostatic mechanisms go awry.

PMID- 28337574
TI  - The RS504393 Influences the Level of Nociceptive Factors and Enhances Opioid
      Analgesic Potency in Neuropathic Rats.
AB  - Increasing evidence has indicated that activated glial cells releasing
      nociceptive factors, such as interleukins and chemokines, are of key importance
      for neuropathic pain. Significant changes in the production of nociceptive
      factors are associated with the low effectiveness of opioids in neuropathic pain.
      Recently, it has been suggested that CCL2/CCR2 signaling is important for
      nociception. Here, we studied the time course changes in the mRNA/protein level
      of CD40/Iba-1, CCL2 and CCR2 in the spinal cord/dorsal root ganglia (DRG) in rats
      following chronic constriction injury (CCI) of the sciatic nerve. Moreover, we
      examined the influence of intrathecal preemptive and repeated (daily for 7 days)
      administration of RS504393, CCR2 antagonist, on pain-related behavior and the
      associated biochemical changes of some nociceptive factors as well as its
      influence on opioid effectiveness. We observed simultaneous upregulation of Iba
      1, CCL2, CCR2 in the spinal cord on 7th day after CCI. Additionally, we
      demonstrated that repeated administration of RS504393 not only attenuated
      tactile/thermal hypersensitivity but also enhanced the analgesic properties of
      morphine and buprenorphine under neuropathy. Our results proof that repeated
      administration of RS504393 reduced the mRNA and/or protein levels of
      pronociceptive factors, such as IL-1beta, IL-18, IL-6 and inducible nitric oxide
      synthase (iNOS), and some of their receptors in the spinal cord and/or DRG.
      Furthermore, RS504393 elevated the spinal protein level of antinociceptive IL
      1alpha and IL-18 binding protein. Our data provide new evidence that CCR2 is a
      promising target for diminishing neuropathic pain and enhancing the opioid
      analgesic effects.

PMID- 28337575
TI  - A Novel Modeling Approach for Estimating Patterns of Migration into and out of
      San Francisco by HIV Status and Race among Men Who Have Sex with Men.
AB  - In the early 1980s, men who have sex with men (MSM) in San Francisco were one of
      the first populations to be affected by the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)
      epidemic, and they continue to bear a heavy HIV burden. Once a rapidly fatal
      disease, survival with HIV improved drastically following the introduction of
      combination antiretroviral therapy in 1996. As a result, the ability of HIV
      positive persons to move into and out of San Francisco has increased due to
      lengthened survival. Although there is a high level of migration among the
      general US population and among HIV-positive persons in San Francisco, in- and
      out-migration patterns of MSM in San Francisco have, to our knowledge, never been
      described. Understanding migration patterns by HIV serostatus is crucial in
      determining how migration could influence both HIV transmission dynamics and
      estimates of the HIV prevalence and incidence. In this article, we describe
      methods, results, and implications of a novel approach for indirect estimation of
      in- and out-migration patterns, and consequently population size, of MSM by HIV
      serostatus and race in San Francisco. The results suggest that the overall MSM
      population and all the MSM subpopulations studied decreased in size from 2006 to
      2014. Further, there were differences in migration patterns by race and by HIV
      serostatus. The modeling methods outlined can be applied by others to determine
      how migration patterns contribute to HIV-positive population size and output from
      these models can be used in a transmission model to better understand how
      migration can impact HIV transmission.

PMID- 28337576
TI  - Robotic video-assisted thoracoscopy: minimally invasive approach for management
      of mediastinal tumors.
AB  - In spite of difficult anatomic access for tumors of mediastinum, surgical
      resection remains the best diagnostic and therapeutic approach. Widespread
      acceptance of video-assisted thoracoscopy (VATS) is restricted by the limiting
      nature of instruments and suboptimal visualization. Robotic assisted minimally
      invasive surgery seems to hold most promise in remote, narrow anatomical regions.
      After obtaining approval from Institutional Review Board (IRB), a retrospective
      review of prospectively collected database on patients that underwent Robotic
      VATS between 2009 and 2013 was conducted. Forty-eight patients underwent RVATS
      resection of mediastinal tumor. One procedure (2.1%) was converted to open. The
      size of the mass ranged from 0.6 to 12.5 cm in greatest dimension (mean 5.16 cm).
      The mean duration of procedure was 127.96 min (60-240 min). Five patients (10.4%)
      had early postoperative complications including chylothorax (1 patient), new
      onset atrial fibrillation (1 patient), pleural effusion (1 patient), empyema (1
      patient), and bleeding (1 patient). Mean follow-up time was 186 days (10-1300
      days). Two patients (4%) with invasive thymoma developed local recurrence. The
      present study documents the feasibility of RVATS in the management of mediastinal
      tumors irrespective of the location in various mediastinal compartments. The role
      for careful and complete excision of the tumor, and surveillance afterward on
      invasive thymoma, was noted in our study, as in literature.

PMID- 28337577
TI  - Native American Vietnam-era Veterans' Access to VA Healthcare: Vulnerability and
      Resilience in Two Montana Reservation Communities.
AB  - As a growing segment of the military, Native Americans are expected to increase
      enrollment in Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) healthcare. Currently, 20% of
      Native American veterans are aged 65-74, which means they served during the
      Vietnam era. This study explores the experiences of rural American Indian
      veterans from two Montana reservations with accessing VA health services.
      Utilizing detailed data obtained in focus group and individual interviews, we
      examine the experiences, attitudes, barriers and needs of rural Vietnam-era
      veterans. Analyses indicate that while Native American Vietnam-era veterans
      experienced a poor reception returning to the US after military service, they had
      more positive receptions in their home reservation communities. However,
      reintegration was often impeded by poor local opportunity structures and limited
      resources. As they have aged and turned to the VA for healthcare, these veterans
      have encountered barriers such as lack of information regarding eligibility and
      services, qualifying for care, excessive distances to health services, the cost
      of travel, and poor quality of assistance from VA personnel. Despite variations
      in their resources, tribal community efforts to honor veterans have begun to
      facilitate better access to healthcare. Focusing on the roles and importance of
      place-based resources, this study clarifies challenges and obstacles that Native
      American Vietnam-era veterans experience with accessing VA health services in
      rural, reservation communities. Additionally, findings show how tribal efforts
      are facilitating access as they begin to implement the 2010 agreement between the
      VA and Indian Health Services to better serve Native veterans.

PMID- 28337579
TI  - Comorbidity and the risk of anastomotic leak in Chinese patients with colorectal
      cancer undergoing colorectal surgery.
AB  - PURPOSE: Comorbidities had considerable effects on the prognosis in patients with
      colorectal cancer (CRC). The primary aim of the present study was to examine the
      influence of comorbidity on the risk of anastomotic leak (AL) in patients with
      CRC who underwent surgical resection. METHODS: Using the electronic
      Hospitalization Summary Reports in the top-ranked public hospitals in China, we
      identified 11,397 patients with CRC undergoing resection surgery from 2013
      through 2015. We estimated the risk of AL according to Charlson Comorbidity Index
      (CCI) score using logistic regression analysis, adjusting for age, sex, and
      geographic regions. RESULTS: The incidence rate of AL in the study population was
      1.8% (204/11,397). Multivariable analyses identified male sex and CCI score as
      independent risk factors for AL. The CCI score had a positive graded association
      with the risk of AL (P for trend = 0.006). The risk increased by an estimated
      10.2% (odds ratio [OR], 1.10; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.03-1.18) for each
      additional 1 point in the CCI score. After adjusting for potential confounders,
      patients with a CCI score >=3 had 1.82 times (95% CI, 1.24-2.69) higher risk of
      AL compared with patients with a CCI score of 0. CONCLUSION: The findings
      suggested that CCI score was an independent risk factor for the development of AL
      in Chinese patients with CRC who underwent surgical resection.

PMID- 28337578
TI  - Evolution of the corpus luteum volume determined ultrasonographically and its
      relation to the plasma progesterone concentration after artificial insemination
      in pregnant and non-pregnant dairy cows.
AB  - The aim of this study was to assess the relationship of the evolution of the
      corpus luteum (CL) volume that was determined ultrasonographically with the
      pregnancy status in lactating dairy cows during early pregnancy. Ultrasound
      examinations were carried out on 76 cows following artificial insemination (AI).
      Plasma concentrations of progesterone were determined from blood samples
      collected at each ultrasound examination. Conception was confirmed by
      ultrasonography on day 30 after AI. Around day 14 post-insemination (p.i.), the
      CL volume tended to decrease in pregnant and non-pregnant cows, and, after day 19
      p.i., both groups differed significantly, indicating the luteal regression in non
      pregnant cows. Reaching signification on day 20. The diminution in CL volume was
      also reflected in the plasma progesterone concentration. However, the patterns of
      CL volume, estimated by ultrasonography, differed more evidently and earlier
      between both groups (around 1 week p.i., at day 9 p.i. P < 0.05, whereas
      progesterone started to differ around 2 weeks p.i., at day 14 p.i, P < 0.05).
      These results indicate that the estimation of the CL volume by ultrasonography
      could be useful for assessing the presence of a functional CL.

PMID- 28337581
TI  - High lactic acid and fructose production via Mn2+-mediated conversion of inulin
      by Lactobacillus paracasei.
AB  - Lactobacillus paracasei DSM 23505 is able to produce high amounts of lactic acid
      (LA) by simultaneous saccharification and fermentation (SSF) of inulin. Aiming to
      obtain the highest possible amounts of LA and fructose, the present study is
      devoted to evaluate the impact of bivalent metal ions on the process of inulin
      conversion. It was shown that Mn2+ strongly increases the activity of the
      purified key enzyme beta-fructosidase. In vivo, batch fermentation kinetics
      revealed that the high Mn2+ concentrations accelerated inulin hydrolysis by raise
      of the inulinase activity, and increased sugars conversion to LA through
      enhancement of the whole glycolytic flux. The highest LA concentration and yield
      were reached by addition of 15 mM Mn2+-151 g/L (corresponding to 40% increase)
      and 0.83 g/g, respectively. However, the relative quantification by real-time
      reverse transcription assay showed that the presence of Mn2+ decreases the
      expression levels of fosE gene encoding beta-fructosidase. Contrariwise, the full
      exclusion of metal ions resulted in fosE gene expression enhancement, blocked
      fructose transport, and hindered fructose conversion thus leading to huge
      fructose accumulation. During fed-batch with optimized medium and fermentation
      parameters, the fructose content reached 35.9% (w/v), achieving yield of 467 g
      fructose from 675 g inulin containing chicory flour powder (0.69 g/g). LA
      received in course of the batch fermentation and fructose gained by the fed-batch
      are the highest amounts ever obtained from inulin, thus disclosing the key role
      of Mn2+ as a powerful tool to guide inulin conversion to targeted bio-chemicals.

PMID- 28337582
TI  - Radio-sensitising effect of T-DM1 should not be discarded for the efficacy of
      radiosurgery in the management of brain metastases in patients with HER2-positive
      metastatic breast cancer.

PMID- 28337583
TI  - Toward a Research Agenda: Building Character Strengths in School Settings.
AB  - Character strengths matter for long term success, and a growing body of evidence
      suggests that schools can be powerful places, and teachers powerful agents, by
      which these strengths are developed in adolescence. The articles in this volume
      move the field forward in important ways, and lead to a clear research agenda
      focused on creating testable interventions to build school and classroom
      environments that will assist young people in growing and leveraging these
      critical strengths.

PMID- 28337580
TI  - Bacteriophage-encoded virion-associated enzymes to overcome the carbohydrate
      barriers during the infection process.
AB  - Bacteriophages are bacterial viruses that infect the host after successful
      receptor recognition and adsorption to the cell surface. The irreversible
      adherence followed by genome material ejection into host cell cytoplasm must be
      preceded by the passage of diverse carbohydrate barriers such as capsule
      polysaccharides (CPSs), O-polysaccharide chains of lipopolysaccharide (LPS)
      molecules, extracellular polysaccharides (EPSs) forming biofilm matrix, and
      peptidoglycan (PG) layers. For that purpose, bacteriophages are equipped with
      various virion-associated carbohydrate active enzymes, termed polysaccharide
      depolymerases and lysins, that recognize, bind, and degrade the polysaccharide
      compounds. We discuss the existing diversity in structural locations, variable
      architectures, enzymatic specificities, and evolutionary aspects of
      polysaccharide depolymerases and virion-associated lysins (VALs) and illustrate
      how these aspects can correlate with the host spectrum. In addition, we present
      methods that can be used for activity determination and the application potential
      of these enzymes as antibacterials, antivirulence agents, and diagnostic tools.

PMID- 28337585
TI  - Background gamma radiation and childhood cancer in Germany: an ecological study.
AB  - The relationship of low-dose background gamma radiation and childhood leukaemia
      was investigated in a number of studies. Results from these studies are
      inconclusive. Therefore, in the present study 25 years of German childhood cancer
      data were analyzed using interpolated background annual gamma dose rate per
      community in an ecological study. The main question was leukaemia; as exploratory
      questions we investigate central nervous system (CNS) tumours, thyroid carcinomas
      and diagnoses less likely to be related to radiation. A Poisson regression model
      was applied and a fractional polynomial model building procedure. As the main
      sensitivity analysis a community deprivation index was included as a potential
      confounder. It was found that outdoor background gamma annual dose rates in
      Germany range roughly from 0.5-1.5 mSv/a with an average of 0.817 mSv/a. No
      association of annual ambient gamma dose rates with leukaemia incidence was
      found. Amongst the exploratory analyses, a strong association was found with CNS
      tumour incidence [rate ratio for 1.5 vs 0.5 mSv/a: 1.35; 95% confidence interval
      (1.17, 1.57)]. The community level deprivation index was not a confounder. It is
      concluded that the present study did not confirm an association of annual outdoor
      ambient gamma dose rate and childhood leukaemia, corresponding to some studies
      and contrasting others. An association with CNS incidence was found in the
      exploratory analyses. As this is an ecological study no causal interpretation is
      possible.

PMID- 28337584
TI  - "I can't Take Hold of Some Kind of a Life": The Role of Social Connectedness and
      Confidence in Engaging "Lost" Adolescents with Their Lives.
AB  - Erik Erikson's theoretical writings on identity have provided a rich foundation
      upon which decades of research on identity development have been built. However,
      literature is lacking regarding adolescents who are aware that they lack
      knowledge about the self (i.e., values, likes, and dislikes) to the extent that
      they are stuck and directionless, and therefore unable to engage in the process
      of identity formation, what we refer to as a state of "lostness." Furthermore,
      while it has been established that supportive relationships facilitate identity
      development, less is known about whether various domains of social connectedness
      may diminish "lostness" over time, and if so, what may be the specific processes
      or conditions within each connectedness domain that supports this aspect of
      identity development. To address this gap in the literature, this study drew upon
      self-report data collected from New Zealand adolescents who provided data for two
      out of three annual time points of measurement (N = 1996; 52% female; 52%
      European New Zealanders, 30% Maori, and 18% Pacific Islanders and Asian New
      Zealanders) to examine the longitudinal relationships among three domains of
      social connectedness (i.e., family, school, and peers), "lostness," and a
      potential mediator, confidence. The results showed that all three domains of
      social connectedness predicted diminished "lostness" over time, and confidence
      mediated these relationships. An examination of the opposite direction of
      influence showed that "lostness" predicted a decrease in confidence and the three
      domains of social connectedness, as well. Gender, age, and ethnic group were
      shown to be moderators of different parts of the model. This study addresses the
      paucity of research examining "lost" adolescents, while providing insight into
      the underlying processes through which three key social contexts-family, school,
      and peers-exert their influence, and are influenced by, identity processes
      through confidence.

PMID- 28337587
TI  - Erratum to: Internal exposure to neutron-activated 56Mn dioxide powder in Wistar
      rats-Part 2: pathological effects.

PMID- 28337586
TI  - The role of fluoride and chlorhexidine in preserving hardness and mineralization
      of enamel and cementum after gamma irradiation.
AB  - The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effect of 0.05% sodium fluoride and
      0.12% chlorhexidine mouthwashes on the micro-hardness of tooth enamel and
      cementum that was exposed to therapeutic doses of gamma radiation. Sixty
      extracted human teeth were divided into two groups, one was irradiated, the other
      was not irradiated. The two groups were further subdivided into three subgroups,
      which were each treated either with 0.05% sodium fluoride or with 0.12%
      chlorhexidine; the third subgroup served as a control. After demineralization
      remineralization cycling, teeth from the irradiated groups showed a significantly
      lower micro-hardness when compared to those from the non-irradiated groups. Both
      in the irradiated and non-irradiated groups, teeth from the control subgroups
      showed a significantly lower micro-hardness, as compared to teeth treated with
      sodium fluoride and chlorhexidine. For non-irradiated enamel samples, those
      treated with chlorhexidine showed a significantly less micro-hardness compared to
      those treated with sodium fluoride. In contrast, irradiated enamel showed no
      significant difference in micro-hardness, whatever treatment (chlorhexidine or
      sodium fluoride) was applied. For cementum, treatment with chlorhexidine resulted
      in a significantly lower micro-hardness compared to sodium fluoride, both for the
      irradiated and non-irradiated groups. It is concluded that gamma irradiation with
      therapeutic doses typically used for head and neck carcinoma treatment has a
      direct effect in reducing micro-hardness of tooth enamel and cementum. Mouthwash
      protocols including, for example, application of 0.05% sodium fluoride or 0.12%
      chlorhexidine three times per day for 6 weeks, can protect enamel and cementum
      against the reduction in hardness and demineralization caused by gamma
      irradiation. Sodium fluoride offers more protection compared to chlorhexidine.

PMID- 28337588
TI  - Nephroendocrinology: When endocrinology meets nephrology.

PMID- 28337589
TI  - Colonization by non-pathogenic bacteria alters mRNA expression of cytochromes
      P450 in originally germ-free mice.
AB  - Gut microbiota provides a wide range of beneficial function for the host and has
      an immense effect on the host's health state. It has also been shown that gut
      microbiome is often involved in the biotransformation of xenobiotics; however,
      the molecular mechanisms of the interaction between the gut bacteria and the
      metabolism of drugs by the host are still unclear. To investigate the effect of
      microbial colonization on messenger RNA (mRNA) expression of liver cytochromes
      P450 (CYPs), the main drug-metabolizing enzymes, we used germ-free (GF) mice,
      lacking the intestinal flora and mice monocolonized by non-pathogenic bacteria
      Lactobacillus plantarum NIZO2877 or probiotic bacteria Escherichia coli Nissle
      1917 compared to specific pathogen-free (SPF) mice. Our results show that the
      mRNA expression of Cyp1a2 and Cyp2e1 was significantly increased, while the
      expression of Cyp3a11 mRNA was decreased under GF conditions compared to the SPF
      mice. The both bacteria L. plantarum NIZO2877 and E. coli Nissle 1917 given to
      the GF mice decreased the level of Cyp1a2 mRNA and normalized it to the control
      level. On the other hand, the colonization by these bacteria had no effect on the
      expression of Cyp3a11 mRNA in the liver of the GF mice (which remained
      decreased). Surprisingly, monocolonization with chosen bacterial strains has
      shown a different effect on the expression of Cyp2e1 mRNA in GF mice. Increased
      level of Cyp2e1 expression observed in the GF mice was found also in mice
      colonized by L. plantarum NIZO2877; however, the colonization with probiotic E.
      coli Nissle 1917 caused a decrease in Cyp2e1 expression and partially restored
      the SPF mice conditions.

PMID- 28337590
TI  - ACL-reconstructed and ACL-deficient individuals show differentiated trunk, hip,
      and knee kinematics during vertical hops more than 20 years post-injury.
AB  - PURPOSE: Little is known regarding movement strategies in the long term following
      injury of the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL), and even less about comparisons
      of reconstructed and deficient knees in relation to healthy controls. The present
      purpose was to compare trunk, hip, and knee kinematics during a one-leg vertical
      hop (VH) ~20 years post-ACL injury between persons treated with surgery and
      physiotherapy (ACLR), solely physiotherapy (ACLPT), and controls (CTRL). Between
      leg kinematic differences within groups were also investigated. METHODS: Sixty
      six persons who suffered unilateral ACL injury on average 23 +/- 2 years ago (32
      ACLR, 34 ACLPT) and 33 controls performed the VH. Peak trunk, hip, and knee
      angles during Take-off and Landing phases recorded with a 3D motion capture
      system were analysed with multivariate statistics. RESULTS: Significant group
      effects during both Take-off and Landing were found, with ACLPT differing from
      CTRL in Take-off with a combination of less knee flexion and knee internal
      rotation, and from both ACLR and CTRL in Landing with less hip and knee flexion,
      knee internal rotation, and greater hip adduction. ACLR also presented different
      kinematics to ACLPT and CTRL in Take-off with a combination of greater trunk
      flexion, hip flexion, hip internal rotation, and less knee abduction, and in
      Landing with greater trunk flexion and hip internal rotation. Further, different
      kinematics and hop height were found between legs within groups in both Take-off
      and Landing for both ACL groups, but not for CTRL. CONCLUSION: Different
      kinematics for the injured leg for both ACL groups compared to CTRL and between
      treatment groups, as well as between legs within treatment groups, indicate long
      term consequences of injury. Compensatory mechanisms for knee protection seem to
      prevail over time irrespective of initial treatment, possibly increasing the risk
      of re-injury and triggering the development of osteoarthritis. Detailed
      investigation of movement strategies during the VH provides important information
      and a more comprehensive evaluation of knee function than merely hop height. More
      attention should also be given to the trunk and hip in clinics when evaluating
      movement strategies after ACL injury. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Prospective cohort
      study, Level II.

PMID- 28337591
TI  - Arthroscopic R-LCL plication for symptomatic minor instability of the lateral
      elbow (SMILE).
AB  - PURPOSE: Minor instability has been proposed as a possible aetiology of lateral
      elbow pain. This study presents the results of the arthroscopic plication of the
      radial component of the lateral collateral ligament (R-LCL) to reduce minor
      instability of the lateral elbow. METHODS: Twenty-seven patients with
      recalcitrant lateral epicondylitis who had failed conservative therapy and who
      had no previous trauma or overt instability, were included. R-LCL plication was
      performed in the presence of at least one sign of lateral ligamentous patholaxity
      and one intra-articular abnormal finding. Single-assessment numeric evaluation
      (SANE), Oxford Elbow Score (OES), quickDASH (Disabilities of the Arm, Shoulder,
      Hand), patient satisfaction and post-operative range of motion were evaluated.
      RESULTS: SANE improved from a median of 30 [2-40] points pre-operatively to 90
      [80-100] at final follow-up (p < 0.0001), and 96.3% patients obtained good or
      excellent subjective results. Post-operative median quickDASH was 9.1 [0-25]
      points and OES 42 [34-48]. Median post-operative flexion was 145 degrees , and
      extension was 0 degrees . Post-operative flexion was restrained in seven patients
      and extension in eight patients; 59% of patients reached full ROM at final follow
      up. CONCLUSIONS: R-LCL plication produces subjective satisfaction and positive
      clinical results in patients presenting with a symptomatic minor instability of
      the lateral elbow (SMILE) at 2-year median follow-up. A slight limitation in
      range of motion is a possible undesired consequence of this intervention. LEVEL
      OF EVIDENCE: Retrospective case series, Level IV.

PMID- 28337593
TI  - Family Income and Child Cognitive Development: A Response to Marks.

PMID- 28337592
TI  - Head and Neck Round Cell Sarcomas: A Comparative Clinicopathologic Analysis of 2
      Molecular Subsets: Ewing and CIC-Rearranged Sarcomas.
AB  - CIC-rearranged sarcoma (CRS) is a relatively new entity defined by its
      pathognomonic genetic signature and undifferentiated round cell phenotype,
      initially grouped together with the 'Ewing sarcoma-like tumors'. However,
      increasing data suggest that these tumors should be regarded as a stand-alone
      pathologic entity. We conducted a clinicopathologic analysis on molecularly
      conformed Ewing sarcoma (ES) and CRS arising in the head and neck (HN) and
      compared to a well characterized cohort of ES and CRS from other locations. A
      total of 41 HN round cell sarcoma patients were selected from our institutional
      and consultation files, including 25 ES (median 20 years) and 16 CRS (median 29
      years). Clinical follow-up information was available for all ES patients, ranging
      from 4 to 436 months (median 70 months), while for CRS, follow-up information was
      available in 11 patients (69%), ranging from 1 to 269 months (median 27 months).
      The most common location for ES was the facial and jaw bones (56%), while CRS
      occurred exclusively in the soft tissue, commonly in the neck. CRS showed
      variable CD99 staining in 75% of cases and diffuse WT1 (6/6) reactivity, while
      all ES expressed diffuse membranous staining for CD99 but none for WT1 (0/6). The
      2-year overall survival (OS) rate for HN-CRS patients was 78%, while for HN-ES it
      was 100%. The OS of ES and CRS showed a trend toward a favorable outcome for HN
      round cell sarcomas compared to other sites. Our findings suggest that HN-CRS
      have different clinical presentation and pathologic features compared to ES and
      should be classified as a stand-alone pathologic entity.

PMID- 28337596
TI  - Prolactin regulation of the HPA axis is not mediated by a direct action upon CRH
      neurons: evidence from the rat and mouse.
AB  - Centrally acting prolactin has been shown to have anti-stress effects by
      modulating the activity of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis. We tested the
      hypothesis that prolactin directly targets hypothalamic corticotropin-releasing
      hormone (CRH) neurons. In situ hybridisation confirmed expression of mRNA
      encoding the long, but not the short, isoform of the prolactin receptor (PRLR)
      within the paraventricular nucleus (PVN) of the virgin rat; however, only 6% of
      CRH neurons expressed long-form Prlr mRNA. Examination of the functional response
      of CRH neurons to intracerebroventricular prolactin (500 ng) showed that these
      neurons did not respond with activation of phosphorylated signal transducer and
      activator of transcription 5 (pSTAT5), a marker of long-form PRLR activation.
      However, as only a subset of neurons expressing Crh mRNA could be detected using
      immunohistochemistry, we utilised a transgenic mouse model to label CRH neurons
      with a fluorescent reporter (CRH-Cre-tdTomato). In lactating animals, chronically
      elevated prolactin levels resulted in significantly increased pSTAT5 expression
      in the PVN. Overall, few tdTomato-labelled CRH neurons were double-labelled,
      although a small subset of CRH neurons in the caudal PVN were pSTAT5 positive
      (approximately 10% of tdTomato neurons at this level, compared to 1% in the
      rostral PVN). These data suggest that most CRH neurons do not respond directly to
      prolactin. To confirm that prolactin was not activating another signalling
      pathway, we used a transgenic mouse line to label PRLR-expressing neurons with
      Cre-dependent green fluorescent protein (GFP) expression (CRH-Cre-Prlr lox/lox ).
      No GFP-expressing cells were evident in the PVN, indicating that in the mouse, as
      in the rat, the CRH neurons do not express either PRLR isoform. Together these
      data showed that the anti-stress effects of prolactin are not the result of
      prolactin directly regulating CRH neurons.

PMID- 28337594
TI  - Diagnostic accuracy of high-risk HPV DNA genotyping for primary cervical cancer
      screening and triage of HPV-positive women, compared to cytology: preliminary
      results of the PIPAVIR study.
AB  - PURPOSE: The purpose of the presented PIPAVIR (persistent infections with human
      papillomaviruses; http://www.pipavir.com ) subanalysis is to assess the
      performance of high-risk (hr) HPV-DNA genotyping as a method of primary cervical
      cancer screening and triage of HPV positive women to colposcopy compared to
      liquid-based cytology (LBC) in an urban female population. METHODS: Women, aged
      30-60, provided cervicovaginal samples at the Family-Planning Centre, Hippokratio
      Hospital of Thessaloniki, Greece, and the Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics
      in Mare Klinikum, Kiel, Germany. Cytology and HPV genotyping was performed using
      LBC and HPV Multiplex Genotyping (MPG), respectively. Women positive for cytology
      [atypical squamous cells of undetermined significance (ASC-US) or worse] or hrHPV
      were referred for colposcopy. RESULTS: Among 1723/1762 women included in the
      final analysis, hrHPV and HPV16/18 prevalence was 17.7 and 9.6%, respectively.
      Cytology was ASCUS or worse in 7.6%. Cervical Intraepithelial Neoplasia grade 2
      or worse (CIN2+) was detected in 28 women (1.6%). Sensitivity of cytology (ASCUS
      or worse) and HPV DNA testing for the detection of CIN2+ was 50.0 and 100%, and
      specificity was 94.49 and 85.49%, respectively. The screening approach according
      to which only women positive for HPV16/18 and for hrHPV(non16/18) with ASCUS or
      worse were referred to colposcopy presented 78.57% sensitivity and 13.17%
      positive predictive value (PPV). CONCLUSIONS: HPV testing represents a more
      sensitive methodology for primary cervical cancer screening compared to cytology.
      For triage of HPV positive women to colposcopy, partial HPV genotyping offers
      better sensitivity than cytology, at the cost of higher number of colposcopies.

PMID- 28337595
TI  - First trimester TTR-RBP4-ROH complex and angiogenic factors in the prediction of
      small for gestational age infant's outcome.
AB  - PURPOSE: To study the role of the TTR-RBP4-ROH complex components (transthyretin,
      serum retinol binding protein, retinol) and of angiogenic factors PlGF (placental
      growth factor) and sFlt-1 (soluble fms-like tyrosine kinase-1) in pregnancies
      complicated by small for gestational age infants (SGA). METHODS: Case control
      study conducted on maternal serum collected between 11 + 0 to 13 + 6 weeks of
      gestation. TTR, RBP4, ROH, PlGF and sFlt-1 were measured in SGA patients (birth
      weight <10%) who delivered at term (n = 37) and before 37 weeks of gestation (n =
      17) and in a matched control group with uneventful pregnancies (n = 37). RESULTS:
      We found decreased RBP4 in SGA patients that delivered fetuses <3% and in fetuses
      delivered after the 37 weeks of gestation compared to controls [1.50 (95% CI 1.40
      1.75) vs 1.62 (95% CI 1.47-1.98), p < 0.05]. Further, we found lower PlGF and
      sFlt-1 concentrations in SGA that delivered before 37 weeks of gestation compared
      to controls (respectively, PIGF and sFlt-1: 39.7 pg/ml (95% CI 32.3-66.3) vs 62.9
      pg/ml (95% CI 45.2-78.4) and 906 pg/ml (95% CI 727-1626) vs 1610 pg/ml (95% CI
      1088-212), p < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: First trimester maternal serum RBP4 and
      angiogenic factors PlGF and sFlt-1 can differently predict the timing of delivery
      of pregnancies complicated by SGA fetuses.

PMID- 28337597
TI  - The functional role of post-movement beta oscillations in motor termination.
AB  - Shortly after movement termination, there is a strong increase or
      resynchronization of the beta rhythm (15-30 Hz) across the sensorimotor network
      of humans, known as the post-movement beta rebound (PMBR). This response has been
      associated with active inhibition of the motor network following the completion
      of a movement, sensory afferentation of the sensorimotor cortices, and other
      functions. However, studies that have directly probed the role of the PMBR in
      movement execution have reported mixed results, possibly due to differences in
      the amount of total motor output and/or movement complexity. Herein, we used
      magnetoencephalography during an isometric-force control task to examine whether
      alterations in the timing of motor termination demands modulate the PMBR,
      independent of differences in the motor output itself. Briefly, we manipulated
      the amount of time between the cue to initiate the force and the cue to terminate
      the force, such that participants were either forced to terminate quickly or
      slowly. We also performed a control experiment to test for temporal
      predictability effects. Our results indicated that the PMBR was stronger
      immediately following movement termination in the prefrontal cortices,
      supplementary motor area, left postcentral gyrus, paracentral lobule, and
      parietal cortex when participants were forced to terminate more quickly. These
      results were not attributable to the temporal predictability of each condition.
      These findings support the notion that the PMBR response at least partially
      serves motor inhibition, independent of the parameters within the motor output
      itself, and that particular nodes of the motor network may be differentially
      modulated by motor termination.

PMID- 28337598
TI  - Likelihood ratio formulae for disputed parentage when the product of conception
      is trisomic.
AB  - We present here the derivation of paternity index formulae that covers situations
      of a disputed paternity trio with a trisomic product of conception. We consider
      six possible mechanisms for trisomy to occur: dispermy, dieggy, paternal meiosis
      I or II, and maternal meiosis I or II in the calculation. We also provide a
      biological explanation for how each of the mechanisms could give rise to a
      trisomy. The paper is set out in a general manner so that the tables presented
      can be used on any instance of trisomic offspring. This work is motivated by a
      case of disputed paternity where the product of conception was trisomic, i.e. the
      electropherogram of the product of conception possessed three alleles at each
      locus. The outcome was extremely strong support for the alleged father's
      paternity of the product of conception.

PMID- 28337599
TI  - Genetic variation of 17 autosomal STR loci in the Dong ethnic minority from
      Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, South China.
AB  - A total of 17 autosomal short tandem repeat (STR) loci were amplified with the
      PowerPlex 18D System from 3244 unrelated healthy individuals of Dong ethnic
      minority living in Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, South China. Moreover,
      genetic distances between Dong and 12 published populations were compared, and a
      neighbor-joining (NJ) phylogenetic tree was developed using averaged F ST matrix
      and visualized. Results are generally in accordance with the geographical and
      linguistic distribution of studied populations and their historical relationships
      with Guangxi Dong.

PMID- 28337600
TI  - Technical note: EnVisionTM FLEX improves the detectability of depletions of
      myoglobin and troponin T in forensic cases of myocardial ischemia/infarction.
AB  - Immunohistochemistry is a well-established technique used in many research
      laboratories as well as in clinical diagnostics. The method allows to visualize
      the expression of proteins in biological tissues, as well as to evaluate this
      expression semi-quantitatively. For diagnosis, an optimal staining, based on a
      straightforward protocol, is crucial. In many sudden cardiac death cases,
      immunohistochemistry is the only tool enabling the diagnosis of myocardial
      ischemia/infarction, thus the diagnosis of the cause of death. Improvements in
      immunoreactions are actually possible thanks to optimized detection systems. The
      recently introduced detection system EnVision FlexTM by Dako allows to
      dramatically improve (in terms of intensity of the signal and practically absence
      of background) the visualization of antigens in formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded
      (FFPE) tissue sections. We tested this method for the detection of myoglobin and
      troponin T in human postmortem cases of myocardial infarction, as the results
      obtained by using the " classical " ABC (avidin-biotin complex) method have
      proven to be sub-optimal, thus rendering any interpretation very difficult, if
      not impossible.

PMID- 28337601
TI  - The Cortisol Awakening Response Mediates the Relationship Between Acculturative
      Stress and Self-Reported Health in Mexican Americans.
AB  - BACKGROUND: The assessment of acculturative stress as synonymous with
      acculturation level overlooks the dynamic, interactive, and developmental nature
      of the acculturation process. An individual's unique perception and response to a
      range of stressors at each stage of the dynamic process of acculturation may be
      associated with stress-induced alterations in important biological response
      systems that mediate health outcomes. Evidence suggests the cortisol awakening
      response (CAR) is a promising pre-clinical biomarker of stress exposure that may
      link acculturative stress to self-reported health in Mexican Americans. PURPOSE:
      The aim of the current study was to examine whether alterations in the CAR
      mediate the relationship between acculturative stress and self-reported health in
      Mexican Americans. METHODS: Salivary cortisol samples were collected at
      awakening, 30, 45, and 60 min thereafter, on two consecutive weekdays from a
      sample of adult Mexican Americans. Acculturative stress and self-reported health
      were assessed. Data were aggregated and analyzed (n = 89) using a mixed effects
      regression model and path analysis. RESULTS: Poorer self-reported health was
      associated with attenuated CAR profiles (primarily due to a diminished post
      awakening rise in cortisol) predicted by both moderate and high levels of
      exposure to acculturative stress. Stress-induced alterations in the CAR mediated
      the relationship between exposure to acculturative stressors and self-reported
      health. CONCLUSIONS: Findings demonstrate that different levels of acculturative
      stress are associated with distinct CAR profiles and suggest the CAR is one
      possible biological pathway through which exposure to culturally unique stressors
      may be linked to health disparities.

PMID- 28337602
TI  - Depressive Symptoms and Sleep Efficiency Sequentially Mediate Racial Differences
      in Temporal Summation of Mechanical Pain.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Racial differences in endogenous pain facilitatory processes have
      been previously reported. Evidence suggests that psychological and behavioral
      factors, including depressive symptoms and sleep, can alter endogenous pain
      facilitatory processes. Whether depressive symptoms and sleep might help explain
      racial differences in endogenous pain facilitatory processes has yet to be
      determined. PURPOSE: This observational, microlongitudinal study examined whether
      depressive symptoms and sleep were sequential mediators of racial differences in
      endogenous pain facilitatory processes. METHODS: A total of 50 (26 African
      American and 24 non-Hispanic white) community-dwelling adults without chronic
      pain (mean 49.04 years; range 21-77) completed the Center for Epidemiological
      Studies Depression Scale prior to seven consecutive nights of sleep monitoring
      with actigraphy in the home environment. Participants subsequently returned to
      the laboratory for assessment of endogenous pain facilitation using a mechanical
      temporal summation protocol. RESULTS: Findings revealed greater depressive
      symptoms, poorer sleep efficiency, and greater temporal summation of mechanical
      pain in African Americans compared to non-Hispanic whites. In a sequential
      mediation model, greater depressive symptoms predicted poorer sleep efficiency (t
      = -2.55, p = .014), and poorer sleep efficiency predicted enhanced temporal
      summation of mechanical pain (t = -4.11, p < .001), particularly for African
      Americans. CONCLUSIONS: This study underscores the importance of examining the
      contribution of psychological and behavioral factors when addressing racial
      differences in pain processing. Additionally, it lends support for the
      deleterious impact of depressive symptoms on sleep efficiency, suggesting that
      both sequentially mediate racial differences in endogenous pain facilitation.

PMID- 28337603
TI  - Multimodal Outcome Prognostication After Cardiac Arrest and Targeted Temperature
      Management: Analysis at 36  degrees C.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Targeted temperature management (TTM) represents the standard of care
      in comatose survivors after cardiac arrest (CA) and may be applied targeting 33
      degrees  or 36  degrees C. While multimodal prognostication has been extensively
      tested for 33  degrees C, scarce information exists for 36  degrees C. METHODS:
      In this cohort study, consecutive comatose adults after CA treated with TTM at 36
      degrees C between July 2014 and October 2016 were included. A combination of
      neurological examination, electrophysiological features, and serum neuron
      specific enolase (NSE) was evaluated for outcome prediction at 3 months
      (mortality; good outcome defined as cerebral performance categories (CPC) score
      of 1-2, poor outcome defined as CPC 3-5). RESULTS: We analyzed 61 patients. The
      presence of two or more predictors out of, unreactive electroencephalogram (EEG)
      background, epileptiform EEG, absent pupillary and/or corneal reflex, early
      myoclonus, bilaterally absent cortical somatosensory evoked potentials, and serum
      NSE >75 MUg/l, had a high specificity for predicting mortality (positive
      predictive value [PPV] = 1.00, 95% CI 0.87-1.00) and poor outcome (PPV = 1.00,
      95% CI 0.80-1.00). Reactive EEG background was highly sensitive for predicting
      good outcome (0.95, 95% CI 0.74-0.99). CONCLUSIONS: Prediction of outcome after
      CA and TTM targeting 36  degrees C seems valid in adults using the same features
      tested at 33  degrees C. A reactive EEG under TTM appears highly sensitive for
      good outcome.

PMID- 28337605
TI  - Application of diet theory reveals context-dependent foraging preferences in an
      herbivorous coral reef fish.
AB  - Dietary preferences of grazers can drive spatial variability in top-down control
      of autotroph communities, because diet composition may depend on the relative
      availability of autotroph species. On Caribbean coral reefs, parrotfish grazing
      is important in limiting macroalgae, but parrotfish dietary preferences are
      poorly understood. We applied diet-switching analysis to quantify the foraging
      preferences of the redband parrotfish (Sparisoma aurofrenatum). At 12 Caribbean
      reefs, we observed 293 redband parrotfish in 5-min feeding bouts and quantified
      relative benthic algal cover using quadrats. The primary diet items were
      macroalgal turfs, Halimeda spp., and foliose macroalgae (primarily Dictyota spp.
      and Lobophora spp.). When each resource was evaluated independently, there were
      only weak relationships between resource cover and foraging effort (number of
      bites taken). Electivity for each resource also showed no pattern, varying from
      positive (preference for the resource) to negative (avoidance) across sites.
      However, a diet-switching analysis consisting of pairwise comparisons of relative
      cover and relative foraging effort revealed clearer patterns: parrotfish (a)
      preferred Halimeda and macroalgal turfs equally, and those two resources were
      highly substitutable; (b) preferred Halimeda to foliose macroalgae, but those two
      resources were complementary; and (c) also preferred turf to foliose macroalgae,
      and those resources were also complementary. Thus parrotfish grazing rates depend
      on relative, not absolute, abundance of macroalgal types, due to differences in
      substitutability among resources. Application of similar analyses may help
      predict potential changes in foraging effort of benthic grazers over spatial
      gradients that could inform expectations for reef recovery following the
      protection of herbivore populations.

PMID- 28337604
TI  - Adjustment of control in the numerical Stroop task.
AB  - In the numerical Stroop task, participants are asked to compare the physical
      sizes (physical task) or numerical values (numerical task) of two digits and
      ignore the irrelevant dimension. Participants are unable to ignore the irrelevant
      dimension as indicated by facilitation and interference effects. The literature
      suggests that there is asymmetry in the ability to adjust control in the physical
      and numerical tasks. The present study examined this suggestion in two
      experiments in which we manipulated the proportion of neutral/congruent trials in
      an experimental block. In addition, we examined the effects of control adjustment
      on the resolution of the task and informational conflicts. Our results suggest
      that adjustment of control can be bidirectional and is dependent on task
      requirements. Moreover, it might be easier to inhibit irrelevant information than
      to inhibit irrelevant task activation.

PMID- 28337607
TI  - Phenotypic changes of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus during
      vancomycin therapy for persistent bacteraemia and related clinical outcome.
AB  - Persistent bacteraemia (PB) due to methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus
      (MRSA) that fails to respond to glycopeptide therapy is a well-documented
      clinical problem. There are limited data on changes in agr functionality,
      vancomycin susceptibility and heteroresistance during MRSA PB. Thus, the
      frequency of these changes and their clinical significance remain unclear. Only
      patients with MRSA PB (>=7 days) from a prospective cohort of S. aureus
      bacteraemia were included. We collected isogenic paired strains and compared
      vancomycin MIC, vancomycin heteroresistance, and agr functionality between
      initial and final blood isolates. We also assessed the clinical outcome. A total
      of 49 patients had MRSA PB over 22 months. Bacteraemia persisted for a median of
      13 days and most patients (98%) received glycopeptide as initial therapy. Among
      49 isogenic pairs, only one pair showed a vancomycin MIC increase >=2-fold by
      broth microdilution method, and only seven (14%) by E-test. Significant portions
      of initial isolates had vancomycin heteroresistance (49%) and agr dysfunction
      (76%). Development of vancomycin heteroresistance during PB occurred in four
      (16%) among 25 initial vancomycin-susceptible isolates, and acquisition of agr
      dysfunction occurred in two (16%) among 12 initial agr-functional isolates.
      Changes in the opposite direction occasionally occurred. These phenotypic changes
      during PB were not associated with mortality, whereas agr dysfunction of the
      initial isolates was significantly associated with mortality. During MRSA PB,
      phenotypic changes of MRSA isolates occurred occasionally under prolonged
      vancomycin exposure but were not significantly associated with clinical outcome.
      In contrast, initial agr dysfunction could be a predictor for mortality in MRSA
      PB.

PMID- 28337608
TI  - Age-specific application of neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio in meningitis: a
      nationwide study.
AB  - Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) neutrophil counts and neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio
      (NLR) are useful in distinguishing bacterial and viral meningitis. Given that
      meningitis is clinically heterogeneous with regard to age, here we investigated
      the validity of the CSF NLR and neutrophil assay according to age group. Data
      from the nationwide referral of >4,000 meningitis cases to the Hellenic
      Meningitis Reference Laboratory between 2006 and 2013 were examined. CSF NLR and
      neutrophil counts were stratified according to age, and assay performance was
      determined using previous cut-off values of 2 and 287 cells/MUl for CSF NLR and
      neutrophils respectively. The distribution of bacterial versus viral meningitis
      was heterogenous across age groups, with a low proportion of bacterial meningitis
      in patients aged 5-14. CSF neutrophil count and NLR were significantly more
      discriminatory for bacterial meningitis in patients aged over 14 years than those
      aged 0-14. The odds ratio (OR), sensitivity, specificity and positive predictive
      value (PPV) were significantly higher in older patients for both biomarkers. When
      combined, the false-positive and false-negative detection of bacterial meningitis
      was 3.9 and 8.5% respectively, and the OR of 262.2 was 2.5-fold greater than
      expected from a multiplicative effect alone in patients aged >14 years. Care is
      required when applying diagnostic tests for meningitis in different age groups
      because of patient heterogeneity. This is the first description of the age
      distribution of meningitis cases in Greece, and knowledge of the age-related
      distribution of neutrophils and NLR in meningitis cases could help towards
      developing age-specific meningitis diagnostic assays.

PMID- 28337609
TI  - Trans-eyebrow supraorbital approach in large suprasellar craniopharyngioma
      surgery in adults: analysis of optic nerve length and extent of tumor resection.
      Original article.
AB  - BACKGROUND: One of the main drawbacks in the surgery of large craniopharyngiomas
      is the presence of a prefixed optic chiasm. Our main objective in this study is
      to compare the predictive value of the optic nerve length and optic chiasm
      location on large craniopharyngiomas' extent of resection. METHOD: We
      retrospectively studied 21 consecutive patients with large craniopharyngiomas who
      underwent tumor resection through the trans-eyebrow supraorbital approach.
      Clinical and radiological findings on preoperative MRI were recorded, including
      the optic chiasm location classified as prefixed, postfixed or normal. We
      registered the optic nerve length measured intraoperatively prior to tumor
      removal and confirmed the measurements on preoperative MRI. Using a linear
      regression model, we calculated a prediction formula of the percentage of the
      extent of resection as a function of optic nerve length. RESULTS: On preoperative
      MRI, 15 patients were considered to have an optic chiasm in a normal location, 3
      cases had a prefixed chiasm, and the remaining 3 had a postfixed chiasm. In the
      group with normal optic chiasm location, a wide range of percentage of extent of
      resection was observed (75-100%). The percentage of extent of resection of large
      craniopharyngiomas was observed to be dependent on the optic nerve length in a
      linear regression model (p < 0.0001). According to this model in the normal optic
      chiasm location group, we obtained an 87% resection in 9-mm optic nerve length
      patients, a 90.5% resection in 10-mm optic nerve length patients and 100%
      resection in 11-mm optic nerve length patients. CONCLUSIONS: Optic chiasm
      location provides useful information to predict the percentage of resection in
      both prefixed and postfixed chiasm patients but not in the normal optic chiasm
      location group. Optic nerve length was proven to provide a more accurate way to
      predict the percentage of resection than the optic chiasm location in the normal
      optic chiasm location group.

PMID- 28337610
TI  - A prospective multicenter study on laparoscopic treatment of gastroesophageal
      reflux disease in Italy : Type of surgery, conversions, complications, and early
      results.
AB  - BACKGROUND: A national survey was undertaken by the Italian Society for
      Laparoscopic Surgery to investigate the prevalence, indications, conversion rate,
      mortality, morbidity, and early results of laparoscopic antireflux surgery.
      METHODS: Beginning on January 1, 1996, all of the centers taking part in this
      study were asked to complete a questionnaire on each patient. The questionnaire
      was divided into four parts and covered such areas as indications for surgery and
      preoperative workup, type of operation performed and certain aspects of the
      surgical technique, conversions and their causes, intraoperative and
      postoperative complications (within 4 weeks), and details of the postoperative
      course. The last part of the questionnaire focused on the follow-up period and
      was designed to gather data on recurrence of preoperative symptoms, postoperative
      symptoms (dysphagia, gas bloat), and postoperative test findings. RESULTS: As of
      June 30 1998, 21 centers were taking part in the study and 621 patients were
      enrolled, with a median of 27 patients per center (less than one patient/month).
      The most popular technique was the Nissen-Rossetti (52%), followed by the Nissen
      (33%) and Toupet procedures (13%). Other techniques, such as the Dor and Lortat
      Jacob, were used in the remainder of cases. Patients who received a Toupet
      procedure had a higher incidence of defective peristalsis (p < 0.05). The
      conversion rate to open surgery was 2.9%. The most common causes of conversion
      were inability to reduce the hiatus hernia or distal esophagus in the abdomen and
      adhesions from previous surgery. Perforation of the stomach and esophagus
      occurred in <1% of patients. Mortality was nil. Postoperative complications were
      observed in 7.3% of cases. The most common complication was acute dysphagia (19
      patients), which required reoperation in 10 patients. No differences in the
      incidence of acute dysphagia were found for the different surgical techniques
      employed. Follow-up data were obtained for 319 patients (53%): 91.5% of the
      patients remained GERD symptom-free; severe esophagitis (grade 2-3) healed in 95%
      of the patients; lower esophageal sphincter (LES) manometric characteristics
      (pressure, abdominal length, and overall length) improved significantly after
      surgery (p < 0.005); and acid exposure of the distal esophagus decreased.
      CONCLUSIONS: Laparoscopic antireflux surgery has no mortality and a low
      morbidity. Symptoms and esophagitis are resolved in >90% of patients. Despite
      these favorable results, however, this type of surgery is not yet as widely
      employed in Italy as in other countries.

PMID- 28337611
TI  - Comparison of insufflation vs retractional technique for laparoscopic-assisted
      intervertebral fusion of the lumbar spine.
AB  - Laparoscopic transperitoneal fusion of the L5-S1 spinal interspace has become a
      common procedure. Retroperitoneal retraction and laparoscopic instrumentation
      without insufflation also allows visualization of the upper lumbar spaces, but
      this procedure is much more difficult to accomplish. We review and compare our
      results using each of these techniques for the treatment of mechanical
      instability and chronic back pain. A total of 35 selected patients underwent
      intervertebral fusion between February 1996 and August 1998. Their mean age was
      48 years. There were 22 female and 13 male patients. Standard CO2 insufflation
      was used in 10 patients with L5-S1 fusions. Retractional gasless technique was
      used in nine patients with fusions at L5-S1, 16 patients at L4-L5, one patient at
      L3-L4, three patients at L2-3, and one patient at L1-L2. Thus, we performed a
      total of 40 lumbar fusions in 35 patients. In the 19 patients with the gasless
      technique, a balloon dissector and retractor facilitated the retroperitoneal
      exposure. Seven of these 19 patients were converted to open procedures, most
      commonly due to lacerations of the peritoneal lining that prohibited
      visualization. None of the L5-S1 patients with insufflation were converted to
      open. Mean operative time in the insufflated patients was 152 min vs 181 min for
      the retractional technique. There were seven complications in the transperitoneal
      group: one fusion device migration, one postoperative UTI, one intracerebral
      hemorrhage, one severe postoperative pancreatitis, and three iliac vein
      lacerations. There were 16 complications in the retroperitoneal group: one deep
      vein thromboses, one serosal bowel injury, one small tear in the spleen, one cage
      migration, one postoperative pulmonary atelectasis, one postoperative hydrocele,
      four postoperative ileus, and six peritoneal tears. The mean postoperative stay
      was three days for both groups. There were no deaths. The L5-S1 interspace is
      best approached transperitoneally for anterior fusion. Although the
      retroperitoneal retractional technique is much more difficult and has a longer
      and steeper learning curve, it does allow laparoscopic anterior fusion of the
      upper lumbar spine.

PMID- 28337612
TI  - Liver retraction techniques for laparoscopic cholecystectomy.

PMID- 28337613
TI  - Trocar for laparoscopic placement of peritoneal dialysis catheter.

PMID- 28337614
TI  - Rituximab in refractory chronic inflammatory demyelinating
      polyradiculoneuropathy: report of four cases.

PMID- 28337615
TI  - Longer duration of obesity is associated with a reduction in urinary
      angiotensinogen in prepubertal children.
AB  - BACKGROUND: We aimed to study the impact of obesity on urinary excretion of
      angiotensinogen (U-AGT) in prepubertal children, focusing on the duration of
      obesity and gender. Also, we aimed to evaluate whether plasma angiotensinogen (P
      AGT) and hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) play a role in the putative association.
      METHODS: Cross-sectional evaluation of 305 children aged 8-9 years (160 normal
      weight, 86 overweight, and 59 obese). Anthropometric measurements and 24-h
      ambulatory blood pressure monitoring were performed. Angiotensinogen (AGT) was
      determined by a commercial enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) kit and H2O2
      by a microplate fluorometric assay. RESULTS: U-AGT and P-AGT levels were similar
      across body mass index (BMI) groups and between sexes. However, boys who were
      overweight/obese since the age of 4 years presented lower levels of U-AGT
      compared with those of normal weight at the same age. In children who were
      overweight/obese since the age of 4, urinary H2O2 decreased with P-AGT.
      CONCLUSIONS: A higher duration of obesity was associated with decreased U-AGT in
      boys, thus reflecting decreased intrarenal activity of the renin-angiotensin
      system. Also, children with a longer duration of obesity showed an inverse
      association between urinary H2O2 and P-AGT. Future studies should address whether
      these results reflect an early compensatory mechanism to limit obesity-triggered
      renal dysfunction.

PMID- 28337617
TI  - Indications of Transconjunctival Orbital Septum Fat Release and Preservation for
      Orbitopalpebral Sulcus in Lower Eyelid Blepharoplasty.

PMID- 28337616
TI  - Follow-up results of patients with ADCK4 mutations and the efficacy of CoQ10
      treatment.
AB  - BACKGROUND: ADCK4-related glomerulopathy is an important differential diagnosis
      in adolescents with steroid-resistant nephrotic syndrome (SRNS) and/or chronic
      kidney disease (CKD) of unknown origin. We screened adolescent patients to
      determine the frequency of ADCK4 mutation and the efficacy of early CoQ10
      administration. METHODS: A total of 146 index patients aged 10-18 years, with
      newly diagnosed non-nephrotic proteinuria, nephrotic syndrome, or chronic renal
      failure and end-stage kidney disease (ESKD) of unknown etiology were screened for
      ADCK4 mutation. RESULTS: Twenty-eight individuals with bi-allelic mutation from
      11 families were identified. Median age at diagnosis was 12.4 (interquartile
      range [IQR] 8.04-19.7) years. Upon first admission, all patients had albuminuria
      and 18 had CKD (6 ESKD). Eight were diagnosed either through the screening of
      family members following index case identification or during genetic
      investigation of proteinuria in an individual with a history of a transplanted
      sibling. Median age of these 8 patients was 21.5 (range 4.4-39) years. CoQ10
      supplementation was administered following genetic diagnosis. Median estimated
      glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) just before CoQ10 administration was 140 (IQR
      117-155) ml/min/1.73m2, proteinuria was 1,008 (IQR 281-1,567) mg/m2/day. After a
      median follow-up of 11.5 (range 4-21) months following CoQ10 administration,
      proteinuria was significantly decreased (median 363 [IQR 175-561] mg/m2/day,
      P=0.025), whereas eGFR was preserved (median 137 [IQR 113-158] ml/min/1.73m2,
      P=0.61). CONCLUSIONS: ADCK4 mutations are one of the most common causes of
      adolescent-onset albuminuria and/or CKD of unknown etiology in Turkey. CoQ10
      supplementation appears efficacious at reducing proteinuria, and may thereby be
      renoprotective.

PMID- 28337619
TI  - Raised Serum IL-8 Levels Are Associated with Excessive Fatigue in Female Carriers
      of X-Linked Chronic Granulomatous Disease in the UK.

PMID- 28337618
TI  - Reply: Innovative Management of Implant Infection and Exposure in ADM/Implant
      Based Breast Reconstruction with Negative Pressure Wound Therapy.

PMID- 28337620
TI  - Date palm waste-derived biochar composites with silica and zeolite: synthesis,
      characterization and implication for carbon stability and recalcitrant potential.
AB  - Engineered organo-mineral composites were synthesized from date palm waste
      biochar and silica or zeolite via mechanochemical treatments. Date palm tree
      rachis (leaves) waste biomass was pre-treated with silica or zeolite minerals via
      ball milling and sonication prior to pyrolysis at 600  degrees C. The resultant
      organo-mineral composites and pristine materials were characterized using X-ray
      diffraction, thermogravimetric-differential thermal (TG-DTA), Fourier transform
      infrared, scanning electron microscope analyses and surface area and porosity
      analyzer to investigate the variations in physiochemical and structural
      characteristics. Compared to the resultant composites derived from non-milled
      date palm biomass, ball milling increased surface area, while decreased
      crystallinity index and effective particle size of the biochar composites. Silica
      composited biochars were located near origin in the van Krevelen diagram
      indicating lowest H/C and O/C molar ratios, thus suggesting higher aromaticity
      and lower polarity compared to other biochars. TGA thermograms indicated highest
      thermal stability of silica composited biochars. Ash and moisture corrected TGA
      thermograms were used to calculate recalcitrance index (R 50) of the materials,
      which speculated high degradability of biomass (R 50 < 0.4), minimal
      degradability of biochars and zeolite composited biochars (0.5 < R 50 < 0.7) and
      high recalcitrant nature of silica composited biochars (R 50 > 0.7). Silica
      composited biochars exhibited highest carbon sequestration potential (64.17
      95.59%) compared to other biochars. Highest recalcitrance and carbon
      sequestration potential of silica composited biochars may be attributed to
      changes in structural arrangements in the silica-biochar complex. Encapsulations
      of biochar particles with amorphous silica via Si-C bonding may have prevented
      thermal degradation, subsequently increasing recalcitrance potential of silica
      composited biochars.

PMID- 28337621
TI  - Metal-contaminated potato crops and potential human health risk in Bolivian
      mining highlands.
AB  - This study assessed metals in irrigation water, soil and potato crops impacted by
      mining discharges, as well as potential human health risk in the high desert near
      the historic mining center of Potosi, Bolivia. Metal concentrations were compared
      with international concentration limit guidelines. In addition, an ingested
      average daily dose and minimum risk level were used to determine the hazard
      quotient from potato consumption for adults and children. Irrigation water
      maximum concentrations of Cd, Pb and Zn in mining-impacted sites were elevated 20
      to 1100-fold above international concentration limit guidelines. Agricultural
      soils contained total metal concentrations of As, Cd, Pb and Zn that exceeded
      concentration limits in agricultural soil guidelines by 22-, 9-, 3- and 12-fold,
      respectively. Potato tubers in mining-impacted sites had maximum concentrations
      of As, Cd, Pb and Zn that exceeded concentration limits in commercially sold
      vegetables by 9-, 10-, 16- and fourfold, respectively. Using conservative
      assumptions, hazard quotients (HQ) for potatoes alone were elevated for As, Cd
      and Pb among children (range 1.1-71.8), in nearly all of the mining-impacted
      areas; and for As and Cd among adults (range 1.2-34.2) in nearly all of the
      mining-impacted areas. Only one mining-impacted area had a Pb adult HQ for
      potatoes above 1 for adults. Toxic trace elements in a major regional dietary
      staple may be a greater concern than previously appreciated. Considering the
      multitude of other metal exposure routes in this region, it is likely that total
      HQ values for these metals may be substantially higher than our estimates.

PMID- 28337622
TI  - Harnessing fertilizer potential of human urine in a mesocosm system: a novel test
      case for linking the loop between sanitation and aquaculture.
AB  - Human urine (HU) is a biogenic fertilizer which has raised immense interest owing
      to its capacity of combining sanitation and nutrient recovery. In search of an
      alternative organic fertilizer for fish culture, the nutrient potential of HU was
      evaluated. Fries of Indian carps and larvae of freshwater prawn were reared for
      120 days under six conditions: (a) aerated and (b) non-aerated fresh HU (0.01%),
      (c) cattle manure (CM; 1.8 kg tank-1), mixed treatment with CM and HU under (d)
      iso-phosphorus and (e) iso-nitrogenous condition and (f) control. Monitoring of
      water quality and biological parameters revealed that total fish yield was the
      highest in CM (621.5 g tank-1) followed by mixed treatments under iso-nitrogenous
      (428 g tank-1) and iso-phosphorus (333 g tank-1) conditions, aerated HU (321 g
      tank-1) and HU (319 g tank-1). The gross primary productivity (GPP) in HU was
      satisfactory (601.8 mg C m-2 h-1) and superior to all but CM treatment. The
      abundance of heterotrophic bacteria (HB) was highest in CM and lowest in HU. Both
      GPP and HB population were correlated positively with fish yield per tank.
      Although pH in all treatments remained high (pH 8.4-8.9), no ammonia toxicity was
      observed. No E. coli infestation in any fish muscle was encountered. The
      concentrations of cadmium and lead in fish muscle were within respective safe
      level. The study established that high fertilizer potential of HU could be
      exploited as an alternative organic fertilizer or as a candidate to be blended
      with cattle manure.

PMID- 28337623
TI  - Erratum to: Isotherm, kinetic, and thermodynamic study of ciprofloxacin sorption
      on sediments.

PMID- 28337624
TI  - Geochemical behavior of ultramafic waste rocks with carbon sequestration
      potential: a case study of the Dumont Nickel Project, Amos, Quebec.
AB  - The geochemical behavior of ultramafic waste rocks and the effect of carbon
      sequestration by these waste rocks on the water drainage quality were
      investigated using laboratory-scale kinetic column tests on samples from the
      Dumont Nickel Project (RNC Minerals, QC, Canada). The test results demonstrated
      that atmospheric CO2 dissolution induced the weathering of serpentine and brucite
      within the ultramafic rocks, generating high concentrations of Mg and HCO3- with
      pH values ranging between 9 and 10 in the leachates that promote the
      precipitation of secondary Mg carbonates. These alkaline pH values appear to have
      prevented the mobilization of many metals; Fe, Ni, Cu, and Zn were found at
      negligible concentrations in the leachates. Posttesting characterization using
      chemical analyses, diffuse reflectance infrared Fourier transform (DRIFT), and
      scanning electron microscope (SEM) observations confirmed the precipitation of
      secondary hydrated Mg carbonates as predicted by thermodynamic calculations. The
      formation of secondary Mg carbonates induced cementation of the waste particles,
      resulting in the development of a hardpan.

PMID- 28337625
TI  - Using fluorescent dyes as proxies to study herbicide removal by sorption in
      buffer zones.
AB  - The performance of buffer zones for removing pesticides from runoff water varies
      greatly according to landscape settings, hydraulic regime, and system design.
      Evaluating the performance of buffers for a range of pesticides and environmental
      conditions can be very expensive. Recent studies suggested that the fluorescent
      dyes uranine and sulforhodamine B could be used as cost-effective surrogates of
      herbicides to evaluate buffer performance. However, while transformation
      mechanisms in buffers have been extensively documented, sorption processes of
      both dyes have rarely been investigated. In this study, we measured the
      adsorption, desorption, and kinetic sorption coefficients of uranine and
      sulforhodamine B for a diverse range of buffer zone materials (soils, litters,
      plants) and compared the adsorption coefficients (Kd) to those of selected
      herbicides. We also compared the global sorption capacity of 6 ditches,
      characterized by varying proportions of the aforementioned materials, between
      both dyes and a set of four herbicides using the sorption-induced pesticide
      retention indicator (SPRI). We found that both the individual Kd of uranine for
      the diverse buffer materials and the global sorption capacity of the ditches are
      equivalent to those of the herbicides diuron, isoproturon, and metolachlor. The
      Kd of sulforhodamine B on plants and soils are equivalent to those of glyphosate,
      and the global sorption capacities of the ditches are equivalent for both
      molecules. Hence, we demonstrate for the first time that uranine can be used as a
      proxy of moderately hydrophobic herbicides to evaluate the performance of buffer
      systems, whereas sulforhodamine B can serve as a proxy for more strongly sorbing
      herbicides.

PMID- 28337626
TI  - Application of a novel magnetic carbon nanotube adsorbent for removal of mercury
      from aqueous solutions.
AB  - In this research, multiwall carbon nanotube was magnetized and subsequently
      functionalized by thiosemicarbazide. After characterization by FTIR, BET, SEM,
      EDAX, and VSM techniques, the magnetized adsorbent (multi-walled carbon nanotubes
      (MWCNTs)/Fe3O4) was used for removal of Hg2+ from aqueous solutions and the
      experimental conditions were optimized. The adsorption capacity of 172.83 mg g-1
      was obtained at 25  degrees C and pH = 3 which was superior to the value obtained
      for initial multiwall carbon nanotube, magnetized sample, and many previously
      reported values. In the presence of Pb+2 and Cd+2, the adsorbent was selective
      towards mercury when their concentration was respectively below 50 and 100 mg L
      1. The adsorption process was kinetically fast and the equilibration was attained
      within 60 min with 69.5% of the capacity obtained within 10 min. The used
      adsorbent was regenerated by HNO3 solution, and the regenerated adsorbent
      retained 92% of its initial capacity. The magnetic sensitivity of the adsorbent
      allowed the simple separation of the used adsorbent from the solution by implying
      an appropriate external magnetic field. The adsorption data was well fitted to
      the Langmuir isotherm model, indicating homogeneous and monolayer adsorption of
      mercury by the adsorbent.

PMID- 28337627
TI  - Biological impacts of local vs. regional land use on a small tributary of the
      Seine River (France): insights from a food web approach based on stable isotopes.
AB  - As part of the landscape, streams are influenced by land use. Here, we
      contributed to the understanding of the biological impacts of land use on
      streams, investigating how landscape effects vary with spatial scales (local vs.
      regional). We adopted a food web approach integrating both biological structure
      and functioning, to focus on the overall effect of land use on stream
      biocoenosis. We selected 17 sites of a small tributary of the Seine River
      (France) for their contrasted land use, and conducted a natural experiment by
      sampling three organic matter sources, three macroinvertebrate taxa, and most of
      the fish community. Using stable isotope analysis, we calculated three food web
      metrics evaluating two major dimensions of the trophic diversity displayed by the
      fish community: (i) the diversity of exploited resources and (ii) the trophic
      level richness. The idea was to examine whether (1) land-use effects varied
      according to spatial scales, (2) land use affected food webs through an effect on
      community structure and (3) land use affected food webs through an effect on
      available resources. Beside an increase in trophic diversity from upstream to
      downstream, our empirical data showed that food webs were influenced by land use
      in the riparian corridors (local scale). The effect was complex, and depended on
      site's position along the upstream-downstream gradient. By contrast, land use in
      the catchment (regional scale) did not influence stream biocoenosis. At the local
      scale, community structure was weakly influenced by land use, and thus played a
      minor role in explaining food web modifications. Our results suggested that the
      amount of available resources at the base of the food web was partly responsible
      for food web modifications. In addition, changes in biological functioning (i.e.
      feeding interactions) can also explain another part of the land-use effect. These
      results highlight the role played by the riparian corridors as a buffer zone, and
      advocate that riparian corridor should be at the centre of water management
      attention.

PMID- 28337628
TI  - Study of plasma off-gas treatment from spent ion exchange resin pyrolysis.
AB  - Polystyrene divinylbenzene-based ion exchange resins are employed extensively
      within nuclear power plants (NPPs) and research reactors for purification and
      chemical control of the cooling water system. To maintain the highest possible
      water quality, the resins are regularly replaced as they become contaminated with
      a range of isotopes derived from compromised fuel elements as well as corrosion
      and activation products including 14C, 60Co, 90Sr, 129I, and 137Cs. Such spent
      resins constitute a major proportion (in volume terms) of the solid radioactive
      waste generated by the nuclear industry. Several treatment and conditioning
      techniques have been developed with a view toward reducing the spent resin volume
      and generating a stable waste product suitable for long-term storage and
      disposal. Between them, pyrolysis emerges as an attractive option. Previous work
      of our group suggests that the pyrolysis treatment of the resins at low
      temperatures between 300 and 350  degrees C resulted in a stable waste product
      with a significant volume reduction (>50%) and characteristics suitable for long
      term storage and/or disposal. However, another important issue to take into
      account is the complexity of the off-gas generated during the process and the
      different technical alternatives for its conditioning. Ongoing work addresses the
      characterization of the ion exchange resin treatment's off-gas. Additionally, the
      application of plasma technology for the treatment of the off-gas current was
      studied as an alternative to more conventional processes utilizing oil- or gas
      fired post-combustion chambers operating at temperatures in excess of 1000 
      degrees C. A laboratory-scale flow reactor, using inductively coupled plasma,
      operating under sub-atmospheric conditions was developed. Fundamental experiments
      using model compounds have been performed, demonstrating a high destruction and
      removal ratio (>99.99%) for different reaction media, at low reactor temperatures
      and moderate power consumption. The role of H2O as an important participant of
      the oxidation mechanisms in plasma conditions was established. The combination of
      both processes could represent a simple, safe, and effective alternative for
      treating spent ion exchange resins with a large reduction of generated gaseous
      byproducts in fuel cycle facilities where processes that utilize open flames are
      undesirable.

PMID- 28337629
TI  - An innovative application of extended exergy analysis into an industrial park.
AB  - Exergy is a thermodynamic term used to account all possible useful work
      theoretically throughout one process when it is brought into equilibrium with its
      environment. It however cannot directly incorporate non-physical flows, which can
      be accounted by extensions of the exergy consumption method. Extended exergy,
      which builds a bridge between thermal and anthropic dimensions, can both measure
      resource consumption and economic system. In this study, we applied extended
      exergy analysis to analyze an industrial park, including material consumption,
      social investment, and environmental influence. The total extended exergy
      consumption in the study park amounts to 2.52 EJ. The material-based exergy
      occupies the largest exergy consumption, followed by capital exergy,
      environmental remediation exergy, and labor exergy in decreasing order. The
      exergy capacity was proposed to depict the conversion ability from exergy
      consumption into economic benefits. In the study area, electronic information
      industry has the largest exergy capacity with a value of 70 RMB/GJ, indicating a
      high conversion power from exergy to money. New energy vehicles and parts
      manufacturing occupies bottom rung in terms of exergy capacity. From the view of
      material consumption, other industry consumed a lot more exergy compared to
      electronic information industry; for the environmental remediation, other
      industry has the lowest exergy capacity, indicating it discharged more pollutants
      than other clusters to output the same amount of money. Therefore, other industry
      needs to be urgently transformed and upgraded. The study could help to optimize
      industrial structure and environmental management in industrial parks.

PMID- 28337630
TI  - Erratum to: Differential Brain, Cognitive and Motor Profiles Associated with
      Partial Trisomy. Modeling Down Syndrome in Mice.

PMID- 28337631
TI  - Upregulation of Mineralocorticoid Receptor in the Hypothalamus Associated with a
      High Anxiety-like Level in Apolipoprotein E4 Transgenic Mice.
AB  - Anxiety symptoms occur in a large portion of Alzheimer's disease (AD) patients.
      ApolipoproteinE-4 (ApoE epsilon4 allele), a risk factor for AD, has been
      recognized as an important contributor to psychiatric disorders. In the present
      study, we aimed to investigate the corticosterone level in relation to anxiety
      like behavior changes in transgenic male mice with different glial fibrillary
      acidic protein (GFAP)-ApoE isoforms. GFAP-ApoE4 transgenic mice aged 3 months
      showed higher anxiety-like behavior in open field, light-dark box and elevated
      plus maze tasks compared with that of age-matched GFAP-ApoE3 mice. However,
      corticotropin releasing factor levels in the hypothalamus and plasma
      corticosterone secretion were similar in GFAP-ApoE3 and GFAP-ApoE4 transgenic
      male mice. Additionally, increased expression of the mineralocorticoid receptor
      (MR) and unchanged expression of the glucocorticoid receptor were observed in the
      hypothalamus of GFAP-ApoE4 mice. However, no significant differences were found
      in the expression levels of the MR in GFAP-ApoE3 and GFAP-ApoE4 mice at postnatal
      day 2. In conclusion, we found that MR upregulation rather than corticosterone
      level changes in the early stage of adulthood was associated with the higher
      anxiety-like level measured in GFAP-ApoE4 mice.

PMID- 28337632
TI  - Comparative toxicity of imidacloprid and thiacloprid to different species of soil
      invertebrates.
AB  - Neonicotinoid insecticides have come under increasing scrutiny for their impact
      on non-target organisms, especially pollinators. The current scientific
      literature is mainly focused on the impact of these insecticides on pollinators
      and some aquatic insects, leaving a knowledge gap concerning soil invertebrates.
      This study aimed at filling this gap, by determining the toxicity of imidacloprid
      and thiacloprid to five species of soil invertebrates: earthworms (Eisenia
      andrei), enchytraeids (Enchytraeus crypticus), Collembola (Folsomia candida),
      oribatid mites (Oppia nitens) and isopods (Porcellio scaber). Tests focused on
      survival and reproduction or growth, after 3-5 weeks exposure in natural LUFA 2.2
      standard soil. Imidacloprid was more toxic than thiacloprid for all species
      tested. F. candida and E. andrei were the most sensitive species, with LC50s of
      0.20-0.62 and 0.77 mg/kg dry soil for imidacloprid and 2.7-3.9 and 7.1 mg/kg dry
      soil for thiacloprid. EC50s for effects on the reproduction of F. candida and E.
      andrei were 0.097-0.30 and 0.39 mg/kg dry soil for imidacloprid and 1.7-2.4 and
      0.44 mg/kg dry soil for thiacloprid. The least sensitive species were O. nitens
      and P. scaber. Enchytraeids were a factor of 5-40 less sensitive than the
      taxonomically related earthworm, depending on the endpoint considered. Although
      not all the species showed high sensitivity to the neonicotinoids tested, these
      results raise awareness about the effects these insecticides can have on non
      target soil invertebrates.

PMID- 28337633
TI  - The Development of an HIV Risk Environment Scale of Exotic Dance Clubs.
AB  - Exotic dancers have received little research attention despite evidence of high
      risk behaviours within exotic dance clubs (EDCs). We developed and assessed the
      reliability and validity of a risk environment score, examining differences
      between dancers (n = 107) and other staff (n = 172). In the summer of 2013,
      anonymous surveys were administered via A-CASI in EDCs (N = 26) in Baltimore
      among exotic dancers and staff. Surveys consisted of a brief demographic section
      followed by 65 statements. The overall domain had an alpha = 0.77 and subdomains
      had the following: social (alpha = 0.87), economic (alpha = 0.92), drug (alpha =
      0.89), and policy (alpha = 0.66). In a factor analysis, each domain contributed
      significantly to the overall latent construct. The results indicate a high level
      of HIV/STI risk for dancers in EDCs and underscore the need for targeted
      interventions in these environments. As we continue to unpack the function of the
      broader environment in STI/HIV risk transmission, the scale could be instructive
      for other settings.

PMID- 28337635
TI  - Measurement of bovine body and scrotal temperature using implanted temperature
      sensitive radio transmitters, data loggers and infrared thermography.
AB  - Synchronous and continuous measurement of body (BT) and scrotal temperature (ST)
      without adverse welfare or behavioural interference is essential for
      understanding thermoregulation of the bull testis. This study compared three
      technologies for their efficacy for long-term measurement of the relationship
      between BT and ST by means of (1) temperature sensitive radio transmitters (RT),
      (2) data loggers (DL) and (3) infrared imaging (IRI). After an initial pilot
      study on two bulls to establish a surgical protocol, RTs and DLs were implanted
      into the flank and mid-scrotum of six Wagyu bulls for between 29 and 49 days. RT
      frequencies were scanned every 15 min, whilst DLs logged every 30 min. Infrared
      imaging of the body (flank) and scrotum of each bull was recorded hourly for one
      24-h period and compared to RT and DL data. After a series of subsequent heat
      stress studies, bulls were castrated and testicular tissue samples processed for
      evidence of histopathology. Radio transmitters were less reliable than DLs; RTs
      lost >11 % of data, whilst 11 of the 12 DLs had 0 % data loss. IRI was only
      interpretable in 35.8 % of images recorded. Pearson correlations between DL and
      RT were strong for both BT (r > 0.94, P < 0.001) and ST (r > 0.80, P < 0.001).
      Surgery produced temporary minor inflammation and scrotal hematoma in two animals
      post-surgery. Whilst scar tissue was observed at all surgical sutured sites when
      bulls were castrated, there was no evidence of testicular adhesion and normal
      active spermatogenesis was observed in six of the eight implanted testicles.
      There was no significant correlation of IRI with either DL or RT. We conclude
      that DLs provided to be a reliable continuous source of data for synchronous
      measurement of BT and ST.

PMID- 28337634
TI  - Topical dura mater application of CFA induces enhanced expression of c-fos and
      glutamate in rat trigeminal nucleus caudalis: attenuated by KYNA derivate
      (SZR72).
AB  - BACKGROUND: Migraine is a debilitating neurological disorder where
      trigeminovascular activation plays a key role. We have previously reported that
      local application of Complete Freund's Adjuvant (CFA) onto the dura mater caused
      activation in rat trigeminal ganglion (TG) which was abolished by a systemic
      administration of kynurenic acid (KYNA) derivate (SZR72). Here, we hypothesize
      that this activation may extend to the trigeminal complex in the brainstem and is
      attenuated by treatment with SZR72. METHODS: Activation in the trigeminal nucleus
      caudalis (TNC) and the trigeminal tract (Sp5) was achieved by application of CFA
      onto the dural parietal surface. SZR72 was given intraperitoneally (i.p.), one
      dose prior CFA deposition and repeatedly daily for 7 days. Immunohistochemical
      studies were performed for mapping glutamate, c-fos, PACAP, substance P, IL-6, IL
      1beta and TNFalpha in the TNC/Sp5 and other regions of the brainstem and at the
      C1-C2 regions of the spinal cord. RESULTS: We found that CFA increased c-fos and
      glutamate immunoreactivity in TNC and C1-C2 neurons. This effect was mitigated by
      SZR72. PACAP positive fibers were detected in the fasciculus cuneatus and
      gracilis. Substance P, TNFalpha, IL-6 and IL-1beta immunopositivity were detected
      in fibers of Sp5 and neither of these molecules showed any change in
      immunoreactivity following CFA administration. CONCLUSION: This is the first
      study demonstrating that dural application of CFA increases the expression of c
      fos and glutamate in TNC neurons. Treatment with the KYNA analogue prevented this
      expression.

PMID- 28337636
TI  - Evodiamine Inhibits Zymosan-Induced Inflammation In Vitro and In Vivo:
      Inactivation of NF-kappaB by Inhibiting IkappaBalpha Phosphorylation.
AB  - Evodiamine (EVO), an important alkaloidal component extracted from the fruit of
      Evodiae fructus, has been known to possess anti-tumor, anti-inflammatory, anti
      oxidative, and other therapeutic capabilities. In the present study, the effects
      of EVO on zymosan-induced inflammation and its underlying mechanism were
      investigated both in vitro and in vivo. Our results showed that EVO effectively
      suppressed both protein and mRNA expression of interleukin-1beta, interleukin-6
      (IL-6), and tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) in vitro. Zymosan-induced DNA
      binding activity of nuclear factor-kappa B (NF-kappaB) was attenuated by EVO,
      which was achieved through inhibitory effects on the phosphorylation of
      inhibitory kappaB alpha and p65 nuclear translocation, but there was very little
      association with mitogen-activated protein kinase activation. In vivo, treatment
      with EVO markedly decreased TNF-alpha and IL-6 levels in plasma. EVO also
      repressed inflammatory cytokine expression and ameliorated the abnormal state in
      both lung and intestine tissues by inactivation of NF-kappaB. Furthermore, EVO
      significantly reduced the mortality caused by zymosan. In summary, these results
      suggested that EVO could effectively suppress inflammatory responses in vitro and
      in vivo, and may be a potential therapeutic agent against inflammatory disorders.

PMID- 28337637
TI  - In Vivo Paracoccidioides sp. Biofilm on Vascular Prosthesis.
AB  - Paracoccidioidomycosis is an endemic mycosis caused by Paracoccidioides species
      limited to Latin America arising with the chronic form in 90% of cases. The
      capacity of microorganisms to form biofilms is considered of great importance
      medical since can contribute to the persistence and to the chronic state of the
      diseases. The ability of Paracoccidioides to form biofilm has been demonstrated
      in vitro. In our study, for the first time we have observed this capability in
      vivo on a vascular prosthesis using scanning electron microscope showing a dense
      network of Paracoccidioides yeasts covered by an extracellular matrix.

PMID- 28337638
TI  - Erratum to: Using a discrete choice experiment to value the QLU-C10D: feasibility
      and sensitivity to presentation format.

PMID- 28337639
TI  - The impact of mangiferin from Belamcanda chinensis on experimental colitis in
      rats.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) [including Crohn's disease (CD) and
      ulcerative colitis (UC)] constitutes an important clinical problem. The
      pathogenesis of IBD remains unclear. It is believed that immune dysfunction,
      inflammatory mediators and oxidative damage play crucial roles in development of
      IBD. The condition is clinically associated with symptoms ranging from mild to
      severe during relapses, depending on the affected segment of the gastrointestinal
      tract. Bloody diarrhea with mucus, abdominal pain, weight loss and anemia are
      initial symptoms of both CD and UC. Differences between diseases become more
      evident in time, along with the development of intestinal and extraintestinal
      complications. Mangiferin (1,3,6,7-tetrahydroxyxanthone-C-2-beta-D-glucoside), a
      natural polyphenol in plants, exerts antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects
      making it an interesting option for the treatment of inflammatory pathologies
      associated with oxidative stress in humans, such as IBD. PURPOSE: The aim of the
      current study was to elucidate the impact of mangiferin on colon tissues in 2,4,6
      trinitrobenzensulfonic acid (TNBS)-induced colitis in rats. METHODS: Mangiferin
      was obtained from Belamcanda chinensis rhizomes by a multistage process. Groups
      of rats were pre-treated with 10, 30 or 100 mg/kg of mangiferin, or with
      distilled water administered intragastrically for 16 days. An ethanol solution of
      TNBS or saline was given rectally on the day 15 of the experiment. The experiment
      was terminated on the day 17. The colon was removed, cleaned, weighed and
      examined macro- and microscopically. Determination of tumor necrosis factor alpha
      (TNF-alpha), interleukin 17 (IL-17), malondialdehyde (MDA) levels and superoxide
      dismutase (SOD) activity were performed spectrophotometrically in homogenates of
      colon tissues. RESULTS: Rats in the TNBS group developed symptoms of colitis,
      including: body weight loss, colon mass index increase and damage of intestinal
      tissues with concomitant increase in TNF-alpha, IL-17, MDA levels and decreased
      SOD activity. In non-TNBS-treated rats mangiferin did not cause any changes of
      studied parameters. Pre-treatment with mangiferin exerted a protective effect,
      reducing the intensity of damage caused by TNBS. Mangiferin at the doses of 30
      and 100 mg/kg reduced the macro- and microscopic damage score and the MDA level
      in colon tissues. Only at the dose of 100 mg/kg, mangiferin decreased TNF-alpha
      and IL-17 concentrations, and SOD activity in colon tissues. CONCLUSION:
      Mangiferin attenuates inflammatory changes of colon tissues in experimental, TNBS
      induced colitis in rats. Protective effect exerted by mangiferin depends
      primarily on its anti-inflammatory activity and secondarily on its antioxidant
      properties.

PMID- 28337640
TI  - Erratum to: Intraoperative Patterns of Gastric Microperfusion During Laparoscopic
      Sleeve Gastrectomy.

PMID- 28337641
TI  - Inhibition of proliferation of prostate cancer cell line DU-145 in vitro and in
      vivo using Salvia miltiorrhiza Bunge.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: To investigate the antiproliferative activity of Salvia miltiorrhiza
      Bunge. (SM) on the castration-resistant prostate cancer (CRPC) cell line DU-145,
      in vitro and in vivo. METHODS: Prostate cancer cell line (DU-145) and normal
      prostate cell line (RWPE-1) were treated with SM at different concentrations
      (3.125, 12.5, 25 and 50 MUg/mL) to investigate the antiproliferative effects. DNA
      laddering analysis was performed to investigate the apoptosis of DU-145 cells.
      Molecular mechanism was investigated by Western blot analysis of p53, Bcl-2,
      prostate specific antigen (PSA), and androgen receptor (AR). Six-week-old male
      BALB/c nude mice were randomly divided into normal control group (n=101) and
      treated group (n=101) which administered 500 mg/kg SM for 2 weeks. Tumor volumes
      were measured. RESULTS: Treatment with SM resulted in a dose-dependent decrease
      in cell number of DU-145 cells in comparison with RWPE-1. DNA laddering analysis
      indicated the apoptosis of DU-145 cells. Treatment with SM increased the
      expression of p53 and reduced the expression of Bcl-2 proteins. The levels of PSA
      were considerably reduced in SM-treated group compared to the controls, and a
      decrease in AR expression was observed when cells were treated with SM in the
      same pattern as a reduction in PSA. In the tumour xenograft study, SM given once
      a day for 2 weeks significantly inhibited tumour growth. CONCLUSION: SM might
      contribute to the anticancer actions such as induction of apoptosis and
      inhibition of proliferation of prostate cancer cells.

PMID- 28337642
TI  - The small heat shock proteins alphaB-crystallin (HSPB5) and Hsp27 (HSPB1) inhibit
      the intracellular aggregation of alpha-synuclein.
AB  - Protein homeostasis, or proteostasis, is the process of maintaining the
      conformational and functional integrity of the proteome. Proteostasis is
      preserved in the face of stress by a complex network of cellular machinery,
      including the small heat shock molecular chaperone proteins (sHsps), which act to
      inhibit the aggregation and deposition of misfolded protein intermediates.
      Despite this, the pathogenesis of several neurodegenerative diseases has been
      inextricably linked with the amyloid fibrillar aggregation and deposition of
      alpha-synuclein (alpha-syn). The sHsps are potent inhibitors of alpha-syn
      aggregation in vitro. However, the limited availability of a robust, cell-based
      model of alpha-syn aggregation has, thus far, restricted evaluation of sHsp
      efficacy in the cellular context. As such, this work sought to establish a robust
      model of intracellular alpha-syn aggregation using Neuro-2a cells. Aggregation of
      alpha-syn was found to be sensitive to inhibition of autophagy and the
      proteasome, resulting in a significant increase in the proportion of cells
      containing alpha-syn inclusions. This model was then used to evaluate the
      capacity of the sHsps, alphaB-c and Hsp27, to prevent alpha-syn aggregation in
      cells. To do so, we used bicistronic expression plasmids to express the sHsps.
      Unlike traditional fluorescent fusion constructs, these bicistronic expression
      plasmids enable only individual transfected cells expressing the sHsps (via
      expression of the fluorescent reporter) to be analysed, but without the need to
      tag the sHsp, which can affect its oligomeric structure and chaperone activity.
      Overexpression of both alphaB-c and Hsp27 significantly reduced the intracellular
      aggregation of alpha-syn. Thus, these findings suggest that overexpressing or
      boosting the activity of sHsps may be a way of preventing amyloid fibrillar
      aggregation of alpha-syn in the context of neurodegenerative disease.

PMID- 28337643
TI  - Recombinant heat shock protein 27 (HSP27/HSPB1) protects against cadmium-induced
      oxidative stress and toxicity in human cervical cancer cells.
AB  - Cadmium (Cd) is a carcinogen with several well-described toxicological effects in
      humans, but its molecular mechanisms are still not fully understood.
      Overexpression of heat shock protein 27 (HSP27/HSPB1)-a multifunctional protein
      chaperone-has been shown to protect cells from oxidative damage and apoptosis
      triggered by Cd exposure. The aims of this work were to investigate the potential
      use of extracellular recombinant HSP27 to prevent/counteract Cd-induced cellular
      toxicity and to evaluate if peroxynitrite was involved in the development of Cd
      induced toxicity. Here, we report that the harmful effects of Cd correlated with
      changes in oxidative stress markers: upregulation of reactive oxygen species,
      reduction in nitric oxide (NO) bioavailability, increment in lipid peroxidation,
      peroxynitrite (PN), and protein nitration; intracellular HSP27 was reduced.
      Treatments with Cd (100 MUM) for 24 h or with the peroxynitrite donor, SIN-1,
      decreased HSP27 levels (~50%), suggesting that PN formation is responsible for
      the reduction of HSP27. Pre-treatments of the cells either with Nomega-nitro-L
      arginine methyl ester hydrochloride (L-NAME) (a pharmacological inhibitor of NO
      synthase) or with recombinant HSP27 (rHSP27) attenuated the disruption of the
      cellular metabolism induced by Cd, increasing in a 55 and 52%, respectively, the
      cell viability measured by CCK-8. Cd induced necrotic cell death pathways,
      although apoptosis was also activated; pre-treatment with L-NAME or rHSP27
      mitigated cell death. Our findings show for the first time a direct relationship
      between Cd-induced toxicity and PN production and a role for rHSP27 as a
      potential therapeutic agent that may counteract Cd toxicity.

PMID- 28337645
TI  - Maintenance of memory for melodies: Articulation or attentional refreshing?
AB  - Past research on the effects of articulatory suppression on working memory for
      nonverbal sounds has been characterized by discrepant findings, which suggests
      that multiple mechanisms may be involved in the rehearsal of nonverbal sounds. In
      two experiments we examined the potential roles of two theoretical mechanisms of
      verbal working memory-articulatory rehearsal and attentional refreshing-in the
      maintenance of memory for short melodies. In both experiments, participants
      performed a same-different melody comparison task. During an 8-s retention
      interval, interference tasks were introduced to suppress articulatory rehearsal,
      attentional refreshing, or both. In Experiment 1, only the conditions that
      featured articulatory suppression resulted in worse memory performance than in a
      control condition, and the suppression of both attentional refreshing and
      articulatory rehearsal concurrently did not impair memory more than articulatory
      suppression alone. Experiment 2 reproduced these findings and also confirmed that
      the locus of interference was articulatory and not auditory (i.e., the
      interference was not attributable to the sound of participants' own voices during
      articulatory suppression). Both experiments suggested that articulatory rehearsal
      played a role in the maintenance of melodies in memory, whereas attentional
      refreshing did not. We discuss potential theoretical implications regarding the
      mechanisms used for the rehearsal of nonverbal sounds in working memory.

PMID- 28337646
TI  - The puzzle of study time allocation for the most challenging items.
AB  - Learners often allocate more study time to challenging items than to easier ones.
      Nevertheless, both predicted and actual memory performance are typically worse
      for difficult than for easier items. The resulting inverse relations between
      people's predictions of their memory performance (judgments of learning; JOLs)
      and self-paced study time (ST) are often explained by bottom-up, data-driven ST
      allocation that is based on fluency. However, we demonstrate robust inverted U
      shaped relations between JOLs and ST that cannot be explained by data-driven ST
      allocation alone. Consequently, we explored how two models of top-down, strategic
      ST allocation account for curvilinear JOL-ST relations. First, according to the
      Region of Proximal Learning model, people stop quickly on items for which they
      experience too little progress in learning. Second, according to the Diminishing
      Criterion Model, people set a time limit and stop studying when this time limit
      is reached. In three experiments, we manipulated motivation with different
      methods and examined which model best described JOL-ST relations. Consistent with
      the Diminishing Criterion Model but not with the Region of Proximal Learning
      model, results revealed that curvilinearity was due to people setting a time
      limit.

PMID- 28337647
TI  - Revisiting the role of language in spatial cognition: Categorical perception of
      spatial relations in English and Korean speakers.
AB  - The spatial relation of support has been regarded as universally privileged in
      nonlinguistic cognition and immune to the influence of language. English, but not
      Korean, obligatorily distinguishes support from nonsupport via basic spatial
      terms. Despite this linguistic difference, previous research suggests that
      English and Korean speakers show comparable nonlinguistic sensitivity to the
      support/nonsupport distinction. Here, using a paradigm previously found to elicit
      cross-language differences in color discrimination, we provide evidence for a
      difference in sensitivity to support/nonsupport between native English speakers
      and native Korean speakers who were late English learners and tested in a context
      that privileged Korean. Whereas the former group showed categorical perception
      (CP) when discriminating spatial scenes capturing the support/nonsupport
      distinction, the latter did not. An additional group of native Korean speakers
      relatively early English learners tested in an English-salient context-patterned
      with the native English speakers in showing CP for support/nonsupport. These
      findings suggest that obligatory marking of support/nonsupport in one's native
      language can affect nonlinguistic sensitivity to this distinction, contra earlier
      findings, but that such sensitivity may also depend on aspects of language
      background and the immediate linguistic context.

PMID- 28337648
TI  - Diagnosis and Treatment of Alternating Hemiplegia of Childhood.
AB  - OPINION STATEMENT: The diagnosis and treatment of patients with Alternating
      Hemiplegia of Childhood (AHC) and related disorders should be provided by a
      multidisciplinary team experienced with the spectrum of presentations of this
      disease, with its related disorders, with its complex and fluctuating
      manifestations, and with cutting edge advances occurring in the field.
      Involvement in research to advance the understanding of this disease and
      partnership with international collaborators and family organizations are also
      important. An example of such an approach is that of The Duke AHC and Related
      Disorders Multi-Disciplinary Clinic and Program, which, in partnership with the
      Cure AHC Foundation, has developed and applied this approach to patients seen
      since early 2013. The program provides comprehensive care and education directly
      to AHC patients and their families and collaborates with referring physicians on
      the care of patients with AHC whether evaluated at Duke clinics or not. It also
      is involved in clinical and basic research and in collaborations with other
      International AHC Research Consortium (IAHCRC) partners. The clinic is staffed
      with physicians and experts from Neurology, Cardiology, Child Behavioral Health,
      Medical Genetics, Neurodevelopment, Neuropsychology, Nursing, Physical and
      Occupational Therapies, Psychiatry, Sleep Medicine, and Speech/Language
      Pathology. Patients are seen either for full comprehensive evaluations that last
      several days or for targeted evaluations with one or few appointments.

PMID- 28337644
TI  - CNS Demyelination with TNF-alpha Blockers.
AB  - Tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) blockers are a popular therapeutic choice
      in a number of inflammatory diseases. Thus far, five TNF- alpha blockers have
      been approved for clinical use (etanercept, infliximab, adalimumab, golimumab.
      and certolizumab). Despite being considered relatively safe, serious side effects
      associated with immune suppression have been reported, including central and
      peripheral nervous system (CNS) demyelinating disorders. It is still elusive
      whether these events are mere coincidence or a side effect of anti-TNF-alpha use.
      In this paper, we review the published case reports of CNS demyelination
      associated with anti-TNF-alpha therapy and present the follow-up of our 4
      previously reported patients who developed neurologic symptoms suggestive of CNS
      demyelination after having received anti-TNF-alpha treatment. We also discuss the
      possible role of TNF-alpha blockers in demyelination.

PMID- 28337649
TI  - Conformational properties of block-polyampholytes adsorbed on charged cylindrical
      surfaces.
AB  - Polyampholytes are polymers that have positive and negative monomers along their
      chain. The adsorption of polyampholytes on charged surfaces has been the subject
      of a large number of theoretical, computational and experimental studies due to
      its importance in a variety of bio and nanothechnological systems. However,
      computational studies focusing on interaction between polyampholytes and
      cylindrical charged surfaces are rather scarce. This study, therefore, aims to
      investigate the conformational properties of block-polyampholytes in the presence
      of a negatively charged cylinder by means of Metropolis Monte Carlo simulations.
      Adopting a simplified model in which the electrolyte solution is treated at the
      Debye-Huckel level, the effects of the ionic strength, the linear charge density
      of the cylinder and the block length on monomers distributions have been
      investigated. It was found that increasing the salt concentration promotes a
      transition from a conformation characterized by large loops to a necklace-like
      conformation parallel to the surface. It was also shown that, at low cylinder
      charge density, the increase in salt concentration and the length of the blocks
      lead to a change in the orientation of the adsorbed chain.

PMID- 28337650
TI  - On the influence of a network on optically isotropic fluid phases with
      tetrahedral/octupolar order.
AB  - We investigate the influence of transient or permanent elasticity on liquid
      phases with octupolar (tetrahedral) order, a question that has never been
      addressed before. The focus will be on optically isotropic liquid phases with
      tetrahedral order including the T d phase and the chiral T phase introduced by
      Fel. It turns out that the presence of both, a network as well as tetrahedral
      order can lead to the formation of chiral domains of both hands in an optically
      isotropic fluid due to a completely novel mechanism, thus providing a possible
      macroscopic explanation for recent experimental observations. We study in detail
      how elasticity influences the macroscopic dynamics of both, the T d and the T
      phase. The simultaneous presence of a transient network as well as of octupolar
      order is shown to lead to completely new cross-coupling phenomena for optically
      isotropic systems including transient dissipative elastic strains due to
      temperature gradients.

PMID- 28337651
TI  - Editor's Spotlight/Take 5: Does Medicaid Insurance Confer Adequate Access to
      Adult Orthopaedic Care in the Era of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care
      Act?

PMID- 28337652
TI  - CORR Insights(r): What is the Ideal Route of Administration of Tranexamic Acid in
      TKA? A Randomized Controlled Trial.

PMID- 28337653
TI  - Letter to the Editor: Poor Survivorship and Frequent Complications at a Median of
      10 Years After Metal-on-Metal Hip Resurfacing Revision.

PMID- 28337654
TI  - Letter to the Editor: What Does a Shoulder MRI Cost the Consumer?

PMID- 28337655
TI  - CORR Insights(r): Increased Risk of Revision, Reoperation, and Implant Constraint
      in TKA After Multiligament Knee Surgery.

PMID- 28337656
TI  - What Factors Are Associated With Femoral Component Internal Rotation in TKA Using
      the Gap Balancing Technique?
AB  - BACKGROUND: When using the gap-balancing technique for TKA, excessive medial
      release and varus proximal tibial resection can be associated with internal
      rotation of the femoral component. Previous studies have evaluated the causes of
      femoral component rotational alignment with a separate factor analysis using
      unadjusted statistical methods, which might result in treatment effects being
      attributed to confounding variables. QUESTIONS/PURPOSES: (1) What pre- and
      intraoperative factors are associated with internal rotation of the femoral
      component in TKA using the gap balancing technique? (2) To what degree does
      femoral component rotation as defined by the navigation system differ from
      rotation as measured by postoperative CT? METHODS: Three hundred seventy-seven
      knees that underwent computer-assisted primary TKA attributable to degenerative
      osteoarthritis with varus or mild valgus alignment in which medial soft tissue
      release was performed, and those with preoperative radiographs including
      preoperative CT between October 2007 and June 2014 were included in the study. To
      achieve a balanced mediolateral gap, the structures released during each medial
      release step were as follows: Step 1, deep medial collateral ligament (MCL); Step
      2, superficial MCL (proximal, above the pes anserine tendon) and semimembranosus
      tendon; and Step 3, the superficial MCL (distal, below the pes anserine tendon).
      Knees with internal rotation of the femoral component, which was directed by
      navigation, to achieve a rectangular mediolateral flexion gap were considered
      cases, and knees without internally rotated femoral components were considered
      controls. Univariable analysis of the variables (age, sex, BMI, operated side,
      preoperative hip-knee-ankle angle, preoperative medial proximal tibial angle,
      preoperative rotation degree of the clinical transepicondylar axis [TEA] relative
      to the posterior condylar axis [PCA], coronal angle of resected tibia, resection
      of the posterior cruciate ligament, type of prosthesis, and extent of medial
      release) of cases and controls was performed, followed by a multivariable
      logistic regression analysis on those factors where p equals 0.15 or less. For an
      evaluation of navigation error, 88 knees that underwent postoperative CT were
      analyzed. Postoperative CT scans were obtained for patients with unexplained pain
      or stiffness after the operations. Using the paired t-test and Pearson's
      correlation analysis, the postoperative TEA-PCA measured with postoperative CT
      was compared with theoretical TEA-PCA, which was calculated with preoperative TEA
      PCA and actual femoral component rotation checked by the navigation system.
      RESULTS: After controlling for a relevant confounding variable such as
      postoperative hip-knee-ankle angle, we found that the extent of medial release
      (Step 1 as reference; Step 2: odds ratio [OR], 5.7, [95% CI, 2.2-15]; Step 3: OR,
      22, [95% CI, 7.8-62], p < 0.001) was the only factor we identified that was
      associated with internal rotation of the femoral component. With the numbers
      available, we found no difference between the mean theoretical postoperative TEA
      PCA and the postoperative TEA-PCA measured using postoperative CT (4.8 degrees 
      +/- 2.7o versus 5.0 degrees  +/- 2.3o; mean difference, 0.2 degrees  +/- 1.5o; p
      = 0.160). CONCLUSIONS: Extent of medial release was the only factor we identified
      that was associated with internal rotation of the femoral component in gap
      balancing TKA. To avoid internal rotation of the femoral component, we recommend
      a carefully subdivided medial-releasing technique, especially for the superficial
      MCL because once the superficial MCL has been completely released it cannot
      easily be restored. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Level III, therapeutic study.

PMID- 28337658
TI  - Erratum to: Analysis of Monoclonal Antibodies in Human Serum as a Model for
      Clinical Monoclonal Gammopathy by Use of 21 Tesla FT-ICR Top-Down and Middle-Down
      MS/MS.

PMID- 28337657
TI  - Hypovitaminosis D in patients with heart failure: effects on functional capacity
      and patients' survival.
AB  - Chronic heart failure is a major cause of morbidity and mortality, but its
      prognosis remains poor. Vitamin D hormone has many extra-skeletal functions
      including a positive impact on the cardiovascular system, and has been proposed
      for mortality risk evaluation in heart failure patients. The aim of the present
      study was to evaluate vitamin D status in heart failure patients, measured by
      high performance liquid chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry and to
      correlate serum 25 hydroxy-vitamin D (25OHD) levels with functional (peak VO2%)
      and mortality (Metabolic Exercise Cardiac Kidney Index) heart failure parameters.
      We enrolled 261 consecutive patients diagnosed with heart failure; all patients
      underwent a comprehensive clinical and biochemical characterization, and serum
      25OHD levels were measured by high performance liquid chromatography coupled with
      mass spectrometry. Cardiopulmonary test parameters and Metabolic Exercise Cardiac
      Kidney Index of mortality risk were measured in all patients. Serum 25OHD levels
      ranged between 2 and 45 ng/ml (mean 17 +/- 9 ng/ml); most patients (87%) showed
      hypovitaminosis D, and 25% showed severe vitamin D deficiency (serum 25OHD < 10
      ng/ml). Patients with 25OHD < 10 ng/ml had significantly lower cardiopulmonary
      test VO2/kg, peak VO2% and significantly higher N-terminalproBrain natriuretic
      peptide and Metabolic Exercise Cardiac Kidney Index, than patients with 25OHD >
      10 ng/ml. Patients with peak VO2% < 50% showed significantly lower 25OHD compared
      to those with peak VO2% > 50%. There was a significant, positive correlation (r =
      0.16, p = 0.008) between 25OHD levels and peak VO2%, and an inverse correlation
      with Metabolic Exercise Cardiac Kidney Index (r = -0.21, p < 0.001), even when
      adjusted for age, Body Mass Index, MDRD, N-terminalproBrain natriuretic peptide.
      In conclusion, our findings show that vitamin D levels are associated with
      functional and mortality heart failure prognosis parameters.

PMID- 28337659
TI  - A20 in Multiple Sclerosis and Parkinson's Disease: Clue to a Common Dysregulation
      of Anti-Inflammatory Pathways?
AB  - Chronic inflammation significantly contributes to the pathogenesis of several
      neurodegenerative disorders. In physiological conditions, a chronic inflammatory
      state is prevented through the termination of the acute inflammatory response
      once the triggering insult is eliminated. Several mechanisms regulate the
      resolution of inflammation. Among these, a potent inhibitor of the pro
      inflammatory NF-kB signaling known as A20 has emerged as a key player. Recent
      studies have shown reduced blood levels of A20 in the patients of diverse chronic
      inflammatory diseases. Similar results have also been demonstrated in patients of
      multiple sclerosis (MS), a neurodegenerative disease characterized by persisting
      inflammation. In the present study, we investigate whether other similar
      neurodegenerative disorders such as Parkinson's disease (PD), Alzheimer's disease
      (AD), and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) also demonstrate deregulated levels
      of A20 expression as compared to healthy controls (HC) and treatment-naive MS
      patients. Our results confirm previous data that the A20 expression is reduced in
      whole blood of MS patients as compared to HC. Additionally, we demonstrate that
      significantly diminished A20 expression is also evident in PD patients. The
      dysregulation of the A20 pathway could then contribute to the persistence of
      inflammation in these disorders. It would thus be interesting to investigate
      further whether such commonly deregulated pathways between different inflammatory
      diseases could represent novel targets for therapy.

PMID- 28337660
TI  - TOPGEAR: A Randomized, Phase III Trial of Perioperative ECF Chemotherapy with or
      Without Preoperative Chemoradiation for Resectable Gastric Cancer: Interim
      Results from an International, Intergroup Trial of the AGITG, TROG, EORTC and
      CCTG.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Postoperative chemoradiation and perioperative chemotherapy using
      epirubicin/cisplatin/5-fluorouracil (ECF) represent two standards of care for
      resectable gastric cancer. In the TOPGEAR (Trial Of Preoperative therapy for
      Gastric and Esophagogastric junction AdenocaRcinoma) trial, we hypothesized that
      adding preoperative chemoradiation to perioperative ECF will improve survival;
      however, the safety and feasibility of preoperative chemoradiation have yet to be
      determined. METHODS: TOPGEAR is an international phase III trial in which
      patients with adenocarcinoma of the stomach were randomized to perioperative ECF
      alone or with preoperative chemoradiation. The ECF-alone group received three
      preoperative cycles of ECF, while the chemoradiation group received two cycles of
      preoperative ECF followed by chemoradiation. Both groups received three
      postoperative cycles of ECF. A planned interim analysis of the first 120 patients
      was conducted, and was reviewed by the Independent Data Safety Monitoring
      Committee to assess treatment compliance, toxicity/safety, and response rates.
      RESULTS: The proportion of patients who received all cycles of preoperative
      chemotherapy was 93% (ECF group) and 98% (chemoradiation group), while 65 and
      53%, respectively, received all cycles of postoperative chemotherapy. Overall,
      92% of patients allocated to preoperative chemoradiation received this treatment.
      The proportion of patients proceeding to surgery was 90% (ECF group) and 85%
      (chemoradiation group). Grade 3 or higher surgical complications occurred in 22%
      of patients in both groups. Furthermore, grade 3 or higher gastrointestinal
      toxicity occurred in 32% (ECF group) and 30% (chemoradiation group) of patients,
      while hematologic toxicity occurred in 50 and 52% of patients. CONCLUSIONS: These
      results demonstrate that preoperative chemoradiation can be safely delivered to
      the vast majority of patients without a significant increase in treatment
      toxicity or surgical morbidity.

PMID- 28337661
TI  - The Value of Multidisciplinary Team Meetings for Patients with Gastrointestinal
      Malignancies: A Systematic Review.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: The incidence of gastrointestinal (GI) cancer is rising and most
      patients with GI malignancies are discussed by a multidisciplinary team (MDT). We
      performed a systematic review to assess whether MDTs for patients with GI
      malignancies can correctly change diagnosis, tumor stage and subsequent treatment
      plan, and whether the treatment plan was implemented. METHODS: We performed a
      systematic review according to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic
      Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines. We conducted a search of the PubMed,
      MEDLINE and EMBASE electronic databases, and included studies relating to adults
      with a GI malignancy discussed by an MDT prior to the start of treatment which
      described a change of initial diagnosis, stage or treatment plan. Two researchers
      independently evaluated all retrieved titles and abstracts from the
      abovementioned databases. RESULTS: Overall, 16 studies were included; the study
      quality was rated as fair. Four studies reported that MDTs changed the diagnoses
      formulated by individual physicians in 18.4-26.9% of evaluated cases; two studies
      reported that MDTs formulated an accurate diagnosis in 89 and 93.5% of evaluated
      cases, respectively; nine studies described that the treatment plan was altered
      in 23.0-41.7% of evaluated cases; and four studies found that MDT decisions were
      implemented in 90-100% of evaluated cases. The reasons for altering a treatment
      plan included the patient's wishes, and comorbidities. CONCLUSIONS: MDT meetings
      for patients with a GI malignancy are responsible for changes in diagnoses and
      management in a significant number of patients. Treatment plans formulated by
      MDTs are implemented in 90-100% of discussed patients. All patients with a GI
      malignancy should be discussed by an MDT.

PMID- 28337664
TI  - Aromatase expression in atypical ductal hyperplasia in women.
AB  - PURPOSE: To determine the levels of aromatase in atypical ductal hyperplasia
      (ADH) lesions, tissue surrounding the ADH, and in dense and non-dense normal
      breast tissue. We postulated that excess aromatase in breast tissue might,
      through production of increased estrogen, drive the carcinogenic process.
      Estrogens and their metabolites are thought to contribute to the development of
      breast cancer through estrogen receptor-mediated mechanisms and genotoxic effects
      of estrogen metabolites. ADH is a benign lesion of the breast which is associated
      with substantially increased risk for subsequent development of breast cancer.
      After 25 years, approximately 30% of women with ADH develop breast cancer. In
      women with three or more separate ADH lesions at the same time, 47% will develop
      breast cancer over that time period. Another important risk factor for breast
      cancer is the presence of mammographically dense breast tissue. METHODS: We
      utilized quantitative immunochemical analysis of aromatase in biopsy tissue to
      test this possibility. Previously published results comparing dense with non
      dense breast tissue in normal women (Vachon et al. Breast Cancer Res Treat
      125:243-252, 2011) were used for comparisons with ADH. A well-characterized
      histochemical H-score was employed for quantitative assessment of aromatase in
      the various tissue studied. RESULTS: The H-score of aromatase staining was
      statistically significantly higher (p = 0.003) in the ADH epithelium than
      surrounding epithelial tissue. In order of H-score from highest to lowest were
      ADH, issue surrounding ADH, dense normal and non-dense normal breast tissues. The
      levels of aromatase in a subset of women with ADH who went on to develop breast
      cancer were not higher than in women who did not. CONCLUSIONS: We suggest from
      these studies that overexpression of aromatase in breast tissue and its resultant
      increase in estradiol levels may contribute to the later development of breast
      cancer in women with ADH.

PMID- 28337662
TI  - A83-01 inhibits TGF-beta-induced upregulation of Wnt3 and epithelial to
      mesenchymal transition in HER2-overexpressing breast cancer cells.
AB  - PURPOSE: The aim of this study is to investigate the mechanisms of interactions
      between TGF-beta and Wnt/beta-catenin pathways that induce and regulate EMT and
      promote breast cancer cells to become resistant to treatment. METHODS: The effect
      of TGF-beta on Wnt/beta-catenin signaling pathway was examined by using a human
      Wnt/beta-catenin-regulated cDNA plate array and western blot analysis. The
      interaction of Twist at promoter of Wnt3 was examined by chromatin
      immunoprecipitation (ChIP) assay. Secreted Wnt3 level was determined by ELISA
      assay. RESULTS: HER2-overexpressing breast cancer cells treated with TGF-beta
      have a reduced response to trastuzumab and exhibited EMT-like phenotype. The TGF
      beta-induced EMT in HER2-cells was concordant with upregulation of Wnt3 and beta
      catenin pathways. The TGF-beta-induced induction of Wnt3 during EMT was found to
      be Smad3-dependent. ChIP analysis identified occupancy of Twist at promoter
      region of Wnt3. Knock-down of Twist by shRNA confirmed the significance of Twist
      in response to TGF-beta regulating Wnt3 during EMT. Subsequently, TGF-beta
      induced matrix metalloproteinases, MMP1, MMP7, MMP9, MMP26, Vascular endothelial
      growth factors (VEGF), and activation of Wnt/beta-catenin signaling were
      repressed by the shRNA treatment. TGF-betaR1 ALK5 kinase inhibitor, A83-01 can
      effectively prevent the TGF-beta-induced Twist and Wnt3. Co-treating A83-01 and
      trastuzumab inhibited TGF-beta-induced cell invasion significantly in both
      trastuzumab responsive and resistant cells. CONCLUSIONS: Our data demonstrated an
      important interdependence between TGF-beta and Wnt/beta-catenin pathways inducing
      EMT in HER2-overexpressing breast cancer cells. Twist served as a linkage between
      the two pathways during TGF-beta-induced EMT. A83-01 could inhibit the TGF-beta
      initiated pathway interactions and enhance HER2-cells response to trastuzumab
      treatment.

PMID- 28337666
TI  - Joint infection due to Raoultella planticola: first report.
AB  - The genus Raoultella has been separated from the genus Klebsiella in 2001. Two
      main species are responsible for human infections: R. ornithinolytica and R.
      planticola. The most frequent infections due to R. planticola include cystitis,
      pneumonia and bacteremia (mostly in immunocompromised hosts). To date, no joint
      or bone infection has been reported. We describe the first case of septic
      arthritis due to R. planticola following an arthroscopy with intra-articular
      injection of corticosteroids. Evolution was favorable after arthroscopic lavage
      and antibiotic therapy with quinolones. Raoultella planticola has been described
      rarely in human infection. It is mainly deemed responsible for cystitis,
      pneumonia and bacteremia (mostly in immunocompromised hosts) [1-3]. To our
      knowledge no case of bone or joint infection has been reported. We described here
      the first case of infective arthritis due to R. planticola involving a native
      knee joint following synovectomy and intra-articular injection of corticosteroids
      during arthroscopy.

PMID- 28337663
TI  - Outcomes of fulvestrant therapy among japanese women with advanced breast cancer:
      a retrospective multicenter cohort study (JBCRG-C06; Safari).
AB  - PURPOSE: This retrospective study evaluated the effect of clinical background and
      treatment line on time to treatment failure (TTF) in advanced/metastatic breast
      cancer (AMBC) patients receiving F500 in Japan (UMIN 000015168). METHODS:
      Patients who commenced F500 treatment were registered at 16 sites in Japan.
      Correlations between baseline clinicopathological factors, treatment line, and
      TTF were investigated by Kaplan-Meier analysis. TTF data were analyzed using
      univariate analysis and multivariate analysis with a Cox proportional hazards
      model. RESULTS: Data for 1072 patients were available; 1031 patients (96.2%) were
      evaluable for efficacy. F500 was administered as first-line treatment in 2.0%,
      second-line in 22.7%, third-line in 26.7%, and >=fourth-line in 48.6% patients.
      Median TTF was 5.4 months. Multivariate analysis found that earlier F500 use
      (first and second vs. third vs. >=fourth line; hazard ratio (HR) = 0.80, 95%
      confidence interval (CI) 0.74-0.86; P < 0.001), longer period from AMBC diagnosis
      to F500 use (>=3 vs. <3 years; HR 0.60, 95% CI 0.51-0.70; P < 0.001), and no
      prior palliative chemotherapy administered for unresectable or metastatic breast
      cancer (no vs. yes; HR 0.69, 95% CI 0.60-0.80; P < 0.001) were associated with
      significantly longer TTF. Among 691 patients, where information on
      histologic/nuclear grade was available, a low grade was also associated with a
      longer TTF, but this finding was not maintained among patients with recurrent
      breast cancer (N = 558). Among women with recurrent breast cancer, a longer DFI
      between a patient's initial breast cancer diagnosis and their recurrence was
      associated with a longer TTF on F500 therapy. CONCLUSIONS: Our study showed that
      treatment period of F500 was longer when used in earlier-line treatment. For
      patients on F500, TTF was also longer for patients who had not received prior
      palliative chemotherapy and for those who had a longer period from their AMBC
      diagnosis to F500 use.

PMID- 28337665
TI  - Effect of Efflux Transporter Inhibition on the Distribution of Fluconazole in the
      Rat Brain.
AB  - Multidrug resistance-associated proteins (MRPs) and organic anion transporters
      (OATs) are expressed on the blood-brain barrier (BBB) and blood-cerebrospinal
      fluid barrier (BCSFB), preventing the entry of or the pumping out of numerous
      molecules. Fluconazole is widely used to treat fungal meningoencephalitis. The
      effect of these transporters on the distribution of fluconazole in the brain is
      unclear. We used microdialysis to compare the distribution of fluconazole in the
      rat brain with and without co-administration of probenecid, a MRP and OAT
      inhibitor. Additionally, we also observed the difference in fluconazole
      distribution between the two barriers. The results showed that probenecid
      increased the penetration of fluconazole into the BBB but did not alter the
      penetration of fluconazole into the BCSFB of rats. The penetration of the BBB and
      BCSFB by fluconazole did not statistically differ according to physiological
      condition. These results demonstrate that transporters that can be inhibited by
      probenecid may be involved in fluconazole resistance at the BBB and provide a
      laboratory basis for predicting brain extracellular fluid (ECF) concentration
      using the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) concentration of fluconazole.

PMID- 28337670
TI  - Supramolecular Systems and Chemical Reactions in Single-Molecule Break Junctions.
AB  - The major challenges of molecular electronics are the understanding and
      manipulation of the electron transport through the single-molecule junction. With
      the single-molecule break junction techniques, including scanning tunneling
      microscope break junction technique and mechanically controllable break junction
      technique, the charge transport through various single-molecule and
      supramolecular junctions has been studied during the dynamic fabrication and
      continuous characterization of molecular junctions. This review starts from the
      charge transport characterization of supramolecular junctions through a variety
      of noncovalent interactions, such as hydrogen bond, pi-pi interaction, and
      electrostatic force. We further review the recent progress in constructing highly
      conductive molecular junctions via chemical reactions, the response of molecular
      junctions to external stimuli, as well as the application of break junction
      techniques in controlling and monitoring chemical reactions in situ. We suggest
      that beyond the measurement of single molecular conductance, the single-molecule
      break junction techniques provide a promising access to study molecular assembly
      and chemical reactions at the single-molecule scale.

PMID- 28337668
TI  - Use of Information and Communication Technologies in Clinical Practice Related to
      the Treatment of Pain. Influence on the Professional Activity and the Doctor
      Patient Relationship.
AB  - The increasing relevance of Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) in
      medical care is indisputable. This evidence makes it necessary to start studies
      that analyse the scope these new forms of access to information and understanding
      of medicine have on the professional activity of the physician, on the attitude
      and on the knowledge of patients or, on the doctor-patient relationship. The
      purpose of this study is to explore some of these aspects in a group of
      physicians whose clinical activity is related to one of the greatest social
      impact health problems which is the treatment of chronic pain. Starting with the
      completion of a questionnaire, in the study group it is observed that the
      interaction between social structure, increase of information flows and ICTs
      generate transformations in social practices and behaviour of the actors of the
      health system. Internet is confirmed as an information space on the subject, but
      is shown as an underutilized space of interaction between the doctor and his
      patient.

PMID- 28337667
TI  - Self-assembled polyelectrolyte complexes films as efficient compression coating
      layers for controlled-releasing tablets.
AB  - Currently, polysaccharide-based hydrogels are widely studied macromolecular
      networks to modify drug dissolution from controlled-releasing matrix tablets.
      Among them, polyelectrolyte complexes (PEC) films consisted of chitosan (CS) and
      sodium alginate (SA) could be obtained via spontaneously assembling under
      physiological gastrointestinal environment. Here, we utilized these self
      assembled PEC films as an efficient coating materials to develop controlled
      released matrix tablets through compression coating process, with paracetamol
      (APAP) as model drug. The constitutive and morphology characteristic studies on
      these PEC films illustrated that the mixture of CS and SA with the weight ratio
      of 1:1 would be an promising outer layer for compression-coating tablets. In
      addition, the in vitro drug releasing behavior experiments demonstrated that the
      optimized compression coating tablets displayed satisfied zero-order drug
      releasing profits. Furthermore, the in vivo pharmacokinetic studies of these APAP
      loaded compression-coated tablets in New Zealand rabbits gave that the Tmax
      (12.32 +/- 1.05 h) was significantly prolonged (p < 0.01), compared to that (0.89
      +/- 0.26 h) of common APAP tablets (Jinfuning(r)) after oral administration.
      These studies suggest that the compression-coated tablets with self-assembled PEC
      film as coating outer layer may be a promising strategy for peroral controlled
      release delivery system of water soluble drugs.

PMID- 28337669
TI  - Sonocatalysis: A Potential Sustainable Pathway for the Valorization of
      Lignocellulosic Biomass and Derivatives.
AB  - Lignocellulosic biomass represents a natural renewable chemical feedstock that
      can be used to produce high value-added chemicals and platform molecules.
      Nowadays, there are extensive studies on a variety of aspects concerning the
      valorization of lignocellulosic biomass into desirable products. Among the
      current technologies for biomass conversion some require extreme conditions along
      with high temperatures and pressures. Therefore, major technological innovations
      based on more economical and environmental methodologies are currently developed
      both in academic laboratories and in industry. In this context, ultrasound
      assisted catalysis constitutes an alternative method offering new strategies to
      upgrade biomass. The possibility of combining catalysis with sonication indeed
      provides avenues that are worth exploring for the valorization of lignocellulosic
      compounds into value-added chemical feedstocks. In this mini-review, the
      available sonochemical systems are first presented, with a focus on the most
      important ultrasonic parameters, which is intended to provide a mechanistic
      background. Next, this contribution aims to provide insight into the most recent
      developments along with prominent examples in the field of sonocatalysis applied
      to the chemical transformation of lignocellulosic biomass and its derivatives.

PMID- 28337671
TI  - A Psychological Perspective on Factors Predicting Prophylactic Salpingo
      Oophorectomy in a Sample of Italian Women from the General Population. Results
      from a Hypothetical Study in the Context of BRCA Mutations.
AB  - The aim of this study was to assess attitudes toward ovarian cancer risk
      management options for BRCA mutation carriers in healthy Italian women, and to
      identify predictors of the preference for risk reducing salpingo-oophorectomy
      (RRSO) over surveillance. One hundred eighty-one women aged 30-45 completed a
      questionnaire about preferences, knowledge, risk perception, and socio
      demographic information. Participants were randomly presented with a pamphlet
      about BRCA1 or BRCA2 mutation-specific testing, consequences of testing and
      preventive options for carriers, and they were stratified by having children or
      not and by age group. Surveillance was the preferred option (64.6%), followed by
      RRSO (24.3%). Although RRSO is the only effective strategy available to BRCA
      carriers, most healthy women faced for the first time with this option may not
      consider it as their preferred choice. Predictors associated with a higher
      likelihood to prefer surgery over surveillance were: knowing that life expectancy
      is longer with surgery, perceived comprehension of the consequences of testing,
      previous knowledge about BRCA testing, anticipated worry about developing cancer,
      and feelings of risk. Childbearing intentions and the effect of childbearing
      intentions on choice were associated with a lower preference for surgery. Further
      research is needed to confirm the role of the factors identified in this study in
      order to promote informed decision-making about RRSO.

PMID- 28337673
TI  - Progression-Free Survival as a Surrogate for Overall Survival in Clinical Trials
      of Targeted Therapy in Advanced Solid Tumors.
AB  - Over the past 15 years, targeted therapy has revolutionized the systemic
      treatment of cancer. In parallel, there has been a growing debate on the choice
      of end points in clinical trials in oncology. This debate basically hinges on the
      choice between overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS). PFS is
      advantageous because it is measured earlier than OS, requires a smaller sample
      size than OS to achieve the desired power, and is not influenced by cross-over.
      On the other hand, PFS is prone to measurement error and bias, and may not
      capture the entire treatment effect on the outcomes of most interest to patients
      with an incurable disease: a prolonged survival and improved quality of life.
      Therefore, how can we choose between two imperfect end points? The answer to this
      question would certainly be made easier if PFS could be demonstrated to be a
      valid surrogate for OS. The validation of a surrogate end point is best made
      using individual-patient data (IPD) from randomized trials, which allows for
      standardized assessments of the patient-level and the trial-level correlations
      between surrogate and final end points. Proper IPD meta-analytical evaluations
      for targeted agents have still been rare, and to our knowledge only three studies
      on this topic are currently available in the metastatic setting: one in breast
      cancer, one in colorectal cancer and one in lung cancer. Although these three
      studies suffer from limitations inherent to the availability of IPD and the
      design of the original clinical trials, they have not been able to validate PFS
      as surrogate for OS, because only modest correlations were found between these
      two end points, both at the patient and at the trial level. Even if properly
      conducted surrogate-endpoint evaluations have thus far been unsuccessful, these
      evaluations are a step in the right direction and can be expected to be applied
      on a much larger scale in the era of data sharing of clinical trials.

PMID- 28337675
TI  - An ontology-based search engine for digital reconstructions of neuronal
      morphology.
AB  - Neuronal morphology is extremely diverse across and within animal species,
      developmental stages, brain regions, and cell types. This diversity is
      functionally important because neuronal structure strongly affects synaptic
      integration, spiking dynamics, and network connectivity. Digital reconstructions
      of axonal and dendritic arbors are thus essential to quantify and model
      information processing in the nervous system. NeuroMorpho.Org is an established
      repository containing tens of thousands of digitally reconstructed neurons shared
      by several hundred laboratories worldwide. Each neuron is annotated with specific
      metadata based on the published references and additional details provided by
      data owners. The number of represented metadata concepts has grown over the years
      in parallel with the increase of available data. Until now, however, the lack of
      standardized terminologies and of an adequately structured metadata schema
      limited the effectiveness of user searches. Here we present a new organization of
      NeuroMorpho.Org metadata grounded on a set of interconnected hierarchies focusing
      on the main dimensions of animal species, anatomical regions, and cell types. We
      have comprehensively mapped each metadata term in NeuroMorpho.Org to this formal
      ontology, explicitly resolving all ambiguities caused by synonymy and homonymy.
      Leveraging this consistent framework, we introduce OntoSearch, a powerful
      functionality that seamlessly enables retrieval of morphological data based on
      expert knowledge and logical inferences through an intuitive string-based user
      interface with auto-complete capability. In addition to returning the data
      directly matching the search criteria, OntoSearch also identifies a pool of
      possible hits by taking into consideration incomplete metadata annotation.

PMID- 28337674
TI  - Painful Hashimoto's thyroiditis: myth or reality?
AB  - Neck pain is a common complain, being in most cases due to non-thyroidal causes.
      However, a minority of patients suffer from painful thyroid diseases. Among them,
      sub-acute thyroiditis (SAT) is the most frequent one. Rare thyroid-related causes
      of neck pain include hemorrhage within a thyroid nodule as well as Riedel's
      thyroiditis and suppurative thyroiditis. In the last 30 years, a few cases of a
      painful variant of Hashimoto's thyroiditis (HT) have been described. Biochemical,
      ultrasound, and histologic features were clearly suggestive for HT in all of the
      published cases and definitely ruled out the diagnosis of SAT. While sound
      descriptions of painful HT are present in the literature, it is important to
      emphasize that only 20 cases were reported from the year 2000 until now. The
      condition, however, is clinically relevant because neck pain was reported to be
      refractory both to steroids and to other analgesic drugs, being thyroidectomy the
      only effective treatment for pain relief in these patients. This short review
      analyzes currently available data supporting a role for HT as a rare cause of
      neck pain.

PMID- 28337672
TI  - Fentanyl Formulations in the Management of Pain: An Update.
AB  - Fentanyl is a synthetic, highly selective opioid with many desirable
      physicochemical properties, including a high lipophilicity and predictable
      pharmacokinetics. These properties have an established record in the management
      of pain in a variety of settings, particularly acute pain and breakthrough cancer
      pain. Fentanyl was initially developed for parenteral use; however, this is
      invasive and impractical in the outpatient setting. Unfortunately, the high first
      pass metabolism of fentanyl makes oral formulations unfeasible. However, its high
      lipophilicity allows fentanyl to be absorbed via a number of other routes. Thus
      new formulations were designed to allow non-invasive methods of administration.
      Transmucosal and transdermal fentanyl formulations are well established, and have
      proven useful in the settings of breakthrough cancer pain, emergencies and in the
      paediatric population. The iontophoretic transdermal system was developed to
      provide a needle-free system of delivering bolus doses of fentanyl on demand, a
      novel way of delivering patient-controlled opioid analgesia. Transpulmonary
      administration of fentanyl remains experimental. The aim of this review is to
      provide an update on current non-parenteral fentanyl formulations, with attention
      to their particular pharmacokinetics and features relevant to clinical use in
      pain management.

PMID- 28337676
TI  - Logistic Proliferation of Cells in Scratch Assays is Delayed.
AB  - Scratch assays are used to study how a population of cells re-colonises a vacant
      region on a two-dimensional substrate after a cell monolayer is scratched. These
      experiments are used in many applications including drug design for the treatment
      of cancer and chronic wounds. To provide insights into the mechanisms that drive
      scratch assays, solutions of continuum reaction-diffusion models have been
      calibrated to data from scratch assays. These models typically include a logistic
      source term to describe carrying capacity-limited proliferation; however, the
      choice of using a logistic source term is often made without examining whether it
      is valid. Here we study the proliferation of PC-3 prostate cancer cells in a
      scratch assay. All experimental results for the scratch assay are compared with
      equivalent results from a proliferation assay where the cell monolayer is not
      scratched. Visual inspection of the time evolution of the cell density away from
      the location of the scratch reveals a series of sigmoid curves that could be
      naively calibrated to the solution of the logistic growth model. However, careful
      analysis of the per capita growth rate as a function of density reveals several
      key differences between the proliferation of cells in scratch and proliferation
      assays. Our findings suggest that the logistic growth model is valid for the
      entire duration of the proliferation assay. On the other hand, guided by data, we
      suggest that there are two phases of proliferation in a scratch assay; at short
      time, we have a disturbance phase where proliferation is not logistic, and this
      is followed by a growth phase where proliferation appears to be logistic. These
      two phases are observed across a large number of experiments performed at
      different initial cell densities. Overall our study shows that simply calibrating
      the solution of a continuum model to a scratch assay might produce misleading
      parameter estimates, and this issue can be resolved by making a distinction
      between the disturbance and growth phases. Repeating our procedure for other
      scratch assays will provide insight into the roles of the disturbance and growth
      phases for different cell lines and scratch assays performed on different
      substrates.

PMID- 28337677
TI  - Strain-induced electronic band convergence: effect on the Seebeck coefficient of
      Mg2Si for thermoelectric applications.
AB  - The present theoretical study, performed using density-functional theory and
      Boltzmann transport theory formalisms, shows that under 2.246 % isotropic tensile
      strain, the two energy-lowest conduction bands of Mg2Si overlap. The two,
      threefold-degenerated orbitals become a unique, sixfold-degenerated orbital. It
      is demonstrated that such degeneracy implies an increase of the Seebeck
      coefficient, of the electrical conductivity, of the power factor, and in fine of
      the figure of merit.

PMID- 28337678
TI  - Cation-pi interactions in competition with cation microhydration: a theoretical
      study of alkali metal cation-pyrene complexes.
AB  - Cation-pi interactions were systematically investigated for the adsorption of H+
      and alkali metal cations M+ to pyrene by means of Moller-Plesset perturbation
      theory (MP2) and density functional theory (DFT). The main aims were to determine
      the preferred adsorption sites and how the microhydration shell influences the
      adsorption process. The preferred adsorption sites were characterized in terms of
      structural parameters and energetic stability. Stability analysis of the M+
      pyrene complexes revealed that the binding strength and the barrier to
      transitions between neighboring sites generally decreased with increasing cation
      size from Li+ to Cs+. Such transitions were practically barrierless (<<1
      kcal/mol) for the large Rb+ and Cs+ ions. Further, the influence of the first
      hydration shell on the adsorption behavior was investigated for Li+ and K+ as
      representatives of small and large (alkali metal) cations, respectively. While
      the isolated complexes possessed only one minimum, two minima-corresponding to an
      inner and an outer complex-were observed for microhydrated complexes. The small
      Li+ ion formed a stable hydration shell and preferentially interacted with water
      rather than pyrene. In contrast, K+ favored cation-pi over cation-water
      interactions. It was found that the mechanism for complex formation depends on
      the balance between cation-pi interactions, cation-water complexation, and the
      hydrogen bonding of water to the pi-system.

PMID- 28337679
TI  - Adsorption of Mn atom on pristine and defected graphene: a density functional
      theory study.
AB  - The functionalization of graphene with transition metals is of great interest due
      to its wide range of applications, such as hydrogen storage, spintronics,
      information storage, etc. Due to its magnetic property adsorption of Mn atom on
      graphene has a high consequence on the electronic properties of graphene. The
      increase in size of the graphene sheet with hydrogen termination has a high
      impact on the transformation of electronic properties of the graphene sheet.
      Hence in this work, we investigate the size as well as change in structural and
      electronic properties of pristine/defective graphene sheets on adsorption of Mn
      atom using density functional theory methods. From the results obtained a higher
      adsorption energy value of 3.04 eV is found for Mn adatom on the defected
      graphene sheet than the pristine, 1.85 eV. It is subject to the coverage effect
      which decreases on increasing number of carbon atoms. Moreover, a decrease in
      energy gap is observed in pristine and defected graphene sheets with a high
      number of carbon atoms. The density of states illustrates the significant effect
      for hydrogen termination in the conduction band of the Mn adsorbed graphene sheet
      with low carbon atoms. Graphical Abstract Mn adatom on graphene at different
      sites.

PMID- 28337680
TI  - Morphological and molecular identification of Habronema spp. (Nematoda:
      Habronematidae) from donkeys in Xinjiang, China, and notes on the taxonomical
      status of Habronema majus (Creplin, 1849) and H. microstoma (Schneider, 1866).
AB  - Habronematid nematodes were collected from the stomachs of donkeys, Equus asinus
      L., in the Tarim Basin, Xinjiang, China. After examination by light and scanning
      electron microscopy, Habronema muscae (Carter, 1861) and H. majus (Creplin, 1849)
      were identified. The morphology of our specimens representing H. muscae (Carter,
      1861) agreed well with previous redescriptions in the shape of the lateral lips,
      origin of the lateral alae, ratio of left and right spicules, and number and
      arrangement of caudal papillae. However, H. majus (Creplin, 1849) differs from H.
      microstoma (Schneider, 1866) in the arrangement of the caudal papillae in the
      male. Moreover, molecular analysis also showed interspecific differences of 26.2
      28.2% in ITS2 and 8.6-8.9% in cox1 between H. majus and H. microstoma, a
      divergence much higher than the known intraspecific variation of Habronema spp.
      (6.6-8.7% in ITS2; 0.2-2.2% in cox1). The results indicate that both H.
      microstoma (Schneider, 1866) and H. majus (Creplin, 1849) are valid species.

PMID- 28337683
TI  - Using Electronic Record Data to Encourage Better Care: Where We Are and Where We
      Could Be.

PMID- 28337681
TI  - Morphological and molecular evidence on the existence of a single estuarine and
      rocky intertidal acanthocephalan species of Profilicollis Meyer, 1931
      (Acanthocephala: Polymorphidae) along the Atlantic and Pacific coasts of southern
      South America.
AB  - Profilicollis chasmagnathi Holcman-Spector, Mane-Garzon & Dei-Cas, 1977
      (Acanthocephala: Polymorphidae) has been reported to parasitise different grapsid
      species as intermediate hosts along the South Atlantic shores, i.e. Cyrtograpsus
      angulatus (Dana) and Neohelice granulata (Dana) in Uruguay and Cyrtograpsus
      altimanus (Rathbun) in Argentina. Larvae of a similar acanthocephalan described
      as Profilicollis antarcticus Zdzitowiecki, 1985 were recorded in the crab
      Hemigrapsus crenulatus (Milne-Edwards) from an estuarine habitat on the Southeast
      Pacific shore in Chile. Earlier studies have questioned the specific assignation
      of the Chilean estuarine populations of Profilicollis Meyer, 1931. The aim of
      this study was to re-examine the identification of these acanthocephalans by
      means of morphological and molecular analyses of cystacanths of Profilicollis
      spp. gathered from C. angulatus, N. granulata, C. altimanus and H. crenulatus.
      Our analyses showed that a single species of Profilicollis, P. chasmagnathi,
      parasitises these four crab species. The assessment of specimens from the South
      Shetlands Islands, the type-locality of P. antarcticus, is needed before formally
      proposing that P. antarcticus is a junior subjective synonym of P. chasmagnathi.

PMID- 28337684
TI  - Capsule Commentary on Pham-Kanter et al., Public Awareness of and Contact with
      Physicians Who Receive Industry Payments: A National Survey.

PMID- 28337682
TI  - Three members of Opisthomonorcheides Parukhin, 1966 (Digenea: Monorchiidae) from
      carangid fishes (Perciformes) from Indonesia, with a review of the genus.
AB  - Three species of Opisthomonorcheides Parukhin, 1966 are reported for the first
      time from Indonesian waters: O. pampi (Wang, 1982) Liu, Peng, Gao, Fu, Wu, Lu,
      Gao & Xiao, 2010 and O. ovacutus (Mamaev, 1970) Machida, 2011 from Parastromateus
      niger (Bloch), and O. decapteri Parukhin, 1966 from Atule mate (Cuvier). Both O.
      pampi and O. ovacutus can now be considered widespread in the Indo-Pacific
      region, with earlier records of these species being from Fujian Province, China
      and Penang, Malaysia, respectively. We redescribe O. decapteri from one of its
      original hosts, Atule mate, off New Caledonia, and report this species from
      Jakarta Bay, Indonesia, extending its range throughout the Indian Ocean into the
      south-western Pacific. All three species possess a genital atrium that is long,
      sometimes very long, and a genital pore that is located in the forebody. This
      validates the interpretation that the original description was erroneous in
      reporting the genital pore in the hindbody, well posterior to the ventral sucker.
      These observations verify the synonymy of Retractomonorchis Madhavi, 1977 with
      Opisthomonorcheides. A major discrepancy between the species of
      Opisthomonorcheides is that some are described with the uterus entering the
      terminal organ laterally and some with it entering terminally; this feature needs
      further analysis. Based on the length of the genital atrium and the posterior
      extent of the vitellarium, the 27 species of Opisthomonorcheides considered valid
      can be divided into four groups. Among the 53 host records analysed, the families
      Carangidae (53% of records), Stromateidae (17%) and Serranidae (5.7%) are the
      most common; the reports are overwhelmingly from members of the Perciformes
      (91%), with further records in the Clupeiformes (5.7%), Gadiformes (1.9%) and
      Pleuronectiformes (1.9%). Two fish genera (Parastromateus Bleeker and Pampus
      Bonaparte) dominate the recorded hosts, with the black pomfret Parastromateus
      niger harbouring six species, the silver pomfret Pampus argenteus (Euphrasen)
      harbouring six, and the Chinese silver pomfret P. chinensis (Euphrasen) two. A
      host-parasite checklist is presented. We discuss the host-specificity of members
      of the genus, questioning some records such as that of O. decapteri in a deep-sea
      macrourid. We also comment on the morphological similarity, but phylogenetic
      distance, between the various Pomfret species, advancing the possibility that a
      series of host misidentifications has occurred. Sequences of the ITS2 rDNA gene
      generated for O. pampi and O. ovacutus are briefly discussed and molecular data
      are lodged in the GenBank database.

PMID- 28337685
TI  - Type III Hypersensitivity Reaction to Subcutaneous Insulin Preparations in a Type
      1 Diabetic.
AB  - Management of type 1 diabetes in patients who have insulin hypersensitivity is a
      clinical challenge and places patients at risk for recurrent diabetic
      ketoacidosis (DKA). Hypersensitivity reactions can be due to the patient's
      response to the insulin molecule itself or one of the injection's non-insulin
      components. It is therefore crucial for clinicians to quickly recognize the type
      of hypersensitivity reaction that is occurring and identify potentially
      immunogenic additives for the purpose of directing therapy as various insulin
      preparations have differing ingredients. We present the case of a 23-year-old
      diabetic female with common variable immunodeficiency (CVID) and autoimmune
      enteropathy who developed a type III hypersensitivity reaction to multiple
      formulations of subcutaneous insulin after years of use and the challenges of
      devising a long-term management strategy.

PMID- 28337686
TI  - Telephone-Delivered Behavioral Skills Intervention for African American Adults
      with Type 2 Diabetes: A Randomized Controlled Trial.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Diabetes disproportionately affects African Americans and is
      associated with poorer outcomes. Self-management is important for glycemic
      control; however, evidence in African Americans is limited. OBJECTIVE: To assess
      the efficacy of a combined telephone-delivered education and behavioral skills
      intervention (TBSI) in reducing hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) levels in African
      Americans with type 2 diabetes, using a factorial design. DESIGN: This is a four
      year randomized clinical trial, using a 2 x 2 factorial design.: Participants:
      African American adults >=18 years) with poorly controlled type 2 diabetes (HbA1c
      >=9%) were randomly assigned to one of four groups: 1) knowledge only, 2) skills
      only, 3) combined knowledge and skills (TBSI), or 4) control group. INTERVENTION:
      All participants received 12 telephone-delivered 30-min intervention sessions
      specific to their assigned group. Participants were assessed at baseline and 3,
      6, and 12 months. MAIN MEASURE: The primary outcome was HbA1c at 12 months post
      randomization in the intent-to-treat (ITT) population. KEY RESULTS: Two hundred
      fifty-five participants were randomly assigned to the four groups. Based on the
      ITT population after multiple imputation, the analysis of covariance with
      baseline HbA1c as the covariate showed that HbA1c at 12 months for the
      intervention groups did not differ significantly from that of the control group
      (knowledge: 0.49, p = 0.123; skills: 0.23, p = 0.456; combined: 0.48, p = 0.105).
      Absolute change from baseline at 12 months for all treatment arms was 0.6.
      Longitudinal mixed effects analysis showed that, on average, there was a
      significant decline in HbA1c over time for all treatment groups (-0.07, p <
      0.001). However, the rates of decline for the intervention groups were not
      significantly different from that of the control group (knowledge: 0.06, p =
      0.052; skills: 0.02, p = 0.448; combined: 0.05, p = 0.062). Results from per
      protocol populations were similar. CONCLUSIONS: For African Americans with poorly
      controlled type 2 diabetes, combined education and skills training did not
      achieve greater reductions in glycemic control (i.e., HbA1c levels) at 12 months
      compared to the control group, education alone, or skills training alone. This
      trial is registered with ClinicalTrials.gov, identifier no. NCT00929838.

PMID- 28337688
TI  - When the Script Doesn't Fit: An Exercise in Clinical Reasoning.

PMID- 28337687
TI  - Assessing the Culture of Residency Using the C - Change Resident Survey: Validity
      Evidence in 34 U.S. Residency Programs.
AB  - BACKGROUND: A practical instrument is needed to reliably measure the clinical
      learning environment and professionalism for residents. OBJECTIVE: To develop and
      present evidence of validity of an instrument to assess the culture of residency
      programs and the clinical learning environment. DESIGN: During 2014-2015, we
      surveyed residents using the C - Change Resident Survey to assess residents'
      perceptions of the culture in their programs. PARTICIPANTS: Residents in all
      years of training in 34 programs in internal medicine, pediatrics, and general
      surgery in 14 geographically diverse public and private academic health systems.
      MAIN MEASURES: The C - Change Resident Survey assessed residents' perceptions of
      13 dimensions of the culture: Vitality, Self-Efficacy, Institutional Support,
      Relationships/Inclusion, Values Alignment, Ethical/Moral Distress, Respect,
      Mentoring, Work-Life Integration, Gender Equity, Racial/Ethnic Minority Equity,
      and self-assessed Competencies. We measured the internal reliability of each of
      the 13 dimensions and evaluated response process, content validity, and construct
      related evidence validity by assessing relationships predicted by our conceptual
      model and prior research. We also assessed whether the measurements were
      sensitive to differences in specialty and across institutions. KEY RESULTS: A
      total of 1708 residents completed the survey [internal medicine: n = 956,
      pediatrics: n = 411, general surgery: n = 311 (51% women; 16% underrepresented in
      medicine minority)], with a response rate of 70% (range across programs, 51-87%).
      Internal consistency of each dimension was high (Cronbach alpha: 0.73-0.90). The
      instrument was able to detect significant differences in the learning environment
      across programs and sites. Evidence of validity was supported by a good response
      process and the demonstration of several relationships predicted by our
      conceptual model. CONCLUSIONS: The C - Change Resident Survey assesses the
      clinical learning environment for residents, and we encourage further study of
      validity in different contexts. Results could be used to facilitate and monitor
      improvements in the clinical learning environment and resident well-being.

PMID- 28337689
TI  - Managing Chronic Pain in Primary Care: It Really Does Take a Village.
AB  - Some healthcare systems are relieving primary care providers (PCPs) of "the
      burden" of managing chronic pain and opioid prescribing, instead offloading
      chronic pain management to pain specialists. Last year the Centers for Disease
      Control and Prevention recommended a biopsychosocial approach to pain management
      that discourages opioid use and promotes exercise therapy, cognitive behavioral
      therapy and non-opioid medications as first-line patient-centered, multi-modal
      treatments best delivered by an interdisciplinary team. In the private sector,
      interdisciplinary pain management services are challenging to assemble, separate
      from primary care and not typically reimbursed. In contrast, in a fully
      integrated health care system like the Veterans Health Administration (VHA),
      interdisciplinary clinics already exist, and one such clinic, the Integrated Pain
      Team (IPT) clinic, integrates and co-locates pain-trained PCPs, a psychologist
      and a pharmacist in primary care. The IPT clinic has demonstrated significant
      success in opioid risk reduction. Unfortunately, proposed legislation threatens
      to dismantle aspects of the VA such that these interdisciplinary services may be
      eliminated. This Perspective explains why it is critical not only to maintain
      interdisciplinary pain services in VHA, but also to consider disseminating this
      model to other health care systems in order to implement patient-centered,
      guideline-concordant care more broadly.

PMID- 28337691
TI  - Purification and Characterization of Elizabethkingia L-Amino Acid Esterase: an
      Enzyme Useful for Enzymatic Synthesis of the Dipeptide, Valyl-Glycine.
AB  - Valyl-glycine (Val-Gly) is useful as a synthetic substrate of gamma-glutamyl
      valyl-glycine (gamma-Glu-Val-Gly), which exhibits a strong taste of "kokumi." For
      efficient enzymatic synthesis of Val-Gly from valine methylester and glycine
      using L-amino acid esterase (LAE), we screened microorganisms producing LAE with
      synthetic activity toward Val-Gly. Among 17 isolates showing LAE activity,
      Elizabethkingia sp. TT1, which was identified by 16S rDNA sequence analysis,
      showed the highest synthetic activity toward Val-Gly. LAE from Elizabethkingia
      sp. TT1 (TT1LAE) was purified approximately 1300 times, resulting in a yield of
      2.8% and specific activity of 118.8 MUmol/min/mg protein. SDS-PAGE analysis
      revealed a subunit molecular mass of 78 kDa. The molecular mass of the native
      enzyme determined by gel filtration was 103 kDa. The purified enzyme showed
      maximum activity at pH 9.0 and at a temperature of 25  degrees C, and it was
      stable over the pH range of 5.0-8.5 and 25  degrees C-40  degrees C. No metal
      ions that were tested had a significant effect on enzyme activity, but the enzyme
      was slightly inhibited by EDTA.

PMID- 28337692
TI  - A Successful Strategy for Linking Anonymous Data from Students' and Parents'
      Questionnaires Using Self-Generated Identification Codes.
AB  - We conducted a feasibility study for matching children (N = 2571, average age 12
      years, 50.4% female) and their parents (N = 1931, average age 41 years, 83.3%
      female) represented by an anonymous self-generated identification code (SGIC) and
      assessed its methodological properties. We used a nine-character SGIC with the
      children and a mirrored version of the same code with the parents. The average
      overall error rate in generating the SGIC was 9.7% (4.0% in the parents and 13.9%
      in the children). We were able to link a total of 1765 parents' and children's
      codes uniquely (94.9% of all possible dyads) with any four-character combination
      and the employment of the "school" variable. The overall matching quality of
      linking using the SGIC only is characterized by precision (positive predictive
      value) of 0.979, recall (sensitivity, true positive rate) of 0.934, and an F
      measure (harmonic mean of precision and recall) of 0.956. The analysis of the
      discrepant characters in the dyads identified the paternal grandmother's name and
      eye color as those varying most often. This study is the first to look at SGIC
      match rates and error and omission rates in linking different subjects into dyads
      in prevention research. We identified a high number of unique child-parent
      matches while guaranteeing anonymity to the participants. We provided evidence
      that our SGIC is a suitable tool for between-group linking procedures and has a
      highly successful matching rate, while maintaining anonymity in the school-based
      prevention study samples.

PMID- 28337690
TI  - Using Active Choice Within the Electronic Health Record to Increase Influenza
      Vaccination Rates.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Despite the benefits of influenza vaccination, each year more than
      half of adults in the United States do not receive it. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the
      association between an active choice intervention in the electronic health record
      (EHR) and changes in influenza vaccination rates. DESIGN: Observational study.
      PATIENTS: Adults eligible for influenza vaccination with a clinic visit at one of
      three internal medicine practices at the University of Pennsylvania Health System
      between September 2010 and March 2013. INTERVENTION: The EHR confirmed patient
      eligibility during the clinic visit and, upon accessing the patient chart,
      prompted the physician and their medical assistant to actively choose to "accept"
      or "cancel" an order for the influenza vaccine. MAIN MEASURES: Change in
      influenza vaccination order rates at the intervention practice compared to two
      control practices for the 2012-2013 flu season, comparing trends during the prior
      two flu seasons adjusting for time trends and patient and clinic visit
      characteristics. KEY RESULTS: The sample (n = 45,926 patients) was 62.9% female,
      35.9% white, and 54.4% black, with a mean age of 50.2 years. Trends were similar
      between practices during the 2 years in the pre-intervention period. Vaccination
      rates increased in both groups in the post-intervention year, but the
      intervention practice using active choice had a significantly greater increase
      than the control (adjusted difference-in-difference: 6.6 percentage points; 95%
      CI, 5.1-8.1; P < 0.001), representing a 37.3% relative increase compared to the
      pre-intervention period. More than 99.9% (9938/9941) of orders placed during the
      study period resulted in vaccination. CONCLUSIONS: Active choice through the EHR
      was associated with a significant increase in influenza vaccination rates.

PMID- 28337695
TI  - Calcium-Impermeable NMDA Receptor: A Novel Target for Addiction.

PMID- 28337693
TI  - The Role of Norms in Marijuana Use Among American Indian Adolescents.
AB  - American Indian adolescents residing on reservations report high levels of
      marijuana use. Understanding the relationships between normative mechanisms and
      marijuana use in this group can be especially important in designing effective
      strategies to prevent use. Participants were 3446 students identifying as
      American Indian in grades 7-12 across four academic years (2009-2012) from 45
      schools. Multilevel logistic analysis was used to examine the relationships
      between lifetime, last month, and frequent marijuana use and measures of the
      normative environment. Descriptive and injunctive norms were distinctly and
      directly associated with all measures of marijuana use, with family injunctive
      norms showing a strong relationship to use (0.49 < OR < 0.58 for a 9th grade
      student). Family injunctive norms moderated the relationship between descriptive
      norms and lifetime and last month use (OR = 0.79 and 0.82, respectively), with
      higher family disapproval associated with a weaker relationship between
      descriptive norms and use. Anticipatory socialization was positively related to
      all measures of marijuana use, with the relationship stronger for lifetime and
      last month use than for frequent use (OR = 1.88, 1.74, and 1.30, respectively). A
      contextual variable of descriptive norms was related to lifetime and last month
      use (OR = 1.66 and 1.51, respectively) but not frequent use. These findings
      reinforce the importance of parental norms in reducing the likelihood of using
      marijuana. In addition, prevention strategies that increase the perception that
      healthy behaviors not involving marijuana use are an enjoyable way to socialize
      may be more effective in preventing occasional marijuana use.

PMID- 28337694
TI  - The Posterior Fossa and Foreign Accent Syndrome: Report of Two New Cases and
      Review of the Literature.
AB  - Foreign accent syndrome is a rare motor speech disorder that causes patients to
      speak their language with a non-native accent. In the neurogenic condition, the
      disorder develops after lesions in the language dominant hemisphere, often
      affecting Broca's area, the insula, the supplementary motor area and the primary
      motor cortex. Here, we present two new cases of FAS after posterior fossa
      lesions. The first case is a 44-year-old, right-handed, Dutch-speaking man who
      suffered motor speech disturbances and a left hemiplegia after a pontine
      infarction. Quantified SPECT showed a bilateral hypoperfusion in the inferior
      lateral prefrontal and medial inferior frontal regions as well as a significant
      left cerebellar hypoperfusion. Further clinical investigations led to an
      additional diagnosis of brainstem cognitive affective syndrome which closely
      relates to Schmahmann's syndrome. The second patient was a 72-year-old right
      handed polyglot English man who suffered a stroke in the vascular territory of
      the left posterior inferior cerebellar artery (PICA) and developed a foreign
      accent in his mother tongue (English) and in a later learnt language (Dutch). In
      this paper, we discuss how the occurrence of this peculiar motor speech disorder
      can be related to a lesion affecting the posterior fossa structures.

PMID- 28337697
TI  - Cardiovascular disease in the literature: A selection of recent original research
      papers.

PMID- 28337696
TI  - Cerebral Dopamine Neurotrophic Factor: A Potential Therapeutic Agent for
      Parkinson's Disease.
AB  - The application of neurotrophic factors (NTFs) is a promising therapeutic
      strategy for neurodegenerative disorders such as Parkinson's disease (PD). Many
      NTFs have been reported to enhance the survival, regeneration, and
      differentiation of neurons and to induce synaptic plasticity. However, because of
      their potential side-effects and low efficacy after clinical administration, more
      potent treatments for neurodegenerative disorders are being sought. Cerebral
      dopamine neurotrophic factor (CDNF), a newly-identified NTF homologous to
      mesencephalic astrocyte-derived NTF, is structurally and functionally different
      from other NTFs, providing new hope especially for PD patients. In various animal
      models of PD, CDNF is efficient in protecting and repairing dopaminergic neurons,
      and it inhibits endoplasmic reticulum stress, neuroinflammation, and apoptosis.
      Recent progress in all facets of CDNF research has enabled researchers to better
      understand its beneficial effects in the treatment of PD.

PMID- 28337698
TI  - The importance of SPECT myocardial perfusion imaging in clinical practice;
      diagnosis, patient education, and evaluation of optimal medical therapy.

PMID- 28337699
TI  - Lung Ultrasound is Comparable with Chest Roentgenogram for Diagnosis of Community
      Acquired Pneumonia in Hospitalised Children.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the accuracy of lung ultrasound (LUS) in comparison to
      chest roentgenogram (CXR) in hospitalised children with community-acquired
      pneumonia (CAP). METHODS: This study was a hospital based prospective
      observational study, conducted between January 2014 and December 2014.
      Hospitalised children aged 2 to 59 mo with community-acquired pneumonia were
      included in the study. The informed written consent was taken from parents (or
      legal guardian) before recruitment. Children with suspected or proven asthma,
      cystic fibrosis, congenital heart disease, immunodeficiency, malignancy and
      hemodynamic unstability were excluded. CXR, posterio-anterior view, and LUS were
      done within 24 h of the hospitalisation. RESULTS: Of 176 consecutively
      hospitalised cases of CAP, 118 were recruited after screening (65, 55.1% boys;
      mean age in months +/- SD, 26.22 +/- 19.60). Abnormal CXR were found in 101
      (85.6%) and abnormal LUS in 105 (89%) children. In radiologically proven CAP, LUS
      was positive in 99/101(98.01%) while among radiologically normal, LUS was
      abnormal in 6/17 (35.3%). LUS has high sensitivity (98.02%) and reasonable
      specificity (64.71%) for diagnosing radiologically proven CAP. In diagnosing the
      specific radiological type of CAP, there was very good concordance (Quadratic
      Weighted Cohen's Kappa =0.7) between CXR and LUS. Similarly, the authors also
      found excellent concordance between CXR and LUS (Linear Weighted Cohen's Kappa
      =0.9) for diagnosis of pleural effusion. CONCLUSIONS: LUS can be considered to be
      used first before radiography in children with suspected CAP. This will reduce
      the exposure of radiation.

PMID- 28337700
TI  - Experimental Research Showing the Reduction of Naloxone-Place Aversion by Oral
      Zinc Administration in Rats.
AB  - Previous studies showed the attenuation of both morphine-dependence and morphine
      place preference by zinc. Conditioned place preference and aversion are
      experimental models frequently used to test the reward-stimulating, respectively
      the aversive effects induced by different stimuli or substances. Addictive
      substances usually induce place preference (exhibit reward-stimulating
      properties), while their antagonists determine place-avoidance (aversion). The
      present study aimed to assess the effect determined by zinc sulphate oral
      administration (2 and 4 mg/kg/day, 14 days, prior to habituation) on the place
      aversion induced by two naloxone doses (1.5 and 2.5 mg/kg/administration). The
      results show a robust, dose-dependent reduction of the aversion determined by
      both naloxone doses (the aversion induced by 1.5 mg/kg naloxone was reduced with
      15%-the lower zinc dose and with 24%-the higher zinc dose; the aversion induced
      by 2.5 mg/kg naloxone was reduced with 16%-the lower zinc dose and with 29%-the
      higher zinc dose). This represents a new proof of the interactions between zinc
      and opioidergic system and a further argument for dietary zinc supplementation in
      patients on opioids for cancer-related chronic pain.

PMID- 28337701
TI  - CT-Guided Drainage of Pericardial Effusion after Open Cardiac Surgery.
AB  - PURPOSE: This study was designed to evaluate the safety and efficacy of CT-guided
      drainage of the pericardial effusion in patients after cardiac surgery. MATERIALS
      AND METHODS: The study included 128 consecutive patients (82 males, 46 females;
      mean age 66.6 years, SD: 4.2) complicated by pericardial effusion or
      hemopericardium after cardiac surgeries between June 2008 and June 2016. The
      medical indication for therapeutic pericardiocentesis in all patients was
      hemodynamic instability caused by pericardial effusion. The treatment criteria
      for intervention were evidence of pericardial tamponade with ejection fraction
      (EF) <50%. The preintervention ejection fraction was determined
      echocardiographically with value between 30 and 40%. Exclusion criteria for
      drainage were hemodynamically unstable patients or impaired coagulation profile
      (INR <1.8 or platelet count <75,000). Drains (8F-10F) were applied using
      Seldinger's technique under CT guidance. RESULTS: Pericardiocentesis and
      placement of a percutaneous pericardial drain was technically successful in all
      patients. The mean volume of evacuated pericardial effusion was 260 ml (range 80
      900 ml; standard deviation [SD]: +/-70). Directly after pericardiocentesis, there
      was a significant improvement of the ejection fraction to 40-55% (mean: 45%; SD:
      +/-5; p < 0.05). The mean percentage increase of the EF following pericardial
      effusion drainage was 10%. The drainage was applied anteriorly (preventricular)
      in 39 of 128 (30.5%), retroventricularly in 33 of 128 (25.8%), and infracardiac
      in 56 of 128 (43.8%). Recurrence rate of pericardial effusion after removal of
      drains was 4.7% (67/128). Complete drainage was achieved in retroventricular and
      infracardiac positioning of the catheter (p < 0.05) in comparison to the
      preventricular position of the catheter. Recorded complications included minimal
      asymptomatic pneumothorax and pneumomediastinum 2.3% (3/128) and sinus
      tachycardia 3.9% (5/128). CONCLUSION: CT-guided drainage of postoperative
      pericardial effusion is a minimally invasive technique for the release of the
      tamponade effect of the effusion and improvement of cardiac output.

PMID- 28337702
TI  - Synthesis and Characterization of Surface Modified, Fluorescent and Biocompatible
      ZnS Nanoparticles with a Hydrophobic Chitosan Derivative.
AB  - The introduction of a hydrophobic moiety on chitosan enhances the self-assembling
      properties, mucoadhesion, the permeability of the macromolecule and aids in
      target specific delivery. Our group synthesized a hydrophobic trans N-(6,6
      Dimethyl-2-hepten-4-ynyl)chitosan derivative (CSD) and studied the surface
      modification of ZnS nanoparticles in a single pot reaction. X-ray diffraction
      studies and FESEM imaging confirms the nano size and morphology of the surface
      modified Zinc sulfide nanoparticles (ZnS-CSD NPs). The proposed ZnS-CSD NPs
      showed excellent emission at 457 nm. Photostability studies indicate that the
      surface modified ZnS-CSD NPs possess better photostability than Rhodamine B and
      FITC. Cell viability tests confirmed the biocompatibility of the modified
      nanoparticles. All these features of ZnS- CSD NPs makes these candidates an
      excellent choice in a wide range of in vitro or in vivo studies as fluorescent
      biological labels.

PMID- 28337703
TI  - UMI-77 primes glioma cells for TRAIL-induced apoptosis by unsequestering Bim and
      Bak from Mcl-1.
AB  - Malignant glioma is the most common and aggressive form of brain tumor with poor
      prognosis of survival. Tumor necrosis factor-related apoptosis-inducing ligand
      (TRAIL) is a promising anticancer agent but is insufficient of inducing apoptosis
      in some types of gliomas. In this study, we showed that the small-molecule Mcl-1
      inhibitor UMI-77 sensitized glioma cells to TRAIL treatment, as evidenced by cell
      viability assay, Annexin V staining and JC-1 staining. Combination of UMI-77 and
      TRAIL in glioma cells led to the activation of caspase-8 and Bid, cleavage of
      caspase-3 and poly-ADP ribose polymerase (PARP), accumulation of tBid in the
      mitochondria and release of cytochrome c into the cytosol. UMI-77 alone or in
      combination with TRAIL untethered pro-apoptotic Bcl-2 proteins Bim and Bak from
      the sequestration of Mcl-1 and promoted the conformational activation of Bak.
      Small hairpin RNA (shRNA) of Bid attenuated the cleavage of caspase-8, Bid,
      caspase-3 and PARP, and reduced the cytotoxicity of UMI-77 plus TRAIL as compared
      with control shRNA cells, indicating this synergy entails the crosstalk between
      extrinsic and intrinsic apoptotic signaling. Taken together, UMI-77 enhances
      TRAIL-induced apoptosis by unsequestering Bim and Bak, which provides a novel
      therapeutic strategy for the treatment of gliomas.

PMID- 28337704
TI  - Analysis of traditional and emerging risk factors in premenopausal women with
      coronary artery disease: A pilot-scale study from North India.
AB  - Premenopausal women are known to have less heart disease than their menopausal
      counterparts and men. However, there is a rising prevalence of coronary artery
      disease (CAD) in premenopausal females, which necessitates determination of risk
      factors that negate the effects of hormonal protection. There are few studies
      describing the prevalence of traditional and emerging risk factors in
      premenopausal women with CAD. Thus, our objective was to explore the prevalence
      of traditional and emerging risk factors and features of coronary lesions in
      premenopausal women with CAD in an Indian population. Forty premenopausal female
      patients with angiographically proven CAD and undergoing treatment with
      conventional therapies and 40 age-matched premenopausal females without any
      evidence of CAD were enrolled. Premenopausal females with CAD most commonly had
      the single-vessel CAD and the left anterior descending artery was most commonly
      involved. The prevalence of hypertension, diabetes, obesity, metabolic syndrome,
      family history of CAD and 10-year risk score was higher in premenopausal females
      with CAD than controls. Even after treatment with conventional therapies,
      premenopausal women with CAD had dyslipidemia and significantly elevated levels
      of emerging risk factors such as ApoB, ApoB/ApoA1 ratio, hsCRP, lipoprotein (a),
      uric acid, T4, fibrinogen, and total leukocyte count as compared to controls (p <
      0.05). Further, they had significantly lower levels of HDL-C, and Apolipoprotein
      A1 and T3 which are protective markers for vascular risk. Multivariate regression
      analysis demonstrated that low levels of Apo A1 and high levels of fibrinogen,
      hsCRP and TG drive the vascular risk, and therefore these factors should be
      considered as candidates for better diagnosis, early detection, and intervention
      of CAD in premenopausal women.

PMID- 28337705
TI  - The effects of polyunsaturated fatty acids and antioxidant vitamins on atrial
      oxidative stress, nitrotyrosine residues, and connexins following extracorporeal
      circulation in patients undergoing cardiac surgery.
AB  - Cardiac surgery with extracorporeal circulation is characterized by different
      degrees of myocardial ischemia/reperfusion, which is often associated with
      postoperative atrial fibrillation (POAF). We have previously shown that a novel
      preventive therapy based on the reinforcement of the antioxidant system using
      omega-3 fatty acids plus antioxidant vitamin supplementation applied to patients
      undergoing cardiac surgery reduces POAF occurrence. We hypothesized that
      oxidative stress and nitrosative stress are involved in the development of an
      arrhythmogenic substrate by their effect on connexins (Cx40, Cx43 and Cx45)
      abundance and distribution pattern. Therefore, we have assessed the effect of
      redox status on atrial tissue in patients undergoing cardiac surgery.
      Placebo/POAF and supplemented/POAF patients showed 276 and 170% higher reactive
      oxygen species (ROS) levels and 223 and 96% higher nitrotyrosine residues levels,
      respectively, compared to sinus rhythm (SR). In POAF tissue, antioxidant
      supplementation prevented Cx40 and Cx43 lateralization on cardiomyocyte
      sarcolemma, keeping them at the intercalated disks. POAF samples showed Cx40
      heterogeneous distribution pattern, presenting tissue areas lacking this protein
      (49 and 55% lower levels in placebo/POAF and supplemented/POAF groups,
      respectively, compared to SR). Of note, Cx45 overexpression occurred in POAF,
      being 211 and 167% higher in placebo/POAF and supplemented/POAF groups,
      respectively, compared to SR. It is concluded that treatment with omega-3 fatty
      acids and antioxidant vitamins reduces oxidative and nitrosative stress and
      prevents Cx40/Cx43 lateralization in atrial tissue likely contributing to POAF
      prevention. However, it failed to fully prevent POAF occurrence because these
      compounds have no effects on the normalization of Cx40 down-regulation and Cx45
      up-regulation, which may promote POAF.

PMID- 28337707
TI  - Investigation of Yeast Mitophagy with Fluorescence Microscopy and Western
      Blotting.
AB  - Selective clearance of superfluous or dysfunctional mitochondria is a fundamental
      process that depends on the autophagic membrane trafficking pathways found in
      many cell types. This catabolic event, called mitophagy, is conserved from yeast
      to humans and serves to control mitochondrial quality and quantity. In budding
      yeast, degradation of mitochondria occurs under various physiological conditions,
      such as respiration at stationary phase, or starvation in a prolonged period.
      During these events, the transmembrane protein Atg32 localizes to the
      mitochondrial surface and plays a specific and essential role in yeast mitophagy.
      In this chapter, we describe methods to observe transport of mitochondria to the
      vacuole, a lytic compartment in yeast, using fluorescence microscopy, and semi
      quantify the progression of Atg32-mediated mitophagy by Western blotting.

PMID- 28337708
TI  - Intestinal Crypt Organoid: Isolation of Intestinal Stem Cells, In Vitro Culture,
      and Optical Observation.
AB  - The isolation and culture of intestinal stem cells (ISCs) was first demonstrated
      in the very recent decade with the identification of ISC marker Lgr5. The growth
      of ISCs into crypt organoids provides an in vitro model for studying the mucosal
      physiology, intestinal cancer tumorigenesis, and intestinal regeneration. Here,
      we describe two different isolation protocols and demonstrate a fixation method
      that aids in the confocal observation of the organoids.

PMID- 28337709
TI  - Exploring MicroRNAs on NIX-Dependent Mitophagy.
AB  - The dysregulation of autophagy is implicated in many pathological disorders
      including infections, aging, neurodegenerative diseases, and cancer. Autophagy
      can be precisely controlled both transcriptionally and translationally.
      Accumulating evidences show that the autophagy response is regulated by
      microRNAs, which therefore becomes subject area of interest in recent years.
      Herein, we give a brief introduction of the recent advancement in the regulation
      of microRNA on autophagy, and then we focus on the microRNA regulation of the
      mitophagy receptor, NIX. Finally, we present the methodology on how to study it
      in detail.

PMID- 28337706
TI  - Clinical and radiological outcomes of two-level endoscopic posterior cervical
      foraminotomy.
AB  - PURPOSE: The efficacy and safety of endoscopic posterior cervical foraminotomy
      (EPCF) have been demonstrated for single-level cervical radiculopathy, but no
      report in the medical literature has described the clinical results of two-level
      EPCF. The aim of this study was to assess the clinical and radiological outcomes
      of two-level EPCF performed in patients with cervical radiculopathy. METHODS:
      Twenty-two consecutive patients (9 females and 13 males) that underwent two-level
      EPCF with cervical radiculopathy from January 2012 to January 2014 were included
      in this study. Clinical outcomes were assessed before surgery and at 1, 3, 6, 12,
      and 24 months postoperatively using visual analogue scale for neck and arm, neck
      pain and disability scale (NPDS), and neck disability index (NDI) scores.
      Radiological outcomes were assessed by measuring segmental lordosis (SL), C2-7
      lordosis, and disc height index (DHI) before surgery and at 12 and 24 months
      postoperatively. RESULTS: Mean VAS, NPDS, and NDI scores were significant
      improved at 1 month postoperatively versus preoperative values and these
      improvements were maintained at 2 years after surgery. SL and C2-7 lordosis were
      significantly increased after surgery, and no instability in dynamic view was
      observed during the 2-year follow-up period. Percentage DHIs of operated discs
      were also maintained without significant change at 2 years after surgery. One
      patient suffered from transient motor palsy due to root retraction. CONCLUSIONS:
      Two-level EPCF can be safely preformed and should be considered an alternative to
      two-level anterior cervical discectomy and fusion or open posterior cervical
      foraminotomy in selected patients.

PMID- 28337712
TI  - Mandatory Publications: An Approach to Kill 'Lack of Will' or 'Lack of Skill'?
AB  - The issue of 'mandatory publications' has generated serious flak about its
      usefulness among the various stakeholders. A lot of debate centers around the
      question of 'lack of will' or 'lack of skill' as a reason for the diminishing
      research interests among the medical faculty in India. In our view, it is the
      lack of will to publish good quality research which is to be blamed rather than
      the lack of skill to do good quality research.

PMID- 28337710
TI  - High-efficient n-butanol production by co-culturing Clostridium acetobutylicum
      and Saccharomyces cerevisiae integrated with butyrate fermentative supernatant
      addition.
AB  - Butanol is not only an important chemical intermediate and solvent in
      pharmaceutical and cosmetics industries, but also considered as an advanced
      biofuel. Although species of the natural host Clostridium have been engineered,
      butanol titers in the anaerobe seem to be limited by its intolerance to butanol
      less than 13 g/L. Here we aimed to develop a technology for enhancing butanol
      production by a co-culture system with butyrate fermentative supernatant
      addition. First, when adding 4.0 g/L butyrate into the acetone-butanol-ethanol
      (ABE) fermentation broth with single-shot at 24 h, the "acid crash" phenomenon
      occurred and the ABE fermentation performance deteriorated. Subsequently, we
      found that adding certain amino acids could effectively enhance butyrate re
      assimilation, butanol tolerance and titer (from 11.1 to 14.8 g/L). Additionally,
      in order to decrease the raw material cost, butyrate fermentative supernatant
      produced by Clostridium tyrobutyricum was applied to butanol production in the
      Clostridium acetobutylicum/Saccharomyces cerevisiae co-culture system, instead of
      adding synthetic butyrate. Final butanol and total ABE concentrations reached
      higher levels of 16.3 and 24.8 g/L with increments of 46.8 and 37.8%,
      respectively. These results show that the proposed fermentation strategy has
      great potential for efficiently butanol production with an economic approach.

PMID- 28337711
TI  - Circulating Tumor DNA for Mutation Detection and Identification of Mechanisms of
      Resistance in Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer.
AB  - Targeted therapies have changed the treatment landscape of non-small cell lung
      cancer over the past decade. Analyses of cell free circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA)
      provide a non-invasive and robust approach for cancer diagnosis and prognosis,
      real-time monitoring of treatment response, and the identification of appropriate
      therapeutic targets based on the detection of tumor genetic aberrations. Recent
      improvements in the sensitivity, specificity, and feasibility of ctDNA detection
      assays allow the possibility for implementation into clinical practice. This
      review will focus on key studies using ctDNA analysis in early lung cancer
      detection, prediction of treatment response, monitoring minimal residual disease
      and disease relapse, and the identification of resistance mechanisms. We explore
      how ctDNA can be used as a surrogate for tissue biopsy and an integral biomarker
      in the clinical management of patients with non-small cell lung cancer.

PMID- 28337713
TI  - The Potential Role of Fibroblast Growth Factor 21 in Lipid Metabolism and
      Hypertension.
AB  - Fibroblast growth factor (FGF) 21 belongs to the FGF superfamily that is involved
      in cell proliferation and differentiation, neural development, angiogenesis, and
      metabolism. FGF21 requires beta-Klotho as a co-receptor. Tissues involved in
      metabolism such as the liver, adipose tissues, skeletal muscle, and pancreas
      express FGF21. Starvation increases hepatic expression of FGF21, which then acts
      centrally to increase hepatic gluconeogenesis. FGF21 also increases fatty acid
      oxidation. This may be relevant in cold exposure, when expression of FGF21 is
      induced. Chronic treatment with recombinant FGF21 reduces serum and hepatic
      triglyceride levels and ameliorates fatty liver in obese mice, through the
      suppression of the lipogenic gene, Srebp-1. FGF21 reduces hepatic cholesterol
      production by inhibiting Srebp-2, a transactivator of proprotein convertase
      subtilisin/kexin type 9 (PCSK9). LY2045319, an FGF21 analog, reduces LDL-C and
      triglycerides and increases HDL-C in obese human subjects with type 2 diabetes.
      FGF21 does not seem to lower blood pressure acutely. In rats fed with high
      fructose water to induce mild hypertension, 4-week treatment with recombinant
      FGF21 led to normalization of systolic blood pressure and improved serum lipid
      profile. FGF receptors and beta-Klotho are expressed on the nucleus tractus
      solitarii and nodose ganglion in the baroreflex afferent pathway. Moreover, FGF21
      acts on the hypothalamus to release corticosterone and induces in adipocytes the
      production of adiponectin, an adipokine with antihypertensive activities.
      Therefore, FGF21 may decrease blood pressure indirectly, through its actions in
      the liver, brain, and adipose tissues.

PMID- 28337714
TI  - Decreased live births among women of Middle Eastern/North African ethnicity
      compared to Caucasian women.
AB  - PURPOSE: The objective of this study is to determine if IVF outcome disparities
      exist among MENA women in the USA in comparison to a control group of Caucasian
      women. METHODS: A retrospective cohort study comparing MENA (N = 190) and
      Caucasian (N = 200) women undergoing their first IVF cycle between 5/2006 and
      5/2014 was carried out at an academically affiliated fertility practice. All MENA
      cycles during that time period undergoing IVF/ICSI using autologous embryos and
      blastocyst transfers were compared to a control group of Caucasian women.
      RESULTS: MENA women were significantly younger (32.9 vs 34.5, P < 0.005) and had
      a lower BMI (25.2 vs 27.1, P < 0.001). Male factor infertility was higher among
      partners of MENA women (62 vs 50%, P < 0.05). MENA women experienced decreased
      live birth rates per blastocyst transfer compared to Caucasian women after
      controlling for age and BMI (OR 0.55, 95% CI 0.35-0.85 P = 0.007). The odds of a
      miscarriage were also significantly higher among MENA women (OR 2.55, 95% CI 1.04
      6.27 P = 0.036). CONCLUSION: Middle Eastern/North African women have worse IVF
      outcomes with decreased live birth rates per blastocyst transfer and increased
      miscarriage rates compared to Caucasian women.

PMID- 28337715
TI  - Is incremental hemodialysis ready to return on the scene? From empiricism to
      kinetic modelling.
AB  - Most people who make the transition to maintenance dialysis therapy are treated
      with a fixed dose thrice-weekly hemodialysis regimen without considering their
      residual kidney function (RKF). The RKF provides effective and naturally
      continuous clearance of both small and middle molecules, plays a major role in
      metabolic homeostasis, nutritional status, and cardiovascular health, and aids in
      fluid management. The RKF is associated with better patient survival and greater
      health-related quality of life, although these effects may be confounded by
      patient comorbidities. Preservation of the RKF requires a careful approach,
      including regular monitoring, avoidance of nephrotoxins, gentle control of blood
      pressure to avoid intradialytic hypotension, and an individualized dialysis
      prescription including the consideration of incremental hemodialysis. There is
      currently no standardized method for applying incremental hemodialysis in
      practice. Infrequent (once- to twice-weekly) hemodialysis regimens are often used
      arbitrarily, without knowing which patients would benefit the most from them or
      how to escalate the dialysis dose as RKF declines over time. The recently
      heightened interest in incremental hemodialysis has been hindered by the current
      limitations of the urea kinetic models (UKM) which tend to overestimate the
      dialysis dose required in the presence of substantial RKF. This is due to an
      erroneous extrapolation of the equivalence between renal urea clearance (Kru) and
      dialyser urea clearance (Kd), correctly assumed by the UKM, to the clinical
      domain. In this context, each ml/min of Kd clears the urea from the blood just as
      1 ml/min of Kru does. By no means should such kinetic equivalence imply that 1
      ml/min of Kd is clinically equivalent to 1 ml/min of urea clearance provided by
      the native kidneys. A recent paper by Casino and Basile suggested a variable
      target model (VTM) as opposed to the fixed model, because the VTM gives more
      clinical weight to the RKF and allows less frequent hemodialysis treatments at
      lower RKF. The potentially important clinical and financial implications of
      incremental hemodialysis render it highly promising and warrant randomized
      controlled trials.

PMID- 28337717
TI  - Injectable Bioengineered Hydrogel Therapy in the Treatment of Ischemic
      Cardiomyopathy.
AB  - OPINION STATEMENT: Over the past two decades, the field of cardiovascular
      medicine has seen the rapid development of multiple different modalities for the
      treatment of ischemic myocardial disease. Most research efforts have focused on
      strategies aimed at coronary revascularization, with significant technological
      advances made in percutaneous coronary interventions as well as coronary artery
      bypass graft surgery. However, recent research efforts have shifted towards ways
      to address the downstream effects of myocardial infarction on both cellular and
      molecular levels. To this end, the broad application of injectable hydrogel
      therapy after myocardial infarction has stimulated tremendous interest. In this
      article, we will review what hydrogels are, how they can be bioengineered in
      unique ways to optimize therapeutic potential, and how they can be used as part
      of a treatment strategy after myocardial infarction.

PMID- 28337718
TI  - Sex-dependent effects of neonatal maternal deprivation on endocannabinoid levels
      in the adipose tissue: influence of diet.
AB  - Maternal deprivation (MD) during neonatal life has diverse long-term effects,
      including modification of metabolism. We have previously reported that MD
      modifies the metabolic response to high-fat diet (HFD) intake, with this response
      being different between males and females, while previous studies indicate that
      in mice with HFD-induced obesity, endocannabinoid (EC) levels are markedly
      altered in various brown and white adipose tissue depots. Here, we analyzed the
      effects of MD (24 h at postnatal day 9), alone or in combination with a HFD from
      weaning until the end of the experiment in Wistar rats of both sexes. Brown and
      white perirenal and subcutaneous adipose tissues were collected and the levels of
      anandamide (AEA), 2-arachidonoylglycerol (2-AG), palmitoylethanolamide (PEA), and
      oleoylethanolamide (OEA) were determined. In males, MD increased the content of
      OEA in brown and 2-AG in subcutaneous adipose tissues, while in females the
      content of 2-AG was increased in perirenal fat. Moreover, in females, MD
      decreased AEA and OEA levels in perirenal and subcutaneous adipose tissues,
      respectively. HFD decreased the content of 2-AG in brown fat of both sexes and
      OEA in brown and subcutaneous adipose tissue of control females. In contrast, in
      subcutaneous fat, HFD increased AEA levels in MD males and OEA levels in control
      and MD males. The present results show for the first time that MD and HFD induce
      sex-dependent effects on the main ECs, AEA, and 2-AG, and of AEA-related
      mediators, OEA and PEA, in the rat brown and white (visceral and subcutaneous)
      adipose tissues.

PMID- 28337721
TI  - Erratum to: Feasibility, effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of a telephone
      based weight loss program delivered via a hospital outpatient setting.

PMID- 28337716
TI  - Long term variation of serum levels of uremic toxins in patients treated by post
      dilution high volume on-line hemodiafiltration in comparison to standard low-flux
      bicarbonate dialysis: results from the REDERT study.
AB  - PURPOSE OF THE STUDY: Little information have been provided till now regarding
      the effect of high volume HDF (hv-OL-HDF) in respect to standard bicarbonate
      dialysis (BHD) in medium-long term protein-bound toxins removal. PROCEDURES: A
      randomised cross-over multicentre study (REDERT study) was designed to compare
      the effects of hv-OL-HDF and low-flux BHD on uremic toxins serum levels in 36
      chronic dialysis patients followed for 13 months. Group 1 patients were treated
      with BHD (Treatment A) for 6 months, and afterwards, they were transferred to hv
      OL-HDF for a further 6 months (Treatment B). Group 2 patients were treated with
      Treatment B for 6 months, and afterwards, they were transferred to Treatment A
      for a further 6 months. Total and free pre-dialysis indoxyl-sulfate (IS) and p
      cresyl-sulfate (pCS) were determined starting a midweek dialysis session at
      baseline and after six months of hv-OL-HDF or BHD. IS and pCS, were
      simultaneously measured, by liquid chromatography/electrospray ionization-tandem
      mass spectrometry, Kt/v and pre and post-dialysis b-2microglobulin (b2MG) levels
      were measured every three months. RESULTS: Kt/V was significantly increased in hv
      OL-HDF (from 1.47 +/- 0.24 to 1.49 +/- 0.16; p < 0.01) and was reduced in BHD
      (from 1.51 +/- 0.2 to 1.36 +/- 0.21; p < 0.001). The mean infusion volume in HDF
      was 20.9 +/- 2.1 L with a mean total convective volume of 23.8 +/- 2.3 L and a
      significant removal of b2MG was obtained in hv-OL-HDF at month 3 and month 6.
      Both free and total levels of IS and pCS were significantly reduced in hv-OL-HDF
      at month 6 in respect to BHD. CONCLUSIONS: In the present study we confirm the
      assumption that post-HDF is an effective technique in small and protein-bound
      uremic toxins removal. INTRODUCTION: 

PMID- 28337719
TI  - An Early Health Economic Analysis of the Potential Cost Effectiveness of an
      Adherence Intervention to Improve Outcomes for Patients with Cystic Fibrosis.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Cystic fibrosis (CF) negatively impacts upon health-related quality
      of life and survival. Adherence to nebulised treatments is low; improving
      adherence is hypothesised to reduce rates of exacerbation requiring intravenous
      antibiotics and lung function decline. OBJECTIVE: A state transition model was
      developed to assess the cost effectiveness of an intervention aimed at increasing
      patient adherence to nebulised and inhaled antibiotics compared with current CF
      care, in advance of the forthcoming CFHealthHub randomised controlled trial
      (RCT). METHODS: The model estimated the costs and health outcomes for each option
      from the perspective of the UK National Health Service and Personal Social
      Services over a lifetime horizon. Health gains were valued in terms of quality
      adjusted life-years (QALYs) gained. Forced expiratory volume in 1 second (FEV1)
      trajectories were predicted over three lung function strata: (1) FEV1 >=70%, (2)
      FEV1 40-69% and (3) FEV1 <40%. Additional states were included to represent 'post
      lung transplantation' and 'dead'. The model was populated using CF Registry data,
      literature and expert opinion. Costs were presented at 2016 values. Uncertainty
      was assessed using deterministic and probabilistic sensitivity analyses. RESULTS:
      If effective, the adherence intervention is expected to produce an additional
      0.19 QALYs and cost savings of L64,078 per patient. Across all analyses, the
      intervention dominated current care. Over a 5-year period, the intervention is
      expected to generate cost savings of L49.5 million for the estimated 2979
      patients with CF with Pseudomonas aeruginosa currently aged >=16 years in the UK.
      If applied to a broader population of adult patients with CF receiving any
      nebulised therapy, the expected savings could be considerably greater.
      CONCLUSIONS: If effective, the adherence intervention is expected to produce
      additional health gains at a lower cost than current CF care. However, the
      economic analysis should be revisited upon completion of the full RCT. More
      generally, the analysis suggests that considerable gains could be accrued through
      the implementation of adherence interventions that shift care from expensive
      hospital-based rescue to community-based prevention.

PMID- 28337720
TI  - Defining Value: The Need for a Longer, Broader View.

PMID- 28337723
TI  - Assessment of safety, efficacy, and dosimetry of a novel 18-kDa translocator
      protein ligand, [11C]CB184, in healthy human volunteers.
AB  - BACKGROUND: N,N-di-n-propyl-2-[2-(4-[11C]methoxyphenyl)-6,8-dichloroimidazol[1,2
      a]pyridine-3-yl]acetamide ([11C]CB184) is a novel selective radioligand for the
      18-kD translocator protein (TSPO), which is upregulated in activated microglia in
      the brain, and may be useful in positron emission tomography (PET). We examined
      the safety, radiation dosimetry, and initial brain imaging with [11C]CB184 in
      healthy human volunteers. RESULTS: Dynamic [11C]CB184 PET scans (90 min) were
      performed in five healthy male subjects. During the scan, arterial blood was
      sampled at various time intervals, and the fraction of the parent compound in
      plasma was determined with high-performance liquid chromatography. No serious
      adverse events occurred in any of the subjects throughout the study period.
      [11C]CB184 was metabolized in the periphery: 36.7% +/- 5.7% of the radioactivity
      in plasma was detected as the unchanged form after 60 min. The total distribution
      volume (V T) was estimated with a two-tissue compartment model. The V T of
      [11C]CB184 was highest in the thalamus (5.1 +/- 0.4), followed by the cerebellar
      cortex (4.4 +/- 0.2), and others. Although regional differences were small, the
      observed [11C]CB184 binding pattern was consistent with the TSPO distribution in
      the normal human brain. Radiation dosimetry was determined in three healthy male
      subjects using a serial whole-body PET scan acquired over 2 h after [11C]CB184
      injection. [11C]CB184 PET demonstrated high uptake in the gallbladder at a later
      time (>60 min). In urine obtained approximately 100 min post-injection, 0.3% of
      the total injected radioactivity was recovered, indicating hepatobiliary
      excretion of radioactivity. The absorbed dose (MUGy/MBq) was highest in the
      kidneys (21.0 +/- 0.5) followed by the lungs (16.8 +/- 2.7), spleen (16.6 +/-
      6.6), and pancreas (16.5 +/- 2.2). The estimated effective dose for [11C]CB184
      was 5.9 +/- 0.6 MUSv/MBq. CONCLUSIONS: This initial evaluation indicated that
      [11C]CB184 is feasible for imaging of TSPO in the brain.

PMID- 28337722
TI  - Advancing understanding of the sustainability of lay health advisor (LHA)
      programs for African-American women in community settings.
AB  - Lay health advisor (LHA) programs have made strong contributions towards the
      elimination of health disparities and are increasingly being implemented to
      promote health and prevent disease. Developed in collaboration with African
      American survivors, the National Witness Project (NWP) is an evidence-based,
      community-led LHA program that improves cancer screening among African-American
      women. NWP has been successfully disseminated, replicated, and implemented
      nationally in over 40 sites in 22 states in diverse community settings, reaching
      over 15,000 women annually. We sought to advance understanding of barriers and
      facilitators to the long-term implementation and sustainability of LHA programs
      in community settings from the viewpoint of the LHAs, as well as the broader
      impact of the program on African-American communities and LHAs. In the context of
      a mixed-methods study, in-depth telephone interviews were conducted among 76
      African-American LHAs at eight NWP sites at baseline and 12-18 months later,
      between 2010 and 2013. Qualitative data provides insight into inner and outer
      contextual factors (e.g., community partnerships, site leadership, funding),
      implementation processes (e.g., training), as well as characteristics of the
      intervention (e.g., perceived need and fit in African-American community) and
      LHAs (e.g., motivations, burnout) that are perceived to impact the continued
      implementation and sustainability of NWP. Factors at the contextual levels and
      related to motivations of LHAs are critical to the sustainability of LHA
      programs. We discuss how findings are used to inform (1) the development of the
      LHA Sustainability Framework and (2) strategies to support the continued
      implementation and sustainability of evidence-based LHA interventions in
      community settings.

PMID- 28337725
TI  - Comparison of diagnostic performance of four software packages for phase
      dyssynchrony analysis in gated myocardial perfusion SPECT.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Phase analysis of gated myocardial perfusion single-photon emission
      computed tomography (SPECT) for assessment of left ventricular (LV) dyssynchrony
      was investigated using the following dedicated software packages: Corridor4DM
      (4DM), cardioREPO (cREPO), Emory Cardiac Toolbox (ECTb), and quantitative gated
      SPECT (QGS). The purpose of this study was to evaluate the normal values of 95%
      histogram bandwidth, phase standard deviation (SD), and entropy and to compare
      the diagnostic performance of the four software packages. A total of 122 patients
      with normal myocardial perfusion and cardiac function (58.9 +/- 12.3 years, 60
      women, ejection fraction (EF) 74.3 +/- 5.7%, and end-diastolic volume (EDV) 83.5
      +/- 3.6 mL) and 34 patients with suspected LV dyssynchrony (64.1 +/- 12.2 years,
      9 women, EF 52.0 +/- 18.0%, and EDV 145.0 +/- 6.8 mL) who underwent Tc-99m
      methoxy-isobutyl-isonitrile/tetrofosmin gated SPECT were retrospectively
      evaluated. Dyssynchrony indices of the 95% histogram bandwidth, phase SD, and
      entropy were computed with the four software programs. Diagnostic performance of
      LV phase dyssynchrony assessments was determined by receiver operator
      characteristic (ROC) analysis. The area under the ROC curve (AUC) was used to
      compare the software programs. The optimal cutoff point was determined by ROC
      curve based on the Youden index. RESULTS: The average of normal bandwidth
      significantly differed among the four software programs except in the comparison
      of 4DM and ECTb. Moreover, the normal phase SD significantly differed among the
      four software programs except in the comparison of cREPO and ECTb. The software
      programs showed high correlation levels for bandwidth, phase SD, and entropy (r
      >= 0.73, p < 0.001). ROC AUCs of bandwidth, phase SD, and entropy were >=0.850,
      >=0.858, and >=0.900, respectively. Moreover, the ROC AUCs of bandwidth, phase
      SD, and entropy did not significantly differ among the four software programs.
      Optimal cutoff points for phase parameters were 24 degrees -42 degrees  for
      bandwidth, 8.6 degrees -15.3 degrees  for phase SD, and 31-48% for entropy.
      CONCLUSIONS: Although the optimal cutoff value for determining LV phase
      dyssynchrony by ROC analysis varied depending on the use of the different
      software programs, all software programs can be used reliably for phase
      dyssynchrony analysis.

PMID- 28337724
TI  - I-123 iomazenil single photon emission computed tomography for detecting loss of
      neuronal integrity in patients with traumatic brain injury.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Traumatic brain injury (TBI) causes brain dysfunction in many
      patients. Using C-11 flumazenil (FMZ) positron emission tomography (PET), we have
      detected and reported the loss of neuronal integrity, leading to brain
      dysfunction in TBI patients. Similarly to FMZ PET, I-123 iomazenil (IMZ) single
      photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) is widely used to determine the
      distribution of the benzodiazepine receptor (BZR) in the brain cortex. The
      purpose of this study is to examine whether IMZ SPECT is as useful as FMZ PET for
      evaluating the loss of neuronal integrity in TBI patients. The subjects of this
      study were seven patients who suffered from neurobehavioral disability. They
      underwent IMZ SPECT and FMZ PET. Nondisplaceable binding potential (BPND) was
      calculated from FMZ PET images. The uptake of IMZ was evaluated on the basis of
      lesion-to-pons ratio (LPR). The locations of low uptake levels were visually
      evaluated both in IMZ SPECT and FMZ PET images. We compared FMZ BPND and (LPR-1)
      of IMZ SPECT. RESULTS: In the visual assessment, FMZ BPND decreased in 11
      regions. In IMZ SPECT, low uptake levels were observed in eight of the 11
      regions. The rate of concordance between FMZ PET and IMZ SPECT was 72.7%. The
      mean values IMZ (LPR-1) (1.95 +/- 1.01) was significantly lower than that of FMZ
      BPND (2.95 +/- 0.80 mL/mL). There was good correlation between FMZ BPND and IMZ
      (LPR-1) (r = 0.80). CONCLUSIONS: IMZ SPECT findings were almost the same as FMZ
      PET findings in TBI patients. The results indicated that IMZ SPECT is useful for
      evaluating the loss of neuronal integrity. Because IMZ SPECT can be performed in
      various facilities, IMZ SPECT may become widely adopted for evaluating the loss
      of neuronal integrity.

PMID- 28337726
TI  - Opioid-Related Constipation in Patients With Non-cancer Pain Syndromes: a Review
      of Evidence-Based Therapies and Justification for a Change in Nomenclature.
AB  - PURPOSE OF REVIEW: Opioids are a mainstay in the treatment of chronic non-cancer
      pain syndromes, but their analgesic benefits come at a cost as opioid-related
      constipation occurs in 40-80% of individuals taking chronic opioids. Furthermore,
      as 10-20% of the population suffers from constipation at baseline, it should be
      expected that while a proportion of individuals will develop constipation as a
      direct consequence of opioids (OIC), others will experience it as an exacerbation
      of their baseline constipation (OEC). Herein, we review the evidence-based data
      for treatments directed at opioid-related constipation focusing on individuals
      with non-cancer pain syndromes and provide a template for the development of
      differentiated treatment algorithms for OIC and OEC. RECENT FINDINGS: Historical
      and current treatment protocols recommend traditional laxatives, but these are
      ineffective in up to 50%, due in part to the heterogeneous pathogenesis of
      constipation. Therapeutic decisions must be tailored to account for this
      overlapping pathogenesis. OIC and OEC are distinct entities. As such, additional
      research and guidelines should address these as different patient populations.

PMID- 28337728
TI  - Collinear masking effect in visual search is independent of perceptual salience.
AB  - Searching for a target in a salient region should be easier than looking for one
      in a nonsalient region. However, we previously discovered a contradictory
      phenomenon in which a local target in a salient structure was more difficult to
      find than one in the background. The salient structure was constructed of
      orientation singletons aligned to each other to form a collinear structure. In
      the present study, we undertake to determine whether such a masking effect was a
      result of salience competition between a global structure and the local target.
      In the first 3 experiments, we increased the salience value of the local target
      with the hope of adding to its competitive advantage and eventually eliminating
      the masking effect; nevertheless, the masking effect persisted. In an additional
      2 experiments, we reduced salience of the global collinear structure by altering
      the orientation of the background bars and the masking effect still emerged. Our
      salience manipulations were validated by a controlled condition in which the
      global structure was grouped noncollinearly. In this case, local target salience
      increase (e.g., onset) or global distractor salience reduction (e.g., randomized
      flanking orientations) effectively removed the facilitation effect of the
      noncollinear structure. Our data suggest that salience competition is unlikely to
      explain the collinear masking effect, and other mechanisms such as contour
      integration, border formation, or the crowding effect may be prospective
      candidates for further investigation.

PMID- 28337727
TI  - Newer Antiepileptic Drugs in Status Epilepticus: Prescription Trends and Outcomes
      in Comparison with Traditional Agents.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: Newer antiepileptic drugs (AEDs) are increasingly prescribed;
      however, relatively limited data are available regarding their use in status
      epilepticus (SE) and the impact on outcome. OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study was
      to explore the evolution in prescription patterns of newer and traditional AEDs
      in this clinical setting, and their association with prognosis. METHODS: We
      analyzed our prospective adult SE registry over a 10-year period (2007-2016) and
      assessed the yearly use of newer and traditional AEDs and their association with
      mortality, return to baseline conditions at discharge, and SE refractoriness,
      defined as treatment resistance to two AEDs, including benzodiazepines. RESULTS:
      In 884 SE episodes, corresponding to 719 patients, the prescription of at least
      one newer AED increased from 0.38 per SE episode in 2007 to 1.24 per SE episode
      in 2016 (mostly due to the introduction of levetiracetam and lacosamide).
      Traditional AEDs (excluding benzodiazepines) decreased over time from 0.74 in
      2007 to 0.41 in 2016, correlating with the decreasing use of phenytoin. The
      prescription of newer AEDs was independently associated with a lower chance of
      return to baseline conditions at discharge (odds ratio [OR] 0.58, 95% confidence
      interval [CI] 0.40-0.84) and a higher rate of SE refractoriness (OR 19.84, 95% CI
      12.76-30.84), but not with changes in mortality (OR 1.08, 95% CI 0.58-2.00).
      CONCLUSION: We observed a growing trend in the prescription of newer AEDs in SE
      over the last decade; however, our findings might suggest an associated increased
      risk of SE refractoriness and new disability at hospital discharge. Pending
      prospective, comparative studies, this may justify some caution in the routine
      use of newer AEDs in SE.

PMID- 28337729
TI  - Adjacent level disease-background and update based on disc replacement data.
AB  - PURPOSE OF REVIEW: The precise etiology of adjacent segment disease following
      cervical spine surgery is controversial. Theories for development include
      inevitable changes secondary to the natural progression of the degenerative
      cascade and changes secondary to altered biomechanics of the fused cervical
      spine. Motion preserving techniques, such as cervical disc arthroplasties (CDA),
      have been introduced with the hopes of reducing the rates of adjacent segment
      pathology. Recently, 7-year data from the investigational device exemption (IDE)
      studies have been published. The purpose of this review is to provide an update
      on cervical adjacent segment disease incorporating this emerging data into the
      analysis. RECENT FINDINGS: Although the 7-year data for CDA has confirmed
      continued success, specifically regarding improved neck pain and reduced re
      operation rates, the influence of CDA on reducing rates of adjacent segment
      pathology remains questionable. Although some studies have found more
      radiographic adjacent segment disease after anterior cervical discectomy and
      fusion (ACDF) compared to CDA, an association between these findings and clinical
      symptoms has not been established. Cervical disc arthroplasty continues to
      outperform cervical disc fusion regarding some patient specific parameters,
      however, whether CDA reduces rates of radiographic and clinical adjacent segment
      pathology remains unknown. Without studies developed specifically to address this
      question, the answer remains elusive.

PMID- 28337731
TI  - Arthroplasty registries around the world: valuable sources of hip implant
      revision risk data.
AB  - PURPOSE OF REVIEW: National and regional arthroplasty registries have
      proliferated since the Swedish Knee Arthroplasty Register was started in 1975.
      Registry reports typically present implant-specific estimates of revision risk
      and patient- and technique-related factors that can inform clinical decision
      making about implants and techniques. However, annual registry reports are long
      and it is difficult for clinicians to extract comparable revision risk data.
      Since implants may appear in multiple registry reports, it is even more difficult
      to gather relevant data for clinical decision-making about implant selection. The
      purpose of this paper is to briefly describe arthroplasty registry concepts,
      international registries around the world, US registries, and provide a
      parsimonious summary of total hip arthroplasty (THA) implant revision risk
      reports across registries. RECENT FINDINGS: Revision risk data for conventional
      stem/cup combinations reported by the Australian, R.I.P.O. (Italian), Finnish,
      and Danish registries are summarized here. These registries were selected because
      they presented 10-year data on revision risk by stem/cup combination. Four tables
      of revision risk are presented based on fixation: cemented, uncemented, hybrid,
      and reverse hybrid. Review of these tables show there is wide variation in
      revision risk across conventional THA implants. It also demonstrates that some
      cemented implants have better 10-year risk than the best uncemented implants.
      Many arthroplasty registries prepare annual reports that include revision risk
      data for implants and they are posted on the registry websites. Arthroplasty
      surgeons should stay current with these registry reports on implant performance
      and potential outliers and keep them in mind when making implant decisions.

PMID- 28337730
TI  - Current concepts of shared decision making in orthopedic surgery.
AB  - PURPOSE OF REVIEW: The Shared Decision Making (SDM) model, a collaborative
      decision making process between the physician and patient to make an informed
      clinical decision that enhances the chance of treatment success as defined by
      each patient's preferences and values, has become a new and promising tool in the
      healthcare process; however, minimal data exists on its application in the
      orthopedic surgical specialty. Increasing evidence has demonstrated that this
      once novel idea can be implemented successfully in the orthopedic setting to
      improve patient outcomes. RECENT FINDINGS: SDM can be applied without significant
      increases in the office length. Patients report that a physician that takes the
      time to listen to them is among the most important factors in their care. When
      time was focused on the SDM process, there was a direct correlation between the
      time spent with a patient and patient satisfaction. Patients exposed to a
      decision aid prior to surgery gained a greater knowledge from baseline to make a
      higher quality decision that was consistent with their values. Involving family
      members preoperatively can help all patients adhere to postoperative regimens.
      Exposing patients to a decision aid can reduce expensive elective surgeries, in
      favor of non-operative management. Incorporating patient goals into the decision
      making process has increased satisfaction, compliance, and outcomes. SDM is a two
      way exchange of information that attempts to correct the inequality of power
      between the patient and physician. Decision-aids are helpful tools that
      facilitate the decision-making process. Treatment decisions are consistent with
      patient preferences and values when there may be no "best" therapy. A good
      patient-physician relationship is essential during the process to reduce
      decisional conflict and increase overall patient outcomes.

PMID- 28337732
TI  - Medicare reimbursement and orthopedic surgery: past, present, and future.
AB  - PURPOSE OF REVIEW: This paper reviews the history and structure of Medicare
      reimbursement with a focus on aspects relevant to the field of orthopedic
      surgery. Namely, this includes Parts A and B, with particular attention paid to
      the origins of Diagnosis Related Groups (DRG) and the physician fee schedule,
      respectively. We then review newer policies affecting orthopedic surgeons. RECENT
      FINDINGS: Recent Medicare reforms relevant to our field include readmission
      penalties, the evolution of bundled payments including the mandatory
      Comprehensive Care for Joint Replacement (CJR) and Surgical Hip and Femur
      Fracture Treatment (SHFFT) programs, and the new mandatory Merit-based Incentive
      Payment System (MIPS) pay-for-performance program. Providers are facing an
      increasingly complex payment system and are required to assume growing levels of
      financial risk. Physicians and practices who prepare for these changes will
      likely fare best and may even benefit.

PMID- 28337734
TI  - Diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) findings in adult civilian, military, and sport
      related mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI): a systematic critical review.
AB  - This review seeks to summarize diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) studies that have
      evaluated structural changes attributed to the mechanisms of mild traumatic brain
      injury (mTBI) in adult civilian, military, and athlete populations. Articles from
      2002 to 2016 were retrieved from PubMed/MEDLINE, EBSCOhost, and Google Scholar,
      using a Boolean search string containing the following terms: "diffusion tensor
      imaging", "diffusion imaging", "DTI", "white matter", "concussion", "mild
      traumatic brain injury", "mTBI", "traumatic brain injury", and "TBI". We added
      studies not identified by this method that were found via manually-searched
      reference lists. We identified 86 eligible studies from English-language journals
      using, adult, human samples. Studies were evaluated based on duration between
      injury and DTI assessment, categorized as acute, subacute/chronic, remote mTBI,
      and repetitive brain trauma considerations. Since changes in brain structure
      after mTBI can also be affected by other co-occurring medical and demographic
      factors, we also briefly review DTI studies that have addressed socioeconomic
      status factors (SES), major depressive disorder (MDD), and attention-deficit
      hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). The review describes population-specific risks and
      the complications of clinical versus pathophysiological outcomes of mTBI. We had
      anticipated that the distinct population groups (civilian, military, and athlete)
      would require separate consideration, and various aspects of the study
      characteristics supported this. In general, study results suggested widespread
      but inconsistent differences in white matter diffusion metrics (primarily
      fractional anisotropy [FA], mean diffusivity [MD], radial diffusivity [RD], and
      axial diffusivity [AD]) following mTBI/concussion. Inspection of study designs
      and results revealed potential explanations for discrepant DTI findings, such as
      control group variability, analytic techniques, the manner in which regional
      differences were reported, and the presence or absence of persistent functional
      disturbances. DTI research in adult mTBI would benefit from more standardized
      imaging and analytic approaches. We also found significant overlap in white
      matter abnormalities reported in mTBI with those commonly affected by SES or the
      presence of MDD and ADHD. We conclude that DTI is sensitive to a wide range of
      group differences in diffusion metrics, but that it currently lacks the
      specificity necessary for meaningful clinical application. Properly controlled
      longitudinal studies with consistent and standardized functional outcomes are
      needed before establishing the utility of DTI in the clinical management of mTBI
      and concussion.

PMID- 28337736
TI  - Trans-cystic tube drainage a more viable option than T-tube for hepatic resection
      with cholecystectomy if external biliary drainage is desired.

PMID- 28337735
TI  - Isolation of nontuberculous mycobacteria from soil using Middlebrook 7H10 agar
      with increased malachite green concentration.
AB  - Environmental exposure is considered to be responsible for nontuberculous
      mycobacterial infections in humans. To facilitate the isolation of mycobacteria
      from soil, Middlebrook 7H10 agar was optimized as an enhanced selective medium by
      increasing the concentration of malachite green. A series of modified Middlebrook
      7H10 agar media with malachite green concentrations ranging from 2.5 to 2500 mg/L
      was evaluated using 20 soil samples decontaminated with 3% sodium dodecyl sulfate
      plus 2% NaOH for 30 min. Among these modified Middlebrook 7H10 media, the medium
      with malachite green at a concentration of 250 mg/L, i.e., at the same
      concentration as in Lowenstein-Jensen medium, was the most effective in terms of
      the number of plates with mycobacterial growth. This medium was further evaluated
      with 116 soil samples. The results showed that 87.1% (101/116) of the samples
      produced mycobacterial growth, and 15 samples (12.9%) produced no mycobacterial
      growth. Of the plates inoculated with the soil samples, each in duplicate, 5.2%
      (12/232) showed late contamination. In total, 19 mycobacterial species were
      isolated, including seven (36.8%) rapidly growing mycobacteria and 12 (63.2%)
      slowly growing mycobacteria. Our results demonstrate that the modified
      Middlebrook 7H10 agar with 250 mg/L malachite green is useful for the primary
      isolation of nontuberculous mycobacteria from soil.

PMID- 28337733
TI  - Bias in cervical total disc replacement trials.
AB  - PURPOSE OF REVIEW: Cervical disc replacement (CDR) has emerged as a motion
      preserving alternative to anterior cervical discectomy and fusion in selected
      cases. Despite favorable literature, CDR is not universally accepted because of
      concerns regarding bias in the existing literature. The purpose of this review is
      to identify the possible biases in the disc replacement literature. RECENT
      FINDINGS: Recent studies that compare CDR and ACDF have demonstrated equivalent
      or superior outcomes, lower rates of secondary surgery, and equivalent safety at
      medium- and long-term follow-up. In our review, we identified four types of bias
      that may affect the CDR literature: publication bias, external validity,
      confounding bias, and financial conflicts of interest. Bias, whether intentional
      or unintentional, can impact the interpretation and outcome of CDR studies.
      Recognition of this issue is critical when utilizing the existing literature to
      determine the efficacy of CDR and designing future studies.

PMID- 28337737
TI  - Intraoperative ultrasound detection of spontaneous intrahepatic portocaval shunt.

PMID- 28337738
TI  - Does birth under-registration reduce childhood immunization? Evidence from the
      Dominican Republic.
AB  - The consequences of lacking birth certificates remain largely unexplored in the
      economic literature. We intend to fill this knowledge gap studying the effect of
      lacking birth certificates on immunization of children in the Dominican Republic.
      This is an interesting country because a significant number of children of
      Haitian descent face the consequences of lacking proper documentation. We use the
      distance to the civil registry office and the mother's document of identification
      as instrumental variables of the child's birth certificate. After controlling for
      distance to immunization services and other determinants, this paper finds that
      children between 0 and 59 months of age that do not have birth certificates are
      behind by nearly one vaccine (out of a total of nine) compared to those that have
      birth certificates.

PMID- 28337739
TI  - Intraductal neoplasms of the bile duct. A new challenge to biliary tract tumor
      pathology.
AB  - Invasive biliary tract carcinomas are usually tubular adenocaricnomas with
      abundant desmoplastic reactions and frequent ductal and periductal invasion at
      the time of the diagnosis. Recently, several intraductal neoplasms of the bile
      duct, particularly at a pre-invasive stage, have been recognized. They include
      intraductal papillary neoplasm of the bile duct (IPNB), biliary intraepithelial
      neoplasm (BilIN), and others, such as intraductal tubulopapillary neoplasm (ITPN)
      of the bile duct. IPNBs are grossly visible predominantly intraductal-growing
      papillary neoplasms covered by well-differentiated neoplastic epithelium with
      fine fibrovascular cores in the dilated bile ducts. Regarding their similarities
      to intraductal papillary mucinous neoplasm of the pancreas (IPMN) of main
      pancreatic duct type, some IPNBs resemble IPMN ("pancreatic type"), while others
      are only somewhat similar or variably different from IPMN ("non-pancreatic
      type"). Some IPNBs develop via a common oncogenic signaling pathway, and others,
      particularly those of intestinal type, frequently show GNAS mutations, as in
      IPMN. BilINs are a microscopically recognizable flat or micropapillary pre
      invasive neoplasm and are presumed to precede conventional nodular-sclerosing
      cholangiocarcinomas. ITPN of the bile duct is a rare neoplasm composed of densely
      packed tubular glands. These three types of neoplasms are not infrequently
      associated with invasive adenocarcinoma. Pre-invasive intraglandular neoplasms of
      the peribiliary glands, another epithelial system in the biliary tree, have been
      also reported. Further characterization of these intraductal and intraglandular
      neoplasms of the bile duct is needed to overcome devastating invasive biliary
      tract carcinoma.

PMID- 28337740
TI  - Proteome comparison for discrimination between honeydew and floral honeys from
      botanical species Mimosa scabrella Bentham by principal component analysis.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Due to the increasing valuation and appreciation of honeydew honey in
      many European countries and also to existing contamination among different types
      of honeys, authentication is an important aspect of quality control with regard
      to guaranteeing the origin in terms of source (honeydew or floral) and needs to
      be determined. Furthermore, proteins are minor components of the honey, despite
      the importance of their physiological effects, and can differ according to the
      source of the honey. In this context, the aims of this study were to carry out
      protein extraction from honeydew and floral honeys and to discriminate these
      honeys from the same botanical species, Mimosa scabrella Bentham, through
      proteome comparison using two-dimensional gel electrophoresis and principal
      component analysis. RESULTS: The results showed that the proteome profile and
      principal component analysis can be a useful tool for discrimination between
      these types of honey using matched proteins (45 matched spots). Also, the
      proteome profile showed 160 protein spots in honeydew honey and 84 spots in the
      floral honey. CONCLUSION: The protein profile can be a differential
      characteristic of this type of honey, in view of the importance of proteins as
      bioactive compounds in honey. (c) 2017 Society of Chemical Industry.

PMID- 28337741
TI  - A plant-derived dehydrorotenoid: a new inhibitor of hepatitis C virus entry.
AB  - Emergence of drug-resistant viruses, high cost and adverse side-effects
      associated with the standard therapy against hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection
      demonstrate the need for development of well tolerated and effective antivirals.
      We identified and chemically characterised the dehydrorotenoid boeravinone H,
      isolated from the herb Boerhavia diffusa, as a new inhibitor of HCV entry. The
      compound significantly inhibits the binding and entry of hepatitis C-like
      particles (HCV-LPs) in hepatoma cells in vitro with no apparent cytotoxicity.
      Boeravinone H inhibits the initial phase of HCV entry probably by acting directly
      on the viral particle. Importantly, the compound prevents HCV entry and infection
      in cell culture (ex vivo). Thus, boeravinone H is a potential antiviral agent for
      the prevention and control of HCV infection.

PMID- 28337743
TI  - New indices of left ventricular function: let's move from ejection fraction to
      more physiological parameters.

PMID- 28337742
TI  - Post-cardiac arrest level of free-plasma DNA and DNA-histone complexes.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Plasma DNA-histone complexes and total free-plasma DNA have the
      potential to quantify the ischaemia-reperfusion damages occurring after cardiac
      arrest. Furthermore, DNA-histone complexes may have the potential of being a
      target for future treatment. The aim was to examine if plasma DNA-histone
      complexes and the levels of total free-plasma DNA were elevated in post-cardiac
      arrest patients compared with healthy individuals, and to examine if these
      biomarkers were capable of predicting mortality. METHODS: We included 42 comatose
      out-of-hospital cardiac arrest patients and collected blood samples after 22, 46
      and 70 h. Samples for DNA-histone complexes were quantified by Cell Death
      Detection ELISAplus . The total free-plasma DNA analyses were quantified with
      qPCR by analysing the Beta-2 microglobulin gene. The control group comprised 40
      healthy individuals. RESULTS: We found no difference in the level of DNA-histone
      complexes between the 22-h sample and healthy individuals (P = 0.10). In the 46-h
      sample, there was an increased level of DNA-histone complexes in non-survivors
      compared with survivors 30 days after the cardiac arrest (P < 0.01) and the area
      under the ROC curve was 0.78 (95% confidence interval: 0.59;0.96). The level of
      total free-plasma DNA was increased in the 22-h sample compared with healthy
      individuals (P < 0.001) but no significant difference was found between non
      survivors and survivors 30 days after the cardiac arrest (all P >= 0.06).
      CONCLUSION: An increased level of DNA-histone complexes was associated with
      increased mortality and that the level of total free-plasma DNA was elevated post
      cardiac arrest.

PMID- 28337744
TI  - Knockdown of an inflorescence meristem-specific cytokinin oxidase - OsCKX2 in
      rice reduces yield penalty under salinity stress condition.
AB  - Cytokinins play a significant role in determining grain yield in plants.
      Cytokinin oxidases catalyse irreversible degradation of cytokinins and hence
      modulate cellular cytokinin levels. Here, we studied the role of an inflorescence
      meristem-specific rice cytokinin oxidase - OsCKX2 - in reducing yield penalty
      under salinity stress conditions. We utilized an RNAi-based approach to study the
      function of OsCKX2 in maintaining grain yield under salinity stress condition.
      Ultra-performance liquid chromatography-based estimation revealed a significant
      increase in cytokinins in the inflorescence meristem of OsCKX2-knockdown plants.
      To determine if there exists a correlation between OsCKX2 levels and yield under
      salinity stress condition, we assessed the growth, physiology and grain yield of
      OsCKX2-knockdown plants vis-a-vis the wild type. OsCKX2-knockdown plants showed
      better vegetative growth, higher relative water content and photosynthetic
      efficiency and reduced electrolyte leakage as compared with the wild type under
      salinity stress. Importantly, we found a negative correlation between OsCKX2
      expression and plant productivity as evident by assessment of agronomical
      parameters such as panicle branching, filled grains per plant and harvest index
      both under control and salinity stress conditions. These results suggest that
      OsCKX2, via controlling cytokinin levels, regulates floral primordial activity
      modulating rice grain yield under normal as well as abiotic stress conditions.

PMID- 28337746
TI  - Thymidylate synthase is functionally associated with ZEB1 and contributes to the
      epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition of cancer cells.
AB  - Thymidylate synthase (TS) is a fundamental enzyme of nucleotide metabolism and
      one of the oldest anti-cancer targets. Beginning from the analysis of gene array
      data from the NCI-60 panel of cancer cell lines, we identified a significant
      correlation at both gene and protein level between TS and the markers of
      epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT), a developmental process that allows
      cancer cells to acquire features of aggressiveness, like motility and
      chemoresistance. TS levels were found to be significantly augmented in
      mesenchymal-like compared to epithelial-like cancer cells, to be regulated by EMT
      induction, and to negatively correlate with micro-RNAs (miRNAs) usually expressed
      in epithelial-like cells and known to actively suppress EMT. Transfection of EMT
      suppressing miRNAs reduced TS levels, and a specific role for miR-375 in
      targeting the TS 3'-untranslated region was identified. A particularly relevant
      association was found between TS and the powerful EMT driver ZEB1, the shRNA
      mediated knockdown of which up-regulated miR-375 and reduced TS cellular levels.
      The TS-ZEB1 association was confirmed in clinical specimens from lung tumours and
      in a genetic mouse model of pancreatic cancer with ZEB1 deletion. Interestingly,
      TS itself appeared to have a regulatory role in EMT in cancer cells, as TS
      knockdown could directly reduce the EMT phenotype, the migratory ability of
      cells, the expression of stem-like markers, and chemoresistance. Taken together,
      these data indicate that the TS enzyme is functionally linked with EMT and cancer
      differentiation, with several potential translational implications. Copyright (c)
      2017 Pathological Society of Great Britain and Ireland. Published by John Wiley &
      Sons, Ltd.

PMID- 28337748
TI  - Interaction of copper nanoparticles and an endophytic growth promoter
      Piriformospora indica with Cajanus cajan.
AB  - BACKGROUND: In recent years, agro-bionanotechnology has paved the way towards
      revolutionizing current practices in the food and agricultural fields. In the
      present study, the effect of copper nanoparticles (CuNPs) alone and in
      combination with the growth-promoting fungus Piriformospora indica on 2-week-old
      seedlings of Cajanus cajan was evaluated. Gelatin-coated stable CuNPs were
      synthesized by the chemical reduction method using hydrazine hydrate as a
      reducing agent. RESULTS: CuNPs were characterized by using UV-visible
      spectroscopy, zeta potential measurement and transmission electron microscopy.
      The nanoparticles were found to be quite spherical with a diameter within the
      range 40 +/- 10 nm. After the application of CuNPs and P. indica to the host
      plant C. cajan, the vitality of plants was determined using a Handy-PEA (plant
      efficiency analyzer) instrument. Handy-PEA analysis (which measures chlorophyll a
      fluorescence) indicated that seedlings inoculated with a combination of CuNPs and
      P. indica were the healthiest and also showed maximum vitality as compared to
      seedlings inoculated with CuNPs or P. indica alone. CONCLUSION: These results
      suggest that CuNPs in combination with P. indica can serve as a nanobiofertilizer
      for enhancement of the growth and productivity of C. cajan. (c) 2017 Society of
      Chemical Industry.

PMID- 28337749
TI  - Branched I antigens on leukemia cells enhanced sensitivity against natural killer
      cell cytotoxicity through affecting the target-effector interaction.
AB  - BACKGROUND: The aberrant glycosylation on proteins and lipids has been implicated
      in malignant transformations for promoting the tumorigenesis, metastasis, and
      evasion from the host immunity. The I-branching beta-1,6-N
      acetylglucosaminyltransferase, converting the straight i to branched I histo
      blood group antigens, reportedly could influence the migration, invasion, and
      metastasis of solid tumors. STUDY DESIGN AND METHODS: We first chose the highly
      cytotoxic natural killer (NK)-92MI cells as effector against leukemia for this
      cell line has been used in several clinical trials. Fluorescence-activated cell
      sorting and nonradioactive cytotoxicity assay were performed to reexamine the
      role of NK-activating receptors, their corresponding ligands, and the tumor
      associated carbohydrate antigens in this NK-92MI-leukemia in vitro system. The I
      role on cytotoxic mechanism was further studied especially on the effector-target
      interactions by cytotoxic analysis and conjugate formation assay. RESULTS: We
      showed that expression levels of leukemia surface ligands for NK-activating
      receptors did not positively reflect susceptibility to NK-92MI. Instead, the
      expression of I antigen on the leukemia cells was found important in mediating
      the susceptibility to NK targeting by affecting the interaction with effector
      cells. Furthermore, susceptibility was shown to dramatically increase while
      overexpressing branched I antigens on the I- cells. By both conjugate and
      cytotoxicity assay, we revealed that the presence of I antigen on leukemia cells
      enhanced the interaction with NK-92MI cells, increasing susceptibility to cell
      mediated lysis. CONCLUSION: In our system, branched I antigens on the leukemia
      were involved in the immunosurveillance mediated by NK cells specifically through
      affecting the effector-target interaction.

PMID- 28337747
TI  - Structure-dependent effects of amyloid-beta on long-term memory in Lymnaea
      stagnalis.
AB  - Amyloid-beta (Abeta) peptides are implicated in the causation of memory loss,
      neuronal impairment, and neurodegeneration in Alzheimer's disease. Our recent
      work revealed that Abeta 1-42 and Abeta 25-35 inhibit long-term memory (LTM)
      recall in Lymnaea stagnalis (pond snail) in the absence of cell death. Here, we
      report the characterization of the active species prepared under different
      conditions, describe which Abeta species is present in brain tissue during the
      behavioral recall time point and relate the sequence and structure of the
      oligomeric species to the resulting neuronal properties and effect on LTM. Our
      results suggest that oligomers are the key toxic Abeta1-42 structures, which
      likely affect LTM through synaptic plasticity pathways, and that Abeta 1-42 and
      Abeta 25-35 cannot be used as interchangeable peptides.

PMID- 28337750
TI  - Efficacy and safety of the drugs used to reverse direct oral anticoagulants: a
      systematic review and meta-analysis.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Direct oral anticoagulants (DOACs) are effective and safe for
      prophylaxis and treatment of thromboembolic phenomena. However, managing DOACs
      during bleeding emergencies is challenging. A systematic review and meta-analysis
      was conducted on studies addressing efficacy and safety of the drugs used for
      reversal of DOACs. STUDY DESIGN AND METHODS: Medline, Embase, Cochrane Library,
      and ClinicalTrials.gov were searched up to September 2016. Studies that examined
      clinical and laboratory effects of drugs used to reverse DOACs were included.
      Risk of bias was assessed using Newcastle-Ottawa scale and Cochrane Collaboration
      tool. Primary and secondary outcomes assessed were reversal of clinical bleeding,
      clotting assays, and safety, respectively. Overall effect estimates were pooled,
      and clinical and statistical heterogeneity were assessed. Meta-analysis was
      conducted using random-effects model. RESULTS: Four cohort studies in bleeding
      patients (n = 230) and eight randomized controlled trials in healthy volunteers
      (n = 381) were included, both with moderate risk of bias. Reversal of clotting
      assays in healthy volunteers was frequently reported, demonstrating that
      prothrombin complex concentrate (PCC) reversed prothrombin time (PT) and
      endogenous thrombin potential (ETP) substantially. For PT, pooled mean difference
      was 1.68 seconds (95% confidence interval [CI], -0.33 to 3.70 sec; p < 0.01; I2 
      = 97%). For ETP, pooled mean difference was 2.16 seconds (95% CI, 0.57 to 3.75
      sec; p < 0.01; I2  =  98%). Andexanet alfa and idarucizumab both reverse clotting
      assays. No important safety concerns were identified. CONCLUSIONS: Clotting
      assays are partially reversed by PCC in healthy volunteers. Idarucizumab and
      andexanet alfa have solid laboratory reversal effect and potential to be
      clinically efficacious and safe. However, clinical evidence is still lacking for
      all agents.

PMID- 28337752
TI  - Report of the editors-2016.

PMID- 28337756
TI  - Issue Information - Info for Authors.

PMID- 28337751
TI  - A novel network analysis tool to identify relationships between disease states
      and risks for red blood cell alloimmunization.
AB  - We hypothesized that diagnoses may be associated with alloantibody 'responder'
      status and examined associations between disease states and alloimmunization.
      Patients with >=1 alloantibody and non-alloimmunized controls were analysed.
      Pearson's coefficients were calculated to determine associations between
      alloimmunization and diseases; significant correlations were selected to
      construct a network. Inflammatory disorders and diseases requiring chronic
      transfusion support were associated with responder status. Mitigation steps may
      be considered in patients with these disorders.

PMID- 28337745
TI  - Placental phenotype and the insulin-like growth factors: resource allocation to
      fetal growth.
AB  - The placenta is the main determinant of fetal growth and development in utero. It
      supplies all the nutrients and oxygen required for fetal growth and secretes
      hormones that facilitate maternal allocation of nutrients to the fetus.
      Furthermore, the placenta responds to nutritional and metabolic signals in the
      mother by altering its structural and functional phenotype, which can lead to
      changes in maternal resource allocation to the fetus. The molecular mechanisms by
      which the placenta senses and responds to environmental cues are poorly
      understood. This review discusses the role of the insulin-like growth factors
      (IGFs) in controlling placental resource allocation to fetal growth, particularly
      in response to adverse gestational environments. In particular, it assesses the
      impact of the IGFs and their signalling machinery on placental morphogenesis,
      substrate transport and hormone secretion, primarily in the laboratory species,
      although it draws on data from human and other species where relevant. It also
      considers the role of the IGFs as environmental signals in linking resource
      availability to fetal growth through changes in the morphological and functional
      phenotype of the placenta. As altered fetal growth is associated with increased
      perinatal morbidity and mortality and a greater risk of developing adult-onset
      diseases in later life, understanding the role of IGFs during pregnancy in
      regulating placental resource allocation to fetal growth is important for
      identifying the mechanisms underlying the developmental programming of offspring
      phenotype by suboptimal intrauterine growth.

PMID- 28337757
TI  - Death receptor 3 signaling enhances proliferation of human regulatory T cells.
AB  - Exploiting regulatory T cells (Tregs) to control aberrant immune reactions is a
      promising therapeutic approach, but is hampered by their relative paucity. In
      mice, activation of death receptor 3 (DR3), a member of the TNF-receptor
      superfamily (TNFRSF), increases Treg frequency and efficiently controls exuberant
      immune activation. For human Tregs, neither DR3 expression nor potential
      functions have been described. Here, we show that human Tregs express DR3 and
      demonstrate DR3-mediated activation of p38, ERK, and NFkappaB. DR3 stimulation
      enhances Treg expansion ex vivo while retaining their suppressive capacity. In
      summary, our results establish a functional role for DR3 signaling in human Tregs
      and could potentially help to tailor Treg-based therapies.

PMID- 28337758
TI  - Novel immunoassays to detect methionine adenosyltransferase activity and quantify
      S-adenosylmethionine.
AB  - We present a novel real-time immunoassay to measure methionine
      adenosyltransferase (MAT) activity that integrates the MAT-catalyzed reaction of
      Met and adenosine triphosphate to produce S-adenosylmethionine (SAM) and a highly
      sensitive immunoassay to specifically quantify SAM simultaneously. The cellular
      localization of SAM and S-adenosylhomocysteine varies with cell proliferation
      status: in normal cells, they are found mostly in the cytoplasm, but localize to
      the nucleus in proliferating cells. MAT-I/III activity is stimulated by Met, but
      inhibited by S-nitrosoglutathione, and the methylation index (MI) increases after
      Met stimulation of L02 cells. Met and S-nitrosoglutathione inhibit MAT-II
      activity, and the MI decreases after Met stimulation of HepG2 cells. The method
      described provides a significant advancement in the field for the measurement of
      MAT activity under various conditions.

PMID- 28337760
TI  - Proteomics of contrasting rice genotypes: Identification of potential targets for
      raising crops for saline environment.
AB  - High salinity is one of the major problems in crop productivity, affecting seed
      germination as well as yield. In order to enhance tolerance of crops towards
      salinity, it is essential to understand the underlying physiological and
      molecular mechanisms. In this endeavor, study of contrasting genotypes of the
      same species differing in their response towards salinity stress can be very
      useful. In the present study, we have investigated temporal differences in
      morphological, physiological and proteome profiles of two contrasting genotypes
      of rice to understand the basis of salt tolerance. When compared to IR64 rice,
      Pokkali, the salt-tolerant wild genotype, has enhanced capacity to cope with
      stress, better growth rate and possesses efficient antioxidant system, as well as
      better photosynthetic machinery. Our proteome studies revealed a higher and an
      early abundance of proteins involved in stress tolerance and photosynthesis in
      Pokkali in comparison with IR64, which, in contrast, showed greater changes in
      metabolic machinery even during early duration of stress. Our findings suggest
      important differences in physicochemical and proteome profiles of the two
      genotypes, which may be the basis of observed stress tolerance in the salt
      tolerant Pokkali.

PMID- 28337759
TI  - Modulation of Escherichia coli serine acetyltransferase catalytic activity in the
      cysteine synthase complex.
AB  - In bacteria and plants, serine acetyltransferase (CysE) and O-acetylserine
      sulfhydrylase-A sulfhydrylase (CysK) collaborate to synthesize l-Cys from l-Ser.
      CysE and CysK bind one another with high affinity to form the cysteine synthase
      complex (CSC). We demonstrate that bacterial CysE is activated when bound to
      CysK. CysE activation results from the release of substrate inhibition, with the
      Ki for l-Ser increasing from 4 mm for free CysE to 16 mm for the CSC. Feedback
      inhibition of CysE by l-Cys is also relieved in the bacterial CSC. These findings
      suggest that the CysE active site is allosterically altered by CysK to alleviate
      substrate and feedback inhibition in the context of the CSC.

PMID- 28337761
TI  - Depression and cognitive deficits as long-term consequences of thrombotic
      thrombocytopenic purpura.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura (TTP) is an acute life
      threatening microangiopathy with a tendency of relapse characterized by
      consumptive thrombocytopenia, microangiopathic hemolytic anemia, and spontaneous
      von Willebrand factor-induced platelet clumping leading to microthrombi. The
      brain is frequently affected by microthrombi leading to neurologic abnormalities
      of varying severity. STUDY DESIGN AND METHODS: The aim of this observational
      cohort study was to investigate the prevalence of depression and cognitive
      deficits in 104 patients having survived acute TTP. TTP survivors were repeatedly
      assessed by means of different standardized questionnaires to evaluate depression
      (IDS-SR) and mental performance (FLei). We received answers of 104 individual TTP
      patients and 55 of them participated in both surveys. RESULTS: Seventy-one of the
      104 responding TTP patients (68%) suffered from depression and the severity of
      depression was similar in both surveys performed 1 year apart. Furthermore, TTP
      patients had considerably lower cognitive performance than controls. There was no
      correlation between prevalence of depression and cognitive deficits and the
      number and the severity of acute episodes. Impairment of mental performance
      correlated with the severity of depression (rs  = 0.779). CONCLUSION: The
      prevalence of depression and cognitive deficits was significantly higher in TTP
      patients. Cognitive impairment seemed to be a consequence of depression, almost
      independently of number and severity of TTP episodes.

PMID- 28337762
TI  - Molecular interaction between PHO2 and GIGANTEA reveals a new crosstalk between
      flowering time and phosphate homeostasis in Oryza sativa.
AB  - Plants are often confronted to nutrient limiting conditions, such as inorganic
      phosphate (Pi) deficiency, resulting in a reduction in growth and yield. PHO2,
      encoding a ubiquitin-conjugating E2 enzyme, is a central component of the Pi
      starvation response signalling pathway. A yeast-two-hybrid screen using Oryza
      sativa (rice) PHO2 as bait, revealed an interaction between OsPHO2 and
      OsGIGANTEA, a key regulator of flowering time, which was confirmed using
      bimolecular fluorescence complementation (BiFC). Characterization of rice Osgi
      and Ospho2 mutants revealed that they displayed several similar phenotypic
      features supporting a physiological role for this interaction. Reduced growth,
      leaf tip necrosis, delayed flowering and over-accumulation of Pi in leaves
      compared to wild type were shared features of Osgi and Ospho2 plants. Pi analysis
      of individual leaves demonstrated that Osgi, similar to Ospho2 mutants, were
      impaired in Pi remobilization from old to young leaves, albeit to a lesser
      extent. Transcriptome analyses revealed more than 55% of the genes differentially
      expressed in Osgi plants overlapped with the set of differentially expressed
      genes in Ospho2 plants. The interaction between OsPHO2 and OsGI links high-level
      regulators of Pi homeostasis and development in rice.

PMID- 28337764
TI  - A national French noninterventional study to assess the long-term safety and
      efficacy of reformulated nonacog alfa.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Nonacog alfa, the recombinant Factor IX (F IX) used for the treatment
      of hemophilia B, was approved in Europe in 1998. A reformulated version was
      approved for European use in 2007. STUDY DESIGN AND METHODS: This postmarketing
      study, as recommended by the risk management plan, was conducted to confirm the
      safety of reformulated nonacog alfa in a usual care setting in France. This open
      label, noninterventional, prospective, longitudinal postmarketing study comprised
      19 French hemophilia centers. Patients with hemophilia B receiving reformulated
      nonacog alfa for prophylaxis or on-demand treatment were followed up on usual
      care schedule. RESULTS: A total of 58 subjects were enrolled, of whom 29 (50%)
      were less than 18 years of age. Hemophilia was severe (baseline F IX activity <
      1%) in 47 (81%) patients. All subjects except one were already treated with
      reformulated nonacog alfa before enrollment. One subject was receiving
      reformulated nonacog alfa as immune tolerance induction at time of enrollment. At
      enrollment, treatment regimen was mainly prophylactic in subjects less than 18
      years and on-demand in subjects 18 years or older. Median duration of follow-up
      in the survey was 3.3 (2.3-3.8) years. The median annualized bleeding rate was
      3.9 (1.5-5.2) for prophylaxis regimen and 12.2 (3.9-22.1) for on-demand regimen.
      One subject, a previously untreated patient, developed F IX inhibitors during
      follow-up. No allergic reaction, no blood cell agglutination, no lack of efficacy
      or recovery, and no thrombotic events were reported. CONCLUSION: Reformulated
      nonacog alfa was shown to be safe in a usual care setting.

PMID- 28337763
TI  - Automatic washing of thawed haematopoietic progenitor cell grafts: a preclinical
      evaluation.
AB  - BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Autologous haematopoietic progenitor cell (HPC) is a
      prerequisite for high-dose chemotherapy in treatment of several haematologic and
      non-haematologic malignancies. HPCs are collected by apheresis and cryopreserved
      until infusion. Postinfusion adverse events have been in part related to the
      dimethyl sulphoxide (DMSO) used as cryoprotectant. The aim was to evaluate (i) an
      automated sequential washing procedure for DMSO removal in thawed HPC grafts and
      (ii) washing solutions in replacement of hydroxyethyl starch (HES)-based
      solutions. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A total of 26 HPC bags cryopreserved with 10%
      DMSO and intended for disposal were used. The Sepax-2 (Biosafe, Eysins,
      Switzerland) was evaluated using a sequential washing procedure. Outcomes were
      CD34+ cell recovery and viability after washing. RESULTS: The Ringer lactate
      supplemented or not with albumin 2.5-5% presented satisfactory results compared
      with HES solution in terms of CD34+ cell recovery and viability after washing.
      However, the apparition of aggregates led us to renounce to these alternative
      solutions. Using HES solution and a sequential washing of three bags, we showed
      the elimination of 95% of the DMSO, a postwash viable CD34+ cell recovery of 79.9
      +/- 9.4% and a total nucleated cell viability of 66.5 +/- 9.3%. CONCLUSION: The
      preclinical evaluation of an automated sequential washing procedure for DMSO
      removal in thawed HPC grafts has proven to be effective and comparable to
      previously published data. Despite our attempt to find an alternative solution to
      the HES solution, more efforts should be done on this side to reach a consensus
      on cryopreservation protocols.

PMID- 28337765
TI  - Quality control of apheresis platelets: a multicentre study to evaluate factors
      that can influence pH measurement.
AB  - BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Blood operators routinely monitor the pH of apheresis
      platelets as a marker of the so-called storage lesion, which can result from
      manufacturing problems. It is also suspected that some donor characteristics can
      increase the risk of poor platelet storage. To explore this hypothesis, we
      analysed a large, multinational data set of quality control (QC) pH test results
      on apheresis platelets. MATERIALS AND METHODS: For the period between September
      2011 and August 2014, seven blood operators in Canada, the USA, the Netherlands,
      the United Kingdom, France and Australia provided pH QC test results and donor
      characteristics on a total of 21,671 apheresis platelets. RESULTS: Some
      variations in pH distribution between blood operators were in part explained by
      differences in collection, processing and testing methods. Younger age and female
      gender were significantly associated with a pH value below the 10th percentile.
      Among donors who had two or more pH measurements (n = 3672), there was a strong
      correlation between pH results (r = 0.726; P < 0.0001). CONCLUSION: The strong
      intradonor correlation of pH measurements and the association between donor
      characteristics and pH results suggest that donor factors play a role in the
      quality of platelets.

PMID- 28337766
TI  - Integration of Family Planning Services into HIV Care and Treatment Services: A
      Systematic Review.
AB  - Evidence on the feasibility, effectiveness, and cost-effectiveness of integrating
      family planning (FP) and HIV services has grown significantly since the 2004
      Glion Call to Action. This systematic review adds to the knowledge base by
      characterizing the range of models used to integrate FP into HIV care and
      treatment, and synthesizing the evidence on integration outcomes among women
      living with HIV. Fourteen studies met our inclusion criteria, eight of which were
      published after the last systematic review on the topic in 2013. Overall,
      integration was associated with higher modern method contraceptive prevalence and
      knowledge, although there was insufficient evidence to evaluate its effects on
      unintended pregnancy or achieving safe and healthy pregnancy. Evidence for change
      in unmet need for FP was limited, although two of the three evaluations that
      measured unmet need suggested possible improvements associated with integrated
      services. However, improving access to FP services through integration was not
      always sufficient to increase the use of more effective (noncondom) modern
      methods among women who wanted to prevent pregnancy. Integration efforts,
      particularly in contexts where contraceptive use is low, must address community
      wide and HIV-specific barriers to using effective FP methods alongside improving
      access to information, commodities, and services within routine HIV care.

PMID- 28337767
TI  - Impact of drying and micronization on the physicochemical properties and
      antioxidant activities of celery stalk.
AB  - BACKGROUND: The influence of convective drying and ball-mill treatment of celery
      stalk on particle size distribution, physicochemical properties, bioactive
      compounds and antioxidant activities were analyzed in this study. RESULTS: Ball
      milling of celery stalk dried at temperatures of 50, 75 and 100  degrees C
      resulted in decreased average particle sizes of 48.8, 10.5 and 7.2 um,
      respectively. Bulk density was increased with reduced particle size. Darker (L*)
      and reddish (a*) powders were formed at higher temperatures, while ball-milling
      increased greenness (-a*) of powders dried at 50 and 75  degrees C. Total content
      of phenol compounds increased with increasing temperature. 2,2-Diphenyl-1
      picrylhydrazyl radical scavenging activity and reducing power were affected by
      ball-milling for 24 h and drying at elevated temperatures. Iron chelating ability
      was unaffected by increasing temperature or reduced particle size. CONCLUSION:
      Increasing drying temperatures not only decreased the average particle size of
      powders, but also increasingly reduced particle size after ball-milling.
      Micronization of celery stalk dried at the highest temperature had the best
      antioxidant activities. Drying and ball-milling were not highly deleterious to
      the major phenolic structures. (c) 2017 Society of Chemical Industry.

PMID- 28337769
TI  - Accuracy, intra- and inter-rater reliability of three scoring systems for the
      glottic view at videolaryngoscopy.
AB  - An accurate and reproducible recording of laryngoscopic view at tracheal
      intubation is an important aspect of anaesthetic practice. Unlike direct
      laryngoscopy, in which the view achieved by the line of sight directly relates to
      the ease of intubating the trachea, videolaryngoscopy can create a situation in
      which the view is good, but intubation difficult or impossible. Communicating
      this to a subsequent anaesthetist is important. We compared three scoring
      systems: Cormack and Lehane; POGO (percentage of glottic opening); and the
      Fremantle score, as used by 74 critical care doctors rating 30 anonymised videos
      of videolaryngoscopic intubations. Accuracy (degree of agreement of score with an
      expert panel assessment) was higher for POGO (75.5%) and the Fremantle score
      (73.9%) than for Cormack and Lehane (65.4%; p < 0.001). Intra-rater reliability
      (mean free marginal Kappa for ordinal scores and mean Cronbach's Alpha for
      continuous score) was higher for Fremantle score (0.796) and Cormack and Lehane
      (0.773) than POGO (0.693). Inter-rater reliability for Fremantle score (0.618)
      and POGO (0.614) were similar and higher than the inter-rater reliability of
      Cormack and Lehane 0.464 (p < 0.001). The higher accuracy and inter-rater
      reliability of POGO and the Fremantle score suggest they are preferable to
      Cormack and Lehane for use when documenting videolaryngoscopy. The additional
      information about ease of intubation conveyed by the Fremantle score may support
      its routine use in recording videolaryngoscopic intubation.

PMID- 28337768
TI  - TET2 mutations in B cells of patients affected by angioimmunoblastic T-cell
      lymphoma.
AB  - Angioimmunoblastic T-cell lymphomas (AITLs) frequently carry mutations in the
      TET2 and IDH2 genes. TET2 mutations represent early genetic lesions as they had
      already been detected in haematopoietic precursor cells of AITL patients. We show
      by analysis of whole-tissue sections and microdissected PD1+ cells that the
      frequency of TET2-mutated AITL is presumably even higher than reported (12/13
      cases in our collection; 92%). In two-thirds of informative AITLs (6/9), a
      fraction of B cells was also TET2-mutated. Investigation of four AITLs by TET2
      and IGHV gene sequencing of single microdissected B cells showed that between 10%
      and 60% of polyclonal B cells in AITL lymph nodes harboured the identical TET2
      mutations of the respective T-cell lymphoma clone. Thus, TET2-mutated
      haematopoietic precursor cells in AITL patients not only give rise to the T-cell
      lymphoma but also generate a large population of mutated mature B cells. Future
      studies will show whether this is a reason why AITL patients frequently also
      develop B-cell lymphomas. Copyright (c) 2017 Pathological Society of Great
      Britain and Ireland. Published by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

PMID- 28337771
TI  - 5-HT7 receptor shapes spinogenesis in cortical and striatal neurons: An Editorial
      Highlight for 'Serotonin 5-HT7 receptor increases the density of dendritic spines
      and facilitates synaptogenesis in forebrain neurons'.
AB  - Read the highlighted article 'Serotonin 5-HT7 receptor increases the density of
      dendritic spines and facilitates synaptogenesis in forebrain neurons' on page
      647.

PMID- 28337770
TI  - Hypoglycemic effect of hawthorn in type II diabetes mellitus rat model.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Hawthorn is a popular herb in many different traditional medicine
      systems, including traditional Chinese medicine, where it has long been used for
      the treatment of hyperglycemia. However, most of its varied biological activities
      remain unexplored. This study investigated the hypoglycemic effect of hawthorn
      extracts in type II diabetic (T2DM) rat model. A total of 54 rats were randomly
      divided into six groups: normal control group; type II diabetic model group
      (T2DM; these rats were induced by high-fat diet and streptozotocin); high, middle
      and low concentrations of hawthorn treatment (HTH , HTM and HTL T2DM rats were
      given hawthorn extract at a dose of 50, 100 and 200 mg kg-1 body weight,
      respectively); and positive control group (orlistat 40 mg kg-1 body weight).
      RESULTS: Triglyceride and total cholesterol serum levels were lower in the
      hawthorn extract-treated groups than in the T2DM control group (P < 0.01).
      Furthermore, hawthorn extracts decreased blood glucose level and increased plasma
      insulin release from pancreas. CONCLUSION: Positive effects of hawthorn against
      streptozotocin-induced T2DM were demonstrated. This study suggests that hawthorn
      extract represents a useful agent for the prevention or treatment of T2DM. (c)
      2017 Society of Chemical Industry.

PMID- 28337772
TI  - Anti-fatigue activity of sea cucumber peptides prepared from Stichopus japonicus
      in an endurance swimming rat model.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Sea cucumber (Stichopus japonicus) is a well-known nutritious and
      luxurious seafood in Asia which has attracted increasing attention because of its
      nutrition and bioactivities in recent years. In this study, the anti-fatigue
      activity of sea cucumber peptides (SCP) prepared from S. japonicus was evaluated
      in a load-induced endurance swimming model. RESULTS: The SCP prepared in this
      study was mainly made up of low-molecular-weight peptides (<2 kDa). The analysis
      result of amino acid composition revealed that SCP was rich in glycine, glutamic
      acid and proline. The endurance capability of rats to fatigue was significantly
      improved by SCP treatment. Meanwhile, the remarkable alterations of energy
      metabolic markers, antioxidant enzymes, antioxidant capacity and oxidative stress
      biomarkers were normalized. Moreover, administration of SCP could modulate
      alterations of inflammatory cytokines and downregulate the overexpression of TRL4
      and NF-kappaB. CONCLUSION: SCP has anti-fatigue activity and it exerted its anti
      fatigue effect probably through normalizing energy metabolism as well as
      alleviating oxidative damage and inflammatory responses. (c) 2017 Society of
      Chemical Industry.

PMID- 28337773
TI  - Histone H2B monoubiquitination regulates salt stress-induced microtubule
      depolymerization in Arabidopsis.
AB  - Histone H2B monoubiquitination (H2Bub1) is recognized as a regulatory mechanism
      that controls a range of cellular processes. We previously showed that H2Bub1 was
      involved in responses to biotic stress in Arabidopsis. However, the molecular
      regulatory mechanisms of H2Bub1 in controlling responses to abiotic stress remain
      limited. Here, we report that HISTONE MONOUBIQUITINATION1 (HUB1) and HUB2 played
      important regulatory roles in response to salt stress. Phenotypic analysis
      revealed that H2Bub1 mutants confer decreased tolerance to salt stress. Further
      analysis showed that H2Bub1 regulated the depolymerization of microtubules (MTs),
      the expression of PROTEIN TYROSINE PHOSPHATASE1 (PTP1) and MAP KINASE PHOSPHATASE
      (MKP) genes - DsPTP1, MKP1, IBR5, PHS1, and was required for the activation of
      mitogen-activated protein kinase3 (MAP kinase3, MPK3) and MPK6 in response to
      salt stress. Moreover, both tyrosine phosphorylation and the activation of MPK3
      and MPK6 affected MT stability in salt stress response. Thus, the results
      indicate that H2Bub1 regulates salt stress-induced MT depolymerization, and the
      PTP-MPK3/6 signalling module is responsible for integrating signalling pathways
      that regulate MT stability, which is critical for plant salt stress tolerance.

PMID- 28337776
TI  - Approaches to expanding the two-arm biased coin randomization to unequal
      allocation while preserving the unconditional allocation ratio.
AB  - The paper discusses three methods for expanding the biased coin randomization
      (BCR) to unequal allocation while preserving the unconditional allocation ratio
      at every step. The first method originally proposed in the contexts of BCR and
      minimization is based on mapping from an equal allocation multi-arm BCR. Despite
      the improvement proposed in this paper to ensure tighter adherence to the
      targeted unequal allocation, this method still distributes the probability mass
      at least as wide as the permuted block randomization (PBR). This works for
      smaller block sizes, but for larger block sizes, a tighter control of the
      imbalance in the treatment assignments is desired. The second method, which has
      two versions, allows to tighten the distribution of the imbalance compared with
      that achieved with the PBR. However, the distribution of the imbalance remains
      considerably wider than that of the brick tunnel randomization - the unequal
      allocation procedure with the tightest possible imbalance distribution among all
      allocation ratio preserving procedures with the same allocation ratio. Finally,
      the third method, the BCR with a preset proportion of maximal forcing, mimics the
      properties of the equal allocation BCR. With maximum forcing, it approaches the
      brick tunnel randomization, similar to how 1:1 BCR approaches 1:1 PBR with the
      permuted block size of 2 (the equal allocation procedure with the lowest possible
      imbalance) when the bias approaches 1. With minimum forcing, the BCR with a
      preset proportion of maximal forcing approaches complete randomization (similar
      to 1:1 BCR). Copyright (c) 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

PMID- 28337774
TI  - Alumina at 50 and 13 nm nanoparticle sizes have potential genotoxicity.
AB  - Although nanomaterials have the potential to improve human life, their sideline
      effects on human health seem to be inevitable and still are unknown. Some studies
      have investigated the genotoxicity of alumina nanoparticles (AlNPs); however,
      this effect is still unclear due to insufficient evaluation and conflicting
      results. Using a battery of standard genotoxic assays, the present study offers
      evidence of the genotoxicity associated with aluminum oxide (alumina) at NP sizes
      of 50 and 13 nm, when compared with bulk alumina (10 MUm). The genotoxicity
      induced by alumina at bulk and NP sizes was evaluated with Ames test, comet test,
      micronucleus assay and sperm deformity test. The mechanism related to the
      induction of reactive oxygen species was explored as well. Our results showed
      that AlNPs (13 and 50 nm) were able to enter cells and induced DNA damage,
      micronucleus in bone marrow, sperm deformation and reactive oxygen species
      induction in a time-, dose- and size-dependent manner. Therefore, we conclude
      that AlNPs (13 and 50 nm), rather than bulk alumina, induce markers of
      genotoxicity in mice, with oxidative stress as a potential mechanism driving
      these genotoxic effects. Copyright (c) 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

PMID- 28337775
TI  - Effectiveness and Safety Assessment of Citrate Anticoagulation During Albumin
      Dialysis in Comparison to Other Methods of Anticoagulation.
AB  - Liver failure is a serious and often deadly disease often requiring MARS
      (Molecular Adsorbent Recirculating System) therapy. Choosing the safe and
      effective method of anticoagulation during artificial liver support systems seems
      to be very difficult and extremely important. The aim of this study was to assess
      effectiveness and safety of regional anticoagulation with citrate in liver
      failure patients during MARS. We used a single center observational study. We
      analyzed 158 MARS sessions performed in 65 patients: 105 (66.5%) sessions in 41
      patients with heparin anticoagulation, 40 (25.3%) sessions in 19 patients with
      citrate, and 13 (8%) sessions in only five patients without anticoagulation, that
      were excluded from part of the analysis. To determine the effectiveness of
      regional anticoagulation with citrate, probability of filter survival and changes
      in laboratory parameters were analyzed according to the applied method of
      anticoagulation. The safety of citrate was determined by Ca/Ca2+ ratio, acid-base
      balance, bleeding complications, and the need for blood product transfusions. The
      probability of filter survival in the citrate group was 94% and in the heparin
      group 82% (P = 0.204). There was no relationship between the method of
      anticoagulation and effectiveness of MARS therapy in lowering the levels of the
      analyzed parameters. Only one patient had a Ca/Ca2+ ratio higher than he safety
      margin. There were no statistically significant changes in pH and lactate level
      irrespective of anticoagulation; bicarbonate dropped significantly only in the
      heparin group (P = 0.03). The frequency of bleeding complications and the need
      for transfusions did not differ significantly between groups. Regional
      anticoagulation with citrate can be an effective and safe method of
      anticoagulation during MARS therapy, but requires attentive monitoring and
      further studies in liver failure patients.

PMID- 28337777
TI  - Syringocystadenocarcinoma papilliferum: Clinicopathologic analysis of 10 cases.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Syringocystadenocarcinoma papilliferum (SCACP) is an exceedingly rare
      cutaneous adnexal neoplasm. We aimed to investigate the clinicopathologic and
      immunophenotypic features of SCACP, and to discuss the prognosis of this rare
      entity. METHOD: We retrospectively collected clinical, pathological and follow-up
      data of 10 cases with SCACP. RESULTS: There were 8 males and 2 females, with ages
      ranging from 26 to 74 years. The chest was most frequently involved.
      Histologically, 1 case only showed SCACP in situ, 9 cases presented with variable
      invasive components of adenocarcinoma and/or squamous cell carcinoma in addition
      to areas of in situ. Apocrine differentiation with decapitation was evident in 4
      cases and mucinous metaplasia was noted in 1 case. P63 was positive in invasive
      squamous cell carcinoma, while CK7 was variably positive in invasive
      adenocarcinoma. Regional lymph node metastasis was confirmed by pathological
      examination in 4 patients. Follow up was available for 9 patients, ranging from 3
      to 112 months. Three patients died of the disease within 1 year after
      recurrences. CONCLUSIONS: Because of high rates of regional lymph node metastasis
      and mortality in our patients, clinical behavior of SCACP seems to be more
      aggressive than that previously reported.

PMID- 28337779
TI  - The chemistry, function and (patho)physiology of stratum corneum barrier
      ceramides.
AB  - Research on understanding of the chemistry, function and (patho)physiology of
      stratum corneum (SC) lipids and especially ceramides has evolved over the last
      two decades. This has been made successful through the application of separation
      techniques that have become increasingly more sophisticated, and it has become
      increasingly evident that our understanding of these molecules remains in its
      infancy. Thirteen classes of ceramides with over 300 and possibly up to 1000
      distinct ceramide species have been identified suggesting an exquisitely subtle
      relationship between the types of ceramides and physical and chemical behaviour.
      Nevertheless, research has demonstrated the importance of the correct SC lipid
      lamellar architecture with conformationally-ordered lipid bilayers, the presence
      of long-chain ceramides, as either free or covalently bound lipids, greater
      quantities of phytosphingosine-containing ceramides and a high SC lipid/protein
      ratio is essential for optimal barrier function. These features are known to
      change in a variety of physiological and pathophysiological conditions. Clearly,
      there is more to be learned but as we further decipher the complexity of SC
      lipids and understand their individual roles in the SC, we will learn how to
      better treat the disorders of cornification.

PMID- 28337778
TI  - Biochemical alterations in duckweed and algae induced by carrier solvents:
      Selection of an appropriate solvent in toxicity testing.
AB  - Carrier solvents are often used in aquatic toxicity testing for test chemicals
      with hydrophobic properties. However, the knowledge of solvent effects on test
      organisms remains limited. The present study aimed to determine the biochemical
      effects of the 4 common solvents methanol, ethanol, acetone, and dimethyl
      sulfoxide (DMSO) on 2 test species, Lemna minor and Raphidocelis subcapitata, by
      applying Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) coupled with multivariate
      analysis to select appropriate solvents for toxicity testing. The results showed
      biochemical variations associated with solvent treatments at different doses on
      test species. From the infrared spectra obtained, the structures of lipid
      membrane and protein phosphorylation in the test species were found to be
      sensitive to the solvents. Methanol and ethanol mainly affected the protein
      secondary structure, whereas acetone and DMSO primarily induced alterations in
      carbohydrates and proteins in the test species. The FTIR results demonstrated
      that methanol and ethanol showed higher biochemical alterations in the test
      species than acetone and DMSO, especially at the high doses (0.1 and 1% v/v).
      Based on the growth inhibition displayed and FTIR spectroscopy, acetone, and DMSO
      can be used as carrier solvents in toxicity testing when their doses are lower
      than 0.1% v/v. Environ Toxicol Chem 2017;36:2631-2639. (c) 2017 SETAC.

PMID- 28337780
TI  - Mechanisms of resistance to quinolones in Salmonella Typhimurium from patients
      with infectious diarrhea.
AB  - This study investigated the mechanisms of resistance of 36 quinolone-resistant
      Salmonella Typhimurium strains isolated from outpatients with infectious diarrhea
      in Beijing Tian Tan Hospital between 2013 and 2015. The resistance spectrum of
      the 36 strains was measured using a broth dilution method. Class 1 integrons
      harboring the beta-lactamase gene and mutations in quinolone resistance
      determining regions were also investigated. All 36 quinolone-resistant Salmonella
      Typhimurium strains were found to be multidrug-resistant and the majority of
      these strains harbored Class 1 integrons. These findings study suggests that
      strategies for determining resistance spectrums should be implemented with
      greater urgency.

PMID- 28337782
TI  - Three-dimensional oxygen-enhanced MRI of the human lung at 1.5T with ultra-fast
      balanced steady-state free precession.
AB  - PURPOSE: To assess the feasibility of 3D oxygen-enhanced (OE) MRI of the lung at
      1.5T using multi-volumetric ultra-fast balanced steady-state free precession
      (ufSSFP) acquisitions. METHODS: Isotropic imaging of the lung for OE-MRI was
      performed with an adapted 3D ufSSFP sequence using five breath-hold acquisitions
      ranging from functional residual capacity to tidal inspiration under both
      normoxic (room air) and hyperoxic (100% O2 ) gas conditions. For each O2
      concentration, a sponge model (which captures the parenchymal signal intensity
      variation as a function of the lung volume) was fitted to the acquired multi
      volumetric datasets after semiautomatic lung segmentation and deformable image
      registration. From the retrieved model parameters, 3D oxygen-enhancement maps
      were calculated. RESULTS: For OE ufSSFP imaging, the maximum parenchymal signal
      is observed for flip angles around 23 degrees  under both normoxic and hyperoxic
      conditions. It is found that the sponge model accurately describes parenchymal
      signal at different breathing positions, thereby mitigating the confounding bias
      in the estimated oxygen enhancement from residual density modulations. From the
      model, an average lung oxygen enhancement of 7.0% +/- 0.3% was found in the
      healthy volunteers, and the oxygen-enhancement maps indicate a ventral to dorsal
      gravitation-related gradient. CONCLUSION: The study demonstrates the feasibility
      of whole-lung OE-MRI from multi-volumetric ufSSFP in healthy volunteers. Magn
      Reson Med 79:246-255, 2018. (c) 2017 International Society for Magnetic Resonance
      in Medicine.

PMID- 28337783
TI  - Primary cutaneous anaplastic large cell lymphoma with intralymphatic involvement
      associated with chronic lymphedema.
AB  - Chronic lymphedema predisposes to develop malignant cutaneous tumors, including
      angiosarcoma, Kaposi's sarcoma and B-cell lymphoma. T-cell malignancy has rarely
      been associated with chronic lymph stasis. Here, we report a case of primary
      cutaneous anaplastic large cell lymphoma (pcALCL) with lymphatic spread
      associated with chronic lymphedema. The patient is a 56-year-old man who received
      orchiectomy and right inguinal lymphadenectomy for malignant seminoma 10 years
      ago, which led to prominent lymphedema of the right leg. He developed extensive
      skin nodules on the lymphedematous area for 3 months. Histopathology findings
      confirmed a diagnosis of pcALCL, which is a subtype of cutaneous T-cell lymphoma
      characterized by the presence of CD30+ T cells. Intralymphatic infiltration of
      malignant cells is prominent. The pathogenesis of intralymphatic cutaneous
      anaplastic large cell lymphoma is largely unknown. Our case suggests that chronic
      lymphedema resulted in persistent CD4+ T-cell inflammation, which then may
      contribute to the development of pcALCL.

PMID- 28337781
TI  - Rationale and design of a multicenter, international and collaborative Coronary
      Artery Aneurysm Registry (CAAR).
AB  - : Coronary artery aneurysm is defined as a coronary dilation that exceeds the
      diameter of adjacent segments or the diameter of the patient's largest normal
      coronary vessel by 1.5*. It is an uncommon disease that has been diagnosed with
      increasing frequency since the widespread appearance of coronary angiography. The
      published incidence varies from 1.5% to 5%, suggesting male dominance and a
      predilection for the right coronary artery. Although several causes have been
      described, atherosclerosis accounts for >=50% of coronary aneurysms in adults.
      Reported complications include thrombosis and distal embolization, rupture, and
      vasospasm, causing ischemia, heart failure, or arrhythmias. The natural history
      and prognosis remain unknown, as definitive data are scarce. Controversies
      persist regarding the use of medical management (antithrombotic therapy) or
      interventional/surgical procedures. Only some case reports or small case series
      are available about this condition. The Coronary Artery Aneurysm Registry (CAAR;
      http://www.ClinicalTrials.gov NCT02563626) is a multicenter international
      ambispective registry that aims to provide insights on anatomic, epidemiologic,
      and clinical aspects of this substantially unknown entity. In addition, the
      registry will assess management strategies (conservative, interventional, or
      surgical) and their short- and long-term results in a large cohort of patients.
      CLINICAL TRIAL REGISTRATION: ClinicalTrials.gov. Unique identifier: NCT02563626.

PMID- 28337784
TI  - Response to Letter to the Editor regarding the manuscript "Expression of
      programmed cell death-1 and its ligand B7 homolog 1 in peripheral blood
      lymphocytes from patients with peripartum cardiomyopathy".

PMID- 28337786
TI  - Vulnerable Emotional Expression In Emotion Focused Couples Therapy: Relating
      Interactional Processes To Outcome.
AB  - This study examined whether interactions characterized by high expression of
      emotional vulnerability in one partner followed by a highly supportive response
      style by the other partner predicted greater improvement on domains of
      forgiveness, unfinished business, trust, and relationship satisfaction in a
      sample of 32 couples presenting for Emotion Focused Couples Therapy with
      unresolved emotional injuries. For each outcome measure, two separate
      hierarchical regression models were tested (injured partner vulnerability and
      offending partner supportiveness; offending partner vulnerability and injured
      partner supportiveness). Both models significantly predicted improvement on the
      majority of outcome measures. Practice suggestions for working with emotionally
      injured couples are provided in light of the findings.

PMID- 28337785
TI  - Transcriptomic and metabolic analyses provide new insights into chilling injury
      in peach fruit.
AB  - Low temperature conditioning (LTC) alleviates peach fruit chilling injury but the
      underlying molecular basis is poorly understood. Here, changes in transcriptome,
      ethylene production, flesh softening, internal browning and membrane lipids were
      compared in fruit maintained in constant 0  degrees C and LTC (pre-storage at 8 
      degrees C for 5 d before storage at 0  degrees C). Low temperature conditioning
      resulted in a higher rate of ethylene production and a more rapid flesh softening
      as a result of higher expression of ethylene biosynthetic genes and a series of
      cell wall hydrolases. Reduced internal browning of fruit was observed in LTC,
      with lower transcript levels of polyphenol oxidase and peroxidase, but higher
      lipoxygenase. Low temperature conditioning fruit also showed enhanced fatty acid
      content, increased desaturation, higher levels of phospholipids and a
      preferential biosynthesis of glucosylceramide. Genes encoding cell wall
      hydrolases and lipid metabolism enzymes were coexpressed with differentially
      expressed ethylene response factors (ERFs) and contained ERF binding elements in
      their promoters. In conclusion, LTC is a special case of cold acclimation which
      increases ethylene production and, operating through ERFs, promotes both
      softening and changes in lipid composition and desaturation, which may modulate
      membrane stability, reducing browning and contributing to alleviation of peach
      fruit chilling injury.

PMID- 28337787
TI  - Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic: Gastric outlet obstruction from pancreatitis
      induced intramural duodenal haematoma.

PMID- 28337788
TI  - Gastrointestinal: Intermittent chronic small bowel obstruction from a bezoar
      within an ileal J-pouch.

PMID- 28337789
TI  - Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic: Malignant rhabdoid tumor of the liver.

PMID- 28337790
TI  - Gastrointestinal: Intractable delayed gastrointestinal bleeding after
      pancreatoduodenectomy.

PMID- 28337791
TI  - Gastrointestinal: Isolated renal pseudocyst treated with endoscopic transmural
      drainage.

PMID- 28337793
TI  - Solvent-Regulated Self-Assembly of an Achiral Donor-Acceptor Complex in Confined
      Chiral Nanotubes: Chirality Transfer, Inversion and Amplification.
AB  - A chiral gelator was designed and found to form chiral nanotwists and nanotubes
      in toluene and DMSO, respectively, which could serve as host chiral matrices for
      fabricating functional soft materials. Achiral, pi-conjugated donor and acceptor
      guests were doped into the gel, and solvent-regulated self-assembly was observed.
      Although both the DMSO and toluene gels containing three components look similar
      as transparent gels, it was clarified microscopically that, whereas achiral
      dopants self-assemble in the confined nanotubes in the DMSO gel, they only
      dissolve in the liquid phase in the toluene gel. The existence of the achiral
      donor and acceptor in different phases made their properties completely
      different. Chirality transfer occurred from the host chiral gel matrixes to guest
      achiral porphyrin in DMSO. Remarkably, the addition of C60 to the
      porphyrin/gelator gel could invert and further amplify the induced chirality of
      the porphyrin due to the formation of donor-acceptor pairs. On the other hand, no
      chirality transfer was observed in the toluene gel. These observations clearly
      unveiled the selective self-assembly of different components in distinct gel
      phases, which could provide new insight into the design of chiroptical soft
      materials.

PMID- 28337795
TI  - Current update on the diagnosis and management of head and neck hard tissue
      sarcomas.
AB  - Head and neck hard tissue sarcomas form a rare group of mesenchymal-derived
      tumours that comprise less than 1% of all head and neck neoplasms. Hard tissue
      sarcomas account for 20% of head and neck sarcomas and they form a heterogeneous
      group with a diverse origin. Unlike head and neck soft-tissue sarcomas, they have
      lower recurrence and mortality rates. In this study, we review the current
      management of head and neck hard tissue sarcomas.

PMID- 28337794
TI  - Muramyl Dipeptide, a Shared Structural Motif of Peptidoglycans, Is a Novel
      Inducer of Bone Formation through Induction of Runx2.
AB  - Peptidoglycan fragments released from gut microbiota can be delivered to the bone
      marrow and affect bone metabolism. We investigated the regulation of bone
      metabolism by muramyl dipeptide (MDP), which is a shared structural unit of
      peptidoglycans. Increased bone and mineral density by enhanced bone formation
      were observed in mice administered with MDP. Remarkably, pretreatment or
      posttreatment with MDP alleviated bone loss in RANKL-induced osteoporosis mouse
      models. MDP directly augmented osteoblast differentiation and bone-forming gene
      expression by Runx2 activation. Despite no direct effect, MDP indirectly
      attenuated osteoclast differentiation through downregulation of the
      RANKL/osteoprotegerin (OPG) ratio. MDP increased the expression of the MDP
      receptor, Nod2, and MDP-induced bone formation and osteoblast activation did not
      occur during Nod2 deficiency. Other Nod2 ligands also increased bone formation
      through the induction of Runx2, as MDP did. In conclusion, we suggest that MDP is
      a novel inducer of bone formation that could potentially be a new therapeutic
      molecule to protect against osteoporosis. (c) 2017 American Society for Bone and
      Mineral Research.

PMID- 28337792
TI  - Overestimation of stereo thresholds by the TNO stereotest is not due to global
      stereopsis.
AB  - PURPOSE: It has been repeatedly shown that the TNO stereotest overestimates
      stereo threshold compared to other clinical stereotests. In the current study, we
      test whether this overestimation can be attributed to a distinction between
      'global' (or 'cyclopean') and 'local' (feature or contour-based) stereopsis.
      METHODS: We compared stereo thresholds of a global (TNO) and a local clinical
      stereotest (Randot Circles). In addition, a global and a local psychophysical
      stereotest were added to the design. One hundred and forty-nine children between
      4 and 16 years old were included in the study. RESULTS: Stereo threshold
      estimates with TNO were a factor of two higher than with any of the other
      stereotests. No significant differences were found between the other tests. Bland
      Altman analyses also indicated low agreement between TNO and the other
      stereotests, especially for higher stereo threshold estimates. Simulations
      indicated that the TNO test protocol and test disparities can account for part of
      this effect. DISCUSSION: The results indicate that the global - local distinction
      is an unlikely explanation for the overestimated thresholds of TNO. Test protocol
      and disparities are one contributing factor. Potential additional factors include
      the nature of the task (TNO requires depth discrimination rather than detection)
      and the use of anaglyph red/green 3D glasses rather than polarizing filters,
      which may reduce binocular fusion.

PMID- 28337796
TI  - Direct Asymmetric Aza-Vinylogous-Type Michael Additions of Nitrones from Isatins
      to Nitroalkenes.
AB  - Nitrones commonly act as 1,3-dipoles and electrophiles to furnish valuable
      isoxazolidine and N-hydroxyl products, respectively. They also can be converted
      to nitrone ylide species and undergo [3+2] formal cycloadditions to access N
      hydroxyl pyrrolidines. Here, asymmetric direct aza-vinylogous-type additions of
      nitrones from isatins to nitroalkenes are presented, catalyzed by a bifunctional
      thiourea-tertiary amine, affording highly functionalized nitrones with extended
      carbon skeletons in excellent stereoselectivity. Notably, the nitrone moiety can
      be easily removed, thus furnishing the formal asymmetric alpha-functionalization
      of alkylamine-type substances. Moreover, the remaining electrophilic nitrone
      motif enables the subsequent annulations to construct spirocyclic products in
      high molecular complexity and diversity, which might have potential applications
      for drug discovery.

PMID- 28337797
TI  - Standardized Sophora pachycarpa Root Extract Enhances Osteogenic Differentiation
      in Adipose-derived Human Mesenchymal Stem Cells.
AB  - Bone defect is an important topic in public health. Novel therapies are based on
      osteogenic induction by natural antiosteoporotic compounds including plant
      derived estrogens. In the current study, the osteogenic potential of Sophora
      pachycarpa root extract (SPRE) was explored on human adipose-derived mesenchymal
      stem cells. Herein, adipose-derived mesenchymal stem cells were osteoinducted in
      the presence of increased concentrations of the extract for 21 days. Then, cell
      viability was evaluated by MTT assay, and the differentiated cells were stained
      by Alizarin Red S for calcium deposition and subjected to alkaline phosphatase
      (ALP) assay for enzymatic activity. To assess the expression of bone-related
      genes, treated cells were evaluated by real-time polymerase chain reaction. The
      MTT test demonstrated that SPRE had no toxic effects on the cell viability.
      Treating the cells with SPRE noticeably promoted ALP activity, mineralization,
      and mRNA expression of runt-related transcription factor 2 (RUNX2), bone gamma
      carboxyglutamate protein (BGLAP), secreted phosphoprotein 1 (SPP1), and collagen
      type I alpha 1 (COL1A1). Additionally, cells subjected to 0.1 MUg/mL SPRE showed
      the highest osteogenic effects. According to high-performance liquid
      chromatography fingerprinting of SPRE, the osteoprotective effects of SPRE is
      probably due to presence of phytochemicals with estrogen-like activity in the
      extract. Thus, SPRE might be a suitable therapeutic agent for bone defects
      therapy in the future research. Copyright (c) 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

PMID- 28337798
TI  - Latent classes of polydrug and polyroute use and associations with human
      immunodeficiency virus risk behaviours and overdose among people who inject drugs
      in Tijuana, Baja California, Mexico.
AB  - INTRODUCTION AND AIMS: Patterns of polydrug use among people who inject drugs
      (PWID) may be differentially associated with overdose and unique human
      immunodeficiency virus (HIV) risk factors. Subgroups of PWID in Tijuana, Mexico,
      were identified based on substances used, route of administration, frequency of
      use and co-injection indicators. DESIGN AND METHODS: Participants were PWID
      residing in Tijuana age >=18 years sampled from 2011 to 2012 who reported
      injecting an illicit substance in the past month (n = 735). Latent class analysis
      identified discrete classes of polydrug use characterised by 11 indicators of
      past 6 months substance use. Multinomial logistic regression examined class
      membership association with HIV risk behaviours, overdose and other covariates
      using an automated three-step procedure in mplus to account for classification
      error. RESULTS: Participants were classified into five subgroups. Two polydrug
      and polyroute classes were defined by use of multiple substances through several
      routes of administration and were primarily distinguished from each other by
      cocaine use (class 1: 5%) or no cocaine use (class 2: 29%). The other classes
      consisted primarily of injectors: cocaine, methamphetamine and heroin injection
      (class 3: 4%); methamphetamine and heroin injection (class 4: 10%); and heroin
      injection (class 5: 52%). Compared with the heroin-only injection class,
      memberships in the two polydrug and polyroute use classes were independently
      associated with both HIV injection and sexual risk behaviours. DISCUSSION AND
      CONCLUSIONS: Substance use patterns among PWID in Tijuana are highly
      heterogeneous, and polydrug and polyroute users are a high-risk subgroup who may
      require more tailored prevention and treatment interventions. [Meacham MC, Roesch
      SC, Strathdee SA, Lindsay S, Gonzalez-Zuniga P, Gaines TL. Latent classes of
      polydrug and polyroute use and associations with human immunodeficiency virus
      risk behaviours and overdose among people who inject drugs in Tijuana, Baja
      California, Mexico. Drug Alcohol Rev 2018;37:128-136].

PMID- 28337799
TI  - Bergamot (Citrus bergamia) Essential Oil Inhalation Improves Positive Feelings in
      the Waiting Room of a Mental Health Treatment Center: A Pilot Study.
AB  - Mental health issues have been increasingly recognized as public health problems
      globally. Their burden is projected to increase over the next several decades.
      Additional therapies for mental problems are in urgent need worldwide due to the
      limitations and costs of existing healthcare approaches. Essential oil
      aromatherapy can provide a cost-effective and safe treatment for many mental
      problems. This pilot study observed the effects of bergamot essential oil
      inhalation on mental health and well-being, as measured by the Positive and
      Negative Affect Scale, in a mental-health treatment center located in Utah, USA.
      Fifty-seven eligible participants (50 women, age range: 23-70 years) were
      included for analysis. Fifteen minutes of bergamot essential oil exposure
      improved participants' positive feelings compared with the control group (17%
      higher). Unexpectedly, more participants participated in experimental periods
      rather than control periods, suggesting even brief exposure to essential oil
      aroma may make people more willing to enroll in clinical trials. This study
      provides preliminary evidence of the efficacy and safety of bergamot essential
      oil inhalation on mental well-being in a mental health treatment center,
      suggesting that bergamot essential oil aromatherapy can be an effective adjunct
      treatment to improve individuals' mental health and well-being. (c) 2017 The
      Authors. Phytotherapy Research published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

PMID- 28337800
TI  - Mycoplasma infection of the middle ear in three cats.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Mycoplasma spp. are commensal organisms found in association with the
      mucus membranes of all mammalian species and are implicated in bacterial
      infections of many different locations. Mycoplasma spp. as a primary pathogen
      associated with otitis media in cats has not been reported. OBJECTIVES: To
      describe three cats with Mycoplasma infection of the middle ear associated with
      various underlying disease processes. ANIMALS: Three client-owned cats. METHODS:
      Clinical examination, aerobic culture of the middle ear and computed tomography
      or magnetic resonance imaging of the skull. RESULTS: Mycoplasma spp. were grown
      on aerobic culture from the middle ear of three cats. In Case 1, concurrent
      neoplasia of the bulla was identified. Mycoplasma alone was cultured in Case 2
      and Mycoplasma was grown in addition to Bordetella in Case 3. Case 1 was
      euthanized, Case 2 responded to Mycoplasma targeted therapy and Case 3 responded
      to Bordetella targeted therapy. CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL IMPORTANCE: Mycoplasma
      infections of the middle ear may be clinically important and require targeted
      treatment in some cases.

PMID- 28337801
TI  - Cross-cultural comparisons of drinking motives in 10 countries: Data from the
      DRINC project.
AB  - INTRODUCTION AND AIMS: This study tested the measurement invariance of the
      Drinking Motives Questionnaire-Revised Short Form (DMQ-R-SF) in undergraduates
      across 10 countries. We expected the four-factor structure to hold across
      countries, and for social motives to emerge as the most commonly endorsed motive,
      followed by enhancement, coping and conformity motives. We also compared
      individualistic and collectivistic countries to examine potential differences in
      the endorsement of drinking motives when countries were divided according to this
      broad cultural value. DESIGN AND METHODS: A sample of 8478 undergraduate drinkers
      from collectivistic (Portugal, Mexico, Brazil, Spain; n = 1567) and
      individualistic (Switzerland, Hungary, Canada, the Netherlands, the UK and
      Ireland, and the USA; n = 6911) countries completed the DMQ-R-SF. Countries were
      classified as individualistic or collectivistic based on world-wide norms.
      RESULTS: Using multigroup confirmatory factor analysis, the 4-factor model of the
      DMQ-R-SF showed configural and metric invariance across all 10 countries. As
      predicted, the rank order of undergraduates' drinking motive endorsement was
      identical across countries (social > enhancement > coping > conformity), although
      a mixed model analysis of variance revealed a significant interaction where
      undergraduates from individualistic countries more strongly endorsed social and
      enhancement motives relative to undergraduates from collectivistic countries.
      DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSIONS: There was broad cross-cultural consistency in the
      factor structure and mean patterns of drinking motives. Undergraduate students
      appear to drink mainly for positive reinforcement (i.e. for social and
      enhancement reasons), although this tendency is particularly pronounced among
      those from more individualistic countries. [Mackinnon SP, Couture M-E, Cooper ML,
      Kuntsche E, O'Connor RM, Stewart SH, and the DRINC Team. Cross-cultural
      comparisons of drinking motives in 10 countries: Data from the DRINC project.

PMID- 28337802
TI  - The Snf1-activating kinase Sak1 is a key regulator of metabolic adaptation and in
      vivo fitness of Candida albicans.
AB  - The metabolic flexibility of the opportunistic fungal pathogen Candida albicans
      is important for colonisation and infection of different host niches. Complex
      regulatory networks, in which protein kinases play central roles, link metabolism
      and other virulence-associated traits, such as filamentous growth and stress
      resistance, and thereby control commensalism and pathogenicity. By screening a
      protein kinase deletion mutant library that was generated in the present work
      using an improved SAT1 flipper cassette, we found that the previously
      uncharacterised kinase Sak1 is a key upstream activator of the protein kinase
      Snf1, a highly conserved regulator of nutrient stress responses that is essential
      for viability in C. albicans. The sak1Delta mutants failed to grow on many
      alternative carbon sources and were hypersensitive to cell wall/membrane stress.
      These phenotypes were mirrored in mutants lacking other subunits of the SNF1
      complex and partially compensated by a hyperactive form of Snf1. Transcriptional
      profiling of sak1Delta mutants showed that Sak1 ensures basal expression of
      glyoxylate cycle and gluconeogenesis genes even in glucose-rich media and thereby
      contributes to the metabolic plasticity of C. albicans. In a mouse model of
      gastrointestinal colonisation, sak1Delta mutants were rapidly outcompeted by wild
      type cells, demonstrating that Sak1 is essential for the in vivo fitness of C.
      albicans.

PMID- 28337804
TI  - Endo 2017: WEO's successful first World Congress of GI Endoscopy.

PMID- 28337803
TI  - Synthesis, Electronic Structure, and Reactivities of Two-Sulfur-Stabilized
      Carbones Exhibiting Four-Electron Donor Ability.
AB  - Bis(sulfane)carbon(0) (BSC; Ph2 S->C<-SPh2 (1)) is successfully synthesized by
      deprotonation of the corresponding protonated salt 1?HTfO. The diprotonated salt
      1?(HTfO)2 as the starting material can be also easily accessed by the deimination
      of iminosulfane(sulfane)carbon(0) (iSSC)?HBF4 . Density functional theory
      calculations revealed the peculiar electronic structure of 1, which has two lone
      pairs of electrons at the central carbon atom. The largest proton affinities
      (PA(1): 297.5 kcal mol-1 ; PA(2): 183.7 kcal mol-1 ) and the highest energy
      levels of the HOMOs (HOMO: -4.89 eV; HOMO-1: -5.02 eV) for 1 among the two-sulfur
      stabilized carbones clearly indicate the strong donor ability of carbon center
      stabilized by two SII ligands. The donating ability of these lone pairs of
      electrons is demonstrated by the C-diaurated and C-proton-aurated complexes,
      which provide the first experimental evidence for two-sulfurstabilized carbones
      behaving as four-electron donors. Furthermore, the syntheses and application of
      AgI carbone complexes as carbone transfer agents are also reported.

PMID- 28337805
TI  - Defining the Anti-Cancer Activity of Tricarbonyl Rhenium Complexes: Induction of
      G2/M Cell Cycle Arrest and Blockade of Aurora-A Kinase Phosphorylation.
AB  - Rhenium and ruthenium complexes containing N-heterocylic carbene (NHC) ligands
      and conjugated to indomethacin were prepared. The anticancer properties were
      probed against pancreatic cell lines, revealing a remarkable activity of the
      rhenium fragment as anticancer agent. The ruthenium complexes were found to be
      inactive against the same pancreatic cancer cell lines, either alone or in
      conjugation with indomethacin. An in-depth biological study revealed the origin
      of the anticancer properties of the rhenium tricarbonyl fragment, of which a
      complete elucidation had yet to be achieved. It was found that the rhenium
      complexes induce cell cycle arrest at the G2/M phase by inhibiting the
      phosphorylation of Aurora-A kinase. A preliminary study on the structure-activity
      relationship on a large family of these complexes revealed that the anticancer
      properties are mainly associated with the lability of the ancillary ligand, with
      inert complexes showing limited to no anticancer properties.

PMID- 28337806
TI  - The Pharmacological Profile of a Novel Highly Potent Bisphosphonate, OX14 (1
      Fluoro-2-(Imidazo-[1,2-alpha]Pyridin-3-yl)-Ethyl-Bisphosphonate).
AB  - Bisphosphonates are widely used in the treatment of clinical disorders
      characterized by increased bone resorption, including osteoporosis, Paget's
      disease, and the skeletal complications of malignancy. The antiresorptive potency
      of the nitrogen-containing bisphosphonates on bone in vivo is now recognized to
      depend upon two key properties, namely mineral binding affinity and inhibitory
      activity on farnesyl pyrophosphate synthase (FPPS), and these properties vary
      independently of each other in individual bisphosphonates. The better
      understanding of structure activity relationships among the bisphosphonates has
      enabled us to design a series of novel bisphosphonates with a range of mineral
      binding properties and antiresorptive potencies. Among these is a highly potent
      bisphosphonate, 1-fluoro-2-(imidazo-[1,2 alpha]pyridin-3-yl)-ethyl
      bisphosphonate, also known as OX14, which is a strong inhibitor of FPPS, but has
      lower binding affinity for bone mineral than most of the commonly studied
      bisphosphonates. The aim of this work was to characterize OX14 pharmacologically
      in relation to several of the bisphosphonates currently used clinically. When
      OX14 was compared to zoledronate (ZOL), risedronate (RIS), and minodronate (MIN),
      it was as potent at inhibiting FPPS in vitro but had significantly lower binding
      affinity to hydroxyapatite (HAP) columns than ALN, ZOL, RIS, and MIN. When
      injected i.v. into growing Sprague Dawley rats, OX14 was excreted into the urine
      to a greater extent than the other bisphosphonates, indicating reduced short-term
      skeletal uptake and retention. In studies in both Sprague Dawley rats and
      C57BL/6J mice, OX14 inhibited bone resorption, with an antiresorptive potency
      equivalent to or greater than the comparator bisphosphonates. In the JJN3-NSG
      murine model of myeloma-induced bone disease, OX14 significantly prevented the
      formation of osteolytic lesions (p < 0.05). In summary, OX14 is a new, highly
      potent bisphosphonate with lower bone binding affinity than other clinically
      relevant bisphosphonates. This renders OX14 an interesting potential candidate
      for further development for its potential skeletal and nonskeletal benefits. (c)
      2017 American Society for Bone and Mineral Research.

PMID- 28337807
TI  - A Strategy for Breaking Polyoxometalate-based MOFs To Obtain High Loading Amounts
      of Nanosized Polyoxometalate Clusters to Improve the Performance of Dye
      sensitized Solar Cells.
AB  - Polyoxometalates (POM) have already been confirmed to act as effective electron
      transfer mediators for improving the power conversion efficiency (PCE) of dye
      sensitized solar cells (DSSCs) based on previous studies. However, the
      improvement may be limited by the agglomeration of the polyoxoanions. In this
      paper, the previous synthesis strategy is improved upon by breaking the metal
      organic frameworks (MOFs) with POMs as the secondary building units ([Ni(bpp)(H2
      O)2 ]3 [P2 W18 O62 ]?24 H2 O (1) (bpp=1,3-bis(4-pyridyl)propane) and H6 [Cu3 (H2
      O)6 (P2 W18 O62 )2 (3-dpye)6 ]?28 H2 O (2) (3-dpye=N,N'-bis(3
      pyridinecarboxamide)-1,2-ethane)) to design and synthesize small sized and highly
      disperse POM nanoparticles by means of compositing with TiO2 , through
      calcination to remove the organic ligand. TEM and element mapping confirm that P2
      W18 O626- (denoted as P2 W18 ) nanoparticles with the diameter of ~1 nm are
      uniformly distributed in TiO2 composites. The loading amount (wt. %) of POM in
      MOFs reaches 75.67 %. The small sized and highly disperse P2 W18 nanoparticles
      may provide more active sites and specific surface areas for improving the PCE of
      DSSCs. Finally, the investigations indicate that the PCE of composite P2 W18
      ?NiO@TiO2 photoanodes is up to 7.56 %, which was 26 % higher than the pristine
      TiO2 based photoanodes.

PMID- 28337808
TI  - Low-molecular-weight heparin associated with reduced fetal fraction and
      subsequent false-negative cell-free DNA test result for trisomy 21.

PMID- 28337812
TI  - Psoriasis - What's Up ?

PMID- 28337809
TI  - Expanded Newborn Screening Program in Saudi Arabia: Incidence of screened
      disorders.
AB  - AIM: To address the implementation of the National Newborn Screening Program
      (NBS) in Saudi Arabia and stratify the incidence of the screened disorders.
      METHODS: A retrospective study conducted between 1 August 2005 and 31 December
      2012, total of 775 000 newborns were screened from 139 hospitals distributed
      among all regions of Saudi Arabia. The NBS Program screens for 16 disorders from
      a selective list of inborn errors of metabolism (IEM) and endocrine disorders.
      Heel prick dry blood spot samples were obtained from all newborns for biochemical
      and immunoassay testing. Recall screening testing was performed for Initial
      positive results and confirmed by specific biochemical assays. RESULTS: A total
      of 743 cases were identified giving an overall incidence of 1:1043. Frequently
      detected disorders nationwide were congenital hypothyroidism and congenital
      adrenal hyperplasia with an incidence of 1:7175 and 1:7908 correspondingly. The
      highest incidence among the IEM was propionic acidaemia with an incidence rate of
      1:14 000. CONCLUSION: The article highlights the experience of the NBS Program in
      Saudi Arabia and providing data on specific regional incidences of all the
      screened disorders included in the programme; and showed that the incidence of
      these disorders is one of the highest reported so far world-wide.

PMID- 28337814
TI  - Abstracts of Papers Presented at the Health Services Research and Pharmacy
      Practice Conference, University of Nottingham, UK, 10-11 April 2017.

PMID- 28337810
TI  - Electronic spatiotemporal image correlation improves four-dimensional fetal
      echocardiography.
AB  - OBJECTIVES: To compare the efficiency of electronic spatiotemporal image
      correlation (eSTIC) with that of conventional STIC to acquire four-dimensional
      (4D) fetal cardiac volumes of diagnostic quality. METHODS: This was a randomized
      controlled trial of 100 patients in mid-gestation with normal sonograms. In half
      of the cases, STIC volumes of the fetal heart were obtained with a conventional
      mechanical 4D probe and in the remaining cases eSTIC volumes were obtained with
      an electronic 4D probe. Examinations were kept within the timeframe allotted for
      a standard examination of fetal anatomy, and a maximum of two attempts were made
      at obtaining a 4D cardiac volume. Datasets were stored on a computer and
      subsequently analyzed and categorized as being of optimal, satisfactory or
      inadequate quality, depending on whether or not it was possible to perform an
      extended basic cardiac examination, including obtaining a three vessels and
      trachea view, as well as a clear reconstruction of both the aortic and ductal
      arches in the sagittal plane. RESULTS: The eSTIC volume datasets were more
      frequently of optimal or satisfactory diagnostic quality compared with
      conventional STIC (94% vs 76%, P < 0.0001). Failure to obtain an eSTIC volume of
      adequate quality was in all cases the consequence of an unfavorable position of
      the fetus. CONCLUSIONS: Compared with a standard mechanical probe, the electronic
      4D probe facilitates acquisition of sonographic cardiac volumes in mid-trimester
      fetuses. In our hands, eSTIC volumes of optimal or satisfactory diagnostic
      quality, allowing a detailed offline evaluation of the fetal heart, were obtained
      in more than 90% of cases within the time frame of a standard examination of
      fetal anatomy. Copyright (c) 2017 ISUOG. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

PMID- 28337813
TI  - Health care experiences among women diagnosed with gestational breast cancer.
AB  - Gestational breast cancer (GBC) presents many challenges for women and the
      clinicians who care for them. The aim of this study was to explore the health
      care experiences of women diagnosed with GBC to inform and improve clinical care
      of women in this predicament. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 17
      women who had been diagnosed with GBC in the previous 5 years. The overarching
      themes for perceived quality of care were "communication" and "comprehensive
      care." "Communication" had two sub themes: "interdisciplinary communication" (the
      way health professionals from different disciplines communicated with each other
      about the management of the woman's care) and "patient communication" (how they
      communicated this to the woman). The "comprehensive care" theme incorporated
      three sub themes: "the spirit" (psychological care); "the mind" (information
      provision); and "the body" (management of treatment side effects). Women's own
      accounts of positive and negative experiences of GBC care provide unique and
      specific insights which improve understanding of their concerns and needs. The
      findings can inform advances in quality and efficacy of clinical care; offer
      guidance for obstetricians, oncologists and allied health professionals about the
      needs of women diagnosed with GBC and how care can be optimised; and inform the
      development of resources to assist women and their families.

PMID- 28337816
TI  - Vertebral venous system abnormalities identified with magnetic resonance imaging
      in sighthounds.
AB  - In humans, abnormalities of the vertebral venous system are considered rare but
      significant causes of radiculopathy and myelopathy. Published information on
      abnormalities of the canine vertebral venous system is currently lacking. Aims of
      this retrospective descriptive study were to characterize magnetic resonance
      imaging (MRI) abnormalities of the vertebral venous system in a population of
      sighthounds, report prevalence of vertebral venous system abnormalities within
      that population and explore possible clinical significance. Our hospital database
      was searched over the period of 2002-2013 for sighthounds with MRI studies of the
      vertebral column. Medical records and MRI studies for included dogs were
      retrieved and findings were recorded by a single observer. A total of 92
      sighthounds were sampled. Eleven cases (prevalence 12%) showed abnormal
      enlargement of the internal vertebral venous plexus (10/11 unilaterally, 1/11
      bilaterally), external vertebral venous plexus (7/11 cases unilaterally), and/or
      intervertebral veins (8/11 unilaterally, 2/11 bilaterally, and 1/11 unilaterally
      and bilaterally at different sites). The majority of the abnormalities were right
      sided and the most common location for abnormalities was C6/7. Of the 11 cases,
      nine did not have a definitive diagnosis. Seven of those nine cases had an
      abnormality in a neuroanatomical localization that could wholly or partly explain
      the clinical signs. Findings indicated that, while the prevalence of vertebral
      venous system abnormalities was low in this sample of sighthounds, the majority
      of dogs with these abnormalities had clinical signs that matched the location of
      the abnormalities. Further prospective research is needed to investigate
      potential underlying aetiologies for vertebral venous system abnormalities in
      dogs and clarify their clinical significance.

PMID- 28337818
TI  - Exploration of information and support needs in relation to health concerns, diet
      and physical activity in colorectal cancer survivors.
AB  - : The purpose of the current study was to explore colorectal cancer survivors'
      information and support needs in relation to health concerns and health behaviour
      change. Face-to-face interviews were conducted with participants who had
      completed active treatment for cancer within the previous 2 years. Participants
      were colorectal cancer survivors (N = 24, men = 11, women = 13 M, age = 69.38
      years, SD = 4.19) recruited from a hospital in Perth, Australia on the basis that
      they had existing morbidities that put them at increased risk of cardiovascular
      disease. Interview transcripts were analysed using thematic analysis. RESULTS:
      Five main themes emerged: bowel changes; Lack of knowledge concerning healthy
      eating and physical activity; conflicting information; desire for support; and,
      need for simple messages and strategies to stay healthy. Where dietary
      recommendations were provided, these were to resolve bowel problems rather than
      to promote healthy eating. The provision of lifestyle advice from the oncologists
      is limited and patients' lack knowledge of guidelines for diet and physical
      activity. Oncologists could provide patients with clear messages from the World
      Cancer Research Fund (); that is to increase physical activity and dietary fibre
      and reduce consumption of red meat, processed meat, alcohol and body fatness.

PMID- 28337817
TI  - The Cytotoxic Effects of Camptothecin and Mastoparan on the Unicellular Green
      Alga Chlamydomonas reinhardtii.
AB  - We have recently reported that protease inhibitors affecting the activity of the
      proteasome cause necrotic cell death in Chlamydomonas reinhardtii instead of
      inducing apoptosis as shown for some mammalian cell lines. Therefore, we have
      studied other well-known inducers of apoptosis in mammalian cells for their
      effects on C. reinhardtii cells. Mastoparan caused rapid cell death without a
      prominent lag-phase under all growth conditions, whereas the cytotoxic effect of
      the topoisomerase I inhibitor camptothecin exclusively occurred during the cell
      division phase. Essentially no differences between wall-deficient and wild-type
      cells were observed with respect to dose-response and time-course of camptothecin
      and mastoparan. In cultures of the wall-deficient strain, cell death was
      accompanied by swelling and subsequent disruption of the cells, established
      markers of necrosis. In case of the wild-type strain, camptothecin and mastoparan
      caused accumulation of apparently intact, but dead cells instead of cell debris
      due to the presence of the wall. Both in cultures of the wall-deficient and the
      wild-type strains, cell death was accompanied by an increase of the protein
      concentration in the culture medium indicating a lytic process like necrosis.
      Taking together, we have severe doubts on the existence of an apoptotic program
      in case of C. reinhardtii.

PMID- 28337820
TI  - Selective Radiofrequency Stimulation of the Dorsal Root Ganglion (DRG) as a
      Method for Predicting Targets for Neuromodulation in Patients With Post
      Amputation Pain: A Case Series.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: While spinal cord stimulation (SCS) has established itself as an
      accepted and validated treatment for neuropathic pain, there are a number of
      conditions where it has experienced less, long-term success: post amputee pain
      (PAP) being one of them. Dorsal root ganglion (DRG) stimulation has shown great
      promise, particularly in conditions where traditional SCS has fallen short. One
      major difference between DRG stimulation and traditional SCS is the ability to
      provide focal stimulation over targeted areas. While this may be a contributing
      factor to its superiority, it can also be a limitation insofar stimulating the
      wrong DRG(s) can lead to failure. This is particularly relevant in conditions
      like PAP where neuroplastic maladaptation occurs causing the pain to deviate from
      expected patterns, thus creating uncertainty and variability in predicting
      targets for stimulation. We propose selective radiofrequency (RF) stimulation of
      the DRG as a method for preoperatively predicting targets for neuromodulation in
      patients with PAP. METHODS: We present four patients with PAP of the lower
      extremities. RF stimulation was used to selectively stimulate individual DRG's,
      creating areas of paresthesias to see which most closely correlated/overlapped
      with the painful area(s). RF stimulation to the DRG's that resulted in the
      desirable paresthesia coverage in the residual or the missing limb(s) was
      recorded as "positive." Trial DRG leads were placed based on the positive RF
      stimulation findings. RESULTS: In each patient, stimulating one or more DRG(s)
      produced paresthesias patterns that were contradictory to know dermatomal
      patterns. Upon completion of a one-week trial all four patients reported 60-90%
      pain relief, with coverage over the painful areas, and opted for permanent
      implant. CONCLUSIONS: Mapping the DRG via RF stimulation appears to provide
      improved accuracy for determining lead placement in the setting of PAP where pain
      patterns are known to deviate from conventional dermatomal mapping.

PMID- 28337819
TI  - PAI-1 in granulosa cells is suppressed directly by statin and indirectly by
      suppressing TGF-beta and TNF-alpha in mononuclear cells by insulin-sensitizing
      drugs.
AB  - PROBLEM: Plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 (PAI-1) is elevated in women with
      polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), but the regulation in granulosa cells (GCs) is
      unclear. METHOD OF STUDY: PAI-1 expression in PCOS ovaries was investigated
      immunohistologically. PAI-1 expressions in HGrC1, a human GC cell line, were
      investigated at mRNA and activity levels. The expressions of TGF-beta and TNF
      alpha in peritoneal fluid mononuclear cells (PFMCs) were measured with
      quantitative PCR. RESULTS: Little PAI-1 expression is observed in healthy GCs,
      whereas GCs of PCOS and atretic follicle exhibit distinct expression in vivo. In
      vitro study using HGrC1 shows that TGF-beta and TNF-alpha increase PAI-1 mRNA and
      its activity, and both together exhibit a synergistic effect. The expression of
      PAI-1 mRNA is suppressed by simvastatin. Moreover, insulin-sensitizing drugs
      (metformin, pioglitazone, and rosiglitazone) suppress LPS-induced TGF-beta and
      TNF-alpha mRNA expression in PFMC. CONCLUSION: Statin and insulin-sensitizing
      drugs may provide a potential therapy for PCOS via down-regulation of PAI-1
      expression in GCs and down-regulation of TGF-beta and TNF-alpha expression in
      PFMC, respectively.

PMID- 28337821
TI  - Mindfulness-based stress reduction added to care as usual for lung cancer
      patients and/or their partners: A multicentre randomized controlled trial.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: Lung cancer patients report among the highest distress rates of all
      cancer patients. Partners report similar distress rates. The present study
      examined the effectiveness of additional mindfulness-based stress reduction (care
      as usual [CAU] + MBSR) versus solely CAU to reduce psychological distress in lung
      cancer patients and/or their partners. METHODS: We performed a multicentre,
      parallel-group, randomized controlled trial. Mindfulness-based stress reduction
      is an 8-week group-based intervention, including mindfulness practice and
      teachings on stress. Care as usual included anticancer treatment, medical
      consultations, and supportive care. The primary outcome was psychological
      distress. Secondary outcomes included quality of life, caregiver burden,
      relationship satisfaction, mindfulness skills, self-compassion, rumination, and
      posttraumatic stress symptoms. Outcomes were assessed at baseline, post
      intervention, and 3-month follow-up. Linear mixed modeling was conducted on an
      intention-to-treat sample. Moderation (gender, disease stage, baseline distress,
      participation with/without partner) and mediation analyses were performed.
      RESULTS: A total of 31 patients and 21 partners were randomized to CAU + MBSR and
      32 patients and 23 partners to CAU. After CAU + MBSR patients reported
      significantly less psychological distress (p = .008, d = .69) than after CAU.
      Baseline distress moderated outcome: those with more distress benefitted most
      from MBSR. Additionally, after CAU + MBSR patients showed more improvements in
      quality of life, mindfulness skills, self-compassion, and rumination than after
      CAU. In partners, no differences were found between groups. CONCLUSION: Our
      findings suggest that psychological distress in lung cancer patients can be
      effectively treated with MBSR. No effect was found in partners, possibly because
      they were more focused on patients' well-being rather than their own.

PMID- 28337823
TI  - Interest of the trajectory method for the evaluation of outcomes after in utero
      drug exposure: example of anxiolytics and hypnotics.
AB  - PURPOSE: The aim of this study was to examine the potential benefit to take into
      account duration and intensity of drug exposure using the recently published
      method based on individual drug trajectories. This approach was used to define
      profiles of exposure to anxiolytics/hypnotics during pregnancy and to evaluate
      the potential effect on newborn health. METHODS: The study was performed in
      EFEMERIS database (54 918 mother-children pairs). An estimation of adaptation to
      extrauterine life was assessed using several criteria especially cardio
      respiratory symptoms. A proxy variable called "neonatal pathology" was created.
      The occurrence of this event was studied using two approaches: The Standard
      Method comparing exposed and unexposed newborns, The Trajectory Method comparing
      the different profiles of exposure. RESULTS: Around 5% of newborns (n = 2768)
      were identified to be exposed to anxiolytics or hypnotics during pregnancy. Using
      the Standard Method, 6.2% of exposed newborns developed a "neonatal pathology"
      against 4.8% of unexposed newborns (odds ratios [OR] = 0.9[0.8-1.2], p = 0.7).
      With the Trajectory Method taking into account evolution of exposure during
      pregnancy and treatment intensity, four profiles of pregnant women were
      identified. A significant difference in the rates of "neonatal pathologies" was
      observed between profiles (p = 0.0002). Newborns of the two profiles exposed in
      utero to high constant level of anxiolytics or hypnotics were more at risk of
      developing "neonatal pathology" than unexposed newborns (OR1  = 2.0 [1.0-3.9] and
      OR2  = 7.6 [2.8-20.5]). CONCLUSIONS: The present study demonstrates the interest
      of this method based on individual drug trajectories for the evaluation of
      outcomes in pharmaco-epidemiological studies and more specifically during
      pregnancy. Copyright (c) 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

PMID- 28337826
TI  - Diagnostic outcome of contrast videofluoroscopic swallowing studies in 216
      dysphagic dogs.
AB  - Determining the anatomic and functional origin for dysphagia is critical for
      development of an appropriate therapeutic plan and determination of the
      prognosis. The purpose of this retrospective study was to report the quantitative
      and qualitative outcome of contrast videofluoroscopic swallowing studies in a
      large cohort of dysphagic dogs presenting to a tertiary veterinary care hospital.
      The videofluoroscopic swallowing studies were reviewed to generate values for
      pharyngeal constriction ratio, timing of swallowing events (maximum pharyngeal
      contraction, opening of upper esophageal sphincter, closing of upper esophageal
      sphincter, and reopening of epiglottis), type of esophageal peristalsis
      generated, and esophageal transit time. One or more anatomic locations for origin
      of dysphagia were assigned (pharyngeal, cricopharyngeal, esophageal (primary
      motility disorder), other esophageal (stricture, vascular ring anomaly, mass),
      lower esophageal sphincter/hiatus. Sixty-one of 216 studies (28%) were deemed
      unremarkable. Twenty-seven of 216 dogs (13%) had pharyngeal dysphagia, 17/216
      dogs (8%) had cricopharyngeal dysphagia, 98/216 dogs (45%) had dysphagia
      secondary to esophageal dysmotility, 19/216 dogs (9%) had dysphagia secondary to
      focal esophageal disorders, and 97/216 dogs (45%) had dysphagia of lower
      esophageal sphincter/hiatus origin. Multiple abnormalities were present in 82/216
      (38%) dogs. Elevated pharyngeal constriction ratio was associated with
      pharyngeal, cricopharyngeal, and esophageal motility disorders, delayed upper
      esophageal sphincter opening was associated with cricopharyngeal disorders, a
      lower percentage of primary esophageal peristaltic waves was associated with
      cricopharyngeal, pharyngeal, or primary esophageal motility disorders. In
      conclusion, videofluoroscopic swallowing studies was pivotal in the diagnosis of
      dysphagia with 155/216 (72%) dogs receiving a final diagnosis.

PMID- 28337822
TI  - UniEuk: Time to Speak a Common Language in Protistology!
AB  - Universal taxonomic frameworks have been critical tools to structure the fields
      of botany, zoology, mycology, and bacteriology as well as their large research
      communities. Animals, plants, and fungi have relatively solid, stable morpho
      taxonomies built over the last three centuries, while bacteria have been
      classified for the last three decades under a coherent molecular taxonomic
      framework. By contrast, no such common language exists for microbial eukaryotes,
      even though environmental '-omics' surveys suggest that protists make up most of
      the organismal and genetic complexity of our planet's ecosystems! With the
      current deluge of eukaryotic meta-omics data, we urgently need to build up a
      universal eukaryotic taxonomy bridging the protist -omics age to the fragile,
      centuries-old body of classical knowledge that has effectively linked protist
      taxa to morphological, physiological, and ecological information. UniEuk is an
      open, inclusive, community-based and expert-driven international initiative to
      build a flexible, adaptive universal taxonomic framework for eukaryotes. It
      unites three complementary modules, EukRef, EukBank, and EukMap, which use
      phylogenetic markers, environmental metabarcoding surveys, and expert knowledge
      to inform the taxonomic framework. The UniEuk taxonomy is directly implemented in
      the European Nucleotide Archive at EMBL-EBI, ensuring its broad use and long-term
      preservation as a reference taxonomy for eukaryotes.

PMID- 28337824
TI  - Phenotype-genotype correlations of PIGO deficiency with variable phenotypes from
      infantile lethality to mild learning difficulties.
AB  - Inherited GPI (glycosylphosphatidylinositol) deficiencies (IGDs), a recently
      defined group of diseases, show a broad spectrum of symptoms. Hyperphosphatasia
      mental retardation syndrome, also known as Mabry syndrome, is a type of IGDs.
      There are at least 26 genes involved in the biosynthesis and transport of GPI
      anchored proteins; however, IGDs constitute a rare group of diseases, and
      correlations between the spectrum of symptoms and affected genes or the type of
      mutations have not been shown. Here, we report four newly identified and five
      previously described Japanese families with PIGO (phosphatidylinositol glycan
      anchor biosynthesis class O) deficiency. We show how the clinical severity of
      IGDs correlates with flow cytometric analysis of blood, functional analysis using
      a PIGO-deficient cell line, and the degree of hyperphosphatasia. The flow
      cytometric analysis and hyperphosphatasia are useful for IGD diagnosis, but the
      expression level of GPI-anchored proteins and the degree of hyperphosphatasia do
      not correlate, although functional studies do, with clinical severity. Compared
      with PIGA (phosphatidylinositol glycan anchor biosynthesis class A) deficiency,
      PIGO deficiency shows characteristic features, such as Hirschsprung disease,
      brachytelephalangy, and hyperphosphatasia. This report shows the precise spectrum
      of symptoms according to the severity of mutations and compares symptoms between
      different types of IGD.

PMID- 28337827
TI  - Prostaglandin F2alpha-induced luteolysis involves activation of Signal transducer
      and activator of transcription 3 and inhibition of AKT signaling in cattle.
AB  - Prostaglandin F2alpha (PGF) induces the precipitous loss of steroidogenic
      capabilities and cellular death in the corpus luteum of many species, yet the
      molecular mechanisms underlying this event are not completely understood. Signal
      transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3) was activated in granulosa
      cells during follicle atresia, whereas AKT is immediately down-regulated in the
      corpus luteum after PGF treatment in cattle; however, their involvement in both
      functional and morphological luteolysis in monovular species still need to be
      determined. Blood samples and corpus lutea were collected from cows before (0)
      and 2, 12, 24, and 48 hr after PGF treatment on Day 10 of the estrous cycle (4-5
      cows per time point). Serum progesterone concentrations decreased by threefold (p
      < 0.05) within 2 hr, confirming functional luteolysis. The mRNA abundance of the
      pro-apoptotic gene BAX increased 12-48 hr post-PGF treatment (p < 0.05), while
      morphological luteolysis was observed 24 and 48 hr after PGF treatment, based on
      the loss of plasma membrane integrity, reduction of cytoplasmic volume, and
      pyknotic nuclei. Phosphorylated STAT3 increased, peaking at 12 hr, and remained
      elevated until 48 hr after PGF treatment. SOCS3 transcript abundance also
      increased (p < 0.05) starting at 2 hr post-PGF treatment. In contrast, AKT
      phosphorylation decreased by 12 hr after treatment. Thus, activation of STAT3 and
      inactivation of AKT signaling are involved in structural regression of the corpus
      luteum.

PMID- 28337825
TI  - Expression of TWIST in the first-trimester trophoblast and decidual tissue of
      women with recurrent pregnancy losses.
AB  - PROBLEM: In this study, we aim to investigate if the expression of TWIST in the
      first-trimester placenta and decidua has any association with spontaneous
      abortion (SAB) and recurrent pregnancy losses (RPL). METHODS: Expression of TWIST
      was measured in the first-trimester trophoblast and decidual tissues using RT-PCR
      and immunohistochemistry. Women with a pregnancy loss comprised the study group
      (AB group) including women with two or more recurrent pregnancy loses (RPL
      group), and women with a spontaneous abortion who had no history of previous
      pregnancy losses (SAB group). Controls were women with elective abortion of
      normal pregnancy (NP group). RESULTS: In in-vitro culture study of endometrial
      cells, expression of TWIST was detected with the induction of decidualization. In
      syncytiotrophoblast, expression of TWIST in NP group was significantly higher
      than that of AB group. RPL group had no expression of TWIST, both in the nucleus
      and cytoplasm of syncytiotrophoblast. In decidual tissue, majority of TWIST was
      expressed on the decidual stromal cells. NP group showed significantly higher
      expression of TWIST in cytoplasm and nucleus as compared with those of SAB group.
      CONCLUSION: This suggests that TWIST may have a functional role in
      decidualization of endometrial cells and syncytialization of cytotrophoblast
      cells.

PMID- 28337828
TI  - TRADD, TRAF2, RIP1 and TAK1 are required for TNF-alpha-induced pro-labour
      mediators in human primary myometrial cells.
AB  - PROBLEM: TNF-alpha plays a central role in the processes of human labour and
      delivery. This study sought to determine the role of the adaptor proteins TNFR1
      associated death domain protein (TRADD), TNF receptor-associated factor 2
      (TRAF2), receptor interacting protein 1 (RIP1) and transforming growth factor
      beta-activated kinase 1 (TAK1) in TNF-alpha-induced formation of pro-labour
      mediators. METHOD OF STUDY: Human primary myometrial cells were transfected with
      siRNA against TRADD (siTRADD), TRAF2 (siTRAF2), RIP1 (siRIP1) or TAK1 (siTAK1),
      treated with TNF-alpha, and assayed for pro-inflammatory mediators expression.
      RESULTS: siTRADD, siTRAF2, siRIP1 and siTAK1 significantly decreased TNF-alpha
      induced IL-1alpha, IL-1beta, IL-6, IL-8, MCP-1 mRNA expression and release of IL
      6, IL-8 and MCP-1; and cyclooxygenase (COX)-2 expression and release of
      prostaglandin PGF2alpha . There was a significant attenuation of TNF-alpha
      induced expression of adhesion molecules ICAM-1 and VCAM-1 mRNA with siTRADD,
      siTRAF2 or siRIP1. siTRADD and siRIP1 significantly attenuated TNF-alpha-induced
      MMP-9 mRNA expression and release and nuclear factor kappaB (NF-kappaB)
      transcriptional activity. There was a significant increase in TNF-alpha-induced
      sVCAM-1 release, MMP-9 mRNA expression and NF-kappaB activity with siTAK1.
      CONCLUSION: TRADD, TRAF2, RIP1 and TAK1 are involved in TNF-alpha signalling in
      human myometrium. Further studies are required to determine whether inhibition of
      these proteins can prevent preterm birth.

PMID- 28337829
TI  - Peer bullying in seniors' subsidised apartment communities in Saskatoon, Canada:
      participatory research.
AB  - Given that 'home' is the major physical-spatial environment of many older adults
      and that home, social and neighbourhood environments are well-recognised to
      impact both the ability to age in place and quality of life in this population, a
      better understanding of the nature of social interactions within seniors'
      communal living environments is critical for health promotion. This paper
      describes a two-phase participatory research study examining peer bullying by
      older adults conducted in April and May, 2016. Responding to needs expressed by
      tenants, the objectives of this study were to identify the nature, prevalence and
      consequences of peer bullying for tenants of two low-income senior apartment
      communities. In collaboration with the local Older Adult Abuse Task Force, a
      screening survey on bullying was distributed to all tenants. Findings (n = 49)
      indicated that 39% of tenants had witnessed peer bullying and 29% had experienced
      bullying by peers. An adapted version of a youth bullying survey was administered
      in follow-up face-to-face interviews with 13 tenants. The most common forms of
      peer bullying were deliberate social exclusion and hurtful comments. The majority
      of respondents indicated that bullying was a problem for seniors and that bullies
      hurt other people. Outcomes of bullying included feelings of dejection and
      difficulties conducting everyday activities.

PMID- 28337830
TI  - Anatomical subgroup analysis of the MERIDIAN cohort: ventriculomegaly.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: To assess the contribution of fetal magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)
      in fetuses of the MERIDIAN cohort diagnosed with ventriculomegaly (VM) as the
      only abnormal intracranial finding on antenatal ultrasound. METHODS: This was a
      subgroup analysis of the MERIDIAN study of fetuses with only VM diagnosed on
      ultrasound in women who had a subsequent MRI examination within 2 weeks and for
      whom outcome reference data were available. The diagnostic accuracy of ultrasound
      and MRI was reported in relation to the severity of VM. The difference in
      measurements of trigone size on the two imaging methods and the clinical impact
      of adding MRI to the diagnostic pathway were also studied. RESULTS: In 306
      fetuses with VM, ultrasound failed to detect 31 additional brain abnormalities,
      having an overall diagnostic accuracy of 89.9% for ultrasound, whilst MRI
      correctly detected 27 of the additional brain abnormalities, having a diagnostic
      accuracy of 98.7% (P < 0.0001). There were other brain abnormalities in 14/244
      fetuses with mild VM on ultrasound (diagnostic accuracy, 94.3%) and MRI correctly
      diagnosed 12 of these (diagnostic accuracy, 99.2%; P = 0.0005). There was a close
      agreement between the size of trigones measured on ultrasound and on MRI, with
      categorical differences in only 16% of cases, showing that MRI did not
      systematically overestimate or underestimate trigone size. Complete prognostic
      data were available in 295/306 fetuses and the prognosis category changed after
      MRI in 69/295 (23.4%) cases. The overall effect of MRI on clinical management was
      considered to be 'significant', 'major' or 'decisive' in 76/295 (25.8%) cases.
      CONCLUSION: Our data suggest that a woman carrying a fetus with VM as the only
      intracranial finding on ultrasound should be offered an adjuvant investigation by
      MRI for further evaluation. Copyright (c) 2017 ISUOG. Published by John Wiley &
      Sons Ltd.

PMID- 28337831
TI  - Interleukin 1-alpha deficiency increases the expression of Follicle-stimulating
      hormone receptors in granulosa cells.
AB  - Follicle-stimulating hormone receptor (FSHR) is a pivotal regulator of ovarian
      response to hormonal stimulation. Inflammatory conditions have been linked to
      lower FSHR expression in granulosa cells (GCs) as well as an attenuated response
      to hormonal stimulation. The current study aimed to reveal if deficiency and/or
      blockage of the pro-inflammatory cytokine interleukin 1-alpha (IL1A) increased
      Fshr expression in rodent GCs. We found elevated Fshr transcript abundance, as
      assessed by quantitative PCR, in primary GCs isolated from Il1a-knockout compared
      to wild-type mice, and that the expression of FSHR is significantly higher in
      Il1a-knockout compared to wild-type ovaries. Supplementing GC cultures with
      recombinant IL1A significantly lowered Fshr expression in these cells. In
      accordance with the Fshr expression pattern, proliferation of GCs was higher in
      follicles from Il1a-knockout mice compared to wild-type mice, as indicated by the
      MKI67 immunohistochemical staining. Furthermore, treating wild-type mice with
      anakinra, an IL1 receptor 1 antagonist, significantly increased the expression of
      Fshr in primary GCs from treated compared to control mice. These data highlight
      an important interdependency between the potent pro-inflammatory cytokine IL1A
      and Fshr expression.

PMID- 28337832
TI  - Retroperitoneal dedifferentiated liposarcoma with huge cystic degeneration: A
      case report.
AB  - Prominent cyst formation is an unusual feature of liposarcoma. We report here a
      case of dedifferentiated liposarcoma with huge cystic change without preoperative
      chemo- or radiation therapy. The lesion arose in the retroperitoneum juxtaposed
      to the right kidney of a 67-year-old woman. She underwent a surgical removal of
      the retroperitoneal cyst. The cystic tumor contained 1600 mL of old bloody fluid,
      and its wall was composed of edematous, inflamed or sclerosing fibrous tissue
      with fatty tissue containing abundant atypical stromal cells, which were
      immunohistochemically positive for MDM2 and CDK4, and demonstrated MDM2 gene
      amplification by fluorescence in situ hybridization. The wall was contiguous to
      an atypical lipomatous nodule located in the mesentery. The following surgical
      specimens of the right hemicolectomy and right nephrectomy revealed atypical
      cells infiltrating into the subserosa of the colon and the perirenal fat tissue
      or that in the renal sinus. This case indicates that well differentiated or
      dedifferentiated liposarcoma should be also considered as a differential
      diagnosis of perirenal cystic mass.

PMID- 28337833
TI  - Acute cholangitis: current concepts.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Acute cholangitis, also known as ascending cholangitis, is a life
      threatening systemic condition that results from a biliary tree infection and
      obstruction. Severe acute cholangitis was reported to have a mortality rate
      between 11 and 27% in the 1990s. This article is a literature review about acute
      cholangitis. Its aim is to review the latest literature about acute cholangitis
      and to discuss its pathogenesis, clinical presentation, diagnosis, prognosis,
      risk factors and treatment. METHODS: Ovid Medline and PubMed database searches
      were performed for articles about acute cholangitis published in English from
      1877 to 2016. The keyword search headings included 'acute', 'ascending' and
      'cholangitis', and a combination of these were used. Only articles with full-text
      descriptions were chosen for this literature review. RESULTS: Common causes of
      biliary tree obstruction include choledocholithiasis, benign and malignant
      biliary strictures. According to the Tokyo Guidelines, clinical presentation,
      laboratory blood results and diagnostic imaging are important in the diagnosis of
      acute cholangitis. Treatments consist of intravenous fluids and antibiotics
      followed by biliary decompression and drainage. Available drainage options
      include endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography, percutaneous transhepatic
      cholangiography, endoscopic ultrasound and open surgical drainage. CONCLUSION: It
      is important to diagnose acute cholangitis as early as possible to initiate
      appropriate treatments to reduce mortality and morbidity.

PMID- 28337834
TI  - Retinal dystrophy in two boys with Costello syndrome due to the HRAS p.Gly13Cys
      mutation.
AB  - Features of Costello Syndrome, a systemic disorder caused by germline mutations
      in the proto-oncogene HRAS from the RAS/MAPK pathway, include failure-to-thrive,
      short stature, coarse facial features, cardiac defects including hypertrophic
      cardiomyopathy, intellectual disability, and predisposition to neoplasia. Two
      unrelated boys with Costello syndrome and an HRAS mutation (p.Gly13Cys) are
      presented with their ophthalmologic findings. Both had early symptoms of
      nystagmus, photophobia, and vision abnormalities. Fundus examination findings of
      retinal dystrophy were present at age 3 years. Both boys have abnormal
      electroretinograms with reduced or undetectable rod responses along with reduced
      cone responses consistent with rod-cone dystrophy. Our observations suggest that
      early ophthalmic examination and re-evaluations are indicated in children with
      Costello syndrome.

PMID- 28337835
TI  - Rare finding of a fourth branchial cleft anomaly.

PMID- 28337836
TI  - Plant transcription factors from the homeodomain-leucine zipper family I. Role in
      development and stress responses.
AB  - In front of stressful conditions plants display adaptation mechanisms leading to
      changes in their morphology, physiology, development and molecular composition.
      Transcription factors (TFs) play crucial roles in these complex adaptation
      processes. This work is focused in the homeodomain-leucine zipper I (HD-Zip I)
      family of TFs, unique to plants. First discovered in 1991, they were identified
      and isolated from monocotyledonous and dicotyledonous plants showing high
      structural similarity and diversified functions. These TFs have, besides the
      homeodomain and leucine zipper, conserved motifs in their carboxy-termini
      allowing the interaction with the basal machinery and with other regulatory
      proteins. The model dicotyledonous plant Arabidopsis thaliana has 17 HD-Zip I
      members; most of them regulated by external stimuli and hormones. These TFs are
      involved in key developmental processes like root and stem elongation, rosette
      leaves morphology determination, inflorescence stem branching, flowering and
      pollen hydration. Moreover, they are key players in responses to environmental
      stresses and illumination conditions. Several HD-Zip I encoding genes from
      different species were protected in patents because their overexpression or
      mutation generates improved agronomical phenotypes. Here we discuss many aspects
      about these TFs including structural features, biological functions and their
      utilization as biotechnological tools to improve crops. (c) 2017 IUBMB Life,
      69(5):280-289, 2017.

PMID- 28337837
TI  - Sulfated hyaluronan attenuates inflammatory signaling pathways in macrophages
      involving induction of antioxidants.
AB  - It is well recognized that high molecular weight hyaluronan (H-HA) exerts potent
      anti-inflammatory effects while its fragmentation into low molecular weight HA (L
      HA) is discussed to promote inflammation. Chemical modification of HA with
      sulfate groups has been shown to foster its anti-inflammatory activity which
      seems to be maintained in sulfated low molecular weight HA derivatives (sL-HA).
      However, the molecular mechanisms by which sL-HA produces its anti-inflammatory
      activity are not understood. In this study, we used global quantitative
      proteomics combined with targeted analysis of key proteins to characterize the
      effect of sL-HA on fully differentiated human inflammatory macrophages (iMF).
      Culture of iMF with sL-HA did not affect cell viability but resulted in a reduced
      pro-inflammatory cytokine response of iMF after activation indicating a profound
      counter-regulation of their initial inflammatory phenotype. Rapid internalization
      of sL-HA involving CD44 and scavenger receptors was observed. Furthermore, an
      upregulation of the antioxidants SOD2 and SOD3 was found while no oxidative
      stress was induced. Consequently, activity of transcription factors for
      inflammatory gene expression was downregulated in iMF with sL-HA after activation
      whereas anti-inflammatory proteins were induced. This study proves anti
      inflammatory properties of sL-HA and provides information on its regulatory mode
      of action on iMF. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.

PMID- 28337840
TI  - Electrogenic Single-Species Biocomposites as Anodes for Microbial Fuel Cells.
AB  - Integration of electrogenic microorganisms remains a challenge in biofuel cell
      technology. Here, synthetic biocomposites ("artificial biofilms") are proposed.
      Bacteria (Shewanella oneidensis) are embedded in a hydrogel matrix (poly(vinyl
      alcohol)) via wet- and electrospinning, creating fibers and nonwoven gauzes. The
      bacteria remain viable and metabolically active. The performance is compared to
      S. oneidensis suspension cultures and "natural" biofilms. While lower than with
      the suspension cultures, the power output from the fuel cells with the artificial
      biofilms is higher than with the natural one. Handling, reproducibility, and
      stability are also better. Artificial biofilms can therefore contribute to
      resolving fundamental issues of design, scale up, and monosepsis in biofuel cell
      technology.

PMID- 28337839
TI  - Poly(Ethylene Glycol) Dimethacrylates with Cleavable Ketal Sites: Precursors for
      Cleavable PEG-Hydrogels.
AB  - The authors introduce poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) based macromonomers containing
      acid-labile ketal moieties as well as terminal methacrylate units that are
      amenable to radical polymerization. The synthesis of PEGs of different molecular
      weights (ranging from 2000 to 13 000 g mol-1 with polydispersities <1.15) with a
      central ketal unit (PEG-ketal-diol) and their conversion to PEG-ketal
      dimethacrylates (PEG-ketal-DMA) is introduced. Degradation rates of both PEG
      ketal-diols and PEG-ketal-DMA are investigated by in situ 1 H NMR kinetic studies
      in deuterated phosphate buffer. Hydrogels containing 0, 5, or 10 wt% of PEG-ketal
      DMA and 100, 95, or 90 wt% of PEG-DMA, respectively, are synthesized and
      disintegration of the gels is investigated in buffer at different pH values.
      Visible disintegration of the gels appears at pH 5 for hydrogels containing PEG
      ketal-DMA, whereas no visible degradation is observed at all at neutral pH or for
      PEG hydrogels without PEG-ketal-DMA.

PMID- 28337838
TI  - The selective metabotropic glutamate receptor 5 antagonist mavoglurant (AFQ056)
      reduces the incidence of reflux episodes in dogs and patients with moderate to
      severe gastroesophageal reflux disease.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Transient lower esophageal sphincter relaxations (TLESRs) induced by
      gastric distension are modulated by the metabotropic glutamate receptor 5
      (mGluR5) that influences the vagal reflex loop. We therefore aimed to examine the
      effects of the selective mGluR5 antagonist mavoglurant (AFQ056) on the number of
      TLESRs in dogs and reflux episodes in patients with gastroesophageal reflux
      disease (GERD). METHODS: In a dog model, the number of meal-induced TLESRs was
      determined after intravenous (0.03, 0.1, 0.3, and 1 mg kg-1 ) and oral (1, 3, and
      10 mg kg-1 ) doses of mavoglurant with reference to vehicle. In a multicenter,
      randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, three-period crossover study, the
      incidence of meal-induced reflux episodes was assessed by esophageal impedance
      monitoring after single, oral doses of mavoglurant (50 and 400 mg) or baclofen
      (40 mg) in 30 patients with moderate to severe GERD. KEY RESULTS: In dogs,
      mavoglurant reduced the number of TLESRs after intravenous and oral
      administration. In patients with GERD, the incidence of postprandial reflux
      episodes was significantly lower at a dose of 400 mg mavoglurant (-37.5% ; 90%
      confidence interval [CI]: -57.8, -17.2), whereas there was no significant
      difference at 50 mg of mavoglurant compared to placebo. A significantly lower
      incidence of reflux episodes was also noted with the active comparator baclofen (
      50.3%; 90% CI: -66.2, -34.3), thereby validating this study. CONCLUSIONS AND
      INFERENCES: These data suggest a potential clinical benefit of mGluR5 antagonists
      such as mavoglurant in patients with GERD, particularly in those with persisting
      symptoms despite treatment with proton pump inhibitors.

PMID- 28337841
TI  - Yeast aquaporin regulation by 4-hydroxynonenal is implicated in oxidative stress
      response.
AB  - Reactive oxygen species, especially hydrogen peroxide (H2 O2 ), contribute to
      functional molecular impairment and cellular damage, but also are necessary in
      normal cellular metabolism, and in low doses play stimulatory role in cell
      proliferation and stress resistance. In parallel, reactive aldehydes such as 4
      hydroxynonenal (HNE), are lipid peroxidation breakdown products which also
      contribute to regulation of numerous cellular processes. Recently, channeling of
      H2 O2 by some mammalian aquaporin isoforms has been reported and suggested to
      contribute to aquaporin involvement in cancer malignancies, although the
      mechanism by which these membrane water channels are implicated in oxidative
      stress is not clear. In this study, two yeast models with increased levels of
      membrane polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) and aquaporin AQY1 overexpression,
      respectively, were used to evaluate their interplay in cell's oxidative status.
      In particular, the aim of the study was to investigate if HNE accumulation could
      affect aquaporin function with an outcome in oxidative stress response. The data
      showed that induction of aquaporin expression by PUFAs results in increased water
      permeability in yeast membranes and that AQY1 activity is impaired by HNE.
      Moreover, AQY1 expression increases cellular sensitivity to oxidative stress by
      facilitating H2 O2 influx. On the other hand, AQY1 expression has no influence on
      the cellular antioxidant GSH levels and catalase activity. These results strongly
      suggest that aquaporins are important players in oxidative stress response and
      could contribute to regulation of cellular processes by regulation of H2 O2
      influx. (c) 2017 IUBMB Life, 69(5):355-362, 2017.

PMID- 28337842
TI  - Halogenated Briarane Diterpenes with Acetyl Migration from the Gorgonian Coral
      Junceella fragilis.
AB  - Chemical examination of the gorgonian coral Junceella fragilis resulted in the
      isolation of four pairs of acetyl isomers belonging to briarane diterpenoids,
      including five new compounds. Their structures were determined on the basis of
      extensive spectroscopic (IR, MS, NMR, and single-crystal X-ray diffraction)
      analysis in association with the chemical conversion. Each pair of isomers
      featured by dynamical interconversion through as acetyl migration in 1,2-diol,
      which was postulated to be generated under the formation of a cyclic orthoacetate
      intermediate. All compounds exerted the inhibitory activities against the nitric
      oxide production in RAW264.7 macrophage cells.

PMID- 28337844
TI  - Synthesis of Complex Phenols Enabled by a Rationally Designed Hydroxide
      Surrogate.
AB  - The conversion of aryl halides to phenols under mild reaction conditions is a
      longstanding and formidable challenge in organic chemistry. Herein, we report the
      rational design of a broadly applicable Pd-catalyzed method to prepare phenols
      with benzaldehyde oxime as a hydroxide surrogate. These reactions occur under
      mildly basic conditions and enable the late-stage hydroxylation of several
      functionally-dense drug-like aryl halides.

PMID- 28337843
TI  - Exploring the role of the dental hygienist in reducing oral health disparities in
      Canada: A qualitative study.
AB  - OBJECTIVES: Reducing oral health disparities has been an ongoing challenge in
      Canada with the largest burden of oral disease exhibited in vulnerable
      populations, including Aboriginal people, the elderly, rural and remote
      residents, and newcomers. Dental hygienists are a unique set of professionals who
      work with and within communities, who have the potential to act as key change
      agents for improving the oral health of these populations. The purpose of this
      qualitative study was to explore, from the dental hygiene perspective, the role
      of dental hygienists in reducing oral health disparities in Canada. METHODS:
      Dental hygienists and key informants in dental hygiene were recruited, using
      purposeful and theoretical sampling, to participate in a non-directed, semi
      structured one-on-one in-depth telephone interview using Skype and Call Recorder
      software. Corbin and Strauss's grounded theory methodology was employed with
      open, axial, and selective coding analysed on N-Vivo Qualitative software.
      RESULTS: The resulting theoretical framework outlines strategies proposed by
      participants to address oral health disparities; these included alternate
      delivery models, interprofessional collaboration, and increased scope of
      practice. Participants identified variation in dental care across Canada, public
      perceptions of oral health and dental hygiene practice, and lack of applied
      research on effective oral health interventions as challenges to implementing
      these strategies. CONCLUSION: The research confirmed the important role played by
      dental hygienists in reducing oral health disparities in Canada. However, due to
      the fragmentation of dental hygiene practice across Canada, a unified voice and
      cohesive action plan is needed in order for the profession to fully embrace their
      role.

PMID- 28337845
TI  - Nurses' attitudes towards the use of PRN psychotropic medications in acute and
      forensic mental health settings.
AB  - Many countries now have national mental health policies and guidelines to
      decrease or eliminate the use of seclusion and restraint yet the use of Pro Re
      Nata (PRN) medications has received less practice evaluation. This research aimed
      to identify mental health nurses' attitudes towards the use of PRN medications
      with mental health consumers. Participants were working in forensic mental health
      and non-forensic acute mental health settings. The "Attitudes towards PRN
      medication use survey" was used and data were collected online. Data were
      analysed using the Statistical Package Social Sciences, Version 22.0. Practice
      differences between forensic and other acute mental health settings were
      identified related to the use of PRN medications to manage symptoms from
      nicotine, alcohol and other drug withdrawal. Differences related to the useage of
      comfort rooms and conducting comprehensive assessments of consumers' psychiatric
      symptoms were also detected. Qualitative findings highlighted the need for
      increased accountability for the prescribing and administration of PRN
      medications along with more nursing education/training to use alternative first
      line interventions. Nurses administering PRN medications should be vigilant
      regarding the indications for this practice to ensure they are facilitating the
      consumer's recovery by reducing the use of all forms of potentially restrictive
      practices in the hospital setting. The reasons for using PRN medications and PRN
      administration rates must be continually monitored to avoid practices such as
      high dose antipsychotics use and antipsychotic polypharmacy to ensure the
      efficacy of the consumers' management plans on their health care outcomes.

PMID- 28337846
TI  - Obesity in heart failure: is it time to rethink the paradox?

PMID- 28337847
TI  - Efficacy of environmental and acceptance-based enhancements to behavioral weight
      loss treatment: The ENACT trial.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: This study was designed to compare weight loss through a traditional
      behavioral treatment (BT) approach that integrated skills for managing the
      obesogenic food environment (BT + E) with an approach that integrated
      environmental and acceptance-based skills (BT + EA). Moderators were examined as
      an exploratory aim. METHODS: Adults (N = 283) were randomly assigned to treatment
      condition and provided with 26 group-based sessions over the course of 12 months.
      Weight was measured in the clinic at months 0, 6, and 12. RESULTS: Change in
      weight over time did not significantly differ by condition. However, race
      significantly moderated the effect of condition on weight loss (P = 0.04), such
      that African-American participants lost less weight than non-Hispanic white
      participants in the BT (6.2% vs. 11.5%) and BT + E conditions (6.6% vs. 12.2%),
      but weight loss in these two groups was similar in the BT + EA condition (9.4%
      vs. 11.5%). Among African Americans, rates of achieving a clinically significant
      weight loss (i.e., > 5%) at 12 months were higher in BT + EA (80%) than BT (57%)
      or BT + E (48%) (P = 0.04). CONCLUSIONS: This innovative behavioral approach
      shows promise for treatment of African Americans, which is notable given the lack
      of progress to date addressing racial disparities in obesity intervention
      efficacy.

PMID- 28337849
TI  - Early infancy interventions to prevent childhood obesity.

PMID- 28337850
TI  - High-Throughput Screening of Vascular Endothelium-Destructive or Protective
      Microenvironments: Cooperative Actions of Extracellular Matrix Composition,
      Stiffness, and Structure.
AB  - Pathological modification of the subendothelial extracellular matrix (ECM) has
      closely been associated with endothelial activation and subsequent cardiovascular
      disease progression. To understand regulatory mechanisms of these matrix
      modifications, the majority of previous efforts have focused on the modulation of
      either chemical composition or matrix stiffness on 2D smooth surfaces without
      simultaneously probing their cooperative effects on endothelium function on in
      vivo like 3D fibrous matrices. To this end, a high-throughput, combinatorial
      microarray platform on 2D and 3D hydrogel settings to resemble the compositions,
      stiffness, and structure of healthy and diseased subendothelial ECM has been
      established, and further their respective and combined effects on endothelial
      attachment, proliferation, inflammation, and junctional integrity have been
      investigated. For the first time, the results demonstrate that 3D fibrous
      structure resembling native ECM is a critical endothelium-protective
      microenvironmental factor by maintaining the stable, quiescent endothelium with
      strong resistance to proinflammatory stimuli. It is also revealed that matrix
      stiffening, in concert with chemical compositions resembling diseased ECM,
      particularly collagen III, could aggravate activation of nuclear factor kappa B,
      disruption of endothelium integrity, and susceptibility to proinflammatory
      stimuli. This study elucidates cooperative effects of various microenvironmental
      factors on endothelial activation and sheds light on new in vitro model for
      cardiovascular diseases.

PMID- 28337851
TI  - Low prevalence of knee chondrocalcinosis and its catabolic association by use of
      serum matrix metalloproteinase 3: A rural Japanese population study.
AB  - AIM: This study aimed to elucidate the prevalence of radiographic knee
      chondrocalcinosis (CC) and to clarify whether CC is correlated with self-reported
      knee symptoms and a serum catabolic biomarker. METHODS: A total of 1278
      volunteers participated. Plain radiographs of both knees were obtained.
      Identification of a linear calcification in the knee joint space was defined as
      CC. Patients with a Kellgren-Lawrence grade of 2 or more were considered to have
      knee osteoarthritis (OA). Symptoms were evaluated using the Knee injury and
      Osteoarthritis Outcome Score (KOOS) Pain scale, and serum matrix
      metalloproteinase-3 (MMP-3) concentration was determined. Multiple regression
      analysis was conducted to determine whether CC was correlated with OA, the KOOS
      Pain scale and MMP-3 concentration. RESULTS: Twenty-eight subjects were found to
      have CC (2.2%), and 389 had OA (30.4%). CC was correlated with OA (odds ratio:
      5.797; P = 0.006). Additionally, CC was correlated with MMP-3 concentration (B =
      11.415, beta = 0.059, P = 0.014), but not with KOOS Pain scale. CONCLUSIONS: The
      prevalence of CC was low in the Japanese population evaluated in this study.
      While CC was not correlated with self-reported knee symptoms, it was positively
      correlated with serum MMP-3 concentration.

PMID- 28337848
TI  - Designing Smart Materials with Recombinant Proteins.
AB  - Recombinant protein design allows modular protein domains with different
      functionalities and responsive behaviors to be easily combined. Inclusion of
      these protein domains can enable recombinant proteins to have complex responses
      to their environment (e.g., temperature-triggered aggregation followed by enzyme
      mediated cleavage for drug delivery or pH-triggered conformational change and
      self-assembly leading to structural stabilization by adjacent complementary
      residues). These "smart" behaviors can be tuned by amino acid identity and
      sequence, chemical modifications, and addition of other components. A wide
      variety of domains and peptides have smart behavior. This review focuses on
      protein designs for self-assembly or conformational changes due to stimuli such
      as shifts in temperature or pH.

PMID- 28337852
TI  - Turning Potential Into Action: Using Pluripotent Stem Cells to Understand Heart
      Development and Function in Health and Disease.
AB  - Pluripotent stem cells hold enormous potential for regenerative therapies,
      however their ability to provide insight into early human development and the
      origins of disease could arguably provide an even greater outcome. This is
      primarily due to their contribution to the establishment of a powerful knowledge
      base of human development, something which all researchers and clinicians can
      potentially benefit from. Modeling human heart development and disease using
      pluripotent stem cells has already provided many important insights into
      cardiogenesis and cardiovascular disease mechanisms however, it is important to
      be aware of the complexities of this model system. Thorough contemplation of
      experimental models and specialized techniques is required to provide high
      quality evidence of the intricacies of both normal early development, and when
      this process goes awry in disease states. Stem Cells Translational Medicine
      2017;6:1452-1457.

PMID- 28337853
TI  - Long-term efficacy and tolerability of mycophenolate mofetil therapy in diffuse
      scleroderma skin disease.
AB  - OBJECTIVES: To assess the long-term efficacy and tolerability of mycophenolate
      mofetil (MMF) in patients with diffuse cutaneous systemic sclerosis (dcSSc).
      METHODS: Patients enrolled in the Australian Scleroderma Cohort study with dcSSc
      and baseline modified Rodnan skin score (mRSS) >= 12 who were treated for a
      minimum of 12 months with MMF for the primary indication of skin disease were
      included and their prospectively collected data retrieved. Change in mRSS, the
      proportion with a clinically significant improvement (reduction in mRSS >= 5 from
      baseline) and adverse effects due to therapy were determined. RESULTS: Seventy
      four participants treated with MMF were identified and of these, 42 met inclusion
      criteria. The mean age was 53 +/- 12 years, with mean disease duration at MMF
      commencement of 4.8 +/- 4.3 years. Twenty-one participants (50%) commenced MMF
      within 2 years of disease onset and the mean duration of therapy was 2.7 +/- 1.7
      years. The mean mRSS at baseline was 25.9 +/- 9.2 with a reduction of 3.7 +/- 7.1
      (P = 0.07) after 1 year of therapy, 7.6 +/- 8.3 after 2 years (P = 0.01) and 10.5
      +/- 10.3 after 5 years (P < 0.01). Response to treatment was not affected by
      disease duration at MMF commencement or baseline skin score. Eighteen
      participants (43%) demonstrated clinically significant improvement after 1 year,
      increasing to 92% after 4 years. Two participants (5%) ceased MMF due to adverse
      effects. CONCLUSION: MMF was associated with a modest improvement in mRSS and was
      well tolerated in the treatment of dcSSc. Given the natural history of dcSSc
      where skin involvement can spontaneously improve, randomized, placebo-controlled
      studies are required to confirm whether improvement can be attributed to MMF
      therapy.

PMID- 28337854
TI  - Silk Fibroin Biomaterial Shows Safe and Effective Wound Healing in Animal Models
      and a Randomized Controlled Clinical Trial.
AB  - Due to its excellent biological and mechanical properties, silk fibroin has been
      intensively explored for tissue engineering and regenerative medicine
      applications. However, lack of translational evidence has hampered its clinical
      application for tissue repair. Here a silk fibroin film is developed and its
      translational potential is investigated for skin repair by performing
      comprehensive preclinical and clinical studies to fully evaluate its safety and
      effectiveness. The silk fibroin film fabricated using all green chemistry
      approaches demonstrates remarkable characteristics, including transmittance,
      fluid handling capacity, moisture vapor permeability, waterproofness, bacterial
      barrier properties, and biocompatibility. In vivo rabbit full-thickness skin
      defect study shows that the silk fibroin film effectively reduces the average
      wound healing time with better skin regeneration compared with the commercial
      wound dressings. Subsequent assessment in porcine model confirms its long-term
      safety and effectiveness for full-thickness skin defects. Finally, a randomized
      single-blind parallel controlled clinical trial with 71 patients shows that the
      silk fibroin film significantly reduces the time to wound healing and incidence
      of adverse events compared to commercial dressing. Therefore, the study provides
      systematic preclinical and clinical evidence that the silk fibroin film promotes
      wound healing thereby establishing a foundation towards its application for skin
      repair and regeneration in the clinic.

PMID- 28337855
TI  - Simple Protein Modification Using Zwitterionic Polymer to Mitigate the
      Bioactivity Loss of Conjugated Insulin.
AB  - Polymer-protein conjugation has been extensively explored toward a better protein
      drug with improved pharmacokinetics. However, a major problem with polymer
      protein conjugation is that the polymers drastically reduce the bioactivity of
      the modified protein. There is no perfect solution to prevent the bioactivity
      loss, no matter the polymer is conjugated in a non-site specific way, or a more
      complex site-specific procedure. Here the authors report for the first time that
      when zwitterionic carboxybetaine polymer (PCB) is conjugated to insulin through
      simple conventional coupling chemistry. The resulting PCB-insulin does not show a
      significant reduction of in vitro bioactivity. The obtained PCB-insulin shows two
      significant advantages as a novel pharmaceutical agent. First, its therapeutic
      performance is remarkable. For PCB-insulin, there is a 24% increase of in vivo
      pharmacological activity of lowering blood glucose compared with native insulin.
      Such uncommonly seen increase has rarely been reported and is expected to be due
      to both the improved pharmacokinetics and retained bioactivity of PCB-insulin.
      Second, the production is simple from manufacturing standpoints. Conjugation
      procedure involves only one-step coupling reaction without complex site-specific
      linkage technique. The synthesized PCB-insulin conjugates do not require
      chromatographic separation to purify and obtain particular isoforms.

PMID- 28337856
TI  - Contribution of snacks to dietary intakes of young children in the United States.
AB  - Nutritional quality of children's diets is a public health priority in the fight
      against childhood obesity and chronic diseases. The main purpose of this study
      was to determine contribution of snacks to energy and nutrient intakes and to
      identify leading snack food sources of energy, total fat, and added sugars
      amongst young children in the United States. Using the 2005-2012 NHANES data,
      dietary intakes of 2- to 5-year-old children were analysed from a parent-reported
      24-hour dietary recall (n = 3,429). Snacking occasions were aggregated to
      determine the proportion of total food/beverage intake obtained from snacks,
      estimate energy, and nutrient intakes, and identify the leading snack food
      sources of energy, added sugars, and total fat. Nearly all children consumed a
      snack on the reported day (62% morning, 84% afternoon, and 72% evening). Snacks
      accounted for 28% of total energy intake, 32% of carbohydrates, 39% of added
      sugars, and 26% of total fat and dietary fiber intakes for the day. Snacking
      occasions accounted for 46.6% of all beverages consumed on the reported day.
      Snacks and sweets food category (i.e., cookies and pastries) were the leading
      sources of energy (44%), total fat (52%), and added sugars (53%) consumed during
      snacking occasions. Sweetened beverages (e.g., fruit and sport drinks)
      contributed 1-quarter of all added sugars obtained from snacks. Snacks contribute
      considerable amount of energy and nutrients to young children's diets, with a
      heavy reliance on energy-dense foods and beverages. Targeted interventions are
      needed to improve the nutritional quality of snacks consumed by young children.

PMID- 28337858
TI  - Transdermal Protein Delivery Using Choline and Geranate (CAGE) Deep Eutectic
      Solvent.
AB  - Transdermal delivery of peptides and other biological macromolecules is limited
      due to skin's inherent low permeability. Here, the authors report the use of a
      deep eutectic solvent, choline and geranate (CAGE), to enhance topical delivery
      of proteins such as bovine serum albumin (BSA, molecular weight: ~66 kDa),
      ovalbumin (OVA, molecular weight: ~45 kDa) and insulin (INS, molecular weight:
      5.8 kDa). CAGE enhances permeation of BSA, OVA, and insulin into porcine skin ex
      vivo, penetrating deep into the epidermis and dermis. Studies using tritium
      labeled BSA and fluorescein isothiocyanate labeled insulin show significantly
      enhanced delivery of proteins into and across porcine skin, penetrating the skin
      in a time-dependent manner. Fourier transform IR spectra of porcine stratum
      corneum (SC) samples before and after incubation in CAGE show a reduction in peak
      area attributed to SC lipid content, suggesting lipid extraction from the SC.
      Circular dichroism confirms that CAGE does not affect insulin's secondary
      conformation. In vivo studies in rats show that topical application of 10 U
      insulin dispersed in CAGE (25 U kg-1 insulin dose) leads to a highly significant
      40% drop in blood glucose levels in 4 h that is relatively sustained for 12 h.
      Taken together, these studies demonstrate that CAGE is a promising vehicle for
      transdermal delivery of therapeutic proteins; specifically, as a noninvasive
      delivery alternative to injectable insulin for the treatment of diabetes.

PMID- 28337857
TI  - Efficient Electrocatalyst for the Hydrogen Evolution Reaction Derived from
      Polyoxotungstate/Polypyrrole/Graphene.
AB  - Efficient hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) from water by electrocatalysis using
      cost-effective materials is critical to realize the clean hydrogen production.
      Herein, with controlling the structure and composition of
      polyoxotungstate/conductive polypyrrole/graphene (PCG) precursor precisely and
      followed by a temperature-programmed reaction, we developed a highly active and
      stable catalyst: NC@Wx C/NRGO (NC: nitrogen-doped porous carbon, NRGO: nitrogen
      doped reduced graphene oxide). The composite presents splendid performance
      towards HER in acidic media, with a small onset overpotential of 24 mV versus RHE
      (reversible hydrogen electrode), a low Tafel slope of 58.4 mV dec-1 , a low
      overpotential of 100 mV at 10 mA cm-2 , and remarkable long-term cycle stability.
      This is one of the highest HER catalysts among the tungsten carbide-based
      materials ever reported.

PMID- 28337859
TI  - Self-Healable Supramolecular Hydrogel Formed by Nor-Seco-Cucurbit[10]uril as a
      Supramolecular Crosslinker.
AB  - A supramolecular hydrogel was formed by a simple mixing of solutions of nor-seco
      cucurbit[10]uril (NS-CB[10]) and adamantylamine-terminated 4-armed polyethylene
      glycol (AdA-4-arm-PEG). In the formation of the hydrogel, NS-CB[10] acted as a
      noncovalent crosslinker to form a ternary complex with two AdA moieties. The
      dynamic and selective nature of the host-guest interaction between NS-CB[10] and
      AdA enabled the supramolecular hydrogel to rapidly recover its physical
      properties after it was damaged. In addition, the recovered hydrogel retained its
      physical properties with negligible differences from those of the pristine
      material, even after multiple self-healing cycles. The NS-CB[10]-based hydrogel
      with the self-healing property may be useful for various biological applications
      such as drug delivery, cell therapy and tissue engineering.

PMID- 28337860
TI  - Clinical features and long-term outcomes of 105 granulomatosis with polyangiitis
      patients: A single center experience from north India.
AB  - AIM: To describe the clinical features, treatment and long-term outcomes in north
      Indian patients with granulomatosis with polyangiitis (GPA). METHODS: Clinical
      details, Birmingham Vasculitis Activity Score (BVAS-v3), laboratory data,
      histopathology findings, treatment details and outcomes of all consecutive
      patients diagnosed as having GPA between April 2005 and April 2016 were
      retrieved. European Vasculitis Study Group definitions were used to classify
      patients into localized, early systemic, generalized, severe and refractory
      categories. The findings were compared with large single center cohorts from USA,
      Germany and France. RESULTS: One hundred and five patients (median age 40 years;
      60 females and 45 males) were diagnosed as having GPA. Median duration of follow
      up was 28 months. Upper respiratory tract, renal and lung involvement were seen
      in 76.19%, 51.43% and 67.62% of patients, respectively. Ocular, ear, central
      nervous system, peripheral nervous system, heart, gastrointestinal and skin
      involvement were seen in 40.95%, 18.1%, 26.67%, 11.43%, 5.71%, 12.38% and 29.52%,
      respectively. The median BVAS v3 score was 17. Localized, early systemic,
      generalized, severe and refractory disease were seen in three, 44, 38, 17 and one
      patient, respectively. Eighteen patients expired and the cause of death was
      disease activity in 11, disease activity plus sepsis in four and sepsis alone in
      three patients. Twenty-six patients experienced relapses. No hemorrhagic cystitis
      or bladder cancers were observed; however, one patient developed myelodysplastic
      syndrome during follow up. CONCLUSION: Indian patients are younger and have less
      arthritis, renal and peripheral nerve involvement as compared to the patients in
      Western cohorts.

PMID- 28337861
TI  - Identification of 2 novel HLA-B alleles, HLA-B*55:02:09 and HLA-B*55:80 in
      Chinese individuals.
AB  - HLA-B*55:02:09 and HLA-B*55:80 differ from HLA-B*55:02:01 by 1 single nucleotide
      substitution, respectively.

PMID- 28337862
TI  - Bayesian sensitivity analysis of a 1D vascular model with Gaussian process
      emulators.
AB  - One-dimensional models of the cardiovascular system can capture the physics of
      pulse waves but involve many parameters. Since these may vary among individuals,
      patient-specific models are difficult to construct. Sensitivity analysis can be
      used to rank model parameters by their effect on outputs and to quantify how
      uncertainty in parameters influences output uncertainty. This type of analysis is
      often conducted with a Monte Carlo method, where large numbers of model runs are
      used to assess input-output relations. The aim of this study was to demonstrate
      the computational efficiency of variance-based sensitivity analysis of 1D
      vascular models using Gaussian process emulators, compared to a standard Monte
      Carlo approach. The methodology was tested on four vascular networks of
      increasing complexity to analyse its scalability. The computational time needed
      to perform the sensitivity analysis with an emulator was reduced by the 99.96%
      compared to a Monte Carlo approach. Despite the reduced computational time,
      sensitivity indices obtained using the two approaches were comparable. The
      scalability study showed that the number of mechanistic simulations needed to
      train a Gaussian process for sensitivity analysis was of the order O(d), rather
      than O(d*103) needed for Monte Carlo analysis (where d is the number of
      parameters in the model). The efficiency of this approach, combined with capacity
      to estimate the impact of uncertain parameters on model outputs, will enable
      development of patient-specific models of the vascular system, and has the
      potential to produce results with clinical relevance.

PMID- 28337863
TI  - Zoonotic influenza viruses: antigenic and genetic characteristics and development
      of candidate vaccine viruses for pandemic preparedness.

PMID- 28337865
TI  - Helicobacter pylori and Barrett?s esophagus: a protective factor or a real cause?
AB  - Notwithstanding the definite aetiopathogenetic path of certain diseases, the
      relationship between Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) and Barrett?s esophagus
      (BE), a condition that increases the risk for dysplasia and consequently
      adenocarcinoma of the distal esophagus and esophagogastric junction, remains
      uncertain. This paper reviews the current scientific literature with emphasis on
      the protective correlation between H. pylori infection and BE and demonstrates
      that a causal relationship has not been disproved with certainty. Furthermore, H.
      pylori infection could pose a risk for the onset of gastroesophageal reflux
      disease (GERD), which could in turn trigger BE, a precancerous lesion, and
      subsequently cause cancer. By analyzing the current available data, this article
      tries to verify that H. pylori infection is the underlying cause of esophageal
      cancer.

PMID- 28337864
TI  - Molecular basis of growth, proliferation, and differentiation of mammalian
      follicular granulosa cells.
AB  - For normal folliculogenesis and oogenesis to occur many intrinsic and extrinsic
      factors are needed, i.e. positive feedback of hormone secretion and local ovarian
      follicular growth factors distribution. During follicle formation, granulosa
      cells (GCs) change their morphology and physiological properties. The factors
      needed for GCs to differentiate within each layer are transforming growth factor
      beta (TGFB) and insulin-like growth factor (IGF), as well as the activation and
      modification of biochemical pathways involved in folliculogenesis. Physiological
      alterations occur when GC genes are characterized by several differences in their
      gene expression profile. Studies in recent years indicate a variety of processes
      involved in follicle morphology and biochemical remodeling during growth and
      development. It was demonstrated that IGFs play a central role in the
      differentiation of GCs both in vivo and in vitro. Moreover, the primary role of
      FSH and LH in the formation of the ovarian follicle, was also described. Our
      review article characterizes the most important pathways involved in the
      differentiation of GCs and the effect of various factors on gene expression in
      GCs during folliculogenesis.

PMID- 28337866
TI  - Fibromyalgia and bipolar disorder: extent of comorbidity and therapeutic
      implications.
AB  - Fibromyalgia (FM) is a syndrome that affects muscles and soft tissues. Presenting
      symptoms include chronic muscle pain, fatigue, sleep problems and psychological
      symptoms, including depression and anxiety. There exists strong evidence of a
      comorbidity between FM and Bipolar Disorder (BD). In this study, papers from 2006
      to February 2016 that examined the comorbidity and etiological similarities of FM
      and BD were reviewed, as well as the therapeutic implications of these findings.
      The reviewed articles showed that an adequate psychiatric screening for BD is
      recommended in FM patients with depressive symptoms, in order to decrease
      administration of antidepressants for BD, due to the lack of proven efficacy, and
      to limit antidepressant-induced mania. Alternative therapies, such as
      agomelatine, memantine and psychotherapic treatment should be considered.

PMID- 28337867
TI  - Alexithymia and its relationships with inflammatory response mediated by IL-1
      family members.
AB  - The major aim of this study is to provide a review of the research studies
      regarding the clinical link between alexithymia and interleukins (IL). We
      performed a search for the relevant literature by using search terms as
      "alexithymia" combined with "interleukin or IL". A total of 9 original research
      studies were identified and included. Alexithymia was found to be prevalent in
      inflammatory response and associated with inflammatory cytokines. Our review
      emphasized for the first time the relationships of alexithymia with inflammatory
      response mediated by IL-1 family members. Therefore, the screening of alexithymic
      traits and the administration of appropriate psychological and
      psychotherapeutical interventions should be integral parts of disease management
      programs. Supplying such interventions will probably help with prevention of the
      development of the disease and/or its exacerbation by improving the quality of
      life of alexithymic individuals.

PMID- 28337868
TI  - Inflammation in lung after acute myocardial infarction is induced by dendritic
      cell-mediated immune response.
AB  - The present study was performed to describe the changes of lung tissues in mice
      with acute myocardial infarction (AMI) and also explain the cell mechanism
      involved in inflammation in lung. AMI was established by left coronary ligation
      in mice. Then mice were divided into three groups: control group, MW1 group
      (sampling after surgery for one week) and MW2 group (sampling after surgery for
      two weeks). Afterwards, measurement of lung weight and lung histology, cell
      sorting in bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) fluid and detection of several adhesive
      molecules, inflammatory molecules as well as enzyme associated with inflammation
      were performed. Moreover, dendritic cells (DCs) were isolated from bone marrow of
      C57B/L6 mice. After incubating with necrotic myocardium, the expression of
      antigen presenting molecules, co-stimulatory molecules and inflammatory molecules
      were detected by flow cytometry or immunohistochemistry in DCs. We also detected
      T-cell proliferation after incubating with necrotic myocardium-treated DCs. AMI
      induced pathological changes of lung tissue and increased inflammatory cell
      amount in BAL fluid. AMI also increased the expression of several inflammatory
      factors, adhesive molecules and enzymes associated with inflammation. CD11c and
      TLR9, which are DC surface markers, showed a significantly increased expression
      in mice with AMI. Additionally, necrotic myocardium significantly increased the
      expression of co-stimulatory factors including CD83 and CD80, inflammatory
      cytokines including TNF-alpha, IFN-gamma and NF-kappaB in DCs. Furthermore, DCs
      treated with necrotic myocardium also significantly promoted T-cell
      proliferation. AMI induced inflammation in lung and these pathological changes
      were mediated by DC-associated immune response.

PMID- 28337870
TI  - JAK2 tyrosine kinase inhibitor AG490 suppresses cell growth and invasion of
      gallbladder cancer cells via inhibition of JAK2/STAT3 signaling.
AB  - The Janus kinase-signal transducers and activators of transcription signaling
      pathway (JAK/STAT pathway) have displayed a critical role in tumor development
      and progression in multiple malignancies. Previous studies showed that inhibition
      of JAK/STAT signaling blocked cell growth and metastasis in cancer cells,
      however, the antitumor effects of JAK inhibitor AG490 on gallbladder cancer (GBC)
      have not been reported. Our present study aimed to investigate the effects and
      associated mechanisms of JAK inhibitor AG490 on cell growth, invasive potential
      and apoptosis in GBC cells (GBC-SD and SGC-996) indicated by MTT, cell colony
      formation, Transwell and flow cytometry. As a consequence, we found that JAK2
      inhibitor AG490 inhibited cell growth and invasion, and induced cell apoptosis
      and cycle arrest in GBC-SD and SGC-996 cells. Furthermore, the expression levels
      of p-JAK2, p-STAT3, VEGFC-/-D and cyclinD1 were downregulated, while p53
      expression was upregulated in AG490-treated GBC cells indicated by Western blot
      assay. Therefore, our findings demonstrate that JAK inhibitor AG490 inhibits
      growth and invasion of GBC cells via blockade of JAK2/STAT3 signaling and
      provides the potential therapeutic strategy for the treatment of GBC patients.

PMID- 28337869
TI  - Knockdown of HMGB1 inhibits cell proliferation and induces apoptosis in
      hemangioma via downregulation of AKT pathway.
AB  - The high mobility group box 1 (HMGB1) as a conserved non-histone nuclear protein
      has been involved in a variety of biological processes of cancer, such as cell
      proliferation, apoptosis, angiogenesis and metastasis. Despite the increased
      expression of HMGB1 in many malignant tumors, the functions and molecular
      mechanisms by which HMGB1 contributes to the formation of hemangioma (HA) remain
      unclear. In the present study, immunohistochemistry was used to detect the
      expression levels of HMGB1 in different phases of human HAs. Cell function
      experiments, including MTT, cell colony formation and flow cytometry analysis
      were performed to evaluate the effects of HMGB1 knockdown on cell proliferation
      and apoptosis in HA CRL-2586 EOMA cells. As a consequence, we found that HMGB1
      expression was significantly increased in proliferating phase HAs compared with
      the involuting phase HAs and normal skin tissues (P less than 0.01). Moreover,
      knockdown of HMGB1 gene in vitro suppressed EOMA cell proliferation and colony
      formation and induced cell apoptosis and cycle arrest at G0/G1 phase by
      downregulation of PCNA, CyclinD1, p-AKT and upregulation of p53 and cleaved PARP.
      Taken together, our findings demonstrate that HMGB1 may be implicated in the
      formation of HA through upregulation of AKT pathway, and represent a potential
      therapeutic target for treating HA.

PMID- 28337871
TI  - Cytokine modulation in patients with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis undergoing
      treatment with steroids, immunosuppressants, and IFN-gamma 1b.
AB  - Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) is a chronic lung disease of unknown etiology
      and pathogenic mechanisms. From an etiopathogenic point of view, alveolar
      macrophages play a key role in accumulation of fibroblasts and deposition of
      collagen and extracellular matrix by releasing specific cytokines and
      inflammatory mediators. IPF seems to be also associated with circulating
      fibrocytes, which might be involved with an abnormal pulmonary vascular repair
      and remodeling. Based on its hypothesized pathologic mechanisms, anti
      inflammatory, anti-fibrotic and immunosuppressive therapies are often used. For
      these reasons, Interferon-g (IFN-g) has been used to exploit its activity on
      macrophages and fibroblasts. The aim of this study was to investigate the
      response to corticosteroids and/or IFN-g 1b treatments based on pulmonary
      function tests and on inflammatory cytokine patterns of expression on
      bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL), at baseline and during and after the therapies.
      Unlike previous studies, we analyzed a period of therapy longer than 1 year. Our
      results demonstrated the effectiveness of IFN-gamma in a group of IPF patients in
      whom the treatment was prolonged for over a year. These data suggest a positive
      role of IFN-gamma; treatment in patients in the initial stage of the disease.

PMID- 28337872
TI  - Safety and pharmacodynamic mechanism of ropivacaine lumbar anesthesia in Cesarean
      section.
AB  - Lumbar anesthesia is the preferred anesthetic approach for puerperae undergoing
      cesarean section in China. To observe the safety of administering different doses
      of ropivacaine for cesarean section and its pharmacodynamic mechanism, we
      randomly divided 180 pregnant women undergoing cesarean section into three
      groups: group A, 10 mg ropivacaine (0.50%); group B, 12 mg ropivacaine (0.50%);
      and group C, 14 mg ropivacaine (0.50%). Pharmacodynamic index, anesthesia quality
      and incidence of untoward reactions of each group were observed. Group A
      performed the poorest and group C the best in evaluation of sensory and motory
      block (P less than 0.05). With regard to evaluation of hemodynamic index,
      hemodynamic parameters of the three groups had significant differences after
      medication; mean arterial pressure (MAP) of patients in group B decreased at time
      points T1, T2 and T3 and heart rate (HR) became much higher at T1 (P less than
      0.05); MAP of the patients in group C decreased at T1, T2, T3 and T4, but HR
      became higher at T1 and T2 (P less than 0.05); HR of group B was higher than that
      of group A at T1 (P less than 0.05); MAP of the patients in group C had a
      significant decrease at T1, T2, T3 and T4, but HR became higher at T2 (P less
      than 0.05); MAP of patients in group C significantly decreased compared to group
      B at T1 and T2, but HR became higher at T2 (P less than 0.05). Fluctuation of
      oxyhemoglobin saturation (SpO2) of all patients was between 95% and 99%. There
      was no occurrence of myocardial ischemia or arrhythmia. 1-min Apgar score of
      neonates of the three groups had no significant difference (P0.05). The incidence
      of adverse reactions of the patients in group C was much higher than that of the
      patients in the other groups (P less than 0.05). Twelve mg ropivacaine (5%) is
      the most suitable dose for pregnant women undergoing cesarean section as it can
      achieve a sound anesthetic effect and high safety and, moreover, has little
      influence on respiratory and circulatory functions.

PMID- 28337873
TI  - Cyclosporine?A augments endoplasmic reticulum stress markers and expression of
      matrix protein mRNA.
AB  - Cyclosporine-A induces gingival overgrowth with disturbance in the homeostasis of
      cells and connective tissue proteins. Human gingival fibroblasts were cultured
      with cyclosporine A, and the expression of two vital endoplasmic stress markers
      and two prime matrix proteins (connective tissue growth factor (CTGF and
      periostin) were assessed by RT-PCR. We found that expression of Glucose-Regulated
      Protein 78 (GRP78/BIP) and CCAAT/enhancer binding protein, C/EBP homologous
      protein (CHOP) were significantly increased, along with CTGF and periostin,
      suggesting a role for these factors in gingival overgrowth.

PMID- 28337875
TI  - The pig as a model for premature infants - the importance of immunoglobulin
      supplementation for growth and development.
AB  - Preterm human neonates, contrary to preterm piglets, obtain immunoglobulins from
      their mothers via the placenta during intrauterine development. However, one
      should note that the majority of trans-placental transfer of immunoglobulins in
      humans takes place during the last trimester of pregnancy. It is also known that
      the feeding of limited amounts of colostrum or systemic infusion of small amounts
      of serum improves the survival of preterm and full-term piglets. Full-term
      piglets deprived of their mother's immunoglobulins exhibit strong apathy and
      develop watery diarrhoea, often resulting in death. The aim of the current study
      was to determine if provision of immunoglobulins using different approaches would
      be beneficial for survival outcomes. To reach the immunological sufficient level
      we infused immunoglobulins intravenously in amount mimicking the blood level in
      piglets fed with sow colostrum. Intravenous infusion of immunoglobulins in both
      preterm and full-term newborn piglets fully ensured their survival, growth and
      blood immunoglobulin G and protein levels similar to those observed in piglets
      fed colostrum. Piglets completely deprived of immunoglobulins exhibited
      significantly lower blood levels of immunoglobulins and protein compared to
      colostrum-fed animals. Piglets infused with only serum exhibited significantly
      lower blood immunoglobulin G level compared to those infused with
      immunoglobulins. In conclusion, based on the data obtained, we suggest that
      passive immune support provided by colostrum intake or early systemic infusion of
      Ig's in sufficient amounts is key to ensuring the general well-being of preterm
      and full-term new born piglets, used as an animal model for the human infant.

PMID- 28337874
TI  - The biomedical aspects of oral mucosal epithelial cell culture in mammals.
AB  - In recent years, there has been a growing interest in epithelial cell tissue
      culture, particularly oral mucosa and its application utilizing in vitro cell
      culture in medicine. This involves tests using animal models to better understand
      oral mucosa function, and the differences in its construction in various animal
      models. The use of buccal pouch mucosal cell culture provides insight into the
      processes of trans mucosal transport and regeneration of the oral epithelium. The
      processes associated with epithelium regeneration is the base for stem cell
      research and/or oral cancer investigation. These artificially cultured tissue
      equivalents are used in transplant surgery for the treatment of a variety of
      tissue dysfunctions, i.e. eye, esophagus, or urethra. In this review, the most
      recent results from studies carried out on in animal models, which may be applied
      in areas such as regenerative medicine and reconstructive surgery, were explored.

PMID- 28337877
TI  - Correlation between Cystatin C and retinopathy of type-two diabetes mellitus
      patients.
AB  - Diabetic retinopathy is one of most common diabetic microvascular complications.
      In recent years the incidence of the disease has increased, hence early diagnosis
      and treatment are of great importance. In order to find reliable biological
      indexes to diagnose and treat type-two diabetes mellitus promptly, this study
      focused on the correlation between Cystatin C (Cys C) and retinopathy of type-two
      diabetes mellitus patients. One hundred and eighty type-two diabetes mellitus
      patients and one hundred healthy controls (the control group) were chosen in this
      study. Of the patients ninety-eight patients had typetwo diabetes mellitus
      without retinopathy (non-diabetic retinopathy group) and eighty-two had typetwo
      diabetes mellitus with retinopathy (diabetic retinopathy group). Correlation of
      Cys C and typetwo diabetic retinopathy was analyzed by examining the waist-hip
      ratio, fasting blood glucose (FBG), total cholesterol (TC), triglycerides (TG),
      high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C), low-density lipoprotein cholesterol
      (LDL-C), glycosylated hemoglobin (HbA1c), and Cys C of both groups. The results
      showed that FBG, TC, TG, LDL-C, HbA1c, Cys C in the type-two diabetes mellitus
      patients group were higher than those of the control group (P less than 0.05).
      Age, course of diabetes, FBG, HbA1c, and Cys C levels were statistically
      significant in both the DR group and NDR group (P less than 0.05). The result of
      logistic regression analysis indicates that there was a positive correlation
      between type-two diabetic retinopathy development and age, course of diabetes,
      and Cys C level (P less than 0.05). Thus, it can be seen that changes of Cys C
      levels can assist early diagnosis and treatment of diabetic retinopathy to some
      extent. The patients with high Cys C level, long course of diabetes, and old age
      are more likely to have diabetic retinopathy.

PMID- 28337878
TI  - Salivary cortisol, alpha-amylase and immunoglobulin a responses to a morning
      session of basketball or volleyball training in boys aged 14-18 years.
AB  - This study investigates whether a single session of routine morning basketball or
      volleyball training affects saliva levels of cortisol, alpha-amylase (sAA) and
      secretory immunoglobulin A (sIgA) in boys aged 14?18 years. Twenty-nine boys who
      participate in basketball or volleyball training, recruited from the Marcin
      Gortat?s Athletic Championship School in Lodz, were enrolled in the study. The 90
      minute routine exercise program included 15 minutes of warm-up followed by
      basketball or volleyball practice. Unstimulated saliva samples were collected
      prior to and immediately after the exercise, and were analysed using ELISA. One
      training session resulted in a significant increase of sAA concentration in all
      participants, as well as in the volleyball and basketball subgroups (p=0.00022;
      p=0.0029; p=0.0011; respectively). Post-exercise cortisol levels were
      significantly lower than pre-exercise levels (p=0.00002) throughout the group, as
      well as in the volleyball and basketball subgroups (p=0.0048; p=0.0019; p=0.0048;
      respectively). The exercise protocol did not significantly affect sIgA level,
      either in the whole examined group or the volleyball subgroup, however a weak
      significant increase of sIgA was observed in the basketball subgroup (p=0.046).
      The routine morning training session comprising a warm-up followed by basketball
      or volleyball practice seems to activate the sympatho-adrenal-medullary system,
      with a subsequent increase of alpha-amylase, but does not affect oral immunity in
      14-18-year-old boys.

PMID- 28337876
TI  - The efficacy of proanthocyanidins and secnidazole in the treatment of chronic
      periodontitis after scaling and root planing therapy.
AB  - The aim of this study is to evaluate the clinical and microbiological effect of
      the systemic antibiotic therapy of proanthocyanidins and secnidazole on
      periodontitis. Seventy-five subjects with chronic periodontitis were randomly
      divided into two treatment groups (secnidazole or proanthocyanidins) and one
      placebo control group (25 cases each). Plaque index (PI), gingival index (GI),
      gingival bleeding index (BI), probing pocket depth (PPD), and clinical attachment
      level (CAL) were carried out at baseline, post-treatment and 3 months after
      treatment. Microbial analysis was performed at baseline and post-treatment. The
      results show that the two treatment groups had greater mean reduction in BI, GI,
      and PPD evaluated at both post-treatment and 3 months after treatment compared to
      the control group (p less than 0.05), but there were no significant differences
      in those of PI and CAL (except CAL evaluated at post-treatment, p 0.05). After
      treatment, culturable bacteria counts significantly decreased. In conclusion, the
      adjunctive use of proanthocyanidins or secnidazole in combination with scaling
      and root planing in adults with periodontitis is effective in reducing the
      pathogenic flora and achieves significantly better clinical results to a certain
      degree.

PMID- 28337880
TI  - Effects of anesthesia using propofol and etomidate on T lymphocyte subpopulation
      of infectious shock patients in perioperative period.
AB  - Infectious or septic shock is induced when a toxic microorganism invades blood
      circulation in the human body. Emergency operation is an effective method for
      treating infectious shock in the early stages although the use of anesthesia is
      more complex due to the internal disorders caused by the disease. This study
      explored the effects of propofol and etomidate anesthesia on the cellular immune
      function (T lymphocyte subpopulation) of infectious shock patients, aiming to
      provide a basis for the selection of the proper anesthetic method. One hundred
      and twenty patients with infectious shock were selected and randomly divided into
      an observation and a control group. The control group were narcotized using
      propofol, while the observation group were narcotized using etomidate. The
      effects on the immune functions of patients and drug-related adverse reactions
      were compared between the two groups. Results demonstrated that the levels of
      CD3+ and CD4+ of the two groups were similar before anesthesia and the
      differences had no statistical significance (P 0.05). After anesthesia, the
      levels of both groups showed a tendency to decrease and the levels of CD3+ and
      CD4+ of the observation group were much higher than those of the control group in
      the different periods. The differences were statistically significant (P less
      than 0.05); the differences of CD8+ level and CD4+/CD8+ between the two groups
      had no statistical significance before anesthesia (P0.05); after anesthesia, CD8+
      level and CD4+/CD8+ of the observation group were all much higher than those of
      the control group in the different periods and the differences had statistical
      significance (P less than 0.05). Therefore, the conclusion is that etomidate
      anesthesia has little influence on the immune functions of infectious shock
      patients in perioperative period and the incidence of adverse reaction is low,
      hence, worth clinical promotion.

PMID- 28337879
TI  - Effects of human parathyroid hormone on bone morphogenetic protein signal pathway
      following spinal fusion in diabetic rats.
AB  - Osteoporosis is a major complication in patients with diabetes mellitus. Thus, it
      is crucial to study the signal mechanisms responsible for enhancement of bone
      mass in diabetes. Administration of human parathyroid hormone (hPTH) has been
      reported to prevent osteoblast apoptosis and have anabolic effects on bone in
      animals and humans. In the present study, we examined the effects of hPTH on
      expression of bone morphogenetic protein type 2 (BMP-2) and its receptor BMPR2 in
      diabetic rats following spinal fusion. Our data show that hPTH amplified BMP-2
      and BMPR2 in bone tissues of non-diabetic rats, but not in diabetic rats. Our
      data further demonstrate that hPTH plays a role in regulating BMP-2 and BMPR2 via
      mTOR-PI3K signal pathway. We suggest specific signaling pathways by which hPTH
      regulates BMP-2 via mTOR-PI3K mechanism in bone formation following spinal
      fusion. Notably, our data indicate under diabetic conditions this signal pathway
      is impaired, thereby likely affecting bone formation after spinal fusion. The
      subsequent induction of BMP-2 and BMPR2 are likely a part of the protective
      effects aimed at attenuating pathological bone damage as a result of diabetes.

PMID- 28337881
TI  - Indoleamine 2,3-dioxygenase and regulatory t cells in intestinal mucosa in
      children with inflammatory bowel disease.
AB  - Impaired immune regulation has been suggested as an underlying mechanism of
      inflammatory bowel disease. Indoleamine 2,3-dioxygenase (IDO) and regulatory T
      cells expressing FOXP3 are crucial elements of immune regulation. Conversion of
      FOXP3- lymphocytes to Tregs is one of the functions of IDO. The aim of this study
      was to evaluate the number of cells expressing FOXP3 and IDO in the lamina
      propria of intestinal mucosa and to evaluate correlations between these
      parameters and disease activity. Sixty-six children newly diagnosed with
      inflammatory bowel disease (41 patients with ulcerative colitis and 25 patients
      with Crohn?s disease) were included in the study. Clinical activity of the
      disease was assessed by the Pediatric Ulcerative Colitis Activity Index and the
      Pediatric Crohn?s Disease Activity Index. Histopathological activity was scored
      according to the system described by Geboes. The infiltration of FOXP3+ and IDO+
      cells was evaluated by immunohistochemistry. Sixteen patients with a diagnosis of
      irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) served as a control group. Lamina propria
      demonstrated a significantly higher infiltration of FOXP3+ and IDO+ cells in
      inflammatory bowel disease compared to the control group (p=0.001, p=0.004,
      respectively). The number of IDO+ and FOXP3+ cells correlated with clinical and
      histopathologic activity of Crohn?s disease. A positive correlation between the
      number of IDO+ and FOXP3+ cells was found in both types of inflammatory disease
      but not in patients with IBS. We conclude that indoleamine dioxygenase and FOXP3+
      cells are upregulated in the intestinal mucosa of children with inflammatory
      bowel disease. IDO mediated conversion of FOXP3 -T cells to Tregs predominantly
      occurs in inflammation.

PMID- 28337883
TI  - Evaluation of tolerance and safety of conversion from mycophenolate mofetil to
      enteric-coated mycophenolic acid in renal transplant recipients.
AB  - This study was designed to evaluate the curative effect of conversion from
      mycophenolate mofetil (MMF) to enteric-coated mycophenolate sodium tablets (EC
      MPS) and its safety. One hundred and twenty renal transplant recipients who
      developed MMF-associated chronic diarrhea were selected as research subjects and
      treated with EC-MPS. The patients were followed up for 12 months to compare the
      improvement of gastrointestinal symptoms and the indexes such as carbon dioxide
      combining power (CO2CP), serum sodium, serum potassium, serum creatinine (Scr)
      and 24-h urine protein before and after conversion treatment. One hundred and ten
      of the 120 patients tolerated the conversion treatment and the dose increment of
      EC-MPS at week 28. After initiating the conversion treatment, the improvement
      rate of diarrhea within 2 weeks was 95% (114/120). Indexes, such as CO2CP, serum
      sodium, serum potassium, after conversion treatment were higher than those before
      treatment (P less than 0.05). No acute rejection reactions were observed in the
      12-month follow-up. Indexes of Scr and 24-h urine protein had significant
      improvement after conversion treatment compared to before conversion treatment (P
      less than 0.05). Compared to before treatment, the average values of indexes in
      gastrointestinal symptom rating scale in the 12th month remained stable, except
      for the increase of dose. For renal transplant recipients who received suboptimal
      EC-MPS treatment due to gastrointestinal symptoms, conversion from MMF to EC-MPS
      can significantly lower gastrointestinal symptom load, improve quality of life,
      relieve electrolyte disturbance and improve the injured functions of transplanted
      kidney, without increasing the risks of acute rejection reactions.

PMID- 28337882
TI  - Correlation between blood asymmetric dimethylarginine level and the complications
      of patients with cardiovascular diseases.
AB  - This study aimed to investigate the correlation between blood asymmetric
      dimethylarginine (ADMA) and the complications of patients with cardiovascular
      diseases through studying the level changes of ADMA, endothelial nitric oxide
      synthase (eNOS) and NO. Two hundred research subjects with small differences in
      gender ratio and age, including 50 patients with hypertension combined with
      myocardial infarction, 50 patients with hypertension, 50 patients with myocardial
      infarction and 50 healthy normal controls, were enrolled. Relevant basic indexes
      were measured and recorded; the blood ADMA levels of all the research subjects
      were detected using high pressure liquid chromatography (HPLC) within the
      required time. Furthermore, the levels of eNOS and NO were detected using enzyme
      linked immunosorbent assay and the relevant information, such as blood pressure,
      was recorded. The comparison and analysis results of data obtained through
      detection demonstrated that the subjects in the four groups were well comparable.
      It was found that the myocardial infarction combined with hypertension group had
      a much higher serum ADMA level and relatively low levels of eNOS and NO compared
      to those of the other three groups; the myocardial infarction group and the
      hypertension group had a much higher serum ADMA level compared to that of the
      healthy control group and the two groups had much lower levels of eNOS and NO.
      Moreover, the serum ADMA level was in a positive correlation with the severity of
      cardiovascular diseases and it showed a significant difference in patients with
      different severity of hypertension. The change of blood ADMA level can induce
      acute myocardial infarction as well as the occurrence of cardiovascular disease
      associated complications.

PMID- 28337884
TI  - Neurochemical effects of photobiostimulation in the trigeminal ganglion after
      inferior alveolar nerve injury.
AB  - Orofacial pain is associated with peripheral and central sensitization of
      trigeminal nociceptive neurons. Nerve injury results in release of chemical
      mediators that contribute to persistent pain conditions. The activation of the
      transient receptor potential vanilloid 1 (TRPV1), promotes release of calcitonin
      gene-related peptide (CGRP) and substance P (SP) from trigeminal nerve terminals.
      CGRP and SP contribute to the development of peripheral hyperalgesia. The
      expression of SP and CGRP by primary afferent neurons is rapidly increased in
      response to peripheral inflammation. CGRP receptor activation promotes activation
      of AMPA receptors, leading to increased firing of neurons which is reflected as
      central sensitization. In this study we investigated whether inferior alveolar
      nerve (IAN) injury influences AMPA receptors, CGRP, SP and TRPV1 expression in
      the trigeminal ganglion (TG). The relative expression of the protein of interest
      from naive rats was compared to those from injured rats and animals that received
      low level laser therapy (LLLT). IAN-injury did not change expression of GluA1,
      GluA2 and CGRP, but increased the expression of TRPV1 and SP. LLLT increases
      GluA1 and GluA2 expression and decreases TVPV1, SP and CGRP. These results,
      together with previous behavioral data, suggest that IAN-injury induced changes
      in the proteins analyzed, which could impact on nociceptive threshold. These data
      may help to understand the molecular mechanisms of pain sensitization in the TG.

PMID- 28337885
TI  - Role of diode lasers in oro-facial pain management.
AB  - With the increasing use of low level laser therapy (LLLT) in clinical dentistry,
      the aim of the present study was to assess the effectiveness of diode lasers in
      the management of orofacial pain. Indexed databases were searched without
      language and time restrictions up to and including July 2016 using different
      combinations of the following key words: oral, low level laser therapy, dental,
      pain, diode lasers, discomfort and analgesia. From the literature reviewed it is
      evident that LLLT is effective compared to traditional procedures in the
      management of oro-facial pain associated to soft tissue and hard tissue
      conditions such as premalignant lesions, gingival conditions and dental
      extractions. However, it remains to be determined which particular wavelength
      will produce the more favorable and predictable outcome in terms of pain
      reduction. It is highly recommended that further randomized control trials with
      well-defined control groups should be performed to determine the precise
      wavelengths of the diode lasers for the management of oro-facial pain. Within the
      limits of the present review, it is concluded that diode lasers therapy is more
      effective in the management of oro-facial pain compared to traditional
      procedures.

PMID- 28337886
TI  - Osteogenesis-promoting activity of composites SBA-15 mesoporous particles
      carrying oxytocin in vitro and in vivo.
AB  - This study analyzes the performance of SBA-15 mesoporous particles carrying
      oxytocin (OT) in promoting osteogenesis in vitro and in vivo. The SBA-15
      particles synthesized in the previous studies (about 30 MUm in diameter and
      containing 10 nm deep pores) were loaded with the drug oxytocin and cultured with
      human osteosarcoma MG-63 cell line in vitro. The influence of particles on cell
      proliferation was studied. The level of the osteogenic marker (alkaline
      phosphatase and type I collagen) was measured. For in vivo studies, the
      connectivity defects of rabbit skull were prepared, and SBA-15 suspensions were
      regularly injected at the defect sites. The changes in the defect site calcium
      salt deposition were measured, and morphological changes were observed by
      microscopy. The material had to promote effect on osteogenesis-related indicators
      such as alkaline phosphatase and collagen I in bone sarcoma cell line MG-63. In
      vivo, the calcium salt deposition in OT/SBA-15 group was significantly higher
      than in the blank group. SBA-15 carriers appeared to persist in the region of the
      defect after the injection and release the drugs slowly, thus playing a more
      distinct role in promoting bone repair of local bone defects. The results showed
      that SBA-15 particles with OT could slow the release drugs and could help in
      promoting osteogenesis.

PMID- 28337888
TI  - Decitabine treatment for acute myeloid leukemia relapse after allogeneic
      hematopoietic stem cell transplantation.
AB  - Therapeutic options for patients with relapse of acute myeloid leukemia (AML)
      after allo-SCT are limited. Here, we present a case of a 49-year female with AML
      who underwent myeloablative allo-SCT from a matched sibling donor. Seven months
      after transplantation she developed cGVHD and suffered from extramedullary plus
      concurrent medullary relapse. The presence of CNS extramedullary disease is
      unique. Our patient was treated with decetabine. After one cycle the patient
      achieved complete remission and full donor chimerism without severe side effects
      or the occurrence of GVHD. Our case report, together with previous studies,
      provides strong evidence that decitabine may be a suitable treatment option for
      AML relapse after allogeneic transplantation, especially in patients who
      developed GVHD.

PMID- 28337887
TI  - Up-regulation of miR-888-5p in hepatocellular carcinoma cell lines and its effect
      on malignant characteristics of cells.
AB  - MicroRNA (miRNA) expression has been linked to the molecular pathogenesis of
      hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). The aberrant expression of miRNA is involved in
      the processes of tumorigenesis and cancer progression. According to the latest
      research, miR-888-5p is associated with strong cancer-promoting effect. For
      instance, miR-888-5p is up-regulated in prostate cancer and breast cancer.
      Nevertheless, the role of miR-888-5p in HCC has not been investigated to date. In
      this study, we found that miR-888-5p levels in four HCC cell lines (SMMC7721,
      HepG2, Huh-7 and Bel7402) were significantly up-regulated compared with human
      hepatocyte cell line (HHL-5). After transiently transfected with miR-888-5p
      mimic, our results demonstrated that miR-888-5p plays a major role in promoting
      the proliferation and metastatic potential of HCC cells. Moreover, miR-888-5p
      also increased the expression of MMP-2 and MMP-9 proteins which account for cell
      migration and invasion, and decreased the expression of p53 protein which further
      promoted malignance of HCC. Therefore, miR-888-5p may be considered a potential
      biomarker for diagnostics and prognosis of HCC.

PMID- 28337889
TI  - Detection of combined procalcitonin and c-reactive protein applied in the
      diagnosis of bacterial infections.
AB  - In recent years, procalcitonin and C-reactive protein have been used as important
      indexes in the detection of inflammation. In order to analyze the combined
      detection of procalcitonin and C-reactive protein in infected patients, 57
      subjects in the Clinical Laboratory of Zhengzhou Maternal and Child Health
      Hospital with a bacterial infection were selected as the observation group.
      Correspondingly, 57 non-infected subjects were selected for the control group.
      The procalcitonin and C-reactive protein levels in the included cases were
      analyzed and compared by extracting peripheral blood. The results showed that the
      two indexes of C-reactive protein (46.13+/-8.24 mg/L) and procalcitonin (6.61+/
      3.45 ug/L) of the observation group were significantly higher than those of the
      control group (P less than 0.05). The positive rates of C-reactive protein
      (71.93%) and procalcitonin (91.23%) of the observation group were significantly
      higher than those of the control group (P less than0.05). Within the observation
      group, the C-reactive protein and procalcitonin levels in the infected patients
      after 2 and 3 days of treatment, decreased significantly (P less than 0.05). This
      study indicates that the combined detection of procalcitonin and C-reactive
      protein in patients with bacterial infections is effective and can be used in
      clinical settings.

PMID- 28337891
TI  - Screening and comparison of polychromatic and monochromatic image reconstruction
      of abdominal arterial energy spectrum CT.
AB  - We screened the suitable image reconstruction to observe the abdominal artery and
      compare the quality between the polychromatic and the monochromatic
      reconstruction images of the abdominal artery spectrum CT. Eighty patients
      underwent Gemstone CT energy spectrum imaging to obtain an abdominal artery
      polychromatic image (140 kVp) and a monochromatic image from 40 ~ 140 keV. The CT
      value of region of interest (ROI) was measured on the polychromatic image and the
      single energy image. The signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) and contrast-to-noise ratio
      (CNR) of the abdominal aorta and hepatic artery were determined. The images in
      each group underwent image quality subjective scoring by three experienced
      radiologists using a blinded method. Finally, comprehensive comparisons and image
      quality subjective scorings were performed on the CT, SNR, and CNR values of the
      abdominal aorta. The obtained data were statistically analyzed by SPSS 19.0
      software. When the keV value was reduced, the CT value of the abdominal artery
      gradually increased, and the image noise also changed. The comprehensive
      comparisons and subjective scorings were finalized for each single energy image
      based on the abdominal artery image quality objective indicators (CT value, SNR,
      and CNR). Results revealed that the abdominal artery image quality in the 50 ~ 60
      keV monochromatic group was better compared to the polychromatic group.
      Furthermore, onochromatic imaging had different impacts on the abdominal aorta
      and hepatic artery image qualities. In different types of abdominal arterial
      reconstruction images obtained using abdominal energy spectrum CT conventional
      enhanced scanning, the image quality of the 50 ~ 60keV monochromatic
      reconstruction was higher when compared with the polychromatic reconstruction.
      Thus, it is recommended to apply the conventional reconstruction for abdominal
      artery energy spectrum CT scanning.

PMID- 28337890
TI  - Beneficial effects of protein hydrolysates in exercise and sports nutrition.
AB  - Protein hydrolysates (PH) are rich sources of proteins that supply the need of
      exercising muscles. PHs are enriched in di- and tripeptides and are better than
      free amino acids or intact proteins when muscle anabolic effect is considered.
      Digestion, absorption and muscle uptake of amino acids are faster and more
      efficient when PH is ingested in comparison to the respective intact protein. PHs
      not only enhance endurance in high intensity exercise regimen, but also help in
      faster post-exercise recovery of muscle by promoting glycogen synthesis, although
      the latter effect requires more convincing evidence. PHs have been shown to
      exhibit insulinotrophic effect as it enhances the secretion of insulin and the
      hormone, in turn, exerts muscle anabolic effect.

PMID- 28337892
TI  - Idiopathic intracranial hypertension in a paediatric population: a retrospective
      observational study on epidemiology, symptoms and treatment.
AB  - Idiopathic intracranial hypertension (IIH) is a disorder of unknown origin, which
      is characterized by elevated intracranial pressure (ICP) without underlying
      etiological evidence of neurological disease. The purpose of the current study
      was to evaluate epidemiological features, clinical presentation, diagnostic
      findings and treatment of sixteen children (7 males and 9 females) with IIH.
      Medical records of the patients were obtained from the University Paediatric
      Hospital of Catania, Italy. Clinical features, investigations and treatment
      approaches were retrieved. The mean age of the sixteen children at onset of
      symptoms was 9 years (range: 4 to 16 years). Most of the patients were classified
      as pre-pubertal. Mean BMI was 28.9 kg/m2. In 93.75% of patients headache was the
      presenting clinical symptom; and in the same percentage papilledema was detected
      as the accompanied sign during diagnostic flow-chart. The mean lumbar puncture
      opening pressure (LPOP) was 350 mm H2O. Fifty percent of the cases had normal
      brain imaging, while 12.5% showed enlarged optic nerve diameter and one patient
      had an intraocular protrusion of the optic nerve on MRI. Two patients (12.5%) had
      venous sinus stenosis, and one case showed an abnormal spinal MRI. With regard to
      therapeutic approaches, 93.75% of the cases were successfully treated with
      Acetazolamide. None of the patients required surgical procedures, and all
      neuroimaging findings disappeared after receiving treatment. In the present study
      we investigated the association of IIH with venous sinus stenosis. We also found
      ocular ultrasound to be a useful non-invasive alternative method for determining
      papilledema in paediatric IIH, specifically in an emergency.

PMID- 28337894
TI  - ACTN3/ACE genotypes and mitochondrial genome in professional soccer players?
      performance.
AB  - Two nuclear genes, ACTN3, encoding for the alpha-actinin skeletal muscle isoform
      3, and ACE encoding the angiotensin-converting enzyme, have both been associated
      with quantitative physical performance traits in the general population. The
      purpose of our study was to assess the association between the two nuclear gene
      variants, R577X (rs1815739) in ACTN3 and I/D (rs4340) in ACE, with elite
      athletes? performance and the effect of training on the mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA)
      content in peripheral blood. We evaluated the genotypes and frequencies of ACTN3
      R577X and ACE I/D polymorphisms between soccer players (n = 43) and healthy non
      athletic controls (n = 128). Total DNA was extracted from peripheral blood
      samples using the standard procedure. The genotypes were assessed by PCR-RFLP
      analysis and mtDNA cellular content by RT-PCR. The soccer players showed a
      tendency to a prevalence of ACTN3RR and ACEDD genotypes both independently and in
      co-occurrence. The effect of physical training on the mitochondrial DNA content
      in the athletic population was reflected strikingly in its increase in peripheral
      blood. Based on our results, we suggest that the analysis of ACTN3 and ACE
      genotypes could predict talent in the soccer field and that knowledge of the
      genetic variants could determine types and training times for soccer players. In
      addition, the novelty of this work, never before described in the sports
      literature, is that the increase of mitochondrial content can be correlated with
      the training load, suggesting that the mtDNA copy number may be considered a
      viable bioenergetics biomarker.

PMID- 28337893
TI  - Adjuvant treatment with a symbiotic in patients with inflammatory non-allergic
      rhinitis.
AB  - Inflammatory non-allergic rhinitis (INAR) is characterized by the presence of an
      inflammatory infiltrate and a non-IgE-mediated pathogenesis. This retrospective,
      controlled, multicentre study investigated whether a symbiotic, containing
      Lactobacillus acidophilus NCFM, Bifidobacterium lactis, and fructo
      oligosaccharides (Pollagen(r), Allergy Therapeutics, Italy), prescribed as
      adjunctive therapy to a standard pharmacological treatment, was able to reduce
      symptom severity, endoscopic features, and nasal cytology in 93 patients (49
      males and 44 females, mean age 36.3+/-7.1 years) with INAR. The patients were
      treated with nasal corticosteroid, oral antihistamine, and isotonic saline. At
      randomization, 52 patients were treated also with symbiotic as adjunctive
      therapy, whereas the remaining 41 patients served as controls. Treatment lasted
      for 4 weeks. Patients were visited at baseline, after treatment, and after 4-week
      follow-up. Adjunctive symbiotic treatment significantly reduced the percentages
      of patients with symptoms and endoscopic signs, and diminished inflammatory
      cells. In conclusion, the present study demonstrates that a symbiotic was able,
      as adjuvant treatment, to significantly improve symptoms, endoscopic feature, and
      cytology in patients with INAR, and its effect may be long lasting.

PMID- 28337895
TI  - Use of supercharged cover screw as static magnetic field generator for bone
      healing, 1st part: in vitro enhancement of osteoblast-like cell differentiation.
AB  - Since 1979, Pulsed electromagnetic fields (PEMFs) have been approved by the Food
      and Drug Administration as an effective method in the treatment of non-unions. As
      well as PEMFs, also static magnetic fields (SMFs) have been widely investigated
      in orthopaedic studies. Even if the exact mechanism of action is not well
      understood, a large number of studies showed specific effects both at cellular
      and tissue levels. As bone fracture healing and osseointegration share the same
      biological events, the application of magnetic field stimulation in order to
      facilitate the osseointegration process has been suggested. In this study we
      investigated the proliferation rate and gene expression profile of MG63
      osteoblastic-like cells after a 24, 48 and 72-hour SMF stimulation, generated by
      a small, customized cover screw-shaped neodymium-iron-bore magnet placed in the
      inner cavity of a dental implant. As a result, we found that the application of a
      SMF to osteoblastic-like cells does slightly decrease cell proliferation rate
      while enhancing the expression of those genes correlated to differentiation and
      mineralization. Our findings represent, to our knowledge, the first clinical
      ready technique for dental implants showing the ability of SMF to promote the
      osteogenesis process in vitro.

PMID- 28337896
TI  - Maternal obesity and perinatal oxidative stress: the strength of the association.
AB  - Maternal obesity is a chronic inflammatory state, which has been shown to induce
      increased levels of free fatty acids, reactive oxygen species and inflammatory
      cells. Recent evidence reveals increased levels of lipid peroxidation products in
      the plasma of obese women during pregnancy. The aim of this study was to test the
      hypothesis that maternal overweight or obesity is associated with increased
      oxidative stress (OS) in offspring. Two hundred and forty-five pregnant women and
      their newborns were prospectively enrolled. Mothers were divided in two groups:
      lean control - LC (n=175, Group I); overweight or obese (n=70, Group II)
      according to BMI >= 25 before pregnancy. Cord blood F2-isoprostanes (F2-IsoPs),
      as reliable markers of OS, were measured in all newborns. Lower 1 minute APGAR
      score and higher weight at discharge were found in Group II neonates, compared to
      those of Group I (p less than 0.05). Small for gestational age (SGA) newborns of
      both groups showed increased levels of F2-IsoPs than appropriate (AGA) or large
      (LGA) for gestational age (GA) (p less than 0.01). SGA newborns of Group II had
      higher F2-IsoPs levels compared to SGA of Group I (p less than 0.01), which were
      significantly correlated to maternal BMI at the end of pregnancy (r=0.451, p less
      than 0.01). Multivariate regression analysis corrected for confounding factors,
      showed that maternal overweight or obesity was significantly associated with high
      F2-IsoPs levels in SGA offspring (p less than 0.01). Maternal overweight or
      obesity is associated with increased OS in their SGA newborns. Data suggest the
      need of antioxidant protection for both mothers during pregnancy and infants soon
      after birth.

PMID- 28337897
TI  - Exhaled breath temperature measurement: influence of circadian rhythm.
AB  - Exhaled breath temperature (EBT) is an expression of airway inflammation, an
      event that drives several lung diseases. The measurement of the exhaled breath
      temperature has recently been proposed as a popular tool in the diagnosis and
      monitoring of inflammatory lung diseases due to the fact that it is a non
      invasive method. The influence of external factors on EBT, its reproducibility,
      and its sensitivity to treatment have already been explored. However, to reach
      clinical practice, EBT requires a complete validation that is still lacking. The
      aim of this study was to analyse the possible influence of an important internal
      variable, i.e the circadian rhythm on EBT values in a group of 24 healthy adult
      volunteers. We repeated measurement of EBT at different hours of the day: 8.00
      AM, 12.00 AM, 4.00 PM, 8.00 PM and analysed the correlation with axillary
      temperature measurement at these times. The EBT resulted significantly different
      during daily measurements (8.00 AM vs 12.00 AM vs 4.00 PM vs 8.00 PM: 28.01+/
      1.64 degrees C vs 28.8+/-1.82 degrees C vs 29.34+/-1.79 degrees C vs 28.06+/-1.34
      degrees C). The highest EBT was reported at 4.00 PM and the lowest at 8.00 AM.
      For the first time we found an influence of the circadian rhythm on EBT. These
      data support the validation of the EBT necessary for its promotion in clinical
      practice.

PMID- 28337898
TI  - Melanin of the nipple areola complex.
AB  - Biological pigments or biochromes are ubiquitous in animals, plants, and simpler
      organisms such as fungi and bacteria. They serve a wide spectrum of functions
      from photosynthesis, camouflage, mimicry, photo protection from the environment
      to attracting mates. The human female nipple areola complex (NAC) is a highly
      pigmented area. Currently, the prevailing theory as to the evolution of the
      pigmented human NAC is based on infant recognition of breast feeding latching
      zone; however, due to the protruding shape of the nipple and surrounding breast,
      the authors of this letter believe that the evolutionary advantage of the
      pigmented NAC has a direct physiological function, namely the initiation of
      involution at the end of the infant lactation period.

PMID- 28337899
TI  - Substance P expression in the gingival tissue after upper third molar extraction:
      effect of ketoprofen, a preliminary study.
AB  - The aim of this study was to evaluate substance P (SP) levels and the effect of a
      non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID), ketoprofen, on SP in the
      pericoronal gingival tissue after extraction of upper third molars. A sample of
      20 young non-smoking systemically healthy adults of both sexes, with a healthy
      upper third molar to extract for orthodontic purposes, was selected. After
      extraction, a sample of the gingival tissue of the pericoronal region was
      collected with a sterile scalpel, placed into test tubes and kept frozen at -20
      degrees C until the SP determination. SP levels were determined by using a
      commercially available enzyme immunoassay (ELISA) kit. The subjects were randomly
      divided into two groups: group 1 received a single dose of ketoprofen 30 minutes
      prior to the experimental procedure. The subjects of group 2 did not receive any
      kind of drug administration before extraction. The patients were asked to
      complete a diary on the postoperative pain. A relevant amount of SP was measured
      in all the gingival samples. No statistically significant difference could be
      detected in SP expression between the two groups. In group 1 pain appearance was
      significantly delayed (6.2+/-0.13 hours) in comparison with group 2 (3.95+/-0.2
      hours). In this small selected group of subjects and limited study design,
      preventive administration of ketoprofen did not significantly affect the gingival
      levels of SP, the clinical recommendation emerging is that of NSAID
      administration postoperatively but before pain appearance in order to optimize
      the management of pain of the patient.

PMID- 28337900
TI  - The fingerprint of the human gastrointestinal tract microbiota: a hypothesis of
      molecular mapping.
AB  - The precise etiology of Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IDB) remains unclear and
      several factors are believed to play a role in its development and progression,
      including the composition of microbial communities resident in the
      gastrointestinal tract. Human intestinal microbiota are extensive with at least
      15,000-36,000 bacterial species. However, thanks to the new development in
      sequencing and molecular taxonomic methodologies, our understanding of the
      microbiota population composition, dynamics, and ecology has greatly increased.
      Intestinal microbiota play a critical role in the maintenance of the host
      intestinal barrier homeostasis, while dysbiosis, which involves reduction in the
      microbiome diversity, can lead to progression of inflammatory disorders, such as
      IBD and colorectal cancer. It is hypothesized that fingerprinting
      characterization of the microbiota community composition is the first step in the
      study of this complex bacterial ecosystem and a crucial step in the targeted
      therapy. Molecular fingerprinting of human gastrointestinal tract microbiota
      could be performed by different techniques including the semi quantitation,
      16SrRNA, the DNA- microarray as well as other relatively new methods which were
      developed to study many complex bacterial ecosystems. These techniques provide
      individual data and profiles, using fast and sensitive tools for the high
      taxonomic level fingerprint of the human intestinal microbiota and provide
      estimation of the relative presence of the microbial target groups within each
      individual. Such personalized information serves as a remarkable and
      unprecedented opportunity to improve targeted medical treatment and probably
      develop strategies to prevent disease.

PMID- 28337901
TI  - Cardiopathy and osteoporosis: the epidemiology in a region of Italy.
AB  - Cardiopathies and osteoporosis are inter-related due to pathogenetic, hormonal,
      genetic features as well as an increased risk of fragility. An important feature
      is attributed to the process of atherosclerosis, which is responsible for an
      osteopenia effect and degeneration of vascular walls. To date the study
      populations have been limited. To verify the incidence of cardio-vascular disease
      in a larger osteoporotic population, we designed a retrospective clinical study
      analyzing the ?Hospital Discharge Data? (HDD) in Apulia between 2006 and 2010.
      All patients over 55 years with a hospitalization for a fragility fracture and/or
      drugs prescription for osteoporosis were crossed with the diagnosis and/or drugs
      prescription for cardiovascular disease. We observed that between 2006 and 2010,
      in Apulia, 177,639 patients were hospitalized and diagnosed as having fragility
      fractures, 66.3% had a diagnosis of cardiopathy, with a higher prevalence in
      males and in patients over 80 years. The incidence of fractures were as follows:
      femur (51.9%), spine (20.2%), humerus (10.6%), forearm (9%), tibial pilon (7.2%)
      and tarsus and metatarsus (1.1%). Cerebrovascular diseases were the most
      frequent, followed by arrhythmias, heart failure and cardiomyopathies. In these
      patients, the most prescribed drugs were anti-coagulants, ACE inhibitors and
      diuretics. In patients affected by cerebral circulation disorder there is a
      greater propensity to fall and thus have a fragility fracture, particularly of
      the femur. The vertebral fracture, misdiagnosed in 60-70% of patients, may
      compromise the cardio-respiratory function of these patients. We verified a
      higher incidence of fragility fractures in patients who were prescribed certain
      categories of drugs for the treatment of cardio-vascular disease. This hypothesis
      is not supported by the literature, where contradictory results on the potential
      effects of these drugs on bone have been published. The high incidence of heart
      disease found in patients with fragility fractures supports the need for specific
      screening for osteoporosis in the population with cardio-circulatory pathology.

PMID- 28337903
TI  - Air-Liquid Interfacial Self-Assembly of Non-Amphiphilic Poly(3-hexylthiophene)
      Homopolymers.
AB  - Here, we demonstrate that the self-assembly of poly(3-hexylthiophene) (P3HT) at
      the air-water interface can lead to free-standing films of densely packed P3HT
      nanowires. Interfacial self-assembly on various liquid subphases, such as water,
      diethylene glycol, and glycerol, indicates that the viscosity of the subphase is
      an important factor for the formation of well-ordered nanostructures. The thin
      film morphology is also sensitive to the concentration of P3HT, its molecular
      weight (MW), and the presence of oxidative defects. The densely packed nanowire
      films can be easily transferred to solid substrates for device applications. The
      ultrathin films of P3HT prepared by the interfacial assembly showed significantly
      higher hole mobility (~3.6 * 10-2 cm2/V s) in a field-effect transistor than
      comparably thin spin-cast films. This work demonstrates that the air-liquid
      interfacial assembly is not limited to amphiphilic polymers and can, under
      optimized conditions, be applied to fabricate ultrathin films of widely used
      conjugated polymers with controlled morphologies.

PMID- 28337902
TI  - Helicobacter pylori in periodontal pockets and saliva: a possible role in gastric
      infection relapses.
AB  - It has been a long time since the scientific community started to speculate upon
      the presence of Helicobacter pylori (HP) in periodontal pockets as an extra
      gastric reservoir responsible for gastric relapses after eradication therapy. The
      aim of this study is to evaluate the presence of oral HP in a group of patients
      who underwent examination for gastric infection. Sixty patients were enrolled in
      the current study, subdivided into two groups: 30 patients with a positive result
      for HP gastric infection with C-Breath Test Urea examination, and 30 patients
      with a negative result for HP gastric infection. Crevicular fluid and salivary
      samples were collected in a sterile tube and then sent to the laboratory for
      evaluation. Specimens were processed to quantify the levels of HP and bacterial
      load by real time PCR technique. Even though there was no statistically
      significant difference among the two groups (A vs B) with regard to the total
      amount of HP in saliva or in periodontal tissues, this study demonstrates that
      the oral cavity is an extra-gastric reservoir of HP when it is affected by
      periodontal disease, and that periodontal disease is correlated to gastric HP
      infection.

PMID- 28337904
TI  - Shallow Acceptor State in Mg-Doped CuAlO2 and Its Effect on Electrical and
      Optical Properties: An Experimental and First-Principles Study.
AB  - Shallow acceptor states in Mg-doped CuAlO2 and their effect on structural,
      electrical, and optical properties are investigated by combining first-principles
      calculations and experiments. First-principles calculations demonstrate that Mg
      substituting at the Al site in CuAlO2 plays the role of shallow acceptor and has
      a low formation energy, suggesting that Mg doping can increase hole concentration
      and improve the conductivity of CuAlO2. Hall effect measurements indicate that
      the hole concentration of the Mg-doped CuAlO2 thin film is 2 orders of magnitude
      higher than that of undoped CuAlO2. The best room temperature conductivity of 8.0
      * 10-2 S/cm is obtained. A band gap widening is observed in the optical
      absorption spectra of Mg-doped CuAlO2, which is well supported by the results
      from first-principles electronic structure calculations.

PMID- 28337905
TI  - Simultaneous Detection of Dihydroxybenzene Isomers with ZnO Nanorod/Carbon Cloth
      Electrodes.
AB  - Herein, ZnO nanorods with an average diameter of 50 nm were uniformly anchored on
      the surface of carbon cloth directly by a simple hydrothermal method. The
      nanorods growing in situ along the specific direction of (002) have single
      crystalline features and a columnar structure. On the basis of the ZnO
      nanorod/carbon cloth composite, free-standing electrodes were fabricated for the
      simultaneous determination of dihydroxybenzene isomers. The ZnO nanorod/carbon
      cloth electrodes exhibited excellent electrochemical stability, high sensitivity,
      and high selectivity. The linear ranges of concentration for hydroquinone,
      catechol, and resorcinol were 2-30, 2-45, and 2-385 MUM, respectively, and the
      corresponding limits of detection (S/N = 3) were 0.57, 0.81, and 7.2 MUM. The
      outstanding sensing properties of ZnO/carbon cloth electrodes have a great
      promise for the development of free-standing biosensors and other electrochemical
      devices.

PMID- 28337906
TI  - Fates of Chemical Elements in Biomass during Its Pyrolysis.
AB  - Biomass is increasingly perceived as a renewable resource rather than as an
      organic solid waste today, as it can be converted to various chemicals, biofuels,
      and solid biochar using modern processes. In the past few years, pyrolysis has
      attracted growing interest as a promising versatile platform to convert biomass
      into valuable resources. However, an efficient and selective conversion process
      is still difficult to be realized due to the complex nature of biomass, which
      usually makes the products complicated. Furthermore, various contaminants and
      inorganic elements (e.g., heavy metals, nitrogen, phosphorus, sulfur, and
      chlorine) embodied in biomass may be transferred into pyrolysis products or
      released into the environment, arousing environmental pollution concerns.
      Understanding their behaviors in biomass pyrolysis is essential to optimizing the
      pyrolysis process for efficient resource recovery and less environmental
      pollution. However, there is no comprehensive review so far about the fates of
      chemical elements in biomass during its pyrolysis. Here, we provide a critical
      review about the fates of main chemical elements (C, H, O, N, P, Cl, S, and
      metals) in biomass during its pyrolysis. We overview the research advances about
      the emission, transformation, and distribution of elements in biomass pyrolysis,
      discuss the present challenges for resource-oriented conversion and pollution
      abatement, highlight the importance and significance of understanding the fate of
      elements during pyrolysis, and outlook the future development directions for
      process control. The review provides useful information for developing
      sustainable biomass pyrolysis processes with an improved efficiency and
      selectivity as well as minimized environmental impacts, and encourages more
      research efforts from the scientific communities of chemistry, the environment,
      and energy.

PMID- 28337907
TI  - Single-Cell-Based Platform for Copy Number Variation Profiling through Digital
      Counting of Amplified Genomic DNA Fragments.
AB  - We develop a novel single-cell-based platform through digital counting of
      amplified genomic DNA fragments, named multifraction amplification (mfA), to
      detect the copy number variations (CNVs) in a single cell. Amplification is
      required to acquire genomic information from a single cell, while introducing
      unavoidable bias. Unlike prevalent methods that directly infer CNV profiles from
      the pattern of sequencing depth, our mfA platform denatures and separates the DNA
      molecules from a single cell into multiple fractions of a reaction mix before
      amplification. By examining the sequencing result of each fraction for a specific
      fragment and applying a segment-merge maximum likelihood algorithm to the
      calculation of copy number, we digitize the sequencing-depth-based CNV
      identification and thus provide a method that is less sensitive to the
      amplification bias. In this paper, we demonstrate a mfA platform through multiple
      displacement amplification (MDA) chemistry. When performing the mfA platform, the
      noise of MDA is reduced; therefore, the resolution of single-cell CNV
      identification can be improved to 100 kb. We can also determine the genomic
      region free of allelic drop-out with mfA platform, which is impossible for
      conventional single-cell amplification methods.

PMID- 28337908
TI  - Detection of 2,4,6-Trinitrotoluene Using a Miniaturized, Disposable
      Electrochemical Sensor with an Ionic Liquid Gel-Polymer Electrolyte Film.
AB  - A new electrochemical method to detect and quantify the explosive compound 2,4,6
      trinitrotoluene (TNT) in aqueous solutions is demonstrated. A disposable thin
      film electrode modified with a droplet of a gel-polymer electrolyte (GPE) was
      immersed directly into samples of TNT at concentrations of 1-10 MUg/mL. The GPE
      contained the hydrophobic room-temperature ionic liquid (RTIL)
      trihexyltetradecylphosphonium bis(trifluoromethylsulfonyl)imide
      ([P14,6,6,6][NTf2]) and the polymer poly(hexyl methacrylate). The RTIL acted to
      preconcentrate TNT into the GPE and provided ionic conductivity. The polymer
      provided both (i) sufficient viscosity to ensure mechanical stability of the GPE
      and (ii) strong hydrophobicity to minimize leaching of the RTIL. Square wave
      voltammetry was performed on the first reduction peak of TNT-preconcentrated
      samples (15 min soaking with mechanical stirring), with linear plots of peak
      current vs cumulative concentration of TNT, giving an averaged limit of detection
      of 0.37 MUg/mL (aqueous phase concentration). Additionally, the voltammetry of
      the first reduction peak of TNT in [P14,6,6,6][NTf2] was unaffected by the
      presence of oxygen-in contrast to that observed in an imidazolium-based RTIL
      providing excellent selectivity over oxygen in real environments. The sensor
      device was able to quickly and easily quantify TNT concentrations at typical
      ground water contamination levels. The low-cost and portability of the sensor
      device, along with the minimal amounts of GPE materials required, make this a
      viable platform for the onsite monitoring of explosives, which is currently a
      significant operational challenge.

PMID- 28337910
TI  - Large-Area and Transferred High-Quality Three-Dimensional Topological Insulator
      Bi2-xSbxTe3-ySey Ultrathin Film by Catalyst-Free Physical Vapor Deposition.
AB  - Uniform and large-area synthesis of bulk insulating ultrathin films is an
      important subject toward applications of a surface of three-dimensional
      topological insulators (3D-TIs) in various electronic devices. Here we report
      epitaxial growth of bulk insulating three-dimensional topological insulator (3D
      TI) Bi2-xSbxTe3-ySey (BSTS) ultrathin films, ranging from a few quintuple to
      several hundreds of layers, on mica in a large-area (1 cm2) via catalyst-free
      physical vapor deposition. These films can nondestructively be exfoliated using
      deionized water and transferred to various kinds of substrates as desired. The
      transferred BSTS thin films show good ambipolar characteristics as well as well
      defined quantum oscillations arising from the topological surface states. The
      carrier mobility of 2500-5100 cm2/(V s) is comparable to the high-quality bulk
      BSTS single crystal. Moreover, tunable electronic states from the massless to the
      massive Dirac fermion were observed with a decrease in the film thickness. Both
      the feasible large-area synthesis and the reliable film transfer process can
      promise that BSTS ultrathin films will pave a route to many applications of 3D
      TIs.

PMID- 28337911
TI  - Mathematical Model of Serodiagnostic Immunochromatographic Assay.
AB  - This article describes the mathematical model for an immunochromatographic assay
      for the detection of specific immunoglobulins against a target antigen
      (antibodies) in blood/serum (serodiagnosis). The model utilizes an analytical
      (non-numerical) approach and allows the calculation of the kinetics of immune
      complexes' formation in a continuous-flow system using commonly available
      software, such as Microsoft Excel. The developed model could identify the nature
      of the influence of immunochemical interaction constants and reagent
      concentrations on the kinetics of the formation of the detected target complex.
      On the basis of the model, recommendations are developed to decrease the
      detection limit for an immunochromatographic assay of specific immunoglobulins.

PMID- 28337909
TI  - Engineering of Ferroelectric HfO2-ZrO2 Nanolaminates.
AB  - In this work, the ferroelectric properties of nanolaminates made of HfO2 and ZrO2
      were studied as a function of the deposition temperature and the individual
      HfO2/ZrO2 layer thickness before and after electrical field cycling. The
      ferroelectric response was found to depend on the structure of the nanolaminates
      before any postdeposition annealing treatment. After annealing with a TiN cap, an
      "antiferroelectric-like" response was obtained from nanolaminates deposited in an
      amorphous state at a lower temperature, whereas a ferroelectric response was
      obtained from nanolaminates deposited at a higher temperature, where crystallites
      were detected in thick films before annealing. As the individual layer
      thicknesses were decreased, an increased lattice distortion and a concurrent
      increase in remanent polarization were observed from the nanolaminates deposited
      at high temperatures. After field cycling, nanolaminates deposited at lower
      temperatures exhibited an antiferroelectric-like to ferroelectric transition,
      whereas those deposited at higher temperatures exhibited a larger remanent
      polarization. Finally, we demonstrate that by leveraging the proper choice of
      process conditions and layer thickness, remanent polarizations exceeding those of
      the HfZrO4 solid solution can be obtained.

PMID- 28337912
TI  - Nanostructured Nickel-Cobalt-Titanium Alloy Grown on Titanium Substrate as
      Efficient Electrocatalyst for Alkaline Water Electrolysis.
AB  - One of the important challenges in alkaline water electrolysis is to utilize a
      bifunctional catalyst for both hydrogen evolution (HER) and oxygen evolution
      (OER) reactions to increase the efficiency of water splitting devices for the
      long durable operations. Herein, nickel-cobalt-titanium (NCT) alloy is directly
      grown on a high corrosion resistance titanium foil by a simple, single, and rapid
      electrochemical deposition at room temperature. The electrocatalytic activity of
      NCT alloy electrodes is evaluated for both HER and OER in aqueous electrolyte.
      Our NCT electrocatalyst exhibits low overpotentials around 125 and 331 mV for HER
      and OER, respectively, in 1 M KOH. In addition to this outstanding activity, the
      bifunctional catalyst also exhibits excellent OER and HER electrode stability up
      to 150 h of continuous operation with a minimal loss in activity. Further, the
      NCT alloy directly grown on titanium foil is used to directly construct membrane
      electrode assembly (MEA) for alkaline electrolyte membrane (AEM) water
      electrolyzer, which make the practical applicability. This single-step
      electrodeposition reveals NCT on titanium foil with high activity and excellent
      electrode stability suitable for replacing alternative commercial viable catalyst
      for the alkaline water splitting.

PMID- 28337913
TI  - Selective Conversion from p-Type to n-Type of Printed Bottom-Gate Carbon Nanotube
      Thin-Film Transistors and Application in Complementary Metal-Oxide-Semiconductor
      Inverters.
AB  - The fabrication of printed high-performance and environmentally stable n-type
      single-walled carbon nanotube (SWCNT) transistors and their integration into
      complementary (i.e., complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor, CMOS) circuits are
      widely recognized as key to achieving the full potential of carbon nanotube
      electronics. Here, we report a simple, efficient, and robust method to convert
      the polarity of SWCNT thin-film transistors (TFTs) using cheap and readily
      available ethanolamine as an electron doping agent. Printed p-type bottom-gate
      SWCNT TFTs can be selectively converted into n-type by deposition of ethanolamine
      inks on the transistor active region via aerosol jet printing. Resulted n-type
      TFTs show excellent electrical properties with an on/off ratio of 106, effective
      mobility up to 30 cm2 V-1 s-1, small hysteresis, and small subthreshold swing (90
      140 mV dec-1), which are superior compared to the original p-type SWCNT devices.
      The n-type SWCNT TFTs also show good stability in air, and any deterioration of
      performance due to shelf storage can be fully recovered by a short low
      temperature annealing. The easy polarity conversion process allows construction
      of CMOS circuitry. As an example, CMOS inverters were fabricated using printed p
      type and n-type TFTs and exhibited a large noise margin (50 and 103% of 1/2 Vdd =
      1 V) and a voltage gain as high as 30 (at Vdd = 1 V). Additionally, the CMOS
      inverters show full rail-to-rail output voltage swing and low power dissipation
      (0.1 MUW at Vdd = 1 V). The new method paves the way to construct fully
      functional complex CMOS circuitry by printed TFTs.

PMID- 28337914
TI  - Electrically-Actuated Valves for Woven Fabric Lateral Flow Devices.
AB  - The integration of flow control elements into low-cost biosensors presents a
      significant engineering challenge. This Article describes the development and
      integration of active, chemical valves into lateral flow devices, using a
      scalable, single-step, weaving-based manufacturing approach. The valve was
      constructed from an electrically conductive polymer, polypyrrole. The polymer
      switches between wetting and nonwetting states when it is reduced and oxidized
      via the application of an electrochemical potential. In this work, yarns were
      first coated with polypyrrole and integrated into fabric lateral flow sensors.
      The coated yarns were stimulated in situ via integrated electrodes. Coated
      textiles were characterized for their response to variations in the applied
      electrical potential, the duration for which the potential is applied, and the
      chemical composition of the polymer. Among these tuning parameters, the
      concentration of iron (iii) chloride utilized to catalyze the synthesis of the
      polymer, was found to be a significant determinant in the wetting range of the
      polymer. Complete ON/OFF flow control was achieved at applied potentials of 20
      V.cm-1, within 120 s of stimulation, using 0.1 M iron (iii) chloride, making the
      valve fairly easy to incorporate into point-of-care format. The practical utility
      of the valve was demonstrated by performing a Lowry protein assay in the device,
      wherein fluid flow was deactivated to allow individual reaction steps to go to
      completion prior to reactivation. Significant improvements in the sensitivity and
      linear range of the devices are reported in a simple straight-channel, lateral
      flow device, with the potential to develop more complex channel geometries via
      the weaving-based approach.

PMID- 28337915
TI  - Nano-Raman Scattering Microscopy: Resolution and Enhancement.
AB  - Raman scattering microscopy is becoming one of the hot topics in analytical
      microscopy as a tool for analyzing advanced nanomaterials, such as biomolecules
      in a live cell for the study of cellular dynamics, semiconductor devices for
      characterizing strain distribution and contamination, and nanocarbons and nano-2D
      materials. In this paper, we review the recent progress in the development of
      Raman scattering microscopy from the viewpoint of spatial resolution and
      scattering efficiency. To overcome the extremely small cross section of Raman
      scattering, we discuss three approaches for the enhancement of scattering
      efficiency and show that the scattering enhancement synergistically increases the
      spatial resolution. We discuss the mechanisms of tip-enhanced Raman scattering,
      deep-UV resonant Raman scattering, and coherent nonlinear Raman scattering for
      micro- and nanoscope applications. The combinations of these three approaches are
      also shown as nanometer-resolution Raman scattering microscopy. The critical
      issues of the structures, materials, and reproducibility of tips and three
      dimensionality for TERS; photodegradation for resonant Raman scattering; and
      laser availability for coherent nonlinear Raman scattering are also discussed.

PMID- 28337916
TI  - Ag-Incorporated Organic-Inorganic Perovskite Films and Planar Heterojunction
      Solar Cells.
AB  - Controlled doping for adjustable material polarity and charge carrier
      concentration is the basis of semiconductor materials and devices, and it is much
      more difficult to achieve in ionic semiconductors (e.g., ZnO and GaN) than in
      covalent semiconductors (e.g., Si and Ge), due to the high intrinsic defect
      density in ionic semiconductors. The organic-inorganic perovskite material, which
      is frenetically being researched for applications in solar cells and beyond, is
      also an ionic semiconductor. Here we present the Ag-incorporated organic
      inorganic perovskite films and planar heterojunction solar cells. Partial
      substitution of Pb2+ by Ag+ leads to improved film morphology, crystallinity, and
      carrier dynamics as well as shifted Fermi level and reduced electron
      concentration. Consequently, in planar heterojunction photovoltaic devices with
      inverted stacking structure, Ag incorporation results in an enhancement of the
      power conversion efficiency from 16.0% to 18.4% in MAPbI3 based devices and from
      11.2% to 15.4% in MAPbI3-xClx based devices. Our work implies that Ag
      incorporation is a feasible route to adjust carrier concentrations in solution
      processed perovskite materials in spite of the high concentration of intrinsic
      defects.

PMID- 28337917
TI  - Micrometer-Precise Determination of the Thin Electrolyte Layer of a
      Spectroelectrochemical Cell by Microelectrode Approach Curves.
AB  - A spectroelectrochemical cell is presented that allows investigations of
      electrochemical reactions by means of attenuated total reflection infrared (ATR
      IR) spectroscopy. The electrode holder for the working (WE), counter and
      reference electrode as mounted in the IR spectrometer cause the formation of a
      thin electrolyte layer between the internal reflection element (IRE) and the
      surface of the WE. The thickness of this thin electrolyte layer (dTL) was
      estimated by performing a scanning electrochemical microscopy-(SECM) like
      approach of a Pt microelectrode (ME), which was leveled with the WE toward the
      IRE surface. The precise lowering of the ME/WE plane toward the IRE was enabled
      by a micrometer screw. The approach curve was recorded in negative feedback mode
      of SECM and revealed the contact point of the ME and WE on the IRE, which was
      used as reference point to perform the electro-oxidation of ethanol over a drop
      casted Pd/NCNT catalyst on the WE at different thin-layer thicknesses by cyclic
      voltammetry. The reaction products were detected in the liquid electrolyte by IR
      spectroscopy, and the effect of variations in dTL on the current densities and IR
      spectra were analyzed and discussed. The obtained data identify dTL as an
      important variable in thin-layer experiments with electrochemical reactions and
      FTIR readout.

PMID- 28337918
TI  - Rh-Catalyzed Annulations of N-Methoxybenzamides and Ketenimines: Sterically and
      Electronically Controlled Synthesis of Isoquinolinones and Isoindolinones.
AB  - Rhodium-catalyzed C-H activation/annulation reactions of ketenimines with N
      methoxybenzamides are reported. The outcome of reactions is dependent on the
      structure of ketenimines. The beta-alkyl-substituted ketenimines furnish 3
      iminoisoquinolin-1(2H)-ones in a formal [4 + 2] annulation manner, while the beta
      ester substituted ketenimines afford 3-aminoisoindolin-1-ones in a formal [4 + 1]
      annulation manner. The synthesized [4 + 2] products undergo an intramolecular Cu
      catalyzed C-N coupling to be converted to benzo[4,5]imidazo[1,2-b]isoquinolin-11
      ones, which can be directly prepared from ketenimines and N-methoxybenzamides by
      a one-pot Rh-catalyzed annulation/Cu-catalyzed C-N coupling sequence.

PMID- 28337919
TI  - New Insights toward Efficient Charge-Separation Mechanism for High-Performance
      Photoelectrochemical Aptasensing: Enhanced Charge-Carrier Lifetime via Coupling
      Ultrathin MoS2 Nanoplates with Nitrogen-Doped Graphene Quantum Dots.
AB  - Deeply understanding the internal mechanism of the photoelectrohemical (PEC)
      process is conducive to fabricate high-performance PEC biosensors. In this work,
      we proposed a new insight toward an efficient charge-separation mechanism in high
      performance PEC biosensors. Specifically, we disclosed that the lifetimes of
      photogenerated charge carriers of ultrathin MoS2 nanosheets could be prolonged by
      approximately millisecond time scales after a proper mole ratio of NGQDs were
      coupled, leading to the promoted charge separation and a giant photocurrent
      signal magnification. Benefiting from the dramatic signal amplification and the
      introduction of acetamiprid aptamer, subfemtomolar level detection of acetamiprid
      is achieved, which makes our strategy among the most sensitive electronic
      approaches for PEC-based monitoring of targets. This study was beneficial to
      further understand the charge-separation mechanism in PEC biosensing, which paved
      the way for the development of more efficient PEC biosensors.

PMID- 28337920
TI  - Nonradiative Step Facets in Semiconductor Nanowires.
AB  - One of the main advantages of nanowires for functional applications is their high
      perfection, which results from surface image forces that act on line defects such
      as dislocations, rendering them unstable and driving them out of the crystal.
      Here we show that there is a class of step facets that are stable in nanowires,
      with no long-range strain field or dislocation character. In zinc-blende
      semiconductors, they take the form of Sigma3 (112) facets with heights
      constrained to be a multiple of three {111} monolayers. Density functional theory
      calculations show that they act as nonradiative recombination centers and have
      deleterious effects on nanowire properties. We present experimental observations
      of these defects on twin boundaries and twins that terminate inside GaAsP
      nanowires and find that they are indeed always multiples of three monolayers in
      height. Strategies to use the three-monolayer rule during growth to prevent their
      formation are discussed.

PMID- 28337921
TI  - Resonant Coupling between Molecular Vibrations and Localized Surface Plasmon
      Resonance of Faceted Metal Oxide Nanocrystals.
AB  - Doped metal oxides are plasmonic materials that boast both synthetic and
      postsynthetic spectral tunability. They have already enabled promising smart
      window and optoelectronic technologies and have been proposed for use in surface
      enhanced infrared absorption spectroscopy (SEIRA) and sensing applications.
      Herein, we report the first step toward realization of the former utilizing cubic
      F and Sn codoped In2O3 nanocrystals (NCs) to couple to the C-H vibration of
      surface-bound oleate ligands. Electron energy loss spectroscopy is used to map
      the strong near-field enhancement around these NCs that enables localized surface
      plasmon resonance (LSPR) coupling between adjacent nanocrystals and LSPR
      molecular vibration coupling. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy
      measurements and finite element simulations are applied to observe and explain
      the nature of the coupling phenomena, specifically addressing coupling in
      mesoscale assembled films. The Fano line shape signatures of LSPR-coupled
      molecular vibrations are rationalized with two-port temporal coupled mode theory.
      With this combined theoretical and experimental approach, we describe the
      influence of coupling strength and relative detuning between the molecular
      vibration and LSPR on the enhancement factor and further explain the basis of the
      observed Fano line shape by deconvoluting the combined response of the LSPR and
      molecular vibration in transmission, absorption and reflection. This study
      therefore illustrates various factors involved in determining the LSPR-LSPR and
      LSPR-molecular vibration coupling for metal oxide materials and provides a
      fundamental basis for the design of sensing or SEIRA substrates.

PMID- 28337922
TI  - Acquired pulmonary artery pseudoaneurysms: a pictorial review.
AB  - Pulmonary artery pseudoaneurysms (PAPs) are uncommon but potentially lethal. They
      may be incidentally discovered on imaging, or following massive haemoptysis if
      they rupture, with high risk of mortality. The most frequent causes of PAP are
      trauma and infectious disease. Vasculitis, in particular Behcet's disease,
      neoplasm, congenital disease and pulmonary hypertension are rarer causes of PAP.
      A PAP can be suspected from chest X-ray and contrast CT, but requires
      confirmation by CT angiography. Arteriography is no longer performed for
      diagnostic purposes, but can be useful in preparing endovascular occlusion of the
      PAP. In rare cases, surgery is necessary. The aim of this pictorial review was to
      illustrate the most common causes of acquired PAPs.

PMID- 28337923
TI  - The Communicative Function of Sad Facial Expressions.
AB  - What are the communicative functions of sad facial expressions? Research shows
      that people feel sadness in response to losses but it's unclear whether sad
      expressions function to communicate losses to others and if so, what makes these
      signals credible. Here we use economic games to test the hypothesis that sad
      expressions lend credibility to claims of loss. Participants play the role of
      either a proposer or recipient in a game with a fictional backstory and real
      monetary payoffs. The proposers view a (fictional) video of the recipient's
      character displaying either a neutral or sad expression paired with a claim of
      loss. The proposer then decided how much money to give to the recipient. In three
      experiments, we test alternative theories by using situations in which the
      recipient's losses were uncertain (Experiment 1), the recipient's losses were
      certain (Experiment 2), or the recipient claims failed gains rather than losses
      (Experiment 3). Overall, we find that participants gave more money to recipients
      who displayed sad expressions compared to neutral expressions, but only under
      conditions of uncertain loss. This finding supports the hypothesis that sad
      expressions function to increase the credibility of claims of loss.

PMID- 28337924
TI  - Making Sense of the Public Stigma of Suicide.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Research suggests that stigma is a barrier to care for individuals
      who have attempted suicide. While extensive work has examined the stigma of
      mental illness, less research has focused on the public stigma of suicide.
      Existing measures of suicide stigma have lacked a conceptual foundation or have
      failed to include the perspectives of suicide stakeholders. AIMS: This research
      draws on previous qualitative research with suicide stakeholders to create a
      measure of public suicide stigma. METHOD: This study used a community-based
      participatory research (CBPR) approach to define a factor structure for suicide
      stigma. The CBPR team used focus groups to generate items for each component of
      stigma (stereotypes, prejudice, and discrimination). Two online surveys (N = 372;
      N = 243) asked members of the public to rate candidate items for stereotypes,
      prejudice, and discrimination. RESULTS: Analyses revealed three factors for
      stereotypes (weak, crazy, distressed), two factors for prejudice (fear/distrust,
      anger), and three for discrimination (avoidance, disdain, coercion). LIMITATIONS:
      Results should be confirmed in other samples and further evidence gathered on
      convergent, divergent, and discriminant validity. CONCLUSION: The resulting 44
      item Suicide Stigma Assessment Scale (SSAS) can be further validated and used to
      measure efficacy of stigma change interventions.

PMID- 28337925
TI  - The Impact of a Highly Publicized Celebrity Suicide on Suicide-Related Online
      Information Seeking.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Research has already acknowledged the importance of the Internet in
      suicide prevention as search engines such as Google are increasingly used in
      seeking both helpful and harmful suicide-related information. AIMS: We aimed to
      assess the impact of a highly publicized suicide by a Hollywood actor on suicide
      related online information seeking. METHOD: We tested the impact of the highly
      publicized suicide of Robin Williams on volumes of suicide-related search
      queries. RESULTS: Both harmful and helpful search terms increased immediately
      after the actor's suicide, with a substantial jump of harmful queries.
      LIMITATIONS: The study has limitations (e.g., possible validity threats of the
      query share measure, use of ambiguous search terms). CONCLUSION: Online suicide
      prevention efforts should try to increase online users' awareness of and
      motivation to seek help, for which Google's own helpline box could play an even
      more crucial role in the future.

PMID- 28337927
TI  - Suicide in the Mountain West Region of the United States.
AB  - BACKGROUND: The Mountain West region of the United States consistently reports
      the highest rates of suicide in the country. This pattern could reflect a
      regional culture-of-suicide script in support of suicide that implicitly
      influences individual's behavior. AIMS: The primary aim of this study was to
      investigate whether suicide rates are elevated in the Mountain West across a wide
      range of demographic groups, thereby supporting a regional cultural script.
      METHOD: Suicide rates in the Mountain West between 1999 and 2014 were compared to
      the rest of the country across a wide range of demographic categories and levels
      of population density using the Center for Disease Control Multiple Causes of
      Death dataset published on the WONDER online database. RESULTS: Suicide rates are
      elevated in the Mountain West for men and women, all racial groups, all age
      groups, and at every level of population density compared to the rest of the
      country. LIMITATIONS: Missing and suppressed data, the use of coroner reports,
      and the arbitrary nature of state and regional boundaries are all discussed as
      possible limitations to this study. CONCLUSION: These findings support a broad
      culture-of-suicide script that is pervasive in this region across demographic
      groups and all levels of population density.

PMID- 28337926
TI  - Telephone Crisis Support Workers' Psychological Distress and Impairment.
AB  - BACKGROUND: In order to respond to crises with appropriate intervention, crisis
      workers are required to manage their own needs as well as the needs of those they
      respond to. AIMS: A systematic review of the literature was conducted to examine
      whether telephone crisis support workers experience elevated symptoms of
      psychological distress and are impaired by elevated symptoms. METHOD: Studies
      were identified in April 2015 by searching three databases, conducting a gray
      literature search, and forward and backward citation chaining. RESULTS: Of 113
      identified studies, seven were included in the review. Results suggest that that
      telephone crisis support workers experience symptoms of vicarious traumatization,
      stress, burnout, and psychiatric disorders, and that they may not respond
      optimally to callers when experiencing elevated symptoms of distress. However,
      definitive conclusions cannot be drawn due to the paucity and methodological
      limitations of available data. LIMITATIONS: While the most comprehensive search
      strategy possible was adopted, resource constraints meant that conference
      abstracts were not searched and authors were not contacted for additional
      unpublished information. CONCLUSION: There is an urgent need to identify the
      impact of telephone crisis support workers' role on their well-being, the
      determinants of worker well-being in the telephone crisis support context, and
      the extent to which well-being impacts their performance and caller outcomes.
      This will help inform strategies to optimize telephone crisis support workers'
      well-being and their delivery of support to callers.

PMID- 28337928
TI  - Suicide Risk Assessment in Adolescents - C-SSRS, K10, and READ.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Assessment and screening are often the first step in planning
      interventions to help adolescents at risk of suicide. Causes of suicidal thoughts
      and behavior are multifaceted and it is important for clinical work that
      assessment reflects this complexity. AIMS: To investigate whether a general
      psychological Resilience Scale for Adolescents (READ) is associated with a
      validated suicide rating scale (C-SSRS). METHOD: An observational study of self
      reported suicidality (C-SSRS), psychological distress (K10), and resiliency
      (READ) in three adolescent samples: suicide clinic (N = 147); general psychiatric
      clinic (N = 85); and a nonclinical sample (N = 92). RESULTS: Resiliency scores
      were significantly higher (p < .05) in the nonclinical compared with the clinic
      samples on all READ scales. READ scores were similar in the two clinic samples
      apart from the family cohesion subscale, which was significantly lower in the
      suicide clinic sample. READ was predictive of levels of suicidality within all
      samples independently of general psychological distress (K10). LIMITATIONS: The
      study did not examine other early childhood factors that may contribute to
      individual resiliency or suicidality. CONCLUSION: READ provides a reliable and
      valid assessment of individual resilience for both clinical and nonclinical
      settings. Evaluation of protective resources is a useful adjunct to the
      assessment and treatment of suicidal behavior.

PMID- 28337930
TI  - An evaluation of two different screening criteria in gestational diabetes
      mellitus.
AB  - BACKGROUND: The objective of this study was to identify the gestational diabetes
      mellitus (GDM) prevalence difference according to American Diabetes Association
      (ADA) criteria and International Association of Diabetes and Pregnancy Study
      Group (IADPSG) criteria for 75 g oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT). METHODS:
      This study was conducted at Erciyes University Department of Obstetrics and
      Gynecology. A total of 320 pregnant who met the criteria were included in the
      study and 75 g OGTT was applied. Irrespective of the first results, the test was
      applied to most participants 2 weeks later. RESULTS: The GDM prevalence was found
      to be 9.1% according to the ADA criteria and 19.4% according to the IADPSG
      criteria. According to the ADA criteria, GDM prevalence was found to be
      statistically significantly high (p < .05) in patients with risk factors.
      According to the IADPSG criteria no relationship was found between GDM prevalence
      and any of the risk factors (p > .05). The patients diagnosed with GDM were
      observed not to reach the threshold levels for HbA1c. CONCLUSION: According to
      the IADPSG criteria, GDM prevalence doubles and leads to an increase in
      healthcare costs and workloads. HbA1c has no role in the diagnosis of GDM.

PMID- 28337929
TI  - A Public Health Approach in Responding to the Spread of Helium Suicide in Hong
      Kong.
AB  - BACKGROUND: The use of the helium suicide method has been increasing in
      popularity in Hong Kong since 2012. We have learned a valuable lesson in curbing
      the spread of charcoal burning (CB) suicide in the past 15 years and hope to
      prevent the helium suicide method from taking off in the community. AIMS: To
      document what actions have been taken to contain the spread of the helium suicide
      method and review the preliminary impact of these actions. METHOD: We adopted a
      public health approach by engaging stakeholders from multiple sectors, including
      the police force, the fire services department, coroners, pathologists, mass
      media, and online media outlets. RESULTS: A monitoring system was established by
      compiling data extracted from news reports, coroners' reports, and police
      investigations. Risk and protective factors were identified. Intervention
      strategies were developed to strengthen protective factors and minimize risk
      factors. This novel suicide method has not spread as rapidly as the CB suicide
      method. The preliminary outcomes suggest our actions to be effective.
      LIMITATIONS: The count of helium suicides in 2015 might be low. The impacts of
      the interventions are only estimated and require additional empirical
      verifications. CONCLUSION: The public health approach of engaging multiple
      partners in the early phase of a potential epidemic can be a good guide to
      meeting the challenges posed by any new suicide methods that emerge in the
      future.

PMID- 28337931
TI  - Utilizing nutritional genomics to tailor diets for the prevention of
      cardiovascular disease: a guide for upcoming studies and implementations.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: Personalized diets based on an individual's genome to optimize the
      success of dietary intervention and reduce genetic cardiovascular disease (CVD)
      risk, is one of the challenges most frequently discussed in the scientific
      community. Areas covered: The authors gathered literature-based evidence on
      nutritional genomics and CVD phenotypes, our own results and research experience
      to provide a critical overview of the current situation of using nutritional
      genomics to tailor diets for CVD prevention and to propose guidelines for future
      studies and implementations. Expert commentary: Hundreds of studies on gene-diet
      interactions determining CVD intermediate (plasma lipids, hypertension, etc.) and
      final phenotypes (stroke, etc.) have furnished top-level scientific evidence for
      claiming that the genetic effect in cardiovascular risk is not deterministic, but
      can be modified by diet. However, despite the many results obtained, there are
      still gaps in practically applying a personalized diet design to specific
      genotypes. Hence, a better systemization and methodological improvement of new
      studies is required to obtain top-level evidence that will allow their
      application in the future precision nutrition/medicine. The authors propose
      several recommendations for tackling new approaches and applications.

PMID- 28337933
TI  - Biotinidase deficiency masquerading as multiple sclerosis?

PMID- 28337934
TI  - Reply to the letter: Biotinidase deficiency masquerading as multiple sclerosis?

PMID- 28337932
TI  - Stroke Lesions in a Large Upper Limb Rehabilitation Trial Cohort Rarely Match
      Lesions in Common Preclinical Models.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Stroke patients with mild-moderate upper extremity motor impairments
      and minimal sensory and cognitive deficits provide a useful model to study
      recovery and improve rehabilitation. Laboratory-based investigators use lesioning
      techniques for similar goals. OBJECTIVE: To determine whether stroke lesions in
      an upper extremity rehabilitation trial cohort match lesions from the preclinical
      stroke recovery models used to drive translational research. METHODS: Clinical
      neuroimages from 297 participants enrolled in the Interdisciplinary Comprehensive
      Arm Rehabilitation Evaluation (ICARE) study were reviewed. Images were
      characterized based on lesion type (ischemic or hemorrhagic), volume, vascular
      territory, depth (cortical gray matter, cortical white matter, subcortical), old
      strokes, and leukoaraiosis. Lesions were compared with those of preclinical
      stroke models commonly used to study upper limb recovery. RESULTS: Among the
      ischemic stroke participants, median infarct volume was 1.8 mL, with most lesions
      confined to subcortical structures (61%) including the anterior choroidal artery
      territory (30%) and the pons (23%). Of ICARE participants, <1% had lesions
      resembling proximal middle cerebral artery or surface vessel occlusion models.
      Preclinical models of subcortical white matter injury best resembled the ICARE
      population (33%). Intracranial hemorrhage participants had small (median 12.5 mL)
      lesions that best matched the capsular hematoma preclinical model. CONCLUSIONS:
      ICARE subjects are not representative of all stroke patients, but they represent
      a clinically and scientifically important subgroup. Compared with lesions in
      general stroke populations and widely studied animal models of recovery, ICARE
      participants had smaller, more subcortically based strokes. Improved preclinical
      clinical translational efforts may require better alignment of lesions between
      preclinical and human stroke recovery models.

PMID- 28337936
TI  - Females exposed to 24 h of sleep deprivation do not experience greater
      physiological strain, but do perceive heat illness symptoms more severely, during
      exercise-heat stress.
AB  - There is limited and inconclusive evidence surrounding the physiological and
      perceptual responses to heat stress while sleep deprived, especially for females.
      This study aimed to quantify the effect of 24 h sleep deprivation on
      physiological strain and perceptual markers of heat-related illness in females.
      Nine females completed two 30-min heat stress tests (HST) separated by 48 h in 39
      degrees C, 41% relative humidity at a metabolic heat production of 10 W . kg-1.
      The non-sleep deprived HST was followed by the sleep deprivation (SDHST) trial
      for all participants during the follicular phase of the menstrual cycle.
      Physiological and perceptual measures were recorded at 5 min intervals during the
      HSTs. On the cessation of the HSTs, heat illness symptom index (HISI) was
      completed. HISI scores increased after sleep deprivation by 28 +/- 16 versus 20
      +/- 16 (P = 0.01). Peak (39.40 +/- 0.35 degrees C vs. 39.35 +/- 0.33 degrees C)
      and change in rectal temperature (1.91 +/- 0.21 vs. 1.93 +/- 0.34 degrees C), and
      whole body sweat rate (1.08 +/- 0.31 vs. 1.15 +/- 0.36 L . h-1) did not differ (P
      > 0.05) between tests. No difference was observed in peak, nor rise in: heart
      rate, mean skin temperature, perceived exertion or thermal sensation during the
      HSTs. Twenty-four hours sleep deprivation increased perceptual symptoms
      associated with heat-related illness; however, no thermoregulatory alterations
      were observed.

PMID- 28337935
TI  - A novel approach in the treatment of neonatal gastroschisis: a review of the
      literature and a single-center experience.
AB  - Gastroschisis is a congenital abdominal wall defect and its management remains an
      issue. We performed a review of the literature to summarize its evaluation,
      management and outcome and we describe a new type of surgical reduction performed
      in our center without anesthesia (GA), immediately after birth, in the delivery
      room. Between January 2002 and March 2013, we enrolled all live born infants with
      gastroschisis referred to the third-level Division of Obstetrics and Gynecology
      "San Camillo" of Rome. Two groups of infants were identified: group 1 in which
      gastroschis reduction was performed by the traditional technique and group 2 in
      which reduction was immediately performed after birth in the delivery room
      without GA. Twelve infants were enrolled in group 1, and seven infants in group
      2. Statistical significance was observed between the groups regarding the
      hospital stay, for the duration of parenteral nutrition and full oral feeds (p =
      .004). Survival was similar between two groups. The reduction without GA
      performed immediately after birth in a delivery room encourages the relationship
      between the mother and her child and appears to be a safe and feasible technique
      in a selected group of patients with simple gastroschisis defect; for this
      reason, it could represent a valid alternative to traditional approach.

PMID- 28337937
TI  - Evaluation of methanogenic microbial electrolysis cells under closed/open circuit
      operations.
AB  - The present study investigated the independent roles of biofilm and external
      power supply for volatile fatty acids degradation and methane production in the
      microbial electrolysis cell. Reactors were operated in fed-batch mode in the
      presence of graphite felt (GF) or titanium rod (Ti) as electrodes, in open
      circuit (OC, without applied voltage) or closed circuit (CC) conditions, i.e. R1
      (Ti + CC), R2 (GF + CC) and R3 (GF + OC). The first-order kinetic analysis of
      acetate degradation indicated that the presence of GF biofilm and applied voltage
      in R2 improved the degradation rate of acetate by 23% as compared to R1, while it
      was only a 7% increment in R3 with GF biofilm. The degradation of butyrate was
      accelerated by 12% in the first 24 h, whereas there was no enhancement of the
      propionic acid digestion. Generally, methane yields from the three reactors
      followed the sequence: R2 > R1 > R3, indicating the positive effect of external
      power supply on methane generation. High-throughput sequencing revealed that
      Geobacter sp. could be enriched on conductive GF even without electric
      stimulation. The clustered Geobacter and Methanosarcina in R2 presented the
      potential to promote interspecies electron transfer and accelerate substrate
      utilization and methane production.

PMID- 28337938
TI  - Optimization and development of antidiabetic phytosomes by the Box-Behnken
      design.
AB  - Researchers have extensively reviewed on herbs and natural products for their
      marked clinical efficacy in some recent years, however, maximum of the newly
      discovered bioactive constituents offer poor bioavailability due to their large
      size molecules or to their poor miscibility with oils and lipids, thereby
      limiting their ability to pass across the lipid-rich outer membranes of the
      enterocytes of the small intestine. Phytosomes are more bioavailable as compared
      to herbal extracts owing to their enhanced capacity to cross the bio-membranes
      and thus reaching the systemic circulation. This study was aimed to investigate
      the development and optimization of antidiabetic phytosomes using a three-factor,
      three-level the Box-Behnken design (17 batches). The fruits of Citrullus
      colocynthis (L.) Momordica balsamina and Momordica dioica were extracted using
      Soxhlet's apparatus. The phytochemical fingerprint profile of the combined
      methanolic extracts was done by using high-performance thin layer chromatography
      (HPTLC). The polynomial quadratic equation analysis was designed to study the
      response (entrapment efficiency (EE), % yield) of independent significant factors
      at different levels. Phytosomes were characterized in terms of drug content,
      particle size, EE, zeta potential and in vitro dissolution. TEM analysis revealed
      good stability and a spherical, self-closed structure of phytosomes in complex
      formulations. Average particle size was found to 450 nm. Total flavonoid content
      was found to be 10.0 +/- 0.002 MUg/g. Optimized formulation was selected and was
      prepared using A (1:3), B (60  degrees C) and C (2.5 h) to give maximum yield and
      entrapment efficiencies (72% and 92.1 +/- 5.1%). Phytosomes were found to have
      antidiabetic activity comparable to metformin in low dose. HPTLC showed the
      presence of the phyto-constituent quercetin.

PMID- 28337940
TI  - Genome-wide analysis of LPS-induced inflammatory response in the rat ventral
      hippocampus: Modulatory activity of the antidepressant agomelatine.
AB  - OBJECTIVES: Several studies reported that antidepressant drugs have immune
      regulatory effects by acting on specific inflammatory mediators. However,
      considering the highly complex nature of the inflammatory response, we have
      adopted an unbiased genome-wide strategy to investigate the immune-regulatory
      activity of the antidepressant agomelatine in modulating the response to an acute
      inflammatory challenge. METHODS: Microarray analysis was used to identify genes
      modulated in the ventral hippocampus of adult rats chronically treated with
      agomelatine (40 mg/kg, os) before being challenged with a single injection of
      lipopolysaccharide (LPS; 250 MUg/kg, i.p.). RESULTS: The administration of LPS
      induced the transcription of 284 genes mainly associated with pathways related to
      the immune/inflammatory system. Agomelatine modulated pathways not only connected
      to its antidepressant activity, but was also able to prevent the activation of
      genes induced by LPS. Further comparisons between gene lists of the diverse
      experimental groups led to the identification of a few transcripts modulated by
      LPS on which agomelatine has the larger effect of normalisation. Among them, we
      found the pro-inflammatory cytokine Il-1beta and, interestingly, the metabotropic
      glutamatergic transporter Grm2. CONCLUSIONS: These results are useful to better
      characterise the association between depression and inflammation, revealing new
      potential targets for pharmacological intervention for depression associated to
      inflammation.

PMID- 28337939
TI  - Bidirectional apical-basal traffic of the cation-independent mannose-6-phosphate
      receptor in brain endothelial cells.
AB  - Brain capillary endothelium mediates the exchange of nutrients between blood and
      brain parenchyma. This barrier function of the brain capillaries also limits
      passage of pharmaceuticals from blood to brain, which hinders treatment of
      several neurological disorders. Receptor-mediated transport has been suggested as
      a potential pharmaceutical delivery route across the brain endothelium, e.g.
      reports have shown that the transferrin receptor (TfR) facilitates transcytosis
      of TfR antibodies, but it is not known whether this recycling receptor itself
      traffics from apical to basal membrane in the process. Here, we elucidate the
      endosomal trafficking of the retrograde transported cation-independent mannose-6
      phosphate receptor (MPR300) in primary cultures of brain endothelial cells (BECs)
      of porcine and bovine origin. Receptor expression and localisation of MPR300 in
      the endo-lysosomal system and trafficking of internalised receptor are analysed.
      We also demonstrate that MPR300 can undergo bidirectional apical-basal
      trafficking in primary BECs in co-culture with astrocytes. This is, to our
      knowledge, the first detailed study of retrograde transported receptor
      trafficking in BECs, and the study demonstrates that MPR300 can be transported
      from the luminal to abluminal membrane and reverse. Such trafficking of MPR300
      suggests that retrograde transported receptors in general may provide a mechanism
      for transport of pharmaceuticals into the brain.

PMID- 28337941
TI  - Lesion symptom map of cognitive-postural interference in multiple sclerosis.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: To investigate the disease-altered structure-function relationship
      underlying the cognitive-postural interference (CPI) phenomenon in multiple
      sclerosis (MS). METHODS: We measured postural sway of 96 patients and 48 sex-/age
      matched healthy controls by force platform in quiet standing (single-task (ST))
      while performing the Stroop test (dual-task (DT)) to estimate the dual-task cost
      (DTC) of balance. In patient group, binary T2 and T1 lesion masks and their
      corresponding lesion volumes were obtained from magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)
      of brain. Normalized brain volume (NBV) was also estimated by SIENAX.
      Correlations between DTC and lesion location were determined by voxel-based
      lesion symptom mapping (VLSM) analyses. RESULTS: Patients had greater DTC than
      controls ( p < 0.001). Among whole brain MRI metrics, only T1 lesion volume
      correlated with DTC ( r = -0.27; p < 0.01). However, VLSM analysis did not reveal
      any association with DTC using T1 lesion masks. By contrast, we found clusters of
      T2 lesions in distinct anatomical regions (anterior and superior corona radiata,
      bilaterally) to be correlated with DTC ( p < 0.01 false discovery rate (FDR)
      corrected). A multivariable stepwise regression model confirmed findings from
      VLSM analysis. NBV did not contribute to fit the model. CONCLUSION: Our findings
      suggest that the CPI phenomenon in MS can be explained by disconnection along
      specific areas implicated in task-switching abilities and divided attention.

PMID- 28337942
TI  - Is fetal analgesia necessary during prenatal surgery?
AB  - : Fetal pain and fetal anesthesia are still matter of debate: some authors
      hypothesize that several intrauterine endocrine neuroinhibitors (ENIn)
      anesthetize the fetus, keeping it in a constant state of sleep, and making
      pharmacological fetal anesthesia useless for fetal surgery, while others argue
      fetal pain is possible and shoud be prevented with fetal anesthesy. AIM: To
      retrieve evidences about fetal pain, fetal arousability and about the level of
      sedation induced by the ENIn, in order to assess the necessity of direct fetal
      anesthesia during prenatal fetal surgery. METHODS: We performed a careful
      literature review (1990-2016) on fetal arousability, and on the possibility that
      ENIn at the average fetal blood levels induce actual anesthesia. We retrieved the
      papers that fulfilled the research criteria, with particular attention to the
      second half of pregnancy, the period when most fetal surgery is performed.
      RESULTS: Fetuses are awake about 10% of the total time in the last gestational
      weeks, and they can be aroused by external stimuli. ENIn have not an anesthetic
      effect at normal fetal values, but only when they areartificialy injected at high
      doses; their blood levels in the last trimester of average pregnancies are not
      dissimilar either in the fetus or in the mother. CONCLUSIONS: During the second
      half of the pregnancy, external stimuli can awake the fetuses, although they
      spend most of the time in sleeping state; the presence of ENIn is absolutely not
      enough to guarantee an effective anesthesia during surgery. Thus, direct fetal
      analgesia/anesthesia is mandatory, though further studies on its possible
      drawbacks are necessary.

PMID- 28337943
TI  - Together We Are Stronger: Multicenter Studies.

PMID- 28337944
TI  - The influence of gate start position on physical performance and anxiety
      perception in expert BMX athletes.
AB  - The critical importance of the start phase in bicycle motocross (BMX) racing is
      increasingly acknowledged. Past experiments underlined that the internal lane of
      the starting gate provides a strong positional advantage. However, how lane
      position affects start performance and cognitive and somatic state anxiety
      remains unexplored. We examined the start performance and anxiety responses of
      youth national-level BMX riders in both experimental and ecological contexts. We
      used contextualization motor imagery routines to evaluate start performance and
      state anxiety from the internal and external lanes. Cycle ergometer measures
      revealed a better start performance from the external lane, but we did not record
      any lane effect on actual gate start times. Both somatic and cognitive anxiety
      scores were higher before racing from the internal compared to the external lane.
      Finally, state anxiety (i.e., somatic anxiety, worry and concentration
      disruptions) negatively predicted the start performance. Present findings provide
      original insights on psychological factors involved in BMX start performance, and
      might contribute to fruitful coping interventions and training programmes in
      sports overlapping the framework of "handicap races" taking the specific form of
      positional advantages/disadvantages at the start (e.g., ski/snowboard cross,
      athletics, swimming, motorsports, etc.).

PMID- 28337945
TI  - Client interpersonal impacts as mediators of long-term outcome in cognitive
      behavioral therapy integrated with motivational interviewing for generalized
      anxiety disorder.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: A recent trial of generalized anxiety disorder treatment (Westra, H.
      A., Constantino, M. J., & Antony, M. M. (2016). Integrating Motivational
      Interviewing With Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy for Severe Generalized Anxiety
      Disorder: An Allegiance-Controlled Randomized Clinical Trial. Journal of
      Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 84, 768-782. doi: 10.1037/ccp0000098 )
      revealed that cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) integrated with motivational
      interviewing (MI) outperformed CBT alone across a 12-month follow up. The present
      study examined whether this treatment effect was mediated by MI-CBT clients
      engaging over time in during-session interpersonal behaviors reflecting more
      friendly dominance, or agentic actions, and less friendly submissiveness (FS), or
      trustingly compliant actions both theory-specific MI mechanisms. METHOD: Clients
      received 15 sessions of MI-CBT (n = 42) or CBT alone (n = 43). Therapists rated
      client interpersonal behavior following five sessions, and clients rated their
      worry at baseline, each session, and 6- and 12-month follow up. Mediator and
      outcome variables were derived from multilevel models. Mediation was tested using
      a bootstrapping procedure. RESULTS: There was a significant indirect effect for
      FS. As expected, CBT clients evidenced greater increases in FS than MI-CBT
      clients, which in turn, though unexpectedly, related to lower 12-month worry.
      However, long-term CBT outcomes remained inferior to MI-CBT outcomes even with
      CBT clients'greater increase in FS. CONCLUSIONS: Results suggest that CBT
      outcomes are more positive when clients trustingly comply; however, MI-CBT
      remained superior, but for as yet unexplained reasons.

PMID- 28337947
TI  - Memory demands in linguistic compensation.
AB  - Individuals often modify speech characteristics to accommodate their listeners.
      In the present study, we investigate how speakers modify their speech in a
      dictation task and what this says about their beliefs with respect to the
      listener's information processing limitations. To do so, we asked participants to
      either read a set of numbers aloud, or dictate numbers so that another person
      could write them down. Our results suggest that speech modification in this task
      was not related to individual differences in working memory capacity, and could
      represent speakers' attempt to minimize working memory demands of the listener.
      This account is similar to minimal memory strategies, whereby individuals often
      try to minimize memory demands in cognitive tasks.

PMID- 28337948
TI  - Software version of Roland Morris Disability questionnaire for outcome assessment
      in low back pain.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Developing and using the software version of existing validated paper
      version of patient-related outcome can go a long way in saving cost, time and
      effort. However, the equivalence of paper version and software versions cannot be
      assumed. The aim of the study is to test the equivalence between paper version
      and software version of Roland Morris Disability Questionnaire and its
      acceptability among patients. METHODS: This is a within-subject cross over
      equivalence study. Fifty-five patients with back pain were asked to complete the
      paper and software version of RMDQ in random order. Patients were included from
      the Neuro Spinal surgery outpatient department of Lilavati Hospital and Research
      Center. RESULTS: Statistical analysis of 52 patients who completed the study
      showed high agreement between the paper and software version of the questionnaire
      (intraclass correlation coefficient 0.994, 95% confidence interval (0.989
      0.996)). High sensitivity and specificity of 84 and 88% of the software version
      was noted. About 69.2% patients preferred software version over paper version.
      CONCLUSION: Our study shows that software version is comparable to the paper
      version. It may prove to be a useful tool for epidemiological studies and patient
      follow-up over longer period.

PMID- 28337949
TI  - Efficacy of metacognitive therapy for hypoactive sexual desire disorder among
      Iranian couples.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: The aim of present study was to compare the efficacy of metacognitive
      therapy (MCT) against Masters-Johnson sex therapy (MJST) for hypoactive sexual
      desire disorder (HSDD) in Iranian couples. METHODS: A randomized treatment trial
      was conducted. Participants were recruited from the family counseling clinics in
      Tehran and Isfahan. All were suffering from HSDD as defined by DSM-IV-R criteria.
      They were assigned randomly to two groups that received 10 sessions of either MCT
      or MJST. A sexual desire questionnaire was completed by participants before and
      after therapy and at 6-month follow-up. RESULTS: Sexual desire increased
      significantly in the MCT group with respect to the MJST group which failed to
      show any significant improvement from baseline. Both groups showed a reduction in
      scores at 6-month follow-up. The difference recorded between the two groups after
      therapy was no longer significant at 6-month follow-up. CONCLUSION: MCT affected
      sexual desire more than MJST as evaluated after therapy but the gain was not
      maintained at follow-up. Future research needs to investigate whether a greater
      focus on metacognitive beliefs about sexual behavior can improve the stability of
      treatment effects.

PMID- 28337946
TI  - Up-regulation of CXCR4 expression contributes to persistent abdominal pain in
      rats with chronic pancreatitis.
AB  - Background Pain in patients with chronic pancreatitis is critical hallmark that
      accompanied inflammation, fibrosis, and destruction of glandular pancreas. Many
      researchers have demonstrated that stromal cell-derived factor 1 (also named as
      CXCL12) and its cognate receptor C-X-C chemokine receptor type 4 (CXCR4) involved
      in mediating neuropathic and bone cancer pain. However, their roles in chronic
      pancreatic pain remain largely unclear. Methods Chronic pancreatitis was induced
      by intraductal injection of trinitrobenzene sulfonic acid to the pancreas. Von
      Frey filament tests were conducted to evaluate pancreas hypersensitivity of rat.
      Expression of CXCL12, CXCR4, NaV1.8, and pERK in rat dorsal root ganglion was
      detected by Western blot analyses. Dorsal root ganglion neuronal excitability was
      assessed by electrophysiological recordings. Results We showed that both CXCL12
      and CXCR4 were dramatically up-regulated in the dorsal root ganglion in
      trinitrobenzene sulfonic acid-induced chronic pancreatitis pain model.
      Intrathecal application with AMD3100, a potent and selective CXCR4 inhibitor,
      reversed the hyperexcitability of dorsal root ganglion neurons innervating the
      pancreas of rats following trinitrobenzene sulfonic acid injection. Furthermore,
      trinitrobenzene sulfonic acid-induced extracellular signal-regulated kinase
      activation and Nav1.8 up-regulation in dorsal root ganglias were reversed by
      intrathecal application with AMD3100 as well as by blockade of extracellular
      signal-regulated kinase activation by intrathecal U0126. More importantly, the
      trinitrobenzene sulfonic acid-induced persistent pain was significantly
      suppressed by CXCR4 and extracellular signal-regulated kinase inhibitors.
      Conclusions The present results suggest that the activation of CXCL12-CXCR4
      signaling might contribute to pancreatic pain and that extracellular signal
      regulated kinase-dependent Nav1.8 up-regulation might lead to hyperexcitability
      of the primary nociceptor neurons in rats with chronic pancreatitis.

PMID- 28337950
TI  - End-of-Life Directives: Follow-Up Comments.

PMID- 28337951
TI  - True Atomic-Scale Imaging in Three Dimensions: A Review of the Rebirth of Field
      Ion Microscopy.
AB  - This article reviews recent advances utilizing field-ion microscopy (FIM) to
      extract atomic-scale three-dimensional images of materials. This capability is
      not new, as the first atomic-scale reconstructions of features utilizing FIM were
      demonstrated decades ago. The rise of atom probe tomography, and the application
      of this latter technique in place of FIM has unfortunately severely limited
      further FIM development. Currently, the ubiquitous availability of extensive
      computing power makes it possible to treat and reconstruct FIM data digitally and
      this development allows the image sequences obtained utilizing FIM to be
      extremely valuable for many material science and engineering applications. This
      article demonstrates different applications of these capabilities, focusing on
      its use in physical metallurgy and semiconductor science and technology.

PMID- 28337952
TI  - Prenatal maternal stress shapes children's theory of mind: the QF2011 Queensland
      Flood Study.
AB  - Research shows that stress in pregnancy has powerful and enduring effects on many
      facets of child development, including increases in behavior problems and
      neurodevelopmental disorders. Theory of mind is an important aspect of child
      development that is predictive of successful social functioning and is impaired
      in children with autism. A number of factors related to individual differences in
      theory of mind have been identified, but whether theory of mind development is
      shaped by prenatal events has not yet been examined. In this study we utilized a
      sudden onset flood that occurred in Queensland, Australia in 2011 to examine
      whether disaster-related prenatal maternal stress predicts child theory of mind
      and whether sex of the child or timing of the stressor in pregnancy moderates
      these effects. Higher levels of flood-related maternal subjective stress, but not
      objective hardship, predicted worse theory of mind at 30 months (n=130). Further,
      maternal cognitive appraisal of the flood moderated the effects of stress in
      pregnancy on girls' theory of mind performance but not boys'. These results
      illuminate how stress in pregnancy can shape child development and the findings
      are discussed in relation to biological mechanisms in pregnancy and stress
      theory.

PMID- 28337954
TI  - Clinical Value of Capecitabine-Based Combination Adjuvant Chemotherapy in Early
      Breast Cancer: A Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials.
AB  - Capecitabine has consistently demonstrated high efficacy and acceptable
      tolerability in salvage chemotherapy for advanced breast cancer. However, there
      remains no consensus on its role in adjuvant chemotherapy for early breast cancer
      (EBC). To estimate the value of capecitabine-based combination adjuvant treatment
      in EBC, eight randomized controlled trials with 14,072 participants were
      analyzed. The efficacy and safety outcomes included disease-free survival (DFS),
      overall survival (OS), relapse, breast cancer-specific survival (BCSS), and
      grades 3-5 adverse events. Capecitabine-based combination adjuvant chemotherapy
      demonstrated a 16% increase in BCSS (HR = 0.84, 95% CI = 0.71-0.98, p = 0.03) in
      the overall analysis and a 22% improvement in DFS (HR = 0.78, 95% CI = 0.64-0.96,
      p = 0.02) in the hormone receptor-negative (HR-) subgroup. However, there were no
      significant differences in DFS (HR = 0.96, 95% CI = 0.89-1.05, p = 0.38), OS (HR
      = 0.91, 95% CI = 0.82-1.00, p = 0.06), or relapse between capecitabine-based and
      capecitabine-free combination adjuvant chemotherapy. Analogous results were
      observed in the subgroup analyses of HR+, HER2-, HER2+, and triple-negative EBC.
      Regarding safety, reduced myelosuppression and hand-foot syndrome development
      were observed in capecitabine-treated patients. Capecitabine-based combination
      adjuvant chemotherapy might provide some BCSS benefit compared with capecitabine
      free regimens in EBC, but the absolute survival gain is small, and the survival
      benefit appears to be restricted to patients with HR- EBC, which may indicate a
      target population for capecitabine-based combination adjuvant chemotherapy.

PMID- 28337955
TI  - Examining the In Vitro Efficacy of the IAP Antagonist Birinapant as a Single
      Agent or in Combination With Dacarbazine to Induce Melanoma Cell Death.
AB  - Antagonists of inhibitors of apoptosis proteins (IAPs), alone or in combination
      with genotoxic therapeutics, have been shown to efficiently induce cell death in
      various solid tumors. The IAP antagonist birinapant is currently being tested in
      phase II clinical trials. We herein aimed to investigate the antitumor efficacy
      of dacarbazine in vitro, both as a single agent and in combination with
      birinapant, in melanoma cell lines. Covering clinically relevant drug
      concentration ranges, we conducted a total of 5,400 measurements in a panel of 12
      human melanoma cell lines representing different stages of disease progression.
      Surprisingly, functionally relevant synergies or response potentiation in
      combination treatments was not observed, and only one cell line modestly
      responded to birinapant single treatment (approximately 16% cell death). Although
      we did not study the underlying resistance mechanisms or more complex in vivo
      scenarios in which dacarbazine/birinapant response synergies may still possibly
      manifest, our findings are nevertheless noteworthy because IAP antagonists were
      demonstrated to strongly enhance responses to DNA-damaging agents in cell lines
      of other cancer types under comparable experimental conditions in vitro.

PMID- 28337958
TI  - Knockdown of Homeobox B5 (HOXB5) Inhibits Cell Proliferation, Migration, and
      Invasion in Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer Cells Through Inactivation of the Wnt/beta
      Catenin Pathway.
AB  - Homeobox B5 (HOXB5), a member of the HOX gene family, has been shown to play an
      important role in tumor progression. However, the expression and functional role
      of HOXB5 in human non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) have not been defined. Thus,
      the purpose of this study was to elucidate the expression and functional role of
      HOXB5 in human NSCLC. Our results showed that HOXB5 expression was elevated in
      human NSCLC tissues and cell lines. The in vitro experiments demonstrated that
      knockdown of HOXB5 inhibited proliferation, migration, and invasion and prevented
      the EMT phenotype in NSCLC cells. In vivo experiments indicated that knockdown of
      HOXB5 attenuated the growth of NSCLC xenografts in vivo. Furthermore, knockdown
      of HOXB5 suppressed the protein expression levels of beta-catenin and its
      downstream targets c-Myc and cyclin D1 in A549 cells. Taken together, for the
      first time we have shown that knockdown of HOXB5 significantly inhibited NSCLC
      cell proliferation, invasion, metastasis, and EMT, partly through the Wnt/beta
      catenin signaling pathway. These findings suggest that HOXB5 may be a novel
      therapeutic target for the treatment of NSCLC.

PMID- 28337960
TI  - G-Protein Signaling Protein-17 (RGS17) Is Upregulated and Promotes Tumor Growth
      and Migration in Human Colorectal Carcinoma.
AB  - Colorectal carcinoma is one of the leading causes of cancer-related deaths and
      has a high tendency for metastasis, which makes it a priority to find novel
      methods to diagnose and treat colorectal carcinoma at a very early stage. We
      studied the role of the regulator of G-protein signaling (RGS) family of proteins
      RGS17 in colorectal carcinoma growth and metastasis. We found that RGS17 was
      upregulated in both clinical colorectal carcinoma tissues and cultured colorectal
      carcinoma cells. Knockdown of RGS17 by specific siRNA decreased the cell
      proliferation rate, whereas overexpression of RGS17 with expression plasmid
      increased the rate in cultured cells. Consistently, a mouse model for colorectal
      carcinoma also showed that depletion of RGS17 significantly inhibited tumor
      growth in vivo. Moreover, a Transwell assay showed that RGS17 promoted the
      ability of colorectal carcinoma cells to migrate and invade. These data suggest
      that RGS17 is overexpressed in colorectal carcinoma and promotes cell
      proliferation, migration, and invasion.

PMID- 28337957
TI  - Transplantation of Cultured Olfactory Bulb Cells Prevents Abnormal Sensory
      Responses During Recovery From Dorsal Root Avulsion in the Rat.
AB  - The central branches of the C7 and C8 dorsal roots were avulsed close to their
      entry point into the spinal cord in adult rats. The forepaw responses to heat and
      cold stimuli were tested at 1, 2, and 3 weeks after injury. Over this period, the
      paws were sensitive to both stimuli at 1-2 weeks and returned toward normal at 3
      weeks. Immunohistology showed no evidence of axonal regeneration into the spinal
      cord in a control group of rats with avulsion only, implying that adjacent dorsal
      roots and their corresponding dermatomes were involved in the recovery. In a
      further group of rats, a mixture of bulbar olfactory ensheathing cells and
      olfactory nerve fibroblasts were transplanted into the gap between the avulsed
      roots and the spinal cord at the time of avulsion. These rats showed no evidence
      of either loss of sensation or exaggerated responses to stimuli at any of the
      time points from 1 to 3 weeks. Immunohistology showed that the transplanted cells
      formed a complete bridge, and the central branches of the dorsal root fibers had
      regenerated into the dorsal horn of the spinal cord. These regenerating axons,
      including Tuj1 and CGRP immunoreactive fibers, were ensheathed by the olfactory
      ensheathing cells. This confirms our previous demonstration of central
      regeneration by these transplants and suggests that such transplants may provide
      a useful means to prevent the development of abnormal sensations such as
      allodynia after spinal root lesions.

PMID- 28337961
TI  - Biosorption of heavy metals from aqueous solution by bacteria isolated from
      contaminated soil.
AB  - The study was carried out to analyze the heavy metals biosorption potential of
      bacteria isolated from electroplating industrial effluents contaminated soil.
      Bacterial isolates were screened for their multi-metal biosorption potential
      against copper, nickel, lead and chromium. Bacterial isolate CU4A showed maximum
      uptake of copper, nickel, lead and chromium in aqueous solution with biosorption
      efficiency as 87.16 %, 79.62%, 84.92% and 68.12%, respectively. The bacterial
      strain CU4A was identified as Bacillus cereus following 16S rRNA gene sequence
      analysis. The surface chemical functional groups of bacterial biomass were
      identified by Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy as hydroxyl,
      carboxyl, amine and halide, which may be involved in the biosorption of heavy
      metals. The SEM (Scanning Electron Microscopy) and EDS (Energy Dispersive
      Spectroscopy) analysis confirmed the adsorption of metals on the bacterial cell
      mass. The results of our study are significant and could be further investigated
      for removal of heavy metals from contaminated environment.

PMID- 28337959
TI  - MicroRNA-940 Targets INPP4A or GSK3beta and Activates the Wnt/beta-Catenin
      Pathway to Regulate the Malignant Behavior of Bladder Cancer Cells.
AB  - In this report, we aimed to explore the role and regulatory mechanism of microRNA
      940 (miR-940) in bladder cancer development. The expressions of miR-940 in
      bladder cancer tissues and cells were measured. miR-940 mimics, miR-940 inhibitor
      small interference RNA against INPP4A (si-INPP4A), and GSK3beta (si-GSK3beta) and
      their corresponding controls were then transfected into cells. We investigated
      the effects of miR-940, INPP4A, or GSK3beta on cell proliferation, migration,
      invasion, and apoptosis. Additionally, target prediction and luciferase reporter
      assays were performed to investigate the targets of miR-940. The regulatory
      relationship between miR-940 and the Wnt/beta-catenin pathway was also
      investigated. miR-940 was upregulated in bladder cancer tissues and cells.
      Overexpression of miR-940 significantly increased bladder cancer cell
      proliferation, promoted migration and invasion, and inhibited cell apoptosis.
      INPP4A and GSK3beta were the direct targets of miR-940, and knockdown of INPP4A
      or GSK3beta significantly increased cancer cell proliferation, migration, and
      invasion and inhibited cell apoptosis. After miR-940 overexpression, the protein
      expression levels of c-Myc, cyclin D1, and beta-catenin were significantly
      increased, and the expression levels of p27 and p-beta-catenin were markedly
      decreased. The opposite effects were obtained after suppression of miR-940.
      XAV939, a tankyrase 1 inhibitor that could inhibit Wnt/beta-catenin signaling,
      significantly reversed the effects of miR-940 overexpression on cell migration
      and invasion. Our results indicate that overexpression of miR-940 may promote
      bladder cancer cell proliferation, migration, and invasion and inhibit cell
      apoptosis via targeting INPP4A or GSK3beta and activating the Wnt/beta-catenin
      pathway. Our findings imply the key roles of suppressing miRNA-940 in the therapy
      of bladder cancer.

PMID- 28337963
TI  - Enhanced Treatment Properties of Iron Oxide Amended Sands Coupled with
      Polyelectrolyte to Humic Acid.
AB  - To improve the removal efficiency of micropollutant humic acid at low
      temperature, microflocculation filtration experiments were conducted with
      homemade iron oxide amended sands (IOAS), cationic polyelectrolyte (CPE) and
      polyaluminium chloride (PACl). Fractal properties of flocs structures and IOAS
      surface and their effects on the removal efficiency of humic acid were
      investigated. Results showed that IOAS had a porous surface with fractal
      dimensions (D) (D = 1.744) and a strong adsorption capacity for humic acid. The
      flocs produced by PACl were small in size, loosely packed with a higher D, and
      therefore settled slowly. By contrast, the formed flocs by adding CPE with only
      1~5% of PACl had strong and open structures with a high effective density, rapid
      settling velocity and a lower D. Compared with PACl flocs, the larger size CPE
      flocs and PACl+CPE flocs deposited and packed up on IOAS, creating smaller pores
      and resulting in a lower D and higher filtration capacity.

PMID- 28337962
TI  - LINC00052 Promotes Gastric Cancer Cell Proliferation and Metastasis via
      Activating the Wnt/beta-Catenin Signaling Pathway.
AB  - Gastric cancer (GC) is one of the most common malignant tumors of the digestive
      system. The etiology of GC is complex, and much more attention should be paid to
      genetic factors. In this study, we explored the role and function of LINC00052 in
      GC. We applied qRT-PCR and Northern blot to detect the expression of LINC00052
      and found it was highly expressed during GC. We also investigated the effects of
      LINC00052 on tumor prognosis and progression and found that LINC00052 indicated
      poor prognosis and tumor progression. By performing MTT, colony formation, and
      Transwell assays, we found that LINC00052 promoted MGC-803 cell proliferation and
      metastasis. Pull-down and RIP assays showed that LINC00052 could interact with
      beta-catenin and methyltransferase SMYD2, and immunoprecipitation detection
      showed that LINC00052 promoted beta-catenin methylation to maintain its
      stability, so as to activate the Wnt/beta-catenin pathway. Furthermore, XAV939
      (inhibitor of beta-catenin) was used to treat MGC-803 cells, and we found that
      LINC00052 promoted proliferation and metastasis, possibly by activation of the
      Wnt/beta-catenin pathway. In conclusion, our research demonstrated a carcinogenic
      role for LINC000052 in GC, which may represent a new approach for the prevention
      and therapy of this cancer.

PMID- 28337964
TI  - Targeting CD47 Enhances the Efficacy of Anti-PD-1 and CTLA-4 in an Esophageal
      Squamous Cell Cancer Preclinical Model.
AB  - Esophageal squamous cell cancer is a highly aggressive cancer with a dismal 5
      year survival rate. CD47 is a cell transmembrane protein that is involved in cell
      apoptosis, proliferation, adhesion, migration, and antigen presentation in the
      immune system. By interacting with signal regulatory protein-alpha expressed in
      antigen-presenting cells (APCs), CD47 acts as an antiphagocytic mechanism to
      inhibit APC-dependent antigen presentation. Overexpression of CD47 was found in
      various types of cancer. However, its role in esophageal squamous cell cancer is
      not yet clear. Anti-CD47 is an antagonist of CD47 signaling pathways by competing
      with its ligand. In the current study, we investigated the effects of anti-CD47
      treatment on the antitumor immune response in an esophageal squamous cell cancer
      preclinical model. We found that anti-CD47 treatment enhanced proinflammatory
      responses and increased CD8+ T-cell infiltration in tumor tissue in the animal
      model. T cells in anti-CD47-treated tumors showed higher PD-1 and CTLA-4
      expression, indicating T-cell activation and the rationale of combining anti-CD47
      with anti-PD-1 and CLTA-4. The combinatory treatment showed the best antitumor
      response, implying a novel treatment strategy. The effects of anti-CD47 depended
      on dendritic cell function. In patient samples, expression of CD47 was negatively
      correlated with CD8+ T-cell infiltration in esophageal squamous cell cancer
      patients. Taken together, CD47 might be a novel target to enhance anti-PD-1 and
      CLTA-4 efficacy in esophageal squamous cell cancer.

PMID- 28337965
TI  - Knockdown of E2F3 Inhibits Proliferation, Migration, and Invasion and Increases
      Apoptosis in Glioma Cells.
AB  - E2F3a, as a member of the E2F family, is essential for cell division associated
      with the progression of many cancers. However, the biological effect of E2F3a on
      glioma is not understood as well. To investigate the functional mechanism of
      E2F3a in glioma, we examined the expression of E2F3a in glioma tissue and cell
      lines. We found that E2F3a was upregulated in glioma tissue compared with
      adjacent tissue, and this was associated with a poor survival rate. E2F3a was
      highly expressed in glioma cell lines compared with normal HEB cell lines.
      Knockdown of E2F3a significantly inhibited cell proliferation, promoted G0/G1
      phase arrest, elevated apoptosis rates, and suppressed cell migration and
      invasion. However, overexpression of E2F3a markedly promoted cell proliferation,
      migration, and invasion and inhibited apoptosis. Moreover, in vivo studies showed
      that knockdown of E2F3a expression dramatically inhibited U373 tumor growth in a
      nude mouse model. Results of real-time PCR and Western blot showed that the
      depletion of E2F3a upregulated the expression levels of cell apoptosis-related
      proteins and downregulated migration-related proteins. Conversely, E2F3a
      overexpression downregulated the expression levels of cell apoptosis-related
      proteins and upregulated migration-related proteins. In conclusion, our results
      highlight the importance of E2F3a in glioma and provide new insights into the
      diagnostics and therapeutics of gliomas.

PMID- 28337966
TI  - Acid-Fast Positive and Acid-Fast Negative Mycobacterium tuberculosis: The Koch
      Paradox.
AB  - Acid-fast (AF) staining, also known as Ziehl-Neelsen stain microscopic detection,
      developed over a century ago, is even today the most widely used diagnostic
      method for tuberculosis. Herein we present a short historical review of the
      evolution of AF staining methods and discuss Koch's paradox, in which non-AF
      tubercle bacilli can be detected in tuberculosis patients or in experimentally
      infected animals. The conversion of Mycobacterium tuberculosis from an actively
      growing, AF-positive form to a nonreplicating, AF-negative form during the course
      of infection is now well documented. The mechanisms of loss of acid-fastness are
      not fully understood but involve important metabolic processes, such as the
      accumulation of triacylglycerol-containing intracellular inclusions and changes
      in the composition and spatial architecture of the cell wall. Although the
      precise component(s) responsible for the AF staining method remains largely
      unknown, analysis of a series of genetically defined M. tuberculosis mutants,
      which are attenuated in mice, pointed to the primary role of mycolic acids and
      other cell wall-associated (glyco)lipids as molecular markers responsible for the
      AF property of mycobacteria. Further studies are now required to better describe
      the cell wall reorganization that occurs during dormancy and to develop new
      staining procedures that are not affected by such cell wall alterations and that
      are capable of detecting AF-negative cells.

PMID- 28337967
TI  - One year in review 2017: primary Sjogren's syndrome.
AB  - Primary Sjogren's syndrome (pSS) is a complex and heterogeneous disease. Last
      year, a great deal of basic and clinical research was carried out in pSS.
      Following the previous reviews of this publishing series, we will herewith
      provide a critical digest of the most recent literature on pSS pathogenesis,
      clinical manifestations and treatment. More specifically, we will focus on the
      heterogeneity of the disease, on the underlying pathogenetic pathways and on the
      possible new targeted treatments on the horizon.

PMID- 28337969
TI  - Signatures of relativistic spin-light coupling in magneto-optical pump-probe
      experiments.
AB  - Femtosecond magneto-optical pump-probe measurements of ultrafast demagnetization
      show an intriguing difference in the first 100 fs of the magneto-optical Kerr
      response depending on whether the polarization of the pump and probe beams are in
      parallel or perpendicular configuration (Bigot et al 2009 Nat. Phys. 5 515).
      Starting from a most general relativistic Hamiltonian we focus on the ultra
      relativistic light-spin interaction and show that this coupling term leads to
      different light-induced opto-magnetic fields when pump and probe polarization are
      parallel and perpendicular to each other, providing thus an explanation for the
      measurements. We also analyze other pump-probe configurations where the pump
      laser is circularly polarized and the employed probe contains only linearly
      polarized light and show that similar opto-magnetic effects can be anticipated.

PMID- 28337968
TI  - CRISPR/Cas9 mutagenesis invalidates a putative cancer dependency targeted in on
      going clinical trials.
AB  - The Maternal Embryonic Leucine Zipper Kinase (MELK) has been reported to be a
      genetic dependency in several cancer types. MELK RNAi and small-molecule
      inhibitors of MELK block the proliferation of various cancer cell lines, and MELK
      knockdown has been described as particularly effective against the highly
      aggressive basal/triple-negative subtype of breast cancer. Based on these
      preclinical results, the MELK inhibitor OTS167 is currently being tested as a
      novel chemotherapy agent in several clinical trials. Here, we report that
      mutagenizing MELK with CRISPR/Cas9 has no effect on the fitness of basal breast
      cancer cell lines or cell lines from six other cancer types. Cells that harbor
      null mutations in MELK exhibit wild-type doubling times, cytokinesis, and
      anchorage-independent growth. Furthermore, MELK-knockout lines remain sensitive
      to OTS167, suggesting that this drug blocks cell division through an off-target
      mechanism. In total, our results undermine the rationale for a series of current
      clinical trials and provide an experimental approach for the use of CRISPR/Cas9
      in preclinical target validation that can be broadly applied.

PMID- 28337971
TI  - Semiconductor meta-surface based perfect light absorber.
AB  - We numerically proposed and demonstrated a semiconductor meta-surface light
      absorber, which consists of a silicon patches array on a silicon thin-film and an
      opaque silver substrate. The Mie resonances of the silicon patches and the
      fundamental cavity mode of the ultra-thin silicon film couple strongly to the
      incident optical field, leading to a multi-band perfect absorption. The maximal
      absorption is above 99.5% and the absorption is polarization-independent.
      Moreover, the absorption behavior is scalable in the frequency region via tuning
      the structural parameters. These features hold the absorber platform with wide
      applications in optoelectronics such as hot-electron excitation and photo
      detection.

PMID- 28337970
TI  - Quantum coherence phenomenon in disordered Bi2SeTe2 topological single crystal:
      effect of annealing.
AB  - We report a comparative magnetotransport study on pristine and annealed Bi2SeTe2
      single crystals. The pristine sample shows a metallic trend from 300 to 180 K,
      and an insulating behavior for T  <  180 K, whereas the annealed sample exhibits
      an insulating nature in the entire 4.2-300 K temperature range. Magnetoresistance
      (MR) of pristine and annealed samples reveals contrasting behaviour as a function
      of temperature (T) and magnetic field (B). At 4.2 K, the pristine sample shows
      weak antilocalization (WAL) behavior at low fields and transforms to weak
      localization (WL) behavior (negative MR) for B  >  2.5 T. Further, the quantum MR
      behaviours seen at low temperature gradually transform to classical B 2 dependent
      upon increasing the temperatures. In contrast, the annealed sample shows a WAL at
      small field superimposed on a parabolic feature for B  >  +/-4 T at low
      temperatures (T  <  20 K). It shows a linear MR at intermediate temperatures (40
      K  <  T  <  100 K) and a parabolic MR at temperatures T  >  100 K. Hall
      measurements on both samples exhibit a nonlinear behavior at 4.2 K pointing to
      the existence of two types of carriers with different mobility. The annealed
      sample also shows a drastic decrease in mobility by one order of magnitude and a
      reduction in Ioffe-Regel parameter (k F l) by a factor of ~3. Disorder-induced
      localization of bulk carriers and its coexistence with localization-immune
      surface carriers at low T leads to WAL and WL. MR observed in the annealed sample
      can be attributed to the presence of both quantum-classical contribution and has
      been analysed using the Hikami-Larkin-Nagaoka (HLN) equation.

PMID- 28337972
TI  - Silicon hollow sphere anode with enhanced cycling stability by a template-free
      method.
AB  - Silicon is a promising alternative anode material since it has a ten times higher
      theoretical specific capacity than that of a traditional graphite anode. However,
      the poor cycling stability due to the huge volume change of Si during
      charge/discharge processes has seriously hampered its widespread application. To
      address this challenge, we design a silicon hollow sphere nanostructure by
      selective etching and a subsequent magnesiothermic reduction. The Si hollow
      spheres exhibit enhanced electrochemical properties compared to the commercial Si
      nanoparticles. The initial discharge and charge capacities of the Si hollow
      sphere anode are 2215.8 mAh g-1 and 1615.1 mAh g-1 with a high initial coulombic
      efficiency (72%) at a current density of 200 mA g-1, respectively. In particular,
      the reversible capacity is 1534.5 mAh g-1 with a remarkable 88% capacity
      retention against the second cycle after 100 cycles, over four times the
      theoretical capacity of the traditional graphite electrode. Therefore, our work
      demonstrates the considerable potential of silicon structures for displacing
      commercial graphite, and might open up new opportunities to rationally design
      various nanostructured materials for lithium ion batteries.

PMID- 28337973
TI  - Crystal growth, structure and magnetic properties of Ca10Cr7O28.
AB  - A detailed diffraction study of Ca10Cr7O28 is presented which adds significant
      new insights into the structural and magnetic properties of this compound. A new
      crystal structure type was used where the a and b axes are doubled compared to
      previous models providing a more plausible structure where all crystallographic
      sites are fully occupied. The presence of two different valences of chromium was
      verified and the locations of the magnetic Cr5+ and non-magnetic Cr6+ ions were
      identified. The Cr5+ ions have spin-[Formula: see text] and form distorted kagome
      bilayers which are stacked in an ABC arrangement along the c axis. These results
      lay the foundation for understanding of the quantum spin liquid behavior in
      Ca10Cr7O28 which has recently been reported in Balz et al (2016 Nat. Phys. 12
      942).

PMID- 28337974
TI  - Theory of electrical conductivity and dielectric permittivity of highly aligned
      graphene-based nanocomposites.
AB  - Highly aligned graphene-based nanocomposites are of great interest due to their
      excellent electrical properties along the aligned direction. Graphene fillers in
      these composites are not necessarily perfectly aligned, but their orientations
      are highly confined to a certain angle, [Formula: see text] with 90 degrees 
      giving rise to the randomly oriented state and 0 degrees  to the perfectly
      aligned one. Recent experiments have shown that electrical conductivity and
      dielectric permittivity of highly aligned graphene-polymer nanocomposites are
      strongly dependent on this distribution angle, but at present no theory seems to
      exist to address this issue. In this work we present a new effective-medium
      theory that is derived from the underlying physical process including the effects
      of graphene orientation, filler loading, aspect ratio, percolation threshold,
      interfacial tunneling, and Maxwell-Wagner-Sillars polarization, to determine
      these two properties. The theory is formulated in the context of preferred
      orientational average. We highlight this new theory with an application to
      rGO/epoxy nanocomposites, and demonstrate that the calculated in-plane and out-of
      plane conductivity and permittivity are in agreement with the experimental data
      as the range of graphene orientations changes from the randomly oriented to the
      highly aligned state. We also show that the percolation thresholds of highly
      aligned graphene nanocomposites are in general different along the planar and the
      normal directions, but they converge into a single one when the statistical
      distribution of graphene fillers is spherically symmetric.

PMID- 28337977
TI  - Remarkably enhanced photovoltaic effects and first-principles calculations in
      neodymium doped BiFeO3.
AB  - Remarkably enhanced photovoltaic effects have been observed in the
      heterostructures of p-type A-site Nd3+-doped BiFeO3 (Bi0.9375Nd0.0625)FeO3 (or
      BFONd) polycrystalline ceramics and the n-type ITO thin film. The maximum power
      conversion is ~0.82%, which is larger than 0.015% in BiFeO3 (BFO) under blue
      ultraviolet irradiation of wavelength lambda = 405 nm. The current-voltage (I-V)
      characteristic curve suggests a p-n junction interface between the ITO thin film
      and BFO (or BFONd) ceramics. The band gaps calculated from first-principles for
      BFO and BFONd are respectively 2.25 eV and 2.23 eV, which are consistent with the
      experimental direct band gaps of 2.24 eV and 2.20 eV measured by optical
      transmission spectra. The reduction of the band gap in BFONd can be explained by
      the lower electronic Fermi level due to acceptor states revealed by first
      principles calculations. The optical calculations show a larger absorption
      coefficient in BFONd than in BFO.

PMID- 28337976
TI  - Antiproliferative Activity of Crocin Involves Targeting of Microtubules in Breast
      Cancer Cells.
AB  - Crocin, a component of saffron spice, is known to have an anticancer activity.
      However, the targets of crocin are not known. In this study, crocin was found to
      inhibit the proliferation of HCC70, HCC1806, HeLa and CCD1059sk cells by
      targeting microtubules. Crocin depolymerized both the interphase and mitotic
      microtubules of different cancer cells, inhibited mitosis and induced multipolar
      spindle formation in these cells. In vitro, crocin inhibited the assembly of pure
      tubulin as well as the assembly of microtubule-associated protein rich tubulin.
      Electron microscopic analysis showed that crocin inhibited microtubule assembly
      while it induced aggregation of tubulin at higher concentrations. Crocin co
      eluted with tubulin suggesting that it binds to tubulin. Vinblastine inhibited
      the binding of crocin to tubulin while podophyllotoxin did not inhibit the crocin
      binding indicating that crocin binds at the vinblastine site on tubulin. The
      results suggested that crocin inhibited cell proliferation mainly by disrupting
      the microtubule network.

PMID- 28337975
TI  - A chemical chaperone improves muscle function in mice with a RyR1 mutation.
AB  - Mutations in the RYR1 gene cause severe myopathies. Mice with an I4895T mutation
      in the type 1 ryanodine receptor/Ca2+ release channel (RyR1) display muscle
      weakness and atrophy, but the underlying mechanisms are unclear. Here we show
      that the I4895T mutation in RyR1 decreases the amplitude of the sarcoplasmic
      reticulum (SR) Ca2+ transient, resting cytosolic Ca2+ levels, muscle triadin
      content and calsequestrin (CSQ) localization to the junctional SR, and increases
      endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress/unfolded protein response (UPR) and
      mitochondrial ROS production. Treatment of mice carrying the I4895T mutation with
      a chemical chaperone, sodium 4-phenylbutyrate (4PBA), reduces ER stress/UPR and
      improves muscle function, but does not restore SR Ca2+ transients in I4895T
      fibres to wild type levels, suggesting that decreased SR Ca2+ release is not the
      major driver of the myopathy. These findings suggest that 4PBA, an FDA-approved
      drug, has potential as a therapeutic intervention for RyR1 myopathies that are
      associated with ER stress.

PMID- 28337978
TI  - MicroRNA filters Hox temporal transcription noise to confer boundary formation in
      the spinal cord.
AB  - The initial rostrocaudal patterning of the neural tube leads to differential
      expression of Hox genes that contribute to the specification of motor neuron (MN)
      subtype identity. Although several 3' Hox mRNAs are expressed in progenitors in a
      noisy manner, these Hox proteins are not expressed in the progenitors and only
      become detectable in postmitotic MNs. MicroRNA biogenesis impairment leads to
      precocious expression and propagates the noise of Hoxa5 at the protein level,
      resulting in an imprecise Hoxa5-Hoxc8 boundary. Here we uncover, using in silico
      simulation, two feed-forward Hox-miRNA loops accounting for the precocious and
      noisy Hoxa5 expression, as well as an ill-defined boundary phenotype in Dicer
      mutants. Finally, we identify mir-27 as a major regulator coordinating the
      temporal delay and spatial boundary of Hox protein expression. Our results
      provide a novel trans Hox-miRNA circuit filtering transcription noise and
      controlling the timing of protein expression to confer robust individual MN
      identity.

PMID- 28337979
TI  - Monolayer optical memory cells based on artificial trap-mediated charge storage
      and release.
AB  - Monolayer transition metal dichalcogenides are considered to be promising
      candidates for flexible and transparent optoelectronics applications due to their
      direct bandgap and strong light-matter interactions. Although several monolayer
      based photodetectors have been demonstrated, single-layered optical memory
      devices suitable for high-quality image sensing have received little attention.
      Here we report a concept for monolayer MoS2 optoelectronic memory devices using
      artificially-structured charge trap layers through the functionalization of the
      monolayer/dielectric interfaces, leading to localized electronic states that
      serve as a basis for electrically-induced charge trapping and optically-mediated
      charge release. Our devices exhibit excellent photo-responsive memory
      characteristics with a large linear dynamic range of ~4,700 (73.4 dB) coupled
      with a low OFF-state current (<4 pA), and a long storage lifetime of over 104 s.
      In addition, the multi-level detection of up to 8 optical states is successfully
      demonstrated. These results represent a significant step toward the development
      of future monolayer optoelectronic memory devices.

PMID- 28337981
TI  - Field-emission from quantum-dot-in-perovskite solids.
AB  - Quantum dot and well architectures are attractive for infrared optoelectronics,
      and have led to the realization of compelling light sensors. However, they
      require well-defined passivated interfaces and rapid charge transport, and this
      has restricted their efficient implementation to costly vacuum-epitaxially grown
      semiconductors. Here we report solution-processed, sensitive infrared field
      emission photodetectors. Using quantum-dots-in-perovskite, we demonstrate the
      extraction of photocarriers via field emission, followed by the recirculation of
      photogenerated carriers. We use in operando ultrafast transient spectroscopy to
      sense bias-dependent photoemission and recapture in field-emission devices. The
      resultant photodiodes exploit the superior electronic transport properties of
      organometal halide perovskites, the quantum-size-tuned absorption of the
      colloidal quantum dots and their matched interface. These field-emission quantum
      dot-in-perovskite photodiodes extend the perovskite response into the short
      wavelength infrared and achieve measured specific detectivities that exceed 1012
      Jones. The results pave the way towards novel functional photonic devices with
      applications in photovoltaics and light emission.

PMID- 28337982
TI  - The fourth crystallographic closest packing unveiled in the gold nanocluster
      crystal.
AB  - Metal nanoclusters have recently attracted extensive interest not only for
      fundamental scientific research, but also for practical applications. For
      fundamental scientific research, it is of major importance to explore the
      internal structure and crystallographic arrangement. Herein, we synthesize a gold
      nanocluster whose composition is determined to be Au60S6(SCH2Ph)36 by using
      electrospray ionization mass spectrometry and single crystal X-ray
      crystallography (SCXC). SCXC also reveals that Au60S6(SCH2Ph)36 consists of a fcc
      like Au20 kernel protected by a pair of giant Au20S3(SCH2Ph)18 staple motifs,
      which contain 6 tetrahedral-coordinate MU4-S atoms not previously reported in the
      Au-S interface. Importantly, the fourth crystallographic closest-packed pattern,
      termed 6H left-handed helical (6HLH) arrangement, which results in the distinct
      loss of solid photoluminescence of amorphous Au60S6(SCH2Ph)36, is found in the
      crystals of Au60S6(SCH2Ph)36. The solvent-polarity-dependent solution
      photoluminescence is also demonstrated. Overall, this work provides important
      insights about the structure, Au-S bonding and solid photoluminescence of gold
      nanoclusters.

PMID- 28337980
TI  - Light-sensing via hydrogen peroxide and a peroxiredoxin.
AB  - Yeast lacks dedicated photoreceptors; however, blue light still causes pronounced
      oscillations of the transcription factor Msn2 into and out of the nucleus. Here
      we show that this poorly understood phenomenon is initiated by a peroxisomal
      oxidase, which converts light into a hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) signal that is
      sensed by the peroxiredoxin Tsa1 and transduced to thioredoxin, to counteract PKA
      dependent Msn2 phosphorylation. Upon H2O2, the nuclear retention of PKA catalytic
      subunits, which contributes to delayed Msn2 nuclear concentration, is antagonized
      in a Tsa1-dependent manner. Conversely, peroxiredoxin hyperoxidation interrupts
      the H2O2 signal and drives Msn2 oscillations by superimposing on PKA feedback
      regulation. Our data identify a mechanism by which light could be sensed in all
      cells lacking dedicated photoreceptors. In particular, the use of H2O2 as a
      second messenger in signalling is common to Msn2 oscillations and to light
      induced entrainment of circadian rhythms and suggests conserved roles for
      peroxiredoxins in endogenous rhythms.

PMID- 28337983
TI  - Self-inflicted DNA double-strand breaks sustain tumorigenicity and stemness of
      cancer cells.
AB  - DNA double-strand breaks (DSBs) are traditionally associated with cancer through
      their abilities to cause chromosomal instabilities or gene mutations. Here we
      report a new class of self-inflicted DNA DSBs that can drive tumor growth
      irrespective of their effects on genomic stability. We discover a mechanism
      through which cancer cells cause DSBs in their own genome spontaneously
      independent of reactive oxygen species or replication stress. In this mechanism,
      low-level cytochrome c leakage from the mitochondria leads to sublethal
      activation of apoptotic caspases and nucleases, which causes DNA DSBs. In
      response to these spontaneous DNA DSBs, ATM, a key factor involved in DNA damage
      response, is constitutively activated. Activated ATM leads to activation of
      transcription factors NF-kappaB and STAT3, known drivers of tumor growth.
      Moreover, self-inflicted DNA DSB formation and ATM activation are important in
      sustaining the stemness of patient-derived glioma cells. In human tumor tissues,
      elevated levels of activated ATM correlate with poor patient survival. Self
      inflicted DNA DSBs therefore are functionally important for maintaining the
      malignancy of cancer cells.

PMID- 28337986
TI  - Simultaneous treatment of temporomandibular joint ankylosis with severe
      mandibular deficiency by standard TMJ prosthesis.
AB  - Temporomandibular joint (TMJ) ankylosis is a refractory disease that is difficult
      to predictably treat. This study evaluated the prognosis of using standard
      alloplastic TMJ prostheses for the treatment of TMJ ankylosis in Chinese patients
      with severe mandibular deficiency. Patients treated from 2013 to 2015 were
      reviewed. The computer-aided design and manufacture (CAD/CAM) technique was used
      to guide bony mass removal and locate the TMJ prosthesis (Biomet, USA). Eleven
      patients were included in this study. All prostheses were successfully installed
      and stabilized intraoperatively. In 4 patients with severe mandibular deficiency,
      their mandibular ramus was elongated by the TMJ prosthesis and 2 patients were
      combined with Le Fort I osteotomy guided by digital templates. Their mean chin
      advancement was 10.19 mm. Their SNB and ramus heights were also significantly
      improved after operation (P < 0.05). There was no prosthesis loosening, breakage,
      or infection leading to removal after a mean follow-up period of 22 months
      (range, 12-31mos.). Mouth opening was significantly improved from 5.5 mm
      preoperatively to 31.5 mm postoperatively. TMJ reconstruction with standard
      alloplastic prosthesis is a reliable treatment for ankylosis, especially in
      recurrent cases. By CAD/CAM technique, it can correct jaw deformities
      simultaneously and produce stable results.

PMID- 28337985
TI  - Synthesis and reactivity of a mononuclear non-haem cobalt(IV)-oxo complex.
AB  - Terminal cobalt(IV)-oxo (CoIV-O) species have been implicated as key
      intermediates in various cobalt-mediated oxidation reactions. Herein we report
      the photocatalytic generation of a mononuclear non-haem [(13-TMC)CoIV(O)]2+ (2)
      by irradiating [CoII(13-TMC)(CF3SO3)]+ (1) in the presence of [RuII(bpy)3]2+,
      Na2S2O8, and water as an oxygen source. The intermediate 2 was also obtained by
      reacting 1 with an artificial oxidant (that is, iodosylbenzene) and characterized
      by various spectroscopic techniques. In particular, the resonance Raman spectrum
      of 2 reveals a diatomic Co-O vibration band at 770 cm-1, which provides the
      conclusive evidence for the presence of a terminal Co-O bond. In reactivity
      studies, 2 was shown to be a competent oxidant in an intermetal oxygen atom
      transfer, C-H bond activation and olefin epoxidation reactions. The present
      results lend strong credence to the intermediacy of CoIV-O species in cobalt
      catalysed oxidation of organic substrates as well as in the catalytic oxidation
      of water that evolves molecular oxygen.

PMID- 28337984
TI  - Lipid-dependent conformational dynamics underlie the functional versatility of T
      cell receptor.
AB  - T-cell receptor-CD3 complex (TCR) is a versatile signaling machine that can
      initiate antigen-specific immune responses based on various biochemical changes
      of CD3 cytoplasmic domains, but the underlying structural basis remains elusive.
      Here we developed biophysical approaches to study the conformational dynamics of
      CD3epsilon cytoplasmic domain (CD3epsilonCD). At the single-molecule level, we
      found that CD3epsilonCD could have multiple conformational states with different
      openness of three functional motifs, i.e., ITAM, BRS and PRS. These conformations
      were generated because different regions of CD3epsilonCD had heterogeneous lipid
      binding properties and therefore had heterogeneous dynamics. Live-cell imaging
      experiments demonstrated that different antigen stimulations could stabilize
      CD3epsilonCD at different conformations. Lipid-dependent conformational dynamics
      thus provide structural basis for the versatile signaling property of TCR.

PMID- 28337987
TI  - High-performance and compact-designed flexible thermoelectric modules enabled by
      a reticulate carbon nanotube architecture.
AB  - It is a great challenge to substantially improve the practical performance of
      flexible thermoelectric modules due to the absence of air-stable n-type
      thermoelectric materials with high-power factor. Here an excellent flexible n
      type thermoelectric film is developed, which can be conveniently and rapidly
      prepared based on the as-grown carbon nanotube continuous networks with high
      conductivity. The optimum n-type film exhibits ultrahigh power factor of ~1,500
      MUW m-1 K-2 and outstanding stability in air without encapsulation. Inspired by
      the findings, we design and successfully fabricate the compact-configuration
      flexible TE modules, which own great advantages compared with the conventional pi
      type configuration modules and well integrate the superior thermoelectric
      properties of p-type and n-type carbon nanotube films resulting in a markedly
      high performance. Moreover, the research results are highly scalable and also
      open opportunities for the large-scale production of flexible thermoelectric
      modules.

PMID- 28337988
TI  - Molecular heterogeneity in major urinary proteins of Mus musculus subspecies:
      potential candidates involved in speciation.
AB  - When hybridisation carries a cost, natural selection is predicted to favour
      evolution of traits that allow assortative mating (reinforcement). Incipient
      speciation between the two European house mouse subspecies, Mus musculus
      domesticus and M.m.musculus, sharing a hybrid zone, provides an opportunity to
      understand evolution of assortative mating at a molecular level. Mouse urine
      odours allow subspecific mate discrimination, with assortative preferences
      evident in the hybrid zone but not in allopatry. Here we assess the potential of
      MUPs (major urinary proteins) as candidates for signal divergence by comparing
      MUP expression in urine samples from the Danish hybrid zone border (contact) and
      from allopatric populations. Mass spectrometric characterisation identified novel
      MUPs in both subspecies involving mostly new combinations of amino acid changes
      previously observed in M.m.domesticus. The subspecies expressed distinct MUP
      signatures, with most MUPs expressed by only one subspecies. Expression of at
      least eight MUPs showed significant subspecies divergence both in allopatry and
      contact zone. Another seven MUPs showed divergence in expression between the
      subspecies only in the contact zone, consistent with divergence by reinforcement.
      These proteins are candidates for the semiochemical barrier to hybridisation,
      providing an opportunity to characterise the nature and evolution of a putative
      species recognition signal.

PMID- 28337990
TI  - Lateral orbitofrontal cortex anticipates choices and integrates prior with
      current information.
AB  - Adaptive behavior requires integrating prior with current information to
      anticipate upcoming events. Brain structures related to this computation should
      bring relevant signals from the recent past into the present. Here we report that
      rats can integrate the most recent prior information with sensory information,
      thereby improving behavior on a perceptual decision-making task with outcome
      dependent past trial history. We find that anticipatory signals in the
      orbitofrontal cortex about upcoming choice increase over time and are even
      present before stimulus onset. These neuronal signals also represent the stimulus
      and relevant second-order combinations of past state variables. The encoding of
      choice, stimulus and second-order past state variables resides, up to movement
      onset, in overlapping populations. The neuronal representation of choice before
      stimulus onset and its build-up once the stimulus is presented suggest that
      orbitofrontal cortex plays a role in transforming immediate prior and stimulus
      information into choices using a compact state-space representation.

PMID- 28337991
TI  - Contrasting influences of aerosols on cloud properties during deficient and
      abundant monsoon years.
AB  - Direct aerosol radiative forcing facilitates the onset of Indian monsoon
      rainfall, based on synoptic scale fast responses acting over timescales of days
      to a month. Here, we examine relationships between aerosols and coincident clouds
      over the Indian subcontinent, using observational data from 2000 to 2009, from
      the core monsoon region. Season mean and daily timescales were considered. The
      correlation analyses of cloud properties with aerosol optical depth revealed that
      deficient monsoon years were characterized by more frequent and larger decreases
      in cloud drop size and ice water path, but increases in cloud top pressure, with
      increases in aerosol abundance. The opposite was observed during abundant monsoon
      years. The correlations of greater aerosol abundance, with smaller cloud drop
      size, lower evidence of ice processes and shallower cloud height, during
      deficient rainfall years, imply cloud inhibition; while those with larger cloud
      drop size, greater ice processes and a greater cloud vertical extent, during
      abundant rainfall years, suggest cloud invigoration. The study establishes that
      continental aerosols over India alter cloud properties in diametrically opposite
      ways during contrasting monsoon years. The mechanisms underlying these effects
      need further analysis.

PMID- 28337992
TI  - Quantum Capacitance of a Topological Insulator-Ferromagnet Interface.
AB  - We study the quantum capacitance in a topological insulator thin film system
      magnetized in the in-plane direction in the presence of an out-of-plane magnetic
      field and hexagonal warping. To first order, the modification in quantum
      capacitance due to hexagonal warping compared to the clean case, where both the
      in-plane magnetization and hexagonal warping are absent, is always negative, and
      increases in magnitude monotonically with the energy difference from the charge
      neutrality point. In contrast, the change in the quantum capacitance due to in
      plane magnetization oscillates with the energy in general, except when a certain
      relation between the inter-surface coupling, out of plane Zeeman energy splitting
      and magnetic field strength is satisfied. In this special case, the quantum
      capacitance remains unchanged by the in-plane magnetization for all energies.

PMID- 28337993
TI  - Evaluation of 5 Novel protein biomarkers for the rapid diagnosis of pulmonary and
      extra-pulmonary tuberculosis: preliminary results.
AB  - Improved methods are required for the early and accurate diagnosis of
      tuberculosis, especially in the patients with smear-negative disease. Several
      biomarkers have been tried but most have shown poor sensitivity or specificity.
      In present study we aimed to evaluate the diagnostic utility of five novel
      antigens identified earlier by us. This is an initial study conducted on 250
      subjects. The five recombinant antigens, named as rSS1 (Rv2145c), rSS2 (Rv0164),
      rSS3 (Rv1437), rSS4 (Rv1827) and rSS5 (Rv2970c), were expressed in pQE-30
      expression vector, purified and their sero-diagnostic efficacy was evaluated in
      an unblinded manner using dot-blot and ELISA methods. The sensitivity and
      specificity of these novel antigens were compared with commercially available
      standard esat6 and 38 kDa antigens. Bacteriologically confirmed TB patients, non
      TB disease controls and healthy individuals were included. which are based on
      novel antigen or novel technology, Area under curve (AUC) of the selected
      antigens were 0.98 (0.98-0.99) for rSS1, 0.88 (0.84-0.92) for rSS2, 0.88 (0.84
      0.92) for rSS3, 0.95 (0.93-0.98) for rSS4 and 0.99 (0.98-1.0) for rSS5. Receiver
      operative characteristic (ROC) curve showed highly significant difference between
      TB and healthy subjects (p = <0.001). These initial findings, show that the
      recombinant antigens rSS1, rSS4 and rSS5 could be used as highly potential
      biomarkers for the serological diagnosis of active TB.

PMID- 28337989
TI  - Post-Hoc Study: Intravenous Hydration Treatment in Chinese Patients with High
      Risk of Contrast-Induced Nephropathy Following Percutaneous Coronary
      Intervention.
AB  - Contrast-induced nephropathy (CIN) develops after the injection of iodinated
      contrast media. This is a post hoc analysis of the data obtained from the TRUST
      study, which was a prospective, multicentre, observational study conducted to
      evaluate the safety and tolerability of the contrast medium iopromide in patients
      undergoing cardiac catheterization from August 2010 to September 2011 in China,
      conducted to explore the current status, trends and risk predictors of hydration
      treatment. The status of hydration to prevent CIN in each patient was recorded.
      Of the total 17,139 patients from the TRUST study (mean age, 60.33 +/- 10.38
      years), the overall hydration usage was 46.1% in patients undergoing percutaneous
      coronary intervention (PCI) and 77.4%, 51.7%, and 48.5% in patients with pre
      existing renal disease, diabetes mellitus, and hypertension, respectively. The
      proportion of hydration use increased from 36.5% to 55.5% from August 2010 to
      September 2011, which was independently associated with risk predictors like
      older age, pre-existing renal disease, hypertension, diabetes mellitus, prior
      myocardial infarction, ST segment elevation MI, high contrast dose, multi-vessel
      disease and reduced LVEF (<45%). Overall, the usage of intravenous hydration
      treatment for patients with a high risk of CIN following PCI was high in China.

PMID- 28337994
TI  - The New Phases due to Symmetry Protected Piecewise Berry Phases; Enhanced Pumping
      and Non-reciprocity in Trimer Lattices.
AB  - Finding new phase of matter is a fundamental task in physics. Generally, various
      phases or states of matter (for instance solid/liquid/gas phases) have different
      symmetries, the phase transitions among them can be explained by Landau's
      symmetry breaking theory. The topological phases discovered in recent years show
      that different phases may have the same symmetry. The different topological
      phases are characterized by different integer values of the Berry phases. By
      studying one dimensional (1D) trimer lattices we report new phases beyond
      topological phases. The new phases that we find are characterized by piecewise
      continuous Berry phases with the discontinuity occurring at the transition point.
      With time-dependent changes in trimer lattices, we can generate two dimensional
      (2D) phases, which are characterized by the Berry phase of half period. This half
      period Berry phase changes smoothly within one state of the system while changes
      discontinuously at the transition point. We further demonstrate the existence of
      adiabatic pumping for each phase and gain assisted enhanced pumping. The non
      reciprocity of the pumping process makes the system a good optical diode.

PMID- 28337996
TI  - Protein interaction evolution from promiscuity to specificity with reduced
      flexibility in an increasingly complex network.
AB  - A key question regarding protein evolution is how proteins adapt to the dynamic
      environment in which they function and how in turn their evolution shapes the
      protein interaction network. We used extant and resurrected ancestral plant MADS
      domain transcription factors to understand how SEPALLATA3, a protein with hub and
      glue properties, evolved and takes part in network organization. Although the
      density of dimeric interactions was saturated in the network, many new
      interactions became mediated by SEPALLATA3 after a whole genome triplication
      event. By swapping SEPALLATA3 and its ancestors between dimeric networks of
      different ages, we found that the protein lost the capacity of promiscuous
      interaction and acquired specificity in evolution. This was accompanied with
      constraints on conformations through proline residue accumulation, which made the
      protein less flexible. SHORT VEGETATIVE PHASE on the other hand (non-hub) was
      able to gain protein-protein interactions due to a C-terminal domain insertion,
      allowing for a larger interaction interface. These findings illustrate that
      protein interaction evolution occurs at the level of conformational dynamics,
      when the binding mechanism concerns an induced fit or conformational selection.
      Proteins can evolve towards increased specificity with reduced flexibility when
      the complexity of the protein interaction network requires specificity.

PMID- 28337995
TI  - Cigarette Smoke Impairs A2A Adenosine Receptor Mediated Wound Repair through Up
      regulation of Duox-1 Expression.
AB  - Cigarette smoke (CS) exposure and intrinsic factors such as the NADPH oxidases
      produce high levels of reactive oxygen species (ROS), ensuing inflammatory tissue
      injury. We previously demonstrated that CS-generated ROS, particularly hydrogen
      peroxide (H2O2), impaired adenosine stimulated wound repair. We hypothesized that
      CS exposure modulates expression of Dual oxidase 1 (Duox-1), a NADPH oxidases
      known to generate H2O2. To test this hypothesis, we used human bronchial
      epithelial cell line Nuli-1 and C57BL/6 mice. Cells were treated with 5% CS
      extract (CSE) for various periods of time, and mice were exposed to whole body CS
      for six weeks. Both CSE and CS treatment induced increased expression of Duox-1,
      and silencing of Doux-1 improved the rate of cell wound repair induced by CSE
      treatment. Nuli-1 cells pretreated with thapsigargin but not calcium ionophore
      exhibited increased Duox-1 mRNA expression. CSE treatment stimulated PKCalpha
      activation, which was effectively blocked by pretreatment with diphenylene
      iodonium, a NADPH oxidase inhibitor. Compared to control, lungs from CS-exposed
      mice showed a significant increase in PKCalpha activity and Duox-1 expression.
      Collectively, the data demonstrated that CS exposure upregulates expression of
      Duox-1 protein. This further leads to H2O2 production and PKCalpha activation,
      inhibiting A2AAR-stimulated wound repair.

PMID- 28337997
TI  - The miR-24-3p/p130Cas: a novel axis regulating the migration and invasion of
      cancer cells.
AB  - MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are small non-coding RNAs that negatively regulate gene
      expression by suppressing translation or facilitating mRNA decay. Differential
      expression of miRNAs is involved in the pathogenesis of several diseases
      including cancer. Here, we investigated the role of-miR-24-3p as a downregulated
      miRNA in metastatic cancer. miR-24-3p was decreased in metastatic cancer and
      lower expression of miR-24-3p was related to poor survival of cancer patients.
      Consistently, ectopic expression of miR-24-3p suppressed the cell migration,
      invasion, and proliferation of MCF7, Hep3B, B16F10, SK-Hep1, and PC-3 cells by
      directly targeting p130Cas. Stable expression of p130Cas restored miR-24-3p
      mediated inhibition of cell migration and invasion. These results suggest that
      miR-24-3p functions as a tumor suppressor and the miR-24-3p/p130Cas axis is a
      novel factor of cancer progression by regulating cell migration and invasion.

PMID- 28337998
TI  - Circulating tumor cell status monitors the treatment responses in breast cancer
      patients: a meta-analysis.
AB  - Whether circulating tumor cells (CTCs) can be used as an indicator of treatment
      response in breast cancer (BC) needs to be clarified. We addressed this issue by
      a meta-analysis. PubMed, EMBase and Cochrane library databases were searched in
      June 2016. Effect measures were estimated as pooled risk ratio (RR), odds ratio
      (OR) or mean difference by fixed- or random-effect models, according to
      heterogeneity of included studies. In total, 50 studies with 6712 patients were
      recruited. Overall analysis showed that there was a significant reduction of CTC
      positive rate (RR = 0.68, 95% CI: 0.61-0.76, P < 0.00001) after treatment.
      Subgroup analyses revealed that neoadjuvant treatment, adjuvant treatment,
      metastatic treatment or combination therapy could reduce the CTC-positive rate,
      but surgery could not; moreover, the reduction was only found in HER2+ or HER2-
      patients but not in the triple-negative ones. Reduction of CTC-positive rate was
      associated with lower probability of disease progression (OR = 0.54, 95% CI: 0.33
      0.89, P = 0.01) and longer overall survival period (mean difference = 11.61
      months, 95% CI: 8.63-14.59, P < 0.00001) as well as longer progression-free
      survival period (mean difference = 5.07 months, 95% CI: 2.70-7.44, P < 0.0001).
      These results demonstrate that CTC status can serve as an indicator to monitor
      the effectiveness of treatments and guide subsequent therapies in BC.

PMID- 28337999
TI  - Comparison of validation and application on various cardiovascular disease
      mortality risk prediction models in Chinese rural population.
AB  - This research aims to assess application of different cardiovascular disease
      (CVD) mortality risk prediction models in Chinese rural population. Data was
      collected from a 6-year follow-up survey in rural area of Henan Province, China.
      10338 participants aged 40 to 65 years were included. Baseline study was
      conducted between 2007 and 2008, and followed up from 2013 to 2014. Seven models:
      general Framingham risk score (general-FRS), simplified-FRS, Systematic Coronary
      Risk Evaluation for high (SCORE-high), SCORE-low, Chinese ischemic CVD (CN-ICVD),
      Pooled Cohort Risk Equation for white (PCE-white) and for African-American (PCE
      AA) were assessed and recalibrated. The model performance was evaluated by C
      statistics and modified Nam-D'Agostino test. 168 CVD deaths occurred during
      follow-up. All seven models showed moderate C-statics ranging from 0.727 to
      0.744. Following recalibration, general-FRS, simplified-FRS, CN-ICVD, PCE-white
      and PCE-AA had improved C-statistics of 0.776, 0.795, 0.793, 0.779, and 0.776 for
      men and 0.756, 0.753, 0.755, 0.758 and 0.760 for women, respectively.
      Calibrations chi2 of general-FRS, simplified-FRS, SCORE-high, CN-ICVD and PCE-AA
      model for men, and general-FRS, CN-ICVD and PCE-white model for women were
      statistically acceptable, indicating these models predicts CVD mortality risk
      more accurately than others and could be recommended in Chinese rural population.

PMID- 28338001
TI  - Renin-angiotensin system acting on reactive oxygen species in paraventricular
      nucleus induces sympathetic activation via AT1R/PKCgamma/Rac1 pathway in salt
      induced hypertension.
AB  - Brain renin-angiotensin system (RAS) could regulate oxidative stress in the
      paraventricular nucleus (PVN) in the development of hypertension. This study was
      designed to explore the precise mechanisms of RAS acting on reactive oxygen
      species (ROS) in salt-induced hypertension. Male Wistar rats were administered
      with a high-salt diet (HS, 8.0% NaCl) for 8 weeks to induced hypertension. Those
      rats were received PVN infusion of AT1R antagonist losartan (LOS, 10 MUg/h) or
      microinjection of small interfering RNAs for protein kinase C gamma (PKCgamma
      siRNA) once a day for 2 weeks. High salt intake resulted in higher levels of
      AT1R, PKCgamma, Rac1 activity, superoxide and malondialdehyde (MDA) activity, but
      lower levels of copper/zinc superoxide dismutase (Cu/Zn-SOD), superoxide
      dismutase (SOD) and glutathione (GSH) in PVN than control animals. PVN infusion
      of LOS not only attenuated the PVN levels of AT1R, PKCgamma, Rac1 activity,
      superoxide and decreased the arterial pressure, but also increased the PVN
      antioxidant capacity in hypertension. PVN microinjection of PKCgamma siRNA had
      the same effect on LOS above responses to hypertension but no effect on PVN level
      of AT1R. These results, for the first time, identified that the precise signaling
      pathway of RAS regulating ROS in PVN is via AT1R/PKCgamma/Rac1 in salt-induced
      hypertension.

PMID- 28338002
TI  - Integration of thermocouple microelectrode in the scanning electrochemical
      microscope at variable temperatures: simultaneous temperature and electrochemical
      imaging and its kinetic studies.
AB  - We describe herein a method for the simultaneous measurement of temperature and
      electrochemical signal with a new type of thermocouple microelectrode. The
      thermocouple microelectrode can be used not only as a thermometer but also as a
      scanning electrochemical microscope (SECM) tip in the reaction between tip
      generated bromine and a heated Cu sample. The influence of temperature on the
      SECM imaging process and the related kinetic parameters have been studied, such
      as kinetic constant and activation energy.

PMID- 28338000
TI  - Cavity filling mutations at the thyroxine-binding site dramatically increase
      transthyretin stability and prevent its aggregation.
AB  - More than a hundred different Transthyretin (TTR) mutations are associated with
      fatal systemic amyloidoses. They destabilize the protein tetrameric structure and
      promote the extracellular deposition of TTR as pathological amyloid fibrils. So
      far, only mutations R104H and T119M have been shown to stabilize significantly
      TTR, acting as disease suppressors. We describe a novel A108V non-pathogenic
      mutation found in a Portuguese subject. This variant is more stable than wild
      type TTR both in vitro and in human plasma, a feature that prevents its
      aggregation. The crystal structure of A108V reveals that this stabilization comes
      from novel intra and inter subunit contacts involving the thyroxine (T4) binding
      site. Exploiting this observation, we engineered a A108I mutation that fills the
      T4 binding cavity, as evidenced in the crystal structure. This synthetic protein
      becomes one of the most stable TTR variants described so far, with potential
      application in gene and protein replacement therapies.

PMID- 28338003
TI  - Directional Phonon Suppression Function as a Tool for the Identification of
      Ultralow Thermal Conductivity Materials.
AB  - Boundary-engineering in nanostructures has the potential to dramatically impact
      the development of materials for high- efficiency conversion of thermal energy
      directly into electricity. In particular, nanostructuring of semiconductors can
      lead to strong suppression of heat transport with little degradation of
      electrical conductivity. Although this combination of material properties is
      promising for thermoelectric materials, it remains largely unexplored. In this
      work, we introduce a novel concept, the directional phonon suppression function,
      to unravel boundary-dominated heat transport in unprecedented detail. Using a
      combination of density functional theory and the Boltzmann transport equation, we
      compute this quantity for nanoporous silicon materials. We first compute the
      thermal conductivity for the case with aligned circular pores, confirming a
      significant thermal transport degradation with respect to the bulk. Then, by
      analyzing the information on the directionality of phonon suppression in this
      system, we identify a new structure of rectangular pores with the same porosity
      that enables a four-fold decrease in thermal transport with respect to the
      circular pores. Our results illustrate the utility of the directional phonon
      suppression function, enabling new avenues for systematic thermal conductivity
      minimization and potentially accelerating the engineering of next-generation
      thermoelectric devices.

PMID- 28338004
TI  - TIGAR knockdown radiosensitizes TrxR1-overexpressing glioma in vitro and in vivo
      via inhibiting Trx1 nuclear transport.
AB  - The up-regulation of thioredoxin reductase-1 (TrxR1) is detected in more than
      half of gliomas, which is significantly associated with increased malignancy
      grade and recurrence rate. The biological functions of NADPH-dependent TrxR1 are
      mainly associated with reduced thioredoxin-1 (Trx1) which plays critical roles in
      cellular redox signaling and tumour radio-resistance. Our previous work has
      proved that TP53 induced glycolysis and apoptosis regulator (TIGAR) knockdown
      could notably radiosensitize glioma cells. However, whether TrxR1-overexpressing
      glioma cells could be re-radiosensitized by TIGAR silence is still far from
      clear. In the present study, TrxR1 was stably over-expressed in U-87MG and T98G
      glioma cells. Both in vitro and in vivo data demonstrated that the
      radiosensitivity of glioma cells was considerably diminished by TrxR1
      overexpression. TIGAR abrogation was able to radiosensitize TrxR1-overexpressing
      gliomas by inhibiting IR-induced Trx1 nuclear transport. Post-radiotherapy, TIGAR
      low-expression predicted significant longer survival time for animals suffering
      from TrxR1-overexpessing xenografts, which suggested that TIGAR abrogation might
      be a promising strategy for radiosensitizing TrxR1-overexpressing glial tumours.

PMID- 28338006
TI  - High Curie temperature and enhanced magnetoelectric properties of the laminated
      Li0.058(Na0.535K0.48)0.942NbO3/Co0.6 Zn0.4Fe1.7Mn0.3O4 composites.
AB  - Laminated magnetoelectric composites of Li0.058(Na0.535K0.48)0.942NbO3
      (LKNN)/Co0.6Zn0.4Fe1.7Mn0.3O4 (CZFM) prepared by the conventional solid-state
      sintering method were investigated for their dielectric, magnetic, and
      magnetoelectric properties. The microstructure of the laminated composites
      indicates that the LKNN phase and CZFM phase can coexist in the composites.
      Compared with the particulate magnetoelectric composites, the laminated
      composites have better piezoelectric and magnetoelectric properties due to their
      higher resistances and lower leakage currents. The magnetoelectric behaviors lie
      on the relative mass ratio of LKNN phase and CZFM phase. The laminated composites
      possess a high Curie temperature (TC) of 463  degrees C, and the largest ME
      coefficient of 285 mV/cm Oe, which is the highest value for the lead-free bulk
      ceramic magnetoelectric composites so far.

PMID- 28338005
TI  - The Association between Diffuse Myocardial Fibrosis on Cardiac Magnetic Resonance
      T1 Mapping and Myocardial Dysfunction in Diabetic Rabbits.
AB  - The objective of this study was to assess the relationship between imaging
      surrogates for diffuse fibrosis and myocardial dysfunction. Thirty-six New
      Zealand white rabbits were classified into two groups: a control group (n = 18)
      and an alloxan-induced diabetes mellitus (DM) group (n = 18). For all rabbits,
      conventional ultrasonography, two-dimensional speckle tracking, and cardiac
      magnetic resonance (CMR) T1 mapping were performed; all of the rabbits were then
      sacrificed for Masson's staining. The extracellular volume (ECV) was calculated
      from pre- and post-contrast T1 values and compared with myocardial function
      measured by echocardiography using Pearson's correlation. In the DM group, ECV
      increased as the duration of diabetes increased, consistent with the changes in
      myocardial fibrosis verified by pathology. Moreover, ECV was strongly correlated
      with the early diastolic strain rate (r = -0.782, p < 0.001) and moderately
      correlated with the radial systolic peak strain (r = 0.478, p = 0.045). Thus, ECV
      is an effective surrogate for myocardial diffuse fibrosis on CMR imaging, and
      higher ECV values are associated with an increased impairment of myocardial
      diastolic function.

PMID- 28338007
TI  - Human Immunodeficiency Virus Type-1 Myeloid Derived Suppressor Cells Inhibit
      Cytomegalovirus Inflammation through Interleukin-27 and B7-H4.
AB  - HIV/CMV co-infected persons despite prolonged viral suppression often experience
      persistent immune activation, have an increased frequency of myeloid derived
      suppressor cells (MDSC) and are at increased risk for cardiovascular disease. We
      examined how HIV MDSC control CD4+ T cell IFNgamma response to a CMVpp65 peptide
      pool (CMVpp65). We show that HIV/CMV co-infected persons with virologic
      suppression and recovered CD4+ T cells compared to HIV(-)/CMV(+) controls exhibit
      an increase in CD4+CX3CR1+IFNgamma+ cells in response to CMVpp65; MDSC depletion
      further augmented CD4+CX3CR1+IFNgamma+ cells and IFNgamma production. IL-2 and
      IFNgamma in response to CMVpp65 were enhanced with depletion of MDSC expanded in
      presence of HIV (HIV MDSC), but decreased with culture of HIV MDSC with
      autologous PBMCs. CMVpp65 specific CD4+CX3CR1+IFNgamma+ cells were also decreased
      in presence of HIV MDSC. HIV MDSC overexpressed B7-H4 and silencing B7-H4
      increased the production of IL-2 and IFNgamma from autologous cells; a process
      mediated through increased phosphorylated (p)-Akt upon stimulation with CMVpp65.
      Additionally, IL-27 regulated the expression of B7-H4 on HIV MDSC, and controlled
      CMV-specific T cell activity by limiting CMVpp65-IFNgamma production and
      expanding CD4+IL-10+ regulatory T cells. These findings provide new therapeutic
      targets to control the chronic immune activation and endothelial cell
      inflammation observed in HIV-infected persons.

PMID- 28338008
TI  - Noninvasive measurement of transdermal drug delivery by impedance spectroscopy.
AB  - The effectiveness in transdermal delivery of skin permeation strategies (e.g.,
      chemical enhancers, vesicular carrier systems, sonophoresis, iontophoresis, and
      electroporation) is poorly investigated outside of laboratory. In therapeutic
      application, the lack of recognized techniques for measuring the actually
      released drug affects the scientific concept itself of dosage for topically- and
      transdermally-delivered drugs. Here we prove the suitability of impedance
      measurement for assessing the amount of drug penetrated into the skin after
      transdermal delivery. In particular, the measured amount of drug depends linearly
      on the impedance magnitude variation normalized to the pre-treated value. Three
      experimental campaigns, based on the electrical analysis of the biological tissue
      behavior due to the drug delivery, are reported: (i) laboratory emulation on
      eggplants, (ii) ex-vivo tests on pig ears, and finally (iii) in-vivo tests on
      human volunteers. Results point out that the amount of delivered drug can be
      assessed by reasonable metrological performance through a unique measurement of
      the impedance magnitude at one single frequency. In particular, in-vivo results
      point out sensitivity of 23 ml-1, repeatability of 0.3%, non-linearity of 3.3%,
      and accuracy of 5.7%. Finally, the measurement resolution of 0.20 ml is
      compatible with clinical administration standards.

PMID- 28338010
TI  - Brilliant petawatt gamma-ray pulse generation in quantum electrodynamic laser
      plasma interaction.
AB  - We show a new resonance acceleration scheme for generating ultradense
      relativistic electron bunches in helical motions and hence emitting brilliant
      vortical gamma-ray pulses in the quantum electrodynamic (QED) regime of
      circularly-polarized (CP) laser-plasma interactions. Here the combined effects of
      the radiation reaction recoil force and the self-generated magnetic fields result
      in not only trapping of a great amount of electrons in laser-produced plasma
      channel, but also significant broadening of the resonance bandwidth between laser
      frequency and that of electron betatron oscillation in the channel, which
      eventually leads to formation of the ultradense electron bunch under resonant
      helical motion in CP laser fields. Three-dimensional PIC simulations show that a
      brilliant gamma-ray pulse with unprecedented power of 6.7 PW and peak brightness
      of 1025 photons/s/mm2/mrad2/0.1% BW (at 15 MeV) is emitted at laser intensity of
      1.9 * 1023 W/cm2.

PMID- 28338011
TI  - Towards sub-nanometer real-space observation of spin and orbital magnetism at the
      Fe/MgO interface.
AB  - While the performance of magnetic tunnel junctions based on metal/oxide
      interfaces is determined by hybridization, charge transfer, and magnetic
      properties at the interface, there are currently only limited experimental
      techniques with sufficient spatial resolution to directly observe these effects
      simultaneously in real-space. In this letter, we demonstrate an experimental
      method based on Electron Magnetic Circular Dichroism (EMCD) that will allow
      researchers to simultaneously map magnetic transitions and valency in real-space
      over interfacial cross-sections with sub-nanometer spatial resolution. We apply
      this method to an Fe/MgO bilayer system, observing a significant enhancement in
      the orbital to spin moment ratio that is strongly localized to the interfacial
      region. Through the use of first-principles calculations, multivariate
      statistical analysis, and Electron Energy-Loss Spectroscopy (EELS), we explore
      the extent to which this enhancement can be attributed to emergent magnetism due
      to structural confinement at the interface. We conclude that this method has the
      potential to directly visualize spin and orbital moments at buried interfaces in
      magnetic systems with unprecedented spatial resolution.

PMID- 28338009
TI  - Resveratrol attenuates ICAM-1 expression and monocyte adhesiveness to TNF-alpha
      treated endothelial cells: evidence for an anti-inflammatory cascade mediated by
      the miR-221/222/AMPK/p38/NF-kappaB pathway.
AB  - Resveratrol, an edible polyphenolic phytoalexin, improves endothelial dysfunction
      and attenuates inflammation. However, the mechanisms have not been thoroughly
      elucidated. Therefore, we investigated the molecular basis of the effects of
      resveratrol on TNF-alpha-induced ICAM-1 expression in HUVECs. The resveratrol
      treatment significantly attenuated the TNF-alpha-induced ICAM-1 expression. The
      inhibition of p38 phosphorylation mediated the reduction in ICAM-1 expression
      caused by resveratrol. Resveratrol also decreased TNF-alpha-induced IkappaB
      phosphorylation and the phosphorylation, acetylation, and translocation of NF
      kappaB p65. Moreover, resveratrol induced the AMPK phosphorylation and the SIRT1
      expression in TNF-alpha-treated HUVECs. Furthermore, TNF-alpha significantly
      suppressed miR-221/-222 expression, which was reversed by resveratrol. miR-221/
      222 overexpression decreased p38/NF-kappaB and ICAM-1 expression, which resulted
      in reduced monocyte adhesion to TNF-alpha-treated ECs. In a mouse model of acute
      TNF-alpha-induced inflammation, resveratrol effectively attenuated ICAM-1
      expression in the aortic ECs of TNF-alpha-treated wild-type mice. These
      beneficial effects of resveratrol were lost in miR-221/222 knockout mice. Our
      data showed that resveratrol counteracted the TNF-alpha-mediated reduction in miR
      221/222 expression and decreased the TNF-alpha-induced activation of p38 MAPK and
      NF-kappaB, thereby suppressing ICAM-1 expression and monocyte adhesion.
      Collectively, our results show that resveratrol attenuates endothelial
      inflammation by reducing ICAM-1 expression and that the protective effect was
      mediated partly through the miR-221/222/AMPK/p38/NF-kappaB pathway.

PMID- 28338012
TI  - Prevalence of ST1193 clone and IncI1/ST16 plasmid in E-coli isolates carrying
      blaCTX-M-55 gene from urinary tract infections patients in China.
AB  - To study molecular epidemiology of CTX-M-55-carrying Escherichia coli isolates
      from urinary tract infections (UTIs) in China. 111 blaCTX-M-55-positive E.coli
      isolates from UTIs patients in China were studied. Pulsed-field gel
      electrophoresis (PFGE) and multilocus sequence typing (MLST) were used to analyze
      the homologies among the strains. Conjugation experiments, S1nuclease PFGE and
      PCR analysis were performed to characterize plasmids harboring blaCTX-M-55 and
      their genetic environment. 111 isolates were clustered into 86 individual
      pulsotypes and three clusters by PFGE. Fifty-five (49.5%) of the isolates
      belonged to 8 STs. Most of the ST1193 isolates belonged to one PFGE cluster.
      Transconjugants (n = 45) derived from randomly selected blaCTX-M-55 donors (n =
      58), were found to contain a single 90-kb conjugative plasmid, which mainly
      belonged to the IncI1 groups (34, 76%). Among the IncI1 plasmids, the blaCTX-M
      55/IncI1/ST16 predominated (23/34, 68%). The blaTEM-1 and aac (3')-II genes were
      frequently detected on the IncI1 plasmids, and the insertion of ISEcp1 or IS26
      was observed at the 48 bp or 45 bp upstream of the start codon of blaCTX-M-55
      gene. The dissemination of blaCTX-M-55 gene among E. coli UTI isolates, appeared
      to be due to both the major clonal lineage of ST1193 and the horizontal transfer
      of epidemic plasmid IncI1/ST16.

PMID- 28338013
TI  - Effect of prolonged freezing of semen on exosome recovery and biologic activity.
AB  - Exosomes are important vehicles of intercellular communication that shape host
      responses to physiologic, tumorigenic, and pathogenic conditions. The composition
      and function of exosomes are dynamic and depends on the state and condition of
      the cellular source. In prior work, we found that semen exosomes (SE) from
      healthy donors who do not use illicit drugs potently inhibit HIV-1. Following
      semen donation, specimens are either used immediately or frozen for use at a
      later time. It has been shown that short-term freezing of semen has no effect on
      SE-mediated HIV-1 inhibition. However, the effect of illicit drugs and prolonged
      freezing on SE bioactivity is unknown. Here, we show preservation of SE physical
      properties, (morphology, concentration, intensity/size) irrespective of illicit
      drug use or duration of semen freezing. Interestingly, illicit drugs and
      prolonged freezing decreased the levels of SE-bound CD63/CD9 and
      acetylcholinesterase activity respectively. Furthermore, we show differential
      effects of illicit drug use and prolonged freezing on SE-mediated HIV-1
      inhibition. Our results highlight the importance of the source of SE and
      condition of semen storage on SE content and function. In-depth evaluation of
      donor drug-use and duration of semen storage on SE cargo and bioactivity will
      advance our understanding of SE composition and function.

PMID- 28338015
TI  - Simultaneously measuring multiple protein interactions and their correlations in
      a cell by Protein-interactome Footprinting.
AB  - Quantitatively detecting correlations of multiple protein-protein interactions
      (PPIs) in vivo is a big challenge. Here we introduce a novel method, termed
      Protein-interactome Footprinting (PiF), to simultaneously measure multiple PPIs
      in one cell. The principle of PiF is that each target physical PPI in the
      interactome is simultaneously transcoded into a specific DNA sequence based on
      dimerization of the target proteins fused with DNA-binding domains. The
      interaction intensity of each target protein is quantified as the copy number of
      the specific DNA sequences bound by each fusion protein dimers. Using PiF, we
      quantitatively reveal dynamic patterns of PPIs and their correlation network in
      E. coli two-component systems.

PMID- 28338014
TI  - Entropic stabilization of a deubiquitinase provides conformational plasticity and
      slow unfolding kinetics beneficial for functioning on the proteasome.
AB  - Human ubiquitin C-terminal hydrolyase UCH-L5 is a topologically knotted
      deubiquitinase that is activated upon binding to the proteasome subunit Rpn13.
      The length of its intrinsically disordered cross-over loop is essential for
      substrate recognition. Here, we showed that the catalytic domain of UCH-L5
      exhibits higher equilibrium folding stability with an unfolding rate on the scale
      of 10-8 s-1, over four orders of magnitudes slower than its paralogs, namely UCH
      L1 and -L3, which have shorter cross-over loops. NMR relaxation dynamics analysis
      confirmed the intrinsic disorder of the cross-over loop. Hydrogen deuterium
      exchange analysis further revealed a positive correlation between the length of
      the cross-over loop and the degree of local fluctuations, despite UCH-L5 being
      thermodynamically and kinetically more stable than the shorter UCHs. Considering
      the role of UCH-L5 in removing K48-linked ubiquitin to prevent proteasomal
      degradation of ubiquitinated substrates, our findings offered mechanistic
      insights into the evolution of UCH-L5. Compared to its paralogs, it is
      entropically stabilized to withstand mechanical unfolding by the proteasome while
      maintaining structural plasticity. It can therefore accommodate a broad range of
      substrate geometries at the cost of unfavourable entropic loss.

PMID- 28338016
TI  - Superposition-free comparison and clustering of antibody binding sites:
      implications for the prediction of the nature of their antigen.
AB  - We describe here a superposition free method for comparing the surfaces of
      antibody binding sites based on the Zernike moments and show that they can be
      used to quickly compare and cluster sets of antibodies. The clusters provide
      information about the nature of the bound antigen that, when combined with a
      method for predicting the number of direct antibody antigen contacts, allows the
      discrimination between protein and non-protein binding antibodies with an
      accuracy of 76%. This is of relevance in several aspects of antibody science, for
      example to select the framework to be used for a combinatorial antibody library.

PMID- 28338017
TI  - A role of the SAM domain in EphA2 receptor activation.
AB  - Among the 20 subfamilies of protein receptor tyrosine kinases (RTKs), Eph
      receptors are unique in possessing a sterile alpha motif (SAM domain) at their C
      terminal ends. However, the functions of SAM domains in Eph receptors remain
      elusive. Here we report on a combined cell biology and quantitative fluorescence
      study to investigate the role of the SAM domain in EphA2 function. We observed
      elevated tyrosine autophosphorylation levels upon deletion of the EphA2 SAM
      domain (EphA2DeltaS) in DU145 and PC3 prostate cancer cells and a skin tumor cell
      line derived from EphA1/A2 knockout mice. These results suggest that SAM domain
      deletion induced constitutive activation of EphA2 kinase activity. In order to
      explain these effects, we applied fluorescence correlation spectroscopy to
      investigate the lateral molecular organization of EphA2. Our results indicate
      that SAM domain deletion (EphA2DeltaS-GFP) increases oligomerization compared to
      the full length receptor (EphA2FL-GFP). Stimulation with ephrinA1, a ligand for
      EphA2, induced further oligomerization and activation of EphA2FL-GFP. The SAM
      domain deletion mutant, EphA2DeltaS-GFP, also underwent further oligomerization
      upon ephrinA1 stimulation, but the oligomers were larger than those observed for
      EphA2FL-GFP. Based on these results, we conclude that the EphA2 SAM domain
      inhibits kinase activity by reducing receptor oligomerization.

PMID- 28338018
TI  - Isolation and characterization of the E. coli membrane protein production strain
      Mutant56(DE3).
AB  - Membrane protein production is usually toxic to E. coli. However, using genetic
      screens strains can be isolated in which the toxicity of membrane protein
      production is reduced, thereby improving production yields. Best known examples
      are the C41(DE3) and C43(DE3) strains, which are both derived from the T7 RNA
      polymerase (P)-based BL21(DE3) protein production strain. In C41(DE3) and
      C43(DE3) mutations lowering t7rnap expression levels result in strongly reduced
      T7 RNAP accumulation levels. As a consequence membrane protein production stress
      is alleviated in the C41(DE3) and C43(DE3) strains, thereby increasing membrane
      protein yields. Here, we isolated Mutant56(DE3) from BL21(DE3) using a genetic
      screen designed to isolate BL21(DE3)-derived strains with mutations alleviating
      membrane protein production stress other than the ones in C41(DE3) and C43(DE3).
      The defining mutation of Mutant56(DE3) changes one amino acid in its T7 RNAP,
      which weakens the binding of the T7 RNAP to the T7 promoter governing target gene
      expression rather than lowering T7 RNAP levels. For most membrane proteins tested
      yields in Mutant56(DE3) were considerably higher than in C41(DE3) and C43(DE3).
      Thus, the isolation of Mutant56(DE3) shows that the evolution of BL21(DE3) can be
      promoted towards further enhanced membrane protein production.

PMID- 28338020
TI  - Epigenetic Regulation of Intronic Transgenes in Arabidopsis.
AB  - Defense mechanisms of plant genomes can epigenetically inactivate repetitive
      sequences and exogenous transgenes. Loss of mutant phenotypes in intronic T-DNA
      insertion lines by interaction with another T-DNA locus, termed T-DNA
      suppression, has been observed in Arabidopsis thaliana, although the molecular
      basis of establishment and maintenance of T-DNA suppression is poorly understood.
      Here we show that maintenance of T-DNA suppression requires
      heterochromatinisation of T-DNA sequences and the nuclear proteins, INCREASED IN
      BONSAI METHYLATION 2 (IBM2) and ENHANCED DOWNY MILDEW 2 (EDM2), which prevent
      ectopic 3' end processing of mRNA in atypically long introns containing T-DNA
      sequences. Initiation of T-DNA suppression is mediated by the canonical RdDM
      pathway after hybridisation of two T-DNA strains, accompanied by DNA
      hypermethylation of T-DNA sequences in the F1 generation. Our results reveal the
      presence of a genome surveillance mechanism through genome hybridisation that
      masks repetitive DNAs intruding into transcription units.

PMID- 28338019
TI  - Ghrelin Facilitates GLUT2-, SGLT1- and SGLT2-mediated Intestinal Glucose
      Transport in Goldfish (Carassius auratus).
AB  - Glucose homeostasis is an important biological process that involves a variety of
      regulatory mechanisms. This study aimed to determine whether ghrelin, a
      multifunctional gut-brain hormone, modulates intestinal glucose transport in
      goldfish (Carassius auratus). Three intestinal glucose transporters, the
      facilitative glucose transporter 2 (GLUT2), and the sodium/glucose co
      transporters 1 (SGLT1) and 2 (SGLT2), were studied. Immunostaining of intestinal
      sections found colocalization of ghrelin and GLUT2 and SGLT2 in mucosal cells.
      Some cells containing GLUT2, SGLT1 and SGLT2 coexpressed the ghrelin/growth
      hormone secretagogue receptor 1a (GHS-R1a). Intraperitoneal glucose
      administration led to a significant increase in serum ghrelin levels, as well as
      an upregulation of intestinal preproghrelin, ghrelin O-acyltransferase and ghs-r1
      expression. In vivo and in vitro ghrelin treatment caused a concentration- and
      time-dependent modulation (mainly stimulatory) of GLUT2, SGLT1 and SGLT2. These
      effects were abolished by the GHS-R1a antagonist [D-Lys3]-GHRP-6 and the
      phospholipase C inhibitor U73122, suggesting that ghrelin actions on glucose
      transporters are mediated by GHS-R1a via the PLC/PKC signaling pathway. Finally,
      ghrelin stimulated the translocation of GLUT2 into the plasma membrane of
      goldfish primary intestinal cells. Overall, data reported here indicate an
      important role for ghrelin in the modulation of glucoregulatory machinery and
      glucose homeostasis in fish.

PMID- 28338022
TI  - Alizarin Red S for Online Pyrophosphate Detection Identified by a Rapid Screening
      Method.
AB  - We identified Alizarin Red S and other well known fluorescent dyes useful for the
      online detection of pyrophosphate in enzymatic assays, including the loop
      mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP) and polymerase chain reaction (PCR)
      assays. An iterative screening was used for a selected set of compounds to first
      secure enzyme compatibility, evaluate inorganic pyrophosphate sensitivity in the
      presence of manganese as quencher and optimize conditions for an online
      detection. Of the selected dyes, the inexpensive alizarin red S was found to
      selectively detect pyrophosphate under LAMP and PCR conditions and is superior
      with respect to its defined red-shifted spectrum, long shelf life and low
      toxicity. In addition, the newly identified properties may also be useful in
      other enzymatic assays which do not generate nucleic acids but are based on
      inorganic pyrophosphate. Finally, we propose that our screening method may
      provide a blueprint for rapid screening of compounds for detecting inorganic
      pyrophosphate.

PMID- 28338023
TI  - Implant maintenance treatment and peri-implant health.
AB  - Data sourcesMedline (PubMed), Embase, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled
      Trials and Cochrane Oral Health Group Trials Register databases and a manual
      search of the Journal of Dental Research, Journal of Clinical Periodontology,
      Journal of Periodontology and the International Journal of Periodontics and
      Restorative Dentistry from January 2014 to February 2015.Study
      selectionProspective, retrospective, randomised or not, case-controlled or case
      series trials showing the incidence or recurrence of peri-implant disease plus or
      minus PIMT over more than six months.Data extraction and synthesisThree reviewers
      independently selected studies and abstracted data with two reviewers assessing
      study quality using the Newcastle-Ottawa Scale (NOS). A multivariate binomial
      regression was used to examine the data.ResultsThirteen studies were included
      with ten contributing to the meta-analysis. The average quality assessment score
      (NOS) was 5.3 out of a possible nine, only one paper achieved eight. At patient
      level mucositis ranged from 18.5-74.2% and peri-implantitis from 8-28%, with
      significant effects being seen for treatment (z= -14.36, p<0.001). Mucositis was
      affected by history of periodontitis and mean PIMT at implant and patient levels,
      respectively. For peri-implantitis there were also significant effects of
      treatment (z = -16.63, p<0.001). Increased peri-implantitis was observed for
      patients with a history of periodontal disease. (z=3.76, p<0.001). Implants under
      PIMT have 0.958 the incident event compared to those with no
      PIMT.ConclusionsWithin the limitations of the present systematic review it can be
      concluded that implant therapy must not be limited to placement and restoration
      of dental implants, but to the implementation of PIMT to potentially prevent
      biological complications and heighten the long-term success rate. Although it
      must be tailored to a patients risk profiling, our findings suggest reason to
      claim a minimum recall PIMT interval of five to six months. Additionally, it must
      be stressed that even in the establishment of PIMT, biological complications
      might occur. Hence, patient-, clinical-, and implant-related factors must be
      thoroughly explored.

PMID- 28338021
TI  - Absence of a gestational diabetes phenotype in the LepRdb/+ mouse is independent
      of control strain, diet, misty allele, or parity.
AB  - Treatment options for gestational diabetes (GDM) are limited. In order to better
      understand mechanisms and improve treatments, appropriate animal models of GDM
      are crucial. Heterozygous db mice (db/+) present with glucose intolerance,
      insulin resistance, and increased weight gain during, but not prior to,
      pregnancy. This makes them an ideal model for GDM. However, several recent
      studies have reported an absence of GDM phenotype in their colony. We
      investigated several hypotheses for why the phenotype may be absent, with the aim
      of re-establishing it and preventing further resources being wasted on an
      ineffective model. Experiments were carried out across two laboratories in two
      countries (New Zealand and China), and were designed to assess type of control
      strain, diet, presence of the misty allele, and parity as potential contributors
      to the lost phenotype. While hyperleptinemia and pre-pregnancy weight gain were
      present in all db/+mice across the four studies, we found no consistent evidence
      of glucose intolerance or insulin resistance during pregnancy. In conclusion, we
      were unable to acquire the GDM phenotype in any of our experiments, and we
      recommend researchers do not use the db/+ mouse as a model of GDM unless they are
      certain the phenotype remains in their colony.

PMID- 28338024
TI  - Evidence for use of intraoral scanners under clinical conditions for obtaining
      full-arch digital impressions is insufficient.
AB  - Data sourcesPubMed, Scopus, Cochrane Library, Web of Science, Embase. Relevant
      papers were also searched from the reference lists of selected studies. A web
      search of current manufacturers of intraoral scanners.Study selectionStudies with
      full-arch digital impressions recorded intraorally that tested any of the
      following outcomes; validity, repeatability, reproducibility, time efficiency.
      Patient acceptance of digital impressions were considered for the review.Data
      extraction and synthesisInitially, only titles of the papers identified from the
      databases were screened, then further screening of the abstracts of the selected
      titles was carried out. Then finally, full text articles of the selected
      abstracts were read and only relevant articles were included in the review. Two
      examiners assessed the quality of the chosen articles using the QUADAS checklist.
      Any disagreement was resolved by discussion between the two examiners.ResultsOnly
      eight studies were found that carried out full-arch intraoral scanning. Four
      studies reported on validity, repeatability and reproducibility of digital
      measurements. These studies were included in the qualitative assessment. Two
      intraoral scanners were tested, Lava COS and iTero. In assessing scanning times
      and patient perception, six and four studies were included, respectively. A
      decrease in the scanning time was noted as the operator gained
      experience.ConclusionsThe literature lacks sufficient evidence to comment on the
      use of intraoral scanners under clinical conditions. Further studies are needed
      to properly assess the reliability, accuracy, reproducibility and scanning times
      of intraoral scans.

PMID- 28338025
TI  - Preventing perioperative bleeding in patients with inherited bleeding disorders.
AB  - Data sourcesCochrane Cystic Fibrosis and Genetic Disorders Group's Coagulopathies
      Trials Register, a regularly updated database informed by trials identified
      within electronic databases including MEDLINE. Further defined searches were
      undertaken in PubMed, Embase, The Cochrane Library, ClinicalTrials.gov and WHO
      International Clinical Trials Registry Platform. Additional hand searching of
      relevant journals and books of conference proceedings was undertaken.Study
      selectionRandomised and quasi-randomised controlled trials in people of all ages
      with haemophilia or VWD undergoing oral or dental procedures using
      antifibrinolytic agents (tranexamic acid (TXA) or epsilon aminocaproic acid
      (EACA)) to prevent perioperative bleeding compared to no intervention with or
      without placebo.Data extraction and synthesisTwo authors independently assessed
      identified publications for inclusion based on defined selection criteria. The
      two authors performed data extraction and risk of bias assessments using
      standardised forms and the Cochrane risk of bias tools. A third author, deemed to
      have particular subject expertise, verified eligibility of inclusion.ResultsOne
      randomised, double-blinded placebo controlled trial and one quasi-randomised
      trial were included. A total of 59 participants with haemophilia undergoing
      dental extraction were involved. Both trials evidenced a notable reduction in
      post-operative bleeding following dental extraction when either TXA or EACA were
      used, in addition to routine preoperative factor replacement, when compared to
      placebo. The number of post-operative bleeds, amount of blood loss and the need
      for additional clotting factors were reduced in the groups receiving
      antifibrinolytic therapy. No eligible trials in people with VWD were
      identified.ConclusionsLow quality evidence exists to support the use of adjuvant
      antifibrinolytic therapy to reduce perioperative bleeding in patients with
      haemophilia undergoing dental extraction. The limited number of trials identified
      (N=2), minimal sample size (N=28, N=31) and historic nature of the studies,
      originating from the 1970s, in addition to study heterogeneity and subsequent
      selection bias results in a low quality evidence grade for recommending adjuvant
      antifibrinolytic therapy. There is no clear indication to alter current practice
      utilising antifibrinolytic therapy to manage patients with haemophilia undergoing
      dental surgery in accordance with internationally accepted guidelines. However,
      further research with standardised study deigns would be welcomed in order to
      enhance the evidence base in the management of people with haemophilia and VWD.

PMID- 28338026
TI  - Rubber dam may increase the survival time of dental restorations.
AB  - Data sourcesCochrane Oral Health's Trials Register, Cochrane Central Register of
      Controlled Trials (CENTRAL), Medline, Embase, LILACS, SciELO, Chinese BioMedical
      Literature Database, VIP, China National Knowledge Infrastructure,
      ClinicalTrials.gov, World Health Organization International Clinical Trials
      Registry Platform, OpenGrey and Sciencepaper Online databases. Handsearches in a
      number of journals.Study selectionRandomised controlled trials, including split
      mouth studies assessing the effects of rubber dam isolation for restorative
      treatments in dental patients.Data extraction and synthesisTwo review authors
      independently screened the results of the electronic searches, extracted data and
      assessed the risk of bias of the included studies.ResultsFour studies involving a
      total of 1,270 patients were included. The studies were at high risk of bias. One
      trial was excluded from the analysis due to inconsistencies in the presented
      data. Restorations had a significantly higher survival rate in the rubber dam
      isolation group compared to the cotton roll isolation group at six months in
      participants receiving composite restorative treatment of non-carious cervical
      lesions (risk ratio (RR) 1.19, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.04 to 1.37, very
      low-quality evidence). The rubber dam group had a lower risk of failure at two
      years in children undergoing proximal atraumatic restorative treatment in primary
      molars (hazard ratio (HR) 0.80, 95% CI 0.66 to 0.97, very low-quality evidence).
      One trial reported limited data showing that rubber dam usage during fissure
      sealing might shorten the treatment time. None of the included studies mentioned
      adverse effects or reported the direct cost of the treatment, or the level of
      patient acceptance/satisfaction. There was also no evidence evaluating the
      effects of rubber dam usage on the quality of the restorations.ConclusionsWe
      found some very low-quality evidence, from single studies, suggesting that rubber
      dam usage in dental direct restorative treatments may lead to a lower failure
      rate of the restorations, compared with the failure rate for cotton roll usage.
      Further high quality research evaluating the effects of rubber dam usage on
      different types of restorative treatments is required.

PMID- 28338029
TI  - Unclear if non-surgical adjuncts accelerate orthodontic treatment.
AB  - Data sourcesCochrane Oral Health Group's Trials Register, the Cochrane Central
      Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL), Medline, Embase, LILACS, the
      metaRegister of Controlled Trials, the US National Institutes of Health Trials
      Register and the WHO International Clinical Trials Registry Platform.Study
      selectionRandomised controlled trials of orthodontic treatment using fixed
      appliances along with non-surgical adjunctive interventions to accelerate tooth
      movement.Data extraction and synthesisTwo reviewers independently selected
      studies, abstracted data and assessed risk of bias. Meta-analysis was not
      possible.ResultsTwo studies involving a total of 111 patients were included, both
      were at high risk of bias. The studies compared the use of Tooth Masseuse and
      OrthoAccel with conventional treatment mechanics. Using OrthoAccel with 30 Hz at
      0.25 N for 20 minutes daily produced a higher rate of maxillary canine
      distalisation in comparison to the control group (MD 0.37 mm/month; 95% CI -0.07
      to 0.81; P = 0.05). Whilst this difference suggested 50% faster tooth movement
      using the vibrational appliance, the absolute differences were marginal and
      deemed clinically unimportant. Similar levels of non-serious adverse effects were
      reported in the intervention and control groups with a risk ratio of 0.96 (95% CI
      0.32 to 2.85). Overall, the quality of the evidence was very low and therefore we
      cannot rely on the findings.ConclusionsThere is very little clinical research
      concerning the effectiveness of non-surgical interventions to accelerate
      orthodontic treatment. The available evidence is of very low quality and so it is
      not possible to determine if there is a positive effect of non-surgical
      adjunctive interventions to accelerate tooth movement. Although there have been
      claims that there may be a positive effect of light vibrational forces, results
      of the current studies do not reach either statistical or clinical significance.
      Further well-designed and rigorous RCTs with longer follow-up periods are
      required to determine whether non-surgical interventions may result in a
      clinically important reduction in the duration of orthodontic treatment, without
      any adverse effects.

PMID- 28338027
TI  - Molar incisor hypomineralisation.
AB  - Data sourcesThe Medline and Embase databases and hand searches in the journals
      International Journal of Paediatric Dentistry and European Archives of Paediatric
      Dentistry.Study selectionEnglish language cohort and case-control studies.Data
      extraction and synthesisStudy selection was carried out independently by two
      reviewers with data abstraction being conducted by a single reviewer and checked
      by a second reviewer. Risk of bias was assessed using a modified version of the
      Newcastle-Ottawa Scale (NOS). Adjusted (aOR) and unadjusted odds ratios (uOR), P
      values and 95% confidence intervals (CI) were obtained from the studies. Meta
      analysis was not conducted.ResultsTwenty-eight studies were included; 25 reported
      on MIH, three on hypomineralised second primary molars (HSPM). Nineteen of the
      studies were of cohort design (six prospective,13 retrospective) and nine were
      case controls. There was little evidence of an association between the most
      frequently investigated prenatal factors (smoking, maternal illness, maternal
      medication, maternal stress) and MIH. Similarly there was little evidence of an
      association between MIH and perinatal factors such as prematurity, low birth
      weight, caesarean delivery and birth complications. Early childhood illness, up
      to three or four years of age, was widely investigated, with six studies
      reporting a crude association. Associations between antibiotics, anti-asthma
      medication and breastfeeding were also evaluated. Only three studies looked at
      HSPM; one study suggested that maternal antibiotic use during pregnancy is
      unlikely to be associated with HSPM but maternal alcohol intake may be. Another
      study reported possible associations with a large number of factors, with
      perinatal factors and neonatal illness being most common, followed by prenatal
      factors.ConclusionsPrenatal and perinatal factors are infrequently associated
      with MIH. However, despite a lack of prospective studies, early childhood illness
      (in particular fever) appears to be associated with MIH. Further prospective
      studies that adjust for confounding based on biological principles, as well as
      genetic and epigenetic studies, are needed because the aetiology is likely to be
      multifactorial.

PMID- 28338030
TI  - Implant outcomes poorer in patients with history of periodontal disease.
AB  - Data sourcesMedline and Embase databases and bibliographies of all included
      articles and relevant review articles were screened for possible inclusion.Study
      selectionLongitudinal studies were included reporting on implant survival,
      success, incidence of peri-implantitis, bone loss and periodontal status and on
      partially dentate patients with a history of treatment for periodontitis. There
      were no language restrictions for the included studies.Data extraction and
      synthesisAuthors independently and in duplicate assessed the studies for
      eligibility and data extraction. Disagreements were resolved by discussion and
      consensus. The methodological quality assessment of the included studies was done
      using an adapted Newcastle-Ottawa Scale (NOS). Confounding factors such as
      smoking, systemic disease influencing osseointegration, chemotherapy and
      radiation were assessed and adjusted in the analysis. Data were organised into
      tables and grouped in accordance with the study design.ResultsTwenty-four studies
      reported in 27 publications were included. Implant survival and success rate were
      higher in periodontally healthy patients.Twelve prospective cohort studies, five
      case series with a control group, four retrospective cohort studies and three
      studies with a sub group comparison were included.Bone loss and peri-implantitis
      were increased in patients with a history of treated periodontitis. More
      complications were reported in patients presenting with more severe forms of
      periodontitis. High heterogeneity among the studies in terms of study design,
      population, therapy, unit of analysis, inconsistent definitions of baseline and
      outcomes, inadequate reporting and confounding factors meant a meta-analysis
      could not be performed.Most of the studies showed better implant survival rates
      for the non-periodontitis group ranging from 91.67% to 100% compared to the
      treated periodontitis group 79.22% to 100% over a 1.2 to 16 year follow
      up.ConclusionsImplants placed in patients treated for periodontal disease are
      associated with higher incidence of biological complications and lower success
      and survival rates than those placed in periodontally healthy patients. Severe
      forms of periodontal disease are associated with higher rates of implant loss.
      The conclusion of the review is limited by the strength of the evidence.

PMID- 28338031
TI  - Preoperative analgesia for children and adolescents to reduce pain associated
      with dental treatment.
AB  - Data sourcesCochrane Oral Health Group's Trials Register, the Cochrane Central
      Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL), Medline, Embase, LILACS, ISI Web of
      Science, ClinicalTrials.gov and the WHO International Clinical Trials Registry
      Platform.Study selectionRandomised controlled clinical trials of analgesics given
      before dental treatment versus placebo or no analgesics in children and
      adolescents up to 17 years of age. Children and adolescents having dental
      treatment under sedation (including nitrous oxide/oxygen) or general anaesthesia
      were excluded.Data extraction and synthesisTwo reviewers independently selected
      studies, abstracted data and assessed risk of bias. Standard Cochrane
      methodological approaches were used.ResultsFive trials involving 190 patients
      were included. None of the studies were at low risk of bias. Three trials
      involved dental treatment and two involved orthodontic treatment. Three of the
      included trials compared paracetamol with placebo. Meta-analysis of the two
      trials showed no evidence of a benefit in taking paracetamol preoperatively; (RR)
      for postoperative pain of 0.81 (95%CI; 0.53 to 1.22). Four trials compared
      ibuprofen with placebo. Pooled data from two studies showed a statistically
      significant mean difference in severity of postoperative pain of -13.44 (95%CI; 
      23.01 to -3.88) on a visual analogue scale (0 to 100), which indicated a probable
      benefit. Both trials were at high risk of bias and the quality of the evidence is
      low.ConclusionsFrom the available evidence, we cannot determine whether or not
      preoperative analgesics are of benefit in paediatric dentistry for procedures
      under local anaesthetic. There is probably a benefit in using preoperative
      analgesics prior to orthodontic separator placement. The quality of the evidence
      is low. Further randomised clinical trials should be completed with appropriate
      sample sizes and well defined outcome measures.

PMID- 28338032
TI  - Reliability of CBCT diagnosing root fractures remains uncertain.
AB  - Data sourcesPubMed, Web of Science, Science Direct, Cochrane library, Embase,
      SCOPUS, CNKI and Wanfang databases were searched until April 2014 followed by
      hand searching of relevant references.Study selectionUsing no language
      restrictions two authors independently assessed for inclusion of in vivo and in
      vitro studies involving at least ten teeth on the use of CBCT for diagnosing
      complete root fractures on non-endodontically treated teeth.Data extraction and
      synthesisTwo authors independently assessed for inclusion and performed quality
      assessment using QUADAS-2 (quality assessment of studies of diagnostic accuracy
      2). A random effects model was used to calculate pooled sensitivity, specificity
      and likelihood ratio (positive and negative). In addition, the correlation
      between voxel size and diagnostic accuracy was calculated.ResultsTwelve studies
      were included in the review. Seven used i-CAT with 372 teeth and four used 3D
      Accuitomo with 237 teeth (one study used both). For i-CAT pooled sensitivity was
      0.83 (0.78 to 0.86), while specificity was 0.91(0.87 to 0.93). For 3D Accuitomo
      sensitivity was 0.95 (0.90 to 0.96) and the specificity 0.96 (0.92 to 0.99)
      Correlation between voxel size and diagnostic accuracy was analysed among five
      subgroups for i-CAT and two subgroups on the 3D Accuitomo group. No statistically
      significant difference was observed based on voxel size.ConclusionsAccording to
      the authors CBCT provides clinically relevant accuracy and reliability to detect
      root fractures in untreated teeth independently of the voxel size.

PMID- 28338034
TI  - Letters to the editor.

PMID- 28338036
TI  - To cord or not to cord? That is still a question.
AB  - Data sourcesA broad computerised search with similar key terms was performed in
      different databases that included: Ovid Medline, Thomson's ISI Web of Science,
      PubMed, Science Direct, EMBASE and the Cochrane Library. Grey literature,
      dissertations, abstracts and theses were searched too. Reference lists of the
      selected articles were hand-searched.Study selectionThe inclusion criteria
      included in vivo randomised clinical trials and quasi-randomised clinical trials
      using gingival retraction techniques with and without cord. Studies were included
      if they examined the primary outcome from the review: efficiency of haemostasis
      control, the amount of gingival displacement and the influence of the techniques
      on gingival/periodontal health. Secondary outcomes accepted for the review
      included subjective factors reported by the patient such as pain, sensitivity,
      unpleasant taste and discomfort and operator's experience with both techniques.
      Non-English papers, clinical reports, animals studies or in vitro studies were
      excluded.Data extraction and synthesisTwo authors independently searched and
      screened the articles. Disagreements were resolved by discussion. A third
      reviewer participated in the eligibility of the studies. The risk of bias was
      assessed using the Cochrane Collaboration tool. Due to the heterogeneity of
      measurement variables across the studies and the differences among the studies, a
      meta-analysis was not performed. A narrative assessment was performed for the
      outcomes: moisture/bleeding control, gingival displacement, gingival/periodontal
      health and the subjective outcomes.ResultsFrom the initial search that retrieved
      1,342 articles, 19 potential relevant full-text articles were considered for the
      review. Seven studies were selected for the systematic review. Four randomised
      clinical trials were included. Sample size ranged from eight to 252 participants
      per study. Five studies were conducted on patients requiring any indirect fixed
      restorations on prepared teeth. Two studies were done on unprepared teeth. In all
      studies, participants were in good health, had a healthy gingival condition and a
      sound periodontal status.ConclusionsBoth techniques are reliable in achieving
      gingival retraction. The review supports the observation that gingival retraction
      paste can more effectively help to achieve a dry field and at the same time be
      less injurious to soft tissues, however its ability to displace gingival tissues,
      compared to retraction cord, was compromising. Rather than considering the cost
      of material or the individual preference of the operator, choosing the right
      technique to maximise clinical efficiency should be based on scientific evidence.
      It seems that impregnated gingival cords are more effective on thick gingival
      tissue whereas paste is more effective when minimal retraction is required for
      haemostasis control, preservation of the gingiva and less tissue displacement.

PMID- 28338037
TI  - Psychological approaches to behaviour for improving plaque control.
AB  - Data sourcesThe Cochrane Oral Health Groups Trial Register, Medline, Embase and
      PsycINFO.Study selectionRandomised controlled trials (RCTs), controlled clinical
      trials (CCTs), cohort studies or case-control studies were considered. Only
      studies in patients aged 18 or older with pre-existing periodontal disease and
      clearly stating a psychological model or theory had been used were included.
      Studies exploring smoking cessation were not included.Data extraction and
      synthesisAll data were collected by a single author using pre-decided parameters.
      The reviewers used the Cochrane criteria to assess risk of bias in clinical
      trials and the Newcastle Ottawa Scale for observational studies. Marked
      heterogeneity from the wide variety of psychological approaches used in the
      studies prevented meta-analysis.ResultsFifteen papers relating to 14 different
      studies were included from an initial 722 articles identified. This included
      three cohort studies, ten RCTs and a before/after study. A total of 1,106
      patients were included across the studies. Of the 19 psychological models
      included in the initial search, seven were shown to have some form of impact on
      oral hygiene motivation, demonstrated by observed behavioural and clinical
      outcomes.ConclusionsThe authors concluded that, in adult patients with pre
      existing periodontal disease, understanding of the seriousness of periodontal
      disease and the benefits of behavioural change resulted in improved adherence to
      oral hygiene instructions. They concluded that goal-setting, self-monitoring and
      indeed planning can be useful in improving oral health-related behaviours.

PMID- 28338038
TI  - School-based dental sealant programmes may be effective in caries prevention.
AB  - DesignSplit-mouth randomised controlled clinical trial.InterventionSchool-based
      dental sealant (SBDS) programme. The study population that was selected from 67
      year-old pupils of 16 elementary schools in areas of low socioeconomic status
      within Nice, France. Children with first permanent molar pairs sufficiently
      erupted for sealing with no caries (ICDAS [International Caries Detection and
      Assessment System] 0) or initial enamel lesions (ICDAS 1-2) were included.
      Children were randomised to either the intervention group (light polymerised
      resin-based sealant with fluoride) or the control group (no treatment).Outcome
      measureThe primary outcome measure was caries with sealant retention as a
      secondary outcome.ResultsFour hundred and fifty-seven pairs of permanent first
      molars belonging to 276 school children were randomised. At three years 378 pairs
      in 228 children were available for analysis. The overall retention rate was
      32.3%. Sealed molars had 67% less risk of new carious lesions, adjusted hazard
      ratio = 0.33(95%CI; 0.24-0.46).ConclusionsSBDS programmes can be effective in
      preventing the development of carious lesions in school children, particularly
      those who come from low socioeconomic backgrounds and may, as a result, be unable
      to receive adequate oral healthcare in other settings outside the school. ICR
      should determine the selection of at-risk sub-groups for which the intervention
      could be considered.

PMID- 28338040
TI  - Regular supervised fluoride mouthrinse use by children and adolescents associated
      with caries reduction.
AB  - Data sourcesCochrane Oral Health Group's Trials Register, the Cochrane Central
      Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL), Medline, Embase, CINAHL, LILACS, BBO,
      Proquest Dissertations and Theses, Web of Science Conference Proceedings,
      ClinicalTrials.gov and the WHO International Clinical Trials Registry
      Platform.Study selectionRandomised or quasi-randomised controlled trials where
      blind outcome assessment was stated or indicated, comparing fluoride mouthrinse
      with placebo or no treatment in children up to 16 years of age with a duration of
      at least 12 months.Data extraction and synthesisA least two reviewers
      independently selected studies, abstracted data and assessed risk of
      bias.ResultsThirty-seven trials involving 15,813 children and adolescents were
      included. Supervised rinsing in schools was tested in all trials. Twenty-eight
      studies were at high risk of bias, nine at unclear risk. Thirty-five trials
      (15,305 participants) contributed data on permanent tooth surface for meta
      analysis and found a prevented fraction for D(M)FS = 27%(95%CI 23% to 30%; I2 =
      42%) (moderate quality evidence). Meta-regression showed no significant
      association between estimates of D(M)FS with baseline caries severity, background
      exposure to fluorides, rinsing frequency or fluoride concentration. The pooled
      estimate of prevented fraction from 13 studies for D(M)FT = 23% (95%CI, 18% to
      29%; I2 = 54%).There was limited information on possible adverse effects or
      acceptability of the treatment regimen in the included trials.ConclusionsThis
      review found that supervised regular use of fluoride mouthrinse by children and
      adolescents is associated with a large reduction in caries increment in permanent
      teeth. We are moderately certain of the size of the effect. Most of the evidence
      evaluated use of fluoride mouthrinse supervised in a school setting, but the
      findings may be applicable to children in other settings with supervised or
      unsupervised rinsing, although the size of the caries-preventive effect is less
      clear. Any future research on fluoride mouthrinses should focus on head-to-head
      comparisons between different fluoride rinse features or fluoride rinses against
      other preventive strategies, and should evaluate adverse effects and
      acceptability.

PMID- 28338039
TI  - Coronally advanced flap combined with connective tissue graft; treatment of
      choice for root coverage following recession?
AB  - Data sourcesMedline, The Cochrane Database Trials Register, Embase, supplemented
      by handsearching of five prominent periodontal journals, references from reviewed
      papers and contact with experts in the field of mucogingival surgery.Study
      selectionRandomised controlled trials (RCTs) with or without a split-mouth
      design, on human patients. RCTs had to compare at least two different surgical
      interventions on clearly specified recession defects, be over six months in
      duration and have clearly specified clinical measurements regarding root
      coverage.Data extraction and synthesisThe initial search for studies was carried
      out by one operator. The studies were quality assessed by two independent review
      authors using the Cochrane risk of bias tool. Odds Ratios were combined for
      dichotomous data and mean differences in continuous data using a random-effect
      model. The strength of the evidence of included studies was assessed according to
      the GRADE recommendations for bias and heterogeneity.ResultsFifty-one RCTs were
      reviewed encompassing 1574 patients and 1744 recession defects. Eighty meta
      analyses were conducted. Results showed that surgical intervention using a
      coronally advanced flap (CAF) in conjunction with a connective tissue graft (CTG)
      was more effective at obtaining complete root coverage (CRC), reduced recession
      (RecRed) and keratinised tissue (KT) gain compared to CAF alone. The use of
      barrier membranes with CAF showed no significant improvement to CAF alone with
      regard to CRC and RecRed. The use of enamel matrix derivatives (EMD) in
      conjunction with CAF had significant improvement in CRC, RecRed and KT gain
      compared to CAF alone. Using multiple techniques or biomaterials yielded similar
      or fewer benefits than simpler proceduresConclusionsTreatment of recession
      defects is best achieved with a coronally advanced flap combined with a
      connective tissue graft.

PMID- 28338041
TI  - Meibomian Gland Dysfunction Correlates to the Tear Film Instability and Ocular
      Discomfort in Patients with Pterygium.
AB  - Pterygium is a very common disease in an eye clinic characterized by a benign
      proliferation of local conjunctiva that often crosses the limber of cornea and
      extends into corneal surface. Variety of studies has showed that pterygium is
      able to result in ocular discomfort and the change of ocular surface environment,
      such as dry eye. However, the link between abnormal tear film function and
      pterygium is controversial. Meibomian gland dysfunction (MGD) is a common cause
      of dry eye and ocular discomfort but is often neglected, which may be the missing
      link between dry eye and pterygium. In this study, our data firstly revealed
      increased abnormality of meibomian gland structure and function in pterygium
      patients, representing with increased abnormality of MGD parameters such as
      meibum expression (P < 0.001) and meibomian gland loss (P < 0.001). Besides, the
      scores of MGD severity in patients with progressive pterygium were higher than
      those in patients with resting pterygium. The correlation between MGD parameters
      and ocular discomfort as well as dry eye indexes is also established. These
      findings suggest that MGD correlates to the tear film instability and ocular
      discomfort in patients with pterygium.

PMID- 28338042
TI  - Simulating electric field interactions with polar molecules using spectroscopic
      databases.
AB  - Ro-vibrational Stark-associated phenomena of small polyatomic molecules are
      modelled using extensive spectroscopic data generated as part of the ExoMol
      project. The external field Hamiltonian is built from the computed ro-vibrational
      line list of the molecule in question. The Hamiltonian we propose is general and
      suitable for any polar molecule in the presence of an electric field. By
      exploiting precomputed data, the often prohibitively expensive computations
      associated with high accuracy simulations of molecule-field interactions are
      avoided. Applications to strong terahertz field-induced ro-vibrational dynamics
      of PH3 and NH3, and spontaneous emission data for optoelectrical Sisyphus cooling
      of H2CO and CH3Cl are discussed.

PMID- 28338043
TI  - Redshifted Cherenkov Radiation for in vivo Imaging: Coupling Cherenkov Radiation
      Energy Transfer to multiple Forster Resonance Energy Transfers.
AB  - Cherenkov Radiation (CR), this blue glow seen in nuclear reactors, is an optical
      light originating from energetic beta-emitter radionuclides. CR emitter 90Y
      triggers a cascade of energy transfers in the presence of a mixed population of
      fluorophores (which each other match their respective absorption and emission
      maxima): Cherenkov Radiation Energy Transfer (CRET) first, followed by multiple
      Forster Resonance Energy transfers (FRET): CRET ratios were calculated to give a
      rough estimate of the transfer efficiency. While CR is blue-weighted (300-500
      nm), such cascades of Energy Transfers allowed to get a) fluorescence emission up
      to 710 nm, which is beyond the main CR window and within the near-infrared (NIR)
      window where biological tissues are most transparent, b) to amplify this emission
      and boost the radiance on that window: EMT6-tumor bearing mice injected with both
      a radionuclide and a mixture of fluorophores having a good spectral overlap, were
      shown to have nearly a two-fold radiance boost (measured on a NIR window centered
      on the emission wavelength of the last fluorophore in the Energy Transfer
      cascade) compared to a tumor injected with the radionuclide only. Some CR
      embarked light source could be converted into a near-infrared radiation, where
      biological tissues are most transparent.

PMID- 28338044
TI  - Effect of decomposition and organic residues on resistivity of copper films
      fabricated via low-temperature sintering of complex particle mixed dispersions.
AB  - Mixtures of a copper complex and copper fine particles as copper-based metal
      organic decomposition (MOD) dispersions have been demonstrated to be effective
      for low-temperature sintering of conductive copper film. However, the copper
      particle size effect on decomposition process of the dispersion during heating
      and the effect of organic residues on the resistivity have not been studied. In
      this study, the decomposition process of dispersions containing mixtures of a
      copper complex and copper particles with various sizes was studied. The effect of
      organic residues on the resistivity was also studied using thermogravimetric
      analysis. In addition, the choice of copper salts in the copper complex was also
      discussed. In this work, a low-resistivity sintered copper film (7 * 10-6
      Omega.m) at a temperature as low as 100  degrees C was achieved without using any
      reductive gas.

PMID- 28338046
TI  - Solitary perturbations in the steep boundary of magnetized toroidal plasma.
AB  - Solitary perturbations (SPs) localized both poloidally and radially are detected
      within ~100 MUs before the partial collapse of the high pressure gradient
      boundary region (called pedestal) of magnetized toroidal plasma in the KSTAR
      tokamak device. The SP develops with a low toroidal mode number (typically unity)
      in the pedestal ingrained with quasi-stable edge-localized mode (QSM) which
      commonly appears during the inter-collapse period. The SPs have smaller mode
      pitch and different (often opposite) rotation velocity compared to the QSMs.
      Similar solitary perturbations are also frequently observed before the onset of
      complete pedestal collapse, suggesting a strong connection between the SP
      generation and the pedestal collapse.

PMID- 28338045
TI  - Abnormal levels of histone methylation in the retinas of diabetic rats are
      reversed by minocycline treatment.
AB  - In this study we quantified the alterations of retinal histone post-translational
      modifications (PTMs) in diabetic rats using a liquid chromatography - tandem mass
      spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) approach. Some diabetic rats were subsequently treated
      with minocycline, a tetracycline antibiotic, which has been shown to inhibit the
      diabetes-induced chronic inflammation in the retinas of rodents. We quantified
      266 differentially modified histone peptides, including 48 out of 83 methylation
      marks with significantly different abundancein retinas of diabetic rats as
      compared to non-diabetic controls. About 67% of these marks had their relative
      abundance restored to non-diabetic levels after minocycline treatment. Mono- and
      di-methylation states of histone H4 lysine 20 (H4K20me1/me2), markers related to
      DNA damage response, were found to be up-regulated in the retinas of diabetic
      rats and restored to control levels upon minocycline treatment. DNA damage
      response biomarkers showed the same pattern once quantified by western blotting.
      Collectively, this study indicates that alteration of some histone methylation
      levels is associated with the development of diabetic retinopathy in rodents, and
      the beneficial effect of minocycline on the retinas of diabetic rodents is
      partially through its ability to normalize the altered histone methylation
      levels.

PMID- 28338047
TI  - Automated detection and enumeration of marine wildlife using unmanned aircraft
      systems (UAS) and thermal imagery.
AB  - Estimating animal populations is critical for wildlife management. Aerial surveys
      are used for generating population estimates, but can be hampered by cost,
      logistical complexity, and human risk. Additionally, human counts of organisms in
      aerial imagery can be tedious and subjective. Automated approaches show promise,
      but can be constrained by long setup times and difficulty discriminating animals
      in aggregations. We combine unmanned aircraft systems (UAS), thermal imagery and
      computer vision to improve traditional wildlife survey methods. During spring
      2015, we flew fixed-wing UAS equipped with thermal sensors, imaging two grey seal
      (Halichoerus grypus) breeding colonies in eastern Canada. Human analysts counted
      and classified individual seals in imagery manually. Concurrently, an automated
      classification and detection algorithm discriminated seals based upon
      temperature, size, and shape of thermal signatures. Automated counts were within
      95-98% of human estimates; at Saddle Island, the model estimated 894 seals
      compared to analyst counts of 913, and at Hay Island estimated 2188 seals
      compared to analysts' 2311. The algorithm improves upon shortcomings of computer
      vision by effectively recognizing seals in aggregations while keeping model setup
      time minimal. Our study illustrates how UAS, thermal imagery, and automated
      detection can be combined to efficiently collect population data critical to
      wildlife management.

PMID- 28338048
TI  - Reconfigurable superconducting vortex pinning potential for magnetic disks in
      hybrid structures.
AB  - High resolution scanning Hall probe microscopy has been used to directly
      visualise the superconducting vortex behavior in hybrid structures consisting of
      a square array of micrometer-sized Py ferromagnetic disks covered by a
      superconducting Nb thin film. At remanence the disks exist in almost fully flux
      closed magnetic vortex states, but the observed cloverleaf-like stray fields
      indicate the presence of weak in-plane anisotropy. Micromagnetic simulations
      suggest that the most likely origin is an unintentional shape anisotropy. We have
      studied the pinning of added free superconducting vortices as a function of the
      magnetisation state of the disks, and identified a range of different phenomena
      arising from competing energy contributions. We have also observed clear
      differences in the pinning landscape when the superconductor and the ferromagnet
      are electron ically coupled or insulated by a thin dielectric layer, with an
      indication of non-trivial vortex-vortex interactions. We demonstrate a complete
      reconfiguration of the vortex pinning potential when the magnetisation of the
      disks evolves from the vortex-like state to an onion-like one under an in-plane
      magnetic field. Our results are in good qualitative agreement with theoretical
      predictions and could form the basis of novel superconducting devices based on
      reconfigurable vortex pinning sites.

PMID- 28338049
TI  - Breeding system and spatial isolation from congeners strongly constrain seed set
      in an insect-pollinated apomictic tree: Sorbus subcuneata (Rosaceae).
AB  - In plants, apomixis results in the production of clonal offspring via seed and
      can provide reproductive assurance for isolated individuals. However, many
      apomicts require pollination to develop functional endosperm for successful seed
      set (pseudogamy) and therefore risk pollination-limitation, particularly in self
      incompatible species that require heterospecific pollen. We used microsatellite
      paternity analysis and hand pollinations to investigate pollen-limitation in
      Sorbus subcuneata, a threatened endemic tree that co-occurs with its congener, S.
      admonitor. We confirmed that S. subcuneata is an obligate pseudogamous apomict,
      but open-pollinated flowers rarely produced seed (flower-to-seed conversion < 1%)
      even though they rapidly accumulated pollen on their stigmas. Manual
      heterospecific pollination by S. admonitor resulted in a high flower-to-seed
      conversion rate (65%), however, we estimate that the ratio of self:
      heterospecific pollination in open-pollinated flowers was at least 22:1. Despite
      the efficacy of heterospecific pollination, the contribution of S. admonitor
      trees to paternity in seed from open-pollinated flowers of S. subcuneata
      decreased rapidly with the spatial separation between paternal and maternal
      trees. Conservation efforts aimed at maintaining species with this breeding
      system must therefore manage the congeners in tandem which will also maintain the
      potential for rare heterospecific fertilisation that typically cause rapid
      diversification in these lineages.

PMID- 28338051
TI  - Configurational Molecular Glue: One Optically Active Polymer Attracts Two
      Oppositely Configured Optically Active Polymers.
AB  - D-configured poly(D-lactic acid) (D-PLA) and poly(D-2-hydroxy-3-methylbutanoic
      acid) (D-P2H3MB) crystallized separately into their homo-crystallites when
      crystallized by precipitation or solvent evaporation, whereas incorporation of L
      configured poly(L-2-hydroxybutanoic acid) (L-P2HB) in D-configured D-PLA and D
      P2H3MB induced co-crystallization or ternary stereocomplex formation between D
      configured D-PLA and D-P2H3MB and L-configured L-P2HB. However, incorporation of
      D-configured poly(D-2-hydroxybutanoic acid) (D-P2HB) in D-configured D-PLA and D
      P2H3MB did not cause co-crystallization between D-configured D-PLA and D-P2H3MB
      and D-configured D-P2HB but separate crystallization of each polymer occurred.
      These findings strongly suggest that an optically active polymer (L-configured or
      D-configured polymer) like unsubstituted or substituted optically active
      poly(lactic acid)s can act as "a configurational or helical molecular glue" for
      two oppositely configured optically active polymers (two D-configured polymers or
      two L-configured polymers) to allow their co-crystallization. The increased
      degree of freedom in polymer combination is expected to assist to pave the way
      for designing polymeric composites having a wide variety of physical properties,
      biodegradation rate and behavior in the case of biodegradable polymers.

PMID- 28338050
TI  - Schisandrin A inhibits dengue viral replication via upregulating antiviral
      interferon responses through STAT signaling pathway.
AB  - Dengue virus (DENV) infects 400 million people worldwide annually. Infection of
      more than one serotype of DENV highly corresponds to dengue hemorrhagic fever and
      dengue shock syndrome, which are the leading causes of high mortality. Due to
      lack of effective vaccines and unavailable therapies against DENV, discovery of
      anti-DENV agents is urgently needed. We first characterize that Schisandrin A can
      inhibit the replication of four serotypes of DENV in a concentration- and time
      dependent manner, with an effective half-maximal effective concentration 50%
      (EC50) value of 28.1 +/- 0.42 MUM against DENV serotype type 2 without
      significant cytotoxicity. Furthermore, schisandrin A can effectively protect mice
      from DENV infection by reducing disease symptoms and mortality of DENV-infected
      mice. We demonstrate that STAT1/2-mediated antiviral interferon responses
      contribute to the action of schisandrin A against DENV replication. Schisandrin A
      represents a potential antiviral agent to block DENV replication in vitro and in
      vivo. In conclusion, stimulation of STAT1/2-mediated antiviral interferon
      responses is a promising strategy to develop antiviral drug.

PMID- 28338053
TI  - Optimal array of sand fences.
AB  - Sand fences are widely applied to prevent soil erosion by wind in areas affected
      by desertification. Sand fences also provide a way to reduce the emission rate of
      dust particles, which is triggered mainly by the impacts of wind-blown sand
      grains onto the soil and affects the Earth's climate. Many different types of
      fence have been designed and their effects on the sediment transport dynamics
      studied since many years. However, the search for the optimal array of fences has
      remained largely an empirical task. In order to achieve maximal soil protection
      using the minimal amount of fence material, a quantitative understanding of the
      flow profile over the relief encompassing the area to be protected including all
      employed fences is required. Here we use Computational Fluid Dynamics to
      calculate the average turbulent airflow through an array of fences as a function
      of the porosity, spacing and height of the fences. Specifically, we investigate
      the factors controlling the fraction of soil area over which the basal average
      wind shear velocity drops below the threshold for sand transport when the fences
      are applied. We introduce a cost function, given by the amount of material
      necessary to construct the fences. We find that, for typical sand-moving wind
      velocities, the optimal fence height (which minimizes this cost function) is
      around 50 cm, while using fences of height around 1.25 m leads to maximal cost.

PMID- 28338052
TI  - Dissociable diffusion MRI patterns of white matter microstructure and
      connectivity in Alzheimer's disease spectrum.
AB  - Recent efforts using diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) have documented white matter
      (WM) alterations in Alzheimer's disease (AD). The full potential of whole-brain
      DTI, however, has not been fully exploited as studies have focused on individual
      microstructural indices independently. In patients with AD (n = 79), mild (MCI, n
      = 55) and subjective (SCI, n = 30) cognitive impairment, we applied linked
      independent component analysis (LICA) to model inter-subject variability across
      five complementary DTI measures (fractional anisotropy (FA), axial/radial/mean
      diffusivity, diffusion tensor mode), two crossing fiber measures estimated using
      a multi-compartment crossing-fiber model reflecting the volume fraction of the
      dominant (f1) and non-dominant (f2) diffusion orientation, and finally,
      connectivity density obtained from full-brain probabilistic tractography. The
      LICA component explaining the largest data variance was highly sensitive to
      disease severity (AD < MCI < SCI) and revealed widespread coordinated decreases
      in FA and f1 with increases in all diffusivity measures in AD. Additionally, it
      reflected regional coordinated decreases and increases in f2, mode and
      connectivity density, implicating bidirectional alterations of crossing fibers in
      the fornix, uncinate fasciculi, corpus callosum and major sensorimotor pathways.
      LICA yielded improved diagnostic classification performance compared to
      univariate region-of-interest features. Our results document coordinated WM
      microstructural and connectivity alterations in line with disease severity across
      the AD continuum.

PMID- 28338054
TI  - Identification of hexose kinase genes in Kluyveromyces marxianus and thermo
      tolerant one step producing glucose-free fructose strain construction.
AB  - In yeast, the hexose assimilation is started at hexose phosphorylation. However,
      in Kluyveromyces marxianus, the hexokinase (HXK) and glucokinase (GLK) genes were
      not identified by experiments. Meanwhile, the glucose-free fructose product
      requires more cost-efficient method. In this study, the KmHXK1 and KmGLK1 genes
      were functionally identified through gene disruption, over-expression and
      recombinant enzymes characterization. Both glucose and fructose assimilation
      ability decreased significantly in KmHXK1 disrupted strain YLM001, however, this
      ability was not changed obviously in KmGLK1 disrupted strain YLM002. When over
      expressing KmGLK1 in YLM001, only the glucose assimilation ability was recovered
      in obtained strain (YLM005). The kinetic constant analysis of recombinant enzymes
      also proved that KmHXK1 could phosphorylate glucose (Vmax 553.01 U/mg, Km 0.83
      mM) and fructose (Vmax 609.82 U/mg, Km 0.52 mM), and KmGLK1 only phosphorylate
      glucose with a Vmax of 0.73 U/mg and a Km 4.09 mM. A thermo-tolerant strain
      YGR003 which produced glucose-free fructose from Jerusalem artichoke tuber in one
      step was constructed based on the obtained information. The highest production
      and fastest productivity were 234.44 g/L and 10.26 g/L/h, respectively, which
      were several folds of the results in previous reports.

PMID- 28338055
TI  - Fully printable, strain-engineered electronic wrap for customizable soft
      electronics.
AB  - Rapid growth of stretchable electronics stimulates broad uses in
      multidisciplinary fields as well as industrial applications. However, existing
      technologies are unsuitable for implementing versatile applications involving
      adaptable system design and functions in a cost/time-effective way because of
      vacuum-conditioned, lithographically-predefined processes. Here, we present a
      methodology for a fully printable, strain-engineered electronic wrap as a
      universal strategy which makes it more feasible to implement various stretchable
      electronic systems with customizable layouts and functions. The key aspects
      involve inkjet-printed rigid island (PRI)-based stretchable platform technology
      and corresponding printing-based automated electronic functionalization
      methodology, the combination of which provides fully printed, customized layouts
      of stretchable electronic systems with simplified process. Specifically, well
      controlled contact line pinning effect of printed polymer solution enables the
      formation of PRIs with tunable thickness; and surface strain analysis on those
      PRIs leads to the optimized stability and device-to-island fill factor of strain
      engineered electronic wraps. Moreover, core techniques of image-based automated
      pinpointing, surface-mountable device based electronic functionalizing, and one
      step interconnection networking of PRIs enable customized circuit design and
      adaptable functionalities. To exhibit the universality of our approach, multiple
      types of practical applications ranging from self-computable digital logics to
      display and sensor system are demonstrated on skin in a customized form.

PMID- 28338056
TI  - First order reversal curves and intrinsic parameter determination for magnetic
      materials; limitations of hysteron-based approaches in correlated systems.
AB  - The generic problem of extracting information on intrinsic particle properties
      from the whole class of interacting magnetic fine particle systems is a long
      standing and difficult inverse problem. As an example, the Switching Field
      Distribution (SFD) is an important quantity in the characterization of magnetic
      systems, and its determination in many technological applications, such as
      recording media, is especially challenging. Techniques such as the first order
      reversal curve (FORC) methods, were developed to extract the SFD from macroscopic
      measurements. However, all methods rely on separating the contributions to the
      measurements of the intrinsic SFD and the extrinsic effects of magnetostatic and
      exchange interactions. We investigate the underlying physics of the FORC method
      by applying it to the output predictions of a kinetic Monte-Carlo model with
      known input parameters. We show that the FORC method is valid only in cases of
      weak spatial correlation of the magnetisation and suggest a more general
      approach.

PMID- 28338057
TI  - The identification of ?-tryptophan as a bioactive substance for postembryonic
      ovarian development in the planarian Dugesia ryukyuensis.
AB  - Many metazoans start germ cell development during embryogenesis, while some
      metazoans possessing pluripotent stem cells undergo postembryonic germ cell
      development. The latter reproduce asexually but develop germ cells from
      pluripotent stem cells or dormant primordial germ cells when they reproduce
      sexually. Sexual induction of the planarian Dugesia ryukyuensis is an important
      model for postembryonic germ cell development. In this experimental system,
      hermaphroditic reproductive organs are differentiated in presumptive gonadal
      regions by the administration of a crude extract from sexual planarians to
      asexual ones. However, the substances involved in the first event during
      postembryonic germ cell development, i.e., ovarian development, remain unknown.
      Here, we aimed to identify a bioactive compound associated with postembryonic
      ovarian development. Bioassay-guided fractionation identified L-tryptophan (Trp)
      on the basis of electrospray ionization-mass spectrometry, circular dichroism,
      and nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy. Originally masked by a large amount
      of L-Trp, ?-Trp was detected by reverse-phase high-performance liquid
      chromatography. The ovary-inducing activity of ?-Trp was 500 times more potent
      than that of L-Trp. This is the first report describing a role for an intrinsic ?
      amino acid in postembryonic germ cell development. Our findings provide a novel
      insight into the mechanisms of germ cell development regulated by low-molecular
      weight bioactive compounds.

PMID- 28338058
TI  - The role of CREB3L4 in the proliferation of prostate cancer cells.
AB  - The incidence of prostate cancer (PC) is growing rapidly throughout the world, in
      probable association with the adoption of western style diets. Thus,
      understanding the molecular pathways triggering the development of PC is crucial
      for both its prevention and treatment. Here, we investigated the role of the
      metabolism-associated protein, CREB3L4, in the proliferation of PC cells. CREB3L4
      was upregulated by the synthetic androgen, R1881, in LNCaP PC cells (an androgen
      dependent cell line). Knockdown of CREB3L4 resulted in decreased androgen
      dependent PC cell growth. LNCaP cells transfected with siCREB3L4 underwent G2/M
      arrest, with upregulation of the proteins cyclin B1, phospho-CDK1, p21Waf1/Cip1,
      and INCA1, and downregulation of cyclin D1. Moreover, depletion of CREB3L4
      resulted in significantly decreased expression of a subset of androgen-receptor
      (AR) target genes, including PSA, FKBP5, HPGD, KLK2, and KLK4. We also
      demonstrated that CREB3L4 directly interacts with the AR, and increases the
      binding of AR to androgen response elements (AREs). We also identified a role for
      the unfolded protein response (and its surrogate, IRE1alpha), in activating
      CREB3L4. Cumulatively, we postulate that CREB3L4 expression is mediated by an AR
      IRE1alpha axis, but is also directly regulated by AR-to-ARE binding. Thus, our
      study demonstrates that CREB3L4 plays a key role in PC cell proliferation, which
      is promoted by both AR and IRE1alpha.

PMID- 28338059
TI  - Non-thermal air plasma promotes the healing of acute skin wounds in rats.
AB  - Non-thermal plasma (NTP) has nonspecific antibacterial effects, and can be
      applied as an effective tool for the treatment of chronic wounds and other skin
      pathologies. In this study we analysed the effect of NTP on the healing of the
      full-thickness acute skin wound model in rats. We utilised a single jet NTP
      system generating atmospheric pressure air plasma, with ion volume density 5 .
      1017 m-3 and gas temperature 30-35  degrees C. The skin wounds were exposed to
      three daily plasma treatments for 1 or 2 minutes and were evaluated 3, 7 and 14
      days after the wounding by histological and gene expression analysis. NTP
      treatment significantly enhanced epithelization and wound contraction on day 7
      when compared to the untreated wounds. Macrophage infiltration into the wound
      area was not affected by the NTP treatment. Gene expression analysis did not
      indicate an increased inflammatory reaction or a disruption of the wound healing
      process; transient enhancement of inflammatory marker upregulation was found
      after NTP treatment on day 7. In summary, NTP treatment had improved the healing
      efficacy of acute skin wounds without noticeable side effects and concomitant
      activation of pro-inflammatory signalling. The obtained results highlight the
      favourability of plasma applications for wound therapy in clinics.

PMID- 28338060
TI  - Strong coupling of diffraction coupled plasmons and optical waveguide modes in
      gold stripe-dielectric nanostructures at telecom wavelengths.
AB  - We propose a hybrid plasmonic device consisting of a planar dielectric waveguide
      covering a gold nanostripe array fabricated on a gold film and investigate its
      guiding properties at telecom wavelengths. The fundamental modes of a hybrid
      device and their dependence on the key geometric parameters are studied. A
      communication length of 250 MUm was achieved for both the TM and TE guided modes
      at telecom wavelengths. Due to the difference between the TM and TE light
      propagation associated with the diffractive plasmon excitation, our waveguides
      provide polarization separation. Our results suggest a practical way of
      fabricating metal-nanostripes-dielectric waveguides that can be used as essential
      elements in optoelectronic circuits.

PMID- 28338062
TI  - Coexistence of superconductivity and charge-density wave in the quasi-one
      dimensional material HfTe3.
AB  - We present the first experimental evidence for metallicity, superconductivity
      (SC) and the co-existence of charge density waves (CDW) in the quasi-one
      dimensional material HfTe3. The existence of such phenomena is a typical
      characteristic of the transition metal chalcogenides however, without the
      application of hydrostatic pressure/chemical doping, it is rare for a material to
      exhibit the co-existence of both states. Materials such as HfTe3 can therefore
      provide us with a unique insight into the relationship between these multiple
      ordered states. By improving on the original synthesis conditions, we have
      successfully synthesised single phase HfTe3 and confirmed the resultant structure
      by performing Rietveld refinement. Using low temperature resistivity
      measurements, we provide the first experimental evidence of SC at ~1.4 K as well
      as a resistive anomaly indicative of a CDW formation at ~82 K. By the application
      of hydrostatic-pressure, the resistivity anomaly shifts to higher temperature.
      The results show that HfTe3 is a promising new material to help study the
      relationship between SC and CDW.

PMID- 28338061
TI  - Heteroleptic Copper(I) Complexes of "Scorpionate" Bis-pyrazolyl Carboxylate
      Ligand with Auxiliary Phosphine as Potential Anticancer Agents: An Insight into
      Cytotoxic Mode.
AB  - New copper(I) complexes [CuCl(PPh3)(L)] (1: L = LA = 4-carboxyphenyl)bis(3,5
      dimethylpyrazolyl)methane; (2: L = LB = 3-carboxyphenyl)bis(3,5
      dimethylpyrazolyl)methane) were prepared and characterised by elemental analysis
      and various spectroscopic techniques such as FT-IR, NMR, UV-Vis, and ESI-MS. The
      molecular structures of complexes 1 and 2 were analyzed by theoretical B3LYP/DFT
      method. Furthermore, in vitro DNA binding studies were carried out to check the
      ability of complexes 1 and 2 to interact with native calf thymus DNA (CT-DNA)
      using absorption titration, fluorescence quenching and circular dichroism, which
      is indicative of more avid binding of the complex 1. Moreover, DNA mobility assay
      was also conducted to study the concentration-dependent cleavage pattern of
      pBR322 DNA by complex 1, and the role of ROS species to have a mechanistic
      insight on the cleavage pattern, which ascertained substantial roles by both
      hydrolytic and oxidative pathways. Additionally, we analyzed the potential of the
      interaction of complex 1 with DNA and enzyme (Topo I and II) with the aid of
      molecular modeling. Furthermore, cytotoxic activity of complex 1 was tested
      against HepG2 cancer cell lines. Thus, the potential of the complex 1 is
      promising though further in vivo investigations may be required before subjecting
      it to clinical trials.

PMID- 28338063
TI  - Greater postprandial glucose excursions and inadequate nutrient intake in youth
      with type 1 diabetes and celiac disease.
AB  - The gluten free diet (GFD) has a high glycemic index and low-fiber content, which
      potentially influences glycemic excursions in type 1 diabetes (T1D) and celiac
      disease (CD). Participants in this case-control study of youth with T1D+CD (n =
      10) and T1D only (n = 7) wore blinded continuous glucose monitoring systems for
      six days. Blood glucose levels (BGLs) were compared between groups for each meal,
      including pre-meal, peak, 2-hour postprandial and time-to-peak. Participants
      consumed a test-breakfast of GF cereal and milk for three days and kept weighed
      food diaries; nutrient intake was analyzed and compared to national
      recommendations. Youth with T1D+CD had shorter time-to-peak BGL (77 vs 89 mins, P
      = 0.03), higher peak (9.3 vs 7.3 mmol/L, P = 0.001) and higher postprandial BGLs
      than T1D (8.4 vs 7.0 mmol/L, P = 0.01), despite similar pre-meal BGLs (9.2 vs 8.6
      mmol/L, P = 0.28). Regarding test breakfast, greater pre and post-meal BGL
      difference correlated with longer CD duration (R = 0.53, P = 0.01). Total energy
      and macronutrient intake didn't differ between groups; however the majority of
      participants collectively had inadequate intake of calcium (76%), folate (71%)
      and fiber (53%), with excessive saturated fat (12%) and sodium (>2,000 mg/day).
      The GFD is associated with greater glycemic excursions and inadequate nutritional
      intake in youth with T1D+CD. Clinical management should address both glycemic
      variability and dietary quality.

PMID- 28338065
TI  - Prospects for combining targeted and conventional cancer therapy with
      immunotherapy.
AB  - Over the past 25 years, research in cancer therapeutics has largely focused on
      two distinct lines of enquiry. In one approach, efforts to understand the
      underlying cell-autonomous, genetic drivers of tumorigenesis have led to the
      development of clinically important targeted agents that result in profound, but
      often not durable, tumour responses in genetically defined patient populations.
      In the second parallel approach, exploration of the mechanisms of protective
      tumour immunity has provided several therapeutic strategies - most notably the
      'immune checkpoint' antibodies that reverse the negative regulators of T cell
      function - that accomplish durable clinical responses in subsets of patients with
      various tumour types. The integration of these potentially complementary research
      fields provides new opportunities to improve cancer treatments. Targeted and
      immune-based therapies have already transformed the standard-of-care for several
      malignancies. However, additional insights into the effects of targeted
      therapies, along with conventional chemotherapy and radiation therapy, on the
      induction of antitumour immunity will help to advance the design of combination
      strategies that increase the rate of complete and durable clinical response in
      patients.

PMID- 28338064
TI  - Acceleration of bone regeneration by activating Wnt/beta-catenin signalling
      pathway via lithium released from lithium chloride/calcium phosphate cement in
      osteoporosis.
AB  - By virtue of its excellent bioactivity and osteoconductivity, calcium phosphate
      cement (CPC) has been applied extensively in bone engineering. Doping a trace
      element into CPC can change physical characteristics and enhance osteogenesis.
      The trace element lithium has been demonstrated to stimulate the proliferation
      and differentiation of osteoblasts. We investigated the fracture-healing effect
      of osteoporotic defects with lithium-doped calcium phosphate cement (Li/CPC) and
      the underlying mechanism. Li/CPC bodies immersed in simulated body fluid
      converted gradually to hydroxyapatite. Li/CPC extracts stimulated the
      proliferation and differentiation of osteoblasts upon release of lithium ions
      (Li+) at 25.35 +/- 0.12 to 50.74 +/- 0.13 mg/l through activation of the Wnt/beta
      catenin pathway in vitro. We also examined the effect of locally administered Li+
      on defects in rat tibia between CPC and Li/CPC in vivo. Micro-computed tomography
      and histological staining showed that Li/CPC had better osteogenesis by
      increasing bone mass and promoting repair in defects compared with CPC (P <
      0.05). Li/CPC also showed better osteoconductivity and osseointegration. These
      findings suggest that local release of Li+ from Li/CPC may accelerate bone
      regeneration from injury through activation of the Wnt/beta-catenin pathway in
      osteoporosis.

PMID- 28338066
TI  - Chemical Composition, Antioxidant, DNA Damage Protective, Cytotoxic and
      Antibacterial Activities of Cyperus rotundus Rhizomes Essential Oil against
      Foodborne Pathogens.
AB  - Cyperus rotundus L. (Cyperaceae) is a medicinal herb traditionally used to treat
      various clinical conditions at home. In this study, chemical composition of
      Cyperus rotundus rhizomes essential oil, and in vitro antioxidant, DNA damage
      protective and cytotoxic activities as well as antibacterial activity against
      foodborne pathogens were investigated. Results showed that alpha-cyperone
      (38.46%), cyperene (12.84%) and alpha-selinene (11.66%) were the major components
      of the essential oil. The essential oil had an excellent antioxidant activity,
      the protective effect against DNA damage, and cytotoxic effects on the human
      neuroblastoma SH-SY5Y cell, as well as antibacterial activity against several
      foodborne pathogens. These biological activities were dose-dependent, increasing
      with higher dosage in a certain concentration range. The antibacterial effects of
      essential oil were greater against Gram-positive bacteria as compared to Gram
      negative bacteria, and the antibacterial effects were significantly influenced by
      incubation time and concentration. These results may provide biological evidence
      for the practical application of the C. rotundus rhizomes essential oil in food
      and pharmaceutical industries.

PMID- 28338067
TI  - Ultrathin nickel hydroxide nanosheet arrays grafted biomass-derived honeycomb
      like porous carbon with improved electrochemical performance as a supercapacitive
      material.
AB  - Three-dimensional hierarchical honeycomb-like activated porous carbon pillared
      ultrathin Ni(OH)2 nanosheets (Ni(OH)2 NSs@HAPC) for use as supercapacitor
      materials were facilely synthesized. With an aid of pine cone flowers as a
      biomass source, HAPC conducting scaffolds were prepared by the alkali treatment
      and pyrolysis methods under an inert gas atmosphere. Subsequently, the Ni(OH)2
      NSs were synthesized evenly on the surface of HAPC via a solvothermal method. The
      resulting HAPC and Ni(OH)2 NSs@HAPC composite materials offered free pathways for
      effective diffusion of electrolyte ions and fast transportation of electrons when
      employed as an electrode material. The Ni(OH)2 NSs@HAPC composite electrode
      exhibited excellent electrochemical properties including a relatively high
      specific capacitance (Csp) value of ~ 916.4 F/g at 1 A/g with good cycling
      stability compared to the pristine HAPC and Ni(OH)2 NSs electrodes. Such bio
      friendly derived carbon-based materials with transition metal hydroxide/oxide
      composite materials could be a promising approach for high-performance energy
      storage devices because of their advantageous properties of cost effectiveness
      and easy availability.

PMID- 28338069
TI  - RRAM-based parallel computing architecture using k-nearest neighbor
      classification for pattern recognition.
AB  - Resistive switching memory (RRAM) is considered as one of the most promising
      devices for parallel computing solutions that may overcome the von Neumann
      bottleneck of today's electronic systems. However, the existing RRAM-based
      parallel computing architectures suffer from practical problems such as device
      variations and extra computing circuits. In this work, we propose a novel
      parallel computing architecture for pattern recognition by implementing k-nearest
      neighbor classification on metal-oxide RRAM crossbar arrays. Metal-oxide RRAM
      with gradual RESET behaviors is chosen as both the storage and computing
      components. The proposed architecture is tested by the MNIST database. High speed
      (~100 ns per example) and high recognition accuracy (97.05%) are obtained. The
      influence of several non-ideal device properties is also discussed, and it turns
      out that the proposed architecture shows great tolerance to device variations.
      This work paves a new way to achieve RRAM-based parallel computing hardware
      systems with high performance.

PMID- 28338068
TI  - A Portable Immunosensor with Differential Pressure Gauges Readout for Alpha
      Fetoprotein Detection.
AB  - A portable, affordable and simple detector is requested in a "Point-of-Care
      Testing" (POCT) system. In this study, we exploited the potentialities of
      Differential Pressure Gauge (DPG) to the orientation of POCT technology. Alpha
      fetoprotein (AFP) was chosen as a model analyte that could specifically
      recognized by its antigen, and a tiny outfits equipped with a DPG was employed as
      the signal readout. Pt/SiO2 nanospheres were synthesized and modified with the
      detection antibody. In the presence of target, a sandwich of immunocomplex
      specifically formed and the Pt/SiO2 had been modified on the capture antibody.
      Which then can be dissolved to release plenty of Pt and the suspensions were
      transferred into a closed vial filled with appropriated amount of hydrogen
      peroxide. Subsequently, hydrogen peroxide was decomposed to produce oxygen,
      resulting in the enhancement of pressure in the closed vial and which can be
      detected by DPG easily. Under the optimized conditions, the read out signal from
      DPG had a direct relationship with AFP concentrations in the range of 10~200
      ng/mL, and the detection limit was as low as 3.4 ng/mL. The proposed portable
      sensor had been successfully applied to detect AFP in serum samples with
      satisfactory results. This strategy holds a great promising in biological
      analysis as its convenient operations, reliable results and flexible apparatus.

PMID- 28338070
TI  - The co-evolution of networks and prisoner's dilemma game by considering
      sensitivity and visibility.
AB  - Strategies adopted by individuals in a social network significantly impact the
      network, and they strongly affect relationships between individuals in the
      network. Links between individuals also heavily influence their levels of
      cooperation. Taking into account the evolution of each individual's connection,
      we explore how sensitivity and visibility affect the prisoner's dilemma game. The
      so-called 'sensitivity' and 'visibility' respectively present one's self
      protection consciousness and the ability of gaining information. We find that at
      moderate levels of player sensitivity cooperative behavior increases, but that at
      high levels it is inhibited. We also find that the heterogeneity of the weight of
      individuals at the end of the game is higher when sensitivity and visibility are
      increased, but that the successful-defection-payoff has less impact on the weight
      of individuals and on the relationship between the heterogeneity of the weight of
      individuals and the density of cooperators. This framework can be used to clarify
      the interaction mechanism between the micro-level of individual behavior and the
      macro-level of individual co-evolutionary processes.

PMID- 28338071
TI  - Phase-Transition Nanodroplets for Real-Time Photoacoustic/Ultrasound Dual
      Modality Imaging and Photothermal Therapy of Sentinel Lymph Node in Breast
      Cancer.
AB  - Pathological status of lymph nodes (LNs) plays a critical role in staging and
      treatment for the patients with breast cancer. Sentinel lymph node biopsy has
      become the standard method in determining pathological status of axillary LNs.
      Therefore, the determination of sentinel lymph nodes (SLNs) and therapy of
      metastatic LNs are highly desirable in clinic. Herein, an unprecedented carbon
      nanoparticles (CNs)-incorporated liquid-gas phase-transition nanodroplets (CNPs)
      with strong near-infrared (NIR) absorption, good biocompatibility, excellent
      photoacoustic (PA) and ultrasound (US) contrast, and high photothermal-conversion
      efficiency are reported in this study. Upon laser irradiation, liquid-gas phase
      transition of the CNPs has been demonstrated to provide excellent contrasts for
      PA/US dual-modality imaging both in vitro and in vivo. Additionally, the CNPs are
      capable of staining lymph nodes, which can contribute significantly to the
      identification of LNs with naked eyes. With increased laser energy, the CNPs
      exhibit the high performance in killing the breast cancer cells both in vitro and
      in vivo, due to the photothermal effect induced from the CNs within CNPs. These
      results suggest that the developed multifunctional phase-transition nanodroplets
      have high potential to act as the theranostic agents in both SLNs detection and
      therapy of metastatic LNs.

PMID- 28338072
TI  - A post-weaning obesogenic diet exacerbates the detrimental effects of maternal
      obesity on offspring insulin signaling in adipose tissue.
AB  - Previous studies have shown that maternal diet-induced obesity leads to increased
      risk of type 2 diabetes in offspring. The current study investigated if weaning
      onto an obesogenic diet exaggerated the detrimental effects of maternal diet
      induced obesity in adipose tissue. Maternal obesity and offspring obesity led to
      reduced expression of key insulin signalling proteins, including insulin receptor
      substrate-1 (IRS-1). The effects of maternal obesity and offspring obesity were,
      generally, independent and additive. Irs1 mRNA levels were similar between all
      four groups of offspring, suggesting that in both cases post-transcriptional
      regulation was involved. Maternal diet-induced obesity increased miR-126
      expression however levels of this miR were not influenced by a post-weaning
      obesogenic diet. In contrast, a post-weaning obesogenic diet was associated with
      increased levels of suppressor of cytokine signaling-1, implicating increased
      degradation of IRS-1 as an underlying mechanism. Our results suggest that whilst
      programmed reductions in IRS-1 are associated with increased levels of miR-126
      and consequently reduced translation of Irs1 mRNA, the effects of a post-weaning
      obesogenic diet on IRS-1 are mediated by miR-126 independent mechanisms,
      including increased IRS-1 protein degradation. These divergent mechanisms explain
      why the combination of maternal obesity and offspring obesity leads to the most
      pronounced effects on offspring metabolism.

PMID- 28338075
TI  - Alzheimer disease: Localized proteomics distinguishes AD subtypes.

PMID- 28338074
TI  - Self-Phase-Matched Second-Harmonic and White-Light Generation in a Biaxial Zinc
      Tungstate Single Crystal.
AB  - Second-order nonlinear optical materials are used to generate new frequencies by
      exploiting second-harmonic generation (SHG), a phenomenon where a nonlinear
      material generates light at double the optical frequency of the input beam.
      Maximum SHG is achieved when the pump and the generated waves are in phase, for
      example through birefringence in uniaxial crystals. However, applying these
      materials usually requires a complicated cutting procedure to yield a crystal
      with a particular orientation. Here we demonstrate the first example of phase
      matching under the normal incidence of SHG in a biaxial monoclinic single crystal
      of zinc tungstate. The crystal was grown by the micro-pulling-down method with
      the (102) plane perpendicular to the growth direction. Additionally, at the same
      time white light was generated as a result of stimulated Raman scattering and
      multiphoton luminescence induced by higher-order effects such as three-photon
      luminescence enhanced by cascaded third-harmonic generation. The annealed crystal
      offers SHG intensities approximately four times larger than the as grown one;
      optimized growth and annealing conditions may lead to much higher SHG
      intensities.

PMID- 28338073
TI  - Veratridine produces distinct calcium response profiles in mouse Dorsal Root
      Ganglia neurons.
AB  - Nociceptors are a subpopulation of dorsal root ganglia (DRG) neurons that detect
      noxious stimuli and signal pain. Veratridine (VTD) is a voltage-gated sodium
      channel (VGSC) modifier that is used as an "agonist" in functional screens for
      VGSC blockers. However, there is very little information on VTD response profiles
      in DRG neurons and how they relate to neuronal subtypes. Here we characterised
      VTD-induced calcium responses in cultured mouse DRG neurons. Our data shows that
      the heterogeneity of VTD responses reflects distinct subpopulations of sensory
      neurons. About 70% of DRG neurons respond to 30-100 MUM VTD. We classified VTD
      responses into four profiles based upon their response shape. VTD response
      profiles differed in their frequency of occurrence and correlated with neuronal
      size. Furthermore, VTD response profiles correlated with responses to the algesic
      markers capsaicin, AITC and alpha, beta-methylene ATP. Since VTD response
      profiles integrate the action of several classes of ion channels and exchangers,
      they could act as functional "reporters" for the constellation of ion
      channels/exchangers expressed in each sensory neuron. Therefore our findings are
      relevant to studies and screens using VTD to activate DRG neurons.

PMID- 28338076
TI  - Movement disorders: Comparison of cognitive impairment in Parkinson disease and
      essential tremor.

PMID- 28338077
TI  - Characterization of the Soluble NSF Attachment Protein gene family identifies two
      members involved in additive resistance to a plant pathogen.
AB  - Proteins with Tetratricopeptide-repeat (TPR) domains are encoded by large gene
      families and distributed in all plant lineages. In this study, the Soluble NSF
      Attachment Protein (SNAP) subfamily of TPR containing proteins is characterized.
      In soybean, five members constitute the SNAP gene family: GmSNAP18, GmSNAP11,
      GmSNAP14, GmSNAP02, and GmSNAP09. Recently, GmSNAP18 has been reported to mediate
      resistance to soybean cyst nematode (SCN). Using a population of recombinant
      inbred lines from resistant and susceptible parents, the divergence of the SNAP
      gene family is analysed over time. Phylogenetic analysis of SNAP genes from 22
      diverse plant species showed that SNAPs were distributed in six monophyletic
      clades corresponding to the major plant lineages. Conservation of the four TPR
      motifs in all species, including ancestral lineages, supports the hypothesis that
      SNAPs were duplicated and derived from a common ancestor and unique gene still
      present in chlorophytic algae. Syntenic analysis of regions harbouring GmSNAP
      genes in soybean reveals that this family expanded from segmental and tandem
      duplications following a tetraploidization event. qRT-PCR analysis of GmSNAPs
      indicates a co-regulation following SCN infection. Finally, genetic analysis
      demonstrates that GmSNAP11 contributes to an additive resistance to SCN. Thus,
      GmSNAP11 is identified as a novel minor gene conferring resistance to SCN.

PMID- 28338078
TI  - The Transmembrane Serine Protease HAT-like 4 Is Important for Epidermal Barrier
      Function to Prevent Body Fluid Loss.
AB  - Membrane-bound proteases are essential for epidermal integrity. Human airway
      trypsin-like protease 4 (HAT-L4) is a type II transmembrane serine protease.
      Currently, its biochemical property, cellular distribution and physiological
      function remain unknown. Here we examined HAT-L4 expression and function in vitro
      and in vivo. In Western analysis, HAT-L4 expressed in transfected CHO cells
      appeared as a 48-kDa protein. Flow cytometry confirmed HAT-L4 expression on the
      cell surface with the expected membrane topology. RT-PCR and immunostaining
      experiments indicated that HAT-L4 was expressed in epithelial cells and exocrine
      glands in tissues including skin, esophagus, trachea, tongue, eye, bladder,
      testis and uterus. In the skin, HAT-L4 expression was abundant in keratinocytes
      and sebaceous glands. We generated HAT-L4 knockout mice by disrupting the
      Tmprss11f gene encoding HAT-L4. HAT-L4 knockout mice were viable and fertile. No
      defects were found in HAT-L4 knockout mice in hair growth, wound healing, water
      repulsion and body temperature regulation. Compared with wild-type controls, HAT
      L4-deficient newborn mice had greater body fluid loss and higher mortality in a
      trans-epidermal body fluid loss test. In metabolic studies, HAT-L4-deficient
      adult mice drank water more frequently than wild-type controls did. These results
      indicate that HAT-L4 is important in epidermal barrier function to prevent body
      fluid loss.

PMID- 28338080
TI  - Bivariate genomic analysis identifies a hidden locus associated with bacteria
      hypersensitive response in Arabidopsis thaliana.
AB  - Multi-phenotype analysis has drawn increasing attention to high-throughput
      genomic studies, whereas only a few applications have justified the use of
      multivariate techniques. We applied a recently developed multi-trait analysis
      method on a small set of bacteria hypersensitive response phenotypes and
      identified a single novel locus missed by conventional single-trait genome-wide
      association studies. The detected locus harbors a minor allele that elevates the
      risk of leaf collapse response to the injection of avrRpm1-modified Pseudomonas
      syringae (P = 1.66e-08). Candidate gene AT3G32930 with in the detected region and
      its co-expressed genes showed significantly reduced expression after P. syringae
      interference. Our results again emphasize that multi-trait analysis should not be
      neglected in association studies, as the power of specific multi-trait genotype
      phenotype maps might only be tractable when jointly considering multiple
      phenotypes.

PMID- 28338079
TI  - Dissecting miRNA gene repression on single cell level with an advanced
      fluorescent reporter system.
AB  - Despite major advances on miRNA profiling and target predictions, functional
      readouts for endogenous miRNAs are limited and frequently lead to contradicting
      conclusions. Numerous approaches including functional high-throughput and miRISC
      complex evaluations suggest that the functional miRNAome differs from the
      predictions based on quantitative sRNA profiling. To resolve the apparent
      contradiction of expression versus function, we generated and applied a
      fluorescence reporter gene assay enabling single cell analysis. This approach
      integrates and adapts a mathematical model for miRNA-driven gene repression. This
      model predicts three distinct miRNA-groups with unique repression activities
      (low, mid and high) governed not just by expression levels but also by
      miRNA/target-binding capability. Here, we demonstrate the feasibility of the
      system by applying controlled concentrations of synthetic siRNAs and in parallel,
      altering target-binding capability on corresponding reporter-constructs.
      Furthermore, we compared miRNA-profiles with the modeled predictions of 29
      individual candidates. We demonstrate that expression levels only partially
      reflect the miRNA function, fitting to the model-projected groups of different
      activities. Furthermore, we demonstrate that subcellular localization of miRNAs
      impacts functionality. Our results imply that miRNA profiling alone cannot define
      their repression activity. The gene regulatory function is a dynamic and complex
      process beyond a minimalistic conception of "highly expressed equals high
      repression".

PMID- 28338082
TI  - A clinical trial for patients with acute myeloid leukemia or myelodysplastic
      syndromes not eligible for standard clinical trials.
AB  - This corrects the article DOI: 10.1038/leu.2016.303.

PMID- 28338081
TI  - A distinct bacterial dysbiosis associated skin inflammation in ovine footrot.
AB  - Ovine footrot is a highly prevalent bacterial disease caused by Dichelobacter
      nodosus and characterised by the separation of the hoof horn from the underlying
      skin. The role of innate immune molecules and other bacterial communities in the
      development of footrot lesions remains unclear. This study shows a significant
      association between the high expression of IL1beta and high D. nodosus load in
      footrot samples. Investigation of the microbial population identified distinct
      bacterial populations in the different disease stages and also depending on the
      level of inflammation. Treponema (34%), Mycoplasma (29%) and Porphyromonas (15%)
      were the most abundant genera associated with high levels of inflammation in
      footrot. In contrast, Acinetobacter (25%), Corynebacteria (17%) and
      Flavobacterium (17%) were the most abundant genera associated with high levels of
      inflammation in healthy feet. This demonstrates for the first time there is a
      distinct microbial community associated with footrot and high cytokine
      expression.

PMID- 28338084
TI  - Late Neurosyphilis and Tertiary Syphilis in Guangdong Province, China: Results
      from a Cross-sectional Study.
AB  - Due to challenges in diagnosis and the need for complex laboratory tests,
      misdiagnosis of neurosyphilis and tertiary syphilis is common in China. We
      validated the diagnosis and examined the treatment of late neurosyphilis and
      tertiary syphilis in Guangdong Province, China. A cross-sectional study was
      conducted to collect data from late neurosyphilis and tertiary syphilis cases
      reported between 2009 and 2014 in Guangdong, China. Descriptive analysis,
      bivariate analyses and multiple logistic regressions were performed to determine
      the structural factors associated with correct diagnosis and standard treatment
      of late neurosyphilis and tertiary syphilis. Among the 3805 respondents
      (3805/3936, 96.7%), 1,837 (48.3%) met the misdiagnosed criteria. The misdiagnosis
      rate decreased over the study period (54.2% in 2009 and 41.8% in 2014). Only
      27.1% and 24.9% of the correctly diagnosed late neurosyphilis and tertiary
      syphilis cases received standard treatment, respectively. Multiple logistic
      regression revealed that departments of dermatology or STDs [aOR = 3.24, 95% CI:
      2.66-3.95], county or township level hospitals [aOR = 2.89, 95% CI: 2.14-3.89],
      and hospitals situated outside of Pearl River Delta area [aOR = 1.70, 95% CI:
      1.46-1.97] had higher likelihood in misdiagnosis of neurosyphilis, compared to
      the reference groups. Targeted trainings for physicians and expanded syphilis
      screening services are urgently needed.

PMID- 28338085
TI  - Morphometric analysis of sinus depth in the posterior maxilla and proposal of a
      novel classification.
AB  - The aim of this study was to analyse the posterior maxillary sinus based on its
      extension into the alveolar process and to provide a simple clinical
      classification. A retrospective cohort study was conducted in CT scans of 200
      dentate and 200 edentulous patients (100 women and 100 men, respectively). After
      manual placement of 12 reference points morphometric analysis was performed and
      sinus depth, residual alveolar ridge height (RH) and the sinus opening angle were
      calculated. Sinuses were classified according to the quartiles of sinus depth:
      class I (above the hard palate), class II (0-6 mm below the hard palate) and
      class III (>6 mm below the hard palate). Sinus depth was found to be a reliable
      anatomical landmark and did not vary significantly between gender (p = 0.8940) or
      dentition groups (p = 0.9723). Alveolar height varied significantly between sinus
      classes (p < 2 * 10-16) and dentition groups (p < 2 * 10-16) but not between
      genders (p = 0.5178). The sinus opening angle was significantly different between
      sinus classes (p < 2.2 * 10-16) but not between gender or dentition groups. We
      propose a novel classification built upon the quartiles of sinus depth, dividing
      the sinuses into three classes. Our classification is the first one that
      represents the anatomy of the patient independent of gender and dentition.

PMID- 28338083
TI  - Microvasculature on a chip: study of the Endothelial Surface Layer and the flow
      structure of Red Blood Cells.
AB  - Microvasculatures-on-a-chip, i.e. in vitro models that mimic important features
      of microvessel networks, have gained increasing interest in recent years. Such
      devices have allowed investigating pathophysiological situations involving
      abnormal biophysical interactions between blood cells and vessel walls. Still, a
      central question remains regarding the presence, in such biomimetic systems, of
      the endothelial glycocalyx. The latter is a glycosaminoglycans-rich surface layer
      exposed to blood flow, which plays a crucial role in regulating the interactions
      between circulating cells and the endothelium. Here, we use confocal microscopy
      to characterize the layer expressed by endothelial cells cultured in microfluidic
      channels. We show that, under our culture conditions, endothelial cells form a
      confluent layer on all the walls of the circuit and display a glycocalyx that
      fully lines the lumen of the microchannels. Moreover, the thickness of this
      surface layer is found to be on the order of 600 nm, which compares well with
      measurements performed ex or in vivo on microcapillaries. Furthermore, we
      investigate how the presence of endothelial cells in the microchannels affects
      their hydrodynamic resistance and the near-wall motion of red blood cells. Our
      study thus provides an important insight into the physiological relevance of in
      vitro microvasculatures.

PMID- 28338086
TI  - Halo-free Phase Contrast Microscopy.
AB  - We present a new approach for retrieving halo-free phase contrast microscopy
      (hfPC) images by upgrading the conventional PC microscope with an external
      interferometric module, which generates sufficient data for reversing the halo
      artifact. Acquiring four independent intensity images, our approach first
      measures haloed phase maps of the sample. We solve for the halo-free sample
      transmission function by using a physical model of the image formation under
      partial spatial coherence. Using this halo-free sample transmission, we can
      numerically generate artifact-free PC images. Furthermore, this transmission can
      be further used to obtain quantitative information about the sample, e.g., the
      thickness with known refractive indices, dry mass of live cells during their
      cycles. We tested our hfPC method on various control samples, e.g., beads,
      pillars and validated its potential for biological investigation by imaging live
      HeLa cells, red blood cells, and neurons.

PMID- 28338088
TI  - Functional solid additive modified PEDOT:PSS as an anode buffer layer for
      enhanced photovoltaic performance and stability in polymer solar cells.
AB  - Poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene):poly(styrene sulfonate) (PEDOT:PSS) is most
      commonly used as an anode buffer layer in bulk-heterojunction (BHJ) polymer solar
      cells (PSCs). However, its hygroscopic and acidic nature contributes to the
      insufficient electrical conductivity, air stability and restricted photovoltaic
      (PV) performance for the fabricated PSCs. In this study, a new multifunctional
      additive, 2,3-dihydroxypyridine (DOH), has been used in the PEDOT: PSS buffer
      layer to obtain modified properties for PEDOT: PSS@DOH and achieve high PV
      performances. The electrical conductivity of PEDOT:PSS@DOH films was markedly
      improved compared with that of PEDOT:PSS. The PEDOT:PSS@DOH film exhibited
      excellent optical characteristics, appropriate work function alignment, and good
      surface properties in BHJ-PSCs. When a poly(3-hexylthiohpene):[6,6]-phenyl C61
      butyric acid methyl ester blend system was applied as the photoactive layer, the
      power conversion efficiency of the resulting PSCs with PEDOT:PSS@DOH(1.0%)
      reached 3.49%, outperforming pristine PEDOT:PSS, exhibiting a power conversion
      enhancement of 20%. The device fabricated using PEDOT:PSS@DOH (1.0 wt%) also
      exhibited improved thermal and air stability. Our results also confirm that DOH,
      a basic pyridine derivative, facilitates adequate hydrogen bonding interactions
      with the sulfonic acid groups of PSS, induces the conformational transformation
      of PEDOT chains and contributes to the phase separation between PEDOT and PSS
      chains.

PMID- 28338087
TI  - Gsalpha Controls Cortical Bone Quality by Regulating Osteoclast Differentiation
      via cAMP/PKA and beta-Catenin Pathways.
AB  - Skeletal bone formation and maintenance requires coordinate functions of several
      cell types, including bone forming osteoblasts and bone resorbing osteoclasts.
      Gsalpha, the stimulatory subunit of heterotrimeric G proteins, activates
      downstream signaling through cAMP and plays important roles in skeletal
      development by regulating osteoblast differentiation. Here, we demonstrate that
      Gsalpha signaling also regulates osteoclast differentiation during bone modeling
      and remodeling. Gnas, the gene encoding Gsalpha, is imprinted. Mice with paternal
      allele deletion of Gnas (Gnas+/p-) have defects in cortical bone quality and
      strength during early development (bone modeling) that persist during adult bone
      remodeling. Reduced bone quality in Gnas+/p- mice was associated with increased
      endosteal osteoclast numbers, with no significant effects on osteoblast number
      and function. Osteoclast differentiation and resorption activity was enhanced in
      Gnas+/p- cells. During differentiation, Gnas+/p- cells showed diminished pCREB,
      beta-catenin and cyclin D1, and enhanced Nfatc1 levels, conditions favoring
      osteoclastogenesis. Forskolin treatment increased pCREB and rescued osteoclast
      differentiation in Gnas+/p- by reducing Nfatc1 levels. Cortical bone of Gnas+/p-
      mice showed elevated expression of Wnt inhibitors sclerostin and Sfrp4 consistent
      with reduced Wnt/beta-catenin signaling. Our data identify a new role for Gsalpha
      signaling in maintaining bone quality by regulating osteoclast differentiation
      and function through cAMP/PKA and Wnt/beta-catenin pathways.

PMID- 28338089
TI  - Neurotoxicity Comparison of Two Types of Local Anaesthetics: Amide-Bupivacaine
      versus Ester-Procaine.
AB  - Local anaesthetics (LAs) may lead to neurological complications, but the
      underlying mechanism is still unclear. Many neurotoxicity research studies have
      examined different LAs, but none have comprehensively explored the distinct
      mechanisms of neurotoxicity caused by amide- (bupivacaine) and ester- (procaine)
      type LAs. Here, based on a CCK8 assay, LDH assay, Rhod-2-AM and JC-1 staining,
      2',7'-dichlorohy-drofluorescein diacetate and dihydroethidium probes, an alkaline
      comet assay, and apoptosis assay, we show that both bupivacaine and procaine
      significantly induce mitochondrial calcium overload and a decline in the
      mitochondrial membrane potential as well as overproduction of ROS, DNA damage and
      apoptosis (P < 0.05). There were no significant differences in mitochondrial
      injury and apoptosis between the bupivacaine and procaine subgroups (P > 0.05).
      However, to our surprise, the superoxide anionic level after treatment with
      bupivacaine, which leads to more severe DNA damage, was higher than the level
      after treatment with procaine, while procaine produced more peroxidation than
      bupivacaine. Some of these results were also affirmed in dorsal root ganglia
      neurons of C57 mice. The differences in the superoxidation and peroxidation
      induced by these agents suggest that different types of LAs may cause
      neurotoxicity via different pathways. We can target more accurate treatment based
      on their different mechanisms of neurotoxicity.

PMID- 28338090
TI  - Septin 9_i2 is downregulated in tumors, impairs cancer cell migration and alters
      subnuclear actin filaments.
AB  - Functions of septin cytoskeletal polymers in tumorigenesis are still poorly
      defined. Their role in the regulation of cytokinesis and cell migration were
      proposed to contribute to cancer associated aneuploidy and metastasis.
      Overexpression of Septin 9 (Sept9) promotes migration of cancer cell lines. SEPT9
      mRNA and protein expression is increased in breast tumors compared to normal and
      peritumoral tissues and amplification of SEPT9 gene was positively correlated
      with breast tumor progression. However, the existence of multiple isoforms of
      Sept9 is a confounding factor in the analysis of Sept9 functions. In the present
      study, we analyze the protein expression of Sept9_i2, an uncharacterized isoform,
      in breast cancer cell lines and tumors and describe its specific impact on cancer
      cell migration and Sept9 cytoskeletal distribution. Collectively, our results
      showed that, contrary to Sept9_i1, Sept9_i2 did not support cancer cell
      migration, and induced a loss of subnuclear actin filaments. These effects were
      dependent on Sept9_i2 specific N-terminal sequence. Sept9_i2 was strongly down
      regulated in breast tumors compared to normal mammary tissues. Thus our data
      indicate that Sept9_i2 is a negative regulator of breast tumorigenesis. We
      propose that Sept9 tumorigenic properties depend on the balance between Sept9_i1
      and Sept9_i2 expression levels.

PMID- 28338092
TI  - High-rate squeezing process of bulk metallic glasses.
AB  - High-rate squeezing process of bulk metallic glasses from a cylinder into an
      intact sheet achieved by impact loading is investigated. Such a large deformation
      is caused by plastic flow, accompanied with geometrical confinement, shear
      banding/slipping, thermo softening, melting and joining. Temperature rise during
      the high-rate squeezing process makes a main effect. The inherent mechanisms are
      illustrated. Like high-pressure torsion (HPT), equal channel angular pressing
      (ECAP) and surface mechanical attrition treatments (SMAT) for refining grain of
      metals, High-Rate Squeezing (HRS), as a multiple-functions technique, not only
      creates a new road of processing metallic glasses and other metallic alloys for
      developing advanced materials, but also directs a novel technology of processing,
      grain refining, coating, welding and so on for treating materials.

PMID- 28338093
TI  - 210Pb-226Ra disequilibria in young gas-laden magmas.
AB  - We present new 238U-230Th-226Ra-210Pb and supporting data for young lavas from
      southwest Pacific island arcs, Eyjafjallajokull, Iceland, and Terceira, Azores.
      The arc lavas have significant 238U and 226Ra excesses, whereas those from the
      ocean islands have moderate 230Th and 226Ra excesses, reflecting mantle melting
      in the presence of a water-rich fluid in the former and mantle melting by
      decompression in the latter. Differentiation to erupted compositions in both
      settings appears to have taken no longer than a few millennia. Variations in the
      (210Pb/226Ra)0 values in all settings largely result from degassing processes
      rather than mineral-melt partitioning. Like most other ocean island basalts, the
      Terceira basalt has a 210Pb deficit, which we attribute to ~8.5 years of steady
      222Rn loss to a CO2-rich volatile phase while it traversed the crust. Lavas
      erupted from water-laden magma systems, including those investigated here,
      commonly have near equilibrium (210Pb/226Ra)0 values. Maintaining these
      equilibrium values requires minimal persistent loss or accumulation of 222Rn in a
      gas phase. We infer that degassing during decompression of water-saturated magmas
      either causes these magmas to crystallize and stall in reservoirs where they
      reside under conditions of near stasis, or to quickly rise towards the surface
      and erupt.

PMID- 28338091
TI  - Intermediate filament reorganization dynamically influences cancer cell alignment
      and migration.
AB  - The interactions between a cancer cell and its extracellular matrix (ECM) have
      been the focus of an increasing amount of investigation. The role of the
      intermediate filament keratin in cancer has also been coming into focus of late,
      but more research is needed to understand how this piece fits in the puzzle of
      cytoskeleton-mediated invasion and metastasis. In Panc-1 invasive pancreatic
      cancer cells, keratin phosphorylation in conjunction with actin inhibition was
      found to be sufficient to reduce cell area below either treatment alone. We then
      analyzed intersecting keratin and actin fibers in the cytoskeleton of cyclically
      stretched cells and found no directional correlation. The role of keratin
      organization in Panc-1 cellular morphological adaptation and directed migration
      was then analyzed by culturing cells on cyclically stretched polydimethylsiloxane
      (PDMS) substrates, nanoscale grates, and rigid pillars. In general, the
      reorganization of the keratin cytoskeleton allows the cell to become more
      'mobile'- exhibiting faster and more directed migration and orientation in
      response to external stimuli. By combining keratin network perturbation with a
      variety of physical ECM signals, we demonstrate the interconnected nature of the
      architecture inside the cell and the scaffolding outside of it, and highlight the
      key elements facilitating cancer cell-ECM interactions.

PMID- 28338094
TI  - In-situ Raman spectroscopy to elucidate the influence of adsorption in graphene
      electrochemistry.
AB  - Electrochemistry on graphene is of particular interest due to graphene's high
      surface area, high electrical conductivity and low interfacial capacitance.
      Because the graphene Fermi level can be probed by its strong Raman signal,
      information on the graphene doping can be obtained which in turn can provide
      information on adsorbed atoms or molecules. For this paper, the adsorption
      analysis was successfully performed using three electroactive substances with
      different electrode interaction mechanisms: hexaammineruthenium(III) chloride
      (RuHex), ferrocenemethanol (FcMeOH) and potassium ferricyanide/potassium
      ferrocyanide (Fe(CN)6). The adsorption state was probed by analysing the G-peak
      position in the measured in-situ Raman spectrum during electrochemical
      experiments. We conclude that electrochemical Raman spectroscopy on graphene is a
      valuable tool to obtain in-situ information on adsorbed species on graphene,
      isolated from the rest of the electrochemical behaviour.

PMID- 28338095
TI  - The Effect Of microbial Mats In The Decay Of Anurans With Implications For
      Understanding Taphonomic Processes In The Fossil Record.
AB  - The pattern and sequence of the decomposition of the Pipidae African dwarf frog
      (Hymenochirus boettgeri) is tracked in an experiment with microbial mats in order
      to explore soft tissue preservation over three years. Frog decay in microbial
      mats is preceded by rapid entombment (25-30 days) and mediated by the formation
      of a sarcophagus, which is built by a complex microbial community. The frog
      carcasses maintained a variety of soft tissues for years. Labile organic
      structures show greater durability within the mat, cells maintain their general
      shape (bone marrow cells and adipocytes), and muscles and connective tissues
      (adipose and fibrous tendons) exhibit their original organic structures. In
      addition, other soft tissues are promptly mineralized (day 540) in a Ca-rich
      carbonate phase (encephalic tectum) or enriched in sulphur residues
      (integumentary system). The result is coherent with a bias in soft-tissue
      preservation, as some tissues are more likely to be conserved than others. The
      outcomes support observations of exceptionally preserved fossil anurans (adults
      and tadpoles). Decomposition in mats shows singular conditions of pH and
      dissolved oxygen. Mineralization processes could be more diverse than in simple
      heterotrophic biofilms, opening new taphonomic processes that have yet to be
      explored.

PMID- 28338096
TI  - Identification of cardiac hemo-vascular precursors and their requirement of
      sphingosine-1-phosphate receptor 1 for heart development.
AB  - The cardiac endothelium plays a crucial role in the development of a functional
      heart. However, the precise identification of the endocardial precursors and the
      mechanisms they require for their role in heart morphogenesis are not well
      understood. Using in vivo and in vitro cell fate tracing concomitant with
      specific cell ablation and embryonic heart transplantation studies, we identified
      a unique set of precursors which possess hemogenic functions and express the stem
      cell leukemia (SCL) gene driven by its 5' enhancer. These hemo-vascular
      precursors give rise to the endocardium, atrioventricular cushions and coronary
      vascular endothelium. Furthermore, deletion of the sphingosine-1-phosphate
      receptor 1 (S1P1) in these precursors leads to ventricular non-compaction
      cardiomyopathy, a poorly understood condition leading to heart failure and early
      mortality. Thus, we identified a distinctive population of hemo-vascular
      precursors which require S1P1 to exert their functions and are essential for
      cardiac morphogenesis.

PMID- 28338098
TI  - Genome-wide random regression analysis for parent-of-origin effects of body
      composition allometries in mouse.
AB  - Genomic imprinting underlying growth and development traits has been recognized,
      with a focus on the form of absolute or pure growth. However, little is known
      about the effect of genomic imprinting on relative growth. In this study, we
      proposed a random regression model to estimate genome-wide imprinting effects on
      the relative growth of multiple tissues and organs to body weight in mice. Joint
      static allometry scaling equation as sub-model is nested within the genetic
      effects of markers and polygenic effects caused by a pedigree. Both chromosome
      wide and genome-wide statistical tests were conducted to identify imprinted
      quantitative trait nucleotides (QTNs) associated with relative growth of
      individual tissues and organs to body weight. Real data analysis showed that
      three of six analysed tissues and organs are significantly associated with body
      weight in terms of phenotypic relative growth. At the chromosome-wide level, a
      total 122 QTNs were associated with allometries of kidney, spleen and liver
      weights to body weight, 36 of which were imprinted with different imprinting
      fashions. Further, only two imprinted QTNs responsible for relative growth of
      spleen and liver were verified by genome-wide test. Our approach provides a
      general framework for statistical inference of genomic imprinting underlying
      allometry scaling in animals.

PMID- 28338099
TI  - Difference in diel mating time contributes to assortative mating between host
      plant-associated populations of Chilo suppressalis.
AB  - Behavioral isolation in animals can be mediated by inherent mating preferences
      and assortative traits, such as divergence in the diel timing of mating activity.
      Although divergence in the diel mating time could, in principle, promote the
      reproductive isolation of sympatric, conspecific populations, there is currently
      no unequivocal evidence of this. We conducted different mate-choice experiments
      to investigate the contribution of differences in diel mating activity to the
      reproductive isolation of the rice and water-oat populations of Chilo
      suppressalis. The results show that inter-population difference in diel mating
      activity contributes to assortative mating in these populations. In the rice
      population, most mating activity occurred during the first half of the
      scotophase, whereas in the water-oat population virtually all mating activity was
      confined to the second half of the scotophase. However, when the photoperiod of
      individuals from the water-oat population was altered to more closely align their
      mating activity with that of the rice population, mate choice was random. We
      conclude that inter-population differences in diel mating time contribute to
      assortative mating, and thereby the partial reproductive isolation, of these host
      associated populations of C. suppressalis.

PMID- 28338097
TI  - The cellular protein hnRNP A2/B1 enhances HIV-1 transcription by unfolding LTR
      promoter G-quadruplexes.
AB  - G-quadruplexes are four-stranded conformations of nucleic acids that act as
      cellular epigenetic regulators. A dynamic G-quadruplex forming region in the HIV
      1 LTR promoter represses HIV-1 transcription when in the folded conformation.
      This activity is enhanced by nucleolin, which induces and stabilizes the HIV-1
      LTR G-quadruplexes. In this work by a combined pull-down/mass spectrometry
      approach, we consistently found hnRNP A2/B1 as an additional LTR-G-quadruplex
      interacting protein. Surface plasmon resonance confirmed G-quadruplex specificity
      over linear sequences and fluorescence resonance energy transfer analysis
      indicated that hnRNP A2/B1 is able to efficiently unfold the LTR G-quadruplexes.
      Evaluation of the thermal stability of the LTR G-quadruplexes in different-length
      oligonucleotides showed that the protein is fit to be most active in the LTR full
      length environment. When hnRNP A2/B1 was silenced in cells, LTR activity
      decreased, indicating that the protein acts as a HIV-1 transcription activator.
      Our data highlight a tightly regulated control of transcription based on G
      quadruplex folding/unfolding, which depends on interacting cellular proteins.
      These findings provide a deeper understanding of the viral transcription
      mechanism and may pave the way to the development of drugs effective against the
      integrated HIV-1, present both in actively and latently infected cells.

PMID- 28338100
TI  - Hyperspectral imaging using the single-pixel Fourier transform technique.
AB  - Hyperspectral imaging technology is playing an increasingly important role in the
      fields of food analysis, medicine and biotechnology. To improve the speed of
      operation and increase the light throughput in a compact equipment structure, a
      Fourier transform hyperspectral imaging system based on a single-pixel technique
      is proposed in this study. Compared with current imaging spectrometry approaches,
      the proposed system has a wider spectral range (400-1100 nm), a better spectral
      resolution (1 nm) and requires fewer measurement data (a sample rate of 6.25%).
      The performance of this system was verified by its application to the non
      destructive testing of potatoes.

PMID- 28338102
TI  - The role of dentistry in the ?opioids crisis.

PMID- 28338101
TI  - The histone deacetylase inhibitor valproic acid inhibits NKG2D expression in
      natural killer cells through suppression of STAT3 and HDAC3.
AB  - NKG2D is a major activating receptor of NK cells and plays a critical role in
      tumor immunosurveillance. NKG2D expression in NK cells is inhibited by the
      histone deacetylase (HDAC) inhibitor valproic acid (VPA) and enhanced by the
      narrow-spectrum HDAC inhibitor entinostat. We previously demonstrated that
      entinostat enhanced NKG2D transcription by increasing acetylation of Histones H3
      and H4. However, the mechanism by which VPA reduces NKG2D expression in NK cells
      is not known. We have also shown that NKG2D transcription is regulated by STAT3
      phosphorylation. In this study, we investigated regulation of NKG2D expression in
      NK cells by VPA and entinostat by assessing protein expression, phosphorylation,
      and interaction of HDACs and STAT3. We find that VPA selectively inhibits STAT3
      tyrosine705 phosphorylation, but entinostat does not. STAT3 complexes with HDAC3,
      and HDAC3 inhibition represses STAT3 phosphorylation and therefore NKG2D
      expression. NK cells from STAT3 wild-type mice downregulate NKG2D in response to
      VPA, but not NK cells from STAT3 knockout mice. These results show that VPA is a
      potent inhibitor of STAT3 phosphorylation and demonstrate that histone
      acetylation and STAT3 tyrosine705 phosphorylation cooperate in regulating NKG2D
      expression in NK cells.

PMID- 28338103
TI  - Transreplantation: ?An alternative for periodontally hopeless teeth.
AB  - The periodontal therapy of severely damaged teeth that have advanced bone loss, a
      significant degree of mobility, and often tooth migration and elongation,
      frequently exposes the dental clinician to difficult decisions regarding the
      appropriate therapy for the patient. Extensive rehabilitation, with the
      replacement of periodontally hopeless teeth, has biologic, prognostic, and
      financial limitations. A possible alternative in such cases is the
      transreplantation of periodontally hopeless teeth. Ankylosis of the tooth is
      induced by appropriate extraoral pretreatment and thus the mobility disappears
      and the alveolar bone is reformed. This little-known technique is described step
      by step, with reference to a clinical case.

PMID- 28338105
TI  - A giant abdominal mass in a 23-year-old woman.

PMID- 28338104
TI  - Steroid-induced ischemic pancolitis.

PMID- 28338106
TI  - Pancreatic solid pseudopapillary neoplasm as an incidental discovery in a patient
      with rectal neoplasm.

PMID- 28338107
TI  - Gastric cancer in patients with inflammatory bowel disease: more than just a
      random association?

PMID- 28338108
TI  - VKORC1-1639 G>A Polymorphism and the Risk of Non-Variceal Upper Gastrointestinal
      Bleeding.
AB  - BACKGROUND AND AIMS: The mutations in the gene that encodes vitamin K epoxide
      reductase (VKOR) enzyme are responsible for low levels of vitamin K. The purpose
      of this study was to evaluate whether the presence of the VKORC1 -1639 G> A
      polymorphism is a risk factor for non-variceal upper gastrointestinal bleeding
      (UGIB) in patients without concomitant therapy with vitamin K antagonists.
      METHODS: This case-control study comprised 163 consecutive patients diagnosed
      with UGIB and 178 controls, in whom the diagnosis of UGIB was excluded. The
      following data were recorded: age, gender, alcohol consumption, smoking, history
      of UGIB, nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) or low-dose aspirin
      consumption. Genetic analysis included genotyping for the VKORC1 -1639 G>A
      polymorphism. RESULTS: History of UGIB (OR 3.463, CI95% 1.463-8.198, p=0.005),
      smoking (OR 2.498, CI95% 1.358-4.597, p=0.003), alcohol consumption (OR 3.283,
      CI95% 1.796-6.000, p<0.001), use of NSAIDs (OR 4.542, CI95% 2.502-8.247, p<0.001)
      or of low-dose aspirin (OR 2.390, CI95% 1.326-4.310), and the VKORC1 -1639 G> A
      AA genotype (OR 1.364, CI95% 0.998-1.863, p=0.05) were associated with an
      increased risk of UGIB. The risk of UGIB was analyzed in patients with genotype
      AA who used aspirin or NSAIDs. The genotype AA has not kept its status of
      independent risk factor (p=0.3). In subjects with NSAIDs/aspirin therapy and
      genotype AA there was a two times higher chance of UGIB compared to those under
      NSAIDs/aspirin therapy alone (OR 7.6 vs. 3.6, p<0.001). CONCLUSION: Patients with
      non-variceal UGIB caused by the use of NSAIDs or low-dose aspirin are more
      frequent carriers of the VKORC1 -1639 G>A AA genotype, as compared to those
      without UGIB.

PMID- 28338110
TI  - Frequency of the UGT1A1*28 Polymorphism in a Romanian Cohort of Gilbert Syndrome
      Individuals.
AB  - BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Gilbert syndrome (GS) is characterized by unconjugated
      hyperbilirubinemia without liver disease or overt hemolysis and it is found in 3
      10% of the general population. Inherited hyperbilirubinaemia is attributable to a
      reduced UGT1A1 activity. The UGT1A1 promoter (TA) repeats variants are documented
      of being involved in abnormally elevated bilirubin levels. The aim of the present
      study is to analyze the impact of UGT1A1 promoter variants on bilirubin levels in
      Romanian patients clinically supected with GS. METHODS: The study group included
      897 subjects: 292 GS patients and 605 healthy controls. Genomic DNA was extracted
      from the peripheral blood leukocytes. All individuals were screened for the
      presence of the (TA) insertion in the TATA box region of UGT1A1 gene by PCR
      amplification. This case-control study was conducted at the Department of Medical
      Genetics, Synevo, Romania. RESULTS: UGT1A1*28 (7TA) revealed the highest
      frequency (61.87%) of all individuals, while the UGT1A1*1 (6TA) allele was found
      in 36.79%. We identified two other variants of the UGT1A1 gene, depending on the
      number of TA repeats in the promoter: 5TA (0.61%) and 8TA (0.72%). The (TA)7/7
      homozygous genotype was identified in 32.33% of all individuals, while the
      (TA)6/7 heterozygous genotype was the most prevalent (57.64%). The wild type
      (TA)6/6 was identified in 7.36% of the whole cohort. CONCLUSIONS: Because other
      polymorphisms have been associated with GS, the absence of the UGT1A1*28 allele
      does not rule out this condition. The results suggest that in the Romanian
      population there is a strong correlation between the UGT1A1*28 polymorphism and
      hyperbilirubinemia in patients with GS.

PMID- 28338109
TI  - Dual-focus Magnification, High-Definition Endoscopy Improves Pathology Detection
      in Direct-to-Test Diagnostic Upper Gastrointestinal Endoscopy.
AB  - BACKGROUND: In the UK, the majority of diagnostic upper gastrointestinal (UGI)
      endoscopies are a result of direct-to-test referral from the primary care
      physician. The diagnostic yield of these tests is relatively low, and the burden
      high on endoscopy services. Dual-focus magnification, high-definition endoscopy
      is expected to improve detection and classification of UGI mucosal lesions and
      also help minimize biopsies by allowing better targeting. METHODS: This is a
      retrospective study of patients attending for direct-to-test UGI endoscopy from
      January 2015 to June 2015. The primary outcome of interest was the identification
      of significant pathology. Detection of significant pathology was modelled using
      logistic regression. RESULTS: 500 procedures were included. The mean age of
      patients was 61.5 (+/-15.6) years; 60.8% of patients were female. Ninety-four
      gastroscopies were performed using dual-focus magnification high-definition
      endoscopy. Increasing age, male gender, type of endoscope, and type of operator
      were all identified as significant factors influencing the odds of detecting
      significant mucosal pathology. Use of dual-focus magnification, high-definition
      endoscopy was associated with an odds ratio of 1.87 (95%CI 1.11-3.12) favouring
      the detection of significant pathology. Subsequent analysis suggested that the
      increased detection of pathology during dual-focus magnification, high-definition
      endoscopy also influenced patient follow-up and led to a 3.0 fold (p=0.04)
      increase in the proportion of patients entered into an UGI endoscopic
      surveillance program. CONCLUSION: Dual-focus magnification, high-definition
      endoscopy improved the diagnostic yield for significant mucosal pathology in
      patients referred for direct-to-test endoscopy. If this finding is recapitulated
      elsewhere it will have substantial impact on the provision of UGI endoscopic
      services.

PMID- 28338111
TI  - G Protein-Coupled Receptor 30 (GPR30) Expression Pattern in Inflammatory Bowel
      Disease Patients Suggests its Key Role in the Inflammatory Process. A Preliminary
      Study.
AB  - BACKGROUND AND AIMS: G protein-coupled receptor 30 (GPR30) is a recently de
      orphanized estrogen receptor that mediates the effects of estrogens on different
      cells. It has been postulated that in inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD)
      activation of GPR30 blocks the pathways dependent on pro-inflammatory cytokines.
      The aim of our study was to investigate GPR30 expression in patients with IBD and
      its potential implication in future therapies. METHODS: Fifty-seven patients were
      enrolled in our study: 20 subjects with Crohn's disease (CD), 22 with ulcerative
      colitis (UC) and 15 controls. In each subject, biopsies were taken from various
      left-colonic locations. Gene and protein expression of GPR30 was quantified using
      real time RT-PCR or Western blot. RESULTS: GPR30 mRNA and protein expression were
      detected in all tested colonic tissues. No significant differences in GPR30 gene
      expression were observed. In non-inflamed areas, GPR30 protein was strongly
      increased in CD patients, but moderately in UC patients (p= 0.014 and p=0.143,
      respectively, vs. controls). In CD patients, a significantly lower GPR30 protein
      content in inflamed than in non-inflamed tissue was observed (p=0.039). The
      change was independent of patient gender. CONCLUSION: Our observations indicate
      that GPR30 may play a role in the development and progression of inflammatory
      lesions in IBD, thus affecting disease severity, and consequently IBD treatment.
      Therefore, GPR30 may become an attractive target for novel anti-IBD drugs,
      particularly in CD.

PMID- 28338112
TI  - PNPLA3 and RNF7 Gene Variants are Associated with the Risk of Developing Liver
      Fibrosis and Cirrhosis in an Eastern European Population.
AB  - BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Genome-wide association studies have revealed an association
      between the risk of developing liver fibrosis or cirrhosis and the single
      nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) of the PNPLA3, RNF7, MERTK and PCSK7 genes. We
      aimed to validate these results in an Eastern European population. METHODS: We
      evaluated the associations between the PNPLA3 (rs738409), RNF7 (rs16851720),
      MERTK (rs4374383) and PCSK7 (rs236918) variants and liver fibrosis and cirrhosis
      in a series of consecutive patients recruited at the Department of
      Gastroenterology, Lithuanian University of Health Sciences Hospital, during the
      period 2012-2015. The study included 317 individuals with liver cirrhosis, 154
      individuals with liver fibrosis, and 498 controls. The studied SNPs were
      determined using RT-PCR TaqMan assays. RESULTS: MERTK and PCSK7 SNPs were not
      associated with liver fibrosis or cirrhosis. The PNPLA3 SNP rs738409 was
      associated with a higher risk of developing liver fibrosis (aOR: 1.65, P=0.001)
      and cirrhosis (aOR: 1.92, P=5.57*10-7). PNPLA3 genotypes were also associated
      with higher risk of developing liver fibrosis and cirrhosis in dominant (aOR:
      1.98, P=2.20*10-5; aOR: 1.67, P=0.008, respectively) and recessive (aOR: 3.94,
      P=5.16*10-5; aOR: 3.02, P=0.003, respectively) models. RNF7 rs16851720 was
      associated with liver cirrhosis comparing CC vs. AA + CA genotypes (aOR: 0.26,
      P=0.020). CONCLUSION: Our study showed that PNPLA3 rs738409 and RNF7 rs16851720
      confer an increased risk of developing liver fibrosis and cirrhosis in this
      Eastern European population, while the MERTK and PCSK7 SNPs are not associated
      with these conditions.

PMID- 28338113
TI  - Antiproliferative and Apoptotic Effects of Lidocaine on Human Hepatocarcinoma
      Cells. A preliminary study.
AB  - BACKGROUND AND AIMS: It is now well documented that certain anesthetic techniques
      may influence long term outcome in cancer patients undergoing surgery. More
      recently, local anesthetics proved certain antiproliferative effects in cancer
      cells. In our study, we aimed to investigate if lidocaine has antiproliferative
      effects in human hepatocarcinoma cells and to identify possible mechanisms of
      these effects. METHODS: We investigated the inhibitory effect of different
      concentrations of lidocaine on the proliferation of cultured HepG2 human
      hepatocarcinoma cells and LX2 normal liver fibroblasts. Cells were exposed to
      nine different concentrations of lidocaine for 72h. MTT assay was used to
      investigate HepG2 and LX2 proliferation while Western blotting was used for
      detection of p53 expression level. RESULTS: Our data showed that lidocaine
      inhibited cell proliferation in a concentration-dependent manner in both HepG2
      and LX2. The antiproliferative effects of lidocaine in LX2 were significantly
      diminished as compared with those in HepG2 (p< 0.001). Similarly, the expression
      level of p53 was significant decreased in HepG2 lines treated with lidocaine as
      compared with control and LX2 (p = 0.0241). CONCLUSIONS: In clinically relevant
      concentrations, lidocaine had significant antiproliferative effects on human
      hepatocarcinoma cells. These effects were time and dose-dependent. One of the
      possible mechanisms of these effects is by modifying the P53 expression level.
      The relevance of these findings in clinical practice is limited; clinical impact
      of these effects on the outcome of patients with hepatocarcinoma undergoing
      surgery or minimal invasive procedures needs to be demonstrated in future animal
      models and clinical studies.

PMID- 28338114
TI  - Molecular Analysis of Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor (VEGF) Receptors in EUS
      guided Samples Obtained from Patients with Pancreatic Adenocarcinoma.
AB  - BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and its receptors
      (VEGF-R1 and VEGF-R2) are the most important angiogenesis stimulating factors in
      pancreatic cancer. This study aims to assess VEGF-R1 and VEGF-R2 gene expression
      in EUS-FNA samples and identify prognostic markers in pancreatic adenocarcinoma.
      METHODS: This was a retrospective study of prospectively collected data of 88
      consecutive patients, with clinical and imaging suspicion of pancreatic
      neoplasms, based on samples obtained through endoscopic ultrasound-guided fine
      needle aspiration (EUS-FNA). RESULTS: EUS had an accuracy of 93.2% for the
      diagnosis of pancreatic cancer. Based on real-time qPCR analysis, VEGF-R1 and
      VEGF-R2 expressions were present in 90% and 65% of the analysed malignant
      samples, respectively; 89% of the patients died during the study, with a median
      survival rate of only 9 months. The survival was correlated with the initial
      stage and with the presence of VEGF-R1 and VEGF-R2 gene expression. We found that
      there are significant correlations between death/survival and T stage, N stage,
      resectability status, VEGF-R1, VEGF-R2 and VEGF-R1/VEGF-R2 coexpression. Using a
      Cox model regression our study demonstrates that VEGF-R1/VEGF-R2 coexpression
      might be considered as a poor prognostic factor in pancreatic cancer.
      CONCLUSIONS: EUS is a very effective technique for the diagnosis and staging of
      pancreatic adenocarcinoma in patients with clinical and imaging suspicion of
      pancreatic neoplasm, with an accuracy of 93.2%. Furthermore, the role of
      molecular analysis of EUS-guided FNA samples was established by the assessment of
      VEGF-R1, VEGF-R2 gene expression, which might be considered prognostic markers in
      pancreatic cancer.

PMID- 28338115
TI  - Resveratrol Supplementation in Patients with Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease:
      Systematic Review and Meta-analysis.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Resveratrol is a potential treatment option for management of non
      alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) due to its anti-inflammatory, antioxidant
      properties, and calorie restriction-like effects. We aimed to synthesise evidence
      from published randomized clinical trials (RCTs) about the efficacy of
      resveratrol in the management of NAFLD. METHODS: A computer literature search of
      PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, and Cochrane Central was conducted using relevant
      keywords. Records were screened for eligible studies and data were extracted and
      synthesized using Review Manager Version 5.3 for windows. Subgroup analysis and
      sensitivity analysis were conducted. RESULTS: Four RCTs (n=158 patients) were
      included in the final analysis. The overall effect estimates did not favor
      resveratrol group in terms of: serum ALT (MD -2.89, 95%CI [-15.66, 9.88],
      p=0.66), serum AST (MD -3.59, 95%CI [-13.82, 6.63], p=0.49), weight (MD -0.18,
      95%CI [-0.92, 0.55], p=0.63), BMI (MD -0.10, 95 %CI [-0.43, 0.24], p=0.57), blood
      glucose level (MD -0.27, 95%CI [-0.55, 0.01], p=0.05), insulin level (MD -0.12,
      95%CI [-0.69, 0.46], p=0.69), triglyceride level (MD 0.04, 95%CI [-0.45, 0.53],
      p=0.87), and LDL level (MD 0.21, 95%CI [-0.41, 0.83], p=0.51). Pooled studies
      were heterogeneous. CONCLUSION: Current evidence is insufficient to support the
      efficacy of resveratrol in the management of NAFLD. Resveratrol does not
      attenuate the degree of liver fibrosis or show a significant decrease in any of
      its parameters.

PMID- 28338116
TI  - How to Diagnose and Treat a Cancer of Unknown Primary Site.
AB  - Almost one in every three patients with advanced tumors have distant metastasis
      at the time of clinical diagnosis. In most cases, the primary tumor site is
      identified immediately, within a few days. But for some patients, the primary
      lesion cannot be found after the initial clinical assessment. These cases are
      called cancers of unknown primary origin (CUPs), a clinical diagnosis very
      difficult to manage by physicians due to the absence of a standard-of-care for
      the initial therapeutic regimen, as well as due to the impossibility to include
      these cases in randomized clinical trials. A cancer of unknown primary site is
      often associated with a poor prognosis as patients are usually treated with a non
      selective empirical therapy. In the current paper, we summarize both the
      diagnostic challenges for patients with a cancer of unknown primary site as well
      as the current available therapeutic options, with emphasis on the management of
      this unique disease entity.

PMID- 28338117
TI  - Endovascular Treatment for Acute Mesenteric Ischaemia in a Young Woman with
      Polyarterial Disease.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Acute mesenteric ischaemia is a condition with a grim prognosis on
      conservative treatment. Endovascular revascularisation is a promising approach
      for some of these patients. CASE REPORT: We present the case of a 44-year-old
      woman with a history of severe arterial hypertension, left leg claudication, and
      overlooked symptoms of chronic mesenteric ischaemia for one year, who was
      admitted for severe abdominal pain for one week. Computed tomographic angiography
      (CTA) showed acute mesenteric ischaemia by occlusion of the coeliac trunk and the
      superior mesenteric artery (SMA), without bowel perforation. In addition, CTA
      showed tight left renal stenosis and left external iliac stenosis. We performed
      angioplasty with a stent of the SMA, followed by revascularisation of the left
      renal artery. On control injection, the SMA appeared re-occluded, requiring a
      second stent implantation and a loading dose of dual antiplatelet therapy, with a
      good final result. Subsequently, the clinical course was uneventful, with no need
      of surgical exploration; a second procedure was planned, aiming at iliac
      revascularisation. At one month, the patient was asymptomatic, with normal
      Doppler flow in the SMA. Angiographic control during iliac revascularisation
      procedure showed a permeable SMA with a good filling of the coeliac trunk
      territory. Because of the suspicion of fibro-muscular dysplasia as aetiology,
      coronary angiography and cerebral CTA were performed, in order to exclude other
      potential lesions. CONCLUSIONS: Endovascular revascularisation in AMI is a
      promising alternative to the surgical approach in patients presenting without
      bowel perforation. Nevertheless, its safety and many tactical details remain to
      be clarified. Existing networks for revascularisation in acute myocardial
      infarction may be useful for the implementation of this approach.

PMID- 28338118
TI  - Unusual Discovery after an Examination for Abdominal Pain: Abernethy 1b
      Malformation and Liver Adenomatosis. A Case Report.
AB  - Congenital extrahepatic portosystemic shunt (Abernethy malformation) is a rare
      condition characterized by developmental abnormalities of the portal venous
      system resulting in the diversion of the portal blood from the liver to the
      systemic venous system through a complete or partial shunt of the portomesenteric
      blood. We report the case of an 18 year-old female examined for abdominal pain,
      presenting cholestasis syndrome and an elevated serum aspartate aminotransferase
      level. Liver ultrasound examination revealed the absence of the portal vein with
      a complete extrahepatic shunt of the portal blood, multiple focal liver lesions,
      and multiple associated vascular anomalies. A surgical portosystemic shunt and a
      secondary portosystemic shunt due to portal vein thrombosis were excluded,
      enabling the diagnosis of a congenital portosystemic shunt. A complex
      investigation also discovered bone anomalies, and the liver biopsy of the
      dominant focal lesion revealed adenoma. On a short-term follow-up under
      hepatoprotective medication, the biochemical parameters improved mildly; however,
      the size of the main focal lesion increased. Congenital absence of the portal
      vein often remains an incidental diagnosis. In experienced hands, ultrasonography
      can diagnose it, but a comprehensive thoraco-abdominal evaluation is compulsory,
      considering the many potential associated anomalies. In these patients,
      development of adenomatous liver lesions secondary to Abernethy type Ib
      malformation represents an indication for liver transplantation.

PMID- 28338119
TI  - Anti-Xa activity in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma.

PMID- 28338120
TI  - Celiac disease: past, present and future - boundless explorations of a disease of
      modern times.

PMID- 28338121
TI  - Reply.

PMID- 28338122
TI  - Fatal acute liver failure during Ritonavir-boosted Paritaprevir, Ombitasvir and
      Dasabuvir plus Ribavirin therapy.

PMID- 28338123
TI  - Potential pitfalls of Viekira PakTM therapy in patients with HCV genotype 1b
      cirrhosis.

PMID- 28338124
TI  - Assessing mucosal healing in IBD in daily practice.

PMID- 28338125
TI  - Reply.

PMID- 28338127
TI  - Phonon bottleneck and long-lived excited states in pi-conjugated pyrene hoop.
AB  - In the last decade, recent synthetic advances have launched carbon-based pi
      conjugated hoops to the forefront of theoretical and experimental investigation
      not only for their potential use as bottom-up templates for carbon nanotube (CNT)
      growth, but also for the interesting excitonic effects arising from the cyclic
      geometry, unique pi-system orientation, and unusual electronic interactions and
      couplings. In particular, cyclic materials based on pyrene, a common component in
      organic electronics, are popular candidates for the future design of pi
      conjugated nanorings for optoelectronic applications. Understanding the
      photophysical response in cyclic oligopyrenes can be achieved using non-adiabatic
      excited state molecular dynamics (NA-ESMD). Through NA-ESMD modeling, we reveal
      details of the nonradiative relaxation processes in the circular pyrene tetramer
      [4]cyclo-2,7-pyrenylene ([4]CPY) where we find that the strong non-adiabatic
      coupling combined with the dense manifold of excited states creates an internal
      conversion mechanism dominated by ultrafast sequential quantum transitions.
      However, we observe two long-lived electronic excited states that introduce a
      phonon bottleneck in the electronic relaxation process. In fact, the timescale
      for the electronic relaxation is almost exclusively dominated by the lifetimes of
      the long-lived states. We find that the states associated with the phonon
      bottleneck are separated from lower energy states by large energy gaps and are
      characterized by localization on a single pyrene unit resulting in a spatial
      mismatch with strongly delocalized neighboring states.

PMID- 28338129
TI  - Prediction of metabolic fluxes from gene expression data with Huber penalty
      convex optimization function.
AB  - As one of the critical parameters of a metabolic pathway, the metabolic flux in a
      metabolic network serves as an essential role in physiology and pathology.
      Constraint-based metabolic models are the widely used frameworks for predicting
      metabolic fluxes in genome-scale metabolic networks. Integrating the
      transcriptomic data into the constraint-based metabolic models can effectively
      predict context-specific fluxes across different conditions. However, these
      methods always need user-defined thresholds to identify the expression levels of
      metabolic genes or restrain the rate of biomass production, and the predictive
      results are sensitive to the thresholds. In this work, we present the Huber
      penalty convex optimization function (HPCOF) combined with the flux minimization
      principle to predict metabolic fluxes. Our HPCOF method integrates gene
      expression profiles into the genome-scale metabolic models (GEMs) to reduce the
      sensitivity to outliers, and uses continuous expression data to avoid selection
      of arbitrary threshold parameters. In the case studies of Saccharomyces
      cerevisiae (S. cerevisiae) and Escherichia coli (E. coli) strains under different
      conditions, the results show that our HPCOF method has a better fit to the
      experimentally measured values, and has a higher Pearson correlation coefficient,
      a smaller P-value and a lower sum of squared error than other methods. The HPCOF
      code can be freely downloaded from for academic users.

PMID- 28338131
TI  - Structural formation and charge storage mechanisms for intercalated two
      dimensional carbides MXenes.
AB  - Although many studies have been focused on the characterization of MXenes,
      surface structures and formation mechanisms in terms of their experimental
      processes still remain controversial. Herein, we systematically investigated the
      structures formed from MX intercalated with different atoms from group IA to VIIA
      (A = H, Li, Na, K, Mg, Al, Si, P, O, S, F, and Cl) at different sites. An
      effective procedure based on first-principles calculations was developed to
      reveal the formation mechanisms of MAX, MXA2, MXTx, and MXTxAx' structures. The
      competition and matching mechanisms were introduced to determine the formation
      probabilities of the MAX phase. The transformation processes from MAX to MXA2
      have been correlated with the energies and configurations of the transformed MX
      and the chemical potential of the A atom in terms of the experimental processes.
      The structure of MXTx obtained using different methods has been formulated as a
      function of the experimental conditions and the c lattice parameter. The
      experimental results can be well explained based on these results. As a
      representative, it was proved that the capacity of Ti3C2TxAx' (A = Li) depends on
      the c lattice parameter and the calculated allowable value can range from 130.3
      mA h g-1 (Ti3C2F2Li) to 536.8 mA h g-1 (Ti3C2O2Li4). A higher value can be
      expected if the sample with a suitable c-axis value can be obtained. Energy
      storage mechanism should be classified into a double-layer capacitance process in
      the Ti3C2F2 units and a redox storage mechanism in the Ti3C2O2 units. The
      procedure can be employed to optimize the structures and compositions of the
      MXenes.

PMID- 28338130
TI  - The aqueous supramolecular chemistry of cucurbit[n]urils, pillar[n]arenes and
      deep-cavity cavitands.
AB  - This tutorial review summarizes the continuing exploration of three prominent
      water-soluble hosts: cucurbiturils, pillar[n]arenes and deep-cavity cavitands. As
      we describe, these hosts are revealing how orchestrating the hydrophobic effect
      can lead to a broad range of properties and applications, from: nano-reactors,
      supramolecular polymers, stimuli-responsive biointerfaces, switches, and novel
      purification devices. We also describe how their study is also revealing more
      details about the properties of water and aqueous solutions.

PMID- 28338132
TI  - in/out Isomerism of cyclophanes: a theoretical account of 2,6,15-trithia
      [34,10][7]metacyclophane and [34,10][7]metacyclophane as well as their halogen
      substituted analogues.
AB  - A detailed theoretical investigation of cyclophanes with a divergent set of
      methods ranging from molecular mechanics through semiempirical to ab initio is
      presented. Cyclophanes have attracted interest over the years due to their
      unusual chemistry and increasing applications. There has been previous debate
      over the effects contributing to the greater stability of more-crowded in isomers
      of certain cyclophanes, and a higher strain in the out isomer was the prevailing
      explanation. Application of EDA-NOCV and SAPT analysis has enabled us to
      distinguish between different effects controlling isomer stability and determine
      the significance of all effects involved. Our results show that, although strain
      has a large significance, orbital stabilization within the molecule from the
      aromatic electron density is crucial. Furthermore, we analysed halogen
      substituted cyclophanes in order to further understand these subtle effects.

PMID- 28338133
TI  - Stereoselective binding of agonists to the beta2-adrenergic receptor: insights
      into molecular details and thermodynamics from molecular dynamics simulations.
AB  - The beta2-adrenergic receptor (beta2-AR) is one of the most studied G-protein
      coupled receptors. When interacting with ligand molecules, it exhibits a binding
      characteristic that is strongly dependent on ligand stereoconfiguration. In
      particular, many experimental and theoretical studies confirmed that
      stereoisomers of an important beta2-AR agonist, fenoterol, are associated with
      diverse mechanisms of binding and activation of beta2-AR. The objective of the
      present study was to explore the stereoselective binding of fenoterol to beta2-AR
      through the application of an advanced computational methodology based on
      enhanced-sampling molecular dynamics simulations and potentials of interactions
      tailored to investigate the stereorecognition effects. The results remain in very
      good, quantitative agreement with the experimental data (measured in the context
      of ligand-receptor affinities and their dependence on the temperature), which
      provides an additional validation for the applied computational protocols.
      Additionally, our results contribute to the understanding of stereoselective
      agonist binding by beta2-AR. Although the significant role of the N2936.55
      residue is confirmed, we additionally show that stereorecognition does not depend
      solely on the N293-ligand interactions; the stereoselective effects rely on the
      co-operation of several residues located on both the 6th and 7th transmembrane
      domains and on extracellular loops. The magnitude and character of the
      contributions of these residues may be very diverse and result in either
      enhancing or reducing the stereoselective effects. The same is true when
      considering the enthalpic and entropic contributions to the binding free
      energies, which also are dependent on the ligand stereoconfiguration.

PMID- 28338134
TI  - Uniform TiO2 nanoparticles induce apoptosis in epithelial cell lines in a size
      dependent manner.
AB  - The size of titanium dioxide (TiO2) nanoparticles is a vital parameter that
      determines their cytotoxicity. However, most reported studies have employed
      irregular shapes and sizes of TiO2 nanoparticles, as it is difficult to produce
      nanoparticles of suitable sizes for research. We produced good model TiO2
      nanoparticles of uniform shape and size for use in studying their cytotoxicity.
      In this work, spherical, uniform polyethylene glycol-modified TiO2 (TiO2-PEG)
      nanoparticles of differing sizes (100, 200, and 300 nm) were prepared using the
      sol-gel method. A size-dependent decrease in cell viability was observed with
      increasing nanoparticle size. Furthermore, apoptosis was found to be positively
      associated with nanoparticle size, as evidenced by an increase in caspase-3
      activity with increasing nanoparticle size. Larger nanoparticles exhibited higher
      cellular uptake, suggesting that larger nanoparticles more strongly induce
      apoptosis. In addition, the cellular uptake of different sizes of nanoparticles
      was energy dependent, suggesting that there are size-dependent uptake pathways.
      We found that 100 and 200 nm (but not 300 nm) nanoparticles were taken up via
      clathrin-mediated endocytosis. These results utilizing uniform nanoparticles
      suggest that the size-dependent cytotoxicity of nanoparticles involves active
      cellular uptake, caspase-3 activation, and apoptosis in the epithelial cell line
      (NCI-H292). These findings will hopefully aid in the future design and safe use
      of nanoparticles.

PMID- 28338135
TI  - Detection of chemical warfare agent simulants and hydrolysis products in
      biological samples by paper spray mass spectrometry.
AB  - Paper spray ionization coupled to a high resolution tandem mass spectrometer (a
      quadrupole orbitrap) was used to identify and quantitate chemical warfare agent
      (CWA) simulants and their hydrolysis products in blood and urine. Three CWA
      simulants, dimethyl methylphosphonate (DMMP), trimethyl phosphate (TMP), and
      diisopropyl methylphosphonate (DIMP), and their isotopically labeled standards
      were analyzed in human whole blood and urine. Calibration curves were generated
      and tested with continuing calibration verification standards. Limits of
      detection for these three compounds were in the low ng mL-1 range for the direct
      analysis of both blood and urine samples. Five CWA hydrolysis products, ethyl
      methylphosphonic acid (EMPA), isopropyl methylphosphonic acid (IMPA), isobutyl
      methylphosphonic acid (iBuMPA), cyclohexyl methylphosphonic acid (CHMPA), and
      pinacolyl methylphosphonic acid (PinMPA), were also analyzed. Calibration curves
      were generated in both positive and negative ion modes. Limits of detection in
      the negative ion mode ranged from 0.36 ng mL-1 to 1.25 ng mL-1 in both blood and
      urine for the hydrolysis products. These levels were well below those found in
      victims of the Tokyo subway attack of 2 to 135 ng mL-1. Improved stability and
      robustness of the paper spray technique in the negative ion mode was achieved by
      the addition of chlorinated solvents. These applications demonstrate that paper
      spray mass spectrometry (PS-MS) can be used for rapid, sample preparation-free
      detection of chemical warfare agents and their hydrolysis products at
      physiologically relevant concentrations in biological samples.

PMID- 28338136
TI  - Investigation of the complexation of natZr(iv) and 89Zr(iv) by hydroxypyridinones
      for the development of chelators for PET imaging applications.
AB  - Three hydroxypyridinone (HOPO) positional isomers - 1,2-HOPO (L1H) and its water
      soluble analogue (L1'H), 3,2-HOPO (L2H) and 3,4-HOPO (L3H) have been investigated
      for the complexation of Zr(iv). Potentiometric and UV-Vis spectrometric studies
      show a higher thermodynamic stability for the formation of Zr(L1')4 in comparison
      with Zr(L2)4 and Zr(L3)4 as well as a higher kinetic inertness in competition
      studies with EDTA or Fe3+ at a radiotracer concentration with 89Zr. Besides the
      low pKa of L1H or L1'H (pKa = 5.01) in comparison with L2H and L3H (pKa = 8.83
      and 9.55, respectively), the higher stability of Zr(L1')4 can be attributed in
      part to the presence of the amide group next to the chelating oxygen that induces
      intramolecular H-bond and amide/pi interactions that were observed by X-ray
      crystallography and confirmed by quantum chemical calculations. The data
      presented here indicate that the 1,2-HOPO L1' exhibits the best characteristics
      for Zr(iv) complexation. However, 3,2-HOPO and 3,4-HOPO patterns, if
      appropriately tuned, for instance with the addition of an amide group as in the
      1,2-HOPO ligand, may also become interesting alternatives for the design of
      Zr(iv) chelators with improved characteristics for applications in nuclear
      imaging with 89Zr.

PMID- 28338128
TI  - Metal-organic and covalent organic frameworks as single-site catalysts.
AB  - Heterogeneous single-site catalysts consist of isolated, well-defined, active
      sites that are spatially separated in a given solid and, ideally, structurally
      identical. In this review, the potential of metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) and
      covalent organic frameworks (COFs) as platforms for the development of
      heterogeneous single-site catalysts is reviewed thoroughly. In the first part of
      this article, synthetic strategies and progress in the implementation of such
      sites in these two classes of materials are discussed. Because these solids are
      excellent playgrounds to allow a better understanding of catalytic functions, we
      highlight the most important recent advances in the modelling and spectroscopic
      characterization of single-site catalysts based on these materials. Finally, we
      discuss the potential of MOFs as materials in which several single-site catalytic
      functions can be combined within one framework along with their potential as
      powerful enzyme-mimicking materials. The review is wrapped up with our personal
      vision on future research directions.

PMID- 28338137
TI  - An investigation of the PM2.5 and NO2 concentrations and their human health
      impacts in the metro subway system of Suzhou, China.
AB  - This study measured the particle concentrations with an aerodynamic diameter
      smaller than 2.5 MUm (PM2.5), nitrogen dioxide (NO2), and relative humidity (RH)
      at five metro subway stations in Suzhou's subway system (Lines 1 and 2). The real
      time monitoring campaign was conducted from March 30th to April 10th and August
      4th to August 21st, 2015. The monitoring practice was carried out during rush
      (7:00-9:00 AM and 17:00-19:00 PM) and regular hours (other times) at the ground
      and underground levels under different weather conditions with a purpose of
      obtaining representative data. The monitored results show that the concentrations
      of PM2.5 in the train carriages were lower than the concentrations at the
      underground platforms during both spring and summer. The mean PM2.5
      concentrations at all the underground platforms in all the sub-stations monitored
      were significantly higher than those at the ground level. The human health impact
      was calculated to be 6300 annual DALYs (or 375 deaths) due to exposure to the
      subway system in Suzhou according to the UNEP-SETAC toxicity (USEtox) model.
      Linear regression models were applied to evaluate the relationships between the
      PM2.5, NO2 concentrations, and RH. We found that a 10% increment in RH from the
      current average level of 50-60% can lead to a 9.8 MUg m-3 concentration decrease
      in PM2.5. This further results in the total human health impact being reduced to
      2451 DALYs (150-4753 DALYs), representing a 20% decrease (1.2-38%).

PMID- 28338138
TI  - A novel colorimetric assay for alpha-methylacyl-CoA racemase 1A (AMACR; P504S)
      utilizing the elimination of 2,4-dinitrophenolate.
AB  - alpha-Methylacyl-CoA racemase (AMACR; P504S) regulates branched-chain fatty acid
      degradation, activates Ibuprofen and is a recognised cancer drug target. A novel,
      facile colorimetric assay was developed based on elimination of 2,4
      dinitrophenolate. The assay was used to test 5 known inhibitors, determining IC50
      and Ki values, reversibility and characterizing irreversible inhibition.

PMID- 28338139
TI  - Adsorption of small inorganic molecules on a defective MoS2 monolayer.
AB  - We present a theoretical study of molecular adsorption on defects on a MoS2
      monolayer. Based on Density Functional Theory, our calculations confirm that
      small inorganic molecules, such as CO2, CO, H2O, NO, NO2, H2 and N2, remain
      bonded to the pristine monolayer through weak van der Waals interactions,
      suggesting that the molecules may easily diffuse over the clean monolayer. On the
      other hand, the introduction of defects can lead to three different situations,
      depending on the defect and the molecule considered: physisorption, chemical
      (strong) bonding to the metallic defects, namely the Mo substitutional atoms on
      the S vacancies, and dissociation, that can take place spontaneously at 0 K in
      some specific cases or by the effect of thermal agitation in molecules such as
      CO2 or NO2 on the S vacancy. Our energetic and electronic analyses provide an
      explanation to such bonding possibilities, showing that in the low interacting
      situations, the molecules tend to adopt a planar configuration parallel to the
      monolayer, while a molecular rotation is favored in order to facilitate the bond
      formation on the reactive sites. Finally, the ab initio based Scanning Tunneling
      Microscopy (STM) simulations show the fingerprint of each molecule adsorbed on
      the most reactive site. This work opens the way to the possibility of tuning the
      catalytic properties of MoS2 by controlling the creation of specific defects in
      the MoS2 monolayer.

PMID- 28338140
TI  - Enhanced single-ion magnetic and ferroelectric properties of mononuclear Dy(iii)
      enantiomeric pairs through the coordination role of chiral ligands.
AB  - The structures and properties of two mononuclear Dy(iii) enantiomeric pairs were
      dramatically controlled by crystallization temperature; the enantiomeric pair
      with coordinated chiral N,N'-donor ligands exhibits enhanced single-ion magnetic,
      ferroelectric and chiroptical properties with respect to the other one with
      protonated chiral N,N'-donor ligands.

PMID- 28338142
TI  - C(sp3)-H dehydrogenation and C(sp2)-H alkoxy carbonylation of inactivated cyclic
      amines towards functionalized N-heterocycles.
AB  - A novel and efficient synthesis of tetrahydropyridine (THP)-, dihydropyrrole
      (DHP)-, or tetrahydroazepine (THA)-3-carboxylates via cascade reactions of
      inactivated cyclic amines with CO and alcohols is presented. To our knowledge,
      this should be the first example in which functionalized N-heterocycles were
      prepared directly from Pd-catalyzed C(sp3)-H dehydrogenation and C(sp2)-H
      carbonylation of saturated cyclic amines. Moreover, the DHP-3-carboxylates thus
      obtained could readily undergo an oxidative aromatization to give pyrrole-3
      carboxylates by using O2 as a green oxidant. Notable features of the methods
      developed herein include simple substrates, high efficiency and excellent atom
      economy, mild reaction conditions, and broad substrate scope.

PMID- 28338141
TI  - Structurally related hydrazone-based metal complexes with different antitumor
      activities variably induce apoptotic cell death.
AB  - Three new complexes bearing the tridentate hydrazone-based ligand 2-(2-(1
      (pyridin-2-yl)ethylidene)hydrazinyl)pyridine (L) were synthesized and
      structurally characterized. Biological tests indicate that the Zn(ii) complex
      [ZnCl2(L)] is of low cytotoxicity against the hepatocellular carcinoma cell line
      HepG2. In contrast, the Cu(ii) and Mn(ii) complexes [CuCl2(L)] and [MnCl2(L)] are
      highly cytotoxic with EC50 values of 1.25 +/- 0.01 MUM and 20 +/- 1 MUM,
      respectively. A quantitative proteome analysis reveals that treatment of the
      cells with the Cu(ii) complex leads to a significantly altered abundance of 102
      apoptosis-related proteins, whereas 38 proteins were up- or down-regulated by the
      Mn(ii) complex. A closer inspection of those proteins regulated only by the
      Cu(ii) complex suggests that the superior cytotoxic activity of this complex is
      likely to be related to an initiation of the caspase-independent cell death
      (CICD). In addition, an increased generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and
      a strong up-regulation of proteins responsive to oxidative stress suggest that
      alterations of the cellular redox metabolism likely contribute to the
      cytotoxicity of the Cu(ii) complex.

PMID- 28338143
TI  - Mastering the non-equilibrium assembly and operation of molecular machines.
AB  - In mechanically interlocked compounds, such as rotaxanes and catenanes, the
      molecules are held together by mechanical rather than chemical bonds. These
      compounds can be engineered to have several well-defined mechanical states by
      incorporating recognition sites between the different components. The rates of
      the transitions between the recognition sites can be controlled by introducing
      steric "speed bumps" or electrostatically switchable gates. A mechanism for the
      absorption of energy can also be included by adding photoactive, catalytically
      active, or redox-active recognition sites, or even charges and dipoles. At
      equilibrium, these Mechanically Interlocked Molecules (MIMs) undergo thermally
      activated transitions continuously between their different mechanical states
      where every transition is as likely as its microscopic reverse. External energy,
      for example, light, external modulation of the chemical and/or physical
      environment or catalysis of an exergonic reaction, drives the system away from
      equilibrium. The absorption of energy from these processes can be used to favour
      some, and suppress other, transitions so that completion of a mechanical cycle in
      a direction in which work is done on the environment - the requisite of a
      molecular machine - is more likely than completion in a direction in which work
      is absorbed from the environment. In this Tutorial Review, we discuss the
      different design principles by which molecular machines can be engineered to use
      different sources of energy to carry out self-organization and the performance of
      work in their environments.

PMID- 28338144
TI  - Selective surface tension induced patterning on flexible textiles via click
      chemistry.
AB  - A solid surface commonly forms two wetting modes by alternating the type of the
      liquids, i.e. wetting and nonwetting. Here we report that a textile can be
      programmed to exhibit three wetting modes by simply alternating the surface
      tension of the liquids, they are in turn, wetting, selective wetting and
      nonwetting. The hidden patterns are prepared via a combination of wet chemical
      etching and two-step UV-induced thiol-ene click chemistry to graft low-surface
      tension thiols and high-surface-tension thiols, respectively, on the textile
      surface. The as-prepared flexible textiles possess the nonwetting and wetting
      properties of the high-surface-tension liquids, such as water and glycerol, and
      the low-surface-tension liquids, such as decane and ethanol, respectively.
      Furthermore, the selective wetting behavior can be revealed only if the surface
      tension of the liquids is within a narrow range of approximately 44.8 mN m-1 to
      28.1 mN m-1, such as N,N-dimethylformamide and acetonitrile. In addition, the as
      patterned textiles demonstrated high mechanical and chemical stability with long
      term and repeated usage, which implies their high potential to act as novel
      encoded information carrier materials for flexible and textile-based devices.

PMID- 28338146
TI  - A gold nanoparticle-mediated rapid in vitro assay of anti-aggregation reagents
      for amyloid beta and its validation.
AB  - Herein, we report a rapid in vitro assay of amyloid beta anti-aggregation
      reagents using gold nanoparticles as nucleation cores and optical reporters.
      Based on the colorimetric responses observed with the naked eye, effective anti
      aggregation reagents were rapidly (<15 min) distinguished. For these reagents,
      conventional methods showed fewer amyloid beta aggregates and an increased
      viability of neuroblastoma cells after treatment. We envision that our proposed
      method will facilitate the discovery of efficient drug components for the
      treatment of Alzheimer's disease.

PMID- 28338147
TI  - Symmetry breaking during nanocrystal growth.
AB  - Symmetry breaking is a ubiquitous phenomenon that occurs spontaneously when a
      system is subjected to changes in size and/or variations in terms of
      thermodynamic parameters. As a stochastic process, even small fluctuations acting
      on a system can arbitrarily push it down one of the branches of a bifurcation. In
      this feature article, we use nanocrystal growth to illustrate the concept of
      symmetry breaking. Our aim is to convey its importance from a mechanistic
      perspective, by which one can rationally alter the experimental conditions to
      manipulate the growth pattern (symmetric vs. asymmetric) and thus generate
      colloidal nanocrystals with controlled shapes, structures, and properties for
      various applications.

PMID- 28338148
TI  - Extraction of minor actinides, lanthanides and other fission products by silica
      immobilized BTBP/BTPhen ligands.
AB  - Novel BTBP [bis-(1,2,4-triazin-3-yl)-2,2'-bipyridine]/BTPhen [bis-(1,2,4-triazin
      3-yl)-1,10-phenanthroline] functionalized silica gels have been developed to
      extract minor actinides, lanthanides and other fission products. BTPhen
      functionalized silica gel is capable of near-quantitative removal of Am(iii) in
      the presence of Eu(iii) from aqueous HNO3, while BTBP functionalized silica gel
      is able to remove problematic corrosion and fission products that are found in
      PUREX raffinates.

PMID- 28338149
TI  - Ligand controlled switchable selectivity in ruthenium catalyzed aerobic oxidation
      of primary amines.
AB  - A ligand controlled catalytic system for the aerobic oxidation of 1 degrees 
      amines to nitriles and imines has been developed where the varying pi-acidic
      feature of BIAN versus phen in the frameworks of ruthenium catalysts facilitates
      switchable selectivity.

PMID- 28338150
TI  - Stereoselective synthesis of novel adamantane derivatives with high potency
      against rimantadine-resistant influenza A virus strains.
AB  - A series of (R)- and (S)-isomers of new adamantane-substituted heterocycles (1,3
      oxazinan-2-one, piperidine-2,4-dione, piperidine-2-one and piperidine) with
      potent activity against rimantadine-resistant strains of influenza A virus were
      synthesized through the transformation of adamantyl-substituted N-Boc
      homoallylamines 8 into piperidine-2,4-diones 11 through the cyclic bromourethanes
      9 and key intermediate enol esters 10. Biological assays of the prepared
      compounds were performed on the rimantadine-resistant S31N mutated strains of
      influenza A - A/California/7/2009(H1N1)pdm09 and modern pandemic strain A/IIV
      Orenburg/29-L/2016(H1N1)pdm09. The most potent compounds were both enantiomers of
      the enol ester 10 displaying IC50 = 7.7 MUM with the 2016 Orenburg strain.

PMID- 28338151
TI  - Field-theoretic simulations of random copolymers with structural rigidity.
AB  - Copolymers play an important role in a range of soft-materials applications and
      biological phenomena. Prevalent works on block copolymer phase behavior use
      flexible chain models and incorporate interactions using a mean-field
      approximation. However, when phase separation takes place on length scales
      comparable to a few monomers, the structural rigidity of the monomers becomes
      important. In addition, concentration fluctuations become significant at short
      length scales, rendering the mean-field approximation invalid. In this work, we
      use simulation to address the role of finite monomer rigidity and concentration
      fluctuations in microphase segregation of random copolymers. Using a field
      theoretic Monte-Carlo simulation of semiflexible polymers with random chemical
      sequences, we generate phase diagrams for random copolymers. We find that the
      melt morphology of random copolymers strongly depends on chain flexibility and
      chemical sequence correlation. Chemically anti-correlated copolymers undergo
      first-order phase transitions to local lamellar structures. With increasing
      degree of chemical correlation, this first-order phase transition is softened,
      and melts form microphases with irregular shaped domains. Our simulations in the
      homogeneous phase exhibit agreement with the density-density correlation from
      mean-field theory. However, conditions near a phase transition result in
      deviations between simulation and mean-field theory for the density-density
      correlation and the critical wavemode. Chain rigidity and sequence randomness
      lead to frustration in the segregated phase, introducing heterogeneity in the
      resulting morphologies.

PMID- 28338152
TI  - [Development and future of minimally invasive surgery in western China].
AB  - There are vast land and lots of people in western China, but the economy
      developing is relatively slow. However, the minimally invasive surgery was
      carried out firstly in China. Moreover, the type, number and difficulty of the
      minimally invasive surgery increased year by year. Especially, in the western
      area of China, Dr Zhou Zongguang, Yu Peiwu and Zheng Shuguo et al. have performed
      much pioneering work in laparoscopic surgery for rectal cancer, gastric cancer
      and laparoscopic liver resection. They led the standard development of minimally
      invasive in China. In the future, western China should continue to strengthen the
      standardized training of minimally invasive surgery, make great effort to carry
      out evidence-based research of minimally invasive surgery, provide evidences of
      high level of clinical application in minimally invasive surgery. At the same
      time, we should carry out the robotic and 3D laparoscopic surgery actively,
      leading the development of minimally invasive surgery more standardized and more
      widespread in western China.

PMID- 28338153
TI  - [Experience and present situation of Western China Gastric Cancer Collaboration].
AB  - The Western China Gastric Cancer Collaboration (WCGCC) was founded in Chongqing,
      China in 2011. At the early stage of the collaboration, there were only about 20
      centers. While now, there are 36 centers from western area of China, including
      Sichuan, Chongqing, Yunnan, Shanxi, Guizhou, Gansu, Qinghai, Xinjiang, Ningxia
      and Tibet. During the past few years, the WCGCC organized routinely gastric
      cancer standardized treatment tours, training courses of mini-invasive surgical
      treatment of gastric cancer and the clinical research methodology for members of
      the collaboration. Meanwhile, the WCGCC built a multicenter database of gastric
      cancer since 2011 and the entering and management refer to national gastric
      cancer registration entering system of Japan Gastric Cancer Association. During
      the entering and collection of data, 190 items of data have unified definition
      and entering standard from Japan Gastric Cancer Guidelines. Nowadays, this
      database included about 11 872 gastric cancer cases, and in this paper we will
      introduce the initial results of these cases. Next, the collaboration will
      conduct some retrospective studies based on this database to analyze the
      clinicopathological characteristics of patients in the western area of China.
      Besides, the WCGCC performed a prospective study, also. The first randomized
      clinical trial of the collaboration aims to compare the postoperative quality of
      life between different reconstruction methods for total gastrectomy(WCGCC-1202,
      ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT02110628), which began in 2015, and now this
      study is in the recruitment period. In the next steps, we will improve the
      quality of the database, optimize the management processes. Meanwhile, we will
      engage in more exchanges and cooperation with the Chinese Cochrane Center,
      reinforce the foundation of the clinical trials research methodology. In aspect
      of standardized surgical treatment of gastric cancer, we will further strengthen
      communication with other international centers in order to improve both the
      treatment and research levels of gastric cancer in Western China.

PMID- 28338154
TI  - [Experience of the three-stage strategy for intestinal fistula complicated with
      complex abdominal infection].
AB  - Intestinal fistula, as a serious complication after abdominal surgery, not only
      leads to a series of pathophysiological changes such as fluid loss, malnutrition
      and organ dysfunction, but also causes the severe abdominal infection, which
      often threatens the life of patients. How to make the diagnosis and give the
      treatment of intestinal fistula is the key to save the lives of high-risk
      patients. In our hospital, during the past course of diagnosis and treatment for
      intestinal fistula complicated with severe abdominal infection, based on the
      combination of literatures at home and abroad with our clinical experiences for
      many years, an effective three-stage prevention and treatment strategy was formed
      gradually, which included early diagnosis, effective treatment of infection
      source, open drainage of abdominal infection and early enteral nutrition support.
      This strategy subverts the traditional concept of surgery alone, and becomes an
      effective means to save patients with severe abdominal infection.

PMID- 28338155
TI  - [Correlation between chronic constipation and colorectal neoplasms].
AB  - The correlation between chronic constipation and colorectal neoplasms has been
      arousing wide interest. There have been a number of domestic and international
      epidemiological and clinical researches focusing on this issue. Based on these
      researches, the correlation between constipation and colorectal neoplasms was
      studied from three aspects: constipation and colorectal polyps; constipation and
      colorectal cancer; melanosis coli (MC), laxatives and colorectal neoplasms. We
      find that constipation can significantly increase the incidence of colorectal
      polyps and constipation does not significantly increase the incidence of
      colorectal cancer but is one of the risk factors for colorectal cancer. In
      addition, MC, laxatives and the incidence of colorectal polyps are also closely
      correlated. Given the fact that colorectal polyps are precancerous lesions,
      patients with long-term constipation should take less anthraquinone laxatives,
      and those with colorectal polyps should be followed up periodically.

PMID- 28338156
TI  - [Pay attention to the selective lateral pelvic lymph node dissection in mid-low
      rectal cancer].
AB  - Lateral pelvic lymph node metastasis is an important metastatic mode and a major
      cause of locoregional recurrence of mid-low rectal cancer. Recently, there is an
      East-West discrepancy in regard to the diagnosis, clinical significance,
      treatment and prognosis of lateral pelvic lymph node metastasis. In the West,
      lateral nodal involvement may represent systemic disease and preoperative
      chemoradiotherapy can sterilize clinically suspected lateral nodes. Thus, in many
      Western countries, the standard therapy for lower rectal cancer is total
      mesorectal excision with chemoradiotherapy, and pelvic sidewall dissection is
      rarely performed. In the East, and Japan in particular, however, there is a
      positive attitude in regard to lateral pelvic lymph node dissection (LPND). They
      consider that lateral pelvic lymph node metastasis is as regional metastasis, and
      the clinically suspected lateral nodes can not be removed by neoadjuvant
      chemoradiotherapy. The selective LPND after neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy may be
      found to be promising treatment for the improvement of therapeutic benefits in
      these patients. Therefore, the large-scale prospective studies are urgently
      required to improve selection criteria for LPND and neoadjuvant treatment to
      prevent overtreatment in the near future. Selective LPND after neoadjuvant
      treatment based on modern imaging techniques is expected to reduce locoregional
      recurrence and improve long-term survival in patients with mid-low rectal cancer.

PMID- 28338157
TI  - [Enhanced recovery after surgery in the west China: problems, strategy and
      future].
AB  - Enhanced recovery after surgery (ERAS) has been widely used in the world for near
      20 years, which should be considered as the milestone of modern medicine
      advancement, changing the routine perioperative principle, accelerating the
      recovery speed following operation, minimizing the postoperative pain, and saving
      the medical resources. Despite the remarkable advance, the quality and
      application of ERAS in the west China needs further improvement if compared with
      international level or even some domestic hospitals. The postoperative hospital
      stay in west China is much longer than the reported 3 to 5 days according to
      published references. Several suggestions can be help: (1) Based on the published
      consensus and the successful experiences of ERAS in colorectal surgery, the
      medical institution should make great effort to extend this technique to change
      the profound traditional idea in medical staffs and patients. (2) The medical
      administrations should take the application of ERAS as a key performance index
      and annual work plan in hospital. (3) Multiple disciplinary team including
      anesthetist, surgeon, dietitian, and nurses is essential for hospital to promote
      the quality of ERAS. Undoubtedly, ERAS is going to be the conventional medical
      care in the western area of China. We may look forward to seeing more researches
      from western China to update the ERAS consensus.

PMID- 28338158
TI  - [Diagnosis and treatment of duodenal injury and fistula].
AB  - Duodenal injury is a serious abdominal organ injury. Duodenal fistula is one of
      the most serious complications in gastrointestinal surgery, which is concerned
      for its critical status, difficulty in treatment and high mortality. Thoracic and
      abdominal compound closed injury and a small part of open injury are common
      causes of duodenal injury. Iatrogenic or traumatic injury, malnutrition, cancer,
      tuberculosis, Crohn's disease etc. are common causes of duodenal fistula,
      however, there has been still lacking of ideal diagnosis and treatment by now.
      The primary treatment strategy of duodenal fistula is to determine the cause of
      disease and its key point is prevention, including perioperative parenteral and
      enteral nutrition support, improvement of hypoproteinemia actively, avoidance of
      stump ischemia by excessive separate duodenum intraoperatively, performance of
      appropriate duodenum stump suture to ensure the stump blood supply, and avoidance
      of postoperative input loop obstruction, postoperative stump bleeding or hematoma
      etc. Once duodenal fistula occurs, a simple and reasonable operation can be
      selected and performed after fluid prohibition, parenteral and enteral nutrition,
      acid suppression, enzyme inhibition, anti-infective treatment and maintaining
      water salt electrolyte and acid-base balance. Double tube method, duodenal
      decompression and peritoneal drainage can reduce duodenal fistula-related
      complications, and then reduce the mortality, which can save the lives of
      patients.

PMID- 28338159
TI  - [Application of multimodal analgesia in radical gastrectomy for gastric cancer
      patients: a prospective nonrandomized controlled study].
AB  - OBJECTIVE: To compare the postoperative analgesia efficacy, rehabilitation
      parameters and complication between multimodal analgesia and traditional
      analgesia after radical gastrectomy for gastric cancer patients. METHODS:
      Patients with gastric cancer who underwent surgery in our hospital from October
      2016 to December 2016 were enrolled in this prospective study. According to the
      non-randomized method, patients were assigned to multimodal analgesia group(n=32)
      and traditional analgesia group(n=33) in gastric cancer treatment team A and B in
      Department of Gastrointestinal Surgery, West China Hospital, Sichuan University.
      The treatment measures of group A were as follows: (1) The ratio of 1/1 diluted
      ropivacaine (100 mg, 10 ml) was infiltrated around the incision before abdomen
      closure, with incision sutured layer by layer. (2) Parecoxib sodium (40 mg) was
      injected intravenously every 12 hours after operation for 5 days. (3) Oxycodone
      acetaminophen tablet was given orally on the first day or the second day after
      operation, 50 mg twice a day. (4) Patient-controlled analgesia was not used after
      operation. Patients in group B received direct suture of incision and patient
      controlled analgesia. The pain score, postoperative rehabilitation and 30-day
      postoperative complications were collected and analyzed. RESULTS: Multimodal
      analgesia group had lower pain scores at 1 d (4.8+/-0.9), 2 d (4.3+/-1.0), 3 d
      (2.9+/-0.8), 4 d (2.4+/-0.7) and 5 d (1.7+/-0.7) after surgery, as compared to
      traditional analgesia group (5.9+/-0.9, P=0.000), (5.1+/-0.7, P=0.001), (3.9+/
      0.8, P=0.000), (3.0+/-0.6, P=0.000), (2.6+/-0.7, P=0.000), with significant
      difference. Postoperative hospital stay [(8.2+/-1.6) days vs. (10.6+/-2.2) days,
      P=0.000], time to ambulation [(47.5+/-13.8) days vs. (66.2+/-16.8) days,
      P=0.000], time to first flatus [(76.4+/-25.2) days vs. (120.0+/-29.9) days,
      P=0.000], time to first defecate [(117.3+/-42.2) days vs. (159.7+/-30.7) days,
      P=0.000] and time to first fluid diet [(83.8+/-21.6) days vs. (141.9+/-33.9)
      days, P=0.000] in the multimodal analgesia group were significantly shorter than
      those in the traditional analgesia group. There was no significant difference
      between the two groups with respect to 30-day postoperative complication
      rate(9.4% vs. 9.1%, P=1.000). CONCLUSIONS: Multimodal analgesia can significantly
      reduce the postoperative pain and is beneficial to rehabilitation, meanwhile it
      does not increase the risk of postoperative complications. Multimodal analgesia
      is safe and effective for gastric cancer patients undergoing radical gastrectomy.

PMID- 28338160
TI  - [Value of tumor deposits in staging and prognostic evaluation in gastric cancer
      patients].
AB  - OBJECTIVE: To analyze relationships between the tumor deposits (TD) and
      clinicopathologic features of gastric cancer and investigate the value of TD in
      staging and prognosis in gastric cancer patients. METHODS: Retrospective cohort
      study was conducted to evaluate the clinicopathologic data of 388 gastric cancer
      patients who underwent surgical procedures in Chinese PLA General Hospital
      between November 2011 and December 2012. Relationships between TD and
      clinicopathologic features were analyzed by chi2 or Fisher exact tests. Survival
      curves were also generated by Kaplan-Meier method. The univariate and
      multivariate analysis were performed with Log-rank and COX proportional hazard
      model to examine the association between prognosis and TD. RESULTS: TD were
      observed in 67 (17.3%) of 388 gastric cancer patients, including 48 male patients
      (48/289, 16.6%) and 19 female patients (19/99, 19.2%). There were 40 patients
      (40/198, 20.2%) whose age was above 64 years old. TNM staging of positive TD
      patients was as follows: for pathology, there were 5 patients (5/64, 7.8%) in
      stage II(b, 6 patients (6/58, 10.3%) in stage III(a, 14 patients (14/75, 18.7%)
      in stage III(b, 30 patients (30/135, 22.2%) in stage III(c, 12 patients (12/39,
      30.8%) in stage IIII( and no one in stage I(b or II(a; for T-staging, there were
      2 patients (2/18, 11.1%) in stage T2, 2 patients (2/27, 7.4%) in stage T3, 36
      patients (36/259, 13.9%) in stage T4a and 27 patients (27/84, 32.1%) in stage
      T4b; for N-stage, there were 5 patients (5/72, 6.9%) in stage N0, 6 patients
      (6/72, 8.3%) in stage N1, 19 patients (19/82, 23.2%) in stage N2, 27 patients
      (27/100, 27.0%) in stage N3a and 10 patients(10/62, 16.1%) in stage N3b; for M
      stage, there were 12 patients (12/40, 30.0%) in distal metastases; for vascular
      invasion, there were 29 patients (29/129, 22.5%). Among positive TD patients, the
      number of TD >3 was found in 38 of 67 cases(56.7%). TD was associated with pTNM
      stage (chi2=16.898, P=0.010), T-stage (chi2=17.382, P=0.001), N-stage
      (chi2=18.080, P=0.001), M-stage (chi2=5.060, P=0.036) and vascular
      invasion(chi2=3.675, P=0.039). The median survival time of positive TD patients
      was significantly shorter as compared to negative TD patients (22 months vs. 32
      months, chi2=23.391, P=0.012). Among positive TD patients, the median survival
      time of patients with TD number >3 was significantly shorter as compared to those
      with TD number <3 (17 months vs. 25 months, chi2=5.157, P=0.023). Multivariate
      survival analysis showed that TD number >3 was the independent risk factor of
      prognosis (RR=2.350, 95%CI:1.345 to 4.106, P=0.003). CONCLUSIONS: TD state is
      closely associated with the staging of gastric cancer and TD number >3 indicates
      a poor prognosis.

PMID- 28338161
TI  - [Clinical significance of No.12 lymph node dissection for advanced gastric
      cancer].
AB  - OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the clinical significance of No.12 lymph node dissection
      for advanced gastric cancer with D2 lymphadenectomy. METHODS: Clinicopathologic
      data and No.12 lymph node dissection of 256 advanced gastric cancer patients
      undergoing radical operation in our department between January 2005 and December
      2010 were retrospectively summarized and the influence factors of metastasis in
      No.12 lymph nodes were analyzed. RESULTS: Of 256 patients, 179 were male and 77
      were female with the average age of 59.2 years. Tumor located in the upper of
      stomach in 24 cases, middle of stomach in 41 cases, lower of stomach in 174
      cases, multi-focus or diffuse distribution of stomach in 17 cases. Tumor diameter
      was <3 cm in 39 cases, 3 to 5 cm in 100 cases, >5 cm in 117 cases. Serum
      carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) level increased in 61 cases, serum carbohydrate
      antigens (CA)72-4 increased in 56 cases and CA19-9 increased in 61 cases. The
      number of No.12 lymph nodes resected from all the patients was 1 152, and the
      average number was 4.5+/-1.9. The metastasis rate of No.12 lymph nodes was
      9.4%(24/256) after hematoxylin eosin staining (positive group). All the patients
      received effective follow-up to December 2015, and the average follow-up time was
      101.2 months. The median survival time of positive No.12 group (24 cases) was
      29.8 months and of negative No.12 group (232 cases) was 78.2 months, whose
      difference was statistically significant (chi2=21.715, P=0.000). Univariate
      analysis found that No.12 lymph node metastasis was not associated with age,
      gender, tumor differentiation (all P>0.05), but was associated with tumor
      location, tumor diameter, invasive depth (all P<0.05), and was closely associated
      with Borrmann type, outside metastatic lymph nodes of No.12 and high levels of
      serum CEA, CA72-4 and CA19-9 (all P=0.000). Multivariate regression analysis
      found that tumor location (RR=2.452, 95%CI:1.537 to 3.267, P=0.000), Borrmann
      type (RR=1.864, 95%CI:1.121 to 3.099, P=0.016) and number of outside metastatic
      lymph nodes of No.12 (RR=2.979, 95%CI: 2.463 to 3.603, P=0.000) were the
      independent risk factors of the No.12 metastasis (P<0.05). CONCLUSIONS:
      Metastasis in No.12 lymph nodes indicates poorer prognosis. The No.12 lymph nodes
      of advanced gastric cancer patients with curative resection, especially those
      with the tumor located in the lower part, Borrmann type IIII(, outside metastatic
      lymph nodes of No.12, should be regularly cleaned.

PMID- 28338162
TI  - [Risk factor analysis of low anterior resection syndrome after anal sphincter
      preserving surgery for rectal carcinoma].
AB  - OBJECTIVE: To investigate the risk factors of low anterior resection syndrome
      (LARS) after anal sphincter preserving surgery (SPS) for rectal cancer patients.
      METHODS: Clinicopathological and follow-up data of rectal cancer patients who
      underwent SPS from January 2010 to June 2014 in Department of Gastroenterological
      Surgery, Peking University People's Hospital, were retrospectively analyzed.
      Patients receiving permanent colostomy and local resection were excluded.
      Meanwhile, during October 2014 and March 2015, the enrolled patients were asked
      to fill out a specially designed questionnaire for LARS through face-to-face
      interview or telephone inquiry, according to the chronological order of
      operation. Based on the score of questionnaire, patients were divided into three
      groups: 0-20 points: non LARS; 21-29: minor LARS; 30-42: major LARS. The
      demographic and clinicopathologic features were compared among groups and the
      risk factors of major LARS were tested by logistic regression analysis. RESULTS:
      A total of 100 patients (61 males, 39 females) completed the bowel function
      survey, with an average age of 66.2(41-86) years, 33 patients <60 years versus 67
      patients >=60 years. No significant difference was observed in age distribution
      (P=0.204). Interval from operation to first follow-up was more than 1 year in 70
      patients, and the median follow-up was 23 months. Thirty-seven patients were non
      LARS, 18 were minor LARS and 45 were major LARS. No significant differences in
      clinicopathological data (all P>0.05) were observed among three groups except
      radiotherapy history (P=0.025), tumor location(P=0.000) and distance from
      anastomotic site to anal verge(P=0.008). After comparison of non LARS group
      combined with minor LARS group versus major LARS, re-analysis of risk factors
      showed that radiotherapy history (RR=5.608, 95%CI:1.457 to 21.584, P=0.006),
      distance from tumor lower margin to anal verge (RR=0.125, 95%CI:0.042 to 0.372,
      P=0.000), distance from anastomotic site to anal verge (RR=0.255, 95%CI:0.098 to
      0.665, P=0.004) and preventive ileostomy history(RR=3.643, 95%CI:1.058 to 12.548,
      P=0.032) were associated with major LARS. One potential risk factor detected in
      combined analysis was female (RR=2.138, 95%CI: 0.944 to 4.844, P=0.078).
      Multivariate analysis revealed that female (RR=2.654, 95%CI: 1.005 to 7.014,
      P=0.049), radiotherapy history (RR=10.422, 95%CI:2.394 to 45.368, P=0.002) and
      distance from tumor lower margin to anal verge <=7 cm (RR=8.935, 95%CI:2.827 to
      28.243, P=0.000) were independent risk factors of major LARS. CONCLUSIONS: LARS
      is a significant problem in most rectal cancer patients after SPS. The risk of
      major LARS increases on condition of radiotherapy, low tumor position and female.
      When dealing with these patients, preventive measures should be taken into
      consideration during SPS.

PMID- 28338163
TI  - [Risk factors of postoperative urinary retention after rectal cancer surgery].
AB  - OBJECTIVE: To investigate the risk factors of postoperative urinary retention
      after rectal cancer surgery. METHODS: Clinical data of 133 patients with rectal
      cancer undergoing radical surgery from January 2013 to September 2014 in the
      General Hospital of the PLA Rocket Force were retrospectively analyzed. Time to
      the first removal of urinary catheter, incidence of postoperative urinary
      retention, and time to re-insert indwelling catheter were recorded. Risk factors
      of urinary retention were analyzed. RESULTS: Of 133 patients, 70 were males and
      63 were females, with a median age of 62 (20-79) years old. Distance from tumor
      lower margin to anal verge were <=5 cm in 58 patients, >5 cm to 10 cm in 41
      patients, and >10 cm to 15 cm in 34 patients. The postoperative TNM stage was
      recorded in 35 patients with stage I(, 34 with stage II(, 59 with stage III( and
      5 with stage IIII(. Surgical procedures included anterior resection (AR) for 92
      patients, abdominoperineal resection (APR) for 25 patients and intersphincteric
      resection (ISR) for 16 patients. Laparoscopic approach was performed in 89
      patients compared with open operation in 44 patients. Time to the first removal
      of urinary catheter was 2-7 days after operation (median, 5 days) and 36 (27.1%)
      patients developed urinary retention. All the 36 patients achieved spontaneous
      voiding by re-inserting urinary catheter for 2-28 days (median, 6 days).
      Univariate analysis showed that elderly (>65 years) and laparoscopic approach had
      significantly higher incidence of urinary retention [37.5%(21/56) vs.
      19.5%(15/77), chi2=5.333, P=0.021; 34.8%(31/89) vs. 11.4%(5/44), chi2=8.214,
      P=0.004; respectively]. Multivariate logistic analysis demonstrated that old
      age(OR=3.949, 95%CI:1.622 to 9.612, P=0.002), laparoscopic approach (OR=5.665,
      95%CI:1.908 to 16.822, P=0.002), and abdominoperineal resection (OR=3.443,
      95%CI:1.199 to 9.887, P=0.022) were independent risk factors of urinary retention
      after rectal cancer surgery. CONCLUSIONS: Patients undergoing rectal cancer
      surgery have a high risk of postoperative urinary retention. More attention
      should be paid to the old patients, especially those undergoing laparoscopic
      procedure or abdominoperineal resection, to prevent postoperative urinary
      retention and urinary dysfunction.

PMID- 28338165
TI  - [Clinical efficacy of partial resection of puborectalis combined with mutilation
      of internal anal sphincter in the treatment of puborectalis syndrome with high
      anal pressure].
AB  - OBJECTIVE: To explore the efficacy of partial resection of puborectalis combined
      with mutilation of internal anal sphincter(IAS) in the treatment of puborectalis
      syndrome with high anal pressure. METHODS: Twenty-five cases of puborectalis
      syndrome with high anal resting pressure in the preoperative examination received
      the operation of partial resection of puborectalis combined with mutilation of
      IAS in Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University between January 2013 and May 2015.
      The position of puborectalis was confirmed by touching with the exposure under
      the transfixion device, and a transverse incision was made by electrotome between
      3 and 5 o'clock direction of puborectalis, then partial puborectalis was lifted
      by vessel clamp at 5 o'clock direction, and about 0.5 cm of muscular tissue was
      resected. Between 8 to 10 o'clock direction of anal tube, about 1 cm length of
      transverse incision was made by electrotome, then partial IAS was lifted by
      vessel clamp and cut off. Preoperative and postoperative 3-month anorectal
      manometry and defecography were carried out. Wexner constipation score and
      Cleveland Clinic incontinence score were implemented before surgery and 3, 6, 12
      months after operation. This study was registered in the Chinese Clinical Trial
      Registry (registration number: ChiCTR-ORB-16007695). RESULTS: Of the 25 cases, 18
      were male and 7 were female, the average age was 55 years old and the average
      course of disease was 9 years. Compared with pre-operation, the postoperative 3
      month anal resting pressure and maximal squeeze pressure were significantly
      decreased [(53.56+/-9.05) mmHg vs. (92.44+/-7.06) mmHg, (142.80+/-20.35) mmHg vs.
      (210.88+/-20.56) mmHg, respectively, both P=0.000]; anorectal angulation at
      resting state and forced defecation state increased significantly [(102.32+/
      4.96)degree vs. (95.88+/-4.01)degree, (117.88+/-5.95)degree vs. (89.52+/
      3.25)degree, respectively, both P=0.000]. Wexner constipation score of
      postoperative 3-month, 6-month, 12-month (8.28+/-3.91, 7.40+/-3.64 and 8.04+/
      4.74) was significantly lower than the preoperative score (16.00+/-3.69, all
      P<0.05), while the score was not significantly different among 3 time points
      after operation (P>0.05). Cleveland Clinic incontinence score was 0 at
      postoperative 6 and 12 months, and revealed 20 cases were effective among all the
      surgical patients(80%). CONCLUSION: Partial resection of puborectalis combined
      with mutilation of internal anal sphincter can effectively reduce anal pressure
      and improve symptoms of outlet obstruction, which is an effective method in the
      treatment of puborectalis syndrome with high anal pressure.

PMID- 28338164
TI  - [A prospective randomized controlled trial of laparoscopic repair versus open
      repair for perforated peptic ulcers].
AB  - OBJECTIVE: To compared the clinical efficacy of laparoscopic repair (LR) versus
      open repair (OR) for perforated peptic ulcers. METHODS: From January 2010 to June
      2014, in Shanghai Tongji Hospital, 119 patients who were diagnosed as perforated
      peptic ulcers and planned to receive operation were prospectively enrolled.
      Patients were randomly divided into LR (58 patients) and OR(61 patients) group by
      computer. Intra-operative and postoperative parameters were compared between two
      groups. This study was registered as a randomized controlled trial by the China
      Clinical Trials Registry (registration No.ChiCTR-TRC-11001607). RESULTS: There
      was no significant difference in baseline data between two groups (all P>0.05).
      No significant differences of operation time, morbidity of postoperative
      complication, mortality, reoperation probability, decompression time, fluid diet
      recovery time and hospitalization cost were found between two groups (all
      P>0.05). As compared to OR group, LR group required less postoperative fentanyl
      [(0.74+/-0.33) mg vs. (1.04+/-0.39) mg, t=-4.519, P=0.000] and had shorter
      hospital stay [median 7(5 to 9) days vs. 8(7 to 10) days, U=-2.090, P=0.001]. In
      LR group, 3 patients(5.2%) had leakage in perforation site after surgery. One
      case received laparotomy on the second day after surgery for diffuse peritonitis.
      The other two received conservative treatment (total parenteral nutrition and
      enteral nutrition). There was no recurrence of perforation in OR group. One
      patient of each group died of multiple organ dysfunction syndrome (MODS) 22 days
      after surgery. CONCLUSION: LR may be preferable for treating perforated peptic
      ulcers than OR, however preventive measures during LR should be taken to avoid
      postopertive leak in perforation site.

PMID- 28338166
TI  - [Preoperative assessment value of spectral CT quantitative parameters in lymph
      node metastasis of gastric cancer].
AB  - OBJECTIVE: To investigate the preoperative assessment value of spectral CT
      quantitative parameters in lymph node metastasis of gastric cancer. METHODS: From
      December 2013 to June 2015, clinical and image data of 86 patients with gastric
      cancer confirmed by gastroscope pathology undergoing preoperative enhanced CT
      were prospectively collected. Enhanced CT included nonenhanced CT of conventional
      120 kVp mode, arterial phase (AP) and venous phase (VP) with GSI mode on Discover
      GSI CT scanner. The raw data were transferred to ADW4.6 workstation to
      reconstruct the monochromatic images at 70 keV and iodine-based images in AP and
      VP with 1.25 mm thickness. The short diameter, long diameter, ratio of short to
      long diameter, CT attenuation and iodine value of lymph nodes in each phase were
      measured and recorded. Pathology results were used as golden standard. The
      spectral CT quantitative parameters of positive and negative lymph nodes were
      compared by t test and the sensitivity and specificity analyses were performed by
      ROC curves. This clinical study registration number 81271573. RESULTS: Among
      these 86 gastric cancer patients (53 male and 33 female), tumors of 28 cases were
      in upper part, of 12 cases in middle part, of 27 cases in distal part and of 19
      cases involved two parts. Thirty-five cases were differentiated type and 51 cases
      were undifferentiated type. A total of 1 072 lymph nodes were found in operation,
      of which 412 nodes were positive and 660 were negative. Among 552 lymph nodes
      found in CT images, 338 nodes were positive and 214 were negative. Compared to
      negative lymph nodes, short diameter [(9.52+/-3.58) mm vs. (6.48+/-2.94) mm,
      t=4.639, P=0.000], ratio of short to long diameter (0.82+/-0.14 vs. 0.61+/-0.08,
      t=13.514, P=0.000), CT attenuation in precontrast [(20.44+/-6.77) Hu vs. (16.06+/
      7.14) Hu, t=3.154, P=0.002], CT attenuation in AP[(61.71+/-11.78) Hu vs. (40.11+/
      10.18) Hu, t=9.588, P=0.000], CT attenuation in VP[(71.34+/-13.03) Hu vs.
      (53.81+/-11.39) Hu, t=7.888, P=0.000], iodine value in AP [(16.17+/-4.22) 100
      MUg/cm3 vs. (8.03+/-3.10) 100 MUg/cm3, t=9.781, P=0.000], the iodine value in VP
      [(20.13+/-6.04) 100 MUg/cm3 vs. (11.58+/-4.13) 100 MUg/cm3, t=10.147, P=0.000] of
      positive lymph nodes were greater. The long diameter was not significantly
      different between positive and negative lymph nodes [(11.71+/-5.63) mm vs.
      (10.64+/-3.20) mm, t=1.380, P=0.169]. The area under ROC curve of short diameter,
      ratio of short to long diameter, CT attenuation in precontrast, AP and VP, iodine
      value in AP and VP of lymph nodes was 0.600, 0.880, 0.648, 0.832, 0.755, 0.864,
      0.835, respectively. Taking the ratio of short to long diameter over 0.72 as
      diagnosis standard, the sensitivity was 75.6% and the specificity was 93.5%.
      Taking the CT number in AP over 49.75 Hu, the sensitivity was 66.9% and the
      specificity was 88.8%. Taking the CT number in VP over 59.80 Hu, the sensitivity
      was 69.9% and the specificity was 77.6%. Taking the iodine value in AP over 9.65
      (100 MUg/cm3), the sensitivity was 80.4% and the specificity was 82.2%. Taking
      the iodine value in VP over 15.65 (100 MUg/cm3), the sensitivity was 69.9% and
      the specificity was 86.9%. Combinong the ratio of short to long diameter with the
      iodine value in AP, the sensitivity was 95.2% and the specificity was 76.9%.
      CONCLUSIONS: The ratio of short to long diameter, the iodine value and CT
      attenuation in AP and VP of lymph nodes in spectral CT are important criteria to
      evaluate the metastasis of gastric cancer. Combining the ratio of short to long
      diameter with the iodine value in AP can obviously improve the sensitivity.

PMID- 28338167
TI  - [Comparison of CT manifestations of primary colorectal mucinous adenocarcinoma
      and signet ring cell carcinoma].
AB  - OBJECTIVE: To compare the difference in CT manifestations between primary
      colorectal mucinous adenocarcinoma and signet ring cell carcinoma in order to
      improve radiologic diagnosis. METHODS: Clinicopathological data and CT findings
      of 109 patients with colorectal mucinous adenocarcinoma and 46 patients with
      primary colorectal signet-ring cell carcinoma confirmed by surgery and pathology
      from March 2008 to February 2015 in the Tumor Hospital of Yunnan Province were
      retrospectively collected. Differences in age, gender, tumor location, length and
      thickness of the involved intestinal wall, thickening pattern of the intestinal
      wall, lesion density, calcification, contrast-enhanced form, peri-intestinal
      invasion, occurrence of intestinal obstruction and metastasis of other organs
      were compared between the two groups. RESULTS: Among 109 patients with colorectal
      mucinous adenocarcinoma, 68 were men and 41 were women with a mean age of (56.8+/
      15.4) years. Among 46 patients with primary colorectal signet-ring cell
      carcinoma, 26 were men and 20 were women with a mean age of (42.9+/-15.6) years.
      Compared with mucinous adenocarcinoma group, signet-ring cell carcinoma group
      showed more concentric bowel-wall thickening[93.5%(43/46) vs. 81.6%(89/109),
      chi2=9.19, P=0.030], higher lesion density [(42.0+/-3.0) Hu vs. (28.5+/-1.5) Hu,
      t=37.30, P=0.000], more marked enhancement [54.3%(25/46) vs. 12.8%(14/109),
      chi2=35.21, P=0.000], less vast-low-density region in enhanced CT
      imaging[2.2%(1/46) vs. 45.0%(49/109), chi2=73.31, P=0.000] and more severe peri
      intestinal invasion [41.3% (19/46) vs. 17.4%(19/109), chi2=10.25, P=0.006].
      Calcification was found in 18.3%(20/109) of mucinous adenocarcinoma cases, but
      was not found in signet-ring cell carcinoma cases (chi2=9.69, P=0.002). Target
      ring sign in contrast-enhanced scan was observed in 15.2%(7/46) of signet-ring
      cell carcinoma cases, while in none of mucinous adenocarcinoma cases (chi2=17.37,
      P=0.000). There were no statistically significant differences in lesion location,
      length and thickness of the involved intestinal wall, occurrence of intestinal
      obstruction, lymph node metastasis, liver or peritoneum metastasis between two
      groups(all P>0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Signet-ring cell carcinoma is often found in
      younger patients, whose CT manifestation is characterized by the target ring sign
      in contrast-enhanced scan, while primary colorectal mucinous adenocarcinoma is
      often in older patients, whose CT manifestation is characterized by calcification
      in unenhanced scan and low density region in enhanced CT show.

PMID- 28338168
TI  - [Safety and efficacy of hand-assisted laparoscopic versus open distal gastrectomy
      for gastric cancer: A systematic review and meta-analysis].
AB  - OBJECTIVE: To systematically assess the safety and efficacy of hand-assisted
      laparoscopic distal gastrectomy (HALG) versus open distal gastrectomy (ODG) for
      gastric cancer. METHODS: Chinese or English literature regarding comparison of
      HALG and ODG were collected by searching in databases (such as PubMed, Cochrane
      Library, CNKI, Wanfang database) between January 1996 and September 2016. The
      data of operative time, incision length, blood loss, number of harvested lymph
      nodes, time to flatus, hospital stay, postoperative complication morbidity and
      long-term outcomes were compared between the two procedures. Then funnel plot was
      used to evaluate publication bias and sensitivity analysis was used to evaluate
      the stability of the results. All these data analyses were performed using the
      Meta for or Meta package of R version 3.3.1. RESULTS: A total of 7 studies with
      835 patients (323 cases in HALG group and 512 cases in ODG group) were included.
      Compared with ODG, HALG had a longer operative time (WMD=28.93 minutes,
      95%CI=9.59 to 48.28, Z=2.93, P=0.000), a shorter incision length (WMD=-10.31 cm,
      95%CI=-14.01 to -6.62, Z=-5.47, P=0.000), less blood loss (WMD=-140.08 ml, 95%CI=
      215.07 to -65.09, Z=-3.66, P=0.000), faster gastrointestinal recovery (WMD=-1.23
      days, 95%CI=-1.89 to -0.56, Z=-3.62, P=0.000), shorter postoperative hospital
      stay (WMD=-3.24 days, 95%CI=-5.47 to -1.02, Z=-2.85, P=0.000). In subgroup
      analysis, 3 studies published before 2013 vs. 4 studies published afterwards, the
      number of harvested lymph nodes (WMD=-0.78, 95%CI=-2.05 to 0.50, Z=-1.19,
      P=0.235) and postoperative complication morbidity (RR=1.02, 95%CI=0.43 to 2.44,
      Z=0.05, P=0.961) did not differ significantly between two groups. Compared with
      ODG, the RR(95%CI) of ileus of HALG was 0.43 (0.07 to 2.82), but the difference
      was not statistically significant (P=0.383). One study reported the 5-year
      overall survival rates of HALG and ODG were 81.0% vs 67.5%, and the tumor
      recurrence rates were 7.1% vs 22%, respectively, but the differences were not
      statistically significant(all P>0.05). Sensitivity analysis showed that the above
      results were stable. The funnel plots of the lymph nodes and postoperative
      complication morbidity did not present significant publication bias. CONCLUSIONS:
      HALG has the advantages of minimal invasiveness such as shorter incision length
      and quicker recovery. Furthermore, the short-term efficacy of HALG is similar to
      conventional open surgery. However, the long-term efficacy is lack of support
      from multicenter long-term follow-up results.

PMID- 28338169
TI  - [Meta-analysis of extralevator abdominoperineal excision for rectal cancer].
AB  - OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the efficacy of extralevator abdominoperineal excision
      (ELAPE) of rectal cancer. METHODS: PubMed, Cochrane Library and Embase database
      were searched for clinical studies comparing the ELAPE and abdominoperineal
      excision (APE) for rectal cancer between 2007 and 2016. Two reviewers
      independently screened the articles and extracted the data. The Newcastle-Ottawa
      Scale (NOS) was used to evaluate the quality of the observational studies and the
      score more than 5 points was the inclusion criteria. Cochrane Handbook for
      Systematic Reviews of Interventions v5.1.0 was used to evaluate the quality of
      the randomized controlled trials (RCT). Intra-operative perforation rate,
      circumferential resection margin (CRM) involvement, local recurrence rate,
      perineal wound complications were brought into meta-analysis by Review Manager
      5.3 software. RESULTS: A total of 556 articles were retrieved and 12 articles
      were enrolled finally, including 11 observational studies and 1 RCT study. All
      the 12 articles were high quality (scores of all observational studies were more
      than 11 points, RCT study accorded with 6 criteria of the quality evaluation). A
      total of 3 788 patients were enrolled, including 2 141 cases of ELAPE and 1 647
      cases of APE. Meta-analysis revealed that intra-operative perforation rate of
      ELAPE was lower than APE (RR=0.52, 95%CI:0.34-0.79, P=0.002). There were no
      significant differences between two groups in CRM involvement (RR=0.72,
      95%CI:0.49-1.07, P=0.10), local recurrence rate (OR=0.55, 95%CI:0.24-1.29,
      P=0.17) and perineal wound complications (RR=0.94, 95%CI:0.58-1.53, P=0.800).
      CONCLUSIONS: Compared with APE, ELAPE reduces the intra-operative perforation
      rate, and does not increase the perineal wound complications, but it has no
      advantages in decreasing the CRM involvement and local recurrence rate.

PMID- 28338170
TI  - [Clinical research progress of mesenteric internal hernia after Roux-en-Y
      reconstruction].
AB  - Postoperative internal hernia is a rare clinical complication which often occurs
      after digestive tract reconstruction. Roux-en-Y anastomosis is a common type of
      digestive tract reconstruction. Internal hernia after Roux-en-Y reconstruction,
      which occurs mainly in the mesenteric defect caused by incomplete closure of
      mesenteric gaps in the process of digestive tract reconstruction, is
      systematically called, in our research, as mesenteric internal hernia after Roux
      en-Y reconstruction. Such internal hernia can be divided, according to the
      different structures of mesentric defect, into 3 types: the type of mesenteric
      defect at the jejunojejunostomy (J type), the type of Petersen's defect (P type),
      and the type of mesenteric defect in the transverse mesocolon (M type). Because
      of huge differences in the number of cases and follow-up time among existing
      research reports, the morbidity of internal hernia after LRYGB fluctuates wildly
      between 0.2% and 9.0%. Delayed diagnosis and treatment of mesenteric internal
      hernia after Roux- en-Y reconstruction may result in disastrous consequences such
      as intestinal necrosis. Clinical manifestations of internal hernia vary from
      person to person: some, in mild cases, may have no symptoms at all while others
      in severe cases may experience acute intestinal obstruction. Despite the
      difference, one common manifestation of internal hernia is abdominal pain.
      Surgical treatment should be recommended for those diagnosed as internal hernia.
      A safer and more feasible way to conduct the manual reduction of the incarcerated
      hernia is to start from the distal normal empty bowel and trace back to the
      hernia ring mouth, enabling a faster identification of hernia ring and its track.
      The prevention of mesenteric internal hernia after Roux-en-Y reconstruction is
      related to the initial surgical approach and the technique of mesenteric closure.
      Significant controversy remains on whether or not the mesenteric defect should be
      closed in laparoscopic Roux-en-Y anastomosis. This article is to review the
      reports and researches on internal hernia resulting from the mesenteric defect
      after Roux-en-Y digestive tract reconstruction in recent years, so as to promote
      understanding and attention on this disease. And more active preventive measures
      are strongly suggested to be taken in operations where digestive tract
      reconstruction is involved.

PMID- 28338171
TI  - [Advances of circulating biomarkers in gastroenteropancreatic neuroendocrine
      neoplasms].
AB  - Gastroenteropancreatic neuroendocrine neoplam (GEP-NEN) is a rare group of tumors
      with its incidence rising significantly in recent decades. Because of the late
      presentation of the disease and limitations in conventional biomarkers, about 50%
      of GEP-NEN patients manifests advanced disease when diagnosed. Therefore, it is
      vital to identify circulating biomarkers which can not only be used for early
      diagnosis but also accurately evaluating the biological behavior of GEP-NEN. This
      review summarizes the advances of circulating biomarkers in diagnosing and
      evaluating efficacy of treatment in GEP-NEN. Well-known circulating biomarkers
      include chromogranin A (CgA), pancreastatin (PST), chromogranin B (CgB), neuron
      specific enolase (NSE) and pancreatic peptide(PP). Novel biomarkers including
      circulating tumor cell(CTC), microRNA and NETest are promising biomarkers with
      potential clinical benefit, but further researches are needed before their
      clinical applications.

PMID- 28338172
TI  - Antidiabetic drug metformin mitigates ovarian cancer SKOV3 cell growth by
      triggering G2/M cell cycle arrest and inhibition of m-TOR/PI3K/Akt signaling
      pathway.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: Metformin is one of most extensively prescribed oral hypoglycemic drug
      and has received increased attention in recent times for its antitumorigenic
      potential. Many possible mechanisms have been proposed for the ability of
      metformin to overturn cancer growth in vitro and in vivo. The objective of the
      present study was to evaluate the anticancer activity of metformin against
      ovarian SKOV3 cancer cells. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Anticancer activity and IC50
      value of metformin were determined by MTT assay. Reactive oxygen species (ROS),
      mitochondrial membrane potential (MMP) and effect on cycle were determined by
      flow cytometry. Protein expression was estimated by Western blotting. RESULTS:
      Results indicated that metformin exhibited an IC50 of 20 mM against ovarian SKOV3
      cancer cell line. Metformin also caused DNA damage in SKOV3 cells and also
      prompted ROS-mediated alterations in mitochondrial membrane potential.
      Nonetheless, it triggered cell cycle arrest of SKOV3 at G2/M checkpoint. The
      activation of the PI3K/AKT/mTOR pathway plays a vital role in ovarian cancer
      tumorigenesis, progression and chemotherapy resistance. The results showed that
      metformin significantly inhibited the expression levels of key proteins of
      PI3K/Akt/mTOR signaling pathway. CONCLUSIONS: We propose that metformin exhibits
      anticancer activity in SKOV3 cells and may prove beneficial in the management of
      ovarian cancers.

PMID- 28338173
TI  - Valsartan reduces AT1-AA-induced apoptosis through suppression oxidative stress
      mediated ER stress in endothelial progenitor cells.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: Valsartan has been reported to have the function of treating
      hypertension and improving the prognosis of patients. Many studies indicated that
      valsartan can also increase angiotensin II, andosterone and plasma renin activity
      (PRA). Autoantibodies against the angiotensin II type 1 receptor (AT1-AA) have
      been showed to increase reactive oxygen species (ROS) and calcium (Ca2+) and
      result in apoptosis in vascular smooth muscle cells. In this study, we attempted
      to explore the effect of valsartan on AT1-AA-induced apoptosis in endothelial
      progenitor cells. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs) were
      cultured. The cytotoxicity was determined by MTT assay. EPCs apoptosis was
      determined by DAPI staining and flow cytometry. Reactive oxygen species,
      intracellular calcium concentration and calpain activity were measured using
      Fluostar Omega Spectrofluorimeter. The expression of p-ERK, p-eIF-2a, CHOP, Bcl-2
      and caspase-3 were detected by Western blot. RESULTS: MTT assays showed valsartan
      significantly inhibited AT1-AA- induced decline of the viability of EPCs. DAPI
      staining and flow cytometry results indicated valsartan inhibited AT1-AA-induced
      decline of the viability of EPCs via inhibiting AT1-AA-induced apoptosis.
      Furthermore, the increasing of reactive oxygen species, intracellular calcium and
      calpain activity induced by AT1-AA in EPCs were also recovered after pre-treated
      with valsartan. Meanwhile, the upregulation of p-ERK, p-eIF-2a and CHOP,
      downregulation of Bcl-2, and activation of Caspase-3 caused by AT1-AA were
      reversed after pre-incubated with valsartan. CONCLUSIONS: Valsartan could inhibit
      AT1-AA-induced apoptosis through inhibiting oxidative stress mediated ER stress
      in EPCs.

PMID- 28338174
TI  - The impact of rifaximin in the prevention of bacterial infections in cirrhosis.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: Bacterial infections are a leading factor in the progression from
      compensated to decompensated cirrhosis, with consequent worsening of the
      prognosis, and concerted efforts have been made to reduce infections and improve
      the survival rate of these patients. We retrospectively investigated the rate of
      infections in hospitalized cirrhotic patients under treatment with rifaximin.
      PATIENTS AND METHODS: We enrolled 649 patients whose clinical and personal data,
      prescribed therapy, microbiological findings and laboratory tests were collected
      from previous discharge letters and our institution database. The efficacy of
      rifaximin in preventing several types infection was evaluated by comparing
      outcomes for rifaximin-treated patients vs patients receiving no antibiotic
      treatment. RESULTS: The risk of developing selected bacterial infections was
      significantly lower in patients treated with rifaximin (OR 0.29; 95% CI 0.20
      0.40, p < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: Continuous treatment with rifaximin may prevent
      bacterial infections in cirrhotic patients.

PMID- 28338175
TI  - Study on the mechanism of AMPK signaling pathway and its effect on apoptosis of
      human hepatocellular carcinoma SMMC-7721 cells by curcumin.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: Liver cancer is a common malignant tumor in the digestive system.
      Curcumin is a kind of phenolic pigment, which is extracted from herbage and has a
      plenty of physiological roles in anti-inflammation, anti-oxidation and anti
      tumor. In our study, human hepatoma SMMC-7721 cell lines were selected and
      treated with curcumin to detect its effects on the apoptosis and AMPK signaling
      pathway. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Human liver cancer cell strain SMMC-7721 was
      cultured and treated with different curcumin concentrations for different times
      followed by measuring the changes of cell proliferation activity and cycle by MTT
      and flow cytometry, respectively. Protein expression of Bcl-2, Bax and Caspase-3
      were tested by Western blot, and the activation level of AMPK was also detected.
      RESULTS: Different concentrations of curcumin could inhibit the proliferation of
      tumor cells in a dose-dependent manner. After 48 h inhibition by curcumin with a
      concentration of 40 mmol/L, the inhibitory effect was more obvious with
      statistically significant (p<0.05). The number of human liver cancer SMMC-7721
      cells increased in G1 stage and decreased in S stage after treated with different
      concentrations of curcumin. During the G1 stage to the S stage, inhibition
      occurred and the effect of curcumin intervention group with 40 mmol/L was more
      evident than that of 10 mmol/L group, 20 mmol/L group and the control group with
      statistically significant (p<0.05). SMMC-7721 cell stains had been intervening by
      curcumin with concentrations of 10 mmol/L, 20 mmol/L and 40 mmol/L for 12 h, 24 h
      and 48 h, as the drug concentration increased, the reaction time prolonged, the
      protein expressions of Bcl-2 and Survivin were significantly decreased and Bax
      protein expression was significantly increased (p<0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Curcumin
      decreased the proliferation activity of tumor cells, increased the cell
      quantities in G1 stage and decreased the cell numbers in S stage in human liver
      cancer SMMC-7721 cells. The Bcl-2 and Survivin proteins were downregulated and
      Bax protein was upregulated; furthermore, the AMPK signaling pathway was
      activated.

PMID- 28338176
TI  - The inhibitory effect of resveratrol on COX-2 expression in human colorectal
      cancer: a promising therapeutic strategy.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study is to investigate the mechanism of
      resveratrol (RSVL) on the inhibitory effect on the expression of COX-2 in human
      colorectal cancer. MATERIALS AND METHODS: In this study, we used the HCT-116
      cells as the observation group, and the normal cells as the control group. The
      inhibitory effect induced by RSVL on the COX-2 expression in human colorectal
      cancer was investigated. For the observation group, cells were cultured in the
      nutrition solution with RSVL, while the cells in both control group (normal colon
      epithelial cells) and blank control group (none-treated HCT-116 cells) were
      cultured in the regular nutrition solution. We assayed the mRNA expression and
      the protein expression of COX-2 in different groups using Real-time quantitative
      polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR) and Western blot methods, respectively. Also,
      we measured the cell growth and apoptosis in different treatment groups by using
      methyl thiazolyl tetrazolium assay (MTT) method, and detected the differences in
      COX-2 expression among different groups through immunohistochemistry staining
      RESULTS: Compared with blank control group, the rate of cell proliferation in the
      observation group treated with RSVL was significantly reduced. The results of RT
      qPCR revealed that the mRNA expression of COX-2 of the observation group was
      affected compared with the blank control group. According to the results from
      enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and Western blot, the expression of the
      COX-2 protein in the observation group treated with RSVL was significantly lower
      than that in the blank control group; however, results from the observation group
      and the control group were similar. Also, the immunohistochemistry results showed
      the positive rate of COX-2 expression in the observation group was significantly
      lower than that in the control group. CONCLUSIONS: RSVL (in a certain
      concentration) can suppress the human colorectal cancer through inhibition of COX
      2 expression.

PMID- 28338177
TI  - 5-Aminolevulinic acid photodynamic therapy stimulates local immunity in patients
      with condylomata acuminata via activation of T lymphocytes.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: 5-Aminolevulinic acid photodynamic therapy (5-ALA-PDT) for condylomata
      acuminate (CA) is effective and safe, but how this treatment affects immune
      reaction is poorly understood. We aimed to explore the effects of PDT on local
      immunity in CA. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Immunohistochemical analysis before and
      after PDT was performed to analyze local changes in the distribution of T
      lymphocytes, CD123+ plasmacytoid dendritic cells (pDCs) and CD1a+ myeloid DCs.
      Quantitative Real-time PCR (qRT-PCR) was used to detect changes in mRNA levels of
      interferon (IFN), ISG-15, Mx-2, TLR9, and IRF7. RESULTS: Compared to the healthy
      foreskin, tissue from patient showed increased CD3+ and CD8+ cells but no
      significant changes in CD4+ cells or CD123+ pDCs, and a significantly decreased
      CD1a+ Langerhans cells (LCs). Twenty-four hours after a PDT session, local CD3+,
      CD4+, and CD123+ pDCs in lesions significantly increased and migrated to the
      superficial dermis. CD1a+ LCs in the epidermis gradually decreased, while DCs
      gradually increased. The number, distribution, and morphology of CD8+ cells did
      not change after a PDT session. The mRNA expressions of IFN-gamma, IFN-alpha, IFN
      beta, ISG-15, Mx-2, TLR9, and IRF7 were all elevated. As compared to the patients
      without significantly increased IFN-a and IFN-b after a PDT session, patients
      with significant increases needed fewer sessions of PDT for a cure. CONCLUSIONS:
      These results suggest that PDT for CA can activate T-lymphocyte-meditated
      immunity, and pDC-related immunity is also activated. The clinical efficacy of 5
      ALA-PDT against CA may be related to the increased IFN-alpha and IFN-beta after
      treatment.

PMID- 28338178
TI  - The involvement of senescence induced by the telomere shortness in the decline of
      osteogenic differentiation in BMSCs.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: BMSC (Bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells) is an important seed cell
      for the repair of bone and cartilage defect in the tissue engineering. The
      proliferation rate and differentiation capacity of BMSCs from the old donors were
      less than that from young donors; however, the related mechanism remained
      unclear. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Sprague Dawley (SD) rats BMSCs were cultured and
      treated. Hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) and continual passage of BMSCs were performed
      to induce senescence. Senescence was detected by the SA-b-Gal staining and the
      telomere length analysis. Cell proliferation and osteogenic differentiation were
      also observed. Finally, Olaparib was used to maintain the telomere length and
      investigate the role of telomere length and senescence on the cell proliferation
      and differentiation. RESULTS: H2O2 could increase the positive rate of SA-b-Gal
      staining in BMSCs and shorten the length of the telomere. The proliferation rate
      and ALP activity were also decreased by the H2O2. The senescence and decline of
      osteogenic differentiation could also be observed after prolonged passage of
      BMSCs. Inhibition of telomere length decline could attenuate the increased
      positive rate of SA-b-Gal staining induced by the H2O2, promote the cell
      proliferation, and enhance the capacity of osteogenic differentiation.
      CONCLUSIONS: Senescence induced by the decline of telomere length could reduce
      the capacity of osteogenic differentiation and inhibit cell proliferation in
      BMSCs.

PMID- 28338179
TI  - Effect of dexmedetomidine on immune function of patients undergoing radical
      mastectomy: a double blind and placebo control study.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: To observe and evaluate the effect of dexmedetomidine on the
      perioperative immune function of patients undergoing a radical mastectomy.
      PATIENTS AND METHODS: 124 patients undergoing radical mastectomy were divided
      into the observation group (treated with dexmedetomidine) and the control group
      (treated with saline) by randomized digital table and double blinded and
      randomized design. 10 min before anesthesia induction, the patients in the
      observation group were injected with dexmedetomidine 0.1 ug.kg-1.min-1. The
      injection of 0.9% sodium chloride solution was given to the control group at the
      same rate. In the experiment, the medications of anesthesia induction and
      anesthesia maintain were identical. Venous blood at five times: T0 (before
      anesthesia), T1 (6 h after surgery), T2 (24 h after surgery), T3 (48 h after
      surgery), T4 (72 h after surgery) were collected. ELISA (Enzyme Linked
      Immunosorbent Assay) was used to detect concentrations of IL-2, IFN-gamma, IL-4,
      IL-6 and IL-10; FACS flow cytometry was used to determine the level of T
      lymphocyte subsets (CD3+, CD4+, CD8+) and NK cells. RESULTS: Compared with the
      control group, the cell levels of CD3+ and CD4+ in the observation group rose
      remarkably at T3 and T2 (p<0.05). The cell level of CD8+ fell at T2 with
      significant difference; NK cell level increased noticeably at T1 and T2, and
      CD4+/CD8+ rose dramatically at all postoperative time points. Obviously, the
      patients' immune function, to some extent, has been affected; in addition, the
      concentration of INF-gamma in observation group increased prominently at T1, T2
      and T3 (p<0.05), and the concentration of IL-2 at T2, IL-10 at T1 and T2, and IL
      6 at T2 and T3 in the observation group all rose significantly (p<0.05), and less
      cytokine Th1 drifted to Th2. CONCLUSIONS: The dexmedetomidine can effectively
      maintain the homeostasis of cell immune function of patients undergoing a radical
      mastectomy.

PMID- 28338180
TI  - Influence of dexmedetomidine to cognitive function during recovery period for
      children with general anesthesia.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: We studied the influence of Dexmedetomidine on cognitive function in
      children during the recovery period of general anesthesia. PATIENTS AND METHODS:
      Ninety-three children who underwent general anesthesia were selected and randomly
      divided into (1) the control group, (2) the dexmedetomidine group, and (3) the
      dezocine group. Fentanyl, propofol, and rocuronium were used in all patients to
      induce anesthesia, while sevoflurane inhalation and propofol were used to
      maintain anesthesia. In the control group, 20 ml NS were infused intravenously 10
      min before anesthetic induction. In the dexmedetomidine group, 1.0 MUg/kg
      dexmedetomidine in 20 ml was infused for 10 min. In the dezocine group, 0.1 mg/kg
      dezocine in 20 ml was infused for 10 min. Mean arterial blood pressure, average
      heart rate, and average oxygen saturation (SaO2) were compared at the following
      time points: end of surgery (T0), before extubation (T1), during extubation (T2),
      and 30 min after extubation (T3). The VAS scale, Ramsay sedation score, delirium
      grading scale and occurrence of adverse reactions at 30 min after extubation were
      recorded. The occurrence of postoperative cognitive dysfunction (POCD) and the
      expression of serum neuron-specific enolase (NSE) and IL-6 at postoperative days
      1 and 7 were recorded. RESULTS: Comparing mean arterial blood pressure, average
      heart rate, and average oxygen saturation (SaO2) at the different time points in
      the dexmedetomidine group, there were no statistically significant differences
      (p>0.05). The difference in the occurrence of adverse reactions in the different
      groups was statistically significant (p<0.05). The occurrence of postoperative
      cognitive dysfunction (POCD) at postoperative day 1 was significantly higher in
      the control group than the other two groups (p<0.05), and on the postoperative
      day 7th, the differences were not statistically significant (p>0.05). Regarding
      the expression of neuron-specific enolase (NSE) and IL-6, the levels were the
      highest in the control group, followed by the dezocine group (p<0.05).
      CONCLUSIONS: The dexmedetomidine is safer than dezocine in aspects of
      hemodynamics, sedation, analgesia, degree of delirium, occurrence of adverse
      reactions, and postoperative cognitive dysfunction (POCD). The improvement in the
      occurrence of postoperative cognitive dysfunction (POCD) is related to the levels
      of serum neuron-specific enolase (NSE) and IL-6.

PMID- 28338181
TI  - Gene expression of inflammatory markers in adipose tissue between obese women
      with polycystic ovary and normal obese women.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: The pathogenesis of polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), a common
      endocrine disease and metabolic disturbance, is still unknown. The aim of the
      study was to investigate whether patients with PCOS display increased expression
      of inflammatory markers in adipose tissue. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Two groups of
      women were investigated, those diagnosed with PCOS (n = 8) and age and BMI
      matched normal women (n = 12). Their age was between 20-45 years and all subjects
      were apparently healthy and did not take any medications. Adipose tissue levels
      of mRNA of inflammatory markers were determined by use of real-time PCR. RESULTS:
      There were no differences between obese patients and obese PCOS in levels of
      adipocytokines. CONCLUSIONS: There were no effects of PCOS on the expression of
      any of the adipocytokines genes measured in subcutaneous adipose tissue.

PMID- 28338182
TI  - microRNA-199a-5p mediates high glucose-induced reactive oxygen species production
      and apoptosis in INS-1 pancreatic beta-cells by targeting SIRT1.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: Hyperglycemia-induced pancreatic beta-cell loss is a pathologic
      hallmark of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). This study was conducted to clarify
      the function of microRNA (miR)-199a-5p in high glucose-elicited beta-cell
      toxicity and associated molecular mechanisms. MATERIALS AND METHODS: INS-1 rat
      pancreatic beta-cells were cultured under normal (11 mM) or high (30 mM) glucose
      for 16-72 h and examined for miR-199a-5p expression. Gain and loss-of-function
      studies were performed to determine the role of miR-199a-5p in high glucose
      induced apoptosis and reactive oxygen species (ROS) production. Additionally, the
      involvement of SIRT1 in the action of miR-199a-5p was checked. RESULTS: High
      glucose caused a significant upregulation of miR-199a-5p in INS-1 cells compared
      to cells under normal glucose conditions. Pre-transfection with anti-miR-199a-5p
      inhibitors prevented the reduction in cell viability and inhibited ROS generation
      in INS-1 cells after high glucose treatment. In contrast, overexpression of miR
      199a-5p significantly reduced cell viability and promoted apoptosis and ROS
      formation in INS-1 cells, which was coupled with a downregulation of SIRT1.
      Knockdown of SIRT1 led to apoptotic death in INS-1 cells. Moreover, enforced
      expression of SIRT1 blocked miR-199a-5p-induced ROS generation and attenuated
      high glucose-mediated apoptosis in INS-1 cells. CONCLUSIONS: miR-199a-5p is
      upregulated in pancreatic beta-cells in response to high glucose and promotes
      apoptosis and ROS generation by targeting SIRT1. The miR-199a-5p/SIRT1 axis may
      represent a promising target for the treatment of T2DM.

PMID- 28338183
TI  - Psychogenic convergence spasm mimicking ocular myasthenia.
AB  - A 14-year-old girl presented with a two-years history of fluctuating convergent
      strabismus, diplopia, and reading difficulty. She has been previously diagnosed
      by experienced neurologists as having ocular myasthenia and she had been treated
      for two years with anticholinesterase inhibitors and immunomodulatory drugs.
      After a thorough medical interview and neurological examination, a diagnosis of
      psychogenic convergence spasm was made. The patient was then reassured and the
      symptoms immediately disappeared. She also had psychotherapy and maintained a
      condition of sustained freedom from symptoms.

PMID- 28338184
TI  - MicroRNA-370-3p inhibits human vascular smooth muscle cell proliferation via
      targeting KDR/AKT signaling pathway in cerebral aneurysm.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: Cerebral aneurysm is a common vascular disease with high morbidity and
      mortality. Vascular smooth muscle deletion or dysplasia is an important reason
      for the development of cerebral aneurysm. MiRNAs participate in a variety of
      biological functions through inhibiting target gene translation. The aim of the
      present study was to evaluate the role of miRNAs in the regulation of vascular
      smooth muscle cell proliferation. MATERIALS AND METHODS: MiRNA and mRNA
      expressions were tested by Real-time PCR. Cell cycle was detected by flow
      cytometry. Cell viability was evaluated by MTT assay. HUASMC cell proliferation
      was determined by BrdU assay. Protein expressions were determined using Western
      blot. MiRNA target gene was confirmed by luciferase assay. RESULTS: MiR-370-3p
      expression was increased in cerebral aneurysm tissues. Ectopic expression of miR
      370-3p suppressed proliferation of vascular smooth muscle cells and blocked cell
      cycle. Numerous cell proliferation and apoptosis-related factors were down
      regulated by miR-370-3p. Results of target prediction database and dual
      luciferase assay revealed that KDR is a direct target of miR-370-3p. Importantly,
      FOXO1 activity and AKT and FOXO1 phosphorylation were inhibited by miR-370-3p. We
      suggest that miR-370-3p directly targets KDR, resulting in the activation of AKT
      signaling pathway. CONCLUSIONS: MiR-370-3p was involved in the development of
      cerebral aneurysm by targeting KDR and blocking AKT/FOXO1 signaling pathway. The
      results provide theoretical basis for further investigation of potential clinical
      prevention and treatment of cerebral aneurysm.

PMID- 28338185
TI  - A structured blood conservation program in pediatric cardiac surgery.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: The limitation of alternative transfusion practices in infants
      increases the benefits of blood conservation. We analyzed the efficacy of a
      structured program to reduce transfusions and transfusion-associated
      complications in cardiac surgery PATIENTS AND METHODS: Our pediatric surgery
      database was reviewed retrospectively, comparing outcomes from two different time
      periods, after the implementation of an effective blood conservation program
      beginning in March 2014. A total of 214 infants (8.1+/-3.4 months) who underwent
      biventricular repair utilizing CPB (Group 1 - Blood conservation) were studied in
      a 12-month period (March 2014-February 2015) after the implementation of the new
      program, and compared with 250 infants (7.91+/-3.2 months) (Group 2 - Control-No
      blood conservation) of the previous 12-month period (March 2013-February 2014).
      RESULTS: The proportion of patients transfused with red blood cells was 75.2%
      (N=188) in control group and reduced by 16.4% in the study group (58.8% - 126
      patients, p <0.01). The mean number of transfusions was 1.25 +/- 0.5 units per
      patient in control group and decreased to 0.7 +/- 0.5 units per patient after the
      start of the program (p = 0.035). Cerebral oximetry demonstrated better follow-up
      during the operative period confirming less hemodilution in Group 1. Respiratory
      support, inotropic need and ICU stay were significantly better in the study
      group. CONCLUSIONS: These findings, in addition to attendant risks and side
      effects of blood transfusion and the rising cost of safer blood products, justify
      blood conservation in pediatric cardiac operations. Circuit miniaturization,
      ultrafiltration, and reduced postoperative bleeding, presumably secondary to
      higher fibrinogen and other coagulation factor levels, contributed to this
      outcome.

PMID- 28338186
TI  - Increase in G protein-coupled receptor autoantibodies with decline of cardiac
      function in hypercholesterolemic rats.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to explore the effects of diet-induced
      hypercholesterolemia (HC) on the production of G protein-coupled receptor
      autoantibodies and to elucidate the potential mechanisms involved. MATERIALS AND
      METHODS: Male Wistar rats were fed a normal or high-cholesterol diet for 8 weeks.
      Cardiac function, autoantibodies against G protein-coupled receptors, the beat
      frequency of neonatal cardiomyocytes, the CD4+/CD8+ T-lymphocyte ratio and lymph
      leukocyte counts in the spleen were determined. RESULTS: Diet-induced
      hypercholesterolemia significantly increased the levels of autoantibodies against
      alpha1- and beta1-adrenergic receptors and the angiotensin II type 1 receptor in
      sera, as well as the CD4+/CD8+ T-lymphocyte ratio and lymph leukocyte count in
      the spleen, and decreased cardiac function. There were strong negative
      correlations between the levels of autoantibodies and cardiac injury.
      CONCLUSIONS: The present study demonstrates, for the first time, that G protein
      coupled receptor autoantibodies exist in the sera of hypercholesterolemic rats
      and that the levels of these autoantibodies are related to cardiac function,
      which implies that these cardiac receptor autoantibodies may play a role in
      cardiac dysfunction in hypercholesterolemic rats.

PMID- 28338187
TI  - The predictive value of baseline LDL-TG level on major adverse cardiovascular
      events in a followed up cohort population.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: We aimed at identifying the predictive roles of Low-Density
      Lipoprotein Triglycerides (LDL-TG) for major adverse cardiovascular events
      (MACEs). PATIENTS AND METHODS: A longitudinal study in a routine health check-up
      population was performed with an average follow-up of 4.8 years. The participants
      involved in this study were 1680, from 2007 to 2009, and all had followed-up for
      all-cause mortality, cardiovascular disease mortality, and the development of
      MACEs. The demographic information and anthropometric parameters at baseline were
      recorded. The baseline and follow-up conventional lipid parameters were measured.
      We also examined the level LDL-TG, as well as the relationship between its level
      and MACEs. RESULTS: MACEs individuals were characterized by statistically higher
      baseline LDL-TG (17.22 +/- 8.05 vs. 16.39 +/-7.35 nmol/l, p = 0.017). The
      univariate regression for MACEs group indicated that the LDL-TG (b = 0.813, HR =
      2.254, 95% CI: 1.454-3.494, p < 0.001), older age, sex and other factors were a
      significant risk for MACEs. Furthermore, in the adjusted Cox model showed that
      only higher baseline LDL-TG (b =0.512, HR = 1.669, 95% CI: 1.013-2.748, p =
      0.044) and older age (b = 0.062, HR = 1.064, 95% CI: 1.034-1.094, p < 0.001,
      Table IV) were still predictors for MACEs. CONCLUSIONS: Higher baseline LDL-TG
      closely associated with MACEs and it is a moderate and independent predictive
      factor for MACEs.

PMID- 28338188
TI  - Implication of peripheral blood miRNA-124 in predicting acute myocardial
      infarction.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to determine the expression of miR-124 in the
      patients with acute myocardial infarction (AMI) and elucidated the role of miR
      124 on early diagnosis of AMI. PATIENTS AND METHODS: A total of 90 AMI patients
      were recruited, along with 45 healthy individuals as the control group. Blood
      samples were collected at different time points (0 h at admission, 6 h, 12 h and
      24 h of disease onset). Real-time PCR was used to test miRNA-124 level. ELISA was
      used to test serum troponin (cTnI) and creatine kinase-MB isoenzyme (CK-MB)
      levels. The correlation between miRNA-124, cTnI and CK-MB was analyzed. Receiver
      operating characteristic curve (ROC) was used to analyze sensitivity and
      specificity of AMI. RESULTS: MiRNA-124 expression in experimental group was
      significantly elevated in peripheral blood of AMI patients. It can reach the peak
      at 6h after onset. AMI patients had significantly elevated cTnI and CK-MB
      expression level (p<0.05 compared to control group). The expression of miRNA-124
      reached the peak earlier than cTnI and CK-MB. miRNA-124 was positively correlated
      with cTnI and CK-MB (p<0.05). The area under the curve of ROC of miRNA-124 was
      0.86 (95% CI: 0.815-0.937), with 52% sensitivity and 91% specificity.
      CONCLUSIONS: AMI patients presented a significantly elevated level of miRNA-124
      in peripheral blood. Our data suggested that miR-124 contributed to an earlier
      detection than other diagnostic markers for AMI. Therefore, peripheral miRNA-124
      can serve as a novel biological marker for early diagnosis of AMI.

PMID- 28338189
TI  - Research progress about effects of myocardial enzyme and troponin on uremia with
      acute left ventricular failure.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: We studied the diagnostic value of CK-MB and troponin (cTnI) in uremia
      with acute left ventricular failure patients. PATIENTS AND METHODS: We enrolled
      130 uremia patients with maintenance hemodialysis (MHD) and divided them into two
      groups: (i) the observation group with patients suffering from acute left
      ventricular failure (n=30) and (ii) the control group which contained cases
      without acute left ventricular failure (n=100). We verified CK-MB, cTnI, serum
      creatinine, blood urea nitrogen, pro-BNP and LVEF levels at 6 h, 12 h, 24 h, 48
      h, 72 h, 7 d and 14 d after the attack and carried out 1-year follow-up to
      compare total mortality and cardiogenic mortality. RESULTS: Our results showed
      that CK-MB and cTnI levels in the observation group were significantly higher
      than those in the control group (p<0.05). CK-MB and cTnI in the observation group
      increased into platform stage slowly with no peak or downtrend. They were in a
      linear pattern in the control group. Comparison of SCr and BUN in two groups at
      different time points produced no statistically significant differences (p>0.05).
      Pro-BNP levels in the hospital as well as 1 month, 6 months and 12 months follow
      ups were higher than those in the control group, and differences were of
      statistical significant (p<0.05). While in hospital LVEF level in the observation
      group was higher than that in the other group, differences regarding 1 month, 6
      months and 12 months follow-up between two groups had no statistical significance
      (p>0.05). Total mortality and cardiogenic mortality in the observation group were
      higher than those in the control group, and differences were statistically
      significant (p<0.05). CONCLUSIONS: CK-MB, cTnI, SCr, BUN, pro-BNP and LVEF were
      independent risk factors for total mortality while CK-MB, cTnI and pro-BNP were
      independent risk factors for cardiogenic mortality.

PMID- 28338190
TI  - The role of miR-146a in modulating TRAF6-induced inflammation during lupus
      nephritis.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: Lupus nephritis (LN) is a major complication of systemic lupus
      erythematosus (SLE). A previous study showed decreased expression level of
      microRNA (miR)-146a in LN patients, indicating its possible role in LN
      pathogenesis. PATIENTS AND METHODS: A total of 98 LN patients were recruited, for
      the collection of renal tissue samples during biopsy or surgery. Another cohort
      of 15 patients who had renal tumor resection was recruited as the control group,
      for the further comparison of expression levels of miR-146a, TRAF6 and p-p65 in
      tissues. Human glomerular mesangial cells were treated with miR-146a mimics, si
      TRAF6 or both, followed by the evaluation of p65, p-p65, IL-1beta, IL-6, IL-8 and
      TNF-alpha. Transwell assay was performed to detect the effect of mesangial cells
      on chemotaxis of macrophage. RESULTS: MiR-146a expression was significantly
      depressed in renal tissues of LN patients, while TRAF6 expression, macrophage
      infiltration and p-p65 expression were all elevated as the activity of LN was
      induced. The up-regulation of miR-146a and/or down-regulation of TRAF6 can
      significantly inhibit NF-kappaB transcriptional activity of glomerular mesangial
      cells, while the gene expressions of IL-1beta, IL-6, IL-8 and TNF-alpha were
      suppressed. CONCLUSIONS: The expression of miR-146a in renal tissues of LN
      patients was significantly depressed, while the transcriptional activity of TRAF6
      and NF-kappaB was enhanced. MiR-146 thus inhibited NF-kappaB transcriptional
      activity and inflammatory factor synthesis, and alleviated chemotactic effect
      towards macrophage via the inhibition of TRAF6 activity.

PMID- 28338191
TI  - A randomized single-center study to compare the efficacy and tolerability of
      tadalafil once daily plus lidocaine anesthetic spray on premature ejaculation.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: The use of topical local anesthetics in the form of creams, gel or
      spray is the oldest method of retarding ejaculation. However, several studies
      have suggested that phosphodiesterase type 5 inhibitors (5-PDEiS) show a
      potential therapeutic use in the treatment of premature ejaculation (PE). The aim
      of this study was to compare the efficacy and tolerability of tadalafil-only,
      tadalafil plus local anesthetic spray (lidocaine), and topical lidocaine spray
      only before intercourse on the intravaginal ejaculatory latency time (IELT) of
      patients with lifelong PE. PATIENTS AND METHODS: The study included 78 men in
      stable heterosexual, monogamous relationships (of >=3 months) who were diagnosed
      with lifelong PE. The patients were divided into three groups: G1: 25 patients
      who received lidocaine spray 10 g/100 ml at 5 min before intercourse; G2: 27
      patients who received tadalafil 5 mg once daily; G3: 26 patients who treated with
      tadalafil once daily plus lidocaine spray before planned sexual activity. The
      treatments were continued for up to three months in all groups. Moreover, the
      quality of their sexual attempts was rated on a 5-point scale. Follow-up was made
      at 1-month and 3-month. RESULTS: Not statistically significant differences
      emerged between the three groups at baseline. Mean ejaculatory latency time at
      the 3-month follow-up in G1, G2 and G3 was 3.7+/-1.3, 3.4+/-1.5, 5.6+/-1.7
      (p<0.001). Mean satisfaction score was at the 3-month follow-up in G1: 2.8+/-1.4,
      in G2: 2.9+/-1.8, and G3: 3.7+/-1.5 (p<0.002). None of the patients withdrew from
      the study because of these adverse events. CONCLUSIONS: This study demonstrates
      that tadalafil used daily has a role on treatment in lifelong PE. This action is
      valid when combined strategically to the synergistic action of lidocaine spray
      applied before intercourse increasing significantly the mean IELT.

PMID- 28338192
TI  - Application of percutaneous epididymal sperm aspiration in azoospermia.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: The present study introduces the application of percutaneous
      epididymal sperm aspiration (PESA) for diagnosis of obstructive azoospermia and
      non-obstructive azoospermia. PATIENTS AND METHODS: 96 cases diagnosed with
      azoospermia were selected, standard methods were used to measure testicular
      volume, chemiluminescence was used to test serum sexual hormone levels, and No. 7
      butterfly needles were applied to puncture the head of the epididymis and
      aspirate epididymal luminal fluid. RESULTS: Among 96 cases of azoospermia, sperm
      was found in the epididymal luminal fluid of 49 cases, among which there were 41
      cases with normal testicular volume and 8 cases with low volume. 39 cases had
      normal serum FSH levels, and 10 cases had increased serum FSH levels. There were
      47 cases with no sperm, among which there were 26 cases with normal testicular
      volume and 21 cases with low volume. 29 cases had normal serum FSH levels, and 18
      cases had increased levels. The success rate of puncture for patients with normal
      testicular volume was higher than that of patients with low volume, and the
      difference was statistically significant (p < 0.05). The success rate of puncture
      for patients with normal serum FSH levels was higher than that of patients with
      increased levels, and the difference was statistically significant (p < 0.05).
      CONCLUSIONS: PESA is simple and efficient, and is a feasible method for diagnosis
      of azoospermia.

PMID- 28338193
TI  - Oncogenic miR-155 down-regulated upon activation of antitumor cytotoxic T
      lymphocytes by the fusion of dendritic cells with breast carcinoma cells.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: MicroRNAs has been proved to play vital roles in many biological
      processes. In the present study, the expression profile of oncogenic miR-155 in
      the activated antitumor cytotoxic T lymphocytes generated by the fusion of
      dendritic cells with breast carcinoma cells has been demonstrated. MATERIALS AND
      METHODS: Expression profile of oncogenic miR-155 was noted in antitumor cytotoxic
      T lymphocytes, which was generated by the fusion of dendritic cells (DC) with
      breast carcinoma cells (MCF-7). The fused cells were used to induce and generate
      antitumor CTL with the standard procedure. Flow cytometry, as well as qPCR
      analysis, were performed to identify the expression profile of oncogenic miR-155
      in the generated antitumor CTL against breast cancer. RESULTS: Compared with
      controls, the presence of MUC-1 and MHC-II in the DC/MCF-7 fused cells was
      confirmed by flow cytometry analysis. qPCR experimental results conclude that
      oncogenic miR-155 level was decreased in the antitumor CTL generated against
      breast cancer cells. CONCLUSIONS: We observed that the oncogenic miR-155 level
      was down-regulated in the antitumor CTL against breast cancer, and it may be used
      as the effective treatment to eliminate the malignant cells in the breast cancer
      patients.

PMID- 28338194
TI  - lncRNA NEAT1 is closely related with progression of breast cancer via promoting
      proliferation and EMT.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: Breast cancer (BC) is one of the most common cancers in females.
      Abnormal proliferation and metastasis are key reasons that cause mortality in BC
      patients. More and more evidence showed that lncRNA played an important role in
      the BC development, but the mechanism was not well established. PATIENTS AND
      METHODS: The expression of lncRNA NEAT1 was detected in 40 BC patients by qRT-PCR
      technology. MTT and Wound Healing assays were applied to detect the effect of
      lncRNA NEAT1 in proliferation and metastasis in BC. Western blot was used to
      detect possible protein, which was regulated by lncRNA NEAT1. RESULTS: lncRNA
      NEAT1 was highly expressed in BC tissue, and the expression was also closely
      related to the tumor size and lymph node metastasis. Survival study also showed
      that the expression of lncRNA NEAT1 was closely related with prognosis of BC
      patients. MTT and Wound Healing assays showed that suppression of lncRNA NEAT1
      could lead to decreased proliferation and metastasis in BC cell lines. Western
      blot also showed that beta-catenin and N-cad were decreased while E-cad was
      increased after lncRNA NEAT1 being suppressed. CONCLUSIONS: lncRNA NEAT1 may act
      as an oncogene in BC, which can promote proliferation and metastasis of BC.

PMID- 28338195
TI  - TGF-beta1 promotes human gastric carcinoma SGC7901 cells invasion by inducing
      autophagy.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: To investigate the role of TGF-b1 in autophagy and invasion ability in
      human gastric carcinoma cell line SGC7901. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Cultured
      SGC7901 cells were treated with different concentrations of TGF-b1 for 24 h. The
      protein expression levels of autophagy relative marker LC3 and Beclin1 were
      detected by Western blot. The effect of TGF-b1 on invasion ability of SGC7901
      cells was detected with transwell method. RESULTS: The results demonstrated that
      TGF-b1 was able to induced autophagy of SGC7901 cells in a dose-dependent manner.
      Autophagy inhibitor 3-MA could inhibit TGF-b1 upregulated autophagy. Furthermore,
      TGF-b1 significantly enhances the invasion ability of SGC7901 cells. However,
      autophagy inhibitor 3-MA could effectively reverse this process. CONCLUSIONS: TGF
      b1 enhances SGC7901 cells migration by inducing autophagy.

PMID- 28338196
TI  - Study on the proliferation of human gastric cancer cell AGS by activation of EGFR
      in H2O2.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: This study is to investigate the effect of low concentration hydrogen
      peroxide (H2O2) on the proliferation of gastric cancer AGS cell line in vitro and
      the mechanism. MATERIALS AND METHODS: AGS cells were treated with different low
      concentrations of H2O2 (1, 0.1, 0.01, and 0.001 MUm) for 48 hours. The effect of
      H2O2 concentration gradient on the activity of AGS cell activities was detected
      by methyl thiazolyl tetrazolium (MTT) method. The expression of the epidermal
      growth factor receptor (EGFR) and its downstream signaling pathway extracellular
      signal-regulated kinase (ERK) protein in H2O2 was detected by Western blot
      method; moreover, the effect of H2O2 on intracellular reactive oxygen species
      (ROS) in AGS cells was observed under the fluorescence microscope and
      quantitative analysis by flow cytometry. The effect of H2O2 on the level of c-myc
      mRNA in AGS cells was also detected by reverse transcription polymerase chain
      reaction (RT-PCR). RESULTS: MTT detection results showed that 1 MUm and 0.1 MUm
      H2O2 at 48h can effectively promote the proliferation of AGS cells (p<0.05). The
      Western blot results showed that after 48 hours of low concentration of H2O2
      treatment of AGS cells, the EGFR protein levels and ERK protein phosphorylation
      levels increased significantly (p<0.05). Fluorescence microscopy and flow
      cytometry showed that the low concentration of H2O2 increased the intracellular
      reactive oxygen species (ROS). RT-PCR results showed the levels of c-myc mRNA in
      AGS cells treated with a low concentration of H2O2 were significantly increased
      (p<0.05) and EGFR blocking agent AG1478 can resist the above effects.
      CONCLUSIONS: Low concentration of H2O2 can significantly promote the
      proliferation of AGS cells by activating EGFR/ERK signaling pathway.

PMID- 28338197
TI  - Predictive value and modeling analysis of MSCT signs in gastrointestinal stromal
      tumors (GISTs) to pathological risk degree.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: By analyzing MSCT (multi-slice computed tomography) signs with
      different risks in gastrointestinal stromal tumors, this paper aimed to discuss
      the predictive value and modeling analysis of MSCT signs in GISTs
      (gastrointestinal stromal tumor) to pathological risk degree. PATIENTS AND
      METHODS: 100 cases of primary GISTs with abdominal and pelvic MSCT scan were
      involved in this study. All MSCT scan findings and enhanced findings were
      analyzed and compared among cases with different risk degree of pathology. Then
      GISTs diagnostic model was established by using support vector machine (SVM)
      algorithm, and its diagnostic value was evaluated as well. RESULTS: All lesions
      were solitary, among which there were 46 low-risk cases, 24 medium-risk cases and
      30 high-risk cases. For all high-risk, medium-risk and low-risk GISTs, there were
      statistical differences in tumor growth pattern, size, shape, fat space, with or
      without calcification, ulcer, enhancement method and peritumoral and intratumoral
      vessels (p<0.05). However, there were no statistical differences in the location
      of tumor and CT value at each period (plain scan, arterial phase, venous phase)
      (p>0.05). The apparent difference lied in plain scan, arterial phase and venous
      phase for each risk degree. The diagnostic accuracy of SVM diagnostic model
      established with 10 imaging features as indexes was 70.0%, and it was especially
      reliable when diagnosing GISTs of high or low risk. CONCLUSIONS: Preoperative
      analysis of MSCT features is clinically significant for its diagnosis of risk
      degree and prognosis; GISTs diagnostic model established on the basis of SVM
      possesses high diagnostic value.

PMID- 28338198
TI  - The expression of SIRT3 in primary hepatocellular carcinoma and the mechanism of
      its tumor suppressing effects.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: To observe the SIRT 3 expression in primary hepatocellular carcinoma
      (HCC), and then establish the eukaryotic expression vector of SIRT3 to observe
      the proliferation and apoptosis of pZsGreen-c1-SIRT3 HepG2 cells. Furthermore, we
      explored the mechanism of SIRT3 in inhibiting HCC. PATIENTS AND METHODS:
      Immunohistochemistry was used to detect the expression of SIRT3 in the tumor
      tissue and para-tumor tissue in 32 patients with HCC and the normal liver tissue
      in 10 patients. The mRNA of SIRT3 from the normal liver tissue was used as a
      template, reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) was used to
      obtain the total sequence of SIRT3 gene, and then the gene was cloned and
      combined with vector pZsGreen-c1, liposome transfection technology was used to
      transfect the recombined plasmid into HepG2. The cells were divided into three
      groups: group A (HepG2 cells as a blank control group), group B (pZsGreen-c1
      HepG2 cells as an experimental control group) and group C (pZsGreen-c1-SIRT3 HepG
      2 cells as an experimental group). MTT (3-(4,5-dimethyl-2-thiazolyl)-2,5-diphenyl
      2-H-tetrazolium bromide) assay was used to detect the growth and proliferation of
      cells in 3 groups; annexinV/PI double staining was used to detect the apoptotic
      rates of cells in 3 groups. Western blot was used to detect the protein
      expression of SIRT3, Fas, Bax and P53, and water-soluble tetrazolium salt (WST-1)
      was used to detect MnSOD content in 3 groups. RESULTS: Immunohistochemistry
      results showed that SIRT3 in the tumor tissue sample was positive in 19 patients
      out of 32 HCC patients; however, there was no strong positive case, the positive
      rate of SIRT3 expression was 59.38% (19/32). SIRT3 in the para-tumor tissue was
      positive in 31 HCC patients, the positive rate was 96.88% (31/32), and 18 cases
      were strongly positive; SIRT3 in normal liver tissue was positive in all 10
      cases, the positive rate was 100.0% (10/10), and 7 cases were strongly positive.
      The differences of SIRT3 positive rate and positive score in tumor tissue from
      para-tumor tissue and normal liver tissue were statistically significant
      (p<0.05). However, the differences between para-tumor tissue and normal liver
      tissue were not statistically significant (p>0.05). After pZsGreen-c1-SIRT3
      transfection, MTT results showed that the OD values in 3 groups were increased
      with the time, showing time-dependent manner. At 48 h after culture, the OD
      values in-group C were significantly different from group A and B, and the
      inhibitory rates were statistically different (p<0.05). After 48 h, the OD values
      and inhibitory rates in-group C showed that the cells were obviously inhibited,
      and the inhibitory rates were increased with the time, showing time-dependent
      manner. Flow cytometry results showed that the cell numbers of early stage
      apoptosis and late stage apoptosis were significantly increased in group C, which
      was significantly higher than group A and B, the differences were statistically
      significant (p<0.01). Western blot results showed that expression levels of
      SIRT3, p53, Bax and Fas were not different between group A and B (p>0.05); SIRT3,
      p53, Bax and Fas in group C were significantly increased, which were
      statistically higher than group A and B (p<0.01). WST-1 results showed that MnSOD
      contents were not statistically different between group A and B (p>0.01). MnSOD
      content in-group C was significantly higher than the other groups, which were
      statistically significant (p<0.01). CONCLUSIONS: SIRT3 shows low expression or
      deficiency in HCC tissue, indicating that SIRT3 expression can affect the
      occurrence and development of HCC. SIRT3 can inhibit the growth and proliferation
      of HepG2 cells and induce HepG2 cell apoptosis. The mechanism may be related to
      the up-regulation of MnSOD and p53, the up-regulation of Bax and Fas by MnSOD.

PMID- 28338199
TI  - MiR-576-3p is a novel marker correlated with poor clinical outcome in bladder
      cancer.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: MicroRNAs play important roles in the regulation of the initiation and
      progression of bladder cancer. To our best knowledge, the prognostic value of miR
      576-3p in bladder cancer has not been reported. Thus, the purpose of the current
      study was to determine the expression of miR-576-3p and assess the clinical
      significance of miR-576-3p in bladder cancer. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Quantitative
      real-time polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) was performed to evaluate miR-576-3p
      levels in 232 pairs of bladder cancer specimens and adjacent noncancerous
      tissues. The association of miR-576-3p expression with clinicopathological
      factors was statistically analyzed. Overall survival was calculated and survival
      curves were plotted using the Kaplan-Meier method. The influence of each variable
      on survival was examined by the Cox multivariate regression analysis. RESULTS:
      Our data showed that the expression of miR-576-3p was significantly decreased in
      bladder cancer tissue compared with matched bladder tissues (p < 0.01). Low miR
      576-3p expression level was significantly associated with advanced tumor stage (p
      = 0.004), lymph node metastasis (p = 0.027), and recurrence (p = 0.018). The
      results of Kaplan-Meier survival analysis showed that patients with low miR-576
      3p expression presented shorter mean months of overall survival than patients
      with high miR-576-3p expression (p < 0.0001). Finally, the univariate and
      multivariate analysis showed that miR-576-3p expression was an independent
      prognostic marker of overall survival of bladder cancer patients. CONCLUSIONS:
      Our results demonstrated that down expression of miR-576-3p in bladder cancer was
      associated with an unfavorable prognosis, and miR-576-3p might be clinically
      applicable as an indicator of favorable prognosis.

PMID- 28338200
TI  - Glioma cells promote angiogenesis through the release of exosomes containing long
      non-coding RNA POU3F3.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: Angiogenesis is a key event in the progression of gliomas, and
      emerging evidence suggests that exosomes are signaling extracellular organelles
      that modulate the tumor microenvironment and promote angiogenesis and tumor
      progression. This study aimed to explore the mechanism by which glioma-derived
      exosomes affect angiogenesis. MATERIALS AND METHODS: qRT-PCR was used to
      determine the expression level of linc-POU3F3 in glioma tissue as well as glioma
      cell lines. Ultrafiltration combined with a purification method was used to
      isolate exosomes derived from A172 cells (A172-Exo) and linc-POU3F3 shRNA-treated
      A172 cells (shA172-Exo). Transmission electron microscopy, Western blot and
      tunable resistive pulse sensing (TRPS) were used to identify exosomes. In vitro
      migration, proliferation, and tube formation experiments, as well as in vivo CAM
      assays, were used to analyze the pro-angiogenesis ability of exosomes. qRT-PCR
      and Western blot were used to identify expression levels of angiogenesis-related
      genes and proteins in human brain microvascular endothelial cells (HBMECs) after
      being cultured with exosomes. RESULTS: The levels of linc-POU3F3 were upregulated
      in glioma tissue and significantly correlated with the advanced tumor stage. A172
      cells exhibited the highest expression level. A172-Exo was similar to shA172-Exo
      (50-100 nm in diameter) and expressed Alix, Tsg101 and CD9, while the expression
      level of linc-POU3F3 in A172-Exo was significantly higher than that in shA172
      Exo. HBMECs rapidly internalized A172-Exo and shA172-Exo, and the linc-POU3F3
      expression level in HBMECs treated with A172-Exo was significantly higher than
      the level in HBMECs treated with shA172-Exo. A172-Exo exhibited better function
      in promoting HBMECs migration, proliferation, tubular-like structure formation in
      vitro and arteriole formation in vivo. The gene and protein expression level of
      bFGF, bFGFR, VEGFA, and Angio in HBMECs treated with A172-Exo was much higher
      than that of HBMECs treated with shA172-Exo. CONCLUSIONS: These results indicated
      that gliomas can induce angiogenesis by secreting exosomes enriched in linc
      POU3F3. Exosomes and lncRNA-POU3F3 may, therefore, function as a putative
      therapeutic target in glioma.

PMID- 28338201
TI  - The clinical relationship between the slug-mediated Puma/p53 signaling pathway
      and radiotherapy resistance in nasopharyngeal carcinoma.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: To explore the clinical relationship between the Slug-mediated
      Puma/p53 signaling pathway and radiotherapy resistance in nasopharyngeal
      carcinoma. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Forty surgical specimens were collected from
      nasopharyngeal carcinoma patients treated at our hospital between February 2010
      and February 2015. Twenty patients with poorly differentiated nasopharyngeal
      carcinoma with and without radiotherapy resistance were included in the
      experimental and control groups, respectively. Slug, Puma, and p53 expression
      were quantified in all tissues using fluorescence quantitative polymerase chain
      reaction, enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), Western blotting, and
      immunohistochemistry. RESULTS: Slug and p53 mRNA levels were significantly higher
      in the experimental group than in the control group (p < 0.01). Puma mRNA levels
      were significantly lower in the experimental group than in the control group (p <
      0.01). Slug protein expression was significantly higher in the experimental group
      (6.07 +/- 0.203 MUg/L) than in the control group (1.24 +/- 0.171 MUg/L) (p <
      0.01). p53 protein expression was significantly higher in the experimental group
      (4.28 +/- 0.108 MUg/L) than in the control group (0.63 +/- 0.101 MUg/L) (p <
      0.01). Puma protein expression was significantly lower in the experimental group
      (0.43 +/- 0.11 MUg/L) than in the control group (3.37 +/- 0.112 MUg/L) (v <
      0.01). The number of Slug, Puma, and p53-positive cells in the experimental group
      and the control group were quantified; these values confirmed the ELISA and
      Western blot findings. CONCLUSIONS: Slug downregulated the Puma protein
      expression signaling pathway and promoted radiotherapy resistance in poorly
      differentiated squamous cell carcinoma tissue, in a p53-independent manner.

PMID- 28338202
TI  - HOXA10 promotes nasopharyngeal carcinoma cell proliferation and invasion via
      inducing the expression of ZIC2.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: In this study, we aimed to explore the dysregulated genes in
      nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) and to investigate the regulative effect of HOXA10
      on ZIC2 expression and their involvement in NPC cell proliferation and invasion.
      MATERIALS AND METHODS: Microarray data that compared the transcription profile of
      NPC tissues and normal tissues was searched in GEO datasets and was re-analyzed.
      The expression of HOXA10 and ZIC2 mRNA were retrieved in TCGA database. CNE1 and
      CNE2 cells were used as an in-vitro cell model. Luciferase reporters carrying
      truncated ZIC2 promoter sequences were generated to verify the predicted HOXA10
      binding site. CCK-8 assay and transwell assay were applied to assess cell
      proliferation and invasion respectively. RESULTS: HOXC6, HOXA3, and HOXA10 were
      upregulated in NPC tissues. Data mining in TCGA database showed that HOXA10, but
      not HOXC6 or HOXA3 is positively correlated to ZIC2 expression. Enforced HOXA10
      expression significantly elevated ZIC2 expression at both mRNA and protein levels
      in both CNE1 and CNE2 cells. HOXA10 can directly bind to the promoter of ZIC2 and
      upregulate ZIC2 transcription. ZIC2 knockdown significantly reduced cell
      proliferation and invasion capability of CNE1 cells and also partly abrogated the
      effect of HOXA10 overexpression on enhancing cell proliferation and invasion.
      CONCLUSIONS: Both HOXA10 and ZIC2 are upregulated in NPC tissues compared to the
      normal tissues. HOXA10 can increase ZIC2 expression via binding to the ZIC2
      promoter. Functionally, the HOXA10-ZIC2 axis can enhance NPC cell proliferation
      and invasion.

PMID- 28338203
TI  - MiR-155 regulates oral squamous cell carcinoma Tca8113 cell proliferation, cycle,
      and apoptosis via regulating p27Kip1.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: P27Kip1 is the one of the negative regulators of the cell cycle that
      plays an important role in regulating cell cycle and inhibiting cell
      proliferation by restraining cell in G1 phase. P27Kip1 downregulation maybe
      related to the occurrence of oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC). It was found
      that miR-155 significantly upregulated in OSCC tissue. Bioinformatics analysis
      revealed that miR-155 may bind with the 3'-UTR of p27Kip1. This study
      investigated the role of miR-155 in regulating p27Kip1 and affecting Tca8113 cell
      proliferation, cycle, and apoptosis. PATIENTS AND METHODS: A total of 46 cases of
      OSCC patients received treatment in our hospital were enrolled to obtain tumor
      tissue. Another 25 normal oral mucosa samples were selected as control to detect
      the relationship between miR-155 and p27Kip1 expressions. Dual luciferase assay
      was adopted to confirm the targeted relationship between miR-155 and p27Kip1.
      Flow cytometry was applied to test cell apoptosis and cell cycle. CCK-8 assay was
      used to evaluate cell proliferation. Caspase-3 activity was detected by
      spectrophotometry. RESULTS: MiR-155 upregulated, while p27Kip1 declined in OSCC
      tissue compared with normal oral mucosa. Their expressions were related to TNM
      stage. MiR-155 targeted suppressed p27Kip1 expression. MiR-155 mimic and/or pEGFP
      p27Kip1 transfection obviously declined p27Kip1 expression, blocked cell cycle in
      G1 phase, reduced cell proliferation, enhanced Caspase-3 activity, and increased
      cell apoptosis in Tca8113 cells. CONCLUSIONS: MiR-155 increased, while p27Kip1
      reduced in OSCC tissue. Inhibition of miR-155 upregulated p27Kip1 expression,
      blocked cell cycle in G1 phase, weakened cell proliferation, and induced cell
      apoptosis.

PMID- 28338204
TI  - NSD2 promotes osteosarcoma cell proliferation and metastasis by inhibiting E
      cadherin expression.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: Osteosarcoma is one of the most common malignant bone tumors. The
      mechanisms of osteosarcoma development and invasion have been studied for periods
      of time, yet targeted therapy for improving survival has not been well
      established. Histone lysine methyltransferase NSD2 was frequently overexpressed
      in multiple types of cancer such as multiple myeloma, stomach and colon cancer,
      and the overexpression of it usually associated with aggressiveness tumor type.
      However, the expression status and function of NSD2 are still ambiguous in
      osteosarcoma. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Here, we evaluate the abnormal expression
      levels of NSD2 in osteosarcoma samples and cell lines. The higher expression of
      NSD2 in tumors resulted in a poorer outcome and a worse 5-year overall survival.
      To investigate the role of NSD2 in osteosarcoma cell proliferation and invasion
      in vitro, MTT assay, cell cycle distribution, wound healing, transwell assay was
      performed in relative cell lines, using a recombinant lentivirus expressing NSD2
      short hairpin RNA or NSD2 construction. RESULTS: Our results imply that NSD2
      promotes osteosarcoma cell proliferation and invasion, and the mechanism was
      possibly through the suppression of E-cadherin and induction of the epithelial
      mesenchymal transition, further to proceed invasion of osteosarcoma cells.
      CONCLUSIONS: NSD2 may work as a novel repression of E-cadherin; therefore, NSD2
      has potential as a target of OS therapy. In the future, the monitoring of NSD2 in
      the serum/plasma from the RNA level may be used as a non-invasive method for
      selecting patients for target therapy.

PMID- 28338205
TI  - Association between hepatitis B and hearing status.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: This study was performed to investigate the correlation between the
      chronic hepatitis B virus infection and hearing status. This study was performed
      to investigate the correlation between the chronic hepatitis B virus infection
      and hearing status. PATIENTS AND METHODS: This research was based on 76 hepatitis
      B infections as the case group (including 35 HBV carriers and 41 chronic
      hepatitis B (CHB) patients) and 54 normal cases as the control group. They were
      selected sequentially and audiologic tests were performed on the participants.
      RESULTS: The average hearing thresholds (HTs) of control group and hepatitis-B
      infection were 10.70 and 12.42 dBHL respectively with statistically significant
      difference (p < 0.01). Frequency-specific HT of 114 ears in control group and
      hepatitis-B infection were found statistical differences for hearing frequency
      ranged 250 to 8000 (p < 0.05), and statistically significant differences for 250,
      2000 and 4000 Hz (p < 0.01). Significant differences were only measured for HT at
      250 Hz frequencies between control and HBV carriers (p < 0.01), while for control
      and CHB group, the differences were detected for all tested frequency (p < 0.01).
      The SNR for f2 frequencies (553, 1105, 2211, 3125, 4416, 4416, 6250 Hz) of the
      CHB patients and HBV carriers were compared with statistical differences (p <
      0.01). CONCLUSIONS: The results showed that the hepatitis-B patients were more
      prone to hearing loss and that the hepatitis B disease can cause hearing loss.
      The infection of the inner ear and the pathological changes of the patients with
      HBV infection still need to be further explored.

PMID- 28338206
TI  - Impact and clinical significance of Embosphere microsphere artery embolization
      therapy in serum VEGF expression level of women patients with uterine fibroids.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: We aimed to investigate the effect of Embosphere microsphere artery
      embolization on the serum level of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) in
      patients with uterine fibroid. PATIENTS AND METHODS: From March 2014 to December
      2015, 128 women in child-bearing age with uterine intramural fibroids were
      enrolled in the patient group. At the same time, 128 healthy cases in child
      bearing age were randomly selected and enrolled in the control group. Enzyme
      linked immunosorbent assay was used to measure the serum level of VEGF, and
      immunohistochemical staining method was used to study the expression of VEGF in
      the uterine fibroids. Embosphere microsphere artery embolization surgery was
      performed on cases in the patient group. RESULTS: The serum level of VEGF in the
      patient group was significantly higher than that of the control group.
      Immunohistochemical staining results showed that in the control group, VEGF
      expression level in uterine fibroid tissue was significantly higher. Compared
      with before the treatment, tumor diameter in the patient group reduced
      significantly 3 months after the treatment. Erythrocyte count, hemoglobin, and
      menstrual blood volume increased significantly 6 months after treatment.
      CONCLUSIONS: Serum VEGF level can be considered as a marker for uterine fibroid,
      and by using VEGF as a marker we can increase the probability of early diagnosis.
      We showed that, compared with hysterectomy, Embosphere microsphere embolization
      had an evident advantage and might be an excellent candidate to replace
      hysterectomy.

PMID- 28338207
TI  - Evaluation of failed immunotherapy among patients with negative APLA recurrent
      spontaneous abortion by serum anticardiolipin antibodies and mononuclear cell of
      Tim-1.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: The present study is aimed to analyze the expression of serum
      anticardiolipin antibody (ACA) and mononuclear cells of Tim-1 among the patients
      with negative anti paternal lymphocyte antibody (APLA) recurrent spontaneous
      abortion conducted by lymphocyte immunotherapy resulting in failure. PATIENTS AND
      METHODS: 58 patients with negative APLA recurrent spontaneous abortion (RSA) who
      was diagnosed for the first time and received lymphocyte immunotherapy in our
      hospital were selected continuously. According to the therapeutic outcome, the
      patients were divided into success group with 31 cases and failure group with 27
      cases. The positive rate of APLA and ACA in serum were compared, as well as the
      expressions of serum IL-6, IL-10, TNF-alpha, and IFN-gamma were studied by the
      method of ELISA. Furthermore, the ratios of CD4+CD25+ regulatory T cells (Treg)
      were detected by flow cytometry, and mRNA expression levels of Tim-1 were tested
      by the fluorogenic quantitative RT-PCR method. RESULTS: The positive rate of APLA
      after treatments of both the groups were compared, without any difference. The
      positive rate of ACA in failure group before treatment was higher than the data
      of after treatment, and the difference was statistically significant (p < 0.05).
      After treatment, serum IL-6 and IL-10 levels of two groups increased, TNF-alpha
      and IFN-gamma levels were observed to be decreased in comparison with the data
      before treatment. Furthermore, the improvement in success group was greater than
      failure group, and the difference was statistical significant (p < 0.05). After
      treatment, Treg proportion of two groups increased compared with before, and the
      proportion of success group was greater than that of failure group; mRNA
      expression levels of Tim-1 in failure group before and after treatment were
      higher than that of success group, and the differences had statistical
      significance (p < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: High level of serum anticardiolipin
      antibody and mononuclear cell Tim-1 might lead to failed immunotherapy for the
      patients with negative APLA recurrent spontaneous abortion by influencing T
      lymphocyte immunity.

PMID- 28338208
TI  - Effects of combining CBCT technology with visual root canal recurrence in
      treatment of elderly patients with dental pulp disease.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study is to analyze the effects of combining cone beam
      computed tomography (CBCT) technology with visual root canal recurrence in the
      treatment of elderly patients with dental pulp disease. PATIENTS AND METHODS: 56
      cases of elderly patients with dental pulp disease were contiguously selected,
      and randomly divided into the control group (70 teeth from 27 patients) and the
      observation group (77 teeth from the rest 29 patients). We adopted CBCT
      technology combined with conventional root canal therapy in control group and
      CBCT technology combined with visual root canal recurrence in observation group
      to compare the clinical effects. RESULTS: It was found that there was no
      statistical difference in duration of operation between the two groups (p>0.05).
      The operation times and the VAS during and after operation of the observation
      group were significantly less than that of the control group (p<0.05). The
      duration of follow-up of the two groups was both about 18 months. Successful
      rates of treatment for 6 months and by the end of follow-up visit in the
      observation group were both significantly higher than those in the control group
      (p<0.05). The correct filling rate, good filling rate and fair filling rate in
      the observation group were significantly higher than those of the control group
      (p<0.05). CONCLUSIONS: CBCT technology combined with visual root canal recurrence
      can significantly improve the near and long-term treatment effects of elderly
      patients with dental pulp disease.

PMID- 28338209
TI  - Bridging the Dialectic: Diversity, Psychological Sense of Community, and
      Inclusion.
AB  - Although, there are many times when P/SOC and diversity appear in opposition, I
      argue that this conflict is not inherent to the concepts or their joint value,
      but to social contexts in which they are enacted in real life. The primary values
      of community psychology-building and supporting positive communities, social
      change, and social justice within a framework that recognizes the centrality of
      diversity, culture, inclusion, power, and privilege-actually bind diversity and
      community together. Thus, we can bridge this seeming dialectic through deeper
      reflection about the real and intended meaning, operationalization, and
      application of these two terms, and a reliance on the central values of our
      field.

PMID- 28338210
TI  - Testing food-related inhibitory control to high- and low-calorie food stimuli:
      Electrophysiological responses to high-calorie food stimuli predict calorie and
      carbohydrate intake.
AB  - Maintaining a healthy diet has important implications for physical and mental
      health. One factor that may influence diet and food consumption is inhibitory
      control-the ability to withhold a dominant response in order to correctly respond
      to environmental demands. We examined how N2 amplitude, an ERP that reflects
      inhibitory control processes, differed toward high- and low-calorie food stimuli
      and related to food intake. A total of 159 participants (81 female; M age = 23.5
      years; SD = 7.6) completed two food-based go/no-go tasks (one with high-calorie
      and one with low-calorie food pictures as no-go stimuli) while N2 amplitude was
      recorded. Participants recorded food intake using the Automated Self-Administered
      24-hour Dietary Recall system. Inhibiting responses toward high-calorie stimuli
      elicited a larger (i.e., more negative) no-go N2 amplitude; inhibiting responses
      toward low-calorie stimuli elicited a smaller no-go N2 amplitude. Participants
      were more accurate during the high-calorie than low-calorie task, but took longer
      to respond on go trials toward high-calorie rather than low-calorie stimuli. When
      controlling for age, gender, and BMI, larger high-calorie N2 difference amplitude
      predicted lower caloric intake (beta = 0.17); low-calorie N2 difference amplitude
      was not related to caloric intake (beta = -0.03). Exploratory analyses revealed
      larger high-calorie N2 difference amplitude predicted carbohydrate intake (beta =
      0.22), but not protein (beta = 0.08) or fat (beta = 0.11) intake. Results suggest
      that withholding responses from high-calorie foods requires increased recruitment
      of inhibitory control processes, which may be necessary to regulate food
      consumption, particularly for foods high in calories and carbohydrates.

PMID- 28338211
TI  - Multidisciplinary care of children and young people with ataxia-telangiectasia.

PMID- 28338212
TI  - Management of temporomandibular disorders by Ministry of Public Health dentists
      in Central Thailand.
AB  - : Very little is known about the ability of dentists to diagnose and treat
      temporomandibular disorders (TMDs). The aims of this study were to investigate
      whether dentists in Central Thailand diagnosed TMD subcategories before
      initiating treatment for TMDs and to explore the frequency of corresponding
      treatments. METHODS: A questionnaire covering TMD management was developed and
      posted to all Ministry of Public Health dentists (n = 969) in Central Thailand.
      The data were analysed using descriptive statistics. RESULTS: The respondents (n
      = 502) comprised 109 (21.7%) male and 393 (78.3%) female dentists between 23 and
      59 years of age (mean age = 34.7 years). In the preceding year, 427 (85.1%)
      reported encountering patients with TMDs, 356 (70.9%) had treated patients who
      had TMDs and 176 (49.4%) had diagnosed TMD subcategories. Most respondents
      regularly treated patients by providing patient education and encouraging self
      care. The respondents who did not diagnose subcategories primarily treated TMDs
      with pharmacotherapy and physical therapy; orthopaedic appliances and occlusal
      therapy were used less often. Respondents who diagnosed TMD subcategories did not
      often use orthopaedic appliances or occlusal therapy to treat muscle disorders.
      For the treatment of derangement disorders, respondents used fewer
      pharmacotherapy, physical therapy and occlusal therapy techniques. For the
      treatment of osteoarthritis, respondents used less physical therapy and fewer
      orthopaedic appliances. CONCLUSION: Most Ministry of Public Health dentists in
      the Central Thailand region encounter and treat patients with TMDs. Approximately
      50% of the respondents diagnosed TMD subcategories before providing treatment for
      TMDs.

PMID- 28338213
TI  - Biochemical model of C3 photosynthesis applied to wheat at different
      temperatures.
AB  - We examined the effects of leaf temperature on the estimation of maximal Rubisco
      capacity (Vcmax ) from gas exchange measurements of wheat leaves using a C3
      photosynthesis model. Cultivars of spring wheat (Triticum aestivum (L)) and
      triticale (X Triticosecale Wittmack) were grown in a greenhouse or in the field
      and measured at a range of temperatures under controlled conditions in a growth
      cabinet (2 and 21% O2 ) or in the field using natural diurnal variation in
      temperature, respectively. Published Rubisco kinetic constants for tobacco did
      not describe the observed CO2 response curves well as temperature varied. By
      assuming values for the Rubisco Michaelis-Menten constants for CO2 (Kc ) and O2
      (Ko ) at 25  degrees C derived from tobacco and the activation energies of Vcmax
      from wheat and respiration in the light, Rd , from tobacco, we derived activation
      energies for Kc and Ko (93.7 and 33.6 kJ mol-1 , respectively) that considerably
      improved the fit of the model to observed data. We confirmed that temperature
      dependence of dark respiration for wheat was well described by the activation
      energy for Rd from tobacco. The new parameters improved the estimation of Vcmax
      under field conditions, where temperatures increased through the day.

PMID- 28338214
TI  - Light therapies for acne: abridged Cochrane systematic review including GRADE
      assessments.
AB  - We undertook a Cochrane review of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) evaluating
      the effects of light-based interventions for acne vulgaris. We searched the
      Cochrane Skin Specialised Register, CENTRAL, MEDLINE, Embase, LILACS, ISI Web of
      Science and grey literature sources (September 2015). We used the Grading of
      Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation Working Group approach to
      assess the quality of evidence (QoE). We included 71 RCTs (4211 participants,
      median sample size 31). Results from a single study (n = 266, low QoE) showed
      little or no difference in effectiveness on participants' assessment of
      improvement between 20% aminolaevulinic acid (ALA) photodynamic therapy (PDT),
      activated by blue light, vs. vehicle plus blue light, whereas another study (n =
      180) comparing ALA-PDT (red light) concentrations showed that 20% ALA-PDT was no
      more effective than 15% ALA-PDT but better than 10% and 5% ALA-PDT. Pooled data
      from three studies (n = 360, moderate QoE) showed that methyl aminolaevulinate
      PDT, activated by red light, had a similar effect on changes in lesion counts vs.
      placebo cream with red light. Several studies compared yellow light with placebo
      or no treatment, infrared light with no treatment, gold microparticle suspension
      with vehicle and clindamycin/benzoyl peroxide (C/BPO) combined with pulsed dye
      laser with C/BPO alone. None of these showed any clinically significant effects.
      Most studies reported adverse effects, but inadequately, with scarring reported
      as absent, and blistering only in studies on intense pulsed light, infrared light
      and PDT (very low QoE). Carefully planned studies, using standardized outcome
      measures and common acne treatments as comparators, are needed.

PMID- 28338215
TI  - Delirium During Postacute Nursing Home Admission and Risk for Adverse Outcomes.
AB  - OBJECTIVES: To identify the rate of delirium present during admission to
      postacute care (PAC) in the nursing home setting and to determine whether
      patients with delirium had higher risk for adverse outcomes. DESIGN:
      Retrospective cohort study. SETTING: US Medicare- and Medicaid-certified nursing
      homes, 2011 to 2014. PARTICIPANTS: Individuals admitted to all US nursing homes
      for PAC, aged >=65 years, and without prior history of nursing home residence (n
      = 5,588,702). MEASUREMENTS: Minimum Data Set (MDS) 3.0 admission assessments
      identified delirium based upon Confusion Assessment Method (CAM) items. Robust
      Poisson regression was used to calculate adjusted relative risks (aRRs) with 95%
      confidence intervals (CIs) for death following PAC admission, and for 30-day
      discharge outcomes including re-hospitalization from PAC, discharge home, and
      functional improvement. RESULTS: Delirium was identified in 4.3% of new postacute
      nursing home admissions. Mortality within 30 days of PAC admission was observed
      in 16.3% of patients with delirium and 5.8% of patients without delirium (aRR =
      2.27, CI = 2.24-2.30). The rate of 30-day readmission from PAC was 21.3% for
      patients with delirium compared with 15.1% among patients without delirium (aRR =
      1.42, 95% CI = 1.40, 1.43). 26.9% of patients with delirium were discharged home
      within 30 days of admission compared to 52.5% of patients without delirium (aRR =
      0.57, 95% CI = 0.57, 0.58). 48.9% of patients with delirium showed functional
      improvement at discharge compared to 59.9% of patients without delirium (aRR =
      0.83, 95% CI = 0.82, 0.83). CONCLUSIONS: Patients with delirium present upon PAC
      admission were at high risk for mortality and 30-day re-hospitalization and were
      less likely to have timely discharge to home or to improve in physical function
      at discharge. Early identification and care planning for individuals with
      delirium at PAC admission may be essential to improve outcomes.

PMID- 28338216
TI  - The diversified function and potential therapy of ectopic olfactory receptors in
      non-olfactory tissues.
AB  - Olfactory receptors (ORs) are mainly distributed in olfactory neurons and play a
      key role in detecting volatile odorants, eventually resulting in the production
      of smell perception. Recently, it is also reported that ORs are expressed in non
      olfactory tissues including heart, lung, sperm, skin, and cancerous tissues.
      Interestingly, ectopic ORs are associated with the development of diseases in non
      olfactory tissues. For instance, ectopic ORs initiate the hypoxic ventilatory
      responses and maintain the oxygen homeostasis of breathing in the carotid body
      when oxygen levels decline. Ectopic ORs induce glucose homeostasis in diabetes.
      Ectopic ORs regulate systemic blood pressure by increasing renin secretion and
      vasodilation. Ectopic ORs participate in the process of tumor cell proliferation,
      apoptosis, metastasis, and invasiveness. Ectopic ORs accelerate the occurrence of
      obesity, angiogenesis and wound-healing processes. Ectopic ORs affect fetal
      hemoglobin levels in sickle cell anemia and thalassemia. Finally, we also
      elaborate some ligands targeting for ORs. Obviously, the diversified function and
      related signal pathway of ectopic ORs may play a potential therapeutic target in
      non-olfactory tissues. Thus, this review focuses on the latest research results
      about the diversified function and therapeutic potential of ectopic ORs in non
      olfactory tissues.

PMID- 28338217
TI  - Fasting up-regulates ferroportin 1 expression via a Ghrelin/GHSR/MAPK signaling
      pathway.
AB  - The significant positive correlation between ghrelin and iron and hepcidin levels
      in the plasma of children with iron deficiency anemia prompted us to hypothesize
      that ghrelin may affect iron metabolism. Here, we investigated the effects of
      fasting or ghrelin on the expression of hepcidin, ferroportin 1 (Fpn1),
      transferrin receptor 1 (TfR1), ferritin light chain (Ft-L) proteins, and ghrelin,
      and also hormone secretagogue receptor 1 alpha (GHSR1alpha) and ghrelin O
      acyltransferase (GOAT) mRNAs in the spleen and/or macrophage. We demonstrated
      that fasting induces a significant increase in the expression of ghrelin,
      GHSR1alpha, GOAT, and hepcidin mRNAs, as well as Ft-L and Fpn1 but not TfR1
      proteins in the spleens of mice in vivo. Similar to the effects of fasting on the
      spleen, ghrelin induced a significant increase in the expression of Ft-L and Fpn1
      but not TfR1 proteins in macrophages in vitro. In addition, ghrelin was found to
      induce a significant enhancement in phosphorylation of ERK as well as
      translocation of pERK from the cytosol to nuclei. Furthermore, the increased pERK
      and Fpn1 induced by ghrelin was demonstrated to be preventable by pre-treatment
      with either GHSR1alpha antagonist or pERK inhibitor. Our findings support the
      hypothesis that fasting upregulates Fpn1 expression, probably via a
      ghrelin/GHSR/MAPK signaling pathway.

PMID- 28338218
TI  - Evaluation of targeted exome sequencing for 28 protein-based blood group systems,
      including the homologous gene systems, for blood group genotyping.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Blood group single nucleotide polymorphism genotyping probes for a
      limited range of polymorphisms. This study investigated whether massively
      parallel sequencing (also known as next-generation sequencing), with a targeted
      exome strategy, provides an extended blood group genotype and the extent to which
      massively parallel sequencing correctly genotypes in homologous gene systems,
      such as RH and MNS. STUDY DESIGN AND METHODS: Donor samples (n = 28) that were
      extensively phenotyped and genotyped using single nucleotide polymorphism typing,
      were analyzed using the TruSight One Sequencing Panel and MiSeq platform. Genes
      for 28 protein-based blood group systems, GATA1, and KLF1 were analyzed. Copy
      number variation analysis was used to characterize complex structural variants in
      the GYPC and RH systems. RESULTS: The average sequencing depth per target region
      was 66.2 +/- 39.8. Each sample harbored on average 43 +/- 9 variants, of which 10
      +/- 3 were used for genotyping. For the 28 samples, massively parallel sequencing
      variant sequences correctly matched expected sequences based on single nucleotide
      polymorphism genotyping data. Copy number variation analysis defined the Rh C/c
      alleles and complex RHD hybrids. Hybrid RHD*D-CE-D variants were correctly
      identified, but copy number variation analysis did not confidently distinguish
      between D and CE exon deletion versus rearrangement. CONCLUSION: The targeted
      exome sequencing strategy employed extended the range of blood group genotypes
      detected compared with single nucleotide polymorphism typing. This single-test
      format included detection of complex MNS hybrid cases and, with copy number
      variation analysis, defined RH hybrid genes along with the RHCE*C allele hitherto
      difficult to resolve by variant detection. The approach is economical compared
      with whole-genome sequencing and is suitable for a red blood cell reference
      laboratory setting.

PMID- 28338219
TI  - Human orf complicated by epidermolysis bullosa acquisita.
AB  - Orf is a DNA parapoxvirus transmitted to humans by contact with infected goats
      and sheep. Many complications have been reported after orf infection, including
      erythema multiforme. A few cases of autoimmune bullous dermatosis complicating
      orf disease have been reported to date. They are usually characterized by tense
      blister eruptions with or without mucosal involvement; linear deposition of C3,
      IgG and/or IgA along the basement membrane; and negativity of indirect
      immunofluorescence analysis and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA)
      (performed in four of 11 reported cases). These analyses have targeted antigens
      of bullous pemphigoid, mucous membrane pemphigoid or epidermolysis bullosa
      acquisita, except one case of mucosal pemphigoid with antilaminin-332 antibodies.
      We describe the case of a patient who presented with an ulceration on his finger
      10 days after direct contact with a lamb during Eid al-Adha. Four weeks later he
      developed a severe tense blistering eruption associated with mucous membrane
      erosions. Indirect immunofluorescence analysis using the patient's serum revealed
      circulating antibasement membrane IgG that bound the dermal side of salt-split
      skin. ELISA was positive for recombinant immunodominant NC1 domain of type VII
      collagen. We finally diagnosed epidermolysis bullosa acquisita complicating
      probable human orf infection.

PMID- 28338220
TI  - Referred by Google: mining Google Trends data to identify patterns in and
      correlates to searches for dermatological concerns and providers.

PMID- 28338221
TI  - Predictors of low quality of life in patients with discoid lupus.

PMID- 28338222
TI  - Long-Term Self-Reported Cognitive Problems After Delirium in the Intensive Care
      Unit and the Effect of Systemic Inflammation.
AB  - OBJECTIVES: To describe the association between intensive care unit (ICU)
      delirium and self-reported cognitive problems in 1-year ICU survivors, and
      investigate whether this association was altered by exposure to systemic
      inflammation during ICU stay. DESIGN: Prospective cohort study. SETTING: Dutch
      medical-surgical ICU. PARTICIPANTS: One-year ICU survivors, admitted to the ICU
      >=48 hours. MEASUREMENTS: Self-reported cognitive problems were measured with the
      Cognitive Failures Questionnaire (CFQ). Cumulative exposure to systemic
      inflammation was based on all daily C-reactive protein (CRP) measurements during
      ICU stay, expressed as the area under the curve (AUC). Multivariable linear
      regression was conducted to evaluate the association between delirium and the
      CFQ. The effect of inflammation on the association between delirium and CFQ was
      assessed, comparing the effect estimate (B) of delirium and CFQ between models
      with and without inclusion of the AUC of CRP. RESULTS: Among 567 1-year ICU
      survivors, the CFQ was completed by 363 subjects. Subjects with multiple days of
      delirium during ICU stay reported more self-reported cognitive problems (Badj =
      5.10, 95% CI 1.01-9.20), whereas a single day delirium was not associated with
      higher CFQ scores (Badj = -0.72, 95% CI -5.75 to 4.31). Including the AUC of CRP
      did not change the association between delirium and the CFQ (ratio for a single
      and multiple days were respectively: 1.00, 95%CI 0.59-1.44 and 0.86, 95% CI 0.47
      1.16). CONCLUSION: Multiple days of delirium was associated with long-term self
      reported cognitive problems. The cumulative exposure to systemic inflammation did
      not alter this association, suggesting that delirium in the context of little
      inflammation is also detrimental.

PMID- 28338223
TI  - Efficacy and safety of ustekinumab in Japanese patients with severe atopic
      dermatitis: a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, phase II study.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Ustekinumab, a fully human monoclonal antibody against interleukin
      12/23, may potentially be effective for severe atopic dermatitis (AD) treatment.
      OBJECTIVES: To evaluate efficacy and safety of ustekinumab 45 mg and 90 mg in
      patients with severe AD. METHODS: In this randomized, placebo-controlled, phase
      II study, Japanese patients (aged 20-65 years) with severe or very severe AD
      entered a 12-week double-blind treatment period during which they received (1 : 1
      : 1) ustekinumab 45 mg, 90 mg or placebo subcutaneous injections at weeks 0 and
      4, with follow-up until week 24. The primary efficacy end point was percentage
      change from baseline in Eczema Area and Severity Index (EASI) score at week 12.
      Major secondary efficacy end points included the proportion of patients achieving
      EASI 50, EASI 75, Investigator's Global Assessment score 0-1, change from
      baseline Atopic Dermatitis Itch Scale and Dermatology Life Quality Index.
      RESULTS: A total of 79 patients were randomized [ustekinumab 45 mg (n = 24), 90
      mg (n = 28), placebo (n = 27)]. Ustekinumab treatment showed nonsignificant
      improvement in least square mean change from baseline EASI score at week 12 [45
      mg: -38.2%, 95% confidence interval (CI) -21.02-19.51; P < 0.94 and 90 mg: 
      39.8%, 95% CI -21.84-17.14; P < 0.81] vs. placebo (-37.5%). A nonsignificant
      improvement in major secondary efficacy end points was observed in both
      ustekinumab groups vs. placebo. The most common treatment-emergent adverse events
      were nasopharyngitis and worsened AD (higher in placebo vs. ustekinumab groups).
      CONCLUSIONS: Ustekinumab 45 mg and 90 mg did not demonstrate meaningful efficacy
      in Japanese patients with severe AD. The treatment was generally well tolerated.

PMID- 28338224
TI  - Adolescent externalizing behaviour, psychological control, and peer rejection:
      Transactional links and dopaminergic moderation.
AB  - This study investigated (1) reciprocal links among parental psychological
      control, peer rejection, and adolescent externalizing (aggressive and rule
      breaking behaviour), and (2) the moderating effect of an adolescent genetic
      factor (biologically informed polygenic score for dopamine signalling). Three
      year longitudinal data from 1,116 adolescents (51% boys; M age = 13.79) and their
      parents included psychological measures (adolescent-reported psychological
      control, peer-reported rejection, and parent-reported aggressive and rule
      breaking behaviour). Cross-lagged analyses showed bidirectional effects between
      psychological control and both aggressive and rule-breaking behaviour and a
      unidirectional effect of peer rejection on both forms of problem behaviour over
      time. Multigroup structural equation modelling revealed genetic moderation only
      for rule-breaking behaviour: for adolescents with intermediate levels of dopamine
      signalling significant environmental effects were present, whereas adolescent
      effects of rule-breaking behaviour on psychological control were significant for
      adolescents with both intermediate and high profiles and effects on peer
      rejection only for adolescents with high dopamine profiles. Statement of
      contribution What is already known on this subject? Parental psychological
      control is related to adolescent externalizing problems. Experiencing peer
      rejection reinforces aggressive and rule-breaking behaviour. Single-gene studies
      show that dopaminergic genes influence externalizing problems directly or in
      interaction with the environment. What does this study add? Parental
      psychological control and adolescent aggressive and rule-breaking behaviour
      exacerbate one another longitudinally. Longitudinal associations between peer
      rejection and both subtypes of externalizing behaviour are unidirectional. With a
      polygenic approach, dopaminergic moderation is present for rule-breaking
      behaviour only.

PMID- 28338225
TI  - The Impact of Family Unification Housing Vouchers on Child Welfare Outcomes.
AB  - This study addresses whether providing housing vouchers through the Family
      Unification Program (FUP) to families involved in the child welfare system
      reduces child maltreatment and the need for child welfare services. The study
      uses child welfare administrative data on 326 children in Portland, Oregon, and
      502 children in San Diego, California from the point at which their families were
      referred to the program through 18 months post-referral. Using a quasi
      experimental waitlist comparison design, probit regressions show little impact of
      FUP on preventing child removal from home, but some positive impact on
      reunification among children already placed out of home. Hazard estimations show
      receipt of FUP speeds up child welfare case closure. Impacts on new reports of
      abuse and neglect are mixed, but point toward reduced reports. Low rates of
      removal among intact comparison families and high rates of reunification for
      children in out-of-home care suggest poor targeting of housing resources. Housing
      vouchers are being given to families not bearing the risks the program is
      intended to address. The presence of some positive findings suggests that housing
      vouchers might help reduce child welfare involvement if better targeting were
      practiced by child welfare agencies.

PMID- 28338227
TI  - Smartphones in the dermatology department: acceptable to patients?

PMID- 28338226
TI  - Exploring and modelling impacts of third molar experience on quality of life: a
      real-time qualitative study using Twitter.
AB  - OBJECTIVES: This study had two objectives: (i) to explore and model domains
      describing the real-time impact of third molars (TMs) on quality of life (QoL);
      and (ii) to assess the percentage coverage, in some generic health-related
      quality of life (HRQoL) and oral health-related quality of life (OHRQoL)
      instruments, of the TM QoL domains identified in this study. METHODOLOGY: A
      global cross-sectional sample of tweets containing 'wisdom tooth' over a 1-week
      period retrieved 3,537 tweets. After random quota sampling, classification and
      filtering, only 843 tweets were included in the thematic analysis. A TM QoL model
      was constructed based on the associations of the identified domains. Domains for
      the selected generic HRQoL and OHRQoL instruments were plotted against the
      domains identified in the study to calculate the percentage coverage for each.
      RESULTS: The QoL domains identified were pain (n = 348, 41%), mood (n = 173,
      20%), anxiety and fear (n = 54, 7%), enjoying food (n = 41, 4%), coping (n = 37,
      4%), daily activities (n = 34, 4%), sleep (n = 24, 2%), social life (n = 19, 2%),
      physical health (n = 17, 2%), ability to think (n = 9, 1%), self-care (n = 8, 1%)
      and sporting & recreation (n = 2, <1%). The Assessment Quality of Life instrument
      (AQoL-8D) covers 87% of the TM QoL domains, while the rest of the HRQoL and
      OHRQoL instruments cover 33-60%. CONCLUSION: This study shows how Twitter can be
      used to obtain real-time QoL data, which might be used to model how TMs impact on
      QoL. The TM QoL domains identified in the study were generally under-represented
      among the generic OHRQoL instruments assessed while, the HRQoL AQoL-8D covered
      most of the TM QoL domains. The QoL domains identified in the study might be used
      to develop a new OHRQoL measure for TMs.

PMID- 28338228
TI  - Taking Stock of the Diversity and Sense of Community Debate.
AB  - Over the past couple of years, a debate has played out in the pages of the
      American Journal of Community Psychology concerning the relationship between two
      of Community Psychology's core values: promoting diversity and promoting a sense
      of community. This special section is to continue a discussion about diversity
      and community, both among the debate's initial contributors (Alex Stivala, Greg
      Townley, and Zachary Neal), as well as among others whose own work has touched on
      these issues (Anne Brodsky, Richard Florida, Jean Hill, and Roderick Watts). In
      this essay, I address some broad questions that have emerged through this
      discussion. First, because much has been written on the relationship between
      diversity and community, both in community psychology and in other disciplines,
      what do we know, or at least think we know? Second, since the constructs of
      diversity and sense of community are complex and multi-faceted, how can
      definitions get in the way and how can we avoid talking past one another in this
      discussion? Finally, looking across the original papers that initiated this
      discussion, as well as the contributions in this special section, what path(s)
      forward do we have?

PMID- 28338230
TI  - Thyroid hormone and pancreas development: diabetes culprit or innocent bystander?

PMID- 28338229
TI  - Response to Endurance Exercise Training in Older Adults with Heart Failure with
      Preserved or Reduced Ejection Fraction.
AB  - OBJECTIVES: To systematically examine the relative magnitude and predictors of
      responses to exercise training in older adult with heart failure (HF) with
      reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF), and preserved EF (HFpEF). DESIGN: Secondary
      analysis of a randomized controlled trial. SETTING: Outpatient cardiac
      rehabilitation program. PARTICIPANTS: Individuals with HF (24 HFrEF, 24 HFpEF)
      who underwent supervised exercise training. MEASUREMENTS: The study included
      individual-level data from the exercise training arms of a randomized controlled
      trial that evaluated the effect of 16 weeks of supervised moderate-intensity
      endurance exercise training in older adults with chronic, stable HFpEF and HFrEF.
      Changes in peak oxygen uptake (VO2peak ) in response to supervised training in
      individuals with HFpEF were compared with that of individuals with HFrEF. The
      significant clinical predictors of changes in VO2peak with exercise training were
      assessed using univariate and multivariate regression models. RESULTS: Training
      related improvement in VO2peak was higher in participants with HFpEF than in
      those with HFrEF (change: 18.7 +/- 17.6% vs -0.3 +/- 15.4%, P < .001). In
      univariate analysis, echocardiographic abnormalities in left ventricular
      structure and function and lower body mass index were associated with blunted
      response of VO2peak with exercise training. In multivariate regression analysis
      using stepwise selection, submaximal exercise systolic blood pressure, and
      resting early deceleration time were independent predictors of change in VO2peak
      . CONCLUSION: The change in VO2peak in response to endurance exercise training in
      older adults with HF differs significantly according to HF subtype, with greater
      VO2peak improvement in HFpEF than HFrEF. These results suggest that the current
      Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services policy excluding individuals with
      HFpEF from reimbursement from cardiac rehabilitation may need to be revisited.

PMID- 28338232
TI  - William W. Grings (1918-2016).

PMID- 28338231
TI  - Caesarean risk in obese women at term: A retrospective cohort analysis.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Obesity in pregnancy is a growing health problem conferring higher
      risk to both the woman and her infant. Internationally, peak bodies offer little
      guidance regarding the method and timing of delivery in these patients. Our
      hypothesis is that induction of labour (IOL) at term will not increase the
      caesarean section (CS) rate when compared to expectant management. AIMS: To
      compare perinatal outcomes between IOL and expectant management in obese women at
      term. METHODS: A retrospective cohort study of all term, singleton, vertex
      deliveries at the Townsville Hospital and Health Service from January 2011 to
      June 2015 in women with a body mass index (BMI) >= 35. Women undergoing IOL at 37
      weeks were compared with women expectantly managed at that gestational age.
      Similar comparisons were made at 38, 39 and 40 weeks. chi2 tests and binary
      logistic regression were used for statistical comparison. The primary outcome
      measure was mode of delivery, with secondary measures of perinatal morbidity also
      considered. RESULTS: There was no difference in outcome of CS, or other maternal
      secondary outcomes. There was no difference in rates of neonatal nursery
      admission. Expectant management at 38 weeks was associated with lower odds of
      post-partum haemorrhage (odds ratio 0.371; 95% confidence interval 0.163-0.845).
      CONCLUSIONS: In women with a BMI >= 35, IOL does not affect the CS rate, or the
      risk of neonatal adverse events, but may increase the rate of postpartum
      haemorrhage when compared with expectant management.

PMID- 28338233
TI  - Unraveling the roles of orienting and inhibition in the Concealed Information
      Test.
AB  - The Concealed Information Test (CIT) is a well-validated tool for physiological
      and behavioral detection of concealed knowledge. Two distinct theoretical
      frameworks have been proposed to explain the differential responses to the
      concealed critical items: orienting response theory versus arousal inhibition
      theory. klein Selle, Verschuere, Kindt, Meijer, and Ben-Shakhar (2016), however,
      argued for a response fractionation model and showed that, while the skin
      conductance reflects pure orienting, both the respiratory and heart rate measures
      reflect arousal inhibition. The present study intends to (1) provide a
      constructive replication of klein Selle et al. (2016) using the autobiographical
      CIT, and (2) extend their work by testing an additional prediction derived from
      orienting theory, using an item-salience manipulation. One hundred and nine
      participants were tested on four high salient and four low salient identity
      items. Half of the participants were motivated to hide their identity (orienting
      + arousal inhibition), while the other half were motivated to reveal their
      identity (orienting only). Confirming earlier findings, the results revealed a
      fractionation between the different measures: while the skin conductance response
      (SCR) increased to a similar extent in the two motivational conditions, the
      respiration line length (RLL) shortened and the heart rate (HR) decelerated
      solely in the conceal condition. Moreover, while the SCR was larger for high than
      for low salient critical items, the RLL and HR responses were similar for these
      two item types. These data led us to conclude that, in the CIT, the skin
      conductance measure reflects orienting and the respiratory and heart rate
      measures reflect arousal inhibition.

PMID- 28338235
TI  - Overexpression of Hsa-miR-320 Is Associated With Invasion and Metastasis of
      Ovarian Cancer.
AB  - Ovarian cancer is one of the most common malignant tumor of female genital organs
      which ranks the third morbidity. We aimed to provide a better understanding of
      the mechanism of invasion and metastasis of ovarian cancer. The ovarian cancer
      samples were downloaded from GEO. Then clustering was performed to classify the
      stage of miRNAs based on the difference of prognosis and metastasis. Furthermore,
      the miRNAs model was build and the survival analysis processes was performed to
      observe the influence on prognosis, invasion and metastasis. At last, miRNAs co
      expression network was built to explore the core miRNAs and the risk
      classification model was built to perform the risk assessment based on these core
      miRNAs. A total of 17 significantly differential expressed miRNAs were obtained.
      Functional enrichment of 1,488 target genes, pathways like cell cycle, focal
      adhesion, and pathways in cancer, which are closely related to the proliferation
      and metastasis of cancer cells were highly enriched, this indicate that these
      miRNAs are related to the proliferation and metastasis of cancer cells. The co
      expressed network shows that the high expression of hsa-miR-320 indicated
      negative prognosis and high risk of metastasis. In conclusion, the expression
      level of hsa-miR-320 is highly related to the migration and invasion of cancer.
      The high expression of hsa-miR-320 directly indicated negative prognosis and high
      risk of metastasis. These findings reveal that hsa-miR-320 may serve as an
      important therapeutic target in ovarian cancer therapy. J. Cell. Biochem. 118:
      3654-3661, 2017. (c) 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

PMID- 28338234
TI  - Extent of surgery did not affect recurrence during 7-years follow-up in papillary
      thyroid cancer sized 1-4 cm: Preliminary results.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: There is debate whether hemithyroidectomy is sufficient for patients
      with papillary thyroid cancer (PTC) sized 1-4 cm. Therefore, we investigated
      whether hemithyroidectomy affects recurrence rate compared with thyroidectomy in
      patients with PTC sized 1-4 cm. DESIGN: Retrospective observational study.
      PATIENTS: We included 147 patients with 1-4 cm PTC who underwent
      hemithyroidectomy between 2004 and 2008. They were matched with 298 patients who
      underwent thyroidectomy, comparing age, sex, tumour size, multiplicity,
      extrathyroidal extension status and lymph node (LN) metastasis status.
      MEASUREMENTS: Recurrence-free survival (RFS) was compared between
      hemithyroidectomy and thyroidectomy groups. RESULTS: Median follow-up length was
      7 years, during which there were nine (6.1%) and 17 (5.7%) recurrences in
      hemithyroidectomy and thyroidectomy groups, respectively. Recurrence-free
      survival in the hemithyroidectomy group was not different from that in the
      thyroidectomy group regardless of variant, multifocality, LN metastasis and
      radioactive iodine treatment. However, in subgroup analysis, hemithyroidectomy
      significantly increased the risk of recurrence in patients with contralateral
      nodules on the preoperative imaging. CONCLUSIONS: Recurrence after
      hemithyroidectomy was not different from that after thyroidectomy during a median
      follow-up of 7 years. However, because thyroidectomy might be favoured in
      patients with contralateral nodules at preoperative evaluation, a thorough
      evaluation of the contralateral thyroid lobe is necessary.

PMID- 28338237
TI  - Highlights: Volume 230, Number 2.

PMID- 28338240
TI  - Journal of Cellular Physiology: Volume 230, Number 2, February 2015.
AB  - Cover: Diagram illustrating the chromatic median analysis. See article by Pliss
      et al. on pages 427-439.

PMID- 28338236
TI  - hsa-mir-3199-2 and hsa-mir-1293 as Novel Prognostic Biomarkers of Papillary Renal
      Cell Carcinoma by COX Ratio Risk Regression Model Screening.
AB  - Papillary renal cell carcinoma(PRCC) is the second most common and aggressive
      renal cell carcinoma. Identification of novel microRNA biomarkers could be
      beneficial for the diagnosis and prognosis of PRCC patients. We aimed to screen
      differentially expressed miRNAs that can act as prognostic factors and to predict
      the survival of PRCC patients. High-throughput data of miRNAs of 274 PRCC samples
      were downloaded from TCGA (The Cancer Genome Atlas) dataset and interested miRNAs
      were identified. Hierarchical clustering and principal component analysis (PCA)
      were performed on these miRNAs. Critical genes that can act as prognostic factors
      were screened by LASSO. What's more, Kaplan-Meier survival analysis and ROC
      (Receiver Operating Characteristic) growth curve were used to testify the
      accuracy of the model. Biological processes of putative targets of miRNAs were
      analyzed by bioinformatics methods such as GO (Go Ontology) and KEGG (Kyoto
      Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes) analysis. A total of 105 differentially
      expressed miRNAs were screened out in PRCC samples compared with healthy
      controls. Two critical miRNAs, hsa-mir-3199-2, and hsa-mir-1293, were screened
      out by LASSO (Least Absolute Shrinkage and Selection Operator), including 197 and
      189 target genes, respectively. Furthermore, its' accuracy was testified by ROC
      analysis with the AUC (Area under the curve) value of 0.7774968 and 0.6743466.
      These miRNAs were significantly enriched in pathways as platelet activating
      factor biosynthetic process, epithelial cell maturation, and IkappaB kinase
      complex. In conclusion, hsa-mir-3199-2 and hsa-mir-1293 that can act as
      prognostic biomarkers of PRCC were screened out, which can provide new insights
      for the clinical treatment of the disease. J. Cell. Biochem. 118: 3488-3494,
      2017. (c) 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

PMID- 28338241
TI  - Neuroprotective Effects of Loganin on MPTP-Induced Parkinson's Disease Mice:
      Neurochemistry, Glial Reaction and Autophagy Studies.
AB  - Parkinson's disease (PD) is a progressive neurodegenerative disease, involving
      resting tremor and bradykinesia, for which no recognized therapies or drugs are
      available to halt or slow progression. In recent years, natural botanic products
      have been considered relatively safe, with limited side effects, and are expected
      to become an important source for clinical mediation of PD in the future. Our
      study focuses on the ability of loganin, a compound derived from fruits of
      cornus, to mediate neuroprotection in a mouse model of PD. Mice were administered
      1-methyl-4-phenyl-1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine (MPTP) with a dosage of 30 mg/kg
      daily for 5 days to establish a subacute PD model and treated with loganin.
      Locomotor activity was assessed by a pole test, then mice were euthanized at 1
      and 3 days after the last treatment, and brain tissue was prepared for subsequent
      assays. Loganin rescued decrease of dopamine levels and tyrosine hydroxylase (TH)
      expression in the striatum, and shortened total locomotor activity (TLA) time of
      mice. Furthermore, loganin alleviated microglia and astrocyte activation, and
      suppressed TNF-alpha and caspase-3 expression through a c-Abl-p38-NFkappaB
      pathway. Loganin also downregulated LC3-II and Drp1 expression, and decreased the
      level of acidic vesicular organelles (AVOs). Loganin exerts neuroprotective
      effects on MPTP-induced PD mice by decreasing inflammation, autophagy, and
      apoptosis, suggesting that loganin could serve as a therapeutic drug to
      ameliorate PD. J. Cell. Biochem. 118: 3495-3510, 2017. (c) 2017 Wiley
      Periodicals, Inc.

PMID- 28338242
TI  - What can community pharmacy learn from the experiences of transition to practice
      for novice doctors and nurses? A narrative review.
AB  - OBJECTIVES: In the absence of literature reporting the transition experiences of
      novice community pharmacists, peer-reviewed evidence on the transition
      experiences of novice doctors and nurses was identified and reviewed. Specific
      objectives included identifying the challenges to transition and their perceived
      impact, before considering the implications for novice community pharmacists.
      METHODS: The electronic databases MEDLINE, EMBASE, CINAHL, PsycINFO and
      ScienceDirect were searched for full peer-reviewed original research papers
      published 1990-March 2015, reporting the transition experiences of novice doctors
      and nurses. A narrative review following coding of themes was undertaken to
      synthesise findings with transferability. KEY FINDINGS: Twenty-five papers using
      qualitative and quantitative methods were retrieved from nursing (18) and
      medicine (6). Challenges were categorised into three themes: personal experiences
      (where acquiring professional accountability, failing to meet expectations, and
      emotional, cognitive and physical demands of the job heightened stress), social
      experiences (where support and acceptance at work were hindered by organisational
      culture, hierarchy or interpersonal conflict) and challenges from job-related
      experiences (high workloads, task complexity, staffing, rotations and shift
      patterns). Challenging transitions were perceived by novice practitioners and
      their peers as impeding learning, impairing performance and having negative
      implications for patient care. CONCLUSIONS: While some of these findings may be
      transferable to community pharmacy settings, contextual differences exist:
      relative isolation from professional peers, commercially driven private-sector
      settings, full and immediate acquisition of professional accountability and the
      lack of clinical career pathways or formalised support. Given these differences,
      is it appropriate that 'day-one' community pharmacists are fully and immediately
      accountable? Empirical research exploring transition to practice in the community
      pharmacy setting is needed.

PMID- 28338243
TI  - Influence of the Transition-Metal Fragment on the Reactivity of
      Metallaanthracenes.
AB  - The influence of the nature of the transition-metal fragment on the Diels-Alder
      reactivity of metallaanthracenes has been explored computationally within the
      Density Functional Theory framework. It is found that the cycloaddition reactions
      with maleic anhydride become kinetically less favored for those processes
      involving metallaanthracenes compared with the analogous reaction involving the
      parent anthracene. The origins of this reduction in the Diels-Alder reactivity
      have been quantitatively analyzed in detail by using the activation strain model
      of reactivity in combination with the energy decomposition analysis method. In
      general, the transition-metal fragment makes the interaction energy between the
      reactants significantly lower, particularly at the transition state region, which
      is translated into a higher activation barrier. In addition, the influence of the
      aromaticity strength of the metallabenzene present in the considered
      metallaanthracenes on the barriers of the cycloaddition reactions has also been
      assessed.

PMID- 28338244
TI  - Photoalignment of Vertically Oriented Microphase Separated Lamellae in LC-LC
      Diblock Copolymer Thin Film.
AB  - The microphase separation and photoalignment behavior of a diblock copolymer
      consisting of two kinds of side chain liquid crystalline (LC) polymers are
      investigated. Here, the mesogens of photoresponsive azobenzene and non
      photoresponsive cyanobiphenyl are introduced in the side chains. The azobenzene
      and cyanobiphenyl mesogens orient homeotropically and planarly, respectively, in
      a thin film state. The combination of these contrasting orienting properties
      leads to a formation of vertically oriented lamella in the microphase separation
      structure. Irradiation with linearly polarized light onto this polymer film
      induces a highly oriented microphase separation structure having regularly
      elongated stripe morphology with 30 nm periodicity. The nearly defect-free
      morphology of this LC-LC diblock copolymer after the photoalignment is a distinct
      feature when compared with those of coil (amorphous)-LC diblock copolymer films
      possessing the same azobenzene side chain.

PMID- 28338245
TI  - Infective capacity of Cryptococcus neoformans and Cryptococcus gattii in a human
      astrocytoma cell line.
AB  - Pathogenesis of cryptococcosis in the central nervous system (CNS) is a topic of
      ongoing research, including the mechanisms by which this fungus invades and
      infects the brain. Astrocytes, the most common CNS cells, play a fundamental role
      in the local immune response. Astrocytes might participate in cryptococcosis
      either as a host or by responding to fungal antigens. To determine the
      infectivity of Cryptococcus neoformans var. grubii and Cryptococcus gattii in a
      human astrocytoma cell line and the induction of major histocompatibility complex
      (MHC) molecules. A glioblastoma cell line was infected with C. neoformans var.
      grubii and C. gattii blastoconidia labelled with FUN-1 fluorescent stain. The
      percentage of infection and expression of HLA class I and II molecules were
      determined by flow cytometry. The interactions between the fungi and cells were
      observed by fluorescence microscopy. There was no difference between C.
      neoformans var. grubii and C. gattii in the percentage infection, but C.
      neoformans var. grubii induced higher expression of HLA class II than C. gattii.
      More blastoconidia were recovered from C. neoformans-infected cells than from C.
      gattii infected cells. Cryptococcus neoformans var. grubii may have different
      virulence mechanisms that allow its survival in human glia-derived cells.

PMID- 28338246
TI  - Insights into trans-Ligand and Spin-Orbit Effects on Electronic Structure and
      Ligand NMR Shifts in Transition-Metal Complexes.
AB  - Surprisingly general effects of trans ligands L on the ligand NMR shifts in third
      row transition-metal complexes have been found by quasi-relativistic
      computations, encompassing 5d10 , 5d8 , and to some extent even 5d6 situations.
      Closer analysis, with emphasis on 1 H shieldings in a series of linear HAuI Lq
      complexes, reveals a dominance of spin-orbit (SO) effects, which can change sign
      from appreciably shielding for weak trans ligands to appreciably deshielding for
      ligands with strong trans influence. This may be traced back to increasing
      destabilization of a sigma-type MO at scalar relativistic level, which translates
      into very different sigma-/pi-mixing if SO coupling is included. For the
      strongest trans ligands, the sigma-MO may move above the highest occupied pi-type
      MOs, thereby dramatically reducing strongly shielding contributions from
      predominantly pi-type spinors. The effects of SO-mixing are in turn related to
      angular momentum admixture from atomic spinors at the metal center. These SO
      induced trends hold for other nuclei and may also be used to qualitatively
      predict shifts in unknown complexes.

PMID- 28338247
TI  - Impact of diabetic ketoacidosis management in the medical intensive care unit
      after order set implementation.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: To determine the rate of compliance to the 2006 and 2009 ADA DKA
      guidelines in the medical intensive care unit (MICU) at a large academic medical
      centre after the implementation of a computerised DKA order set and protocol.
      METHODS: Retrospective chart review of adult patients with DKA admitted to the
      MICU. Results of pre-order set (PRE) were compared to those of data post-order
      set (POST). The primary outcome was a composite administration of intravenous
      fluid resuscitation in the first 24 h, insulin bolus and initial insulin infusion
      rate. KEY FINDINGS: Twelve of 60 patients (20%) in the PRE group received
      treatment compliant with the 2006 guidelines versus 14 of 55 patients (25.5%) in
      the POST group (OR 1.22 95% CI 0.44 to 3.4, P = 0.51). Compliance to the 2009
      guidelines was significantly higher in the POST group (31.7% versus 65.5%, OR
      4.44 95% CI 1.8 to 10.92, P = 0.0004). Compliance for individual components was
      26.7% versus 70.9% for fluid resuscitation (P = 0.0001), 55% versus 49.1% for
      insulin bolus (P = 0.58) and 60% versus 81.3% for initial insulin infusion rate
      (P = 0.014), respectively. Time to DKA resolution was decreased (P = 0.04), and
      hypoglycaemia was increased (P = 0.0022). CONCLUSION: Implementation of a
      computerised DKA order set and protocol was associated with improved compliance
      to the 2009 ADA DKA guidelines, 24-h fluid resuscitation, initial insulin
      infusion rate, time to DKA resolution and appropriate transition to subcutaneous
      insulin. However, patients in the POST implementation group were more likely to
      exhibit hypoglycaemia. Future assessment is warranted.

PMID- 28338248
TI  - Surgical strategy for Apert syndrome: Retrospective study of developmental
      quotient and three-dimensional computerized tomography.
AB  - There are many surgical techniques for craniosynostosis. However, the indications
      for and timing of surgery still remain unclarified. Most of the skull growth in
      craniosynostosis is completed in the first year, and the bone is strong enough to
      undergo distraction osteogenesis. However, previous reports showed that patients
      operated on before 1 year of age had better IQ than those operated later in life.
      This report aims to consider the best timing for cranial expansion and surgical
      strategy for Apert syndrome. From January 2002 to December 2011, 13 patients with
      Apert syndrome were operated on and were followed up for more than 5 years. Nine
      patients underwent operations before 1 year of age (early surgery group) and
      three patients underwent operations later in life (late surgery group). They
      underwent fronto-orbital advancement for primary surgery. We evaluated
      postoperative developmental quotient every year and cephalic index (CI) measured
      by three-dimensional computerized tomography (3D-CT) at the age over 5 years
      retrospectively. Eleven of 13 patients improved their developmental quotient
      scores, with no significant intergroup differences. The CI evaluation showed
      cases with remnant brachycephalic deformity in both groups. Two patients with
      remnant plagiocephalic deformities tend to have primary surgery early in life
      compared to the others. Thus the delay in primary surgery had little influence on
      psychological development. We conclude that the primary surgery can be delayed
      unless the intracranial pressure needs to be controlled. In addition, fronto
      orbital advancement could not sufficiently improve the brachycephalic appearance,
      other procedures like posterior vault distraction might be better alternatives.

PMID- 28338249
TI  - Epidemiology, species distribution, clinical characteristics and mortality of
      candidaemia in a tertiary care university hospital in Turkey, 2007-2014.
AB  - Candidaemia still continues to be a serious medical concern and the epidemiology
      of candidaemia varies according to geographical areas. We aim to determine the
      incidence, local epidemiology, Candida species distribution and crude mortality
      rates of candidaemia. We retrospectively evaluated candidaemia episodes in
      between January 2007 and August 2014. We compared demographic, clinical,
      microbiological findings and mortality rates of episodes caused by Candida
      albicans and non-albicans Candida species. Overall the candidaemia incidences
      were 1.23 episodes/1000 admissions. A significant negative slope among
      candidaemia episodes and years was determined. Overall C. albicans (54.6%) was
      the most common species followed by Candida glabrata, Candida tropicalis and
      Candida parapsilosis respectively. Preinfection hospital stay and length of
      hospital stay were statistically longer in patients with non-albicans Candida
      candidaemia than in patients with C. albicans candidaemia. The source of
      candidaemia was unknown in 52.5% of all episodes. Central venous catheters among
      non-albicans Candida candidaemia episodes and urinary system among C. albicans
      candidaemia episodes were common source of candidaemia compared to each other.
      Previous antifungal therapy preceding candidaemia and concomitant bacteraemia
      were significantly associated with non-albicans Candida candidaemia. Continuous
      local surveillance will preserve its pivotal importance in formulating empirical
      antifungal therapy and improving management of candidaemia.

PMID- 28338251
TI  - A technique for relative quantitation of cancer biomarkers in formalin-fixed,
      paraffin-embedded (FFPE) tissue using stable-isotope-label based mass
      spectrometry imaging (SILMSI).
AB  - We developed a novel technique for the relative quantitation of pairs of cancer
      biomarkers in formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded (FFPE) tissue. The method utilizes
      stable isotope labeled (SIL) chromogens deposited during the standard
      immunohistochemistry (IHC) tissue staining process. The labeled chromogens are
      precipitated on tissue enzymatically using the standard IHC protocols. The tissue
      is then imaged with matrix-free laser desorption ionization time-of-flight mass
      spectrometry, and peak intensities of reporter ions are used to estimate the
      relative quantitation of protein biomarkers across the tissue. The relative
      abundance of two breast cancer biomarkers, estrogen receptor (ER) and
      progesterone receptor (PgR), were quantitated using their ratio of expression in
      xenograft models, and the ratios were found to be reproducible both within and
      across serial sections. The relative quantification of multiple biomarkers in
      situ across a single tissue section adds an additional dimension in cancer
      histological evaluation by allowing a visual and statistical assessment of tumor
      heterogeneity. Copyright (c) 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

PMID- 28338250
TI  - Diversity in warning coloration is easily recognized by avian predators.
AB  - Warning coloration is a widespread strategy to alert predators about prey
      unprofitability. The success of this strategy partly depends on predators being
      able to learn and recognize certain signals as indicators of toxicity, and theory
      predicts that this is easier if signals converge on similar colours. However, the
      diversity in warning signal form is astonishing, contradicting predictions. Here,
      we quantified ladybird signal diversity with respect to avian vision, measuring
      how unique and discernible each signal is from one another. In addition, we
      measured signal conspicuousness against a series of backgrounds, namely an
      average green, average brown, and where we collected each species, to determine
      whether signals are more contrasting against the ladybirds' local substrates than
      compared to average ones. This allowed us to establish whether there are local
      adaptations in conspicuousness that promote signal diversity. We found that while
      ladybird signals are unique and recognizable, specialist species are more
      contrasting against the background they are most commonly found on. However,
      overall our study suggests that warning signals have evolved to be effective
      against a wide range of natural backgrounds, partly explaining the success of
      this strategy in nature.

PMID- 28338252
TI  - Identification and structural characterization of novel O- and N-glycoforms in
      the urine of a Schindler disease patient by Orbitrap mass spectrometry.
AB  - Schindler disease is an inherited metabolic disorder caused by the deficient
      activity of alpha-N-acetylgalactosaminidase enzyme. An accurate diagnosis
      requires, besides clinical examination, complex and costly biochemical and
      molecular genetic tests. In the last years, mass spectrometry (MS) based on
      nanofluidics and high-resolution instruments has become a successful alternative
      for disease diagnosis based on the investigation of O-glycopeptides in patient
      urine. A complex mixture of glycoforms extracted from the urine of a 3-year-old
      patient was investigated by Orbitrap MS equipped with Nanospray Flex Ion Source
      in the negative ion mode. For structural characterization of several molecular
      species, collision-induced dissociation MS2 -MS3 was carried out using collision
      energy values within 20-60 eV range. By our approach, 39 novel species associated
      to this condition were identified, among which O-glycopeptides, free O-glycans
      and one structure corresponding to an N-glycan never characterized in the context
      of Schindler disease. The experiments conducted at a resolution of 60 000 allowed
      the discrimination and identification of a total number of 69 different species
      with an average mass accuracy of 9.87 ppm, an in-run reproducibility of almost
      100%, an experiment-to-experiment and day-to-day reproducibility of about 95%.
      This study brings contributions in the diagnosis of Schindler disease through the
      elucidation of potential biomarker species in urine. Our multistage MS results
      completed with 39 new glycoforms the inventory of potential biomarker structures
      associated to Schindler disease. For the first time, an N-glycan was identified
      and structurally characterized in Schindler patient urine, which opens new
      research directions in the field. Copyright (c) 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

PMID- 28338253
TI  - Supermetallization of peptides and proteins during electrospray ionization.
AB  - The formation of metal-peptide complexes during electrospray ionization (ESI) is
      a widely known phenomenon and is often considered to be undesirable. Such effect
      considerably limits the use of ESI mass spectrometry for the investigation of
      biologically relevant metal-peptide compounds that are present in the solution
      and play critical roles in many bioprocesses such as progression of
      neurodegenerative diseases. In the article, it is demonstrated that under
      specific conditions such as high temperature of the desolvating capillary, an
      interesting effect, which can be called as 'supermetallization', occurs. Using a
      model peptide Alphabeta amyloid domain 1-16, it was observed that an increase in
      the temperature of the desolvating capillary results in multiple substitutions of
      hydrogen atoms by Zn atoms in this peptide. At high temperatures (T ~ 400 
      degrees C), up to 11 zinc atoms can be covalently bound to (1-16) Alphabeta. It
      was observed that supermetallization of (1-16) Alphabeta depends on the solvent
      composition and pH. Supermetallization was also demonstrated for proteins, such
      as ubiquitin and cytochrome C. That proves that the supermetallization is a
      general phenomenon for peptides and proteins. For the structural investigation of
      supermetallized complexes, electron-capture dissociation (ECD) fragmentation was
      applied. The effect of hydrogen rearranging during ECD was observed. In addition,
      quantum chemical calculations were used to estimate the possible structures of
      different supermetallized complexes. These results allow a more deep
      understanding of the limitations of the use of ESI mass spectrometry for the
      investigation of biologically relevant metal-peptide complexes. Copyright (c)
      2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

PMID- 28338254
TI  - Static and dynamic headspace analysis of instant coffee blends by proton-transfer
      reaction mass spectrometry.
AB  - Instant coffee is a widespread product, generally related to a high consumer
      acceptability, also because of its ease of preparation. The present work
      addresses the characterization of the headspace of freshly brewed instant coffees
      resulting from different blends, during and immediately after preparation. The
      sample set consisted of 10 coffees, obtained by mixing three different blends in
      different proportions. The employment of Proton Transfer Reaction-Mass
      Spectrometry (PTR-MS) allowed for direct and real-time sampling from the
      headspace, under conditions that mimic those that are encountered above the cup
      during and right after brewing. Different coffee brews were separated on the
      basis of the respective volatile profiles, and data showed good consistency with
      the respective blend compositions. When the headspace evolution was monitored
      during preparation, similar results were obtained in terms of blend separation;
      moreover, different blends displayed different and reproducible 'signatures' in
      terms of time evolution. A straightforward method for the prediction of headspace
      composition is proposed, allowing to predict the volatile profiles of two
      component and three-component blends on the basis of the respective parent
      components. Overall, the results constitute a successful example of the
      applicability of PTR-MS as a tool for product development in food science.
      Copyright (c) 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

PMID- 28338255
TI  - A fast and reliable detection of indigo in historic and prehistoric textile
      samples.
AB  - Across all cultures and over all time periods, as early as the third millennium
      BC, indigo, a very intense blue vat dye, has been used to dye textiles. Even
      today, indigo is regarded as one of the most popular blue colorants in items such
      as blue jeans. While synthetic indigo is used to color textiles today, throughout
      history, a variety of plants have provided indigo. In this special feature
      article, Rene Csuk and co-authors propose to use atmospheric solids analysis
      probe mass spectrometry (ASAP-MS) to very rapidly and reliably identify indigo
      colorants tiny amounts in ancient historic fabrics without any sample
      preparation. The ionization in ASAP experiments is effected by Penning ionization
      or by the transfer of protons originating from protonated clusters of water. Dr.
      Rene Csuk is Professor of organic bioorganic chemistry at the Martin-Luther
      Universitat Halle-Wittenberg (Halle, Germany). His main research interests are in
      organic and medicinal chemistry, chemical biology and phytochemistry. Graphical
      Abstract: Historical samples can be investigated conveniently using ASAP(r)-MS
      experiments. ASAP(r)-MS allowed for rapid direct sampling without any preparation
      of the sample prior to its measurements, and reliable results were generated in
      less than 1 minute. As demonstrated for indigoid-type dyes, the efficacy of
      ASAP(r)-MS analysis is independent of the type of fiber, the age of the sample,
      the workmanship, and the state of preservation.

PMID- 28338256
TI  - Direct analysis in real time mass spectrometry (DART-MS) of highly non-polar low
      molecular weight polyisobutylenes.
AB  - Low molecular weight polyisobutylenes (PIB) with chlorine, olefin and succinic
      acid end-groups were studied using direct analysis in real time mass spectrometry
      (DART-MS). To facilitate the adduct ion formation under DART conditions, NH4 Cl
      as an auxiliary reagent was deposited onto the PIB surface. It was found that
      chlorinated adduct ions of olefin and chlorine telechelic PIBs, i.e. [M + Cl]- up
      to m/z 1100, and the deprotonated polyisobutylene succinic acid [M?H]- were
      formed as observed in the negative ion mode. In the positive ion mode formation
      of [M + NH4 ]+ , adduct ions were detected. In the tandem mass (MS/MS) spectra of
      [M + Cl]- , product ions were absent, suggesting a simple dissociation of the
      precursor [M + Cl]- into a Cl- ion and a neutral M without fragmentation of the
      PIB backbones. However, structurally important product ions were produced from
      the corresponding [M + NH4 ]+ ions, allowing us to obtain valuable information on
      the arm-length distributions of the PIBs containing aromatic initiator moiety. In
      addition, a model was developed to interpret the oligomer distributions and the
      number average molecular weights observed in DART-MS for PIBs and other polymers
      of low molecular weight. Copyright (c) 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

PMID- 28338257
TI  - A fast and reliable detection of indigo in historic and prehistoric textile
      samples.
AB  - We present a method requiring no sample preparation for the direct identification
      of indigoid colorants in tiny amounts in ancient historic fabrics using ASAP(r)
      MS. Exact determinations were completed in less than 1 min. Copyright (c) 2015
      John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

PMID- 28338258
TI  - Electroosmotically driven solution mixing in borosilicate theta glass nESI
      emitters.
AB  - The use of borosilicate theta glass capillaries as nanoelectrospray ionization
      emitters has recently been demonstrated as a method for mixing two solutions as
      they are sprayed into the mass spectrometer for analysis. All previous
      experiments resulted in a solution mixing timescale limited to the time the
      analytes spend in the Taylor cone and subsequent droplets (i.e. sub-millisecond
      timescale). In an effort to extend the solution mixing timescale to the
      milliseconds regime, we demonstrate that solution can be moved from one channel
      of the theta tip to the opposite channel via electroosmosis by applying a
      potential difference between the two wire electrodes inserted into each channel
      of the theta tip. First, we establish that electroosmosis is responsible for
      solution movement using fluorescence microscopy to track fluorescent tracer dyes.
      We then demonstrate the utility of this technique in varying the extent of
      denaturation of holomyoglobin to apomyoglobin on the millisecond timescale just
      prior to analysis by mass spectrometry. Finally, we induce additional turbulence
      for better mixing by applying a square wave potential to one of the wire
      electrodes while holding the opposite wire at a constant voltage between the low
      and high potentials of the square wave. This experiment was found to provide
      nearly complete mixing after a single cycle of the square wave. The use of
      electroosmosis significantly expands the flexibility of theta tips for altering
      solutions prior to nESI without the need for off-line sample manipulation.
      Copyright (c) 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

PMID- 28338259
TI  - Theoretical investigation on confinement of ions in a cube-shaped ion trap.
AB  - The confinement of ions in a cube-shaped ion trap and the mathematical formalism
      governing the behavior of ions in the trap is investigated theoretically.
      Afterwards, the stability regions are computed using the fourth-order Rung-Kutta
      method. Consequently, the influence of the direction of ions, injected into the
      trap from its center on the stability region, is numerically discussed. Moreover,
      the maximum angle of injection with respect to the vertical axis of the cube for
      which the ions could be confined in the trap without invoking any direct current
      component of voltage (henceforth referred to as limiting angle) was calculated.
      Strong linear correlation between the angle of injection and the ratio of the
      stability region areas is confirmed. A nonlinear feature of a cube-shaped ion
      trap is demonstrated with a focus on the equations of motion for an ion confined
      into the trap. It is worthwhile to note that the stability region of our cubic
      ion trap, which has its own boundary conditions and electrodynamics, has been
      theoretically investigated for the first time. Besides, the limiting angle as
      well as the aforementioned strong linear correlation has not been reported in the
      literature previously. Copyright (c) 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

PMID- 28338260
TI  - Iron(II)-Catalyzed Hydrophosphination of Isocyanates.
AB  - The first transition metal catalyzed hydrophosphination of isocyanates is
      presented. The use of low-coordinate iron(II) precatalysts leads to an
      unprecedented catalytic double insertion of isocyanates into the P-H bond of
      diphenylphosphine to yield phosphinodicarboxamides [Ph2 PC(=O)N(R)C(=O)N(H)R], a
      new family of derivatized organophosphorus compounds. This remarkable result can
      be attributed to the low-coordinate nature of the iron(II) centers whose inherent
      electron deficiency enables a Lewis-acid mechanism in which a combination of the
      steric pocket of the metal center and substrate size determines the reaction
      products and regioselectivity.

PMID- 28338261
TI  - Extracorporeal photopheresis for the treatment of early-stage mycosis fungoides.
AB  - Extracorporeal photopheresis (ECP) has been used for nearly 30 years in the
      treatment of cutaneous T-cell lymphoma. However, current clinical practice
      largely reserves ECP for patients with late-stage mycosis fungoides (MF) or
      Sezary syndrome or for those who are refractory to other therapies. We briefly
      describe a 48-year-old male who experienced long-term complete remission of his
      patch MF disease with ECP, and we suggest a role for ECP in the treatment of
      early-stage MF given evidence of its efficacy, safety, and tolerability.

PMID- 28338262
TI  - Steering On-Surface Reactions by a Self-Assembly Approach.
AB  - 4,4'-Bis(2,6-difluoropyridin-4-yl)-1,1':4',1''-terphenyl (BDFPTP) molecules
      underwent dehydrocyclization and covalent coupling reactions on Au(111) according
      to scanning tunneling microscopy (STM) measurements and density functional theory
      (DFT) calculations. Self-assembly of the reactants in well-defined molecular
      domains prior to reaction could greatly enhance the regioselectivity of the
      dehydrocyclization reaction and suppress defluorinated coupling, demonstrating
      that self-assembly can efficiently steer on-surface reactions. Such a strategy
      could be of great importance in surface chemistry and widely applied to control
      on-surface reactions.

PMID- 28338263
TI  - Synthesis of Poly(arylene vinylene)s with Different End Groups by Combining
      Acyclic Diene Metathesis Polymerization with Wittig-type Couplings.
AB  - A series of end-functionalized poly(9,9'-di-n-octylfluorene vinylene)s (EF-PFVs)
      with different end groups were obtained by 1) synthesizing EF-PFV with vinyl end
      groups by acyclic diene metathesis (ADMET) polymerization with a molybdenum
      catalyst and termination with an aldehyde and 2) subsequent olefin metathesis of
      the vinyl group with the molybdenum catalyst followed by Wittig-type coupling
      with another aldehyde. The exclusive formation of EF-PFVs containing a vinyl end
      group by the ADMET polymerization was confirmed by grafting PEG, and by the
      synthesis of amphiphilic triblock copolymers by combining atom transfer radical
      polymerization from the PFV chain end with PEG grafting through a click reaction.
      Various EF-PFVs with different end groups, such as C6 F5 , pyridyl, ferrocenyl,
      and terthiophene, have thus been prepared. Their fluorescence spectra (e.g.,
      intensities, emission wavelengths) were influenced by the end groups and the
      length of the conjugation.

PMID- 28338264
TI  - Engineering High-Energy Interfacial Structures for High-Performance Oxygen
      Involving Electrocatalysis.
AB  - Engineering high-energy interfacial structures for high-performance
      electrocatalysis is achieved by chemical coupling of active CoO nanoclusters and
      high-index facet Mn3 O4 nano-octahedrons (hi-Mn3 O4 ). A thorough
      characterization, including synchrotron-based near edge X-ray absorption fine
      structure, reveals that strong interactions between both components promote the
      formation of high-energy interfacial Mn-O-Co species and high oxidation state
      CoO, from which electrons are drawn by MnIII -O present in hi-Mn3 O4 . The CoO/hi
      Mn3 O4 demonstrates an excellent catalytic performance over the conventional
      metal oxide-based electrocatalysts, which is reflected by 1.2 times higher oxygen
      evolution reaction (OER) activity than that of Ru/C and a comparable oxygen
      reduction reaction (ORR) activity to that of Pt/C as well as a better stability
      than that of Ru/C (95 % vs. 81 % retained OER activity) and Pt/C (92 % vs. 78 %
      retained ORR activity after 10 h running) in alkaline electrolyte.

PMID- 28338265
TI  - Acupuncture plus moxibustion for herpes zoster: A systematic review and meta
      analysis of randomized controlled trials.
AB  - Herpes zoster is an acute inflammatory condition which can have a significant
      impact on quality of life. Antiviral therapies are effective, but do not meet
      patients' expectations of symptomatic relief. Acupuncture and moxibustion have
      been used for herpes zoster; this systematic review evaluated their efficacy and
      safety. Nine English and Chinese databases were searched from their inceptions to
      March 2016. Randomized controlled trials evaluating the combination of
      acupuncture plus moxibustion in adult herpes zoster were included. Outcomes
      included pain intensity and duration, quality of life and adverse events. Meta
      analysis was performed using RevMan software (version 5.3). Nine studies (945
      participants) were included. Studies were of low to moderate methodological
      quality based on risk of bias assessment. Pain intensity (visual analogue scale)
      was lower among those who received acupuncture plus moxibustion compared with
      pharmacotherapy (one study; MD -8.25 mm, 95% CI -12.36 to -4.14). The clinical
      significance of this result is yet to be established. Some benefits were seen for
      other pain and cutaneous outcomes, and global improvement in symptoms. Mild
      adverse events were reported in the intervention groups. Acupuncture plus
      moxibustion may improve pain and cutaneous outcomes, although current evidence is
      limited by the number of studies and methodological shortcomings.

PMID- 28338266
TI  - Accelerated Oxygen Atom Transfer and C-H Bond Oxygenation by Remote Redox Changes
      in Fe3 Mn-Iodosobenzene Adducts.
AB  - We report the synthesis, characterization, and reactivity of [LFe3 (PhPz)3 OMn(s
      PhIO)][OTf]x (3: x=2; 4: x=3), where 4 is one of very few examples of
      iodosobenzene-metal adducts characterized by X-ray crystallography. Access to
      these rare heterometallic clusters enabled differentiation of the metal centers
      involved in oxygen atom transfer (Mn) or redox modulation (Fe). Specifically, 57
      Fe Mossbauer and X-ray absorption spectroscopy provided unique insights into how
      changes in oxidation state (FeIII2 FeII MnII vs. FeIII3 MnII ) influence oxygen
      atom transfer in tetranuclear Fe3 Mn clusters. In particular, a one-electron
      redox change at a distal metal site leads to a change in oxygen atom transfer
      reactivity by ca. two orders of magnitude.

PMID- 28338268
TI  - Chiral Amino Alcohol Accelerated and Stereocontrolled Allylboration of
      Iminoisatins: Highly Efficient Construction of Adjacent Quaternary Stereogenic
      Centers.
AB  - We have developed a highly efficient asymmetric allylboration of ketimines with
      nonchiral gamma,gamma-disubstituted allylboronic acids by using a chiral amino
      alcohol as the directing group, which is otherwise challenging. The amino alcohol
      not only serves as a cheap source of nitrogen and chirality, but also
      dramatically enhances the reactivity. The versatility of this method was
      demonstrated by its ability to access all four stereoisomers with adjacent
      quaternary carbon centers. A reaction model was proposed to explain the
      diastereoselectivity and the rate-accelerating effect.

PMID- 28338267
TI  - Disrupted intrinsic connectivity of the periaqueductal gray in patients with
      functional dyspepsia: A resting-state fMRI study.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Functional dyspepsia (FD) is a common functional gastrointestinal
      disorder. Accumulating evidence suggests the crucial role of central nervous
      system in the development and maintenance of FD. In particular, periaqueductal
      gray (PAG) has demonstrated an important role in modulation of pain and emotion,
      which may be related to FD. However, the study of the PAG in FD is still limited.
      This study aimed to assess intrinsic connectivity of the PAG in FD patients.
      METHODS: Resting-state functional magnetic imaging (fMRI) data were collected
      from 66 FD patients and 42 healthy controls (HCs). Functional connectivity
      analysis was performed to investigate the PAG connectivity pattern differences
      between the patients and HCs. We then examined the relationships between
      functional connectivity within the PAG networks and FD symptoms. KEY RESULTS:
      Compared to HCs, patients had increased PAG connectivity with the insula, and
      decreased PAG connectivity with the orbitofrontal cortex (OFC), dorsolateral
      prefrontal cortex (dlPFC) and hippocampus/parahippocampus (HIPP/paraHIPP). There
      were positive correlations between disease duration and PAG connectivity with the
      putamen and supplementary motor area (SMA), and positive correlations between
      symptom severity and PAG connectivity with the insula. FD patients with high
      level of anxiety and depression had altered PAG connectivity with the anterior
      cingulate cortex (ACC), precuneus, dlPFC and caudate, compared to other patients.
      CONCLUSIONS & INFERENCES: These findings indicate that abnormal intrinsic network
      of the PAG might be associated with abnormality of pain processing and disruption
      of emotion processing in FD patients. Our study further complements neuroimaging
      findings about FD.

PMID- 28338269
TI  - Silymarin for the treatment of obsessive-compulsive disorders in dermatology.

PMID- 28338270
TI  - High-resolution MALDI-TOF MS study on analysis of low-molecular-weight products
      from photo-oxidation of poly(3-hexylthiophene).
AB  - High-resolution matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization (MALDI) time-of
      flight mass spectrometry (TOF MS) was used for the analysis of the low-molecular
      weight products from the photo-oxidation of poly(3-hexylthiophene) (P3HT) in
      solution and thin film. Eight new peak series were observed in the low-mass range
      of the mass spectra of the products degraded in solution, and the formulas of the
      eight components were determined from the accurate mass. From SEC/MALDI-TOF MS,
      two components were identified as the degraded products, and the other six
      components were derived from the fragmentation of the degraded products during
      the MALDI process. A mechanism for the formation of these components was proposed
      on the basis of the results of MALDI-TOF MS. For the thin film degradation, a
      part of products in the solution degradation were observed, which supports that
      the oxidation of P3HT in solution and thin film proceeded in the same mechanism.
      This study shows that high-resolution MALDI-TOF MS is effective for the analysis
      of the low-molecular-weight products from P3HT photo-oxidation and expected to be
      feasible for the degradation analyses of other polymers. Copyright (c) 2015 John
      Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

PMID- 28338271
TI  - Identification strategies for flame retardants employing time-of-flight mass
      spectrometric detectors along with spectral and spectra-less databases.
AB  - In the past, the preferred strategy for the identification of unknown compounds
      was to search in an appropriate mass spectral database for spectra obtained using
      either electron ionisation (GC-MS analyses) or collision-induced dissociation (LC
      MS/MS analyses). Recently, an increase has been seen in the use of accurate mass
      instruments and spectra-less databases, based on monoisotopic accurate mass
      alone. In this article, we describe a systematic workflow for the screening and
      identification of new flame retardants. This approach utilises LC-quadrupole-time
      of-flight MS and spectra-less databases based only on monoisotopic accurate mass
      for the identification of 'unknowns'. An in-house database was built, and the
      input parameters used in the data analysis process were optimised for flame
      retardant chemicals, so that it can be easily transferred to other laboratories.
      The procedure was successfully applied to dust, foam and textiles from car
      interiors and indoor consumer products. The developed method was demonstrated for
      the main new flame retardant present in Antiblaze V6 and for the three unreported
      reaction by-products/impurities present in the same technical mixture. Copyright
      (c) 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

PMID- 28338273
TI  - Effects of GC temperature and carrier gas flow rate on on-line oxygen isotope
      measurement as studied by on-column CO injection.
AB  - Although deemed important to delta18 O measurement by on-line high-temperature
      conversion techniques, how the GC conditions affect delta18 O measurement is
      rarely examined adequately. We therefore directly injected different volumes of
      CO or CO-N2 mix onto the GC column by a six-port valve and examined the CO yield,
      CO peak shape, CO-N2 separation, and delta18 O value under different GC
      temperatures and carrier gas flow rates. The results show the CO peak area
      decreases when the carrier gas flow rate increases. The GC temperature has no
      effect on peak area. The peak width increases with the increase of CO injection
      volume but decreases with the increase of GC temperature and carrier gas flow
      rate. The peak intensity increases with the increase of GC temperature and CO
      injection volume but decreases with the increase of carrier gas flow rate. The
      peak separation time between N2 and CO decreases with an increase of GC
      temperature and carrier gas flow rate. delta18 O value decreases with the
      increase of CO injection volume (when half m/z 28 intensity is <3 V) and GC
      temperature but is insensitive to carrier gas flow rate. On average, the delta18
      O value of the injected CO is about 10/00 higher than that of identical reference
      CO. The delta18 O distribution pattern of the injected CO is probably a combined
      result of ion source nonlinearity and preferential loss of C16 O or oxygen
      isotopic exchange between zeolite and CO. For practical application, a lower
      carrier gas flow rate is therefore recommended as it has the combined advantages
      of higher CO yield, better N2 -CO separation, lower He consumption, and
      insignificant effect on delta18 O value, while a higher-than-60  degrees C GC
      temperature and a larger-than-100 ul CO volume is also recommended. When no N2
      peak is expected, a higher GC temperature is recommended, and vice versa.
      Copyright (c) 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

PMID- 28338272
TI  - In vitro metabolism studies of desoxy-methyltestosterone (DMT) and its five
      analogues, and in vivo metabolism of desoxy-vinyltestosterone (DVT) in horses.
AB  - The positive findings of norbolethone in 2002 and tetrahydrogestrinone in 2003 in
      human athlete samples confirmed that designer steroids were indeed being abused
      in human sports. In 2005, an addition to the family of designer steroids called
      'Madol' [also known as desoxy-methyltestosterone (DMT)] was seized by government
      officials at the US-Canadian border. Two years later, a positive finding of DMT
      was reported in a mixed martial arts athlete's sample. It is not uncommon that
      doping agents used in human sports would likewise be abused in equine sports.
      Designer steroids would, therefore, pose a similar threat to the horseracing and
      equestrian communities. This paper describes the in vitro metabolism studies of
      DMT and five of its structural analogues with different substituents at the
      17alpha position (R?H, ethyl, vinyl, ethynyl and 2 H3 -methyl). In addition, the
      in vivo metabolism of desoxy-vinyltestosterone (DVT) in horses will be presented.
      The in vitro studies revealed that the metabolic pathways of DMT and its
      analogues occurred predominantly in the A-ring by way of a combination of enone
      formation, hydroxylation and reduction. Additional biotransformation involving
      hydroxylation of the 17alpha-alkyl group was also observed for DMT and some of
      its analogues. The oral administration experiment revealed that DVT was
      extensively metabolised and the parent drug was not detected in urine. Two in
      vivo metabolites, derived respectively from (1) hydroxylation of the A-ring and
      (2) di-hydroxylation together with A-ring double-bond reduction, could be
      detected in urine up to a maximum of 46 h after administration. Another in vivo
      metabolite, derived from hydroxylation of the A-ring with additional double-bond
      reduction and di-hydroxylation of the 17alpha-vinyl group, could be detected in
      urine up to a maximum of 70 h post-administration. All in vivo metabolites were
      excreted mainly as glucuronides and were also detected in the in vitro studies.
      Copyright (c) 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

PMID- 28338274
TI  - Identification of hydroxymethylpyrazines using mass spectrometry.
AB  - Pyrazines are well-known natural products that are present in bacterial odours
      and food flavouring agents and are used as insect pheromones. Recently, a number
      of hydroxymethylpyrazines have been identified as thynnine wasp pheromones and
      orchid semiochemicals that are essential for pollination in sexually deceptive
      plants. These compounds are present in low amounts in complex blends, making GC
      MS (including high-resolution techniques) the method of choice for their
      structure elucidation. We report the EI mass spectra for 14 representative
      compounds and have found that based on characteristic fragmentations, it is
      possible to distinguish between different positional isomers of
      hydroxymethylpyrazines. The presence or absence of either [M - 17]+ , [M - 18]+.
      or [M - 19]+ fragment species provides characteristic information to allow the
      distinction between the different isomers. Considering the importance of
      pyrazines as a group of bioactive natural products, and the recent findings of
      biological activity for hydroxymethylpyrazines, our results presented here will
      aid the identification of these compounds in other biological systems. Copyright
      (c) 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

PMID- 28338275
TI  - Fast quantitative determination of methylphenidate levels in rat plasma and brain
      ex vivo by MALDI-MS/MS.
AB  - This study presents a simple and sensitive high-throughput matrix-assisted laser
      desorption/ionization time-of-flight tandem mass spectrometry (MALDI-MS/MS)
      method for ex vivo quantification of methylphenidate (MPH) in rat plasma and
      brain. The common MALDI matrix alpha-cyano-4-hydroxycinnamic acid was used to
      obtain an optimal dried droplet preparation. For method validation, standards
      diluted in plasma and brain homogenate prepared from untreated (control) rats
      were used. MPH was quantified within a concentration range of 0.1-40 ng/ml in
      plasma and 0.4-40 ng/ml in brain homogenate with an excellent linearity (R2  >=
      0.9997) and good precision. The intra-day and inter-day accuracies fulfilled the
      FDA's +/-15/20 critera. The recovery of MPH ranged from 93.8 to 98.5% and 87.2 to
      99.8% in plasma and homogenate, respectively. We show that MPH is successfully
      quantified in plasma and brain homogenate of rats pre-treated with this drug
      using the internal standard calibration method. By means of this method, a linear
      correlation between plasma and brain concentration of MPH in rodents pre-treated
      with MPH was detected. The simple sample preparation based on liquid-liquid
      extraction and MALDI-MS/MS measurement requires approximately 10 s per sample,
      and this significantly reduces analysis time compared with other analytical
      methods. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first MALDI-MS/MS method for
      quantification of MPH in rat plasma and brain. Copyright (c) 2015 John Wiley &
      Sons, Ltd.

PMID- 28338276
TI  - Loss of atomic nitrogen from even-electron ions? A study on benzodiazepines.
AB  - The fragment spectra of protonated nitro-substituted benzodiazepines show an
      unusual fragment [M + H - 14]+ , which is shown by accurate mass measurement to
      be due to the loss of a nitrogen atom. Our investigations show that this apparent
      loss of atomic nitrogen is rather an attachment of molecular oxygen to the [M + H
      - NO2 ]+* ion, which is the main fragment ion in these spectra. The oxygen
      attachment is exothermic, and rate constants have been derived. MSn spectra show
      that it is not easily reversible upon fragmentation of the adduct ion and that it
      is also observed with some secondary and tertiary fragments, which allows to
      limit the attachment site to the aromatic ring annulated to the diazepine moiety.
      Fragments of the oxygen adduct ion indicate that the O2 molecule dissociates in
      the adduct formation process, and the two oxygen atoms are bound to different
      sites of the ion. Comparison with radical cations generated by fragmentation of
      non-nitro-substituted benzodiazepines, none of which showed an oxygen attachment,
      and the fragmentation mechanisms involved in their formation indicates that the
      [M + H - NO2 ]+* ion is a distonic ion with the charge and radical site
      neighbored on the aromatic ring. From these results, we derive a proposal for the
      formation and structure of the [M + H - NO2  + O2 ]+* ion, which explains the
      experimental observations. Copyright (c) 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

PMID- 28338277
TI  - Emission of volatile sesquiterpenes and monoterpenes in grapevine genotypes
      following Plasmopara viticola inoculation in vitro.
AB  - The grapevine (Vitis vinifera) is one of the most widely cultivated fruit crops
      globally, and one of its most important diseases in terms of economic losses is
      downy mildew, caused by Plasmopara viticola. Several wild Vitis species have been
      found to be resistant to this pathogen and have been used in breeding programs to
      introduce resistance traits to susceptible cultivars. Plant defense is based on
      different mechanisms, and volatile organic compounds (VOCs) play a major role in
      the response to insects and pathogens. Although grapevine resistance mechanisms
      and the production of secondary metabolites have been widely characterized in
      resistant genotypes, the emission of VOCs has not yet been investigated following
      P. viticola inoculation. A Proton Transfer Reaction-Time of Flight-Mass
      Spectrometer (PTR-ToF-MS) was used to analyze the VOCs emitted by in vitro-grown
      plants of grapevine genotypes with different levels of resistance. Downy mildew
      inoculation significantly increased the emission of monoterpenes and
      sesquiterpenes by the resistant SO4 and Kober 5BB genotypes, but not by the
      susceptible V. vinifera Pinot noir. Volatile terpenes were implicated in plant
      defense responses against pathogens, suggesting that they could play a major role
      in the resistance against downy mildew by direct toxicity or by inducing
      grapevine resistance. The grapevine genotypes differed in terms of the VOC
      emission pattern of both inoculated and uninoculated plants, indicating that PTR
      ToF-MS could be used to screen hybrids with different levels of downy mildew
      resistance. Copyright (c) 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

PMID- 28338278
TI  - Processed eggshell as sample carrier for rapid analysis of organometallic
      compounds by desorption electrospray ionization mass spectrometry.

PMID- 28338279
TI  - Elemental Boron for Efficient Carbon Dioxide Reduction under Light Irradiation.
AB  - The photoreduction of CO2 is attractive for the production of renewable fuels and
      the mitigation of global warming. Herein, we report an efficient method for CO2
      reduction over elemental boron catalysts in the presence of only water and light
      irradiation through a photothermocatalytic process. Owing to its high solar-light
      absorption and effective photothermal conversion, the illuminated boron catalyst
      experiences remarkable self-heating. This process favors CO2 activation and also
      induces localized boron hydrolysis to in situ produce H2 as an active proton
      source and electron donor for CO2 reduction as well as boron oxides as promoters
      of CO2 adsorption. These synergistic effects, in combination with the unique
      catalytic properties of boron, are proposed to account for the efficiency of the
      CO2 reduction. This study highlights the promise of photothermocatalytic
      strategies for CO2 conversion and also opens new avenues towards the development
      of related solar-energy utilization schemes.

PMID- 28338280
TI  - Patients' views on their decision making during inpatient rehabilitation after
      newly acquired spinal cord injury-A qualitative interview-based study.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: Involving patients in decision making is a legal requirement in
      many countries, associated with better rehabilitation outcomes, but not easily
      accomplished during initial inpatient rehabilitation after severe trauma.
      Providing medical treatment according to the principles of shared decision making
      is challenging as a point in case for persons with spinal cord injury (SCI).
      OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study was to retrospectively explore the patients'
      views on their participation in decision making during their first inpatient
      rehabilitation after onset of SCI, in order to optimize treatment concepts.
      METHODS: A total of 22 participants with SCI were interviewed in-depth using a
      semi-structured interview scheme between 6 months and 35 years post-onset.
      Interviews were transcribed verbatim and analysed with the Mayring method for
      qualitative content analysis. RESULTS: Participants experienced a substantially
      reduced ability to participate in decision making during the early phase after
      SCI. They perceived physical, psychological and environmental factors to have
      impacted upon this ability. Patients mentioned regaining their ability to make
      decisions was an important goal during their first rehabilitation. Receiving
      adequate information in an understandable and personalized way was a prerequisite
      to achieve this goal. Other important factors included medical and psychological
      condition, personal engagement, time and dialogue with peers. CONCLUSION: During
      the initial rehabilitation of patients with SCI, professionals need to deal with
      the discrepancy between the obligation to respect a patient's autonomy and their
      diminished ability for decision making.

PMID- 28338281
TI  - Cardiovascular safety of vildagliptin in patients with type 2 diabetes: A
      European multi-database, non-interventional post-authorization safety study.
AB  - The aim of this non-interventional, multi-database, analytical cohort study was
      to assess the cardiovascular (CV) safety of vildagliptin vs other non-insulin
      antidiabetic drugs (NIADs) using real-world data from 5 European electronic
      healthcare databases. Patients with type 2 diabetes aged >=18 years on NIAD
      treatment were enrolled. Adjusted incidence rate ratios (IRRs) and 95% confidence
      intervals (CIs) for the outcomes of interest (myocardial infarction [MI], acute
      coronary syndrome [ACS], stroke, congestive heart failure [CHF], individually and
      as a composite) were estimated using negative binomial regression. Approximately
      2.8% of the enrolled patients (n = 738 054) used vildagliptin at any time during
      the study, with an average follow-up time of 1.4 years, resulting in a cumulative
      current vildagliptin exposure of 28 330 person-years. The adjusted IRRs
      (vildagliptin [+/-other NIADs] vs other NIADs) were in the range of 0.61 to 0.97
      (MI), 0.55 to 1.60 (ACS), 0.02 to 0.77 (stroke), 0.49 to 1.03 (CHF), and 0.22 to
      1.02 (composite CV outcomes). The IRRs and their 95% CIs were close to 1,
      demonstrating no increased risk of adverse CV events, including the risk of CHF,
      with vildagliptin vs other NIADs in real-world conditions.

PMID- 28338284
TI  - Palladium-Catalyzed Enantioselective Synthesis of 2-Aryl Cyclohex-2-enone
      Atropisomers: Platform Molecules for the Divergent Synthesis of Axially Chiral
      Biaryl Compounds.
AB  - The palladium-catalyzed asymmetric synthesis of enone-based atropisomers from 2
      iodo-3-methylcyclohex-2-enones and aryl boronic acid is reported. BoPhoz-type
      phosphine-aminophosphine ligands showed superior enantioselectivity over other
      ligands. These cyclohexenone-based atropisomers are useful compounds for further
      elaboration. The divergent synthesis of biaryl atropisomers with different ortho
      substituents was demonstrated.

PMID- 28338282
TI  - Don't forget to look down - collaborative approaches to predator conservation.
AB  - Finding effective ways of conserving large carnivores is widely recognised as a
      priority in conservation. However, there is disagreement about the most effective
      way to do this, with some favouring top-down 'command and control' approaches and
      others favouring collaboration. Arguments for coercive top-down approaches have
      been presented elsewhere; here we present arguments for collaboration. In many
      parts of the developed world, flexibility of approach is built into the
      legislation, so that conservation objectives are balanced with other legitimate
      goals. In the developing world, limited resources, poverty and weak governance
      mean that collaborative approaches are likely to play a particularly important
      part in carnivore conservation. In general, coercive policies may lead to the
      deterioration of political legitimacy and potentially to non-compliance issues
      such as illegal killing, whereas collaborative approaches may lead to
      psychological ownership, enhanced trust, learning, and better social outcomes.
      Sustainable hunting/trapping plays a crucial part in the conservation and
      management of many large carnivores. There are many different models for how to
      conserve carnivores effectively across the world, research is now required to
      reduce uncertainty and examine the effectiveness of these approaches in different
      contexts.

PMID- 28338285
TI  - Remote Control of Cellular Functions: The Role of Smart Nanomaterials in the
      Medicine of the Future.
AB  - The remote control of cellular functions through smart nanomaterials represents a
      biomanipulation approach with unprecedented potential applications in many fields
      of medicine, ranging from cancer therapy to tissue engineering. By actively
      responding to external stimuli, smart nanomaterials act as real nanotransducers
      able to mediate and/or convert different forms of energy into both physical and
      chemical cues, fostering specific cell behaviors. This report describes those
      classes of nanomaterials that have mostly paved the way to a "wireless" control
      of biological phenomena, focusing the discussion on some examples close to the
      clinical practice. In particular, magnetic fields, light irradiation, ultrasound,
      and pH will be presented as means to manipulate the cellular fate, due to the
      peculiar physical/chemical properties of some smart nanoparticles, thus providing
      realistic examples of "nanorobots" approaching the visionary ideas of Richard
      Feynman.

PMID- 28338286
TI  - Structural Reversibility and Nickel Particle stability in Lanthanum Iron Nickel
      Perovskite-Type Catalysts.
AB  - Perovskite-type oxides have shown the ability to reversibly segregate precious
      metals from their structure. This reversible segregation behavior was explored
      for a commonly used catalyst metal, Ni, to prevent Ni sintering, which is
      observed on most catalyst support materials. Temperature-programmed reduction, X
      ray diffraction, X-ray absorption spectroscopy, electron microscopy, and
      catalytic activity tests were used to follow the extent of reversible Ni
      segregation. LaFe1-x Nix O3+/-delta (0<=x<=0.2) was synthesized using a citrate
      based solution process. After reduction at 600  degrees C, metallic Ni particles
      were displayed on the perovskite surfaces, which were active towards the
      hydrogenation of CO2 . The overall Ni reducibility was proportional to the Ni
      content and increased from 35 % for x=0.05 to 50 % for x=0.2. Furthermore, Ni
      could be reincorporated reversibly into the perovskite lattice during reoxidation
      at 650  degrees C. This could be exploited for catalyst regeneration under
      conditions under which impregnated materials such as Ni/LaFeO3+/-delta and Ni/Al2
      O3 suffer from sintering.

PMID- 28338287
TI  - Synthesis of Rationally Halogenated Buckybowls by Chemoselective Aromatic C-F
      Bond Activation.
AB  - Halogenated buckybowls or bowl-shaped polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (BS-PAHs)
      are key building blocks for the "bottom-up" synthesis of various carbon-based
      nanomaterials with outstanding potential in different fields of technology. The
      current state of the art provides quite a limited number of synthetic pathways to
      BS-PAHs; moreover, none of these approaches show high selectivity and tolerance
      of functional groups. Herein we demonstrate an effective route to BS-PAHs that
      includes directed intramolecular aryl-aryl coupling through C-F bond activation.
      The coupling conditions were found to be completely tolerant toward aromatic C-Br
      and C-Cl bonds, thus allowing the facile synthesis of rationally halogenated
      buckybowls with an unprecedented level of selectivity. This finding opens the way
      to functionalized BS-PAH systems that cannot be obtained by alternative methods.

PMID- 28338288
TI  - A comparison inhibitory effects of cisplatin and MNPs-PEG-cisplatin on the
      adhesion capacity of bone metastatic breast cancer.
AB  - To date, high mortality in women due to malignancy breast cancer related to the
      metastasis to the bone is a significant challenge. As, magnetic nanoparticles
      (MNPs) conjugated with the biocompatible polymers was employed for the delivery
      of some hydrophobic anticancer agents, the main aim of the current research was
      to assess whether cisplatin-loaded MNPs enhanced the anticancer effect of free
      cisplatin in breast cancer cells. MNPs decorated with PEG were synthesized by an
      improved coprecipitation technique, and then cisplatin was loaded onto the MNPs
      via a simple mixing method. Afterward, its morphology, size, chemical structure,
      magnetic property, hydrodynamic diameter, zeta potential, and crystal structure
      were characterized by scanning and transmittance electron microscopy, Fourier
      transforms infrared spectroscopy, vibrating sample magnetometer, dynamic light
      scattering, and X-ray powder diffraction and flame atomic absorption spectroscopy
      respectively. Additionally, the effects of cisplatin and MNPs-PEG-cisplatin on
      viability, migration and adhesion capacity of T47D cells were investigated by
      evaluating alpha2-integrin and beta1-integrin; mRNAs were assessed by real-time
      RT-PCR. Consequently, the in vitro assay results showed a considerable dose
      dependent inhibitory effect of cisplatin and MNPs-PEG-cisplatin on proliferation,
      migration, and adhesion of T47D cells. Finally, current research was shown that
      MNPs-PEG-cisplatin strongly increased anticancer effects compared with free
      cisplatin in the T47D cell line.

PMID- 28338289
TI  - A Sodium-Ion-Conducting Direct Formate Fuel Cell: Generating Electricity and
      Producing Base.
AB  - A barrier that limits the development of the conventional cation-exchange
      membrane direct liquid fuel cells (CEM-DLFCs) is that the CEM-DLFCs need
      additional base to offer both alkaline environment and charge carriers. Herein,
      we propose a Na+ -conducting direct formate fuel cell (Na-DFFC) that is operated
      in the absence of added base. A proof-of-concept Na-DFFC yields a peak power
      density of 33 mW cm-2 at 60  degrees C, mainly because the hydrolysis of sodium
      formate provides enough OH- and Na+ ions, proving the conceptual feasibility.
      Moreover, contrary to the conventional chlor-alkali process, this Na-DFFC enables
      to generate electricity and produce NaOH simultaneously without polluting the
      environment. The Na-DFFC runs stably during 13 hours of continuous operation at a
      constant current of 10 mA, along with a theoretical production of 195 mg NaOH.
      This work presents a new type of electrochemical conversion device that possesses
      a wide range of potential applications.

PMID- 28338290
TI  - Identification of natural inhibitors of Bcr-Abl for the treatment of chronic
      myeloid leukemia.
AB  - Chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) is a clonal myeloproliferative disorder of the
      hematopoietic stem cells, characterized at the molecular level by the bcr/abl
      gene rearrangement. Even though targeting the fusion gene product Bcr-Abl protein
      is a successful strategy, development of drug resistance and that of drug
      intolerance are currently the limitations for Bcr-Abl-targeted CML therapy. With
      an aim to develop natural Bcr-Abl inhibitors, we performed virtual screening (VS)
      of ZINC natural compound database by docking with Abl kinase using Glide
      software. Two natural inhibitors ZINC08764498 (hit1) and ZINC12891610 (hit2) were
      selected by considering their high Glide docking score and critical interaction
      with the hinge region residue Met-318 of Abl kinase. The reactivity of the two
      molecules was assessed computationally by density functional theory calculations.
      Further, the conformational transition, hydrogen bond interactions, and the
      binding energies were investigated during 10-ns molecular dynamics simulation of
      the Abl-hit complex. When tested in vitro, hit1 compared to hit2 showed selective
      inhibition of cell proliferation and induction of apoptosis in Bcr-Abl-positive K
      562 leukemia cells. In summary, our results demonstrate that ZINC08764498, a
      coumarin derivative identified through VS, is a potential natural inhibitor for
      the treatment of CML.

PMID- 28338291
TI  - Versatile Polymer Nanoparticles as Two-Photon-Triggered Photosensitizers for
      Simultaneous Cellular, Deep-Tissue Imaging, and Photodynamic Therapy.
AB  - Clinical applications of current photodynamic therapy (PDT) photosensitizers
      (PSs) are often limited by their absorption in the UV-vis range that possesses
      limited tissue penetration ability, leading to ineffective therapeutic response
      for deep-seated tumors. Alternatively, two-photon excited PS (TPE-PS) using NIR
      light triggered is one the most promising candidates for PDT improvement. Herein,
      multimodal polymer nanoparticles (PNPs) from polythiophene derivative as two
      photon fluorescence imaging as well as two-photon-excited PDT agent are
      developed. The prepared PNPs exhibit excellent water dispersibility, high
      photostability and pH stability, strong fluorescence brightness, and low dark
      toxicity. More importantly, the PNPs also possess other outstanding features
      including: (1) the high 1 O2 quantum yield; (2) the strong two-photon-induced
      fluorescence and efficient 1 O2 generation; (3) the specific accumulation in
      lysosomes of HeLa cells; and (4) the imaging detection depth up to 2100 um in the
      mock tissue under two-photon. The multifunctional PNPs are promising candidates
      as TPE-PDT agent for simultaneous cellular, deep-tissue imaging, and highly
      efficient in vivo PDT of cancer.

PMID- 28338292
TI  - Rational drug design of indazole-based diarylurea derivatives as anticancer
      agents.
AB  - A series of novel indazole-based diarylurea derivatives targeting c-kit were
      designed by structure-based drug design. The derivatives were prepared, and their
      antiproliferative activities were evaluated against human colon cancer HCT-116
      cell line and hepatocellular carcinoma PLC/PRF/5 cell line. The antiproliferative
      activities demonstrated that six of nine compounds exhibited comparable
      activities with sorafenib against HCT-116. The structure-activity relationship
      (SAR) analysis indicated that the indazole ring part tolerated different kinds of
      substituents, and the N position of the central pyridine ring played key roles in
      antiproliferative activity. The SAR and interaction mechanisms were further
      explored using molecular docking method. Compound 1i with N-(2-(pyrrolidin-1
      yl)ethyl)-carboxamide possessed improved solubility, 596.1 ng/ml and best
      activities, IC50 at 1.0 MUm against HCT-116, and 3.48 MUm against PLC/PRF/5. It
      is a promising anticancer agent for further development.

PMID- 28338294
TI  - Paradoxical gain-of-function mutant of the G-protein-coupled receptor PROKR2
      promotes early puberty.
AB  - The human genome encodes ~750 G-protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs), including
      prokineticin receptor 2 (PROKR2) involved in the regulation of sexual maturation.
      Previously reported pathogenic gain-of-function mutations of GPCR genes
      invariably encoded aberrant receptors with excessive signal transduction
      activity. Although in vitro assays demonstrated that an artificially created
      inactive mutant of PROKR2 exerted paradoxical gain-of-function effects when co
      transfected with wild-type proteins, such a phenomenon has not been observed in
      vivo. Here, we report a heterozygous frameshift mutation of PROKR2 identified in
      a 3.5-year-old girl with central precocious puberty. The mutant mRNA escaped
      nonsense-mediated decay and generated a GPCR lacking two transmembrane domains
      and the carboxyl-terminal tail. The mutant protein had no in vitro signal
      transduction activity; however, cells co-expressing the mutant and wild-type
      PROKR2 exhibited markedly exaggerated ligand-induced Ca2+ responses. The results
      indicate that certain inactive PROKR2 mutants can cause early puberty by
      enhancing the functional property of coexisting wild-type proteins. Considering
      the structural similarity among GPCRs, this paradoxical gain-of-function
      mechanism may underlie various human disorders.

PMID- 28338293
TI  - Long non-coding RNA 00312 regulated by HOXA5 inhibits tumour proliferation and
      promotes apoptosis in Non-small cell lung cancer.
AB  - Non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) is the most prevalent type of lung cancer. The
      abnormal expression of many long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) has been reported
      involved in the progression of various tumours, which can be used as diagnostic
      indicators or antitumour targets. Here, we found that the long non-coding RNA
      00312 was down-regulated in paired NSCLC tissues and correlated with poor
      clinical outcome; decreased linc00312 expression in NSCLC was associated with
      larger and later stage tumours. Functional experiments showed that linc00312
      could inhibit cell proliferation and promote apoptosis in vitro and in vivo.
      Furthermore, we found that HOXA5 could bind in the promoter of linc00312 and up
      regulated the expression of it. Moreover, linc00312 was down-regulated in the
      plasma of NSCLC patients compared with that of healthy volunteers or other
      pulmonary diseases patients. Taken together, our findings indicated that
      linc00312 could be a novel diagnosis biomarker and a promising therapeutic target
      for NSCLC.

PMID- 28338296
TI  - Photochromism and Dual-Color Fluorescence in a Polyoxometalate-Benzospiropyran
      Molecular Switch.
AB  - The photophysical properties of a Keggin-type polyoxometalate (POM) covalently
      bounded to a benzospiropyran (BSPR) unit have been investigated. These studies
      reveal that both closed and open forms are emissive with distinct spectral
      features (lambdaem (closed form)=530 nm, lambdaem (open form)=670 nm) and that
      the fluorescence of the BSPR unit of the hybrid is considerably enhanced compared
      to BSPR parent compounds. While the fluorescence excitation energy of the BSPR
      reference compounds (370 nm) is close to the intense absorption responsible of
      the photochromic character (350 nm), the fluorescence excitation of the hybrid is
      shifted to lower energy (400 nm), improving the population of the emissive state.
      Combined NOESY NMR and theoretical calculations of the closed form of the hybrid
      give an intimate understanding of the conformation adopted by the hybrid and show
      that the nitroaryl moieties of the BSPR is folded toward the POM, which should
      affect the electronic properties of the BSPR.

PMID- 28338297
TI  - Atrial flutter regression in HIV-associated pulmonary arterial hypertension after
      treatment with bosentan.
AB  - Pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) is a rare condition characterized by an
      increase in pulmonary arterial resistance leading to right heart failure and
      death. Arrhythmias are a growing problem in PAH; therefore, maintenance of sinus
      rhythm is considered to be an important treatment aim in these patients. We
      described the case of a 46-year-old woman with HIV-associated pulmonary arterial
      hypertension  who developed atrial flutter. After treatment with bosentan, it was
      observed a significant improvement in clinical and haemodynamic parameters. In
      addition, the AFL, which had previously persisted to both antiarrhythmic drug
      therapy and electrical stimulation, and had recurred after transthoracic
      electrical cardioversion, disappeared  in absence of any antiarrhythmic drug.
      Though the precise factors responsible for supraventricular arrhythmogenesis are
      still largely obscure, it is likely that initiation and maintenance of AFL may
      depend on all the conditions that can lead to increase in right atrial pressure,
      size, and wall stress, such as PAH. In our case, bosentan reduced both mean
      pulmonary artery pressure (mPAP) value and right heart chambers pressures.
      Therefore, it is conceivable that with the anatomical substrate needed for the
      maintenance of AFL being disappeared, sinus rhythm was restored.

PMID- 28338295
TI  - Insights into the Mechanism of a Covalently Linked Organic Dye-Cobaloxime
      Catalyst System for Dye-Sensitized Solar Fuel Devices.
AB  - A covalently linked organic dye-cobaloxime catalyst system based on mesoporous
      NiO is synthesized by a facile click reaction for mechanistic studies and
      application in a dye-sensitized solar fuel device. The system is systematically
      investigated by photoelectrochemical measurements, density functional theory,
      time-resolved fluorescence, transient absorption spectroscopy, and photoelectron
      spectroscopy. The results show that irradiation of the dye-catalyst on NiO leads
      to ultrafast hole injection into NiO from the excited dye, followed by a fast
      electron transfer process to reduce the catalyst. Moreover, the dye adopts
      different structures with different excited state energies, and excitation energy
      transfer occurs between neighboring molecules on the semiconductor surface. The
      photoelectrochemical experiments also show hydrogen production by this system.
      The axial chloride ligands of the catalyst are released during photocatalysis to
      create the active sites for proton reduction. A working mechanism of the dye
      catalyst system on the photocathode is proposed on the basis of this study.

PMID- 28338298
TI  - Tidal airway closure in asthma and COPD.
AB  - Functional closure of small airways can occur during tidal breathing above
      functional residual capacity (FRC) both in asthma and COPD patients, especially
      during exacerbations. Such event has several noxious consequences on gas
      exchange, airway hyperresponsiveness and mechanical stress and strain within lung
      tissue and airway wall, mostly due to increase in ventilation heterogeneity. The
      availability of simple functional tests based on sequential measurements of lung
      volumes (i.e.: FRC), by plethysmography and dilutional techniques may reveal and
      monitor easily tidal airway closure that can be and should be treated with the
      aim of abolishing or at least reducing this dangerous condition.

PMID- 28338299
TI  - Erratum - Osteophytes may be a rare cause of recurrent pleural effusions.
AB  - This corrects the article published on Monaldi Archives for Chest Disease
      2013;79(2):87-89.

PMID- 28338300
TI  - "Separated Root Canal Instruments - An overview of incidence, localisation,
      treatment strategies and outcome"
AB  - The dreaded fracture of a root canal instrument is in fact a rare adverse event.
      Most instrument fractures occur in molar teeth with the highest degree of root
      curvature. Various treatment options (leaving the fractured instrument with or
      without apicoectomy, bypassing or removing the fragment) and removing techniques
      (using ultrasonics, hollow tubes or bypassing and removing with debriders) are
      discussed. The clinical prognosis for teeth with fractured instruments is not
      necessarily compromised if appropriate further treatment is undertaken. Indeed,
      it is the timing of instrument fracture and the associated level of infection
      that will dictate treatment outcomes.

PMID- 28338302
TI  - Use of the Uro Dyna-CT in endourology - the new frontier.
AB  - We describe the use of the Uro Dyna-CT, an imaging system used in the operating
      room that produces real-time three-dimensional (3D) imaging and cross-sectional
      image reconstructions similar to an intraoperative computerized tomography,
      during a percutaneous nephrolithotomy and a contralateral flexible ureteroscopy
      in a complete supine position. A 65 year-old female patient had an incomplete
      calyceal staghorn stone in the right kidney and a 10mm in the left one. The
      procedure was uneventful and the intraoperative use of the Uro Dyna-CT identified
      2 residual stones that were not found by digital fluoroscopy and flexible
      nephroscopy at the end of surgery, helping us to render the patient stone-free in
      one procedure, which was confirmed by a postoperative CT scan. Prospective
      studies will define the real role of the Uro Dyna-CT for endourological
      procedures, but its use seems to be a very promising tool for improving stone
      free rates and decreasing auxiliary procedures, especially for complex cases.

PMID- 28338301
TI  - Analgesia for patients undergoing shockwave lithotripsy for urinary stones - a
      systematic review and meta-analysis.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Shock wave lithotripsy (SWL) is the first line treatment modality for
      a significant proportion of patients with upper urinary tracts stones. Simple
      analgesics, opioids and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) are all
      suitable agents but the relative efficacy and tolerability of these agents is
      uncertain. OBJECTIVES: To determine the efficacy of the different types of
      analgesics used for the control of pain during SWL for urinary stones. MATERIALS
      AND METHODS: We searched the Cochrane Renal Group's Specialised Register,
      MEDLINE, EMBASE and also hand-searched reference lists of relevant articles
      (Figure-1). Randomised controlled trials (RCT's) comparing the use of any opioid,
      simple analgesic or NSAID during SWL were included. These were compared with
      themselves, each-other or placebo. We included any route or form of
      administration (bolus, PCA). We excluded agents that were used for their sedative
      qualities. Data were extracted and assessed for quality independently by three
      reviewers. Meta-analyses have been performed where possible. When not possible,
      descriptive analyses of variables were performed. Dichotomous outcomes are
      reported as relative risk (RR) and measurements on continuous scales are reported
      as weighted mean differences (WMD) with 95% confidence intervals. RESULTS:
      Overall, we included 9 RCTs (539 participants from 6 countries). Trial agents
      included 7 types of NSAIDs, 1 simple analgesic and 4 types of opioids. There were
      no significant differences in clinical efficacy or tolerability between a simple
      analgesic (paracetamol) and an NSAID (lornoxicam). When comparing the same simple
      analgesic with an opioid (tramadol), both agents provided safe and effective
      analgesia for the purpose of SWL with no significant differences. There were no
      significant differences in pain scores between NSAIDs or opioids in three
      studies. Adequate analgesia could be achieved more often for opioids than for
      NSAIDs (RR 0.358; 95% CI 043 to 0.77, P=0.0002) but consumed doses of rescue
      analgesia were similar between NSAIDs and opioids in two studies (P=0.58, >0.05).
      In terms of tolerability, there is no difference in post-operative nausea and
      vomiting (PONV) between the groups (RR 0.72, 95% CI 0.24 to 2.17, P=0.55). One
      study compared outcomes between two types of NSAIDs (diclofenac versus
      dexketoprofen). There were no significant differences in any of our pre-defined
      outcomes measures. CONCLUSION: Simple analgesics, NSAIDs and opioids can all
      reduce the pain associated with shock wave lithotripsy to a level where the
      procedure is tolerated. Whilst there are no compelling differences in safety or
      efficacy of simple analgesics and NSAIDs, analgesia is described as adequate more
      often for opioids than NSAIDs.

PMID- 28338303
TI  - What is the quickest scoring system to predict percutaneous nephrolithotomy
      outcomes? A comparative study among S.T.O.N.E score, guy's stone score and croes
      nomogram.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: To compare the application time and the capacity of the nomograms to
      predict the success of Guy's Stone Score (GSS), S.T.O.N.E. Nephrolithometry
      (STONE) and Clinical Research Office of the Endourological Society
      nephrolithometric nomogram (CROES) of percutaneous nephrolithotomy (PCNL),
      evaluating the most efficient one for clinical use. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We
      studied 48 patients who underwent PCNL by the same surgeon between 2010 and 2011.
      We calculated GSS, STONE and CROES based on preoperative non-contrast computed
      tomography (CT) images and clinical data. A single observer, blinded to the
      outcomes, reviewed all images and assigned scores. We compared the application
      time of each nomogram. We used an analysis of variance for repeated measures and
      multiple comparisons by the Tukey test. We compared the area under the ROC curve
      (AUC) of the three nomograms two by two to determine the most predictive scoring
      system. RESULTS: The immediate success rate was 66.7% and complications occurred
      in 16.7% of cases. The average operative time was 122 minutes. Mean application
      time was significantly lower for the GSS (27.5 seconds) when compared to 300.6
      seconds for STONE and 213.4 seconds for CROES (p<0.001). There was no significant
      difference among the GSS (AUC=0.653), STONE (AUC=0.563) and CROES (AUC=0.641) in
      the ability to predict immediate success of PCNL. CONCLUSIONS: All three
      nomograms showed similar ability to predict success of PCNL, however the GSS was
      the quickest to be applied, what is an important issue for routine clinical use
      when counseling patients who are candidates to PCNL.

PMID- 28338304
TI  - Hyberbaric oxygen as sole treatment for severe radiation - induced haemorrhagic
      cystitis.
AB  - PURPOSE: To examine the safety and efficacy of hyperbaric oxygen as the primary
      and sole treatment for severe radiation-induced haemorrhagic cystitis. MATERIALS
      AND METHODS: Hyperbaric oxygen was prospectively applied as primary treatment in
      38 patients with severe radiation cystitis. Our primary endpoint was the
      incidence of complete and partial response to treatment, while the secondary
      endpoints included the duration of response, the correlation of treatment success
      rate to the interval between the onset of haematuria and initiation of therapy,
      blood transfusion need and total radiation dose, the number of sessions to
      success, the avoidance of surgery and the overall survival. RESULTS: All patients
      completed therapy without complications with a mean follow-up of 29.33 months.
      Median number of sessions needed was 33. Complete and partial response rate was
      86.8% and 13.2%, respectively. All 33 patients with complete response received
      therapy within 6 months of the haematuria onset. One patient needed cystectomy,
      while 33 patients were alive at the end of follow-up. CONCLUSIONS: Our study
      suggests the early primary use of hyperbaric oxygen for radiation-induced severe
      cystitis as an effective and safe treatment option.

PMID- 28338305
TI  - Prostate cancer in renal transplant recipients.
AB  - As patients with end-stage renal disease are receiving renal allografts at older
      ages, the number of male renal transplant recipients (RTRs) being diagnosed with
      prostate cancer (CaP) is increasing. Historically, the literature regarding the
      management of CaP in RTR's is limited to case reports and small case series. To
      date, there are no standardized guidelines for screening or management of CaP in
      these complex patients. To better understand the unique characteristics of CaP in
      the renal transplant population, we performed a literature review of PubMed,
      without date limitations, using a combination of search terms including prostate
      cancer, end stage renal disease, renal transplantation, prostate cancer
      screening, prostate specific antigen kinetics, immunosuppression, prostatectomy,
      and radiation therapy. Of special note, teams facilitating the care of these
      complex patients must carefully and meticulously consider the altered anatomy for
      surgical and radiotherapeutic planning. Active surveillance, though gaining
      popularity in the general low risk prostate cancer population, needs further
      study in this group, as does the management of advance disease. This review
      provides a comprehensive and contemporary understanding of the incidence,
      screening measures, risk stratification, and treatment options for CaP in RTRs.

PMID- 28338306
TI  - Implantation of a biodegradable rectum balloon implant: tips, Tricks and
      Pitfalls.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: A rectum balloon implant (RBI) is a new device to spare rectal
      structures during prostate cancer radiotherapy. The theoretical advantages of a
      RBI are to reduce the high radiation dose to the anterior rectum wall, the
      possibility of a post-implant correction, and their predetermined shape with
      consequent predictable position. OBJECTIVE: To describe, step-by-step, our mini
      invasive technique for hands-free transperineal implantation of a RBI before
      start of radiotherapy treatment. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We provide step-by-step
      instructions for optimization of the transperineal implantation procedure
      performed by urologists and/or radiation oncologists experienced with prostate
      brachytherapy and the use of the real-time bi-plane transrectal ultrasonography
      (TRUS) probe. A RBI was performed in 15 patients with localised prostate cancer.
      Perioperative side-effects were reported. RESULTS: We provide 'tips and tricks'
      for optimizing the procedure and proper positioning of the RBI. Please watch the
      animation, see video in https://vimeo.com/205852376/789df4fae4. The side-effects
      included mild discomfort to slight pain at the perineal region in 8 out of 15
      patients. Seven patients (47%) had no complaints at all. Two patients developed
      redness of the skin, where prompt antibiotic regimen was started with no further
      sequelae. One patient revealed a temporary urine retention, which resolved in a
      few hours following conservative treatment. Further no perioperative
      complications occurred. CONCLUSION: This paper describes in detail the
      implantation procedure for an RBI. It is a feasible, safe and very well-tolerated
      procedure.

PMID- 28338307
TI  - Evaluation of the Spies TM modalities image quality.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: The SpiesTM system (Karl-Storz(r)) was introduced into digital
      ureteroscopy to improve endoscopic vision. To date, there is no data to either
      indicate which of the Spies modalities is better for improving diagnosis and
      treatment procedures, nor to compare the modalities in terms of image quality.
      The aim of this study was to evaluate and compare the image quality of five
      SpiesTM modalities (SM) to the standard white light in an in-vitro model.
      MATERIALS AND METHODS: Two standardized grids and 3 stones of different
      composition were recorded in white light and the 5SM (Clara, Chroma,
      Clara+Chroma), Spectra A and B) using 4 standardized aqueous scenarios. Twelve
      templates were done in order to simultaneously compare the same objective in the
      different modalities. Six urologists, five medical students, five urology
      residents, and five persons not involved with urology evaluated each video on a
      scale of 1 (very bad) to 5 (very good). RESULTS: Comparing white light to SM,
      subjects scored better the quality of Clara and Clara+Chroma than white light
      (p=0.0139 and p<0.05) and scored worse Spectra A and B (p=0.0005 and p=0.0023).
      When comparing Clara to the other SM, it was ranked equivalent to Clara+Chroma
      (p=0.67) and obtained a higher rank than Chroma, Spectra A and B (p<0.05,
      p=0.0001 and p=0.0001). In the multivariate analysis mean scores were higher
      among urologists. CONCLUSION: In all analyzed scenarios, the subjects ranked
      Clara and Clara+Chroma as the modalities with better image quality compared to
      white light.

PMID- 28338308
TI  - Penile alterations at early stage of type 1 diabetes in rats.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: Diabetes affects the erectile function significantly. However, the
      penile alterations in the early stage of diabetes in experimental animal models
      have not been well studied. We examined the changes of the penis and its main
      erectile components in diabetic rats. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Male Sprague-Dawley
      rats were divided into 2 groups: streptozotocin (STZ)-induced diabetics and age
      matched controls. Three or nine weeks after diabetes induction, the penis was
      removed for immunohistochemical staining of smooth muscle and neuronal nitric
      oxide synthase (nNOS) in midshaft penile tissues. The cross-sectional areas of
      the whole midshaft penis and the corpora cavernosa were quantified. The smooth
      muscle in the corpora cavernosa and nNOS in the dorsal nerves were quantified.
      RESULTS: The weight, but not the length, of the penis was lower in diabetics. The
      crosssectional areas of the total midshaft penis and the corpora cavernosa were
      lower in diabetic rats compared with controls 9 weeks, but not 3 weeks after
      diabetes induction. The cross-sectional area of smooth muscle in the corpora
      cavernosa as percentage of the overall area of the corpora cavernosa was lower in
      diabetic rats than in controls 9 weeks, but not 3 weeks after diabetes induction.
      Percentage change of nNOS in dorsal nerves was similar at 3 weeks, and has a
      decreased trend at 9 weeks in diabetic rats compared with controls. CONCLUSIONS:
      Diabetes causes temporal alterations in the penis, and the significant changes in
      STZ rat model begin 3-9 weeks after induction. Further studies on the
      reversibility of the observed changes are warranted.

PMID- 28338309
TI  - Impact of personalized three-dimensional -3D- printed pelvicalyceal system models
      on patient information in percutaneous nephrolithotripsy surgery: a pilot study.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: To investigate the impact of personalized three dimensional (3D)
      printed pelvicalyceal system models on patient information before percutaneous
      nephrolithotripsy surgery. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Patients with unilateral complex
      renal stones with indicatation of percutaneous nephrolithotripsy surgery were
      selected. Usable data of patients were obtained from CT scans as Digital Imaging
      and Communications in Medicine (DICOM) format. Mimics software version 16.0
      (Materialise, Belgium) was used for segmentation and extraction of pelvicalyceal
      systems. DICOM format were converted to Stereolithography file format. Finally,
      fused deposition modeling was used to create plasticine 3D models of
      pelvicalyceal systems. A questionnaire was designed for patients to assess
      personalized 3D models effect on patient's understanding their conditions before
      percutaneous nephrolithotripsy surgery (PCNL). The day before surgery, each
      patient was seen by a urologist to deliver information about surgery.
      Questionnaire forms were asked to patients complete before and after presentation
      of 3D models and the results of the questions were compared. RESULTS: Five
      patient's anatomically accurate models of the human renal collecting system were
      successfully generated. After the 3D printed model presentation, patients
      demonstrated an improvement in their understanding of basic kidney anatomy by 60%
      (p=0.017), kidney stone position by 50% (p=0.02), the planned surgical procedure
      by 60% (p=0.017), and understanding the complications related to the surgery by
      64% (p=0.015). In addition, overall satisfaction of conservation improvement was
      50% (p=0.02). CONCLUSION: Generating kidney models of PCSs using 3D printing
      technology is feasible, and understandings of the disease and the surgical
      procedure from patients were well appreciated with this novel technology.

PMID- 28338310
TI  - Metastatic prostate cancer in the modern era of PSA screening.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: To characterize initial presentation and PSA screening status in a
      contemporary cohort of men treated for metastatic prostate cancer at our
      institution. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We reviewed records of 160 men treated for
      metastatic prostate cancer between 2008-2014 and assessed initial presentation,
      categorizing patients into four groups. Groups 1 and 2 presented with localized
      disease and received treatment. These men suffered biochemical recurrence late
      (>1 year) or earlier (<1 year), respectively, and developed metastases. Groups 3
      and 4 had asymptomatic and symptomatic metastases at the outset of their
      diagnosis. Patients with a first PSA at age 55 or younger were considered to have
      guideline-directed screening. RESULTS: Complete records were available on 157 men
      for initial presentation and 155 men for PSA screening. Groups 1, 2, 3 and 4
      included 27 (17%), 7 (5%), 69 (44%) and 54 (34%) patients, respectively. Twenty
      (13%) patients received guideline-directed PSA screening, 5/155 (3%) patients
      presented with metastases prior to age 55 with their first PSA, and 130/155 (84%)
      had their first PSA after age 55, of which 122/130 (94%) had metastasis at the
      time of diagnosis. CONCLUSION: Despite widespread screening, most men treated for
      metastatic prostate cancer at our institution presented with metastases rather
      than progressed after definitive treatment. Furthermore, 25 (16%) patients
      received guideline-directed PSA screening at or before age 55. These data
      highlight that, despite mass screening efforts, patients treated for incurable
      disease at our institution may not have been a result of a failed screening test,
      but a failure to be screened.

PMID- 28338312
TI  - Engineering Nanoscale Iron Oxides for Uranyl Sorption and Separation:
      Optimization of Particle Core Size and Bilayer Surface Coatings.
AB  - Herein, we describe engineered superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles (IONPs)
      as platform materials for enhanced uranyl (UO22+) sorption and separation
      processes under environmentally relevant conditions. Specifically, monodispersed
      8-25 nm iron oxide (magnetite, Fe3O4) nanoparticles with tailored organic acid
      bilayered coatings have been systematically evaluated and optimized to bind, and
      thus remove, uranium from water. The combined nonhydrolytic synthesis and bilayer
      phase transfer material preparation methods yield highly uniform and surface
      tailorable IONPs, which allow for direct evaluation of the size-dependent and
      coating-dependent sorption capacities of IONPs. Optimized materials demonstrate
      ultrahigh sorption capacities (>50% by wt/wt) at pH 5.6 for 8 nm oleic acid (OA)
      bilayer and sodium monododecyl phosphate (SDP) surface-stabilized IONPs.
      Synchrotron-based X-ray absorption spectroscopy shows that iron oxide core
      particle size and stabilizing surface functional group(s) substantially affect
      U(VI)-removal mechanisms, specifically the ratio of uptake via adsorption versus
      reduction to U(IV). Taken together, tunable size and surface functionality, high
      colloidal stability, and favorable affinity toward uranium provide distinct
      synergistic advantage(s) for the application of bilayered IONPs as part of the
      next-generation material-based uranium recovery, remediation, and sensing
      technologies.

PMID- 28338311
TI  - Validation of self - confidence scale for clean urinary intermittent self -
      catheterization for patients and health - caregivers.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: To validate a measurement instrument for clean intermittent self
      catheterization for patients and health-caregivers. MATERIAL AND METHODS:
      Methodological study of instrument validation performed at a Rehabilitation
      Center in a University hospital for patients submitted to clean intermittent self
      catheterization and their health-caregivers. Following ethical criteria, data
      were collected during interview with nurse staff using a Likert question form
      containing 16 items with 5 points each: "no confidence"=1, "little confidence"=2,
      "confident"=3, "very confident"=4 and "completely confident"=5. Questionnaire
      called "Self- Confident Scale for Clean Intermittent Self-catheterization"
      (SCSCISC) was constructed based on literature and previously validated
      (appearance and content). RESULTS: The instrument was validated by 122 patients
      and 119 health-caregivers, in a proportion of 15:1. It was observed a good linear
      association and sample adequacy KMO 0.931 and X2=2881.63, p<0.001. Anti-image
      matrix showed high values at diagonal suggesting inclusion of all factors. Screen
      plot analysis showed a suggestion of items maintenance in a single set. It was
      observed high correlation of all items with the total, alpha-Cronbach 0.944. The
      same results were obtained in subsamples of patients and health-caregivers.
      CONCLUSION: The instrument showed good psychometric adequacy corroborating its
      use for evaluation of self-confidence during clean intermittent self
      catheterization.

PMID- 28338313
TI  - Ultimate Control of Rate-Dependent Adhesion for Reversible Transfer Process via a
      Thin Elastomeric Layer.
AB  - Adhesion between a stamp with an elastomeric layer and various devices or
      substrates is crucial to successfully fabricate flexible electronics using a
      transfer process. Although various transfer processes using stamps with different
      adhesion strengths have been suggested, the controllable range of adhesion is
      still limited to a narrow range. To precisely transfer devices onto selected
      substrates, however, the difference in adhesion between the picking and placing
      processes should be large enough to achieve a high yield. Herein, we report a
      simple way to extend the controllable adhesion range of stamps, which can be
      achieved by adjusting the thickness of the elastomeric layer and the separation
      velocity. The adhesion strength increased with decreasing layer thickness on the
      stamp due to a magnification of the confinement and rate-dependent effects on the
      adhesion. This enabled the controllable range of the adhesion strength for a 15
      MUm-thick elastomeric layer to be extended up to 12 times that of the bulk under
      the same separation conditions. The strategy of designing stamps using simple
      adhesion tests is also introduced, and the reversible transfer of thin Si chips
      was successfully demonstrated. Tuning and optimizing the adhesion strength of a
      stamp according to the design process suggested here can be applied to various
      materials for the selective transfer and replacement of individual devices.

PMID- 28338314
TI  - Surface Layer Evolution on Graphite During Electrochemical Sodium-tetraglyme Co
      intercalation.
AB  - One obstacle in sodium ion batteries is the lack of suitable anode materials. As
      recently shown, the most common anode material of the state of the art lithium
      ion batteries, graphite, can be used for sodium ion storage as well, if ether
      based electrolyte solvents are used. These solvents cointercalate with the sodium
      ions leading to the highly reversible formation of ternary graphite intercalation
      compounds (t-GIC). In order for the solvent cointercalation to work efficiently,
      it is expected that only a very thin surface layer forms during electrochemical
      cycling. In this article, we therefore present the first dedicated study of the
      surface layer evolution on t-GICs using soft X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy.
      This technique with its inherent high surface sensitivity and low probing depth
      is an ideal tool to study the underlying interfacial reactions during the
      sodiation and desodiation of graphite. In this report, we apply this approach to
      graphite composite electrodes cycled in Na half cells with a 1 M sodium
      bis(fluorosulfonyl)imide/tetraethylene glycol dimethyl ether (NaFSI/TEG-DME)
      electrolyte. We have found a surface layer on the cycled electrodes, mainly
      composed of salt decomposition products and hydrocarbons, in line with
      irreversible capacity losses observed in the electrochemical cycling. Although
      this surface layer does not seem to block cointercalation completely, it seems to
      affect its efficiency resulting in a low Coulombic efficiency of the studied
      battery system.

PMID- 28338315
TI  - Solid-Solution Alloying of Immiscible Ru and Cu with Enhanced CO Oxidation
      Activity.
AB  - We report on novel solid-solution alloy nanoparticles (NPs) of Ru and Cu that are
      completely immiscible even above melting point in bulk phase. Powder X-ray
      diffraction, scanning transmission electron microscopy, and energy-dispersive X
      ray measurements demonstrated that Ru and Cu atoms were homogeneously distributed
      in the alloy NPs. Ru0.5Cu0.5 NPs demonstrated higher CO oxidation activity than
      fcc-Ru NPs, which are known as one of the best monometallic CO oxidation
      catalysts.

PMID- 28338316
TI  - Quantitative Characterization of the Surface Evolution for
      LiNi0.5Co0.2Mn0.3O2/Graphite Cell during Long-Term Cycling.
AB  - Many factors have been brought forward to explain the capacity degradation
      mechanisms of LiNixCoyMnzO2 (NCM)/graphite cells at extreme conditions such as
      under high temperature or with high cutoff voltage. However, the main factors
      dominating the long-term cycling performance under normal operations remain
      elusive. Quantitative analyses of the electrode surface evolution for a
      commercial 18650 LiNi0.5Co0.2Mn0.3O2 (NCM523)/graphite cell during ca. 3000
      cycles under normal operation are presented. Electrochemical analyses and
      inductively coupled plasma-optical emission spectroscopy (ICP-OES) confirm
      lithium inventory loss makes up for ca. 60% of the cell's capacity loss.
      Electrochemical deterioration of the NCM523 cathode is identified to be another
      important factor, which accounts for more than 30% of the capacity decay.
      Irregular primary particle cracking due to the mechanical stress and the phase
      change aroused from Li-Ni mixing during repetitive cycles are identified to be
      the main contributors for the NCM cathode deterioration. The amount of transition
      metal dissolved into electrolyte is determined to be quite low, and the resulting
      impedance rise after about 3000 cycles is obtained to be twice that of the
      reference cell, which are not very significant affecting the long-term cycling
      performance under normal operations.

PMID- 28338317
TI  - Kinetics and Mechanism of the Oxidation of Thiourea Dioxide by Iodine in a
      Slightly Acidic Medium.
AB  - The thiourea dioxide (TDO)-iodine reaction was investigated
      spectrophotometrically monitoring the consumption of total amount of iodine at
      468 nm, at T = 25.0 +/- 0.1  degrees C, and at 0.5 M ionic strength in buffered
      slightly acidic medium. The nitrogen- and carbon-containing products were found
      to be ammonium ion and dissolved carbon dioxide, respectively, while from sulfur
      part sulfate ion was exclusively detected, when fresh TDO solution was used. The
      stoichiometry of the reaction was established as 2I2 + TDO + 4H2O -> SO42- +
      2NH4+ + 4I- + CO2 + 4H+ indicating a strict 2:1 stoichiometric ratio. However,
      using aged TDO solution this stoichiometric ratio is shifted to lower values
      suggesting the formation of elementary sulfur augmented by the 2TDO + I2 + 4H2O 
      > S + SO42- + 4NH4+ + 2I- + 2CO2 hypothetical limiting stoichiometry. We also
      confirmed experimentally that in aqueous solution TDO slowly rearranges into an
      unindentified species. This species then produces elementary sulfur at a later
      stage of the aging process via subsequent reactions accounting for a loss of
      reducing power. The direct reaction between TDO and iodine was found to be
      relatively rapid and completed within seconds in absence of initially added
      iodide ion. Formation of the latter ion, however, strongly inhibits the oxidation
      process; hence, the system is autoinhibitory with respect to iodide ion.
      Furthermore, increase of pH markedly accelerates the reaction as well. These
      observations suggest that a short-lived steady-state intermediate (iodinated TDO)
      is produced in a rapid pre-equilibrium, where iodide and hydrogen ions are also
      involved. A nine-step kinetic model, to be able to describe the most important
      characteristics of the experimental curves with four fitted parameters, is
      proposed and discussed.

PMID- 28338318
TI  - Iron(II) Complexes with Scorpiand-Like Macrocyclic Polyamines: Kinetico
      Mechanistic Aspects of Complex Formation and Oxidative Dehydrogenation of
      Coordinated Amines.
AB  - The Fe(II) coordination chemistry of a pyridinophane tren-derived scorpiand type
      ligand containing a pyridine ring in the pendant arm is explored by
      potentiometry, X-ray, NMR, and kinetics methods. Equilibrium studies in water
      show the formation of a stable [FeL]2+ complex that converts to monoprotonated
      and monohydroxylated species when the pH is changed. A [Fe(H-2L)]2+ complex
      containing an hexacoordinated dehydrogenated ligand has been isolated, and its
      crystal structure shows the formation of an imine bond involving the aliphatic
      nitrogen of the pendant arm. This complex is low spin Fe(II) both in the solid
      state and in solution, as revealed by the Fe-N bond lengths and by the NMR
      spectra, respectively. The formation rate of [Fe(H-2L)]2+ in aqueous solutions
      containing Fe2+ and L (1:1 molar ratio) is strongly dependent on the pH, the
      process being completed in times that range from months in acid solutions to
      hours in basic conditions. However, detailed kinetic studies show that those
      differences are caused, at least in part, by the effect of pH on the rate of
      formation of the unoxidized [FeL]2+ complex. In this sense, the protonation of
      the donor atoms in the pendant arm of the scorpiand ligand leads to the formation
      of protonated species resistant to oxidative dehydrogenation. Complementary
      studies in acetonitrile solution indicate that the initial stage in the oxidative
      dehydrogenation process is the oxidation of the starting complex to form a
      [FeL]3+ complex, which then undergoes disproportionation into [Fe(H-2L)]2+ and
      [FeL]2+. Experiments starting with Fe(III) have allowed us to determine that
      disproportionation occurs with first order kinetics both in water and
      acetonitrile solutions. However, whereas a significant acceleration is observed
      in water when the pH is increased, no effect of the addition of acid or base on
      the rate of disproportionation is observed in acetonitrile. Oxidative
      dehydrogenation of the Fe(II) complex formed in experiments starting with an
      Fe(III) salt is slower than that occurring when an Fe(II) salt is used, an
      observation that can be explained in terms of the formation of two different
      Fe(III) complexes, one of them with a structure unable to evolve directly toward
      the product of oxidative dehydrogenation.

PMID- 28338319
TI  - Postmetalated Zirconium Metal Organic Frameworks as a Highly Potent Bactericide.
AB  - Metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) have emerged as an important class of hybrid
      organic-inorganic materials. One of the reasons they have gained remarkable
      attention is attributed to the possibility of altering them by postsynthetic
      modification, thereby providing access to new and novel advanced materials. MOFs
      have been applied in catalysis, gas storage, gas separation, chemical sensing,
      and drug delivery. However, their bactericidal use has rarely been explored.
      Herein, we developed a two-step process for the synthesis of zirconium-based MOFs
      metalated with silver cations as a potent antibacterial agent. The obtained
      products were thoroughly characterized by powder X-ray diffraction, scanning
      electron microscopy, UV-visible, IR, thermogravimetric, and Brunauer-Emmett
      Teller analyses. Their potency was evaluated against E. coli with a reported
      minimal inhibitory concentration and minimal bactericidal concentration of as low
      as 6.5 MUg/mL of silver content. Besides the novelty of the system, the advantage
      of this strategy is that the MOFs could be potentially regenerated and
      remetalated after each antibacterial test, unlike previously reported frameworks,
      which involved the destruction of the framework.

PMID- 28338321
TI  - Thiol-Reactive Star Polymers Display Enhanced Association with Distinct Human
      Blood Components.
AB  - Directing nanoparticles to specific cell types using nonantibody-based methods is
      of increasing interest. Thiol-reactive nanoparticles can enhance the efficiency
      of cargo delivery into specific cells through interactions with cell-surface
      proteins. However, studies to date using this technique have been largely limited
      to immortalized cell lines or rodents, and the utility of this technology on
      primary human cells is unknown. Herein, we used RAFT polymerization to prepare
      pyridyl disulfide (PDS)-functionalized star polymers with a methoxy-poly(ethylene
      glycol) brush corona and a fluorescently labeled cross-linked core using an arm
      first method. PDS star polymers were examined for their interaction with primary
      human blood components: six separate white blood cell subsets, as well as red
      blood cells and platelets. Compared with control star polymers, thiol-reactive
      nanoparticles displayed enhanced association with white blood cells at 37 
      degrees C, particularly the phagocytic monocyte, granulocyte, and dendritic cell
      subsets. Platelets associated with more PDS than control nanoparticles at both 37
      degrees C and on ice, but they were not activated in the duration examined.
      Association with red blood cells was minor but still enhanced with PDS
      nanoparticles. Thiol-reactive nanoparticles represent a useful strategy to target
      primary human immune cell subsets for improved nanoparticle delivery.

PMID- 28338322
TI  - Hydrothermal Synthesis of the Oxofluoride FeSbO2F2-An Anti-ferromagnetic Spin S =
      5/2 Compound.
AB  - The new oxofluoride compound FeSbO2F2 was synthesized by hydrothermal techniques
      at 230  degrees C. Its crystal structure was determined from single-crystal X-ray
      diffraction data. The compound crystallizes in the monoclinic space group C2/c
      with one crystallographic site for Fe3+ and Sb3+, respectively. The crystal
      structure is made of [FeO2F4] octahedra and seesaw [SbO4] building blocks. These
      are connected to form [FeO2F2]n layers and [SbO2]n chains that bond together via
      the oxygen atoms to form the three-dimensional framework structure. Magnetic
      susceptibility and heat capacity measurements indicate long-range anti
      ferromagnetic ordering below a Neel temperature of ~175 K. Two-dimensional anti
      ferromagnetic short-range order in the square planar net of the Fe3+ cations
      extends to temperatures far above the Neel temperature.

PMID- 28338323
TI  - Shape-Dependent Radiosensitization Effect of Gold Nanostructures in Cancer
      Radiotherapy: Comparison of Gold Nanoparticles, Nanospikes, and Nanorods.
AB  - The shape effect of gold (Au) nanomaterials on the efficiency of cancer
      radiotherapy has not been fully elucidated. To address this issue, Au
      nanomaterials with different shapes but similar average size (~50 nm) including
      spherical gold nanoparticles (GNPs), gold nanospikes (GNSs), and gold nanorods
      (GNRs) were synthesized and functionalized with poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG)
      molecules. Although all of these Au nanostructures were coated with the same PEG
      molecules, their cellular uptake behavior differed significantly. The GNPs showed
      the highest cellular responses as compared to the GNSs and the GNRs (based on the
      same gold mass) after incubation with KB cancer cells for 24 h. The cellular
      uptake in cells increased in the order of GNPs > GNSs > GNRs. Our comparative
      studies indicated that all of these PEGylated Au nanostructures could induce
      enhanced cancer cell-killing rates more or less upon X-ray irradiation. The
      sensitization enhancement ratios (SERs) calculated by a multitarget single-hit
      model were 1.62, 1.37, and 1.21 corresponding to the treatments of GNPs, GNSs,
      and GNRs, respectively, demonstrating that the GNPs showed a higher anticancer
      efficiency than both GNSs and GNRs upon X-ray irradiation. Almost the same values
      were obtained by dividing the SERs of the three types of Au nanomaterials by
      their corresponding cellular uptake amounts, indicating that the higher SER of
      GNPs was due to their much higher cellular uptake efficiency. The above results
      indicated that the radiation enhancement effects were determined by the amount of
      the internalized gold atoms. Therefore, to achieve a strong radiosensitization
      effect in cancer radiotherapy, it is necessary to use Au-based nanomaterials with
      a high cellular internalization. Further studies on the radiosensitization
      mechanisms demonstrated that ROS generation and cell cycle redistribution induced
      by Au nanostructures played essential roles in enhancing radiosensitization.
      Taken together, our results indicated that the shape of Au-based nanomaterials
      had a significant influence on cancer radiotherapy. The present work may provide
      important guidance for the design and use of Au nanostructures in cancer
      radiotherapy.

PMID- 28338326
TI  - Pd-Catalyzed Direct ortho-C-H Arylation of Aromatic Ketones Enabled by a
      Transient Directing Group.
AB  - The Pd-catalyzed direct C(sp2)-H arylation of aromatic ketones using a transient
      directing group is described. The ketimine/carboxylate bidentate directing group
      in situ generated from aromatic ketone and glycine enabled a palladium-catalyzed
      ortho-C-H arylation, which shows extensive substrate compatibility.

PMID- 28338325
TI  - Enhanced Electrochemical Performances of Bi2O3/rGO Nanocomposite via Chemical
      Bonding as Anode Materials for Lithium Ion Batteries.
AB  - Bismuth oxide/reduced graphene oxide (termed Bi2O3@rGO) nanocomposite has been
      facilely prepared by a solvothermal method via introducing chemical bonding that
      has been demonstrated by Raman and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy spectra.
      Tremendous single-crystal Bi2O3 nanoparticles with an average size of ~5 nm are
      anchored and uniformly dispersed on rGO sheets. Such a nanostructure results in
      enhanced electrochemical reversibility and cycling stability of Bi2O3@rGO
      composite materials as anodes for lithium ion batteries in comparison with
      agglomerated bare Bi2O3 nanoparticles. The Bi2O3@rGO anode material can deliver a
      high initial capacity of ~900 mAh/g at 0.1C and shows excellent rate capability
      of ~270 mAh/g at 10C rates (1C = 600 mA/g). After 100 electrochemical cycles at
      1C, the Bi2O3@rGO anode material retains a capacity of 347.3 mAh/g with
      corresponding capacity retention of 79%, which is significantly better than that
      of bare Bi2O3 material. The lithium ion diffusion coefficient during lithiation
      delithiation of Bi2O3@rGO nanocomposite has been evaluated to be around ~10-15-10
      16 cm2/S. This work demonstrates the effects of chemical bonding between Bi2O3
      nanoparticles and rGO substrate on enhanced electrochemical performances of
      Bi2O3@rGO nanocomposite, which can be used as a promising anode alterative for
      superior lithium ion batteries.

PMID- 28338327
TI  - Analysis of the Acting Forces in a Theory of Catalysis and Mechanochemistry.
AB  - The theoretical description of a chemical process resulting from the application
      of mechanical or catalytical stress to a molecule is performed by the generation
      of an effective potential energy surface (PES). Changes for minima and saddle
      points by the stress are described by Newton trajectories (NTs) on the original
      PES. From the analysis of the acting forces we postulate the existence of pulling
      corridors built by families of NTs that connect the same stationary points. For
      different exit saddles of different height we discuss the corresponding pulling
      corridors; mainly by simple two-dimensional surface models. If there are
      different exit saddles then there can exist saddles of index two, at least,
      between. Then the case that a full pulling corridor crosses a saddle of index two
      is the normal case. It leads to an intrinsic hysteresis of such pullings for the
      forward or the backward reaction. Assuming such relations we can explain some
      results in the literature. A new finding is the existence of roundabout corridors
      that can switch between different saddle points by a reversion of the direction.
      The findings concern the mechanochemistry of molecular systems under a mechanical
      load as well as the electrostatic force and can be extended to catalytic and
      enzymatic accelerated reactions. The basic and ground ansatz includes both kinds
      of forces in a natural way without an extra modification.

PMID- 28338324
TI  - Studies To Examine Potential Tolerability Differences between the 5-HT2C Receptor
      Selective Agonists Lorcaserin and CP-809101.
AB  - Lorcaserin (LOR) is a selective 5-HT2C receptor agonist that has been FDA
      approved as a treatment for obesity. The most frequently reported side-effects of
      LOR include nausea and headache, which can be dose limiting. We have previously
      reported that in the rat, while LOR produced unconditioned signs characteristic
      of nausea/malaise, the highly selective 5-HT2C agonist CP-809101 (CP) produced
      fewer equivalent signs. Because this may indicate a subclass of 5-HT2C agonists
      having better tolerability, the present studies were designed to further
      investigate this apparent difference. In a conditioned gaping model, a rodent
      test of nausea, LOR produced significantly higher gapes compared to CP consistent
      with it having higher emetogenic properties. Subsequent studies were designed to
      identify features of each drug that may account for such differences. In rats
      trained to discriminate CP-809101 from saline, both CP and LOR produced full
      generalization suggesting a similar interoceptive cue. In vitro tests of
      functional selectivity designed to examine signaling pathways activated by both
      drugs in CHO (Chinese hamster ovary) cells expressing h5-HT2C receptors failed to
      identify evidence for biased signaling differences between LOR and CP. Thus, both
      drugs showed similar profiles across PLC, PLA2, and ERK signaling pathways. In
      studies designed to examine pharmacokinetic differences between LOR and CP, while
      drug plasma levels correlated with increasing dose, CSF levels did not. CSF
      levels of LOR increased proportionally with dose; however CSF levels of CP
      plateaued from 6 to 12 mg/kg. Thus, the apparently improved tolerability of CP
      likely reflects a limit to CNS levels attained at relatively high doses.

PMID- 28338328
TI  - Polysulfide-Breathing/Dual-Conductive, Heterolayered Battery Separator Membranes
      Based on 0D/1D Mingled Nanomaterial Composite Mats.
AB  - Facile/sustainable utilization of sulfur active materials is an ultimate
      challenge in high-performance lithium-sulfur (Li-S) batteries. Here, as a
      membrane-driven approach to address this issue, we demonstrate a new class of
      polysulfide-breathing (capable of reversibly adsorbing and desorbing
      polysulfides)/dual (electron and ion) conductive, heterolayered battery separator
      membranes (denoted as "MEC-AA separators") based on 0D (nanoparticles)/1D
      (nanofibers) composite mats. The MEC-AA separator is fabricated through an in
      series, concurrent electrospraying/electrospinning process. The top layer of the
      MEC-AA separator comprises close-packed mesoporous MCM-41 nanoparticles spatially
      besieged by multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWNT) wrapped poly(ether imide) (PEI)
      nanofibers. The MCM-41 in the top layer shows reversible adsorption/desorption of
      polysulfides, and the MWNT-wrapped PEI nanofibers act as a dual-conductive upper
      current collector. Preferential deposition of the MWNTs along the PEI nanofibers
      and dispersion state of the separator components are elucidated theoretically
      using computational methods. The support layer, which consists of densely packed
      Al2O3 nanoparticles and polyacrylonitrile nanofibers, serves as a
      mechanically/thermally stable and polysulfide-capturing porous membrane. The
      unique structure and multifunctionality of the MEC-AA separator allow for
      substantial improvements in redox reaction kinetics and cycling performance of Li
      S cells far beyond those achievable with conventional polyolefin separators. The
      heterolayered nanomat-based membrane strategy opens a new route toward
      electrochemically active/permselective advanced battery separators.

PMID- 28338329
TI  - Evidence for Electron-Hole Pair Excitation in the Associative Desorption of H2
      and D2 from Au(111).
AB  - The dissociative adsorption reaction of hydrogen on noble metals is believed to
      be well-described within the Born-Oppenheimer approximation. In this work, we
      have experimentally derived translational energy distributions for selected
      quantum states of H2 and D2 formed in associative desorption reactions at a
      Au(111) surface. Using the principle of detailed balance, we compare our results
      to theory carried out at the same level of sophistication as was done for the
      reaction on copper. The theory predicts translational excitation that is much
      higher than is seen in experiment and fails to reproduce the experimentally
      observed isotope effect. The large deviations between experiment and theory are
      surprising because, for the same reactions occurring on Cu(111), a similar
      theoretical strategy agreed with experiment, yielding "chemical accuracy". We
      argue that electron-hole pair excitation is more important for the reaction on
      gold, an effect that may be related to the reaction's later transition state.

PMID- 28338330
TI  - Stereoselective Synthesis of (+)-Annuionone A and (-)-Annuionone B.
AB  - A stereoselective synthetic approach was utilized to synthesize enantiopure
      annuionones A (1b) and B (2b), two ionone-type norsesquiterpenoids that both bear
      a 6-oxabicyclo[3.2.1]octane framework and possess allelopathic activity. A
      stereoselective Diels-Alder reaction based on chiral trisubstituted dienophile 20
      was employed to obtain the optically active polysubstituted cyclohexane core of
      both natural products. Using this approach, (+)-annuionone A (1b) and (-)
      annuionone B (2b) were synthesized from lactol (+)-15 in 10% overall yield.

PMID- 28338331
TI  - An In Silico Study on the Isomers of Pentacene: The Case for Air-Stable and
      Alternative C22H14 Acenes for Organic Electronics.
AB  - Pentacene is one of the most investigated candidates for organic thin film
      transistor (OTFT) applications over the last few decades even though it unstable
      in air (Eg = 1.80 eV), owing in part to its planar nature and high charge
      transfer mobilities as both a single crystal (35 cm2 V-1 s-1) and as a thin-film
      (3.0 cm2 V-1 s-1). Until now, picene is the only isomer of pentacene to be
      investigated for organic electronic applications, due to its greater stability
      (Eg = 4.21 eV) and high-charge transfer mobility (3.0 cm2 V-1 s-1); even
      benefiting from oxygen doping. In the present study, a total of 12 fused-ring
      isomers (including pentacene, picene and ten other structures) of the formula
      C22H14 were analyzed and investigated for their electronic and optical properties
      for worth in OTFT applications. We screened several pure and hybrid DFT
      functionals against the experimental frontier molecular orbitals (FMOs) of
      pentacene, then deployed Marcus Theory, Koopmans' Theorem and Green's function
      with the P3 electron propagator variant, for the internal hole reorganization
      energy, the hole transfer integral (via the "splitting-in-dimer method" at d =
      3.0, 3.5, and 4.0 A), the charge transfer rate constant, and vertical ionization
      energies. Using these as a basis, we studied pentacene's isomers and found that
      the four nonplanar structures, namely, benzo[g]chrysene (3),
      naphtho[c]phenanthrene (7), benzo[c]chrysene (11) and dibenzo[c,c']phenthrene
      (12), are (I) more stable than pentacene, by up to 2 eV, and (II) have relatively
      similar ionization energies (7.5-7.6 eV) to those of picene's experimental value
      (7.51 eV). The largest charge transfer rates at 3.5 A dimer separations were
      given by the isomers benzo[b]chrysene 4, naphtha[c]phenanthrene 7,
      dibenzo[a,c]anthracene 8 and benzo[a]tetracene 10 and found to be 2.92, 1.72,
      1.30, and 3.09 * 1014 s-1 respectively. In comparison to that of pentacene (KCT =
      3.97 * 1014 s-1), these unusual isomers are thus promising air-stable and
      alternative candidates for organic electronic applications.

PMID- 28338332
TI  - Benchmark ab Initio Characterization of the Complex Potential Energy Surface of
      the F- + CH3CH2Cl Reaction.
AB  - We compute benchmark structures, frequencies, and relative energies for the
      stationary points of the potential energy surface of the F- + CH3CH2Cl reaction
      using explicitly correlated ab initio levels of theory. CCSD(T)-F12b geometries
      and harmonic vibrational frequencies are obtained with the aug-cc-pVTZ and aug-cc
      pVDZ basis sets, respectively. The benchmark relative energies are determined
      using a high-level composite method based on CCSD(T)-F12b/aug-cc-pVQZ frozen-core
      energies, CCSD(T)-F12b/cc-pCVTZ-F12 core electron correlation effects, and
      CCSD(T)-F12b/aug-cc-pVDZ zero-point energy corrections. The SN2 channel leading
      to Cl- + CH3CH2F (-33.2) can proceed via back-side (-11.5), front-side (29.1),
      and double-inversion (18.0) transition states, whereas the bimolecular
      elimination (E2) products, Cl- + HF + C2H4 (-19.3), can be formed via anti (
      15.0) and syn (-7.3) saddle points, whose best adiabatic energies relative to F-
      + CH3CH2Cl are shown in parentheses in kcal/mol. Besides the SN2 and E2 channels,
      the 0 K reaction enthalpies of the HF + H3C-CHCl- (29.4), H- + H3C-CHClF (46.2),
      H- + FH2C-CH2Cl (51.1), and FCl- + CH3CH2 (49.7) product channels are determined.
      Utilizing the new benchmark data, the performance of the DF-MP2, MP2, MP2-F12,
      CCSD(T), and CCSD(T)-F12b methods with aug-cc-pVDZ and aug-cc-pVTZ basis sets is
      tested.

PMID- 28338333
TI  - 1,2-Benzothiazines from Sulfoximines and Allyl Methyl Carbonate by Rhodium
      Catalyzed Cross-Coupling and Oxidative Cyclization.
AB  - 4-Unsubstituted 1,2-benzothiazines are prepared from sulfoximines and allyl
      methyl carbonate by Rh(III)-catalyzed domino allylation/oxidative cyclization. A
      wide range of functional groups on the sulfoximine are tolerated. A plausible
      mechanism is proposed, and chemical modifications of the products have been
      explored.

PMID- 28338334
TI  - A Theoretical Study on Methane C-H Bond Activation by Bare [FeO]+/0/.
AB  - The first C-H bond activation of methane by bare diatomic FeO in different charge
      states (cationic + , neutral 0, and anionic - ) has been studied by means of
      density functional theory (DFT) and CCSD(T) methods. The structures were
      optimized by using 10 popular different density functionals (DFs) with different
      Hartree-Fock exchange fractions, as well as the CCSD method and then were
      subjected to single point energy calculations at both the DFT level and the
      CCSD(T) level. The performance of these methods on the energies and structures in
      different charged states of the systems was discussed. The results show that the
      cationic system has lower barrier than the neutral and anionic systems. In most
      cases, the impact of density functionals is larger than that of structures on
      energies. Among the three charged states, the anionic system is the least
      sensitive to the density functionals. The electronic structure analysis
      demonstrates that the cationic and neutral systems proceed by either hydrogen
      atom transfer (HAT) or proton-coupled electron transfer (PCET), while the anionic
      system only employs the proton transfer (PT) mechanism. Knowledge from this study
      is of value for further studies on methane activation.

PMID- 28338336
TI  - The Journey Commemorating BIO's 15th Anniversary.

PMID- 28338337
TI  - An Interactive Picture Worth a Thousand References: Consciousness and Healing
      Initiative's Exemplary Infographic on Nontouch Therapies.

PMID- 28338335
TI  - Stress-Induced Protein S-Glutathionylation and S-Trypanothionylation in African
      Trypanosomes-A Quantitative Redox Proteome and Thiol Analysis.
AB  - AIMS: Trypanosomatids have a unique trypanothione-based thiol redox metabolism.
      The parasite-specific dithiol is synthesized from glutathione and spermidine,
      with glutathionylspermidine as intermediate catalyzed by trypanothione
      synthetase. In this study, we address the oxidative stress response of African
      trypanosomes with special focus on putative protein S-thiolation. RESULTS:
      Challenging bloodstream Trypanosoma brucei with diamide, H2O2 or hypochlorite
      results in distinct levels of reversible overall protein S-thiolation.
      Quantitative proteome analyses reveal 84 proteins oxidized in diamide-stressed
      parasites. Fourteen of them, including several essential thiol redox proteins and
      chaperones, are also enriched when glutathione/glutaredoxin serves as a reducing
      system indicating S-thiolation. In parasites exposed to H2O2, other sets of
      proteins are modified. Only three proteins are S-thiolated under all stress
      conditions studied in accordance with a highly specific response. H2O2 causes
      primarily the formation of free disulfides. In contrast, in diamide-treated
      cells, glutathione, glutathionylspermidine, and trypanothione are almost
      completely protein bound. Remarkably, the total level of trypanothione is
      decreased, whereas those of glutathione and glutathionylspermidine are increased,
      indicating partial hydrolysis of protein-bound trypanothione. Depletion of
      trypanothione synthetase exclusively induces protein S-glutathionylation. Total
      mass analyses of a recombinant peroxidase treated with T(SH)2 and either diamide
      or hydrogen peroxide verify protein S-trypanothionylation as stable modification.
      INNOVATION: Our data reveal for the first time that trypanosomes employ protein S
      thiolation when exposed to exogenous and endogenous oxidative stresses and
      trypanothione, despite its dithiol character, forms protein-mixed disulfides.
      CONCLUSION: The stress-specific responses shown here emphasize protein S
      trypanothionylation and S-glutathionylation as reversible protection mechanism in
      these parasites. Antioxid. Redox Signal. 27, 517-533.

PMID- 28338339
TI  - Drugs that Suppress Lactation, Part 2.

PMID- 28338320
TI  - Inhibitors of Protein Methyltransferases and Demethylases.
AB  - Post-translational modifications of histones by protein methyltransferases (PMTs)
      and histone demethylases (KDMs) play an important role in the regulation of gene
      expression and transcription and are implicated in cancer and many other
      diseases. Many of these enzymes also target various nonhistone proteins impacting
      numerous crucial biological pathways. Given their key biological functions and
      implications in human diseases, there has been a growing interest in assessing
      these enzymes as potential therapeutic targets. Consequently, discovering and
      developing inhibitors of these enzymes has become a very active and fast-growing
      research area over the past decade. In this review, we cover the discovery,
      characterization, and biological application of inhibitors of PMTs and KDMs with
      emphasis on key advancements in the field. We also discuss challenges,
      opportunities, and future directions in this emerging, exciting research field.

PMID- 28338338
TI  - The Strategies of Heterosexuals from Large Metropolitan Areas for Assessing the
      Risks of Exposure to HIV or Other Sexually Transmitted Infections from Partners
      Met Online.
AB  - Heterosexuals' use of the Internet for meeting romantic or sexual partners is
      rapidly increasing, raising concerns about the Internet's potential to facilitate
      encounters that place individuals at risk for acquiring HIV or other sexually
      transmitted infections (STIs). For example, online sharing of personal
      information and self-revelations can foster virtual intimacy, promoting a false
      sense of familiarity that might accelerate progression to unprotected sex.
      Therefore, it is critical to understand how those who meet sexual partners online
      attempt to assess the possible risk of acquiring HIV or STIs posed by having
      unprotected sex with a new partner and decide whether to use a condom. To
      investigate this issue, in-depth interviews were conducted with a diverse sample
      of heterosexual male and female participants from large metropolitan cities who
      had had unprotected vaginal or anal sex with at least two partners met online in
      the past 3 months. With few exceptions, participants relied on faulty strategies
      and heuristics to estimate these risks; yet, most engaged in unprotected sex at
      their first meeting or very soon afterward. While some seemed to try to make a
      genuine effort to arrive at a reliable assessment of the HIV risk posed, most
      appeared to be looking for a way to justify their desire and intention to have
      unprotected sex. The findings suggest the need for more HIV and sexual health
      education targeted at heterosexuals, especially for those who go online to meet
      partners.

PMID- 28338340
TI  - Serum interleukin-6 is related to lower cognitive functioning in elderly patients
      with major depression.
AB  - BACKGROUND: There is an increased evidence of an association between inflammatory
      mediators, particularly serum IL-6, depression and cognitive impairment in the
      elderly. This study aims at exploring the relation of peripheral IL-6 to
      cognitive functions in elderly patients with major depressive disorder (MDD).
      OBJECTIVES: (1) Assessment of serum IL-6 levels and cognitive functions in
      elderly patients suffering from major depression and comparing them to healthy
      age-matched control subjects; (2) correlation between serum IL-6 levels and
      clinical characteristics of depression and cognitive functions in these patients.
      SUBJECTS AND METHODS: The study is an observational, case-control study. It
      consisted of 80 subjects, 40 with the diagnosis of MDD according to the
      Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM IV-TR) with early
      onset (first episode before the age of 60) and 40 community-dwelling subjects.
      They were subjected to the Structured Clinical Interview according to DSM-IV,
      Montreal Cognitive Assessment, Montgomery Asberg Depression Rating Scale, and
      serum IL-6 assay using ELISA. RESULTS: In the depression group, subjects had
      lower scores in cognitive testing, than the control group (p = 0.001). Serum IL-6
      was found to have a negative correlation with cognitive testing in these patients
      even after controlling for the severity of depressive status and Body Mass Index
      (BMI) (p = 0.025). CONCLUSIONS: MDD in elderly subjects is associated with
      decline in cognitive functions that may be related to peripheral IL-6 levels.

PMID- 28338342
TI  - Development of matrix solid-phase dispersion coupled with high-performance liquid
      chromatography for determination of jolkinolide A and jolkinolide B in Euphorbia
      fischeriana Steud.
AB  - A novel and simple method was established for the extraction and determination of
      jolkinolide A and B in Euphorbia fischeriana Steud. using matrix solid-phase
      dispersion (MSPD) extraction and high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC).
      The optimised conditions for the MSPD extraction were determined to be that
      silica gel was served as dispersant, the mass ratio of sample to silica gel was
      selected to be 1:4, and 5 mL of acetonitrile was used as elution solvent. The
      method exhibited a good performance in terms of linearity (r2 >= 0.9997) and the
      limits of detection in the range of 0.052-0.065 MUg mL-1. The recoveries were in
      the range of 90.2-98.9% with relative standard deviations (RSDs) ranging from 1.3
      to 3.5%. The extraction efficiencies obtained by the MSPD were higher than other
      extraction method with less cost of sample and solvent. At last, the optimised
      method was applied for analysing real samples.

PMID- 28338341
TI  - Natural product inhibitors of carbonic anhydrase I and II isoenzymes: osajin and
      pomiferin.
AB  - The aim of this study is to purify carbonic anhydrase I and II isoenzymes from
      human erythrocyte, isolate two natural products osajin (OSJ) and pomiferin (PMF)
      from Maclura pomifera fruits, and evaluate the in vitro effect of these natural
      metabolites on these isoenzymes. These natural products may be used as starting
      points for drug discovery (like drugs used in several therapeutic applications,
      including antiglaucoma activity). For the purification procedure, the Sepharose
      4B-l-tyrosine-sulphonamide affinity chromatography was used. Column
      chromatography and thin layer chromatography methods were used for isolation of
      OSJ and PMF from M. pomifera fruits and their chemical structures were elucidated
      by IR, 1D, and 2D NMR methods. We compared inhibitory effects of these natural
      products with inhibitory effects of phenolic compounds and found that these
      products demonstrated average inhibition effects. We thought that this study will
      give inspiration to scientists interested in this issue.

PMID- 28338343
TI  - Nuggets of Wisdom: Salmonella Enteritidis Outbreaks and the Case for New Rules on
      Uncooked Frozen Processed Chicken.
AB  - In 2014 and 2015, three Canadian Salmonella serotype Enteritidis outbreak
      investigations implicated uncooked, frozen, processed chicken products produced
      at the same establishment, namely establishment A. In November 2014, a sustained
      increase in the number of reported domestically acquired Salmonella Enteritidis
      cases in Ontario led to the first outbreak investigation, which implicated
      uncooked, frozen, processed chicken products produced at establishment A. In June
      2015, the identification of pulsed-field gel electrophoresis patterns that had
      not been previously reported in Canada led to a national Salmonella Enteritidis
      investigation. Of 51 cases reported nationally, 35 were from Ontario. Uncooked,
      frozen, processed chicken products produced at establishment A were identified as
      the source of the outbreak, and public health action was taken as a result of
      this second investigation. In September 2015, a sustained increase in the number
      of domestically acquired Salmonella Enteritidis PT13a cases in Ontario led to a
      third outbreak investigation, which identified a total of 36 PT13a cases.
      Uncooked, frozen, processed chicken products produced at establishment A were
      again identified as the source of the outbreak. Outbreaks have been linked to
      uncooked, frozen, processed chicken products since the late 1990s. Information
      collected during the three outbreak investigations, and from other jurisdictions,
      suggests that the breaded and prebrowned appearance of the product, as well as
      factors related to product packaging and marketing, result in consumer
      misperception that this raw product is cooked. This misperception may result in
      mishandling and improper cooking. The three outbreaks described in this article
      highlight the potential ongoing risks to consumers from these products and
      support interventions to prevent contamination at the source level and infection
      at the consumer level.

PMID- 28338344
TI  - New flavonol glycoside from Scabiosa prolifera L. aerial parts with in vitro
      antioxidant and cytotoxic activities.
AB  - Phytochemical investigation of the chemical constituents of the aerial parts of
      Scabiosa prolifera L. led to the isolation of one new flavonol glycoside,
      kaempferol-3-O-(4",6"-di-E-p-coumaroyl)-beta-D-galactopyranoside (1), along with
      ten other known compounds including luteolin-7-O-(2"-O-ethyl-beta
      glucopyranoside), beta-sitosterol, beta-sitosterylglucoside, ursolic acid,
      corosolic acid, ursolic acid 3-O-beta-D-arabinopyranoside, apigenin, methyl-alpha
      D-glucopyranoside, luteolin-7-O-beta-glucopyranoside and isoorientin. The
      structures of all isolated compounds were established using chemical methods and
      spectroscopic methods including IR, UV, NMR (1D and 2D) and HRESIMS. All
      compounds were isolated for the first time from the plant. The antioxidant and
      cytotoxic activities of compounds 1 and 2 were also investigated.

PMID- 28338345
TI  - Challenges and Driving Forces for Business Plans in Biobanking.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Due to increased utilization of biospecimens for research and
      emergence of new technologies, the availability and quality of biospecimens and
      their collection are coming more and more into focus. However, the long-term
      economic situation of biobanks is still mostly unclear. Also, the common
      sustainable utilization of various international biobanks is challenging due to
      local differences in sample processing, law and ethics. AIM: This article
      discusses possible strategies to achieve a sustainable utilization of
      biospecimens as part of the business plan of biobanks. METHODS: The following
      questions were addressed as part of a business plan: (1) How can a biobank build
      up and maintain an up-to-date infrastructure? (2) What kind of funding can
      support the sustainability of a biobank? (3) Is there an international solution
      for informed consents to enable sample and data sharing? (4) How can a biobank
      react during economically unstable periods? (5) Which kind of biobanking research
      is innovative? (6) What kind of education could be most needful for knowledge
      transfer in biobanking? (7) Does an expiration date for a biobank make sense
      according to the period of funding? CONCLUSION: A strategy for optimal
      utilization begins with sharing of resources, infrastructure, and investments at
      the planning stage of a biobank, and continues to the transfer of knowledge and
      know-how by education. For clinical biobanks in particular, a long-term funding
      and cost recovery strategy is necessary for sustainable utilization.

PMID- 28338346
TI  - Chemical variability in essential oils from Ruta species among seasons, and its
      taxonomic and ecological significance.
AB  - Leaf essential oils of 11 samples from Ruta montana, Ruta chalepensis subsp.
      latifolia and Ruta chalepensis subsp. angustifolia collected from two sites have
      been studied by GC/MS that allowed to identify 22, 25 and 12 components,
      respectively. The variability in the composition of essential oils among species
      and seasons was very high, and hence the existence of different chemotypes has
      been inferred. The major components were 2-undecanone, (E) caryophyllene, 2
      nonanone and 2-methyloctyl acetate. Multivariate analysis of the 11 samples
      suggest that the main factors capable to influence the chemical composition of
      leaf essential oils was both the collection period and the geographical origin. 2
      Undecanone seems to be the chemotaxonomic marker of Ruta genus. Furthermore, the
      formation of distinct clusters and sub-clusters at high distance also supports
      that the patterns of distribution of chemical constituents among seasons can be
      used in delimiting species and infraspecific taxa within the species complexes.

PMID- 28338347
TI  - Ceftazidime-avibactam: novel antimicrobial combination for the treatment of
      complicated urinary tract infections.
AB  - Ceftazidime-avibactam is a combination of a third-generation cephalosporin and a
      novel non-beta-lactam beta-lactamase inhibitor. This combination was recently
      recommended for the treatment of complicated urinary tract infections, including
      acute pyelonephritis, in adults with limited or no alternative treatment options.
      The current review is aimed to determine activity, efficacy and safety of
      ceftazidime-avibactam in the treatment of patients with complicated urinary tract
      infections.

PMID- 28338348
TI  - Liver injury following small intestinal ischemia reperfusion in rats is
      attenuated by Pistacia lentiscus oil: antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects.
AB  - CONTEXT: Intestinal ischemia-reperfusion (IIR) not only leads to severe intestine
      damage but also induced subsequent destruction of remote organs. OBJECTIVE: We
      investigated the protective effect of Pistascia lentiscus L. (Anacardiaceae) oil
      on IIR. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Wistar rats were divided into three groups: sham,
      intestinal IR and P. lentiscus pretreatment (n = 18 each). In the pretreatment
      group, oil was administered 1 h before induction of warm ischemia. RESULTS: IIR
      led to severe liver damage manifested as a significant (p < .05) increase of
      aspartate aminotransferase (AST) and alanine aminotransferase (ALT) levels.
      Pistacia lentiscus oil decreased the visible intestinal damage, as well as a
      significant decrease in serum AST and ALT levels. In addition, Pistacia lentiscus
      reduce liver injury, as evidenced by the decrease in liver tissue myeloperoxidase
      activity and lipoperoxidation (MDA) level. CONCLUSION: Pistascia lentiscus
      attenuates liver injury induced by IIR, attributable to the antioxidant and anti
      inflammatory effect.

PMID- 28338349
TI  - Clinical features of children and adults with a muscular dystrophy using powered
      indoor/outdoor wheelchairs: disease features, comorbidities and complications of
      disability.
AB  - PURPOSE: To describe the clinical features of electric powered indoor/outdoor
      wheelchair users with a muscular dystrophy, likely to influence optimal
      prescription; reflecting features of muscular dystrophies, conditions secondary
      to disability, and comorbidities impacting on equipment provision. METHODS: Cross
      sectional retrospective case note review of recipients of electric powered
      indoor/outdoor wheelchairs provided by a specialist regional wheelchair service.
      Data on demography, diagnostic/clinical, and wheelchair prescription were
      systematically extracted. RESULTS: Fifty-one men and 14 women, mean age 23.7
      (range 10-67, s.d. 12.95) years, were studied. Forty had Duchenne muscular
      dystrophy, 22 had other forms of muscular dystrophy, and three were unclassified.
      Twenty-seven were aged under 19. Notable clinical features included problematic
      pain (10), cardiomyopathy (5), and ventilatory failure (4). Features related to
      disability were (kypho)scoliosis (20) and edema/cellulitis (3) whilst
      comorbidities included back pain (5). Comparison of younger with older users
      revealed younger users had more features of muscular dystrophy affecting electric
      powered chair provision (56%) whilst older users had more comorbidity (37%). Tilt
      in-space was prescribed for 81% of users, specialized seating for 55% and complex
      controls for 16%. CONCLUSIONS: Muscular dystrophy users were prescribed electric
      powered indoor/outdoor chairs with many additional features reflecting the
      consequences of profound muscle weakness. In addition to facilitating
      independence and participation, electric powered indoor/outdoor chairs have major
      therapeutic benefits. Implications for rehabilitation Powered wheelchairs have
      therapeutic benefits in managing muscular dystrophy pain and weakness. The use of
      specialized seating needs careful consideration in supporting progressive muscle
      weakness and the management of scoliosis. Pain, discomfort, pressure risk, and
      muscle fatigue may be reduced by use of tilt-in-space.

PMID- 28338350
TI  - Consensus-Driven Development of a Terminology for Biobanking, the Duke
      Experience.
AB  - Biobanking at Duke University has existed for decades and has grown over time in
      silos and based on specialized needs, as is true with most biomedical research
      centers. These silos developed informatics systems to support their own
      individual requirements, with no regard for semantic or syntactic
      interoperability. Duke undertook an initiative to implement an enterprise-wide
      biobanking information system to serve its many diverse biobanking entities. A
      significant part of this initiative was the development of a common terminology
      for use in the commercial software platform. Common terminology provides the
      foundation for interoperability across biobanks for data and information sharing.
      We engaged experts in research, informatics, and biobanking through a consensus
      driven process to agree on 361 terms and their definitions that encompass the
      lifecycle of a biospecimen. Existing standards, common terms, and data elements
      from published articles provided a foundation on which to build the biobanking
      terminology; a broader set of stakeholders then provided additional input and
      feedback in a secondary vetting process. The resulting standardized biobanking
      terminology is now available for sharing with the biobanking community to serve
      as a foundation for other institutions who are considering a similar initiative.

PMID- 28338351
TI  - Worldwide Impact of Warmer Seasons on the Incidence of Renal Colic and Kidney
      Stone Disease: Evidence from a Systematic Review of Literature.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: Several studies have examined the link between temperature or
      monthly seasonal variations and urolithiasis. The majority of these studies have
      demonstrated a link between higher ambient monthly temperatures and the incidence
      of renal colic and kidney stone disease (KSD). However, a worldwide trend on this
      association has not been explored and we perform a systematic review to examine
      the effect of seasonal variations on renal colic and KSD. MATERIALS AND METHODS:
      A systematic review of the literature for a 26-year period (1990-2017) was
      conducted on all studies reporting on the effect of seasonal variations and its
      link to KSD. Two reviewers independently extracted the data from each study,
      which were analyzed using SPSS version 24. RESULTS: A total of 59 studies were
      identified, and after screening, 13 were included in this review. The studies
      ranged in duration from 1 to 9 years (mean: 5.5 years) and included
      seasonal/monthly variations for proven stones or lithotripsy treatments or
      emergency department presentations with renal colic. Except for one study, there
      was a statistically significant association between higher monthly mean
      temperatures and the incidence of KSD-related events reported from the United
      Kingdom, South Korea, the United States, Saudi Arabia, Italy, Spain, Taiwan,
      Japan, and New Zealand. CONCLUSIONS: Worldwide trends on the incidence of renal
      colic and KSD seem be affected by seasonal variation favoring warmer months, with
      data suggesting that higher ambient temperature has an association with KSD.

PMID- 28338352
TI  - Formulation challenges for 21st century topical and transdermal delivery systems.

PMID- 28338353
TI  - The burden of familial chylomicronemia syndrome: interim results from the IN
      FOCUS study.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Familial Chylomicronemia Syndrome (FCS) is a rare genetic disorder
      that is caused by a decrease or an absence of lipoprotein lipase activity. FCS is
      characterized by marked accumulation of chylomicrons and extreme
      hypertriglyceridemia, which have major effects on both physical and mental
      health. To date, there have been no systematic efforts to characterize the impact
      of chylomicronemia on FCS patients' lives. In particular, the impact of FCS on
      the burden of illness (BoI) and quality of life (QoL) has not been fully
      described in the literature. METHODS: IN-FOCUS was a comprehensive web-based
      research survey of patients with FCS focused on capturing the BoI and impact on
      QoL associated with FCS. Sixty patients from the US diagnosed with FCS
      participated. Patients described multiple symptoms spanning across physical,
      emotional and cognitive domains. RESULTS: Patients on average cycled through 5
      physicians of varying specialty before being diagnosed with FCS, reflecting a
      lengthy journey to diagnosis Nearly all respondents indicated that FCS had a
      major impact on BoI and QoL and significantly influenced their career choice and
      employment status, and caused significant work loss due to their disease.
      CONCLUSION: FCS imparts a considerable burden across multiple domains with
      reported impairment on activities of daily living and QoL.

PMID- 28338355
TI  - The Potential for a Targeted Strength-Training Program to Decrease Asymmetry and
      Increase Performance: A Proof of Concept in Sprinting.
AB  - The global application of horizontal force (FH) via hip extension is related to
      improvements in sprint performance (eg, maximal velocity [vmax] and power
      [Pmax]). Little is known regarding the contribution of individual leg FH and how
      a difference between the legs (asymmetry) might subsequently affect sprint
      performance. The authors assessed a single male athlete for pre-post outcomes of
      a targeted hip-extension training program on FH asymmetry and sprint-performance
      metrics. An instrumented nonmotorized treadmill was used to obtain individual leg
      and global sprint kinetics and determine the athlete's strong and weak leg, with
      regard to the ability to produce FH while sprinting. Following a 6-wk control
      block of testing, a 6-wk targeted training program was added to the athlete's
      strength-training regimen, which aimed to strengthen the weak leg and improve hip
      extension function during sprinting. Preintervention to postintervention, the
      athlete increased FH (standardized effect [ES] = 2.2; +26%) in his weak leg,
      decreased the FH asymmetry (ES = -0.64; -19%), and increased vmax (ES = 0.67;
      +2%) and Pmax (ES = 3.2; +15%). This case study highlighted a promising link
      between a targeted training intervention to decrease asymmetry in FH and
      subsequent improvement of sprint-performance metrics. These findings also
      strengthen the theoretical relationship between the contribution of individual
      leg FH and global FH while sprinting, indicating that reducing asymmetry may
      decrease injury risk and increase practical performance measures. This case study
      may stimulate further research investigating targeted training interventions in
      the field of strength and conditioning and injury prevention.

PMID- 28338354
TI  - Functional oligopeptide as a novel strategy for drug delivery.
AB  - Oligopeptides, a type of short peptide, which consist of 2-20 amino acids,
      exhibit a variety of biological functions in drug delivery systems, such as
      specific targeting, cell penetration, self-assembled capacity and responsiveness
      to the environment. In this review, we aim to highlight the importance of
      functional oligopeptides for nanomedical applications and put forward the views
      on the future development direction of oligopeptide medicines. Oligopeptides have
      gained wide attentions due to their inherent properties, but the lack of
      understanding the mechanisms of in vivo transport behavior is the biggest problem
      and challenge at the present stage. Therefore, it is an important direction for
      the future clinical research to systematically evaluate its metabolic behavior
      and safety in vivo.

PMID- 28338356
TI  - The accessory gene regulator-1 as a therapeutic target for C. difficile
      infections.

PMID- 28338357
TI  - Neuromuscular Fatigue After Repeated Jumping With Concomitant Electrical
      Stimulation.
AB  - PURPOSE: To evaluate the etiology and extent of neuromuscular fatigue induced by
      50 squat jumps performed with and without neuromuscular electrical stimulation
      (NMES) of the knee extensors. METHODS: Nine healthy, recreationally active men
      (24 +/- 2 y) took part in 2 experiments. These consisted of 50 squat jumps
      performed with stimulation (NMES) or without (CON). Maximal voluntary contraction
      (MVC) force, maximal voluntary activation level (VAL), and forces evoked by
      single and double (10 and 100 Hz) stimulations were recorded before and after the
      50 jumps. NMES was delivered at the maximal tolerated intensity. RESULTS: Despite
      average jump height being ~16% lower in the NMES than in the CON session, a
      reduction over time in jump height was only found in the NMES condition (-6%).
      After the 50 jumps, MVC force was reduced to a greater extent in NMES than in CON
      (-25% +/- 11% vs -11% +/- 12%). Similarly, forces evoked by single stimulations,
      as well as by 10-Hz and 100-Hz paired stimulations, were reduced to a greater
      extent in NMES (-33% +/- 12%, -42% +/- 15%, and -25% +/- 13%) than in CON (-21%
      +/- 6%, -30% +/- 9%, and -14% +/- 11%). VAL was not significantly altered by
      either condition. CONCLUSION: Performing repeated squat jumps with concomitant
      NMES induced a greater fatigue than squat jumps performed alone and might
      potentially represent a stronger training stimulus.

PMID- 28338358
TI  - A Mismatch Between Athlete Practice and Current Sports Nutrition Guidelines Among
      Elite Female and Male Middle- and Long-Distance Athletes.
AB  - Contemporary nutrition guidelines promote a variety of periodized and time
      sensitive recommendations, but current information regarding the knowledge and
      practice of these strategies among world-class athletes is limited. The aim of
      this study was to investigate this theme by implementing a questionnaire on
      dietary periodization practices in national/international level female (n = 27)
      and male (n = 21) middle- and long-distance runners/race-walkers. The
      questionnaire aimed to gain information on between and within-day dietary
      choices, as well as timing of pre- and posttraining meals and practices of
      training with low or high carbohydrate (CHO) availability. Data are shown as
      percentage (%) of all athletes, with differences in responses between subgroups
      (sex or event) shown as Chi-square x2 when p < .05. Nearly two-thirds of all
      athletes reported that they aim to eat more food on, or after, hard training
      days. Most athletes said they focus on adequate fueling (96%) and adequate CHO
      and protein (PRO) recovery (87%) around key sessions. Twenty-six percent of
      athletes (11% of middle vs 42% of long-distance athletes [x2 (1, n = 46) = 4.308,
      p = .038, phi = 0.3])) reported to undertake training in the fasted state, while
      11% said they periodically restrict CHO intake, with 30% ingesting CHO during
      training sessions. Our findings show that elite endurance athletes appear to
      execute pre- and post-key session nutrition recovery recommendations. However,
      very few athletes deliberately undertake some contemporary dietary periodization
      approaches, such as training in the fasted state or periodically restricting CHO
      intake. This study suggests mismatches between athlete practice and current and
      developing sports nutrition guidelines.

PMID- 28338359
TI  - Optimizing the Team for Required Power During Track-Cycling Team Pursuit.
AB  - PURPOSE: Since the aim of the men's team pursuit in time-trial track cycling is
      to accomplish a distance of 4000 m as fast as possible, optimizing aerodynamic
      drag can contribute to achieving this goal. The aim of this study was to
      determine the drafting effect in second, third, and fourth position during the
      team pursuit in track cycling as a function of the team members' individual
      frontal areas in order to minimize the required power. METHOD: Eight experienced
      track cyclists of the Dutch national selection performed 39 trials of 3 km in
      different teams of 4 cyclists at a constant velocity of 15.75 m/s. Frontal
      projected areas were determined, and together with field-derived drag
      coefficients for all 4 positions, the relationships between frontal areas of team
      members and drag fractions were estimated using generalized estimating equations.
      RESULTS: The frontal area of both the cyclist directly in front of the drafter
      and the drafter himself turned out to be significant determinants of the drag
      fraction at the drafter's position (P < .05) for all 3 drafting positions.
      Predicted required power for individuals in drafting positions differed up to 35
      W depending on team composition. For a team, a maximal difference in team
      efficiency (1.2%) exists by selecting cyclists in a specific sequence.
      CONCLUSION: Estimating required power for a specific team composition gives
      insight into differences in team efficiency for the team pursuit. Furthermore,
      required power for individual team members ranges substantially depending on team
      composition.

PMID- 28338360
TI  - Resuscitation-promoting factors are important determinants of the pathophysiology
      in Mycobacterium tuberculosis infection.
AB  - Resuscitation promoting factors (Rpf) are peptidoglycan-hydrolyzing enzymes that
      are pivotal in the resuscitation of quiescent actinobacteria including
      Mycobacterium tuberculosis. From the published data, it is clear that Rpf are
      required for the resuscitation of non-replicating bacilli and pathogenesis in
      murine infection model of tuberculosis, although their direct influence on human
      Mycobacterium tuberculosis infection is ill-defined. In this review, we describe
      the progress in the understanding of the roles that Rpf play in human
      tuberculosis pathogenesis and importance of bacilli dependent upon Rpf for growth
      for the outcome of human tuberculosis. We outline how this research is opening up
      important opportunities for the diagnosis, treatment and prevention of human
      disease, progress in which is essential to attain the ultimate goal of
      tuberculosis eradication.

PMID- 28338361
TI  - Method-Induced Differences of Energy Contributions in Women's Kayaking.
AB  - CONTEXT: Different relative aerobic energy contribution (WAER%) has been reported
      for the 2 women's Olympic kayaking disciplines (ie, 200 and 500 m). PURPOSE: To
      investigate whether the adopted method of energy calculation influences the value
      of WAER% during kayaking time trials. METHODS: Eleven adolescent female kayakers
      (age 14 +/- 1 y, height 172 +/- 4 cm, body mass 65.4 +/- 4.2 kg, VO2peak 42.6 +/-
      4.9 mL.min-1.kg-1, training experience 1.5 +/- 0.3 y) volunteered to participate
      in 1 incremental exercise test and 2 time trials (40 and 120 s) on the kayak
      ergometer. A portable spirometric system was used to measure gas metabolism.
      Capillary blood was taken from the ear lobe during and after the tests and
      analyzed for lactate afterward. The method of modified maximal accumulated oxygen
      deficit (m-MAOD) and the method based on the fast component of oxygen-uptake off
      kinetics (PCr-La-O2) were used to calculate the energy contributions. RESULTS:
      The anaerobic energy portions from m-MAOD were lower than those from PCr-La-O2 in
      the 40-s (41.9 +/- 8.8 vs 52.8 +/- 4.0 kJ, P > .05) and 120-s (64.1 +/- 27.9 vs
      68.2 +/- 10.0 kJ, P > .05) time trials, which induced differences of WAER%
      between m-MAOD and PCr-La-O2 (36.0% vs 30.0% in 40 s, P > .05; 60.9% vs 57.5% in
      120 s, P > .05). CONCLUSIONS: The reported different WAER% in women's Olympic
      kayaking could be partly attributed to the adopted method of energy calculation
      (ie, m-MAOD vs PCr-La-O2). A fixed method of energy calculation is recommended
      during the longitudinal assessment on the relative energy contribution in women's
      Olympic kayaking.

PMID- 28338362
TI  - The Effects of Caffeine, Taurine, or Caffeine-Taurine Coingestion on Repeat
      Sprint Cycling Performance and Physiological Responses.
AB  - PURPOSE: To investigate the effects of caffeine (C), taurine (T), caffeine and
      taurine coingestion (C +T), or placebo (P) on repeated Wingate cycling
      performance and associated physiological responses. METHODS: Seven male team
      sport players participated in a randomized, single-blind, crossover study, where
      they completed 3 Wingate tests, each separated by 2 min, an hour after ingesting:
      C (5 mg/kg body mass [BM]), T (50 mg/kg BM), C +T (5 mg/kg BM + 50 mg/kg BM), or
      P (5 mg/kg BM) in a gelatin capsule. Performance was measured on an ergometer,
      and blood lactate, perceived exertion, heart rate (HR), mean arterial pressure
      (MAP), and rate pressure product (RPP) were measured at rest (presupplement),
      baseline (1 h postsupplement), and during and after exercise. RESULTS: Magnitude
      based inferences revealed that all of the supplements increased (small to
      moderate, likely to very likely) mean peak power (MPP), peak power (PP), and mean
      power (MP) compared to P, with greater MPP, PP, and MP in T compared to C (small,
      possible). Intrasprint fatigue index (%FIIntra) was greater in T compared to P
      and C (moderate, likely), and %FIInter was lower in T compared to C (small,
      possible). C and C +T increased HR, MAP, and RPP compared to P and T at baseline
      (moderate to very large, likely to most likely); however, these only remained
      higher in C compared to all conditions in the final sprint. CONCLUSIONS: T
      elicited greater improvements in performance compared to P, C, or C +T while
      reducing the typical chronotropic and pressor effects of C.

PMID- 28338363
TI  - Decrement in Professional Cyclists' Performance After a Grand Tour.
AB  - PURPOSE: To analyze professional cyclists' performance declines after, and the
      exercise demands during, a Grand Tour. METHODS: Seven professional cyclists
      performed 2 incremental exercise tests, 1 wk before and the day after the Vuelta
      Espana. During the race the exercise demands were analyzed on the basis of heart
      rate (HR). Three intensity zones were established according to reference HR
      values corresponding to the ventilatory- (VT) and respiratory-compensation (RCT)
      thresholds determined during the prerace test. In addition, exercise demands for
      the last weeks of the Vuelta were recalculated using the reference HR determined
      during the postrace test for the 3rd week and averaging the change observed in
      the VT and RCT per stage for the 2nd week. The reference HR for the beginning of
      the 2nd week was estimated. RESULTS: A significant (P-value range, .044-.000)
      decrement in oxygen uptake, power output, and HR at maximal exercise, VT, and RCT
      was found after the race. Based on the prerace test, the mean time spent daily
      above the RCT was 13.8 +/- 10.2 min. This time decreased -1.2 min.day-1 across
      the race. When the exercise intensity was corrected according to the postrace
      test, the time above RCT (34.1 +/- 9.9 min) increased 1.0 min.day-1. CONCLUSION:
      These data indicate that completing a Grand Tour may result in a significant
      decrement in maximal and submaximal endurance performance capacity. This may
      modify reference values used to analyze exercise demands. As a consequence, the
      high-intensity exercise performed by cyclists may be underestimated.

PMID- 28338364
TI  - Indications, risk of lower airway infection, and complications to pediatric
      tracheotomy: report from a tertiary referral center.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Although pediatric tracheotomy is potentially life-saving, the
      procedure is associated with high risk of complications, and indications have
      changed the last decade. We report indications, complications, and lower airway
      infections (LAIs) to pediatric tracheotomy performed at a tertiary referral
      center. METHODS: We identified all children (<18 years) who underwent tracheotomy
      at our institution during 2008-2015. A review of hospital records was performed
      to extract data on indication of the procedure, complications, and information on
      pre- and postoperative LAI. RESULTS: At a median age of 8 years (range: 4 months
      to 17 years), a total of 69 tracheotomies were performed. Neuromuscular disease
      (n = 21) was the most common cause for tracheotomy. The postoperative
      complication rate was 22%; early complications (<30 days) occurred in four
      patients, and nine patients encountered late complications such as wound
      granulation and tracheocutaneous fistula. Children without LAI prior to
      tracheotomy were at increased risk of LAI from the initial 30-days following
      surgery (OR: 2.91, 95% CI: 1.17-7.21; p = .02). Fifty-three percent (10/19) of
      all LAIs following tracheotomy were caused by Staphylococcus aureus (p < .01).
      CONCLUSIONS: Pediatric tracheotomy was associated with considerable rates of
      minor early and late complications and high risk of short-term LAI. The main
      cause leading to tracheotomy was neuromuscular disease.

PMID- 28338365
TI  - Movement Velocity as Indicator of Relative Intensity and Level of Effort Attained
      During the Set in Pull-Up Exercise.
AB  - PURPOSE: To analyze the relationship between movement velocity and relative load
      (%1RM) in the pull-up exercise (PU) and to determine the pattern of repetition
      velocity loss during a single set to failure in pulling one's own body mass.
      METHODS: Fifty-two men (age = 26.5 +/- 3.9 y, body mass = 74.3 +/- 7.2 kg)
      performed a first evaluation (T1) consisting of an 1-repetition-maximum test
      (1RM) and a test of maximum number of repetitions to failure pulling one's own
      body mass (MNR) in the PU exercise. Thirty-nine subjects performed both tests on
      a second occasion (T2) following 12 wk of training. RESULTS: The authors observed
      a strong relationship between mean propulsive velocity (MPV) and %1RM (r = -.96).
      Mean velocity attained with 1RM load (V1RM) was 0.20 +/- 0.05 m.s-1, and it
      influenced the MPV attained with each %1RM. Although 1RM increased by 3.4% from
      T1 to T2, the relationship between MPV and %1RM, and V1RM, remained stable. The
      authors also confirmed stability in the V1RM regardless of individual relative
      strength. The authors found a strong relationship between percentage of velocity
      loss and percentage of performed repetitions (R2 = .88), which remained stable
      despite a 15% increase in MNR. CONCLUSIONS: Monitoring repetition velocity allows
      estimation of the %1RM used as soon as the first repetition with a given load is
      performed, and the number of repetitions remaining in reserve when a given
      percentage of velocity loss is achieved during a PU exercise set.

PMID- 28338366
TI  - Effects of Bout Duration on Players' Internal and External Loads During Small
      Sided Games in Young Soccer Players.
AB  - PURPOSE: To investigate the effects of different bout durations on internal and
      external loads of young soccer players during different small-sided games (SSGs).
      METHODS: Fifteen young male soccer players (average age 17 +/- 1 y) participated
      in 2 vs 2, 3 vs 3, and 4 vs 4 SSGs. All games lasted 12 min playing time in
      total, but each SSG format further consisted of 4 bout durations: continuous
      (CON: 1 bout * 12 min) or interval with short (SBD: 6 bouts  * 2 min), medium
      (MBD: 3 bouts * 4 min), or long (LBD: 2 bouts * 6 min) bout durations. During the
      SSGs, heart-rate (HR) responses and distance covered in different speed zones
      (walking and low-intensity, moderate-intensity, and high-intensity running) were
      measured. Rating of perceived exertion (RPE) and blood lactate (La-) were
      determined at the end of each SSG. RESULTS: The SBD format elicited significantly
      lower %HRmax responses compared to LBD and CON in all formats (P < .05). The SBD
      format also showed significantly shorter distances covered in walking and greater
      distances covered in moderate-intensity running, as well as significantly greater
      total distance covered compared to LBD and CON in all formats (P < .05). In
      addition, LBD produced significantly lower La- and RPE responses than SBD and CON
      in all formats (P < .05). CONCLUSIONS: These results suggest that coaches and
      sport scientists who want to achieve higher internal loads could use SBD and CON
      timing protocols, while those who want to achieve higher external loads might
      prefer to use SBD and MBD when planning all SSG formats.

PMID- 28338367
TI  - Full-participation of students with physical disabilities in science and
      engineering laboratories.
AB  - PURPOSE: To conduct a literature review identifying barriers and facilitators
      students with physical disabilities (SwD-P) may encounter in science and
      engineering (S&E) laboratories. METHOD: Publications were identified from 1991 to
      2015 in ERIC, web of science via web of knowledge, CINAHL, SCOPUS, IEEEXplore,
      engineering village, business source complete and PubMed databases using search
      terms and synonyms for accommodations, advanced manufacturing, additive
      manufacturing, assistive technology (AT), barriers, engineering, facilitators,
      instructor, laboratory, STEM education, science, students with disabilities and
      technology. RESULTS: Twenty-two of the 233 publications that met the review's
      inclusion criteria were examined. Barriers and facilitators were grouped based on
      the international classification of functioning, disability and health framework
      (ICF). None of the studies directly found barriers or facilitators to SwD-P in
      science or engineering laboratories within postsecondary environments. The
      literature is not clear on the issues specifically related to SwD-P. CONCLUSION:
      Given these findings, further research (e.g., surveys or interviews) should be
      conducted to identify more details to obtain more substantial information on the
      barriers that may prevent SwD-P from fully participating in S&E instructional
      laboratories. Implications for Rehabilitation Students with disabilities remain
      underrepresented going into STEM careers. A need exist to help uncover barriers
      students with disabilities encounter in STEM laboratory. Environments.
      Accommodations and strategies that facilitate participation in STEM laboratory
      environments are promising for students with disabilities.

PMID- 28338368
TI  - Alginate and whey protein based-multilayered particles: production,
      characterisation and resistance to pH, ionic strength and artificial
      gastric/intestinal fluid.
AB  - Multiple layers of whey protein and sodium alginate were assembled onto gelled
      alginate microparticles using electrostatic interaction. An experimental design
      was employed to evaluate the effect of the concentration of both hydrocolloids on
      the amount of protein that was adsorbed. In the first layer, a higher protein
      adsorption 32.5% w/w was obtained at pH 3.75. In the multilayered particle, the
      protein adsorbed reached 64.9% w/w. An analysis of protein solubilisation
      verified that 22% w/w was solubilised at an acidic pH (pH 2.0). The protein
      solubilisation increased with ionic strength, reaching 19.5% w/w in the highest
      NaCl concentration evaluated (200 mM). The particles were partially resistant to
      gastric conditions, with 30.5% w/w of total nitrogen protein solubilisation
      occurring after 2 h at pH 2.0; however, they did not resist the artificial
      intestine conditions, reaching 86.0% w/w of total nitrogen protein solubilisation
      after 5 h.

PMID- 28338369
TI  - DHA-rich Fish Oil Increases the Omega-3 Index and Lowers the Oxygen Cost of
      Physiologically Stressful Cycling in Trained Individuals.
AB  - Dietary fish oil, providing docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) modulates oxygen
      consumption and fatigue in animal models. However, in humans predominately
      supplemented with high eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA), there is no evidence of
      endurance performance enhancement. Therefore, this study examined if DHA-rich
      fish oil could improve repeated bouts of physiologically stressful cycling and a
      subsequent time trial in a state of fatigue. Twenty-six trained males took part
      in a double-blind study and were supplemented with either 2 * 1g/day soy oil,
      Control) or DHA-rich tuna fish oil (Nu-Mega) (FO) (560mg DHA / 140mg
      eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA), for 8 weeks. Maximal cycling power (3 * 6s),
      isometric quadriceps strength (MVC), Wingate cycling protocol (6 * 30s) and a
      5min cycling time-trial were assessed at baseline and eight weeks. The Omega-3
      Index was not different at baseline (Control: 4.2 +/- 0.2; FO: 4.7 +/- 0.2%) and
      increased in the FO group after eight weeks (Control: 3.9 +/- 0.2; FO: 6.3 +/-
      0.3%, p < .01). There was no effect of DHA-rich fish oil on power output of
      maximal 6s cycle sprinting (Control: Pre 1100 +/- 49 Post 1067 +/- 51; FO: Pre
      1070 +/- 46 Post 1042 +/- 46W), during 5min time trail (Control: Pre 267 +/- 19
      Post 278 +/- 20; FO: Pre 253 +/- 16 Post 265 +/- 16 W) or maximal voluntary
      contraction force (Control: Pre 273 +/- 19 Post 251 +/- 19; FO: Pre 287 +/- 17
      Post 283 +/- 16 Nm). Nevertheless, relative oxygen consumption was reduced the FO
      group during the cycling time trial (Control: -23 +/- 26; FO: -154 +/- 59ml
      O2/min/100W p < .05) suggesting improved economy of cycling. We conclude that DHA
      rich fish oil, successful at elevating the Omega-3 Index, and reflective of
      skeletal muscle membrane incorporation, can modulate oxygen consumption during
      intense exercise.

PMID- 28338370
TI  - The potential of stimulating nitric oxide formation in the treatment of
      hypertension.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: Hypertension is a leading cause of morbidity and mortality
      worldwide. A major pathophysiological factor contributing to hypertension is
      reduced nitric oxide (NO) bioavailability. Strategies to address this
      pathophysiological mechanism could offer significant advantages. Areas covered:
      In this review we aimed at examining a variety of drugs (statins, beta-adrenergic
      receptor blockers, calcium channel blockers, angiotensin converting enzyme
      inhibitors, angiotensin II type-1 receptor blockers) used to treat hypertension
      and other cardiovascular diseases, particularly with respect to their potential
      of increasing NO bioavailability and activity in the cardiovascular system. There
      is now evidence supporting the notion that many cardiovascular drugs activate NO
      signaling or enhance NO bioavailability as a contributing mechanism to their
      beneficial cardiovascular effects. Moreover, other drugs may attenuate NO
      inactivation by superoxide and other reactive oxygen species by exerting
      antioxidant effects. More recently, the NO oxidation products nitrite and nitrate
      have been acknowledged as sources of NO after recycling back to NO. Activation of
      the nitrate-nitrite-NO pathway is an alternate pathway that may generate NO from
      both anions and exert antihypertensive effects. Expert opinion: In this review,
      we provide an overview of the possible mechanisms by which these drugs enhance NO
      bioavailability and help in the therapy of hypertension.

PMID- 28338371
TI  - Reliability and Seasonal Changes of Submaximal Variables to Evaluate Professional
      Cyclists.
AB  - PURPOSE: The aim of this study was to determine the reliability and validity of
      several submaximal variables that can be easily obtained by monitoring cyclists'
      performances. METHODS: Eighteen professional cyclists participated in this study.
      In a first part (n = 15) the test-retest reliability of heart rate (HR) and
      rating of perceived exertion (RPE) during a progressive maximal test was
      measured. Derived submaximal variables based on HR, RPE, and power output (PO)
      responses were analyzed. In a second part (n = 7) the pattern of the submaximal
      variables according to cyclists' training status was analyzed. Cyclists were
      assessed 3 times during the season: at the beginning of the season, before the
      Vuelta a Espana, and the day after this Grand Tour. RESULTS: Part 1: No
      significant differences in maximal and submaximal variables between test-retest
      were found. Excellent ICCs (0.81-0.98) were obtained in all variables. Part 2:
      The HR and RPE showed a rightward shift from early to peak season. In addition,
      RPE showed a left shift after the Vuelta a Espana. Submaximal variables based on
      RPE had the best relationship with both performance and changes in performance.
      CONCLUSION: The present study showed the reliability of different maximal and
      submaximal variables used to assess cyclists' performances. Submaximal variables
      based on RPE seem to be the best to monitor changes in training status over a
      season.

PMID- 28338372
TI  - The modified temporalis muscle flap in reconstruction of palate and temporal
      deformity.
AB  - PURPOSE: The purpose of this article was to introduce a modified temporalis
      muscle flap (TMF) which was used to reconstruct palate and temporal deformity.
      PATIENT AND METHODS: This was a retrospective review of the use of the modified
      TMF in reconstruction of palate and temporal deformity. We evaluated the result
      which included operative time, bleeding, necrosis, infection, facial nerve
      deficit, and cosmetic deformity. RESULTS: All the 16 patients accepted the
      modified TMF surgery successfully. There were no complications. All of them were
      satisfied with the postoperative appearance. CONCLUSIONS: The modified TMF was a
      reliable and safe flap that can be used to reconstruct the surgical defect of
      plate and fill the temporal fossa.

PMID- 28338373
TI  - Risk of major cardiac events following adjuvant proton versus photon radiation
      therapy for patients with thymic malignancies.
AB  - BACKGROUND: While often managed with surgery alone, patients with thymic
      malignancies with high-risk features may benefit from adjuvant radiation therapy
      but are at risk for late toxicities. Previously, the risk of major cardiac events
      (MCEs) was reported to increase by 7% per one Gray (Gy) to the heart. In this
      study, we compare dose to organs at risk (OARs) with intensity-modulated (IMRT)
      versus proton beam therapy (PBT). We hypothesize a decrease risk of predicted
      MCEs with PBT. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Patients requiring adjuvant therapy for
      thymic malignancies were treated with double scattered proton beam therapy (DS
      PBT). Clinical backup IMRT plans were generated. Predicted MCEs were calculated
      based on median dose to the heart. A Wilcoxon rank sum test was used for
      statistical comparisons. RESULTS: Twenty-two consecutive patients were evaluated.
      DS-PBT resulted in statistically significant decreases in dose to the heart,
      lungs, left ventricle, esophagus, and spinal cord (all p <= .01). The increase in
      risk of MCEs from 0 to >=20 years was lower with PBT (74% versus 135%, p = .04).
      DISCUSSION: DS-PBT results in decreased dose to OARs and may reduce the risk of
      MCEs compared with IMRT. Long-term follow-up is required to assess for clinical
      benefit from DS-PBT.

PMID- 28338375
TI  - Updated Review of the Applied Physiology of American College Football: Physical
      Demands, Strength and Conditioning, Nutrition, and Injury Characteristics of
      America's Favorite Game.
AB  - While there are various avenues for performance improvement in college American
      football (AF), there is no comprehensive evaluation of the collective array of
      resources around performance, physical conditioning, and injury and training/game
      characteristics to guide future research and inform practitioners. Accordingly,
      the aim of the present review was to provide a current examination of these areas
      in college AF. Recent studies show that there is a wide range of body
      compositions and strength characteristics between players, which appear to be
      influenced by playing position, level of play, training history/programming, and
      time of season. Collectively, game demands may require a combination of upper-
      and lower-body strength and power production, rapid acceleration (positive and
      negative), change of direction, high running speed, high-intensity and repetitive
      collisions, and muscle-strength endurance. These may be affected by the timing of
      and between-plays and/or coaching style. AF players appear to possess limited
      nutrition and hydration practices, which may be disadvantageous to performance.
      AF injuries appear due to a multitude of factors-strength, movement quality, and
      previous injury-while there is also potential for extrinsic factors such as
      playing surface type, travel, time of season, playing position, and training
      load. Future proof-of-concept studies are required to determine the
      quantification of game demands with regard to game style, type of opposition, and
      key performance indicators. Moreover, more research is required to understand the
      efficacy of recovery and nutrition interventions. Finally, the assessment of the
      relationship between external/internal-load constructs and injury risk is
      warranted.

PMID- 28338374
TI  - The clinical features and prognosis of mumps-associated hearing loss: a
      retrospective, multi-institutional investigation in Japan.
AB  - CONCLUSIONS: The majority of hearing loss due to mumps presents as unilateral
      profound sensorineural hearing loss, which is refractory to treatment. In rare
      cases of bilateral total deafness, cochlear implants were beneficial for speech
      perception. Vaccination against mumps is recommended to prevent mumps-associated
      hearing loss. OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study is to investigate the
      clinical characteristics of hearing loss due to mumps and to evaluate hearing
      outcomes. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: The clinical parameters were analyzed under a
      retrospective multi-institutional study design in patients diagnosed with hearing
      loss due to mumps at the Otolaryngology departments of 19 hospitals between 1987
      and 2016. RESULTS: Sixty-seven patients with hearing loss due to mumps were
      enrolled. The study population consisted of 35 males and 32 females, ranging in
      age from 1 to 54, with a median age of 9.5 years. Sixty-three patients presented
      with unilateral, and 4 with bilateral hearing loss. Profound hearing loss was
      observed in 65 ears. Only one ear with severe hearing loss showed complete
      recovery. Four patients with bilateral hearing loss received cochlear implant
      surgery. Most of the patients with hearing loss due to mumps had no history of
      vaccination.

PMID- 28338376
TI  - Pembrolizumab for the treatment of non-small cell lung cancer.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: In the last years, a spectacular development of immunotherapeutic
      agents aimed at the PD-1/PD-L1 axis has taken place. This development of these
      checkpoint inhibitors has greatly influenced our approach to the treatment of
      lung cancer in first and second line. The limited toxicity profile and the
      ability to treat for prolonged periods, even in smokers, is a welcome expansion
      of the therapeutic arsenal of the oncologist. Areas covered: This review
      highlights the results of recent clinical trials on pembrolizumab for the
      treatment of non-small cell lung cancer. The authors discuss both first and
      second line treatment with pembrolizumab as monotherapy and in combination
      therapies. Additionally, implications of the PD-L1 immunohistochemistry assay
      with the 22C3 antibody and its use in clinical practice and trials is discussed.
      Expert commentary: A higher overall response, overall survival and a moderate
      toxicity profile is observed with the use of pembrolizumab, compared to
      chemotherapy, in both first and second line. These promising results have already
      translated into the registration of pembrolizumab in first and second line in
      patients with a high expression of PD-L1. However, as PD-L1 staining does not
      sufficiently discriminate responders from non-responders for all checkpoint
      inhibitors, there still is a need for a better predictive biomarker.

PMID- 28338378
TI  - Validation of a Maximal Incremental Skating Test Performed on a Slide Board:
      Comparison With Treadmill Skating.
AB  - PURPOSE: To investigate the criterion validity of a maximal incremental skating
      test performed on a slide board (SB). METHODS: Twelve subelite speed skaters
      performed a maximal skating test on a treadmill and on a SB. Gas exchange
      threshold (GET), respiratory compensation point (RCP), and maximal variables were
      determined. RESULTS: Oxygen uptake ([Formula: see text]) (31.0 +/- 3.2 and 31.4
      +/- 4.1 mL.min-1.kg-1), percentage of maximal [Formula: see text] ([Formula: see
      text]) (66.3 +/- 4 and 67.7 +/- 7.1%), HR (153 +/- 14 and 150 +/-12 bpm), and
      ventilation (59.8 +/- 11.8 and 57.0 +/- 10.7 L.min-1) at GET, and [Formula: see
      text] (42.5 +/- 4.4 and 42.9 +/- 4.8 mL.min-1.kg-1), percentage of [Formula: see
      text] (91.1 +/- 3.3 and 92.4 +/- 2.1%), heart rate (HR) (178 +/- 9 and 178 +/- 6
      bpm), and ventilation (96.5 +/- 19.2 and 92.1 +/- 12.7 L.min-1) at RCP were not
      different between skating on a treadmill and on a SB. [Formula: see text] (46.7
      +/- 4.4 vs 46.4 +/-6.1 mL.min-1.kg-1) and maximal HR (195 +/- 6 vs 196 +/- 10
      bpm) were not significantly different and correlated (r = .80 and r = .87,
      respectively; P < .05) between the treadmill and SB. [Formula: see text] at GET,
      RCP, and [Formula: see text] obtained on a SB were correlated (r > .8) with
      athletes' best times on 1500 m. CONCLUSIONS: The incremental skating test on a SB
      was capable to distinguish maximal ([Formula: see text] and HR) and submaximal
      ([Formula: see text], % [Formula: see text], HR, and ventilation) parameters
      known to determine endurance performance. Therefore, the SB test can be
      considered as a specific and practical alternative to evaluate speed skaters.

PMID- 28338379
TI  - Head, Neck, Trunk, and Pelvis Tissue Mass Predictions for Young Adults Using
      Anthropometric Measures and Dual-Energy X-Ray Absorptiometry.
AB  - Accurate prediction of wobbling mass (WM), fat mass (FM), lean mass (LM), and
      bone mineral content (BMC) of living people using regression equations developed
      from anthropometric measures (lengths, circumferences, breadths, skinfolds) has
      previously been reported, but only for the extremities. Multiple linear stepwise
      regression was used to generate comparable equations for the head, neck, trunk,
      and pelvis of young adults (38 males, 38 females). Equations were validated using
      actual tissue masses from an independent sample of 13 males and 13 females by
      manually segmenting full-body dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry scans. Prediction
      equations exhibited adjusted R2 values ranging from .249 to .940, with more
      explained variance for LM and WM than BMC and FM, especially for the head and
      neck. Mean relative errors between predicted and actual tissue masses ranged from
      -11.07% (trunk FM) to 7.61% (neck FM). Actual and predicted tissue masses from
      all equations were significantly correlated (R2  = .329 to .937), except head BMC
      (R2  = .046). These results show promise for obtaining in-vivo head, neck, trunk,
      and pelvis tissue mass estimates in young adults. Further research is needed to
      improve head and neck FM and BMC predictions and develop tissue mass prediction
      equations for older populations.

PMID- 28338381
TI  - A Novel Method to Compute Breathing Volumes via Motion Capture Systems: Design
      and Experimental Trials.
AB  - Respiratory assessment can be carried out by using motion capture systems. A
      geometrical model is mandatory in order to compute the breathing volume as a
      function of time from the markers' trajectories. This study describes a novel
      model to compute volume changes and calculate respiratory parameters by using a
      motion capture system. The novel method, ie, prism-based method, computes the
      volume enclosed within the chest by defining 82 prisms from the 89 markers
      attached to the subject chest. Volumes computed with this method are compared to
      spirometry volumes and to volumes computed by a conventional method based on the
      tetrahedron's decomposition of the chest wall and integrated in a commercial
      motion capture system. Eight healthy volunteers were enrolled and 30 seconds of
      quiet breathing data collected from each of them. Results show a better agreement
      between volumes computed by the prism-based method and the spirometry
      (discrepancy of 2.23%, R 2 = .94) compared to the agreement between volumes
      computed by the conventional method and the spirometry (discrepancy of 3.56%, R 2
      = .92). The proposed method also showed better performances in the calculation of
      respiratory parameters. Our findings open up prospects for the further use of the
      new method in the breathing assessment via motion capture systems.

PMID- 28338380
TI  - The Association Between Physical Activity With Cognitive Function and Brain
      Derived Neurotrophic Factor in People With Parkinson's Disease: A Pilot Study.
AB  - The objective of this study was to examine the effect of physical capacity on the
      relationship of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) with cognitive function
      in people with PD. For this study, serum BDNF levels were measured in 29 PD
      participants and 30 healthy controls. Cognitive function was assessed using the
      Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MOCA) scale. Physical capacity was evaluated using
      the 6-min walk distance (6-MWD). Participants were categorized into low or high
      physical capacity group according to their 50th percentile 6-MWD. It was found
      that MOCA total score correlated with serum BDNF level (r = .44, P = .012) in the
      entire PD sample. This correlation remained significant only in the low physical
      capacity group (r = .62; P = .03) but not in the high physical capacity group (r
      = .31; P = .22). It was concluded that the relationship of BDNF with cognitive
      function might be dependent on physical capacity. The results are preliminary,
      thus future studies are needed to confirm these findings.

PMID- 28338382
TI  - Does Foot Anthropometry Predict Metabolic Cost During Running?
AB  - Several recent investigations have linked running economy to heel length, with
      shorter heels being associated with less metabolic energy consumption. It has
      been hypothesized that shorter heels require larger plantar flexor muscle forces,
      thus increasing tendon energy storage and reducing metabolic cost. The goal of
      this study was to investigate this possible mechanism for metabolic cost
      reduction. Fifteen male subjects ran at 16 km?h-1 on a treadmill and subsequently
      on a force-plate instrumented runway. Measurements of oxygen consumption,
      kinematics, and ground reaction forces were collected. Correlational analyses
      were performed between oxygen consumption and anthropometric and kinetic
      variables associated with the ankle and foot. Correlations were also computed
      between kinetic variables (peak joint moment and peak tendon force) and heel
      length. Estimated peak Achilles tendon force normalized to body weight was found
      to be strongly correlated with heel length normalized to body height (r = -.751,
      p = .003). Neither heel length nor any other measured or calculated variable were
      correlated with oxygen consumption, however. Subjects with shorter heels
      experienced larger Achilles tendon forces, but these forces were not associated
      with reduced metabolic cost. No other anthropometric and kinetic variables
      considered explained the variance in metabolic cost across individuals.

PMID- 28338377
TI  - Sodium potassium adenosine triphosphatase (Na/K-ATPase) as a therapeutic target
      for uremic cardiomyopathy.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: Clinically, patients with significant reductions in renal function
      present with cardiovascular dysfunction typically termed, uremic cardiomyopathy.
      It is a progressive series of cardiac pathophysiological changes, including left
      ventricular diastolic dysfunction and hypertrophy (LVH) which sometimes progress
      to left ventricular dilation (LVD) and systolic dysfunction in the setting of
      chronic kidney disease (CKD). Uremic cardiomyopathy is almost ubiquitous in
      patients afflicted with end stage renal disease (ESRD). Areas covered: This
      article reviews recent epidemiology, pathophysiology of uremic cardiomyopathy and
      provide a board overview of Na/K-ATPase research with detailed discussion on the
      mechanisms of Na/K-ATPase/Src/ROS amplification loop. We also present clinical
      and preclinical evidences as well as molecular mechanism of this amplification
      loop in the development of uremic cardiomyopathy. A potential therapeutic peptide
      that targets on this loop is discussed. Expert opinion: Current clinical
      treatment for uremic cardiomyopathy remains disappointing. Targeting the ROS
      amplification loop mediated by the Na/K-ATPase signaling function may provide a
      novel therapeutic target for uremic cardiomyopathy and related diseases.
      Additional studies of Na/K-ATPase and other strategies that regulate this loop
      will lead to new therapeutics.

PMID- 28338383
TI  - Intersession Reliability of Isokinetic Strength Testing in Knee and Elbow
      Extension and Flexion Using the BTE PrimusRS.
AB  - CONTEXT: The use of isokinetic dynamometers playing an important role in
      different settings of sports and medicine. Therefore, a high reliability of these
      devices is required. OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to examine the
      intersession reliability of the dynamometer BTE PrimusRS regarding to the
      isolated single-joint exercises extension/flexion of the knee and elbow for
      isokinetic testing DESIGN: Intersession reliability. SETTING: Clinical settings
      and sports science. PARTICIPANTS: 16 young male students. INTERVENTION: The
      testing protocol includes 5 consecutive repetitions (concentric/concentric) at a
      velocity of 60 degrees /s for the exercises. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Raw data of
      torque curves were used to determine the peak torque. Reliability was evaluated
      with the intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC), the limits of agreement (LoA),
      and the bias and the variability of measurements (V). RESULTS: High ICC values
      (.954-.991) were found for the used exercises. However, the LoAs yielded up to
      over 16 Nm and the V yielded up to nearly 9 % in several testing exercises,
      indicating poor absolute reliability. CONCLUSION: The BTE PrimusRS shows good to
      excellent reliability. However, regarding the absolute measures of reliability,
      the users must decide as experts in their fields whether this reliability is
      sufficient for their purposes.

PMID- 28338385
TI  - Self-Regulatory Imagery and Physical Activity in Middle-Aged and Older Adults: A
      Social-Cognitive Perspective.
AB  - Limited research has investigated exercise imagery use in middle-aged and older
      adults and its relationship with affective and behavioral correlates. The study
      examined the association between self-regulatory imagery and physical activity
      (PA) through key social cognitive variables. Middle-aged and older adults (N =
      299; M age = 59.73 years, SD = 7.73, range = 50 to 80) completed self-report
      measures assessing self-regulatory imagery use, self-efficacy, outcome
      expectations, perceived barriers, self-regulatory behavior, enjoyment, and PA
      levels. Path analysis supported a model (chi2 [14] = 21.76, p = .08, CFI = .99,
      TLI = .97, SRMR = .03, RMSEA = .04) whereby self-regulatory imagery positively
      predicted self-efficacy, outcome expectations, and self-regulatory behaviors.
      Furthermore, self-regulatory imagery indirectly predicted barriers, outcome
      expectations, self-regulation, enjoyment, and PA. This research highlights self
      regulatory imagery as an effective strategy in modifying exercise-related
      cognitions and behaviors. Incorporating social cognitive constructs into the
      design of imagery interventions may increase PA engagement.

PMID- 28338384
TI  - Methotrexate-Induced Neurotoxicity in Hispanic Adolescents with High-Risk Acute
      Leukemia-A Case Series.
AB  - Intrathecal methotrexate (IT MTX) and high-dose intravenous methotrexate (HD MTX)
      are important components of treatment in high-risk acute leukemia. We describe
      five Hispanic adolescents with high-risk acute leukemia at our institution who
      experienced MTX-induced neurotoxicity. All patients were eventually rechallenged
      with MTX. Two of the five patients had a second episode of neurotoxicity, but all
      patients recovered. Further studies should be performed to determine whether
      Hispanic patients are more susceptible to MTX neurotoxicity.

PMID- 28338386
TI  - Targeted Functional Movement Retraining to Improve Pain, Function, and
      Biomechanics in Subjects With Anterior Knee Pain: A Case Series.
AB  - CONTEXT: Anterior knee pain (AKP) is a common condition, especially in a young
      active population. The clinical presentations of this condition vary
      considerably, and therefore, an individualized approach to treatment is needed.
      OBJECTIVE: The primary objective of this study was to assess the effect of a
      novel targeted biomechanical intervention on subjects with AKP. DESIGN: A case
      series was conducted on 8 participants with AKP. SETTING: The study was conducted
      at the Tygerberg Motion Analysis Laboratory and Tygerberg Physiotherapy Clinic in
      Cape Town, South Africa. PARTICIPANTS: Eight subjects (5 females and 3 males)
      diagnosed with AKP were included in this case series. INTERVENTION: Participants
      received a 6-week subject-specific functional movement retraining intervention.
      MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Three-dimensional hip, knee, and ankle kinematics were
      used for analysis for each participant preintervention and postintervention. Pain
      was measured weekly using the Numeric Pain Rating Scale. Two functional scales
      (Lower-Extremity Functional Scale and Anterior Knee Pain Scale) were used to
      assess pain and function the preintervention and postintervention. RESULTS: All 8
      subjects demonstrated improved pain levels (Numeric Pain Rating Scale) and
      functional outcomes (Anterior Knee Pain Scale and Lower-Extremity Functional
      Scale). Seven of the 8 participants (87.7%) demonstrated improvements in their
      main biomechanical outcome. CONCLUSION: A subject-specific functional movement
      retraining intervention may be successful in the treatment of subjects with AKP
      presenting with biomechanical risk factors. Research on a larger sample is
      required to further investigate this approach.

PMID- 28338387
TI  - Comparison of the Effects of Curcumin and RG108 on NGF-Induced PC-12 Adh Cell
      Differentiation and Neurite Outgrowth.
AB  - DNA methyltransferases (DNMTs) are promising epigenetic targets for the
      development of novel drugs, especially for neurodegenerative disorders. In recent
      years, there has been increased interest in small molecules that can cross the
      blood-brain barrier for the treatment of neurodegenerative diseases. Therefore,
      comparing the neuronal differentiative effects of a natural compound curcumin and
      a synthetic small molecule RG108 was the aim of this study. The effects of
      curcumin and RG108 on neuronal differentiation and neurite outgrowth were
      investigated in the PC-12 Adh cell line. First, a nontoxic concentration was
      determined to be 100 nM with WST-1 assay. Subsequently, cells were treated with
      100 nM curcumin and RG108 alone or in combination with 50 nM nerve growth factor
      (NGF). Cell differentiations were evaluated by a real-time cell analyzer system.
      Neurite outgrowth was determined and morphologically shown by immunofluorescence
      staining with anti-beta III tubulin antibody on PC-12 Adh cells. Also, growth
      associated protein-43 (GAP-43) and beta-tubulin III mRNA expression levels,
      associated with neurite outgrowth promotion, were determined with real-time
      polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). According to our results, 100 nM curcumin and
      RG108 significantly induced neurite outgrowth of PC-12 Adh cells with 50 nM NGF.
      Curcumin + NGF combination further increased cell differentiations and total
      neurite lengths more than curcumin alone and RG108 + NGF combination groups.
      Strikingly, curcumin and NGF combination upregulated GAP-43 and beta-tubulin mRNA
      expression levels excessively. In conclusion, curcumin was found to be more
      effective than RG108 on neuronal differentiation and neurite outgrowth of PC-12
      Adh cells in a combination with NGF. Therefore, natural DNMT1 inhibitors, such as
      curcumin, can be a novel approach for the neurodegenerative disorders treatment.

PMID- 28338388
TI  - Preferred Hip Strategy During Landing Reduces Knee Abduction Moment in Collegiate
      Female Soccer Players.
AB  - CONTEXT: Hip-focused interventions are aimed to decrease frontal plane knee
      loading related to anterior cruciate ligament injuries. Whether a preferred hip
      landing strategy decreases frontal plane knee loading is unknown. OBJECTIVE: To
      determine if a preferred hip landing strategy during a drop vertical jump (DVJ)
      is utilized during a single-leg landing (SLL) task and whether differences in
      frontal plane knee loading are consistent between a DVJ and an SLL task. DESIGN:
      Descriptive laboratory study. SETTING: Research laboratory. PARTICIPANTS: Twenty
      three collegiate, female soccer players. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Participants were
      dichotomized into a hip (HIP; n = 9) or knee/ankle (KA; n = 14) strategy group
      based on the percentage distribution of each lower extremity joint relative to
      the summated moment (% distribution) during the DVJ. Separate 1-way analysis of
      variances examined the differences in joint-specific % distribution and external
      knee abduction moment between the HIP and KA groups. RESULTS: The HIP group had
      significantly greater % distribution of hip moment and less % distribution of
      knee moment compared with the KA group during the DVJ and SLL. External knee
      abduction moment was also significantly less in the HIP group compared with the
      KA group during the DVJ. CONCLUSIONS: Female soccer athletes who land with a
      preferred hip strategy during a DVJ also land with a preferred hip strategy
      during an SLL. The preferred hip strategy also resulted in less external knee
      abduction moments during the DVJ. CLINICAL RELEVANCE: Targeting the neuromuscular
      control of the hip extensor may be useful in reducing risk of noncontact anterior
      cruciate ligament injuries.

PMID- 28338389
TI  - Somatosensory Electrical Stimulation Does Not Augment Motor Skill Acquisition and
      Intermanual Transfer in Healthy Young Adults-A Pilot Study.
AB  - Sensory input can modify motor function and magnify interlimb transfer. We
      examined the effects of low-intensity somatosensory electrical stimulation (SES)
      on motor practice-induced skill acquisition and intermanual transfer.
      Participants practiced a visuomotor skill for 25 min and received SES to the
      practice or the transfer arm. Responses to single- and double-pulse transcranial
      magnetic stimulation were measured in both extensor carpi radialis. SES did not
      further increase skill acquisition (motor practice with right hand [RMP]: 30.8%
      and motor practice with right hand + somatosensory electrical stimulation to the
      right arm [RMP + RSES]: 27.8%) and intermanual transfer (RMP: 13.6% and RMP +
      RSES: 9.8%) when delivered to the left arm (motor practice with right hand +
      somatosensory electrical stimulation to the left arm [RMP + LSES]: 44.8% and
      18.6%, respectively). Furthermore, transcranial magnetic stimulation measures
      revealed no changes in either hand. Future studies should systematically
      manipulate SES parameters to better understand the mechanisms of how SES affords
      motor learning benefits documented but not studied in patients.

PMID- 28338390
TI  - Biologic Remodeling of Periodontal Dimensions of Areas Treated With Gingival
      Augmentation Procedure: A 25-Year Follow-Up Observation.
AB  - BACKGROUND: The role of keratinized tissue (KT) for maintenance of periodontal
      health has been debated for many years. This study assesses the long-term
      "biologic remodeling" of periodontal dimensions of teeth treated with free
      gingival grafts (FGGs) compared with adjacent/untreated teeth. METHODS: Seventy
      four patients with at least one site showing absence or a reduced amount of
      attached gingiva associated with gingival recession (GR) at baseline were treated
      with FGGs in a private practice. Patient/tooth/site-associated variables were
      recorded for each patient (treated and mesial/distal adjacent teeth) at baseline
      (T0), 6 months after surgery (T1), during the follow up period (T2) (mean 15.3
      years), and at the end of the follow-up period (T3) over 25 years. Parametric,
      non-parametric, and mixed effects logistic regression statistics were used
      throughout the study. RESULTS: A total of 182 teeth submitted to FGGs were
      compared with 247 untreated/adjacent teeth. The majority of treated teeth (n =
      152; 83.5%) showed GR depth (GRD) reduction (P <0.001). Conversely,
      untreated/adjacent teeth displayed GRD increase at T3 (P <0.001). Statistically
      significant KT band contraction was also found at treated sites, whereas adjacent
      sites presented small clinical improvements (P <0.001). The total root-coverage
      esthetic score of the areas including treated and adjacent untreated teeth
      improved from T2 to T3 (P <0.001). Some independent variables, such as age, tooth
      type, and GRD at T1 seem to influence GRD and KT changes over time. CONCLUSIONS:
      Soft tissue augmentation procedures may modify the biologic remodeling of
      periodontal dimensions over time associated with aging. Use of FGGs may promote
      more favorable KT dimensions and improve marginal tissue recession.

PMID- 28338391
TI  - Modifications in Human Oral Fibroblast Ultrastructure, Collagen Production, and
      Lysosomal Compartment in Response to Electronic Cigarette Fluids.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Many smokers have recently turned to electronic cigarettes (e
      cigarettes) because they have been marketed as a cheaper, safer smokeless
      alternative to traditional cigarettes and a possible smoking cessation tool.
      Although the safety of these electronic devices is still not fully known, there
      is evidence of their cytotoxicity on cells belonging to the oral cavity. In a
      previous study by the authors, the increase of reactive oxygen production and Bax
      expression, followed by the occurrence of apoptosis, was demonstrated in human
      gingival fibroblasts (HGFs). The aim of this paper is to further investigate the
      effects of the e-cigarette liquids (with and without nicotine) on the same
      experimental model. METHODS: HGFs were treated with e-cigarette fluids containing
      nicotine (final concentration 1 mg/mL) and the equivalent volume of a fluid
      without nicotine, for periods <=48 hours. Lactate dehydrogenase assay (LDH),
      electronic microscopy analysis, collagen I production, flow cytometry lysosome
      compartment evaluation, and western blotting light chain 3 (microtubule
      associated protein 1A/1B-LC3) expression were performed. RESULTS: Fluids
      containing nicotine exerted cytotoxicity as demonstrated by increased levels of
      LDH, in parallel to the presence of numerous vacuoles in the cytoplasm, a
      decrease in collagen I production, and augmented LC3 II expression. Autophagic
      vesicles and more procollagen I molecules were present in the cytoplasm of
      fibroblasts exposed to nicotine-free fluids. In the same samples, time-dependent
      activation of the lysosomal compartment with no changes in LC3 expression was
      detected. CONCLUSION: E-cigarette fluids (with and without nicotine) trigger
      molecular and morphologic responses in oral fibroblasts, raising concerns about
      their role in the pathogenesis of oral diseases.

PMID- 28338392
TI  - The Effects of Low-Intensity Therapeutic Ultrasound on Measurable Outcomes: A
      Critically Appraised Topic.
AB  - : Clinical Scenario: Therapeutic ultrasound (US) is a popular modality among
      health care professionals and is used to treat a variety of musculoskeletal
      conditions. A new technology has been established to allow for the
      miniaturization of the US unit. Patients receive treatment with the device
      secured to them, eliminating the portability constraint of traditional US units.
      Early studies suggest that this portable unit can deliver low-intensity acoustic
      energy achieving the same temperature increase and pain relief that come from
      traditional US units, in a more versatile and patient-friendly manner. CLINICAL
      QUESTION: What effects does low-intensity therapeutic ultrasound (LITUS) have on
      measurable outcomes? Summary of Key Findings: The literature was searched for
      level 4 evidence or higher that investigated the effectiveness of LITUS. The
      literature search produced 3 possible studies related to the clinical question: 2
      randomized controlled trials and 1 case series met the inclusion and exclusion
      criteria. Of the included studies, 1 study investigated the effects of LITUS on
      tissue temperature, 2 studies investigated the effects of LITUS on pain, and 1
      study investigated LITUS effects on function. Clinical Bottom Line: The evidence
      supports the use of the LITUS unit to increase tissue temperature, decrease pain,
      and increase function. Therefore, practitioners may consider the use of the LITUS
      unit in patient populations over the use of the traditional high-intensity US
      treatment. Strength of Recommendation: In accordance with the 2009 Centre for
      Evidence-Based Medicine levels of evidence, there is grade I (insufficient)
      evidence to support the positive effects of the LITUS device for improving the
      following clinical outcomes: tissue temperature, decreasing pain, and increasing
      function. The inconsistency in the measured outcomes across the 3 studies only
      allows for minimal support of the LITUS device, warranting further research.
      Although clinical outcomes were different in each study, consistent evidence
      ranging from 4 to 1B levels were found in the 3 included studies.

PMID- 28338393
TI  - Contraception for women with multiple sclerosis: Guidance for healthcare
      providers.
AB  - Family planning is essential for any comprehensive treatment plan for women of
      reproductive age with multiple sclerosis (MS), including counseling on using
      effective contraception to optimally time desired and prevent unintended
      pregnancies. This topical review summarizes the first evidence-based
      recommendations on contraception safety for women with MS. In 2016, evidence
      based recommendations for contraceptive use by women with MS were included in US
      Medical Eligibility Criteria for Contraceptive Use. They were developed after
      review of published scientific evidence on contraception safety and consultation
      with experts. We summarize and expand on the main conclusions of the Centers for
      Disease Control and Prevention guidance. Most contraceptive methods appear based
      on current evidence to be safe for women with MS. The only restriction is use of
      combined hormonal contraceptives among women with MS with prolonged immobility
      because of concerns about possible venous thromboembolism. Disease-modifying
      therapies (DMTs) do not appear to decrease the effectiveness of hormonal
      contraception although formal drug-drug interaction studies are limited.
      Neurologists can help women with MS make contraceptive choices that factor their
      level of disability, immobility, and medication use. For women with MS taking
      potentially teratogenic medications, highly effective methods that are long
      acting (e.g. intrauterine devices, implants) might be the best option.

PMID- 28338394
TI  - Inter- and Intrasubject Similarity of Muscle Synergies During Bench Press With
      Slow and Fast Velocity.
AB  - We investigated the effect of low and high bar velocity on inter- and
      intrasubject similarity of muscle synergies during bench press. A total of 13
      trained male subjects underwent two exercise conditions: a slow- and a fast
      velocity bench press. Surface electromyography was recorded from 13 muscles, and
      muscle synergies were extracted using a nonnegative matrix factorization
      algorithm. The intrasubject similarity across conditions and intersubject
      similarity within conditions were computed for muscle synergy vectors and
      activation coefficients. Two muscle synergies were sufficient to describe the
      dataset variability. For the second synergy activation coefficient, the
      intersubject similarity within the fast-velocity condition was greater than the
      intrasubject similarity of the activation coefficient across the conditions. An
      opposite pattern was observed for the first muscle synergy vector. We concluded
      that the activation coefficients are robust within conditions, indicating a
      robust temporal pattern of muscular activity across individuals, but the muscle
      synergy vector seemed to be individually assigned.

PMID- 28338395
TI  - Functional Outcomes and Quality of Life After Ankle Fracture Surgically Treated:
      A Systematic Review.
AB  - CONTEXT: Ankle fractures (AFs) are the most common fractures of the lower limbs
      found in emergency services. Approximately 53% of these fractures are unstable
      and treated surgically. OBJECTIVE: To conduct a systematic review evaluating
      functional outcomes and quality of life of patients with AFs surgically treated.
      EVIDENCE ACQUISITION: A systematic review was conducted in accordance with the
      Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic reviews and Meta-Analyses statement.
      Five electronic databases were searched, without any limit on publication dates.
      Only patients with an unstable AF that was surgically treated were included;
      functional outcomes and the quality of life were controlled by the 36-Item Short
      Form Health Survey instrument. EVIDENCE SYNTHESIS: Five studies were included in
      the analysis, including 267 patients. The values of the Physiotherapy Evidence
      Database scale ranged between a minimum of 5 and a maximum of 7 points. Patients
      with surgically treated AF reported less functionality and physical capacity
      compared with the nonfractured population. Some patients experienced vitality,
      emotional, and mental health limitations for a long period. Most surgically
      treated patients reported no pain and a good health and social status.
      CONCLUSION: Limitations in functionality and physical capacity represent the main
      threats to health-related quality of life in patients with surgically treated
      AFs.

PMID- 28338396
TI  - Should Ballet Dancers Vary Postures and Underfoot Surfaces When Practicing
      Postural Balance?
AB  - BACKGROUND: Postural balance (PB) is an important component skill for
      professional dancers. However, the effects of different types of postures and
      different underfoot surfaces on PB have not adequately been addressed. PURPOSE:
      The main aim of this study was to investigate the effect of different conditions
      of footwear, surfaces, and standing positions on static and dynamic PB ability of
      young ballet dancers. METHODS: A total of 36 male and female young professional
      ballet dancers (aged 14-19 years) completed static and dynamic balance testing,
      measured by head and lumbar accelerometers, while standing on one leg in the
      turnout position, under six different conditions: (1) "relaxed" posture; (2)
      "ballet" posture; (3) barefoot; (4) ballet shoes with textured insoles; (5)
      barefoot on a textured mat; and (6) barefoot on a spiky mat. RESULTS: A condition
      effect was found for static and dynamic PB. Static PB was reduced when dancers
      stood in the ballet posture compared with standing in the relaxed posture and
      when standing on a textured mat and on a spiky mat (p < .05), and static PB in
      the relaxed posture was significantly better than PB in all the other five
      conditions tested. Dynamic PB was significantly better while standing in ballet
      shoes with textured insoles and when standing on a spiky mat compared with all
      other conditions (p < .05). CONCLUSIONS: The practical implications derived from
      this study are that both male and female dancers should try to be relaxed in
      their postural muscles when practicing a ballet aligned position, including dance
      practice on different types of floors and on different types of textured/spiky
      materials may result in skill transfer to practice on normal floor surfaces, and
      both static and dynamic PB exercises should be assessed and generalized into
      practical dance routines.

PMID- 28338397
TI  - Clove and Its Active Compound Attenuate Free Fatty Acid-Mediated Insulin
      Resistance in Skeletal Muscle Cells and in Mice.
AB  - Several reports indicate anti-hyperglycemic effects of Syzygium aromaticum. In
      the present study, we report for the first time that clove extract (SAM) and its
      compound nigricin (NGC) decreases free fatty acid-mediated insulin resistance in
      mouse myoblasts. In addition, NGC was able to diminish insulin resistance in a
      diabetic mouse model. We observed that SAM and its compound NGC exhibited
      significant antioxidant activity in murine skeletal muscle cells. They also
      modulated stress signaling by reducing p38 MAP kinase phosphorylation. NGC and
      SAM treatments enhanced proximal insulin signaling by decreasing serine
      phosphorylation of insulin receptor substrate-1 (IRS-1) and increasing its
      tyrosine phosphorylation. SAM and NGC treatments also modified distal insulin
      signaling by enhancing protein kinase B (PKB) and glycogen synthase kinase-3-beta
      (GSK-3 beta) phosphorylation in muscle cells. Glucose uptake was enhanced in
      muscle cells after treatment with SAM and NGC. We observed increased glucose
      tolerance, glucose-stimulated insulin secretion, decreased insulin resistance,
      and increased beta cell function in diabetic mice treated with NGC. The results
      of our study demonstrate that clove extract and its active agent NGC can be
      potential therapeutic agents for alleviating insulin resistance.

PMID- 28338399
TI  - Longitudinal Association Between Objectively Measured Walking and Depressive
      Symptoms Among Estonian Older Adults.
AB  - Although an inverse correlation between physical activity and depressive symptoms
      among older adults has been found in research, this relation has seldom been
      examined prospectively. Accordingly, the current study examined the reciprocal
      relations between physical activity and depressive symptoms in Estonian older
      adults over a 2-year period. A three-wave longitudinal model was tested using
      cross-lagged analysis for 195 individuals aged over 70 years (mean = 72.1, SD =
      2.1; 145 females). Results indicated that a cross-lagged model in which
      depressive symptoms predicted walking at subsequent time points (higher
      depressive symptoms were related to fewer walking steps), and walking predicted
      depressive symptoms at subsequent time points (higher walking steps were related
      to lower depressive symptoms) was most parsimonious and provided acceptable model
      fit. These results suggest that reduced physical activity may be a long-term
      consequence of depressive symptoms in older adults.

PMID- 28338400
TI  - Systematic, Unintended Drifts in the Cyclic Force Produced with the Fingertips.
AB  - Cyclic isometric finger-force patterns established using visual feedback show
      systematic drifts when the feedback is removed. Force changes at multiple time
      scales and in opposite directions have been reported. For further
      characterization of these drifts, healthy subjects produced isometric, cyclic
      finger force with and without visual feedback at various initial amplitudes and
      frequencies. We hypothesized that on feedback removal, the amplitude will be
      attracted toward a preferred value that is frequency dependent. We found that the
      amplitude always increased after feedback removal. The magnitude of the amplitude
      increase changed with initial frequency, but it was invariant over the explored
      range of initial amplitudes. Thus, the existence of a preferred amplitude of
      force oscillations was not supported. We interpret these results within the
      referent configuration and the referent configuration back-coupling hypotheses.
      These data will inform a mathematical model of finger-force drifts. However,
      currently, they raise more questions than they answer, and a coherent account of
      finger-force drifts remains a challenge.

PMID- 28338398
TI  - Dexamethasone suppresses JMJD3 gene activation via a putative negative
      glucocorticoid response element and maintains integrity of tight junctions in
      brain microvascular endothelial cells.
AB  - The blood-brain barrier (BBB) exhibits a highly selective permeability to support
      the homeostasis of the central nervous system (CNS). The tight junctions in the
      BBB microvascular endothelial cells seal the paracellular space to prevent
      diffusion. Thus, disruption of tight junctions results in harmful effects in CNS
      diseases and injuries. It has recently been demonstrated that glucocorticoids
      have beneficial effects on maintaining tight junctions in both in vitro cell and
      in vivo animal models. In the present study, we found that dexamethasone
      suppresses the expression of JMJD3, a histone H3K27 demethylase, via the
      recruitment of glucocorticoid receptor alpha (GRalpha) and nuclear receptor co
      repressor (N-CoR) to the negative glucocorticoid response element (nGRE) in the
      upstream region of JMJD3 gene in brain microvascular endothelial cells subjected
      to TNFalpha treatment. The decreased JMJD3 gene expression resulted in the
      suppression of MMP-2, MMP-3, and MMP-9 gene activation. Dexamethasone also
      activated the expression of the claudin 5 and occludin genes. Collectively,
      dexamethasone attenuated the disruption of the tight junctions in the brain
      microvascular endothelial cells subjected to TNFalpha treatment. Therefore,
      glucocorticoids may help to preserve the integrity of the tight junctions in the
      BBB via transcriptional and post-translational regulation following CNS diseases
      and injuries.

PMID- 28338401
TI  - Challenges associated and approaches for successful translation of nanomedicines
      into commercial products.

PMID- 28338402
TI  - Testosterone Plus Finasteride Prevents Bone Loss without Prostate Growth in a
      Rodent Spinal Cord Injury Model.
AB  - We have reported that testosterone-enanthate (TE) prevents the musculoskeletal
      decline occurring acutely after spinal cord injury (SCI), but results in a near
      doubling of prostate mass. Our purpose was to test the hypothesis that
      administration of TE plus finasteride (FIN; type II 5alpha-reductase inhibitor)
      would prevent the chronic musculoskeletal deficits in our rodent severe contusion
      SCI model, without inducing prostate enlargement. Forty-three 16-week-old male
      Sprague-Dawley rats received: 1) SHAM surgery (T9 laminectomy); 2) severe (250
      kdyne) contusion SCI; 3) SCI+TE (7.0 mg/week, intramuscular); or 4) SCI+TE+FIN (5
      mg/kg/day, subcutaneous). At 8 weeks post-surgery, SCI animals exhibited reduced
      serum testosterone and levator ani/bulbocavernosus (LABC) muscle mass, effects
      that were prevented by TE. Cancellous and cortical (periosteal) bone turnover
      (assessed by histomorphometry) were elevated post-SCI, resulting in reduced
      distal femur cancellous and cortical bone mass (assessed by microcomputed
      tomography). TE treatment normalized cancellous and cortical bone turnover and
      maintained cancellous bone mass at the level of SHAM animals, but produced
      prostate enlargement. FIN coadministration did not inhibit the TE-induced
      musculoskeletal effects, but prevented prostate growth. Neither drug regimen
      prevented SCI-induced cortical bone loss, although no differences in whole bone
      strength were present among groups. Our findings indicate that TE+FIN prevented
      the chronic cancellous bone deficits and LABC muscle loss in SCI animals without
      inducing prostate enlargement, which provides a rationale for the inclusion of
      TE+FIN in multimodal therapeutic interventions intended to alleviate the
      musculoskeletal decline post-SCI.

PMID- 28338404
TI  - Effect of Histone Deacetylase Inhibitor, Butyroyloxymethyl-Diethyl Phosphate (AN
      7), on Corneal Neovascularization in a Mouse Model.
AB  - PURPOSE: To examine whether butyroyloxymethyl-diethyl phosphate (AN-7), a histone
      deacetylase inhibitor, inhibits chemically induced corneal neovascularization
      (NV) in mice. METHODS: Corneal NV was induced in the right eye of male C57BL mice
      by application of a mixture of 75% silver nitrate and 25% potassium nitrate to
      the corneal center. Immediately thereafter, the mice were randomized into 2
      groups, receiving an intraperitoneal injection of AN-7 or saline, which served as
      control. Corneal NV was evaluated at constant time intervals from the corneal
      injury by corneal photographs and the area of corneal NV was measured. Centricity
      and density of the corneal vascularization were graded. Corneal flat mounts blood
      vessels staining and histological studies were performed on day 10. Unpaired t
      test was used for group comparisons. RESULTS: The corneal neovascular area was
      statistically significantly reduced by AN-7 treatment on days 10 and 14
      postinjury and compared with the untreated group. The centricity and density of
      the corneal NV between treated and untreated groups showed no significant
      difference at any time point. CONCLUSIONS: Systemic treatment with AN-7 had a
      significant inhibitory effect on chemical burn-induced corneal NV in mice. These
      results suggest that AN-7 should be further evaluated for its therapeutic
      potential for the treatment of corneal NV.

PMID- 28338403
TI  - Personalized Mobile Health Intervention for Health and Weight Loss in Postpartum
      Women Receiving Women, Infants, and Children Benefit: A Randomized Controlled
      Pilot Study.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Prepregnancy maternal obesity and excessive weight gain during
      pregnancy lead to significant morbidities in mothers and their children. Mothers
      who never return to their prepregnancy weight begin subsequent pregnancies at a
      greater weight and have a larger propensity for excess gestational weight gain
      and postpartum weight retention. METHODS: In this pilot study, 40 postpartum
      women credentialed to receive postpartum women, infants, and children (WIC)
      service were randomized to usual care ("WIC Moms") or a personalized health
      intervention delivered via a SmartPhone ("E-Moms"). Assessments, including body
      weight, vital signs, circumferences, and body composition, were completed at week
      0 (6-8 weeks postpartum), week 8, and week 16. RESULTS: Results are presented as
      change from week 0 at 16. As per the completers analysis, body weight change was
      not different between the groups (WIC Moms vs. E-Moms; 1.8 +/- 0.9 vs. -0.1 +/-
      0.9 kg; p = 0.10), neither was the change in percent body fat (1.7 +/- 0.6 vs.
      0.1% +/- 0.6%; p = 0.90) or waist/hip ratio (-0.01 +/- 0.01 vs. -0.02 +/- 0.01
      cm; p = 0.60). However, due to notable variability in intervention adherence as
      the study progressed, participants were classified post hoc as having low (<40%
      adherence), medium (40%-70% adherence), or high adherence (>70% adherence).
      Participants with high intervention adherence (n = 5) had a significant reduction
      in body weight (-3.6 +/- 1.6 vs. 1.8 +/- 0.9 kg; p = 0.005) and percent body fat
      (-2.5 +/- 1.0 vs. 1.7% +/- 0.6%; p = 0.001) when compared to WIC Moms.
      CONCLUSIONS: Overall, the E-Moms intervention was not able to decrease postpartum
      weight retention in women receiving WIC benefits compared to usual care received
      through the current WIC program. However, there is some evidence to suggest
      improved adherence to the intervention would improve weight management.

PMID- 28338405
TI  - Physiological Responses to Treadmill Running With Body Weight Support in Hypoxia
      Compared With Normoxia.
AB  - CONTEXT: Anecdotal reports suggest elite sports clubs combine lower-body positive
      pressure rehabilitation with a hypoxic stimulus to maintain or increase
      physiological and metabolic strain, which are reduced during lower-body positive
      pressure. However, the effects of hypoxia on cardiovascular and metabolic
      response during lower-body positive-pressure rehabilitation are unknown.
      OBJECTIVE: Evaluate the use of normobaric hypoxia as a means to increase
      physiological strain during body-weight-supported (BWS) running. DESIGN:
      Crossover study. SETTING: Controlled laboratory. PARTICIPANTS: Seven familiarized
      males (mean (SD): age, 20 (1) y; height, 1.77 (0.05) m; mass, 69.4 (5.1) kg;
      hemoglobin, 15.2 (0.8) g.dL-1) completed a normoxic and hypoxic (fraction of
      inspired oxygen [O2] = 0.14) trial, during which they ran at 8 km.h-1 on an
      AlterGTM treadmill with 0%, 30%, and 60% BWS in a randomized order for 10 minutes
      interspersed with 5 minutes of recovery. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Arterial O2
      saturation, heart rate, O2 delivery, and measurements of metabolic strain via
      indirect calorimetry. RESULTS: Hypoxic exercise reduced hemoglobin O2 saturation
      and elevated heart rate at each level of BWS compared with normoxia. However, the
      reduction in hemoglobin O2 saturation was attenuated at 60% BWS compared with 0%
      and 30%, and consequently, O2 delivery was better maintained at 60% BWS.
      CONCLUSION: Hypoxia is a practically useful means of increasing physiological
      strain during BWS rehabilitation. In light of the maintenance of hemoglobin O2
      saturation and O2 delivery at increasing levels of BWS, fixed hemoglobin
      saturations rather than a fixed altitude are recommended to maintain an aerobic
      stimulus.

PMID- 28338406
TI  - A Feasibility Study for Improved Physical Activity After Total Knee Arthroplasty.
AB  - Physical activity outcomes are poor following total knee arthroplasty (TKA). The
      purpose was to evaluate feasibility of a physical activity feedback intervention
      for patients after TKA. Participants completing conventional TKA rehabilitation
      were randomized to a physical activity feedback (PAF; n = 22) or control (CTL; n
      = 23) group. The PAF intervention included real-time activity feedback, weekly
      action planning, and monthly group support meetings (12 weeks). The CTL group
      received attention control education. Feasibility was assessed using retention,
      adherence, dose goal attainment, and responsiveness with pre- and
      postintervention testing. The PAF group had 100% retention, 92% adherence
      (frequency of feedback use), and 65% dose goal attainment (frequency of meeting
      goals). The PAF group average daily step count increased from 5,754 (2,714) (pre)
      to 6,917 (3,445) steps/day (post). This study describes a feasible intervention
      to use as an adjunct to conventional rehabilitation for people with TKA.

PMID- 28338407
TI  - Optimizing a Retention Strategy with Young People for BRIGHTLIGHT, a Longitudinal
      Cohort Study Examining the Value of Specialist Cancer Care for Young People.
AB  - PURPOSE: To maximize retention of participants in a longitudinal cohort study, we
      sought to understand young peoples' views about barriers and facilitators to
      continuing study participation. METHODS: Ten young people with a previous cancer
      diagnosis aged 15-24 participated in a 1 day workshop. The workshop used
      participatory methodology consisting of three exercises as follows: role
      play/scene setting; force field analysis of research participation in small
      groups; and focus group discussion. A final prioritization exercise was
      administered individually after the workshop. RESULTS: Twenty-four barriers to
      maintaining participation were summarized in five themes as follows: life
      commitments; concerns specific to the study; emotional barriers; practical
      barriers; and other reasons. The top 3 specific barriers were as follows: not a
      priority/other things are more important; too time consuming; and
      forgetting/memory. The top 3 facilitators for participation were as follows:
      wishing to help other young people; giving back to the cancer community; and
      honoring an initial commitment to participation. The top 3 suggested solutions to
      encourage continued participation were as follows: reminder text message or email
      before each survey to check preferred method of delivery; breaking up the online
      survey into modules to make completion less overwhelming; and consolidation of
      study information in one location. CONCLUSION: Involving young people in
      designing a retention strategy for young people with cancer has informed the
      BRIGHTLIGHT retention strategy. Patient and public involvement is imperative for
      successful research but measuring impact is challenging. The success of
      implementing the changes to optimize retention was shown in the increase in
      retention in Wave 3 from 30% to final participation of 58%.

PMID- 28338408
TI  - Clofazimine encapsulation in nanoporous silica particles for the oral treatment
      of antibiotic-resistant Mycobacterium tuberculosis infections.
AB  - AIM: First extensive reformulation of clofazimine (CLZ) in nanoporous silica
      particles (NSPs) for tackling antibiotic-resistant tuberculosis (TB) infections.
      MATERIALS & METHODS: Solid-state characterization of several CLZ-encapsulated NSP
      formulations was followed by in vitro drug solubility, Caco-2 intestinal cells
      drug permeability and TB antibacterial activity. RESULTS: NSPs stabilize the
      amorphous state of CLZ (shelf stability >6 months) and dramatically increase the
      drug solubility in simulated gastric fluid (up to 20-fold) with different
      dissolution kinetics depending on the NSPs used. CLZ encapsulation in NSP
      substantially enhances the permeation through model intestinal cell layer,
      achieving effective antimicrobial concentrations in TB-infected macrophages.
      CONCLUSION: Promising results toward refurbishment of an approved marketed drug
      for a different indication suitable for oral anti-TB formulation.

PMID- 28338409
TI  - Self-emulsifying preconcentrates of daidzein-phospholipid complex: design, in
      vitro and in vivo appraisal.
AB  - AIM: Self-emulsifying phospholipid-complex preconcentrates (SEPPs) were
      fabricated to improve oral bioavailability of daidzein (DAI), an anticancer drug
      with challenging amphiphobic nature and extensive presystemic metabolism.
      METHODS: DAI-phosphatidylcholine complex was prepared to enhance DAI
      lipophilicity and loading in SEPPs. The physicochemical characteristics and the
      pharmacokinetic behavior in rats were studied. RESULTS: Surfactant-free SEPP
      (plain DAI:Phosal(r) 53MCT complex) was monodisperse upon aqueous dilution with
      nanorange globule size (485 +/- 15 nm). Compared with drug suspension, it showed
      enhanced drug release and 2.38-fold enhanced oral bioavailability with minimized
      drug-induced intestinal irritation. Addition of 30% surfactant/co-surfactant
      mixture did not show any significant difference in drug release rate or
      absorption profile. CONCLUSION: The highly safe surfactant-free SEPP could be an
      effective approach to improve DAI oral bioavailability.

PMID- 28338411
TI  - Magnetic nanoparticles for medical applications.

PMID- 28338410
TI  - Intracellular delivery of proteins by nanocarriers.
AB  - Intracellular delivery of proteins is potentially a game-changing approach for
      therapeutics. However, for most applications, the protein needs to access the
      cytosol to be effective. A wide variety of strategies have been developed for
      protein delivery, however access of delivered protein to the cytosol without
      acute cytotoxicity remains a critical issue. In this review we discuss recent
      trends in protein delivery using nanocarriers, focusing on the ability of these
      strategies to deliver protein into the cytosol.

PMID- 28338412
TI  - Adolescent Changes in Aerobic Fitness Are Related to Changes in Academic
      Achievement.
AB  - : There is a growing trend of decreasing physical fitness among adolescents,
      which may result not only in poorer physical health, but also in poorer academic
      achievement. PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to investigate the changes in
      aerobic fitness and academic achievement in reading and mathematics during middle
      school. METHODS: This study employed a prospective, longitudinal cross-sectional
      design. Fifty-two adolescents were followed from sixth grade through eighth
      grade. In the spring, sixth-, seventh-, and eighth-grade students completed
      Progressive Aerobic Cardiovascular Endurance Run tests measuring aerobic fitness.
      In addition, students also completed Illinois Standards Achievement Test academic
      achievement tests in reading and mathematics. RESULTS: Changes in aerobic fitness
      between sixth and eighth grade were positively related to changes in academic
      achievement in both reading and mathematics between sixth and eighth grade.
      CONCLUSION: These data suggest that changes in aerobic fitness may modulate
      changes in academic achievement. These findings highlight the importance of
      physical activity and have broad relevance for educational systems and policies.

PMID- 28338413
TI  - Human, Tissue-Engineered, Skeletal Muscle Myobundles to Measure Oxygen Uptake and
      Assess Mitochondrial Toxicity.
AB  - Mitochondrial dysfunction is responsible for the toxicity of a number of drugs.
      Current isolated mitochondria or cellular monoculture mitochondrial respiration
      measurement systems lack physiological relevance. Using a tissue engineering
      rather than cell- or mitochondria-based approach enables a more physiologically
      relevant detection of drug-induced mitochondrial impairment. To probe oxygen
      consumption and mitochondrial health, we assayed the bioenergetic profile of
      engineered three-dimensional human skeletal muscle myobundles derived from
      primary myoblasts. Through experimental and computational techniques, we did not
      find external or internal oxygen transport limiting the engineered myobundles in
      the commercial O2k system to measure oxygen consumption. In response to the
      complex I inhibitor rotenone, myobundle basal respiration decreased dose
      dependently with an IC50 of 9.24 +/- 0.03 nM. At a 20 nM concentration of
      rotenone, myobundle maximal respiration decreased by 44.4% +/- 9.8%. Respiratory
      depression by rotenone suggests that cultured myobundles rely heavily on the
      complex I pathway for ATP synthesis during times of both basal and increased
      energy demand. To address whether these decrements in mitochondrial function
      corresponded to alterations in physiological muscle function, we determined
      fatigue susceptibility that revealed a 46.0% +/- 7.4% depression at 20 nM
      rotenone. The bioenergetic health index, which is a measure of normal oxidative
      mitochondrial function, was inversely correlated with the extent of fatigue. The
      human myobundles reproduce normal muscle metabolism under both basal and maximal
      energy demand conditions enabling the detection of drug-induced mitochondrial
      toxicity.

PMID- 28338414
TI  - Targeted therapy of octreotide-modified oleanolic acid liposomes to somatostatin
      receptor overexpressing tumor cells.
AB  - AIM: To prepare and validate the efficacy of a novel targeted drug delivery
      system - octreotide (Oct)-modified oleanolic acid (OA) liposomes. MATERIALS &
      METHODS: OA liposomes (OA-L) were prepared by an ethanol injection method. The
      Oct-modified OA liposomes (O-OA-L) were synthesized and their properties were
      evaluated. Cellular uptake and competition inhibition studies were performed.
      RESULTS: The OA vesicles presented satisfactory particles size (100-200 nm),
      stability and drug release characteristics; their zeta potential was -1.42 +/-
      0.08 mV. The O-OA-L had a higher cell proliferation inhibitory activity and
      cellular uptake than that of OA-L for somatostatin receptor-positive A549 cells.
      CONCLUSION: The O-OA-L, as a promising agent, can target actively the lesion site
      with safe and high-efficiency pattern.

PMID- 28338415
TI  - Hyaluronic Acid Hydrogel Functionalized with Self-Assembled Micelles of
      Amphiphilic PEGylated Kartogenin for the Treatment of Osteoarthritis.
AB  - Synthetic hyaluronic acid (HA) containing a covalently integrated drug is capable
      of releasing therapeutic molecules and is an attractive candidate for the intra
      articular treatment of osteoarthritis (OA). Herein, self-assembled PEGylated
      kartogenin (PEG/KGN) micelles consisting of hydrophilic polyethylene glycol (PEG)
      and hydrophobic KGN, which has been shown to induce chondrogenesis in human
      mesenchymal stem cells, were prepared by covalent crosslinking. HA hydrogels
      containing PEG/KGN micelles (HA/PEG/KGN) were prepared by covalently bonding PEG
      chains to HA. The physicochemical properties of the HA/PEG/KGN conjugate gels
      were investigated using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, 1H NMR, dynamic
      light scattering (DLS), and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). HA/PEG/KGN gels
      exhibited larger micelles in aqueous solution than PEG/KGN. SEM images of PEG/KGN
      micelles showed a dark core and a bright shell, whereas PEG/KGN micelles
      covalently integrated into HA had an irregular oval shape. Covalent integration
      of PEG/KGN micelles in HA hydrogels significantly reduced drug release rates and
      provided sustained release over a prolonged period of time. HA/PEG/KGN hydrogels
      were degradable enzymatically by collagenase and hyaluronidase in vitro.
      Injection of HA/PEG/KGN hydrogels into articular cartilage significantly
      suppressed the progression of OA in rats compared with free-HA hydrogel
      injection. These results suggest that the HA/PEG/KGN hydrogels have greater
      potency than free-HA hydrogels against OA as biodegradable synthetic
      therapeutics.

PMID- 28338416
TI  - Impact of a Complex Care Management Model on Cost and Utilization Among
      Adolescents and Young Adults with Special Care and Health Needs.
AB  - Adolescents and young adults with special care and health needs in the United
      States-many of whom have Medicaid coverage-at the transition phase between
      pediatric and adult care often experience critical care gaps. To address this
      challenge, a new model-referred to as Comprehensive Care Clinic (CCC)-has been
      developed and implemented by Geisinger Health System since 2012. CCC comprises a
      care team, consisting of a generalist physician, advanced practitioner,
      pharmacist, and a nurse case manager, that develops and closely follows a
      coordinated care plan. This study examines the CCC impact on total cost of care
      and utilization by analyzing Geisinger Health Plan claims data obtained from 83
      Medicaid patients enrolled in CCC. A set of multivariate regression models with
      patient fixed effects was estimated to obtain adjusted differences in cost and
      acute care utilization between the months in which the patients were enrolled and
      the months not enrolled in CCC. The results indicate that CCC enrollment was
      associated with a 28% reduction in per-member-per-month total cost ($3931
      observed vs. $5451 expected; P = 0.028), driven by reductions in hospitalization
      and emergency department visits. This finding suggests a clinical redesign
      focused on adolescent and young adults with complex care needs can potentially
      reduce total cost and acute care utilization among such patients.

PMID- 28338418
TI  - Hybrid MF and membrane bioreactor process applied towards water and indigo reuse
      from denim textile wastewater.
AB  - This work investigates the application of a microfiltration (MF)-membrane
      bioreactor (MBR) hybrid process for textile dyeing process wastewater
      reclamation. The indigo blue dye was efficiently retained by the MF membrane
      (100%), which allows its recovery from the concentrate stream. MF promotes 100%
      of colour removal, and reduces the chemical oxygen demand (COD) and conductivity
      by about 65% and 25%, respectively, and improves the wastewater biodegradability.
      MF flux decline was mostly attributed to concentration polarization and the
      chemical cleaning was efficient enough to recover initial hydraulic resistance.
      The MBR provides to be a stable process maintaining its COD and ammonia removal
      efficiency (73% and 100%, respectively) mostly constant throughout and producing
      a permeate that meets the reuse criteria for some industry activities, such as
      washing-off and equipment washdown. The use of an MF or ultrafiltration (UF)
      membrane in the MBR does not impact the MBR performance in terms of COD removal.
      Although the membrane of MBR-UF shows permeability lower than MBR-MF membrane,
      the UF membrane contributes to a more stable operation in terms of permeability.

PMID- 28338417
TI  - * A 3D Tissue-Printing Approach for Validation of Diffusion Tensor Imaging in
      Skeletal Muscle.
AB  - The ability to noninvasively assess skeletal muscle microstructure, which
      predicts function and disease, would be of significant clinical value. One method
      that holds this promise is diffusion tensor magnetic resonance imaging (DT-MRI),
      which is sensitive to the microscopic diffusion of water within tissues and has
      become ubiquitous in neuroimaging as a way of assessing neuronal structure and
      damage. However, its application to the assessment of changes in muscle
      microstructure associated with injury, pathology, or age remains poorly defined,
      because it is difficult to precisely control muscle microstructural features in
      vivo. However, recent advances in additive manufacturing technologies allow
      precision-engineered diffusion phantoms with histology informed skeletal muscle
      geometry to be manufactured. Therefore, the goal of this study was to develop
      skeletal muscle phantoms at relevant size scales to relate microstructural
      features to MRI-based diffusion measurements. A digital light projection based
      rapid 3D printing method was used to fabricate polyethylene glycol diacrylate
      based diffusion phantoms with (1) idealized muscle geometry (no geometry; fiber
      sizes of 30, 50, or 70 MUm or fiber size of 50 MUm with 40% of walls randomly
      deleted) or (2) histology-based geometry (normal and after 30-days of
      denervation) containing 20% or 50% phosphate-buffered saline (PBS). Mean absolute
      percent error (8%) of the printed phantoms indicated high conformity to templates
      when "fibers" were >50 MUm. A multiple spin-echo echo planar imaging diffusion
      sequence, capable of acquiring diffusion weighted data at several echo times, was
      used in an attempt to combine relaxometry and diffusion techniques with the goal
      of separating intracellular and extracellular diffusion signals. When fiber size
      increased (30-70 MUm) in the 20% PBS phantom, fractional anisotropy (FA)
      decreased (0.32-0.26) and mean diffusivity (MD) increased (0.44 * 10-3 mm2/s-0.70
      * 10-3 mm2/s). Similarly, when fiber size increased from 30 to 70 MUm in the 50%
      PBS diffusion phantoms, a small change in FA was observed (0.18-0.22), but MD
      increased from 0.86 * 10-3 mm2/s to 1.79 * 10-3 mm2/s. This study demonstrates a
      novel application of tissue engineering to understand complex diffusion signals
      in skeletal muscle. Through this work, we have also demonstrated the feasibility
      of 3D printing for skeletal muscle with relevant matrix geometries and
      physiologically relevant tissue characteristics.

PMID- 28338420
TI  - Exploring the Facilitators and Barriers to Physical Activity in Older People With
      Sight Loss.
AB  - This study aimed to explore facilitators and barriers to physical activity in
      older people with sight loss. Focus groups were conducted with 13 community
      dwelling older adults with sight loss ranging from poor to completely blind.
      Transcripts were analyzed using an inductive thematic analysis. Facilitators and
      barriers are experienced in three ways: psychologically; through opportunity and
      access; and at a societal and policy level. Campaigns are needed to challenge
      unhelpful age-related stereotypes at both psychological and societal levels.
      Additionally, interventions grounded in evidence and theory should be trialled
      and evaluated for increasing physical activity in this population.

PMID- 28338419
TI  - Competitive Protein Binding Influences Heparin-Based Modulation of Spatial Growth
      Factor Delivery for Bone Regeneration.
AB  - Tissue engineering strategies involving the in vivo delivery of recombinant
      growth factors are often limited by the inability of biomaterials to spatially
      control diffusion of the delivered protein within the site of interest. The poor
      spatiotemporal control provided by porous collagen sponges, which are used for
      the clinical delivery of bone morphogenetic protein-2 (BMP-2) for bone
      regeneration, has necessitated the use of supraphysiological protein doses,
      leading to inflammation and heterotopic ossification. This study describes a
      novel tissue engineering strategy to spatially control rapid BMP-2 diffusion from
      collagen sponges in vivo by creating a high-affinity BMP-2 sink around the
      collagen sponge. We designed an electrospun poly-E-caprolactone nanofiber mesh
      containing physically entrapped heparin microparticles, which have been
      previously demonstrated to bind and retain large amounts of BMP-2. Nanofiber
      meshes containing 0.05 and 0.10 mg of microparticles/cm2 demonstrated increased
      BMP-2 binding and decreased BMP-2 release in vitro compared with meshes without
      microparticles. However, when microparticle-containing meshes were used in vivo
      to limit the diffusion of BMP-2 delivered by using collagen sponges in a rat
      femoral defect, no differences in heterotopic ossification or biomechanical
      properties were observed. Further investigation revealed that, although BMP-2
      binding to heparin microparticles was rapid, the presence of serum components
      attenuated microparticle-BMP-2 binding and increased BMP-2 release in vitro.
      These observations provide a plausible explanation for the results observed in
      vivo and suggest that competitive protein binding in vivo may hinder the ability
      of affinity-based biomaterials to modulate growth factor delivery.

PMID- 28338421
TI  - * Harnessing the Osteogenicity of In Vitro Stem Cell-Derived Mineralized
      Extracellular Matrix as 3D Biotemplate to Guide Bone Regeneration.
AB  - Advanced biomaterials that are capable of guiding robust bone regeneration are
      highly demanded for translational therapy of bone defects or bone augmentation in
      clinics. One of the strategic approaches is to produce tissue engineering (TE)
      constructs that mediate bone regeneration by recapitulating the natural bone
      formation or healing process. In this study, we aimed at producing devitalized
      mineralized carriers with augmented bone forming capacity via a modified culture
      protocol (i.e., culture conditions with high calcium and/or phosphate
      concentrations) that first promotes cell growth and, subsequently, mineralized
      extracellular matrix (ECM) deposition by human periosteum-derived osteoprogenitor
      cells (hPDCs) on additive manufactured three-dimensional (3D) porous titanium
      (Ti)-based scaffolds. Qualitative and quantitative analysis was performed to
      characterize the physicochemical properties of the produced devitalized
      mineralized carriers, as well as their effects as carriers on in vitro cell
      growth and osteochondrogenic differentiation of hPDCs under a perfusion
      bioreactor culture set-up. The results showed that the modified culture protocol
      was useful to produce devitalized mineralized carriers with different amount,
      distribution, composition, and morphology of mineralized matrix that resembled
      hydroxyapatite, and exhibited different Ca2+ release kinetics, distinct human
      bone morphogenetic protein (hBMP)-2, human vascular endothelial growth factor
      (hVEGF) proteins, and collagen contents. The produced devitalized mineralized
      carriers supported 3D growth of hPDCs, with minor osteochondrogenic
      differentiation effects under the perfusion bioreactor culture condition.
      Subcutaneous implantation of hPDC-seeded devitalized mineralized carriers in
      athymic nude rats showed nearly five-fold augmentation in the ectopic bone
      forming capacity, with no bone induction obtained for unseeded, devitalized
      mineralized carriers and plain Ti scaffolds. Implantation of devitalized
      mineralized carriers in critical-sized calvarial defects resulted in encouraging
      defect bridging as compared with limited defect bridging by plain Ti scaffolds or
      in empty defects. This defect bridging was not enhanced by implanting hPDC-seeded
      devitalized mineralized carriers. In conclusion, the investigated modified
      culture protocol was useful to produce devitalized mineralized carriers with
      augmented bone-forming capacity, which potentially could aid bone repair or
      augmentation in clinics.

PMID- 28338422
TI  - Therapeutic Hypothermia Reduces the Inflammatory Response Following
      Ischemia/Reperfusion Injury in Rat Hearts.
AB  - Therapeutic hypothermia (TH) is known to protect against ischemia/reperfusion
      (I/R) injury. One mechanism of I/R injury includes secondary injury due to the
      inflammatory cascade. We hypothesized that TH reduces the inflammatory response
      following I/R injury. Rats were randomized to sham, normothermic, or hypothermic
      groups and subjected to 1 hour of coronary artery occlusion and 48 hours of
      reperfusion. Hypothermia was initiated, using the ThermoSuit(r) device, 2 minutes
      after the onset of coronary artery occlusion to a core temperature of 32 degrees
      C, and then the rats were allowed to rewarm. After 48 hours, rats in the
      hypothermia group demonstrated a preserved left ventricular fractional shortening
      by echocardiography. TH decreased the inflammatory cytokines in the risk zone of
      the heart, which included monocyte chemoattractant protein-1, interleukin-6,
      tumor necrosis factor-alpha, and inducible nitric oxide synthase gene expression,
      and altered expression of the remodeling genes of matrix metalloproteinase and
      tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinase. Furthermore, rat inflammatory cytokines &
      receptors PCR array was performed and the data showed that 71 out of 84 genes
      were upregulated in the risk zone of normothermia hearts versus shams. The
      upregulation was largely reversed in the risk zone of hypothermia hearts compared
      to normothermia. TH preserves cardiac function, decreases excessive inflammatory
      gene expression, and regulates myocardial matrix remodeling related genes.

PMID- 28338423
TI  - Assessment of leg muscles mechanical capacities: Which jump, loading, and
      variable type provide the most reliable outcomes?
AB  - This study aimed to explore the strength of the force-velocity (F-V) relationship
      of lower limb muscles and the reliability of its parameters (maximum force [F0],
      slope [a], maximum velocity [V0], and maximum power [P0]). Twenty-three men were
      tested in two different jump types (squat and countermovement jump: SJ and CMJ),
      performed under two different loading conditions (free weight and Smith machine:
      Free and Smith) with 0, 17, 30, 45, 60, and 75 kg loads. The maximum and averaged
      values of F and V were obtained for the F-V relationship modelling. All F-V
      relationships were strong and linear independently whether observed from the
      averaged across the participants (r >= 0.98) or individual data (r = 0.94-0.98),
      while their parameters were generally highly reliable (F0 [CV: 4.85%, ICC: 0.87],
      V0 [CV: 6.10%, ICC: 0.82], a [CV: 10.5%, ICC: 0.81], and P0 [CV: 3.5%, ICC:
      0.93]). Both the strength of the F-V relationships and the reliability of their
      parameters were significantly higher for (1) the CMJ over the SJ, (2) the Free
      over the Smith loading type, and (3) the maximum over the averaged F and V
      variables. In conclusion, although the F-V relationships obtained from all the
      jumps tested were linear and generally highly reliable, the less appropriate
      choice for testing the F-V relationship could be through the averaged F and V
      data obtained from the SJ performed either in a Free weight or in a Smith
      machine. Insubstantial differences exist among the other combinations tested.

PMID- 28338424
TI  - Monocytes Seeded on Engineered Hypertrophic Cartilage Do Not Enhance Endochondral
      Ossification Capacity.
AB  - Engineered hypertrophic cartilage (HC) represents an attractive bone substitute
      material, capable to induce bone formation by endochondral ossification. Since
      bone formation by HC depends on factors released from the extracellular matrix,
      in this study, we hypothesized that HC seeding with monocytes committed to
      osteoclastogenesis could enhance its remodeling, improve chemotaxis of skeletal
      and vascular cells, and consequently enhance bone formation. This would be
      particularly relevant for devitalized HC, which currently exhibits only limited
      osteoinductivity. Living or devitalized HC engineered from human bone marrow
      derived mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs) was seeded or not with human monocytes
      in the presence of macrophage colony-stimulating factor and RANK-ligand, cultured
      for up to 15 days, or implanted ectopically in nude mice. Monocytes seeded on
      devitalized, but not living, HC induced its in vitro resorption, resulting in 30
      fold higher release and 2.7-fold lower content of glycosaminoglycans compared
      with unseeded samples. In vitro, supernatants from monocyte-seeded devitalized HC
      attracted more monocytes compared with unseeded samples, but did not enhance
      chemotaxis of MSCs or human umbilical vein endothelial cells. In vivo, however,
      neither remodeling nor invasion by osteoclasts, endothelial cells, and mouse MSCs
      were significantly affected by the seeding with monocytes. Finally, in vitro
      priming of living or devitalized HC by monocytes did not enhance their bone
      forming capacity. Further investigations should test the proposed approach on HC
      engineered to prevent rapid degradation and support osteoclastogenesis, or
      identify alternative strategies to enhance engineered HC remodeling and bone
      forming capacity.

PMID- 28338425
TI  - Assessing the Reliability of Performing Citywide Chronic Disease Surveillance
      Using Emergency Department Data from Sentinel Hospitals.
AB  - Given the inequalities in the distribution of disease burden, geographically
      detailed methods of disease surveillance are needed to identify local hot spots
      of chronic disease. However, few data sources include the patient-level addresses
      needed to perform these studies. Given that individual hospitals would have
      access to this geographically granular data, this study assessed the reliability
      of estimating chronic disease prevalence using emergency department surveillance
      at specific hospitals. Neighborhood-level diabetes, hypertension, and asthma
      prevalence were estimated using emergency claims data from each individual
      hospital in New York City from 2009-2012. Estimates were compared to prevalence
      obtained from a traditional health survey. A multivariable analysis also was
      performed to identify which individual hospitals were more accurate at estimating
      citywide disease prevalence. Among 52 hospitals, variation was found in the
      accuracy of disease prevalence estimates using emergency department surveillance.
      Estimates at some hospitals, such as NYU Langone Medical Center, had strong
      correlations for all diseases studied (diabetes: 0.81, hypertension: 0.84, and
      asthma: 0.84). Hospitals with patient populations geographically distributed
      throughout New York City had better accuracy in estimating citywide disease
      prevalence. For diabetes and hypertension, hospitals with racial/ethnic patient
      distributions similar to Census estimates and higher fidelity of diagnosis coding
      also had more accurate prevalence estimates. This study demonstrated how citywide
      chronic disease surveillance can be performed using emergency data from specific
      sentinel hospitals. The findings may provide an alternative means of mapping
      chronic disease burden by using existing data, which may be critical in regions
      without resources for geographically detailed health surveillance.

PMID- 28338426
TI  - The Role of Exercise in Prevention and Treatment of Osteopenia of Prematurity: An
      Update.
AB  - Premature infants have an increased risk of osteopenia due to limited bone mass
      accretion in utero and a greater need for bone nutrients. Until recently, most
      efforts to prevent osteopenia of prematurity focused on nutritional changes.
      Recent studies indicate that passive range-of-motion exercise of the extremities
      may lead to beneficial effects on body weight, increased bone mineralization,
      increased bone formation markers and leptin levels, and attenuation of the
      natural postnatal decline in bone speed of sound. These results suggest that
      exercise may play an important role in the prevention and treatment of osteopenia
      of prematurity. This review summarizes our current knowledge on the role of
      exercise in the prevention and treatment of osteopenia of prematurity.

PMID- 28338427
TI  - Long-term endocrine outcome of suprasellar arachnoid cysts.
AB  - OBJECTIVE Due to their distinct location, suprasellar arachnoid cysts are known
      to cause a wide variety of problems, such as hydrocephalus, endocrine symptoms,
      and visual abnormalities. The long-term outcome of these cysts has not been
      elucidated. To find out the long-term outcome of suprasellar arachnoid cysts, a
      retrospective review of the patients was performed. The neurological and
      endocrine symptoms were thoroughly reviewed. METHODS Forty-five patients with
      suprasellar arachnoid cysts, with an average follow-up duration of 9.7 years,
      were enrolled in the study. A comprehensive review was performed of the results
      of follow-up regarding not only neurological symptoms but also endocrine status.
      The outcomes of 8 patients who did not undergo operations and were asymptomatic
      or had symptoms unrelated to the cyst were included in the series. RESULTS
      Surgery was most effective for the symptoms related to hydrocephalus (improvement
      in 32 of 32), but endocrine symptoms persisted after surgery (4 of 4) and
      required further medical management. More surprisingly, a fairly large number of
      patients (14 of 40; 1 was excluded because no pre- or postoperative endocrine
      evaluation was available) who had not shown endocrine symptoms at the time of the
      initial diagnosis and treatment later developed endocrine abnormalities such as
      precocious puberty and growth hormone deficiency. The patients with endocrine
      symptoms detected during the follow-up included those in both the operated (n =
      12 of 32) and nonoperated (n = 2 of 8) groups who had been stable during follow
      up since the initial diagnosis. CONCLUSIONS This study implies that patients with
      suprasellar arachnoid cysts can develop late endocrine problems during follow-up,
      even if other symptoms related to the cyst have been successfully treated. Hence,
      patients with these cysts need long-term follow-up for not only neurological
      symptoms but also endocrine abnormalities.

PMID- 28338428
TI  - A Surgical Device to Study the Efficacy of Bioengineered Skin Substitutes in Mice
      Wound Healing Models.
AB  - Due to the poor regenerative capacity of adult mammalian skin, there is a need to
      develop effective skin substitutes for promoting skin regeneration after a severe
      wound. However, the complexity of skin biology has made it difficult to enable
      perfect regeneration of skin. Thus, animal models are being used to test
      potential skin substitutes. Murine models are valuable but their healing process
      involves dermal contraction. We have developed a device called a dome that is
      able to eliminate the contraction effect of rodent skin while simultaneously
      housing a bioengineered skin graft. The dome comes in two models, which enables
      researchers to evaluate the cells that contribute in wound healing from
      neighboring intact tissue during skin healing/regeneration. This protocol
      simplifies grafting of skin substitutes, eliminates the contraction effect of
      surrounding skin, and summarizes a simple method for animal surgery for wound
      healing and skin regeneration studies.

PMID- 28338429
TI  - Release of carbon nanoparticles of different size and shape from nanocomposite
      poly(lactic) acid film into food simulants.
AB  - Poly(lactic) acid (PLA) film with 2 wt% mixed carbon nanofillers of graphene
      nanoplates (GNPs) and multiwall carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) in a weight ratio of
      1:1 with impurities of fullerene and carbon black (CB) was produced by layer-to
      layer deposition and hot pressing. The release of carbon nanoparticles from the
      film was studied at varying time-temperature conditions and simulants. Migrants
      in simulant solvents were examined with laser diffraction analysis and
      transmission electron microscopy (TEM). Film integrity and the presence of
      migrants on the film surfaces were visualised by scanning electron microscopy
      (SEM). The partial dissolution of PLA polymer in the solvents was confirmed by
      swelling tests and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). Nanoparticle migrants
      were not detected in the simulants (at the LOD 0.020 MUm of the laser diffraction
      analysis) after migration testing at 40 degrees C for 10 days. However, high
      temperature migration testing at 90 degrees C for 4 h provoked a release of GNPs
      from the film into ethanol, acetic acid and oil-based food simulants. Short
      carbon nanotubes were observed rarely to release in the most aggressive acetic
      acid solvent. Obviously, the enhanced molecular mobility at temperatures above
      the glass transition and partial dissolution of PLA polymer by the food simulant
      facilitate the diffusion processes. Moreover, shape, size and concentration of
      nanoparticles play a significant role. Flexible naked GNPs (lateral size 100-1000
      nm) easily migrate when the polymer molecules exhibit enhanced mobility, while
      fibrous MWCNTs (> 1 MUm length) formed entangled networks on the film surfaces as
      the PLA polymer is partly dissolved, preventing their release into food
      simulants. The impurities of fullerenes and CB (5-30 nm) were of minor
      concentration in the polymer, therefore their migration is low or undetectable.
      The total amount of released migrants is below overall migration limits.

PMID- 28338431
TI  - Letter to the Editor. Is gender a factor in long-term outcomes after radiosurgery
      for vestibular schwannoma?

PMID- 28338430
TI  - Trends of Second Primary Malignancy in Patients with Thyroid Cancer: A Population
      Based Cohort Study in Israel.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Thyroid cancer (TC) is the most common endocrine malignancy. TC
      patients have a good prognosis and a low disease-related mortality rate. Since
      such patients are often young, they may be at a higher risk for a second primary
      malignancy (SPM). This study sought to determine the incidence, risk, and types
      of SPM between 1980 and 2011, and to assess SPM trends over time among Israeli TC
      patients. METHODS: Data were derived from the Israel National Cancer Registry.
      Primary TC patients diagnosed during 1980-2009 were followed up for SPM incidence
      until December 31, 2011. Standardized incidence ratios (SIRs) of observed to
      expected SPM (based on the general population rates) were calculated using
      Poisson regression. Analyses were stratified by time period of initial TC
      diagnosis (1980-1995 and 1996-2009). RESULTS: A total of 11,538 TC patients were
      identified. After exclusion of 107 duplicate cases, records of 1032 patients with
      SPM were analyzed (an SPM incidence of 8.9%). SIRs for all-site SPMs were 1.23
      [confidence interval 1.08-1.35] for males and 1.19 [confidence interval 1.10
      1.27] for females. SIRs for tumors of the urinary system and prostate were
      significantly elevated in males, as were SIRs for tumors of the brain, urinary
      system, breast, and lung in females. Variables associated with increased risk of
      developing SPMs included a younger age at TC diagnosis, a shorter latency period,
      being born in Asia/Africa for both sexes, and being born in Israel for females.
      Compared with the general population, a subanalysis by TC diagnosis during 1980
      1995 and 1996-2009 disclosed a higher SPM incidence for the latter time period in
      males and for both time periods, with a slightly higher SIR for the latter time
      period in females. CONCLUSIONS: The overall risk of SPM in Israeli TC patients
      was significantly greater for both sexes compared with the general population,
      thus identifying TC patients as a high-risk group and calling for caretakers to
      apply specific follow-up guidelines.

PMID- 28338432
TI  - Dual-labeling with 5-aminolevulinic acid and fluorescein for fluorescence-guided
      resection of high-grade gliomas: technical note.
AB  - OBJECTIVE Fluorescence guidance with 5-aminolevulinic acid (5-ALA) helps improve
      resections of malignant gliomas. However, one limitation is the low intensity of
      blue light for background illumination. Fluorescein has recently been
      reintroduced into neurosurgery, and novel microscope systems are available for
      visualizing this fluorochrome, which highlights all perfused tissues but has
      limited selectivity for tumor detection. Here, the authors investigate a
      combination of both fluorochromes: 5-ALA for distinguishing tumor and fluorescein
      for providing tissue fluorescence of adjacent brain tissue. METHODS The authors
      evaluated 6 patients who harbored cerebral lesions suggestive of high-grade
      glioma. Patients received 5-ALA (20 mg/kg) orally 4 hours before induction of
      anesthesia. Low-dose fluorescein (3 mg/kg intravenous) was injected immediately
      after anesthesia induction. Pentero microscopes (equipped either with Yellow 560
      or Blue 400 filters) were used to visualize fluorescence. To simultaneously
      visualize both fluorochromes, the Yellow 560 module was combined with external
      blue light illumination (D-light C System). RESULTS Fluorescein-induced
      fluorescence created a useful background for protoporphyrin IX (PPIX)
      fluorescence, which appeared orange to red, surrounded by greenly fluorescent
      normal brain and edematous tissue. Green brain-tissue fluorescence was helpful in
      augmenting background. Levels of blue illumination that were too strong obscured
      PPIX fluorescence. Unspecific extravasation of fluorescein was noted at resection
      margins, which did not interfere with PPIX fluorescence detection. CONCLUSIONS
      Dual labeling with both PPIX and fluorescein fluorescence is feasible and gives
      superior background information during fluorescence-guided resections. The
      authors believe that this technique carries potential as a next step in
      fluorescence-guided resections if it is completely integrated into the surgical
      microscope.

PMID- 28338433
TI  - Letter to the Editor: Ultrasound in peripheral nerve injuries: the challenge.

PMID- 28338434
TI  - Coexistence of obstructive sleep apnea worsens the overall outcome of
      intracranial aneurysm: a pioneer study.
AB  - OBJECTIVE Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is associated with the progression of
      abdominal and thoracic aortic aneurysms. However, the role of OSA in the overall
      outcome of intracranial aneurysms (IAs) has not yet been established. Authors of
      this report investigated the role of OSA in the overall outcome of IAs. METHODS
      Radiological and clinical data on patients (from 2010 through 2015) with
      confirmed IA were retrospectively reviewed. Significant differences between the
      OSA and non-OSA groups were determined using a chi-square test. Logistic
      regression analysis was performed to identify the predictors of an unfavorable IA
      outcome. RESULTS Among the 283 patients with confirmed IAs, 45 patients (16%)
      were positively screened for OSA, a proportion that was significantly higher than
      the prevalence of OSA in nonaneurysmal neurosurgical patients (4%, p = 0.008).
      The percentage of patients with hypertension (p = 0.018), a body mass index >= 30
      kg/m2 (p < 0.0001), hyperlipidemia (p = 0.034), diabetes mellitus (p = 0.005),
      chronic heart disease (CHD; p = 0.024), or prior stroke (p = 0.03) was
      significantly higher in the OSA group than in the non-OSA group. Similarly, the
      percentage of wide-necked aneurysms (p = 0.00001) and patients with a poor Hunt
      and Hess Grade IV-V (p = 0.01) was significantly higher in the OSA group than in
      the non-OSA group. In addition, the percentage of ruptured aneurysms (p = 0.03)
      and vasospasms (p = 0.03) was significantly higher in the OSA group. The
      percentage of patients with poor modified Rankin Scale (mRS) scores (3-6) was
      significantly higher in the OSA group (p = 0.03). A separate cohort of patients
      with ruptured IAs showed similar results. In both univariate (p = 0.01) and
      multivariate (p = 0.04) regression analyses, OSA was identified as an individual
      predictor of an unfavorable outcome. In addition, hypertension and prior stroke
      were revealed as predictors of a poor IA outcome. CONCLUSIONS Complications of IA
      such as rupture and vasospasm are often the consequence of uncontrolled OSA.
      Overall outcome (mRS) of IAs is also affected by the co-occurrence of OSA.
      Therefore, the coexistence of OSA with IA affects the outcome of IAs. Obstructive
      sleep apnea is a risk factor for a poor outcome in IA patients.

PMID- 28338435
TI  - Erratum. Hearing subclassification may predict long-term auditory outcomes after
      radiosurgery for vestibular schwannoma patients with good hearing.

PMID- 28338436
TI  - Letter to the Editor: Threshold criterion in transcranial motor evoked
      potentials.

PMID- 28338437
TI  - Contralateral peripheral neurotization for a hemiplegic hindlimb after central
      neurological injury.
AB  - OBJECTIVE Contralateral peripheral neurotization surgery has been successfully
      applied to rescue motor function of the hemiplegic upper extremity in patients
      with central neurological injury (CNI). It may contribute to strengthened neural
      pathways between the contralesional cortex and paretic limbs. However, the effect
      of this surgery in the lower extremities remains unknown. In the present study
      the authors explored the effectiveness and safety of contralateral peripheral
      neurotization in treating a hemiplegic lower extremity following CNI in adult
      rats. METHODS Controlled cortical impact (CCI) was performed on the hindlimb
      motor cortex of 36 adult Sprague-Dawley rats to create severe unilateral
      traumatic brain injury models. These CCI rats were randomly divided into 3
      groups. At 1 month post-CCI, the experimental group (Group 1, 12 rats) underwent
      contralateral L-6 to L-6 transfer, 1 control group (Group 2, 12 rats) underwent
      bilateral L-6 nerve transection, and another control group (Group 3, 12 rats)
      underwent an L-6 laminectomy without injuring the L-6 nerves. Bilateral L-6 nerve
      transection rats without CCI (Group 4, 12 rats) and naive rats (Group 5, 12 rats)
      were used as 2 additional control groups. Beam and ladder rung walking tests and
      CatWalk gait analysis were performed in each rat at baseline and at 0.5, 1, 2, 4,
      6, 8, and 10 months to detect the skilled walking functions and gait parameters
      of both hindlimbs. Histological and electromyography studies were used at the
      final followup to verify establishment of the traumatic brain injury model and
      regeneration of the L6-L6 neural pathway. RESULTS In behavioral tests, comparable
      motor injury in the paretic hindlimbs was observed after CCI in Groups 1-3. Group
      1 started to show significantly lower slip and error rates in the beam and ladder
      rung walking tests than Groups 2 and 3 at 6 months post-CCI (p < 0.05). In the
      CatWalk analysis, Group 1 also showed a higher mean intensity and swing speed
      after 8 months post-CCI and a longer stride length after 6 months post-CCI than
      Groups 2 and 3 (p < 0.05). Transection of L-6 resulted in transient skilled
      walking impairment in the intact hindlimbs in Groups 1 and 2 (compared with Group
      3) and in the bilateral hindlimbs in Group 4 (compared with Group 5). All
      recovered to baseline level within 2 months. Histological study of the rat brains
      verified comparable injured volumes among Groups 1-3 at final examinations, and
      electromyography and toluidine blue staining indicated successful regeneration of
      the L6-L6 neural pathways in Group 1. CONCLUSIONS Contralateral L-6 neurotization
      could be a promising and safe surgical approach for improving motor recovery of
      the hemiplegic hindlimb after unilateral CNI in adult rats. Further
      investigations are needed before extrapolating the present conclusions to humans.

PMID- 28338438
TI  - Learning brain aneurysm microsurgical skills in a human placenta model:
      predictive validity.
AB  - OBJECTIVE Surgery for brain aneurysms is technically demanding. In recent years,
      the process to learn the technical skills necessary for these challenging
      procedures has been affected by a decrease in the number of surgical cases
      available and progressive restrictions on resident training hours. To overcome
      these limitations, surgical simulators such as cadaver heads and human placenta
      models have been developed. However, the effectiveness of these models in
      improving technical skills is unknown. This study assessed concurrent and
      predictive validity of brain aneurysm surgery simulation in a human placenta
      model compared with a "live" human brain cadaveric model. METHODS Two human
      cadaver heads and 30 human placentas were used. Twelve neurosurgeons participated
      in the concurrent validity part of this study, each operating on 1 human cadaver
      head aneurysm model and 1 human placenta model. Simulators were evaluated
      regarding their ability to simulate different surgical steps encountered during
      real surgery. The time to complete the entire aneurysm task in each simulator was
      analyzed. The predictive validity component of the study involved 9 neurosurgical
      residents divided into 3 groups to perform simulation exercises, each lasting 6
      weeks. The training for the 3 groups consisted of educational video only (3
      residents), human cadaver only (3 residents), and human placenta only (3
      residents). All residents had equivalent microsurgical experience with
      superficial brain tumor surgery. After completing their practice training,
      residents in each of the 3 simulation groups performed surgery for an unruptured
      middle cerebral artery (MCA) aneurysm, and their performance was assessed by an
      experienced vascular neurosurgeon who watched the operative videos. RESULTS All
      human cadaver heads and human placentas were suitable to simulate brain aneurysm
      surgery. In the concurrent validity portion of the experiment, the placenta model
      required a longer time (p < 0.001) than cadavers to complete the task. The
      placenta model was considered more effective than the cadaver model in simulating
      sylvian fissure splitting, bipolar coagulation of oozing microvessels, and
      aneurysm neck and dome dissection. Both models were equally effective in
      simulating neck aneurysm clipping, while the cadaver model was considered
      superior for simulation of intraoperative rupture and for reproduction of real
      anatomy during simulation. In the predictive validity portion of the experiment,
      residents were evaluated for 4 tasks: sylvian fissure dissection, microvessel
      bipolar coagulation, aneurysm dissection, and aneurysm clipping. Residents
      trained in the human placenta simulator consistently had the highest overall
      performance scores when compared with those who had trained in the cadaver model
      and those who had simply watched operative videos (p < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS The
      human placenta biological simulator provides excellent simulation for some
      critical tasks of aneurysm surgery such as splitting of the sylvian fissure,
      dissection of the aneurysm neck and dome, and bipolar coagulation of surrounding
      microvessels. When performing surgery for an unruptured MCA aneurysm, residents
      who had trained in the human placenta model performed better than residents
      trained with other simulation scenarios/models. In this age of reduced exposure
      to aneurysm surgery and restrictions on resident working hours, the placenta
      model is a valid simulation for microneurosurgery with striking similarities with
      real surgery.

PMID- 28338439
TI  - Stereotactic radiosurgery in the treatment of parasellar meningiomas: long-term
      volumetric evaluation.
AB  - OBJECTIVE Parasellar meningiomas tend to invade the suprasellar, cavernous sinus,
      and petroclival regions, encroaching on adjacent neurovascular structures. As
      such, they prove difficult to safely and completely resect. Stereotactic
      radiosurgery (SRS) has played a central role in the treatment of parasellar
      meningiomas. Evaluation of tumor control rates at this location using simplified
      single-dimension measurements may prove misleading. The authors report the
      influence of SRS treatment parameters and the timing and volumetric changes of
      benign WHO Grade I parasellar meningiomas after SRS on long-term outcome. METHODS
      Patients with WHO Grade I parasellar meningiomas treated with single-session SRS
      and a minimum of 6 months of follow-up were selected. A total of 189 patients
      (22.2% males, n = 42) form the cohort. The median patient age was 54 years (range
      19-88 years). SRS was performed as a primary upfront treatment for 44.4% (n = 84)
      of patients. Most (41.8%, n = 79) patients had undergone 1 resection prior to
      SRS. The median tumor volume at the time of SRS was 5.6 cm3 (0.2-54.8 cm3). The
      median margin dose was 14 Gy (range 5-35 Gy). The volumes of the parasellar
      meningioma were determined on follow-up scans, computed by segmenting the
      meningioma on a slice-by-slice basis with numerical integration using the
      trapezoidal rule. RESULTS The median follow-up was 71 months (range 6-298
      months). Tumor volume control was achieved in 91.5% (n = 173). Tumor progression
      was documented in 8.5% (n = 16), equally divided among infield recurrences (4.2%,
      n = 8) and out-of-field recurrences (4.2%, n = 8). Post-SRS, new or worsening CN
      deficits were observed in 54 instances, of which 19 involved trigeminal nerve
      dysfunction and were 18 related to optic nerve dysfunction. Of these, 90.7% (n =
      49) were due to tumor progression and only 9.3% (n = 5) were attributable to SRS.
      Overall, this translates to a 2.64% (n = 5/189) incidence of direct SRS-related
      complications. These patients were treated with repeat SRS (6.3%, n = 12), repeat
      resection (2.1%, n = 4), or both (3.2%, n = 6). For patients treated with a
      margin dose >= 16 Gy, the 2-, 4-, 6-, 8-, 10-, 12-, and 15-year actuarial
      progression-free survival rates are 100%, 100%, 95.7%, 95.7%, 95.7%, 95.7%, and
      95.7%, respectively. Patients treated with a margin dose < 16 Gy, had 2-, 4-, 6-,
      8-, 10-, 12-, and 15-year actuarial progression-free survival rates of 99.4%,
      97.7%, 95.1%, 88.1%, 82.1%, 79.4%, and 79.4%, respectively. This difference was
      deemed statistically significant (p = 0.043). Reviewing the volumetric patient
      specific measurements, the early follow-up volumetric measurements (at the 3-year
      follow-up) reliably predicted long-term volume changes and tumor volume control
      (at the 10-year follow-up) (p = 0.029). CONCLUSIONS SRS is a durable and
      minimally invasive treatment modality for benign parasellar meningiomas. SRS
      offers high rates of growth control with a low incidence of neurological deficits
      compared with other treatment modalities for meningiomas in this region.
      Volumetric regression or stability during short-term follow-up of 3 years after
      SRS was shown to be predictive of long-term tumor control.

PMID- 28338440
TI  - A study of cognitive function in treatment-refractory obsessive-compulsive
      disorder treated with capsulotomy.
AB  - OBJECTIVE Anterior capsulotomy (AC) is sometimes used as a last resort for
      treatment-refractory obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). Previous studies
      assessing neuropsychological outcomes in patients with OCD have identified
      several forms of cognitive dysfunction that are associated with the disease, but
      few have focused on changes in cognitive function in OCD patients who have
      undergone surgery. In the present study, the authors investigated the effects of
      AC on the cognitive function of patients with treatment-refractory OCD. METHODS
      The authors selected 14 patients with treatment-refractory OCD who had undergone
      bilateral AC between 2007 and 2013, 14 nonsurgically treated OCD patients, and 14
      healthy control subjects for this study. The 3 groups were matched for sex, age,
      and education. Several neuropsychological tests, including Similarities and Block
      Design, which are subsets of the Wechsler Abbreviated Scale of Intelligence;
      Immediate and Delayed Logical Memory and Immediate and Delayed Visual
      Reproduction, which are subsets of the Wechsler Memory Scale-Revised; and
      Corrects, Categories, Perseverative Errors, Nonperseverative Errors, and Errors,
      subtests of the Wisconsin Card Sorting Test, were conducted in all 42 subjects at
      baseline and after AC, after nonsurgical treatment, or at 6-month intervals, as
      appropriate. The Yale-Brown Obsessive-Compulsive Scale (Y-BOCS) was used to
      measure OCD symptoms in all 28 OCD patients. RESULTS The Y-BOCS scores decreased
      significantly in both OCD groups during the 12-month follow-up period. Surgical
      patients showed higher levels of improvement in verbal memory, visual memory,
      visuospatial skills, and executive function than the nonsurgically treated OCD
      patients. CONCLUSIONS The findings of this study suggest that AC not only reduces
      OCD symptoms but also attenuates moderate cognitive deficits.

PMID- 28338441
TI  - Radiosurgery in the management of brain metastasis: a retrospective single-center
      study comparing Gamma Knife and LINAC treatment.
AB  - OBJECTIVE The authors present a retrospective analysis of a single-center
      experience with treatment of brain metastases using Gamma Knife (GK) and linear
      accelerator (LINAC)-based radiosurgery and compare the results. METHODS From July
      2010 to July 2012, 63 patients with brain metastases were treated with
      radiosurgery. Among them, 28 (with 83 lesions) were treated with a GK unit and 35
      (with 47 lesions) with a LINAC. The primary outcome was local progression-free
      survival (LPFS), evaluated on a per-lesion basis. The secondary outcome was
      overall survival (OS), evaluated per patient. Statistical analysis included
      standard tests and Cox regression with shared-frailty models to account for the
      within-patient correlation. RESULTS The mean follow-up period was 11.7 months
      (median 7.9 months, range 1.7-32 months) for GK and 18.1 months (median 17
      months, range 7.5-28.7 months) for LINAC. The median number of lesions per
      patient was 2.5 (range 1-9) in the GK group and 1 (range 1-3) in the LINAC group
      (p < 0.01, 2-sample t-test). There were more radioresistant lesions (e.g.,
      melanoma) and more lesions located in functional areas in the GK group.
      Additional technical reasons for choosing GK instead of LINAC were limitations of
      LINAC movements, especially if lesions were located in the lower posterior fossa
      or multiple lesions were close to highly functional areas (e.g., the brainstem),
      precluding optimal dosimetry with LINAC. The median marginal dose was 24 Gy with
      GK and 20 Gy with LINAC (p < 0.01, 2-sample t-test). For GK, the actuarial LPFS
      rate at 3, 6, 9, 12, and 17 months was 96.96%, 96.96%, 96.96%, 88.1%, and 81.5%,
      remaining stable until 32 months. For LINAC the rate at 3, 6, 12, 17, 24, and 33
      months was 91.5%, 91.5%, 91.5%, 79.9%, 55.5%, and 17.1% (log-rank p = 0.03). In
      the Cox regression with shared-frailty model, the risk of local progression in
      the LINAC group was almost twice that of the GK group (HR 1.92, p > 0.05). The
      mean OS was 16.0 months (95% CI 11.2-20.9 months) in the GK group, compared with
      20.9 months (95% CI 16.4-25.3 months) in the LINAC group. Univariate and
      multivariate analysis showed that a lower graded prognostic assessment (GPA)
      score, noncontrolled systemic status at last radiological assessment, and older
      age were associated with lower OS; after adjustment of these covariables by Cox
      regression, the OS was similar in the 2 groups. CONCLUSIONS In this retrospective
      study comparing GK and LINAC-based radiosurgery for brain metastases, patients
      with more severe disease were treated by GK, including those harboring lesions of
      greater number, of radioresistant type, or in highly functional areas. The risk
      of local progression for the LINAC group was almost twice that in the GK group,
      although the difference was not statistically significant. Importantly, the OS
      rates were similar for the 2 groups, although GK was used in patients with more
      complex brain metastatic disease and with no other therapeutic alternative.

PMID- 28338442
TI  - The Important Role of Health Care Alliances in Improving Strategies for Cancer
      Prevention Protocols.

PMID- 28338443
TI  - Fluorescent Labeling of Collagen Production by Cells for Noninvasive Imaging of
      Extracellular Matrix Deposition.
AB  - Extracellular matrix (ECM) is an essential component of tissues and provides both
      integrity and biological cues for cells. Collagen is one of the major proteins
      found within the ECM and therefore is an essential component of all engineered
      tissues. Therefore, in this article, we present a method for the online real-time
      monitoring of collagen deposition in three-dimensional engineered constructs.
      This method revolves around modification of collagen through the addition of
      azide-L-proline to cell culture media. The incorporation of azide-L-proline into
      the neocollagen produced by cells can then be detected by reaction with 10 mM of
      a Click-IT Alexa Fluor 488 DIBO Alkyne. The reaction was shown as being specific
      to the collagen as little background staining was observed in cultures, which did
      not contain the modified proline, and the staining was also depleted after
      treatment with collagenase and colocalization of collagen type I staining by
      immunochemistry assay. Real-time online staining of collagen deposition was
      observed under different culture conditions without affecting proliferation.
      Collagen deposition was observed to be increased under mechanical stimulation;
      however, the localization varied across stimulation regimes. This is a new
      technique for real-time monitoring of cell-produced collagen and will be a
      valuable addition to the tissue engineering field.

PMID- 28338444
TI  - The role of diet in multiple sclerosis: A review.
AB  - Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a multifactorial, inflammatory, and neurodegenerative
      disease of the central nervous system, where environmental factors interact with
      genetic susceptibility. The role of diet on MS has not been comprehensively
      elucidated; therefore, through an extensive search of relevant literature, this
      review reports the most significant evidence regarding nutrition as a possible co
      factor influencing the inflammatory cascade by acting on both its molecular
      pathways and gut microbiota. Since nutritional status and dietary habits in MS
      patients have not been extensively reported, the lack of a scientific-based
      consensus on dietary recommendation in MS could encourage many patients to
      experiment alternative dietetic regimens, increasing the risk of malnutrition.
      This work investigates the health implications of an unbalanced diet in MS, and
      collects recent findings on nutrients of great interest among MS patients and
      physicians. The aim of this review is to elucidate the role of an accurate
      nutritional counseling in MS to move toward a multidisciplinary management of the
      disease and to encourage future studies demonstrating the role of a healthy diet
      on the onset and course of MS.

PMID- 28338445
TI  - Socioeconomic status and outcomes after sport-related concussion: a preliminary
      investigation.
AB  - OBJECTIVE A significant proportion of patients experience long-term symptoms
      after sport-related concussion (SRC), and several factors have been associated
      with this protracted recovery. Limited data exist on the role of socioeconomic
      status (SES) on SRC outcomes. The objective in this study was to conduct a
      preliminary investigation to determine the effect of SES on outcomes after SRC in
      student-athletes treated at a regional sports concussion center. METHODS A
      retrospective cohort study of 282 middle school, high school, and collegiate
      student-athletes was conducted. An attempt was made to contact all patients seen
      at a comprehensive SRC center between January 2012 and May 2015 for in-depth
      interviews. Subsequent demographic data were collected. The SES was defined as
      follows: cost of living percentile, median income percentile, percentage of
      college graduates, percentage of homeowners, county type, and insurance status.
      Outcomes after SRC were defined as follows: days of symptom duration, days of
      missed school, and days of missed practice. Statistically controlled covariates
      included sex, race, age, body mass index, concussion history, neuropsychiatric
      history, and type of sport. RESULTS A total of 282 student-athletes consented and
      were studied. The median age was 15.8 years (range 11.6-22.2 years) and 61.4% of
      student-athletes were male. A previous concussion was incurred by 34.0% of
      student-athletes. Football was the most common sport (32.3%), followed by soccer
      (16.3%), and basketball (15.6%). The median symptom duration was 21 days (range 1
      365 days); the median missed school days was 2 (range 0-90 days); and median for
      days of missed practice was 10 (range 0-150 days). After multivariate Cox
      regression analysis, no relationship between any of the 6 SES variables and
      symptom duration or missed practice was seen. However, individuals with private
      insurance had more missed days of school than those with public insurance (hazard
      ratio 0.46, 95% CI 0.26-0.83, p = 0.009). CONCLUSIONS In a preliminary study of
      middle school, high school, and collegiate student-athletes, SES had no impact on
      the outcomes of symptom duration and missed practice. However, for individuals
      with private insurance, the return to school was slower than for those with
      public insurance. This pilot study reveals the complex relationship between SES
      and SRC recovery, which demands further study with more accurate and validated
      assessments of SES.

PMID- 28338446
TI  - The use of hippocampal volumetric measurements to improve diagnostic accuracy in
      pediatric patients with mesial temporal sclerosis.
AB  - OBJECTIVE Many patients with medically intractable epilepsy have mesial temporal
      sclerosis (MTS), which significantly affects their quality of life. The surgical
      excision of MTS lesions can result in marked improvement or even complete
      resolution of the epileptic episodes. Reliable radiological diagnosis of MTS is a
      clinical challenge. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the utility of
      volumetric mapping of the hippocampi for the identification of MTS in a case
      controlled series of pediatric patients who underwent resection for medically
      refractory epilepsy, using pathology as a gold standard. METHODS A cohort of 57
      pediatric patients who underwent resection for medically intractable epilepsy
      between 2005 and 2015 was evaluated. On pathological investigation, this group
      included 24 patients with MTS and 33 patients with non-MTS findings.
      Retrospective quantitative volumetric measurements of the hippocampi were
      acquired for 37 of these 57 patients. Two neuroradiologists with more than 10
      years of experience who were blinded to the patients' MTS status performed the
      retrospective review of MR images. To produce the volumetric data, MR scans were
      parcellated and segmented using the FreeSurfer software suite. Hippocampal
      regions of interest were compared against an age-weighted local regression curve
      generated with data from the pediatric normal cohort. Standard deviations and
      percentiles of specific subjects were calculated. The sensitivity, specificity,
      positive predictive value (PPV), and negative predictive value (NPV) were
      determined for the original clinical read and the expert readers. Receiver
      operating characteristic curves were generated for the methods of classification
      to compare results from the readers with the authors' results, and an optimal
      threshold was determined. From that threshold the sensitivity, specificity, PPV,
      and NPV were calculated for the volumetric analysis. RESULTS With the use of
      quantitative volumetry, a sensitivity of 72%, a specificity of 95%, a PPV of 93%,
      an NPV of 78%, and an area under the curve of 0.84 were obtained using a
      percentage difference of normalized hippocampal volume. The resulting specificity
      (95%) and PPV (93%) are superior to the original clinical read and to Reader A
      and Reader B's findings (range for specificity 74%-86% and for PPV 64%-71%). The
      sensitivity (72%) and NPV (78%) are comparable to Reader A's findings (73% and
      81%, respectively) and are better than those of the original clinical read and of
      Reader B (sensitivity 45% and 63% and NPV 71% and 70%, respectively). CONCLUSIONS
      Volumetric measurement of the hippocampi outperforms expert readers in
      specificity and PPV, and it demonstrates comparable to superior sensitivity and
      NPV. Volumetric measurements can complement anatomical imaging for the
      identification of MTS, much like a computer-aided detection tool would. The
      implementation of this approach in the daily clinical workflow could
      significantly improve diagnostic accuracy.

PMID- 28338447
TI  - Vein of Galen malformation treated with the Micro Vascular Plug system: case
      report.
AB  - This case report describes the use of the Micro Vascular Plug (MVP) system in a
      mural-type vein of Galen aneurysmal malformation, resulting in successful
      occlusion of the cerebrovascular fistula. This result was confirmed with
      immediate cessation in blood flow and 6-month follow-up angiography. The unique
      characteristics of the MVP provide potential advantages over current embolic
      techniques for occlusion of high-flow, fistulous, intracranial vessels such as
      those seen in the vein of Galen aneurysmal malformation, and may represent a
      valuable addition to the currently available options.

PMID- 28338448
TI  - Frederic Bartlett: A question of priority.

PMID- 28338449
TI  - Development of a preoperative predictive model for major complications following
      adult spinal deformity surgery.
AB  - OBJECTIVE The operative management of patients with adult spinal deformity (ASD)
      has a high complication rate and it remains unknown whether baseline patient
      characteristics and surgical variables can predict early complications
      (intraoperative and perioperative [within 6 weeks]). The development of an
      accurate preoperative predictive model can aid in patient counseling, shared
      decision making, and improved surgical planning. The purpose of this study was to
      develop a model based on baseline demographic, radiographic, and surgical factors
      that can predict if patients will sustain an intraoperative or perioperative
      major complication. METHODS This study was a retrospective analysis of a
      prospective, multicenter ASD database. The inclusion criteria were age >= 18
      years and the presence of ASD. In total, 45 variables were used in the initial
      training of the model including demographic data, comorbidities, modifiable
      surgical variables, baseline health-related quality of life, and coronal and
      sagittal radiographic parameters. Patients were grouped as either having at least
      1 major intraoperative or perioperative complication (COMP group) or not (NOCOMP
      group). An ensemble of decision trees was constructed utilizing the C5.0
      algorithm with 5 different bootstrapped models. Internal validation was
      accomplished via a 70/30 data split for training and testing each model,
      respectively. Overall accuracy, the area under the receiver operating
      characteristic (AUROC) curve, and predictor importance were calculated. RESULTS
      Five hundred fifty-seven patients were included: 409 (73.4%) in the NOCOMP group,
      and 148 (26.6%) in the COMP group. The overall model accuracy was 87.6% correct
      with an AUROC curve of 0.89 indicating a very good model fit. Twenty variables
      were determined to be the top predictors (importance >= 0.90 as determined by the
      model) and included (in decreasing importance): age, leg pain, Oswestry
      Disability Index, number of decompression levels, number of interbody fusion
      levels, Physical Component Summary of the SF-36, Scoliosis Research Society (SRS)
      Schwab coronal curve type, Charlson Comorbidity Index, SRS activity, T-1 pelvic
      angle, American Society of Anesthesiologists grade, presence of osteoporosis,
      pelvic tilt, sagittal vertical axis, primary versus revision surgery, SRS pain,
      SRS total, use of bone morphogenetic protein, use of iliac crest graft, and
      pelvic incidence-lumbar lordosis mismatch. CONCLUSIONS A successful model (87%
      accuracy, 0.89 AUROC curve) was built predicting major intraoperative or
      perioperative complications following ASD surgery. This model can provide the
      foundation toward improved education and point-of-care decision making for
      patients undergoing ASD surgery.

PMID- 28338450
TI  - Postoperative quality-of-life assessment in patients with spine metastases
      treated with long-segment pedicle-screw fixation.
AB  - OBJECTIVE In recent decades, progress in the medical management of cancer has
      been significant, resulting in considerable extension of survival for patients
      with metastatic disease. This has, in turn, led to increased attention to the
      optimal surgical management of bone lesions, including metastases to the spine.
      In addition, there has been a shift in focus toward improving quality of life and
      reducing hospital stay for these patients, and many minimally invasive techniques
      have been introduced with the aim of reducing the morbidity associated with more
      traditional open approaches. The goal of this study was to assess the efficacy of
      long-segment percutaneous pedicle screw stabilization for the treatment of
      instability associated with thoracolumbar spine metastases in neurologically
      intact patients. METHODS This study was a retrospective review of data from a
      prospective database. The authors analyzed cases in which long-segment
      percutaneous pedicle screw fixation was performed for the palliative treatment of
      thoracolumbar spinal instability due to spinal metastases in neurologically
      intact patients. All of the patients included in the study underwent surgery
      between January 2014 and May 2015 at the authors' institution. Postoperative
      radiation therapy was planned within 10 days following the stabilization in all
      cases. Clinical and radiological follow-up assessments were planned for 3 days, 3
      weeks, 6 weeks, 3 months, 6 months, and 1 year after surgery. Outcome was
      assessed by means of standard postoperative evaluation and oncological and spinal
      quality of life measures (European Organisation for Research and Treatment of
      Cancer Quality of Life Questionnaire Version 3.0 [EORTC QLQ-C30] and Oswestry
      Disability Index [ODI], respectively). Moreover, 5 patients were given an
      activity monitoring device for recording the distance walked daily; preoperative
      and postoperative daily distances were compared. RESULTS Data from 17 cases were
      analyzed. There were no complications, and patients showed improvement in pain
      level and quality of life from the early postoperative period on. The mean ODI
      score was 62.7 (range 40-84) preoperatively, 35.4 (range 24-59) on postoperative
      Day 3, and 46.1 (range 30-76) at 3 weeks, 37.6 (range 25-59) at 6 weeks, 34.0
      (range 24-59) at 3 months, 39.1 (range 22-64) at 6 months, and 30.0 (range 20-55)
      at 1 year after screw placement. The mean ODI was significantly improved in the
      first 45 days (p < 0.001). Improvement was also evident in scores for functional
      and symptomatic scales of the EORTC QLQ-C30. All patients underwent postoperative
      radiation therapy within 10 days (mean 7.5). All patients (n = 5) with an
      activity monitoring device showed improvement in daily walking distance.
      CONCLUSIONS Less-invasive palliative treatment for advanced spinal metastases is
      promising as part of a multidisciplinary approach to the care of patients with
      metastatic disease. The results of this study indicate that percutaneous surgery
      may allow for rapid improvement in quality of life and walking ability for
      patients with thoracolumbar instability due to spine metastases. Long-segment
      percutaneous screw fixation followed by early radiation therapy appears to be a
      safe and effective treatment option for providing solid and durable stability and
      improved quality of life for these patients.

PMID- 28338451
TI  - Superficial siderosis of the central nervous system associated with intraspinal
      hemorrhage from ventral thoracic epidural veins and a ventral spinal CSF leak:
      case report.
AB  - In most patients with superficial siderosis of the CNS, the exact source of
      bleeding remains unknown because of a lack of objective surgical data. The
      authors herein describe the case of a 58-year-old man with superficial siderosis
      of the CNS. The patient also had spinal CSF leakage due to a spinal dural defect.
      Repair surgery for the dural defect was performed using posterior laminoplasty
      with a transdural approach without spinal fixation. During repair surgery, the
      bleeding source was found to be the epidural vein around the defect. The
      intraoperative and histological results of the present case suggest that epidural
      veins exposed to CSF represent a chronic bleeding source in patients with
      superficial siderosis of the CNS complicated by CSF leakage. Dural repair surgery
      may result in discontinuation of the CSF leaks, resolution of the epidural CSF
      collection, and cessation of chronic epidural bleeding.

PMID- 28338452
TI  - Differentiation of idiopathic spinal cord herniation from dorsal arachnoid webs
      on MRI and CT myelography.
AB  - OBJECTIVE Dorsal arachnoid webs (DAWs) and spinal cord herniation (SCH) are
      uncommon abnormalities affecting the thoracic spinal cord that can result in
      syringomyelia and significant neurological morbidity if left untreated.
      Differentiating these 2 entities on the basis of clinical presentation and
      radiological findings remains challenging but is of vital importance in planning
      a surgical approach. The authors examined the differences between DAWs and
      idiopathic SCH on MRI and CT myelography to improve diagnostic confidence prior
      to surgery. METHODS Review of the picture archiving and communication system
      (PACS) database between 2005 and 2015 identified 6 patients with DAW and 5 with
      SCH. Clinical data including demographic information, presenting symptoms and
      neurological signs, and surgical reports were collected from the electronic
      medical records. Ten of the 11 patients underwent MRI. CT myelography was
      performed in 3 patients with DAW and in 1 patient with SCH. Imaging studies were
      analyzed by 2 board-certified neuroradiologists for the following features: 1)
      location of the deformity; 2) presence or absence of cord signal abnormality or
      syringomyelia; 3) visible arachnoid web; 4) presence of a dural defect; 5) nature
      of dorsal cord indentation (abrupt "scalpel sign" vs "C"-shaped); 6) focal
      ventral cord kink; 7) presence of the nuclear trail sign (endplate irregularity,
      sclerosis, and/or disc-space calcification that could suggest a migratory path of
      a herniated disc); and 8) visualization of a complete plane of CSF ventral to the
      deformity. RESULTS The scalpel sign was positive in all patients with DAW. The
      dorsal indentation was C-shaped in 5 of 6 patients with SCH. The ventral
      subarachnoid space was preserved in all patients with DAW and interrupted in
      cases of SCH. In no patient was a web or a dural defect identified. CONCLUSIONS
      DAW and SCH can be reliably distinguished on imaging by scrutinizing the nature
      of the dorsal indentation and the integrity of the ventral subarachnoid space at
      the level of the cord deformity.

PMID- 28338453
TI  - Letter to the Editor. The ancient "apples and oranges" conundrum: a call for
      methodological precision.

PMID- 28338454
TI  - Impact of preoperative diagnosis on patient satisfaction following lumbar spine
      surgery.
AB  - OBJECTIVE Patient satisfaction is a commonly used metric in the current health
      care environment. While factors that affect patient satisfaction following spine
      surgery are complex, the authors of this study hypothesized that specific
      diagnostic groups of patients are more likely to be satisfied after spine surgery
      and that this is reflected in patient-reported outcome measures. The purpose of
      this study was to determine if the preoperative diagnosis-disc herniation,
      stenosis, spondylolisthesis, adjacent segment degeneration, or mechanical disc
      collapse-would impact patient satisfaction following surgery. METHODS Patients
      enrolled in the Quality Outcomes Database, formerly known as the National
      Neurosurgery Quality and Outcomes Database (N2QOD), completed patient-reported
      outcome measures, including the Oswestry Disability Index (ODI) and Numeric
      Rating Scale (NRS) for back pain (NRS-BP) and leg pain (NRS-LP) preoperatively
      and 1-year postoperatively. Patients were stratified by diagnosis and by their
      response to the satisfaction question: 1) surgery met my expectations; 2) I did
      not improve as much as I hoped, but I would undergo the same operation for the
      same results; 3) surgery helped, but I would not undergo the same operation for
      the same results; or 4) I am the same or worse as compared with before surgery.
      RESULTS A greater proportion of patients with primary disc herniation or
      spondylolisthesis reported that surgery met expectations (66% and 67%,
      respectively), followed by recurrent disc herniation and stenosis (59% and 60%,
      respectively). A smaller proportion of patients who underwent surgery for
      adjacent segment degeneration or mechanical disc collapse had their expectations
      met (48% and 41%, respectively). The percentage of patients that would undergo
      the same surgery again, by diagnostic group, was as follows: disc herniation 88%,
      recurrent disc herniation 79%, spondylolisthesis 86%, stenosis 82%, adjacent
      segment disease 75%, and mechanical collapse 73%. Regardless of diagnosis, mean
      improvement and ultimate 1-year postoperative ODI, NRS-BP, and NRS-LP reflected
      patient satisfaction. CONCLUSIONS Preoperative diagnosis was predictive of
      patient satisfaction following spine surgery. The mean change in and 1-year ODI,
      NRS-BP, and NRS-LP reflected patient satisfaction regardless of preoperative
      diagnosis.

PMID- 28338455
TI  - Long-term administration of bisphosphonate to reduce local recurrence of sacral
      giant cell tumor after nerve-sparing surgery.
AB  - OBJECTIVE The objective of this study was to investigate the effect of long-term
      bisphosphonate treatment on reducing local recurrence of sacral giant cell tumors
      (GCTs) after nerve-sparing surgery. METHODS Thirty-five consecutive patients with
      sacral GCTs who received treatment in Shanghai Changzheng Hospital between
      January 2000 and December 2010 were included in this study. Between January 2007
      and December 2010, 19 patients received bisphosphonates following nerve-sparing
      surgery. Before January 2007, 16 patients received nerve-sparing surgery alone,
      and these cases were included as the control group. The difference in clinical
      data between the groups was compared by Student's t-test and 2-tailed chi-square
      or Fisher's exact test. The postoperative recurrence-free survival (RFS) and
      overall survival (OS) rates were estimated by the Kaplan-Meier method and
      compared between the groups by log-rank test. A p value < 0.05 was considered
      statistically significant. RESULTS All of the patients had relatively good nerve
      function. The clinical data were homogeneous between the groups. The local
      recurrence rate was 10.53% (2 of 19) in the bisphosphonate treatment group and
      43.75% (7 of 16) in the control group. The log-rank test showed that the 3-year
      RFS and 3-year OS in the bisphosphonate treatment group were significantly higher
      than those in the control group (RFS 89.5% vs 56.3%, p = 0.04; OS 100% vs 81.3%,
      p = 0.05). CONCLUSIONS The long-term use of bisphosphonates after nerve-sparing
      surgery is a viable option for the treatment of sacral GCTs. This approach could
      reduce local recurrences while preserving nerve function.

PMID- 28338457
TI  - Transplant Renal Vein Thrombosis.
AB  - Transplant renal vein thrombosis usually occurs early after surgery with a
      reported prevalence of 0.1% to 4.2%. It is a devastating event that ultimately
      leads to graft loss in almost all cases. There are many predisposing factors
      related to donor, recipient, surgery, and immunosuppression, with mechanical
      factors being considered the most common causes of transplant renal vein
      thrombosis. The clinical manifestations of acute renal vein thrombosis are
      nonspecific and are not dissimilar to the features of urine leak, urinary
      obstruction, or severe acute rejection. The diagnosis of transplant renal vein
      thrombosis depends on a high index of clinical suspicion and duplex
      ultrasonographic scans. Although venography remains the criterion standard, this
      procedure is invasive and nephrotoxic, due to use of ionizing contrast agents and
      also due to exposure to ionizing radiation. There are 2 therapies that have been
      described in the literature for salvaging a renal allograft with transplant renal
      vein thrombosis: thrombolytic therapy and surgical thrombectomy. The usual end
      result is renal allograft.

PMID- 28338458
TI  - Hepatitis B in Solid-Organ Transplant Procedures Other Than Liver.
AB  - Transplant is often the best treatment available for patients with end-stage
      organ failure. Hepatitis B virus infection in transplant procedures other than
      liver is a major concern because it can be a significant cause of morbidity and
      mortality after transplant. Due to the increased risk of hepatic complications,
      such as fibrosing cholestatic hepatitis or histologic deterioration after
      transplant, systematic use of nucleoside or nucleotide analogues shortly before
      or at the time of transplant is recommended (tenofovir or entecavir are
      preferable to lamivudine) in all patients, whatever the baseline histologic
      evaluation. Sustained viral suppression may result in regression of fibrosis,
      which in turn may lead to decreased disease-related morbidity and improved
      survival. Finally, due to the high mortality after nonliver transplant
      procedures, decompensated cirrhosis from chronic hepatitis B should be considered
      as a contraindication to nonliver transplant but an indication to combined organ
      transplant (ie, liver-kidney transplant). Because of the high prevalence of
      hepatitis B virus exposure in allograft donors and recipients, hepatitis B virus
      status must be considered during organ allocation. Prevention of hepatitis B
      virus-related complications in transplant recipients starts with vaccination and
      donor-recipient matching.

PMID- 28338459
TI  - Comparison of Pfannenstiel or Extended Iliac Port Site Kidney Extraction in
      Laparoscopic Donor Nephrectomy: Do We Have Consensus?
AB  - OBJECTIVES: Our objective was to compare the outcomes of the different extraction
      sites between extended iliac port site incision and Pfannenstiel incision during
      laparoscopic donor nephrectomy. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We prospectively evaluated
      patients who underwent laparoscopic donor nephrectomy from June 2014 to March
      2015 at our institution. Perioperative parameters were included, with particular
      reference to warm ischemic time. The other parameters recorded included operative
      time, blood loss, hospital stay, analgesic requirement, and cosmetic results.
      RESULTS: We analyzed a total of 41 patients. Kidney retrieval site of each
      patient was made randomly. Extraction sites were done by using extended iliac
      port site incisions in 23 patients and by Pfannenstiel incision in 18 patients.
      Mean warm ischemic time was 4.09 minutes with extended iliac port site incision
      versus 4.94 minutes with Pfannenstiel incision (P = .04). Mean operative time,
      blood loss, hospital stay, and analgesic requirements were comparable between the
      2 groups. Mean cosmetic score was 10.39 with extended iliac port site versus
      12.06 with Pfannenstiel incision. CONCLUSIONS: Extraction with extended iliac
      port site incision had significantly less warm ischemic time than Pfannenstiel
      incision in laparoscopic donor nephrectomy. It was also not inferior to
      Pfannenstiel incision regarding the other.

PMID- 28338460
TI  - Role of Computed Tomography Volumetry in Estimating Liver Weights in Surgical
      Patients with Hepatic Steatosis.
AB  - OBJECTIVES: Our objective was to assess the accuracy of computed tomography
      volumetry in estimating liver volume in steatotic patients. MATERIALS AND
      METHODS: We divided 641 liver donors (mean age 27 years, 71% male) into 4 groups
      according to the extent of steatosis on predonation biopsy: with < 5% comprising
      group 1, 5% to 9% comprising group 2, 10% to 19% comprising group 3, and >= 20%
      comprising group 4. Graft mass estimation error (%) was calculated as follows:
      [(computed tomography-measured volume minus graft weight)/graft weight] * 100. We
      obtained estimation errors, intraclass correlation coefficients, and Pearson
      correlation coefficients across the groups. RESULTS: Baseline alanine
      aminotransferase and gammaglutamyltranspeptidase values were signi ficantly
      correlated with extent of steatosis. Mean graft weight and computed tomography
      measured volume were 725.9 g and 741.2 mL. Mean estimation errors were comparable
      (1.5% for group 1, 2.7% for group 2, 3.0% for group 3, and 3.9% for group 4; P =
      .77). In multivariate linear regression, estimation error was inversely
      correlated with high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (P = .008). Overall, there
      was an excellent agreement between measured volume and actual weight, with
      intraclass correlation coefficients over 0.85 and Pearson correlation
      coefficients over 0.70 in all groups (P < .001). CONCLUSIONS: Preoperative
      computed tomography volumetry is an accurate tool for estimating volume
      regardless of the extent of steatosis.

PMID- 28338461
TI  - Mesenchymal Stem Cells Suppress Chronic Rejection in Heterotopic Small Intestine
      Transplant Rat Models Via Inhibition of CD68, Transforming Growth Factor- beta1,
      and Platelet-Derived Growth Factor Expression.
AB  - OBJECTIVES: Mesenchymal stem cells are easy to obtain and expand, with
      characteristics of low immunogenicity and strong tissue repair capacity. In this
      study, our aim was to investigate the role of mesenchymal stem cells in chronic
      immune rejection of heterotopic small intestine transplant in rats. MATERIALS AND
      METHODS: After successfully constructing a rat chronic immune rejection model of
      heterotopic small intestine transplant, we infused mesenchymal stem cells into
      the animal recipients. We observed mesenchymal stem cell location in the
      recipients, recipient survival, pathology changes, and the expression of CD68,
      transforming growth factor beta1, and platelet-derived growth factor C in the
      donor intestine. RESULTS: Mesenchymal stem cells inhibited the lymphocyte
      proliferation caused by concanavalin A in vitro. After stem cells were infused
      into recipients, they were mainly located in the donor intestine, as well as in
      the spleen and thymus. Recovery after transplant and pathology changes of the
      donor intestine in rats with stem cell infusion were better than in the control
      group; however, we observed no differences in survival time, accompanied by
      downregulated expression of CD68, transforming growth factor beta1, and platelet
      derived growth factor C. CONCLUSIONS: Mesenchymal stem cells, to a certain
      extent, could inhibit the process of chronic rejection. The mechanisms may
      include the inhibited function of these cells on lymphocyte proliferation,
      reduced infiltration of macrophages, and reduced expression of transforming
      growth factor beta1 and platelet-derived growth factor C.

PMID- 28338462
TI  - Perioperative Calcium, Magnesium, and Phosphorus in Living Liver Donors.

PMID- 28338463
TI  - Doceo ergo sum: mentoring surgeons.

PMID- 28338465
TI  - [A la memoire du Dr Jean Couture, un grand chirurgien au Canada et en Chine (1924
      2016)].

PMID- 28338466
TI  - Surrogate end points save lives.
AB  - SUMMARY: Patient-centric markers are important, and when they can be conveniently
      measured they should dominate research questions. However, when the research
      question pertains to serious or potentially fatal illnesses and it will take
      years or even decades to answer with patient-centric outcomes, then a pragmatic
      approach based on common sense and surrogate markers should be adopted. This
      commentary discusses the important role that surrogate markers can play in
      medical research.

PMID- 28338467
TI  - Somewhere in France (9 April 17): a centenary review of medical arrangements at
      Vimy Ridge.
AB  - SUMMARY: In April 1917, medical units of the 4 divisions of the Canadian Corps
      combined for the first time in support of a single action, the assault upon Vimy
      Ridge. Detailed planning, infrastructure development, information dissemination
      and rehearsal were features of preparations by the combat arms and medical
      elements of the Canadian Forces. Extraordinary coordination resulted in the rapid
      rescue and evacuation by Canadian medical services of 8000 casualties over 4
      days. Characteristics of today's military medical services are evident in the
      work of the Canadian Army Medical Corps 100 years ago.

PMID- 28338468
TI  - Endoscopic mucosal resection for high-grade dysplasia and intramucosal carcinoma:
      a Canadian experience.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Endoscopic mucosal resection (EMR) is increasingly being used as a
      first-line treatment for Barrett esophagus (BE) with high-grade dysplasia (HGD)
      and intramucosal adenocarcinoma (IMC). We reviewed our experience with endoscopic
      treatment of BE with HGD and IMC at our institution with respect to eradication
      rates, complications and long-term recurrence. METHODS: We performed a single
      centre retrospective review of all patients referred between October 2010 and
      August 2014 for EMR with dysplastic BE or IMC. We performed EMR using a cap
      fitted endoscope, and the procedure was repeated every 3 months until eradication
      or progression of disease. RESULTS: A total of 28 patients were identified: 16
      with dysplastic BE (14 HGD, 1 low-grade dysplasia, 1 intermediate dysplasia) and
      12 with IMC. Complete eradication of HGD was achieved in 11 of 14 (79%) patients.
      Three of 12 (25%) patients initially referred with suspected IMC were found to
      have invasive adenocarcinoma on EMR. Eradication was successful in 8 of 9 (89%)
      patients with true IMC, with 1 patient progressing to salvage esophagectomy.
      Complications occurred in 2 of 28 (7%) patients; both had esophageal strictures
      managed with dilatation. Median duration of follow-up was 371 days. CONCLUSION:
      Our experience supports the safety of EMR as a first-line treatment for patients
      with BE with dysplasia and IMC in early short-term follow-up.

PMID- 28338469
TI  - The utility of thyroid ultrasonography in the management of thyroid nodules.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Ultrasonography for thyroid nodules is one of the most common imaging
      tests performed in the general population. Details from ultrasound reports guide
      biopsies and surgery. This study quantifies the completeness of these reports
      based on Thyroid Imaging and Reporting System (TI-RADS) criteria and considers
      their utility in predicting malignant disease. METHODS: We retrospectively
      reviewed ultrasound reports for 329 thyroidectomy patients and extracted data
      elements using the TI-RADS criteria: nodule size, echogenicity, margins,
      vascularity, solid/cystic composition and the presence or absence of
      microcalcifications and the halo sign. We assessed the reports to determine
      whether individual or multiple criteria were associated with malignancy. RESULTS:
      More than 97% of reports document nodule size; however, more than 90% of the
      reports noted only 3 or fewer of the 6 remaining TI-RADS criteria. The presence
      of microcalcifications was the most sensitive marker of malignancy (> 90%),
      whereas the documentation of irregular margins was the most specific indicator of
      malignancy (88%). Overall it was clear that microcalcifications,
      hypoechogenicity, irregular margins and solid nodules were significantly more
      likely to be found in malignant neoplasms; their absence predicted benign
      disease. Because so few reports consistently documented all criteria, the overall
      ability of thyroid ultrasonography to discriminate between lowerand higher-risk
      nodules is limited. CONCLUSION: Although the accuracy of thyroid ultrasonography
      is good, few ultrasound reports contain the necessary information, as defined by
      TI-RADS, to predict malignancy and guide management. When reported,
      microcalcifications and/or irregular margins are the best predictors of
      malignancy.

PMID- 28338470
TI  - Reducing scan angle using adaptive prior knowledge for a limited-angle
      intrafraction verification (LIVE) system for conformal arc radiotherapy.
AB  - The purpose of this study is to develop an adaptive prior knowledge guided image
      estimation technique to reduce the scan angle needed in the limited-angle
      intrafraction verification (LIVE) system for 4D-CBCT reconstruction. The LIVE
      system has been previously developed to reconstruct 4D volumetric images on-the
      fly during arc treatment for intrafraction target verification and dose
      calculation. In this study, we developed an adaptive constrained free-form
      deformation reconstruction technique in LIVE to further reduce the scanning angle
      needed to reconstruct the 4D-CBCT images for faster intrafraction verification.
      This technique uses free form deformation with energy minimization to deform
      prior images to estimate 4D-CBCT based on kV-MV projections acquired in extremely
      limited angle (orthogonal 3 degrees ) during the treatment. Note that the prior
      images are adaptively updated using the latest CBCT images reconstructed by LIVE
      during treatment to utilize the continuity of the respiratory motion. The 4D
      digital extended-cardiac-torso (XCAT) phantom and a CIRS 008A dynamic thoracic
      phantom were used to evaluate the effectiveness of this technique. The
      reconstruction accuracy of the technique was evaluated by calculating both the
      center-of-mass-shift (COMS) and 3D volume-percentage-difference (VPD) of the
      tumor in reconstructed images and the true on-board images. The performance of
      the technique was also assessed with varied breathing signals against scanning
      angle, lesion size, lesion location, projection sampling interval, and scanning
      direction. In the XCAT study, using orthogonal-view of 3 degrees  kV and portal
      MV projections, this technique achieved an average tumor COMS/VPD of 0.4  +/- 
      0.1 mm/5.5  +/-  2.2%, 0.6  +/-  0.3 mm/7.2  +/-  2.8%, 0.5  +/-  0.2 mm/7.1  +/-
      2.6%, 0.6  +/-  0.2 mm/8.3  +/-  2.4%, for baseline drift, amplitude variation,
      phase shift, and patient breathing signal variation, respectively. In the CIRS
      phantom study, this technique achieved an average tumor COMS/VPD of 0.7  +/-  0.1
      mm/7.5  +/-  1.3% for a 3 cm lesion and 0.6  +/-  0.2 mm/11.4  +/-  1.5% for a 2
      cm lesion in the baseline drift case. The average tumor COMS/VPD were 0.5  +/- 
      0.2 mm/10.8  +/-  1.4%, 0.4  +/-  0.3 mm/7.3  +/-  2.9%, 0.4  +/-  0.2 mm/7.4  +/
      2.5%, 0.4  +/-  0.2 mm/7.3  +/-  2.8% for the four real patient breathing
      signals, respectively. Results demonstrated that the adaptive prior knowledge
      guided image estimation technique with LIVE system is robust against scanning
      angle, lesion size, location and scanning direction. It can estimate on-board
      images accurately with as little as 6 projections in orthogonal-view 3 degrees 
      angle. In conclusion, adaptive prior knowledge guided image reconstruction
      technique accurately estimates 4D-CBCT images using extremely-limited angle and
      projections. This technique greatly improves the efficiency and accuracy of LIVE
      system for ultrafast 4D intrafraction verification of lung SBRT treatments.

PMID- 28338471
TI  - Generalized PSF modeling for optimized quantitation in PET imaging.
AB  - Point-spread function (PSF) modeling offers the ability to account for resolution
      degrading phenomena within the PET image generation framework. PSF modeling
      improves resolution and enhances contrast, but at the same time significantly
      alters image noise properties and induces edge overshoot effect. Thus, studying
      the effect of PSF modeling on quantitation task performance can be very
      important. Frameworks explored in the past involved a dichotomy of PSF versus no
      PSF modeling. By contrast, the present work focuses on quantitative performance
      evaluation of standard uptake value (SUV) PET images, while incorporating a wide
      spectrum of PSF models, including those that under- and over-estimate the true
      PSF, for the potential of enhanced quantitation of SUVs. The developed framework
      first analytically models the true PSF, considering a range of resolution
      degradation phenomena (including photon non-collinearity, inter-crystal
      penetration and scattering) as present in data acquisitions with modern
      commercial PET systems. In the context of oncologic liver FDG PET imaging, we
      generated 200 noisy datasets per image-set (with clinically realistic noise
      levels) using an XCAT anthropomorphic phantom with liver tumours of varying
      sizes. These were subsequently reconstructed using the OS-EM algorithm with
      varying PSF modelled kernels. We focused on quantitation of both SUVmean and
      SUVmax, including assessment of contrast recovery coefficients, as well as noise
      bias characteristics (including both image roughness and coefficient of
      variability), for different tumours/iterations/PSF kernels. It was observed that
      overestimated PSF yielded more accurate contrast recovery for a range of tumours,
      and typically improved quantitative performance. For a clinically reasonable
      number of iterations, edge enhancement due to PSF modeling (especially due to
      over-estimated PSF) was in fact seen to lower SUVmean bias in small tumours.
      Overall, the results indicate that exactly matched PSF modeling does not offer
      optimized PET quantitation, and that PSF overestimation may provide enhanced SUV
      quantitation. Furthermore, generalized PSF modeling may provide a valuable
      approach for quantitative tasks such as treatment-response assessment and
      prognostication.

PMID- 28338472
TI  - Robust cardiac motion estimation using ultrafast ultrasound data: a low-rank
      topology-preserving approach.
AB  - Cardiac motion estimation is an important diagnostic tool for detecting heart
      diseases and it has been explored with modalities such as MRI and conventional
      ultrasound (US) sequences. US cardiac motion estimation still presents challenges
      because of complex motion patterns and the presence of noise. In this work, we
      propose a novel approach to estimate cardiac motion using ultrafast ultrasound
      data. Our solution is based on a variational formulation characterized by the L 2
      regularized class. Displacement is represented by a lattice of b-splines and we
      ensure robustness, in the sense of eliminating outliers, by applying a maximum
      likelihood type estimator. While this is an important part of our solution, the
      main object of this work is to combine low-rank data representation with topology
      preservation. Low-rank data representation (achieved by finding the k-dominant
      singular values of a Casorati matrix arranged from the data sequence) speeds up
      the global solution and achieves noise reduction. On the other hand, topology
      preservation (achieved by monitoring the Jacobian determinant) allows one to
      radically rule out distortions while carefully controlling the size of allowed
      expansions and contractions. Our variational approach is carried out on a
      realistic dataset as well as on a simulated one. We demonstrate how our proposed
      variational solution deals with complex deformations through careful numerical
      experiments. The low-rank constraint speeds up the convergence of the
      optimization problem while topology preservation ensures a more accurate
      displacement. Beyond cardiac motion estimation, our approach is promising for the
      analysis of other organs that exhibit motion.

PMID- 28338473
TI  - Impact absorption properties of carbon fiber reinforced bucky sponges.
AB  - We describe the super compressible and highly recoverable response of bucky
      sponges as they are struck by a heavy flat-punch striker. The bucky sponges
      studied here are structurally stable, self-assembled mixtures of multiwalled
      carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) and carbon fibers (CFs). We engineered the
      microstructure of the sponges by controlling their porosity using different CF
      contents. Their mechanical properties and energy dissipation characteristics
      during impact loading are presented as a function of their composition. The
      inclusion of CFs improves the impact force damping by up to 50% and the specific
      damping capacity by up to 7% compared to bucky sponges without CFs. The sponges
      also exhibit significantly better stress mitigation characteristics compared to
      vertically aligned CNT foams of similar densities. We show that delamination
      occurs at the MWCNT-CF interfaces during unloading, and it arises from the
      heterogeneous fibrous microstructure of the bucky sponges.

PMID- 28338474
TI  - Kagome-like chains with anisotropic ferromagnetic and antiferromagnetic
      interactions.
AB  - We consider a spin-[Formula: see text] kagome-like chain with competing ferro-
      and antiferromagnetic anisotropic exchange interactions. The ground state phase
      diagram of this model consists of the ferromagnetic and ferrimagnetic phases. We
      study the ground state and the low-temperature properties on the phase boundary
      between these phases. The ground state on this phase boundary is macroscopically
      degenerate and consists of localized magnon states. We calculate the ground state
      degeneracy and corresponding residual entropy. The spontaneous magnetization has
      a jump on the phase boundary confirming the first-order type of the phase
      transition. In the limit of a strong anisotropy, the spectrum of the low-energy
      excitations has multi-scale structure governing the peculiar features of the
      specific heat behavior.

PMID- 28338475
TI  - Evidence of a permanent electric polarisation in highly strained Cr2O3 clusters
      measured by a second harmonic generation technique.
AB  - We investigate the second harmonic generation (SHG) signal in strained Cr2O3
      clusters. We show that the SHG signal generated by nanometric Cr2O3 clusters
      embedded in MgO varies under an applied electric field, at room temperature. The
      variation of the intensity follows a Langevin law as a function of the electric
      field, which is consistent with a super-paraelectric clusters assembly. This
      reveals the presence of a weak spontaneous electric dipole in Cr2O3 when in the
      shape of highly strained epitaxial clusters, whereas this material does not
      posses any permanent electric dipole in the bulk phase. These results indicate
      that the multiferroic state recently observed at low temperature in those
      clusters, which was associated to a giant magneto-electric effect, might still
      exist at room temperature: this opens the way to new applications based on
      chromium oxide strained nanoparticles.

PMID- 28338476
TI  - Frank-Kasper sigma phase in polybutadiene-poly(epsilon-caprolactone) diblock
      copolymer/polybutadiene blends.
AB  - Microphase-separated structures in a polybutadiene-poly(epsilon-caprolactone)
      diblock copolymer (PB-PCL)/polybutadiene homopolymer (PB) blend were investigated
      by small-angle x-ray scattering (SAXS). Non-equilibrium spherical micelles were
      observed at temperatures ranging between 60 and 100  degrees C. An SAXS profile
      with  >60 scattering peaks was recorded at 140  degrees C. All the peak positions
      were in good agreement with theoretical Frank-Kasper sigma phase peak positions.
      Thus, these results indicate the formation of a Frank-Kasper sigma phase in the
      PB-PCL/PB blend at 140  degrees C.

PMID- 28338477
TI  - Osmotic and Hemodynamic Effects of Hypertonic Glucose During Hemodialysis.
AB  - It was the purpose to quantify the hemodynamic effects of a bolus of hypertonic
      glucose injected into the extracorporeal system in a group of stable and
      nondiabetic patients during hemodialysis (HD). Glucose and electrolytes were
      measured in frequent intervals. Arterial blood pressures and heart rates were
      continuously recorded by noninvasive vascular unloading technique. Beat-to-beat
      stroke volume, cardiac output, and total peripheral resistance were determined by
      Modelflow method. Relative blood volumes were continuously measured by ultrasonic
      and optical means. Eight patients were studied in two treatments. Although
      arterial pressures and heart rates remained stable, stroke volume and cardiac
      output transiently increased above (19.2 +/- 12.3%) and total peripheral
      resistance dropped below baseline (18.2 +/- 8.6%) by a comparable magnitude.
      Relative blood volume transiently increased above baseline at 100% (104.9 +/-
      1.0%). Glucose concentrations were significantly related to relative blood
      volumes (r = 0.86, p < 0.001). In spite of a substantial increase in blood
      volume, a bolus of hypertonic glucose does not increase arterial pressures in
      nondiabetic patients because of concomitant vasodilatation. The relative increase
      in blood volume quantified by noninvasive HD technology follows the course of
      glucose and could be used as a surrogate to characterize patients with regard to
      their glucose metabolism during HD.

PMID- 28338478
TI  - Like Two Peas in a Pod: Heart Failure and Atrial Fibrillation.

PMID- 28338479
TI  - The Origins of Continuous Renal Replacement Therapy.
AB  - Peter Kramer's presentation at the 1982 ASAIO meeting was the inspiration that
      led to continuous renal replacement therapy in intensive care.

PMID- 28338480
TI  - The Challenges in Predicting ECMO Survival, and a Path Forward.
AB  - Extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) support is a life-saving but complex
      technique for patients suffering from severe cardiac or pulmonary dysfunction.
      Increasingly greater utilization in the last 15 years means that a suite of
      mortality risk analytics is both feasible for researchers and required by
      clinicians, patients, administrators, and insurers. We argue that to date,
      research into such risk analytics has been insufficient and does not adequately
      reflect the various indications and configurations of extracorporeal life support
      (ECLS). We propose a path to address these challenges and ensure that clinicians
      and researchers obtain robust, specific, risk analytics.

PMID- 28338481
TI  - Clinical Use and Optimal Cutoff Value of Ca15-3 in Evaluation of Adnexal Mass:
      Retrospective Cohort Study and Review of the Literature.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: To estimate the diagnostic performance and reference values of serum
      cancer antigen (Ca)15-3 levels in the triage of adnexal masses. MATERIALS AND
      METHODS: This retrospective cohort study was carried out in 481 patients referred
      to the Gynecology Department at Carmel Medical Center due to adnexal mass between
      years 2005 and 2012. All patients underwent surgery with histopathologically
      confirmed diagnosis and routine preoperative measurements of serum Ca125 and Ca15
      3. RESULTS: Combination of Ca125 with Ca15-3 elevated the sensitivity of Ca125
      alone (from 86.9% to 93.2%; P=0.029), along with reduction of its specificity
      (from 80.5% to 69.5%; P=0.005) in differentiation between malignant and benign
      cases. According to receiver operating characteristic curve, Ca15-3 level of 21
      U/mL was shown to be the optimal reference value for malignancy detection. All
      cases with Ca15-3 levels above 44.5 U/mL were malignant, mostly of primary
      ovarian source. CONCLUSIONS: As Ca15-3 assessment allowed detection of
      significantly more malignancy cases, we believe that measurement of this marker
      in combination with Ca125 is worthwhile in patients presenting with adnexal
      masses. The cutoff of 21 U/mL seems to be the optimal value in this specific
      population. High Ca15-3 levels (above 44.5 U/mL) strongly direct to a diagnosis
      of malignancy, mostly of primary ovarian tumors rather than breast malignancy.

PMID- 28338482
TI  - Axillary Ultrasound Fine Needle Aspiration Biopsy: Is There a Role in the Post Z
      0011 Era?
AB  - OBJECTIVES: Axillary ultrasound with fine needle aspiration (AXUSFNA) in early
      stage breast cancer has required reappraisal. ACOSOG Z-0011 and after mapping of
      the axilla: radiotherapy or surgery have shown that women with limited nodal
      disease at sentinel lymph node biopsy got no survival advantage with completion
      axillary node dissection. We hypothesize that AXUSFNA may be sufficiently
      accurate for staging for some patients and sentinel lymph node biopsy need not be
      performed. We define the false negative rate (FNR) of AXUSFNA in different
      subsets of patients. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This retrospective cohort study
      included node positive patients who also underwent AXUSFNA between 1/2006 and
      12/2010 followed by axillary surgery. The FNR was calculated for the entire group
      and for subgroups determined by tumor, nodal, and ultrasound findings. RESULTS:
      Out of ~700 AXUSFNA patients, 128 node positive patients were included in the
      study. The overall AXUSFNA FNR was 35.9% (95% confidence interval, 28.1%-44.6%).
      There was a significantly higher FNR with smaller tumors and presence of ductal
      carcinoma in situ on multivariate analysis. On ultrasound, benign-appearing nodes
      had a higher FNR than indeterminate nodes (78.9% vs. 60.9%, P=0.2) and
      significantly higher than suspicious nodes (78.9% vs. 2.9%, P<0.0001).
      CONCLUSIONS: In our cohort, the FNR for AXUSFNA was comparable with the rate of
      residual disease in the control arms of Z-0011 (27.4%) and after mapping of the
      axilla: radiotherapy or surgery (33%). However, our analysis suggests that we may
      be able to identify more appropriate patients for AXUSFNA and halve the FNR. As
      primary tumor characteristics and genomics drive systemic therapeutic
      recommendations, there may be an ongoing role for AXUSFNA in axillary staging.

PMID- 28338483
TI  - Prevalence and Impact on Weaning of Pleural Effusion at the Time of Liberation
      from Mechanical Ventilation: A Multicenter Prospective Observational Study.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Pleural effusion is frequent in intensive care unit patients, but its
      impact on the outcome of weaning remains unknown. METHODS: In a prospective study
      performed in three intensive care units, pleural ultrasound was performed at the
      first spontaneous breathing trial to detect and quantify pleural effusion (small,
      moderate, and large). Weaning failure was defined by a failed spontaneous
      breathing trial and/or extubation requiring any form of ventilatory support
      within 48 h. The primary endpoint was the prevalence of pleural effusion
      according to weaning outcome. RESULTS: Pleural effusion was detected in 51 of 136
      (37%) patients and was quantified as moderate to large in 18 (13%) patients. As
      compared to patients with no or small pleural effusion, their counterparts were
      more likely to have chronic renal failure (39 vs. 7%; P = 0.01), shock as the
      primary reason for admission (44 vs. 19%; P = 0.02), and a greater weight gain
      (+4 [0 to 7] kg vs. 0 [-1 to 5] kg; P = 0.02). The prevalence of pleural effusion
      was similar in weaning success and weaning failure patients (odds ratio, 1.23;
      95% CI, 0.61 to 2.49; P = 0.56), as was the prevalence of moderate to large
      pleural effusion (odds ratio, 0.89; 95% CI, 0.33 to 2.41; P = 1.00). Duration of
      mechanical ventilation and intensive care unit length of stay were similar
      between patients with no or small pleural effusion and those with moderate to
      large pleural effusion. CONCLUSIONS: Significant pleural effusion was observed in
      13% of patients at the time of liberation from mechanical ventilation and was not
      associated with an alteration of weaning outcome. (ANESTHESIOLOGY 2017; 126:1107
      15).

PMID- 28338484
TI  - The importance of biopsy sampling practices in the pathologic evaluation of
      gastrointestinal disorders.
AB  - PURPOSE OF REVIEW: To summarize the literature regarding appropriate endoscopic
      sampling and surveillance protocols for common inflammatory diseases of the
      digestive tract. Gastroenterologists increasingly use endoscopy with mucosal
      biopsy to detect inflammatory diseases, assess response to therapy, and monitor
      for progression to dysplasia. RECENT FINDINGS: Many diseases show a patchy
      distribution in the digestive tract and there may be poor correlation between the
      endoscopic appearance and presence of histologic abnormalities. Indeed, a
      clinician's ability to render a diagnosis is limited by endoscopic mucosal
      sampling. The appropriate number of tissue samples and required biopsy sites are
      not established for many gastrointestinal disorders, and adherence to guidelines
      may not yield a reliable diagnosis in all cases. SUMMARY: We discuss the evidence
      supporting current recommendations and emerging endoscopic techniques for the
      evaluation of eosinophilic esophagitis, Barrett esophagus, chronic gastritis,
      celiac disease, and inflammatory bowel disease.

PMID- 28338485
TI  - Creation of a Regional Human Milk Assembly: A Model to Influence Practice and
      Policy Change in the NICU.
AB  - BACKGROUND: The 2011 Surgeon General's Call to Action to Support Breastfeeding
      highlights a need for optimizing lactation-based education for all health
      professionals; however, few schools of nursing and medicine offer lactation-based
      curriculum. In an effort to address these gaps in education and care, the
      director of the lactation program at a large urban children's hospital developed
      and instituted the annual regional Human Milk Assembly (HMA), a half-day
      collaborative meeting of the hospital's regional and referral hospitals' neonatal
      intensive care unit (NICU) nursing staff, to address lactation-based educational
      and training needs of all participating institutions. PURPOSE: The purpose of
      this study was to determine whether and how participating HMA hospitals
      implemented the best practices surrounding human milk and breastfeeding shared by
      the host institution during a 10-year span of the HMA. METHODS: A prospective
      descriptive study was designed using an electronic web-based survey
      (SurveyMonkey.com) to elicit participant data. Quantitative data were analyzed
      using descriptive statistics whereas qualitative data were analyzed for themes
      via content analysis. RESULTS: Thirty-one of the 50 hospitals surveyed responded
      to the electronic survey for a total of 34 individual participants. Seventeen of
      the 22 (77%) of best practices were implemented at rates of over 50%.
      IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTICE: By enabling a culture of transparency and sharing,
      hospital staff can be encouraged to implement best practices across a network of
      regional care centers. IMPLICATIONS FOR RESEARCH: This annual regional HMA could
      be a model for other areas and research should be conducted to evaluate such
      programs nationwide.

PMID- 28338486
TI  - Congenital cytomegalovirus infection: management update.
AB  - PURPOSE OF REVIEW: Until recently, management options in congenital
      cytomegalovirus (cCMV) infection have been either conservative or termination of
      pregnancy. However, medical therapies aimed at reducing the risk of infection
      and/or its severity have recently been investigated. RECENT FINDINGS: In a phase
      2 open label, nonrandomized trial, valaciclovir (ValACV) was given to women
      carrying a CMV-infected fetus. ValACV was associated with a greater proportion of
      asymptomatic neonates when compared with a historical cohort (82 vs. 43%).
      However, the study design and the small number of treated women limit its
      applicability. Even though initial observational data suggested that hyperimmune
      globulin (HIG) therapy in pregnancy was associated with a significantly lower
      risk of cCMV, its efficacy has not been borne out in a subsequent phase 2
      randomized, placebo controlled, double-blind study [cCMV 30% in the HIG group,
      44% in the placebo group (P = 0.13)]. Furthermore, 11% of fetuses in the HIG
      group had transient or permanent abnormalities, compared with 16% in the placebo
      group. SUMMARY: ValACV might have a promising role in the antenatal treatment of
      cCMV infection, but definitive recommendations require further research. The use
      of HIG should currently be limited to the research setting.Video abstract
      http://links.lww.com/COID/A18.

PMID- 28338487
TI  - The evolution of disease: chronic lung disease of infancy and pulmonary
      hypertension.
AB  - PURPOSE OF REVIEW: Bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD) or chronic lung disease of
      infancy BPD was originally described 50 years ago, in 1967 by Northway et al.
      This article possesses two fundamental objectives to provide: a brief historical
      perspective on BPD; and an update relative to current notions of epidemiology,
      pathophysiology, evaluation, and clinical management of BPD complicated by
      vascular disease. The review highlights areas of consensus and ongoing
      uncertainty. RECENT FINDINGS: The clinical cause and presentation of infants with
      BPD has evolved over the past several decades. Considerable improvements in
      neonatal care, including surfactant replacement therapies, antenatal steroids,
      nutritional support, ventilator management, and attention to the potential of
      oxygen toxicity, underlie the evolution of BPD. Most children with BPD improve
      over time. However, in the presence of vascular disease, the morbidity and
      mortality associated with BPD increases considerably. Though recent
      recommendations include procuring an echocardiogram to screen for pulmonary
      hypertension in infants with established BPD, there is less agreement surrounding
      the additional diagnostic and putative treatment modalities for infants with BPD
      and pulmonary hypertension. The indications, rationale, potential benefits, and
      risks of vasodilator therapy in BPD are discussed. SUMMARY: The pediatric
      community has 50 years of experience with BPD. Past experience should be used to
      inform present and future diagnostic and treatment strategies. This review seeks
      to arm the clinician with evidence that motivates a physiology-based approach to
      the management of infants with BPD and pulmonary hypertension.

PMID- 28338488
TI  - Respiratory complications, management and treatments for neuromuscular disease in
      children.
AB  - PURPOSE OF REVIEW: To summarize current literature describing the respiratory
      complications of neuromuscular disease (NMD) and the effect of respiratory
      interventions and to explore new gene therapies for patients with NMD. RECENT
      FINDINGS: Measurements of respiratory function focus on vital capacity and
      maximal inspiratory and expiratory pressure and show decline over time.
      Management of respiratory complications includes lung volume recruitment,
      mechanical insufflation-exsufflation, chest physiotherapy and assisted
      ventilation. Lung volume recruitment can slow the progression of lung
      restriction. New gene-specific therapies for Duchenne muscular dystrophy and
      spinal muscular atrophy have the potential to preserve respiratory function
      longitudinally. However, the long-term therapeutic benefit remains unknown.
      SUMMARY: Although NMDs are heterogeneous, many lead to progressive muscle
      weakness that compromises the function of the respiratory system including upper
      airway tone, cough and secretion clearance and chest wall support. Respiratory
      therapies augment or support the normal function of these components of the
      respiratory system. From a respiratory perspective, the new mutation and gene
      specific therapies for NMD are likely to confer long-term therapeutic benefit.
      More sensitive and standard tools to assess respiratory function longitudinally
      are needed to monitor respiratory complications in children with NMD,
      particularly the youngest patients.

PMID- 28338489
TI  - Pediatric pulmonary medicine, then and next.

PMID- 28338490
TI  - Small-Volume Injections: Evaluation of Volume Administration Deviation From
      Intended Injection Volumes.
AB  - BACKGROUND: In the perioperative period, anesthesiologists and postanesthesia
      care unit (PACU) nurses routinely prepare and administer small-volume IV
      injections, yet the accuracy of delivered medication volumes in this setting has
      not been described. In this ex vivo study, we sought to characterize the degree
      to which small-volume injections (<=0.5 mL) deviated from the intended injection
      volumes among a group of pediatric anesthesiologists and pediatric postanesthesia
      care unit (PACU) nurses. We hypothesized that as the intended injection volumes
      decreased, the deviation from those intended injection volumes would increase.
      METHODS: Ten attending pediatric anesthesiologists and 10 pediatric PACU nurses
      each performed a series of 10 injections into a simulated patient IV setup.
      Practitioners used separate 1-mL tuberculin syringes with removable 18-gauge
      needles (Becton-Dickinson & Company, Franklin Lakes, NJ) to aspirate 5 different
      volumes (0.025, 0.05, 0.1, 0.25, and 0.5 mL) of 0.25 mM Lucifer Yellow (LY)
      fluorescent dye constituted in saline (Sigma Aldrich, St. Louis, MO) from a
      rubber-stoppered vial. Each participant then injected the specified volume of LY
      fluorescent dye via a 3-way stopcock into IV tubing with free-flowing 0.9% sodium
      chloride (10 mL/min). The injected volume of LY fluorescent dye and 0.9% sodium
      chloride then drained into a collection vial for laboratory analysis. Microplate
      fluorescence wavelength detection (Infinite M1000; Tecan, Mannedorf, Switzerland)
      was used to measure the fluorescence of the collected fluid. Administered
      injection volumes were calculated based on the fluorescence of the collected
      fluid using a calibration curve of known LY volumes and associated
      fluorescence.To determine whether deviation of the administered volumes from the
      intended injection volumes increased at lower injection volumes, we compared the
      proportional injection volume error (loge [administered volume/intended volume])
      for each of the 5 injection volumes using a linear regression model. Analysis of
      variance was used to determine whether the absolute log proportional error
      differed by the intended injection volume. Interindividual and intraindividual
      deviation from the intended injection volume was also characterized. RESULTS: As
      the intended injection volumes decreased, the absolute log proportional injection
      volume error increased (analysis of variance, P < .0018). The exploratory
      analysis revealed no significant difference in the standard deviations of the log
      proportional errors for injection volumes between physicians and pediatric PACU
      nurses; however, the difference in absolute bias was significantly higher for
      nurses with a 2-sided significance of P = .03. CONCLUSIONS: Clinically
      significant dose variation occurs when injecting volumes <=0.5 mL. Administering
      small volumes of medications may result in unintended medication administration
      errors.

PMID- 28338491
TI  - Perioperative Management of Blood Loss in Spine Surgery.
AB  - Spine procedures are associated with high rates of blood loss which can result in
      a greater need for transfusions. Repeated exposure to blood products is
      associated with risks and adverse reactions such as transfusion-related acute
      lung injury, fluid shifting, and infections. With the higher number of spine
      procedures and the increasing open surgery times associated with difficult
      procedures, excessive blood loss has become more prevalent. Perioperative methods
      have been established to combat the excessive blood loss and decrease the need
      for blood products. Preoperatively, anemia and coagulopathy screening is standard
      at least 4 weeks before elective procedures. Erythropoietin, iron loading or
      transfusions are used to decrease preoperative anemia, a predisposing factor for
      blood loss. Autologous predonation of blood has been shown to be ineffective and
      decreases preoperative hemoglobin levels. Intraoperatively, antifibrinolytics
      such as tranexamic acid and aminocaproic acid are used to decrease blood loss. In
      addition, fibrinogen concentrates, thromboelastometry, acute normovolemic
      hemodilution, controlled hypotension, and temperature regulation are some of the
      techniques used to decrease blood loss and the need for transfusions.
      Postoperatively, fibrin sealants, shed blood salvage, and erythropoietin or
      intravenous iron are used in management of blood loss, especially in instances
      when the patient refuses blood products.

PMID- 28338492
TI  - The Evolution of Current Research Impact Metrics: From Bibliometrics to
      Altmetrics?
AB  - The prestige of publication has been based on traditional citation metrics, most
      commonly journal impact factor. However, the Internet has radically changed the
      speed, flow, and sharing of medical information. Furthermore, the explosion of
      social media, along with development of popular professional and scientific
      websites and blogs, has led to the need for alternative metrics, known as
      altmetrics, to quantify the wider impact of research. We explore the evolution of
      current research impact metrics and examine the evolving role of altmetrics in
      measuring the wider impact of research. We suggest that altmetrics used in
      research evaluation should be part of an informed peer-review process such as
      traditional metrics. Moreover, results based on altmetrics must not lead to
      direct decision making about research, but instead, should be used to assist
      experts in making decisions. Finally, traditional and alternative metrics should
      complement, not replace, each other in the peer-review process.

PMID- 28338493
TI  - Surgery for Recurrent Uterine Cancer: Surgical Outcomes and Implications for
      Survival-A Case Series.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to describe the patterns of relapse in
      uterine cancer (UC) and the role of surgery in the recurrent setting. METHODS: We
      describe surgical and clinical outcomes of all patients who underwent surgery for
      recurrent UC in a gynecological oncology tertiary referral center between May 1,
      2013, and April 30, 2016. Progression-free survival and overall survival were
      estimated using Kaplan-Meier methods with the surgery at relapse being the
      starting point. RESULTS: We evaluated 15 patients with a median age of 66 years.
      The predominant histology was the endometrioid variant (n = 11; 73.3%). The
      median interval between the end of previous treatment and relapse surgery was 24
      months (range, 8-164). Locoregional pelvic recurrences were the most common type
      of recurrence (n = 13; 86.7%) with the para-aortic lymph node space being the
      most commonly affected extrapelvic site (13%). Patients predominantly presented
      with a multifocal pattern of relapse (n = 10; 66.7%) requiring multivisceral
      resections such as bowel (n = 7; 46.6%) and/or bladder/ureteric resections (n =
      8; 53.3%) to achieve complete tumor clearance. All patients were operated tumor
      free with a 30-day major morbidity and mortality rate of 6.7% and 0%,
      respectively. Five patients (33.3%) received postoperative chemotherapy or
      radiotherapy. Five patients (33.3%) relapsed, and 3 died within a mean follow-up
      of 12.4 months (95% confidence interval [CI], 6.5-18.2). Two of those patients
      had a sarcoma.Mean progression-free survival and overall survival for the entire
      cohort postrelapse surgery was 21.7 months (95%CI, 13.9-29.5) and 26.0 months
      (95%CI, 18.4-33.7), respectively. Survival was significantly worse in patients
      with nonendometrioid histology (P < 0.0001). CONCLUSIONS: Surgery for UC relapse
      seems feasible with acceptable morbidity and high complete resection rates
      despite the multifocal patterns of relapse in a selected group of patients in a
      reference center for gynecological cancers. Larger scale studies are warranted to
      establish the value of surgery at relapse for UC.

PMID- 28338494
TI  - Combined Knockdown of D-dopachrome Tautomerase and Migration Inhibitory Factor
      Inhibits the Proliferation, Migration, and Invasion in Human Cervical Cancer.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: D-dopachrome tautomerase (D-DT) is a homologue of macrophage migration
      inhibitory factor (MIF) with similar functions. However, the possible biological
      roles of D-DT in cervical cancer remain unknown so far. METHODS: D-dopachrome
      tautomerase was assessed by immunohistochemistry in 83 cervical cancer and 31
      normal cervix tissues. The stable knockdown of D-DT and MIF by lentivirus
      delivered short hairpin RNA was established, and tumor growth was examined in
      vitro and in vivo. The effects of D-DT and MIF on the migration and invasion were
      further detected by wound healing assay and transwell assay. Western blot was
      used to explore the mechanism of D-DT and MIF in cervical cancer pathogenesis.
      RESULTS: We found that D-DT was significantly high in cervical cancer, which
      correlated with lymph node metastasis. The knockdown of D-DT and MIF,
      individually and additively, inhibited the proliferation, migration, and invasion
      in HeLa and SiHa cells and restrained the growth of xenograft tumor. The ablation
      of D-DT and MIF rescued the expression of E-cadherin and inhibited the expression
      of PCNA, cyclin D1, gankyrin, Sam68, and vimentin, as well as phospho-Akt and
      phospho-glycogen synthase kinase 3-beta. CONCLUSIONS: The inhibition of D-DT and
      MIF in combination may represent a potential therapeutic strategy for cervical
      cancer.

PMID- 28338495
TI  - Burden of Hearing Loss on Communication Partners and Its Influence on Pursuit of
      Hearing Evaluation.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: Describe how the burden on the communication partner (CP) from the
      patient's hearing loss, as perceived by both the patient and their CP, influences
      a patient's pursuit of hearing evaluation. DESIGN: Cross-sectional design.
      Demographics, perception of patient's hearing loss, and associated burden on the
      CP were collected from both patient and CP via online questionnaires. Patients
      and their CPs from Duke University Medical Center Otolaryngology Clinic, 55 to 75
      years of age, being seen for any reason, who indicated a CP has expressed concern
      about their hearing. Final sample was 245 matched pairs. RESULTS: Based on
      completed questionnaires, on average, patients perceived their own hearing loss
      as more burdensome to the CP than the CP did. However, CPs of patients who
      believed themselves to have no hearing handicap scored the patient's hearing loss
      54.3% higher than the patient. The patient's perspective about the amount of
      burden their hearing loss placed on the CP predicted patients seeking a hearing
      evaluation. CONCLUSIONS: Recognition of early stage hearing loss and associated
      burden on CPs may be delayed in patients; CPs may help elucidate unrecognized
      concerns. Educational approaches that raise awareness of burden of hearing loss
      on CPs along with hearing loss indications could be a feasible, multidimensional
      strategy to promote help seeking behaviors.

PMID- 28338496
TI  - Infants' and Adults' Use of Temporal Cues in Consonant Discrimination.
AB  - OBJECTIVES: Adults can use slow temporal envelope cues, or amplitude modulation
      (AM), to identify speech sounds in quiet. Faster AM cues and the temporal fine
      structure, or frequency modulation (FM), play a more important role in noise.
      This study assessed whether fast and slow temporal modulation cues play a similar
      role in infants' speech perception by comparing the ability of normal-hearing 3
      month-olds and adults to use slow temporal envelope cues in discriminating
      consonants contrasts. DESIGN: English consonant-vowel syllables differing in
      voicing or place of articulation were processed by 2 tone-excited vocoders to
      replace the original FM cues with pure tones in 32 frequency bands. AM cues were
      extracted in each frequency band with 2 different cutoff frequencies, 256 or 8
      Hz. Discrimination was assessed for infants and adults using an observer-based
      testing method, in quiet or in a speech-shaped noise. RESULTS: For infants, the
      effect of eliminating fast AM cues was the same in quiet and in noise: a high
      proportion of infants discriminated when both fast and slow AM cues were
      available, but less than half of the infants also discriminated when only slow AM
      cues were preserved. For adults, the effect of eliminating fast AM cues was
      greater in noise than in quiet: All adults discriminated in quiet whether or not
      fast AM cues were available, but in noise eliminating fast AM cues reduced the
      percentage of adults reaching criterion from 71 to 21%. CONCLUSIONS: In quiet,
      infants seem to depend on fast AM cues more than adults do. In noise, adults seem
      to depend on FM cues to a greater extent than infants do. However, infants and
      adults are similarly affected by a loss of fast AM cues in noise. Experience with
      the native language seems to change the relative importance of different acoustic
      cues for speech perception.

PMID- 28338498
TI  - Challenge of progressive multiple sclerosis therapy.
AB  - PURPOSE OF REVIEW: Understanding the mechanisms underlying progression in
      multiple sclerosis (MS) and identifying appropriate therapeutic targets is a key
      challenge facing the MS community. This challenge has been championed
      internationally by organizations such as the Progressive MS Alliance, which has
      raised the profile of progressive MS and identified the key obstacles to
      treatment. This review will outline the considerable progress against these
      challenges. RECENT FINDINGS: New insights into mechanisms underlying progression
      have opened up potential therapeutic opportunities. This has been complemented by
      ongoing validation of clinical and imaging outcomes for Phase II trials of
      progression, coupled with the development of innovative trial designs. The field
      has been greatly encouraged by recent positive Phase III trials in both primary
      and secondary progressive MS, albeit with modest benefit. Early trials of
      neuroprotection and repair have provided important new data with which to drive
      the field. Improving symptom management and advancing rehabilitation approaches,
      critical for this patient population which, taken together with identifying and
      managing comorbidities and risk factors, has an appreciable impact on health
      related quality of life. SUMMARY: Raising the profile of progressive MS has
      resulted in the first effective treatments with the promise of more to come.

PMID- 28338497
TI  - Using Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors and Serotonin-Norepinephrine
      Reuptake Inhibitors in Critical Care: A Systematic Review of the Evidence for
      Benefit or Harm.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor/serotonin-norepinephrine
      reuptake inhibitors are among the most commonly prescribed drugs in patients
      admitted to the ICU. Our objective was to systematically review available
      literature for evidence of benefit or harm in ICU patients resulting from chronic
      effects, continued use, or withdrawal. DATA SOURCES: Medline, Embase, and
      Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (1990 to November 2014). STUDY
      SELECTION: We searched for studies of ICU patients with recorded selective
      serotonin reuptake inhibitor/serotonin-norepinephrine reuptake inhibitor
      prescription before or during admission, and reporting morbidity, mortality,
      adverse events, and resource measures like ICU length of stay. We considered all
      study designs. We excluded studies of deliberate overdose and depression in non
      ICU settings. Two authors independently and in duplicate screened citations and
      reviewed text of studies to apply selection criteria. DATA EXTRACTION: Two
      authors abstracted data on patient characteristics in exposed and control groups;
      use of selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor/serotonin-norepinephrine reuptake
      inhibitors previously or during ICU; comparator intervention; and outcomes, and
      also assessed methodologic quality. DATA SYNTHESIS: The database search retrieved
      4,172 unique citations, of which 289 were reviewed, and 13 studies representing a
      total of 20,048 patients met selection criteria. There were five cohort studies,
      one case series, and seven case reports. Only one case report suggested benefit
      from selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor/serotonin-norepinephrine reuptake
      inhibitor use and 11 studies reported morbidity in patients using these
      medications at admission to ICU. However, due to inadequate drug administration
      reporting, it was generally unclear if outpatient selective serotonin reuptake
      inhibitor/serotonin-norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors were continued in ICU,
      complicating interpretation. CONCLUSIONS: There may be excess morbidity in
      critically ill selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor/serotonin-norepinephrine
      reuptake inhibitor users, but uncertainty remains whether this is due to chronic
      effects, ongoing use, or drug withdrawal. Further research with improved
      standards of drug administration reporting is needed to help clinicians decide
      when to use selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor/serotonin-norepinephrine
      reuptake inhibitors in critically ill patients.

PMID- 28338499
TI  - Development of the Irritable Bowel Syndrome Cognitive Affective Scale: a brief
      self-report measure for clinical and research settings.
AB  - OBJECTIVES: Measures of cognitive-affective processes believed to underlie
      Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) symptom expression are used widely in both
      clinical and research settings. When combined, these measures can be time
      consuming and it is not clear whether they evaluate distinct or overlapping
      constructs. With this study, we seek to identify the most critical cognitive
      affective components contributing toward the expression of IBS and to identify
      which items in these constructs might be streamlined into a single, brief self
      report measure. PATIENTS AND METHODS: This measure was developed according to
      Food and Drug Administration guidelines for patient-reported outcome development.
      First, authors consolidated existing cognitive-affective measures (visceral
      sensitivity, anxiety sensitivity, and pain catastrophization) into a single
      questionnaire. Second, a principal components factor analysis was carried out on
      the basis of responses from a sample of participants with IBS. Third, on the
      basis of the results of the factor analysis, items were reduced to the final
      brief self-report measure and preliminary validity/reliability analyses
      (Cronbach's alpha, correlation with other related constructs) were carried out.
      RESULTS: An initial, 44-item measure was created. In all, 179 patients with ROME
      III IBS completed an online survey. Principal component analysis and item
      reduction yielded a 15-item scale with three factors: pain catastrophization,
      visceral hypervigilance, and extraintestinal hypervigilance. The final three
      factors showed comparable internal consistencies (alpha>0.90), concurrent
      validity, and predictive validity compared with the original 44 items.
      CONCLUSION: Although more research is warranted, the 15 items identified appear
      to provide an accurate measure of two important cognitive-affective constructs in
      the IBS population.

PMID- 28338500
TI  - Differential Diagnosis in Neuroendocrine Neoplasms of the Larynx.
AB  - The differential diagnosis of neuroendocrine neoplasms of the larynx is broad and
      includes lesions of epithelial, mesenchymal, and neuroectodermal origin. These
      lesions have overlapping clinical and pathologic aspects and must be carefully
      considered in the differential diagnosis of laryngeal neoplasms. The prognosis
      and treatment are also different among these tumor types, which necessitates
      making these distinctions clinically. The current literature was reviewed to
      provide updated information regarding the epithelial-derived tumors, including
      carcinoid, atypical carcinoid, small cell neuroendocrine carcinomas, large cell
      neuroendocrine carcinoma, and squamous cell carcinoma with neuroendocrine
      component. These tumors are compared and contrasted with non-epithelial-derived
      tumors such as paraganglioma and nonmucosal tumors, such as medullary thyroid
      carcinoma. The morphologic and cytologic features are discussed, along with
      helpful immunohistochemical and ancillary investigations.

PMID- 28338501
TI  - ALK Expression Is a Novel Marker for the WNT-activated Type of Pediatric
      Medulloblastoma and an Indicator of Good Prognosis for Patients.
AB  - ALK gene rearrangements were identified in a variety of cancers, including
      neuroblastoma, where the presence of ALK expression is associated with adverse
      prognosis. ALK mutations have recently been found in the pediatric brain tumor
      medulloblastoma, and microarray data indicate that ALK is highly expressed in a
      subset of these tumors. Therefore, we investigated whether ALK expression
      correlates with transcriptional profiles and clinical features of
      medulloblastoma. Tumors from 116 medulloblastoma patients were studied at
      diagnosis for the detection of ALK expression at the RNA level by an application
      of NanoString technology and at the protein level by immunohistochemistry using
      antibody ALK clone D5F3. The results indicate that ALK expression, at both the
      RNA and the protein levels, is strongly associated with the WNT-activated type of
      tumors and therefore may serve as a useful marker for the detection of this type
      of medulloblastoma. Importantly, ALK protein expression alone is also an
      indicator of good prognosis for medulloblastoma patients.

PMID- 28338502
TI  - Sellar Atypical Teratoid/Rhabdoid Tumor (AT/RT): A Clinicopathologically and
      Genetically Distinct Variant of AT/RT.
AB  - Atypical teratoid/rhabdoid tumors (AT/RTs) are rare aggressive tumors of the
      central nervous system that predominantly affect infants. Although adult AT/RT
      are rare, accumulated cases have revealed adult-specific AT/RT in the sellar
      region. Twelve previously reported cases of sellar AT/RT exclusively occurred in
      adult females, suggesting biological differences from conventional infant AT/RT.
      We herein investigated a series of 6 sellar AT/RT for histopathologic features,
      the molecular status of the INI1/SMARCB1 gene, and clinical courses. All 6 cases
      were adult females, ranging in age from 21 to 69 years old. Tumors were
      histologically characterized by a hemangiopericytoma-like stag-horn vasculature
      within a dense, diffuse proliferation of jumbled cells and a small number of
      scattered rhabdoid cells. This vascular pattern is not a common finding in AT/RT
      and appears to be a characteristic histology of sellar AT/RT. Biallelic
      alterations in the INI1 gene were identified by fluorescence in situ
      hybridization, direct sequencing, and multiple ligation-dependent probe
      amplification analyses in 4 of the 5 cases analyzed. Three of the 4 cases
      harbored 2 different mutations, presumably on different alleles (compound
      heterozygous mutations), and 1 case of which had a splice-site mutation. Combined
      with previous findings, the prevalence of compound heterozygous mutations and
      splice-site mutations was significantly higher in sellar AT/RT than in pediatric
      AT/RT. Sellar AT/RT represent a clinicopathologically and possibly genetically
      distinct variant of AT/RT showing a characteristic demography, different patterns
      of INI1 alterations, and a histology featured by a unique vasculature.

PMID- 28338503
TI  - Efficacy and Safety of Crystalline Valsartan/Sacubitril (LCZ696) Compared With
      Placebo and Combinations of Free Valsartan and Sacubitril in Patients With
      Systolic Hypertension: The RATIO Study.
AB  - We compared the systolic blood pressure (SBP)-lowering efficacy and safety of
      crystalline valsartan/sacubitril (LCZ696, an angiotensin receptor blocker
      neprilysin inhibitor) 400 mg daily against valsartan (320 mg once daily) alone or
      coadministered with placebo or increasing doses of free sacubitril (50, 100, 200,
      or 400 mg once daily) to identify the optimal antihypertensive combination dose.
      This multicenter, double-blinded, 7-arm parallel-group study recruited patients
      with mild-to-moderate systolic hypertension (office SBP 150-179 mm Hg). Primary
      dependent variable was change in office SBP from baseline to week 8. At entry (n
      = 907), mean age was 61.5 years, sitting office BP 160/90.2 mm Hg, and mean 24
      hour ambulatory BP 142/82.1 mm Hg; 852 participants completed the study. At week
      8, there were greater reductions in sitting office SBP and 24-hour ambulatory SBP
      with LCZ696 400 mg than with valsartan 320 mg (-5.7 and -3.4 mm Hg, respectively,
      P < 0.05 each). The SBP reduction with LCZ696 400 daily was similar to
      coadministered free valsartan 320 mg and sacubitril 200 mg. Effects were similar
      in those older and younger than 65 years, and active therapies had adverse event
      rates similar to placebo. We conclude that crystalline valsartan/sacubitril 400
      mg daily (1) is superior to valsartan 320 mg daily for lowering SBP, (2) has
      similar efficacy to the combination of free valsartan 320 mg plus free sacubitril
      200 mg, (3) represents the optimal dosage for systolic hypertension in patients
      of any age, and (4) is safe and well tolerated.

PMID- 28338504
TI  - Ventilation With High or Low Tidal Volume With PEEP Does Not Influence Lung
      Function After Spinal Surgery in Prone Position: A Randomized Controlled Trial.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Spinal surgery in the prone position is accompanied by increased
      intrathoracic pressure and decreased respiratory compliance. This study
      investigated whether intraoperative lung protective mechanical ventilation
      improved lung function evaluated with pulmonary function tests in patients at
      risk of postoperative pulmonary complications (PPCs) after major spinal surgery
      in the prone position. METHODS: Seventy-eight patients at potential risk of PPCs
      were randomly assigned to the protective group (tidal volume; 6 mL/kg predicted
      body weight, 6 cm H2O positive end-expiratory pressure with recruitment
      maneuvers) or the conventional group (10 mL/kg predicted body weight, no positive
      end-expiratory pressure). The primary efficacy variables were assessed by
      pulmonary function tests, performed before surgery, and 3 and 5 days afterward.
      RESULTS: Postoperative forced vital capacity (2.17+/-0.1 L vs. 1.91+/-0.1 L,
      P=0.213) and forced expiratory volume in 1 second (1.73+/-0.08 L vs. 1.59+/-0.08
      L, P=0.603) at postoperative day (POD) 3 in the protective and conventional
      groups, respectively, were similar. Trends of a postoperative decrease in forced
      vital capacity (P=0.586) and forced expiratory volume in 1 second (P=0.855) were
      similar between the groups. Perioperative blood-gas analysis variables were
      comparable between the groups. Patients in the protective and conventional groups
      showed similar rates of clinically significant PPCs (8% vs. 10%, P>0.999).
      CONCLUSIONS: In patients at potential risk of developing PPCs undergoing major
      spinal surgery, we did not find evidence indicating any difference between the
      lung protective and conventional ventilation in postoperative pulmonary function
      and oxygenation.

PMID- 28338505
TI  - Effects of Hypertonic Saline and Sodium Lactate on Cortical Cerebral
      Microcirculation and Brain Tissue Oxygenation.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Hyperosmolar solutions have been used in neurosurgery to modify brain
      bulk. The aim of this animal study was to compare the short-term effects of
      equivolemic, equiosmolar solutions of hypertonic saline (HTS) and sodium lactate
      (HTL) on cerebral cortical microcirculation and brain tissue oxygenation in a
      rabbit craniotomy model. METHODS: Rabbits (weight, 1.5 to 2.0 kg) were
      anesthetized, ventilated mechanically, and subjected to a craniotomy. The animals
      were allocated randomly to receive a 3.75 mL/kg intravenous infusion of either
      3.2% HTS (group HTS, n=9), half-molar sodium lactate (group HTL, n=10), or normal
      saline (group C, n=9). Brain tissue partial pressure of oxygen (PbtO2) and
      microcirculation in the cerebral cortex using sidestream dark-field imaging were
      evaluated before, 20 and 40 minutes after 15 minutes of hyperosmolar solution
      infusion. Global hemodynamic data were recorded, and blood samples for laboratory
      analysis were obtained at the time of sidestream dark-field image recording.
      RESULTS: No differences in the microcirculatory parameters were observed between
      the groups before and after the use of osmotherapy. Brain tissue oxygen
      deteriorated over time in groups C and HTL, this deterioration was not
      significant in the group HTS. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings suggest that equivolemic,
      equiosmolar HTS and HTL solutions equally preserve perfusion of cortical brain
      microcirculation in a rabbit craniotomy model. The use of HTS was better in
      preventing the worsening of brain tissue oxygen tension.

PMID- 28338506
TI  - A Preliminary Report: Radical Surgery and Stem Cell Transplantation for the
      Treatment of Patients With Pancreatic Cancer.
AB  - We examined the immunologic effects of allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell
      transplantation (HSCT) in the treatment of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma, a
      deadly disease with a median survival of 24 months for resected tumors and a 5
      year survival rate of 6%. After adjuvant chemotherapy, 2 patients with resected
      pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma underwent HSCT with HLA-identical sibling
      donors. Comparable patients who underwent radical surgery, but did not have a
      donor, served as controls (n=6). Both patients developed humoral and cellular
      (ie, HLA-A*01:01-restricted) immune responses directed against 2 novel tumor
      associated antigens (TAAs), INO80E and UCLH3 after HSCT. Both TAAs were highly
      expressed in the original tumor tissue suggesting that HSCT promoted a clinically
      relevant, long-lasting cellular immune response. In contrast to untreated
      controls, who succumbed to progressive disease, both patients are tumor-free 9
      years after diagnosis. Radical surgery combined with HSCT may cure pancreatic
      adenocarcinoma and change the cellular immune repertoire capable of responding to
      clinically and biologically relevant TAAs.

PMID- 28338507
TI  - NY-ESO-1 Protein Cancer Vaccine With Poly-ICLC and OK-432: Rapid and Strong
      Induction of NY-ESO-1-specific Immune Responses by Poly-ICLC.
AB  - We conducted a clinical trial of a cancer vaccine using NY-ESO-1 protein with
      polyinosinic-polycytidylic acid-poly-L-lysine carboxymethylcellulose (poly-ICLC)
      and/or OK-432 against solid tumors. A total of 15 patients were sequentially
      enrolled in 4 cohorts. Patients in cohort 1 received NY-ESO-1 protein; cohort 2a
      received NY-ESO-1 protein+OK-432; cohort 2b received NY-ESO-1 protein+poly-ICLC;
      cohort 3 received NY-ESO-1 protein+OK-432+poly-ICLC with Montanide ISA-51. The
      endpoints of this trial were safety, NY-ESO-1 immune responses, and clinical
      response. Vaccine-related adverse events observed were fever and injection-site
      reaction (grade 1). Two patients showed stable disease after vaccination. NY-ESO
      1 antibodies were observed in 4 patients at the baseline (sero-positive) and
      augmented in all patients after vaccination. Eleven patients showed a conversion
      of negative antibody responses at baseline to positive after vaccination
      (seroconversion). The seroconversions were observed in all 11 sero-negative
      patients by the fourth immunization; in particular, it was observed by the second
      immunization in patients with poly-ICLC, and these induced antibody responses
      were stronger than those in patients immunized without poly-ICLC. The number of
      NY-ESO-1-specific interferon (IFN)gamma-producing T cells was increased in
      patients immunized with poly-ICLC and/or OK-432, and furthermore, the increase of
      IFNgamma-producing CD8 T cells in patients immunized with poly-ICLC was
      significantly higher than that in patients without poly-ICLC. Nonspecific
      activations of T-cell or antigen presenting cells were not observed. Our present
      study showed that poly-ICLC is a promising adjuvant for cancer vaccines.

PMID- 28338508
TI  - Autoimmune Frontotemporal Dementia: A New Nosological Entity?

PMID- 28338509
TI  - Patterns, Timing, and Predictors of Recurrence Following Pancreatectomy for
      Pancreatic Ductal Adenocarcinoma.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: To describe accurately the pattern, timing, and predictors of disease
      recurrence after a potentially curative resection for pancreatic ductal
      adenocarcinoma (PDAC). SUMMARY BACKGROUND DATA: After surgery for PDAC, most
      patients will develop disease recurrence. Understanding the patterns and timing
      of disease failure can help guide improvements in therapy. METHODS: Patients who
      underwent pancreatectomy for PDAC at the Johns Hopkins Hospital between 2000 and
      2010 were included. Exclusion criteria were incomplete follow-up records, follow
      up <24 months, and neoadjuvant therapy. The first recurrence site was recorded
      and recurrence-free survival (RFS) was estimated using Kaplan-Meier curves.
      Predictive factors for specific recurrence patterns were assessed by univariate
      and multivariate analyses using Cox-proportional hazard regression models.
      RESULTS: From the identified cohort of 1103 patients, 692 patients had
      comprehensive and detailed follow-up data available. At a median follow-up of
      25.3 months, 531 (76.7%) of the 692 had recurred after a median RFS of 11.7
      months. Most patients recurred at isolated distant sites (n = 307, 57.8%), while
      isolated local recurrence was seen in 126 patients (23.7%). Liver-only recurrence
      (n = 134, 25.2%) tended to occur early (median 6.9 mo), while lung-only
      recurrence (n = 78, 14.7%) occurred later (median 18.6 mo). A positive lymph node
      ratio >0.2 was a strong predictor for all distant disease recurrence. Patients
      receiving adjuvant chemotherapy or chemoradiotherapy had fewer recurrences and a
      longer RFS of 18.0 and 17.2 months, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: Specific
      recurrence locations have different predictive factors and possess distinct RFS
      curves, supporting the hypothesis that unique biological differences exist among
      tumors leading to distinct patterns of recurrence.

PMID- 28338510
TI  - Laparoscopic Lavage Versus Primary Resection for Acute Perforated Diverticulitis:
      Review and Meta-analysis.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: To compare clinical outcomes after laparoscopic lavage (LL) or colonic
      resection (CR) for purulent diverticulitis. BACKGROUND: Laparoscopic lavage has
      been suggested as an alternative treatment for traditional CR. Comparative
      studies to date have shown conflicting results. METHODS: Electronic searches of
      Embase, Medline, Web of Science, and Cochrane databases were performed. Weighted
      mean differences (WMD) were calculated for effect size of continuous variables
      and pooled odds ratios (POR) calculated for discrete variables. RESULTS: A total
      of 589 patients recruited from 3 randomized controlled trials (RCTs) and 4
      comparative studies were included; 85% as Hinchey III. LL group had younger
      patients with higher body mass index and lower ASA grades, but comparable Hinchey
      classification and previous diverticulitis rates. No significant differences were
      noted for mortality, 30-day reoperations and unplanned readmissions. LL had
      higher rates of intraabdominal abscesses (POR = 2.85; 95% confidence interval,
      CI, 1.52-5.34; P = 0.001), peritonitis (POR = 7.80; 95% CI 2.12-28.69; P =
      0.002), and increased long-term emergency reoperations (POR = 3.32; 95% CI 1.73
      6.38; P < 0.001). Benefits of LL included shorter operative time, fewer cardiac
      complications, fewer wound infections, and shorter hospital stay. Overall, 90%
      had stomas after CR, of whom 74% underwent stoma reversal within 12-months.
      Approximately, 14% of LL patients required a stoma; 48% obtaining gut continuity
      within 12-months, whereas 36% underwent elective sigmoidectomy. CONCLUSIONS: The
      preservation of diseased bowel by LL is associated with approximately 3 times
      greater risk of persistent peritonitis, intraabdominal abscesses and the need for
      emergency surgery compared with CR. Future studies should focus on developing
      composite predictive scores encompassing the wide variation in presentations of
      diverticulitis and treatment tailored on case-by-case basis.

PMID- 28338511
TI  - Surgical Performance: A Pathway to Excellence.

PMID- 28338512
TI  - Ductal Carcinoma Arising in a Largely Unchanged Presumed Branch-duct IPMN After
      10 Years of Surveillance.

PMID- 28338513
TI  - Restrictive Transfusion Practices After Esophagectomy Are Associated With
      Improved Outcome: A Review of the Society of Thoracic Surgeons General Thoracic
      Database.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: Blood transfusion has been associated with poor outcomes in many
      disciplines, yet transfusion practices and related outcomes in esophagectomy are
      unknown. We analyzed the Society of Thoracic Surgeons General Thoracic Database
      to determine patient factors associated with transfusion after esophagectomy,
      risk-adjusted variation in transfusion practice among institutions, and the
      association of transfusion practice with mortality. METHODS: We performed a
      retrospective review of patients undergoing esophagectomy for cancer from October
      2008 to December 31, 2014. Patient comorbidities and procedure variables were
      used to construct a risk model for transfusion. Using this model, each
      institution was assigned an observed to expected (O:E) transfusion rate. We
      examined institutional factors associated with variation in O:E transfusion rate.
      Finally, O:E transfusion rate was compared to risk-adjusted mortality to
      determine if there was an association of transfusion practice and survival.
      RESULTS: Seven thousand one hundred thirty-seven patients underwent esophagectomy
      at 182 institutions during the study period. The median unadjusted transfusion
      rate was 23.1%. The risk model for transfusion demonstrated patients who received
      transfusions were more likely to be older, female, and have low preoperative
      hemoglobin and other comorbidities, such as CAD, COPD, and low creatinine
      clearance. Patients who received a minimally invasive procedure were less likely
      to have received a transfusion.After adjusting for the characteristics above, 13
      centers (7.1%) were classified as having lower than average O:E transfusion rate
      and 16 centers (8.7%) were classified as higher than average O:E transfusion
      rate.Institutions with lower than expected transfusion rates also had lower risk
      adjusted perioperative mortality than institutions with higher than expected
      transfusion rates (median [IQR] = 0.90 [0.77-0.94] vs. 0.99 [0.94-1.06], P =
      0.028). CONCLUSION: Age, female sex, CAD, COPD, renal insufficiency, and open
      technique are associated with transfusion after esophagectomy, while tumor stage
      and preoperative chemoradiation are not. There is wide variation in transfusion
      practice. Centers with lower than expected transfusion rate also had lower than
      expected perioperative mortality. At an institutional level, lower transfusion
      rates are associated with improved outcomes.

PMID- 28338514
TI  - Are We Ready for Our Close-up?: Why and How We Must Embrace Video in the OR.

PMID- 28338515
TI  - Surgeon Participation in Early Accountable Care Organizations.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: We aimed to characterize the landscape of surgeon participation in
      early accountable care organizations (ACOs) and to identify specialty-,
      organization-, and market-specific factors associated with ACO participation.
      BACKGROUND: Despite rapid deployment of alternative payment models (APMs), little
      is known about the prevalence of surgeon participation, and key drivers behind
      surgeon participation in APMs. METHODS: Using data from SK&A, a research firm, we
      evaluated the near universe of US practices to characterize ACO participation
      among 125,425 US surgeons in 2015. We fit multivariable logistic regression
      models to characterize key drivers of ACO participation, and more specifically,
      the interaction between ACO affiliation and organizational structure. RESULTS: Of
      125,425 US surgeons, 27,956 (22.3%) participated in at least 1 ACO program in
      2015. We observed heterogeneity in participation by subspecialty, with trauma and
      transplant reporting the highest rate of ACO enrollment (36% for both) and
      plastic surgeons reporting the lowest (12.9%) followed by ophthalmology (16.0%)
      and hand (18.6%). Surgeons in group practices and integrated systems were more
      likely to participate relative to those practicing independently (aOR 1.57, 95%
      CI 1.50, 1.64; aOR 4.87, 95% CI 4.68, 5.07, respectively). We observed a
      statistically significant interaction (P <0.001) between surgical specialty and
      practice organization. Model-derived predicted probabilities revealed that,
      within each specialty, surgeons in integrated health systems had the highest
      predicted probabilities of ACO and those practicing independently generally had
      the lowest. CONCLUSIONS: We observed considerable variation in ACO enrollment
      among US surgeons, mediated at least in part by differences in practice
      organization. These data underscore the need for development of frameworks to
      characterize the strategic advantages and disadvantages associated with APM
      participation.

PMID- 28338516
TI  - Importance of Measuring Outcomes After Burns: Why They Matter.

PMID- 28338517
TI  - Improving Nutritional Support of Burn Service Patients by Increasing the Number
      of Days When 100% of Prescribed Formula Is Given.
AB  - The authors sought to increase the number of days when burn service patients
      receive 100% of prescribed enteral nutrition. The authors first performed a
      retrospective review of 37 patients (group 1) receiving enteral nutrition. The
      authors then created and implemented a nurse-directed feeding algorithm, placing
      patients into three age groups addressing maximum hourly infusion rates, high
      residual limits, initiating feeding, refeeding residuals, and replacing formula.
      The authors then performed a prospective review of 37 patients (group 2) fed
      utilizing the new algorithm. The amount of prescribed, infused, discarded, and
      missed feeds were recorded, as well as admitting diagnosis, age, gender, length
      of stay, ventilator days, infections, and mortality. All patients in group 1 (n =
      37) received 100% of feeds 59.9% of prescribed days vs 76.5% in group 2 (n = 37;
      P = .003). Burn patients in group 1 (n = 26) received 100% of feeds 61.6% of
      prescribed days vs 85.4% in group 2 (n = 21; P < .001). The mean amount of hours
      tube feeds were held for surgery, procedures, clogged or dislodged tubes, in both
      historical control and the group using the restorative algorithm were the same.
      While there was a significant difference in burn size between groups (6.24 vs
      18.39%, P = .01), there were no statistically significant differences in length
      of stay, ventilator days, or mortality. Implementation of a nurse-directed
      feeding algorithm improved delivery of enteral nutrition for all burn service
      patients, increasing the number of days when 100% of prescribed enteral nutrition
      is given.

PMID- 28338518
TI  - Scar Management Following Burn Injury.
AB  - At the 2016 State of the Science meeting, clinicians and burn survivors met to
      discuss the advances in scar prevention, evaluation and treatment. While emerging
      evidence exists to support pressure garment treatment of scars and the use of
      silicone gel, further research is necessary to better delineate indications
      duration and efficacy of established therapies and to develop and test badly
      needed new treatments. More accurate and objective assessment of burn depth would
      assist in the prevention and identification of wounds requiring customized
      surgery. Laser treatment of scar while rapidly gaining popularity, still lacks
      high quality evidence as to its efficacy. The psychological impact of burn scars
      on the recovering patient is poorly appreciated and increased interaction with
      our patients is needed to more fully understand and address the impact on health
      related quality of life of their burn scars.

PMID- 28338519
TI  - Incidence of Sinusitis in Burn Victims and Association With Inhalational Injury.
AB  - The purpose of this study is to determine the incidence of sinusitis in
      mechanically ventilated burn victims and to examine if the presence of
      inhalational injury increases the likelihood of developing sinusitis. The authors
      hypothesize that the incidence of sinusitis will be increased in burn victims who
      have concomitant inhalational injury. A retrospective chart analysis was
      performed on all patients who were admitted to the Nathan Speare Regional Burn
      Treatment Center over a 24-month time frame. Patients who were mechanically
      ventilated for greater than 24 hours were then selected, resulting in a total of
      137 patients for analysis. Multiple variables including number of days on
      mechanical ventilation, presence of confirmed inhalational injury by
      bronchoscopy, and method of diagnosis were examined. Of 137 patients, a diagnosis
      of sinusitis was made in 32 patients (23%). In patients with sinusitis, 87.5% had
      inhalational injury confirmed with bronchoscopy, compared with only 33.3% of
      patients without sinusitis (P < .01). Rates of nasotracheal/nasogastric
      intubation, nasoenteric feeding, and length of mechanical ventilation before
      sinusitis diagnosis were not significantly different. Patients with sinusitis
      were found to have suffered inhalational injury at a significantly higher rate
      than those who did not develop sinusitis. This suggests that inhalational injury
      is a significant risk factor for developing sinusitis.

PMID- 28338521
TI  - Ethnicity, lipids and cardiovascular disease.
AB  - PURPOSE OF REVIEW: The prevalence of cardiovascular disease differs among ethnic
      groups and along geographic boundaries. At present, most of the projected
      increase in mortality from cardiovascular disease occurs in sub-Saharan African,
      Chinese and Southeast Asian populations. Ethnic disparities in the prevalence of
      cardiovascular disease coincide with quantitative and qualitative differences in
      risk factors for cardiovascular disease. High plasma cholesterol is one of the
      most important preventable causes of ischemic heart disease. RECENT FINDINGS: The
      current review summarizes recent evidence on ethnic differences in ischemic heart
      disease and its correlates with genetic and acquired differences in plasma lipid
      and lipoprotein levels. The nature of ethnic differences in plasma lipid levels,
      apolipoprotein L1 en lipoprotein(a) [Lp(a)] is outlined, and the effects of lipid
      lowering therapy and future efforts and challenges regarding implementation are
      discussed. SUMMARY: Ethnic differences in HDL-cholesterol (HDL-C), triglyceride
      levels and Lp(a) may impact ethnic differences in cardiovascular disease and
      result in higher residual risk during lipid-lowering therapy. Further efforts
      should be made to stimulate the use of statins in both high-income and low-income
      countries and study their effects in individuals with different ethnic
      backgrounds.

PMID- 28338522
TI  - Developments in intestinal cholesterol transport and triglyceride absorption.
AB  - PURPOSE OF REVIEW: To discuss recent advances in research focused on intestinal
      lipid handling. RECENT FINDINGS: An important strategy in reducing
      atherosclerosis and risk of cardiovascular events is to increase the rate of
      reverse cholesterol transport, including its final step; cholesterol excretion
      from the body. The rate of removal is determined by a complex interplay between
      the factors involved in regulation of intestinal cholesterol absorption. One of
      these factors is a process known as transintestinal cholesterol excretion. This
      pathway comprises transport of cholesterol directly from the blood, through the
      enterocyte, into the intestinal lumen. In humans, this pathway accounts for 35%
      of cholesterol excretion in the feces. Mechanistic studies in mice revealed that,
      activation of the bile acid receptor farnesoid X receptor increases cholesterol
      removal via the transintestinal cholesterol excretion pathway as well as
      decreases plasma cholesterol and triglyceride providing an interesting target for
      treatment of dyslipidemia in humans. The physical chemical properties of bile
      acids are under control of farnesoid X receptor and determine intestinal
      cholesterol and triglyceride solubilization as well as absorption, providing a
      direct link between these two important factors in the pathogenesis of
      cardiovascular disease. Besides bile acids, intestinal phospholipids are
      important for luminal lipid solubilization. Interestingly, phospholipid
      remodeling through LPCAT3 was shown to be pivotal for uptake of fatty acids by
      enterocytes, which may provide a mechanistic handle for therapeutic intervention.
      SUMMARY: The importance of the intestine in control of cholesterol and
      triglyceride homeostasis is increasingly recognized. Recently, novel factors
      involved in regulation of cholesterol excretion and intestinal triglyceride and
      fatty acid uptake have been reported and are discussed in this short review.

PMID- 28338520
TI  - Integration of Single-Center Data-Driven Vital Sign Parameters into a Modified
      Pediatric Early Warning System.
AB  - OBJECTIVES: Pediatric early warning systems using expert-derived vital sign
      parameters demonstrate limited sensitivity and specificity in identifying
      deterioration. We hypothesized that modified tools using data-driven vital sign
      parameters would improve the performance of a validated tool. DESIGN:
      Retrospective case control. SETTING: Quaternary-care children's hospital.
      PATIENTS: Hospitalized, noncritically ill patients less than 18 years old. Cases
      were defined as patients who experienced an emergent transfer to an ICU or out-of
      ICU cardiac arrest. Controls were patients who never required intensive care.
      Cases and controls were split into training and testing groups. INTERVENTIONS:
      The Bedside Pediatric Early Warning System was modified by integrating data
      driven heart rate and respiratory rate parameters (modified Bedside Pediatric
      Early Warning System 1 and 2). Modified Bedside Pediatric Early Warning System 1
      used the 10th and 90th percentiles as normal parameters, whereas modified Bedside
      Pediatric Early Warning System 2 used fifth and 95th percentiles. MEASUREMENTS
      AND MAIN RESULTS: The training set consisted of 358 case events and 1,830
      controls; the testing set had 331 case events and 1,215 controls. In the
      sensitivity analysis, 207 of the 331 testing set cases (62.5%) were predicted by
      the original tool versus 206 (62.2%; p = 0.54) with modified Bedside Pediatric
      Early Warning System 1 and 191 (57.7%; p < 0.001) with modified Bedside Pediatric
      Early Warning System 2. For specificity, 1,005 of the 1,215 testing set control
      patients (82.7%) were identified by original Bedside Pediatric Early Warning
      System versus 1,013 (83.1%; p = 0.54) with modified Bedside Pediatric Early
      Warning System 1 and 1,055 (86.8%; p < 0.001) with modified Bedside Pediatric
      Early Warning System 2. There was no net gain in sensitivity and specificity
      using either of the modified Bedside Pediatric Early Warning System tools.
      CONCLUSIONS: Integration of data-driven vital sign parameters into a validated
      pediatric early warning system did not significantly impact sensitivity or
      specificity, and all the tools showed lower than desired sensitivity and
      specificity at a single cutoff point. Future work is needed to develop an
      objective tool that can more accurately predict pediatric decompensation.

PMID- 28338523
TI  - Laparoscopic Anatomic Segment 6 Liver Resection Using the Glissonian Approach.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: Laparoscopic liver resection has become important procedure for
      malignant liver disease. In this report, we describe the relevant technical
      maneuvers and perioperative outcomes in laparoscopic anatomic segment 6 liver
      resection using the Glissonian approach. PATIENTS AND METHODS: From March 2003
      and October 2015, 7 patients who diagnosed hepatocellular carcinoma had undergone
      laparoscopic anatomic segment 6 liver resection at the single institution. We
      performed retrospective analysis of the clinical and perioperative outcomes of
      these patients. RESULTS: All patients were men with mean age of 62.3 years
      (range, 49 to 73 y). The mean operation time was 352.8 minutes (range, 180 to 435
      min) and there was no case of open conversion. The mean estimated blood loss was
      521.4 mL (range, 200 to 800 mL) and intraoperative transfusion needed in 1
      patient. There was no postoperative morbidity and mortality. The mean
      postoperative hospital stay was 7.5 days (range, 5 to 12 d). All patients
      obtained negative resection margins. There was no patient had developed tumor
      recurrence during a median follow-up period of 43 months (range, 7 to 60.7 mo).
      CONCLUSIONS: Laparoscopic anatomic segment 6 liver resection is a feasible
      operative procedure, being possible even in patients with limited liver function.

PMID- 28338524
TI  - Chronic Boutonniere Deformities, Supple, or Stiff: A New Surgical Technique With
      Early Mobilization in 11 Cases.
AB  - Injuries to the central slip of the extensor mechanism can lead to a Boutonniere
      deformity with important functional consequences. We report a series of 11
      patients treated by lengthening-dorsalizing the lateral bands and tightening the
      central slip with early mobilization. The average age of the patients was 42
      years (14;52). The extension defect of the proximal interphalangeal (PIP) joint
      was 64 degrees (80;55) and the hyperextension of the distal interphalangeal joint
      was 10 degrees (15;5). The surgery was performed with peripheral nerve block
      (sensitive), allowing dynamic adjustment of the tendinous sutures. With a dorsal
      incision, a tenolysis of the extensor was performed. The central slip was
      tightened and the lateral bands dorsalized by cross-stitches over the PIP joint.
      The active flexion/extension was tested, and then lengthening of the lateral
      bands by "mesh graft" tenotomy was performed over the second phalange. There was
      no immobilization. The deformity was improved in 10 patients with a total flexion
      of the finger. The mean lack of extension in the PIP was 8 degrees (0;20) and the
      active flexion of the distal interphalangeal joint was 80 degrees (70;85). There
      was 1 failure. The majority of techniques necessitate an immobilization of 3 to 6
      weeks. Our procedure uses the elastic properties of the elongation and allows
      immediate mobilization. The result can be compromised in case of insufficient
      tendinous surface or if postoperative instructions are not followed.

PMID- 28338525
TI  - Orexin action on oxytocin neurons in the paraventricular nucleus of the
      hypothalamus.
AB  - Oxytocin neurons in the paraventricular nucleus (PVN) of the hypothalamus play an
      important role in food intake regulation. It has been shown that the secretion of
      oxytocin from the hypothalamus shows a diurnal circadian rhythmic pattern and
      disturbance of this pattern leads to the development of obesity. However, whether
      oxytocin secretion from the PVN has a diurnal pattern remains unknown. Here, we
      show that oxytocin secretion from the PVN does have a diurnal pattern and that
      the terminals of orexin neurons, the neuropeptide responsible for regulating the
      sleep-wake rhythm, are synapsed with PVN oxytocin neurons. Using transgenic rats
      selectively expressing monomeric red fluorescent protein 1 in oxytocin neurons,
      we found that orexin-A inhibits the activities of PVN oxytocin neurons by
      inhibiting glutamatergic excitatory synaptic input. These data suggest that
      orexin is a possible candidate to regulate the circadian rhythm of PVN oxytocin
      neurons. The circadian rhythmic secretion of oxytocin is considered to play an
      important role in maintaining homeostasis, including body weight regulation. Our
      present data indicate a possible contribution of orexin toward the development of
      circadian rhythm in PVN oxytocin neurons.

PMID- 28338528
TI  - Perceptual, Mechanical And Electromyographic Responses To Different Relative
      Loads In The Parallel Squat.
AB  - The effectiveness of the OMNI-RES (0-10) and the electromyographic signal for
      monitoring changes in the movement velocity was examined during a set to muscular
      failure using different percentages of one repetition maximum (1RM) in the
      parallel squat exercise (PSQ). Twelve males (26.3 +/- 5.8 years) were evaluated
      on eight separate days with 48 hours of rest between sessions. After determining
      the 1RM value, participants underwent seven tests until achieving muscular
      failure with the following percentage ranges: 30 to <40%; 40 to <50%, 50 to <60%,
      60% to <70%, 70 to <80%, 80 to <90% and >90%. An optical rotary encoder measured
      mean accelerative velocity (MAV) and the OMNI-RES (0-10) scale was used to
      express the Rating of Perceived Exertion (RPE) after every repetition of each
      set. Additionally, the normalized root mean square (RMS) signal of the surface
      electromyography (N-EMG) was calculated for the vastus medialis muscle. The RPE
      expressed after the first repetition and when the maximum value of MAV was
      achieved along the sets was lower (p <0.001, d >0.8) than the RPE that
      corresponded to a 10% drop in MAV and at failure. Additionally, the initial RPE
      was useful to distinguish different loading zones by anchoring the OMNI-RES value
      to the magnitude of the relative load (<60%, 60 to <70% or <= 70% 1RM). Similar
      patterns were observed using the N-EMG. In conclusion, apart from differentiating
      between relative loads during a set to failure in the PSQ, the RPE and the N-EMG
      can both reflect changes associated with the initial, maximal, 10% drop in
      movement velocity and the muscular failure.

PMID- 28338526
TI  - Cutaneous Larva Migrans Associated With Loffler's Syndrome in a 6-Year-Old Boy.
AB  - Cutaneous larva migrans is a frequent dermatologic problem among travelers in
      tropical areas, but its association with Loffler's syndrome is an extremely rare
      condition, particularly in children. Here, we describe a 6-year-old boy
      presenting cutaneous larva migrans associated with Loffler's syndrome.

PMID- 28338527
TI  - A Slight Smell of Lemon.
AB  - We present here an example of urine substituted with a yellow cleaning product
      that leads us to develop the main risks to consider in urine toxicology analysis,
      ie, adulteration and analytical interferences, and how to deal with them. This
      grand round highlights the importance of the dialog between the clinician and a
      TDM consultant for optimal care of the patient.

PMID- 28338529
TI  - Dosimetry software Hermes Internal Radiation Dosimetry: from quantitative image
      reconstruction to voxel-level absorbed dose distribution.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: The aim of this work is to validate a software package called Hermes
      Internal Radiation Dosimetry (HIRD) for internal dose assessment tailored for
      clinical practice. The software includes all the necessary steps to perform voxel
      level absorbed dose calculations including quantitative reconstruction, image
      coregistration and volume of interest tools. METHODS: The basics of voxel-level
      dosimetry methods and implementations to HIRD software are reviewed. Then, HIRD
      is validated using simulated SPECT/CT data and data from Lu-DOTATATE-treated
      patients by comparing absorbed kidney doses with OLINDA/EXM-based dosimetry. In
      addition, electron and photon dose components are studied separately in an
      example patient case. RESULTS: The simulation study showed that HIRD can
      reproduce time-activity curves accurately and produce absorbed doses with less
      than 10% error for the kidneys, liver and spleen. From the patient data, the
      absorbed kidney doses calculated using HIRD and using OLINDA/EXM were highly
      correlated (Pearson's correlation coefficient, r=0.98). From Bland-Altman plot
      analysis, an average absorbed dose difference of -2% was found between the
      methods. In addition, we found that in Lu-DOTATATE-treated patients, photons can
      contribute over 10% of the kidney's total dose and is partly because of cross
      irradiation from high-uptake lesions close to the kidneys. CONCLUSION: HIRD is a
      straightforward voxel-level internal dosimetry software. Its clinical utility was
      verified with simulated and clinical Lu-DOTATATE-treated patient data. Patient
      studies also showed that photon contribution towards the total dose can be
      relatively high and voxel-level dose calculations can be valuable in cases where
      the target organ is in close proximity to high-uptake organs.

PMID- 28338531
TI  - Hormonal manipulation with finasteride or oral contraception does not influence
      incidence of renal cell carcinoma.
AB  - Androgens have been suspected to be involved in the initiation of renal cell
      carcinoma because of a two-fold increased risk in men compared with women. To
      investigate the role of self-reported finasteride or oral contraceptive use in
      the Prostate, Lung, Colorectal, and Ovarian (PCLO) to determine whether the
      androgen receptor reduces renal cancer development. We query the PCLO trial for
      predictor variables from the baseline questionnaire and follow-up questionnaires
      enquiring medication use, specifically the use of 5-alpha reductase inhibitors
      (dutasteride or finasteride) and oral contraceptive therapy. The primary outcome
      of this study was the incidence of renal cancer. Statistical analysis included
      Student's t-test for continuous variables, chi, or Fisher's exact tests for
      dichotomous or categorical variables, and multivariable analysis using Cox
      proportional hazards models. Eight percent (n=6117/73 694) of men in the PCLO
      trial reported the use of finasteride. 52 (10.6%) of the 492 men diagnosed with
      renal cancer had self-reported exposure to finasteride and this was not
      significant in univariable analysis (52/6169; 0.84% vs. 440/66 454; 0.67%,
      P=0.12) or multivariable main effects analysis (hazard ratio: 1.12; 95%
      confidence interval: 0.83-1.5; P=0.47). Approximately 54% of women (n=40 997/75
      989) in the PCLO trial reported the use of oral contraceptives by questionnaire.
      136 (52.1%) of the 261 women diagnosed with renal cancer had self-reported
      exposure to oral contraceptive therapy and this was not significant in
      univariable analysis (136/40 997; 0.33% vs. 125/34 992; 0.36%, P=0.36) or in
      multivariable main effects analysis (hazard ratio: 1.03; 95% confidence interval:
      0.97-1.1; P=0.30). Self-reported use of finasteride or oral contraceptives is not
      associated with a reduced incidence of renal cancer.

PMID- 28338530
TI  - Pharmacologic characterizations of a P2X7 receptor-specific radioligand,
      [11C]GSK1482160 for neuroinflammatory response.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: The P2X7 receptor (P2X7R) is a key regulatory element in the
      neuroinflammatory cascade that provides a promising target for imaging
      neuroinflammation. GSK1482160, a P2X7R modulator with nanomolar binding affinity
      and high selectivity, has been successfully radiolabeled and utilized for imaging
      P2X7 levels in a mouse model of lipopolysaccharide-induced systemic inflammation.
      In the current study, we further characterized its binding profile and determined
      whether [C]GSK1482160 can detect changes in P2X7R expression in a rodent model of
      multiple sclerosis. METHODS: [C]GSK1482160 was synthesized with high specific
      activity and high radiochemical purity. Radioligand saturation and competition
      binding assays were performed for [C]GSK1482160 using HEK293-hP2X7R living cells.
      Micro-PET studies were carried out in nonhuman primates. In vitro autoradiography
      and immunohistochemistry studies were then carried out to evaluate tracer uptake
      and P2X7 expression in experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE) rat lumbar
      spinal cord at EAE-peak and EAE-remitting stages compared with sham rats.
      RESULTS: [C]GSK1482160 binds to HEK293-hP2X7R living cells with high binding
      affinity (Kd=5.09+/-0.98 nmol/l, Ki=2.63+/-0.6 nmol/l). Micro-PET studies showed
      high tracer retention and a homogeneous distribution in the brain of nonhuman
      primates. In the EAE rat model, tracer uptake of [C]GSK1482160 in rat lumbar
      spinal cord was the highest at the EAE-peak stage (277.74+/-79.74 PSL/mm),
      followed by the EAE-remitting stage(149.00+/-54.14 PSL/mm) and sham (66.37+/-1.48
      PSL/mm). The tracer uptake correlated strongly with P2X7-positive cell counts,
      activated microglia numbers, and disease severity. CONCLUSION: We conclude that
      [C]GSK1482160 has the potential for application in monitoring neuroinflammation.

PMID- 28338532
TI  - Is severe hypercalcemia immediately life-threatening?
AB  - OBJECTIVE: Severe hypercalcemia is often considered an emergency because of a
      potential risk of cardiac arrest or coma. However, there is little evidence to
      support this. The aim of our study was to assess whether severe hypercalcemia
      (Ca>4 mmol/l or 16 mg/dl) was associated with immediately life-threatening
      cardiac arrhythmias or neurological complications in patients admitted to the
      Emergency Department (ED). METHODS: A retrospective observational study was
      carried out over a 5-year period (2008-2012). Eligible patients were admitted to
      the Adult Emergency Department of Nantes University Hospital and had a calcium
      concentration in excess of 4 mmol/l. There were no exclusion criteria. The
      primary outcome was the number of life-threatening cardiac arrhythmias and/or
      neurological complications during the stay in the ED. The secondary outcomes were
      correlation between calcium concentrations/ECG QTc intervals and mortality.
      RESULTS: A total of 126 204 adult patients had calcium concentrations measured.
      Thirty one (0.025%) patients had severe hypercalcemia as defined in our study.
      The median calcium concentration was 4.3 mmol/l (Q1, 4.2; Q3, 4.7) and the median
      albumin-adjusted calcium concentration was 4.3 mmol/l (Q1, 4.1; Q3, 4.7). No
      patient presented with a life-threatening cardiac event during stay in the ED.
      The median ED stay was 7 h 32 min. One patient presented with a coma of
      multifactorial origin. There was no correlation between calcemia and QTc
      intervals (P=0.60). Mortality at 1 year was 55% (17 patients). CONCLUSION: We
      found no cases of immediately life-threatening cardiac arrhythmias or
      neurological complications associated with hypercalcemia above 4 mmol/l over a 5
      year period in a large tertiary ED.

PMID- 28338533
TI  - Sepsis patients in the emergency department: stratification using the Clinical
      Impression Score, Predisposition, Infection, Response and Organ dysfunction score
      or quick Sequential Organ Failure Assessment score?
AB  - OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to compare the stratification of sepsis
      patients in the emergency department (ED) for ICU admission and mortality using
      the Predisposition, Infection, Response and Organ dysfunction (PIRO) and quick
      Sequential Organ Failure Assessment (qSOFA) scores with clinical judgement
      assessed by the ED staff. PATIENTS AND METHODS: This was a prospective
      observational study in the ED of a tertiary care teaching hospital. Adult
      nontrauma patients with suspected infection and at least two Systemic
      Inflammatory Response Syndrome criteria were included. The primary outcome was
      direct ED to ICU admission. The secondary outcomes were in-hospital, 28-day and 6
      month mortality, indirect ICU admission and length of stay. Clinical judgement
      was recorded using the Clinical Impression Scores (CIS), appraised by a nurse and
      the attending physician. The PIRO and qSOFA scores were calculated from medical
      records. RESULTS: We included 193 patients: 103 presented with sepsis, 81 with
      severe sepsis and nine with septic shock. Fifteen patients required direct ICU
      admission. The CIS scores of nurse [area under the curve (AUC)=0.896] and the
      attending physician (AUC=0.861), in conjunction with PIRO (AUC=0.876) and qSOFA
      scores (AUC=0.849), predicted direct ICU admission. The CIS scores did not
      predict any of the mortality endpoints. The PIRO score predicted in-hospital
      (AUC=0.764), 28-day (AUC=0.784) and 6-month mortality (AUC=0.695). The qSOFA
      score also predicted in-hospital (AUC=0.823), 28-day (AUC=0.848) and 6-month
      mortality (AUC=0.620). CONCLUSION: Clinical judgement is a fast and reliable
      method to stratify between ICU and general ward admission in ED patients with
      sepsis. The PIRO and qSOFA scores do not add value to this stratification, but
      perform better on the prediction of mortality. In sepsis patients, therefore, the
      principle of 'treat first what kills first' can be supplemented with 'judge first
      and calculate later'.

PMID- 28338534
TI  - Management of pediatric head injury: a survey of EuSEM pediatric emergency
      section.

PMID- 28338535
TI  - Lung Cancers Associated With Cystic Airspaces: Natural History, Pathologic
      Correlation, and Mutational Analysis.
AB  - PURPOSE: The aim of the study was to investigate the natural history of non-small
      cell lung cancers (NSCLCs) associated with cystic airspaces, including
      histopathology and molecular analysis. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A total of 34,801
      computed tomographic (CT) scans of 2954 patients diagnosed with NSCLC between
      2010 and 2015 were evaluated for association with a cystic airspace.
      Characteristics on serial CT, 18F-fludeoxyglucose positron emission tomography,
      and pathologic analysis were recorded. RESULTS: Cystic airspaces were associated
      with 1% of NSCLC cases (12 men and 18 women; median age, 66 y [range, 44 to 87
      y]). Of the total number of patients, 97% had a smoking history. Twenty-four
      adenocarcinomas, 4 squamous cell carcinomas, and 2 poorly differentiated
      carcinomas were distributed throughout all lobes and were predominantly
      peripheral. Some cystic airspaces appeared in previously normal lungs, whereas
      others were preceded by subcentimeter nodules. Twenty of 30 cases demonstrated
      increased soft tissue due to wall thickening, increased loculations, enlargement
      and/or increased attenuation of a mural nodule, or replacement by a mass. 18F
      fludeoxyglucose uptake was present if solid components measured >8 mm. Twenty of
      30 patients demonstrated >1 cystic lesion or ground-glass nodule,
      lymphadenopathy, or evidence of prior lung resection. Pathologic analysis
      revealed that cystic airspaces correspond to a check-valve mechanism,
      adenocarcinoma superimposed on emphysema, cystification, and adenocarcinoma
      parasitizing a preexisting bulla. Fourteen of 26 tumors and 64% of
      adenocarcinomas tested positive for an alteration of KRAS with or without other
      alterations. CONCLUSIONS: Cystic airspaces preceded by nodules can evolve into
      NSCLCs. Wall thickening and/or mural nodularity may develop. Location in the
      periphery of the upper lobes, emphysema, additional cystic lesions or ground
      glass nodules, lymphadenopathy, and prior lung cancer should further increase
      suspicion. Cystic airspaces on CT can be due to a check-valve mechanism
      obstructing the small airways, lepidic growth of adenocarcinoma in an area of
      emphysema, cystification of tumor due to degeneration, or adenocarcinoma growing
      along the wall of a preexisting bulla. KRAS mutations are the predominant genetic
      alterations.

PMID- 28338536
TI  - Dual-energy Computed Tomography for the Evaluation of Enhancement of Pulmonary
      Nodules<=3 cm in Size.
AB  - PURPOSE: The aim of the study was to compare the accuracies of 4 different
      methods of assessing pulmonary nodule enhancement to distinguish benign from
      malignant solid pulmonary nodules using nondynamic contrast-enhanced dual-energy
      computed tomography. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Seventy-two patients (mean age, 62 y)
      underwent dual-energy chest computed tomography 3 minutes after intravenous
      contrast administration. Each of 118 pulmonary nodules (9+/-5.9 mm) were
      evaluated for enhancement by 4 methods: visual assessment, 3-dimensional
      automated postprocessing measurement tool, manually drawn region of interest with
      calculated iodine-related attenuation, and measurement of iodine concentration.
      The optimal cutoff for enhancement was defined as having the largest specificity
      among all cutoffs while maintaining 100% sensitivity. Accuracy of the methods was
      assessed with receiver operating characteristic curves. RESULTS: Ninety-three of
      118 pulmonary nodules were benign (79%). Visual assessment of enhancement had
      sensitivity and specificity of 100% and 44%, respectively. For the automated 3
      dimensional measurement tool, 20 HU was found to be the optimal threshold for
      defining enhancement, resulting in a specificity of 71% and a sensitivity of
      100%, as well as an area under the curve (AUC) of 0.87 (95% confidence interval
      [CI], 0.82-0.92). The AUC was 0.79 (95% CI, 0.73-0.85) for the measured
      enhancement using a manually drawn region of interest. When a threshold of 21 HU
      was used for defining enhancement, maximum specificity was obtained (56%) while
      maintaining 100% sensitivity. The AUC for measured iodine concentration was 0.79
      (95% CI, 0.77-0.85). At a cutoff iodine concentration of 0.6 mg/mL, the
      sensitivity was 100% with a specificity of 57%. CONCLUSIONS: Although use of
      automated postprocessing had the highest specificity while maintaining 100%
      sensitivity, there were only minor clinically relevant differences between
      measurement techniques given that no single technique misclassified a malignant
      nodule as nonenhancing.

PMID- 28338537
TI  - Allergenic Ingredients in Personal Hygiene Wet Wipes.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Wet wipes are a significant allergen source for anogenital allergic
      contact dermatitis. OBJECTIVE: The aim of the study was to calculate the
      frequency of potentially allergenic ingredients in personal hygiene wet wipes.
      METHODS: Ingredient lists from brand name and generic personal hygiene wet wipes
      from 4 large retailers were compiled. RESULTS: In the 54 personal hygiene wet
      wipes evaluated, a total of 132 ingredients were identified (average of 11.9
      ingredients per wipe). The most common ingredients were Aloe barbadensis (77.8%),
      citric acid (77.8%), fragrance (72.2%), sorbic acid derivatives (63.0%),
      tocopherol derivatives (63.0%), glycerin (59.3%), phenoxyethanol (55.6%),
      disodium cocoamphodiacetate (53.7%), disodium ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid
      (EDTA) (42.6%), propylene glycol (42.6%), iodopropynyl butylcarbamate (40.7%),
      chamomile extracts (38.9%), sodium benzoate (35.2%), bronopol (22.2%), sodium
      citrate (22.2%), lanolin derivatives (20.4%), parabens (20.4%), polyethylene
      glycol derivatives (18.5%), disodium phosphate (16.7%), dimethylol dimethyl
      hydantoin (DMDM) (14.8%), and cocamidopropyl propylene glycol (PG)-dimonium
      chloride phosphate (11.1%). Of note, methylisothiazolinone (5.6%) was uncommon;
      methylchloroisothiazolinone was not identified in the personal hygiene wet wipes
      examined. CONCLUSIONS: There are many potential allergens in personal hygiene wet
      wipes, especially fragrance and preservatives.

PMID- 28338538
TI  - Allergenic Ingredients in Facial Wet Wipes.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Allergic contact dermatitis commonly occurs on the face. Facial
      cleansing wipes may be an underrecognized source of allergens. OBJECTIVE: The aim
      of this study was to determine the frequency of potentially allergenic
      ingredients in facial wet wipes. METHODS: Ingredient lists from name brand and
      generic facial wipes from 4 large retailers were analyzed. RESULTS: In the 178
      facial wipes examined, a total of 485 ingredients were identified (average, 16.7
      ingredients per wipe). Excluding botanicals, the top 15 potentially allergenic
      ingredients were glycerin (64.0%), fragrance (63.5%), phenoxyethanol (53.9%),
      citric acid (51.1%), disodium EDTA (44.4%), sorbic acid derivatives (39.3%),
      tocopherol derivatives (38.8%), polyethylene glycol derivatives (32.6%), glyceryl
      stearate (31.5%), sodium citrate (29.8%), glucosides (27.5%), cetearyl alcohol
      (25.8%), propylene glycol (25.3%), sodium benzoate (24.2%), and ceteareth-20
      (23.6%)/parabens (23.6%). Of note, methylisothiazolinone (2.2%) and
      methylchloroisothiazolinone (1.1%) were uncommon. The top potential allergens of
      botanical origin included Aloe barbadensis (41.0%), chamomile extracts (27.0%),
      tea extracts (21.3%), Cucumis sativus (20.2%), and Hamamelis virginiana (10.7%).
      CONCLUSIONS: Many potential allergens are present in facial wet wipes, including
      fragrances, preservatives, botanicals, glucosides, and propylene glycol.

PMID- 28338540
TI  - Occupational Contact Dermatitis in North American Print Machine Operators
      Referred for Patch Testing: Retrospective Analysis of Cross-Sectional Data From
      the North American Contact Dermatitis Group 1998 to 2014.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Little is known about the epidemiology of contact dermatitis (CD) in
      print machine operators (PMOs). OBJECTIVE: The aims of this study were to
      estimate the prevalence of CD and characterize clinically relevant and
      occupationally related allergens among PMOs undergoing patch testing. METHODS:
      This was a retrospective cross-sectional analysis of the North American Contact
      Dermatitis Group data from 1998 to 2014. RESULTS: Of 39,332 patch-tested
      patients, 132 (0.3%) were PMOs. Among PMOs, most were male (75.0%) and white
      (92.4%). The majority were printing press operators (85.6%). The most frequent
      sites of dermatitis were hands (63.6%), arms (29.5%), and face/scalp (24.2%).
      More than half had an occupationally related skin condition (56.1%). Final
      diagnoses were most commonly allergic CD (58.3%) and irritant CD (33.3%). Cobalt
      (20.8%), carba mix (12.5%), thiuram mix (8.3%), and formaldehyde (8.3%) were the
      most frequent occupationally related allergens. The top allergen sources included
      inks (22.9%), gloves (20.8%), and coatings/dye/copy/photographic chemicals
      (14.6%). CONCLUSIONS: Allergic CD, irritant CD, and involvement of exposed body
      areas were common among PMOs. Common allergens included rubber accelerators,
      metals, and preservatives.

PMID- 28338541
TI  - Intralesional Treatment With 5-Fluorouracil and Steroid Improves Allergic Contact
      Dermatitis Without Causing Skin Atrophy and Rebound Lesions.

PMID- 28338542
TI  - Multicenter Patch Testing With Methylisothiazolinone and
      Methylchloroisothiazolinone/Methylisothiazolinone Within the International
      Contact Dermatitis Research Group.
AB  - BACKGROUND: The preservatives methylchloroisothiazolinone/methylisothiazolinone
      (MCI/MI) and MI are well-known contact sensitizers. Recently, an increase in the
      contact allergy frequency for MI 0.2% aqueous (aq) has been seen in many European
      countries paralleled with an increase in MCI/MI allergy. Many of the MI-allergic
      patients do not react to MCI/MI 0.01% or 0.02% because the concentration of MI in
      these preparations is too low (25 and 50 ppm, respectively) to elicit a positive
      patch test reaction. OBJECTIVES: The aims of this study were to investigate the
      prevalence of contact allergy to MI in the participating clinics representing
      various countries all over the world, to assess how many additional individuals
      with contact allergy are found by testing MI 0.2% aq in parallel with MCI/MI
      0.02%, and to assess the clinical relevance of MI and MCI/MI allergies. PATIENTS
      AND METHODS: In 9 dermatology clinics representing 9 countries, 3865 consecutive
      patients with dermatitis were patch tested with MI 0.2% aq and in parallel with
      MCI/MI 0.02% aq, provisionally included into the baseline series. An assessment
      of clinical relevance in those allergic to MI was also made. RESULTS: Contact
      allergy to MI was found in 284 patients (7.3%). The frequency of contact allergy
      varied from 0.8% to 10.9% in different centers. Simultaneous reactivity to 200
      ppm of MCI/MI was found in 67.3% of the MI-positive patients. Contact allergy to
      MI alone without any simultaneous contact allergy to 200 ppm of MCI/MI was
      diagnosed in 93 patients (32.7%; 2.4% of all tested patients). The contact
      allergy to MI and/or MCI/MI could explain or contribute to dermatitis in more
      than 60% of the MI-allergic patients. CONCLUSIONS: Methylisothiazolinone of 2000
      ppm needs to be patch tested on its own to not miss contact allergy.

PMID- 28338543
TI  - Perianal Dermatitis.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Perianal complaints are often consulted in dermatology clinics, and
      in many cases, a conclusive diagnosis is not easily made. OBJECTIVE: The aim of
      this study was to study and identify the epidemiological, clinical, and contact
      allergy features of patients with perianal dermatitis who attended at a contact
      dermatitis unit in a tertiary hospital in Spain. METHODS: Adult patients with
      long-lasting (>4 weeks) perianal dermatitis were recruited during the past 10
      years for investigation and follow-up. Every patient underwent a diagnostic
      workup consisting of dermatological exploration and patch tests with the standard
      and specific series, as well as the patients' own products. General surgical
      exploration was also performed in some patients. RESULTS: One hundred twenty-four
      patients were included. The MOAHLFA index was as follows: 43.5, 0, 4.8, 11.3,
      1.6, 8.1, and 75. The main final diagnoses were allergic contact dermatitis
      (32.3%), psoriasis (24.2%), irritant contact dermatitis (17.7%), and lichen
      simplex (neurodermatitis) (10%). Eighty-one patients (66.1%) showed 1 or more
      positive reactions, and in 52 patients (43%), positive reactions relevant to the
      present disease were found. CONCLUSIONS: Contact allergy in patients with long
      lasting perianal complaints is frequent. It is mandatory for these patients to be
      referred to a dermatologist for an adequate evaluation and patch testing.
      Methylchloroisothiazolinone/methylisothiazolinone seems as the most common
      allergen implicated in perianal contact dermatitis.

PMID- 28338544
TI  - Associations Between Medication Class and Subsequent Augmentation of Depression
      Treatment in Privately Insured US Adults.
AB  - IMPORTANCE: Treatment augmentation is an important clinical decision in the
      pharmacotherapy for depression, yet few studies have examined the rates of
      treatment augmentation by medication class. OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was
      to examine which initial pharmacotherapies for depression are more likely than
      others to result in subsequent treatment augmentation. METHODS: This study is a
      retrospective cohort analysis of administrative data of 214,705 privately insured
      US adults between the age of 18 and 64 years who were diagnosed with a new
      episode of depression in 2009. Propensity score-adjusted logistic regression and
      Cox regression were used to model the effect of the class of initial monotherapy
      on treatment augmentation. Risk adjustors included depression severity,
      comorbidities, provider type, insurance, and demographic characteristics.
      EXPOSURE: The class of initial monotherapy and the health care provider type were
      the main independent variables of interest. MAIN OUTCOME: The outcome was the
      augmentation of monotherapy. RESULTS: Thirty-four percent of individuals received
      treatment augmentation. Compared with selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor
      monotherapy, second-generation antipsychotics as the initial treatment were
      associated with significant increase in the likelihood of augmentation compared
      with the other classes (hazards ratio, 2.59; 95% confidence interval [CI], 2.51
      2.68). This result was corroborated after propensity score adjustment (odds
      ratio, 2.85; 95% CI, 2.70-3.00) when comparing second-generation antipsychotics
      to the other classes of pharmacotherapy. The other significant predictor of
      treatment augmentation was the provider type. Mental health specialists were 27%
      more likely to augment a treatment compared with generalists (hazards ratio,
      1.27; 95% CI, 1.25-1.30). CONCLUSIONS: The type of initial antidepressant therapy
      is associated with the chances of treatment augmentation. Second-generation
      antipsychotics progressed to augmentation more rapidly than the other classes.

PMID- 28338545
TI  - Risperidone and Cardiometabolic Risk in Children and Adolescents: Clinical and
      Instrumental Issues.
AB  - PURPOSE/BACKGROUND: Although second-generation antipsychotics are used to treat
      and manage symptoms for several psychiatric disorders, data about their adverse
      effects in developmental age are limited. The aim of this prospective
      observational study was to verify the cardiovascular and metabolic risk in a
      sample of antipsychotic-naive children/adolescent patients starting risperidone
      therapy. METHODS: Twenty-two patients, younger than 18 years, were recruited. The
      assessment included anthropometric data, cardiovascular parameters, blood tests,
      and ultrasonographic abdominal study. RESULTS: After an average follow-up period
      of 7.6 months, statistically significant increases in mean values of waist
      circumference, body mass index (BMI), BMI percentile, BMI z score, total
      cholesterol, and prolactin were found. Other cardiometabolic parameters showed an
      upward trend in time. Subjects in pubertal/postpubertal stage and female patients
      were more susceptible to developing cardiometabolic changes. Moreover,
      significant correlations between changes in anthropometric and several metabolic
      parameters were found. A tendency to change in constitution of the liver
      parenchyma and distribution of the abdominal fat mass with ultrasonographic
      abdominal study was also evident. CONCLUSIONS: In our sample, several metabolic
      parameters showed a sensitivity to risperidone treatment. Because most of these
      parameters are age dependent, metabolic syndrome criteria used for adults were
      inappropriate in children and adolescents. Periodic clinical and instrumental
      evaluations and guidelines for monitoring of any metabolic, laboratory, and
      instrumental complications are necessary in the perspective of even long-time
      second-generation antipsychotics treatment in children and adolescents.

PMID- 28338547
TI  - Satisfaction With Methadone and Opioid Receptor Genes Polymorphisms in Treatment
      Refractory Heroin-Dependent Patients.

PMID- 28338546
TI  - A Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled, Pilot Study of Riluzole Monotherapy for Acute
      Bipolar Depression.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Glutamatergic system abnormalities are implicated in the
      pathophysiology and treatment of both major depressive disorder and bipolar
      depression (BDep). Subsequent to studies demonstrating the rapid and robust
      antidepressant effects of ketamine, an N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor antagonist,
      other glutamatergic modulators are now being studied in clinical trials of mood
      disorders. A previous open-label study found that riluzole, administered in
      combination with the mood stabilizer lithium, had antidepressant effects.
      METHODS: We conducted a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial of
      riluzole monotherapy for the treatment of BDep. Nineteen subjects aged 18 to 70
      years with bipolar disorder currently experiencing a depressive episode were
      tapered off of excluded medications and randomized to receive riluzole (50-200
      mg/d) or placebo for 8 weeks. Rating scale scores (Montgomery-Asberg Depression
      Rating Scale, Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression, Hamilton Rating Scale for
      Anxiety, and Young Mania Rating Scale) were obtained weekly. RESULTS: No
      significant differences in depressive symptoms were observed between subjects
      treated with riluzole and those receiving placebo (P = 0.12). Anxiety scores were
      significantly lower in the placebo group (P = 0.046). An interim analysis was
      conducted that resulted in stopping the study because of futility; no subjects
      had achieved treatment response. CONCLUSIONS: Although we found no change in
      severity of depressive symptoms in BDep patients receiving riluzole compared with
      placebo, this trial was limited by the relatively high number of subject
      withdrawals and the small sample size. Thus, while riluzole monotherapy did not
      demonstrate efficacy for BDep, further studies examining riluzole as adjunctive
      therapy for this disorder may be warranted.Clinical Trials Identifier
      NCT00054704.

PMID- 28338548
TI  - Lipophilic beta-Blockers and Suicide in the Elderly.

PMID- 28338549
TI  - Reply to Comments by Drs Glue and Menkes.

PMID- 28338550
TI  - Respiratory System Function in Patients After Minimally Invasive Aortic Valve
      Replacement Surgery: A Case Control Study.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: The aim of the study was to comparatively analyze respiratory system
      function after minimally invasive, through right minithoracotomy aortic valve
      replacement (RT-AVR) to conventional AVR. METHODS: Analysis of 201 patients
      scheduled for RT-AVR and 316 for AVR between January 2010 and November 2013.
      Complications of the respiratory system and pulmonary functional status are
      presented. RESULTS: Complications of the respiratory system occurred in 16.8% of
      AVR and 11.0% of RT-AVR patients (P = 0.067). The rate of pleural effusions,
      thoracenteses, pneumonias, or phrenic nerve dysfunctions was not significantly
      different between groups. Perioperative mortality was 1.9% in AVR and 1.0% in RT
      AVR (P = 0.417). Mechanical ventilation time after surgery was 9.7 +/- 5.9 hours
      for AVR and 7.2 +/- 3.2 hours for RT-AVR patients (P < 0.001). Stroke (odds ratio
      [OR] = 13.4, P = 0.008), increased postoperative blood loss (OR = 9.6, P <
      0.001), and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (OR = 7.7, P < 0.001) were risk
      factors of prolonged mechanical lung ventilation. A week after surgery, the
      results of most pulmonary function tests were lower in the AVR than in the RT-AVR
      group (P < 0.001 was seen for forced expiratory volume in the first second, vital
      capacity, total lung capacity, maximum inspiratory pressure and maximum
      expiratory pressure, P = 0.377 was seen for residual volume). CONCLUSIONS: Right
      anterior aortic valve replacement minithoracotomy surgery with single-lung
      ventilation did not result in increased rate of respiratory system complications.
      Spirometry examinations revealed that pulmonary functional status was more
      impaired after AVR in comparison with RT-AVR surgery.

PMID- 28338551
TI  - Standardizing Robotic Lobectomy: Feasibility and Safety in 128 Consecutive
      Lobectomies Within a Single Healthcare System.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: Single-surgeon cohorts assessing robotically assisted video-assisted
      thoracic (RA-VATS) lobectomy have reported good outcomes, but there are little
      data regarding multiple surgeons applying a standard technique in separate
      hospitals. The purpose of this study was to show how a standardized robotic
      technique is both safe and reproducible between surgeons and institutions.
      METHODS: From July 1, 2012, to October 1, 2013, patients undergoing RA-VATS
      lobectomy for both benign and malignant disease were identified from a
      prospectively collected database of two thoracic surgeons from different
      hospitals within the same healthcare system and retrospectively analyzed. Each
      surgeon employed an identical "rule of 10" completely port-based approach through
      all 128 cases. The primary end points of the study were in-hospital and 30-day
      mortality. Secondary end points were differences in morbidity and perioperative
      outcomes between the two surgeons based on their "rule of 10" technique. RESULTS:
      A total of 128 cases were performed with 121 lobectomies, 3 bilobectomies, and 4
      pneumonectomies for both malignant and benign disease. Each surgeon had 64 cases
      without a single in-hospital or 30-day mortality. Overall morbidity was 16.4%.
      Each surgeon had one readmission and take back to operating room (a washout and a
      mechanical pleurodesis). The most common complication was prolonged air leak
      (38.1%, 8/21 patients). There was no statistical difference in length of stay,
      complications, severity of illness, and clinical staging between the two
      surgeons. There was a significant difference in resected lymph nodes (11.79 vs
      14.45, P = 0.0086). Compared with published national meta-analysis on RA-VAT
      lobectomies, there was a significantly reduced length of stay (4.2 vs 6 days, P =
      0.0436) and bleeding (0.8 vs 1.8%, P = 0.0003). Nodal upstaging from cN0 to pN1
      was 8% and cN0 to pN2 was 2% for an overall nodal upstaging of 10% for stage I
      nonsmall cell lung cancer. CONCLUSIONS: By standardizing how a robotic lobectomy
      is performed, we were able to show that RA-VATS lobectomy is safe and may allow
      for the expansion of minimally invasive lobectomy to surgeons who otherwise have
      failed to adopt traditional VATS. When compared with the most recent national
      meta-analysis, we had reduced morbidity, mortality, bleeding, and length of stay.
      Robotic nodal upstaging for stage I nonsmall lung cancer was consistent with
      larger multicenter study. We hope that these results will help lead to the
      standardization robotic lobectomy and a larger multisurgeon/institutional study
      that could pave the way for greater adoption of minimally invasive lobectomy.

PMID- 28338553
TI  - Consequences of Hybrid Procedure Addition to Robotic-Assisted Direct Coronary
      Artery Bypass.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: Patients postcoronary artery revascularization surgery often receives
      blood product transfusion, which could delay their intensive care unit and
      hospital discharge. We investigated our robotic-assisted direct coronary artery
      bypass (RADCAB) transfusion rate to determine whether performing the minimal
      invasive coronary surgery with percutaneous coronary intervention in one stage
      would increase the incidence of blood transfusion, morbidity, and length of stay.
      METHODS: Between November 2003 and November 2015, 483 consecutive patients
      underwent RADCAB surgery. They were divided into two groups. Group 1 (147
      patients; mean +/- SD age, 61.2 +/- 11 years; 23% females) underwent robotic
      assisted hybrid coronary artery revascularization with left internal thoracic
      artery to the left anterior descending coronary artery with percutaneous coronary
      intervention to a nonleft anterior descending coronary artery vessel in the same
      stage. Group 2 (336 patients; mean +/- SD age, 61.2 +/- 10.5 years; 25% females)
      underwent nonhybrid RADCAB. Early and late postoperative follow-up at mean +/- SD
      of 83.6 +/- 11.1 months was obtained. RESULTS: Blood transfusion rate in group 1
      was statistically different, as illustrated in Table 2. Based on the
      intraoperative cardiac catheterization, the incidence of graft revision was
      higher in the nonhybrid group. There was no difference between the two groups in
      terms of renal failure, neurological complication, prolonged mechanical
      ventilation, and gastrointestinal bleed. CONCLUSIONS: Despite similar
      preoperative demographics in the two groups, we have observed a significant
      difference in the blood transfusion rate in group 1. However, this did not lead
      into a statistically significant re-exploration rate for bleeding. Hence, we
      assume that dual antiplatelet therapy usage in the hybrid group might be the
      cause of the increase in blood transfusion rate. Nevertheless, it did not affect
      postoperative morbidity and length of hospital stay. A randomized multicenter
      clinical trial is needed.

PMID- 28338552
TI  - Is the Future of Coronary Arterial Revascularization a Hybrid Approach?: The
      Canadian Experience Across Three Centers.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: Hybrid coronary revascularization offers and combines the advantages
      of both surgical and percutaneous revascularization and eliminates at the same
      time the disadvantages of both procedures. The objective of this study was to
      assess graft and stent patency at 6 months, rate of bleeding, intensive care unit
      and hospital stay, rate of reintervention, and long-term clinical follow-up.
      METHODS: From March 2004 to November 2015, a total of 203 patients underwent
      robotic-assisted minimally invasive direct coronary artery bypass graft of the
      left internal thoracic artery to the left anterior descending artery and PCI of a
      non-left anterior descending vessel in a single or two stage, at three different
      centers. Patients underwent 6-month angiographic follow-up. The mean +/- SD
      clinical follow-up was 77.82 +/- 41.4 months. RESULTS: Successful hybrid coronary
      revascularization occurred in 196 of the 203 patients. One hundred forty-six
      patients underwent simultaneous surgical and percutaneous intervention. Nineteen
      patients underwent PCI before surgery, and 38 patient underwent PCI after
      surgery. No in-hospital mortality occurred. The mean +/- SD ICU stay was 1 +/- 1
      days and the mean +/- SD hospital stay was 5 +/- 2 days. Only 13.3% of the
      patients required a blood transfusion. Six-month angiographic follow-up has been
      performed in the 95 patients, and it demonstrated a left internal thoracic artery
      anastomotic patency of 97.9% and stent patency of 92.6%. A total of 77.8 +/- 41.4
      month clinical follow-up demonstrated 95.1% survival, 92.6% freedom from angina,
      and 90.7% freedom from any form of coronary revascularization. CONCLUSIONS:
      Hybrid coronary revascularization seems to be a promising and safe
      revascularization strategy. It provides selected patients with an alternative,
      functionally complete revascularization with minimal surgical trauma and good
      long-term clinical outcomes.

PMID- 28338554
TI  - Eligibility for Minimally Invasive Coronary Artery Bypass: Examination of
      Epicardial Adipose Tissue Using Computed Tomography.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: A variable that necessitates conversion to a conventional full
      sternotomy coronary artery bypass procedure from a robotic-assisted endoscopic
      single-vessel small thoracotomy is the inability to visualize the left anterior
      descending coronary artery within the surrounding epicardial adipose tissue using
      the endoscopic camera. The purpose of this study was to determine whether
      anatomical properties of the epicardial adipose tissue examined using
      preoperative computed tomography (CT) images are able to predict and thus reduce
      the need for intraoperative conversion based on effective preoperative exclusion
      criteria. METHODS: Retrospective analysis of patient preoperative CT angiography
      scans from both converted (n = 17) and successful robotic-assisted (n = 17)
      procedures was performed. Where possible, measurements of epicardial adipose
      tissue were acquired from axial slices, at the most accessible segment of the
      left anterior descending coronary artery. RESULTS: Results indicate that patients
      who successfully underwent the endoscopic single-vessel small thoracotomy
      procedure (mean +/- SD depth, 4.9 +/- 1.9 mm) had significantly less epicardial
      adipose tissue (38%, P = 0.002) overlying the vessel toward the lateral chest
      wall than those who were converted to the full-sternotomy approach
      intraoperatively (mean +/- SD depth, 7.9 +/- 3.2 mm). Using this as a
      retrospective exclusion criterion reduces the conversion rate for this group by
      47%, while maintaining a high specificity (94%). No significant differences exist
      between the two groups with respect to the remaining epicardial adipose tissue
      measurements or body mass index. CONCLUSIONS: The addition of CT angiography
      measurements of the epicardial adipose tissue overlying the left anterior
      descending coronary artery may enhance preoperative surgical planning for this
      procedure, thereby reducing the instances of procedural changes.

PMID- 28338555
TI  - RETINAL DETACHMENT AND RETROBULBAR CYSTS IN A LARGE COHORT OF OPTIC NERVE
      COLOBOMA.
AB  - PURPOSE: To examine the relationship between retinal detachment and retrobulbar
      cysts in patients with optic nerve coloboma (ONC) and Morning Glory syndrome
      (MGS). METHODS: Patients diagnosed with either ONC or MGS were identified through
      a search of the Sick Kids database. Seventy-one patients either agreed to come in
      for a B-scan or had an incidental orbital B-scan or magnetic resonance imaging or
      both. Eyes with orbital B-scan ultrasound and/or magnetic resonance imaging
      images were assessed independently by two ophthalmologists and a radiologist for
      the presence of retrobulbar cysts. Retinal detachment was identified clinically
      with either indirect ophthalmoscopy or from fundus photographs. RESULTS: Forty
      five of 71 (63%) and 26/71 (37%) patients had ONC and MGS, respectively. Retinal
      detachment occurred significantly more often in eyes with MGS than with ONC (9/17
      [53%] vs. 5/45 [11%], P = 0.03, respectively). Retrobulbar cysts were not
      detected more often in MGS than in ONC (11/45 [24%] vs. 7/26 [27%]; P = 1.0).
      Eyes with retrobulbar cysts were significantly more likely to be associated with
      retinal detachment than those without (7/18 [39%] vs. 7/53 [13%]; P = 0.04).
      CONCLUSION: Retinal detachment occurs more frequently in MGS than in ONC in a
      cohort of patients referred to a specialist children's retinal service. Eyes with
      retrobulbar cysts are more likely to be associated with retinal detachment.

PMID- 28338556
TI  - ADULT-ONSET FOVEOMACULAR VITELLIFORM DYSTROPHY EVALUATED BY MEANS OF OPTICAL
      COHERENCE TOMOGRAPHY ANGIOGRAPHY: A Comparison With Dry Age-Related Macular
      Degeneration and Healthy Eyes.
AB  - PURPOSE: To investigate alterations of superficial and deep retinal vascular
      densities, as well as of choroidal thickness, in patients affected by adult-onset
      foveomacular vitelliform dystrophy (AOFVD). METHODS: A total of 22 eyes (15
      patients) affected by AOFVD were recruited in the study. Furthermore, 20 eyes of
      20 healthy subjects and 20 eyes of 18 patients affected by intermediate dry age
      related macular degeneration (AMD) were enrolled. All patients underwent a
      complete ophthalmologic examination, including optical coherence tomography
      angiography. Outcome measures were superficial vessel density, deep vessel
      density, and choroidal thickness. RESULTS: Parafoveal superficial vessel density
      was increased in patients with AOFVD compared with the AMD group (50.6 +/- 4.3%
      and 46.3 +/- 4.3%, respectively, P = 0.016). Parafoveal deep vessel density was
      57.9 +/- 6.4% in patients with AOFVD, 52.2 +/- 3.8% in patients with AMD, and
      52.7 +/- 6.0% in healthy controls (P = 0.006 and P = 0.035, respectively, after
      comparison with the AOFVD group). CONCLUSION: We demonstrated that both
      superficial and deep vessel densities were significantly increased in patients
      with AOFVD, after the comparison with intermediate patients with AMD. These
      findings suggest that the pathogenic mechanisms in AOFVD are different from those
      in AMD and that optical coherence tomography angiography could be useful in
      differentiate early stages of these two diseases.

PMID- 28338557
TI  - RUTHENIUM-106 BRACHYTHERAPY IN THE TREATMENT OF CIRCUMSCRIBED CHOROIDAL
      HEMANGIOMA.
AB  - PURPOSE: To examine the efficacy and safety of Ruthenium-106 plaque radiotherapy
      in the treatment of circumscribed choroidal hemangioma. METHODS: Twenty-one eyes
      of 21 patients diagnosed with symptomatic circumscribed choroidal hemangioma who
      underwent Ruthenium-106 plaque radiotherapy were included in the study. Clinical
      response, ancillary tests finding improvement, and major side effects were
      evaluated. RESULTS: From the initial to the 1-year follow-up visits, vision
      improved in 12 eyes (57%), was stable in 7 eyes (33%), and became worse in 2 eyes
      (10%). Based on fluorescein angiography and optical coherence tomography,
      subretinal fluid and cystoid macular edema resolved in all patients. Changes in
      logarithm of minimum angle of resolution visual acuity (P = 0.038); tumor
      thickness (P = 0.0001) and largest diameter (P = 0.007) on ultrasonography; and
      subfoveal thickness on optical coherence tomography (P < 0.0001), were
      statistically significant between the initial and the 1-year follow-up visits.
      Side effects as observed during the follow-up period included: radiation-related
      retinopathy in 5 (24%) eyes, radiation-related papillopathy in 1 eye (5%), and
      subretinal fibrosis in 2 eyes (10%). Subretinal fibrosis was the only permanent
      radiation-related side effect. CONCLUSION: Ruthenium-106 plaque radiotherapy is
      an effective and safe method of treatment for symptomatic circumscribed choroidal
      hemangiomas. The incidence of permanent visual loss is low with prompt treatment
      of complications.

PMID- 28338558
TI  - CORRELATION BETWEEN CENTRAL FOVEAL THICKNESS AND VISUAL ACUITY IN PATIENTS WITH
      IDIOPATHIC VITREOMACULAR TRACTION.
AB  - PURPOSE: To evaluate the impact of preoperative central foveal thickness (CFT) on
      visual acuity after surgery in patients with idiopathic vitreomacular traction
      and to calculate a cut-off value in preoperative CFT. METHODS: Thirty-five
      patients with idiopathic vitreomacular traction were evaluated retrospectively. A
      complete ophthalmological examination including spectral domain optical coherence
      tomography was performed preoperatively and at 12 months after the surgery.
      Receiver operating characteristic analysis was used to determine the critical
      point for the CFT associated with improvement of 10 or more letters in visual
      acuity on the Early Treatment Diabetic Retinopathy Study. RESULTS: Among 35
      patients, the mean CFT at postoperative 12 months was significantly decreased
      from baseline (P = 0.001). Preoperative CFT and visual improvement were not
      significantly correlated (r = -0.090, P = 0.605), whereas preoperative CFT and
      preoperative visual acuity were significantly correlated (r = 0.757, P < 0.001).
      Improvement in CFT and visual improvement were also correlated significantly (r =
      0.449, P = 0.007). According to the receiver operating characteristic analysis,
      the threshold CFT was 471 MUm. When 15 patients with CFT thickness under 471 MUm
      were evaluated, preoperative CFT was significantly correlated with improvement in
      visual acuity after the surgery (r = 0.561, P = 0.030). CONCLUSION: Preoperative
      CFT is important for the visual prognosis of patients with vitreomacular
      traction. Preoperative CFT of these patients should be considered in surgical
      decisions.

PMID- 28338561
TI  - Making Eye Health a Population Imperative: A Question of Priorities.

PMID- 28338560
TI  - Reply.

PMID- 28338562
TI  - Making Eye Health a Population Imperative: A Vision for Tomorrow-A Report by the
      Committee on Public Health Approaches to Reduce Vision Impairment and Promote Eye
      Health.

PMID- 28338559
TI  - Emerging Worldwide Antimicrobial Resistance, Antibiotic Stewardship and
      Alternative Intravitreal Agents for the Treatment of Endophthalmitis.

PMID- 28338563
TI  - Making Eye Health a Population Imperative: Putting Plans into Action.

PMID- 28338564
TI  - Studying the Retinal Source of Photophobia by Facial Electroretinography.
AB  - PURPOSE: Photophobia is a debilitating clinical condition that disrupts the
      ability to use vision for everyday tasks in bright lighting conditions. The goal
      of the study is to develop a methodology to study the neural basis of photophobia
      and the contribution of the melanopic pathway to its etiology with differential
      chromatic responses by means of standard electroencephalographic recording
      equipment. METHODS: We introduce and validate the approach of recording
      wavelength-specific electroretinographic (ERG) responses from the face electrodes
      of the high-density whole-head electroencephalography recording system under
      light-adapted conditions. RESULTS: ERGs recorded in this way to whole-field
      chromatic stimuli exhibit striking differences between the photophobic and non
      photophobic groups. The control responses were consistent with photopic intensity
      in peak time, and in the ordering of peak times as a function of wavelength
      condition, indicating a predominantly cone source of the signals. The photophobic
      responses, on the other hand, were substantially slowed relative to controls,
      with the peak times conforming to a different order as a function of wavelength
      condition than controls, implying that the cone response has been suppressed and
      that the responses derived from a different photoreceptor system consistent with
      mediation by melanopic retinal ganglion cells. CONCLUSIONS: The results will be
      important for determining the neural pathways involved in photophobia and
      potential approaches to its treatment on the basis of this etiology.

PMID- 28338565
TI  - Corneal Nerve Morphology, Sensitivity, and Tear Neuropeptides in Contact Lens
      Wear.
AB  - PURPOSE: To determine tear neuropeptide levels in contact lens wearers and non
      wearers, and to examine relationships with indices of corneal innervation, tear
      function, and ocular discomfort. METHODS: A cross-sectional, single-visit,
      investigator-masked pilot study. Assessments included Ocular Comfort Index (OCI),
      central and mid-peripheral corneal nerve density and morphology (HRT-Rostock),
      corneal sensitivity (Cochet-Bonnet aesthesiometer), tear Substance P and
      calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP) concentration (ELISA), in situ tear
      osmolarity (TearLab), tear secretion (Phenol Red Thread), and noninvasive tear
      break-up time (NITBUT; Keeler Tearscope). Groups were compared using independent
      t-test or Mann-Whitney U test, and regional differences assessed using paired t
      tests. Associations were analyzed using Pearson or Spearman correlation.
      Significance was determined at P < .05. RESULTS: Twenty contact lens wearers
      (7M:13F, 32 +/- 5 years) and 20 non-wearers (7M:13F, 31 +/- 5 years) completed
      the study. OCI score was numerically higher in lens wearers (32.27 +/- 5.33) than
      non-wearers (27.66 +/- 9.94). Tear osmolarity was higher [298.0 (IQR 291.0-309.8)
      vs. 288.5 (282.3-298.3) mOsmol/L; P = .01] whereas NITBUT was lower (9.8 +/- 3.4
      vs. 13.8 +/- 5.6 s; P = .01) in lens wearers compared with non-wearers. Tear
      neuropeptide concentrations were not different between groups [Substance P 4.29
      ng/ml (IQR 1.57-6.05), CGRP 14.89 ng/ml (5.08-59.26)], and there were no
      differences in nerve morphology or ocular surface sensitivity. Higher nerve
      density, interconnections, and tortuosity were observed in the central cornea
      than mid-peripherally (P < .05). OCI score was moderately associated with nerve
      tortuosity (r = 0.42, P = .01). CGRP was associated with central nerve density
      (rho = 0.38, P = .02), as was tear secretion (r = -0.37, P = .02). Nerve
      interconnections were strongly associated with corneal sensitivity (rho = 0.64, P
      < .001). CONCLUSIONS: Relationships were demonstrated between nerve density, tear
      CGRP, and corneal sensitivity. Markers of corneal neurobiology and sensory
      function do not appear to be altered in contact lens wear despite worse tear
      function (osmolarity and stability) in lens wearers. This suggests that
      mechanisms other than overt changes in corneal innervation regulate tear function
      during lens wear. The relationship between nerve tortuosity and ocular discomfort
      requires elucidation.

PMID- 28338566
TI  - Midazolam as an active placebo in 3 fentanyl-validated nociceptive pain models.
AB  - The use of inactive placebos in early translational trials of potentially
      analgesic compounds is discouraged because of the side-effect profiles of
      centrally acting analgesics. Therefore, benzodiazepines are used, although their
      use has not been validated in this context. Whether benzodiazepines confound the
      results of acute pain tests is unknown. Midazolam (0.06 mg/kg) as an active
      placebo was investigated in 3 nociceptive models that included contact heat,
      electrical pain, and pressure pain thresholds in 24 healthy volunteers. Fentanyl
      (1 MUg/kg) served as an internal validator in this randomized, placebo (saline)
      controlled, 3-way cross-over trial. The primary outcome parameter (contact heat
      pain) was analyzed using a one-way, repeated measures analysis of variance and
      Tukey's post test. Midazolam did not reduce pain ([numeric rating scale], 0-100)
      in a statistically significant manner compared with placebo for the contact heat
      (mean difference -1.7, 95% confidence interval -10.6 to 7.3; P = 0.89) or
      electrical pain (4.3, -5.1 to 13.7; P = 0.51) test, nor did it raise the pressure
      pain thresholds (-28 kPa, -122; 64 kPa, P = 0.73). The width of the confidence
      intervals suggested that there were no clinically meaningful analgesic effects
      compared with the placebo. In contrast, the analgesic efficacy of fentanyl was
      effectively demonstrated in all 3 models (P < 0.01 vs midazolam and placebo). The
      findings of this study show that midazolam can be used as an active placebo in
      analgesic drug trials. Furthermore, the proposed models were simple to implement
      and very effective in detecting analgesia. The test battery can be used in
      translational trials for new compounds and comes with an active placebo and an
      optional active comparator.

PMID- 28338567
TI  - Bevacizumab Therapy for Pilomyxoid Astrocytoma.
AB  - Pilomyxoid astrocytoma is a rare tumor of the central nervous system generally
      found in young children near the hypothalamus. Herein, we report a 19-month-old
      female infant with a pilomyxoid astrocytoma, who underwent surgery as well as
      carboplatin and vincristine chemotherapy in an attempt to delay radiation therapy
      to the brain. Magnetic resonance imaging revealed that the tumor had increased in
      tumor volume on therapy. Chemotherapy with carboplatin and vincristine was
      stopped and bevacizumab therapy (10 mg/kg every other week) was initiated. After
      15 months of bevacizumab therapy, the patient's tumor was significantly smaller.
      Bevacizumab therapy was discontinued for 6 months due to stability in tumor size
      but was resumed after tumor growth was observed. Patient was again placed on
      bevacizumab therapy with subsequent magnetic resonance imagings revealing a
      decrease in tumor size.

PMID- 28338568
TI  - Pediatric Patient With Renal Cell Carcinoma Treated by Successive Antiangiogenics
      Drugs: A Case Report and Review of the Literature.
AB  - Antiangiogenic drugs are currently standard of care in adults with renal cell
      carcinoma (RCC), including translocation RCC. Although antitumor activity and
      toxicity profile are well known in adults, few data have been reported in
      children. Here we present the case of a patient diagnosed at 2 years old with a
      metastatic translocation RCC, consecutively treated with 5 tyrosine kinase
      inhibitors during 6 years. The antitumor activity and toxic effects are
      described, and a brief review of the literature is presented.

PMID- 28338569
TI  - Case Report: Immune-mediated Complete Response in a Patient With Recurrent
      Advanced Ewing Sarcoma (EWS) After Vigil Immunotherapy.
AB  - Ewing sarcoma is a highly resistant disease with a <10% chance of survival at 5
      years after failure of frontline chemotherapy. This is a case report of an Ewing
      sarcoma patient with metastatic disease recurrence <2 years after standard
      chemotherapy/radiation who achieved a durable and sustained complete response
      after 2 series of treatments with Vigil (GMCSF/bi-shRNA furin DNA autologous
      tumor immunotherapy) serially manufactured from first and second recurrences with
      ELISPOT assay correlation. Results support justification of further testing of
      Vigil with ELISPOT assay as a biomarker to assess level of immune response and
      correlation with disease control.

PMID- 28338570
TI  - A Case of ALL Developing Posterior Reversible Encephalopathy Secondary to
      Hyponatremia.
AB  - Posterior reversible encephalopathy syndrome (PRES), may be due to different
      causes. It may develop secondary to hypertension, renal decompensation,
      electrolyte imbalance, and chemotherapeutic drugs. We describe a case of acute
      lymphoblastic leukemia in which PRES developed secondary to hyponatremia despite
      being normotensive during receipt of chemotherapy. Magnetic resonance imaging
      findings were suggestive of PRES. Partial diffusion restriction was observed in
      lesions in the bilateral occipitoparietal regions and the cerebellum. The patient
      was treated with appropriate medications with the resolution of his stroke-like
      symptoms. No neurological deficit was observed and clinical condition improved.
      The patient continued with chemotherapy. Early diagnosis and treatment of this
      syndrome is important in terms of preventing neurological sequelae. Cases of
      secondary PRES developing for several etiological reasons have been reported in
      induction therapy, but no pediatric cases of PRES developing secondary to
      hyponatremia despite being normotensive while receiving chemotherapy in acute
      lymphoblastic leukemia have previously been reported.

PMID- 28338571
TI  - Point of View.

PMID- 28338572
TI  - Drivers of Medicare Reimbursement for Thoracolumbar Fusion: An Analysis of Data
      From The Centers For Medicare and Medicaid Services.
AB  - STUDY DESIGN: A retrospective observational study. OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this
      study is to examine the variation in thoracolumbar fusion (TLF) payment and
      determine the drivers of this variation. SUMMARY OF BACKGROUND DATA: As health
      care spending continues to increase, variation in surgical procedures
      reimbursements has come under more scrutiny. TLF is an example of a high-cost,
      proven-benefit procedure that is often the focus of Centers for Medicare and
      Medicaid Services (CMS) administrators. There is a wide variation in TLF charges,
      but the drivers for this variation are not clear. METHODS: Claims for TLF were
      identified in the CMS data by analyzing Diagnosis Related Group (DRG) number 460
      ("Spinal Fusion Except Cervical without Major Complications or Comorbidities").
      Data on factors that may impact cost of care were collected from four sources:
      the United States Census Bureau, CMS, the Dartmouth Atlas, and WWAMI Rural Health
      Research Center. These were then grouped into seven categories: quality, supply,
      demand, substitute treatment availability, patient characteristics, competitive
      factors, and provider characteristics. Predictive reimbursement models were
      created from the data using multivariate linear regression to understand the
      factors that influence TLF reimbursement. RESULTS: There was significant
      geographic variability in reimbursement. The largest contribution to
      reimbursement variation came from variables in the demand (DeltaR = 13.4%, P <
      0.001), supply (DeltaR = 9.2%, P < 0.001), and competitive factor domains (DeltaR
      = 9.1%, P < 0.001). The top three drivers that increased reimbursement were
      provider charges (beta = 0.37, P < 0.001), total Medicare reimbursement in the
      region (beta = 0.19, P < 0.001), and the number of spinal surgeries per 1000
      patients in that region (beta = 0.06, P = 0.02). Institutional volume, a
      surrogate for quality was negatively associated with TLF reimbursement.
      CONCLUSION: There was wide variation in reimbursement for TLF across the U.S. The
      variables that drive TLF reimbursement variation include supply, demand, and
      competition. Interestingly, quality of care was not associated with increased TLF
      reimbursement. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: N/A.

PMID- 28338573
TI  - A Machine Learning-based Surface Electromyography Topography Evaluation for
      Prognostic Prediction of Functional Restoration Rehabilitation in Chronic Low
      Back Pain.
AB  - STUDY DESIGN: A retrospective study. OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to
      investigate the feasibility and applicability of support vector machine (SVM)
      algorithm in classifying patients with LBP who would obtain satisfactory or
      unsatisfactory progress after the functional restoration rehabilitation program.
      SUMMARY OF BACKGROUND DATA: Dynamic surface electromyography (SEMG) topography
      has demonstrated the potential use in predicting the prognosis of functional
      restoration rehabilitation for patients with low back pain (LBP). However,
      processing from raw SEMG topography to make prediction is not easy to clinicians.
      METHODS: A total of 30 patients with nonspecific LBP were recruited and divided
      into "responding" and "non-responding" group according to the change of Visual
      analog pain rating scale and Oswestry Disability Index. Each patient received a
      12-week functional restoration rehabilitation program. A normal database was
      calculated from a control group from 48 healthy participants. Root-mean-square
      difference (RMSD) was extracted from the recorded dynamic SEMG topography during
      symmetrical and asymmetrical trunk-movement. SVM and cross-validation were
      applied to the prediction based on the optimized features selected by the
      sequential floating forward selection (SFFS) algorithm. RESULTS: RMSD feature
      parameters following rehabilitation in the "responding" group showed a
      significant difference (P < 0.05) with the one in the "nonresponding" group. The
      SVM classifier with Quadratic kernel based on SFFS-selected features showed the
      best prediction performance (accuracy: 96.67%, sensitivity: 100%, specificity:
      93.75%, average area under curve [AUC]: 0.8925) comparing with linear kernel
      (accuracy: 80.00%, sensitivity: 85.71%, specificity: 75.00%, average AUC:
      0.7825), polynomial kernel (accuracy: 93.33%, sensitivity: 92.86%, specificity:
      93.75%, average AUC: 0.9675), and radial basis function (RBF) kernel (accuracy:
      86.67%, sensitivity: 85.71%, specificity: 87.50%, average AUC: 0.7900).
      CONCLUSION: The use of SVM-based classifier of SEMG topography can be applied to
      identify the patient responding to functional restoration rehabilitation, which
      will help the healthcare worker to improve the efficiency of LBP rehabilitation.
      LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: 3.

PMID- 28338574
TI  - Rigid Occipitocervical Instrumented Fusion for Atlantoaxial Instability in an 18
      Month-Old Toddler With Brachytelephalangic Chondrodysplasia Punctata: A Case
      Report.
AB  - STUDY DESIGN: Case report. OBJECTIVE: We report here on an 18-month-old boy with
      brachytelephalangic chondrodysplasia punctata (BCDP), whose atlantoaxial
      instability was successfully managed with occipitocervical instrumented fusion
      (OCF) using screw and rod instrumentations. SUMMARY OF BACKGROUND DATA: Recently,
      there have been a number of reports on BCDP with early onset of cervical
      myelopathy. Surgical OCF is a vital intervention to salvage affected individuals
      from the life-threatening morbidity. Despite recent advancement of
      instrumentation techniques, however, rigid OCF is technically demanding in very
      young children with small and fragile osseous elements. To our best knowledge,
      this is the first report on application of the instrumentation technique to a
      toddler patient with BCDP. METHODS: A 16-month-old boy with BCDP presented with
      tetraplegia and swallow obstacle. Hypoplasia of the odontoid process and
      atlantoaxial instability were present in lateral radiographs. T2-weighted
      magnetic resonance (MR) images revealed a high signal region in the spinal cord
      at the C1-2 and C7-T1 levels. Cervical computed tomography (CT) showed that the
      pedicles and lateral masses in the cervical spine were small and immature, but
      the laminae were comparatively thick. RESULTS: One week before surgery, the
      patient was fitted with a Halo-body jacket. We performed plate-rod placement with
      occipital cortical screws and C2/C3 interlaminar screws, and added an autogenous
      bone graft using the right 8 and 9 ribs. Rigid fixation of the occipito-cervical
      spine was completed successfully without major complications. Postoperative halo
      body jacket immobilization was continued for 3 months, after which Aspen collar
      was fitted. CT confirmed occipitocervical bone fusion at 6 months after surgery.
      Mild clinical improvements in motor power of the affected muscles and swallowing
      were witnessed at 1 year postoperatively. CONCLUSION: Rigid fixation using screw,
      rod, and occipital plate instrumentation was successful in an 18-month-old
      toddler with BCDP and atlantoaxial instability. Bone fusion was achieved at
      postoperative 6 months. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: 5.

PMID- 28338575
TI  - Role of Cx43-Mediated NFkB Signaling Pathway in Ossification of Posterior
      Longitudinal Ligament: An In Vivo and In Vitro Study.
AB  - STUDY DESIGN: In vivo and in vitro experiments. OBJECTIVE: To illustrate the
      further molecular mechanism of Cx43-mediated osteoblastic differentiation of
      ligament cells. SUMMARY OF BACKGROUND DATA: Ossification of the posterior
      longitudinal ligament (OPLL) is one of the main causes of myelopathy in Asians,
      but its etiology has not been clarified. We have previously found the mechanical
      stress can upregulate Cx43 expression in ligament cells, which transduces
      mechanical signal to promote osteoblastic differentiation. METHODS: The posterior
      longitudinal ligaments were collected intraoperatively. Ligament fibroblasts were
      isolated and cultured, and an in vitro mechanical loading model was established.
      In vivo and in vitro expression levels of Cx43 protein were compared between OPLL
      and non-OPLL patients. The activation of nuclear factor (NF)-kappaB (p65) signal
      and related inflammatory responses were detected in ligament cells under
      mechanical loading. The mechanical stress-induced inflammatory response and
      osteoblastic differentiation of OPLL cells were investigated after the treatment
      with Cx43 siRNA or NFkB (p65) inhibitor. RESULTS: We first confirmed higher Cx43
      levels in both in vivo ligament tissue from OPLL patients and in vitro cultured
      OPLL cells. We also found NFkappaB (p65) signal and related inflammatory response
      were activated by mechanical stimulation. The activation of NFkappaB (p65) signal
      was dependent upon Cx43, as its knockdown reduced signal. Moreover, treatment
      with Cx43 siRNA or NFkB (p65) inhibitor significantly decreased the mechanical
      induced inflammation response, but partly attenuated mechanical-stimulated
      osteoblastic differentiation of OPLL cells. CONCLUSION: Cx43-mediated NFkB (p65)
      signal played an important role in mechanical stress-induced OPLL by transduction
      of mechanical signal, while giving rise to the activation of inflammatory
      response in ligament fibroblastsLevel of Evidence: N/A.

PMID- 28338576
TI  - Genetic Polymorphism of NUCKS1 Is Associated With the Susceptibility of
      Adolescent Idiopathic Scoliosis.
AB  - STUDY DESIGN: A genetic association study. OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was
      to investigate whether NUCKS1 is a susceptible gene of adolescent idiopathic
      scoliosis (AIS) in Chinese population and to further narrate its association with
      the clinical phenotypes. SUMMARY OF BACKGROUND DATA: AIS is characterized by late
      onset of menarche and disturbed growth rhythm. Previous studies showed that
      NUCKS1 is associated with age at menarche and pubertal height growth. METHODS:
      Single-nucleotide polymorphism rs951366 of NUCKS1 was genotyped in 972 patients
      and 1454 healthy controls. The differences of genotype and allele distributions
      between AIS patients and healthy controls were evaluated using the chi test. One
      way analysis of variance test was used to compare the relationship between
      different genotypes and clinical features including tissue expression of NUCKS1,
      age at menarche, and curve magnitude. RESULTS: Patients were found to have a
      significantly lower frequency of CC than the controls (5.9% vs. 10.6%, P <
      0.001). Besides, the frequency of allele C was found to be remarkably lower in
      the patients than the controls (26.4% vs. 30.9%, P < 0.001), with an odds ratio
      of 0.80 (95% confidential interval = 0.71-0.91). Patients with genotype CC had a
      remarkably lower age at menarche than patients with genotype TT (12.1 +/- 1.7 vs.
      12.8 +/- 2.4 years, P = 0.02). Patients with genotype TT had a remarkably lower
      expression level of NUCKS1 than patients with genotype CC (2.8 +/- 1.9 vs. 4.3 +/
      2.2, P = 0.03). As for curve magnitude, no significant difference was found
      among patients with different genotypes. CONCLUSION: Patients with allele T of
      rs951366 can be more vulnerable to the incidence of AIS as well as a late onset
      of menarche. Further functional analysis is warranted for a comprehensive
      knowledge on the contribution of this variant to the development of AIS. LEVEL OF
      EVIDENCE: 4.

PMID- 28338577
TI  - Weight Gain After Vertical Expandable Prosthetic Titanium Rib Surgery May Be From
      Nutritional Optimization Rather Than Improvement in Pulmonary Function.
AB  - STUDY DESIGN: Prospective comparative study. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate whether
      weight percentile (WP) increases after vertical expandable prosthetic titanium
      rib (VEPTR) insertion, and whether WP correlates with nutrition laboratories and
      pulmonary function. SUMMARY OF BACKGROUND DATA: Children with thoracic
      insufficiency syndrome often have "failure to thrive" (WP <=5). Previous authors
      have reported an increase in WP after VEPTR surgery. Weight gain was hypothesized
      to be secondary to improved pulmonary function. The presence of a correlation
      between WP and nutrition laboratories and pulmonary function tests (PFT) after
      VEPTR insertion has not been studied. METHODS: Demographic, nutrition,
      radiographic, and PFT data were collected on 35 VEPTR patients with a minimum
      follow-up of 2 years. The relationship between WP and nutrition laboratories and
      pulmonary function was analyzed. RESULTS: Preoperative WP was <=5 (PREOP<=5) in
      13 patients (37%) and >5 (PREOP>5) in 22 patients (63%). Although all children
      gained weight, the PREOP<=5 group was more likely to have an increase in WP (P =
      0.014). Sixty-eight percent of the PREOP>5 group had a decrease in WP and 32% of
      the PREOP>5 patients met the criteria for failure to thrive at final follow-up.
      Overall, there was no change in the number of children with a WP <=5 (13 vs. 15).
      Forty-two percent of the children who maintained or increased their WP had a
      gastrostomy tube, compared to 19% of those who decreased their WP. Seventy-three
      percent of the patients with failure to thrive at final follow-up did not have a
      gastrostomy tube. No significant correlations were found between WP and nutrition
      laboratories, radiographic measures, or PFTs. CONCLUSION: We did not find an
      overall change in WP after VEPTR insertion. We did not find any correlation
      between WP and nutrition laboratories or pulmonary function. Weight gain after
      VEPTR surgery may be secondary to nutritional optimization in high-risk patients.
      Children who do not have failure to thrive at presentation also require
      attention. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: 2.

PMID- 28338578
TI  - Spinal Cord is the Primary Site of Action for Skeletal Muscle Relaxation by
      Sevoflurane.
AB  - : MINI: A modified selective anesthetics delivery rabbit model was used validated
      to a better preferential anesthesia than previous models. Furthermore, we found
      evidence that primarily the spinal cord mediated the skeletal muscle relaxation
      action of sevoflurane. STUDY DESIGN: A randomized, in vivo study was performed to
      explore the skeletal muscle relaxation action site of sevoflurane. OBJECTIVE: The
      aim of this study was to investigate the skeletal muscle relaxation action of
      sevoflurane by a modified selective anesthetics delivery rabbit model. SUMMARY OF
      BACKGROUND DATA: The action site and mechanisms of skeletal muscle relaxation
      caused by sevoflurane were unclear, so a modified selective anesthetics delivery
      model was used. METHODS: Sixteen male New Zealand White rabbits were randomly
      assigned to the sevoflurane or sham group. In situ measurement of train of four,
      maximum single twitch, and tetanic muscle force of left tibialis anterior muscle
      was repeatedly measured at three time points: at the beginning of lower torso
      bypass (baseline value), during preferential sevoflurane delivery to the brain
      (brain value), during preferential sevoflurane delivery to the spinal cord
      (spinal cord value). RESULTS: When 1.5MAC sevoflurane was administrated via the
      lungs, the arterial concentration and partial pressure of sevoflurane in the
      upper torso were 205.27 +/- 16.23 MUg/mL and 29.16 +/- 1.05 mmHg, whereas in the
      lower torso bypass circulation were 10.39 +/- 4.50 MUg/mL and 1.79 +/- 0.97 mmHg.
      Conversely, the arterial concentration and partial pressure of sevoflurane in the
      upper torso were 14.04 +/- 5.33 MUg/mL and 2.25 +/- 0.84 mmHg, whereas those
      values were 199.38 +/- 11.61 MUg/mLl and 29.20 +/- 1.08 mmHg in the lower torso,
      when 1.5MAC sevoflurane was delivered via an oxygenator. In sevoflurane group,
      maximum single twitch and tetanic muscle force were significantly reduced
      compared with baseline (single: P = 0.046; tetanic: P = 0.001) or brain values
      (single: P = 0.005; tetanic: P = 0.001), when spinal cord was selectively
      anesthetized. In the sham group, there were no significant differences among the
      three conditions compared. CONCLUSION: A modified selective anesthetics delivery
      rabbit model has been validated, which provided evidence that the spinal cord,
      not the brain, was the primary site mediating the skeletal muscle relaxation
      action of sevoflurane. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: 5.

PMID- 28338580
TI  - Textiloma: A Case of Foreign Body Mimicking a Spinal Tumor.
AB  - STUDY DESIGN: Case report OBJECTIVE.: To report a case of foreign body mimicking
      spinal tumor. SUMMARY OF BACKGROUND DATA: Gossypiboma or more broadly retained
      foreign object is a surgical complication resulting from foreign materials such
      as cotton or gauze pads and surgical sponge, accidentally left inside a patient's
      body. Such foreign materials cause foreign body reaction in the surrounding
      tissue. METHODS: A retrospective case report was performed. Informed consent was
      obtained from patient. RESULTS: We describe a case of textiloma in which the
      patient presented with low back pain and radiculopathy 12 years after L5?S1
      discectomy. Imaging revealed a round mass lesion in the sacral space. CONCLUSION:
      At the end of surgery, the operative site should be flushed with saline and
      carefully examined for any foreign materials. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: 4.

PMID- 28338579
TI  - Correlative Analysis of Vertebral Trabecular Bone Microarchitecture and
      Mechanical Properties: A Combined Ultra-high Field (7 Tesla) MRI and
      Biomechanical Investigation.
AB  - STUDY DESIGN: High-resolution imaging and biomechanical investigation of ex-vivo
      vertebrae. OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to assess bone microarchitecture
      of cadaveric vertebrae using ultra-high field (UHF) 7 Tesla magnetic resonance
      imaging (MRI) and to determine whether the corresponding microarchitecture
      parameters were related to bone mineral density (BMD) and bone strength assessed
      by dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry (DXA) and mechanical compression tests.
      SUMMARY OF BACKGROUND DATA: Limitations of DXA for the assessment of bone
      fragility and osteoporosis have been recognized and criteria of microarchitecture
      alteration have been included in the definition of osteoporosis. Although
      vertebral fracture is the most common osteoporotic fracture, no study has
      assessed directly vertebral trabecular bone microarchitecture. METHODS: BMD of 24
      vertebrae (L2, L3, L4) from eight cadavers was investigated using DXA. The bone
      volume fraction (BVF), trabecular thickness (Tb.Th), and trabecular spacing
      (Tb.Sp) of each vertebra were quantified using UHF MRI. Measurements were
      performed by two operators to characterize the inter-rater reliability. The whole
      set of specimens underwent mechanical compression tests to failure and the
      corresponding failure stress was calculated. RESULTS: The inter-rater reliability
      for bone microarchitecture parameters was good with intraclass correlation
      coefficients ranging from 0.82 to 0.94. Failure load and stress were
      significantly correlated with BVF, Tb.Sp, and BMD (P < 0.05). Tb.Th was only
      correlated with the failure stress (P < 0.05). Multiple regression analysis
      demonstrated that the combination of BVF and BMD improved the prediction of the
      failure stress from an adjusted R = 0.384 for BMD alone to an adjusted R = 0.414.
      CONCLUSION: We demonstrated for the first time that the vertebral bone
      microarchitecture assessed with UHF MRI was significantly correlated with
      biomechanical parameters. Our data suggest that the multimodal assessment of BMD
      and trabecular bone microarchitecture with UHF MRI provides additional
      information on the risk of vertebral bone fracture and might be of interest for
      the future investigation of selected osteoporotic patients. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: N
      /A.

PMID- 28338581
TI  - Summary Statement for the Spinal Cord Stimulation Focus Issue.

PMID- 28338582
TI  - Validation of the Clinician-Graded Electronic Facial Paralysis Assessment.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Facial paralysis remains a debilitating condition despite advances in
      medical, surgical, and adjunctive interventions. Established grading systems used
      to assess facial paralysis and interventional outcomes have well-described
      limitations. The Electronic Facial Paralysis Assessment, a clinician-graded zone
      based facial function scale, has recently emerged as a grading tool that may
      provide greater sensitivity when assessing incomplete paralysis and postsurgical
      improvement. The authors perform the first comprehensive validation of this tool.
      METHODS: Video recordings of 83 facial paralysis patients were assessed. Grading
      was performed in two sittings by three individuals with varying degrees of
      experience in assessing facial paralysis. Interobserver reliability;
      intraobserver reliability; administration time; and agreement with the Facial
      Disability Index, House-Brackmann, Sunnybrook, and Sydney facial grading systems
      were assessed. RESULTS: The Electronic Facial Paralysis Assessment demonstrated
      high intra observer and interobserver reliability (intraclass correlation
      coefficient, 0.84 to 0.91 and 0.81 to 0.83, respectively). It correlated well
      with the House-Brackmann, Sunnybrook, and Sydney facial grading systems (Spearman
      rho, 0.73, 0.77 and 0.77, respectively). In subdomain analysis, it correlated
      well with the Sunnybrook and Sydney systems in dynamic movement (Spearman rho,
      0.90 and 0.89, respectively) and synkinesis (Spearman rho, range 0.74 and 0.72,
      respectively). It had poor agreement with the Facial Disability Index (Spearman
      rho, 0.25). The mean time to complete the tool was 116 +/- 61 seconds.
      CONCLUSIONS: The Electronic Facial Paralysis Assessment is a valid facial
      assessment tool with high reliability and correlation with the established facial
      paralysis grading systems. It also provides an efficient and detailed analysis of
      paralysis according to each facial zone. CLINICAL QUESTION/LEVEL OF EVIDENCE:
      Diagnostic, II.

PMID- 28338583
TI  - Discussion: Toward Microsurgical Correction of Cleft Lip Ex Utero through
      Restoration of Craniofacial Developmental Programs.

PMID- 28338584
TI  - Spring-Assisted Cranioplasty for the Correction of Nonsyndromic Scaphocephaly: A
      Quantitative Analysis of 100 Consecutive Cases.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Spring-assisted cranioplasty has been proposed as an alternative to
      total calvarial remodeling for sagittal craniosynostosis. Advantages include its
      minimally invasive nature, and reduced morbidity and hospital stay. Potential
      drawbacks include the need for a second procedure for removal and the lack of
      published long-term follow-up. The authors present a single-institution
      experience of 100 consecutive cases using a novel spring design. METHODS: All
      patients treated at the authors' institution between April of 2010 and September
      of 2014 were evaluated retrospectively. Patients with isolated nonsyndromic
      sagittal craniosynostosis were included. Data were collected for operative time,
      anesthetic time, hospital stay, transfusion requirement, and complications in
      addition to cephalic index preoperatively and at 1 day, 3 weeks, and 6 months
      postoperatively. RESULTS: One hundred patients were included. Mean cephalic index
      was 68 preoperatively, 71 at day 1, and 72 at 3 weeks and 6 months
      postoperatively. Nine patients required transfusion. Two patients developed a
      cerebrospinal fluid leak requiring intervention. One patient required early
      removal of springs because of infection. One patient had a wound dehiscence over
      the spring and one patient sustained a venous infarct with hemiplegia. Five
      patients required further calvarial remodeling surgery. CONCLUSIONS: The authors'
      modified spring design and protocol represents an effective strategy in the
      management of single-suture sagittal craniosynostosis with reduced total
      operative time and blood loss compared with alternative treatment strategies. In
      patients referred within the first 6 months of birth, this technique has become
      the authors' procedure of choice. In a minority of cases, especially in the older
      age groups, further remodeling surgery is required. CLINICAL QUESTION/LEVEL OF
      EVIDENCE: Therapeutic, IV.

PMID- 28338585
TI  - A 16-Year Journey in the Study of Rheumatoid Hand Disease.
AB  - Evidence-based medicine is a relatively new concept in hand surgery. A lack of
      high-level evidence often leads to uncertainty in the effectiveness of various
      procedures and regional variation in their use. Rheumatoid hand surgery has been
      plagued by a lack of quality data that has caused controversy between
      rheumatologists and hand surgeons. Research over the past 16 years has strived to
      provide data that can be used to provide evidence-based care for rheumatoid
      arthritis patients. The Silicone Arthroplasty in Rheumatoid Arthritis study is a
      prospective, long-term cohort study of rheumatoid arthritis patients with severe
      metacarpophalangeal joint deformity who have elected to undergo or not to undergo
      metacarpophalangeal joint arthroplasty; the study was funded for 10 years by the
      National Institutes of Health and has provided invaluable results on the
      effectiveness of this procedure in terms of outcomes and cost, improving
      knowledge for both physicians and patients.

PMID- 28338586
TI  - Toward Microsurgical Correction of Cleft Lip Ex Utero through Restoration of
      Craniofacial Developmental Programs.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Cleft lip with or without cleft palate is present in approximately
      one in 500 to 700 live births, representing the most common congenital
      craniofacial anomaly. Previously, the authors developed a unique murine model
      with compound Pbx deficiency that exhibits fully penetrant cleft lip with or
      without cleft palate. To investigate the possibility of tissue repair at an early
      gestational stage, the authors designed a minimally invasive surgical approach
      suitable for intrauterine repair using Wnt9b-soaked collagen microspheres to
      restore craniofacial developmental programs for cleft correction. METHODS:
      Collagen microspheres with diameters ranging from 20 to 50 MUm were fabricated to
      serve as a delivery vehicle for Wnt9b. At gestational day 11.5, wild-type and Pbx
      deficient murine embryos were isolated. Microspheres soaked in murine purified
      Wnt9b protein were microsurgically implanted at the midface lambdoidal junction.
      Embryos were cultured in a 37 degrees C modified whole-embryo culture system.
      RESULTS: Targeted release of Wnt9b resulted in augmented Wnt expression at the
      lambdoidal junction. Microsurgical implantation of Wnt9b-soaked microspheres
      resulted in cleft correction in 27.1 percent of the Pbx-deficient embryos. The
      difference in the ratio of the areas of clefting between implanted and
      nonimplanted embryos was significant (p < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Ex utero correction
      of cleft lip with or without cleft palate in the authors' murine model by means
      of microsurgical intervention and targeted delivery of Wnt proteins is an
      innovative and promising strategy. Although further refinement and optimization
      of this technique will be required to improve efficacy, the authors believe that
      this approach will open new avenues toward unconventional prenatal interventions
      for patients with cleft lip with or without cleft palate, and provide future
      approaches for prenatal repair of other congenital head and neck disorders.

PMID- 28338588
TI  - Vertical Midface Lifting with Periorbital Anchoring in the Management of Lower
      Eyelid Retraction: A 10-Year Clinical Retrospective Study.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Lower eyelid retraction can be the unfortunate result of aesthetic
      surgery, trauma, disease, or the aging processes. The purpose of this article is
      to assess whether midface lifting based on purely vertical repositioning
      constitutes an effective procedure for its correction. METHODS: A retrospective
      study was carried out on 199 patients (311 eyelids) operated on between January
      of 2004 and January of 2014. The various causes of eyelid retraction in this
      population included cosmetic blepharoplasty (56.8 percent), involutional
      ectropion (23.1 percent), tumor resection (9.5 percent), facial nerve paralysis
      (8.5 percent), and trauma and related surgery (2 percent). The study was
      restricted exclusively to cases of moderate and severe lower eyelid retraction
      addressed by means of midface lifting. The mean follow-up time was 16.8 months.
      All of the patients were subjected to midface lifting with strengthening of the
      lateral canthus. A spacer graft was also used in 37.7 percent of the cases.
      RESULTS: One hundred ninety-five patients (97.9 percent) displayed objective
      improvement of the eyelid retraction and a marked degree of improvement both in
      aesthetic terms and as regards the functional disorders reported. Only four
      patients (2 percent) presented complications such as needing another operation.
      CONCLUSION: Midface lifting based on purely vertical repositioning makes it
      possible to recruit a considerable amount of "new" skin at the lower eyelid, thus
      ensuring a decrease in vertical distraction and correct recovery of the height of
      the external lamellar plane. CLINICAL QUESTION/LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Therapeutic,
      IV.

PMID- 28338587
TI  - Medial Row Perforators Are Associated with Higher Rates of Fat Necrosis in
      Bilateral DIEP Flap Breast Reconstruction.
AB  - BACKGROUND: The purpose of this study was to evaluate perfusion-related
      complications in bilateral deep inferior epigastric perforator (DIEP) flap breast
      reconstruction based on perforator selection. METHODS: A retrospective review of
      a prospectively maintained database was performed on all patients undergoing
      bilateral DIEP flap reconstruction at a single institution between 2004 and 2014.
      The hemiflaps were separated into three cohorts based on perforator location:
      lateral row only, medial row only, and medial plus lateral rows. Postoperative
      flap-related complications were compared and analyzed. RESULTS: There were 728
      total hemiflaps: 263 (36.1 percent) based on the lateral row, 225 (30.9 percent)
      based on the medial row, and 240 (33.0 percent) based on both the medial and
      lateral rows. The groups were well matched by perforator number and flap weight.
      Fat necrosis occurrence was significantly higher in flaps based solely on the
      medial row versus lateral row perforators (24.5 percent versus 8.2 percent; p <
      0.001). There was no statistically significant difference in fat necrosis between
      flaps based only on the lateral row versus flaps based on both the medial and
      lateral rows (8.2 percent versus 11.6 percent; p = 0.203). Generally, within the
      same row, increasing the number of perforators decreased the incidence of fat
      necrosis. CONCLUSIONS: Perforator selection is critical for minimizing perfusion
      related flap complications. In bilateral DIEP flaps, lateral row-based
      perforators result in significantly less fat necrosis than medial row-based
      perforators. The authors' data suggest that the addition of a lateral row
      perforator to a dominant medial row perforator may decrease the risk of fat
      necrosis. CLINICAL QUESTION/LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Therapeutic, III.

PMID- 28338589
TI  - Managing hip fracture and lower limb surgery in the emergency setting: Potential
      role of non-vitamin K antagonist oral anticoagulants.
AB  - Trauma, immobilization, and subsequent surgery of the hip and lower limb are
      associated with a high risk of developing venous thrombo-embolism (VTE).
      Individuals undergoing hip fracture surgery (HFS) have the highest rates of VTE
      among orthopedic surgery and trauma patients. The risk of VTE depends on the type
      and location of the lower limb injury. Current international guidelines recommend
      routine pharmacological thromboprophylaxis based on treatment with heparins,
      fondaparinux, dose-adjusted vitamin K antagonists and acetylsalicylic acid for
      patients undergoing emergency HFS; however, not all guidelines recommend
      pharmacological prophylaxis for patients with lower limb injuries. Non-vitamin K
      antagonist oral anticoagulants (NOACs) are indicated for VTE prevention after
      elective hip or knee replacement surgery, but at present are not widely
      recommended for other orthopedic indications despite their advantages over
      conventional anticoagulants and promising real-world evidence. In patients
      undergoing HFS or lower limb surgery, decisions on whether to anticoagulate and
      the most appropriate anti-coagulation strategy can be guided by weighing the risk
      of thromboprophylaxis against the benefit in relation to each patient's medical
      history and age. In addition, the nature and location of the fracture, operating
      times and times before fracture fixation should be considered. The current review
      discusses the need for anticoagulation in patients undergoing emergency HFS or
      lower limb surgery together with the current guidelines and available evidence on
      the use of NOACs in this setting. Appropriate thromboprophylactic strategies and
      practical advice on the peri-operative management of patients who present to the
      Emergency Department on a NOAC before emergency surgery are further outlined.

PMID- 28338592
TI  - Open abdomen with vacuum-assisted wound closure and mesh-mediated fascial
      traction in patients with complicated diffuse secondary peritonitis: A single
      center 8-year experience.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Open abdomen (OA) treatment in patients with peritonitis is
      increasing worldwide. Various temporary abdominal closure devices are being used.
      This study included patients with complicated diffuse secondary peritonitis, OA,
      and vacuum-assisted wound closure and mesh-mediated fascial traction (VAWCM). The
      aim of this study was to describe mortality and major morbidity in terms of
      delayed primary fascial closure and enteroatmospheric fistula rates. METHODS:
      This was a single-academic-center retrospective study of consecutive patients
      with diffuse peritonitis, OA, and VAWCM between years 2008 and 2016. Descriptive
      and univariate analyses were performed. RESULTS: Forty-one patients were
      identified and analyzed. Median age was 59 years, preoperative septic shock was
      diagnosed in 54% (n = 22), and 59% (n = 24) had a postoperative peritonitis.
      Mortality was 29% (n = 12), and 76% (n = 31) of patients were admitted in the
      intensive care unit. The median duration of OA was 7 days with a median of two
      dressing changes. Delayed primary fascial closure rate among survivors was 92% (n
      = 33), and enteroatmospheric fistulas developed in 7% (n = 3). In a subgroup
      analysis, patients with OA in the primary laparotomy for peritonitis (n = 27)
      were compared with patients with OA in the subsequent laparotomies (n = 14).
      There were no significant differences between groups. CONCLUSIONS: The VAWCM
      technique in patients with complicated secondary diffuse peritonitis and OA
      yields excellent results in terms of delayed primary fascial closure rate and a
      low number of enteroatmospheric fistulas. It seems to be safe to close the
      abdomen at the index laparotomy, if possible, even if there is a risk of a need
      of OA later. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Therapeutic/care management study, level IV.

PMID- 28338590
TI  - Small changes, big effects: The hemodynamics of partial and complete aortic
      occlusion to inform next generation resuscitation techniques and technologies.
AB  - BACKGROUND: The transition from complete aortic occlusion during resuscitative
      endovascular balloon occlusion of the aorta can be associated with hemodynamic
      instability. Technique refinements and new technologies have been proposed to
      minimize this effect. In order to inform new techniques and technology, we
      examined the relationship between blood pressure and aortic flow during the
      restoration of systemic circulation following aortic occlusion at progressive
      levels of hemorrhage. METHODS: An automated supraceliac aortic clamp, capable of
      continuously variable degrees of occlusion, was applied in seven swine. The swine
      underwent stepwise removal of 40% of their total blood volume in four equal
      aliquots. After each aliquot, progressive luminal narrowing to the point of
      complete aortic occlusion was achieved over 5 minutes, sustained for 5 minutes,
      and then released over 5 minutes. Proximal and distal blood pressure and distal
      aortic flow were continuously recorded throughout the study. RESULTS: Upon
      release of the clamp, hyperemic aortic flow was observed following 10% and 20%
      hemorrhage (1,599 +/- 785 mL/min, p < 0.01; and 1,070 +/- 396 mL/min, p < 0.01,
      respectively). Proximal blood pressure exhibited a nonlinear relationship to
      aortic flow during clamp removal; however, distal blood pressure increased
      linearly with distal flow upon clamp opening across all hemorrhage volumes.
      CONCLUSIONS: Hyperemic blood flow following return of circulation may contribute
      to cardiovascular collapse. Reintroduction of systemic blood flow after aortic
      occlusion should be guided by distal blood pressure rather than proximal
      pressure. Awareness of hemodynamic physiology during aortic occlusion is of
      paramount importance to the clinical implementation of next-generation
      resuscitative endovascular balloon occlusion of the aorta techniques and
      technologies.

PMID- 28338596
TI  - Operation versus antibiotics--The "appendicitis conundrum" continues: A meta
      analysis.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Acute appendicitis continues to constitute a diagnostic and
      therapeutic challenge. The aim of this study was to synthesize evidence from
      randomized controlled trials (RCTs) comparing nonoperative versus surgical
      management of uncomplicated acute appendicitis in adult patients. METHODS: A
      systematic literature search of the PubMed, Cochrane, and Scopus databases was
      performed with respect to the PRISMA (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic
      Reviews and Meta-analyses) statement (end-of-search date: January 29, 2017). Data
      on the study design, interventions, participants, and outcomes were extracted by
      two independent reviewers. The random-effects model (DerSimonian-Laird) was used
      to calculate pooled effect estimates when substantial heterogeneity was
      encountered; otherwise, the fixed-effects (Mantel-Haenszel) model was
      implemented. Quality assessment of included RCTs was performed using the modified
      Jadad scale. RESULTS: Five RCTs were included in this review. Overall, 1,430
      adult patients with uncomplicated acute appendicitis underwent either
      nonoperative (n = 727) or operative management (n = 703). Treatment efficacy at 1
      year follow-up was significantly lower (63.8%) for antibiotics compared with the
      surgery group (93%) (risk ratio [RR], 0.68; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.60
      0.77; p < 0.001). Overall complications were significantly higher in the surgery
      group (166/703 [23.6%]) compared with the antibiotics group (56/727 [7.7%]) (RR,
      0.32; 95% CI, 0.24-0.43; p < 0.001). No difference was found between the two
      treatment modalities in terms of perforated appendicitis rates (RR, 0.52; 95% CI,
      0.14-1.92), length of hospital stay (weighted mean difference [WMD], 0.20; 95%
      CI, -0.16 to 0.56), duration of pain (WMD, 0.22; 95% CI, -5.30 to -5.73), and
      sick leave (WMD, -2; 95% CI, -5.2 to 1.1). CONCLUSIONS: Conservative management
      of uncomplicated appendicitis in adults warrants further study. Addressing
      patients' expectations via a shared decision-making process is a crucial step in
      optimizing nonoperative outcomes. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Systematic review, level II.

PMID- 28338597
TI  - Skill learning and retention.

PMID- 28338598
TI  - Characterization of distinct coagulopathic phenotypes in injury: Pathway-specific
      drivers and implications for individualized treatment.
AB  - BACKGROUND: International normalized ratio (INR) and partial thromboplastin time
      (PTT) are used interchangeably to diagnose acute traumatic coagulopathy but
      reflect disparate activation pathways. In this study, we identified
      injury/patient characteristics and coagulation factors that drive contact
      pathway, tissue factor pathway (TF), and common pathway dysfunction by examining
      injured patients with discordant coagulopathies. We hypothesized that patients
      with INR/PTT discordance reflect differing phenotypes representing contact versus
      tissue factor pathway perturbations and that characterization will provide
      targets to guide individualized resuscitation. METHODS: Plasma samples were
      prospectively collected from 1,262 critically injured patients at a single Level
      I trauma center. Standard coagulation measures and an extensive panel of
      procoagulant and anticoagulant factors were assayed and analyzed with demographic
      and outcome data. RESULTS: Fourteen percent of patients were coagulopathic on
      admission. Among these, 48% had abnormal INR and PTT (BOTH), 43% had isolated
      prolonged PTT (PTT-CONTACT), and 9% had isolated elevated INR (INR-TF). PTT
      CONTACT and BOTH had lower Glasgow Coma Scale score than INR-TF (p < 0.001). INR
      TF had decreased factor VII activity compared with PTT-CONTACT, whereas PTT
      CONTACT had decreased factor VIII activity compared with INR-TF. All
      coagulopathic patients had factor V deficits, but activity was lowest in BOTH,
      suggesting an additive downstream effect of disordered activation pathways.
      Patients with PTT-CONTACT received half as much packed red blood cell and fresh
      frozen plasma as did the other groups (p < 0.001). Despite resuscitation,
      mortality was higher for coagulopathic patients; mortality was highest in BOTH
      and higher in PTT-CONTACT than in INR-TF (71%, 60%, 41%; p = 0.04). CONCLUSIONS:
      Discordant phenotypes demonstrate differential factor deficiencies consistent
      with dysfunction of contact versus tissue factor pathways with additive effects
      from common pathway dysfunction. Recognition and treatment of pathway-specific
      factor deficiencies driving different coagulopathic phenotypes in injured
      patients may individualize resuscitation and improve outcomes. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE:
      Prognostic/epidemiological study, level II.

PMID- 28338599
TI  - Volumetric control of whole blood collection in austere environments.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: Fresh whole blood transfusions are a powerful tool in prehospital
      care; however, the lack of equipment such as a scale in field situations
      frequently leads to collections being under- or overfilled, leading to
      complications for both patient and physician. This study describes two methods
      for simple, rapid control of collection bag volume: (1) a length of material to
      constrict the bag, and (2) folding/clamping the bag. METHOD: Whole blood
      collection bags were allowed to fill with saline via gravity. Paracord, zip-tie,
      beaded cable tie, or tourniquet was placed around the bag at circumferences of 6
      to 8.75 inches. A hemostat was used to clamp folds of 1 to 1.5 inches. Several
      units were drawn during training exercises of the 75th Ranger Regiment with
      volume controlled by three methods: vision/touch estimation, constriction by
      paracord, and clamping with hemostat. RESULTS: Method validation in the Terumo
      450-mL bag indicated that paracord, zip-tie, and beaded cable tie lengths of 6.5
      inches or clamping 1.25 inches with a hemostat provided accurate filling. The
      volume variance was significantly lower when using the beaded cable tie. Saline
      filling time was approximately 2 minutes. With the Fenwal 450-mL bag, the beaded
      cable tie gave best results; even if incorrectly placed by one/two beads, the
      volume was still within limits. In training exercises, the use of the cord/clamp
      greatly reduced the variability; more bags were within limits. CONCLUSIONS: Both
      constricting and clamping allow for speed and consistency in blood collection.
      The use of common cord is appealing, but knot tying induces inevitable
      variability; a zip/cable tie is easier. Clamping was quicker but susceptible to
      high variance and bag rupturing. With proper methodological training, appropriate
      volumes can be obtained in any environment with minimal tools. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE:
      Therapeutic/care management study, level IV.

PMID- 28338603
TI  - Antioxidant Properties of Selenophene, Thiophene and Their Aminocarbonitrile
      Derivatives.
AB  - The oxygen radical absorbance capacity (ORAC) method was used to detect the
      antiperoxyradical ability of organoselenium compounds: selenophene and its
      derivative, 2-amino-4,5,6,7-tetrahydro-1-selenophene-3-carbonitrile (ATSe); while
      as a comparison, the sulfur-containing analogue of selenophene-thiophene and its
      derivative-2-amino-4,5,6,7-tetrahydro-1-thiophene-3-carbonitrile (ATS)-was
      selected. Cyclic voltammetry (CV), differential pulse voltammetry (DPV) and
      squarewave voltammetry (SWV) methods were used to determine the redox
      characteristics of organoselenium and organosulfur compounds. The antiradical
      activity and capacity of the studied compounds were also measured by using stable
      radical 2,2'-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH). Detected anodic peaks of the
      oxidation of selenophene, thiophene and their derivatives in CV, DPV and SWV in
      the interval of -1200 / (+1600) mV potentials in regard to the Ag/Ag+ medium of
      acetonitrile prove the presence of antiperoxyradical activity in regard to
      oxidizers, i.e., peroxyradicals. The chemical mechanism of the antiperoxyradical
      ability of selenophene, thiophene and their organic derivatives is proposed.

PMID- 28338602
TI  - Design and Synthesis of Novel Pyrazole-Substituted Different Nitrogenous
      Heterocyclic Ring Systems as Potential Anti-Inflammatory Agents.
AB  - With the aim of developing novel anti-inflammatory scaffolds, a new series of
      pyrazole-substituted various nitrogenous heterocyclic ring systems at C-4
      position were synthesized through different chemical reactions and validated by
      means of spectral and elemental data. The new obtained compounds were
      investigated for their anti-inflammatory activity using the carrageenan-induced
      paw edema standard technique and revealed that, compound 6b showed increased
      potency with % inhibition of edema 85.23 +/- 1.92 and 85.78 +/- 0.99,
      respectively, higher than the standard reference drugs indomethacin and celebrex
      (72.99% and 83.76%). Molecular modeling studies were initiated herein to validate
      the attained pharmacological data and provide understandable evidence for the
      observed anti-inflammatory behavior.

PMID- 28338601
TI  - Mycotoxin Biotransformation by Native and Commercial Enzymes: Present and Future
      Perspectives.
AB  - Worldwide mycotoxins contamination has a significant impact on animal and human
      health, and leads to economic losses accounted for billions of dollars annually.
      Since the application of pre- and post- harvest strategies, including chemical or
      physical removal, are not sufficiently effective, biological transformation is
      considered the most promising yet challenging approach to reduce mycotoxins
      accumulation. Although several microorganisms were reported to degrade
      mycotoxins, only a few enzymes have been identified, purified and characterized
      for this activity. This review focuses on the biotransformation of mycotoxins
      performed with purified enzymes isolated from bacteria, fungi and plants, whose
      activity was validated in in vitro and in vivo assays, including patented ones
      and commercial preparations. Furthermore, we will present some applications for
      detoxifying enzymes in food, feed, biogas and biofuel industries, describing
      their limitation and potentialities.

PMID- 28338604
TI  - Radar Interferometry for Monitoring the Vibration Characteristics of Buildings
      and Civil Structures: Recent Case Studies in Spain.
AB  - The potential of a coherent microwave sensor to monitor the vibration
      characteristics of civil structures has been investigated in the past decade, and
      successful case studies have been published by different research teams. This
      remote sensing technique is based on the interferometric processing of real
      aperture radar acquisitions. Its capability to estimate, simultaneously and
      remotely, the displacement of different parts of the investigated structures,
      with high accuracy and repeatability, is its main advantage with respect to
      conventional sensors. A considerable amount of literature on this technique is
      available, including various case studies aimed at testing the ambient vibration
      of bridges, buildings, and towers. In the last years, this technique has been
      used in Spain for civil structures monitoring. In this paper, three examples of
      such case studies are described: the monitoring of the suspended bridge crossing
      the Ebro River at Amposta, the communications tower of Collserola in Barcelona,
      and an urban building located in Vilafranca del Penedes, a small town close to
      Barcelona. This paper summarizes the main outcomes of these case studies,
      underlining the advantages and limitations of the sensors currently available,
      and concluding with the possible improvements expected from the next generation
      of sensors.

PMID- 28338605
TI  - Comparing Species Composition of Passive Trapping of Adult Flies with Larval
      Collections from the Body during Scene-Based Medicolegal Death Investigations.
AB  - Collection of insects at the scene is one of the most important aspects of
      forensic entomology and proper collection is one of the biggest challenges for
      any investigator. Adult flies are highly mobile and ubiquitous at scenes, yet
      their link to the body and the time of colonization (TOC) and post-mortem
      interval (PMI) estimates is not well established. Collection of adults is widely
      recommended for casework but has yet to be rigorously evaluated during
      medicolegal death investigations for its value to the investigation. In this
      study, sticky card traps and immature collections were compared for 22 cases
      investigated by the Harris County Institute of Forensic Sciences, Houston, TX,
      USA. Cases included all manner of death classifications and a range of
      decomposition stages from indoor and outdoor scenes. Overall, the two methods
      successfully collected at least one species in common only 65% of the time, with
      at least one species unique to one of the methods 95% of the time. These results
      suggest that rearing of immature specimens collected from the body should be
      emphasized during training to ensure specimens directly associated with the
      colonization of the body can be identified using adult stages if necessary.

PMID- 28338607
TI  - How to Make Reliable, Washable, and Wearable Textronic Devices.
AB  - In this paper, the washability of wearable textronic (textile-electronic) devices
      has been studied. Two different approaches aiming at designing, producing, and
      testing robust washable and reliable smart textile systems are presented. The
      common point of the two approaches is the use of flexible conductive PCB in order
      to interface the miniaturized rigid (traditional) electronic devices to
      conductive threads and tracks within the textile flexible fabric and to connect
      them to antenna, textile electrodes, sensors, actuators, etc. The first approach
      consists in the use of TPU films (thermoplastic polyurethane) that are deposited
      by the press under controlled temperature and pressure parameters in order to
      protect the conductive thread and electrical contacts. The washability of
      conductive threads and contact resistances between flexible PCB and conductive
      threads are tested. The second approach is focused on the protection of the whole
      system-composed of a rigid electronic device, flexible PCB, and textile substrate
      by a barrier made of latex. Three types of prototypes were realized and washed.
      Their reliabilities are studied.

PMID- 28338606
TI  - Dystrophic Cardiomyopathy-Potential Role of Calcium in Pathogenesis, Treatment
      and Novel Therapies.
AB  - Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) is caused by defects in the DMD gene and
      results in progressive wasting of skeletal and cardiac muscle due to an absence
      of functional dystrophin. Cardiomyopathy is prominent in DMD patients, and
      contributes significantly to mortality. This is particularly true following
      respiratory interventions that reduce death rate and increase ambulation and
      consequently cardiac load. Cardiomyopathy shows an increasing prevalence with age
      and disease progression, and over 95% of patients exhibit dilated cardiomyopathy
      by the time they reach adulthood. Development of the myopathy is complex, and
      elevations in intracellular calcium, functional muscle ischemia, and
      mitochondrial dysfunction characterise the pathophysiology. Current therapies are
      limited to treating symptoms of the disease and there is therefore an urgent need
      to treat the underlying genetic defect. Several novel therapies are outlined
      here, and the unprecedented success of phosphorodiamidate morpholino oligomers
      (PMOs) in preclinical and clinical studies is overviewed.

PMID- 28338608
TI  - Impact of High-Carbohydrate Diet on Metabolic Parameters in Patients with Type 2
      Diabetes.
AB  - In patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM), whether dietary carbohydrates
      have beneficial or detrimental effects on cardiometabolic risk factors has drawn
      attention. Although a high-carbohydrate (HC) diet and a low-carbohydrate (LC)
      diet have gained popularity for several decades, there is scarce review focusing
      on the effects of HC diet on glucose, lipids and body weight in patients with
      T2DM. In this review, we examined recently-published literature on the effects of
      HC diets on metabolic parameters in T2DM. HC diets are at least as effective as
      LC diets, leading to significant weight loss and a reduction in plasma glucose,
      HbA1c and low density lipoprotein-cholesterol (LDL-C) levels. The major concern
      is that HC diets may raise serum triglyceride levels and reduce high density
      lipoprotein-cholesterol (HDL-C) levels, increasing the risk of cardiovascular
      disease. However, these untoward effects were not a persistent consequence and
      may be ameliorated with the consumption of a low glycemic index (GI)/low glycemic
      load (GL) and high fiber. Carbohydrate intake should be individualized, and low
      caloric intake remains a crucial factor to improve insulin sensitivity and reduce
      body weight; however, an HC diet, rich in fiber and with a low GI/GL, may be
      recommendable in patients with T2DM.

PMID- 28338611
TI  - Disability and Psychiatric Symptoms in Men Referred for Treatment with Work
      Related Problems to Primary Mental Health Care.
AB  - The relationship between male sex and employment as barriers to accessing mental
      health care is unclear. The aim of this research was to examine (1) whether the
      clinical features of men referred to a shared mental health care (SMHC) service
      through primary care differed when symptoms were affecting them in the work
      domain; and (2) empirically re-evaluate the effectiveness of a SMHC model for
      work-related disability using a pre-post chart review of N = 3960 referrals to
      SMHC. ANOVA and logistic regression were performed to examine symptoms (Patient
      Health Questionnaire, PHQ) and disability (World Health Organization Disability
      Assessment Schedule, WHODAS 2) at entry and discharge. Men were RR (relative
      risk) = 1.8 (95% C.I.: 1.60-2.05) times more likely to be referred to SMHC with
      work problems than women. Having greater disability and more severe somatic
      symptoms increased the likelihood of a work-related referral. There were no
      significant differences after treatment. Problems in the work domain may play an
      important role in men's treatment seeking and clinicians' recognition of a mental
      health care need. This study is relevant because men are underrepresented in
      mental health (MH) treatment and primary care is the main gateway to accessing MH
      care. Asking men about functioning in the work domain may increase access to
      helpful psychiatric services.

PMID- 28338609
TI  - Ectopic Expression of Aeluropus littoralis Plasma Membrane Protein Gene AlTMP1
      Confers Abiotic Stress Tolerance in Transgenic Tobacco by Improving Water Status
      and Cation Homeostasis.
AB  - We report here the isolation and functional analysis of AlTMP1 gene encoding a
      member of the PMP3 protein family. In Aeluropus littoralis, AlTMP1 is highly
      induced by abscisic acid (ABA), cold, salt, and osmotic stresses. Transgenic
      tobacco expressing AlTMP1 exhibited enhanced tolerance to salt, osmotic, H2O2,
      heat and freezing stresses at the seedling stage. Under greenhouse conditions,
      the transgenic plants showed a higher level of tolerance to drought than to
      salinity. Noteworthy, AlTMP1 plants yielded two- and five-fold more seeds than
      non-transgenic plants (NT) under salt and drought stresses, respectively. The
      leaves of AlTMP1 plants accumulated lower Na+ but higher K+ and Ca2+ than those
      of NT plants. Tolerance to osmotic and salt stresses was associated with higher
      membrane stability, low electrolyte leakage, and improved water status. Finally,
      accumulation of AlTMP1 in tobacco altered the regulation of some stress-related
      genes in either a positive (NHX1, CAT1, APX1, and DREB1A) or negative (HKT1 and
      KT1) manner that could be related to the observed tolerance. These results
      suggest that AlTMP1 confers stress tolerance in tobacco through maintenance of
      ion homeostasis, increased membrane integrity, and water status. The observed
      tolerance may be due to a direct or indirect effect of AlTMP1 on the expression
      of stress-related genes which could stimulate an adaptive potential not present
      in NT plants.

PMID- 28338610
TI  - Fructose-Rich Diet Affects Mitochondrial DNA Damage and Repair in Rats.
AB  - Evidence indicates that many forms of fructose-induced metabolic disturbance are
      associated with oxidative stress and mitochondrial dysfunction. Mitochondria are
      prominent targets of oxidative damage; however, it is not clear whether
      mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) damage and/or its lack of repair are events involved in
      metabolic disease resulting from a fructose-rich diet. In the present study, we
      evaluated the degree of oxidative damage to liver mtDNA and its repair, in
      addition to the state of oxidative stress and antioxidant defense in the liver of
      rats fed a high-fructose diet. We used male rats feeding on a high-fructose or
      control diet for eight weeks. Our results showed an increase in mtDNA damage in
      the liver of rats fed a high-fructose diet and this damage, as evaluated by the
      expression of DNA polymerase gamma, was not repaired; in addition, the mtDNA copy
      number was found to be significantly reduced. A reduction in the mtDNA copy
      number is indicative of impaired mitochondrial biogenesis, as is the finding of a
      reduction in the expression of genes involved in mitochondrial biogenesis. In
      conclusion, a fructose-rich diet leads to mitochondrial and mtDNA damage, which
      consequently may have a role in liver dysfunction and metabolic diseases.

PMID- 28338612
TI  - Pesticide Knowledge and Safety Practices among Farm Workers in Kuwait: Results of
      a Survey.
AB  - The unsafe and indiscriminate use of pesticides in agriculture represents a major
      hazard to the environment and human health. The aim of this study was to assess
      the levels of knowledge, attitude and practices of Kuwaiti farmers regarding the
      safe use of pesticides. A total of 250 farmers participated in this study through
      in-depth interviews and observations on-farm. The majority of the farmers
      acknowledged that pesticides were harmful to their health (71%) and the
      environment (65%). However, farmers' level of knowledge of pesticide safety is
      insufficient. Over 70% of the farmers did not read or follow pesticide label
      instructions, and 58% did not use any personal protective equipment (PPE) when
      handling pesticides. Educated farmers were significantly more likely to use PPE
      compared with famers with limited formal education (chi2 = 9.89, p < 0.05).
      Storage of pesticides within living areas was reported by 20% of farmers. When
      disposing of pesticide wastes, respondents adopted unsafe practices such as
      discarding, incinerating, or burying empty pesticide containers on-farm, or
      reusing the containers. Farmers also reported disposing leftover pesticide
      solution or old pesticide stocks on-farm or in the sewer. A significant number
      (82%) of the farmers reported at least one symptom of acute pesticide poisoning.
      Although farmers' knowledge of pesticide hazards was high, the reported safety
      measures were poor. Comprehensive intervention measures to reduce the health and
      environmental risks of pesticides are needed, including pesticide safety training
      programs for farmers, stringent enforcement of pesticide laws, and promoting
      integrated pest management and non-synthetic methods of pest control.

PMID- 28338613
TI  - Slum Upgrading and Health Equity.
AB  - Informal settlement upgrading is widely recognized for enhancing shelter and
      promoting economic development, yet its potential to improve health equity is
      usually overlooked. Almost one in seven people on the planet are expected to
      reside in urban informal settlements, or slums, by 2030. Slum upgrading is the
      process of delivering place-based environmental and social improvements to the
      urban poor, including land tenure, housing, infrastructure, employment, health
      services and political and social inclusion. The processes and products of slum
      upgrading can address multiple environmental determinants of health. This paper
      reviewed urban slum upgrading evaluations from cities across Asia, Africa and
      Latin America and found that few captured the multiple health benefits of
      upgrading. With the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) focused on improving
      well-being for billions of city-dwellers, slum upgrading should be viewed as a
      key strategy to promote health, equitable development and reduce climate change
      vulnerabilities. We conclude with suggestions for how slum upgrading might more
      explicitly capture its health benefits, such as through the use of health impact
      assessment (HIA) and adopting an urban health in all policies (HiAP) framework.
      Urban slum upgrading must be more explicitly designed, implemented and evaluated
      to capture its multiple global environmental health benefits.

PMID- 28338614
TI  - Unintentional Injuries and Violence among Adults in Northern Jordan: A Hospital
      Based Retrospective Study.
AB  - Injuries (unintentional and intentional) are the main cause of death and
      disability worldwide, including Jordan. The main purpose of this hospital-based
      retrospective study was to identify characteristics, causes, and risk factors of
      unintentional injuries and violence among all adult patients who approached the
      Accidents and Emergency department because of injury in Northern Jordan. Data
      were collected retrospectively from four major hospitals from January 2008 to
      January 2013. A total of 2425 Jordanian individuals who accessed and were treated
      by the four hospitals were included in this study. The findings show that the
      majority of patients who approached the Accidents and Emergency departments in
      the four hospitals were males (n = 2044, 87.16%) versus females (n = 301, 12.8%).
      Violence was the most common reason of injury (70.66%), followed by road traffic
      crashes (23.21%). The most common anatomical locations of reported injuries were
      the head (38.74%), followed by abdomen/pelvis and lower back, among males and
      females (9.93%). Violence had a high significant effect on the site of injuries.
      Patients who had been injured to the head because of a stab wound or fighting
      were substantially over-involved in head injuries, with injury rates 3.88 and
      7.51 times higher than those who had been injured to the head due to gunshot,
      respectively. Even patients who had been injured to the head because of assault
      show much higher involvement in injury risk than non-assault patients (Odds Ratio
      = 8.46). These findings highlight the need for a large national study to confirm
      the findings. It also draws attention to the importance of public awareness and
      to special injury prevention programs that not only focus on saving lives and
      lessening the number of injuries, illnesses, and fatalities, but also to limit
      the social and economic burden of injury among adults in Northern Jordan.

PMID- 28338615
TI  - Node Self-Deployment Algorithm Based on Pigeon Swarm Optimization for Underwater
      Wireless Sensor Networks.
AB  - At present, free-to-move node self-deployment algorithms aim at event coverage
      and cannot improve network coverage under the premise of considering network
      connectivity, network reliability and network deployment energy consumption.
      Thus, this study proposes pigeon-based self-deployment algorithm (PSA) for
      underwater wireless sensor networks to overcome the limitations of these existing
      algorithms. In PSA, the sink node first finds its one-hop nodes and maximizes the
      network coverage in its one-hop region. The one-hop nodes subsequently divide the
      network into layers and cluster in each layer. Each cluster head node constructs
      a connected path to the sink node to guarantee network connectivity. Finally, the
      cluster head node regards the ratio of the movement distance of the node to the
      change in the coverage redundancy ratio as the target function and employs pigeon
      swarm optimization to determine the positions of the nodes. Simulation results
      show that PSA improves both network connectivity and network reliability,
      decreases network deployment energy consumption, and increases network coverage.

PMID- 28338616
TI  - A Comparative Study of Phenols in Apulian Italian Wines.
AB  - Nutraceutics is a growing research field in which researchers study and attempt
      to improve the biological properties of metabolites in food. Wine is one of the
      most consumed products in the world and contains a plethora of molecules
      biologically relevant to human health. In this article, several polyphenols with
      potential antioxidant activity were measured in wines from Apulia, in Southeast
      Italy. Hydroxytyrosol, gallic and syringic acids, luteolin, quercetin, and trans
      resveratrol were identified and quantified by HPLC. The amount of the analyzed
      metabolites in wines were largely dependent on their color, with red ones being
      the richest compared to white and rose wines. Gallic acid was the most abundant
      polyphenol, followed by syringic acid and luteolin. Nevertheless, significant
      amounts of hydroxytyrosol, quercetin, and trans-resveratrol were also found. The
      average concentration of polyphenols found in these wines could have potential
      health-promoting effects, especially if consumed in moderate quantities on a
      regular basis.

PMID- 28338617
TI  - EGFR Family Members' Regulation of Autophagy Is at a Crossroads of Cell Survival
      and Death in Cancer.
AB  - The epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) signaling pathways are altered in
      many cancers contributing to increased cell survival. These alterations are
      caused mainly through increased expression or mutation of EGFR family members
      EGFR, ErbB2, ErbB3, and ErbB4. These receptors have been successfully targeted
      for cancer therapy. Specifically, a monoclonal antibody against ErbB2,
      trastuzumab, and a tyrosine kinase inhibitor against EGFR, gefitinib, have
      improved the survival of breast and lung cancer patients. Unfortunately, cancer
      patients frequently become resistant to these inhibitors. This has led to
      investigating how EGFR can contribute to cell survival and how cancer cells can
      overcome inhibition of its signaling. Indeed, it is coming into focus that EGFR
      signaling goes beyond a single signal triggering cell proliferation and survival
      and is a sensor that regulates the cell's response to microenvironmental stresses
      such as hypoxia. It acts as a switch that modulates the ability of cancer cells
      to survive. Autophagy is a process of self-digestion that is inhibited by EGFR
      allowing cancer cells to survive under stresses that would normally cause death
      and become resistant to chemotherapy. Inhibiting EGFR signaling allows autophagy
      to contribute to cell death. This gives new opportunities to develop novel
      therapeutic strategies to treat cancers that rely on EGFR signaling networks and
      autophagy. In this review, we summarize the current understanding of EGFR family
      member regulation of autophagy in cancer cells and how new therapeutic strategies
      could be developed to overcome drug resistance.

PMID- 28338618
TI  - Real-Time Gait Event Detection Based on Kinematic Data Coupled to a Biomechanical
      Model.
AB  - Real-time detection of multiple stance events, more specifically initial contact
      (IC), foot flat (FF), heel off (HO), and toe off (TO), could greatly benefit
      neurorobotic (NR) and neuroprosthetic (NP) control. Three real-time threshold
      based algorithms have been developed, detecting the aforementioned events based
      on kinematic data in combination with a biomechanical model. Data from seven
      subjects walking at three speeds on an instrumented treadmill were used to
      validate the presented algorithms, accumulating to a total of 558 steps. The
      reference for the gait events was obtained using marker and force plate data. All
      algorithms had excellent precision and no false positives were observed. Timing
      delays of the presented algorithms were similar to current state-of-the-art
      algorithms for the detection of IC and TO, whereas smaller delays were achieved
      for the detection of FF. Our results indicate that, based on their high precision
      and low delays, these algorithms can be used for the control of an NR/NP, with
      the exception of the HO event. Kinematic data is used in most NR/NP control
      schemes and is thus available at no additional cost, resulting in a minimal
      computational burden. The presented methods can also be applied for screening
      pathological gait or gait analysis in general in/outside of the laboratory.

PMID- 28338620
TI  - A Secure and Privacy-Preserving Navigation Scheme Using Spatial Crowdsourcing in
      Fog-Based VANETs.
AB  - Fog-based VANETs (Vehicular ad hoc networks) is a new paradigm of vehicular ad
      hoc networks with the advantages of both vehicular cloud and fog computing. Real
      time navigation schemes based on fog-based VANETs can promote the scheme
      performance efficiently. In this paper, we propose a secure and privacy
      preserving navigation scheme by using vehicular spatial crowdsourcing based on
      fog-based VANETs. Fog nodes are used to generate and release the crowdsourcing
      tasks, and cooperatively find the optimal route according to the real-time
      traffic information collected by vehicles in their coverage areas. Meanwhile, the
      vehicle performing the crowdsourcing task can get a reasonable reward. The
      querying vehicle can retrieve the navigation results from each fog node
      successively when entering its coverage area, and follow the optimal route to the
      next fog node until it reaches the desired destination. Our scheme fulfills the
      security and privacy requirements of authentication, confidentiality and
      conditional privacy preservation. Some cryptographic primitives, including the
      Elgamal encryption algorithm, AES, randomized anonymous credentials and group
      signatures, are adopted to achieve this goal. Finally, we analyze the security
      and the efficiency of the proposed scheme.

PMID- 28338619
TI  - Role and Function of A2A and A3 Adenosine Receptors in Patients with Ankylosing
      Spondylitis, Psoriatic Arthritis and Rheumatoid Arthritis.
AB  - Rheumatoid arthritis (RA), ankylosing spondylitis (AS) and psoriatic arthritis
      (PsA) are chronic inflammatory rheumatic diseases that affect joints, causing
      debilitating pain and disability. Adenosine receptors (ARs) play a key role in
      the mechanism of inflammation, and the activation of A2A and A3AR subtypes is
      often associated with a reduction of the inflammatory status. The aim of this
      study was to investigate the involvement of ARs in patients suffering from early
      RA (ERA), RA, AS and PsA. Messenger RNA (mRNA) analysis and saturation binding
      experiments indicated an upregulation of A2A and A3ARs in lymphocytes obtained
      from patients when compared with healthy subjects. A2A and A3AR agonists
      inhibited nuclear factor kappa-light-chain-enhancer of activated B cells (NF
      kappaB) activation and reduced inflammatory cytokines release, such as tumor
      necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha), interleukin (IL)-1beta and IL-6. Moreover, A2A
      and A3AR activation mediated a reduction of metalloproteinases (MMP)-1 and MMP-3.
      The effect of the agonists was abrogated by selective antagonists demonstrating
      the direct involvement of these receptor subtypes. Taken together, these data
      confirmed the involvement of ARs in chronic autoimmune rheumatic diseases
      highlighting the possibility to exploit A2A and A3ARs as therapeutic targets,
      with the aim to limit the inflammatory responses usually associated with RA, AS
      and PsA.

PMID- 28338621
TI  - Optimized 4,5-Diarylimidazoles as Potent/Selective Inhibitors of Protein Kinase
      CK1delta and Their Structural Relation to p38alpha MAPK.
AB  - The involvement of protein kinase CK1delta in the pathogenesis of severe
      disorders such as Alzheimer's disease, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, familial
      advanced sleep phase syndrome, and cancer has dramatically increased interest in
      the development of effective small molecule inhibitors for both therapeutic
      application and basic research. Unfortunately, the design of CK1 isoform-specific
      compounds has proved to be highly complicated due to the existence of six
      evolutionarily conserved human CK1 members that possess similar, different, or
      even opposite physiological and pathophysiological implications. Consequently,
      only few potent and selective CK1delta inhibitors have been reported so far and
      structurally divergent approaches are urgently needed in order to establish SAR
      that might enable complete discrimination of CK1 isoforms and related p38alpha
      MAPK. In this study we report on design and characterization of optimized 4,5
      diarylimidazoles as highly effective ATP-competitive inhibitors of CK1delta with
      compounds 11b (IC50 CK1delta = 4 nM, IC50 CK1epsilon = 25 nM), 12a (IC50 CK1delta
      = 19 nM, IC50 CK1epsilon = 227 nM), and 16b (IC50 CK1delta = 8 nM, IC50
      CK1epsilon = 81 nM) being among the most potent CK1delta-targeting agents
      published to date. Inhibitor compound 11b, displaying potential as a
      pharmacological tool, has further been profiled over a panel of 321 protein
      kinases exhibiting high selectivity. Cellular efficacy has been evaluated in
      human pancreatic cancer cell lines Colo357 (EC50 = 3.5 uM) and Panc89 (EC50 = 1.5
      uM). SAR is substantiated by X-ray crystallographic analysis of 16b in CK1delta
      and 11b in p38alpha.

PMID- 28338623
TI  - A Study of Intramolecular Hydrogen Bonding in Levoglucosan Derivatives.
AB  - Organofluorine is a weak hydrogen-bond (HB) acceptor. Bernet et al. have
      demonstrated its capability to perturb OH...O intramolecular hydrogen bonds
      (IMHBs), using conformationally rigid carbohydrate scaffolds including
      levoglucosan derivatives. These investigations are supplemented here by
      experimental and theoretical studies involving six new levoglucosan derivatives,
      and complement the findings of Bernet et al. However, it is shown that
      conformational analysis is instrumental in interpreting the experimental data,
      due to the occurrence of non-intramolecular hydrogen-bonded populations which,
      although minor, cannot be neglected and appears surprisingly significant. The DFT
      conformational analysis, together with the computation of NMR parameters
      (coupling constants and chemical shifts) and wavefunction analyses (AIM, NBO),
      provides a full picture. Thus, for all compounds, the most stabilized structures
      show the OH groups in a conformation allowing IMHB with O5 and O6, when possible.
      Furthermore, the combined approach points out the occurrence of various IMHBs and
      the effect of the chemical modulations on their features. Thus, two-center or
      three-center IMHB interactions are observed in these compounds, depending on the
      presence or absence of additional HB acceptors, such as methoxy or fluorine.

PMID- 28338626
TI  - In Silico and In Vitro Analysis of Interaction between Ximelagatran and Human
      Leukocyte Antigen (HLA)-DRB1*07:01.
AB  - Idiosyncratic ximelagatran-induced hepatotoxicity has been reported to be
      associated with human leukocyte antigen (HLA)-DRB1*07:01 and ximelagatran has
      been reported to inhibit the binding of the ligand peptide to HLA-DRB1*07:01 in
      vitro. In order to predict the possible interaction modes of ximelagatran with
      HLA-DR molecules, in silico docking simulations were performed. Molecular
      dynamics (MD) simulations were also performed to predict the effect of
      ximelagatran on the binding mode of the ligand peptide to HLA-DRB1*07:01. A
      series of in silico simulations supported the inhibitory effect of ximelagatran
      on the binding of the ligand peptide to HLA-DRB1*07:01 in vitro. Furthermore,
      direct interactions of ximelagatran with HLA-DR molecules were evaluated in
      vitro, which supported the simulated interaction mode of ximelagatran with HLA
      DRB1*07:01. These results indicated that ximelagatran directly interacts with the
      peptide binding groove of HLA-DRB1*07:01 and competes with the ligand peptide for
      the binding site, which could alter the immune response and lead to the
      idiosyncratic ximelagatran-induced hepatotoxicity.

PMID- 28338625
TI  - (R)-(-)-Aloesaponol III 8-Methyl Ether from Eremurus persicus: A Novel Compound
      against Leishmaniosis.
AB  - Leishmaniosis is a neglected tropical disease which affects several millions of
      people worldwide. The current drug therapies are expensive and often lack
      efficacy, mainly due to the development of parasite resistance. Hence, there is
      an urgent need for new drugs effective against Leishmania infections. As a part
      of our ongoing study on the phytochemical characterization and biological
      investigation of plants used in the traditional medicine of western and central
      Asia, in the present study, we focused on Eremurus persicus root extract in order
      to evaluate its potential in the treatment of leishmaniosis. As a result of our
      study, aloesaponol III 8-methyl ether (ASME) was isolated for the first time from
      Eremurus persicus root extract, its chemical structure elucidated by means of IR
      and NMR experiments and the (R) configuration assigned by optical activity
      measurements: chiroptical aspects were investigated with vibrational circular
      dichroism (VCD) and electronic circular dichroism (ECD) spectroscopies and DFT
      (density functional theory) quantum mechanical calculations. Concerning
      biological investigations, our results clearly proved that (R)-ASME inhibits
      Leishmania infantum promastigotes viability (IC50 73 ug/mL), inducing
      morphological alterations and mitochondrial potential deregulation. Moreover, it
      is not toxic on macrophages at the concentration tested, thus representing a
      promising molecule against Leishmania infections.

PMID- 28338624
TI  - Nerve Growth Factor Signaling from Membrane Microdomains to the Nucleus:
      Differential Regulation by Caveolins.
AB  - Membrane microdomains or "lipid rafts" have emerged as essential functional
      modules of the cell, critical for the regulation of growth factor receptor
      mediated responses. Herein we describe the dichotomy between caveolin-1 and
      caveolin-2, structural and regulatory components of microdomains, in modulating
      proliferation and differentiation. Caveolin-2 potentiates while caveolin-1
      inhibits nerve growth factor (NGF) signaling and subsequent cell differentiation.
      Caveolin-2 does not appear to impair NGF receptor trafficking but elicits
      prolonged and stronger activation of MAPK (mitogen-activated protein kinase),
      Rsk2 (ribosomal protein S6 kinase 2), and CREB (cAMP response element binding
      protein). In contrast, caveolin-1 does not alter initiation of the NGF signaling
      pathway activation; rather, it acts, at least in part, by sequestering the
      cognate receptors, TrkA and p75NTR, at the plasma membrane, together with the
      phosphorylated form of the downstream effector Rsk2, which ultimately prevents
      CREB phosphorylation. The non-phosphorylatable caveolin-1 serine 80 mutant
      (S80V), no longer inhibits TrkA trafficking or subsequent CREB phosphorylation.
      MC192, a monoclonal antibody towards p75NTR that does not block NGF binding,
      prevents exit of both NGF receptors (TrkA and p75NTR) from lipid rafts. The
      results presented herein underline the role of caveolin and receptor signaling
      complex interplay in the context of neuronal development and tumorigenesis.

PMID- 28338628
TI  - Revision of the Structure of Acremine P from a Marine-Derived Strain of
      Acremonium persicinum.
AB  - The previously published structure of the fungal metabolite acremine P is revised
      by re-evaluation of chemical shift values and NOESY data, and by DFT
      calculations.

PMID- 28338627
TI  - Morphology Analysis and Optimization: Crucial Factor Determining the Performance
      of Perovskite Solar Cells.
AB  - This review presents an overall discussion on the morphology analysis and
      optimization for perovskite (PVSK) solar cells. Surface morphology and energy
      alignment have been proven to play a dominant role in determining the device
      performance. The effect of the key parameters such as solution condition and
      preparation atmosphere on the crystallization of PVSK, the characterization of
      surface morphology and interface distribution in the perovskite layer is
      discussed in detail. Furthermore, the analysis of interface energy level
      alignment by using X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and ultraviolet photoelectron
      spectroscopy is presented to reveals the correlation between morphology and
      charge generation and collection within the perovskite layer, and its influence
      on the device performance. The techniques including architecture modification,
      solvent annealing, etc. were reviewed as an efficient approach to improve the
      morphology of PVSK. It is expected that further progress will be achieved with
      more efforts devoted to the insight of the mechanism of surface engineering in
      the field of PVSK solar cells.

PMID- 28338629
TI  - Study of the Accumulation of Toxic and Essential Ultra-Trace Elements in Fruits
      of Sorbus domestica L.
AB  - In the present work, the accumulation of selected toxic and essential ultra-trace
      elements in fruits of service tree (Sorbus domestica L.) were determined
      depending on harvest time. Samples were collected from the same sampling area in
      two different years and within one year in September and October (maturity
      state). Harvesting the fruits in the same area excludes the influence of metals
      taken up via roots, thus the impact of airborne contamination by heavy metal
      translocation can be studied. All samples were dried and digested using an acidic
      microwave assisted digestion system prior to quantification by inductively
      coupled plasma-sector field mass spectrometry (ICP-SFMS). The elements chosen
      were Arsenic and Cadmium as well as Lithium, Molybdenum, and Selenium. The
      Arsenic content rose with maturity in mesocarp. Cadmium found in the mesocarp was
      unaffected by ripeness. For Selenium and Molybdenum, no statistically significant
      effect of ripeness could be found on their content in mesocarp. Lithium could not
      be detected in the majority of fruit samples. Differences between the metal
      concentrations based on the year of harvest were found for Arsenic, Molybdenum,
      and Selenium, depending on precipitation. The drier the season, the more Arsenic
      was accumulated. For Molybdenum and Selenium, the opposite effect was observed.

PMID- 28338630
TI  - Life cycle, Ecological Characteristics, and Control of Trachys yanoi (Coleoptera:
      Buprestidae), an Important Pest of Zelkova serrata.
AB  - This study was conducted to elucidate the life cycle and the ecological
      characteristics of Trachys yanoi Y. Kurosawa, an important pest of Zelkova
      serrata (Thunb.) Makino. Life cycle, mortality rates in developmental stages,
      annual population dynamics, and early leaf abscission were investigated. Adults
      emerged from under the bark of Zelkova trees in April and fed on Zelkova leaves.
      Females laid 49 eggs on average, mainly in May and early June. Eggs hatched after
      17 days, and the larvae fed inside the leaves. They developed through three
      instars. In July, leaves with the final stage of larvae were abscised. Four days
      after abscission, the larvae pupated. New adults eclosed from pupae seven days
      after pupation, and the adults emerged from abscised leaves after an additional
      two days. In total, 1650 adults emerged per 1 m2 of forest floor, resulting in a
      major population increase. The newly emerged adults fed on the remaining Zelkova
      leaves, compounding the damage. In October, adults overwintered under the tree
      bark. Mortality rates in the egg, larval, and pupal stages were 41%, 58%, and
      31%, respectively. The mortality rate among overwintering individuals was 43%.
      Because only Zelkova leaves that were abscised in July contained the larvae, and
      because only a small number of beetles emerged from non-abscised, mined leaves,
      the removal of abscised leaves at nine-day intervals over period of early leaf
      abscission is a simple and effective way to control the beetle.

PMID- 28338631
TI  - Death of an Ex-Spouse: Lessons in Family Communication about Disenfranchised
      Grief.
AB  - The death of a loved one is an emotional-laden experience, and while grief and
      mourning rituals are less formal today in many communities, there remain some
      social norms for individuals to process loss. The death of an ex-family member,
      such as a former spouse, is more complicated and expectations for how to respond
      are fraught with uncertainty. While grief has been studied and is primarily
      understood as an individual cognitive process, scholars in sociology and
      communication are considering the ways in which grief and mourning are social and
      take place in dialogue with others. This manuscript explores Kenneth Doka's
      concept of disenfranchised grief, which is "grief that is experienced when loss
      cannot be openly acknowledged, socially sanctioned, or publicly mourned" through
      the author's experience of the death of her ex-husband. The narrative will
      recount how the author learned about her ex-husband's death (via text message),
      and will challenge definitions of family and family communication about death and
      grief, particularly the communication strategies used to cope with this unique
      type of loss.

PMID- 28338632
TI  - A Polynomial Subset-Based Efficient Multi-Party Key Management System for
      Lightweight Device Networks.
AB  - Wireless Sensor Networks (WSNs) consist of lightweight devices to measure
      sensitive data that are highly vulnerable to security attacks due to their
      constrained resources. In a similar manner, the internet-based lightweight
      devices used in the Internet of Things (IoT) are facing severe security and
      privacy issues because of the direct accessibility of devices due to their
      connection to the internet. Complex and resource-intensive security schemes are
      infeasible and reduce the network lifetime. In this regard, we have explored the
      polynomial distribution-based key establishment schemes and identified an issue
      that the resultant polynomial value is either storage intensive or infeasible
      when large values are multiplied. It becomes more costly when these polynomials
      are regenerated dynamically after each node join or leave operation and whenever
      key is refreshed. To reduce the computation, we have proposed an Efficient Key
      Management (EKM) scheme for multiparty communication-based scenarios. The
      proposed session key management protocol is established by applying a symmetric
      polynomial for group members, and the group head acts as a responsible node. The
      polynomial generation method uses security credentials and secure hash function.
      Symmetric cryptographic parameters are efficient in computation, communication,
      and the storage required. The security justification of the proposed scheme has
      been completed by using Rubin logic, which guarantees that the protocol attains
      mutual validation and session key agreement property strongly among the
      participating entities. Simulation scenarios are performed using NS 2.35 to
      validate the results for storage, communication, latency, energy, and polynomial
      calculation costs during authentication, session key generation, node migration,
      secure joining, and leaving phases. EKM is efficient regarding storage,
      computation, and communication overhead and can protect WSN-based IoT
      infrastructure.

PMID- 28338633
TI  - Degradation of Marine Algae-Derived Carbohydrates by Bacteroidetes Isolated from
      Human Gut Microbiota.
AB  - Carrageenan, agarose, and alginate are algae-derived undigested polysaccharides
      that have been used as food additives for hundreds of years. Fermentation of
      dietary carbohydrates of our food in the lower gut of humans is a critical
      process for the function and integrity of both the bacterial community and host
      cells. However, little is known about the fermentation of these three kinds of
      seaweed carbohydrates by human gut microbiota. Here, the degradation
      characteristics of carrageenan, agarose, alginate, and their oligosaccharides, by
      Bacteroides xylanisolvens, Bacteroides ovatus, and Bacteroides uniforms, isolated
      from human gut microbiota, are studied.

PMID- 28338634
TI  - Construction of an Acetylcholinesterase Sensor Based on Synthesized Paramagnetic
      Nanoparticles, a Simple Tool for Neurotoxic Compounds Assay.
AB  - Magnetic particles (MPs) have been widely used in biological applications in
      recent years as a carrier for various molecules. Their big advantage is in
      repeated use of immobilized molecules including enzymes. Acetylcholinesterase
      (AChE) is an enzyme playing crucial role in neurotransmission and the enzyme is
      targeted by various molecules like Alzheimer's drugs, pesticides and warfare
      agents. In this work, an electrochemical biosensor having AChE immobilized onto
      MPs and stabilized through glutaraldehyde (GA) molecule was proposed for assay of
      the neurotoxic compounds. The prepared nanoparticles were modified by pure AChE
      and they were used for the measurement anti-Alzheimer's drug galantamine and
      carbamate pesticide carbofuran with limit of detection 1.5 uM and 20 nM,
      respectively. All measurements were carried out using screen-printed sensor with
      carbon working, silver reference, and carbon auxiliary electrode. Standard
      Ellman's assay was used for validation measurement of both inhibitors. Part of
      this work was the elimination of reversible inhibitors represented by galantamine
      from the active site of AChE. For this purpose, we used a lower pH to get the
      original activity of AChE after inhibition by galantamine. We also observed
      decarbamylation of the AChE-carbofuran adduct. Influence of organic solvents to
      AChE as well as repeatability of measurement with MPs with AChE was also
      established.

PMID- 28338622
TI  - Phosphodiesterase Inhibitors as a Therapeutic Approach to Neuroprotection and
      Repair.
AB  - A wide diversity of perturbations of the central nervous system (CNS) result in
      structural damage to the neuroarchitecture and cellular defects, which in turn
      are accompanied by neurological dysfunction and abortive endogenous neurorepair.
      Altering intracellular signaling pathways involved in inflammation and immune
      regulation, neural cell death, axon plasticity and remyelination has shown
      therapeutic benefit in experimental models of neurological disease and trauma.
      The second messengers, cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cyclic AMP) and cyclic
      guanosine monophosphate (cyclic GMP), are two such intracellular signaling
      targets, the elevation of which has produced beneficial cellular effects within a
      range of CNS pathologies. The only known negative regulators of cyclic
      nucleotides are a family of enzymes called phosphodiesterases (PDEs) that
      hydrolyze cyclic nucleotides into adenosine monophosphate (AMP) or guanylate
      monophosphate (GMP). Herein, we discuss the structure and physiological function
      as well as the roles PDEs play in pathological processes of the diseased or
      injured CNS. Further we review the approaches that have been employed
      therapeutically in experimental paradigms to block PDE expression or activity and
      in turn elevate cyclic nucleotide levels to mediate neuroprotection or
      neurorepair as well as discuss both the translational pathway and current
      limitations in moving new PDE-targeted therapies to the clinic.

PMID- 28338635
TI  - A Formaldehyde Sensor Based on Molecularly-Imprinted Polymer on a TiO2 Nanotube
      Array.
AB  - Today, significant attention has been brought to the development of sensitive,
      specific, cheap, and reliable sensors for real-time monitoring. Molecular
      imprinting technology is a versatile and promising technology for practical
      applications in many areas, particularly chemical sensors. Here, we present a
      chemical sensor for detecting formaldehyde, a toxic common indoor pollutant gas.
      Polypyrrole-based molecularly-imprinted polymer (PPy-based MIP) is employed as
      the sensing recognition layer and synthesized on a titanium dioxide nanotube
      array (TiO2-NTA) for increasing its surface-to-volume ratio, thereby improving
      the sensor performance. Our sensor selectively detects formaldehyde in the parts
      per million (ppm) range at room temperature. It also shows a long-term stability
      and small fluctuation to humidity variations. These are attributed to the thin
      fishnet-like structure of the PPy-based MIP on the highly-ordered and vertically
      aligned TiO2-NTA.

PMID- 28338637
TI  - Using an Active-Optical Sensor to Develop an Optimal NDVI Dynamic Model for High
      Yield Rice Production (Yangtze, China).
AB  - The successful development of an optimal canopy vegetation index dynamic model
      for obtaining higher yield can offer a technical approach for real-time and
      nondestructive diagnosis of rice (Oryza sativa L) growth and nitrogen (N)
      nutrition status. In this study, multiple rice cultivars and N treatments of
      experimental plots were carried out to obtain: normalized difference vegetation
      index (NDVI), leaf area index (LAI), above-ground dry matter (DM), and grain
      yield (GY) data. The quantitative relationships between NDVI and these growth
      indices (e.g., LAI, DM and GY) were analyzed, showing positive correlations.
      Using the normalized modeling method, an appropriate NDVI simulation model of
      rice was established based on the normalized NDVI (RNDVI) and relative
      accumulative growing degree days (RAGDD). The NDVI dynamic model for high-yield
      production in rice can be expressed by a double logistic model: RNDVI = ( 1 + e -
      15.2829 * ( R A G D D i - 0.1944 ) ) - 1 - ( 1 + e - 11.6517 * ( R A G D D i -
      1.0267 ) ) - 1 (R2 = 0.8577**), which can be used to accurately predict canopy
      NDVI dynamic changes during the entire growth period. Considering variation among
      rice cultivars, we constructed two relative NDVI (RNDVI) dynamic models for
      Japonica and Indica rice types, with R2 reaching 0.8764** and 0.8874**,
      respectively. Furthermore, independent experimental data were used to validate
      the RNDVI dynamic models. The results showed that during the entire growth
      period, the accuracy (k), precision (R2), and standard deviation of RNDVI dynamic
      models for the Japonica and Indica cultivars were 0.9991, 1.0170; 0.9084**,
      0.8030**; and 0.0232, 0.0170, respectively. These results indicated that RNDVI
      dynamic models could accurately reflect crop growth and predict dynamic changes
      in high-yield crop populations, providing a rapid approach for monitoring rice
      growth status.

PMID- 28338636
TI  - Survey on Urinary Levels of Aflatoxins in Professionally Exposed Workers.
AB  - Feed mill workers may handle or process maize contaminated with aflatoxins (AFs).
      This condition may lead to an unacceptable intake of toxins deriving from
      occupational exposure. This study assessed the serological and urinary levels of
      AFs in workers exposed to potentially contaminated dusts in two mills. From March
      to April 2014, blood and urine samples were collected, on Monday and Friday
      morning of the same working week from 29 exposed workers and 30 non-exposed
      controls. AFs (M1, G2, G1, B1, B2) and aflatoxicol (AFOH) A were analyzed. Each
      subject filled in a questionnaire to evaluate potential food-borne exposures to
      mycotoxins. AFs contamination in environmental dust was measured in both plants.
      No serum sample was found to be positive. Seventy four percent of urine samples
      (73.7%) revealed AFM1 presence. AFM1 mean concentration was 0.035 and 0.027 ng/mL
      in exposed and non-exposed workers, respectively (p = 0.432); the concentration
      was slightly higher in Friday's than in Monday's samples, in exposed workers,
      0.040 versus (vs.) 0.031 and non-exposed controls (0.030 vs. 0.024, p = 0.437).
      Environmental AFs contamination ranged from 7.2 to 125.4 ug/kg. The findings of
      this study reveal the presence of higher AFs concentration in exposed workers
      than in non-exposed controls, although these differences are to be considered
      consistent with random fluctuations.

PMID- 28338638
TI  - The Value of Coenzyme Q10 Determination in Mitochondrial Patients.
AB  - Coenzyme Q10 (CoQ) is a lipid that is ubiquitously synthesized in tissues and has
      a key role in mitochondrial oxidative phosphorylation. Its biochemical
      determination provides insight into the CoQ status of tissues and may detect CoQ
      deficiency that can result from either an inherited primary deficiency of CoQ
      metabolism or may be secondary to different genetic and environmental conditions.
      Rapid identification of CoQ deficiency can also allow potentially beneficial
      treatment to be initiated as early as possible. CoQ may be measured in different
      specimens, including plasma, blood mononuclear cells, platelets, urine, muscle,
      and cultured skin fibroblasts. Blood and urinary CoQ also have good utility for
      CoQ treatment monitoring.

PMID- 28338639
TI  - Beyond the Cholesterol-Lowering Effect of Soy Protein: A Review of the Effects of
      Dietary Soy and Its Constituents on Risk Factors for Cardiovascular Disease.
AB  - The hypocholesterolemic effect of soy is well-documented and this has led to the
      regulatory approval of a health claim relating soy protein to a reduced risk of
      cardiovascular disease (CVD). However, soybeans contain additional components,
      such as isoflavones, lecithins, saponins and fiber that may improve
      cardiovascular health through independent mechanisms. This review summarizes the
      evidence on the cardiovascular benefits of non-protein soy components in relation
      to known CVD risk factors such as hypertension, hyperglycemia, inflammation, and
      obesity beyond cholesterol lowering. Overall, the available evidence suggests non
      protein soy constituents improve markers of cardiovascular health; however,
      additional carefully designed studies are required to independently elucidate
      these effects. Further, work is also needed to clarify the role of isoflavone
      metabolizing phenotype and gut microbiota composition on biological effect.

PMID- 28338641
TI  - Nerolidol and Farnesol Inhibit Some Cytochrome P450 Activities but Did Not Affect
      Other Xenobiotic-Metabolizing Enzymes in Rat and Human Hepatic Subcellular
      Fractions.
AB  - Sesquiterpenes, 15-carbon compounds formed from three isoprenoid units, are the
      main components of plant essential oils. Sesquiterpenes occur in human food, but
      they are principally taken as components of many folk medicines and dietary
      supplements. The aim of our study was to test and compare the potential
      inhibitory effect of acyclic sesquiterpenes, trans-nerolidol, cis-nerolidol and
      farnesol, on the activities of the main xenobiotic-metabolizing enzymes in rat
      and human liver in vitro. Rat and human subcellular fractions, relatively
      specific substrates, corresponding coenzymes and HPLC, spectrophotometric or
      spectrofluorometric analysis of product formation were used. The results showed
      significant inhibition of cytochromes P450 (namely CYP1A, CYP2B and CYP3A
      subfamilies) activities by all tested sesquiterpenes in rat as well as in human
      hepatic microsomes. On the other hand, all tested sesquiterpenes did not
      significantly affect the activities of carbonyl-reducing enzymes and conjugation
      enzymes. The results indicate that acyclic sesquiterpenes might affect CYP1A,
      CYP2B and CYP3A mediated metabolism of concurrently administered drugs and other
      xenobiotics. The possible drug-sesquiterpene interactions should be verified in
      in vivo experiments.

PMID- 28338642
TI  - Determination of Ultra-trace Rhodium in Water Samples by Graphite Furnace Atomic
      Absorption Spectrometry after Cloud Point Extraction Using 2-(5-Iodo-2
      Pyridylazo)-5-Dimethylaminoaniline as a Chelating Agent.
AB  - A highly sensitive method based on cloud point extraction (CPE)
      separation/preconcentration and graphite furnace atomic absorption spectrometry
      (GFAAS) detection has been developed for the determination of ultra-trace amounts
      of rhodium in water samples. A new reagent, 2-(5-iodo-2-pyridylazo)-5
      dimethylaminoaniline (5-I-PADMA), was used as the chelating agent and the
      nonionic surfactant TritonX-114 was chosen as extractant. In a HAc-NaAc buffer
      solution at pH 5.5, Rh(III) reacts with 5-I-PADMA to form a stable chelate by
      heating in a boiling water bath for 10 min. Subsequently, the chelate is
      extracted into the surfactant phase and separated from bulk water. The factors
      affecting CPE were investigated. Under the optimized conditions, the calibration
      graph was linear in the range of 0.1-6.0 ng/mL, the detection limit was 0.023
      ng/mL for rhodium and relative standard deviation was 3.67% (c = 1.0 ng/mL, n =
      11).The method has been applied to the determination of trace rhodium in water
      samples with satisfactory results.

PMID- 28338640
TI  - Metal-Based PSMA Radioligands.
AB  - Prostate cancer is one of the most common malignancies for which great progress
      has been made in identifying appropriate molecular targets that would enable
      efficient in vivo targeting for imaging and therapy. The type II integral
      membrane protein, prostate specific membrane antigen (PSMA) is overexpressed on
      prostate cancer cells in proportion to the stage and grade of the tumor
      progression, especially in androgen-independent, advanced and metastatic disease,
      rendering it a promising diagnostic and/or therapeutic target. From the
      perspective of nuclear medicine, PSMA-based radioligands may significantly impact
      the management of patients who suffer from prostate cancer. For that purpose,
      chelating-based PSMA-specific ligands have been labeled with various diagnostic
      and/or therapeutic radiometals for single-photon-emission tomography (SPECT),
      positron-emission-tomography (PET), radionuclide targeted therapy as well as
      intraoperative applications. This review focuses on the development and further
      applications of metal-based PSMA radioligands.

PMID- 28338643
TI  - Geographical Correlations between Indoor Radon Concentration and Risks of Lung
      Cancer, Non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma, and Leukemia during 1999-2008 in Korea.
AB  - Indoor radon is the second most important risk factor for lung cancer and may
      also be a risk factor for hematopoietic cancers, particularly in children and
      adolescents. The present study measured indoor radon concentration nationwide at
      5553 points during 1989-2009 and spatially interpolated using lognormal kriging.
      The incidences of lung cancer, non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL), and leukemia,
      stratified by sex and five-year age groups in each of the 234 administrative
      regions in the country during 1999-2008, were obtained from the National Cancer
      Registry and used to calculate the standardized incidence ratios. After
      considering regional deprivation index values and smoking rates by sex in each
      region as confounding variables, the cancer risks were estimated based on
      Bayesian hierarchical modeling. We found that a 10 Bq/m3 increase in indoor radon
      concentration was associated with a 1% increase in the incidence of lung cancer
      in male and a 7% increase in NHL in female children and adolescents in Korea aged
      less than 20 years. Leukemia was not associated with indoor radon concentration.
      The increase in NHL risk among young women requires confirmation in future
      studies, and the radon control program should consider children and adolescents.

PMID- 28338644
TI  - Clinical Hypnosis, an Effective Mind-Body Modality for Adolescents with
      Behavioral and Physical Complaints.
AB  - Mind-body medicine is a system of health practices that includes
      meditation/relaxation training, guided imagery, hypnosis, biofeedback, yoga,
      art/music therapy, prayer, t'ai chi, and psychological therapies such as
      cognitive behavioral therapy. Clinical hypnosis is an important mind-body tool
      that serves as an adjunct to conventional medical care for the adolescent
      patient. Clinical hypnosis specifically uses self-directed therapeutic
      suggestions to cultivate the imagination and facilitate the mind-body connection,
      leading to positive emotional and physical well-being. There are many
      similarities between clinical hypnosis and other mind-body/self-regulatory
      modalities such as visual imagery, mindfulness meditation, yoga, and biofeedback
      that incorporate experiential learning and mechanisms for change. They may be
      viewed as subtypes of the hypnotic experience and share the common experience of
      trance as the entree into self-empowered change in physiologic and psychological
      states. Clinical hypnosis can be used by health care providers to teach
      adolescents coping skills to deal with a wide variety of conditions such as
      chronic headaches, recurrent abdominal pain, anxiety, depression, grief and
      bereavement, phobias, anger, family stressors, sleep disorders, or enuresis.
      Clinical vignettes are given to help illustrate the effectiveness of hypnosis in
      adolescents.

PMID- 28338645
TI  - Development of 44 Novel Polymorphic SSR Markers for Determination of Shiitake
      Mushroom (Lentinula edodes) Cultivars.
AB  - The shiitake mushroom (Lentinulaedodes) is one of the most popular edible
      mushrooms in the world and has attracted attention for its value in medicinal and
      pharmacological uses. With recent advanced research and techniques, the
      agricultural cultivation of the shiitake mushroom has been greatly increased,
      especially in East Asia. Additionally, demand for the development of new
      cultivars with good agricultural traits has been greatly enhanced, but the
      development processes are complicated and more challenging than for other edible
      mushrooms. In this study, we developed 44 novel polymorphic simple sequence
      repeat (SSR) markers for the determination of shiitake mushroom cultivars based
      on a whole genome sequencing database of L. edodes. These markers were found to
      be polymorphic and reliable when screened in 23 shiitake mushroom cultivars. For
      the 44 SSR markers developed in this study, the major allele frequency ranged
      from 0.13 to 0.94; the number of genotypes and number of alleles were each 2-11;
      the observed and expected heterozygosity were 0.00-1.00 and 0.10-0.90,
      respectively; and the polymorphic information content value ranged from 0.10 to
      0.89. These new markers can be used for molecular breeding, the determination of
      cultivars, and other applications.

PMID- 28338647
TI  - Is primary prevention with antiepileptic drugs effective in brain tumors or brain
      metastases?
AB  - Patients with brain tumors ?primary or metastatic- have an increased risk of
      presenting seizures during the course of their disease. So, prophylactic
      antiepileptic drugs have been proposed. However, the effects of this intervention
      are not yet clear. To answer this question, we searched in Epistemonikos
      database, which is maintained by screening multiple databases. We identified 12
      systematic reviews including 80 studies overall. Twelve corresponded to
      randomized trials, but only two answered the question of interest. We extracted
      data, conducted a meta-analysis and generated a summary of findings table using
      the GRADE method. We concluded primary prevention with antiepileptic drugs might
      not reduce the risk of seizures, and it is associated to frequent adverse
      effects.

PMID- 28338648
TI  - Letters to the editor in medical research.

PMID- 28338649
TI  - [Student scientific events in Cuba: an opportunity for all].

PMID- 28338646
TI  - Type IV Secretion and Signal Transduction of Helicobacter pylori CagA through
      Interactions with Host Cell Receptors.
AB  - Helicobacter pylori is a highly successful human bacterium, which is
      exceptionally equipped to persistently inhabit the human stomach. Colonization by
      this pathogen is associated with gastric disorders ranging from chronic gastritis
      and peptic ulcers to cancer. Highly virulent H. pylori strains express the well
      established adhesins BabA/B, SabA, AlpA/B, OipA, and HopQ, and a type IV
      secretion system (T4SS) encoded by the cag pathogenicity island (PAI). The
      adhesins ascertain intimate bacterial contact to gastric epithelial cells, while
      the T4SS represents an extracellular pilus-like structure for the translocation
      of the effector protein CagA. Numerous T4SS components including CagI, CagL,
      CagY, and CagA have been shown to target the integrin-beta1 receptor followed by
      translocation of CagA across the host cell membrane. The interaction of CagA with
      membrane-anchored phosphatidylserine and CagA-containing outer membrane vesicles
      may also play a role in the delivery process. Translocated CagA undergoes
      tyrosine phosphorylation in C-terminal EPIYA-repeat motifs by oncogenic Src and
      Abl kinases. CagA then interacts with an array of host signaling proteins
      followed by their activation or inactivation in phosphorylation-dependent and
      phosphorylation-independent fashions. We now count about 25 host cell binding
      partners of intracellular CagA, which represent the highest quantity of all
      currently known virulence-associated effector proteins in the microbial world.
      Here we review the research progress in characterizing interactions of CagA with
      multiple host cell receptors in the gastric epithelium, including integrin-beta1,
      EGFR, c-Met, CD44, E-cadherin, and gp130. The contribution of these interactions
      to H. pylori colonization, signal transduction, and gastric pathogenesis is
      discussed.

PMID- 28338650
TI  - Risk factors associated to hospital mortality in patients with acute kidney
      injury on hemodialysis.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: The worldwide incidence of acute kidney injury is 18% and the
      overall hospital mortality can rise above 50%. In Peru, there are few series
      about mortality of acute kidney injury in hemodialysis patients. OBJECTIVES: To
      identify risk factors associated to hospital mortality of acute kidney injury in
      hemodialysis patients. METHODS: This is a retrospective cohort of patients with
      acute kidney injury in hemodialysis of Hospital Nacional Edgardo Rebagliati
      Martins gathered between January 2013 and December 2015. The sample size was 154
      patients which allowed a power of 80% and a CI of 95%. ICD-10 codes were used to
      identify medical records of patients with acute kidney injury (N.17) and
      hemodialysis (Z.49). The independent variable was oliguria, and the primary
      outcome was hospital mortality. Poisson regression was used for multivariate
      analysis. RESULTS: We identified a total of 285 patients; 212 medical records
      were analyzed and 44 were excluded. Out of the 168 medical records, 129 belonged
      to living patients and 39 to deceased ones. The overall mortality incidence was
      17.2%. The principal etiologies of acute kidney injury while in hemodialysis were
      sepsis (39.2%), and severe dehydration (10.8%). In the adjusted model, the risk
      factors associated to hospital mortality of acute kidney injury while in
      hemodialysis were elevated serum lactate (RR 1.09), elevated serum potassium (RR
      0.93), and mean arterial pressure (RR 0.97). CONCLUSIONS: Lactate is an objective
      parameter that can predict prognosis and contributes to a better management of
      acute kidney injury in hemodialysis patients.

PMID- 28338651
TI  - Dichotomy in intrahepatic cholangiocarcinomas based on histologic similarities to
      hilar cholangiocarcinomas.
AB  - Intrahepatic cholangiocarcinomas were classified into two types based on their
      microscopic appearance. Tumors with histologic similarities to hilar
      cholangiocarcinomas (predominantly ductal adenocarcinomas with minor tubular
      components, if present, restricted to the invasive front) were defined as the
      perihilar type, whereas the others were classified as peripheral
      cholangiocarcinomas. Among the 47 cases examined in the present study, 26 (55%)
      were classified as the perihilar type, whereas 21 (45%) were the peripheral type.
      The perihilar type had higher pT stages and more frequently showed a periductal
      infiltrating gross appearance and microscopic perineural infiltration than
      peripheral cholangiocarcinomas. The presence of low-grade biliary intraepithelial
      neoplasia in the adjacent bile ducts was only found in perihilar
      cholangiocarcinomas (6/21, 29%). The immunophenotype also differed between the
      two types with MUC5AC and MUC6 being more commonly expressed in the perihilar
      type. One-third of perihilar cholangiocarcinomas lacked the expression of SMAD4,
      suggesting SMAD4 mutations, whereas the loss of BAP1 expression and IDH1
      mutations were almost restricted to the peripheral type (35 and 15%,
      respectively). Patients with perihilar cholangiocarcinoma had worse overall
      survival than those with peripheral cancer (P=0.027). A multivariate analysis
      identified the histologic classification as an independent prognostic factor
      (P=0.005, HR=3.638). Comparisons between intrahepatic and hilar
      cholangiocarcinomas also revealed that the molecular features and prognosis of
      perihilar cholangiocarcinomas were very similar to those of hilar
      cholangiocarcinomas. In conclusion, this histology-based classification scheme of
      intrahepatic cholangiocarcinomas will be useful and clinically relevant because
      it represents different underlying molecular features and has an independent
      prognostic value.

PMID- 28338652
TI  - 3q26.2/EVI1 rearrangement is associated with poor prognosis in classical
      Philadelphia chromosome-negative myeloproliferative neoplasms.
AB  - Classical Philadelphia chromosome-negative myeloproliferative neoplasms are a
      group of closely related myeloid disorders with different histologic features and
      clinical presentations at an early stage, but all later develop into a similar
      fibrotic stage with variable risk of acute transformation. The significance of
      3q26.2/EVI1 rearrangement has been well recognized in acute myeloid leukemia,
      myelodysplastic syndrome, and chronic myeloid leukemia. However, the clinical
      importance of 3q26.2/EVI1 rearrangement in classical Philadelphia chromosome
      negative myeloproliferative neoplasms is unknown. Here we reported 15 patients
      with classical Philadelphia chromosome-negative myeloproliferative neoplasms
      showing 3q26.2 rearrangement, including inv(3)(q21q26.2) (n=6),
      t(3;21)(q26.2;q22)(n=4), t(3;3)(q21;q26.2)(n=3), inv(3)(q13.3q26.2)(n=1), and
      t(3;12)(q26.2;p13)(n=1). In addition to 3q26.2 rearrangement, 9 of 15 cases had
      other concurrent karyotypical abnormalities, including -7/7q- and -5/5q-. There
      were 8 men and 7 women with a median age of 59 years (range, 35-79 years) at
      initial diagnosis of myeloproliferative neoplasms: 8 patients had primary
      myelofibrosis, 4 had polycythemia vera, and 3 had essential thrombocythemia. JAK2
      V617F mutation was detected in 8/14 patients, including 4/4 with polycythemia
      vera. The median interval from the initial diagnosis of myeloproliferative
      neoplasms to the detection of 3q26.2 rearrangement was 44 months (range, 1-219
      months). At time of emergence of 3q26.2 rearrangement, 11 patients were in blast
      phase and 2 patients had increased blasts (6-19%). Dyspoiesis, predominantly in
      megakaryocytes, were detected in all patients with adequate specimens at time of
      3q26.2 rearrangement. Following 3q26.2 rearrangement, 12 patients received
      chemotherapy, but none of them achieved complete remission. Of 14 patients with
      follow-up information, all died with a median overall survival time of only 3
      months (range 0-14 months) after the emergence of 3q26.2 rearrangement. In
      summary, 3q26.2 rearrangement in classical Philadelphia chromosome-negative
      myeloproliferative neoplasms is associated with other concurrent cytogenetic
      abnormalities, a rapid disease progression and blast transformation, a poor
      response to chemotherapy and a dismal prognosis.

PMID- 28338654
TI  - TFEB-VEGFA (6p21.1) co-amplified renal cell carcinoma: a distinct entity with
      potential implications for clinical management.
AB  - A subset of renal cell carcinomas shows TFEB overexpression secondary to MALAT1
      TFEB gene fusion. As alternate mechanisms of TFEB overexpression are likely to
      have the same effect, we sought to determine the frequency of amplification of
      TFEB and the adjacent VEGFA gene at 6p21.1. As patients with metastatic renal
      cell carcinomas are managed with anti-VEGF therapies, we retrospectively assessed
      therapeutic response in patients with amplified tumors. Amplification status was
      analyzed for 875 renal cell carcinomas from our institution, a consultative case
      and 794 cases from The Cancer Genome Atlas. Cases were classified as having low
      level (5-10 copies), and high-level amplification (>10 copies), and were further
      analyzed for adjacent oncogene copy number status (n=6; 3 single-nucleotide
      polymorphism genomic microarray, 3 The Cancer Genome Atlas) and structural
      rearrangements (n=1; mate-pair sequencing). These were then reviewed for
      histopathology, immunophenotype, and response to VEGF-targeted therapy on follow
      up. In all, 10/875 (1.1%) institutional cases, 1 consultative case, and 3/794
      (0.4%) of The Cancer Genome Atlas cases showed TFEB high-level amplification,
      while 14/875 (1.6%) cases showed TFEB low-level amplification. All cases had
      associated VEGFA amplification. This was confirmed with evaluation for copy
      number changes (n=6). The 6p21.1 high and low-level amplified tumors occurred in
      adults (mean age: 66), with over half being >=pT3 (13/25, 52%), and most showed
      oncocytic, tubulopapillary features and high grade (>=grade 3: 20/22, 91%). These
      were aggressive tumors with metastasis and death from renal cell carcinoma in 11
      (of 24, 46%) cases. Four patients received targeted therapy and had a mean
      survival of 31 months (range: 17-50) post nephrectomy. In summary, a group of
      aggressive renal cell carcinomas show genomic amplification of the 6p21.1 region
      including TFEB and VEGFA genes and share morphologic features. Additional studies
      are warranted to determine whether these patients respond to anti-VEGF therapy.

PMID- 28338653
TI  - Breast ductal carcinoma in situ carry mutational driver events representative of
      invasive breast cancer.
AB  - The spectrum of genomic alterations in ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS) is
      relatively unexplored, but is likely to provide useful insights into its biology,
      its progression to invasive carcinoma and the risk of recurrence. DCIS (n=20)
      with a range of phenotypes was assessed by massively parallel sequencing for
      mutations and copy number alterations and variants validated by Sanger
      sequencing. PIK3CA mutations were identified in 11/20 (55%), TP53 mutations in
      6/20 (30%), and GATA3 mutations in 9/20 (45%). Screening an additional 91 cases
      for GATA3 mutations identified a final frequency of 27% (30/111), with a high
      proportion of missense variants (8/30). TP53 mutations were exclusive to high
      grade DCIS and more frequent in PR-negative tumors compared with PR-positive
      tumors (P=0.037). TP53 mutant tumors also had a significantly higher fraction of
      the genome altered by copy number than wild-type tumors (P=0.005), including a
      significant positive association with amplification or gain of ERBB2 (P<0.05).
      The association between TP53 mutation and ERBB2 amplification was confirmed in a
      wider DCIS cohort using p53 immunohistochemistry as a surrogate marker for TP53
      mutations (P=0.03). RUNX1 mutations and MAP2K4 copy number loss were novel
      findings in DCIS. Frequent copy number alterations included gains on 1q, 8q, 17q,
      and 20q and losses on 8p, 11q, 16q, and 17p. Patterns of genomic alterations
      observed in DCIS were similar to those previously reported for invasive breast
      cancers, with all DCIS having at least one bona fide breast cancer driver event.
      However, an increase in GATA3 mutations and fewer copy number changes were noted
      in DCIS compared with invasive carcinomas. The role of such alterations as
      prognostic and predictive biomarkers in DCIS is an avenue for further
      investigation.

PMID- 28338657
TI  - The Bcl2a1 gene cluster finally knocked out: first clues to understanding the
      enigmatic role of the Bcl-2 protein A1.

PMID- 28338655
TI  - Evolution of caspase-mediated cell death and differentiation: twins separated at
      birth.
AB  - The phenotypic and biochemical similarities between caspase-mediated apoptosis
      and cellular differentiation are striking. They include such diverse phenomenon
      as mitochondrial membrane perturbations, cytoskeletal rearrangements and DNA
      fragmentation. The parallels between the two disparate processes suggest some
      common ancestry and highlight the paradoxical nature of the death-centric view of
      caspases. That is, what is the driving selective pressure that sustains death
      inducing proteins throughout eukaryotic evolution? Plausibly, caspase function
      may be rooted in a primordial non-death function, such as cell differentiation,
      and was co-opted for its role in programmed cell death. This review will delve
      into the links between caspase-mediated apoptosis and cell differentiation and
      examine the distinguishing features of these events. More critically, we
      chronicle the evolutionary origins of caspases and propose that caspases may have
      held an ancient role in mediating the fidelity of cell division/differentiation
      through its effects on proteostasis and protein quality control.

PMID- 28338656
TI  - Focal adhesion kinase depletion reduces human hepatocellular carcinoma growth by
      repressing enhancer of zeste homolog 2.
AB  - Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the most common type of liver cancer in humans.
      The focal adhesion tyrosine kinase (FAK) is often over-expressed in human HCC and
      FAK inhibition may reduce HCC cell invasiveness. However, the anti-oncogenic
      effect of FAK knockdown in HCC cells remains to be clarified. We found that FAK
      depletion in HCC cells reduced in vitro and in vivo tumorigenicity, by inducing
      G2/M arrest and apoptosis, decreasing anchorage-independent growth, and
      modulating the expression of several cancer-related genes. Among these genes, we
      showed that FAK silencing decreased transcription and nuclear localization of
      enhancer of zeste homolog 2 (EZH2) and its tri-methylation activity on lysine 27
      of histone H3 (H3K27me3). Accordingly, FAK, EZH2 and H3K27me3 were concomitantly
      upregulated in human HCCs compared to non-tumor livers. In vitro experiments
      demonstrated that FAK affected EZH2 expression and function by modulating, at
      least in part, p53 and E2F2/3 transcriptional activity. Moreover, FAK silencing
      downregulated both EZH2 binding and histone H3K27me3 levels at the promoter of
      its target gene NOTCH2. Finally, we found that pharmacological inhibition of FAK
      activity resembled these effects although milder. In summary, we demonstrate that
      FAK depletion reduces HCC cell growth by affecting cancer-promoting genes
      including the pro-oncogene EZH2. Furthermore, we unveil a novel unprecedented
      FAK/EZH2 crosstalk in HCC cells, thus identifying a targetable network paving the
      way for new anticancer therapies.

PMID- 28338659
TI  - Intercellular cannibalism fuels tumor growth.

PMID- 28338658
TI  - Granzyme B enters the mitochondria in a Sam50-, Tim22- and mtHsp70-dependent
      manner to induce apoptosis.
AB  - We have found that granzyme B (GB)-induced apoptosis also requires reactive
      oxygen species resulting from the alteration of mitochondrial complex I. How GB,
      which does not possess a mitochondrial targeting sequence, enter this organelle
      is unknown. We show that GB enters the mitochondria independently of the
      translocase of the outer mitochondrial membrane complex, but requires instead
      Sam50, the central subunit of the sorting and assembly machinery that integrates
      outer membrane beta-barrel proteins. Moreover, GB breaches the inner membrane
      through Tim22, the metabolite carrier translocase pore, in a mitochondrial heat
      shock protein 70 (mtHsp70)-dependent manner. Granzyme A (GA) and caspase-3 use a
      similar route to the mitochondria. Finally, preventing GB from entering the
      mitochondria either by mutating lysine 243 and arginine 244 or depleting Sam50
      renders cells more resistant to GB-mediated reactive oxygen species and cell
      death. Similarly, Sam50 depletion protects cells from GA-, GM- and caspase-3
      mediated cell death. Therefore, cytotoxic molecules enter the mitochondria to
      induce efficiently cell death through a noncanonical Sam50-, Tim22- and mtHsp70
      dependent import pathway.

PMID- 28338661
TI  - Adipose tissue: New route to functional human beige adipocytes.

PMID- 28338662
TI  - Diabetes: Pancreatic GLP1 is involved in glucose regulation.

PMID- 28338663
TI  - Prevalence and associated factors of blepharoptosis in Korean adult population:
      The Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 2008-2011.
AB  - PurposeThis study aimed to evaluate the prevalence and associated factors of
      involutional blepharoptosis in a nationwide representative sample in
      Korea.MethodsCross-sectional study 20 941 Korean men and women 40 years of age
      and older who participated in last 2 years (2008 and 2009) of the 4th wave of the
      Korean National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (KNHANES) IV and the
      first 2 years (2010 and 2011) of KNHANES V. Ocular examinations were performed by
      ophthalmologists trained in procedure and grading methods, and blepharoptosis was
      defined as a marginal reflex distance <2 mm on either eye.ResultsThe prevalence
      of involutional blepharoptosis in the Korean adult was 13.5% (95% CI: 12.1%,
      14.9%). It was increasing along with aging (5.4% among 40's and 32.8% in people
      over 70 years old). A statistically significant negative association between
      levator function and blepharoptosis was found. With right eye, while only 5.4%
      (95% CI: 4.5%, 6.2%) had blepharoptosis among people whose levator function was
      excellent (>=12 mm), 71.4% (95% CI: 60.0%, 85.9%) of people whose levator
      function was poor (<=4 mm) had blepharoptosis. Hypertension, diabetes, higher
      body mass index (BMI), and lower education had statistically significant
      association with blepharoptosis adjusting all other confounders.ConclusionsThe
      distribution and proportional changes of levator function and marginal reflex
      distance 1 (MRD1) with aging implicate a contributory role of muscular
      degeneration. Strong association with hypertension, diabetes, BMI, and education
      level suggests that etiology of involutional blepharoptosis would be
      multifactorial and further investigation would be necessary to determine precise
      mechanism and contribution of factors.

PMID- 28338660
TI  - Germline and somatic genetics of osteosarcoma - connecting aetiology, biology and
      therapy.
AB  - Clinical outcomes and treatment modalities for osteosarcoma, the most common
      primary cancer of bone, have changed very little over the past 30 years. The peak
      incidence of osteosarcoma occurs during the adolescent growth spurt, which
      suggests that bone growth and pubertal hormones are important in the aetiology of
      the disease. Tall stature, high birth weight and certain inherited cancer
      predisposition syndromes are well-described risk factors for osteosarcoma. Common
      genetic variants are also associated with osteosarcoma. The somatic genome of
      osteosarcoma is highly aneuploid, exhibits extensive intratumoural heterogeneity
      and has a higher mutation rate than most other paediatric cancers. Complex
      pathways related to bone growth and development and tumorigenesis are also
      important in osteosarcoma biology. In this Review, we discuss the contributions
      of germline and somatic genetics, tumour biology and animal models in improving
      our understanding of osteosarcoma aetiology, and their potential to identify
      novel therapeutic targets and thus improve the lives of patients with
      osteosarcoma.

PMID- 28338664
TI  - Characteristics of non-vitreoretinal ocular injury in child maltreatment: a
      systematic review.
AB  - : PurposeTo identify the spectrum of non-vitreoretinal ocular injury due to child
      maltreatment.MethodsAll language search of MEDLINE, PsychINFO, EMBASE, AMED, Web
      of Science, and CINAHL databases, 1950-2015, was conducted. INCLUSION CRITERIA:
      explicit confirmation of injury aetiology, age <18 years, examination conducted
      by an ophthalmologist. Exclusion: post-mortem data, organic diseases, review
      articles. Standardised critical appraisal and narrative synthesis was conducted
      of included publications by two independent reviewers.ResultsOf 1492 studies
      identified, 153 full texts were assessed, 49 underwent full review, resulting in
      five included studies: three case series and two case reports. The 26 included
      cases describe a wide variety of ocular, facial and skeletal injuries occurring
      as a consequence of child maltreatment. Ocular signs included periorbital oedema,
      chemosis, injection, abrasion, hyphaema, and cataract. Of interest all children
      that had suffered physical abuse with ocular injury had subconjunctival
      haemorrhages. Children presenting with abusive ocular injuries had a mean age of
      13.9 months (range 1-68), while those who suffered violent corporal punishment
      were considerably older (mean 96 months). All cases, apart from severe corporal
      punishment, underwent screening for occult fractures, but neuroimaging only
      apparent in 2/5 eligible cases.ConclusionAlthough, the face is the most common
      site of abusive injury, there is a paucity of high-quality data on non
      vitreoretinal ocular abusive injury. Thus, while subconjunctival haemorrhages are
      a potential sentinel injury of maltreatment, and may warrant further evaluation,
      the lack of large-scale published data limits our ability to highlight further
      specific characteristics of non-vitreoretinal ocular injury indicative of child
      abuse.

PMID- 28338665
TI  - Vessel diameter study: intravitreal vs posterior subtenon triamcinolone acetonide
      injection for diabetic macular edema.
AB  - PurposeTo detect and compare the vessel diameter effect of intravitreal vs
      subtenon injection of triamcinolone for diabetic macular edema (DME).MethodsSixty
      patients with DME who underwent triamcinolone injection either intravitreally
      (N=30) or under the tenon capsule (N=30) were included. Non-injected fellow eyes
      served as control. The main outcome measures were central retinal artery
      equivalent (CRAE), central retinal vein equivalent (CRVE), and artery-vein ratio
      (AVR).ResultsIn the intravitreal group, pre-injection mean CRAE (147.07 MU)
      decreased to 141.03 MU at 1 week and to 139.43 MU at 1 month (P<0.001) while
      baseline CRVE (209.61 MU) decreased initially to 198.85 MU at 1 week then to
      198.49 MU at 1 month (P<0.001). In the subtenon group, pre-injection CRAE (152.18
      MU) decreased to 149.49 MU at 1 week and to 147.47 MU at 1 month (P=0.017), while
      baseline CRVE (215.60 MU) decreased initially to 208.69 MU at 1 week then to
      207.25 MU at 1 month (P=0.003). Pre-injection AVR values did not change at 1 week
      and at 1 month in both injection groups (P=0.66 and P=0.196, respectively). In
      the control group, none of the 3 parameters changed throughout the study period
      compared to the baseline (P>0.28).ConclusionIn eyes with DME, both intravitreal
      and subtenon triamcinolone injection led to a significant constriction of retinal
      arteries and veins.

PMID- 28338666
TI  - The association of maternal factors with epibulbar dermoid of newborn: a
      retrospective, matched case-control study.
AB  - PurposeTo determine the association of maternal factors and exposure during
      pregnancy with the incidence in newborns of epibulbar dermoid (ED), a congenital
      ocular surface benign tumor.Patients and methodsThis is a retrospective, paired
      case-control study in which 121 children with ED (case group) and 121 children
      without ED (control group) were recruited. Questionnaire-based interviews with
      mothers of participants were performed and maternal medical records during
      pregnancy were reviewed. The questionnaire investigated basic information,
      personal history, environmental exposure, exposure to maternal diseases, symptoms
      and corresponding medical treatments during pregnancy, and parental socioeconomic
      status. The case and control participants were matched for sex, birth weight,
      gestational age, and parental socioeconomic status level. Univariate and
      multivariate logistic regression analyses were conducted with ED as the main
      outcome variable.ResultsFactors significantly associated with ED were: history of
      maternal inevitable miscarriage (odds ratio (OR), 2.59; 95% confidence intervals
      (CI), 1.13-5.90), common cold in the first trimester (OR, 3.94; CI, 1.74-8.93),
      and paternal smoke exposure >half a pack per day during pregnancy (OR, 4.81; CI,
      1.74-13.28).ConclusionHistory of maternal miscarriage, common cold exposure in
      the first trimester, and paternal smoking (>half a pack per day) during pregnancy
      could result in significant risk factors for ED of newborns. These data also
      imply that paternal smoking delivers nicotine to maternal respiratory system and
      uterine microenvironment that may both affect microvascular development and
      predispose the fetus to future ED.

PMID- 28338667
TI  - Primary photodynamic therapy with verteporfin for small pigmented posterior pole
      choroidal melanoma.
AB  - PurposeThe purpose of the study was to investigate the outcomes of primary
      photodynamic therapy (PDT) for small pigmented posterior pole choroidal
      melanoma.Patients and methodsProspective interventional consecutive case series
      of 15 patients with small pigmented posterior pole choroidal melanoma, who were
      treated with three sessions of PDT and followed-up thereafter. Risk factors for
      failure were assessed and outcome measures at presentation were compared to those
      at last follow-up visit.ResultsTumor control was achieved in 12 (80%) patients in
      a median follow-up time of 15 months (mean 14, range 8-18). Three patients failed
      treatment, diagnosed in a median time of 5 months (mean 4, range 3-6), after
      first PDT. In all failed cases, lesions were 100% pigmented; de novo melanoma
      rather than transformed nevi and showed a radial growth pattern rather than
      increased thickness. All failed cases were subsequently successfully treated with
      radiotherapy. In this cohort, subretinal fluid (SRF) was significantly reduced
      (P<0.001), vision did not deteriorate (P=0.11) and even improved in patients with
      subfoveal SRF at presentation (P=0.018), tumor height significantly decreased
      (P=0.037) and no complications were recorded.ConclusionPrimary PDT was found to
      be a safe and efficient treatment modality for small pigmented posterior pole
      choroidal melanoma, achieving short-term tumor control in 80% of patients. PDT
      offers patients the opportunity to preserve vision by avoiding the retinopathy
      associated with conventional radiation treatments for choroidal melanoma.
      However, the long-term local control of these tumors remains uncertain.

PMID- 28338669
TI  - Corrigendum: Inference of immune cell composition on the expression profiles of
      mouse tissue.

PMID- 28338668
TI  - Corrigendum: Long term outcome of Aldosteronism after target treatments.

PMID- 28338670
TI  - Encouraging impact of doxycycline on early mortality in cardiac light chain (AL)
      amyloidosis.

PMID- 28338671
TI  - Regulatory B cell-myeloma cell interaction confers immunosuppression and promotes
      their survival in the bone marrow milieu.

PMID- 28338672
TI  - Posttransplant maintenance therapy in multiple myeloma: the changing landscape.
AB  - Transplant-eligible patients with multiple myeloma (MM) now have extended
      survival after diagnosis owing to effective modern treatment strategies that
      include new agents in induction therapy, autologous stem cell transplant (ASCT),
      consolidation therapy and posttransplant maintenance therapy. Standard of care
      for newly diagnosed, fit patients includes ASCT and, often nowadays,
      posttransplant maintenance. Several large studies have shown the efficacy of
      maintenance with thalidomide, lenalidomide and bortezomib in the treatment scheme
      of MM with regards to prolonging progression-free survival and, to a lesser
      degree, overall survival. Herein we discuss the data currently available to
      support the use of maintenance therapy in patients after ASCT as well as the
      newer available agents that may be a part of its changing landscape in the years
      to come.

PMID- 28338673
TI  - Environmental fluctuation governs selection for plasticity in biofilm production.
AB  - Bacteria can grow in a free-swimming state, as planktonic cells, or in surface
      attached communities, termed biofilms. The planktonic and biofilm growth modes
      differ dramatically with respect to spatial constraints, nutrient access,
      population density and cell-cell interactions. Fitness trade-offs underlie how
      successfully bacteria compete in each of these environments. Accordingly, some
      bacteria have evolved to be specialists in biofilm formation, while others
      specialize in planktonic growth. There are species, however, that possess
      flexible strategies: they can transition between the molecular programs required
      for biofilm formation and for planktonic growth. Such flexible strategies often
      sacrifice competitive ability against specialists in a given habitat. There is
      little exploration of the ecological conditions favoring the evolution of the
      flexible biofilm production strategy for bacteria in competition with specialist
      biofilm producers or specialist non-producers. Here, we study the human pathogen
      Vibrio cholerae, a flexible biofilm-former, as well as constitutive biofilm
      producing and non-producing mutants. We assess the fitness of these strains under
      biofilm conditions, planktonic conditions and conditions that demand the ability
      to transition between the two growth modes. We show that, relative to the
      specialists, the wild type is superior at dispersal from biofilms to the
      planktonic phase; however, this capability comes at the expense of reduced
      competitive fitness against constitutive biofilm producers on surfaces. Wild-type
      V. cholerae can outcompete the constitutive biofilm producers and non-producers
      if habitat turnover is sufficiently frequent. Thus, selection for phenotypic
      flexibility in biofilm production depends on the frequency of environmental
      fluctuations encountered by bacteria.

PMID- 28338674
TI  - Biofilm formation enables free-living nitrogen-fixing rhizobacteria to fix
      nitrogen under aerobic conditions.
AB  - The multicellular communities of microorganisms known as biofilms are of high
      significance in agricultural setting, yet it is largely unknown about the biofilm
      formed by nitrogen-fixing bacteria. Here we report the biofilm formation by
      Pseudomonas stutzeri A1501, a free-living rhizospheric bacterium, capable of
      fixing nitrogen under microaerobic and nitrogen-limiting conditions. P. stutzeri
      A1501 tended to form biofilm in minimal media, especially under nitrogen
      depletion condition. Under such growth condition, the biofilms formed at the air
      liquid interface (termed as pellicles) and the colony biofilms on agar plates
      exhibited nitrogenase activity in air. The two kinds of biofilms both contained
      large ovoid shape 'cells' that were multiple living bacteria embedded in a sac of
      extracellular polymeric substances (EPSs). We proposed to name such large 'cells'
      as A1501 cyst. Our results suggest that the EPS, especially exopolysaccharides
      enabled the encased bacteria to fix nitrogen while grown under aerobic condition.
      The formation of A1501 cysts was reversible in response to the changes of carbon
      or nitrogen source status. A1501 cyst formation depended on nitrogen-limiting
      signaling and the presence of sufficient carbon sources, yet was independent of
      an active nitrogenase. The pellicles formed by Azospirillum brasilense, another
      free-living nitrogen-fixing rhizobacterium, which also exhibited nitrogenase
      activity and contained the large EPS-encapsuled A1501 cyst-like 'cells'. Our data
      imply that free-living nitrogen-fixing bacteria could convert the easy-used
      carbon sources to exopolysaccharides in order to enable nitrogen fixation in a
      natural aerobic environment.

PMID- 28338675
TI  - Biogeography and diversity of Collodaria (Radiolaria) in the global ocean.
AB  - Collodaria are heterotrophic marine protists that exist either as large colonies
      composed of hundreds of cells or as large solitary cells. All described species
      so far harbour intracellular microalgae as photosymbionts. Although recent
      environmental diversity surveys based on molecular methods demonstrated their
      consistently high contribution to planktonic communities and their worldwide
      occurrence, our understanding of their diversity and biogeography is still very
      limited. Here we estimated the 18S ribosomal DNA (rDNA) gene copies per
      collodarian cell for solitary (5770+/-1960 small subunit (SSU) rDNA copies) and
      colonial specimens (37 474+/-17 799 SSU rDNA copies, for each individual cell
      within a colony) using single-specimen quantitative PCR. We then investigated the
      environmental diversity of Collodaria within the photic zone through the
      metabarcoding survey from the Tara Oceans expedition and found that the two
      collodarian families Collosphaeridae and Sphaerozoidae contributed the most to
      the collodarian diversity and encompassed mostly cosmopolitan taxa. Although the
      biogeographical patterns were homogeneous within each biogeochemical biome
      considered, we observed that coastal biomes were consistently less diverse than
      oceanic biomes and were dominated by the Sphaerozoidae while the Collosphaeridae
      were dominant in the open oceans. The significant relationships with six
      environmental variables suggest that collodarian diversity is influenced by the
      trophic status of oceanic provinces and increased towards more oligotrophic
      regions.

PMID- 28338678
TI  - Organomimetic clusters: Precision in 3D.

PMID- 28338676
TI  - Dirhamnolipids secreted from Pseudomonas aeruginosa modify anjpegungal
      susceptibility of Aspergillus fumigatus by inhibiting beta1,3 glucan synthase
      activity.
AB  - Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Aspergillus fumigatus are the two microorganisms
      responsible for most of the chronic infections in cystic fibrosis patients. P.
      aeruginosa is known to produce quorum-sensing controlled rhamnolipids during
      chronic infections. Here we show that the dirhamnolipids secreted from P.
      aeruginosa (i) induce A. fumigatus to produce an extracellular matrix, rich in
      galactosaminogalactan, 1,8-dihydroxynaphthalene (DHN)- and pyo-melanin,
      surrounding their hyphae, which facilitates P. aeruginosa binding and (ii)
      inhibit A. fumigatus growth by blocking beta1,3 glucan synthase (GS) activity,
      thus altering the cell wall architecture. A. fumigatus in the presence of diRhls
      resulted in a growth phenotype similar to that upon its treatment with
      anjpegungal echinocandins, showing multibranched hyphae and thicker cell wall
      rich in chitin. The diRhl structure containing two rhamnose moieties attached to
      fatty acyl chain is essential for the interaction with beta1,3 GS; however, the
      site of action of diRhls on GS is different from that of echinocandins, and
      showed synergistic anjpegungal effect with azoles.

PMID- 28338679
TI  - Entomopathogenic bacteria use multiple mechanisms for bioactive peptide library
      design.
AB  - The production of natural product compound libraries has been observed in nature
      for different organisms such as bacteria, fungi and plants; however, little is
      known about the mechanisms generating such chemically diverse libraries. Here we
      report mechanisms leading to the biosynthesis of the chemically diverse
      rhabdopeptide/xenortide peptides (RXPs). They are exclusively present in
      entomopathogenic bacteria of the genera Photorhabdus and Xenorhabdus that live in
      symbiosis with nematodes delivering them to insect prey, which is killed and
      utilized for nutrition by both nematodes and bacteria. Chemical diversity of the
      biologically active RXPs results from a combination of iterative and flexible use
      of monomodular nonribosomal peptide synthetases including substrate promiscuity,
      enzyme cross-talk and enzyme stoichiometry as shown by in vivo and in vitro
      experiments. Together, this highlights several of nature's methods for
      diversification, or evolution, of natural products and sheds light on the
      biosynthesis of the bioactive RXPs.

PMID- 28338677
TI  - Integrated metabolism in sponge-microbe symbiosis revealed by genome-centered
      metatranscriptomics.
AB  - Despite an increased understanding of functions in sponge microbiomes, the
      interactions among the symbionts and between symbionts and host are not well
      characterized. Here we reconstructed the metabolic interactions within the sponge
      Cymbastela concentrica microbiome in the context of functional features of
      symbiotic diatoms and the host. Three genome bins (CcPhy, CcNi and CcThau) were
      recovered from metagenomic data of C. concentrica, belonging to the
      proteobacterial family Phyllobacteriaceae, the Nitrospira genus and the
      thaumarchaeal order Nitrosopumilales. Gene expression was estimated by mapping C.
      concentrica metatranscriptomic reads. Our analyses indicated that CcPhy is
      heterotrophic, while CcNi and CcThau are chemolithoautotrophs. CcPhy expressed
      many transporters for the acquisition of dissolved organic compounds, likely
      available through the sponge's filtration activity and symbiotic carbon fixation.
      Coupled nitrification by CcThau and CcNi was reconstructed, supported by the
      observed close proximity of the cells in fluorescence in situ hybridization.
      CcPhy facultative anaerobic respiration and assimilation by diatoms may consume
      the resulting nitrate. Transcriptional analysis of diatom and sponge functions
      indicated that these organisms are likely sources of organic compounds, for
      example, creatine/creatinine and dissolved organic carbon, for other members of
      the symbiosis. Our results suggest that organic nitrogen compounds, for example,
      creatine, creatinine, urea and cyanate, fuel the nitrogen cycle within the
      sponge. This study provides an unprecedented view of the metabolic interactions
      within sponge-microbe symbiosis, bridging the gap between cell- and community
      level knowledge.

PMID- 28338680
TI  - Real-time molecular scale observation of crystal formation.
AB  - How molecules in solution form crystal nuclei, which then grow into large
      crystals, is a poorly understood phenomenon. The classical mechanism of
      homogeneous crystal nucleation proceeds via the spontaneous random aggregation of
      species from liquid or solution. However, a non-classical mechanism suggests the
      formation of an amorphous dense phase that reorders to form stable crystal
      nuclei. So far it has remained an experimental challenge to observe the formation
      of crystal nuclei from five to thirty molecules. Here, using polyoxometallates,
      we show that the formation of small crystal nuclei is observable by cryogenic
      transmission electron microscopy. We observe both classical and non-classical
      nucleation processes, depending on the identity of the cation present. The
      experiments verify theoretical studies that suggest non-classical nucleation is
      the lower of the two energy pathways. The arrangement in just a seven-molecule
      proto-crystal matches the order found by X-ray diffraction of a single bulk
      crystal, which demonstrates that the same structure was formed in each case.

PMID- 28338681
TI  - Dynamics of the triplet-pair state reveals the likely coexistence of coherent and
      incoherent singlet fission in crystalline hexacene.
AB  - The absorption of a photon usually creates a singlet exciton (S1) in molecular
      systems, but in some cases S1 may split into two triplets (2*T1) in a process
      called singlet fission. Singlet fission is believed to proceed through the
      correlated triplet-pair 1(TT) state. Here, we probe the 1(TT) state in
      crystalline hexacene using time-resolved photoemission and transient absorption
      spectroscopies. We find a distinctive 1(TT) state, which decays to 2*T1 with a
      time constant of 270 fs. However, the decay of S1 and the formation of 1(TT)
      occur on different timescales of 180 fs and <50 fs, respectively. Theoretical
      analysis suggests that, in addition to an incoherent S1->1(TT) rate process
      responsible for the 180 fs timescale, S1 may couple coherently to a vibronically
      excited 1(TT) on ultrafast timescales (<50 fs). The coexistence of coherent and
      incoherent singlet fission may also reconcile different experimental observations
      in other acenes.

PMID- 28338683
TI  - Aldehydes as alkyl carbanion equivalents for additions to carbonyl compounds.
AB  - Nucleophilic addition reactions of organometallic reagents to carbonyl compounds
      for carbon-carbon bond construction have played a pivotal role in modern
      chemistry. However, this reaction's reliance on petroleum-derived chemical
      feedstocks and a stoichiometric quantity of metal have prompted the development
      of many carbanion equivalents and catalytic metal alternatives. Here, we show
      that naturally occurring carbonyls can be used as latent alkyl carbanion
      equivalents for additions to carbonyl compounds, via reductive polarity reversal.
      Such 'umpolung' reactivity is facilitated by a ruthenium catalyst and diphosphine
      ligand under mild conditions, delivering synthetically valuable secondary and
      tertiary alcohols in up to 98% yield. The unique chemoselectivity exhibited by
      carbonyl-derived carbanion equivalents is demonstrated by their tolerance to
      protic reaction media and good functional group compatibility. Enantioenriched
      tertiary alcohols can also be accessed with the aid of chiral ligands, albeit
      with moderate stereocontrol. Such carbonyl-derived carbanion equivalents are
      anticipated to find broad utility in chemical bond formation.

PMID- 28338684
TI  - Seven enzymes create extraordinary molecular complexity in an uncultivated
      bacterium.
AB  - Uncultivated bacteria represent a massive resource of new enzymes and bioactive
      metabolites, but such bacteria remain functionally enigmatic. Polytheonamides are
      potent peptide cytotoxins produced by uncultivated bacteria that exist as
      symbionts in a marine sponge. Outside glycobiology, polytheonamides represent the
      most heavily post-translationally modified biomolecules that are derived from
      amino acids. The biosynthesis of polytheonamides involves up to 50 site-specific
      modifications to create a membrane-spanning beta-helical structure. Here, we
      provide functional evidence that only seven enzymes are necessary for this
      process. They iteratively catalyse epimerization, methylation and hydroxylation
      of diverse amino acids. To reconstitute C-methylation, we employed the rarely
      used heterologous host Rhizobium leguminosarum to invoke the activities of two
      cobalamin-dependent C-methyltransferases. We observed 44 of the modifications to
      systematically unravel the biosynthesis of one of the most densely modified and
      metabolically obscure ribosome-derived molecules found in nature.

PMID- 28338682
TI  - Simple peptides derived from the ribosomal core potentiate RNA polymerase
      ribozyme function.
AB  - The emergence of functional interactions between nucleic acids and polypeptides
      was a key transition in the origin of life and remains at the heart of all
      biology. However, how and why simple non-coded peptides could have become
      critical for RNA function is unclear. Here, we show that putative ancient peptide
      segments from the cores of both ribosomal subunits enhance RNA polymerase
      ribozyme (RPR) function, as do derived homopolymeric peptides comprising lysine
      or the non-proteinogenic lysine analogues ornithine or, to a lesser extent,
      diaminobutyric acid, irrespective of chirality or chiral purity. Lysine
      decapeptides enhance RPR function by promoting holoenzyme assembly through primer
      template docking, accelerate RPR evolution, and allow RPR-catalysed RNA synthesis
      at near physiological (>=1 mM) Mg2+ concentrations, enabling templated RNA
      synthesis within membranous protocells. Our results outline how compositionally
      simple, mixed-chirality peptides may have augmented the functional potential of
      early RNAs and promoted the emergence of the first protocells.

PMID- 28338685
TI  - Prebiotic synthesis of phosphoenol pyruvate by alpha-phosphorylation-controlled
      triose glycolysis.
AB  - Phosphoenol pyruvate is the highest-energy phosphate found in living organisms
      and is one of the most versatile molecules in metabolism. Consequently, it is an
      essential intermediate in a wide variety of biochemical pathways, including
      carbon fixation, the shikimate pathway, substrate-level phosphorylation,
      gluconeogenesis and glycolysis. Triose glycolysis (generation of ATP from
      glyceraldehyde 3-phosphate via phosphoenol pyruvate) is among the most central
      and highly conserved pathways in metabolism. Here, we demonstrate the efficient
      and robust synthesis of phosphoenol pyruvate from prebiotic nucleotide
      precursors, glycolaldehyde and glyceraldehyde. Furthermore, phosphoenol pyruvate
      is derived within an alpha-phosphorylation controlled reaction network that gives
      access to glyceric acid 2-phosphate, glyceric acid 3-phosphate, phosphoserine and
      pyruvate. Our results demonstrate that the key components of a core metabolic
      pathway central to energy transduction and amino acid, sugar, nucleotide and
      lipid biosyntheses can be reconstituted in high yield under mild, prebiotically
      plausible conditions.

PMID- 28338686
TI  - An iron-catalysed C-C bond-forming spirocyclization cascade providing sustainable
      access to new 3D heterocyclic frameworks.
AB  - Heterocyclic architectures offer powerful creative possibilities to a range of
      chemistry end-users. This is particularly true of heterocycles containing a high
      proportion of sp3-carbon atoms, which confer precise spatial definition upon
      chemical probes, drug substances, chiral monomers and the like. Nonetheless,
      simple catalytic routes to new heterocyclic cores are infrequently reported, and
      methods making use of biomass-accessible starting materials are also rare. Here,
      we demonstrate a new method allowing rapid entry to spirocyclic bis-heterocycles,
      in which inexpensive iron(III) catalysts mediate a highly stereoselective C-C
      bond-forming cyclization cascade reaction using (2-halo)aryl ethers and amines
      constructed using feedstock chemicals readily available from plant sources.
      Fe(acac)3 mediates the deiodinative cyclization of (2-halo)aryloxy furfuranyl
      ethers, followed by capture of the intermediate metal species by Grignard
      reagents, to deliver spirocycles containing two asymmetric centres. The reactions
      offer potential entry to key structural motifs present in bioactive natural
      products.

PMID- 28338687
TI  - Remote C-H alkylation and C-C bond cleavage enabled by an in situ generated
      palladacycle.
AB  - The direct and selective functionalization of C-H bonds of arenes is one of the
      most challenging yet valuable aims in organic synthesis. Despite notable recent
      achievements, a pre-installed directing group proved to be essential in most of
      the methodologies reported so far. In this context, the use of a transient
      directing group that can be generated in situ has attracted attention and
      demonstrated the great potential of this strategy. Here we report the use of an
      in situ generated palladacycle to accomplish remote-selective C-H alkylation
      reactions of arenes. Following the C-H functionalization event, the alkylated
      aryl ring undergoes a formal migration to provide diversely substituted
      benzofuran and indole scaffolds. Computational studies revealed that a
      palladium(IV) intermediate is not involved in the alkylation step. The aryl
      migration was found to proceed through a sequential C-C bond cleavage, insertion
      and beta-hydride-elimination process. The increasing steric bulk that builds up
      during the C-H functionalization step drives the unusual C-C bond cleavage in a
      non-strained system.

PMID- 28338688
TI  - Organometallic chemistry: A shortcut to molecular complexity.

PMID- 28338690
TI  - A viscous solvent enables information transfer from gene-length nucleic acids in
      a model prebiotic replication cycle.
AB  - Many hypotheses concerning the nature of early life assume that genetic
      information was once transferred through the template-directed synthesis of RNA,
      before the emergence of coded enzymes. However, attempts to demonstrate enzyme
      free, template-directed synthesis of nucleic acids have been limited by 'strand
      inhibition', whereby transferring information from a template strand in the
      presence of its complementary strand is inhibited by the stability of the
      template duplex. Here, we use solvent viscosity to circumvent strand inhibition,
      demonstrating information transfer from a gene-length template (>300 nt) within a
      longer (545 bp or 3 kb) duplex. These results suggest that viscous environments
      on the prebiotic Earth, generated periodically by water evaporation, could have
      facilitated nucleic acid replication-particularly of long, structured sequences
      such as ribozymes. Our approach works with DNA and RNA, suggesting that viscosity
      mediated replication is possible for a range of genetic polymers, perhaps even
      for informational polymers that may have preceded RNA.

PMID- 28338689
TI  - A prebiotically plausible synthesis of pyrimidine beta-ribonucleosides and their
      phosphate derivatives involving photoanomerization.
AB  - Previous research has identified ribose aminooxazoline as a potential
      intermediate in the prebiotic synthesis of the pyrimidine nucleotides with
      remarkable properties. It crystallizes spontaneously from reaction mixtures, with
      an enhanced enantiomeric excess if initially enantioenriched, which suggests that
      reservoirs of this compound might have accumulated on the early Earth in an
      optically pure form. Ribose aminooxazoline can be converted efficiently into
      alpha-ribocytidine by way of 2,2'-anhydroribocytidine, although anomerization to
      beta-ribocytidine by ultraviolet irradiation is extremely inefficient. Our
      previous work demonstrated the synthesis of pyrimidine beta-ribonucleotides, but
      at the cost of ignoring ribose aminooxazoline, using arabinose aminooxazoline
      instead. Here we describe a long-sought route through ribose aminooxazoline to
      the pyrimidine beta-ribonucleosides and their phosphate derivatives that involves
      an extraordinarily efficient photoanomerization of alpha-2-thioribocytidine. In
      addition to the canonical nucleosides, our synthesis accesses beta-2
      thioribouridine, a modified nucleoside found in transfer RNA that enables both
      faster and more-accurate nucleic acid template-copying chemistry.

PMID- 28338691
TI  - Surfactant-free single-layer graphene in water.
AB  - Dispersing graphite in water to obtain true (single-layer) graphene in bulk
      quantity in a liquid has been an unreachable goal for materials scientists in the
      past decade. Similarly, a diagnostic tool to identify solubilized graphene in
      situ has been long awaited. Here we show that homogeneous stable dispersions of
      single-layer graphene (SLG) in water can be obtained by mixing graphenide
      (negatively charged graphene) solutions in tetrahydrofuran with degassed water
      and evaporating the organic solvent. In situ Raman spectroscopy of these aqueous
      dispersions shows all the expected characteristics of SLG. Transmission electron
      and atomic force microscopies on deposits confirm the single-layer character. The
      resulting additive-free stable water dispersions contain 400 m2 l-1 of developed
      graphene surface. Films prepared from these dispersions exhibit a conductivity of
      up to 32 kS m-1.

PMID- 28338693
TI  - Life, but not as we know it.

PMID- 28338692
TI  - Computational design of self-assembling cyclic protein homo-oligomers.
AB  - Self-assembling cyclic protein homo-oligomers play important roles in biology,
      and the ability to generate custom homo-oligomeric structures could enable new
      approaches to probe biological function. Here we report a general approach to
      design cyclic homo-oligomers that employs a new residue-pair-transform method to
      assess the designability of a protein-protein interface. This method is
      sufficiently rapid to enable the systematic enumeration of cyclically docked
      arrangements of a monomer followed by sequence design of the newly formed
      interfaces. We use this method to design interfaces onto idealized repeat
      proteins that direct their assembly into complexes that possess cyclic symmetry.
      Of 96 designs that were characterized experimentally, 21 were found to form
      stable monodisperse homo-oligomers in solution, and 15 (four homodimers, six
      homotrimers, six homotetramers and one homopentamer) had solution small-angle X
      ray scattering data consistent with the design models. X-ray crystal structures
      were obtained for five of the designs and each is very close to their
      corresponding computational model.

PMID- 28338694
TI  - Iterations of ytterbium.

PMID- 28338695
TI  - Unprecedented highly efficient capture of glycopeptides by Fe3O4@Mg-MOF-74 core
      shell nanoparticles.
AB  - Magnetic Fe3O4 nanospheres coated with Mg-MOF-74 have been facilely prepared via
      epitaxial growth. Owing to the intrinsic hydrophilic pore surface and size
      exclusive properties of Mg-MOF-74, the Fe3O4@Mg-MOF-74 core-shell nanoparticles
      show effective and selective enrichment of 441 N-glycosylation sites of 418
      glycopeptides from 125 glycoproteins in 1 MUL of human serum.

PMID- 28338696
TI  - Polymer-confined growth of perforated MoSe2 single-crystals on N-doped graphene
      toward enhanced hydrogen evolution.
AB  - The edge and corner atoms of 2D transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDCs) are the
      main electrocatalytically active sites for electrochemical reaction. Here, we
      demonstrate an approach to generate abundant edge/corner atoms in molybdenum
      diselenide (MoSe2) nanocrystals supported by nitrogen-doped graphene (NG) which
      consequently leads to significantly enhanced hydrogen evolution reaction (HER)
      activity. These structures were fabricated by firstly absorbing the Mo-containing
      precursor within polymer-functionalized graphene oxide, then selenized to obtain
      MoSe2 nanocrystals on the surface, and finally H2 etching was performed to form
      perforated structures. The use of a functional polymer as an absorption matrix
      efficiently mitigates aggregation which allows us to obtain MoSe2 single-crystals
      of ~150 nm in lateral dimension, while maintaining high MoSe2 loading. We
      observed a remarkably enhanced electrocatalytic activity resulting from a
      significantly increased abundance of edge/corner atoms in hydrogen evolution
      measurements. Specifically, with this perforated MoSe2/NG-modified cathode,
      current densities of -1 and -10 mA cm-2 were realized with the overpotentials of
      only 30 and 106 mV, along with a small Tafel slope of 57 mV dec-1 and large
      exchange current density of 127.4 MUA cm-2 in 0.5 M H2SO4. Such an efficient
      strategy also opens doors for the unparalleled design and fabrication of TMDC
      based nanocomposites for electrochemical applications.

PMID- 28338697
TI  - A catalytic scalable Pauson-Khand reaction in a plug flow reactor.
AB  - A catalytic, scalable intra- and intermolecular Pauson-Khand reaction protocol
      using generally 5 mol% of Co2(CO)8 as the catalyst in a plug flow reactor (PFR)
      is shown.

PMID- 28338698
TI  - Thermally driven bubble evolution at a heater wire in water characterized by high
      speed transmission electron microscopy.
AB  - This work investigates the early stage evolution of thermally nucleated
      microbubbles in water using in situ high-speed, 400 fps, transmission electron
      microscopy. A Pt wire Joule heater induced bubble nucleation and growth from air
      saturated water at different levels of power. For all powers below Pt breakdown,
      the dissolved gas initiates bubble nucleation at the concave surface defects
      adjacent to the area of highest temperature. A combination of interfacial forces
      and stress relaxation drive rapid migration of the bubbles away from the
      nucleation site. Thermocapillary forces ultimately dominate and drive their
      return to the region of highest temperature. The dynamic response highlights the
      importance of this length and time domain, which has until now received limited
      direct study.

PMID- 28338699
TI  - cis or trans with class II diterpene cyclases.
AB  - Isoprenoid precursors readily undergo (poly)cyclization in electrophilic reaction
      cascades, presumably as internal addition of the carbon-carbon double-bonds from
      neighboring isoprenyl repeats readily forms relatively stable cyclohexyl tertiary
      carbocation intermediates. This hypothesis is agnostic regarding alkene
      configuration (i.e., Z or E). Consistent with this, here it is shown that certain
      class II diterpene cyclases, which normally convert (E,E,E)-geranylgeranyl
      diphosphate to 13E-trans-decalin bicycles, will also act upon (Z,Z,Z)-nerylneryl
      diphosphate, producing novel 13Z-cis-decalin bicycles instead.

PMID- 28338700
TI  - Enhanced piezoelectric effect at the edges of stepped molybdenum disulfide
      nanosheets.
AB  - The development of piezoelectric layered materials may be one of the key elements
      enabling expansion of nanotechnology, as they offer a solution for the
      construction of efficient transducers for a wide range of applications, including
      self-powered devices. Here, we investigate the piezoelectric effect in multilayer
      (ML) stepped MoS2 flakes obtained by liquid-phase exfoliation, which is
      especially interesting because it may allow the scalable fabrication of
      electronic devices using large area deposition techniques (e.g. solution casting,
      spray coating, inkjet printing). By using a conductive atomic force microscope we
      map the piezoelectricity of the MoS2 flakes at the nanoscale. Our experiments
      demonstrate the presence of electrical current densities above 100 A cm-2 when
      the flakes are strained in the absence of bias, and the current increases
      proportional to the bias. Simultaneously collected topographic and current maps
      demonstrate that the edges of stepped ML MoS2 flakes promote the piezoelectric
      effect, where the largest currents are observed. Density functional theory
      calculations are consistent with the ring-like piezoelectric potential generated
      when the flakes are strained, as well as the enhanced piezoelectric effect at
      edges. Our results pave the way to the design of piezoelectric devices using
      layered materials.

PMID- 28338702
TI  - Hydrogen bonds between methanol and the light liquid olefins 1-pentene and 1
      hexene: from application to fundamental science.
AB  - We have recently developed a new extraction process for significantly reducing
      the olefin content in commercial FCC gasoline. To gain insights into the origins
      of this process, we have investigated the dissolution of the light liquid olefins
      1-pentene and 1-hexene in methanol through computer modelling together with NMR
      spectroscopy. We find two important hydrogen bonding modes for methanol olefin
      interactions - namely, O-Hpi and C-HO.

PMID- 28338701
TI  - Electrochemically stimulated drug release from flexible electrodes coated
      electrophoretically with doxorubicin loaded reduced graphene oxide.
AB  - The electrochemically triggered release of doxorubicin (DOX) from flexible
      electrodes modified electrophoretically with reduced graphene oxide (rGO)-DOX is
      reported. The release is driven by a positive potential pulse that decreases the
      pH of the rGO-DOX surface locally, which is confirmed by scanning electrochemical
      microscopy (SECM) in situ. In vitro cell viability tests confirms that the
      delivery system meets therapeutic needs.

PMID- 28338703
TI  - Theoretical investigation of proton collisions on prebiotic candidates: hydrogen
      cyanide polymers.
AB  - One of the major concerns in prebiotic chemistry is the formation and destruction
      routes of prebiotic compounds in space. As detected for a long time, hydrogen
      cyanide (HCN) has been suggested to be a feedstock molecule at the origin of life
      driving easy oligomerization, in particular to form adenine. This may focus on
      its first oligomers because its dimer cyanomethanimine was recently observed in
      star-forming regions, or its trimer aminomalononitrile. With regard to the
      assumption of an extra-terrestrial origin of life, the stability of such species
      under ultraviolet radiation or in ion-collisions is an open question. Thus, we
      investigated theoretically the proton collisions with dimer and trimer isomers of
      HCN in a wide impact energy range to model various astrophysical environments and
      exhibit qualitative tendencies.

PMID- 28338704
TI  - ipso-Cyclization: an emerging tool for multifunctional spirocyclohexadienones.
AB  - ipso-Annulation represents an attractive approach to synthesize a variety of
      spirocyclic compounds having a quaternary carbon center. Furthermore, these
      compounds also serve as a handy synthon for the construction of various complex
      molecules. This review presents various useful approaches for the intramolecular
      ipso-cyclization to afford a wide range of spirocyclohexadienones. In addition,
      the utility of spirocyclic compounds towards the synthesis of complex molecules
      is also included.

PMID- 28338705
TI  - Cohort Profile: Scottish Diabetes Research Network Type 1 Bioresource Study
      (SDRNT1BIO).

PMID- 28338706
TI  - Estimating mean change in population salt intake using spot urine samples.
AB  - Background: Spot urine samples are easier to collect than 24-h urine samples and
      have been used with estimating equations to derive the mean daily salt intake of
      a population. Whether equations using data from spot urine samples can also be
      used to estimate change in mean daily population salt intake over time is
      unknown. We compared estimates of change in mean daily population salt intake
      based upon 24-h urine collections with estimates derived using equations based on
      spot urine samples. Methods: Paired and unpaired 24-h urine samples and spot
      urine samples were collected from individuals in two Australian populations, in
      2011 and 2014. Estimates of change in daily mean population salt intake between
      2011 and 2014 were obtained directly from the 24-h urine samples and by applying
      established estimating equations (Kawasaki, Tanaka, Mage, Toft, INTERSALT) to the
      data from spot urine samples. Differences between 2011 and 2014 were calculated
      using mixed models. Results: A total of 1000 participants provided a 24-h urine
      sample and a spot urine sample in 2011, and 1012 did so in 2014 (paired samples n
      = 870; unpaired samples n = 1142). The participants were community-dwelling
      individuals living in the State of Victoria or the town of Lithgow in the State
      of New South Wales, Australia, with a mean age of 55 years in 2011. The mean (95%
      confidence interval) difference in population salt intake between 2011 and 2014
      determined from the 24-h urine samples was -0.48g/day (-0.74 to -0.21; P <
      0.001). The corresponding result estimated from the spot urine samples was -0.24
      g/day (-0.42 to -0.06; P = 0.01) using the Tanaka equation, -0.42 g/day (-0.70 to
      -0.13; p = 0.004) using the Kawasaki equation, -0.51 g/day (-1.00 to -0.01; P =
      0.046) using the Mage equation, -0.26 g/day (-0.42 to -0.10; P = 0.001) using the
      Toft equation, -0.20 g/day (-0.32 to -0.09; P = 0.001) using the INTERSALT
      equation and -0.27 g/day (-0.39 to -0.15; P < 0.001) using the INTERSALT equation
      with potassium. There was no evidence that the changes detected by the 24-h
      collections and estimating equations were different (all P > 0.058). Separate
      analysis of the unpaired and paired data showed that detection of change by the
      estimating equations was observed only in the paired data. Conclusions: All the
      estimating equations based upon spot urine samples identified a similar change in
      daily salt intake to that detected by the 24-h urine samples. Methods based upon
      spot urine samples may provide an approach to measuring change in mean population
      salt intake, although further investigation in larger and more diverse population
      groups is required.

PMID- 28338707
TI  - Sustained 10-year gain in adult life expectancy following antiretroviral therapy
      roll-out in rural Malawi: July 2005 to June 2014.
AB  - Background: Improved life expectancy in high HIV prevalence populations has been
      observed since antiretroviral therapy (ART) scale-up. However, it is unclear if
      the benefits are sustained, and the mortality among HIV-positive individuals not
      (yet) on ART is not well described. We assessed temporal change in mortality over
      9 years in rural Malawi. Methods: Within a demographic surveillance site in
      northern rural Malawi, we combined demographic, HIV and ART uptake data. We
      calculated life expectancy using Kaplan-Meier estimates, and compared mortality
      rates and rate ratios using Poisson regression, by period of ART availability
      (July 2005-June 2008, July 2008-June 2011 and July 2011-June 2014). Results:
      Among 32 664 individuals there were 1424 deaths; 1930 individuals were known HIV
      positive, of whom 1382 started ART. Overall, life expectancy at age 15 years
      increased by 10 years within 5 years of ART introduction, and plateaued. Age
      standardized adult mortality rates declined from 11.3/1000 to 7.5/1000 person
      years between the first and last time period. In July 2011-June 2014 compared
      with July 2005-June 2008, mortality declined in HIV-positive individuals on ART
      (rate ratio adjusted (aRR) for age, sex, location and education, 0.3; 95%
      confidence interval (CI) 0.2-0.5) and in those not (yet) on ART (aRR 0.3; 95%CI
      0.1-0.5) but not in HIV-negative individuals (aRR 1.1; 95%CI 0.7-1.9).
      Conclusions: Total population adult life expectancy increased toward that of HIV
      negative individuals by 2011 and remained raised. The reduction in all-cause and
      HIV-related mortality in HIV-positive individuals not (yet) on ART suggests ART
      uptake is occurring at an earlier disease stage, particularly in women.

PMID- 28338708
TI  - Lower risk of incident dementia among Chinese older adults having three servings
      of vegetables and two servings of fruits a day.
AB  - Background: dietary modification can potentially reduce dementia risk, but the
      importance of fruits and the amount of vegetables and fruits required for
      cognitive maintenance are uncertain. We examined whether the minimal daily
      requirement of vegetables and fruits recommended by the World Health Organization
      (WHO) would independently lower dementia risk. Methods: in this population-based
      observational study, we examined the diet of 17,700 community-living dementia
      free Chinese older adults who attended the Elderly Health Centres in Hong Kong at
      baseline and followed their cognitive status for 6 years. In line with the WHO
      recommendation, we defined the cutoff for minimal intake of vegetables and fruits
      as at least three and two servings per day, respectively. The study outcome was
      incident dementia in 6 years. Dementia was defined by presence of clinical
      dementia in accordance with the 10th revision of the International Statistical
      Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems (ICD-10) or Clinical
      Dementia Rating of 1-3. Results: multivariable logistic regression analysis
      showed that the estimated odds ratios for incident dementia were 0.88 (95%
      confidence interval 0.73-1.06; P = 0.17) for those consuming at least three
      servings of vegetables per day, 0.86 (0.74-0.99; P < 0.05) for those consuming at
      least two servings of fruits per day and 0.75 (0.60-0.95; P = 0.02) for those
      consuming at least these amounts of both at baseline, after adjusting for age,
      gender, education, major chronic diseases, physical exercise and smoking.
      Conclusion: having at least three servings of vegetables and two servings of
      fruits daily might help prevent dementia in older adults.

PMID- 28338709
TI  - Relationship between leaf functional traits and productivity in Aquilaria crassna
      (Thymelaeaceae) plantations: a tool to aid in the early selection of high
      yielding trees.
AB  - Physiological traits are frequently used as indicators of tree productivity.
      Aquilaria species growing in a research planting were studied to investigate
      relationships between leaf-productivity traits and tree growth. Twenty-eight
      trees were selected to measure isotopic composition of carbon (delta13C) and
      nitrogen (delta15N) and monitor six leaf attributes. Trees were sampled randomly
      within each of four diametric classes (at 150 mm above ground level) ensuring the
      variability in growth of the whole population was represented. A model averaging
      technique based on the Akaike's information criterion was computed to identify
      whether leaf traits could assist in diameter prediction. Regression analysis was
      performed to test for relationships between carbon isotope values and diameter
      and leaf traits. Approximately one new leaf per week was produced by a shoot. The
      rate of leaf expansion was estimated as 1.45 mm day-1. The range of delta13C
      values in leaves of Aquilaria species was from -25.50/00 to -310/00, with an
      average of -28.4 0/00 (+/-1.50/00 SD). A moderate negative correlation (R2 =
      0.357) between diameter and delta13C in leaf dry matter indicated that
      individuals with high intercellular CO2 concentrations (low delta13C) and
      associated low water-use efficiency sustained rapid growth. Analysis of the 95%
      confidence of best-ranked regression models indicated that the predictors that
      could best explain growth in Aquilaria species were delta13C, delta15N, petiole
      length, number of new leaves produced per week and specific leaf area. The model
      constructed with these variables explained 55% (R2 = 0.55) of the variability in
      stem diameter. This demonstrates that leaf traits can assist in the early
      selection of high-productivity trees in Aquilaria species.

PMID- 28338710
TI  - The WRKY transcription factors PtrWRKY18 and PtrWRKY35 promote Melampsora
      resistance in Populus.
AB  - WRKY transcription factors play important roles in response to diverse
      environmental stresses, but exact functions of these proteins in poplar defense
      are still largely unknown. In a previous study, we have shown that poplar WRKY89
      is induced by salicylic acid (SA) treatment and plays an important role in
      resistance against fungi in transgenic poplars. Here, we determined an increase
      in transcript levels of Group IIa WRKY members in transgenic poplars
      overexpressing WRKY89 using quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction
      analysis. Yeast one-hybrid assay showed that PtrWRKY18 and PtrWRKY35 were
      potential target genes of WRKY89. Furthermore, we demonstrated that PtrWRKY18 and
      PtrWRKY35 were localized in the nucleus, and exhibited no transcription
      activation activity. Constitutive overexpression of PtrWRKY18 and PtrWRKY35 in
      poplars activated pathogenesis-related genes, and increased resistance to the
      biotrophic pathogen Melampsora. The results also provided support for the
      involvement of SA-mediated signaling in Melampsora resistance.

PMID- 28338711
TI  - The effects of age on crash risk associated with driver distraction.
AB  - Background: Driver distraction is a major contributing factor to crashes, which
      are the leading cause of death for the US population under 35 years of age. The
      prevalence of secondary-task engagement and its impacts on distraction and
      crashes may vary substantially by driver age. Methods: Driving performance and
      behaviour data were collected continuously using multiple cameras and sensors in
      situ for 3542 participant drivers recruited for up to 3 years for the Second
      Strategic Highway Research Program Naturalistic Driving Study. Secondary-task
      engagement at the onset of crashes and during normal driving segments was
      identified from videos. A case-cohort approach was used to estimate the crash
      odds ratios associated with, and the prevalence of, secondary tasks for four age
      groups: 16-20, 21-29, 30-64 and 65-98 years of age. Only severe crashes (property
      damage and higher severity) were included in the analysis. Results: Secondary
      task-induced distraction posed a consistently higher threat for drivers younger
      than 30 and above 65 when compared with middle-aged drivers, although senior
      drivers engaged in secondary tasks much less frequently than their younger
      counterparts. Secondary tasks with high visual-manual demand (e.g. visual-manual
      tasks performed on cell phones) affected drivers of all ages. Certain secondary
      tasks, such as operation of in-vehicle devices and talking/singing, increased the
      risk for only certain age groups. Conclusions: Teenaged, young adult drivers and
      senior drivers are more adversely impacted by secondary-task engagement than
      middle-aged drivers. Visual-manual distractions impact drivers of all ages,
      whereas cognitive distraction may have a larger impact on young drivers.

PMID- 28338713
TI  - Where does the carbon go? Thermal acclimation of respiration and increased
      photosynthesis in trees at the temperate-boreal ecotone.

PMID- 28338712
TI  - Molecular mechanisms of flowering under long days and stem growth habit in
      soybean.
AB  - Precise timing of flowering is critical to crop adaptation and productivity in a
      given environment. A number of classical E genes controlling flowering time and
      maturity have been identified in soybean [Glycine max (L.) Merr.]. The public
      availability of the soybean genome sequence has accelerated the identification of
      orthologues of Arabidopsis flowering genes and their functional analysis, and has
      allowed notable progress towards understanding the molecular mechanisms of
      flowering in soybean. Great progress has been made particularly in identifying
      genes and modules that inhibit flowering in long-day conditions, because a
      reduced or absent inhibition of flowering by long daylengths is an essential
      trait for soybean, a short-day (SD) plant, to expand its adaptability toward
      higher latitude environments. In contrast, the molecular mechanism of floral
      induction by SDs remains elusive in soybean. Here we present an update on recent
      work on molecular mechanisms of flowering under long days and of stem growth
      habit, outlining the progress in the identification of genes responsible, the
      interplay between photoperiod and age-dependent miRNA-mediated modules, and the
      conservation and divergence in photoperiodic flowering and stem growth habit in
      soybean relative to other legumes, Arabidopsis, and rice (Oryza sativa L.).

PMID- 28338714
TI  - Aldosterone a Relevant Factor in the Beginning and Evolution of Arterial
      Hypertension.

PMID- 28338715
TI  - Salt acclimation process: a comparison between a sensitive and a tolerant Olea
      europaea cultivar.
AB  - Saline soils are highly heterogeneous in time and space, and this is a critical
      factor influencing plant physiology and productivity. Temporal changes in soil
      salinity can alter plant responses to salinity, and pre-treating plants with low
      NaCl concentrations has been found to substantially increase salt tolerance in
      different species in a process called acclimation. However, it still remains
      unclear whether this process is common to all plants or is only expressed in
      certain genotypes. We addressed this question by assessing the physiological
      changes to 100 mM NaCl in two contrasting olive cultivars (the salt-sensitive
      Leccino and the salt-tolerant Frantoio), following a 1-month acclimation period
      with 5 or 25 mM NaCl. The acclimation improved salt tolerance in both cultivars,
      but activated substantially different physiological adjustments in the tolerant
      and the sensitive cultivars. In the tolerant Frantoio the acclimation with 5 mM
      NaCl was more effective in increasing plant salt tolerance, with a 47% increase
      in total plant dry mass compared with non-acclimated saline plants. This enhanced
      biomass accumulation was associated with a 50% increase in K+ retention ability
      in roots. On the other hand, in the sensitive Leccino, although the acclimation
      process did not improve performance in terms of plant growth, pre-treatment with
      5 and 25 mM NaCl substantially decreased salt-induced leaf cell ultrastructural
      changes, with leaf cell relatively similar to those of control plants. Taken
      together these results suggest that in the tolerant cultivar the acclimation took
      place primarily in the root tissues, while in the sensitive they occurred mainly
      at the shoot level.

PMID- 28338717
TI  - Divergences in hydraulic architecture form an important basis for niche
      differentiation between diploid and polyploid Betula species in NE China.
AB  - Habitat differentiation between polyploid and diploid plants are frequently
      observed, with polyploids usually occupying more stressed environments. In woody
      plants, polyploidization can greatly affect wood characteristics but knowledge of
      its influences on xylem hydraulics is scarce. The four Betula species in NE
      China, representing two diploids and two polyploids with obvious habitat
      differentiation, provide an exceptional study system for investigating the impact
      of polyploidization on environmental adaptation of trees from the point view of
      xylem hydraulics. To test the hypothesis that changes in hydraulic architecture
      play an important role in determining their niche differentiation, we measured
      wood structural traits at both the tissue and pit levels and quantified xylem
      water transport efficiency and safety in these species. The two polyploids had
      significantly larger hydraulic weighted mean vessel diameters than the two
      diploids (45.1 and 45.5 vs 25.9 and 24.5 MUm) although the polyploids are
      occupying more stressed environments. As indicated by more negative water
      potentials corresponding to 50% loss of stem hydraulic conductivities, the two
      polyploids exhibited significantly higher resistance to drought-induced embolism
      than the two diploids (-5.23 and -5.05 vs -3.86 and -3.13 MPa) despite their
      larger vessel diameters. This seeming discrepancy is reconciled by distinct
      characteristics favoring greater embolism resistance at the pit level in the two
      polyploid species. Our results showed clearly that the two polyploid species have
      remarkably different pit-level anatomical traits favoring greater hydraulic
      safety than their congeneric diploid species, which have likely contributed to
      the abundance of polyploid birches in more stressed habitats; however, less
      porous inter-conduit pits together with a reduced leaf to sapwood area may have
      compromised their competitiveness under more favorable conditions. Contrasts in
      hydraulic architecture between diploid and polyploid Betula species suggest an
      important functional basis for their clear habitat differentiation along
      environmental gradients in Changbai Mountain of NE China.

PMID- 28338716
TI  - Neurological evidence for the role of construal level in future-directed thought.
AB  - The ability to mentally represent future events is a significant human
      psychological achievement. A challenge that people encounter is that they often
      lack detailed specifics about distant relative to near future events. Construal
      level theory proposes that people represent distant future events by their
      abstract and essential features-a process referred to as high-level construal. As
      events become temporally proximal, people represent events by their increasingly
      available and reliable concrete and idiosyncratic features-a process referred to
      as low-level construal. The present fMRI experiment provides direct neural
      evidence for these assertions. Using the why-how localizer as a measure of
      construal level, results revealed brain regions associated with both temporal
      distance and high-level construal (medial prefrontal cortex), as well as temporal
      proximity and low-level construal (precuneus). We discuss the implications of
      these findings for the neuroscience of mental time travel and cognitive
      representation.

PMID- 28338718
TI  - Identification and characterization of GRA6/GRA7 of Neospora caninum in MDBK
      cells.
AB  - Neospora caninum, an apicomplexan parasite, is recognized as a major bovine
      abortifacient. Dense granule antigens (GRAs) play important roles in the
      formation and modification of parasitophorous vacuoles (PVs) in Toxoplasma
      gondii. However, a few studies investigating GRAs have been reported in N.
      caninum. The aim of the present study was to characterize the dense GRA6/GRA7 of
      N. caninum in PVs using MDBK cells as a host cell model. Neospora caninum was
      inoculated into MDBK cells, and changes were observed using a transmission
      electron microscope (TEM). Neospora caninum GRA6/GRA7 were identified and
      characterized using bioinformatics, cell fractionation, and immunofluorescence.
      The TEM results revealed that integrated PVs were present in MDBK cells after N.
      caninum infection. Bioinformatics analysis showed that NcGRA6/NcGRA7 shared
      28.76% and 29.66% homology with T. gondii GRA6/GRA7 (TgGRA6/TgGRA7) but had
      similar signal peptides, transmembrane domains, and motifs. Cell fractionation
      and subcellular localization analyses both showed that NcGRA6 was distributed in
      the lumen and intravacuolar network in soluble and transmembrane forms. The
      transmembrane form of NcGRA7 was observed in the PV membrane. These data lay a
      foundation for further study on bovine neosporosis and NcGRA6/NcGRA7 function
      during PV formation.

PMID- 28338719
TI  - The legume miR1514a modulates a NAC transcription factor transcript to trigger
      phasiRNA formation in response to drought.
AB  - Recent studies have identified microRNAs as post-transcriptional regulators
      involved in stress responses. miR1514a is a legume microRNA that is induced in
      response to drought stress in Phaseolus vulgaris (common bean) and shows
      differential accumulation levels in roots during water deficit in two cultivars
      with different drought tolerance phenotypes. A recent degradome analysis revealed
      that miR1514a targets the transcripts of two NAC transcription factors (TFs),
      Phvul.010g121000 and Phvul.010g120700. Furthermore, expression studies and small
      RNA-seq data indicate that only Phvul.010g120700 generates phasiRNAs, which also
      accumulate under water deficit conditions. To confirm these results, we over
      expressed miR1514a in transgenic hairy roots, and observed a reduced accumulation
      of Phvul.010g120700 and an increase in NAC-derived phasiRNAs; inhibition of
      miR1514a activity resulted in the opposite effect. Moreover, we determined that a
      NAC-derived phasiRNA associates with ARGONAUTE 1 (AGO1), suggesting that it is
      functional. In addition, a transcriptome analysis of transgenic hairy roots with
      reduced miR1514a levels revealed several differentially expressed transcripts,
      mainly involved in metabolism and stress responses, suggesting they are regulated
      by the NAC TF and/or by phasiRNAs. This work therefore demonstrates the
      participation of miR1514 in the regulation of a NAC transcription factor
      transcript through phasiRNA production during the plant response to water
      deficit.

PMID- 28338721
TI  - Mammographic density defined by higher than conventional brightness thresholds
      better predicts breast cancer risk.
AB  - Background: Mammographic density defined by the conventional pixel brightness
      threshold, and adjusted for age and body mass index (BMI), is a well-established
      risk factor for breast cancer. We asked if higher thresholds better separate
      women with and without breast cancer. Methods: We studied Australian women, 354
      with breast cancer over-sampled for early-onset and family history, and 944
      unaffected controls frequency-matched for age at mammogram. We measured
      mammographic dense area and percent density using the CUMULUS software at the
      conventional threshold, which we call Cumulus , and at two increasingly higher
      thresholds, which we call Altocumulus and Cirrocumulus , respectively. All
      measures were Box-Cox transformed and adjusted for age and BMI. We estimated the
      odds per adjusted standard deviation (OPERA) using logistic regression and the
      area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC). Results:
      Altocumulus and Cirrocumulus were correlated with Cumulus (r ~ 0.8 and 0.6 ,
      respectively) . For dense area, the OPERA was 1.62, 1.74 and 1.73 for Cumulus,
      Altocumulus and Cirrocumulus , respectively (all P  < 0.001). After adjusting for
      Altocumulus and Cirrocumulus , Cumulus was not significant ( P  > 0.6). The
      OPERAs for percent density were less but gave similar findings. The mean of the
      standardized adjusted Altocumulus and Cirrocumulus dense area measures was the
      best predictor; OPERA = 1.87 [95% confidence interval (CI): 1.64-2.14] and AUC =
      0.68 (0.65-0.71). Conclusions: The areas of higher mammographically dense regions
      are associated with almost 30% stronger breast cancer risk gradient, explain the
      risk association of the conventional measure and might be more aetiologically
      important. This has substantial implications for clinical translation and
      molecular, genetic and epidemiological research.

PMID- 28338723
TI  - Non-specific effects of BCG vaccination on morbidity among children in Greenland:
      a population-based cohort study.
AB  - Background: The potential non-specific effects of BCG (Bacillus Calmette-Guerin)
      vaccination, with reported reduction of infectious disease morbidity among
      vaccinated children, in addition to the protective effect against tuberculosis
      (TB), are highly debated. In Greenland, BCG vaccination was introduced in 1955,
      but temporarily discontinued from 1991 to 1996 due to nationwide policy changes.
      Using the transient vaccination stop, we aimed to investigate possible non
      specific effects of BCG vaccination by measuring nation-wide hospitalization
      rates due to infectious diseases other than TB among vaccinated and unvaccinated
      children. Methods: A retrospective cohort study including all children born in
      Greenland aged 3 months to 3 years from 1989 to 2004. A personal identification
      number assigned at birth allowed for follow-up through national registers.
      Information on hospitalization due to infectious diseases was obtained from the
      Greenlandic inpatient register using ICD-8 and ICD-10 codes. Participants with
      notified TB were censored. Incidence rate ratios (IRR) were estimated using
      Poisson regression. Results: Overall, 19 363 children, hereof 66% BCG-vaccinated,
      were followed for 44 065 person-years and had 2069 hospitalizations due to
      infectious diseases. IRRs of hospitalization in BCG-vaccinated as compared with
      BCG-unvaccinated children were 1.07 [95% confidence interval (CI) 0.96-1.20] for
      infectious diseases overall, and specifically 1.10 (95% CI 0.98-1.24) for
      respiratory tract infections. Among BCG-vaccinated children aged 3 to 11 months,
      the IRR of hospitalization due to infectious diseases was 1.00 (95% CI 0.84-1.19)
      as compared with BCG-unvaccinated children. Conclusion: Our results do not
      support the hypothesis that neonatal BCG vaccination reduces morbidity in
      children caused by infectious diseases other than TB.

PMID- 28338725
TI  - Cohort Profile: Alberta's Tomorrow Project.

PMID- 28338724
TI  - Sex differences in the development of emotion circuitry in adolescents at risk
      for substance abuse: a longitudinal fMRI study.
AB  - There is substantial evidence for behavioral sex differences in risk trajectories
      for alcohol and substance use, with internalizing factors such as negative
      affectivity contributing more to female risk. Because the neural development of
      emotion circuitry varies between males and females across adolescence, it
      represents a potential mechanism by which underlying neurobiology contributes to
      risk for substance use. Longitudinal functional magnetic resonance imaging was
      conducted in males and females (n = 18 each) with a family history of alcohol use
      disorders starting at ages 8-13 years. Participants performed an affective word
      task during functional magnetic resonance imaging at 1- to 2-year intervals,
      covering the age range of 8.5-17.6 years (3-4 scans per participant). Significant
      age-related sex differences were found in the right amygdala and right precentral
      gyrus for the negative vs neutral word condition. Males showed a significant
      decrease in both amygdala and precentral gyrus activation with age, whereas the
      response in females persisted. The subjective experience of internalizing
      symptomatology significantly increased with age for females but not for males.
      Taken together, these results reveal sex differences in negative affect
      processing in at-risk adolescents, and offer longitudinal neural evidence for
      female substance use risk through internalizing pathways.

PMID- 28338726
TI  - Cumulative Exposure to Systolic Blood Pressure During Young Adulthood Through
      Midlife and the Urine Albumin-to-Creatinine Ratio at Midlife.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Higher blood pressure during young adulthood may increase
      cardiovascular and kidney disease risk later in life. This study examined the
      association of cumulative systolic blood pressure (SBP) exposure during young
      adulthood through midlife with urine albumin-to-creatinine ratios (ACR) measured
      during midlife. METHODS: We used data from the Coronary Artery Risk Development
      in Young Adults (CARDIA) study, a biracial cohort recruited in 4 urban areas
      during years 1985-1986. Cumulative SBP was calculated as the average SBP between
      2 exams multiplied by years between exams over 20 year years. ACR was measured 20
      years after baseline when participants were age 43-50 years (midlife). A
      generalized additive model was used to examine the association of log ACR as a
      function of cumulative SBP with adjustment for covariates including SBP measured
      concurrently with ACR. RESULTS: Cumulative SBP ranged from a low of 1,671 to a
      high of 3,260 mm Hg. Participants in the highest cumulative SBP quartile were
      more likely to be male (61.4% vs. 20.7%; P < 0.001), Black (61.5% vs. 25.6%; P <
      0.001) and have elevated ACR (18.7% vs. 4.8%; P < 0.001) vs. lowest quartile.
      Spline regression curves of ACR vs. cumulative SBP demonstrated an inflection
      point in ACR with cumulative SBP levels >2,350 mm Hg with linear increases in ACR
      above this threshold. Adjusted geometric mean ACR values were significantly
      higher with cumulative SBP >=2,500 vs. <2500 (9.18 [1.06] vs. 6.92 [1.02]; P <
      0.0001). CONCLUSION: Higher SBP during young adulthood through midlife is
      associated with higher ACR during midlife.

PMID- 28338727
TI  - RIN4 recruits the exocyst subunit EXO70B1 to the plasma membrane.
AB  - The exocyst is a conserved vesicle-tethering complex with principal roles in cell
      polarity and morphogenesis. Several studies point to its involvement in polarized
      secretion during microbial pathogen defense. In this context, we have found an
      interaction between the Arabidopsis EXO70B1 exocyst subunit, a protein which was
      previously associated with both the defense response and autophagy, and RPM1
      INTERACTING PROTEIN 4 (RIN4), the best studied member of the NOI protein family
      and a known regulator of plant defense pathways. Interestingly, fragments of RIN4
      mimicking the cleavage caused by the Pseudomonas syringae effector protease,
      AvrRpt2, fail to interact strongly with EXO70B1. We observed that transiently
      expressed RIN4, but not the plasma membrane (PM) protein aquaporin PIP2, recruits
      EXO70B1 to the PM. Unlike EXO70B1, RIN4 does not recruit the core exocyst subunit
      SEC6 to the PM under these conditions. Furthermore, the AvrRpt2 effector protease
      delivered by P. syringae is able to release both RIN4 and EXO70B1 to the
      cytoplasm. We present a model for how RIN4 might regulate the localization and
      putative function of EXO70B1 and speculate on the role the AvrRpt2 protease might
      have in the regulation of this defense response.

PMID- 28338728
TI  - Characterising root trait variability in chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.) germplasm.
AB  - Chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.) is an important grain legume crop but its
      sustainable production is challenged by predicted climate changes, which are
      likely to increase production limitations and uncertainty in yields.
      Characterising the variability in root architectural traits in a core collection
      of chickpea germplasm will provide the basis for breeding new germplasm with
      suitable root traits for the efficient acquisition of soil resources and
      adaptation to drought and other abiotic stresses. This study used a semi
      hydroponic phenotyping system for assessing root trait variability across 270
      chickpea genotypes. The genotypes exhibited large variation in rooting patterns
      and branching manner. Thirty root-related traits were characterised, 17 of which
      had coefficients of variation >=0.3 among genotypes and were selected for further
      examination. The Pearson correlation matrix showed a strong correlation among
      most of the selected traits (P<=0.05). Principal component analysis revealed
      three principal components with eigenvalues >1 capturing 81.5% of the total
      variation. An agglomerative hierarchical clustering analysis, based on root trait
      variation, identified three genotype homogeneous groups (rescaled distance of 15)
      and 16 sub-groups (rescaled distance of 5). The chickpea genotypes characterised
      in this study with vastly different root properties could be used for further
      studies in glasshouses and field trials, and for molecular marker studies, gene
      mapping, and modelling simulations, ultimately aimed at breeding germplasm with
      root traits for improved adaptation to drought and other specific environments.

PMID- 28338732
TI  - My favourite flowering image: a capitulum of Asteraceae.

PMID- 28338729
TI  - Revealing the roles of GORK channels and NADPH oxidase in acclimation to hypoxia
      in Arabidopsis.
AB  - Regulation of root cell K+ is essential for acclimation to low oxygen stress. The
      potential roles of GORK (depolarization-activated guard cell outward-rectifying
      potassium) channels and RBOHD (respiratory burst oxidase homologue D) in plant
      adaptive responses to hypoxia were investigated in the context of tissue
      specificity (epidermis versus stele; elongation versus mature zone) in roots of
      Arabidopsis. The expression of GORK and RBOHD was down-regulated by 2- to 3-fold
      within 1 h and 24 h of hypoxia treatment in Arabidopsis wild-type (WT) roots.
      Interestingly, a loss of the functional GORK channel resulted in a waterlogging
      tolerant phenotype, while rbohD knockout was sensitive to waterlogging. To
      understand their functions under hypoxia stress, we studied K+, Ca2+, and
      reactive oxygen species (ROS) distribution in various root cell types. gork1-1
      plants had better K+ retention ability in both the elongation and mature zone
      compared with the WT and rbohD under hypoxia. Hypoxia induced a Ca2+ increase in
      each cell type after 72 h, and the increase was much less pronounced in rbohD
      than in the WT. In most tissues except the elongation zone in rbohD, the H2O2
      concentration had decreased after 1 h of hypoxia, but then increased
      significantly after 24 h of hypoxia in each zone and tissue, further suggesting
      that RBOHD may shape hypoxia-specific Ca2+ signatures via the modulation of
      apoplastic H2O2 production. Taken together, our data suggest that plants lacking
      functional GORK channels are more capable of retaining K+ for their better
      performance under hypoxia, and that RBOHD is crucial in hypoxia-induced Ca2+
      signalling for stress sensing and acclimation mechanism.

PMID- 28338731
TI  - Purification and enzymatic characterization of Gallus gallus BLM helicase.
AB  - Mutations in human BLM helicase give rise to the autosomal recessive Bloom
      syndrome, which shows high predisposition to types of malignant tumours. Though
      lots of biochemical and structural investigations have shed lights on the
      helicase core, structural investigations of the whole BLM protein are still
      limited due to its low stability and production. Here by comparing with the
      expression systems and functions of other BLM homologues, we developed the
      heterologous high-level expression and high-yield purification systems for Gallus
      gallus BLM (gBLM) in Escherichia coli. Subsequent DNA binding and unwinding
      determinations demonstrated that gBLM was a vigorous atypical DNA structure
      specific helicase, which not only showed high preference for the 3'-tailed DNA
      structures but also could efficiently unwind bubble DNA structures with blunt
      ends, indicating its biological roles in processing DNA metabolism intermediates.
      Further comparative analysis between gBLM and gBLM Core revealed that the long N
      terminal domain facilitated the binding affinity of forked and bubble DNA
      structures and it was also required for the DNA unwinding activities of gBLM.
      Thus, we present the first enzymatic characterization of gBLM and its N-terminal
      domain, providing a new model for probing the mechanism and structure of human
      BLM.

PMID- 28338733
TI  - Genetic adaptation and phenotypic plasticity contribute to greater leaf hydraulic
      tolerance in response to drought in warmer climates.
AB  - The ability of plants to maintain an intact water transport system in leaves
      under drought conditions is intimately linked to survival and can been be seen as
      adaptive in shaping species climatic limits. Large differences in leaf hydraulic
      vulnerability to drought are known among species from contrasting climates, yet
      whether this trait varies among populations within a single species and,
      furthermore, whether it is altered by changes in growth conditions, remain
      unclear. We examined intraspecific variation in both leaf water transport
      capacity (Kleaf) and leaf hydraulic vulnerability to drought (P50leaf) among
      eight populations of Corymbia calophylla (R. Br.) K.D. Hill & L.A.S. Johnson
      (Myrtaceae) from both cool and warm climatic regions grown reciprocally under two
      temperature treatments representing the cool and warm edge of the species
      distribution. Kleaf did not vary between cool and warm-climate populations, nor
      was it affected by variable growth temperature. In contrast, population origin
      and growth temperature independently altered P50leaf. Using data pooled across
      growth temperatures, cool-climate populations showed significantly higher leaf
      hydraulic vulnerability (P50leaf = -3.55 +/- 0.18 MPa) than warm-climate
      populations (P50leaf = -3.78 +/- 0.08 MPa). Across populations, P50leaf decreased
      as population home-climate temperature increased, but was unrelated to rainfall
      and aridity. For populations from both cool and warm climatic regions, P50leaf
      was lower under the warmer growth conditions. These results provide evidence of
      trait plasticity in leaf hydraulic vulnerability to drought in response to
      variable growth temperature. Furthermore, they suggest that climate, and in
      particular temperature, may be a strong selective force in shaping intraspecific
      variation in leaf hydraulic vulnerability to drought.

PMID- 28338730
TI  - Genetic variability of the activity of bidirectional promoters: a pilot study in
      bovine muscle.
AB  - Bidirectional promoters are regulatory regions co-regulating the expression of
      two neighbouring genes organized in a head-to-head orientation. In recent years,
      these regulatory regions have been studied in many organisms; however, no
      investigation to date has been done to analyse the genetic variation of the
      activity of this type of promoter regions. In our study, we conducted an
      investigation to first identify bidirectional promoters sharing genes expressed
      in bovine Longissimus thoracis and then to find genetic variants affecting the
      activity of some of these bidirectional promoters. Combining bovine gene
      information and expression data obtained using RNA-Seq, we identified 120
      putative bidirectional promoters active in bovine muscle. We experimentally
      validated in vitro 16 of these bidirectional promoters. Finally, using gene
      expression and whole-genome genotyping data, we explored the variability of the
      activity in muscle of the identified bidirectional promoters and discovered
      genetic variants affecting their activity. We found that the expression level of
      77 genes is correlated with the activity of 12 bidirectional promoters. We also
      identified 57 single nucleotide polymorphisms associated with the activity of 5
      bidirectional promoters. To our knowledge, our study is the first analysis in any
      species of the genetic variability of the activity of bidirectional promoters.

PMID- 28338734
TI  - Using remote sensing technology to measure environmental determinants of non
      communicable diseases.

PMID- 28338735
TI  - Can adjustments in foliar nitrogen-use efficiency reduce drought stress impacts
      on boreal trees?

PMID- 28338736
TI  - Microcompartmentation of cytosolic aldolase by interaction with the actin
      cytoskeleton in Arabidopsis.
AB  - Evidence is accumulating for molecular microcompartments formed when proteins
      interact in localized domains with the cytoskeleton, organelle surfaces, and
      intracellular membranes. To understand the potential functional significance of
      protein microcompartmentation in plants, we studied the interaction of the
      glycolytic enzyme fructose bisphosphate aldolase with actin in Arabidopsis
      thaliana. Homology modelling of a major cytosolic isozyme of aldolase, FBA8,
      suggested that the tetrameric holoenzyme has two actin binding sites and could
      therefore act as an actin-bundling protein, as was reported for animal aldolases.
      This was confirmed by in vitro measurements of an increase in viscosity of F
      actin polymerized in the presence of recombinant FBA8. Simultaneously,
      interaction with F-actin caused non-competitive inhibition of aldolase activity.
      We did not detect co-localization of an FBA8-RFP fusion protein, expressed in an
      fba8-knockout background, with the actin cytoskeleton using confocal laser
      scanning microscopy. However, we did find evidence for a low level of interaction
      using FRET-FLIM analysis of FBA8-RFP co-expressed with the actin-binding protein
      GFP-Lifeact. Furthermore, knockout of FBA8 caused minor alterations of guard cell
      actin cytoskeleton morphology and resulted in a reduced rate of stomatal closure
      in response to decreased humidity. We conclude that cytosolic aldolase can be
      microcompartmented in vivo by interaction with the actin cytoskeleton and may
      subtly modulate guard cell behaviour as a result.

PMID- 28338737
TI  - Retinol-Binding Protein 4 and Lipids Prospectively Measured During Early to Mid
      Pregnancy in Relation to Preeclampsia and Preterm Birth Risk.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Maternal retinol-binding protein 4 (RBP4) and lipids may relate to
      preeclampsia and preterm birth risk but longitudinal data are lacking. This study
      examines these biomarkers longitudinally during pregnancy in relation to
      preeclampsia and preterm birth risk. METHODS: Maternal serum samples from the
      Calcium for Preeclampsia Prevention (CPEP) trial were analyzed at baseline:
      average 15 gestational weeks; mid-pregnancy: average 27 weeks; and at >34 weeks.
      We measured RBP4, total cholesterol, high-density lipoprotein, low-density
      lipoprotein, triglycerides and lipoprotein (a) (Lp(a)). Cross-sectional logistic
      regression analyses estimated the odds ratio (OR) and 95% confidence intervals
      (CI) for preterm preeclampsia (n = 63), term preeclampsia (n = 104), and preterm
      delivery (n = 160) associated with RBP4 and lipids at baseline and mid-pregnancy
      compared with controls (n = 136). Longitudinal trajectories across pregnancy were
      assessed using mixed linear models with fixed effects. Adjusted models included
      clinical and demographic factors. RESULTS: RBP4 concentrations at baseline and
      mid-pregnancy were associated with a 4- to 8-fold increase in preterm
      preeclampsia risk but were not associated with term preeclampsia. RBP4 measured
      mid-pregnancy was also associated with preterm birth (OR = 6.67, 95% CI: 1.65,
      26.84). Higher triglyceride concentrations in mid-pregnancy were associated with
      a 2- to 4-fold increased risk for both preeclampsia and preterm birth.
      Longitudinal models demonstrate that both preterm preeclampsia and preterm birth
      cases had elevated RBP4 throughout gestation. CONCLUSIONS: Elevated RBP4 is
      detectable early in pregnancy and its strong relation with preterm preeclampsia
      merits further investigation and confirmation to evaluate its potential use as a
      predictor, particularly among high-risk women.

PMID- 28338739
TI  - Retention of stored water enables tropical tree saplings to survive extreme
      drought conditions.
AB  - Trees generally maintain a small safety margin between the stem water potential
      (Psistem) reached during seasonal droughts and the Psistem associated with their
      mortality. This pattern may indicate that species face similar mortality risk
      during extreme droughts. However, if tree species vary in their ability to
      regulate Psistem, then safety margins would poorly predict drought mortality. To
      explore variation among species in Psistem regulation, I subjected potted
      saplings of six tropical tree species to extreme drought and compared their
      responses with well-watered plants and pretreatment reference plants. In the
      drought treatment, soil water potential reached <-10 MPa, yet three species,
      Bursera simaruba (L.) Sarg., Cavanillesia platanifolia (Bonpl.) Kunth and Cedrela
      odorata L. had 100% survival and maintained Psistem near -1 MPa (i.e.,
      desiccation-avoiding species). Three other species, Cojoba rufescens (Benth.)
      Britton and Rose, Genipa americana L. and Hymenaea courbaril L. had 50%, 0% and
      25% survival, respectively, and survivors had Psistem <-6 MPa (i.e., desiccation
      susceptible species). The desiccation-avoiding species had lower relative water
      content (RWC) in all organs and tissues (root, stem, bark and xylem) in the
      drought treatment than in the reference plants (means 72.0-90.4% vs 86.9-97.9%),
      but the survivors of the desiccation-susceptible C. rufescens had much lower RWC
      in the drought treatment (44.5-72.1%). Among the reference plants, the
      desiccation-avoiding species had lower tissue density, leaf-mass fraction and
      lateral-root surface area (LRA) than the desiccation-susceptible species.
      Additionally, C. platanifolia and C. odorata had reduced LRA in the drought
      treatment, which may slow water loss into dry soil. Together, these results
      suggest that the ability to regulate Psistem during extreme drought is associated
      with functional traits that favor retention of stored water and that safety
      margins during seasonal drought poorly predict survival during extreme drought.

PMID- 28338738
TI  - Task-Related Functional Connectivity Analysis of Emotion Discrimination in a
      Family Study of Schizophrenia.
AB  - Poor emotion recognition is a core deficit in schizophrenia and is associated
      with poor functional outcome. Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI)
      multivariate analysis methods were used to elucidate the neural underpinnings of
      face and emotion processing associated with both genetic liability and disease
      specific effects. Schizophrenia patients, relatives, and controls completed a
      task that included 4 facial emotion discrimination conditions and an age
      discrimination condition during fMRI. Three functional networks were derived from
      the data: the first involved in visual attention and response generation, the
      second a default mode network (DMN), and a third involved in face and emotion
      processing. No differences in activation were found between groups for the visual
      attention and response generation network, suggesting that basic processes were
      intact. Both schizophrenia patients and relatives showed evidence for
      hyperdeactivation in the DMN compared to controls, with relatives being
      intermediate, suggesting a genetic liability effect. Both disease-specific and
      genetic liability effects were found for the face processing network, which
      included the amygdala. Patients exhibited lower coordinated network activity
      compared to controls and relatives across all facial discrimination conditions.
      Additionally, in relation to the other emotion discrimination conditions, a
      heightened coordinated response during fear and anger discrimination was observed
      in schizophrenia compared to other conditions, whereas relatives demonstrated
      heightened coordinated activity for anger discrimination only relative to other
      emotion conditions. With regards to brain functioning, this study found that
      schizophrenia is associated with abnormal processing of threat-related
      information, and that in part may be associated with the genetic risk for the
      disorder, suggesting that the facial and emotion processing network could be
      targeted for intervention.

PMID- 28338741
TI  - Tolerating dissimilar other when primed with death: neural evidence of self
      control engaged by interdependent people in Japan.
AB  - Mortality salience (MS) has been shown to lead to derogation of others with
      dissimilar worldviews, yet recent research has shown that Asian-Americans who
      presumably adopt an interdependent self-construal (SC) tend to reveal greater
      tolerance after MS induction. In the present study, we demonstrated that Japanese
      individuals who are high on interdependent SC indeed show greater tolerance
      toward worldview-threatening other in the MS (vs control) condition, thus
      replicating the prior research. Extending this research, we also found that
      interdependent people's tolerance toward worldview-threatening other was mediated
      by increased activity in the right ventrolateral prefrontal cortex in the MS
      condition. These data suggested that when exposed to death-related stimuli,
      highly interdependent individuals may spontaneously activate their neural self
      control system which may serve to increase tolerance toward others.

PMID- 28338742
TI  - Brain mechanisms for loss of awareness of thought and movement.
AB  - Loss or reduction of awareness is common in neuropsychiatric disorders and
      culturally influenced dissociative phenomena but the underlying brain mechanisms
      are poorly understood. fMRI was combined with suggestions for automatic writing
      in 18 healthy highly hypnotically suggestible individuals in a within-subjects
      design to determine whether clinical alterations in awareness of thought and
      movement can be experimentally modelled and studied independently of illness.
      Subjective ratings of control, ownership, and awareness of thought and movement,
      and fMRI data were collected following suggestions for thought insertion and
      alien control of writing movement, with and without loss of awareness. Subjective
      ratings confirmed that suggestions were effective. At the neural level, our main
      findings indicated that loss of awareness for both thought and movement during
      automatic writing was associated with reduced activation in a predominantly left
      sided posterior cortical network including BA 7 (superior parietal lobule and
      precuneus), and posterior cingulate cortex, involved in self-related processing
      and awareness of the body in space. Reduced activity in posterior parietal
      cortices may underlie specific clinical and cultural alterations in awareness of
      thought and movement. Clinically, these findings may assist development of
      imaging assessments for loss of awareness of psychological origin, and
      interventions such as neurofeedback.

PMID- 28338743
TI  - Incidental memory for faces in children with different genetic subtypes of Prader
      Willi syndrome.
AB  - The present study examined the effects of genetic subtype on social memory in
      children (7-16 years) with Prader-Willi syndrome (PWS). Visual event-related
      potentials (ERPs) during a passive viewing task were used to compare incidental
      memory traces for repeated vs single presentations of previously unfamiliar
      social (faces) and nonsocial (houses) images in 15 children with the deletion
      subtype and 13 children with maternal uniparental disomy (mUPD). While all
      participants perceived faces as different from houses (N170 responses), repeated
      faces elicited more positive ERP amplitudes ('old/new' effect, 250-500ms) only in
      children with the deletion subtype. Conversely, the mUPD group demonstrated
      reduced amplitudes suggestive of habituation to the repeated faces. ERP responses
      to repeated vs single house images did not differ in either group. The results
      suggest that faces hold different motivational value for individuals with the
      deletion vs mUPD subtype of PWS and could contribute to the explanation of
      subtype differences in the psychiatric symptoms, including autism symptomatology.

PMID- 28338744
TI  - Understanding the molecular mechanism of substrate channeling and domain
      communication in protozoal bifunctional TS-DHFR.
AB  - Most species, such as humans, have monofunctional forms of thymidylate synthase
      (TS) and dihydrofolate reductase (DHFR) that are key folate metabolism enzymes
      making critical folate components required for DNA synthesis. In contrast,
      several parasitic protozoa, including Leishmania major (Lm), Plasmodium
      falciparum (Pf), Toxoplasma gondii (Tg) and Cryptosporidium hominis (Ch), contain
      a unique bifunctional thymidylate synthase-dihydrofolate reductase (TS-DHFR)
      having the two sequential catalytic activities contained on a single polypeptide
      chain. It has been suggested that the bifunctional nature of the two catalytic
      activities may enable substrate channeling. The 3D structures for each of these
      enzymes reveals distinct features for each species. While three of the four
      species (Pf, Tg and Ch) contain a junctional region linking the two domains, this
      is lacking in Lm. The Lm and Pf contain N-terminal amino acid extensions. A
      multidisciplinary approach using structural studies and transient kinetic
      analyses combined with mutational analysis has investigated the roles of these
      unique structural features for each enzyme. Additionally, the possibility of
      substrate channeling behavior was explored. These studies have identified unique,
      functional regions in both the TS and DHFR domains that govern efficient
      catalysis for each species. Surprisingly, even though there are structural
      similarities among the species, each is regulated in a distinct manner. This
      structural and mechanistic information was also used to exploit species-specific
      inhibitor design.

PMID- 28338746
TI  - Genotypic and Phenotypic Heterogeneity-Hurdles and Opportunities in the Quest for
      Hypertension-Related Genes.

PMID- 28338745
TI  - Circadian oscillations of microbial and functional composition in the human
      salivary microbiome.
AB  - The human microbiomes across the body evidently interact with various signals in
      response to biogeographical physiological conditions. To understand such
      interactions in detail, we investigated how the salivary microbiome in the oral
      cavity would be regulated by host-related signals. Here, we show that the
      microbial abundance and gene participating in keeping the human salivary
      microbiome exhibit global circadian rhythm. Analysis of the 16S rRNA sequences of
      salivary microbial samples of six healthy adults collected at 4-h intervals for
      three days revealed that the microbial genera accounting for 68.4-89.6% of the
      total abundance were observed to significantly oscillate with the periodicity of
      ~24 h. These oscillation patterns showed high variations amongst individuals, and
      the extent of circadian variations in individuals was generally lower than that
      of interindividual variations. Of the microbial categories oscillated, those
      classified by aerobic/anaerobic growth and Gram staining, Firmicutes including
      Streptococcus and Gemella, and Bacteroidetes including Prevotella showed high
      association with the circadian oscillation. The circadian oscillation was
      completely abolished by incubating the saliva in vitro, suggesting that host's
      physiological changes mostly contributed to the microbial oscillation. Further
      metagenomic analysis showed that circadian oscillation enriched the functions of
      environmental responses such as various transporters and two-component regulatory
      systems in the evening, and those of metabolisms such as the biosynthesis of
      vitamins and fatty acids in the morning.

PMID- 28338748
TI  - Role of scavenger receptors as damage-associated molecular pattern receptors in
      Toll-like receptor activation.
AB  - Damage-associated molecular patterns (DAMPs) have been implicated in sterile
      inflammation in various tissue injuries. High-mobility group box 1 (HMGB1) is a
      representative DAMP, and has been shown to transmit signals through receptors for
      advanced glycation end products (RAGEs) and TLRs, including TLR2 and TLR4. HMGB1
      does not, however, bind to TLRs with high affinity; therefore, the mechanism of
      HMGB1-mediated TLR activation remains unclear. In this study, we found that
      fluorescently labeled HMGB1 was efficiently internalized into macrophages through
      class A scavenger receptors. Although both M1- and M2-type macrophages
      internalized HMGB1, only M1-type macrophages secreted cytokines in response to
      HMGB1. The pan-class A scavenger receptor competitive inhibitor, maleylated
      bovine serum albumin (M-BSA), inhibited HMGB1 internalization and reduced
      cytokine production from macrophages in response to HMGB1 but not to LPS. The C
      terminal acidic domain of HMGB1 is responsible for scavenger receptor-mediated
      internalization and cytokine production. HMGB1 and TLR4 co-localized in
      macrophages, and this interaction was disrupted by M-BSA, suggesting that class A
      scavenger receptors function as co-receptors of HMGB1 for TLR activation. M-BSA
      ameliorated LPS-induced sepsis and dextran sulfate sodium (DSS)-induced colitis
      models in which HMGB1 has been shown to play progressive roles. These data
      suggest that scavenger receptors function as co-receptors along with TLRs for
      HMGB1 in M1-type inflammatory macrophages.

PMID- 28338749
TI  - Evaluation of contact tracing activities during the Ebola virus disease outbreak
      in Guinea, 2015.
AB  - Objectives: The objective of the study was to present the findings of an audit
      tool aimed at assessing contact tracing activities during an Ebola outbreak.
      Methods: The tool was based on Ebola guidelines and observations in the field. It
      was composed of 38 indicators covering contact tracing preparatives, resources,
      procedures and results. Results: All contact tracing teams were assessed in Boke
      and Conakry prefectures (24 supervisors, 22 community workers, 442 contacts)
      between 1 July and 10 August 2015. Contact lists had less than a 40%
      accomplishment rate. 7% of the contacts were not seen by community workers or
      supervisors. 'No touch policy' was fully respected. Conclusion: Audit checklist
      helped to systematically identify critical issues related to contact tracing.

PMID- 28338750
TI  - Association of Maternal Plasma Folate and Cardiometabolic Risk Factors in
      Pregnancy with Elevated Blood Pressure of Offspring in Childhood.
AB  - BACKGROUND: The prevalence of childhood elevated blood pressure (BP) has
      increased in the United States, particularly among African Americans. The
      influence of maternal plasma folate levels, alone or in combination with maternal
      cardiometabolic risk factors (hypertensive disorders, diabetes, and prepregnancy
      obesity), on child systolic BP (SBP) has not been examined in a prospective birth
      cohort. We hypothesize that adequate maternal folate levels can reduce the risk
      of elevated SBP in children born to mothers with cardiometabolic risk factors.
      METHODS: This study included 1,290 mother-child dyads (875 African Americans
      (67.8%)) recruited at birth and followed prospectively up to age 9 years from
      2003 to 2014 at the Boston Medical Center. Child SBP percentile was calculated
      according to US reference data and elevated SBP was defined as SBP >=75th
      percentile. RESULTS: Maternal folate levels, overall, were not associated with
      child SBP. However, we found a significant multiplicative interaction between
      maternal cardiometabolic risk factors and maternal folate levels (Pinteraction =
      0.015) on childhood elevated SBP. Among children born to mothers with any
      cardiometabolic risk factors, those whose mothers had folate levels above (vs.
      below) the median had 40% lower odds of elevated childhood SBP (odds ratio =
      0.60, 95% confidence interval: 0.40-0.90). The associations did not differ
      appreciably in analyses restricted to African Americans, and they were not
      explained by gestational age, size at birth, prenatal folate intake, or
      breastfeeding. CONCLUSIONS: Findings from our urban minority birth cohort suggest
      that higher levels of maternal folate may help counteract the adverse
      associations of maternal cardiometabolic risk factors on child SBP.

PMID- 28338753
TI  - Second Chance.
AB  - My second career as a schizophrenia researcher will focus on infectious agents as
      a cause. It will include the collection of serial sera, cerebrospinal fluid,
      functional magnetic resonance imaging, and diffusion tensor imaging on a cohort
      of affected individuals over 20 years. Since I believe that the initial
      transmission of these agents occurs in childhood, I will also follow a cohort of
      children from birth to age 20. Additional projects will focus on rheumatoid
      arthritis, geographic case clusters, immigrants, and epidemiology.

PMID- 28338752
TI  - Strategies for evaluating the assumptions of the regression discontinuity design:
      a case study using a human papillomavirus vaccination programme.
AB  - Background: The regression discontinuity design (RDD) is a quasi-experimental
      approach used to avoid confounding bias in the assessment of new policies and
      interventions. It is applied specifically in situations where individuals are
      assigned to a policy/intervention based on whether they are above or below a pre
      specified cut-off on a continuously measured variable, such as birth date, income
      or weight. The strength of the design is that, provided individuals do not
      manipulate the value of this variable, assignment to the policy/intervention is
      considered as good as random for individuals close to the cut-off. Despite its
      popularity in fields like economics, the RDD remains relatively unknown in
      epidemiology where its application could be tremendously useful. Methods: In this
      paper, we provide a practical introduction to the RDD for health researchers,
      describe four empirically testable assumptions of the design and offer strategies
      that can be used to assess whether these assumptions are met in a given study.
      For illustrative purposes, we implement these strategies to assess whether the
      RDD is appropriate for a study of the impact of human papillomavirus vaccination
      on cervical dysplasia. Results: We found that, whereas the assumptions of the RDD
      were generally satisfied in our study context, birth timing had the potential to
      confound our effect estimate in an unexpected way and therefore needed to be
      taken into account in the analysis. Conclusions: Our findings underscore the
      importance of assessing the validity of the assumptions of this design, testing
      them when possible and making adjustments as necessary to support valid causal
      inference.

PMID- 28338751
TI  - Reduced Thickness of the Anterior Cingulate Cortex in Individuals With an At-Risk
      Mental State Who Later Develop Psychosis.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Despite the fact that only a part of the individuals with at-risk
      mental state (ARMS) for psychosis do develop psychosis, biological markers of
      future transition to psychosis have not been well documented. Structural
      abnormality of the anterior cingulate gyrus (ACG), which probably exists prior to
      the onset of psychosis, could be such a risk marker. METHODS: We conducted a
      multicenter magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) study of 3 scanning sites in Japan.
      1.5-T 3D MRI scans were obtained from 73 ARMS subjects and 74 age- and gender
      matched healthy controls. We measured thickness, volume, and surface area of the
      ACG using labeled cortical distance mapping and compared these measures among
      healthy controls, ARMS subjects who later converted to overt psychosis (ARMS-C),
      and those who did not (ARMS-NC). RESULTS: Seventeen of 73 (23%) ARMS subjects
      developed overt psychosis within the follow-up period. The thickness of the left
      ACG was significantly reduced in ARMS-C relative to healthy subjects (P = .026)
      while both ARMS-C (P = .001) and ARMS-NC (P = .01) had larger surface areas of
      the left ACG compared with healthy controls. CONCLUSION: Further studies will be
      needed to identify potential markers of future transition to psychosis though
      cortical thinning of the ACG might be one of the candidates.

PMID- 28338754
TI  - Spatial quantification of the world population potentially exposed to Zika virus.
AB  - Background: Zika virus is an emerging Flaviviridae virus, which has spread
      rapidly in the last few years. It has raised concern because it has been
      associated with fetus microcephaly when pregnant women are infected. The main
      vector is the mosquito Aedes aegypti , distributed in tropical areas. Methods:
      Niche modelling techniques were used to estimate the potential distribution area
      of A. aegypti. This was overlapped with human population density, determining
      areas of potential transmission risk worldwide. Afterwards, we quantified the
      population at risk according to risk level. Results: The vector transmission risk
      is distributed mainly in Asia and Oceania on the shores of the Indian Ocean. In
      America, the risk concentrates in the Atlantic coast of South America and in the
      Caribbean Sea shores in Central and North America. In Africa, the major risk is
      concentrated in the Pacific and Atlantic coasts of Central and South Africa. The
      world population under high and very high risk levels includes 2.261 billion
      people. Conclusions: These results illustrate Zika virus risk at the global level
      and provide maps to target the prevention and control measures especially in
      areas with higher risk, in countries with less sanitation and poorer resources.
      Many countries without previous vector reports could become active transmission
      zones in the future, so vector surveillance should be implemented or reinforced
      in these areas.

PMID- 28338755
TI  - Red blotch disease alters grape berry development and metabolism by interfering
      with the transcriptional and hormonal regulation of ripening.
AB  - Grapevine red blotch-associated virus (GRBaV) is a major threat to the wine
      industry in the USA. GRBaV infections (aka red blotch disease) compromise crop
      yield and berry chemical composition, affecting the flavor and aroma properties
      of must and wine. In this study, we combined genome-wide transcriptional
      profiling with targeted metabolite analyses and biochemical assays to
      characterize the impact of the disease on red-skinned berry ripening and
      metabolism. Using naturally infected berries collected from two vineyards, we
      were able to identify consistent berry responses to GRBaV across different
      environmental and cultural conditions. Specific alterations of both primary and
      secondary metabolism occurred in GRBaV-infected berries during ripening. Notably,
      GRBaV infections of post-veraison berries resulted in the induction of primary
      metabolic pathways normally associated with early berry development (e.g.
      thylakoid electron transfer and the Calvin cycle), while inhibiting ripening
      associated pathways, such as a reduced metabolic flux in the central and
      peripheral phenylpropanoid pathways. We show that this metabolic reprogramming
      correlates with perturbations at multiple regulatory levels of berry development.
      Red blotch caused the abnormal expression of transcription factors (e.g. NACs,
      MYBs, and AP2-ERFs) and elements of the post-transcriptional machinery that
      function during red-skinned berry ripening. Abscisic acid, ethylene, and auxin
      pathways, which control both the initiation of ripening and stress responses,
      were also compromised. We conclude that GRBaV infections disrupt normal berry
      development and stress responses by altering transcription factors and hormone
      networks, which result in the inhibition of ripening pathways involved in the
      generation of color, flavor, and aroma compounds.

PMID- 28338756
TI  - Commentary: On the Harmfulness of Tobacco; Chekhov's journey from vaudeville to
      empathy.

PMID- 28338758
TI  - Mistletoe infestation mediates alteration of the phytohormone profile and anti
      oxidative metabolism in bark and wood of its host Pinus sylvestris.
AB  - European mistletoe (Viscum album L.) has largely infested Central European
      forests and causes high mortality probability particularly in dry years. However,
      little information is available about the consequences of mistletoe infestation
      for metabolic processes in bark and wood of its host, despite their important
      roles in infestation defense. We analyzed the tissue hydration, carbohydrate
      composition, phytohormone profile, reactive oxygen species and anti-oxidant
      levels in bark and wood of Scots pines (Pinus sylvestris L.), as dependent on
      mistletoe infestation. As a consequence of mistletoe infestation, host bark and
      wood showed impaired hydration and reduced total carbon content. In the bark,
      soluble sugar and lignin contents increased, apparently at the expense of holo
      cellulose. Hydrogen peroxide accumulation was accompanied by increased
      glutathione and decreased reduced ascorbic acid levels. Mistletoe infestation
      mediated alteration of the phytohormone profile in bark and wood of its host.
      Cytokinins, jasmonic acid and abscisic acid levels increased in both tissues,
      whereas salicylic acid and indole-3-acetic acid, which were only detected in the
      bark, declined. The present results show that mistletoe infestation affects both
      the host's anti-oxidative defense system and the phytohormone profile after
      establishment of the xylem tapping haustorium. The significance of these
      processes for the development of the woody mistletoe stem and the haustorium is
      discussed.

PMID- 28338757
TI  - Acceleration of leaf senescence is slowed down in transgenic barley plants
      deficient in the DNA/RNA-binding protein WHIRLY1.
AB  - WHIRLY1 in barley was isolated as a potential regulator of the senescence
      associated gene HvS40. In order to investigate whether the plastid-nucleus
      located DNA/RNA-binding protein WHIRLY1 plays a role in regulation of leaf
      senescence, primary foliage leaves from transgenic barley plants with an RNAi
      mediated knockdown of the WHIRLY1 gene were characterized by typical senescence
      parameters, namely pigment contents, function and composition of the
      photosynthetic apparatus, as well as expression of selected genes known to be
      either down- or up-regulated during leaf senescence. When the plants were grown
      at low light intensity, senescence progression was similar between wild-type and
      RNAi-W1 plants. Likewise, dark-induced senescence of detached leaves was not
      affected by reduction of WHIRLY1. When plants were grown at high light intensity,
      however, senescence was induced prematurely in wild-type plants but was delayed
      in RNAi-W1 plants. This result suggests that WHIRLY1 plays a role in light
      sensing and/or stress communication between chloroplasts and the nucleus.

PMID- 28338759
TI  - Erratum: Alcohol dependency in the elderly - are we capturing it?

PMID- 28338760
TI  - Childhood Maltreatment and Young Adulthood Hallucinations, Delusional
      Experiences, and Psychosis: A Longitudinal Study.
AB  - Child maltreatment is a widespread public health problem associated with a range
      of mental health disorders later in life. In order to effectively address these
      disorders, there is a need to understand more about the mental health
      consequences of different types of child maltreatment. This study examines the
      associations between prospectively substantiated child maltreatment (ages 0-14 y)
      and reports of hallucinations and delusional experiences at 21 years after birth.
      As well, we examined 12-month and lifetime psychotic disorders using data from a
      longitudinal birth cohort. The study comprised 3752 participants from the Mater
      University of Queensland Study of Pregnancy, a prospective Australian prebirth
      cohort study. Psychotic experiences and 12-month and lifetime psychosis were
      measured using the Achenbach Young Adults Self-Report, the Peter's Delusions
      Inventory, and Composite International Diagnostic Interview at the 21-year follow
      up. In adjusted analyses, those children who had experienced any maltreatment and
      who were emotionally abused and neglected were more likely to report (1)
      hallucinations and lifetime delusional experiences and (2) more likely to
      experience lifetime psychosis than their nonabused counterparts. In expanded
      models, those exposed to multiple forms of maltreatment, in particular with
      emotional abuse and neglect, had an increased likelihood of hallucinations and
      delusional experiences. There is an association between child maltreatment,
      especially emotional abuse and neglect, and later hallucinations, delusional
      experiences, and psychosis. It is, however, relevant to note that the vast
      majority of children experiencing childhood maltreatment do not appear to develop
      psychotic experiences or psychotic disorder. Further research to determine the
      reasons for highly variable outcomes of child maltreatment is warranted.

PMID- 28338761
TI  - Influence of polynucleosome preparation methods on sedimentation velocity
      analysis of chromatin.
AB  - Chromatin dynamics and higher order structures play essential roles in genomic
      DNA functions. Histone variants and histone post-translational modifications are
      involved in the regulation of chromatin structure and dynamics, cooperatively
      with DNA methylation and chromatin binding proteins. Therefore, studies of higher
      order chromatin conformations have become important to reveal how genomic DNA is
      regulated during DNA transcription, replication, recombination and repair. The
      sedimentation velocity analysis by analytical ultracentrifugation has been
      commonly used to evaluate the higher-order conformation of in vitro reconstituted
      polynucleosomes, as model chromatin. Three major preparation methods for the
      unpurified, purified, and partially purified polynucleosomes have been reported
      so far. It is important to clarify the effects of the different polynucleosome
      preparation methods on the sedimentation profiles. To accomplish this, in the
      present study, we prepared unpurified, purified and partially purified
      polynucleosomes, and compared their sedimentation velocity profiles by analytical
      ultracentrifugation. In addition, we tested how the histone occupancy affects the
      sedimentation velocities of polynucleosomes. Our results revealed how free
      histones and polynucleosome aggregates affect the sedimentation velocity profiles
      of the polynucleosomes, in the absence and presence of Mg2+ ions.

PMID- 28338762
TI  - Redox and Reactive Oxygen Species Network in Acclimation for Salinity Tolerance
      in Sugar Beet.
AB  - Fine-tuned and coordinated regulation of transport, metabolism and redox
      homeostasis allows plants to acclimate to osmotic and ionic stress caused by high
      salinity. Sugar beet is a highly salt tolerant crop plant and is therefore an
      interesting model to study sodium chloride (NaCl) acclimation in crops. Sugar
      beet plants were subjected to a final level of 300 mM NaCl for up to 14 d in
      hydroponics. Plants acclimated to NaCl stress by maintaining its growth rate and
      adjusting its cellular redox and reactive oxygen species (ROS) network. In order
      to understand the unusual suppression of ROS accumulation under severe salinity,
      the regulation of elements of the redox and ROS network was investigated at the
      transcript level. First, the gene families of superoxide dismutase (SOD),
      peroxiredoxins (Prx), alternative oxidase (AOX), plastid terminal oxidase (PTOX)
      and NADPH oxidase (RBOH) were identified in the sugar beet genome. Salinity
      induced the accumulation of Cu-Zn-SOD, Mn-SOD, Fe-SOD3, all AOX isoforms, 2-Cys
      PrxB, PrxQ, and PrxIIF. In contrast, Fe-SOD1, 1-Cys-Prx, PrxIIB and PrxIIE levels
      decreased in response to salinity. Most importantly, RBOH transcripts of all
      isoforms decreased. This pattern offers a straightforward explanation for the low
      ROS levels under salinity. Promoters of stress responsive antioxidant genes were
      analyzed in silico for the enrichment of cis-elements, in order to gain insights
      into gene regulation. The results indicate that special cis-elements in the
      promoters of the antioxidant genes in sugar beet participate in adjusting the
      redox and ROS network and are fundamental to high salinity tolerance of sugar
      beet.

PMID- 28338763
TI  - Mesenchymal stromal cells and autoimmunity.
AB  - Mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs) are committed progenitors of mesodermal origin
      that are found virtually in every organ and exhibit multilineage differentiation
      into osteocytes, adipocytes and chondrocytes. MSCs also mediate a wide spectrum
      of immunoregulatory activities that usually dampen innate and adaptive immune
      responses. These features have attracted interest in the perspective of
      developing novel cell therapies for autoimmune disease. However, depending on the
      microenvironmental conditions, MSCs may show a plastic behavior and switch to an
      immunostimulatory phenotype. After thorough characterization of the effects of
      MSCs on the immune system, MSC cell therapy has been tested in animal models of
      autoimmunity using different cell sources, protocols of in vitro expansion and
      routes and schedules of administration. The pre-clinical results have been
      encouraging in some models [e.g. Crohn's disease (CD), multiple sclerosis] and
      heterogeneous in others (e.g. graft-versus-host disease, systemic lupus
      erythematosus, rheumatoid arthritis). Clinical trials have been carried out and
      many are ongoing. As discussed, the results obtained are too preliminary to draw
      any conclusion, with the only exception of topical administration of MSCs in CD
      that has proven efficacious. The mechanism of action of infused MSCs is still
      under investigation, but the apparent paradox of a therapeutic effect achieved in
      spite of the very low number of cells reaching the target organ has been solved
      by the finding that MSC-derived extracellular vesicles (EVs) closely mimic the
      therapeutic activity of MSCs in pre-clinical models. These issues are critically
      discussed in view of the potential clinical use of MSC-derived EVs.

PMID- 28338765
TI  - Cerebral Magnesium Levels in Preeclampsia; A Phosphorus Magnetic Resonance
      Spectroscopy Study.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Magnesium sulfate (MgSO4) is used as a prophylaxis for eclamptic
      seizures. The exact mechanism of action is not fully established. We used
      phosphorus magnetic resonance spectroscopy (31P-MRS) to investigate if cerebral
      magnesium (Mg2+) levels differ between women with preeclampsia, normal pregnant,
      and nonpregnant women. METHODS: This cross-sectional study comprised 28 women
      with preeclampsia, 30 women with normal pregnancies in corresponding gestational
      week (range: 23-41 weeks) and 11 nonpregnant healthy controls. All women
      underwent 31P-MRS from the parieto-occipital region of the brain and were
      interviewed about cerebral symptoms. Differences between groups were assessed by
      analysis of variance and Tukey's post-hoc test. Correlations between Mg2+ levels
      and specific neurological symptoms were estimated with Spearman's rank test.
      RESULTS: Mean maternal cerebral Mg2+ levels were lower in women with preeclampsia
      (0.12 mM +/- 0.02) compared to normal pregnant controls (0.14 mM +/- 0.03) (P =
      0.04). Nonpregnant and normal pregnant women did not differ in Mg2+ levels. Among
      women with preeclampsia, lower Mg2+ levels correlated with presence of visual
      disturbances (P = 0.04). Plasma levels of Mg2+ did not differ between
      preeclampsia and normal pregnancy. CONCLUSIONS: Women with preeclampsia have
      reduced cerebral Mg2+ levels, which could explain the potent antiseizure
      prophylactic properties of MgSO4. Within the preeclampsia group, women with
      visual disturbances have lower levels of Mg2+ than those without such symptoms.

PMID- 28338766
TI  - A multi-proxy assessment of dieback causes in a Mediterranean oak species.
AB  - Drought stress causes forest dieback that is often explained by two interrelated
      mechanisms, namely hydraulic failure and carbon starvation. However, it is still
      unclear which functional and structural alterations, related to these mechanisms,
      predispose to dieback. Here we apply a multi-proxy approach for the
      characterization of tree structure (radial growth, wood anatomy) and functioning
      (delta13C, delta18O and non-structural carbohydrates (NSCs)) in tree rings before
      and after drought-induced dieback. We aim to discriminate which is the main
      mechanism and to assess which variables can act as early-warning proxies of
      drought-triggered damage. The study was tailored in southern Italy in two forests
      (i.e., San Paolo (SP) and Oriolo (OR)) where declining and non-declining trees of
      a ring-porous tree species (Quercus frainetto Ten.) showing anisohydric behavior
      coexist. Both stands showed growth decline in response to warm and dry spring
      conditions, although the onset of dieback was shifted between them (2002 in SP
      and 2009 in OR). Declining trees displayed a sharp growth drop after this onset
      with reductions of 49% and 44% at SP and OR sites, respectively. Further,
      contrary to what we expected, declining trees showed a lower intrinsic water-use
      efficiency compared with non-declining trees after the dieback onset (with
      reductions of 9.7% and 5.6% at sites SP and OR, respectively), due to enhanced
      water loss through transpiration, as indicated by the lower delta18O values. This
      was more noticeable at the most drought-affected SP stand. Sapwood NSCs did not
      differ between declining and non-declining trees, indicating no carbon starvation
      in affected trees. Thus, the characterized structural and functional alterations
      partially support the hydraulic failure mechanism of dieback. Finally, we show
      that growth data are reliable early-warning proxies of drought-triggered dieback.

PMID- 28338764
TI  - Fruit and vegetable intake and the risk of cardiovascular disease, total cancer
      and all-cause mortality-a systematic review and dose-response meta-analysis of
      prospective studies.
AB  - Background: Questions remain about the strength and shape of the dose-response
      relationship between fruit and vegetable intake and risk of cardiovascular
      disease, cancer and mortality, and the effects of specific types of fruit and
      vegetables. We conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis to clarify these
      associations. Methods: PubMed and Embase were searched up to 29 September 2016.
      Prospective studies of fruit and vegetable intake and cardiovascular disease,
      total cancer and all-cause mortality were included. Summary relative risks (RRs)
      were calculated using a random effects model, and the mortality burden globally
      was estimated; 95 studies (142 publications) were included. Results: For fruits
      and vegetables combined, the summary RR per 200 g/day was 0.92 [95% confidence
      interval (CI): 0.90-0.94, I 2  = 0%, n  = 15] for coronary heart disease, 0.84
      (95% CI: 0.76-0.92, I 2  = 73%, n  = 10) for stroke, 0.92 (95% CI: 0.90-0.95, I 2
      = 31%, n  = 13) for cardiovascular disease, 0.97 (95% CI: 0.95-0.99, I 2  = 49%,
      n  = 12) for total cancer and 0.90 (95% CI: 0.87-0.93, I 2  = 83%, n  = 15) for
      all-cause mortality. Similar associations were observed for fruits and vegetables
      separately. Reductions in risk were observed up to 800 g/day for all outcomes
      except cancer (600 g/day). Inverse associations were observed between the intake
      of apples and pears, citrus fruits, green leafy vegetables, cruciferous
      vegetables, and salads and cardiovascular disease and all-cause mortality, and
      between the intake of green-yellow vegetables and cruciferous vegetables and
      total cancer risk. An estimated 5.6 and 7.8 million premature deaths worldwide in
      2013 may be attributable to a fruit and vegetable intake below 500 and 800 g/day,
      respectively, if the observed associations are causal. Conclusions: Fruit and
      vegetable intakes were associated with reduced risk of cardiovascular disease,
      cancer and all-cause mortality. These results support public health
      recommendations to increase fruit and vegetable intake for the prevention of
      cardiovascular disease, cancer, and premature mortality.

PMID- 28338767
TI  - Decreased CD1d level is associated with CD86 over-expression in B cells from
      systemic lupus erythematosus.
AB  - The disorder of B cells is one of the hallmarks of systemic lupus erythematosus
      (SLE). The activation state indicated by CD86 of B cells from SLE is well known,
      while the defect of regulatory B cells mediated by CD1d is also responsible for
      the process of SLE. In the present study, we focused on the relationship between
      B cell activation mediated by CD86 and B cell regulatory function mediated by
      CD1d. Our results showed that the level of CD1d in B cells was decreased during
      the early stages of B6.MRLlpr SLE mice and imiquimod-treated (IMQ-treated) mice,
      while the level of CD86 was significantly increased at the late stage. Moreover,
      the expression of CD1d showed a significantly negative correlation with CD86
      level in B cells from IMQ-treated mice (r = -05741; P = 0.0022), B6.MRLlpr mice
      (r = -0.7091; P = 0.0268), and SLE patients (r = -0.4125; P = 0.0404). The in
      vivo and in vitro experiments with splenocytes demonstrated that CD1d signaling
      pathway could inhibit toll-like receptor 7 (TLR7)-induced CD86 expression of B
      cells. Further studies showed that this relationship also affected antibody
      production. Thus, our results confirmed the association of CD1d and CD86 levels
      in B cells from SLE, and demonstrated the importance to preserve the
      immunoregulatory function of B cells mediated by CD1d in the progression of SLE.

PMID- 28338768
TI  - Integrative Blood Pressure Response to Upright Tilt Post Renal Denervation.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Whether renal denervation (RDN) in patients with resistant
      hypertension normalizes blood pressure (BP) regulation in response to routine
      cardiovascular stimuli such as upright posture is unknown. We conducted an
      integrative study of BP regulation in patients with resistant hypertension who
      had received RDN to characterize autonomic circulatory control. METHODS: Twelve
      patients (60 +/- 9 [SD] years, n = 10 males) who participated in the Symplicity
      HTN-3 trial were studied and compared to 2 age-matched normotensive (Norm) and
      hypertensive (unmedicated, HTN) control groups. BP, heart rate (HR), cardiac
      output (Qc), muscle sympathetic nerve activity (MSNA), and neurohormonal
      variables were measured supine, and 30 degrees  (5 minutes) and 60 degrees  (20
      minutes) head-up-tilt (HUT). Total peripheral resistance (TPR) was calculated
      from mean arterial pressure and Qc. RESULTS: Despite treatment with RDN and 4.8
      (range, 3-7) antihypertensive medications, the RDN had significantly higher
      supine systolic BP compared to Norm and HTN (149 +/- 15 vs. 118 +/- 6, 108 +/- 8
      mm Hg, P < 0.001). When supine, RDN had higher HR, TPR, MSNA, plasma
      norepinephrine, and effective arterial elastance compared to Norm. Plasma
      norepinephrine, Qc, and HR were also higher in the RDN vs. HTN. During HUT, BP
      remained higher in the RDN, due to increases in Qc, plasma norepinephrine, and
      aldosterone. CONCLUSION: We provide evidence of a possible mechanism by which BP
      remains elevated post RDN, with the observation of increased Qc and arterial
      stiffness, as well as plasma norepinephrine and aldosterone levels at
      approximately 2 years post treatment. These findings may be the consequence of
      incomplete ablation of sympathetic renal nerves or be related to other factors.

PMID- 28338769
TI  - IQ, the Urban Environment, and Their Impact on Future Schizophrenia Risk in Men.
AB  - Exposure to an urban environment during early life and low IQ are 2 well
      established risk factors for schizophrenia. It is not known, however, how these
      factors might relate to one another. Data were pooled from the North Jutland
      regional draft board IQ assessments and the Danish Conscription Registry for men
      born between 1955 and 1993. Excluding those who were followed up for less than 1
      year after the assessment yielded a final cohort of 153170 men of whom 578 later
      developed a schizophrenia spectrum disorder. We found significant effects of
      having an urban birth, and also experiencing an increase in urbanicity before the
      age of 10 years, on adult schizophrenia risk. The effect of urban birth was
      independent of IQ. However, there was a significant interaction between childhood
      changes in urbanization in the first 10 years and IQ level on the future adult
      schizophrenia risk. In short, those subjects who moved to more or less urban
      areas before their 10th birthday lost the protective effect of IQ. When thinking
      about adult schizophrenia risk, the critical time window of childhood sensitivity
      to changes in urbanization seems to be linked to IQ. Given the prediction that by
      2050, over 80% of the developed world's population will live in an urban
      environment, this represents a major future public health issue.

PMID- 28338770
TI  - Response of human non-small-cell lung cancer cells to the influence of Wogonin
      with SGK1 dynamics.
AB  - A number of significant studies in the field of cell biology have revealed
      another pattern of intracellular signal transduction in which cells transmit
      information through the dynamics of key signaling molecules. Dynamical properties
      of p53 have been demonstrated to be the key factor in dictating cell fate,
      including cell cycle arrest, permanent cell cycle arrest, and cell death.
      Previous studies showed a negative feedback regulation pathway between SGK1 and
      p53, but the dynamics of SGK1 have never been reported before. Therefore, we used
      different dosing strategies of Wogonin to affect SGK1 dynamics and investigate
      its impact on cell response. Key factors, such as APAF1, BAX, GADD45A, p21, PML,
      and YPEL3, which are related to cell cycle arrest, senescence, and apoptosis,
      were measured at different time points after incubation with Wogonin. Western
      blot and quantitative reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction analysis
      were used to examine protein and mRNA expression of these genes. In addition, we
      also used beta-galactosidase staining and flow cytometric analysis to further
      verify the results. It was found that Wogonin inhibited cell viability and
      downregulated SGK1 protein levels; 20 MUM Wogonin could induce non-small-cell
      lung cancer A549 cells into cell cycle arrest/senescence/apoptosis after 0.5/2/4
      h, respectively; and SGK1 dynamics showed significant differences under different
      cell responses. Together, our findings showed that SGK1 protein dynamics can be
      an important part of intracellular signaling, directly influencing cellular
      response decisions.

PMID- 28338771
TI  - Blood Pressure Control During Chronic Kidney Disease Progression.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Hypertension is a major cause of end-stage renal disease, and blood
      pressure (BP) control is crucial in patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD).
      However, it is generally inadequately controlled in CKD patients. We investigated
      the prevalence of CKD patients with inadequate BP control and its related
      factors, based on the CKD stage. METHODS: We analyzed the health examination
      sample cohort database, which consisted of the randomly selected participants
      among all the citizens who received the health examination provided by National
      Health Insurance Service of Korea in 2012 and 2013. RESULTS: There were 27,350
      CKD patients (7.9%) out of a total of 345,044 participants. As CKD stage
      progressed, there were more patients with poorly controlled hypertension compared
      to those with well-controlled hypertension. In addition, systolic BP increased
      with CKD stage progression, while diastolic BP was not significantly different.
      Age, female, body mass index, increased pulse pressure, CKD stage, and levels of
      fasting glucose, total cholesterol, hemoglobin, and proteinuria were significant
      factors associated with poor control of BP in hypertensive CKD patients.
      CONCLUSION: The proportion of CKD patients with poorly controlled hypertension
      significantly increased as CKD progressed, mainly associated with the increase in
      pulse pressure. However, future investigation for causal relationship between
      poorly controlled hypertension and its related factors is needed.

PMID- 28338772
TI  - Chemical strategies for pancreatic beta cell differentiation, reprogramming, and
      regeneration.
AB  - Generation of unlimited functional pancreatic beta cells is critical for the
      study of pancreatic biology and treatment of diabetes mellitus. Recent advances
      have suggested several promising directions, including directed differentiation
      of pancreatic beta cells from pluripotent stem cells, reprogramming of pancreatic
      beta cells from other types of somatic cells, and stimulated proliferation and
      enhanced functions of existing pancreatic beta cells. Small molecules are useful
      in generating unlimited numbers of functional pancreatic cells in vitro and could
      be further developed as drugs to stimulate endogenous pancreatic regeneration.
      Here, we provide an updated summary of recent major achievements in pancreatic
      beta cell differentiation, reprogramming, proliferation, and function. These
      studies will eventually lead to significant advances in the field of pancreatic
      biology and regeneration.

PMID- 28338773
TI  - CMV promoter and the mouse albumin promoter and enhancer triggered the elevation
      of hepatitis B virus envelope polypeptides.

PMID- 28338774
TI  - Pleiotropy-robust Mendelian randomization.
AB  - Background: The potential of Mendelian randomization studies is rapidly expanding
      due to: (i) the growing power of genome-wide association study (GWAS) meta
      analyses to detect genetic variants associated with several exposures; and (ii)
      the increasing availability of these genetic variants in large-scale surveys.
      However, without a proper biological understanding of the pleiotropic working of
      genetic variants, a fundamental assumption of Mendelian randomization (the
      exclusion restriction) can always be contested. Methods: We build upon and
      synthesize recent advances in the literature on instrumental variables (IVs)
      estimation that test and relax the exclusion restriction. Our pleiotropy-robust
      Mendelian randomization (PRMR) method first estimates the degree of pleiotropy,
      and in turn corrects for it. If (i) a subsample exists for which the genetic
      variants do not affect the exposure; (ii) the selection into this subsample is
      not a joint consequence of the IV and the outcome; (iii) pleiotropic effects are
      homogeneous, PRMR obtains unbiased estimates of causal effects. Results:
      Simulations show that existing MR methods produce biased estimators for realistic
      forms of pleiotropy. Under the aforementioned assumptions, PRMR produces unbiased
      estimators. We illustrate the practical use of PRMR by estimating the causal
      effect of: (i) tobacco exposure on body mass index (BMI); (ii) prostate cancer on
      self-reported health; and (iii) educational attainment on BMI in the UK Biobank
      data. Conclusions: PRMR allows for instrumental variables that violate the
      exclusion restriction due to pleiotropy, and it corrects for pleiotropy in the
      estimation of the causal effect. If the degree of pleiotropy is unknown, PRMR can
      still be used as a sensitivity analysis.

PMID- 28338775
TI  - Economic growth and mortality: do social protection policies matter?
AB  - Background: In the 20th century, periods of macroeconomic growth have been
      associated with increases in population mortality. Factors that cause or mitigate
      this association are not well understood. Evidence suggests that social policy
      may buffer the deleterious impact of economic growth. We sought to explore
      associations between changing unemployment (as a proxy for economic change) and
      trends in mortality over 30 years in the context of varying social protection
      expenditures. Methods: We model change in all-cause mortality in 21 OECD
      (Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development) countries from 1980 to
      2010. Data from the Comparative Welfare States Data Set and the WHO Mortality
      Database were used. A decrease in the unemployment rate was used as a proxy for
      economic growth and age-adjusted mortality rates as the outcome. Social
      protection expenditure was measured as percentage of gross domestic product
      expended. Results: A 1% decrease in unemployment (i.e. the proxy for economic
      growth) was associated with a 0.24% increase in the overall mortality rate (95%
      confidence interval: 0.07;0.42) in countries with no changes in social
      protection. Reductions in social protection expenditure strengthened this
      association between unemployment and mortality. The magnitude of the association
      was diminished over time. Conclusions: Our results are consistent with the
      hypothesis that social protection policies that accompany economic growth can
      mitigate its potential deleterious effects on health. Further research should
      identify specific policies that are most effective.

PMID- 28338776
TI  - Integration of water, sanitation and hygiene intervention delivery at health
      facilities with a reactive ring vaccination programme to reduce cholera.

PMID- 28338777
TI  - The Chlamydia suis Genome Exhibits High Levels of Diversity, Plasticity, and
      Mobile Antibiotic Resistance: Comparative Genomics of a Recent Livestock Cohort
      Shows Influence of Treatment Regimes.
AB  - Chlamydia suis is an endemic pig pathogen, belonging to a fascinating genus of
      obligate intracellular pathogens. Of particular interest, this is the only
      chlamydial species to have naturally acquired genes encoding for tetracycline
      resistance. To date, the distribution and mobility of the Tet-island are not well
      understood. Our study focused on whole genome sequencing of 29 C. suis isolates
      from a recent porcine cohort within Switzerland, combined with data from USA
      tetracycline-resistant isolates. Our findings show that the genome of C. suis is
      very plastic, with unprecedented diversity, highly affected by recombination and
      plasmid exchange. A large diversity of isolates circulates within Europe, even
      within individual Swiss farms, suggesting that C. suis originated around Europe.
      New World isolates have more restricted diversity and appear to derive from
      European isolates, indicating that historical strain transfers to the United
      States have occurred. The architecture of the Tet-island is variable, but the
      tetA(C) gene is always intact, and recombination has been a major factor in its
      transmission within C. suis. Selective pressure from tetracycline use within pigs
      leads to a higher number of Tet-island carrying isolates, which appear to be lost
      in the absence of such pressure, whereas the loss or gain of the Tet-island from
      individual strains is not observed. The Tet-island appears to be a recent import
      into the genome of C. suis, with a possible American origin.

PMID- 28338778
TI  - Caregiving, volunteering or both? Comparing effects on health and mortality using
      census-based records from almost 250,000 people aged 65 and over.
AB  - Background: the health impacts of caregiving and volunteering are rarely studied
      concurrently, despite the potential for both synergies and conflicts. This
      population-based study examines the association of these activities on health and
      subsequent mortality. Method: a census-based record-linkage study of 244,429
      people aged 65 and over, with cohort characteristics, caregiving and volunteering
      status, and presence of chronic health conditions derived from the Census
      returns. Mortality risk was assessed over the following 45 months with adjustment
      for baseline characteristics. Results: caregivers and volunteers were
      individually more mobile than those undertaking neither activity; caregivers who
      also volunteered were more mobile than those who did not volunteer, but no less
      likely to suffer from poor mental health. Both caregiving and volunteering were
      separately associated with reduced mortality risk (HR = 0.74: 95% confidence
      intervals (CIs) = 0.71, 0.77 and HR = 0.76: 0.73, 0.81, respectively); the lowest
      mortality was found amongst light caregivers who also volunteered (HR = 0.53: 95%
      CIs = 0.45, 0.62), compared to those engaged in neither. There was no evidence of
      a multiplicative effect of caregiving and volunteering at more intense levels of
      caregiving. Conclusion: there is a large overlap in caregiving and volunteering
      activities with complex associations with health status. There is some evidence
      that combining caregiving and volunteering activities, for those involved in less
      intense levels of caregiving, maybe associated with lower mortality risk than
      associated with either activity alone. Further research is needed to understand
      which aspects of caregiving and volunteering are best and for whom and in which
      circumstances.

PMID- 28338780
TI  - Commentary: New York City: measuring progress as it's made.

PMID- 28338779
TI  - Telomere Length and CCL11 Levels are Associated With Gray Matter Volume and
      Episodic Memory Performance in Schizophrenia: Evidence of Pathological
      Accelerated Aging.
AB  - Schizophrenia (SZ) is associated with increased somatic morbidity and mortality,
      in addition to cognitive impairments similar to those seen in normal aging, which
      may suggest that pathological accelerated aging occurs in SZ. Therefore, we aim
      to evaluate the relationships of age, telomere length (TL), and CCL11 (aging and
      inflammatory biomarkers, respectively), gray matter (GM) volume and episodic
      memory performance in individuals with SZ compared to healthy controls (HC). One
      hundred twelve participants (48 SZ and 64 HC) underwent clinical and memory
      assessments, structural MRI, and had their peripheral blood drawn for biomarkers
      analysis. Comparisons of group means and correlations were performed.
      Participants with SZ had decreased TL and GM volume, increased CCL11, and worse
      memory performance compared to HC. In SZ, shorter TL was related to increased
      CCL11, and both biomarkers were related to reduced GM volume, all of which were
      related to worse memory performance. Older age was only associated with reduced
      GM, but longer duration of illness was related with all the aforementioned
      variables. Younger age of disease onset was associated with increased CCL11
      levels and worse memory performance. In HC, there were no significant
      correlations except between memory and GM. Our results are consistent with the
      hypothesis of accelerated aging in SZ. These results may indicate that it is not
      age itself, but the impact of the disease associated with a pathological
      accelerated aging that leads to impaired outcomes in SZ.

PMID- 28338781
TI  - Profile: The Dar Es Salaam Health and Demographic Surveillance System (Dar es
      Salaam HDSS).

PMID- 28338782
TI  - Source-sink interaction: a century old concept under the light of modern
      molecular systems biology.
AB  - Many approaches to engineer source strength have been proposed to enhance crop
      yield potential. However, a well-co-ordinated source-sink relationship is
      required finally to realize the promised increase in crop yield potential in the
      farmer's field. Source-sink interaction has been intensively studied for decades,
      and a vast amount of knowledge about the interaction in different crops and under
      different environments has been accumulated. In this review, we first introduce
      the basic concepts of source, sink and their interactions, then summarize current
      understanding of how source and sink can be manipulated through both
      environmental control and genetic manipulations. We show that the source-sink
      interaction underlies the diverse responses of crops to the same perturbations
      and argue that development of a molecular systems model of source-sink
      interaction is required towards a rational manipulation of the source-sink
      relationship for increased yield. We finally discuss both bottom-up and top-down
      routes to develop such a model and emphasize that a community effort is needed
      for development of this model.

PMID- 28338783
TI  - Empathy and moral emotions in post-apartheid South Africa: an fMRI investigation.
AB  - Moral emotions elicited in response to others' suffering are mediated by empathy
      and affect how we respond to their pain. South Africa provides a unique
      opportunity to study group processes given its racially divided past. The present
      study seeks insights into aspects of the moral brain by investigating behavioral
      and functional MRI responses of White and Black South Africans who lived through
      apartheid to in- and out-group physical and social pain. Whereas the physical
      pain task featured faces expressing dynamic suffering, the social pain task
      featured victims of apartheid violence from the South African Truth and
      Reconciliation Commission to elicit heartfelt emotion. Black participants'
      behavioral responses were suggestive of in-group favoritism, whereas White
      participants' responses were apparently egalitarian. However, all participants
      showed significant in-group biases in activation in the amygdala (physical pain),
      as well as areas involved in mental state representation, including the
      precuneus, temporoparietal junction (TPJ) and frontal pole (physical and social
      pain). Additionally, Black participants reacted with heightened moral indignation
      to own-race suffering, whereas White participants reacted with heightened shame
      to Black suffering, which was associated with blunted neural empathic responding.
      These findings provide ecologically valid insights into some behavioral and brain
      processes involved in complex moral situations.

PMID- 28338784
TI  - In God we trust? Neural measures reveal lower social conformity among non
      religious individuals.
AB  - Even in predominantly religious societies, there are substantial individual
      differences in religious commitment. Why is this? One possibility is that
      differences in social conformity (i.e. the tendency to think and behave as others
      do) underlie inclination towards religiosity. However, the link between
      religiosity and conformity has not yet been directly examined. In this study, we
      tested the notion that non-religious individuals show dampened social conformity,
      using both self-reported and neural (EEG-based ERPs) measures of sensitivity to
      others' influence. Non-religious vs religious undergraduate subjects completed an
      experimental task that assessed levels of conformity in a domain unrelated to
      religion (i.e. in judgments of facial attractiveness). Findings showed that,
      although both groups yielded to conformity pressures at the self-report level,
      non-religious individuals did not yield to such pressures in their neural
      responses. These findings highlight a novel link between religiosity and social
      conformity, and hold implications for prominent theories about the psychological
      functions of religion.

PMID- 28338785
TI  - Elevated nucleus accumbens structural connectivity associated with proneness to
      hypomania: a reward hypersensitivity perspective.
AB  - The Reward Hypersensitivity Model of bipolar disorder argues that
      hypersensitivity to reward-relevant cues characterizes risk for hypo/mania. This
      hypersensitivity leads to increased goal-directed motivation during reward
      relevant life events that, in the extreme, is reflected in hypo/manic symptoms.
      In line with this perspective, individuals with bipolar disorder display elevated
      activation in a cortico-striatal reward circuit including the nucleus accumbens
      (NAcc) and medial orbitofrontal cortex (mOFC). To date, however, research on
      reward-related neural circuitry underlying bipolar symptoms focuses on syndromal
      bipolar disorder (bipolar I, bipolar II), and typically examines neural regions
      in isolation of each other. Accordingly, this study examines the relationship
      between subsyndromal hypo/mania proneness and structural connectivity between the
      NAcc and both the mOFC and amygdala in a medication-free sample. Fifty-four
      community participants completed diffusion-weighted imaging and a self-report
      measure of bipolar risk (hypo/mania proneness). As predicted, elevated structural
      connectivity between the NAcc and both the mOFC and amygdala were associated with
      elevated hypo/mania proneness. This relationship was specific to NAcc-centered
      reward connectivity, as there was no relationship between hypo/mania proneness
      and either whole-brain or cortico-amygdala connectivity. Results suggest that
      reward-relevant tractography from cortical (mOFC) and subcortical (amygdala)
      regions amplify NAcc-centered reward processing in bipolar risk.

PMID- 28338786
TI  - Recombination-Mediated Host Adaptation by Avian Staphylococcus aureus.
AB  - Staphylococcus aureus are globally disseminated among farmed chickens causing
      skeletal muscle infections, dermatitis, and septicaemia. The emergence of poultry
      associated lineages has involved zoonotic transmission from humans to chickens
      but questions remain about the specific adaptations that promote proliferation of
      chicken pathogens. We characterized genetic variation in a population of genome
      sequenced S. aureus isolates of poultry and human origin. Genealogical analysis
      identified a dominant poultry-associated sequence cluster within the CC5 clonal
      complex. Poultry and human CC5 isolates were significantly distinct from each
      other and more recombination events were detected in the poultry isolates. We
      identified 44 recombination events in 33 genes along the branch extending to the
      poultry-specific CC5 cluster, and 47 genes were found more often in CC5 poultry
      isolates compared with those from humans. Many of these gene sequences were
      common in chicken isolates from other clonal complexes suggesting horizontal gene
      transfer among poultry associated lineages. Consistent with functional
      predictions for putative poultry-associated genes, poultry isolates showed
      enhanced growth at 42  degrees C and greater erythrocyte lysis on chicken blood
      agar in comparison with human isolates. By combining phenotype information with
      evolutionary analyses of staphylococcal genomes, we provide evidence of
      adaptation, following a human-to-poultry host transition. This has important
      implications for the emergence and dissemination of new pathogenic clones
      associated with modern agriculture.

PMID- 28338787
TI  - Total and Fetal Circulating Cell-Free DNA, Angiogenic, and Antiangiogenic Factors
      in Preeclampsia and HELLP Syndrome.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Preeclampsia (PE) is a hypertensive disorder of pregnancy
      characterized by hypertension and proteinuria. The HELLP syndrome is the most
      severe form of PE. The aim of the present study was to determine different
      potential biomarkers that may help us perform an early diagnosis of the disease,
      assess on the severity of the disease, and/or predict maternal or fetal adverse
      outcomes. METHODS: We measured serum levels of total and fetal circulating cell
      free DNA (cfDNA), soluble endoglin, soluble form of vascular endothelial growth
      factor receptor, and placental growth factor in a healthy control group of
      pregnant women (n = 26), patients with mild (n = 37) and severe PE (n = 25), and
      patients with HELLP syndrome (n = 16). RESULTS: We observed a gradual and strong
      relationship between all the biomarkers mentioned and the range of severity of
      PE, with the highest levels in patients with HELLP syndrome. Nevertheless, only
      the values of total cfDNA were able to significantly differentiate severe PE and
      HELLP syndrome (20957 +/- 2784 vs. 43184 +/- 8647 GE/ml, P = 0.01). Receiver
      operating characteristic (ROC) curves were constructed (i) for the healthy group
      with respect to the groups with PE and (ii) for patients with PE with respect to
      the group with HELLP syndrome; sensitivity and specificity values at different
      cutoff levels were calculated in each case. The maximum ROC area under the curve
      value for PE and HELLP syndrome (with respect to controls) was 0.91 (P < 0.001).
      CONCLUSIONS: The measured biomarkers of cell damage, angiogenesis, and
      antiangiogenesis may reflect the severity of PE, with higher levels in patients
      who develop HELLP syndrome. In addition, these biomarkers may also help predict
      adverse fetal and maternal outcomes.

PMID- 28338788
TI  - Hypertension and Atrial Fibrillation: An Intimate Association of Epidemiology,
      Pathophysiology, and Outcomes.
AB  - Atrial fibrillation (AF) is the most prevalent sustained arrhythmia found in
      clinical practice. AF rarely exists as a single entity but rather as part of a
      diverse clinical spectrum of cardiovascular diseases, related to structural and
      electrical remodeling within the left atrium, leading to AF onset, perpetuation,
      and progression. Due to the high overall prevalence within the AF population
      arterial hypertension plays a significant role in the pathogenesis of AF and its
      complications. Fibroblast proliferation, apoptosis of cardiomyocytes, gap
      junction remodeling, accumulation of collagen both in atrial and ventricular
      myocardium all accompany ageing-related structural remodeling with impact on
      electrical activity. The presence of hypertension also stimulates oxidative
      stress, systemic inflammation, rennin-angiotensin-aldosterone and sympathetic
      activation, which further drives the remodeling process in AF. Importantly, both
      hypertension and AF independently increase the risk of cardiovascular and
      cerebrovascular events, e.g., stroke and myocardial infarction. Given that both
      AF and hypertension often present with limited on patient wellbeing, treatment
      may be delayed resulting in development of complications as the first clinical
      manifestation of the disease. Antithrombotic prevention in AF combined with
      strict blood pressure control is of primary importance, since stroke risk and
      bleeding risk are both greater with underlying hypertension.

PMID- 28338789
TI  - Phosphorylation of the phytosulfokine peptide receptor PSKR1 controls receptor
      activity.
AB  - The phytosulfokine peptide receptor PSKR1 is modified by phosphorylation of its
      cytoplasmic kinase domain. We analyzed defined phosphorylation sites by site
      directed mutagenesis with regard to kinase activity in vitro and receptor
      activity in planta. S696 and S698 in the juxtamembrane (JM) domain are
      phosphorylated in planta. The phosphomimetic S696D/S698D replacements resulted in
      reduced transphosphorylation activity of PSKR1 kinase in vitro but did not reduce
      autophosphorylation activity. Growth-promoting activity of the PSKR1(S696D/S698D)
      receptor isoform was impaired in the shoot but not in the root. The JM domain
      thus seems to be important for phosphorylation of a target protein required for
      shoot growth promotion. The phosphomimetic replacement T998D at the C-terminus
      (CT) abolished kinase activity in vitro but not receptor function in planta,
      indicating that additional levels of regulation exist in planta. A possible mode
      of receptor regulation is the interaction with regulatory proteins such as the
      calcium sensor calmodulin (CaM). We show that the previously reported binding of
      CaM2 to PSKR1 is calcium-dependent, occurs predominately to the
      hypophosphorylated soluble PSKR1 kinase, and does not significantly change PSKR1
      kinase activity. In conclusion, our results show that peptide signaling of growth
      by PSKR1 is regulated by differential phosphorylation of the juxtamembrane and C
      terminal domains of the intracellular receptor part and suggest that interaction
      of PSKR1 with CaM serves a function other than the regulation of kinase activity.

PMID- 28338790
TI  - Empathy for pain motivates actions without altruistic effects: evidence of motor
      dynamics and brain activity.
AB  - Empathy has been supposed to be a proximate mechanism of altruistic behavior. We
      investigated whether empathy for pain drives actions without altruistic effects
      and how such actions modulate neural responses to others' pain. In two
      experiments, we asked healthy adults to press a button for no reason when viewing
      video clips showing faces with pain expressions receiving needle penetration or
      faces with neutral expressions receiving a cotton swab touch. Experiment 1 found
      that participants pressed a button with greater response force when watching
      painful than non-painful stimuli. Participants who reported greater unpleasant
      feelings pressed the button harder when viewing painful stimuli. Experiment 2
      revealed that passively viewing painful vs non-painful stimuli increased blood
      oxygen-level-dependent signals in the middle cingulate cortex, supplementary
      motor cortex, and bilateral second somatosensory and inferior frontal cortex,
      which, however, were reduced by the action of button press without altruistic
      effects. In addition, individuals who reported higher personal distress
      illustrated greater decrease of the second somatosensory activity induced by
      button press. Our results indicate that empathy for pain motivates simple actions
      without altruistic effects that in turn reduce neural responses to others' pain,
      suggesting a functional role of action execution in self distress relief when
      viewing others' suffering.

PMID- 28338791
TI  - Brains in dialogue: decoding neural preparation of speaking to a conversational
      partner.
AB  - In dialogue, language processing is adapted to the conversational partner. We
      hypothesize that the brain facilitates partner-adapted language processing
      through preparatory neural configurations (task sets) that are tailored to the
      conversational partner. In this experiment, we measured neural activity with
      functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) while healthy participants in the
      scanner (a) engaged in a verbal communication task with a conversational partner
      outside of the scanner, or (b) spoke outside of a conversational context (to test
      the microphone). Using multivariate searchlight analysis, we identify cortical
      regions that represent information on whether speakers plan to speak to a
      conversational partner or without having a partner. Most notably a region that
      has been associated with processing social-affective information and perspective
      taking, the ventromedial prefrontal cortex, as well as regions that have been
      associated with prospective task representation, the bilateral ventral prefrontal
      cortex, are involved in encoding the speaking condition. Our results suggest that
      speakers prepare, in advance of speaking, for the social context in which they
      will speak.

PMID- 28338792
TI  - A polygalacturonase localized in the Golgi apparatus in Pisum sativum.
AB  - Pectin is a plant cell wall constituent that is mainly composed of
      polygalacturonic acid (PGA), a linear alpha1,4-d-galacturonic acid (GalUA)
      backbone. Polygalacturonase (PG) hydrolyzes the alpha1,4-linkages in PGA. Nearly
      all plant PGs identified thus far are secreted as soluble proteins. Here we
      describe the microsomal PG activity in pea (Pisum sativum) epicotyls and present
      biochemical evidence that it was localized to the Golgi apparatus, where pectins
      are biosynthesized. The microsomal PG was purified, and it was enzymatically
      characterized. The purified enzyme showed maximum activity towards
      pyridylaminated oligogalacturonic acids with six degrees of polymerization (PA
      GalUA6), with a Km value of 11 MUM for PA-GalUA6. The substrate preference of the
      enzyme was complementary to that of PGA synthase. The main PG activity in
      microsomes was detected in the Golgi fraction by sucrose density gradient
      ultracentrifugation. The activity of the microsomal PG was lower in rapidly
      growing epicotyls, in contrast to the high expression of PGA synthase. The role
      of this PG in the regulation of pectin biosynthesis or plant growth is discussed.

PMID- 28338794
TI  - Genome-wide association study unravels the genetic control of the apple
      volatilome and its interplay with fruit texture.
AB  - Fruit quality represents a fundamental factor guiding consumers' preferences.
      Among apple quality traits, volatile organic compounds and texture features play
      a major role. Proton Transfer Reaction-Time of Flight-Mass Spectrometry (PTR-ToF
      MS), coupled with an artificial chewing device, was used to profile the entire
      apple volatilome of 162 apple accessions, while the fruit texture was dissected
      with a TAXT-AED texture analyzer. The array of volatile compounds was classed
      into seven major groups and used in a genome-wide association analysis carried
      out with 9142 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs). Marker-trait associations
      were identified on seven chromosomes co-locating with important candidate genes
      for aroma, such as MdAAT1 and MdIGS. The integration of volatilome and fruit
      texture data conducted with a multiple factor analysis unraveled contrasting
      behavior, underlying opposite regulation of the two fruit quality aspects. The
      association analysis using the first two principal components identified two QTLs
      located on chromosomes 10 and 2, respectively. The distinction of the apple
      accessions on the basis of the allelic configuration of two functional markers,
      MdPG1 and MdACO1, shed light on the type of interplay existing between fruit
      texture and the production of volatile organic compounds.

PMID- 28338793
TI  - Sensitivity to perception level differentiates two subnetworks within the mirror
      neuron system.
AB  - Mirror neurons are a subset of brain cells that discharge during action execution
      and passive observation of similar actions. An open question concerns the
      functional role of their ability to match observed and executed actions. Since
      understanding of goals requires conscious perception of actions, we expect that
      mirror neurons potentially involved in action goal coding, will be modulated by
      changes in action perception level. Here, we manipulated perception level of
      action videos depicting short hand movements and measured the corresponding fMRI
      BOLD responses in mirror regions. Our results show that activity levels within a
      network of regions, including the sensorimotor cortex, primary motor cortex,
      dorsal premotor cortex and posterior superior temporal sulcus, are sensitive to
      changes in action perception level, whereas activity levels in the inferior
      frontal gyrus, ventral premotor cortex, supplementary motor area and superior
      parietal lobule are invariant to such changes. In addition, this parcellation to
      two sub-networks manifest as smaller functional distances within each group of
      regions during task and resting state. Our results point to functional
      differences between regions within the mirror neurons system which may have
      implications with respect to their possible role in action understanding.

PMID- 28338795
TI  - 'Mom-I don't want to hear it': Brain response to maternal praise and criticism in
      adolescents with major depressive disorder.
AB  - Recent research has implicated altered neural response to interpersonal feedback
      as an important factor in adolescent depression, with existing studies focusing
      on responses to feedback from virtual peers. We investigated whether depressed
      adolescents differed from healthy youth in neural response to social evaluative
      feedback from mothers. During neuroimaging, twenty adolescents in a current
      episode of major depressive disorder (MDD) and 28 healthy controls listened to
      previously recorded audio clips of their own mothers' praise, criticism and
      neutral comments. Whole-brain voxelwise analyses revealed that MDD youth, unlike
      controls, exhibited increased neural response to critical relative to neutral
      clips in the parahippocampal gyrus, an area involved in episodic memory encoding
      and retrieval. Depressed adolescents also showed a blunted response to maternal
      praise clips relative to neutral clips in the parahippocampal gyrus, as well as
      areas involved in reward and self-referential processing (i.e. ventromedial
      prefrontal cortex, precuneus, and thalamus/caudate). Findings suggest that
      maternal criticism may be more strongly encoded or more strongly activated during
      memory retrieval related to previous autobiographical instances of negative
      feedback from mothers in depressed youth compared to healthy youth. Furthermore,
      depressed adolescents may fail to process the reward value and self-relevance of
      maternal praise.

PMID- 28338796
TI  - Temporal signatures of processing voiceness and emotion in sound.
AB  - This study explored the temporal course of vocal and emotional sound processing.
      Participants detected rare repetitions in a stimulus stream comprising neutral
      and surprised non-verbal exclamations and spectrally rotated control sounds.
      Spectral rotation preserved some acoustic and emotional properties of the vocal
      originals. Event-related potentials elicited to unrepeated sounds revealed
      effects of voiceness and emotion. Relative to non-vocal sounds, vocal sounds
      elicited a larger centro-parietally distributed N1. This effect was followed by
      greater positivity to vocal relative to non-vocal sounds beginning with the P2
      and extending throughout the recording epoch (N4, late positive potential) with
      larger amplitudes in female than in male listeners. Emotion effects overlapped
      with the voiceness effects but were smaller and differed topographically.
      Voiceness and emotion interacted only for the late positive potential, which was
      greater for vocal-emotional as compared with all other sounds. Taken together,
      these results point to a multi-stage process in which voiceness and emotionality
      are represented independently before being integrated in a manner that biases
      responses to stimuli with socio-emotional relevance.

PMID- 28338797
TI  - AN ESTIMATION OF THE EXPOSURE OF THE POPULATION OF ISRAEL TO NATURAL SOURCES OF
      IONIZING RADIATION.
AB  - The radiation dose to the population of Israel due to exposure to natural sources
      of ionizing radiation was assessed. The main contributor to the dose is radon
      that accounts for 60% of the exposure to natural sources. The dose due to radon
      inhalation was assessed by combining the results of a radon survey in single
      family houses with the results of a survey in apartments in multi-storey
      buildings. The average annual dose due to radon inhalation was found to be 1.2
      mSv. The dose rate due to exposure to cosmic radiation was assessed using a code
      that calculates the dose rate at different heights above sea level, taking into
      account the solar cycle. The annual dose was calculated based on the fraction of
      time spent indoors and the attenuation provided by buildings and was found to be
      0.2 mSv. The annual dose due to external exposure to the terrestrial
      radionuclides was similarly assessed. The indoor dose rate was calculated using a
      model that takes into account the concentrations of the natural radionuclides in
      building materials, the density and the thickness of the walls. The dose rate
      outdoors was calculated based on the concentrations of the natural radionuclides
      in different geological units in Israel as measured in an aerial survey and
      measurements above ground. The annual dose was found to be 0.2 mSv. Doses due to
      internal exposure other than exposure to radon were also calculated and were
      found to be 0.4 mSv. The overall annual exposure of the population of Israel to
      natural sources of ionizing radiation is therefore 2 mSv and ranges between 1.7
      and 2.7 mSv.

PMID- 28338798
TI  - Genetic dissection of metabolite variation in Arabidopsis seeds: evidence for
      mQTL hotspots and a master regulatory locus of seed metabolism.
AB  - To gain insight into genetic factors controlling seed metabolic composition and
      its relationship to major seed properties, an Arabidopsis recombinant inbred line
      (RIL) population, derived from accessions Col-0 and C24, was studied using an MS
      based metabolic profiling approach. Relative intensities of 311 polar primary
      metabolites were used to identify associated genomic loci and to elucidate their
      interactions by quantitative trait locus (QTL) mapping. A total of 786 metabolic
      QTLs (mQTLs) were unequally distributed across the genome, forming several
      hotspots. For the branched-chain amino acid leucine, mQTLs and candidate genes
      were elucidated in detail. Correlation studies displayed links between metabolite
      levels, seed protein content, and seed weight. Principal component analysis
      revealed a clustering of samples, with PC1 mapping to a region on the short arm
      of chromosome IV. The overlap of this region with mQTL hotspots indicates the
      presence of a potential master regulatory locus of seed metabolism. As a result
      of database queries, a series of candidate regulatory genes, including bZIP10,
      were identified within this region. Depending on the search conditions, metabolic
      pathway-derived candidate genes for 40-61% of tested mQTLs could be determined,
      providing an extensive basis for further identification and characterization of
      hitherto unknown genes causal for natural variation of Arabidopsis seed
      metabolism.

PMID- 28338799
TI  - Novel form of the Michaelis-Menten equation that enables accurate estimation of
      (kcat/KM)*KI with just two rate measurements; utility in directed evolution.
AB  - One of applications of directed evolution is to desensitize an enzyme to an
      inhibitor. kcat,1/KM and KI are three dimensions that when multiplied measure an
      enzyme's intrinsic capacity for catalysis in the presence of an inhibitor. The
      ideal values for the individual dimensions depend on substrate and inhibitor
      concentrations under the conditions of the application. When attempting to
      optimize those values by directed evolution, (kcat/KM)*KI can be an informative
      parameter for evaluating libraries of variants, but throughput is limited. We
      describe a manipulation of the Michaelis-Menten equation for competitive
      inhibition that isolates (kcat/KM)*KI on one side of the equation. If velocity is
      measured at constant enzyme and substrate concentrations with two different
      inhibitor concentrations (one of which can be 0), the data are sufficient to
      calculate (kcat/KM)*KI with just two rate measurements. The procedure is
      validated by correlating values obtained by the rapid method with those obtained
      by substrate saturation kinetics.

PMID- 28338800
TI  - A steady-state stomatal model of balanced leaf gas exchange, hydraulics and
      maximal source-sink flux.
AB  - Trees must simultaneously balance their CO2 uptake rate via stomata,
      photosynthesis, the transport rate of sugars and rate of sugar utilization in
      sinks while maintaining a favourable water and carbon balance. We demonstrate
      using a numerical model that it is possible to understand stomatal functioning
      from the viewpoint of maximizing the simultaneous photosynthetic production,
      phloem transport and sink sugar utilization rate under the limitation that the
      transpiration-driven hydrostatic pressure gradient sets for those processes. A
      key feature in our model is that non-stomatal limitations to photosynthesis
      increase with decreasing leaf water potential and/or increasing leaf sugar
      concentration and are thus coupled to stomatal conductance. Maximizing the
      photosynthetic production rate using a numerical steady-state model leads to
      stomatal behaviour that is able to reproduce the well-known trends of stomatal
      behaviour in response to, e.g., light, vapour concentration difference, ambient
      CO2 concentration, soil water status, sink strength and xylem and phloem
      hydraulic conductance. We show that our results for stomatal behaviour are very
      similar to the solutions given by the earlier models of stomatal conductance
      derived solely from gas exchange considerations. Our modelling results also
      demonstrate how the 'marginal cost of water' in the unified stomatal conductance
      model and the optimal stomatal model could be related to plant structural and
      physiological traits, most importantly, the soil-to-leaf hydraulic conductance
      and soil moisture.

PMID- 28338801
TI  - Evolutionary origin of mitochondrial cytochrome P450.
AB  - Different molecular species of cytochrome P450 (P450) are distributed between
      endoplasmic reticulum (microsomes) and mitochondria in animal cells. Plants and
      fungi have many microsomal P450s, but no mitochondrial P450 has so far been
      reported. To elucidate the evolutionary origin of mitochondrial P450s in animal
      cells, available evidence is examined, and the virtual absence of mitochondrial
      P450 in plants and fungi is confirmed. It is also suggested that a microsomal
      P450 is the ancestor of animal mitochondrial P450s. It is likely that the
      endoplasmic reticulum-targeting sequence at the amino-terminus of a microsomal
      P450 was converted to a mitochondria-targeting sequence possibly by point
      mutations of a few amino acid residues or by an exon-shuffling/moving event
      shortly after animal lineage diverged from plants and fungi in the course of
      evolution of eukaryotes. It is suggested that the microsome-type P450 first
      imported into mitochondria utilized the existing ferredoxin in the matrix to
      receive electrons from NADPH, retained its oxygenase activity in the
      mitochondria, and gradually diversified to several P450s with different substrate
      specificities in the course of the evolution of animals.

PMID- 28338802
TI  - Cross-Species Genome-Wide Identification of Evolutionary Conserved MicroProteins.
AB  - MicroProteins are small single-domain proteins that act by engaging their targets
      into different, sometimes nonproductive protein complexes. In order to identify
      novel microProteins in any sequenced genome of interest, we have developed
      miPFinder, a program that identifies and classifies potential microProteins. In
      the past years, several microProteins have been discovered in plants where they
      are mainly involved in the regulation of development by fine-tuning transcription
      factor activities. The miPFinder algorithm identifies all up to date known plant
      microProteins and extends the microProtein concept beyond transcription factors
      to other protein families. Here, we reveal potential microProtein candidates in
      several plant and animal reference genomes. A large number of these microProteins
      are species-specific while others evolved early and are evolutionary highly
      conserved. Most known microProtein genes originated from large ancestral genes by
      gene duplication, mutation and subsequent degradation. Gene ontology analysis
      shows that putative microProtein ancestors are often located in the nucleus, and
      involved in DNA binding and formation of protein complexes. Additionally,
      microProtein candidates act in plant transcriptional regulation, signal
      transduction and anatomical structure development. MiPFinder is freely available
      to find microProteins in any genome and will aid in the identification of novel
      microProteins in plants and animals.

PMID- 28338803
TI  - Vertical and seasonal variations in temperature responses of leaf respiration in
      a Chamaecyparis obtusa canopy.
AB  - Leaf respiration (R) is a major component of carbon balance in forest ecosystems.
      Clarifying the variability of leaf R within a canopy is essential for predicting
      the impact of global warming on forest productivity and the potential future
      function of the forest ecosystem as a carbon sink. We examined vertical and
      seasonal variations in short-term temperature responses of leaf R as well as
      environmental factors (light and mean air temperature) and physiological factors
      [leaf nitrogen (N), leaf mass per area (LMA), and shoot growth] in the canopy of
      a 10-year-old stand of hinoki cypress [Chamaecyparis obtusa (Sieb. et Zucc.)
      Endl.] in Kyushu, Japan. Leaf respiration rate adjusted to 20  degrees C (R20)
      exhibited evident vertical gradients in each season and was correlated with
      light, LMA and leaf N. In contrast, the temperature sensitivity of leaf R (Q10)
      did not vary vertically throughout the seasons. Seasonally, Q10 was higher in
      winter than in summer and was strongly negatively correlated to mean air
      temperature. A negative correlation of R20 with mean air temperature was also
      observed for each of the three canopy layers. These results clearly indicate that
      leaf R was able to adjust to seasonal changes in ambient temperature under field
      conditions and down-regulate during warmer periods. We also found that the degree
      of thermal acclimation did not vary with canopy position. Overall, our results
      suggest that vertical and seasonal variations in temperature responses of leaf R
      within a hinoki cypress canopy could be predicted by relatively simple parameters
      (light and temperature). There was an exception of extremely high R20 values in
      April that may have been due to the onset of shoot growth in spring.
      Understanding thermal acclimation and variations in leaf R within forest canopies
      will improve global terrestrial carbon cycle models.

PMID- 28338804
TI  - Duplications and Positive Selection Drive the Evolution of Parasitism-Associated
      Gene Families in the Nematode Strongyloides papillosus.
AB  - Gene duplication is a major mechanism playing a role in the evolution of
      phenotypic complexity and in the generation of novel traits. By comparing
      parasitic and nonparasitic nematodes, a recent study found that the evolution of
      parasitism in Strongyloididae is associated with a large expansion in the Astacin
      and CAP gene families.To gain novel insights into the developmental processes in
      the sheep parasite Strongyloides papillosus, we sequenced transcriptomes of
      different developmental stages and sexes. Overall, we found that the majority of
      genes are developmentally regulated and have one-to-one orthologs in the diverged
      S. ratti genome. Together with the finding of similar expression profiles between
      S. papillosus and S. ratti, these results indicate a strong evolutionary
      constraint acting against change at sequence and expression levels. However, the
      comparison between parasitic and free-living females demonstrates a quite
      divergent pattern that is mostly due to the previously mentioned expansion in the
      Astacin and CAP gene families. More detailed phylogenetic analysis of both gene
      families shows that most members date back to single expansion events early in
      the Strongyloides lineage and have undergone subfunctionalization resulting in
      clusters that are highly expressed either in infective larvae or in parasitic
      females. Finally, we found increased evidence for positive selection in both gene
      families relative to the genome-wide expectation.In summary, our study reveals
      first insights into the developmental transcriptomes of S. papillosus and
      provides a detailed analysis of sequence and expression evolution in parasitism
      associated gene families.

PMID- 28338805
TI  - Deciphering the genetic control of fruit texture in apple by multiple family
      based analysis and genome-wide association.
AB  - Fruit texture is a complex feature composed of mechanical and acoustic properties
      relying on the modifications occurring in the cell wall throughout fruit
      development and ripening. Apple is characterized by a large variation in fruit
      texture behavior that directly impacts both the consumer's appreciation and post
      harvest performance. To decipher the genetic control of fruit texture
      comprehensively, two complementing quantitative trait locus (QTL) mapping
      approaches were employed. The first was represented by a pedigree-based analysis
      (PBA) carried out on six full-sib pedigreed families, while the second was a
      genome-wide association study (GWAS) performed on a collection of 233 apple
      accessions. Both plant materials were genotyped with a 20K single nucleotide
      polymorphism (SNP) array and phenotyped with a sophisticated high-resolution
      texture analyzer. The overall QTL results indicated the fundamental role of
      chromosome 10 in controlling the mechanical properties, while chromosomes 2 and
      14 were more associated with the acoustic response. The latter QTL, moreover,
      showed a consistent relationship between the QTL-estimated genotypes and the
      acoustic performance assessed among seedlings. The in silico annotation of these
      intervals revealed interesting candidate genes potentially involved in fruit
      texture regulation, as suggested by the gene expression profile. The joint
      integration of these approaches sheds light on the specific control of fruit
      texture, enabling important genetic information to assist in the selection of
      valuable fruit quality apple varieties.

PMID- 28338806
TI  - Influenza-Associated Hospitalizations for Cardiovascular Diseases in the Tropics.
AB  - Influenza is a major cause of mortality and morbidity. We aimed to examine the
      influenza-associated hospitalization rates and proportions for cardiovascular
      disease (CVD) in tropical Singapore. Hospital admissions for ischemic heart
      disease (IHD), congestive heart failure (CHF), and overall CVD were obtained from
      the national inpatient database for the period of 2010-2014. We used, as the key
      indicator of influenza virus activity, the overall proportion of specimens from
      outpatients with influenza-like illness in the community that tested positive for
      influenza as part of the national influenza surveillance program. The annual
      influenza-associated hospitalization rates per 100,000 person-years ranged from
      9.5 to 12.2 for IHD, 7.7 to 9.1 for CHF, and 15.8 to 19.2 for overall CVD. The
      influenza-associated hospitalization rates increased with increasing age.
      Influenza was significantly associated with excess hospitalizations in elderly
      persons aged >=80 years, with an excess hospitalization rate per 100,000 person
      years of 242.7 for IHD (P = 0.02), 271.8 for CHF (P = 0.01), and 497.2 for
      overall CVD (P < 0.001). In the tropics, influenza accounts for excess
      cardiovascular-related hospitalizations, especially in the elderly.

PMID- 28338807
TI  - Is orthostatic hypotension related to falling? A meta-analysis of individual
      patient data of prospective observational studies.
AB  - Background: orthostatic hypotension (OH) is one out of many risk factors believed
      to contribute to an increased fall risk in elderly subjects but it is unclear
      whether an independent association between OH and falling exists. Objectives: to
      perform an individual patient data (IPD) meta-analysis of prospective
      observational studies investigating the relationship between OH and falling.
      Design: MEDLINE, EMBASE, the Cochrane Library and the abstracts of annual
      meetings of selected hypertension societies were searched. Both one-stage
      (analysing all IPD from all studies simultaneously) and two-stage (analysing IPD
      per study, and then pooling the results) methods were used, and both logistic and
      cox regression analyses were performed. The study protocol was published on
      PROSPERO (2015:CRD42015019178). Results: from 34 selected abstracts, 6 studies
      were included. IPD were provided in 1,022 patients from 3 cohorts and were
      included in the IPD meta-analysis. The one-stage meta-analysis showed a
      significant relationship between OH and time to first fall incident (hazard ratio
      (HR) 1.52 (95% Confidence Interval (CI) 1.23-1.88)). No significant relationship
      between OH and falling was found in the one-stage logistic regression analysis
      and the two-stage logistic and cox regression analyses. Conclusions: this IPD
      meta-analysis of prospective observational studies showed a clear and significant
      relationship between OH and time to first fall incident. Although the ORs of
      falling was not significantly different for patients with and without OH, a the
      cox regression analyses reporting HRs and including time to incident provided
      more clinically relevant information in present meta-analysis.

PMID- 28338808
TI  - The relationship between cognitive impairment, mortality and discharge
      characteristics in a large cohort of older adults with unscheduled admissions to
      an acute hospital: a retrospective observational study.
AB  - Background: older people with dementia admitted to hospital for acute illness
      have higher mortality and longer hospital stays compared to those without
      dementia. Cognitive impairment (CI) is common in older people, and they may also
      be at increased risk of poor outcomes. Methods: retrospective observational study
      of unscheduled admissions aged >=75 years. Admission characteristics, mortality
      rates and discharge outcomes were compared between three groups: (i) known
      dementia diagnosis (DD), (ii) CI but no diagnosis of dementia and (iii) no CI.
      Results: of 19,269 admissions (13,652 patients), 19.8% had a DD, 11.6% had CI and
      68.6% had neither. Admissions with CI or DD were older and had more females than
      those with no CI, and were more likely to be admitted through the Emergency
      Department (88.4% and 90.7%, versus 82.0%) and to medical wards (89.4% and 84.4%,
      versus 76.8%). Acuity levels at admission were similar between the groups.
      Patients with CI or DD had more admissions at 'high risk' from malnutrition than
      patients with no CI (28.0% and 33.7% versus 17.5%), and a higher risk of dying in
      hospital (11.8% [10.5-13.3] and 10.8% [9.8-11.9] versus (6.6% [6.2-7.0])).
      Conclusions: the admission characteristics, mortality and length of stay of
      patients with CI resemble those of patients with diagnosed dementia. Whilst
      attention has been focussed on the need for additional support for people with
      dementia, patients with CI, which may include those with undiagnosed dementia or
      delirium, appear to have equally bad outcomes from hospitalisation.

PMID- 28338809
TI  - Resveratrol derivative BTM-0512 mitigates obesity by promoting beige remodeling
      of subcutaneous preadipocytes.
AB  - Recent studies revealed that sirtuin 1 (SIRT1) is involved in the regulation of
      energy metabolism and its agonist resveratrol showed anti-obesity effect. This
      study aims to determine whether BTM-0512, a novel derivative of resveratrol, acts
      as an antagonist of obesity and to explore its possible mechanisms. High-fat diet
      (HFD)-induced obese mice were intragastrically administered with BTM-0512 (5, 10,
      and 20 mg/kg/day) or resveratrol (10 mg/kg/day). It was found that the body
      weight, Lee's index, ratio of visceral adipose tissue (VAT) to body weight, and
      blood glucose were significantly reduced in BTM-0512-treated mice when compared
      with those in mice treated with resveratrol. BTM-0512 up-regulated the
      expressions of SIRT1, full length PRDM16 (fPRDM16), total PRDM16 (tPRDM16,
      including fPPRDM16 and other PRDM16 isoforms), and uncoupling protein 1 (UCP1) in
      both brown and subcutaneous adipose tissues. Although BTM-0512 and resveratrol
      also up-regulated SIRT1 and tPRDM16 levels in VAT of HFD-induced obese mice, the
      expressions of fPRDM16, UCP1, and TMEM26 were down-regulated. In mouse primary
      subcutaneous preadipocytes cultured with or without adipogenic medium, BTM-0512
      up-regulated fPRDM16, tPRDM16, and UCP1 expressions, which was reversed by SIRT1
      antagonists. But in cultured brown and visceral adipocytes, the UCP1 protein
      level showed no significant change after treatment with 1 MUM of BTM-0512.
      Moreover, transfection with human SIRT1 plasmid reduced lipid deposit, as well as
      the mRNA levels of fPRDM16, UCP1, and TMEM26, in cultured human visceral adipose
      derived stem cells. In conclusion, BTM-0512 has stronger anti-obesity effect than
      resveratrol, which might be associated with activation of beige remodeling in
      subcutaneous adipose tissue.

PMID- 28338810
TI  - Associations of Proatrial Natriuretic Peptide with Components of the Metabolic
      Syndrome in Adolescents and Young Adults from the General Population.
AB  - BACKGROUND: In middle-aged and elderly populations, circulating natriuretic
      peptide concentrations are negatively associated with several components of the
      metabolic syndrome. Whether these negative associations are also present in
      healthy adolescents and young adults from the general population are unknown.
      METHODS: In a cross-sectional setting, we measured plasma concentrations of mid
      regional proatrial natriuretic peptide (MR-proANP) in 343 adolescents (age 14-16
      years) and 616 young adults (age 20-28 years) from the Danish site of the
      European Youth Heart Study, which is a population-based study of cardiovascular
      disease risk factors in children, adolescents and young adults. We used linear
      regression analysis to examine the associations, expressed as standardized
      regression coefficients, of various variables of interest with MR-proANP
      stratified according to age group, adjusting for age and gender. RESULTS: Among
      the young adults, MR-proANP was negatively associated with body mass index (BMI)
      (beta = -0.10, P = 0.02), waist circumference (WC) (beta = -0.14, P < 0.001),
      systolic blood pressure (BP) (beta = -0.08, P = 0.03), diastolic BP (beta = 
      0.23, P < 0.001), insulin (beta = -0.15, P < 0.001), and triglycerides (beta = 
      0.14, P < 0.001). Among the adolescents a somehow different pattern was observed
      since MR-proANP was not significantly associated with BMI (beta = -0.00, P =
      0.98), WC (beta = -0.01, P = 0.90) and insulin (beta = -0.02, P = 0.69).
      Nevertheless, among the adolescents, MR-proANP was negatively associated with
      triglycerides (beta = -0.13, P = 0.01), diastolic BP (beta = -0.12, P = 0.01) and
      systolic BP (beta = -0.10, P = 0.10), although the latter association was of
      borderline significance. CONCLUSIONS: The young adults displayed significant
      negative associations between MR-proANP and several components of the metabolic
      syndrome, whereas such associations were not found among the adolescents besides
      triglycerides and diastolic BP.

PMID- 28338811
TI  - Interventions for the prevention and treatment of disability due to acquired
      joint contractures in older people: a systematic review.
AB  - Background: acquired joint contractures have significant effects on quality of
      life and functioning. Objective: to determine the effects of interventions to
      prevent and treat disabilities in older people with acquired joint contractures.
      Methods: systematic search (last 8/2016) via Cochrane Library, PubMed, EMBASE,
      PEDro, CINAHL, trial registries, reference lists of retrieved articles and
      scientific congress pamphlets. Controlled and randomised controlled trials in
      English or German comparing an intervention with another intervention or standard
      care were included. Two independent researchers performed the selection of
      publications, data extraction and critical appraisal. Results: seventeen studies
      with 992 participants met the inclusion criteria: 16 randomised controlled trials
      and 1 controlled trial (nursing homes = 4, community settings = 13). The
      methodological quality of the studies varied. Splints were examined in four
      studies, stretching exercises in nine studies, and ultrasound, passive movement
      therapy, bed-positioning and group exercise were each examined in one study.
      Studies on splints revealed inconclusive results regarding joint mobility or
      spasticity. Five of seven studies that assessed active stretching programmes for
      healthy older people reported statistically significant effects on joint mobility
      in favour of the intervention. Pain, quality of life, activity limitations and
      participation restrictions were rarely assessed. Conclusion: the evidence for the
      effectiveness of interventions to prevent and treat disability due to joint
      contractures is weak, particularly for established nursing interventions such as
      positioning and passive movement. Better understanding is required regarding the
      delivery of interventions, such as their intensity and duration. In addition to
      functional issues, activities and social participation should also be studied as
      outcomes.

PMID- 28338812
TI  - Association Between Age at Menarche and Gestational Diabetes Mellitus: The
      Australian Longitudinal Study on Women's Health.
AB  - In this study, we aimed to examine the association between age at menarche and
      gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM). Data were from 4,749 women participating in
      the Australian Longitudinal Study on Women's Health between 2000 and 2012. Age at
      menarche was reported at baseline in 2000 when women were aged 22-27 years.
      During 12 years of follow-up, information on GDM diagnosis was obtained for each
      live birth. Log-binomial regression analysis was used to estimate relative risks
      and 95% confidence intervals. Analyses adjusted for mother's highest completed
      educational qualification, nulliparity, polycystic ovary syndrome, physical
      activity, and body mass index. Mean age at menarche was 12.9 years (standard
      deviation, 1.4). A first diagnosis of GDM was reported by 357 women (7.5%).
      Compared with women with menarche at age 13 years, women who had their first
      menstruation at age <=11 years had a 51% higher risk of developing GDM (95%
      confidence interval: 1.10, 2.07) after adjustment for GDM risk factors. Our
      findings indicate that a young age at menarche may identify women at higher risk
      of GDM. Further prospective studies are needed to confirm our findings and to
      elucidate the role of early-life exposures in age at menarche and subsequent GDM
      risk.

PMID- 28338813
TI  - Antibiotic prescribing for acute respiratory infections in children in Jordan.
AB  - Background: Most acute respiratory infections (ARIs) in children are due to viral
      etiology; however, over-prescribing of antibiotics for ARIs is common. The aim of
      this investigation was to identify antibiotic prescribing prevalence for children
      with ARIs and to identify predictors of broad-spectrum antibiotic prescribing.
      Methods: This was a prospective cross sectional study in a sample of ambulatory
      care settings in Jordan. Children (<18 years) presenting with ARIs were assessed
      in terms of patient's demographics, antibiotic prescription and clinical
      diagnosis. Multivariable logistic regression analysis was used to identify
      predictors of broad-spectrum antibiotic prescription. Results: Antibiotics were
      prescribed for 78.4% (4575/5829) of children with ARIs. Antibiotic prescription
      for ARIs for which antibiotics are not indicated was 69.2% (2688/3883). Broad
      spectrum antibiotic prescription occurred in 51.1% (2337/4575) of all antibiotic
      prescribed participants. Some of the predictors of broad-spectrum antibiotic
      prescription were: otitis media (OR 4.93 [95% CI 3.44-7.14]), tonsillitis (OR
      6.03 [95% CI 4.39-8.33]), age 0-5 years (OR 1.17 [95% CI 1.02-1.38]) compared to
      age 6-12 years, fever (OR 2.14 [95% CI 1.78-2.59]), outpatient setting (OR 73
      [95% CI 2.17-3.42]) and military sector (OR 2.29 [95% CI 1.82-2.90]).
      Conclusions: Antibiotic prescribing is high and often inappropriate. Predictors
      of broad-spectrum antibiotic prescribing were identified. Health policy
      initiatives should involve all stakeholders to minimize inappropriate antibiotic
      prescription and to prevent poor outcomes associated with such practice.

PMID- 28338814
TI  - KOREAN PEDIATRIC AND ADULT HEAD COMPUTATIONAL PHANTOMS AND APPLICATION TO PHOTON
      SPECIFIC ABSORBED FRACTIONS CALCULATIONS.
AB  - In recent decades, applications of single photon emission computed tomography and
      positron emission tomography in clinical neuroimaging have markedly increased. In
      this study, we developed a series of Korean computational head phantoms with
      detailed cranial substructures for 6-, 9-, 12- and 15-year-old children and adult
      by non-uniformly adjusting a template head phantom to match the Korean standard
      head dimensions. The Korean head phantoms were coupled with a Monte Carlo
      transport code to calculate age-dependent specific absorbed fraction (SAF) for
      the combination of 10 source and target regions and mono-energetic photons
      ranging from 0.01 to 4 MeV. Compared to the adult phantom, the 6-y phantom showed
      up to 1.4-fold greater self-absorption SAF (cerebellum) and up to 1.8-fold
      greater cross-irradiation SAF (cerebellum < eye balls). With addition of electron
      SAFs in the future, our photon SAF data will facilitate dose calculations for
      various cranial substructures in patients undergoing cranial neuroimaging
      procedures.

PMID- 28338815
TI  - Enhanced tenogenic differentiation and tendon-like tissue formation by CHIP
      overexpression in tendon-derived stem cells.
AB  - The carboxyl terminus of Hsc70-interacting protein (CHIP, also known as STUB1)
      plays critical roles in the proliferation and differentiation of many types of
      cells. The potential function of CHIP in tendon-derived stem cells (TDSCs)
      remains largely unknown at present. Here, we investigated the effects of CHIP on
      tenogenic differentiation of TDSCs via lentivirus-mediated overexpression. Forced
      expression of CHIP induced morphological changes and significantly enhanced cell
      proliferation, as well as tendon differentiation in vitro. Upon stimulation with
      differentiation induction medium, CHIP-overexpressing TDSCs displayed significant
      inhibition of differentiation into osteogenic and adipogenic lineages. Subsequent
      implantation of TDSCs overexpressing CHIP with collagen sponges into nude mice
      induced a marked increase in ectopic tendon formation in vivo, compared with the
      control group. Our findings collectively suggest that CHIP is an important
      contributory factor to tenogenic tissue formation.

PMID- 28338817
TI  - Risk Factor Models for Neurodevelopmental Outcomes in Children Born Very Preterm
      or With Very Low Birth Weight: A Systematic Review of Methodology and Reporting.
AB  - The prediction of long-term outcomes in surviving infants born very preterm (VPT)
      or with very low birth weight (VLBW) is necessary to guide clinical management,
      provide information to parents, and help target and evaluate interventions. There
      is a large body of literature describing risk factor models for
      neurodevelopmental outcomes in VPT/VLBW children, yet few, if any, have been
      developed for use in routine clinical practice or adopted for use in research
      studies or policy evaluation. We sought to systematically review the methods and
      reporting of studies that have developed a multivariable risk factor model for
      neurodevelopment in surviving VPT/VLBW children. We searched the MEDLINE, Embase,
      and PsycINFO databases from January 1, 1990, to June 1, 2014, and identified 78
      studies reporting 222 risk factor models. Most studies presented risk factor
      analyses that were not intended to be used for prediction, confirming that there
      is a dearth of specifically designed prognostic modeling studies for long-term
      outcomes in surviving VPT/VLBW children. We highlight the strengths and
      weaknesses of the research methodology and reporting to date, and provide
      recommendations for the design and analysis of future studies seeking to analyze
      risk prediction or develop prognostic models for VPT/VLBW children.

PMID- 28338818
TI  - Epidemiology in an age of anger and complaint.

PMID- 28338816
TI  - Conserved Patterns of Sex Chromosome Dosage Compensation in the Lepidoptera
      (WZ/ZZ): Insights from a Moth Neo-Z Chromosome.
AB  - Where previously described, patterns of sex chromosome dosage compensation in the
      Lepidoptera (moths and butterflies) have several unusual characteristics. Other
      female-heterogametic (ZW/ZZ) species exhibit female Z-linked expression that is
      reduced compared with autosomal expression and male Z expression. In the
      Lepidoptera, however, Z expression typically appears balanced between sexes but
      overall reduced relative to autosomal expression, that is Z ~ ZZ < AA. This
      pattern is not easily reconciled with theoretical expectations for the evolution
      of sex chromosome dosage compensation. Moreover, conflicting results linger due
      to discrepancies in data analyses and tissues sampled among lepidopterans. To
      address these issues, we performed RNA-seq to analyze sex chromosome dosage
      compensation in the codling moth, Cydia pomonella, which is a species from the
      earliest diverging lepidopteran lineage yet examined for dosage compensation and
      has a neo-Z chromosome resulting from an ancient Z:autosome fusion. While
      supported by intraspecific analyses, the Z ~ ZZ < AA pattern was further
      evidenced by comparative study using autosomal orthologs of C. pomonella neo-Z
      genes in outgroup species. In contrast, dosage compensation appears to be absent
      in reproductive tissues. We thus argue that inclusion of reproductive tissues may
      explain the incongruence from a prior study on another moth species and that
      patterns of dosage compensation are likely conserved in the Lepidoptera. Notably,
      this pattern appears convergent with patterns in eutherian mammals (X ~ XX < AA).
      Overall, our results contribute to the notion that the Lepidoptera present
      challenges both to classical theories regarding the evolution of sex chromosome
      dosage compensation and the emerging view of the association of dosage
      compensation with sexual heterogamety.

PMID- 28338819
TI  - UNLAMINATED GAFCHROMIC EBT3 FILM FOR ULTRAVIOLET RADIATION MONITORING.
AB  - Measurement of ultraviolet (UV) radiation is important for human health,
      especially with the expanded usage of short wavelength UV for sterilization
      purposes. This work examines unlaminated Gafchromic EBT3 film for UV radiation
      monitoring. The authors exposed the film to select wavelengths in the UV
      spectrum, ranging from 207 to 328 nm, and measured the change in optical density.
      The response of the film is wavelength dependent, and of the wavelengths tested,
      the film was most sensitive to 254 nm light, with measurable values as low as 10
      uJ/cm2. The film shows a dose-dependent response that extends over more than four
      orders of magnitude. The response of the film to short wavelength UV is
      comparable to the daily safe exposure limits for humans, thus making it valuable
      as a tool for passive UV radiation monitoring.

PMID- 28338820
TI  - Evolutionary Dynamics of Regulatory Changes Underlying Gene Expression Divergence
      among Saccharomyces Species.
AB  - Heritable changes in gene expression are important contributors to phenotypic
      differences within and between species and are caused by mutations in cis
      regulatory elements and trans-regulatory factors. Although previous work has
      suggested that cis-regulatory differences preferentially accumulate with time,
      technical restrictions to closely related species and limited comparisons have
      made this observation difficult to test. To address this problem, we used allele
      specific RNA-seq data from Saccharomyces species and hybrids to expand both the
      evolutionary timescale and number of species in which the evolution of regulatory
      divergence has been investigated. We find that as sequence divergence increases,
      cis-regulatory differences do indeed become the dominant type of regulatory
      difference between species, ultimately becoming a better predictor of expression
      divergence than trans-regulatory divergence. When both cis- and trans-regulatory
      differences accumulate for the same gene, they more often have effects in
      opposite directions than in the same direction, indicating widespread
      compensatory changes underlying the evolution of gene expression. The frequency
      of compensatory changes within and between species and the magnitude of effect
      for the underlying cis- and trans-regulatory differences suggests that
      compensatory changes accumulate primarily due to selection against divergence in
      gene expression as a result of weak stabilizing selection on gene expression
      levels. These results show that cis-regulatory differences and compensatory
      changes in regulation play increasingly important roles in the evolution of gene
      expression as time increases.

PMID- 28338821
TI  - Phylogenomic Insights into Mouse Evolution Using a Pseudoreference Approach.
AB  - Comparative genomic studies are now possible across a broad range of evolutionary
      timescales, but the generation and analysis of genomic data across many different
      species still present a number of challenges. The most sophisticated genotyping
      and down-stream analytical frameworks are still predominantly based on
      comparisons to high-quality reference genomes. However, established genomic
      resources are often limited within a given group of species, necessitating
      comparisons to divergent reference genomes that could restrict or bias
      comparisons across a phylogenetic sample. Here, we develop a scalable
      pseudoreference approach to iteratively incorporate sample-specific variation
      into a genome reference and reduce the effects of systematic mapping bias in
      downstream analyses. To characterize this framework, we used targeted capture to
      sequence whole exomes (~54 Mbp) in 12 lineages (ten species) of mice spanning the
      Mus radiation. We generated whole exome pseudoreferences for all species and show
      that this iterative reference-based approach improved basic genomic analyses that
      depend on mapping accuracy while preserving the associated annotations of the
      mouse reference genome. We then use these pseudoreferences to resolve
      evolutionary relationships among these lineages while accounting for phylogenetic
      discordance across the genome, contributing an important resource for comparative
      studies in the mouse system. We also describe patterns of genomic introgression
      among lineages and compare our results to previous studies. Our general approach
      can be applied to whole or partitioned genomic data and is easily portable to any
      system with sufficient genomic resources, providing a useful framework for
      phylogenomic studies in mice and other taxa.

PMID- 28338822
TI  - Gene expression atlas of pigeonpea and its application to gain insights into
      genes associated with pollen fertility implicated in seed formation.
AB  - Pigeonpea (Cajanus cajan) is an important grain legume of the semi-arid tropics,
      mainly used for its protein rich seeds. To link the genome sequence information
      with agronomic traits resulting from specific developmental processes, a Cajanus
      cajan gene expression atlas (CcGEA) was developed using the Asha genotype. Thirty
      tissues/organs representing developmental stages from germination to senescence
      were used to generate 590.84 million paired-end RNA-Seq data. The CcGEA revealed
      a compendium of 28 793 genes with differential, specific, spatio-temporal and
      constitutive expression during various stages of development in different
      tissues. As an example to demonstrate the application of the CcGEA, a network of
      28 flower-related genes analysed for cis-regulatory elements and splicing
      variants has been identified. In addition, expression analysis of these candidate
      genes in male sterile and male fertile genotypes suggested their critical role in
      normal pollen development leading to seed formation. Gene network analysis also
      identified two regulatory genes, a pollen-specific SF3 and a sucrose-proton
      symporter, that could have implications for improvement of agronomic traits such
      as seed production and yield. In conclusion, the CcGEA provides a valuable
      resource for pigeonpea to identify candidate genes involved in specific
      developmental processes and to understand the well-orchestrated growth and
      developmental process in this resilient crop.

PMID- 28338824
TI  - Farewell to the Editors of the International Journal of Epidemiology: an
      appreciation.

PMID- 28338823
TI  - Transporters involved in pH and K+ homeostasis affect pollen wall formation, male
      fertility, and embryo development.
AB  - Flowering plant genomes encode multiple cation/H+ exchangers (CHXs) whose
      functions are largely unknown. AtCHX17, AtCHX18, and AtCHX19 are membrane
      transporters that modulate K+ and pH homeostasis and are localized in the dynamic
      endomembrane system. Loss of function reduced seed set, but the particular
      phase(s) of reproduction affected was not determined. Pollen tube growth and
      ovule targeting of chx17chx18chx19 mutant pollen appeared normal, but reciprocal
      cross experiments indicate a largely male defect. Although triple mutant pollen
      tubes reach ovules of a wild-type pistil and a synergid cell degenerated, half of
      those ovules were unfertilized or showed fertilization of the egg or central
      cell, but not both female gametes. Fertility could be partially compromised by
      impaired pollen tube and/or sperm function as CHX19 and CHX18 are expressed in
      the pollen tube and sperm cell, respectively. When fertilization was successful
      in self-pollinated mutants, early embryo formation was retarded compared with
      embryos from wild-type ovules receiving mutant pollen. Thus CHX17 and CHX18
      proteins may promote embryo development possibly through the endosperm where
      these genes are expressed. The reticulate pattern of the pollen wall was
      disorganized in triple mutants, indicating perturbation of wall formation during
      male gametophyte development. As pH and cation homeostasis mediated by AtCHX17
      affect membrane trafficking and cargo delivery, these results suggest that male
      fertility, sperm function, and embryo development are dependent on proper cargo
      sorting and secretion that remodel cell walls, plasma membranes, and
      extracellular factors.

PMID- 28338825
TI  - Modular Organization of Residue-Level Contacts Shapes the Selection Pressure on
      Individual Amino Acid Sites of Ribosomal Proteins.
AB  - Understanding the molecular evolution of macromolecular complexes in the light of
      their structure, assembly, and stability is of central importance. Here, we
      address how the modular organization of native molecular contacts shapes the
      selection pressure on individual residue sites of ribosomal complexes. The
      bacterial ribosomal complex is represented as a residue contact network where
      nodes represent amino acid/nucleotide residues and edges represent their van der
      Waals interactions. We find statistically overrepresented native amino acid
      nucleotide contacts (OaantC, one amino acid contacts one or multiple nucleotides,
      internucleotide contacts are disregarded). Contact number is defined as the
      number of nucleotides contacted. Involvement of individual amino acids in OaantCs
      with smaller contact numbers is more random, whereas only a few amino acids
      significantly contribute to OaantCs with higher contact numbers. An investigation
      of structure, stability, and assembly of bacterial ribosome depicts the
      involvement of these OaantCs in diverse biophysical interactions stabilizing the
      complex, including high-affinity protein-RNA contacts, interprotein
      cooperativity, intersubunit bridge, packing of multiple ribosomal RNA domains,
      etc. Amino acid-nucleotide constituents of OaantCs with higher contact numbers
      are generally associated with significantly slower substitution rates compared
      with that of OaantCs with smaller contact numbers. This evolutionary rate
      heterogeneity emerges from the strong purifying selection pressure that conserves
      the respective amino acid physicochemical properties relevant to the stabilizing
      interaction with OaantC nucleotides. An analysis of relative molecular
      orientations of OaantC residues and their interaction energetics provides the
      biophysical ground of purifying selection conserving OaantC amino acid
      physicochemical properties.

PMID- 28338826
TI  - The evolutionary fate of the chloroplast and nuclear rps16 genes as revealed
      through the sequencing and comparative analyses of four novel legume chloroplast
      genomes from Lupinus.
AB  - The Fabaceae family is considered as a model system for understanding chloroplast
      genome evolution due to the presence of extensive structural rearrangements, gene
      losses and localized hypermutable regions. Here, we provide sequences of four
      chloroplast genomes from the Lupinus genus, belonging to the underinvestigated
      Genistoid clade. Notably, we found in Lupinus species the functional loss of the
      essential rps16 gene, which was most likely replaced by the nuclear rps16 gene
      that encodes chloroplast and mitochondrion targeted RPS16 proteins. To study the
      evolutionary fate of the rps16 gene, we explored all available plant chloroplast,
      mitochondrial and nuclear genomes. Whereas no plant mitochondrial genomes carry
      an rps16 gene, many plants still have a functional nuclear and chloroplast rps16
      gene. Ka/Ks ratios revealed that both chloroplast and nuclear rps16 copies were
      under purifying selection. However, due to the dual targeting of the nuclear
      rps16 gene product and the absence of a mitochondrial copy, the chloroplast gene
      may be lost. We also performed comparative analyses of lupine plastomes (SNPs,
      indels and repeat elements), identified the most variable regions and examined
      their phylogenetic utility. The markers identified here will help to reveal the
      evolutionary history of lupines, Genistoids and closely related clades.

PMID- 28338827
TI  - Strategies for halting the rise of multidrug resistant TB epidemics: assessing
      the effect of early case detection and isolation.
AB  - Background: The increasing rates of multidrug resistant TB (MDR-TB) have posed
      the question of whether control programs under enhanced directly observed
      treatment, short-course (DOTS-Plus) are sufficient or implemented optimally.
      Despite enhanced efforts on early case detection and improved treatment regimens,
      direct transmission of MDR-TB remains a major hurdle for global TB control.
      Methods: We developed an agent-based simulation model of TB dynamics to evaluate
      the effect of transmission reduction measures on the incidence of MDR-TB. We
      implemented a 15-day isolation period following the start of treatment in active
      TB cases. The model was parameterized with the latest estimates derived from the
      published literature. Results: We found that if high rates (over 90%) of TB case
      identification are achieved within 4 weeks of developing active TB, then a 15-day
      patient isolation strategy with 50% effectiveness in interrupting disease
      transmission leads to 10% reduction in the incidence of MDR-TB over 10 years. If
      transmission is fully prevented, the rise of MDR-TB can be halted within 10
      years, but the temporal reduction of MDR-TB incidence remains below 20% in this
      period. Conclusions: The impact of transmission reduction measures on the TB
      incidence depends critically on the rates and timelines of case identification.
      The high costs and adverse effects associated with MDR-TB treatment warrant
      increased efforts and investments on measures that can interrupt direct
      transmission through early case detection.

PMID- 28338828
TI  - Validity of a Dietary Questionnaire Assessed by Comparison With Multiple Weighed
      Dietary Records or 24-Hour Recalls.
AB  - The authors evaluated the validity of a 152-item semiquantitative food frequency
      questionnaire (SFFQ) by comparing it with two 7-day dietary records (7DDRs) or up
      to 4 automated self-administered 24-hour recalls (ASA24s) over a 1-year period in
      the women's Lifestyle Validation Study (2010-2012), conducted among subgroups of
      the Nurses' Health Studies. Intakes of energy and 44 nutrients were assessed
      using the 3 methods among 632 US women. Compared with the 7DDRs, SFFQ responses
      tended to underestimate sodium intake but overestimate intakes of energy,
      macronutrients, and several nutrients in fruits and vegetables, such as
      carotenoids. Spearman correlation coefficients between energy-adjusted intakes
      from 7DDRs and the SFFQ completed at the end of the data-collection period ranged
      from 0.36 for lauric acid to 0.77 for alcohol (mean r = 0.53). Correlations of
      the end-period SFFQ were weaker when ASA24s were used as the comparison method
      (mean r = 0.43). After adjustment for within-person variation in the comparison
      method, the correlations of the final SFFQ were similar with 7DDRs (mean r =
      0.63) and ASA24s (mean r = 0.62). These data indicate that this SFFQ provided
      reasonably valid estimates for intakes of a wide variety of dietary variables and
      that use of multiple 24-hour recalls or 7DDRs as a comparison method provided
      similar conclusions if day-to-day variation was taken into account.

PMID- 28338829
TI  - Seeing is not stereotyping: the functional independence of categorization and
      stereotype activation.
AB  - Social categorization has been viewed as necessarily resulting in stereotyping,
      yet extant research suggests the two processes are differentially sensitive to
      task manipulations. Here, we simultaneously test the degree to which race
      perception and stereotyping are conditionally automatic. Participants performed a
      sequential priming task while either explicitly attending to the race of face
      primes or directing attention away from their semantic nature. We find a
      dissociation between the perceptual encoding of race and subsequent activation of
      associated stereotypes, with race perception occurring in both task conditions,
      but implicit stereotyping occurring only when attention is directed to the race
      of the face primes. These results support a clear conceptual distinction between
      categorization and stereotyping and show that the encoding of racial category
      need not result in stereotype activation.

PMID- 28338830
TI  - Varying Influences of Aldosterone on the Plasma Potassium Concentration in Blacks
      and Whites.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Aldosterone acts to restrain the extracellular potassium (K+)
      concentration. Blacks have on average lower plasma aldosterone concentrations
      (PACs) than Whites. Whether this ethnic difference is associated with similar
      changes in the concentration of K+ is unclear. METHODS: Subjects were Blacks and
      Whites from an observational study of blood pressure regulation. PAC was known to
      be significantly lower in Blacks than Whites. We sought to test the hypothesis
      that the concentration of K+ remains constant despite variability in PAC. Initial
      enrollment took place in childhood in 1986. Some of the original enrollees were
      studied again in adulthood: 160 healthy Blacks and 271 healthy Whites (ages 5 to
      39 years; all were studied as children and as adults). RESULTS: Plasma renin
      activity [a biomarker of angiotensin II and, more proximally, extracellular fluid
      volume (ECFV)] and PAC were lower in Blacks (P < 0.0354 and P < 0.001,
      respectively, for all ages). At the same time no ethnic difference in levels of
      K+ was observed regardless of age. Plasma K+ concentration and PAC associated
      differently based on ethnicity: PAC increased in Blacks by 1.5-2.0 and in Whites
      by 2.3-3.0 ng/dl per mmol/l increase in K+ (P < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: Lower
      aldosterone levels in Blacks did not translate into higher K+ concentrations. We
      speculate that reaching the right concentration of K+ was an endpoint of
      aldosterone production in the presence of varying levels of ECFV and angiotensin
      II.

PMID- 28338831
TI  - Improved clearing of lipid droplet-rich tissues for three-dimensional structural
      elucidation.

PMID- 28338832
TI  - Evidence of translation efficiency adaptation of the coding regions of the
      bacteriophage lambda.
AB  - Deciphering the way gene expression regulatory aspects are encoded in viral
      genomes is a challenging mission with ramifications related to all biomedical
      disciplines. Here, we aimed to understand how the evolution shapes the
      bacteriophage lambda genes by performing a high resolution analysis of ribosomal
      profiling data and gene expression related synonymous/silent information encoded
      in bacteriophage coding regions.We demonstrated evidence of selection for
      distinct compositions of synonymous codons in early and late viral genes related
      to the adaptation of translation efficiency to different bacteriophage
      developmental stages. Specifically, we showed that evolution of viral coding
      regions is driven, among others, by selection for codons with higher decoding
      rates; during the initial/progressive stages of infection the decoding rates in
      early/late genes were found to be superior to those in late/early genes,
      respectively. Moreover, we argued that selection for translation efficiency could
      be partially explained by adaptation to Escherichia coli tRNA pool and the fact
      that it can change during the bacteriophage life cycle.An analysis of additional
      aspects related to the expression of viral genes, such as mRNA folding and more
      complex/longer regulatory signals in the coding regions, is also reported. The
      reported conclusions are likely to be relevant also to additional viruses.

PMID- 28338833
TI  - A humidity shock leads to rapid, temperature dependent changes in coffee leaf
      physiology and gene expression.
AB  - Climate change is expected to increase the frequency of above-normal atmospheric
      water deficits contemporaneous with periods of high temperatures. Here we explore
      alterations in physiology and gene expression in leaves of Coffea canephora
      Pierre ex A. Froehner caused by a sharp drop in relative humidity (RH) at three
      different temperatures. Both stomatal conductance (gs) and CO2 assimilation (A)
      measurements showed that gs and A values fell quickly at all temperatures after
      the transfer to low RH.  However, leaf relative water content measurements
      indicated that leaves nonetheless experienced substantial water losses, implying
      that stomatal closure and/or resupply of water was not fast enough to stop
      excessive evaporative losses.  At 27 and 35  degrees C, upper leaves showed
      significant decreases in Fv/Fm compared with lower leaves, suggesting a stronger
      impact on photosystem II for upper leaves, while at 42  degrees C, both upper and
      lower leaves were equally affected. Quantitative gene expression analysis of
      transcription factors associated with conventional dehydration stress, and genes
      involved with abscisic acid signalling, such as CcNCED3, indicated temperature
      dependent, transcriptional changes during the Humidity Shock ('HuS') treatments. 
      No expression was seen at 27  degrees C for the heat-shock gene CcHSP90-7, but it
      was strongly induced during the 42  degrees C 'HuS' treatment. Consistent with a
      proposal that important cellular damage occurred during the 42  degrees C 'HuS'
      treatment, two genes implicated in senescence were induced by this treatment.
      Overall, the data show that C. canephora plants subjected to a sharp drop in RH
      exhibit major, temperature-dependent alterations in leaf physiology and important
      changes in the expression of genes associated with abiotic stress and senescence.
      The results presented suggest that more detailed studies on the combined effects
      of low RH and high temperature are warranted.

PMID- 28338835
TI  - Healthy diet and better muscle function and quality in older women.

PMID- 28338834
TI  - Comparative genomics of microsporidian genomes reveals a minimal non-coding RNA
      set and new insights for transcription in minimal eukaryotic genomes.
AB  - Microsporidia are ubiquitous intracellular pathogens whose opportunistic nature
      led to their increased recognition with the rise of the AIDS pandemic. As the RNA
      world was largely unexplored in this parasitic lineage, we developed a dedicated
      in silico methodology to carry out exhaustive identification of ncRNAs across the
      Encephalitozoon and Nosema genera. Thus, the previously missing U1 small nuclear
      RNA (snRNA) and small nucleolar RNAs (snoRNAs) targeting only the LSU rRNA were
      highlighted and were further validated using 5' and 3'RACE-PCR experiments.
      Overall, the 15 ncRNAs that were found shared between Encephalitozoon and Nosema
      spp. may represent the minimal core set required for parasitic life.
      Interestingly, the systematic presence of a CCC- or GGG-like motif in 5' of all
      ncRNA and mRNA gene transcripts regardless of the RNA polymerase involved
      suggests that the RNA polymerase machineries in microsporidia species could use
      common factors. Our data provide additional insights in accordance with the
      simplification processes observed in these reduce genomes and underline the
      usefulness of sequencing closely related species to help identify highly
      divergent ncRNAs in these parasites.

PMID- 28338836
TI  - A novel pathogenesis of inflammatory bowel disease from the perspective of glyco
      immunology.
AB  - Oligosaccharide modifications play an essential role in various inflammatory
      diseases and cancers, but their pathophysiologic roles, especially in
      inflammation, are not clear. Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is an intractable
      chronic inflammatory disorder with an unknown aetiology, and the number of
      patients with IBD is increasing throughout the world. Certain types of
      immunosuppressant drugs, such as corticosteroids, are effective for IBD,
      suggesting that immune function is closely associated with the pathophysiology of
      IBD. Recent progress in the analysis of oligosaccharides revealed a role for
      oligosaccharides in intestinal inflammation based on both experimental models and
      human samples from IBD patients. Moreover, changes in the oligosaccharide
      structures on glycoproteins in the sera and tissue samples may serve as
      biomarkers of IBD. Here, we present current studies of IBD with regard to the
      immunologic aspects of glycobiology, suggesting a novel concept for IBD
      pathogenesis and the function of oligosaccharides on immune cells, termed "glyco
      immunology".

PMID- 28338837
TI  - Associations of Leukocyte Telomere Length With Aerobic and Muscular Fitness in
      Young Adults.
AB  - Decline in both telomere length and physical fitness over the life course may
      contribute to increased risk of several chronic diseases. The relationship
      between telomere length and aerobic and muscular fitness is not well
      characterized. We examined whether there are cross-sectional associations of mean
      relative leukocyte telomere length (LTL) with objective measures of aerobic
      fitness, muscle strength, and muscle endurance, using data on 31-year-old
      participants of the Northern Finland Birth Cohort 1966 (n = 4,952-5,205, varying
      by exposure-outcome analysis). Aerobic fitness was assessed by means of heart
      rate measurement following a standardized submaximal step test; muscular fitness
      was assessed by means of a maximal isometric handgrip strength test and a test of
      lower-back trunk muscle endurance. Longer LTL was associated with higher aerobic
      fitness and better trunk muscle endurance in models including adjustment for age,
      sex, body mass index, socioeconomic position, diet, smoking, alcohol consumption,
      physical activity level, and C-reactive protein. In a sex-stratified analysis,
      LTL was not associated with handgrip strength in either men or women. LTL may
      relate to aspects of physical fitness in young adulthood, but replication of
      these findings is required, along with further studies to help assess directions
      and causality in these associations.

PMID- 28338839
TI  - Alternative Approaches to Assessing Nonresponse Bias in Longitudinal Survey
      Estimates: An Application to Substance-Use Outcomes Among Young Adults in the
      United States.
AB  - We evaluated alternative approaches to assessing and correcting for nonresponse
      bias in a longitudinal survey. We considered the changes in substance-use
      outcomes over a 3-year period among young adults aged 18-24 years (n = 5,199) in
      the United States, analyzing data from the National Epidemiologic Survey on
      Alcohol and Related Conditions. This survey collected a variety of substance-use
      information from a nationally representative sample of US adults in 2 waves: 2001
      2002 and 2004-2005. We first considered nonresponse rates in the second wave as a
      function of key substance-use outcomes in wave 1. We then evaluated 5 alternative
      approaches designed to correct for nonresponse bias under different attrition
      mechanisms, including weighting adjustments, multiple imputation, selection
      models, and pattern-mixture models. Nonignorable attrition in a longitudinal
      survey can lead to bias in estimates of change in certain health behaviors over
      time, and only selected procedures enable analysts to assess the sensitivity of
      their inferences to different assumptions about the extent of nonignorability. We
      compared estimates based on these 5 approaches, and we suggest a road map for
      assessing the risk of nonresponse bias in longitudinal studies. We conclude with
      directions for future research in this area given the results of our evaluations.

PMID- 28338838
TI  - Cohort Profile: The Hepatitis C Virus (HCV) Research UK Clinical Database and
      Biobank.

PMID- 28338840
TI  - Differences in functional and xylem anatomical features allow Cistus species to
      co-occur and cope differently with drought in the Mediterranean region.
AB  - A significant increase in drought events frequency is predicted for the next
      decades induced by climate change, potentially affecting plant species mortality
      rates and distributions worldwide. The main trigger of plant mortality is xylem
      hydraulic failure due to embolism and induced by the low pressures at which water
      is transported through xylem. As the Mediterranean basin will be severely
      affected by climate change, the aim of this study was to provide novel
      information about drought resistance and tolerance of one of its most widely
      distributed and common genera as a case study: the genus Cistus. Different
      functional and anatomical traits were evaluated in four co-occurring Cistus
      species in the Mediterranean Montado ecosystem. Soil water availability for each
      species was also assessed to evaluate if they show different ecological niches
      within the area. Results showed physiological and xylem anatomical differences
      between the four co-occurring species, as well as in the soil water availability
      of the sites they occupy. Despite the significant differences in embolism
      resistance across species, no trade-off between hydraulic safety and efficiency
      was observed. Interestingly, species with narrower vessels showed lower
      resistance to embolism than those with higher proportions of large conduits. No
      correlation, however, was observed between resistance to embolism and wood
      density. The four species showed different water-use and drought-tolerance
      strategies, occupying different ecological niches that would make them cope
      differently with drought. These results will allow us to improve the predictions
      about the expected changes in vegetation dynamics in this area due to ongoing
      climate change.

PMID- 28338841
TI  - OUT-OF-FIELD DOSE MEASUREMENTS FOR 3D CONFORMAL AND INTENSITY MODULATED
      RADIOTHERAPY OF A PAEDIATRIC BRAIN TUMOUR.
AB  - The purpose of this study was to measure out-of-field organ doses in clinical
      conditions in anthropomorphic paediatric phantoms which received a simulated
      treatment of a brain tumour with intensity modulated radiotherapy (IMRT) and 3D
      conformal radiotherapy (3D CRT). Organ doses measured with radiophotoluminescent
      and thermoluminescent dosemeters were on average 1.6 and 3.0 times higher for the
      5 y-old than for the 10 y-old phantom for IMRT and 3D CRT, respectively. A larger
      5-y to 10-y organ dose ratio for 3D CRT can be explained because the use of a
      mechanical wedge for the 5-y-old 3D CRT phantom treatment increased out-of-field
      doses. Due to different configurations of the radiation fields, for both
      phantoms, the IMRT technique resulted in a higher non-target brain dose and
      higher eye doses but lower thyroid doses compared to 3D CRT. For 3D CRT (which
      used a non-coplanar field configuration), eye doses were 3-6% and for IMRT (which
      used a coplanar field configuration) 27-30% of the treatment dose, respectively.
      For thyroid and more distant organs, doses were less than 1% of the treatment
      dose. Comparison of measured doses and doses calculated by the treatment planning
      system (TPS) showed that the TPS underestimated out-of-field doses both for IMRT
      and 3D CRT.

PMID- 28338842
TI  - Personal Exposimeter for Radiation Assessment in Real Environments in the 60-GHz
      Band.
AB  - For the first time, a personal exposimeter (PEX) for 60 GHz radiation
      measurements is presented. The PEX is designed based on numerical simulations and
      both on-body and on-phantom calibration measurements to determine the antenna
      aperture and measurement uncertainty of the PEX. The measurement uncertainty of
      the PEX is quantified in terms of 50 and 95% prediction intervals of its
      response. A PEX consisting of three nodes (antennas) with VHH (vertical
      horizontal-horizontal) polarization results in a 95% prediction interval of 6.6
      dB. A 50% prediction interval of 1.3 dB (factor of 1.3) is obtained for measured
      power densities which is 3.1 dB lower than a single antenna experiment. The
      uncertainty is 19.7 dB smaller than that of existing commercial exposimeters at
      lower frequencies (<=6GHz).

PMID- 28338843
TI  - VanderWeele et al. Respond to "Church Attendance and Mortality".

PMID- 28338844
TI  - RE: "INVITED COMMENTARY: BEWARE THE TEST-NEGATIVE DESIGN".

PMID- 28338845
TI  - Computational Psychiatry and the Challenge of Schizophrenia.
AB  - Schizophrenia research is plagued by enormous challenges in integrating and
      analyzing large datasets and difficulties developing formal theories related to
      the etiology, pathophysiology, and treatment of this disorder. Computational
      psychiatry provides a path to enhance analyses of these large and complex
      datasets and to promote the development and refinement of formal models for
      features of this disorder. This presentation introduces the reader to the notion
      of computational psychiatry and describes discovery-oriented and theory-driven
      applications to schizophrenia involving machine learning, reinforcement learning
      theory, and biophysically-informed neural circuit models.

PMID- 28338846
TI  - PATIENT EXPOSURE DURING PLAIN RADIOGRAPHY AND MAMMOGRAPHY IN JAPAN IN 1974-2014.
AB  - We investigated changes in the entrance skin dose (ESD) and the mean glandular
      dose (MGD) during plain radiography or mammography in Japan from 1974 to 2014.
      Surveys regarding the conditions used for plain radiography and mammography were
      performed throughout Japan in 1974, 1979, 1989, 1993, 1997, 2001, 2003, 2007,
      2011 and 2014. The anatomical regions considered were categorised as follows:
      skull anteroposterior (AP), lumbar AP, lumbar lateral (LAT), pelvis (AP), ankle,
      chest posteroanterior (PA), Guthmann (lateral pelviography for pregnant women),
      infant hip joint and mammography. The doses for all anatomical regions decreased
      from 1974 to 1993. The MGD for mammography remained low from 1993 to 2014, and
      the ESDs for chest (PA) radiography trended upward. After the 2000s, the use of
      digital imaging increased in Japan. This is the first long-term study to examine
      changes in ESDs and MGDs in Japan.

PMID- 28338847
TI  - Paradigm shift from diagnosing patients based on common symptoms to categorizing
      patients into subtypes with different pathogenic mechanisms to guide treatment
      for Alzheimer's disease.
AB  - Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a major cause of dementia in the elderly, and the
      number of AD patients is rapidly growing as life expectancy increases. However,
      disease-modifying drugs are not yet available. According to the amyloid
      hypothesis, disease onset is triggered by aggregation and accumulation of amyloid
      beta peptide, followed by the formation of neurofibrillary tangles composed of
      hyperphosphorylated tau, and synaptic loss/neuronal cell death leading to
      dementia. Based on this hypothesis, various clinical trials for treatment of AD
      have been conducted, but most were discontinued due to failure to achieve
      cognitive improvement or appearance of adverse effects. Here we discuss the
      reasons for the failure of these trials. We suggest that biomarkers of specific,
      distinct molecular mechanisms of amyloidogenesis should be developed
      concomitantly with disease-modifying drugs (the so-called companion diagnosis) to
      aid the proper design of clinical trials, as well as to enable personalized
      treatment of individual AD patients.

PMID- 28338848
TI  - Silent lives: why do we fail community-dwelling people with dementia?

PMID- 28338849
TI  - A preventative lifestyle intervention for older adults (lifestyle matters): a
      randomised controlled trial.
AB  - Objectives: to test whether an occupation-based lifestyle intervention can
      sustain and improve the mental well-being of adults aged 65 years or over
      compared to usual care, using an individually randomised controlled trial.
      Participants: 288 independently living adults aged 65 years or over, with normal
      cognition, were recruited from two UK sites between December 2011 and November
      2015. Interventions: lifestyle Matters is a National Institute for Health and
      Care Excellence recommended multi-component preventive intervention designed to
      improve the mental well-being of community living older people at risk of
      decline. It involves weekly group sessions over 4 months and one to one sessions.
      Main outcome measures: the primary outcome was mental well-being at 6 months
      (mental health (MH) dimension of the SF-36). Secondary outcomes included physical
      health dimensions of the SF-36, extent of depression (PHQ-9), quality of life (EQ
      5D) and loneliness (de Jong Gierveld Loneliness Scale), assessed at 6 and 24
      months. Results: data on 262 (intervention = 136; usual care = 126) participants
      were analysed using intention to treat analysis. Mean SF-36 MH scores at 6 months
      differed by 2.3 points (95 CI: -1.3 to 5.9; P = 0.209) after adjustments.
      Conclusions: analysis shows little evidence of clinical or cost-effectiveness in
      the recruited population with analysis of the primary outcome revealing that the
      study participants were mentally well at baseline. The results pose questions
      regarding how preventive interventions to promote well-being in older adults can
      be effectively targeted in the absence of proactive mechanisms to identify those
      who at risk of decline. Trial Registration: ISRCTN67209155.

PMID- 28338850
TI  - Photo-documentation in the community: reflections on genetics, health and health
      disparities.

PMID- 28338851
TI  - Do-not-resuscitate orders and early mortality in hip fracture patients.
AB  - Background: factors affecting mortality after hip fracture surgery have been
      studied extensively. It has been suggested that do-not-resuscitate (DNR) orders
      are associated with higher mortality in surgical patients due to less aggressive
      treatment. However, the effect of DNR orders on mortality in hip fracture
      patients is unknown. The objective of this study was to investigate the effect of
      DNR orders on early mortality after hip fracture surgery. Methods: all patients
      undergoing hip fracture surgery between 2004 and 2015 were included in this
      retrospective study. Patient characteristics such as age, comorbidities and
      fracture type were collected, as were resuscitation preferences. Multivariable
      logistic regression analysis was performed to identify independent risk factors
      for early mortality. Results: a total of 1,803 patients were analysed, of which
      823 (45.6%) had DNR orders. DNR patients were older, more often female, had lower
      haemoglobin levels and more comorbidities when compared with non-DNR patients.
      The unadjusted effect of DNR orders on mortality was high (OR: 2.39; P < 0.001).
      Multivariable analysis demonstrated that increased age, male gender, higher
      American Society of Anesthesiologists score, low admission haemoglobin, living in
      an institution, high Charlson Comorbidity Index and delay to surgery were
      associated with increased early mortality after hip fracture surgery. There was
      no independent effect of DNR orders on mortality after adjustment for these
      variables (P = 0.735). Conclusions: DNR patients have higher mortality rates due
      to poor health status. Resuscitation preferences on their own are not associated
      with early mortality after hip fracture surgery.

PMID- 28338852
TI  - THE GROWTH OF BIOSTATISTICS AND ESTIMATION OF CANCER RISK ESTIMATES: PAST,
      CURRENT, AND FUTURE CHALLENGES.
AB  - There has been a long process of growth and development of statistical approaches
      to the analysis of cancer incidence and mortality data obtained from the follow
      up of radiation exposed populations. The challenges of radiation risk analysis
      provided impetus for innovative statistical methods, including, the inception and
      continued improvement of hazard rate regression methods. Key statistical
      contributions that improved cancer risk estimation include statistical advances
      pertaining to the measurement error problem. Current statistical problems involve
      extensions of the measurement error methods to account for shared non-independent
      uncertainties in dose estimation, 'transportability' of risk coefficients for
      radioprotection and risk estimation world-wide, and extrapolation from high dose
      rate to low-dose rate exposures or from low LET to high LET. Future problems
      include quantification of individual sensitivity to radiation-related diseases
      due to individual genetic differences (or other factors), and in understanding
      the synergy (additive, multiplicative, etc.) between underlying individual risk
      and radiation exposure.

PMID- 28338853
TI  - RADIOLOGICAL IMPACTS ASSESSMENT FOR WORKERS IN CERAMIC INDUSTRY IN SERBIA.
AB  - Studies have been carried out to determine the natural radioactivity in some
      materials used in ceramic industry (zircon, zirkosil, Zircobit MO/S, zircon
      silicate, zirklonil frit, hematite, bentonite, wollastonite, raw kaolin,
      kaolinized granite, sileks ball, feldspar, pigment, white base serigraphic,
      engobe) and their associated radiation hazard. The external hazard index, Hex,
      values, radium equivalent activity, Raeq, total absorbed dose rates, D and annual
      effective dose, De were derived for all measured materials and compared with the
      recommended values to assess the external radiation hazards to workers who worked
      in ceramic industries in Serbia.

PMID- 28338854
TI  - COMPARISON OF THE PERIPHERAL DOSES FROM DIFFERENT IMRT TECHNIQUES FOR PEDIATRIC
      HEAD AND NECK RADIATION THERAPY.
AB  - Intensity-modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) can deliver high and homogeneous
      doses to the target area while limiting doses to organs at risk. We used a
      pediatric phantom to simulate the treatment of a head and neck tumor in a child.
      The peripheral doses were examined for three different IMRT techniques [dynamic
      multileaf collimator (DMLC), segmental multileaf collimator (SMLC) and volumetric
      modulated arc therapy (VMAT)]. Peripheral doses were evaluated taking thyroid,
      breast, ovary and testis as the points of interest. Doses were determined using a
      radio-photoluminescence glass dosemeter, and the COMPASS system was used for
      three-dimensional dose evaluation. VMAT achieved the lowest peripheral doses
      because it had the highest monitor unit efficiency. However, doses in the
      vicinity of the irradiated field, i.e. the thyroid, could be relatively high,
      depending on the VMAT collimator angle. DMLC and SMLC had a large area of
      relatively high peripheral doses in the breast region.

PMID- 28338855
TI  - Improving crop performance under drought - cross-fertilization of disciplines.

PMID- 28338856
TI  - Care home leadership: action is needed.

PMID- 28338857
TI  - Invited Commentary: Explaining the Relationship Between Attending Worship
      Services and Mortality-A Brief Excursion Into the Contribution of Social
      Relationships in Religious Institutions.
AB  - In this issue of the Journal, VanderWeele et al. (Am J Epidemiol.
      2017;000(00):000-000) report that more frequent attendance at worship services is
      associated with a lower mortality risk. However, the underlying processes that
      might explain this relationship were not discussed fully. A problem arises
      because the potentially beneficial association between attending worship services
      and mortality risk may be due to a number of different factors. At least part of
      the explanation may be found by turning to social relationships that arise in
      religious institutions. Within this context, there are potentially important
      benefits of providing social support to others. Support can be provided in
      several ways that involve potentially important health-related associations. In
      this commentary, I briefly examine the possible relationships between religious
      social support systems and other dimensions of congregational life and health. In
      depth conceptual analyses are needed to move research in religious involvement
      and mortality to the next level.

PMID- 28338858
TI  - Commentary: On H. J. Muller's insights into the gene in 1912.

PMID- 28338859
TI  - The healthy Nordic diet predicts muscle strength 10 years later in old women, but
      not old men.
AB  - Background: a number of nutrients have been found to be associated with better
      muscle strength and mass; however, the role of the whole diet on muscle strength
      and mass remains still unknown. Objective: to examine whether the healthy Nordic
      diet predicts muscle strength, and mass 10 years later among men and women.
      Methods: about 1,072 participants belong to the Helsinki Birth Cohort Study, born
      1934-44. Diet was assessed with a validated food-frequency questionnaire during
      2001-04. The Nordic diet score (NDS) was calculated. The score included Nordic
      fruits, vegetables, cereals, ratio of polyunsaturated to saturated fatty acids,
      low-fat milk, fish, red meat, total fat and alcohol. Higher scores indicated
      better adherence to the healthy Nordic diet. Hand grip strength, leg strength
      (knee extension) and muscle mass were measured during the follow-up, between 2011
      and 2013. Results: in women, each 1-unit increase in the NDS was related to 1.83
      N greater leg strength (95% confidence interval [CI] 0.14-3.51; P = 0.034), and
      1.44 N greater hand grip strength (95% CI: 0.04-2.84; P = 0.044). Women in the
      highest quartile of the NDS had on average 20.0 N greater knee extension results,
      and 14.2 N greater hand grip results than those in the lowest quartile. No such
      associations were observed among men. The NDS was not significantly related to
      muscle mass either in men or women. Conclusions: adherence to the healthy Nordic
      diet seems to protect from weaker muscle strength in old women. Therefore, the
      healthy Nordic diet may help to prevent disability.

PMID- 28338860
TI  - CALCULATION OF SKIN DOSE DUE TO BETA CONTAMINATION USING THE NEW QUANTITY OF THE
      ICRP 116: THE 'LOCAL SKIN DOSE'.
AB  - Values of the new protection quantity 'Local Skin Dose' LSD, introduced by the
      International Commission on Radiological Protection (ICRP) Publication 116, were
      calculated for 134 beta- or beta+ emitting radionuclides, using the Monte Carlo
      code MCNP6. Two types of source geometry are considered: a point source and disc
      type surface contamination (the source is placed in contact with the skin). This
      new protection quantity is compared with the operational quantity H'(0.07,0
      degrees ), leading us to conclude that, in accordance with the rules of the ICRP,
      the operational quantity over-estimates the protection quantity to a reasonable
      extent, except in very rare cases for very low average beta energies. Thus, with
      the new skin model described in ICRP 116, there are no longer any major
      differences between the operational quantities and protection quantities
      estimated with the skin model described in ICRP 74.

PMID- 28338861
TI  - Assessment of direct interaction between CD36 and an oxidized glycerophospholipid
      species.
AB  - Cluster of differentiation 36 (CD36) is a transmembrane protein that recognizes
      multiple diverse ligands. It is believed that (i) oxidized
      glycerophosphatidylcholine species having a terminal gamma-hydroxyl(or oxo)
      alpha,beta-unsaturated carbonyl on the sn-2 acyl group (oxGPCCD36), which can
      occur on the surface of lipoprotein particles, serve as high-affinity ligands for
      CD36, and (ii) the amino acid 150-168 of CD36 (CD36150-168) is responsible for
      recognizing oxGPCCD36. However, it remains uncertain whether CD36150-168 directly
      interacts with oxGPCCD36 alone. In this study, we addressed this issue by
      investigating and comparing the banding pattern by non-denaturing polyacrylamide
      gel electrophoresis of a glutathione S-transferase (GST) fusion protein
      containing CD36150-168 (GST-CD36150-168), in the presence and absence of an
      oxGPCCD36 species, 1-(palmitoyl)-2-(5-keto-6-octenedioyl)phosphatidylcholine
      (KOdiA-PC). It was shown that GST-CD36150-168 pre-incubated with KOdiA-PC
      produced bands at upper positions than did the fusion protein alone. Further
      analyses revealed that the bands produced by the loading of GST-CD36150-168/KOdiA
      PC mixture represent complexes consisting of the fusion protein and lipid. To our
      knowledge, this is the first evidence for direct interaction between CD36150-168
      and oxGPCCD36 alone. It is also notable that the electrophoresis-based technique
      provides a convenient means to evaluate protein-lipid interactions.

PMID- 28338862
TI  - Family aggregation of cardiovascular disease mortality: a register-based
      prospective study of pooled Nordic twin cohorts.
AB  - Background: Familial factors play an important role in the variation of risk
      factors of cardiovascular diseases (CVD), but less is known about how they affect
      the risk of death from CVD. We estimated familial aggregation of CVD mortality
      for twins offering the maximum level of risk due to genetic and other familial
      factors. Methods: Altogether, 132 771 twin individuals, including 65 196 complete
      pairs from Denmark, Finland and Sweden born in 1958 or earlier, participated in
      this study. During the register-based follow-up, 11 641 deaths occurred from
      coronary heart disease (CHD), including 6280 deaths from myocardial infarct and
      4855 deaths occurred from stroke, with 1092 deaths from ischaemic stroke and 1159
      deaths from haemorrhagic stroke. Relative recurrence risk ratios (RRRs) with 95%
      confidence intervals (95% CIs) for monozygotic and dizygotic twins were
      calculated. Results: In the analyses pooling men and women, the RRR for
      monozygotic twins was 1.49 (95% CI 1.40-1.57) for CHD and 1.81 for any stroke
      (95% CI 1.54-2.09). The highest RRR was found for haemorrhagic stroke (3.53 95%
      CI 2.01-5.04). For dizygotic twins, the RRRs were generally lower. Conclusions:
      Family aggregation was found for CHD and haemorrhagic stroke. Clustering of risk
      factors in families increases the risk of CVD.

PMID- 28338863
TI  - Attendance at Religious Services, Prayer, Religious Coping, and
      Religious/Spiritual Identity as Predictors of All-Cause Mortality in the Black
      Women's Health Study.
AB  - Previous longitudinal studies have consistently shown an association between
      attendance at religious services and lower all-cause mortality, but the
      literature on associations between other measures of religion and spirituality
      (R/S) and mortality is limited. We followed 36,613 respondents from the Black
      Women's Health Study from 2005 through December 31, 2013 to assess the
      associations between R/S and incident all-cause mortality using proportional
      hazards models. After control for numerous demographic and health covariates,
      together with other R/S variables, attending religious services several times per
      week was associated with a substantially lower mortality rate ratio (mortality
      rate ratio = 0.64, 95% confidence interval: 0.51, 0.80) relative to never
      attending services. Engaging in prayer several times per day was not associated
      with mortality after control for demographic and health covariates, but the
      association trended towards a higher mortality rate ratio when control was made
      for other R/S variables (for >2 times/day vs. weekly or less, mortality rate
      ratio = 1.28, 95% confidence interval: 0.99, 1.67; P-trend < 0.01). Religious
      coping and self-identification as a very religious/spiritual person were
      associated with lower mortality when adjustment was made only for age, but the
      association was attenuated when control was made for demographic and health
      covariates and was almost entirely eliminated when control was made for other R/S
      variables. The results indicate that service attendance was the strongest R/S
      predictor of mortality in this cohort.

PMID- 28338864
TI  - Lysine acetylation regulates the activity of Escherichia coli pyridoxine 5'
      phosphate oxidase.

PMID- 28338865
TI  - ASSESSMENT OF PUBLIC EXPOSURE FORM WLANS IN THE WEST BANK-PALESTINE.
AB  - A total of 271 measurements were conducted at 69 different sites including homes,
      hospitals, educational institutions and other public places to assess the
      exposure to radiofrequency emission from wireless local area networks (WLANs).
      Measurements were conducted at different distances from 40 to 10 m from the
      access points (APs) in real life conditions using Narda SRM-3000 selective
      radiation meter. Three measurements modes were considered at 1 m distance from
      the AP which are transmit mode, idle mode, and from the client card (laptop
      computer). All measurements were conducted indoor in the West Bank environment.
      Power density levels from WLAN systems were found to vary from 0.001 to ~1.9 MUW
      cm-2 with an average of 0.12 MUW cm-2. Maximum value found was in university
      environment, while the minimum was found in schools. For one measurement case
      where the AP was 20 cm far while transmitting large files, the measured power
      density reached a value of ~4.5 MUW cm-2. This value is however 221 times below
      the general public exposure limit recommended by the International Commission on
      Non-Ionizing Radiation Protection, which was not exceeded in any case.
      Measurements of power density at 1 m around the laptop resulted in less exposure
      than the AP in both transmit and idle modes as well. Specific absorption rate for
      the head of the laptop user was estimated and found to vary from 0.1 to 2 mW/kg.
      The frequency distribution of measured power densities follows a log-normal
      distribution which is generally typical in the assessment of exposure resulting
      from sources of radiofrequency emissions.

PMID- 28338866
TI  - The growing challenge of major trauma in older people: a role for comprehensive
      geriatric assessment?
AB  - In this commentary article, we describe the impact that an ageing population is
      having on the nature of major trauma seen in emergency departments. The
      proportion of major trauma victims who are older people is rapidly increasing and
      a fall from standing is now the most common mechanism of injury in major trauma.
      Potential barriers to effective care of this patient group are highlighted,
      including: a lack of consensus regarding triage criteria; potentially misleading
      physiological parameters within triage criteria; non-linear patient presentations
      and diagnostic nihilism. We argue that the complex ongoing care and
      rehabilitation needs of older patients with major trauma may be best met through
      Comprehensive Geriatric Assessment (CGA). Furthermore, the use of frailty
      screening tools may facilitate more informed early decision-making in relation to
      treatment interventions in older trauma victims. We call for geriatric medicine
      and emergency medicine departments to collaborate-equipping urgent care staff
      with the basic competencies necessary to initiate CGA should be a priority, and
      geriatricians have a key role to play in delivery of such educational
      interventions.

PMID- 28338867
TI  - Elevated Blood Pressure in Children of Cardiovascular Risk Mothers: Could
      Maternal Folic Acid Be the Link?

PMID- 28338868
TI  - EFFECTS OF FIELD SIZE AND DEPTH ON PHOTONEUTRON DOSE EQUIVALENT DISTRIBUTIONS IN
      AN 18 MV X-RAY MEDICAL ACCELERATOR.
AB  - Photoneutron (PN) dosimetry studies in high-energy X-ray medical accelerators are
      of high clinical and scientific interest in particular to protect patients
      undergoing radiotherapy. In this context, fast, epithermal and thermal PN dose
      equivalent distributions in different field sizes and depths in air and in a
      multilayer polyethylene phantom were studied. Polycarbonate track dosemeters in
      contact with a 10B convertor (with or without cadmium cover) when
      electrochemically etched were applied. PN dose equivalents in air and on the
      surface of the phantom are linear functions of field size. PN depth dose
      equivalents versus depth in air at the central axis are almost constant. Fast,
      epithermal and thermal PN dose equivalent responses versus depth in phantom peak
      respectively at 0.0, ~3.0 and ~3.0 cm while that of the sum PN dose equivalent
      value (3.32 +/- 0.19 mSv.Gy-1) peaks at ~1 cm. These values confirm those of some
      studies but contract some others.

PMID- 28338869
TI  - MEASUREMENT OF ABSORPTION DOSE OUTSIDE IRRADIATION FIELD IN IMRT.
AB  - The absorption dose outside the irradiation field for prostate intensity
      modulated radiation therapy was measured and evaluated by comparison with
      calculated values of radiation treatment planning system (TPS). The values of TPS
      calculated were using Varian CLINAC21EX/Eclipse and TomoTherapy Planning System
      for constant irradiation time. The absorption dose was measured by placing a
      glass-element dosemeter in a human-bone enclosure phantom with a planning target
      volume inside the irradiation field. The organs at risk were the rectum, spinal
      cord, thyroid, eyeball and the left lung. The calculated values of TPS, Varian
      CLINAC21EX/Eclipse and TomoTherapy Planning System were calculated, up to 17 and
      55 cm from the isocenter, respectively. The absorbed dose outside the irradiation
      field diverged with increased distance from the isocenter (Varian/Eclipse: p =
      0.03, TomoTherapy Planning System: p = 0.25). The calculated values for the
      absorbed dose outside the irradiation field were underestimated.

PMID- 28338871
TI  - Renal Sympathetic Denervation: A Viable Option for Treating Resistant
      Hypertension.
AB  - Accumulating evidence from mainly uncontrolled clinical studies with various
      types of ablation catheters have shown that renal denervation (RDN) can be
      applied safely and is effective in lowering blood pressure (BP) in patients with
      treatment-resistant hypertension. Sustained BP lowering has been documented up to
      3 years. Furthermore, RDN has been associated with regression of target organ
      damage, such as left ventricular hypertrophy, arterial stiffness, and others.
      Several studies indicate potential benefit in other common clinical conditions
      associated with increased sympathetic tone including chronic kidney disease and
      heart failure. However, the recently published Symplicity HTN-3 study, the
      largest and most rigorously designed sham-controlled clinical trial, while
      confirming the safety of the procedure, failed to demonstrate a BP lowering
      effect beyond that of a sham procedure in patients with resistant hypertension.
      Efforts to unravel the reasons for the discrepant results from Symplicity HTN-3
      have focused on a range of potential confounders including anatomical and
      procedural aspects. Indeed, data from post-hoc analyses indicate that sufficient
      RDN may not have been achieved in the majority of patients in Symplicity HTN-3.
      Furthermore, recent evidence from human postmortem and functional animal studies
      revealed new insights into the anatomical distribution of renal nerves and their
      accessibility by intravascular approaches. Initial results from recent clinical
      trials integrating these important findings indeed seem to confirm that RDN
      remains a viable option for the treatment of hypertension. Thorough further
      investigations will be key to determine the true potential of RDN in clinical
      conditions characterized by increased sympathetic drive.

PMID- 28338870
TI  - StMYB44 negatively regulates phosphate transport by suppressing expression of
      PHOSPHATE1 in potato.
AB  - Phosphorus is an important macronutrient for plant growth, but often deficient in
      soil. To understand the molecular basis of the complex responses of potato
      (Solanum tuberosum L.) to phosphate (Pi) deficiency stress, the RNA-Seq approach
      was taken to identify genes responding to Pi starvation in potato roots. A total
      of 359 differentially expressed genes were identified, among which the Solanum
      tuberosum transcription factor gene MYB44 (StMYB44) was found to be down
      regulated by Pi starvation. StMYB44 was ubiquitously expressed in potato tissues
      and organs, and StMYB44 protein was exclusively localized in the nucleus.
      Overexpression of StMYB44 in potato resulted in lower accumulation of Pi in
      shoots. Transcriptomic analysis indicated that the abundance of S. tuberosum
      PHOSPHATE1 (StPHO1), a Pi transport-related gene, was reduced in StMYB44
      overexpression lines. In contrast, knock-out of StMYB44 by a CRISPR/Cas9 system
      failed to increase transcription of StPHO1. Moreover, StMYB44 was found to
      interact in the nucleus with AtWRKY6, a known Arabidopsis transcription factor
      directly regulating PHO1 expression, and StWRKY6, indicating that StMYB44 could
      be a member of the regulatory complex controlling transcription of StPHO1. Taken
      together, our study demonstrates that StMYB44 negatively regulates Pi transport
      in potato by suppressing StPHO1 expression.

PMID- 28338872
TI  - Data-Gathering, Belief Flexibility, and Reasoning Across the Psychosis Continuum.
AB  - Background: There is evidence for a group of nonclinical individuals with full
      blown, persistent psychotic experiences (PEs) but no need-for-care: they are of
      particular importance in identifying risk and protective factors for clinical
      psychosis. The aim of this study was to investigate whether reasoning biases are
      related to PEs or need-for-care. Method: Two groups with persistent PEs
      (clinical; n = 74; nonclinical; n = 92) and a control group without PEs (n = 83)
      were compared on jumping-to-conclusions (JTC) and belief flexibility. A randomly
      selected subset of interviews (n = 104) was analyzed to examine differences in
      experiential and rational reasoning. Results: As predicted JTC was more common in
      the clinical than the other 2 groups. Unexpectedly no group differences were
      observed between clinical and nonclinical groups on measures of belief
      flexibility. However, the clinical group was less likely to employ rational
      reasoning, while the nonclinical group was more likely to use experiential
      reasoning plus a combination of both types of reasoning processes, compared to
      the other 2 groups. Conclusions: Reasoning biases differ in groups with PEs with
      and without need-for-care. JTC is associated with need-for-care rather than with
      PEs. The ability to invoke rational reasoning processes, together with an absence
      of JTC, may protect against pathological outcomes of persistent PEs. However,
      marked use of experiential reasoning is associated with the occurrence of PEs in
      both clinical and nonclinical groups. Implications for theory development,
      intervention and further research are discussed.

PMID- 28338873
TI  - Molecular dissection of the actin-binding ability of the fission yeast alpha
      actinin, Ain1, in vitro and in vivo.
AB  - A contractile ring (CR) is involved in cytokinesis in animal and yeast cells.
      Although several types of actin-bundling proteins associate with F-actin in the
      CR, their individual roles in the CR have not yet been elucidated in detail. Ain1
      is the sole alpha-actinin homologue in the fission yeast Schizosaccharomyces
      pombe and specifically localizes to the CR with a high turnover rate. S. pombe
      cells lacking the ain1+ gene show defects in cytokinesis under stress conditions.
      We herein investigated the biochemical activity and cellular localization
      mechanisms of Ain1. Ain1 showed weaker affinity to F-actin in vitro than other
      actin-bundling proteins in S. pombe. We identified a mutation that presumably
      loosened the interaction between two calponin-homology domains constituting the
      single actin-binding domain (ABD) of Ain1, which strengthened the actin-binding
      activity of Ain1. This mutant protein induced a deformation in the ring shape of
      the CR. Neither a truncated protein consisting only of an N-terminal ABD nor a
      truncated protein lacking a C-terminal region containing an EF-hand motif
      localized to the CR, whereas the latter was involved in the bundling of F-actin
      in vitro. We herein propose detailed mechanisms for how each part of the molecule
      is involved in the proper cellular localization and function of Ain1.

PMID- 28338874
TI  - Does Fetal Growth Restriction Cause Later Obesity? Pitfalls in Analyzing Causal
      Mediators as Confounders.
AB  - Recent studies finding that small-for-gestational-age (SGA) birth is associated
      with increased adiposity in childhood and adulthood have been based on analyses
      "adjusting" for height, weight, or body mass index (BMI; weight (kg)/height (m)2)
      measured concurrently with the adiposity measurement. To assess the potential for
      bias due to overadjustment for a causal mediator, we compared 2 approaches to
      analyzing the association between SGA birth and adiposity outcomes (skinfold
      thicknesses and bioelectrical impedance measurement of body fat) at age 11.5
      years using the same data set in a cohort of Belarusian children followed from
      birth in 1996-1997 to age 11.5 years in 2008-2010. We 1) studied the association
      of SGA birth with adiposity, adjusting for baseline covariates only, and 2) made
      additional regression adjustment for concurrent height, weight, or BMI. The first
      approach yielded negative associations between SGA birth and all adiposity
      outcomes. Additional adjustment for concurrent weight or BMI reversed (i.e., to
      positive) the SGA-adiposity association. To explore the latter anthropometric
      measures as causal mediators, we also used marginal structural models to estimate
      the controlled direct effect of SGA birth. That effect was similar to the effect
      seen with the first approach when modeled on height, was null when modeled on
      BMI, but was confounded by differences in lean mass versus fat mass when modeled
      on weight.

PMID- 28338875
TI  - Does baseline hypotension predict incident depression in a cohort of community
      dwelling older people? Data from The Irish Longitudinal Study on Ageing (TILDA).
AB  - Background: hypotension is now recognised as a risk factor for syncope,
      cardiovascular events and mortality, but it may also represent a risk factor for
      late life depression (LLD). The aim of this study was to clarify the longitudinal
      relationship between hypotension and incident LLD. Methods: this is a
      longitudinal study involving community-dwelling participants aged >=50 years,
      using data from The Irish Longitudinal Study on Ageing. The Centre for
      Epidemiological Studies Depression Scale (CES-D) was administered at baseline and
      at follow-up 2 years later. Blood pressure (BP) was measured at baseline.
      Participants with a CES-D score >=16 at baseline and those taking antidepressants
      were excluded and considered to have a current diagnosis of depression. A score
      of >=16 at follow-up was used to define incident depression. Results: about 4,525
      participants were included and 200 participants had diagnosis of incident LLD.
      The incident depression group had lower systolic BP at baseline than the non
      depressed group (132.8 +/- 1.43 mm Hg vs. 136.0 +/- 0.30 mm HG, P = 0.025).
      Logistic regression showed those with systolic BP <130 mm HG had an unadjusted
      odds ratio of 1.31 (1.01-1.68) for incident depression. This persisted after
      adjustment for confounding factors. Conclusion: systolic BP <130 mm Hg increased
      the likelihood of incident depression in a cohort of community-dwelling older
      adults. These findings are important because systolic hypotension may represent a
      potentially modifiable risk factor for LLD. They are also relevant in the context
      of BP treatment targets for older people.

PMID- 28338877
TI  - Data Resource Profile: National electronic medical record data from the Canadian
      Primary Care Sentinel Surveillance Network (CPCSSN).

PMID- 28338876
TI  - Subcellular localization of Arabidopsis arogenate dehydratases suggests novel and
      non-enzymatic roles.
AB  - Arogenate dehydratases (ADTs) catalyze the final step in phenylalanine
      biosynthesis in plants. The Arabidopsis thaliana genome encodes a family of six
      ADTs capable of decarboxylating/dehydrating arogenate into phenylalanine. Using
      cyan fluorescent protein (CFP)-tagged proteins, the subcellular localization
      patterns of all six A. thaliana ADTs were investigated in intact Nicotiana
      benthamiana and A. thaliana leaf cells. We show that A. thaliana ADTs localize to
      stroma and stromules (stroma-filled tubules) of chloroplasts. This localization
      pattern is consistent with the enzymatic function of ADTs as many enzymes
      required for amino acid biosynthesis are primarily localized to chloroplasts, and
      stromules are thought to increase metabolite transport from chloroplasts to other
      cellular compartments. Furthermore, we provide evidence that ADTs have
      additional, non-enzymatic roles. ADT2 localizes in a ring around the equatorial
      plane of chloroplasts or to a chloroplast pole, which suggests that ADT2 is a
      component of the chloroplast division machinery. In addition to chloroplasts,
      ADT5 was also found in nuclei, again suggesting a non-enzymatic role for ADT5. We
      also show evidence that ADT5 is transported to the nucleus via stromules. We
      propose that ADT2 and ADT5 are moonlighting proteins that play an enzymatic role
      in phenylalanine biosynthesis and a second role in chloroplast division or
      transcriptional regulation, respectively.

PMID- 28338878
TI  - Risk of Diabetes After Hysterectomy With or Without Oophorectomy in
      Postmenopausal Women.
AB  - The aim of this study was to determine the associations between hysterectomy,
      bilateral salpingo-oophorectomy (BSO), and incidence of diabetes in
      postmenopausal women participating in the Women's Health Initiative (WHI), a
      series of trials conducted in the United States, during the period 1993-1998. A
      total of 67,130 postmenopausal women aged 50-79 years were followed for a mean of
      13.4 years. Among them, 7,430 cases of diabetes were diagnosed. Multivariable Cox
      proportional hazards models were used to assess the association between
      hysterectomy/oophorectomy status and diabetes incidence. Compared with women
      without hysterectomy, women with hysterectomy had a significantly higher risk of
      diabetes (hazard ratio = 1.13, 95% confidence interval: 1.06, 1.21). The
      increased risk of diabetes was similar for women with hysterectomy only and for
      women with hysterectomy with concomitant BSO. Compared with hysterectomy alone,
      hysterectomy with BSO was not associated with additional risk of diabetes after
      stratification by age at hysterectomy and hormone therapy status. In our large,
      prospective study, we observed that hysterectomy, regardless of oophorectomy
      status, was associated with increased risk of diabetes among postmenopausal
      women. However, our data did not support the hypothesis that early loss of
      ovarian estrogens is a risk factor for type 2 diabetes. The modest increased risk
      of diabetes associated with hysterectomy may be due to residual confounding, such
      as the reasons for hysterectomy.

PMID- 28338880
TI  - The yield and feasibility of integrated screening for TB, diabetes and HIV in
      four public hospitals in Ethiopia.
AB  - Background: Our objective was to demonstrate the feasibility of integrated care
      for TB, HIV and diabetes mellitus (DM) in a pilot project in Ethiopia. Methods:
      Healthcare workers in four hospitals screened patients with TB for HIV and DM;
      patients with HIV for DM and TB; and patients with DM for TB. Fasting and random
      plasma glucose (RPG) tests were used to confirm the diagnosis of DM. We used
      screening checklists for TB and DM, and additional risk scoring criteria to
      identify patients at risk of DM. Results: Of 3439 study participants, 888 were
      patients with DM, 439 patients with TB and 2112 from HIV clinics. Six of the
      patients with DM had TB of whom five were already on treatment; and 141 (32.4%)
      patients with TB had DM, of whom only five were previously diagnosed with DM.
      Symptomatic patients and those with a risk score of 5 or more were about three
      times more likely to have abnormal blood glucose level. Of 2075 HIV patients with
      RPG determined, only 31 (1.5%) had abnormal RPG. Conclusions: Tri-directional
      screening was feasible for detecting and managing previously undiagnosed TB and
      DM. More work is needed to better understand the interaction between HIV and DM.

PMID- 28338879
TI  - Evidence for Detection Bias by Medication Use in a Cohort Study of Breast Cancer
      Survivors.
AB  - In previous studies, we found modestly decreased and increased risks of second
      breast cancer events with the use of statins and antibiotics, respectively, after
      adjustment for surveillance mammography. We evaluated detection bias by comparing
      receipt of surveillance mammography among users of these 2 disparate classes of
      medication. Adult women diagnosed with early-stage breast cancer during 1990-2008
      (n = 3,965) while enrolled in an integrated health-care plan (Group Health
      Cooperative; Washington State) were followed for up to 10 years in the Commonly
      Used Medications and Breast Cancer Outcomes (COMBO) Study. Categories of
      antibiotic use included infrequent (1-3 dispensings/12 months) and frequent (>=4
      dispensings/12 months) use, and categories of statin use included less adherent
      (1 dispensing/6 months) and adherent (>=2 dispensings/6 months). We examined
      associations between medication use and surveillance mammography using
      multivariable generalized estimating equations and evaluated the impact of
      adjusting for surveillance within Cox proportional hazard models. Frequent
      antibiotic users were less likely to receive surveillance mammography (odds ratio
      (OR) = 0.90, 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.82, 0.99) than were nonusers; no
      association was found among infrequent users (OR = 0.96, 95% CI: 0.90, 1.03).
      Adherent statin use was associated with more surveillance compared with nonuse
      (OR = 1.11, 95% CI: 1.01, 1.25), but less adherent statin use was not (OR = 1.03,
      95% CI: 0.81, 1.31). No difference in associations between medications of
      interest and second breast cancer events was observed when surveillance was
      removed from otherwise adjusted models. The influence of detection bias by
      medication use warrants further exploration.

PMID- 28338881
TI  - MdHB1 down-regulation activates anthocyanin biosynthesis in the white-fleshed
      apple cultivar 'Granny Smith'.
AB  - Coloration in apple (Malus*domestica) flesh is mainly caused by the accumulation
      of anthocyanin. Anthocyanin is biosynthesized through the flavonoid pathway and
      regulated by MYB, bHLH, and WD40 transcription factors (TFs). Here, we report
      that the HD-Zip I TF MdHB1 was also involved in the regulation of anthocyanin
      accumulation. MdHB1 silencing caused the accumulation of anthocyanin in 'Granny
      Smith' flesh, whereas its overexpression reduced the flesh content of anthocyanin
      in 'Ballerina' (red-fleshed apple). Moreover, flowers of transgenic tobacco
      (Nicotiana tabacum 'NC89') overexpressing MdHB1 showed a remarkable reduction in
      pigmentation. Transient promoter activation assays and yeast one-hybrid results
      indicated that MdHB1 indirectly inhibited expression of the anthocyanin
      biosynthetic genes encoding dihydroflavonol-4-reductase (DFR) and UDP
      glucose:flavonoid 3-O-glycosyltransferase (UFGT). Yeast two-hybrid and
      bimolecular fluorescence complementation determined that MdHB1 acted as a
      homodimer and could interact with MYB, bHLH, and WD40 in the cytoplasm,
      consistent with its cytoplasmic localization by green fluorescent protein
      fluorescence observations. Together, these results suggest that MdHB1 constrains
      MdMYB10, MdbHLH3, and MdTTG1 to the cytoplasm, and then represses the
      transcription of MdDFR and MdUFGT indirectly. When MdHB1 is silenced, these TFs
      are released to activate the expression of MdDFR and MdUFGT and also anthocyanin
      biosynthesis, resulting in red flesh in 'Granny Smith'.

PMID- 28338882
TI  - Tribal love: the neural correlates of passionate engagement in football fans.
AB  - The tribal character of the affective link between football fans and their teams
      is a well-recognized phenomenon. Other forms of love such as romantic or maternal
      attachment have previously been studied from a neuroimaging point of view. Here
      we aimed to investigate the neural basis of this tribal form of love, which
      implies both the feeling of belongingness and rivalry against opposing teams. A
      pool of 56 participants was submitted to an fMRI experimental design involving
      the presentation of winning and losing football moments of their loved, rival or
      neutral teams. We found recruitment of amygdala and reward regions, including the
      ventral tegmental area (VTA) and substantia nigra (SN), as well as other limbic
      regions involved in emotional cognition, for 'positive vs neutral' and 'positive
      vs negative' conditions. The latter contrast was correlated with
      neuropsychological scores of fanaticism in the amygdala and regions within the
      reward system, as the VTA and SN. The observation of increased response patterns
      in critical components of the reward system, in particular for positive content
      related to the loved team, suggests that this kind of non-romantic love reflects
      a specific arousal and motivational state, which is biased for emotional learning
      of positive outcomes.

PMID- 28338884
TI  - Erratum.

PMID- 28338883
TI  - The effects of oleanolic acid on atherosclerosis in different animal models.
AB  - In the present study, three animal models, including C57BL/6J mice, low-density
      lipoprotein receptor knockout (LDLR-/-) mice, and rabbit that mimicked
      atherosclerosis, were established to investigate the inhibitory effect of
      oleanolic acid (OA) on atherosclerosis. In rabbit model, serum total cholesterol
      (TC), triglyceride, low density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), and high density
      lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) were measured. Carotid artery lesions were
      isolated for histological analysis. The red oil O and hematoxylin-eosin staining
      in liver were examined. The messenger ribonucleicacid (mRNA) levels of PPARgamma,
      AdipoR1, and AdipoR2 related to lipid metabolism were determined. Compared with
      model group, OA and atorvastatin significantly lowered the levels of TC and LDL
      C. The result of red oil O staining showed that OA and atorvastatin had similar
      effect on reducing the accumulation of lipid. Histological result demonstrated
      that OA reduced the thickness of intima. AdipoR1 was markedly increased, while
      AdipoR2 was remarkably decreased in OA group compared with that in the control
      group of the rabbit model. In LDLR-/- mouse model, lipid parameters in blood and
      mRNA levels of PPARgamma, AdipoR1, and AdipoR2 were measured. It was found that
      OA exhibited similar effects as atorvastatin including reduced TG, LDL-C, and
      enhanced HDL-C. Notably, OA elevated the levels of AdipoR1 and PPARgamma. At the
      same time, OA decreased TC and LDL-C in C57BL/6J mice model. Our results in three
      different animal models all revealed that OA retarded the development of
      atherosclerosis by influencing serum lipid levels, lipid accumulation in liver
      and intimal thickening of artery. And the underlying mechanism of OA on
      atherosclerosis may involve in lipid metabolism genes: PPARgamma, AdipoR1, and
      AdipoR2.

PMID- 28338885
TI  - THE AUTHORS REPLY.

PMID- 28338886
TI  - RE: "RESIDENTIAL PROXIMITY TO TRAFFIC-RELATED POLLUTION AND ATHEROSCLEROSIS IN 4
      VASCULAR BEDS AMONG AFRICAN-AMERICAN ADULTS: RESULTS FROM THE JACKSON HEART
      STUDY".

PMID- 28338887
TI  - Washing away your sins in the brain: physical cleaning and priming of cleaning
      recruit different brain networks after moral threat.
AB  - The association between moral purity and physical cleanliness has been widely
      discussed recently. Studies found that moral threat initiates the need of
      physical cleanliness, but actual physical cleaning and priming of cleaning have
      inconsistent effects on subsequent attitudes and behaviors. Here, we used resting
      state functional magnetic resonance imaging to explore the underlying neural
      mechanism of actual physical cleaning and priming of cleaning. After recalling
      moral transgression with strong feelings of guilt and shame, participants either
      actually cleaned their faces with a wipe or were primed with cleanliness through
      viewing its pictures. Results showed that actual physical cleaning reduced the
      spontaneous brain activities in the right insula and MPFC, regions that involved
      in embodied moral emotion processing, while priming of cleaning decreased
      activities in the right superior frontal gyrus and middle frontal gyrus, regions
      that participated in executive control processing. Additionally, actual physical
      cleaning also changed functional connectivity between insula/MPFC and emotion
      related regions, whereas priming of cleaning modified connectivity within both
      moral and sensorimotor areas. These findings revealed that actual physical
      cleaning and priming of cleaning led to changes in different brain regions and
      networks, providing neural evidence for the inconsistent effects of cleanliness
      on subsequent attitudes and behaviors.

PMID- 28338888
TI  - Vibration transmission of the spine during walking is different between the
      lumbar and thoracic regions in older adults.
AB  - Background: fractures occur more commonly in the thoracic than in the lumbar
      spine. Physical activity complemented with pharmacological interventions has been
      advocated as a preventive measure for osteoporosis. However, walking has been
      shown to produce only a small improvement in spinal bone mineral density. The
      characteristics of vibration transmission during walking at the lumbar and
      thoracic spines may be different, and this may help explain the relative
      incidence of fractures in the two spine regions. Objective: to determine how
      mechanical vibration is transmitted in the lumbar and thoracic spines in older
      adults with and without osteoporosis. Methods: 16 young healthy adults, 19 older
      adults without osteoporosis and 41 adults with osteoporosis were recruited.
      Inertial sensors were attached to the skin over the lumbar and thoracic spines
      for recording the vibration transmitted during level walking. Vibration
      characteristics were compared across lumbar and thoracic spines and across
      groups. Results: the lumbar spine generally amplified the vibration transmitted
      during walking, whereas the thoracic spine exhibited a much smaller amplification
      effect, except at the lowest frequency. The magnitude of vibration was generally
      reduced in the older spines. Osteoporosis had minimal effects on vibration
      transmission. Conclusions: the larger amplification of vibration in the lumbar
      spine may explain the lower incidence of vertebral fractures in this region when
      compared to the thoracic spine. Ageing alters the transmission of vibration in
      the spine while osteoporosis has minimal effects. Future research should
      determine the characteristics of vibration transmitted through the thoracic spine
      during other physical activities.

PMID- 28338889
TI  - Measuring Occupational Exposure to Extremely Low-Frequency Electric Fields at 220
      kV Substations.
AB  - Earlier studies conducted at 400 and 110 kV substations in Finland have shown
      that the occupational exposure to electric fields can exceed the action levels
      (ALs) set by Directive 2013/35/EU. This is a case study investigating the level
      of occupational exposure experienced by workers at 220 kV substations in order to
      determine if the actions levels are being exceeded. The measurements were
      conducted at two old 220 kV substations in Finland. The higher AL of 20 kV m-1
      was exceeded at both substations.

PMID- 28338890
TI  - Metabolic syndrome and insulin resistance are associated with frailty in older
      adults: a prospective cohort study.
AB  - Background: diabetes increases the risk of frailty that is a leading cause of
      disability and premature mortality in older people. Metabolic syndrome (MS) and
      insulin resistance (IR) are strong risk factors for diabetes and could, thus,
      lead to frailty. However, the association between MS or IR and frailty has barely
      been investigated. Methods: data were obtained from a cohort of 1,499 community
      dwelling individuals aged >=60, who were free of diabetes at 2008-10 and were
      followed up for 3.5 years. At baseline, MS was ascertained according to the
      harmonised definition, and IR with the Homoeostatic Model Assessment for IR index
      (HOMA-IR). Frailty was defined as having three or more of the Fried's criteria:
      exhaustion, low physical activity, slow walking, unintentional weight loss and
      low grip strength. Statistical analyses were performed with logistic regression,
      and adjusted for the main confounders. Results: in 2012, 84 cases of incident
      frailty were identified. Compared with subjects without MS, those with MS showed
      increased risk of frailty (multivariate odds ratio [OR]: 1.85; 95% confidence
      interval [CI] 1.12-3.05). The association persisted after further adjustment for
      fibrinogen and C-reactive protein. When the frailty criteria were considered
      individually, low grip strength was the criterion that showed a stronger
      association with MS (OR: 1.67; 95% CI: 1.25-2.21). Higher HOMA-IR values were
      also associated with higher risk of frailty. Conclusion: MS and IR were
      associated with increased risk of frailty. This work extends the spectrum of
      harmful consequences of MS, and suggests that preventing or controlling MS may
      serve to delay frailty.

PMID- 28338891
TI  - Associations of Statin Use With Colorectal Cancer Recurrence and Mortality in a
      Danish Cohort.
AB  - In earlier studies of the influence of hydroxymethylglutaryl-coenzyme A reductase
      inhibitors (also known as statins) on colorectal cancer prognosis, investigators
      reported a reduced rate of cancer-specific mortality. Studies of recurrence are
      few and small. Using data from Danish registries, we followed 21,152 patients
      diagnosed with stage I-III colorectal cancer from 2001 to 2011. We estimated the
      association between statin use in the preceding year and cancer recurrence,
      cancer-specific mortality, and all-cause mortality rates. We identified 5,036
      recurrences, 7,084 deaths from any cause, and 4,066 deaths from colorectal
      cancer. After adjustment for potential confounders, statin use was not associated
      with recurrence (adjusted hazard ratio (aHR) = 1.01, 95% confidence interval
      (CI): 0.93, 1.09), but it was associated with death from colorectal cancer (aHR =
      0.72, 95% CI: 0.65, 0.79) and death from any cause (aHR = 0.72, 95% CI: 0.67,
      0.76). Statin use in the year preceding recurrence was associated with a reduced
      risk of cancer-specific mortality (aHR = 0.83, 95% CI: 0.74, 0.92) but also a
      reduced risk of death from any other cause (aHR = 0.78, 95% CI: 0.61, 1.00).
      Statin use was not associated with a reduced rate of colorectal cancer
      recurrence, but it was associated with a reduced rate of cancer-specific
      mortality, which suggests that there is no cancer-directed benefit; therefore,
      there is no basis to prescribe statins to colorectal cancer patients who do not
      have cardiovascular indications.

PMID- 28338893
TI  - Site-directed mutant libraries for isolating minimal mutations yielding
      functional changes.
AB  - Powerful, facile new ways to create libraries of site-directed mutants are
      demonstrated. These include: (1) one-pot-PCR, (2) multi-pot-PCR, and (3) split
      mix-PCR. One-pot-PCR uses mutant oligonucleotides to generate megaprimers in
      situ, and it was used to randomly incorporate 28 mutations in a gabT gene in a
      single reaction. In more difficult cases, multi-pot-PCR can be employed: mutant
      megaprimers are synthesized individually, then combined in a single mutagenesis
      PCR. This method was used to incorporate 14 out of 15 mutations in a pabB gene.
      Split-mix-PCR is a conceptually novel method for creation of site-directed mutant
      libraries. Separate PCRs for each mutant primer are performed, followed by
      pooling the products of the individual reactions. The pooled mixture is re
      aliquoted into individual mutant oligonucleotide PCRs. These steps are repeated
      for each cycle. Split-mix-PCR results in a nearly random distribution of mutation
      sites, and a distribution of number-of-mutations per gene that is computable and
      narrow. Split-mix-PCR was applied to the directed evolution of
      aminodeoxychorismate synthase into anthranilate synthase, and easily allowed the
      determination of the fewest mutations required for introduction of novel
      activity.

PMID- 28338892
TI  - Embodiment and Schizophrenia: A Review of Implications and Applications.
AB  - In recent decades, embodiment has become an influential concept in psychology and
      cognitive neuroscience. Embodiment denotes the study of the reciprocal (causal)
      relationships between mind and body, with the mind not only affecting the body
      but also vice versa. Embodied cognition comes to the fore in sensorimotor
      coupling, predictive coding, and nonverbal behavior. Additionally, the embodiment
      of the mind constitutes the basis of social interaction and communication, as
      evident in research on nonverbal synchrony and mimicry. These theoretical and
      empirical developments portend a range of implications for schizophrenia research
      and treatment. Sensorimotor dysfunctions are closely associated with affective
      and psychotic psychopathology, leading to altered timing in the processing of
      stimuli and to disordered appraisals of the environment. Problems of social
      cognition may be newly viewed as disordered embodied communication. The
      embodiment perspective suggests novel treatment strategies through psychotherapy
      and body-oriented interventions, and may ultimately provide biomarkers for
      diagnosis.

PMID- 28338894
TI  - ESTABLISHMENT OF RADIATION DOSES FOR PEDIATRIC X-RAY EXAMINATIONS IN A LARGE
      PEDIATRIC HOSPITAL IN TURKEY.
AB  - Pediatric patients are more sensitive to ionizing radiation when compared with
      adults. The aim of this study was to evaluate the radiation doses for some common
      pediatric x-ray examinations performed with various digital radiography systems.
      Quality control tests of the digital radiography systems were carried out
      according to international published protocols before the pediatric dose
      measurements. Radiation dose measurement was performed by using the x-ray tube
      outputs and thermoluminescent dosimeter dose measurement methods. In the present
      study, radiation doses were assessed for 247 chest, 230 pelvis, 194 skull and 73
      abdomen x-ray examinations and in total 744 pediatric patients doses were
      measured. Pediatric patients were classified into four age groups 0-1, 1-5, 5-10
      and 10-15 years as given by European Commission guidance. Effective doses were
      determined for each examination using a PCXMC 2.0 Monte Carlo program. The mean
      measured entrance skin doses for the age interval 1-5 years and AP projection by
      using tube output measurement methods were 149 uGy for chest, 304 uGy for pelvis,
      387 uGy for skull and 199 uGy for abdomen examinations. The radiation dose
      results obtained in this study were in the range of the published results in the
      literature.

PMID- 28338895
TI  - Photosynthesis, nutrient accumulation and growth of two Betula species exposed to
      waterlogging in late dormancy and in the early growing season.
AB  - Increased risk of soil waterlogging in winter and spring at northern latitudes
      will potentially affect forest production in the future. We studied gas exchange,
      chlorophyll content index, chlorophyll fluorescence, nutrient concentration and
      biomass accumulation in 1-year-old silver (Betula pendula Roth) and pubescent
      birch (Betula pubescens Ehrh.) seedlings. We hypothesized that B. pubescens has
      different physiological mechanisms that make it tolerate waterlogging better than
      B. pendula. The treatments were: (i) no waterlogging throughout the experiment;
      (ii) 4-week waterlogging during dormancy (dormancy waterlogging 'DW'); (iii) 4
      week waterlogging during the early growing season (growth waterlogging 'GW'); and
      (iv) 4-week DW followed by 4-week GW during the early growing season ('DWGW').
      Stomatal conductance and light-saturated net assimilation rate were reduced by GW
      in both species, and in B. pubescens also by DW. However, recovery was seen
      during the follow-up growing season. In B. pendula, DW, GW and DWGW temporarily
      resulted in reduced stem biomass, and GW and DWGW caused reduced leaf biomass. In
      B. pubescens, the stem biomass was decreased in GW and DWGW. Leaf nitrogen (N)
      and phosphorus (P) concentrations were generally low, and increased by GW, while
      potassium, calcium, magnesium and to some extent, boron and zinc concentrations
      decreased in both species and additionally manganese in B. pendula. The increases
      in N and P are mostly due to a concentration effect due to smaller leaf biomass,
      yet suggest that their uptake was not impaired. The decreases in cation
      concentrations are likely to be connected to impaired root functioning, which was
      not yet fully recovered from GW. We conclude that morphological acclimation to
      waterlogging of the leaves and roots rather than photosynthesis explains why B.
      pubescens is able to grow better in wetter areas than B. pendula.

PMID- 28338896
TI  - Rapid Evolution of microRNA Loci in the Brown Algae.
AB  - Stringent searches for microRNAs (miRNAs) have so far only identified these
      molecules in animals, land plants, chlorophyte green algae, slime molds and brown
      algae. The identification of miRNAs in brown algae was based on the analysis of a
      single species, the filamentous brown alga Ectocarpus sp. Here, we have used deep
      sequencing of small RNAs and a recently published genome sequence to identify
      miRNAs in a second brown alga, the kelp Saccharina japonica. S. japonica
      possesses a large number of miRNAs (117) and these miRNAs are highly diverse,
      falling into 98 different families. Surprisingly, none of the S. japonica miRNAs
      share significant sequence similarity with the Ectocarpus sp. miRNAs. However,
      the miRNA repertoires of the two species share a number of structural and genomic
      features indicating that they were generated by similar evolutionary processes
      and therefore probably evolved within the context of a common, ancestral miRNA
      system. This lack of sequence similarity suggests that miRNAs evolve rapidly in
      the brown algae (the two species are separated by ~95 Myr of evolution). The sets
      of predicted targets of miRNAs in the two species were also very different
      suggesting that the divergence of the miRNAs may have had significant
      consequences for miRNA function.

PMID- 28338898
TI  - The hematopoietic cell-specific transcription factor PU.1 is critical for
      expression of CD11c.
AB  - PU.1 is a hematopoietic cell-specific transcription factor belonging to the Ets
      family, which plays an important role in the development of dendritic cells
      (DCs). CD11c (encoded by Itgax) is well established as a characteristic marker of
      hematopoietic lineages including DCs. In the present study, we analyzed the role
      of PU.1 (encoded by Spi-1) in the expression of CD11c. When small interfering RNA
      (siRNA) for Spi-1 was introduced into bone marrow-derived DCs (BMDCs), the mRNA
      level and cell surface expression of CD11c were dramatically reduced. Using
      reporter assays, the TTCC sequence at -56/-53 was identified to be critical for
      PU.1-mediated activation of the promoter. An EMSA showed that PU.1 directly bound
      to this region. ChIP assays demonstrated that a significant amount of PU.1 bound
      to this region on chromosomal DNA in BMDCs, which was decreased in LPS-stimulated
      BMDCs in accordance with the reduced levels of mRNAs of Itgax and Spi-1, and the
      histone acetylation degree. Enforced expression of exogenous PU.1 induced the
      expression of the CD11c protein on the cell surface of mast cells, whereas
      control transfectants rarely expressed CD11c. Quantitative RT-PCR also showed
      that the expression of a transcription factor Irf4, which is a partner molecule
      of PU.1, was reduced in PU.1-knocked down BMDCs. IRF4 transactivated the Itgax
      gene in a synergistic manner with PU.1. Taken together, these results indicate
      that PU.1 functions as a positive regulator of CD11c gene expression by directly
      binding to the Itgax promoter and through transactivation of the Irf4 gene.

PMID- 28338897
TI  - Specialized Information Processing Deficits and Distinct Metabolomic Profiles
      Following TM-Domain Disruption of Nrg1.
AB  - Although there is considerable genetic and pathologic evidence for an association
      between neuregulin 1 (NRG1) dysregulation and schizophrenia, the underlying
      molecular and cellular mechanisms remain unclear. Mutant mice containing
      disruption of the transmembrane (TM) domain of the NRG1 gene constitute a
      heuristic model for dysregulation of NRG1-ErbB4 signaling in schizophrenia. The
      present study focused on hitherto uncharacterized information processing
      phenotypes in this mutant line. Using a mass spectrometry-based metabolomics
      approach, we also quantified levels of unique metabolites in brain. Across 2
      different sites and protocols, Nrg1 mutants demonstrated deficits in prepulse
      inhibition, a measure of sensorimotor gating, that is, disrupted in
      schizophrenia; these deficits were partially reversed by acute treatment with
      second, but not first-, generation antipsychotic drugs. However, Nrg1 mutants did
      not show a specific deficit in latent inhibition, a measure of selective
      attention that is also disrupted in schizophrenia. In contrast, in a "what-where
      when" object recognition memory task, Nrg1 mutants displayed sex-specific (males
      only) disruption of "what-when" performance, indicative of impaired temporal
      aspects of episodic memory. Differential metabolomic profiling revealed that
      these behavioral phenotypes were accompanied, most prominently, by alterations in
      lipid metabolism pathways. This study is the first to associate these novel
      physiological mechanisms, previously independently identified as being abnormal
      in schizophrenia, with disruption of NRG1 function. These data suggest novel
      mechanisms by which compromised neuregulin function from birth might lead to
      schizophrenia-relevant behavioral changes in adulthood.

PMID- 28338899
TI  - WORK PRACTICES AND RADIATION EXPOSURE AMONG MALE RADIOLOGIC TECHNOLOGISTS
      ASSISTING FLUOROSCOPICALLY GUIDED INTERVENTIONAL PROCEDURES.
AB  - This study investigated occupational characteristics and radiation exposure among
      radiologic technologists assisting fluoroscopically guided interventional (FGI)
      procedures. A nationwide survey of radiologic technologists in South Korea was
      conducted. Among 8058 male respondents, 664 (8.2%) assisted FGI procedures. The
      survey data were linked with dosimetry data from the National Dose Registry. Most
      radiologic technologists assisting FGI procedures were 30-40 years old and
      employed by general hospitals. These technologists worked in closer proximity to
      patients during procedures, less frequently used shield screens, more commonly
      utilized protective devices, and less commonly wore badge dosemeters than the
      ones not assisting FGI procedures. The average annual effective dose did not
      differ according to the performance of FGI procedures. The average cumulative
      effective dose among radiologic technologists assisting FGI procedures was
      significantly greater for those who had recently entered the field and personnel
      in rural areas than for those who did not assist these procedures.

PMID- 28338900
TI  - Exposure to the Chinese famine of 1959-61 in early life and long-term health
      conditions: a systematic review and meta-analysis.
AB  - Background: Most Chinese people over 55 years old today have experienced the
      Great Leap Forward Famine of 1959-61. Many reports suggested that the famine
      could have profound long-term health effects for exposed birth cohorts. A
      systematic review and meta-analysis was carried out to summarize reported famine
      effects on long-term health. Methods: Relevant reports were identified by
      searching PubMed, Embase, Chinese Wanfang Data and Chinese National Knowledge
      Infrastructure databases. Long-term health conditions were compared in exposed
      birth cohorts and unexposed controls. Fixed-effects models and random-effects
      models were used to combine results on adult overweight, obesity, type 2
      diabetes, hyperglycaemia, hypertension, the metabolic syndrome and schizophrenia.
      The heterogeneity across reports was assessed. Subgroup analyses were carried out
      using reported famine severity, provincial mortality during famine, sex and other
      report characteristics. Results: In all, 36 reports were eligible for systematic
      review and 21 could be used for meta-analysis. The number of events we analysed
      ranged from 1029 for hyperglycaemia to 8973 for hypertension. As reported by
      others, overweight, type 2 diabetes, hyperglycaemia, the metabolic syndrome, and
      schizophrenia were more common among adults born during the famine compared with
      controls born after the famine. By contrast, there were no increases in
      overweight [odds ratio (OR) 0.68; 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.27-1.72], type
      2 diabetes (OR 0.96; 95% CI: 0.73-1.28), hyperglycaemia (OR 0.99; 95% CI: 0.72
      1.36) or the metabolic syndrome (OR 1.11; 95% CI: 1.00-1.22) comparing adults
      born during the famine with controls born either after or before the famine. For
      schizophrenia, the effect estimates (OR 1.60; 95% CI: 1.50-1.70, combining
      control groups) were similar in the two scenarios. Conclusions: Our findings
      suggest that uncontrolled age differences between famine and post-famine births
      could explain most effects commonly attributed to the famine. For more reliable
      estimates of long-term famine effects in China, other analyses will be needed
      with age-appropriate controls and better information on the severity and timing
      of the famine in the populations included.

PMID- 28338901
TI  - Characterization of the genuine type 2 chromatic acclimation in the two
      Geminocystis cyanobacteria.
AB  - Certain cyanobacteria can adjust the wavelengths of light they absorb by
      remodeling their photosynthetic antenna complex phycobilisome via a process
      called chromatic acclimation (CA). Although several types of CA have been
      reported, the diversity of the molecular mechanisms of CA among the cyanobacteria
      phylum is not fully understood. Here, we characterized the molecular process of
      CA of Geminocystis sp. strains National Institute of Environmental Studies (NIES)
      3708 and NIES-3709. Absorption and fluorescence spectroscopy revealed that both
      strains dramatically alter their phycoerythrin content in response to green and
      red light. Whole-genome comparison revealed that the two strains share the
      typical phycobilisome structure consisting of a central core and peripheral rods,
      but they differ in the number of rod linkers of phycoerythrin and thus have
      differing capacity for phycoerythrin accumulation. RNA sequencing analysis
      suggested that the length of phycoerythrin rods in each phycobilisome is strictly
      regulated by the green light and red light-sensing CcaS/R system, whereas the
      total number of phycobilisomes is governed by the excitation-balancing system
      between phycobilisomes and photosystems. We reclassify the conventional CA types
      based on the genome information and designate CA of the two strains as genuine
      type 2, where components of phycoerythrin, but not rod-membrane linker of
      phycocyanin, are regulated by the CcaS/R system.

PMID- 28338902
TI  - Assessment of the Status of Measles Elimination in the United States, 2001-2014.
AB  - We assessed the status of measles elimination in the United States using outbreak
      notification data. Measles transmissibility was assessed by estimation of the
      reproduction number, R, the average number of secondary cases per infection,
      using 4 methods; elimination requires maintaining R at <1. Method 1 estimates R
      as 1 minus the proportion of cases that are imported. Methods 2 and 3 estimate R
      by fitting a model of the spread of infection to data on the sizes and
      generations of chains of transmission, respectively. Method 4 assesses
      transmissibility before public health interventions, by estimating R for the case
      with the earliest symptom onset in each cluster (Rindex). During 2001-2014, R and
      Rindex estimates obtained using methods 1-4 were 0.72 (95% confidence interval
      (CI): 0.68, 0.76), 0.66 (95% CI: 0.62, 0.70), 0.45 (95% CI: 0.40, 0.49), and 0.63
      (95% CI: 0.57, 0.69), respectively. Year-to-year variability in the values of R
      and Rindex and an increase in transmissibility in recent years were noted with
      all methods. Elimination of endemic measles transmission is maintained in the
      United States. A suggested increase in measles transmissibility since elimination
      warrants continued monitoring and emphasizes the importance of high measles
      vaccination coverage throughout the population.

PMID- 28338903
TI  - Disulfide bridges as essential elements for the thermostability of lytic
      polysaccharide monooxygenase LPMO10C from Streptomyces coelicolor.
AB  - Lytic polysaccharide monooxygenases (LPMOs) are crucial components of cellulase
      mixtures but their stability has not yet been studied in detail, let alone been
      engineered for industrial applications. In this work, we have evaluated the
      importance of disulfide bridges for the thermodynamic stability of Streptomyces
      coelicolor LPMO10C. Interestingly, this enzyme was found to retain 34% of its
      activity after 2-h incubation at 80 degrees C while its apparent melting
      temperature (Tm) is only 51 degrees C. When its three disulfide bridges were
      broken, however, irreversible unfolding occurred and no residual activity could
      be detected after a similar heat treatment. Based on these findings, additional
      disulfide bridges were introduced, as predicted by computational tools (MOdelling
      of DIsulfide bridges in Proteins (MODiP) and Disulfide by Design (DbD)) and using
      the most flexible positions in the structure as target sites. Four out of 16
      variants displayed an improvement in Tm, ranging from 2 to 9 degrees C. Combining
      the positive mutations yielded additional improvements (up to 19 degrees C) but
      aberrant unfolding patterns became apparent in some cases, resulting in a
      diminished capacity for heat resistance. Nonetheless, the best variant, a
      combination of A143C-P183C and S73C-A115C, displayed a 12 degrees C increase in
      Tm and was able to retain and was able to retain no less than 60% of its activity
      after heat treatment.

PMID- 28338904
TI  - Preeclampsia, Portliness, and Perturbation of Adipose Tissue Function-Are we
      Beginning to Connect the Dots?

PMID- 28338905
TI  - The Reverse J-Shaped Association Between Serum Total 25-Hydroxyvitamin D
      Concentration and All-Cause Mortality: The Impact of Assay Standardization.
AB  - We evaluated the impact of standardizing the originally measured serum total 25
      hydroxyvitamin D (25(OH)D) values from Third National Health and Nutrition
      Examination Survey (NHANES III, 1988-1994) on the association between 25(OH)D and
      rate of all-cause mortality. Values were standardized to the gold-standard
      laboratory method. Follow-up from 1990-2006 consisted of 15,099 participants aged
      at least 20 years at baseline, among whom there were 3,784 deaths. Relative risk
      of death was adjusted for age, sex, race/ethnicity, and season using Poisson
      regression. Results were obtained for eight 25(OH)D (nmol/L) categories: <20
      nmol/L, 20-29 nmol/L, 30-39 nmol/L, 40-49 nmol/L, 50-59 nmol/L, 60-74 nmol/L, 75
      99 nmol/L (reference), and >=100 nmol/L. Assay standardization dramatically
      shifted original 25(OH)D values toward zero. Accordingly, risk >=120 nmol/L could
      not be evaluated (i.e., n = 7 and ndeaths = 2). Relative risk (95% confidence
      interval (CI)) <40 nmol/L remained significant (30-39 nmol/L: relative risk (RR)
      = 1.4 (95% CI: 1.1, 1.6); 20-29 nmol/L: RR = 1.6 (95% CI: 1.3, 1.9), and <20
      nmol/L: RR = 2.1 (95% CI: 1.6, 2.7). However, adjusted relative risk estimates
      for 25(OH)D levels >=40 nmol/L were no longer significant (40-49 nmol/L: RR = 1.2
      (95% CI: 0.99, 1.4); 50-59 nmol/L: RR = 1.2 (95% CI: 1.04, 1.4); 60-74 nmol/L: RR
      = 1.1 (95% CI: 0.94, 1.2); 75-99 nmol/L: RR = 1.0 (referent), and >=100 nmol/L:
      RR = 1.1 (95% CI: 0.6, 2.1). In summary, after standardization, risk of death
      from all causes increased with decreasing 25(OH)D <40 nmol/L, while there was no
      association with values in categories between 40 nmol/L and 120 nmol/L.

PMID- 28338906
TI  - Vertical leaf mass per area gradient of mature sugar maple reflects both height
      driven increases in vascular tissue and light-driven increases in palisade layer
      thickness.
AB  - A key trait used in canopy and ecosystem function modeling, leaf mass per area
      (LMA), is influenced by changes in both leaf thickness and leaf density (LMA =
      Thickness * Density). In tall trees, LMA is understood to increase with height
      through two primary mechanisms: (i) increasing palisade layer thickness (and thus
      leaf thickness) in response to light and/or (ii) reduced cell expansion and
      intercellular air space in response to hydrostatic constraints, leading to
      increased leaf density. Our objective was to investigate within-canopy gradients
      in leaf anatomical traits in order to understand environmental factors that
      influence leaf morphology in a sugar maple (Acer saccharum Marshall) forest
      canopy. We teased apart the effects of light and height on anatomical traits by
      sampling at exposed and closed canopies that had different light conditions at
      similar heights. As expected, palisade layer thickness responded strongly to
      cumulative light exposure. Mesophyll porosity, however, was weakly and negatively
      correlated with light and height (i.e., hydrostatic gradients). Reduced mesophyll
      porosity was not likely caused by limitations on cell expansion; in fact,
      epidermal cell width increased with height. Palisade layer thickness was better
      related to LMA, leaf density and leaf thickness than was mesophyll porosity. Vein
      diameter and fraction of vascular tissue also increased with height and LMA,
      density and thickness, revealing that greater investment in vascular and support
      tissue may be a third mechanism for increased LMA with height. Overall,
      decreasing mesophyll porosity with height was likely due to palisade cells
      expanding into the available air space and also greater investments in vascular
      and support tissue, rather than a reduction of cell expansion due to hydrostatic
      constraints. Our results provide evidence that light influences both palisade
      layer thickness and mesophyll porosity and indicate that hydrostatic gradients
      influence leaf vascular and support tissues in mature Acer saccharum trees.

PMID- 28338907
TI  - Fish and seafood consumption during pregnancy and the risk of asthma and allergic
      rhinitis in childhood: a pooled analysis of 18 European and US birth cohorts.
AB  - Background: It has been suggested that prenatal exposure to n-3 long-chain fatty
      acids protects against asthma and other allergy-related diseases later in
      childhood. The extent to which fish intake in pregnancy protects against child
      asthma and rhinitis symptoms remains unclear. We aimed to assess whether fish and
      seafood consumption in pregnancy is associated with childhood wheeze, asthma and
      allergic rhinitis. Methods: We pooled individual data from 60 774 mother-child
      pairs participating in 18 European and US birth cohort studies. Information on
      wheeze, asthma and allergic rhinitis prevalence was collected using validated
      questionnaires. The time periods of interest were: infancy (0-2 years), preschool
      age (3-4 years), and school age (5-8 years). We used multivariable generalized
      models to assess associations of fish and seafood (other than fish) consumption
      during pregnancy with child respiratory outcomes in cohort-specific analyses,
      with subsequent random-effects meta-analyses. Results: The median fish
      consumption during pregnancy ranged from 0.44 times/week in The Netherlands to
      4.46 times/week in Spain. Maternal fish intake during pregnancy was not
      associated with offspring wheeze symptoms in any age group nor with the risk of
      child asthma [adjusted meta-analysis relative risk (RR) per 1-time/week = 1.01,
      95% confidence interval 0.97-1.05)] and allergic rhinitis at school age (RR =
      1.01, 0.99-1.03). These results were consistently found in further analyses by
      type of fish and seafood consumption and in sensitivity analyses. Conclusion: We
      found no evidence supporting a protective association of fish and seafood
      consumption during pregnancy with offspring symptoms of wheeze, asthma and
      allergic rhinitis from infancy to mid childhood.

PMID- 28338908
TI  - Metabolite profiling of barley flag leaves under drought and combined heat and
      drought stress reveals metabolic QTLs for metabolites associated with antioxidant
      defense.
AB  - Barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) is among the most stress-tolerant crops; however, not
      much is known about the genetic and environmental control of metabolic adaptation
      of barley to abiotic stresses. We have subjected a genetically diverse set of 81
      barley accessions, consisting of Mediterranean landrace genotypes and German
      elite breeding lines, to drought and combined heat and drought stress at
      anthesis. Our aim was to (i) investigate potential differences in morphological,
      physiological, and metabolic adaptation to the two stress scenarios between the
      Mediterranean and German barley genotypes and (ii) identify metabolic
      quantitative trait loci (mQTLs). To this end, we have genotyped the investigated
      barley lines with an Illumina iSelect 9K array and analyzed a set of 57
      metabolites from the primary C and N as well as antioxidant metabolism in flag
      leaves under control and stress conditions. We found that drought-adapted
      genotypes attenuate leaf carbon metabolism much more strongly than elite lines
      during drought stress adaptation. Furthermore, we identified mQTLs for flag leaf
      gamma-tocopherol, glutathione, and succinate content by association genetics that
      co-localize with genes encoding enzymes of the pathways producing these
      antioxidant metabolites. Our results provide the molecular basis for breeding
      barley cultivars with improved abiotic stress tolerance.

PMID- 28338909
TI  - Therapeutic potential of mesenchymal stem cells in acute kidney injury is
      affected by administration timing.
AB  - Mesenchymal stem cell (MSC) transplantation is a promising therapy for acute
      kidney injury; however, the efficacy is limited due to poor survival after
      transplantation. In this study, we investigated how MSC transplantation timing
      affected the survival and therapeutic potential of MSCs in the kidney ischemia
      reperfusion (I/R) injury model. After kidney I/R injury, the inflammatory process
      and tissue damage were characterized over 1 week post-I/R, we found that
      inflammation peaked at 12-24 h post-I/R (h.p.i.), and urine  neutrophil
      gelatinase-associated lipocalin (NGAL) measurements correlated highly with
      measures of inflammation. We cultured MSCs with supernatants from I/R injured
      kidney tissue homogenates collected at different time points and found that
      kidney homogenates from 12 and 24 h.p.i. were most toxic to MSCs, whereas
      homogenates from 1 h.p.i. were not as cytotoxic as those from 12 and 24 h.p.i.
      Compared with MSCs administered at 12, or 24 h.p.i., cells administered
      immediately after ischemia or 1 h.p.i. yielded the highest renoprotective and
      anti-inflammatory effects. Our findings indicate that MSC treatment for acute
      kidney injury is most effective when applied prior to the development of a potent
      inflammatory microenvironment, and urine NGAL may be helpful for detecting
      inflammation and selecting MSC transplantation timing in I/R kidney injury.

PMID- 28338910
TI  - The "Dry-Run" Analysis: A Method for Evaluating Risk Scores for Confounding
      Control.
AB  - A propensity score (PS) model's ability to control confounding can be assessed by
      evaluating covariate balance across exposure groups after PS adjustment. The
      optimal strategy for evaluating a disease risk score (DRS) model's ability to
      control confounding is less clear. DRS models cannot be evaluated through balance
      checks within the full population, and they are usually assessed through
      prediction diagnostics and goodness-of-fit tests. A proposed alternative is the
      "dry-run" analysis, which divides the unexposed population into "pseudo-exposed"
      and "pseudo-unexposed" groups so that differences on observed covariates resemble
      differences between the actual exposed and unexposed populations. With no
      exposure effect separating the pseudo-exposed and pseudo-unexposed groups, a DRS
      model is evaluated by its ability to retrieve an unconfounded null estimate after
      adjustment in this pseudo-population. We used simulations and an empirical
      example to compare traditional DRS performance metrics with the dry-run
      validation. In simulations, the dry run often improved assessment of confounding
      control, compared with the C statistic and goodness-of-fit tests. In the
      empirical example, PS and DRS matching gave similar results and showed good
      performance in terms of covariate balance (PS matching) and controlling
      confounding in the dry-run analysis (DRS matching). The dry-run analysis may
      prove useful in evaluating confounding control through DRS models.

PMID- 28338911
TI  - New horizons in hospital acquired pneumonia in older people.
AB  - Approximately 1.5% of hospital patients develop hospital acquired pneumonia.
      Aspiration is the major risk factor for pneumonia and is associated with reduced
      ability to mechanically clear respiratory pathogens into the stomach. Currently
      non-invasive methods of diagnosing hospital acquired pneumonia are less robust
      than invasive methods, and lead to over-diagnosis. Accurate diagnosis is key to
      surveillance, prevention and treatment of HAP, and also to improving outcomes;
      newer imaging modalities such as phase contrast X-ray imaging and nanoparticle
      enhanced magnetic resonance imaging may help. Potential preventative strategies
      such as systematic swallowing assessment in non-stroke patients, and
      interventions such as improving oral hygiene need further, robust randomised
      controlled trials. Antibiotics are likely to continue to be the mainstay of
      treatment, and new antibiotics such as ceftobiprole are likely to have a role in
      treating hospital acquired pneumonia. Given the spread of antimicrobial
      resistance, alternative treatment strategies including bacteriophages, peptides
      and antibodies are under investigation. Reducing the incidence of hospital
      acquired pneumonia could decrease length of hospital stay, reduce inappropriate
      antibiotic use, and both improve functional outcomes and mortality in our
      increasingly aged population.

PMID- 28338912
TI  - Invited Commentary: The Tao of Clinical Cohort Analysis-When the Transitions That
      Can Be Spoken of Are Not the True Transitions.
AB  - Patterns in risk-related behaviors identified using clinically deployed surveys
      may hold value for public health surveillance. However, because such surveys
      assess subjects only when subjects choose to visit clinics, clinical data are
      subject to variability in observation patterns that is not present in
      conventional longitudinal data sets in which research teams contact subjects at
      regular intervals. In this issue of the Journal, Wilkinson et al. (Am J
      Epidemiol. 2017;185(8):627-635) describe how they applied a latent transition
      analysis technique to surveillance data collected during clinic visits. In this
      commentary I discusses the selection bias that may arise in longitudinal analysis
      of clinical data due to subject-specific observation patterns, with particular
      focus on issues that may arise due to classifying successive clinical visits as
      waves. I suggest that quantitative bias analysis and inverse probability
      weighting may be useful techniques with which to assess and control bias in
      future latent transition analyses of clinical data.

PMID- 28338913
TI  - Assessing the impact of unmeasured confounding for binary outcomes using
      confounding functions.
AB  - A critical assumption of causal inference is that of no unmeasured confounding:
      for estimated exposure effects to have valid causal interpretations, a sufficient
      set of predictors of exposure and outcome must be adequately measured and
      correctly included in the respective inference model(s). In an observational
      study setting, this assumption will often be unsatisfied, and the potential
      impact of unmeasured confounding on effect estimates should be investigated. The
      confounding function approach allows the impact of unmeasured confounding on
      estimates to be assessed, where unmeasured confounding may be due to unmeasured
      confounders and/or biases such as collider bias or information bias. Although
      this approach is easy to implement and pertains to the sum of all bias, its use
      has not been widespread, and discussion has typically been limited to continuous
      outcomes. In this paper, we consider confounding functions for use with binary
      outcomes and illustrate the approach with an example. We note that confounding
      function choice encodes assumptions about effect modification: some choices
      encode the belief that the true causal effect differs across exposure groups,
      whereas others imply that any difference between the true causal parameter and
      the estimate is entirely due to imbalanced risks between exposure groups. The
      confounding function approach is a useful method for assessing the impact of
      unmeasured confounding, in particular when alternative approaches, e.g. external
      adjustment or instrumental variable approaches, cannot be applied. We provide
      Stata and R code for the implementation of this approach when the causal estimand
      of interest is an odds or risk ratio.

PMID- 28338914
TI  - Impact of decentralisation of antiretroviral therapy services on HIV testing and
      care at a population level in Agago District in rural Northern Uganda: results
      from the Lablite population surveys.
AB  - Background: We conducted unlinked cross-sectional population-based surveys in
      Northern Uganda before and after antiretroviral therapy (ART) provision
      (including Option B+ [lifelong ART for pregnant/breast-feeding women]) at a local
      primary care facility (Lira Kato Health Centre [HC]). Prior to decentralisation,
      people travelled 56-76 km round-trip for ART; we aimed to evaluate changes in
      uptake of HIV-testing, ART coverage and access to ART following decentralisation.
      Methods: A total of 2124 adults in 1351 households in two parishes closest to
      Lira Kato HC were interviewed using questionnaires between March and April 2013
      and 2123 adults in 1229 households between January and March 2015. Results:
      Adults reporting HIV-testing in the last year increased from 1077/2124 (50.7%) to
      1298/2123 (61.1%) between surveys (p<0.001). ART coverage increased from 74/136
      (54.4%) self-reported HIV-positive adults in 2013 to 108/133 (81.2%) in 2015
      (p<0.001). Post-decentralisation, 47/108 (43.5%) of those on ART were in care at
      Lira Kato HC (including 37 new initiations). Most of the remainder (47/61, 77%)
      started ART prior to any ART provision at Lira Kato HC; the most common reason
      given for not accessing ART locally was concern about drug-stock-outs (30/59,
      51%). Conclusions: HIV-testing and ART coverage increased after decentralisation
      combined with Option B+ roll-out. However, patients on ART before
      decentralisation were reluctant to transfer to their local facility.

PMID- 28338915
TI  - Ungulate herbivory alters leaf functional traits and recruitment of regenerating
      aspen.
AB  - Herbivory by ungulates can affect forest regeneration success, but its long-term
      impacts on tree function and recruitment are less studied. We evaluated
      strategies of resistance, tolerance and vertical escape against ungulate
      herbivory by evaluating leaf traits (photosynthesis, morphology and chemistry)
      and growth rates of aspen in the presence and absence of ungulate herbivores 1,
      2, 3 and 26 years after fires initiated aspen suckering. Over the initial 3-year
      period, ~60% of aspen stems in unfenced plots showed evidence of being browsed by
      ungulates. After 3 years, aspen in unfenced plots had smaller leaves, were 50%
      shorter, and had 33% lower nonstructural carbohydrate concentrations and 33%
      greater concentrations of condensed tannins, when compared with fenced aspen.
      Aspen exposed to ungulate herbivory over a 26-year period maintained smaller
      leaves, had lower annual radial growth rates and were still below the critical
      height threshold of 2 m required to escape ungulate herbivory for successful
      recruitment. In contrast, the average height of aspen protected from ungulates
      was approaching 6 m. Over the 26-year period leaves in unfenced plots had 41%
      lower nonstructural carbohydrate concentrations and greater expression of defense
      compounds-condensed tannins (63%) and phenolic glycosides (102%)-than leaves in
      fenced plots. Photosynthetic rates were slightly higher in aspen that experienced
      ungulate browsing, suggesting that changes in leaf anatomy and chemistry due to
      ungulate herbivory did not interfere with photosynthesis. Our data suggest that
      ungulate browsing increases investment in chemical defense, lowers nonstructural
      carbohydrate concentrations and reduces leaf area, which decreases the
      recruitment potential of regenerating aspen.

PMID- 28338916
TI  - Violent offenders respond to provocations with high amygdala and striatal
      reactivity.
AB  - The ability to successfully suppress impulses and angry affect is fundamental to
      control aggressive reactions following provocations. The aim of this study was to
      examine neural responses to provocations and aggression using a laboratory model
      of reactive aggression. We used a novel functional magnetic resonance imaging
      point-subtraction aggression paradigm in 44 men, of whom 18 were incarcerated
      violent offenders and 26 were control non-offenders. We measured brain activation
      following provocations (monetary subtractions), while the subjects had the
      possibility to behave aggressively or pursue monetary rewards. The violent
      offenders behaved more aggressively than controls (aggression frequency 150 vs
      84, P = 0.03) and showed significantly higher brain reactivity to provocations
      within the amygdala and striatum, as well as reduced amygdala-prefrontal and
      striato-prefrontal connectivity. Amygdala reactivity to provocations was
      positively correlated with task-related behavior in the violent offenders. Across
      groups, striatal and prefrontal reactivity to provocations was positively
      associated with trait anger and trait aggression. These results suggest that
      violent individuals display abnormally high neural sensitivity to social
      provocations, a sensitivity related to aggressive behavior. These findings
      provide novel insight into the neural pathways that are sensitive to
      provocations, which is critical to more effectively shaped interventions that aim
      to reduce pathological aggressive behavior.

PMID- 28338917
TI  - Association Between Serum Levels of Uric Acid and Blood Pressure Tracking in
      Childhood.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Recent studies suggest that high levels of serum uric acid of very
      early life are a result of the in-utero environment and may lead to elevated
      blood pressure (BP) in adulthood. However, serum uric acid levels can change
      throughout life. We investigated the effect of serum uric acid levels in
      childhood on the BP tracking and analysed BP according to changes in serum uric
      acid levels in early life. METHODS: A total of 449 children from the Ewha Birth
      and Growth Cohort study underwent at least 2 follow-up examinations. Data were
      collected across 3 check-up cycles. Serum uric acid levels, BP, and
      anthropometric characteristics were assessed at 3, 5, and 7 years of age.
      RESULTS: Children with a serum uric acid level higher than the median values had
      significantly increased systolic BP (SBP) and diastolic BP at 3 years of age.
      Baseline serum uric acid levels measured at 3 years of age, significantly
      affected subsequent BP in the sex and body mass index adjusted longitudinal data
      analysis (P < 0.05). Considering the changing pattern of serum uric acid over
      time, subjects with high uric acid levels at both 3 and 5 years of age had the
      highest SBP at 7 years of age. CONCLUSIONS: These findings suggest the importance
      of maintaining an adequate level of serum uric acids from the early life.
      Appropriate monitoring and intervention of uric acid levels in a high-risk group
      can reduce the risk of a future increased BP.

PMID- 28338918
TI  - Integrated miRNA and mRNA expression profiling reveals the response regulators of
      a susceptible tomato cultivar to early blight disease.
AB  - Early blight, caused by the fungus Alternaria solani, is a devastating foliar
      disease of tomatoes, causes massive yield loss each year worldwide. Molecular
      basis of the compatible host-pathogen interaction was elusive. We adopted next
      generation sequencing approach to decipher miRNAs and mRNAs that are
      differentially expressed during Alternaria-stress in tomato. Some of the
      interesting findings were also validated by alternative techniques. Our analysis
      revealed 181 known-miRNAs, belonging to 121 miRNA families, of which 67 miRNAs
      showed at least 2-fold change in expression level with the majority being
      downregulated. Concomitantly, 5,450 mRNAs were significantly regulated in the
      same diseased tissues. Differentially expressed genes were most significantly
      associated with response to stimulus process, photosynthesis, biosynthesis of
      secondary metabolites, plant-pathogen interaction and plant hormone signal
      transduction pathways. GO term enrichment-based categorization of gene-functions
      further supported this observation, as terms related to pathogen perception,
      disease signal transduction, cellular metabolic processes including
      oxidoreductase and kinase activity were over represented. In addition, we have
      discovered 102 miRNA-mRNA pairs which were regulated antagonistically, and
      careful study of the targeted mRNAs depicted that multiple transcription factors,
      nucleotide-binding site leucine-rich repeats, receptor-like proteins and enzymes
      related to cellular ROS management were profoundly affected. These studies have
      identified key regulators of Alternaria-stress response in tomato and the subset
      of genes that are likely to be post-transcriptionally silenced during the
      infection.

PMID- 28338919
TI  - Genetic Overlap Between Schizophrenia and Developmental Psychopathology:
      Longitudinal and Multivariate Polygenic Risk Prediction of Common Psychiatric
      Traits During Development.
AB  - Background: Several nonpsychotic psychiatric disorders in childhood and
      adolescence can precede the onset of schizophrenia, but the etiology of this
      relationship remains unclear. We investigated to what extent the association
      between schizophrenia and psychiatric disorders in childhood is explained by
      correlated genetic risk factors. Methods: Polygenic risk scores (PRS), reflecting
      an individual's genetic risk for schizophrenia, were constructed for 2588
      children from the Netherlands Twin Register (NTR) and 6127 from the Avon
      Longitudinal Study of Parents And Children (ALSPAC). The associations between
      schizophrenia PRS and measures of anxiety, depression, attention deficit
      hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), and oppositional defiant disorder/conduct disorder
      (ODD/CD) were estimated at age 7, 10, 12/13, and 15 years in the 2 cohorts.
      Results were then meta-analyzed, and a meta-regression analysis was performed to
      test differences in effects sizes over, age and disorders. Results: Schizophrenia
      PRS were associated with childhood and adolescent psychopathology. Meta
      regression analysis showed differences in the associations over disorders, with
      the strongest association with childhood and adolescent depression and a weaker
      association for ODD/CD at age 7. The associations increased with age and this
      increase was steepest for ADHD and ODD/CD. Genetic correlations varied between
      0.10 and 0.25. Conclusion: By optimally using longitudinal data across diagnoses
      in a multivariate meta-analysis this study sheds light on the development of
      childhood disorders into severe adult psychiatric disorders. The results are
      consistent with a common genetic etiology of schizophrenia and developmental
      psychopathology as well as with a stronger shared genetic etiology between
      schizophrenia and adolescent onset psychopathology.

PMID- 28338920
TI  - Dendritic cell expression of the signaling molecule TRAF6 is required for immune
      tolerance in the lung.
AB  - Immune tolerance in the lung is important for preventing hypersensitivity, such
      as allergic asthma. Maintenance of tolerance in the lung is established by
      coordinated activities of poorly understood cellular and molecular mechanisms,
      including participation of dendritic cells (DCs). We have previously identified
      DC expression of the signaling molecule TRAF6 as a non-redundant requirement for
      the maintenance of immune tolerance in the small intestine of mice. Because
      mucosal tissues share similarities in how they interact with exogenous antigens,
      we examined the role of DC-expressed TRAF6 in the lung. As with the intestine, we
      found that the absence TRAF6 expression by DCs led to spontaneous generation of
      Th2-associated immune responses and increased susceptibility to model antigen
      induced asthma. To examine the role of commensal microbiota, mice deficient in
      TRAF6 in DCs were treated with broad-spectrum antibiotics and/or re-derived on a
      germ-free (GF) background. Interestingly, we found that antibiotics-treated
      specific pathogen-free, but not GF, mice showed restored immune tolerance in the
      absence of DC-expressed TRAF6. We further found that antibiotics mediate
      microbiota-independent effects on lung T cells to promote immune tolerance in the
      lung. This work provides both a novel tool for studying immune tolerance in the
      lung and an advance in our conceptual understanding of potentially common
      molecular mechanisms of immune tolerance in both the intestine and the lung.

PMID- 28338921
TI  - The Relationship Between Objectively Measured Walking and Risk of Pedestrian
      Motor Vehicle Collision.
AB  - Safe urban walking environments may improve health by encouraging physical
      activity, but the relationship between an individual's location and walking
      pattern and the risk of pedestrian-motor vehicle collision is unknown. We
      examined associations between individuals' walking bouts and walking risk,
      measured as mean exposure to the risk of pedestrian-vehicle collision. Walking
      bouts were ascertained through integrated accelerometry and global positioning
      system data and from individual travel-diary data obtained from adults in the
      Travel Assessment and Community Study (King County, Washington) in 2008-2009.
      Walking patterns were superimposed onto maps of the historical probabilities of
      pedestrian-vehicle collisions for intersections and midblock segments within
      Seattle, Washington. Mean risk of pedestrian-vehicle collision in specific
      walking locations was assessed according to walking exposure (duration, distance,
      and intensity) and participant demographic characteristics in linear mixed
      models. Participants typically walked in areas with low pedestrian collision risk
      when walking for recreation, walking at a faster pace, or taking longer-duration
      walks. Mean daily walking duration and distance were not associated with
      collision risk. Males walked in areas with higher collision risk compared with
      females, while vehicle owners, residents of single-family homes, and parents of
      young children walked in areas with lower collision risk. These findings may
      suggest that pedestrians moderate collision risk by using lower-risk routes.

PMID- 28338923
TI  - Erratum.

PMID- 28338922
TI  - The Hidden Epidemic of Firearm Injury: Increasing Firearm Injury Rates During
      2001-2013.
AB  - Investigating firearm injury trends over the past decade, we examined temporal
      trends overall and according to race/ethnicity and intent in fatal and nonfatal
      firearm injuries (FFIs and NFIs) in United States during 2001-2013. Counts of
      FFIs and estimated counts of NFIs were obtained from the Centers for Disease
      Control and Prevention's Web-based Injury Statistics Query and Reporting System.
      Poisson regression was used to analyze overall and subgroup temporal trends and
      to estimate annual change per 100,000 persons (change). Total firearm injuries (n
      = 1,328,109) increased annually by 0.36 (Ptrend < 0.0001). FFIs remained constant
      (change = 0.02; Ptrend = 0.22) while NFIs increased (change = 0.35; Ptrend <
      0.0001). Homicide FFIs declined (change = -0.05; Ptrend < 0.0001) while homicide
      NFIs increased (change = 0.43; Ptrend < 0.0001). Suicide FFIs increased (change =
      0.07; Ptrend < 0.0001) while unintentional FFIs and NFIs declined (changes = 
      0.01 and -0.09, respectively; Ptrend < 0.0001 and 0.005). Among whites, FFIs
      (change = 0.15; Ptrend < 0.0001) and NFIs (change = 0.13; Ptrend < 0.0001)
      increased; among blacks, FFIs declined (change = -0.20; Ptrend < 0.0001). Among
      Hispanics, FFIs declined (change = -0.28; Ptrend < 0.0001) while NFIs increased
      (change = 0.55; Ptrend = 0.014). The endemic firearm-related injury rates during
      the first decade of the 21st century mask a shift from firearm deaths towards a
      rapid rise in nonfatal injuries.

PMID- 28338925
TI  - Tobacco Use, Oral Health, and Risk of Parkinson's Disease.
AB  - Few studies have investigated the associations between use of Swedish moist snuff
      (snus), associated poor oral health, and risk of Parkinson's disease (PD). We
      followed 20,175 participants who were free of PD in 1973-1974 in Uppsala, Sweden,
      until the end of 2012. We used Cox proportional hazards regression models to
      estimate hazard ratios and corresponding 95% confidence intervals for the
      associations between tobacco use, oral health indicators, and PD risk. We found
      that tobacco use was associated with a lower risk of PD in males. Compared with
      males who never used any tobacco daily, pure ever tobacco smokers, pure ever snus
      users, and combined users had adjusted hazard ratios of 0.68 (95% confidence
      interval (CI): 0.49, 0.93; n = 83), 0.51 (95% CI: 0.27, 0.95; n = 11), and 0.21
      (95% CI: 0.07, 0.67; n = 3), respectively. No association was observed for number
      of teeth, dental plaque, or detectable oral mucosal lesions and PD risk, although
      there was a suggestive association with Candida-related oral mucosal lesions in
      males (hazard ratio = 1.56, 95% CI: 0.92, 2.65; P = 0.098). Use of snus is
      associated with a lower risk of PD in males, while poor oral health seems not to
      be associated with PD occurrence.

PMID- 28338924
TI  - A Nonsynonymous SNP Catalog of Mycobacterium tuberculosis Virulence Genes and Its
      Use for Detecting New Potentially Virulent Sublineages.
AB  - Mycobacterium tuberculosis is divided into several distinct lineages, and various
      genetic markers such as IS-elements, VNTR, and SNPs are used for lineage
      identification. We propose an M. tuberculosis classification approach based on
      functional polymorphisms in virulence genes. An M. tuberculosis virulence genes
      catalog has been established, including 319 genes from various protein groups,
      such as proteases, cell wall proteins, fatty acid and lipid metabolism proteins,
      sigma factors, toxin-antitoxin systems. Another catalog of 1,573 M. tuberculosis
      isolates of different lineages has been developed. The developed SNP-calling
      program has identified 3,563 nonsynonymous SNPs. The constructed SNP-based
      phylogeny reflected the evolutionary relationship between lineages and detected
      new sublineages. SNP analysis of sublineage F15/LAM4/KZN revealed four lineage
      specific mutations in cyp125, mce3B, vapC25, and vapB34. The Ural lineage has
      been divided into two geographical clusters based on different SNPs in virulence
      genes. A new sublineage, B0/N-90, was detected inside the Beijing-B0/W-148 by
      SNPs in irtB, mce3F and vapC46. We have found 27 members of B0/N-90 among the 227
      available genomes of the Beijing-B0/W-148 sublineage. Whole-genome sequencing of
      strain B9741, isolated from an HIV-positive patient, was demonstrated to belong
      to the new B0/N-90 group. A primer set for PCR detection of B0/N-90 lineage
      specific mutations has been developed. The prospective use of mce3 mutant genes
      as genetically engineered vaccine is discussed.

PMID- 28338926
TI  - Nitrogen-controlled intra- and interspecific competition between Populus purdomii
      and Salix rehderiana drive primary succession in the Gongga Mountain glacier
      retreat area.
AB  - In this study, intra- and interspecific competition were investigated in early
      successional Salix rehderiana Schneider and later-appearing Populus purdomii
      Rehder under non-fertilized (control) and nitrogen (N)-fertilized conditions in
      the Hailuogou glacier retreat area. Our aim was to discover whether N is a key
      factor in plant-plant competition and whether N drives the primary succession
      process in a glacier retreat area. We analyzed differences in responses to intra-
      and interspecific competition and N fertilization between P. purdomii and S.
      rehderiana, including parameters such as biomass accumulation, nutrient
      absorption, non-structural carbohydrates, photosynthetic capacity, hydrolysable
      amino acids and leaf ultrastructure. In the control treatments, S. rehderiana
      individuals subjected to interspecific competition benefited from the presence of
      P. purdomii plants, as indicated by higher levels of biomass accumulation,
      photosynthetic capacity, N absorption, amino acid contents and photosynthetic N
      use efficiency. However, in the N-fertilized treatments, P. purdomii individuals
      exposed to interspecific competition benefited from the presence of S. rehderiana
      plants, as shown by a higher growth rate, enhanced carbon gain capacity, greater
      amino acid contents, and elevated water-use efficiency, whereas the growth of S.
      rehderiana was significantly reduced. Our results demonstrate that N plays a
      pivotal role in determining the asymmetric competition pattern among Salicaceae
      species during primary succession. We argue that the interactive effects of plant
      plant competition and N availability are key mechanisms that drive primary
      succession in the Gongga Mountain glacier retreat area.

PMID- 28338928
TI  - Reply to: Seasonality of birth for skin melanoma deserves further investigation.

PMID- 28338927
TI  - The effect of aluminum ion on the aggregation of human islet amyloid polypeptide
      (11-28).
AB  - Metal ions play a critical role in human islet amyloid polypeptide (hIAPP)
      aggregation, which is believed to be closely associated with beta-cell death in
      type II diabetes. In this work, the effect of Al3+ on the aggregation of hIAPP
      (11-28) was studied by several different experimental approaches. Atomic force
      microscopy measurements showed that Al3+ could remarkably inhibit hIAPP(11-28)
      fibrillogenesis, while Zn2+ had a slight promotion effect on peptide aggregation,
      which was also confirmed by Thioflavin T fluorescence observation. Furthermore, X
      ray photoelectron spectroscopy measurement indicated that Al ions might form
      chemical bonds with neighboring atoms and destroy the secondary structures of the
      protein. Our studies could deepen the understanding of the role of metal ions in
      the aggregation of amyloid peptides.

PMID- 28338929
TI  - PERFORMANCE TESTS OF ACTIVE PERSONAL DOSEMETER DEVELOPED BY CNRTC/NEL.
AB  - The Active personal dosemeter (APD) developed by Cekmece Nuclear Research and
      Training Center/Nuclear Electronic Laboratory (CNRTC/NEL) was calibrated at the
      reference radiation quality (137Cs). The performance tests were carried out with
      137Cs, 60Co and X-ray beam qualities in compliance with the standards of
      International Organization for Standardization ISO4037-1,3 and The International
      Electrotechnical Commission, IEC61526:2010. Response of the personal dose
      equivalent was observed to be within the range from -7.6% to +4.2%. The dose
      equivalent rates were observed with the maximum deviation -26.8% for 0.1 mSv h-1
      and within the range from -2.3% to +10.1% for dose rates over 0.5 mSv h-1. It is
      found that the APDs have lower readings up to 50% for 33 keV photons and perform
      a distribution in the acceptable limits for over 33 keV. Angular dependence was
      tested at 0 degrees , +/-30 degrees  and +/-60 degrees  in orthogonal plane and
      the angular dependence of the APDs is within acceptable limits except N40.

PMID- 28338930
TI  - EXPath tool-a system for comprehensively analyzing regulatory pathways and
      coexpression networks from high-throughput transcriptome data.
AB  - Next generation sequencing (NGS) has become the mainstream approach for
      monitoring gene expression levels in parallel with various experimental
      treatments. Unfortunately, there is no systematical webserver to comprehensively
      perform further analysis based on the huge amount of preliminary data that is
      obtained after finishing the process of gene annotation. Therefore, a user
      friendly and effective system is required to mine important genes and regulatory
      pathways under specific conditions from high-throughput transcriptome data.
      EXPath Tool (available at: http://expathtool.itps.ncku.edu.tw/) was developed for
      the pathway annotation and comparative analysis of user-customized gene
      expression profiles derived from microarray or NGS platforms under various
      conditions to infer metabolic pathways for all organisms in the KEGG database.
      EXPath Tool contains several functions: access the gene expression patterns and
      the candidates of co-expression genes; dissect differentially expressed genes
      (DEGs) between two conditions (DEGs search), functional grouping with pathway and
      GO (Pathway/GO enrichment analysis), and correlation networks (co-expression
      analysis), and view the expression patterns of genes involved in specific
      pathways to infer the effects of the treatment. Additionally, the effectively of
      EXPath Tool has been performed by a case study on IAA-responsive genes. The
      results demonstrated that critical hub genes under IAA treatment could be
      efficiently identified.

PMID- 28338931
TI  - Evolutionary Dynamics of Pathoadaptation Revealed by Three Independent
      Acquisitions of the VirB/D4 Type IV Secretion System in Bartonella.
AB  - The alpha-proteobacterial genus Bartonella comprises a group of ubiquitous
      mammalian pathogens that are studied as a model for the evolution of bacterial
      pathogenesis. Vast abundance of two particular phylogenetic lineages of
      Bartonella had been linked to enhanced host adaptability enabled by lineage
      specific acquisition of a VirB/D4 type IV secretion system (T4SS) and parallel
      evolution of complex effector repertoires. However, the limited availability of
      genome sequences from one of those lineages as well as other, remote branches of
      Bartonella has so far hampered comprehensive understanding of how the VirB/D4
      T4SS and its effectors called Beps have shaped Bartonella evolution. Here, we
      report the discovery of a third repertoire of Beps associated with the VirB/D4
      T4SS of B. ancashensis, a novel human pathogen that lacks any signs of host
      adaptability and is only distantly related to the two species-rich lineages
      encoding a VirB/D4 T4SS. Furthermore, sequencing of ten new Bartonella isolates
      from under-sampled lineages enabled combined in silico analyses and wet lab
      experiments that suggest several parallel layers of functional diversification
      during evolution of the three Bep repertoires from a single ancestral effector.
      Our analyses show that the Beps of B. ancashensis share many features with the
      two other repertoires, but may represent a more ancestral state that has not yet
      unleashed the adaptive potential of such an effector set. We anticipate that the
      effectors of B. ancashensis will enable future studies to dissect the
      evolutionary history of Bartonella effectors and help unraveling the evolutionary
      forces underlying bacterial host adaptation.

PMID- 28338932
TI  - Ursolic acid derivative FZU-03,010 inhibits STAT3 and induces cell cycle arrest
      and apoptosis in renal and breast cancer cells.
AB  - Advanced renal cell carcinoma and triple negative breast cancer (TNBC) are
      malignancies without effective therapeutics currently. Ursolic acid (UA) has been
      previously reported to have anti-cancer effects in multiple solid tumors. In
      order to develop more potent anti-cancer reagents, FZU-03,010 based on the
      chemical structure of UA were synthesized. The results demonstrated that,
      compared with UA, FZU-03,010 could suppress renal cancer cell 786-0 and TNBC cell
      HCC1806 cell viability more potently.  Furthermore, FZU-03,010 could induce G1
      cell cycle arrest and cell apoptosis more efficiently than UA. FZU-03,010 could
      also inhibit signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 activation,
      induce the expression of cell cycle-dependent kinase inhibitors (p21 and p27) and
      promote cell apoptosis. In conclusion, our results suggest that the UA derivative
      FZU-03,010 is more potent in inhibiting cancer cell survival, and FZU-03,010 has
      the potential to be developed as a therapeutic for renal cell cancers and TNBCs.

PMID- 28338933
TI  - Seasonality of birth for skin melanoma deserves further investigation.

PMID- 28338934
TI  - ALTERNATIVE FIGURES-OF-MERIT IN DIGITAL MAMMOGRAPHY.
AB  - The aim of this study is to explore the use of a quality (Q) factor in digital
      mammography as a figure-of-merit. Q factors take a reference value into account
      and can be compared to a theoretical value. They are also intended to summarise
      the performance of any unit based on a number. The mean glandular dose (MGD)
      normalised Q factors were also introduced based on the relationship of the Q
      factors with MGD. Interestingly, the automatic exposure control exposures did not
      render the maximum normalised Q factor values as expected, which could indicate
      the need for further optimisation. It was also noted that the Q factors and the
      CDMAM-related quality parameters can be confidently predicted for a given MGD
      which in turn may be compared to the measured values. This might be another way
      to consider or perform optimisation in digital mammography.

PMID- 28338935
TI  - Impact of the ion transportome of chloroplasts on the optimization of
      photosynthesis.
AB  - Ions play fundamental roles in all living cells, and their gradients are often
      essential to fuel transport, regulate enzyme activities, and transduce energy
      within cells. Regulation of their homeostasis is essential for cell metabolism.
      Recent results indicate that modulation of ion fluxes might also represent a
      useful strategy to regulate one of the most important physiological processes
      taking place in chloroplasts, photosynthesis. Photosynthesis is highly regulated,
      due to its unique role as a cellular engine for growth in the light. Controlling
      the balance between ATP and NADPH synthesis is a critical task, and availability
      of these molecules can limit the overall photosynthetic yield. Photosynthetic
      organisms optimize photosynthesis in low light, where excitation energy limits
      CO2 fixation, and minimize photo-oxidative damage in high light by dissipating
      excess photons. Despite extensive studies of these phenomena, the mechanism
      governing light utilization in plants is still poorly understood. In this review,
      we provide an update of the recently identified chloroplast-located ion channels
      and transporters whose function impacts photosynthetic efficiency in plants.

PMID- 28338936
TI  - Establishment of a human hepatocellular cell line capable of maintaining long
      term replication of hepatitis B virus.
AB  - Hepatitis B virus (HBV) is a virus whose replication cycle cannot be completely
      reproduced using cultured cell lines. Here, we report an engineered cell line
      capable of supporting the complete HBV life cycle. We generated HepG2 cells over
      expressing the HBV entry receptor human NTCP (sodium taurocholate cotransporting
      polypeptide), and defective in RIG-I (retinoic acid-inducible gene-I)-like
      receptor signaling, by knocking down the IPS-1 (IFNbeta-promoter stimulator-1)
      adaptor molecule. The resultant NtG20.i7 cells were susceptible to HBV, and its
      replication was detectable at 14 days post-infection and persisted for at least
      35 days with a gradual increase of HBV core expression. The cells produced
      infectious HBV in the culture supernatant, and the addition of preS1 peptide
      myr47-WT, which blocks HBV entry, impaired the persistence of the infection.
      These findings suggest that the persistence of the infection was maintained by
      continuous release of infectious HBV virions and their re-infection. This system
      is useful for expanding our basic understanding of the HBV replication cycle and
      for screening of anti-HBV chemicals.

PMID- 28338938
TI  - Corrigendum: A closer look at the trajectory of physical functioning in chronic
      hemodialysis.

PMID- 28338937
TI  - Association of Blood Pressure Trajectory With Mortality, Incident Cardiovascular
      Disease, and Heart Failure in the Cardiovascular Health Study.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Common blood pressure (BP) trajectories are not well established in
      elderly persons, and their association with clinical outcomes is uncertain.
      METHODS: We used hierarchical cluster analysis to identify discrete BP
      trajectories among 4,067 participants in the Cardiovascular Health Study using
      repeated BP measures from years 0 to 7. We then evaluated associations of each BP
      trajectory cluster with all-cause mortality, incident cardiovascular disease
      (CVD, defined as stroke or myocardial infarction) (N = 2,837), and incident
      congestive heart failure (HF) (N = 3,633) using Cox proportional hazard models.
      RESULTS: Median age was 77 years at year 7. Over a median 9.3 years of follow-up,
      there were 2,475 deaths, 659 CVD events, and 1,049 HF events. The cluster
      analysis identified 3 distinct trajectory groups. Participants in cluster 1 (N =
      1,838) had increases in both systolic (SBP) and diastolic (DBP) BPs, whereas
      persons in cluster 2 (N = 1,109) had little change in SBP but declines in DBP.
      Persons in cluster 3 (N = 1,120) experienced declines in both SBP and DBP. After
      multivariable adjustment, clusters 2 and 3 were associated with increased
      mortality risk relative to cluster 1 (hazard ratio = 1.21, 95% confidence
      interval: 1.06-1.37 and hazard ratio = 1.20, 95% confidence interval: 1.05-1.36,
      respectively). Compared to cluster 1, cluster 3 had higher rates of incident CVD
      but associations were not statistically significant in demographic-adjusted
      models (hazard ratio = 1.16, 95% confidence interval: 0.96-1.39). Findings were
      similar when stratified by use of antihypertensive therapy. CONCLUSIONS: Among
      community-dwelling elders, distinct BP trajectories were identified by
      integrating both SBP and DBP. These clusters were found to have differential
      associations with outcomes.

PMID- 28338939
TI  - It Remains Unknown Whether Filaggrin Gene Mutations Evolved to Increase Cutaneous
      Synthesis of Vitamin D.
AB  - About 8-10% of normal Northern Europeans are heterozygous carriers of common FLG
      mutations, while only 1-4% of southern Europeans display these mutations, and
      only very rarely are mutations detected in African populations. Although
      mutations are found in Asians, they are different from those encountered in
      Northern Europeans. Importantly, FLG mutation carriers have 10% increased serum
      vitamin D concentrations compared to controls. Based on these observations, we
      have proposed that this latitude-dependent gradient of FLG mutations across
      Europe, Asia and Africa could have provided an evolutionary advantage for
      heterozygous FLG mutation carriers, residing at northern latitudes, depletion of
      the FLG downstream product, trans-urocanic acid, would facilitate the
      intracutaneous synthesis of vitamin D3 by allowing increased transcutaneous
      absorption of UVB photons. Such loss-of-function FLG mutations would have
      provided an evolutionary advantage for modern humans, living in the far North of
      Europe, where little UV-B penetrates the atomosphere. In a recent article, it was
      concluded not only that the UVB-Vitamin D3 hypothesis is invalid, but also that
      FLG genetic variations, including loss-of-function variants, provide little or no
      impact on the fitness of modern humans. While we welcome studies that reassess
      our hypothesis, their conclusions are not valid for reasons explained in this
      letter.

PMID- 28338940
TI  - FEASIBILITY STUDY FOR IDENTIFICATION OF STATIC AND DYNAMIC EXPOSURE USING CCD
      IMAGING TECHNIQUE FOR Caso4:Dy TL DOSEMETERS.
AB  - The occupational exposure incurred by the radiation workers due to the external
      radiation is estimated using personal dosemeter placed on the human body during
      the monitoring period. In certain situations, it is required to determine whether
      the dosemeter alone was exposed accidentally/intentionally in radiation field
      (static exposure) or was exposed while being worn by a worker moving in his
      workplace (dynamic exposure). The present thermoluminscent (TL) based personnel
      monitoring systems are not capable of distinguishing between the above stated
      (static and dynamic) exposure conditions. The feasibility of a new methodology
      developed using the charge coupled device based imaging technique for
      identification of the static/dynamic exposure of CaSO4:Dy based TL detectors for
      low energy photons has been investigated. The techniques for the qualitative and
      the quantitative assessments of the exposure conditions are presented in this
      paper.

PMID- 28338941
TI  - Data Resource Profile: Hospital Episode Statistics Admitted Patient Care (HES
      APC).

PMID- 28338942
TI  - Structure and mechanism of benzaldehyde dehydrogenase from Pseudomonas putida
      ATCC 12633, a member of the Class 3 aldehyde dehydrogenase superfamily.
AB  - Benzaldehyde dehydrogenase from Pseudomonas putida (PpBADH) belongs to the Class
      3 aldehyde dehydrogenase (ALDH) family. The Class 3 ALDHs are unusual in that
      they are generally dimeric (rather than tetrameric), relatively non-specific and
      utilize both NAD+ and NADP+. To date, X-ray structures of three Class 3 ALDHs
      have been determined, of which only two have cofactor bound, both in the NAD+
      form. Here we report the crystal structure of PpBADH in complex with NADP+ and a
      thioacyl intermediate adduct. The overall architecture of PpBADH resembles that
      of most other members of the ALDH superfamily, and the cofactor binding residues
      are well conserved. Conversely, the pattern of cofactor binding for the rat Class
      3 ALDH differs from that of PpBADH and other ALDHs. This has been interpreted in
      terms of a different mechanism for the rat enzyme. Comparison with the PpBADH
      structure, as well as multiple sequence alignments, suggest that one of two
      conserved glutamates, at positions 215 (209 in rat) and 337 (333 in rat), would
      act as the general base necessary to hydrolyze the thioacyl intermediate. While
      the latter is the general base in the rat Class 3 ALDH, site-specific mutagenesis
      indicates that Glu215 is the likely candidate for PpBADH, a result more typical
      of the Class 1 and 2 ALDH families. Finally, this study shows that hydride
      transfer is not rate limiting, lending further credence to the suggestion that
      PpBADH is more similar to the Class 1 and 2 ALDHs than it is to other Class 3
      ALDHs.

PMID- 28338943
TI  - Dysfunction of Large-Scale Brain Networks in Schizophrenia: A Meta-analysis of
      Resting-State Functional Connectivity.
AB  - Schizophrenia is a complex mental disorder with disorganized communication among
      large-scale brain networks, as demonstrated by impaired resting-state functional
      connectivity (rsFC). Individual rsFC studies, however, vary greatly in their
      methods and findings. We searched for consistent patterns of network dysfunction
      in schizophrenia by using a coordinate-based meta-analysis. Fifty-six seed-based
      voxel-wise rsFC datasets from 52 publications (2115 patients and 2297 healthy
      controls) were included in this meta-analysis. Then, coordinates of seed regions
      of interest (ROI) and between-group effects were extracted and coded. Seed ROIs
      were categorized into seed networks by their location within an a priori
      template. Multilevel kernel density analysis was used to identify brain networks
      in which schizophrenia was linked to hyper-connectivity or hypo-connectivity with
      each a priori network. Our results showed that schizophrenia was characterized by
      hypo-connectivity within the default network (DN, self-related thought),
      affective network (AN, emotion processing), ventral attention network (VAN,
      processing of salience), thalamus network (TN, gating information) and
      somatosensory network (SS, involved in sensory and auditory perception).
      Additionally, hypo-connectivity between the VAN and TN, VAN and DN, VAN and
      frontoparietal network (FN, external goal-directed regulation), FN and TN, and FN
      and DN were found in schizophrenia. Finally, the only instance of hyper
      connectivity in schizophrenia was observed between the AN and VAN. Our meta
      analysis motivates an empirical foundation for a disconnected large-scale brain
      networks model of schizophrenia in which the salience processing network (VAN)
      plays the core role, and its imbalanced communication with other functional
      networks may underlie the core difficulty of patients to differentiate self
      representation (inner world) and environmental salience processing (outside
      world).

PMID- 28338945
TI  - Genetic variation in traits for nitrogen use efficiency in wheat.
AB  - Crop nutrient and especially nitrogen use efficiency (NUE) is both an
      economically and an environmentally highly desirable trait. It has been estimated
      that only a third of nitrogen inputs to cereal crop worldwide are recovered in
      grain for consumption, resulting in a huge waste of resource with major negative
      impacts on the environment. Most measures of NUE in wheat and other cereals are
      based on field assessments of crop yields at given N inputs, performance
      responses to added N fertilizer, or by quantifying N fertilizer recovery rates.
      However, NUE is a complex trait comprising two key major components, N uptake and
      N utilization efficiency, both also complex traits in themselves, each involving
      many physiological processes and biochemical pathways. A deeper understanding of
      the processes involved in NUE has been a target of the UK Wheat Genetic
      Improvement Network project (http://www.wgin.org.uk/). This has enabled the
      breakdown of characteristics contributing to NUE and an assessment of the
      variation present in those characteristics, predominantly in modern cultivars; a
      total of 13 years of data have been obtained to date. Significant but limited
      variation suggests a requirement for broader germplasm screening such as older
      varieties, landraces, and wild relatives.

PMID- 28338944
TI  - Salience network engagement with the detection of morally laden information.
AB  - Moral cognition is associated with activation of the default network, regions
      implicated in mentalizing about one's own actions or the intentions of others.
      Yet little is known about the initial detection of moral information. We examined
      the neural correlates of moral processing during a narrative completion task,
      which included an implicit moral salience manipulation. During fMRI scanning,
      participants read a brief vignette and selected the most semantically congruent
      sentence from two options to complete the narrative. The options were immoral,
      moral or neutral statements. RT was fastest for the selection of neutral
      statements and slowest for immoral statements. Neuroimaging analyses revealed
      that responses involving morally laden content engaged default and executive
      control network brain regions including medial and rostral prefrontal cortex, and
      core regions of the salience network, including anterior insula and dorsal
      anterior cingulate. Immoral vs moral conditions additionally engaged the salience
      network. These results implicate the salience network in the detection of moral
      information, which may modulate downstream default and frontal control network
      interactions in the service of complex moral reasoning and decision-making
      processes. These findings suggest that moral cognition involves both bottom-up
      and top-down attentional processes, mediated by discrete large-scale brain
      networks and their interactions.

PMID- 28338946
TI  - Instrumental Variable Methods for Continuous Outcomes That Accommodate
      Nonignorable Missing Baseline Values.
AB  - Instrumental variable (IV) methods provide unbiased treatment effect estimation
      in the presence of unmeasured confounders under certain assumptions. To provide
      valid estimates of treatment effect, treatment effect confounders that are
      associated with the IV (IV-confounders) must be included in the analysis, and not
      including observations with missing values may lead to bias. Missing covariate
      data are particularly problematic when the probability that a value is missing is
      related to the value itself, which is known as nonignorable missingness. In such
      cases, imputation-based methods are biased. Using health-care provider preference
      as an IV method, we propose a 2-step procedure with which to estimate a valid
      treatment effect in the presence of baseline variables with nonignorable missing
      values. First, the provider preference IV value is estimated by performing a
      complete-case analysis using a random-effects model that includes IV-confounders.
      Second, the treatment effect is estimated using a 2-stage least squares IV
      approach that excludes IV-confounders with missing values. Simulation results are
      presented, and the method is applied to an analysis comparing the effects of
      sulfonylureas versus metformin on body mass index, where the variables baseline
      body mass index and glycosylated hemoglobin have missing values. Our result
      supports the association of sulfonylureas with weight gain.

PMID- 28338947
TI  - Microenvironment in the canopy rivals the host tree water status in controlling
      sap flow of a mistletoe species.
AB  - Mistletoes absorb water from the vascular system of their hosts and thus the
      water use of mistletoes can be influenced by the water status of their hosts
      besides abiotic environmental conditions; however, there is a lack of studies on
      the dynamics of mistletoe water utilization in relation to both types of
      controlling factors. By building a canopy platform at 20 m above the ground, we
      monitored the dynamic changes of sap flow of Viscum coloratum (Kom.) Nakai
      (Loranthaceae) in combination with continuous measurements of microclimatic
      variables and volumetric water content (VWC) of its host tree branch xylem. We
      found that the host tree VWC exhibited substantial fluctuations during sunny days
      but lower VWC of the host did not negatively affect the sap flow of V. coloratum.
      Hourly and daily mean transpiration rates (Esap) of V. coloratum calculated from
      sap flow measurements showed strong positive correlations with photosynthetic
      photon flux density (PPFD) and vapor pressure deficit (VPD) measured in close
      vicinity to the point of mistletoe attachment. The mean Esap of V. coloratum was
      substantially higher than that of their host during clear days (4.55 +/- 0.54 vs
      2.01 +/- 0.15 kg m-2 day-1). Moreover, the mistletoe-to-host transpiration ratio
      was not constant but became increasingly larger with the increase of PPFD or VPD
      on both hourly and daily bases, suggesting a weaker control of water loss in the
      mistletoe in comparison to its host species. The strong dependence of mistletoe
      Esap on micrometeorological variables and its decoupling from the host tree xylem
      water status suggests that the development of dense tree canopy functions as a
      potential mechanism for the host trees in reducing the competitive water use of
      mistletoes. These findings have important implications for the interactions
      between mistletoe species and their host trees in temperate forests.

PMID- 28338948
TI  - COMPARING MEASURED AND CALCULATED DOSES IN INTERVENTIONAL CARDIOLOGY PROCEDURES.
AB  - Interventional cardiology requires complex procedures and can result in high
      doses and dose rates to the patient and medical staff. The many variables that
      influence the dose to the patient and staff include the beam position and angle,
      beam size, kVp, filtration, kerma-area product and focus-skin distance. A number
      of studies using the Monte Carlo method have been undertaken to obtain
      prospective dose assessments. In this paper, detailed irradiation scenarios were
      simulated mathematically and the resulting dose estimates were compared with real
      measurements made previously under very similar irradiation conditions and
      geometries. The real measurements and the calculated doses were carried out using
      or simulating an interventional cardiology system with a flat monoplane detector
      installed in a dedicated room with an Alderson phantom placed on the procedure
      table. The X-ray spectra, beam angles, focus-skin distance, measured kerma-area
      product and filtration were simulated, and the real dose measurements and
      calculated doses were compared. It was shown that the Monte Carlo method was
      capable of reproducing the real dose measurements within acceptable levels of
      uncertainty.

PMID- 28338949
TI  - Long-term exposure to transportation noise and air pollution in relation to
      incident diabetes in the SAPALDIA study.
AB  - Background: Epidemiological studies have inconsistently linked transportation
      noise and air pollution (AP) with diabetes risk. Most studies have considered
      single noise sources and/or AP, but none has investigated their mutually
      independent contributions to diabetes risk. Methods: We investigated 2631
      participants of the Swiss Cohort Study on Air Pollution and Lung and Heart
      Diseases in Adults (SAPALDIA), without diabetes in 2002 and without change of
      residence between 2002 and 2011. Using questionnaire and biomarker data, incident
      diabetes cases were identified in 2011. Noise and AP exposures in 2001 were
      assigned to participants' residences (annual average road, railway or aircraft
      noise level during day-evening-night (Lden), total night number of noise events,
      intermittency ratio (temporal variation as proportion of event-based noise level
      over total noise level) and nitrogen dioxide (NO2) levels. We applied mixed
      Poisson regression to estimate the relative risk (RR) of diabetes and their 95%
      confidence intervals (CI) in mutually-adjusted models. Results: Diabetes
      incidence was 4.2%. Median [interquartile range (IQR)] road, railway, aircraft
      noise and NO2 were 54 (10) dB, 32 (11) dB, 30 (12) dB and 21 (15) MUg/m3,
      respectively. Lden road and aircraft were associated with incident diabetes
      (respective RR: 1.35; 95% CI: 1.02-1.78 and 1.86; 95% CI: 0.96-3.59 per IQR)
      independently of Lden railway and NO2 (which were not associated with diabetes
      risk) in mutually adjusted models. We observed stronger effects of Lden road
      among participants reporting poor sleep quality or sleeping with open windows.
      Conclusions: Transportation noise may be more relevant than AP in the development
      of diabetes, potentially acting through noise-induced sleep disturbances.

PMID- 28338951
TI  - Measuring Transitions in Sexual Risk Among Men Who Have Sex With Men: The Novel
      Use of Latent Class and Latent Transition Analysis in HIV Sentinel Surveillance.
AB  - New combination human acquired deficiency (HIV) prevention strategies that
      include biomedical and primary prevention approaches add complexity to the task
      of measuring sexual risk. Latent transition models are beneficial for
      understanding complex phenomena; therefore, we trialed the application of latent
      class and latent transition models to HIV surveillance data. Our aims were to
      identify sexual risk states and model individuals' transitions between states. A
      total of 4,685 HIV-negative men who have sex with men (MSM) completed behavioral
      questionnaires alongside tests for HIV and sexually transmissible infections at
      one of 2 Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, general practices (2007-2013). We found
      4 distinct classes of sexual risk, which we labeled "monogamous" (n = 1,224),
      "risk minimizer" (n = 1,443), "risk potential" (n = 1,335), and "risk taker" (n =
      683). A positive syphilis, gonorrhea, or chlamydia test was significantly
      associated with class membership. Among a subset of 516 MSM who had at least 3
      clinic visits, there was general stability across risk classes; MSM had on
      average a 0.70 (i.e., 70%) probability of remaining in the same class between
      visits 1 and 2 and between visits 2 and 3. Monogamous MSM were one exception; the
      probability of remaining in the monogamous class was 0.51 between visits 1 and 2.
      Latent transition analyses identified unobserved risk patterns in surveillance
      data, characterized high-risk MSM, and quantified transitions over time.

PMID- 28338950
TI  - Nonreplicative RNA Recombination of an Animal Plus-Strand RNA Virus in the
      Absence of Efficient Translation of Viral Proteins.
AB  - RNA recombination is a major driving force for the evolution of RNA viruses and
      is significantly implicated in the adaptation of viruses to new hosts, changes of
      virulence, as well as in the emergence of new viruses including drug-resistant
      and escape mutants. However, the molecular details of recombination in animal RNA
      viruses are only poorly understood. In order to determine whether viral RNA
      recombination depends on translation of viral proteins, a nonreplicative
      recombination system was established which is based on cotransfection of cells
      with synthetic bovine viral diarrhea virus (family Flaviviridae) RNA genome
      fragments either lacking the internal ribosome entry site required for cap
      independent translation or lacking almost the complete polyprotein coding region.
      The emergence of a number of recombinant viruses demonstrated that IRES-mediated
      translation of viral proteins is dispensable for efficient recombination and
      suggests that RNA recombination can occur in the absence of viral proteins.
      Analyses of 58 independently emerged viruses led to the detection of recombinant
      genomes with duplications, deletions and insertions in the 5' terminal region of
      the open reading frame, leading to enlarged core fusion proteins detectable by
      Western blot analysis. This demonstrates a remarkable flexibility of the
      pestivirus core protein. Further experiments with capped and uncapped genome
      fragments containing a luciferase gene for monitoring the level of protein
      translation revealed that even a ~1,000-fold enhancement of translation of viral
      proteins did not increase the frequency of RNA recombination. Taken together,
      this study highlights that nonreplicative RNA recombination does not require
      translation of viral proteins.

PMID- 28338952
TI  - Physiological and morphological responses to permanent and intermittent
      waterlogging in seedlings of four evergreen trees of temperate swamp forests.
AB  - Waterlogging decreases a plant's metabolism, stomatal conductance (gs) and
      photosynthetic rate (A); however, some evergreen species show acclimation to
      waterlogging. By studying both the physiological and morphological responses to
      waterlogging, the objective of this study was to assess the acclimation capacity
      of four swamp forest species that reside in different microhabitats. We proposed
      that species (Luma apiculata [D.C.] Burret. and Drimys winteri J.R. et G.
      Forster.) abundant in seasonally and intermittently waterlogged areas (SIWA)
      would have a higher acclimation capacity than species abundant in the inner swamp
      (Blepharocalyx cruckshanksii [H et A.] Mied. and Myrceugenia exsucca [D.C.]
      Berg.) where permanent waterlogging occurs (PWA); it was expected that the
      species from SIWA would maintain leaf expansion and gas exchange rates during
      intermittent waterlogging treatments. Conversely, we expected that PWA species
      would have higher constitutive waterlogging tolerance, and this would be
      reflected in the formation of lenticels and adventitious roots. Over the course
      of 2 months, we subjected seedlings to different waterlogging treatments: (i)
      permanent (sudden, SW), (ii) intermittent (gradual) or (iii) control (field
      capacity, C). Survival after waterlogging was high (>=80%) for all species and
      treatments, and only the growth rate of D. winteri subjected to SW was affected.
      Drimys winteri plants had low, but constant A and g during both waterlogging
      treatments. Conversely, L. apiculata had the highest A and g values, and g
      increased significantly during the first several days of waterlogging. In
      general, seedlings of all species subjected to waterlogging produced more
      adventitious roots and fully expanded leaves and had higher specific leaf area
      (SLA) and stomatal density (StD) than seedlings in the C treatment. From the
      results gathered here, we partially accept our hypothesis as all species showed
      high tolerance to waterlogging, maintained growth, and had increased A or g
      during different time points of waterlogging. Differences in leaf (SLA) and
      stomata functioning (gs, StD) plasticity likely allows plants to maintain
      positive carbon gains when waterlogging occurs. The species-specific differences
      found here were not entirely related to microhabitat distribution.

PMID- 28338953
TI  - Elabela, a new endogenous ligand of APJ, functions in embryos and adults
      organisms.

PMID- 28338956
TI  - Hemodynamic Consequences of Changes in Microvascular Structure.
AB  - In hypertension, an increased media-to-lumen ratio of small resistance arteries
      might play an important role in the increase of vascular resistance, and may also
      be an adaptive response to the increased hemodynamic load. The presence of
      morphological alteration in the microvasculature may be associated to an impaired
      tissue perfusion and/or to the development of target organ damage. Structural
      alterations in the microcirculation might represent a predictor of the onset of
      cardio-cerebrovascular events and hypertension complications. A cross-talk
      between the small and large artery may exaggerate arterial damage, following a
      vicious circle. Therefore, in the present review, possible hemodynamic
      consequences of the presence of microvascular structural alterations will be
      considered, in terms of their time of onset, role in the development and/or
      maintenance of high blood pressure values, and interrelationships with
      structural/mechanical alterations of large conductance arteries.

PMID- 28338954
TI  - Meta-analysis of Cerebrospinal Fluid Cytokine and Tryptophan Catabolite
      Alterations in Psychiatric Patients: Comparisons Between Schizophrenia, Bipolar
      Disorder, and Depression.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: Schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, and major depressive disorder
      (MDD) have all been associated with immune system dysfunction, including aberrant
      cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) levels of cytokines and tryptophan catabolites;
      however, the pattern of alterations has not been compared across disorders. We
      performed a meta-analysis of CSF cytokine and tryptophan catabolites in patients
      with these major psychiatric disorders. METHODS: Articles were identified by
      searching Pub Med, PsycInfo, and Web of Science, and the reference lists of these
      studies. RESULTS: Twenty-eight studies met the inclusion criteria (16
      schizophrenia, 4 bipolar disorder, and 9 MDD). CSF levels of IL-1beta and
      kynurenic acid were significantly increased in patients with schizophrenia and
      bipolar disorder compared to healthy controls (P < .001). CSF levels of IL-6 and
      IL-8 were significantly increased in patients with schizophrenia and MDD compared
      to healthy controls (P <= .013). DISCUSSION: There is preliminary evidence for
      similarities in the pattern of CSF cytokine and tryptophan catabolite alterations
      across major psychiatric disorders, although findings must be interpreted with
      caution in light of small numbers of studies/subjects. Many CSF alterations are
      also concordant with those in the peripheral blood, particularly for
      schizophrenia. Findings have important implications for our understanding of the
      pathophysiology and treatment of major psychiatric disorders.

PMID- 28338955
TI  - The role of cognitive reappraisal in placebo analgesia: an fMRI study.
AB  - Placebo analgesia (PA) depends crucially on the prefrontal cortex (PFC), which is
      assumed to be responsible for initiating the analgesic response. Surprisingly
      little research has focused on the psychological mechanisms mediated by the PFC
      and underlying PA. One increasingly accepted theory is that cognitive reappraisal
      the reinterpretation of the meaning of adverse events-plays an important role,
      but no study has yet addressed the possible functional relationship with PA. We
      studied the influence of individual differences in reappraisal ability on PA and
      its prefrontal mediation. Participants completed a cognitive reappraisal ability
      task, which compared negative affect evoked by pictures in a reappraise versus a
      control condition. In a subsequent fMRI session, PA was induced using thermal
      noxious stimuli and an inert skin cream. We found a region in the left
      dorsolateral PFC, which showed a positive correlation between placebo-induced
      activation and (i) the reduction in participants' pain intensity ratings; and
      (ii) cognitive reappraisal ability scores. Moreover, this region showed increased
      placebo-induced functional connectivity with the periaqueductal grey, indicating
      its involvement in descending nociceptive control. These initial findings thus
      suggest that cognitive reappraisal mechanisms mediated by the dorsolateral PFC
      may play a role in initiating pain inhibition in PA.

PMID- 28338957
TI  - Regulation of TGF-beta-mediated endothelial-mesenchymal transition by microRNA
      27.
AB  - Multiple microRNAs (miRNAs) regulate epithelial-mesenchymal transition and
      endothelial-mesenchymal transition (EndMT). Here we report that microRNA-27b (miR
      27b) positively regulates transforming growth factor-beta (TGF-beta)-induced
      EndMT of MS-1 mouse pancreatic microvascular endothelial cells. TGF-beta induced
      miR-23b/24-1/27b expression, and inhibition of miR-27 suppressed TGF-beta
      mediated induction of mesenchymal genes. Genome-wide miRNA target analysis
      revealed that miR-27 targets Elk1, which acts as a competitive inhibitor of
      myocardin-related transcription factor-serum response factor signalling and as a
      myogenic repressor. miR-27b was also found to regulate several semaphorin
      receptors including Neuropilin 2, Plexin A2 and Plexin D1. These results suggest
      important roles of miR-27 in TGF-beta-driven EndMT.

PMID- 28338958
TI  - Molecular cloning and characterization of antimicrobial peptides from skin of
      Hylarana guentheri.
AB  - The cDNAs encoding antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) in the skin of Hylarana
      guentheri were identified, namely temporin (five peptides, termed temporin-GHa
      GHd and temporin-GUa), brevinin-1 (one peptide, brevinin-1GUb), and brevinin-2
      (eight peptides, brevinin-2GHd-2GHj, and brevinin-2GHb). Eleven of the 14
      peptides have novel primary structures. Synthesized temporin GHa-GHd have broad
      spectrum antimicrobial activities against Gram-positive bacteria (Staphylococcus
      aureus and Bacillus subtilis), Gram-negative bacteria (Escherichia coli, Vibrio
      alginolyticus, and Pseudomonas aeruginosa), as well as fungus (Candida albicans).
      Among these tested strains, S. aureus was the most sensitive to temporin-GHa-GHd
      with minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) values between 6.8 and 12.9 MUM. They
      also exhibited antimicrobial activities against Methicillin-resistant S. aureus
      with the MIC ranging from 12.7 to 51.7 MUM. Interestingly, secondary structure
      prediction shows that there is no alpha-helix in temporin-GHb, which illustrates
      that alpha-helix is not required for the antimicrobial activity of temporin-GHb.
      NaCl (at final concentrations of 0.15-2 M) decreased the antimicrobial activity
      of temporin-GHa-GHd slightly, while human serum and S. aureus V8 proteinase had
      no effect on the antimicrobial activity. Scanning electron microscopy images of
      E. coli and S. aureus showed that the surface of microbial cells was considerably
      rough and shrived after 1 h of treatment with temporin-GHa-GHd at 37 degrees C.
      The stabilities of temporin-GHa-GHd in human serum or in S. aureus V8 proteinase
      make them to be promising candidates of novel antimicrobial agents or models for
      the development of novel AMPs.

PMID- 28338959
TI  - Increase in leaf temperature opens stomata and decouples net photosynthesis from
      stomatal conductance in Pinus taeda and Populus deltoides x nigra.
AB  - The effect of temperature on stomatal conductance (gs) and corresponding gas
      exchange parameters was studied in two tree species with contrasting leaf anatomy
      and ecophysiology-a broadleaf angiosperm, Populus deltoides x nigra (poplar), and
      a needle-leaf gymnosperm, Pinus taeda (loblolly pine). Experiments were conducted
      in growth chambers across a leaf temperature range of 19-48 degrees C.
      Manipulations of temperature were done in well-watered and drought soil
      conditions and under ambient (400 ppm) and elevated (800 ppm) air CO2
      concentrations. Increases in leaf temperature caused stomatal opening at both
      ambient and elevated [CO2]. The gs increased by 42% in poplar and by 40% in
      loblolly pine when leaf temperature increased from 30 degrees C to 40 degrees C
      at a vapour pressure difference of 1 kPa. Stomatal limitation to photosynthesis
      decreased in elevated temperature in loblolly pine but not in poplar. The ratio
      of net photosynthesis to gs depended on leaf temperature, especially at high
      temperatures. Evaporative cooling of transpiring leaves resulted in reductions in
      leaf temperature up to 9 degrees C in well-watered poplar but only 1 degrees C in
      drought-stressed poplar and in loblolly pine. As global mean temperatures rise
      and temperature extremes become more frequent and severe, understanding the
      effect of temperature on gs, and modelling that relationship, will become
      increasingly important.

PMID- 28338960
TI  - Organellar Genomes from a ~5,000-Year-Old Archaeological Maize Sample Are Closely
      Related to NB Genotype.
AB  - The story of how preColumbian civilizations developed goes hand-in-hand with the
      process of plant domestication by Mesoamerican inhabitants. Here, we present the
      almost complete sequence of a mitochondrial genome and a partial chloroplast
      genome from an archaeological maize sample collected at the Valley of Tehuacan,
      Mexico. Accelerator mass spectrometry dated the maize sample to be 5,040-5,300
      years before present (95% probability). Phylogenetic analysis of the
      mitochondrial genome shows that the archaeological sample branches basal to the
      other Zea mays genomes, as expected. However, this analysis also indicates that
      fertile genotype NB is closely related to the archaeological maize sample and
      evolved before cytoplasmic male sterility genotypes (CMS-S, CMS-T, and CMS-C),
      thus contradicting previous phylogenetic analysis of mitochondrial genomes from
      maize. We show that maximum-likelihood infers a tree where CMS genotypes branch
      at the base of the tree when including sites that have a relative fast rate of
      evolution thus suggesting long-branch attraction. We also show that Bayesian
      analysis infer a topology where NB and the archaeological maize sample are at the
      base of the tree even when including faster sites. We therefore suggest that
      previous trees suffered from long-branch attraction. We also show that the
      phylogenetic analysis of the ancient chloroplast is congruent with genotype NB to
      be more closely related to the archaeological maize sample. As shown here, the
      inclusion of ancient genomes on phylogenetic trees greatly improves our
      understanding of the domestication process of maize, one of the most important
      crops worldwide.

PMID- 28338961
TI  - Expressed Structurally-stable Inverted Duplicates in Mammalian Genomes as
      Functional Noncoding Elements.
AB  - Inverted duplicates are a type of repetitive DNA motifs consist of two copies of
      reverse complementary sequences separated by a spacer sequence. They can lead to
      genome instability and many may have no function, but some functional small RNAs
      are processed from hairpins transcribed from these elements. It is not clear
      whether the pervasive numbers of such elements in genomes, especially those of
      mammals, is the result of high generation rates of neutral or slightly
      deleterious duplication events or positive selection for functionality. To test
      the functionality of intergenic inverted duplicates without known functions, we
      used mirror duplicates, a type of repetitive DNA motifs with few reported
      functions and little potential to form hairpins when transcribed, as a
      nonfunctional control. We identified large numbers of inverted duplicates within
      intergenic regions of human and mouse genomes, as well as 19 other vertebrate
      genomes. Structure characterization of these inverted duplicates revealed higher
      proportion to form stable hairpins compared to converted mirror duplicates,
      suggesting that inverted duplicates may produce hairpin RNAs. Expression
      profiling across tissues demonstrated that 7.8% of human and 5.7% of mouse
      inverted duplicates were expressed even under strict criteria. We found that
      expressed inverted duplicates were more likely to be structurally stable than
      both unexpressed inverted duplicates and expressed converted mirror duplicates.
      By dating inverted duplicates in the vertebrate phylogenetic tree, we observed
      higher conservation of inverted duplicates than mirror duplicates. These
      observations support the notion that expressed inverted duplicates may be
      functional through forming hairpin RNAs.

PMID- 28338963
TI  - Where and when does stem cellulose delta18O reflect a leaf water enrichment
      signal?

PMID- 28338962
TI  - Higher order intentionality tasks are cognitively more demanding.
AB  - A central assumption that underpins much of the discussion of the role played by
      social cognition in brain evolution is that social cognition is unusually
      cognitively demanding. This assumption has never been tested. Here, we use a task
      in which participants read stories and then answered questions about the stories
      in a behavioural experiment (39 participants) and an fMRI experiment (17
      participants) to show that mentalising requires more time for responses than
      factual memory of a matched complexity and also that higher orders of mentalising
      are disproportionately more demanding and require the recruitment of more neurons
      in brain regions known to be associated with theory of mind, including insula,
      posterior STS, temporal pole and cerebellum. These results have significant
      implications both for models of brain function and for models of brain evolution.

PMID- 28338964
TI  - Relationship between fine-root exudation and respiration of two Quercus species
      in a Japanese temperate forest.
AB  - Plants allocate a considerable amount of carbon (C) to fine roots as respiration
      and exudation. Fine-root exudation could stimulate microbial activity, which
      further contributes to soil heterotrophic respiration. Although both root
      respiration and exudation are important components of belowground C cycling, how
      they relate to each other is less well known. In this study, we aimed to explore
      this relationship on mature trees growing in the field. The measurements were
      performed on two canopy species, Quercus serrata Thunb. and Quercus glauca, in a
      warm temperate forest. The respiration and exudation rates of the same fine-root
      segment were measured in parallel with a syringe-basis incubation and a closed
      static chamber, respectively. We also measured root traits and ectomycorrhizal
      colonization ratio because these indexes commonly relate to root respiration and
      reflect root physiology. The microbial activity enhanced by root exudation was
      investigated by comparing the dissolved organic carbon (DOC) and microbial
      biomass carbon (MBC) between rhizosphere soils and bulk soils. Mean DOC
      concentration and MBC were ca two times higher in the rhizosphere soils and
      positively related to exudation rates, indicating that exudation further relates
      to the C dynamics in the soils. Flux rates of exudation and respiration were
      positively correlated with each other. Both root exudation and respiration rates
      positively related to ectomycorrhizal colonization and root tissue nitrogen, and
      therefore the relationship between the two fluxes may be attributed to fine-root
      activity. The flux rates of root respiration were 8.7 and 10.5 times as much as
      those of exudation on a root-length basis and a root-weight basis, respectively.
      In spite of the fact that flux rates of respiration and exudation varied
      enormously among the fine-root segments of the two Quercus species, exudation was
      in proportion to respiration. This result gives new insight into the fine-root C
      allocation strategy and the belowground C dynamics.

PMID- 28338965
TI  - Burrowers from the past: mitochondrial signatures of Ordovician bivalve
      infaunalization.
AB  - Bivalves and gastropods are the two largest classes of extant molluscs. Despite
      sharing a huge number of features, they do not share a key ecological one:
      gastropods are essentially epibenthic, while most bivalves are infaunal. However,
      this is not the ancestral bivalve condition; Cambrian forms were surface crawlers
      and only during the Ordovician a fundamental infaunalization process took place,
      leading to bivalves as we currently know them. This major ecological shift is
      linked to the exposure to a different redox environoments (hypoxic or anoxic) and
      with the Lower Devonian oxygenation event. We investigated selective signatures
      on bivalve and gastropod mitochondrial genomes with respect to a time calibrated
      mitochondrial phylogeny by means of dN/dS ratios. We were able to detect (i) a
      major signal of directional selection between the Ordovician and the Lower
      Devonian for bivalve mitochondrial Complex I, and (ii) an overall higher
      directional selective pressure on bivalve Complex V with respect to gastropods.
      These and other minor dN/dS patterns and timings are discussed, showing that the
      Ordovician infaunalization event left heavy traces in bivalve mitochondrial
      genomes.

PMID- 28338966
TI  - A comparison of sensitivity-specificity imputation, direct imputation and fully
      Bayesian analysis to adjust for exposure misclassification when validation data
      are unavailable.
AB  - Purpose: Measurement error is an important source of bias in epidemiological
      studies. We illustrate three approaches to sensitivity analysis for the effect of
      measurement error: imputation of the 'true' exposure based on specifying the
      sensitivity and specificity of the measured exposure (SS); direct imputation (DI)
      using a regression model for the predictive values; and adjustment based on a
      fully Bayesian analysis. Methods: We deliberately misclassify smoking status in
      data from a case-control study of lung cancer. We then implement the SS and DI
      methods using fixed-parameter (FBA) and probabilistic (PBA) bias analyses, and
      Bayesian analysis using the Markov-Chain Monte-Carlo program WinBUGS to show how
      well each recovers the original association. Results: The 'true' smoking-lung
      cancer odds ratio (OR), adjusted for sex in the original dataset, was OR = 8.18
      [95% confidence limits (CL): 5.86, 11.43]; after misclassification, it decreased
      to OR = 3.08 (nominal 95% CL: 2.40, 3.96). The adjusted point estimates from all
      three approaches were always closer to the 'true' OR than the OR estimated from
      the unadjusted misclassified smoking data, and the adjusted interval estimates
      were always wider than the unadjusted interval estimate. When imputed
      misclassification parameters departed much from the actual misclassification, the
      'true' OR was often omitted in the FBA intervals whereas it was always included
      in the PBA and Bayesian intervals. Conclusions: These results illustrate how PBA
      and Bayesian analyses can be used to better account for uncertainty and bias due
      to measurement error.

PMID- 28338968
TI  - Two-sample Mendelian randomization: avoiding the downsides of a powerful, widely
      applicable but potentially fallible technique.

PMID- 28338969
TI  - The Cascade of Stress: A Network Approach to Explore Differential Dynamics in
      Populations Varying in Risk for Psychosis.
AB  - Stress plays a central role in the development and persistence of psychosis.
      Network analysis may help to reveal mechanisms at the level of the micro-dynamic
      effects between stress, other daily experiences and symptomatology. This is the
      first study to examine time-lagged networks of the relations between minor daily
      stress, momentary affect/thoughts, psychotic experiences, and other potentially
      relevant daily life contexts in individuals varying in risk for psychosis.
      Intensive longitudinal data were obtained through 6 studies. The combined sample
      consisted of 654 individuals varying in risk for psychosis: healthy control
      subjects (n = 244), first-degree relatives of psychotic patients (n = 165), and
      psychotic patients (n = 245). Using multilevel models combined with permutation
      testing, group-specific time-lagged network connections between daily experiences
      were compared between groups. Specifically, the role of stress was examined. Risk
      for psychosis was related to a higher number of significant network connections.
      In all populations, stress had a central position in the network and showed
      direct and significant connections with subsequent psychotic experiences.
      Furthermore, the higher the risk for psychosis, the more variables "loss of
      control" and "suspicious" were susceptible to influences by other network nodes.
      These findings support the idea that minor daily stress may play an important
      role in inducing a cascade of effects that may lead to psychotic experiences.

PMID- 28338970
TI  - Woody-plant ecosystems under climate change and air pollution-response
      consistencies across zonobiomes?
AB  - Forests store the largest terrestrial pools of carbon (C), helping to stabilize
      the global climate system, yet are threatened by climate change (CC) and
      associated air pollution (AP, highlighting ozone (O3) and nitrogen oxides (NOx)).
      We adopt the perspective that CC-AP drivers and physiological impacts are
      universal, resulting in consistent stress responses of forest ecosystems across
      zonobiomes. Evidence supporting this viewpoint is presented from the literature
      on ecosystem gross/net primary productivity and water cycling. Responses to CC-AP
      are compared across evergreen/deciduous foliage types, discussing implications of
      nutrition and resource turnover at tree and ecosystem scales. The availability of
      data is extremely uneven across zonobiomes, yet unifying patterns of ecosystem
      response are discernable. Ecosystem warming results in trade-offs between
      respiration and biomass production, affecting high elevation forests more than in
      the lowland tropics and low-elevation temperate zone. Resilience to drought is
      modulated by tree size and species richness. Elevated O3 tends to counteract
      stimulation by elevated carbon dioxide (CO2). Biotic stress and genomic structure
      ultimately determine ecosystem responsiveness. Aggrading early- rather than
      mature late-successional communities respond to CO2 enhancement, whereas O3
      affects North American and Eurasian tree species consistently under free-air
      fumigation. Insect herbivory is exacerbated by CC-AP in biome-specific ways.
      Rhizosphere responses reflect similar stand-level nutritional dynamics across
      zonobiomes, but are modulated by differences in tree-soil nutrient cycling
      between deciduous and evergreen systems, and natural versus anthropogenic
      nitrogen (N) oversupply. The hypothesis of consistency of forest responses to
      interacting CC-AP is supported by currently available data, establishing the
      precedent for a global network of long-term coordinated research sites across
      zonobiomes to simultaneously advance both bottom-up (e.g., mechanistic) and top
      down (systems-level) understanding. This global, synthetic approach is needed
      because high biological plasticity and physiographic variation across individual
      ecosystems currently limit development of predictive models of forest responses
      to CC-AP. Integrated research on C and nutrient cycling, O3-vegetation
      interactions and water relations must target mechanisms' ecosystem
      responsiveness. Worldwide case studies must be subject to biostatistical
      exploration to elucidate overarching response patterns and synthesize the
      resulting empirical data through advanced modelling, in order to provide
      regionally coherent, yet globally integrated information in support of
      internationally coordinated decision-making and policy development.

PMID- 28338967
TI  - Thought Disorder in Schizophrenia and Bipolar Disorder Probands, Their Relatives,
      and Nonpsychiatric Controls.
AB  - Thought disorder (TD) has long been associated with schizophrenia (SZ) and is now
      widely recognized as a symptom of mania and other psychotic disorders as well.
      Previous studies have suggested that the TD found in the clinically unaffected
      relatives of SZ, schizoaffective and bipolar probands is qualitatively similar to
      that found in the probands themselves. Here, we examine which quantitative
      measures of TD optimize the distinction between patients with diagnoses of SZ and
      bipolar disorder with psychotic features (BP) from nonpsychiatric controls (NC)
      and from each other. In addition, we investigate whether these same TD measures
      also distinguish their respective clinically unaffected relatives (RelSZ, RelBP)
      from controls as well as from each other. We find that deviant verbalizations are
      significantly associated with SZ and are co-familial in clinically unaffected
      RelSZ, but are dissociated from, and are not co-familial for, BP disorder. In
      contrast, combinatory thinking was nonspecifically associated with psychosis, but
      did not aggregate in either group of relatives. These results provide further
      support for the usefulness of TD for identifying potential non-penetrant carriers
      of SZ-risk genes, in turn enhancing the power of genetic analyses. These findings
      also suggest that further refinement of the TD phenotype may be needed in order
      to be suitable for use in genetic studies of bipolar disorder.

PMID- 28338971
TI  - Progressive silencing of the zinc transporter Zip8 (Slc39a8) in chronic cadmium
      exposed lung epithelial cells.
AB  - Cadmium (Cd), a non-essential metal, stealthily enters the cells by utilizing the
      essential metal importing pathways. The zinc transporters Zip8, Zip14, and
      divalent metal transporter 1 (Dmt1) are now emerging as several important metal
      transporters involved in cellular Cd incorporation and their expressions have
      been shown to be down-regulated in several Cd-resistant (CdR) cell lines,
      however, the involvement of these transporters during the development of Cd
      resistance in lung cells is unclear. In this study, we therefore check the
      expression of these metal transporters in our previously established rat lung
      epithelial cells (LECs) and show that the level of Zip8 is progressively silenced
      when LECs are adapted to increasing concentrations of CdCl2 (from 1 to 20 MUM).
      Subsequent measurement of the cellular Cd content indicated that CdR LECs exhibit
      a marked decrease of Cd accumulation, possibly due to the loss of Zip8
      expression. We investigate the possibility that epigenetic silencing of the Zip8
      gene by DNA hypermethylation is involved in the down-regulation of Zip8
      expression. CdR LECs show a higher mRNA level of DNA methyltransferase 3b
      (Dnmt3b) than parental cells. Treatment of CdR LECs with 5-aza-2'-deoxycytidine,
      an inhibitor of DNA methyltransferases, reverted the expression of Zip8 and
      sensitivity to Cd in these cells, indicating the critical role of Zip8 for Cd
      import. Taken together, our results demonstrate that the progressive silencing of
      Zip8 expression is involved in the acquisition of resistance against Cd in lung
      cells, representing an adaptive survival mechanism that resists Cd-induced
      cytotoxicity.

PMID- 28338972
TI  - Wilkinson et al. Respond to "Latent Transition Analyses in Clinical Cohorts".

PMID- 28338974
TI  - Recombinant CC16 protein inhibits the production of pro-inflammatory cytokines
      via NF-kappaB and p38 MAPK pathways in LPS-activated RAW264.7 macrophages.
AB  - Accumulating evidence indicates that Clara cell protein-16 (CC16) has anti
      inflammatory functions, although the involved molecular pathways have not been
      completely elucidated. Here, we evaluated the effect of recombinant rat CC16
      (rCC16) on the expression of tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-alpha), interleukin
      6 (IL-6), and IL-8 in lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-stimulated mouse macrophages
      (RAW264.7 cells) and explored the underlying molecular mechanisms. It was found
      that rCC16 inhibited LPS-induced TNF-alpha, IL-6, and IL-8 expression at both the
      messenger ribonucleicacid (mRNA) level and protein level in a concentration
      dependent manner, as demonstrated by real-time reverse transcriptase-polymerase
      chain reaction and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Such suppressive effects
      were accompanied by the inhibition of transcriptional activity and the
      deoxyribonucleic acid binding activity of nuclear factor (NF)-kappaB but not
      activator protein (AP)-1. Western blot analysis further revealed that rCC16
      inhibited the increase of nuclear NF-kappaB and the reduction of cytosolic NF
      kappaB, the phosphorylation and reduction of NF-kappaB inhibitory protein
      IkappaBalpha, and the p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK)-dependent NF
      kappaB activation by phosphorylation at Ser276 of its p65 subunit. Furthermore,
      rCC16 was found to have no effect on the phosphorylation of c-Jun N-terminal
      kinase, c-Jun, or the nuclear translocation of c-Jun. In addition, reduction of
      TNF-alpha, IL-6, and IL-8 were reversed when the level of endogenous uteroglobin
      binding protein was reduced by RNA interference in rCC16- and LPS-treated
      RAW264.7 cells. Our data suggest that rCC16 suppresses LPS-mediated inflammatory
      mediator TNF-alpha, IL-6, and IL-8 production by inactivating NF-kappaB and p38
      MAPK but not AP-1 in RAW264.7 cells.

PMID- 28338975
TI  - Drought and reproductive effort interact to control growth of a temperate
      broadleaved tree species (Fagus sylvatica).
AB  - Interannual variation in radial growth is influenced by a range of physiological
      processes, including variation in annual reproductive effort, although the
      importance of reproductive allocation has rarely been quantified. In this study,
      we use long stand-level records of annual seed production, radial growth (tree
      ring width) and meteorological conditions to analyse the relative importance of
      summer drought and reproductive effort in controlling the growth of Fagus
      sylvatica L., a typical masting species. We show that both summer drought and
      reproductive effort (masting) influenced growth. Importantly, the effects of
      summer drought and masting were interactive, with the greatest reductions in
      growth found in years when high reproductive effort (i.e., mast years) coincided
      with summer drought. Conversely, mast years that coincided with non-drought
      summers were associated with little reduction in radial growth, as were drought
      years that did not coincide with mast years. The results show that the strength
      of an inferred trade-off between growth and reproduction in this species (the
      cost of reproduction) is dependent on environmental stress, with a stronger trade
      off in years with more stressful growing conditions. These results have
      widespread implications for understanding interannual variability in growth, and
      observed relationships between growth and climate.

PMID- 28338976
TI  - Synchronisms between bud and cambium phenology in black spruce: early-flushing
      provenances exhibit early xylem formation.
AB  - Bud and cambial phenology represent the adaptation of species to the local
      environment that allows the growing season to be maximized while minimizing the
      risk of frost for the developing tissues. The temporal relationship between the
      apical and radial meristems can help in the understanding of tree growth as a
      whole process. The aim of this study was to compare cambial phenology in black
      spruce (Picea mariana (Mill.) B.S.P.) provenances classified as early and late
      bud flushing. The different phases of cambial phenology were assessed on wood
      microcores sampled weekly from April to October in 2014 and 2015 from 61 trees
      growing in a provenance trial in Quebec, Canada. Trees showing an early bud flush
      also exhibited early reactivation of xylem differentiation, although an average
      difference of 12 days for buds corresponded to small although significant
      differences of 4 days for xylem. Provenances with early bud flush had an early
      bud set and completed xylem formation earlier than late bud flush provenances. No
      significant difference in the period of xylem formation and total growth was
      observed between the flushing classes. Our results demonstrate that the ecotype
      differentiation of black spruce provenances represented by the phenological
      adaptation of buds to the local climate corresponds to specific growth dynamics
      of the xylem.

PMID- 28338978
TI  - Isotope signals and anatomical features in tree rings suggest a role for
      hydraulic strategies in diffuse drought-induced die-back of Pinus nigra.
AB  - The 2003 and 2012 summer seasons were among the warmest and driest of the last
      200 years over southeastern Europe, and in particular in the Karst region
      (northeastern Italy). Starting from winter-spring 2013, several black pines
      (Pinus nigra J.F. Arnold) suffered crown die-back. Declining trees occurred
      nearby individuals with no signs of die-back, raising hypotheses about the
      occurrence of individual-specific hydraulic strategies underlying different
      responses to extreme drought. We investigated possible processes driving black
      pine decline by dendrochronological and wood anatomical measurements, coupled
      with analysis of tree-ring carbon (delta13C) and oxygen (delta18O) isotopic
      composition in healthy trees (H) and trees suffering die-back (D). Die-back trees
      showed higher growth rates than H trees at the beginning of the last century, but
      suffered important growth reduction following the dry summers in 2003 and 2012.
      After the 2012 drought, D trees produced tracheids with larger diameter and
      greater vulnerability to implosion than H ones. Healthy trees had significantly
      higher wood delta13C than D trees, reflecting higher water-use efficiency for the
      surviving trees, i.e., less water transpired per unit carbon gain, which could be
      related to lower stomatal conductance and a more conservative use of water.
      Relatively high delta18O for D trees indicates that they were strongly dependent
      on shallow water sources, or that they sustained higher transpiration rates than
      H trees. Our results suggest that H trees adopted a more conservative water-use
      strategy under drought stress compared with D trees. We speculate that this
      diversity might have a genotypic basis, but other possible explanations, like
      different rooting depth, cannot be ruled out.

PMID- 28338979
TI  - Commentary: Incorporating concepts and methods from causal inference into life
      course epidemiology.

PMID- 28338973
TI  - Inflammation, Autoimmunity, and Hypertension: The Essential Role of Tissue
      Transglutaminase.
AB  - Inflammatory cytokines cause hypertension when introduced into animals.
      Additional evidence indicates that cytokines induce the production of
      autoantibodies that activate the AT1 angiotensin receptor (AT1R). Extensive
      evidence shows that these autoantibodies, termed AT1-AA, contribute to
      hypertension. We review here recent studies showing that cytokine-induced
      hypertension and AT1-AA production require the ubiquitous enzyme, tissue
      transglutaminase (TG2). We consider 3 mechanisms by which TG2 may contribute to
      hypertension. (i) One involves the posttranslational modification (PTM) of AT1Rs
      at a glutamine residue that is present in the epitope sequence (AFHYESQ)
      recognized by AT1-AA. (ii) Another mechanism by which TG2 may contribute to
      hypertension is by PTM of AT1Rs at glutamine 315. Modification at this glutamine
      prevents ubiquitination-dependent proteasome degradation and allows AT1Rs to
      accumulate. Increased AT1R abundance is likely to account for increased
      sensitivity to Ang II activation and in this way contribute to hypertension.
      (iii) The increased TG2 produced as a result of elevated inflammatory cytokines
      is likely to contribute to vascular stiffness by modification of intracellular
      contractile proteins or by crosslinking vascular proteins in the extracellular
      matrix. This process, termed inward remodeling, results in reduced vascular
      lumen, vascular stiffness, and increased blood pressure. Based on the literature
      reviewed here, we hypothesize that TG2 is an essential participant in cytokine
      induced hypertension. From this perspective, selective TG2 inhibitors have the
      potential to be pharmacologic weapons in the fight against hypertension.

PMID- 28338980
TI  - A MULTI-ELEMENT THICK GAS ELECTRON MULTIPLIER-BASED MICRODOSEMETER FOR
      MEASUREMENT OF NEUTRONS DOSE-EQUIVALENT: A MONTE CARLO STUDY.
AB  - To determine the dose-equivalent of neutrons in an extended energy range, in the
      present work a multi-element thick gas electron multiplier-based microdosemeter
      made of PMMA (Perspex) walls of 10 mm in thickness is designed. Each cavity is
      filled with the propane-based tissue-equivalent (TE) gas simulating 1 um of
      tissue. Also, a few weight fractions of 3He are assumed to be added to the TE
      gas. The dose-equivalents are determined for 11 neutron energies between thermal
      and 14 MeV using the lineal energy distributions calculated by Geant4 simulation
      toolkit and also the lineal energy-based quality factors. The results show that
      by adding 0.04% of 3He to the TE gas in each cavity, an energy-independent dose
      equivalent response within 30% uncertainty around a median value of 0.91 in the
      above energy range is achieved. It is concluded that after its construction, the
      studied microdosemeter can be used to measure the dose-equivalent of neutrons,
      favorably.

PMID- 28338977
TI  - Effects of Augmenting N-Methyl-D-Aspartate Receptor Signaling on Working Memory
      and Experience-Dependent Plasticity in Schizophrenia: An Exploratory Study Using
      Acute d-cycloserine.
AB  - Cognitive deficits in schizophrenia have been hypothesized to reflect N-methyl-D
      aspartate receptor (NMDAR) dysfunction. However, the mechanisms through which the
      NMDAR contributes to individual cognitive functions differ. To explore how NMDAR
      signaling relates to specific cognitive deficits in schizophrenia, we tested the
      effects of enhancing NMDAR signaling on working memory and experience-dependent
      plasticity using d-cycloserine (DCS). Plasticity was assessed using an EEG
      paradigm that utilizes high-frequency visual stimulation (HFvS) to induce neural
      potentiation, and 2 learning tasks, the information integration (IIT) and weather
      prediction (WPT) tasks. Working memory was assessed using an N-back task. Forty
      five schizophrenia patients were randomized to receive a single 100 mg DCS dose
      (SZ-DCS; n = 24) or placebo (SZ-PLC; n = 21) in a double-blind, between-groups
      design. Testing occurred on a single day after placebo or DCS administration;
      baseline values were not obtained. DCS did not affect plasticity, as indicated by
      similar neural potentiation, and similar IIT and WPT learning between groups.
      However, among patients who successfully engaged in the working memory task (ie,
      performed above chance), SZ-DCS (n = 17) showed superior 2-back performance
      compared to SZ-PLC (n = 16). Interestingly, SZ-DCS also showed larger pre-HFvS
      neural responses during the LTP task. Notably, this pattern of DCS effects is the
      opposite of those found in our prior study of healthy adults. Results are
      consistent with target engagement of the NMDAR by DCS, but suggest that NMDAR
      signaling was not translated into synaptic plasticity changes in schizophrenia.
      Results highlight the importance of considering how distinct NMDAR-associated
      processes contribute to individual cognitive deficits in schizophrenia.

PMID- 28338981
TI  - Continuity and changes in three types of caregiving and the risk of depression in
      later life: a 2-year prospective study.
AB  - Objective: previous studies have well documented the psychological consequences
      of family caregiving but less is known about the heterogeneity of older carers
      being affected during different temporal phases of caregiving over time. This
      study aimed to prospectively examine the impact of continuity and changes in
      grandchild care, parent care and spouse care on older carers' depressive symptoms
      2 years later. Methods: the analytic sample contained 2,398 urban seniors who
      completed interviews for both the 2011 and 2013 waves of the China Health and
      Retirement Longitudinal Study. The generalized estimating equations approach
      estimated the longitudinal associations of caring transitions with depressive
      symptoms. Results: in comparison with non-carers, elders who continuously
      provided grandchild care, and those who stopped providing parent care reported
      significantly fewer depressive symptoms; those who entered into or exited from
      providing spousal care reported significantly more depressive symptoms.
      Conclusions: by separating the impact of caring transitions on subsequent
      depressive symptoms, our findings added evidence of the great diversity of caring
      experiences among older adults who provided care to grandchildren, parents or
      spouses. Our findings have implications for carer support programmes in targeting
      those older carers at higher risk of depression.

PMID- 28338982
TI  - RNA Editing During Sexual Development Occurs in Distantly Related Filamentous
      Ascomycetes.
AB  - RNA editing is a post-transcriptional process that modifies RNA molecules leading
      to transcript sequences that differ from their template DNA. A-to-I editing was
      found to be widely distributed in nuclear transcripts of metazoa, but was
      detected in fungi only recently in a study of the filamentous ascomycete Fusarium
      graminearum that revealed extensive A-to-I editing of mRNAs in sexual structures
      (fruiting bodies). Here, we searched for putative RNA editing events in RNA-seq
      data from Sordaria macrospora and Pyronema confluens, two distantly related
      filamentous ascomycetes, and in data from the Taphrinomycete Schizosaccharomyces
      pombe. Like F. graminearum, S. macrospora is a member of the Sordariomycetes,
      whereas P. confluens belongs to the early-diverging group of Pezizomycetes. We
      found extensive A-to-I editing in RNA-seq data from sexual mycelium from both
      filamentous ascomycetes, but not in vegetative structures. A-to-I editing was not
      detected in different stages of meiosis of S. pombe. A comparison of A-to-I
      editing in S. macrospora with F. graminearum and P. confluens, respectively,
      revealed little conservation of individual editing sites. An analysis of RNA-seq
      data from two sterile developmental mutants of S. macrospora showed that A-to-I
      editing is strongly reduced in these strains. Sequencing of cDNA fragments
      containing more than one editing site from P. confluens showed that at the
      beginning of sexual development, transcripts were incompletely edited or
      unedited, whereas in later stages transcripts were more extensively edited. Taken
      together, these data suggest that A-to-I RNA editing is an evolutionary conserved
      feature during fruiting body development in filamentous ascomycetes.

PMID- 28338983
TI  - Multi-Site Clinical Assessment of Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue
      Syndrome (MCAM): Design and Implementation of a Prospective/Retrospective Rolling
      Cohort Study.
AB  - In the Multi-Site Clinical Assessment of Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic
      Fatigue Syndrome (MCAM), we relied on expert clinician diagnoses to enroll
      patients from 7 specialty clinics in the United States in order to perform a
      systematic collection of data on measures of myalgic encephalomyelitis
      (ME)/chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS). Healthy persons and those with other
      illnesses that share some features with ME/CFS were enrolled in comparison
      groups. The major objectives were to: 1) use standardized questionnaires to
      measure illness domains of ME/CFS and to evaluate patient heterogeneity overall
      and between clinics; 2) describe the course of illness, identify the measures
      that best correlate with meaningful clinical differences, and assess the
      performances of questionnaires as patient/person-reported outcome measures; 3)
      describe prescribed medications, orders for laboratory and other tests, and
      management tools used by expert clinicians to care for persons with ME/CFS; 4)
      collect biospecimens for future hypothesis testing and for evaluation of morning
      cortisol profiles; and 5) identify measures that best distinguish persons with
      ME/CFS from those in the comparison groups and detect subgroups of persons with
      ME/CFS who may have different underlying causes. Enrollment began in 2012 and is
      planned to continue in multiple stages through 2017. We present the MCAM methods
      in detail, along with an initial description of the 471 patients with ME/CFS who
      were enrolled in stage 1.

PMID- 28338984
TI  - E3 ubiquitin ligases SIAH1/2 regulate hypoxia-inducible factor-1 (HIF-1)-mediated
      Th17 cell differentiation.
AB  - IL-17 is known to be a cytokine mainly secreted from Th17 cells, which well
      associate with autoimmune inflammatory responses. In the generation of Th17
      cells, RORc and RORa have pivotal roles in controlling the transcription of Il17.
      We speculated additional regulation in Il17a transcription and randomly screened
      a 6344 clone cDNA library to identify specific modulators for Il17a promoter
      activity. After the screen, the E3 ubiquitin ligases SIAH1 and SIAH2 were
      investigated further and confirmed to increase Il17a promoter activity in a T
      cell line and to promote Th17 development ex vivo. This enhancement was a
      consequence of enhanced expression of hypoxia-inducible factor-1alpha (HIF
      1alpha) protein, which is reported to directly regulate expression of Il17a and
      Rorgt at the transcriptional level. In the absence of HIF-1alpha, both ubiquitin
      ligases had little effect on Th17 cell differentiation. These results suggest
      that the SIAH1 and SIAH2 play a pivotal role to promote Th17 cell differentiation
      through maintaining the stability of HIF-1alpha protein.

PMID- 28338985
TI  - Regulatory mechanisms and cellular functions of non-centrosomal microtubules.
AB  - Proper organization of microtubule (MT) arrays is essential for numerous cellular
      functions, including intracellular transport and cell migration. Although the
      centrosome generally serves as the primary MT-organizing centre in proliferating
      animal cells, MTs are also organized at the Golgi apparatus in a wide range of
      cell types to regulate Golgi ribbon formation that is required for polarized cell
      migration. Furthermore, differentiated epithelial cells and neurons possess
      organized non-centrosomal MTs predominantly at the apical cortical regions and
      the axonal and dendritic neurites, respectively, to establish and maintain their
      highly polarized morphology. Unlike radial arrays of centrosomal MTs, non
      centrosomal MTs are organized into non-radial asymmetric network, which
      facilitates polarized transport and cell polarization. In this review, we will
      focus on recent advances in our understanding of the regulatory mechanisms and
      cellular functions of non-centrosomal MTs.

PMID- 28338987
TI  - Gamma-glutamyltransferase levels, prediabetes and type 2 diabetes: a Mendelian
      randomization study.
AB  - Background: High levels of serum gamma-glutamyltransferase (GGT) are associated
      with increased risk of prediabetes and type 2 diabetes in observational studies.
      It is unclear whether this relationship is causal, arises from residual
      confounding or is a consequence of reverse causation. Methods: We used data from
      a prospective population-based cohort study, compromising 8611 individuals
      without diabetes at baseline. Cox proportional hazard models were used to study
      the association between serum GGT levels and incident prediabetes and diabetes. A
      Mendelian randomization (MR) study was performed using a genetic risk score
      consisting of 26 GGT-related variants, based on a genome-wide association study
      (GWAS) on liver enzymes. Association with diabetes and glycaemic traits were
      investigated within the Rotterdam Study and large-scale GWAS. Results: During
      follow-up, 1125 cases of prediabetes (mean follow-up 5.7 years) and 811 cases of
      type 2 diabetes (6.9 years) were ascertained. The predicted hazard ratios per
      standard deviation (SD) change in GGT levels in the multivariable model were 1.10
      for prediabetes [95% confidence interval (CI): 1.02-1.19] and 1.19 for type 2
      diabetes (95% CI: 1.10-1.30). The genetic risk score associated with increased
      GGT levels (beta per SD log GGT = 0.41, 95% CI: 0.35-0.47), explaining 3.5% of
      the observed variation in GGT. MR analysis did not provide evidence for a causal
      role of GGT, with a causal relative risk for prediabetes and type 2 diabetes per
      SD of log GGT of 0.97 (95% CI: 0.91-1.04) and 0.96 (95% CI: 0.89-1.04),
      respectively. Multiple instrumental analysis using genetic associations with type
      2 diabetes and glycaemic traits from previous GWA studies detected no causal
      effect of GGT. Conclusions: MR analyses did not support a causal role of GGT on
      the risk of prediabetes or diabetes. The association of GGT with diabetes in
      observational studies is likely to be driven by reverse causation or confounding
      bias. As such, therapeutics targeted at lowering GGT levels are unlikely to be
      effective in preventing diabetes.

PMID- 28338986
TI  - Genome-Wide Estimates of Transposable Element Insertion and Deletion Rates in
      Drosophila Melanogaster.
AB  - Knowing the rate at which transposable elements (TEs) insert and delete is
      critical for understanding their role in genome evolution. We estimated
      spontaneous rates of insertion and deletion for all known, active TE
      superfamilies present in a set of Drosophila melanogaster mutation-accumulation
      (MA) lines using whole genome sequence data. Our results demonstrate that TE
      insertions far outpace TE deletions in D. melanogaster. We found a significant
      effect of background genotype on TE activity, with higher rates of insertions in
      one MA line. We also found significant rate heterogeneity between the
      chromosomes, with both insertion and deletion rates elevated on the X relative to
      the autosomes. Further, we identified significant associations between TE
      activity and chromatin state, and tested for associations between TE activity and
      other features of the local genomic environment such as TE content, exon content,
      GC content, and recombination rate. Our results provide the most detailed
      assessment of TE mobility in any organism to date, and provide a useful benchmark
      for both addressing theoretical predictions of TE dynamics and for exploring
      large-scale patterns of TE movement in D. melanogaster and other species.

PMID- 28338988
TI  - Phylogenetics of Lophotrochozoan bHLH Genes and the Evolution of Lineage-Specific
      Gene Duplicates.
AB  - The gain and loss of genes encoding transcription factors is of importance to
      understanding the evolution of gene regulatory complexity. The basic helix-loop
      helix (bHLH) genes encode a large superfamily of transcription factors. We
      systematically classify the bHLH genes from five mollusc, two annelid and one
      brachiopod genomes, tracing the pattern of bHLH gene evolution across these
      poorly studied Phyla. In total, 56-88 bHLH genes were identified in each genome,
      with most identifiable as members of previously described bilaterian families, or
      of new families we define. Of such families only one, Mesp, appears lost by all
      these species. Additional duplications have also played a role in the evolution
      of the bHLH gene repertoire, with many new lophotrochozoan-, mollusc-, bivalve-,
      or gastropod-specific genes defined. Using a combination of transcriptome mining,
      RT-PCR, and in situ hybridization we compared the expression of several of these
      novel genes in tissues and embryos of the molluscs Crassostrea gigas and Patella
      vulgata, finding both conserved expression and evidence for neofunctionalization.
      We also map the positions of the genes across these genomes, identifying numerous
      gene linkages. Some reflect recent paralog divergence by tandem duplication,
      others are remnants of ancient tandem duplications dating to the lophotrochozoan
      or bilaterian common ancestors. These data are built into a model of the
      evolution of bHLH genes in molluscs, showing formidable evolutionary stasis at
      the family level but considerable within-family diversification by tandem gene
      duplication.

PMID- 28338989
TI  - A simple stable carbon isotope method for investigating changes in the use of
      recent versus old carbon in oak.
AB  - Stable carbon isotope ratios from early-wood (EW) and late-wood (LW) are used to
      test competing models of carbon storage and allocation, providing a cost
      effective alternative to measuring and dating non-structural carbohydrates in
      mature temperate broad-leaf forest trees growing under natural conditions. Annual
      samples of EW and LW from seven mature oaks (Quercus robur L.) from Scotland,
      covering AD 1924-2012, were pooled, treated to isolate alpha-cellulose and
      pyrolysed to measure the carbon isotope ratios. Late-wood values are strongly
      correlated with summer temperature of the year of growth and EW contains the same
      signal offset by 1 year. After a warm summer, isotopic ratios of EW are similar
      to those of the preceding LW, but following cold summers they are relatively
      enriched. The results conflict with established models of isotopic variation
      within oak tree rings but support 'two-pool' models for storage of non-structural
      carbohydrates, with EW formation, which occurs prior to budburst, preferentially
      using young reserves accumulated in the previous summer. Under poor growing
      conditions trees access older reserves. Slight average isotopic enrichment of EW
      may be explained by preferential accumulation of reserves during warmer summers
      rather than by isotopic enrichment during starch formation in non-photosynthetic
      tissue.

PMID- 28338990
TI  - THE MAYAK WORKER DOSIMETRY SYSTEM (MWDS-2013): AN INTRODUCTION TO THE
      DOCUMENTATION.
AB  - The reconstruction of radiation doses to Mayak Production Association workers in
      central Russia supports radiation epidemiological studies for the U.S.-Russian
      Joint Coordinating Committee on Radiation Effects Research. The most recent
      version of the dosimetry was performed with the Mayak Worker Dosimetry System
      2013. This introduction outlines the logic and general content of the series of
      articles presented in this issue of Radiation Protection Dosimetry. The articles
      summarize the models, describe the basis for most of the key decisions made in
      developing the models and present an overview of the results.

PMID- 28338991
TI  - miR-30e is negatively regulated by myostatin in skeletal muscle and is
      functionally related to fiber-type composition.
AB  - Myostatin (MSTN) negatively regulates skeletal myogenesis in which microRNAs
      (miRNAs) also play critical roles. Using miRNA microarrays of skeletal muscle
      from MSTN-knockout (MSTN-/-) mice, we recently showed that miR-431 is regulated
      by MSTN signaling. To identify additional miRNAs regulated by MSTN, we re
      analyzed these miRNA arrays and validated their expression by quantitative RT
      PCR. Herein, we demonstrated that miR-30e was significantly upregulated in
      skeletal muscle of MSTN-/- mice compared with that of the wild-type littermates.
      Importantly, the predicted targets of miR-30e are functionally involved in
      myocyte differentiation and fiber-type formation. Using luciferase reporter gene
      assays, we further showed that peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma,
      coactivator 1 alpha (Pgc1alpha), is a direct target of miR-30e. Overexpression of
      miR-30e in C2C12 cells significantly decreased Pgc1alpha and increased type II
      form of myosin heavy chain gene expression, suggesting that miR-30e functionally
      associates with glycolytic myofiber formation. Thus, our data indicate that the
      altered fiber-type composition in MSTN-/- mice are attributable in part to
      deregulated expression of miR-30e.

PMID- 28338992
TI  - Identification of the Eucalyptus grandis chitinase gene family and expression
      characterization under different biotic stress challenges.
AB  - Eucalyptus grandis (W. Hill ex Maiden) is an Australian Myrtaceae tree grown for
      timber in many parts of the world and for which the annotated genome sequence is
      available. Known to be susceptible to a number of pests and diseases, E. grandis
      is a useful study organism for investigating defense responses in woody plants.
      Chitinases are widespread in plants and cleave glycosidic bonds of chitin, the
      major structural component of fungal cell walls and arthropod exoskeletons. They
      are encoded by an important class of genes known to be up-regulated in plants in
      response to pathogens. The current study identified 67 chitinase gene models from
      two families known as glycosyl hydrolase 18 and 19 (36 GH18 and 31 GH19) within
      the E. grandis genome assembly (v1.1), indicating a recent gene expansion.
      Sequences were aligned and analyzed as conforming to currently recognized plant
      chitinase classes (I-V). Unlike other woody species investigated to date, E.
      grandis has a single gene encoding a putative vacuolar targeted Class I
      chitinase. In response to Leptocybe invasa (Fisher & La Salle) (the eucalypt gall
      wasp) and Chrysoporthe austroafricana (Gryzenhout & M.J. Wingf. 2004) (causal
      agent of fungal stem canker), this Class IA chitinase is strongly up-regulated in
      both resistant and susceptible plants. Resistant plants, however, indicate
      greater constitutive expression and increased up-regulation than susceptible
      plants following fungal challenge. Up-regulation within fungal resistant clones
      was further confirmed with protein data. Clusters of putative chitinase genes,
      particularly on chromosomes 3 and 8, are significantly up-regulated in response
      to fungal challenge, while a cluster on chromosome 1 is significantly down
      regulated in response to gall wasp. The results of this study show that the E.
      grandis genome has an expanded group of chitinase genes, compared with other
      plants. Despite this expansion, only a single Class I chitinase is present and
      this gene is highly up-regulated within diverse biotic stress conditions. Our
      research provides insight into a major class of defense genes within E. grandis
      and indicates the importance of the Class I chitinase.

PMID- 28338993
TI  - Dihydrocelastrol inhibits multiple myeloma cell proliferation and promotes
      apoptosis through ERK1/2 and IL-6/STAT3 pathways in vitro and in vivo.
AB  - Multiple myeloma (MM) is the second most frequent malignant hematological
      disease. Dihydrocelastrol (DHCE) is synthesized by hydrogenated celastrol, a
      treterpene isolated from Chinese medicinal plant Tripterygium regelii. In this
      study, we first reported the anti-tumor activity of DHCE on MM cells. We found
      that DHCE could inhibit cell proliferation and promote apoptosis through caspase
      dependent way in vitro. In addition, DHCE could inactivate the expression of
      interleukin (IL)-6 and downregulate the phosphorylation of extracellular
      regulated protein kinases (ERK1/2) and the signal transducer and activator of
      transcription 3 (STAT3) in MM. It also retained its activity against MM cell
      lines in the presence of IL-6. Furthermore, treatment of MM cells with DHCE
      resulted in an accumulation of cells in G0/G1 phase of the cell cycle. Notably,
      DHCE reduced the expression of cyclin D1 and cyclin-dependent kinases 4 and 6 in
      MM cell lines. Additionally, its efficacy toward the MM cell lines could be
      enhanced in combination with the histone deacetylase inhibitor panobinostat
      (LBH589), which implied the possibility of the combination treatment of DHCE and
      LBH589 as a potential therapeutic strategy in MM. In addition, treatment of NCI
      H929 tumor-bearing nude mice with DHCE (10 mg/kg/d, i.p., 1-14 days) resulted in
      73% inhibition of the tumor growth in vivo. Taken together, the results of our
      present study indicated that DHCE could inhibit cellular proliferation and induce
      cell apoptosis in myeloma cells mediated through different mechanisms, possibly
      through inhibiting the IL-6/STAT3 and ERK1/2 pathways. And it may provide a new
      therapeutic option for MM patients.

PMID- 28338994
TI  - Marfan Syndrome: Staging Nonsurgical vs Surgical Treatments in Children With
      Subluxated Lenses and Refractive Problems.

PMID- 28338995
TI  - "My Baby's Eyes Are Large. . . They Said It Was Nothing".

PMID- 28338996
TI  - The Directions Are on the Box.

PMID- 28338997
TI  - Establishing a Baseline for Meibomian Gland Morphology in Children.

PMID- 28338998
TI  - The Retinal Lesion is Moving!

PMID- 28338999
TI  - Knee Bracing After Anterior Cruciate Ligament Reconstruction.

PMID- 28339000
TI  - Outpatient Lower Extremity Total Joint Arthroplasty: Where Are We Heading?

PMID- 28339001
TI  - Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services' Comprehensive Care for Joint
      Replacement: The Present and Future for Orthopedic Surgeons.
AB  - The primary aim of this article is to describe the structure and challenges of
      Medicare and Medicaid reimbursement for a total hip or knee arthroplasty within
      the context of the Comprehensive Care for Joint Replacement model. The secondary
      aims are to identify potential challenges for reimbursement and solutions to
      overcome challenges for the orthopedic surgeon, and to describe and compare the
      current and projected reimbursement structures for total arthroplasty procedures.
      Final decisions on reimbursement for total arthroplasty as outlined by the
      Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services are reviewed. The impact of these
      decisions and the effect of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services' payment
      structure on reimbursement for surgeons and organizations and the effect on
      patient care are highlighted. [Orthopedics. 2017; 40(2):77-80.].

PMID- 28339002
TI  - RGN's Commitment to Moving Intervention Science Forward: Specifying Targets,
      Mechanisms of Action, and Outcomes.

PMID- 28339003
TI  - Influence of Leisure Competence and Level of Leisure Activity on Life
      Satisfaction in Low-Income Older Adults in Rural South Korea.
AB  - The purpose of the current study was to investigate the relationships among
      leisure competence, level of leisure activity, and life satisfaction in low
      income older adults in rural South Korea. A sample of 137 older adults answered
      the study questionnaire, and significant differences in leisure competence were
      noted depending on age, religion, and perceived health status as well as level of
      leisure activity based on perceived health status and type of leisure activities.
      There were also notable differences in life satisfaction regarding religion and
      perceived health status, and a correlation among leisure competence, level of
      leisure activity, and life satisfaction; the influencing power of leisure
      competence and level of leisure activity on life satisfaction was 47%. The
      findings suggest that enhancement of older adults' leisure competence may
      increase participation in leisure activities. [Res Gerontol Nurs. 2017; 10(2):67
      75.].

PMID- 28339004
TI  - Cyclocurcumin, a curcumin derivative, exhibits immune-modulating ability and is a
      potential compound for the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis as predicted by the
      MM-PBSA method.
AB  - The control and treatment of rheumatoid arthritis is a challenge in today's
      world. Therefore, the pursuit of natural disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs
      (DMRDs) remains a top priority in rheumatology. The present study focused on
      curcumin and its derivatives in the search for new DMRDs. We focused on prominent
      p38 mitogen-activated protein (MAP) kinase p38alpha which is a prime regulator of
      tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha), a key mediator of rheumatoid arthritis.
      In the present study, we used the X-ray crystallographic structure of p38alpha
      for molecular docking simulations and molecular dynamic simulations to study the
      binding modes of curcumin and its derivatives with the active site of p38alpha.
      The ATP-binding domain was used for evaluating curcumin and its derivatives.
      Molecular docking simulation results were used to select 4 out of 8 compounds.
      These 4 compounds were simulated using GROMACS molecular simulation platform; the
      results generated were subjected to molecular mechanics-Poisson Boltzmann surface
      area (MM-PBSA) calculations. The results showed cyclocurcumin as a potential
      natural compound for development of a potent DMRD. These data were further
      supported by inhibition of TNF-alpha release from lipopolysaccharide (LPS)
      stimulated human macrophages following cyclocurcumin treatment.

PMID- 28339005
TI  - Curcumin inhibits angiotensin II-induced inflammation and proliferation of rat
      vascular smooth muscle cells by elevating PPAR-gamma activity and reducing
      oxidative stress.
AB  - Angiotensin II (AngII)-induced production of inflammatory factors and
      proliferation in vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs) play an important role in
      the progression of atherosclerotic plaques. Growing evidence has demonstrated
      that activation of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-gamma (PPAR-gamma)
      effectively attenuates AngII-induced inflammation and intercellular reactive
      oxygen species (iROS) production. Curcumin (Cur) inhibits inflammatory responses
      by enhancing PPAR-gamma activity and reducing oxidative stress in various
      tissues. The aim of the present study was to ascertain whether Cur inhibits AngII
      induced inflammation and proliferation, and its underlying molecular mechanism,
      in VSMCs. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and real-time PCR were used
      to measure the protein and mRNA expression of interleukin-6 (IL-6) and tumor
      necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha). Nitric oxide (NO) production was measured by
      Griess reaction. Western blot analysis and a DNA-binding assay were used to
      measure PPAR-gamma activity. iROS production was measured using the DCFH-DA
      method. In rat VSMCs, Cur attenuated AngII-induced expression of IL-6 and TNF
      alpha mRNA and protein in a concentration-dependent manner, inhibited NO
      production by suppressing inducible NO synthase (iNOS) activity, and suppressed
      proliferation of VSMCs. This was accompanied by increased PPAR-gamma expression
      and activation in Cur-pretreated VSMCs. GW9662, a PPAR-gamma antagonist, reversed
      the anti-inflammatory effect of Cur. Moreover, Cur attenuated AngII-induced
      oxidative stress by downregulating the expression of p47phox, which is a key
      subunit of nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate (NADPH) oxidase. In
      conclusion, Cur inhibited the expression of IL-6 and TNF-alpha, decreased the
      production of NO, and suppressed the proliferation of VSMCs, by elevating PPAR
      gamma activity and suppressing oxidative stress, leading to attenuated AngII
      induced inflammatory responses in VSMCs.

PMID- 28339006
TI  - Substance P accelerates wound healing in type 2 diabetic mice through endothelial
      progenitor cell mobilization and Yes-associated protein activation.
AB  - Wound healing is delayed in diabetes due to a number of factors, including
      impaired angiogenesis and poor dermal healing. The present study demonstrated
      that subcutaneous administration of substance P (SP) accelerates wound healing in
      db/db type 2 diabetic mice (db/db mice). SP injection (10 nM/kg, subcutaneously)
      enhanced angiogenesis, induced the mobilization of endothelial progenitor cells
      (EPCs) and increased the number of EPC-colony forming units (EPC-CFUs) in the
      bone marrow of db/db mice. Immunohistochemistry was performed to check the
      effects of SP on the cellular proliferation and the subcellular localization of
      Yes-associated protein (YAP) in the wound dermis. SP also upregulated cellular
      proliferation in the injured dermis of db/db mice. Compared with the control
      group, an increased number of cells in the wound dermis of SP-treated mice
      exhibited nuclear localization of YAP, which induces cellular proliferation. The
      results of the current study indicate that subcutaneous administration of SP may
      be a promising therapeutic strategy to treat diabetic wounds exhibiting impaired
      angiogenesis and dysfunctional dermal wound healing.

PMID- 28339007
TI  - miR-217 inhibits osteogenic differentiation of rat bone marrow-derived
      mesenchymal stem cells by binding to Runx2.
AB  - The elucidation of the underlying molecular mechanisms regulating the osteogenic
      differentiation of bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells (BMSCs) is of great
      importance in improving the treatment of bone-associated diseases. MicroRNAs
      (miRNAs) have been proven to regulate the osteogenic differentiation of BMSCs.
      The present study investigated the role of miR-217 in the osteogenic
      differentiation of rat BMSCs. It was observed that miR-217 expression levels were
      downregulated during the process of osteogenic differentiation. Subsequently, a
      dual-luciferase reporter gene assay demonstrated that miR-217 targets a putative
      binding site in the 3'-untranslated region of the runt related transcription
      factor 2 (Runx2) gene, which is a key transcription factor for osteogenesis. It
      was then demonstrated that overexpression of miR-217 attenuated the osteogenesis
      of BMSCs and downregulated the expression of Runx2, whereas inhibition of miR-217
      promoted osteoblastic differentiation and upregulated Runx2 expression.
      Furthermore, the extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) and p38 mitogen
      activated protein kinase (p38 MAPK) signaling pathways were investigated during
      osteogenic induction, and the data indicated that miR-217 may exert a negative
      effect on the osteogenic differentiation of BMSCs through alteration of ERK and
      p38 MAPK phosphorylation. The present study therefore concluded that miR-217
      functions as a negative regulator of BMSC osteogenic differentiation via the
      inhibition of Runx2 expression, and the underlying molecular mechanisms may
      partially be attributed to mediation by the ERK and p38 MAPK signaling pathways.

PMID- 28339009
TI  - Identification of EGFLAM, SPATC1L and RNASE13 as novel susceptibility loci for
      aortic aneurysm in Japanese individuals by exome-wide association studies.
AB  - We performed an exome-wide association study (EWAS) to identify genetic variants 
      in particular, low-frequency or rare variants with a moderate to large effect
      size - that confer susceptibility to aortic aneurysm with 8,782 Japanese subjects
      (456 patients with aortic aneurysm, 8,326 control individuals) and with the use
      of Illumina HumanExome-12 DNA Analysis BeadChip or Infinium Exome-24 BeadChip
      arrays. The correlation of allele frequencies for 41,432 single nucleotide
      polymorphisms (SNPs) that passed quality control to aortic aneurysm was examined
      with Fisher's exact test. Based on Bonferroni's correction, a P-value of <1.21x10
      6 was considered statistically significant. The EWAS revealed 59 SNPs that were
      significantly associated with aortic aneurysm. None of these SNPs was
      significantly (P<2.12x10-4) associated with aortic aneurysm by multivariable
      logistic regression analysis with adjustment for age, gender and hypertension,
      although 8 SNPs were related (P<0.05) to this condition. Examination of the
      correlation of these latter 8 SNPs to true or dissecting aortic aneurysm
      separately showed that rs1465567 [T/C (W229R)] of the EGF-like, fibronectin type
      III, and laminin G domains gene (EGFLAM) (dominant model; P=0.0014; odds ratio,
      1.63) was significantly (P<0.0016) associated with true aortic aneurysm. We next
      performed EWASs for true or dissecting aortic aneurysm separately and found that
      45 and 19 SNPs were significantly associated with these conditions, respectively.
      Multivariable logistic regression analysis with adjustment for covariates
      revealed that rs113710653 [C/T (E231K)] of the spermatogenesis- and centriole
      associated 1-like gene (SPATC1L) (dominant model; P=0.0002; odds ratio, 5.32) and
      rs143881017 [C/T (R140H)] of the ribonuclease A family member 13 gene (RNASE13)
      (dominant model; P=0.0006; odds ratio, 5.77) were significantly (P<2.78x10-4 or
      P<6.58x10-4, respectively) associated with true or dissecting aortic aneurysm,
      respectively. EGFLAM and SPATC1L may thus be susceptibility loci for true aortic
      aneurysm and RNASE13 may be such a locus for dissecting aneurysm in Japanese
      individuals.

PMID- 28339008
TI  - Detection of lower levels of SNAP25 using multiple microarray systems and its
      functional significance in medulloblastoma.
AB  - Medulloblastoma (MB) is the most common pediatric malignant brain tumor and
      patients with high-risk or recurrent MB respond poorly to current therapies, and
      have a higher related mortality. For this reason, potential molecules related to
      MB need be identified in order to develop targets for the development of novel
      therapeutics. In the present study, we compared MB microarray data obtained using
      different microarray systems and significant targets were selected by gene
      annotation and enrichment analysis. Genes for soluble N-ethylmaleimide-sensitive
      factor attachment protein receptors (SNAREs) annotated with the function
      'vesicle' were identified and one of these proteins, synaptosomal-associated
      protein 25 (SNAP25), was found to have significantly lower expression levels in
      MB. In addition, SNAP25 was detected in a very low number of MB cells as shown by
      western blot analysis and immunohistochemical analyses of archived and formalin
      fixed/paraffin-embedded human MB specimens. We found that SNAP25 altered the
      morphology and the chemotherapeutic effects of arabinofuranosyl cytidine (Ara-C)
      on SNAP25-expressing MB cells. On the whole, our data indicate that the
      expression of SNAP25 is crucial for dendrite formation and is associated with the
      effects of targeted chemotherapy. The detection of SNAP25 expression in MB cells
      may thus be essential for the chemotherapeutic application of Ara-C.

PMID- 28339010
TI  - Effects of different cellulose membranes regenerated from Styela clava tunics on
      wound healing.
AB  - The aim of this study was to investigate the therapeutic effects of three
      different cellulose membranes (CMs) manufactured from Styela clava tunics (SCTs)
      on the healing of cutaneous wounds. We examined the physical properties and
      therapeutic effects of three CMs regenerated from SCTs (referred to as SCT- CMs),
      including normal CM (SCT-CM), freeze-dried SCT-CM (FSCT-CM) and sodium alginate
      supplemented SCT-CM (ASCT-CM) on skin regeneration and angiogenesis using Sprague
      Dawley (SD) rats. FSCT-CM exhibited an outstanding interlayered structure, a high
      tensile strength (1.64 MPa), low elongation (28.59%) and a low water vapor
      transmission rate (WVTR) compared with the other SCT-CMs, although the fluid
      uptake rate was maintained at a medium level. In the SD rats with surgically
      wounded skin, the wound area and score of wound edge were lower in the FSCT-CM
      treated group than in the gauze (GZ)-treated group on days 3-6 and 12-14. In
      addition, a significant attenuation in the histopathological changes was observed
      in the FSCT-CM-treated group. Furthermore, the expression level of collagen-1 and
      the signaling pathway of transforming growth factor (TGF)-beta1 were
      significantly stimulated by the topical application of FSCT-CM. However, no signs
      of toxicity were detected in the livers or kidneys of the three SCT-CM-treated
      groups. Overall, our data indicate that the FSCT-CM may accelerate the process of
      wound healing in the surgically wounded skin of SD rats through the regulation of
      angiogenesis and connective tissue formation without inducing any specific
      toxicity.

PMID- 28339011
TI  - Reduction of miR-132-3p contributes to gastric cancer proliferation by targeting
      MUC13.
AB  - Abnormal expression of epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) signaling and
      microRNAs (miRNAs) has been widely seen in gastric cancer. The present study
      focused on the miRNAs that regulate human epidermal growth factor receptor (HER)
      activation through mucin 13 (MUC13). The protein level of MUC13 was demonstrated
      to be significantly increased in gastric cancer tissues compared with normal
      tissues by western blot analysis and immunohistochemistry. TargetScan
      bioinformatic predictions indicated that miRNA (miR)-212-3p and miR-132-3p may
      bind to the 3'-untranslated region of MUC13. Further investigation revealed that
      miR-132-3p was significantly decreased in gastric cancer tissues compared with
      normal tissues, whereas miR-212-3p expression was unaffected. Luciferase assays
      and western blot confirmed MUC13 as a target gene of miR-132-3p. Inhibition of
      miR-132-3p enhanced gastric cancer cell migration through activation of HER2,
      extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) and Akt serine/threonine kinase (Akt)
      signaling, which was a similar effect to that of MUC13 overexpression. In
      summary, reduction of miR-132-3p may contribute to gastric cancer proliferation
      by targeting MUC13.

PMID- 28339012
TI  - Heavy metal content and molecular species identification in canned tuna: Insights
      into human food safety.
AB  - Canned tuna in olive oil and in brine of the most popular brands sold in Italian
      markets were analyzed to verify the authentication of transformed products, with
      the aim to unveil commercial frauds due to the substitutions of high value
      species with species of low commercial value, and to assess the health risk of
      consumers related to cadmium (Cd), lead (Pb) and mercury (Hg) contents. Species
      authentication was evaluated with amplification of COI DNA barcode and confirmed
      the declared species. Among tested metals, Hg had the highest concentrations,
      followed by Cd and Pb. None of the tested samples surpassed the European
      regulatory limits no. 1881/2006 fixed for Hg and Pb, whereas one batch of canned
      tuna in olive oil exceeded standard for Cd. Risk for human health was evaluated
      by the metals daily intake and target hazard quotient (THQ). As a result, Cd and
      Pb did not exceed the toxicological reference values established by World Health
      Organization (WHO) and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Conversely, Hg
      content suggests a consumption no more than once a week and a continuous
      surveillance of this fishery products for consumer protection.

PMID- 28339013
TI  - Immunological effects of occupational exposure to lead (Review).
AB  - It is well-known that occupational and environmental exposure to several factors,
      including benzene, heavy metals, chemicals and mineral fibers, is associated with
      the risk of developing a great number of diseases. Numerous studies have been
      carried out in order to investigate the mechanisms of toxicity of these
      substances, with particular regard to the possible toxic effects on the immune
      system. However, little is known about the influence of heavy metals, such as
      lead, on the immune system in human populations. Lead is a heavy metal still used
      in many industrial activities. Human exposure to lead can induce various
      biological effects depending upon the level and duration of exposure, such as
      toxic effects on haematological, cardiovascular, nervous and reproductive
      systems. Several studies demonstrated that exposure to lead is associated to
      toxic effects also on the immune system, thus increasing the incidence of
      allergy, infectious disease, autoimmunity or cancer. However, the effects of lead
      exposure on the human immune system are not conclusive, mostly in occupationally
      exposed subjects; nevertheless some immunotoxic abnormalities induced by lead
      have been suggested. In particular, in vivo, in vitro and ex vivo lead is able to
      improve T helper 2 (Th2) cell development affecting Th1 cell proliferation.
      Further studies are required to better understand the mechanisms of lead
      immunotoxicity and the ability of lead to affect preferentially one type of
      immune response.

PMID- 28339014
TI  - Effects of remote ischemic post-conditioning on fracture healing in rats.
AB  - Remote ischemic post-conditioning (RIPC) is an established method to activate the
      hypoxia-inducible factor-1alpha (HIF-1alpha) pathway, which is involved in the
      impairment of fracture healing. However, the role of RIPC in fracture healing
      remains to be fully elucidated. In the present study, rats received fractures and
      were divided into two groups: Control and RIPC, in which hind limb occlusion was
      performed. Rats were sacrificed at 7, 14, 28 and 42 days subsequent to tibial
      fracture. Micro-computed tomography was performed to measure healing of the bone
      tissue and biomechanical testing was used to test mechanical strength. In
      addition, the effects of hind limb occlusion on the expression of two primary
      angiogenic mediators, HIF-1alpha and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF),
      as well as the osteoblast markers runt-related transcription factor 2 (Runx2),
      alkaline phosphatase (ALP) and osteocalcin (OCN), were determined at the mRNA and
      protein levels by reverse transcription-quantitative polymerase chain reaction,
      western blot analysis and immunohistochemistry. Systemic administration of hind
      limb occlusion (3 cycles/day, with each occlusion or release phase lasting 10
      min) significantly promoted fracture healing and mechanical strength. The present
      study demonstrated that in rats treated with hind limb occlusion, the expression
      of HIF-1alpha, VEGF, Runx2, ALP and OCN was significantly increased at the mRNA
      and protein levels, and that RIPC enhances fracture repair in vivo.

PMID- 28339015
TI  - Protection of FK506 against neuronal apoptosis and axonal injury following
      experimental diffuse axonal injury.
AB  - Diffuse axonal injury (DAI) is the most common and significant pathological
      features of traumatic brain injury (TBI). However, there are still no effective
      drugs to combat the formation and progression of DAI in affected individuals.
      FK506, also known as tacrolimus, is an immunosuppressive drug, which is widely
      used in transplantation medicine for the reduction of allograft rejection.
      Previous studies have identified that FK506 may play an important role in the
      nerve protective effect of the central nervous system. In the present study,
      apoptosis of neuronal cells was observed following the induction of experimental
      DAI. The results demonstrated that it was closely related with the upregulation
      of death-associated protein kinase 1 (DAPK1). It was hypothesized that FK506 may
      inhibit the activity of DAPK1 by inhibiting calcineurin activity, which may be
      primarily involved in anti-apoptosis following DAI induction. Through researching
      the expression of nerve regeneration associated proteins (NF-H and GAP-43)
      following DAI, the present study provides novel data to suggest that FK506
      promotes axon formation and nerve regeneration following experimental DAI.
      Therefore, FK506 may be a potent therapeutic for inhibiting nerve injury, as well
      as promoting the nerve regeneration following DAI.

PMID- 28339016
TI  - Paeonol ameliorates imiquimod-induced psoriasis-like skin lesions in BALB/c mice
      by inhibiting the maturation and activation of dendritic cells.
AB  - Paeonol, an active component derived from the traditional Chinese medicine Cortex
      Moutan, possesses anti-inflammatory, analgesic, antioxidant and anti-allergic
      properties. Psoriasis is a chronic, recurrent, inflammatory dermatosis
      accompanied by excessive activation of Toll-like receptors (TLRs) in dendritic
      cells (DCs), which are primarily responsible for initiating an immune response.
      We investigated the effect of paeonol on inflammation in an imiquimod (IMQ)
      induced psoriasis-like mouse model and murine bone marrow-derived dendritic cells
      (BMDCs) stimulated by R848. Mice were intragastrically administered 100 mg/kg
      (high), 50 mg/kg (medium) and 25 mg/kg (low) paeonol, respectively. We evaluated
      inflammation of psori-asis-like lesions based on histological changes, protein
      levels of myeloid differentiation factor 88 (MyD88) and TLR8 in skin lesions by
      western blotting, and levels of CD11c+ DCs in skin by immunoassay and in spleens
      by flow cytometry. Inflammatory cytokines [interleukin (IL)-23, IL-12 and IL
      1beta] in skin lesions and BMDCs were also assessed by RT-PCR and ELISA.
      Application of paeonol decreased IMQ-induced keratinocyte proliferation, and
      infiltration of CD3+ cells, while the treatment ameliorated CD11c+ cells in the
      spleen and skin, and reduced MyD88 and TLR8 proteins in skin lesions. Paeonol
      inhibited IMQ-induced mRNA expression of IL-23, but not IL-12 and IL-1beta in
      BMDCs, along with significantly lower levels of DCs expressing MHCII, CD80 and
      CD86 in vitro. These results indicate that paeonol suppresses the maturation and
      activation of DCs by decreasing MyD88 and TLR8 proteins in the TLR7/8 signaling
      pathway which finally alleviates psoriasis-like skin lesions. The TLR7/8
      signaling pathway in DCs provides an important insight into the mechanism of
      psoriasis, and paeonol may be a potent therapeutic drug for psoriasis.

PMID- 28339017
TI  - SIRT1 is required for mitochondrial biogenesis reprogramming in hypoxic human
      pulmonary arteriolar smooth muscle cells.
AB  - Although recent studies have reported that mitochondria are putative oxygen
      sensors underlying hypoxic pulmonary vasoconstriction, little is known concerning
      the sirtuin 1 (SIRT1)-mediated mitochondrial biogenesis regulatory program in
      pulmonary arteriolar smooth muscle cells (PASMCs) during hypoxia/reoxygenation
      (H/R). We investigated the epigenetic regulatory mechanism of mitochondrial
      biogenesis and function in human PASMCs during H/R. Human PASMCs were exposed to
      hypoxia of 24-48 h and reoxygenation of 24-48 h. The expression of SIRT1 was
      reduced in a time-dependent manner. Mitochondrial transcription factor A (TFAM)
      expression was increased during hypoxia and decreased during reoxygenation, while
      the release of TFAM was increased in a time-dependent manner. Lentiviral
      overexpression of SIRT1 preserved SIRT3 deacetylase activity in human PASMCs
      exposed to H/R. Knockdown of PGC-1alpha suppressed the effect of SIRT1 on SIRT3
      activity. Knockdown of SIRT3 abrogated SIRT1-mediated deacetylation of
      cyclophilin D (CyPD). Notably, knockdown of SIRT3 or PGC-1alpha suppressed the
      incremental effect of SIRT1 on mitochondrial TFAM, mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA)
      content and cellular ATP levels. Importantly, polydatin restored SIRT1 levels in
      human PASMCs exposed to H/R. Knockdown of SIRT1 suppressed the effect of
      polydatin on mitochondrial TFAM, mtDNA content and cellular ATP levels. In
      conclusion, SIRT1 expression is decreased in human PASMCs during H/R. TFAM
      expression in mitochondria is reduced and the release of TFAM is increased by
      H/R. PGC-1alpha/SIRT3/CyPD mediates the protective effect of SIRT1 on expression
      and release of TFAM and mitochondrial biogenesis and function. Polydatin improves
      mitochondrial biogenesis and function by enhancing SIRT1 expression in hypoxic
      human PASMCs.

PMID- 28339019
TI  - Occupational exposure to Mount Etna's basaltic dust: Assessment of mutagenic and
      cytotoxic effects.
AB  - Basalt and volcanic ash are natural constituents of the ground surrounding
      volcanic areas such as Mount Etna. The dust may be daily inhaled by the general
      population as well as by several types of workers, such as construction workers.
      In this experiment, we analyzed the potential mutagenic and cytotoxic effects of
      the materials used in construction industry, excavated from Mt. Etna. Ground
      basalt (A), volcanic ash (B), mixed basalt and cement (C) and cement (D) were
      studied with Ames test, for mutagenic assessment and with MMT assay for cytotoxic
      evaluation. The Ames test revealed that cement (sample D), showed a higher and
      significant mutagenicity than the samples A, B and C. MTT assay showed that
      samples C and D had a slightly more negative impact on cell viability than A and
      B. In conclusion, no particular risks seem to exist for construction industry
      workers, while the exploitation of cement and cement mixed with basalt seems to
      be a risk for workers, given the high percentage of silica and iron.

PMID- 28339018
TI  - Role of autophagy in the progression of osteoarthritis: The autophagy inhibitor,
      3-methyladenine, aggravates the severity of experimental osteoarthritis.
AB  - Accumulating evidence suggests that autophagy is closely related to the
      pathogenesis of osteoarthritis (OA). The aim of this study was to determine the
      changes in autophagy during the progression of OA and to elucidate the specific
      role of autophagy in OA. For this purpose, a cellular model of OA was generated
      by stimulating SW1353 cells with interleukin (IL)-1beta and a rabbit model of OA
      was also established by an intra-articular injection of collagenase, followed by
      treatment with the autophagy specific inhibitor, 3-methyladenine (3-MA). Cell
      viability was analyzed by MTS assay, and the mRNA expression levels of matrix
      metalloproteinases (MMP)-13 and tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinase (TIMP)-1
      were determined by RT-qPCR. Cartilage degeneration was examined under a light
      microscope, and autophagosome and chondrocyte degeneration was observed by
      transmission electron microscopy. The protein expression of Beclin-1 and light
      chain 3 (LC3)B was evaluated by western blot analysis and immunofluorescence
      staining. We found that the autophagy was enhanced during the early stages and
      was weakened during the late stages of experimental OA. The inhibition of
      autophagy by 3-MA significantly aggravated the degeneration of chondrocytes and
      cartilage in experimental OA. Our results thus determine the changes in autophagy
      during different stages of OA, as well as the role of impaired autophagy in the
      development of OA. Our data suggest that the regulation of autophagy may be a
      potential therapeutic strategy with which to attenuate OA.

PMID- 28339020
TI  - Metformin inhibits endothelial progenitor cell migration by decreasing matrix
      metalloproteinases, MMP-2 and MMP-9, via the AMPK/mTOR/autophagy pathway.
AB  - The aim of the present study was to investigate the effect of metformin on
      endothelial progenitor cell (EPC) migration and to explore the possible
      mechanisms. EPCs were treated with metformin, and the migration of EPCs was
      evaluated by wound healing and Matrigel invasion assays. We also examined the
      expression levels of of MMP-2 and MMP-9 in EPCs with or without metformin
      treatment via RT-PCR and western blot analysis, and activities of MMP-2 and MMP-9
      in EPCs under different conditions was examined by zymography. Moreover, we also
      assessed the AMPK/mTOR/autophagy pathway to explore the possible mechanisms.
      Metformin treatment significantly downregulated matrix metalloproteinase-2 (MMP
      2) and MMP-9 expression, and subsequently decreased the migration of EPCs.
      Increased levels of phosphorylated (p)-AMPK and LC3II expression, as well as
      decreased levels of p-mTOR and p62 contributed to this phenomenon. The AMPK
      inhibitor compound C reversed the effect exerted by metformin. In conclusion, our
      results showed that metformin inhibited the migration of EPCs by decreasing MMP-2
      and MMP-9. The AMPK/mTOR/autophagy pathway was demonstrated to be involved in the
      regulatory mechanisms.

PMID- 28339021
TI  - Determinants of serum manganese levels in an Italian population.
AB  - Manganese (Mn) is both essential and toxic for humans, mainly depending on the
      total levels and its species. Main sources of exposure include food and air
      pollution, particularly motorized traffic. We sought to determine the potential
      influence of these sources on serum total levels of Mn and Mn species. We
      selected a random sample of municipality residents from an Italian urban
      municipality, from whom we collected detailed personal information, dietary
      habits and a blood sample for serum Mn determination. We also assessed outdoor
      air Mn exposure, by modeling levels of particulate matter <=10 um (PM10) from
      motorized traffic at the residence of geocoded subjects. Serum Mn species
      generally showed higher levels in males and positive correlation with age, while
      no such differences were found according to smoking habits or use of dietary
      supplements. Among nutrients, only iron intake showed a relation with Mn [an
      inverse correlation with Mn-ferritin (Mn-Fer) and a direct one with inorganic-Mn
      (Inorg-Mn)]. Meat consumption directly correlated and fish and seafood inversely
      correlated with total Mn, Mn-transferrin (Mn-Tf) and Mn-citrate (Mn-Cit). Fruits
      and vegetables, including legumes and nuts, generally showed a positive
      correlation with all Mn species, especially Mn-Cit, and an inverse one with Inorg
      Mn. Odds ratios (ORs) of having serum Mn levels above median value increased with
      increasing PM10 tertiles, with an OR for highest-to-lowest tertile of 7.40 (1.36
      40.25) in multivariate analysis. Analyses for Mn species did not highlight a
      clear comparable pattern. In conclusion, our results seem to demonstrate that
      PM10 exposure positively influences total Mn serum levels, while single Mn
      species show conflicting results.

PMID- 28339022
TI  - Cytochrome P450 2E1 increases the sensitivity of hepatoma cells to vitamin K2.
AB  - Although vitamin K2 (VK2) exhibits inhibitory effects on the viability of
      hepatoma cells, hepatoma cells are insensitive to VK2. Therefore, this
      investigation is an attempt to enhance the sensitivity of hepatoma cells to VK2.
      Our results showed that VK2 acted synergistically with ethanol (EtOH) to inhibit
      the viability of Smmc-7721 cells, mainly because cytochrome P450 2E1 (CYP2E1) was
      activated by EtOH. The synergistic effect of VK2 and EtOH was also observed in
      QGY-7703 cells, which also express CYP2E1. However, in HepG2 cells, which do not
      express CYP2E1, the synergistic effect of VK2 and EtOH was not observed. In
      addition, we demonstrated that CYP2E1 could be induced by VK2 via both post
      transcriptional and transcriptional mechanisms. These results suggest that
      induction of CYP2E1 can enhance the inhibitory effect of VK2 on the viability of
      hepatoma cells. CYP2E1 may be an attractive target for enhanced antitumor effects
      of VK2 in hepatocellular carcinoma treatment.

PMID- 28339023
TI  - Lead exposure and plasma mRNA expression in ERBB2 gene.
AB  - Epidemiologic data for carcinogenicity in those exposed to lead (Pb) suggests
      relations with cancers although the totality of the evidence is inconsistent.
      Alterations in the expression of ERBB receptors have been studied during the
      development and malignant transformation of different kinds of human tumors where
      they induce proliferation, angiogenesis and metastasis generation. Relevant
      clinical data demonstrate the role of ERBB2 receptors in the development and
      malignancy of human cancers. Therefore, the objective of the present
      investigation is to give more information on the link between plasma mRNA
      expression in ERBB2 gene and lead blood levels in a healthy population. Blood
      samples, socio-demographic, exposure and health data were obtained from 48
      healthy men. Real-time polymerase chain reaction assays were performed to detect
      ERBB2 gene transcripts, DeltaDeltaCt method was used to quantify gene expression.
      Pb blood level was assayed using high-resolution sector field inductively coupled
      mass spectrometry and is expressed in ug/dl. Plasma mRNA expression in ERBB2 gene
      was 6.44+/-3.07 DeltaDeltaCt; Pb blood levels was 16.07+/-6.74 ug/dl. Regression
      analysis revealed a significant association (r2=0.5345; p<0.0001) between Pb
      levels and mRNA expression in ERBB2. So far, it has still not been established if
      the expression of ERBB2 receptors is influenced by Pb exposure. On the base of
      the above reported data, we believe an in vitro study might be useful, to
      understand the molecular mechanisms implicated.

PMID- 28339024
TI  - Effects of berberine on a rat model of chronic stress and depression via
      gastrointestinal tract pathology and gastrointestinal flora profile assays.
AB  - Chronic stress and depression are challenging conditions to treat, owing to their
      complexity and lack of clinically available and effective therapeutic agents. The
      aim of the present study was to investigate the mechanism by which berberine
      acts, by examining alterations to gastrointestinal tract histopathology and flora
      profile in a rat model, following the induction of stress. Research associating
      gastrointestinal flora and depression has increased, thus, the present study
      hypothesized that stress induces depression and changes in the gastrointestinal
      system. The chronic mild stress rat model was previously established based on a
      set of 10 chronic unpredictable stress methods. In the present study, the
      measurements of body weight, behavior, gastrointestinal tract histopathology and
      gastrointestinal flora profile were collected in order to elucidate understanding
      of chronic stress and depression in this region. In the present study, induced
      stress and the resulting depression was demonstrated to significantly decrease
      the body weight and sucrose preference of rats, as well as significantly
      increasing traverse time, vertical movement time, grooming time and motionless
      time in an open-field test. Following modeling and subsequent treatment with low
      or high doses of berberine, the measurements were significantly different when
      compared with unstressed rats. Berberine appears to reverse the physical damage
      brought about by stress within the gastric mucosa and intestinal microvilli of
      the stomach, ileum, cecum and colon. Using enterobacterial repetitive intergenic
      consensus sequence-based polymerase chain reaction analysis, several distinctive
      bands disappeared following modeling; however, novel distinctive bands appeared
      in response to the graded berberine treatment. In conclusion, the present study
      identified that high concentrations of berberine markedly protects rats from
      various symptoms of chronic stress and depression, with the potential of
      facilitating treatment within clinical practice.

PMID- 28339025
TI  - Cerebral hemorrhage therapy by targeting VEGF and HGF in a preclinical trial in
      rats.
AB  - Cerebral hemorrhage is the most common type of human cerebrovascular disease and
      frequently causes paralysis, vegetative state and mortality. The modulatory
      actions of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and hepatocyte growth factor
      (HGF) are vital in the human nervous system. The present study investigated the
      association between cerebral hemorrhage and the expression of VEGF and HGF in a
      rat model of cerebral hemorrhage. The therapeutic potential of cerebral
      hemorrhage was also evaluated using targeted drugs for VEGF and HGF in the
      cerebral hemorrhage rat model. Behavioral and preclinical changes and the
      survival rates of rats were assessed after treatment with VEGF receptor (VEGFR)
      and HGF receptor (HGFR). The results of Tarlov scores demonstrated that movement
      of limbs and coordination when walking were significantly improved in moderate
      and severe hemorrhage lesions in the VEGFR plus HGFR-treated group and mainly
      alleviated in primary hemorrhage lesions compared with rats in the single VEGFR
      or HGFR-treated groups and the control group (**P<0.01). Decreasing expression
      levels of VEGF and HGF were observed in the neural tissue of animals treated with
      VEGFR plus HGFR compared with the control group (**P<0.01). These preclinical
      observations indicated that VEGF and HGF serve a function in the pathological
      injury and repair of cerebral tissue in rats with cerebral hemorrhages. The
      therapeutic benefits of VEGFR plus HGFR suggested that VEGFR plus HGFR may be
      candidate drugs for cerebral hemorrhage, and thus offer a promising treatment for
      clinicians and doctors.

PMID- 28339026
TI  - Opposite effects of tumor protein D (TPD) 52 and TPD54 on oral squamous cell
      carcinoma cells.
AB  - The tumor protein D52 (TPD52) protein family includes TPD52, -53, -54 and -55.
      Several reports have shown important roles for TPD52 and TPD53, and have also
      suggested the potential involvement of TPD54, in D52-family physiological
      effects. Therefore, we performed detailed expression analysis of TPD52 family
      proteins in oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC). Towards this end, TPD54
      overexpressing or knocked-down cells were constructed using OSCC-derived SAS,
      HSC2 and HSC3 cells. tpd52 or tpd53 was expressed or co-expressed in these cells
      by transfection. The cells were then analyzed using cell viability (MTT), colony
      formation, migration, and invasion assays. In OSCC-xenograft experiments, the
      cells were transplanted into nude mice together with injection of anti-tpd
      siRNAs. MTT assay of cell monolayers showed little differences in growth of the
      transfected cells. tpd54 overexpression in SAS cells significantly decreased
      colony formation in an anchorage-independent manner. Additionally, knock-down of
      tpd54 enhanced the number of colonies formed and overexpression of tpd52 in tpd54
      knock-down cells increased the size of the colonies formed. The chemotaxis assay
      showed that tpd54 overexpression decreased cell migration. In the OSCC-xenograft
      in vivo study, tpd54 overexpression slightly attenuated tumor volume in vivo,
      despite the fact that tumor metastasis or cell survival was not involved. Our
      results showed that TPD54 not only downregulated anchorage-independent growth and
      cell migration in vitro, but also attenuated tumor growth in vivo. Based on these
      results, it is considered that TPD54 might act as a negative regulator of tumor
      progression in OSCC cells.

PMID- 28339027
TI  - SU6668 modulates prostate cancer progression by downregulating MTDH/AKT signaling
      pathway.
AB  - Prostate cancer is the second leading cause of cancer deaths among men in Western
      counties and has increased in incidence also in China in recent years. Although
      diagnosis modalities for primary prostate cancer have markedly improved, there
      are still no effective therapies for metastatic prostate cancer. SU6668 is an
      inhibitor of the tyrosine kinase activity of three angiogenic receptors VEGFR2,
      PDGFRbeta and FGFR1. There is strong experimental evidence that SU6668 can induce
      growth inhibition of various primary tumors. However, the function and molecular
      mechanism of SU6668 in prostate cancer has not been fully elucidated. In the
      present study, we found that SU6668 inhibited the proliferation and invasion of
      prostate cancer cells. Functional studies also demonstrated that SU6668 inhibited
      epithelial-mesenchymal transition in DU145 and LNCap cells. After treatment with
      SU6668, MTDH protein, which has been reported to be significantly overexpressed
      in many human tumor tissues, was downregulated in DU145 and LNCap cells. siRNA
      mediated silencing of MTDH in prostate cancer cells decreased their proliferation
      and invasive capabilities, suggesting that SU6668 may inhibit cell proliferation
      and invasion of prostate cancer cells partly through downstream targeting of
      MTDH. Mechanistic investigations showed that AKT signaling pathway was inhibited
      after SU6668 treatment in prostate cancer cells. Moreover, a combination of
      SU6668 and PI3K-AKT pathway inhibitor LY29004 resulted in increased inhibition of
      cell proliferation and invasion in DU145 cells. Taken together, our findings
      revealed that SU6668 suppressed prostate cancer progression by downregulating
      MTDH/AKT signaling pathway and identified a promising therapeutic strategy for
      prostate cancer.

PMID- 28339029
TI  - Hydroxychloroquine sensitizes chronic myeloid leukemia cells to Vgamma9Vdelta2 T
      cell-mediated lysis independent of autophagy.
AB  - Hydroxychloroquine (HCQ) is the only autophagy inhibitor in clinical use and it
      has shown great potential in treating chronic myeloid leukemia (CML). By
      inhibiting autophagy, HCQ enhances the anti-CML efficiency of chemotherapy. In
      the present study, we demonstrated that HCQ sensitized CML cells to
      Vgamma9Vdelta2 T cell-mediated lysis. HCQ inhibited autophagy in CML cells, but
      the sensitizing effects of HCQ were autophagy-independent. Since the
      sensitization was not mimicked by ATG7 knockdown and even occurred in the absence
      of ATG7. We revealed that in a time-dependent manner HCQ induced the expression
      of NKG2D ligand ULBP4 on the surface of CML cells. This marks the leukemia cell
      for recognition by Vgamma9Vdelta2 T cells. Blocking the interaction of NKG2D with
      its ligands deleted the sensitizing effects of HCQ. In addition, we showed that
      HCQ did not affect the synthesis or degradation of ULBP4, but induced the
      translocation of ULBP4 from the cytoplasm to the cell membrane. Our results
      uncovered a previously unknown mechanism for HCQ in CML treatment that underlines
      the ability of HCQ to modulate the immune visibility of CML cells, and pave the
      way to the development of new combination treatments with HCQ and Vgamma9Vdelta2
      T cells.

PMID- 28339028
TI  - 2-Methoxyestradiol enhances radiosensitivity in radioresistant melanoma MDA-MB
      435R cells by regulating glycolysis via HIF-1alpha/PDK1 axis.
AB  - HIF-1alpha overexpression is associated with radio-resistance of various cancers.
      A radioresistant human melanoma cell model MDA-MB-435R (435R) was established by
      us previously. Compared with the parental cells MDA-MB-435 (435S), an elevated
      level of HIF-1alpha expression in 435R cells was demonstrated in our recent
      experiments. Therefore, in the current study, we sought to determine whether
      selective HIF-1alpha inhibitors could radiosensitize the 435R cells to X-ray, and
      to identify the potential mechanisms. Our data demonstrated that inhibition of
      HIF-1alpha with 2-methoxyestradiol (2-MeOE2) significantly enhanced
      radiosensitivity of 435R cells. 2-MeOE2 increased DNA damage and ratio of
      apoptosis cells induced by irradiation. Whereas, cell proliferation and the
      expression of pyruvate dehydrogenase kinase 1 (PDK1) were decreased after 2-MeOE2
      treatment. The change of expression of GLUT1, LDHA and the cellular ATP level and
      extracellular lactate production indicates that 2-MeOE2 suppressed glycolytic
      state of 435R cells. In addition, the radioresistance, glycolytic state and cell
      proliferation of 435R cells were also decreased after inhibiting pyruvate
      dehydrogenase kinase 1 (PDK1) with dichloroacetate (DCA). DCA could also increase
      DNA damage and ratio of apoptotic cells induced by irradiation. These results
      also suggest that inhibition of HIF-1alpha with 2-MeOE2 sensitizes radioresistant
      melanoma cells 435R to X-ray irradiation through targeting the glycolysis that is
      regulated by PDK1. Selective inhibitors of HIF-1alpha and glycolysis are
      potential drugs to enhance radio-sensitivity of melanoma cells.

PMID- 28339030
TI  - Increased phosphorylation of 4E-binding protein 1 predicts poor prognosis for
      patients with colorectal cancer.
AB  - As demonstrated in previous studies, the phosphorylated form of 4E-binding
      protein 1 (p-4E-BP1) may be a suitable tumor biomarker. The aim of the current
      study was to examine the expression status of p-4E-BP1 in colorectal cancer
      (CRC), in order to determine its clinical significance. The present study
      enrolled 89 patients with CRC that had undergone radical resection. Paired tumor
      and adjacent normal tissues were evaluated using immunohistochemistry to detect
      the protein expression of p-4E-BP1 and phosphatase and tensin homolog (PTEN). The
      study identified 53 cases (59.6%) that exhibited moderate or high expression of p
      4E-BP1 in tumor tissues, compared with little or no expression in the adjacent
      normal tissues. Conversely, PTEN protein expression was markedly lower in CRC
      compared with adjacent normal tissues. p-4E-BP1 protein upregulation tissues
      samples was consistent with PTEN downregulation in CRC samples. p-4E-BP1
      overexpression was predominant in patients with metastasis to the regional lymph
      nodes. Moderate/high expression of p-4E-BP1 protein was significantly associated
      with adverse overall survival (OS) in patients. Statistical analysis using the
      Cox proportional hazards model, indicated that p-4E-BP1 expression was an
      independent factor suitable for predicting OS in CRC patients, which was
      independent of lymph node metastasis. In conclusion, p-4E-BP1 protein expression
      appears to be upregulated in CRC, suggesting that it may be a suitable biomarker
      for predicting CRC prognosis.

PMID- 28339031
TI  - p53-inducible long non-coding RNA PICART1 mediates cancer cell proliferation and
      migration.
AB  - Long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) function in the development and progression of
      cancer, but only a small portion of lncRNAs have been characterized to date. A
      novel lncRNA transcript, 2.53 kb in length, was identified by transcriptome
      sequencing analysis, and was named p53-inducible cancer-associated RNA transcript
      1 (PICART1). PICART1 was found to be upregulated by p53 through a p53-binding
      site at -1808 to -1783 bp. In breast and colorectal cancer cells and tissues,
      PICART1 expression was found to be decreased. Ectopic expression of PICART1
      suppressed the growth, proliferation, migration, and invasion of MCF7, MDA-MB-231
      and HCT116 cells whereas silencing of PICART1 stimulated cell growth and
      migration. In these cells, the expression of PICART1 suppressed levels of p-AKT
      (Thr308 and Ser473) and p-GSK3beta (Ser9), and accordingly, beta-catenin, cyclin
      D1 and c-Myc expression were decreased, while p21Waf/cip1 expression was
      increased. Together these data suggest that PICART1 is a novel p53-inducible
      tumor-suppressor lncRNA, functioning through the AKT/GSK3beta/beta-catenin
      signaling cascade.

PMID- 28339033
TI  - Role of tropomyosin in silkworm allergy.
AB  - Silkworm pupae are widely consumed in Asian countries and allergic reactions
      following consumption have been described. However, false-positive responses in
      skin prick allergy tests or non-specific immunoglobulin E (IgE) responses to
      total extract of silkworm pupa make diagnosis difficult. Although improved
      allergy diagnosis is required, molecular characterization of silkworm allergens
      has not been performed to date, except for Bomb m 1, an arginine kinase. This
      study aimed to evaluate the allergenicity of tropomyosin, a well-established
      invertebrate pan-allergen, from silkworm pupa. The silkworm tropomyosin gene was
      cloned by reverse transcription and polymerase chain reaction, and the protein
      was overexpressed in Escherichia coli and purified by affinity chromatography
      using Nickel-resin. IgE reactivity of the recombinant protein was examined by
      ELISA and competitive inhibition analyses. Silkworm pupa tropomyosin shared 73.5
      92.3% amino acid sequence identity with previously identified allergenic
      tropomyosins. Sera from eight of 15 patients with silkworm allergy (53.3%)
      exhibited binding of IgE to the recombinant protein. However, recombinant protein
      was able to inhibit less than 10% of IgE reactivity to silkworm pupa extract. Of
      the eight sera tested, six that specifically reacted with silkworm tropomyosin
      also demonstrated IgE reactivity to shrimp and crab. In the present study,
      specific IgE to silkworm tropomyosin was detected in patients with silkworm
      allergy, suggesting that it may be useful in diagnosis of allergy to silkworm
      pupa.

PMID- 28339032
TI  - ClC-7/Ostm1 contribute to the ability of tea polyphenols to maintain bone
      homeostasis in C57BL/6 mice, protecting against fluorosis.
AB  - Epidemiological investigations indicate that certain ingredients in tea bricks
      can antagonize the adverse effects of fluoride. Tea polyphenols (TPs), the most
      bioactive ingredient in tea bricks, have been demonstrated to be potent bone
      supporting agents. ClC-7 is known to be crucial for osteoclast (OC) bone
      resorption. Thus, in this study, we investigated the potential protective effects
      of TPs against fluorosis using a mouse model and explored the underlying
      mechanisms with particular focus on ClC-7. A total of 40, healthy, 3-week-old
      male C57BL/6 mice were randomly divided into 4 groups (n=10/group) by weight as
      follows: distilled water (control group), 100 mg/l fluoridated water (F group),
      water containing 10 g/l TPs (TP group) and water containing 100 mg/l fluoride and
      10 g/l TPs (F + TP group). After 15 weeks, and after the mice were sacrificed,
      the long bones were removed and bone marrow-derived macrophages were cultured ex
      vivo in order to perform several experiments. OCs were identified and counted by
      tartrate-resistant acid phosphatase (TRAP) staining. The consumption of fluoride
      resulted in severe fluorosis and in an impaired OC function [impaired bone
      resorption, and a low mRNA expression of nuclear factor of activated T-cells 1
      (NFATc1), ATPase H+ transporting V0 subunit D2 (ATP6v0d2) and osteopetrosis
      associated transmembrane protein 1 (Ostm1)]. In the F + TP group, fluorosis was
      attenuated and OC function was restored, but not the high bone fluoride content.
      Compared with the F group, mature OCs in the F + TP group expressed higher mRNA
      levels of ClC-7 and Ostm1; the transportation and retaining of Cl- was improved,
      as shown by the fluorescence intensity experiment. On the whole, our findings
      indicate that TPs mitigate fluorosis in C57BL/6 mice by regulating OC bone
      resorption. Fluoride inhibits OC resorption by inhibiting ClC-7 and Ostm1,
      whereas TPs attenuate this inhibitory effect of fluoride.

PMID- 28339034
TI  - The Sirt1 activator, SRT1720, attenuates renal fibrosis by inhibiting CTGF and
      oxidative stress.
AB  - The transforming growth factor-beta1 (TGF-beta1)/connective tissue growth factor
      (CTGF) pathway plays an important role in the pathogenesis and progression of
      chronic kidney disease. Oxidative stress is also involved in TGF-beta1
      signalling. Sirtuin 1 (Sirt1) exerts a number of pleiotropic effects, protecting
      against renal disease, including inhibiting fibrosis and oxidative metabolism. In
      this study, we investigated the role of the Sirt1 activator, SRT1720, in
      unilateral ureteral obstruction (UUO)-induced tubulointerstitial fibrosis and
      aimed to determine whether this role depends on the inhibition of oxidative
      stress and the TGF-beta1/CTGF pathway. Renal fibrosis was induced by UUO in CD1
      mice. SRT1720 (100 mg/kg) was administered by intraperitoneal injection for 3
      days prior to UUO and this was continued for 7 days following UUO. Histological
      changes were examined by Masson's trichrome staining. The expression of fibrosis
      related factors was evaluated by immunohistochemistry, western blot analysis and
      RT-qPCR. Apoptosis was also examined. We also examined the superoxide dismutase
      (SOD), malondialdehyde (MDA), glutathione peroxidase (GPx) and reduced
      glutathione (GSH) levels. UUO induced renal fibrosis and apoptosis and decreased
      Sirt1 expression. The administration of SRT1720 increased the Sirt1 levels and
      partially attenuated UUO-induced renal fibrosis and apoptosis. Furthermore,
      SRT1720 attenuated the levels of oxidative stress (it decreased the MDA levels,
      and increased the SOD, GPx and GSH levels), which suggests that it protected the
      cells against ROS-induced damage. Moreover, SRT1720 effectively inhibited the
      levels of TGF-beta1/CTGF induced by UUO. On the whole, these findings indicate
      that the Sirt1 activator, SRT1720, exerts protective effects against UUO-induced
      tubulointerstitial fibrosis. The mechanisms of action of SRT1720 may include, at
      least in part, the suppression of renal oxidative stress and the TGF-beta1/CTGF
      signalling pathway. The Sirt1 activator may therefore be prove to be a potent
      therapeutic agent for the treatment of fibrotic kidney disease.

PMID- 28339035
TI  - Duration of simulated microgravity affects the differentiation of mesenchymal
      stem cells.
AB  - Previous evidence has suggested that physical microenvironments and mechanical
      stresses, independent of soluble factors, influence mesenchymal stem cell (MSC)
      fate. In the present study, simulated microgravity (SMG) was demonstrated to
      regulate the differentiation of mesenchymal stem cells. This may be a novel
      strategy for tissue engineering and regenerative medicine. Rat MSCs were cultured
      for 72 h or 10 days in either normal gravity or a clinostat to model
      microgravity, followed with culture in diverse differential media. A short period
      of stimulation (72 h) promoted MSCs to undergo endothelial, neuronal and
      adipogenic differentiation. In comparison, extended microgravity (10 days)
      promoted MSCs to differentiate into osteoblasts. A short period of exposure to
      SMG significantly decreased ras homolog family member A (RhoA) activity. However,
      RhoA activity significantly increased following prolonged exposure to SMG. When
      RhoA activity was inhibited, the effects of prolonged exposure to SMG were
      reversed. These results demonstrated that the duration of SMG regulates the
      differentiation fate of MSCs via the RhoA-associated pathway.

PMID- 28339037
TI  - The long non-coding RNA lncFOXO1 suppresses growth of human breast cancer cells
      through association with BAP1.
AB  - Breast cancer, one of the common cancers of women, is the leading cause of death
      among women below the age of 50 years in western countries. Long non-coding RNAs
      (lncRNAs) have been shown to be involved in diverse biological processes, both
      physical and pathological. However, to date, only a few lncRNAs have been
      functionally identified in breast cancer, and the overall pathophysiological
      contributions of lncRNAs to breast cancer remain largely unknown. In the present
      study, we identified a novel lncRNA termed lncFOXO1 through microarray screening.
      lncFOXO1 is significantly decreased in breast cancer tissues and cell lines and
      downregulation of lncFOXO1 expression associates with poorer overall survival.
      Functional assays demonstrated its suppressive role in breast cancer in vivo and
      in vitro. Mechanistically, lncFOXO1 suppressed the growth of breast cancer by
      increasing FOXO1 transcription. Moreover, we found that lncFOXO1 associated with
      BRCA-1-associated protein 1 (BAP1) and regulates its binding and the level of
      mono-ubiquitinated H2A at K119 (ubH2AK119) at FOXO1 promoter.

PMID- 28339036
TI  - FGF7/FGFR2 signal promotes invasion and migration in human gastric cancer through
      upregulation of thrombospondin-1.
AB  - Fibroblast growth factor 7 (FGF7) is a mesenchyme-specific heparin-binding growth
      factor that binds FGF receptor 2 (FGFR2) to regulate numerous cellular and
      physiological processes. FGF7/FGFR2 signal is associated with gastric cancer
      progression. In the present study, we investigated the molecular mechanism by
      which FGF7/FGFR2 promotes invasion and migration in human gastric cancer. We
      first demonstrated that increased FGFR2 expression in human gastric cancer
      tissues was significantly associated with tumor depth and clinical stage in human
      gastric cancer tissues. Thrombospondin 1 (THBS1) is an extracellular glycoprotein
      that plays multiple roles in cell-matrix and cell-cell interactions. Increased
      expression of THBS1 significantly correlated with tumor differentiation. FGFR2
      and THBS1 expression were both increased in cancer tissues as compared with
      adjacent normal tissues and their expression was positively correlated. In vitro,
      FGF7 stimulation of cell invasion and migration was partially suppressed by the
      FGFR2 knockdown. In addition, FGF7/FGFR2 upregulated THBS1, and cell invasion and
      migration were decreased by knockdown of THBS1. Furthermore, the PI3K/Akt/mTOR
      signaling pathway was predominantly responsible for FGF7/FGFR2-induced THBS1
      upregulation. Taken together, our data suggest that FGF7/FGFR2/THBS1 is
      associated with the regulation of invasion and migration in human gastric cancer.

PMID- 28339039
TI  - The effects of air pollutants on the mortality rate of lung cancer and leukemia.
AB  - World Health Organization classifies air pollution as the first cause of human
      cancer. The present study investigated impact of air pollutants on the mortality
      rates of lung cancer and leukemia in Shiraz, one of the largests cities of Iran.
      This cross-sectional (longitudinal) study was carried out in Shiraz. Data on six
      main pollutants, CO, SO2, O3, NO2, PM10 and PM2.5, were collected from Fars
      Environmental Protection Agency for 3,001 days starting from 1 January, 2005.
      Also, measures of climatic factors (temperature, humidity, and air pressure) were
      obtained from Shiraz Meteorological Organization. Finally, data related to number
      of deaths due to lung and blood cancers (leukemia) were gathered from Shiraz
      University Hospital. Relationship between variations of pollutant concentrations
      and cancers in lung and blood was investigated using statistical software R and
      MiniTab to perform time series analysis. Results of the present study revealed
      that the mortality rate of leukemia had a direct significant correlation with
      concentrations of nitrogen dioxide and carbon monoxide in the air (P<0.05).
      Therefore, special attention should be paid to sources of these pollutants and we
      need better management to decrease air pollutant concentrations through, e.g.,
      using clean energy respect to fossil fuels, better management of urban traffic
      planning, and the improvement of public transport service and car sharing.

PMID- 28339038
TI  - LncRNA-mediated SIRT1/FoxO3a and SIRT1/p53 signaling pathways regulate type II
      alveolar epithelial cell senescence in patients with chronic obstructive
      pulmonary disease.
AB  - The loss of alveolar structure and airspace enlargement are major pathological
      changes in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Type II alveolar
      epithelial cells (AECII) are involved in maintaining lung tissue repair and
      alveolar homeostasis. Long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) are involved in multi
      regulating gene transcription, affecting processes including embryonic
      development, cell differentiation and cellular senescence. The primary aim of the
      present study was to explore the mechanisms of AECII senescence regulated by
      lncRNA-mediated sirtuin 1 (SIRT1) and forkhead box O 3a (FoxO3a) signaling
      pathways in patients with COPD. Lung tissues from patients with COPD exhibited
      pathological characteristics and significantly increased senescence-associated
      beta-galactosidase activity. Furthermore, the expression levels of senescence
      associated lncRNA1 (SAL-RNA1), SIRT1 and FoxO3a were reduced, but SAL-RNA2, SAL
      RNA3, p53 and p21 were upregulated in the lung tissues of patients with COPD
      compared with control. The results of the present study indicated that lncRNA
      mediated SIRT1/p53 and FoxO3a signaling pathways may regulate AECII senescence in
      the pathogenesis of COPD, which may provide a novel experimental basis for the
      treatment of COPD.

PMID- 28339040
TI  - Detection assay for HPV16 and HPV18 by loop-mediated isothermal amplification
      with lateral flow dipstick tests.
AB  - Cervical cancer is the third highest cause of death in developing countries and
      most commonly results from high-risk human papillomavirus (HR-HPV) infection.
      Among HR-HPV genotypes, HPV16 and HPV18 are the most prevalent in cervical
      cancers. Therefore, the present study aimed to develop a detection assay for
      HPV16 and HPV18 infection using loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP)
      with lateral flow dipstick (LFD) tests. This assay is a simplified, user-friendly
      method for the visual detection of HPV genotypes. DNA was extracted from clinical
      tissue samples, and HPV genotyping was performed using nested polymerase chain
      reaction (PCR). The clinical samples were demonstrated to include 44 HPV16
      positive, 18 HPV18-positive and 80 HPV-negative samples. All DNA samples were
      also used as templates for a LAMP reaction (30 min at 65C), and subsequently, a
      fluorescein isothiocyanate-labelled probe was hybridized with the reaction
      product. Finally, the LFD test was performed. The sensitivity of the LAMP-LFD
      test was higher than LAMP-turbidity, exhibiting up to 100-fold higher sensitivity
      for HPV16 and 10-fold higher sensitivity for HPV18. All HPV16 and HPV18-positive
      samples generated positive results in both assays; however, 22 samples detected
      as HPV-negative by LAMP-turbidity exhibited positive results by LAMP-LFD test (22
      of 80 samples). Therefore, these samples were further examined using quantitative
      (q)PCR. The results demonstrated that 20 out of the 22 samples designated
      positive by LAMP-LFD, but negative by LAMP turbidity, gave a positive result with
      qPCR, while the remaining 2 samples were negative by qPCR. The present results
      suggested that LAMP-LFD provided higher sensitivity than LAMP-turbidity and
      nested PCR. Thus, the LAMP-LFD test developed in the present study might be
      useful for the detection of HPV16 and HPV18 in local hospitals.

PMID- 28339041
TI  - Tanshinone IIA increases protein expression levels of PERK, ATF6, IRE1alpha,
      CHOP, caspase-3 and caspase-12 in pancreatic cancer BxPC-3 cell-derived xenograft
      tumors.
AB  - Tanshinone (Tan)-IIA is a derivative of phenanthrenequinone and the main active
      ingredient isolated from Salviae miltiorrhizae radix (Danshen). Previous studies
      have demonstrated that Tan-IIA increased the protein expressions levels of
      protein kinase RNA-like endoplasmic reticulum kinase (PERK), activating
      transcription factor (ATF) 6, caspase-12 and CCAAT-enhancer-binding protein
      homologous protein (CHOP), to induce endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress and
      apoptosis in human pancreatic cancer BxPC-3 cells. However, to the best of our
      knowledge, the effects of Tan-IIA on pancreatic cancer cells have not been
      investigated in vivo. Further studies are required to elucidate the therapeutic
      potential of Tan-IIA in inducing ER stress in cancer cells in vivo. The present
      study aimed to investigate the effects of Tan-IIA on the expression of ER stress
      related proteins in BxPC-3-derived xenograft tumors. A total of 30 male severe
      combined immunodeficiency mice (age, 4 weeks) were implanted with BxPC-3 cells
      (2x106/0.2 ml) and subsequently treated with various doses of Tan-IIA (0, 30 and
      90 mg/kg) for 4 weeks. After mice were sacrificed on day 33, the xenograft tumors
      were dissected and total protein was extracted for western blot analysis. The
      results of the present study demonstrated that Tan-IIA inhibited the growth of
      BxPC-3-derived xenograft tumors. In addition, Tan-IIA increased the protein
      expression levels of PERK, ATF6, caspase-12, inositol-requiring enzyme (IRE)
      1alpha, eukaryotic initiation factor (eIF) 2alpha, phosphorylated (p)-c-Jun N
      terminal kinase (JNK), CHOP and caspase-3 in a dose-dependent manner. These
      results indicated that Tan-IIA induced ER stress via increasing the protein
      expression levels of PERK, ATF6, caspase-12, IRE1alpha, eIF2alpha, p-JNK, CHOP
      and caspase-3 in BxPC-3 cells in vivo. Therefore, it may be hypothesized that Tan
      IIA has potential for the development of novel therapeutic strategies for the
      treatment of patients with pancreatic cancer.

PMID- 28339043
TI  - High ATP2A2 expression correlates with better prognosis of diffuse astrocytic
      tumor patients.
AB  - Novel molecular markers are required for defining subsets of diffuse astrocytic
      tumor patients with differing prognoses. Here, we examined ATP2A2 expression in
      109 human diffuse astrocytic tumor samples (39 grade II diffuse astrocytoma (DA),
      19 grade III anaplastic astrocytoma (AA), 51 grade IV glioblastoma) and its
      correlation with patient clinicopathologic characteristics. ATP2A2 expression
      significantly correlated with tumor grade and survival (P<0.05). High ATP2A2
      expression was detected in 35.3% (18/51) of glioblastoma patients, compared to
      61.5% (24/39) in grade II, and 52.6% (10/19) in grade III astrocytoma patients
      (P=0.043). The median survival was 45+/-5.3 (95% CI, 34.7-55.3) months in
      patients with high ATP2A2 expression and 16+/-5.0 (95% CI, 6.3-25.7) months in
      patients with low ATP2A2 expression (P<0.0001). Additionally, high grade
      astrocytoma patients with high ATP2A2 expression showed longer survival (median,
      31.0+/-4.9 months, 95% CI, 21.4-40.7) than those with low ATP2A2 expression
      (median: 13.0+/-1.6 months, 95% CI, 9.9-16.1; P=0.027). Furthermore, both ATP2A2
      overexpression and IDH1 mutation were detected in secondary glioblastoma, AA
      developed from DA and oligodendrogiomas with IDH1 mutation. The MTT assays showed
      that lentiviral ATP2A2 overexpression significantly suppressed the clonogenic
      growth of glioblastoma U251MG cells (P<0.05). Xenografts stably overexpressing
      ATP2A2 were markedly smaller in size 4 weeks post inoculation (P<0.05). Our
      findings identified high ATP2A2 expression in a subset of astrocytoma patients
      that was associated with better prognosis and ATP2A2 suppressed astrocytoma
      growth.

PMID- 28339042
TI  - Immunomodulatory effects in workers exposed to naturally occurring asbestos
      fibers.
AB  - Natural asbestiform fibers are defined 'naturally occurring asbestos' (NOA) and
      refer to the mineral as a natural component of soils or rocks. The release of NOA
      fibers into the air from rocks or soils by routine human activities or natural
      weathering processes represents a risk for human beings. Fluoro-edenite (FE) is a
      NOA fiber detected in the benmoreitic lava in the area of Biancavilla, South-west
      slope of Mt. Etna. The aim of the present study was to investigate FE
      immunotoxicity pathways in a group of 38 occupationally exposed construction
      workers, in order to find any biological markers of its effect. Subjects
      underwent respiratory function tests and HRCT total chest scanning. Serum IL
      1beta, IL-6, IL-8 and TNF-alpha were measured. The presence of PPs was
      significantly greater in subjects exposed than in the control (25 vs. 2). In
      subjects exposed to FE, IL-1beta and TNF-alpha values were significantly higher
      than the controls. The previously observed increase of IL-1beta and IL-18 showed
      a probable involvement of the proteic complex defined inflammosome by FE fibers.

PMID- 28339044
TI  - Suppression of nuclear factor erythroid-2-related factor 2-mediated antioxidative
      defense in the lung injury induced by chronic exposure to methamphetamine in
      rats.
AB  - The imbalance between oxidative stress and antioxidant defense is important in
      the pathogenesis of lung diseases. Nuclear factor erythroid-2-related factor 2
      (Nrf2) is a key transcriptional factor that regulates the antioxidant response.
      The purpose of the present study was to investigate whether Nrf2-mediated
      antioxidative defense is involved in methamphetamine (MA)-induced lung injury in
      rats. Following establishment of chronic MA toxicity in rats, Doppler ultrasonic
      detection was used to measure the changes of physiological indexes, followed by
      hematoxylin and eosin staining, ELISA and western blot analysis. MA was
      demonstrated to increase the heart rate and peak blood flow velocity of pulmonary
      arterial valves and to decrease the survival rate of rats, and resulted in lung
      injury characterized by perivascular exudates, airspace edema, slight hemorrhage
      and inflammatory cell infiltration. MA significantly inhibited the expression of
      nuclear Nrf2 protein and its target genes (glutamate-cysteine ligase catalytic
      subunit C and heme oxygenase-1), and dose-dependently reduced glutathione (GSH)
      levels and the ratio of GSH/oxidized glutathione, accompanied by increases in
      reactive oxygen species (ROS) levels in rat lungs. Linear regression analysis
      revealed that there was a positive correlation between lung ROS level and lung
      injury indexes. These findings suggested that chronic exposure to MA led to lung
      injury by suppression of Nrf2-mediated antioxidative defense, suggesting that
      Nrf2 may be an important therapeutic target for MA-induced chronic lung toxicity.

PMID- 28339045
TI  - Identification of circulating long non-coding RNA GAS5 as a potential biomarker
      for non-small cell lung cancer diagnosisnon-small cell lung cancer, long non
      coding RNA, plasma, GAS5, biomarker.
AB  - Non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) is one of the most malignant cancers in the
      world. Early diagnosis of NSCLC has become especially important for patient
      treatment and prognosis. Increasing evidence suggest that long non-coding RNA
      GAS5 plays vital roles in cancer proliferation and differentiation in NSCLC.
      However, its clinical value in the diagnosis of NSCLC is unclear. The objective
      of this study was to evaluate the importance of circulating GAS5 as a biomarker
      for NSCLC diagnosis. In our study, quantitative real-time PCR (QRT-PCR) was
      applied to detect the GAS5 expression level in 80 pairs of cancer tissues and 57
      pairs of plasma samples of NSCLC patients. Further analysis was performed to
      study the differential expression of circulating GAS5 in 111 NSCLC patients and
      78 healthy controls in our study. The results showed that GAS5 decreased in NSCLC
      tissues compared to noncancerous tissues (P<0.001). Furthermore, the GAS5
      expression level was statistically declined in early stage of NSCLC before
      surgery compared with healthy controls (P<0.05) and sharply increased in
      postoperative groups (P=0.026). ROC curve analysis for early stage of NSCLC with
      the combination of GAS5, CEA and CA199 showed that the area under the ROC curve
      (AUC) was 0.734 (95% CI, 0.628-0.839; P<0.0005). In conclusion, circulating GAS5
      could be functioned as a potential combined biomarker for screening NSCLC and
      patient monitoring after surgical treatment.

PMID- 28339046
TI  - Oncogenic function and prognostic significance of Abelson interactor 1 in
      hepatocellular carcinoma.
AB  - Aberrant expression of Abelson interactor 1 (ABI1) has been reported in multiple
      cancers. However, its clinical significance and potential biological roles in
      hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) have not been fully elucidated. In this study, we
      found that ABI1 was obviously upregulated in HCC tissues compared with non-tumor
      tissues. Moreover, high ABI1 expression was significantly correlated with tumor
      size (P=0.041), tumor number (P<0.001), tumor encapsulation (P<0.001) and BCLC
      stage (P=0.010). Importantly, Kaplan-Meier survival analysis showed that
      increased ABI1 expression predicted shorter overall survival time (P<0.001) and a
      higher tendency of tumor recurrence (P=0.001) in HCC patients. Multivariate Cox
      regression analysis further confirmed high ABI1 expression was an independent
      predictor for both overall survival (HR=1.795, P=0.025) and early recurrence
      (HR=1.893, P=0.012) after surgical resection. Furthermore, in vitro studies
      indicated that overexpression of ABI1 induced an increase in cell proliferation,
      migration and invasion of HCC cells, whereas knockdown of ABI1 did the opposite.
      Xenograft mouse models verified the promoting effects of ABI1 on HCC growth and
      lung metastasis in vivo. Collectively, our findings indicated that ABI1
      contributes to the development and progression of HCC as an oncogene and may
      serve as a valuable prognostic marker for HCC patients.

PMID- 28339047
TI  - Hypothalamo-hypophysial system in rats with autotransplantation of the adrenal
      cortex.
AB  - Patients with bilateral pheochromocytoma often require an adrenalectomy.
      Autotransplantation of the adrenal cortex is an alternative therapy that could
      potentially be performed instead of receiving glucocorticoid replacement
      following adrenalectomy. Adrenal cortex autotransplantation aims to avoid the
      side effects of long-term steroid treatment and adrenal insufficiency. Although
      the function of the hypothalamo-hypophysial system is critical for patients who
      have undergone adrenal cortex autotransplantation, the details of that system,
      with the exception of adrenocorticotropic hormone in the subjects with adrenal
      autotransplantation, have been overlooked for a long time. To clarify the precise
      effect of adrenal autotransplantation on the pituitary gland and hypothalamus,
      the current study examined the gene expression of hormones produced from the
      hypothalamus and pituitary gland. Bilateral adrenalectomy and adrenal
      autotransplantation were performed in 8 to 9-week-old male rats. The hypothalamus
      and pituitary tissues were collected at 4 weeks after surgery. Transcriptional
      regulation of hypothalamic and pituitary hormones was subsequently examined by
      reverse transcription-quantitative polymerase chain reaction.
      Proopiomelanocortin, glycoprotein hormone alpha polypeptide, and thyroid
      stimulating hormone beta were significantly elevated in the pituitary gland of
      autotransplanted rats when compared with sham-operated rats. In addition, there
      were significant differences in the levels of corticotropin releasing hormone
      receptor 1 (Crhr1), Crhr2, nuclear receptor subfamily 3 group C member 1 and
      thyrotropin releasing hormone receptor between the sham-operated rats and
      autotransplanted rats in the pituitary gland. In the hypothalamus, corticotropin
      releasing hormone and urocortin 2 mRNA was significantly upregulated in
      autotransplanted rats compared with sham-operated rats. The authors identified
      significant alterations in the function of not only the hypothalamus-pituitary
      adrenal axis, but also the adenohypophysis thyrotropes in autotransplanted rats.
      In the future, it will be important to examine other tissues affected by
      glucocorticoids following adrenal cortex autotransplantation.

PMID- 28339049
TI  - Kidney and heavy metals - The role of environmental exposure (Review).
AB  - Heavy metals are extensively used in agriculture and industrial applications such
      as production of pesticides, batteries, alloys, and textile dyes. Prolonged,
      intensive or excessive exposure can induce related systemic disorders. Kidney is
      a target organ in heavy metal toxicity for its capacity to filter, reabsorb and
      concentrate divalent ions. The extent and the expression of renal damage depends
      on the species of metals, the dose, and the time of exposure. Almost always acute
      kidney impairment differs from chronic renal failure in its mechanism and in the
      magnitude of the outcomes. As a result, clinical features and treatment algorithm
      are also different. Heavy metals in plasma exist in an ionized form, that is
      toxic and leads to acute toxicity and a bound, inert form when metal is
      conjugated with metallothionein and are then delivered to the liver and possible
      causing the kidney chronic damage. Treatment regimens include chelation therapy,
      supportive care, decontamination procedures and renal replacement therapies. This
      review adds specific considerations to kidney impairment due to the most common
      heavy metal exposures and its treatment.

PMID- 28339048
TI  - AGR2 ameliorates tumor necrosis factor-alpha-induced epithelial barrier
      dysfunction via suppression of NF-kappaB p65-mediated MLCK/p-MLC pathway
      activation.
AB  - Intestinal epithelial barrier dysfunction plays a critical role in the
      pathogenesis of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). Anterior gradient protein 2
      homologue (AGR2) assists in maintaining intestinal homeostasis in dextran
      sulphate sodium-induced mouse ileocolitis; however, it is unclear whether it
      modulates intestinal barrier function. Our study aimed to investigate the
      protective role of AGR2 in tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-alpha-induced intestinal
      epithelial barrier injury. Caco-2 cell monolayers were pre-transfected with an
      AGR2 plasmid and then exposed to TNF-alpha. Epithelial permeability was assessed
      by detecting transepithelial electrical resistance and fluorescein isothiocyanate
      dextran (40 kDa) flux. The protein expression levels of zonula occludens-1 (ZO
      1), occludin, claudin-1, myosin light chain kinase (MLCK)/p-MLC, and nuclear
      factor (NF)-kappaB p65 were determined by western blotting. In addition, the
      cellular distributions of ZO-1, occludin, F-actin, and NF-kappaB p65 were
      evaluated by immunofluorescence staining. The results showed that the AGR2 mRNA
      and protein expression levels were both decreased in the Caco-2 cell monolayers,
      while AGR2 overexpression significantly ameliorated TNF-alpha-induced epithelial
      barrier hyperpermeability, increased the expression of tight junction (TJ)
      proteins and stabilized the cytoskeletal structure. Furthermore, AGR2 inhibited
      the changes in MLCK, MLC and p-MLC expression in response to TNF-alpha
      stimulation. Collectively, our study suggests that AGR2 inhibits TNF-alpha
      induced Caco-2 cell hyperpermeability by regulating TJ and that this protective
      mechanism may be promoted by inhibition of NF-kappaB p65-mediated activation of
      the MLCK/p-MLC signaling pathway.

PMID- 28339051
TI  - Protective effects of tacrolimus on podocytes in early diabetic nephropathy in
      rats.
AB  - The aim of the present study was to investigate the protective effect of
      tacrolimus on early podocyte damage in rats with diabetic nephropathy (DN). A
      total of 38 normal male Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly divided into four
      groups: Normal control group (group N; n=8), DN group (n=10), tacrolimus (FK506)
      treatment group (group F; n=10), benazepril (Lotensin) treatment group (group L;
      n=10). The rats in groups DN, F and L were administered with streptozotocin (STZ;
      60 mg/kg) by intraperitoneal injection to establish the diabetic rat model. After
      4 weeks, the diabetic rat model was established, and rats in the different groups
      were administered intragrastically with the respective drugs. Blood glucose (BS),
      body weight (BW) and 24-h urine protein were detected every 4 weeks, serum
      creatinine (SCr), blood urea nitrogen (BUN) and kidney weight/body weight (KW/BW)
      were measured at the end of the 8 weeks of drug treatment. Renal pathological
      changes were observed under a light microscope and electron microscope.
      Expression of nephrin, which is a podocyte-specific marker, was detected using
      western blot analysis. The results showed that the levels of SCr, BUN, KW/BW and
      24-h urine protein in groups D, F and L were significantly higher, compared with
      those in group N (P<0.05). No significant differences were found between groups F
      and L for the above indicators, with the exception of BS. However, all indices
      were significantly lower, compared with those in group DN (P<0.05). Renal
      pathological expression was normal in group N under light microscopy. There were
      significant increases in the glomerular volume, proliferative mesangial cells,
      width of the mesangial area and thickness of the basement membrane in group DN,
      however, all the above pathological characteristics were reduced in groups F and
      L, compared with group DN (P<0.05). No significant difference was found between
      groups F and L. A widened glomerular basement membrane, and disorder, widening
      and fusion of podocyte processes were observed under the electron microscope in
      group DN, however, these were reduced in groups F and L, compared with group DN
      (P<0.05). The results of the western blot analysis showed that the expression of
      nephrin decreased by 60.1% in group DN, compared with group N, and significant
      recovery in the expression of nephrin was observed in groups F and L (P<0.05).
      Tacrolimus reduced urinary protein and slowed the progression of DN, partially by
      recovering the protein expression of nephrin in the renal tissue of diabetic
      rats, and maintaining the integrity of the structure and function of podocytes.

PMID- 28339050
TI  - p53 mutation status is a primary determinant of placenta-specific protein 1
      expression in serous ovarian cancers.
AB  - Placenta-specific protein 1 (PLAC1) expression is co-opted in numerous human
      cancers. As a consequence of PLAC1 expression, tumor cells exhibit enhanced
      proliferation and invasiveness. This characteristic is associated with increased
      aggressiveness and worse patient outcomes. Recently, the presence of the tumor
      suppressor p53 was shown in vitro to inhibit PLAC1 transcription by compromising
      the P1, or distal/cancer, promoter. We sought to determine if this phenomenon
      occurs in primary patient tumors as well. Furthermore, we wanted to know if p53
      mutation influenced PLAC1 expression as compared with wild-type. We chose to
      study serous ovarian tumors as they are well known to have a high rate of p53
      mutation. We report herein that the phenomenon of PLAC1 transcription repression
      does occur in serous ovarian carcinomas but only when TP53 is wild-type. We find
      that mutant or absent p53 protein de-represses PLAC1 transcription. We further
      propose that the inability of mutant p53 to repress PLAC1 transcription is due to
      the fact that the altered TP53 protein is unable to occupy a putative p53 binding
      site in the PLAC1 P1 promoter thus allowing transcription to occur. Finally, we
      show that PLAC1 transcript number is significantly negatively correlated with
      patient survival in our samples. Thus, we suggest that characterizing tumors for
      TP53 mutation status, p53 protein status and PLAC1 transcription could be used to
      predict likely prognosis and inform treatment options in patients diagnosed with
      serous ovarian cancer.

PMID- 28339052
TI  - AhR-E2F1-KGFR signaling is involved in KGF-induced intestinal epithelial cell
      proliferation.
AB  - Keratinocyte growth factor (KGF) stimulates intestinal epithelial cell
      proliferation upon binding to the KGF receptor (KGFR). The activated aryl
      hydrocarbon receptor (AhR) serves an important role in the development of tissues
      by promoting the expression of AhR receptors, which can regulate cell
      proliferation. In the present study, the signaling pathway between AhR and KGFR
      in investigated with regards to KGF-induced intestinal epithelial cell
      proliferation. Male C57BL/6J wild type and AhR-/- mice, were randomized into four
      groups: Control, KGF, AhR-/- + KGF and AhR-/- (n=6 per group). The small bowel
      was harvested on day 5 post-treatment. LoVo cells were used to study signaling
      pathways in vitro and were divided into the following four treatment groups:
      DMSO, KGF, KGF + small-interfering (si)AhR and siAhR. In vivo, knockdown of AhR
      mRNA transcripts may abolish KGF-induced intestinal epithelial cell
      proliferation. Furthermore, KGFR expression was downregulated following knockdown
      or silencing of AhR expression in vivo and in vitro. The present study identified
      that the transcription factor E2F1 could regulate KGFR expression, and that siAhR
      treatment led to reduced expression of E2F1 in the nucleus and inhibited KGF
      induced cell proliferation. In conclusion, the current results demonstrated that
      the AhR-E2F1-KGFR pathway is involved in KGF-induced intestinal epithelial cell
      proliferation.

PMID- 28339053
TI  - miR-486 suppresses the development of osteosarcoma by regulating PKC-delta
      pathway.
AB  - Osteosarcoma is one of the most highly malignant types of cancer in adolescents
      and young adults with a high mortality rate. Despite advances in surgery,
      radiation therapy and chemotherapy, the prognosis for patients with osteosarcoma
      has not significantly improved over the past several decades. It is necessary to
      find new indicators of prognosis and therapeutic targets of osteosarcoma. Through
      the analysis of 40 osteosarcoma tissues, we found that the expression of miR-486
      was low and the expression of PKC-delta was high in osteosarcoma. Median survival
      of patients with low expression of miR-486 (30 months) was shorter than the
      patients with higher expression of miR-486 (40 months). We further found that miR
      486 can inhibit the targeting of PKC-delta signaling pathways, and this
      inhibition can inhibit the growth and invasion of osteosarcoma cells. After
      transfection of miR-486 for 24 h, the proliferation of osteosarcoma cells was
      inhibited by ~20%, and the migration was inhibited by ~15%. In the present
      investigation, we demonstrated that miR-486 is negatively associated with the
      expression of PKC-delta and could regulate the development of osteosarcoma. miR
      486 may be a potential target for the treatment of osteosarcoma.

PMID- 28339054
TI  - Overexpression of Tim-3 reduces Helicobacter pylori-associated inflammation
      through TLR4/NFkappaB signaling in vitro.
AB  - The present study aimed to investigate the interaction between T-cell
      immunoglobulin and mucin-domain-containing molecule-3 (Tim-3) and Toll-like
      receptor 4 (TLR4)/nuclear factor kappaB (NF-kappaB) signaling in Helicobacter
      pylori-infected RAW264.7 macrophage cells. RAW264.7 cells were co-cultured with
      H. pylori SS1 at different bacteria/cell ratios, and subsequently the mRNA
      expression of Tim-3, TLR4, and myeloid differentiation factor 88 (MyD88) was
      measured by reverse transcription-quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT
      qPCR). Furthermore, the effect of Tim-3 overexpression was examined by
      transfection of RAW264.7 with pLVX-IRES-ZsGreen-Tim-3 and co-culturing with H.
      pylori. mRNA and protein expression levels were then analyzed for Tim-3, TLR4,
      MyD88, and phosphorylated (p-) NF-kappaB by RT-qPCR and western blot analysis
      respectively. The concentrations of pro-inflammatory cytokines [tumor necrosis
      factor-alpha (TNF-alpha), interleukin 6 (IL-6), interferon-gamma (IFN-gamma) and
      interleukin 10 (IL-10)] released in the culture supernatants were measured by
      ELISA. H. pylori stimulation resulted in a significant increase of Tim-3, TLR4,
      and MyD88 mRNA expression in RAW264.7 cells. H. pylori stimulation upregulated
      Tim-3 expression even in the Tim-3-overexpressing RAW264.7 cells compared with
      unstimulated cells. TLR4, MyD88, and pNF-kappaB protein expression and pro
      inflammatory cytokines (TNF-alpha, IL-6, and IFN-gamma) release levels were
      increased in the control RAW264.7 cells following H. pylori infection, but not in
      the Tim-3-overexpressing RAW264.7 cells. By contrast, IL-10 levels were decreased
      following H. pylori infection in both control and Tim-3-overexpressing RAW264.7
      cells. Overexpression of Tim-3 reduced H. pylori-associated inflammation in
      RAW264.7 macrophages, by downregulating expression of proteins in the TLR4
      pathway and release of pro-inflammatory cytokines. These findings suggest that
      Tim-3 serves a crucial role in the negative regulation of H. pylori-associated
      inflammation and may be a novel therapeutic target for H. pylori infection.

PMID- 28339055
TI  - New insights on 'old' toxicants in occupational toxicology (Review).
AB  - In order to deliver the best possible working environment, it is essential to
      identify professional conditions that could be harmful for worker's health and
      prevent (or limit) the occurrence of such conditions. The appropriate use of
      personal protective equipment and the development of appropriate regulations
      allowed to reduce the prevalence of 'classic' occupational diseases, such as
      occupational hearing loss or asbestosis, just to name a few. Nowadays,
      environmental pollution seems to be one of the most relevant concerns for human
      and animal health, and toxicology is becoming one of the most prominent fields of
      interest in occupational settings. An increasing number of studies demonstrate
      that the presence of toxicants in the workplace could be responsible for the
      development of chronic diseases, even at doses that were considered 'safe'. The
      present review summarizes some of the most recent advancements in occupational
      toxicology, focusing on topics that have long been debated in the past and that
      have recently returned to the fore.

PMID- 28339056
TI  - Nobiletin inhibits invasion via inhibiting AKT/GSK3beta/beta-catenin signaling
      pathway in Slug-expressing glioma cells.
AB  - Epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) is a pivotal event in tumor progression
      during which cancer cells undergo dramatic changes acquiring highly invasive
      properties. In this study, we found that nobiletin, a polymethoxylated flavone,
      suppressed migration and invasion in both U87 and U251 glioma cells. Expression
      of epithelial markers (E-cadherin and occludin) was upregulated; mesenchymal
      markers (N-cadherin, fibronectin) and the transcriptional factor Slug were
      downregulated after nobiletin treatment. Transforming growth factor beta (TGF
      beta) was applied to stimulate EMT and the results showed that nobiletin not only
      influenced basal level cell migration but also prevented TGF-beta-triggered
      migration and EMT, with the AKT/GSK3beta/beta-catenin signaling pathway greatly
      involved. Furthermore, nobiletin remarkably diminished TGF-beta-induced beta
      catenin nuclear translocation and the binding to the Slug promoter. It is worth
      noting that nobiletin almost blocked invasion in Slug-expressing U87 and U251
      cells, and only exhibiting faint effect on non-Slug-expressing U343 glioma cells.
      Reinforced Slug expression in U343 cells by transfecting Slug plasmid was
      significantly attenuated by nobiletin, demonstrating the essential role of Slug
      in the anti-metastasis effect of nobiletin. Nobiletin repressed tumor growth in
      vivo and abrogated EMT in nude mice bearing U87-Luc xenografts, as demonstrated
      by Xenogen IVIS imaging and immunohistochemistry assay. Our findings suggested
      that nobiletin might have a great potential for treating glioblastoma.

PMID- 28339057
TI  - GPR143 mutations in Chinese patients with ocular albinism type 1.
AB  - The aim of the present study was to evaluate mutations of the G protein-coupled
      receptor 143 (GPR143) gene for ocular albinism type 1 (OA1) in Chinese patients.
      For the current study, 8 patients with OA1 were selected from the database of
      ocular genetic diseases. Genomic DNA of OA1 was prepared from venous leukocytes
      collected from the patients. Cycle sequencing was used to analyze the exons and
      adjacent introns of GPR143. The variation detected was analyzed by bidirectional
      DNA sequencing and further evaluated in 96 controls using heteroduplex-single
      strand conformational polymorphism analysis. Additionally, slit lamp photography
      of anterior segment, fundus photography and optical coherence tomography (OCT)
      were performed to identify the clinical features of OA1. In five patients with
      OA1, 5 GPR143 gene mutations were identified and four of them there were novel
      mutations. The screening rate is 62.5%, including c.333G>A (p.W111X), c.353G>A
      (p.G118E) (known mutation), C.658+2T>G (splice mutation), c.215_216insCGCTGC
      (p.71-72insAA) and c.17T>C (p. L6P). These mutations were absent in the 96 normal
      controls. Only one patient with OA1 in the present study was female. Patients
      with OA1 often have congenital nystagmus, refractive error, severe decline of
      visual acuity (from 0.1 to 0.4) and foveal hypoplasia. Different degrees of
      pigment loss were evident in the patients' iris and retina, whereas macular
      structure was not identified in the OCT examination. The findings of the present
      study expanded the gene mutation spectrum of GPR143 and investigated the clinical
      phenotype of patients with OA1 in the Chinese population. Additional evidence for
      clinical diagnosis was provided along with differential diagnosis and genetic
      counseling.

PMID- 28339058
TI  - Toenail selenium as an indicator of environmental exposure: A cross-sectional
      study.
AB  - The relation between toxicity and essentiality of selenium (Se) is of growing
      interest in human health, as the effects may widely differ depending of its
      different chemical species and the exposure levels. Toenail Se has been proposed
      as a reliable biomarker of long-term Se exposure, but few studies investigated
      the correlation between its toenail content and environmental determinants (i.e.,
      dietary food intake). We aimed to determine the relation of toenail Se levels
      with serum Se species as well as food items. We recruited a random sample of
      Modena (Northern Italy) municipal residents, from whom we collected detailed
      personal information, dietary habits, toenail specimen for Se determination and a
      blood sample for serum Se speciation analysis. Toenail Se mean value was 0.96
      ug/g (range, 0.47-1.60), with slightly higher levels in females, in non-obese
      subjects and in Se supplements users, while it was lower in current smokers.
      Toenail Se positively correlated with organic Se forms, mainly selenoprotein P
      and selenocysteine, and inversely with the inorganic forms (selenite and
      selenate). Toenail Se was not associated with meat, cereals and dairy products
      consumption, positively correlated with fruit and slightly with vegetable intake,
      and negatively with fish and seafood consumption. Finally, no clear association
      emerged with estimated air Se exposure.

PMID- 28339059
TI  - Proteomic-based identification of HSP70 as a tumor-associated antigen in ovarian
      cancer.
AB  - Ovarian cancer commonly presents without prominent symptoms and is consequently
      diagnosed at advanced stages with unfavorable prognosis. Novel serological
      biomarkers for the early detection and clinical management of ovarian cancer are
      imminently needed. Proteomic-based methods for biomarker discovery are promising
      strategies implemented in cancer research. The aim of the present study was to
      identify new tumor antigens from the ovarian cancer cell line SKOV3 and their
      associated autoantibodies in sera of patients with ovarian cancer employing
      proteomic-based approaches. Proteins from the ovarian cancer cell line SKOV3 were
      extracted by two-dimensional polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (2-DE) followed
      by western blotting and antibody reaction with sera from patients with ovarian
      cancer and normal controls. Positive spots were excised from Coomassie blue
      stained gels and identified by liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC
      MS/MS). The 2-DE analysis results revealed a total of 14 protein spots on the
      gel, and 7 proteins were finally identified by LC-MS/MS. In the subsequent
      experiment, using immunoassay on ovarian cancer sera and tissue-array slides, the
      well-known protein HSP70 was selected in order to validate this proteomic-based
      approach. In conclusion, the proteomic method used in the present study is a
      powerful instrument for identifying novel serum markers that may exhibit clinical
      usefulness in cancer.

PMID- 28339060
TI  - Chronological changes in the expression of phosphorylated tau and 5-AMP-activated
      protein kinase in the brain of senescence-accelerated P8 mice.
AB  - Senescence-accelerated mouse prone 8 (SAMP8), a non-transgenic animal model used
      for researching sporadic Alzheimer's disease (AD), presents AD pathologies and
      overall dysregulation in brain energy metabolism, which is one of the early
      pathogenic characteristics of AD. In the present study, the authors examined
      chronological changes in the expression patterns of phosphorylated tau and of
      proteins related to energy metabolism to evaluate the association of tau
      phosphorylation and metabolism, using young- (2-months-old), middle- (5-months
      old) and old-aged (10-months-old) SAMP8. The levels of phosphorylated 5'-AMP
      activated protein kinase at Thr172 (p-AMPK) and phosphorylated glycogen synthase
      kinase 3beta (p-GSK3betaS9) in the cortex of SAMP8 at 2 months were significantly
      higher than those in senescence-accelerated mouse resistant 1 (SAMR1). The
      differences were not detected at 5 and 10 months of age, which were concurrent
      with the changes in levels of phosphorylated tau at Ser396 (p-tauS396), but not
      with p-tauS262. The level of p-tauS262 was considerably higher in the cortex of
      middle-aged SAMP8 when compared with that of SAMR1 and sustained in old-aged
      SAMP8, but not in the young cortex. The levels of cortical sirtuin1 (Sirt1) and
      insulin receptor substrate 1 (IRS-1) expression of young SAMP8 were significantly
      lower, when compared with those in SAMR1. However, in the hippocampus of SAMP8,
      the patterns of chronological changes and levels of p-tau, p-AMPK, Sirt1 and IRS
      1 relative to SAMR1 were different from those in the cortex. Taken together, the
      results suggested that regulation of tau phosphorylation via the AMPK-GSK3beta
      pathway concurrent with dysregulation of energy metabolism may precede the
      pathological tau hyperphosphorylation in the cortex of SAMP8, and that the
      regulation of AMPK-GSK3beta-mediated tau phosphorylation may be dependent on
      phosphor-epitope in tau or the region of brain.

PMID- 28339061
TI  - Identification of two novel mutations in the SLCO2A1 prostaglandin transporter
      gene in a Chinese patient with primary hypertrophic osteoarthropathy.
AB  - Primary hypertrophic osteoarthropathy (PHO), which is a rare multi-organic
      disease characterized by digital clubbing, pachydermia and periosteal reaction,
      typically begins during childhood or adolescence and progresses gradually over
      years prior to disease stabilization. To date, only two genes have been reported
      to be associated with PHO, 15-hydroxyprostaglandin dehydrogenase and solute
      carrier organic anion transporter family, member 2A1 (SLCO2A1). However, the
      pathogenesis and the functions of the underlying genes remain to be fully
      elucidated. In the present study, a 20-year-old Chinese patient with PHO was
      investigated using sequence analysis of PHO genes and bioinformatics analysis. A
      novel, compound heterozygous mutation in the SLCO2A1 gene was identified, which
      contained two novel mutations: c.349delC (p.L117SfsX56) in exon 3 and c.1286A>G
      (p.Y429C) in exon 9. These two novel genotypes in PHO are the first, to the best
      of our knowledge, to be reported in PHO. This finding expands the mutation
      spectrum of PHO, which contributes to improving genetic diagnosis and future
      genetic counseling, and provides clues to the phenotype-genotype associations.

PMID- 28339062
TI  - p53/microRNA-374b/AKT1 regulates colorectal cancer cell apoptosis in response to
      DNA damage.
AB  - Colorectal cancer (CRC) has a rising morbidity worldwide and its resistance to
      chemotherapy has been observed in clinical treatment. Tumor suppressor p53 is
      well-studied in CRC, but little is known about its effects during DNA damage of
      CRC cells. This study was aimed at uncovering potential mechanisms of p53
      regarding microRNA-374b and v-akt murine thymoma viral oncogene homolog 1 (AKT1)
      during DNA damage of CRC cells. CRC cells HCT116 and HT29 were transfected with
      p53-specific small interfering RNA (siRNA), p53 overexpression vector or miR-374b
      inhibitor, and then treated with 10 uM bleomycin (BLM) for 24 h to induce DNA
      damage. Primary (pri), precursor (pre) and mature miR-374b levels were quantified
      by qRT-PCR. AKT1 and p53 protein levels were detected by western blotting. Cell
      apoptosis changes were assessed by flow cytometry. AKT1 mRNA was detected to be
      induced by BLM treatment (P<0.05), but its protein level was strongly inhibited.
      Knockdown of p53 reversed the inhibition of AKT1 protein by BLM. Overexpression
      of p53 in p53-knockout HCT116 and HT29 cells upregulated the AKT1 regulator miR
      374b (P<0.05), and knockdown of p53 reversed the induction of miR-374b by BLM.
      qRT-PCR suggested that besides mature miR-374b, p53 could also promote pre-miR
      374b level (P<0.05), rather than pri-miR-374b. Moreover, inhibition on miR-374b
      relieved the suppressed AKT1 protein, and reduced cell apoptosis induced by BLM.
      These data depict the p53/miR-374b/AKT1 signaling that may regulate BLM-induced
      apoptosis in CRC cells, thus facilitating to improve the outcome of chemotherapy
      in CRC.

PMID- 28339064
TI  - Extracellular matrix metabolism disorder induced by mechanical strain on human
      parametrial ligament fibroblasts.
AB  - Pelvic organ prolapse (POP) is a global health problem that may seriously impact
      the quality of life of the sufferer. The present study aimed to investigate the
      potential mechanisms underlying alterations in extracellular matrix (ECM)
      metabolism in the pathogenesis of POP, by investigating the expression of ECM
      components in human parametrial ligament fibroblasts (hPLFs) subject to various
      mechanical strain loads. Fibroblasts derived from parametrial ligaments were
      cultured from patients with POP and without malignant tumors, who underwent
      vaginal hysterectomy surgery. Fibroblasts at generations 3-6 of exponential phase
      cells were selected, and a four-point bending device was used for 0, 1,333 or
      5,333 u mechanical loading of cells at 0.5 Hz for 4 h. mRNA and protein
      expression levels of collagen type I alpha 1 chain (COL1A1), collagen type III
      alpha 1 chain (COL3A1), elastin, matrix metalloproteinase (MMP) -2 and -9, and
      transforming growth factor (TGF)-beta1 were detected by reverse transcription
      quantitative polymerase chain reaction and western blotting, respectively. Under
      increased mechanical strain (5,333 u), mRNA and protein expression levels of
      COL1A1, COL3A1 elastin and TGF-beta1 decreased, particularly COL1A1; however,
      mRNA and protein expression levels of MMP-2 and -9 were significantly increased,
      compared with the control group (0 u strain). Following 1,333 u mechanical
      strain, mRNA and protein expression levels of COL1A1, COL3A1 elastin and MMP-2
      increased, and MMP-9 decreased, whereas no significant differences were observed
      in TGF-beta1 mRNA and protein expression levels. In conclusion, ECM alterations
      may be involved in pathogenesis of POP, with decreased synthesis and increased
      degradation of collagen and elastin. Furthermore, the TGF-beta1 signaling pathway
      may serve an important role in this process and thus may supply a new target and
      strategy for understanding the etiology and therapy of POP.

PMID- 28339063
TI  - Viral and host factors associated with outcomes of hepatitis C virus infection
      (Review).
AB  - Hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection is a major health issue globally. Owing to the
      progress made in host genetics and HCV molecular virology, emerging data have
      suggested that the natural course and treatment response in patients with HCV
      infection are largely determined by complex host-viral interactions. HCV genotype
      is the most important viral factor predicting the response to pegylated
      interferon-alpha plus ribavirin therapy. The subtype of HCV genotype 1 is the key
      viral factor that predicts the efficacy of direct-acting antiviral therapy. HCV
      genome heterogeneity and baseline viral load are additionally associated with the
      treatment response. Multiple host genetic variants localized in genes associated
      with the immune response have been identified as predictors of spontaneous
      disease course and therapy outcome in chronic HCV. However, most findings from
      candidate gene association studies have not been proven universal for all
      investigated populations and independent studies. Previous findings in
      independent large genome wide association studies confirmed that interferon
      lambda3 gene polymorphisms are associated with spontaneous clearance and
      treatment responsiveness. A polymorphism of the inosine triphosphatase gene has
      been identified as a protective factor against ribavirin-induced anemia and dose
      reductions. Another genetic variant in the patatin-like phospholipase domain
      containing 3 genes is associated with hepatic steatosis and fibrosis in patients
      with HCV. The present review focused on the identified viral and host factors
      associated with outcomes of patients with HCV, and assessed the involvement of
      viral and host genetics in the natural history and treatment outcomes of HCV
      infection. This will provide novel ideas concerning personalized prevention and
      individualized clinical management.

PMID- 28339065
TI  - The risk of HCV infection among health-care workers and its association with
      extrahepatic manifestations (Review).
AB  - Health care workers (HCWs) are frequently exposed to different biological agents
      during their activities and are frequently monitored. Among these infectious
      agents, human hepatitis C (HCV) can infect HCWs. In this review article, the risk
      of HCV infection among HCWs is discussed along with extrahepatic HCV-related
      malignancies, such as non-Hodgkin lymphoma. Accidental contamination, represented
      by percutaneous and mucocutaneous infections is the main risk factor for such
      infection. The compliance of the protection procedures, included in the current
      regulation for HCWs, is the most important issue to reduce the risk of pathogen
      infections that in turn may produce reduction of infection-associated
      malignancies.

PMID- 28339066
TI  - MicroRNA-499 rs3746444 A/G polymorphism functions as a biomarker to predict
      recurrence following endoscopic submucosal dissection in primary early gastric
      cancer.
AB  - The aim of the present study was to investigate the molecular mechanism,
      including the potential regulatory and signaling pathways, of platelet-derived
      growth factor receptor beta (PDGFRB), which underlies the recurrence of early
      gastric cancer (EGC) following endoscopic submucosal dissection (ESD). Online
      microRNA (miRNA) target prediction tools were used, which identified PDGFRB as
      the candidate target gene of miR-499a in gastric cancer cells, and PFGRBR was
      then confirmed as the direct gene using a luciferase reporter assay system. The
      Kaplan-Meier method was used to plot recurrence-free curves, which were compared
      between genotype groups. A negative regulatory association between miR-499a and
      PDGFRB was established by investigating the relative luciferase activity at
      different concentrations of miR-499a mimics. Furthermore, as the rs3746444
      polymorphism has been previously reported to interfere with the expression of miR
      499a, the present study investigated the expression levels of different
      genotypes, including TT (n=20), TC (n=9) and CC (n=3), the results of which
      supported the hypothesis that the presence of the minor allele (C) of the
      rs3746444 polymorphism compromised the expression of miR-499a. The present study
      also performed polymerase chain reaction and western blot analyses to examine the
      mRNA and protein expression levels of PFGRBR among different genotypes or cells
      treated with different concentrations of miR-499a mimics/inhibitors, which
      indicated the negative regulatory association between miR-499a and PDGFRB. The
      present study also investigated the relative viabilities of EGC cells transfected
      with miR-499a mimics (50 and 100 nM) and miR-499a inhibitors (100 nM), and
      confirmed that miR-499a negatively interfered with the viability of the EGC
      cells. The miR-499a rs3746444 polymorphism was also recognized as a biomarker to
      predict recurrence following ESD in patients with EGC via analyzing the
      recurrence-free rates among patients with EGC with different genotypes. The
      results showed that PDGFRB was validated as a target of miR-499a, and rs3746444
      was identified as a potential biomarker to predict the recurrence of EGC
      following ESD.

PMID- 28339067
TI  - Characterization of DAPK1 as a novel transcriptional target of BRMS1.
AB  - Breast cancer metastasis suppressor 1 (BRMS1) can specifically regulate tumor
      metastasis in many cancers. Our previous studies have demonstrated that BRMS1 can
      promote cell apoptosis through regulating osteopontin (OPN) expression in
      hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) cells. However, the transcriptional targets of
      BRMS1 have not been thoroughly studied. In this study, death-associated protein
      kinase 1 (DAPK1), a tumor suppressor gene with multiple roles in regulating cell
      death, was identified as a potential transcriptional target of BRMS1 in the whole
      genome expression microarray. Quantitative real-time PCR and western blot
      analysis of HCC cells overexpressing BRMS1 further confirmed the transcriptional
      regulation relationship between BRMS1 and DAPK1. Moreover, DAPK1 expression was
      frequently decreased or even lost in HCC tissue samples by comparison with
      neighboring pathologically normal liver tissue, which was consistent with the
      decreased BRMS1 expression pattern. To unravel the molecular mechanism of BRMS1
      in regulating DAPK1, a series of deletion mutants of DAPK1 promoter was subjected
      to luciferase assay. The luciferase units of -200 to -80 bp region, with two
      tandem putative NF-kappaB binding sites, were specifically enhanced by BRMS1
      expression. Site-directed mutants of NF-kappaB binding sites blocked the
      transcriptional activation effect. In addition, the binding capability of BRMS1
      and the putative NF-kappaB binding sites were demonstrated in the chromatin
      immunoprecipitation (ChIP) assay. In conclusion, our study characterized DAPK1 as
      a novel transcriptional target of BRMS1. Transcriptional activation of DAPK1
      might be another important mechanism accounting for the metastasis suppressive
      activity of BRMS1.

PMID- 28339068
TI  - Iron and Parkinson's disease: A systematic review and meta-analysis.
AB  - A possible association between iron serum levels and Parkinson's disease (PD)
      using a meta-analytic approach was evaluated. A systematic MEDLINE search was
      conducted to identify published observational, case-control studies dealing with
      the association between iron blood levels and PD. In both groups, iron blood
      levels were extracted as means and standard deviations to calculate the
      standardized mean differences (SMDs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs).
      Heterogeneity of selected studies was investigated. Then, a meta-analysis was
      performed applying a random effects model. Possible causes of bias were also
      examined. A meta-regression analysis was finally conducted to investigate whether
      associations varied according to specified confounding factors. Of 155 studies
      detected by the research strategy, a total of 23 case-control studies with full
      available data were selected based on the adopted criteria. A small, around zero,
      overall SMD of -0.052 (95% CI, -0.303-0.2) was estimated, indicating no
      substantial differences between groups among selected studies. High heterogeneity
      among studies was detected (I2=91.42%; p<0.001). By performing a meta-regression
      analysis considering single available demographic, geographical and clinical
      covariates, no significant association was detected. Based on our systematic
      revision and meta-analysis of available case-control studies, there was not
      sufficient evidence supporting a possible significant association between iron
      serum levels and PD as compared to controls. Principal reasons should be sought
      in the elevated methodological heterogeneity we found among available studies. A
      particular attention should be paid on bias and confounding effects to limit
      heterogeneity among studies and to facilitate the summary of results.

PMID- 28339070
TI  - 125I seed irradiation induces apoptosis and inhibits angiogenesis by decreasing
      HIF-1alpha and VEGF expression in lung carcinoma xenografts.
AB  - The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of irradiation by 125I seeds
      in human lung cancer xenograft model and to determine the underlying mechanisms
      involved, with a focus on angiogenesis. A group of 40 mice bearing A549 lung
      adenocarcinoma xenografts was randomly separated into 4 groups: control group
      (n=10), sham seed (0 mCi) implant group (n=10), 125I seed (0.6 mCi) implant group
      (n=10) and 125I seed (0.8 mCi) implant group (n=10), respectively. The body
      weight and tumor volume, were recorded every four days until the end of the
      study. At 30 days after irradiation, the microvessel density, proliferative index
      and apoptotic index were evaluated by quantitative morphometric analysis of the
      expression of CD34, proliferating cell nuclear antigen (Ki-67) and in situ
      terminal transferase-mediated fluorescein deoxy- UTP nick-end labeling (TUNEL),
      respectively. The changes in the expression of hypoxia inducible factor-1alpha
      (HIF-1alpha) and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) were detected by real
      time PCR and western blot analysis. Consequently, 125I seed irradiation
      suppressed the growth of lung cancer xenografts in nude mice, while inhibiting
      cell proliferation and angiogenesis and inducing apoptosis as demonstrated by
      Ki67, CD34 and TUNEL staining. HIF-1alpha and VEGF mRNA and protein expression
      levels were substantially downregulated following 125I seed irradiation.
      Collectively, our data suggest that irradiation by 125I seeds is a promising new
      option for lung cancer treatment.

PMID- 28339069
TI  - Transglutaminase 2 is upregulated in primary hepatocellular carcinoma with early
      recurrence as determined by proteomic profiles.
AB  - The mechanism of early recurrence of hepato-cellular carcinoma (HCC) is not well
      understood. To examine whether early intrahepatic metastasis of HCC can be
      determined by the reliable molecular characteristics of the primary HCC, we
      focused on early-stage tumors of primary and solitary HCC cases. Proteomic
      differences were investigated between two groups, 11 early (recurrence within 12
      months) and 10 late (no recurrence within 48 months) HCC cases, using two
      dimensional fluorescence difference gel electrophoresis. Overall, 10 upregulated
      and 9 downregulated proteins were identified from a total of 1623 protein spots
      detected in early recurrent HCC. Cluster analysis using the 19 proteins
      successfully divided the 21 HCC samples exactly into the two above groups. A
      multifunctional protein, transglutaminase 2 (TGM2), was upregulated in the early
      recurrence group. Immunohistochemistry revealed the frequent observation of TGM2
      positive HCC cells in the early group, with a tendency of TGM2-positive staining
      in HCC cells adjacent to fibrous stroma. To examine whether two major TGM2
      associated pathways, epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) and integrin
      signaling, were activated in the early recurrence group of HCC, downstream
      molecules of TGM2 were measured. The mRNA level of EMT-related genes was highly
      positively correlated with TGM2 mRNA. However, E-cadherin (CDH1) mRNA and protein
      were not downregulated in correlation with TGM2 expression. The phosphorylation
      of FAK and Akt and the downregulation of PTEN were not associated with the
      quantity of TGM2. Therefore, TGM2 might contribute to early HCC recurrence
      through signaling pathways not related to EMT and integrin signaling. The
      proteomics of strictly classified HCCs would be useful for characterizing pro
      metastatic HCC and for developing a new therapeutic target for treatment of
      metastasis.

PMID- 28339071
TI  - Direct interaction between caffeic acid phenethyl ester and human neutrophil
      elastase inhibits the growth and migration of PANC-1 cells.
AB  - Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is one of the most lethal malignant
      tumors of the digestive system, but the mechanisms of its development and
      progression are unclear. Inflammation is thought to be fundamental to pancreatic
      cancer development and caffeic acid phenethyl ester (CAPE) is an active component
      of honey bee resin or propolis with anti-inflammatory and anticancer activities.
      We investigated the inhibitory effects of CAPE on cell growth and migration
      induced by human neutrophil elastase (HNE) and report that HNE induced cancer
      cell migration at low doses and growth at higher doses. In contrast, lower CAPE
      doses inhibited migration and higher doses of CAPE inhibited the growth induced
      by HNE. HNE activity was significantly inhibited by CAPE (7.5-120 uM). Using
      quantitative real-time PCR and western blotting, we observed that CAPE (18-60 uM)
      did not affect transcription and translation of alpha1-antitrypsin (alpha1-AT),
      an endogenous HNE inhibitor. However, in an in silico drug target docking model,
      we found that CAPE directly bound to the binding pocket of HNE (25.66 kcal/mol)
      according to CDOCKER, and the residue of the catalytic site stabilized the
      interaction between CAPE and HNE as evidenced by molecular dynamic simulation.
      Response unit (RU) values of surface plasmon resonance (SPR) significantly
      increased with incremental CAPE doses (7.5-120 uM), indicating that CAPE could
      directly bind to HNE in a concentration-dependent manner. Thus, CAPE is an
      effective inhibitor of HNE via direct interaction whereby it inhibits the
      migration and growth of PANC-1 cells in a dose-dependent manner.

PMID- 28339072
TI  - Hepatitis B virus X protein increases microRNA-21 expression and accelerates the
      development of hepatoma via the phosphatase and tensin homolog/phosphoinositide 3
      kinase/protein kinase B signaling pathway.
AB  - Hepatitis B virus (HBV) X protein (HBx) is a key regulatory protein that is
      involved in HBV infection, replication and carcinogenesis of hepatocellular
      carcinoma (HCC). The aim of the present study was to investigate the role of HBx
      in the progression and metastasis of liver cancer cells and to determine the
      underlying molecular mechanism of HBx in metastatic liver cancer cells. HBx
      protein expression was detected by western blot analysis, and microRNA (miR)-21
      levels were determined by reverse transcription-quantitative polymerase chain
      reaction in the highly metastatic MHCC-97H low metastatic MHCC-97L and SMMC-7721
      liver cancer cell lines. The results demonstrated that the levels of HBx and miR
      21 were significantly increased in MHCC-97H cells compared with MHCC-97L and SMMC
      7721 cells. In addition, three pairs of small interfering (si)RNA specific to HBx
      were designed and synthesized to interfere with endogenous HBx in liver cancer
      cells, and the results demonstrated that knockdown HBx was associated with a
      corresponding decrease in miR-21 expression. The MTT assay results demonstrated
      that cell viability significantly decreased in HBx-siRNA cells compared with
      scramble siRNA-transfected cells. In addition, transfection with an miR-21
      inhibitor inhibited MHCC-97H cell proliferation. Furthermore, Transwell assay
      results revealed that downregulation of HBx and treatment with miR-21 inhibitors
      contributed to the inhibition of MHCC-97H cell invasion and metastasis. Western
      blot analysis demonstrated that miR-21 inhibitors and HBx-siRNA treatment led to
      the upregulation of phosphatase and tensin homolog (PTEN), and decreased levels
      of phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3K), phosphorylated protein kinase B (Akt) and
      matrix metalloproteinase (MMP)-2. The results of the present study indicated that
      HBx was positively associated with miR-21 expression, and downregulation of miR
      21 and HBx suppressed MMP-2 activity via the PTEN/PI3K/Akt signaling pathway.
      Therefore, HBx and miR-21 may represent novel therapeutic targets for the
      treatment of HCC.

PMID- 28339073
TI  - Identification of proteins in the aqueous humor associated with cataract
      development using iTRAQ methodology.
AB  - Proteins in the aqueous humor (AH) are important in the induction of cataract
      development. The identification of cataract-associated proteins assists in
      identifying patients and predisposed to the condition and improve treatment
      efficacy. Proteomics analysis has previously been used for identifying protein
      markers associated with eye diseases; however, few studies have examined the
      proteomic alterations in cataract development due to high myopia, glaucoma and
      diabetes. The present study, using the isobaric tagging for relative and absolute
      protein quantification methodology, aimed to examine cataract-associated proteins
      in the AH from patients with high myopia, glaucoma or diabetes, and controls. The
      results revealed that 445 proteins were identified in the AH groups, compared
      with the control groups, and 146, 264 and 130 proteins were differentially
      expressed in the three groups of patients, respectively. In addition, 44 of these
      proteins were determined to be cataract-associated, and the alterations of five
      randomly selected proteins were confirmed using enzyme-linked immunosorbent
      assays. The biological functions of these 44 cataract-associated proteins were
      analyzed using Gen Ontology/pathways annotation, in addition to protein-protein
      interaction network analysis. The results aimed to expand current knowledge of
      the pathophysiologic characteristics of cataract development and provided a panel
      of candidates for biomarkers of the disease, which may assist in further
      diagnosis and the monitoring of cataract development.

PMID- 28339074
TI  - Absence of t(14;18) chromosome translocation in agricultural workers after short
      term exposure to pesticides.
AB  - Exposure to pesticides represents a potential health risk for the general
      population and for agricultural workers in particular. Some researchers observed
      that occupational exposure to pesticides is associated with risk of non-Hodgkin's
      lymphoma (NHL). The chromosomal translocation t(14;18)(q32;q21) is one of the
      most common chromosomal abnormalities in NHL. The aim of this study was to detect
      the effects of pesticides on t(14;18) chromosome translocation in agricultural
      workers after short-term exposure. Fifty-two workers occupationally exposed to
      pesticides (fungicides and insecticides) and 52 non-exposed were recruited. The
      farm workers were on average exposed to pesticides for ~3.7 h a day for 5 years.
      The frequency of BCL2-IGH t(14;18) translocation in workers occupationally
      exposed to pesticides was 10% (5 of 52) vs. 8% (4 of 52) in the control group.
      Overall, these data suggest that no significant association between occupational
      exposure to pesticides and an increased frequency of the chromosomal
      translocation BCL2-IGH t(14;18) in farmers was observed. However, further studies
      with a higher number of subjects exposed to pesticides are necessary to confirm
      this observation.

PMID- 28339075
TI  - Epigenetic alterations and occupational exposure to benzene, fibers, and heavy
      metals associated with tumor development (Review).
AB  - The chronic occupational exposure to contaminants and carcinogens leads to the
      development of cancer. Over the past decades, many carcinogens have been found in
      the occupational environment and their presence is often associated with an
      increased incidence of cancer. According to the International Agency for Research
      on Cancer (IARC), the majority of carcinogens are classified as 'probable' and
      'possible' human carcinogens, while, direct evidence of carcinogenicity is
      provided in epidemiological and experimental studies. Additionally, accumulating
      evidence suggests that epigenetic alterations may be early indicators of
      genotoxic and non-genotoxic carcinogen exposure. In the present review, the
      relationship between exposures to benzene, mineral fibers, metals and epigenetic
      alterations are discussed as the most important cancer risk factors during work
      activities.

PMID- 28339076
TI  - An 'activatable' aptamer-based fluorescence probe for the detection of HepG2
      cells.
AB  - It is significant to develop a probe with sensitivity and specificity for the
      detection of cancer cells. The present study aimed to develop an 'activatable'
      aptamer-based fluorescence probe (AAFP) to detect cancer cells and frozen cancer
      tissue. This AAFP consisted of two fragments: aptamer TLS11a that targets HepG2
      cells, and two short extending complementary DNA sequences with a 5'- and 3'
      terminus that make the aptamer in hairpin structure a capable quencher to
      fluorophore. The ability of the AAFP to bind specifically to cancer cells was
      assessed using flow cytometry, fluorescence spectroscopy and fluorescence
      microscopy. Its ability to bind to frozen cancer tissue was assessed using
      fluorescence microscopy. As a result, in the absence of cancer cells, AAFP showed
      minimal fluorescence, reflecting auto-quenching. In the presence of cancer cells,
      however, AAFP showed a strong fluorescent signal. Therefore, this AAFP may be a
      promising tool for sensitive and specific detection of cancer.

PMID- 28339077
TI  - Paeoniflorin attenuates the neuroinflammatory response in a rat model of chronic
      constriction injury.
AB  - Neuropathic pain remains the most frequent cause of suffering and disability
      worldwide. Paeoniflorin (PF), a water-soluble monoterpene glycoside extracted
      from the roots of Paeonia lactiflora Pall, has a wide range of pharmacological
      functions. Although the neuroprotective effect of PF has been reported in animal
      models of neuropathology, no systematic investigation has reported on the
      analgesic properties of PF in neuropathic pain. The aim of the present study was
      to investigate whether PF can alleviate neuropathic pain and to examine its
      possible mechanism. Neuropathic pain was induced by chronic constriction injury
      (CCI) of the sciatic nerve in rats. Following CCI surgery, the rats were
      administered with PF for 11 days. Mechanical withdrawal threshold and thermal
      withdrawal latency were assessed prior to surgery, and on days 3, 7 and 11 post
      surgery. The levels of interleukin (IL)-1beta and tumor necrosis factor (TNF)
      alpha in the spinal cord were analyzed using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays.
      The activation of astrocytes and microglia were observed using immunostaining. In
      addition, the phosphorylation of p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase (p-p38MAPK)
      and nuclear factor-kappaB (NF-kappaB) were examined using western blot analysis.
      The results indicated that PF significantly attenuated CCI-induced neuropathic
      pain and decreased the levels of TNF-alpha and IL-1beta proinflammatory cytokines
      in the spinal cord. Furthermore, PF inhibited the over-activation of microglia
      and reduced the elevated expression levels of p-p38 MAPK and NF-kappaB in the
      spinal cord. These results indicated that PF offers potential as a therapeutic
      agent for neuropathic pain, which merits further investigation.

PMID- 28339079
TI  - A p110delta-specific inhibitor combined with bortezomib blocks drug resistance
      properties of EBV-related B cell origin cancer cells via regulation of NF-kappaB.
AB  - Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) infection is closely related to carcinogenesis of
      various cancers, and is also associated with the development of drug resistance
      in cancer stem cells. However, in EBV-positive cancer cells, the mechanistic
      details of the downstream signaling and the connection of PI3K with the NF-kappaB
      pathway for development of drug resistance remain controversial. Diffuse large B
      cell lymphoma (DLBCL) and multiple myeloma (MM) cells infected by EBV display
      drug resistance-related proteins (MDR1, MRP1 and MRP2) and stem cell markers
      (OCT4 and SOX2). EBV-infected HT (HT/EBV) and H929 (H929/EBV) cells activated
      p110delta expression, but downregulated the expression of p110alpha and p110beta.
      A combination of CAL-101, a p110delta-specific inhibitor, with bortezomib
      treatment of HT/EBV cells synergistically suppressed proliferation, reduced
      levels of drug resistance-related proteins, activated caspase cleavage and
      recovered expression of p110alpha/p110beta. Additionally, co-treatment with CAL
      101 and bortezomib attenuated the expression of OCT4 and SOX2 via inhibition of
      activated NF-kappaB. Co-treatment with CAL-101 and bortezomib also attenuated
      drug resistance and NF-kappaB activity of EBV-infected H929 cells. Our results
      provide supportive evidence for the clinical application of CAL-101 and
      bortezomib to treat EBV-infected hematologic cancer.

PMID- 28339080
TI  - Inhibition of CCR7 promotes NF-kappaB-dependent apoptosis and suppresses
      epithelial-mesenchymal transition in non-small cell lung cancer.
AB  - Activation of C-C chemokine receptor type 7 (CCR7) has been demonstrated to
      mediate the occurrence and progression of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC).
      However, the potential therapeutic role of CCR7 inhibition in NSCLC is still
      obscure. Thus, the present study was conducted to investigate the molecular
      mechanism underlying the inhibition of CCR7 on cell apoptosis and epithelial
      mesenchymal transition (EMT) in NSCLC A549 cells. Chemokine ligand 21 (CCL21) was
      used to activate CCR7 and the results revealed that CCR7 upregulation inhibited
      cell apoptosis and affected apoptosis-related protein levels. However, CCR7-siRNA
      treatment markedly promoted apoptosis and suppressed inflammatory response and
      transforming growth factor beta1 (TGF-beta1)-induced EMT. In addition, CCR7-siRNA
      inactivated the NF-kappaB signaling pathway and inhibition of NF-kappaB via its
      specific antagonist, pyrrolidine dithiocarbamate, indicated that NF-kappaB was
      involved in the CCR7-mediated apoptosis. In conclusion, upregulation of CCR7
      promoted cell proliferation and inflammation in A549 cells. In conclusion,
      inhibition of CCR7 via siRNA treatment promoted cell apoptosis and suppressed the
      inflammatory response and TGF-beta1-induced EMT, which may be associated with NF
      kappaB signaling.

PMID- 28339078
TI  - Comparative evaluation of the effects of platelet-rich plasma formulations on
      extracellular matrix formation and the NF-kappaB signaling pathway in human
      articular chondrocytes.
AB  - Concentrated leukocytes in leukocyte and platelet-rich plasma (L-PRP) may deliver
      increased levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines to activate the nuclear factor
      (NF)-kappaB signaling pathway, to counter or overwhelm the beneficial effects of
      growth factors on cartilage regeneration. However, to date, no relevant studies
      have substantiated this. In the present study, L-PRP and pure platelet-rich
      plasma (P-PRP) were prepared, and leukocytes, platelets, pro-inflammatory
      cytokines and growth factor concentrations were quantified; they were then used
      to treat human articular chondrocytes (HACs). Pyrrolidine dithiocarbamate (PDTC;
      50 uM) was used to inhibit the activation of NF-kappaB. The nuclear translocation
      of NF-kappaB p65 and the protein expression of cartilaginous markers (collagen
      II, aggrecan and sex-determining region Y-box 9) were determined using western
      blot analysis. The mRNA expression of NF-kappaB-dependent inflammatory mediators,
      including inducible nitric oxide synthase and cyclooxygenase-2, and cartilaginous
      markers were determined using reverse transcription-quantitative polymerase chain
      reaction analysis. The production of prostaglandin E2, nitric oxide and
      glycosaminoglycan (GAG) were quantified using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays,
      the Griess reaction and a 1,9-dimethylmethylene blue assay, respectively. The
      results demonstrated that L-PRP induced the nuclear translocation of NF-kappaB
      p65, upregulated the mRNA expression of NF-kappaB-dependent inflammatory
      mediators and upregulated the production of their products, whereas P-PRP, which
      had similar growth factor concentrations but significantly lower pro-inflammatory
      cytokine concentrations than L-PRP, did not. P-PRP promoted the mRNA and protein
      expression levels of cartilaginous markers and the production of GAG more
      effectively, compared with L-PRP. Furthermore, inhibition of the activation of NF
      kappaB by PDTC enhanced the effects of L-PRP on extracellular matrix formation in
      the HACs to a level similar to that of P-PRP. These findings suggested that
      leukocytes in L-PRP activated the NF-kappaB signaling pathway via the delivery of
      interleukin-1beta and tumor necrosis factor-alpha to counter the beneficial
      effects of growth factors on extracellular matrix formation in HACs. Therefore, P
      PRP may be more suitable for the treatment of osteoarthritis.

PMID- 28339081
TI  - HBx represses RIZ1 expression by DNA methyltransferase 1 involvement in decreased
      miR-152 in hepatocellular carcinoma.
AB  - Hepatitis B virus (HBV) is mainly suspected to promote hepatocellular carcinoma
      (HCC) development by epigenetic alteration. The HBV X protein (HBx) plays a key
      role in the molecular pathogenesis of HBV-related HCC. However, the mechanism of
      HBx-mediated hepatocarcinogenesis remains to be elucidated. RIZ1 gene, a
      candidate HCC suppressor gene, is frequently found to be hypermethylated and
      downregulated in HCC. In the present study, we show that the expression of RIZ1
      was downregulated in 65% HCC tissues. Decreased expression of RIZ1 was restored
      by 5'-Aza in MHCC-97H HCC cell lines. HBx recombinant transfection increased
      DNMT1 expression level and suppressed RIZ1 expression. Moreover, knockdown of
      DNMT1 by siRNA restored RIZ1 expression in HCC cell SMMC-7721 and reduced
      methylated CpG sites of RIZ1. ChIP results showed that DNMT1 protein could bind
      to RIZ1 promoter, and this interaction was further enhanced with the transfected
      HBX recombinant. Moreover, miR-152 was decreased and involved in upregulation of
      DNMT1 in HBx transfected cells, at least partly, contributed to the epigenetic
      inactivation of RIZ1. Taken together, our data found that HBx repressed RIZ1
      expression via DNMT1, which offered a new mechanism of RIZ1 inactivation in HCC,
      except for the widely known DNA methylation. These results enriched the
      epigenetic mechanism by which HBx contributes to pathogenesis of HBV-HCC.

PMID- 28339082
TI  - Effects of autophagy and endocytosis on the activity of matrix metalloproteinase
      2 in human renal proximal tubular cells under hypoxia.
AB  - Tubulointerstitial fibrosis is characterized by tubular atrophy with basement
      membrane thickening and accumulation of interstitial extracellular matrix (ECM).
      A decrease in the activity of matrix metalloproteinase-2 (MMP-2) may promote this
      process. Although proximal tubular cells are sensitive to oxygen deprivation,
      whether cellular autophagy or endocytosis induced by hypoxia can alter the
      activity of MMP-2 remains to be elucidated. The aim of the present study was to
      investigate whether autophagy and endocytosis induced by hypoxia can have an
      effect on the activity of MMP-2 in HK-2 cells. The investigations involved
      exposing the HK-2 cell line to an autophagy inhibitor, 3-MA, or an endocytotic
      inhibitor, filipin. The mRNA expression of MMP-2 was elevated in the hypoxic
      milieu. Furthermore, it was found that filipin increased the activity of MMP-2
      under hypoxia. These results suggested that autophagy and endocytosis were
      potential mediators for the altered expression of MMP-2, and endocytosis was a
      potential target for regulating the activity of MMP-2. These data suggested that
      hypoxia may be an important pro-fibrogenic stimulus, which acts in part via
      endocytosis.

PMID- 28339084
TI  - Transcriptional activation of PD-L1 by Sox2 contributes to the proliferation of
      hepatocellular carcinoma cells.
AB  - Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is one of the most common and lethal malignancies
      in the world. Sox2 is a potential oncogene in the pathogenesis of HCC, however,
      the actual mechanisms of Sox2 functions in HCC has not emerged yet. In this
      study, we explored the expression, function and the relationship between Sox2 and
      PD-L1 in HCC. We found that both Sox2 and PD-L1 were expressed at a markedly
      higher level in HCC tissues in comparison to adjacent non-tumor tissues.
      Moreover, the expression levels of both genes were correlated with each other.
      Knockdown of Sox2 reduced the cell proliferation ability and induces apoptosis of
      HCC cells, suggesting the function of Sox2 in regulating both the cell
      proliferation and apoptosis. Noteworthy, the depletion of Sox2 also reduced the
      expression of PD-L1. Further analysis showed that there is a consensus Sox2
      binding site in the promoter region of PD-L1. Through in vitro EMSA assay and in
      vivo chromatin immunoprecipitation assays, we demonstrated that Sox2 directly
      bound to the PD-L1 promoter through the consensus Sox2 motif. Further evidence by
      luciferase reporter assays revealed that Sox2 promoted the transcription activity
      of PD-L1 promoter region through the Sox2 motif. Collectively, our data provide a
      novel insight into the function and the interplay of Sox2 and PD-L1 in HCC.

PMID- 28339085
TI  - Integrated analysis of mRNA and miRNA expression profiles in pancreatic ductal
      adenocarcinoma.
AB  - In the present study, to investigate the potential molecular mechanism of
      pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC), mRNA and miRNA expression profiles were
      integrated for systematic analysis. Results showed that a total of 76 common
      differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were identified from 2 mRNA expression
      profiles that contained 39 tumor and 15 normal samples. Notably, the tumor and
      normal samples were able to be clearly classified into 4 groups based on the
      DEGs. mRNA-miRNA regulation network analysis indicated that 22 out of the 76 DEGs
      including MUC4, RRM2 and CCL2 are regulated by 5 reported miRNAs. Survival
      analysis using SurvExpress database demonstrated that the common DEGs were able
      to significantly differentiate low- and high-risk PDAC groups in 4 datasets. In
      summary, various biological processes are probably involved in the development
      and progression of PDAC. Firstly, activation of MUC4 induces nuclear
      translocation of beta-catenin and promotes the process of angiogenesis that
      provides necessary nutrition or oxygen for cancer cells. Then, RRM2 induces the
      invasiveness of PDAC via NF-kappaB. Finally, the formation of an
      immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment by recruiting regulatory T cells with
      high expression of CCL2 further promotes cancer cell proliferation and
      vascularization. Identification of valuable biological processes and genes can be
      helpful for the understanding of the molecular mechanism of PDAC.

PMID- 28339083
TI  - Health risk assessment of environmental selenium: Emerging evidence and
      challenges (Review).
AB  - New data have been accumulated in the scientific literature in recent years which
      allow a more adequate risk assessment of selenium with reference to human health.
      This new evidence comes from environmental studies, carried out in populations
      characterized by abnormally high or low selenium intakes, and from high-quality
      and large randomized controlled trials with selenium recently carried out in the
      US and in other countries. These trials have consistently shown no beneficial
      effect on cancer and cardiovascular risk, and have yielded indications of
      unexpected toxic effects of selenium exposure. Overall, these studies indicate
      that the minimal amount of environmental selenium which is source of risk to
      human health is much lower than anticipated on the basis of older studies, since
      toxic effects were shown at levels of intake as low as around 260 ug/day for
      organic selenium and around 16 ug/day for inorganic selenium. Conversely,
      populations with average selenium intake of less than 13-19 ug/day appear to be
      at risk of a severe cardiomyopathy, Keshan disease. Overall, there is the need to
      reconsider the selenium standards for dietary intake, drinking water, outdoor and
      indoor air levels, taking into account the recently discovered adverse health
      effects of low-dose selenium overexposure, and carefully assessing the
      significance of selenium-induced proteomic changes.

PMID- 28339086
TI  - Identification of novel mutations in endometrial cancer patients by whole-exome
      sequencing.
AB  - The aim of the present study was to identify genomic alterations in Taiwanese
      endometrial cancer patients. This information is vitally important in Taiwan,
      where endometrial cancer is the second most common gynecological cancer. We
      performed whole-exome sequencing on DNA from 14 tumor tissue samples from
      Taiwanese endometrial cancer patients. We used the Genome Analysis Tool kit
      software package for data analysis, and the dbSNP, Catalogue of Somatic Mutations
      in Cancer (COSMIC) and The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) databases for comparisons.
      Variants were validated via Sanger sequencing. We identified 143 non-synonymous
      mutations in 756 canonical cancer-related genes and 1,271 non-synonymous
      mutations in non-canonical cancer-related genes in 14 endometrial samples. PTEN,
      KRAS and PIK3R1 were the most frequently mutated canonical cancer-related genes.
      Our results revealed nine potential driver genes (MAPT, IL24, MCM6, TSC1, BIRC2,
      CIITA, DST, CASP8 and NOTCH2) and 21 potential passenger genes (ARMCX4, IGSF10,
      VPS13C, DCT, DNAH14, TLN1, ZNF605, ZSCAN29, MOCOS, CMYA5, PCDH17, UGT1A8, CYFIP2,
      MACF1, NUDT5, JAKMIP1, PCDHGB4, FAM178A, SNX6, IMP4 and PCMTD1). The detected
      molecular aberrations led to putative activation of the mTOR, Wnt, MAPK, VEGF and
      ErbB pathways, as well as aberrant DNA repair, cell cycle control and apoptosis
      pathways. We characterized the mutational landscape and genetic alterations in
      multiple cellular pathways of endometrial cancer in the Taiwanese population.

PMID- 28339087
TI  - Regulation of intestinal myofibroblasts by KRas-mutated colorectal cancer cells
      through heparin-binding epidermal growth factor-like growth factor.
AB  - In colorectal cancer, gain-of-function mutations in KRas play a critical role in
      malignant transformation. Tumor growth in colorectal cancer is known to be
      promoted by the intestinal myofibroblasts (IMFs) that localize adjacent to the
      cancer cells, but the mechanisms of interaction between KRas-mutated cancer cells
      and the myofibroblasts remain unclear. Here, we investigated the effects of KRas
      mutated cells on the behavior of myofibroblasts by using mouse primary IMFs and
      cells of an IMF cell line (LmcMF) and a mouse colon epithelial cell line (aMoC1).
      Conditioned medium (CM) was collected from aMoC1 cells overexpressing a control
      vector or KRasV12 vector (KRasV12-CM), and the effects of KRasV12-CM on IMFs were
      analyzed by performing proliferation assays, wound-healing assays, Boyden chamber
      assays, and western blotting. Whereas KRasV12-CM exerted little effect on the
      differentiation and proliferation of primary IMFs, the CM promoted migration of
      both primary IMFs and LmcMF cells. In KRasV12-overexpressing aMoC1 cells, mRNA
      expression of heparin-binding epidermal growth factor-like growth factor (HB-EGF)
      was higher than in mock-transfected aMoC1 cells, and HB-EGF promoted the
      migration of primary IMFs and LmcMF cells. Moreover, KRasV12-CM-induced IMF
      migration was suppressed by dacomitinib, an inhibitor of HB-EGF receptors.
      Notably, in LmcMF cells, both KRasV12-CM and HB-EGF activated extracellular
      signal-regulated kinase (ERK) and c-jun N-terminal kinase (JNK), whereas KRasV12
      CM-induced migration of IMFs was suppressed following treatment with either an
      ERK inhibitor (FR180204) or a JNK inhibitor (SP600125). These results suggest
      that HB-EGF secreted from KRas-mutated colorectal cancer cells promotes IMF
      migration through ERK and JNK activation, which, in turn, could support cancer
      progression.

PMID- 28339088
TI  - Sclerostin is a possible candidate marker of arterial stiffness: Results from a
      cohort study in Catania.
AB  - Osteoporosis and cardiovascular disease are worldwide public health issues.
      Recent evidence indicates a possible role of the canonical Wnt/beta-catenin
      signalling pathway as a common mediator between these two diseases. The aim of
      the present study was to investigate the relationship between serum
      concentrations of sclerostin and Dkk1, two extracellular inhibitors of Wnt/beta
      catenin signalling, with carotid intima-media thickness (CIMT) and with arterial
      stiffness, evaluated by measuring the pulse wave velocity (PWV) in an ambulatory
      population of adults. To this aim, 67 subjects were recruited in the
      'Atherosclerosis and osteoporosis: identification of common pathogenetic factors'
      investigation. Serum sclerostin levels correlated positively with CIMT (r=0.314,
      p=0.03) and inversely with the augmentation index, a marker of arterial stiffness
      (r=-0.286, p<0.05), whereas Dkk1 did not. Moreover, in a multivariate linear
      regression model, sclerostin [beta -0.1472; p=0.0023; standard error
      (SE)=0.04620] was an independent predictor of PWV in the study subjects. Our
      study shows that, following adjustment for confounders, sclerostin is an
      independent predictor of arterial stiffness in an ambulatory population, whereas
      Dkk1 is not.

PMID- 28339089
TI  - HMGB1 induces lung fibroblast to myofibroblast differentiation through NF-kappaB
      mediated TGF-beta1 release.
AB  - The proinflammatory factor high-mobility group box protein 1 (HMGB1) has been
      implicated in the pathogenesis of lung fibrosis; however, the role of HMGB1 in
      lung fibrosis remains unclear. It has previously been reported that nuclear
      factor (NF)-kappaB and transforming growth factor (TGF)-beta1 may be involved in
      lung fibrosis. Therefore, the present study aimed to examine the potential
      molecular mechanisms that underlie HMGB1-induced lung fibrosis via the regulation
      of NF-kappaB and TGF-beta1. The results demonstrated that HMGB1 stimulation
      increased the activation of NF-kappaB and the release of TGF-beta1, as well as
      the expression of alpha-smooth muscle actin (alpha-SMA) and collagen I in human
      lung fibroblasts in vitro. In addition, inhibition of NF-kappaB activation
      blocked HMGB1-induced TGF-beta1 release, as well as alpha-SMA and collagen I
      expression in lung fibroblasts. Preventing the release of TGF-beta1 inhibited
      HMGB1-induced alpha-SMA and collagen I expression; however, it had no effect on
      NF-kappaB activation. Collectively, these findings indicate that HMGB1 induces
      fibroblast to myofibroblast differentiation of lung fibroblasts via NF-kappaB
      mediated TGF-beta1 release.

PMID- 28339090
TI  - Inhibition of farnesyl pyrophosphate synthase attenuates high glucose-induced
      vascular smooth muscle cells proliferation.
AB  - The proliferation of vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs) is one of the main
      features of atherosclerosis accelerated by hyperglycemia. Our previous studies
      found that farnesyl pyrophosphate synthase (FPPS, EC 2.5.1.10), an essential
      enzyme in the mevalonate pathway, was upregulated in aorta media from diabetic
      mice along with the process of atherosclerosis. However, the exact role of FPPS
      in high glucose-induced proliferation of VSMCs is largely unclear. In our study,
      we found that alendronate (an FPPS inhibitor) attenuated diabetic accelerated
      atherosclerosis in vivo and suppressed high glucose-induced VSMCs proliferation
      in vitro. Moreover, in aorta from streptozotocin (STZ)-induced diabetic mice, 16
      week treatment of alendronate decreased the activation of small GTPase (Ras,
      RhoA, and Rac1), but had no effect on the expression of cystathionine gamma-lyase
      (CSE), the pivotal H2S-producing enzyme. Meanwhile, in VSMCs cultured in high
      glucose-containing media, alendronate remarkably decreased total CoQ content,
      increased the H2S level, depressed small GTPases (Ras, RhoA, and Rac1)
      activation, but yet had no effect on expression of CSE. In conclusion, FPPS
      inhibition by alendronate attenuated the high glucose-induced proliferation of
      VSMCs both in vivo and in vitro, probably though depressing H2S metabolism and
      suppressing small GTPases (Ras, RhoA, and Rac1) activation.

PMID- 28339091
TI  - Fibulin-4 promotes osteosarcoma invasion and metastasis by inducing epithelial to
      mesenchymal transition via the PI3K/Akt/mTOR pathway.
AB  - This study explored the role of fibulin-4 in osteosarcoma progression and the
      possible signaling pathway involved. Fibulin-4 mRNA and protein expression in
      normal tissue, benign fibrous dysplasia, osteosarcoma, osteosarcoma cell lines,
      the normal osteoblastic cell line hFOB, and different invasive subclones were
      evaluated by immunohistochemistry (IHC) or immunocytochemistry (ICC) and real
      time reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (real-time qRT-PCR). Using
      in vitro functional assays, we analyzed the invasive and proliferative abilities
      of different osteosarcoma cell lines and subclones with differing invasive
      potential. To assess the role of fibulin-4 in the invasion and metastasis of
      osteosarcoma cells, lentiviral vectors with fibulin-4 small hairpin RNA (shRNA)
      and pLVX-fibulin-4 were constructed and used to infect the highly invasive and
      low invasive subclones and osteosarcoma cell lines. The effects of fibulin-4
      knockdown and upregulation on the biological behavior of osteosarcoma cells were
      investigated by functional in vitro and in vivo assays. The results revealed that
      fibulin-4 expression was upregulated in osteosarcoma, and was positively
      correlated with low differentiation, lymph node metastasis, and poor prognosis.
      Fibulin-4 was also found to be over-expressed in highly invasive cell lines and
      in the highly invasive subclones. Fibulin-4 could promote osteosarcoma cell
      invasion and metastasis by inducing EMT via the PI3K/AKT/mTOR pathway.
      Collectively, our findings demonstrate that fibulin-4 is a promoter of
      osteosarcoma development and progression, and suggest a novel therapeutic target
      for future studies.

PMID- 28339092
TI  - MACC1 decreases the chemosensitivity of gastric cancer cells to oxaliplatin by
      regulating FASN expression.
AB  - The effect of chemotherapeutic agents is limited as a result of drug resistance,
      which demands prompt solutions provided by clinical studies. To date, the
      underlying mechanisms of chemotherapy resistance are relatively unknown.
      Metastasis-associated in colon cancer 1 (MACC1) is an oncogene associated with
      the progression and prognosis of gastric cancer (GC). Bioinformatic analysis
      revealed that MACC1 is positively associated with fatty acid synthase (FASN), a
      major enzyme of lipogenesis, and drives chemoresistance to oxaliplatin in GC.
      Similar findings were demonstrated in two GC cell lines (BGC-823 and MKN-28) with
      MACC1 ectopic expression. We next employed FASN inhibitor C75 or siFASN (small
      interfering RNA targeted to FASN) to block endogenous fatty acid metabolism and
      it was revealed that cell proliferation and chemoresistance to oxaliplatin
      induced by MACC1 upregulation were attenuated by FASN blockade to various
      extents. Conclusively, these outcomes highlight a novel role of MACC1 in GC cell
      lipogenesis, and suggest that MACC1 may be an attractive target to decrease
      oxaliplatin resistance in GC.

PMID- 28339093
TI  - ROCK inhibition as a potential therapeutic target involved in apoptosis in
      hemangioma.
AB  - Gene expression was examined in hemangiomas (HA), benign, birthmark-like tumors
      occurring in infancy, and confirmed in HA-derived endothelial cells (HDEC), for
      which cell proliferation and apoptosis were also assessed. Protein and mRNA
      accumulation of Rho-associated protein kinase (ROCK), vascular endothelial growth
      factor (VEGF), Ki-67 and proliferating cell nuclear antigen was significantly
      higher in proliferating phase HAs than in involuting phase HAs. In contrast, p53
      and caspase-3 exhibited higher levels of accumulation in involuting than
      proliferating HAs. Cell apoptotic indexes were low in proliferating phase HAs and
      increased in involuting phase HAs. HDECs were treated with the ROCK inhibitor Y
      27632. Y-27632 induced p53 expression and downregulated VEGF expression,
      significantly inhibited cell proliferation, and induced cell apoptosis in HA
      cells. The inhibitor effects were confirmed in HAs from HDEC-injected nude mice.
      These results indicated that ROCK is involved in p53-mediated apoptosis and VEGF
      expression in HA cells and suggested that such inhibition may be exploited for
      future HA therapies.

PMID- 28339094
TI  - F221Y mutation in hepatitis B virus reverse transcriptase is associated with
      hepatocellular carcinoma prognosis following liver resection.
AB  - Hepatitis B virus (HBV) reverse transcriptase (RT) is encoded by the polymerase
      gene in the reverse transcriptase region, which overlaps with the S gene. The
      association between mutations of HBV RT and the pathobiological features of
      hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) remain to be elucidated. The present study aimed
      to examine mutations in this region of the HBV genome and its clinical
      significance. Briefly, HBV total DNA was extracted from 84 pairs of HCC tumor
      tissue and corresponding adjacent non-tumor tissue samples. The RT/S regions
      (nt130-1161) were amplified and sequenced using the Sanger method, and
      associations between RT mutations and the clinical characteristics of patients
      with HCC were analyzed. Finally, 27 and 29 mutations with frequencies >5% were
      identified in the RT and S regions, respectively. The rtF221Y variation and a
      tumor size >8 cm were found to be independent risk factors for the postoperative
      recurrence of HCC, with hazard ratios of 2.345 (95% CI, 1.391-3.953; P=0.001) and
      1.838 (95% CI, 1.069-3.161; P=0.028), respectively. rtF221Y was also an
      independent risk factor for poor overall survival rates (HR=2.557; 95% CI, 1.344
      4.866; P=0.004). The mutation of R122 K in the HBV S protein was closely
      associated with tumor recurrence (P<0.001). As a result, rtF221Y was identified
      as a risk factor for poor prognosis and may be a potential viral marker for
      predicting prognosis in HCC.

PMID- 28339095
TI  - Expression of Yes-associated protein 1 and its clinical significance in ovarian
      serous cystadenocarcinoma.
AB  - Yes-associated protein 1 (YAP1) is a key transcriptional regulator in the Hippo
      signaling pathway that plays a critical role in the development and progression
      of several types of malignancies, including ovarian cancer. Herein, we
      investigated the expression of YAP1 and its clinical significance in a large
      population of patients with ovarian serous cystadenocarcinoma (OSC), which is the
      most common form of epithelial ovarian neoplasm, using the TCGA database.
      Surprisingly, cross-cancer mRNA expression and alterations in YAP1 were higher in
      OSC than in those of other types of cancers in the TCGA database. YAP1 mRNA
      expression was significantly higher in OSC compared with normal ovarian samples,
      and was higher in stages III and IV, than stages I and II. The level of YAP1
      protein, which is mainly localized to the nucleus, was also higher in stage IV as
      compared with stages I, II and III. However, the protein level of pYAP1, which is
      inactive and is localized to the cytoplasm, was not significantly different
      between stages. The ratio of pYAP/YAP, which shows higher activity at a low
      ratio, was lower in stage III than in stages I and II. High YAP and low pYAP
      levels were significantly correlated with a poor prognosis in patients with OSC.
      The mRNA and protein expression of YAP1 were significantly increased in the
      proliferative subtype as compared to the differentiated, immunoreactive and
      mesenchymal subtypes. According to bioinformatics analysis, YAP1 is most highly
      correlated with the cell cycle. TGF-beta signaling and WNT signaling were
      significantly increased in the high YAP1 group according to gene set enrichment
      analysis. Taken together, our results suggest that not only high YAP1 expression
      but also its subcellular distribution may be associated with poor overall
      survival in patients with OSC.

PMID- 28339097
TI  - Erratum.

PMID- 28339096
TI  - Pathogenesis and management of antiphospholipid syndrome.
AB  - Antiphospholipid antibodies are a heterogeneous group of autoantibodies that have
      clear associations with thrombosis and pregnancy morbidity, and which together
      constitute the 'antiphospholipid syndrome' (APS). However, the pathophysiology of
      these complications is not well understood and their heterogeneity suggests that
      more than one pathogenic process may be involved. Diagnosis remains a combination
      of laboratory analysis and clinical observation but there have been significant
      advances in identifying specific pathogenic features, such as domain I-specific
      anti-beta2-glycoprotein-I antibodies. This in turn has pointed to endothelial and
      complement activation as important factors in the pathogenesis of APS.
      Consequently, although anticoagulation remains the standard treatment for
      thrombotic APS and during pregnancy, the realisation that these additional
      pathways are involved in the pathogenesis of APS has significant implications for
      treatment: agents acting outside the coagulation system, such as
      hydroxychloroquine for pregnancy complications and sirolimus as an inhibitor of
      the mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) pathway, are now under evaluation and
      represent a radical change in thinking for haematologists. Conventional
      anticoagulation is also under challenge from new, direct acting anticoagulants.
      This review will provide a comprehensive overview of the evolving understanding
      of APS pathogenesis and how this and novel therapeutics will alter diagnosis and
      management.

PMID- 28339099
TI  - Modern banking, collection, compatibility testing and storage of blood and blood
      components.

PMID- 28339098
TI  - Quality of life with cediranib in relapsed ovarian cancer: The ICON6 phase 3
      randomized clinical trial.
AB  - BACKGROUND: The ICON6 trial showed that cediranib, an oral inhibitor of vascular
      endothelial growth factor receptors 1, 2, and 3, improved clinical outcomes for
      patients with platinum-sensitive relapsed ovarian cancer when it was used with
      chemotherapy and was continued as maintenance therapy. This study describes
      health-related quality of life (QOL) during the first year of treatment. METHODS:
      Four hundred fifty-six women were randomly allocated to receive standard
      chemotherapy only, chemotherapy with concurrent cediranib, or chemotherapy with
      cediranib administered concurrently and continued as maintenance. Patients
      completed QOL questionnaires until disease progression every 3 weeks during
      chemotherapy and then every 6 weeks to 1 year. Patients alive with disease
      progression completed a QOL form 1 year after randomization. The primary QOL
      endpoint was the global score from the Quality of Life Questionnaire Core 30 (of
      the European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer) at 1 year, with
      the standard chemotherapy group compared with the concurrent-maintenance
      cediranib group. RESULTS: The rate of questionnaire compliance was 90% at the
      baseline and 76% at 1 year and was similar across the 3 groups. The mean global
      QOL score at 1 year was 62.6 points for the standard chemotherapy group and 68.7
      points for the concurrent-maintenance group (+4.5; 95% confidence interval, -2.0
      to 11.0; P = .18). Sensitivity analyses suggested that this finding was robust to
      the effect of missing data, and the improvement became statistically significant
      after adjustments for self-reported diarrhea. CONCLUSIONS: The 6th study by the
      International Collaboration in Ovarian Neoplasm (ICON6) showed a significant
      improvement in progression-free survival with cediranib as concurrent and
      maintenance therapy. No QOL detriment with cediranib was found 1 year after
      treatment was commenced. The maintenance of QOL along with prolonged cancer
      control suggests that cediranib has a valuable role in the treatment of relapsed
      ovarian cancer. Cancer 2017;123:2752-61. (c) 2017 The Authors. Cancer published
      by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. on behalf of American Cancer Society. This is an open
      access article under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which
      permits use, distribution and reproduction in any medium, provided the original
      work is properly cited.

PMID- 28339100
TI  - Search strategies for finding systematic reviews: reply from the authors.

PMID- 28339102
TI  - Erratum.

PMID- 28339101
TI  - Peers, Policies, and Place: The Relation Between Context and Ethnic/Racial
      Identity.
AB  - This manuscript introduces the special section, Context and Ethnic/Racial
      Identity.

PMID- 28339103
TI  - Iterative dataset optimization in automated planning: Implementation for breast
      and rectal cancer radiotherapy.
AB  - PURPOSE: To develop a new automated treatment planning solution for breast and
      rectal cancer radiotherapy. METHODS: The automated treatment planning solution
      developed in this study includes selection of the iterative optimized training
      dataset, dose volume histogram (DVH) prediction for the organs at risk (OARs),
      and automatic generation of clinically acceptable treatment plans. The iterative
      optimized training dataset is selected by an iterative optimization from 40
      treatment plans for left-breast and rectal cancer patients who received radiation
      therapy. A two-dimensional kernel density estimation algorithm (noted as two
      parameters KDE) which incorporated two predictive features was implemented to
      produce the predicted DVHs. Finally, 10 additional new left-breast treatment
      plans are re-planned using the Pinnacle3 Auto-Planning (AP) module (version 9.10,
      Philips Medical Systems) with the objective functions derived from the predicted
      DVH curves. Automatically generated re-optimized treatment plans are compared
      with the original manually optimized plans. RESULTS: By combining the iterative
      optimized training dataset methodology and two parameters KDE prediction
      algorithm, our proposed automated planning strategy improves the accuracy of the
      DVH prediction. The automatically generated treatment plans using the dose
      derived from the predicted DVHs can achieve better dose sparing for some OARs
      without compromising other metrics of plan quality. CONCLUSIONS: The proposed new
      automated treatment planning solution can be used to efficiently evaluate and
      improve the quality and consistency of the treatment plans for intensity
      modulated breast and rectal cancer radiation therapy.

PMID- 28339104
TI  - Transferable Antibiotic Resistances in Marketed Edible Grasshoppers (Locusta
      migratoria migratorioides).
AB  - Grasshoppers are the most commonly eaten insects by humans worldwide, as they are
      rich in proteins and micronutrients. This study aimed to assess the occurrence of
      transferable antibiotic resistance genes in commercialized edible grasshoppers.
      To this end, the prevalence of 12 selected genes [aac(6')-Ie aph(2")-Ia, blaZ,
      erm(A), erm(B), erm(C), mecA, tet(M), tet(O), tet(S), tet(K), vanA, vanB] coding
      for resistance to antibiotics conventionally used in clinical practice was
      determined. The majority of samples were positive for tet(M) (70.0%), tet(K)
      (83.3%) and blaZ (83.3%). A low percentage of samples were positive for erm(B)
      (16.7%), erm(C) (26.7%), and aac(6')-Ie aph(2")-Ia (13.3%), whereas no samples
      were positive for erm(A), vanA, vanB, tet(O), and mecA. Cluster analysis
      identified 4 main clusters, allowing a separation of samples on the basis of
      their country of origin.

PMID- 28339105
TI  - Influence of Extrusion Cooking on In Vitro Digestibility, Physical and Sensory
      Properties of Brazilian Pine Seeds Flour (Araucaria Angustifolia).
AB  - Brazilian pine seeds (pinhao) are gluten-free products derived from Araucaria
      angustifolia. The commercialization of these seeds is essentially associated with
      a low level of industrialization. In this context, extrusion cooking is a
      potential alternative for preparing extrudates of pinhao as a food product, which
      can be easily digested and is ready for human consumption. Brazilian pine seeds
      flour was processed in a single-screw extruder following a central composite
      rotatable design. Three factors (independent parameters) were considered:
      moisture content (14 to 22 g/100 g), screw speed (100 to 250 rpm), and
      temperature in the 3rd heating zone (120 to 200  degrees C). The structural
      characteristics, in vitro digestibility and sensory acceptance were also
      evaluated. The resistant starch contents is almost reduced to zero after
      extrusion cooking while the slowly digestible starch content is increased. An
      increase in moisture positively affected the hardness and the luminosity (L* ),
      although it negatively affected the volumetric expansion index, crispness, and
      color parameters (a* , b* , and DeltaE). The experimental conditions of this
      study allowed the production of expanded extrudates from Brazilian pine seeds
      with good expansion, texture properties, and acceptance qualities. Thus,
      extrusion cooking was found to be a potential method for the industrialization of
      Brazilian pine seeds as a food product.

PMID- 28339106
TI  - Incomplete ossification of the atlas in a dog: surgical stabilisation using a SOP
      plate.

PMID- 28339108
TI  - Very high-energy electron (VHEE) beams in radiation therapy; Treatment plan
      comparison between VHEE, VMAT, and PPBS.
AB  - PURPOSE: The aim of this study was to evaluate the performance of very high
      energy electron beams (VHEE) in comparison to clinically derived treatment plans
      generated with volumetric modulated arc therapy (VMAT) and proton pencil beam
      scanning (PPBS) technology. We developed a custom optimization script that could
      be applied automatically across modalities to eliminate operator bias during IMRT
      optimization. METHODS: Four clinical cases were selected (prostate cancer, lung
      cancer, pediatric brain tumor, and head and neck cancer (HNC)). The VHEE beams
      were calculated in the EGSnrc/DOSXYZnrc Monte Carlo code for 100 and 200 MeV
      beams. Treatment plans with VHEE, VMAT, and PPBS were optimized in a research
      version of RayStation using an in-house developed script to minimize operator
      bias between the different techniques. RESULTS: The in-house developed script
      generated similar or superior plans to the clinically used plans. In the
      comparisons between the modalities, the integral dose was lowest for the PPBS
      generated plans in all cases. For the prostate case, the 200 MeV VHEE plan showed
      reduced integral dose and reduced organ at risk (OAR) dose compared to the VMAT
      plan. For all other cases, both the 100 and the 200 MeV VHEE plans were superior
      to the VMAT plans, and the VHEE plans showed better conformity and lower spinal
      cord dose in the pediatric brain case and lower brain stem dose in the HNC case
      when compared to the PPBS plan. CONCLUSIONS: The automated optimization developed
      in this study generated similar or superior plans as compared to the clinically
      used plan and represents an unbiased approach to compare treatment plans
      generated for different modalities. In the present study, we also show that VHEE
      plans are similar or superior to VMAT plans with reduced mean OAR dose and
      increased target conformity for a variety of clinical cases, and VHEE plans can
      even achieve reductions in OAR doses compared to PPBS plans for shallow targets.
      With increased VHEE energy, better conformity and even higher reductions in mean
      OAR doses are achieved. On the whole, VHEE was intermediate between photon VMAT
      and PPBS for OAR sparing.

PMID- 28339107
TI  - Studies of signal estimation bias in grating-based x-ray multicontrast imaging.
AB  - PURPOSE: In grating-based x-ray multi-contrast imaging, signals of three contrast
      mechanisms-absorption contrast, differential phase contrast (DPC), and dark-field
      contrast-can be estimated from the same set of acquired data. The estimated
      signals, N0 (related to absorption), N1 (related to dark-field), and phi (related
      to DPC) may be intrinsically biased. However, it is yet unclear how large these
      biases are and how the data acquisition parameters affect the biases in the
      extracted signals. The purpose of this paper was to address these questions.
      METHODS: The biases of the extracted signals (i.e., N0 , N1 and phi) were
      theoretically studied for a well-known signal estimation method. Experimental
      data acquired from a grating-based x-ray multi-contrast benchtop imaging system
      with a photon counting detector were used to validate the theoretical results for
      the signal biases of the three contrast mechanisms. RESULTS: Both theoretical and
      experimental studies showed the following results: (1) The bias of signal
      estimation for the absorption contrast signal is zero; (2) The bias of signal
      estimation for N1 is inversely proportional to the number of phase steps and to
      the average fringe visibility of the grating interferometer, but the ratio
      between the bias and the signal level (i.e., the relative bias) is independent of
      the number of phase steps; (3) The bias of signal estimation for phi depends on
      the mean DPC signal level, the total exposure level of the multi-contrast data
      acquisition, and the mean fringe visibility of the interferometer. CONCLUSIONS:
      In grating-based x-ray multi-contrast imaging, the estimated absorption contrast
      signal is unbiased; the estimated dark-field contrast signal is biased, but the
      relative bias is only dependent on the mean fringe visibility of the
      interferometer and the exposure level. The estimated DPC signal may be biased,
      and the bias level depends on the mean signal level, the exposure level, and the
      interferometer performance.

PMID- 28339109
TI  - Validation of dynamic treatment-couch tracking for prostate SBRT.
AB  - PURPOSE: In stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT) of prostatic cancer, a
      high dose per fraction is applied to the target with steep dose gradients.
      Intrafractional prostate motion can occur unpredictably during the treatment and
      lead to target miss. This work investigated the dosimetric benefit of motion
      compensation with dynamic treatment-couch tracking for prostate SBRT treatments
      in the presence of prostatic motion. METHODS: Ten SBRT treatment plans for
      prostate cancer patients with integrated boosts to their index lesion were
      prepared. The treatment plans were applied with a TrueBeam linear accelerator to
      a phantom in (a) static reference position, (b) moved with five prostate motion
      trajectories without any motion compensation, and (c) with real-time compensation
      using transponder-guided couch tracking. The geometrical position of the
      electromagnetic transponder was evaluated in the tracked and untracked situation.
      The dosimetric performance of couch tracking was evaluated, using Gamma agreement
      indices (GAI) and other dose parameters. These were evaluated within the phantoms
      biplanar diode array, as well as target- and organ-specific. RESULTS: The root
      mean-square error of the motion traces (range: 0.8-4.4 mm) was drastically
      reduced with couch tracking (0.2-0.4 mm). Residual motion was mainly observed at
      abrupt direction changes with steep motion gradients. The phantom measurements
      showed significantly better GAI1%/1mm with tracked (range: 83.4%-100.0%) than
      with untracked motion (28.9%-99.7%). Also GAI2%/2mm was significantly superior
      for the tracked (98.4%-100.0%) than the untracked motion (52.3%-100.0%). The
      organ-specific evaluation showed significantly better target coverage with
      tracking. The dose to the rectum and bladder showed a dependency on the anterior
      posterior motion direction. CONCLUSIONS: Couch tracking clearly improved the
      dosimetric accuracy of prostate SBRT treatments. The treatment couch was able to
      compensate the prostatic motion with only some minor residual motion. Therefore,
      couch tracking combined with electromagnetic position monitoring for prostate
      SBRT is feasible and improves the accuracy in treatment delivery when prostate
      motion is present.

PMID- 28339111
TI  - Reflections on clinical trials - the distance from results to action.

PMID- 28339110
TI  - A fast, noniterative approach for accelerated high-temporal resolution cine-CMR
      using dynamically interleaved streak removal in the power-spectral encoded domain
      with low-pass filtering (DISPEL) and modulo-prime spokes (MoPS).
AB  - PURPOSE: To introduce a pair of accelerated non-Cartesian acquisition principles
      that when combined, exploit the periodicity of k-space acquisition, and thereby
      enable acquisition of high-temporal cine Cardiac Magnetic Resonance (CMR).
      METHODS: The mathematical formulation of a noniterative, undersampled non
      Cartesian cine acquisition and reconstruction is presented. First, a low-pass
      filtering step that exploits streaking artifact redundancy is provided (i.e.,
      Dynamically Interleaved Streak removal in the Power-spectrum Encoded domain with
      Low-pass filtering [DISPEL]). Next, an effective radial acquisition for the
      DISPEL approach that exploits the property of prime numbers is described (i.e.,
      Modulo-Prime Spoke [MoPS]). Both DISPEL and MoPS are examined using numerical
      simulation of a digital heart phantom to show that high-temporal cine-CMR is
      feasible without removing physiologic motion vs aperiodic interleaving using
      Golden Angles. The combined high-temporal cine approach is next examined in 11
      healthy subjects for a time-volume curve assessment of left ventricular systolic
      and diastolic performance vs conventional Cartesian cine-CMR reference. RESULTS:
      The DISPEL method was first shown using simulation under different streak cycles
      to allow separation of undersampled radial streaking artifacts from physiologic
      motion with a sufficiently frequent streak-cycle interval. Radial interleaving
      with MoPS is next shown to allow interleaves with pseudo-Golden-Angle variants,
      and be more compatible with DISPEL against irrational and nonperiodic rotation
      angles, including the Golden-Angle-derived rotations. In the in vivo data, the
      proposed method showed no statistical difference in the systolic performance,
      while diastolic parameters sensitive to the cine's temporal resolution were
      statistically significant (P < 0.05 vs Cartesian cine). CONCLUSIONS: We
      demonstrate a high-temporal resolution cine-CMR using DISPEL and MoPS, whose
      streaking artifact was separated from physiologic motion.

PMID- 28339112
TI  - Canine penile hirudiniasis: an unusual cause of bleeding from the prepuce.

PMID- 28339113
TI  - Preparation and Oxidation Stability Evaluation of Tea Polyphenols-Loaded Inverse
      Micro-Emulsion.
AB  - Compared to synthetic antioxidants, tea polyphenols (TPs) has its own advantages
      in edible oil industry, however, the hydrophilic properties have restricted its
      applications. In this study, the ternary phase diagram of TPs-loaded micro
      emulsion (ME) system was constructed, in which glyceryl monooleate (GMO),
      Tween80, linoleic acid as the surfactants, ethanol as the co-surfactant and
      soybean, corn, sunflower oil as the oil phase, have been used for the preparation
      of ME. The results indicated that a composition of ME (57.5% oil, 18% Tween80,
      18% GMO, 4% Linolic acid, and 2.5% water+ethanol) could dissolve maximum water
      and could stable for 2 mo at room temperature with an average diameter of 6 to 7
      nm, as detected by means of dynamic light scattering (DLS). The loaded of TPs
      into ME led to an increase of particle size to 15 to 16 nm, due to increased
      polarity of the water phase. The antioxidant capacity of TPs in ME was
      characterized by the peroxide value (POV) method. The addition of 1% water phase
      with 0.1 g/mL TPs could retain the POV at low value for 30 d at accelerating
      temperature 50  degrees C. Meanwhile, comparing the three edible oil, ME with
      corn oil has lower conductivity and higher value of POV during the storage. This
      work provides an efficient and environmentally friendly approach for the
      preparation of TPs-loaded ME, which is beneficial to the application of TPs in
      edible oil.

PMID- 28339114
TI  - Cervical Length in Patients at Risk for Placenta Accreta.
AB  - OBJECTIVES: To evaluate cervical length measurements in women with placenta
      accreta compared to women with a nonadherent low-lying placenta or placenta
      previa and evaluate this relationship in terms of vaginal bleeding, preterm
      labor, and preterm birth. METHODS: We conducted a retrospective cohort study
      between 1997 and 2011 of gravidas with more than 1 prior cesarean delivery who
      had a transvaginal ultrasound examination between 24 and 34 weeks for a low-lying
      placenta or placenta previa. Cervical length was measured from archived images in
      accordance with national guidelines by a single investigator, who was blinded to
      outcomes and ultrasound reports. The diagnosis of placental accreta was based on
      histologic confirmation. For study purposes, preterm birth was defined as less
      than 36 weeks, and cervical lengths of 3 cm or less were considered short.
      Standard statistical analyses were used. RESULTS: A total of 125 patients met
      inclusion criteria. The cohort was divided into patients with (n = 43 [34%]) and
      without (n = 82 [66%]) placenta accreta and stratified by gestational age at the
      ultrasound examinations. Women with placenta accreta had shorter cervical length
      measurements during their 32- to 34-week ultrasound examinations (mean +/- SD,
      3.23 +/- 0.98 versus 3.95 +/- 1.0 cm; P < .01) and were more likely to have a
      short cervix of 3 cm or less (P = .001). However, these findings did not
      correlate with the degree of invasion (P = .3), or higher rates of vaginal
      bleeding and preterm labor (P = .19) resulting in preterm birth before 36 weeks
      (P = .64). CONCLUSIONS: Women with placenta accreta had shorter cervical lengths
      at 32 to 34 weeks than women with a nonadherent low-lying placenta or placenta
      previa, but this finding did not correlate with a higher risk of vaginal bleeding
      or preterm labor resulting in preterm birth before 36 weeks.

PMID- 28339116
TI  - Technical Pitfalls in Sonography of the Inferior Vena Cava: Beware the Diaphragm.

PMID- 28339115
TI  - Near-IR and CP-OCT imaging of suspected occlusal caries lesions.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: Radiographic methods have poor sensitivity for occlusal lesions and
      by the time the lesions are radiolucent they have typically progressed deep into
      the dentin. New more sensitive imaging methods are needed to detect occlusal
      lesions. In this study, cross-polarization optical coherence tomography (CP-OCT)
      and near-IR imaging were used to image questionable occlusal lesions (QOC's) that
      were not visible on radiographs but had been scheduled for restoration on 30 test
      subjects. METHODS: Near-IR reflectance and transillumination probes incorporating
      a high definition InGaAs camera and near-IR broadband light sources were used to
      acquire images of the lesions before restoration. The reflectance probe utilized
      cross-polarization and operated at wavelengths from 1,500 to 1,700 nm where there
      is an increase in water absorption for higher contrast. The transillumination
      probe was operated at 1,300 nm where the transparency of enamel is highest.
      Tomographic images (6 * 6 * 7 mm3 ) of the lesions were acquired using a high
      speed swept-source CP-OCT system operating at 1,300 nm before and after removal
      of the suspected lesion. RESULTS: Near-IR reflectance imaging at 1,500-1,700 nm
      yielded significantly higher contrast (P < 0.05) of the demineralization in the
      occlusal grooves compared with visible reflectance imaging. Stains in the
      occlusal grooves greatly reduced the lesion contrast in the visible range
      yielding negative values. Only half of the 26 lesions analyzed showed the
      characteristic surface demineralization and increased reflectivity below the
      dentinal-enamel junction (DEJ) in 3D OCT images indicative of penetration of the
      lesion into the dentin. CONCLUSION: This study demonstrates that near-IR imaging
      methods have great potential for improving the early diagnosis of occlusal
      lesions. Lasers Surg. Med. 49:215-224, 2017. (c) 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

PMID- 28339117
TI  - Intraexaminer and Interexaminer Variability in 3D Fetal Volume Measurements
      During the Second and Third Trimesters of Pregnancy.
AB  - OBJECTIVES: To assess intraexaminer and interexaminer reliability of 3
      dimensional fetal sonographic measurements. METHODS: Three-dimensional fetal
      organ volumes (head, kidney, total thigh volume, and fractional thigh volume)
      were acquired during the second and third trimesters, with the addition of
      placental volume in the second trimester, by 2 different experienced, blinded
      sonographers. Fifty-eight fetuses were examined from 21 to 39 weeks' gestation.
      Intraexaminer and Interexaminer reliability was assessed with Bland-Altman plots,
      and their 95% limits of agreement and intraclass correlation coefficients.
      RESULTS: The most significant interexaminer error was observed in the second
      trimester kidney volume (95% limits of agreement, +/- 110%), and the best
      agreement was for the third-trimester fractional thigh volume (95% limits of
      agreement, +/- 25%) and second-trimester head volume (95% limits of agreement, 
      7%-25%). Second- and third-trimester intraclass correlation coefficient results
      were all greater than 0.75, apart from second-trimester kidney volume
      intraexaminer (0.374) and interexaminer (0.061) measurements, second-trimester
      placenta interexaminer measurements (0.390), and third-trimester kidney
      interexaminer measurements (0.647). CONCLUSIONS: Three-dimensional fetal
      sonographic volumes of the head, kidney, total thigh, and placenta have limited
      reproducibility, and improvements in measurement techniques are needed before
      they can be used routinely to assess fetal growth. The 3-dimensional fractional
      thigh volume can be reliably obtained in the late third trimester.

PMID- 28339118
TI  - Directional local field potential recordings for symptom-specific optimization of
      deep brain stimulation.

PMID- 28339119
TI  - Evidence brings hope for high-yield dopaminergic human-induced pluripotent stem
      cell transplant.

PMID- 28339120
TI  - Accessing Structurally Diverse Near-Infrared Cyanine Dyes for Folate Receptor
      Targeted Cancer Cell Staining.
AB  - Folate receptor (FR) targeting is one of the most promising strategies for the
      development of small-molecule-based cancer imaging agents considering that the FR
      is highly overexpressed on the surface of many cancer cell types. FR-targeted
      conjugates of near-infrared (NIR) emissive cyanine dyes are in advanced clinical
      trials for fluorescence-guided surgery and are valuable research tools for
      optical molecular imaging in animal models. Only a small number of promising
      conjugates has been evaluated so far. Analysis of structure-performance relations
      to identify critical factors modulating the performance of targeted conjugates is
      essential for successful further optimization. This contribution addresses the
      need for convenient synthetic access to structurally diverse NIR-emissive cyanine
      dyes for conjugation with folic acid. Structural variations were introduced to
      readily available cyanine precursors in particular via C-C-coupling reactions
      including Suzuki and (for the first time with these types of dyes) Sonogashira
      cross-couplings. Photophysical properties such as absorbance maxima, brightness,
      and photostability are highly dependent on the molecular structure. Selected
      modified cyanines were conjugated to folic acid for cancer cell targeting.
      Several conjugates display a favorable combination of high fluorescence
      brightness and photostability with high affinity to FR-positive cancer cells, and
      enable the selective imaging of these cells with low background.

PMID- 28339121
TI  - Connecting today's climates to future climate analogs to facilitate movement of
      species under climate change.
AB  - Increasing connectivity is an important strategy for facilitating species range
      shifts and maintaining biodiversity in the face of climate change. To date,
      however, few researchers have included future climate projections in efforts to
      prioritize areas for increasing connectivity. We identified key areas likely to
      facilitate climate-induced species' movement across western North America. Using
      historical climate data sets and future climate projections, we mapped potential
      species' movement routes that link current climate conditions to analogous
      climate conditions in the future (i.e., future climate analogs) with a novel
      moving-window analysis based on electrical circuit theory. In addition to tracing
      shifting climates, the approach accounted for landscape permeability and
      empirically derived species' dispersal capabilities. We compared connectivity
      maps generated with our climate-change-informed approach with maps of
      connectivity based solely on the degree of human modification of the landscape.
      Including future climate projections in connectivity models substantially shifted
      and constrained priority areas for movement to a smaller proportion of the
      landscape than when climate projections were not considered. Potential movement,
      measured as current flow, decreased in all ecoregions when climate projections
      were included, particularly when dispersal was limited, which made climate
      analogs inaccessible. Many areas emerged as important for connectivity only when
      climate change was modeled in 2 time steps rather than in a single time step. Our
      results illustrate that movement routes needed to track changing climatic
      conditions may differ from those that connect present-day landscapes.
      Incorporating future climate projections into connectivity modeling is an
      important step toward facilitating successful species movement and population
      persistence in a changing climate.

PMID- 28339122
TI  - Mortality risk in a nationwide cohort of individuals with tic disorders and with
      tourette syndrome.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Few studies have investigated mortality risk in individuals with tic
      disorders. METHODS: We thus measured the risk of premature death in individuals
      with tic disorders and with Tourette syndrome in a prospective cohort study with
      80 million person-years of follow-up. We estimated mortality rate ratios and
      adjusted for calendar year, age, sex, urbanicity, maternal and paternal age, and
      psychiatric disorders to compare individuals with and without tic disorders.
      RESULTS: The risk of premature death was higher among individuals with tic
      disorders (mortality rate ratio, 2.02; 95% CI, 1.49-2.66) and with Tourette
      syndrome (mortality rate ratio, 1.63; 95% CI, 1.11-2.28) compared with controls.
      After the exclusion of individuals with comorbid attention-deficit/hyperactivity
      disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder, and substance abuse, tic disorder
      remained associated with increased mortality risk (mortality rate ratio, 2.30;
      95% CI, 1.57-3.23), as did also Tourette Syndrome (mortality rate ratio, 1.81;
      95% CI, 1.11-2.75). CONCLUSIONS: These results are of clinical significance for
      clinicians and advocacy organizations. Several factors may contribute to this
      increased risk of premature death, and more research mapping out these factors is
      needed. (c) 2017 International Parkinson and Movement Disorder Society.

PMID- 28339123
TI  - DESolution of CD and CB Macrocycles.
AB  - Supramolecular chemistry utilizing the macrocyclic hosts cyclodextrins (CDs) and
      cucurbit[n]urils (CB[n]s) is traditionally performed in aqueous media; however,
      their solubility is typically poor, especially for the family of CB[n]s. Through
      derivatization of these macrocycles their solubility can be augmented to enable
      enhanced solubility in water and in some organic solvents. The increase in
      solubility of these derivatized macrocycles allows for their use in a wider range
      of chemical environments and giving rise to myriad potential applications. The
      dissolution of parent CDs (alpha-, beta- and gamma-) and CB[n]s (n=6-8) in deep
      eutectic solvents (DES) is reported, showing dramatic enhanced solubility of the
      larger species in both families, CB[7] and CB[8] as well as beta- and gamma-CD,
      respectively. Furthermore, the host-guest properties are maintained in this new
      solvation medium.

PMID- 28339124
TI  - Gliadin-reactive T cells in Italian children from preventCD cohort at high risk
      of celiac disease.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Newborns at high risk of celiac disease (CD) were recruited in Italy
      in the context of the PreventCD study and closely monitored for CD, from 4 months
      up to a mean age of 8 years at follow-up. The aim of our study was to investigate
      intestinal T-cell reactivity to gliadin at the first clinical and/or serological
      signs of CD. METHODS: Gliadin-reactive T-cell lines were generated from
      intestinal biopsies of 19 HLA-DQ2-or HLA-DQ8-positive children. At biopsy, 11
      children had a diagnosis of acute CD, two of potential CD, and six were non
      celiac controls. Immune reactivity was evaluated against gliadin and known
      immunogenic peptides from alpha-, gamma-, or omega-gliadins. The role of
      deamidation by transglutaminase (tTG) in determining the immunogenicity of
      gliadin was also investigated. RESULTS: Most of the children with CD (either
      acute or potential) had an inflammatory response to gliadin. Notably, signs of T
      cell reactivity to gliadin were also found in some non-celiac subjects, in which
      IFN-gamma responses occurred mainly when regulatory IL-10 and TGF-beta cytokines
      were blocked. Interestingly, PreventCD children reacted to gliadin peptides found
      active in adult CD patients, and tTG deamidation markedly enhanced gliadin
      recognition. CONCLUSIONS: T cells reactive to gliadin can be detected in the
      intestine of children at high risk of developing CD, in some cases also in the
      presence of a normal mucosa and negative CD-associated antibodies. Furthermore,
      children at a very early stage of CD recognize the same gliadin epitopes that are
      active in adult CD patients. Tissue transglutaminase strongly enhances gluten T
      cell immunogenicity in early CD.

PMID- 28339125
TI  - Is CuII Coordinated to Patellamides inside Prochloron Cells?
AB  - Dinuclear CuII -patellamide complexes (patellamides are naturally occurring
      cyclic pseudo-octapeptides) are known to be efficient catalysts for hydrolysis
      reactions of biological importance, for example, those of phosphatase, carbonic
      anhydrase, and glycosidase. However, the biological role of patellamides is still
      unknown. Patellamides were originally extracted from the sea squirt Lissoclinum
      patella, but are now known to be ribosomally expressed by the blue-green algae
      Prochloron that live in symbiosis with L. patella. In a further step to unravel
      the metabolic significance of the patellamide complexes, the question as to
      whether these are also formed inside Prochloron cells is addressed. In this
      study, a biocompatible patellamide-fluorescent dye conjugate has been introduced
      into living Prochloron cells and, by means of flow cytometry and confocal
      microscopy, it is shown that CuII ions are coordinated to patellamides in vivo.

PMID- 28339126
TI  - Boron-Doped Polygonal Carbon Nano-Onions: Synthesis and Applications in
      Electrochemical Energy Storage.
AB  - Doping of carbon nanostructures with heteroatoms, such as boron or nitrogen, is
      one of the most effective ways to change their properties to make them suitable
      for various applications. Carbon nano-onions (CNOs) doped with boron (B-CNOs)
      were prepared by annealing (1650  degrees C) nanodiamond particles (NDs) under an
      inert He atmosphere in the presence of B. Their physicochemical properties were
      measured using transmission (TEM) and scanning (SEM) electron microscopy, X-ray
      photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), 10 B and 11 B solid-state magic-angle spinning
      (MAS) NMR spectroscopy, X-ray powder diffraction (XRD), Raman spectroscopy,
      porosimetry, and differential-thermogravimetric analyses (TGA-DTG). These
      properties were systematically discussed for the undoped and B-doped CNO samples.
      The amount of substitutional B in the CNO samples varied from 0.76 to 3.21 at. %.
      The TEM, XRD, and Raman analyses revealed that the increased amount of B doping
      resulted in decreased interlayer spacing and polygonization of the structures,
      which in turn led to their unusual physicochemical properties. All synthesized
      materials were tested as electrodes for electrochemical capacitors. The B-CNOs
      with low concentration of doping agent exhibited higher reversible capacitances,
      mainly owing to the formation of hydrophilic polygonal nanostructures and higher
      porosity.

PMID- 28339127
TI  - Quantitative Ultrasound Texture Analysis for Differentiating Preterm From Term
      Fetal Lungs.
AB  - OBJECTIVES: To differentiate preterm (<37 weeks' gestation) from term (>=37
      weeks' gestation) fetal lungs by using quantitative texture analysis of
      ultrasound images. METHODS: This study retrospectively evaluated singleton
      gestations with valid dating at 20 weeks' gestational age (GA) or later between
      January 2015 and December 2015. Images were obtained from Voluson E8 ultrasound
      systems (GE Healthcare, Milwaukee, WI). A region of interest was selected in each
      fetal lung image at the level of the 4 heart chambers from an area that appeared
      most representative of the overall lung tissue and had the least shadow.
      Ultrasonic tissue heterogeneity (heterogeneity index) based on dynamic range
      calculation was determined for all lung images. This quantification was performed
      with a custom-made software program that used a dithering technique based on the
      Floyd-Steinberg algorithm, in which the pixels are transformed into a binary map.
      Regression analysis was used to determine the correlation and functional
      association between the heterogeneity index and GA. A receiver operating
      characteristic curve was used to identify the optimal heterogeneity index cutoff
      point for differentiating preterm from term fetal lungs. RESULTS: A total of 425
      fetal lung ultrasound images (313 preterm and 112 term) were analyzed.
      Quantitative texture analysis predicted GA with sensitivity and specificity of
      87.9% and 92.0%, respectively, based on the optimal receiver operating
      characteristic cutoff point. CONCLUSIONS: Quantitative ultrasound texture
      analysis of fetal lung tissue can differentiate preterm fetal lungs from term
      fetal lungs. Our data suggest that decreased fetal lung heterogeneity on
      ultrasound imaging is associated with preterm fetuses.

PMID- 28339129
TI  - Putting pyrodiversity to work for animal conservation.

PMID- 28339128
TI  - Life-course of atopy and allergy-related disease events in tropical sub-Saharan
      Africa: A birth cohort study.
AB  - BACKGROUND: In high-income countries, allergy-related diseases (ARDs) follow a
      typical sequence, the 'Atopic March'. Little is known about the life-course of
      ARDs in the markedly different, low-income, tropical environment. We describe
      ARDs in a tropical, African birth cohort. METHODS: Ugandan children were followed
      from birth to 9 years. ISAAC questionnaires were completed at intervals; doctor
      diagnosed ARDs were recorded throughout follow-up. Skin prick tests (SPTs) were
      performed at 3 and 9 years. Atopy was defined as >=1 positive SPT. RESULTS: Of
      the 2345 live-born children, 1214 (52%) were seen at 9 years. Wheeze and eczema
      were common in infancy, but by 9 years, only 4% reported recent wheeze, 5% eczema
      and 5% rhinitis. Between 3 and 9 years, atopy prevalence increased from 19% to
      25%. Atopy at 3 or 9 years was associated with reported ARD events at 9 years,
      for example OR = 5.2 (95% CI 2.9-10.7) for atopy and recent wheeze at 9 years.
      Reported or doctor-diagnosed ARD events in early childhood were associated with
      the same events in later childhood, for example OR = 4.4 (2.3-8.4) for the
      association between reported wheeze before 3 years with reported recent wheeze at
      9 years, but progression from early eczema to later rhinitis or asthma was not
      observed. CONCLUSION: Allergen sensitization started early in childhood and
      increased with age. Eczema and wheeze were common in infancy and declined with
      age. Atopy was strongly associated with ARD among the few affected children. The
      typical Atopic March did not occur. Environmental exposures during childhood may
      dissociate atopy and ARD.

PMID- 28339130
TI  - Partially hydrolyzed whey formula intolerance in cow's milk allergic patients.

PMID- 28339131
TI  - Tissue Deformation Index as a Reliable Measure of Lateral Abdominal Muscle
      Activation on M-Mode Sonography.
AB  - The aim of this article is to present a novel method of evaluating the activity
      of lateral abdominal muscles using M-mode sonography. The method leads to
      calculation of the tissue deformation index, representing the percent change in
      lateral abdominal muscle thickness over time. The objectives of this study were
      as follows: (1) to establish the mean tissue deformation index values for
      individual lateral abdominal muscles; and (2) to establish the reliability of the
      tissue deformation index. In a group of 34 healthy young volunteers (mean age,
      24.03 years; body mass, 68.89 kg; body height, 174.25 cm), the reflex response of
      the lateral abdominal muscles to postural perturbation in the form of rapid arm
      abduction was recorded in 2 series, with 6 repetitions each, and the tissue
      deformation index was calculated. The mean tissue deformation index values formed
      a gradient, increasing from deep to superficial lateral abdominal muscles:
      0.06%/ms for transversus abdominis, 0.11%/ms for oblique internal, and 0.16 for
      oblique external muscles. The tissue deformation index values differed
      significantly among individual lateral abdominal muscles (all paired comparisons,
      P < .001). Three repeated measurements are sufficient to achieve good intra-rater
      reliability of the tissue deformation index (intraclass correlation coefficient,
      > 0.8).

PMID- 28339132
TI  - Formation of endohedral metallofullerene (EMF) ions of MnC2m+ (M = La, Y, n <= 6,
      50 <= 2m <= 194) in the laser ablation process with graphene as precursor.
AB  - RATIONALE: Graphene has proved to be a versatile precursor for the generation of
      mono-endohedral metallofullerenes (EMFs) of alkali and alkali earth metal atoms.
      Thus, it is important to investigate whether graphene is also a good precursor
      for the generation of EMFs including multi-metal atoms or some transition metal
      atoms. METHODS: Experiments were performed on a 7.0 T Fourier transform ion
      cyclotron resonance (FT-ICR) mass spectrometer. Laser ablation mass spectra were
      obtained by laser irradiation on mixtures of graphene and LaCl3 , YCl3 or HAuCl4
      on a stainless steel plate. A 355 nm Nd:YAG laser with a typical energy of 2.5
      mJ/pulse was employed in these experiments. Tandem mass spectrometry was
      performed by on-resonance excitation collision-induced dissociation (CID) for
      selected single isotopic peaks. RESULTS: Metallofullerene La1-6C2m+/ Y1-6C2m+
      ions were observed in the laser ablation mass spectra of mixtures of graphene and
      LaCl3 /YCl3 . CID and reactant gas experiments on selected ions showed that these
      ions had endohedral structures. Considering the experimental condition applied
      here, a mechanism based on a top-down process for the generation of the EMF ions
      is suggested. Further experiments on HAuCl4 showed some weak signals of AuC2m+
      for the first time. CONCLUSIONS: Mono- and multi-EMF ions of MnC2m+ (M = La, Y, n
      = 1-6, 50 <= 2 m <= 194) were generated by laser ablation of graphene and the
      corresponding metal salts and detected by FT-ICR mass spectrometry. The results
      have shed light on the formation and generation of some new EMF species.
      Copyright (c) 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

PMID- 28339133
TI  - Prospective Comparison of Diagnostic Accuracy Between Point-of-Care and
      Conventional Ultrasound in a General Diagnostic Department: Implications for
      Resource-Limited Settings.
AB  - OBJECTIVES: To compare the diagnostic accuracy of hand-held point-of-care (POC)
      versus conventional sonography in a general diagnostic setting with the intention
      to inform medical providers or clinicians on the rational use of POC ultrasound
      in resource limited settings. METHODS: Over 3 months in 2010, 47 patients were
      prospectively enrolled at a single academic center to obtain 54 clinical
      conventional ultrasound examinations and 54 study-only POC ultrasound
      examinations. Indications were 48% abdominal, 26% retroperitoneal, and 24%
      obstetrical. Nine blinded readers (sonographers, residents, and attending
      radiologists) sequentially assigned diagnoses to POC and then conventional
      studies, yielding 476 interpreted study pairs. Diagnostic accuracy was obtained
      by comparing POC and conventional diagnoses to a reference diagnosis established
      by the unblinded, senior author. Analysis was stratified by study type, body mass
      index (BMI), diagnostic confidence, and image quality. RESULTS: The mean
      diagnostic accuracy of conventional sonography was 84% compared with 74% for POC
      (P < .001). This difference was constant regardless of reader, exam type, or BMI.
      The sensitivity and specificity to detect abnormalities with conventional was 85
      and 83%, compared with 75 and 68% for POC. The POC sonography demonstrated
      greater variability in image quality and diagnostic confidence, and this
      accounted for lower diagnostic accuracy. When image quality and diagnostic
      confidence were similar between POC and conventional examinations, there was no
      difference in accuracy. CONCLUSIONS: Point-of-care was nearly as accurate as
      conventional sonography for basic, focused examinations. Observed differences in
      accuracy were attributed to greater variation in POC image quality.

PMID- 28339134
TI  - Paranasal sinus lymphoma: Retrospective review with focus on clinical features,
      histopathology, prognosis, and relationship to systemic lymphoma.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Paranasal sinus lymphoma is a rare clinical entity. METHODS: We
      conducted a retrospective case series of 68 patients with biopsy-confirmed
      paranasal sinus lymphoma with attention on systemic disease association. RESULTS:
      Of 63 patients with paranasal sinus lymphoma, 35 (56%) had systemic involvement.
      Four patient groups were identified: (1) primary paranasal sinus lymphoma (44%);
      (2) systemic disease occurring concurrently with paranasal sinus lymphoma (25%);
      (3) paranasal sinus lymphoma with relapse of preexisting systemic lymphoma (22%);
      and (4) progression to systemic disease after primary paranasal sinus lymphoma
      (8%). Most of the patients with systemic disease were diagnosed at 50 + years and
      had positive smoking histories. There was a trend toward disease activity in the
      neighboring ocular location. For patients with preexisting systemic lymphoma, the
      mean time to paranasal sinus lymphoma was 65 months. When systemic lymphoma
      developed after localized paranasal sinus lymphoma, mean time to progression was
      23 months. Diffuse large B cell lymphoma was the most common paranasal sinus
      lymphoma. CONCLUSION: There is a risk of systemic involvement during the disease
      course of paranasal sinus lymphoma. Biopsy is the preferred first management step
      and should precede debulking or mass resection in nonemergent cases. (c) 2017
      Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Head Neck 39: 1065-1070, 2017.

PMID- 28339135
TI  - Integrated models to support multiobjective ecological restoration decisions.
AB  - Many objectives motivate ecological restoration, including improving vegetation
      condition, increasing the range and abundance of threatened species, and
      improving species richness and diversity. Although models have been used to
      examine the outcomes of ecological restoration, few researchers have attempted to
      develop models to account for multiple, potentially competing objectives. We
      developed a combined state-and-transition, species-distribution model to predict
      the effects of restoration actions on vegetation condition and extent, bird
      diversity, and the distribution of several bird species in southeastern
      Australian woodlands. The actions reflected several management objectives. We
      then validated the models against an independent data set and investigated how
      the best management decision might change when objectives were valued
      differently. We also used model results to identify effective restoration options
      for vegetation and bird species under a constrained budget. In the examples we
      evaluated, no one action (improving vegetation condition and extent, increasing
      bird diversity, or increasing the probability of occurrence for threatened
      species) provided the best outcome across all objectives. In agricultural lands,
      the optimal management actions for promoting the occurrence of the Brown
      Treecreeper (Climacteris picumnus), an iconic threatened species, resulted in
      little improvement in the extent of the vegetation and a high probability of
      decreased vegetation condition. This result highlights that the best management
      action in any situation depends on how much the different objectives are valued.
      In our example scenario, no management or weed control were most likely to be the
      best management options to satisfy multiple restoration objectives. Our approach
      to exploring trade-offs in management outcomes through integrated modeling and
      structured decision-support approaches has wide application for situations in
      which trade-offs exist between competing conservation objectives.

PMID- 28339137
TI  - Perioperative midazolam hypersensitivity in a seven-year-old boy.

PMID- 28339138
TI  - Cognitive Performance and the Alteration of Neuroendocrine Hormones in Chronic
      Tension-Type Headache.
AB  - Tension-type headache (TTH) is the most prevalent primary headache. Chronic TTH
      (CTTH), the most serious form of TTH, is refractory, with a high socio-economic
      burden. Research studies have shown patients with migraine often had cognitive
      impairment, but few studies have focused on the cognition in patients with CTTH.
      In this study, we assumed that patients with CTTH also have cognitive
      impairments, which are modulated by the neuroendocrine state. Participants were
      recruited, including patients with CTTH and healthy controls. Cognitive ability
      was evaluated using the Montreal Cognitive Assessment and the Nine Box Maze Test.
      The administration of neuroendocrine hormones has been established to be
      associated with cognitive performance, and we detected the hormonal changes in
      the hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal axis, the hypothalamus-pituitary-thyroid axis,
      and gonadotropin-releasing hormone. These results showed that compared to the
      controls, significant cognitive impairment and neuroendocrine dysfunction were
      present in the patients with CTTH. We also assessed the correlations between the
      neuroendocrine hormones and Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index score, 17-term
      Hamilton's Depression Scale score, pain intensity, and duration of pain to
      determine whether the neuroendocrine hormones had any associations with these
      symptoms of CTTH. These results showed that changes in neuroendocrine hormones
      were involved in these symptoms of CTTH. Intervention with the neuroendocrine
      state may be a strategy for CTTH treatment.

PMID- 28339136
TI  - Eosinophilic esophagitis phenotypes: Ready for prime time?
AB  - Eosinophilic esophagitis (EoE) is one of the most common causes of reflux-like
      symptoms and feeding problems in children and food impaction and dysphagia in
      adults with a prevalence of 1:2500. Therapeutic options include diet, use of
      swallowed corticosteroids, or dilation. In the last several years, recent
      clinical and translational researches have identified some common and distinctive
      features, for example, the varying response to diet and medications. As EoE
      shares some characteristics with both asthma and inflammatory bowel disease, the
      advances in these fields suggest that various phenotypes may also exist in
      patients with EoE. Here, we provide a rationale for EoE phenotypes and provide
      some suggestions for potential phenotypes based on histology, molecular
      signature, response to therapy or dietary therapy.

PMID- 28339139
TI  - Gender-based outcomes of bivalirudin versus heparin in patients undergoing
      percutaneous coronary interventions: Meta-analysis of randomized controlled
      trials.
AB  - OBJECTIVES: We aimed to perform a gender-based meta-analysis of the outcome of
      bivalirudin versus heparin in patients undergoing percutaneous coronary
      interventions (PCI). BACKGROUND: Bivalirudin has been shown to decrease major
      bleeding when compared to heparin +/- glycoprotein IIb/IIIa inhibitors (GPI) in
      patients undergoing PCI. It is unclear, however, if those differences in outcomes
      are the same for men and women. METHODS: We included randomized controlled trials
      (RCTs) that compared bivalirudin to heparin with or without GPI in patients
      undergoing PCI and reported outcome data that were stratified by gender. Random
      effect model was used to pool odds ratio (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI).
      RESULTS: We included 9 trials with 33,224 patients. Bivalirudin decreased major
      bleeding when compared to heparin plus routine GPI in both men (OR: 0.51, P <
      0.001) and women (OR: 0.55, P < 0.001). However, when GPI were used selectively
      with heparin, the bleeding lowering effect of bivalirudin was statistically
      significant in men (OR: 0.69, P = 0.02) but not in women (OR: 0.71, P = 0.21).
      When compared to heparin +/- GPI, there was a nonstatistically significant trend
      toward lower all-cause mortality with bivalirudin in both men (OR: 0.76, P =
      0.055) and women (OR: 0.79, P = 0.21). There were no significant differences in
      major adverse cardiovascular events between heparin and bivalirudin in both men
      and women. CONCLUSION: Bivalirudin decreases major bleeding in both men and women
      when compared to heparin plus routine GPI. However, when compared to heparin
      alone, the bleeding lowering benefit of bivalirudin is less evident in women. (c)
      2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

PMID- 28339140
TI  - Acquisition of voice onset time in toddlers at high and low risk for autism
      spectrum disorder.
AB  - Although language delay is common in autism spectrum disorder (ASD), research is
      equivocal on whether speech development is affected. We used acoustic methods to
      investigate the existence of sub-perceptual differences in the speech of toddlers
      who developed ASD. Development of the distinction between b and p was
      prospectively tracked in 22 toddlers at low risk for ASD (LRC), 22 at high risk
      for ASD without ASD (HRA-), and 11 at high risk for ASD who were diagnosed with
      ASD at 36 months (HRA+). Voice onset time (VOT), the main acoustic difference
      between b and p, was measured from spontaneously produced words at 18, 24, and 36
      months. Number of words, number of tokens (instances) of syllable-initial b and p
      produced, error rates, language scores, and motor ability were also assessed. All
      groups' mean language scores were within the average range or slightly higher. No
      between-group differences were found in number of words, b's, p's, or errors
      produced; or in mean or standard deviation of VOT. Binary logistic regression
      showed that only diagnostic status, not language score, motor ability, number of
      words, number of b's and p's, or number of errors significantly predicted whether
      a toddler produced acoustically distinct b and p populations at 36 months. HRA+
      toddlers were significantly less likely to produce acoustically distinct b's and
      p's at 36 months, which may indicate that the HRA+ group may be using different
      strategies to produce this distinction. Autism Res 2017. (c) 2017 International
      Society for Autism Research, Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Autism Res 2017, 10: 1269
      1279. (c) 2017 International Society for Autism Research, Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

PMID- 28339141
TI  - Don't touch me! autistic traits modulate early and late ERP components during
      visual perception of social touch.
AB  - Although individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) have impaired responses
      to interpersonal touch, the underlying neural correlates remain largely unknown.
      Here, we examined the neural correlates that underlie interpersonal touch
      perception in individuals with either high or low autistic traits. Fifty-three
      participants were classified as having either high or low autistic traits based
      on their performance on the autism quotient (AQ) questionnaire. We hypothesized
      that individuals with high AQ scores would have relatively high touch
      hypervigilance, reflected as earlier P1 and stronger late positive potential
      (LPP) responses, two components of event-related potentials that serve as
      electrophysiological markers of anxiety bias. We recorded each participant's
      electroencephalography activity during presentation of images depicting human
      touch, object touch, and non-touch control images. Consistent with our
      hypothesis, AQ scores were positively correlated with social touch aversion.
      Moreover, participants with high AQ scores had earlier P1 and stronger LPP
      responses when presented with human touch compared to the control images.
      Importantly, a regression model revealed that earlier P1 and larger LPP amplitude
      measured during social touch observation can accurately predict higher autistic
      trait levels. Taken together, these findings indicate that individuals with high
      levels of autistic traits may have a hypervigilant response to observed social
      touch. Autism Res 2017, 0: 000-000. (c) 2017 International Society for Autism
      Research, Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Autism Res 2017, 10: 1141-1154. (c) 2017
      International Society for Autism Research, Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

PMID- 28339143
TI  - Erratum.

PMID- 28339142
TI  - Selective effects of oral antiangiogenic tyrosine kinase inhibitors on an animal
      model of hereditary hemorrhagic telangiectasia.
AB  - : Essentials Antiangiogenic drugs are indicated as therapies for hereditary
      hemorrhagic telangiectasia. We interrogated the response to four antiangiogenic
      drugs for anemia and intestinal bleeding. Sorafenib and a pazopanib analog
      significantly improved while erlotinib worsened anemia. Some oral antiangiogenic
      drugs were effective in reducing intestinal bleeding. SUMMARY: Background
      Epistaxis and gastrointestinal (GI) tract hemorrhages are common symptoms of aged
      hereditary hemorrhagic telangiectasia (HHT) patients that result in anemia.
      Clinical as well as animal studies have suggested that vascular endothelial
      growth factor (VEGF) neutralizing antibodies lessen hemorrhage associated with
      adult-onset arteriovenous malformations (AVMs). Objectives The goal of this study
      is to evaluate potential therapeutic effects of oral delivery of four
      antiangiogenic tyrosine-kinase inhibitors (TKIs) in the development of adult
      onset AVMs in a murine model of HHT. Methods An adult activin receptor-like
      kinase 1 (Alk1)-inducible knockout (iKO) model was utilized to evaluate the
      effect of oral administration of sorafenib, sunitinib, erlotinib and a pazopanib
      analog (GW771806) on hemoglobin level, GI hemorrhages and formation of wound
      induced skin AVMs. Results and Conclusions Sorafenib and GW771806 significantly
      improved, yet erlotinib worsened, anemia and GI-bleeding in the Alk1-iKO model.
      However, none of these TKIs appeared to be effective for inhibiting the
      development of wound-induced skin AVMs. Taken together, these results suggest
      that oral delivery of antiangiogenic TKIs is selectively more effective for GI
      bleeding than mucocutaneous AVMs, and it may provide an experimental basis for
      selective therapeutic options depending on the symptoms of HHT.

PMID- 28339146
TI  - Planned parenthood, and female control over reproduction.

PMID- 28339145
TI  - Respiratory syncytial virus-Host interaction in the pathogenesis of bronchiolitis
      and its impact on respiratory morbidity in later life.
AB  - Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) is the most common agent of severe airway
      disease in infants and young children. Large epidemiologic studies have
      demonstrated a clear relationship between RSV infection and subsequent recurrent
      wheezing and asthma into childhood, thought to be predominantly related to long
      term changes in neuroimmune control of airway tone rather than to allergic
      sensitization. These changes appear to be governed by the severity of the first
      RSV infection in infancy which in term depends on viral characteristics and load,
      but perhaps as importantly, on the genetic susceptibility and on the
      constitutional characteristic of the host. A variety of viral and host factors
      and their interplay modify the efficiency of the response to infection, including
      viral replication and the magnitude of structural and functional damage to the
      respiratory structures, and ultimately the extent, severity, and duration of
      subsequent wheezing.

PMID- 28339147
TI  - Is gender just a category? The two-plus sex advantage.

PMID- 28339144
TI  - Australian and New Zealand Pulmonary Rehabilitation Guidelines.
AB  - BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: The aim of the Pulmonary Rehabilitation Guidelines
      (Guidelines) is to provide evidence-based recommendations for the practice of
      pulmonary rehabilitation (PR) specific to Australian and New Zealand healthcare
      contexts. METHODS: The Guideline methodology adhered to the Appraisal of
      Guidelines for Research and Evaluation (AGREE) II criteria. Nine key questions
      were constructed in accordance with the PICO (Population, Intervention,
      Comparator, Outcome) format and reviewed by a COPD consumer group for
      appropriateness. Systematic reviews were undertaken for each question and
      recommendations made with the strength of each recommendation based on the GRADE
      (Gradings of Recommendations, Assessment, Development and Evaluation) criteria.
      The Guidelines were externally reviewed by a panel of experts. RESULTS: The
      Guideline panel recommended that patients with mild-to-severe COPD should undergo
      PR to improve quality of life and exercise capacity and to reduce hospital
      admissions; that PR could be offered in hospital gyms, community centres or at
      home and could be provided irrespective of the availability of a structured
      education programme; that PR should be offered to patients with bronchiectasis,
      interstitial lung disease and pulmonary hypertension, with the latter in
      specialized centres. The Guideline panel was unable to make recommendations
      relating to PR programme length beyond 8 weeks, the optimal model for maintenance
      after PR, or the use of supplemental oxygen during exercise training. The
      strength of each recommendation and the quality of the evidence are presented in
      the summary. CONCLUSION: The Australian and New Zealand Pulmonary Rehabilitation
      Guidelines present an evaluation of the evidence for nine PICO questions, with
      recommendations to provide guidance for clinicians and policymakers.

PMID- 28339150
TI  - Application of a multivariate normal distribution methodology to the dissociation
      of doubly ionized molecules: The DMDS (CH3 -SS-CH3 ) case.
AB  - RATIONALE: The ion-ion-coincidence mass spectroscopy technique brings useful
      information about the fragmentation dynamics of doubly and multiply charged ionic
      species. We advocate the use of a matrix-parameter methodology in order to
      represent and interpret the entire ion-ion spectra associated with the ionic
      dissociation of doubly charged molecules. This method makes it possible, among
      other things, to infer fragmentation processes and to extract information about
      overlapped ion-ion coincidences. This important piece of information is difficult
      to obtain from other previously described methodologies. METHODS: A Wiley-McLaren
      time-of-flight mass spectrometer was used to discriminate the positively charged
      fragment ions resulting from the sample ionization by a pulsed 800 eV electron
      beam. We exemplify the application of this methodology by analyzing the
      fragmentation and ionic dissociation of the dimethyl disulfide (DMDS) molecule as
      induced by fast electrons. The doubly charged dissociation was analyzed using the
      Multivariate Normal Distribution. RESULTS: The ion-ion spectrum of the DMDS
      molecule was obtained at an incident electron energy of 800 eV and was matrix
      represented using the Multivariate Distribution theory. The proposed methodology
      allows us to distinguish information among [CHn SHn ]+ /[CH3 ]+ (n = 1-3)
      fragment ions in the ion-ion coincidence spectra using ion-ion coincidence data.
      Using the momenta balance methodology for the inferred parameters, a secondary
      decay mechanism is proposed for the [CHS]+ ion formation. As an additional check
      on the methodology, previously published data on the SiF4 molecule was re
      analyzed with the present methodology and the results were shown to be
      statistically equivalent. CONCLUSIONS: The use of a Multivariate Normal
      Distribution allows for the representation of the whole ion-ion mass spectrum of
      doubly or multiply ionized molecules as a combination of parameters and the
      extraction of information among overlapped data. We have successfully applied
      this methodology to the analysis of the fragmentation of the DMDS molecule.
      Copyright (c) 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

PMID- 28339149
TI  - Effect of Food Intake on the Pharmacodynamics of Tenapanor: A Phase 1 Study.
AB  - Tenapanor (RDX5791/AZD1722) is a minimally systemic small-molecule inhibitor of
      the sodium/hydrogen exchanger NHE3. Tenapanor acts in the gut to reduce
      absorption of sodium and phosphate. This phase 1 open-label, 3-way crossover
      study (NCT02226783) evaluated the effect of food on the pharmacodynamics of
      tenapanor. Eighteen volunteers completed a randomized sequence of three 4-day
      treatments with tenapanor hydrochloride 15 mg twice daily: before food, after
      food, and while fasting. Participants received a diet standardized for sodium
      content. Stool sodium was significantly higher with tenapanor administration
      before versus after food (difference, +8.8 mmol/day, P = .006) or while fasting
      (+11.8 mmol/day, P = .0004). Differences in urinary sodium were not significant.
      Stool phosphorus was not significantly different with tenapanor before versus
      after food and significantly higher before food versus while fasting (+4.9
      mmol/day, P = .006). Urinary phosphorus was significantly lower when tenapanor
      was administered before (-3.9 mmol/day, P = .0005) or after food (-3.7 mmol/day,
      P = .0009) versus while fasting. No serious adverse events were reported. These
      data suggest the effect of tenapanor on sodium absorption is most pronounced when
      administered before meals, whereas the effect on phosphate is similar whether
      administered before or after meals. This may support different timings of
      tenapanor administration with respect to food for sodium- and phosphate-related
      indications.

PMID- 28339151
TI  - Rapid identification of atypical tetracyclines using tandem mass spectrometric
      fragmentation patterns.
AB  - RATIONALE: When applying biosynthetic engineering approaches at the early stages
      of drug discovery, e.g. aiming to develop novel tetracycline analogues, target
      compounds are generally produced by engineered microorganisms in low yields.
      Rapid and reliable identification of metabolites with desired structural
      modification directly from bacterial cultures is therefore of great importance.
      METHODS: Structural elucidation of atypical tetracyclines was carried out by
      fragmentation applying electrospray ionisation tandem mass spectrometry (ESI
      MS/MS) (triple quadrupole - linear ion trap; Applied Biosystems 4000 QTRAP) and a
      high-resolution mass spectrometer (Agilent Technologies 6224 TOF). Fragmentation
      patterns were obtained either with direct injection or by applying separation of
      target compounds with high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) prior to mass
      spectrometry. In-source and CID fragmentation were compared. Theoretical
      calculations of target structures using the Gaussian programme suite were carried
      out with the aim of strengthening experimental structural elucidation. RESULTS:
      Recombinant strains of Amycolatopsis sulphurea producing atypical tetracyclines
      chelocardin, modified chelocardin analogues (9-demethylchelocardin and 2
      carboxyamido-2-deacetyl-chelocardin (CDCHD), and anhydrotetracycline (ATC) were
      analysed by collision-induced dissociation (CID) fragmentation with higher
      collision energies to yield structurally important fragments which were
      identified. We have demonstrated that ATC is more prone to fragmentation compared
      to its epimer, which was further supported by comparison of both structures
      calculated with ab initio calculations. CONCLUSIONS: We have demonstrated that
      fragmentation patterns of atypical tetracyclines in CID-MS spectra enable rapid
      structural elucidation of target metabolites produced by cultures of genetically
      engineered bacteria. This method is of significant importance for early stages of
      drug development considering that isolation of target metabolites produced at low
      concentration is challenging. Copyright (c) 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

PMID- 28339152
TI  - Fragmentation pathways of synthetic and naturally occurring coumarin derivatives
      by ion trap and quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry.
AB  - RATIONALE: Synthetic and natural coumarin derivatives possess a wide range of
      biological activities. Fragmentation pathway studies are important in identifying
      both naturally occurring coumarins and synthetic coumarins with novel structures
      and properties. METHODS: The fragmentation pathways of eleven coumarin
      derivatives are investigated by electrospray ionization (ESI) ion-trap mass
      spectrometry (ESI-ITMSn ) and ESI quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry
      (QTOFMS) in positive mode. Compounds 1-9 in this study were newly synthesized in
      our laboratory. Compounds 10 and 11 were isolated from the root of Zanthoxylum
      armatum. RESULTS: The major fragmentation pathways for 11 coumarin derivatives
      are greatly affected by the heterocyclic ring structures and the side-chain
      substituents. Typical losses of small neutral molecules, such as CH3 CH2 OH, CH2
      =CH2 , CO, and H2 O, are observed for compounds 1-5. Compounds 6-9 share similar
      fragmentation pathways through losses of CO, aromatic rings, and the coumarin
      skeleton. The main product ions at m/z 205, 219, and 220 observed for compounds
      10 and 11 are produced by the loss of C5 H12 O2 , C4 H10 O2 , and the C4 H9 O2
      radical, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: The fragmentation pathways of 11 coumarin
      derivatives are elucidated based on ITMSn and QTOFMS spectral data. Differences
      in the structures of the heterocyclic rings and side-chain substituents strongly
      affect the fragmentation pathways of the coumarins. The present results will
      facilitate further research into the fragmentation pathways and structural
      characterization of these classes of compounds with diverse structures. Copyright
      (c) 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

PMID- 28339153
TI  - Protonated N-benzyl- and N-(1-phenylethyl)tyrosine amides dissociate via
      ion/neutral complexes.
AB  - RATIONALE: The collisional-induced dissociations (CID) of the [M+H]+ ions of
      molecules having benzyl groups attached to N-atoms have been proposed to involve
      migration of the benzyl group through the intermediacy of ion/neutral complexes
      (INCs). We report the investigation of the mechanism of dissociation of
      protonated N-benzyl- and N-(1-phenylethyl)tyrosine amides by electrospray
      ionization (ESI) tandem mass spectrometry (MS/MS) and density functional theory
      (DFT) calculations. METHODS: The amides were synthesized from the corresponding
      amino acids and amines. The ESI-MS/MS spectra were recorded using an Agilent QTOF
      6540 mass spectrometer. The DFT calculations were performed by using Gaussian 09
      software. The structures of the [M+H]+ ions, intermediates, products and
      transition states (TS) were optimized at the B3LYP/6-31G(d,p) level of theory.
      RESULTS: CID of the [M+H]+ ions of N-benzyltyrosine amide yields two product ions
      due to rearrangements: (i) the [M+H-74]+ ion (m/z 197) due to benzyl migration to
      the hydroxyphenyl ring and (ii) the [M+H-45]+ ion (m/z 226) due to benzyl
      migration to the NH2 group. DFT calculations suggest that the rearrangements
      occur through an INC in which the benzyl cation is the cation partner. The [M+H]+
      ion of N-(1-phenylethyl)tyrosine amide rearranges to an INC of the 1-phenylethyl
      cation. Subsequent elimination of styrene occurs by transfer of a proton from the
      1-phenylethyl cation to the neutral partner. CONCLUSIONS: The [M+H]+ ions of both
      N-benzyl (1) and N-(1-phenylethyl) (2) tyrosine amide rearrange into INCs. The
      dissociation of [M+H]+ ion of 1 yields the benzyl cation and [M+H-74]+ and [M+H
      45]+ due to benzyl migration to the hydroxyphenyl ring and NH2 group,
      respectively. However, the formation of the [M+H-74]+ ion is not observed when
      the aromatic ring is deactivated. The [M+H]+ ion of 2 either dissociates to form
      the 1-phenylethyl cation or [M+H-styrene]+ . Copyright (c) 2015 John Wiley &
      Sons, Ltd.

PMID- 28339154
TI  - The genomic sequences near the mir-23b-27b-24-1 cluster form G-quadruplexes and
      are selectively bound by the natural alkaloid tetrandrine.
AB  - RATIONALE: Although the microRNAs miR-23b, miR-27b and miR-24 are located in the
      same cluster, their expressions in various pathological states are not always
      comparable. By searching the genomic sequence around mir23b-27b-24-1 in rat, we
      identified three potential G-quadruplex sequences (PQS) which can fold into
      different types of G-quadruplexes, including parallel or antiparallel. Natural
      alkaloids, tetrandrine (TET), displayed different binding affinity with the three
      G-quadruplexes which may potentially regulate the expression of mir23b-27b-24-1
      cluster members. METHODS: Both electrospray ionization mass spectrometry (ESI-MS)
      and circular dichroism (CD) spectroscopy were utilized to detect the formation of
      G-quadruplexes. Six small molecules were screened by ESI-MS for their binding
      affinity with three G-quadruplexes, which were evaluated by their IRa values.
      RESULTS: The results of ESI-MS and CD experiments confirmed the formation of
      three G-quadruplexes neighboring the mir23b-27b-24-1 cluster; two of them adopted
      antiparallel G-quadruplexes, another adopted a parallel G-quadruplex. Screening
      of small molecules by ESI-MS showed tetrandrine had selective binding affinity
      for the parallel G-quadruplex. G-quadruplex stabilization by tetrandrine was
      verified by CD variable temperature measurements. CONCLUSIONS: The gene of the
      mir23b-27b-24-1 cluster harbors three G-quadruplexes with typical sequences and
      structures. Tetrandrine had a selective binding affinity to the parallel G
      quadruplex and stabilized it significantly. Copyright (c) 2015 John Wiley & Sons,
      Ltd.

PMID- 28339155
TI  - Use of atmospheric pressure solids analysis probe time-of-flight mass
      spectrometry to screen for plasticisers in gaskets used in contact with foods.
AB  - RATIONALE: Plasticisers are used in the PVC gaskets of metal closures on glass
      jars and bottles used for foods and beverages. They may migrate and so
      contaminate the packed foodstuff. The plasticisers are present in a high
      proportion and are often a complex mixture of substances leading to time
      consuming analytical methodologies. This work describes a rapid screening method
      to identify the plasticisers used. METHODS: Analysis was carried out by direct
      sampling of the gaskets using atmospheric pressure solids analysis probe (ASAP)
      with time-of-flight (TOF) mass spectrometry (MS) using a SYNAPT G2 HDMS system.
      The accurate mass information collected was then compared to a user-prepared
      database of plasticisers to aid identification. RESULTS: The rapid identification
      approach was shown to be successful for 24 gasket samples previously analysed by
      alternative more lengthy gas chromatographic (GC) methods. Quantification by
      dissolution followed by standard addition was also demonstrated to be reliable.
      CONCLUSIONS: The ASAP-TOFMS method is a useful technique for rapidly screening
      gaskets for the presence of plasticisers. It can be used to identify specific
      gaskets deserving of further quantitative analysis by chromatographic methods,
      saving time and money by avoiding unnecessary analyses. Copyright (c) 2015 John
      Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

PMID- 28339156
TI  - A high-resolution accurate mass (HR/AM) approach to identification, profiling and
      characterization of in vitro nefazodone metabolites using a hybrid quadrupole
      Orbitrap (Q-Exactive).
AB  - RATIONALE: This paper describes a strategy for the profiling and identification
      of metabolites based on chemical group classification using high-resolution
      accurate mass (HR/AM) full scan mass spectrometry (MS) and All-Ion fragmentation
      (AIF) MS2 data. METHODS: The proposed strategy uses a hybrid quadrupole Orbitrap
      (Q-Exactive) employing stepped normalised collision energy (NCE) at 35% and 80%
      to produce key chemically diagnostic product ions from full coverage of the
      product ion spectrum. This approach allows filtering of high-resolution AIF MS2
      data in order to identify parent-related compounds produced following incubation
      in rat liver microsomes (RLMs). RESULTS: An antidepressant drug, nefazodone
      (NEF), was selected as the model test compound to demonstrate the proposed
      workflow for metabolite profiling. This resulted in the identification of three
      indicative chemical groups within NEF: triazolone, phenoxy and
      chlorophenylpiperazine. High-resolution mass spectrometry provides increased
      specificity to distinguish between two characteristic product ion masses m/z
      154.0975 (C7 H12 N3 O) and 154.0419 (C8 H9 NCl), which are not fully resolved by
      spectrometers operating at nominal mass resolution, indicative of compounds
      containing the triazolone and chlorophenylpiperazine moieties, respectively.
      CONCLUSIONS: This post-acquisition processing strategy provides comprehensive
      detection and identification of high- and low-level metabolites from an 'all-in
      one' analysis. This enables functional groups to be systematically traced across
      a wide range of metabolites, leading to the successful identification of 28 in
      vitro NEF-related metabolites. In our hands this approach has been applied to
      agrochemical environmental fate and dietary metabolism studies, as well as
      metabolomics and biomarker analysis. Copyright (c) 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

PMID- 28339157
TI  - Determination of residence times of ions in a resistive glass selected ion flow
      drift tube using the Hadamard transformation.
AB  - RATIONALE: Selected ion flow tube mass spectrometry, SIFT-MS, used for trace gas
      analyses has certain fundamental limitations that could be alleviated by adding a
      facility that allows reaction times and ion interaction energies to be varied.
      Thus, a selected ion flow-drift tube, SIFDT, has been created to explore the
      influence of an embedded electric field on these parameters and on reaction
      processes. METHODS: The new SIFTD instrument was constructed using a miniature
      resistive glass drift tube. Arrival times of ions, t, analysed by a downstream
      quadrupole mass spectrometer over the m/z range 10-100 were studied by modulating
      the injected ion current using a gate lens. Single pulse modulation was compared
      with pseudorandom time multiplexing exploiting the Hadamard transformation. A
      simple model involving analysis of ethanol and water vapour mixture in air was
      used to explore the advantages of the SIFDT concept to SIFT-MS analysis. RESULTS:
      It is shown that the resistive glass drift tube is suitable for SIFDT
      experiments. The Hadamard transformation can be used to routinely determine
      reagent ion residence time in the flow-drift tube and also to observe differences
      in arrival times for different product ions. Two-dimensional data combining
      arrival time and mass spectra can be obtained rapidly. The calculated ion drift
      velocities vary with the reduced field strength, E/N, and the calculated ion
      mobilities agree with theoretical and previous literature values. CONCLUSIONS:
      This study has provided evidence that the SIFDT-MS technique can be implemented
      in a miniature and low-cost instrument and two- or three-dimensional data can be
      obtained (product ion count rates as functions of m/z, t and E/N) using the
      Hadamard transformation thus providing exciting possibilities for further
      analytical additions and extensions of the SIFT-MS technique. Copyright (c) 2015
      John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

PMID- 28339158
TI  - Use of flower-like gold nanoparticles in time-of-flight mass spectrometry.
AB  - RATIONALE: Many kinds of nanoparticles (NPs) have been used for mass spectrometry
      (MS) so far. Here we report the first use of flower-like gold nanoparticles
      (AuNPs) as a mediator to enhance ionization in MS of peptides and proteins.
      METHODS: Flower-like AuNPs were characterized using transmission and scanning
      electron microscopy, UV-VIS spectrophotometry, and laser desorption/ionization
      (LDI)-MS and compared with polyhedral AuNPs. Mass spectra were obtained in
      positive ion mode using a time-of-flight (TOF) analyzer coupled with either
      matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization (MALDI) or surface-assisted laser
      desorption/ionization (SALDI) methods. RESULTS: The intensities of peptide peaks
      (m/z 500-3500) were up to 7.5* and up to 7* higher using flower-like AuNPs and
      flower-like AuNPs-enriched alpha-cyano-4-hydroxycinnamic acid (CHCA) matrix
      respectively, than the classical CHCA matrix. The signals of higher mass
      peptide/protein peaks (m/z 3600-17000) were up to 2* higher with using flower
      like AuNPs-enriched CHCA matrix than conventional CHCA matrix. The signal of
      profile peaks generated by intact cell MALDI-TOFMS of fibroblast suspension (m/z
      4000-20000) was 2* higher with using flower-like AuNPs combined with sinapinic
      acid (SA) compared to SA matrix alone. The use of flower-like AuNPs as internal
      calibration standard for the calibration of MS spectra of peptides was performed.
      CONCLUSIONS: Flower-like AuNPs and flower-like AuNPs combined with CHCA or SA as
      combined matrices for MS measurement of peptides and proteins were used.
      Comparison of the conventional MALDI method and our method with flower-like AuNPs
      was carried out. In addition, gold clusters generated from flower-like AuNPs by
      SALDI provide a suitable internal calibration standard for MS analysis of
      peptides. Copyright (c) 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

PMID- 28339159
TI  - Differences in survival outcome for severely injured paediatric trauma by type of
      trauma centre.
AB  - AIM: Whether treatment at paediatric trauma centres (PTCs) provides a survival
      advantage for injured children over treatment at adult trauma centres (ATCs)
      remains inconclusive. This study examines the association between trauma centre
      type and in-hospital mortality for severely injured paediatric trauma patients in
      New South Wales, Australia. METHODS: A retrospective examination of paediatric
      patient characteristics (aged <=15 years), treatment and injury outcome was
      conducted using data from the New South Wales Trauma Registry for 2009-2014.
      Logistic regression was used to examine the association of in-hospital mortality
      and type of trauma centre. RESULTS: There were 1230 children who were severely
      injured (i.e. Injury Severity Score; ISS > 12) and 81.0% received definitive care
      at a PTC. Two-thirds were male, 37.8% were aged 11-15 years and falls represented
      32.0% of the injuries. Almost half (48.9%) the injured children had an ISS
      between 16 and 24, 31.9% between 25 and 39 and 3.8% an ISS between 40 and 75. The
      mean and median hospital length of stay was 17.5 and 5 days, respectively. Fifty
      percent of children that received definitive care at a PTC were admitted to an
      ICU compared to 23.9% at a Level 1 ATC. There were 119 (9.7%) in-hospital deaths.
      Children aged <=15 years who were treated at a Level 1 ATC had 6.1 times higher
      odds of not surviving their injuries than if treated at a PTC. CONCLUSION:
      Children who received definitive care at a PTC had a survival advantage compared
      to those treated at a Level 1 ATC. Prospectively examining the processes of care
      for severely injured children may assist in identification of quality and system
      changes required to ensure optimal trauma care within the health-care system.

PMID- 28339161
TI  - Corrigendum.

PMID- 28339160
TI  - Biofortification of riboflavin and folate in idli batter, based on fermented
      cereal and pulse, by Lactococcus lactis N8 and Saccharomyces boulardii SAA655.
AB  - AIMS: Lactococcus lactis N8 and Saccharomyces boulardii SAA655 were investigated
      for their ability to synthesize B-vitamins (riboflavin and folate) and their
      functional role as microbial starters in idli fermentation. METHODS AND RESULTS:
      In this study, ultra-high performance liquid chromatography and microbiological
      assay were used to determine the total riboflavin and folate content
      respectively. Increased levels of folate were evident in both L. lactis N8 and S.
      boulardii SAA655 cultivated medium. Enhanced riboflavin levels were found only in
      S. boulardii SAA655 grown medium, whereas decreased riboflavin level was found in
      L. lactis N8 cultivated medium. To evaluate the functional role of microbial
      starter strains, L. lactis N8 and S. boulardii SAA655 were incorporated
      individually and in combination into idli batter, composed of wet grounded rice
      and black gram. For the experiments, naturally fermented idli batter was
      considered as control. The results indicated that natural idli fermentation did
      not enhance the riboflavin level and depleted folate levels by half. In
      comparison with control, L. lactis N8 and S. boulardii SAA655 incorporated idli
      batter (individually and in combination) increased riboflavin and folate levels
      by 40-90%. Apart from compensating the folate loss caused by natural
      fermentation, S. boulardii SAA655 fermented idli batter individually and in
      combination with L. lactis N8 also showed the highest leavening character.
      Moreover, the microbial starter incorporation did not significantly influence the
      pH of idli batter. CONCLUSION: Incorporation of L. lactis N8 and S. boulardii
      SAA655 can evidently enhance the functional and technological characteristics of
      idli batter. SIGNIFICANCE AND IMPACT OF THE STUDY: UN General Assembly declared
      2016 the International Year of pulses emphasizing the importance of legumes as
      staple food. Furthermore, this is the first experimental report of in situ
      biofortifcation of riboflavin and folate using microbes in pulse based fermented
      staple food. The current study suggests possible avenues for research towards an
      economical strategy to reduce B-vitamin deficiency among the consuming
      population.

PMID- 28339162
TI  - Sofosbuvir-based treatment is safe and effective in Indian hepatitis C patients
      on maintenance haemodialysis: A retrospective study.
AB  - AIM: This study evaluates the safety and efficacy of direct-acting antivirals
      (DAAs) including sofosbuvir, ledipasvir and daclatasvir in patients with
      hepatitis C viraemia who were on maintenance haemodialysis. METHODS: Data on
      patients who received sofosbuvir and ribavirin were analysed. Patients who
      experienced treatment failure with the above regimen received sofosbuvir and
      ledipasvir for infection with hepatitis C virus (HCV) genotype 1. Those having
      HCV genotype 3 infection received sofosbuvir and daclatasvir. All treatment
      regimens were of 12 weeks duration. Side-effects were investigated. The HCV viral
      load was determined by RT-PCR at 4,16 and 24 weeks after the initiation of
      therapy; haemoglobin levels and liver function tests were monitored at regular
      intervals during therapy. RESULTS: Of the 22 subjects initially treated with
      sofosbuvir and ribavirin, 72.72% attained sustained virologic response at 12
      weeks (SVR12). Four patients experienced treatment failure and received genotype
      specific therapy. Patients with HCV genotype one received sofosbuvir with
      ledipasvir. One patient with HCV genotype 3 infection received sofosbuvir and
      daclatasvir. All of them attained SVR12. A statistically significant reduction in
      the median serum glutamic-oxaloacetic transaminase (SGOT) and Serum glutamic
      pyruvic transaminase (SGPT) were observed from the baseline until the end of
      treatment. Anaemia was observed in 45% of patients receiving ribavirin.
      CONCLUSIONS: Our study demonstrates that sofosbuvir-based therapy is efficacious
      for HCV viraemia in patients on maintenance haemodialysis. The therapy was found
      to be reasonably safe with no major adverse effects noted with the use of
      sofosbuvir, ledipasvir or daclatasvir. However, larger studies are needed to
      validate our results.

PMID- 28339164
TI  - Are schizophrenia, autistic, and obsessive spectrum disorders dissociable on the
      basis of neuroimaging morphological findings?: A voxel-based meta-analysis.
AB  - Schizophrenia spectrum disorder (SCZD), autism spectrum disorder (ASD), and
      obsessive-compulsive spectrum disorder (OCSD) are considered as three separate
      psychiatric conditions with, supposedly, different brain alterations patterns.
      From a neuroimaging perspective, this meta-analytic study aimed to address
      whether this nosographical differentiation is actually supported by different
      brain patterns of gray matter (GM) or white matter (WM) morphological
      alterations. We explored two possibilities: (a) to find out whether GM
      alterations are specific for SCZD, ASD, and OCSD; and (b) to associate the
      identified brain alteration patterns with cognitive dysfunctions by means of an
      analysis of lesion decoding. Our analysis reveals that these psychiatric spectra
      do not present clear distinctive patterns of alterations; rather, they all tend
      to be distributed in two alteration clusters. Cluster 1, which is more specific
      for SCZD, includes the anterior insular, anterior cingulate cortex, ventromedial
      prefrontal cortex, and frontopolar areas, which are parts of the cognitive
      control system. Cluster 2, which is more specific for OCSD, presents occipital,
      temporal, and parietal alteration patterns with the involvement of sensorimotor,
      premotor, visual, and lingual areas, thus forming a network that is more
      associated with the auditory-visual, auditory, premotor visual somatic functions.
      In turn, ASD appears to be uniformly distributed in the two clusters. The three
      spectra share a significant set of alterations. Our new approach promises to
      provide insight into the understanding of psychiatric conditions under the aspect
      of a common neurobiological substrate, possibly related to neuroinflammation
      during brain development. Autism Res 2017. (c) 2017 International Society for
      Autism Research, Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Autism Res 2017, 10: 1079-1095. (c) 2017
      International Society for Autism Research, Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

PMID- 28339165
TI  - A randomised controlled trial of sodium citrate spray for non-conductive
      olfactory disorders.
AB  - OBJECTIVES: Previous research has suggested that sodium citrate improves hyposmia
      by decreasing mucus calcium levels in the nose. This study aimed to confirm or
      refute this effect in a single application and assess potential side-effects.
      DESIGN: Study design was a randomised double-blind controlled trial of sodium
      citrate nasal spray (intervention) vs sterile water (control). Fifty-five
      patients with non-conductive olfactory loss were randomised to receive the
      intervention or placebo. SETTING: Tertiary care clinic. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES:
      The primary outcome measure was improvement in measured olfactory thresholds for
      phenyl ethyl alcohol (PEA) over 2 hours. Other outcome measures assessed were
      improvement in olfactory thresholds in 1-butanol, eucalyptol and acetic acid;
      number of responders with a clinically relevant response in each arm; and adverse
      effects. RESULTS: A significant effect was seen in the intervention arm for PEA
      and for 1-butanol and eucalyptol when compared to the control arm (P<.05); 32% of
      the intervention arm responded in terms of improved sensitivity towards some of
      the odours. Minor adverse effects noted included sore throat, nasal paraesthesia,
      slight rhinorrhoea and itching. The duration of effect of the citrate is
      transient, peaking at 30-60 minutes after application. CONCLUSIONS: Sodium
      citrate yields some potential as a treatment for non-conductive olfactory loss;
      however, these findings require corroboration in further clinical trials looking
      at longer term regular use of the spray as a viable therapeutic option for
      patients where it would be applied at frequent intervals such as before
      mealtimes.

PMID- 28339166
TI  - Pharmacokinetics, Pharmacodynamics, Pharmacogenomics, Safety, and Tolerability of
      Avatrombopag in Healthy Japanese and White Subjects.
AB  - Avatrombopag, an orally administered, small-molecule thrombopoietin receptor (c
      Mpl) agonist, is currently in clinical development for the potential treatment of
      severe thrombocytopenia in patients with chronic liver disease undergoing an
      elective procedure. The objectives of this study were to characterize and compare
      the pharmacokinetics (including the food effect) and pharmacodynamics (platelet
      count) of avatrombopag following single doses in Japanese and white subjects.
      Following single dosing under fasted and fed conditions, mean peak concentrations
      occurred at 5 to 8 hours and subsequently declined with a half-life of 16 to 18
      hours in Japanese and white subjects. Administration with food did not alter the
      rate or extent of avatrombopag absorption but substantially reduced
      pharmacokinetic variability relative to the fasted state. CYP2C9 polymorphism
      (*2, *3) was associated with higher pharmacokinetic variability but not with any
      clinically important effect on variability in platelet response. Plasma exposures
      of avatrombopag increased in a dose-proportional manner over the dose range
      tested. After a single dose, platelet count increased in a dose-related manner,
      reaching a maximum by day 11 and returning to baseline levels by day 27. No
      clinically important differences were found when avatrombopag pharmacokinetics
      and pharmacodynamics were compared between Japanese and white subjects.
      Administration of avatrombopag was generally well tolerated.

PMID- 28339163
TI  - Next-generation sequencing of urine specimens: A novel platform for genomic
      analysis in patients with non-muscle-invasive urothelial carcinoma treated with
      bacille Calmette-Guerin.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Biopsies from patients with high-risk (HR) non-muscle-invasive
      urothelial carcinoma (NMIUC), especially flat urothelial carcinoma in situ,
      frequently contain scant diagnostic material or denuded mucosa only, and this
      precludes further extensive genomic analysis. This study evaluated the use of
      next-generation sequencing (NGS) analysis of urine cytology material from
      patients with HR NMIUC in an attempt to identify genetic alterations that might
      correlate with clinical features and responses to bacille Calmette-Guerin (BCG)
      treatment. METHODS: Forty-one cytology slides from patients with HR NMIUC treated
      with intravesical BCG were selected for this study. Histological confirmation was
      available for all cases. The specimens were subjected to NGS analysis with a
      customized targeted exome capture assay composed of 341 genes. RESULTS: In this
      cohort, genomic alterations were successfully identified in all cytology samples.
      Mutations were detected down to a 2% allele frequency and chromosomal
      rearrangements including copy number alterations and gene fusions were
      identified. The most frequently altered genes included telomerase reverse
      transcriptase (TERT), tumor protein 53 (TP53), Erb-B2 receptor tyrosine kinase 2
      (ERBB2), and chromatin remodeling genes such as lysine demethylase 6A (KDM6A) and
      AT-rich interaction domain 1A (ARID1A). For patients with matched tumor tissue,
      cytology specimens revealed all mutations detected in tissue as well as
      additional mutations, and this suggested that urine might more effectively
      capture the full genetic heterogeneity of disease than an individual cystectomy.
      Alterations in multiple genes correlated with clinical and histopathological
      features, including responses to BCG treatment, flat architecture versus
      papillary architecture, and smoking history. CONCLUSIONS: Urine specimens can
      replace tissue as a substrate for NGS analysis of HR NMIUC. Several genomic
      alterations identified in urine specimens might be associated with histological
      features and clinical characteristics. Cancer Cytopathol 2017;125:416-26. (c)
      2017 American Cancer Society.

PMID- 28339167
TI  - If you know you will also see: population pharmacokinetics is the way to
      personalize and optimize prophylaxis in hemophilia.

PMID- 28339168
TI  - Parental relationship satisfaction in families of children with autism spectrum
      disorder (ASD): A multilevel analysis.
AB  - Caring for a child with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) has been linked to a range
      of negative outcomes for parents but less is known about the putative impact upon
      the parental couple relationship. The relationship satisfaction of parents of
      children with ASD was investigated using multilevel modeling. Mothers and fathers
      (146 couples) reported on their relationship satisfaction, their own well-being,
      and the behavior problems of the child with ASD and a sibling. Results indicated
      that mothers and fathers reported similar levels of relationship satisfaction and
      it was significantly and negatively associated with parental depression and the
      behavior problems of the child with ASD. Relationship satisfaction was unrelated
      to the behavior problems of a sibling, the number of children in the household,
      and family socioeconomic position (SEP). Further longitudinal research that
      captures a broader range of variables is required to build a theoretical
      understanding of relationship satisfaction in families of children with ASD.
      Current evidence suggests that early intervention routes targeting either child
      behavior problems, parental mental health, or the couple relationship have the
      potential to benefit inter-connected subsystems within the broader family system.
      Autism Res 2017. (c) 2017 International Society for Autism Research, Wiley
      Periodicals, Inc. Autism Res 2017, 10: 1259-1268. (c) 2017 International Society
      for Autism Research, Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

PMID- 28339171
TI  - Corrigendum.

PMID- 28339169
TI  - gesp: A computer program for modelling genetic effective population size,
      inbreeding and divergence in substructured populations.
AB  - The genetically effective population size (Ne ) is of key importance for
      quantifying rates of inbreeding and genetic drift and is often used in
      conservation management to set targets for genetic viability. The concept was
      developed for single, isolated populations and the mathematical means for
      analysing the expected Ne in complex, subdivided populations have previously not
      been available. We recently developed such analytical theory and central parts of
      that work have now been incorporated into a freely available software tool
      presented here. gesp (Genetic Effective population size, inbreeding and
      divergence in Substructured Populations) is R-based and designed to model short-
      and long-term patterns of genetic differentiation and effective population size
      of subdivided populations. The algorithms performed by gesp allow exact
      computation of global and local inbreeding and eigenvalue effective population
      size, predictions of genetic divergence among populations (GST ) as well as
      departures from random mating (FIS , FIT ) while varying (i) subpopulation census
      and effective size, separately or including trend of the global population size,
      (ii) rate and direction of migration between all pairs of subpopulations, (iii)
      degree of relatedness and divergence among subpopulations, (iv) ploidy (haploid
      or diploid) and (v) degree of selfing. Here, we describe gesp and exemplify its
      use in conservation genetics modelling.

PMID- 28339174
TI  - In this December issue.

PMID- 28339172
TI  - Maternal high-fat diet consumption enhances offspring susceptibility to DSS
      induced colitis in mice.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: Maternal high-fat diet (HFD) may alter the offspring intestinal immune
      system, thereby enhancing susceptibility toward inflammatory bowel disease. The
      objective of the current study was to investigate the impact of maternal HFD on
      offspring intestinal health using a mouse model of dextran sulfate sodium (DSS)
      induced colitis. METHODS: Dams were provided with either HFD (60%) or control
      diet. After weaning, female offspring from both groups were kept on 45% HFD. At
      14 weeks of age, offspring were subjected to 2.5% DSS in drinking water for 5
      days, followed by 5 days of recovery. RESULTS: Offspring from maternal HFD had
      higher body weight gain before DSS induction and had higher liver and fat weights
      with increased adipocyte size at necropsy. When subjected to DSS treatment, HFD
      offspring had accelerated body weight loss and exaggerated disease activity
      index. HFD offspring had an elevated histopathological score and interleukin (IL)
      1beta, IL-6, and IL-17 expression with upregulated NF-kappaB signaling. Maternal
      HFD resulted in enhanced neutrophil infiltration associated with elevated
      expression of monocyte chemoattractant protein-1. Furthermore, maternal HFD
      suppressed AMP-activated protein kinase activity and decreased sirtuin 1 and p53
      protein contents in offspring gut. CONCLUSIONS: Maternal HFD consumption
      predisposes offspring to a higher susceptibility to develop inflammatory bowel
      disease.

PMID- 28339176
TI  - Identification of likely associations between cerebral folate deficiency and
      complex genetic- and metabolic pathogenesis of autism spectrum disorders by
      utilization of a pilot interaction modeling approach.
AB  - Recently, cerebral folate deficiency (CFD) was suggested to be involved in the
      pathogenesis of autism spectrum disorders (ASD). However, the exact role of
      folate metabolism in the pathogenesis of ASD, identification of underlying
      pathogenic mechanisms and impaired metabolic pathways remain unexplained. The aim
      of our study was to develop and test a novel, unbiased, bioinformatics approach
      in order to identify links between ASD and disturbed cerebral metabolism by
      focusing on abnormal folate metabolism, which could foster patient stratification
      and novel therapeutic interventions. An unbiased, automatable, computational
      workflow interaction model was developed using available data from public
      databases. The interaction network model of ASD-associated genes with known
      cerebral expression and function (SFARI) and metabolic networks (MetScape),
      including connections to known metabolic substrates, metabolites and cofactors
      involving folates, was established. Intersection of bioinformatically created
      networks resulted in a limited amount of interaction modules pointing to common
      disturbed metabolic pathways, linking ASD to CFD. Two independent interaction
      modules (comprising three pathways) covering enzymes encoded by ASD-related genes
      and folate cofactors utilizing enzymes were generated. Module 1 suggested
      possible interference of CFD with serine and lysine metabolism, while module 2
      identified correlations with purine metabolism and inosine monophosphate
      production. Since our approach was primarily conceived as a proof of principle,
      further amendments of the presented initial model are necessary to obtain
      additional actionable outcomes. Our modelling strategy identified not only
      previously known interactions supported by evidence-based analyses, but also
      novel plausible interactions, which could be validated in subsequent functional
      and/or clinical studies. Autism Res 2017, 10: 1424-1435. (c) 2017 International
      Society for Autism Research, Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

PMID- 28339179
TI  - Synthesis of {111} Facet-Exposed MgO with Surface Oxygen Vacancies for Reactive
      Oxygen Species Generation in the Dark.
AB  - Seeking a simple and moderate route to generate reactive oxygen species (ROS) for
      antibiosis is of great interest and challenge. This work demonstrates that
      molecule transition and electron rearrangement processes can directly occur only
      through chemisorption interaction between the adsorbed O2 and high-energy {111}
      facet-exposed MgO with abundant surface oxygen vacancies (SOVs), hence producing
      singlet oxygen and superoxide anion radicals without light irradiation. These ROS
      were confirmed by electron paramagnetic resonance, in situ Raman, and scavenger
      experiments. Furthermore, heat plays a crucial role for the electron transfer
      process to accelerate the formation of .O2-, which is verified by temperature
      kinetic experiments of nitro blue tetrazolium reduction in the dark. Therefore,
      the presence of oxygen vacancy can be considered as an intensification of the
      activation process. The designed MgO is acquired in one step via constructing a
      reduction atmosphere during the combustion reaction process, which has an ability
      similar to that of noble metal Pd to activate molecular oxygen and can be used as
      an effective bacteriocide in the dark.

PMID- 28339177
TI  - Multisensory speech perception in autism spectrum disorder: From phoneme to whole
      word perception.
AB  - Speech perception in noisy environments is boosted when a listener can see the
      speaker's mouth and integrate the auditory and visual speech information.
      Autistic children have a diminished capacity to integrate sensory information
      across modalities, which contributes to core symptoms of autism, such as
      impairments in social communication. We investigated the abilities of autistic
      and typically-developing (TD) children to integrate auditory and visual speech
      stimuli in various signal-to-noise ratios (SNR). Measurements of both whole-word
      and phoneme recognition were recorded. At the level of whole-word recognition,
      autistic children exhibited reduced performance in both the auditory and
      audiovisual modalities. Importantly, autistic children showed reduced behavioral
      benefit from multisensory integration with whole-word recognition, specifically
      at low SNRs. At the level of phoneme recognition, autistic children exhibited
      reduced performance relative to their TD peers in auditory, visual, and
      audiovisual modalities. However, and in contrast to their performance at the
      level of whole-word recognition, both autistic and TD children showed benefits
      from multisensory integration for phoneme recognition. In accordance with the
      principle of inverse effectiveness, both groups exhibited greater benefit at low
      SNRs relative to high SNRs. Thus, while autistic children showed typical
      multisensory benefits during phoneme recognition, these benefits did not
      translate to typical multisensory benefit of whole-word recognition in noisy
      environments. We hypothesize that sensory impairments in autistic children raise
      the SNR threshold needed to extract meaningful information from a given sensory
      input, resulting in subsequent failure to exhibit behavioral benefits from
      additional sensory information at the level of whole-word recognition. Autism Res
      2017. (c) 2017 International Society for Autism Research, Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
      Autism Res 2017, 10: 1280-1290. (c) 2017 International Society for Autism
      Research, Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

PMID- 28339180
TI  - Study of the Oxygen Evolution Reaction Catalytic Behavior of CoxNi1-xFe2O4 in
      Alkaline Medium.
AB  - Catalysts for the oxygen evolution reaction (OER) play an important role in the
      conversion of solar energy to fuel of earth-abundant water into H2 and O2 through
      splitting/electrolysis. Heterogeneous electrocatalysts for hydrogen and oxygen
      evolution reactions (HER and OER) exhibit catalytic activity that depends on the
      electronic properties, oxidation states, and local surface structure. Spinel
      ferrites (MFe2O4; M = Ni and Co) based materials have been attractive for the
      catalytic water oxidation due to their well-known stability in alkaline medium,
      easy synthesis, existence of metal cations with various oxidation states, low
      cost, and tunable properties by the desired metal substitution. To understand the
      better catalytic activity of MFe2O4 in detail the role of Ni and Co was studied
      through MxNi1-xFe2O4 (M = Co; 0 < x < 1), which was prepared by the sol-gel
      method. The results showed that bare NiFe2O4 has better catalytic activity (eta =
      381 mV at 10 mA cm-2 and Tafel slope of 46.4 mV dec-1) compared to Co-containing
      MxNi1-xFe2O4 (eta = 450-470 mV at 10 mA cm-2 and Tafel slope of 50-73 mV dec-1)
      in alkaline medium, and the substitution of Co is found to suppress the catalytic
      activity of NiFe2O4. The degradation of catalytic activity with an increase in Co
      content was accounted for in further detailed investigations.

PMID- 28339181
TI  - Oxidative Polyoxometalates Modified Graphitic Carbon Nitride for Visible-Light
      CO2 Reduction.
AB  - Developing a photocatalysis system for converting CO2 to valuable fuels or
      chemicals is a promising strategy to address global warming and fossil fuel
      consumption. Exploring photocatalysts with high-performance and low-cost has been
      two ultimate goals toward photoreduction of CO2. Herein, noble-metal-free
      polyoxometalates (Co4) with oxidative ability was first introduced into g-C3N4
      resulted in inexpensive hybrid materials (Co4@g-C3N4) with staggered band
      alignment. The staggered composited materials show a higher activity of CO2
      reduction than bare g-C3N4. An optimized Co4@g-C3N4 hybrid sample exhibited a
      high yield (107 MUmol g-1 h-1) under visible-light irradiation (lambda >= 420
      nm), meanwhile maintaining high selectivity for CO production (94%). After 10 h
      of irradiation, the production of CO reached 896 MUmol g-1. Mechanistic studies
      revealed the introduction of Co4 not only facilitate the charge transfer of g
      C3N4 but greatly increased the surface catalytic oxidative ability. This work
      creatively combined g-C3N4 with oxidative polyoxometalates which provide novel
      insights into the design of low-cost photocatalytic materials for CO2 reduction.

PMID- 28339182
TI  - Widespread and Indiscriminate Nanosilver Use: Genuine Potential for Microbial
      Resistance.
AB  - In this era of increasing antibiotic resistance, the use of alternative
      antimicrobials such as silver has become more widespread. Superior antimicrobial
      activity has been provided through fabrication of silver nanoparticles or
      nanosilver (NAg), which imparts cytotoxic actions distinct from those of bulk
      silver. In the wake of the recent discoveries of bacterial resistance to NAg and
      its rising incorporation in medical and consumer goods such as wound dressings
      and dietary supplements, we argue that there is an urgent need to monitor the
      prevalence and spread of NAg microbial resistance. In this Perspective, we
      describe how the use of NAg in commercially available products facilitates
      prolonged microorganism exposure to bioavailable silver, which underpins the
      development of resistance. Furthermore, we advocate for a judicial approach
      toward NAg use in order to preserve its efficacy and to avoid environmental
      disruption.

PMID- 28339183
TI  - Tunable Porosity of Cross-Linked-Polyhedral Oligomeric Silsesquioxane Supports
      for Palladium-Catalyzed Aerobic Alcohol Oxidation in Water.
AB  - Polyhedral oligomeric silsesquioxane (POSS)-based materials, poly-POSS-Tn [n = 8
      (1), 10 (2), 12 (3), and mix (4)], were prepared in high yields via free radical
      polymerization of corresponding pure forms of methacrylate-functionalized POSS
      monomers, MMA-POSS-Tn (n = 8, 10, 12), and the mixture form, MMA-POSS-Tmix.
      Powder X-ray diffraction (XRD) spectra and BET analysis indicate that 1-4 are
      amorphous materials with high surface areas (683-839 m2 g-1). The surface areas
      and total pore volumes follow the trend: poly-POSS-T12 > poly-POSS-T10 > poly
      POSS-Tmix > poly-POSS-T8. In addition, on the basis of Barrett-Joyner-Halenda
      (BJH) analysis, poly-POSS-T12 contains the highest amount of mesopores. The Pd
      nanoparticles immobilized on poly-POSS-Tn [n = 8 (5), 10 (6), 12 (7), and mix
      (8)] are well dispersed with 4-6 wt % Pd content and similar average particle
      sizes of 6.2-6.5 nm, according to transmission electron microscopy-energy
      dispersive X-ray analysis (TEM-EDX) and microwave plasma-atomic emission
      spectroscopy (MP-AES). At 90  degrees C, the stabilized Pd nanoparticles in 5-8
      catalyzed aerobic oxidation of benzyl alcohol to benzaldehyde in 72-100% yields
      at 6 h using a mixture of a H2O/Pluronic (P123) solution. The PdNp@poly-POSS-T8
      catalyst (5) exhibited the lowest catalytic activity, as a result of its lowest
      surface areas, total pore volumes, and amounts of mesopores. With the catalyst 8,
      various benzyl alcohol derivatives were converted to the corresponding aldehydes
      in good to excellent yields. However, with alcoholic substrates featuring
      electron-withdrawing substituents, high conversions were achieved with 1 equiv of
      K2CO3 additive and longer reaction times.

PMID- 28339184
TI  - MXene Ti3C2: An Effective 2D Light-to-Heat Conversion Material.
AB  - MXene, a new series of 2D material, has been steadily advancing its applications
      to a variety of fields, such as catalysis, supercapacitor, molecular separation,
      electromagnetic wave interference shielding. This work reports a carefully
      designed aqueous droplet light heating system along with a thorough mathematical
      procedure, which combined leads to a precise determination of internal light-to
      heat conversion efficiency of a variety of nanomaterials. The internal light-to
      heat conversion efficiency of MXene, more specifically Ti3C2, was measured to be
      100%, indicating a perfect energy conversion. Furthermore, a self-floating MXene
      thin membrane was prepared by simple vacuum filtration and the membrane, in the
      presence of a rationally chosen heat barrier, produced a light-to-water
      evaporation efficiency of 84% under one sun irradiation, which is among the state
      of art energy efficiency for similar photothermal evaporation system. The
      outstanding internal light-to-heat conversion efficiency and great light-to-water
      evaporation efficiency reported in this work suggest that MXene is a very
      promising light-to-heat conversion material and thus deserves more research
      attention toward practical applications.

PMID- 28339185
TI  - Red Emission B, N, S-co-Doped Carbon Dots for Colorimetric and Fluorescent Dual
      Mode Detection of Fe3+ Ions in Complex Biological Fluids and Living Cells.
AB  - Colorimetric and fluorescent dual mode detection methods have gained much
      attention in recent years; however, it is still desirable to develop new
      colorimetric and fluorescent dual mode nanosensors with more simple preparation
      procedures, low cost, and excellent biocompatibility. Herein, a colorimetric and
      fluorescent nanosensor based on B, N, S-co-doped carbon dots (BNS-CDs) was
      synthesized by one-step hydrothermal treatment of 2,5-diaminobenzenesulfonic acid
      and 4-aminophenylboronic acid hydrochloride. Using this nanosensor, a highly
      sensitive assay of Fe3+ in the range of 0.3-546 MUM with a detection limit of 90
      nM was provided by quenching the red emission fluorescence. It is more attractive
      that Fe3+ can also be visualized by this nanosensor via evident color changes of
      the solution (from red to blue) under sunlight without the aid of an ultraviolet
      (UV) lamp. Furthermore, the designed nanosensor can be applied for efficient
      detection of intracellular Fe3+ with excellent biocompatibility and cellular
      imaging capability, and it holds great promise in biomedical applications.

PMID- 28339186
TI  - Quantum Chemical Strain Analysis For Mechanochemical Processes.
AB  - The use of mechanical force to initiate a chemical reaction is an efficient
      alternative to the conventional sources of activation energy, i.e., heat, light,
      and electricity. Applications of mechanochemistry in academic and industrial
      laboratories are diverse, ranging from chemical syntheses in ball mills and
      ultrasound baths to direct activation of covalent bonds using an atomic force
      microscope. The vectorial nature of force is advantageous because specific
      covalent bonds can be preconditioned for rupture by selective stretching.
      However, the influence of mechanical force on single molecules is still not
      understood at a fundamental level, which limits the applicability of
      mechanochemistry. As a result, many chemists still resort to rules of thumb when
      it comes to conducting mechanochemical syntheses. In this Account, we show that
      comprehension of mechanochemistry at the molecular level can be tremendously
      advanced by quantum chemistry, in particular by using quantum chemical force
      analysis tools. One such tool is the JEDI (Judgement of Energy DIstribution)
      analysis, which provides a convenient approach to analyze the distribution of
      strain energy in a mechanically deformed molecule. Based on the harmonic
      approximation, the strain energy contribution is calculated for each bond length,
      bond angle and dihedral angle, thus providing a comprehensive picture of how
      force affects molecules. This Account examines the theoretical foundations of
      quantum chemical force analysis and provides a critical overview of the
      performance of the JEDI analysis in various mechanochemical applications. We
      explain in detail how this analysis tool is to be used to identify the "force
      bearing scaffold" of a distorted molecule, which allows both the rationalization
      and the optimization of diverse mechanochemical processes. More precisely, we
      show that the inclusion of every bond, bending and torsion of a molecule allows a
      particularly insightful discussion of the distribution of mechanical strain in
      deformed molecules. We illustrate the usefulness of the JEDI analysis by
      rationalizing the finding that a knot tremendously weakens a polymer strand via a
      "choking" motion of the torsions in the curved part of the knot, thus leading to
      facilitated bond rupture in the immediate vicinity of the knot. Moreover, we
      demonstrate that the JEDI analysis can be exploited to devise methods for the
      stabilization of inherently strained molecules. In addition to applications in
      the electronic ground state, the JEDI analysis can also be used in the
      electronically excited state to determine the mechanical energy that a molecular
      photoswitch can release into its environment during photoisomerization. This
      approach allows the quantification of the mechanical efficiency of a photoswitch,
      i.e., the part of the energy that becomes available for the motion into a
      specific direction, which enables us to judge whether a photoswitch is capable of
      performing a desired switching function.

PMID- 28339187
TI  - Accurate MicroRNA Analysis in Crude Cell Lysate by Capillary Electrophoresis
      Based Hybridization Assay in Comparison with Quantitative Reverse Transcription
      Polymerase Chain Reaction.
AB  - Accurate quantitation of microRNA (miRNA) in tissue samples is required for
      validation and clinical use of miRNA-based disease biomarkers. Since sample
      processing, such as RNA extraction, introduces undesirable biases, it is
      advantageous to measure miRNA in a crude cell lysate. Here, we report on accurate
      miRNA quantitation in crude cell lysate by a CE-based hybridization assay termed
      direct quantitative analysis of multiple miRNAs (DQAMmiR). Accuracy and precision
      of miRNA quantitation were determined for miRNA samples in a crude cell lysate,
      RNA extract from the lysate, and a pure buffer. The results showed that the
      measurements were matrix-independent with inaccuracies of below 13% from true
      values and relative standard deviations of below 11% from the mean values in a
      miRNA concentration range of 2 orders of magnitude. We compared DQAMmiR-derived
      results with those obtained by a benchmark miRNA-quantitation method-quantitative
      reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR). qRT-PCR-based
      measurements revealed multifold inaccuracies and relative standard deviations of
      up to 70% in crude cell lysate. Robustness of DQAMmiR to changes in sample matrix
      makes it a perfect candidate for validation and clinical use of miRNA-based
      disease biomarkers.

PMID- 28339188
TI  - Preparation and Characterization of Parent Phenylphosphinidene and Its Oxidation
      to Phenyldioxophosphorane: The Elusive Phosphorus Analogue of Nitrobenzene.
AB  - Triplet phenylphosphinidene was prepared by light-induced elimination of ethylene
      from the corresponding phenylphosphirane and was characterized by IR and UV/vis
      spectroscopy together with matching of its spectral data with density functional
      theory computations. The photolysis of phenylphosphirane in 3P-O2 doped matrices
      enabled the spectroscopic identification of a hitherto unknown
      phenyldioxophosphorane, the long elusive phosphorus analogue of nitrobenzene.

PMID- 28339189
TI  - Polymerization-Induced Self-Assembly (PISA) - Control over the Morphology of 19F
      Containing Polymeric Nano-objects for Cell Uptake and Tracking.
AB  - Fluorine-containing polymeric materials are receiving increasing attention as
      imaging probes in fluorine-19 magnetic resonance imaging (19F MRI), for example
      to enable quantitative in vivo detection of cells. Here we describe the one-pot
      polymerization synthesis of 19F-containing functional poly(oligo(ethylene glycol)
      methyl ether methacrylate-co-2,2,2-trifluoroethyl acrylate-b-poly(styrene-co-3
      vinylbenzaldehyde) (poly(OEGA-co-TFEA)-b-poly(St-co-VBA)) copolymers as a new
      class of fluorinated MRI agent. A range of nanoparticle morphologies, including
      spheres, worm-like particles, and vesicles were formed as a consequence of
      polymerization-induced self-assembly (PISA). It was found that the extent of cell
      uptake strongly depends on the morphology of the nano-objects, with preferable
      uptake for worm-like particles compared to spherical nanoparticles and vesicles.
      All the nano-objects have a single resonance in the 19F NMR spectrum with
      relatively short MRI relaxation times, which were independent of the morphology
      of the nano-objects. These results confirm that these polymeric nano-objects of
      varied morphologies are promising as 19F MRI imaging agents for use in tracking
      of cells and selective MRI.

PMID- 28339190
TI  - Luminescent Zn(II) Coordination Polymers for Highly Selective Sensing of Cr(III)
      and Cr(VI) in Water.
AB  - Three photoluminescent zinc coordination polymers (CPs), {[Zn2(tpeb)2(2,5
      tdc)(2,5-Htdc)2].2H2O}n (1), {[Zn2(tpeb)2(1,4-ndc)(1,4-Hndc)2].2.6H2O}n (2), and
      {[Zn2(tpeb)2(2,3-ndc)2].H2O}n (3) (tpeb = 1,3,5-tri-4-pyridyl-1,2-ethenylbenzene,
      2,5-tdc = 2,5-thiophenedicarboxylic acid, 1,4-ndc = 1,4-naphthalenedicarboxylic
      acid, and 2,3-ndc = 2,3-naphthalenedicarboxylic acid) were prepared from
      reactions of Zn(NO3)2.6H2O with tpeb and 2,5-H2tdc, 1,4-H2ndc, or 2,3-H2ndc under
      solvothermal conditions. Compound 1 has a two-dimensional (2D) grid-like network
      formed from bridging 1D [Zn(tpeb)]n chains via 2,5-tdc dianions. 2 and 3 possess
      similar one-dimensional (1D) double-chain structures derived from bridging the
      [Zn(tpeb)]n chains via pairs of 1,4-ndc or 2,3-ndc ligands. The solid-state,
      visible emission by 1-3 was quenched by Cr3+, CrO42-, and Cr2O72- ions in water
      with detection limits by the most responsive complex 3 of 0.88 ppb for Cr3+ and
      2.623 ppb for Cr2O72- (pH = 3) or 1.734 ppb for CrO42- (pH = 12). These values
      are well below the permissible limits set by the USEPA and European Union and the
      lowest so far reported for any bi/trifunctional CPs sensors. The mechanism of
      Cr3+ luminescence quenching involves irreversible coordination to free pyridyl
      sites in the CP framework, while the Cr6+ quenching involves reversible overlap
      of the absorption bands of the analytes with those of the excitation and/or
      emission bands for 3.

PMID- 28339191
TI  - Allosteric Activation of Cytochrome P450 3A4 via Progesterone Bioconjugation.
AB  - Human cytochrome P450 3A4 (CYP3A4) is responsible for the metabolism of the
      majority of drugs. As such, it is implicated in many adverse drug-drug and food
      drug interactions, and is of significant interest to the pharmaceutical industry.
      This enzyme is known to simultaneously bind multiple ligands and display atypical
      enzyme kinetics, suggestive of allostery and cooperativity. As well, evidence of
      a postulated peripheral allosteric binding site has provoked debate around its
      significance and location. We report the use of bioconjugation to study the
      significance of substrate binding at the proposed allosteric site and its effect
      on CYP3A4 activity. CYP3A4 mutants were created and covalently modified with
      various small molecules including progesterone. The labeled mutants displayed
      enhanced kinetic stability and improved activity in testosterone and 7-benzyloxy
      (4-trifluoromethyl)coumarin oxidation assays. Our work applies a new strategy to
      study cytochrome P450 allostery and supports the hypothesis that substrate
      binding at the postulated allosteric site of CYP3A4 may induce functional
      cooperativity.

PMID- 28339192
TI  - A Novel Exposure System Termed NAVETTA for In Vitro Laminar Flow
      Electrodeposition of Nanoaerosol and Evaluation of Immune Effects in Human Lung
      Reporter Cells.
AB  - A new prototype air-liquid interface (ALI) exposure system, a flatbed aerosol
      exposure chamber termed NAVETTA, was developed to investigate deposition of
      engineered nanoparticles (NPs) on cultured human lung A549 cells directly from
      the gas phase. This device mimics human lung cell exposure to NPs due to a low
      horizontal gas flow combined with cells exposed at the ALI. Electrostatic field
      assistance is applied to improve NP deposition efficiency. As proof-of-principle,
      cell viability and immune responses after short-term exposure to nanocopper oxide
      (CuO)-aerosol were determined. We found that, due to the laminar aerosol flow and
      a specific orientation of inverted transwells, much higher deposition rates were
      obtained compared to the normal ALI setup. Cellular responses were monitored with
      postexposure incubation in submerged conditions, revealing CuO dissolution in a
      concentration-dependent manner. Cytotoxicity was the result of ionic and nonionic
      Cu fractions. Using the optimized inverted ALI/postincubation procedure, pro
      inflammatory immune responses, in terms of interleukin (IL)-8 promoter and
      nuclear factor kappa B (NFkappaB) activity, were observed within short time, i.e.
      One hour exposure to ALI-deposited CuO-NPs and 2.5 h postincubation. NAVETTA is a
      novel option for mimicking human lung cell exposure to NPs, complementing
      existing ALI systems.

PMID- 28339193
TI  - 3D Printing Techniques in Environmental Science and Engineering Will Bring New
      Innovation.

PMID- 28339194
TI  - Systematic Evaluation of Chronic Metal-Mixture Toxicity to Three Species and
      Implications for Risk Assessment.
AB  - Metal contamination generally occurs as mixtures. However, it is yet unresolved
      how to address metal mixtures in risk assessment. Therefore, using consistent
      methodologies, we have set up experiments to identify which mixture model applies
      best at low-level effects, i.e., the independent action (IA) or concentration
      addition (CA) reference model. The toxicity of metal mixtures (Ni, Zn, Cu, Cd,
      and Pb) to Daphnia magna, Ceriodaphnia dubia, and Hordeum vulgare was
      investigated in different waters or soils, totaling 30 different experiments.
      Some mixtures of different metals, each individually causing <10% inhibition,
      yielded much larger inhibition (up to 66%) when dosed in combination. In general,
      IA was most accurate in predicting mixture toxicity, while CA was the most
      conservative. At low-effect levels important in risk assessments, CA
      overestimated mixture toxicity to daphnids and H. vulgare, on average, with a
      factor 1.4 to 3.6. Observed mixture interactions could be related to
      bioavailability or by competition interactions, either for binding sites of
      dissolved organic carbon or for biotic ligand sites. Our study suggests that the
      current metal-by-metal approach in risk evaluations may not be conservative
      enough for metal mixtures.

PMID- 28339195
TI  - Electronic Configuration and Ligand Nature of Five-Coordinate Iron Porphyrin
      Carbene Complexes: An Experimental Study.
AB  - The five-coordinate iron porphyrin carbene complexes [Fe(TPP) (CCl2)] (TPP =
      tetraphenylporphyrin), [Fe(TTP) (CCl2)] (TTP = tetratolylporphyrin) and [Fe(TFPP)
      (CPh2)] (TFPP = tetra(pentafluorophenyl)porphyrin), utilizing two types of
      carbene ligands (CCl2 and CPh2), have been investigated by single crystal X-ray,
      XANES (X-ray absorption near edge spectroscopy), Mossbauer, NMR and UV-vis
      spectroscopies. The XANES suggested the iron(II) oxidation state of the
      complexes. The multitemperature and high magnetic field Mossbauer experiments,
      which show very large quadrupole splittings (QS, DeltaEQ), determined the S = 0
      electronic configuration. More importantly, combined structural and Mossbauer
      studies, especially the comparison with the low spin iron(II) porphyrin complexes
      with strong diatomic ligands (CS, CO and CN-) revealed the covalent bond nature
      of the carbene ligands. A correlation between the iron isomer shifts (IS, delta)
      and the axial bond distances is established for the first time for these donor
      carbon ligands (:C-R).

PMID- 28339197
TI  - Correction to Opportunistic Sampling of Roadkill as an Entry Point to Accessing
      Natural Products Assembled by Bacteria Associated with Non-Anthropoidal Mammalian
      Microbiomes.

PMID- 28339196
TI  - Discovery of a Small-Molecule Degrader of Bromodomain and Extra-Terminal (BET)
      Proteins with Picomolar Cellular Potencies and Capable of Achieving Tumor
      Regression.
AB  - The bromodomain and extra-terminal (BET) family proteins, consisting of BRD2,
      BRD3, BRD4, and testis-specific BRDT members, are epigenetic "readers" and play a
      key role in the regulation of gene transcription. BET proteins are considered to
      be attractive therapeutic targets for cancer and other human diseases. Recently,
      heterobifunctional small-molecule BET degraders have been designed based upon the
      proteolysis targeting chimera (PROTAC) concept to induce BET protein degradation.
      Herein, we present our design, synthesis, and evaluation of a new class of PROTAC
      BET degraders. One of the most promising compounds, 23, effectively degrades BRD4
      protein at concentrations as low as 30 pM in the RS4;11 leukemia cell line,
      achieves an IC50 value of 51 pM in inhibition of RS4;11 cell growth and induces
      rapid tumor regression in vivo against RS4;11 xenograft tumors. These data
      establish that compound 23 (BETd-260/ZBC260) is a highly potent and efficacious
      BET degrader.

PMID- 28339200
TI  - Accurate Electron Affinities and Orbital Energies of Anions from a Nonempirically
      Tuned Range-Separated Density Functional Theory Approach.
AB  - The treatment of atomic anions with Kohn-Sham density functional theory (DFT) has
      long been controversial because the highest occupied molecular orbital (HOMO)
      energy, EHOMO, is often calculated to be positive with most approximate density
      functionals. We assess the accuracy of orbital energies and electron affinities
      for all three rows of elements in the periodic table (H-Ar) using a variety of
      theoretical approaches and customized basis sets. Among all of the theoretical
      methods studied here, we find that a nonempirically tuned range-separated
      approach (constructed to satisfy DFT-Koopmans' theorem for the anionic electron
      system) provides the best accuracy for a variety of basis sets, even for small
      basis sets where most functionals typically fail. Previous approaches to solve
      this conundrum of positive EHOMO values have utilized non-self-consistent
      methods; however, electronic properties, such as electronic couplings/gradients
      (which require a self-consistent potential and energy), become ill-defined with
      these approaches. In contrast, the nonempirically tuned range-separated procedure
      used here yields well-defined electronic couplings/gradients and correct EHOMO
      values because both the potential and resulting electronic energy are computed
      self-consistently. Orbital energies and electron affinities are further analyzed
      in the context of the electronic energy as a function of electronic number
      (including fractional numbers of electrons) to provide a stringent assessment of
      self-interaction errors for these complex anion systems.

PMID- 28339198
TI  - Discovery of 4-((3'R,4'S,5'R)-6"-Chloro-4'-(3-chloro-2-fluorophenyl)-1'-ethyl-2"
      oxodispiro[cyclohexane-1,2'-pyrrolidine-3',3"-indoline]-5'
      carboxamido)bicyclo[2.2.2]octane-1-carboxylic Acid (AA-115/APG-115): A Potent and
      Orally Active Murine Double Minute 2 (MDM2) Inhibitor in Clinical Development.
AB  - We previously reported the design of spirooxindoles with two identical
      substituents at the carbon-2 of the pyrrolidine core as potent MDM2 inhibitors.
      In this paper we describe an extensive structure-activity relationship study of
      this class of MDM2 inhibitors, which led to the discovery of 60 (AA-115/APG-115).
      Compound 60 has a very high affinity to MDM2 (Ki < 1 nM), potent cellular
      activity, and an excellent oral pharmacokinetic profile. Compound 60 is capable
      of achieving complete and long-lasting tumor regression in vivo and is currently
      in phase I clinical trials for cancer treatment.

PMID- 28339199
TI  - Structure-Based Discovery of New Antagonist and Biased Agonist Chemotypes for the
      Kappa Opioid Receptor.
AB  - The ongoing epidemics of opioid overdose raises an urgent need for effective
      antiaddiction therapies and addiction-free painkillers. The kappa-opioid receptor
      (KOR) has emerged as a promising target for both indications, raising demand for
      new chemotypes of KOR antagonists as well as G-protein-biased agonists. We
      employed the crystal structure of the KOR-JDTic complex and ligand-optimized
      structural templates to perform virtual screening of available compound libraries
      for new KOR ligands. The prospective virtual screening campaign yielded a high
      32% hit rate, identifying novel fragment-like and lead-like chemotypes of KOR
      ligands. A round of optimization resulted in 11 new submicromolar KOR binders
      (best Ki = 90 nM). Functional assessment confirmed at least two compounds as
      potent KOR antagonists, while compound 81 was identified as a potent Gi biased
      agonist for KOR with minimal beta-arrestin recruitment. These results support
      virtual screening as an effective tool for discovery of new lead chemotypes with
      therapeutically relevant functional profiles.

PMID- 28339201
TI  - High-Throughput in Silico Structure Validation and Revision of Halogenated
      Natural Products Is Enabled by Parametric Corrections to DFT-Computed 13C NMR
      Chemical Shifts and Spin-Spin Coupling Constants.
AB  - Halogenated natural products constitute diverse and promising feedstock for
      molecular pharmaceuticals. However, their solution-structure elucidation by NMR
      presents several challenges, including the lack of fast methods to compute 13C
      chemical shifts for carbons bearing heavy atoms. We show that parametric
      corrections to DFT-computed chemical shifts in conjunction with rff-computed spin
      spin coupling constants allow for fast and reliable screening of a large number
      of reported halogenated natural products, resulting in expedient structure
      validation or revision. In this paper, we examine more than 100 structures of
      halogenated terpenoids and other natural products with the new parametric
      approach and demonstrate that the accuracy of the combined method is sufficient
      to identify misassignments and suggest revisions in most cases (16 structures are
      revised). As the 1D 1H and 13C NMR data are ubiquitous and most routinely used in
      solution structure elucidation, this fast and efficient two-criterion method
      (nuclear spin-spin coupling and 13C chemical shifts) which we term DU8+ is
      recommended as the first essential step in structure assignment and validation.

PMID- 28339203
TI  - Correction to Nucleoside, Nucleotide, and Non-Nucleoside Inhibitors of Hepatitis
      C Virus NS5B RNA-Dependent RNA-Polymerase.

PMID- 28339202
TI  - Novel Acylated Flavonol Tetraglycoside with Inhibitory Effect on Lipid
      Accumulation in 3T3-L1 Cells from Lu'an GuaPian Tea and Quantification of
      Flavonoid Glycosides in Six Major Processing Types of Tea.
AB  - A novel acylated flavonol tetraglycoside, kaempferol 3-O-[(E)-p-coumaroyl-(1
      >2)][alpha-l-arabinopyranosyl-(1->3)][beta-d-glucopyranosyl (1->3)-alpha-l
      rhamnopyranosyl(1->6)]-beta-d-glucopyranoside (camellikaempferoside C, 1),
      together with 2 flavonols and 18 flavone and flavonol glycosides (FGs) (2-21) was
      isolated from the green tea Lu'an GuaPian (Camellia sinensis L.O. Kuntze). Their
      structures were identified by spectroscopic and chemical methods. Four acylated
      FGs (1, 7, 8, 9) were found to inhibit the proliferation and differentiation of
      3T3-L1 preadipocytes at concentrations of 25, 50, and 100 MUM (P < 0.05).
      Furthermore, we established a rapid UPLC method to quantify nine FGs in six major
      processing types of tea. The results showed that dark tea had the highest amount
      of 20 (0.70 +/- 0.017 mg/g) and black tea had the highest amount of 8 (0.09 +/-
      0.012 mg/g), whereas the amounts of 10 and 16 basically decreased with the
      increasing degree of fermentation and could contribute to the discrimination of
      different processing types of tea.

PMID- 28339205
TI  - Ultrafast Non-Forster Intramolecular Donor-Acceptor Excitation Energy Transfer.
AB  - Ultrafast intramolecular electronic energy transfer in a conjugated donor
      acceptor system is simulated using nonadiabatic excited-state molecular dynamics.
      After initial site-selective photoexcitation of the donor, transition density
      localization is monitored throughout the S2 -> S1 internal conversion process,
      revealing an efficient unidirectional donor -> acceptor energy-transfer process.
      Detailed analysis of the excited-state trajectories uncovers several salient
      features of the energy-transfer dynamics. While a weak temperature dependence is
      observed during the entire electronic energy relaxation, an ultrafast initially
      temperature-independent process allows the molecular system to approach the S2-S1
      potential energy crossing seam within the first ten femtoseconds. Efficient
      energy transfer occurs in the absence of spectral overlap between the donor and
      acceptor units and is assisted by a transient delocalization phenomenon of the
      excited-state wave function acquiring Frenkel-exciton character at the moment of
      quantum transition.

PMID- 28339204
TI  - Liquid Marble Coalescence and Triggered Microreaction Driven by Acoustic
      Levitation.
AB  - Liquid marbles show promising potential for application in the microreactor
      field. Control of the coalescence between two or among multiple liquid marbles is
      critical; however, the successful merging of two isolated marbles is difficult
      because of their mechanically robust particle shells. In this work, the
      coalescence of multiple liquid marbles was achieved via acoustic levitation. The
      dynamic behaviors of the liquid marbles were monitored by a high-speed camera.
      Driven by the sound field, the liquid marbles moved toward each other, collided,
      and eventually coalesced into a larger single marble. The underlying mechanisms
      of this process were probed via sound field simulation and acoustic radiation
      pressure calculation. The results indicated that the pressure gradient on the
      liquid marble surface favors the formation of a liquid bridge between the liquid
      marbles, resulting in their coalescence. A preliminary indicator reaction was
      induced by the coalescence of dual liquid marbles, which suggests that expected
      chemical reactions can be successfully triggered with multiple reagents contained
      in isolated liquid marbles via acoustic levitation.

PMID- 28339207
TI  - Innovation's Mean Free Path.

PMID- 28339206
TI  - Utilizing Electron Spin Echo Envelope Modulation To Distinguish between the Local
      Secondary Structures of an alpha-Helix and an Amphipathic 310-Helical Peptide.
AB  - Electron spin echo envelope modulation (ESEEM) spectroscopy was used to
      distinguish between the local secondary structures of an alpha-helix and a 310
      helix. Previously, we have shown that ESEEM spectroscopy in combination with site
      directed spin labeling (SDSL) and 2H-labeled amino acids (i) can probe the local
      secondary structure of alpha-helices, resulting in an obvious deuterium
      modulation pattern, where i+4 positions generally show larger 2H ESEEM peak
      intensities than i+3 positions. Here, we have hypothesized that due to the unique
      turn periodicities of an alpha-helix (3.6 residues per turn with a pitch of 5.4
      A) and a 310-helix (3.1 residues per turn with a pitch of 5.8-6.0 A), the
      opposite deuterium modulation pattern would be observed for a 310-helix. In this
      study, 2H-labeled d10-leucine (Leu) was substituted at a specific Leu residue (i)
      and a nitroxide spin label was positioned 2, 3, and 4 residues away (denoted i+2
      to i+4) on an amphipathic model peptide, LRL8. When LRL8 is solubilized in
      trifluoroethanol (TFE), the peptide adopts an alpha-helical structure, and
      alternatively, forms a 310-helical secondary structure when incorporated into
      liposomes. Larger 2H ESEEM peaks in the FT frequency domain data were observed
      for the i+4 samples when compared to the i+3 samples for the alpha-helix whereas
      the opposite pattern was revealed for the 310-helix. These unique patterns
      provide pertinent local secondary structural information to distinguish between
      the alpha-helical and 310-helical structural motifs for the first time using this
      ESEEM spectroscopic approach with short data acquisition times (~30 min) and
      small sample concentrations (~100 MUM) as well as providing more site-specific
      secondary structural information compared to other common biophysical approaches,
      such as CD.

PMID- 28339208
TI  - Doubly Resonant Photonic Antenna for Single Infrared Quantum Dot Imaging at
      Telecommunication Wavelengths.
AB  - Colloidal quantum dots (CQDs) have drawn strong interest in the past for their
      high prospects in scientific, medical, and industrial applications. However, the
      full characterization of these quantum emitters is currently restricted to the
      visible wavelengths, and it remains a key challenge to optically probe single
      CQDs operating in the infrared spectral domain, which is targeted by a growing
      number of applications. Here, we report the first experimental detection and
      imaging at room temperature of single infrared CQDs operating at
      telecommunication wavelengths. Imaging was done with a doubly resonant bowtie
      nanoaperture antenna (BNA) written at the end of a fiber nanoprobe, whose
      resonances spectrally fit the CQD absorption and emission wavelengths. Direct
      near-field characterization of PbS CQDs reveal individual nanocrystals with a
      spatial resolution of 75 nm (lambda/20) together with their intrinsic 2D dipolar
      free-space emission properties and exciton dynamics (blinking phenomenon).
      Because the doubly resonant BNA is strongly transmissive at both the CQD
      absorption and the emission wavelengths, we are able to perform all-fiber
      nanoimaging with a standard 20% efficiency InGaAs avalanche photodiode (APD). The
      detection efficiency is predicted to be 3000 fold larger than with a conventional
      circular aperture tip of the same transmission area. Double resonance BNA fiber
      probes thus offer the possibility of exploring extreme light-matter interaction
      in low band gap CQDs with current plug-and-play detection techniques, opening up
      new avenues in the fields of infrared light-emitting devices, photodetectors,
      telecommunications, bioimaging, and quantum information technology.

PMID- 28339209
TI  - Nitrogen-Terminated Diamond (111) Surface for Room-Temperature Quantum Sensing
      and Simulation.
AB  - The nitrogen-vacancy (NV) center in diamond has shown great promise of nanoscale
      sensing applications, however, near-surface NV suffer from relatively short spin
      coherence time that limits its sensitivity. This is presumably caused by improper
      surface termination. Using first-principles calculations, we propose that
      nitrogen-terminated (111) diamond provides electrical inactivity and surface spin
      noise free properties. We anticipate that the nitrogen-terminated (111) surface
      can be fabricated by nitrogen plasma treatment. Our findings pave the way toward
      an improved NV-based quantum sensing and quantum simulation operating at room
      temperature.

PMID- 28339210
TI  - Transition Metal, Azide, and Oxidant-Free Homo- and Heterocoupling of Ambiphilic
      Tosylhydrazones to the Regioselective Triazoles and Pyrazoles.
AB  - With N-tosylhydrazone as an ambiphilic reagent, an unprecedented cyclization
      reaction of two identical or different tosylhydrazones has been developed to
      access various 4,5-disubstituted-2H-triazoles under transition metal, azide, and
      oxidant-free conditions. A mechanistic rationalization study led to the
      identification of several electronically diverse unsaturated systems for
      regioselective synthesis of 1- and 2-substituted 1,2,3-triazoles and pyrazoles.

PMID- 28339211
TI  - Platinum-Catalyzed Double Acylation of 2-(Aryloxy)pyridines via Direct C-H
      Activation.
AB  - A unique, platinum-catalyzed, direct C-H acylation of 2-(aryloxy)pyridines with
      acyl chlorides is discovered. The reaction requires neither an oxidant nor other
      additives. When both ortho positions of the aryl group are accessible, the double
      acylation occurs readily to produce the diacylated products. Aliphatic, aromatic,
      and alpha,beta-unsaturated acyl groups can all be introduced. The acylation
      reaction may proceed through an analogous aromatic electrophilic substitution
      triggered by the nucleophilic attack of the platinum at the acyl chloride.

PMID- 28339213
TI  - Quaternary Carbon Center Forming Formal [3 + 3] Cycloaddition Reaction via
      Bifunctional Catalysis: Asymmetric Synthesis of Spirocyclohexene Pyrazolones.
AB  - A variety of spirocyclohexene pyrazolones were synthesized in good yields with
      excellent stereoselectivities through an asymmetric, intermolecular, quaternary
      carbon center forming [3 + 3] cycloaddition reaction catalyzed by a bifunctional
      catalyst. The vinylogous pyrazolones used as binucleophilic synthons in this
      reaction exhibited superior ability for constructing pyrazolone related
      spirocyclic scaffolds.

PMID- 28339212
TI  - Nickel-Catalyzed Reduction of Secondary and Tertiary Amides.
AB  - The nickel-catalyzed reduction of secondary and tertiary amides to give amine
      products is reported. The transformation is tolerant of extensive variation with
      respect to the amide substrate, proceeds in the presence of esters and
      epimerizable stereocenters, and can be used to achieve the reduction of lactams.
      Moreover, this methodology provides a simple tactic for accessing medicinally
      relevant alpha-deuterated amines.

PMID- 28339214
TI  - Muscle Protein Signaling in C2C12 Cells Is Stimulated to Similar Degrees by
      Diverse Commercial Food Protein Sources and Experimental Soy Protein
      Hydrolysates.
AB  - Dietary protein stimulates muscle protein synthesis and is essential for muscle
      health. We developed a screening assay using C2C12 mouse muscle cells to assess
      the relative abilities of diverse commercial protein sources and experimental soy
      protein hydrolysates (ESH), after simulated gut digestion (SGD), to activate the
      mechanistic target of rapamycin complex I (mTORC1) muscle protein synthesis
      signaling pathway (p70S6K(Thr389) phosphorylation). Activation of mTORC1 was
      expressed as a percentage of a maximal insulin response. The bioactivities of
      proteins grouped by source including fish (81.3 +/- 10.6%), soy (66.2 +/- 4.7%),
      dairy (61.8 +/- 4.3%), beef (53.7 +/- 8.6%), egg (52.3 +/- 10.6%), soy whey (43.4
      +/- 8.6%), and pea (31.4 +/- 10.6%) were not significantly different from each
      other. Bioactivity for ESH ranged from 28.0 +/- 7.5 to 98.2 +/- 6.6%. The results
      indicate that both the protein source and processing conditions are key
      determinants for mTORC1 activation. Regression analyses demonstrated that neither
      leucine nor total branched-chain amino acid content of proteins is the sole
      predictor of mTORC1 activity and that additional factors are necessary.

PMID- 28339216
TI  - Embarking on a Chemical Space Odyssey.
AB  - The chemical space explored in drug discovery programs is restricted by a narrow
      reaction toolkit and the frequent failure of even these reactions with polar and
      functionalized substrates. Recently, high-throughput reaction optimization has
      been integrated into discovery workflows, thereby increasing the value of
      specific reaction classes in the toolkit. It is likely that high-throughput
      experimentation will enable expansion of the synthetic chemistry that is widely
      exploited in discovery, thereby increasing innovation in medicinal chemistry.

PMID- 28339217
TI  - Tandem Spirocyclopropanation/Rearrangement Reaction of Vinyl p-Quinone Methides
      with Sulfonium Salts: Synthesis of Spirocyclopentenyl p-Dienones.
AB  - A novel base-mediated tandem spirocyclopropanation/rearrangement reaction of
      vinyl p-quinone methides (p-VQMs) with sulfonium salts is described. The
      unprecedented reactivity of p-VQMs was explored for the first time in the
      spiroannulation cascade, providing a stereoselective approach to the construction
      of synthetically interesting, densely functionalized spirocyclopentenyl p
      dienones.

PMID- 28339215
TI  - Discovery and Pre-Clinical Characterization of Third-Generation 4-H
      Heteroaryldihydropyrimidine (HAP) Analogues as Hepatitis B Virus (HBV) Capsid
      Inhibitors.
AB  - Described herein are the discovery and structure-activity relationship (SAR)
      studies of the third-generation 4-H heteroaryldihydropyrimidines (4-H HAPs)
      featuring the introduction of a C6 carboxyl group as novel HBV capsid inhibitors.
      This new series of 4-H HAPs showed improved anti-HBV activity and better drug
      like properties compared to the first- and second-generation 4-H HAPs. X-ray
      crystallographic study of analogue 12 (HAP_R01) with Cp149 Y132A mutant hexamer
      clearly elucidated the role of C6 carboxyl group played for the increased binding
      affinity, which formed strong hydrogen bonding interactions with capsid protein
      and coordinated waters. The representative analogue 10 (HAP_R10) was extensively
      characterized in vitro (ADMET) and in vivo (mouse PK and PD) and subsequently
      selected for further development as oral anti-HBV infection agent.

PMID- 28339218
TI  - Quantifying Fusion Born Ion Populations in Magnetically Confined Plasmas using
      Ion Cyclotron Emission.
AB  - Ion cyclotron emission (ICE) offers a unique promise as a diagnostic of the
      fusion born alpha-particle population in magnetically confined plasmas.
      Pioneering observations from JET and TFTR found that ICE intensity P_{ICE} scales
      approximately linearly with the measured neutron flux from fusion reactions, and
      with the inferred concentration, n_{alpha}/n_{i}, of fusion born alpha particles
      confined within the plasma. We present fully nonlinear self-consistent kinetic
      simulations that reproduce this scaling for the first time. This resolves a long
      standing question in the physics of fusion alpha-particle confinement and
      stability in magnetic confinement fusion plasmas. It confirms the magnetoacoustic
      cyclotron instability as the likely emission mechanism and greatly strengthens
      the basis for diagnostic exploitation of ICE in future burning plasmas.

PMID- 28339219
TI  - Crystalline Electric-Field Randomness in the Triangular Lattice Spin-Liquid
      YbMgGaO_{4}.
AB  - We apply moderate-high-energy inelastic neutron scattering (INS) measurements to
      investigate Yb^{3+} crystalline electric field (CEF) levels in the triangular
      spin-liquid candidate YbMgGaO_{4}. Three CEF excitations from the ground-state
      Kramers doublet are centered at the energies homega=39, 61, and 97 meV in
      agreement with the effective spin-1/2 g factors and experimental heat capacity,
      but reveal sizable broadening. We argue that this broadening originates from the
      site mixing between Mg^{2+} and Ga^{3+} giving rise to a distribution of Yb-O
      distances and orientations and, thus, of CEF parameters that account for the
      peculiar energy profile of the CEF excitations. The CEF randomness gives rise to
      a distribution of the effective spin-1/2 g factors and explains the unprecedented
      broadening of low-energy magnetic excitations in the fully polarized
      ferromagnetic phase of YbMgGaO_{4}, although a distribution of magnetic couplings
      due to the Mg/Ga disorder may be important as well.

PMID- 28339220
TI  - Experimental Bayesian Quantum Phase Estimation on a Silicon Photonic Chip.
AB  - Quantum phase estimation is a fundamental subroutine in many quantum algorithms,
      including Shor's factorization algorithm and quantum simulation. However, so far
      results have cast doubt on its practicability for near-term, nonfault tolerant,
      quantum devices. Here we report experimental results demonstrating that this
      intuition need not be true. We implement a recently proposed adaptive Bayesian
      approach to quantum phase estimation and use it to simulate molecular energies on
      a silicon quantum photonic device. The approach is verified to be well suited for
      prethreshold quantum processors by investigating its superior robustness to noise
      and decoherence compared to the iterative phase estimation algorithm. This shows
      a promising route to unlock the power of quantum phase estimation much sooner
      than previously believed.

PMID- 28339221
TI  - Open Systems with Error Bounds: Spin-Boson Model with Spectral Density
      Variations.
AB  - In the study of open quantum systems, one of the most common ways to describe
      environmental effects on the reduced dynamics is through the spectral density.
      However, in many models this object cannot be computed from first principles and
      needs to be inferred on phenomenological grounds or fitted to experimental data.
      Consequently, some uncertainty regarding its form and parameters is unavoidable;
      this in turn calls into question the accuracy of any theoretical predictions
      based on a given spectral density. Here, we focus on the spin-boson model as a
      prototypical open quantum system, find two error bounds on predicted expectation
      values in terms of the spectral density variation considered, and state a
      sufficient condition for the strongest one to apply. We further demonstrate an
      application of our result, by bounding the error brought about by the
      approximations involved in the hierarchical equations of motion resolution method
      for spin-boson dynamics.

PMID- 28339222
TI  - Holographic Duals for Five-Dimensional Superconformal Quantum Field Theories.
AB  - We construct global solutions to type IIB supergravity with 16 residual
      supersymmetries whose space-time is AdS_{6}*S^{2} warped over a Riemann surface.
      Families of solutions are labeled by an arbitrary number L>=3 of asymptotic
      regions, in each of which the supergravity fields match those of a (p,q) five
      brane, and may therefore be viewed as near-horizon limits of fully localized
      intersections of five-branes in type IIB string theory. These solutions provide
      compelling candidates for holographic duals to a large class of five-dimensional
      superconformal quantum field theories which arise as nontrivial UV fixed points
      of perturbatively nonrenormalizable Yang-Mills theories, thereby making them more
      directly accessible to quantitative analysis.

PMID- 28339223
TI  - Experimental Minimum-Error Quantum-State Discrimination in High Dimensions.
AB  - Quantum mechanics forbids perfect discrimination among nonorthogonal states
      through a single shot measurement. To optimize this task, many strategies were
      devised that later became fundamental tools for quantum information processing.
      Here, we address the pioneering minimum-error (ME) measurement and give the first
      experimental demonstration of its application for discriminating nonorthogonal
      states in high dimensions. Our scheme is designed to distinguish symmetric pure
      states encoded in the transverse spatial modes of an optical field; the optimal
      measurement is performed by a projection onto the Fourier transform basis of
      these modes. For dimensions ranging from D=2 to D=21 and nearly 14 000 states
      tested, the deviations of the experimental results from the theoretical values
      range from 0.3% to 3.6% (getting below 2% for the vast majority), thus showing
      the excellent performance of our scheme. This ME measurement is a building block
      for high-dimensional implementations of many quantum communication protocols,
      including probabilistic state discrimination, dense coding with nonmaximal
      entanglement, and cryptographic schemes.

PMID- 28339224
TI  - Optical Manipulation of a Magnon-Photon Hybrid System.
AB  - We demonstrate an all-optical method for manipulating the magnetization in a 1-mm
      yttrium-iron-garnet (YIG) sphere placed in a ~0.17  T uniform magnetic field. A
      harmonic of the frequency comb delivered by a multi-GHz infrared laser source is
      tuned to the Larmor frequency of the YIG sphere to drive magnetization
      oscillations, which in turn give rise to a radiation field used to thoroughly
      investigate the phenomenon. The radiation damping issue that occurs at high
      frequency and in the presence of highly magnetizated materials has been overcome
      by exploiting the magnon-photon strong coupling regime in microwave cavities. Our
      findings demonstrate an effective technique for ultrafast control of the
      magnetization vector in optomagnetic materials via polarization rotation and
      intensity modulation of an incident laser beam. We eventually get a second-order
      susceptibility value of ~10^{-7}  cm^{2}/MW for single crystal YIG.

PMID- 28339225
TI  - Effects of Quantum Spin-1/2 Impurities on the Magnetic Properties of Zigzag Spin
      Chains.
AB  - We investigate the effect of Co^{2+} (spin-1/2) impurities on the magnetic ground
      state and low-lying spin excitations of the quasione-dimensional spin-1/2
      antiferromagnet SrCuO_{2} by means of neutron scattering, muon spin spectroscopy,
      and bulk (ac and dc) magnetic susceptibilities. We found that dilute Co doping
      induces an Ising-like anisotropy and enhances the magnetic ordering temperature
      rather significantly, but preserves the gapless nature of the spin excitations.
      These results are in apparent contradiction with the recent studies of Ni (spin
      1) doped SrCuO_{2}. Low-temperature magnetic behavior of the Co-doped zigzag
      chains in SrCuO_{2} reveals the presence of a weak geometrical spin frustration.

PMID- 28339226
TI  - Percolation via Combined Electrostatic and Chemical Doping in Complex Oxide
      Films.
AB  - Stimulated by experimental advances in electrolyte gating methods, we investigate
      theoretically percolation in thin films of inhomogeneous complex oxides, such as
      La_{1-x}Sr_{x}CoO_{3} (LSCO), induced by a combination of bulk chemical and
      surface electrostatic doping. Using numerical and analytical methods, we identify
      two mechanisms that describe how bulk dopants reduce the amount of electrostatic
      surface charge required to reach percolation: (i) bulk-assisted surface
      percolation and (ii) surface-assisted bulk percolation. We show that the critical
      surface charge strongly depends on the film thickness when the film is close to
      the chemical percolation threshold. In particular, thin films can be driven
      across the percolation transition by modest surface charge densities. If
      percolation is associated with the onset of ferromagnetism, as in LSCO, we
      further demonstrate that the presence of critical magnetic clusters extending
      from the film surface into the bulk results in considerable enhancement of the
      saturation magnetization, with pronounced experimental consequences. These
      results should significantly guide experimental work seeking to verify gate
      induced percolation transitions in such materials.

PMID- 28339227
TI  - Cosmic Tsunamis in Modified Gravity: Disruption of Screening Mechanisms from
      Scalar Waves.
AB  - Extending general relativity by adding extra degrees of freedom is a popular
      approach for explaining the accelerated expansion of the Universe and to build
      high energy completions of the theory of gravity. The presence of such new
      degrees of freedom is, however, tightly constrained from several observations and
      experiments that aim to test general relativity in a wide range of scales. The
      viability of a given modified theory of gravity, therefore, strongly depends on
      the existence of a screening mechanism that suppresses the extra degrees of
      freedom. We perform simulations, and find that waves propagating in the new
      degrees of freedom can significantly impact the efficiency of some screening
      mechanisms, thereby threatening the viability of these modified gravity theories.
      Specifically, we show that the waves produced in the symmetron model can increase
      the amplitude of the fifth force and the parametrized post Newtonian parameters
      by several orders of magnitude.

PMID- 28339228
TI  - Universal Work Fluctuations During Shortcuts to Adiabaticity by Counterdiabatic
      Driving.
AB  - Counterdiabatic driving (CD) exploits auxiliary control fields to tailor the
      nonequilibrium dynamics of a quantum system, making possible the suppression of
      dissipated work in finite-time thermodynamics and the engineering of optimal
      thermal machines with no friction. We show that while the mean work done by the
      auxiliary controls vanishes, CD leads to a broadening of the work distribution.
      We derive a fundamental inequality that relates nonequilibrium work fluctuations
      to the operation time and quantifies the thermodynamic cost of CD in both
      critical and noncritical systems.

PMID- 28339229
TI  - First-Principles-Based Method for Electron Localization: Application to Monolayer
      Hexagonal Boron Nitride.
AB  - We present a first-principles-based many-body typical medium dynamical cluster
      approximation and density function theory method for characterizing electron
      localization in disordered structures. This method applied to monolayer hexagonal
      boron nitride shows that the presence of boron vacancies could turn this wide-gap
      insulator into a correlated metal. Depending on the strength of the electron
      interactions, these calculations suggest that conduction could be obtained at a
      boron vacancy concentration as low as 1.0%. We also explore the distribution of
      the local density of states, a fingerprint of spatial variations, which allows
      localized and delocalized states to be distinguished. The presented method
      enables the study of disorder-driven insulator-metal transitions not only in h-BN
      but also in other physical materials.

PMID- 28339230
TI  - Properties of a Rare-Earth-Ion-Doped Waveguide at Sub-Kelvin Temperatures for
      Quantum Signal Processing.
AB  - We characterize the 795 nm ^{3}H_{6} to ^{3}H_{4} transition of Tm^{3+} in a
      Ti^{4+}:LiNbO_{3} waveguide at temperatures as low as 800 mK. Coherence and
      hyperfine population lifetimes-up to 117  MUs and 2.5 h, respectively-exceed
      those at 3 K at least tenfold, and are equivalent to those observed in a bulk
      Tm^{3+}:LiNbO_{3} crystal under similar conditions. We also find a transition
      dipole moment that is equivalent to that of the bulk. Finally, we prepare a 0.5
      GHz-bandwidth atomic frequency comb of finesse >2 on a vanishing background.
      These results demonstrate the suitability of rare-earth-ion-doped waveguides
      created using industry-standard Ti indiffusion in LiNbO_{3} for on-chip quantum
      applications.

PMID- 28339231
TI  - Chiral Dark Sector.
AB  - We present a simple and natural dark sector model in which dark matter particles
      arise as composite states of hidden strong dynamics and their stability is
      ensured by accidental symmetries. The model has only a few free parameters. In
      particular, the gauge symmetry of the model forbids the masses of dark quarks,
      and the confinement scale of the dynamics provides the unique mass scale of the
      model. The gauge group contains an Abelian symmetry U(1)_{D}, which couples the
      dark and standard model sectors through kinetic mixing. This model, despite its
      simple structure, has rich and distinctive phenomenology. In the case where the
      dark pion becomes massive due to U(1)_{D} quantum corrections, direct and
      indirect detection experiments can probe thermal relic dark matter which is
      generically a mixture of the dark pion and the dark baryon, and the Large Hadron
      Collider can discover the U(1)_{D} gauge boson. Alternatively, if the dark pion
      stays light due to a specific U(1)_{D} charge assignment of the dark quarks, then
      the dark pion constitutes dark radiation. The signal of this radiation is highly
      correlated with that of dark baryons in dark matter direct detection.

PMID- 28339232
TI  - Noiseless Quantum Measurement and Squeezing of Microwave Fields Utilizing
      Mechanical Vibrations.
AB  - A process which strongly amplifies both quadrature amplitudes of an oscillatory
      signal necessarily adds noise. Alternatively, if the information in one
      quadrature is lost in phase-sensitive amplification, it is possible to completely
      reconstruct the other quadrature. Here we demonstrate such a nearly perfect phase
      sensitive measurement using a cavity optomechanical scheme, characterized by an
      extremely small noise less than 0.2 quanta. The device also strongly squeezes
      microwave radiation by 8 dB below vacuum. A source of bright squeezed microwaves
      opens up applications in manipulations of quantum systems, and noiseless
      amplification can be used even at modest cryogenic temperatures.

PMID- 28339233
TI  - Glue Spin and Helicity in the Proton from Lattice QCD.
AB  - We report the first lattice QCD calculation of the glue spin in the nucleon. The
      lattice calculation is carried out with valence overlap fermions on 2+1 flavor
      domain-wall fermion gauge configurations on four lattice spacings and four
      volumes including an ensemble with physical values for the quark masses. The glue
      spin S_{G} in the Coulomb gauge in the modified minimal subtraction (MS[over -])
      scheme is obtained with one-loop perturbative matching. We find the results
      fairly insensitive to lattice spacing and quark masses. We also find that the
      proton momentum dependence of S_{G} in the range 0<=|p[over ->]|<1.5  GeV is very
      mild, and we determine it in the large-momentum limit to be S_{G}=0.251(47)(16)
      at the physical pion mass in the MS[over -] scheme at MU^{2}=10  GeV^{2}. If the
      matching procedure in large-momentum effective theory is neglected, S_{G} is
      equal to the glue helicity measured in high-energy scattering experiments.

PMID- 28339234
TI  - Influence of Domain Walls in the Incommensurate Charge Density Wave State of Cu
      Intercalated 1T-TiSe_{2}.
AB  - We report a low-temperature scanning tunneling microscopy study of the charge
      density wave (CDW) order in 1T-TiSe_{2} and Cu_{0.08}TiSe_{2}. In pristine 1T
      TiSe_{2} we observe a long-range coherent commensurate CDW (CCDW) order. In
      contrast, Cu_{0.08}TiSe_{2} displays an incommensurate CDW (ICDW) phase with
      localized CCDW domains separated by domain walls. Density of states measurements
      indicate that the domain walls host an extra population of fermions near the
      Fermi level which may play a role in the emergence of superconductivity in this
      system. Fourier transform scanning tunneling spectroscopy studies suggest that
      the dominant mechanism for CDW formation in the ICDW phase may be electron-phonon
      coupling.

PMID- 28339235
TI  - Cross Interaction Drives Stratification in Drying Film of Binary Colloidal
      Mixtures.
AB  - When a liquid film of a colloidal solution consisting of particles of different
      sizes is dried on a substrate, the colloids often stratify, where smaller
      colloids are laid upon larger colloids. This phenomenon is counterintuitive
      because larger colloids which have a smaller diffusion constant, are expected to
      remain near the surface during the drying process, leaving a layer of larger
      colloids on top of smaller colloids. Here we show that the phenomenon is caused
      by the interaction between the colloids, and can be explained by a diffusion
      model accounting for the interaction between the colloids. By studying the
      evolution equations both numerically and analytically, we derive the condition at
      which the stratified structures are obtained.

PMID- 28339236
TI  - Effect of Biaxial Strain on the Phase Transitions of Ca(Fe_{1
      x}Co_{x})_{2}As_{2}.
AB  - We study the effect of applied strain as a physical control parameter for the
      phase transitions of Ca(Fe_{1-x}Co_{x})_{2}As_{2} using resistivity,
      magnetization, x-ray diffraction, and ^{57}Fe Mossbauer spectroscopy. Biaxial
      strain, namely, compression of the basal plane of the tetragonal unit cell, is
      created through firm bonding of samples to a rigid substrate via differential
      thermal expansion. This strain is shown to induce a magnetostructural phase
      transition in originally paramagnetic samples, and superconductivity in
      previously nonsuperconducting ones. The magnetostructural transition is gradual
      as a consequence of using strain instead of pressure or stress as a tuning
      parameter.

PMID- 28339237
TI  - Current Noise from a Magnetic Moment in a Helical Edge.
AB  - We calculate the two-terminal current noise generated by a magnetic moment
      coupled to a helical edge of a two-dimensional topological insulator. When the
      system is symmetric with respect to in-plane spin rotation, the noise is
      dominated by the Nyquist component even in the presence of a voltage bias V. The
      corresponding noise spectrum S(V,omega) is determined by a modified fluctuation
      dissipation theorem with the differential conductance G(V,omega) in place of the
      linear one. The differential noise ?S/?V, commonly measured in experiments, is
      strongly dependent on frequency on a small scale tau_{K}^{-1}?T set by the
      Korringa relaxation rate of the local moment. This is in stark contrast to the
      case of conventional mesoscopic conductors where ?S/?V is frequency independent
      and defined by the shot noise. In a helical edge, a violation of the spin
      rotation symmetry leads to the shot noise, which becomes important only at a high
      bias. Uncharacteristically for a fermion system, this noise in the backscattered
      current is super-Poissonian.

PMID- 28339238
TI  - Publisher's Note: Search for Structure in the B_{s}^{0}pi^{+/-} Invariant Mass
      Spectrum [Phys. Rev. Lett. 117, 152003 (2016)].
AB  - This corrects the article DOI: 10.1103/PhysRevLett.117.152003.

PMID- 28339239
TI  - Photon Statistics of Propagating Thermal Microwaves.
AB  - In experiments with superconducting quantum circuits, characterizing the photon
      statistics of propagating microwave fields is a fundamental task. We quantify the
      n^{2}+n photon number variance of thermal microwave photons emitted from a
      blackbody radiator for mean photon numbers, 0.05?n?1.5. We probe the fields using
      either correlation measurements or a transmon qubit coupled to a microwave
      resonator. Our experiments provide a precise quantitative characterization of
      weak microwave states and information on the noise emitted by a Josephson
      parametric amplifier.

PMID- 28339240
TI  - Single Photon Thermal Ionization of C_{60}.
AB  - We report on experiments which show that C_{60} can ionize in an indirect,
      quasithermal boiloff process after absorption of a single photon. The process
      involves a large number of incoherently excited valence electrons and yields
      electron spectra with a Boltzmann distribution with temperatures exceeding 10^{4}
      K. It is expected to be present for other molecules and clusters with a
      comparatively large number of valence electrons. The astrophysical consequences
      are briefly discussed.

PMID- 28339241
TI  - Disordered Route to the Coulomb Quantum Spin Liquid: Random Transverse Fields on
      Spin Ice in Pr_{2}Zr_{2}O_{7}.
AB  - Inelastic neutron scattering reveals a broad continuum of excitations in
      Pr_{2}Zr_{2}O_{7}, the temperature and magnetic field dependence of which
      indicate a continuous distribution of quenched transverse fields (Delta) acting
      on the non-Kramers Pr^{3+} crystal field ground state doublets. Spin-ice
      correlations are apparent within 0.2 meV of the Zeeman energy. A random phase
      approximation provides an excellent account of the data with a transverse field
      distribution rho(Delta)?(Delta^{2}+Gamma^{2})^{-1}, where Gamma=0.27(1)  meV.
      Established during high temperature synthesis due to an underlying structural
      instability, it appears disorder in Pr_{2}Zr_{2}O_{7} actually induces a quantum
      spin liquid.

PMID- 28339242
TI  - Comment on "Matter-Wave Interferometry of a Levitated Thermal Nano-Oscillator
      Induced and Probed by a Spin".

PMID- 28339243
TI  - Bose et al. Reply.

PMID- 28339244
TI  - Terahertz-Field-Induced Large Macroscopic Polarization and Domain-Wall Dynamics
      in an Organic Molecular Dielectric.
AB  - A rapid polarization control in paraelectric materials is important for an
      ultrafast optical switching useful in the future optical communication. In this
      study, we applied terahertz-pump second-harmonic-generation-probe and optical
      reflectivity-probe spectroscopies to the paraelectric neutral phase of an organic
      molecular dielectric, tetrathiafulvalene-p-chloranil and revealed that a
      terahertz pulse with the electric-field amplitude of ~400  kV/cm produces in the
      subpicosecond time scale a large macroscopic polarization whose magnitude reaches
      ~20% of that in the ferroelectric ionic phase. Such a large polarization
      generation is attributed to the intermolecular charge transfers and breathing
      motions of domain walls between microscopic neutral and ionic domains induced by
      the terahertz electric field.

PMID- 28339245
TI  - Precision Control of the Electron Longitudinal Bunch Shape Using an Emittance
      Exchange Beam Line.
AB  - We report on the experimental generation of relativistic electron bunches with a
      tunable longitudinal bunch shape. A longitudinal bunch-shaping (LBS) beam line,
      consisting of a transverse mask followed by a transverse-to-longitudinal
      emittance exchange (EEX) beam line, is used to tailor the longitudinal bunch
      shape (or current profile) of the electron bunch. The mask shapes the bunch's
      horizontal profile, and the EEX beam line converts it to a corresponding
      longitudinal profile. The Argonne wakefield accelerator rf photoinjector delivers
      electron bunches into a LBS beam line to generate a variety of longitudinal bunch
      shapes. The quality of the longitudinal bunch shape is limited by various
      perturbations in the exchange process. We develop a simple method, based on the
      incident slope of the bunch, to significantly suppress the perturbations.

PMID- 28339246
TI  - Impact of Atomic-Scale Contact Geometry on Andreev Reflection.
AB  - Charge transport has been examined in junctions comprising the normal-metal tip
      of a low-temperature scanning tunneling microscope, the surface of a conventional
      superconductor, and adsorbed C_{60} molecules. The Bardeen-Cooper-Schrieffer
      energy gap gradually evolves into a zero-bias peak with decreasing electrode
      separation. The peak is assigned to the spectroscopic signature of Andreev
      reflection. The conductance due to Andreev reflection is determined by the atomic
      termination of the tip apex and the molecular adsorption orientation. Transport
      calculations unveil the finite temperature and the strong molecule-electrode
      hybridization as the origin to the surprisingly good agreement between
      spectroscopic data and the Blonder-Tinkham-Klapwijk model that was conceived for
      macroscopic point contacts.

PMID- 28339247
TI  - Thermodynamic and Kinetic Fragility of Freon 113: The Most Fragile Plastic
      Crystal.
AB  - We present a dynamic and thermodynamic study of the orientational glass former
      Freon 113 (1,1,2-trichloro-1,2,2-trifluoroethane, CCl_{2}F-CClF_{2}) in order to
      analyze its kinetic and thermodynamic fragilities. Freon 113 displays internal
      molecular degrees of freedom that promote a complex energy landscape.
      Experimental specific heat and its microscopic origin, the vibrational density of
      states from inelastic neutron scattering, together with the orientational
      dynamics obtained by means of dielectric spectroscopy have revealed the highest
      fragility value, both thermodynamic and kinetic, found for this orientational
      glass former. The excess in both Debye-reduced specific heat and density of
      states (boson peak) evidences the existence of glassy low-energy excitations. We
      demonstrate that early proposed correlations between the boson peak and the Debye
      specific heat value are elusive as revealed by the clear counterexample of the
      studied case.

PMID- 28339248
TI  - Anderson Transition of Cold Atoms with Synthetic Spin-Orbit Coupling in Two
      Dimensional Speckle Potentials.
AB  - We investigate the metal-insulator transition occurring in two-dimensional (2D)
      systems of noninteracting atoms in the presence of artificial spin-orbit
      interactions and a spatially correlated disorder generated by laser speckles.
      Based on a high order discretization scheme, we calculate the precise position of
      the mobility edge and verify that the transition belongs to the symplectic
      universality class. We show that the mobility edge depends strongly on the mixing
      angle between Rashba and Dresselhaus spin-orbit couplings. For equal couplings a
      non-power-law divergence is found, signaling the crossing to the orthogonal
      class, where such a 2D transition is forbidden.

PMID- 28339249
TI  - Electric Control of Dirac Quasiparticles by Spin-Orbit Torque in an
      Antiferromagnet.
AB  - Spin orbitronics and Dirac quasiparticles are two fields of condensed matter
      physics initiated independently about a decade ago. Here we predict that Dirac
      quasiparticles can be controlled by the spin-orbit torque reorientation of the
      Neel vector in an antiferromagnet. Using CuMnAs as an example, we formulate
      symmetry criteria allowing for the coexistence of topological Dirac
      quasiparticles and Neel spin-orbit torques. We identify the nonsymmorphic crystal
      symmetry protection of Dirac band crossings whose on and off switching is
      mediated by the Neel vector reorientation. We predict that this concept verified
      by minimal model and density functional calculations in the CuMnAs semimetal
      antiferromagnet can lead to a topological metal-insulator transition driven by
      the Neel vector and to the topological anisotropic magnetoresistance.

PMID- 28339250
TI  - de Sitter Space as a Resonance.
AB  - A quantum mechanical formulation of de Sitter cosmological spacetimes still
      eludes string theory. In this Letter we conjecture a potentially rigorous
      framework in which the status of de Sitter space is the same as that of a
      resonance in a scattering process. We conjecture that transition amplitudes
      between certain states with asymptotically supersymmetric flat vacua contain
      resonant pole characteristic metastable intermediate states. A calculation
      employing constrained instantons illustrates this idea.

PMID- 28339251
TI  - Distinct Turbulence Saturation Regimes in Stellarators.
AB  - In the complex 3D magnetic fields of stellarators, ion-temperature-gradient
      turbulence is shown to have two distinct saturation regimes, as revealed by
      petascale numerical simulations and explained by a simple turbulence theory. The
      first regime is marked by strong zonal flows and matches previous observations in
      tokamaks. The newly observed second regime, in contrast, exhibits small-scale
      quasi-two-dimensional turbulence, negligible zonal flows, and, surprisingly, a
      weaker heat flux scaling. Our findings suggest that key details of the magnetic
      geometry control turbulence in stellarators.

PMID- 28339252
TI  - Helical Floquet Channels in 1D Lattices.
AB  - We show how dispersionless channels exhibiting perfect spin-momentum locking can
      arise in a 1D lattice model. While such spectra are forbidden by fermion doubling
      in static 1D systems, here we demonstrate their appearance in the stroboscopic
      dynamics of a periodically driven system. Remarkably, this phenomenon does not
      rely on any adiabatic assumptions, in contrast to the well known Thouless pump
      and related models of adiabatic spin pumps. The proposed setup is shown to be
      experimentally feasible with state-of-the-art techniques used to control
      ultracold alkaline earth atoms in optical lattices.

PMID- 28339253
TI  - Distinct Evolutions of Weyl Fermion Quasiparticles and Fermi Arcs with Bulk Band
      Topology in Weyl Semimetals.
AB  - The Weyl semimetal phase is a recently discovered topological quantum state of
      matter characterized by the presence of topologically protected degeneracies near
      the Fermi level. These degeneracies are the source of exotic phenomena, including
      the realization of chiral Weyl fermions as quasiparticles in the bulk and the
      formation of Fermi arc states on the surfaces. Here, we demonstrate that these
      two key signatures show distinct evolutions with the bulk band topology by
      performing angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy, supported by first
      principles calculations, on transition-metal monophosphides. While Weyl fermion
      quasiparticles exist only when the chemical potential is located between two
      saddle points of the Weyl cone features, the Fermi arc states extend in a larger
      energy scale and are robust across the bulk Lifshitz transitions associated with
      the recombination of two nontrivial Fermi surfaces enclosing one Weyl point into
      a single trivial Fermi surface enclosing two Weyl points of opposite chirality.
      Therefore, in some systems (e.g., NbP), topological Fermi arc states are
      preserved even if Weyl fermion quasiparticles are absent in the bulk. Our
      findings not only provide insight into the relationship between the exotic
      physical phenomena and the intrinsic bulk band topology in Weyl semimetals, but
      also resolve the apparent puzzle of the different magnetotransport properties
      observed in TaAs, TaP, and NbP, where the Fermi arc states are similar.

PMID- 28339254
TI  - Efficient Vortex Generation in Subwavelength Epsilon-Near-Zero Slabs.
AB  - We show that a homogeneous and isotropic slab, illuminated by a circularly
      polarized beam with no topological charge, produces vortices of order 2 in the
      opposite circularly polarized components of the reflected and transmitted fields,
      as a consequence of the transverse magnetic and transverse electric asymmetric
      response of the rotationally invariant system. In addition, in the epsilon-near
      zero regime, we find that vortex generation is remarkably efficient in
      subwavelength thick slabs up to the paraxial regime. This physically stems from
      the fact that a vacuum paraxial field can excite a nonparaxial field inside an
      epsilon-near-zero slab since it hosts slowly varying fields over physically large
      portions of the bulk. Our theoretical predictions indicate that epsilon-near-zero
      media hold great potential as nanophotonic elements for manipulating the angular
      momentum of the radiation, since they are available without resorting to
      complicated micro- or nanofabrication processes and can operate even at very
      small (ultraviolet) wavelengths.

PMID- 28339255
TI  - Quantum Quenching of Radiation Losses in Short Laser Pulses.
AB  - Accelerated charges radiate, and therefore must lose energy. The impact of this
      energy loss on particle motion, called radiation reaction, becomes significant in
      intense-laser matter interactions, where it can reduce collision energies, hinder
      particle acceleration schemes, and is seemingly unavoidable. Here we show that
      this common belief breaks down in short laser pulses, and that energy losses and
      radiation reaction can be controlled and effectively switched off by appropriate
      tuning of the pulse length. This "quenching" of emission is impossible in
      classical physics, but becomes possible in QED due to the discrete nature of
      quantum emissions.

PMID- 28339256
TI  - Analytic Interatomic Forces in the Random Phase Approximation.
AB  - We discuss that in the random phase approximation (RPA) the first derivative of
      the energy with respect to the Green's function is the self-energy in the GW
      approximation. This relationship allows us to derive compact equations for the
      RPA interatomic forces. We also show that position dependent overlap operators
      are elegantly incorporated in the present framework. The RPA force equations have
      been implemented in the projector augmented wave formalism, and we present
      illustrative applications, including ab initio molecular dynamics simulations,
      the calculation of phonon dispersion relations for diamond and graphite, as well
      as structural relaxations for water on boron nitride. The present derivation
      establishes a concise framework for forces within perturbative approaches and is
      also applicable to more involved approximations for the correlation energy.

PMID- 28339257
TI  - Erratum: Model for Plane Turbulent Couette Flow [Phys. Rev. Lett. 75, 2956
      (1995)].
AB  - This corrects the article DOI: 10.1103/PhysRevLett.75.2956.

PMID- 28339258
TI  - Atomistic Origin of Deformation Twinning in Biomineral Aragonite.
AB  - Deformation twinning rarely occurs in mineral materials which typically show
      brittle fracture. Surprisingly, it has recently been observed in the biomineral
      aragonite phase in nacre under high rate impact loading. In this Letter, the
      twinning tendency and the competition between fracture and deformation twinning
      were revealed by first principles calculations. The ratio of the unstable
      stacking fault energy and the stacking fault energy in orthorhombic aragonite is
      hitherto the highest in a broad range of metallic and oxide materials. The
      underlining physics for this high ratio is the multineighbor shared ionic bonds
      and the unique relaxation process during sliding in the aragonite structure.
      Overall, the unique deformation twining along with other highly coordinated
      deformation mechanisms synergistically work in the hierarchical structure of
      nacre, leading to the remarkable strengthening and toughening of nacre upon
      dynamic loading, and thus protecting the mother-of-pearl from predatory attacks.

PMID- 28339259
TI  - Sinking a Granular Raft.
AB  - We report experiments that yield new insights on the behavior of granular rafts
      at an oil-water interface. We show that these particle aggregates can float or
      sink depending on dimensionless parameters taking into account the particle
      densities and size and the densities of the two fluids. We characterize the raft
      shape and stability and propose a model to predict its shape and maximum length
      to remain afloat. Finally we find that wrinkles and folds appear along the raft
      due to compression by its own weight, which can trigger destabilization. These
      features are characteristics of an elastic instability, which we discuss,
      including the limitations of our model.

PMID- 28339260
TI  - Dynamic Chiral Magnetic Effect and Faraday Rotation in Macroscopically Disordered
      Helical Metals.
AB  - We develop an effective medium theory for electromagnetic wave propagation
      through gapless nonuniform systems with a dynamic chiral magnetic effect. The
      theory allows us to calculate macroscopic-disorder-induced corrections to the
      values of optical, as well as chiral magnetic conductivities. In particular, we
      show that spatial fluctuations of the optical conductivity induce corrections to
      the effective value of the chiral magnetic conductivity. The absolute value of
      the effect varies strongly depending on the system parameters, but yields the
      leading frequency dependence of the polarization rotation and circular dichroism
      signals. Experimentally, these corrections can be observed as features in the
      Faraday rotation angle near frequencies that correspond to the bulk plasmon
      resonances of a material. Such features are not expected to be present in single
      crystal samples.

PMID- 28339261
TI  - Ultimate Precision of Adaptive Noise Estimation.
AB  - We consider the estimation of noise parameters in a quantum channel, assuming the
      most general strategy allowed by quantum mechanics. This is based on the
      exploitation of unlimited entanglement and arbitrary quantum operations, so that
      the channel inputs may be interactively updated. In this general scenario, we
      draw a novel connection between quantum metrology and teleportation. In fact, for
      any teleportation-covariant channel (e.g., Pauli, erasure, or Gaussian channel),
      we find that adaptive noise estimation cannot beat the standard quantum limit,
      with the quantum Fisher information being determined by the channel's Choi
      matrix. As an example, we establish the ultimate precision for estimating excess
      noise in a thermal-loss channel, which is crucial for quantum cryptography.
      Because our general methodology applies to any functional that is monotonic under
      trace-preserving maps, it can be applied to simplify other adaptive protocols,
      including those for quantum channel discrimination. Setting the ultimate limits
      for noise estimation and discrimination paves the way for exploring the
      boundaries of quantum sensing, imaging, and tomography.

PMID- 28339262
TI  - Revealing Extremely Low Energy Amplitude Modes in the Charge-Density-Wave
      Compound LaAgSb_{2}.
AB  - Using infrared spectroscopy and ultrafast pump probe measurement, we have studied
      the two charge-density-wave (CDW) instabilities in the layered compound
      LaAgSb_{2}. The development of CDW energy gaps was clearly observed by optical
      spectroscopy, which removed most of the free carrier spectral weight. More
      interestingly, our time-resolved measurements revealed two coherent oscillations
      that softened by approaching the two phase transition temperatures, respectively.
      We addressed that these two oscillations come from the amplitude modes of CDW
      collective excitations, the surprisingly low energies (0.12 THz and 0.34 THz for
      the higher and lower temperature ones, respectively) of which are associated with
      the extremely small nesting wave vectors. Additionally, the amplitude and
      relaxation time of photoinduced reflectivity of LaAgSb_{2} single crystals stayed
      unchanged across the CDW phase transitions, which is quite rare and deserves
      further investigation.

PMID- 28339263
TI  - Electronic Stopping of Slow Protons in Transition and Rare Earth Metals:
      Breakdown of the Free Electron Gas Concept.
AB  - The electronic stopping cross sections (SCS) of Ta and Gd for slow protons have
      been investigated experimentally. The data are compared to the results for Pt and
      Au to learn how electronic stopping in transition and rare earth metals
      correlates with features of the electronic band structures. The extraordinarily
      high SCS observed for protons in Ta and Gd cannot be understood in terms of a
      free electron gas model, but are related to the high densities of both occupied
      and unoccupied electronic states in these metals.

PMID- 28339264
TI  - Anomalous Transport in the Superfluid Fluctuation Regime.
AB  - Motivated by a recent experiment in ultracold atoms [S. Krinner et al., Proc.
      Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 113, 8144 (2016)PNASA60027-842410.1073/pnas.1601812113],
      we analyze transport of attractively interacting fermions through a one
      dimensional wire near the superfluid transition. We show that in a ballistic
      regime where the conductance is quantized in the absence of interaction, the
      conductance is renormalized by superfluid fluctuations in reservoirs. In
      particular, the particle conductance is strongly enhanced, and the conductance
      plateau is blurred by emergent bosonic pair transport. For spin transport, in
      addition to the contact resistance, the wire itself is resistive, leading to a
      suppression of the measured spin conductance. Our results are qualitatively
      consistent with the experimental observations.

PMID- 28339265
TI  - Topology-Scaling Identification of Layered Solids and Stable Exfoliated 2D
      Materials.
AB  - The Materials Project crystal structure database has been searched for materials
      possessing layered motifs in their crystal structures using a topology-scaling
      algorithm. The algorithm identifies and measures the sizes of bonded atomic
      clusters in a structure's unit cell, and determines their scaling with cell size.
      The search yielded 826 stable layered materials that are considered as candidates
      for the formation of two-dimensional monolayers via exfoliation. Density
      functional theory was used to calculate the exfoliation energy of each material
      and 680 monolayers emerge with exfoliation energies below those of already
      existent two-dimensional materials. The crystal structures of these two
      dimensional materials provide templates for future theoretical searches of stable
      two-dimensional materials. The optimized structures and other calculated data for
      all 826 monolayers are provided at our database (https://materialsweb.org).

PMID- 28339266
TI  - Spin-Wave Excitations Evidencing the Kitaev Interaction in Single Crystalline
      alpha-RuCl_{3}.
AB  - Kitaev interactions underlying a quantum spin liquid have long been sought, but
      experimental data from which their strengths can be determined directly, are
      still lacking. Here, by carrying out inelastic neutron scattering measurements on
      high-quality single crystals of alpha-RuCl_{3}, we observe spin-wave spectra with
      a gap of ~2  meV around the M point of the two-dimensional Brillouin zone. We
      derive an effective-spin model in the strong-coupling limit based on energy bands
      obtained from first-principles calculations, and find that the anisotropic Kitaev
      interaction K term and the isotropic antiferromagnetic off-diagonal exchange
      interaction Gamma term are significantly larger than the Heisenberg exchange
      coupling J term. Our experimental data can be well fit using an effective-spin
      model with K=-6.8  meV and Gamma=9.5  meV. These results demonstrate explicitly
      that Kitaev physics is realized in real materials.

PMID- 28339267
TI  - Orbital Edge States in a Photonic Honeycomb Lattice.
AB  - We experimentally reveal the emergence of edge states in a photonic lattice with
      orbital bands. We use a two-dimensional honeycomb lattice of coupled micropillars
      whose bulk spectrum shows four gapless bands arising from the coupling of p-like
      photonic orbitals. We observe zero-energy edge states whose topological origin is
      similar to that of conventional edge states in graphene. Additionally, we report
      novel dispersive edge states in zigzag and armchair edges. The observations are
      reproduced by tight-binding and analytical calculations, which we extend to
      bearded edges. Our work shows the potentiality of coupled micropillars in
      elucidating some of the electronic properties of emergent two-dimensional
      materials with orbital bands.

PMID- 28339268
TI  - Entropy Evolution in the Magnetic Phases of Partially Frustrated CePdAl.
AB  - In the heavy-fermion metal CePdAl, long-range antiferromagnetic order coexists
      with geometric frustration of one-third of the Ce moments. At low temperatures,
      the Kondo effect tends to screen the frustrated moments. We use magnetic fields B
      to suppress the Kondo screening and study the magnetic phase diagram and the
      evolution of the entropy with B employing thermodynamic probes. We estimate the
      frustration by introducing a definition of the frustration parameter based on the
      enhanced entropy, a fundamental feature of frustrated systems. In the field range
      where the Kondo screening is suppressed, the liberated moments tend to maximize
      the magnetic entropy and strongly enhance the frustration. Based on our
      experiments, this field range may be a promising candidate to search for a
      quantum spin liquid.

PMID- 28339269
TI  - Portal Connecting Dark Photons and Axions.
AB  - The dark photon and the axion (or axionlike particle) are popular light particles
      of the hidden sector. Each of them has been actively searched for through the
      couplings called the vector portal and the axion portal. We introduce a new
      portal connecting the dark photon and the axion (axion-photon-dark photon, axion
      dark photon-dark photon), which emerges in the presence of the two particles.
      This dark axion portal is genuinely new couplings, not just from a product of the
      vector portal and the axion portal, because of the internal structure of these
      couplings. We present a simple model that realizes the dark axion portal and
      discuss why it warrants a rich phenomenology.

PMID- 28339270
TI  - Publisher's Note: First Experimental Study of Photon Polarization in Radiative
      B_{s}^{0} Decays [Phys. Rev. Lett. 118, 021801 (2017)].
AB  - This corrects the article DOI: 10.1103/PhysRevLett.118.021801.

PMID- 28339271
TI  - Magnetoelectric Behavior from S=1/2 Asymmetric Square Cupolas.
AB  - Magnetoelectric properties are studied by a combined experimental and theoretical
      study of a quasi-two-dimensional material composed of square cupolas,
      Ba(TiO)Cu_{4}(PO_{4})_{4}. The magnetization is measured up to the field above
      the saturation, and several anomalies are observed depending on the field
      directions. We propose a S=1/2 spin model with Dzyaloshinskii-Moriya
      interactions, which reproduces the full magnetization curves well. Elaborating
      the phase diagram of the model, we show that the anomalies are explained by
      magnetoelectric phase transitions. Our theory also accounts for the scaling of
      the dielectric anomaly observed in the experiments. The results elucidate the
      crucial role of the in-plane component of Dzyaloshinskii-Moriya interactions,
      which is induced by the noncoplanar buckling of a square cupola. We also predict
      a "hidden" phase and another magnetoelectric response, both of which appear in a
      nonzero magnetic field.

PMID- 28339272
TI  - Connecting Few-Body Inelastic Decay to Quantum Correlations in a Many-Body
      System: A Weakly Coupled Impurity in a Resonant Fermi Gas.
AB  - We study three-body recombination in an ultracold Bose-Fermi mixture. We first
      show theoretically that, for weak interspecies coupling, the loss rate is
      proportional to Tan's contact. Second, using a ^{7}Li/^{6}Li mixture we probe the
      recombination rate in both the thermal and dual superfluid regimes. We find
      excellent agreement with our model in the BEC-BCS crossover. At unitarity where
      the fermion-fermion scattering length diverges, we show that the loss rate is
      proportional to n_{f}^{4/3}, where n_{f} is the fermionic density. This unusual
      exponent signals nontrivial two-body correlations in the system. Our results
      demonstrate that few-body losses can be used as a quantitative probe of quantum
      correlations in many-body ensembles.

PMID- 28339274
TI  - Exact Model of Vacancy-Mediated Solute Transport in Magnesium.
AB  - Most substitutional solutes in solids diffuse via vacancies. However, widely used
      analytic models for diffusivity make uncontrolled approximations in the relations
      between atomic jump rates that reduce accuracy. Symmetry analysis of the
      hexagonal close packed crystal identifies more distinct vacancy transitions than
      prior models, and a Green function approach computes diffusivity exactly for
      solutes in magnesium. We find large differences for the solute drag of Al, Zn,
      and rare earth solutes, and improved diffusion activation energies-highlighting
      the need for exact analytic transport models.

PMID- 28339275
TI  - Ultrafast Photoinduced Electric-Polarization Switching in a Hydrogen-Bonded
      Ferroelectric Crystal.
AB  - Croconic acid crystals show proton displacive-type ferroelectricity with a large
      spontaneous polarization reaching 20  MUC/cm^{2}, which originates from the
      strong coupling of proton and pi-electron degrees of freedom. Such a coupling
      makes us expect a large polarization change by photoirradiations. Optical-pump
      second-harmonic-generation-probe experiments reveal that a photoexcited croconic
      acid crystal loses the ferroelectricity substantially with a maximum quantum
      efficiency of more than 30 molecules per one absorbed photon. Based on density
      functional calculations, we theoretically discuss possible pathways toward the
      formation of a one-dimensional domain with polarization inversion and its
      recovery process to the ground state by referring to the dynamics of
      experimentally obtained polarization changes.

PMID- 28339276
TI  - Two-Dimensional Platform for Networks of Majorana Bound States.
AB  - We model theoretically a two-dimensional electron gas (2DEG) covered by a
      superconductor and demonstrate that topological superconducting channels are
      formed when stripes of the superconducting layer are removed. As a consequence,
      Majorana bound states (MBSs) are created at the ends of the stripes. We calculate
      the topological invariant and energy gap of a single stripe, using realistic
      values for an InAs 2DEG proximitized by an epitaxial Al layer. We show that the
      topological gap is enhanced when the structure is made asymmetric. This can be
      achieved either by imposing a phase difference (by driving a supercurrent or
      using a magnetic-flux loop) over the strip or by replacing one superconductor by
      a metallic gate. Both strategies also enable control over the MBS splitting,
      thereby facilitating braiding and readout schemes based on controlled fusion of
      MBSs. Finally, we outline how a network of Majorana stripes can be designed.

PMID- 28339277
TI  - Turbulence Nonlinearities Shed Light on Geometric Asymmetry in Tokamak
      Confinement Transitions.
AB  - A comprehensive study of fully frequency-resolved nonlinear kinetic energy
      transfer has been performed for the first time in a diverted tokamak, providing
      new insight into the parametric dependences of edge turbulence transitions.
      Measurements using gas puff imaging in the turbulent L-mode state illuminate the
      source of the long known but as yet unexplained "favorable-unfavorable" geometric
      asymmetry of the power threshold for transition to the turbulence-suppressed H
      mode. Results from the recently discovered I mode point to a competition between
      zonal flow (ZF) and geodesic-acoustic modes (GAM) for turbulent energy, while
      showing new evidence that the I-to-H transition is still dominated by ZFs. The
      availability of nonlinear drive for the GAM against net heat flux through the
      edge corresponds very well to empirical scalings found experimentally for
      accessing the I mode.

PMID- 28339278
TI  - Erratum: X-Ray Optics on a Chip: Guiding X Rays in Curved Channels [Phys. Rev.
      Lett. 115, 203902 (2015)].
AB  - This corrects the article DOI: 10.1103/PhysRevLett.115.203902.

PMID- 28339279
TI  - Trade-Off Between Speed and Cost in Shortcuts to Adiabaticity.
AB  - Achieving effectively adiabatic dynamics is a ubiquitous goal in almost all areas
      of quantum physics. Here, we study the speed with which a quantum system can be
      driven when employing transitionless quantum driving. As a main result, we
      establish a rigorous link between this speed, the quantum speed limit, and the
      (energetic) cost of implementing such a shortcut to adiabaticity. Interestingly,
      this link elucidates a trade-off between speed and cost, namely, that
      instantaneous manipulation is impossible as it requires an infinite cost. These
      findings are illustrated for two experimentally relevant systems-the parametric
      oscillator and the Landau-Zener model-which reveal that the spectral gap governs
      the quantum speed limit as well as the cost for realizing the shortcut.

PMID- 28339273
TI  - Search for Electronic Recoil Event Rate Modulation with 4 Years of XENON100 Data.
AB  - We report on a search for electronic recoil event rate modulation signatures in
      the XENON100 data accumulated over a period of 4 yr, from January 2010 to January
      2014. A profile likelihood method, which incorporates the stability of the
      XENON100 detector and the known electronic recoil background model, is used to
      quantify the significance of periodicity in the time distribution of events.
      There is a weak modulation signature at a period of 431_{-14}^{+16} day in the
      low energy region of (2.0-5.8) keV in the single scatter event sample, with a
      global significance of 1.9sigma; however, no other more significant modulation is
      observed. The significance of an annual modulation signature drops from 2.8sigma,
      from a previous analysis of a subset of this data, to 1.8sigma with all data
      combined. Single scatter events in the low energy region are thus used to exclude
      the DAMA/LIBRA annual modulation as being due to dark matter electron
      interactions via axial vector coupling at 5.7sigma.

PMID- 28339280
TI  - Size-Resolved Photoelectron Anisotropy of Gas Phase Water Clusters and
      Predictions for Liquid Water.
AB  - We report the first measurements of size-resolved photoelectron angular
      distributions for the valence orbitals of neutral water clusters with up to 20
      molecules. A systematic decrease of the photoelectron anisotropy is found for
      clusters with up to 5-6 molecules, and most remarkably, convergence of the
      anisotropy for larger clusters. We suggest the latter to be the result of a local
      short-range scattering potential that is fully described by a unit of 5-6
      molecules. The cluster data and a detailed electron scattering model are used to
      predict the anisotropy of slow photoelectrons in liquid water. Reasonable
      agreement with experimental liquid jet data is found.

PMID- 28339281
TI  - Gate-Tunable Band Structure of the LaAlO_{3}-SrTiO_{3} Interface.
AB  - The two-dimensional electron system at the interface between LaAlO_{3} and
      SrTiO_{3} has several unique properties that can be tuned by an externally
      applied gate voltage. In this work, we show that this gate tunability extends to
      the effective band structure of the system. We combine a magnetotransport study
      on top-gated Hall bars with self-consistent Schrodinger-Poisson calculations and
      observe a Lifshitz transition at a density of 2.9*10^{13}cm^{-2}. Above the
      transition, the carrier density of one of the conducting bands decreases with
      increasing gate voltage. This surprising decrease is accurately reproduced in the
      calculations if electronic correlations are included. These results provide a
      clear, intuitive picture of the physics governing the electronic structure at
      complex-oxide interfaces.

PMID- 28339282
TI  - Melatonin for Reducing Weight Gain Following Administration of Atypical
      Antipsychotic Olanzapine for Adolescents with Bipolar Disorder: A Randomized,
      Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Trial.
AB  - OBJECTIVES: We aimed to evaluate melatonin effectiveness in weight gain reduction
      following olanzapine use for 11-17-year-old bipolar disorder patients.
      EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN: Seventy-seven adolescent outpatients, subsequent to their
      initial diagnosis of bipolar I disorder by a psychiatrist, entered this study.
      After assessing inclusion and exclusion criteria, 48 patients consented to
      participate. Twenty-four patients were allocated to receive olanzapine, lithium
      carbonate, and melatonin, and 24 patients were allocated to receive olanzapine,
      lithium carbonate, and placebo by simple randomization. The Young Mania Rating
      Scale (YMRS) was performed at baseline. Before treatment and after 6 and 12 weeks
      of treatment, weight, height, and body mass index (BMI) were measured. Analysis
      of variance (ANOVA) with repeated measure and t-test were used to analyze data.
      PRINCIPAL OBSERVATIONS: Nineteen patients in each group finished the study and
      their data were entered for analysis. Mean rise in BMI in the melatonin group
      compared with placebo (2.45 vs. 3.25 respectively) was marginally significant (t
      = 1.936; df = 36; p = 0.061). ANOVA with repeated measure also showed a
      marginally significant difference (F = 3.74; df = 1; p = 0.061) between groups
      and across time in regard to BMI. Mean body weight rise in the melatonin group
      compared with the placebo group (5.8 kg vs. 8.2 kg respectively) was marginally
      significant (t = 1.923; df = 28; p = 0.065). ANOVA with repeated measure also
      showed a marginally significant difference (F = 3.73; df = 1.1; p = 0.056)
      between groups and across time for body weight. CONCLUSIONS: Coadministration of
      melatonin with olanzapine and lithium carbonate in adolescents with bipolar
      disorder could reduce the sharp weight gain side effect of these drugs to near
      significance.

PMID- 28339283
TI  - Development, optimization and implementation of a centralized metabolic soft spot
      assay.
AB  - AIM: High clearance is a commonly encountered issue in drug discovery. Here we
      present a centralized metabolic soft spot identification assay with adequate
      capacity and turnaround time to support the metabolic optimization needs of an
      entire discovery organization. METHODOLOGY: An integrated quan/qual approach
      utilizing both an orthogonal sample-pooling methodology and software-assisted
      structure elucidation was developed to enable the assay. Major metabolic soft
      spots in liver microsomes (rodent and human) were generated in a batch mode,
      along with kinetics of parent disappearance and metabolite formation, typically
      within 1 week of incubation. RESULTS & CONCLUSION: A centralized metabolic soft
      spot identification assay has been developed and has successfully impacted
      discovery project teams in mitigating instability and establishing potential
      structure-metabolism relationships.

PMID- 28339284
TI  - DPC4 gene expression in primary pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma: relationship
      with CT characteristics.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: To investigate the relationship between CT imaging findings and DPC4
      gene expression and to determine the prognostic value of DPC4 gene expression to
      predict overall survival in patients with pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma.
      METHODS: Between January and December 2011, we retrospectively analyzed 163
      pancreatic ductal adenocarcinomas in 163 patients who had undergone surgical
      resection (mean age = 61.8 years; range = 35-81 years). We divided the study
      patients into two groups according to DPC4 gene expression: DPC4-expression or
      DPC4-non-expression group. The CT findings were analyzed by two reviewers. The
      associations between the CT imaging findings and DPC4 gene expression were
      evaluated using univariate analysis and multivariate logistic regression
      analysis. Overall survival was compared according to the DPC4 gene expression
      (DPC4-expression vs DPC4-non-expression) using Kaplan-Meier analysis and log-rank
      testing. To avoid bias, subgroup analyses of CT findings in T3 tumour and overall
      survival in patients with T3 tumour and R0 resection were performed. RESULTS:
      Between DPC4-expression group (n = 75) and DPC4-non-expression group (n = 88),
      three CT findings (i.e., tumour margin, peripancreatic infiltration, and the
      presence of background intraductal pancreatic mucinous neoplasm) were
      significantly different in univariate analysis. Of these, a well-defined tumour
      margin was significantly associated with DPC4-expression tumour (adjusted odds
      ratio = 2.06; p = 0.032) in multivariate analysis. Of the total 163 patients, the
      mean overall survival of the DPC4-expression group was significantly longer than
      that of the DPC4-non-expression group (30.0 vs 22.0 months; p = 0.049). Of the
      150 T3 tumours, the presence of well-defined tumour margins was also a
      significant CT finding (adjusted odd ratio = 2.00; p = 0.044) in multivariate
      analysis. However, of 131 patients with T3 tumour and R0 resection, the overall
      survival period of the DPC4-expression group was not significantly different from
      that of the DPC4-non-expression group (24.0 vs 22.0 months; p = 0.240).
      CONCLUSION: The presence of well-defined tumour margins on CT was significantly
      linked with DPC4-expression tumour. Advances in knowledge: A well-defined tumour
      margin is an independent CT finding associated with DPC4-expression pancreatic
      ductal adenocarcinoma.

PMID- 28339285
TI  - Is the necrosis/wall ADC ratio useful for the differentiation of benign and
      malignant breast lesions?
AB  - OBJECTIVE: To determine whether the necrosis/wall apparent diffusion coefficient
      (ADC) ratio is useful for the malignant-benign differentiation of necrotic breast
      lesions. METHODS: Breast MRI was performed using a 3-T system. In this
      retrospective study, calculation of the necrosis/wall ADC ratio was based on ADC
      values measured from the necrosis and from the wall of malignant and benign
      breast lesions by diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI). By synchronizing post
      contrast T1 weighted images, the separate parts of wall and necrosis were
      maintained. All the diagnoses were pathologically confirmed. Statistical analyses
      were conducted using an independent sample t-test and receiver operating
      characteristic analysis. The intraclass and interclass correlations were
      evaluated. RESULTS: A total of 66 female patients were enrolled, 38 of whom had
      necrotic breast carcinomas and 28 of whom had breast abscesses. The ADC values
      were obtained from both the wall and necrosis. The mean necrosis/wall ADC ratio
      (+/- standard deviation) was 1.61 +/- 0.51 in carcinomas, and it was 0.65 +/-
      0.33 in abscesses. The area under the curve values for necrosis ADC, wall ADC and
      the necrosis/wall ADC ratio were 0.680, 0.068 and 0.942, respectively. A
      wall/necrosis ADC ratio cut-off value of 1.18 demonstrated a sensitivity of 97%,
      specificity of 93%, a positive-predictive value of 95%, a negative-predictive
      value of 96% and an accuracy of 95% in determining the malignant nature of
      necrotic breast lesions. There was a good intra- and interclass reliability for
      the ADC values of both necrosis and wall. CONCLUSION: The necrosis/wall ADC ratio
      appears to be a reliable and promising tool for discriminating breast carcinomas
      from abscesses using DWI. Advances in knowledge: ADC values of the necrosis
      obtained by DWI are valuable for malignant-benign differentiation in necrotic
      breast lesions. The necrosis/wall ADC ratio appears to be a reliable and
      promising tool in the breast imaging field.

PMID- 28339286
TI  - Advantages of Arthroscopic Rotator Cuff Repair With a Transosseous Suture
      Technique: A Prospective Randomized Controlled Trial.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Rotator cuff tear is a common finding in patients with painful,
      poorly functioning shoulders. The surgical management of this disorder has
      improved greatly and can now be fully arthroscopic. PURPOSE: To evaluate clinical
      and radiological results of arthroscopic rotator cuff repair using 2 different
      techniques: single-row anchor fixation versus transosseous hardware-free suture
      repair. STUDY DESIGN: Randomized controlled trial; Level of evidence, 1. METHODS:
      Sixty-nine patients with rotator cuff tears were enrolled: 35 patients were
      operated with metal anchors and 34 with standardized transosseous repair. The
      patients were clinically evaluated before surgery, during the 28 days after
      surgery, and at least 1 year after the operation by the use of validated rating
      scores (Constant score, QuickDASH, and numerical rating scale [NRS]). Final
      follow-up was obtained at more than 3 years by a QuickDASH evaluation to detect
      any difference from the previous follow-up. During the follow-up, rotator cuff
      integrity was determined through magnetic resonance imaging and was classified
      according to the 5 Sugaya categories. RESULTS: Patients operated with the
      transosseous technique had significantly less pain, especially from the 15th
      postoperative day: In the third week, the mean NRS value for the anchor group was
      3.00 while that for transosseous group was 2.46 ( P = .02); in the fourth week,
      the values were 2.44 and 1.76, respectively ( P < .01). No differences in
      functional outcome were noted between the 2 groups at the final evaluation. In
      the evaluation of rotator cuff repair integrity, based on Sugaya magnetic
      resonance imaging classification, no significant difference was found between the
      2 techniques in terms of retear rate ( P = .81). CONCLUSION: No significant
      differences were found between the 2 arthroscopic repair techniques in terms of
      functional and radiological results. However, postoperative pain decreased more
      quickly after the transosseous procedure, which therefore emerges as a possible
      improvement in the surgical repair of the rotator cuff. Registration: NCT01815177
      ( ClinicalTrials.gov identifier).

PMID- 28339287
TI  - Rapid Radiologic Progression of Silicosis.

PMID- 28339288
TI  - The Proximal Tibiofibular Joint: A Biomechanical Analysis of the Anterior and
      Posterior Ligamentous Complexes.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Dislocation of the proximal tibiofibular joint is a complex injury
      that is often overlooked or misdiagnosed. Surgical management is recommended for
      severe acute or for chronic symptomatic instability of the proximal tibiofibular
      joint. Although the anterior ligamentous complex has been reported to be stronger
      than the posterior complex, biomechanical data are lacking. PURPOSE: To determine
      the ultimate load of the anterior and posterior ligamentous complexes of the
      proximal tibiofibular joint to determine optimal graft selection. STUDY DESIGN:
      Controlled laboratory study. METHODS: Ten nonpaired, fresh-frozen knee specimens
      were dissected to expose the anterior and posterior proximal tibiofibular
      ligamentous complexes. The tibia was split in the coronal plane to separate the
      anterior and posterior ligamentous complexes, and the fibula was left intact.
      Specimens were secured in a dynamic testing machine and preconditioned for 10
      cycles between 2 and 10 N at 0.1 Hz followed by loading to failure at a rate of
      25 mm/min. RESULTS: The mean (+/-SD) ultimate load of the anterior complex (517
      +/- 144 N) was significantly greater than the mean ultimate load of the posterior
      complex (322 +/- 160 N) ( P = .012). The mean surface areas of the anterior and
      posterior complexes were 761 +/- 174 mm2 and 565 +/- 103 mm2, respectively ( P =
      .008). The mean values for stiffness of the anterior (133 N/mm) and posterior
      (109 N/mm) complexes were similar ( P = .250). CONCLUSION: The ligaments of the
      human proximal tibiofibular joint were able to withstand a mean ultimate failure
      load of 517 +/- 144 N for the anterior complex and 322 +/- 160 N for the
      posterior complex. In this regard, it is recommended that the strengths of grafts
      chosen for proximal tibiofibular reconstructions meet or exceed these values.
      CLINICAL RELEVANCE: The optimal surgical treatment for addressing residual
      proximal tibiofibular instability is not well defined. Before an anatomic
      reconstruction of the proximal tibiofibular ligament is developed, the individual
      biomechanical properties of the anterior and posterior ligamentous structures of
      the proximal tibiofibular joint need to be considered to facilitate an optimal
      reconstruction design.

PMID- 28339289
TI  - The role of delineation education programs for improving interobserver
      variability in target volume delineation in gastric cancer.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: To assess whether delineation courses for radiation oncologists
      improve interobserver variability in target volume delineation for post-operative
      gastric cancer radiotherapy planning. METHODS: 29 radiation oncologists
      delineated target volumes in a gastric cancer patient. An experienced radiation
      oncologist lectured about delineation based on contouring atlas and delineation
      recommendations. After the course, the radiation oncologists, blinded to the
      previous delineation, provided delineation for the same patient. RESULTS: The
      difference between delineated volumes and reference volumes for pre- and post
      course clinical target volume (CTV) were 19.8% (-42.4 to 70.6%) and 12.3% (-12.0
      to 27.3%) (p = 0.26), respectively. The planning target volume (PTV) differences
      pre- and post-course according to the reference volume were 20.5% (-40.7 to
      93.7%) and 13.1% (-10.6 to 29.5%) (p = 0.30), respectively. The concordance
      volumes between the pre- and post-course CTVs and PTVs were 467.1 +/- 89.2 vs
      597.7 +/- 54.6 cm3 (p < 0.001) and 738.6 +/- 135.1 vs 893.2 +/- 144.6 cm3 (p <
      0.001), respectively. Minimum and maximum observer variations were seen at the
      cranial part and splenic hilus and at the caudal part of the CTV. The kappa
      indices compared with the reference contouring at pre- and post-course
      delineations were 0.68 and 0.82, respectively. CONCLUSION: The delineation course
      improved interobserver variability for gastric cancer. However, impact of target
      volume changes on toxicity and local control should be evaluated for further
      studies. Advances in knowledge: This study demonstrated that a delineation course
      based on current recommendations helped physicians delineate smaller and more
      homogeneous target volumes. Better target volume delineation allows proper target
      volume irradiation and preventing unnecessary normal tissue irradiation.

PMID- 28339290
TI  - Preventing the spread of infectious diseases: antivirulents versus antibiotics.

PMID- 28339291
TI  - Bronchial microbiome, PA biofilm-forming capacity and exacerbation in severe COPD
      patients colonized by P. aeruginosa.
AB  - AIM: The bronchial microbiome of severe chronic obstructive pulmonary disease
      patients colonized by Pseudomonas aeruginosa was analyzed using 16S rRNA gene
      sequencing to identify differences related to biofilm-forming capacity. PATIENTS
      & METHODS: Patient sputum samples from 21 patients were studied. RESULTS:
      Statistically significant differences related to biofilm-forming capacity were
      only found for genera with relative abundances <1%, and Fusobacterium was over
      represented when biofilm-forming capacity was high. Genera with relative
      abundances >50% which increased from baseline were observed in 10/14
      exacerbations, but corresponded to Pseudomonas only in three episodes, while
      other pathogenic genera were identified in seven. CONCLUSION: The bronchial
      microbiome shows differences according with P. aeruginosa biofilm-forming
      capacity. Pathogenic microorganisms other than P. aeruginosa cause a significant
      part of the exacerbations in colonized chronic obstructive pulmonary disease
      patients.

PMID- 28339292
TI  - Thymbra capitata essential oil as potential therapeutic agent against Gardnerella
      vaginalis biofilm-related infections.
AB  - AIM: To evaluate the antibacterial activity of Thymbra capitata essential oil and
      its main compound, carvacrol, against Gardnerella vaginalis grown planktonically
      and as biofilms, and its effect of vaginal lactobacilli. MATERIALS & METHODS:
      Minimal inhibitory concentration, minimal lethal concentration determination and
      flow cytometry analysis were used to assess the antibacterial effect against
      planktonic cells. Antibiofilm activity was measured through quantification of
      biomass and visualization of biofilm structure by confocal laser scanning
      microscopy. RESULTS: T. capitata essential oil and carvacrol exhibited a potent
      antibacterial activity against G. vaginalis cells. Antibiofilm activity was more
      evident with the essential oil than carvacrol. Furthermore, vaginal lactobacilli
      were significantly more tolerant to the essential oil. CONCLUSION: T. capitata
      essential oil stands up as a promising therapeutic agent against G. vaginalis
      biofilm-related infections.

PMID- 28339293
TI  - The Context of Sexual Decisions and Intrapersonal and Interpersonal Factors
      Related to Sexual Initiation Among Female Military-Dependent Youth.
AB  - Despite the sizable population of military-dependent youth (MDY) in the United
      States and the military stressors they experience (e.g., relocations, parental
      deployment), little is known about MDY's sexual behavior, especially about the
      perceived role that military stressors play in their sexual decisions, such as
      the decision to initiate sex. We conducted 25 semistructured, in-depth interviews
      with sexually experienced female MDY aged 15 to 19 years to (a) describe MDY's
      general perceptions of military life and (b) identify intrapersonal and
      interpersonal characteristics related to MDY's sexual initiation, including the
      perceived impact of military stressors. We analyzed life history grids and
      transcripts to identify common and unique themes across participants'
      experiences. Most participants reported having positive experiences related to
      military life, and most did not believe that military stressors influenced their
      decision to initiate sex. Common intrapersonal and interpersonal characteristics
      related to sexual initiation were having an older first sexual partner, being in
      a dating relationship, receiving sexual health education prior to their first
      sexual experience, and discussing sex with a parent prior to their first sexual
      experience. These intrapersonal and interpersonal characteristics should be
      considered when developing sexual health programs for MDY, which should focus on
      building supportive peer and parental relationships.

PMID- 28339294
TI  - Rapid assessment of antimicrobial resistance prevalence using a Lot Quality
      Assurance sampling approach.
AB  - AIM: Increasing antimicrobial resistance (AMR) requires rapid surveillance tools,
      such as Lot Quality Assurance Sampling (LQAS). MATERIALS & METHODS: LQAS
      classifies AMR as high or low based on set parameters. We compared
      classifications with the underlying true AMR prevalence using data on 1335
      Escherichia coli isolates from surveys of community-acquired urinary tract
      infection in women, by assessing operating curves, sensitivity and specificity.
      RESULTS: Sensitivity and specificity of any set of LQAS parameters was above 99%
      and between 79 and 90%, respectively. Operating curves showed high concordance of
      the LQAS classification with true AMR prevalence estimates. CONCLUSION: LQAS
      based AMR surveillance is a feasible approach that provides timely and locally
      relevant estimates, and the necessary information to formulate and evaluate
      guidelines for empirical treatment.

PMID- 28339295
TI  - Antifungal plant defensins: increased insight in their mode of action as a basis
      for their use to combat fungal infections.
AB  - Plant defensins are small, cationic peptides with a highly conserved 3D
      structure. They have been studied extensively in the past decades. Various
      biological activities have been attributed to plant defensins, such as anti
      insect and antimicrobial activities, but they are also known to affect ion
      channels and display antitumor activity. This review focuses on the structure,
      biological activity and antifungal mode of action of some well-characterized
      plant defensins, with particular attention to their fungal membrane target(s),
      their induced cell death mechanisms as well as their antibiofilm activity. As
      plant defensins are, in general, not toxic to human cells, show in vivo efficacy
      and have low frequencies of resistance occurrence, they are of particular
      interest in the fight against fungal infections.

PMID- 28339296
TI  - Synthetic parasites: a successful mucosal nanoparticle vaccine against Toxoplasma
      congenital infection in mice.
AB  - AIM: Development of protein vaccine to prevent congenital infection is a major
      public health priority. Our goal is the design of mucosal synthetic pathogen
      inducing protective immune responses against congenital toxoplasmosis. MATERIALS
      & METHODS: Mice were immunized intranasally, establishing pregnancy and
      challenging orally. Placental immune response, congenital infection, pup growth,
      parasitic load rates were studied. RESULTS: Pups born to vaccinated infected dams
      had significantly fewer brain cysts, no intraocular inflammation and normal
      growth. Protection was associated with a placental cellular Th1 response
      downregulated by IL-6 and correlated with persistence of vaccine for few hours in
      the nose before being totally eliminated. CONCLUSION: Our vaccine conferred high
      protection against congenital toxoplasmosis. These results provide support for
      future studies of other congenital vaccine.

PMID- 28339297
TI  - Long-term Effect of Panretinal Photocoagulation on Spectral Domain Optical
      Coherence Tomography Measurements in Diabetic Retinopathy.
AB  - PURPOSE: To evaluate the effects of panretinal photocoagulation on spectral
      domain optical coherence tomography measurements in diabetic retinopathy by
      comparing the thicknesses of the central macula, retinal nerve fiber layer, and
      ganglion cell layer, we used a Cirrus HD OCT(r) (Carl Zeiss Meditec, Dublin, CA,
      USA) in normal and diabetic retinopathy cohorts. METHODS: We analyzed patients
      who visited our retinal clinic between May 2013 and July 2014. The patients were
      classified into four groups: normal (Group A), diabetes without diabetic
      retinopathy (Group B), severe nonproliferative or proliferative diabetic
      retinopathy (Group C), and at least 3 years after panretinal photocoagulation
      treatment (Group D). The mean thicknesses of the macula, retinal nerve fiber
      layer, and ganglion cell layer in each group were compared by measuring a macular
      cube 512 * 128 scan and an optic disc cube 200 * 200 scan twice. RESULTS: In
      total, 154 patients were enrolled. The mean thickness of the central macula in
      groups A to D was 257.2, 256.8, 257.4, and 255.6 um, respectively, and did not
      differ significantly. The mean thickness of the RNFL in group A to D was 96.8,
      96.5, 97.2, and 92.8 um, respectively, and was significantly lower in group D
      (decreased in the inferior, superior, and nasal sectors, but increased in the
      temporal). The mean thickness of the ganglion cell layer was also significantly
      lower in group D (A, 84.5 um; B, 84.4 um; C, 82.5 um; D, 78.5 um). CONCLUSIONS:
      The mean thicknesses of the retinal nerve fiber and ganglion cell layers were
      decreased significantly in eyes with diabetic eye disease treated with panretinal
      photocoagulation compared to normal or eyes with diabetic eye disease that had
      not been laser-treated. Laser treatment might have altered the thickness of the
      inner layer of the retina, and such changes should be considered in diabetic
      retinopathy patients after panretinal photocoagulation treatment.

PMID- 28339298
TI  - Evaluations and Future Plans After Casual Sexual Experiences: Differences Across
      Partner Type.
AB  - Casual sexual relationships and experiences (CSREs) are common among emerging
      adults, and their diversity may contribute to variability in their associations
      with mental health and future romantic relationship development. The present
      research used multiple regression analyses to examine how CSRE type (casual
      dating, friends with benefits [FWB], or booty call/one-night stand) is associated
      with short-term outcomes of these experiences, including positive and negative
      evaluations, plans to start a romantic relationship with a CSRE partner, and
      general plans for future CSREs. College students and non-college-attending
      emerging adults (N = 192, 80% female, mean age = 22.09 years) reported on recent
      sexual encounters through daily diaries collected around an alcohol consumption
      holiday. Individuals with casual dating partners evaluated their experiences more
      positively and/or less negatively than individuals with booty calls/one-night
      stands; these associations were moderated by gender and sexual behavior type.
      Individuals with casual dating partners were more oriented toward pursuing a
      romantic relationship with their partners than individuals with FWB or booty
      calls/one-night stands. However, no association was found between CSRE type and
      plans for future CSREs in general. Results highlight the diversity of CSREs and
      suggest that casual dating may be more rewarding than FWB and booty calls/one
      night stands, particularly for women.

PMID- 28339300
TI  - Genetic Manipulation by Zinc-Finger Nucleases in Rat-Induced Pluripotent Stem
      Cells.
AB  - Induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) have an extensive application in
      regenerative medicine, pharmaceutical discovery, and basic research. With the
      recent derivation of rat iPSCs, it is now feasible to apply genetic manipulation
      in this species. But such tools do not yet exist for many rat strains, especially
      for disease model rat. The Sprague Dawley (SD) rat is an inbred disease model for
      hypertension, nephropathy, pulmonary hypertension, depression, and alcohol
      consumption. In this study, the SD rat iPSCs were generated using lentiviral
      method. The p53 gene was targeted in rat iPSCs using homologous recombination
      mediated by P53 zinc-finger nucleases (ZFNs). Our results showed that these rat
      iPSCs were pluripotent status. P53 gene was targeted successfully with high
      efficiency by coelectroporating the donor targeting vectors and p53 ZFN vector to
      these rat iPSCs. Southern blotting analysis confirmed the correct homologous
      recombination in rat iPSCs. At the same time, our results demonstrated that the
      P53 dependent function was abolished in p53-targeted iPSCs. This report also
      demonstrated that iPS technology, combined with homologous recombination mediated
      by ZFN, was suitable to develop human disease model in rat and other species.

PMID- 28339301
TI  - Cultivation of Human Oral Mucosal Explants on Contact Lenses.
AB  - : Purpose/Aim: Autologous cultivated oral mucosal (OM) epithelial transplantation
      has been successfully used as corneal epithelial replacement in bilateral limbal
      stem cell deficiency. Recently, lotrafilcon A contact lens (CL) surface was
      described as a suitable carrier for cultured stem cells in corneal epithelial
      transplantation. Our aim was to establish explant cultures from human OM on CL
      carriers that are free of animal-derived materials and feeder cells. MATERIALS
      AND METHODS: Human cadaveric 2 mm OM explants were sutured onto CL surfaces and
      cultivated with fetal calf serum (FCS) or human serum (HS) supplemented culture
      medium without feeder cells. Confluent cultures were harvested and evaluated
      morphologically with hematoxylin and eosin stain and with immunofluorescence
      microscopy for the presence of p63, vimentin and cytokeratins (CK) 3, 4, 13 and
      14. RESULTS: Confluent cell sheets covering the whole CL surface were produced
      from OM explants after 2 weeks of culture with HS and after 3 weeks with FCS. A
      basal layer consisted of small, vimentin, p63 and CK14 positive putative
      stem/progenitor cells, which were present in the whole cell sheet. Large, CK3,
      CK4 and CK13 positive, differentiated cells appeared to spread above this
      confluent layer. CONCLUSIONS: We have established an animal-free culture system
      from human OM explants on CL surface. The cultured OM sheets contain large
      numbers of putative stem cells including limbal-like CK3 and CK14 positive cells.
      This method can be adapted to good manufacturing practice (GMP) conditions and
      has, therefore, great potential for clinical use.

PMID- 28339302
TI  - Driver trust in five driver assistance technologies following real-world use in
      four production vehicles.
AB  - OBJECTIVES: Information about drivers' experiences with driver assistance
      technologies in real driving conditions is sparse. This study characterized
      driver interactions with forward collision warning, adaptive cruise control,
      active lane keeping, side-view assist, and lane departure warning systems
      following real-world use. METHODS: Fifty-four Insurance Institute for Highway
      Safety employees participated and drove a 2016 Toyota Prius, 2016 Honda Civic,
      2017 Audi Q7, or 2016 Infiniti QX60 for up to several weeks. Participants
      reported mileage and warnings from the technologies in an online daily-use
      survey. Participants reported their level of agreement with five statements
      regarding trust in an online post-use survey. Responses were averaged to create a
      composite measure of trust ranging from -2 (strongly disagree) to +2 (strongly
      agree) for each technology. Mixed-effect regression models were constructed to
      compare trust among technologies and separately among the study vehicles.
      Participants' free-response answers about what they liked least about each system
      were coded and examined. RESULTS: Participants reported driving 33,584 miles
      during 4 months of data collection. At least one forward collision warning was
      reported in 26% of the 354 daily reports. The proportion of daily reports
      indicating a forward collision warning was much larger for the Honda (70%) than
      for the Audi (18%), Infiniti (15%), and Toyota (10%). Trust was highest for side
      view assist (0.98) and lowest for active lane keeping (0.20). Trust in side-view
      assist was significantly higher than trust in active lane keeping and lane
      departure warning (0.53). Trust in active lane keeping was significantly lower
      than trust in adaptive cruise control (0.67) and forward collision warning
      (0.71). Trust in adaptive cruise control was higher for the Audi (0.72) and
      Toyota (0.75) compared with the Honda (0.30), and significantly higher for the
      Infiniti (0.93). Trust in Infiniti's side-view assist (0.58) was significantly
      lower than trust in Audi (1.17) and Honda (1.23) systems. Coding of answers to
      free-response questions showed that more than 80% of complaints about Honda's
      adaptive cruise control were about the way it functioned and/or performed.
      Infiniti's side-view assist was the only one with complaints mentioning
      circumstances where it was used. Trust in forward collision warning, lane
      departure warning, and active lane keeping was not significantly different among
      vehicles. CONCLUSIONS: Driver trust varied among driver assistance technologies,
      and trust in adaptive cruise control and side-view assist differed among
      vehicles. Trust may affect real-world use of driver assistance technologies and
      limit the opportunity for the systems to provide their intended benefits.

PMID- 28339299
TI  - The 10th GCC Closed Forum: rejected data, GCP in bioanalysis, extract stability,
      BAV, processed batch acceptance, matrix stability, critical reagents, ELN and
      data integrity and counteracting fraud.
AB  - The 10th Global CRO Council (GCC) Closed Forum was held in Orlando, FL, USA on 18
      April 2016. In attendance were decision makers from international CRO member
      companies offering bioanalytical services. The objective of this meeting was for
      GCC members to meet and discuss scientific and regulatory issues specific to
      bioanalysis. The issues discussed at this closed forum included reporting data
      from failed method validation runs, GCP for clinical sample bioanalysis,
      extracted sample stability, biomarker assay validation, processed batch
      acceptance criteria, electronic laboratory notebooks and data integrity, Health
      Canada's Notice regarding replicates in matrix stability evaluations, critical
      reagents and regulatory approaches to counteract fraud. In order to obtain the
      pharma perspectives on some of these topics, the first joint CRO-Pharma
      Scientific Interchange Meeting was held on 12 November 2016, in Denver, Colorado,
      USA. The five topics discussed at this Interchange meeting were reporting data
      from failed method validation runs, GCP for clinical sample bioanalysis,
      extracted sample stability, processed batch acceptance criteria and electronic
      laboratory notebooks and data integrity. The conclusions from the discussions of
      these topics at both meetings are included in this report.

PMID- 28339304
TI  - Mid-treatment magnetic resonance imaging in pediatric intracranial low-grade
      gliomas treated with proton beam therapy.

PMID- 28339303
TI  - Development of RAP Tag, a Novel Tagging System for Protein Detection and
      Purification.
AB  - Affinity tag systems, possessing high affinity and specificity, are useful for
      protein detection and purification. The most suitable tag for a particular
      purpose should be selected from many available affinity tag systems. In this
      study, we developed a novel affinity tag called the "RAP tag" system, which
      comprises a mouse antirat podoplanin monoclonal antibody (clone PMab-2) and the
      RAP tag (DMVNPGLEDRIE). This system is useful not only for protein detection in
      Western blotting, flow cytometry, and sandwich enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay,
      but also for protein purification.

PMID- 28339305
TI  - Development of anxiety, depression and health-related quality of life in oncology
      patients without initial symptoms according to the Hospital Anxiety and
      Depression Scale - a comparative study.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Depression and anxiety are associated with decreased health-related
      quality of life (HRQoL). The knowledge about the development of anxiety,
      depression and HRQoL in cancer patients without depression or anxiety, that is
      initially scoring as non-cases (cutoff <8) according to the Hospital Anxiety and
      Depression Scale (HADS), is sparse. The objectives were: (1) to evaluate changes
      in anxiety, depression and HRQoL over 6 months in two independent cohorts of
      oncology patients initially scoring as non-cases by the HADS, (2) to compare
      stable non-case patients with the general population regarding HRQoL and (3) to
      explore the outcomes using >4 rather than >7 as cutoff on any of HADS subscales.
      METHODS: The study group (SG) included 245 and the validation group (VG), a
      previous cohort, included 281 non-cases. Patients who were non-cases (HADS <8) at
      all completed assessments were categorized as stable non-cases (stable-NC); those
      who were doubtful/clinical cases (HADS >7) in at least one follow-up were
      categorized as unstable-NC. Questionnaires were completed at baseline, and after
      1, 3 and 6 months. Age- and sex-matched EORTC QLQ-C30 data from the general
      population were used for HRQoL comparisons. RESULTS: One hundred ninety-six (80%)
      SG and 244 (87%) VG patients were stable-NC and 49 (20%) SG and 37 (13%) VG
      patients were unstable-NC. SG and VG were similar in all outcomes. Anxiety,
      depression and HRQoL deteriorated over 6 months for unstable-NC (p < .05). HRQoL
      for stable-NC was comparable to that in the general population. If >4 had been
      used as cutoff, most unstable-NC (36/49 and 25/37, respectively) would have been
      identified at baseline. CONCLUSIONS: Most non-cases are stable-NC with a high
      stable HRQoL, indicating no need for re-assessment. A minority develop anxiety or
      depression symptoms and impaired HRQoL; for these a cutoff >4 rather than >7 on
      HADS subscales may be useful for early detection.

PMID- 28339306
TI  - Descriptive characteristics of colon and rectal cancer recurrence in a Danish
      population-based study.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Recurrence is a common outcome among patients that have undergone an
      intended curative resection for colorectal cancer. However, data on factors that
      influence colorectal cancer recurrence are sparse. We report descriptive
      characteristics of both colon and rectal cancer recurrence in an unselected
      population. MATERIAL AND METHODS: We identified 21,152 patients with colorectal
      cancer diagnosed between May 2001 and December 2011 and registered with the
      Danish Colorectal Cancer Group. Recurrences were identified in 3198 colon and
      1838 rectal cancer patients during follow-up. We calculated the frequency,
      proportion, and incidence rates of colon and rectal cancer recurrence within
      descriptive categories, and the cumulative five- and ten-year incidences of
      recurrence, treating death as a competing risk. We used a Cox proportional hazard
      model to calculate hazard ratios (HR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI). RESULTS:
      Recurrence risk was highest in the first three years of follow-up. Patients <55
      years old at initial diagnosis (incidence rate for colon: 7.2 per 100 person
      years; 95% CI: 6.5-7.9; rectum: 8.1 per 100 person-years; 95% CI: 7.2-9.0) and
      patients diagnosed with stage III cancer (colon HR: 5.70; 95% CI: 4.61-7.06;
      rectal HR: 7.02; 95% CI: 5.58-8.82) had increased risk of recurrence. Patients
      diagnosed with stage III cancer from 2009 to 2011 had a lower incidence of
      recurrence than those diagnosed with stage III cancer in the years before.
      Cumulative incidences of colon and rectal cancer recurrence were similar for both
      cancer types among each descriptive category. CONCLUSIONS: In this population,
      increases in colorectal cancer recurrence risk were associated with younger age
      and increasing stage at diagnosis. Cumulative incidence of recurrence did not
      differ by cancer type. Descriptive characteristics of colon and rectal cancer
      recurrence may help to inform patient-physician decision-making, and could be
      used to determine adjuvant therapies or tailor surveillance strategies so that
      recurrence may be identified early, particularly within the first 3 years of
      follow-up.

PMID- 28339307
TI  - Testing for Clostridium difficile in Patients With Cancer.

PMID- 28339308
TI  - Association between EMS Question Bank Completion and Passing Rates on the EMS
      Certification Examination.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: A board review question bank was created to assist candidates in
      their preparation for the 2015 EMS certification examination. We aimed to
      describe the development of this question bank and evaluate its successes in
      preparing candidates to obtain EMS subspecialty board certification. METHODS: An
      online question bank was developed by 13 subject matter experts who participated
      as item writers, representing eight different EMS fellowship programs. The online
      question bank consisted of four practice tests, with each of the tests comprised
      of 100 questions. The number of candidates who participated in and completed the
      question bank was calculated. The passing rate among candidates who completed the
      question bank was calculated and compared to the publicly reported statistics for
      all candidates. The relationship between candidates' performance on the question
      bank and subspecialty exam pass rates was determined. RESULTS: A total of 252
      candidates took at least one practice test and, of those, 225 candidates
      completed all four 100-question practice tests. The pass rate on the 2015 EMS
      certification exam was 79% (95%CI 74-85%) among candidates who completed the
      question bank, which is 12% higher than the overall pass rate (p = 0.003).
      Candidates' performance on the question bank was positively associated with
      overall success on the exam (X2 = 75.8, p < 0.0001). Achieving a score of >= 70%
      on the question bank was associated with a higher likelihood of passing the exam
      (OR = 17.8; 95% CI: 8.0-39.6). CONCLUSION: Completing the question bank program
      was associated with improved pass rates on the EMS certification exam. Strong
      performance on the question bank correlated with success on the exam.

PMID- 28339309
TI  - The Use of Non-invasive Ventilation during Exercise Training in COPD Patients.
AB  - Non-invasive ventilation (NIV) is increasingly used in addition to exercise
      training in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease with the purpose
      to allow them to train at higher intensities. Different modalities of assisted
      ventilation have been used with benefits for relief of dyspnoea and increase in
      exercise capacity. Nevertheless there are some potential problems with the use of
      NIV in pulmonary rehabilitation programmes. Despite promising results, a
      generalised use of NIV during exercise training programmes is unlikely to have a
      role in routine settings. The use of NIV during exercise training as a component
      of pulmonary rehabilitation should be reserved to individual cases.

PMID- 28339310
TI  - Investigations of octylglyceryl dextran-graft-poly(lactic acid) nanoparticles for
      peptide delivery to the brain.
AB  - AIM: Develop modified dextran nanoparticles showing potential to assist with drug
      permeation across the blood-brain barrier for the delivery of neuropeptides.
      METHODS: Nanoparticles loaded by emulsification with model macromolecular actives
      were characterized in terms of stability, cytotoxicity and drug-release behavior.
      Peptide-loaded nanoformulations were tested in an in vivo trout model and in food
      deprived mice. RESULTS: Nanoformulations loaded with model peptides showed good
      stability and appeared nontoxic in low concentration against human brain
      endothelial cells. They were found to preserve the bioactivity of loaded peptides
      (angiotensin II) as demonstrated in vivo using a trout model, and to induce a
      transient reduction of food consumption in mice when loaded with an anorexigenic
      octaneuropeptide. CONCLUSION: Octylglyceryl dextran-graft-poly(lactic acid)
      nanoparticles formulated by emulsification demonstrate potential for peptide
      delivery.

PMID- 28339311
TI  - Lung-RADS Category 4X: Does It Improve Prediction of Malignancy in Subsolid
      Nodules?
AB  - Purpose To evaluate the added value of Lung CT Screening Reporting and Data
      System (Lung-RADS) assessment category 4X over categories 3, 4A, and 4B for
      differentiating between benign and malignant subsolid nodules (SSNs). Materials
      and Methods SSNs on all baseline computed tomographic (CT) scans from the
      National Lung Cancer Trial that would have been classified as Lung-RADS category
      3 or higher were identified, resulting in 374 SSNs for analysis. An experienced
      screening radiologist volumetrically segmented all solid cores and located all
      malignant SSNs visible on baseline scans. Six experienced chest radiologists
      independently determined which nodules to upgrade to category 4X, a recently
      introduced category for lesions that demonstrate additional features or imaging
      findings that increase the suspicion of malignancy. Malignancy rates of purely
      size-based categories and category 4X were compared. Furthermore, the false
      positive rates of category 4X lesions were calculated and observer variability
      was assessed by using Fleiss kappa statistics. Results The observers upgraded 15%
      24% of the SSNs to category 4X. The malignancy rate for 4X nodules varied from
      46% to 57% per observer and was substantially higher than the malignancy rates of
      categories 3, 4A, and 4B SSNs without observer intervention (9%, 19%, and 23%,
      respectively). On average, the false-positive rate for category 4X nodules was 7%
      for category 3 SSNs, 7% for category 4A SSNs, and 19% for category 4B SSNs. Of
      the falsely upgraded benign lesions, on average 27% were transient. The agreement
      among the observers was moderate, with an average kappa value of 0.535 (95%
      confidence interval: 0.509, 0.561). Conclusion The inclusion of a 4X assessment
      category for lesions suspicious for malignancy in a nodule management tool is of
      added value and results in high malignancy rates in the hands of experienced
      radiologists. Proof of the transient character of category 4X lesions at short
      term follow-up could avoid unnecessary invasive management. (c) RSNA, 2017.

PMID- 28339312
TI  - Biomacromolecule/lipid hybrid nanoparticles for controlled delivery of sorafenib
      in targeting hepatocellular carcinoma therapy.
AB  - AIM: Hybrids composed of various materials are highly versatile for drug delivery
      in tumor therapy including hepatocellular carcinoma. Herein, a sorafenib (SF)
      loaded biomacromolecule hyaluronic acid (HA)/lipid hybrid nanoparticles (HA/SF
      cLNS) were developed for targeting drug delivery. MATERIALS & METHODS: In vitro
      assays determined HA/SF-cLNS release behavior, enzymatic degradation, uptake and
      cytotoxicity. H22-bearing liver cancer xenograft murine models were used to
      evaluate the biodistribution and therapeutic efficacy in vivo. RESULTS: HA/SF
      cLNS could be disassembled and drug was released in response to hyaluronidase. In
      vivo imaging results demonstrated HA/cLNS could enhance drug accumulation at
      tumor site. Meanwhile, HA/SF-cLNS exhibited improved antitumor efficacy in vitro
      and in vivo. CONCLUSION: HA/SF-cLNS demonstrated the potential to enhance
      antitumor efficacy of SF.

PMID- 28339313
TI  - Palliative Care in Surgery: Defining the Research Priorities.
AB  - Given the acute and often life-limiting nature of surgical illness, as well as
      the potential for treatment to induce further suffering, surgical patients have
      considerable palliative care needs. Yet, these patients are less likely to
      receive palliative care than their medical counterparts and palliative care
      consultations often occur when death is imminent, reflecting poor quality end-of
      life care. Surgical patients would likely benefit from early palliative care
      delivered alongside surgical treatment to promote goal-concordant decision making
      and to improve patients' physical, emotional, social, and spiritual well-being
      and quality of life. To date, evidence to support the role of palliative care in
      surgical practice is sparse and palliative care research in surgery is encumbered
      by methodological challenges and entrenched cultural norms that impede
      appropriate provision of palliative care. The objective of this article was to
      describe the existing science of palliative care in surgery within three priority
      areas and expose specific gaps within the field. We propose a research agenda to
      address these gaps and provide a road map for future investigation.

PMID- 28339314
TI  - An Analysis of EMS and ED Detection of Stroke.
AB  - BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Studies have shown a reduction in time-to-CT and improved
      process measures when EMS personnel notify the ED of a "stroke alert" from the
      field. However, there are few data on the accuracy of these EMS stroke alerts.
      The goal of this study was to examine diagnostic test performance of EMS and ED
      stroke alerts and related process measures. METHODS: The EMS and ED records of
      all stroke alerts in a large tertiary ED from August 2013-January 2014 were
      examined and data abstracted by one trained investigator, with data accuracy
      confirmed by a second investigator for 15% of cases. Stroke alerts called by EMS
      prior to ED arrival were compared to stroke alerts called by ED physicians and
      nurses (for walk-in patients, and patients transported by EMS without EMS stroke
      alerts). Means +/- SD, medians, unpaired t-tests (for continuous data), and two
      tailed Fisher's exact tests (for categorical data) were used. RESULTS: Of 260
      consecutive stroke alerts, 129 were EMS stroke alerts, and 131 were ED stroke
      alerts (70 called by physicians, 61 by nurses). The mean NIH Stroke Scale was
      higher in the EMS group (8.1 +/- 7.6 vs. 3.0 +/- 5.0, p < 0.0001). The positive
      predictive value of EMS stroke alerts was 0.60 (78/129), alerts by ED nurses was
      0.25 (15/61), and alerts by ED physicians was 0.31 (22/70). The PPV for EMS was
      better than for nurses or physicians (both p < 0.001), and more patients in the
      EMS group had final diagnoses of stroke (62/129 vs. 24/131, p < 0.001). The
      positive likelihood ratio was 1.53 for EMS personnel, 0.45 for physicians, and
      0.77 for nurses. The mean time to order the CT (8.5 +/- 7.1 min vs. 23.1 +/- 18.2
      min, p < 0.0001) and the mean ED length of stay (248 +/- 116 min vs. 283 +/- 128
      min, p = 0.022) were shorter for the EMS stroke alert group. More EMS stroke
      alert patients received tPA (16/129 vs. 6/131, p = 0.027). CONCLUSIONS: EMS
      stroke alerts have better diagnostic test performance than stroke alerts by ED
      staff, likely due to higher NIH Stroke Scale scores (more obvious presentations)
      and are associated with better process measures. The fairly low PPV suggests room
      for improvement in prehospital stroke protocols.

PMID- 28339316
TI  - Practical Insight to Monitor Home NIV in COPD Patients.
AB  - Home noninvasive ventilation (NIV) is used in COPD patients with concomitant
      chronic hypercapnic respiratory failure in order to correct nocturnal
      hypoventilation and improve sleep quality, quality of life, and survival.
      Monitoring of home NIV is needed to assess the effectiveness of ventilation and
      adherence to therapy, resolve potential adverse effects, reinforce patient
      knowledge, provide maintenance of the equipment, and readjust the ventilator
      settings according to the changing condition of the patient. Clinical monitoring
      is very informative. Anamnesis focuses on the improvement of nocturnal
      hypoventilation symptoms, sleep quality, and side effects of NIV. Side effects
      are major cause of intolerance. Screening side effects leads to modification of
      interface, gas humidification, or ventilator settings. Home care providers
      maintain ventilator and interface and educate patients for correct use. However,
      patient's education should be supervised by specialized clinicians. Blood gas
      measurement shows a significant decrease in PaCO2 when NIV is efficient. Analysis
      of ventilator data is very useful to assess daily use, unintentional leaks, upper
      airway obstruction, and patient ventilator synchrony. Nocturnal oximetry and
      capnography are additional monitoring tools to assess the impact of NIV on gas
      exchanges. In the near future, telemonitoring will reinforce and change the
      organization of home NIV for COPD patients.

PMID- 28339315
TI  - Identification of Asymptomatic Prosthetic Joint Infection: Microbiologic and
      Operative Treatment Outcomes.
AB  - BACKGROUND: This prospective study investigated the role of mechanical and
      biological factors in aseptic implant loosening or presumed silent prosthetic
      joint infection (PJI). METHODS: Thirty-seven patients were investigated.
      Microbiologic and molecular methods were used to detect bacteria on the surface
      of the failed implants removed during revision arthroplasty. Histopathologic
      analysis was performed. The influence of body mass index (BMI) and various co
      morbidities on implant failure also was determined. RESULTS: The results of
      sonicated fluid cultures were positive for bacteria in 29.7% and the results of
      intra-operative tissue and joint liquid cultures in 18.9% and 16.2%,
      respectively. Molecular detection with 16S rRNA sequencing revealed a large
      variety of bacteria. The most frequent organism was coagulase-negative
      Staphylococcus (CNS). The outcomes of histopathologic tests of peri-prosthetic
      tissue showed evidence of the infection type in all culture-positive joints and
      in 41.4% of the cases with negative culture results. Overweight status or obesity
      was present in 82.8% of the culture-negative patients. CONCLUSIONS: The results
      of this study proved the presence of micro-organisms on the surface of implants
      in both aseptic and presumed PJI cases. Inclusion of the sonication procedure in
      the diagnostic algorithm increased the ability to identify the pathogen. The
      results of our study suggest the co-existing roles of BMI and the time to implant
      loosening as well as biological agents in causing prosthesis loosening.

PMID- 28339317
TI  - The Balance Super Learner: A robust adaptation of the Super Learner to improve
      estimation of the average treatment effect in the treated based on propensity
      score matching.
AB  - Consistency of the propensity score estimators rely on correct specification of
      the propensity score model. The propensity score is frequently estimated using a
      main effect logistic regression. It has recently been shown that the use of
      ensemble machine learning algorithms, such as the Super Learner, could improve
      covariate balance and reduce bias in a meaningful manner in the case of serious
      model misspecification for treatment assignment. However, the loss functions
      normally used by the Super Learner may not be appropriate for propensity score
      estimation since the goal in this problem is not to optimize propensity score
      prediction but rather to achieve the best possible balance in the covariate
      distribution between treatment groups. In a simulation study, we evaluated the
      benefit of a modification of the Super Learner by propensity score estimation
      geared toward achieving covariate balance between the treated and untreated after
      matching on the propensity score. Our simulation study included six different
      scenarios characterized by various degrees of deviation from the usual main term
      logistic model for the true propensity score and outcome as well as the presence
      (or not) of instrumental variables. Our results suggest that the use of this
      adapted Super Learner to estimate the propensity score can further improve the
      robustness of propensity score matching estimators.

PMID- 28339318
TI  - Predictors for lymph nodes involvement in low risk endometrial cancer.
AB  - Neutrophil-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) and BMI were examined as pre-operative
      predictors for lymph node metastases in patients with low-risk endometrial
      cancer. The study was a retrospective analysis of 534 endometrial cancer patients
      that underwent hysterectomy and lymph node dissection. Included subjects had a
      preoperative diagnosis of a grade 1 or 2 endometrioid carcinoma and no
      macroscopic extrauterine disease. We compared node-negative to node-positive
      patients to identify correlates of node-positive disease. The node-positive group
      presented with lower BMI than the node-negative group, 31.5 and 34.4,
      respectively (p = .03). The mean NLR was higher in the node-positive group 3.4 vs
      2.9 (p = .08), showing a trend towards significance on univariate analysis. On
      multivariate analysis, lower BMI was found to be an independent predictor for
      nodal metastasis. Our data suggest that lower BMI is a risk factor for lymph
      nodes involvement in low-risk endometrial cancer. Impact statement Most
      endometrial cancer patients have low-risk disease with low risk for lymph nodes
      metastasis. In order to reduce the number of patients that will undergo
      unnecessary lymph node dissection, different types of preoperative predictors for
      lymph node involvement were studied. CA 125 and different imaging modalities were
      found as useful predictors for more advanced disease. Less studied predictors are
      the systemic inflammatory response markers and patient's BMI. This study suggests
      that lower BMI is a risk factor for lymph node involvement in low-risk
      endometrial cancer. The neutrophil to lymphocyte ratio was close to significance
      as a predictor for lymph node involvement. In practice, physicians might favour
      comprehensive lymph node dissection when there is a doubt regarding the procedure
      but the patient is lean. The study's conclusion can be utilised for triaging
      patients to general gynaecologist vs gynaecologic oncologist. Further research
      should focus on combining predictors such as age, BMI, NLR, CA 125 and imaging to
      better predict lymph nodes involvement in low-risk endometrial cancer.

PMID- 28339319
TI  - Intrathecal magnetic drug targeting for localized delivery of therapeutics in the
      CNS.
AB  - AIM: The challenge in treating neurological diseases is not lack of drug potency,
      but ineffective targeting techniques. We propose a technique called intrathecal
      magnetic drug targeting (IT-MDT), in which intrathecally injected magnetic
      nanoparticles (MNPs) are targeted to specific sites using external magnets.
      MATERIALS & METHODS: MRI and histology confirmed localization of MNPs via IT-MDT
      at target sites along the spine of Sprague-Dawley rats. RESULTS: MRI results
      confirmed greater MNP localization when the duration of magnet application was
      extended. Histological analysis quantified MNP tissue uptake and provided insight
      into their route of transport into deeper tissue regions. CONCLUSION: IT-MDT has
      potential for future use in neurological disease treatments. It can produce
      localized therapeutic effect, with decreased systemic toxicity.

PMID- 28339320
TI  - Basic Life Support Access to Injectable Epinephrine across the United States.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Aggressive epinephrine administration has growing support in the
      treatment of anaphylaxis, a life-threatening allergic reaction. Emergency Medical
      Services (EMS) providers are frequently in a position to provide the first care
      to someone experiencing an anaphylactic reaction. Intramuscular injection of
      epinephrine is the definitive pharmacologic treatment for many associated
      symptoms. While easy to use, epinephrine autoinjectors (EAI) are prohibitively
      expensive, having increased in price ten-fold in ten years. Some states and EMS
      departments have begun expanding the scope of practice to allow Basic Life
      Support (BLS) providers, previously restricted to noninvasive therapies, to
      administer epinephrine by syringe. OBJECTIVES: To compile a current and
      comprehensive list of how epinephrine is carried and used by EMS across the USA.
      METHODS: An online survey focusing on anaphylaxis protocols and epinephrine
      administration was sent to state EMS medical directors and officials in all 50
      states. Follow-up telephone calls were made to ensure compliance. Data were
      analyzed with descriptive statistics. RESULTS: Forty-nine of the 50 states in the
      USA provided a survey response. Texas responded but declined to participate in
      the survey because of practice variability across the state. In the other states,
      the form of epinephrine allowed or required on BLS ambulances was consistent with
      the scope of practice of their Basic Emergency Medical Technician (EMT). Thirteen
      states had training programs to allow BLS providers to inject epinephrine; 7 were
      considering it; 29 were not. Twenty-seven states specified EAI as the only form
      of epinephrine required or allowed on their BLS ambulances. No states reported
      allowing any level of EMS provider below EMT to use alternatives to EAI.
      CONCLUSION: This study confirms that many states have expanded the training of
      BLS providers to include the use of syringe injectable epinephrine. Even so, the
      majority of states relied on EAI in BLS ambulances.

PMID- 28339321
TI  - A systematic review on community-based interventions for elder abuse and neglect.
AB  - Elder abuse and neglect is a societal issue that requires prevention and
      intervention strategies at the practice and policy level. A systematic review on
      the efficacy of community-based elder abuse interventions was undertaken to
      advance the state of knowledge in the field. The peer-reviewed literature between
      2009 and December 2015 were searched across four databases. Two raters
      independently reviewed all articles, assessed their methodological quality, and
      used a modified Sackett Scale to assign levels of evidence. Four thousand nine
      hundred and five articles were identified; nine were selected for inclusion.
      Although there was Level-1 evidence for psychological interventions (n = 2), only
      one study on strategies for relatives (START) led to a reported decrease in elder
      abuse. There was Level-4 evidence for conservatorship, an elder abuse
      intervention/prevention program (ECARE), and a multidisciplinary intervention (n
      = 4), in which one study yielded significant decreases in elder abuse and/or
      neglect. The remaining three were classified as Level-5 evidence (n = 3) for
      elder mediation and multidisciplinary interventions. There are limited studies
      with high levels of evidence for interventions that decrease elder abuse and
      neglect. The scarcity of community-based interventions for older adults and
      caregivers highlights the need for further work to elevate the quality of
      studies.

PMID- 28339322
TI  - A Comparison of Note Writers and No Note Writers in Homicide-Suicide Cases in
      Germany.
AB  - The aim of this study is to investigate potential differences between homicide
      suicide cases in which the perpetrator does or does not write a suicide note. As
      homicide-suicides are complex types of lethal violence for which the aggressor
      cannot be held accountable, suicide notes may be a valuable source of information
      about the background of these cases and the perpetrators' motives. We use a
      national sample of N = 288 homicide-suicide cases in Germany applying group
      comparisons and chi-square tests for relevant variables. Perpetrators killing
      their own children and perpetrators leaving children behind before killing
      themselves write significantly more suicide notes than other perpetrators. Even
      though note writers and no note writers are similar regarding most
      sociodemographic characteristics, other differences question the generalizability
      between these 2 groups.

PMID- 28339323
TI  - Media Coverage of FDA Drug Safety Communications about Zolpidem: A Quantitative
      and Qualitative Analysis.
AB  - FDA issues Drug Safety Communications (DSCs) to alert health care professionals
      and the public about emerging safety information affecting prescription and over
      the-counter drugs. News media may amplify DSCs, but it is unclear how DSC
      messaging is transmitted through the media. We conducted a content analysis of
      the lay media coverage reaching the broadest audience to characterize the amount
      and content of media coverage of two zolpidem DSCs from 2013. After the first
      DSC, zolpidem news stories increased from 19 stories/week in the preceding 3
      months to 153 following its release. Most (81%) appeared in the lay media, and
      64% focused on the DSC content. After the second DSC, news stories increased from
      24 stories/week in the preceding 3 months to 39 following. Among the 100 unique
      lay media news stories, at least half correctly reported three key DSC messages:
      next-day impairment and drowsiness as common safety hazards, lower doses for some
      but not all zolpidem products, and women's higher risk for impairment. Other DSC
      messages were reported in fewer than one-third of stories, such as the warning
      that impairment can happen even when people feel fully awake. The first-but not
      the second-zolpidem DSC generated high-profile news coverage. The finding that
      some messages were widely reported but others were not emphasizes the importance
      of ensuring translation of key DSC content.

PMID- 28339324
TI  - Mobile But Connected: Harnessing the Power of Self-Efficacy and Group Support for
      Weight Loss Success through mHealth Intervention.
AB  - Despite the growing popularity of mHealth applications, their usage outcomes have
      received limited empirical attention. Drawing on server-level user activity data
      and an online survey (N = 384), this study examines the use of an mHealth
      application for weight loss to elucidate the ways in which it can help
      individuals harness the power of self-efficacy and group support to enact
      behavior change and accomplish their health goals. The results of structural
      equation modeling based on 6-month user activity data demonstrated that (a) self
      efficacy had a positive impact on persistent food logging in an mHealth
      application; (b) social support received from a mobile group was positively
      associated with food logging and group participation; and (c) both food logging
      and group participation predicted weight loss success. Extending these findings,
      this study suggests theoretical and practical implications for designing
      individually tailored and evidence-based health intervention strategies using
      advanced mHealth technologies.

PMID- 28339325
TI  - Community-Based Services and Depression from Person-Environment Fit Perspective:
      Focusing on Functional Impairments and Living Alone.
AB  - Guided by the Person-Environment Fit perspective, we investigated the extent to
      which personal and environmental factors influence depression among community
      dwelling adults. The data came from the special section about community-based
      service utilization in the 2012 Health and Retirement Study (N=1,710). Although
      community-based service was not significantly associated with depression after
      controlling for covariates, respondents with functional limitations and living
      alone were less likely to be depressed when using community-based services. This
      study demonstrates the different associations between community-based services
      and depression depending on personal needs. It discusses the importance of
      community-based services for aging-in-place policy, particularly among vulnerable
      populations.

PMID- 28339326
TI  - Using Online Methods to Develop and Examine the Hong Kong Chinese Translation of
      the Dissociative Experiences Scale.
AB  - Identifying dissociation is important for mental health services because it could
      fundamentally affect one's diagnosis and treatment plan. The Dissociative
      Experiences Scale (DES) is a widely-used self-report scale for measuring
      dissociative experiences. It has been translated into many languages and used in
      many countries. However, there is no validated Hong Kong Chinese version of the
      DES available in the field, and there is no other validated Hong Kong Chinese
      instrument for assessing dissociative disorders. This pilot study used online
      methods to translate the DES to Hong Kong Chinese (HKC-DES). The results
      indicated that the HKC-DES has excellent internal consistency (alpha = .953) and
      very good test-retest reliability (r = .797). Bilingual participants' responses
      to the DES and HKC-DES indicated high similarity, and were significantly
      correlated (r = .960). These results initially verified the reliability and cross
      language equivalence of the scale. Implications for healthcare practice and
      research are discussed.

PMID- 28339327
TI  - Raising Public Awareness of Clinical Trials: Development of Messages for a
      National Health Communication Campaign.
AB  - Clinical trials are essential for developing new and effective treatments and
      improving patient quality of life; however, many trials cannot answer their
      primary research questions because they fall short of their recruitment goals.
      This article reports the results of formative research conducted in two
      populations, the public and primary care physicians, to identify messages that
      may raise awareness and increase interest in clinical trials and be used in a
      national communication campaign. Results suggested that participants were
      primarily motivated to participate in clinical trials out of a self-interest to
      help themselves first. Messages illustrated that current treatments were tested
      via clinical trials, helped normalize trials as routine practices, and reduced
      concerns over trying something new first. Participants wanted messages that
      portray trials as state-of-the-art choices that offer some hope, show people like
      themselves, and are described in a clear, concise manner with actionable steps
      for them to take. The study revealed some differences in message salience, with
      healthy audiences exhibiting lower levels of interest. Our results suggest that
      targeted messages are needed, and that communication with primary health-care
      providers is an important and necessary component in raising patient awareness of
      the importance of clinical trials.

PMID- 28339328
TI  - Mercaptopurine Ingestion Habits, Red Cell Thioguanine Nucleotide Levels, and
      Relapse Risk in Children With Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia: A Report From the
      Children's Oncology Group Study AALL03N1.
AB  - Purpose Children with acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) are generally instructed
      to take mercaptopurine (6-MP) in the evening and without food or dairy products.
      This study examines the association between 6-MP ingestion habits and 6-MP
      adherence, red cell thioguanine nucleotide (TGN) levels, and risk of relapse in
      children with TMPT wild-type genotype. Methods Participants included 441 children
      with ALL receiving oral 6-MP for maintenance. Adherence was monitored over 48,086
      patient-days using the Medication Event Monitoring System; nonadherence was
      defined as adherence rate < 95%. 6-MP ingestion habits examined included: takes 6
      MP with versus never with food, takes 6-MP with versus never with dairy, and
      takes 6-MP in the evening versus morning versus varying times. Results Median age
      at study was 6 years (range, 2 to 20 years); 43.8% were nonadherent. Certain 6-MP
      ingestion habits were associated with nonadherence (taking 6-MP with dairy [odds
      ratio (OR), 1.9; 95% CI, 1.3 to 2.9; P = .003] and at varying times [OR, 3.4; 95%
      CI, 1.8 to 6.3; P = .0001]). After adjusting for adherence and other
      prognosticators, there was no association between 6-MP ingestion habits and
      relapse risk (6-MP with food: hazard ratio [HR], 0.7; 95% CI, 0.3 to 1.9; P = .5;
      with dairy: HR, 0.3; 95% CI, 0.07 to 1.5; P = .2; taken in evening/night: HR,
      1.1; 95% CI, 0.2 to 7.8; P = .9; at varying times: HR, 0.3; 95% CI, 0.04 to 2.7;
      P = .3). Among adherent patients, there was no association between red cell TGN
      levels and taking 6-MP with food versus without (206.1 +/- 107.1 v 220.6 +/-
      121.6; P = .5), with dairy versus without (220.1 +/- 87.8 v 216.3 +/- 121.3; P
      =.7), or in the evening/night versus morning/midday versus varying times (218.8
      +/- 119.7 v 195.5 +/- 82.3 v 174.8 +/- 93.4; P = .6). Conclusion Commonly
      practiced restrictions surrounding 6-MP ingestion might not influence outcome but
      may hinder adherence. Future recommendations regarding 6-MP intake during
      maintenance therapy for childhood ALL should aim to simplify administration.

PMID- 28339329
TI  - Morbidity and Mortality Associated With Meningioma After Cranial Radiotherapy: A
      Report From the Childhood Cancer Survivor Study.
AB  - Purpose Little is known about neurologic morbidity attributable to cranial
      radiotherapy (CRT) -associated meningiomas. Materials and Methods From 4,221
      survivors exposed to CRT in the Childhood Cancer Survivor Study, a diagnosis of
      meningioma and onset of neurologic sequelae were ascertained. Cox proportional
      hazards regression was used to estimate hazard ratios (HR) and 95% CIs to
      evaluate the factors associated with neurologic sequelae after subsequent
      meningioma. Results One hundred ninety-nine meningiomas were identified among 169
      participants. The median interval from primary cancer to meningioma diagnosis was
      22 years (5 to 37 years). The cumulative incidence of a subsequent meningioma by
      age 40 years was 5.6% (95% CI, 4.7% to 6.7%). CRT doses of 20 to 29.9 Gy (HR,
      1.6; 95% CI,1.0 to 2.6) and doses >= 30 Gy (HR, 2.6; 95% CI, 1.6 to 4.2) were
      associated with an increased risk of meningioma compared with CRT doses of 1.5 to
      19.9 Gy ( P < .001). Within 6 months before or subsequent to a meningioma
      diagnosis, 20% (30 of 149) reported at least one new neurologic sequela,
      including seizures (8.3%), auditory-vestibular-visual deficits (6%), focal
      neurologic dysfunction (7.1%), and severe headaches (5.3%). Survivors reporting a
      meningioma had increased risks of neurologic sequelae > 5 years after primary
      cancer diagnosis, including seizures (HR, 10.0; 95% CI, 7.0 to 15.3); auditory
      vestibular-visual sensory deficits (HR, 2.3; 95% CI, 1.3 to 4.0); focal
      neurologic dysfunction (HR, 4.9; 95% CI, 3.2 to 7.5); and severe headaches (HR,
      3.2; 95% CI, 1.9 to 5.4). With a median follow-up of 72 months after meningioma
      diagnosis (range, 3.8 to 395 months), 22 participants (13%) were deceased,
      including six deaths attributed to a meningioma. Conclusion Childhood cancer
      survivors exposed to CRT and subsequently diagnosed with a meningioma experience
      significant neurologic morbidity.

PMID- 28339331
TI  - Differential diagnosis of a patient referred to physical therapy for dizziness: a
      case report.
AB  - STUDY DESIGN: Case report. BACKGROUND: Dizziness is a common and debilitating
      condition across the lifespan. Patients with this complaint must be carefully
      examined to determine the cause of dizziness, rule out the presence of central
      nervous system dysfunction, and determine the appropriateness of physical therapy
      intervention. CASE DESCRIPTION: A 90-year-old male was referred to physical
      therapy six months after the onset of dizziness. A thorough history was taken and
      examination was performed. Signs consistent with central nervous system
      dysfunction and peripheral vestibular dysfunction were observed. The patient was
      treated for the peripheral vestibular disorder and referred back to his physician
      for further testing. Imaging revealed that the patient had idiopathic normal
      pressure hydrocephalus. DISCUSSION: This case illustrates the need for physical
      therapists to perform thorough examinations of patients with a primary complaint
      of dizziness and properly interpret positive central signs, indicating a
      potential need for referral to a physician or other healthcare provider when they
      appear.

PMID- 28339330
TI  - "Clinical biopsychosocial physiotherapy assessment of patients with chronic pain:
      The first step in pain neuroscience education" by Amarins J Wijma et al., 2016.

PMID- 28339332
TI  - Disc displacement without reduction with limited opening: A clinical diagnostic
      accuracy study.
AB  - PURPOSE: The purpose of this study is to explore the diagnostic accuracy and
      clinical utility of an examination by a physical therapist using a clinical
      patient population for diagnosing a specific sub-type of disc displacement (DDWoR
      wLO) compared to the imaged disc position. METHODS: Data from 46 patients with a
      clinical diagnosis of DDWoR wLO (92 clinical examinations and MRI records) were
      collected. Clinical diagnosis was made based on predefined diagnostic criteria,
      and the MRI diagnosis was made based on the MRI radiology report obtained from
      the dental provider. A McNemar test was used to determine whether the outcomes of
      the clinical and MRI diagnoses differed significantly, and sensitivity,
      specificity, likelihood ratios, predicative values, 95% confidence intervals, and
      the overall diagnostic accuracy were computed. RESULTS: There was high
      sensitivity (85%), moderate but unacceptable specificity (73%), and acceptable
      overall diagnostic accuracy (80%) for using predefined criteria in the diagnosis
      of DDWoR wLO. The likelihood ratios and predictive values supported the clinical
      utility of the criteria used for diagnosing DDWoR wLO. CONCLUSION: This is the
      first study to characterize diagnostic accuracy by a physical therapist of a
      specific sub-type of TMD in a clinical patient population rather than a research
      based population. The results suggest that while sensitivity and the overall
      diagnostic accuracy were acceptable, specificity was lower than acceptable and
      these findings are discussed in relation to clinical utility of using diagnostic
      criteria in a clinical setting against a gold standard of MRI.

PMID- 28339333
TI  - Non-pharmacological conservative therapy for phantom limb pain: A systematic
      review of randomized controlled trials.
AB  - The aim of this manuscript was to investigate the effectiveness of conservative
      therapy for phantom limb pain (PLP). In this systematic review, CINAHL, AMED, the
      Cochrane database of systematic reviews, PEDro, psychology and behavioral
      sciences collection, and MEDLINE were systematically searched for appropriate
      randomized controlled trials (RCTs). Selected papers were assessed for risk of
      bias, and evidence was graded using the GRADE approach. Twelve RCTs met initial
      inclusion/exclusion criteria, of which five were of sufficient quality for final
      inclusion. There is conflicting evidence from two RCTs for the effectiveness of
      electromagnetic shielding limb liners on pain in the short term. There is limited
      evidence supporting the effectiveness of both hypnosis in the short term and
      graded motor imagery (GMI) in the short-to-medium term. Additionally, there is
      limited evidence that a single session of mirror therapy has no immediate effect
      on PLP. Limb liner discomfort was the only adverse effect identified. This review
      identifies a range of conservative therapies, many of which demonstrate
      preliminary evidence of potential with respect to clinically worthwhile effects
      above control interventions and few, if any, adverse effects. However, there is a
      paucity of high-quality evidence upon which to make any firm clinical
      conclusions.

PMID- 28339334
TI  - A Movement system impairment approach to evaluation and treatment of a person
      with lumbar radiculopathy: A case report.
AB  - BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: There are several systems of classification and treatment
      of patients with low back pain (LBP) based on assessment of the effect of lumbar
      postures and movements on symptoms. The efficacy of one of these systems, The
      Movement System Impairment (MSI) method, has not yet been demonstrated in the
      literature. The purpose of this case report is to describe the approach of the
      MSI method for an individual with lumbar radiculopathy. CASE DESCRIPTION: A 79
      year-old woman with a history of chronic LBP was referred to PT with a
      physician's diagnosis of sciatica. The patient was classified utilizing a
      standardized MSI evaluation. She was instructed to modify her daily postures and
      movements, as well as perform specific exercises to address these impairments.
      OUTCOMES: Her Oswestry LBP disability score improved by over 30% and pain level
      per the NPRS improved by 3 out of 10 points. DISCUSSION: Despite the challenges
      of advanced joint degeneration and neurological involvement, this approach of
      identifying and addressing specific movement impairments appeared helpful for
      this older individual.

PMID- 28339335
TI  - Description of movement quality in patients with low back pain: A qualitative
      study as a first step to a practical definition.
AB  - PURPOSE: As a first step to formulate a practical definition for movement quality
      (MQ), this study aims to explore how Dutch allied health care professionals
      (AHCPs) describe MQ of daily life activities in patients with low back pain
      (LBP). METHODS: In this qualitative cross-sectional digital survey study, Dutch
      AHCPs (n = 91) described MQ in open text (n = 91) and with three keywords (n =
      90). After exploratory qualitative content analysis, the ICF linking rules
      (International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health) were applied
      to classify MQ descriptions and keywords. FINDINGS: The identified meaningful
      concepts (MCs) of the descriptions (274) and keywords (239) were linked to ICF
      codes (87.5% and 80.3%, respectively), Personal factors (5.8% and 5.9%,
      respectively), and supplementary codes (6.6% and 13.8%, respectively). The MCs
      were linked to a total of 31 ICF codes, especially to b760 'control of voluntary
      movement functions', b7602 'coordination of voluntary movements', d4 'Mobility',
      and d230 'carry out daily routine'. Negative and positive formulated descriptions
      elucidated different MQ interpretations. CONCLUSIONS: Descriptions of MQ given by
      Dutch AHCPs in patients with LBP cover all ICF components. Coordination and
      functional movements are seen as the most elementary concepts of MQ. Variation in
      MQ descriptions and interpretations hinders defining MQ and indicates the
      necessity of additional steps.

PMID- 28339336
TI  - Response to Letter.

PMID- 28339337
TI  - "I know what I want but I'm not sure how to get it"-Expectations of physiotherapy
      treatment of persons with persistent pain.
AB  - Expectations of physiotherapy treatment of patients with persistent pain have
      been shown to influence treatment outcome and patient satisfaction, yet this is
      mostly explored and described in retrospective. The aim of the study was to
      explore and describe the expectations people with persistent pain have prior to
      physiotherapy treatment. Ten participants with persistent musculoskeletal pain
      from the back, neck, or shoulders were included in the study. Data were collected
      by interviews using a semi-structured interview guide and were analyzed with
      qualitative content analysis. The analysis resulted in one main category: "The
      multifaceted picture of expectations" and four categories: 1) Standing in the
      doorway: curious and uncertain; 2) Looking for respect, confirmation and
      knowledge; 3) Expecting treatment, regular training, and follow up; and 4) Having
      dreams, being realistic, or feeling resigned. The main category and the
      categories describe a multifaceted picture of the participants' expectations,
      gradually developed and eventually encompassing several aspects: good dialog and
      communication, the need to be confirmed as individuals, and getting an
      explanation for the pain. The results also show that the participants expected
      tailored training with frequent follow-ups and their expectations of outcome
      ranged from hope of the best possible results to realistic or resigned regarding
      pain relief and activity levels.

PMID- 28339338
TI  - Fertility treatments among female cancer survivors giving birth - a Finnish
      register-based study.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Long-term survival rates for most types of childhood cancers have
      improved dramatically over the past decades. However, because of advances in
      multimodality treatments, cancer survivors nowadays more often face long-term
      complications, including diminished gonadal and reproductive function. The aim of
      this study was to identify whether the use of fertility treatments among early
      onset (0-34 years) cancer survivors giving birth differed from that among
      siblings giving birth and to identify the subgroups of cancer survivors that were
      most likely to require fertility treatments. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Nationwide
      cancer and birth registries were merged to identify 1974 post-diagnosis
      deliveries of cancer survivors and 6107 deliveries of female siblings in 2004
      2013. Unconditional multivariate logistic regression models were used to estimate
      the risk for different fertility treatments namely assisted reproductive
      technology, intrauterine insemination and ovulation induction. We adjusted for
      maternal age, year of delivery, parity and smoking. RESULTS: We found overall
      significantly increased odds for use of any fertility treatments in survivors
      compared to siblings (OR 1.84, 95% CI 1.18-2.86). As time from cancer treatment
      increased, the odds for need of fertility treatments increased, being highest at
      11 to 15 years post cancer treatment (OR 2.88, 95% CI 1.13-7.30). Survivors
      diagnosed at ages 25-34 years had the highest odds for use of fertility
      treatments compared to siblings (OR 2.31, 95% CI 1.01-5.32). CONCLUSIONS: Our
      study supports previous findings indicating that cancer survivors have an
      increased risk for subfertility. Survivors diagnosed in their childhood had the
      lowest risk for fertility treatment and seemed to get pregnant with less
      extensive fertility treatments than survivors diagnosed as adults. Time elapsed
      from cancer treatment played a central role, increasing the need for fertility
      treatments compared to siblings, suggesting that cancer therapies might lead to
      diminished ovarian reserve.

PMID- 28339340
TI  - Patient Perspectives on Language Discordance During Healthcare Visits: Findings
      From the Extremely High-Density Multicultural State of Qatar.
AB  - Reducing language and cultural barriers in healthcare are significant factors in
      resolving health disparities. Qatar's rapidly growing multicultural population
      presents new challenges to the healthcare system. The purpose of this research
      was to explore patients' perspectives about language discordance, and the
      strategies used to overcome language barriers during patients' visits.
      Participants were recruited and interviewed from four language groups (Arabic =
      24, English = 20, Hindi = 20, and Urdu = 20), all of whom were living in Qatar
      and utilizing Hamad General Hospital-Outpatient Clinics as a source of their
      healthcare services. Using qualitative analysis procedures, relevant themes and
      codes were generated and data analyzed using Atlas-ti. As for results, most
      participants had experienced or witnessed language barriers during their
      outpatient clinics visits. Participants essentially were unfamiliar with
      professional medical interpreters and described their adaptive solutions, for
      example utilizing incidental interpreters, stringing together fragments of
      multiple languages, and using body language. Those not speaking mainstream
      languages of Hamad General Hospital (English and Arabic) were more vulnerable to
      health disparities due to language barriers. Despite the patient impetus to do
      something, patient-reported adaptive strategies could compromise patients' safety
      and access to quality healthcare. Polices tackling the language barrier need to
      be reviewed in Qatar's multicultural healthcare system and similar settings.

PMID- 28339339
TI  - Use of Dietary Supplements Improved Diet Quality But Not Cardiovascular and
      Nutritional Biomarkers in Socioeconomically Diverse African American and White
      Adults.
AB  - Knowledge of the contribution of supplements to overall nutritional health is
      limited. The research objectives were to describe motivations for use of dietary
      supplements by African Americans and Whites examined in the Healthy Aging in
      Neighborhoods of Diversity across the Life Span (HANDLS) study and to determine
      if supplements provided beneficial effects to micronutrient diet quality and
      nutritional and cardiovascular biomarkers. The majority of the HANDLS study
      population were smokers, overweight or obese, and self-reported their health as
      poor to good. The top two reasons for their supplement use were to supplement the
      diet and to improve overall health. Micronutrient intake was calculated from two
      24-hour recalls and a supplement questionnaire. Diet quality was assessed by the
      Mean Adequacy Ratio (MAR) [Maximum score = 100] derived from the Nutrient
      Adequacy Ratio (NAR) for 17 micronutrients. The MAR score for nonusers was 73.12,
      for supplement users based on diet alone was 74.89, and for food and supplements
      was 86.61. Dietary supplements significantly increased each NAR score and MAR
      score. However, there were no significant differences between the population
      proportions with inadequate or excessive blood levels for any biomarkers
      examined. Nutrition education programs and intervention strategies addressing
      dietary supplement intake might lead to healthier food choices and may improve
      the health of this population.

PMID- 28339342
TI  - Change in Body Weight from Age 20 Years Is a Powerful Determinant of the
      Metabolic Syndrome.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Higher body weight is a well-known determinant of the metabolic
      syndrome (MetS) and its components. It is however less well studied how the
      change in weight from age 20 years to middle age or old age affects MetS
      development. METHODS: In the community-based EpiHealth (n = 19,000, age range 45
      to 75 years, 56% females) and PIVUS (n = 1000, all aged 70 years, 50% females)
      studies, the participants were asked about their body weight at age 20 years.
      Data were collected to determine MetS prevalence (NCEP ATP III criteria).
      RESULTS: In EpiHealth, the probability of having MetS increased fairly linearly
      with increasing weight from age 20 in the obese [odds ratios (OR) 1.04 per kg
      change in weight, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.03-1.05, P < 0.0001], as well as
      in the overweight (OR 1.15, 95% CI 1.14-1.17, P < 0.0001) and normal-weight (OR
      1.18, 95% CI 1.14-1.21, P < 0.0001), subjects after adjustment for age, sex, body
      mass index (BMI) at age 20, alcohol intake, smoking, education, and exercise
      habits. Also in the PIVUS study, the change in weight over 50 years was related
      to prevalent MetS (OR 1.08 per kg change in weight, 95% CI 1.06-1.10, P <
      0.0001). In both studies, self-reported BMI at age 20 was related to prevalent
      MetS. CONCLUSION: Self-reported weight gain from age 20 was strongly and
      independently associated with prevalent MetS both in middle age or old age.
      Interestingly, this relationship was not restricted only to obese subjects. Our
      data provide additional support for the importance of maintaining a stable weight
      throughout life.

PMID- 28339341
TI  - The Diffusion of Evidence-Based Practice: Reviewing the Evidence-Based Practice
      Networks in the United States and German-Speaking Countries.
AB  - Evidence-based practice (EBP) has had a major influence on U.S. social work while
      it has rarely been adapted in German-speaking countries. This study investigates
      how knowledge about EBP is diffused within and across geographical contexts.
      Network analysis methods reveals different diffusion patterns and provide reasons
      for these differences. For example, the U.S. discourse is self-contained and
      based on a more homogeneous knowledge base, while the German discourse is more
      heterogeneous and focuses on a notion of reflexive professionalism. The different
      conceptual influences within the U.S. and German discourses are discussed in
      light of future directions of disciplinary social work.

PMID- 28339343
TI  - Alterations in Multiple Lifestyle Factors in Subjects with the Metabolic Syndrome
      Independently of Obesity.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Many lifestyle factors have been associated with the metabolic
      syndrome (MetS). However, most of these studies have not considered the potential
      impact of obesity and have often only investigated one lifestyle factor at the
      time. We aimed to investigate the interplay between body mass index (BMI) and
      MetS with respect to multiple lifestyle factors. METHODS: BMI and MetS [National
      Cholesterol Education Program (NCEP)/Adult Treatment Panel III criteria] were
      assessed in a sample of 18,880 subjects aged 45-75 years from the population
      based EpiHealth study. Participants were categorized into six groups according to
      BMI category (normal weight/BMI <25 kg/m2, overweight/BMI 25-30 kg/m2, and
      obesity/BMI >30 kg/m2) and MetS status (+/-, NCEP criteria). A wide range of
      lifestyle factors related to physical activity, smoking, alcohol, sleep quality,
      working conditions, quality of life and stress, and eating patterns were assessed
      using a questionnaire. RESULTS: Prevalent MetS (23% in the sample) was associated
      with less physical activity (P < 0.0001), more TV watching (P < 0.0001), more
      years of smoking (P < 0.0001), lower education level (P = 0.007), and
      experiencing a poor general quality of life (P < 0.0001). These lifestyle factors
      were all associated with MetS, independently of each other and independently of
      BMI. Similar results were generated when number of MetS components and
      presence/absence of individual MetS components were used as outcomes.
      CONCLUSIONS: This cross-sectional study identified alterations in a number of
      lifestyle factors associated with MetS independently of each other and
      independently of BMI. Future longitudinal studies are needed to assess causal and
      temporal relationships between lifestyle factors and MetS development.

PMID- 28339344
TI  - Correlation of Leptin, Adiponectin, and Resistin Levels in Different Types of
      Lipodystrophy in HIV/AIDS Patients.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Leptin, adiponectin, and resistin may play an important role in the
      development of lipodystrophy (LD) in HIV/AIDS patients. The aim of this study was
      to correlate levels of leptin, adiponectin, and resistin between HIV/AIDS
      patients with LD and without lipodystrophy (non-LD), as well as between subgroups
      of LD [lipoatrophy (LA), lipohypertrophy (LH), and mixed fat redistribution
      (MFR)] and non-LD patients. METHODS: Cross-sectional study of 66 HIV/AIDS
      patients. Serum levels of leptin, adiponectin, and resistin were measured. The
      associations between adipocytokine levels and metabolic variables were estimated
      by Spearman correlation. Analysis of covariance with bootstrapping method was
      used to examine the relationship between adiponectin and leptin and lipodystrophy
      categories. RESULTS: The LD was observed in 29 (44%) patients, while 15 (52%) of
      them had LA, 4 (14%) had LH, and 10 (34%) patients had MFR. No significant
      differences regarding leptin, adiponectin, and resistin levels, between LD and
      non-LD patients, were observed. LH patients had significantly higher levels of
      leptin and adiponectin in comparison with non-LD patients (P = 0.039, P = 0.011,
      respectively). Within the LD group, LA patients had significantly lower levels of
      leptin (LA vs. LH, P = 0.020; LA vs. MFR, P = 0.027), while LH patients had
      significantly higher levels of adiponectin (LH vs. LA, P = 0.027; LH vs. MFR, P =
      0.028). Correlation of adiponectin with LD remains significant in the LH subgroup
      after adjustment for age, body mass index, cystatin-C, plasminogen activator
      inhibitor-1 (PAI-1), and interferon gamma (IFN-gamma) (P = 0.001). CONCLUSIONS:
      Adiponectin and leptin levels differ significantly between LH patients and non-LD
      patients, as well as between the LD subgroups. Adiponectin may be a more useful
      marker of LD in HIV/AIDS patients.

PMID- 28339345
TI  - Alanine Aminotransferase Is a Marker of Lipotoxicity Consequences and
      Hyperandrogenemia in Women with Polycystic Ovary Syndrome.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Several studies have reported higher levels of Alanine
      aminotransferase (ALT) in women with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) compared
      with control subjects. Plasma ALT levels are considered a marker of hepatic
      lipotoxicity because of their significant associations with different hepatic
      metabolic dysfunctions, such as hepatic steatosis and hepatic insulin resistance.
      METHODS: Retrospective chart review aiming to assess, in PCOS women, the
      relationship between ALT levels and measures of lipotoxicity consequences that
      are available clinically, both during fasting and using the oral glucose
      tolerance test. RESULTS: Women (n = 132) with PCOS, were in average 27.9 years of
      age, with a mean body mass index of 34.1 kg/m2 and 49% had a metabolic syndrome
      (MetS). ALT levels were significantly correlated with homeostatic model
      assessment for insulin resistance (r = 0.42, P < 0.001), HDL-C (r = -0.31, P <
      0.001), Matsuda index (-0.45, P < 0.001), insulin secretion-sensitivity index-2 (
      0.26, P = 0.043), and free testosterone (0.38, P < 0.001), but not with fasting
      glucose and triglyceride levels. ALT cutoff >=24 IU/L was associated with all
      these parameters, including fasting glucose (P = 0.021) and triglyceride levels
      (P = 0.041), and detected more women with the MetS (59.2% vs. 36.1%, P = 0.008)
      and whole-body insulin resistance (Matsuda index <12.3 L2.10/mmol2, 85.3% vs.
      51.9%, P = 0.004). CONCLUSIONS: Plasma ALT levels seem to be a strong predictor
      not only of liver lipotoxicity but also of systemic lipotoxic consequences and
      hyperandrogenemia in women with PCOS. Although it requires validation in another
      study, an ALT cutoff of >=24 IU/L may help clinicians identify women with
      increased metabolic risks.

PMID- 28339346
TI  - The caregiver and her friends.
AB  - This article is a personal essay about the lesbian friendship networks called
      upon when a dyke has to take on caregiving responsibilities for her dying mother
      and, especially, her partner who develops dementia and dies. The primary areas of
      concern are how friendships form a community's ethical base, the navigation of
      overlapping friendship networks, the different ways women come through, and the
      role our institutions play in creating "friendliness." Underpinning these
      concerns is the way that lesbians create informal groups to investigate, inform,
      and affirm difficult decisions.

PMID- 28339348
TI  - Geological occurrence, mineralogical characterization, and risk assessment of
      potentially carcinogenic erionite in Italy.
AB  - Erionite is a zeolite representing a well-known health hazard. In fact, exposure
      of humans to its fibers has been unequivocally associated with occurrence of
      malignant mesothelioma. For this reason, a multi-methodological approach, based
      upon field investigation, morphological characterization, scanning electron
      microscopy (SEM)/energy-dispersive spectroscopy (EDS) chemical analysis, and
      structure refinement through X-ray powder diffraction (XRPD), was applied to
      different samples of potentially carcinogenic erionite from Northern Italy. The
      studied crystals have a chemical composition ranging from erionite-Ca to erionite
      Na and display variable morphologies, varying from prismatic, through acicular
      and fibrous, to extremely fibrous asbestiform habits. The fibrous samples were
      characterized by an unusual preferred partition of aluminum (Al) at tetrahedral
      site T1 instead of tetrahedral site T2. Further, a mismatch between the a
      parameter of erionite-Ca and levyne-Ca that are intergrown in the asbestiform
      sample was detected. This misfit was coupled to a relevant micro-strain to
      maintain structure coherency at the boundary. Erionite occurs in 65% of the
      investigated sites, with an estimated quantity of 10 to 40 vol% of the associated
      minerals. The presence of this mineral is of concern for risk to human health,
      especially if one considers the vast number of quarries and mining-related
      activities that are operating in the zeolite host rocks. The discovery of fibrous
      and asbestiform erionite in Northern Italy suggests the need for a detailed risk
      assessment in all Italian areas showing the same potential hazard, with specific
      studies such as a quantification of the potentially respirable airborne fibers
      and targeted epidemiological surveillance.

PMID- 28339350
TI  - The Effect of Initial Knee Angle on Concentric-Only Squat Jump Performance.
AB  - PURPOSE: There is uncertainty as to which knee angle during a squat jump (SJ)
      produces maximal jump performance. Importantly, understanding this information
      will aid in determining appropriate ratios for assessment and monitoring of the
      explosive characteristics of athletes. METHOD: This study compared SJ performance
      across different knee angles-90o, 100o, 110o, 120o, 130o, and a self-selected
      depth-for jump height and other kinetic characteristics. For comparison between
      SJ and an unconstrained dynamic movement, participants also performed a
      countermovement jump from a self-selected depth. Thirteen participants (Mage =
      25.4 +/- 3.5 years, Mheight = 1.8 +/- 0.06 m, Mweight = 79.8 +/- 9.5 kg) were
      recruited and tested for their SJ performance. RESULTS: In the SJ, maximal jump
      height (35.4 +/- 4.6 cm) was produced using a self-selected knee angle (98.7 +/-
      11.2 degrees ). Differences between 90 degrees , 100 degrees , and self-selected
      knee angles for jump height were trivial (ES +/- 90% CL = 90 degrees -100 degrees
      0.23 +/- 0.12, 90 degrees -SS -0.04 +/- 0.12, 100 degrees -SS -0.27 +/- 0.20;
      0.5-2.4 cm) and not statistically different. Differences between all other knee
      angles for jump height ranged from 3.8 +/- 2.0 cm (mean +/- 90% CL) to 16.6 +/-
      2.2 cm. A similar outcome to jump height was observed for velocity, force
      relative to body weight, and impulse for the assessed knee angles. CONCLUSIONS:
      For young physically active adult men, the use of a self-selected depth in the SJ
      results in optimal performance and has only a trivial difference to a constrained
      knee angle of either 90 degrees  or 100 degrees .

PMID- 28339349
TI  - Is Triclosan a neurotoxic agent?
AB  - Triclosan (TCS) is an antibacterial agent that has been used in many products
      since 1960s. Given its broad usage as an antiseptic TCS is present ubiquitously
      in the environment. Trace levels of TCS continue to be detected in many
      organisms, and it has been shown to be particularly toxic to aquatic species. The
      mechanisms underlying TCS-mediated toxicity include hormone dyshomeostasis,
      induction of oxidative stress, apoptosis and inflammation. Although TCS has been
      considered to be non-toxic to mammals, the adverse effects of continuous, long
      term and low concentration exposure remain unknown. Epidemiological studies
      revealed that levels of TCS in human tissues, urine, plasma and breast milk
      correlate with the usage of this antimicrobial. This led to concerns regarding
      TCS safety and potential toxicity in humans, with special emphasis on early
      development. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recently issued a directive
      banning the use of TCS in consumer soaps, justifying the move attributed to data
      gaps on its effectiveness and safety, indicating the need for more studies
      addressing this chemical-mediated effects on various tissues including the
      central nervous system (CNS). The aim of this review was to (1) summarize the
      current findings on the neurotoxic effects of TCS and given the paucity of data,
      to (2) broaden the discussion to other effects of TCS, which might plausibly be
      related to neuronal functions.

PMID- 28339351
TI  - Experiencing Civil Unrest: Elder Voices on Ferguson.
AB  - Ferguson, Missouri became the center of the nation's attention when an unarmed
      African American teenager was killed by a Caucasian police officer. Civic unrest
      continued for weeks. The aim of this study was to learn how older adults
      experienced the social unrest. Ten focus groups were conducted with 73
      participants. Eight themes were identified. Issues related to safety were most
      commonly discussed. Participants reported a breakdown in intergenerational
      communications and expressed a desire for more exchange. Findings are being
      discussed with relevant organizations to increase the involvement of older adults
      in on-going community development efforts and to provide opportunities for
      intergenerational dialogue.

PMID- 28339352
TI  - Approaching Environmental Sustainability: Perceptions of Self-Efficacy and
      Changeability.
AB  - This paper describes a model focused on the role of self-efficacy and belief in
      changeability of behavior in motivating environmentally sustainable behavior. The
      model was tested in two studies. The first study found that participants who had
      greater self-efficacy for sustainability behavior and a greater belief in their
      changeability of sustainability behavior had a higher level of approach
      motivation toward sustainability behavior and reported more such actual behavior.
      The second study investigated the effect of brief interventions intended to
      increase perception of self-efficacy for sustainability-related purchasing and
      changeability of sustainability-related purchasing. The intervention that focused
      on enhancing self-efficacy for making sustainability-related purchases had the
      strongest impact on intention to purchase. These findings have implications for
      interventions intended to change behavior related to environmental
      sustainability.

PMID- 28339353
TI  - Relationships between Ambivalent Sexism and the Five Moral Foundations in
      Domestic Violence: Is it a Matter of Fairness and Authority?
AB  - Ambivalent sexism has served to justify and maintain patriarchy and traditional
      gender roles characterized by inequality and male domination in the intimate
      partner violence (IPV) literature; according to the Moral Foundation Theory (MFT)
      there are two specific moral foundations related to inequality and domination:
      fairness and authority. We connect these separate fields arguing that sexist
      attitudes can be related to specific patterns of endorsement of the five moral
      foundations. Our hypothesis is that ambivalent sexism in men convicted of
      violence against the partner may be rooted in at least these two moral
      foundations, and that at least these two moral foundations may also serve to
      predict intention to change the violent behavior against the partner. Controlling
      for political orientation, the results show that benevolent sexism correlates
      positively with the authority foundation; and hostile sexism correlates
      negatively with the fairness foundation. Both foundations contribute to
      explaining the two dimensions of ambivalent sexism (benevolent and hostile) and
      only the fairness foundation predict intention to change the violent behavior
      against the partner. New treatment approaches could be designed to increase moral
      concerns about fairness and to reduce moral concerns about authority in people
      who, at least, have once used violence against their partners.

PMID- 28339347
TI  - The aging kidney and the nephrotoxic effects of mercury.
AB  - Owing to advances in modern medicine, life expectancies are lengthening and
      leading to an increase in the population of older individuals. The aging process
      leads to significant alterations in many organ systems, with the kidney being
      particularly susceptible to age-related changes. Within the kidney, aging leads
      to ultrastructural changes such as glomerular and tubular hypertrophy,
      glomerulosclerosis, and tubulointerstitial fibrosis, which may compromise renal
      plasma flow (RPF) and glomerular filtration rate (GFR). These alterations may
      reduce the functional reserve of the kidneys, making them more susceptible to
      pathological events when challenged or stressed, such as following exposure to
      nephrotoxicants. An important and prevalent environmental toxicant that induces
      nephrotoxic effects is mercury (Hg). Since exposure of normal kidneys to mercuric
      ions might induce glomerular and tubular injury, aged kidneys, which may not be
      functioning at full capacity, may be more sensitive to the effects of Hg than
      normal kidneys. Age-related renal changes and the effects of Hg in the kidney
      have been characterized separately. However, little is known regarding the
      influence of nephrotoxicants, such as Hg, on aged kidneys. The purpose of this
      review was to summarize known findings related to exposure of aged and diseased
      kidneys to the environmentally relevant nephrotoxicant Hg.

PMID- 28339354
TI  - The effects of an educational meeting and subsequent computer reminders on the
      ordering of laboratory tests by rheumatologists: an interrupted time series
      analysis.
AB  - OBJECTIVES: To examine the effects of an educational meeting and subsequent
      computer reminders on the number of ordered laboratory tests. METHODS: Using
      interrupted time series analysis we assessed whether trends in the number of
      laboratory tests ordered by rheumatologists between September 2012 and September
      2015 at the Sint Maartenskliniek (the Netherlands) changed following an
      educational meeting (September 2013) and the introduction of computer reminders
      into the Computerised Physician Order Entry System (July 2014). The analyses were
      done for the set of tests on which both interventions had focussed (intervention
      tests; complement, cryoglobulins, immunoglobins, myeloma protein) and a set of
      control tests unrelated to the interventions (alanine transferase, anti-cyclic
      citrullinated peptide, C-reactive protein, creatine, haemoglobin, leukocytes,
      mean corpuscular volume, rheumatoid factor and thrombocytes). RESULTS: At the
      start of the study, 101 intervention tests and 7660 control tests were ordered
      per month by the rheumatologists. After the educational meeting, both the level
      and trend of ordered intervention and control tests did not change significantly.
      After implementation of the reminders, the level of ordered intervention tests
      decreased by 85.0 tests (95%-CI -133.3 to -36.8, p<0.01), the level of control
      tests did not change following the introduction of reminders. CONCLUSIONS: In
      summary, an educational meeting alone was not effective in decreasing the number
      of ordered intervention tests, but the combination with computer reminders did
      result in a large decrease of those tests. Therefore, we recommend using computer
      reminders in addition to education if reduction of inappropriate test use is
      aimed for.

PMID- 28339355
TI  - Psychometric properties of sleep and coping numeric rating scales in rheumatoid
      arthritis: a subanalysis of an etanercept trial.
AB  - OBJECTIVES: In rheumatoid arthritis, quality of sleep and ability to cope are
      important for patients; however their usefulness as outcome measures is not well
      established. METHODS: Post-hoc analysis of an open-label 12-week trial of
      etanercept in biologic-naive rheumatoid arthritis patients with visits at
      screening, baseline and over 12 weeks. Outcomes measured included Disease
      Activity Score 28 erythrocyte sedimentation rate (DAS28), numeric rating scales
      for sleep, coping, patient and physician-global assessment, pain and fatigue, and
      modified-HAQ. Reliability between screening and baseline visits by intra-class
      correlation, and responsiveness between baseline and 12 weeks by standardised
      response means were assessed for each outcome. RESULTS: In 108 patients, mean age
      54 (standard deviation (SD) 13) years, mean disease duration 8 (SD 7) years, 75%
      women; disease activity was high at baseline: mean DAS28 5.5 (SD 0.8).
      Reliability intra-class correlation was 0.83[95% confidence interval: 0.77;0.88]
      for sleep, 0.81[0.74;0.87] for modified-HAQ, 0.80[0.71;0.86] for fatigue,
      0.72[0.62;0.80] for physician-global assessment, 0.66[0.54;076] for coping,
      0.65[0.53;0.75] for pain and 0.63[0.50;0.73] for patient-global assessment.
      Responsiveness standardised response means was 1.65[1.32;2.10] for physician
      global assessment, 1.37[1.09;1.73] for pain, 1.36[1.08;1.73] for patient-global
      assessment, 1.15[0.95;1.41] for fatigue, 0.96[0.70;1.28] for coping,
      0.92[0.73;1.15] for sleep and 0.86[0.69;1.07] for modified-HAQ. CONCLUSIONS:
      Numeric rating scales assessing sleep and coping were found to be generally as
      reliable as 'usual' outcomes in rheumatoid arthritis. Responsiveness was less
      high, indicating these domains of health may be less accessible to biologic
      treatment. When assessing the patient's perspective on treatment, it is feasible
      and valid to measure sleep and coping by numeric rating scales.

PMID- 28339356
TI  - Diagnostic accuracy of musculoskeletal ultrasound and conventional radiography in
      the assessment of the wrist triangular fibrocartilage complex in patients with
      definite diagnosis of calcium pyrophosphate dihydrate deposition disease.
AB  - OBJECTIVES: To compare the diagnostic accuracy of musculoskeletal ultrasound
      (MSUS) and x-ray in evaluating wrist triangular fibrocartilage complex (TFCC) in
      patients with calcium pyrophosphate dihydrate deposition disease (CPPD) and to
      investigate the agreement between the extent of the calcium pyrophosphate
      dihydrate (CPP) crystal deposits assessed by MSUS and the radiographic findings.
      METHODS: We enrolled 84 patients: 36 patients with "definite" CPPD and 48
      controls. The Ryan and McCarty diagnostic criteria were used. A rheumatologist
      performed bilateral MSUS examinations of the TFCC in all patients, assessing both
      the presence and absence of CCP crystals deposits and their extent (0-3; 0:
      absent; 1: 1-2 spots; 2: more than two spots covering <50% of the volume of the
      structure; 3: deposits covering >50% of the volume of the structure). A
      radiologist evaluated the presence/absence of x-ray calcifications at TFCC level
      in both groups. RESULTS: MSUS and x-ray sensitivity was 77.8% and 76.4%,
      respectively, whereas MSUS and x-ray specificity was 90.6% and 96.9%,
      respectively. Total agreement between MSUS and radiographic findings indicative
      of calcifications at TFCC level was 88.7%. CONCLUSIONS: This study supports the
      diagnostic accuracy of MSUS and x-ray in evaluating TFCC crystal deposits in
      patients with CPPD. Sensitivity and specificity of MSUS and x-ray resulted
      comparable. The highest MSUS score of the extent of the deposits correlated
      better with x-ray findings.

PMID- 28339357
TI  - Development of a score for assessment of radiologic damage in large-vessel
      vasculitis (Combined Arteritis Damage Score, CARDS).
AB  - OBJECTIVES: Outcome assessment in large-vessel vasculitis (LVV) remains
      challenging and this impairs patient management and the conduct of clinical
      studies. Previous proposals for outcome tools have not included imaging. This
      study aimed to develop an imaging score to quantify damage in LVV and to assess
      the difference between Takayasu (TAK) and giant cell arteritis (GCA). METHODS:
      Ninety-six patients (41 TAK, 55 GCA) were identified from local registries at two
      University Hospitals in the UK. Radiologic lesions including stenosis, occlusion
      and aneurysm were evaluated in 25 arterial regions by enhanced computed
      tomography or magnetic resonance angiography. Lesion correlation with combined
      damage assessment scores was employed in a multiple regression analysis to define
      the weight of individual lesions and develop a damage index. RESULTS: A numerical
      damage index was developed: the "Combined Arteritis Damage Score (CARDS)". The
      index was derived from a formula: number of regions with mild stenosis * 0.6 +
      number of regions with moderate to severe stenosis * 1.2 + number with occlusions
      * 1.6 + number with aneurysms * 0.8 in 25 arterial regions. The median CARDS was
      higher in TAK than GCA (4.1 and 0.6, interquartile range 1.3-5.7 and 0-3,
      p<0.001). CONCLUSIONS: We have developed a damage assessment tool, CARDS, based
      on imaging in LVV of potential value to clinical studies and patient management.
      TAK and GCA differ in the radiologic severity of disease.

PMID- 28339358
TI  - Effectiveness and healthcare costs among stabilised rheumatoid arthritis patients
      with dose reduction of adalimumab or etanercept in real world.
AB  - OBJECTIVES: We assessed the level of maintained effectiveness and associated
      healthcare costs in stabilised rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients who reduced
      doses of adalimumab or etanercept. METHODS: Eligible patients were identified
      from a U.S. commercial insurance database using the following criteria: adults
      with >=2 RA diagnoses; effectively treated on standard dose of adalimumab or
      etanercept for a 6-month baseline period; and >=3 months of dose reduction within
      a 6-month assessment period following the index date (date of the first reduced
      dose). Effectiveness was estimated using a validated claims-based algorithm.
      Multivariate regression models were used to assess maintained effectiveness and
      healthcare costs in the short-term (months 7-12) and long-term (months 13-24)
      following the index date, while adjusting for baseline characteristics. Cost per
      patient maintaining effective treatment (CPME) was calculated as the average
      total healthcare costs divided by the proportion of patients with maintained
      effectiveness. RESULTS: Both groups (etanercept=375; adalimumab=610) had 70%
      females and a mean age of 48 years. Adjusted rates of maintained effectiveness
      for etanercept vs. adalimumab were 57.5% vs. 64.7% (p=0.028) in the short-term
      and 44.3% vs. 51.9% (p=0.047) in the long-term. Adjusted healthcare costs were
      similar for etanercept- and adalimumab-treated patients (short-term: $15,043 vs.
      $15,041; long-term: $31,461 vs. $30,449). The CPME was $2,915 higher with
      etanercept-treated patients in short-term and $12,349 higher in long-term
      compared with adalimumab-treated patients. CONCLUSIONS: Among stabilised RA
      patients who reduced biologic dosing, a greater proportion of adalimumab-treated
      patients maintained effectiveness than etanercept-treated patients. Adalimumab
      was associated with a lower total CPME than etanercept.

PMID- 28339359
TI  - Cardiac involvement as a presenting feature of eosinophilic granulomatosis with
      polyangiitis in childhood.

PMID- 28339360
TI  - Critical role of STIR MRI in early detection of post-streptococcal periostitis
      with dysproteinaemia (Goldbloom's syndrome).
AB  - OBJECTIVES: In 1966, Goldbloom et al. described two children who developed a
      peculiar clinical picture characterized by intermittent daily bone pain in the
      lower limbs, fever spikes, increased acute phase reactants and dysproteinaemia.
      The syndrome occurred two weeks after a group A beta-haemolytic streptococcus
      infection. So far, only a few cases have been reported in the medical literature
      in English. METHODS: We report two further cases of Goldbloom's syndrome with a
      review of the literature in English. RESULTS: Our two patients lived in the same
      Italian region and presented their syndrome onset a week apart. Early use of STIR
      MRI revealed an atypical metaphyseal hyperintensity in the femurs and tibias. X
      ray showed periosteal hyperostosis. A short cycle of corticosteroids led to rapid
      recovery of symptoms and disappearance of bone changes. CONCLUSIONS: The reported
      cases highlight a likely under-recognised post-streptococcal inflammatory
      periosteal reaction and emphasise the diagnostic utility of the newer imaging
      modalities.

PMID- 28339361
TI  - Anti-N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor antibodies are associated with fibromyalgia in
      patients with systemic lupus erythematosus: a case-control study.
AB  - OBJECTIVES: The high concordance between systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) and
      fibromyalgia (FM) suggests common underlying mechanisms related to pain and
      distress in both patient groups. Increasing evidence indicates that N-methyl-D
      aspartate receptors (NMDARs) play a major role in the induction and maintenance
      of central sensitisation with chronic pain. In this study, we evaluated the role
      of anti-NMDAR antibodies in the development of FM in patients with SLE. METHODS:
      Sera from 104 patients with SLE, 112 patients with FM, and 110 healthy controls
      were analysed to detect antibodies to the N-terminus of the 2B subunit of NMDARs
      (GluN2B). Subjects underwent clinical examination and neuropsychiatric
      evaluation, and completed a questionnaire regarding FM and neuropsychiatric
      symptoms. RESULTS: Of the 104 patients with SLE, 18 (17.3%) had FM. The anti
      GluN2B antibody titer was significantly higher in patients with SLE (p<0.001).
      Among patients with SLE, those with concomitant FM had higher anti-GluN2B
      antibody titers (p<0.05). The anti-GluN2B antibody titer was associated
      positively with the tender point count (p=0.016) and the widespread pain index
      (p=0.005), but not with other symptom measurements. Anti-GluN2B antibody-positive
      patients with SLE were more likely to have neuropsychiatric systemic lupus
      erythematosus (NPSLE) and concomitant FM (p<0.05). Multivariate analysis showed
      that the anti-GluN2B antibody was an independent predictor of concomitant FM and
      NPSLE. CONCLUSIONS: To our knowledge, this report is the first to suggest that
      anti-NMDAR antibodies are associated with the pathogenesis of FM with SLE.

PMID- 28339362
TI  - Diagnostic performance of colour duplex ultrasonography along with temporal
      artery biopsy in suspicion of giant cell arteritis.
AB  - OBJECTIVES: Giant cell arteritis (GCA) is a vasculitis that occurs in older
      adults, affecting vessels of medium and large caliber. GCA diagnosis is a
      challenge for general practitioners and specialists. The aim of this study was to
      retrospectively analyse performances of temporal artery biopsy (TAB) and colour
      duplex ultrasonography (CDU) for GCA diagnosis. METHODS: All patients with
      suspicion of GCA and who underwent both TAB and CDU between April 2009 and March
      2014 were included in the study. A positive CDU examination was defined by halos
      on both superficial temporal arteries. Patients were classified based on the
      physician final diagnosis. RESULTS: Among the 42 eligible patients, 12 had an
      alternative diagnosis and 30 were diagnosed with GCA. Sensitivities were 77% and
      80% for TAB and CDU examinations, respectively. Specificities were 100% for both
      tests. Twenty-nine (96.7%) patients with GCA had their diagnosis confirmed either
      by CDU and/or by TAB. Time lengths between the first medical examination and
      results of TAB and CDU were 15 and 4.2 days (p<0.001), respectively. CONCLUSIONS:
      Our study suggests that in suspected GCA, CDU may be used as first line
      examination followed by TAB in case of CDU negative results. Such algorithm needs
      to be further assessed in a multicentre prospective study.

PMID- 28339363
TI  - Proangiogenic gene polymorphisms are associated with susceptibility to Paget's
      disease of bone and with its clinical features.

PMID- 28339364
TI  - Clinical and prognostic features of Korean patients with MPO-ANCA, PR3-ANCA and
      ANCA-negative vasculitis.
AB  - OBJECTIVES: We reclassified Korean patients with antineutrophil cytoplasmic
      antibody (ANCA)-associated vasculitis (AAV) into 3 categories of AAV including
      MPO-ANCA, PR3-ANCA and ANCA-negative vasculitis, and investigated clinical and
      prognostic features. METHODS: We reviewed the medical records of 133 patients
      with microscopic polyangiitis (MPA), granulomatosis with polyangiitis (GPA) and
      eosinophilic GPA (EGPA), who had either myeloperoxidase (MPO)-ANCA, proteinase 3
      (PR3)-ANCA or no ANCA, and who had ever achieved the first remission. We compared
      clinical manifestations, initial Birmingham vasculitis activity score (BVAS) and
      five factor score (FFS), and relapse rates. RESULTS: Patients with ANCA-negative
      vasculitis had the youngest mean age at diagnosis (50.0 years old) among AAV
      categories. General, cutaneous and renal manifestations were commonly observed in
      MPO-ANCA vasculitis, while mucous membrane, eye, ear nose throat (ENT) and renal
      manifestations were often documented in PR3-ANCA vasculitis. ENT manifestation
      was also frequently observed in ANCA-negative vasculitis. However, there were no
      significant differences in pulmonary and nervous system manifestations among 3
      AAV categories. There were no significant differences in cumulative relapse free
      survival according to the presence of MPO-ANCA or PR3-ANCA or no ANCA. Meanwhile,
      initial BVAS or BVAS for GPA >=13.5 in MPO-ANCA vasculitis and initial FFS (1996)
      >=1 in MPO-ANCA and ANCA-negative vasculitis were significant predictors of
      relapse of each AAV category. CONCLUSIONS: Clinical manifestations varied AAV
      categories, and neither MPO-ANCA nor PR3-ANCA significantly affected relapse of
      AAV. Initial BVAS or BVAS for GPA and FFS (1996) helped to predict relapse of
      specified AAV categories.

PMID- 28339365
TI  - Thresholds for the 28-joint disease activity score (DAS28) using C-reactive
      protein are lower compared to DAS28 using erythrocyte sedimentation rate in early
      rheumatoid arthritis.
AB  - OBJECTIVES: The 28-Joint Disease Activity Score (DAS28) using C-reactive protein
      (CRP) and DAS28 using erythrocyte sedimentation rate (DAS28-ESR) may not be
      interchangeable. We sought to compare and estimate optimal thresholds for the
      DA28-CRP for use in early rheumatoid arthritis (ERA). METHODS: Patients from the
      Canadian Early Arthritis Cohort with baseline and 12 months' data for both DAS28
      ESR and DAS28-CRP were examined for correlations and differences between DAS28
      CRP and DAS28-ESR across their range of values. Receiver operating characteristic
      analysis identified thresholds for DAS28-CRP that best corresponded to
      established thresholds for the DAS28-ESR using the total sample, then stratified
      by age and sex. Agreement between DAS28-CRP and DAS28-ESR thresholds was assessed
      with the kappa statistic. RESULTS: The sample included 995 patients with mean
      (SD) age of 53.7 (14.5) years, 5.8 (2.9) months of symptom duration and 74% were
      female. DAS28-CRP and DAS28-ESR scores were highly correlated (r= 0.92,
      p<0.0001), however DAS28-CRP values were consistently lower than DAS28-ESR
      values. Calculated thresholds for DAS28-CRP were lower with 2.5 for remission,
      2.9 for low disease activity, and 4.6 for high disease activity but showed
      moderate agreement with the DAS28-ESR thresholds (kappa=0.70). CONCLUSIONS: In
      this large sample of ERA patients, newly estimated thresholds for DAS28-CRP were
      consistently lower than DAS28-ESR thresholds across the spectrum of disease
      activity. This may have important clinical implications if inflammatory markers
      are used interchangeably. Additional external validation of our findings is
      needed.

PMID- 28339368
TI  - Extrinsic motives to encourage extracurricular research activities: a reminder
      call to medical schools in Saudi Arabia.

PMID- 28339366
TI  - Jaccoud's arthropathy in systemic lupus erythematosus: clinical, laboratory and
      ultrasonographic features.
AB  - OBJECTIVES: Jaccoud's arthropathy (JA) is a deforming, non-erosive arthritis,
      occurring in 2-35% of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) patients. We aimed to
      evaluate JA patients in a wide monocentric SLE cohort in terms of clinical,
      serological and ultrasonographic features. METHODS: Consecutive SLE patients (ACR
      criteria 1997) were evaluated. The JA index was applied for patients with
      reducible deformities. Patients with a JA index >=5 underwent physical
      examination, blood testing and ultrasound (US) assessment. Detection of anti
      citrullinated protein antibodies (ACPA) and rheumatoid factor (RF) was performed.
      A single rheumatologist performed the US assessment of bilateral wrist and hands.
      RESULTS: Four hundred and eighty SLE patients were evaluated: 17 (3.5%) showed a
      JA index >=5 (M:F 1:16; mean age+/-SD 50.7+/-11.1 years; mean disease duration+/
      SD 247.8+/-116.2 months). Four patients (23.5%) showed ACPA positivity. Fifteen
      patients (88.2%) showed at least one US abnormality. Bone erosions were found in
      10 patients (58.8%). ACPA+ve patients showed erosive damage more frequently in at
      least one joint compared with ACPA-ve (75% vs. 53.8%, p=0.002). CONCLUSIONS: JA
      should no longer be considered a non-erosive condition since bone damage can
      occur in more than half of patients. Moreover, the erosive damage seems to be
      associated with the presence of ACPA.

PMID- 28339369
TI  - PreScription: Stability Studies and United States Pharmacopeia-National Formulary
      Grade Chemicals.

PMID- 28339367
TI  - The functional significance of morphological changes in the dentitions of early
      mammals.
AB  - The Mesozoic marked a time of experimentation in the tooth morphology of early
      mammals. One particular experiment involved the movement of three points, or
      cusps, on the surface of a molar tooth from a line into a triangle. This
      transition is exemplified by two extinct insectivorous mammals, Morganucodon
      (cusps in a line) and Kuehneotherium (cusps in a triangle). Here we test whether
      this difference in cusp arrangement, alongside cusp heights and angles between
      cusps, is associated with differences in the ability of the teeth to fracture
      proxy-insect prey. We gathered measurements from molar teeth of both species and
      used them to create physical models. We then measured the force, time and energy
      at fracture and peak force, and the amount of damage inflicted by the models on
      hard and soft gels encased in a tough film that mimicked the material properties
      of insects. The Morganucodon model required less force and energy to fracture
      hard gels and reach peak force compared with KuehneotheriumKuehneotherium
      required a similar time, force and energy to fracture soft gels but reduced the
      time, force and energy to reach peak force. More importantly, Kuehneotherium also
      inflicted more damage to both the hard and the soft gels. These results suggest
      that changes in dental morphology in some early mammals was driven primarily by
      selection for maximizing damage, and secondarily for maximizing biomechanical
      efficiency for a given food material property.

PMID- 28339370
TI  - Menopausal Symptom Relief and Side Effects Experienced by Women Using
      Bioidentical Hormone Replacement Therapy and Synthetic Conjugated Equine Estrogen
      and/or Progestin Hormone Replacement Therapy, Part 1.
AB  - The use of compounded bioidentical hormone replacement therapy by menopausal
      women has become a popular alternative to traditional synthetic conjugated equine
      estrogen and progestin hormone replacement therapy due to safety concerns raised
      by recent studies. However, due to the lack of randomized, large-scale trials to
      evaluate the efficacy and side-effect profile of compounded bioidentical hormone
      replacement therapy many healthcare providers are reluctant to prescribe such
      therapy. The purpose of this study was to compare women's menopausal symptom
      relief and side effects experienced when using compounded bioidentical hormone
      replacement therapy and traditional hormone replacement therapy. A descriptive
      comparative design was used. Inferential and descriptive statistical procedures
      including a paired difference t -test, two-sample t -test, and f tests
      (percentage, mean, standard deviation, frequency) were run on the Statistical
      Package for the Social Sciences. The framework used to guide this study was Lenz
      and Pugh's Theory of Unpleasant Symptoms. Surveys were distributed once to a
      convenient sample of women aged 35 and older when they dropped off or picked up
      their prescriptions at a pharmacy. Of the 216 surveys distributed, 70 were
      returned from those women taking compounded bioidentical hormone replacement
      therapy and 53 from traditional hormone replacement therapy. The survey contained
      15 questions pertaining to age, duration of hormone replacement therapy, type and
      formulation of hormone replacement therapy, reasons for initiating hormone
      replacement therapy, symptoms before and one month after hormone replacement
      therapy, and side effects related to hormone replacement therapy. The results of
      this study will be summarized in forthcoming articles in this series.

PMID- 28339371
TI  - Pharmaceutical Compounding: The Oldest, Most Symbolic, and Still Vital Part of
      Pharmacy.
AB  - Historically, compounding has been always an integral part of pharmacy.
      Medications were prepared by pharmacists for individual patients and compounding
      was the only source of drugs before mass production by pharmaceutical companies.
      This trend started diminishing around the middle of the 20th century due to more
      drugs being produced by mass manufacturers. Shortly after, clinical pharmacy was
      introduced and many schools of pharmacy reorganized their curricula to address
      that change. As a result, many compounding courses have been removed and emphasis
      was shifted towards clinical classes. Currently, however, compounding is on the
      rise again, gaining more importance mainly due to the fact that it can provide an
      individualized approach to patient care. This review is aimed to discuss the
      challenges of compounding education and the main areas of growth for compounding,
      as well as advantages and disadvantages of compounded medications.

PMID- 28339372
TI  - More than 300 Attendees Convene in Washington, DC, for the 22nd Annual
      Compounders on Capitol Hill: The United Voice of Compounders is Heard!

PMID- 28339373
TI  - Quality Control Analytical Methods: Method Validation.
AB  - To properly determine the accuracy of a pharmaceutical product or compounded
      preparation, tests must be designed specifically for that evaluation. The
      procedures selected must be verified through a process referred to as method
      validation, an integral part of any good analytical practice. The results from a
      method validation procedure can be used to judge the quality, reliability, and
      consistency of analytical results. The purpose of this article is to deliver the
      message of the importance of validation of a pharmaceutical product or compounded
      preparation and to briefly discuss the results of a lack of such validation.

PMID- 28339374
TI  - Basics of Compounding: Clinical Pharmaceutics, Part 1.
AB  - Pharmaceutics is relevant far beyond the pharmaceutical industry, compounding,
      and the laboratory. Pharmaceutics can be used to solve many clinical problems in
      medication therapy. A pharmacists' knowledge of the physicochemical aspects of
      drugs and drug products should help the patient, physician, and healthcare
      professionals resolve issues in the increasingly complex world of modern
      medicine. Pharmacy is unique as it contains a knowledge base significantly
      different from that of physicians, nurses, and other health-related
      practitioners. The separation of the science and the practice of pharmacy have
      prevented the complete utilization of pharmaceutical sciences in the clinical
      environment far too long.

PMID- 28339375
TI  - Basics of Sterile Compounding: Ophthalmic Preparations, Part 1: Ophthalmic
      Solutions.
AB  - Ophthalmic preparations are used to treat allergies, bacterial and viral
      infections, glaucoma, and numerous other eye conditions. When the eye's natural
      defensive mechanisms are compromised or overcome, an ophthalmic preparation, in a
      solution, suspension, or ointment form, may be indicated, with solutions being
      the most common form used to deliver a drug to the eye. This article provides a
      general discussion on ophthalmic preparations and specifically discusses the
      preparation of solutions.

PMID- 28339376
TI  - Long-term Stability of Vancomycin Hydrochloride in Glucose 5% Polyolefin Bags:
      The Brand Name Versus a Generic Product.
AB  - The objectives of this study were to determine if the preparation of vancomycin
      hydrochloride in advance of infusion could improve the quality of the drug, time
      management of drug delivery, cost savings of drug delivery, and to investigate
      the long-term stability of vancomycin hydrochloride (brand name Vancocin(r))
      infusion in glucose 5% polyolefin bags versus the generic (Vancomycine(r)) at 5
      degrees C +/- 3 degrees C. Five bags of each infusion 1 g/100 mL vancomycin
      hydrochloride in 5% glucose (Vancocin (r) and Vancomycine(r)) were stored up to
      57 days at 5 degrees C +/- 3 degrees C. A visual inspection and pH measurement
      were performed periodically during the storage, and the concentrations were
      measured by high-performance liquid chromatography-diode array detection. No
      color change or precipitation in the solution was observed throughout the study
      period. As recommended by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, the lower
      confidence limit at 95% of the concentration for the solutions remained superior
      to 90% of the initial concentration up to 43 days for the brand vancomycin
      (Vancocin(r)) infusion (96% +/- 2%) and up to 57 days for the generic
      (Vancomycine(r)) (95% +/- 4%). The solutions prepared either from brand or
      generic vancomycin hydrochloride were chemically stable more than one month (43
      days for the brand and 57 days for the generic solution) and could be prepared in
      advance in a centralized intravenous additive service facility.

PMID- 28339377
TI  - Stability of Clindamycin Hydrochloride in PCCA Base SuspendIt.
AB  - Clindamycin is an effective antibiotic in the treatment of infections caused by
      certain gram-positive and gram-negative anaerobic microorganisms. While
      manufactured forms of the drug for pediatric use are available, there are
      instances when a compounded liquid dosage form is essential to meet unique
      patient needs. The purpose of this study was to determine the chemical stability
      of clindamycin hydrochloride in the PCCA base SuspendIt, a sugar-free, paraben-
      free, dye-free, and gluten-free thixotropic vehicle containing a natural
      sweetener obtained from the monk fruit. It thickens upon standing to minimize
      settling of any insoluble drug particles and becomes fluid upon shaking to allow
      convenient pouring during administration to the patient. A robust stability
      indicating high-performance liquid chromatographic assay for the determination of
      clindamycin hydrochloride in SuspendIt was developed and validated. This assay
      was used to determine the chemical stability of the drug in SuspendIt. Samples
      were prepared and stored under three different temperature conditions (5 degrees
      C, 25 degrees C, and 40 degrees C), and assayed using the high-performance liquid
      chromatographic assay at pre-determined intervals over an extended period of time
      as follows: 7, 14, 30, 45, 60, 91, 120, and 182 days at each designated
      temperature. Physical data such as pH, viscosity, and appearance were also
      monitored. The study showed that drug concentration did not go below 90% of the
      label claim (initial drug concentration) at all three temperatures studied,
      barring isolated experimental errors. Viscosity and pH values also did not change
      significantly. Some variations in viscosity were attributed to the thixotropic
      nature of the vehicle. This study demonstrates that clindamycin hydrochloride is
      physically and chemically stable in SuspendIt for 182 days in the refrigerator
      and at room temperature, thus providing a viable, compounded alternative for
      clindamycin hydrochloride in a liquid dosage form, with an extended beyond-use
      date to meet patient needs.

PMID- 28339378
TI  - Stability of Allopurinol, Amitriptyline Hydrochloride, Carbamazepine,
      Domperidone, Isoniazid, Ketoconazole, Lisinopril, Naproxen, Paracetamol
      (Acetaminophen), and Sertraline Hydrochloride in SyrSpend SF PH4 Oral
      Suspensions.
AB  - Oral liquids are safe alternatives to solid dosage forms, notably for elderly and
      pediatric patients that present dysphagia. The use of ready-to-use suspending
      vehicles such as SyrSpend SF PH4 is a suitable resource for pharmacists as they
      constitute a safe and timesaving option that has been studied often. The
      objective of this study was to evaluate the stability of 10 commonly used active
      pharmaceutical ingredients (allopurinol 20 mg/mL; amitriptyline hydrochloride 10
      mg/mL; carbamazepine 25 mg/mL; domperidone 5 mg/mL; isoniazid 10 mg/mL;
      ketoconazole 20 mg/mL; lisinopril 1 mg/mL; naproxen 25 mg/mL; paracetamol
      [acetaminophen] 50 mg/mL; and sertraline hydrochloride 10 mg/mL) compounded in
      oral suspensions using SyrSpend SF PH4 as the vehicle throughout the study period
      and stored both at controlled refrigerated (2 degrees C to 8 degrees C) and room
      temperature (20 degrees C to 25 degrees C). Stability was assessed by means of
      measuring the percent recovery at varying time points throughout a 90-day period.
      The quantification of the active pharmaceutical ingredients was performed by high
      performance liquid chromatography through a stability-indicating method. Methods
      were adequately validated. Forced-degradation studies showed that at least one
      parameter influenced the stability of the active pharmaceutical ingredients. All
      suspensions were assayed and showed active pharmaceutical ingredient contents
      between 90% and 110% during the 90-day study period. Although the forced
      degradation experiments led to visible fluctuations in the chromatographic
      responses, the final preparations were stable in the storage conditions. The
      beyond-use dates of the preparations were found to be at least 90 days for all
      suspensions, both for controlled refrigerated temperature and room temperature.
      This confirms that SyrSpend SF PH4 is a stable suspending vehicle for compounding
      with a broad range of different active pharmaceutical ingredients for different
      medical usages.

PMID- 28339379
TI  - Stability of Sodium Nitroprusside in 5% Dextrose Stored at 4 degrees C in
      Polypropylene Syringes Protected from Light.
AB  - Sodium nitroprusside is a potent vasodilator employed intraoperatively and within
      critical care areas. The photolabile pharmaceutical agent has been used for
      decades and various stability studies have been executed. Due to potential
      shortages and the desire to batch compound sodium nitroprusside at a
      concentration of 1 mg/mL in polypropylene syringes, a new stability study was
      performed. Chromatographic analysis was conducted on a C18 column, with elution
      via an aqueous phase of 0.01 M sodium phosphate monobasic, adjusted to pH 6.5
      with sodium hydroxide, and methanol (97.5:2.5) at a rate of 1 mL/min, and
      subsequent ultraviolet detection at 210 nm. Triplicate determinations of four
      samples, stored under refrigeration at 4 degrees C, were obtained initially and
      on days 2, 5, and 9. Turbidity and pH measurements were performed in conjunction
      with visual observation on days of chromatographic analysis. Results demonstrate
      that sodium nitroprusside compounded in 5% dextrose at a concentration of 1
      mg/mL, stored at 4 degrees C protected from light in polypropylene syringes, is
      physically and chemically stable for at least 9 days.

PMID- 28339380
TI  - A Simplified Extemporaneously Prepared Potassium Chloride Oral Solution.
AB  - Although commercial preparations of oral potassium supplements are usually
      available, there are times when our Medical Center is faced with situations in
      which the oral solution of potassium chloride is not available. This solution is
      necessary for our pediatric outpatients who cannot swallow tablets and need an
      oral solution. Moreover, there are no studies available which describe an
      extemporaneously prepared potassium chloride oral solution on which we can rely
      for assigning a beyond-use date. The aim of this study was to formulate an
      extemporaneous pediatric oral solution of potassium chloride and to determine the
      physical and chemical stability of this preparation. We prepared 1 mMoL/mL by
      withdrawing 25 mL of potassium chloride 14.9%. Ora-Sweet SF was added to 50 mL in
      a metered flask. The solution was kept refrigerated (2 degrees C to 8 degrees C).
      Samples were withdrawn to measure potassium concentration, pH, and microbial
      overgrowth. The test was performed by our biochemical laboratory. The oral
      solution of potassium chloride 1 mMoL/mL stored at 2 degrees C to 8 degrees C
      maintained at least 91% of the initial concentration for 28 days. There were no
      notable changes in pH, and the solution remained physically stable with no visual
      microbial growth. The oral solution of potassium chloride 1 mMoL/mL prepared in
      Ora-Sweet and stored at 2 degrees C to 8 degrees C in amber glass bottles is
      expected to remain stable for 28 days.

PMID- 28339381
TI  - PreScription: Two Decades of IJPC.

PMID- 28339382
TI  - Menopausal Symptom Relief and Side Effects Experienced by Women Using Compounded
      Bioidentical Hormone Replacement Therapy and Synthetic Conjugated Equine Estrogen
      and/or Progestin Hormone Replacement Therapy, Part 2.
AB  - The use of compounded bioidentical hormone replacement therapy by menopausal
      women has become a popular alternative to traditional synthetic conjugated equine
      estrogen and progestin hormone replacement therapy due to safety concerns raised
      by recent studies. However, due to the lack of randomized, large-scale trials to
      evaluate the efficacy and side-effect profile of compounded bioidentical hormone
      replacement therapy many healthcare providers are reluctant to prescribe such
      therapy. The purpose of this study was to compare women's menopausal symptom
      relief and side effects experienced when using compounded bioidentical hormone
      replacement therapy and traditional hormone replacement therapy. A descriptive
      comparative design was used. Inferential and descriptive statistical procedures
      including a paired difference t-test, two-sample t-test, and f-tests (percentage,
      mean, standard deviation, frequency) were run on the Statistical Package for the
      Social Sciences. The framework used to guide this study was Lenz and Pugh's
      Theory of Unpleasant Symptoms. Surveys were distributed once to a convenient
      sample of women aged 35 and older when they dropped off or picked up their
      prescriptions at a pharmacy. Of the 216 surveys distributed, 70 were returned
      from those women taking compounded bioidentical hormone replacement therapy and
      53 from traditional hormone replacement therapy. The survey contained 15
      questions pertaining to age, duration of hormone replacement therapy, type and
      formulation of hormone replacement therapy, reasons for initiating hormone
      replacement therapy, symptoms before and one month after hormone replacement
      therapy, and side effects related to hormone replacement therapy. Included in
      part 1 of this series of articles was the introduction to the study conducted and
      the results of the literature review that was conducted for the purpose of
      examining the current data related to the topic of hormone replacement therapy.
      Part 2 provides a brief discussion on the significance of this study to nursing
      and provides the methods used in this study. The results of this study will be
      summarized in forthcoming articles in this series.

PMID- 28339383
TI  - U.S. Food and Drug Administration List of Drugs NOT to be Used in Compounded
      Medications for Humans (The Negative List).

PMID- 28339385
TI  - Why Become Pharmacy Compounding Accreditation Board Accredited?
AB  - The Pharmacy Compounding Accreditation Board's goal is to assist pharmacies to
      obtain formal recognition of their status as a high-quality and fully compliant
      provider of pharmaceuticals and patient services. This article provides a brief
      outline of the application process, the survey preparation, points of information
      about the actual survey, and suggestions on how to remain in compliance with
      Pharmacy Compounding Accreditation Board's standards.

PMID- 28339384
TI  - Evaluation of the Most Frequently Prescribed Extemporaneously Compounded
      Veterinary Medications at a Large Independent Community Pharmacy.
AB  - Extemporaneous drug formulation is essential to provide optimal pharmaceutical
      care to veterinary patients. The need for this is exacerbated by the fact that
      commercially produced veterinary-specific products, without a human indication,
      require specialty veterinary manufacturing facilities and a new animal drug
      application process to gain marketing approval. This study examined the
      prescription patterns of extemporaneously compounded veterinary preparations in
      the compounding department at a large independent community pharmacy. Data was
      obtained from a total of 1348 prescriptions requiring extemporaneous compounding
      over the course of a two-year period (2014-2015). A database was constructed and
      each compounded prescription was allocated to a therapeutic category based on the
      American Hospital Formulary Service Drug Information. Data analysis showed that
      the most commonly prescribed preparations belonged to the central nervous system
      (39%), anti-infective agents (21%), and hormones (12%) therapeutic categories.
      Overall, suspensions were the most dispensed (47%), extemporaneously compounded
      dosage forms followed by solutions (28%), and capsules (10%). The majority (88%)
      of compounded preparations were administered by the oral route. The top three
      drugs that are compounded for veterinary medicine were (1) potassium bromide oral
      solution for canine epilepsy, (2) methimazole solution used to treat
      hyperthyroidism in cats, and (3) metronidazole suspension, an antibiotic for the
      treatment of diarrhea and other infections in dogs and cats. Remarkably, our
      findings are in good agreement with previously published survey data on the top
      drugs that are compounded for veterinary medicine. In the era of personalized
      medicine, veterinary extemporaneous compounding for specialized needs will
      continue to play an important role providing optimum therapy for veterinary
      patients.

PMID- 28339387
TI  - Introduction to Quality Control in a Compounding Pharmacy.
AB  - A quality-based program is vital in every compounding pharmacy to ensure that
      each preparation is compounded properly and is stable for its expected duration
      of use. This article discusses quality control, quality assurance, continuous
      quality improvement, and also describes the components of an in-house (in
      pharmacy) quality program, as well as the role of outside laboratories.

PMID- 28339386
TI  - The "Lists": What Do They Mean?

PMID- 28339388
TI  - Basics of Compounding: Clinical Pharmaceutics, Part 2.
AB  - This article represents part 2 of a 2-part article on the topic of clinical
      pharmaceutics. Pharmaceutics is relevant far beyond the pharmaceutical industry,
      compounding, and the laboratory. Pharmaceutics can be used to solve many clinical
      problems in medication therapy. A pharmacists' knowledge of the physicochemical
      aspects of drugs and drug products should help the patient, physician, and
      healthcare professionals resolve issues in the increasingly complex world of
      modern medicine. Part 1 of this series of articles discussed incompatibilities
      which can directly affect a clinical outcome and utilized pharmaceutics case
      examples of the application and importance of clinical pharmaceutics covering
      different characteristics. Part 2 continues to illustrate the scientific
      principles and clinical effects involved in clinical pharmaceutics. Also covered
      in this article are many of the scientific principles in typical to patient care.

PMID- 28339389
TI  - Basics of Sterile Compounding: Ophthalmic Preparations, Part 2: Suspensions and
      Ointments.
AB  - Ophthalmic preparations are used to treat allergies, bacterial and viral
      infections, glaucoma, and numerous other eye conditions. When the eye's natural
      defensive mechanisms are compromised or overcome, an ophthalmic preparation, in a
      solution, suspension, or ointment form, may be indicated, with solutions being
      the most common form used to deliver a drug to the eye. This article discusses
      ophthalmic suspensions and ointments and represents part 2 of a 2-part article,
      the first of which discussed ophthalmic solutions.

PMID- 28339390
TI  - Stability of Fentanyl Citrate in Polyolefin Bags.
AB  - Fentanyl is used to manage pain because it is a potent lipophilic opiate agonist.
      The stability of fentanyl in polyolefin bags when diluted to either 10 ug/mL or
      50 ug/mL with sodium chloride 0.9% has not been studied. The chemical stability
      of fentanyl 50 ug/mL packaged in polyvinyl chloride bags has been studied,
      however, the stability in polyolefin bags is lacking. Polyolefin bags were
      aseptically filled with either 10-ug/mL or 50-ug/mL fentanyl solution. Containers
      were then stored at either 5 degrees C and protected from light or 22 degrees C
      and exposed to light for 93 days. Fentanyl peaks were monitored using a stability
      indicatin high-performance liquid chromatographic method. Changes to color,
      clarity, and pH were also monitored. There were no signs of chemical degradation
      of fentanyl packaged in polyolefin bags at either 5 degrees C or 22 degrees C
      after storage for 93 days. Over the course of the study, all solutions remained
      colorless and clear. The pH showed a slight decrease during the 93 days of
      storage. The stability of both undiluted (50-ug/mL) and diluted (10-ug/mL)
      fentanyl solutions when packaged in polyolefin bags was 93 days when stored at
      either 5 degrees C or 22 degrees C.

PMID- 28339391
TI  - Topical Ketamine 10% for Neuropathic Pain in Spinal Cord Injury Patients: An Open
      Label Trial.
AB  - Topical ketamine, an N-methyl-D-aspartate antagonist, has been shown to be
      effective in certain neuropathic pain syndromes. The objective of this study was
      to determine the efficacy of topical ketamine in spinal cord injury patients with
      neuropathic pain. An open label trial enrolled five subjects at an outpatient
      rehabilitation hospital with traumatic spinal cord injuries who had neuropathic
      pain at or below the level of injury. Subjects applied topical ketamine 10% three
      times a day for a two-week duration. Subjects recorded their numerical pain score
      ranging from 0 to 10, with 0 representing "no pain, 5 representing "moderate
      pain," and 10 being described as "worst possible pain"-in a journal at the time
      of application of topical ketamine and one hour after application. Using a
      numerical pain scale allows for something as subjective as pain to be given an
      objective quantification. Subjects also recorded any occurrence of adverse events
      and level of satisfaction. All five subjects had a decrease in their numerical
      pain scale by the end of two weeks, ranging from 14% to 63%. The duration ranged
      from one hour in one subject to the next application in other subjects. There
      were no adverse effects. Overall, four out of the five subjects stated they were
      satisfied. Topical ketamine 10% is an effective neuropathic pain medicine in
      patients with spinal cord injuries; however, further studies need to be done with
      a placebo and larger sample size.

PMID- 28339392
TI  - Stability of Ribavirin for Inhalation Packaged in Syringes or Glass Vials when
      Stored Frozen, Refrigerated, and at Room Temperature.
AB  - The primary aim of this study was to investigate ribavirin solution for
      inhalation stability under three different conditions (frozen, refrigerated, room
      temperature) over a 45-day period. A ribavirin 6000-mg vial was reconstituted
      with 90 mL of Sterile Water for Injection per the package insert to yield a
      concentration of approximately 67 mg/mL. The solution was then placed in either
      syringes or empty glass vials and stored in the freezer (-20 degrees C), in the
      refrigerator (~0 degrees C to 4 degrees C), or at room temperature (~20 degrees C
      to 25 degrees C). Original concentrations were measured on day 0 and subsequent
      concentrations were measured on day 2, 14, and 45 utilizing a validated liquid
      chromatography with tandem mass spectrometry assay. All analyses were performed
      in triplicate for each storage condition. Additionally, at each time point the
      physical stability was evaluated and the pH of solution was measured. The
      solution was considered stable if =90% of the original concentration was retained
      over the study period. A validated liquid chromatography with tandem mass
      spectrometry analysis demonstrated that >95% of the original ribavirin
      concentration was preserved over the 45-day period for all study conditions. The
      ribavirin concentration remained within the United States Pharmacopeia (USP)
      required range of 95% to 105% of the original labeled product amount throughout
      the entire study period for all study conditions. Precipitation of ribavirin was
      noted during the thawing cycle for frozen samples, but the drug went back into
      solution once the thawing process was completed. No changes in color or turbidity
      were observed in any of the prepared solutions. Values for pH remained stable
      over the study period and ranged from 4.1 to 5.3. Ribavirin for inhalation
      solution is physically and chemically stable for at least 45 days when frozen,
      refrigerated, or kept at room temperature after reconstitution to a concentration
      of approximately 67 mg/mL and placed in syringes or glass vials.

PMID- 28339393
TI  - PostScription: What Lies Beneath: Potentially Harmful Excipients to Avoid when
      Compounding for Small Animals--A Note of Caution.

PMID- 28339394
TI  - Global and regional assessment of sustained inflation pressure-volume curves in
      patients with acute respiratory distress syndrome.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: Static or quasi-static pressure-volume (P-V ) curves can be used to
      determine the lung mechanical properties of patients suffering from acute
      respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS). According to the traditional
      interpretation, lung recruitment occurs mainly below the lower point of maximum
      curvature (LPMC) of the inflation P-V curve. Although some studies have
      questioned this assumption, setting of positive end-expiratory pressure 2 cmH2O
      above the LPMC was part of a 'lung-protective' ventilation strategy successfully
      applied in several clinical trials. The aim of our study was to quantify the
      amount of unrecruited lung at different clinically relevant points of the P-V
      curve. APPROACH: P-V curves and electrical impedance tomography (EIT) data from
      30 ARDS patients were analysed. We determined the regional opening pressures for
      every EIT image pixel and fitted the global P-V curves to five sigmoid model
      equations to determine the LPMC, inflection point (IP) and upper point of maximal
      curvature (UPMC). Points of maximal curvature and IP were compared between the
      models by one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA). The percentages of lung pixels
      remaining closed ('unrecruited lung') at LPMC, IP and UPMC were calculated from
      the number of lung pixels exhibiting regional opening pressures higher than LPMC,
      IP and UPMC and were also compared by one-way ANOVA. MAIN RESULTS: As results, we
      found a high variability of LPMC values among the models, a smaller variability
      of IP and UPMC values. We found a high percentage of unrecruited lung at LPMC, a
      small percentage of unrecruited lung at IP and no unrecruited lung at UPMC.
      SIGNIFICANCE: Our results confirm the notion of ongoing lung recruitment at
      pressure levels above LPMC for all investigated model equations and highlight the
      importance of a regional assessment of lung recruitment in patients with ARDS.

PMID- 28339396
TI  - Modulation of AbetaPP and GSK3beta by Endoplasmic Reticulum Stress and
      Involvement in Alzheimer's Disease.
AB  - Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a dementia disease with neuronal loss and synaptic
      impairment. This impairment is caused, at least partly, by the generation of two
      main AD hallmarks, namely the hyperphosphorylated tau protein comprising
      neurofibrillary tangles and senile plaques containing amyloid-beta (Abeta)
      peptides. The amyloid-beta protein precursor (AbetaPP) and glycogen synthase
      kinase-3beta (GSK3beta) are two main proteins associated with AD and are closely
      correlated with these hallmarks. Recently, both of the proteins were reported to
      be modulated by endoplasmic reticulum stress (ERS) and are involved in the
      pathogenesis of AD. The mechanism of ERS plus the modulation of AbetaPP
      processing and GSK3beta activity by ERS in AD are summarized and explored in this
      review.

PMID- 28339395
TI  - Effect of ovariectomy and Sideritis euboea extract administration on large artery
      mechanics, morphology, and structure in middle-aged rats.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Arterial function is regulated by estrogen, but no consistent pattern
      of arterial mechanical remodeling in response to depleted estrogen levels is
      available. OBJECTIVE: To examine long-term effects of ovariectomy (OVX) on the
      mechanical properties, morphology, and histological structure of the carotid
      artery in middle-aged rats and a potentially protective effect of Sideritis
      euboea extract (SID), commonly consumed as "mountain tea". METHODS: 10-month-old
      female Wistar rats were allocated into control (sham-operated), OVX, OVX+SID, and
      OVX+MALT (maltodextrin; excipient used for dilution of SID) groups. They were
      sacrificed after 6 months and their carotid arteries were submitted to
      inflation/extension tests and to dimensional and histological evaluation.
      RESULTS: Remodeling in OVX rats was characterized by a decreased in situ axial
      extension ratio, along with increased opening angle, thickness, and area of the
      vessel wall and of its medial layer, but unchanged lumen diameter. Compositional
      changes involved increased elastin/collagen densities. Characterization by the
      "four-fiber" microstructure-motivated model revealed similar in situ biaxial
      response of carotid arteries in OVX and control rats. CONCLUSIONS: Carotid artery
      remodeling in OVX rats was largely consistent with hypertensive remodeling,
      despite the minor arterial pressure changes found, and was not altered by
      administration of SID, despite previous evidence of its osteo-protective effect.

PMID- 28339398
TI  - N-Terminal Fragments of Huntingtin Longer than Residue 170 form Visible
      Aggregates Independently to Polyglutamine Expansion.
AB  - BACKGROUND: A hallmark of Huntington's disease is the progressive aggregation of
      full length and N-terminal fragments of polyglutamine (polyQ)-expanded Huntingtin
      (Htt) into intracellular inclusions. The production of N-terminal fragments
      appears important for enabling pathology and aggregation; and hence the direct
      expression of a variety of N-terminal fragments are commonly used to model HD in
      animal and cellular models. OBJECTIVE: It remains unclear how the length of the N
      terminal fragments relates to polyQ - mediated aggregation. We investigated the
      fundamental intracellular aggregation process of eight different-length N
      terminal fragments of Htt in both short (25Q) and long polyQ (97Q). METHODS: N
      terminal fragments were fused to fluorescent proteins and transiently expressed
      in mammalian cell culture models. These included the classic exon 1 fragment (90
      amino acids) and longer forms of 105, 117, 171, 513, 536, 552, and 586 amino
      acids based on wild-type Htt (of 23Q) sequence length nomenclature. RESULTS: N
      terminal fragments of less than 171 amino acids only formed inclusions in polyQ
      expanded form. By contrast the longer fragments formed inclusions irrespective of
      Q-length, with Q-length playing a negligible role in extent of aggregation. The
      inclusions could be classified into 3 distinct morphological categories. One type
      (Type A) was universally associated with polyQ expansions whereas the other two
      types (Types B and C) formed independently of polyQ length expansion.
      CONCLUSIONS: PolyQ-expansion was only required for fragments of less than 171
      amino acids to aggregate. Longer fragments aggregated predominately through a non
      polyQ mechanism, involving at least one, and probably more distinct clustering
      mechanisms.

PMID- 28339397
TI  - Cognitive Status, Gray Matter Atrophy, and Lower Orthostatic Blood Pressure in
      Older Adults.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Associations between orthostatic blood pressure and cognitive status
      (CS) have been described with conflicting results. OBJECTIVE: We hypothesize that
      long-term exposure to lower orthostatic blood pressure is related to having worse
      CS later in life and that atrophy of regions involved in central regulation of
      autonomic function mediate these associations. METHODS: Three-to-four measures of
      orthostatic blood pressure were obtained from 1997-2003 in a longitudinal cohort
      of aging, and average systolic orthostatic blood pressure response (ASOBPR) was
      computed as % change in systolic blood pressure from sit-to-stand measured at one
      minute post stand. CS was determined in 2010-2012 by clinician-adjudication (n =
      240; age = 87.1+/-2.6; 59% women; 37% black) with a subsample also undergoing
      concurrent structural neuroimaging (n = 129). Gray matter volume of regions
      related to autonomic function was measured. Multinomial regression was used to
      compare ASOBPR in those who were cognitively intact versus those with a diagnosis
      of mild cognitive impairment or dementia, controlling for demographics,
      trajectories of seated blood pressure, incident cardiovascular risk/events and
      medications measured from 1997 to 2012. Models were repeated in the subsample
      with neuroimaging, before and after adjustment for regional gray matter volume.
      RESULTS: There was an inverse association between ASOBPR and probability of
      dementia diagnosis (9% lower probability for each % point higher ASOBPR: OR 0.91,
      CI95%  = 0.85-0.98; p = 0.01). Associations were similar in the subgroup with
      neuroimaging before and after adjustment for regional gray matter volume.
      CONCLUSION: ASOBPR may be an early marker of risk of dementia in older adults
      living in the community.

PMID- 28339399
TI  - Early Huntington's Disease: Impulse Control Deficits but Correct Judgment
      Regarding Risky Situations.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Huntington's disease (HD) patients show alterations in decision
      making tasks. However, it is still uncertain if these deficits are due to poor
      judgment regarding risky situations, or to impulse control deficits. OBJECTIVE:
      To elucidate whether decision-making in patients is related to genuine risk
      behavior or to impulse control deficits. METHODS: To test between these two
      alternative possibilities, we evaluated the performance of 19 prodromal HD
      patients and 19 matched healthy controls in the Cambridge Gambling Task (CGT).
      This task assesses decision-making while dissociating between genuine risk-taking
      behaviors (ascending condition) from impulsive behavior (descending condition).
      RESULTS: The results showed that patients and controls had the same performance
      during all trials in the ascending condition, reflecting a correct judgment
      regarding risky situations; however, during the descending condition, patients
      responded before the controls in all trials, making a significantly larger number
      of higher bets. Unlike the control group, they did not wait for more optimal
      subsequent options. CONCLUSION: These results suggest impulse control deficits in
      HD gene carriers, but unimpaired risk-taking judgment.

PMID- 28339400
TI  - A Systematic Review of the Huntington Disease-Like 2 Phenotype.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Huntington Disease-like 2 (HDL2) is a neurodegenerative disorder
      similar to Huntington Disease (HD) in its clinical phenotype, genetic
      characteristics, neuropathology and longitudinal progression. Proposed specific
      differences include an exclusive African ancestry, lack of eye movement
      abnormalities, increased Parkinsonism, and acanthocytes in HDL2. OBJECTIVE: The
      objective was to determine the similarities and differences between HD and HDL2
      by establishing the clinical phenotype of HDL2 with the published cases. METHODS:
      A literature review of all clinically described cases of HDL2 until the end of
      2016 was performed and a descriptive analysis was carried out. RESULTS: Sixty
      nine new cases were described between 2001 and 2016. All cases had likely African
      ancestry, and most were found in South Africa and the USA. Many features were
      found to be similar to HD, including a strong negative correlation between repeat
      length and age of onset. Chorea was noted in 48/57 cases (84%). Dementia was
      reported in 74% patients, and Parkinsonism in 37%. Psychiatric features were
      reported in 44 out of 47 cases. Patients with chorea had lower expanded repeat
      lengths compared to patients without chorea. Eye movements were described in 19
      cases, 8 were abnormal. Acanthocytes were detected in 4 of the 13 patients
      tested. Nineteen out of 20 MRIs were reported as abnormal with findings similar
      to HD. CONCLUSION: This review clarifies some aspects of the HDL2 phenotype and
      highlights others which require further investigation. Features that are unique
      to HDL2 have been documented in a minority of subjects and require prospective
      validation.

PMID- 28339402
TI  - Outcomes of Hospitalised Muscular Dystrophy Patients.
AB  - BACKGROUND: In France, referral centres in teaching hospitals were created 10
      years ago to provide MD patients with treatments and follow-up designed to
      prevent complications and improve outcomes. Respiratory failure is a major cause
      of death among subjects with MD, and its prevention and treatment can serve as a
      touchstone for assessing the effectiveness of MD care pathways. OBJECTIVE: We
      report data from a preliminary study of admissions of MD patients in France and
      of factors associated with mortality, with special emphasis on respiratory
      failure [RF]. METHODS: Retrospective analysis of the data from the French
      nationwide hospital database [Programme de M e dicalisation des syst e mes
      d'information, PMSI] for 2009 and 2010. RESULTS: 7187 admissions of patients with
      MD were included in the study. Most admissions were to teaching hospitals
      [5913/7187, 82.3%]. 302 [4.2%] patients were admitted for RF requiring invasive
      ventilation, 924 [12.9%] for RF requiring only NIV or high-flow oxygen therapy,
      and 5961 [82.9%] required no respiratory assistance. 494 [6.9%] admissions
      occurred on an emergency basis. 77/7187 [1.1%] patients died while hospitalised.
      Teaching-hospital admission was associated with lower frequencies of emergency
      admission [3.08% vs. 24.5%, p < 0.01] and in-hospital death [0.71% vs. 2.75%, p <
      0.01]. CONCLUSIONS: Our data suggest that there is room for improvement in care
      pathways for MD patients requiring admission. Admission to referral centres may
      provide the best outcomes.Further studies are needed to assess associations
      between healthcare pathways and outcomes of MD subjects.

PMID- 28339403
TI  - Dopamine Transporter Imaging has no Impact on Functional Outcomes in de Novo
      Probable Parkinson's Disease.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Parkinson's disease (PD) is among the most prevalent
      neurodegenerative conditions. While motor and non-motor aspects of this disease
      have been well characterized, no objective biomarker exists to support an
      accurate clinical diagnosis. However, newer imaging techniques, including [123I]
      FP-CIT (DaTSCAN), have demonstrated utility in differentiating between PD and non
      neurodegenerative tremor disorders. OBJECTIVE: DaTSCAN has been primarily
      investigated in situations where diagnostic confusion exists, and in these
      instances has been shown to significantly impact clinical management. The goal of
      this pilot study was to evaluate the impact of DaTSCAN on the clinical management
      of patients with early probable PD, where no diagnostic uncertainty exists.
      METHODS: This was a prospective, 54-week, comparative pilot study, in which
      twenty subjects with de novo PD were randomly assigned to DaTSCAN either
      immediately upon diagnosis (and again at 6 and 12 months) or delayed to 6 months
      (and again at 12 months). The primary outcome measure was the frequency of
      deviation from the initial treatment plan from baseline to 54 weeks between the
      two groups. Secondary outcomes included motor and non-motor assessments. RESULTS:
      There was no significant difference in the number of treatment changes over the
      course of the study between the two groups: initial imaging group = 4.2 (SD:2.74)
      vs. delayed imaging group = 2.3 (SD:2.0, p = 0.11). In addition, there were no
      group differences in medication requirements, motor performance, or patient
      expectations of disease. CONCLUSIONS: In patients with early, probable PD,
      DaTSCAN contributes no additional impact on clinical management or functional
      outcomes when added to the diagnostic algorithm.

PMID- 28339404
TI  - The influence of Task-Related Training combined with Transcutaneous Electrical
      Nerve Stimulation on paretic upper limb muscle activation in patients with
      chronic stroke.
AB  - OBJECTIVES: This study investigated the efficacy of Task-Related Training (TRT)
      Combined with Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation (TENS) on the
      improvement of upper limb muscle activation in chronic stroke survivors with mild
      or moderate paresis. METHODS: A single-blind, randomized clinical trial was
      conducted with 46stroke survivors with chronic paresis. They were randomly
      allocated two groups: the TRT+TENS group (n = 23) and the TRT+ placebo TENS
      (TRT+PLBO) group (n = 23). The TRT+TENS group received 30 minutes of high
      frequency TENS on wrist and elbow extensors, while the TRT+PLBO group received
      placebo TENS that was not real ES. Both groups did 30 minutes of TRT after TENS
      application. Intervention was given five days a week for four weeks. The primary
      outcomes of upper limb muscle activation were measured by integrated EMG (IEMG),
      a digital manual muscle tester for muscle strength, active range of motion (AROM)
      and Fugl-Meyer Assessment of the upper extremity (FMA-UE). The measurements were
      performed before and after the 4 weeks intervention period. RESULTS: Both groups
      demonstrated significant improvements of outcomes in IEMG, AROM, muscle strength
      and FMA-UE during intervention period. When compared with the TRT+PLBO group, the
      TRT+TENS group showed significantly greater improvement in muscle activation
      (wrist extensors, P = 0.045; elbow extensors, P = 0.004), muscle strength (wrist
      extensors, P = 0.044; elbow extensors, P = 0.012), AROM (wrist extension, P =
      0.042; elbow extensors, P = 0.040) and FMA-UE (total, P < 0.001;
      shoulder/elbow/forearm, P = 0.001; wrist, P = 0.002; coordination, P = 0.008) at
      the end of intervention. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings indicate that TRT Combined
      with TENS can improve paretic muscle activity in upper limb paresis, highlighting
      the benefits of somatosensory stimulation from TENS.

PMID- 28339401
TI  - Is Huntingtin Dispensable in the Adult Brain?
AB  - Huntingtin (HTT) is an essential protein during early embryogenesis and the
      development of the central nervous system (CNS). Conditional knock-out of mouse
      Huntingtin (Htt) expression in the CNS beginning during neural development, as
      well as reducing Htt expression only during embryonic and early postnatal stages,
      results in neurodegeneration in the adult brain. These findings suggest that HTT
      is important for the development and/or maintenance of the CNS, but they do not
      address the question of whether HTT is required specifically in the adult CNS for
      its normal functions and/or homeostasis. Recently, it was reported that although
      removing Htt expression in young adult mice causes lethality due to acute
      pancreatitis, loss of Htt expression in the adult brain is well tolerated and
      does not result in either motor deficits or neurodegeneration for up to 7 months
      after Htt inactivation. However, recent studies have also demonstrated that HTT
      participates in several cellular functions that are important for neuronal
      homeostasis and survival including sensing reactive oxygen species (ROS), DNA
      damage repair, and stress responses, in addition to its role in selective
      macroautophagy. In this review, HTT's functions in development and in the adult
      CNS will be discussed in the context of these recent discoveries, together with a
      discussion of their potential impact on the design of therapeutic strategies for
      Huntington's disease (HD) aimed at lowering total HTT expression.

PMID- 28339405
TI  - Speech production gains following constraint-induced movement therapy in children
      with hemiparesis.
AB  - PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to investigate changes in speech skills of
      children who have hemiparesis and speech impairment after participation in a
      constraint-induced movement therapy (CIMT) program. While case studies have
      reported collateral speech gains following CIMT, the effect of CIMT on speech
      production has not previously been directly investigated to the knowledge of
      these investigators. METHODS: Eighteen children with hemiparesis and co-occurring
      speech impairment participated in a 21-day clinical CIMT program. The Goldman
      Fristoe Test of Articulation-2 (GFTA-2) was used to assess children's
      articulation of speech sounds before and after the intervention. Changes in
      percent of consonants correct (PCC) on the GFTA-2 were used as a measure of
      change in speech production. RESULTS: Children made significant gains in PCC
      following CIMT. Gains were similar in children with left and right-sided
      hemiparesis, and across age groups. CONCLUSION: This study reports significant
      collateral gains in speech production following CIMT and suggests benefits of
      CIMT may also spread to speech motor domains.

PMID- 28339406
TI  - Does intensive upper limb treatment modality Hybrid Constrained Induced Movement
      Therapy (H-CIMT) improve grip and pinch strength or fatigability of the affected
      hand?
AB  - PURPOSE: To investigate the effects of Hybrid-Constrained Induced Movement
      Therapy (H-CIMT), defined as CIMT combined with Bimanual Intensive Movement
      Therapy (BIMT), on grip and pinch strength and fatigability we measured grip and
      pinch strength and fatigability during clinical H-CIMT. METHODS: The children
      participated in a H-CIMT model organized in a therapeutic summer-camp. Children
      received 90 hours of intensive treatment. Grip and pinch strength and
      fatigability was measured and fatigue was calculated according to a Static
      Fatigue Index (SFI). RESULTS: Pinch strength significantly increased, grip
      strength did not increase significantly. A non-significant decrease was seen in
      SFI in pinch and grip. CONCLUSIONS: H-CIMT showed to be effective in increasing
      muscle pinch strength in the AH. Effectiveness in decreasing muscle fatigue
      during grip and pinch tests is not yet shown although there was a tendency
      towards a decrease in muscle fatigue. However, the long-term effects on these
      aspects are also important in future research.

PMID- 28339407
TI  - Upper extremity muscle activation in children with unilateral cerebral palsy
      during an auditory cued repetitive task: Effects on bimanual coordination.
AB  - PURPOSE: The aim of this exploratory study was to investigate mirror muscle
      activation in the upper limbs of children with unilateral cerebral palsy during
      an auditory-cued repetitive squeezing task and to compare upper limb muscle
      activation patterns to typically developing peers engaged in the same task.
      METHODS: A convenience sample of six children with unilateral cerebral palsy and
      six typically developing peers (7-17 y) participated in the study. Muscle
      activity was measured using a 16 channel Zerowire EMG system (Noraxon, USA Inc.
      Scottsdale, AZ) in the anterior deltoid, biceps brachii, extensor carpi radialis,
      flexor carpi radialis, and lateral triceps muscles bilaterally as children
      squeezed a pediatric bulb dynamometer to 3 pounds per square inch (PSI) for a one
      second duration, 10 times in one minute. Squeezing activity was cued by a
      computer generated auditory beep. Between hand differences in muscle onset times
      and onset amplitude for each muscle were determined using paired t-tests. Two
      group by two hand ANOVA measured between group differences. RESULTS: Results
      supported increased later muscle onset and lack of significant differences in
      onset amplitude bilaterally when the dominant hand was working in the CP
      population. CONCLUSIONS: There are differences in motor control mechanisms of
      muscle activation between populations.

PMID- 28339408
TI  - Exploring the feasibility and use of acceleromters before, during, and after a
      camp-based CIMT program for children with cerebral palsy.
AB  - PURPOSE: The aim of this pilot study was to determine the feasibility and use
      accelerometers before, during, and after a camp-based constraint-induced movement
      therapy (CIMT) program for children with hemiplegic cerebral palsy. METHODS: A
      pre-test post-test design was used for 12 children with CP (mean = 4.9 yrs) who
      completed a 30-hour camp-based CIMT program. The accelerometer data were
      collected using ActiGraph GT9X Link. Children wore accelerometers on both wrists
      one day before and after the camp and on the affected limb during each camp day.
      Three developmental assessments were administered pre-post CIMT program. RESULTS:
      Accelerometers were successfully worn before, during, and directly after the CIMT
      program to collect upper limb data. Affected upper limb accelerometer activity
      significantly increased during the CIMT camp compared to baseline (p< 0.05).
      Significant improvements were seen in all twelve children on all assessments of
      affected upper limb function (p< 0.05) measuring capacity and quality of affected
      upper limb functioning. CONCLUSION: Accelerometers can be worn during high
      intensity pediatric CIMT programs to collect data about affected upper limb
      function. Further study is required to determine the relationship between
      accelerometer data, measure of motor capacity, and real-world performance post
      CIMT.

PMID- 28339409
TI  - Practice-based evidence from a clinical cohort that received pediatric constraint
      induced movement therapy.
AB  - PURPOSE: Constraint-Induced Movement Therapy (CIMT) is now designated a highly
      efficacious treatment for children with cerebral palsy, based on rigorous
      clinical trials. Yet virtually no evidence confirms that these moderate to large
      size effects can be replicated in clinical practice for a more heterogeneous
      clinical population. Thus there is a need to collect and report treatment outcome
      data based on actual clinical practice as a critical next step for
      implementation. METHODS: This study presents results from a prospective study
      conducted on a clinical cohort of 88 children, 18 months to 12 years old (M = 55
      months, SD = 5 months), who received high-intensity CIMT known as ACQUIREc. The
      children varied in severity and etiology of their hemiparesis and a subset was
      diagnosed with asymmetric quadriparesis. RESULTS: Pre- to post-CIMT assessments
      confirmed highly significant and clinically meaningful changes based on both
      parental report (Pediatric Motor Activity Log, p< 0.0001) and standardized
      measures (The Assisting Hand Assessment, p= 0.04). CONCLUSIONS: Clinical practice
      of high-intensity CIMT (120 hours in 4 weeks) with full-time casting of the less
      impaired upper extremity produced benefits of comparable magnitude to those from
      rigorous randomized controlled trials (RCTs). Therapists were highly trained and
      actively monitored. Children across a wide range of etiologies and severity
      levels realized positive outcomes.

PMID- 28339410
TI  - Unimanual versus bimanual therapy in children with unilateral cerebral palsy:
      Same, same, but different.
AB  - BACKGROUND: There is high-level evidence supporting constraint-induced movement
      therapy (CIMT) and bimanual therapy for children with unilateral cerebral palsy.
      Evidence-based intervention includes time-limited, goal-directed, skills-based,
      intensive blocks of practice based on motor learning theory. AIM AND METHODS:
      Using supporting literature and clinical insight, we provide a theoretical
      rationale to highlight previously unreported differences between CIMT and
      bimanual therapy. DISCUSSION: The current emphasis on total dosage of practice
      for achieving positive outcomes fails to recognise the influence of other
      critical concepts within motor learning. Limitations exist in the application of
      motor learning principles using CIMT due to its unimanual nature. CIMT is
      effective for development of unimanual actions brought about by implicit
      learning, however it is difficult to target explicit learning that is required
      for learning how to use two hands together. Using bimanual therapy, object
      properties can be adapted to trigger goal-related perceptual and cognitive
      processes required for children to learn to recognise when two hands are required
      for task completion. CONCLUSION: CIMT and bimanual should be viewed as
      complementary. CIMT could be used to target unimanual actions. Once these actions
      are established, bimanual therapy could be used for children to learn how to use
      these actions for bimanual skill development.

PMID- 28339411
TI  - Infant constraint induced movement therapy: Lessons learned from clinical
      implementation.
AB  - Current evidence supports the efficacy of pediatric constraint induced movement
      therapy (CIMT) for toddlers and children but little has been published about its
      use in early intervention with children eighteen months and younger. This paper
      and case report describes the clinical experience of developing and executing a
      modified pediatric CIMT intervention with infants under 18 months old. This is an
      emerging area of practice that is showing positive trends with initial cases.

PMID- 28339413
TI  - Pediatric Constraint Induced Movement Therapy: Harnessing Adaptive
      Neuroplasticity.

PMID- 28339415
TI  - Lifestyle factors in Croatian seafarers as relating to health and stress on
      board.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Seafaring is characterized by specific stressors and health risks.
      OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this article was to compare the prevalence of various
      lifestyle factors between the shipping and home environments, and in addition to
      test the relations between lifestyle factors, perceived stress on board, and
      health in seafarers. METHODS: A total of 530 Croatian seafarers participated in
      an on-line survey. The questionnaire contained requests for demographic data and
      a set of questions relating to lifestyle, stress on board, physical health
      symptoms, and mental health. RESULTS: The data showed higher sleep deprivation,
      higher levels of smoking and unhealthier diet at sea than at home, with
      prevalence of alcohol consumption and physical exercise being more favourable for
      the shipping environment. Sleep deprivation, unhealthy diet, lack of physical
      exercise, and smoking are shown as negative correlates of various measures of
      health. Stress on board was associated with sleep deprivation and unhealthy diet,
      and with more unfavourable physical and mental health. CONCLUSIONS: The results
      give practical implications for promoting health in seafarers. Some of the
      lifestyle factors tested, such as alcohol use, smoking and physical exercise,
      fall rather under individual control, but others, such as a healthy, balanced
      diet on board and sleeping hygiene at sea, should be improved by shipping
      management.

PMID- 28339414
TI  - Update on the application of optic nerve sheath fenestration.
AB  - BACKGROUND: With the ongoing development of surgical procedures and instruments,
      the safety of optic nerve sheath fenestration (ONSF) has been improved.
      OBJECTIVE: Through the past three decades, progress has been made in preventing
      visual loss from chronic optic nerve swelling in idiopathic intracranial
      hypertension (IIH), secondary intracranial hypertension and local optic nerve
      diseases. We now review the updated application of ONSF in those diseases.
      METHODS: The application of ONSF in papilledema due to IIH, secondary
      intracranial hypertension to cerebral venous sinus occlusion, Cryptococcal
      meningitis, and intracranial mass or tumors is reviewed. Additionally, the
      potential benefits of ONSF in local optic neuropathy from optic nerve sheath
      meningioma, optic nerve drusen, traumatic optic neuropathy and optic nerve/sheath
      biopsy are also described. RESULTS: Although ONSF has little or no effect on
      intracranial pressure, it is a safe, relative easy and effective surgical
      procedure to prevent or reverse visual loss in IIH. When other treatment
      modalities fail to timely protect vision, ONSF can be useful in protecting visual
      function or delay visual loss in secondary intracranial hypertension. CONCLUSION:
      We recommend that ONSF should be considered as a meaningful alternative or an
      adjunct therapy to reduce or delay the visual morbidity of these diseases,
      although the use of ONSF for some of them remains controversial.

PMID- 28339416
TI  - Improving vocational outcomes in first-episode psychosis by addressing cognitive
      impairments using Cognitive Adaptation Training.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Cognitive Adaptation Training (CAT) uses compensatory strategies and
      environmental supports to support cognitive impairments and improve functioning.
      CAT may be useful for addressing vocational recovery in first-episode psychosis
      (FEP) because cognitive impairments are common and vocational recovery is a key
      goal of young people with FEP. OBJECTIVE: To describe clinical observations and
      practice experience when delivering CAT with FEP clients and explore potential
      benefits via objective outcome measures for improving vocational outcomes.
      METHODS: In this pilot study, five FEP participants received 9 months of CAT.
      Participant goals and functional needs and clinical observations were recorded.
      Formal measures of functioning, quality of life and motivation were independently
      administered pre- and post-intervention. RESULTS: Vocational recovery (education,
      employment) was found to be a primary functional goal of FEP participants.
      Accordingly, CAT had a strong focus on vocational functioning, including
      functional domains required for successful work or educational outcomes, such as
      organization and planning, transportation and activities of daily living. Factors
      of clinical importance when delivering CAT with the FEP participants included
      cognitive heterogeneity, family involvement, flexibility in compensatory and
      environmental supports used, and experience of stigma. Improvements from baseline
      to post-intervention were observed on most measures, with the largest
      improvements seen in global functioning (including vocation), planning and
      organization, and quality of life. CONCLUSIONS: CAT is an intervention that
      appears well suited to addressing vocational functioning in FEP, but larger
      controlled trials are needed.

PMID- 28339417
TI  - Cynicism as subscale of burnout.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Cynicism, as a personality trait, has adverse effects on health. The
      question was asked whether cynical attitudes that develop due to work-related
      stress correlate with stress levels and whether it has a negative influence on
      health. OBJECTIVES: To investigate associations of the cynicism subscale scores
      of the Maslach Burnout Inventory-General Survey (MBI-GS) with levels of stress,
      anxiety, questionnaire-based physical health and with a number of physiological
      health risk indicators. METHODS: Cynicism, anxiety, questionnaire-based physical
      health scores, as well as allostatic load, heart rate variability and C-reactive
      protein, were assessed in 27 males working between 40 and 80 irregular hours per
      week. RESULTS: Cynicism scores related to stress levels (r = 0.411, p = 0.030).
      Effects of work-related cynicism on physical health were suggested by negative
      associations with questionnaire-based scores on physical health (r = -0.383, p =
      0.044) and heart rate variability indicators (r = -0.379, p = 0.047 to r = 
      0.496, p = 0.007), and by positive associations with anxiety levels (r = 0.408, p
      = 0.031), heart rate (r = 0.449, p = 0.017), BMI (r = 0.426, p = 0.024)
      allostatic load (r = 0.360, p = 0.065) and levels of the inflammatory marker C
      reactive protein (r = 0.407, p = 0.035). CONCLUSIONS: Cynicism, as reflected by
      the MBI-GS, increases with increased stress levels and could contribute to the
      decline in the health reported for burnout.

PMID- 28339418
TI  - Survey of kinesiologists' functional capacity evaluation practice in Canada.
AB  - BACKGROUND: In Canada, functional capacity evaluations (FCEs) are commonly
      administered by several health care professions including kinesiologists.
      Kinesiologists have been recently regulated as health care professionals in
      Ontario and we know little about their demographics, the frequency of FCE
      administration, or the types of FCEs used by this group. OBJECTIVE: The purposes
      of this study were to identify: 1) the demographic characteristics and FCE
      education of kinesiology FCE practitioners; 2) the FCE systems most used by these
      practitioners and 3) the constructs from assessments used to determine functional
      capacity. METHODS: A survey was distributed to members of the Canadian
      Kinesiology Alliance. Descriptive statistics and frequency distributions were
      calculated from the survey responses (n = 77). RESULTS: FCE practitioners were
      represented by kinesiologists (79%) practicing more than 15 years and 1-5 years,
      who received FCE training from a certification course. ARCON (23%) was the most
      common FCE system used. Low-level lifting (43%), mid-lift (38%), pulling (38%)
      and walking (38%) are the most common FCE task components used to assess
      functional capacity. Although kinesiologists consider multiple factors when
      making decisions about task component endpoints, biomechanical observations/body
      mechanics are the primary methods used. CONCLUSIONS: Kinesiologists are
      conducting FCEs for the primary purpose of preparing return-to-work or workplace
      accommodation recommendations. Although functional capacity is determined using
      multiple factors, there is an emphasis on biomechanics and body mechanics.
      Focusing FCE training and research on these constructs may provide opportunities
      to further strengthen the reliability and validity of FCE outcomes.

PMID- 28339419
TI  - The (im)possibilities of returning to work after a stroke.
AB  - BACKGROUND: What a stroke means for working-age persons has not been sufficiently
      studied from a sociological perspective. OBJECTIVE: This article uses the
      empirical material of a larger study to describe and analyze how institutional
      practices and discourses influence attempts to return to work after a stroke.
      METHODS: Semi-structured interviews were conducted with ten persons who have had
      a stroke and ten civil servants and professionals from the Swedish Public
      Employment Service, the Social Insurance Agency, and different health care
      institutions. The qualitative analysis was inspired by institutional ethnography.
      RESULTS: The analysis shows how persons who have had a stroke and civil servants
      and professionals in welfare organizations share the same goal: a return to
      working life for the former. The persons in this study related to, translated,
      and put into practice discourses of normality and employability in this process.
      However, there were, at times, conflicting institutional practices between the
      different organizations. CONCLUSIONS: Conflicting institutional practices
      connected to the discourses of normality and employability contribute to the
      difficulties that persons who have had a stroke face when trying to return to
      work after recovery.

PMID- 28339422
TI  - Diffusion kurtosis imaging for diagnosis of Parkinson's disease: A novel software
      tool proposal.
AB  - In order to diagnose Parkinson disease (PD) at an early stage, it is important to
      develop a sensitive method for detecting structural changes in the substantia
      nigra (SN). Diffusion weighted imaging (DWI) and diffusion tensor imaging (DTI)
      have become important tools in supporting diagnosis of PD, with findings based on
      increased apparent diffusion coefficients (ADCs) in basal ganglia and decreased
      fractional anisotropy (FA) in SN. Based on the hypothesis that a diffusion
      kurtosis imaging (DKI) theory is a valuable method for PD diagnosis based on the
      non-Gaussian diffusion of water in biologic systems, the purpose of this study is
      to develop an image processing scheme (software) based on Image-J for the
      facilitating the application of DKI to assist PD diagnosis. Using the new DKI
      software enables to estimate the diffusional kurtosis and diffusion coefficients,
      which reflect the structural differences between regions of interest. The
      experimental results of applying the new software showed that diffusional
      kurtosis was highly sensitive to microstructural tissue changes, which were not
      noticeable in the diffusion coefficient values. Thus, the study results may
      suggest that applying the new image processing software can be useful for
      assessing tissue structural abnormalities, monitoring and following disease
      progression.

PMID- 28339423
TI  - Spherically symmetric volume elements as basis functions for image
      reconstructions in computed laminography.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Laminography is a tomographic technique that allows three-dimensional
      imaging of flat and elongated objects that stretch beyond the extent of a
      reconstruction volume. Laminography images can be reconstructed using iterative
      algorithms based on the Kaczmarz method. OBJECTIVE: This study aims to develop
      and demonstrate a new reconstruction algorithm that may provide superior image
      reconstruction quality for this challenged imaging application. METHODS: The
      images are initially represented using the coefficients over basis functions,
      which are typically piecewise constant functions (voxels). By replacing voxels
      with spherically symmetric volume elements (blobs) based on the generalized
      Kaiser-Bessel window functions, the images are reconstructed using this new
      adapted version of the algebraic image reconstruction technique. RESULTS: Band
      limiting properties of blob functions are beneficial particular in the case of
      noisy projections and with only a limited number of available projections. Study
      showed that using blob basis functions improved full-width-at-half-maximum
      resolution from 10.2+/-1.0 to 9.9+/-0.9 (p < 0.001). Signal-to-noise ratio also
      improved from 16.1 to 31.0. The increased computational demand per iteration was
      compensated by using a faster convergence rate, such that the overall performance
      is approximately identical for blobs and voxels. CONCLUSIONS: Despite the higher
      complexity, tomographic reconstruction from computed laminography data should be
      implemented using blob basis functions, especially if noisy data is expected.

PMID- 28339420
TI  - A pilot-study of a worksite based participatory intervention program: Its
      acceptability and short-term effects on work climate and attitudes in human
      service employees.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Psychosocial factors, including job demands and poor resources, have
      been linked to stress, health problems, and negative job attitudes. However,
      worksite based interventions and programs targeting psychosocial factors may
      change employees' perceptions of their work climate and work attitudes.
      OBJECTIVE: This pilot study describes a newly developed worksite based
      participatory organizational intervention program that was tested in the social
      service sector. It is evaluated using participants' perceptions of the
      intervention to investigate its acceptability as a feature of feasibility and its
      short-term effects on work climate factors (job demands and resources) and work
      related attitudes. METHODS: Forty employees of a Swedish social service unit
      provided self-reports before, during, and after the intervention. RESULTS: As for
      effects, quantitative role overload and social support decreased while turnover
      intention increased. Responses to an open-ended question showed that participants
      considered the intervention program valuable for addressing issues relating to
      the psychosocial work climate. CONCLUSIONS: Although the findings are
      preliminary, it was possible to carry out this worksite based participatory
      organizational program in this particular setting. Also, the preliminary findings
      underscore the challenges associated with designing and implementing this type of
      intervention program, thus adding to the methodological discussion on
      implementation and evaluation.

PMID- 28339424
TI  - Comparison of Weight Loss, Ghrelin, and Leptin Hormones After Ligation of Left
      Gastric Artery and Sleeve Gastrectomy in a Rat Model.
AB  - BACKGROUND Ligation of the left gastric artery (LLGA), which supplies the fundus
      of the stomach, may reduce the appetite hormone ghrelin, resulting in weight
      control. The aim of this study was to compare LLGA and sleeve gastrectomy (SG) in
      terms of postoperative outcomes in a rat model. MATERIAL AND METHODS Fifteen male
      Wistar albino rats, weighing >350 grams (range 350-525 grams), were enrolled in
      LLGA (N=5), SG (N=5), and control (N=5) groups. Blood samples were drawn
      preoperatively and also during the first and fourth week postoperatively to assay
      ghrelin and leptin hormone levels. Body weight was measured in each group.
      RESULTS The maximum reduction in ghrelin level (41.5%) was found in the LLGA
      group. Considerable% total weight loss (TWL) (mean 24.1%) was observed in the SG
      group, and slight%TWL was noted in the control and LLGA groups (means of 0.1% and
      2.1%, respectively). There was no significant difference in mean percent weight
      change between the LLGA and the SG groups (p=0.08). Blood sample analysis
      revealed no statistically significant changes in ghrelin or leptin levels between
      the groups (p=0.9 and p=0.3, respectively). CONCLUSIONS We present evidence that
      LLGA causes the same reduction in ghrelin hormone levels as SG at 4 weeks after
      surgery in a rat model. However, LLGA did not cause the same%TWL as SG. The
      mechanism of weight loss in SG is most likely due to restriction and to the
      effects of the procedure, rather than due to neurohormonal changes.

PMID- 28339426
TI  - Evolution of US Health Care Reform.
AB  - Major health policy creation or changes, including governmental and private
      policies affecting health care delivery are based on health care reform(s).
      Health care reform has been a global issue over the years and the United States
      has seen proposals for multiple reforms over the years. A successful, health care
      proposal in the United States with involvement of the federal government was the
      short-lived establishment of the first system of national medical care in the
      South. In the 20th century, the United States was influenced by progressivism
      leading to the initiation of efforts to achieve universal coverage, supported by
      a Republican presidential candidate, Theodore Roosevelt. In 1933, Franklin D.
      Roosevelt, a Democrat, included a publicly funded health care program while
      drafting provisions to Social Security legislation, which was eliminated from the
      final legislation. Subsequently, multiple proposals were introduced, starting in
      1949 with President Harry S Truman who proposed universal health care; the
      proposal by Lyndon B. Johnson with Social Security Act in 1965 which created
      Medicare and Medicaid; proposals by Ted Kennedy and President Richard Nixon that
      promoted variations of universal health care. presidential candidate Jimmy Carter
      also proposed universal health care. This was followed by an effort by President
      Bill Clinton and headed by first lady Hillary Clinton in 1993, but was not
      enacted into law. Finally, the election of President Barack Obama and control of
      both houses of Congress by the Democrats led to the passage of the Affordable
      Care Act (ACA), often referred to as "ObamaCare" was signed into law in March
      2010. Since then, the ACA, or Obamacare, has become a centerpiece of political
      campaigning. The Republicans now control the presidency and both houses of
      Congress and are attempting to repeal and replace the ACA. Key words: Health care
      reform, Affordable Care Act (ACA), Obamacare, Medicare, Medicaid, American Health
      Care Act.

PMID- 28339425
TI  - Potential role of the OVOL1-OVOL2 axis and c-Myc in the progression of cutaneous
      squamous cell carcinoma.
AB  - OVOL1 and OVOL2 are ubiquitously conserved genes encoding C2H2 zinc-finger
      transcription factors in mammals. They promote epithelial cell proliferation,
      differentiation, and mesenchymal-to-epithelial transition, coordinately mediated
      via the Wnt signaling pathway. We previously reported that human OVOL1 and OVOL2
      were preferentially expressed in the normal epidermis and hair follicles as well
      as their tumors, and found that OVOL1 is upregulated in Bowen's disease and
      downregulated in cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma. The aims of this study were
      to elucidate the potential role of the OVOL1-OVOL2 axis in Bowen's disease and
      squamous cell carcinoma, and to reveal the relationship between OVOL and c-Myc, a
      proto-oncogene that plays a pivotal role in the malignancy of epithelial tumors.
      We investigated 20 Bowen's disease and 20 squamous cell carcinoma clinical
      samples and a human squamous cell carcinoma cell line (A431) using
      immunohistochemical staining and molecular biological approaches.
      Immunohistochemical analysis revealed that OVOL1 was upregulated in Bowen's
      disease and markedly downregulated in squamous cell carcinoma; conversely, c-Myc
      was downregulated in Bowen's disease and upregulated in squamous cell carcinoma.
      OVOL2 was markedly upregulated in the nucleus of Bowen's disease cells, but the
      distribution of OVOL2 expression in squamous cell carcinoma varied widely; OVOL2
      was typically expressed in the cytoplasm, but only sporadically in the nucleus.
      Furthermore, knockdown of OVOL1 using a specific small interfering RNA increased
      the mRNA and protein levels of c-Myc and OVOL2. Knockdown of OVOL2 did not
      significantly affect the mRNA and protein levels of either c-Myc or OVOL1. These
      results suggest that OVOL1 is an upstream suppressor of c-Myc and OVOL2, and the
      OVOL1-OVOL2 axis is a modulator of c-Myc, coordinately regulating the
      invasiveness of cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma. Taken together, this study
      suggests that the OVOL1-OVOL2 axis is a key modulator of c-Myc expression in the
      shift from in situ epidermal malignancy (Bowen's disease) to invasive squamous
      cell carcinoma.

PMID- 28339427
TI  - A Critical Analysis of Obamacare: Affordable Care or Insurance for Many and
      Coverage for Few?
AB  - The Affordable Care Act (ACA), of 2010, or Obamacare, was the most monumental
      change in US health care policy since the passage of Medicaid and Medicare in
      1965. Since its enactment, numerous claims have been made on both sides of the
      aisle regarding the ACA's success or failure; these views often colored by
      political persuasion. The ACA had 3 primary goals: increasing the number of the
      insured, improving the quality of care, and reducing the costs of health care.
      One point often lost in the discussion is the distinction between affordability
      and access. Health insurance is a financial mechanism for paying for health care,
      while access refers to the process of actually obtaining that health care. The
      ACA has widened the gap between providing patients the mechanism of paying for
      healthcare and actually receiving it. The ACA is applauded for increasing the
      number of insured, quite appropriately as that has occurred for over 20 million
      people. Less frequently mentioned are the 6 million who have lost their
      insurance. Further, in terms of how health insurance is been provided, the
      majority the expansion was based on Medicaid expansion, with an increase of 13
      million. Consequently, the ACA hasn't worked well for the working and middle
      class who receive much less support, particularly those who earn more than 400%
      of the federal poverty level, who constitute 40% of the population and don't
      receive any help. As a result, exchange enrollment has been a disappointment and
      the percentage of workers obtaining their health benefits from their employer has
      decreased steadily. Access to health care has been uneven, with those on Medicaid
      hampered by narrow networks, while those on the exchanges or getting employer
      benefits have faced high out-of-pocket costs.The second category relates to cost
      containment. President Obama claimed that the ACA provided significant cost
      containment, in that costs would have been even much higher if the ACA was not
      enacted. Further, he attributed cost reductions generally to the ACA, not taking
      into account factors such as the recession, increased out-of-pocket costs,
      increasing drug prices, and reduced coverage by insurers.The final goal was
      improvement in quality. The effort to improve quality has led to the creation of
      dozens of new agencies, boards, commissions, and other government entities. In
      turn, practice management and regulatory compliance costs have increased.
      Structurally, solo and independent practices, which lack the capability to manage
      these new regulatory demands, have declined. Hospital employment, with its
      associated increased costs, has been soaring. Despite a focus on preventive
      services in the management of chronic disease, only 3% of health care
      expenditures have been spent on preventive services while the costs of managing
      chronic disease continue to escalate.The ACA is the most consequential and
      comprehensive health care reform enacted since Medicare. The ACA has gained a net
      increase in the number of individuals with insurance, primarily through Medicaid
      expansion. The reduction in costs is an arguable achievement, while quality of
      care has seemingly not improved. Finally, access seems to have diminished.This
      review attempts to bring clarity to the discussion by reviewing the ACA's impact
      on affordability, cost containment and quality of care. We will discuss these
      aspects of the ACA from the perspective of proponents, opponents, and a pragmatic
      point of view.Key words: Affordable Care Act (ACA), Obamacare, Medicare,
      Medicaid, Medicare Modernization Act (MMA), cost of health care, quality of
      health care, Merit-Based Incentive Payments System (MIPS).

PMID- 28339428
TI  - Does Conservative Treatment Change the Brain in Patients with Chronic
      Musculoskeletal Pain? A Systematic Review.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Chronic musculoskeletal pain is characterized by maladaptive central
      neuroplastic changes. Many observational studies have demonstrated that chronic
      pain states are associated with brain alterations regarding structure and/or
      function. Rehabilitation of patients with chronic musculoskeletal pain may
      include cognitive, exercise, or multimodal therapies. OBJECTIVE: The current
      review aims to provide a constructive overview of the existing literature
      reporting neural correlates, based on brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)
      techniques, following conservative treatment in chronic musculoskeletal pain
      patients. STUDY DESIGN: Systematic review of the literature. SETTING: University
      medical centers in Belgium. METHODS: The current review was conducted according
      to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses
      (PRISMA) statement. Literature was searched from 3 databases and screened for
      eligibility. Methodological quality across studies was assessed with Cochrane
      Collaboration's tool for assessing risk of bias and quality of evidence was
      determined applying the Grades of Recommendation, Assessment, Development and
      Evaluation (GRADE) approach. RESULTS: A total of 9 eligible studies were
      identified with a predominant high risk of bias. Cognitive behavioral therapy
      induced several structural and functional changes predominantly in prefrontal
      cortical regions and a shift from affective to sensory-discriminative brain
      activity after behavioral extinction training. Multidisciplinary treatment in
      pediatric complex regional pain syndrome facilitated normalization of functional
      connectivity of resting-state networks and the amygdala, and increased gray
      matter in prefrontal and specific subcortical areas. Exercise therapy led to
      specific for resting-state functional connectivity and a trend towards pressure
      induced brain activity changes. LIMITATIONS: A very small number of studies was
      available, which furthermore exhibited small study samples. Moreover, only 2 of
      the included studies were randomized controlled trials. CONCLUSIONS: It is likely
      that conservative treatments may induce mainly functional and structural brain
      changes in prefrontal regions in patients with chronic musculoskeletal pain. Due
      to the relatively high risk of bias across the included studies, future studies
      with randomized designs are needed to confirm the current findings. In addition,
      more research evaluating the treatment-induced effects on white matter and whole
      brain network dynamics are warranted.Key words: Chronic pain, musculoskeletal
      pain, MRI, functional MRI, therapy, rehabilitation, cognitive behavioral therapy,
      exercise therapy.

PMID- 28339429
TI  - Comparing the Efficacy of Surgery and Medical Therapy for Pain Management in
      Endometriosis: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Pain is considered as one of the main symptoms of endometriosis. The
      treatment for endometriosis remains controversial. OBJECTIVES: The aim of this
      study is to compare the effect of medical or surgical treatments for pain-relief
      in patients with endometriosis. STUDY DESIGN: Systematic review and meta
      analysis. SETTING: Published papers about evaluating pain treatment in
      endometriosis in PubMed, Scopus, and Google Scholar. METHODS: After searching all
      studies evaluating pain treatment in endometriosis in PubMed, Scopus, and Google
      Scholar, there were 23 related studies, containing 1,847 patients enrolled in our
      study. We used a variety of tests: fixed and random effects models, Q Cochrane
      test and I2 index, Egger and Begg tests, forest and funnel plots, Trim and fill
      method, and meta-regression in our analysis. RESULTS: There was no statistically
      significant difference in pain improvement between surgical and medical
      treatment. Interestingly, pain relief was more prominent longer after treatment.
      Both clinical trials and cross sectional studies showed higher improvement in
      pain than cohort studies. High quality studies and lower body mass index (BMI)
      had a greater effect on pain relief. All studies were heterogeneous, but there
      was no publication bias. LIMITATIONS: There was a higher probability of risk of
      bias in blinding, random sequence generation, and selective outcome reporting in
      clinical trial studies entered in our meta-analysis. CONCLUSIONS: Our results
      could not demonstrate the preference of each medical or surgical treatment effect
      for dysmenorrhea in endometriosis. Additional data is required before a
      standardized medical protocol can be offered, but we believe this study may
      encourage clinicians to consider a less invasive alternative for treating their
      patients' chronic pelvic pain in the near future.Key words: Endometriosis, pain,
      meta-analysis, therapy, disease management.

PMID- 28339430
TI  - Comparative Effectiveness Review of Cooled Versus Pulsed Radiofrequency Ablation
      for the Treatment of Knee Osteoarthritis: A Systematic Review.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Patients suffering from osteoarthritis of the knee and patients post
      total knee arthroplasty often develop refractory, disabling chronic knee pain.
      Radiofrequency ablation, including conventional, pulsed, and cooled, has recently
      become more accepted as an interventional technique to manage chronic knee pain
      in patients who have failed conservative treatment or who are not suitable
      candidates for surgical treatment. OBJECTIVE: This systematic review aimed to
      analyze published studies on radiofrequency ablation to provide an overview of
      the current knowledge regarding variations in procedures, nerve targets, adverse
      events, and temporal extent of clinical benefit. STUDY DESIGN: A systematic
      review of published studies investigating conventional, pulsed, or cooled
      radiofrequency ablation in the setting of chronic knee pain. METHODS: Medline,
      Google Scholar, and the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL)
      databases were reviewed for studies on radiofrequency ablation for patients with
      chronic knee pain through July 29, 2016. From the studies, the procedural
      details, outcomes after treatment, follow-up points, and complications were
      compiled and analyzed in this literature review. Included studies were analyzed
      for clinical relevance and strength of evidence was graded using either the NHLBI
      Quality assessment of controlled intervention studies or the NHLBI quality
      assessment for before-after (pre-post) studies with no control group. RESULTS:
      Seventeen total publications were identified in the search, including articles
      investigating conventional, pulsed, or cooled radiofrequency ablation. These
      studies primarily targeted either the genicular nerves or used an intraarticular
      approach. Of the studies, 5 were small-sized randomized controlled trials,
      although one involved diathermy radiofrequency ablation. There were 8
      retrospective or prospective case series and 4 case reports. Utilizing the
      strength of evidence grading, there is a low level of certainty to suggest a
      superior benefit between targeting the genicular nerve, an intraarticular
      approach, or targeting the larger nerves such as femoral and tibial nerves.
      Utilizing the strength of evidence grading, there is a low level of certainty in
      supporting the superiority of any specific RFA procedure modality. The majority
      of the studies report positive patient outcomes, but the inconsistent procedural
      methodology, inconsistent patient assessment measures, and small study sizes
      limit the applicability of any specific study to clinical practice. LIMITATIONS:
      While the wide search strategy included a variety of articles, broad conclusions
      and pooled data could not be obtained based on the studies analyzed. CONCLUSIONS:
      Overall, the studies showed promising results for the treatment of severe chronic
      knee pain by radiofrequency ablation at up to one year with minimal
      complications. Numerous studies, however, yielded concerns about procedural
      protocols, study quality, and patient follow-up. Radiofrequency ablation can
      offer substantial clinical and functional benefit to patients with chronic knee
      pain due to osteoarthritis or post total knee arthroplasty.Key words:
      Radiofrequency ablation, knee osteoarthritis, knee pain, genicular nerve, total
      knee arthroplasty (TKA), cooled radiofrequency ablation, pulsed radiofrequency
      ablation.

PMID- 28339431
TI  - Perioperative Ketamine Administration for Thoracotomy Pain.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Of all the postsurgical pain conditions, thoracotomy pain poses a
      particular therapeutic challenge in terms of its prevalence, severity, and
      ensuing postoperative morbidity. Multiple pain generators contribute to the
      severity of post-thoracotomy pain, and therefore a multimodal analgesic therapy
      is considered to be a necessary strategy. Along with opioids, thoracic epidural
      analgesia, and paravertebral blocks, N-Methyl-D-Aspartate (NMDA) receptor
      antagonists such as ketamine have been used as adjuvants to improve analgesia.
      OBJECTIVE: We reviewed the evidence for the efficacy of intravenous and epidural
      administration of ketamine in acute post-thoracotomy pain management, and its
      effectiveness in reducing chronic post-thoracotomy pain. STUDY DESIGN: Systematic
      literature review and an analytic study of a data subset were performed. METHODS:
      We searched PubMed, Embase, and Cochrane reviews using the key terms "ketamine,"
      "neuropathic pain," "postoperative," and "post-thoracotomy pain syndrome." The
      search was limited to human trials and included all studies published before
      January 2015. Data from animal studies, abstracts, and letters were excluded. All
      studies not available in the English language were excluded. The manuscript
      bibliographies were reviewed for additional related articles. We included
      randomized controlled trials and retrospective studies, while excluding
      individual case reports. RESULTS: This systematic literature search yielded 15
      randomized control trials evaluating the efficacy of ketamine in the treatment of
      acute post-thoracotomy pain; fewer studies assessed its effect on attenuating
      chronic post-thoracotomy pain. The majority of reviewed studies demonstrated that
      ketamine has efficacy in reduction of acute pain, but the evidence is limited on
      the long-term benefits of ketamine to prevent post-thoracotomy pain syndrome,
      regardless of the route of administration. A nested analytical study found there
      is a statistically significant reduction in acute post-thoracotomy pain with IV
      or epidural ketamine. However currently, the evidence for a role of ketamine as a
      preventative agent for chronic post-thoracotomy pain is insufficient due to the
      heterogeneity of the studies reviewed with regard to the route of administration,
      dosage, and outcome measures. LIMITATIONS: The evidence for a role of ketamine as
      a preventative agent for chronic post-thoracotomy pain is insufficient due to the
      heterogeneity of the studies reviewed. CONCLUSION: The majority of randomized
      controlled trials reviewed show no role for ketamine in attenuating or preventing
      post-thoracotomy pain syndrome at variable follow-up lengths. Therefore,
      additional research is warranted with consideration of risk factors and long-term
      follow-up for chronic post-thoracotomy pain though the evidence for benefit
      appears clear for acute post-thoracotomy pain.Key words: Ketamine, postoperative,
      thoracotomy pain, post thoracotomy pain syndrome, neuropathic pain.

PMID- 28339432
TI  - Bipolar Versus Unipolar Intraarticular Pulsed Radiofrequency Thermocoagulation in
      Chronic Knee Pain Treatment: A Prospective Randomized Trial.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Chronic knee pain is a major widespread problem causing significant
      impairment of daily function. Pulsed radiofrequency has been shown to reduce
      severe chronic joint pain as a non-pharmacological and less invasive treatment
      method. OBJECTIVE: We aimed to compare the effectiveness of unipolar and bipolar
      intraarticular pulsed radiofrequency methods in chronic knee pain control. STUDY
      DESIGN: Prospective, randomized, double-blind study. SETTING: Pain clinic in
      Cukurova University Faculty of Medicine. METHODS: One hundred patients, aged 20 -
      70 years with grade 2 or 3 knee osteoarthritis were included in this study.
      Patients were randomly allocated into 2 groups to receive either unipolar (group
      U, n = 50) or bipolar (group B, n = 50) intraarticular pulsed radiofrequency
      (IAPRF) with a 45 V voltage, 2 Hz frequency, 42 degrees  C temperature, 10 msec
      pulse width, and 10 minute duration. We recorded visual analog scale (VAS) and
      Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Osteoarthritis Index LK 3.1WOMAC
      (Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Osteoarthritis Index LK 3.1) scores of
      patients at baseline and one, 4, and 12 weeks after the procedure. The primary
      outcome was the percentage of patients with >= 50% reduction in knee pain at 12
      weeks after the procedure. RESULTS: There was a significant difference between
      the groups according to VAS scores at all post-intervention time points. In group
      B, 84% of patients, and in the group U, 50% of patients achieved at least 50%
      knee pain relief from the baseline to 3 months. In group B, WOMAC scores were
      significantly lower than the group U at one and 3 months. LIMITATIONS: Lack of
      long-term clinical results and supportive laboratory tests. CONCLUSION: Bipolar
      IAPRF is more advantageous in reducing chronic knee pain and functional recovery
      compared with unipolar IAPRF. Further studies with longer follow-up times,
      laboratory-based tests, and different generator settings are required to
      establish the clinical importance and well-defined mechanism of action of PRF.
      This study protocol was registered at clinicaltrials.gov (identifier:
      NCT02141529), on May 15, 2014. Institutional Review Board (IRB) approval date:
      January 16, 2014, and number: 26/9Key words: Chronic pain, intraarticular, knee
      joint, knee osteoarthritis, pain management, pulsed radiofrequency treatment,
      quality of life, recovery of function.

PMID- 28339434
TI  - Platelet Rich Plasma in Musculoskeletal Pathology: A Necessary Rescue or a Lost
      Cause?
AB  - BACKGROUND: Platelet rich plasma (PRP) has been used for decades to facilitate
      surgical tissue repair; therefore, the current trend of percutaneously injecting
      PRP to theoretically enhance tissue regeneration and repair is a logical
      progression. Applications include treatment of osteoarthritis, tendinopathy,
      chondropathy, acute and chronic soft tissue injuries, muscle or ligament tear, as
      well as enhancement of healing after bone or tissue reconstruction. However,
      there is limited evidence to support the use of PRP in the abovementioned
      conditions. Variations in the preparation of PRP and its application in various
      conditions influence its effect on various orthopedic conditions. OBJECTIVE: To
      provide a basic overview of the current use of PRP in treating musculoskeletal
      conditions. METHODS: Studies relevant to PRP were extracted from the PubMed and
      Medline database within the dates ranging from 1990 through 2015. These studies
      included in vitro as well as in-vivo animal experiments and careful analysis of
      the study population, type of intervention, and outcomes was made. RESULTS: PRP
      has been noted to be a beneficial solution for tissue healing based on limited
      current literature. However a variety of factors such as method of preparation,
      composition, medical condition of the patient, anatomic location of the lesion,
      and tissue type can alter outcome. CONCLUSION: The effectiveness and potential
      adverse effects of this treatment require high quality studies prior to
      widespread clinical application.Key words: Growth factors, platelet rich plasma,
      regeneration, regenerative healing, tissue repair, stem cells, mesenchymal stem
      cells, tissue engineering.

PMID- 28339433
TI  - Management of Neuropathic Chronic Pain with Methadone Combined with Ketamine: A
      Randomized, Double Blind, Active-Controlled Clinical Trial.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Methadone and ketamine are used in neuropathic pain management.
      However, the benefits of both drugs association are uncertain in the treatment of
      neuropathic pain. OBJECTIVE: Our primary objective was test the hypothesis that
      oral methadone combined with oral ketamine is more effective than oral methadone
      or ketamine alone in reducing neuropathic pain. STUDY DESIGN: We conducted a
      randomized, double blind, active-controlled parallel-group clinical trial.
      METHODS: Forty-two patients with neuropathic pain refractory to conventional
      therapy were randomly assigned to receive oral methadone (n = 14), ketamine (n =
      14), or methadone plus ketamine (n = 14) over a 3-month period. RESULTS: During
      these 90 days, we observed pain scores using a visual analogical scale (VAS),
      allodynia, burning/shooting pain, and some side effects. All treatments were
      effective in reducing pain scores by at least 40%. However, a significant
      improvement in pain was observed only in the ketamine alone group compared with
      both the methadone or methadone/ketamine groups. No significant differences were
      observed among the treatment groups for the reduction of burning or shooting
      pain, while ketamine alone was more effective than methadone or
      methadone/ketamine for the reduction of allodynia. LIMITATIONS: Formal assessment
      for awareness of the allocation was not performed, some co-intervention bias may
      have occurred, our results could be only relevant to the patient population
      investigated and the use of VAS as the primary outcome detect changes in pain
      intensity but not to assess neuropathic pain symptoms. CONCLUSION: This study
      indicates that ketamine was better than methadone or methadone/ketamine for
      treating neuropathic pain.Key words: Multimodal analgesia, refractory pain, NMDA
      receptor, opioid.

PMID- 28339435
TI  - Impact of Celiac Plexus Neurolysis on Survival in Patients with Unresectable
      Pancreatic Cancer: A Retrospective, Propensity Score Matching Analysis.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Pain caused by pancreatic cancer (PC) is difficult to control. Celiac
      plexus neurolysis (CPN) can effectively control the pain and reduce the use of
      opioids. However, the effect of CPN on survival for patients with unresectable PC
      remains controversial. OBJECTIVES: To determine if CPN is associated with
      survival benefits for these patients. STUDY DESIGN: Retrospective, observational
      cohort study. SETTING: National Cancer Center in Korea. METHODS: The CPN group
      included patients who were diagnosed with unresectable PC and underwent
      fluoroscopically guided bilateral CPN (10 mL dehydrated alcohol each side) once
      between January 1, 2006, and December 31, 2013. Patients with PC who did not
      undergo CPN were in the control group; for the final control group, 1:1
      propensity score (PS) matching was conducted with the CPN group. The main outcome
      was median survival (PC diagnosis to death) after PS matching, assessed using
      Kaplan-Meier curves. RESULTS: For the primary overall survival analysis, the CPN
      and control groups included 110 and 258 patients, respectively. The median
      survival period was not significantly different between the CPN and control
      groups (278 vs. 203 days, P = 0.246), even after PS matching (278 vs. 180 days, P
      = 0.127), or based on time to CPN from diagnosis (<= 6 vs. > 6 months; 255 vs.
      310 days, P = 0.147). LIMITATIONS: Retrospective design, small sample size, and
      inconsistent timing of CPN after the diagnosis date. CONCLUSION: CPN did not
      affect survival for patients with unresectable PC. Considering the limitations of
      the retrospective design, a well-designed prospective design study should be
      conducted.Key words: Celiac plexus, pancreatic neoplasms, survival, neurolysis,
      pain, propensity score matching, opioids, cancer.

PMID- 28339436
TI  - Pain-Related Limitations in Daily Activities Following Thoracic Surgery in a
      United States Population.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Ringsted et al created a statistically validated questionnaire to
      assess pain-related limitations in daily activities following thoracic surgery
      and translated it to English. We utilized the questionnaire to assess the impact
      of pain impairing certain daily activities in a United States thoracic surgery
      population. OBJECTIVES: Examine if the questionnaire developed and translated to
      English by Ringsted et al to assess the effects of chronic pain after thoracic
      surgery on daily activities would be applicable in a sample of thoracic surgery
      patients in the United States. STUDY DESIGN: Cross-sectional study by mailed
      questionnaire. SETTING: All patients who had thoracic surgery between 6 months
      and 3 years ago at a university hospital. METHODS: We sent questionnaires to
      patients who had undergone thoracic surgery between 6 months and 3 years ago,
      yielding a sample of 349 eligible patients. Questionnaire results were
      statistically assessed for item fit, dimensionality, and internal reliability.
      RESULTS: The response rate was 26.4%. Of the responders, 36% (95% CI: 26.1% to
      46.5%) identified themselves as having chronic pain related to their thoracic
      surgery. Activities such as lying on the operated side, coughing, and carrying
      groceries were impaired in more than 50% of the patients who had thoracic surgery
      related pain (P < 0.05). Patients with chronic pain were more likely to report
      pain in other body locations. Few activities were limited in the patients
      identifying themselves as not having chronic pain. Statistical measures indicate
      high internal reliability. LIMITATIONS: This was a retrospective questionnaire
      with 26.4% response rate. CONCLUSIONS: Pain continues to impair the daily
      activities of a significant proportion of patients after thoracic surgery in a
      sample from the United States. Despite cultural differences, the Danish procedure
      specific questionnaire provides an applicable and similar assessment of
      functional impairment after thoracic surgery in American patients.Key words:
      Thoracic surgery, chronic pain, impairment, daily life, questionnaire.

PMID- 28339437
TI  - Complications of Lumbar Disc Herniation Following Full-endoscopic Interlaminar
      Lumbar Discectomy: A Large, Single-Center, Retrospective Study.
AB  - BACKGROUND: The new surgical procedure of full-endoscopic interlaminar lumbar
      discectomy (FILD) has achieved favorable effects in the treatment of lumbar disc
      herniation (LDH). Along with the wide range of applications of FILD, a series of
      complications related to the operation has gradually emerged. OBJECTIVE: To
      describe the types, incidences, and characteristics of complications following
      FILD and to explore preventative and treatment measures. STUDY DESIGN:
      Retrospective, observational study. SETTING: A spine center affiliated with a
      large general hospital. METHOD: In total, 479 patients with LDH underwent FILDs
      that were performed by a single experienced spine surgeon between January 2010
      and April 2013. Data concerning the complications were recorded. RESULTS: All 479
      cases successfully underwent the procedure. A total of 482 procedures were
      completed. The mean follow-up time was 44.3 months with a range of 24 to 60
      months. The average patient age was 47.8 years with a range of 16 to 76 years.
      Twenty-nine (6.0%) related complications emerged, including 3 cases (0.6%) of
      incomplete decompression in which the symptoms gradually decreased following 3 -
      6 weeks of conservative treatment, 2 cases (0.4%) of nerve root injury in which
      the patients recovered well following 1 - 3 months of neurotrophic drug and
      functional exercise treatment, 15 cases (3.1%) of paresthesia that gradually
      improved following 1 - 8 weeks of rehabilitation exercises and treatment with
      mecobalamin and pregabalin, and 9 cases of recurrent herniation (1.9%). The
      latter condition was controlled in 4 cases with a conservative method, and 5 of
      these cases underwent reoperations that included 3 traditional open surgeries and
      2 FILDs. Furthermore, the complication rate for the first 100 cases was 18%. This
      rate decreased to 2.9% for cases 101 - 479. The incidence of L4-5 herniation
      (8.2%) was significantly greater than that of L5-S1 (4.5%). LIMITATIONS: This is
      a retrospective study, and some bias exists due to the single-center study
      design. CONCLUSION: FILD is a surgical approach that has a low complication rate.
      Incomplete decompression, nerve root injury, paresthesia, and recurrent
      herniation were observed in our study. Some effective measures can prevent and
      reduce the incidence of the complications including strict indications for
      surgery, a thorough action plan, and a high level of surgical skill. Key words:
      Complication, lumbar disc herniation, lumbar discectomy, endoscopic, inter
      laminar discectomy, minimally invasive spine surgery.

PMID- 28339438
TI  - The Role of Autonomic Function in Exercise-induced Endogenous Analgesia: A Case
      control Study in Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome and Healthy
      People.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Patients with myalgic encephalomyelitis / chronic fatigue syndrome
      (ME/CFS) are unable to activate brain-orchestrated endogenous analgesia (or
      descending inhibition) in response to exercise. This physiological impairment is
      currently regarded as one factor explaining post-exertional malaise in these
      patients. Autonomic dysfunction is also a feature of ME/CFS. OBJECTIVES: This
      study aims to examine the role of the autonomic nervous system in exercise
      induced analgesia in healthy people and those with ME/CFS, by studying the
      recovery of autonomic parameters following aerobic exercise and the relation to
      changes in self-reported pain intensity. STUDY DESIGN: A controlled experimental
      study. SETTING: The study was conducted at the Human Physiology lab of a
      University. METHODS: Twenty women with ME/CFS- and 20 healthy, sedentary controls
      performed a submaximal bicycle exercise test known as the Aerobic Power Index
      with continuous cardiorespiratory monitoring. Before and after the exercise,
      measures of autonomic function (i.e., heart rate variability, blood pressure, and
      respiration rate) were performed continuously for 10 minutes and self-reported
      pain levels were registered. The relation between autonomous parameters and self
      reported pain parameters was examined using correlation analysis. RESULTS: Some
      relationships of moderate strength between autonomic and pain measures were
      found. The change (post-exercise minus pre-exercise score) in pain severity was
      correlated (r = .580, P = .007) with the change in diastolic blood pressure in
      the healthy group. In the ME/CFS group, positive correlations between the changes
      in pain severity and low frequency (r = .552, P = .014), and between the changes
      in bodily pain and diastolic blood pressure (r = .472, P = .036), were seen. In
      addition, in ME/CHFS the change in headache severity was inversely correlated (r
      = -.480, P = .038) with the change in high frequency heart rate variability.
      LIMITATIONS: Based on the cross-sectional design of the study, no firm
      conclusions can be drawn on the causality of the relations. CONCLUSIONS: Reduced
      parasympathetic reactivation during recovery from exercise is associated with the
      dysfunctional exercise-induced analgesia in ME/CFS. Poor recovery of diastolic
      blood pressure in response to exercise, with blood pressure remaining elevated,
      is associated with reductions of pain following exercise in ME/CFS, suggesting a
      role for the arterial baroreceptors in explaining dysfunctional exercise-induced
      analgesia in ME/CFS patients.Key words: Aerobic exercise, aerobic power index,
      autonomic nervous system, exercise-induced analgesia, exercise-induced
      hypoalgesia, fibromyalgia, heart rate variability, stress-induced analgesia,
      pain.

PMID- 28339439
TI  - Dezocine Antagonizes Morphine Analgesia upon Simultaneous Administration in
      Rodent Models of Acute Nociception.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Dezocine is a powerful analgesic that can be less addictive than
      morphine, yet how the two drugs interact in vivo is poorly understood. Here we
      administered dezocine alone or in combination with morphine to different acute
      nociception paradigms to explore the interactions of the 2 drugs upon co
      administration. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate how dezocine interacts with morphine in
      different acute nociception paradigms. STUDY DESIGN: Laboratory animal study.
      SETTING: Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, China. METHODS:
      Healthy mice were treated with saline, dezocine (0.625 - 2.5 ug), or a
      combination of dezocine with morphine (2.5 ug). Tail withdrawal latency (TWL) was
      analyzed prior to and 30 minutes after drug administration. Rats were treated
      with saline, morphine (3 mg/kg), dezocine (3 mg/kg), or a combination of both
      drugs. The animals were then left uninjured, subjected to plantar incision, or
      underwent formaldehyde-induced acute inflammation. Nociception was then analyzed
      in terms of mechanical threshold (MT) to von Frey stimulation and paw withdrawal
      latency (PWL) to thermal stimulation. Formaldehyde-induced pain score was
      calculated based on the duration of biting and elevating of the animal's legs.
      Phosphorylation of extracellular signal-regulated kinase (pERK) was also measured
      after plantar incision as a molecular index of nociception. RESULTS: Dezocine
      enhanced TWL but inhibited morphine analgesia in a dose-dependent fashion in
      mice. Usage of morphine or dezocine alone in uninjured rats increased MT, but co
      administering both drugs did not further increase MT. Usage of one drug alone,
      and both drugs together increased MT and PWL relative to saline at 30 minutes
      after incision. Usage of one drug alone, but not both drugs together, increased
      MT and PWL at 120 minutes after incision. Dezocine reduced formaldehyde-induced
      nociception but co-administering both drugs did not further reduce pain behavior.
      LIMITATIONS: The results were obtained from animal study; clinical investigations
      will be needed to clarify their interaction. CONCLUSION: Dezocine antagonizes
      morphine analgesia on acute nociception upon simultaneous administration.Key
      words: Dezocine, morphine, acute nociception, analgesia.

PMID- 28339440
TI  - Pulsed Radiofrequency to the Dorsal Root Ganglion in Acute Herpes Zoster and
      Postherpetic Neuralgia.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Latent varicella zoster virus reactivates mainly in sensory ganglia
      such as the dorsal root ganglion (DRG) or trigeminal ganglion. The DRG contains
      many receptor channels and is an important region for pain signal transduction.
      Sustained abnormal electrical activity to the spinal cord via the DRG in acute
      herpes zoster can result in neuropathic conditions such as postherpetic neuralgia
      (PHN). Although the efficacy of pulsed radiofrequency (PRF) application to the
      DRG in various pain conditions has been previously reported, the application of
      PRF to the DRG in patients with herpes zoster has not yet been studied.
      OBJECTIVES: The aim of the present study was to compare the clinical effects of
      PRF to the DRG in patients with herpes zoster to those of PRF to the DRG in
      patients with PHN. STUDY DESIGN: Retrospective comparative study. SETTING:
      University hospital pain center in Korea. METHODS: The medical records of 58
      patients who underwent PRF to the DRG due to zoster related pain (herpes zoster
      or PHN) were retrospectively analyzed. Patients were divided into 2 groups
      according to the timing of PRF after zoster onset: an early PRF group (within 90
      days) and a PHN PRF group (more than 90 days). The efficacy of PRF was assessed
      by a numeric rating scale (NRS) and by recording patient medication doses before
      PRF and at one week, 4 weeks, 8 weeks, and 12 weeks after PRF. RESULTS: Pain
      intensity was decreased after PRF in all participants. However, the degree of
      pain reduction was significantly higher in the early PRF group. Moreover, more
      patients discontinued their medication in the early PRF group, and the PRF
      success rate was also higher in the early PRF group. LIMITATIONS: The relatively
      small sample size from a single center, short duration of review of medical
      records, and the retrospective nature of the study. CONCLUSIONS: PRF to the DRG
      is a useful treatment for treatment-resistant cases of herpes zoster and PHN.
      Particularly in herpes zoster patients with intractable pain, application of PRF
      to the DRG should be considered for pain control and prevention of PHN.Key words:
      Pulsed radiofrequency, dorsal root ganglion, herpes zoster, postherpetic
      neuralgia.

PMID- 28339441
TI  - The Role of the Ligamentum Flavum Area as a Morphological Parameter of Lumbar
      Central Spinal Stenosis.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Hypertrophy of the ligamentum flavum (LF) has been considered as a
      major cause of lumbar central spinal stenosis (LCSS). Previous studies have found
      that ligamentum flavum thickness (LFT) is correlated with aging, disc
      degeneration, and lumbar spinal stenosis. However, hypertrophy is different from
      thickness. Thus, to evaluate hypertrophy of the whole LF, we devised a new
      morphological parameter, called the ligamentum flavum area (LFA). OBJECTIVES: We
      hypothesized that the LFA is a key morphologic parameter in the diagnosis of
      LCSS. STUDY DESIGN: Retrospective observational study. SETTING: The single center
      study in Seoul, Republic of Korea. METHODS: LF samples were collected from 166
      patients with LCSS, and from 167 controls who underwent lumbar magnetic resonance
      imaging (MRI) as part of a routine medical examination. T1-weighted axial MR
      imageswere acquired at the facet joint level from individual patients. We
      measured the LFA and LFT at the L4-L5 intervertebral level on MRI using a picture
      archiving and communications system. The LFA was measured as the cross-sectional
      area of the whole LF at the L4-L5 stenotic level. The LFT was measured by drawing
      a line along the side of the ligament facing the spinal canal and along the
      laminar side of the ligament curve and then measuring the thickest point at the
      L4-L5 level. RESULTS: The average LFA was 96.56 +/- 30.74 mm2 in the control
      group and 132.69 +/- 32.68 mm2 in the LCSS group. The average LFT was 3.61 +/-
      0.72 mm in the control group and 4.24 +/- 0.97 mm in the LCSS group. LCSS
      patients had significantly higher LFA (P < 0.001) and LFT (P < 0.001). Regarding
      the validity of both LFA and LFT as predictors of LCSS, Receiver Operator
      Characteristics (ROC) curve analysis showed that the best cut-off point for the
      LFA was 105.90 mm2, with 80.1% sensitivity, 76.0% specificity, and area under the
      curve (AUC) of 0.83 (95% CI, 0.78 - 0.87). The best cut off-point of the LFT was
      3.74 mm, with 70.5% sensitivity, 66.5% specificity, and AUC of 0.72 (95% CI, 0.66
      - 0.77). LIMITATIONS: The principal methodological limitation was the
      retrospective observational nature. Anatomically, degenerative lumbar spinal
      stenosis can involve the central canal, foramina, and lateral recess. However, we
      focused on LCSS only. CONCLUSIONS: Although the LFT and LFA were both
      significantly associated with LCSS, the LFA was a more sensitive measurement
      parameter. Thus, to evaluate LCSS patients, the treating doctor should more
      carefully analyze the LFA than LFT.Institutional Review Board (IRB) approval
      number: S2015-1328-0001Key words: Ligamentum flavum, ligamentum flavum area,
      ligamentum flavum thickness, lumbar central spinal stenosis, hypertrophy of the
      ligamentum flavum, morphological parameter, cross-sectional area, optimal cut-off
      point.

PMID- 28339442
TI  - Clinical Outcome of Full-endoscopic Interlaminar Discectomy for Single-level
      Lumbar Disc Herniation: A Minimum of 5-year Follow-up.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Full-endoscopic interlaminar discectomy (FEID) is widely applied for
      the treatment of lumbar disc herniation (LDH) and satisfactory short-term
      outcomes have been achieved. However, the long-term evaluation for this technique
      is still lacking, especially the comparison between FEID and microendoscopic
      discectomy (MED). OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the clinical outcome of FEID technique
      in comparison with MED for single-level LDH with a minimum of 5-year follow-up.
      STUDY DESIGN: Retrospective study. SETTING: Inpatient surgery center. METHODS: A
      total of 152 patients with single-level LDH located at either L4-L5 or L5-S1 who
      underwent either FEID or MED from August 2008 to April 2011 at our hospital were
      enrolled in this study. General parameters including operative time, length of
      hospital stay, mean time to return to work, complications, and recurrences were
      recorded. Clinical outcomes were evaluated using visual analog scale (VAS) for
      low back and leg pain, Oswestry Disability Index (ODI) for functional assessment,
      and modified MacNab criteria for patient satisfaction. RESULTS: At the final
      follow-up, the VAS of leg and back pain decreased from 7.6 +/- 1.6 and 3.1 +/-
      2.2 points preoperatively to 1.6 +/- 1.2 and 1.7 +/- 0.9 at the final follow-up,
      respectively (P < 0.05). The ODI score was 69.5% +/- 10.5% preoperatively, and
      declined to 21.8% +/- 7.0% at the final follow-up (P < 0.05). VAS, ODI, and
      modified MacNab criteria of the FEID group were improved compared to the control
      group though there were no statistically significant differences between the 2
      groups. LIMITATIONS: This was a retrospective study with a relatively small
      sample size. Additionally, this study contained only clinical outcomes, without
      long-term radiological outcomes. CONCLUSIONS: The application of FEID achieved
      similar satisfactory long-term clinical outcomes for the surgical treatment of
      LDH as MED. However, compared with MED, FEID exhibits advantages including less
      operation time, shorter hospital stay, and faster postoperative recovery.Key
      words: Lumbar disc herniation, full-endoscopic interlaminar discectomy,
      microendoscopic disectomy, long-term.

PMID- 28339443
TI  - Clinical Outcome of Augmentation Enterocystoplasty for Patients with Ketamine
      induced Cystitis.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Ketamine abuse has become a global phenomenon in recent years.
      Ketamine-induced cystitis (KC) is a new clinical syndrome which can result in
      severely inflamed bladder and intractable bladder pain. Currently there is no
      guideline for managing patients with KC. OBJECTIVES: To analyze the clinical
      outcome of patients with KC managed with augmentation enterocystoplasty (AE).
      STUDY DESIGN: Retrospective interventional study. SETTING: A tertiary teaching
      hospital, Hualien Tzu Chi Hospital. METHODS: We retrospectively collected and
      analyzed the medical records and video-urodynamic (VUD) test results of 26
      patients who underwent AE as treatment for refractory KC during the period 2009 -
      2014. All of these patients abused ketamine with nasal snorting, at least 3 grams
      per dose, twice per week for 6 months. Data from VUD studies performed before AE
      and 3 - 6 months after surgery that were analyzed in this study included
      cystometric bladder capacity (CBC), post-void residual (PVR) urine volume,
      maximum urinary flow rate (Qmax), voided volume, and bladder compliance. A self
      report questionnaire was used to assess patient satisfaction with AE. RESULTS:
      Patients included 14 women and 12 men aged 20 - 43 years (mean age, 28.5 years)
      with an average duration of ketamine abuse of 4.7 years (range, 1 - 10 years).
      All patients had contracted bladder, 9 had hydronephrosis, and 10 had
      vesicoureteral reflux (VUR). There was significant improvement in CBC (52.7 +/-
      29.7 v 327 +/- 69.4 mL, P < 0.0001), Qmax (6.94 +/- 4.32 v 13.7 +/- 4.96 mL/s, P
      < 0.0001), PVR (8.08 +/- 19.2 v 82.6 +/- 91.5 mL, P < 0.0001), voided volume
      (44.1 +/- 28.3 v 250.7 +/- 133.4 mL, P < 0.0001), and bladder compliance (11.1 +/
      11.9 v 54 +/- 43, P < 0.0001) after AE. Hydronephrosis resolved in 7 patients
      after AE and VUR resolved in all patients who underwent AE with ureteral
      reimplantation. All patients who stopped using ketamine were free of bladder pain
      postoperatively. However, 10 patients who reused ketamine had recurrent bladder
      pain and recurrent urinary tract infection. LIMITATIONS: Small number of patients
      limits scope of study. CONCLUSIONS: AE is effective at treating KC-induced
      bladder pain and restoring normal lower urinary tract function. However, absolute
      cessation of ketamine is the key to success in KC treatment.Key words: Ketamine
      induced cystitis, augmentation enterocystoplasty, bladder pain, contracted
      bladder, inflammation, surgery.

PMID- 28339444
TI  - A Review of Long-Term Pain Relief after Genicular Nerve Radiofrequency Ablation
      in Chronic Knee Osteoarthritis.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Studies of radiofrequency ablation (RFA) of genicular nerves have
      reportedly significantly decreased pain up to 3 months post ablation, but no
      longer term effects have been reported. We performed an analysis of long-term
      pain relief of 31 RFA procedures of the genicular nerves to analyze the degree of
      pain relief past 3 months, culminating at 6 months. STUDY DESIGN: Chart review
      and study design was approved by Newark Health Sciences Institutional Review
      Board (IRB). Chart review and follow-up was performed on all patients who
      underwent genicular nerve RFA during the period of February 2014 through August
      of 2015. During this inclusion period 41 genicular nerve RFAs were performed on
      31 patients, 5 patients received RFA procedure in both knees. Patient follow-up
      was performed via telephone interview or in-office visit at least 3 months and 6
      months post RFA. SETTINGS: Procedures were performed in Medical Special
      Procedures at University Hospital in Newark, NJ, and the Pain Management Center
      at Overlook Medical Arts Center in Summit, NJ. METHODS: Chart review and study
      design was approved by Newark Health Sciences IRB. Chart review was performed
      from February 2014 and continued through August 2015. Patient follow-up was
      conducted at 3 and at least 6 months post treatment to gauge degree of pain
      relief (0 - none, 100% - complete), their current day's pain score, other
      treatment modalities tried before RFA, and the medications used. Patients were
      asked to quantify their satisfaction with procedure length, pre-procedure
      anxiety, complications, and if they would recommend this procedure to others.
      Primary and secondary goals were the duration of pain relief after RFA, the
      quality of pain relief, and the efficacy of our approach for RFA of genicular
      nerves versus prior published techniques. RESULTS: At 3 month follow-up, the
      average pain relief was 67% improvement from baseline knee pain, 0% being no
      relief and 100% being complete relief, and average 0 - 10 pain score was 2.9. At
      6 month follow-up, of those who described pain relief at 3 months, 95% still
      described pain relief. This group's average percent pain relief was 64% and
      average day's 0 - 10 pain score 3.3. LIMITATIONS: Our study included a
      retrospective component in chart review followed by prospective follow-up, only
      76% of patients were able to participate in the interview process. Furthermore,
      some patients suffered from other chronic pain ailments, most commonly chronic
      back pain, which at times disturbed the patient's ability to focus on solely knee
      pain. CONCLUSIONS: Based on patient interviews and data collection, RFA of
      genicular nerves can supply on average greater than 60% pain relief in our
      patient population for as long as 6 months.Key words: Osteoarthritis, knee
      osteoarthritis, chronic knee pain, radiofrequency ablation, nerve ablation,
      genicular nerves, long-term pain relief.

PMID- 28339445
TI  - Transforaminal Endoscopic Decompression for a Giant Epidural Gas-Containing
      Pseudocyst: A Case Report and Literature Review.
AB  - The isolated epidural gas-containing pseudocyst is an uncommon pathogenic factor
      for severe pain of the lower limb as a result of nerve root compression. After
      reviewing these rare cases reported in the literature, we found that the name,
      pathogenesis, and treatment strategy of this pathology remained controversial.
      The most common treatment is conservative treatment or percutaneous aspiration
      which might result inpoor pain relief and high recurrence rates. Moreover, the
      patient who received open surgery had good clinical outcome; however, he or she
      might experience a significant soft tissue injury.In this study, we report the
      first case of a patient who had a giant epidural gas-containing pseudocyst and
      received percutaneous endoscopic surgery. This 57-year-old man had been
      complaining of severe radicular pain in his right ankle for one year. According
      to computed tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) prior to the
      surgery, the results showed an isolated epidural gas-containing pseudocyst was
      located in the right lateral recess of S1. At the last follow-up period,
      postoperative CT scan showed the gas-contained pseudocyst was completely resected
      and this patient was free from the pain.Due to the great advances in endoscopic
      techniques and equipment, it is easier to perform lumbar surgery through the
      endoscope. With this first case of percutaneous endoscopic treatment for the
      symptomatic epidural gas-containing pseudocyst reported in this study, we believe
      that this surgical method provides an option to treat this rare condition because
      it provides sufficient decompression, has a low recurrence rate, and is minimally
      invasive. Key words: Endoscopic surgery, pseudocyst, epidural gas, intraspinal
      gas, radiulopathy.

PMID- 28339446
TI  - Pulsed Radiofrequency Ablation of Pudendal Nerve for Treatment of a Case of
      Refractory Pelvic Pain.
AB  - : Pudendal neuralgia (PN) is a result of pudendal nerve entrapment or injury,
      also called "Alcock syndrome." Pain that develops is often chronic, and at times
      debilitating. If conservative measures fail, invasive treatment modalities can be
      considered. The goal of this case report is to add to a small body of literature
      that a pulsed radiofrequency (PRF) ablation can be effectively used to treat PN
      and to show that high resolution MR neurography imaging can be used to detect
      pudendal neuropathy. CASE PRESENTATION: We present a case of a 51-year-old woman
      with 5 years of worsening right groin and vulva pain. Various medication trials
      only lead to limited improvement in pain. The first diagnostic right pudendal
      nerve block was done using 3 mL of 0.25% bupivacaine with 6mg of betamethasone
      using a transgluteal technique and a target of the right ischial spine; this
      procedure resulted in ~8 hours of > 50% pain relief. The patient was then
      referred for MR neurography of the lumbosacral plexus. This study revealed
      increased signal of the right pudendal nerve at the ischial spine and in the
      pudendal canal, findings consistent with the clinical picture of PN. Six weeks
      after the initial block, the patient underwent a second right transgluteal
      pudendal nerve block, utilizing 3 mL of 0.25% bupivacaine with 40 mg of
      triamcinolone acetonide; this procedure resulted in ~8 hours of 100% pain relief.
      Satisfied with these results the patient decided to undergo pudendal nerve PRF
      ablation for possible long-term relief. For this therapeutic procedure, a right
      transgluteal approach was again utilized. PRF ablation was performed for 240
      seconds at 42 degrees  Celsius. Following this ablation the patient reported at
      least 6 weeks of significant (> 50%) pain relief. DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION: In
      this paper we presented a case of successful treatment of PN with PRF ablation
      and detection of pudendal neuropathy on MR neurography. We believe that
      transgluteal PRF ablation for PN might be an effective, minimally invasive option
      for those patients that have failed conservative management. MR neurography
      employed in this case is not only helpful in confirming the diagnosis of PN but
      could also be useful in ruling out other causes of pelvic pain, such as
      genitofemoral neuropathy, endometriosis, adenomyosis, or pelvic mass lesion. To
      conclude, transgluteal PRF ablation can serve as a viable treatment option for
      mitigating symptoms of pudendal neuropathy and MR neurography is useful in
      confirming a clinically suspected diagnosis of PN.Key words: Pelvic pain,
      pudendal neuralgia, MR neurography, pulsed radiofrequency ablation, transgluteal
      technique, Alcock canal syndrome.

PMID- 28339447
TI  - Chronic Localized Back Pain Due to Posterior Cutaneous Nerve Entrapment Syndrome
      (POCNES): A New Diagnosis.
AB  - Most patients with chronic back pain suffer from degenerative
      thoracolumbovertebral disease. However, the following case illustrates that a
      localized peripheral nerve entrapment must be considered in the differential
      diagnosis of chronic back pain. We report the case of a 26-year-old woman with
      continuous excruciating pain in the lower back area. Previous treatment for
      nephroptosis was to no avail. On physical examination the pain was present in a 2
      x 2 cm area overlying the twelfth rib some 4 cm lateral to the spinal process.
      Somatosensory testing using swab and alcohol gauze demonstrated the presence of
      skin hypo- and dysesthesia over the painful area. Local pressure on this painful
      spot elicited an extreme pain response that did not irradiate towards the
      periphery. These findings were highly suggestive of a posterior version of the
      anterior cutaneous nerve entrapment syndrome (ACNES), a condition leading to a
      severe localized neuropathic pain in anterior portions of the abdominal wall. She
      demonstrated a beneficial albeit temporary response after lidocaine infiltration
      as dictated by an established diagnostic and treatment protocol for ACNES. She
      subsequently underwent a local neurectomy of the involved superficial branch of
      the intercostal nerve. This limited operation had a favorable outcome resulting
      in a pain-free return to normal activities up to this very day (follow-up of 24
      months).We propose to name this novel syndrome "posterior cutaneous nerve
      entrapment syndrome" (POCNES). Each patient with chronic localized back pain
      should undergo simple somatosensory testing to detect the presence of overlying
      skin hypo- and dysesthesia possibly reflecting an entrapped posterior cutaneous
      nerve.Key words: Chronic pain, back pain, posterior cutaneous nerve entrapment,
      peripheral nerve entrapment, surgical treatment for pain, anterior cutaneous
      nerve entrapment.

PMID- 28339448
TI  - Efficacious Dorsal Root Ganglion Stimulation for Painful Small Fiber Neuropathy:
      A Case Report.
AB  - Small fiber neuropathy is a disorder of the peripheral nerves with typical
      symptoms of burning, sharp, and shooting pain and sensory disturbances in the
      feet. Pain treatment depends principally on the underlying etiology with
      concurrent administration of antidepressants, anticonvulsants, opioids, and
      topical treatments like capsaicin and local anesthetics. However, treatments for
      pain relief in these patients frequently fail. We describe the first case of
      intractable painful small fiber neuropathy of the foot successfully treated with
      spinal cord stimulation of the left L5 dorsal root ganglion.A 74-year-old man
      presented at our clinic with severe intractable pain, dysesthesia, and allodynia
      of the left foot caused by idiopathic small fiber neuropathy, confirmed by skin
      biopsy. His pain score was 8 on a standard 0 - 10 numeric rating scale. As the
      pain was not satisfactorily controlled by conventional therapy, dorsal root
      ganglion stimulation was proposed to the patient and, after informed consent, a
      specifically designed percutaneous stimulation lead was placed over the left L5
      dorsal root ganglion and connected to an external neurostimulator. After a
      positive trial of 10 days, a permanent neurostimulator was implanted. Twenty
      months post-implantation the patient continued to experience stimulation-induced
      paresthesia covering the entire pain area and reported a pain rating of 4.Results
      from the case report demonstrate that the dorsal root ganglion is a promising
      neural stimulation target to treat neuropathic pain due to intractable small
      fiber neuropathy. Prospective controlled studies are warranted to confirm the
      efficacy of this treatment as an option for the aforementioned condition.Key
      words: Dorsal root ganglion stimulation, small fiber neuropathy, neuropathic
      pain.

PMID- 28339449
TI  - Reversal of Progressive Conscious Disturbance with Epidural Blood Patch for
      Cerebrospinal Fluid Leakage at C2 Level.
AB  - Intracranial hypotension syndrome (IHS) is generally caused by cerebrospinal
      fluid (CSF) leakage. Complications include bilateral subdural hygroma or
      haematoma and herniation of the cerebellar tonsils. Epidural blood patch (EBP)
      therapy is indicated if conservative treatment is ineffective. We reported the
      case of a 46-year-old man with a history of postural headache and dizziness. The
      patient was treated with bed rest and daily hydration with 2000 mL of fluid for 2
      weeks. However, dizziness and headache did not resolve, and he became drowsy and
      disoriented with incomprehensible speech. Magnetic resonance imaging demonstrated
      diffuse dural enhancement on the postcontrast study, sagging of the midbrain, and
      CSF leakage over right lateral posterior thecal sac at C2 level. We performed EBP
      at the level of T10-T11. We injected 14 mL of autologous blood slowly in the
      Trendelenburg position. Within 30 minutes, he became alert and oriented to
      people, place, and time. We chose thoracic EBP as first line treatment in
      consideration of the risk of cervical EBP such as spinal cord and nerve root
      compression or puncture, chemical meningitis. Also we put our patient in
      Trendelenburg position to make blood travel towards the site of the leak.
      Untreated IHS may delay the course of resolution and affect the patient's
      consciousness. Delivery of EBP via an epidural catheter inserted from the
      thoracic spine is familiar with most of anesthesiologists. It can be a safe and
      effective treatment for patients with IHS caused by CSF leak even at C2.Key
      words: Anaesthetic techniques, regional, thoracic; cerebrospinal fluid leakage;
      epidural blood patch; heavily T2-weighted magnetic resonance myelography;
      intracranial hypotension syndrome; Trendelenburg position.

PMID- 28339450
TI  - Reliability and Safety of Contra-Lateral Oblique View for Interlaminar Epidural
      Needle Placement: Standardization of the Appropriate Angle.

PMID- 28339451
TI  - Percutaneous Vertebral Augmentation for the Treatment of Symptomatic Schmorl's
      Nodes: Our Viewpoint and Experience.

PMID- 28339452
TI  - Reply to: Percutaneous Vertebral Augmentation for the Treatment of Symptomatic
      Schmorl's Nodes: Our Viewpoint and Experience.

PMID- 28339453
TI  - Value of Examination Under Fluoroscopy for the Assessment of Sacroiliac Joint
      Dysfunction.

PMID- 28339454
TI  - Optimal Angle of Contralateral Oblique View in Cervical Interlaminar Epidural
      Injections: Safety or Precision?

PMID- 28339456
TI  - In Errata: Kratom the New 'Legal High' on the Block?: The Case of an Emerging
      Opioid Receptor Agonist with Substance Abuse Potential.

PMID- 28339455
TI  - Response to Letter: Optimal Angle of Contralateral Oblique View in Cervical
      Interlaminar Epidural Injection: Safety or Precision?

PMID- 28339457
TI  - Targeted AAV5-Smad7 gene therapy inhibits corneal scarring in vivo.
AB  - Corneal scarring is due to aberrant activity of the transforming growth factor
      beta (TGFbeta) signaling pathway following traumatic, mechanical, infectious, or
      surgical injury. Altered TGFbeta signaling cascade leads to downstream Smad
      (Suppressor of mothers against decapentaplegic) protein-mediated signaling events
      that regulate expression of extracellular matrix and myogenic proteins. These
      events lead to transdifferentiation of keratocytes into myofibroblasts through
      fibroblasts and often results in permanent corneal scarring. Hence, therapeutic
      targets that reduce transdifferentiation of fibroblasts into myofibroblasts may
      provide a clinically relevant approach to treat corneal fibrosis and improve long
      term visual outcomes. Smad7 protein regulates the functional effects of TGFbeta
      signaling during corneal wound healing. We tested that targeted delivery of Smad7
      using recombinant adeno-associated virus serotype 5 (AAV5-Smad7) delivered to the
      corneal stroma can inhibit corneal haze post photorefractive keratectomy (PRK) in
      vivo in a rabbit corneal injury model. We demonstrate that a single topical
      application of AAV5-Smad7 in rabbit cornea post-PRK led to a significant decrease
      in corneal haze and corneal fibrosis. Further, histopathology revealed lack of
      immune cell infiltration following AAV5-Smad7 gene transfer into the corneal
      stroma. Our data demonstrates that AAV5-Smad7 gene therapy is relatively safe
      with significant potential for the treatment of corneal disease currently
      resulting in fibrosis and impaired vision.

PMID- 28339458
TI  - Rapid Surveillance for Vector Presence (RSVP): Development of a novel system for
      detecting Aedes aegypti and Aedes albopictus.
AB  - BACKGROUND: The globally important Zika, dengue and chikungunya viruses are
      primarily transmitted by the invasive mosquitoes, Aedes aegypti and Aedes
      albopictus. In Australia, there is an increasing risk that these species may
      invade highly urbanized regions and trigger outbreaks. We describe the
      development of a Rapid Surveillance for Vector Presence (RSVP) system to expedite
      presence- absence surveys for both species. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: We
      developed a methodology that uses molecular assays to efficiently screen pooled
      ovitrap (egg trap) samples for traces of target species ribosomal RNA. Firstly,
      specific real-time reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR)
      assays were developed which detect a single Ae. aegypti or Ae. albopictus first
      instar larva in samples containing 4,999 and 999 non-target mosquitoes,
      respectively. ImageJ software was evaluated as an automated egg counting tool
      using ovitrap collections obtained from Brisbane, Australia. Qualitative
      assessment of ovistrips was required prior to automation because ImageJ did not
      differentiate between Aedes eggs and other objects or contaminants on 44.5% of
      ovistrips assessed, thus compromising the accuracy of egg counts. As a proof of
      concept, the RSVP was evaluated in Brisbane, Rockhampton and Goomeri, locations
      where Ae. aegypti is considered absent, present, and at the margin of its range,
      respectively. In Brisbane, Ae. aegypti was not detected in 25 pools formed from
      477 ovitraps, comprising ~ 54,300 eggs. In Rockhampton, Ae. aegypti was detected
      in 4/6 pools derived from 45 ovitraps, comprising ~ 1,700 eggs. In Goomeri, Ae.
      aegypti was detected in 5/8 pools derived from 62 ovitraps, comprising ~ 4,200
      eggs. CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE: RSVP can rapidly detect nucleic acids from low
      numbers of target species within large samples of endemic species aggregated from
      multiple ovitraps. This screening capability facilitates deployment of ovitrap
      configurations of varying spatial scales, from a single residential block to
      entire suburbs or towns. RSVP is a powerful tool for surveillance of invasive
      Aedes spp., validation of species eradication and quality assurance for vector
      control operations implemented during disease outbreaks.

PMID- 28339459
TI  - Functional classification of DNA variants by hybrid minigenes: Identification of
      30 spliceogenic variants of BRCA2 exons 17 and 18.
AB  - Mutation screening of the breast cancer genes BRCA1 and BRCA2 identifies a large
      fraction of variants of uncertain clinical significance (VUS) whose functional
      and clinical interpretations pose a challenge for genomic medicine. Likewise, an
      increasing amount of evidence indicates that genetic variants can have
      deleterious effects on pre-mRNA splicing. Our goal was to investigate the impact
      on splicing of a set of reported variants of BRCA2 exons 17 and 18 to assess
      their role in hereditary breast cancer and to identify critical regulatory
      elements that may constitute hotspots for spliceogenic variants. A splicing
      reporter minigene with BRCA2 exons 14 to-20 (MGBR2_ex14-20) was constructed in
      the pSAD vector. Fifty-two candidate variants were selected with splicing
      prediction programs, introduced in MGBR2_ex14-20 by site-directed mutagenesis and
      assayed in triplicate in MCF-7 cells. Wild type MGBR2_ex14-20 produced a stable
      transcript of the expected size (1,806 nucleotides) and structure (V1
      [BRCA2_exons_14-20]-V2). Functional mapping by microdeletions revealed essential
      sequences for exon recognition on the 3' end of exon 17 (c.7944-7973) and the 5'
      end of exon 18 (c.7979-7988, c.7999-8013). Thirty out of the 52 selected variants
      induced anomalous splicing in minigene assays with >16 different aberrant
      transcripts, where exon skipping was the most common event. A wide range of
      splicing motifs were affected including the canonical splice sites (15 variants),
      novel alternative sites (3 variants), the polypyrimidine tract (3 variants) and
      enhancers/silencers (9 variants). According to the guidelines of the American
      College of Medical Genetics and Genomics (ACMG), 20 variants could be classified
      as pathogenic (c.7806-2A>G, c.7806-1G>A, c.7806-1G>T, c.7806-1_7806-2dup,
      c.7976+1G>A, c.7977-3_7978del, c.7977-2A>T, c.7977-1G>T, c.7977-1G>C, c.8009C>A,
      c.8331+1G>T and c.8331+2T>C) or likely pathogenic (c.7806-9T>G, c.7976G>C,
      c.7976G>A, c.7977-7C>G, c.7985C>G, c.8023A>G, c.8035G>T and c.8331G>A),
      accounting for 30.8% of all pathogenic/likely pathogenic variants of exons 17-18
      at the BRCA Share database. The remaining 8 variants (c.7975A>G, c.7977-6T>G,
      c.7988A>T, c.7992T>A, c.8007A>G, c.8009C>T, c.8009C>G, and c.8072C>T) induced
      partial splicing anomalies with important ratios of the full-length transcript
      (>=70%), so that they remained classified as VUS. Aberrant splicing is therefore
      especially prevalent in BRCA2 exons 17 and 18 due to the presence of active ESEs
      involved in exon recognition. Splicing functional assays with minigenes are a
      valuable strategy for the initial characterization of the splicing outcomes and
      the subsequent clinical interpretation of variants of any disease-gene, although
      these results should be checked, whenever possible, against patient RNA.

PMID- 28339461
TI  - Mass elevation and lee effects markedly lift the elevational distribution of
      ground beetles in the Himalaya-Tibet orogen.
AB  - Mass elevation and lee effects markedly influence snow lines and tree lines in
      high mountain systems. However, their impact on other phenomena or groups of
      organisms has not yet been quantified. Here we quantitatively studied their
      influence in the Himalaya-Tibet orogen on the distribution of ground beetles as
      model organisms, specifically whether the ground beetle distribution increases
      from the outer to the inner parts of the orogen, against latitudinal effects. We
      also tested whether July temperature and solar radiation are predictors of the
      beetle's elevational distribution ranges. Finally, we discussed the general
      importance of these effects for the distributional and evolutionary history of
      the biota of High Asia. We modelled spatially explicit estimates of variables
      characterizing temperature and solar radiation and correlated the variables with
      the respective lower elevational range of 118 species of ground beetles from 76
      high-alpine locations. Both July temperature and solar radiation significantly
      positively correlated with the elevational ranges of high-alpine beetles. Against
      the latitudinal trend, the median elevation of the respective species
      distributions increased by 800 m from the Himalayan south face north to the
      Transhimalaya. Our results indicate that an increase in seasonal temperature due
      to mass elevation and lee effects substantially impact the regional distribution
      patterns of alpine ground beetles of the Himalaya-Tibet orogen and are likely to
      affect also other soil biota there and in mountain ranges worldwide. Since these
      effects must have changed during orogenesis, their potential impact must be
      considered when biogeographic scenarios based on geological models are derived.
      As this has not been the practice, we believe that large biases likely exist in
      many paleoecological and evolutionary studies dealing with the biota from the
      Himalaya-Tibet orogen and mountain ranges worldwide.

PMID- 28339460
TI  - Evaluating implementation of a fire-prevention injury prevention briefing in
      children's centres: Cluster randomised controlled trial.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Many developed countries have high mortality rates for fire-related
      deaths in children aged 0-14 years with steep social gradients. Evidence-based
      interventions to promote fire safety practices exist, but the impact of
      implementing a range of these interventions in children's services has not been
      assessed. We developed an Injury Prevention Briefing (IPB), which brought
      together evidence about effective fire safety interventions and good practice in
      delivering interventions; plus training and facilitation to support its use and
      evaluated its implementation. METHODS: We conducted a cluster randomised
      controlled trial, with integrated qualitative and cost-effectiveness nested
      studies, across four study sites in England involving children's centres in
      disadvantaged areas; participants were staff and families attending those
      centres. Centres were stratified by study site and randomised within strata to
      one of three arms: IPB plus facilitation (IPB+), IPB only, usual care. IPB+
      centres received initial training and facilitation at months 1, 3, and 8.
      Baseline data from children's centres were collected between August 2011 and
      January 2012 and follow-up data were collected between June 2012 and June 2013.
      Parent baseline data were collected between January 2012 and May 2012 and follow
      up data between May 2013 and September 2013. Data comprised baseline and 12 month
      parent- and staff-completed questionnaires, facilitation contact data, activity
      logs and staff interviews. The primary outcome was whether families had a plan
      for escaping from a house fire. Treatment arms were compared using multilevel
      models to account for clustering by children's centre. RESULTS: 1112 parents at
      36 children's centres participated. There was no significant effect of the
      intervention on families' possession of plans for escaping from a house fire
      (adjusted odds ratio (AOR) IPB only vs. usual care: 0.93, 95%CI 0.58, 1.49; AOR
      IPB+ vs. usual care 1.41, 95%CI 0.91, 2.20). However, significantly more families
      in the intervention arms reported more behaviours for escaping from house fires
      (AOR IPB only vs. usual care: 2.56, 95%CI 01.38, 4.76; AOR IPB+ vs. usual care
      1.78, 95%CI 1.01, 3.15). CONCLUSION: Our study demonstrated that children's
      centres can deliver an injury prevention intervention to families in
      disadvantaged communities and achieve changes in home safety behaviours.

PMID- 28339462
TI  - Safety of a topical insect repellent (picaridin) during community mass use for
      malaria control in rural Cambodia.
AB  - BACKGROUND: While community distribution of topical repellents has been proposed
      as an additional malaria control intervention, the safety of this intervention at
      the population level remains poorly evaluated. We describe the safety of mass
      distribution of the picaridin repellent during a cluster-randomised trial in
      rural Cambodia in 2012-2013. METHODS: The repellent was distributed among 57
      intervention villages with around 25,000 inhabitants by a team of village
      distributors. Information on individual adverse events, reported by phone by the
      village distributors, was obtained through home visits. Information on perceived
      side effects, reported at the family level, was obtained during two-weekly bottle
      exchange. Adverse events were classified as adverse reactions (events likely
      linked to the repellent), cases of repellent abuse and events not related to the
      repellent use, and classified as per Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse
      Events. FINDINGS: Of the 41 adverse events notified by phone by the village
      distributors, there were 22 adverse reactions, 11 cases of repellent abuse (6
      accidental, 5 suicide attempts) and 8 non-related events. All adverse reactions
      were mild, occurred in the first few months of use, and mainly manifested as skin
      conditions. Of the 11 cases of abuse, 2 were moderate and 2 life-threatening. All
      cases with adverse reactions and repellent abuse recovered completely. 20% of
      families reported perceived side effects, mainly itching, headache, dizziness and
      bad smell, but few discontinued repellent use. CONCLUSIONS: Adverse reactions and
      abuse during mass use of picaridin were uncommon and generally mild, supporting
      the safety of the picaridin repellent for malaria control.

PMID- 28339463
TI  - Combinations of SERPINB5 gene polymorphisms and environmental factors are
      associated with oral cancer risks.
AB  - BACKGROUND: We identified rs17071138 T/C, rs3744941 C/T, and rs8089104 T/C gene
      polymorphisms of SERPINB5 (mammary serine protease inhibitor) that are specific
      to patients with oral cancer susceptibility and their clinicopathological status.
      METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: In total, 1342 participants, including 601
      healthy controls and 741 patients with oral cancer, were recruited for this
      study. Allelic discrimination of rs17071138 T/C, rs3744941 C/T, and rs8089104 T/C
      of the SERPINB5 gene was assessed by a real-time PCR with a TaqMan assay. We
      found that individuals carrying the polymorphic rs17071138 and rs8089104 are more
      susceptible to oral cancer (OR, 1.57; 95% CI, 1.07~2.31 and OR, 1.58; 95% CI,
      1.04~2.39, respectively). Among oral cancer-related risk factor exposures, the
      individuals carrying the polymorphic rs17071138 had 4.26- (95% CI: 1.65~11.01; p
      = 0.002), 2.34- (95% CI: 1.19~4.61; p = 0.01), and 2.34-fold (95% CI: 1.38~3.96;
      p = 0.001) higher risks of developing oral cancer. CONCLUSIONS: Heterozygous TC
      of the SERPINB5 rs17071138 polymorphism may be a factor that increases
      susceptibility to oral cancer. Interactions of gene-to-gene and gene-to-oral
      cancer-related environmental risk factors have a synergetic effect that can
      further enhance oral cancer development.

PMID- 28339464
TI  - The preservation of microbial DNA in archived soils of various genetic types.
AB  - This study is a comparative analysis of samples of archived (stored for over 70
      90 years) and modern soils of two different genetic types-chernozem and sod
      podzolic soils. We revealed a reduction in biodiversity of archived soils
      relative to their modern state. Particularly, long-term storage in the museum
      exerted a greater impact on the microbiomes of sod-podzolic soils, while
      chernozem samples better preserved the native community. Thus, the persistence of
      microbial DNA in soil is largely determined by the physico-chemical
      characteristics that differ across soil types. Chernozems create better
      conditions for the long-term DNA preservation than sod-podzolic soils. This
      results in supposedly higher levels of biodiversity conservation in the
      microbiomes of chernozem with preservation of major microbial taxa dominant in
      the modern (control) soil samples, which makes archived chernozems a promising
      object for paleosoil studies.

PMID- 28339465
TI  - Comparative accuracy of the REBA MTB MDR and Hain MTBDRplus line probe assays for
      the detection of multidrug-resistant tuberculosis: A multicenter, non-inferiority
      study.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: Despite recent diagnostic advances, the majority of multidrug
      resistant tuberculosis (MDR-TB) cases remain undiagnosed. Line probes assays
      (LiPAs) hold great promise to curb the spread of MDR-TB as they can rapidly
      detect MDR-TB even when laboratory infrastructure is limited, yet few of these
      assays are currently widely available or supported by World Health Organization
      (WHO) policy. METHODS: The aim of this prospective, blinded, non-inferiority
      study was to compare the performance of YD Diagnostics REBA MTB MDR LiPA (YD) to
      the WHO-endorsed Hain MTBDRplus V1 LiPA (Hain V1) for the detection of rifampicin
      and isoniazid resistance. In phase 1, YD and Hain V1 diagnostic performance was
      assessed with selected culture isolates and results were compared to phenotypic
      drug susceptibility testing (DST) results and targeted sequencing data. In phase
      2, both assays were tested on processed sputum samples and results were compared
      to phenotypic DST results. RESULTS: In phase 1, YD did not achieve non
      inferiority to Hain V1. For isoniazid resistance detection, Hain V1 had a
      sensitivity of 89% (95%CI 83.8-93%) and specificity of 99.4% (95%CI 96.9-100%).
      While YD had a similar sensitivity of 92% (95%CI 87.3-95.4%), the specificity was
      inferior at 92.6% (95%CI 87.6-96%). For rifampicin resistance detection, Hain V1
      had a sensitivity of 90.2% (95%CI 84.8-94.2%) and specificity of 98.5% (95%CI
      95.7-99.7%) while YD had an inferior sensitivity of 72.4% (95%CI 65.1-78.9%) and
      a comparable specificity of 98% (95%CI 95-99.5%). Similar results were observed
      in phase 2. For MDR-TB detection, the sensitivity and specificity of Hain V1 was
      93.4% (95%CI 88.2-96.2%) and 96.2% (95%CI 88.2-96.8%), respectively, compared to
      75.7% (95%CI 68-82.2%) and 92% (95%CI 88.2-94.9%) for YD. CONCLUSIONS: YD did not
      achieve non-inferiority with Hain V1. Further improvements and repeat evaluation
      of YD is necessary prior to recommending its use for clinical settings.

PMID- 28339466
TI  - In silico search for modifier genes associated with pancreatic and liver disease
      in Cystic Fibrosis.
AB  - Cystic Fibrosis is the most common lethal autosomal recessive disorder in the
      white population, affecting among other organs, the lung, the pancreas and the
      liver. Whereas Cystic Fibrosis is a monogenic disease, many studies reveal a very
      complex relationship between genotype and clinical phenotype. Indeed, the broad
      phenotypic spectrum observed in Cystic Fibrosis is far from being explained by
      obvious genotype-phenotype correlations and it is admitted that Cystic Fibrosis
      disease is the result of multiple factors, including effects of the environment
      as well as modifier genes. Our objective was to highlight new modifier genes with
      potential implications in the lung, pancreatic and liver outcomes of the disease.
      For this purpose we performed a system biology approach which combined, database
      mining, literature mining, gene expression study and network analysis as well as
      pathway enrichment analysis and protein-protein interactions. We found that
      IFI16, CCNE2 and IGFBP2 are potential modifiers in the altered lung function in
      Cystic Fibrosis. We also found that EPHX1, HLA-DQA1, HLA-DQB1, DSP and SLC33A1,
      GPNMB, NCF2, RASGRP1, LGALS3 and PTPN13, are potential modifiers in pancreas and
      liver, respectively. Associated pathways indicate that immune system is likely
      involved and that Ubiquitin C is probably a central node, linking Cystic Fibrosis
      to liver and pancreatic disease. We highlight here new modifier genes with
      potential implications in Cystic Fibrosis. Nevertheless, our in silico analysis
      requires functional analysis to give our results a physiological relevance.

PMID- 28339467
TI  - A non-canonical RNA degradation pathway suppresses RNAi-dependent epimutations in
      the human fungal pathogen Mucor circinelloides.
AB  - Mucorales are a group of basal fungi that includes the casual agents of the human
      emerging disease mucormycosis. Recent studies revealed that these pathogens
      activate an RNAi-based pathway to rapidly generate drug-resistant epimutant
      strains when exposed to stressful compounds such as the antifungal drug FK506. To
      elucidate the molecular mechanism of this epimutation pathway, we performed a
      genetic analysis in Mucor circinelloides that revealed an inhibitory role for the
      non-canonical RdRP-dependent Dicer-independent silencing pathway, which is an
      RNAi-based mechanism involved in mRNA degradation that was recently identified.
      Thus, mutations that specifically block the mRNA degradation pathway, such as
      those in the genes r3b2 and rdrp3, enhance the production of drug resistant
      epimutants, similar to the phenotype previously described for mutation of the
      gene rdrp1. Our genetic analysis also revealed two new specific components of the
      epimutation pathway related to the quelling induced protein (qip) and a Sad-3
      like helicase (rnhA), as mutations in these genes prevented formation of drug
      resistant epimutants. Remarkably, drug-resistant epimutant production was notably
      increased in M. circinelloides f. circinelloides isolates from humans or other
      animal hosts. The host-pathogen interaction could be a stressful environment in
      which the phenotypic plasticity provided by the epimutant pathway might provide
      an advantage for these strains. These results evoke a model whereby balanced
      regulation of two different RNAi pathways is determined by the activation of the
      RNAi-dependent epimutant pathway under stress conditions, or its repression when
      the regular maintenance of the mRNA degradation pathway operates under non-stress
      conditions.

PMID- 28339468
TI  - PBMDA: A novel and effective path-based computational model for miRNA-disease
      association prediction.
AB  - In the recent few years, an increasing number of studies have shown that
      microRNAs (miRNAs) play critical roles in many fundamental and important
      biological processes. As one of pathogenetic factors, the molecular mechanisms
      underlying human complex diseases still have not been completely understood from
      the perspective of miRNA. Predicting potential miRNA-disease associations makes
      important contributions to understanding the pathogenesis of diseases, developing
      new drugs, and formulating individualized diagnosis and treatment for diverse
      human complex diseases. Instead of only depending on expensive and time-consuming
      biological experiments, computational prediction models are effective by
      predicting potential miRNA-disease associations, prioritizing candidate miRNAs
      for the investigated diseases, and selecting those miRNAs with higher association
      probabilities for further experimental validation. In this study, Path-Based
      MiRNA-Disease Association (PBMDA) prediction model was proposed by integrating
      known human miRNA-disease associations, miRNA functional similarity, disease
      semantic similarity, and Gaussian interaction profile kernel similarity for
      miRNAs and diseases. This model constructed a heterogeneous graph consisting of
      three interlinked sub-graphs and further adopted depth-first search algorithm to
      infer potential miRNA-disease associations. As a result, PBMDA achieved reliable
      performance in the frameworks of both local and global LOOCV (AUCs of 0.8341 and
      0.9169, respectively) and 5-fold cross validation (average AUC of 0.9172). In the
      cases studies of three important human diseases, 88% (Esophageal Neoplasms), 88%
      (Kidney Neoplasms) and 90% (Colon Neoplasms) of top-50 predicted miRNAs have been
      manually confirmed by previous experimental reports from literatures. Through the
      comparison performance between PBMDA and other previous models in case studies,
      the reliable performance also demonstrates that PBMDA could serve as a powerful
      computational tool to accelerate the identification of disease-miRNA
      associations.

PMID- 28339469
TI  - Non-invasive evaluation of muscle disease in the canine model of Duchenne
      muscular dystrophy by electrical impedance myography.
AB  - Dystrophin-deficient dogs are by far the best available large animal models for
      Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD), the most common lethal childhood muscle
      degenerative disease. The use of the canine DMD model in basic disease mechanism
      research and translational studies will be greatly enhanced with the development
      of reliable outcome measures. Electrical impedance myography (EIM) is a non
      invasive painless procedure that provides quantitative data relating to muscle
      composition and histology. EIM has been extensively used in neuromuscular disease
      research in both human patients and rodent models. Recent studies suggest that
      EIM may represent a highly reliable and convenient outcome measure in DMD
      patients and the mdx mouse model of DMD. To determine whether EIM can be used as
      a biomarker of disease severity in the canine model, we performed the assay in
      fourteen young (~6.6-m-old; 6 normal and 8 affected) and ten mature (~16.9-m-old;
      4 normal and 6 affected) dogs of mixed background breeds. EIM was well tolerated
      with good inter-rater reliability. Affected dogs showed higher resistance, lower
      reactance and phase. The difference became more straightforward in mature dogs.
      Importantly, we observed a statistically significant correlation between the EIM
      data and muscle fibrosis. Our results suggest that EIM is a valuable objective
      measurement in the canine DMD model.

PMID- 28339470
TI  - Meiotic recombination modulates the structure and dynamics of the synaptonemal
      complex during C. elegans meiosis.
AB  - During meiotic prophase, a structure called the synaptonemal complex (SC)
      assembles at the interface between aligned pairs of homologous chromosomes, and
      crossover recombination events occur between their DNA molecules. Here we
      investigate the inter-relationships between these two hallmark features of the
      meiotic program in the nematode C. elegans, revealing dynamic properties of the
      SC that are modulated by recombination. We demonstrate that the SC incorporates
      new subunits and switches from a more highly dynamic/labile state to a more
      stable state as germ cells progress through the pachytene stage of meiotic
      prophase. We further show that the more dynamic state of the SC is prolonged in
      mutants where meiotic recombination is impaired. Moreover, in meiotic mutants
      where recombination intermediates are present in limiting numbers, SC central
      region subunits become preferentially stabilized on the subset of chromosome
      pairs that harbor a site where pro-crossover factors COSA-1 and MutSgamma are
      concentrated. Polo-like kinase PLK-2 becomes preferentially localized to the SCs
      of chromosome pairs harboring recombination sites prior to the enrichment of SC
      central region proteins on such chromosomes, and PLK-2 is required for this
      enrichment to occur. Further, late pachytene nuclei in a plk-2 mutant exhibit the
      more highly dynamic SC state. Together our data demonstrate that crossover
      recombination events elicit chromosome-autonomous stabilizing effects on the SC
      and implicate PLK-2 in this process. We discuss how this recombination-triggered
      modulation of SC state might contribute to regulatory mechanisms that operate
      during meiosis to ensure the formation of crossovers while at the same time
      limiting their numbers.

PMID- 28339471
TI  - Expression quantitative trait loci for PAX8 contributes to the prognosis of
      hepatocellular carcinoma.
AB  - Paired-box family member PAX8 encodes a transcription factor that has a role in
      cell differentiation and cell growth and may participate in the prognosis of
      hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). By bioinformatics analysis, we identified several
      single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) within a newly identified long non-coding
      RNA (lncRNA) AC016683.6 as expression quantitative trait loci (eQTLs) for PAX8.
      Hence, we hypothesized that PAX8eQTLs in lncRNA AC016683.6 may influence the HCC
      prognosis. We then performed a case-only study to assess the association between
      the two SNPs as well as the prognosis of HCC in 331 HBV-positive HCC patients
      without surgical treatment. Cox proportional hazard models were used for survival
      analysis with adjustments for the age, gender, smoking status, drinking status,
      Barcelona-Clinic Liver Cancer (BCLC) stage, and chemotherapy or TACE
      (transcatheter hepatic arterial chemoembolization) status. We found that the G
      allele of rs1110839 and the T allele of rs4848320 in PAX8was significantly
      associated with a better prognosis compared with the T allele of rs1110839 and
      the C allele of rs4848320 (adjusted HR = 0.74, 95% CI = 0.61-0.91, P = 0.004 for
      rs1110839 and adjusted HR = 0.71, 95% CI = 0.54-0.94, P = 0.015 for rs4848320 in
      the additive model). Furthermore, the combined effect of the variant genotypes
      for these two SNPs was more prominent in patients with the BCLC-C stage
      orpatients with chemotherapy or TACE. Although the exact biological function
      remains to be explored, our findings suggest a possible association of PAX8eQTLs
      in lncRNA AC016683.6 with the HCC prognosis inthe Chinese population. Further
      large and functional studies are needed to confirm our findings.

PMID- 28339472
TI  - Vector status of Aedes species determines geographical risk of autochthonous Zika
      virus establishment.
AB  - BACKGROUND: The 2015-16 Zika virus pandemic originating in Latin America led to
      predictions of a catastrophic global spread of the disease. Since the current
      outbreak began in Brazil in May 2015 local transmission of Zika has been reported
      in over 60 countries and territories, with over 750 thousand confirmed and
      suspected cases. As a result of its range expansion attention has focused on
      possible modes of transmission, of which the arthropod vector-based disease
      spread cycle involving Aedes species is believed to be the most important.
      Additional causes of concern are the emerging new links between Zika disease and
      Guillain-Barre Syndrome (GBS), and a once rare congenital disease, microcephaly.
      METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: Like dengue and chikungunya, the geographic
      establishment of Zika is thought to be limited by the occurrence of its principal
      vector mosquito species, Ae. aegypti and, possibly, Ae. albopictus. While Ae.
      albopictus populations are more widely established than those of Ae. aegypti, the
      relative competence of these species as a Zika vector is unknown. The analysis
      reported here presents a global risk model that considers the role of each vector
      species independently, and quantifies the potential spreading risk of Zika into
      new regions. Six scenarios are evaluated which vary in the weight assigned to Ae.
      albopictus as a possible spreading vector. The scenarios are bounded by the
      extreme assumptions that spread is driven by air travel and Ae. aegypti presence
      alone and spread driven equally by both species. For each scenario destination
      cities at highest risk of Zika outbreaks are prioritized, as are source cities in
      affected regions. Finally, intercontinental air travel routes that pose the
      highest risk for Zika spread are also ranked. The results are compared between
      scenarios. CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE: Results from the analysis reveal that if Ae.
      aegypti is the only competent Zika vector, then risk is geographically limited;
      in North America mainly to Florida and Texas. However, if Ae. albopictus proves
      to be a competent vector of Zika, which does not yet appear to be the case, then
      there is risk of local establishment in all American regions including Canada and
      Chile, much of Western Europe, Australia, New Zealand, as well as South and East
      Asia, with a substantial increase in risk to Asia due to the more recent local
      establishment of Zika in Singapore.

PMID- 28339475
TI  - Correction: The World Health Organization Fetal Growth Charts: A Multinational
      Longitudinal Study of Ultrasound Biometric Measurements and Estimated Fetal
      Weight.
AB  - [This corrects the article DOI: 10.1371/journal.pmed.1002220.].

PMID- 28339473
TI  - Characterization of lignocellulolytic activities from fungi isolated from the
      deep-sea sponge Stelletta normani.
AB  - Extreme habitats have usually been regarded as a source of microorganisms that
      possess robust proteins that help enable them to survive in such harsh
      conditions. The deep sea can be considered an extreme habitat due to low
      temperatures (<5 degrees C) and high pressure, however marine sponges survive in
      these habitats. While bacteria derived from deep-sea marine sponges have been
      studied, much less information is available on fungal biodiversity associated
      with these sponges. Following screening of fourteen fungi isolated from the deep
      sea sponge Stelletta normani sampled at a depth of 751 metres, three halotolerant
      strains (TS2, TS11 and TS12) were identified which displayed high CMCase and
      xylanase activities. Molecular based taxonomic approaches identified these
      strains as Cadophora sp. TS2, Emericellopsis sp. TS11 and Pseudogymnoascus sp. TS
      12. These three fungi displayed psychrotolerance and halotolerant growth on CMC
      and xylan as sole carbon sources, with optimal growth rates at 20 degrees C. They
      produced CMCase and xylanase activities, which displayed optimal temperature and
      pH values of between 50-70 degrees C and pH 5-8 respectively, together with good
      thermostability and halotolerance. In solid-state fermentations TS2, TS11 and
      TS12 produced CMCases, xylanases and peroxidase/phenol oxidases when grown on
      corn stover and wheat straw. This is the first time that CMCase, xylanase and
      peroxidase/phenol oxidase activities have been reported in these three fungal
      genera isolated from a marine sponge. Given the biochemical characteristics of
      these ligninolytic enzymes it is likely that they may prove useful in future
      biomass conversion strategies involving lignocellulosic materials.

PMID- 28339474
TI  - A decrease in intact parathyroid hormone (iPTH) levels is associated with higher
      mortality in prevalent hemodialysis patients.
AB  - BACKGROUND: The mortality of dialysis patients is 10- to 100-fold higher than in
      the general population. Baseline serum PTH levels, and more recently, changes in
      serum PTH levels (DeltaPTH) over time, have been associated to mortality in
      dialysis patients. METHODS: We explored the relationship between DeltaPTH over 1
      year with mortality over the next year in a prospective cohort of 115 prevalent
      hemodialysis patients from a single center that had median baseline iPTH levels
      within guideline recommendations. RESULTS: Median baseline iPTH levels were 205
      (116.5, 400) pg/ml. DeltaiPTH between baseline and 1 year was 85.2 +/- 57.1
      pg/ml. During the second year of follow-up, 27 patients died. DeltaiPTH was
      significantly higher in patients who survived (+157.30 +/- 25.82 pg/ml) than in
      those who died (+39.03 +/- 60.95 pg/ml), while baseline iPTH values were not
      significantly different. The highest mortality (48%) was observed in patients
      with a decrease in DeltaiPTH (DeltaiPTH quartile 1, negative DeltaiPTH) and the
      lowest (12%) mortality in quartile 3 DeltaiPTH (DeltaiPTH increase 101-300
      pg/ml). In a logistic regression model, DeltaiPTH was associated with mortality
      with an odds ratio (OR) of 0.998 (95% CI 0.996-0999, p = 0.038). In multivariable
      analysis, mortality risk was 73% and 88% lower for patients with DeltaiPTH 0-100
      pg/ml and 101-300 pg/ml, respectively, than for those with a decrease in
      DeltaiPTH. In patients with a decrease in DeltaiPTH, the OR for death was 4.131
      (1.515-11.27)(p = 0.006). CONCLUSIONS: In prevalent hemodialysis patients with
      median baseline iPTH values within the guideline recommended range, a decrease in
      DeltaiPTH was associated with higher mortality. Further studies are required to
      understand the mechanisms and therapeutic implications of this observation that
      challenges current clinical practice.

PMID- 28339476
TI  - Transgenic mice overexpressing desmocollin-2 (DSC2) develop cardiomyopathy
      associated with myocardial inflammation and fibrotic remodeling.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Arrhythmogenic cardiomyopathy is an inherited heart muscle disorder
      leading to ventricular arrhythmias and heart failure, mainly as a result of
      mutations in cardiac desmosomal genes. Desmosomes are cell-cell junctions
      mediating adhesion of cardiomyocytes; however, the molecular and cellular
      mechanisms underlying the disease remain widely unknown. Desmocollin-2 is a
      desmosomal cadherin serving as an anchor molecule required to reconstitute
      homeostatic intercellular adhesion with desmoglein-2. Cardiac specific lack of
      desmoglein-2 leads to severe cardiomyopathy, whereas overexpression does not. In
      contrast, the corresponding data for desmocollin-2 are incomplete, in particular
      from the view of protein overexpression. Therefore, we developed a mouse model
      overexpressing desmocollin-2 to determine its potential contribution to
      cardiomyopathy and intercellular adhesion pathology. METHODS AND RESULTS: We
      generated transgenic mice overexpressing DSC2 in cardiac myocytes. Transgenic
      mice developed a severe cardiac dysfunction over 5 to 13 weeks as indicated by 2D
      echocardiography measurements. Corresponding histology and immunohistochemistry
      demonstrated fibrosis, necrosis and calcification which were mainly localized in
      patches near the epi- and endocardium of both ventricles. Expressions of
      endogenous desmosomal proteins were markedly reduced in fibrotic areas but appear
      to be unchanged in non-fibrotic areas. Furthermore, gene expression data indicate
      an early up-regulation of inflammatory and fibrotic remodeling pathways between 2
      to 3.5 weeks of age. CONCLUSION: Cardiac specific overexpression of desmocollin-2
      induces necrosis, acute inflammation and patchy cardiac fibrotic remodeling
      leading to fulminant biventricular cardiomyopathy.

PMID- 28339477
TI  - Six degree-of-freedom knee joint kinematics in obese individuals with knee pain
      during gait.
AB  - Knee joint pain is a common symptom in obese individuals and walking is often
      prescribed as part of management programs. Past studies in obese individuals have
      focused on standing alignment and kinematics in the sagittal and coronal planes.
      Investigation of 6 degree-of-freedom (6DOF) knee joint kinematics during standing
      and gait is important to thoroughly understand knee function in obese individuals
      with knee pain. This study aimed to investigate the 6DOF knee joint kinematics in
      standing and during gait in obese patients using a validated fluoroscopic imaging
      system. Ten individuals with obesity and knee pain were recruited. While
      standing, the knee was in 7.4+/-6.3 degrees of hyperextension, 2.8+/-3.3 degrees 
      of abduction and 5.6+/-7.3 degrees  of external rotation. The femoral center was
      located 0.7+/-3.1mm anterior and 5.1+/-1.5mm medial to the tibial center. During
      treadmill gait, the sagittal plane motion, i.e., flexion/extension and anterior
      posterior translation, showed a clear pattern. Specifically, obese individuals
      with knee pain maintained the knee in more flexion and more anterior tibial
      translation during most of the stance phase of the gait cycle and had a reduced
      total range of knee flexion when compared to a healthy non-obese group. In
      conclusion, obese individuals with knee pain used hyperextension knee posture
      while standing, but maintained the knee in more flexion during gait with reduced
      overall range of motion in the 6DOF analysis.

PMID- 28339478
TI  - Morphological and morphometric specializations of the lung of the Andean goose,
      Chloephaga melanoptera: A lifelong high-altitude resident.
AB  - High altitude flight in rarefied, extremely cold and hypoxic air is a very
      challenging activity. Only a few species of birds can achieve it. Hitherto, the
      structure of the lungs of such birds has not been studied. This is because of the
      rarity of such species and the challenges of preparing well-fixed lung tissue.
      Here, it was posited that in addition to the now proven physiological
      adaptations, high altitude flying birds will also have acquired pulmonary
      structural adaptations that enable them to obtain the large amounts of oxygen
      (O2) needed for flight at high elevation, an environment where O2 levels are very
      low. The Andean goose (Chloephaga melanoptera) normally resides at altitudes
      above 3000 meters and flies to elevations as high as 6000 meters where O2 becomes
      limiting. In this study, its lung was morphologically- and morphometrically
      investigated. It was found that structurally the lungs are exceptionally
      specialized for gas exchange. Atypically, the infundibulae are well-vascularized.
      The mass-specific volume of the lung (42.8 cm3.kg-1), the mass-specific
      respiratory surface area of the blood-gas (tissue) barrier (96.5 cm2.g-1) and the
      mass-specific volume of the pulmonary capillary blood (7.44 cm3.kg-1) were some
      of the highest values so far reported in birds. The pulmonary structural
      specializations have generated a mass-specific total (overall) pulmonary
      morphometric diffusing capacity of the lung for oxygen (DLo2) of 0.119 mlO2.sec
      1.mbar-1.kg-1, a value that is among some of the highest ones in birds that have
      been studied. The adaptations of the lung of the Andean goose possibly produce
      the high O2 conductance needed to live and fly at high altitude.

PMID- 28339479
TI  - Mouse newborn cells allow highly productive mouse cytomegalovirus replication,
      constituting a novel convenient primary cell culture system.
AB  - Mammalian cell culture is indispensable for most aspects of current biomedical
      research. Immortalized cell lines are very convenient, but transforming
      principles (e.g. oncogenic viruses or their oncogenes) can heavily influence the
      experimental outcome. Primary cells do not share this apparent disadvantage but
      are more laborious to generate. Certain viruses (e.g. mouse cytomegalovirus) do
      not replicate efficiently in most transformed cell lines. In the past, such
      viruses have been routinely propagated on primary mouse embryonic fibroblasts
      (MEF) established around day 17 (d17) of gestation. According to new regulations
      of the European Union, experiments using gravid mammals and/or their embryos in
      the last trimester (>d14 in the case of mice) of gestation do require explicit
      permission of the local authorities responsible for animal care and use. Applying
      for such permission is time-consuming and often inflexible. Embryonic fibroblasts
      could also be produced at earlier time points of pregnancy from younger and
      smaller embryos. Obviously, this approach consumes more pregnant mice and
      embryos. Newborn mice are larger thus yielding more cells per sacrificed animal
      and the new Directive (2010/63/EU) excludes the killing of animals solely for the
      use of their organs or tissues. We established a convenient protocol to generate
      adherent mouse newborn cells (MNC). A direct comparison of MNC with MEF revealed
      that MNC fully recapitulate all tested aspects of a broad panel of virological
      parameters (plaque size, final titers, viral replication kinetics, viral gene
      expression, drug and interferon susceptibility as well as species specificity).
      The herein described approach allows researchers the legal use of primary cells
      and contributes to the 3R (replace, reduce, refine) guiding principles-especially
      the 'reduce' aspect-for the use of animals in scientific research. Additionally,
      it offers the option to directly compare in vitro and in vivo experiments when
      MNC are generated from littermates of animals included in the in vivo
      experiments.

PMID- 28339480
TI  - A new accuracy measure based on bounded relative error for time series
      forecasting.
AB  - Many accuracy measures have been proposed in the past for time series forecasting
      comparisons. However, many of these measures suffer from one or more issues such
      as poor resistance to outliers and scale dependence. In this paper, while
      summarising commonly used accuracy measures, a special review is made on the
      symmetric mean absolute percentage error. Moreover, a new accuracy measure called
      the Unscaled Mean Bounded Relative Absolute Error (UMBRAE), which combines the
      best features of various alternative measures, is proposed to address the common
      issues of existing measures. A comparative evaluation on the proposed and related
      measures has been made with both synthetic and real-world data. The results
      indicate that the proposed measure, with user selectable benchmark, performs as
      well as or better than other measures on selected criteria. Though it has been
      commonly accepted that there is no single best accuracy measure, we suggest that
      UMBRAE could be a good choice to evaluate forecasting methods, especially for
      cases where measures based on geometric mean of relative errors, such as the
      geometric mean relative absolute error, are preferred.

PMID- 28339481
TI  - Proteomic analysis of injured storage roots in cassava (Manihot esculenta Crantz)
      under postharvest physiological deterioration.
AB  - Postharvest physiological deterioration (PPD) is a global challenge in the
      improvement of cassava value chain. However, how to reduce cassava spoilage and
      reveal the mechanism of injured cassava storage roots in response to PPD were
      poorly understood. In the present study, we investigated the activities of
      antioxidant enzymes of cassava injured storage roots in PPD-susceptible (SC9) and
      PPD-tolerant (QZ1) genotypes at the time-points from 0h to 120h, and further
      analyzed their proteomic changes using two-dimensional electrophoresis (2-DE) in
      combination with MALDI-TOF-MS/MS. Ninety-nine differentially expressed proteins
      were identified from SC9 and QZ1 genotypes in the pairwise comparison of 24h/0h,
      48h/0h, 72h/0h and 96h/0h. Of those proteins were associated with 13 biological
      functions, in which carbohydrate and energy metabolism related proteins were the
      biggest amount differential proteins in both genotypes, followed by chaperones,
      DNA and RNA metabolism, and defense system. We speculated that SOD in combination
      with CAT activities would be the first line of defense against PPD to support PPD
      tolerant cassava varieties. The four hub proteins including CPN60B, LOS2, HSC70-1
      and CPN20B, produced from the network of protein-protein interaction, will be the
      candidate key proteins linked with PPD. This study provides a new clue to improve
      cassava PPD-tolerant varieties and would be helpful to much better understand the
      molecular mechanism of PPD of cassava injured storage roots.

PMID- 28339482
TI  - A genome-wide identification and analysis of the DYW-deaminase genes in the
      pentatricopeptide repeat gene family in cotton (Gossypium spp.).
AB  - The RNA editing occurring in plant organellar genomes mainly involves the change
      of cytidine to uridine. This process involves a deamination reaction, with
      cytidine deaminase as the catalyst. Pentatricopeptide repeat (PPR) proteins with
      a C-terminal DYW domain are reportedly associated with cytidine deamination,
      similar to members of the deaminase superfamily. PPR genes are involved in many
      cellular functions and biological processes including fertility restoration to
      cytoplasmic male sterility (CMS) in plants. In this study, we identified 227 and
      211 DYW deaminase-coding PPR genes for the cultivated tetraploid cotton species
      G. hirsutum and G. barbadense (2n = 4x = 52), respectively, as well as 126 and 97
      DYW deaminase-coding PPR genes in the ancestral diploid species G. raimondii and
      G. arboreum (2n = 26), respectively. The 227 G. hirsutum PPR genes were predicted
      to encode 52-2016 amino acids, 203 of which were mapped onto 26 chromosomes. Most
      DYW deaminase genes lacked introns, and their proteins were predicted to target
      the mitochondria or chloroplasts. Additionally, the DYW domain differed from the
      complete DYW deaminase domain, which contained part of the E domain and the
      entire E+ domain. The types and number of DYW tripeptides may have been
      influenced by evolutionary processes, with some tripeptides being lost.
      Furthermore, a gene ontology analysis revealed that DYW deaminase functions were
      mainly related to binding as well as hydrolase and transferase activities. The G.
      hirsutum DYW deaminase expression profiles varied among different cotton tissues
      and developmental stages, and no differentially expressed DYW deaminase-coding
      PPRs were directly associated with the male sterility and restoration in the CMS
      D2 system. Our current study provides an important piece of information regarding
      the structural and evolutionary characteristics of Gossypium DYW-containing PPR
      genes coding for deaminases and will be useful for characterizing the DYW
      deaminase gene family in cotton biology and breeding.

PMID- 28339483
TI  - Temporal evolution of vasospasm and clinical outcome after intra-arterial
      vasodilator therapy in patients with aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage.
AB  - Intra-arterial (IA) vasodilator therapy is one of the recommended treatments to
      minimize the impact of aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage-induced cerebral
      vasospasm refractory to standard management. However, its usefulness and efficacy
      is not well established. We evaluated the effect IA vasodilator therapy on middle
      cerebral artery blood flow and on discharge outcome. We reviewed records for 115
      adults admitted to Neurointensive Care Unit to test whether there was a
      difference in clinical outcome (discharge mRS) in those who received IA
      infusions. In a subset of 19 patients (33 vessels) treated using IA therapy, we
      tested whether therapy was effective in reversing the trends in blood flow. All
      measures of MCA blood flow increased from day -2 to -1 before infusion (maximum
      Peak Systolic Velocity (PSV) 232.2+/-9.4 to 262.4+/-12.5 cm/s [p = 0.02]; average
      PSV 202.1+/-8.5 to 229.9+/-10.9 [p = 0.02]; highest Mean Flow Velocity (MFV)
      154.3+/-8.3 to 172.9+/-10.5 [p = 0.10]; average MFV 125.5+/-6.3 to 147.8+/-9.5
      cm/s, [p = 0.02]) but not post-infusion (maximum PSV 261.2+/-14.6 cm/s [p = .89];
      average PSV 223.4+/-11.4 [p = 0.56]; highest MFV 182.9+/-12.4 cm/s [p = 0.38];
      average MFV 153.0+/-10.2 cm/s [p = 0.54]). After IA therapy, flow velocities were
      consistently reduced (day X infusion interaction p<0.01 for all measures).
      However, discharge mRS was higher in IA infusion group, even after adjusting for
      sex, age, and admission grades. Thus, while IA vasodilator therapy was effective
      in reversing the vasospasm-mediated deterioration in blood flow, clinical
      outcomes in the treated group were worse than the untreated group. There is need
      for a prospective randomized controlled trial to avoid potential confounding
      effect of selection bias.

PMID- 28339484
TI  - A high-throughput qPCR system for simultaneous quantitative detection of dairy
      Lactococcus lactis and Leuconostoc bacteriophages.
AB  - Simultaneous quantitative detection of Lactococcus (Lc.) lactis and Leuconostoc
      species bacteriophages (phages) has not been reported in dairies using undefined
      mixed-strain DL-starters, probably due to the lack of applicable methods. We
      optimized a high-throughput qPCR system that allows simultaneous quantitative
      detection of Lc. lactis 936 (now SK1virus), P335, c2 (now C2virus) and
      Leuconostoc phage groups. Component assays are designed to have high efficiencies
      and nearly the same dynamic detection ranges, i.e., from ~1.1 x 105 to ~1.1 x 101
      phage genomes per reaction, which corresponds to ~9 x 107 to ~9 x 103 phage
      particles mL-1 without any additional up-concentrating steps. The amplification
      efficiencies of the corresponding assays were 100.1+/-2.6, 98.7+/-2.3, 101.0+/
      2.3 and 96.2+/-6.2. The qPCR system was tested on samples obtained from a dairy
      plant that employed traditional mother-bulk-cheese vat system. High levels of 936
      and P335 phages were detected in the mother culture and the bulk starter, but
      also in the whey samples. Low levels of phages were detected in the cheese milk
      samples.

PMID- 28339486
TI  - A top-down manner-based DCNN architecture for semantic image segmentation.
AB  - Given their powerful feature representation for recognition, deep convolutional
      neural networks (DCNNs) have been driving rapid advances in high-level computer
      vision tasks. However, their performance in semantic image segmentation is still
      not satisfactory. Based on the analysis of visual mechanism, we conclude that
      DCNNs in a bottom-up manner are not enough, because semantic image segmentation
      task requires not only recognition but also visual attention capability. In the
      study, superpixels containing visual attention information are introduced in a
      top-down manner, and an extensible architecture is proposed to improve the
      segmentation results of current DCNN-based methods. We employ the current state
      of-the-art fully convolutional network (FCN) and FCN with conditional random
      field (DeepLab-CRF) as baselines to validate our architecture. Experimental
      results of the PASCAL VOC segmentation task qualitatively show that coarse edges
      and error segmentation results are well improved. We also quantitatively obtain
      about 2%-3% intersection over union (IOU) accuracy improvement on the PASCAL VOC
      2011 and 2012 test sets.

PMID- 28339485
TI  - Chronic PARP-1 inhibition reduces carotid vessel remodeling and oxidative damage
      of the dorsal hippocampus in spontaneously hypertensive rats.
AB  - Vascular remodeling during chronic hypertension may impair the supply of tissues
      with oxygen, glucose and other compounds, potentially unleashing deleterious
      effects. In this study, we used Spontaneously Hypertensive Rats and normotensive
      Wistar-Kyoto rats with or without pharmacological inhibition of poly(ADP
      ribose)polymerase-1 by an experimental compound L-2286, to evaluate carotid
      artery remodeling and consequent damage of neuronal tissue during hypertension.
      We observed elevated oxidative stress and profound thickening of the vascular
      wall with fibrotic tissue accumulation induced by elevated blood pressure. 32
      weeks of L-2286 treatment attenuated these processes by modulating mitogen
      activated protein kinase phosphatase-1 cellular levels in carotid arteries. In
      hypertensive animals, vascular inflammation and endothelial dysfunction was
      observed by NF-kappaB nuclear accumulation and impaired vasodilation to
      acetylcholine, respectively. Pharmacological poly(ADP-ribose)polymerase-1
      inhibition interfered in these processes and mitigated Apoptosis Inducing Factor
      dependent cell death events, thus improved structural and functional alterations
      of carotid arteries, without affecting blood pressure. Chronic poly(ADP
      ribose)polymerase-1 inhibition protected neuronal tissue against oxidative
      damage, assessed by nitrotyrosine, 4-hydroxinonenal and 8-oxoguanosine
      immunohistochemistry in the area of Cornu ammonis 1 of the dorsal hippocampus in
      hypertensive rats. In this area, extensive pyramidal cell loss was also
      attenuated by treatment with lowered poly(ADP-ribose)polymer formation. It also
      preserved the structure of fissural arteries and attenuated perivascular white
      matter lesions and reactive astrogliosis in hypertensive rats. These data support
      the premise in which chronic poly(ADP-ribose)polymerase-1 inhibition has
      beneficial effects on hypertension related tissue damage both in vascular tissue
      and in the hippocampus by altering signaling events, reducing
      oxidative/nitrosative stress and inflammatory status, without lowering blood
      pressure.

PMID- 28339487
TI  - Nucleolar asymmetry and the importance of septin integrity upon cell cycle
      arrest.
AB  - Cell cycle arrest can be imposed by inactivating the anaphase promoting complex
      (APC). In S. cerevisiae this arrest has been reported to stabilize a metaphase
      like intermediate in which the nuclear envelope spans the bud neck, while
      chromatin repeatedly translocates between the mother and bud domains. The present
      investigation was undertaken to learn how other features of nuclear organization
      are affected upon depletion of the APC activator, Cdc20. We observe that the
      spindle pole bodies and the spindle repeatedly translocate across the narrow
      orifice at the level of the neck. Nevertheless, we find that the nucleolus
      (organized around rDNA repeats on the long right arm of chromosome XII) remains
      in the mother domain, marking the polarity of the nucleus. Accordingly,
      chromosome XII is polarized: TelXIIR remains in the mother domain and its
      centromere is predominantly located in the bud domain. In order to learn why the
      nucleolus remains in the mother domain, we studied the impact of inhibiting rRNA
      synthesis in arrested cells. We observed that this fragments the nucleolus and
      that these fragments entered the bud domain. Taken together with earlier
      observations, the restriction of the nucleolus to the mother domain therefore can
      be attributed to its massive structure. We also observed that inactivation of
      septins allowed arrested cells to complete the cell cycle, that the alternative
      APC activator, Cdh1, was required for completion of the cell cycle and that
      induction of Cdh1 itself caused arrested cells to progress to the end of the cell
      cycle.

PMID- 28339488
TI  - Mutations in the maize zeta-carotene desaturase gene lead to viviparous kernel.
AB  - Preharvest sprouting reduces the maize quality and causes a significant yield
      loss in maize production. vp-wl2 is a Mutator (Mu)-induced viviparous mutant in
      maize, causing white or pale yellow kernels, dramatically reduced carotenoid and
      ABA content, and a high level of zeta-carotene accumulation. Here, we reported
      the cloning of the vp-wl2 gene using a modified digestion-ligation-amplification
      method (DLA). The results showed that an insertion of Mu9 in the first intron of
      the zeta-carotene desaturase (ZDS) gene results in the vp-wl2 mutation. Previous
      studies have suggested that ZDS is likely the structural gene of the viviparous9
      (vp9) locus. Therefore, we performed an allelic test using vp-wl2 and three vp9
      mutants. The results showed that vp-wl2 is a novel allele of the vp9 locus. In
      addition, the sequences of ZDS gene were identified in these three vp9 alleles.
      The vp-wl2 mutant gene was subsequently introgressed into four maize inbred
      lines, and a viviparous phenotype was observed with yield losses from 7.69% to
      13.33%.

PMID- 28339490
TI  - Create your own stimulus: Manipulating movements according to social categories.
AB  - People ascribe purposeful behaviour to the movements of artificial objects and
      social qualities to human body motion. We investigated how people associate
      simple motion cues with social categories. For a first rating-experiment we
      converted the body movements of speakers into stick-figure animations; for a
      second rating-experiment we used animations of one single dot. Rating-experiments
      were "reversed" because we asked participants to alter the movements (i.e.,
      vertical amplitude, horizontal amplitude, and velocity) of the stimuli according
      to different instructions (e.g., create a stimulus of high dominance).
      Participants equipped stick figures and dot animations with expansive movements
      to represent high dominance. Expansive and fast movements (i.e., high velocity)
      were mainly associated with high aggressiveness. Fast movements were also
      associated with low friendliness, low trustworthiness, and low competence.
      Overall, patterns found for stick figure and dot animations were similar
      indicating that certain motion cues convey social information even when only a
      dot and no body form is visible. The "reverse approach" we propose here makes the
      impact of different components directly observable. The data generated by this
      method offers better insights into the interplay of these components and the ways
      in which they form meaningful patterns. The proposed method can be extended to
      other types of nonverbal cues and a variety of social categories.

PMID- 28339489
TI  - Human Subtilisin Kexin Isozyme-1 (SKI-1)/Site-1 Protease (S1P) regulates
      cytoplasmic lipid droplet abundance: A potential target for indirect-acting anti
      dengue virus agents.
AB  - Viral hijacking and manipulation of host-cell biosynthetic pathways by human
      enveloped viruses are shared molecular events essential for the viral lifecycle.
      For Flaviviridae members such as hepatitis C virus and dengue virus (DENV), one
      of the key subsets of cellular pathways that undergo manipulation is the lipid
      metabolic pathways, underlining the importance of cellular lipids and, in
      particular, lipid droplets (LDs) in viral infection. Here, we hypothesize that
      targeting cellular enzymes that act as key regulators of lipid homeostasis and LD
      formation could represent a powerful approach to developing a novel class of
      broad-spectrum antivirals against infection associated with all DENV serotypes (1
      4) circulating around the world. Using PF-429242, an active-site-directed
      inhibitor of SKI-1/S1P, we demonstrate that inhibition of SKI-1/S1P enzymatic
      activity in human hepatoma Huh-7.5.1 cells results in a robust reduction of the
      LD numbers and LD-positive areas and provides a means of effectively inhibiting
      infection by DENV (1-4). Pre-treatment of Huh-7.5.1 cells with PF-429242 results
      in a dose-dependent inhibition of DENV infection [median inhibitory dose (EC50) =
      1.2 microM; median cytotoxic dose (CC50) = 81 microM; selectivity index (SI) =
      68)] and a ~3-log decrease in DENV-2 titer with 20 microM of PF-429242. Post
      treatment of DENV-2 infected Huh-7.5.1 cells with PF-429242 does not affect viral
      RNA abundance, but it does compromise the assembly and/or release of infectious
      virus particles. PF-429242 antiviral activity is reversed by exogenous oleic
      acid, which acts as an inducer of LD formation in PF-429242-treated and non
      treated control cells. Collectively, our results demonstrate that human SKI-1/S1P
      is a potential target for indirect-acting pan-serotypic anti-DENV agents and
      reveal new therapeutic opportunities associated with the use of lipid-modulating
      drugs for controlling DENV infection.

PMID- 28339491
TI  - The dynamics of nitrogen derived from a chemical nitrogen fertilizer with treated
      swine slurry in paddy soil-plant systems.
AB  - A well-managed chemical nitrogen (N) fertilization practice combined with treated
      swine slurry (TSS) is necessary to improve sustainability and N use efficiency in
      rice farming. However, little is known about the fate of N derived from chemical
      N fertilizer with and without TSS in paddy soil-plant systems. The objectives of
      this study were (1) to estimate the contribution of applied N fertilizer to N
      turnover in rice paddy soil with different N fertilization practices that were
      manipulated by the quantity of treated swine slurry and chemical N fertilizer
      (i.e., HTSS+LAS, a high amount of TSS with a low amount of ammonium sulfate;
      LTSS+HAS, a low amount of TSS with a high amount of ammonium sulfate; AS,
      ammonium sulfate with phosphorus and potassium; C, the control) and (2) to
      compare the rice response to applied N derived from each N fertilization
      practice. Rice biomass yield, 15N recovery in both rice grain and stems, soil
      total N (TN), soil inorganic N, and soil 15N recovery were analyzed. Similar
      amounts of 15N uptake by rice in the TSS+AS plots were obtained, indicating that
      the effects of the different quantities of TSS on chemical fertilizer N recovery
      in rice during the experimental period were not significant. The soil 15N
      recoveries of HTSS+LAS, LTSS+HAS, and AS in each soil layer were not
      significantly different. For the HTSS+LAS, LTSS+HAS and AS applications, total
      15N recoveries were 42%, 43% and 54%, respectively. Because the effects of
      reducing the use of chemical N fertilizer were attributed to enhancing soil
      quality and cost-effectiveness, HTSS+LAS could be an appropriate N fertilization
      practice for improving the long-term sustainability of paddy soil-plant systems.
      However, N losses, especially through the coupled nitrification-denitrification
      process, can diminish the benefits that HTSS+LAS offers.

PMID- 28339492
TI  - A preliminary study of skin ultrasound in diffuse cutaneous systemic sclerosis:
      Does skin echogenicity matter?
AB  - OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the usefulness of skin ultrasound and acoustic radiation
      force impulse (ARFI) quantification in diffuse cutaneous systemic sclerosis
      (dcSSc). PATIENTS AND METHODS: 28 patients with dcSSc, and 15 age gender matched
      normal controls were recruited. Skin echogenicity, thickness, and ARFI
      quantification were measured by ultrasound at 17 sites corresponding to the
      modified Rodnan skin score (mRSS) in each participant. Compared with controls,
      skin echogenicity of dcSSc patients was classified into isoechoic, hypoechoic,
      and hyperechoic. The skin thickness, ARFI quantification and mRSS were compared
      between isoechoic, hypoechoic, hyperechoic and controls. RESULTS: In patients
      with dcSSc, the skin thickness increased as the echogenicity changed on the order
      of isoechoic, hypoechoic and hyperechoic. ARFI quantification was significantly
      higher in hyperechoic than isoechoic (p<0.001). The mRSS were significantly
      higher in hyperechoic and/or hypoechoic than isoechoic. For isoechoic patients
      and healthy controls, the skin echogenicity or thickness was no significant
      different, however, the ARFI quantification was significantly higher in isoechoic
      than controls. CONCLUSION: Skin ultrasound is feasible for assessing the skin
      involvement in dcSSc. Skin echogenicity correlates with skin thickness,
      stiffness, and mRSS. ARFI quantification may be more sensitive to detect skin
      changes, compared with skin echogenicity and thickness.

PMID- 28339494
TI  - Facility type and primary care performance in sub-district health promotion
      hospitals in Northern Thailand.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Poor and middle-income Thai people rely heavily on primary care
      health services. These are staffed by a range of professionals. However, it is
      unknown whether the performance of primary care varies according to the staffing
      and organization of local service delivery units. Tambon (sub-district) health
      promotion hospitals (THPHs) were introduced in 2009 to upgrade the services
      offered by the previous health centres, but were faced with continuing shortages
      of doctors and nurses. The Ministry of Public Health (MoPH) designated three
      categories of THPH, defined according to whether they were regularly staffed by a
      medical practitioner, a qualified nurse or non-clinical public health officers.
      This study aimed to compare the performance of primary care offered by the three
      different types of primary care facilities in one public health region of
      Northern Thailand (Public Health Region 2). METHODS: A cross-sectional survey was
      undertaken in 2013. Data were collected on accessibility, continuity,
      comprehensiveness, co-ordination and community orientation of care from 825
      patients attending 23 primary care facilities. These were selected to include the
      three officially-designated types of Tambon (sub-district) health promotion
      hospitals (THPHs) led by medical, nursing or public health personnel. Survey
      scores were compared in unadjusted and adjusted analyses. RESULTS: THPHs staffed
      only by public health officers achieved the highest performance score (Mean =
      85.14, SD. = 7.30), followed by THPHs staffed by qualified nurses (Mean = 82.86,
      SD. = 7.06). THPHs staffed by a doctor on rotation returned the lowest scores
      (Mean = 81.63, SD. = 7.22). CONCLUSIONS: Differences in overall scores resulted
      mainly from differences in reported accessibility, continuity, and
      comprehensiveness of care, rather than staff skill-mix per se. Policy on quality
      improvement should therefore focus on improving performance in these areas.

PMID- 28339493
TI  - Timely meta-analysis on the efficacy of adoptive immunotherapy for hepatocellular
      carcinoma patients after curative therapy.
AB  - AIMS: The role of adoptive immunotherapy (AIT) for patients with hepatocellular
      carcinoma (HCC) who have received curative therapy is still not well illustrated.
      This timely meta-analysis aims to update the current evidence on efficacy and
      safety of AIT for patients with HCC who have received curative therapy. METHODS:
      We searched PubMed, EMBASE, Scopus and the Cochrane Library Through January 2017
      for relevant studies. Mortality and tumor recurrence were compared between
      patients with or without adjuvant AIT. The meta-analysis was performed using
      Review Manager 5.3. RESULTS: Eight studies involving 1861 patients met the
      eligibility criteria and were meta-analyzed. Adjuvant AIT was associated with
      significantly lower mortality at 1 year (RR 0.64, 95%CI 0.52-0.79), 3 years (RR
      0.73, 95%CI 0.65-0.81) and 5 years (RR 0.86, 95%CI 0.79-0.94). Similarly,
      adjuvant AIT was associated with significantly lower recurrence rate than
      curative therapies alone at 1 year (RR 0.64, 95%CI 0.49-0.82), 3 years (RR 0.85,
      95%CI 0.79-0.91) and 5 years (RR 0.90, 95%CI 0.85-0.95). Short-term outcomes were
      confirmed in sensitivity analyses based on randomized trials or choice of random-
      or fixed-effect meta-analysis model. None of the included patients experienced
      grade 4 adverse events. CONCLUSIONS: This timely meta-analysis confirms the
      evidence that adjuvant AIT for patients with HCC after curative treatment lowers
      risk of mortality and tumor recurrence.

PMID- 28339496
TI  - Correction: The TIR Homologue Lies near Resistance Genes in Staphylococcus
      aureus, Coupling Modulation of Virulence and Antimicrobial Susceptibility.
AB  - [This corrects the article DOI: 10.1371/journal.ppat.1006092.].

PMID- 28339495
TI  - MicroRNA expression profiles identify disease-specific alterations in systemic
      lupus erythematosus and primary Sjogren's syndrome.
AB  - The discovery of microRNAs (miRNAs) and their critical role in genetic control
      opened new avenues in understanding of various biological processes including
      immune cell lineage commitment, differentiation, proliferation and apoptosis.
      However, a given miRNA may have hundreds of different mRNA targets and a target
      might be regulated by multiple miRNAs, thus the characterisation of dysregulated
      miRNA expression profiles could give a better insight into the development of
      immunological disturbances in autoimmune diseases. The aim of our study was to
      examine the changes in miRNA expression profiles in patients with systemic lupus
      erythematosus (SLE) and primary Sjogren's syndrome (pSS). Eight SLE patients, 8
      pSS patients and 7 healthy subjects were enrolled in the investigation. MiRNAs
      were isolated from peripheral blood mononuclear cells, and expression patterns
      were determined with Illumina next-generation sequencing technology. Since the
      immunopathogenesis of pSS and SLE encompasses pronounced B cell hyperactivity
      along with specific autoantibody production, we paid a special attention on the
      association between miRNA expression levels and altered peripheral B cell
      distribution. In SLE patients 135, while in pSS patients 26 miRNAs showed altered
      expression. Interestingly, the 25 miRNAs including miR-146a, miR-16 and miR-21,
      which were over-expressed in pSS patients, were found to be elevated in SLE
      group, as well. On the contrary, we observed the down-regulation of miR-150-5p,
      which is a novel and unique finding in pSS. Levels of several miRNAs over
      expressed in SLE, were not changed in pSS, such as miR-148a-3p, miR-152, miR-155,
      miR-223, miR-224, miR-326 and miR-342. Expression levels of miR-223-5p, miR-150
      5p, miR-155-5p and miR-342-3p, which miRNAs are potentially linked to B cell
      functions, showed associations with the B cell proportions within peripheral
      blood mononuclear cells. The observed differences in miRNA expression profiles
      and the better understanding of immune regulatory mechanisms of miRNAs may help
      to elucidate the pathogenesis of SLE and pSS.

PMID- 28339497
TI  - Women's knowledge and perception of male circumcision before and after its roll
      out in the South African township of Orange Farm from community-based cross
      sectional surveys.
AB  - The roll-out of medical male circumcision (MC) is progressing in Southern and
      Eastern Africa. Little is known about the effect of this roll-out on women. The
      objective of this study was to assess the knowledge and perceptions of women
      regarding MC in a setting before and after the roll-out. This study was conducted
      in the South African township of Orange Farm where MC prevalence among men
      increased from 17% to 53% in the period 2008-2010. Data from three community
      based cross sectional surveys conducted in 2007, 2010 and 2012 among 1258, 1197
      and 2583 adult women, respectively were studied. In 2012, among 2583 women, 73.7%
      reported a preference for circumcised partners, and 87.9% knew that circumcised
      men could become infected with HIV. A total of 95.8% preferred to have their male
      children circumcised. These three proportions increased significantly during the
      roll-out. In 2007, the corresponding values were 64.4%, 82.9% and 80.4%,
      respectively. Among 2581 women having had sexual intercourse with circumcised and
      uncircumcised men, a majority (55.8%, 1440/2581) agreed that it was easier for a
      circumcised man to use a condom, 20.5% (530/2581) disagreed; and 23.07 (611/2581)
      did not know. However, some women incorrectly stated that they were fully
      (32/2579; 1.2%; 95%CI: 0.9% to 1.7%) or partially (233/2579; 9.0%; 95%CI: 8.0% to
      10.2%) protected when having unprotected sex with a circumcised HIV-positive
      partner. This study shows that the favorable perception of women and relatively
      correct knowledge regarding VMMC had increased during the roll-out of VMMC. When
      possible, women should participate in the promotion of VMMC although further
      effort should be made to improve their knowledge.

PMID- 28339499
TI  - Evaluation of fusion protein cleavage site sequences of Newcastle disease virus
      in genotype matched vaccines.
AB  - Newcastle disease virus (NDV) causes a devastating poultry disease worldwide.
      Frequent outbreaks of NDV in chickens vaccinated with conventional live vaccines
      suggest a need to develop new vaccines that are genetically matched against
      circulating NDV strains, such as the genotype V virulent strains currently
      circulating in Mexico and Central America. In this study, a reverse genetics
      system was developed for the virulent NDV strain Mexico/01/10 strain and used to
      generate highly attenuated vaccine candidates by individually modifying the
      cleavage site sequence of fusion (F) protein. The cleavage site sequence of
      parental virus was individually changed to those of the avirulent NDV strain
      LaSota and other serotypes of avian paramyxoviruses (APMV serotype-2, -3, -4, -6,
      -7, -8, and -9). In general, these mutations affected cell-to-cell fusion
      activity in vitro and the efficiency of the F protein cleavage and made
      recombinant Mexico/01/10 (rMex) virus highly attenuated in chickens. When
      chickens were immunized with the rMex mutant viruses and challenged with the
      virulent parent virus, there was reduced challenge virus shedding compared to
      birds immunized with the heterologous vaccine strain LaSota. Among the vaccine
      candidates, rMex containing the cleavage site sequence of APMV-2 induced the
      highest neutralizing antibody titer and completely protected chickens from
      challenge virus shedding. These results show the role of the F protein cleavage
      site sequence of each APMV type in generating genotype V-matched vaccines and the
      efficacy of matched vaccine strains to provide better protection against NDV
      strains currently circulating in Mexico.

PMID- 28339498
TI  - Enhancement of osteogenic differentiation of rat adipose tissue-derived
      mesenchymal stem cells by zinc sulphate under electromagnetic field via the PKA,
      ERK1/2 and Wnt/beta-catenin signaling pathways.
AB  - Zinc ion as an essential trace element and electromagnetic fields (EMFs) has been
      reported to be involved in the regulation of bone metabolism. The aim of this
      study was to elucidate the effects of zinc sulphate (ZnSO4) on the osteogenic
      differentiation of adipose tissue-derived mesenchymal stem cells (ADSCs) in the
      presence of EMF as a strategy in osteoporosis therapy. Alkaline phophatase (ALP)
      activity measurement, calcium assay and expression of several osteoblastic marker
      genes were examined to assess the effect of ZnSO4 on the osteogenic
      differentiation of ADSCs under EMF. The expression of cAMP and PKA was evaluated
      by ELISA. The expression of beta-catenin, Wnt1, Wnt3a, low-density lipoprotein
      receptor-related protein 5 (LRP5) and reduced dickkopf1 (DKK1) genes were used to
      detect the Wnt/beta-catenin pathway. It was found that ZnSO4, in the presence of
      EMF, resulted in an increase in the expression of osteogenic genes, ALP activity
      and calcium levels. EMF, in the presence of ZnSO4, increased the cAMP level and
      protein kinase A (PKA) activity. Treatment of ADSCs with (MAPK)/ERK kinase 1/2
      inhibitor, or PKA inhibitor, significantly inhibited the promotion of osteogenic
      markers, indicating that the induction of osteogenesis was dependent on the ERK
      and PKA signaling pathways. Real-time PCR analysis showed that ZnSO4, in the
      presence of EMF, increased the mRNA expressions of beta-catenin, Wnt1, Wnt3a,
      LRP5 and DKK1. In this study, it was shown that 0.432 MUg/ml ZnSO4, in the
      presence of 50 Hz, 20 mT EMF, induced the osteogenic differentiation of ADSCs via
      PKA, ERK1/2 and Wnt/beta-catenin signaling pathways.

PMID- 28339500
TI  - Detecting congenital malformations - Lessons learned from the Mpepu study,
      Botswana.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: A large and increasing number of HIV-infected women are conceiving
      on antiretroviral treatment (ART). While most antiretrovirals are considered safe
      in pregnancy, monitoring for rare pregnancy and infant adverse outcomes is
      warranted. METHODS: We conducted a retrospective secondary analysis nested within
      a clinical trial of infant cotrimoxazole vs. placebo prophylaxis in Botswana (the
      Mpepu Study). Infants were examined at birth, and at least every 3 months through
      18 months of age. Abnormal physical findings and diagnostic testing revealing
      malformations were documented. Post hoc, a geneticist classified all reported
      malformations based on available documentation. Structural malformations with
      surgical, medical or cosmetic importance were classified as major malformations.
      We present a descriptive analysis of identified malformations. RESULTS: Between
      2011 and 2014, 2,933 HIV-infected women who enrolled in the Mpepu study delivered
      2,971 live-born infants. Study staff conducted 2,944 (99%) newborn exams. One
      thousand eighty-eight (38%) women were taking ART at conception; 1,147 (40%)
      started ART during pregnancy; 442 (15%) received zidovudine monotherapy; and 223
      (7%) received no antiretroviral during pregnancy. Of 33 reported anomalies, 25
      (76%) met congenital malformations criteria, 10 (30%) were classified as major
      malformations, 4 (40%) of which were identified after the birth exam. DISCUSSION:
      Our results highlight the importance of staff training on identification of
      congenital malformations, programmatic monitoring beyond the birth examination
      and the value of geneticist involvement in the malformations classification
      process in resource-limited settings. These elements will be important to fully
      define antiretroviral drug safety in pregnancy. SIGNIFICANCE: Surveillance
      systems for monitoring the safety of antiretroviral use during pregnancy among
      HIV-infected women in resource-limited setting are lacking. The World Health
      Organization's published programmatic recommendations for such surveillance
      systems represents the gold standard. We employed data from a clinical trial in
      Botswana, a country with a generalized HIV epidemic and high antiretroviral
      uptake by HIV-infected women, to highlight practical opportunities to strengthen
      congenital malformation surveillance systems in these settings where over 1
      million HIV infected pregnant women reside. TRIAL REGISTRATION: Clinical
      Trials.gov NCT01229761.

PMID- 28339501
TI  - Mapping global biodiversity connections with DNA barcodes: Lepidoptera of
      Pakistan.
AB  - Sequences from the DNA barcode region of the mitochondrial COI gene are an
      effective tool for specimen identification and for the discovery of new species.
      The Barcode of Life Data Systems (BOLD) (www.boldsystems.org) currently hosts 4.5
      million records from animals which have been assigned to more than 490,000
      different Barcode Index Numbers (BINs), which serve as a proxy for species.
      Because a fourth of these BINs derive from Lepidoptera, BOLD has a strong
      capability to both identify specimens in this order and to support studies of
      faunal overlap. DNA barcode sequences were obtained from 4503 moths from 329
      sites across Pakistan, specimens that represented 981 BINs from 52 families.
      Among 379 species with a Linnaean name assignment, all were represented by a
      single BIN excepting five species that showed a BIN split. Less than half (44%)
      of the 981 BINs had counterparts in other countries; the remaining BINs were
      unique to Pakistan. Another 218 BINs of Lepidoptera from Pakistan were coupled
      with the 981 from this study before being compared with all 116,768 BINs for this
      order. As expected, faunal overlap was highest with India (21%), Sri Lanka (21%),
      United Arab Emirates (20%) and with other Asian nations (2.1%), but it was very
      low with other continents including Africa (0.6%), Europe (1.3%), Australia
      (0.6%), Oceania (1.0%), North America (0.1%), and South America (0.1%). This
      study indicates the way in which DNA barcoding facilitates measures of faunal
      overlap even when taxa have not been assigned to a Linnean species.

PMID- 28339502
TI  - Histological and anatomical structure of the nasal cavity of Bama minipigs.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: The nasal mucosa is equipped with abundant lymphatic tissues, serving
      as the first line of defense against invasion by microorganisms. In this study,
      we characterized the features of the nasal mucosa of Bama minipigs (Sus scrofa
      domestica) via histological analysis. METHODS: Five cross sections (I, II, III,
      IV, and V) were obtained from the distal end of the nasal cavity toward the
      pharynx (along the cavity axis) and examined. Specifically, CD3+ T cells,
      immunoglobulin A (IgA)+ cells, and M cells were detected by immunohistochemistry,
      while dendritic cells (DCs) were detected by immunofluorescence. The distribution
      of goblet cells was determined by periodic acid-Schiff (PAS) staining. RESULTS:
      The nasal cavity of Bama minipigs can be divided into three parts: the regio
      vestibularis (I, II), regio respiratoria (III, IV), and regio olfactoria (V).
      Lymphoid tissue was present at random locations in the nasal cavity. Abundant
      lymphoid tissue was located in the roof of the nasopharyngeal meatus and was
      continuous with the lymphoid tissue of the pharynx. The distribution of CD3+ T
      cells, IgA+ cells, M cells, and DCs increased distally in the nasal cavity.
      CONCLUSIONS: The present work comprises a histological study of the nasal cavity
      of Bama minipigs, and will be beneficial for understanding the mechanisms of
      immunity in these animals after nasal vaccination.

PMID- 28339503
TI  - Rat retinal vasomotion assessed by laser speckle imaging.
AB  - Vasomotion is spontaneous or induced rhythmic changes in vascular tone or vessel
      diameter that lead to rhythmic changes in flow. While the vascular research
      community debates the physiological and pathophysiological consequence of
      vasomotion, there is a great need for experimental techniques that can address
      the role and dynamical properties of vasomotion in vivo. We apply laser speckle
      imaging to study spontaneous and drug induced vasomotion in retinal network of
      anesthetized rats. The results reveal a wide variety of dynamical patterns.
      Wavelet-based analysis shows that (i) spontaneous vasomotion occurs in
      anesthetized animals and (ii) vasomotion can be initiated by systemic
      administration of the thromboxane analogue U-46619 and the nitric-oxide donor S
      nitroso-acetylDL-penicillamine (SNAP). Although these drugs activate different
      cellular pathways responsible for vasomotion, our approach can track the
      dynamical changes they cause.

PMID- 28339510
TI  - 3D dentofacial photogrammetry reference values: a novel approach to orthodontic
      diagnosis.
AB  - Background: Orthodontic diagnostic standards generally use the cranial base as a
      reference and rely on samples selected by orthodontists. Objective: The purpose
      of this study was to provide male and female standards for a novel non
      radiographic approach for orthodontic diagnosis that utilizes 3D dentofacial
      photogrammetry using the eyes and natural head orientation as references instead
      of the cranial base. Methods: One hundred and eighty females and 200 males
      between the ages of 18 and 35 years from 2 modeling agencies were orthodontically
      screened for near ideal occlusion. Subjects that met the inclusion criteria were
      rated by a sample of 40 lay people for attractiveness on a visual analogue scale.
      The final sample that had 3D facial and dental imaging included 49 subjects 25
      males and 24 females with near ideal occlusion and considered attractive by the
      public. Results: Inter and Intra-examiner ICC were greater than 0.8 for both
      landmarking and indexing. Relative to a coronal plane contacting the pupils (MC),
      the mean sagittal position of the alar curvature (representing the nasomaxillary
      complex) was 14.36 +/- 3.08 mm in males and 12.4 +/- 3.58 mm in females. The
      sagittal position of soft tissue pogonion relative to the pupils was 14.84 +/-
      3.63 mm in males and 12.78 +/- 5.68 mm in females. The angle between the alar
      curvature and pogonion relative to the pupils was 9 degrees  in males and 10
      degrees  in females. With the exception of the occlusal plane which was steeper
      in females, no ratios or angular facial measurements showed a significant gender
      difference. Relative to MC, males had more proclined upper incisors (20 degrees 
      vs 16 degrees ) and more retroclined Lower incisors (27 degrees  vs 31 degrees ;
      P > 0.05). A Procrustes ANOVA and permutation test showed that the shapes of
      males and females are different enough to be considered two distinct populations.
      Conclusions: 1. When using the proposed method for orthodontic diagnosis, male
      and female patients should be compared to their respective dentofacial standards.
      2. Validation of the proposed method and standards on an orthodontic population
      is underway to determine the scope its use.

PMID- 28339511
TI  - Living alone and unplanned hospitalizations among older adults: a population
      based longitudinal study.
AB  - Background: The association of living alone with hospitalization among the
      general elderly population has been rarely investigated, and the influence of
      common disorders on this association remains unknown. Methods: We used data on
      participants in the Swedish National study on Aging and Care in Kungsholmen ( n =
      3130). Risk and number of unplanned hospitalizations and length of hospital stays
      were studied over a period of 2 years. We used Cox proportional hazard models to
      estimate hazard ratios (HRs) of incident hospitalization and zero-inflated
      negative binomial regression models adjusted for potential confounders to
      estimate incident rate ratios (IRR) of the number of hospitalizations and total
      length of stay associated with living alone. Results: A total of 1768
      participants (56.5%) lived alone. Five hundred and sixty-one (31.7%) of those who
      lived alone had at least one unplanned hospitalization. In the multivariate
      analyses, living alone was significantly associated with the risk of unplanned
      hospitalization (HR = 1.21, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.01-1.45) and the
      number of hospitalizations (IRR = 1.35, 95% CI 1.04-1.76) but not with the length
      of hospital stays. In stratified analyses, the association between living alone
      and unplanned hospitalizations remained statistically significant only among men
      (HR = 1.52, 95% CI 1.17-1.99). Conclusions: Living alone is associated with
      higher risks of unplanned hospitalization in elderly, especially for men.

PMID- 28339513
TI  - Ultrasound Imaging of Metastatic Colon Cancer in a Case of Intractable
      Intercostal Neuralgia: Scan Before You Block.

PMID- 28339512
TI  - Effects of mulberry leaves on production performance and the potential modulation
      of antioxidative status in laying hens.
AB  - This study evaluated the antioxidant ability of Taisung No. 3 mulberry leaf
      extract (MLE) as well as the potential of mulberry leaf (ML)-based dietary
      supplementation for modulating the antioxidative status of laying hens. The
      results showed that the MLE had a total phenolic compound content of 7.4 +/- 0.15
      mg of gallic acid equivalent/g dry weight (DW) and a total flavonoid content of
      4.4 +/- 0.19 mg of quercetin equivalent/g DW. The 2, 2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl
      free-radical-scavenging ability was 45.9% when 0.1 mg/mL MLE was added. The lipid
      oxidation inhibition ability was 43.9% when 50 mg/mL MLE was added. We subjected
      96 laying hens (Hendrix Genetics) to 4 treatments, namely diets supplemented with
      dry ML at 0 (control), 0.5, 1, or 2% for 12 weeks. Each treatment involved 8
      replicates with 3 hens each. The results indicated that the 0.5% ML-supplemented
      group exhibited significantly higher mRNA levels of antioxidant-regulated genes,
      such as Nrf2, HO-1, and GST, and significantly lower ROMO1 gene expression levels
      at wk 12. The serum malondialdehyde level was lower and the catalase activity and
      superoxide dismutase activity were higher in all the ML-supplemented groups than
      in the control group. The egg mass and feed conversion rate significantly
      improved in the ML-supplemented groups compared with the control group, and,
      overall, 1% ML supplementation had the most favorable effects at one to 12 weeks.
      The egg yolk weight, shell weight, shell strength, shell thickness, yolk color,
      and Haugh unit were increased among all ML-supplemented groups at one to 12
      weeks. On the basis of these observations, we conclude that 0.5% ML can be used
      as a new feed additive to potentially modulate the antioxidative status of laying
      hens and improve their production performance and egg quality.

PMID- 28339514
TI  - Social inequalities in self-rated health in Ukraine in 2007: the role of
      psychosocial, material and behavioural factors.
AB  - Background: Despite Ukraine's large population, few studies have examined social
      inequalities in health. This study describes Ukrainian educational inequalities
      in self-rated health and assesses how far psychosocial, material and behavioural
      factors account for the education gradient in health. Methods: Data were analyzed
      from the 2007 wave of the Ukrainian Longitudinal Monitoring Survey. Education was
      categorized as: lower secondary or less, upper secondary and tertiary. In
      logistic regressions of 5451 complete cases, stratified by gender, declaring less
      than average health was regressed on education, before and after adjusting for
      psychosocial, material and behavioural factors. Results: In analyses adjusted for
      socio-demographic characteristics, compared with those educated up to lower
      secondary level, tertiary education was associated with lower risk of less than
      average health for both men and women. Including material factors (income
      quintiles, housing assets, labour market status) reduced the association between
      education and health by 55-64% in men and 35-47% in women. Inclusion of health
      behaviours (physical activity, smoking, alcohol consumption and body mass index)
      reduced the associations by 27-30% in men and 19-27% in women; in most cases
      including psychosocial factors (marital status, living alone, trust in family and
      friends) did not reduce the size of the associations. Including all potential
      explanatory factors reduced the associations by 68-84% in men and 43-60% in
      women. Conclusions: The education gradient in self-rated health in Ukraine was
      partly accounted for by material and behavioural factors. In addition to health
      behaviours, policymakers should consider upstream determinants of health
      inequalities, such as joblessness and poverty.

PMID- 28339516
TI  - Improving a full-text search engine: the importance of negation detection and
      family history context to identify cases in a biomedical data warehouse.
AB  - Objective: The repurposing of electronic health records (EHRs) can improve
      clinical and genetic research for rare diseases. However, significant information
      in rare disease EHRs is embedded in the narrative reports, which contain many
      negated clinical signs and family medical history. This paper presents a method
      to detect family history and negation in narrative reports and evaluates its
      impact on selecting populations from a clinical data warehouse (CDW). Materials
      and Methods: We developed a pipeline to process 1.6 million reports from multiple
      sources. This pipeline is part of the load process of the Necker Hospital CDW.
      Results: We identified patients with "Lupus and diarrhea," "Crohn's and
      diabetes," and "NPHP1" from the CDW. The overall precision, recall, specificity,
      and F-measure were 0.85, 0.98, 0.93, and 0.91, respectively. Conclusion: The
      proposed method generates a highly accurate identification of cases from a CDW of
      rare disease EHRs.

PMID- 28339517
TI  - Omics studies: their use in diagnosis and reclassification of SLE and other
      systemic autoimmune diseases.
AB  - Omics studies of systemic autoimmune diseases (SADs) in general, and SLE in
      particular, have delivered isolated information from transcriptome, epigenome,
      genome, cytokine and metabolome analyses. Such analyses have resulted in the
      identification of disease susceptibility genes and the description of IFN
      expression signatures, allowing extensive insight into the mechanisms of disease
      and the development of new therapies. Access to such technologies allows the
      recognition of patterns of disease at a pathway level, thereby, to reclassify SLE
      and other SADs and to develop new therapeutics from a personalized perspective.
      The use of omic information allows the discovery of correlative patterns
      involving drugs not currently suspected to be of value in SADs. In this review,
      we summarize the omics findings for SLE and propose ways of using the data for
      the identification of new biomarkers, finding new drugs and reclassifying
      patients not only with SLE, but also with other SADs.

PMID- 28339518
TI  - Pain Interference and Incident Medical Disorders in the General Population.
AB  - Objective: To investigate the longitudinal relationship between pain interference
      and incident general medical conditions in a nationally representative sample.
      Methods: Secondary data analysis comprising chi-square tests and binomial
      logistic regression analyses were performed on data obtained from the US National
      Epidemiologic Survey on Alcohol and Related Conditions from 34,465 adult
      respondents who completed wave 1 (2000-2001) and wave 2 (2004-2005) data
      collection. Models were adjusted for multiple potentially confounding factors.
      Respondents were categorized at wave 1 according to past-month pain interference
      (i.e., no or low pain interference, moderate pain interference, severe pain
      interference). Results: In multivariate analyses, moderate or severe pain
      interference (as compared to no or low pain interference) was associated with the
      incidence of any medical condition; any heart condition, including angina,
      tachycardia and other heart disease; any stomach condition, including stomach
      ulcer and gastritis; arthritis; and hypertension (all P  < 0.05). Severe (but not
      moderate) pain interference as compared with no or low pain interference was
      additionally associated with new occurrences of myocardial infarction, any liver
      disease, other liver disease, and arteriosclerosis (all P  < 0.05). Conclusions:
      These findings suggest that the relationship between pain interference and
      general medical conditions is complex. A more complete understanding of this
      relationship is likely to involve further exploration of possible mechanisms,
      including whether it is the pain itself, the ascertainment of pain etiology, or
      pain treatment that is associated with incident general medical conditions.

PMID- 28339520
TI  - Efficacy of Bacillus subtilis and bacitracin methylene disalicylate on growth
      performance, digestibility, blood metabolites, immunity, and intestinal
      microbiota after intramuscular inoculation with Escherichia coli in broilers.
AB  - This experiment was conducted to evaluate the effect of Bacillus subtilis (BS) on
      broiler performance and health after intramuscular inoculation with E. coli and
      compare its effect with a growth promoter antibiotic. In a completely randomized
      design manner, 360 male Ross 308 chicks were divided into 6 treatments and 5
      replicates of 12 chicks in each replicate. Experimental treatments included
      control diet, control + E. coli (0.5 mL of culture containing 108 CFU of E.
      coli/ml), control + 0.1% BS, control + 0.05% bacitracin methylene disalicylate
      (BMD), control + E. coli and BS, and control + E. coli and BMD in a factorial
      arrangement (3 * 2). Addition of BMD or BS to the control diet significantly (P <
      0.01) increased body weight and decreased FCR, but E. coli challenge adversely
      reduced (P < 0.01) body weight and increased FCR, so that the addition of BMD or
      BS did not compensate growth reduction. E. coli challenged chicks had the lowest
      vaccine titers for ND, IB, AI, and IBD and the highest were observed in chicks
      fed BS. The E. coli challenge significantly (P < 0.01) increased albumin,
      globulin, cholesterol, triglyceride, LDL, ALT, and ALP indices. Addition of BMD
      and BS decreased albumin and globulin in challenged chick's plasma but had no
      effect on plasma lipid profile concentration. The E. coli challenge decreased
      villus height and increased crypt depth and goblet cell numbers significantly (P
      < 0.01). In birds subjected to BMD or BS, crypt depth decreased and villus height
      increased (P < 0.01), compared with the control diet. Challenge of E. coli
      significantly (P < 0.01) increased the bacterial population of E. coli,
      coliforms, and Salmonella in cecal parts of broilers' intestines. In challenged
      birds receiving BMD or BS, E. coli, coliform, and Salmonella populations of ceca
      showed a significant (P < 0.01) reduction. Both BMD and BS increased the
      digestibility of nutrients significantly (P < 0.01), but a reduction was observed
      in E. coli challenged groups. Results of the study suggest that spore-forming
      probiotics are partially effective in unsuitable rearing situations such as
      colibacillosis in which the load of harmful bacteria is high.

PMID- 28339521
TI  - Effect of Fibromyalgia Symptoms on Outcome of Spinal Surgery.
AB  - Objectives: To evaluate the effect of presurgical symptoms characteristic of
      fibromyalgia on the postsurgical outcome of patients undergoing spinal surgery.
      Methods: In this observational cohort study, participants were patients scheduled
      for spinal surgery, including cervical or lumbar laminectomy and foraminectomy.
      Presurgical evaluation included physical examination and manual dolorimetry.
      Questionnaires included the widespread pain index (WPI), symptom severity scale
      (SSS), and SF-36. Postsurgical evaluation performed at 10-12 weeks included
      questionnaires, physical examination, and dolorimetry. Results: Forty patients
      (21 male, 19 female) were recruited. Four patients (10%) fulfilled American
      College of Rheumatology (ACR) 1990 fibromyalgia; nine patients fulfilled 2010
      criteria (22.5%). Overall, a significant 34% reduction in WPI was observed
      postsurgically ( P  < 0.01), but no significant change was observed in SSS.
      Comparing outcomes for patients fulfilling and not fulfilling fibromyalgia
      criteria, fibromyalgia syndrome (FMS)-negative patients experienced highly
      significant reductions of both SSS and WPI (-50.1% and -42.9%, respectively, P  <
      0.01), while FMS-positive patients experienced no reduction of SSS symptoms and
      only a marginally significant reduction in WPI (-20.3%, P  = 0.04). A significant
      negative correlation was observed between results of presurgical WPI and change
      in physical role functioning SF-36 component postsurgically. A significant
      negative correlation was observed between presurgical SSS and change in composite
      physical functioning SF-36 component. Regression analysis demonstrated a
      difference in trend between FMS-positive and FMS-negative patients regarding
      postop changes in SSS, as well as a difference in trend regarding the general
      health role limitation due to emotional problems and pain components of the SF
      36. Conclusions: Fibromyalgia symptoms were highly prevalent among patients
      scheduled for spinal surgery. A negative correlation was observed between
      presurgical severity of fibromyalgia symptoms and components of postsurgical SF
      36. Patients with symptoms typical of fibromyalgia may have a less favorable
      outcome after spinal surgery. The clinical utility of surgical intervention in
      such patients should be carefully evaluated, and treatment specific for
      fibromyalgia might be considered before embarking on a surgical course.

PMID- 28339522
TI  - Influence of postbiotic RG14 and inulin combination on cecal microbiota, organic
      acid concentration, and cytokine expression in broiler chickens.
AB  - This study examined the effects of different combinations of inulin and
      postbiotics RG14 on growth performance, cecal microbiota, volatile fatty acids
      (VFA), and ileal cytokine expression in broiler chickens. Two-hundred-and
      sixteen, one-day-old chicks were allocated into 6 treatment groups, namely, a
      basal diet (negative control, NC), basal diet + neomycin and oxytetracycline
      (positive control, PC), T1 = basal diet + 0.15% postbiotic RG14 + 1.0% inulin, T2
      = basal diet + 0.3% postbiotic RG14 + 1.0% inulin, T3 = basal diet + 0.45%
      postbiotic RG14 + 1.0% inulin, and T4 = basal diet + 0.6% postbiotic RG14 + 1.0%
      inulin, and fed for 6 weeks. The results showed that birds fed T1 and T3 diets
      had higher (P < 0.05) final body weight and total weight gain than NC and PC
      birds. A lower (P < 0.05) feed conversion ratio was observed in birds fed T1 and
      T2 compared with those fed the NC diet. Birds fed PC, T1, T2, and T3 had higher
      (P < 0.05) cecum total bacteria and Bifidobacteria compared to the NC birds. Diet
      had no effect on cecum Lactobacilli, Enterococcus and Salmonella. The NC birds
      had higher (P < 0.05) Enterobacteria and E. coli than other treatments.
      Concentration of acetic acid was higher in birds fed PC, T1, and T4 compared to
      the NC birds. However, the concentration of butyric acid, propionic acid, and
      total VFA did not differ (P > 0.05) among diets. The NC birds had higher (P <
      0.05) expression of interferon (IFN) and Lipopolysaccharide-induced tumor
      necrosis factor-alpha factor (LITAF) gene compared with those fed other diets.
      The mRNA expression of interluken-6 (IL-6) was up-regulated in birds fed T3 and
      T4 compared to the NC birds. However, the expression of interluken-8 (IL-8) gene
      was not influenced by diet. Postbiotic and inulin combinations are potential
      replacements for antibiotic growth promoters in the poultry industry.

PMID- 28339523
TI  - Factors affecting the quality of life of chronic dialysis patients.
AB  - Background: Patients on hemodialysis must adjust their life plans to the
      treatment. They are aware of losing their health and independence. Therefore,
      acceptance of illness (AI) is important and allows the patient to adjust to new
      situation and alleviates negative emotions. Methods: The aim of study was to
      assess the impact of AI and other socioclinical variables on hemodialysis
      patients' quality of life (QoL). The study included 100 patients aged 20-85 (M =
      57), treated with hemodialysis for at least 2 years. Two validated instruments
      were used: the Acceptance of Illness Scale (AIS) and the World Health
      Organization Quality of Life questionnaire. Results: High, moderate and low level
      of AI was found for 15, 61 and 24 patients, respectively. The QoL increased with
      the AI score. In physical domain, it reached 69.8 +/- 12.4 in the high AIS group,
      54.2 +/- 15.3 in the moderate AIS group and 42.7 +/- 12.3 in the low AIS group (
      P < 0.001). The psychological domain scores were 70.3 +/- 12.8, 57.2 +/- 15.0 and
      49.7 +/- 11.8 ( P < 0.001), respectively. The environmental domain scores were
      68.8 +/- 13.3,59.0 +/- 12.6 and 53.0 +/- 11.6 ( P < 0.001), respectively. AIS
      scores were positively correlated with QoL in three domains: physical ( r =
      0.549; P < 0.0001), psychological ( r = 0.505; P < 0.0001) and environmental ( r
      = 0.444; P < 0.0001). In multiple-factor analysis, AI was independent predictors
      in physical domains (beta = +0.210), psychological domain (beta = +0.402) and
      environmental domain (beta = +0.204). No correlation or predictive value was
      found for the social relationship domain, however. Conclusions: Patients on
      dialysis have moderate-to-low AI. AI is an independent predictor positively
      correlated with QoL in all domains except for social relationships. The social
      and psychological support for dialyzed patient might improve their HRQoL and
      illness acceptance.

PMID- 28339524
TI  - Chronic illness self-management: a mechanism behind the relationship between
      neighbourhood social capital and health?
AB  - Background: Neighbourhood social capital might provide resources that can benefit
      chronic illness self-management. Improved self-management is a possible mechanism
      behind the relationship between neighbourhood social capital and health of people
      with chronic illness. Methods: To test this mechanism, we collected data on self
      management and self-rated health among a sample of 2091 people with chronic
      illness in 2013. Data on neighbourhood social capital were collected among 69 336
      people in 3425 neighbourhoods between May 2011 and September 2012. A social
      capital measure was estimated with ecometric measurements. We conducted mediation
      analyses to examine whether the relationship between neighbourhood social capital
      and self-rated health was mediated through chronic illness self-management.
      Results: We found that neighbourhood social capital is related to chronic illness
      self-management only for people with chronic illness and mild physical
      disabilities and that, for this group, self-management mediates the relationship
      between neighbourhood social capital and health. Conclusion: Improved self
      management is a mechanism behind the relationship between neighbourhood social
      capital and health for people with chronic illness and mild physical
      disabilities. It is possible that the self-management support needs of people
      with chronic illness with moderate or severe physical disabilities cannot be met
      by the resources provided in neighbourhoods, but more tailored support is
      necessary. More research is needed to discover mechanisms behind the relationship
      between neighbourhood social capital and health and elucidate which resources in
      neighbourhoods can benefit specific groups of people with chronic illness.

PMID- 28339525
TI  - Cracking the pathogenesis of cocaine-induced vasculitis.

PMID- 28339526
TI  - Effect of glass markings on drinking rate in social alcohol drinkers.
AB  - Background: The main aim of these studies was to explore the influence of volume
      information on glassware on the time taken to consume an alcoholic beverage.
      Methods: In Study 1, male and female social alcohol consumers ( n = 159) were
      randomised to drink 12 fl oz of either low or standard strength lager, from
      either a curved glass marked with yellow tape at the midpoint or an unmarked
      curved glass, in a between-subjects design. In Study 2, male and female social
      alcohol consumers ( n = 160) were randomised to drink 12 fl oz of standard
      strength lager from either a curved glass marked with 1/4, 1/2 and 3/4 volume
      points or an unmarked curved glass, in a between-subjects design. The primary
      outcome measure for both studies was total drinking time of an alcoholic
      beverage. Results: In Study 1, after removing outliers, total drinking time was
      slower from the glass with midpoint volume marking [mean drinking times (min):
      9.98 (marked) vs. 9.55 (unmarked), mean difference = 0.42, 95% CI: -0.90, 1.44].
      In Study 2, after removing outliers, total drinking time was slower from the
      glass with multiple volume marks [mean drinking times: 10.34 (marked) vs. 9.11
      (unmarked), mean difference = 1.24, 95% CI: -0.11, 2.59]. However, in both
      studies confidence intervals were wide and also consistent with faster
      consumption from marked glasses. Conclusion: Consumption of an alcoholic beverage
      may be slower when served in glasses with volume information. Replication in
      larger studies is warranted.

PMID- 28339527
TI  - Microbial community mapping in intestinal tract of broiler chicken.
AB  - Domestic chickens are valuable sources of protein associated with producing meat
      and eggs for humans. The gastrointestinal tract (GIT) houses a large microbial
      community, and these microbiota play an important role in growth and health of
      chickens, contributing to the enhancement of nutrient absorption and improvement
      of the birds' immune systems. To improve our understanding of the chicken
      intestinal microbial composition, microbiota inhabiting 5 different intestinal
      locations (duodenum, jejunum, ileum, cecum, and colon) of 42-day-old broiler
      chickens were detected based on 16S rRNA gene sequence analysis. As a result,
      1,502,554 sequences were clustered into 796 operational taxonomic units (OTUs) at
      the 97% sequence similarity value and identified into 15 phyla and 288 genera.
      Firmicutes, Bacteroidetes, Proteobacteria, Actinobacteria, and Cyanobacteria were
      the major microbial groups and Firmicutes was the dominant phylum in duodenum,
      jejunum, ileum and colon accounting for > 60% of sequences, while Bacteroidetes
      was the dominant phylum in cecum (>50% of sequences), but little in the other
      four gut sections. At the genus level, the major microbial genera across all gut
      sections were Lactobacillus, Enterococcus, Bacteroides, and Corynebacterium.
      Lactobacillus was the predominant genus in duodenum, jejunum, and ileum (>35%),
      but was rarely present in cecum, and Bacteroides was the most dominant group in
      cecum (about 40%), but rarely present in the other 4 intestinal sections.
      Differences of microbial composition between the 5 intestinal locations might be
      a cause and consequence of gut functional differences and may also reflect host
      selection mediated by innate or adaptive immune responses. All these results
      could offer some information for the future study on the relationship between
      intestinal microbiota and broiler chicken growth performance as well as health.

PMID- 28339529
TI  - FDA Approval of Extended-Release Oxycodone for Children with Severe Pain: A Step
      Forward.

PMID- 28339528
TI  - The utility of comprehensive autoantibody testing to differentiate connective
      tissue disease associated and idiopathic interstitial lung disease subgroup
      cases.
AB  - Interstitial lung disease (ILD) comprises many heterogeneous disease groups, the
      largest being CTD-associated and those labelled as idiopathic out of necessity.
      The mechanisms causing ILD are poorly understood, but most CTD- and idiopathic
      ILD cases can respond to immunosuppression, clearly suggesting a pathological
      role for inflammation. By contrast, corticosteroid immunosuppression causes harm
      without benefit in the feared idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis, suggesting that
      inflammation plays little pathological role, and where ILD progresses rapidly to
      lethal outcome even with anti-fibrotic drug use. Given the treatment response
      differences apparent between ILD subgroups, and the dangers and costs of
      corticosteroid and anti-fibrotic drug use, respectively, it has become vital in
      every ILD patient to make an accurate subgroup diagnosis, to optimize treatment
      selections. This review discusses why differentiating CTD- and idiopathic-ILD
      subgroup cases remains so problematic, and why existing comprehensive CTD
      specific serology would, if generally available, represent an ideal biomarker
      tool to enhance ILD subgroup diagnostic accuracy.

PMID- 28339533
TI  - Pneumocystis pneumonia versus rituximab-induced interstitial lung disease in
      lymphoma patients receiving rituximab-containing chemotherapy.
AB  - It is difficult to differentiate Pneumocystis pneumonia (PCP) from rituximab
      induced interstitial lung disease (RILD) in lymphoma patients with diffuse
      pulmonary infiltrates who are receiving rituximab-containing chemotherapy. Using
      a clinical scoring system, we aim to differentiate PCP from RILD who are
      receiving rituximab-containing chemotherapy. We reviewed the medical records of
      lymphoma patients who had received rituximab-containing chemotherapy between 2012
      and 2015 in a tertiary hospital. Among 613 lymphoma patients receiving rituximab
      containing chemotherapy, 97 (16%) had diffuse pulmonary infiltrates. Of these, 16
      (16%) with an alternative diagnosis and 22 (23%) with an indeterminate diagnosis
      were excluded. Finally, 21 (22%) patients were classified as having PCP and the
      remaining 38 (39%) as having RILD. Fever, short duration of symptoms (<=5 days),
      systemic inflammatory response syndrome (SIRS), and severe extent of disease on
      CT scan (>75%) were more common in patients with PCP than in those with RILD.
      Clinical scores were determined using the following system: SIRS = score 1,
      symptom duration <=5 days = score 1, extent of disease on CT >75% = score 4. A
      score of >=2 differentiated PCP from RILD with 91% sensitivity (95% CI, 70-99)
      and 71% specificity (95% CI, 54-84). A clinical scoring system based on presence
      of SIRS, short duration of symptoms, and severe extent of disease on CT scan
      appears to be useful in differentiation of PCP from RILD.

PMID- 28339534
TI  - Inactivation of dermatophyte infection by nonthermal plasma on animal model.
AB  - Superficial fungal infections are a major epidemiological issue with increasing
      prevalence and are a common global problem. This article describes experimental
      therapy of superficial fungal skin infection using low-temperature plasma. Groups
      of guinea pigs were artificially infected with Trichophyton mentagrophytes SK
      3286 dermatophyte and treated with plasma produced by a DC cometary discharge
      with an inserted grid. The course of infection was a week shorter and milder in
      animals treated by plasma than that in nontreated animals, the significant
      lowering of dermatophytic germs also occurred in the treated group. The exposure
      to plasma causes no harm to experimental animals. The results allow for the
      development of a new dermatophytoses therapy by low temperature plasma treatment.

PMID- 28339536
TI  - Successful nutrition policy: improvement of vitamin D intake and status in
      Finnish adults over the last decade.
AB  - Background: Due to vitamin D intake below recommendation (10 ug/day) and low (<50
      nmol/l) serum 25-hydroxycholecalciferol (25(OH)D) concentration in Finnish
      population, the fortification of liquid dairy products with 0.5 ug vitamin D/100
      g and fat spreads with 10 ug/100 g started in Finland in December 2002. In 2010,
      the fortification recommendation was doubled. The aim of this study was to
      investigate whether the vitamin D intake and status have improved among Finnish
      adults as a consequence of these nutrition policy actions. A further aim was to
      study the impact of vitamin supplement use to the total vitamin D intake.
      Methods: A cross-sectional survey was conducted every 5 years. The National
      FINDIET Survey was conducted in Finland as part of the National FINRISK health
      monitoring study. Dietary data were collected by using a computer-assisted 48-h
      dietary recall. In 2002, dietary data comprised 2007, in 2007, 1575 and 2012,
      1295 working aged (25-64 years) Finns. Results: The mean D-vitamin intake
      increased from 5 ug/day to 17 ug/day in men and from 3 ug/day to 18 ug/day in
      women from 2002 to 2012. The most important food sources of vitamin D were milk
      products, fat spreads and fish dishes. The share of milk products was 39% among
      younger men and 38% among younger women, and 29% among older men and 28% among
      older women. Fat spreads covered on average 28% of vitamin D intake, except for
      younger men for which it covered 23%. Fish dishes provided 28% of vitamin D
      intake for older men and women, and approximately 18% for younger ones. In
      January-April 2012, the average serum 25-hydroxycholecalciferol (25(OH)D)
      concentration for men was 63 nmol/l for men and for women 67 nmol/l for women.
      Conclusions: The fortification of commonly used foods with vitamin D and vitamin
      D supplementation seems to be an efficient way to increase the vitamin D intake
      and the vitamin D status in the adult population.

PMID- 28339538
TI  - Thalamic Amnesia Accompanying Disruption of Pain Memory: A Case of Right Anterior
      Thalamic Infarction and a Subsequent Vertebral Compression Fracture.

PMID- 28339539
TI  - Unique aggregation of conjugated amphotericin B and its interaction with lipid
      membranes.
AB  - The purpose of this paper was to investigate the aggregation of amphotericin B
      (AMB) and AMB-arabinogalactan conjugate (AMB-AGC), and the interactions of these
      drugs with free and membrane-embedded sterols. Aggregation of AMB and AMB-AGC was
      studied by circular dichroic (CD) and UV absorbance spectroscopic techniques. The
      effect of liposomes on the spectra was utilized to investigate the interactions
      of aggregates with membrane-embedded sterols. Interaction with free sterols was
      studied by measuring sterols' effect on AMB/AMB-AGC susceptibility test. The
      results demonstrated that AMB-AGC forms unique aggregates in aqueous solution
      which differ from those formed by free AMB. Ergosterol and cholesterol embedded
      in liposomes, affected the CD spectra obtained for both AMB and AMB-AGC,
      indicating interactions of these sterols with both drugs. Interaction with both
      cholesterol and ergosterol resulted in an increase of AMB-AGC's minimal
      inhibitory concentration (MIC) in Candida albicans. In conclusion, AMB-AGC forms
      unique aggregates in aqueous solution; these aggregates interact with membrane
      embedded cholesterol and ergosterol and with free sterols. These results indicate
      that the selectivity of AMB-AGC to fungal cells may not occur due to inability to
      bind cholesterol but probably as a result of this unique aggregation.
      Understanding this mechanism may help to develop a safer AMB formulation for
      therapy.

PMID- 28339540
TI  - Interventional Pain Management for Sacroiliac Tumors in the Oncologic Population:
      A Case Series and Paradigm Approach.
AB  - Introduction: Tumors invading the sacrum and/or ilium often represent incurable
      metastatic disease, and treatment is targeted toward palliation of symptoms and
      control of pain. As systemic opioid therapy is frequently inadequate and limited
      by side effects, a variety of interventional techniques are available to better
      optimize analgesia. Using six patients as a paradigm for interventional
      approaches to pain relief, we present a therapeutic algorithm for treating
      sacroiliac tumor-related pain in the oncologic population. Methods: We describe
      the use of ultrasound-guided proximal sacroiliac joint corticosteroid injection,
      sacroiliac lateral branch radiofrequency ablation, percutaneous sacroplasty, and
      implantable neuraxial drug delivery devices to treat malignant sacroiliac pain in
      six patients. Pre- and postprocedure numerical rating scale (NRS) pain scores,
      duration of pain relief, and postprocedure pain medication requirements were
      studied for each patient. Results: Each patient had marked improvement in their
      pain based on an average postprocedure NRS difference of six points. The average
      duration of pain relief was eight months. In all cases, opioid requirements
      decreased after the intervention. Discussion: Depending on tumor location, burden
      of disease, and patient preference, patients suffering from metastatic disease to
      the sacrum may find benefit from use of ultrasound-guided proximal sacroiliac
      joint corticosteroid injection, sacroiliac lateral branch radiofrequency
      ablation, percutaneous sacroplasty, dorsal column stimulator leads, and/or
      implantable neuraxial drug delivery devices. We provide a paradigm for treatment
      in this patient population.

PMID- 28339542
TI  - Cervical Epidural Contrast Spread Patterns in Fluoroscopic Antero-Posterior,
      Lateral, and Contralateral Oblique View: A Three-Dimensional Analysis.
AB  - Objective: To describe and to analyze cervical epidural contrast patterns seen in
      antero-posterior (AP), contralateral oblique (CLO), and lateral view. To identify
      factors that might help in predicting contrast distribution pattern and extent.
      Method: Spread of contrast in the cervical epidural space was prospectively
      studied in AP, lateral, and three CLO views. Results: CLO view showed contrast
      spread of variable thickness with its posterior margin overlying the ventral
      interlaminar line (VILL). In the lateral view, the spread was also of variable
      thickness, but the posterior margin of the contrast lay on the spinolaminar line
      in only 10 of 24 patients. Ventral contrast spread was not visualized in any
      patient. In the AP view, bilateral spread was seen in 14 of 24 subjects, and
      nerve root spread was seen in 16 of 24 subjects. No association of the pattern of
      spread or dispersion was seen to patient age, volume injected, or needle
      location. Conclusions: The CLO view provides a consistent radiological landmark
      for the posterior margin of contrast in the dorsal epidural space; the lateral
      view fails to provide such a consistent landmark. The thickness of the spread is
      variable, both in the CLO and in the lateral view. Thick spread extending into
      the foramen in the CLO view and over the articular pillars in the lateral view is
      frequent and should not be misconstrued as subdural or intrathecal spread. In
      contradistinction to previous studies, true ventral spread was not seen in any
      patient. When using low volumes, contrast spread is independent of patient age,
      volume injected, or needle tip location in the AP view.

PMID- 28339543
TI  - Climatic factors and prevalence of Campylobacter in commercial broiler flocks in
      Thailand.
AB  - Campylobacter are bacteria associated with human foodborne disease worldwide.
      Poultry and poultry products are generally considered as a main source of these
      organisms. Compared to temperate zones, baseline information on Campylobacter in
      tropical regions is limited. Thus, the objectives of the present study were 1) to
      determine the prevalence of Campylobacter in Thai broiler flocks and 2) to
      investigate the association between climatic factors (i.e., rainfall, ambient
      temperature, and relative humidity) and Campylobacter colonization status of
      broiler flocks in Thailand. A total of 442 commercial broiler flocks reared in
      the central and northeastern regions of Thailand during 2012 to 2014 were
      investigated. Campylobacter positive status was identified in 252 examined flocks
      (57.01%; 95% CI 52.39 to 61.63%). Prevalence of Campylobacter in the northeastern
      region (54.46%; 95% CI 44.76 to 63.83%) was slightly lower than that of the
      central region (57.77%; 95% CI 52.47 to 62.90%). More than 65% of Campylobacter
      positive flocks in the central and northeastern regions had within-flock
      prevalence higher than 75%. Generalized estimating equations (GEE) revealed that
      the increased rainfall and relative humidity were associated with the increase of
      Campylobacter colonization in broiler flocks (P <= 0.05), while no relationship
      between ambient temperature and Campylobacter colonization status was identified.

PMID- 28339545
TI  - Left atrial anatomy, atrial fibrillation burden, and P-wave duration
      relationships and predictors for single-procedure success after pulmonary vein
      isolation.
AB  - Aims: Atrial fibrillation (AF) is associated with changes in left atrial (LA)
      volume, but the relationship between LA size, AF burden, and electrical
      conduction behaviour is still uncertain. The aim of this study was to quantify
      the association and impact of these parameters on the single-procedure outcome
      after circumferential antral ablation for pulmonary vein isolation. Methods and
      results: Left atrial assessment was performed in 129 consecutive patients using
      pre-procedural imaging in three dimensions (sphericity, indexed volume), two
      dimensions (diameters), and from echocardiography in one dimension (long axis).
      Atrial fibrillation burden was classified based on the clinical assessment as
      paroxysmal and persistent and based on a validated scoring system including
      frequency, duration of AF episodes, and number of cardioversions into four grades
      (minimal, mild, moderate, and severe). P-wave duration and PR interval was
      measured on the 12-lead electrocardiogram at the end of the procedure. Atrial
      fibrillation burden score (AFB) was minimal (2%), mild (75%), moderate (9%), and
      severe (14%) and 65% had paroxysmal and 35% had persistent AF. The recurrence
      rate was significantly higher in patients with persistent AF, with higher AFB,
      with prolonged P-wave, and with an indexed LA volume  > 55 mL/m2. In
      multivariable analysis, AFB (hazard ratio: 2.018(1.383-2.945), P > 0.001) and a
      prolonged P-wave (hazard ratio: 2.612(1.248-5.466), P = 0.011) were identified as
      significant predictors for AF recurrence. Conclusions: In our cohort of patients
      with symptomatic AF, the AFB and the P-wave duration but none of the anatomical
      parameter revealed to be independent predictors for AF/AT recurrence after
      circumferential antral pulmonary vein isolation.

PMID- 28339544
TI  - Laxatives Do Not Improve Symptoms of Opioid-Induced Constipation: Results of a
      Patient Survey.
AB  - Introduction: Laxatives are commonly used to treat opioid-induced constipation,
      the commonest and most bothersome complication of opioids. However, laxatives
      have a nonspecific action and do not target underlying mechanisms of opioid
      induced constipation; their use is associated with abdominal symptoms that
      negatively impact quality of life. Objective: To assess the effects of laxatives
      in patients taking opioids for chronic pain. Methods: One hundred ninety-eight UK
      patients who had taken opioid analgesics for at least one month completed a cross
      sectional online or telephone survey. Questions addressed their pain condition,
      medication, and laxative use (including efficacy and side effects). The survey
      also assessed bowel function using the Bowel Function Index. Results: Since
      starting their current opioid, 134 of 184 patients (73%) had used laxatives at
      some point and 122 (91%) of these were currently taking them. The most common
      laxatives were osmotics and stimulants. Laxative side effects were reported in
      75%, most commonly gas, bloating/fullness, and a sudden urge to defecate. Side
      effects were more common in patients less than 40 years of age. Approximately
      half of patients said laxatives interfered with work and social activities, and
      one-fifth needed an overnight hospital stay because of their pain condition
      and/or constipation. Laxatives did not improve the symptoms of constipation, as
      assessed by the Bowel Function Index. Constipation was not related to opioid
      strength, dose of opioid, or number of laxatives taken. Conclusions: Use of
      laxatives to treat opioid-induced constipation is often ineffective and
      associated with side effects. Instead of relieving the burden of opioid-induced
      constipation, laxative use is associated with a negative impact.

PMID- 28339546
TI  - Multicentre safety of adding Focal Impulse and Rotor Modulation (FIRM) to
      conventional ablation for atrial fibrillation.
AB  - Aims: Focal Impulse and Rotor Modulation (FIRM) uses 64-electrode basket
      catheters to identify atrial fibrillation (AF)-sustaining sites for ablation,
      with promising results in many studies. Accordingly, new basket designs are being
      tested by several groups. We set out to determine the procedural safety of adding
      basket mapping and map-guided ablation to conventional pulmonary vein isolation
      (PVI). Methods and results: We collected 30 day procedural safety data in five US
      centres for consecutive patients undergoing FIRM plus PVI (FIRM-PVI) compared
      with contemporaneous controls undergoing PVI without FIRM. A total of 625 cases
      were included in this analysis: 325 FIRM-PVI and 300 PVI-controls. FIRM-PVI
      patients were more likely than PVI-controls to be male (83% vs. 66%, P < 0.001)
      and have long-standing persistent AF (26% vs. 13%, P < 0.001) reflecting patients
      referred for FIRM. Total ablation time was greater for FIRM-PVI (62 +/- 22 min)
      vs. PVI-controls (52 +/- 18 min, P = 0.03). The complication rate for FIRM-PVI
      procedures (4.3%) was similar to controls (4.0%, P = 1) for both major and minor
      complications; no deaths were reported. The rate of complications potentially
      attributable to the basket catheter was small and did not differ between basket
      types (Constellation 2.8% vs. FIRMap 1.8%, P = 0.7) or between cases in which
      basket catheters were and were not used (P = 0.5). Complication rates did not
      differ between centres (P = 0.6). Conclusions: Procedural complications from the
      use of the basket catheters for AF mapping are low, and thus procedural safety
      appears similar between FIRM-PVI and PVI-controls in a large multicentre cohort.
      Future studies are required to determine the optimal approach to maximize the
      efficacy of FIRM-guided ablation.

PMID- 28339547
TI  - Effectiveness of the strengthening families programme 10-14 in Poland: cluster
      randomized controlled trial.
AB  - Background: : The Strengthening Families Programme for youth aged 10-14 and
      parents/carers (SFP10-14) is a family-based prevention intervention with positive
      results in trials in the United States. We assessed the effectiveness of SFP10-14
      for preventing substance misuse in Poland. : Cluster randomized controlled trial
      with 20 communities (511 families; 614 young people) were allocated to SFP10-14
      or a control arms. Primary outcomes were alcohol, smoking and other drug use.
      Secondary outcomes included parenting practices, parent-child relations, and
      child problem behaviour. Interview-based questionnaires were administered at
      baseline and at 12- and 24-months post-baseline, with respective 70.4 and 54.4%,
      follow-up rates. : In Bayesian regression models with complete case data we found
      no effects of SFP10-14 for any of the primary or secondary outcomes at either
      follow-up. For example at 24-months, posterior odds ratios and 95% credible
      intervals for past year alcohol use, past month binge drinking, past year
      smoking, and past year other drug use, were 0.83 (0.44-1.56), 0.83 (0.27-2.65),
      1.94 (0.76-5.38) and 0.74 (0.15-3.58), respectively. Although moderate to high
      attrition rates, together with some evidence of systematic attrition bias
      according to parent education and family disposable income, could have biased the
      results, the results were supported in further analyses with propensity score
      matched data and 40 multiple imputed datasets. : We found no evidence for the
      effectiveness of SFP10-14 on the prevention of alcohol or tobacco use, parenting
      behaviour, parent-child relations or child problem behaviour at 12- or 24-month
      follow-up in a large cluster randomized controlled trial in Poland.

PMID- 28339548
TI  - Enhancement of the antidermatophytic activity of silver nanoparticles by Q
      switched Nd:YAG laser and monoclonal antibody conjugation.
AB  - The objective of this research was to investigate the effect of silver
      nanoparticles (AgNPs), free or conjugated with monoclonal antibody and mediated
      by Q-switched Nd:YAG laser on five dermatophytes. The laser was applied for 45 s
      at 532 nm and 0.8 J/cm2. The application of AgNPs combined with laser caused an
      increase in fungal susceptibility compared to application of AgNPs alone. The
      MIC50 and MIC100 recorded 3 and 9 MUg/ml in the case of E. floccosum (the most
      susceptible species), 10 and 19 MUg/ml for T. rubrum (the most tolerant species),
      respectively. A decrease in keratinase activity reaching 76.1, 67.1, and 62.4%
      was attained in the case of M. gypseum, T. rubrum, and T. mentagrophyte,
      respectively, on application of 10 MUg/ml AgNPs combined with Nd:YAG laser. Under
      the same conditions of application, a steady increase in leaked materials coupled
      with reduction in ergosterol synthesis was reached. The structural alterations
      occurred to the fungus were more observed on the application of AgNPs in
      combination with laser where the conidia and hyphae lost their cellular
      integrity, become flaccid, permanently destructed, and completely killed. The
      monoclonal antibody conjugated AgNPs did not result in significant variation in
      in vitro experiments compared with that produced by nonconjugated nanoparticles.
      However, the conjugates achieved significantly more curing of M. canis-inoculated
      guinea pigs compared with nonconjugated nanoparticles.

PMID- 28339549
TI  - Further investigation of a quantitative trait locus for ascites on chromosome 9
      in broiler chicken lines.
AB  - Previously, we reported a genome wide association study (GWAS) that had shown
      association of a region between 11.8 and 13.6 Mbp on chromosome 9 with ascites
      phenotype in broilers. We had used microsatellite loci to demonstrate an
      association of particular genotypes for this region with ascites in experimental
      ascites lines and commercial broiler breeder lines. We identified two potential
      candidate genes, AGTR1 and UTS2D, within that chromosomal region for mediating
      the quantitative effect. We have now extended our analysis using SNPs for these
      genes to assess association with resistance or susceptibility to ascites in these
      same broiler lines. Surprisingly, in contrast to our previous GWAS and
      microsatellite data for this region, we find no association of the SNP genotypes
      or haplotypes in the region suggesting that the two genes might have limited
      association with the disease phenotype.

PMID- 28339550
TI  - The Tension-sensitive Ion Transport Activity of MSL8 is Critical for its Function
      in Pollen Hydration and Germination.
AB  - All cells respond to osmotic challenges, including those imposed during normal
      growth and development. Mechanosensitive (MS) ion channels provide a conserved
      mechanism for regulating osmotic forces by conducting ions in response to
      increased membrane tension. We previously demonstrated that the MS ion channel
      MscS-Like 8 (MSL8) is required for pollen to survive multiple osmotic challenges
      that occur during the normal process of fertilization, and that it can inhibit
      pollen germination. However, it remained unclear whether these physiological
      functions required ion flux through a mechanically gated channel provided by
      MSL8. We introduced two point mutations into the predicted pore-lining domain of
      MSL8 that disrupted normal channel function in different ways. The Ile711Ser
      mutation increased the tension threshold of the MSL8 channel while leaving
      conductance unchanged, and the Phe720Leu mutation severely disrupted the MSL8
      channel. Both of these mutations impaired the ability of MSL8 to preserve pollen
      viability during hydration and to maintain the integrity of the pollen tube when
      expressed at endogenous levels. When overexpressed in an msl8-4 null background,
      MSL8I711S could partially rescue loss-of-function phenotypes, while MSL8F720L
      could not. When overexpressed in the wild-type Ler background, MSL8I711S
      suppressed pollen germination, similar to wild-type MSL8. In contrast, MSL8F720L
      failed to suppress pollen germination and increased pollen bursting, thereby
      phenocopying the msl8-4 mutant. Thus, an intact MSL8 channel is required for
      normal pollen function during hydration and germination. These data establish
      MSL8 as the first plant MS channel to fulfill previously established criteria for
      assignment as a mechanotransducer.

PMID- 28339551
TI  - Anticoagulant and Antiplatelet Management for Spinal Procedures: A Prospective,
      Descriptive Study and Interpretation of Guidelines.
AB  - Setting: Epidural hematoma rarely complicates interventional spine procedures.
      While anticoagulant and antiplatelet drugs increase bleeding risk, cessation may
      precipitate serious thromboembolic events. The Spine Intervention Society (SIS)
      and American Society of Regional Anesthesia and Pain Medicine (ASRA) put forth
      guidelines that dissent with regard to management of hemostatically active agents
      during commonly performed spinal injections. Objective: To validate an
      antiplatelet/anticoagulant management table based on modifications of the SIS
      2013 and ASRA 2015 guidelines. Design: Prospective descriptive study. Subjects:
      Patients undergoing interventional spine injections from a interventional
      physiatrist's practice. Methods: A Modified SIS 2013-ASRA 2015 Antiplatelet &
      Anticoagulant (MSAAA) guideline table was devised and adopted. Patients
      undergoing interventional spine procedures were monitored for bleeding events.
      Results: Of 4,253 injection sites, 197 (4.6%) were performed in 74 patients on
      antiplatelet/anticoagulants. No clinically evident bleeding events were observed
      in patients on antiplatelet/anticoagulant medications for lumbar transforaminal
      epidural (N = 90), posterior-approach facet joint (N = 62), lumbar intradiscal (N
      = 11), lumbar sympathetic (N = 3), and sacroiliac (N = 5) injections or in 26
      radiofrequency neurotomy procedures. One in 2,026 (0.05%, 95% confidence interval
      = 0.00-0.31%) interlaminar epidural injections (cervical, thoracic, lumbar, and
      caudal) suffered epidural hematoma. This patient was not on an
      antiplatelet/anticoagulant drug. No patient in 191 cervicothoracic and 723 lumbar
      transforaminal injections experienced bleeding complications. Conclusions:
      Continuing antiplatelet and anticoagulant medications for intermediate- to low
      risk interventional spine procedures may be advisable. The MSAAA table may be a
      reasonable guideline reference for managing antiplatelet and anticoagulant drugs.

PMID- 28339552
TI  - The effectiveness of ID readers and remote age verification in enhancing
      compliance with the legal age limit for alcohol.
AB  - Currently, two different age verification systems (AVS) are implemented to
      enhance compliance with legal age limits for the sale of alcohol in the
      Netherlands. In this study, we tested the operational procedures and
      effectiveness of ID readers and remote age verification technology in
      supermarkets during the sale of alcohol. Following a trained alcohol purchase
      protocol, eight mystery shoppers (both underage and in the branch's reference
      age) conducted 132 alcohol purchase attempts in stores that were equipped with ID
      readers or remote age verification or were part of a control group. In stores
      equipped with an ID reader, 34% of the purchases were conducted without any
      mistakes (full compliance). In stores with remote age verification, full
      compliance was achieved in 87% of the cases. The control group reached 57%
      compliance, which is in line with the national average. Stores with ID readers
      perform worse than stores with remote age verification, and also worse than
      stores without any AVS. For both systems, in addition to effectiveness, public
      support and user friendliness need to be investigated. This study shows that
      remote age verification technology is a promising intervention that increases
      vendor compliance during the sales of age restricted products.

PMID- 28339554
TI  - Efficacy and safety of antazoline in the rapid cardioversion of paroxysmal atrial
      fibrillation (the AnPAF Study).
AB  - Aims: The aim of the study was to assess the clinical efficacy of antazoline, a
      first-generation anti-histaminic agent, in the rapid conversion of paroxysmal non
      valvular atrial fibrillation (AF) to sinus rhythm in patients without heart
      failure. Methods and results: This study was a single center, randomized, double
      blind, placebo-controlled, superiority clinical trial. We enrolled patients with
      an AF episode lasting less than 43 h, in stable cardiopulmonary condition.
      Subjects who fulfilled the selection criteria were randomly assigned to receive
      intravenously either a placebo or up to 250 mg of antazoline. The primary end
      point was the conversion of AF to sinus rhythm confirmed in electrocardiogram
      (ECG). We enrolled 74 patients: 36 (48.6%) in the antazoline group and 38 (51.4%)
      in the control group. The mean age was 68 +/- 12 years (range 31-90 years), 39
      (53.3%) patients were male. The successful conversion of AF to sinus rhythm
      during the observation period was achieved in 26 (72.2%) patients treated with
      antazoline and 4 (10.5%) in the control group: RR 6.86 (95% CI: 2.66-17.72, P <
      0.0001). Median time to conversion was 16.0 min in antazoline and 72.5 min in the
      control group (P = 0.0246). There were no cases of atrial tachycardia/flutter in
      the antazoline group. Conclusion: Intravenous antazoline was effective and safe
      in the rapid conversion of non-valvular paroxysmal atrial fibrillation to sinus
      rhythm in patients without heart failure. Clinical Trial Registration number:
      NCT01527279.

PMID- 28339556
TI  - Influence of temperature and growth selection on turkey pectoralis major muscle
      satellite cell adipogenic gene expression and lipid accumulation.
AB  - p. major: Immature poults have an inefficient thermoregulatory system, and
      therefore extreme ambient temperatures can impact their internal body
      temperature. Satellite cells, the only posthatch myonuclei source, are
      multipotential stem cells and sensitive to temperature. Selection for faster
      growing, high-yielding birds has altered satellite-cell properties. The objective
      of the current study was to determine how temperature affects adipogenic
      properties of satellite cells isolated from the pectoralis major ( ) muscle of
      Randombred Control line ( ) and F line turkeys selected only for increased 16-wk
      body weight from the RBC2 line. Satellite cells were cultured at 2 degrees C
      incremental temperatures between 33 and 43 degrees C and compared to cells
      cultured at the control temperature of 38 degrees C to ascertain temperature
      effects on lipid accumulation and expression of adipogenic genes: CCAAT/enhancer
      binding protein-beta ( ), peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-gamma ( ),
      and stearoyl-CoA desaturase ( ). During proliferation, the amount of quantifiable
      lipid in both F and RBC2 satellite cells increased at temperatures above 38
      degrees C ( P <  0.01) and decreased at temperatures below 38 degrees C ( P <
      0.01). Above 38 degrees C, RBC2 satellite cells had more lipid ( P = 0.02)
      compared to the F line, whereas there were few differences between lines below 38
      degrees C. At 72 h of proliferation, expression of C/EBPbeta , PPARgamma , and
      SCD decreased ( P <=  0.02) as temperatures increased from 33 to 43 degrees C in
      both cell lines. During differentiation expression of C/EBPbeta increased ( P < 
      0.01) as temperatures increased from 33 to 43 degrees C in both cell lines. In F
      line satellite cells, PPARgamma expression decreased ( P <  0.01) with increasing
      temperatures during differentiation, whereas there was no linear trend in RBC2
      cells. During differentiation expression of SCD increased as temperatures
      increased ( P <  0.01) in RBC2 cells, and there was no linear trend within the F
      line. Results from the current study suggest that environmental temperature can
      affect p. major satellite cellular fate; however, selection for increased body
      weight had little impact on these cellular responses.

PMID- 28339555
TI  - An Item Bank for Abuse of Prescription Pain Medication from the Patient-Reported
      Outcomes Measurement Information System (PROMIS(r)).
AB  - Objective: There is a need to monitor patients receiving prescription opioids to
      detect possible signs of abuse. To address this need, we developed and calibrated
      an item bank for severity of abuse of prescription pain medication as part of the
      Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System (PROMIS (r) ). Methods:
      Comprehensive literature searches yielded an initial bank of 5,310 items relevant
      to substance use and abuse, including abuse of prescription pain medication, from
      over 80 unique instruments. After qualitative item analysis (i.e., focus groups,
      cognitive interviewing, expert review, and item revision), 25 items for abuse of
      prescribed pain medication were included in field testing. Items were written in
      a first-person, past-tense format, with a three-month time frame and five
      response options reflecting frequency or severity. The calibration sample
      included 448 respondents, 367 from the general population (ascertained through an
      internet panel) and 81 from community treatment programs participating in the
      National Drug Abuse Treatment Clinical Trials Network. Results: A final bank of
      22 items was calibrated using the two-parameter graded response model from item
      response theory. A seven-item static short form was also developed. The test
      information curve showed that the PROMIS (r) item bank for abuse of prescription
      pain medication provided substantial information in a broad range of severity.
      Conclusion: The initial psychometric characteristics of the item bank support its
      use as a computerized adaptive test or short form, with either version providing
      a brief, precise, and efficient measure relevant to both clinical and community
      samples.

PMID- 28339557
TI  - Deficiency of circulating progenitor cells associated with vascular thrombosis of
      hemodialysis patients.
AB  - Background: Hemodialysis (HD) patients have an increased risk of thrombosis.
      Endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs), which function in vascular repair, are
      deficient in HD patients. Nonetheless, the relationship between EPC deficiency
      and thrombosis in HD patients is unknown. Methods: From January 2010 to December
      2012, circulating levels of EPCs that were positive for CD34 and kinase insert
      domain receptor (KDR) were measured in 269 HD patients. Patients received
      prospective follow-ups at 6-month intervals until May 2015. The primary outcome
      was the composite of HD access thrombosis and systemic vascular thrombosis.
      Results: There were 141 thrombotic events, 50 systemic vascular thrombotic events
      and 116 HD access thrombotic events. We found significantly negative associations
      between CD34 +  KDR +  tertile and overall thrombotic events (low: 61%; middle:
      56%; high: 40%; P = 0.02), systemic vascular thrombotic events (low: 27%; middle:
      18%; high: 10%; P = 0.03) and HD access thrombotic events (low: 52%; middle: 46%;
      high: 36%; P = 0.02). Univariate analysis indicated that systemic vascular
      thrombotic events were positively associated with age, diabetes, dyslipidemia,
      vascular disease history, urea clearance, albumin and C-reactive protein (CRP),
      and negatively associated with CD34 +  KDR +  cell count. HD access thrombosis
      was positively associated with vascular disease history and CRP, and negatively
      associated with CD34 +  KDR +  cell count. Multivariate analysis indicated that a
      low CD34 +  KDR +  cell count was an independent risk factor for both types of
      thrombosis. Conclusions: Our study of a population of HD patients showed that a
      low level of circulating EPCs is associated with thrombosis.

PMID- 28339558
TI  - Impact of sedation vs. general anaesthesia on percutaneous epicardial access
      safety and procedural outcomes.
AB  - Aims: Patient movement while under moderate/deep sedation may complicate
      percutaneous epicardial access (EpiAcc), mapping and ablation. We sought to
      compare procedural outcomes in patients undergoing EpiAcc under sedation vs.
      general anaesthesia (GA) for ablation. Methods and results: Patients undergoing
      EpiAcc between January 2004 and July 2014 were included. Safety, procedural, and
      clinical outcomes were compared between patients undergoing EpiAcc under sedation
      or GA for ventricular tachycardia or premature ventricular complex ablation.
      Between January 2004 and July 2014, 170 patients underwent EpiAcc (mean age, 53.2
      +/- 15.8 years; average ejection fraction, 44.3 +/- 15.3%). The majority (122
      [72%] patients) were male. GA was used in 69 (40.6%). There was no difference in
      route of access (more often anterior, 53.0%) or the rate of successful access
      (96% overall) between groups. Similarly, the site of ablation (endocardial vs.
      epicardial vs. combined endocardial/epicardial) was similar between groups.
      Complications were equally seen between groups-the most frequent
      event/complication was pericardial effusion, occurring in 10.6% of patients.
      Finally, procedural and clinical success rates between GA and sedation groups
      were comparable (93 vs. 91% and 44 vs. 51%, respectively, P > 0.05). Conclusions:
      Choice of anaesthesia for EpiAcc does not appear to significantly affect safety
      and procedural or clinical outcomes. For patients in whom anaesthesia may pose
      increased risk, it is reasonable to obtain epicardial access under sedation.

PMID- 28339559
TI  - Using a stakeholder-engaged approach to develop and validate electronic clinical
      quality measures.
AB  - Objective: To describe the stakeholder-engaged processes used to develop,
      specify, and validate 2 oral health care electronic clinical quality measures.
      Materials and Methods: A broad range of stakeholders were engaged from conception
      through testing to develop measures and test feasibility, reliability, and
      validity following National Quality Forum guidance. We assessed data element
      feasibility through semistructured interviews with key stakeholders using a
      National Quality Forum-recommended scorecard. We created test datasets of
      synthetic patients to test measure implementation feasibility and reliability
      within and across electronic health record (EHR) systems. We validated
      implementation with automated reporting of EHR clinical data against manual
      record reviews, using the kappa statistic. Results: A stakeholder workgroup was
      formed and guided all development and testing processes. All critical data
      elements passed feasibility testing. Four test datasets, representing 577
      synthetic patients, were developed and implemented within EHR vendors' software,
      demonstrating measure implementation feasibility. Measure reliability and
      validity were established through implementation at clinical practice sites, with
      kappa statistic values in the "almost perfect" agreement range of 0.80-0.99 for
      all but 1 measure component, which demonstrated "substantial" agreement. The 2
      validated measures were published in the United States Health Information
      Knowledgebase. Conclusion: The stakeholder-engaged processes used in this study
      facilitated a successful measure development and testing cycle. Engaging
      stakeholders early and throughout development and testing promotes early
      identification of and attention to potential threats to feasibility, reliability,
      and validity, thereby averting significant resource investments that are unlikely
      to be fruitful.

PMID- 28339560
TI  - Temporal trends in renal function and birthweight in Japanese adolescent males
      (1998-2015).
AB  - Background: Low birthweight (LBW) is a worldwide public health problem,
      demonstrating an increasing incidence in developed countries, including Japan.
      LBW is also a risk factor for later development of chronic kidney disease (CKD).
      To date, studies have not evaluated the population impacts of increasing LBW
      rates on renal function. Methods: Estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) was
      evaluated in 3737 Japanese adolescent males (15-16 years old) using annual cross
      sectional data over an 18-year period (1998-2015). Results: Between the initial
      (1998-2003) and final (2010-15) periods of the study, the mean birthweight
      decreased from 3213.4 +/- 383.8 to 3116.2 +/- 382.3 g and the LBW rate increased
      from 2.5 to 5.5% (both P <= 0.01). Additionally, the mean eGFR decreased from
      105.1 +/- 15.9 to 97.4 +/- 13.8 mL/min/1.73 m2 and the prevalence of mildly
      reduced renal function (eGFR <= 60- <90 mL/min/1.73 m2) increased from 16.4 to
      30.0% (both P <= 0.01), most evident in the LBW group (from 10.3 to 41.7%, P
      <=0.01). The prevalence of proteinuria also increased significantly. Mildly
      reduced renal function was significantly associated with LBW [odds ratio (LBW
      3000-3999 g) 1.51; 95% confidence interval 1.00-2.55; P = 0.047]. Conclusions: In
      this population of Japanese adolescents, the frequency of mildly reduced renal
      function increased as the LBW frequency increased. Our findings may have
      implications for the broader Japanese population as well as for other populations
      in which the prevalence of LBW is increasing.

PMID- 28339561
TI  - Computational Models Used to Assess US Tobacco Control Policies.
AB  - Introduction: Simulation models can be used to evaluate existing and potential
      tobacco control interventions, including policies. The purpose of this systematic
      review was to synthesize evidence from computational models used to project
      population-level effects of tobacco control interventions. We provide
      recommendations to strengthen simulation models that evaluate tobacco control
      interventions. Methods: Studies were eligible for review if they employed a
      computational model to predict the expected effects of a non-clinical US-based
      tobacco control intervention. We searched five electronic databases on July 1,
      2013 with no date restrictions and synthesized studies qualitatively. Results:
      Six primary non-clinical intervention types were examined across the 40 studies:
      taxation, youth prevention, smoke-free policies, mass media campaigns,
      marketing/advertising restrictions, and product regulation. Simulation models
      demonstrated the independent and combined effects of these interventions on
      decreasing projected future smoking prevalence. Taxation effects were the most
      robust, as studies examining other interventions exhibited substantial
      heterogeneity with regard to the outcomes and specific policies examined across
      models. Conclusions: Models should project the impact of interventions on overall
      tobacco use, including nicotine delivery product use, to estimate preventable
      health and cost-saving outcomes. Model validation, transparency, more
      sophisticated models, and modeling policy interactions are also needed to inform
      policymakers to make decisions that will minimize harm and maximize health.
      Implications: In this systematic review, evidence from multiple studies
      demonstrated the independent effect of taxation on decreasing future smoking
      prevalence, and models for other tobacco control interventions showed that these
      strategies are expected to decrease smoking, benefit population health, and are
      reasonable to implement from a cost perspective. Our recommendations aim to help
      policymakers and researchers minimize harm and maximize overall population-level
      health benefits by considering the real-world context in which tobacco control
      interventions are implemented.

PMID- 28339562
TI  - Characterization of Children With Recurrent Episodes of Stevens Johnson Syndrome.
AB  - We performed a retrospective chart review for all cases of recurrent Stevens
      Johnson Syndrome (SJS) from March 2013 to March 2016. Nine children had 29
      episodes of SJS or incomplete SJS; all children were male and 8 (88%) were white.
      Episodes affected mucus membranes with minimal skin involvement. Mycoplasma
      infections and HLA-B27/-B51 were common.

PMID- 28339563
TI  - Trauma-Informed Social Work Practice.
AB  - Social workers frequently encounter clients with a history of trauma. Trauma
      informed care is a way of providing services by which social workers recognize
      the prevalence of early adversity in the lives of clients, view presenting
      problems as symptoms of maladaptive coping, and understand how early trauma
      shapes a client's fundamental beliefs about the world and affects his or her
      psychosocial functioning across the life span. Trauma-informed social work
      incorporates core principles of safety, trust, collaboration, choice, and
      empowerment and delivers services in a manner that avoids inadvertently repeating
      unhealthy interpersonal dynamics in the helping relationship. Trauma-informed
      social work can be integrated into all sorts of existing models of evidence-based
      services across populations and agency settings, can strengthen the therapeutic
      alliance, and facilitates posttraumatic growth.

PMID- 28339565
TI  - Association of cardiac resynchronization therapy with the incidence of
      appropriate implantable cardiac defibrillator therapies in ischaemic and non
      ischaemic cardiomyopathy.
AB  - Aims: Cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT) reduces the incidence of sudden
      cardiac death and the use of appropriate implantable cardioverter-defibrillator
      (ICD) therapies (AICDTs); however, this antiarrhythmic effect is only observed in
      certain groups of patients. To gain insight into the effects of CRT on
      ventricular arrhythmia (VA) burden, we compared the incidence of AICDT use in
      four groups of patients: patients with ischaemic cardiomyopathy vs. non-ischaemic
      dilated cardiomyopathy (NIDC) and patients implanted with an ICD vs. CRT-ICD.
      Methods and results: We analysed 689 consecutive patients (mean follow-up 37 +/-
      16 months) included in the Umbrella registry, a multicentre prospective registry
      including patients implanted with ICD or CRT-ICD devices with remote monitoring
      capabilities in 48 Spanish Hospitals. The primary outcome was the time to first
      AICDT. Despite a worse clinical risk profile, NIDC patients receiving a CRT-ICD
      had a lower cumulative probability of first AICDT use at 2 years compared with
      patients implanted with an ICD [24.7 vs. 41.6%, hazard ratio (HR): 0.49, P =
      0.003]; on the other hand, there were no significant differences in the incidence
      of first AICDT use at 2 years in ischaemic patients (22.6 vs. 21.9%, P = NS).
      Multivariate analysis confirmed the association of CRT with lower AICDT rates
      amongst NIDC patients (Adjusted HR: 0.55, CI 95% 0.35-0.87). Conclusions: These
      data suggest that CRT is associated with significantly lower rates of first AICDT
      use in NIDC patients, but not in ischaemic patients. This study suggests that ICD
      patients with NIDC and left bundle branch block experiencing VAs may benefit from
      an upgrade to CRT-ICD despite being in a good functional class.

PMID- 28339566
TI  - Progressive obesity alters ovarian insulin, phosphatidylinositol-3 kinase, and
      chemical metabolism signaling pathways and potentiates ovotoxicity induced by
      phosphoramide mustard in mice?.
AB  - Mechanisms underlying obesity-associated reproductive impairment are ill defined.
      Hyperinsulinemia is a metabolic perturbation often observed in obese subjects.
      Insulin activates phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K) signaling, which regulates
      ovarian folliculogenesis, steroidogenesis, and xenobiotic metabolism. The impact
      of progressive obesity on ovarian genes encoding mRNA involved in insulin
      mediated PI3K signaling and xenobiotic biotransformation [insulin receptor
      (Insr), insulin receptor substrate 1 (Irs1), 2 (Irs2), and 3 (Irs3); kit ligand
      (Kitlg), stem cell growth factor receptor (Kit), protein kinase B (AKT) alpha
      (Akt1), beta (Akt2), forkhead transcription factor (FOXO) subfamily 1 (Foxo1),
      and subfamily 3 (Foxo3a), microsomal epoxide hydrolase (Ephx1), cytochrome P450
      family 2, subfamily E, polypeptide 1 (Cyp2e1), glutathione S-transferase (GST)
      class Pi (Gstp1) and class mu 1 (Gstm1)] was determined in normal wild-type
      nonagouti (a/a; lean) and lethal yellow mice (KK.CG-Ay/J; obese) at 6, 12, 18, or
      24 weeks of age. At 6 weeks, ovaries from obese mice had increased (P < 0.05)
      Insr and Irs3 but decreased (P < 0.05) Kitlg, Foxo1, and Cyp2e1 mRNA levels.
      Interestingly, at 12 weeks, an increase (P < 0.05) in Kitlg and Kit mRNA,
      pIRS1Ser302, pAKTThr308, EPHX1, and GSTP1 protein level was observed due to
      obesity, while Cyp2e1 mRNA and protein were reduced. A phosphoramide mustard (PM)
      challenge increased (P < 0.05) ovarian EPHX1 protein abundance in lean but not
      obese females. In addition, lung tissue from PM-exposed animals had increased (P
      < 0.05) EPHX1 protein with no impact of obesity thereon. Taken together,
      progressive obesity affected ovarian signaling pathways potentially involved in
      obesity-associated reproductive disorders.

PMID- 28339567
TI  - Role of biomechanical forces in hyperfiltration-mediated glomerular injury in
      congenital anomalies of the kidney and urinary tract.
AB  - Congenital anomalies of the kidney and urinary tract (CAKUT) including solitary
      kidney constitute the main cause of progressive chronic kidney disease (CKD) in
      children. Children born with CAKUT develop signs of CKD only during adolescence
      and do not respond to renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system blockers. Early
      cellular changes underlying CKD progression to end-stage renal disease by early
      adulthood are not well understood. The mechanism of maladaptive hyperfiltration
      that occurs from loss of functional nephrons, including solitary kidney, is not
      clear. We re-examine the phenomenon of hyperfiltration in the context of
      biomechanical forces with special reference to glomerular podocytes. Capillary
      stretch exerts tensile stress on podocytes through the glomerular basement
      membrane. The flow of ultrafiltrate over the cell surface directly causes fluid
      flow shear stress (FFSS) on podocytes. FFSS on the podocyte surface increases 1.5
      to 2-fold in animal models of solitary kidney and its effect on podocytes is a
      subject of ongoing research. Podocytes (i) are mechanosensitive to tensile and
      shear forces, (ii) use prostaglandin E2, angiotensin-II or nitric oxide for
      mechanoperception and (iii) use specific signaling pathways for
      mechanotransduction. We discuss (i) the nature of and differences in cellular
      responses to biomechanical forces, (ii) methods to study biomechanical forces and
      (iii) effects of biomechanical forces on podocytes and glomeruli. Future studies
      on FFSS will likely identify novel targets for strategies for early intervention
      to complement and strengthen the current regimen for treating children with
      CAKUT.

PMID- 28339569
TI  - Acrolein Yields in Mainstream Smoke From Commercial Cigarette and Little Cigar
      Tobacco Products.
AB  - Introduction: Many carbonyls are produced from the combustion of tobacco products
      and many of these carbonyls are harmful or potentially harmful constituents of
      mainstream cigarette smoke. One carbonyl of particular interest is acrolein,
      which is formed from the incomplete combustion of organic matter and the most
      significant contributor to non-cancer respiratory effects from cigarette smoke.
      Sheet-wrapped cigars, also known as "little cigars," are a type of tobacco
      products that have not been extensively investigated in literature. Methods: This
      study uses standard cigarette testing protocols to determine the acrolein yields
      from sheet-wrapped cigars. Sheet-wrapped cigar and cigarette products were tested
      by derivatizing the mainstream smoke with 2,4-dinitrophenylhydrazine (DNPH)
      solution and then quantifying the derivatives using conventional analytical
      systems. Results: The results demonstrate that sheet-wrapped cigars can be tested
      for acrolein yields in mainstream smoke using the same methods used for the
      evaluation of cigarettes. The variability in the sheet-wrapped cigars and
      cigarettes under the International Organization for Standardization smoking
      regimen is statistically similar at the 95% confidence interval; however,
      increased variability is observed for sheet-wrapped cigar products under the
      Health Canada Intense (CI) smoking regimen. Conclusion: The amount of acrolein
      released by smoking sheet-wrapped cigars can be measured using standard smoking
      regimen currently used for cigarettes. The sheet-wrapped cigars were determined
      to yield similar quantity of acrolein from commercial cigarette products using
      two standard smoking regimens. Implications: This article reports on the measured
      quantity of acrolein from 15 commercial sheet-wrapped cigars using a validated
      standard smoking test method that derivatizes acrolein in the mainstream smoke
      with DNPH solution, and uses Liquid Chromatography/Ultra-Violet Detection (LC/UV)
      for separation and detection. These acrolein yields were similar to the levels
      found in the smoke from 35 commercial cigarette products measured in the same
      manner. Although sheet-wrapped cigar data were slightly more variable than those
      found for the cigarette data, this article reports that the production of
      acrolein is similar to cigarettes. The results demonstrate that sheet-wrapped
      cigars can be tested for acrolein yields in mainstream smoke using the same
      methods used for the evaluation of cigarettes.

PMID- 28339568
TI  - Varicella in a Previously Immune Patient With Leukemia.
AB  - Infection with varicella-zoster virus (VZV) in oncology patients can result in
      severe disease with an increased risk of morbidity and mortality [1, 2]. Among
      patients on cancer chemotherapy, only nonimmune persons are considered to be
      susceptible to varicella [1]. We present a case of varicella in a child with
      leukemia that occurred despite immunity as defined by 2 doses of varicella
      vaccine and documentation of positive VZV immunoglobulin G titer before
      initiation of chemotherapy.

PMID- 28339570
TI  - Frequency of different electrocardiographic abnormalities in a large cohort of
      Spanish workers.
AB  - Aims: Our aim was to describe the electrocardiographic findings of a large sample
      of Spanish workers from several different employment sectors. Methods and
      results: Between May 2008 and November 2010, 13 495 consecutive 12-lead resting
      electrocardiograms (ECGs) were obtained during health examinations of working
      adults aged 16-74 years in 5 cities in different regions of Spain. Of those, 13
      179 ECGs suitable for interpretation were included in this study. All tracings
      were classified by the same cardiologist, according to the Minnesota Code
      criteria. The mean age of the sample was 40 years, and 73.4% were male.
      Frequencies of complete right bundle branch block, complete left bundle branch
      block, and left ventricular hypertrophy were 1.1, 0.2, and 3.6%, respectively.
      Major Q wave abnormalities were observed in 1.7% of the subjects, T wave
      abnormalities in 0.7%, early repolarization in 2.4%, and other ST segment
      abnormalities in 0.2%. Atrial fibrillation was present in 0.08% of the workers
      and atrial flutter in 0.02%. Frequencies of the Wolff-Parkinson-White pattern,
      Brugada pattern, long QT pattern, and short QT pattern were 0.2, 0.068, 0.038,
      and 0.015%, respectively. Conclusion: This study shows the electrocardiographic
      findings of a large sample of Spanish workers from several different employment
      sectors. The frequencies of many ECG patterns related to an adverse prognosis
      (left ventricular hypertrophy, complete left bundle branch block, T wave
      abnormalities, ST segment abnormalities, and atrial fibrillation) were low.

PMID- 28339573
TI  - Augmented H2S production via cystathionine-beta-synthase upregulation plays a
      role in pregnancy-associated uterine vasodilation.
AB  - Endogenous hydrogen sulfide (H2S) synthesized via metabolizing L-cysteine by
      cystathionine-beta-synthase (CBS) and cystathionine-gamma-lyase (CSE) is a potent
      vasodilator and angiogenic factor. The objectives of this study were to determine
      if human uterine artery (UA) H2S production increases with augmented expression
      and/or activity of CBS and/or CSE during the menstrual cycle and pregnancy and
      whether exogenous H2S dilates UA. Uterine arteries from nonpregnant (NP)
      premenopausal proliferative (pPRM) and secretory (sPRM) phases of the menstrual
      cycle and pregnant (P) women were studied. H2S production was measured by the
      methylene blue assay. CBS and CSE mRNAs were assessed by quantitative real-time
      PCR, and proteins were assessed by immunoblotting and semiquantitative
      immunofluorescence microscopy. Effects of H2S on rat UA relaxation were
      determined by wire myography ex vivo. H2S production was greater in NP pPRM and P
      than NP sPRM UAs and inhibited by the specific CBS but not CSE inhibitor. CBS but
      not CSE mRNA and protein were greater in NP pPRM and P than NP sPRM UAs. CBS
      protein was localized to endothelium and smooth muscle and its levels were in a
      quantitative order of P >NP UAs of pPRM>sPRM. CSE protein was localized in UA
      endothelium and smooth muscle with no difference among groups. A H2S donor
      relaxed P > NP UAs but not mesentery artery. Thus, human UA H2S production is
      augmented with endothelium and smooth muscle CBS upregulation, contributing to UA
      vasodilation in the estrogen-dominant physiological states in the proliferative
      phase of the menstrual cycle and pregnancy.

PMID- 28339571
TI  - Depression Among Non-Daily Smokers Compared to Daily Smokers and Never-Smokers in
      the United States: An Emerging Problem.
AB  - Introduction: Depression is strongly associated with daily smoking. Yet, little
      is known about the association between depression and non-daily smoking. The aim
      of this study was to investigate the prevalence of past-year depression and
      changes in past-year depression over time among non-daily smokers, compared to
      daily smokers and never-smokers, overall and stratified by age, gender, income,
      nicotine dependence, and cigarettes per day. Methods: Data were drawn from the
      National Household Survey on Drug Use (NSDUH), an annual cross-sectional study of
      persons aged 12 and over (total study population N = 496 805). The prevalence of
      past-year depression was examined annually among non-daily smokers, daily
      smokers, and never-smokers from 2005 to 2013 using linear trend analyses.
      Results: Past-year depression was common among 10.10% of non-daily smokers,
      common among 10.78% of daily smokers, and 5.51% of never-smokers in 2013. The
      prevalence of depression increased from 2005 to 2013 among non-daily smokers
      (9.06% vs. 10.10%; p = .034) while there was no significant change in depression
      over time among daily smokers. Increases in depression among non-daily smokers
      occurred for both men and women and appear most pronounced youth, those smoking
      fewer cigarettes, and those without nicotine dependence. Conclusions: The
      prevalence of depression among non-daily smokers was equivalent to daily smokers
      and nearly twice that among nonsmokers. Depression appears to be increasing over
      time in non-daily smokers especially among youth, those who smoke less, and those
      without nicotine dependence. More work on the mental health of non-daily smokers
      is needed as this is an increasing and understudied group. Implications: This is
      the first study to investigate changes in the prevalence of depression among non
      daily smokers compared to daily smokers and never-smokers over the past decade in
      a nationally representative sample of the United States. The results suggest an
      increase in depression among non-daily smokers over time that did not similarly
      occur for daily smokers. Further, there were several subgroups of non-daily
      smokers among whom depression has increased more rapidly. This study suggests the
      need for more information about the relationship between depression and non-daily
      smoking including the impact of depression on quit attempts and outcomes.

PMID- 28339574
TI  - Arm Paralysis After Routine Childhood Vaccinations: Application of Advanced
      Molecular Methods to the Causality Assessment of an Adverse Event After
      Immunization.
AB  - Post-licensure surveillance for adverse events following immunizations (AEFI) can
      identify rare complications of vaccinations and rigorous vaccine adverse event
      causality assessments can help to identify possible causal relationships. We
      report the development of arm paralysis after varicella vaccination in a 1-year
      old child. Paralysis was initially presumed to be due to vOka because of the
      temporal relationship between vaccination and onset of arm weakness; however,
      molecular studies identified wild-type varicella zoster virus VZV (WT-VZV) in the
      CSF, leading the authors to conclude that WT-VZV was the probable cause. This
      case illustrates the complexity of assessing AEFI causality, and the importance
      of careful and complete evaluations when determining the most likely cause of an
      AEFI.

PMID- 28339575
TI  - Histaminergic Neurotransmission as a Gateway for the Cognitive Effect of
      Oleoylethanolamide in Contextual Fear Conditioning.
AB  - Background: The integrity of the brain histaminergic system is necessary for the
      unfolding of homeostatic and cognitive processes through the recruitment of
      alternative circuits with distinct temporal patterns. We recently demonstrated
      that the fat-sensing lipid mediator oleoylethanolamide indirectly activates
      histaminergic neurons to exerts its hypophagic effects. The present experiments
      investigated whether histaminergic neurotransmission is necessary also for the
      modulation of emotional memory induced by oleoylethanolamide in a contextual fear
      conditioning paradigm. Methods: We examined the acute effect of i.p.
      administration of oleoylethanolamide immediately posttraining in the contextual
      fear conditioning test. Retention test was performed 72 hours after training. To
      test the participation of the brain histaminergic system in the cognitive effect
      of oleoylethanolamide, we depleted rats of brain histamine with an i.c.v.
      injection of alpha-fluoromethylhistidine (a suicide inhibitor of histidine
      decarboxylase) or bilateral intra-amygdala infusions of histamine H1 or H2
      receptor antagonists. We also examined the effect of oleoylethanolamide on
      histamine release in the amygdala using in vivo microdialysis. Results:
      Posttraining administration of oleoylethanolamide enhanced freezing time at
      retention. This effect was blocked by both i.c.v. infusions of alpha
      fluoromethylhistidine or by intra-amygdala infusions of either pyrilamine or
      zolantidine (H1 and H2 receptor antagonists, respectively). Microdialysis
      experiments showed that oleoylethanolamide increased histamine release from the
      amygdala of freely moving rats. Conclusions: Our results suggest that activation
      of the histaminergic system in the amygdala has a "permissive" role on the memory
      enhancing effects of oleoylethanolamide. Hence, targeting the H1 and H2 receptors
      may modify the expression of emotional memory and reduce dysfunctional aversive
      memories as found in phobias and posttraumatic stress disorder.

PMID- 28339576
TI  - A Descriptive Report of Electronic Cigarette Use After Participation in a
      Community-Based Tobacco Cessation Trial.
AB  - Introduction: Smokers are using electronic cigarettes, also known as e
      cigarettes, as a cessation aid, despite uncertainty about their efficacy. This
      report describes the association between use of e-cigarettes before and after
      cessation treatment and tobacco abstinence at 12 months. It also presents
      characteristics of e-cigarette users and reasons for use. Methods: A longitudinal
      observational secondary analysis of self-reported e-cigarette use was conducted
      among adult Appalachian smokers enrolled in a community-based tobacco dependence
      treatment trial (n = 217). Data were collected at baseline, 3, 6, and 12 months
      following treatment. The primary outcome measure was biochemically-confirmed 7
      day point prevalence tobacco abstinence at 12 months post-treatment. Results: One
      in five participants reported using e-cigarettes post-treatment. Baseline
      sociodemographic and tobacco-related characteristics did not differ by e
      cigarette use. Primary reasons for e-cigarette use included help in quitting,
      help in cutting down on cigarettes, and not as bad for health. At the 12 month
      follow-up, tobacco abstinence was significantly lower among post-treatment e
      cigarette users (4.7%) than nonusers (19.0%); (OR = 0.21 95% CI: 0.05-0.91, p =
      .021). Baseline use was not associated with 12-month abstinence. Conclusions:
      Among adult Appalachian smokers enrolled in community-based tobacco cessation
      treatment, use of e-cigarettes post-treatment was associated with lower
      abstinence rates at 12 months. Implications: This descriptive report of
      electronic cigarette use after participation in a community-based group
      randomized tobacco dependence treatment trial adds to the body of science
      examining e-cigarette use and cessation. Post-treatment e-cigarette use was
      associated with less success in achieving abstinence at 12 months, as compared to
      nonuse. At 3 months post-treatment, the majority of those who reported use of e
      cigarettes did so to assist with cessation.

PMID- 28339577
TI  - Cardiac resynchronization therapy for patients with cardiac sarcoidosis.
AB  - Aims: Sarcoidosis with cardiac involvement is a rare pathological condition, and
      therefore cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT) for patients with cardiac
      sarcoidosis is even further rare. We aimed to clarify the clinical features of
      patients with cardiac sarcoidosis who received CRT. Methods and results: We
      retrospectively reviewed the clinical data on CRT at three cardiovascular centres
      to detect cardiac sarcoidosis patients. We identified 18 (8.9%) patients with
      cardiac sarcoidosis who met the inclusion criteria out of 202 with systolic heart
      failure who received CRT based on the guidelines. The majority of the patients
      were female [15 (83.3%)] and underwent an upgrade from a pacemaker or implantable
      cardioverter defibrillator [13 (72.2%)]. We found 1 (5.6%) cardiovascular death
      during the follow-up period (mean +/- SD, 4.7 +/- 3.0 years). Seven (38.9%)
      patients had a composite outcome of cardiovascular death or hospitalization from
      worsening heart failure within 5 years after the CRT. Twelve (66.7%) patients had
      a history of sustained ventricular arrhythmias or those occurring after the CRT.
      Among the overall patients, no significant improvement was found in either the
      end-systolic volume or left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) 6 months after
      the CRT. A worsening LVEF was, however, more likely to be seen in 5 (27.8%)
      patients with ventricular arrhythmias after the CRT than in those without (P =
      0.04). An improved clinical composite score was seen in 10 (55.6%) patients.
      Conclusions: Cardiac sarcoidosis patients receiving CRT may have poor LV reverse
      remodelling and a high incidence of ventricular arrhythmias.

PMID- 28339578
TI  - Safe automatic one-lead electrocardiogram analysis in screening for atrial
      fibrillation.
AB  - Aims: Screening for atrial fibrillation (AF) using intermittent electrocardiogram
      (ECG) recordings can identify individuals at risk of AF-related morbidity in
      particular stroke. We aimed to validate the performance of an AF screening
      algorithm compared with manual ECG analysis by specially trained nurses and
      physicians (gold standard) in 30 s intermittent one-lead ECG recordings. Methods
      and results: The STROKESTOP study is a mass-screening study for AF using
      intermittent ECG recordings. All individuals in the study without known AF
      registered a 30-s ECG recording in Lead I two times daily for 2 weeks, and all
      ECGs were manually interpreted. A computerized algorithm was used to analyse 80
      149 ECG recordings in 3209 individuals. The computerized algorithm annotated
      87.1% (n = 69 789) of the recordings as sinus rhythm/minor rhythm disturbances.
      The manual interpretation (gold standard) was that 69 758 ECGs were normal,
      making the negative predictive value of the algorithm 99.9%. The number of ECGs
      requiring manual interpretation in order to find one pathological ECG was reduced
      from 288 to 35. Atrial fibrillation was diagnosed in 84 patients by manual
      interpretation, in all of whom the algorithm indicated pathology. On an ECG
      level, 278 ECGs were manually interpreted as AF, and of these the algorithm
      annotated 272 ECGs as pathological (sensitivity 97.8%). Conclusion: Automatic ECG
      screening using a computerized algorithm safely identifies normal ECGs in Lead I
      and reduces the need for manual evaluation of individual ECGs with >85% with 100%
      sensitivity on an individual basis.

PMID- 28339579
TI  - Left univentricular pacing for cardiac resynchronization therapy.
AB  - This review describes the rationale and published evidence for left
      univentricular pacing for cardiac resynchronization therapy, gives an overview of
      the existing optimization algorithms featuring this mode, and discusses future
      perspectives.

PMID- 28339580
TI  - The integration of orthodontic miniscrews under mechanical loading: a pre
      clinical study in rabbit.
AB  - Introduction: Orthodontic miniscrews are an increasingly popular choice to
      achieve absolute anchorage. The temporary use of miniscrews and their recent
      introduction have limited the debate over the biological aspect of the materials
      to that of the surface that permeates the field of dental implants. The aim of
      the present study was to investigate the integration of grade 5 titanium mini
      implants with machined or sand blasted acid etched surface (SAE) under mechanical
      load in a rabbit tibia model of implant integration. Methods: A total of 64
      miniscrews (Ti6Al4V) of 1.5 mm diameter and 6.5 mm length were inserted in the
      proximal medial surface of each tibia in eight male rabbits aged 6 months. Each
      tibia received four miniscrews. A 100 g nickel-titanium coil spring
      (Neosentalloy) was applied between two miniscrews along the main axis while two
      miniscrews were left unloaded. The removal torque was measured for loaded and
      unloaded miniscrews after 12 weeks. Two miniscrews were harvested for histology.
      Results: Removal torque was significantly higher for SAE mini-implants than for
      machined screws, under both loading conditions. Although no difference in bone to
      implant contact was observed among the groups, cortical area significantly
      decreased with both surfaces under loading. Conclusions: Our data indicate that
      SAE miniscrews have higher bone retention than MA miniscrews, although the
      effects of mechanical loading of these devices on cortical bone require further
      investigations.

PMID- 28339581
TI  - Rationale and design of the BUDAPEST-CRT Upgrade Study: a prospective,
      randomized, multicentre clinical trial.
AB  - Aims: There is lack of conclusive evidence from randomized clinical trials on the
      efficacy and safety of upgrade to cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT) in
      patients with implanted pacemakers (PM) or defibrillators (ICD) with reduced left
      ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) and chronic heart failure (HF). The BUDAPEST
      CRT Upgrade Study was designed to compare the efficacy and safety of CRT upgrade
      from conventional PM or ICD therapy in patients with intermittent or permanent
      right ventricular (RV) septal/apical pacing, reduced LVEF, and symptomatic HF.
      Methods and results: The BUDAPEST-CRT study is a prospective, randomized,
      multicentre, investigator-sponsored clinical trial. A total of 360 subjects will
      be enrolled with LVEF <= 35%, NYHA functional classes II-IVa, paced QRS >= 150
      ms, and a RV pacing >= 20%. Patients will be followed for 12 months.
      Randomization is performed in a 3:2 ratio (CRT-D vs. ICD). The primary composite
      endpoint is all-cause mortality, a first HF event, or less than 15% reduction in
      left ventricular (LV) end-systolic volume at 12 months. Secondary endpoints are
      all-cause mortality, all-cause mortality or HF event, and LV volume reduction at
      12 months. Tertiary endpoints include changes in quality of life, NYHA functional
      class, 6 min walk test, natriuretic peptides, and safety outcomes. Conclusion:
      The results of our prospective, randomized, multicentre clinical trial will
      provide important information on the role of cardiac resynchronization therapy
      with defibrillator (CRT-D) upgrade in patients with symptomatic HF, reduced LVEF,
      and wide-paced QRS with intermittent or permanent RV pacing. Clinical trials.gov
      identifier: NCT02270840.

PMID- 28339583
TI  - Association of pre-ablation level of vitamin D with atrial fibrillation
      recurrence after catheter ablation.

PMID- 28339582
TI  - Hypoxia in the glioblastoma microenvironment: shaping the phenotype of cancer
      stem-like cells.
AB  - Glioblastoma is the most common and aggressive malignant primary brain tumor.
      Cellular heterogeneity is a characteristic feature of the disease and contributes
      to the difficulty in formulating effective therapies. Glioma stem-like cells
      (GSCs) have been identified as a subpopulation of tumor cells that are thought to
      be largely responsible for resistance to treatment. Intratumoral hypoxia
      contributes to maintenance of the GSCs by supporting the critical stem cell
      traits of multipotency, self-renewal, and tumorigenicity. This review highlights
      the interaction of GSCs with the hypoxic tumor microenvironment, exploring the
      mechanisms underlying the contribution of GSCs to tumor vessel dynamics, immune
      modulation, and metabolic alteration.

PMID- 28339584
TI  - Prosthesis depth and conduction disturbances after last generation balloon
      expandable transcatheter aortic valve implantation.
AB  - Aims: Preliminary data on Sapien 3 valve (S3-THV) use for transcatheter aortic
      valve implantation have shown an increased permanent pacemaker implantation
      (PPMI) rate with respect to Sapien XT valve. Aim of this study was to investigate
      the role of S3-THV position in the left ventricular outflow tract (LVOT) on
      electrocardiographic changes suggestive of atrioventricular (DeltaPR) and/or
      intraventricular (DeltaQRS) conduction abnormalities and 30 days PPMI rate.
      Methods and results: Eighty-six consecutive patients treated with S3-THV were
      included in the study. All patients underwent clinical and electrocardiogram
      evaluation. Left ventricular outflow tract prosthesis depth was assessed by
      fluoroscopy and expressed quantitatively (mm) and as aorto-ventricular ratio
      (AVR). Eight patients (9.3%) needed PPMI at 30 days. A low AVR (<=60/40)
      predicted PPMI (OR = 6.09, 95% CI 1.19-31.01, P = 0.030) and resulted into higher
      PPMI rate, compared with higher AVR (30.0 vs. 6.6%, P = 0.017). For each
      millimetre increase in the LVOT prosthesis depth PPMI risk increased by 1.41
      times (95% CI 1.06-1.87, P = 0.017). In patients with low AVR, DeltaPR was higher
      than in those with higher AVR (33.4 +/- 56.7 vs. 12.1 +/- 19.4 ms, P = 0.021) and
      DeltaPR was associated to LVOT prosthesis depth (beta = 0.286, P = 0.009).
      Furthermore, DeltaPR was associated with risk of PPMI (OR = 1.03, 95% CI 1.01
      1.06, P = 0.024). Conclusions: A low AVR is associated to higher DeltaPR and PPMI
      rates. The correlation between LVOT prosthesis depth with DeltaPR and higher PPMI
      rate suggests the need of a careful S3-THV implantation.

PMID- 28339585
TI  - Success and complication rates of lead extraction with the first- vs. the second
      generation Evolution mechanical sheath.
AB  - Aims: The Evolution sheath (Cook Medical, USA) is a power sheath frequently used
      for chronic lead extraction. In 2013, a novel type (bidirectional) of Evolution
      sheath (the RL type) was introduced. We evaluated differences in success and
      complication rates of the two types. Methods and results: From 2009 to 2015, all
      lead extractions requiring the use of an Evolution sheath were prospectively
      examined. According to the current guidelines, complete procedural success was
      defined as the removal of all targeted lead materials. Clinical success was the
      retention of a small portion of the lead, and failure was the inability to
      achieve either complete procedural or clinical success or the development of any
      permanently disabling complication. The Evolution sheath was used to extract 149
      leads in 103 patients. The first 56 leads were extracted with the original
      unidirectional sheath, and 93 leads were extracted with the novel bidirectional
      R/L type. The median age of the lead at the time of extraction was 6.8 vs. 9.1
      years (P = 0.007). Complete procedural success was higher for the Evolution R/L
      (80.0 vs. 98%, P = 0.0004). Clinical success rate was 98 vs. 99%. There were no
      major complications and 6 (12.0%) vs. 2 (3.8%) minor complications (P = 0.153).
      We did not observe changes in success rates or complications over time, meaning
      that the difference cannot be explained by learning curve. Conclusion: Use of the
      novel Evolution R/L sheath vs. the original Evolution sheath was associated with
      significant higher complete success rates, without major complications and with a
      trend towards the reduction of minor complications.

PMID- 28339586
TI  - Framing Tobacco Dependence as a "Brain Disease": Implications for Policy and
      Practice.
AB  - Introduction: Like other forms of drug dependence, tobacco dependence is
      increasingly being described as a "chronic brain disease." The potential
      consequences of this medical labelling have been examined in relation to other
      addictions, but the implications for tobacco control have been neglected. Some
      have posited that biomedical conceptions of addiction will reduce stigma and
      increase uptake of efficacious treatments. Others have countered that it could
      increase stigma, reduce treatment seeking, and deter unassisted quitting. We
      explored how smokers respond to the labelling of smoking as a brain disease.
      Methods: Semi-structured interviews with 29 Australian smokers recruited using
      purposive sampling. Thematic analysis was used to analyze the results. Results:
      Most participants questioned the accuracy of the brain disease label as applied
      to smoking. They believed that smoking was not a chronic disease because they
      perceived smoking to be an individual's choice. In addition, many believed that
      this label would increase the stigma that they already felt and, did not want to
      adopt a "sick role" in relation to their smoking. Conclusions: Describing smoking
      as a brain disease is more likely to alienate smokers than to engage them in
      quitting. The application of overly medical labels of smoking are inconsistent
      with smokers own conceptualizations of their smoking, and may have unintended
      consequences if they are widely disseminated in healthcare settings or
      antismoking campaigns. Implications: The participants in this project believed
      that biomedical labels of smoking as a "brain disease" or a "chronic disease"
      were discordant their existing understandings of their smoking. Explanations of
      addiction that downplay or ignore the role of choice and autonomy risk being
      perceived as irrelevant by smokers, and could lead to suspicion of health
      professionals or an unwillingness to seek treatment.

PMID- 28339587
TI  - Incisor inclination and perceived tooth colour changes.
AB  - Introduction: Social attractiveness is influenced by a variety of different smile
      related factors. We evaluated whether the degree of upper central incisor
      proclination can result in tooth colour change. Methods: Forty young adult
      subjects (20-25 years) in good health with a complete sound dentition were
      selected. The subjects were seated in standardized light conditions with an above
      directed light source. Their natural head position was stated as 0 degrees. To
      mimic the range of possible anterior torque movements they were asked to tilt
      their heads upward +15 degrees (upward tilting) and downward -15 degrees
      (downward tilting). Frontal macro photographs, parallel to the Frankfort plane of
      the patient's natural head position were taken at the three head angulations
      (+15, 0, and -15 degrees ). Photographs were analysed for colour differences at
      the centre of the incisor clinical crowns with a CIE L*a*b* colour model based
      software. A paired t-test was used to test for significance between each value
      for each inclination. Results: Differences were found between the CIE L*a*b*
      colour values for: upward tilting, downward tilting, and -15 to +15 degrees
      (total tilting) except for b* values for downward tilting. As the inclination of
      the subject's head changed downward, the upper incisors were retroclined and the
      CIE L*a*b* values indicated a darker and less green but redder colour component.
      As the inclination of the subject's head changed upwards the upper incisors were
      proclined and the L*a*b* values indicated a lighter and less green and yellow but
      redder and bluer colour component. Conclusions: Proclination of upper incisors
      caused lighter tooth colour parameters compared to retroclined incisors and
      colour changes. Orthodontic change of upper incisor inclination may induce
      alterations on how tooth colour is perceived.

PMID- 28339589
TI  - The clinical value of T-wave alternans derived from Holter monitoring.
AB  - Microvolt-level T-wave alternans (TWA) assessed by spectral method during an
      exercise stress test has been widely studied for risk stratification. Several
      studies have documented the association of a positive TWA with total mortality
      and arrhythmic events. Nevertheless, the need to achieve an elevated and
      stabilized heart rate resulting in a considerable proportion of indeterminate
      test results constitutes one of the main limitations of this method. It is well
      recognized that arrhythmic events may be triggered not only by physical but also
      by mental stress and are not necessarily associated with exercise. Detection of
      TWA in ambulatory electrocardiogram recordings during daily activities might be a
      valuable option in risk stratification. This review describes the modified moving
      average (MMA) technique for detection of TWA and summarizes the results of
      clinical studies on the prognostic value of MMA-TWA. So far, MMA-TWA has been
      studied in over 5000 patients including those evaluated during exercise as well
      as during daily activities with ambulatory ECG recordings. The results of these
      studies indicate that increased MMA-TWA is associated with higher risk of cardiac
      mortality and arrhythmic events.

PMID- 28339588
TI  - MRI features predict survival and molecular markers in diffuse lower-grade
      gliomas.
AB  - Background: Previous studies have shown that MR imaging features can be used to
      predict survival and molecular profile of glioblastoma. However, no study of a
      similar type has been performed on lower-grade gliomas (LGGs). Methods:
      Presurgical MRIs of 165 patients with diffuse low- and intermediate-grade gliomas
      (histological grades II and III) were scored according to the Visually Accessible
      Rembrandt Images (VASARI) annotations. Radiomic models using automated texture
      analysis and VASARI features were built to predict isocitrate dehydrogenase 1
      (IDH1) mutation, 1p/19q codeletion status, histological grade, and tumor
      progression. Results: Interrater analysis showed significant agreement in all
      imaging features scored (k = 0.703-1.000). On multivariate Cox regression
      analysis, no enhancement and a smooth non-enhancing margin were associated with
      longer progression-free survival (PFS), while a smooth non-enhancing margin was
      associated with longer overall survival (OS) after taking into account age,
      grade, tumor location, histology, extent of resection, and IDH1 1p/19q subtype.
      Using logistic regression and bootstrap testing evaluations, texture models were
      found to possess higher prediction potential for IDH1 mutation, 1p/19q codeletion
      status, histological grade, and progression of LGGs than VASARI features, with
      areas under the receiver-operating characteristic curves of 0.86 +/- 0.01, 0.96
      +/- 0.01, 0.86 +/- 0.01, and 0.80 +/- 0.01, respectively. Conclusion: No
      enhancement and a smooth non-enhancing margin on MRI were predictive of longer
      PFS, while a smooth non-enhancing margin was a significant predictor of longer OS
      in LGGs. Textural analyses of MR imaging data predicted IDH1 mutation, 1p/19q
      codeletion, histological grade, and tumor progression with high accuracy.

PMID- 28339591
TI  - Comparison of the force levels among labial and lingual self-ligating and
      conventional brackets in simulated misaligned teeth.
AB  - Background/objective: The aim of this study was to evaluate force levels exerted
      by levelling arch wires with labial and lingual conventional and self-ligating
      brackets. Materials/methods: The tested orthodontic brackets were of the 0.022-in
      slot size for labial and 0.018-in for lingual brackets and were as follows: 1.
      Labial brackets: (i) conventional bracket (GAC-Twin, Dentsply), (ii) passive self
      ligating (SL) brackets (Damon-Q(r), ORMCO; Ortho classic H4TM, Orthoclassic;
      FLI(r)SL, Rocky Mountain Orthodontics) and (iii) active SL brackets (GAC In
      Ovation(r)C, DENTSPLY and SPEEDTM, Strite). 2. Lingual brackets: (i) conventional
      brackets (Incognito, 3M and JoyTM, Adenta); (ii) passive SL bracket (GAC In
      Ovation(r)LMTM, Dentsply and (iii) active SL bracket (Evolution SLT, Adenta).
      Thermalloy-NiTi 0.013-in and 0.014-in arch wires (Rocky Mountain Orthodontics)
      were used with all brackets. The simulated malocclusion represented a maxillary
      central incisor displaced 2 mm gingivally (x-axis) and 2 mm labially (z-axis).
      Results: Lingual bracket systems showed higher force levels (2.4 +/- 0.2 to 3.8
      +/- 0.2 N) compared to labial bracket systems (from 1.1 +/- 0.1 to 2.2 +/- 0.4
      N). However, the differences between SL and conventional bracket systems were
      minor and not consistent (labial brackets: 1.2 +/- 0.1 N for the GAC Twin and 1.1
      +/- 0.1 to 1.6 +/- 0.1 N for the SL brackets with 0.013-in thermalloy; lingual
      brackets: 2.5 +/- 0.2 to 3.5 +/- 0.1 N for the conventional and 2.7 +/- 0.3 to
      3.4 +/- 0.1 N for the SL brackets with 0.013-in Thermalloy). Limitations: This is
      an in vitro study with different slot sizes in the labial and lingual bracket
      systems, results should be interpreted with caution. Conclusions/implications:
      Lingual bracket systems showed higher forces compared to labial bracket systems
      that might be of clinical concern. We recommend highly flexible nickel titanium
      arch wires lower than 0.013-in for the initial levelling and alignment especially
      with lingual appliances.

PMID- 28339590
TI  - Reducing Antimicrobial Use in an Academic Pediatric Institution: Evaluation of
      the Effectiveness of a Prospective Audit With Real-Time Feedback.
AB  - Introduction: Antimicrobial use is decreasing across freestanding children's
      hospitals, predominantly in institutions with antimicrobial stewardship programs
      (ASPs) in place. A highly effective ASP should effect a greater decrease in use
      than predicted by existing trends. Antimicrobial stewardship programs depend on
      clinician adherence to program recommendations, but little is known about factors
      associated with adherence. Methods: Parenteral antimicrobial-use data for our
      institution and 43 additional freestanding children's hospitals were obtained and
      normalized for patient census. Segmental linear regression was used to compare
      rates of change of parenteral antimicrobial use before and after ASP
      implementation. Time-series models were developed to predict use in the absence
      of intervention. The odds of adherence to ASP recommendations were determined
      based on provider characteristics and recommendation type. Results: In the 38
      months before ASP implementation, parenteral antimicrobial use was decreasing at
      our hospital by 3.7%/year, similar to the 3.4%/year found across children's
      hospitals. The rate of change after implementation of the ASP at our hospital was
      11.1%/year, compared to 5.6%/year for other hospitals over the same period. Of
      643 interventions, teams adhered with recommendations in 495 cases (77.0%).
      According to adjusted analysis, primary service was not associated with adherence
      (P = .356). There was an association between adherence and the role of the
      clinician receiving a recommendation (P = .009) and the recommendation type (P =
      .009). Conclusions: Understanding factors associated with adherence to ASP
      recommendations can help those who administer such programs to strategize
      interventions for maximizing efficacy. Our findings reveal the value of a formal
      ASP in reducing use when controlling for secular trends.

PMID- 28339592
TI  - Active Collaboration with Clients: An Underemphasized but Vital Part of Evidence
      Based Practice.
AB  - Evidence-based practice (EBP) is a widely recognized concept in contemporary
      social work practice. However, recent studies have shown that social workers do
      not understand EBP correctly. Standardized administrative approaches to
      implementing EBP have led to confusion about its core practice decision-making
      process. This collaborative process is the heart of EBP in direct social work
      practice. This article explores the EBP process and addresses a vital but often
      underemphasized step of EBP: active collaboration with the client in decision
      making. Active collaboration with the client is shown to be important in that it
      (a) is consistent with social work's professional values and ethics, (b) is
      consistent with patient-centered health care in the Patient Protection and
      Affordable Care Act and contemporary health care approaches, (c) is consistent
      with culturally competent practice, and (d) has empirical support for its
      beneficial impact. Correctly and fully understanding EBP in direct practice is
      important to improving social work practice and improving client outcomes.

PMID- 28339594
TI  - In vivo development of fluconazole resistance in serial Cryptococcus gattii
      isolates from a cat.
AB  - Elevated fluconazole minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) are more frequently
      observed in Cryptococcus gattii compared to C. neoformans isolates; however, the
      development of in vivo resistance and the molecular mechanisms responsible have
      not been reported for this species. We report a case of Cryptococcus gattii
      (molecular type VGIII) that developed reduced susceptibility to fluconazole
      during therapy and delineate the molecular mechanisms responsible. Multilocus
      sequence typing and quantitative DNA analysis of the pre- and post-treatment
      isolates was performed using well-characterized methods. Pre- and post-treatment
      clinical isolates were confirmed isogenic, and no differences in ERG11 or PDR11
      sequences were found. qPCR found an overexpression of ERG11 and the efflux pump
      PDR11 in the resistant isolate compared to the isolate collected prior to
      initiation of antifungal therapy. Reversion to wild-type susceptibility was
      observed when maintained in antifungal-free media confirming the in vivo
      development of heteroresistance. The in vivo development of heteroresistance to
      fluconazole in our patient with C. gattii is secondary to overexpression of the
      efflux pump PDR11 and the drug target ERG11. Additional work in other clinical
      isolates with elevated fluconazole MICs is warranted to evaluate the frequency of
      heteroresistance versus point mutations as a cause of resistance.

PMID- 28339593
TI  - Selective Pharmacological Augmentation of Hippocampal Activity Produces a
      Sustained Antidepressant-Like Response without Abuse-Related or Psychotomimetic
      Effects.
AB  - Background: Selective augmentation of hippocampal activity in ways similar to
      that caused by ketamine may have therapeutic advantages over ketamine, which has
      psychotomimetic and reinforcing effects likely due to effects outside the
      hippocampus (i.e., off-target effects). Methods: Here we evaluated the
      antidepressant-like response to a negative allosteric modulator of alpha5 subunit
      containing gamma aminobutyric acid subtype A receptors, L-655,708, as these
      receptors are expressed to a much greater extent in the hippocampus than in other
      brain areas. Results: Systemic administration of L-655,708 produced a sustained
      antidepressant-like effect in the forced swim test that was comparable with that
      of ketamine and was blocked by hippocampal inactivation with lidocaine. However,
      in contrast to ketamine, L-655,708 did not affect prepulse inhibition of startle,
      nor did it maintain responding in rats trained to self-administer i.v. ketamine.
      Conclusion: Taken together, these findings suggest that activation of the
      hippocampus by L-655,708 produces an antidepressant-like effect in the absence of
      any psychotomimetic or abuse-related effects.

PMID- 28339597
TI  - Compositional differences in multi-species biofilms formed on various orthodontic
      adhesives.
AB  - Objectives: To investigate the aspects of multi-species biofilm formation on
      various orthodontic adhesives with different surface characteristics. Methods:
      Multi-species biofilms using 13 bacterial species were grown on the surfaces of
      composite, compomer, and resin-modified glass-ionomer cement (RMGI). The changes
      in Streptococcus mutans (Sm), Streptococcus sobrinus (Ss), Porphyromonas
      gingivalis (Pg), Aggregatibacter actinomycetemcomitans (Aa), and total bacteria
      were determined at day 1 (T1) and day 4 (T2) using real-time polymerase chain
      reaction. Surface roughness (SR), surface free energy (SFE), and surface texture
      were analyzed to explain the differences in bacterial compositions among the
      adhesives. Repeated measures analysis of variance was used to determine time
      related changes in bacterial compositions with respect to adhesive type. The
      Kruskal-Wallis test was used to determine differences in SR and SFE among the
      adhesives. Results: There were no significant differences in the adhesion of
      total bacteria among the adhesives; however, the adhesion of Sm, Ss, and Pg was
      higher to RMGI than the other adhesives. The amount of Sm, Ss, and total bacteria
      increased from T1 to T2, while Pg and Aa decreased from T1 to T2. RMGI showed a
      rougher surface relative to composite or compomer due to the presence of micro
      pores and/or flaws. Compomer had the greatest SFE followed by RMGI and composite.
      Interestingly, SR differences were about 10 times greater than SFE differences
      among the adhesives. Conclusions: Considering the greater differences in SR than
      SFE among the adhesives, the rougher surface of RMGI may cause greater adhesion
      of Sm, Ss, and Pg.

PMID- 28339595
TI  - Does Starting to Smoke Cigars Trigger Onset of Cannabis Blunt Smoking?
AB  - Introduction: Among United States teens during the 1990s, increasing cigar use
      coincided with increasing use of tobacco cigar shells filled with cannabis,
      called "blunts." Cigar smokers are more likely to use cannabis, and we
      hypothesized that starting to smoke cigars might be a probabilistic "trigger" of
      blunt smoking. We turned to the case-crossover approach to evaluate this
      hypothesis. Methods: Within US National Surveys on Drug Use and Health, 2009
      2013, we identified a nationally representative sample of newly incident blunt
      smokers aged 12- to 21-years-old (n = 4868) and compared month-of-onsets for
      smoking of cigars and blunts. Using the subjects-as-their-own-controls case
      crossover design, we specified the first month prior to blunt use as a "hazard
      interval" and the second month prior to blunt use as a "control interval." We
      used Mantel-Haenszel (MH) estimators to estimate the matched-pairs odds ratio
      (OR). Results: The MH OR estimate was 1.7 (95% CI = 1.3, 2.3), with excess odds
      of cigar onsets during the hazard interval relative to the control interval. Two
      alternative control interval specifications yielded congruent estimates (OR = 2.7
      and 2.9, respectively). Conclusions: A short interval right after starting to
      smoke cigars may be one of increased risk of starting to smoke blunts. We discuss
      cigar, cigarillo, and "blunt wraps" control approaches that might reduce both
      tobacco and cannabis-related harms. Implications: If this evidence is correct,
      increased market-targeting to promote youthful cigar and cigarillo smoking might
      be followed by increased rates of blunt smoking in a vulnerable population. As
      noted by others, enhanced risk of smoking-attributable harms might be a
      consequence of mixed tobacco-cannabis formulations.

PMID- 28339596
TI  - Health Warning Labels for Smokeless Tobacco: The Impact of Graphic Images on
      Attention, Recall, and Craving.
AB  - Introduction: Little research has examined the impacts of graphic health warnings
      on the users of smokeless tobacco products. Methods: A convenience sample of past
      month, male smokeless tobacco users (n = 142; 100% male) was randomly assigned to
      view a smokeless tobacco advertisement with a graphic health warning (GHW) or a
      text-only warning. Eye-tracking equipment measured viewing time, or dwell time,
      in milliseconds. Following the advertisement exposure, participants self-reported
      smokeless tobacco craving and recalled any content in the health warning message
      (unaided recall). Linear and logistic regression analyses evaluated the
      proportion of time viewing the GHW, craving, and GHW recall. Results:
      Participants who viewed a GHW spent a significantly greater proportion of their
      ad viewing time on GHWs (2.87 seconds or 30%), compared to those viewing a text
      only warning (2.05 seconds or 24%). Although there were no significant
      differences by condition in total advertisement viewing duration, those
      participants viewing a GHW had increased recall of health warning messages
      compared to the text-only warning (76% had any warning message recall compared to
      53%; p < .05). Self-reported craving after advertisement exposure was lower in
      the GHW compared to text-only condition, but the difference was not statistically
      significant (a rating of 4.4 vs. 5.3 on a 10-point scale; p = .08). Conclusions:
      GHWs attracted greater attention and greater recall of health warning messages
      compared to text-only warnings among rural male smokeless tobacco users.
      Implications: Among a sample of rural smokeless tobacco users, GHWs attracted
      more attention and recall of health warning messages compared to text-only
      warnings when viewed within smokeless tobacco advertising. These findings provide
      additional empirical support that GHWs are an effective tobacco control tool for
      all tobacco products and advertisements.

PMID- 28339598
TI  - High Postdischarge Morbidity in Ugandan Children With Severe Malarial Anemia or
      Cerebral Malaria.
AB  - Background: Cerebral malaria (CM) and severe malarial anemia (SMA) account for a
      substantial proportion of malaria-related deaths in sub-Saharan Africa. However,
      postdischarge morbidity in children with CM or SMA has not been well established.
      Methods: Children 18 months to 12 years of age, enrolled on admission to Mulago
      National Referral Hospital in Kampala, Uganda (CM, n = 162; SMA, n = 138), and
      healthy children recruited from the community (CC) (n = 133) were followed up for
      6 months. The incidences of hospitalizations and outpatient clinic visits for
      illness during the follow-up period were compared between children with CM or SMA
      and the CC. Results: After adjustment for age, sex, and nutritional status,
      children with SMA had a higher incidence rate ratio (IRR) than CC for
      hospitalization (95% confidence interval [CI], 20.81 [2.48-174.68]),
      hospitalization with malaria (17.29 [95% CI, 2.02-148.35]), and clinic visits for
      any illness (95% CI, 2.35 [1.22-4.51]). Adjusted IRRs for children with CM were
      also increased for all measures compared with those for CC, but they achieved
      statistical significance only for clinic visits for any illness (2.24 [95% CI,
      1.20-4.15]). In both groups, the primary reason for the clinic visits and
      hospitalizations was malaria. Conclusions: In the 6 months after initial
      hospitalization, children with SMA have an increased risk of repeated
      hospitalization, and children with CM or SMA have an increased risk of outpatient
      illness. Malaria is the main cause of inpatient and outpatient morbidity. Malaria
      prophylaxis has the potential to decrease postdischarge morbidity rates in
      children with SMA or CM.

PMID- 28339599
TI  - A single nucleotide polymorphism in COQ9 affects mitochondrial and ovarian
      function and fertility in Holstein cows.
AB  - A single missense mutation at position 159 of coenzyme Q9 (COQ9) (G->A;
      rs109301586) has been associated with genetic variation in fertility in Holstein
      cattle, with the A allele associated with higher fertility. COQ9 is involved in
      the synthesis of coenzyme COQ10, a component of the electron transport system of
      the mitochondria. Here we tested whether reproductive phenotype is associated
      with the mutation and evaluated functional consequences for cellular oxygen
      metabolism, body weight changes, and ovarian function. The mutation in COQ9
      modifies predicted tertiary protein structure and affected mitochondrial
      respiration of peripheral blood mononuclear cells. The A allele was associated
      with low resting oxygen consumption and high electron transport system capacity.
      Phenotypic measurements for fertility were evaluated for up to five lactations in
      a population of 2273 Holstein cows. There were additive effects of the mutation
      (P < 0.05) in favor of the A allele for pregnancy rate, interval from calving to
      conception, and services per conception. There was no association of genotype
      with milk production or body weight changes postpartum. The mutation in COQ9
      affected ovarian function; the A allele was associated with increased
      mitochondrial DNA copy number in oocytes, and there were overdominance effects
      for COQ9 expression in oocytes, follicle number, and antimullerian hormone
      concentrations. Overall, results show how a gene involved in mitochondrial
      function is associated with overall fertility, possibly in part by affecting
      oocyte quality.

PMID- 28339600
TI  - Tsunami in 2011 to the earthquake in 2016 in Fukushima-are we better prepared?

PMID- 28339601
TI  - Characterization and consistency of interactions of triggers and substrate at the
      onset of paroxysmal atrial fibrillation.
AB  - Aims: Initiating mechanisms of atrial fibrillation (AF) remain poorly understood,
      involving complex interaction between triggers and the atrial substrate. This
      study sought to classify the transitional phenomena, hypothesizing that there is
      consistency within and between patients in trigger-substrate interaction during
      transition to AF. Methods and results: Non-contact left atrial (LA) mapping was
      performed in 17 patients undergoing ablation for paroxysmal AF. All had
      spontaneous ectopy. Left atrial activation from the first ectopic to established
      AF was examined offline to characterize the initiating and transitional sequence
      of activation. In 57 fully mapped spontaneous AF initiations in 8 patients, all
      involved interaction of pulmonary venous/LA triggers with a septopulmonary line
      of block (SP-LOB) also evident in sinus rhythm, by 4 different transitional
      mechanisms characterized by (i) continuous focal firing: AF resulted from
      fragmentation of each ectopic wavefront through gaps in the SP-LOB and persisted
      only while focal firing continued (n = 18/32%) (ii) transient focal firing,
      wavefront fragmentation at the SP-LOB produced wavelet re-entry that persisted
      after cessation of an initiating ectopic source (n = 12/21%), (iii) of two
      separate interacting ectopic foci (n = 15/26%), or from (iv) transiently stable
      macroreentry (n = 12/21%), around the SP-LOB extending to the LA roof, resulting
      in progressive wavefront fragmentation. It was found that 79 +/- 22% of each of
      the initiations in individual patients showed the same triggering mechanism.
      Conclusion: Onset of paroxysmal AF can be described by discrete mechanistic
      categories, all involving interaction of ectopic activity with a common SP-LOB.
      Within/between-patient consistency of initiations suggests constancy of the
      interacting triggers and substrate, and supports the concept of mechanistically
      tailored treatment.

PMID- 28339602
TI  - Gonadotropin-releasing hormone, kisspeptin, and gonadal steroids directly
      modulate nucleobindin-2/nesfatin-1 in murine hypothalamic gonadotropin-releasing
      hormone neurons and gonadotropes.
AB  - Neuroendocrine regulation of metabolism and reproduction are tightly interlinked.
      Nesfatin-1 is an 82 amino acid metabolic peptide derived from nucleobindin-2
      (NUCB2). NUCB2 mRNA and protein significantly increase in the hypothalamus of
      rats during puberty-to-adult transition. Administration of nesfatin-1 modulates
      circulating LH and testosterone in male rats. However, whether nesfatin-1 acts
      directly on neurons and gonadotropes remain unknown. In addition, whether
      reproductive hormones of the hypothalamo-pituitary gonadal axis modulate
      NUCB2/nesfatin-1 is unclear. To address these, we employed murine hypothalamic
      (GT1-7) and pituitary (LbetaT2) cells in vitro. Nucb2 expression, and
      NUCB2/nesfatin-1 immunoreactivity were observed in both GT1-7 and LbetaT2 cells,
      and in the hypothalamus of mice. Nesfatin-1 co-localized GnRH in GT1-7 cells, and
      in the hypothalamic perikarya of mice. Cells were treated with kisspeptin, GnRH,
      and estradiol and testosterone, as well as nesfatin-1 for 2, 6 or 24 hours.
      Synthetic nesfatin-1 increased Kiss1r and Gnrh expression in GT1-7 cells and
      Lhbeta in LbetaT2. Nesfatin-1 increased GnRH and LHbeta protein expression in GT1
      7 and LbetaT2 at 6-hour post incubation respectively. Both NUCB2 mRNA and protein
      were increased in GT1-7 cells treated with kisspeptin. Testosterone increased
      NUCB2 mRNA and protein expression in GT1-7 and LbetaT2. 17beta-estradiol
      increased NUCB2 mRNA and protein expression in LbetaT2. Nesfatin-1 acts directly
      on hypothalamic neurons and gonadotropes to elicit a generally positive influence
      on the endocrine milieu regulating reproduction in mice. Reproductive hormones,
      in turn, modulate brain and pituitary NUCB2/nesfatin-1. In conclusion, we provide
      additional information to designate nesfatin-1 as a novel, additional factor that
      helps reproductive success.

PMID- 28339603
TI  - Optimization of STEM imaging conditions for cryo-tomography.
AB  - For three-dimensional analysis of cryo-specimens using tomography at low and
      medium magnifications, the use of STEM images has some important advantages over
      TEM. A clear understanding of the electron dose in STEM is essential for
      optimized cryo-microscopy so a dose estimation technique for STEM imaging has
      been developed. The STEM convergence angle was shown to have a large impact on
      the image quality, in particular on the signal-to-noise ratio in the acquired
      images. Importantly, there is a clear trade-off between good STEM spatial
      resolution in the images with a large convergence angle and the signal-to-noise
      ratio, which is improved by reducing the convergence angle as much as possible.
      Based on this and the effects of varying specimen thickness, image magnification
      and acceleration voltage which were also evaluated, we discuss the optimal
      conditions for cryo-STEM tomography of biological specimens.

PMID- 28339604
TI  - Association of pre-ablation level of vitamin D with atrial fibrillation
      recurrence after catheter ablation: reply.

PMID- 28339605
TI  - Uniparental chicken offsprings derived from oogenesis of chicken primordial germ
      cells (ZZ).
AB  - Cloning (somatic cell nuclear transfer) in avian species has proven unachievable
      due to the physical structure of the avian oocyte. Here, the sexual
      differentiation of primordial germ cells with genetic sex ZZ (ZZ PGCs) was
      investigated in female germline chimeric chicken hosts with the aim to produce
      uniparental offspring. ZZ PGCs were expanded in culture and transplanted into the
      same and opposite sex chicken embryos which were partially sterilized using
      irradiation. All tested chimeric roosters (ZZ/ZZ) showed germline transmission
      with transmission rates of 3.2%-91.4%. Unexpectedly, functional oogenesis of
      chicken ZZ PGCs was found in three chimeric hens, resulting in a transmission
      rate of 2.3%-27.8%. Matings were conducted between the germline chimeras (ZZ/ZZ
      and ZZ/ZW) which derived from the same ZZ PGCs line. Paternal uniparental chicken
      offspring were obtained with a transmission rate up to 28.4% and as expected, all
      uniparental offspring were phenotypic male (ZZ). Genotype analysis of uniparental
      offsprings was performed using 13 microsatellite markers. The genotype profile
      showed that uniparental offspring were 100% genetically identical to the donor ZZ
      PGC line, shared 69.2%-88.5% identity with the donor bird. Homozygosity of the
      tested birds varied from 61.5% to 84.6%, which was higher than the donor bird
      (38.5%). These results demonstrate that male avian ZZ PGCs can differentiate into
      functional ova in an ovary, and uniparental avian clones are possible. This
      technology suggests novel approaches for generating genetically similar flocks of
      birds and for the conservation of avian genetic resources.

PMID- 28339606
TI  - Testicular abnormalities in mice with Y chromosome deficiencies.
AB  - We recently investigated mice with Y chromosome gene contribution limited to two,
      one, or no Y chromosome genes in respect to their ability to produce haploid
      round spermatids and live offspring following round spermatid injection. Here we
      explored the normalcy of germ cells and Sertoli cells within seminiferous
      tubules, and the interstitial tissue of the testis in these mice. We performed
      quantitative analysis of spermatogenesis and interstitial tissue on Periodic acid
      Schiff and hematoxylin-stained mouse testis sections. The seminiferous epithelium
      of mice with limited Y gene contribution contained various cellular
      abnormalities, the total number of which was higher than in the males with an
      intact Y chromosome. The distribution of specific abnormality types varied among
      tested genotypes. The males with limited Y genes also had an increased population
      of testicular macrophages and internal vasculature structures. The data indicate
      that Y chromosome gene deficiencies in mice are associated with cellular
      abnormalities of the seminiferous epithelium and some changes within the
      testicular interstitium.

PMID- 28339607
TI  - Gross Motor Trajectories During the First Year of Life for Preterm Infants With
      Very Low Birth Weight.
AB  - Background: Early identification of motor dysfunction in preterm infants with
      very low birth weight (VLBW) is important in order to provide early intervention.
      Objective: This study was to examine the motor trajectories of preterm infants
      with VLBW during their first year of life and to investigate the predictive
      ability and influencing factors of the trajectories. Design and Methods: A total
      of 342 preterm infants with VLBW were prospectively assessed for motor
      development by the Alberta Infant Motor Scales at 4, 6, 9, and 12 months and for
      developmental outcomes using the Bayley Scales of Infant and Toddler Development,
      second edition, at 24 months. Perinatal and socio-environmental factors were
      collected at baseline. Growth mixture modeling was used to explore the patterns
      of infants' motor trajectories during their first year of life. Logistic
      regression analyses were applied to examine the influencing factors associated
      with motor trajectories and their predictability of 24-month developmental
      outcomes. Results: Preterm infants with VLBW showed 3 distinct motor
      trajectories: stably normal (55%), deteriorating (32%), and persistently delayed
      (13%). Furthermore, the motor trajectories were predictive of 24-month cognitive
      and motor outcomes. Perinatal factors including lower birth weight, male gender,
      moderate to severe bronchopulmonary dysplasia, stage III to IV retinopathy of
      prematurity, and major brain damage were associated with a risk of deteriorating
      and persistently delayed trajectories (all P < .05). Socio-environmental factors
      had no association with motor trajectories. Limitations: The small sample size of
      the infants with a persistently delayed trajectory may have limited the
      assessment of some influencing factors. Conclusion: The identified early motor
      trajectories, predictive values, and influencing factors provide insightful
      implications for early detection and prevention of motor -disorders in preterm
      infants with VLBW.

PMID- 28339609
TI  - A Commentary on Maes et al. "A Genetic Epidemiological Mega Analysis of Smoking
      Initiation in Adolescents".

PMID- 28339608
TI  - Inhibition of arachidonate 15-lipoxygenase prevents 4-hydroxynonenal-induced
      protein damage in male germ cells.
AB  - Lipid peroxidation products, such as 4-hydroxynonenal (4HNE), are causative
      agents responsible for extensive protein damage within the male and female
      germlines. Recently, we have demonstrated that 4HNE production can initiate the
      proteolytic degradation of the molecular chaperone Heat Shock Protein A2 (HSPA2)
      in male germ cells. These events may be partially responsible for HSPA2
      deficiency in the spermatozoa of patients that repeatedly fail in vitro
      fertilization. Given this, mechanisms that limit the production of 4HNE will be
      highly advantageous for the preservation of male fertility. The propagation of
      4HNE in somatic cells has been linked to the enzymatic actions of arachidonate 15
      lipoxygenase (ALOX15), a member of the lipoxygenase family of proteins. In view
      of this association, this study sought to explore ALOX15 as a physiological
      target to manipulate the levels of 4HNE produced in the male germline. Herein, we
      have demonstrated that ALOX15 is markedly upregulated in response to oxidative
      stress in round spermatids and the GC-2 cell line. Pharmacological inhibition of
      ALOX15 in GC-2 cells resulted in a significant reduction in both mitochondrial
      and cytoplasmic reactive oxygen species, as well as a dramatic reduction in 4HNE.
      Importantly, the reduced bioavailability of this aldehyde appears to confer
      positive downstream effects to its target proteins such that HSPA2 could be
      protected from damage by 4HNE. Taken together, these results suggest that the
      actions of ALOX15 are intimately tied to the production of 4HNE. Thus, the ALOX15
      protein may be a promising new target for the mitigation of germline oxidative
      stress.

PMID- 28339610
TI  - Prescription Opioid Use Among Young Parents in the United States: Results from
      the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent to Adult Health.
AB  - Objectives: No estimates exist regarding the extent of prescription opioid use
      among US adults who are the primary caregivers to children. Methods: Data were
      from Wave IV of the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent to Adult Health.
      Respondents were age 24 to 32 years. We compared the prevalence of prescription
      opioid use in the last four weeks and medical conditions with the potential to
      precipitate use among parents (i.e., one or more children living in the
      household) and nonparents. We then examined demographics and substance use
      behaviors among parents with and without recent prescription opioid use. Results:
      A significantly higher percentage of parents (6.7%) compared with nonparents
      (3.9%) had taken a prescription opioid in the last four weeks, but a
      significantly lower percentage of parents compared with nonparents reported
      medical conditions with the potential to precipitate use such as an injury in the
      last four weeks (2.8% vs 4.0%). A higher percentage of parents with recent
      prescription opioid use reported financial hardship (44.1% vs 28.2%) and met
      criteria for risky substance use behaviors such as prescription opioid misuse
      (26.3% vs 11.8%) compared with parents without recent prescription opioid use.
      Conclusions: Results suggest notable prescription opioid use among young parents
      in the United States and that parents with recent prescription opioid use are
      more likely to have a history of inappropriate use of substances. These results
      highlight the need for additional research regarding the effects of prescription
      opioid use on parenting behaviors.

PMID- 28339611
TI  - An interview with Magdalena Zernicka-Goetz.

PMID- 28339612
TI  - Orthodontically induced cervical root resorption in humans is associated with the
      amount of tooth movement.
AB  - Introduction: The aim of this study was to investigate the variation in the
      amount of the orthodontically induced cervical root resorption and the
      association with several factors, such as the amount of tooth displacement,
      location of tooth in the maxilla or mandible, and presence of an interference
      that may influence the amount of root resorption. Subjects and methods: This
      study included 30 subjects (20 females, 10 males) with an age range of 11.3 to
      43.0 years. Using a standardized experimental orthodontic tooth movement, 59
      premolars were moved buccaly during 8 weeks with application of 1 N force. Fifty
      eight contralateral premolars not subjected to orthodontic tooth movement served
      as controls. At the end of the experimental period the teeth were carefully
      extracted, scanned in a micro-computed tomography scanner with a resolution of 9
      um, and the reconstructed images were processed for volumetric evaluation of
      resorption craters at the cervical part of the root surface. Data were analyzed
      using unpaired t-test and the Pearson's correlation. Results: Higher amount of
      cervical root resorption was detected in the orthodontically moved teeth (0.00055
      mm3) compared to controls (0.00003 mm3; P < 0.001). Moderate correlation was
      found between root resorption in the two experimental teeth within the same
      individual (R = 0.421, P = 0.023). Teeth located in the mandible presented more
      resorption than those in the maxilla (P = 0.046). The amount of root resorption
      was correlated to the amount of tooth movement (R = 0.318, P = 0.016).
      Conclusion: Application of a 1 N force over a 2-month period provokes severe root
      resorption at the compression cervical sites. Resorption is correlated with the
      amount of tooth movement and the location of the teeth.

PMID- 28339613
TI  - A nonsense mutation in Ccdc62 gene is responsible for spermiogenesis defects and
      male infertility in repro29/repro29 mice.
AB  - Phenotype-driven mutagenesis is an unbiased method to identify novel genes
      involved in spermatogenesis and other reproductive processes. Male
      repro29/repro29 mice generated by the Reproductive Genomics Program at the
      Jackson Laboratory were infertile with deformed sperm and poor motility. Using
      selected exonic capture and massively parallel sequencing technologies, we
      identified a nonsense mutation in the exon 6 of coiled-coil domain-containing 62
      gene (Ccdc62), which results in a formation of a premature stop codon and a
      truncated protein. Among the tissues examined, CCDC62 was found to be expressed
      at the highest level in mouse testis by reverse transcriptase-PCR (RT-PCR) and
      Western blot analysis. With immunofluorescent staining, we demonstrated that
      CCDC62 was expressed in the cytoplasm and the developing acrosome in the
      spematids of mouse testis, and was specifically localized at the acrosome in
      mature sperm. The complementation analysis by mating repro29/+ mice with Ccdc62 
      /- mice (generated by CRISPR-Cas9 strategy) further provided genetic proof that
      the infertility of repro29/repro29 mice was caused by Ccdc62 mutation. Finally,
      it was found that intracellular colocalization and interaction of CCDC62 and
      Golgi-associated PDZ and coiled-coil motif-containing protein may be important
      for acrosome formation. Taken together, this study identified a nonsense mutation
      in Ccdc62, which directly results in male infertility in repro29/repro29 mice.

PMID- 28339614
TI  - Integrin linked kinase regulates syncytialization of BeWo trophoblast cells.
AB  - During placental development, mononuclear villous cytotrophoblast cells
      differentiate and fuse with the overlying syncytiotrophoblast. This process
      requires the dissolution of E-cadherin (CDH1)-containing adherens junctions in
      cytotrophoblast. Integrin linked kinase (ILK) can downregulate CDH1 through poly
      (ADP-ribose) polymerase 1 (PARP1) and Snail-1 (SNAI1) during epithelial
      mesenchymal transition. ILK is known to be expressed in cytotrophoblast; thus,
      the role of a potential ILK-PARP1-SNAI1 pathway in aiding trophoblast
      syncytialization via the downregulation of CDH1 was examined. The spatiotemporal
      expression of PARP1, SNAI1, and CDH1 were determined in first and early second
      trimester chorionic villi, term villi, and BeWo cells by immunofluorescence
      analysis. PARP1 and SNAI1 were highly detectable in villous cytotrophoblast
      nuclei of human chorionic villi and SNAI1 expression, in particular, also
      persisted in syncytiotrophoblast. In BeWo cells undergoing syncytialization,
      PARP1 and SNAI1 increasingly localized to cell nuclei in correlation with
      decreased CDH1 expression. Using luciferase reporter assays, it was determined
      that PARP1 and SNAI1 promoter activities were significantly higher in BeWo cells
      during syncytialization compared to the activities in proliferating cells.
      Overexpression of wild type or constitutively active ILK also resulted in
      significantly increased PARP1 and SNAI1 promoter activities while dominant
      negative ILK overexpression significantly reduced promoter activities. Lastly,
      siRNA-mediated depletion of ILK expression in BeWo cells undergoing
      syncytialization resulted in significantly reduced SNAI1 expression and a
      significant reduction in the incidence of syncytialization correlating with
      increased CDH1 expression. These results demonstrate that ILK aids trophoblast
      syncytialization via the downregulation of CDH1, perhaps through an ILK-PARP1
      SNAI1 pathway.

PMID- 28339615
TI  - Viable offspring after imaging of Ca2+ oscillations and visualization of the
      cortical reaction in mouse eggs.
AB  - -: During mammalian fertilization, egg Ca 2+ oscillations are known to play
      pivotal roles in triggering downstream events such as resumption of the cell
      cycle and the establishment of blocks to polyspermy. However, viable offspring
      have not been obtained after monitoring Ca 2+ oscillations, and their
      spatiotemporal links to subsequent events are still to be examined. Therefore,
      the development of imaging methods to avoid phototoxic damage while labeling
      these events is required. Here, we examined the usefulness of genetically encoded
      Ca 2+ indicators for optical imaging (GECOs), in combination with spinning-disk
      confocal imaging. The Ca 2+ imaging of fertilized mouse eggs with GEM-, G-, or R
      GECO recorded successful oscillations (8.19 +/- 0.31, 7.56 +/- 0.23, or 7.53 +/-
      0.27 spikes in the first 2 h, respectively), similar to those obtained with
      chemical indicators. Then, in vitro viability tests revealed that imaging with G-
      or R-GECO did not interfere with the rate of development to the blastocyst stage
      (61.8 or 70.0%, respectively, vs 75.0% in control). Furthermore, two-cell
      transfer to recipient female mice after imaging with G- or R-GECO resulted in a
      similar birthrate (53.3 or 52.0%, respectively) to that of controls (48.7%).
      Next, we assessed the quality of the cortical reaction (CR) in artificially
      activated or fertilized eggs using fluorescently labeled Lens culinaris
      agglutinin fluorescein isothiocyanate. Multicolor imaging demonstrated that the
      first few Ca 2+ spikes are sufficient for the completion of the CR and subsequent
      hardening of the zona pellucida in mouse eggs. These methods provide a framework
      for studying Ca 2+ dynamics in mammalian fertilization.

PMID- 28339616
TI  - Time Trends in Smoking Onset by Sex and Race/Ethnicity Among Adolescents and
      Young Adults: Findings From the 2006-2013 National Survey on Drug Use and Health.
AB  - Introduction: During the 2000s the number of adolescents who became new smokers
      in the United States declined while the number of young adults who did so
      increased. However, we do not know among which demographic groups these changes
      occurred. Methods: We analyzed data from the 2006 to 2013 National Survey of Drug
      Use and Health (n = 180 079). Multivariate linear regression models were used to
      assess annual trends in smoking onset and log-binomial regression models to
      assess changes over time in the risk of smoking onset among young adults (18- to
      25-years-old) relative adolescents (12- to 17-years-old). Results: From 2006 to
      2013, the rate of onset among young adults (6.3%) was greater than among
      adolescents (1.9%). Time trends demonstrated that annual declines in smoking
      onset occurred among white young adult males and females. Rates of smoking onset
      increased among black and Hispanic young adult males with a lower rate of decline
      among black and Hispanic young adult females. There was a greater risk of smoking
      onset among young adults relative to adolescents that did not change over time.
      Conclusions: Smoking onset is becoming more concentrated in the young adult than
      adolescent years. Despite this trend, there were annual declines in young adult
      smoking onset but not uniformly across racial/ethnic groups. More effective
      strategies to prevent young adult smoking onset may contribute to a further
      decline in adult smoking and a reduction in tobacco-related health disparities.
      Implications: Smoking onset is becoming more concentrated in the young adult
      years across sex and racial/ethnic groups. The United States may be experiencing
      a period of increasing age of smoking onset and must develop tobacco control
      policies and practices informed by these changes.

PMID- 28339617
TI  - Searching for the Smoker's Paradox in Acute Stroke Patients Treated With
      Intravenous Thrombolysis.
AB  - Background: Inconsistent evidence supports better outcome in smokers after
      stroke. Our study examines this association in a large sample of ischemic stroke
      treated with intravenous thrombolysis. Method: Virtual International Stroke
      Trials Archive (VISTA) database, composed of individual patient data of multiple
      clinical trials, was queried. The primary outcome was functional independence at
      3 months noted by modified Rankin Scale (mRS; a 7-point scale ranging from 0 [no
      deficit] to 6 [death]) score<= 2. The secondary outcomes were National Institutes
      of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS; stroke severity measure, ranging from 0 [no
      deficit] to 42 [most severe]) score at 24 hours and the occurrence of symptomatic
      intractracranial hemorrhage. Results: A total of 5383 patients were included:
      1501 current smokers and 3882 nonsmokers. Smokers were younger (60 +/- 13 vs. 71
      +/- 12 years, p < .0001) and had lower median NIHSS score at baseline (12 [8-17]
      vs. 13 [9-18], p < .0001). The rate of favorable functional outcome (mRS <= 2) at
      3 months was significantly higher among current smokers (49.7% vs. 39.5%, p <
      .0001) and with crude ORs of 1.52, 95% CI 1.33-1.72. The association became non
      significant after adjusting for age (OR 1.11, 95% CI 0.97-1.27). Subgroup
      analysis by age/gender strata showed that current smoking was associated with
      favorable outcome only in women >= 65 years. Current smoking was also associated
      with lower rates of symptomatic intracranial hemorrhage (adjusted OR 0.55, 95% CI
      0.39-0.79). Conclusion: Smokers experience their first ever stroke 11 years
      younger than nonsmokers. This age difference explains the association between
      current smoking and favorable functional outcome. Implications: Smoking is
      associated with occurrence of first ever stroke at a younger age, therefore,
      focus should be on smoking prevention and treatment. The decision to treat
      ischemic stroke patients with intravenous thrombolysis should not be influenced
      by the patients' smoking status.

PMID- 28339618
TI  - Telomere Length, Oxidative Stress, Inflammation and BDNF Levels in Siblings of
      Patients with Bipolar Disorder: Implications for Accelerated Cellular Aging.
AB  - Background: Growing evidence supports the existence of neurobiological trait
      abnormalities in individuals at genetic risk for bipolar disorder. The aim of
      this study was to examine potential differences in brain-derived neurotrophic
      factor, cytokines, oxidative stress, and telomere length markers between patients
      with bipolar disorder, their siblings, and healthy controls. Methods: Thirty-six
      patients with bipolar disorder type I, 39 siblings, and 44 healthy controls were
      assessed. Serum levels of brain-derived neurotrophic factor, interleukin-6,
      interleukin-10, tumor necrosis factor-alpha, C-C motif chemokine 11, C-C motif
      chemokine 24, and 3-nitrotyrosine were measured, as were the activities of
      glutathione peroxidase, glutathione reductase, and glutathione S-transferase.
      Telomere length (T/S ratio) was measured using quantitative polymerase chain
      reaction. Results: Telomere length was different between the 3 groups (P = .041)
      with both patients and siblings showing a shorter T/S ratio compared with healthy
      controls. Patients showed increased levels of interleukin-6 (P = .005) and
      interleukin-10 (P = .002) compared with controls as well as increased levels of
      interleukin-6 (p = 0.014) and CCL24 (P = .016) compared with their siblings. C-C
      motif chemokine 11 levels were increased in siblings compared with controls (P =
      .015), and a similar tendency was found in patients compared with controls (P =
      .045). Glutathione peroxidase activity was decreased in patients compared with
      controls (P = .006) and siblings (P = .025). No differences were found for the
      other markers. Conclusions: The present results suggest that unaffected siblings
      may present accelerated aging features. These neurobiological findings may be
      considered as endophenotypic traits. Further prospective studies are warranted.

PMID- 28339619
TI  - Relationship of neuropeptide FF receptors with pubertal maturation of gilts.
AB  - Mechanisms governing the timing of puberty in pigs are poorly understood. A
      genome-wide association study for age at first estrus in pigs identified
      candidate genes including neuropeptide FF receptor 2 (NPFFR2), which is a
      putative receptor for RFamide-related peptides (RFRP). RFRP has been shown to
      negatively regulate secretion of reproductive hormones from hypothalamic and
      pituitary tissue of pigs in culture. Here, the porcine NPFFR2 gene was further
      screened and four potentially functional variants were identified to be
      associated with age at first estrus in pigs (1,288 gilts). The RFRP neurons in
      the porcine hypothalamus were localized in the paraventricular and dorsomedial
      nuclei with RFRP fibers in the lateral hypothalamic area. There were marked
      changes in expression of NPFF receptors in the anterior pituitary gland and
      hypothalamus of gilts beginning with the peripubertal period. The hypothesis that
      NPFF receptor function is related to secretion of luteinizing hormone (LH) in
      gilts was tested with various NPFF receptor ligands. The NPFF receptor antagonist
      RF9 stimulated a pulse-like release of LH in prepubertal gilts. The putative NPFF
      receptor agonist RFRP3 modestly suppressed LH pulses in ovariectomized (OVX)
      prepubertal gilts. A porcine-specific RFRP2 failed to have an effect on LH
      secretion in OVX prepubertal gilts despite its high degree of homology to avian
      gonadotropin-inhibitory hormone. Results indicate that an RFRP system is present
      in the pig and that NPFFR2 is important for pubertal onset in gilts. It is not
      clear if this regulation involves major control of LH secretion or another
      unknown mechanism.

PMID- 28339621
TI  - Routine quality care assessment of schizophrenic disorders using information
      systems.

PMID- 28339622
TI  - Augmented QRS notching and macroscopic T-wave alternans preceding polymorphic
      ventricular tachycardia in a patient with electrical storm.

PMID- 28339620
TI  - Systematic review of the effectiveness of health-related behavioral interventions
      using portable activity sensing devices (PASDs).
AB  - Background: Portable activity sensing devices (PASDs) have received significant
      interest as tools for objectively measuring activity-related parameters and
      promoting health-related outcomes. Studies of PASDs suggest the potential value
      of integrating them with behavioral interventions to improve intermediate and
      downstream clinical outcomes. Objectives: This systematic review describes and
      evaluates evidence from controlled studies of interventions using PASDs on their
      effectiveness in health-related outcomes. Study quality was also assessed.
      Methods: A systematic literature search was performed of MEDLINE, Cochrane
      Central Register of Controlled Trials, PsycINFO, EMBASE, and CINAHL databases. We
      included English-language papers of controlled trials through 2015 reporting the
      effectiveness of PASDs in improving health-related outcomes in any population. We
      extracted and analyzed data on study characteristics including design, target
      population, interventions, and findings. Results: Seventeen trials met the
      inclusion criteria from a total of 9553 unique records. Study objectives varied
      greatly, but most sought to increase physical activity. Studies with a "passive"
      intervention arm using a PASD with minimal behavioral support generally did not
      demonstrate effectiveness in improving health-related outcomes. Interventions
      integrating PASDs with multiple behavioral change techniques were more likely to
      be effective, particularly for intermediate outcomes such as physical activity
      and weight loss. Trials had small sample sizes but were generally free of bias,
      except for blinding and selection bias. Conclusion: There is insufficient
      evidence to draw a conclusion about the general health-related benefits of PASD
      interventions. PASD interventions may improve intermediate outcomes when coupled
      with multiple behavioral change techniques. Devices alone or with minimal
      behavioral change support are insufficient to change health-related outcomes.

PMID- 28339623
TI  - The Molecular and Clinical Epidemiology of Extended-Spectrum Cephalosporin- and
      Carbapenem-Resistant Enterobacteriaceae at 4 US Pediatric Hospitals.
AB  - Objective: In this report, we aim to describe the epidemiology of extended
      spectrum cephalosporin-resistant (ESC-R) and carbapenem-resistant (CR)
      Enterobacteriaceae infections in children. Methods: ESC-R and CR
      Enterobacteriaceae isolates from normally sterile sites of patients aged <22
      years from 4 freestanding pediatric medical centers were collected along with the
      associated clinical data. Results: The overall frequencies of ESC-R and CR
      isolates according to hospital over the 4-year study period ranged from 0.7% to
      2.8%. Rates of ESC-R or CR Escherichia coli and Klebsiella pneumoniae varied
      according to hospital and ranged from 0.75 to 3.41 resistant isolates per 100
      isolates (P < .001 for any differences). E coli accounted for 272 (77%) of the
      resistant isolates; however, a higher rate of resistance was observed in K
      pneumoniae isolates (1.78 vs 1.27 resistant isolates per 100 same-species
      isolates, respectively; P = .005). One-third of the infections caused by ESC-R or
      CR E coli were community-associated. In contrast, infections caused by ESC-R or
      CR K pneumoniae were more likely than those caused by resistant E coli to be
      healthcare- or hospital-associated and to occur in patients with an indwelling
      device (P <= .003 for any differences, multivariable logistic regression).
      Nonsusceptibility to 3 common non-beta-lactam agents (ciprofloxacin, gentamicin,
      and trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole) occurred in 23% of the ESC-R isolates. The
      sequence type 131-associated fumC/fimH-type 40-30 was the most prevalent sequence
      type among all resistant E coli isolates (30%), and the clonal group 258
      associated allele tonB79 was the most prevalent allele among all resistant K
      pneumoniae isolates (10%). Conclusions: The epidemiology of ESC-R and CR
      Enterobacteriaceae varied according to hospital and species (E coli vs K
      pneumoniae). Both community and hospital settings should be considered in future
      research addressing pediatric ESC-R Enterobacteriaceae infection.

PMID- 28339626
TI  - A ward-based time study of paper and electronic documentation for recording vital
      sign observations.
AB  - Objective: To investigate time differences in recording observations and an early
      warning score using traditional paper charts and a novel e-Obs system in clinical
      practice. Methods: Researchers observed the process of recording observations and
      early warning scores across 3 wards in 2 university teaching hospitals
      immediately before and after introduction of the e-Obs system. The process of
      recording observations included both measurement and documentation of vital
      signs. Interruptions were timed and subtracted from the measured process
      duration. Multilevel modeling was used to compensate for potential confounding
      factors. Results: In all, 577 nurse events were observed (281 paper, 296 e-Obs).
      The geometric mean time to take a complete set of vital signs was 215 s (95%
      confidence interval [CI], 177 s-262 s) on paper, and 150 s (95% CI, 130 s-172 s)
      electronically. The treatment effect ratio was 0.70 (95% CI, 0.57-0.85, P  <
      .001). The treatment effect ratio in ward 1 was 0.37 (95% CI, 0.26-0.53), in ward
      2 was 0.98 (95% CI, 0.70-1.38), and in ward 3 was 0.93 (95% CI, 0.66-1.33).
      Discussion: Introduction of an e-Obs system was associated with a statistically
      significant reduction in overall time to measure and document vital signs
      electronically compared to paper documentation. The reductions in time varied
      among wards and were of clinical significance on only 1 of 3 wards studied.
      Conclusion: Our results suggest that introduction of an e-Obs system could lower
      nursing workload as well as increase documentation quality.

PMID- 28339625
TI  - Cystatin S-a candidate biomarker for severity of submandibular gland involvement
      in Sjogren's syndrome.
AB  - Objectives: Salivary cystatin S is a defence protein mainly produced by
      submandibular glands and involved in innate oral immunity. This study aimed to
      verify whether cystatin S was diversely expressed in different disease subsets of
      primary Sjogren's syndrome (pSS) patients, defined on the basis of salivary flow
      [unstimulated salivary flow rate (USFR)], minor salivary gland (MSG) focus score
      and submandibular gland ultrasonography abnormalities. We also evaluated miR-126
      and miR-335-5p expression in MSG biopsies to verify whether an aberrant
      regulation of cystatin S at the glandular level may influence its salivary
      expression. Methods: Forty pSS patients and 20 sex- and age-matched healthy
      volunteers were included. Salivary cystatin S levels were assessed by western
      blot analysis using a stain-free technology. The expression of miR-126, miR-335
      5p and cystatin S was assessed by quantitative PCR in 15 MSG biopsies differing
      for USFR and MSG focus score. Results: We found that salivary cystatin S was
      significantly decreased in pSS patients vs healthy volunteers ( P = 0.000),
      especially in those with hyposalivation. A positive correlation was observed
      between cystatin S and USFR ( r = 0.75, P = 0.01). Salivary cystatin S was also
      significantly reduced in patients with a submandibular gland ultrasonography
      score ?2. The expression levels of miR-126 and miR-335-5P increased in inverse
      proportion with USFR. The mRNA of cystatin S did not change significantly,
      suggesting post-transcriptional regulation. Conclusion: Cystatin S emerged as a
      promising biomarker for pSS, strongly correlated with glandular dysfunction. An
      upregulation of miR-126 and miR-335-5P might be implicated in its expression.

PMID- 28339627
TI  - Validity and reliability of three-dimensional palatal superimposition of digital
      dental models.
AB  - Objective: To evaluate the validity and reliability of three-dimensional (3D)
      landmark-based palatal superimposition of digital dental models using Ortho
      Mechanics Sequential Analyzer (OMSA). Methods: The sample consisted of pre- and
      post-treatment digital maxillary dental models of 20 orthodontic cases. For each
      case, the pre- and post-treatment digital models were superimposed using surface
      based methods utilizing 3dMD Vultus and Invivo 5 software as well as a landmark
      based method utilizing OMSA. The same set of parameters were measured on the
      superimposed 3D data by the three softwares for comparison. Agreement in the
      superimposition outcomes among the three superimposition methods was evaluated
      with intraclass correlation coefficients (ICCs), Bland-Altman plots, and repeated
      measures ANOVA. A P value of <= 0.05 was considered statistically significant.
      Results: Repeatability was acceptable for all methods based on the ICCs.
      Agreement as measured by the ICCs and repeated measures ANOVA was high among the
      three methods. Conclusion: The results indicate that OMSA offers a valid and
      reliable tool for 3D landmark-based digital dental models superimposition using 3
      points marked along the midpalatal raphe as reference.

PMID- 28339628
TI  - Using digital interventions to improve the cardiometabolic health of populations:
      a meta-review of reporting quality.
AB  - Objectives: We conducted a meta-review to determine the reporting quality of user
      centered digital interventions for the prevention and management of
      cardiometabolic conditions. Materials and Methods: Using predetermined inclusion
      criteria, systematic reviews published between 2010 and 2015 were identified from
      3 databases. To assess whether current evidence is sufficient to inform wider
      uptake and implementation of digital health programs, we assessed the quality of
      reporting of research findings using (1) endorsement of the Preferred Reporting
      Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines, (2) a quality
      assessment framework (eg, Cochrane risk of bias assessment tool), and (3) 8
      parameters of the Consolidated Standards of Reporting Trials of Electronic and
      Mobile HEalth Applications and onLine TeleHealth (CONSORT-eHEALTH) guidelines
      (developed in 2010). Results: Of the 33 systematic reviews covering social media,
      Web-based programs, mobile health programs, and composite modalities, 6 reported
      using the recommended PRISMA guidelines. Seven did not report using a quality
      assessment framework. Applying the CONSORT-EHEALTH guidelines, reporting was of
      mild to moderate strength. Discussion: To our knowledge, this is the first meta
      review to provide a comprehensive analysis of the quality of reporting of
      research findings for a range of digital health interventions. Our findings
      suggest that the evidence base and quality of reporting in this rapidly
      developing field needs significant improvement in order to inform wider
      implementation and uptake. Conclusion: The inconsistent quality of reporting of
      digital health interventions for cardiometabolic outcomes may be a critical
      impediment to real-world implementation.

PMID- 28339629
TI  - Orders on file but no labs drawn: investigation of machine and human errors
      caused by an interface idiosyncrasy.
AB  - In this report, we describe 2 instances in which expert use of an electronic
      health record (EHR) system interfaced to an external clinical laboratory
      information system led to unintended consequences wherein 2 patients failed to
      have laboratory tests drawn in a timely manner. In both events, user actions
      combined with the lack of an acknowledgment message describing the order
      cancellation from the external clinical system were the root causes. In 1 case,
      rapid, near-simultaneous order entry was the culprit; in the second, astute order
      management by a clinician, unaware of the lack of proper 2-way interface
      messaging from the external clinical system, led to the confusion. Although
      testing had shown that the laboratory system would cancel duplicate laboratory
      orders, it was thought that duplicate alerting in the new order entry system
      would prevent such events.

PMID- 28339630
TI  - MR Tractography in Short Lasting Unilateral Neuralgiform Headache Attacks with
      Conjunctival Injection and Tearing (SUNCT) Patients: Case Reports.
AB  - Background: Short-lasting unilateral neuralgiform headache attack with
      conjunctival injection and tearing (SUNCT) is one of the trigeminal autonomic
      cephalalgias where neurovascular compression was detected in neuroimaging in
      recent years. Case: We report two cases, a 52-year-old adult and a 69-year-old
      elderly patient with short-lasting and recurrent headache combined with cranial
      autonomic features. Diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) and magnetic resonance (MR)
      tractography of both patients outlined structural changes of the trigeminal nerve
      revealing neurovascular compression. Pain and autonomic symptoms were completely
      relieved in the 52-year-old patient who underwent microvascular decompression
      surgery. Conclusion: To our knowledge, this is the first time in the literature
      where MR tractography revealed structural changes in the trigeminal nerve
      secondary to neurovascular compression in SUNCT patients. We suggest that in
      SUNCT patients high-resolution magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and/or DTI-MR
      tractography should be performed to exclude neurovascular compression. We propose
      that the compression of the trigeminal nerve could generate SUNCT symptoms and
      the posterior hypothalamus could be activated secondarily. With this point of
      view, trigeminal neuralgia and SUNCT could represent the different features of
      the neurovascular compression spectrum.

PMID- 28339631
TI  - Evidence for the involvement of the proximal copy of the MAGEA9 gene in Xq28
      linked CNV67 specific to spermatogenic failure.
AB  - Spermatogenic failure characterized by impaired sperm production is a common
      multifactorial disease with molecular and cytogenetic causes for its extreme
      phenotype that include azoospermia and severe oliogzoospermia. Recently, a high
      resolution array-comparative genomic hybridization analysis of the X chromosome
      and a subsequent cohort study revealed three X-linked microdeletions (CNV64,
      CNV67, and CNV69) that were associated with decreased sperm production in a mixed
      group that included Spanish and Italian males. To confirm their spermatogenic
      effect, we examined the hemizygous deletions and copy dosage of the MAGE family
      member A9 (MAGEA9) gene, which is a potential X-linked candidate for the CNV67
      related spermatogenic phenotype, to investigate their association with
      spermatogenic failure in 1722 Han males from southwest China. The individuals in
      this group consisted of 884 patients with idiopathic azoospermia/oliogzoospermia
      and 838 controls with normozoospermia. Our results showed that both CNV64 and
      CNV69 were more common in patients than in controls. Similar to that reported
      previously, the CNV67 was also identified as being specific to spermatogenic
      failure in our population, although it was rare. More importantly, the paralog
      ratio tests and sequence family variant analyses provided evidence that the CNV67
      might cause a partial deletion of the proximal copy of the MAGEA9 and suggests
      that CNV67-related spermatogenic failure may be attributed to the functional
      defect of the Cancer/Testis gene. Our findings highlight the potential of the Xq
      linked CNV67 to serve as a novel detection target in the etiological diagnosis of
      spermatogenic failure and male infertility, although its pathogenic mechanism
      remains to be elucidated.

PMID- 28339634
TI  - Serratus Anterior Muscle Pain Syndrome: A Diagnostic Conundrum.

PMID- 28339633
TI  - Osmotic indices and kidney concentrating activity: population-based data on
      correlates and prognostic power.
AB  - Background: Research data are limited on indices of osmotic equilibrium and of
      kidney concentrating activity (KCA). This study investigated correlates and
      prognostic power of these indices in a sample of the general population. Methods:
      Urine osmolality (U-osm), plasma osmolality (P-osm), plasma creatinine and other
      variables were measured by the Gubbio Study for the 1988-92 exam (baseline).
      Plasma creatinine and other variables were re-measured in the 2001-07 exam
      (follow-up). KCA was assessed as the U-osm/P-osm ratio and kidney function as
      estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR). Results: Baseline data were complete
      in 4220 adults, of whom 852 died before follow-up and 2795 participated in the
      follow-up. At baseline, the following independent cross-sectional associations
      were identified: female sex and higher urine flow with lower values of U-osm, P
      osm and U-osm/P-osm ratio (P < 0.01); obesity with higher values of U-osm, P-osm
      and U-osm/P-osm ratio (P < 0.01); older age and lower eGFR with lower U-osm,
      lower U-osm/P-osm ratio and higher P-osm (P < 0.05); hypertension and smoking
      with lower U-osm and lower U-osm/P-osm ratio (P < 0.05) but not with P-osm. From
      baseline to follow-up, the annualized rate was 1.26% for mortality and -0.74 +/-
      0.76 mL/min * 1.73 m2 for eGFR change. Mortality was independently predicted by
      baseline U-osm and baseline U-osm/P-osm ratio (hazard ratio for one higher
      standard deviation was <=0.91, 95% confidence interval was <=0.97, P < 0.01), but
      not by baseline P-osm. The eGFR change was not independently predicted by
      baseline values of U-osm, P-osm and U-osm/P-osm ratio (P >= 0.4). Conclusions:
      Sex, age, obesity, eGFR, urine flow, hypertension and smoking independently
      associated with U-osm and KCA. U-osm and KCA independently predicted mortality,
      but not kidney function change over time.

PMID- 28339632
TI  - Dosing down with biologic therapies: a systematic review and clinicians'
      perspective.
AB  - The effectiveness of biologic therapies now means that remission or low disease
      activity are realistic targets for treatment. However, after achieving
      remission/low disease activity, the next steps remain unclear. The aim of this
      publication was to conduct a broad systematic literature review to evaluate
      dosing down of biologics. After screening papers and abstracts for relevance and
      application of inclusion/exclusion criteria, a structured extraction process was
      used to collect information on the included studies. Fifty-two papers were
      included in the analysis across rheumatic disease. In patients who discontinue
      therapy, remission is not typically sustained, with reported rates of relapse and
      flare across early RA (48-54%), established RA (2-84%), axial spondyloarthritis
      (11-53%) and PsA (44.9%). In many cases, an acceptable disease activity can be
      regained upon retreatment. More research is needed to understand the long-term
      impacts of these strategies on efficacy, safety and cost.

PMID- 28339635
TI  - The Impact of Zonisamide on the Development and Course of Alcohol Dependence in
      Rabbits. A pharmaco-EEG study.
AB  - Aims: Zonisamide is a new anti-epileptic drug whose mechanism of action is
      associated with neurotransmission systems also involved in the pathogenesis of
      addiction. Recently, the role of memory processes and the hippocampus (Hp) is
      underlined in dependence. In our previous study, we determined that zonisamide
      decreases changes in hippocampal bioelectric activity induced by a single dose of
      ethanol. Methods: This study uses a pharmaco-EEG method to examine the impact of
      zonisamide on the development and course of alcohol dependence in rabbits.
      Quantitative changes in EEG were observed in the midbrain reticular formation, Hp
      and frontal cortex. Zonisamide was administered p.o. once a day at dose of 30
      mg/kg/day during the entire experiment. Solutions with increasing concentrations
      of ethanol were administered for 6 weeks, followed by a 2-week period of
      abstinence. Results: The long-term administration of ethanol caused
      characteristic changes in rabbit EEG recordings, which were associated with a
      shift toward lower frequencies resulting in a depressive effect on the
      bioelectric activity of selected brain structures. Co-administration of
      zonisamide and ethanol caused a reduction of ethanol-induced alterations. Changes
      in EEG recordings were different during period of abstinence and were associated
      with potent shift toward the high frequencies. Zonisamide significantly decreased
      encephalographic features of neuronal hyperactivity when administered during the
      abstinence. Conclusion: Zonisamide decreases ethanol- and abstinence-induced
      changes in the EEG recordings. These effects may be a significant part of drug's
      mechanism of action in alcohol addiction therapy. Short Summary: A pharmaco-EEG
      method was used to determine the influence of a new anti-epileptic drug
      zonisamide on the development and course of alcohol dependence in rabbits. The
      drug co-administered with ethanol decreased alcohol-induced changes in selected
      brain structures. Zonisamide also decreases abstinence-induced changes in the EEG
      recordings.

PMID- 28339636
TI  - A before-after study of multidisciplinary Out-of-Hours handover: combining
      management and frontline efforts to create sustainable improvement.
AB  - Objective: The importance of implementation strategy in systems improvement is
      increasingly recognized and both 'bottom-up' and 'top-down' approaches have
      significant barriers. A trial of a combined approach involving frontline and
      managerial staff therefore seems merited. We attempted to improve handover using
      a Human Factors-based approach integrated with a combined 'top and bottom'
      implementation strategy. Design: A before-after study was conducted across 9
      months. Setting: The study was set in a 236 bed district general hospital.
      Participants: Participants included any member of staff involved in Out of Hours
      handover. Intervention: Existing processes were analysed using Human Factors
      methods. Changes made were based on this analysis and developed via facilitation
      between management and frontline staff. These included creating a single
      multidisciplinary handover, changing the venue, standardizing the meeting
      structure, developing an standard operating procedure for identifying unwell
      patients for handover and creating a clinical coordinator role. Main outcome
      measures: Meeting attendance, duration, start time efficiency, the type of
      patients handed over and the transfer of important information were measured pre-
      and post-intervention. Results: We found improvement in handover start time (P =
      0.002, r = 0) and multidisciplinary participation (P = 0.002, r = -0.534).
      Handover of unwell patients improved, but not significantly. Communication of
      plan (P < 0.001, r = 0.14) and pending tasks (P < 0.001, r = 0.30) improved, but
      diagnosis (P = 0.233, r = -0.05), history (P = 0.482, r = -0.03) and
      comorbidities (P = 0.19, r = -0.05) did not. Conclusions: The changes produced
      greater multidisciplinary participation, a broader focus and improved
      communication of plans and tasks outstanding. The 'top and bottom' implementation
      approach appeared valuable. Management involvement was essential for significant
      changes, while frontline staff involvement facilitated the design of context
      specific practical solutions with staff buy-in.

PMID- 28339637
TI  - Provider Perspectives on the Implementation of Psychosocial Risk Screening in
      Pediatric Cancer.
AB  - Objective: Psychosocial risk screening is an important initial step in delivering
      evidence-based care. This qualitative descriptive study identified how
      multidisciplinary pediatric oncology health-care providers perceive psychosocial
      risk screening to identify factors in uptake and implementation. Methods: A
      script guided digitally recorded (transcribed) interviews regarding psychosocial
      screening and challenges to facilitators of screening. Participants were 15
      multidisciplinary staff (physicians, nurses, social workers, psychologists,
      physician assistant) at nine sites, three using the Psychosocial Assessment
      Tool(c) for research and six for clinical care. Constant comparative analysis was
      used to analyze the independently coded interviews. Results: Thematic content
      analysis identified an overarching theme - Screening is important because it
      facilitates clinical care - and four subthemes: Optimizing Psychosocial Care,
      Implementing Screening, Engaging Families, and Utilizing Clinical Pathways.
      Conclusions: Findings support the importance of integrating psychosocial risk
      screening into clinical care and offer strategies for implementation of screening
      across a range of settings.

PMID- 28339639
TI  - Comparative structural study of the zona radiata of the eggs of three Gobiobotia
      (Cyprinidae, Teleostei), endemic Korean freshwaters.
AB  - The genus Gobiobotia in Korea has only three species and all are endemic benthic
      freshwater fishes. Their oocytes were observed by light microscopy, scanning
      electron microscopy and transmission electron microscopy to investigate the
      characteristics of the zona radiata (ZR), a non-cellular envelope, which
      surrounds the egg. Various developmental cells appeared during the spawning
      season. During the yolk vesicles stage, which yolk vesicles are spherically
      developed in periphery of the cytoplasm and gradually increase in its number and
      size, the ZR becomes visible between its follicular layer and ooplasm. The
      morphological appearance of the ZR of each of the three species was unique: G.
      brevibarba had a ZR with villous structures, whereas that of G. macrocephala was
      honeycomb-like with porous structures. In contrast, G. naktongensis had a ZR with
      no structural modifications during oogenesis. Such differences in the same genus
      are not common. These results indicate that the structure of the ZR is a useful
      character for identification of the genus Gobiobotia and may reflect the types of
      microhabitats they inhabit.

PMID- 28339638
TI  - The Impact of Older Parents' Pain Symptoms on Adult Children.
AB  - Objective: Not only is persistent pain a debilitating health problem for older
      adults, it also may have negative effects on family relationships. Studies have
      documented the effects of pain on spouses and on parents of young children.
      However, research has not extended this line of inquiry to later life, and
      specifically to the impact of older parents' pain symptoms on adult children.
      This study addresses the question: Does older mothers' pain affect the quality of
      relations with offspring? Subjects and Design: Using data from a survey of 678
      adult children of older mothers, this article presents two analyses examining the
      impact of mothers' self-reported pain on emotional closeness and on tension in
      the adult child-parent relationship. Results: Contrary to research conducted on
      younger families, multilevel models showed no effects on emotional closeness or
      tension in relationships with adult children when mothers experienced higher
      levels of persistent pain. This surprising finding suggests that mechanisms may
      exist that protect adult child caregivers from stressors that result from a
      relative's chronic pain. Conclusions: Based on the findings of this article,
      further exploration of the impact of chronic pain on relations between adult
      children and their parents is justified. Of interest is exploration of factors
      that may insulate later-life intergenerational relationships from the effects of
      pain.

PMID- 28339640
TI  - Response: Disseminated tuberculosis.

PMID- 28339641
TI  - Measuring job satisfaction among healthcare staff in the United States: a
      confirmatory factor analysis of the Satisfaction of Employees in Health Care
      (SEHC) survey.
AB  - Objective: To validate the Satisfaction of Employees in Health Care (SEHC) survey
      with multidisciplinary, healthcare staff in the United States (U.S.). Design: A
      cross-sectional psychometric study using confirmatory factor analysis. The
      original three-factor model was tested and modified using half-samples. Models
      were assessed using goodness-of-fit measures. Scale reliability and validity were
      tested with Cronbach's alpha coefficient and correlation of total SEHC score with
      two global satisfaction items, respectively. Setting: We administered a web-based
      survey from January to May 2015 to healthcare staff participating in initiatives
      aimed at delivering better care and reducing costs. Participants: The overall
      response rate was 38% (N = 1089), and respondents were from 86 healthcare
      projects. A total of 928 respondents completed the SEHC survey in full and were
      used in this study. Main Outcome Measures: Model fit of 18 SEHC items and total
      SEHC score. Results: The mean SEHC score was 77.6 (SD: 19.0). A one-factor model
      of job satisfaction had high loadings on all items, and demonstrated adequate
      model fit (second half-sample RMSEA: 0.069). The scale demonstrated high
      reliability (Cronbach's alpha = 0.942) and validity (r = 0.77 and 0.76, both P <
      0.05). Conclusions: The SEHC appears to measure a single general job satisfaction
      construct. The scale has adequate reliability and validity to recommend its use
      to assess satisfaction among multidisciplinary, U.S. healthcare staff. Our
      findings suggest that this survey is a good candidate for reduction to a short
      form, and future research should validate this survey in other healthcare
      populations.

PMID- 28339642
TI  - Meaningful use of health information technology and declines in in-hospital
      adverse drug events.
AB  - Objective: Nationwide initiatives have promoted greater adoption of health
      information technology as a means to reduce adverse drug events (ADEs). Hospital
      adoption of electronic health records with Meaningful Use (MU) capabilities
      expected to improve medication safety has grown rapidly. However, evidence that
      MU capabilities are associated with declines in in-hospital ADEs is lacking.
      Methods: Data came from the 2010-2013 Medicare Patient Safety Monitoring System
      and the 2008-2013 Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society (HIMSS)
      Analytics Database. Two-level random intercept logistic regression was used to
      estimate the association of MU capabilities and occurrence of ADEs, adjusting for
      patient characteristics, hospital characteristics, and year of observation.
      Results: Rates of in-hospital ADEs declined by 19% from 2010 to 2013. Adoption of
      MU capabilities was associated with 11% lower odds of an ADE (95% confidence
      interval [CI], 0.84-0.96). Interoperability capability was associated with 19%
      lower odds of an ADE (95% CI, 0.67- 0.98). Adoption of MU capabilities explained
      22% of the observed reduction in ADEs, or 67,000 fewer ADEs averted by MU.
      Discussion: Concurrent with the rapid uptake of MU and interoperability,
      occurrence of in-hospital ADEs declined significantly from 2010 to 2013. MU
      capabilities and interoperability were associated with lower occurrence of ADEs,
      but the effects did not vary by experience with MU. About one-fifth of the
      decline in ADEs from 2010 to 2013 was attributable to MU capabilities.
      Conclusion: Findings support the contention that adoption of MU capabilities and
      interoperability spurred by the Health Information Technology for Economic and
      Clinical Health Act contributed in part to the recent decline in ADEs.

PMID- 28339643
TI  - Increased Risk of Myofascial Pain Syndrome Among Patients with Insomnia.
AB  - Objective: The aim of this study is to evaluate the risk of developing myofascial
      pain syndrome among patients diagnosed with insomnia. Methods: We conducted a
      population-based longitudinal study of a matched cohort with 7,895 participants
      (1,579 patients with insomnia and 6,316 controls) who were selected from the
      Taiwan National Health Insurance Research Database. The patients were observed
      for a maximum of 10 years to determine the incidence of newly diagnosed
      myofascial pain syndrome. A Cox regression analysis was performed to identify the
      risk factors associated with myofascial pain syndrome in patients with insomnia.
      Results: During the 10-year follow-up period, 182 insomnia patients (14.9 per
      1,000 person-years) and 379 controls (7.5 per 1,000 person-years) were diagnosed
      with myofascial pain syndrome. The incidence risk ratio of myofascial pain
      syndrome between the insomnia and control patients was 2.00 (95% confidence
      interval [CI] = 1.67-2.38, P  < 0.001). After adjusting for age, sex, monthly
      income, urbanization, and comorbidities, the insomnia patients were 1.93 times
      more likely to develop myofascial pain syndrome (95% CI = 1.62-2.31, P  < .001)
      than the control patients. Malignant neoplasm (hazard ratio = 3.08) and living in
      urban areas (hazard ratio = 3.05) were identified as independent risk factors for
      myofascial pain syndrome in patients with insomnia. Conclusions: Patients with
      insomnia had a higher risk of developing myofascial pain syndrome than controls.
      This study adds to the understanding of the complex relationship between sleep
      disturbance and pain.

PMID- 28339644
TI  - Development and validation of a structured query language implementation of the
      Elixhauser comorbidity index.
AB  - Objective: Comorbidity adjustment is often performed during outcomes and health
      care resource utilization research. Our goal was to develop an efficient
      algorithm in structured query language (SQL) to determine the Elixhauser
      comorbidity index. Materials and Methods: We wrote an SQL algorithm to calculate
      the Elixhauser comorbidities from Diagnosis Related Group and International
      Classification of Diseases (ICD) codes. Validation was by comparison to expected
      comorbidities from combinations of these codes and to the 2013 Nationwide
      Readmissions Database (NRD). Results: The SQL algorithm matched perfectly with
      expected comorbidities for all combinations of ICD-9 or ICD-10, and Diagnosis
      Related Groups. Of 13 585 859 evaluable NRD records, the algorithm matched 100%
      of the listed comorbidities. Processing time was ~0.05 ms/record. Discussion: The
      SQL Elixhauser code was efficient and computationally identical to the SAS
      algorithm used for the NRD. Conclusions: This algorithm may be useful where
      preprocessing of large datasets in a relational database environment and
      comorbidity determination is desired before statistical analysis. A validated SQL
      procedure to calculate Elixhauser comorbidities and the van Walraven index from
      ICD-9 or ICD-10 discharge diagnosis codes has been published.

PMID- 28339645
TI  - The extent of root resorption and tooth movement following the application of
      ascending and descending magnetic forces: a prospective split mouth,
      microcomputed-tomography study.
AB  - Objective: Various factors have been examined in the literature in an attempt to
      reduce the incidence and severity of root resorption. The purpose of the present
      investigation is to test the null hypothesis that there is no difference in
      relation to force level using gradually increasing (ascending) and decreasing
      (descending) orthodontic force generated by magnets on the severity of
      Orthodontically Induced Inflammatory Iatrogenic Root Resorption (OIIRR) and
      amount of tooth movement. Methods: Twenty maxillary first premolars from 10
      patients were subjected to ascending (25-225 g, magnets in attraction) and
      descending (225 to 25 g, magnets in repulsion) buccal forces using a split mouth
      design over an 8-week period. Polyvinyl siloxane impressions were taken at week
      0, 4, and 8 to record the tooth movement. After 8 weeks, the teeth were
      extracted, scanned, with micro-CT in 16.9 um resolution, and the root resorption
      craters were localized circumferentially and quantified at each level of the
      root. Results: The total volume of OIIRR with ascending force was 1.20 mm3, and
      with descending force was 1.25 mm3, and there was no statistically significant
      difference between them. OIIRR on the palatal surface (0.012 mm3) was
      significantly less than on the buccal surface (0.057 mm3) and than on the mesial
      surface (0.035 mm3). There is no statistically significant difference in the
      degree of OIIRR between different level of the root (cervical, middle, and
      apical) at different surfaces. Moreover, the amount of tooth movement, at 0-, 4-,
      and 8-week interval, secondary to an ascending and descending force application
      was not statistically significant. Conclusions: There is no short-term (8 weeks)
      statistically significant difference between orthodontic ascending and descending
      forces, from 25 to 225 g and from 225 to 25 g, respectively, in term of severity
      and location of OIIRR as well as the amount of tooth movement. The buccal surface
      of the root showed highest degree of OIIRR compared to other root's surfaces.

PMID- 28339646
TI  - Transforming growth factor beta receptor inhibition prevents ventricular fibrosis
      in a mouse model of progressive cardiac conduction disease.
AB  - Aims: Loss-of-function mutations in SCN5A, the gene encoding NaV1.5 channel, have
      been associated with inherited progressive cardiac conduction disease (PCCD). We
      have proposed that Scn5a heterozygous knock-out (Scn5a+/-) mice, which are
      characterized by ventricular fibrotic remodelling with ageing, represent a model
      for PCCD. Our objectives were to identify the molecular pathway involved in
      fibrosis development and prevent its activation. Methods and results: Our study
      shows that myocardial interstitial fibrosis occurred in Scn5a+/- mice only after
      45 weeks of age. Fibrosis was triggered by transforming growth factor beta (TGF
      beta) pathway activation. Younger Scn5a+/- mice were characterized by a higher
      connexin 43 expression than wild-type (WT) mice. After the age of 45 weeks,
      connexin 43 expression decreased in both WT and Scn5a+/- mice, although the
      decrease was larger in Scn5a+/- mice. Chronic inhibition of cardiac sodium
      current with flecainide (50 mg/kg/day p.o) in WT mice from the age of 6 weeks to
      the age of 60 weeks did not lead to TGF-beta pathway activation and fibrosis.
      Chronic inhibition of TGF-beta receptors with GW788388 (5 mg/kg/day p.o.) in
      Scn5a+/- mice from the age of 45 weeks to the age of 60 weeks prevented the
      occurrence of fibrosis. However, current data could not detect reduction in QRS
      duration with GW788388. Conclusion: Myocardial fibrosis secondary to a loss of
      NaV1.5 is triggered by TGF-beta signalling pathway. Those events are more likely
      secondary to the decreased NaV1.5 sarcolemmal expression rather than the
      decreased Na+ current per se. TGF-beta receptor inhibition prevents age-dependent
      development of ventricular fibrosis in Scn5a+/- mouse.

PMID- 28339647
TI  - Detection of human immunodeficiency virus-1 ribonucleic acid in the peritoneal
      effluent of renal failure patients on highly active antiretroviral therapy.
AB  - Background: We evaluated the shedding of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-1
      particles into continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis (CAPD) effluents of HIV
      positive patients with end-stage renal disease (ESRD). Methods: A total of 58 HIV
      positive patients with ESRD on highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) who
      had Tenckhoff catheters inserted between September 2012 and February 2015 were
      prospectively reviewed and followed for 18 months. Peritoneal dialysis (PD)
      effluent samples from functioning CAPD catheters and plasma samples were obtained
      at three points during regular clinic visits on days 45 +/- 37, 200 +/- 19 and
      377 +/- 13 after catheter insertion. All specimens were stored at -20 degrees C,
      and each batch was analysed by Roche quantitative HIV-1 polymerase chain reaction
      assay to detect HIV-1 particles. Clustered logistic regression was used to test
      for independent predictors of HIV-1 detection in CAPD effluents. Results: HIV-1
      RNA above 20 copies/mL assay limit was detectable in 19% (first batch), 26.3%
      (second batch) and 20% (third batch) of PD effluent specimens. HIV-1 RNA was
      detectable in PD fluid, without corresponding detection in the paired plasma in
      3.4% (first batch), 5.3% (second batch) and 10% (third batch) of samples.
      Detection of HIV-1 in plasma sample (odds ratios 3.94; 95% confidence interval
      1.14-13.55; P = 0.030), body mass index, serum albumin and HAART regimen were
      found to be significantly associated with HIV-1 detection in PD effluents.
      Conclusions: HIV particles are shed in detectable amounts into CAPD effluents
      even in patients with suppressed plasma viral load, raising concerns of a
      localized sanctuary site and potential infectivity of HIV-positive CAPD patients
      on a full complement of HAART.

PMID- 28339648
TI  - Three-dimensional testicular organoid: a novel tool for the study of human
      spermatogenesis and gonadotoxicity in vitro.
AB  - Existing methods for evaluating the potential gonadotoxicity of environmental
      agents and pharmaceutical compounds rely heavily on animal studies. The current
      gold standard in vivo functional assays in animals are limited in their human
      predictive capacity. In addition, existing human two-dimensional in vitro models
      of testicular toxicity do not accurately reflect the in vivo situation. A more
      reliable testicular in vitro model system is needed to better assess the
      gonadotoxic potential of drugs prior to progression into clinical trials. The
      overall goal of this study was to develop a three-dimensional (3D) in vitro human
      testis organoid culture system for use as both a predictive first tier drug
      screening tool and as a model of human testicular function. Multicellular human
      testicular organoids composed of Spermatogonial Stem Cells, Sertoli, Leydig and
      peritubular cells were created and evaluated over time for morphology, viability,
      androgen production and ability to support germ cell differentiation. Enzyme
      linked immunosorbent assay measurements confirmed that the organoids produced
      testosterone continuously with and without hCG stimulation. Upregulation of
      postmeiotic genes including PRM1 and Acrosin, detected by quantitative-PCR,
      digital PCR and Immunofluorescence, indicated the transition of a small
      percentage of diploid to haploid germ cells. As a novel screening tool for
      reproductive toxicity, 3D organoids were exposed to four chemotherapeutic drugs,
      and they responded in a dose-dependent manner and maintained IC50 values
      significantly higher than 2D cultures. This 3D human testis organoid system has
      the potential to be used as a novel testicular toxicity-screening tool and in
      vitro model for human spermatogenesis.

PMID- 28339649
TI  - LGBTQ Youth and Young Adult Perspectives on a Culturally Tailored Group Smoking
      Cessation Program.
AB  - Introduction: The prevalence of smoking among LGBTQ youth and young adults (YYAs)
      is much higher than that of non-LGBTQ young people. The current study explored
      LGBTQ YYA perceptions of a culturally tailored group smoking cessation
      counselling program, along with how the intervention could be improved. Methods:
      We conducted focus groups (n = 24) with 204 LGBTQ YYAs in Toronto and Ottawa,
      Canada. Open-ended questions focused on their feelings, likes and dislikes,
      concerns and additional ideas for a culturally tailored group cessation
      counselling intervention. Focus group transcripts were coded thematically and
      analyzed. Results: Overall, YYAs were ambivalent towards the concept of a
      culturally tailored, group cessation counselling program. Although several
      participants were attracted to the LGBTQ friendly and social benefits of such a
      program (eg, good support system), many also had concerns. Particularly, the
      possibility that other group members might trigger them to smoke was a frequently
      stated issue. Focus group members also noted lack of motivation to attend the
      group, and that the group program may be inaccessible depending on where and when
      the program was offered. Several suggestions were made as to how to ameliorate
      the expressed issues related to inaccessibility or lack of attractiveness.
      Conclusions: This study is among the first to gain the perspectives of LGBTQ YYAs
      on culturally tailored group cessation strategies in Canada. We identified
      components of group cessation programs that are both favored and not favored
      among LGBTQ YYAs, as well as suggestions as to how to make group cessation
      programs more appealing. Implications: This study is particularly relevant as
      smoking cessation programs are one of the most commonly offered and published
      cessation interventions for the LGBTQ community, yet little is understood in
      terms of preferences of LGBTQ YYA smokers. Given the disparity in the prevalence
      of smoking among LGBTQ young people compared to their non-LGBTQ peers, research
      on effective intervention strategies for this population is needed. Findings from
      this study can assist practitioners and researchers in designing interventions.

PMID- 28339650
TI  - Convenient method for better preservation of fine structures of cultured
      macrophages and engulfed yeast cells by freeze-substitution fixation.
AB  - Rapid freeze-freeze substitution after glutaraldehyde fixation (CF-FS method)
      obtained the natural and fine structures of macrophages and engulfed yeast cells.
      Culturing macrophages on single hole molybdenum grids placed in culture dishes
      made possible the rapid freezing of cells by the 'open sandwich method'. This
      method may be convenient when rapid-freezing cannot be performed immediately, or
      when a rapid-freezing device is not available in the lab.

PMID- 28339651
TI  - Comment on: Neurocognitive function varies by IDH1 genetic mutation status in
      patients with malignant glioma prior to surgical resection.

PMID- 28339652
TI  - Comments on clinical features and changes in epidemiology of infective
      endocarditis on pacemaker devices over a 27-year period (1987-2013): reply.

PMID- 28339654
TI  - Daily alcohol consumption and sickness absence in the GAZEL cohort.
AB  - Background: : Previous studies that examined the association between daily
      alcohol consumption and sickness absences (SA) were mostly retrospective and did
      not take into account the characteristics of SA.  : A total of 9907 daily
      drinkers (8442 men and 1465 women) of the GAZEL prospective cohort were included.
      Daily alcohol consumption over the three previous years was self-reported at
      baseline and categorized as low, moderate, high or very high risk according to
      the World Health Organization. Duration of SA (short: <=7 days; moderate: 8-28;
      long: >28) was collected from administrative records as well as causes for long
      SA. Negative binomial regression models were used to estimate Risk Ratios of SA
      according to alcohol consumption with low-risk category as reference.  : Duration
      of follow-up (in years) for SA was 8.4 +/- 3.7 in men and 11.2 +/- 5.4 in women.
      Increasing alcohol consumption predicted increasing risk of SA with a dose
      response relationship ( P < 0.01 for men; P = 0.01 for women). In men, strength
      of this association increased with SA duration [e.g. RRs from 1.41 (95% CI: 1.12
      1.79) to 2.12 (95% CI: 1.49-3.00) in the very high-risk category, for short and
      long SA, respectively]. In men, even a moderate consumption predicted increased
      risk of SA whatever their duration (RR = 1.15; 95% CI: 1.07-1.23). In women, a
      moderate consumption predicted only long SA (RR = 1.22; 95% CI: 1.00-1.50). Daily
      alcohol consumption was associated with almost all causes of long SA in men, and
      with respiratory diseases, digestive diseases and injury in women.  : We found a
      dose-response relationship between daily alcohol consumption and the risk of SA.
      Even moderate consumption could increase this risk, particularly in men.

PMID- 28339655
TI  - What should we do when a small pulmonary embolus is diagnosed unexpectedly?

PMID- 28339656
TI  - Development of a real-time wave field reconstruction TEM system (I):
      incorporation of an auto focus tracking system.
AB  - We have developed a real-time wave field reconstruction transmission electron
      microscope system that enables auto focus tracking at a video rate. In the
      developed system, a high-speed image calculation technique using a graphical
      processing unit was incorporated along with two techniques facilitating high
      speed focus control using high-voltage modulation and weighted image integration
      using exposure time control. By utilizing these techniques, the sample drift
      induced in the Z-axis direction can be measured and automatically corrected for
      every 1/30 of a second. The auto focus tracking system can be operated in the
      sample drift range of +/-150 nm with a precision of ~0.4 nm. In addition to
      amorphous samples, the system can be used to examine thin crystalline samples,
      which indicates that atomic structure analysis can be performed in real time with
      high reliability even when heavy drift occurs in the Z-axis direction.

PMID- 28339657
TI  - Comment on clinical features and changes in epidemiology of infective
      endocarditis on pacemaker devices over a 27-year period.

PMID- 28339658
TI  - Acute cell volume regulation by Janus kinase 2-mediated sodium/hydrogen exchange
      activation develops at the late one-cell stage in mouse preimplantation embryos.
AB  - Early preimplantation embryos are extremely sensitive to dysregulation of cell
      volume, which can lead to developmental arrest. It was previously shown that
      mouse embryos at the two-cell stage respond to a cell volume decrease by quickly
      activating Na+/H+ exchange via a signaling mechanism that involves the tyrosine
      kinase Janus kinase 2 (JAK2). However, it was not known whether this mechanism is
      active at the one-cell stage, when embryos are most sensitive to perturbed cell
      volume. Na+/H+ exchanger activity elicited by an induced cell volume decrease was
      significantly lower at the mid one-cell stage than at the late one-cell stage or
      during the two-cell stage. This activity could be completely blocked by the broad
      specificity tyrosine kinase inhibitor genistein at either stage, but only at the
      two-cell stage was there a substantial component of activity that was sensitive
      to low concentrations of the JAK2-selective inhibitors TG101348 or ruxolitinib.
      Western blots to detect active JAK2 phosphorylated on tyrosine Y1007/8 revealed
      that JAK2 became substantially phosphorylated in response to a cell volume
      decrease at the mid two-cell, but not mid one-cell stage. Such cell volume
      decrease-induced JAK2 phosphorylation appeared by the late one-cell stage. At
      least in part this appears to be due to an increase in total JAK2 protein at the
      late one-cell stage. Furthermore, TG101348 impaired maintenance of cell volume at
      the two-cell, but not mid one-cell, stages. Thus, cell volume homeostasis
      requiring Na+/H+ exchange signaled by JAK2 first becomes prominent during mouse
      embryonic development at the late one-cell stage.

PMID- 28339659
TI  - The use of guideline recommended beta-blocker therapy in primary prevention
      implantable cardioverter defibrillator patients: insight from Danish nationwide
      registers.
AB  - Aims: We aimed to examine the use of guideline recommended beta-blocker therapy
      prior to and after primary prevention implantable cardioverter defibrillator
      (ICD) implantation in a 'real-life' setting. Methods and results: From the Danish
      Pacemaker and ICD Registry we identified all 1st-time primary prevention ICD and
      cardiac resynchronization therapy defibrillator (CRT-D) implantations in Denmark
      from 2007-12 (n = 2935). Use of beta-blocker, type and dose was acquired through
      the Danish Prescription Registry. According to guideline recommendations, we
      defined target daily doses as >=50 mg carvedilol and >=200 mg metoprolol. Prior
      to implantation 2427 of 2935 (83%) patients received beta-blocker therapy, with
      2166 patients (89%) having initiated treatment 3 months or more prior to
      implantation. The majority of patients was prescribed carvedilol (52%) or
      metoprolol (41%). Patients on carvedilol reached target dosages more frequently
      than patients on metoprolol, with 39% of patients on carvedilol and 26% of
      patients on metoprolol at the time of implantation (P < 0.001 for all time
      points). Increase in proportion of patients reaching target daily doses was
      observed for both carvedilol and metoprolol after ICD implantation. Carvedilol
      treatment was a strong predictor for being on target dose of BB at time of
      implant, as was treatment with angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors and/or
      spironolactone, no history of myocardial infarction, younger age and less
      pronounced heart failure symptoms. Conclusion: In a real-life setting of primary
      prevention ICD patients, 39% and 26% of patients were titrated to optimal target
      dose of carvedilol or metoprolol prior to implantation. A higher proportion of
      patients on carvedilol reached target dose, as compared with metoprolol.

PMID- 28339661
TI  - The effectiveness of current French health warnings displayed on alcohol
      advertisements and alcoholic beverages.
AB  - Background: Many countries use health warnings in an attempt to regulate alcohol
      consumption. However, there is a lack of conclusive evidence in the research on
      alcohol warnings to support decision-making on effective health policies. This
      study explores the effectiveness of two mandatory warnings introduced in France
      in 1991 and 2007: the first (Alcohol abuse is harmful) is displayed on alcohol
      advertisements; the second (a pictogram) on bottles. Given that advertising
      content regulations have been implemented in some countries to reduce the
      attractiveness of alcohol marketing (e.g. the Evin law in France), this research
      also aims to explore whether such regulations can improve the effectiveness of
      warnings. Methods: In-depth interviews were conducted with 26 French people aged
      15-29 years. The effectiveness of health warnings was assessed in terms of
      recall, noticeability, credibility, comprehension, responsiveness, and ability to
      encourage moderate drinking and abstinence during pregnancy. Participants were
      shown alcohol advertisements and bottles that either followed or challenged
      content regulations. The data were analyzed using double manual coding and NVivo
      software. Results: While both warnings suffered from a lack of visibility and
      noticeability due to their size, location, and outdatedness and because of
      competition from marketing design elements, the warning on the advertisement that
      followed content regulations was most visible. Both warnings were considered to
      be informationally vague, lacking in credibility and ineffective in terms of
      making participants feel concerned and influencing consumption habits.
      Conclusions: Current French warnings are ineffective and require modification.
      Improvements are suggested regarding the design and content of warnings to help
      increase their effectiveness.

PMID- 28339663
TI  - Cardiac involvement in granulomatosis with polyangiitis: a magnetic resonance
      imaging study of 31 consecutive patients.
AB  - Objectives: Specific cardiac involvement in granulomatosis with polyangiitis
      (GPA) is probably underestimated since many of these conditions are subclinical.
      The objective of this study was to assess the prevalence and patterns of cardiac
      abnormalities detected by cardiac MRI (CMRI) in patients with GPA. Methods:
      Thirty-one consecutive patients with newly diagnosed or relapsing GPA underwent
      CMRI to assess morphological, functional, perfusion at rest and delayed
      enhancement abnormalities. Results: At least one abnormality was observed on CMRI
      for 19 of 31 patients (61%). Four patients (13%) had an impaired left ventricle
      ejection fraction (LVEF). LV regional wall motion abnormalities were found in 11
      patients (35%). Late gadolinium enhancement (LGE) was detected in 10 of 31
      patients (32%). LGE was mostly nodular ( n = 9). Myocardial early contrast
      enhancement was detected in 5 of the 31 patients (16%), which was systematically
      associated with LGE in the same territory. CMRI detected pericarditis in eight
      patients (26%). GPA with <18 months duration was associated with a higher LVEF (
      P = 0.03), fewer CMRI abnormalities ( P = 0.04) and less LV hypokinesia ( P =
      0.04) than GPA with a longer duration. Patients with recent-onset GPA had a
      higher LVEF ( P = 0.01) and less LV hypokinesia ( P = 0.006) than patients
      experiencing a relapse ( P = 0.02). Conclusion: CMR is an accurate technique for
      detecting heart involvement in GPA. This unique non-invasive technique may
      provide information with important clinical implications for the accurate early
      assessment of cardiac lesions in GPA patients and for detecting cumulative,
      irreversible damage. It may also have prognostic implications.

PMID- 28339660
TI  - Eculizumab in secondary atypical haemolytic uraemic syndrome.
AB  - Background: Complement dysregulation occurs in thrombotic microangiopathies
      (TMAs) other than primary atypical haemolytic uraemic syndrome (aHUS). A few of
      these patients have been reported previously to be successfully treated with
      eculizumab. Methods: We identified 29 patients with so-called secondary aHUS who
      had received eculizumab at 11 Spanish nephrology centres. Primary outcome was TMA
      resolution, defined by a normalization of platelet count (>150 * 10 9 /L) and
      haemoglobin, disappearance of all the markers of microangiopathic haemolytic
      anaemia (MAHA), and improvement of renal function, with a >=25% reduction of
      serum creatinine from the onset of eculizumab administration. Results: Twenty
      nine patients with secondary aHUS (15 drug-induced, 8 associated with systemic
      diseases, 2 with postpartum, 2 with cancer-related, 1 associated with acute
      humoral rejection and 1 with intestinal lymphangiectasia) were included in this
      study. The reason to initiate eculizumab treatment was worsening of renal
      function and persistence of TMA despite treatment of the TMA cause and
      plasmapheresis. All patients showed severe MAHA and renal function impairment (14
      requiring dialysis) prior to eculizumab treatment and 11 presented severe
      extrarenal manifestations. A rapid resolution of the TMA was observed in 20
      patients (68%), 15 of them showing a >=50% serum creatinine reduction at the last
      follow-up. Comprehensive genetic and molecular studies in 22 patients identified
      complement pathogenic variants in only 2 patients. With these two exceptions,
      eculizumab was discontinued, after a median of 8 weeks of treatment, without the
      occurrence of aHUS relapses. Conclusion: Short treatment with eculizumab can
      result in a rapid improvement of patients with secondary aHUS in whom TMA has
      persisted and renal function worsened despite treatment of the TMA-inducing
      condition.

PMID- 28339662
TI  - HIV-1 Proteins Influence Novelty-Seeking Behavior and Alter Region-Specific
      Transcriptional Responses to Chronic Nicotine Treatment in HIV-1Tg Rats.
AB  - Introduction: Clinical studies suggest that HIV-1-infected patients are more
      likely to use or abuse addictive drugs than is the general population. We
      hypothesized that HIV-1 proteins impact novelty-seeking behavior and enhance the
      transcriptional response to nicotine in genes implicated in both novelty-seeking
      behavior and drug addiction. Methods: We assessed the effects of HIV-1 proteins
      on novelty-seeking behavior by comparing baseline activity differences of HIV-1Tg
      and F344 control rats in the open-field test. One day after behavioral testing,
      all rats began daily subcutaneous injections of either nicotine (0.4 mg/kg, base)
      or saline (the same for each rat) for 27 days. At the end of treatment, the
      prefrontal cortex, nucleus accumbens, and ventral tegmental area were collected
      for RNA expression analysis of genes in the receptor families for dopamine, GABA,
      glutamate, and serotonin. Results: Significant strain difference was detected in
      the distance moved in the center, such that HIV-1Tg rats traveled greater
      distance in the center of the arena than did F344 rats. Quantitative RT-PCR
      analysis showed that mRNA from Drd3 and Grm2 in the prefrontal cortex and Drd5
      and Gabra6 in the ventral tegmental area was significantly upregulated, whereas
      that of Drd5 in the nucleus accumbens was downregulated in HIV-1Tg rats compared
      with F344 rats. Further, more addiction-related genes were significantly
      modulated by nicotine in each brain region in the HIV-1Tg rats than in the
      control animals. Conclusions: HIV-1 proteins may affect novelty-seeking behavior
      and modulate the expression of genes related to drug addiction and novelty
      seeking behavior. Implications: HIV-1 viral proteins and chronic nicotine
      treatment impact the expression of genes involved in novelty-seeking behavior and
      addiction in three brain regions of the HIV-1 transgenic rat. These findings
      implicate that HIV-1 proteins may be involved in novelty-seeking behavior and in
      modulating the expression of genes related to drug addiction and novelty seeking.

PMID- 28339664
TI  - Adult Paget's disease of bone: a review.
AB  - Adult PD of bone is the second commonest metabolic bone condition after
      osteoporosis. The condition is characterized by increased bone cell activity,
      with bone-resorbing osteoclasts often larger and containing more nuclei than
      normal, and osteoblasts producing increased amounts of disorganized bone. This
      leads to expanded bone of poor quality possessing both sclerotic and lytic areas.
      PD of bone has a strong genetic element, with a family history being noted in 10
      20% of cases. A number of genetic defects have been found to be associated with
      the condition. The most common disease-associated variants identified affect the
      SQSTM1 gene, providing insights into disease aetiology, with the clinical value
      of knowledge of SQSTM1 mutation status currently under active investigation. The
      diagnosis may be suggested by an isolated raised total ALP without other
      identifiable causes. This can be confirmed on plain X-rays and the extent
      determined by isotope bone scan. The mainstays of treatment are the
      bisphosphonates, especially i.v. zoledronate, which results in long-term
      suppression of bone turnover. ALP is the usual means of monitoring the condition,
      although more specific bone turnover markers can be helpful, especially in
      coincident liver disease. Patients should be followed up to monitor for
      biochemical relapse or development of complications, which may require medical or
      surgical intervention.

PMID- 28339665
TI  - An evaluation of a public-private partnership to reduce artificial trans fatty
      acids in England, 2011-16.
AB  - Background: The Public Health Responsibility Deal (RD) is a public-private
      partnership in England involving voluntary pledges between government, and
      business and other public organizations to improve public health. One such
      voluntary pledge refers to the reduction of trans fatty acids (TFAs) in the food
      supply in England by either pledging not to use artificial TFAs or pledging
      artificial TFA removal. This paper evaluates the RD's effectiveness at
      encouraging signatory organizations to remove artificially produced TFAs from
      their products. Methods: We analysed publically available data submitted by RD
      signatory organizations. We analysed their plans and progress towards achieving
      the TFAs pledge, comparing 2015 progress reports against their delivery plans. We
      also assessed the extent to which TFAs reductions beyond pre-2011 levels could be
      attributed to the RD. Results: Voluntary reformulation via the RD has had limited
      added value, because the first part of the trans fat pledge simply requires
      organizations to confirm that they do not use TFAs and the second part, that has
      the potential to reduce use, has failed to attract the participation of food
      producers, particularly those producing fast foods and takeaways, where most
      remaining use of artificial TFAs is located. Conclusions: The contribution of the
      RD TFAs pledges in reducing artificial TFAs from England's food supply beyond pre
      2011 levels appears to be negligible. This research has wider implications for
      the growing international evidence base voluntary food policy, and offers
      insights for other countries currently undertaking work to remove TFAs from their
      food supply.

PMID- 28339666
TI  - Zero-fluoroscopy catheter ablation of concealed left accessory pathway in a
      pregnant woman.

PMID- 28339667
TI  - Unilateral Pulmonary Edema, Westermark's Sign and Palla's Sign in Pulmonary
      Embolism.

PMID- 28339668
TI  - Immunogenicity of a Booster Dose of Quadrivalent Meningococcal Conjugate Vaccine
      in Previously Immunized HIV-Infected Children and Youth.
AB  - Background: The US Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices recommends a
      booster dose of quadrivalent meningococcal conjugate vaccine (MCV4) after initial
      immunization for patients at high risk for meningococcal infection. Methods: The
      International Maternal Pediatric Adolescents AIDS Clinical Trials (IMPAACT) P1065
      trial evaluated the use of MCV4 in human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-infected
      children and youth. The final step of this trial was an open-label study of an
      MCV4 booster dose 3.5 years after primary MCV4 immunization. Antibody titers were
      evaluated at the time of the booster vaccine and 1, 4, and 24 weeks after the
      booster. Immunogenicity was measured by rabbit serum bactericidal antibody (rSBA)
      against each meningococcal serogroup. Immunologic memory was defined as either
      seroprotection (rSBA titer >=1:128) or a >=4-fold increase 1 week after the
      booster dose. Primary response was defined as either a >=4-fold response or
      seropositivity 4 weeks after the booster in the absence of immunologic memory.
      Adverse events were assessed for 4 weeks after the booster dose. Results: Of 174
      participants with serology results at entry and 1 and 4 weeks later, the
      percentage with protective antibody levels at entry varied according to
      serogroup, ranging from a low of 26% for serogroup C to a high of 68% for
      serogroup A. A memory response to at least 1 serogroup occurred in 98% of the
      participants: 93% each for serogroups A and Y, 88% for serogroup C, and 94% for
      serogroup W-135; 83% had a memory response to all 4 serogroups. Overall, rates of
      any memory or primary response were >=90% for all serogroups. No serious adverse
      events were encountered. Conclusions: A booster dose of MCV4 elicited a memory
      response in 88% to 94% of previously immunized HIV-infected participants
      depending on serogroup, including those who lacked a protective titer level for
      that serogroup before booster vaccination.

PMID- 28339669
TI  - In Their Own Words: Young Adults' Menthol Cigarette Initiation, Perceptions,
      Experiences and Regulation Perspectives.
AB  - Background: Menthol cigarettes are disproportionately used by young people and
      have been called smoking starter products. However, limited qualitative research
      exists on young adults' perceptions of and experiences with these products, with
      much of it based on document reviews of the tobacco industry's research. Methods:
      We conducted six focus groups with young adult (ages 18-24) menthol smokers in
      New Jersey (half with black smokers) between December 2014 and March 2015.
      Participants were asked open-ended questions about their menthol smoking
      initiation, preference reasons, substitution behaviors, and perceptions of
      menthol cigarette risks and regulation. Results: Participants' menthol cigarette
      initiation and preference were influenced by their perceived popularity, brand
      recognition, taste, smoothness, satisfaction and access (including as "loosies,"
      typically available for Newport). Some believed menthol cigarettes were less
      harmful than non-menthol cigarettes when initiating smoking. Many currently
      believed menthol cigarettes were more harmful because they contained extra
      "additives," were stronger (ie, requiring fewer cigarettes to feel satisfied),
      and/or based on hearsay. Many had tried new brand Camel Crush, which was
      perceived to be especially minty, fun, and attractive for newer smokers. While
      some used non-menthol cigarettes when menthols were unavailable, many said they
      would never or almost never substitute. Many acknowledged a menthol cigarettes
      ban would likely help them quit smoking, even though they did not support the
      idea. Conclusions: Menthol cigarette initiation is influenced by an interplay of
      multiple factors including their sensory properties, marketing, perceived
      popularity and availability. The FDA should continue to pursue closing this
      flavored cigarette loophole. Implications: In this first qualitative study of
      menthol cigarette use among young adults, we found further evidence that menthol
      cigarettes can act as starter products because they are perceived as easier to
      smoke and taste and smell better than non-menthol cigarettes. We also add to the
      literature in finding that menthol cigarettes are perceived by young people who
      smoke menthol cigarettes as delivering satisfaction with fewer cigarettes, being
      accessible as "loosies", and being popular among their peers. Many did not
      understand the reasons behind a potential menthol ban. Any future regulation of
      menthol cigarettes should include a public educational campaign to support buy
      in.

PMID- 28339670
TI  - Exploring the variability in Behcet's disease prevalence: a meta-analytical
      approach.
AB  - Background: Surveys of Behcet's disease (BD) have shown substantial geographic
      variations in prevalence, but some of these differences may result from
      methodological inconsistencies. This meta-analysis explored the effect of
      geographic location and study methodology on the prevalence of BD. Methods: We
      systematically searched the literature in electronic databases and by
      handsearching to identify population-based prevalence surveys of BD. Studies were
      eligible if they provided an original population-based prevalence estimate for BD
      with the number of prevalent cases identified in the study area. Pooled
      prevalence proportions across all studies were computed by using random effects
      models based on a Poisson normal distribution. Pre-defined subgroup analyses and
      meta-regression were used to investigate the effect of covariates on the
      prevalence proportions. Results: We included 45 reports published from 1974 to
      2015 and covering worldwide areas. The pooled estimates of prevalence proportions
      (expressed as cases/100 000 inhabitants) were 10.3 (95% CI 6.1, 17.7) for all
      studies and 119.8 (59.8, 239.9) for Turkey, 31.8 (12.9, 78.4) for the Middle
      East, 4.5 (2.2, 9.4) for Asia and 3.3 (2.1, 5.2) for Europe. Subgroup analyses
      showed a strikingly greater prevalence for studies with a sample survey design
      than a census design [82.5 (95% CI 47.3, 143.9) vs 3.6 (2.6, 5.1)].
      Metaregression identified study design as an independent covariate significantly
      affecting BD prevalence proportions. Conclusions: Differences in BD prevalence
      proportions likely reflect a combination of true geographic variation and
      methodological artefacts. In particular, use of a sample or census study design
      may strongly affect the estimated prevalence.

PMID- 28339672
TI  - Corrigendum.

PMID- 28339671
TI  - Characteristics of donor-specific anti-HLA antibodies and outcome in renal
      transplant patients treated with a standardized induction regimen.
AB  - Background: Pre-transplant donor-specific anti-human leukocyte antigen (HLA)
      antibodies (DSA) have been associated with antibody-mediated rejection (AMR) and
      early kidney allograft loss. Uncertainties remain regarding the general
      applicability of these findings and the optimal induction therapy in DSA-positive
      patients. Methods: Pre-transplant sera from 174 patients receiving a crossmatch
      negative kidney transplant were retrospectively analysed for DSA using Luminex
      technology. DSA with mean-fluorescence intensity (MFI) values above 500 were
      considered positive. All recipients received basiliximab induction and tacrolimus
      based maintenance immunosuppression. DSA were monitored post-transplantation in
      patients with pre-transplant DSA. Antibody results were correlated with the
      incidence of rejection and graft loss. Results: In total, 61/174 patients had pre
      transplant DSA. We found a strong correlation between the presence of DSA against
      class I and II HLA and DSA MFI greater than 10 000. Both DSA patterns
      independently predicted an increased risk of early AMR (odds ratio 4.24 and 4.75,
      respectively, P < 0.05). The risk for AMR in patients with intermediate MFI (3000
      10 000) gradually increased with increasing MFI but group sizes were too small to
      allow for final conclusions. The risk for AMR was comparable to nonsensitized
      patients in patients with only class I or II HLA-DSA or MFI below 3000. 5-year
      allograft survival was lowest in patients with simultaneous presence of class I
      and II HLA-DSA and MFI above 10 000 (45%) but was comparable between patients
      with only HLA class I or II or no DSA (90.0, 90.0 and 88.1%, respectively). AMR
      was the only independent predictor of graft loss. Undetectable DSA 14 days post
      transplant predicted excellent long-term outcome. Conclusion: . The favourable
      outcome in the majority of DSA-positive patients despite non-depleting antibody
      induction and the poor outcome in patients with class I and II HLA-DSA and high
      DSA strength call for a differentiated therapeutic approach in this patient
      population.

PMID- 28339674
TI  - Family history of systemic lupus erythematosus and risk of autoimmune disease:
      Nationwide Cohort Study in Denmark 1977-2013.
AB  - Objective: To provide population-based estimates of relative risk of SLE and
      other autoimmune diseases (ADs) in relatives of SLE patients. Methods: A cohort
      of 5 237 319 Danish residents identified through the Civil Registration System
      was coupled to their relatives through the parental link and followed for SLE and
      other ADs between 1977 and 2013 through linkage to the National Patient Register.
      Twin zygosity was established through the Danish Twin Registry. Hazard ratios
      (HRs) with 95% CIs were calculated using Cox proportional hazards regression
      analyses. Results: During 117.5 million person-years of follow-up, 3612 persons
      were hospitalized with SLE. HRs of SLE were high among first-degree (HR = 10.3;
      95% CI: 8.25, 12.9; n = 80) and second- or third-degree relatives of SLE patients
      (HR = 3.60; 95% CI: 2.20, 5.90; n = 16). HRs for any AD were elevated in first
      degree (HR = 1.51; 95% CI: 1.41, 1.62; n = 785) and second- or third-degree
      relatives of SLE patients (HR = 1.28; 95% CI: 1.18, 1.39; n = 582). Among
      individuals with SLE-affected first-degree relatives, the risk was significantly
      increased for RA (HR = 1.64; 95% CI: 1.35, 1.99; n = 103), IBD (HR = 1.21; 95%
      CI: 1.02, 1.43; n = 130) and type 1 diabetes mellitus (HR = 1.23; 95% CI: 1.01,
      1.48; n = 106). Risk of other ADs was significantly increased both among SLE
      affected first-degree (HR = 2.08; 95% CI: 1.88, 2.31; n = 371) and second- or
      third-degree relatives (HR = 1.38; 95% CI: 1.23, 1.54; n = 313). Conclusion:
      Family history of SLE is associated with a clearly elevated risk of SLE and, to a
      much lesser degree, of RA and other ADs.

PMID- 28339676
TI  - MiR-33 regulation of stretch-induced intimal hyperplasia in vein grafts.

PMID- 28339675
TI  - High Reported Rates of Antimicrobial Resistance in Indian Neonatal and Pediatric
      Blood Stream Infections.
AB  - Background: There is real shortage of national data on antimicrobial resistance
      rates in Indian neonates and children. A descriptive review was conducted to
      determine the patterns of antimicrobial resistance in isolates of blood stream
      infection among hospitalized children in India. Methods: Published and gray
      literature on antibiotic resistance in children was searched using "Google
      Scholar", "Scopus", and "PubMed" databases between January 2000 and July 2015.
      Studies were included if they were original articles that reported a minimum of
      10 pathogenic bacterial isolates from the bloodstream within a pediatric
      population in India, and studies were excluded if they reported studies done
      during an outbreak or epidemic. Results: A total of 1179 studies were screened,
      and 82 papers were identified as eligible for inclusion. Most studies (78.7%)
      were reported from neonatal intensive care units. Among a total of 50545 reported
      blood cultures, 14704 (29.1%) were positive. Staphylococcus aureus (median,
      14.7%; IQR, 7.4%-25.6%) and Klebsiella pneumoniae (median, 26%; IQR, 16.7%-35.4%)
      were the commonest reported Gram-positive and Gram-negative pathogens,
      respectively. Approximately half of all S aureus isolates were reported as
      methicillin-resistant S aureus (median, 50%; IQR, 31.4%-65.1%). After age
      stratification, the median rate of resistance of common Gram-negative pathogens
      to ampicillin and gentamicin/amikacin were extremely high (K
      pneumoniae/ampicillin 95.9%; K pneumoniae/gentamicin 75%; Escherichia
      coli/ampicillin 92.9%; E coli/gentamicin 55.6%). Likewise, the median resistance
      of common Gram-negative blood stream isolates to cephalosporins were also high (K
      pneumoniae/cefotaxime 62.6%; E coli/cefotaxime 47.5%). Conclusions: High rates of
      resistance to World Health Organization-recommended first-line treatment options
      for neonates and children have been identified in blood stream infections across
      India. There is an urgent need to both enhance antibiotic stewardship and
      infection prevention and control measures and consider urgently how to repurpose
      older antibiotics back into routine care in India.

PMID- 28339677
TI  - Development of a Food Allergy Knowledge Test for Parents.
AB  - Objective: To create a measure of food allergy (FA) knowledge for parents of
      children with FA. Methods: The food allergy knowledge test (FAKT) was developed
      following rigorous test-construction guidelines. The preliminary 110-item pool
      content was developed in consultation with FA experts. After cognitive interviews
      and revisions, an 88-item preliminary version was administered to 370 parents of
      children with FA who were recruited online and from an allergy clinic. After item
      difficulty, discrimination, item-scale correlations analyses, and assessment of
      internal consistency, a revised 57-item version was administered to a new clinic
      based sample (77 parents). Results: The revised FAKT was highly reliable (alpha
      =.86). Validity analyses revealed positive correlations ( r = .23-.57) between
      FAKT scores and parent age, education, insurance status, access to FA
      information, and auto-injector use. Conclusions: The FAKT was determined to have
      strong psychometrics and be appropriately reliable and valid, with clinical and
      research applications.

PMID- 28339679
TI  - Letter in response to remote ischaemic conditioning provides humoral cross
      species cardioprotection through glycine receptor activation.

PMID- 28339680
TI  - Operations management in distribution networks within a smart city framework.
AB  - This article studies a vehicle routing problem with environmental constraints
      that are motivated by the requirements for sustainable urban transport. The
      empirical research presents a fleet planning problem that takes into
      consideration both minimum cost vehicle routes and minimum pollution. The problem
      is formulated as a mixed integer linear programming model and experimentally
      validated using data collected from a real situation: a grocery company
      delivering goods ordered via e-channels to customers spread in the urban and
      metropolitan area of Genoa smart city. The proposed model is a variant of the
      vehicle routing problem tailored to include environmental issues and street
      limitations. Its novelty regards also the use of real data instances provided by
      the B2C grocery company. Managerial implications are the choice of both the
      routes and the number and type of vehicles. Results show that commercial
      distribution strategies achieve better results in term of both business and
      environmental performance, provided the smart mobility goals and constraints are
      included into the distribution model from the beginning.

PMID- 28339678
TI  - DDX4-EGFP transgenic rat model for the study of germline development and
      spermatogenesis.
AB  - Spermatogonial stem cells (SSC) are essential for spermatogenesis and male
      fertility. In addition, these adult tissue stem cells can be used as vehicles for
      germline modification in animal models and may have application for treating male
      infertility. To facilitate the investigation of SSCs and germ lineage development
      in rats, we generated a DEAD-box helicase 4 (DDX4) (VASA) promoter-enhanced green
      fluorescent protein (EGFP) reporter transgenic rat. Quantitative real-time
      polymerase chain reaction and immunofluorescence confirmed that EGFP was
      expressed in the germ cells of the ovaries and testes and was absent in somatic
      cells and tissues. Germ cell transplantation demonstrated that the EGFP-positive
      germ cell population from DDX4-EGFP rat testes contained SSCs capable of
      establishing spermatogenesis in experimentally infertile mouse recipient testes.
      EGFP-positive germ cells could be easily isolated by fluorescence-activated cells
      sorting, while simultaneously removing testicular somatic cells from DDX4-EGFP
      rat pup testes. The EGFP-positive fraction provided an optimal cell suspension to
      establish rat SSC cultures that maintained long-term expression of zinc finger
      and BTB domain containing 16 (ZBTB16) and spalt-like transcription factor 4
      (SALL4), two markers of mouse SSCs that are conserved in rats. The novel DDX4
      EGFP germ cell reporter rat described here combined with previously described GCS
      EGFP rats, rat SSC culture and gene editing tools will improve the utility of the
      rat model for studying stem cells and germ lineage development.

PMID- 28339681
TI  - On tear film breakup (TBU): dynamics and imaging.
AB  - We report the results of some recent experiments to visualize tear film dynamics.
      We then study a mathematical model for tear film thinning and tear film breakup
      (TBU), a term from the ocular surface literature. The thinning is driven by an
      imposed tear film thinning rate which is input from in vivo measurements. Solutes
      representing osmolarity and fluorescein are included in the model. Osmolarity
      causes osmosis from the model ocular surface, and the fluorescein is used to
      compute the intensity corresponding closely to in vivo observations. The imposed
      thinning can be either one-dimensional or axisymmetric, leading to streaks or
      spots of TBU, respectively. For a spatially-uniform (flat) film, osmosis would
      cease thinning and balance mass lost due to evaporation; for these space
      dependent evaporation profiles TBU does occur because osmolarity diffuses out of
      the TBU into the surrounding tear film, in agreement with previous results. The
      intensity pattern predicted based on the fluorescein concentration is compared
      with the computed thickness profiles; this comparison is important for
      interpreting in vivo observations. The non-dimensionalization introduced leads to
      insight about the relative importance of the competing processes; it leads to a
      classification of large vs small TBU regions in which different physical effects
      are dominant. Many regions of TBU may be considered small, revealing that the
      flow inside the film has an appreciable influence on fluorescence imaging of the
      tear film.

PMID- 28339682
TI  - The effects of interleukin-2 on immune response regulation.
AB  - The immune system has many adaptive and dynamic components that are regulated to
      ensure appropriate, precise and rapid response to a foreign pathogen. A delayed
      or inadequate immune response can lead to prolonged disease, while an excessive
      or under-regulated response can lead to autoimmunity. The cytokine, interleukin-2
      (IL-2) and its receptor IL-2R play an important role in maintaining this
      balance.The IL-2 receptor transduces pSTAT5 signal through both the intermediate
      and high affinity receptors, which differ from each other by the presence of CD25
      chain in IL-2 receptor. We present experimental data on the kinetics of pSTAT5
      signalling through both of the receptors and develop a model that captures this
      kinetics. We then use this model to parameterize key aspects of two additional
      models in which we propose and study two different mechanisms by which IL-2
      receptor can transduce distinct signals leading to either an activated or a non
      activated cell state. We speculate that this initial state differentiation,
      perhaps enhanced by downstream feedbacks, may eventually lead to differential
      cell fates.Our result shows that non-linear dynamical models can suggest
      resolution of a puzzling array of seemingly contradictory experimental results on
      IL-2 effect on proliferation and differentiation of T-cells.

PMID- 28339684
TI  - Embedding Nursing Interventions into the World Health Organization's
      International Classification of Health Interventions (ICHI).
AB  - Objective: The International Classification of Health Interventions, currently
      being developed, seeks to span all sectors of the health system. Our objective
      was to test the draft classification's coverage of interventions commonly
      delivered by nurses, and propose changes to improve the utility and reliability
      of the classification for aggregating and analyzing data on nursing
      interventions. Materials and methods: A 2-phase content mapping method was used:
      (1) three coders independently applied the classification to a dataset comprising
      100 high-frequency nursing interventions; (2) the coders reached consensus for
      each intervention and identified reasons for initial discrepancies. Results: A
      consensus code was found for 80 of the 100 source terms; for 34% of these, the
      code was semantically equivalent to the source term, and for 64% it was broader.
      Issues that contributed to discrepancies in Phase 1 coding results included
      concepts in source terms not captured by the classification, ambiguities in
      source terms, and uncertainty of semantic matching between "action" concepts in
      source terms and classification codes. Discussion: While the classification
      generally provides good coverage of nursing interventions, there remain a number
      of content gaps and granularity issues. Further development of definitions and
      coding guidance is needed to ensure consistency of application. Conclusion: This
      study has produced a set of proposals concerning changes needed to improve the
      classification. The novel method described here will inform future health
      terminology and classification content coverage studies.

PMID- 28339683
TI  - Addressing Beacon re-identification attacks: quantification and mitigation of
      privacy risks.
AB  - The Global Alliance for Genomics and Health (GA4GH) created the Beacon Project as
      a means of testing the willingness of data holders to share genetic data in the
      simplest technical context-a query for the presence of a specified nucleotide at
      a given position within a chromosome. Each participating site (or "beacon") is
      responsible for assuring that genomic data are exposed through the Beacon service
      only with the permission of the individual to whom the data pertains and in
      accordance with the GA4GH policy and standards.While recognizing the inference
      risks associated with large-scale data aggregation, and the fact that some
      beacons contain sensitive phenotypic associations that increase privacy risk, the
      GA4GH adjudged the risk of re-identification based on the binary yes/no allele
      presence query responses as acceptable. However, recent work demonstrated that,
      given a beacon with specific characteristics (including relatively small sample
      size and an adversary who possesses an individual's whole genome sequence), the
      individual's membership in a beacon can be inferred through repeated queries for
      variants present in the individual's genome.In this paper, we propose three
      practical strategies for reducing re-identification risks in beacons. The first
      two strategies manipulate the beacon such that the presence of rare alleles is
      obscured; the third strategy budgets the number of accesses per user for each
      individual genome. Using a beacon containing data from the 1000 Genomes Project,
      we demonstrate that the proposed strategies can effectively reduce re
      identification risk in beacon-like datasets.

PMID- 28339685
TI  - Information needs of generalists and specialists using online best-practice
      algorithms to answer clinical questions.
AB  - Objective: To better understand clinician information needs and learning
      opportunities by exploring the use of best-practice algorithms across different
      training levels and specialties. Methods: We developed interactive online
      algorithms (care process models [CPMs]) that integrate current guidelines, recent
      evidence, and local expertise to represent cross-disciplinary best practices for
      managing clinical problems. We reviewed CPM usage logs from January 2014 to June
      2015 and compared usage across specialty and provider type. Results: During the
      study period, 4009 clinicians (2014 physicians in practice, 1117 resident
      physicians, and 878 nurse practitioners/physician assistants [NP/PAs]) viewed 140
      CPMs a total of 81 764 times. Usage varied from 1 to 809 views per person, and
      from 9 to 4615 views per CPM. Residents and NP/PAs viewed CPMs more often than
      practicing physicians. Among 2742 users with known specialties, generalists ( N 
      = 1397) used CPMs more often (mean 31.8, median 7 views) than specialists ( N  =
      1345; mean 6.8, median 2; P  < .0001). The topics used by specialists largely
      aligned with topics within their specialties. The top 20% of available CPMs
      (28/140) collectively accounted for 61% of uses. In all, 2106 clinicians (52%)
      returned to the same CPM more than once (average 7.8 views per topic; median 4,
      maximum 195). Generalists revisited topics more often than specialists (mean 8.8
      vs 5.1 views per topic; P  < .0001). Conclusions: CPM usage varied widely across
      topics, specialties, and individual clinicians. Frequently viewed and recurrently
      viewed topics might warrant special attention. Specialists usually view topics
      within their specialty and may have unique information needs.

PMID- 28339686
TI  - Movement patterns in women at risk for perinatal depression: use of a mood
      monitoring mobile application in pregnancy.
AB  - Objectives: To examine, using a smartphone application, whether mood is related
      to daily movement patterns in pregnant women at risk for perinatal depression.
      Materials and Methods: Thirty-six women with elevated depression symptoms (PHQ-9
      >= 5) in pregnancy used the application for 8 weeks. Mood was reported using
      application-administered surveys daily (2 questions) and weekly (PHQ-9 and GAD
      7). The application measured daily mobility (distance travelled on foot) and
      travel radius. Generalized linear mixed-effects regression models estimated the
      association between mood and movement. Results: Women with milder depression
      symptoms had a larger daily radius of travel (2.7 miles) than women with more
      severe symptoms (1.9 miles), P  = .04. There was no difference in mobility. A
      worsening of mood from the prior day was associated with a contracted radius of
      travel, as was being in the group with more severe symptoms. No significant
      relationships were found between anxiety and either mobility or radius.
      Discussion: We found that the association of mood with radius of travel was more
      pronounced than its association with mobility. Our study also demonstrated that a
      change in mood from the prior day was significantly associated with radius but
      not mood on the same day that mobility and radius were measured. Conclusion: This
      study lays the groundwork for future research on how smartphone mood-monitoring
      applications can combine actively and passively collected data to better
      understand the relationship between the symptoms of perinatal depression and
      physical activity that could lead to improved monitoring and novel interventions.

PMID- 28339688
TI  - An Activity-Staining Method on Filtration Paper Enables High-Throughput Screening
      of Temperature-Sensitive and Inactive Mutations of Rice alpha-Amylase for
      Improvement of Rice Grain Quality.
AB  - alpha-Amylase is a starch-hydrolyzing enzyme (EC 3.2.1.1) indispensable for
      germination of cereal seeds, but it is also expressed during the ripening stage.
      Previous studies demonstrated that the enzyme is activated in developing rice
      seeds under extremely hot weather and triggers a loss of grain quality by
      hindering the accumulation of storage starch in the endosperm. Since inactive or,
      preferably, heat-labile alpha-amylases are preferable for breeding premium rice,
      we developed a method for rapid screening of inactive and temperature-sensitive
      mutants of the enzyme by combining the random mutagenesis by error-prone PCR and
      an on-filter activity test of the recombinant enzyme expressed by Escherichia
      coli. This technique was applied to a major alpha-amylase in the developing seed,
      Amy3D, and the activity of the isolated mutant enzymes was verified with both the
      bacteria-expressed recombinant proteins and the extract from the endosperm
      overexpressing each of them. Then, we identified several substitutions leading to
      loss of the activity of amino acid residues (Leu28, Asp112, Cys149, Trp201,
      Asp204, Gly295, Leu300 and Cys342), as well as a variety of heat-sensitive
      substitutions of Asp83, Asp187 and Glu252. Furthermore, variations of the heat
      labile enzymes were created by combining these heat-sensitive mutations. The
      effects of the respective mutations and their relationship to the structure of
      the enzyme molecule are discussed.

PMID- 28339687
TI  - Extragonadal oocytes residing in the mouse ovarian hilum contribute to fertility.
AB  - The observation of pups born from recipient and donor mice after ovariectomy
      followed by ovarian transplant poses the interesting possibility of an
      extraovarian source of oocytes. However, whether mammalian adult oocytes reside
      in extragonadal tissues remains elusive. Using transgenic fluorescent reporter
      mice and transplantation surgeries, we demonstrate the presence of both donor-
      and recipient-derived corpora lutea and recovery of both donor- and recipient
      derived offspring from ovariectomized mice after transplantation of donor
      ovaries. A potential region for extraovarian oocytes is the hilum, a ligament
      like structure between the ovary and the reproductive tract. Immunofluorescent
      confocal microscopy of mouse ovaries and reproductive tracts revealed that a
      population of primordial follicles resides outside the ovary within the hilum.
      Ovariectomy-only controls confirmed that oocytes remain in the recipient hilum
      after surgery. These results provide evidence that the hilum is a reserve source
      of follicles, which likely return to the ovary for maturation and ovulation. By
      identifying a new follicle reservoir, our study addresses a long-standing
      question in reproductive biology and contributes to new conceptual knowledge
      about ovarian function and fertility.

PMID- 28339689
TI  - Genomic decision support needs in pediatric primary care.
AB  - Clinical genome and exome sequencing can diagnose pediatric patients with complex
      conditions that often require follow-up care with multiple specialties. The
      American Academy of Pediatrics emphasizes the role of the medical home and the
      primary care pediatrician in coordinating care for patients who need
      multidisciplinary support. In addition, the electronic health record (EHR) with
      embedded clinical decision support is recognized as an important component in
      providing care in this setting. We interviewed 6 clinicians to assess their
      experience caring for patients with complex and rare genetic findings and hear
      their opinions about how the EHR currently supports this role. Using these
      results, we designed a candidate EHR clinical decision support application mock
      up and conducted formative exploratory user testing with 26 pediatric primary
      care providers to capture opinions on its utility in practice with respect to a
      specific clinical scenario. Our results indicate agreement that the functionality
      represented by the mock-up would effectively assist with care and warrants
      further development.

PMID- 28339690
TI  - Automated classification of eligibility criteria in clinical trials to facilitate
      patient-trial matching for specific patient populations.
AB  - Objective: To develop automated classification methods for eligibility criteria
      in ClinicalTrials.gov to facilitate patient-trial matching for specific
      populations such as persons living with HIV or pregnant women. Materials and
      Methods: We annotated 891 interventional cancer trials from ClinicalTrials.gov
      based on their eligibility for human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-positive
      patients using their eligibility criteria. These annotations were used to develop
      classifiers based on regular expressions and machine learning (ML). After
      evaluating classification of cancer trials for eligibility of HIV-positive
      patients, we sought to evaluate the generalizability of our approach to more
      general diseases and conditions. We annotated the eligibility criteria for 1570
      of the most recent interventional trials from ClinicalTrials.gov for HIV-positive
      and pregnancy eligibility, and the classifiers were retrained and reevaluated
      using these data. Results: On the cancer-HIV dataset, the baseline regex model,
      the bag-of-words ML classifier, and the ML classifier with named entity
      recognition (NER) achieved macro-averaged F2 scores of 0.77, 0.87, and 0.87,
      respectively; the addition of NER did not result in a significant performance
      improvement. On the general dataset, ML + NER achieved macro-averaged F2 scores
      of 0.91 and 0.85 for HIV and pregnancy, respectively. Discussion and Conclusion:
      The eligibility status of specific patient populations, such as persons living
      with HIV and pregnant women, for clinical trials is of interest to both patients
      and clinicians. We show that it is feasible to develop a high-performing,
      automated trial classification system for eligibility status that can be
      integrated into consumer-facing search engines as well as patient-trial matching
      systems.

PMID- 28339692
TI  - Decrease in unnecessary vitamin D testing using clinical decision support tools:
      making it harder to do the wrong thing.
AB  - Objective: To evaluate the impact of clinical decision support (CDS) tools on
      rates of vitamin D testing. Screening for vitamin D deficiency has increased in
      recent years, spurred by studies suggesting vitamin D's clinical benefits. Such
      screening, however, is often unsupported by evidence and can incur unnecessary
      costs. Materials and Methods: We evaluated how rates of vitamin D screening
      changed after we implemented 3 CDS tools in the electronic health record (EHR) of
      a large health plan: (1) a new vitamin D screening guideline, (2) an alert that
      requires clinician acknowledgement of current guidelines to continue ordering the
      test (a "hard stop"), and (3) a modification of laboratory ordering preference
      lists that eliminates shortcuts. We assessed rates of overall vitamin D screening
      and appropriate vitamin D screening 6 months pre- and post-intervention. Results:
      Vitamin D screening rates decreased from 74.0 tests to 24.2 tests per 1000
      members ( P  < .0001). The proportion of appropriate vitamin D screening tests
      increased from 56.2% to 69.7% ( P  < .0001), and the proportion of inappropriate
      screening tests decreased from 43.8% pre-implementation to 30.3% post
      implementation ( P  < .0001). Discussion: To our knowledge, this is the first
      demonstration of how CDS can reduce rates of inappropriate vitamin D screening.
      We used 3 straightforward, inexpensive, and replicable CDS approaches. We know of
      no previous research on the impact of removing options from a preference list.
      Conclusion: Similar approaches could be used to reduce unnecessary care and
      decrease costs without reducing quality of care.

PMID- 28339691
TI  - Z-Guggulsterone Produces Antidepressant-Like Effects in Mice through Activation
      of the BDNF Signaling Pathway.
AB  - Background: Z-guggulsterone, an active compound extracted from the gum resin of
      the tree Commiphora mukul, has been shown to improve animal memory deficits via
      activating the brain-derived neurotrophic factor signaling pathway. Here, we
      investigated the antidepressant-like effect of Z-guggulsterone in a chronic
      unpredictable stress mouse model of depression. Methods: The effects of Z
      guggulsterone were assessed in mice with the tail suspension test and forced
      swimming test. Z-guggulsterone was also investigated in the chronic unpredictable
      stress model of depression with fluoxetine as the positive control. Changes in
      hippocampal neurogenesis as well as the brain-derived neurotrophic factor
      signaling pathway after chronic unpredictable stress/Z-guggulsterone treatment
      were investigated. The tryptophan hydroxylase inhibitor and the tyrosine kinase B
      inhibitor were also used to explore the antidepressant-like mechanisms of Z
      guggulsterone. Results: Z-guggulsterone (10, 30 mg/kg) administration protected
      the mice against the chronic unpredictable stress-induced increases in the
      immobile time in the tail suspension test and forced swimming test and also
      reversed the reduction in sucrose intake in sucrose preference experiment. Z
      guggulsterone (10, 30 mg/kg) administration prevented the reductions in brain
      derived neurotrophic factor protein expression levels as well as the
      phosphorylation levels of cAMP response element binding protein, extracellular
      signal-regulated kinase 1/2, and protein kinase B in the hippocampus and cortex
      induced by chronic unpredictable stress. Z-guggulsterone (10, 30 mg/kg) treatment
      also improved hippocampal neurogenesis in chronic unpredictable stress-treated
      mice. Blockade of the brain-derived neurotrophic factor signal, but not the
      monoaminergic system, attenuated the antidepressant-like effects of Z
      guggulsterone. Conclusions: Z-guggulsterone exhibits antidepressant activity via
      activation of the brain-derived neurotrophic factor signaling pathway and
      upregulation of hippocampal neurogenesis.

PMID- 28339693
TI  - Neuronal signaling repertoire in the mammalian sperm functionality.
AB  - The common embryonic origin has been a recurrent explanation to understand the
      presence of "neural receptors" in sperm. However, this designation has
      conditioned a bias marked by the classical neurotransmission model, dismissing
      the possibility that neurotransmitters can play specific roles in the sperm
      function by themselves. For instance, the launching of acrosome reaction, a
      fundamental sperm function, includes several steps that recall the process of
      presynaptic secretion. Unlike of postsynaptic neuron, whose activation is
      mediated by molecular interaction between neurotransmitter and postsynaptic
      receptors, the oocyte activation is not mediated by receptors, but by cytosolic
      translocation of sperm phospholipase (PLCzeta). Thus, the sperm has a cellular
      design to access and activate the oocyte and restore the ploidy of the species by
      an "allogenic pronuclear fusion." At subcellular level, the events controlling
      sperm function, particularly the capacitation process, are activated by chemical
      signals that trigger ion fluxes, sterol oxidation, synthesis of cyclic adenosine
      monophosphate, protein kinase A activation, tyrosine phosphorylations and calcium
      signaling, which correspond to second messengers similar to those associated with
      exocytosis and growth cone guidance in neurons. Classically, the sperm function
      associated with neural signals has been analyzed as a unidimensional approach
      (single ligand-receptor effect). However, the in vivo sperm are exposed to
      multidimensional signaling context, for example, the GABAergic, monoaminergic,
      purinergic, cholinergic, and melatoninergic, to name a few. The aim of this
      review is to present an overview of sperm functionality associated with "neuronal
      signaling" and possible cellular and molecular mechanisms involved in their
      regulation.

PMID- 28339694
TI  - Regional acidosis locally inhibits but remotely stimulates Ca2+ waves in
      ventricular myocytes.
AB  - Aims: Spontaneous Ca2+ waves in cardiomyocytes are potentially arrhythmogenic. A
      powerful controller of Ca2+ waves is the cytoplasmic H+ concentration ([H+]i),
      which fluctuates spatially and temporally in conditions such as myocardial
      ischaemia/reperfusion. H+-control of Ca2+ waves is poorly understood. We have
      therefore investigated how [H+]i co-ordinates their initiation and frequency.
      Methods and results: Spontaneous Ca2+ waves were imaged (fluo-3) in rat isolated
      ventricular myocytes, subjected to modest Ca2+-overload. Whole-cell intracellular
      acidosis (induced by acetate-superfusion) stimulated wave frequency.
      Pharmacologically blocking sarcolemmal Na+/H+ exchange (NHE1) prevented this
      stimulation, unveiling inhibition by H+. Acidosis also increased Ca2+ wave
      velocity. Restricting acidosis to one end of a myocyte, using a microfluidic
      device, inhibited Ca2+ waves in the acidic zone (consistent with ryanodine
      receptor inhibition), but stimulated wave emergence elsewhere in the cell. This
      remote stimulation was absent when NHE1 was selectively inhibited in the acidic
      zone. Remote stimulation depended on a locally evoked, NHE1-driven rise of [Na+]i
      that spread rapidly downstream. Conclusion: Acidosis influences Ca2+ waves via
      inhibitory Hi+ and stimulatory Nai+ signals (the latter facilitating
      intracellular Ca2+-loading through modulation of sarcolemmal Na+/Ca2+ exchange
      activity). During spatial [H+]i-heterogeneity, Hi+-inhibition dominates in acidic
      regions, while rapid Nai+ diffusion stimulates waves in downstream, non-acidic
      regions. Local acidosis thus simultaneously inhibits and stimulates
      arrhythmogenic Ca2+-signalling in the same myocyte. If the principle of remote H+
      stimulation of Ca2+ waves also applies in multicellular myocardium, it raises the
      possibility of electrical disturbances being driven remotely by adjacent
      ischaemic areas, which are known to be intensely acidic.

PMID- 28339696
TI  - Reply to Freyschlag et al.

PMID- 28339695
TI  - Incidence and Outcomes of Infections Caused by Multidrug-Resistant
      Enterobacteriaceae in Children, 2007-2015.
AB  - Background: The escalating incidence of invasive disease caused by multidrug
      resistant Gram-negative enteric Enterobacteriaceae (MDR-GNE) is a global concern.
      Scant published studies in which the epidemiology of these infections in children
      is described exist; previous studies focused mainly on adults, described
      circumscribed populations, or lacked clinical detail. The objective of this study
      was to examine and describe the incidence, risk factors, and outcomes associated
      with MDR-GNE infection in children. Methods: In this cohort study, we used data
      from 48 children's hospitals maintained by the Pediatric Health Information
      System. We documented the proportion of MDR-GNE diagnoses among children's
      hospital patients aged 0 to <18 years who were diagnosed with an
      Enterobacteriaceae-associated infection between January 1, 2007, and March 31,
      2015, and we analyzed the association between MDR-GNE infection and hospital
      length of stay and death before discharge. Results: During the study period,
      107610 discharges included a diagnosis code for Enterobacteriaceae infection, 724
      (0.7%) of which included MDR-GNE infection. The incidence of MDR-GNE, and the
      proportion of infections with Enterobacteriaceae organisms that were MDR-GNE
      increased over the study period; from 0.2% in 2007 to 1.5% by 2015 (test for
      trend < .001). Almost one-quarter (23%) of the infections in children
      hospitalized for MDR-GNE were nosocomial. Increased odds of MDR-GNE infection
      were associated with older age and comorbid illnesses. Lengths of stay in
      patients with MDR-GNE infection were increased 20% (95% confidence interval, 9.9%
      30.5%; P < .001) over those without MDR-GNE infection; the increased odds for
      death did not reach statistical significance (1.46 [95% confidence interval, 0.98
      2.18]; P = .06). Results were robust to sensitivity analyses. Conclusions: The
      incidence of pediatric MDR-GNE infection increased during 2007-2015. MDR-GNE
      infection was associated with increased length of stay, and we found a trend
      toward increased risk of death. Infections with Gram-negative enteric bacilli are
      becoming increasingly difficult to treat; considering the global burden of these
      antimicrobial-resistant organisms, interventions to curtail or even reverse this
      trend are needed urgently.

PMID- 28339697
TI  - Are informed policies in place to promote safe and usable EHRs? A cross-industry
      comparison.
AB  - Objective: Despite federal policies put in place by the Office of the National
      Coordinator (ONC) to promote safe and usable electronic health record (EHR)
      products, the usability of EHRs continues to frustrate providers and have patient
      safety implications. This study sought to compare government policies on
      usability and safety, and methods of examining compliance to those policies,
      across 3 federal agencies: the ONC and EHRs, the Federal Aviation Administration
      (FAA) and avionics, and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and medical
      devices. Our goal was to identify whether differences in policies exist and, if
      they do exist, how policies and enforcement mechanisms from other industries
      might be applied to optimize EHR usability. Method: We performed a qualitative
      study using publicly available governing documents to examine similarities and
      differences in usability and safety policies across agencies. Results: The policy
      review and analysis revealed several consistencies within each agency's usability
      policies. Critical differences emerged in the usability standards and policy
      enforcement mechanisms utilized by the 3 agencies. The FAA and FDA look at
      evidence of usability processes and are more prescriptive when it comes to
      testing final products as compared to the ONC, which relies on attestation and is
      less prescriptive. Discussion: A comparison of usability policies across
      industries illustrates key differences between the ONC and other federal
      agencies. These differences could be contributing to the usability challenges
      associated with EHRs. Conclusion: Our analysis highlights important areas of
      usability and safety policy from other industries that can better inform ONC
      policies on EHRs.

PMID- 28339698
TI  - Learning from errors: analysis of medication order voiding in CPOE systems.
AB  - Objective: Medication order voiding allows clinicians to indicate that an
      existing order was placed in error. We explored whether the order voiding
      function could be used to record and study medication ordering errors. Materials
      and Methods: We examined medication orders from an academic medical center for a
      6-year period (2006-2011; n  = 5 804 150). We categorized orders based on status
      (void, not void) and clinician-provided reasons for voiding. We used
      multivariable logistic regression to investigate the association between order
      voiding and clinician, patient, and order characteristics. We conducted chart
      reviews on a random sample of voided orders ( n  = 198) to investigate the rate
      of medication ordering errors among voided orders, and the accuracy of clinician
      provided reasons for voiding. Results: We found that 0.49% of all orders were
      voided. Order voiding was associated with clinician type (physician, pharmacist,
      nurse, student, other) and order type (inpatient, prescription, home medications
      by history). An estimated 70 +/- 10% of voided orders were due to medication
      ordering errors. Clinician-provided reasons for voiding were reasonably
      predictive of the actual cause of error for duplicate orders (72%), but not for
      other reasons. Discussion and Conclusion: Medication safety initiatives require
      availability of error data to create repositories for learning and training. The
      voiding function is available in several electronic health record systems, so
      order voiding could provide a low-effort mechanism for self-reporting of
      medication ordering errors. Additional clinician training could help increase the
      quality of such reporting.

PMID- 28339699
TI  - Effects of chlorine and hydrogen peroxide sanitation in low bacterial content
      water on biofilm formation model of poultry brooding house waterlines.
AB  - An in vitro experiment was performed to determine if biofilm would develop when
      polyvinylchloride (PVC) test coupons (material used for poultry waterlines) were
      exposed to low bacterial content warm water (<=1000 cfu/mL, test water) and also
      to determine if biofilm development would be influenced by adding a sanitizer.
      PVC sections 2.54 cm long and internal diameter of 1. 90 cm were used as test
      coupons to grow biofilm. Two coupons were immersed in 600 mL test water in a
      beaker. Nine beakers were utilized similarly with a total of 18 coupons. Three
      beakers (T1) were treated with a chlorine (Cl) based product (targeted to produce
      2 to 4 ppm residual) and the other 3 (T2) with hydrogen peroxide a (HP) based
      product (targeted to produce 25 to 50 ppm residual). Three untreated beakers
      served as controls (T3). All beakers and coupons were placed into a water bath
      shaker under warm and moving water conditions mimicking poultry brooding
      conditions. Coupons and test water were sampled for treatments for aerobic plate
      count (APC). Trial 1 used test water with zero cfu bacteria/mL initial APC,
      whereas the Trial 2 test water initial APC was 3 log10 cfu/mL. Test water samples
      and coupons had no bacterial growth for all treatments on sampling occasions for
      Trial 1. In Trial 2, T3 (control) and T2 (HP treated) had APC growth in both test
      water (2.5 to 3.0 log10 cfu/mL) and on coupons (2 to 2.5 log10 cfu/cm2) on
      sampling d with no difference (P > 0.05) between these treatments. Whereas, T1
      (Cl treated) eliminated bacteria (zero cfu/mL) in test water and inhibited
      biofilm growth on test coupons (<=0.2 log10 cfu/cm2) during sampling d (P <
      0.05). This experiment showed that biofilm can develop in minimally contaminated
      water even in the presence of sanitizers, yet chlorine was more effective than
      hydrogen peroxide in limiting this development.

PMID- 28339701
TI  - Comparison of three commercial knowledge bases for detection of drug-drug
      interactions in clinical decision support.
AB  - Objective: To compare 3 commercial knowledge bases (KBs) used for detection and
      avoidance of potential drug-drug interactions (DDIs) in clinical practice.
      Methods: Drugs in the DDI tables from First DataBank (FDB), Micromedex, and
      Multum were mapped to RxNorm. The KBs were compared at the clinical drug,
      ingredient, and DDI rule levels. The KBs were evaluated against a reference list
      of highly significant DDIs from the Office of the National Coordinator for Health
      Information Technology (ONC). The KBs and the ONC list were applied to a
      prescription data set to simulate their use in clinical decision support.
      Results: The KBs contained 1.6 million (FDB), 4.5 million (Micromedex), and 4.8
      million (Multum) clinical drug pairs. Altogether, there were 8.6 million unique
      pairs, of which 79% were found only in 1 KB and 5% in all 3 KBs. However, there
      was generally more agreement than disagreement in the severity rankings,
      especially in the contraindicated category. The KBs covered 99.8-99.9% of the
      alerts of the ONC list and would have generated 25 (FDB), 145 (Micromedex), and
      84 (Multum) alerts per 1000 prescriptions. Conclusion: The commercial KBs differ
      considerably in size and quantity of alerts generated. There is less variability
      in severity ranking of DDIs than suggested by previous studies. All KBs provide
      very good coverage of the ONC list. More work is needed to standardize the
      editorial policies and evidence for inclusion of DDIs to reduce variation among
      knowledge sources and improve relevance. Some DDIs considered contraindicated in
      all 3 KBs might be possible candidates to add to the ONC list.

PMID- 28339702
TI  - Subclinical chronic left ventricular systolic dysfunction resulting from
      phosphine poisoning.
AB  - We present a case of a 32-year-old male crew member of a cargo ship, accidentally
      exposed to phosphine, a fumigating substance. He and other crew members developed
      increasing fatigue and digestive disorders 24 h later; two died from acute
      pulmonary oedema. The patient was admitted to hospital, where bilateral
      pneumonia, acute nephritis, hepatopathy, electrolyte imbalance and leucopenia
      were diagnosed. He was discharged from hospital 3 weeks later. He was examined 4
      months later for possible chronic consequences of acute phosphine poisoning,
      which included echocardiography showing normal heart size and cardiac function.
      However, on advanced quantitative analysis, using two-dimensional speckle
      tracking echocardiography, depressed global longitudinal strain was found. Our
      report extends previously published findings of phosphine-induced left
      ventricular (LV) dysfunction by demonstrating that subclinical myocardial
      dysfunction resulting from acute phosphine exposure may persist several months
      after the exposure in an otherwise asymptomatic patient, and potentially may not
      be entirely reversible. The persistence of subclinical abnormalities of LV
      longitudinal function can be diagnosed using the advanced quantitative
      echocardiographic analysis we describe.

PMID- 28339700
TI  - A clinical perspective on the 2016 WHO brain tumor classification and routine
      molecular diagnostics.
AB  - The 2007 World Health Organization (WHO) classification of brain tumors did not
      use molecular abnormalities as diagnostic criteria. Studies have shown that
      genotyping allows a better prognostic classification of diffuse glioma with
      improved treatment selection. This has resulted in a major revision of the WHO
      classification, which is now for adult diffuse glioma centered around isocitrate
      dehydrogenase (IDH) and 1p/19q diagnostics. This revised classification is
      reviewed with a focus on adult brain tumors, and includes a recommendation of
      genes of which routine testing is clinically useful. Apart from assessment of IDH
      mutational status including sequencing of R132H-immunohistochemistry negative
      cases and testing for 1p/19q, several other markers can be considered for routine
      testing, including assessment of copy number alterations of chromosome 7 and 10
      and of TERT promoter, BRAF, and H3F3A mutations. For "glioblastoma, IDH mutated"
      the term "astrocytoma grade IV" could be considered. It should be considered to
      treat IDH wild-type grades II and III diffuse glioma with polysomy of chromosome
      7 and loss of 10q as glioblastoma. New developments must be more quickly
      translated into further revised diagnostic categories. Quality control and rapid
      integration of molecular findings into the final diagnosis and the communication
      of the final diagnosis to clinicians require systematic attention.

PMID- 28339704
TI  - Cullen's sign & acute pancreatitis.

PMID- 28339703
TI  - Marked bradycardia elicited during pulmonary vein isolation: not a sign of
      success-Authors' reply.

PMID- 28339705
TI  - Catheter ablation for atrial flutter: a survey by the European Heart Rhythm
      Association and Canadian Heart Rhythm Society.

PMID- 28339706
TI  - Differential proliferation and metabolic activity of Sertoli cells in the testes
      of broiler and layer breeder chickens.
AB  - Decades of genetic selection have generated 2 different, highly specialized types
      of chickens in which 1 type, known as the layer-type chicken, expresses high
      laying performance while the other type, known as the broiler-type chicken, is
      dedicated to the production of fast-growing birds. Selected lines for the latter
      type often express disorders in their reproductive performance including early
      sexual maturation and accelerated, non-reversible seasonal decline of their semen
      production and mating behavior. The aim of the present study was to characterize
      some metabolic markers of the Sertoli cell populations. Sertoli cells are somatic
      cells known to support, coordinate, nourish, and protect the germ cell
      populations from onset to the end of their meiotic process. Comparisons of
      gonadal development between males of the 2 genetic types taken at their pre
      pubertal period indicated that the testes of layer-type chickens are
      significantly less developed than in broiler-type males taken at the same age. In
      addition, cultures of purified Sertoli cells from the 2 types revealed in vitro a
      higher proliferative capacity when issued from layer compared to broiler-type
      chickens. This was associated with a higher expression of the genes involved in
      the beta-oxidation of fatty acids (CPT1; PPARbeta) as well as a 4-fold increase
      in the Lactate Dehydrogenase-A expression and activity. In contrast, Sertoli
      cells from broiler-type chickens presented an elevated activity of citrate
      synthase and mitochondria, suggesting a better efficacy of aerobic metabolism in
      Sertoli cells from broiler compared to layer-type chickens. Moreover, the testis
      from broiler-type chickens seems to be more sensitive to oxidative stress due to
      the lower global antioxidant capacity compared to layer-type chickens.In
      conclusion, these results suggest that the metabolic activity of testicular
      tissues is different in the layer and broiler breeder chickens. The aerobic
      metabolism more prevalent in broiler-type chickens could be a factor to reduce
      the male fertility such as germ cell quality.

PMID- 28339707
TI  - Selection for pro-inflammatory mediators produces chickens more resistant to
      Campylobacter jejuni.
AB  - Campylobacter spp. are the second leading cause of bacterial-induced foodborne
      illnesses with an estimated economic burden of nearly $2B USD per year. Most
      human illness associated with campylobacteriosis is due to infection by C. jejuni
      and chickens are recognized as a reservoir that could lead to foodborne illness
      in humans resulting from handling or consuming raw or undercooked chicken. We
      recently developed a novel breeding strategy based on identification and
      selection of chickens with an inherently high and low phenotype of pro
      inflammatory mediators including IL-6, CXCLi2, and CCLi2, hereafter referred to
      as the high and low lines, respectively. We have shown the high line chickens are
      more resistant to the foodborne and poultry pathogens Salmonella enterica serovar
      Enteritidis, Eimeria tenella, and Clostridium perfringens-induced necrotic
      enteritis compared to the low line. The objective of this study was to determine
      whether the same trend of enhanced resistance in the high line birds was observed
      for C. jejuni. Birds were challenged at 2 d of age by oral gavage (0.5 mL) with 5
      * 106 colony forming units (cfu) of C. jejuni/mL, necropsied 4 d post challenge,
      and cecal content collected to determine if there was a difference in C. jejuni
      resistance between the high and low line chickens. There were fewer (P = 0.01)
      chickens from the high line (28/40 = 71.8%) that were colonized by C. jejuni
      compared to the low line (37/39 = 94.9%). The amount of C. jejuni recovered from
      the ceca of infected birds was quantified; however, no differences were observed
      (P = 0.10). Since the high line birds were also more resistant to C. jejuni, it
      provides additional validation of selection based on pro-inflammatory mediators
      producing a line of chickens with increased natural resistance against diverse
      foodborne and poultry pathogens. The poultry industry is moving towards reduced
      therapeutics and, as such, our breeding strategy would be a viable method to
      incorporate into traditional poultry breeding programs.

PMID- 28339708
TI  - Effects of dietary methyl sulfonyl methane (MSM) supplementation on growth
      performance, nutrient digestibility, meat quality, excreta microbiota, excreta
      gas emission, and blood profiles in broilers.
AB  - A 29-d trial was conducted to evaluate the effects of dietary methyl sulfonyl
      methane (MSM) supplementation on growth performance, meat quality, nutrient
      digestibility, excreta microbiota, excreta gas emission, and blood profiles in
      broilers. A total of 816 1-day-old male Ross 308 broilers (44 +/- 0.44 g) were
      assigned to 4 dietary treatments, composed of 12 replicates with 17 birds per
      replicate. The 4 treatments were: 1) CON, basal diet; 2) S1, CON + 0.05% MSM; 3)
      S2, CON + 0.10% MSM; 4) S3, CON + 0.20% MSM. In the current study, body weight
      (BW) on d 14 and 29 showed significant improvement as dietary MSM increased from
      0.05% to 0.20% (P < 0.05). During d 1 to 14 and overall, higher (P < 0.05) body
      weight gain (BWG) and lower feed conversion ratio (FCR) were observed in broilers
      fed MSM diets. Between d 15 and 29, higher (P < 0.05) BWG was observed in
      broilers fed MSM diets. Redness (a*) was increased linearly (P < 0.05) in
      broilers fed MSM diets. On d 3, 5, and 7, drip loss was decreased linearly (P <
      0.05) in broilers fed MSM diets. Lactobacillus and E. coli were effected linearly
      (P < 0.05) in broilers fed MSM diets. Alanine aminotransferase (ALT), white blood
      cells (WBC) and lymphocytes were improved linearly (P < 0.05) in broilers fed MSM
      diets. In conclusion, dietary supplementation MSM has positive effects on growth
      performance, meat quality, excreta microbiota, and blood profiles in broilers.

PMID- 28339709
TI  - Clinicopathologic correlations of renal pathology in the adult population of
      Poland.
AB  - Background: This is the first report on the epidemiology of biopsy-proven kidney
      diseases in Poland. Methods: The Polish Registry of Renal Biopsies has collected
      information on all (n = 9394) native renal biopsies performed in Poland from 2009
      to 2014. Patients' clinical data collected at the time of biopsy, and
      histopathological diagnoses were used for epidemiological and clinicopathologic
      analysis. Results: There was a gradual increase in the number of native renal
      biopsies performed per million people (PMP) per year in Poland in 2009-14,
      starting from 36 PMP in 2009 to 44 PMP in 2014. A considerable variability
      between provinces in the mean number of biopsies performed in the period covered
      was found, ranging from 5 to 77 PMP/year. The most common renal biopsy diagnoses
      in adults were immunoglobulin A nephropathy (IgAN) (20%), focal segmental
      glomerulosclerosis (FSGS) (15%) and membranous glomerulonephritis (MGN) (11%),
      whereas in children, minimal change disease (22%), IgAN (20%) and FSGS (10%) were
      dominant. Due to insufficient data on the paediatric population, the
      clinicopathologic analysis was limited to patients >=18 years of age. At the time
      of renal biopsy, the majority of adult patients presented nephrotic-range
      proteinuria (45.2%), followed by urinary abnormalities (38.3%), nephritic
      syndrome (13.8%) and isolated haematuria (1.7%). Among nephrotic patients,
      primary glomerulopathies dominated (67.6% in those 18-64 years of age and 62.4%
      in elderly patients) with leading diagnoses being MGN (17.1%), FSGS (16.2%) and
      IgAN (13.0%) in the younger cohort and MGN (23.5%), amyloidosis (18.8%) and FSGS
      (16.8%) in the elderly cohort. Among nephritic patients 18-64 years of age, the
      majority (55.9%) suffered from primary glomerulopathies, with a predominance of
      IgAN (31.3%), FSGS (12.7%) and crescentic GN (CGN) (11.1%). Among elderly
      nephritic patients, primary and secondary glomerulopathies were equally common
      (41.9% each) and pauci-immune GN (24.7%), CGN (20.4%) and IgAN (14.0%) were
      predominant. In both adult cohorts, urinary abnormalities were mostly related to
      primary glomerulopathies (66.8% in younger and 50% in elderly patients) and the
      leading diagnoses were IgAN (31.4%), FSGS (15.9%), lupus nephritis (10.7%) and
      FSGS (19.2%), MGN (15.1%) and pauci-immune GN (12.3%), respectively. There were
      significant differences in clinical characteristics and renal biopsy findings
      between male and female adult patients. Conclusions: The registry data focused
      new light on the epidemiology of kidney diseases in Poland. These data should be
      used in future follow-up and prospective studies.

PMID- 28339710
TI  - Productive performance and blood profiles of laying hens fed Hermetia illucens
      larvae meal as total replacement of soybean meal from 24 to 45 weeks of age.
AB  - The aim of the research was to study the effects of an insect meal from Hermetia
      illucens larvae (HILM) as complete replacement of soybean meal (SBM) on
      productive performance and blood profiles of laying hens, from 24 to 45 wk of
      age. A total of 108 24-week-old Lohmann Brown Classic laying hens was equally
      divided into 2 groups (54 hens/group, 9 replicates of 6 hens/group). From 24 to
      45 wk of age, the groups were fed 2 different isoproteic and isoenergetic diets:
      the control group (SBM) was fed a corn-soybean meal based diet, while in the HILM
      group the soybean meal was completely replaced by Hermetia illucens larvae meal.
      Feed intake, number of eggs produced, and egg weight were recorded weekly along
      the trial. At 45 wk of age, blood samples were collected from 2 hens per
      replicate. The use of HIML led to a more favorable (P < 0.01) feed conversion
      ratio in hens but lay percentage, feed intake, average egg weight, and egg mass
      were higher (P < 0.01) in hens fed the SBM diet. Hens fed insect meal produced a
      higher percentage of eggs from small (S), medium (M), and extra-large (XL)
      classes (P < 0.01) than SBM, while the SBM group had a higher percentage of eggs
      from the large (L) class (P < 0.01). The levels of globulin and albumin to
      globulin ratio were, respectively, higher and lower (P < 0.05) in HILM than the
      SBM group. Cholesterol and triglycerides were higher (P < 0.05 and P < 0.01,
      respectively) in hens from SBM than in the HILM group. Blood levels of Ca were
      higher (P < 0.01) in hens fed insect meal, while creatinine was higher (P < 0.01)
      in blood of hens fed SBM. Hermetia illucens larvae meal can be a suitable
      alternative protein source for laying hens even if the complete replacement of
      soybean meal needs further investigation to avoid the negative effects on feed
      intake.

PMID- 28339711
TI  - Interactions of full-fat canola seed, oat hulls as an insoluble fiber source and
      pellet temperature for nutrient utilization and growth performance of broiler
      chickens.
AB  - The effectiveness of the addition of oat hulls (OH) as an insoluble fiber for
      improving nutrient digestibility and performance of birds fed diets containing
      full-fat canola seed (CS) was studied. A 2 * 2 * 2 factorial arrangement of
      treatments was used to assess the main effects of canola source (CS vs canola
      meal plus oil as control), OH (0 or 3%), pellet temperature (75 and 90 degrees C)
      and their interactions. A total of 576 male day-old Ross 308 chickens were
      assigned to 8 experimental treatments, each replicated 6 times (12 birds per
      replicate). All birds were fed a same commercial starter diet for the first 10 d
      of age. Canola meal and canola oil in the control diets were replaced with CS at
      11.6% and 13.5% in the grower (d 10 to 24) and finisher (d 24 to 35) diets,
      respectively. An interaction was observed between canola source and OH led to
      improved body weight gain (P < 0.01) and FCR (P < 0.05) in birds fed the
      combination of CS and OH in grower phase. Pelleting temperature at 75 vs 90
      degrees C did not affect performance of broilers. Birds fed diets containing OH
      had heavier gizzards at 24 and 35 d of age. Inclusion of CS in the diets
      depressed fat digestibility at d 24 (P < 0.001) and AME of the grower diets. At d
      35, there was a significant interaction (P < 0.05) between CS and pellet
      temperature where birds fed CS diets pelleted at 75 degrees C had higher fat
      digestibility than birds fed CS pelleted at 90 degrees C. Regardless of canola
      source or pellet temperature, OH increased fat utilization at d 35 (P < 0.001)
      but had no effect on AME of the grower diets. In conclusion, CS can replace
      supplemental oil in broiler diets when an adequate source of insoluble fiber is
      included in the diet, which may help to maintain feed intake of broilers fed CS
      in steam-pelleted diets.

PMID- 28339712
TI  - Effect of Chinese herbal medicine treatment on plasma lipid profile and hepatic
      lipid metabolism in Hetian broiler.
AB  - The purpose of this study was to investigate whether adding a Chinese herbal
      hedicine (CHM, including astragalus membranaceus, codonopsis pilosula, poria
      cocos, bighead atractylodes rhizome, fructus crataegi, folium epimedii, radix
      saposhnikoviae, and pericarpium citri reticulatae) diet has effects on lipid
      metabolism in the liver of the broiler. Six-hundred-thirty Hetian broilers were
      divided into 3 groups including base diet (control), 0.3%, or 1% CHM diets, for
      130 days. The results showed that CHM treatment significantly increased the
      slaughter performance. CHM treatment decreased plasma triglyceride (TG) and
      nonesterified fatty acid (NEFA) concentrations; up-regulated the expression of
      peroxisome proliferator activated receptor (PPAR), the transcription factor
      sterol regulatory element binding protein-1c (SREBP-1c) and its downstream
      proteins involved in NEFA oxidation including carnitine palmitoyltransferase-1,
      liver fatty acid binding protein, and PPARalpha; and it significantly decreased
      fatty acid synthetase, stearoyl-CoA desaturase, acyl-CoA synthetase long-chain
      family member 1 and acetyl-CoA carboxylase expression to inhibit NEFA synthesis.
      In addition, the CHM treatment increased plasma insulin (INS) levels and up
      regulated insulin receptors (INSR) glycerol-3-phosphate acyltransferase and
      mitochondrial and 1-acylglycerol-3-phosphate O-acyltransferase 6 mRNA expression
      to enhance TG synthesis. The protein levels of phosphatidylinositol 3-hydroxy
      kinase (PI3K), serine/threonine protein kinase (Akt), S6 kinase (S6K), phospho
      serine/threonine protein kinase (p-Akt), and phospho-S6 kinase (p-S6K) also were
      increased. PI3K, p-Akt, and p-S6K were significantly up-regulated in the liver.
      These data suggest that the CHM may be a beneficial compound to decrease plasma
      NEFA and TG levels by activating the INS/INSR-PI3K-Akt-SREBP1c pathway resulting
      in fat content reduction in the carcass.

PMID- 28339713
TI  - Evaluation of the effectiveness of intermittent mechanical pressure with short
      loading duration: new type of intermittent force for orthodontic treatment.
AB  - Background: Since it is difficult to precisely control the magnitude of force in
      orthodontic practice, controlling the duration of force is expected to prevent
      tissue damage. The use of an actuator as an appliance for intermittent force
      application is a possible solution for controlling the duration. However,
      effectiveness of an actuator for controlling the duration is still not clear.
      Aim: To determine whether a short loading duration of intermittent force has the
      potential to maintain a sound condition of the capillaries and induce dilation of
      capillaries, which is a requisite phenomenon for orthodontic tooth movement.
      Materials and methods: Six-week-old male hamsters with a dorsal skinfold chamber
      attached to an intermittent loading device were used. In three experimental
      groups, application of intermittent pressure that involved repetition of loading
      and unloading was performed. The durations of loading/unloading were 1 second/9
      seconds (group T10), 1 second/19 seconds (group T20), and 1 second/29 seconds
      (group T30). Vessels were examined using a fluorescence microscope and a
      stereomicroscope for 5 days. Results: Widths of capillaries in groups T10 and T20
      increased significantly (P < 0.01). In contrast, widths of capillaries in group
      T30 showed no significant difference from those in the control group. Only group
      T10 showed bleeding, obvious destruction of vessels, and a significant increase
      in the rate of disappearance of vessels. Conclusion: In the epidermis, although
      conditions are limited, a short loading duration of intermittent force maintains
      a sound condition of the capillaries at the tissue level and induces dilation of
      capillaries.

PMID- 28339714
TI  - Effect of whole yeast cell product supplementation (CitriStim(r)) on immune
      responses and cecal microflora species in pullet and layer chickens during an
      experimental coccidial challenge.
AB  - Three separate experiments were conducted to study the effects of whole yeast
      cell product supplementation in pullets and layer hens. Body weight gain, fecal
      and intestinal coccidial oocyst counts, cecal microflora species, cytokine mRNA
      amounts, and CD4+ and CD8+ T-cell populations in the cecal tonsils were analyzed
      following an experimental coccidial infection. In Experiment I, day-old Leghorn
      layer chicks were fed 3 experimental diets with 0, 0.1, or 0.2% whole yeast cell
      product (CitriStim(r), ADM, Decatur, IL). At 21 d of age, birds were challenged
      with 1 * 105 live coccidial oocysts. Supplementation with whole yeast cell
      product decreased the fecal coccidial oocyst count at 7 (P = 0.05) and 8 (P <
      0.01) d post-challenge. In Experiment II, 27-week old Leghorn layer hens were fed
      3 experimental diets with 0, 0.05 or 0.1% whole yeast cell product and challenged
      with 1 * 105 live coccidial oocysts on d 25 of whole yeast cell product feeding.
      Supplementation with whole yeast cell product decreased the coccidial oocyst
      count in the intestinal content (P < 0.01) at 5, 13, and 38 d post-coccidial
      challenge. Supplementation with whole yeast cell product increased relative
      proportion of Lactobacillus (P < 0.01) in the cecal tonsils 13 d post-coccidial
      challenge. Supplementation with whole yeast cell product decreased CD8+ T cell
      percentages (P < 0.05) in the cecal tonsils at 5 d post-coccidial challenge. In
      Experiment III, 32-week-old Leghorn layer hens were fed 3 experimental diets with
      0, 0.1, or 0.2% whole yeast cell product and challenged with 1 * 105 live
      coccidial oocysts on d 66 of whole yeast cell product feeding. At 5 d post
      coccidial challenge, whole yeast cell product supplementation down-regulated (P =
      0.01) IL-10 mRNA amount. It could be concluded that supplementing whole yeast
      cell product can help minimize coccidial infection in both growing pullets and
      layer chickens.

PMID- 28339715
TI  - Determination of pre-cecal phosphorus digestibility of inorganic phosphates and
      bone meal products in broilers.
AB  - A broiler study was performed to determine the pre-cecal phosphorus (P)
      digestibility of 5 P sources, 3 from animal (Delfos, Calfos, and porcine bone
      meal) and 2 of inorganic (monocalcium phosphate [MCP] and dicalcium phosphate
      [DCP]) origin. Delfos is processed from bones resulting in a dicalcium phosphate
      product, and Calfos is processed from bones in which part of the gelatin is
      removed but in which the hydroxy-apatite matrix is preserved. During the first 14
      d, birds were housed in floor pens bedded with wood shavings and received a
      commercial starter diet. At d 14, broilers were randomly assigned to pens (0.9
      m2, 10 birds/pen) with a slatted floor. From d 14 onwards, one of the 6
      experimental diets (a basal diet, and 5 diets containing the P sources) was
      provided. Test diets were replicated 6 times, and the basal diet 8 times.
      Electron microscopy images of test products were made in order to verify whether
      the spatial structure of the test products could be related to the pre-cecal P
      digestibility of the same products. Diets met or exceeded CVB (2011) requirements
      for all nutrients except for P and were formulated to contain a calcium to total
      P ratio of between 1.4 and 1.6 and a minimal amount of phytate P. Diets contained
      5 g/kg titanium oxide as a marker to determine digestibility of P. At d 24 all
      birds were euthanized, after which the content of the terminal part of the ileum
      was sampled. The P digestibility was calculated by linear regression according to
      World's Poultry Science Association (WPSA) protocol for determination of pre
      cecal P digestibility. Pre-cecal P digestibility of MCP, DCP, Delfos, Calfos, and
      porcine bone meal was 88.5, 82.4, 94.5, 86.9, and 78.2%, respectively. Based on
      visual inspection of electron microscopy images of test products, the spatial
      structure of the test products might be related to P digestibility. It is
      concluded that processing of bone meal increases the pre-cecal P digestibility in
      broilers.

PMID- 28339717
TI  - Death of the sole doctor at Takano Hospital 6 years after the Fukushima nuclear
      crisis-who is responsible for health care delivery in the Fukushima disaster
      zone?

PMID- 28339716
TI  - Prevalence, antimicrobial resistance and genetic diversity of Campylobacter coli
      and Campylobacter jejuni in Ecuadorian broilers at slaughter age.
AB  - Thermotolerant Campylobacter spp. are a major cause of foodborne gastrointestinal
      infections worldwide. The linkage of human campylobacteriosis and poultry has
      been widely described. In this study we aimed to investigate the prevalence,
      antimicrobial resistance and genetic diversity of C. coli and C. jejuni in
      broilers from Ecuador. Caecal content from 379 randomly selected broiler batches
      originating from 115 farms were collected from 6 slaughterhouses located in the
      province of Pichincha during 1 year. Microbiological isolation was performed by
      direct plating on mCCDA agar. Identification of Campylobacter species was done by
      PCR. Minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) values for gentamicin, ciprofloxacin,
      nalidixic acid, tetracycline, streptomycin, and erythromycin were obtained.
      Genetic variation was assessed by RFLP-flaA typing and Multilocus Sequence Typing
      (MLST) of selected isolates. Prevalence at batch level was 64.1%. Of the positive
      batches 68.7% were positive for C. coli, 18.9% for C. jejuni, and 12.4% for C.
      coli and C. jejuni. Resistance rates above 67% were shown for tetracycline,
      ciprofloxacin, and nalidixic acid. The resistance pattern tetracycline,
      ciprofloxin, and nalidixic acid was the dominant one in both Campylobacter
      species. RFLP-flaA typing analysis showed that C. coli and C. jejuni strains
      belonged to 38 and 26 profiles respectively. On the other hand MLST typing
      revealed that C. coli except one strain belonged to CC-828, while C. jejuni
      except 2 strains belonged to 12 assigned clonal complexes (CCs). Furthermore 4
      new sequence types (STs) for both species were described, whereby 2 new STs for
      C. coli were based on new allele sequences. Further research is necessary to
      estimate the impact of the slaughter of Campylobacter positive broiler batches on
      the contamination level of carcasses in slaughterhouses and at retail in Ecuador.

PMID- 28339718
TI  - Increased Nuclear T2 Signal Intensity and Improved Function and Pain in a Patient
      One Year After an Intradiscal Platelet-Rich Plasma Injection.

PMID- 28339720
TI  - Readying the Profession for Changing Times.
AB  - Regardless of your political preferences, the 2016 election will, in part, be
      known for its revelation of great divides in our nation. The focus of this
      editorial is on the importance of promoting our collective social work values and
      positions over the next four years. The profession engages a wide spectrum of
      people across economic, political, social, and educational experiences. There are
      many who feel a sense of fear, anger, and concern about their safety and their
      place in this country, particularly those who sit at the intersection of multiple
      forms of oppression. It is important that social workers provide spaces for
      diverse populations to find not only comfort, but also strong advocacy. It is now
      more critical than ever for social workers to be proactive, to be engaged, and to
      follow through to promote social and economic justice. Using the best of our
      profession-the integration of micro, mezzo, and macro perspectives-will ensure
      our impact and make a positive contribution to resolving the priority issues of
      the profession and society.

PMID- 28339719
TI  - The Pepper WPP Domain Protein, CaWDP1, Acts as a Novel Negative Regulator of
      Drought Stress via ABA Signaling.
AB  - Plants are constantly challenged by various environmental stresses, including
      high salinity and drought, and they have evolved defense mechanisms to counteract
      the deleterious effects of these stresses. The plant hormone ABA regulates plant
      growth and developmental processes and mediates abiotic stress responses. Here,
      we report the identification and characterization of a novel CaWDP1 (Capsicum
      annuum) protein. The expression of CaWDP1 in pepper leaves was induced by ABA,
      drought and NaCl treatments, suggesting its role in the abiotic stress response.
      CaWDP1 proteins show conserved sequence homology with other known WDP1 proteins,
      and they are localized in the nucleus and cytoplasm. We generated CaWDP1-silenced
      peppers via virus-induced gene silencing (VIGS). We evaluated the responses of
      these CaWDP1-silenced pepper plants and CaWDP1-overexpressing (OX) transgenic
      Arabidopsis plants to ABA and drought. CaWDP1-silenced pepper plants displayed
      enhanced tolerance to drought stress, and this was characterized by low levels of
      leaf water loss in the drought-treated leaves. In contrast to CaWDP1-silenced
      plants, CaWDP1-OX plants exhibited an ABA-hyposensitive and drought-susceptible
      phenotype, which was accompanied by high levels of leaf water loss, low leaf
      temperatures, increased stomatal pore size and low expression levels of stress
      responsive genes. Our results indicate that CaWDP1, a novel pepper negative
      regulator of ABA, regulates the ABA-mediated defense response to drought stress.

PMID- 28339721
TI  - Analysis of professional competencies for the clinical research data management
      profession: implications for training and professional certification.
AB  - Objective: To assess and refine competencies for the clinical research data
      management profession. Materials and Methods: Based on prior work developing and
      maintaining a practice standard and professional certification exam, a survey was
      administered to a captive group of clinical research data managers to assess
      professional competencies, types of data managed, types of studies supported, and
      necessary foundational knowledge. Results: Respondents confirmed a set of 91
      professional competencies. As expected, differences were seen in job tasks
      between early- to mid-career and mid- to late-career practitioners. Respondents
      indicated growing variability in types of studies for which they managed data and
      types of data managed. Discussion: Respondents adapted favorably to the separate
      articulation of professional competencies vs foundational knowledge. The
      increases in the types of data managed and variety of research settings in which
      data are managed indicate a need for formal education in principles and methods
      that can be applied to different research contexts (ie, formal degree programs
      supporting the profession), and stronger links with the informatics scientific
      discipline, clinical research informatics in particular. Conclusion: The results
      document the scope of the profession and will serve as a foundation for the next
      revision of the Certified Clinical Data Manager TM exam. A clear articulation of
      professional competencies and necessary foundational knowledge could inform the
      content of graduate degree programs or tracks in areas such as clinical research
      informatics that will develop the current and future clinical research data
      management workforce.

PMID- 28339722
TI  - Prevalence and drug resistance of avian Eimeria species in broiler chicken farms
      of Zhejiang province, China.
AB  - In this study, coccidia were isolated and identified from 5 main poultry farms
      located in Zhejiang province, eastern China. The overall prevalence of Eimeria
      spp. was 30.7% (95 of 310). Five common species were observed: E. tenella, E.
      acervulina, E. maxima, E. necatrix, and E. mitis. Two isolates (HZ and QZ) were
      tested for sensitivity to 8 anticoccidial drugs using 4 indexes including
      anticoccidial index (ACI), percent of optimum anticoccidial activity (POAA),
      reduction of lesion scores (RLS), and relative oocyst production (ROP):
      sulfachloropyrazine, toltrazuril, diclazuril, sulfamonomethoxine/trimethoprim,
      and amprolium; sulfaquinoxaline/sulfadimethoxine, nicarbazin, and halofuginone.
      The results showed that the 2 isolates have developed various degrees of
      resistance to most of the tested drugs. The multi-resistance coccidia are a
      potential threat to local poultry farming. Rotation of anticoccidial drugs and
      shuttle programs are recommended to prevent further economic losses caused by
      coccidiosis.

PMID- 28339725
TI  - MiR-142-3p is a paracrine mediator between T cells and endothelium during
      allograft rejection.

PMID- 28339723
TI  - Leveraging molecular datasets for biomarker-based clinical trial design in
      glioblastoma.
AB  - Background: Biomarkers can improve clinical trial efficiency, but designing and
      interpreting biomarker-driven trials require knowledge of relationships among
      biomarkers, clinical covariates, and endpoints. We investigated these
      relationships across genomic subgroups of glioblastoma (GBM) within our
      institution (DF/BWCC), validated results in The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA), and
      demonstrated potential impacts on clinical trial design and interpretation.
      Methods: We identified genotyped patients at DF/BWCC, and clinical associations
      across 4 common GBM genomic biomarker groups were compared along with overall
      survival (OS), progression-free survival (PFS), and survival post-progression
      (SPP). Significant associations were validated in TCGA. Biomarker-based clinical
      trials were simulated using various assumptions. Results: Epidermal growth factor
      receptor (EGFR)(+) and p53(-) subgroups were more likely isocitrate dehydrogenase
      (IDH) wild-type. Phosphatidylinositol-3 kinase (PI3K)(+) patients were older, and
      patients with O6-DNA methylguanine-methyltransferase (MGMT)-promoter methylation
      were more often female. OS, PFS, and SPP were all longer for IDH mutant and MGMT
      methylated patients, but there was no independent prognostic value for other
      genomic subgroups. PI3K(+) patients had shorter PFS among IDH wild-type tumors,
      however, and no DF/BWCC long-term survivors were either EGFR(+) (0% vs 7%, P =
      .014) or p53(-) (0% vs 10%, P = .005). The degree of biomarker overlap impacted
      the efficiency of Bayesian-adaptive clinical trials, while PFS and OS
      distribution variation had less impact. Biomarker frequency was proportionally
      associated with sample size in all designs. Conclusions: We identified several
      associations between GBM genomic subgroups and clinical or molecular prognostic
      covariates and validated known prognostic factors in all survival periods. These
      results are important for biomarker-based trial design and interpretation of
      biomarker-only and nonrandomized trials.

PMID- 28339724
TI  - Three cis-Regulatory Motifs, AuxRE, MYCRS1 and MYCRS2, are Required for
      Modulating the Auxin- and Mycorrhiza-Responsive Expression of a Tomato GH3 Gene.
AB  - Auxin is well known to be a key regulator that acts in almost all physiological
      processes during plant growth, and in interactions between plants and microbes.
      However, to date, the regulatory mechanisms underlying auxin-mediated plant
      arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungi symbiosis have not been well deciphered.
      Previously we identified a GH3 gene, SlGH3.4, strongly responsive to both auxin
      induction and mycorrhizal symbiosis. Here, we reported a refined dissection of
      the SlGH3.4 promoter activity using the beta-glucuronidase (GUS) reporter. The
      SlGH3.4 promoter could drive GUS expression strongly in mycorrhizal roots of
      soybean and rice plants, and in IAA-treated soybean roots, but not in IAA-treated
      rice roots. A promoter deletion assay revealed three cis-acting motifs, i.e. the
      auxin-responsive element, AuxRE, and two newly identified motifs named MYCRS1 and
      MYCRS2, involved in the activation of auxin- and AM-mediated expression of
      SlGH3.4. Deletion of the AuxRE from the SlGH3.4 promoter caused almost complete
      abolition of GUS staining in response to external IAA induction. Seven repeats of
      AuxRE fused to the Cauliflower mosaic virus (CaMV) 35S minimal promoter could
      direct GUS expression in both IAA-treated and AM fungal-colonized roots of
      tobacco plants. Four repeats of MYCRS1 or MYCRS2 fused to the CaMV35S minimal
      promoter was sufficient to drive GUS expression in arbuscule-containing cells,
      but not in IAA-treated tobacco roots. In summary, our results offer new insights
      into the molecular mechanisms underlying the potential cross-talk between the
      auxin and the AM regulatory pathways in modulating the expression of AM
      responsive GH3 genes in diverse mycorrhizal plants.

PMID- 28339726
TI  - Effect of feeding soybean meal and differently processed peas on the gut mucosal
      immune system of broilers.
AB  - Peas are traditionally used as a protein source for poultry. However, peas
      contain antinutritional factors (ANF), which are associated with the initiation
      of local and systemic immune reactions. The current study examined the effect of
      feeding raw or differently processed peas in comparison with feeding a soybean
      meal (SBM) based control diet (C) on the gut mucosal immune system of broilers in
      a 35 day feeding trial. In six replicates, a total of 360 one-day-old male
      broilers were randomly allocated to four different groups receiving C, or three
      treatment diets containing raw, fermented, and enzymatically pre-digested peas,
      each supplying 30% of required crude protein. After slaughtering, jejunal samples
      were taken for immunohistochemical, flow cytometric, and gene expression
      analyses. Investigations were focused on the topological distribution of
      intraepithelial leukocytes (villus tip, villus mid, and crypt region) as well as
      on the further characterization of the different intraepithelial lymphocytes
      (IEL) and concomitant pro- and anti-inflammatory cytokines. Broilers receiving
      the raw or processed pea diets had higher numbers of intraepithelial CD45+
      leukocytes in the tip (P = 0.004) and mid region (P < 0.001) of villi than birds
      fed C. Higher numbers of intraepithelial CD3+ lymphocytes were found in the
      villus tip (P = 0.002) and mid region (P = 0.003) of birds fed raw or processed
      pea containing diets in comparison with those fed C. The flow cytometric
      phenotyping showed a similar relative distribution of IEL among the feeding
      groups. The expression of intestinal pro- and anti-inflammatory cytokines was
      affected by feeding the different diets only to a minor extent. To conclude,
      feeding of diets formulated with raw and processed peas in comparison with
      feeding a SBM control diet initiated mucosal immune responses in the jejunum of
      broilers indicated by a quantitative increase of intraepithelial T cells. Further
      research is needed in order to ascertain the specific factors which are
      responsible for observed local immune reactions and how these local reactions
      might affect the immune status and health of broilers.

PMID- 28339727
TI  - Rapid Decrease in Rates of Hospitalization Resulting From Invasive Pneumococcal
      Disease and Community-Acquired Pneumonia in Children Aged <60 Months After 13
      Valent Pneumococcal Conjugate Vaccine Introduction in Argentina.
AB  - Background: In January 2012, Argentina included universal pneumococcal
      vaccination in the routine childhood vaccination program using a 13-valent
      pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (PCV13). A 2 + 1 schedule (2 doses in the first
      year of life and a booster dose at 12 months of age) in children aged <2 years
      and 2-dose catch-up immunization in children aged 13 to 24 months was
      administered during the first year of vaccine introduction. The purpose of this
      study was to assess the burdens of invasive pneumococcal disease (IPD) and/or
      community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) in hospitalized children younger than 5 years
      during the first 2 years of the program compared to those in the prevaccination
      period in our setting. Methods: This was a multicenter, prospective, and
      descriptive study. Rates of hospitalization resulting from IPD and/or CAP in 5
      pediatric reference centers across the country were analyzed (every 10 000
      admissions). Clinical, epidemiologic, and microbiological data were recorded.
      Statistical analysis using Stata 8.0 was performed. Results: A comparison of
      rates of hospitalization resulting from global IPD and/or CAP in the prevaccine
      (2009-2011) and postvaccine (2012-2013) periods revealed significant decreases of
      50% (P = .003) and 51% (P < .0001), respectively. Significant decreases were also
      observed in number of hospitalizations resulting from empyema (39%; P = .03) and
      pneumococcal empyema (67.8%; P = .007); the reduction was not statistically
      significant for pneumococcal CAP (58%; P = .18). Hospital stays for IPD and/or
      CAP decreased by 56%. Conclusion: Rapid and significant decreases in the rates of
      hospitalization resulting from IPD and/or CAP during the first 2 years after
      PCV13 introduction were observed. A longer surveillance period is required to
      confirm these results and the effectiveness of the vaccination program.

PMID- 28339729
TI  - How to monitor safety and efficacy of biologic treatment in rare, therapy
      refractory immune-mediated inflammatory diseases?

PMID- 28339730
TI  - Nonne-Froin sign.

PMID- 28339728
TI  - Comparative expression of host defense peptides in turkey poults.
AB  - Host defense peptides (HDPs) are a large group of small, positively charged
      peptides that play an important role in innate immunity, particularly at early
      ages when other components of the immune system have not fully developed. There
      are 3 classes of avian HDPs: avian beta defensins (AvBDs), cathelicidins (Cath),
      and liver-expressed antimicrobial peptide 2 (LEAP-2). The objective was to
      compare expression of HDP mRNAs in male turkey poults at day of hatch (d 0), d 7,
      d 14, d 21 and d 28 from the thymus, spleen, bursa, duodenum, jejunum, and ileum.
      The expression of AvBD1, AvBD2, AvBD8, AvBD9, AvBD10, AvBD13, Cath2, Cath3, and
      LEAP-2 mRNA was measured using qPCR (n = 6 birds/tissue/age). Data were analyzed
      by one-way ANOVA and Tukey's test, and significance considered at P < 0.05. AvBDs
      and Caths exhibited greater expression in immune organs (thymus, spleen, and
      bursa) than intestinal tissues. In the thymus, expression of all AvBDs examined,
      except AvBD8, showed an increase from d 0 to d 21. In the spleen, AvBD1 and AvBD2
      exhibited reduced expression from d 0 to d 7 and low expression thereafter. In
      the intestine, AVBD1, AVBD8, and AvBD13 increased expression from d 0 to d 28 in
      the duodenum, while AvBD10 showed the greatest expression at d 0 that declined to
      d 7 and stayed low thereafter in the duodenum, jejunum, and ileum. Cath2 and
      Cath3 demonstrated the highest expression in the spleen, which was greatest at d
      0 then declined to d 7 through d 28. Conversely, LEAP-2 showed greater expression
      in the intestinal tissues than in the immune organs. LEAP-2 expression was
      upregulated from d 0 to d 7 and then remained elevated from d 7 through d 14 in
      the duodenum. In the jejunum, LEAP-2 increased from d 0 to d 21 and d 28.
      Understanding the differential expression of HDPs could reveal the innate immune
      status of turkey poults, and may subsequently allow improvement of their health
      through appropriate mitigation strategies.

PMID- 28339731
TI  - Obesity-associated cardiac pathogenesis in broiler breeder hens: Development of
      metabolic cardiomyopathy.
AB  - Feed intake is typically restricted (R) in broiler hens to avoid obesity and
      improve egg production and livability. To determine whether improved heart health
      contributes to improved livability, fully adult 45-week-old R hens were allowed
      to consume feed to appetite (ad libitum; AL) up to 10 wk (70 d). Mortality,
      contractile functions, and morphology at 70 d, and measurements of cardiac
      hypertrophic remodeling at 7 d and 21 d were made and compared between R and AL
      hens. Outcomes for cardiac electrophysiology and mortality, reported separately,
      found increased mortality in AL hens in association with cardiac pathological
      hypertrophy and contractile dysfunction. The present study aimed to delineate
      metabolic cardiomyopathies underlying the etiology of obesity-associated cardiac
      pathology. Metabolic measurements were made in hens continued on R rations or
      assigned to AL feeding after 7 d and 21 days. AL feeding increased plasma
      insulin, glucose, and non-esterified fatty acid (NEFA) concentrations by 21 d (P
      < 0.05). Metabolic cardiomyopathy in AL-hens was confirmed by cardiac
      triacylglycerol (TG) and ceramide accumulation consistent with up-regulation of
      related enzyme gene expressions, and by increased indices of oxidation stress (P
      < 0.05). In contrast to R hens, cardiac pyruvate dehydrogenase (PDH) activity and
      glucose transporter (GLUT) gene expressions increased progressively while
      carnitine palmitoyltransferase-1 (CPT-1) transcript levels in AL hens declined
      from 7 d to 21 d (P < 0.05), reflecting a shift from an oxidative to a more
      glycolytic metabolism, a typical metabolic derangement associated with cardiac
      hypertrophic remodeling. Cardiac pathogenesis in AL hens was further indicated by
      increased leukocyte infiltrates, interleukin-1beta (IL-1beta) and IL-6
      production, cellular apoptosis, interstitial fibrosis, and expression of the
      heart failure marker myosin heavy chain (MHC-beta; cardiac muscle beta) (P <
      0.05). Results support the conclusion that diabetic conditions, cardiac
      inflammation and lipotoxic metabolic derangements act as pathological cues to
      trigger pathogenic changes along cardiac hypertrophy in AL hens.

PMID- 28339733
TI  - A Two-phase mixture model of platelet aggregation.
AB  - We present a two-phase model of platelet aggregation in coronary-artery-sized
      blood vessels. The model tracks the number densities of three platelet
      populations as well as the concentration of a platelet activating chemical.
      Through the formation of elastic bonds, activated platelets can cohere with one
      another to form a platelet thrombus. Bound platelets in a thrombus move in a
      velocity field different from that of the bulk fluid. Stresses produced by the
      elastic bonds act on the bound platelet material. Movement of the bound platelet
      material and that of the background fluid are coupled through an interphase drag
      and an incompressibility constraint. The relative motion between bound platelets
      and the background fluid permits intraclot transport of individual platelets and
      activating chemical, allows the bound platelet density to reach levels much
      higher than the platelet density in the bulk blood, and allows thrombus formation
      to occur on a physiological timescale, all of which were precluded by our earlier
      single phase model. Computational results from the two-phase model indicate that
      through complicated fluid-structure interactions, the platelet thrombus can
      develop significant spatial inhomogeneities and that the amount of intraclot flow
      may greatly affect the growth, density, and stability of a thrombus.

PMID- 28339734
TI  - Correction.

PMID- 28339732
TI  - Exploring the in vivo digestion of plant proteins in broiler chickens.
AB  - The use of various protein sources (industry by-products, proteaginous) in
      poultry diets requires a greater understanding of protein digestion mechanisms.
      The aim of this study was to characterize the molecular actors required for
      protein digestion in broilers fed 4 different diets containing soybean meal,
      rapeseed meal, pea, or corn distiller's dried grain with solubles as the only
      protein source. The digesta of the digestive tract segments were collected and
      soluble proteins were analyzed by SDS-PAGE. SDS-PAGE analyses revealed 5
      ubiquitous bands in digesta of all digestive tract segments regardless of the
      diet, whereas 3 bands were diet-specific. The digesta of the jejunum were further
      submitted to proteomic analysis. Forty-two proteins of chicken origin and 17
      plant proteins were identified in digesta samples by mass spectrometry. Fifteen
      proteins of chicken origin were specific to one diet and 18 were common to all
      diets. By homology with mammals, these proteins are thought to be involved in
      protein, lipid, carbohydrate, and nucleic acid metabolism and also in intestinal
      homeostasis. Some of the 17 plant proteins were found to be not fully digested
      (soybean meal, rapeseed meal, and pea diets) and others were identified as
      protease inhibitors (soybean meal and pea diets). This study provides a
      comprehensive analysis of the physiological proteins involved in the digestion of
      4 protein sources used in broiler diets. Such an approach, combined with the
      analysis of insoluble components of these different protein sources, would
      contribute to define whether these protein sources could be more largely used in
      poultry nutrition. It also would allow identifying ways to improve their
      digestibility in broiler chickens (feed additives such as exogenous proteases or
      processing to inactivate anti-nutritional factors, for instance).

PMID- 28339735
TI  - Triage quality control is missing tools-a new observation technique for ED
      quality improvement.
AB  - Objective: Correct assessment of patient urgency is critical to ensuring patient
      safety in emergency departments (EDs). Although significant time and effort have
      been devoted to developing triage systems, less attention has been paid to the
      development of quality control. The aim of this study is to introduce and test
      observation technique, which enables identifying of patient groups at risk of
      erroneous assessment in triage. The introduced technique is aimed to be less
      laborious to use than existing triage quality control methods. Design: The study
      developed an observation technique for identifying patients with possible
      erroneous assessments in triage. Data sample for the observation technique is
      carried out with survey form filled in by nurse. Setting: Hospital ED with ~74
      000 patient visits annually. Participants: Consecutive adult patients in an ED
      for baseline study period of 14 days (1774 patients) in 2010 and control study
      period of 4 days (541 patients) in 2012. Intervention: Triage observation
      technique for continuous improvement of triage performance. Main Outcome
      Measures: Primary measures of triage improvement were triage accuracy and nurses'
      ability to predict patient admissions. Results: With the observation technique
      the ED staff was able to identify patient groups at risk for erroneous triage.
      Under-triage related mostly to patients with chest pain, shortness of breath,
      collapse, stomach pain and infections. Instead injures and muscular skeletal
      symptoms were seldom undertriaged even though they are common. Conclusions: EDs
      can control triage quality with simple observation technique. The usability of
      observation technique and triage quality improvement process were good.

PMID- 28339736
TI  - Extractions, retention and stability: the search for orthodontic truth.
AB  - Background and objectives: From the beginnings of modern orthodontics, questions
      have been raised about the extraction of healthy permanent teeth in order to
      correct malocclusions. A hundred years ago, orthodontic tooth extraction was
      debated with almost religious intensity by experts on either side of the issue.
      Sheldon Friel and his mentor Edward H. Angle both had much to say about this
      controversy. Today, after significant progress in orthodontic practice, similar
      arguments are being voiced between nonextraction expansionists and those who see
      the need for tooth extractions in some orthodontic patients. Furthermore, varying
      concepts of mechanical retention of treatment results have evolved over the years
      which have been misinterpreted as enhancing natural orthodontic stability.
      Materials and methods: In this essay, representing the Ernest Sheldon Friel
      Memorial Lecture presented in 2016 at the 92nd Congress of the European
      Orthodontic Society, a full spectrum of evidence from biology, anthropology and
      history is critically discussed in the search for truth among highly contested
      orthodontic variables: extraction versus nonextraction, fixed retention versus
      limited retention, and rationalized stability versus biological homeostasis.
      Conclusions and implications: Conscientious clinicians should try to develop
      individualized treatment plans for their patients, and not be influenced by
      treatment 'philosophies' with untested claims in clinical orthodontics.

PMID- 28339737
TI  - A Novel Chronic Opioid Monitoring Tool to Assess Prescription Drug Steady State
      Levels in Oral Fluid.
AB  - Objective: Interpretation limitations of urine drug testing and the invasiveness
      of blood toxicology have motivated the desire for the development of simpler
      methods to assess biologically active drug levels on an individualized patient
      basis. Oral fluid is a matrix well-suited for the challenge because collections
      are based on simple noninvasive procedures and drug concentrations better
      correlate to blood drug levels as oral fluid is a filtrate of the blood. Well
      established pharmacokinetic models were utilized to generate oral fluid steady
      state concentration ranges to assess the interpretive value of the alternative
      matrix to monitor steady state plasma oxycodone levels. Methods: Paired oral
      fluid and plasma samples were collected from patients chronically prescribed
      oxycodone and quantitatively analyzed by liquid chromatography tandem mass
      spectrometry. Steady state plasma concentration ranges were calculated for each
      donor and converted to an equivalent range in oral fluid. Measured plasma and
      oral fluid oxycodone concentrations were compared with respective matrix-matched
      steady state ranges, using each plasma steady state classification as the
      control. Results: A high degree of correlation was observed between matrices when
      classifying donors according to expected steady state oxycodone concentration.
      Agreement between plasma and oral fluid steady state classifications was observed
      in 75.6% of paired samples. This study supports novel application of basic
      pharmacokinetic knowledge to the pain management industry, simplifying and
      improving individualized drug monitoring and risk assessment through the use of
      oral fluid drug testing. Many benefits of established therapeutic drug monitoring
      in plasma can be realized in oral fluid for patients chronically prescribed
      oxycodone at steady state.

PMID- 28339738
TI  - A multi-biomarker score measuring disease activity in rheumatoid arthritis
      patients tapering adalimumab or etanercept: predictive value for clinical and
      radiographic outcomes.
AB  - Objective: The aim was to evaluate the predictive value of the baseline multi
      biomarker disease activity (MBDA) score in long-standing RA patients with low
      disease activity tapering TNF inhibitors (TNFi) for successful tapering or
      discontinuation, occurrence of flare and major flare, and radiographic
      progression. Methods: Dose REduction Strategies of Subcutaneous TNF inhibitors
      (Dutch Trial Register, NTR 3216) is an 18-month non-inferiority randomized
      controlled trial comparing tapering of TNFi until discontinuation or flaring with
      usual care (UC) in long-standing RA patients with stable low disease activity.
      Flare was defined as DAS28-CRP increase >1.2 or >0.6 if current DAS ?3.2; major
      flare was a flare lasting >3 months, despite treatment intervention. MBDA scores
      were measured at baseline. Radiographs were scored at baseline and 18 months
      using the Sharp-van der Heijde score. The area under the receiver operating
      characteristic (AUROC) curve was used to analyse the capability of baseline MBDA
      score to predict the above-mentioned outcomes. Results: Serum samples and
      outcomes were available for 171 of 180 patients from Dose REduction Strategies of
      Subcutaneous TNF inhibitors (115 tapering; 56 UC). AUROC analyses showed that
      baseline MBDA score was not predictive for the above-mentioned clinical outcomes
      in the taper group, but did predict major flare in the UC group (AUROC = 0.72,
      95% CI: 0.56, 0.88). Radiographic progression was minimal and was not predicted
      by MDBA score. Conclusion: In this disease activity-guided strategy study of TNFi
      tapering in RA patients with low disease activity, baseline MBDA score was not
      predictive for successful tapering, discontinuation, flare, major flare or
      radiographic progression in patients who tapered TNFi.

PMID- 28339739
TI  - Unabated occupational risk in a patient with rheumatoid pulmonary fibrosis.
AB  - Background: This case highlights the importance of considering hypersensitivity
      pneumonitis (HP) in the differential diagnosis of interstitial lung disease (ILD)
      and of obtaining an occupational history so that remediable risk factors may be
      identified and managed. Aims: To report a case of a chicken sexer with severe
      rheumatoid arthritis (RA) who developed progressively worsening dyspnoea and
      restrictive lung disease associated with pulmonary fibrosis. Methods: Clinical
      investigation included physical examination, occupational history, pulmonary
      function tests (PFTs), chest imaging and bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL), as well as
      serological tests including standard IgE bird feather mixture and local IgG
      precipitin preparation to chicken excrement. Lung histopathology was examined
      post-mortem. Results: The patient had worked as a chicken sexer for 29 years with
      limited control of exposure to chicken bioaerosols. PFTs initially showed mild
      restriction with a moderate gas transfer defect and computerized tomography of
      the chest exhibited extensive interstitial infiltrates throughout with severe
      honeycombing at the bases. Cytology from a BAL revealed multinucleated giant
      cells (MNGs). Specific serologic tests for bird antigens were negative.
      Histopathology demonstrated diffuse interstitial fibrosis with honeycombing,
      poorly formed granulomas and MNGs. Conclusions: Findings were consistent with a
      diagnosis of HP with RA-associated ILD. The patient's history of severe RA biased
      the diagnosis to one of RA-associated ILD and her occupational risk had been less
      emphatically addressed. Obtaining a thorough occupational history can uncover
      exposures to workplace respiratory hazards and may create opportunities for
      intervention to limit morbidity from chronic lung disease.

PMID- 28339740
TI  - Margin estimation and disturbances of irradiation field in layer-stacking carbon
      ion beams for respiratory moving targets.
AB  - Carbon-ion therapy by layer-stacking irradiation for static targets has been
      practised in clinical treatments. In order to apply this technique to a moving
      target, disturbances of carbon-ion dose distributions due to respiratory motion
      have been studied based on the measurement using a respiratory motion phantom,
      and the margin estimation given by the square root of the summation Internal
      margin2+Setup margin2 has been assessed. We assessed the volume in which the
      variation in the ratio of the dose for a target moving due to respiration
      relative to the dose for a static target was within 5%. The margins were
      insufficient for use with layer-stacking irradiation of a moving target, and an
      additional margin was required. The lateral movement of a target converts to the
      range variation, as the thickness of the range compensator changes with the
      movement of the target. Although the additional margin changes according to the
      shape of the ridge filter, dose uniformity of 5% can be achieved for a spherical
      target 93 mm in diameter when the upward range variation is limited to 5 mm and
      the additional margin of 2.5 mm is applied in case of our ridge filter. Dose
      uniformity in a clinical target largely depends on the shape of the mini-peak as
      well as on the bolus shape. We have shown the relationship between range
      variation and dose uniformity. In actual therapy, the upper limit of target
      movement should be considered by assessing the bolus shape.

PMID- 28339743
TI  - Application of bacteriophages to reduce Salmonella attachment and biofilms on
      hard surfaces.
AB  - This study evaluated the effectiveness of bacteriophage treatment for reducing
      Salmonella attachment and biofilms on hard surfaces. Bacteriophages (n = 6) were
      selected for bacteriophage treatment based on host ranges against Salmonella
      isolates (n = 10) obtained from rendering plants. The effectiveness of
      bacteriophage treatment (104-108 PFU/mL) was initially evaluated against strong
      Salmonella biofilm formers in 96-well microplate. Then, the bacteriophage
      treatment (109 PFU/mL) was applied for 7 d to reduce Salmonella attached to the
      stainless steel surfaces under laboratory and greenhouse conditions. The
      inhibition of biofilm formation and reduction of pre-formed biofilm in 96-well
      microplate with bacteriophage treatment reached up to 90 and 66%, respectively.
      Under laboratory conditions, bacteriophage treatment reduced up to 2.9 and 3.0
      log CFU/cm2 of attachment and slightly formed biofilm of selected top 10
      Salmonella strains and an avirulent Salmonella Typhimurium strain 8243,
      respectively, as compared with reductions of 3.4, 1.4, and 3.0 log CFU/cm2 of S.
      Typhimurium strain 8243 in summer, fall/winter, and spring seasons under
      greenhouse conditions, respectively. Clearly, bacteriophages were effective on
      reducing Salmonella attachment and biofilms formed on hard surfaces under both
      laboratory and greenhouse conditions. The use of bacteriophages on hard surfaces
      may have merits in reducing the likelihood of finished rendered products being
      recontaminated with Salmonella in rendering plants.

PMID- 28339742
TI  - Topiramate modulates post-infarction inflammation primarily by targeting
      monocytes or macrophages.
AB  - Aims: Monocytes/macrophages response plays a key role in post-infarction
      inflammation that contributes greatly to post-infarction ventricular remodelling
      and cardiac rupture. Therapeutic targeting of the GABAA receptor, which is
      enriched in monocytes/macrophages but not expressed in the myocardium, may be
      possible after myocardial infarction (MI). Methods and results: After MI was
      induced by ligation of the coronary artery, C57BL/6 mice were intraperitoneally
      administered with one specific agonist or antagonist of the GABAA receptor
      (topiramate or bicuculline), in the setting of presence or depletion of
      monocytes/macrophages. Our data showed that within the first 2 weeks after MI,
      when monocytes/macrophages dominated, in contrast with bicuculline, topiramate
      treatment significantly reduced Ly-6Chigh monocyte numbers by regulating splenic
      monocytopoiesis and promoted foetal derived macrophages preservation and
      conversion of M1 to M2 or Ly-6Chigh to Ly-6Clow macrophage phenotype in the
      infarcted heart, though GABAAergic drugs failed to affect M1/M2 or Ly-6Chigh/Ly
      6Clow macrophage polarization directly. Accordingly, pro-inflammatory activities
      mediated by M1 or Ly-6Chigh macrophages were decreased and reparative processes
      mediated by M2 or Ly-6Clow macrophages were augmented. As a result, post
      infarction ventricular remodelling was attenuated, as reflected by reduced
      infarct size and increased collagen density within infarcts. Echocardiographic
      indices, mortality and rupture rates were reduced. After depletion of
      monocytes/macrophages by clodronate liposomes, GABAAergic drugs exhibited no
      effect on cardiac dysfunction and surrogate clinical outcomes. Conclusion:
      Control of the GABAA receptor activity in monocytes/macrophages can potently
      modulate post-infarction inflammation. Topiramate emerges as a promising drug,
      which may be feasible to translate for MI therapy in the future.

PMID- 28339746
TI  - In vitro cytotoxic and ACE-inhibitory activities of promod 278P hydrolysate of
      ovotransferrin from chicken egg white.
AB  - Peptides released from egg proteins via enzymatic hydrolysis show various
      bioactivities such as antimicrobial, antioxidant, antihypertensive, and
      immunomodulatory properties. The objective of this study was to investigate the
      cytotoxic and Angiotensin Converting Enzyme (ACE)-inhibitory activities of
      ovotransferrin and its promod 278P enzyme hydrolysate. Ovotransferrin from egg
      white was hydrolyzed using promod 278P at 45 degrees C for 3 hours. Using the MTT
      assay, the cytotoxicity of ovotransferrin and promod 278P hydrolysate of
      ovotransferrin were evaluated in human cancer cell lines of various tissue
      origins. The ACE-inhibitory activity was determined using the cleavage of a
      chromogenic substrate -Hip-His-Leu. The promod 278P hydrolysate of ovotransferrin
      showed a potent cytotoxicity (>90%) at 20 mg/mL in all cancer cell lines tested,
      but ovotransferrin did not. The IC50 value of the promod 278P hydrolysate of
      ovotransferrin against 5 different cancer cells were 10.05 +/- 1.55, 3.45 +/-
      0.94, 4.43 +/- 1.87, 4.92 +/- 0.63, and 10.43 +/- 3.91 mg/mL for MCF-7, HeLa,
      HepG2, HT-29, and LoVo cells, respectively. The promod 278P hydrolysate of
      ovotransferrin showed a strong ACE-inhibiting activity: at 10 mg/mL level, the
      hydrolysate showed 76.82 +/- 1.28% inhibition to ACE-inhibitory activity, and
      73.33 +/- 2.56%, 56.85 +/- 1.84%, 50.32 +/- 3.71%, 17.30 +/- 0.13%, and 4.52 +/-
      6.83% inhibitory activity at 5, 2.5, 1.25, 0.625, and 0.3125 mg/mL level,
      respectively. The IC50 value of the promod 278P hydrolysate of ovotransferrin was
      1.53 +/- 0.20 mg/mL. However, ovotransferrin did not show any inhibitory effect
      to angiotensin-converting enzyme activity. This result indicated that the promod
      278P hydrolysate of ovotransferrin has a great potential as an anticancer and
      antihypertension agent for humans, but the information on the peptides
      responsible for the functional activities is not available yet.

PMID- 28339744
TI  - Determining the analytical specificity of PCR-based assays for the diagnosis of
      IA: What is Aspergillus?
AB  - A wide array of PCR tests has been developed to aid the diagnosis of invasive
      aspergillosis (IA), providing technical diversity but limiting standardisation
      and acceptance. Methodological recommendations for testing blood samples using
      PCR exist, based on achieving optimal assay sensitivity to help exclude IA.
      Conversely, when testing more invasive samples (BAL, biopsy, CSF) emphasis is
      placed on confirming disease, so analytical specificity is paramount. This
      multicenter study examined the analytical specificity of PCR methods for
      detecting IA by blind testing a panel of DNA extracted from a various fungal
      species to explore the range of Aspergillus species that could be detected, but
      also potential cross reactivity with other fungal species. Positivity rates were
      calculated and regression analysis was performed to determine any associations
      between technical specifications and performance. The accuracy of Aspergillus
      genus specific assays was 71.8%, significantly greater (P < .0001) than assays
      specific for individual Aspergillus species (47.2%). For genus specific assays
      the most often missed species were A. lentulus (25.0%), A. versicolor (24.1%), A.
      terreus (16.1%), A. flavus (15.2%), A. niger (13.4%), and A. fumigatus (6.2%).
      There was a significant positive association between accuracy and using an
      Aspergillus genus PCR assay targeting the rRNA genes (P = .0011). Conversely,
      there was a significant association between rRNA PCR targets and false positivity
      (P = .0032). To conclude current Aspergillus PCR assays are better suited for
      detecting A. fumigatus, with inferior detection of most other Aspergillus
      species. The use of an Aspergillus genus specific PCR assay targeting the rRNA
      genes is preferential.

PMID- 28339745
TI  - Chronic nasal Staphylococcus aureus carriage identifies a subset of newly
      diagnosed granulomatosis with polyangiitis patients with high relapse rate.
AB  - Objective: The aim of this study was to evaluate whether chronic nasal carriage
      of Staphylococcus aureus (SA) is related to relapses in patients with newly
      diagnosed ANCA-associated vasculitis (AAV). Methods: In two clinical trials (n =
      200), for early systemic (n = 83) and generalized (n = 117) AAV, nasal swabs were
      obtained monthly and at the time of a relapse. Chronic nasal SA carriage (CNSAC)
      was defined as ? 75% of cultures being SA positive, with non-carriers being SA
      negative in all cultures and remaining patients being intermittent carriers.
      Fifty-five of 200 (27.5%) patients received prophylactic
      trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole (T/S) against Pneumocystis jirovecii . Results: Of
      the total AAV patients, 24/200 (12%) were chronic, 102/200 (51%) intermittent and
      74/200 (37%) non-carriers. Of 65 relapsing patients, 10/24 (41.7%) were chronic,
      32/102 (31.4%) intermittent and 23/74 (31.1%) non-carriers (P = 0.59). For all
      AAV patients, CNSAC was not associated with an increased relapse risk [odds ratio
      (OR) = 1.57, 95% CI: 0.66, 3.76; P = 0.31]. However, 23/24 chronic carriers had
      granulomatosis with polyangiitis (GPA). In the 73 patients with generalized GPA
      (hazard ratio = 4.10, 95% CI: 1.37, 12.25; P = 0.01) and the 78 patients with
      early systemic GPA during immunosuppression (hazard ratio = 2.73, 95% CI: 0.95,
      7.87; P = 0.06), relapse rates were higher for chronic SA carriers. Prophylactic
      T/S was not associated with a reduced relapse risk (OR = 0.71, 95% CI: 0.36,
      1.41; P = 0.33). Nevertheless, prophylactic T/S reduced CNSAC (OR = 0.19, 95% CI:
      0.04, 0.91; P = 0.04). Conclusion: The frequency of CNSAC in newly diagnosed GPA
      paralleled that in the general population. This subset of GPA patients (23/151,
      15.2%) has a high relapse rate despite immunosuppression and prophylactic T/S
      treatment, requiring further investigations on pathogenesis and therapy.

PMID- 28339747
TI  - Deep learning for pharmacovigilance: recurrent neural network architectures for
      labeling adverse drug reactions in Twitter posts.
AB  - Objective: Social media is an important pharmacovigilance data source for adverse
      drug reaction (ADR) identification. Human review of social media data is
      infeasible due to data quantity, thus natural language processing techniques are
      necessary. Social media includes informal vocabulary and irregular grammar, which
      challenge natural language processing methods. Our objective is to develop a
      scalable, deep-learning approach that exceeds state-of-the-art ADR detection
      performance in social media. Materials and Methods: We developed a recurrent
      neural network (RNN) model that labels words in an input sequence with ADR
      membership tags. The only input features are word-embedding vectors, which can be
      formed through task-independent pretraining or during ADR detection training.
      Results: Our best-performing RNN model used pretrained word embeddings created
      from a large, non-domain-specific Twitter dataset. It achieved an approximate
      match F-measure of 0.755 for ADR identification on the dataset, compared to 0.631
      for a baseline lexicon system and 0.65 for the state-of-the-art conditional
      random field model. Feature analysis indicated that semantic information in
      pretrained word embeddings boosted sensitivity and, combined with contextual
      awareness captured in the RNN, precision. Discussion: Our model required no task
      specific feature engineering, suggesting generalizability to additional sequence
      labeling tasks. Learning curve analysis showed that our model reached optimal
      performance with fewer training examples than the other models. Conclusion: ADR
      detection performance in social media is significantly improved by using a
      contextually aware model and word embeddings formed from large, unlabeled
      datasets. The approach reduces manual data-labeling requirements and is scalable
      to large social media datasets.

PMID- 28339748
TI  - Genotype-based gene signature of glioma risk.
AB  - Background: Glioma accounts for 80% of malignant brain tumors, but its etiologic
      determinants remain elusive. Despite genetic susceptibility loci identified by
      genome-wide association study (GWAS), the agnostic approach leaves open the
      possibility that other susceptibility genes remain to be discovered. Here we
      conduct a gene-centric integrative GWAS (iGWAS) of glioma risk that combines
      transcriptomics and genetics. Methods: We synthesized a brain transcriptomics
      dataset (n = 354), a GWAS dataset (n = 4203), and an advanced glioma tumor
      transcriptomic dataset (n = 483) to conduct an iGWAS. Using the expression
      quantitative trait loci (eQTL) dataset, we built models to predict gene
      expression for the GWAS data, based on eQTL genotypes. With the predicted gene
      expression, iGWAS analyses were performed using a novel statistical method. Gene
      signature risk score was constructed using a penalized logistic regression model.
      Results: A total of 30527 transcripts were analyzed using the iGWAS approach.
      Four novel glioma susceptibility genes were identified with internal and external
      validation, including DRD5 (P = 3.0 * 10-79), WDR1 (P = 8.4 * 10-77), NOMO1 (P =
      1.3 * 10-25), and PDXDC1 (P = 8.3 * 10-24). The genotype-predicted transcription
      pattern between cases and controls is consistent with that between tumor and its
      matched normal tissue. The genotype-based 4-gene signature improved the
      classification between glioma cases and controls based on age, gender, and
      population stratification, with area under the receiver operating characteristic
      curve increasing from 0.77 to 0.85 (P = 8.1 * 10-23). Conclusion: A new genotype
      based gene signature of glioma was identified using a novel iGWAS approach, which
      integrates multiplatform genomic data as well as different genetic association
      studies.

PMID- 28339750
TI  - Downstream overdrive pacing and intracardiac concealed fusion to guide rapid
      identification of atrial tachycardia after atrial fibrillation ablation.
AB  - Aims: Atrial tachycardia (AT) related to atrial fibrillation (AF) ablation
      frequently poses a diagnostic challenge. Downstream overdrive pacing (DOP) can be
      used to rapidly detect reentry and assess proximity of a pacing site to an AT
      circuit or focus. We hypothesized that systematic DOP using multielectrode
      catheters would facilitate AT mapping. Methods and results: DOP identified
      constant fusion when the post-pacing interval (PPI)-tachycardia cycle length
      (TCL) <40 ms and stimulus to adjacent upstream atrial electrogram interval >75%
      of TCL. Mapping was performed as follows: (i) CS DOP, (ii) DOP at left atrial
      (LA) roof, (iii) DOP at selected LA sites based on prior DOP attempts, and (iv)
      mapping and ablation at regions of fractionated electrograms in region of AT.
      Activation mapping was performed at operator discretion. AT diagnosis was
      confirmed by successful ablation or additional mapping when ablation was
      unsuccessful. Fifty consecutive patients with sustained AT underwent mapping of
      68 ATs, of whom 42 (62%) were macroreentrant, 19 were locally reentrant (28%),
      and 7 (10%) were focal. AT was correctly identified with a median of three DOP
      attempts. All macroreentrant ATs were identified with <=6 DOP attempts. One AT
      (1.6%) was terminated by DOP, and three ATs (4.8%) required activation mapping.
      Intracardiac concealed fusion was seen in 26 ATs (38%), each of which was
      successfully ablated. Conclusion: Reentry could be demonstrated in a substantial
      majority of AF ablation-related AT. A stepwise diagnostic approach using DOP and
      recognition of intracardiac concealed fusion can be used to rapidly identify and
      ablate reentrant AT.

PMID- 28339749
TI  - Multi-generational genome wide association studies identify chromosomal regions
      associated with ascites phenotype.
AB  - Ascites is a multi-faceted disease commonly observed in fast growing broilers,
      which is initiated when the body is insufficiently oxygenated. A series of events
      follow, including an increase in pulmonary artery pressure, right ventricle
      hypertrophy, and accumulation of fluid in the abdominal cavity and pericardium.
      Advances in management practices along with improved selection programs have
      decreased ascites incidence in modern broilers. However, ascites syndrome remains
      an economically important disease throughout the world, causing estimated losses
      of $100 million per year. In this study, a 60 K Illumina SNP BeadChip was used to
      perform a series of genome wide association studies (GWAS) on the 16th and 18th
      generation of our relaxed (REL) line descended from a commercial elite broiler
      line beginning in 1995. Regions significantly associated with ascites incidence
      were identified on chromosome 2 around 70 megabase pairs (Mbp) and on chromosome
      Z around 60 Mbp. Five candidate single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNP) were
      evaluated as indicators for these 2 regions in order to identify association with
      ascites and right ventricle to total ventricle weight (RVTV) ratios. Chromosome 2
      SNP showed an association with RVTV ratios in males phenotyped as ascites
      resistant and ascites susceptible (P = 0.02 and P = 0.03, respectively). The
      chromosome Z region also indicates an association with resistant female RVTV
      values (P = 0.02). Regions of significance identified on chromosomes 2 and Z
      described in this study will be used as proposed candidate regions for further
      investigation into the genetics of ascites. This information will lead to a
      better understanding of the underlying genetics and gene networks contributing to
      ascites, and thus advances in ascites reduction through commercial breeding
      schemes.

PMID- 28339751
TI  - Changes in Secondhand Smoke Exposure After Smoke-Free Legislation (Spain, 2006
      2011).
AB  - Introduction: In 2011, the Spanish partial smoke-free legislation was extended to
      affect all enclosed settings, including hospitality venues and selected outdoor
      areas. This study evaluated the change in self-reported exposure to secondhand
      smoke among the adult, nonsmoking population. Methods: Two cross-sectional
      surveys were conducted on nationally representative samples of the adult (>=18
      years) nonsmoking Spanish population. One was conducted in 2006 (6 months after
      the first ban) and the other in 2011, 6 months after the new ban was implemented.
      We assessed the prevalence and 95% confidence interval (CI) of self-reported
      exposure to secondhand smoke in various settings, and the corresponding adjusted
      prevalence ratios (PR) and 95% CIs. Results: Overall, the self-reported exposure
      to secondhand smoke fell from 71.9% (95% CI: 70.1%-73.7%) in 2006 to 45.2% (95%
      CI: 43.1%-47.3%) in 2011 (PR = 0.43; 95% CI: 0.39-0.47). Specifically, self
      reported exposure significantly decreased from 29.2% to 12.7% (PR = 0.36; 95% CI:
      0.31-0.42) in the home, from 35.0% to 13.0% (PR = 0.40; 95% CI: 0.33-0.49) at
      work/education venues, from 56.2% to 32.2% (PR = 0.44; 95% CI: 0.39-0.48) during
      leisure time (mainly hospitality venues, but also venues other than
      work/education venues and home), and from 40.6% to 12.7% (PR = 0.24; 95% CI: 0.21
      0.29) in transportation vehicles/stations. Conclusions: The prevalence of
      secondhand smoke exposure among nonsmokers decreased after implementation of a
      comprehensive smoke-free legislation in Spain. In addition to the expected
      reduction in exposure during leisure time, we observed reductions in settings
      that were not subject to the new legislation, such as homes, outdoor bus stops,
      and train stations. Implications: Exposure to secondhand smoke in selected
      outdoor settings may be further reduced by extending smoke-free legislation.

PMID- 28339752
TI  - Testing Shoulder Pain Mapping.
AB  - Objective: A previous study on shoulder pain mapping showed specific pain
      patterns for common shoulder disorders. This study aimed to test those patterns
      for accuracy, modify shoulder pain mapping as needed, and observe their
      reliability and validity. Methods: This prospective study used a two-step process
      and was undertaken to determine its potential utility in daily practice. New
      shoulder pain patients marked their pain, its character and severity, on a custom
      made mapping form. Then a researcher blinded to the diagnoses gave their
      estimations on the basis of previously established maps, and they were correlated
      with final diagnoses. Subsequently, a guide table was developed on how to read
      the maps, and intertester reliability was performed with three independent
      testers. Results: The study included 194 patients, and the overall accuracy for
      estimations was between 45.4% and 49.5%. The sensitivity was high, especially for
      instability, followed by calcific tendinitis, acromio-calvicular joint pathology,
      and impingement. The intertester reliability showed clinically significant
      agreement between testers for both disease groups (kappa = 0.70) and individual
      disorders (kappa = 0.52). Conclusions: This was a unique and extensive study on
      shoulder pain mapping. The study concluded that pain mapping could be a useful
      adjunct to the clinical assessment of patients with shoulder pain and can be used
      in the primary care setting as well as secondary care and for research.

PMID- 28339753
TI  - In-ovo monochromatic green light photostimulation enhances embryonic somatotropic
      axis activity.
AB  - Previous studies demonstrated that in ovo photostimulation with monochromatic
      green light increases body weight and accelerates muscle development in broilers.
      The mechanism in which in ovo photostimulation accelerates growth and muscle
      development is not clearly understood. The objective of the current study was to
      define development of the somatotropic axis in the broiler embryo associated with
      in ovo green light photostimulation. Two-hundred-forty fertile broiler eggs were
      divided into 2 groups. The first group was incubated under intermittent
      monochromatic green light using light-emitting diode (LED) lamps with an
      intensity of 0.1 W?m2 at shell level, and the second group was incubated under
      dark conditions and served as control. In ovo green light photostimulation
      increased plasma growth hormone (GH) and prolactin (PRL) levels, as well as
      hypothalamic growth hormone releasing hormone (GHRH), liver growth hormone
      receptor (GHR), and insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1) mRNA levels. The in ovo
      photostimulation did not, however, increase embryo's body weight, breast muscle
      weight, or liver weight. The results of this study suggest that stimulation with
      monochromatic green light during incubation increases somatotropic axis
      expression, as well as plasma prolactin levels, during embryonic development.

PMID- 28339755
TI  - Assessing the impact of egg sweating on Salmonella Enteritidis penetration into
      shell eggs.
AB  - Salmonella Enteritidis (SE) prevalence in eggs is a major concern to the egg
      industry. Some research has shown that egg sweating can increase Salmonella
      penetration into egg contents when refrigerated eggs are moved to a warmer
      temperature. This occurs when eggs are tempered before wash, to minimize thermal
      cracks. The effect of egg sweating on SE penetration into shell eggs over a 6
      week storage period at 4 degrees C was assessed. A 2 * 2 factorial of SE
      inoculation and egg sweating was utilized. Treatments included (SES) nalidixic
      acid (NA)-resistant SE inoculated and sweated, (SENS) NA-resistant SE inoculated
      and not sweated, (NSES) buffered peptone water (BPW) inoculated and sweated, and
      (NSENS) BPW inoculated and not sweated. Eggs were inoculated with 108 SE. Eggs
      formed condensation for approximately 17 min in a 32 degrees C incubator. Shell
      rinse, shell emulsion, and egg contents were sampled then enumerated and assessed
      for prevalence of SE over a 6 wk storage period at 4 degrees C. After wk 1, the
      SENS shell rinse had higher SE counts (0.32 log10 CFU/mL) than the other 3
      treatments, where no SE was enumerated. A significant week by treatment
      interaction was found for the shell rinse SE detection (P < 0.05). In subsequent
      weeks, no SE counts were obtained from the egg shell rinse, shell emulsion, or
      egg contents. The SENS shell rinses had significantly higher SE prevalence than
      the SES rinses in weeks 1 (100% vs. 34.3%), 2 (57.6% vs. 22.2%), and 3 (38.2% vs.
      11.1%) (P < 0.05). In samples from weeks 4, 5, and 6, there was no difference in
      SE prevalence between SES and SENS. Egg sweating did not increase SE penetration
      into the shell emulsion across treatment or week (P < 0.05). The decreasing trend
      of SE prevalence obtained over the study period indicate that refrigeration is
      effective at inhibiting SE growth. These results indicate that egg sweating
      occurring under common US egg handling practices is not harmful to egg safety.

PMID- 28339754
TI  - Expression of deep brain photoreceptors in the Pekin drake: a possible role in
      the maintenance of testicular function.
AB  - Several putative deep brain photoreceptors (DBPs) have been identified, such as
      melanopsin, opsin 5, and vertebrate ancient opsin. The aim of this study was to
      elucidate the role of DBPs in gonadal regulation in the Pekin drake. As
      previously reported, we observed opsin-like immunoreactivity (-ir) in the lateral
      septum (LS), melanopsin-ir in the premammillary nucleus (PMM), and opsin 5-ir in
      the periventricular organ. To determine the sensitivity of the DBPs to specific
      wavelengths of light, drakes were given an acute exposure to red, blue, or white
      light. Blue light stimulated an increase (P < 0.01) in the immediate early gene
      fra-2-ir co-expression in melanopsin-ir neurons in the PMM, and red light
      increased (P < 0.05) fra-2-ir co-expression in opsin-ir neurons, suggesting these
      neurons are blue- and red-receptive, respectively. To further investigate this
      photoperiodic response, we exposed drakes to chronic red, long-day white, short
      day white, or blue light. Blue light elicited gonadal regression, as testes
      weight (P < 0.001) and plasma luteinizing hormone (LH) levels (P < 0.001) were
      lower compared to drakes housed under long-day white light. Photo-regressed
      drakes experienced complete gonadal recrudescence when housed under long-day red
      and blue light. qRT-PCR analyses showed that gonadally regressed drakes showed
      reduced levels (P < 0.01) of gonadotropin releasing hormone (GnRH) mRNA but not
      photoreceptor or GnIH mRNAs compared to gonadally functional drakes. Our data
      suggest DBP in the LS may be rhodosin and multiple DBPs are required to fully
      maintain gonadal function in Pekin drakes.

PMID- 28339757
TI  - Bone characteristics, histopathology, and chondrocyte apoptosis in femoral head
      necrosis induced by glucocorticoid in broilers.
AB  - Femoral head necrosis (FHN) is a common disorder in fast-growing broilers in the
      poultry industry, but the pathogenesis of FHN has not been clarified completely.
      In the present study, glucocorticoid (GC) administration was used to induce FHN
      in broilers. Compared with normal birds, histopathology showed that the length of
      the articular cartilage of GC-induced FHN broilers was thicker while the
      proliferative zone and prehypertrophic zone were obviously thinner. Moreover,
      hematoxylin and eosin (HE) staining showed the apoptotic chondrocyte in the
      growth plate of the femoral head in FHN-affected birds. Bone parameters also
      decreased significantly in GC-induced FHN broilers. In addition, as for the mRNA
      expression, GC-induced FHN broilers had an apparent reduction in Col-II, Col-X,
      and Bcl-2 but a significant promotion of Caspase-3, Caspase-9, ASK-1, and JNK-1
      when compared with the normal birds. It showed glucocorticoid induced FHN in
      broilers by affecting the proliferation, differentiation, and apoptosis of
      chondrocytes accompanying the retarding of bone growth.

PMID- 28339756
TI  - Molecular diagnosis of Pneumocystis pneumonia in dogs.
AB  - Pneumocystis pneumonia (PCP) is a life-threatening fungal disease that can occur
      in dogs. The aim of this study was to provide a preliminary genetic
      characterisation of Pneumocystis carinii f.sp.'canis' (P. canis) in dogs and
      thereby develop a reliable molecular protocol to definitively diagnose canine
      PCP. We investigated P. canis in a variety of lung specimens from dogs with
      confirmed or strongly suspected PCP (Group 1, n = 16), dogs with non-PCP lower
      respiratory tract problems (Group 2, n = 65) and dogs not suspected of having PCP
      or other lower respiratory diseases (Group 3, n = 11). Presence of Pneumocystis
      DNA was determined by nested PCR of the large and small mitochondrial subunit
      rRNA loci and by a real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) assay
      developed using a new set of primers. Molecular results were correlated with the
      presence of Pneumocystis morphotypes detected in cytological/histological
      preparations. Pneumocystis DNA was amplified from 13/16 PCP-suspected dogs (Group
      1) and from 4/76 dogs of control Groups 2 and 3 (combined). The latter four dogs
      were thought to have been colonized by P. canis. Comparison of CT values in
      'infected' versus 'colonized' dogs was consistent with this notion, with a
      distinct difference in molecular burden between groups (CT <= 26 versus CT range
      (26 <CT < 35), respectively). Phylogenetic analyses showed that P. canis is
      specifically 'canine' associated, being separated from other mammalian
      Pneumocystis species, thereby confirming the accuracy of qPCR amplicon for
      Pneumocystis in dogs. Using qPCR, Pneumocystis DNA can be detected in specimens
      from the respiratory tract and a CT value can be interpreted to distinguish
      infection versus colonization.

PMID- 28339758
TI  - Safety and efficacy of the new bidirectional rotational Evolution(r) mechanical
      lead extraction sheath: results from a multicentre Italian registry.
AB  - Aims: The aim of this prospective multicentre study is to evaluate safety and
      efficacy of the new bidirectional rotational mechanical lead extraction (LE)
      sheath (Evolution RL, Cook Medical, USA) in chronically implanted leads (>1-year
      old leads). Methods and results: Between September 2013 and June 2016, a total of
      238 leads in 124 consecutive patients were removed by using the new Evolution RL
      rotational mechanical sheath. Indications for LE were cardiac device infection in
      63 (50.8%) cases, lead malfunction in 41 (33.1%), upgrade in 1 (0.8%) case and
      for other reasons in the remaining 19 cases (15.3%). Ninety-one leads (38.2%)
      were implantable cardioverter defibrillator leads (81 dual coil vs. 10 single
      coil), 38 (16%) right ventricular leads, 86 (36.1%) right atrial leads, and 23
      (9.7%) coronary sinus leads. The mean implant duration was 92.2 +/- 52.9 months
      (range 12-336). 91.6% of the leads (218/238) were extracted completely with the
      Evolution RL alone, with the complete success rate rising to 98.7% (235/238
      leads) with combined use of a snare. Overall clinical success rate was 100%. No
      Evolution sheath-related complications were noted. There were no deaths or major
      complications. Five minor complications (4%) were encountered. In cases of
      companion leads no wrapping or lead damage were observed. Conclusion: On the
      basis of our prospective multicentre study, the new hand-powered bidirectional
      rotational mechanical LE sheath is an effective and safe tool for the extraction
      of chronically implanted leads without major complications and lead wrapping or
      lead damage.

PMID- 28339759
TI  - Performance and anticoccidial effects of nicarbazin-fed broilers reared at
      standard or reduced environmental temperatures.
AB  - A series of 4 floor pen studies was conducted to evaluate the effects of
      environmental temperature modification on nicarbazin (NIC) responses in broiler
      chickens raised to 28 d of age. Birds were reared at either standard temperatures
      (recommended by the primary breeder for ages zero to 28 d) or at 3 degrees C
      below this level. From placement to 28 d, birds were provided feeds containing
      zero, 100, or 125 ppm NIC, comprising a 2 * 3 factorial arrangement in each test.
      Two of the trials were conducted in the presence of an imposed coccidial
      challenge and 2 were conducted in healthy animals. At 18 and 28 d of age,
      performance was recorded; cloacal temperatures were measured at 7, 14, 21, and 26
      days. Mortality data were collected daily and coccidial lesions were scored at 6
      d post challenge. Results of these studies revealed that NIC improved coccidial
      lesion scores regardless of environmental temperature. In the absence of
      coccidial challenge, NIC depressed performance, but reductions in environmental
      temperature diminished the magnitude of these responses. Under conditions of
      coccidial challenge, NIC significantly improved body weight gains in both
      temperature environments. Compared to standard temperature conditions, lower
      environmental temperatures exerted a positive effect on feed conversion rates of
      NIC-fed broilers. Birds reared in the low temperature environment exhibited lower
      cloacal temperatures than standard environment groups throughout the test period.
      Irrespective of coccidial challenge, lower environmental temperatures
      significantly reduced nicarbazin mortality compared to standard temperature
      groups, resulting in a significant nicarbazin x temperature interaction. This
      finding indicates that temperature modification is a practical method for
      minimizing mortality over the course of 28-day nicarbazin usage.

PMID- 28339760
TI  - Ultrastructural immunohistochemical study of L-type amino acid transporter 1-4F2
      heavy chain in tumor microvasculatures of N-butyl-N-(4-hydroxybutyl) nitrosamine
      (BBN) induced rat bladder carcinoma.
AB  - Angiogenesis is essential for tumor growth, and an enhanced vasculature supplying
      nutrients and oxygen might reflect malignant potential. L-type amino acid
      transporter 1 (LAT1/4F2hc) comprises a major nutrient transport system
      responsible for the Na+-independent transport of large neutral amino acids.
      Seventy five to seventy eight percent N-butyl-N-(4-hydroxybutyl) nitrosamine
      induced rat bladder carcinoma cells showed high LAT1/4F2hc expression. While the
      intracarcinoma microvasculatures of fenestrated endothelial cells highly
      expressing LAT1/4F2hc might progressively transport essential amino acids from
      the microvasculatures to the extracellular matrix, non-fenestrated endothelial
      cells and pericytes did not. The present study revealed that the tumor
      angiogenesis is one of target anti-L-type amino acid transporter 1 drug.

PMID- 28339761
TI  - Combined modality therapy in Stage IIIA non-small cell lung cancer: clarity or
      confusion despite the highest level of evidence?
AB  - Recent years have witnessed a number of clinical trials in Stage IIIA non-small
      cell lung cancer (NSCLC) comparing (A) induction chemotherapy (CHT) with
      induction CHT and radiotherapy (RT), each followed by surgery; (B) either
      induction CHT or induction RT-CHT, each followed by surgery, with definitive RT
      CHT (no surgery). Due to the heterogeneity of patient, tumor and treatment
      characteristics across these trials, various meta-analyses (MAs) have been
      performed to define the optimal treatment approach in this setting for this
      clinical presentation. Six such MAs exist. In spite of the differences between
      MAs, it appears that RT does not add extra benefit to induction CHT administered
      before surgery, and that a trimodality (i.e. including surgery) regimen is not
      superior to definitive concurrent RT-CHT. While one can consider both induction
      CHT followed by surgery and exclusive concurrent RT-CHT as feasible in this
      setting, lack of pre-treatment predictive factors identifying patients who might
      preferentially benefit from a surgical approach limits its use to well-planned
      clinical trials.

PMID- 28339762
TI  - Maternal and genetic effects on broiler bone properties during incubation period.
AB  - In order to examine the differences in bone properties between fast-growing and
      slow-growing broiler embryos and to understand the effects of genotype and egg
      size on these differences, fast- and slow-growing hens and males were
      reciprocally crossed to create 4 egg groups: FST (laid by fast-growing hens,
      inseminated by fast-growing males), H-FST (fast-growing hens and slow-growing
      males), H-SLW (slow-growing hens and fast-growing males), and SLW (slow-growing
      hens and slow-growing males). Embryos (n = 8) from these 4 groups were sacrificed
      and weighed, and both tibiae were harvested on embryonic d (E) 17, 19, and 21.
      Left tibiae were tested for their whole-bone mechanical properties using a
      micromechanical device. Cortical bone structure and bone mineral density (BMD)
      were examined by micro-computed tomography of the left tibiae. Bone
      mineralization was evaluated by measuring BMD and ash content, while the rate and
      location of mineralization were evaluated by fluorochrome labeling. Osteoclastic
      activity and osteocyte density were evaluated by histological stains [TRAP
      (Tartrate resistant acid phosphatase) and H&E (Hematoxylin and Eosin),
      respectively]. Groups with larger eggs (FST and H-FST) had higher BW and tibia
      weight than groups with smaller eggs (SLW and H-SLW); however, they had a lower
      ratio of tibia weight to BW. Between groups with similar egg weight, stiffness,
      maximal load, and yield load of the bones were higher in the SLW than the H-SLW,
      while no differences were found between the FST and H-FST. Additionally, the
      tibiae of the SLW were stiffer and their osteocyte density higher than in the FST
      on E21 and their periosteal mineralization rate was higher between E19 and E21.
      No differences were found between the groups in cortical bone structure. This
      study demonstrates that faster growing hatchlings, especially those that hatch
      from relatively small eggs, have inferior bone mechanical properties in
      comparison to slower growing hatchlings, and suggests that fast-growing chicks
      hatching from small eggs are at a higher risk for developing bone pathologies.
      Accordingly, selection for increased egg size may lead to improved mechanical
      performance of the skeleton of fast-growing broilers.

PMID- 28339765
TI  - STEM moire analysis for 2D strain measurements.
AB  - A moire pattern is created in a scanning transmission electron microscope (STEM)
      when the scan step is close to a crystalline periodicity. Usually, fringes are
      visible in only one direction, corresponding to a single set of lattice planes,
      but fringes can be formed in two directions or more. Using an accurate
      independent calibration, the strains in silicon devices have been determined from
      the spacing and orientation of one-directional STEM moire fringes. In this
      report, we first discuss the origin of the STEM moire, and then we show how an
      accurate calibration of the scan step can be obtained from the STEM moire pattern
      itself, providing that we know initially only an approximate scan step and the
      planar spacing. The new calibration scheme also makes the STEM moire experiments
      easier, since it can be applied for the moire where the scan direction is not
      precisely aligned with the crystalline lattice. Finally, we show how the two
      dimensional strain information will be readily extracted from two one-directional
      moire patterns using the concept of geometric phase.

PMID- 28339763
TI  - Long-term care is increasingly concentrated in the last years of life: a change
      from 2000 to 2011.
AB  - Background: The use of long-term care (LTC) is common in very old age and in the
      last years of life. It is not known how the use pattern is changing as death is
      being postponed to increasingly old age. The aim is to analyze the association
      between the use of LTC and approaching death among old people and the change in
      this association from 2000 to 2011. Methods: The data were derived from national
      registers. The study population consists of 315 458 case-control pairs. Cases
      (decedents) were those who died between 2000 and 2011 at the age of 70 years or
      over in Finland. The matched controls (survivors) lived at least 2 years longer.
      Use of LTC was studied for the last 730 days for decedents and for the same
      calendar days for survivors. Conditional logistic regression analyses were
      performed to test the association of LTC use with decedent status and year.
      Results: The difference in LTC use between decedents and survivors was smallest
      among the oldest (OR 9.91 among youngest, 4.96 among oldest). The difference
      widened from 2000 to 2011 (OR of interaction of LTC use and year increased): use
      increased or held steady among decedents, but decreased among survivors.
      Conclusions: The use of LTC became increasingly concentrated in the last years of
      life during the study period. The use of LTC is also common among the oldest
      survivors. As more people live to very old age, the demand for LTC will increase.

PMID- 28339766
TI  - Higher bioavailability of doxycycline in broiler chickens with a novel in-feed
      pharmaceutical formulation.
AB  - Bioavailability of a new, long-acting (LA) pharmaceutical preparation for
      administering doxycycline as in-feed medication to broiler chickens was compared
      to the standard in-feed administration of doxycycline. A commercial poultry house
      harboring Ross-308 broiler chickens, weighing 450 g, was divided into 7 sections
      as follows: doxy-FOLA group (n = 6,000 chickens divided into 3 replicates)
      medicated with 10% doxycyline, long-acting pellets at a dose of 400 g of
      doxycycline HCl/ton of food, resulting in a calculated dose of 48 mg/kg for 5 d;
      doxy-ref group (n = 6,000, divided into 3 replicates) medicated as for doxy-FOLA,
      but using a 20% commercial preparation of doxycycline. A third group of 300
      broiler chickens (divided into 3 replicates), received a single IV dose of 48
      mg/kg from a 2.4% solution of doxycycline HCl under ketamine anesthesia. Blood
      samples were obtained at designated times, serum was harvested, and doxycycline
      concentrations determined by high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC).
      Bioavailability values were 156% and 227% on d 1 and 5 for doxy-FOLA and 13% and
      23% for doxy-ref, on the same days. Mean residence time (MRT) and elimination
      half-life (T1/2beta) were statistically different (P < 0.05) in doxy-FOLA group
      as compared to doxy-ref group (MRT: 26 h and 5.2 h; and T1/2beta: 18 h vs 3 h, on
      the first day for doxy-FOLA and doxy-ref, respectively). Based on 3 levels of
      bacterial sensitivity of E. coli derived from a small survey carried out (i.e.,
      1.0, 2.0, and 4.0 MUg/mL) and considering pharmacokinetic/pharmacodynamic (PK/PD)
      ratios required for this time-dependent antibacterial drug, it is possible to
      postulate that doxy-FOLA outstrips the reference preparation maintaining higher
      and more prolonged serum concentrations of doxycycline and consequently complying
      better with PK/PD ratios regarded as optimal for this drug. The advantages of
      using doxy-FOLA in poultry medicine include a more comprehensive use of the
      active principle, which in turn should have a better impact on bacterial
      diseases. Yet, a longer withdrawal time is anticipated based on an almost 4-fold
      increment in the MRT value.

PMID- 28339767
TI  - Accounting for overdispersion when determining primary care outliers for the
      identification of chronic kidney disease: learning from the National Chronic
      Kidney Disease Audit.
AB  - Background: Early diagnosis of chronic kidney disease (CKD) facilitates best
      management in primary care. Testing coverage of those at risk and translation
      into subsequent diagnostic coding will impact on observed CKD prevalence. Using
      initial data from 915 general practitioner (GP) practices taking part in a UK
      national audit, we seek to apply appropriate methods to identify outlying
      practices in terms of CKD stages 3-5 prevalence and diagnostic coding. Methods:
      We estimate expected numbers of CKD stages 3-5 cases in each practice, adjusted
      for key practice characteristics, and further inflate the control limits to
      account for overdispersion related to unobserved factors (including unobserved
      risk factors for CKD, and between-practice differences in coding and testing).
      Results: GP practice prevalence of coded CKD stages 3-5 ranges from 0.04 to 7.8%.
      Practices differ considerably in coding of CKD in individuals where CKD is
      indicated following testing (ranging from 0 to 97% of those with and glomerular
      filtration rate  <60 mL/min/1.73 m 2 ). After adjusting for risk factors and
      overdispersion, the number of  'extreme' practices is reduced from 29 to 2.6% for
      the low-coded CKD prevalence outcome, from 21 to 1% for high-uncoded CKD stage
      and from 22 to 2.4% for low total (coded and uncoded) CKD prevalence. Thirty-one
      practices are identified as outliers for at least one of these outcomes. These
      can then be categorized into practices needing to address testing, coding or data
      storage/transfer issues. Conclusions: GP practice prevalence of coded CKD shows
      wide variation. Accounting for overdispersion is crucial in providing useful
      information about outlying practices for CKD prevalence.

PMID- 28339769
TI  - Incidence and potential risk factors for hospital-acquired pneumonia in an
      emergency department of surgery.
AB  - Objective: Hospital-acquired pneumonia (HAP) is associated with high mortality
      and is the second most common nosocomial infection. The aim of this study was to
      calculate the incidence and to identify potential risk factors for HAP in an
      emergency ward for surgical patients admitted because of acute abdomen or trauma.
      Design: A structured review of medical records was conducted. Patients diagnosed
      with pneumonia >48 h after admittance, were compared with a randomly chosen age
      matched reference group. Ten variables judged as potential risk factors for HAP
      were studied in 90 patients. Setting: An emergency ward for surgical patients
      with acute abdomen or trauma at an Univerity hospital in Sweden. Participants: A
      total of 90 patients with HAP and 120 age-matched controls were included. Main
      Outcome Measures: Risk factors for HAP in patients at a surgical clinic. Results:
      Of a total of 10 335 admitted patients, during 4.5 years the hospital stay was
      longer than 48 h in 4961 patients. Of these 90 (1.8%) fulfilled the strict
      criteria for HAP. Potential risk factors were suspected or verified aspiration
      (odds ratio (OR): 23.9) that was 2-fold higher than immobilization (OR: 11.2).
      Further, chronic pulmonary obstructive disease (COPD)/asthma, abdominal surgery
      and gastric retention/vomiting were risk factors for HAP. Conclusion: Verified or
      suspected aspiration was the dominating risk factor for HAP but also
      immobilization was frequently associated with HAP. Various established preventive
      measures should be implemented in the nursing care to reduce the frequency of
      HAP.

PMID- 28339770
TI  - Characterization of indigenous Aseel chicken breed for morphological, growth,
      production, and meat composition traits from India.
AB  - Aseel is an important native chicken breed of India, known for its martial
      qualities (aggressive fighting abilities), pugnacity, and majestic gait. The aim
      of the study is to conserve and characterize the Aseel germplasm, which is
      considered to be endangered. The birds were maintained on deep litter under a
      simulated backyard type of housing having night shelter and a free-range area. A
      total of 313 chicks produced in the second generation from the flock collected
      from native tract in Andhra Pradesh was characterized for morphological, growth,
      production, and meat quality parameters. Aseel birds were characterized by
      multicolored plumage (predominantly dark brown, black, golden, etc.) with solid
      feather patterns and normal distribution. Ear lobes were red (92%) and small in
      size, while 98% of the birds had red colored pea combs with variations in
      intensity of color. The shank color was yellow in the majority (65%) of the
      birds. The skin color was white (98%) with pinkish red coloration on exposed body
      parts, especially on the breast. The fertility and hatchability on total eggs
      were 67.2 and 41.4%, respectively. Cocks were heavier (P <= 0.05) with distinct
      sexual dimorphism in Aseel. The body weight of hens and cocks was 1,704.4 +/-
      23.2 and 2,702.5 +/- 28.1 g at 40 wk and 2,333.7 +/- 26.1 and 3,793.7 +/- 20.8 g
      at 72 wk of age, respectively. The age at sexual maturity was 214.0 +/- 6.0 days.
      The egg production up to 40, 52, and 64 wk of age was 18.0 +/- 1, 30.0 +/- 2.0,
      and 47 +/- 3 eggs, respectively. The annual egg production (72 wk) was 64 +/- 6
      eggs. The proximate composition of breast muscle was; protein 21.5 +/- 0.5%, fat
      3.4 +/- 0.1%, ash 2.0 +/- 0.1%, and moisture 73.3 +/- 0.5%. The pH of breast
      muscle was 6.0 +/- 0.03 and the cholesterol content was 72.5 +/- 6.7 mg/100 g.
      Efforts are on for improving the productivity in the flock without compromising
      the original breed characteristics.

PMID- 28339768
TI  - The transcription factor Olig2 is important for the biology of diffuse intrinsic
      pontine gliomas.
AB  - Background: Diffuse intrinsic pontine glioma (DIPG) is a high-grade brainstem
      glioma of children with dismal prognosis. There is no single unifying model about
      the cell of origin of DIPGs. Proliferating cells in the developing human and
      mouse pons, the site of DIPGs, express neural stem/progenitor cell (NPC) markers,
      including Sox2, nestin, vimentin, Olig2, and glial fibrillary acidic protein, in
      an overlapping and non-overlapping manner, suggesting progenitor cell
      heterogeneity in the pons. It is thought that during a restricted window of
      postnatal pons development, a differentiation block caused by genetic/epigenetic
      changes leads to unrestrained progenitor proliferation and DIPG development.
      Nearly 80% of DIPGs harbor a mutation in the H3F3A or the related HIST1H3B gene.
      Supporting the impaired differentiation model, NPCs derived from human induced
      pluripotent stem cells expressing the H3F3A mutation showed complete
      differentiation block. However, the mechanisms regulating an altered
      differentiation program in DIPG are unknown. Methods: We established syngeneic
      serum-dependent and independent primary DIPG lines, performed molecular
      characterization of DIPG lines in vitro and in an orthotopic xenograft model, and
      used small hairpin RNA to examine Olig2 function in DIPG. Results: The
      transcription factor Olig2 is highly expressed in 70%-80% of DIPGs. Here we
      report that Olig2 expression and DIPG differentiation are mutually exclusive
      events in vitro, and only DIPG cells that retained Olig2 in vitro formed robust
      Olig2-positive brainstem glioma with 100% penetrance in a xenograft model.
      Conclusion: Our results indicate Olig2 as an onco-requisite factor in DIPG and
      propose investigation of Olig2 target genes as novel candidates in DIPG therapy.

PMID- 28339771
TI  - Implementing patient-reported outcome surveys as part of routine care: lessons
      from an academic radiation oncology department.
AB  - Patient reported outcomes (PROs) are reports of health conditions that come
      directly from patients. Use of PROs has been associated with improved patient
      outcomes, enhanced quality of life, and reduced end-of-life spending. Yet there
      are still outstanding questions regarding the process of implementing PRO
      collection in routine practice. In this article, we describe the experience of
      selecting and implementing PROs in a multisite, multidisease academic medical
      center-based radiation oncology practice and demonstrate that such large-scale
      rollout is feasible. We establish that PROs can be implemented with minimal to no
      workflow delays, are generally seen as valuable by clinicians, and can enhance
      patient-doctor communication. We additionally detail the challenges involved in
      selecting clinically relevant PRO questionnaires and the centrality of physician
      buy-in, easy data access, and clear workflows to successful implementation.

PMID- 28339773
TI  - Effects of sodium, 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3 and parathyroid hormone fragment on
      inorganic P absorption and Type IIb sodium-phosphate cotransporter expression in
      ligated duodenal loops of broilers.
AB  - Three experiments were conducted with 22-day-old Arbor Acres male broilers to
      study the effects of Na+, 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3 [1,25-(OH)2D3] and parathyroid
      hormone fragment [PTH (1-34)] on inorganic P absorption and Type IIb sodium
      phosphate cotransporter (NaP-IIb) mRNA and protein expression levels in ligated
      duodenal loops. The duodenal loops were perfused with solutions (pH = 6)
      containing zero, 50, or 150 mmol/L of Na+ as NaCl in Exp. 1, containing zero, 30,
      or 300 pmol/L of 1,25-(OH)2D3 in Exp. 2, or containing zero, 65, or 650 pmol/L of
      PTH (1-34) in Exp. 3, respectively. Compared with the control, additions of 50
      and 150 mmol/L of Na+, 30 and 300 pmol/L of 1,25-(OH)2D3, or 65 and 650 pmol/L of
      PTH (1-34) to the perfusates promoted (P < 0.02) the P absorption percentages and
      rates, respectively. Additions of the above-mentioned concentrations of Na+ or
      1,25-(OH)2D3 to the perfusates increased (P < 0.003) NaP-IIb mRNA level in the
      duodenum of broilers, and a similar trend (P = 0.08) was observed for PTH (1-34).
      The Na+, 1,25-(OH)2D3, and PTH (1-34) had no effects (P > 0.15) on NaP-IIb
      protein level in the duodenum of broilers. The results indicate that increased P
      absorption due to perfusions of Na+, 1,25-(OH)2D3 or PTH (1-34) might be
      attributed to enhanced NaP-IIb expression in the duodenum of broilers.

PMID- 28339774
TI  - Genetic basis of leg health and its relationship with body weight in purebred
      turkey lines.
AB  - The aims of this study were to estimate the genetic parameters for leg and foot
      health and mobility in purebred turkey lines and their genetic correlations with
      BW. Traits were gait score (GS) as an overall measure of leg health, footpad
      dermatitis (FPD), and 2 skeletal leg health traits, namely, valgus and varus
      deformities (VVD) and tibial dyschondroplasia (TD). Data from 4 different lines,
      comprising 3 yr of phenotypic records and 4 yr of pedigree information per line,
      were used. The sex average BW for the lines at 18 wk ranged from 19.1 kg (line A)
      to 12.4 kg (line D). The prevalence of VVD ranged from 5.2 to 14.6% and for TD
      from 4.1 to 23.2%. The average score for FPD on a scale of 0 to 100 ranged from
      48.5 to 61.1. Gait Score was scored on a scale of 1 to 5, standardized to a mean
      of 3 and SD of 1. Heritabilities were estimated at 0.08 to 0.13 for GS, 0.01 to
      0.07 for VVD, 0.06 to 0.12 for TD, and 0.10 to 0.15 for FPD (all SE <= 0.02).
      Estimates of the genetic correlations between VVD and TD ranged from 0.03 to 0.21
      (all SE <= 0.08), and estimates of these with GS ranged from 0.07 to 0.87 (all SE
      <= 0.09). The genetic correlations of FPD with GS ranged from 0.00 to 0.34 (all
      SE <= 0.04), and with the skeletal leg health traits from -0.06 to 0.33 (all SE
      <= 0.06). Body weight showed estimated genetic correlations ranging from 0.28 to
      0.51 (all SE <= 0.06) with GS, -0.06 to 0.50 (all SE <= 0.13) with VVD/TD and
      0.05 to 0.34 (all SE <= 0.05) with FPD. The results suggest that selection for
      improved leg health can be incorporated effectively in a commercial turkey
      breeding program using balanced breeding goals, in which production traits and
      leg health traits are considered simultaneously.

PMID- 28339772
TI  - Heterologous desensitization of cardiac beta-adrenergic signal via hormone
      induced betaAR/arrestin/PDE4 complexes.
AB  - Aims: Cardiac beta-adrenergic receptor (betaAR) signalling is susceptible to
      heterologous desensitization by different neurohormonal stimuli in clinical
      conditions associated with heart failure. We aim to examine the underlying
      mechanism of cross talk between betaARs and a set of G-protein coupled receptors
      (GPCRs) activated by hormones/agonists. Methods and results: Rat ventricular
      cardiomyocytes were used to determine heterologous phosphorylation of betaARs
      under a series of GPCR agonists. Activation of Gs-coupled dopamine receptor,
      adenosine receptor, relaxin receptor and prostaglandin E2 receptor, and Gq
      coupled alpha1 adrenergic receptor and angiotensin II type 1 receptor promotes
      phosphorylation of beta1AR and beta2AR at putative protein kinase A (PKA)
      phosphorylation sites; but activation of Gi-coupled alpha2 adrenergic receptor
      and activation of protease-activated receptor does not. The GPCR agonists that
      promote beta2AR phosphorylation effectively inhibit betaAR agonist isoproterenol
      induced PKA phosphorylation of phospholamban and contractile function in
      ventricular cardiomyocytes. Heterologous GPCR stimuli have minimal to small
      effect on isoproterenol-induced beta2AR activation and G-protein coupling for
      cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP) production. However, these GPCR stimuli
      significantly promote phosphorylation of phosphodiesterase 4D (PDE4D), and
      recruit PDE4D to the phosphorylated beta2AR in a beta-arrestin 2 dependent manner
      without promoting beta2AR endocytosis. The increased binding between beta2AR and
      PDE4D effectively hydrolyzes cAMP signal generated by subsequent stimulation with
      isoproterenol. Mutation of PKA phosphorylation sites in beta2AR, inhibition of
      PDE4, or genetic ablation of PDE4D or beta-arrestin 2 abolishes this heterologous
      inhibitory effect. Ablation of beta-arrestin 2 or PDE4D gene also rescues beta
      adrenergic stimuli-induced myocyte contractile function. Conclusions: These data
      reveal essential roles of beta-arrestin 2 and PDE4D in a common mechanism for
      heterologous desensitization of cardiac betaARs under hormonal stimulation, which
      is associated with impaired cardiac function during the development of
      pathophysiological conditions.

PMID- 28339775
TI  - Mining non-lattice subgraphs for detecting missing hierarchical relations and
      concepts in SNOMED CT.
AB  - Objective: Quality assurance of large ontological systems such as SNOMED CT is an
      indispensable part of the terminology management lifecycle. We introduce a hybrid
      structural-lexical method for scalable and systematic discovery of missing
      hierarchical relations and concepts in SNOMED CT. Material and Methods: All non
      lattice subgraphs (the structural part) in SNOMED CT are exhaustively extracted
      using a scalable MapReduce algorithm. Four lexical patterns (the lexical part)
      are identified among the extracted non-lattice subgraphs. Non-lattice subgraphs
      exhibiting such lexical patterns are often indicative of missing hierarchical
      relations or concepts. Each lexical pattern is associated with a potential
      specific type of error. Results: Applying the structural-lexical method to SNOMED
      CT (September 2015 US edition), we found 6801 non-lattice subgraphs that matched
      these lexical patterns, of which 2046 were amenable to visual inspection. We
      evaluated a random sample of 100 small subgraphs, of which 59 were reviewed in
      detail by domain experts. All the subgraphs reviewed contained errors confirmed
      by the experts. The most frequent type of error was missing is-a relations due to
      incomplete or inconsistent modeling of the concepts. Conclusions: Our hybrid
      structural-lexical method is innovative and proved effective not only in
      detecting errors in SNOMED CT, but also in suggesting remediation for these
      errors.

PMID- 28339777
TI  - Support system for fine focusing and astigmatism correction using an auditory
      signal in scanning electron microscopy.
AB  - The current study describes a new support system for fine focusing and near
      perfect astigmatism correction for scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The signal
      to-noise ratio of a series of SEM images obtained from fast scan rates (TV scan)
      was adopted as a new metric for evaluating focus. Measured signal-to-noise ratio
      values were converted to an acoustic signal (sound wave frequency) using digital
      image processing techniques, enabling the SEM user to evaluate image focus using
      the auditory modality. Accurate focusing and correcting astigmatism in general
      purpose SEM is traditionally time-consuming and difficult. The proposed system
      may substantially reduce the required operation time for fine focusing. Moreover,
      the system is relatively immune to noise, successfully supporting focus and
      astigmatism correction with very noisy SEM images. Our proposed focus support
      system may be helpful for general-purpose SEM observation of a variety of
      specimens under a wide range of operating conditions.

PMID- 28339776
TI  - Effect of acute millimeter wave exposure on dopamine metabolism of NGF-treated
      PC12 cells.
AB  - Several forthcoming wireless telecommunication systems will use electromagnetic
      frequencies at millimeter waves (MMWs), and technologies developed around the 60
      GHz band will soon know a widespread distribution. Free nerve endings within the
      skin have been suggested to be the targets of MMW therapy which has been used in
      the former Soviet Union. So far, no studies have assessed the impact of MMW
      exposure on neuronal metabolism. Here, we investigated the effects of a 24-h MMW
      exposure at 60.4 GHz, with an incident power density (IPD) of 5 mW/cm2, on the
      dopaminergic turnover of NGF-treated PC12 cells. After MMW exposure, both
      intracellular and extracellular contents of dopamine (DA) and 3,4
      dihydroxyphenylacetic acid (DOPAC) were studied using high performance liquid
      chromatography. Impact of exposure on the dopamine transporter (DAT) expression
      was also assessed by immunocytochemistry. We analyzed the dopamine turnover by
      assessing the ratio of DOPAC to DA, and measuring DOPAC accumulation in the
      medium. Neither dopamine turnover nor DAT protein expression level were impacted
      by MMW exposure. However, extracellular accumulation of DOPAC was found to be
      slightly increased, but not significantly. This result was related to the thermal
      effect, and overall, no evidence of non-thermal effects of MMW exposure were
      observed on dopamine metabolism.

PMID- 28339778
TI  - Effects of an induced molt using cassava meal on body weight loss, blood
      physiology, ovarian regression, and postmolt egg production in late-phase laying
      hens.
AB  - This study was conducted to determine the effect of an induced molt using cassava
      meal on body weight, blood physiology, ovary, and postmolt performance in late
      phase (74 wk old) H&N Brown laying hens. Hens were randomly assigned to 3
      treatments of 90 birds each: 1) Controls withno induced molt (CONT); 2) molted by
      full feeding with cassava meal for 3 wk (FP3); and 3) molted by full feeding with
      cassava meal for 4 wk (FP4). Groups 2 and 3 were fed a pullet developer diet for
      3 wk following treatment. During the molt period, the birds were exposed to an
      8L:16D photoperiod and had access to drinking water at all times. Thereafter, all
      hens were fed a layer diet (17%CP), and exposed to a 16L:8D photoperiod, and
      production performance was measured for 16 wk. The molt treatments resulted in
      total cessation of egg production within 2 wk following feeding the molt diet. BW
      loss of birds in the FP4 treatment was approximately 30.13%, which was
      significantly higher than those in the FP3 treatment (25.23%). At the termination
      of feeding the molt diet, an increase in hematocrit values was observed for the
      FP3 and FP4 treatments compared to the CONT treatment. Conversely, lower values
      of serum estradiol, progesterone, ionized Ca and phosphorus concentrations were
      found for the 2 molted treatments. Ovary weight, number of follicles, and oviduct
      weight and length of the FP3 and FP4 treatments were diminished as compared to
      the CONT treatment. No consistent differences were observed between the molted
      treatments. Significant (P < 0.05) improvements in postmolt feed efficiency, egg
      production, Haugh units, shell weight, shell thickness, shell breaking strength,
      and mortality rate were observed for the FP4 treatment. An improvement in those
      performances, except for feed efficiency and egg production, was also found for
      the FP3 treatment. It was concluded that feeding the cassava molt diet for 4 wk
      could induce molt in laying hens effectively, and produce optimum postmolt
      productive performance.

PMID- 28339779
TI  - Effect of the combination of white and red LED lighting during incubation on
      layer, broiler, and Pekin duck hatchability.
AB  - Previous research has shown that providing light during incubation can have
      positive effects on hatchability and chick quality; however, white light alone
      has been observed to improve these factors only in pigmented broiler eggs and non
      pigmented white layer eggs. Monochromatic red light has been shown to improve
      hatchability in layer eggs. Therefore the objective of this study was to utilize
      one light fixture that emitted both white and monochromatic red light to
      determine if this one light source could improve hatchability in both types of
      chicken eggs and pigmented Pekin duck egg. To determine this, 3 experiments were
      conducted, the first using White Leghorn eggs (N = 6912), the second using
      commercial broiler eggs (N = 4608), and the third using commercial Pekin duck
      eggs (N = 3564) in which eggs were incubated with 12 h of light and 12 h of
      darkness (LED) or complete darkness (DARK); the light level was 250 lux.
      Hatchability, embryo mortality, and hatchling quality were measured. In
      Experiment 1, LED had fewer early dead embryos (P = 0.03), less overall embryo
      mortality (P = 0.05), fewer chicks with unhealed navels (P < 0.001), fewer chicks
      with defects (P < 0.001), and a higher percentage of fertile eggs that hatched (P
      = 0.05) than DARK. In Experiment 2, LED had fewer chicks with unhealed navels (P
      = 0.003), fewer chicks with defects (P = 0.001), and a higher percentage of
      fertile eggs that hatched (P = 0.04) than DARK. In Experiment 3, LED had fewer
      early dead embryos (P = 0.05), lower overall embryo mortality (P = 0.04), and a
      higher percentage of fertile eggs that hatched (P = 0.05), and had ducklings with
      lower bodyweights at hatch (P = 0.04) than DARK. These results indicate that
      providing both white and red light during incubation can improve chick quality
      across poultry varieties. This type of fixture could be used to improve
      commercial hatchery efficiency and chick quality.

PMID- 28339780
TI  - Adverse kidney effects of epidermal growth factor receptor inhibitors.
AB  - The epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) is implicated in various
      malignancies. The past decade has seen the development and widespread use of EGFR
      inhibitors for the successful treatment of such cancers. Available EGFR
      inhibitors include small molecule tyrosine-kinase inhibitors and monoclonal
      antibodies. Class-related renal adverse events result in dual toxicity including
      tubular/electrolyte disorders and glomerulopathies. Tubular injury is common and
      mainly due to monoclonal antibodies while glomerulopathy is rare and related to
      various anti-EGFR agents. The exact pathogenesis of anti-EGFR agents associated
      with kidney disorders remains to be elucidated.

PMID- 28339781
TI  - Low level of Rituximab in human breast milk in a patient treated during
      lactation.

PMID- 28339782
TI  - The Adolescent HIV Disclosure Cognition and Affect Scale: Preliminary Reliability
      and Validity.
AB  - Objectives: Globally, there are 2 million HIV-positive 10-19-year-olds. One
      challenge for this population is sharing their HIV status with others (onward HIV
      disclosure). There are no multi-item, multidimensional scales of HIV disclosure
      cognitions and affect for young people living with HIV. An 18-item measure of HIV
      disclosure cognition and affect was developed, administered to 65 adolescents
      living with HIV (aged 12-16 years). Data were explored using principal component
      analysis and preliminary construct and criterion validity assessed. Three factors
      were revealed: negative disclosure attitudes and feelings, self-efficacy, and
      positive disclosure attitudes and feelings. The full scale and its subscales were
      internally consistent. The total score showed statistically significant positive
      relationships with HIV disclosure in the past 6 months, HIV disclosure intention
      and self-perception. Preliminary evidence of the measure's good psychometric
      properties suggests it may be helpful in future clinical and research work.

PMID- 28339783
TI  - A stochastic model for tumour control probability that accounts for repair from
      sublethal damage.
AB  - The tumour control probability (TCP) is the probability that a treatment regimen
      of radiation therapy (RT) eradicates all tumour cells in a given tissue. To
      decrease the toxic effects on healthy cells, RT is usually delivered over a
      period of weeks in a series of fractions. This allows tumour cells to repair
      sublethal damage (RSD) caused by radiation. In this article, we introduce a
      stochastic model for tumour response to radiotherapy which accounts for the
      effects of RSD. The tumour is subdivided into two cell types: 'affected' cells
      which have been damaged by RT and 'unaffected' cells which have not. The model is
      formulated as a birth-death process for which we can derive an explicit formula
      for the TCP. We apply our model to prostate cancer, and find that the
      radiosensitivity parameters and the probability of sublethal damage during
      radiation are the parameters to which the TCP predictions are most sensitive. We
      compare our TCP predictions to those given by Zaider and Minerbo's one-class
      model (Zaider & Minerbo, 2000) and Dawson and Hillen's two-class model (Dawson &
      Hillen, 2006) and find that for low doses of radiation, our model predicts a
      lower TCP. Finally, we find that when the probability of sublethal damage during
      radiation is large, the mean field assumption overestimates the TCP.

PMID- 28339784
TI  - Regulatory effects of autophagy on spermatogenesis.
AB  - Abnormal spermatogenesis is an important pathophysiological process underlying
      male infertility. Apoptosis of spermatogenic cells and disruption of ectoplasmic
      specialization (ES) have been characterized as the key biological events of this
      disorder. Under physiological and pathophysiological conditions (such as exposure
      to starvation, environmental chemicals, radiation), autophagy is activated in
      spermatogenic or Sertoli cells in order to maintain survival of the spermatogenic
      cells by inhibiting spermatogenic cell apoptosis and stabilizing the integrity of
      ES via degradation of PDZ and LIM domain 1 (PDLIM1), a negative regulator of
      cytoskeletal organization. Here, we review the most recent research progress
      towards understanding the pivotal effects of autophagy on spermatogenesis.

PMID- 28339785
TI  - A Food Debris-Like Component in the Urine Sediment From a Urostomy Pouch.
AB  - Microscopic examination of urine sediment is a basic, common method of detecting
      diseases of the urinary tract. We experienced a case involving a patient who had
      developed a fever after undergoing a urinary-diversion operation. Results of the
      microscopic examination of the urine collected from the urostomy pouch of the
      patient showed a food debris-like component. Based on this finding, we suspected
      a fistula between the urinary and intestinal tracts. However, after performing an
      experiment to verify the results, we determined that no fistula was present.
      Instead, we discovered that the food debris-like component originated from the
      urostomy skin barrier. To our knowledge, ours is the first report in the
      literature to demonstrate that the urostomy skin barrier can dissolve and mimic
      food debris in urine sediment, leading to incorrect assumptions regarding the
      presence of fistulas. We believe that it is important to derive a correct
      diagnosis when an unfamiliar component is observed in urinary sediment. We
      further believe that the findings from this case are valuable to professionals
      who administer clinical treatment and perform laboratory testing.

PMID- 28339786
TI  - Modelling original antigenic sin in dengue viral infection.
AB  - Cross-reactive T cell responses induced by a primary dengue virus infection may
      contribute to increased disease severity following heterologous infections with a
      different virus serotype in a phenomenon known as the original antigenic sin. In
      this study, we developed and analyzed in-host models of T cell responses to
      primary and secondary dengue virus infections that considered the effect of T
      cell cross-reactivity in disease enhancement. We fitted the models to published
      patient data and showed that the overall infected cell killing is similar in
      dengue heterologous infections, resulting in dengue fever and dengue hemorrhagic
      fever. The contribution to overall killing, however, is dominated by non-specific
      T cell responses during the majority of secondary dengue hemorrhagic fever cases.
      By contrast, more than half of secondary dengue fever cases have predominant
      strain-specific T cell responses with high avidity. These results support the
      hypothesis that cross-reactive T cell responses occur mainly during severe
      disease cases of heterologous dengue virus infections.

PMID- 28339787
TI  - Molecular characterization of Marek's disease virus in a poultry layer farm from
      Colombia.
AB  - Marek's disease (MD) is a lymphoproliferative disease caused by an
      Alphaherpesvirus, genus Mardivirus, serotype 1 (Gallid Herpesvirus 2, GaHV-2)
      that includes all known pathogenic strains. In addition to Marek's disease virus
      (MDV) serotype 1, the genus includes 2 distinct nonpathogenic serotypes: serotype
      2 (GaHV-3) and serotype 3 (Meleagridis Herpesvirus 1, MeHV-1) which are used in
      commercially available vaccines against MD. As a result of vaccination, clinical
      signs are not commonly observed, and new cases are usually associated with
      emerging variant strains against which the vaccines are less effective. In this
      study, a commercial layer farm showing clinical signs compatible with MDV
      infection was evaluated. Histological lesions and positive immunohistochemistry
      in the sciatic nerve and thymus were compatible with cytolytic phase of MD. GaHV
      2, GaHV-3 and MeHV-1 were identified by PCR and qPCR in blood samples from 17
      birds with suspected MD. Analysis of the Meq gene of the Colombian GaHV-2 isolate
      revealed a 99% sequence identity with Asian strains, and in the phylogenetic
      analysis clustered with vv+ MDV. The analysis of amino acid alignments
      demonstrated an interruption of the proline rich region in P176A, P217A and P233L
      positions, which are generally associated with vv+ strains. Some of these
      changes, such as P233L and L258S positions have not been reported previously. In
      addition, primary cell cultures inoculated with lymphocytes isolated from the
      spleen showed typical cytopathic effect of GaHV-2 at 5 d post infection. Based on
      the molecular analysis, the results from this study indicate the presence of vv+
      MDV infection in commercial birds for the first time in Colombia. It is
      recommended to perform further assays in order to demonstrate the pathotype
      characteristics in vivo.

PMID- 28339788
TI  - Intravenous dendritic cell administration enhances suppression of lung metastasis
      induced by carbon-ion irradiation.
AB  - Carbon-ion radiotherapy (CIRT) is an advanced radiotherapy and has achieved good
      local control, even in tumors that are resistant to conventional photon beam
      radiotherapy (PBRT). However, distant metastasis control is an important issue.
      Recently, the combination of radiotherapy and immunotherapy has attracted the
      attention. In immunotherapy, dendritic cells (DCs) play a pivotal role in the
      anti-tumor immune system. However, the mechanisms underlying the combination
      therapy of DCs and radiotherapy have been unclear. In the present study, we
      evaluated anti-metastatic effects of this combination therapy, focused on the
      irradiation type and the route of DC administration, using a mouse model. C3H/He
      mice bearing NR-S1 cells were treated with CIRT or PBRT, using biologically
      equivalent doses. Subsequently, DCs were administered intratumorally (IT) or
      intravenously (IV). IV and IT DC administrations combined with CIRT to the local
      tumor, but not alone, significantly suppressed pulmonary metastasis, whereas the
      combination of DCs with PBRT suppressed metastasis at a relatively higher dose.
      Additionally, the anti-metastatic effect was greater in IV DC administration
      compared with in IT DC administration in both CIRT and PBRT. The expression
      levels of CD40 and IL-12 in DCs were significantly increased after co-culturing
      with CIRT-treated NR-S1 cells. In addition, IV administration of those co
      cultured DCs significantly suppressed pulmonary metastasis. Furthermore, ecto
      calreticulin levels from CIRT-treated NR-S1 cells significantly increased
      compared with those of a PBRT-treated tumor. Taken together, these results
      suggest that local CIRT combined with IV DCs augments an immunogenicity of the
      tumor cells by ecto-calreticulin expression and the maturation of DCs to
      stimulate anti-tumor immunity to decrease lung metastases.

PMID- 28339789
TI  - Early treatment gains for antibiotic administration and within human host time
      series data.
AB  - As technological improvements continue to infiltrate and impact medical practice,
      it has become possible to non-invasively collect dense physiological time series
      data from individual patients in real time. These advances continue to improve
      physicians' ability to detect and to treat infections early. One important
      benefit of early detection and treatment of nascent infections is that it leads
      to earlier resolution. In response to current and anticipated advances in data
      capture, we introduce the Early Treatment Gain (ETG) as a measure to quantify
      this benefit. Roughly, we define the gain to be the limiting ratio:
      ETG=differential change in time of resolutiondifferential change in treatment
      time.We study the gain using standard dynamical models and demonstrate its use
      with time series data from Surgical Intensive Care Unit (SICU) patients facing
      ventilator associated pneumonia. The main conclusion from the mathematical
      modelling is that the ETG is always greater than one unless there is an effective
      immune response, in which case the ETG can be less than one. Using real patient
      time series data, we observe that the formula derived for a linear model can be
      applied and that this produces a ETG greater than one.

PMID- 28339790
TI  - Does systemic administration of casein phosphopeptides affect orthodontic
      movement and root resorption in rats?
AB  - Objectives: To assess the potential effects of casein phosphopeptides (CPPs) on
      orthodontically induced iatrogenic root resorption (OIIRR) and orthodontic teeth
      movement. Materials and methods: Forty Wistar rats (aged 11 weeks) were randomly
      divided into experimental group (EG; n = 20) that received a diet supplemented
      with CPP and control group (CG; n = 20) devoid of diet supplement. A 150 g force
      was applied using nickel titanium (NiTi) coil that was bonded on maxillary
      incisors and extended unilaterally to a maxillary first molar. At Day 28, animals
      in both groups were euthanized. Volumetric assessment of root resorption craters
      and linear measurement of maxillary first molars movement were blindly examined
      using a micro-computed tomography scan. Results: Nine rats were excluded from the
      experiment due to loss during general anesthesia or appliances' failure. Intra
      operator reproducibility was high in both volumetric and linear measurements,
      92.8 per cent and 98.5-97.6 per cent, respectively. The results reveal that
      dietary CPP has statistically insignificant effect on the overall OIIRR and
      orthodontic movement. Conclusions: CPP seems to have statistically insignificant
      effect on the volume of OIIRR and orthodontic movement in rats. A long-term study
      with larger sample size using a different concentration of CPP is required to
      clarify the dentoalveolar effect of CPP.

PMID- 28339791
TI  - BRIDG: a domain information model for translational and clinical protocol-driven
      research.
AB  - Background: It is critical to integrate and analyze data from biological,
      translational, and clinical studies with data from health systems; however,
      electronic artifacts are stored in thousands of disparate systems that are often
      unable to readily exchange data. Objective: To facilitate meaningful data
      exchange, a model that presents a common understanding of biomedical research
      concepts and their relationships with health care semantics is required. The
      Biomedical Research Integrated Domain Group (BRIDG) domain information model
      fulfills this need. Software systems created from BRIDG have shared meaning
      "baked in," enabling interoperability among disparate systems. For nearly 10
      years, the Clinical Data Standards Interchange Consortium, the National Cancer
      Institute, the US Food and Drug Administration, and Health Level 7 International
      have been key stakeholders in developing BRIDG. Methods: BRIDG is an open-source
      Unified Modeling Language-class model developed through use cases and
      harmonization with other models. Results: With its 4+ releases, BRIDG includes
      clinical and now translational research concepts in its Common, Protocol
      Representation, Study Conduct, Adverse Events, Regulatory, Statistical Analysis,
      Experiment, Biospecimen, and Molecular Biology subdomains. Interpretation: The
      model is a Clinical Data Standards Interchange Consortium, Health Level 7
      International, and International Standards Organization standard that has been
      utilized in national and international standards-based software development
      projects. It will continue to mature and evolve in the areas of clinical imaging,
      pathology, ontology, and vocabulary support. BRIDG 4.1.1 and prior releases are
      freely available at https://bridgmodel.nci.nih.gov .

PMID- 28339792
TI  - Interference of age and supplementation of direct-fed microbial and essential oil
      in the activity of digestive enzymes and expression of genes related to transport
      and digestion of carbohydrates and proteins in the small intestine of broilers.
AB  - The objectives of this study were to describe alterations that age and dietary
      inclusion of direct-fed microbial (DFM) Bacillus subtilis (BS) and a specific
      essential oil (EO) blend (carvacrol, cinnamaldehyde, cineol, and pepper extract)
      causes in the activity of digestive enzymes (maltase: MALT; aminopeptidase-N:
      APN; intestinal alkaline phosphate: IAP) and expression patterns of genes related
      to transport (oligopeptide transporter gene: SLC15A1; Na+-dependent glucose and
      galactose transporter gene: SLC5A1; Na+-independent glucose, galactose, and
      fructose transporter gene: SLC2A2; ATPase, Na+/K+ transporting gene: ATP1A1) and
      digestion (aminopeptidase-N gene: ANPEP; maltase-glucoamylase gene: MGAM; Sucrase
      isomaltase gene: SI) of carbohydrates and proteins in the small intestine of
      broilers. Also, the objective was to analyze if growth performance of broilers is
      affected by supplementation (BS and EO blend). Day-old male broiler chicks (n =
      1,320) were assigned to 5 treatments. Diets included a basal diet (BD) as a
      negative control (CON); experimental diets were BD + BS; BD + BS + EO; BD + EO;
      BD + antibiotic growth promoter (AGP) avilamycin was the positive control.
      Performance was evaluated between 1 to 42 d. Transcript abundance of transport
      related genes and digestion-related genes were assayed by RT-qPCR and determined
      at d 7, 21, and 42. MALT-, APN-, and IAP-specific activities were determined at d
      7, 21, and 42. Broilers fed BS had greater SLC15A1 mRNA abundance compared to
      CON, while EO and AGP were related to higher activities of IAP and APN. Analysis
      over time revealed higher abundance of MGAM, SLC2A2, SLC15A1, SLC5A1 and SI mRNA
      at d 42 when compared to d 7. Activity of IAP decreased after d 7 and activity of
      MALT increased with age. The current study suggests that age had effect over
      carbohydrate and protein transport and carbohydrate digestion. The
      supplementation of BS DFM hade evident effect over protein transport and that the
      use of EO in the diet enhanced the activities of carbohydrate and protein
      digestion, reflecting improvement in digestive and transport physiology of birds.
      Changes performed by BS DFM and EO did not favor performance.

PMID- 28339793
TI  - Lameness assessment with automatic monitoring of activity in commercial broiler
      flocks.
AB  - The possibility of using automatic recordings of broiler chicken activity in
      commercial flocks to assess the birds? walking ability (lameness) was
      investigated. Data were collected from 5 commercial broiler farms in 4 European
      countries, using 16 flocks and 33 assessment occasions. Lameness was assessed
      using established gait scoring methods (Kestin et al., 1992; Welfare Quality(r),
      2009) and took place at 3, 4, and 5 wk of age. Gait score (GS) was used to assess
      the birds' walking ability, and automatic recordings of bird activity were
      collected using the eYeNamicTM camera system before, during, and after an
      assessor walked through the house. The variables used to predict the level of GS
      extracted from the camera system were: baseline activity, time from assessor
      leaving the house to resumption of baseline activity, average activity over that
      period, and Delta Amplitude (difference between highest activity peak after
      assessor left the house and baseline level). Age (<0.001) and Delta Amplitude (P
      = 0.0002) were significantly related to GS, with the gait getting poorer with
      increased age and Delta Amplitude decreasing with declining walking ability. Both
      measures are thus included in a predictive equation. The results demonstrate a
      potential method using image analysis techniques to realize an automated
      assessment of the level of lameness in commercial broiler flocks. This could be
      of use in future animal welfare assessment schemes.

PMID- 28339795
TI  - Erratum.

PMID- 28339794
TI  - Short-term dabigatran interruption before cardiac rhythm device implantation:
      multi-centre experience from the RE-LY trial.
AB  - Aims: Cardiac implantable electronic device (CIED) surgery is commonly performed
      in patients with atrial fibrillation (AF). The current analysis was undertaken to
      compare peri-operative anticoagulation management, bleeding, and thrombotic
      events in AF patients treated with dabigatran vs. warfarin. Methods and results:
      This study included 611 patients treated with dabigatran vs. warfarin who
      underwent CIED surgery during the RE-LY trial. Among 201 warfarin-treated
      patients, warfarin was interrupted a median of 144 (inter-quartile range, IQR:
      120-216) h, and 37 (18.4%) patients underwent heparin bridging. In dabigatran
      treated patients (216 on 110 mg bid and 194 on 150 mg bid), the duration of
      dabigatran interruption was a median of 96 (IQR: 61-158) h. Pocket hematomas
      occurred in 9 (2.20%) patients on dabigatran and 8 (3.98%) patients on warfarin
      (P = 0.218). The occurrence of pocket hematomas was lower with dabigatran
      compared with warfarin with heparin bridging (RD: -8.62%, 95% CI: -24.15 to -
      0.51%, P = 0.034) but not when compared with warfarin with no bridging (P =
      0.880). Ischemic stroke occurred in 2 (0.3%) patients; one in the warfarin group
      (without bridging) and one in the dabigatran 150 mg bid group (P = 0.735).
      Conclusion: In patients treated with dabigatran undergoing CIED surgery,
      interruption of dabigatran is associated with similar or lower incidence of
      pocket hematoma, when compared with warfarin interruption without or with heparin
      bridging, respectively. Whether uninterrupted dabigatran can reduce pocket
      hematoma or ischemic stroke remains to be evaluated.

PMID- 28339796
TI  - The identification of fungi collected from the ceca of commercial poultry.
AB  - Under normal conditions, fungi are ignored unless a disease/syndrome clinical
      signs are reported. The scientific communities are largely unaware of the roles
      fungi play in normal production parameters. Numerous preharvest interventions
      have demonstrated that beneficial bacteria can play a role in improving
      productions parameters; however, most researchers have ignored the impact that
      fungi may have on production. The goal of the present study was to record fungi
      recovered from commercial broiler and layer houses during production. Over 3,000
      cecal samples were isolated using conventional culture methodology and over 890
      samples were further characterized using an automated repetitive sequence-based
      PCR (rep-PCR) methodology. Eighty-eight different fungal and yeast species were
      identified, including Aspergillus spp., Penicillium spp., and Sporidiobolus spp,
      and 18 unknown genera were separated using rep-PCR. The results from the present
      study will provide a normal fungi background genera under commercial conditions
      and will be a stepping stone for investigating the impact of fungi on the
      gastrointestinal tract and on the health of poultry.

PMID- 28339797
TI  - The American Society for Clinical Pathology's 2015 Wage Survey of Medical
      Laboratories in the United States.
AB  - Objectives: To inform the pathology and laboratory field of the most recent
      national wage data from the American Society for Clinical Pathology (ASCP).
      Historically, the results of this biennial survey have served as a basis for
      additional research on laboratory recruitment, retention, education, marketing,
      certification, and advocacy. Methods: The 2015 wage survey was conducted through
      collaboration between the ASCP's Institute of Science, Technology, & Policy in
      Washington, DC, and the ASCP Board of Certification in Chicago, Illinois.
      Electronic survey invitations were sent to individuals who are currently
      practicing in the field. Results: Data reveal increased salaries since 2013 for
      all staff-level laboratory professionals surveyed except phlebotomists and
      pathologists' assistants. Laboratory assistants and phlebotomists, regardless of
      level, continue to have lower salaries while pathologists' assistants and
      administration personnel have higher salaries than the rest of the laboratory
      professions surveyed. Conclusions: Survey results put emphasis on strategic
      recruitment and retention by laboratory training programs and institutions that
      hire laboratory professionals.

PMID- 28339798
TI  - Social Work and Optometry: Interprofessional Practice Revisited.

PMID- 28339799
TI  - No Longer Invisible: Understanding the Psychosocial Impact of Skin Color
      Stratification in the Lives of African American Women.
AB  - This article examines how skin color stratification, termed "colorism," affects
      the psychological well-being of African American women. Previous research has
      shown that the experience of colorism is pervasive within the black community and
      that black women have been culturally or personally affected by intraracial
      discrimination. This article describes a qualitative study that used focus groups
      to investigate the experiences of black women that were categorized according to
      their self-ascribed skin tone group. The findings indicated that women of
      different hues have distinctive experiences based on their skin tone, and that
      these experiences influence how they felt about themselves and interact with
      others. The article concludes with a discussion of practice, research, and policy
      implications.

PMID- 28339800
TI  - The dark cloud of recreational drugs and vaping.
AB  - Electronic cigarettes (e-cigarettes) are increasing in popularity with 19% of UK
      smokers reporting to have used them. The ability to regulate the evaporation
      temperature in newer electronic nicotine delivery systems (ENDS) facilitates the
      potential for use of these devices to 'vape' cannabis, novel psychoactive
      substances (NPS) and other recreational drugs. Vaping cannabis does have the
      potential to reduce tobacco use and combustible cannabis/tobacco-related disease,
      but with over one-third of UK adults reporting life-time use of recreational
      drugs and increasing e-cigarette uptake in adolescent groups the misuse of these
      devices poses a serious potential public health risk. Further work is therefore
      urgently required to inform the appropriate treatment and primary prevention
      strategies for this emerging issue.

PMID- 28339801
TI  - Routinely measured iohexol glomerular filtration rate versus creatinine-based
      estimated glomerular filtration rate as predictors of mortality in patients with
      advanced chronic kidney disease: a Swedish Chronic Kidney Disease Registry cohort
      study.
AB  - Background: Estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) becomes less reliable in
      patients with advanced chronic kidney disease (CKD). Methods: Using the Swedish
      CKD Registry (2005-11), linked to the national inpatient, dialysis and death
      registers, we compared the performance of plasma-iohexol measured GFR (mGFR) and
      urinary clearance measures versus eGFR to predict death in adults with CKD stages
      4/5. Performance was assessed using survival and prognostic models. Results: Of
      the 2705 patients, 1517 had mGFR performed, with the remainder providing 24-h
      urine clearances. Median eGFR (CKD-EPI creatinine ) was 20 mL/min/1.73 m 2
      [interquartile range (IQR) 14-26], mGFR 18 mL/min/1.73 m 2 (IQR 13-23) and
      creatinine clearance 23 mL/min (IQR 15-31). Median follow-up was 45 months (IQR
      26-59), registering 968 deaths (36%). In fully adjusted Cox models, a rise in
      mGFR of 1 mL/min/1.73 m 2 was associated with a 5.3% fall in all-cause mortality
      compared with a 1.7% corresponding fall for eGFR [adjusted hazard ratio (aHR)
      0.947 (95% CI, 0.930-0.964) versus aHR 0.983 (95% CI, 0.970-0.996)]. mGFR was
      also statistically superior in prognostic models (discrimination using logistic
      regression and integrated discrimination improvement). Urinary clearance measures
      showed a stronger aetiological relationship with death than eGFR, but were not
      statistically superior in the prognostic models. Conclusions: The performance of
      mGFR was superior to eGFR, in both aetiological and prognostic models, in
      predicting mortality in adults with CKD stage 4/5, demonstrating the importance
      of GFR per se versus non-GFR determinants of outcome. However, the relatively
      modest enhancement suggests that eGFR may be sufficient to use in everyday
      clinical practice while mGFR adds important prognostic information for those
      where eGFR is believed to be biased.

PMID- 28339802
TI  - Alterations in urinary collagen peptides in lupus nephritis subjects correlate
      with renal dysfunction and renal histopathology.
AB  - Background: The excessive accumulation of extracellular matrix (ECM) in the renal
      tubulointerstitium is a key component of chronic renal damage in lupus nephritis
      (LN) and a critical determinant of the disease progression to renal failure.
      Detection of fibrosis requires renal biopsy and is therefore limited by high
      risks associated with an invasive procedure. This study explores whether a unique
      LN urinary peptidome can be identified and whether LN-specific alteration
      reflects the underlying fibrogenic process of altered ECM turnover. Method:
      Urinary peptides were analyzed for 36 LN and 35 nonrenal systemic lupus
      erythematosus (SLE) subjects and 58 healthy volunteers (HVs). Results: In total,
      70 collagen and 230 noncollagen peptides were significantly changed between LN
      and nonrenal SLE and between LN and HV and defined as 'LN peptides'; 14 proteases
      associated with observed LN collagen peptides were identified and activities in 9
      proteases were significantly different between LN and nonrenal SLE; 28 collagen
      peptides were correlated with at least one parameter of clinical renal
      dysfunction or histolopathology. Conclusion: Urinary peptidomic alterations
      likely reflect pathogenic pathways involving ECM turnover in LN kidneys and
      potentially could be developed as biomarkers to monitor renal disease
      progression.

PMID- 28339803
TI  - Transcriptional comparison of myogenesis in leghorn and low score normal embryos.
AB  - In a previous study, we reported on a quantitative transcriptomic method which
      confirmed the temporal transcription of developmental fast skeletal muscle myosin
      heavy chain (fsMyHC) embryonic isoforms in the embryonic Pectoralis major (PM) of
      the Single Comb White Leghorn (SCWL). The objective of the current study was to
      further investigate the transcriptional events underlying embryonic PM growth in
      the SCWL and a genotype exhibiting partial muscular dystrophy, the Low Score
      Normal (LSN). We hypothesized that within the SCWL and LSN embryos, there would
      be differences in the temporal transcription of the fsMyHC isoforms and other
      myogenic regulatory genes. Samples of PM tissues were collected daily from
      embryonic day (ED) 6 through ED19. Total RNA was isolated from each PM tissue
      sample and mRNA transcripts from 28 target genes were simultaneously quantified
      using a probe hybridization method. Raw data counts were normalized against the
      geometric mean of 5 housekeeping genes and analyzed using Local Regression
      (LOESS) smoothing methods. Predicted estimates based on LOESS smoothing were
      plotted with 95% upper and lower confidence intervals, allowing for line
      comparisons between the SCWL and LSN. Differences (P < 0.05) were determined by
      non-overlapping confidence intervals between the SCWL and LSN. Among genes
      exhibiting line differences (P < 0.05), were the developmental fsMyHC isoforms,
      transcription factors, growth factors, and proteoglycans. The current study is
      the first to report transcription of the chicken fast skeletal adult myosin
      isoform (Cad) during PM myogenesis. Samples were submitted for capillary-liquid
      chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry analysis which confirmed the translation
      of all the developmental fsMyHC isoforms including Cad in both lines. The LSN
      exhibited altered transcription patterns of early myogenic markers (MYOD, MRF4,
      Cemb1, six4, and pax3) during late embryogenesis, continued transcription of
      Cvent, and delayed transcription of Cneo.

PMID- 28339804
TI  - Intra-cardiac and peripheral levels of biochemical markers of fibrosis in
      patients undergoing catheter ablation for atrial fibrillation.
AB  - Aims: Measurement of circulating biomarkers of fibrosis may have a role in
      selecting patients and treatment strategy for catheter ablation. Pro-collagen
      type III N-terminal pro-peptide (PIIINP), C-telopeptide of type I collagen
      (ICTP), fibroblast growth factor 23 (FGF-23), and galectin 3 (gal-3) have all
      been suggested as possible biomarkers for this indication, but studies assessing
      whether peripheral levels reflect intra-cardiac levels are scarce. Methods and
      results: We studied 93 patients undergoing ablation for paroxysmal atrial
      fibrillation (AF) (n = 63) or non-paroxysmal AF (n = 30). Femoral venous, left
      and right atrial, and coronary sinus blood were analysed using ELISA to determine
      biomarker levels. Levels were compared with control patients (n = 36) and
      baseline characteristics, including left atrial voltage mapping data. C
      telopeptide of type I collagen levels were higher in AF than in non-AF patients
      (P = 0.007). Peripheral ICTP levels were higher than all intra-cardiac levels (P
      < 0.001). Peripheral gal-3 levels were higher than left atrial levels (P =
      0.001). Peripheral levels of FGF-23 and PIIINP were not significantly different
      from intra-cardiac levels. CS levels of ICTP were higher than right and left
      atrial levels (P < 0.001). gal-3 was higher in women vs. men (P <= 0.001) and
      with higher body mass index (P <= 0.001). ICTP levels increased with reducing
      ejection fraction (P <= 0.012). Conclusions: Atrial fibrillation patients have
      higher levels of circulating ICTP than matched non-AF controls. In AF ablation
      patients, intra-cardiac sampling of FGF-23 or PIIINP gives no further information
      over peripheral sampling. For gal-3 and ICTP, intra-cardiac sampling may be
      necessary to assess their association with intra-cardiac processes. None of the
      biomarkers is related to fibrosis assessed by left atrial voltage.

PMID- 28339805
TI  - Design and evaluation of a pharmacogenomics information resource for pharmacists.
AB  - Objective: To develop and evaluate a pharmacogenomics information resource for
      pharmacists. Materials and Methods: We built a pharmacogenomics information
      resource presenting Food and Drug Administration (FDA) drug product labelling
      information, refined it based on feedback from pharmacists, and conducted a
      comparative usability evaluation, measuring task completion time, task
      correctness and perceived usability. Tasks involved hypothetical clinical
      situations requiring interpretation of pharmacogenomics information to determine
      optimal prescribing for specific patients. Results: Pharmacists were better able
      to perform certain tasks using the redesigned resource relative to the
      Pharmacogenomic Knowledgebase (PharmGKB) and the FDA Table of Pharmacogenomic
      Biomarkers in Drug Labeling. On average, participants completed tasks in 107.5 s
      using our resource, compared to 188.9 s using PharmGKB and 240.2 s using the FDA
      table. Using the System Usability Scale, participants rated our resource 79.62 on
      average, compared to 53.27 for PharmGKB and 50.77 for the FDA table. Participants
      found the correct answers for 100% of tasks using our resource, compared to 76.9%
      using PharmGKB and 69.2% using the FDA table. Discussion: We present structured,
      clinically relevant pharmacogenomic FDA drug product label information with
      visualizations to help explain the relationships between gene variants, drugs,
      and phenotypes. The results from our evaluation suggest that user-centered
      interfaces for pharmacogenomics information can increase ease of access and
      comprehension. Conclusion: A clinician-focused pharmacogenomics information
      resource can answer pharmacogenomics-related medication questions faster, more
      correctly, and more easily than widely used alternatives, as perceived by
      pharmacists.

PMID- 28339806
TI  - Mobile digital health devices and the diagnosis in real-time of myocardial
      ischaemia.

PMID- 28339807
TI  - Differential Effects of Carbohydrates on Arabidopsis Pollen Germination.
AB  - Pollen germination as a crucial process in plant development strongly depends on
      the accessibility of carbon as energy source. Carbohydrates, however, function
      not only as a primary energy source, but also as important signaling components.
      In a comprehensive study, we analyzed various aspects of the impact of 32
      different sugars on in vitro germination of Arabidopsis pollen comprising about
      150 variations of individual sugars and combinations. Twenty-six structurally
      different mono-, di- and oligosaccharides, and sugar analogs were initially
      tested for their ability to support pollen germination. Whereas several di- and
      oligosaccharides supported pollen germination, hexoses such as glucose, fructose
      and mannose did not support and even considerably inhibited pollen germination
      when added to germination-supporting medium. Complementary experiments using
      glucose analogs with varying functional features, the hexokinase inhibitor
      mannoheptulose and the glucose-insensitive hexokinase-deficient Arabidopsis
      mutant gin2-1 suggested that mannose- and glucose-mediated inhibition of sucrose
      supported pollen germination depends partially on hexokinase signaling. The
      results suggest that, in addition to their role as energy source, sugars act as
      signaling molecules differentially regulating the complex process of pollen
      germination depending on their structural properties. Thus, a sugar-dependent
      multilayer regulation of Arabidopsis pollen germination is supported, which makes
      this approach a valuable experimental system for future studies addressing sugar
      sensing and signaling.

PMID- 28339808
TI  - Response: Russell's viper envenomation: acute hypopituitarism or acute primary
      adrenal insufficiency.

PMID- 28339809
TI  - Minocycline-induced hyperpigmentation.

PMID- 28339810
TI  - "What to eat or what not to eat-that is still the question" - Reply.

PMID- 28339811
TI  - Pokemon GO & driving.

PMID- 28339813
TI  - Microstructural observation of fuel cell catalyst inks by Cryo-SEM and Cryo-TEM.
AB  - In order to improve the electricity generation performance of fuel cell electric
      vehicles, it is necessary to optimize the microstructure of the catalyst layer of
      a polymer electrolyte fuel cell. The catalyst layer is formed by a wet coating
      process using catalyst inks. Therefore, it is very important to observe the
      microstructure of the catalyst ink. In this study, the morphology of carbon
      supported platinum (Pt/C) particles in catalyst inks with a different solvent
      composition was investigated by cryogenic scanning electron microscopy (cryo
      SEM). In addition, the morphology of the ionomer, which presumably influences the
      formation of agglomerated Pt/C particles in a catalyst ink, was investigated by
      cryogenic transmission electron microscopy (cryo-TEM). The results of a cryo-SEM
      observation revealed that the agglomerated Pt/C particles tended to become
      coarser with a higher 1-propanol (NPA) weight fraction. The results of a cryo-TEM
      observation indicated that the actual ionomer dispersion in a catalyst ink formed
      a network structure different from that of the ionomer in the solvent.

PMID- 28339812
TI  - Spending on Hospital Care and Pediatric Psychology Service Use Among Adolescents
      and Young Adults With Cancer.
AB  - Objective: To examine the relationship between need-based pediatric psychology
      service use and spending on hospital care among adolescents and young adults
      (AYAs) with cancer. Methods: Billing data were obtained from 48 AYAs with cancer
      receiving need-based pediatric psychology services and a comparison cohort of 48
      AYAs with cancer not receiving services. A factorial analysis of covariance
      examined group differences in spending for hospital care. Pending significant
      findings, a multivariate analysis of covariance was planned to examine the
      relationship between need-based pediatric psychology service use and spending for
      inpatient admissions, emergency department (ED) visits, and outpatient visits.
      Results: Spending for hospital care was higher among AYAs receiving need-based
      pediatric psychology services than in the comparison cohort (p < .001,
      omegaPartial2 = .11). Group differences were driven by significantly higher
      spending for inpatient admissions and ED visits among AYAs receiving need-based
      pediatric psychology services. Conclusions: The behavioral and psychosocial
      difficulties warranting need-based pediatric psychology services may predict
      higher health care spending.

PMID- 28339815
TI  - Relationships Between Standing Frontal-Plane Knee Alignment and Dynamic Knee
      Joint Loading During Walking and Jogging in Youth Who Are Obese.
AB  - Background: Youth who are obese have high risk of poor knee health and cartilage
      damage. Understanding factors which may affect knee health in youth who are obese
      is critical for preservation of knee integrity and function. Objective: This
      study compared standing frontal-plane knee alignment and knee loading patterns
      between youth who are obese and those of healthy weight and determine the
      association between knee alignment and knee loading patterns during walking and
      jogging. Design: This study used a cross-sectional matched pair design. Methods:
      Twenty youth who were obese and 20 youth who were healthy-weight (ages 11-18
      years) were recruited. Three-dimensional motion analysis quantified standing
      frontal-plane knee alignment as well as frontal- and sagittal-plane knee moments
      during walking and jogging. Paired t -tests, multiple analysis of covariance, and
      Spearman's rank correlation coefficients were used for analysis. Results: The
      youth who were obese demonstrated greater knee valgus in standing ( P  = 0.02),
      lower normalized peak external knee adduction moments during walking ( P  =
      0.003), and greater normalized peak external knee extension moments during
      jogging ( P  = 0.003) compared with the youth who were healthy-weight. Standing
      knee alignment did not correlate with knee moments in the youth who were obese.
      Limitations: Results are limited to small, homogeneous cohorts. The standing
      alignment methodology is not validated in this population and may limit
      interpretation of results. Conclusion: Youth who are obese stand in more knee
      valgus and have altered knee loading patterns during walking and jogging compared
      with youth who are healthy-weight. Frontal-plane knee alignment does not
      correlate with frontal-plane knee loading patterns in youth who are obese. A
      better understanding of other mechanisms related to joint loading in youth who
      are obese is necessary to maintain long-term joint integrity in this population.

PMID- 28339816
TI  - Post-mortem toxicology in young sudden cardiac death victims: a nationwide cohort
      study.
AB  - Aims: Several drugs increase the risk of ventricular fibrillation and sudden
      cardiac death (SCD). We aimed to investigate in detail the toxicological findings
      of all young SCD throughout Denmark. Methods and results: Deaths in persons aged
      1-49 years were included over a 10-year period. Death certificates and autopsy
      reports were retrieved and read to identify cases of sudden death and establish
      cause of death. All medico-legal autopsied SCD were included and toxicological
      reports collected. Positive toxicology was defined as the presence of any
      substance (licit and/or illicit). All toxicological findings had previously been
      evaluated not to have caused the death (i.e. lethal concentrations were
      excluded). We identified 620 medico-legal autopsied cases of SCD, of which 77% (n
      = 477) were toxicologically investigated post-mortem, and 57% (n = 270) had a
      positive toxicology profile. Sudden cardiac death with positive toxicology had
      higher rates of sudden arrhythmic death syndrome (SADS), compared with SCD with
      negative toxicology (56% vs. 42%, P < 0.01). In total, 752 agents were detected,
      and polypharmacy (defined as the presence of more than one drug) was present in
      61% (n = 164), all substances combined. Psychotropic drugs were the most frequent
      (62%, n = 467), and 82% (n = 385) were in pharmacological or subpharmacological
      levels. Conclusion: We found that more than half of all toxicologically
      investigated SCD victims have positive post-mortem toxicological findings, and
      polypharmacy is displayed in a considerable proportion. SCD with positive
      toxicology had higher rate of SADS, suggesting that the compounds may play a
      proarrhythmic role in these cases.

PMID- 28339814
TI  - Modulating Oxidative Stress Relieves Stress-Induced Behavioral and Cognitive
      Impairments in Rats.
AB  - Background: Persistent psychological stress often leads to anxiety disorders and
      depression. Benzodiazepines and selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors are
      popular treatment options but have limited efficacy, supporting the need for
      alternative treatment. Based on our recent preclinical work suggesting a causal
      link between neurobehavioral deficits and elevated oxidative stress, we
      hypothesized that interventions that mitigate oxidative stress can
      attenuate/overcome neurobehavioral deficits. Methods: Here, we employed the rat
      social defeat model of psychological stress to determine whether increasing
      antioxidant levels using grape powder would prevent and/or reverse social defeat
      induced behavioral and cognitive deficits. Furthermore, a hippocampal-derived
      HT22 cell culture model of oxidative stress was employed to identify the
      individual beneficial constituent(s) of grape powder and the underlying
      mechanism(s) of action. Results: Grape powder treatment prevented and reversed
      social defeat-induced behavioral and cognitive deficits and also decreased social
      defeat-induced increase in plasma corticosterone and 8-isoprostane (systemic and
      oxidative stress markers, respectively). And grape powder treatment replenished
      social defeat-induced depleted pool of key antioxidant enzymes glyoxalase-1,
      glutathione reducatse-1, and superoxide dismutase. Grape powder constituents,
      quercetin and resveratrol, were most effective in preventing oxidative stress
      induced decreased cellular antioxidant capacity. Grape powder protected oxidative
      stress-induced cell death by preventing calcium influx, mitochondrial
      dysfunction, and release of cytochrome c. Conclusions: Grape powder treatment by
      increasing antioxidant pool and preventing cell damage and death prevented and
      reversed social defeat-induced behavioral and cognitive deficits in rats.
      Quercetin and resveratrol are the major contributors towards beneficial effects
      of grape powder.

PMID- 28339817
TI  - BSR and BHPR guideline for the prescription and monitoring of non-biologic
      disease-modifying anti-rheumatic drugs.

PMID- 28339818
TI  - Refining success of cardiac resynchronization therapy using a simple score
      predicting the amount of reverse ventricular remodelling: results from the
      Markers and Response to CRT (MARC) study.
AB  - Aims: Cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT) reduces morbidity and mortality in
      systolic heart failure patients with ventricular conduction delay. Variability of
      individual response to CRT warrants improved patient selection. The Markers and
      Response to CRT (MARC) study was designed to investigate markers related to
      response to CRT. Methods and results: We prospectively studied the ability of 11
      clinical, 11 electrocardiographic, 4 echocardiographic, and 16 blood biomarkers
      to predict CRT response in 240 patients. Response was measured by the reduction
      of indexed left ventricular end-systolic volume (LVESVi) at 6 months follow-up.
      Biomarkers were related to LVESVi change using log-linear regression on
      continuous scale. Covariates that were significant univariately were included in
      a multivariable model. The final model was utilized to compose a response score.
      Age was 67 +/- 10 years, 63% were male, 46% had ischaemic aetiology, LV ejection
      fraction was 26 +/- 8%, LVESVi was 75 +/- 31 mL/m2, and QRS was 178 +/- 23 ms. At
      6 months LVESVi was reduced to 58 +/- 31 mL/m2 (relative reduction of 22 +/-
      24%), 130 patients (61%) showed >= 15% LVESVi reduction. In univariate analysis
      17 parameters were significantly associated with LVESVi change. In the final
      model age, QRSAREA (using vectorcardiography) and two echocardiographic markers
      (interventricular mechanical delay and apical rocking) remained significantly
      associated with the amount of reverse ventricular remodelling. This CAVIAR (CRT
      Age-Vectorcardiographic QRSAREA -Interventricular Mechanical delay-Apical
      Rocking) response score also predicted clinical outcome assessed by heart failure
      hospitalizations and all-cause mortality. Conclusions: The CAVIAR response score
      predicts the amount of reverse remodelling after CRT and may be used to improve
      patient selection. Clinical Trials: NCT01519908.

PMID- 28339819
TI  - Thermal treatments prior to and during the beginning of incubation affects
      development of the broiler embryo and yolk sac membranes, and live performance
      and carcass characteristics.
AB  - This study evaluated temperature during preincubation and embryonic day 0 (E0) E0
      to E5 of incubation on broiler embryo development and subsequent live
      performance. Freshly laid eggs from a single 41-wk-old Ross 708 broiler breeder
      flock produced on a single day were weighed individually for weight matching
      purposes, stored overnight, and assigned to 4 treatment combinations of 2
      preincubation temperatures (23.9 or 29.4 degrees C) * 2 E0 to E5 temperatures
      (38.1 or 37.5 degrees C). The 29.4 degrees C preincubation temperature decreased
      (P <= 0.05) yolk sac membrane (YSM) vasculature at E6 and E7, and increased (P <=
      0.05) embryo weight and length but decreased (P <= 0.05) yolk sac weight (YSW) at
      E15. No subsequent main effects were observed. The 38.1 degrees C incubation
      temperature increased YSM vasculature at E7, chorioallantoic membrane (CAM)
      vasculature at E8 and E10, and egg weight loss, embryo weight, and embryo length
      at E15 and chick length at E21 in the presence of reduced BW and YSW (P <= 0.05).
      This was followed by greater male BW at 35 d, as well as improved FCR in females
      0 to 14 d and in males 15 to 35 d (P <= 0.05). Pectoralis major and minor yields
      were increased (P <= 0.05) at 50 d of age in males and females, respectively.
      There were no interactions observed with regards to broiler live performance and
      carcass yield, which probably negated the importance of the interactions observed
      for preincubation temperature by E0 to E5 incubation temperature that affected
      YSM vasculature, CAM vasculature area, egg weight loss, embryo weight, yolk sac
      weight, and chick length.

PMID- 28339820
TI  - Building the future of rheumatology: the role of national and international
      networks.

PMID- 28339821
TI  - Russell's viper envenomation: acute hypopituitarism or acute primary adrenal
      insufficiency.

PMID- 28339822
TI  - Can we say anything about ganglionated plexus modification during radiofrequency
      pulmonary vein isolation and post-ablation arrhythmia recurrence at this time?

PMID- 28339823
TI  - ABO blood group and risk of glioma.

PMID- 28339825
TI  - Glomerular filtration rate estimating equations: practical, yes, but can they
      replace measured glomerular filtration rate?

PMID- 28339824
TI  - A phase I trial of the MEK inhibitor selumetinib (AZD6244) in pediatric patients
      with recurrent or refractory low-grade glioma: a Pediatric Brain Tumor Consortium
      (PBTC) study.
AB  - Background: Activation of the mitogen-activated protein kinase pathway is
      important for growth of pediatric low-grade gliomas (LGGs). The aim of this study
      was to determine the recommended phase II dose (RP2D) and the dose-limiting
      toxicities (DLTs) of the MEK inhibitor selumetinib in children with progressive
      LGG. Methods: Selumetinib was administered orally starting at 33 mg/m2/dose
      b.i.d., using the modified continual reassessment method. Pharmacokinetic
      analysis was performed during the first course. BRAF aberrations in tumor tissue
      were determined by real-time polymerase chain reaction and fluorescence in situ
      hybridization. Results: Thirty-eight eligible subjects were enrolled. Dose levels
      1 and 2 (33 and 43 mg/m2/dose b.i.d.) were excessively toxic. DLTs included grade
      3 elevated amylase/lipase (n = 1), headache (n = 1), mucositis (n = 2), and
      grades 2-3 rash (n = 6). At dose level 0 (25 mg/m2/dose b.i.d, the RP2D), only 3
      of 24 subjects experienced DLTs (elevated amylase/lipase, rash, and mucositis).
      At the R2PD, the median (range) area under the curve (AUC0-infinity) and apparent
      oral clearance of selumetinib were 3855 ng*h/mL (1780 to 7250 ng * h/mL) and 6.5
      L * h-1 * m-2 (3.4 to 14.0 L * h-1 * m-2), respectively. Thirteen of 19 tumors
      had BRAF abnormalities. Among the 5 (20%) of 25 subjects with sustained partial
      responses, all at the RP2D, 4 had BRAF aberrations, 1 had insufficient tissue.
      Subjects received a median of 13 cycles (range: 1-26). Fourteen (37%) completed
      all protocol treatment (26 cycles [n = 13], 13 cycles [n = 1]) with at least
      stable disease; 2-year progression-free survival at the RP2D was 69 +/- SE 9.8%.
      Conclusion: Selumetinib has promising antitumor activity in children with LGG.
      Rash and mucositis were the most common DLTs.

PMID- 28339826
TI  - The importance of considering competing treatment affecting prognosis in the
      evaluation of therapy in trials: the example of renal transplantation in
      hemodialysis trials.
AB  - Background: During the follow-up in a randomized controlled trial (RCT),
      participants may receive additional (non-randomly allocated) treatment that
      affects the outcome. Typically such additional treatment is not taken into
      account in evaluation of the results. Two pivotal trials of the effects of
      hemodiafiltration (HDF) versus hemodialysis (HD) on mortality in patients with
      end-stage renal disease reported differing results. We set out to evaluate to
      what extent methods to take other treatments (i.e. renal transplantation) into
      account may explain the difference in findings between RCTs. This is illustrated
      using a clinical example of two RCTs estimating the effect of HDF versus HD on
      mortality. Methods: Using individual patient data from the Estudio de
      Supervivencia de Hemodiafiltracion On-Line (ESHOL; n  =  902) and The Dutch
      CONvective TRAnsport STudy (CONTRAST; n  = 714) trials, five methods for
      estimating the effect of HDF versus HD on all-cause mortality were compared:
      intention-to-treat (ITT) analysis (i.e. not taking renal transplantation into
      account), per protocol exclusion (PP excl ; exclusion of patients who receive
      transplantation), PP cens (censoring patients at the time of transplantation),
      transplantation-adjusted (TA) analysis and an extension of the TA analysis (TA
      ext ) with additional adjustment for variables related to both the risk of
      receiving a transplant and the risk of an outcome (transplantation-outcome
      confounders). Cox proportional hazards models were applied. Results: Unadjusted
      ITT analysis of all-cause mortality led to differing results between CONTRAST and
      ESHOL: hazard ratio (HR) 0.95 (95% CI 0.75-1.20) and HR 0.76 (95% CI 0.59-0.97),
      respectively; difference between 5 and 24% risk reductions. Similar differences
      between the two trials were observed for the other unadjusted analytical methods
      (PP cens, PP excl , TA) The HRs of HDF versus HD treatment became more similar
      after adding transplantation as a time-varying covariate and including
      transplantation-outcome confounders: HR 0.89 (95% CI 0.69-1.13) in CONTRAST and
      HR 0.80 (95% CI 0.62-1.02) in ESHOL. Conclusions: The apparent differences in
      estimated treatment effects between two dialysis trials were to a large extent
      attributable to differences in applied methodology for taking renal
      transplantation into account in their final analyses. Our results exemplify the
      necessity of careful consideration of the treatment effect of interest when
      estimating the therapeutic effect in RCTs in which participants may receive
      additional treatments.

PMID- 28339827
TI  - Pre-participation cardiovascular evaluation for athletic participants to prevent
      sudden cardiac death.

PMID- 28339828
TI  - Single Session of Functional Electrical Stimulation-Assisted Walking Produces
      Corticomotor Symmetry Changes Related to Changes in Poststroke Walking Mechanics.
AB  - Background: Recent research demonstrated that the symmetry of corticomotor drive
      with the paretic and nonparetic plantarflexor muscles was related to the
      biomechanical ankle moment strategy that people with chronic stroke used to
      achieve their greatest walking speeds. Rehabilitation strategies that promote
      corticomotor balance might improve poststroke walking mechanics and enhance
      functional ambulation. Objective: The study objectives were to test the
      effectiveness of a single session of gait training using functional electrical
      stimulation (FES) to improve plantarflexor corticomotor symmetry and
      plantarflexion ankle moment symmetry and to determine whether changes in
      corticomotor symmetry were related to changes in ankle moment symmetry within the
      session. Design: This was a repeated-measures crossover study. Methods: On
      separate days, 20 people with chronic stroke completed a session of treadmill
      walking either with or without the use of FES of their ankle dorsi- and
      plantarflexor muscles. We calculated plantarflexor corticomotor symmetry using
      transcranial magnetic stimulation and plantarflexion ankle moment symmetry during
      walking between the paretic and the nonparetic limbs before and after each
      session. We compared changes and tested relationships between corticomotor
      symmetry and ankle moment symmetry following each session. Results: Following the
      session with FES, there was an increase in plantarflexor corticomotor symmetry
      that was related to the observed increase in ankle moment symmetry. In contrast,
      following the session without FES, there were no changes in corticomotor symmetry
      or ankle moment symmetry. Limitations: No stratification was made on the basis of
      lesion size, location, or clinical severity. Conclusions: These findings
      demonstrate, for the first time (to our knowledge), the ability of a single
      session of gait training with FES to induce positive corticomotor plasticity in
      people in the chronic stage of stroke recovery. They also provide insight into
      the neurophysiologic mechanisms underlying improvements in biomechanical walking
      function.

PMID- 28339829
TI  - Perceived office environments and occupational physical activity in office-based
      workers.
AB  - Background: Individuals in office-based occupations have low levels of physical
      activity but there is little research into the socio-ecological correlates of
      workplace activity. Aims: To identify factors contributing to office-based
      workers' perceptions of the office environment and explore cross-sectional
      relationships between these factors and occupational physical activity. Methods:
      Participants in the Active Buildings study reported perceptions of their office
      environment using the Movement at Work Survey. A principal component analysis
      (PCA) was conducted on survey items. A sub-sample wore the ActivPAL3TM
      accelerometer for >=3 workdays to measure occupational step count, standing,
      sitting and sit-to-stand transitions. Linear regression analyses assessed
      relationships between environmental perceptions and activity. Results: There were
      433 participants, with accelerometer data available for 115 participants across
      11 organ izations. The PCA revealed four factors: (i) perceived distance to
      office destinations, (ii) perceived office aesthetics and comfort, (iii)
      perceived office social environment and (iv) perceived management discouragement
      of unscheduled breaks. Younger participants perceived office destinations as
      being closer to their desk. Younger and female participants perceived more
      positive office social environments; there were no other socio-demographic
      differences. Within the sub-sample with accelerometer data, perceived
      discouragement of breaks by management was related to occupational step
      count/hour (B = -64.5; 95% CI -109.7 to -19.2). No other environmental
      perceptions were related to activity or sitting. Conclusions: Perceived
      managerial discouragement of breaks could be related to meaningful decreases in
      occupational step count. Future research should aim to elucidate the role of the
      workplace socio-cultural environment in occupational walking, with a focus on the
      role of management.

PMID- 28339832
TI  - Effects of feeding Original XPCTM to broilers with a live coccidiosis vaccine
      under industrial conditions: Part 2. Cecal microbiota analysis.
AB  - Biological supplements in poultry feed are of continued interest due to the
      improvements in growth performance, protection from pathogen invasion, and
      benefits in overall host health. The fermentation metabolites of Diamond V
      Original XPCTM (XPC) have previously been shown to improve commercial performance
      and reduce Salmonella in poultry. The current study sought to characterize the
      cecal microbiota using culture-independent analysis based on 16S rRNA gene in
      Coccivac-D sprayed broilers supplemented with XPC and/or Salinomycin (SAL). Ross
      708 male broilers (n = 640) were assigned to one of 4 treatments: Cocci-vaccine
      (T1), Cocci-vaccine + XPC (T2), Cocci-vaccine + SAL (in the grower diet only)
      (T3), and Cocci-vaccine + SAL (in the grower diet only) + XPC (T4). Analysis with
      a PCR-based denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE) indicated a shift in
      the microbial populations present at the various sampling ages - 16, 28, and 42
      days. Phylogenetic analysis indicated further consistency in microbial
      communities directly related to bird age. Identification of microbial communities
      present and the assessment of their respective quantities using an Illumina MiSeq
      indicated treatment with XPC had no significant impact on microbial diversity
      (Chao1 index, observed operational taxonomic unit (OTU) and phylogenetic
      diversity (PD) whole tree). Sampling age revealed significantly greater diversity
      at 16 and 28 d (P < 0.05) as compared to the 42 d for the Shannon diversity
      index, while showing significantly decreased richness and diversity in the 42 d
      sampling age (Chao1 and observed OTU; P < 0.05). The results of the current study
      indicate that the chicken intestinal microbiota are impacted more by temporal
      changes rather than by the feed additive studied.

PMID- 28339834
TI  - Effects of coccidiosis vaccination administered by in ovo injection on Ross 708
      broiler performance through 14 days of post-hatch age.
AB  - Effects of the in ovo injection of a commercial coccidiosis vaccine on various
      hatching chick quality variables and 14 d post-hatch (dph) oocyst shedding have
      been previously examined. The current study was designed to examine the
      performance of Ross 708 broilers during the 14 dph period of oocyst shedding
      following the application of the coccidiosis vaccine. On each of 7 replicate tray
      levels of a single-stage incubator, a total of 4 treatment groups was randomly
      represented, with each treatment group containing 63 eggs. Treatments were
      administered using a commercial multi-egg injector on d 18.5 of incubation. The
      treatments included 3 control groups (non-injected, dry-punch, and diluent
      injected) and one treatment group (injected with diluent containing Inovocox EM1
      vaccine). On d 21 of incubation, 20 chicks from each of the 28 treatment
      replicate groups were placed in corresponding wire-floored battery cages.
      Mortality, feed intake (FI), BW gain (BWG), and feed conversion ratio (FCR) were
      determined for the zero to 7, 7 to 14, and cumulative zero to 14 dph intervals.
      There were no significant treatment effects on mortality in any interval or on BW
      at zero dph. There were significant treatment effects on BW at 7 and 14 dph, on
      BWG and FI in the zero to 7, 7 to 14, and zero to 14 dph intervals, and on FCR in
      the 7 to 14 and zero to 14 dph intervals. Although the performance variables of
      birds belonging to the diluent-injected and vaccine-injected groups were not
      significantly different, the 14 dph BW, 7 to 14 dph FI, and zero to 14 dph BWG
      and FI of birds belonging to the vaccine treatment group were significantly
      higher than those in birds belonging to the non-injected control group. It was
      concluded that use of the Inovocox EM1 vaccine in commercial diluent has no
      detrimental effect on the overall post-hatch performance of broilers through 14
      dph.

PMID- 28339833
TI  - VDAC1 is a molecular target in glioblastoma, with its depletion leading to
      reprogrammed metabolism and reversed oncogenic properties.
AB  - Background: Glioblastoma (GBM), an aggressive brain tumor with frequent relapses
      and a high mortality, still awaits an effective treatment. Like many cancers, GBM
      cells acquire oncogenic properties, including metabolic reprogramming, vital for
      growth. As such, tumor metabolism is an emerging avenue for cancer therapy. One
      relevant target is the voltage-dependent anion channel 1 (VDAC1), a mitochondrial
      protein controlling cell energy and metabolic homeostasis. Methods: We used VDAC1
      specific short interfering (si)RNA (si-VDAC1) to treat GBM cell lines and
      subcutaneous or intracranial-orthotopic GBM xenograft mouse models. Tumors were
      monitored using MRI, immunohistochemistry, immunoblotting, immunofluorescence,
      quantitative real-time PCR, transcription factor expression, and DNA microarray
      analyses. Results: Silencing VDAC1 expression using si-VDAC1 in 9 glioblastoma
      related cell lines, including patient-derived cells, led to marked decreases in
      VDAC1 levels and cell growth. Using si-VDAC1 in subcutaneous or intracranial
      orthotopic GBM models inhibited tumor growth and reversed oncogenic properties,
      such as reprogrammed metabolism, stemness, angiogenesis, epithelial-mesenchymal
      transition, and invasiveness. In cells in culture, si-VDAC1 inhibits cancer
      neurosphere formation and, in tumors, targeted cancer stem cells, leading to
      their differentiation into neuronal-like cells. These VDAC1 depletion-mediated
      effects involved alterations in transcription factors regulating signaling
      pathways associated with cancer hallmarks. Conclusion: VDAC1 offers a target for
      GBM treatment, allowing for attacks on the interplay between metabolism and
      oncogenic signaling networks, leading to tumor cell differentiation into neuron-
      and astrocyte-like cells. Simultaneously attacking all of these processes, VDAC1
      depletion overcame GBM heterogeneity and can replace several anticancer drugs
      that separately target angiogenesis, proliferation, or metabolism.

PMID- 28339835
TI  - The association between proton pump inhibitor use and the risk of adverse kidney
      outcomes: a systematic review and meta-analysis.
AB  - Background: Existing epidemiological studies illustrate that proton pump
      inhibitors (PPIs) may be related to adverse kidney outcomes. To date, no
      comprehensive meta-analysis has been conducted to evaluate and quantify this
      association. Methods: We performed a systematic review and meta-analysis of
      studies to assess the association between PPI use and the risk of adverse kidney
      outcomes. We searched MEDLINE, Embase, SCOPUS, Web of Science, CINAHL, Cochrane
      Library and grey literature with no language restrictions (through 31 October
      2016). Adverse kidney outcomes were acute interstitial nephritis (AIN), acute
      kidney injury (AKI), chronic kidney disease (CKD) and end-stage renal disease
      (ESRD). The risk ratios (RRs) and confidence intervals (CIs) were pooled using a
      random effects model. The strength of evidence (SOE) for each outcome was
      assessed using the Grading of Recommended Assessment, Development and Evaluation
      system. Results: Of 2037 identified studies, four cohort and five case-control
      studies with ~2.6 million patients were included. Of these, 534 003 (20.2%) were
      PPI users. Compared with non-PPI users, PPI users experienced a significantly
      higher risk of AKI [RR 1.44 (95% CI 1.08-1.91); P = 0.013; SOE, low] and CKD [RR
      1.36 (95% CI 1.07-1.72); P = 0.012; SOE, low]. Moreover, PPIs increased the risk
      of AIN [RR 3.61 (95% CI 2.37-5.51); P < 0.001; SOE, insufficient] and ESRD [RR
      1.42 (95% CI 1.28-1.58); P < 0.001; SOE, insufficient]. Conclusion: PPI usage was
      associated with adverse kidney outcomes; however, these findings were based on
      observational studies and low-quality evidence. Additional rigorous studies are
      needed for further clarification.

PMID- 28339836
TI  - Differences in textural properties of cooked caponized and broiler chicken breast
      meat.
AB  - This study was aimed at evaluating textural properties of cooked chicken breast
      meats obtained from 3 production systems (conventional raising, feed
      modification, and caponization) and determining the relationship between
      instrumental parameters and sensory attributes associated with the texture of
      capon meat. Texture of cooked breast meats was determined using 3 instrumental
      methods: Warner-Bratzler Shear (WBS), texture profile analysis (TPA), and
      uniaxial compression (UC), and sensory analysis by trained panelists. The results
      indicated that cooked caponized meat showed the lowest values of WBS force, shear
      energy, hardness, Young's modulus of UC, and the 2 sensory attributes (firmness
      and number of chews) (P < 0.05). In contrast, springiness and juiciness were the
      highest in the caponized meat (P < 0.05), suggesting that capon meat was more
      tender and juicier than the others. Feed-modified chicken samples showed
      intermediate textural characteristics between the samples of capon and
      conventionally raised broiler. Pearson's correlation revealed that WBS force,
      shear energy, Young's modulus of UC, gumminess, and springiness were strongly
      correlated with 3 sensory attributes (firmness, number of chews, and juiciness).
      Partial least squares regression (PLSR) demonstrated that 72% of all sensory
      attributes for the first 2 PLSR components were explained by 36% of the
      instrumental parameters and the production systems. Loading and score plot
      illustrated that conventional raising contributed to a high degree of firmness
      and number of chews, and positively correlated with shear energy, WBS force,
      gumminess, hardness, and Young's modulus. Contrarily, caponization was negatively
      correlated with those sensory attributes. The univariate analysis indicated that
      firmness and number of chews were positively correlated with all instrumental
      parameters, except springiness. Juiciness was positively correlated with
      springiness but negatively correlated with the others. The study suggested that
      the cooked meat of capons could be differentiated from those of broilers raised
      conventionally and with feed-modified diets based on textural properties. Based
      on the optimized simulating equation, texture of caponized breast could be
      explained by WBS force, shear energy, Young's modulus, and gumminess.

PMID- 28339831
TI  - Safety of intravenous ferric carboxymaltose versus oral iron in patients with
      nondialysis-dependent CKD: an analysis of the 1-year FIND-CKD trial.
AB  - Background: The evidence base regarding the safety of intravenous (IV) iron
      therapy in patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD) is incomplete and largely
      based on small studies of relatively short duration. Methods: FIND-CKD
      (ClinicalTrials.gov number NCT00994318) was a 1-year, open-label, multicenter,
      prospective study of patients with nondialysis-dependent CKD, anemia and iron
      deficiency randomized (1:1:2) to IV ferric carboxymaltose (FCM), targeting higher
      (400-600 ug/L) or lower (100-200 ug/L) ferritin, or oral iron. A post hoc
      analysis of adverse event rates per 100 patient-years was performed to assess the
      safety of FCM versus oral iron over an extended period. Results: The safety
      population included 616 patients. The incidence of one or more adverse events was
      91.0, 100.0 and 105.0 per 100 patient-years in the high ferritin FCM, low
      ferritin FCM and oral iron groups, respectively. The incidence of adverse events
      with a suspected relation to study drug was 15.9, 17.8 and 36.7 per 100 patient
      years in the three groups; for serious adverse events, the incidence was 28.2,
      27.9 and 24.3 per 100 patient-years. The incidence of cardiac disorders and
      infections was similar between groups. At least one ferritin level >=800 ug/L
      occurred in 26.6% of high ferritin FCM patients, with no associated increase in
      adverse events. No patient with ferritin >=800 ug/L discontinued the study drug
      due to adverse events. Estimated glomerular filtration rate remained the stable
      in all groups. Conclusions: These results further support the conclusion that
      correction of iron deficiency anemia with IV FCM is safe in patients with
      nondialysis-dependent CKD.

PMID- 28339839
TI  - Recent Advances in Understanding Pelvic-Floor Tissue of Women With and Without
      Pelvic Organ Prolapse: Considerations for Physical Therapists.
AB  - Pelvic organ prolapse is a fairly common condition that imposes significant
      symptoms, diminished quality of life, social burden, financial expense, and
      surgical risk on women. As evidence supporting the benefit of pelvic-floor muscle
      training in nonsurgical management of pelvic organ prolapse grows, physical
      therapists are becoming a provider of choice interacting with women affected by
      pelvic organ prolapse. This perspective article will review recent research on
      tissue characteristics of 3 key components of pelvic organ support: skeletal
      muscle, ligament, and vaginal wall. This information will be summarized as
      implications for physical therapists. An improved understanding of pelvic-floor
      tissue in women with and without pelvic organ prolapse will provide a more
      comprehensive appreciation of the interaction of multiple systems in the
      disorder.

PMID- 28339838
TI  - The clinical epidemiology of young adults starting renal replacement therapy in
      the UK: presentation, management and survival using 15 years of UK Renal Registry
      data.
AB  - Background: Clinical epidemiology data for young adults on renal replacement
      therapy (RRT) are lacking. While mostly transplanted, they have an increased risk
      of graft loss during young adulthood. Methods: We combined the UK Renal Registry
      paediatric and adult databases to describe patient characteristics,
      transplantation and survival for young adults. We grouped patients 11-30 years of
      age starting RRT from 1999 to 2008 by age band and examined their course during 5
      years of follow-up. Results: The cohort (n = 3370) was 58% male, 79% white and
      29% had glomerulonephritis. Half (52%) started RRT on haemodialysis (HD). Most
      (78%) were transplanted (18% pre-emptive, 61% as second modality); 11% were not
      listed for transplant. Transplant timing varied by age group. The deceased:living
      donor kidney transplant ratio was 2:1 for 11-<16 year olds and 1:1 otherwise.
      Median deceased donor transplant waiting times ranged from 6 months if <16 years
      of age to 17 months if >=21 years. Overall 8% died, with being on dialysis and
      not transplant listed versus transplanted {hazard ratio [HR] 16.6 [95% confidence
      interval (CI) 10.8-25.4], P < 0.0001} and diabetes versus glomerulonephritis [HR
      4.03 (95% CI 2.71-6.01), P < 0.0001] increasing mortality risk. Conclusions: This
      study highlights the frequent use of HD and the importance of transplant listing
      and diabetes for young adults. More than half the young adults in our cohort
      started renal replacement therapy on HD. One in 10 young adults were not listed
      for transplant by 5 years and were ~20 times more likely to die than those who
      were transplanted. Diabetes as a primary renal disease was common among young
      adults and associated with increased mortality. Overall, almost 1 in 10 young
      adults had died by 5 years from the start of RRT.

PMID- 28339837
TI  - Vitamin D treatment attenuates cardiac FGF23/FGFR4 signaling and hypertrophy in
      uremic rats.
AB  - Background: Vitamin D deficiency and excess of circulating fibroblast growth
      factor 23 (FGF23) contribute to cardiovascular mortality in patients with chronic
      kidney disease (CKD). FGF23 activates FGF receptor 4 and (FGFR4)
      calcineurin/nuclear factor of activated T cells (NFAT) signaling in cardiac
      myocytes, thereby causing left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH). Here, we determined
      if 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D (calcitriol) inhibits FGF23-induced cardiac signaling
      and LVH. Methods: 5/6 nephrectomized (5/6 Nx) rats were treated with different
      doses of calcitriol for 4 or 10 weeks and cardiac expression of FGF23/FGFR4 and
      activation of calcineurin/NFAT as well as LVH were analyzed. FGFR4 activation and
      hypertrophic cell growth were studied in cultured cardiac myocytes that were co
      treated with FGF23 and calcitriol. Results: In 5/6Nx rats with LVH, we detected
      elevated FGF23 expression in bone and myocardium, increased cardiac expression of
      FGFR4 and elevated cardiac activation of calcineurin/NFAT signaling. Cardiac
      expression levels of FGF23 and FGFR4 significantly correlated with the presence
      of LVH in uremic rats. Treatment with calcitriol reduced LVH as well as cardiac
      FGFR4 expression and calcineurin/NFAT activation. Bone and cardiac FGF23
      expression were further stimulated by calcitriol in a dose-dependent manner, but
      levels of intact cardiac FGF23 protein were suppressed by high-dose calcitriol.
      In cultured cardiac myocytes, co-treatment with calcitriol blocked FGF23-induced
      activation of FGFR4 and hypertrophic cell growth. Conclusions: Our data suggest
      that in CKD, cardioprotective effects of calcitriol stem from its inhibitory
      actions on the cardiac FGF23/FGFR4 system, and based on their counterbalancing
      effects on cardiac myocytes, high FGF23 and low calcitriol synergistically
      contribute to cardiac hypertrophy.

PMID- 28339841
TI  - Nutritive value and the maximum inclusion level of pennycress meal for broiler
      chickens.
AB  - Two experiments were conducted to evaluate the nutritive value and maximum safe
      level (MSL) of pennycress meal (PM) for broiler chicks. In experiment 1, a total
      of 480 chicks was fed either mash or crumbled diets containing zero, 5, 10, or
      15% PM for 18 d (8 diets; 6 replications per diet). In experiment 2, a total of
      660 chicks was fed mash diets containing zero, 3, 6, 9, 12, or 15% of either PM
      or canola meal (CM; a comparative reference) for 14 d (11 diets; 6 replications
      per diet). Analytical results show that PM is a good source of protein (~31% CP)
      and it is very comparable to CM (~36% CP). However, it contains higher erucic
      acid (~1.68 vs. < 0.021%), glucosinolates (sinigrin) (~63.5 vs. <0.163 MUmol /g),
      and crude fiber (18.60 vs. 9.27%) compared to CM. In experiment 1, increasing PM
      from zero to 15% resulted in linear reductions (P < 0.05) in FI, BWG, and FCR at
      10 days. Above 10%, performance responses were affected for FI and BWG at 18 d,
      respectively. An estimated MSL of 10% PM based on orthogonal contrast was optimal
      for satisfactory FI and BWG. The MSL as estimated by broken-line linear (BLL) and
      broken-line quadratic (BLQ) models was 9.12 +/- 0.50 and 7.0 +/- 1.27%,
      respectively. In experiment 2, growth performance at 14 d was reduced above 9%
      due to PM inclusion. CM inclusion did not affect growth performance at 14 d,
      suggesting 15% to be safe. The MSL for maximum growth performance varied
      depending on the statistical analysis as follows: 12% by orthogonal contrast and
      LSD, 15% by the Scheffe test, 10.84 +/- 0.57 by BLL, and 8.61 +/- 1.29 by BLQ. In
      conclusion, PM can be included in broiler starter diets as a protein source but
      its inclusion should be limited to no more than 8.5%. Different statistical
      procedures give different MSL and this should be considered when interpreting the
      data.

PMID- 28339840
TI  - The Effects of Sexual Orientation on the Relationship Between Victimization
      Experiences and Smoking Status Among US Women.
AB  - Introduction: This study examined the relationships between experiences of
      childhood and adulthood victimization and current smoking among heterosexual and
      sexual minority women. The main hypothesis was that victimization experiences
      would predict current smoking status. Further, we hypothesized that the effect of
      childhood victimization on self-reported smoker status would be mediated by adult
      victimization. Methods: Data are from two studies conducted in the United States
      that used similar methods and questionnaires in order to conduct a comparative
      analysis of women based on sexual orientation. Data from Wave 1 (2000-2001) of
      the Chicago Health and Life Experiences of Women (CHLEW) study and from Wave 5
      (2001) of the National Study of Health and Life Experiences of Women (NSHLEW)
      study were used in these analyses. Results: Twenty-eight percent of the sample
      reported current smoking. Victimization experiences were common, with 63.4% of
      participants reporting at least one type of victimization in childhood and 40.2%
      reporting at least one type in adulthood. Women who identified as heterosexual
      were less likely to be victimized during childhood than were women who identified
      as lesbian or bisexual. Adult victimization had a significant effect on current
      smoker status, and the effect of childhood victimization on smoker status was
      mediated by adult victimization. When examined by sexual orientation, this
      indirect relationship remained significant only among bisexual women in the
      sample. Conclusions: Study findings make a valuable contribution to the
      literature on victimization and health risk behaviors such as smoking. Given the
      negative and long-term impact of victimization on women, strategies are needed
      that reduce the likelihood of victimization and subsequent engagement in health
      risk behaviors such as smoking. Implications: The study findings make a valuable
      contribution to the literature on sexual minority women's health on the influence
      of victimization on health risk behaviors. With the goal of reducing the
      likelihood of adult victimization and subsequent engagement in health risk
      behaviors, programs and policies aimed at preventing victimization of women are
      warranted. Providers and community health agencies should assess and target
      physically and sexually abused sexual minority youth for mental health
      intervention with the goal of interrupting the progression from childhood
      victimization to adult victimization and subsequent engagement in health risk
      behaviors.

PMID- 28339842
TI  - Epicardial ablation may not be necessary in all patients with arrhythmogenic
      right ventricular dysplasia/cardiomyopathy and frequent ventricular tachycardia.

PMID- 28339843
TI  - Availability and cost of extracorporeal treatments for poisonings and other
      emergency indications: a worldwide survey.
AB  - Background: Extracorporeal treatments (ECTRs) are used for different conditions,
      including replacement of organ function and poisoning. Current recommendations
      for ECTRs in various poisonings suggest that intermittent haemodialysis (IHD) is
      the most efficient technique. However, the practicality of these recommendations
      is poorly defined in view of limited information on availability and cost
      worldwide. Methods: A survey invitation to an Internet-based questionnaire was
      emailed between January 2014 and March 2015 to members of international societies
      to determine the availability, time to initiation and cost of ECTRs (including
      filters, dialysate, catheter, anticoagulant and nursing/physician salary). The
      median cost ratio of every ECTR compared with IHD performed in the same
      institution were presented. Results: The view rate was estimated at 28.1%
      (2532/9000), the participation rate was 40.1% (1015/2532) and the completion rate
      was 16.0% (162/1015). Respondents originated from 89 countries, and nearly three
      fourths practiced in a tertiary care centre. A total of 162 respondents provided
      sufficient data for in-depth analysis. IHD was the most available acute ECTR
      (96.9%), followed by therapeutic plasma exchange (TPE; 68.3%), continuous renal
      replacement therapy (CRRT; 62.9%), peritoneal dialysis (PD; 44.8%),
      haemoperfusion (HP; 30.9%) and liver support devices (LSDs; 14.7%). IHD, CRRT and
      HP were the shortest to initiate (median = 60 min). The median cost ratios of
      each ECTR compared with IHD were 1.7 for CRRT and HP, 2.8 for TPE, 6.5 for LSDs
      and 1.4 for PD (P < 0.001 for all). The median cost ratio of a 4-h IHD treatment
      compared with 1 day in the intensive care unit was 0.6 (P =  0.2). Conclusions:
      IHD appears to be the most widely available ECTR worldwide and is at least 30%
      less expensive than other ECTRs. The superior efficacy of IHD for enhanced
      elimination, added to its lower cost and wider availability, strengthens its
      preference as the ECTR of choice in most cases of acute poisoning. Keywords:
      costing, CRRT, EXTRIP, hemodialysis, hemoperfusion.

PMID- 28339844
TI  - Intensity-modulated radiotherapy using two static ports of tomotherapy for breast
      cancer after conservative surgery: dosimetric comparison with other treatment
      methods and 3-year clinical results.
AB  - This study investigated the differences in dose-volume parameters for the breast
      and normal tissues during TomoDirectTM (TD) intensity-modulated radiation therapy
      (IMRT), TD-3D conformal radiotherapy (3DCRT) and 3DCRT plans, all using two
      beams, and analyzed treatment outcomes of two-beam TD-IMRT for breast cancer
      after breast-conserving surgery. Between August 2011 and January 2015, 152
      patients were treated using two-beam TD-IMRT with 50 Gy/25 fractions. Among them,
      20 patients with left-sided breast cancer were randomly chosen, and two-beam TD
      IMRT, TD-3DCRT and 3DCRT plans were created for each patient. The homogeneity and
      conformity indices and various dose-volume parameters for the planning target
      volume and OARs were evaluated. Clinical outcomes were evaluated at 3 years.
      Toxicities were evaluated using the Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse
      Events version 4.0. TD-IMRT and TD-3DCRT showed better whole-breast coverage than
      3DCRT (P < 0.001). Most of the mean values of dosimetric endpoints for OARs were
      better in TD-IMRT than in TD-3DCRT and 3DCRT. Overall survival rates were 97.7%
      and local control rates were 99.1% at 3 years. Regional control and distant
      metastasis control rates at 3 years were 98.6% and 96.8%, respectively. Twenty
      four of the 152 patients had Grade 2 or higher acute radiation dermatitis. Four
      patients (4/146 = 2.7%) had Grade 2 radiation pneumonitis. There were no late
      adverse events of Grade 2 or higher. Two-beam TD-IMRT appeared to yield better
      dose distribution for whole-breast external-beam radiation therapy than TD-3DCRT
      and two-beam 3DCRT. The treatment appeared to provide low skin toxicity and
      acceptable tumor control.

PMID- 28339845
TI  - Expanded spectrum beta-lactamase producing Escherichia coli isolated from
      chickens with colibacillosis in Egypt.
AB  - Throughout the world, expanded spectrum beta-lactamases (ESBL) are increasing
      among clinical isolates of Enterobacteriaceae, both in humans and animals.
      Unfortunately, there is a paucity of data on ESBL or Ampicillin class C beta
      lactamase (AmpC) in Egypt, although antimicrobial consumption is high in this
      developing country. This study aims to characterize the resistance mechanisms to
      expanded spectrum cephalosporins among resistant veterinary Escherichia coli
      isolates in Egypt. We investigated 50 clinical multi-resistant E. coli strains
      isolated from 20 chicken farms for production of ESBL or AmpC. Antibiotic
      susceptibility was tested by Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute (CLSI)
      disk diffusion and ESBL confirmatory tests. PCR and sequencing were performed to
      screen for plasmid mediated ESBL genes and genes encoding AmpC beta-lactamases.
      All the isolates were phylogentically classified, investigated for harboring
      class 1 integrons, and genotyped by amplified fragment length polymorphism
      (AFLP). Three strains showed ESBL and 6 strains AmpC phenotypic patterns,
      respectively, with confirmed ESBL genes of blaTEM-57, blaSHV-12, blaCTX-M-14, and
      blaCMY-2 for AmpC producing strains. All ESBL strains belonged to phylogroup D
      with different clones isolated from different flocks, while most of the AmpC
      strains belonged to phylogroup B1 (4/6) and were assigned to the same genotype
      distributed in 2 different farms. Class 1 integrons were disseminated in 60% of
      all tested strains and in 100% of ESBL and AmpC strains. These results highlight
      the antimicrobial resistance problem in Egypt, caused in all probability by
      unwise use of antimicrobials in animal husbandry. The results call for a
      nationwide surveillance program to monitor antimicrobial resistance.

PMID- 28339846
TI  - Estimation of whole-body radiation exposure from brachytherapy for oral cancer
      using a Monte Carlo simulation.
AB  - Early stage oral cancer can be cured with oral brachytherapy, but whole-body
      radiation exposure status has not been previously studied. Recently, the
      International Commission on Radiological Protection Committee (ICRP) recommended
      the use of ICRP phantoms to estimate radiation exposure from external and
      internal radiation sources. In this study, we used a Monte Carlo simulation with
      ICRP phantoms to estimate whole-body exposure from oral brachytherapy. We used a
      Particle and Heavy Ion Transport code System (PHITS) to model oral brachytherapy
      with 192Ir hairpins and 198Au grains and to perform a Monte Carlo simulation on
      the ICRP adult reference computational phantoms. To confirm the simulations, we
      also computed local dose distributions from these small sources, and compared
      them with the results from Oncentra manual Low Dose Rate Treatment Planning
      (mLDR) software which is used in day-to-day clinical practice. We successfully
      obtained data on absorbed dose for each organ in males and females. Sex-averaged
      equivalent doses were 0.547 and 0.710 Sv with 192Ir hairpins and 198Au grains,
      respectively. Simulation with PHITS was reliable when compared with an
      alternative computational technique using mLDR software. We concluded that the
      absorbed dose for each organ and whole-body exposure from oral brachytherapy can
      be estimated with Monte Carlo simulation using PHITS on ICRP reference phantoms.
      Effective doses for patients with oral cancer were obtained.

PMID- 28339847
TI  - Telephone-Delivered Exercise Advice and Behavior Change Support by Physical
      Therapists for People with Knee Osteoarthritis: Protocol for the Telecare
      Randomized Controlled Trial.
AB  - Background: Exercise and physical activity are a core component of knee
      osteoarthritis (OA) care, yet access to physical therapists is limited for many
      people. Telephone service delivery models may increase access. Objective:
      Determine the effectiveness of incorporating exercise advice and behavior change
      support by physical therapists into an existing Australian nurse-led
      musculoskeletal telephone service for adults with knee OA. Design: Randomized
      controlled trial with nested qualitative studies. Setting: Community, Australia
      wide. Participants: One hundred seventy-five people >=45 years of age with knee
      symptoms consistent with a clinical diagnosis of knee OA. Eight musculoskeletal
      physical therapists will provide exercise advice and support. Intervention:
      Random allocation to receive existing care or exercise advice in addition to
      existing care. Existing care is a minimum of one phone call from a nurse for
      advice on OA self-management. Exercise advice involves 5-10 calls over 6 months
      from a physical therapist trained in behavior change support to prescribe,
      monitor, and progress a strengthening exercise program and physical activity
      plan. Measurements: Outcomes will be measured at baseline and at 6 and 12 months.
      Primary outcomes are knee pain and physical function. Secondary outcomes include
      other measures of knee pain, self-efficacy, physical activity and its mediators,
      kinesiophobia, health service usage, work productivity, participant-perceived
      change, and satisfaction. Additional measures include adherence, adverse events,
      therapeutic alliance, satisfaction with telephone-delivered therapy, and
      expectation of outcome. Semi-structured interviews with participants with knee OA
      and therapists will be conducted. Limitations: Physical therapists cannot be
      blinded. Conclusions: This study will determine if incorporating exercise advice
      and behavior change support by physical therapists into a nurse-led
      musculoskeletal telephone service improves outcomes for people with knee OA.
      Findings will inform development and implementation of telerehabilitation
      services.

PMID- 28339848
TI  - Left atrial and pulmonary vein flutter associated with double electrical
      connections after a lung transplantation.

PMID- 28339850
TI  - Allelic variation in TLR4 is linked to resistance to Salmonella Enteritidis
      infection in chickens.
AB  - Salmonella Enteritidis (SE) is a foodborne pathogen that negatively affects both
      animal and human health. Polymorphisms of the TLR4 gene may affect recognition by
      Toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4) of bacterial lipopolysaccharide (LPS), leading to
      differences in host resistance to pathogenic infections. The present study has
      investigated polymorphic loci of chicken TLR4 (ChTLR4) in ten chicken breeds,
      electrostatic potentials of mutant structures of TLR4, and a linkage analysis
      between allelic variation and survival ratio to infection with SE in specific
      pathogen-free (SPF) White Leghorns. A total of 19 Single Nucleotide Polymorphisms
      (SNPs), of which 10 were novel, were found in chicken breeds. Seven newly
      identified amino acid variants (C68G, G674A, G782A, A896T, T959G, T986A, and
      A1104C) and previously reported important mutations (G247A, G1028A, C1147T, and
      A1832G) were demonstrated in the extracellular domain of the ChTLR4 gene.
      Significant changes in surface electrostatic potential of the ectodomain of TLR4,
      built by homology modeling, were observed at the Glu83Lys (G247A), Arg298Ser
      (A896T), Ser368Arg (A1104C), and Gln611Arg (A1832G) substitutions. Linkage
      analysis showed that one polymorphic locus G247A of TLR4 gene, common in all
      breeds examined, was significantly associated with increased resistance to SE in
      SPF White Leghorns chicks (log-rank P-value = 0.04). The genotypes from A1832G
      SNPs did not show statistically significant survival differences. This study has
      provided the first direct evidence that G247A substitution in ChTLR4 is
      associated with increased resistance to Salmonella Enteritidis.

PMID- 28339852
TI  - Relationship Between Back Pain and Urinary Incontinence in the Canadian
      Population.
AB  - Background: Back problems and urinary incontinence (UI) have been found to co
      occur more frequently than would be predicted by chance. Objective: The aim of
      this study was to estimate the associations between UI and back problems in the
      Canadian men and women. Design: This was an observational, cross-sectional study.
      Methods: The 2011-2012 Statistics Canada Canadian Community Health Survey (CCHS)
      provided the data. The CCHS surveyed 125,645 adults, providing a representative
      sample of the Canadian population. Odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals
      (CIs) were used to quantify the strength of the associations among the variables.
      Results: Having UI increased the risk of also having back problems in both men
      (OR = 2.45; 95% CI = 2.06-2.91) and women (OR = 2.97; 95% CI = 2.64-3.35)
      compared with not experiencing UI. Among those participants with UI, men and
      women were at equal risk of experiencing back problems. Limitations: The CCHS
      data are cross-sectional and self-reported, which prevents determining causality
      and carries a risk of response bias. Also, various diagnoses were grouped under
      the back problems and UI categories, which makes it difficult to propose possible
      explanations for this pattern of comorbidity. Conclusions: This study provides
      firm evidence to support clinically observed associations between UI and back
      problems. The strength of the associations was essentially equal in men and
      women. These findings reinforce the importance of screening for these frequently
      coincident conditions.

PMID- 28339854
TI  - Prediction versus aetiology: common pitfalls and how to avoid them.
AB  - Prediction research is a distinct field of epidemiologic research, which should
      be clearly separated from aetiological research. Both prediction and aetiology
      make use of multivariable modelling, but the underlying research aim and
      interpretation of results are very different. Aetiology aims at uncovering the
      causal effect of a specific risk factor on an outcome, adjusting for confounding
      factors that are selected based on pre-existing knowledge of causal relations. In
      contrast, prediction aims at accurately predicting the risk of an outcome using
      multiple predictors collectively, where the final prediction model is usually
      based on statistically significant, but not necessarily causal, associations in
      the data at hand.In both scientific and clinical practice, however, the two are
      often confused, resulting in poor-quality publications with limited
      interpretability and applicability. A major problem is the frequently encountered
      aetiological interpretation of prediction results, where individual variables in
      a prediction model are attributed causal meaning. This article stresses the
      differences in use and interpretation of aetiological and prediction studies, and
      gives examples of common pitfalls.

PMID- 28339853
TI  - Prosurvival effect of cumulus prostaglandin G/H synthase 2/prostaglandin2
      signaling on bovine blastocyst: impact on in vivo posthatching development.
AB  - Apoptotic activity is a common physiological process which culminates at the
      blastocyst stage in the preimplantation embryo of many mammals. The degree of
      embryonic cell death can be influenced by the oocyte microenvironment. However,
      the prognostic significance of the incidence of apoptosis remains undefined.
      Prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) derived from prostaglandin G/H synthase-2 (PTGS2)
      activity is a well-known prosurvival factor that is mainly studied in oncology.
      PGE2 is the predominant PTGS2-derived prostaglandin present in the oocyte
      microenvironment during the periconceptional period. Using an in vitro model of
      bovine embryo production followed by transfer and collection procedures, we
      investigated the impact of periconceptional PGE2 on the occurrence of spontaneous
      apoptosis in embryos and on subsequent in vivo posthatching development.
      Different periconceptional PGE2 environments were obtained using NS-398, a
      specific inhibitor of PTGS2 activity, and exogenous PGE2. We assessed the level
      of embryonic cell death in blastocysts at day 8 postfertilization by counting
      total cell numbers, by the immunohistochemical staining of active caspase-3, and
      by quantifying terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated dUTP nick-end
      labeling signals and apoptosis regulator (BCL-2/BAX) mRNA expression.
      Morphometric parameters were used to estimate the developmental stage of the
      embryonic disk and the extent of trophoblast elongation on day 15 conceptuses.
      Our findings indicate that periconceptional PGE2 signaling durably impacts
      oocytes, conferring increased resistance to spontaneous apoptosis in blastocysts
      and promoting embryonic disk development and the elongation process during
      preimplantation development.

PMID- 28339857
TI  - Creutzfeld Jacob disease.

PMID- 28339858
TI  - Relationship Between Emotional Processing, Drinking Severity and Relapse in
      Adults Treated for Alcohol Dependence in Poland.

PMID- 28339860
TI  - Outcomes with single-coil versus dual-coil implantable cardioverter
      defibrillators: a meta-analysis.
AB  - Aims: Dual-coil implantable cardioverter defibrillator (ICD) leads have
      traditionally been used over single-coil leads due to concerns regarding high
      defibrillation thresholds (DFT) and consequent poor shock efficacy. However,
      accumulating evidence suggests that this position may be unfounded and that dual
      coil leads may also be associated with higher complication rates during lead
      extraction. This meta-analysis collates data comparing dual- and single-coil ICD
      leads. Methods and results: Electronic databases were systematically searched for
      randomized controlled trials (RCT) and non-randomized studies comparing single
      coil and dual-coil leads. The mean differences in DFT and summary estimates of
      the odds-ratio (OR) for first-shock efficacy and the hazard-ratio (HR) for all
      cause mortality were calculated using random effects models. Eighteen studies
      including a total of 138,124 patients were identified. Dual-coil leads were
      associated with a lower DFT compared to single coil leads (mean difference 
      0.83J; 95% confidence interval [CI] -1.39--0.27; P = 0.004). There was no
      difference in the first-shock success rate with dual-coil compared to single-coil
      leads (OR 0.74; 95%CI 0.45-1.21; P=0.22). There was a significantly lower risk of
      all-cause mortality associated with single-coil leads (HR 0.91; 95%CI 0.86-0.95;
      P < 0.0001). Conclusion: This meta-analysis suggests that single-coil leads have
      a marginally higher DFT but that this may be clinically insignificant as there
      appears to be no difference in first-shock efficacy when compared to dual-coil
      leads. The mortality benefit with single-coil leads most likely represents
      patient selection bias. Given the increased risk and complexity of extracting
      dual-coil leads, centres should strongly consider single-coil ICD leads as the
      lead of choice for routine new left-sided ICD implants.

PMID- 28339861
TI  - Constitutive luteinizing hormone receptor signaling causes sexual dysfunction and
      Leydig cell adenomas in male mice.
AB  - The luteinizing hormone receptor (LHCGR) is necessary for fertility, and genetic
      mutations cause defects in reproductive development and function. Activating
      mutations in LHCGR cause familial male-limited precocious puberty (FMPP). We have
      previously characterized a mouse model (KiLHRD582G) for FMPP that exhibits the
      same phenotype of precocious puberty, Leydig cell hyperplasia, and elevated
      testosterone as boys with the disorder. We observed that KiLHRD582G male mice
      became infertile by 6 months of age, although sperm count and motility were
      normal. In this study, we sought to determine the reason for the progressive
      infertility and the long-term consequences of constant LHCGR signaling. Mating
      with superovulated females showed that infertile KiLHRD582G mice had functional
      sperm and normal accessory gland function. Sexual behavior studies revealed that
      KiLHRD582G mice mounted females, but intromission was brief and ejaculation was
      not achieved. Histological analysis of the reproductive tract showed unique
      metaplastic changes resulting in pseudostratified columnar epithelial cells with
      cilia in the ampulla and chondrocytes in the penile body of the KiLHRD582G mice.
      The infertile KiLHRD582G exhibited enlarged sinusoids and a decrease in smooth
      muscle content in the corpora cavernosa of the penile body. However, collagen
      content was unchanged. Leydig cell adenomas and degenerating seminiferous tubules
      were seen in 1-year-old KiLHRD582G mice. We conclude that progressive infertility
      in KiLHRD582G mice is due to sexual dysfunction likely due to functional defects
      in the penis.

PMID- 28339862
TI  - A New Insight into the Evolution and Functional Divergence of SWEET Transporters
      in Chinese White Pear (Pyrus bretschneideri).
AB  - SWEET genes are a recently identified plant gene family that play an
      indispensable role in sugar efflux. However, no systematic study has been
      performed in pear. In this research, 18 SWEET transporters identified in pear,
      almost twice the number found in woodland strawberry and Japanese apricot, were
      divided into four clades. Conserved motifs and six exons of the SWEET
      transporters were found in six species. SWEET transporters contained seven
      transmembrane segments (TMSs) that evolved from an internal duplication of an
      ancestral three-TMSs unit, connected by TMS4. This is the first direct evidence
      identifying internal repeats through bioinformatics analysis. Whole-genome
      duplication (WGD) or segmental duplication and dispersed duplication represent
      the main driving forces for SWEET family evolution in six species, with former
      duplications more important in pear. Gene expression results suggested that
      PbSWEET15 and PbSWEET17 have no expression in any tissues because of critical
      lost residues and that 62.5% of PbSWEET duplicate gene pairs have functional
      divergence. Additionally, PbSWEET6, PbSWEET7 and PbSWEET14 were found to play
      important roles in sucrose efflux from leaves, and the high expression of
      PbSWEET1 and PbSWEET2 might contribute to unloading sucrose from the phloem in
      the stem. Finally, PbSWEET5, PbSWEET9 and PbSWEET10 might contribute to pollen
      development. Overall, our study provides important insights into the evolution of
      the SWEET gene family in pear and four other Rosaceae, and the important
      candidate PbSWEET genes involved in the development of different tissues were
      identified in pear.

PMID- 28339863
TI  - Cigarette smoking and chronic kidney disease in the general population: a
      systematic review and meta-analysis of prospective cohort studies.
AB  - Background: Cigarette smoking has been established as a major risk factor for
      chronic kidney disease (CKD) development in people with diabetes. Conflicting
      evidence exists among representative community-based studies as to whether
      smoking is an independent risk factor for CKD. The aim of this meta-analysis was
      to assess the effects of tobacco smoking on the development of CKD in adult
      general populations. Methods: A literature search was conducted using MEDLINE and
      Embase from their inception through 31 May 2016 for prospective cohort studies
      that reported relative risks of CKD with smoking status in the general
      population. Summary relative risks (SRRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were
      calculated using a random effects model. Results: A total of 15 prospective
      cohort studies, including 65 064 incident CKD cases, were included. Compared with
      never-smokers, the SRRs of incident CKD were 1.27 (95% CI 1.19-1.35) for ever
      smokers, 1.34 (95% CI 1.23-1.47) for current smokers and 1.15 (95% CI 1.08-1.23)
      for former smokers. The SRRs for end-stage renal disease development were 1.51
      (95% CI 1.24-1.84) for ever-smokers, 1.44 (95% CI 1.00-2.09) for former smokers
      and 1.91 (95% CI 1.39-2.64) for current smokers. Considerable heterogeneity was
      observed among these studies. After combining an additional three prospective
      cohort studies, which involved 5747 incident proteinuria cases, a null smoking
      proteinuria association in the general population was observed. Conclusions: Our
      meta-analysis suggests evidence for cigarette smoking as an independent risk
      factor for incident CKD. Future studies are required to investigate whether
      smoking cessation can decrease incident CKD in the general adult population.

PMID- 28339864
TI  - Macroreentrant atrial tachycardia around the native common atrioventricular valve
      in a surgically corrected complete atrioventricular septal defect.

PMID- 28339865
TI  - Myrddin Evans: A Gentleman and a Founder of the Medical Council on Alcohol (MCA)
      and its Journal.

PMID- 28339866
TI  - Relative biological value of 1alpha-hydroxycholecalciferol to 25
      hydroxycholecalciferol in broiler chicken diets.
AB  - This study was conducted to evaluate the relative biological value (RBV) of
      1alpha-hydroxycholecalciferol (1alpha-OH-D3) to 25-hydroxycholecalciferol (25-OH
      D3) in one- to 21-day-old broiler chickens fed calcium (Ca)- and phosphorus (P)
      deficient diets. On the d of hatch, 450 male Ross 308 broiler chickens were
      weighed and randomly allotted to 9 treatments with 5 replicates of 10 birds per
      replicate. The basal diet contained 0.50% Ca and 0.25% non-phytate phosphorus
      (NPP) but was not supplemented with cholecalciferol (vitamin D3). The levels of
      Ca and NPP in basal diets were lower than those recommended by NRC (1994). 25-OH
      D3 was fed at zero, 1.25, 2.5, 5.0, and 10.0 MUg/kg, and 1alpha-OH-D3 was fed at
      0.625, 1.25, 2.5, and 5.0 MUg/kg. The RBV of 1alpha-OH-D3 to 25-OH-D3 based on
      vitamin D intake was determined by the slope ratio method. Results showed that 25
      OH-D3 or 1alpha-OH-D3 improved the growth performance and decreased the mortality
      in one- to 21-day-old broilers. A linear relationship was observed between the
      level of 25-OH-D3 or 1alpha-OH-D3 and mineralization of the femur, tibia, or
      metatarsus. The RBV of 1alpha-OH-D3 to 25-OH-D3 were 234, 253, and 202% when the
      weight, ash weight, and Ca percentage of femur were used as criteria. The
      corresponding RBV of 1alpha-OH-D3 to 25-OH-D3 were 232 to 263% and 245 to 267%,
      respectively, when tibia and metatarsus mineralization were used as criteria.
      These data indicate that when directly feeding a hormonally active form of
      vitamin D as 1alpha-OH-D3 proportionally less is needed than when using the
      precursor (25-OH-D3) in diets deficient in Ca and P.

PMID- 28339869
TI  - Alcohol Induces Cellular Senescence and Impairs Osteogenic Potential in Bone
      Marrow-Derived Mesenchymal Stem Cells.
AB  - Aims: Chronic and excessive alcohol consumption is a high-risk factor for
      osteoporosis. Bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells (BM-MSCs) play an
      important role in bone formation; however, they are vulnerable to ethanol (EtOH).
      The purpose of this research was to investigate whether EtOH could induce
      premature senescence in BM-MSCs and subsequently impair their osteogenic
      potential. Methods: Human BM-MSCs were exposed to EtOH ranging from 10 to 250 mM.
      Senescence-associated beta-galactosidase (SA-beta-gal) activity, cell cycle
      distribution, cell proliferation and reactive oxygen species (ROS) were
      evaluated. Mineralization and osteoblast-specific gene expression were evaluated
      during osteogenesis in EtOH-treated BM-MSCs. To investigate the role of silent
      information regulator Type 1 (SIRT1) in EtOH-induced senescence, resveratrol
      (ResV) was used to activate SIRT1 in EtOH-treated BM-MSCs. Results: EtOH
      treatments resulted in senescence-associated phenotypes in BM-MSCs, such as
      decreased cell proliferation, increased SA-beta-gal activity and G0/G1 cell cycle
      arrest. EtOH also increased the intracellular ROS and the expression of
      senescence-related genes, such as p16INK4alpha and p21. The down-regulated levels
      of SIRT1 accompanied with suppressed osteogenic differentiation were confirmed in
      EtOH-treated BM-MSCs. Activation of SIRT1 by ResV partially counteracted the
      effects of EtOH by decreasing senescence markers and rescuing the inhibited
      osteogenesis. Conclusion: EtOH treatments induced premature senescence in BM-MSCs
      in a dose-dependent manner that was responsible for EtOH-impaired osteogenic
      differentiation. Activation of SIRT1 was effective in ameliorating EtOH-induced
      senescence phenotypes in BMSCs and could potentially lead to a new strategy for
      clinically preventing or treating alcohol-induced osteoporosis. Short summary:
      Ethanol (EtOH) treatments induce premature senescence in marrow-derived
      mesenchymal stem cells in a dose-dependent manner that is responsible for EtOH
      impaired osteogenic differentiation. Activation of SIRT1 is effective in
      ameliorating EtOH-induced senescence phenotypes, which potentially leads to a new
      strategy for clinically treating alcohol-induced osteoporosis.

PMID- 28339876
TI  - Straight-run vs. sex separate rearing for two broiler genetic lines Part 2:
      Economic analysis and processing advantages.
AB  - The objective of this analysis was to evaluate the effects of raising broilers
      under sex separate and straight-run conditions for 2 broiler genetic lines. One
      day-old Ross 308 and Ross 708 chicks (n = 1,344) were sex separated and placed in
      48 pens according to rearing type: sex separate (28 males or 28 females) or
      straight-run (14 males + 14 females). There were 3 dietary phases: starter (zero
      to 17 d), grower (17 to 32 d), and finisher (32 to 48 d). Bird individual BW and
      group feed intakes were measured at 12, 17, 25, 32, 42, and 48 d to evaluate
      performance. At 33, 43, and 49 d 4 birds per pen (straight-run pens 2 males + 2
      females) were sampled for carcass yield evaluation. Data were analyzed using
      linear and non-linear regression in order to estimate feed intake and cut-up
      weights at 3 separate market weights (1,700, 2,700, and 3,700 g). Returns over
      feed cost were estimated for a 1.8 million broiler complex for each rearing
      system and under 9 feed/meat price scenarios. Overall, rearing birds that were
      sex separated resulted in extra income that ranged from ${?$}$48,824 to
      ${?$}$330,300 per week, depending on the market targeted and feed and meat price
      scenarios. Sex separation was shown to be especially important in disadvantageous
      scenarios in which feed prices were high. Gains from sex separation were markedly
      higher for the Ross 708 than for the Ross 308 broilers. Bird variability also was
      evaluated at the 3 separate market ages under narrow ranges of BW that were
      targeted. Straight-run birds decreased the number of birds present in the desired
      range. Depending on market weight, straight-run rearing resulted in 9.1 to 16.6%
      fewer birds than sex separate rearing to meet marketing goals. It was concluded
      that sex separation can result in increased company profitability and have
      possible beneficial effects at the processing plant due to increased bird
      uniformity.

PMID- 28339881
TI  - Genetic aspects and environmental sources of microsporidia that infect the human
      gastrointestinal tract.
AB  - Enterocytozoon bieneusi and Encephalitozoon intestinalis are microsporidia that
      infect the human gastrointestinal (GI) tract. Each of these microsporidia has
      been shown to infect various non-human hosts (mammalian and avian), raising the
      possibility of inter-species transmission, for example, from such hosts to human
      subjects via waterborne dispersal of microsporidian spores. During the past two
      decades, genome sequencing has delineated more than 90 genotypes of Ent.
      bieneusi, and has led to the conclusion that not all the genotypes of this
      organism infect human subjects. Well documented in the HIV-infected population,
      GI tract microsporidiosis is also known to occur in immunocompetent, HIV
      negative, individuals. The prevalence of HIV-associated microsporidiosis
      diminished following the introduction of effective anti-retroviral therapy.

PMID- 28339885
TI  - Alcohol-related hospitalization is associated with increased risk of ischaemic
      stroke among low-risk patients with atrial fibrillation.
AB  - Aims: Patients with atrial fibrillation (AF) under the age of 65 and CHA2DS2-VASc
      risk score of 0 in men or 1 in women are considered to be at low risk for
      ischaemic stroke, and therefore without benefit of oral anticoagulation therapy.
      The objective of this study is to assess the incidence and predictors of
      ischaemic stroke among low-risk patients with AF identified from a National
      Patient Register. Methods and results: A retrospective study of 25 252 low-risk
      AF patients (age 18-64) out of total 345 123 AF patients identified from the
      Swedish Nationwide Patient Register for the period 1 January 2006 to 31 December
      2012. During a median follow-up of 5.0 (interquartile range 2.9-6.8) years,
      ischaemic stroke occurred at an annual rate of 0.34 per 100 patient-years [95%
      confidence interval (CI) 0.31-0.38]. Significant predictors of stroke were age,
      hazard ratio (HR) 1.06 (CI 1.05-1.08) per incremental year, and previous alcohol
      related hospitalization HR 2.01 (CI 1.45-2.79). Intracerebral bleeding events
      were rare and not statistically different HR 2.05 (CI 0.76-5.56) between patients
      with and without alcohol-related hospitalizations. Use of oral anticoagulants was
      associated with lower risk for ischaemic stroke, HR 0.78 (CI 0.63-0.97).
      Conclusion: The presence of a previous hospitalization with an alcohol-related
      disease was associated with a small but significant increase in the risk of
      stroke among low-risk AF patients. More research about relation between alcohol
      use and ischaemic stroke in AF patients is warranted.

PMID- 28339886
TI  - Optimal method of measuring the T-peak to T-end interval for risk stratification
      in primary prevention.
AB  - Aims: Several published investigations demonstrated that a longer T-peak to T-end
      interval (Tpe) implies increased risk for ventricular tachyarrhythmia (VT/VF) and
      mortality. Tpe has been measured using diverse methods. We aimed to determine the
      optimal Tpe measurement method for screening purposes. Methods and results: We
      evaluated 305 patients with LVEF <= 35% and an implantable cardioverter
      defibrillator implanted for primary prevention. Tpe was measured using seven
      different methods described in the literature, including six manual methods and
      the automated algorithm '12SL', and was corrected for heart rate. Endpoints were
      VT/VF and death. To account for differences in the magnitude of Tpe measurements,
      results are expressed in standard deviation (SD) increments. We evaluated the
      clinical utility of each measurement method based on predictive ability, fraction
      of immeasurable tracings, and intra- and interobserver correlation. >Over 31 +/-
      23 months, 82 (27%) patients had VT/VF, and over 49 +/- 21 months, 91 (30%) died.
      Several rate-corrected Tpe measurement methods predicted VT/VF (HR per SD 1.20
      1.34; all P < 0.05), and nearly all methods (both corrected and uncorrected)
      predicted death (HR per SD 1.19-1.35; all P < 0.05). Optimal predictive ability,
      readability, and correlation were found in the automated 12SL method and the
      manual tangent method in lead V2. Conclusion: For the prediction of VT/VF, the
      utility of Tpe depends upon the measurement method, but for the prediction of
      mortality, most published Tpe measurement methods are similarly predictive. Heart
      rate correction improves predictive ability. The automated 12SL method performs
      as well as any manual measurement, and among manual methods, lead V2 is most
      useful.

PMID- 28339887
TI  - Periostin paves the way for neonatal heart regeneration.

PMID- 28339883
TI  - Interventions to improve immigrant health. A scoping review.
AB  - Background: : Disparities in health between immigrants and their host populations
      have been described across countries and continents. Hence, interventions for
      improving health targeting general populations are not necessarily effective for
      immigrants. To conduct a systematic search of the literature evaluating health
      interventions for immigrants; to map the characteristics of identified studies
      including range of interventions, immigrant populations and their host countries,
      clinical areas targeted and reported evaluations, challenges and limitations of
      the interventions identified. Following the results, to develop recommendations
      for research in the field. A scoping review approach was chosen to provide an
      overview of the type, extent and quantity of research available. Studies were
      included if they empirically evaluated health interventions targeting immigrants
      and/or their descendants, included a control group, and were published in English
      (PubMed and Embase from 1990 to 2015). Most of the 83 studies included were
      conducted in the USA, encompassed few immigrant groups and used a randomized
      controlled trial (RCT) or cluster RCT design. Most interventions addressed
      chronic and non-communicable diseases and attendance at cancer screening
      services, used individual targeted approaches, targeted adult women and recruited
      participants from health centres. Outcome measures were often subjective, with
      the exception of interventions for cardiovascular risk and diabetes. Generally,
      authors claimed that interventions were beneficial, despite a number of reported
      limitations. Recommendations for enhancing interventions to improve immigrant
      health are provided to help researchers, funders and health care commissioners
      when deciding upon the scope, nature and design of future research in this area.

PMID- 28339890
TI  - Pennsylvania State Core Competencies for Education on Opioids and Addiction.
AB  - Objective: The objective of this project was to develop core competencies for
      education on opioids and addiction to be used in all Pennsylvania medical
      schools. Methods: The Pennsylvania Physician General created a task force that
      was responsible for the creation of the core competencies. A literature review
      was completed, and a survey of graduating medical students was conducted. The
      task force then developed, reviewed, and approved the core competencies. Results:
      The competencies were grouped into nine domains: understanding core aspects of
      addiction; patient screening for substance use disorder; proper referral for
      specialty evaluation and treatment of substance use disorder; proper patient
      assessment when treating pain; proper use of multimodal treatment options when
      treating acute pain; proper use of opioids for the treatment of acute pain (after
      consideration of alternatives); the role of opioids in the treatment of chronic
      noncancer pain; patient risk assessment related to the use of opioids to treat
      chronic noncancer pain, including the assessment for substance use disorder or
      increased risk for aberrant drug-related behavior; and the process for patient
      education, initiation of treatment, careful patient monitoring, and
      discontinuation of therapy when using opioids to treat chronic noncancer pain.
      Specific competencies were developed for each domain. Conclusions: These
      competencies will be incorporated into the educational process at all
      Pennsylvania medical schools. It is hoped that these curriculum changes will
      improve student knowledge and attitudes in these areas, thus improving patient
      outcomes.

PMID- 28339895
TI  - Does Parental Health Mediate the Relationship between Parental Uninsurance and
      Insured Children's Health Outcomes? Evidence from a U.S. National Survey.
AB  - Although the United States has made great strides in ensuring near universal
      health care access for children, the health insurance coverage gap between
      children and their parents remains high. This study analyzed aggregated data from
      the 2006-2013 National Health Interview Survey to investigate the direct
      relationships between parental uninsurance and children's health outcomes.
      Authors explored how parental health mediates the relationship between parents'
      health and children's health outcomes. Results suggest that insured children of
      uninsured parents have worse health status and are at higher risk of asthma,
      attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, developmental delays, learning
      disabilities, and mental disabilities compared with insured children of insured
      parents. Parental health mediated this relationship. These findings illuminate
      the pathway between parental uninsurance and child health outcomes and suggest
      that policies that provide health insurance coverage to both children and their
      parents may improve both parental health and children's health outcomes. This
      study fills an important gap in the literature related to how parental
      uninsurance affects children's health outcomes mediated by the impact of
      uninsurance on parental health.

PMID- 28339896
TI  - What to eat or what not to eat-that is still the question.

PMID- 28339898
TI  - The impact of the Psychoactive Substances Act 2016 on the online availability of
      MDMB-CHMICA.
AB  - Background: In May 2016, the UK Government enacted the Psychoactive Substances
      Act which made it an offense to produce or supply many drugs including new
      psychoactive substances (NPS). Aim: We aimed to assess the impact of the Act on
      the availability of the synthetic cannabinoid receptor agonist methyl 2-[[1
      (cyclohexylmethyl)indole-3-carbonyl]amino]-3,3-dimethylbutanoate (MDMB-CHMICA)
      from internet-based suppliers. Design: Internet snapshot availability study.
      Methods: We conducted two snapshot availability surveys looking at the number of
      websites offering to sell MDMB-CHMICA: the first in March prior to implementation
      of the Act and the second in June, 1 month post-implementation. Results: In March
      and June 2016, we identified 47 and 38 websites, respectively, which offered to
      sell MDMB-CHMICA. There were no significant differences in the price of the drug
      nor the forms available for purchase. In the June survey there was a significant
      decrease in the number of websites which openly stated they were based in the UK
      (from 14 down to 2), three websites stated that they did not supply customers
      based in the UK and two websites stated they had ceased sales of MDMB-CHMICA due
      to the Act. Conclusions: This study showed a small but limited reduction in the
      availability of MDMB-CHMICA from internet-based suppliers following
      implementation of the Act.

PMID- 28339904
TI  - Validity of Different Activity Monitors to Count Steps in an Inpatient
      Rehabilitation Setting.
AB  - Background: Commonly used activity monitors have been shown to be accurate in
      counting steps in active people; however, further validation is needed in slower
      walking populations. Objectives: To determine the validity of activity monitors
      for measuring step counts in rehabilitation inpatients compared with visually
      observed step counts. To explore the influence of gait parameters, activity
      monitor position, and use of walkers on activity monitor accuracy. Methods: One
      hundred and sixty-six inpatients admitted to a rehabilitation unit with an
      average walking speed of 0.4 m/s (SD 0.2) wore 16 activity monitors (7 different
      devices in different positions) simultaneously during 6-minute and 6-m walks. The
      number of steps taken during the tests was also counted by a physical therapist.
      Gait parameters were assessed using the GAITRite system. To analyze the influence
      of different gait parameters, the percentage accuracy for each monitor was
      graphed against various gait parameters for each activity monitor. Results: The
      StepWatch, Fitbit One worn on the ankle and the ActivPAL showed excellent
      agreement with observed step count (ICC 2,1 0.98; 0.92; 0.78 respectively). Other
      devices (Fitbit Charge, Fitbit One worn on hip, G-Sensor, Garmin Vivofit,
      Actigraph) showed poor agreement with the observed step count (ICC 2,1 0.12
      0.40). Percentage agreement with observed step count was highest for the
      StepWatch (mean 98%). The StepWatch and the Fitbit One worn on the ankle
      maintained accuracy in individuals who walked more slowly and with shorter
      strides but other devices were less accurate in these individuals. Limitations:
      There were small numbers of participants for some gait parameters. Conclusions:
      The StepWatch showed the highest accuracy and closest agreement with observed
      step count. This device can be confidently used by researchers for accurate
      measurement of step counts in inpatient rehabilitation in individuals who walk
      slowly. If immediate feedback is desired, the Fitbit One when worn on the ankle
      would be the best choice for this population.

PMID- 28339905
TI  - Comment on "Perforator-Guided Drug Injection in the Treatment of Abdominal Wall
      Pain".

PMID- 28339908
TI  - Obesity-associated cardiac pathogenesis in broiler breeder hens: Pathological
      adaption of cardiac hypertrophy.
AB  - Broiler hens consuming feed to appetite (ad libitum; AL) show increased
      mortality. Feed restriction (R) typically improves reproductive performance and
      livability of hens. Rapidly growing broilers can exhibit increased mortality due
      to cardiac insufficiency but it is unknown whether the increased mortality of non
      R broiler hens is also due to cardiac compromise. To assess cardiac growth and
      physiology in fully mature birds, 45-week-old hens were either continued on R
      rations or assigned to AL feeding for 7 or 21 days. AL hens exhibited increased
      bodyweight, adiposity, absolute and relative heart weight, ventricular
      hypertrophy, and cardiac protein/DNA ratio by d 21 (P < 0.05). Increased heart
      weights due to hypertrophic growth was attributed to enhanced IGF-1-Akt-FoxO1
      signaling and its downstream target, translation initiation factor 4E-BP1 in
      conjunction with down-regulation of ubiquitin ligase atrogin-1/MAFbx (P < 0.05).
      Reduced activation of cardiac AMPK and downstream activation of ACC-1 in parallel
      with increased cardiac nitric oxide levels, calcineurin activity, and MAPK
      activation in AL hens (P < 0.05) suggested that metabolic derangement develops
      along the cardiovascular remodeling. These indictors of cardiac maladaptive
      hypertrophic growth were further supported by uregulation of heart failure
      markers, BNP and MHC-beta (P < 0.05). Hens allowed AL feeding for 70 d exhibited
      a higher incidence of mortality (40% vs. 10%) in association with ascites,
      pericardial effusion, and ventricle dilation. A higher incidence of irregular ECG
      patterns and rhythmicity consistent with persistently elevated systolic blood
      pressure and ventricle fibrosis were observed in AL hens (P < 0.05). These
      observations support the conclusion that AL feeding in broiler hens results in
      maladaptive cardiac hypertrophy that progresses to overt pathogenesis in
      contractility and thereby increases mortality. Feed restriction provides clear
      physiological benefit to heart function of adult broiler hens.

PMID- 28339909
TI  - IL-17 and CD40 ligand synergistically stimulate the chronicity of diabetic
      nephropathy.
AB  - Background: Early stages of diabetic nephropathy (DN) are characterized by an
      influx of inflammatory cells. Interactions between infiltrating T cells and
      podocytes may play an important role in the ongoing inflammatory response and
      remodelling. The aim of this study was to explore the role of IL-17 and CD40
      ligand (CD40L) in DN. Methods: The study design involved a case series. Kidney
      biopsy samples of 69 patients with type 2 diabetes were assessed for the presence
      of CD4+ IL-17+ T cells. The number of CD4+ IL-17+ T cells were counted and
      correlated with clinical and laboratory findings. Additionally, advanced
      glycation end-products (AGEs) were added to cultured podocytes to imitate
      diabetic conditions and thus to elucidate the role of CD4+ IL-17+ T cells in
      renal sclerosis. Results: CD80 expression was detected in early phases of DN but
      was absent during diffused glomerurosclerosis in DN kidney specimens. In DN
      samples, CD40 expression was not only observed in most of the infiltrating cells,
      but also increased in podocytes and tubular epithelial cells. CD40L is locally
      expressed on infiltrating cells. CD4+ IL-17+ T cells were found in DN, and the
      number of CD4+ IL-17+ T cells was positively correlated with the deterioration in
      glomerular filtration rate (GFR). IL-17A was the key cytokine produced by CD4+ IL
      17+ T cells. IL-17A levels were elevated in DN renal tissue and were correlated
      with declining GFR. IL-17 and CD40L synergistically enhanced IL-6, monocyte
      chemoattractant protein-1 (MCP-1), regulated on activation, normal T cell
      expressed and secreted (RANTES), transforming growth factor beta 1 (TGF-beta1)
      and nuclear factor kappa-light-chain-enhancer of activated B cells (NF-kappaB)
      production in vitro. AGEs induced podocyte activation with increasing expression
      of IL-17A, CD40 and TGF-beta1 in vitro. Blockade with an anti-IL-17 monoclonal
      antibody reduced the expression of CD40 and TGF-beta1, but increased the
      viability of cultured podocytes. Conclusions: IL-17 and CD40L synergistically
      mediate the inflammatory response and remodelling associated with tissue injury
      and glomerular sclerosis in DN.

PMID- 28339907
TI  - O-linked beta-N-acetylglucosamine modification of proteins is essential for foot
      process maturation and survival in podocytes.
AB  - Background: O-linked beta- N -acetylglucosamine modification O-GlcNAcylation) is
      a post-translational modification of intracellular proteins, serving as a
      nutrient sensor. Growing evidence has demonstrated its physiological and
      pathological importance in various mammalian tissues. This study examined the
      physiological role of O-GlcNAcylation in podocyte function and development.
      Methods: O-GlcNAc transferase (Ogt) is a critical enzyme for O-GlcNAcylation and
      resides on the X chromosome. To abrogate O-GlcNAcylation in podocytes, we
      generated congenital and tamoxifen (TM)-inducible podocyte-specific Ogt knockout
      mice (Podo-Ogt y/- and TM-Podo-Ogt y/- , respectively) and analyzed their renal
      phenotypes. Results: Podo-Ogt y/- mice showed normal podocyte morphology at
      birth. However, they developed albuminuria at 8 weeks of age, increasing
      progressively until age 32 weeks. Glomerular sclerosis, proteinuria-related
      tubulointerstitial lesions and markedly altered podocyte foot processes, with
      decreased podocin expression, were observed histologically in 32-week-old Podo
      Ogt y/- mice. Next, we induced adult-onset deletion of the Ogt gene in podocytes
      by TM injection in 8-week-old TM-Podo-Ogt y/- mice. In contrast to Podo-Ogt y/-
      mice, the induced TM-Podo-Ogt y/- mice did not develop albuminuria or podocyte
      damage, suggesting a need for O-GlcNAcylation to form mature foot processes after
      birth. To test this possibility, 3-week-old Podo-Ogt y/- mice were treated with
      Bis-T-23, which stimulates actin-dependent dynamin oligomerization, actin
      polymerization and subsequent foot process elongation in podocytes. Albuminuria
      and podocyte damage in 16-week-old Podo-Ogt y/- mice were prevented by Bis-T-23
      treatment. Conclusions: O-GlcNAcylation is necessary for maturation of podocyte
      foot processes, particularly after birth. Our study provided new insights into
      podocyte biology and O-GlcNAcylation.

PMID- 28339906
TI  - Interstitial fibrosis scored on whole-slide digital imaging of kidney biopsies is
      a predictor of outcome in proteinuric glomerulopathies.
AB  - Background: Interstitial fibrosis (IF), tubular atrophy (TA) and interstitial
      inflammation (II) are known determinants of progression of renal disease.
      Standardized quantification of these features could add value to current
      classification of glomerulopathies. Methods: We studied 315 participants in the
      Nephrotic Syndrome Study Network (NEPTUNE) study, including biopsy-proven minimal
      change disease (MCD = 98), focal segmental glomerulosclerosis (FSGS = 121),
      membranous nephropathy (MN = 59) and IgA nephropathy (IgAN = 37). Cortical IF, TA
      and II were quantified (%) on digitized whole-slide biopsy images, by five
      pathologists with high inter-reader agreement (intra-class correlation
      coefficient >0.8). Tubulointerstitial messenger RNA expression was measured in a
      subset of patients. Multivariable Cox proportional hazards models were fit to
      assess association of IF with the composite of 40% decline in estimated
      glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) and end-stage renal disease (ESRD) and
      separately as well, and with complete remission (CR) of proteinuria. Results: IF
      was highly correlated with TA (P < 0.001) and II (P < 0.001). Median IF varied by
      diagnosis: FSGS 17, IgAN 21, MN 7, MCD 1 (P < 0.001). IF was strongly correlated
      with baseline eGFR (P < 0.001) and proteinuria (P = 0.002). After adjusting for
      clinical pathologic diagnosis, age, race, global glomerulosclerosis, baseline
      proteinuria, eGFR and medications, each 10% increase in IF was associated with a
      hazard ratio of 1.29 (P < 0.03) for ESRD/40% eGFR decline, but was not
      significantly associated with CR. A total of 981 genes were significantly
      correlated with IF (|r| > 0.4, false discovery rate (FDR) < 0.01), including
      upstream regulators such as tumor necrosis factor, interferon gamma (IFN-gamma),
      and transforming growth factor beta 1 (TGF-B1), and signaling pathways for
      antigen presentation and hepatic fibrosis. Conclusions: The degree of IF is
      associated with risk of eGFR decline across different types of proteinuric
      glomerulopathy, correlates with inflammatory and fibrotic gene expression, and
      may have predictive value in assessing risk of progression.

PMID- 28339910
TI  - Rituximab and hepatitis B reactivation in HBsAg-negative/ anti-HBc-positive
      kidney transplant recipients.
AB  - Background: Hepatitis B virus (HBV) reactivation is a well-known complication of
      immunosuppressive therapy. Although rituximab is increasingly used for
      desensitization of ABO-incompatible or positive crossmatch kidney
      transplantation, the risk of HBV reactivation in hepatitis B surface antigen
      (HBsAg)-negative/hepatitis B core antibody (anti-HBc)-positive kidney transplant
      patients receiving rituximab desensitization remains undetermined. Methods: We
      analysed 172 resolved HBV patients who underwent living donor kidney
      transplantation between 2008 and 2014. Patients were divided into rituximab ( n 
      =  49) or control ( n  =  123) groups. All patients were observed for HBV
      reactivation, which was defined as the reappearance of hepatitis B surface
      antigen or HBV DNA. Results: During the follow-up period (median, 58 months;
      range, 4-95 months), five patients (10.2%) in the rituximab group and two
      patients (1.6%) in the control group experienced HBV reactivation (P   =  
      0.003). In the rituximab group, two patients experienced HBV-related severe
      hepatitis, and one patient died due to hepatic failure. The median time from
      rituximab desensitization to HBV reactivation was 11 months (range, 5-22 months).
      By contrast, no patients in the control group experienced severe hepatitis. The
      status of hepatitis B surface antibody was similar between groups. Rituximab
      desensitization [hazard ratio (HR), 9.18; 95% confidence interval (CI), 1.74
      48.86; P   =   0.009] and hepatitis B surface antibody status (HR, 4.74; 95% CI,
      1.05-21.23, P =   0.04) were significant risk factors for HBV reactivation.
      Conclusions: Rituximab desensitization for incompatible kidney transplantation
      significantly increased the risk of HBV reactivation in HBsAg-negative/anti-HBc
      positive patients. Therefore, close monitoring of HBV DNA is required in these
      patients.

PMID- 28339912
TI  - Pharmacogenomics and Patient Treatment Parameters to Opioid Treatment in Chronic
      Pain: A Focus on Morphine, Oxycodone, Tramadol, and Fentanyl.
AB  - Objective: Opioids are one of the most commonly prescribed medicines for chronic
      pain. However, their use for chronic pain has been controversial. The objective
      of this literature review was to identify the role of genetic polymorphisms on
      patient treatment parameters (opioid dose requirements, response, and adverse
      effects) for opioids used in malignant and nonmalignant chronic pain. The opioids
      that this review focuses on are codeine, morphine, oxycodone, tramadol, and
      fentanyl. Method: A literature search of databases Medline and Embase was carried
      out, and studies up to April 2016 were included in this review. Studies were
      included based on a combination of key words: chronic pain and related terms,
      pharmacogenetics and related terms, and opioids and related terms. Results: Among
      the 1,408 individual papers retrieved from the search in Medline and Embase, 32
      original articles were included in this review, with none related to codeine. The
      32 papers reported various study designs, opioids, and polymorphisms being
      studied for associations with treatment outcomes. This literature review reveals
      that variants in ABCB1, OPRM1, and COMT have been replicated for opioid dosing
      and variants in ABCB1 have been replicated for both treatment response and
      adverse effects. Conclusions: Currently, there are few validated studies to form
      a strong evidence base to support pharmacogenomics testing when initiating opioid
      therapy. However, the field of pharmacogenomics in chronic pain is likely to
      expand over the coming years, with the increasing number of treatment options
      available and larger cohorts being assembled in order to identify true
      associations.

PMID- 28339913
TI  - Relative risk versus absolute risk: one cannot be interpreted without the other.
AB  - For the presentation of risk, both relative and absolute measures can be used.
      The relative risk is most often used, especially in studies showing the effects
      of a treatment. Relative risks have the appealing feature of summarizing two
      numbers (the risk in one group and the risk in the other) into one. However, this
      feature also represents their major weakness, that the underlying absolute risks
      are concealed and readers tend to overestimate the effect when it is presented in
      relative terms. In many situations, the absolute risk gives a better
      representation of the actual situation and also from the patient's point of view
      absolute risks often give more relevant information. In this article, we explain
      the concepts of both relative and absolute risk measures. Using examples from
      nephrology literature we illustrate that unless ratio measures are reported with
      the underlying absolute risks, readers cannot judge the clinical relevance of the
      effect. We therefore recommend to report both the relative risk and the absolute
      risk with their 95% confidence intervals, as together they provide a complete
      picture of the effect and its implications.

PMID- 28339911
TI  - A null variant in the apolipoprotein L3 gene is associated with non-diabetic
      nephropathy.
AB  - Background: Inheritance of apolipoprotein L1 gene (APOL1) renal-risk variants in
      a recessive pattern strongly associates with non-diabetic end-stage kidney
      disease (ESKD). Further evidence supports risk modifiers in APOL1-associated
      nephropathy; some studies demonstrate that heterozygotes possess excess risk for
      ESKD or show earlier age at ESKD, relative to those with zero risk alleles.
      Nearby loci are also associated with ESKD in non-African Americans. Methods: We
      assessed the role of the APOL3 null allele rs11089781 on risk of non-diabetic
      ESKD. Four cohorts containing 2781 ESKD cases and 2474 controls were analyzed.
      Results: Stratifying by APOL1 risk genotype (recessive) and adjusting for African
      ancestry identified a significant additive association between rs11089781 and
      ESKD in each stratum and in a meta-analysis [meta-analysis P  =  0.0070; odds
      ratio (OR) = 1.29]; ORs were consistent across APOL1 risk strata. The biological
      significance of this association is supported by the finding that the APOL3 gene
      is co-regulated with APOL1, and that APOL3 protein was able to bind to APOL1
      protein. Conclusions: Taken together, the genetic and biological data support the
      concept that other APOL proteins besides APOL1 may also influence the risk of non
      diabetic ESKD.

PMID- 28339915
TI  - The effect of feed supplementation with Zakarpacki zeolite (clinoptilolite) on
      percentages of T and B lymphocytes and cytokine concentrations in poultry.
AB  - The available literature lacks information on the effect of Zakarpacki zeolite
      (clinoptilolite) on the immune system of poultry. Therefore, the aim of this
      study was to determine the effect of this zeolite on selected indicators of the
      immune response in poultry by evaluating the expression of cluster of
      differentiation (CD) surface molecules on T and B lymphocytes and the
      concentration of IL-2 and IL-10 in the blood. Ninety one-day-old Ross 308 broiler
      chicks were used in the study. The birds were divided into 3 groups of 30 each.
      The same basic diet was used in all groups, but groups II and III received a feed
      additive in the form of 2% and 3% zeolite. Blood samples were collected from all
      birds on the 40th day of observations. Weight gain in the birds in both
      experimental groups was significantly higher, and no clinical symptoms of disease
      were observed. The percentage of CD4+CD25+ T and B lymphocytes was higher in both
      groups receiving zeolite, but the percentage of CD8+CD25+ T lymphocytes was
      higher only in the group receiving 3% zeolite. There were no differences between
      the groups in the percentage of cells with CD3+ and MHC Class II expression.
      Higher serum concentrations of IL-2 and IL-10 were noted only in group III. The
      use of zeolites enhances antigen presentation and leads to increased Th1 and Th2
      response. Excessive supply of zeolite in the feed leads to a local inflammatory
      response, which may cause damage to the intestinal barrier.

PMID- 28339916
TI  - Antenatal Tobacco Use and Secondhand Smoke Exposure in the Home in India.
AB  - Introduction: Antenatal tobacco use and secondhand smoke (SHS) exposure can have
      grave health consequences. We estimated the prevalence of tobacco use and SHS
      exposure in the home among pregnant and reproductive age women in India, and
      identified sociodemographic risk factors. Methods: Data were from the National
      Family Health Survey-3 (2005-2006), a population-based cross-sectional survey. We
      measured current tobacco use and SHS exposure in the home, and used logistic
      regression analysis to identify sociodemographic risk factors. Results:
      Nationally, antenatal tobacco use and SHS exposure in the home were reported by
      9% and 25% of women, respectively. Tobacco use rates were slightly higher in
      reproductive age women (11%) than in pregnant women (9%). Common risk factors for
      tobacco use in pregnant and reproductive age women included older age, lower
      education, lower socioeconomic status, Scheduled Tribe status, Muslim religion,
      and rural residence. Being married lowered the risk of tobacco use among pregnant
      women, but increased the risk among reproductive age women. Antenatal SHS
      exposure decreased with older age and higher socioeconomic status. Conclusions:
      Antenatal tobacco use and SHS exposure in the home is a significant public health
      problem in India. Programs should target low socioeconomic status pregnant women,
      including single pregnant mothers. Implications: Antenatal tobacco use and SHS
      exposure in the home are significant public health problems in India.
      Intervention strategies should target younger women, single and socioeconomically
      disadvantaged pregnant women.

PMID- 28339914
TI  - Infant Colonization With Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus or
      Vancomycin-Resistant Enterococci Preceding Neonatal Intensive Care Unit
      Discharge.
AB  - Rates of colonization with methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA)
      and/or vancomycin-resistant enterococci (VRE) were determined for 1320 infants
      within 7 days of neonatal intensive care unit discharge. Overall, 4% and 1% of
      the infants were colonized with MRSA or VRE, respectively. Predictors identified
      in fixed-effects models were surgery during hospitalization (for MRSA
      colonization) and prolonged antimicrobial treatment (for VRE colonization).

PMID- 28339918
TI  - Can clinically relevant dose errors in patient anatomy be detected by gamma
      passing rate or modulation complexity score in volumetric-modulated arc therapy
      for intracranial tumors?
AB  - We investigated whether methods conventionally used to evaluate patient-specific
      QA in volumetric-modulated arc therapy (VMAT) for intracranial tumors detect
      clinically relevant dosimetric errors. VMAT plans with coplanar arcs were
      designed for 37 intracranial tumors. Dosimetric accuracy was validated by using a
      3D array detector. Dose deviations between the measured and planned doses were
      evaluated by gamma analysis. In addition, modulation complexity score for VMAT
      (MCSv) for each plan was calculated. Three-dimensional dose distributions in
      patient anatomy were reconstructed using 3DVH software, and clinical deviations
      in dosimetric parameters between the 3DVH doses and planned doses were
      calculated. The gamma passing rate (GPR)/MCSv and the clinical dose deviation
      were evaluated using Pearson's correlation coefficient. Significant correlation
      (P < 0.05) between the clinical dose deviation and GPR was observed with both the
      3%/3 mm and 2%/2 mm criteria in clinical target volume (D99), brain (D2),
      brainstem (D2) and chiasm (D2), albeit that the correlations were not 'strong'
      (0.38 < |r| < 0.54). The maximum dose deviations of brainstem were up to 4.9 Gy
      and 2.9 Gy for Dmax and D%, respectively in the case of high GPR (98.2% with 3%/3
      mm criteria). Regarding MCSv, none of the evaluated organs showed a significant
      correlation with clinical dose deviation, and correlations were 'weak' or absent
      (0.01 < |r| < 0.21). The use of high GPR and MCSv values does not always detect
      dosimetric errors in a patient. Therefore, in-depth analysis with the DVH for
      patient-specific QA is considered to be preferable for guaranteeing safe dose
      delivery.

PMID- 28339924
TI  - The trans-Golgi Network and the Golgi Stacks Behave Independently During
      Regeneration After Brefeldin A Treatment in Tobacco BY-2 Cells.
AB  - The trans-Golgi network (TGN) plays an essential role in intracellular membrane
      trafficking. In plant cells, recent live-cell imaging studies have revealed the
      dynamic behavior of the TGN independent from the Golgi apparatus. In order to
      better understand the relationships between the two organelles, we examined their
      dynamic responses to the reagent brefeldin A (BFA) and their recovery after BFA
      removal. Golgi markers responded to BFA similarly over a range of concentrations,
      whereas the behavior of the TGN was BFA concentration dependent. The TGN formed
      aggregates at high concentrations of BFA; however, TGN proteins relocalized to
      numerous small vesicular structures dispersed throughout the cytoplasm at lower
      BFA concentrations. During recovery from weak BFA treatment, the TGN started to
      regenerate earlier than the completion of the Golgi. The regeneration of the two
      organelles proceeded independently of each other for a while, and eventually was
      completed by their association. Our data suggest that there is some degree of
      autonomy for the regeneration of the TGN and the Golgi in tobacco BY-2 cells.

PMID- 28339925
TI  - Effects of different storage time on hatching results and some egg quality
      characteristics of rock partridge (A. graeca) (management and production).
AB  - In this research, partridge eggs were stored during zero to 7, 8 to 14, 15 to 21,
      22 to 28, 29 to 35 and 36 to 42 d, respectively. The effect of different egg
      storage periods on egg protein and moisture rates, mineral contents, and some egg
      quality and hatching characteristics were investigated. The extension of egg
      storage times didn't affect the external quality features like shell weight,
      shell thickness, and albumen rate, but it affected the yolk weight, yolk index,
      albumen index, and Haugh unit (P < 0.05). Yolk weight was increased and yolk
      index, albumen index, and Haugh unit values were decreased with the extension of
      storage time. Different storage times of partridge eggs did not have important
      effects on the protein rates. Protein and humidity rate of the eggs were 14.21
      and 67.64%, respectively. There were some elements such as S, P, Na, K, and Ca,
      but Al, Cd, Co, Mo, and Pb could not be found in the partridge eggs. There is no
      effect of the storage time on the mineral content of the egg. Storage time had
      negative effect on fertility and hatchability after 21 d of storage d, but no
      effect on hatchability of fertile eggs. As this study showed, partridge eggs are
      resistant to long storage times, as partridge egg proteins can resist degradation
      in the optimum storage times. To determine egg degradation, the study should be
      focused on partridge eggshell features, which are responsible for degradation. As
      a result of this research, partridge eggs can be stored for 21 d under optimum
      storage conditions without any negative hatchability results.

PMID- 28339923
TI  - Measuring patient experience: a systematic review to evaluate psychometric
      properties of patient reported experience measures (PREMs) for emergency care
      service provision.
AB  - Purpose: Knowledge about patient experience within emergency departments (EDs)
      allows services to develop and improve in line with patient needs. There is no
      standardized instrument to measure patient experience. The aim of this study is
      to identify patient reported experience measures (PREMs) for EDs, examine the
      rigour by which they were developed and their psychometric properties when judged
      against standard criteria. Data sources: Medline, Scopus, CINAHL, PsycINFO,
      PubMed and Web of Science were searched from inception to May 2015. Study
      selection: Studies were identified using specific search terms and inclusion
      criteria. A total of eight articles, reporting on four PREMs, were included. Data
      extraction: Data on the development and performance of the four PREMs were
      extracted from the articles. The measures were critiqued according to quality
      criteria previously described by Pesudovs K, Burr JM, Harley C, et al. (The
      development, assessment, and selection of questionnaires. Optom Vis Sci
      2007;84:663-74.). Results: There was significant variation in the quality of
      development and reporting of psychometric properties. For all four PREMs, initial
      development work included the ascertainment of patient experiences using
      qualitative interviews. However, instrument performance was poorly assessed.
      Validity and reliability were measured in some studies; however responsiveness,
      an important aspect on survey development, was not measured in any of the
      included studies. Conclusion: PREMS currently available for use in the ED have
      uncertain validity, reliability and responsiveness. Further validation work is
      required to assess their acceptability to patients and their usefulness in
      clinical practice.

PMID- 28339926
TI  - Study on the expression of human lysozyme in oviduct bioreactor mediated by
      recombinant avian adeno-associated virus.
AB  - Due to its antimicrobial properties and low toxicity, human lysozyme (hLYZ) has
      broad application in the medical field and as a preservative used by the food
      industry. However, limited availability hinders its widespread use. Hence, we
      constructed a recombinant avian adeno-associated virus (rAAAV) that would
      specifically express hLYZ in the chicken oviduct and harvested hLYZ from the egg
      whites of laying hens. The oviduct-specific human lysozyme expression cassette
      flanked by avian adeno-associated virus (AAAV) inverted terminal repeats (ITRs)
      was subcloned into the modified baculovirus transfer vector pFBX, and then the
      recombinant baculovirus rBac-ITRLYZ was generated. The recombinant avian adeno
      associated virus was produced by co-infecting Sf9 cells with rBac-ITRLYZ and the
      other 2 baculoviruses containing AAAV functional genes and structural genes,
      respectively. Electron microscopy and real-time PCR revealed that the recombinant
      viral particles were generated successfully with a typical AAAV morphology and a
      high titer. After one intravenous injection of each laying hen with 2 * 1011
      viral particles, oviduct-specific expression of recombinant human lysozyme
      (rhLYZ) was detected by reverse transcription-PCR. The expression level of rhLYZ
      in the first wk increased to 258 +/- 11.5 MUg/mL, reached a maximum of 683 +/-
      16.4 MUg/mL at the fifth wk, and then progressively declined during the
      succeeding 7 wk of the study. Western blotting indicated that the oviduct
      expressed rhLYZ had the same molecular weight as the natural enzyme. These
      results indicate that an efficient and convenient oviduct bioreactor mediated by
      rAAAV has been established, and it is useful for production of other recombinant
      proteins.

PMID- 28339927
TI  - Characterizing the early inflammatory contribution of the donor kidney following
      reperfusion.
AB  - Background: Donor kidneys contain a large reservoir of passenger leucocytes that
      contribute to acute rejection via direct alloantigen presentation and pro
      inflammatory cytokine secretion. However, the early contribution of these cells
      following revascularization has not previously been described. We performed a
      secondary, high-volume preservation flush following cold storage to characterize
      the inflammatory contribution of the donor kidney upon reperfusion. Methods:
      Porcine kidneys were retrieved using a protocol analogous to current UK clinical
      practice. Following 2 h of cold static preservation, kidneys underwent a
      secondary flush with Ringer's solution. The venous effluent was collected and
      leucocytes phenotyped via flow cytometry. Inflammatory mediators, including
      cytokines and cell-free DNA, were then assessed to determine the inflammatory
      contribution of the donor kidney. Results: Upon reperfusion, a significant
      population of donor-derived CD45 +  leucocytes mobilized from the renal
      vasculature via the renal vein [mean 4.738 * 10 8  (SD 1.348 * 10 8 )]. Within
      this population, T cells were dominant, representing >60% of the leucocyte
      repertoire. Granulocytes, monocytes and natural killer cells were also
      identified, but in comparatively lower numbers. Significant concentrations of
      cytokines and cell-free DNA were also eluted upon reperfusion. Conclusions: The
      donor kidney contains a significant immune load that rapidly mobilizes following
      reperfusion. Performing a secondary preservation flush prior to implantation may
      reduce this inflammatory burden via diversion of donor leucocytes and
      inflammatory mediators from entry into the recipient circulation. This may
      modulate direct presentation and reduce the inflammatory contribution of the
      donor kidney following transplantation.

PMID- 28339928
TI  - Opioid Use in Chronic Pain Patients with Chronic Kidney Disease: A Systematic
      Review.
AB  - Objectives: To investigate the prevalence of chronic pain and opioid management
      among patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD). Design: Systematic review.
      Methods: A systematic search was performed, including citations from 1960 to May
      2015. The review highlights methodological quality assessment of the selected
      studies; prevalence of pain; type, dose, and reason for opioid use; effectiveness
      of pain control and associated adverse effects of opioids in CKD patients.
      Results: Twelve of 131 articles met inclusion criteria. There were no randomized
      controlled trials (RCT) evaluable, and 12 were observational studies. Out of 12
      studies, four were of high quality, six were of moderate quality, and the
      remaining two were low-quality studies. The studies were from different countries
      with sample size ranging from 10 to 12,782. Several studies showed a high
      prevalence of chronic uncontrolled pain. The effectiveness of different
      categories of opioids, dose, duration, and commonly prescribed opioids varied
      across studies. Conclusions: Based on a systematic review of the current
      literature, there is fair evidence for the high prevalence of chronic pain among
      patients with CKD, which is not being effectively managed, probably due to
      underprescription of analgesics or opioids in the CKD population. Clinicians are
      in need of additional and well-designed randomized control trials that focus on
      the indications for opioid therapy, appropriate opioid doses and dosing
      intervals, outcomes with adequacy of symptom control, and reporting on the
      incidence of adverse side effects.

PMID- 28339930
TI  - Comment on: Diagnosing and attributing neuropsychiatric events to systemic lupus
      erythematosus: time to untie the Gordian knot?

PMID- 28339929
TI  - Dietary resveratrol supplementation prevents transport-stress-impaired meat
      quality of broilers through maintaining muscle energy metabolism and antioxidant
      status.
AB  - This experiment was to evaluate the effect of dietary resveratrol (Res)
      supplementation (0, 400 mg/kg) on growth performance, meat quality, and muscle
      anaerobic glycolysis and antioxidant capacity of transported broilers. A total of
      360 21-day-old male Cobb broilers was randomly allotted to 2 dietary treatments
      (Res-free group and Res group) with 12 replicates of 15 birds each. On the
      morning of d 42, after a 9-hour fast, 24 birds (2 birds of each replicate) were
      selected from the Res-free group and then equally placed into 2 crates, and the
      other 12 birds (one bird of each replicate) were selected from the Res group and
      then placed into the other crate. All birds in the 3 crates were transported
      according to the following protocols: 0-hour transport of birds in the Res-free
      group (control group), 3-hour transport of birds in the Res-free group (T group),
      and 3-hour transport of birds in the Res group (T + Res group). The results
      showed that Res not only improved feed conversion ratio (P < 0.05) but also
      tended to improve birds' final body weight (P < 0.10). In the Res-free group, a 3
      hour transport increased serum corticosterone concentration, muscle
      malondialdehyde (MDA) and lactate contents, and muscle lactate dehydrogenase
      (LDH) activity, while it decreased muscle glycogen content, total superoxide
      dismutase (T-SOD), and glutathione peroxidase (GSH-PX) activities (P < 0.05),
      which induced decreased breast meat quality (lower pH24h and higher drip loss and
      L*24 h, P < 0.05). Nevertheless, compared with the T group, Res increased muscle
      glycogen content and T-SOD and GSH-PX activities (P < 0.05 or P < 0.10), while it
      decreased muscle MDA content and LDH activity (P < 0.05), which is beneficial to
      the meat quality maintenance of transported broilers (lower drip loss, L*24 h,
      and higher pH24h, P < 0.05 or P < 0.10). This study provides the first evidence
      that dietary resveratrol supplementation prevents transport-stress-impaired meat
      quality of broilers, possibly through decreasing the muscle anaerobic glycolysis
      metabolism and improving the muscle antioxidant capacity.

PMID- 28339932
TI  - Utilizing patient geographic information system data to plan telemedicine service
      locations.
AB  - Objective: To understand potential utilization of clinical services at a rural
      integrated health care system by generating optimal groups of telemedicine
      locations from electronic health record (EHR) data using geographic information
      systems (GISs). Methods: This retrospective study extracted nonidentifiable
      grouped data of patients over a 2-year period from the EHR, including geomasked
      locations. Spatially optimal groupings were created using available telemedicine
      sites by calculating patients' average travel distance (ATD) to the closest
      clinic site. Results: A total of 4027 visits by 2049 unique patients were
      analyzed. The best travel distances for site groupings of 3, 4, 5, or 6 site
      locations were ranked based on increasing ATD. Each one-site increase in the
      number of available telemedicine sites decreased minimum ATD by about 8%. For a
      given group size, the best groupings were very similar in minimum travel
      distance. There were significant differences in predicted patient load imbalance
      between otherwise similar groupings. A majority of the best site groupings used
      the same small number of sites, and urban sites were heavily used. Discussion:
      With EHR geospatial data at an individual patient level, we can model potential
      telemedicine sites for specialty access in a rural geographic area. Relatively
      few sites could serve most of the population. Direct access to patient GIS data
      from an EHR provides direct knowledge of the client base compared to methods that
      allocate aggregated data. Conclusion: Geospatial data and methods can assist
      health care location planning, generating data about load, load balance, and
      spatial accessibility.

PMID- 28339933
TI  - Effect of heat stress on amino acid digestibility and transporters in meat-type
      chickens.
AB  - The present study was conducted to investigate the effect of heat stress (HS) on
      performance, digestibility, and molecular transporters of amino acids in
      broilers. Cobb 500 chicks were raised from hatch till 13 d in floor pens. At d
      14, 48 birds were randomly and equally divided between a control group (25
      degrees C) and a HS treatment group (35 degrees C). Birds in both treatment
      classes were individually caged and fed ad libitum on a diet containing 18.7% CP
      and 3,560 Kcal ME/Kg. Five birds per treatment at one and 12 d post treatment
      were euthanized and the Pectoralis major (P. major) and ileum were sampled for
      gene expression analysis. At d 33, ileal contents were collected and used for
      digestibility analysis. Broilers under HS had reduced growth and feed intake
      compared to controls. Although the apparent ileal digestibility (AID) was
      consistently higher for all amino acids in the HS group, it was not significant
      except for hydroxylysine. The amino acid consumption and retention were
      significantly lower in the HS group when compared to the control group.
      Meanwhile, the retention of amino acids per BWG was higher in the HS group when
      compared to the control group except for hydroxylysine and ornithine. The
      dynamics of amino acid transporters in the P. major and ileum was influenced by
      HS. In P. major and ileum tissues at d one, transporters SNAT1, SNAT2, SNAT7,
      TAT1, and b0,+AT, were down-regulated in the HS group. Meanwhile, LAT4 and B0AT
      were down-regulated only in the P. major in the treatment group. The amino acid
      transporters B0AT and SNAT7 at d 12 post HS were down-regulated in the P. major
      and ileum, but SNAT2 was down-regulated only in the ileum and TAT1 was down
      regulated only in the P. major compared with the control group. These changes in
      amino acid transporters may explain the reduced growth in meat type chickens
      under heat stress.

PMID- 28339934
TI  - Designing a Patient Empowerment Program for Chinese Immigrants.

PMID- 28339935
TI  - Nephrotoxicity of anticancer treatment.
AB  - Severe adverse systemic drug events occur commonly as a result of treatment of
      cancer patients. Nephrotoxicity of chemotherapeutic agents remains a significant
      complication limiting the efficacy of the treatment. A variety of renal disease
      and electrolyte disorders can result from the drugs that are used to treat
      malignant disease. The kidneys are a major elimination pathway for many
      antineoplastic drugs and their metabolites. Tumour lysis syndrome, an emergency
      in haematooncology, occurs most often after the initiation of cytotoxic therapy
      in patients with high-grade lymphomas and acute lymphoblastic leukaemia.
      Chemotherapeutic agents can affect the glomerulus, tubules, interstitium and
      renal microvasculature, with clinical manifestations that range from asymptomatic
      elevation of serum creatinine to acute renal failure requiring dialysis. Some
      factors such as intravascular volume depletion, as well as concomitant use of
      other drugs or radiographic ionic contrast media, can potentiate or contribute to
      the nephrotoxicity. Cytotoxic agents can cause nephrotoxicity by a variety of
      mechanisms. The most nephrotoxic chemotherapeutic drug is cisplatin, which is
      often associated with acute kidney injury. Many other drugs such as alkylating
      agents, antimetabolites, vascular endothelial growth factor pathway inhibitors
      and epidermal growth factor receptor pathway inhibitors may have toxic effects on
      the kidneys. The aim of this review is to discuss the issue of nephrotoxicity
      associated with chemotherapy. In routine clinical practice, monitoring of kidney
      function is mandatory in order to identify nephrotoxicity early, allowing dosage
      adjustments or withdrawal of the offending drug.

PMID- 28339938
TI  - Optimally predicting mortality with kidney function markers is not the same as
      optimally determining how kidney function predicts mortality.

PMID- 28339939
TI  - Developmental morphology study on the stomach of African ostrich chicks.
AB  - This study investigates the developmental morphology changes on the
      proventriculus and gizzard of African ostrich chicks using gross anatomy, and
      light and transmission electronic microscopy. The body weight; the weight of the
      proventriculus and gizzard; the thickness of simple tubular glands, muscularis
      mucosae, compound tubular glands, and muscular layer of the proventriculus; and
      the thickness of the gizzard glands and muscularis mucosae were measured on
      postnatal d one, 45, 90, and 334. Under transmission electronic microscopy, the
      oxynticopeptic cells, mucous cells, and endocrine cells were observed in the
      proventriculus on postnatal d one, 45, and 90. Our results revealed that the
      weights of the proventriculus and gizzard (relative to the body weight) both
      peaked on d 90, respectively, and declined thereafter. The thicknesses of the
      simple tubular glands, muscularis mucosae, compound tubular glands, muscular
      layer of the proventriculus, and gizzard glands increased with increasing bird
      age. However, the thickness of the muscularis mucosae in the gizzard peaked on d
      90 and gradually decreased thereafter. The result of transmission electron
      microscopy revealed that the glands in the submucosa layer of the proventriculus
      did not differ from other cell types, aside from an increase in cell diameter and
      an increase in cytoplasmic content. A significant increase in the number of
      mitochondria and smooth endoplasmic reticulum was noted, as well as an in
      granules secreted by endocrine cells. Therefore, to improve brood rates of reared
      African ostrich chicks, feed management ought to be enhanced between postnatal d
      one and day 90.

PMID- 28339937
TI  - Uterine artery leptin receptors during the ovarian cycle and pregnancy regulate
      angiogenesis in ovine uterine artery endothelial cells?.
AB  - Leptin regulates body weight, reproductive functions, blood pressure, endothelial
      function, and fetoplacental angiogenesis. Compared to the luteal phase, the
      follicular phase and pregnancy are physiological states of elevated estrogen,
      angiogenesis, and uterine blood flow (UBF). Little is known concerning regulation
      of uterine artery (UA) angiogenesis by leptin and its receptors. We hypothesized
      that (1) ex vivo expression of leptin receptors (LEPR) in UA endothelium (UAendo)
      and UA vascular smooth muscle (UAvsm) is elevated in pregnant versus nonpregnant
      (Luteal and Follicular) sheep; (2) in vitro leptin treatments differentially
      modulate mitogenesis in uterine artery endothelial cells from pregnant (P-UAECs)
      more than in nonpregnant (NP-UAECs) ewes; and (3) LEPR are upregulated in P-UAECs
      versus NP-UAECs in association with leptin activation of phospho-STAT3 signaling.
      Local UA adaptations were evaluated using a unilateral pregnant sheep model where
      prebreeding uterine horn isolation (nongravid) restricted gravidity to one horn.
      Immunolocalization revealed LEPR in UAendo and UAvsm from pregnant and
      nonpregnant sheep. Contrary to our hypothesis, western analysis revealed that
      follicular UAendo and UAvsm LEPR were greater than luteal, nongravid, gravid, and
      control pregnant. Compared to pregnant groups, LEPR were elevated in renal artery
      endothelium of follicular and luteal sheep. Leptin treatment significantly
      increased mitogenesis in follicular phase NP-UAECs and P-UAECs, but not luteal
      phase NP-UAECs. Although UAEC expression of LEPR was similar between groups,
      leptin treatment only activated phospho-STAT3 in follicular NP-UAECs and P-UAECs.
      Thus, leptin may play an angiogenic role particularly in preparation for the
      increased UBF during the periovulatory period and subsequently to meet the
      demands of the growing fetus.

PMID- 28339940
TI  - Restrictions on the use of e-cigarettes in public and private places-current
      practice and support among adults in Great Britain.
AB  - Background: Debates around policies regulating e-cigarette use make it important
      to obtain an overview of current practice, people's attitudes and correlates of
      policy support. Aims were to assess (i) current practices for e-cigarette use in
      homes and workplaces; (ii) characteristics associated with allowing e-cigarette
      use in the home; and (iii) level of, and characteristics associated with, support
      for extending smoke-free legislation to include e-cigarettes. Methods: Online
      survey in 2016, n = 11 389 adults in Great Britain. Descriptives for all
      measures; multivariable logistic regressions assessed correlates of allowing e
      cigarette use and support for extension of legislation. Results: Most (79%)
      reporting on workplace policies reported some level of restrictions on e
      cigarette use. Small majorities would not allow e-cigarette use in their home
      (58%) and supported an extension of smoke-free legislation (52%; 21% opposed).
      Allowing use was less likely and supporting an extension more likely among men,
      respondents from a higher socio-economic status, ex-smokers, never-smokers, non
      users of e-cigarettes and respondents with increased perceived harm of e
      cigarettes or nicotine (all P < 0.001). Older respondents were less likely to
      allow use and to support an extension and Labour voters more likely to allow use.
      Conclusions: In Great Britain, the majority of workplaces has policies
      restricting e-cigarette use. Over half of adults would not allow use of e
      cigarettes in their home and support prohibiting the use of e-cigarettes in smoke
      free places. Adjusting for socio-demographics, more restrictive attitudes are
      more common among never-smokers, never-users and those with increased perception
      of relative harms of e-cigarettes or nicotine as cause of smoking-related
      illness.

PMID- 28339942
TI  - Diospyrobezoar and a fondness for persimmons.

PMID- 28339941
TI  - Productive performance, egg quality, and hatching traits of Japanese quail reared
      under different levels of glycerin.
AB  - This study evaluated subsequent effects of glycerin on productive performance,
      egg quality, and hatching traits in Japanese quail. A total of 200 birds was
      arranged according to a completely randomized design into 5 treatment groups
      having 5 replicates of 8 birds each (6 females and 2 males). Treatments consisted
      5 levels of glycerin, i.e., 2.5, 5, 7.5, and 10% and the control group. Birds
      were fed with different levels of glycerin during a rearing period of 6 wk and
      their subsequent effects on productive performance, egg quality, and hatching
      traits were observed. Data were collected regarding productive performance for 16
      wk; however, egg quality and hatching traits were recorded during pre-peak (at
      fourth wk), peak (at 12th wk), and post peak (at 16th wk) phase. Productive
      performance, egg quality, and hatching traits did not differ significantly
      throughout the experimental period. It was concluded that glycerin can be used as
      a replacement energy source, having no effect on productive and reproductive
      performance in Japanese quail.

PMID- 28339944
TI  - Exploring Relationships between Body Appreciation and Self-Reported Physical
      Health among Young Women.
AB  - Body image, a multidimensional construct, affects women in myriad ways. Existing
      scholarship has established a relationship between body image and negative mental
      and sexual health outcomes and suggests that it may also be related to physical
      health outcomes. The purpose of the study reported in this article was to explore
      relationships between body appreciation, a multidimensional measure of body
      image, and self-perceived physical health among a sample of emerging adult women
      (N = 399). In this sample, body appreciation was positively and significantly
      related to self-perceived physical health. This study contributes to a growing
      body of literature on the consequences of body image among women and can be used
      to inform interventions aimed at improving the well-being of women.

PMID- 28339945
TI  - Single-site ventricular pacing via the coronary sinus in patients with tricuspid
      valve disease.
AB  - Aims: To evaluate coronary sinus single-site (CSSS) left ventricular pacing in
      adult patients with normal left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) when
      traditional right ventricular lead implantation is not feasible or is
      contraindicated. Methods and results: We performed a retrospective analysis of 23
      patients with tricuspid valve surgery/disease who received a CSSS ventricular
      pacing lead to avoid crossing the tricuspid valve. Two matched control
      populations were obtained from patients receiving (i) conventional right
      ventricular single-site (RVSS) leads and (ii) coronary sinus leads for cardiac
      resynchronization therapy (CSCRT). Main outcomes of interest were lead stability,
      electrical lead parameters and change in LVEF during long-term follow-up.
      Successful CSSS pacing was accomplished in all 23 patients without any procedural
      complications. During the 5.3 +/- 2.8-year follow-up 22/23 (95.7%) leads were
      functional with stable pacing and sensing parameters, and 1/23 (4.3%) was
      extracted for unrelated reasons. Compared to CSSS leads, the lead
      revision/abandonment was similar with RVSS leads (Hazard ratio (HR) 0.87, 95%
      confidence interval (CI) 0.03, 22.0), but was higher with CSCRT leads (HR 7.41,
      95% CI 1.30, 139.0). There was no difference in change in LVEF between CSSS and
      RVSS groups (-2.4 +/- 11.0 vs. 1.5 +/- 12.8, P = 0.76), but LVEF improved in
      CSCRT group (11.2 +/- 16.5%, P = 0.002). Fluoroscopy times were longer during
      implantation of CSSS compared to RVSS leads (25.6 +/- 24.6 min vs. 12.3 +/- 18.6
      min, P = 0.049). Conclusion: In patients with normal LVEF, single-site
      ventricular pacing via the coronary sinus is a feasible, safe and reliable
      alternative to right ventricular pacing.

PMID- 28339946
TI  - Pasture flock chicken cecal microbiome responses to prebiotics and plum fiber
      feed amendments.
AB  - When prebiotics and other fermentation substrates are delivered to animals as
      feed supplements, the typical goal is to improve weight gain and feed conversion.
      In this work, we examined pasture flock chicken cecal contents using next
      generation sequencing (NGS) to identify and understand the composition of the
      microbiome when prebiotics and fermentation substrates were supplemented. We
      generated 16S rRNA sequencing data for 120 separate cecal samples from groups of
      chickens receiving one of 3 prebiotics or fiber feed additives. The data
      indicated that respective feed additives enrich for specific bacterial community
      members and modulate the diversity of the microbiome. We applied synthetic
      learning in microbial ecology (SLiME) analysis to interpret 16S rRNA microbial
      community data and identify specific bacterial operational taxonomic units (OTU)
      that are predictive of the particular feed additives used in these experiments.
      The results suggest that feed can influence microbiome composition in a
      predictable way, and thus diet may have indirect effects on weight gain and feed
      conversion through the microbiome.

PMID- 28339947
TI  - Nitrogen-corrected apparent metabolizable energy values of barley varies by
      treatment and species.
AB  - The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of two species of poultry
      (cockerel and Japanese quail), two levels of enzyme (0 and 0.5 g/kg), and 6
      processing methods (control (C), gamma irradiation 25 (GI25), and 50 kGy (GI50),
      autoclaving (AU), fermentation without lactobacillus (F), and fermentation with
      lactobacillus (FL)) on the nitrogen-corrected apparent metabolizable energy
      (AMEn) of barley. In this experiment, each processing method was tested at two
      levels of enzyme (0 and 0.5 g/kg) in six replications with two cockerels or four
      quails per replication. The results showed that the AMEn values by barley
      processing methods were: C-11.45 and 12.27; GI25-11.50 and 11.30; GI50-11.49 and
      11.29; AU-11.70 and 11.46; F-12.90 and 12.30; FL-1295 and 12.51 MJ/kg in
      cockerels and quails, respectively. The AMEn (11.49 MJ/kg) of enzyme 0 was
      significantly lower than that of enzyme 0.5 (12.35 MJ/kg). There was a
      significant difference in the AMEn of processed barley between cockerels and
      quails. In conclusion, the most effective processing method of barley for AMEn is
      fermentation with lactobacillus and enzyme.

PMID- 28339948
TI  - Effects of dietary coarsely ground corn and 3 bedding floor types on broiler live
      performance, litter characteristics, gizzard and proventriculus weight, and
      nutrient digestibility.
AB  - The effects of zero or 50% dietary coarsely ground corn (CC) in pelleted and
      screened grower and finisher diets on broilers reared on 3 bedding floor types
      (plastic net [NET], new pine wood shavings litter [NEW], or old pine wood
      shavings litter [OLD]) on broiler live performance, litter characteristics,
      gizzard and proventriculus weight, and apparent ileal digestibility (AID) were
      studied in a 2 * 3 factorial arrangement of treatments. Fine corn was produced
      with a hammermill (271 MUm) and CC with a roller mill (1145 MUm). Utilization of
      CC reduced milling cost by 9.47 cents per MT with similar nutrient content of
      screened pellets. The 50% CC treatment exhibited improved (P <= 0.05) feed intake
      at 42 d (2.5%) and 49 d (3.0%), and BW (5.4%) and FCR from 28 d (1.4%). Birds on
      NEW litter exhibited improved (P < 0.05) BW at 28 and 35 d and 42 d FCR as
      compared to NET and 49 d FCR compared to NET and OLD. The 50% CC treatment
      exhibited increased (P < 0.05) gizzard weight but decreased proventriculus weight
      at 49 d. NEW litter birds exhibited increased (P <= 0.05) gizzard weight at 28 d
      and 49 d and decreased proventriculus weight as compared to NET at 49 days. The
      50% CC treatment exhibited decreased (P <= 0.05) litter moisture at 35 and 42 d,
      litter N at 35 and 49 d, and litter pH at 49 days. OLD litter birds exhibited
      greater (P < 0.05) litter N at 14, 35, and 49 d, as well as litter moisture, pH,
      and ammonia concentration at 49 days. The 50% CC group also exhibited improved
      AID of nitrogen (P < 0.05). Broilers fed pelleted and screened diets containing
      50% CC exhibited improved live performance and reduced litter moisture while use
      of NEW litter resulted in a somewhat similar effect, which indicated that
      consumption of NEW litter also facilitated gastric development and function.

PMID- 28339949
TI  - Bone biopsy practice patterns across Europe: the European renal osteodystrophy
      initiative-a position paper.
AB  - Renal osteodystrophy (ROD) is a heterogeneous group of metabolic bone diseases
      complicating progressive chronic kidney disease (CKD). Bone biomarkers and bone
      imaging techniques may help to assess bone health and predict fractures in CKD
      but do have important inherent limitations. By informing on bone turnover and
      mineralization, a bone biopsy may help to guide prevention and treatment of ROD
      and its consequences. According to a recent survey conducted among European
      nephrologists, bone biopsies are performed rather exceptionally, both for
      clinical and research purposes. Obviously, clinical research in the field of ROD
      is threatened by vanishing clinical and pathological expertise, small patient
      cohorts and scientific isolation. In March 2016, the European Renal
      Osteodystrophy (EU-ROD) initiative was created under the umbrella of the ERA-EDTA
      CKD-mineral and bone disorder (MBD) Working Group to revitalize bone biopsy as a
      clinically useful tool in the diagnostic workup of CKD-MBD and to foster research
      on the epidemiology, implications and reversibility of ROD. As such, the EU-ROD
      initiative aims to increase the understanding of ROD and ultimately to improve
      outcomes in CKD patients.

PMID- 28339950
TI  - Improving the quality of radiological examinations: effectiveness of an internal
      participatory approach.
AB  - Quality problem or issue: To assess the quality of radiological examinations
      (REs) and to evaluate the effectiveness of a participatory continuous improvement
      approach to ensure best practices in a Portuguese hospital imaging department.
      Initial assessment: At baseline, we found 232 (10.2%) non-compliances, mostly
      related to the criteria image centering and framing in chest radiography (CXR),
      proper use of radiological protection equipment in other conventional RE (CR) and
      X-ray beam collimation (CXR/CR). Choice of solution: A baseline and three
      consecutive evaluations of the RE quality were conducted. Each assessment was
      followed by participatory focused interventions for improvement. Implementation:
      For each evaluation, we selected a random sample (n = 60) of cases for four types
      of examination (total n = 240 for each assessment, and 960 for the whole
      project). Both the building of quality criteria and the design of interventions
      for improvement were participatory, involving the radiology technicians.
      Estimates of criteria compliance were calculated with 95% confidence intervals.
      The statistical significance of absolute and relative improvements was tested
      using one-tail z-tests. Evaluation: After the intervention, non-compliances
      decreased to 48 (2.1%). Compliance estimates improved in 25 of 38 criteria
      assessed, with statistical significance for 5 criteria in CXR and 3 in CR and
      digestive examination. Lessons learned: The internal participatory approach
      enabled the identification of existing quality problems and, by focusing on the
      more frequent quality defects, was effective in improving the quality of RE.

PMID- 28339951
TI  - Characterization of a hypervirulent fowl adenovirus 4 with the novel genotype
      newly prevalent in China and establishment of reproduction infection model of
      hydropericardium syndrome in chickens.
AB  - Severe hydropericardium syndrome (HPS) has been present in layers in the
      northeast of China since June 2015, with mortality rates varying from 30 to 90%.
      Dead layers had severe hydropericardium with pericardial volumes of 5 to 20 mL,
      as well as inclusion body hepatitis. Laboratory investigations led to the
      isolation of a fowl adenovirus strain, HLJFAd15, from the liver tissue of dead
      layers. Natural deletions of ORF19 and ORF27 were found in this clinical strain
      by complete genome sequencing, which was identified with the novel genotype
      recently prevalent in China. The pathogenicity characterization was conducted in
      35-day-old SPF chickens using HLJFAd15 with novel genotype of fowl adenovirus
      serotype 4 (FAdV-4). The reproduction disease cases of HPS with mortality rates
      of 76.9% by oral administration and 100% by intramuscular injection were induced
      successfully by challenging SPF chickens, respectively. Non-enveloped viral
      particles with a mean diameter of approximately 80 nm were found in the livers of
      virus-infected SPF chickens. Our study revealed that HLJFAd15 was identified with
      the novel genotype strains recently emerging in China by complete genome
      sequencing, and the strain was capable of causing HPS by the pathogenicity
      analysis. However, although there is currently no commercial vaccine against the
      novel genotype FAdV-4, the animal infection model established in this study was
      valuable for vaccine evaluation and development.

PMID- 28339952
TI  - Value of multidisciplinary reassessment in attribution of neuropsychiatric events
      to systemic lupus erythematosus: prospective data from the Leiden NPSLE cohort.
AB  - Objective: To determine the contribution of reassessment in the attribution
      process of neuropsychiatric (NP) events to SLE or other aetiologies in a large,
      prospective and multidisciplinary assessed NPSLE cohort and to compare these
      results with other available attribution models for NP events occurring in SLE.
      Methods: Three hundred and four consecutive SLE patients presenting NP events
      were evaluated. All subjects underwent standardized multidisciplinary medical,
      neuropsychological, laboratory and radiological examination on the inclusion and
      reassessment dates. Diagnosis was always established by multidisciplinary
      consensus. The final diagnosis after reassessment also took into account disease
      course and response to treatment. These data were compared with currently
      available attribution models for NP events in SLE. Results: A total of 463 NP
      events were established. After reassessment, attribution to SLE was discordant in
      64 (13.8%) NP events when compared with the first visit. We show that 14.5% of NP
      events previously attributed to SLE reclassified as non-NPSLE. In 86.4% of these
      patients immunosuppressive therapy was started after the first visit. When
      reassessment and available attribution models were compared, NPSLE cases
      overlapped considerably. Although specificity was high for all comparisons (0.81
      0.95), an important variation in sensitivity (0.39-0.83) and agreement estimates
      (kappa = 0.29-0.68) was observed. The Italian algorithm showed the highest
      sensitivity and specificity (>0.80) and moderate agreement (0.59-0.64).
      Conclusion: In clinical practice NP events presenting in SLE are too often
      attributed to an immune-mediated origin. Multidisciplinary reassessment avoids
      misclassification in NPSLE. Multidisciplinary reassessment is the reference
      standard in NP events presenting in SLE and cannot be replaced by available
      attribution models.

PMID- 28339955
TI  - Procalcitonin in Childhood Pneumonia.

PMID- 28339957
TI  - Effects of caponization and age on the histology, lipid localization, and fiber
      diameter in muscles from Greenleg Partridge cockerels.
AB  - The preference of modern consumers for high-quality meat has forced breeders to
      use native breeds to produce capons. Caponization, both chemical and surgical,
      leads to androgen deficiency and changes in lipid metabolism and results in the
      accumulation of abdominal, subcutaneous, and intramuscular lipids, which change
      the sensory values of the meat. The aim of this study was to histologically
      evaluate selected skeletal muscles from Greenleg Partridge capons and cockerels.
      We examined lipid localization in the muscular tissue and also assessed both
      fiber type and fiber diameter in the pectoral muscles. The experiment was
      performed on 200 Greenleg Partridge cockerels and testes were removed at 8 wk of
      age. At 12, 16, 20, 24, and 28 wk of age, 6 cockerels and 6 capons were
      slaughtered, and samples from the pectoral and thigh muscles were evaluated. Our
      histopathological evaluation revealed only minimal changes, and no significant
      differences between capons and cockerels were observed. The pectoral and thigh
      muscles of the capons had higher concentrations of lipids around the blood
      vessels, in the perimysium, in the endomysium, and in the sarcoplasm. The
      analysis of fiber type in the Pectoralis major muscles revealed that the fibers
      were all the IIB type. The diameters of the fibers of the pectoral muscles were
      significantly different (P < 0.05) at 20, 24, and 28 wk of age, and diameters of
      the giant fibers were significantly different (P < 0.05) at 24 and 28 wk of age.
      High concentrations of lipids in the meat of the capons is undesirable due to
      health-related reasons. However, the ability of adipose tissue to improve the
      sensory values of meat will always be a major quality of native/traditional
      products.

PMID- 28339958
TI  - Postconditioning protects renal fibrosis by attenuating oxidative stress-induced
      mitochondrial injury.
AB  - Background: Epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) plays a critical role in
      renal fibrosis. We hypothesize that mitochondrial DNA damage and DNA deletions
      caused by reactive oxygen species (ROS) during renal ischemia-reperfusion injury
      (IRI) might lead to EMT in renal fibrosis. Methods: Rats were classified into
      seven groups: sham-operation, IRI, postconditioning (POC), I/R + apocynin, POC +
      apocynin, I/R + Mito-Tempol (Mito-T) and POC + Mito-T. These groups were
      monitored for up to 3 months. Serum creatinine, renal histopathology changes and
      mitochondrial oxidative stress were examined. We also treated NRK52E cells with
      200 MUM hydrogen peroxide to evaluate the effect of ROS on EMT development, and
      with 400 ng/mL ethidium bromide to assess the extent of mitochondrial DNA
      depletion during EMT. Results: Three months after IRI injury, the IRI group
      showed significant renal fibrosis, increased generation of ROS and higher
      mitochondrial DNA damage and DNA deletions. However, the severity of renal
      fibrosis and mitochondrial oxidative stress were markedly attenuated in the POC
      group. Studies on NRK52E cells showed that mitochondrial DNA damage triggered the
      development of EMT. Conclusions: Mitochondrial DNA damage induced by elevated ROS
      production likely leads to EMT, and might further result in renal fibrosis. POC
      treatment might attenuate the degree of renal fibrosis by protecting mitochondria
      from oxidative stress-induced mitochondrial DNA damage.

PMID- 28339959
TI  - Increased Evoked Potentials and Behavioral Indices in Response to Pain Among
      Individuals with Intellectual Disability.
AB  - Objective: Previous studies on the sensitivity and reactivity to pain of
      individuals with intellectual disability (ID) are inconsistent. The inconsistency
      may result from the reliance on self-reports and facial expressions of pain that
      are subject to internal and external biases. The aim was therefore to evaluate
      the reactivity to pain of individuals with ID by recording pain-evoked potentials
      (EPs), here for the first time, and testing their association with behavioral
      pain indices. Subject: Forty-one healthy adults, 16 with mild-moderate ID and 25
      controls. Methods: Subjects received series of phasic heat stimuli and rated
      their pain on self-report scales. Changes in facial expressions and in pain EPs
      were recorded and analyzed offline. Results: Pain self-reports, facial
      expressions, and the N2P2 amplitudes of the EPs exhibited stimulus-response
      relationship with stimulation intensity in both groups. The facial expressions
      and N2P2 amplitudes of individuals with ID were increased and N2P2 latency
      prolonged compared with controls. N2P2 amplitudes correlated with self-reports
      only in controls. Conclusions: Individuals with ID are hypersensitive/reactive to
      pain, a finding bearing clinical implications. Although pain EPs may reflect a
      somewhat different aspect of pain than the behavioral indices do, there is
      evidence to support their use to record pain in noncommunicative individuals,
      pending further validation.

PMID- 28339962
TI  - FSTL3 is increased in renal dysfunction.
AB  - Background: Follistatin-like 3 (FSTL3) is a novel cytokine that regulates insulin
      sensitivity and counteracts activin/myostatin signalling. In the present study,
      regulation of FSTL3 in renal dysfunction was investigated in both human chronic
      kidney disease (CKD) and acute kidney dysfunction (AKD). Furthermore, mFSTL3
      expression was analysed in insulin-sensitive tissues in a mouse model of CKD.
      Methods: Circulating FSTL3 was quantified by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay in
      581 patients with CKD covering the whole spectrum of estimated glomerular
      filtration rate (eGFR) categories from G1 to G5. Furthermore, FSTL3 was measured
      in 61 patients before and within 30 h after elective unilateral nephrectomy, an
      established model of AKD. Moreover, mFSTL3 mRNA expression was investigated in an
      animal CKD model, that is, eNOS-/-db/db mice, and compared with littermate
      controls. Results: Median circulating FSTL3 levels significantly and continuously
      increased with deteriorating renal function (eGFR category G1: 6.1; G2: 8.2; G3:
      12.7; G4: 18.5; G5: 32.1 ug/L; P < 0.001). In both human CKD and AKD, renal
      dysfunction remained the strongest independent predictor of FSTL3 serum
      concentrations in multivariate analyses. FSTL3 was independently associated with
      an adverse cardiometabolic profile. In CKD mice, hepatic mFSTL3 mRNA expression
      was increased more than 6-fold as compared with controls. Conclusions:
      Circulating FSTL3 is significantly and independently associated with renal
      function in both patients with CKD and AKD. Hepatic mFSTL3 mRNA upregulation
      might contribute to increased FSTL3 levels in CKD. Our results are in agreement
      with the hypothesis that FSTL3 is eliminated by the kidneys and might counteract
      adverse activin/myostatin signalling observed in renal dysfunction.

PMID- 28339963
TI  - Anti-apoptotic effects of decyl gallate on the induction of apoptosis in A549
      pneumocytes by Paracoccidioides brasiliensis gp43.
AB  - Apoptosis is considered an escape mechanism from the host immune system for the
      fungus Paracoccidioides spp, and it serves as a vehicle for entry into
      macrophages without stimulating microbicidal activities. Recently, gp43 of P.
      brasiliensis was demonstrated to be involved in this process. Therefore, as a new
      therapeutic alternative, it is very important to study compounds that could
      reduce the modulation of the induction of apoptosis caused by this fungus. Decyl
      gallate (G14) is a known antifungal compound, and we decided to investigate its
      anti-apoptotic properties. Our results demonstrate that G14 was effective against
      apoptosis induced by gp43, as observed in epithelial cells, and led to a
      reduction in DNA damage, Bak down-regulation and Bcl-2 up-regulation. Together,
      these data show that G14 presents promising anti-apoptotic activity.

PMID- 28339964
TI  - Treatment strategy and IDH status improve nomogram validity in newly diagnosed
      GBM patients.

PMID- 28339965
TI  - Opioid Prescriptions by Specialty in Ohio, 2010-2014.
AB  - Background: The current US opioid epidemic is attributed to the large volume of
      prescribed opioids. This study analyzed the contribution of different medical
      specialties to overall opioids by evaluating the pill counts and morphine
      milligram equivalents (MMEs) of opioid prescriptions, stratified by provider
      specialty, and determined temporal trends. Methods: This was an analysis of the
      Ohio prescription drug monitoring program database, which captures scheduled
      medication prescriptions filled in the state as well as prescriber specialty. We
      extracted prescriptions for pill versions of opioids written in the calendar
      years 2010 to 2014. The main outcomes were the number of filled prescriptions,
      pill counts, MMEs, and extended-released opioids written by physicians in each
      specialty, and annual prescribing trends. Results: There were 56,873,719
      prescriptions for the studied opioids dispensed, for which 41,959,581 (73.8%) had
      prescriber specialty type available. Mean number of pills per prescription and
      MMEs were highest for physical medicine/rehabilitation (PM&R; 91.2 pills, 1,532
      mg, N = 1,680,579), anesthesiology/pain (89.3 pills, 1,484 mg, N = 3,261,449),
      hematology/oncology (88.2 pills, 1,534 mg, N = 516,596), and neurology (84.4
      pills, 1,230 mg, N = 573,389). Family medicine (21.8%) and internal medicine
      (17.6%) wrote the most opioid prescriptions overall. Time trends in the average
      number of pills and MMEs per prescription also varied depending on specialty.
      Conclusions: The numbers of pills and MMEs per opioid prescription vary markedly
      by prescriber specialty, as do trends in prescribing characteristics. Pill count
      and MME values define each specialty's contribution to overall opioid prescribing
      more accurately than the number of prescriptions alone.

PMID- 28339966
TI  - Operational challenges and opportunities in pastured poultry operations in the
      United States.
AB  - As pastured poultry production has gained increased popularity in the United
      States in recent years, there is a growing need for research and outreach efforts
      aimed at this sector of poultry production. In order to get familiarized with
      American pastured poultry producers, we conducted an online questionnaire aimed
      primarily at evaluating what operational challenges are faced by producers and
      what educational opportunities should be initiated by researchers. Results showed
      that pastured poultry farms largely vary in total number of acres farmed and
      total number of birds kept. The vast majority of farms (96%) rotate their flocks
      on pasture and include livestock species (78%) in their rotation systems. Mobile
      coops are the preferred housing option provided by producers (88%). The most
      common source of mortality listed by respondents was predation (52%), followed by
      "other" (32%). However, predation was not selected as the most important
      challenge by the majority of respondents. Sixty-four percent of participants
      instead mentioned providing adequate feed at reasonable cost as the major
      challenge in raising poultry on pasture, followed again by "other" (52%) and lack
      of processing facilities for small numbers of birds (40%). Finally, the topics
      considered by respondents as the most helpful to learn more about were how to
      improve egg production rate and/or feed conversion ratio (67%), followed by how
      to improve pasture condition and optimum vegetative cover all year round (62%).
      Despite its small sample size, this study's results provide some valuable
      insights of challenges encountered and information needed on pastured poultry
      farms.

PMID- 28339968
TI  - Optimization of dietary zinc for egg production and antioxidant capacity in
      Chinese egg-laying ducks fed a diet based on corn-wheat bran and soybean meal.
AB  - The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of zinc supplementation on
      productive performance and antioxidant status in laying ducks. Five-hundred-four
      laying ducks were divided into 7 treatments, each containing 6 replicates of 12
      ducks. The ducks were caged individually and fed a corn-soybean meal and wheat
      bran basal diet (37 mg Zn/kg) or the basal diet supplemented with 15, 30, 45, 60,
      75, or 90 mg Zn/kg (as zinc sulfate). During the early laying period of 10 d
      (daily egg production <80%), egg production, daily egg mass, and FCR increased
      quadratically with increasing dietary Zn levels (P < 0.05). The highest egg
      production and daily egg weight were obtained when 30 or 45 mg Zn/kg diet was
      supplemented, with lowest FCR. Similarly, the highest egg production and daily
      egg mass were observed in the group supplemented with 30 or 45 mg Zn/kg during
      the peak laying period of the subsequent 120 d (daily egg production >80%).
      Average egg weight and feed intake did not differ among the groups of graded Zn
      supplementation.The egg quality was not affected by dietary Zn, including the egg
      shape index, Haugh unit, yolk color score, egg composition, and shell thickness.
      The activities of plasma activities of total superoxide dismutase (T-SOD) and
      glutathione peroxidase (GSH-PX) increased in a quadratic manner (P < 0.001) with
      increasing supplemental Zn. Plasma concentration of Zn increased quadratically (P
      < 0.05) as dietary Zn increased. The hepatic activity of Cu/Zn-SOD and GSH-PX
      increased quadratically (P < 0.05) with increasing dietary Zn. Plasma Zn
      concentrations were positively correlated with activities of T-SOD (P < 0.05),
      and positively with plasma Cu. Plasma concentration of reduced glutathione was
      correlated with plasma Cu. In conclusion, supplementation of Zn at 30 or 45 mg/kg
      to a corn-wheat bran and soybean basal diet may improve the productive
      performance and enhance the antioxidant capacity.

PMID- 28339967
TI  - Placental transporter localization and expression in the Human: the importance of
      species, sex, and gestational age differences?.
AB  - The placenta is a critical organ during pregnancy, essential for the provision of
      an optimal intrauterine environment, with fetal survival, growth, and development
      relying on correct placental function. It must allow nutritional compounds and
      relevant hormones to pass into the fetal bloodstream and metabolic waste products
      to be cleared. It also acts as a semipermeable barrier to potentially harmful
      chemicals, both endogenous and exogenous. Transporter proteins allow for
      bidirectional transport and are found in the syncytiotrophoblast of the placenta
      and endothelium of fetal capillaries. The major transporter families in the human
      placenta are ATP-binding cassette (ABC) and solute carrier (SLC), and
      insufficiency of these transporters may lead to deleterious effects on the fetus.
      Transporter expression levels are gestation-dependent and this is of considerable
      clinical interest as levels of drug resistance may be altered from one trimester
      to the next. This highlights the importance of these transporters in mediating
      correct and timely transplacental passage of essential compounds but also for
      efflux of potentially toxic drugs and xenobiotics. We review the current
      literature on placental molecular transporters with respect to their localization
      and ontogeny, the influence of fetal sex, and the relevance of animal models. We
      conclude that a paucity of information exists, and further studies are required
      to unlock the enigma of this dynamic organ.

PMID- 28339969
TI  - The quality of eggs (organic and nutraceutical vs. conventional) and their
      technological properties.
AB  - The aim of the study was to compare the quality of commercially available eggs:
      organic (attested organic farm) - OE, nutraceutical (enriched in n-3 fatty acids)
      - NE, vs. conventional (cage raising system) - CE and their technological
      (emulsifying) properties. Their basic chemical composition (i.e., moisture,
      protein, fat, ash) as well as mineral (Na, K, Ca, Mg, Zn, Fe, Mn, Cu) contents
      were assessed, and fatty acid profiles were determined. Next, the suitability of
      the eggs for mayonnaise production was assessed.The yolk of organic eggs
      contained the highest protein (17.7 g/100 g), K (134.7 mg/kg), and Cu (0.15
      mg/kg) levels. Meanwhile, the yolk of conventional eggs was the most abundant in
      Mg (14.6 mg/kg) and Fe (9.05 mg/kg), and the nutraceutical ones - in Ca (109.0
      mg/kg) as well as Mn (0.26 mg/kg). Albumen of organic eggs contained the highest
      level of protein (13.0 g/100 g), whereas the nutraceutical ones contained the
      highest levels of - ash (1.2 g/100 g), K (150.2 mg/kg), Zn (0.11 mg/kg), and Mn
      (0.04 mg/kg). Nutraceutical eggs contained a higher amount of n-3 and
      monounsaturated fatty acids but also smaller saturated fatty acids content. This
      beneficial fatty acids profile is particularly important from the nutritional
      point of view. Despite the lack of differences in emulsifying properties among
      the studied eggs, the mayonnaises prepared on the basis of the nutraceutical eggs
      showed better stability. This attribute is very important for both the producer
      (during product transport) and the consumer (during dish preparation).

PMID- 28339971
TI  - Intracardiac echocardiography catheter-guided zero fluoroscopy transeptal
      puncture technique for ablation of left-sided accessory pathway in a pregnant
      woman.

PMID- 28339972
TI  - Factors associated with sickness absence among employees with chronic conditions.
AB  - Background: The growing prevalence of chronic conditions in the ageing workforce
      has been shown to have a negative impact in terms of optimal work performance and
      quality of life. It is therefore important to understand the factors associated
      with sickness absence due to health problems. Aims: To examine the socio
      demographics, health status indicators, barriers to self-care and social support
      associated with working adults missing work because of chronic conditions.
      Methods: We analysed data from working adults in the USA with one or more chronic
      conditions who completed the National Council on Aging (NCOA) Chronic Care
      Survey. Analyses were performed using SPSS version 22; independent sample t-tests
      and chi-squared tests were used to compare sample characteristics and logistic
      regression was used to assess factors associated with missed work as a
      dichotomous outcome variable. Results: Among the 250 study subjects, employees
      who reported poorer general health status [odd ratio (OR) = 1.62, P < 0.05], more
      physician visits (OR = 1.45, P < 0.01), not having enough money for their health
      (OR = 3.69, P < 0.01) and a higher reliance on their co-workers (OR = 1.71, P <
      0.05) were significantly more likely to report sickness absence due to their
      chronic conditions. Conclusions: To reduce absences among employees with chronic
      conditions, employers need to understand the importance of factors such as
      employee income, resources and knowledge of disease self-care. US employers
      should explore opportunities for employees to offset health care costs, apply
      appropriate time-flexible work policies and encourage employees' participation in
      health knowledge enhancing interventions.

PMID- 28339973
TI  - Day-to-Day Variability in Self-Reported Cigarettes Per Day.
AB  - Background and Aims: Nicotine addiction theory predicts small day-to-day
      variability in cigarettes/day (CPD) whereas social learning theory predicts large
      variability. A description of the variability in CPD over multiple days is not
      available. Methods: We conducted secondary analyses of two natural history
      studies with daily smokers-one of smokers not intending to quit, and one of
      smokers intending to quit sometime in the next 3 months. In the former, smokers
      recorded their smoking during the day by Ecological Momentary Assessment, using a
      palm-top computer. In the latter, participants reported CPD nightly via a phone
      Interactive Voice Response system. Analyses were based on smokers who reported
      averaging >=10 CPD, and on days in which there was no attempt to stop or reduce
      smoking. Results: Across the two studies, on average, smokers had small changes
      in day-to-day CPD (mean changes were 2.2 and 2.9 CPD). However a minority
      averaged changing by >=5 CPD from one day to the next (7% and 11%), and many
      changed by >=5 CPD on at least 10 of the 90 days (8% and 31%). Neither smoking
      restrictions, dependence, stereotypy ratings, nor interest in quitting predicted
      variability. Conclusion: Although on average, smokers have little change day-to
      day CPD, a substantial minority of smokers often change by 5 CPD from day-to-day.
      We did not find potential causes of this variability. Implications: Across day
      variability in CPD is larger than implied in prior studies. Determining causes of
      day-to-day variability should increase our understanding of the determinants of
      smoking.

PMID- 28339975
TI  - The Pain Interprofessional Curriculum Design Model.
AB  - Objective: Although the University of Toronto Centre for the Study of Pain has
      successfully implemented an Interfaculty Pain Curriculum since 2002, we have
      never formalized the process in a design model. Therefore, our primary aim was to
      develop a model that provided an overview of dynamic, interrelated elements that
      have been important in our experience. A secondary purpose was to use the model
      to frame an interactive workshop for attendees interested in developing their own
      pain curricula. Methods: The faculties from Dentistry, Medicine, Nursing,
      Occupational Therapy, Pharmacy, and Physical Therapy met to develop the model
      components. Discussion focused on patient-centered pain assessment and management
      in an interprofessional context, with pain content being based on the
      International Association for the Study of Pain-Interprofessional Pain Curriculum
      domains and related core pain competencies. Profession-specific requirements were
      also considered, including regulatory/course requirements, level of students
      involved, type of course delivery, and pedagogic strategies. Results: The
      resulting Pain Interprofessional Curriculum Design Model includes components that
      are dynamic, competency-based, collaborative, and interrelated. Key questions
      important to developing curricular components guide the process. The Model framed
      two design workshops with very positive responses from international and national
      attendees. Conclusions: The Pain Interprofessional Curriculum Design Model is
      based on established pain curricula and related competencies that are relevant to
      all health science students at the prelicensure (entry-to-practice) level. The
      model has been developed from our experience, and the components resonated with
      workshop attendees from other regions. This Model provides a basis for future
      interventions in curriculum design and evaluation.

PMID- 28339976
TI  - Effects of two different broiler flooring systems on production performances,
      welfare, and environment under commercial production conditions.
AB  - Research comparing conventional litter and alternative perforated flooring
      (netting) systems is relatively limited under commercial production conditions. A
      comprehensive comparison of broiler production performances, welfare quality, and
      housing environment of two broiler houses with conventional litter and new
      perforated plastic floors was conducted over four flocks for eight months in
      eastern China. The two broiler houses each had 31,700 broilers per flock on
      average and were ventilated using a negative-pressure system. Prior to the onset
      of the monitoring, litter/manure in all houses was removed. The environmental
      conditions, gaseous concentrations, and ventilation rate were recorded
      continuously. Production performance and welfare quality data were collected
      weekly. Results showed that indoor temperature and relative humidity were not
      affected by the different floors when the two houses had the same ventilation
      configuration and management. The average ammonia concentration was lower at
      10.44 ppm in the litter house compared to 15.02 ppm in the netting flooring house
      due to the manure accumulation under the floor. Broiler production performance
      including live weight, feed conversion, and mortality, was not affected by the
      netting floor compared to the litter system. In addition, the results suggested
      that birds raised in the netting floor house may increase breast blister
      incidence. In this study, the welfare quality parameters including hock and foot
      pad lesions, lameness, and fearfulness levels were similar in both for both
      flooring systems.

PMID- 28339977
TI  - Large spherical left ventricular pseudoaneurysm: a very rare long-term
      complication of ablation of an accessory pathway.

PMID- 28339978
TI  - Ozone-Sensitive Arabidopsis Mutants with Deficiencies in Photorespiratory
      Enzymes.
AB  - An ozone-sensitive mutant was isolated from T-DNA-tagged lines of Arabidopsis
      thaliana. The T-DNA was inserted at a locus on chromosome 3, where two genes
      encoding glycolate oxidases, GOX1 and GOX2, peroxisomal enzymes involved in
      photorespiration, reside contiguously. The amounts of the mutant's foliar
      transcripts for these genes were reduced, and glycolate oxidase activity was
      approximately 60% of that of the wild-type plants. No difference in growth and
      appearance was observed between the mutant and the wild-type plants under normal
      conditions with ambient air under a light intensity of 100 umol photons m-2 s-1.
      However, signs of severe damage, such as chlorosis and ion leakage from the
      tissue, rapidly appeared in mutant leaves in response to ozone treatment at a
      concentration of 0.2 ul l-1 under a higher light intensity of 350 umol photons m
      2 s-1 that caused no such symptoms in the wild-type plant. The mutant also
      exhibited sensitivity to sulfur dioxide and long-term high-intensity light.
      Arabidopsis mutants with deficiencies in other photorespiratory enzymes such as
      glutamate:glyoxylate aminotransferase and hydroxypyruvate reductase also
      exhibited ozone sensitivities. Therefore, photorespiration appears to be involved
      in protection against photooxidative stress caused by ozone and other abiotic
      factors under high-intensity light.

PMID- 28339980
TI  - Pushing the limits: establishing an ultra-low framerate and antiscatter grid-less
      radiation protocol for left atrial ablations.
AB  - Aims: Despite the use of 3D mapping systems and new developments of non
      fluoroscopic options, most centres still rely at least in part on fluoroscopy for
      catheter visualization during catheter ablations. The purpose of this study was
      to assess the feasibility of using an ultra-low frame rate and antiscatter grid
      less radiation protocol during complex left atrial ablations to minimize
      radiation exposure for the patient and staff. Methods and results: A total of 150
      consecutive patients undergoing left atrial ablations in our hospital were
      included in the analysis. The procedures were performed between January 2015 and
      November 2016. Of the included patients 75 (50%) underwent ablation before and 75
      (50%) after the ultra-low frame rate (reduced from 4 to 2 FPS) and antiscatter
      grid-less radiation protocol was established. Procedures performed after the dose
      reduction protocol was established showed a 64% reduction of the dose area
      product (630.28 +/- 550.96 vs. 226.44 +/- 277.44 uGym2, P < 0.001), while
      fluoroscopy duration (14.22 +/- 4.47 vs. 13.62 +/- 7.11 min, P = 0.066) and
      procedural duration (1:48 +/- 0:28 vs. 1:53 +/- 0:34 min, P = 0.525) were not
      prolonged. Acute procedural success was achieved in all procedures. Two
      complications occurred before and one complication after the protocol was
      established. During four procedures, operators decided to re-introduce the
      antiscatter grid. This was due to impaired visibility in morbidly obese patients
      (n = 2) or technically difficult transseptal puncture (n = 2). Conclusion: The
      use of an ultra low framerate and antiscatter grid-less radiation protocol
      effectively reduced radiation dose for complex left atrial ablation procedures
      and lead to very low average patient doses. Reduced image quality did not impair
      procedural and fluoroscopy duration or acute procedural success.

PMID- 28339981
TI  - Transcriptome analysis of comb and testis from Rose-comb Silky chicken (R1/R1)
      and Beijing Fatty wild type chicken (r/r).
AB  - Rose-comb was one of the chicken comb-variants first used by Bateson and Punnet
      in 1902 to demonstrate Mendelian inheritance in animals. Rose-comb is a monogenic
      trait that has been widely described in chickens. It is caused by a large
      structural rearrangement that leads to mis-expression of transcription factor
      MNR2 on chromosome 7. Rose-comb has pleiotropic effects in homozygous roosters,
      which is associated with poor sperm mobility. It was postulated that this is
      caused by the disruption of the CCDC108 gene located at the distal inversion
      breakpoint. In this study, we did the transcriptional profiling of combs and
      testes from Rose-comb Silky (RS) (R1/R1) and Beijing Fatty (BF) wild type
      chickens (r/r) using RNA-seq. We obtained 68,694,797 unique mapped reads and over
      80% of the chicken genes were covered for each sample. In combs, we found that
      differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were significantly enriched in the retinol
      metabolism (RPE65, CYP26A1, and CYP26C1) and hedgehog-signaling pathway (PTCH1,
      GLI1, and HHIP), while genes related to cell differentiation and morphogenesis
      were down-regulated in R1/R1 chickens, suggesting that the transient expression
      of MNR2 might affect the expression of these genes and influence the development
      of comb tissue. For testes, DEGs were significantly enriched in the GO terms of
      binding activates and mitochondrial oxidation-reduction reactions. Our results
      suggested that the CCDC108 might be functionally related with mitochondrial
      oxidation-reduction reactions and caused subfertility of roosters. Compared with
      the genome average, the degree of expression variations within the inversion
      region did not show significant differences. However, DEGs near the breakpoints
      showed greater expression variance. Our results demonstrated that the large-scale
      rearrangements affected the gene expression only around the breakpoint in this
      case.

PMID- 28339983
TI  - ACR11 is an Activator of Plastid-Type Glutamine Synthetase GS2 in Arabidopsis
      thaliana.
AB  - Glutamine synthetase (GS) is an important enzyme for nitrogen assimilation, and
      GS2, encoded by GLN2, is the only plastid-type GS in Arabidopsis thaliana. A co
      expression analysis suggested that the expression level of the gene encoding a
      uridylyltransferase-like protein, ACR11, is strongly correlated with GLN2
      expression levels. Here we showed that the recombinant ACR11 protein increased
      GS2 activity in vitro by reducing the Km values of its substrate glutamine. A T
      DNA insertion mutant of ACR11 exhibited a reduced GS activity under low nitrate
      conditions and reduced glutamine levels. Biochemical analyses revealed that ACR11
      and GS2 interacted both in vitro and in vivo. These data demonstrate that ACR11
      is an activator of GS2, giving it a mechanistic role in the nitrogen assimilation
      of A. thaliana.

PMID- 28339984
TI  - The link between phenotype and fatty acid metabolism in advanced chronic kidney
      disease.
AB  - Background: The kidney plays a central role in elimination of metabolic waste
      products and regulation of low-molecular weight metabolites via glomerular
      filtration, tubular secretion and reabsorption. Disruption of these processes
      results in profound changes in the biochemical milieu of the body fluids, which
      contribute to complications of chronic kidney disease (CKD) by inducing
      cytotoxicity and inflammation. Insight into the changes of the composition of
      metabolites and dysregulation of target genes and proteins enhances the
      understanding of the pathophysiology of CKD and its complications, and the
      development of novel therapeutic strategies. Chronic interstitial nephropathy is
      a common cause of CKD. The present study was designed to determine the effect of
      chronic interstitial nephropathy on the composition of serum metabolites and
      regulation of oxidative, inflammatory, fibrotic and cytoprotective pathways.
      Methods: Male Sprague-Dawley rats were randomized to the CKD and control groups (
      n  = 8/group). CKD was induced by administration of adenine (200 mg/kg body
      weight/day) by oral gavage for 3 weeks. The control group was treated with the
      vehicle alone. The animals were then observed for an additional 3 weeks, at which
      point they were sacrificed and kidney and serum samples were collected. Serum
      metabolomic and lipidomic analyses were performed using ultra-performance liquid
      chromatography-quadrupole time-of-flight high-definition mass spectrometry.
      Kidney tissues were processed for histological and molecular biochemical
      analyses. Results: CKD rats exhibited increased plasma urea and creatinine
      concentrations, renal interstitial fibrosis, tubular damage and up-regulation of
      pro-inflammatory, pro-oxidant and pro-fibrotic pathways. Comparison of serum from
      CKD and control rats revealed significant differences in concentrations of amino
      acids and lipids including 33 metabolites and 35 lipid species. This was
      associated with marked abnormalities of fatty acid oxidation, and gamma-linolenic
      acid and linoleic acid metabolism in CKD rats. Logistic regression analysis
      identified tetracosanoic acid, docosatrienoic acid, PC(18:3/14:1) and l -aspartic
      acid, tetracosanoic acid and docosatrienoic acid as novel biomarkers of chronic
      interstitial nephropathy. Conclusions: Advanced CKD in rats with adenine-induced
      chronic interstitial nephropathy results in profound changes in the serum
      metabolome, activation of inflammatory, oxidative and fibrotic pathways, and
      suppression of cytoprotective and antioxidant pathways.

PMID- 28339985
TI  - Effects of dietary rapeseed meal supplementation on cecal microbiota in laying
      hens with different flavin-containing monooxygenase 3 genotypes.
AB  - To evaluate the effect of dietary rapeseed meal (RM) supplementation on cecal
      trimethylamine and bacteria in laying hens with different flavin-containing
      monooxygenase 3 (FMO3) genotypes, a 3 * 2 2-factorial arrangement was employed
      using FMO3 genotypes (AA, AT, and TT) and dietary RM (0 and 14% of diet) as the
      main effects. At 50 wk of age, 36 hens of AT genotype and 36 hens of TT genotype
      were randomly allotted to one of the 2 dietary treatments, and each dietary
      treatment consisted of 3 replicates with 6 birds each. A total of 12 hens with AA
      genotype were allotted to one of the 2 dietary treatments that consisted of 3
      replicates with 2 hens. Hens were fed 0% RM in a corn-soybean (SM) diet for one
      wk before the 6-week feeding trial period. Dietary RM supplementation increased
      trimethylamine (TMA) concentrations in both egg yolks (P < 0.0001) and cecal
      chyme (P < 0.0001). Dietary RM supplementation increased bacterial abundance and
      diversity (P < 0.0001). Weighted UniFrac, Nonmetric Multidimensional Scaling, and
      analysis of similarity (R-ANOSIM = 0.1516; P-value = 0.014) indicated distinct
      clustering was dependent on diets rather than FMO3 genotypes. Twenty-four phyla
      (most dominant, Bacteroides, Firmicutes, and Proteobacteria) and 229 genera were
      identified in the cecal samples. Compared with the SM diets, RM diets increased
      the proportion of Firmicutes (P = 0.004), Proteobacteria (P = 0.006), and
      Firmicutes:Bacteroides (P = 0.001), and some low-abundance phyla (P < 0.01),
      whereas the abundance of Bacteroides was lower (P = 0.0002). The abundance of 42
      genera varied with dietary types. Six phyla and 35 genera were positively
      correlated with TMA concentration in the cecal chyme. In conclusion, the major
      TMA-producing bacteria in cecal were from Firmicutes and Proteobacteria phyla.
      The major TMA-producing bacterial genera could be from the genera that positively
      correlated with TMA concentration.

PMID- 28339986
TI  - The National Association of Social Workers Code of Ethics and Cultural
      Competence: What Does Anne Fadiman's The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down
      Teach Us Today?
AB  - This article discusses limitations in the National Association of Social Workers
      (NASW) Code of Ethics conceptualization of "cultural competence." It uses the
      case example presented in Anne Fadiman's classic (2012) work, The Spirit Catches
      You and You Fall Down: A Hmong Child, Her American Doctors, and the Collision of
      Two Cultures, to explore the conventional markers of cultural competence, as
      taught in contemporary graduate-level social work education curricula, and their
      implications for socially just practice. Furthermore, it proposes that an
      expanded commitment to antiracist practice is necessary to deliver care and craft
      policies that, in the spirit of the NASW Code of Ethics, truly respect the
      "dignity and worth" of the individual.

PMID- 28339988
TI  - Utilization of Health Care Services and Ambulatory Resources Associated with
      Chronic Noncancer Pain.
AB  - Objective: Examine traditional and uncompensated health care utilization
      associated with chronic noncancer pain. Design: Retrospective chart review.
      Setting: Tertiary academic medical center. Subjects: Internal medicine patients
      on long-term opioids for chronic noncancer pain with or without a pain agreement
      between April 1, 2014, and April 1, 2015 (N = 834). Patients without pain served
      as controls (N = 782). Methods: Univariate statistics were used to compare health
      care utilization by the presence of chronic pain, pain agreement status, opioid
      dose, and schedule. Logistic regression was used to assess predictors of health
      care utilization, with emergency room visits, hospitalizations, and after-hour
      calls as binary outcomes and office visits and phone/e-mail contacts as ordinal
      outcomes. Results: Patients with chronic pain used significantly more health care
      resources compared with patients without pain (all P  < 0.001). Patients on a
      pain agreement had more telephone and secure messages than patients without an
      agreement ( P  = 0.002). Controlling for demographics and other factors, patients
      with chronic pain had 2.6 (95% confidence interval [CI] = 2.1-3.4) times the odds
      of an emergency room visit, 5.0 (95% CI = 3.6-7.0) times the odds of a
      hospitalization, and 2.3 (95% CI = 1.7-3.0) times the odds of an after hour call,
      compared with nonpain controls. Ordinal logistic regression yield adjusted common
      odds ratios of 3.4 (95% CI = 2.7-4.2) and 2.9 (95% CI = 2.3-3.6) for total clinic
      visits and telephone or secure messages, respectively, indicating higher
      utilization for chronic pain patients. Conclusions: Patients with chronic
      noncancer pain utilized more traditional and uncompensated health care resources
      compared with patients without chronic pain.

PMID- 28339989
TI  - Pain Management Strategies and Health Care Use in Community-Dwelling Individuals
      Living with Chronic Pain.
AB  - Objective: To describe factors associated with high clinic and emergency room
      (ER) use among individuals with chronic pain. Design: This study is part of a
      larger cross-sectional survey on the epidemiology of chronic pain in Canada. The
      current analysis was guided by the Andersen-Newman Service Utilization Model.
      Methods: Respondents (N = 702) were grouped into high (top 10%) and low (bottom
      90%) users based on the number of visits made to clinics and ERs over the past
      year. The two groups were compared on predisposing (e.g., pain self-efficacy and
      sociodemographic characteristics), enabling (e.g., income and education), and
      need (e.g., pain characteristics and number of comorbidities) factors as well as
      personal health behaviors (e.g., use of medications). Binary logistic regression
      analysis was used to identify characteristics associated with high use in each
      setting. Results: High users were defined as 30 or more clinic visits or one or
      more ER visits. The factors associated with high clinic use in the adjusted
      analysis were low pain self-efficacy (odds ratio [OR] = 2.60, 95% confidence
      interval [CI] = 1.50-4.51), two or more comorbidities (OR = 2.13, 95% CI = 1.23
      3.69), five or more pain sites (OR = 2.30, 95% CI = 1.28-4.14), and having an
      "other" pain diagnosis (OR = 1.78, 95% CI = 1.01-3.20). Factors that increased ER
      use were low pain self-efficacy (OR = 2.01, 95% CI = 1.28-3.15) and two or more
      comorbidities (OR = 2.31, 95% CI = 1.48-3.59), while use of alternative pain
      management strategies reduced ER use (OR = 0.42, 95% CI = 0.21-0.84).
      Conclusions: Longitudinal studies are needed to confirm if modifiable factors
      such as pain self-efficacy and use of alternative therapies reduce health care
      use.

PMID- 28339991
TI  - Seeing Deaths Resulting from Interpersonal Violence as a Function of "State
      Violence": Time for a Health Disparities Paradigm Shift?

PMID- 28339990
TI  - Detecting thresholds for bitter, umami, and sweet tastants in broiler chicken
      using a 2-choice test method.
AB  - The sense of taste has a key role in nutrient sensing and food intake in animals.
      A standardized and simple method for determination of tastant-detection
      thresholds is required for chemosensory research in poultry. We established a 24
      h, 2-alternative, forced-choice solution-consumption method and applied it to
      measure detection thresholds for 3 G-protein-coupled receptor-mediated taste
      modalities-bitter, sweet, and umami-in chicken. Four parameters were used to
      determine a significant response: 1) tastant-solution consumption; 2) water
      (tasteless) consumption; 3) total consumption (tastant and water together); 4)
      ratio of tastant consumption to total consumption. Our results showed that
      assignment of the taste solutions and a water control to 2 bottles on random
      sides of the pen can be reliably used for broiler chicks, even though 47% of the
      chicks groups demonstrated a consistently preferred side. The detection
      thresholds for quinine (bitter), L-monosodium glutamate (MSG) (umami), and
      sucrose (sweet) were determined to be 0.3 mM, 300 mM, and 1 M, respectively. The
      threshold results for quinine were similar to those for humans and rodents, but
      the chicks were found to be less sensitive to sucrose and MSG. The described
      method is useful for studying detection thresholds for tastants that have the
      potential to affect feed and water consumption in chickens.

PMID- 28339992
TI  - Rheumatoid arthritis-specific cardiovascular risk scores are not superior to
      general risk scores: a validation analysis of patients from seven countries.
AB  - Objectives: Cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk calculators developed for the
      general population do not accurately predict CVD events in patients with RA. We
      sought to externally validate risk calculators recommended for use in patients
      with RA including the EULAR 1.5 multiplier, the Expanded Cardiovascular Risk
      Prediction Score for RA (ERS-RA) and QRISK2. Methods: Seven RA cohorts from UK,
      Norway, Netherlands, USA, South Africa, Canada and Mexico were combined. Data on
      baseline CVD risk factors, RA characteristics and CVD outcomes (including
      myocardial infarction, ischaemic stroke and cardiovascular death) were collected
      using standardized definitions. Performance of QRISK2, EULAR multiplier and ERS
      RA was compared with other risk calculators [American College of
      Cardiology/American Heart Association (ACC/AHA), Framingham Adult Treatment Panel
      III Framingham risk score-Adult Treatment Panel (FRS-ATP) and Reynolds Risk
      Score] using c-statistics and net reclassification index. Results: Among 1796 RA
      patients without prior CVD [mean ( s . d .) age: 54.0 (14.0) years, 74% female],
      100 developed CVD events during a mean follow-up of 6.9 years (12430 person
      years). Estimated CVD risk by ERS-RA [mean ( s . d .) 8.8% (9.8%)] was comparable
      to FRS-ATP [mean ( s . d .) 9.1% (8.3%)] and Reynolds [mean ( s . d .) 9.2%
      (12.2%)], but lower than ACC/AHA [mean ( s . d .) 9.8% (12.1%)]. QRISK2
      substantially overestimated risk [mean ( s . d .) 15.5% (13.9%)]. Discrimination
      was not improved for ERS-RA (c-statistic = 0.69), QRISK2 or EULAR multiplier
      applied to ACC/AHA compared with ACC/AHA (c-statistic = 0.72 for all) or for FRS
      ATP (c-statistic = 0.75). The net reclassification index for ERS-RA was low (
      0.8% vs ACC/AHA and 2.3% vs FRS-ATP). Conclusion: The QRISK2, EULAR multiplier
      and ERS-RA algorithms did not predict CVD risk more accurately in patients with
      RA than CVD risk calculators developed for the general population.

PMID- 28339993
TI  - One-year efficacy and safety of the iron-based phosphate binder sucroferric
      oxyhydroxide in patients on peritoneal dialysis.
AB  - Background: Sucroferric oxyhydroxide is a noncalcium, iron-based phosphate binder
      that demonstrated sustained serum phosphorus control, good tolerability and lower
      pill burden compared with sevelamer carbonate (sevelamer) in a Phase 3 study
      conducted in dialysis patients. This subanalysis examines the efficacy and
      tolerability of sucroferric oxyhydroxide and sevelamer in the peritoneal dialysis
      (PD) patient population. Methods: The initial study (NCT01324128) and its
      extension (NCT01464190) were multicenter, Phase 3, open-label, randomized (2:1),
      active-controlled trials comparing sucroferric oxyhydroxide (1.0-3.0 g/day) with
      sevelamer (2.4-14.4 g/day) in dialysis patients over 52 weeks in total. Results:
      In the overall study, 84/1055 (8.1%) patients received PD and were eligible for
      efficacy analysis (sucroferric oxyhydroxide, n = 56; sevelamer, n = 28). The two
      groups were broadly comparable to each other and to the overall study population.
      Serum phosphorus concentrations decreased comparably with both phosphate binders
      by week 12 (mean change from baseline - 0.6 mmol/L). Over 52 weeks, sucroferric
      oxyhydroxide effectively reduced serum phosphorus concentrations to a similar
      extent as sevelamer; 62.5% and 64.3% of patients, respectively, were below the
      Kidney Disease Outcomes Quality Initiative target range (<=1.78 mmol/L). This was
      achieved with a lower pill burden (3.4 +/- 1.3 versus 8.1 +/- 3.7 tablets/day)
      with sucroferric oxyhydroxide compared with sevelamer. Treatment adherence rates
      were 91.2% with sucroferric oxyhydroxide and 79.3% with sevelamer. The proportion
      of patients reporting at least one treatment-emergent adverse event was 86.0%
      with sucroferric oxyhydroxide and 93.1% with sevelamer. The most common adverse
      events with both treatments were gastrointestinal: diarrhea and discolored feces
      with sucroferric oxyhydroxide and nausea, vomiting and constipation with
      sevelamer. Conclusions: Sucroferric oxyhydroxide is noninferior to sevelamer for
      controlling serum phosphorus in patients undergoing PD, while providing a
      relatively low pill burden and a high rate of adherence.

PMID- 28339994
TI  - A longitudinal cohort study of the anti-synthetase syndrome: increased severity
      of interstitial lung disease in black patients and patients with anti-PL7 and
      anti-PL12 autoantibodies.
AB  - Objective: The aim was to study the prevalence, rate of appearance and severity
      of clinical features in patients with different anti-synthetase syndrome (ASyS)
      autoantibodies. Methods: All Johns Hopkins Myositis Longitudinal Cohort subjects
      positive for any ASyS autoantibodies were included. Clinical information,
      including symptoms, signs, strength, creatine kinase concentrations and pulmonary
      function tests, were prospectively collected. The standardized mortality and
      cancer rates and the rate of appearance and intensity of the different organ
      manifestations were assessed using univariate and multivariate analysis and
      compared between ASyS autoantibodies. Results: One hundred and twenty-four
      (73.4%) patients were positive for anti-Jo1, 23 (13.6%) for anti-PL12, 16 for
      anti-PL7 (9.5%) and 3 (1.8%) for anti-EJ or anti-OJ, respectively. The mean
      length of follow-up was 4.1 years. Anti-PL12 was more frequent in black subjects.
      Anti-PL12 and anti-PL7 were associated with more prevalent and severe lung
      involvement, often without muscle involvement. Anti-Jo1 displayed more severe
      muscle involvement compared with anti-PL12 patients. Concurrent anti-Ro52 was
      more prevalent in anti-Jo1 patients and was associated with earlier development
      of mechanic's hands, DM-specific skin findings and arthritis. Independent of ASyS
      antibody status, black patients demonstrated more severe lung involvement than
      white patients. There was no significant increase in mortality or cancer risk in
      ASyS patients compared with the general US population. Conclusion: Different ASyS
      autoantibodies are associated with phenotypically distinct subgroups within the
      ASyS spectrum. Anti-PL7 and anti-PL12 are characterized by more severe lung
      involvement, whereas anti-Jo1 is associated with more severe muscle involvement.
      Black race is a major prognostic factor associated with lung disease severity.

PMID- 28339996
TI  - Fathers' Perceptions of Change Following Parenting Intervention: Randomized
      Controlled Trial of Triple P for Parents of Children With Asthma or Eczema.
AB  - Objective: To test whether families' participation in an evidence-based parenting
      program can improve health-related outcomes reported by fathers of 2- to 10-year
      old children with asthma and/or eczema. Methods: A 2 (Triple P-Positive Parenting
      Program vs. care as usual) by 3 (baseline, postintervention, 6-month follow-up)
      design was used, with random group assignment. Of 107 families, 51.4% (N = 55)
      had a father participate alongside the child's mother, who was the primary
      intervention target. Fathers completed questionnaires assessing illness-related
      child behavior problems; self-efficacy with illness management and illness
      related child behavior problems; and health-related quality of life. Results:
      Secondary intent-to-treat analyses indicated improved child behavior and self
      efficacy for managing eczema, but not asthma. Health-related quality of life
      improved for children, but not parents/families. There were no other significant
      intervention effects. Conclusions: Intervention outcomes were positive for eczema
      but not asthma, and did not depend on the extent of father participation in the
      intervention.

PMID- 28339995
TI  - Long-term flecainide therapy in type 3 long QT syndrome.
AB  - Aims: Type 3 long QT syndrome (LQT3) is caused by gain-of-function mutations in
      the cardiac sodium channel gene (SCN5A). Previous reports on the long-term use of
      sodium channel blockers in LQT3 are sparse. The objective of the current study
      was to evaluate the long-term safety and efficacy of flecainide therapy in
      patients with LQT3 who carry the D1790G SCN5A mutation. Methods and results: The
      study population comprised 30 D1790G carriers who were treated with flecainide
      and followed for 1-215 months (mean 145 +/- 54 months, median 140 months). The
      mean baseline (off-drug) QTc was 522 +/- 45 ms, and shortened to 469 +/- 36 ms
      with flecainide therapy, a mean decrease of 53 ms [10.1%] (P < 0.01). A QTc
      longer than 500 ms was evident in 53% of carriers at baseline, and only in 13% on
      flecainide. All carriers while being compliant with flecainide therapy had no
      cardiac events during an average follow up of 83 +/- 73 months. Twenty carriers
      stopped flecainide after an average follow up of 40 +/- 42 months without
      symptoms. Six of them (30%) had cardiac events 1-11 months after stopping
      flecainide. Flecainide induced the appearance of Brugada pattern in six carriers
      (20%, 5 males), was stopped in three and was not associated with arrhythmia.
      Sinus-node dysfunction was evident in six carriers (20%) and was fully corrected
      by flecainide in three. Conclusions: These data suggest that long-term flecainide
      therapy is relatively safe and effective among LQT3 patients who carry the D1790G
      SCN5A mutation.

PMID- 28339997
TI  - Straight-run vs. sex separate rearing for 2 broiler genetic lines Part 1: Live
      production parameters, carcass yield, and feeding behavior.
AB  - The objective of this experiment was to evaluate the effects of raising broilers
      under sex separate and straight-run conditions for 2 broiler strains. Day-old
      Ross 308 and Ross 708 chicks (n = 1,344) were separated by sex and placed in 48
      pens according to the rearing type: sex separate (28 males or 28 females) or
      straight-run (14 males + 14 females). There were 3 dietary phases: starter (zero
      to 17 d), grower (17 to 32 d), and finisher (32 to 48 d). Birds' individual BW
      and feed intakes were measured at 12, 17, 25, 32, 42, and 48 d to evaluate
      performance. At 33, 43, and 49 d, 4 birds per pen were sampled for carcass yield
      evaluation. Additionally, from 06:00 to 06:30, 13:00 to 13:30, and 22:00 to
      22:30, video records were taken to assess behavior at 45 days. Data were analyzed
      as CRD with a 2 * 3 factorial arrangement of treatments over time. Throughout the
      experiment Ross 308 were heavier than the 708, and after 17 d, male pens had the
      heavier birds, followed by straight-run and then females. Straight-run pens had
      higher BW CV in comparison with sex separate pens. Sex separate male BW was
      negatively impacted from 17 to 32 days. On the other hand, females raised sex
      separate were heavier than females raised straight-run with lower CV from 25 to
      41 days. Post 25 d, FCR was the lowest in male pens whereas feed intake was the
      highest for these pens after 17 days. Overall, males had total carcass cut-up
      weights higher than straight-run and females at the 3 processing times. The Ross
      708 had higher white meat yields, whereas 308 had higher yields for dark meat.
      Feeding behavior results were not consistent over time. However, from 13:00 to
      13:30, birds in female pens spent more time eating, followed by straight-run and
      then males. In conclusion, raising females in a straight-run system negatively
      impacted performance and CV, whereas males benefited from straight-run rearing,
      with the differences being possibly related to feeder space competition.

PMID- 28339998
TI  - Executive Functioning in Pediatric Chronic Pain: Do Deficits Exist?
AB  - Objective: Despite ample research documenting deficits in executive functioning
      for adults with chronic pain, the literature on pediatric patients with chronic
      pain is limited and provides mixed results. The current study sought to further
      investigate the nature of executive dysfunction in this population and also
      examine the relationships between pain intensity, duration, and catastrophizing
      with sustained attention, working memory, and self- and parent-report of
      executive functioning. Settings: Pediatric pain clinic and rehabilitation
      program. Participants: Forty adolescents with chronic pain and their parents
      participated in this study. Methods: Participants completed neuropsychological
      measures and standardized self-report questionnaires during a 45- to 60-minute
      testing session. Results: Fifty percent of this sample of adolescents with
      chronic pain demonstrated significant difficulties on at least one measure, with
      nine participants indicating difficulties on multiple measures. Pain
      significantly increased during the testing session. Pain variables of intensity,
      duration, and catastrophizing are related to sustained attention and working
      memory. Conclusions: This study adds support to previous findings suggesting
      subclinical struggles with executive functioning for adolescents with chronic
      pain. One-half of the sample indicated difficulties in either sustained attention
      and/or working memory. Future studies that would more thoroughly examine more
      complex executive functioning skills in this population would be helpful to
      further guide multidisciplinary treatment of these patients, particularly
      regarding whether or not school accommodations are warranted.

PMID- 28339999
TI  - Bone curvature changes can predict the impact of treatment on cartilage volume
      loss in knee osteoarthritis: data from a 2-year clinical trial.
AB  - Objectives: Knee bone curvature assessed by MRI was associated with OA cartilage
      loss. A recent knee OA trial demonstrated the superiority of chondroitin sulfate
      over celecoxib (comparator) at reducing cartilage volume loss (CVL) in the medial
      compartment (condyle). The main objectives were to identify which baseline bone
      curvature regions of interest (BCROI) best associated with CVL and investigate
      whether baseline BCROI and 2-year change are correlated with the protective
      effect of chondroitin sulphate on CVL. Methods: This post hoc analysis of a
      clinical trial used the according-to-protocol population (chondroitin sulphate, n
      = 57; celecoxib, n = 63) baseline and 2-year MRI to assess bone curvature and
      CVL. Global optimum search identified the BCROI in the medial condyle using
      celecoxib as reference. Statistical analyses were performed with Pearson's
      correlation, Mann-Whitney U -test, Student's t -test and analysis of covariance.
      Results: The BCROI including the medial posterior condyle and lateral central
      condyle was found to correlate best with medial condyle CVL at 2 years ( r =
      0.33, P = 0.008). In patients with a baseline BCROI value less than the median
      (more flattened bone), chondroitin sulphate demonstrated a protective effect on
      CVL compared with celecoxib in the medial compartment (P = 0.037). In patients
      with 2-year BCROI changes greater than the median (greater severity of bone
      flattening), chondroitin sulphate protected against CVL in the medial
      compartment, condyle and central plateau (P ? 0.030). Conclusion: This study is
      the first to demonstrate the feasibility and usefulness of bone curvature
      measurements to predict effectiveness of OA treatment on CVL. The results
      identify bone curvature as a potential novel biomarker for knee OA clinical
      trials.

PMID- 28340000
TI  - Effects of feeding Original XPCTM to broilers with a live coccidiosis-vaccine
      under industry conditions: Part 1. Growth performance and Salmonella inhibition.
AB  - Supplementation of poultry diets with Diamond V Original XPCTM (XPC) has been
      proposed as a means to ameliorate the commonly observed loss of appetite and
      depression of growth in birds given a live coccidiosis vaccine. A study was
      conducted to compare the effects on bird performance of a live coccidiosis
      vaccine in broilers, with and without the dietary inclusion of XPC (1.25 g/kg).
      Ross 708 male broilers (n = 1,280) were allocated to one of 4 feed treatments:
      cocci-vaccine (T1), cocci-vaccine + XPC (T2), cocci-vaccine + salinomycin in the
      grower diet only, (T3), and cocci-vaccine + salinomycin in the grower diet + XPC
      (T4). Birds consuming diets containing XPC (T2 and T4) and salinomycin (T3)
      exhibited increased (P < 0.05) feed intake and significantly heavier body weights
      at 28 d (1.70, 1.74, and 1.67 kg, respectively) and 42 d (3.29, 3.31, and 3.26
      kg, respectively). Feed conversion ratio at 28 d was improved (P < 0.05) by
      adding XPC to diets (T2: 1.47 and T4: 1.44) compared to control diets (T1: 1.50
      and T3: 1.47). Salmonella prevalence determined via selective media indicated the
      inclusion of XPC in the diet resulted in a significant reduction of Salmonella
      when compared to treatments lacking XPC. Molecular confirmation of Salmonella
      species indicated S. Kentucky to be present in 38 of the 39 positive samples.
      Results revealed the ability of XPC in reducing the prevalence of Salmonella.
      Results from this study also suggest that XPC could be used in conjunction with a
      live coccidiosis-vaccine to increase growth rate and improve feed conversion of
      broilers. However, further work is needed to delineate more specific effects
      directly attributable to XPC.

PMID- 28340001
TI  - Early-life origin of intestinal inflammatory disorders.
AB  - A growing body of evidence supports the concept of perinatal programming through
      which the perinatal environment affects the development of the fetus and infant,
      thereby modifying the risk profile for disease later in life. Increasing
      attention is focusing on the role of the early environment in the development of
      chronic intestinal disorders. Epidemiological studies have highlighted the link
      between perinatal factors, such as breastfeeding, cesarean delivery, and
      antibiotic use, and an increased risk for inflammatory bowel disease and/or
      celiac disease. These links are consistent with the concept of perinatal
      programming of intestinal inflammatory disorders. Animal models have shown that
      the early-life environment affects the development of the gastrointestinal tract,
      but further experimental studies are needed to confirm the long-term effects of
      the perinatal environment on susceptibility to chronic intestinal disorders later
      in life. Changes in the development and composition of the intestinal microbiota
      as well as epigenetic changes are emerging as key mechanisms through which the
      perinatal environment determines susceptibility to intestinal inflammatory
      disorders.

PMID- 28340003
TI  - Beighton scores and cut-offs across the lifespan: cross-sectional study of an
      Australian population.
AB  - Objectives: The primary aim of this study was to evaluate generalized joint
      hypermobility (GJH) according to the Beighton scoring system in an Australian
      population. Secondary aims were to identify whether the commonly used Beighton
      score cut-off of ?4 is appropriate, and to suggest age- and sex-specific Beighton
      score cut-offs across the lifespan. Methods: A thousand individuals aged 3-101
      years were assessed for GJH with the Beighton scoring system. Differences between
      age, sex and ethnicity were investigated. The appropriateness of the ?4 cut-off
      was investigated with use of a binary logistic regression. Each Beighton score
      cut-off was established as the nearest Beighton score that delineated the
      uppermost 5% of the population. Results: Overall, females and non-Caucasians had
      higher Beighton scores across the lifespan (P < 0.001). Based on a binary
      logistic regression model, if a cut-off of ?4 was utilized, the Beighton scoring
      system demonstrated a sensitivity of 0.8% and a specificity of 99.3% (P < 0.001).
      A cut-off of ?4 was only found to be appropriate for females aged 40-59 years and
      males aged 8-39 years. Conclusion: Beighton scores varied across the lifespan and
      were significantly influenced by age, sex and ethnicity. Assessing GJH using the
      Beighton scoring system required age- and sex-specific cut-off scores based on
      the uppermost 5% values. This was confirmed by the low sensitivity, high
      specificity and 60% false-positive rate if a cut-off of ?4 was used for both
      sexes across the lifespan. To lower the risk of a false-positive diagnosis of
      GJH, further tests of hypermobility need to be utilized.

PMID- 28340002
TI  - Overexpression of the Rice SUMO E3 Ligase Gene OsSIZ1 in Cotton Enhances Drought
      and Heat Tolerance, and Substantially Improves Fiber Yields in the Field under
      Reduced Irrigation and Rainfed Conditions.
AB  - The Arabidopsis SUMO E3 ligase gene AtSIZ1 plays important roles in plant
      response to abiotic stresses as loss of function in AtSIZ1 leads to increased
      sensitivity to drought, heat and salt stresses. Overexpression of the AtSIZ1 rice
      homolog, OsSIZ1, leads to increased heat and drought tolerance in bentgrass,
      suggesting that the function of the E3 ligase SIZ1 is highly conserved in plants
      and it plays a critical role in abiotic stress responses. To test the possibility
      that the SUMO E3 ligase could be used to engineer drought- and heat-tolerant
      crops, the rice gene OsSIZ1 was overexpressed in cotton. We report here that
      overexpression of OsSIZ1 in cotton results in higher net photosynthesis and
      better growth than wild-type cotton under drought and thermal stresses in growth
      chamber and greenhouse conditions. Additionally, this tolerance to abiotic
      stresses was correlated with higher fiber yield in both controlled-environment
      and field trials carried out under reduced irrigation and rainfed conditions.
      These results suggest that OsSIZ1 is a viable candidate gene to improve crop
      yields under water-limited and rainfed agricultural production systems.

PMID- 28340004
TI  - Prevalence of malnutrition and validation of bioelectrical impedance analysis for
      the assessment of body composition in patients with systemic sclerosis.
AB  - Objectives: The aims were to assess the prevalence of malnutrition and to
      validate bioelectrical impedance analysis (BIA) against whole-body DXA for the
      assessment of body composition in patients with SSc. Methods: Malnutrition was
      defined as BMI <18.5 kg/m 2 or unintentional weight loss >10% in combination with
      a fat-free mass index (FFMI) <15 kg/m 2 for women or <17 kg/m 2 for men or BMI
      <20.0 kg/m 2 (age <70 years) or <22 kg/m 2 (age >70 years). Body composition was
      assessed in 72 patients with whole-body DXA (Hologic, Discovery A) and BIA
      (Bodystat Quadscan 400). The manufacturer's equation and the Geneva equation were
      used to estimate FFM and fat mass. The agreement between BIA and whole-body DXA
      was assessed with Bland-Altman analysis and intraclass correlation coefficient.
      Results: Malnutrition was found in 8.3% (n = 6) and low FFMI in 20.8% (n = 15) of
      patients. The mean difference in FFM between BIA and DXA applying the Geneva
      equation was 0.02 ( s . d . 2.4) kg, intraclass correlation coefficient 0.97 (95%
      CI: 0.95, 0.98). Limits of agreement were +/-4.6 kg. The manufacturer's equation
      was less adequate to predict FFM. Conclusion: This study shows a relatively low
      prevalence of malnutrition in comparison with other studies, but a high
      prevalence of low FFMI, underlining the necessity of measuring body composition
      in SSc patients with a standardized and validated method. A good validity of BIA
      in determining FFM was found at a group level, while at an individual level the
      FFM may vary by 4.6 kg.

PMID- 28340005
TI  - Inappropriate shocks in single-chamber and subcutaneous implantable cardioverter
      defibrillators: a systematic review and meta-analysis.
AB  - Aims: Single-chamber (VR-ICD) and subcutaneous (S-ICD) implantable cardioverter
      defibrillators are effective to protect patients against sudden death but expose
      them to higher risk of inappropriate shock (IS). We sought to quantify the annual
      rate and influencing factors of ISs in VR- and S-ICDs from the literature.
      Methods and results: PubMed, Embase, and Cochrane Library were searched for full
      text articles with IS rates. Poisson distribution estimated proportion of
      patients with ISs; rates were annualized based on follow-up duration. Random
      effects meta-analysis accounted for study-to-study variation. Out of 3264
      articles, 16 qualified for the meta-analysis. Across studies, 6.4% [95%
      confidence interval (CI) 5.1-7.9%] of patients received an IS per year. Meta
      regression analyses demonstrated that IS rates were lower in more recent studies
      [rate ratio (RR) per year: 0.93, 95% CI: 0.87-0.98; P = 0.01] and trended lower
      in studies with longer follow-up (RR per year: 0.78, 95% CI: 0.60-1.01; P =
      0.06). Use of S-ICDs (RR: 1.81, 95% CI: 0.86-3.81; P = 0.12) and ventricular
      tachycardia zone programmed on (RR: 1.13, 95% CI: 0.65-1.97; P = 0.66) were not
      associated with a significantly increased change in risk. The IS rate observed in
      one of the more recent studies was significantly lower than predicted after
      accounting for covariates (RR: 0.29, 95% CI: 0.14-0.60; P < 0.001). Conclusions:
      A comprehensive review of the literature shows that 6.4% of patients with ICDs
      experienced their first IS annually. One of the 16 studies was better than
      predicted with the lowest reported rate (1.9%) and could not be explained by
      timing of the study or other covariates.

PMID- 28340006
TI  - Benefit of biologics initiation in moderate versus severe rheumatoid arthritis:
      evidence from a United States registry.
AB  - Objectives: To compare clinical outcomes and treatment patterns among patients
      with moderate vs severe RA following biologic DMARD initiation. Methods:
      Biologics-naive patients with moderate to severe RA [Clinical Disease Activity
      Index (CDAI) >10] who initiated a biologic DMARD were selected from the Corrona
      registry (2001-13). CDAI, functional status [modified HAQ (mHAQ)] and patterns of
      drug use were compared at 1 and 2 years post-initiation between patients with
      moderate (CDAI >10?22) vs severe (CDAI >22) baseline disease activity. Results: A
      total of 1596 patients (817 severe, 779 moderate) had ?1 year of follow-up and
      1269 (635 severe, 634 moderate) had ?2 years of follow-up. Patients with severe
      vs moderate baseline disease activity experienced greater improvements in disease
      activity [mean change in CDAI -18.9 vs -6.0 at year 1; -21.0 vs -7.1 at year 2 (
      P < 0.0001)] and physical function [mean change in mHAQ -0.2 vs -0.1 ( P <
      0.0001) at year 1; -0.2 vs -0.1 ( P = 0.0013) at year 2]. Greater proportions of
      patients with moderate vs severe disease activity achieved remission (CDAI ?2.8)
      [22.7 vs 15.8% ( P = 0.0003) at year 1; 25.9 vs 20.9% ( P = 0.0396) at year 2] or
      low disease activity (CDAI <10) [60.1 vs 41.2% at year 1; 66.7 vs 49.4% at year 2
      ( P < 0.0001)]. Most patients remained on the original biologic drug (>70% at
      year 1; >62% at year 2). Conclusion: With biologic therapy, RA patients with
      higher baseline disease activity achieved greater improvements in measures of
      disease activity than those with lower levels of disease, but less often achieved
      the common targets of remission or low disease activity.

PMID- 28340008
TI  - Pre-treatment interleukin-6 levels strongly affect bone erosion progression and
      repair detected by magnetic resonance imaging in rheumatoid arthritis patients.
AB  - Objective: To examine the relationship between MRI structural damage and repair
      and plasma inflammatory cytokines in patients with RA. Methods: A total of 88
      newly diagnosed, untreated RA patients were enrolled. Contrast MRI of the
      dominant hand and X-rays of the hands and feet were performed at baseline and 1
      year later. MR images were evaluated using RA MRI scoring, and X-ray. Results:
      Progression of bone erosion and repair were observed more frequently in MRI than
      in X-rays (erosion, 52% vs 26%, P < 0.001; repair, 26% vs 15%, P = 0.003,
      respectively). Baseline IL-6 levels and seropositivity were independent relevant
      factors for MRI erosion progression, with IL-6 having stronger effect than
      seropositivity. A receiver operating characteristic curve identified the baseline
      IL-6 level of 7.6 pg/ml for predicting erosion progression during 1 year, with an
      area under the curve of 0.82; higher IL-6 levels resulted in more erosion
      progression. Baseline low IL-6 was also an independent predictor for MRI erosion
      repair. Conclusion: In newly diagnosed, untreated RA patients, baseline plasma IL
      6 levels are responsible for 1-year MRI bone erosion progression and repair.

PMID- 28340009
TI  - Designing an optimal screening program for unknown atrial fibrillation: a cost
      effectiveness analysis.
AB  - Aims: The primary objective of this study was to use computer simulations to
      suggest an optimal age for initiation of screening for unknown atrial
      fibrillation and to evaluate if repeated screening will add value. Methods and
      results: In the absence of relevant clinical studies, this analysis was based on
      a simulation model. More than two billion different designs of screening programs
      for unknown atrial fibrillation were simulated and analysed. Data from the
      published scientific literature and registries were used to construct the model
      and estimate lifelong effects and costs. Costs and effects generated by 2 147 483
      648 different screening designs were calculated and compared. Program designs
      that implied worse clinical outcome and were less cost-effective compared to
      other programs were excluded from the analysis. Seven program designs were
      identified, and considered to be cost effective depending on what the health-care
      decision makers are ready to pay for gaining a quality-adjusted life-year (QALY).
      Screening at the age of 75 implied the lowest cost per gained QALY (?4 800/QALY).
      Conclusion: In conclusion, examining the results of more than two billion
      simulated screening program designs for unknown atrial fibrillation, seven
      designs were deemed cost-effective depending on how much we are prepared to pay
      for gaining QALYs. Our results showed that repeated screening for atrial
      fibrillation implied additional health benefits to a reasonable cost compared to
      one-off screening.

PMID- 28340010
TI  - Non-proteinuric rather than proteinuric renal diseases are the leading cause of
      end-stage kidney disease.
AB  - Proteinuria is a distinguishing feature in primary and secondary forms of chronic
      glomerulonephritis, which contribute to no more than the 20% of the end-stage
      kidney disease (ESKD) population. The contribution of non-proteinuric
      nephropathies to the global ESKD burden is still poorly focused and scarce
      research efforts are dedicated to the elucidation of risk factors and mechanistic
      pathways triggering ESKD in these diseases. We abstracted information on
      proteinuria in the main renal diseases other than glomerulonephritides that may
      evolve into ESKD. In type 2 diabetes, non-proteinuric diabetic kidney disease
      (DKD) is more frequent than proteinuric DKD, and risk factors for non-proteinuric
      forms of DKD now receive increasing attention. Similarly, proteinuria is most
      often inconspicuous or absent in the most frequent cause of ESKD, i.e.
      hypertension-related chronic kidney disease (CKD), as well as in progressive
      cystic diseases like autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease and in
      pyelonephritis/tubulo-interstitial diseases. Maintaining a high degree of
      attention in the care of CKD patients with proteinuria is fundamental to
      effectively retard progression toward kidney failure. However, substantial
      research efforts are still needed to develop treatment strategies that may help
      the vast majority of CKD patients who eventually develop ESKD via mechanistic
      pathways other than proteinuria.

PMID- 28340011
TI  - Evaluation of the Impact of Physical Exercise in Reducing Pain in Women
      Undergoing Mammography: A Randomized Clinical Trial.
AB  - Objective: To evaluate the efficacy of exercise prior to mammography in reducing
      perceived postexamination pain. Methods: An open, randomized, and controlled
      clinical trial was conducted. The interventions consisted of warm-up and
      stretching exercises of the upper or lower limbs of women who consulted at
      Barretos Cancer Hospital, Sao Paulo State, Brazil. The women were divided into
      three groups based on the intervention and its location: upper limbs (group 1),
      lower limbs (group 2), and no intervention (group 0). Quantitative variables were
      compared between and within groups using analysis of variance and Student's t
      test with a 5% significance level. Relative risk (RR) calculations and their
      derived measurements such as efficacy, number needed to treat (NNT), absolute
      risk reduction (ARR), and relative risk reduction (RRR) were taken. This study
      was approved by the Institutional Committee of Research Ethics. Results: A total
      of 198 (66 per group) women were evaluated. Sociodemographic data and level of
      physical activity were not found to be associated with perception of pain after
      mammogram. However, group 1 had the greatest reduction in postprocedure
      perception of pain compared with groups 2 (relative risk [RR] = 3.54, 95%
      confidence interval [CI] = 2.12-5.51, P < 0.05) and 0 (RR = 1.92 (95% CI = 1.08
      3.42, P < 0.05). Conclusions: Pre-examination upper limb exercises were most
      effective in reducing the perception and sensation of pain. However, women who
      performed lower limb exercises also had a decreased perception of pain compared
      with the control group.

PMID- 28340013
TI  - Implications of Thoracic Epidural Analgesia on Hospital Charges in Rib Fracture
      Patients.
AB  - Objective: Rib fractures are present in more than 150,000 patients admitted to US
      trauma centers each year. Those who fracture two or more ribs are typically
      treated with oral analgesic drugs and are discharged with few complications. The
      cost of this care generally reflects its brevity. When a patient fractures three
      or more ribs, there is an elevated risk of complication. In response, treatments
      are often broadened and their durations prolonged; this affects cost. While
      health, function, and survival have been widely explored, patient billing has
      not. Thus, we evaluated the financial implications of one mode of treatment for
      patients with rib fractures: thoracic epidural analgesia (TEA). Methods: We
      retrospectively analyzed the registry of a level II trauma center. All patients
      who fractured one or more ribs (n = 1,344) were considered; 382 of those patients
      were not candidates for epidural placement and were eliminated from analyses.
      Epidural placement was determined by individual clinicians. We used multiple
      linear regressions to determine predictors of cost. Results: After eliminating
      patients who were not eligible to receive TEA, the average patient bill was
      $59,123 ($10,631 per day of treatment). The administration of TEA predicted a 25%
      reduction in total billing (99% CI = -$21,429.55- -$7,794.66) and a 24% reduction
      in per-day billing (99% CI = -$3,745.99- -$1,276.14). Conclusions: Patients who
      received TEA were more severely injured and required longer treatments;
      controlling for these variables, the use of TEA associated with reductions in the
      cost of receiving care. From an administrative and insurance perspective, more
      frequent reliance on TEA may be indicated.

PMID- 28340014
TI  - Association between right ventricular lead position and clinical outcomes in
      patients with cardiac resynchronization therapy.
AB  - Aims: To evaluate the association between an apical vs. non-apical right
      ventricular lead position (RV-LP) and clinical outcome in a large nationwide
      cohort of patients treated with cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT). Methods
      and results: We included consecutive Danish patients receiving a CRT device from
      2008 to 2012, identified from the Danish Pacemaker and ICD Register. Endpoints
      were mortality, mortality or hospitalization for heart failure (HF), and clinical
      response (improvement >=1 New York Heart Association class at follow-up).
      Subgroup analysis was made for ischaemic heart disease (IHD) and non-IHD. Cox and
      logistic regression analyses were used to calculate adjusted HR (aHR) and
      adjusted odds ratios with 95% confidence intervals (CI). A total of 2883 patients
      received a CRT device during the period. We excluded 301 patients that did not
      meet standard CRT indication. In 2391 (93%) of the remaining 2582 patients the RV
      LP was defined as apical in 647 (27%) and non-apical in 1744 (73%). After mean
      3.2 +/- 2 years, 660 patients had died, 1275 patients were hospitalized for HF,
      and 1021 were responders. With a non-apical RV-LP the aHR for mortality was 0.93
      (95% CI 0.0.79-1.10, P = 0.40) and the aHR for the combined endpoint of mortality
      or HF-hospitalization was 0.89 (95% CI 0.79-0.99, P = 0.03). These findings were
      significant only in patients with non-IHD. There was no association between
      clinical response and RV-LP. Conclusion: A non-apical RV-LP is associated with
      lower risk of meeting the combined endpoint of mortality or hospitalization for
      HF in patients with CRT. In subgroup analysis, this association was present only
      in patients with non-IHD.

PMID- 28340012
TI  - Assessment of muscle mass relative to fat mass and associations with physical
      functioning in rheumatoid arthritis.
AB  - Objectives: To determine whether a novel measure of appendicular lean mass
      relative to fat mass is associated with physical functioning in RA. Methods: In a
      cross-sectional design, three independent RA cohorts were retrospectively
      analysed. Whole-body DXA measures of appendicular lean mass index (ALMI, kg/m 2 )
      and fat mass index (FMI, kg/m 2 ) were converted to age, sex and race-specific Z
      scores using published National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey reference
      ranges. Adiposity-adjusted ALMI Z-scores (ALMI FMI ) were determined using a
      published method to adjust for normal associations between ALMI and FMI Z-scores.
      Associations between ALMI Z-scores, ALMI FMI Z-scores and physical functioning
      were assessed after adjusting for age, sex and study. Functional outcomes
      assessed included the HAQ, Valued Life Activities assessment and Short Physical
      Performance Battery. Low lean for age was defined as a Z-score of -1 or less.
      Results: Our sample consisted of 442 patients with RA. The combined cohort had a
      mean ALMI Z-score of - 0.51 (1.08) and a mean ALMI FMI Z-score of - 0.58 (1.53),
      suggesting muscle mass deficits compared with a nationally representative sample.
      Greater ALMI FMI Z-scores demonstrated stronger associations with better
      functional outcomes compared with ALMI Z-scores. Associations were not attenuated
      with adjustment for systemic inflammation or pain. The FMI Z-score was
      independently associated with physical functioning, with a stronger association
      seen among patients with greater FMI Z-score. Adiposity-adjusted definitions of
      low lean mass more clearly identified those with functional impairment.
      Conclusion: Estimates of appendicular lean mass that are adjusted for adiposity
      demonstrate stronger positive associations with functional outcomes compared with
      unadjusted estimates.

PMID- 28340015
TI  - Sarcoidosis-the great masquerader.

PMID- 28340016
TI  - Changes in leisure-time physical activity and subsequent common mental disorders
      among ageing employees.
AB  - The aim of this study was to examine whether changes in leisure-time physical
      activity are associated with subsequent common mental disorders. Follow-up survey
      data were collected from 40 to 60-year-old employees of the City of Helsinki,
      Finland, at three time points: 2000-2002 (rr 67%), 2007 (rr 83%) and 2012 (rr
      79%). We excluded those with common mental disorders at phase 1 (n = 1162) and in
      total 4681 respondents (81% women) were available for the analyses. Compared with
      those persistently active, those persistently inactive had an increased risk of
      subsequent common mental disorders. Promoting leisure-time physical activity may
      prove useful for preventing common mental disorders.

PMID- 28340018
TI  - Air embolism and CT-guided lung biopsy.

PMID- 28340017
TI  - Patient reporting of undesirable events: a pilot study in China.
AB  - Objective: To identify the frequency of undesirable events reported by patients
      during hospitalization and explore the relationship between undesirable events
      and perception of safety and satisfaction with care in China. Design: Cross
      sectional survey. Setting: Chinese university hospital. Participants: Adult
      patients (N = 341) discharged from medical and surgical departments.
      Interventions: Patients were interviewed post-discharge using a survey instrument
      to ask whether they had experienced specific undesirable events during
      hospitalization. Patient perception of safety and satisfaction with care received
      were also probed during this interview. Main outcome measures: Frequency of
      interpersonal problems, medical complications and healthcare process problems,
      and perception of safety and satisfaction with care. Results: In total, 601
      undesirable events were reported (rate of 1.76 per person), including 229
      interpersonal problems, 132 medical complications and 240 healthcare process
      problems. The most frequent event was insufficient explanation of medication side
      effects (22.9%). Both the perception of safety and satisfaction with care were
      related to the experience of undesirable events negatively. Conclusions: Many
      respondents experienced undesirable events during hospitalization and these
      experiences impacted negative on patients' feelings toward the hospital. Engaging
      patients as partners in reporting undesirable events is a valuable tool for
      identifying and monitoring problematic areas of care. In order to encourage the
      contribution patients could make to improving patient safety, it is necessary to
      develop patient incident reporting systems.

PMID- 28340019
TI  - Giant kissing aneurysms masquerading in the sella.

PMID- 28340020
TI  - Comment on: Diagnosing and attributing neuropsychiatric events to systemic lupus
      erythematosus: time to untie the Gordian Knot?: reply.

PMID- 28340022
TI  - Nicotine Content and Physical Properties of Large Cigars and Cigarillos in the
      United States.
AB  - Introduction: Cigars are combusted tobacco products consisting of filler, binder,
      and wrapper, which are derived from tobacco. Despite the abundance of literature
      on the composition of traditional combusted cigarettes, research is limited on
      the physical and chemical properties of cigars. Therefore, research on cigar
      properties may be useful to better understand their health impact. Methods: In
      this study, twenty large cigar and cigarillo products were characterized for
      physical properties (ie, weight, length, and diameter), filler nicotine content,
      and tobacco pH. Tobacco pH was used to calculate free nicotine content, free
      nicotine concentration, and percent free nicotine for all cigars using the
      Henderson-Hasselbach equation. An additional analysis was performed on a second
      batch of two large cigar and two cigarillo brands to determine within-brand
      consistency. All analyses were performed in triplicate. Results: The initial
      analysis of the twenty cigars showed that cigars exhibited wide variation in
      product size and nicotine content, although tobacco pH was similar across cigars.
      Furthermore, in the two large cigar and cigarillo brands analyzed a second time,
      there was considerable within-brand variance in nicotine content and
      concentration between the first and second analyses. Conclusions: While only a
      small sample of commercially-available cigars was analyzed, our data suggest
      there is wide variability in nicotine content and some physical properties in the
      domestic cigar market. The data may help to inform potential future regulatory
      decisions related to these products. Implications: This study reveals some of the
      challenges to experimental cigar research and illustrates the need to
      characterize cigar products (eg, nicotine and tobacco content) before use in
      clinical studies. Additional studies and characterization of the physical and
      chemical properties of cigars may be useful to further understand these products'
      toxicity, abuse potential, and public health impact.

PMID- 28340021
TI  - Phenamil, an amiloride derivative, restricts long bone growth and alters keeled
      sternum bone architecture in growing chickens.
AB  - "Broiler-type" chickens are fast-grow-ing, heavy-bodied birds with high demands
      on bone quality. Phenamil increased mineralization in cultured murine mesenchymal
      stem cells. Phenamil effects were tested in 2 groups of weight and gender matched
      day-old broiler chickens (n = 13). Oral administration of 30 mg phenamil/kg body
      weight d 1 to 13 reduced growth of chicks d 5 to 14 (P = 0.002); with phenamil
      treated (PT) chick body weight being 84% of vehicle-treated (VT) chicks' body
      weight on d 14. Tissues collected on d 15 showed that femur lengths and widths
      did not differ, but tibias from PT chicks were 6% shorter (P = 0.002) and 13%
      narrower (P = 0.012) with 18% thinner tibial cross-sections (P < 0.008) than in
      VT chicks. Angles of the caudal aspect of the anterior surface of keeled-sternums
      were 166 degrees  in PT chicks, flatter than the 148 degrees  found in VT chicks
      (P = 0.000). Total mineral content of both tibia and femur were lower in PT
      chicks (P = 0.005 for both). Bone Ca, P, and Mg (ppm) in ash were similar, but
      Ca:P was lower (1.70 vs 1.75) in PT versus VT chicks (P < 0.05). Osteocalcin was
      ~20% lower (P = 0.020), PINP was ~45% higher (P = 0.000) in PT chicks. Carboxy
      terminal telopeptide type I collagen (ICTP) and cross-linked N-telopeptide of
      type I collagen (NTX1) were similar in the 2 groups. Phenamil had unexpected and
      detrimental effects on bone formation in growing broiler chicks, reducing linear
      skeletal growth and markedly changing bone architecture.

PMID- 28340024
TI  - Opioid Overdose Risk in Low-Wage Online Workers.

PMID- 28340026
TI  - High rate of subcutaneous implantable cardioverter-defibrillator sensing
      screening failure in patients with Brugada syndrome: a comparison with other
      inherited primary arrhythmia syndromes.
AB  - Aims: Subcutaneous implantable cardioverter-defibrillator (S-ICD) can avoid
      important complications associated with transvenous leads in patients with
      inherited primary arrhythmia syndromes, who do not need pacing therapy. Few data
      are available on the percentage of patients with inherited arrhythmia syndromes
      eligible for S-ICD implantation. Aim of this study was to analyse the eligibility
      for S-ICD in a series of patients with Brugada syndrome (BrS), and to compare it
      with patients with other channelopathies. Methods and results: Patients
      presenting with BrS, long-QT syndrome (LQTS), early repolarization syndrome
      (ERS), and idiopathic ventricular fibrillation (IVF) were considered eligible for
      this study. ECG screening was performed by analysis of QRS complex and T wave
      morphology recorded in standing and supine position. Eligibility was defined when
      >=1 sense vector was acceptable in both supine and standing position. A total of
      100 patients (72 males; mean age: 46 +/- 17 years) underwent S-ICD sensing
      screening. Sixty-one patients presented with BrS, 21 with LQTS, 14 with IVF, and
      4 with ERS. Thirty-four patients with BrS (56%) presented with spontaneous type 1
      ECG. In the other 27 patients (44%), type 1 ECG was unmasked by ajmaline.
      Overall, rate of screening failure was 13%. Patients with BrS had a higher rate
      of inappropriate morphology analysis as compared with other channelopathies (18%
      vs. 5%, P = 0.07) and had a lower number of suitable sensing vectors (49.6% vs.
      84.7% vs. P < 0.001). Ajmaline challenge unmasked sensing failure in 14.8% of
      drug-induced BrS patients previously considered eligible. In all patients, the
      reason for sensing inappropriateness was due to the presence of high T wave
      voltages. Conclusion: S-ICD screening failure occurs in up to 13% of patients
      with inherited primary arrhythmia syndromes. Patients with BrS present a higher
      rate of screening failure as compared with other cardiac channelopathies.

PMID- 28340027
TI  - Influence of long-term in vivo exposure, debris accumulation and archwire
      material on friction force among different types of brackets and archwires
      couples.
AB  - Objective: The aim was to assess the influence of long-term in vivo exposure,
      debris accumulation and archwire material on static and kinetic friction force
      among different types of brackets and archwires couples. Material and Methods:
      Friction testing was performed among four lower incisors' brackets, conventional
      and self-ligating (SL), coupled with either nickel-titanium or stainless steel
      archwires, as-received and in vivo exposed in 18 subjects. The friction testing
      was performed for a sliding distance of 14 mm at a speed of 10 mm/min, with a
      starting force of 0.2 N. Wear and quantitative assessment of debris accumulation
      was performed on pictures of brackets obtained using a scanning electron
      microscope. Non parametric tests were used for statistical analysis. Results:
      Only bracket type, but not exposure duration, amount of debris accumulation,
      archwire material or their manufacturer, was significantly correlated with both
      static (rho = 0.602, P < 0.001) and kinetic (rho = 0.584, P < 0.001) friction
      force. Within each bracket type no significant difference was observed between as
      received and in vivo exposed brackets for any friction parameter except for the
      SL brackets in which significantly higher static and kinetic (P = 0.001, at
      least) friction forces were seen in in vivo exposed SL brackets (164.9 cN and
      217.63 cN, respectively) in comparison with as-received SL brackets (19.69 cN and
      55.72 cN, respectively). Limitation: The frictional testing was performed in the
      dry condition which might have influenced the results. Conclusion: A significant
      correlation was seen between friction force and bracket type, while treatment
      duration, amount of debris accumulation, archwire material or their manufacturer
      was not significantly correlated to it. Nevertheless, higher friction forces were
      measured among in vivo aged SL brackets in comparison with as-received ones.

PMID- 28340028
TI  - FDG PET diagnosis of primary intracranial lymphoma: radiology-pathology
      correlation.

PMID- 28340029
TI  - The proportion of errors in medical prescriptions and their executions among
      hospitalized children before and during accreditation.
AB  - Objective: To evaluate the rate of medication related errors in the pediatric
      ward and pediatric emergency department (PED), before and after implementing
      intervention strategies according to the Joint Commission International (JCI)
      accreditation program. Design: A retrospective cross-sectional study that
      included chart review. Setting: A university affiliated pediatric ward and PED.
      Participants: Children 0-18 years old admitted on February 2013 (before the JCI
      program) and February 2014 (during implementation of the JCI program).
      Intervention(s): A training program designed to meet the JCI official standards
      on medication prescribing. Main outcome measure(s): The number of prescribing and
      medication administration errors in the 2 years. Results: We collected 937 valid
      prescription orders and 924 administration orders (1861 medical orders) from
      February 2013, and 961 valid prescription orders and 958 administration orders
      (1919 medical orders) from February 2014. There was a significant reduction in
      prescribing errors from 6.5 to 4.2% between years 2013 and 2014 (P = 0.03). There
      was no significant difference in administration error rates between the two
      periods (104 (11.3%) in the first period and 114 (11.9%) in the second; P =
      0.61). Conclusions: The errors rate we found was within the range described in
      the literature. Quality assurance interventions can significantly reduce
      medication prescribing errors.

PMID- 28340030
TI  - Effects of consumer-oriented health information technologies in diabetes
      management over time: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized
      controlled trials.
AB  - Objective: To reveal the effects of consumer-oriented health information
      technologies (CHITs) on patient outcomes in diabetes management over time through
      systematic review and meta-analysis. Methods: We searched 5 electronic databases
      (from database inception to July 2016) for studies that reported on randomized
      controlled trials examining the effects of CHITs on glycemic control and other
      patient outcomes in diabetes management. Data were analyzed using either meta
      analysis or a narrative synthesis approach. Results: Eighty randomized controlled
      trial studies, representing 87 individual trials, were identified and included
      for analysis. Overall, the meta-analysis showed that the use of CHITs resulted in
      significant improvement in glycemic control compared to usual care (standardized
      mean difference = -0.31%, 95% confidence interval -0.38 to -0.23, P  < .001) in
      patients with diabetes. Specifically, improvement in glycemic control was
      significant at intervention durations of 3, 6, 8, 9, 12, 15, 30, and 60 months,
      while no significant differences were found at other time points reported. The
      narrative synthesis provided mixed effects of CHITs on other clinical,
      psychosocial, behavioral, and knowledge outcomes. Conclusions: The use of CHITs
      appears to be more effective than usual care in improving glycemic control for
      patients with diabetes. However, their effectiveness did not remain consistent
      over time and in other patient outcomes. Further efforts are required to examine
      long-term effects of CHITs and to explore factors that can moderate the effects
      over time.

PMID- 28340031
TI  - One Year Clinical Correlates of EtG Positive Urine Screening in Alcohol-Dependent
      Patients: A Survival Analysis.
AB  - Aims: Little evidence exists supporting the efficacy of regular alcohol urine
      screening (RAUS) in the management of alcohol dependence, despite recent
      improvements in urine biomarkers. In this study, we aimed at investigating 1
      year, differential clinical correlates between a positive and a negative baseline
      urine ethyl glucuronide (EtG) screening. Methods: Alcohol-dependent outpatients
      participating in a previous cross-sectional study where EtG and ethanol
      diagnostic performances were compared in a double blind design were included.
      After 1 year, the presence of relapse, the number of hospitalizations and whether
      patients had abandoned treatment or not were assessed from electronic medical
      records. A survival analysis was conducted to compare time to relapse between EtG
      negative and positive subjects. Regression models were performed to compare the
      mean number of days hospitalized between groups, the risk of being lost to follow
      up and treatment expenses. Results: Of note, 152 patients (mean age 52, 67%
      males) were included. The mean time to relapse was of 163 days in EtG positive
      subjects, compared to 329 days in those with a negative result. In the Cox
      regression model, only EtG positivity yielded significant results, with a hazard
      ratio of 5:3 (95% CI: 3.1-9.1). EtG positive was also the only significant
      predictor of a greater number of hospitalization days and treatment expenses.
      Younger age was the only variable predicting a greater risk of treatment
      abandonment. Conclusion: RAUS with sensible biomarkers could improve clinicians'
      ability to assess patients' relapse risk. Further prospective studies will have
      to determine if this can be translated into a better prevention capacity. Short
      summary: Positive urine screenings, when conducted with highly sensible alcohol
      biomarkers, significantly indicate a greater risk of relapse in alcohol-dependent
      patients and have the capacity to predict a greater risk of hospitalization and
      greater treatment expenses.

PMID- 28340032
TI  - OsPTR7 (OsNPF8.1), a Putative Peptide Transporter in Rice, is Involved in
      Dimethylarsenate Accumulation in Rice Grain.
AB  - Rice (Oryza sativa) is a major dietary source of arsenic (As) for the population
      consuming rice as their staple food. Rice grain contains both inorganic As and
      methylated As species, especially dimethyarsinate (DMA). DMA is highly mobile in
      long-distance translocation in plants, but the underlying mechanism remains
      unknown. In the present study, we showed that OsPTR7 (OsNPF8.1), a putative
      peptide transporter in rice, was permeable to DMA in Xenopus laevis oocytes.
      Transient expression of the OsPTR7-green fluorescent protein (GFP) in tobacco
      protoplasts showed that OsPTR7 was localized in the cell plasma membrane.
      Quantitative real-time PCR analysis showed that OsPTR7 was more highly expressed
      in the shoots than in the roots at the seedling stage. At the flowering and grain
      filling stage, the OsPTR7 transcript was abundant in the leaves, node I and
      roots. Knockout or knockdown mutants of OsPTR7 had significantly decreased root
      to shoot translocation of DMA compared with wild-type plants and accumulated less
      As in the brown rice. In field-grown plants, DMA accounted for 35% of the total
      As in the brown rice of wild-type plants but was undetectable in the knockout
      mutant. Our study demonstrates that OsPTR7 is involved in the long-distance
      translocation of DMA and contributes to the accumulation of DMA in rice grain.

PMID- 28340033
TI  - Inappropriate inhibition of biventricular pacing due to diaphragmatic
      myopotentials amplified by the selectable sensing filter.

PMID- 28340037
TI  - Erratum.

PMID- 28340034
TI  - Estimating Demand and Cross-Price Elasticity for Very Low Nicotine Content (VLNC)
      Cigarettes Using a Simulated Demand Task.
AB  - Introduction: Very Low Nicotine Content (VLNC) cigarettes might be useful as part
      of a tobacco control strategy, but relatively little is known about their
      acceptability as substitutes for regular cigarettes. We compared subjective
      effects and demand for regular cigarettes and VLNC cigarettes, and estimated
      cross-price elasticity for VLNC cigarettes, using simulated demand tasks. Method:
      Forty New Zealand smokers sampled a VLNC cigarette and completed Cigarette
      Purchase Tasks to indicate their demand for regular cigarettes and VLNC
      cigarettes at a range of prices, and a cross-price task indicating how many
      regular cigarettes and VLNC cigarettes they would purchase at 0.5x, 1x, and 2x
      the current market price for regular cigarettes, assuming the price of VLNC
      cigarettes remained constant. They also rated the subjective effects of the VLNC
      cigarette and their usual-brand regular cigarettes. Results: Cross-price
      elasticity for VLNC cigarettes was estimated as 0.32 and was significantly
      positive, indicating that VLNC cigarettes are partially substitutable for regular
      cigarettes. VLNC cigarettes were rated as less satisfying and psychologically
      rewarding than regular cigarettes, but this was unrelated to demand or
      substitutability. Conclusion: VLNC cigarettes are potentially substitutable for
      regular cigarettes. Their availability may reduce tobacco consumption, nicotine
      intake and addiction; making it easier for smokers to quit. Implications: VLNC
      cigarettes share the behavioral and sensory components of smoking while
      delivering negligible levels of nicotine. Although smokers rated VLNCs as less
      satisfying than regular cigarettes, smokers said they would increase their
      consumption of VLNCs as the price of regular cigarettes increased, if VLNCs were
      available at a lower price. This suggests that VLNCs are partially substitutable
      for regular cigarettes. VLNCs can be part of an effective tobacco control
      strategy, by reducing nicotine dependence and improving health and financial
      outcomes for smokers.

PMID- 28340038
TI  - Coincidental coronary artery disease impairs outcome in patients with takotsubo
      cardiomyopathy.
AB  - Background and aim: Takotsubo cardiomyopathy (TC) is an important differential
      diagnosis of coronary artery disease (CAD), mimicking acute coronary syndrome in
      clinical symptoms, biomarker profiles and ST-elevation in ECG. Absence of
      occlusive coronary disease is an essential criterion distinguishing both
      diseases. The aim of the study was to explore the influence of co-existing
      incidental CAD on poorer clinical outcomes and all-cause mortality in TC. Design,
      methods and results: Our mono-centric study cohort constituted 114 consecutive
      patients diagnosed with TC between 2003 and 2015. The primary endpoint was the
      all-cause mortality. Additionally, we compared the incidence of thromboembolic
      events, life-threatening arrhythmias, cardiogenic shock and in-hospital death.
      There was no significant difference in gender distribution or mean age in both
      groups. Patients diagnosed with a co-existing CAD (n = 22), had a more pronounced
      cardiovascular risk profile. The all-cause mortality among patients with co
      existing CAD after a 2-year follow-up was higher than those diagnosed with lone
      TC (22.7 vs. 5.4 %, P = 0.07). In a multivariate cox regression analysis CAD (HR
      3.5, 95 %CI 1.0-11.6; P = 0.04), LVEF <= 35% (HR 3.8, 95% CI 0.0-0.6, P = 0.01)
      and cardiogenic shock (HR 3.8, 95% CI 1.2-11.3; P = 0.01) were independent
      predictors of the primary endpoint. Conclusion: Our study reveals that co
      existing CAD impairs the outcome in patients with TC. The diagnostic work-up for
      TC should therefore not necessarily hinge on ruling out CAD.

PMID- 28340040
TI  - Impaired ability to grow colonies of endothelial stem cells could be the
      mechanism explaining the high cardiovascular morbidity and mortality of patients
      with depression.
AB  - Background: Subjects with depression are more prone to develop cardiovascular
      complications. Severity of depression is associated with higher rates of
      cardiovascular mortality and morbidity. Several mechanisms were suggested
      including accelerated atherosclerosis, alteration of the cardiac autonomic
      response with a decrease in heart rate variability. There is evidence that
      circulating endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs) are decreased in patients with
      major depression. Our hypothesis was that patients with depression would have an
      impaired ability to build colonies of EPCs. Methods: A prospective study enrolled
      twenty women with a diagnosis of major. All were not treated before for
      depression. Thirteen healthy age-matched women served as controls. All signed a
      consent form before recruitment to the study. Peripheral blood was drawn to build
      colonies of EPCs within 5 days. ELISA methods were used to measure levels of
      vascular cell adhesion molecule-1 (VCAM-1) and vascular endothelial growth factor
      (VEGF). Results: Twenty female patients with depression were recruited. The mean
      age was 43 +/- 14 years (vs. controls 41 +/- 11 years, P = 0.682), patients'
      average CFU-EPCs was 7 +/- 8 colonies per well (controls 31 +/- 11, P = 0.0001),
      VCAM-1 level was 121.7 +/- 3.0 ng/ml (controls 119.3 +/- 3.1 pg/ml, P = 0.037),
      VEGF level was 6.4 +/- 0.2 pg/ml (controls 5.2 +/- 0.5 pg/ml, P = 0.0001). An
      inverse correlation was found between VEGF level and EPCs' colonies (r  = -0.547,
      P < 0.001) and between age and CFU-EPCs (r = -0.576, P = 0.008). Conclusions: We
      found that patients with major depression had high levels of VCAM-1 and VEGF.
      They also had a significant inhibition of EPCs' colonies. An inverse correlation
      was found between levels of VEGF and the ability to grow colonies of EPCs in
      culture.

PMID- 28340039
TI  - Infant birth outcomes are associated with DNA damage biomarkers as measured by
      the cytokinesis block micronucleus cytome assay: the DADHI study.
AB  - Accumulation of DNA damage in the first 1000 days may increase risk of
      accelerated ageing and degenerative diseases in adult life such as cancers. The
      extent of DNA damage in infants and the correlation of maternal factors during
      pregnancy with neonate birth outcomes and DNA damage is not known in infants born
      in Australia. Therefore, we performed a prospective cohort study to collect data
      on DNA damage in lymphocytes of Australian infants (aged 0, 3 and 6 months),
      using the cytokinesis block micronucleus cytome (CBMN-Cyt) assay. The study also
      explored correlation of CBMN-Cyt biomarkers with infant birth outcomes and
      maternal anthropometric and lifestyle variables. Peripheral blood lymphocytes
      were isolated from the infants at birth (cord blood) (n = 82), 3 months (n = 64)
      and 6 months (n = 53) after birth. DNA damage biomarkers measured ex vivo in
      binucleated lymphocytes (BNC) included: micronuclei (MN), nucleoplasmic bridges
      (NPB) and nuclear buds (NBUD). Apoptotic and necrotic lymphocytes were also
      scored and nuclear division index (NDI) was measured using the frequency of mono
      , bi- and multinucleated lymphocyte. MN and NBUD were also scored in
      mononucleated lymphocytes (MNC). The mean (+/- SD) frequency of MN, NPB and NBUD
      in BNCs at birth was 2.0 (+/- 1.2), 5.8 (+/- 3.7) and 11.1 (+/- 5.7) per 1000
      BNC, respectively, and tended to decrease significantly at 3 months (P < 0.01, P
      < 0.0001, P < 0.001, respectively) and 6 months (P < 0.05, P < 0.0001, P <
      0.0001, respectively) after birth relative to cord blood when compared with the
      same cohort of infants (n = 48 at birth, 48 at 3 months and 39 at 6 months). None
      of the CBMN cytome biomarkers measured at birth was associated with maternal
      smoking status, alcohol and folic acid intake during pregnancy. The mean
      gestation age correlated positively with MN (r = 0.38, P = 0.006), NPB (r = 0.30,
      P = 0.03) and negatively with NDI (r = -0.29, P = 0.03). Infant birth weight
      associated positively with MN, NPB and NBUD in cord blood (r = 0.24, P = 0.08; r
      = 0.32, P = 0.02; r = 0.28, P = 0.04, respectively), birth length associated
      positively with NPB (r = 0.32, P = 0.02) and NBUD (r = 0.27, P = 0.04) while head
      circumference associated negatively with apoptotic cells (r = -0.27, P = 0.06).
      APGAR score at 1 and 5 min after birth associated positively with NDI at birth (r
      = 0.3, P = 0.05, r = 0.28, P = 0.06, respectively). Mother's weight and body mass
      index (BMI) recorded at the time of recruitment associated positively with NPB (r
      = 0.38, P = 0.006, r = 0.32, P = 0.02, respectively) and negatively with APGAR
      score at 5 min (r = -0.25, P = 0.07). The significant positive associations of
      infant birth weight and length and maternal BMI with CBMN-Cyt biomarkers suggest
      the possibility of a genotoxic effect of metabolic processes that promote
      excessive growth and high BMI.

PMID- 28340041
TI  - Bleeding Complications in Patients Undergoing Intrathecal Drug Delivery System
      Implantation.
AB  - Introduction: Intrathecal drug delivery systems (IDDSs) have dramatically
      improved analgesia and the functional status of cancer patients and those with
      chronic pain states. However, given the close proximity to the neuraxis and
      frequent concomitant use of antiplatelet or anticoagulant medications, this
      intervention is not without risk. The goal of this investigation was to determine
      the incidence of bleeding complications following IDDS placement. Methods: This
      is a retrospective review from 2005 through 2014 of adult patients undergoing
      IDDS implantation or revision at a tertiary care center. The primary outcome was
      a bleeding-related neurological complication requiring emergency medicine,
      neurology, or neurosurgical evaluation within 31 days. Results: A total of 247
      procedures were performed on 216 unique patients. Patients received aspirin or
      nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) within seven days of needle
      placement for 64 procedures (25.9%). A preprocedural platelet count or
      international normalized ratio (INR) was available within 30 days for 138
      procedures (55.9%). Of these, two patients had a platelet count lower than 100 x
      109/L and one patient had an INR of 1.5 or higher at the time of the procedure.
      One neurological complication was identified (0.4%) that was not related to
      procedural bleeding. Similarly, three patients (1.2%) received a periprocedural
      red blood cell transfusion, none of which were related to procedural bleeding.
      Conclusion: No cases of bleeding-related neurological complications were
      identified following IDDS placement or revision, including in those receiving
      aspirin or NSAIDs. Future investigations with larger numbers are needed to
      further explore the safety of antithrombotic therapy continuation or
      discontinuation periprocedurally.

PMID- 28340042
TI  - Effects of dietary L-arginine levels on small intestine protein turnover and the
      expression of genes related to protein synthesis and proteolysis of layers.
AB  - The aim of this study was to test the effects of dietary L-arginine (Arg) levels
      on protein turnover in the small intestine and the expression of genes related to
      protein synthesis and proteolysis of laying hens. Xinyang Black commercial laying
      hens (n = 864, aged 217 d) were randomly distributed to 6 treatments with 4
      replicates of 36 birds. The dietary treatments were corn-corn gluten meal based
      diets containing 0.64, 0.86, 1.03, 1.27, 1.42 and 1.66% L-Arg, respectively.
      Fractional protein synthesis rate (FSR) and fractional protein gain rate (FGR) in
      the jejunum were the highest in the 1.27% L-Arg group. The mRNA expression of
      target of rapamycin (TOR), ribosomal protein S6 kinase 1 (S6K1), and eukaryotic
      initiation factor 4E-binding protein 1 (4E-BP1) in the duodenum reached the
      highest in the 1.27% L-Arg group, while the mRNA expression of 20S proteasome
      (20S) was the lowest in the 1.27% L-Arg group. The mRNA abundances of TOR and
      S6K1 in the jejunum were the highest in the 1.27% L-Arg group, while the mRNA
      expression of 20S was the lowest in the 1.27% L-Arg group, and the protein
      expression and phosphorylation levels of TOR in the 1.27% L-Arg group were higher
      than those in the 0.64% L-Arg group. These results indicate that the action of an
      appropriate level of dietary L-Arg to improve the protein synthesis of the small
      intestine involves up-regulating the protein expression and phosphorylation level
      of TOR in the jejunum accompanied by inhibiting the mRNA expression of 20S of
      laying hens.

PMID- 28340043
TI  - Very long-term outcome following transcatheter ablation of atrial fibrillation.
      Are results maintained after 10 years of follow up?
AB  - Aims: Atrial fibrillation (AF) transcatheter ablation is a safe and effective
      procedure. However, outcome over 10 years of follow-up has never been reported.
      The aim of this study is to assess outcome, describe predictors of recurrences,
      and report on quality of life (QoL) the decade after an AF ablation. Methods and
      results: Patients referred for AF ablation in a single high volume centre from
      June 2004 to June 2006 were enrolled and followed in a prospective fashion by
      yearly clinical assessment and Holter monitoring. Among 255 patients (42.7%
      paroxysmal AF, 77% males, after a follow-up of 125 +/- 7 months), 132 (52%) were
      arrhythmia-free including (58, 32% after a single procedure) while 27 (10%)
      progressed to permanent AF. At multivariate analysis, a greater left atrium
      antero-posterior diameter (HR 1.05 95% CI 1.02-1.09, P = 0.02) related to
      arrhythmic recurrences, while no increase in blood pressure (HR 0.06 95% CI 0.02
      0.20, P = 0.01), BMI (HR 0.06 95% CI 0.02-0.09, P < 0.001), and fasting glucose
      (HR 0.58 95% CI 0.36-0.92, P = 0.02) during follow-up were protective for
      arrhythmic recurrences. Overall QoL improved significantly, significantly related
      to the absence of recurrences, arrhythmic burden reduction and blood pressure,
      and BMI control (P < 0.001). Conclusion: The outcome of AF ablation over more
      than 10 years is characterized by a low incidence of progression towards
      permanent AF. Greater LA anteroposterior diameter related to arrhythmic
      recurrences, while blood pressure, BMI, and fasting blood glucose control emerged
      as predictors of sinus rhythm maintenance. Eventually, QoL improved significantly
      over the follow-up.

PMID- 28340044
TI  - Oral ghrelin receptor agonist MK-0677 increases serum insulin-like growth factor
      1 in hemodialysis patients: a randomized blinded study.
AB  - Background: Protein-energy wasting (PEW) in end-stage renal disease (ESRD)
      patients is associated with increased morbidity and mortality, but options for
      treatment are limited. Growth hormone (GH) increases insulin-like growth factor 1
      (IGF-1), with improved nutritional parameters, but must be given subcutaneously
      and does not provide normal GH secretion patterns. MK-0677, an oral ghrelin
      receptor agonist (GRA), maintains normal GH secretion and increases lean body
      mass in normal subjects; it has not been studied in dialysis patients, an
      essential step in assessing efficacy and safety prior to clinical trials.
      Methods: We performed a randomized crossover double-blind study in assessing the
      effect of MK-0677 versus placebo on IGF-1 levels, the primary outcome, in
      hemodialysis patients. In total, 26 subjects enrolled and 22 completed the 3
      month crossover study. Results: The geometric mean IGF-1 was 1.07-fold greater
      [95% confidence interval (CI) 0.89-1.27; P = 0.718] after placebo. In patients
      receiving MK-0677, the geometric mean IGF-1 were 1.76-fold greater (95% CI 1.48
      2.10; P < 0.001) following MK-0677. When the data were adjusted for
      preintervention IGF-1 concentration, the ratio of geometric means (MK-0677
      relative to placebo) for the pre- versus postintervention change in the IGF-1 was
      1.65 (95% CI 1.33-2.04; P < 0.001). These data demonstrate a 65% greater increase
      (95% CI 33-104%) in IGF-1 in MK-0677-dosed subjects compared with placebo. There
      were no serious adverse effects attributable to MK-0677. Conclusions: MK-0677
      increased serum IGF-1 levels with minimal adverse effects in hemodialysis
      subjects. Studies are needed to evaluate whether long-term therapy with MK-0677
      improves PEW, lean body mass, physical strength, quality of life and survival in
      CKD/ESRD patients.

PMID- 28340045
TI  - Age-Related Patterns in Cancer Pain and Its Psychosocial Impact: Investigating
      the Role of Variability in Physical and Mental Health Quality of Life.
AB  - Objective: Age-related patterns in cancer pain remain equivocal. Most studies
      ignore heterogeneity across multiple domains of well-being, and the potential
      role of physical (PH) and mental health (MH) quality of life (QOL) in these age
      related patterns is unknown. We investigated the relationships between age and
      cancer pain intensity, qualities, and interference, and physical and psychosocial
      adaptation and the interaction between age and PH and MH QOL on pain and
      adaptation to cancer pain. Design: In this cross-sectional study, 244 patients
      with advanced cancer and pain completed measures of pain, QOL, physical function,
      and psychosocial well-being. Pearson's correlations and ANOVAs assessed
      relationships between age and demographic and clinical factors, pain, and
      physical and psychosocial measures. Regression models tested the role of age and
      its interaction with PH and MH QOL on pain and physical and psychosocial
      adaptation. Results: Older age was associated with a lower likelihood of
      receiving an opioid prescription, greater likelihood of having comorbidities, and
      worse functional status. When we did not account for these factors, age was not
      associated with pain and most adaptation indices. When we did account for these
      factors and PH QOL, older age was associated with lower non-neuropathic and
      neuropathic pain and several indices of psychosocial adaptation. Most
      interestingly, older age was associated with lower non-neuropathic pain among
      those with high, but not low, MH QOL. Conclusions: This study addresses knowledge
      gaps about factors underlying age-related patterns in cancer pain. Impaired MH
      QOL may be a proxy for age-related patterns in cancer pain. Summary: This study
      investigated age-related patterns in the experience of cancer pain and the role
      of quality of life in resilience and vulnerability to pain and adaptation to
      pain. Older age is associated with lower non-neuropathic pain among those with
      high, but not low, mental health quality of life, suggesting that impaired mental
      health quality of life is an important indicator of vulnerability to
      multidimensional pain outcomes.

PMID- 28340046
TI  - Validation of a Screening Risk Index for Serious Prescription Opioid-Induced
      Respiratory Depression or Overdose in a US Commercial Health Plan Claims
      Database.
AB  - Objective: To validate a risk index that estimates the likelihood of overdose or
      serious opioid-induced respiratory depression (OIRD) among medical users of
      prescription opioids. Subjects and Methods: A case-control analysis of 18,365,497
      patients with an opioid prescription from 2009 to 2013 in the IMS PharMetrics
      Plus commercially insured health plan claims database (CIP). An OIRD event
      occurred in 7,234 cases. Four controls were selected per case. Validity of the
      Risk Index for Overdose or Serious Opioid-induced Respiratory Depression
      (RIOSORD), developed previously using Veterans Health Administration (VHA)
      patient data, was assessed. Multivariable logistic regression was used within the
      CIP study population to develop a slightly refined RIOSORD. The composition and
      performance of the CIP-based RIOSORD was evaluated and compared with VHA-based
      RIOSORD. Results: VHA-RIOSORD performed well in discriminating OIRD events in CIP
      (C-statistic = 0.85). Additionally, re-estimation of logistic model coefficients
      in CIP yielded a 0.90 C-statistic. The resulting comorbidity and pharmacotherapy
      variables most highly associated with OIRD and retained in the CIP-RIOSORD were
      largely concordant with VHA-RIOSORD. These variables included neuropsychiatric
      and cardiopulmonary disorders, impaired drug excretion, opioid characteristics,
      and concurrent psychoactive medications. The average predicted probability of
      OIRD ranged from 2% to 83%, with excellent agreement between predicted and
      observed incidence across risk classes. Conclusions: RIOSORD had excellent
      predictive accuracy in a large population of US medical users of prescription
      opioids, similar to its performance in VHA. This practical risk index is designed
      to support clinical decision-making for safer opioid prescribing, and its
      clinical utility should be evaluated prospectively.

PMID- 28340047
TI  - A call for safety during electrophysiological procedures: US in, why not US out?
      Authors' reply.

PMID- 28340049
TI  - Cardiac troponin-I as a predictor of mortality in patients with first episode
      acute atrial fibrillation.
AB  - Background: Recent-onset atrial fibrillation (AF) is a frequent cause for
      presentation to the emergency department. Recent studies proposed that the
      addition of biomarker information might improve the prediction of clinical
      outcomes by enabling identification of patients at high risk. Aim: We aimed to
      examine the role of cardiac troponin I as a predictor of clinical outcome in
      patients with first episode acute AF. Design: Patients, 18 years or older,
      presenting to our hospital with a primary diagnosis of first episode acute AF
      were included in this retrospective study. Methods: The association between
      elevated cTnI with mortality or the composite endpoint (mortality, stroke or
      heart failure) was examined in a univariate Cox regression model. Results: Of the
      274 study patients, 111 had elevated cTnI levels (41%). Increased cTnI was
      associated with older age, history of myocardial infarction, higher creatinine
      levels and higher heart rate (All P < 0.01). Elevated cTn was associated with an
      adjusted hazard ratio of 1.86 [95% confidence interval (CI) 1.17-2.96; P = 0.009]
      for mortality and 1.89 (95% CI 1.27-2.84; P = 0.002) for the combined endpoint.
      Conclusions: Elevated cardiac Troponin I is a significant predictor of mortality
      and a composite endpoint of mortality, stroke or heart failure in patients
      presenting with first episode acute AF.

PMID- 28340050
TI  - Naps Enhance Executive Attention in Preschool-Aged Children.
AB  - Objective: Executive attention is impaired following sleep loss in school-aged
      children, adolescents, and adults. Whether naps improve attention relative to nap
      deprivation in preschool-aged children is unknown. The aim of this study was to
      compare executive attention in preschool children following a nap and an interval
      of wake. Method: Sixty-nine children, 35-70 months of age, completed a Flanker
      task to assess executive attention following a nap and an equivalent interval of
      wake. Results: Overall, accuracy was greater after the nap compared with the wake
      interval. Reaction time(s) did not differ between the nap and wake intervals.
      Results did not differ between children who napped consistently and those who
      napped inconsistently, suggesting that naps benefit executive attention of
      preschoolers regardless of nap habituality. Conclusions: These results indicate
      that naps enhance attention in preschool children. As executive attention
      supports executive functioning and learning, nap promotion may improve early
      education outcomes.

PMID- 28340051
TI  - Protective factors for work ability in preschool teachers.
AB  - Background: Work ability (WA) describes the physical and intellectual resources
      on which individuals can rely to respond to work demands. While several studies
      have investigated the protective role of work-related psychosocial factors on WA,
      only a few have examined differences across age cohorts. Moreover, few studies
      have investigated WA in the educational context and most of those did not
      consider preschool teachers. Aims: To examine the role of psychosocial factors
      (support from colleagues, support from supervisors, work meaning, reward, skill
      discretion and autonomy) in sustaining WA among preschool teachers in different
      age cohorts. Methods: A cross-sectional study of preschool teachers employed in
      the municipal educational services of a city in northwest Italy. Study subjects
      completed a self-reported questionnaire. Results: Among the 706 study subjects,
      in the 35-44 age cohort, support from colleagues was positively associated with
      WA. In the 45-54 age cohort, WA was found to be associated with reward and skill
      discretion while in the 55-63 age cohort, work meaning was significantly
      associated with WA. Conclusions: Our findings indicate that potential protective
      factors for WA may differ between age cohorts. They also suggest that in order to
      sustain WA effectively, interventions in working populations should be tailored
      to employees' ages.

PMID- 28340054
TI  - Outcomes of atrial arrhythmia radiofrequency catheter ablation in patients with
      Ebstein's anomaly.
AB  - Aims: Atrial arrhythmias are common in patients with Ebstein's anomaly (EA)
      despite cardiac surgical repair and concomitant Maze procedures. We aimed to
      evaluate the outcome of radiofrequency catheter ablation in this group of
      patients. Methods and results: All patients with EA and atrial arrhythmias who
      underwent catheter ablation for atrial arrhythmias between 1/1999 and 1/2016 were
      included. Atrial arrhythmia recurrence was identified as the primary outcome;
      secondary outcomes included repeat ablation, need for antiarrhythmic medications
      after ablation, and death. Predictors of recurrence were sought using univariate
      analysis. 22 patients (median age 42 years, 54.5% male) were included. Atrial
      flutter was the most common presenting arrhythmia (n = 14 patients, 63.5%),
      whereas focal atrial tachycardia (FAT) and atrial fibrillation were identified in
      5 (22.7%) and 2 patients (9.1%), respectively, with both atrial
      flutter/fibrillation evident in a single patient 1 (4.5%). 8 patients (36.4%) had
      a history of right-sided maze procedures. Cavotricuspid isthmus atrial flutter
      (CTI-AFl) was the most commonly induced arrhythmia (n = 13, 59.1%), followed by
      incisional intra-atrial re-entrant tachycardia (IART; n = 4, 18.2%), and FAT (n =
      4, 18.2%); 3 patients also underwent left-side ablation with concomitant
      pulmonary vein isolation (13.6%). 1-year and 5-year atrial arrhythmia recurrence
      rates were 10.0% and 41.2%, respectively. 7 patients (31.8%) underwent redo
      ablations, and anti-arrhythmic medication was utilized in 8 patients (36.4%) post
      ablation. Neither ablation location nor echocardiographic parameters were found
      to be predictors of arrhythmia recurrence. Conclusion: Catheter ablation of
      atrial arrhythmias in patients with EA has a favorable outcome overall with an
      acceptable recurrence and safety profile; left-sided ablations are rarely
      necessary. Despite prior Maze and catheter ablation procedures, CTI-AFl and IART
      recurrences predominate.

PMID- 28340053
TI  - Does the Regulatory Environment for E-Cigarettes Influence the Effectiveness of E
      Cigarettes for Smoking Cessation?: Longitudinal Findings From the ITC Four
      Country Survey.
AB  - Introduction: To date, no studies have explored how different regulatory
      environments may influence the effectiveness of electronic cigarettes (ECs) as a
      smoking cessation aid. Objective: This study compares the real-world
      effectiveness of adult smokers using ECs for quitting compared with quitting
      unassisted or quitting with nicotine replacement therapy (NRT) and/or
      prescription medications in two countries with restrictive policies towards ECs
      (ie, Canada and Australia) versus two countries with less restrictive policies
      (ie, United States and United Kingdom). Methods: Data were drawn from the
      International Tobacco Control Four Country surveys, from the United States and
      Canada (2 waves, n = 318 and 380, respectively), the United Kingdom (3 waves, n =
      439) and Australia (4 waves, n = 662), collected 2010-2014. Smokers at baseline
      wave who reported making a quit attempt at follow-up were included. The primary
      outcome was self-reported abstinence for at least 30 days regardless of smoking
      status at follow-up assessment. Data across waves were combined and analyzed
      using generalized estimating equations. Results: Compared to unassisted quitting
      (ie, no medications or ECs), smokers who used ECs for quitting from countries
      with less restrictive EC policy environments were more likely (OR = 1.95, 95%CI =
      1.19-3.20, p < .01), whereas smokers who used ECs for quitting from countries
      with more restrictive EC policies were less likely (OR = 0.36, 95%CI = 0.18-0.72,
      p < .01), to report sustained abstinence for at least 30 days. Conclusions: Use
      of ECs in the real world during a quit attempt appears only effective for
      sustaining smoking abstinence in a less restrictive EC environment suggesting
      that the benefits of ECs for smoking cessation are likely highly dependent on the
      regulatory environment. Implications: What this study adds: This is the first
      study to examine the impact of regulatory environment for ECs on their real-world
      effectiveness for smoking cessation. This study shows that in a less restrictive
      EC regulatory environment, use of ECs during a quit attempt facilitates, but in a
      more restrictive environment, it inhibits, short-term sustained abstinence. The
      findings underscore the need for careful consideration on how best to regulate
      this emerging product so that EC benefits for smoking cessation are maximized and
      its risks to public health are minimized.

PMID- 28340057
TI  - Long-term outcome of pulmonary vein isolation in patients with paroxysmal atrial
      fibrillation and Brugada syndrome.
AB  - Aims: The therapeutical management of atrial fibrillation (AF) in the setting of
      Brugada syndrome (BS) might be challenging as many antiarrhythmic drugs (AADs)
      with sodium channel blocking properties might lead to to the development of
      ventricular arrhythmias. This study sought to evaluate the clinical outcome in a
      consecutive series of patients with BS having undergone pulmonary vein (PV)
      isolation by means of radiofrequency (RF) or cryoballoon (CB) ablation and the
      efficacy of catheter ablation for preventing inappropriate interventions
      delivered by implantable cardioverter defibrillators (ICD) on a 3-year follow up.
      Methods and results: Twenty-three consecutive patients with BS (13 males; mean
      age was 47 +/- 18 years) having undergone PV isolation for drug-resistant
      paroxysmal AF were enrolled. Eleven patients (48%) had an ICD implanted of whom
      four had inappropriate shocks secondary to rapid AF. Over a mean follow-up period
      of 35.0 +/- 25.4 months (median 36 months) the freedom from AF recurrence after
      the index PV isolation procedure was 74% without AADs. Patients with
      inappropriate ICD interventions for AF did not present futher ICD shocks after AF
      ablation. No major complications occurred. Conclusion: Catheter ablation is a
      valid therapeutic choice for patients with BS and paroxysmal AF considering the
      high success rates, the limitations of the AADs and the safety of the procedure,
      and it should be taken into consideration especially in those patients presenting
      inappropriate ICD shocks due to rapid AF.

PMID- 28340056
TI  - Neutrophil-derived mitochondrial DNA promotes receptor activator of nuclear
      factor kappaB and its ligand signalling in rheumatoid arthritis.
AB  - Objectives: Mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) contains sequestered damage-associated
      molecular patterns that might be involved in osteoimmunological pathogenesis of
      RA. Here, we aimed to investigate the cellular source of mtDNA and its role in
      RANK ligand (RANKL) expression by RA SF neutrophils. Methods: The gene expression
      signature of SF neutrophils was examined by proteomic quantitative analysis.
      Levels of mtDNA in circulating and SF neutrophils from RA patients and OA control
      subjects were assessed by real-time PCR. Purified neutrophils were challenged in
      vitro with Toll-like receptor agonists as well as mtDNA. RANKL expression by
      neutrophils was studied by flow cytometry. Results: SF neutrophils from RA
      patients displayed a gene expression signature of oxidative stress. This stress
      signature was associated with the release of mtDNA in SF as observed by a
      significant increase of mtDNA in the SF of RA patients compared with OA patients.
      mtDNA in RA SF was correlated with systemic inflammation as assessed by CRP
      concentrations. We also showed that mtDNA drives neutrophil RANKL expression to
      the same extent as Toll-like receptor agonists. Conclusion: Our data identify SF
      neutrophils as a cellular source of mtDNA that leads to a subsequent expression
      of RANKL. This highlights the important role of neutrophils in RA
      osteoimmunology.

PMID- 28340058
TI  - Predictive modeling for monitoring egg freshness during variable temperature
      storage conditions.
AB  - The overall aim of this research was to develop egg freshness prediction models
      in terms of selected quality indices. Six experiments (4 constant temperatures
      and 2 variable temperatures) were carried out on hen eggs for a total period of
      10, 21, 26, 13, and 105 d at storage temperatures of 30, 20, 20 to 10, 30 to 10,
      and 5 and 10 degrees C, to observe trends in the relative weight loss (RWL),
      Haugh unit (HU), yolk index (YI), albumin index (AI), yolk pH, and albumin pH.
      The results showed that there was an increasing trend in the RWL and a decreasing
      trend in the YI, AI, and HU for all temperature conditions. The changes in the
      yolk and albumin pH were not uniform. The data from the constant temperature
      conditions were used to determine the coefficients of the egg quality prediction
      models, which consisted of the primary model controlling the change rate of the
      quality indicator at a temperature condition in differential equation form, and
      the secondary model controlling the change rate with temperature, which was in
      quadratic polynomial form. The models were applied to the data from the
      fluctuating temperature conditions, and the zeroth, third, and eighth order
      kinetic models described the stepwise change in the RWL, HU, and YI,
      respectively. The accuracy and bias factor values for the RWL, HU, and YI were
      1.116 and 0.940, 1.028 and 1.001, and 1.038 and 0.966, respectively. It can be
      concluded that the models can be used to predict egg freshness in terms of the
      RWL, HU, and YI at any temperature condition with in the range of 5 to 30 degrees
      C during storage.

PMID- 28340059
TI  - Topic Modeling of Smoking- and Cessation-Related Posts to the American Cancer
      Society's Cancer Survivor Network (CSN): Implications for Cessation Treatment for
      Cancer Survivors Who Smoke.
AB  - Introduction: Smoking is a risk factor in at least 18 cancers, and approximately
      two-thirds of cancer survivors continue smoking following diagnosis. Text mining
      of survivors' online posts related to smoking and quitting could inform
      strategies to reduce smoking in this vulnerable population. Methods: We
      identified posts containing smoking/cessation-related keywords from the Cancer
      Survivors Network (CSN), an online cancer survivor community of 166 000 members
      and over 468 000 posts since inception. Unsupervised topic model analysis of
      posts since 2000 using Latent Dirichlet Allocation extracted 70 latent topics
      which two subject experts inspected for themes based on representative terms.
      Posterior analysis assessed the distribution of topics within posts, and the
      range of themes discussed across posts. Results: Less than 1% of posts (n = 3998)
      contained smoking/cessation-related terms, and covered topics related to cancer
      diagnoses, treatments, and coping. The most frequent smoking-related topics were
      quit smoking methods (5.4% of posts), and the environment for quitters (2.9% of
      posts), such as the stigma associated with being a smoker diagnosed with cancer
      and lack of empathy experienced compared to nonsmokers. Smoking as a risk factor
      for one's diagnosis was a primary topic in only 1.7% of smoking/cessation-related
      posts. Conclusions: The low frequency of smoking/cessation-related posts may be
      due to expected criticism/stigma for smoking but may also suggests a need for
      health care providers to address smoking and assist with quitting in the
      diagnostic and treatment process. Topic model analysis revealed potential
      barriers that should be addressed in devising clinical or population-level
      interventions for cancer survivors who smoke. Implications: Although smoking is a
      major risk factor for cancer, little is known about cancer patients' or
      survivors' views or concerns about smoking and quitting. This study used text
      mining of posts to an online community of cancer patients and survivors to
      investigate contexts in which smoking or quitting is discussed. Results indicated
      that smoking and quitting discussions were relatively rare, but nevertheless
      provide insight into barriers that may need to be addressed in cessation
      interventions for survivors.

PMID- 28340060
TI  - Physician Dispensing of Oxycodone and Other Commonly Used Opioids, 2000-2015,
      United States.
AB  - Objective: An average of 91 people in the United States die every day from an
      opioid-related overdose (including prescription opioids and heroin). The direct
      dispensing of opioids from health care practitioner offices has been linked to
      opioid-related harms. The objective of this study is to describe the changing
      nature of the volume of this type of prescribing at the state level. Methods:
      This descriptive study examines the distribution of opioids by practitioners
      using 1999-2015 Automation of Reports and Consolidated Orders System data.
      Analyses were restricted to opioids distributed to practitioners. Amount
      distributed (morphine milligram equivalents [MMEs]) and number of practitioners
      are presented. Results: Patterns of distribution to practitioners and the number
      of practitioners varied markedly by state and changed dramatically over time.
      Comparing 1999 with 2015, the MME distributed to dispensing practitioners
      decreased in 16 states and increased in 35. Most notable was the change in
      Florida, which saw a peak of 8.94 MMEs per 100,000 persons in 2010 (the highest
      distribution in all states in all years) and a low of 0.08 in 2013. Discussion:
      This study presents the first state estimates of office-based dispensing of
      opioids. Increases in direct dispensing in recent years may indicate a need to
      monitor this practice and consider whether changes are needed. Using controlled
      substances data to identify high prescribers and dispensers of opioids, as well
      as examining overall state trends, is a foundational activity to informing the
      response to potentially high-risk clinical practices.

PMID- 28340061
TI  - Venous thrombo-embolism: thalidomide and leprosy.

PMID- 28340062
TI  - Exogenously Applied 24-Epibrassinolide (EBL) Ameliorates Detrimental Effects of
      Salinity by Reducing K+ Efflux via Depolarization-Activated K+ Channels.
AB  - This study has investigated mechanisms conferring beneficial effects of exogenous
      application of 24-epibrassinolides (EBL) on plant growth and performance under
      saline conditions. Barley seedlings treated with 0.25 mg l-1 EBL showed
      significant improvements in root hair length, shoot length, shoot fresh weight
      and relative water content when grown in the presence of 150 mM NaCl in the
      growth medium. In addition, EBL treatment significantly decreased the Na+ content
      in both shoots (by approximately 50%) and roots. Electrophysiological experiments
      revealed that pre-treatment with EBL for 1 and 24 h suppressed or completely
      prevented the NaCl-induced K+ leak in the elongation zone of barley roots, but
      did not affect root sensitivity to oxidative stress. Further experiments using
      Arabidopsis loss-of-function gork1-1 (lacking functional depolarization-activated
      outward-rectifying K+ channels in the root epidermal cells) and akt1 (lacking
      inward-rectifying K+ uptake channel) mutants showed that NaCl-induced K+ loss in
      the elongation zone of roots was reduced by EBL pre-treatment 50- to 100-fold in
      wild-type Col-0 and akt1, but only 10-fold in the gork1-1 mutant. At the same
      time, EBL treatment shifted vanadate-sensitive H+ flux towards net efflux. Taken
      together, these data indicate that exogenous application of EBL effectively
      improves plant salinity tolerance by prevention of K+ loss via regulating
      depolarization-activated K+ channels.

PMID- 28340063
TI  - Conventional (Simplicity III) and Cooled (SInergy) Radiofrequency for Sacroiliac
      Joint Denervation: One-Year Retrospective Study Comparing Two Devices.
AB  - Objective: To compare two radiofrequency (RF) devices, Simplicity III
      (conventional RF), and SInergy (cooled RF), which are specifically designed to
      denervate the sacroiliac joint (SIJ). Design: Retrospective observational study.
      Setting: Italian National Health Service Public Hospital. Subjects: Forty-three
      patients with SIJ-derived pain refractory to conservative treatment; 21 and 22
      patients, respectively, received Simplicity III or SInergy to denervate the SIJ.
      Methods: Mean numerical rating scale (NRS) and Oswestry Disability Index (ODI)
      scores were determined for each study group up to 12 months postprocedure.
      Secondary outcomes included the average amount of time required to complete each
      RF procedure and the adverse events associated with each technique. Results:
      Average SInergy group NRS and ODI scores were consistently less than those in the
      Simplicity III cohort at each post-RF denervation follow-up, and such differences
      were statistically significant at six and 12 months. The Simplicity III procedure
      was completed approximately 2.5 times faster than the SInergy procedure, and one
      minor adverse event was reported in the SInergy group. Conclusions: The study
      results suggest that SInergy safely afforded patients with greater and more
      durable analgesia and disability relief than Simplicity III for SIJ-derived pain.
      The Simplicity III procedure may be more conducive than SInergy for bilateral
      procedures and for patients who have limited tolerance to be in an RF procedure
      required prone position. Randomized controlled trials are needed to confirm the
      implication made in this study that SInergy is the preferred RF denervation
      option for treating SIJ-derived pain and the disability associated with it.

PMID- 28340064
TI  - The Influence of State and Trait Anxiety on the Memory of Pain.
AB  - Objective: The study aimed to assess the accuracy of memories of both pain and
      the state anxiety that accompanies experimentally induced pain and to investigate
      the factors that influence the memory of experimental pain. Methods: Forty-nine
      healthy female volunteers participated in the study. The participants received
      three electrocutaneous pain stimuli during the first phase of the study and rated
      the pain intensity, pain unpleasantness, and state anxiety they felt at that
      moment. Trait pain anxiety was measured by the Pain Anxiety Symptoms Scale and
      the Fear of Pain Questionnaire. During the second phase of the study, three or
      six months later (depending on the experimental group), the participants were
      asked to rate the pain intensity, pain unpleasantness, and state anxiety they had
      felt during the first phase of the study. Results: Recalled pain intensity and
      unpleasantness and the state anxiety that accompanied the pain experience were
      remembered accurately, regardless of the recall delay. Both recalled pain
      intensity and unpleasantness were predicted by experienced pain, experienced and
      recalled state anxiety, and trait pain anxiety, that is, scores for physiological
      anxiety, cognitive anxiety, escape/avoidance, and severe pain. Conclusions: The
      present study demonstrates that a specific type of trait anxiety (pain anxiety)
      influences the memory of pain. The study is not only the first to investigate the
      influence of trait anxiety on the memory of experimental pain, it also is the
      first study to determine the effect of a specific form of anxiety (pain anxiety)
      on the memory of experimentally induced pain.

PMID- 28340065
TI  - The next three decades of the comet assay: a report of the 11th International
      Comet Assay Workshop.
AB  - The International Comet Assay Workshops are a series of scientific conferences
      dealing with practical and theoretical aspects of the Comet Assay (single-cell
      gel electrophoresis)-a simple method for detecting DNA strand breaks. The first
      paper describing such an assay was published over 30 years ago in 1984 by Swedish
      researchers O. Ostling and K. J. Johanson. Appropriately, the theme for the 2015
      meeting was looking to the future: 'The Next 3 Decades of the Comet Assay'. The
      programme included 25 oral and 43 poster presentations depicting the latest
      advances in technical developments as well as applications of the comet assay in
      genotoxicity testing (in vitro and in vivo) and biomonitoring of both humans and
      the environment. Open discussion sessions based on questions from the
      participants allowed exchange of practical details on current comet assay
      protocols. This report summarises technical issues of high importance which were
      discussed during the sessions. We provide information on ways to improve the
      assay performance, by testing for cytotoxicity, by using reference samples to
      reduce or allow for inter-experimental variation, and by standardising
      quantification of the damage, including replicates and scoring enough comets to
      ensure statistical validity. After 30 years of experimentation with the comet
      assay, we are in a position to control the important experimental parameters and
      make the comet assay a truly reliable method with a wealth of possible
      applications.

PMID- 28340068
TI  - Demanding Competence.

PMID- 28340066
TI  - Diagnostic test accuracy of ultrasound for synovitis in rheumatoid arthritis:
      systematic review and meta-analysis.
AB  - Objective: To evaluate diagnostic test accuracy of US compared with MRI for the
      detection of synovitis in RA patients. Methods: A systematic literature search
      was performed in the PubMed, EMBASE, Cochrane Library and Web of Science Core
      Collection databases. Studies evaluating the diagnostic test accuracy of US for
      synovitis detected by MRI as the reference standard for wrist, MCP, PIP and knee
      joints were included. To assess the overall accuracy, we calculated the
      diagnostic odds ratio using a DerSimonian-Laird random effects model and the area
      under the curve (AUC) for the hierarchical summary receiver operating
      characteristics using Holling's proportional hazards models. The summary estimate
      of the sensitivity and specificity were obtained using the bivariate model.
      Results: Fourteen of 601 identified articles were included in the review. The
      diagnostic odds ratio was 11.6 (95% CI 5.6, 24; I2 = 0%), 28 (95% CI 12, 66; I2 =
      11%), 23 (95% CI 6.5, 84; I2 = 19%) and 5.3 (95% CI 0.60, 48; I2 = 0%) and the
      AUC was 0.81, 0.91, 0.91 and 0.61 for wrist, MCP, PIP and knee joints,
      respectively. The summary estimates of sensitivity and specificity were 0.73 (95%
      CI 0.51, 0.87)/0.78 (95% CI 0.46, 0.94), 0.64 (95% CI 0.43, 0.81)/0.93 (95% CI
      0.88, 0.97), 0.71 (95% CI 0.33, 0.93)/0.94 (95% CI 0.89, 0.97) and 0.91 (95% CI
      0.56, 0.99)/0.60 (95% CI 0.20, 0.90) for wrist, MCP, PIP and knee joints,
      respectively. Conclusion: US is a valid and reproducible technique for detecting
      synovitis in the wrist and finger joints. It may be considered for routine use as
      part of the standard diagnostic tools in RA.

PMID- 28340069
TI  - The Association of Post-traumatic and Postmigration Stress with Pain and Other
      Somatic Symptoms: An Explorative Analysis in Traumatized Refugees and Asylum
      Seekers.
AB  - Objective: Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and somatic symptoms, such as
      pain, are frequently seen in refugees. Their relationship is poorly understood,
      and the treatment of these comorbid conditions can be very challenging. The
      current cross-sectional study examined pain and other somatic symptoms and their
      relationship with trauma history, PTSD symptom clusters, and current living
      difficulties among treatment-seeking refugees. Methods: One hundred thirty-four
      treatment-seeking traumatized refugees (78% male, mean age = 42 years) were
      assessed regarding lifetime traumatic experiences, symptoms of post-traumatic
      stress, overall pain and somatic symptoms, and postmigration living difficulties.
      Results: An exploratory factor analysis of the 12 somatic symptoms revealed two
      distinct factors: somatic symptoms related to bodily dysfunction ("weakness") and
      somatic symptoms related to increased sympathetic activity ("arousal"). DSM-5
      PTSD Criteria D "alterations in cognitions and mood" and E "alterations in
      arousal and reactivity" were primarily related to "weakness," while PTSD
      Criterion E "alterations in arousal and reactivity" and postmigration living
      difficulties were associated with "arousal." Overall pain was associated
      primarily with living difficulties and PTSD Criterion D and Criterion E.
      Conclusions: Results indicate that somatic symptoms are of considerable concern
      among traumatized refugees and that different patterns of somatic symptoms are
      associated with different clusters of PTSD symptoms. The findings contribute to
      the better understanding of the symptom presentation of traumatized people who
      are experiencing somatization and potentially inform treatment directions and
      highlight the importance of screening for PTSD in refugees presenting with pain
      and somatic symptoms.

PMID- 28340070
TI  - Material Hardship and Self-Rated Mental Health among Older Black Americans in the
      National Survey of American Life.
AB  - This article examines the association between material hardships and self-rated
      mental health (SRMH) among older black Americans and determines whether the
      effect varies by race and ethnicity. Using data from the National Survey of
      American Life, multiple logistic regression models were specified on a sample of
      older white Americans (n = 289), African Americans (n = 1,135), and black
      Caribbean Americans (n = 377). Material hardship was measured as an index of
      seven items that occurred within the past year. Material hardship (odds ratio =
      0.48; 95 percent confidence interval = 0.29-0.79) was associated with SRMH for
      both groups. None of the interactions were significant. The study concludes that
      material hardship may contribute to poorer SRMH among older African Americans and
      black Caribbean Americans. Future studies should examine these associations by
      using longitudinal designs, which may be better designed to confirm these
      results.

PMID- 28340071
TI  - Variable Potassium Concentrations: Which Is Right and Which Is Wrong?
AB  - Reverse pseudohyperkalemia is a term used to describe in vitro, falsely elevated
      potassium concentrations in plasma specimens that occur in association with
      extreme leukocytosis and are commonly associated with hematologic malignant
      neoplasms. Tumor lysis syndrome is an in vivo lysis of tumor cells that leads to
      elevated levels of potassium, uric acid, phosphate, and lactate dehydrogenase, as
      well as decreased calcium concentrations. Herein, we report a case of a 66-year
      old Caucasian man with stage IV mantle-cell lymphoma who has elevated levels of
      potassium, uric acid, and phosphorus, as well as a white blood cell (WBC) count
      greater than 100,000 cells per mm3. The patient initially was diagnosed as having
      tumor lysis syndrome. His subsequent potassium concentrations in whole blood
      remained elevated even after hemodialysis; however, his serum potassium
      concentrations were decreased. The patient then was diagnosed accurately as
      having reverse pseudohyperkalemia, and accurate potassium measurements were
      obtained via serum specimens.

PMID- 28340072
TI  - Loneliness in Children and Adolescents With Chronic Physical Conditions: A Meta
      Analysis.
AB  - Objective: This meta-analysis examines loneliness in children and adolescents
      with chronic physical conditions as compared with their peers. Multilevel meta
      analyses were performed on 43 studies (69 samples), published between 1987 and
      2015. A total of 2,518 individuals with chronic physical conditions and 1,463
      control peers were included in the analyses. Children and adolescents with
      chronic conditions are, on average, somewhat lonelier than their peers without
      such conditions. Moreover, the link between chronic conditions and loneliness
      varied according to the recruitment procedure used for participant selection.
      Stronger links were found for studies that recruited from patient organizations
      as compared with clinical registers. Findings support the link between loneliness
      and chronic conditions. To take into account the heterogeneity within patient
      groups, we advocate an alternative approach that cuts across diagnostic
      boundaries and focuses on illness-related variables such as illness duration and
      visibility of the condition.

PMID- 28340073
TI  - Left atrial appendage isolation in addition to pulmonary vein isolation in
      persistent atrial fibrillation: one-year clinical outcome after cryoballoon-based
      ablation.
AB  - Aims: In this study, we sought to evaluate the safety and efficacy of cryoballoon
      (CB) based empirical left atrial appendage (LAA) isolation as an adjunct to
      pulmonary vein isolation (PVI) compared to the PVI-only strategy in patients with
      persistent AF. Objectives: Clinical outcomes of catheter ablation were less
      beneficial for persistent atrial fibrillation (AF) than paroxysmal AF. Methods
      and results: A total of 100 consecutive patients with persistent AF underwent
      both PVI and additional LAA isolation using CB (Group II). As a control group
      (Group I), among persistent AF patients, we conducted a retrospective, propensity
      score matched cohort, in whom only PVI was performed using CB. Recurrence of
      atrial tachyarrhythmia (Ata) at the 12th month follow-up was the primary
      endpoint. Baseline demographic and clinical characteristics were similar between
      two groups. At the 12th month follow-up, 67 (67%) patients in Group I and 86
      (86%) patients in Group II were free of ATa after the index procedure (P <
      0.001). As a unique complication of LAA isolation, left circumflex artery spasm
      was observed in 4% of the Group II. After adjusting for several baseline
      variables, PVI-only strategy was found as a significant predictor for recurrence
      (HR: 3.37; 95% CI: 1.73-6.56; P < 0.001). Transoesophageal echocardiography
      examination during the follow-up revealed no thrombus in the LAA. Conclusion: Our
      findings indicated that LAA isolation as an adjunct to PVI improved 1-year
      outcomes in persistent AF compared with the PVI-only strategy using CB without an
      increase in thromboembolic complications.

PMID- 28340076
TI  - Cisplatin-induced renal inflammation is ameliorated by cilastatin
      nephroprotection.
AB  - Background: Cisplatin is a potent chemotherapeutic drug whose nephrotoxic effect
      is a major complication and a dose-limiting factor for antitumoral therapy. There
      is much evidence that inflammation contributes to the pathogenesis of cisplatin
      induced nephrotoxicity. We found that cilastatin, a renal dehydropeptidase-I
      inhibitor, has protective effects in vitro and in vivo against cisplatin-induced
      renal damage by inhibiting apoptosis and oxidation. Here, we investigated the
      potential use of cilastatin to protect against cisplatin-induced kidney injury
      and inflammation in rats. Methods: Male Wistar rats were divided into four
      groups: control, cilastatin-control, cisplatin and cilastatin-cisplatin.
      Nephrotoxicity was assessed 5 days after administration of cisplatin based on
      blood urea nitrogen, creatinine, glomerular filtration rate (GFR), kidney injury
      molecule (KIM)-1 and renal morphology. Inflammation was measured using the
      electrophoretic mobility shift assay, immunohistochemical studies and evaluation
      of inflammatory mediators. Results: Compared with the control rats, cisplatin
      administered rats were affected by significant proximal tubule damage, decreased
      GFR, increased production of inflammatory mediators and elevations in urea,
      creatinine and tissue KIM-1 levels. Cilastatin prevented these changes in renal
      function and ameliorated histological damage in cisplatin-administered animals.
      Cilastatin also reduced pro-inflammatory cytokine levels, activation of nuclear
      factor-kappaB and CD68-positive cell concentrations. Conclusions: Cilastatin
      reduces cisplatin-induced nephrotoxicity, which is associated with decreased
      inflammation in vivo. Although the exact role of decreased inflammation in
      nephroprotection has not been fully elucidated, treatment with cilastatin could
      be a novel strategy for the prevention of cisplatin-induced acute kidney injury.

PMID- 28340078
TI  - Image integration into 3-dimensional-electro-anatomical mapping system
      facilitates safe ablation of ventricular arrhythmias originating from the aortic
      root and its vicinity.
AB  - Aims: During ablation in the vicinity of the coronary arteries establishing a
      safe distance from the catheter tip to the relevant vessels is mandatory and
      usually assessed by fluoroscopy alone. The aim of the study was to investigate
      the feasibility of an image integration module (IIM) for continuous monitoring of
      the distance of the ablation catheter tip to the main coronary arteries during
      ablation of ventricular arrhythmias (VA) originating in the sinus of valsalva
      (SOV) and the left ventricular summit part of which can be reached via the great
      cardiac vein (GCV). Methods and results: Of 129 patients undergoing mapping for
      outflow tract arrhythmias from June 2014 till October 2015, a total of 39
      patients (52.4 +/- 18.1 years, 17 female) had a source of origin in the SOV or
      the left ventricular summit. Radiofrequency (RF) ablation was performed when a
      distance of at least 5 mm could be demonstrated with IIM. A safe distance in at
      least one angiographic plane could be demonstrated in all patients with a source
      of origin in the SOV, whereas this was not possible in 50% of patients with
      earliest activation in the summit area. However, using the IIM a safe position at
      an adjacent site within the GCV could be obtained in three of these cases and
      successful RF ablation performed safely without any complications. Ablation was
      successful in 100% of patients with an origin in the SOV, whereas VAs originating
      from the left ventricular summit could be abolished completely in only 60% of
      cases. Conclusion: Image integration combining electroanatomical mapping and
      fluoroscopy allows assessment of the safety of a potential ablation site by
      continuous real-time monitoring of the spatial relations of the catheter tip to
      the coronary vessels prior to RF application. It aids ablation in anatomically
      complex regions like the SOV or the ventricular summit providing biplane
      angiograms merged into the three-dimensional electroanatomical map.

PMID- 28340077
TI  - Idiopathic non-lupus full-house nephropathy is associated with poor renal
      outcome.
AB  - Background: Full-house immunofluorescence in combination with various
      histopathologic lesions in the renal biopsies of patients without overt systemic
      lupus erythematosus (SLE) poses a diagnostic challenge. In this setting, the
      biopsy findings are sometimes termed non-lupus 'full-house nephropathy' (FHN). It
      is presently unknown whether idiopathic non-lupus FHN is clinicopathologically
      and prognostically distinct from lupus FHN. Methods: We included non-lupus FHN
      patients and lupus FHN controls (four or more American College of Rheumatology or
      Systemic Lupus International Collaborating Clinics criteria) who were biopsied
      between 1968 and 2014 at the Leiden University Medical Centre. Non-lupus FHN
      patients were studied for progression to SLE and/or the presence of other
      conditions with FHN. The clinicopathologic characteristics and prognosis of
      idiopathic non-lupus FHN patients were compared with those of lupus FHN patients.
      Results: Of 149 included patients, 32 had non-lupus FHN. During the median follow
      up of 20 years, no non-lupus FHN patients developed SLE. In all, 20 non-lupus FHN
      patients had idiopathic non-lupus FHN, and in 12 patients, secondary non-lupus
      FHN was considered due to membranous nephropathy (anti-PLA2R-positive, n  = 1;
      cancer-associated, n  = 3), IgA nephropathy ( n  = 4), infection-related
      glomerulonephritis ( n  = 2) or anti-neutrophil cytoplasmic antibody-associated
      glomerulonephritis ( n  = 2). Idiopathic non-lupus FHN patients were more often
      male (P   <   0.001) than lupus FHN patients and their renal biopsies more often
      showed a mesangial (P   =   0.04) or membranous pattern of injury (P   =   0.02)
      and less intense C1q staining (P   =   0.002). Clinically, they presented with
      lower-range erythrocyturia (P   =   0.04), more proteinuria (P   <   0.01) and
      less complement consumption in the classical pathway (P   <   0.001) than lupus
      FHN patients. By multivariable Cox regression analysis of patients with a lupus
      nephritis class III/IV pattern of injury, idiopathic non-lupus FHN compared with
      lupus FHN was an independent risk factor for end-stage renal disease [hazard
      ratio 5.31 (95% confidence interval 1.47-19.24)]. Conclusions: Our results show
      that the clinical recognition of idiopathic non-lupus FHN as a diagnostic
      category is critical.

PMID- 28340079
TI  - Measured glomerular filtration rate does not improve prediction of mortality by
      cystatin C and creatinine.
AB  - Background: Cystatin C may add explanatory power for associations with mortality
      in combination with other filtration markers, possibly indicating pathways other
      than glomerular filtration rate (GFR). However, this has not been firmly
      established since interpretation of associations independent of measured GFR
      (mGFR) is limited by potential multicollinearity between markers of GFR. The
      primary aim of this study was to assess associations between cystatin C and
      mortality, independent of mGFR. A secondary aim was to evaluate the utility of
      combining cystatin C and creatinine to predict mortality risk. Methods: Cox
      regression was used to assess the associations of cystatin C and creatinine with
      mortality in 1157 individuals referred for assessment of plasma clearance of
      iohexol. Results: Since cystatin C and creatinine are inversely related to mGFR,
      cystatin C - 1 and creatinine - 1 were used. After adjustment for mGFR, lower
      cystatin C - 1 (higher cystatin C concentration) and higher creatinine - 1 (lower
      creatinine concentration) were independently associated with increased mortality.
      When nested models were compared, avoiding the potential influence of
      multicollinearity, the independence of the associations was supported. Among
      models combining the markers of GFR, adjusted for demographic factors and
      comorbidity, cystatin C - 1 and creatinine - 1 combined explained the largest
      proportion of variance in associations with mortality risk ( R 2  = 0.61).
      Addition of mGFR did not improve the model. Conclusions: Our results suggest that
      both creatinine and cystatin C have independent associations with mortality not
      explained entirely by mGFR and that mGFR does not offer a more precise mortality
      risk assessment than these endogenous filtration markers combined.

PMID- 28340080
TI  - Measuring PM2.5, Ultrafine Particles, Nicotine Air and Wipe Samples Following the
      Use of Electronic Cigarettes.
AB  - Background: Few studies have examined the extent of inhalation or dermal contact
      among bystanders following short-term, secondhand e-cigarette exposure.
      Objective: Measure PM2.5 (particles < 2.5 microns), UF (ultrafine particles < 100
      nm), and nicotine in air and deposited on surfaces and clothing pre-/during/post-
      a short-term (2-hour) e-cigarette exposure. Methods: E-cigarettes were used ad
      libitum by three experienced users for 2 hours during two separate sessions
      (disposable e-cigarettes, then tank-style e-cigarettes, or "tanks") in a 1858 ft3
      room. We recorded: uncorrected PM2.5 (using SidePak); UF (using P-Trak); air
      nicotine concentrations (using air samplers; SKC XAD-4 canisters); ambient air
      exchange rate (using an air capture hood). Wipe samples were taken by wiping 100
      cm2 room surfaces pre- and post- both sessions, and clean cloth wipes were worn
      during the exposure and collected at the end. Results: Uncorrected PM2.5 and UF
      were higher (p < .0001) during sessions than before or after. Median PM2.5 during
      exposure was higher using tanks (0.515 mg/m3) than disposables (0.035 mg/m3) (p <
      .0001). Median UF during exposure was higher using disposables (31 200
      particles/cm3) than tanks (25 200 particles/cm3)(p < .0001). Median air nicotine
      levels were higher (p < .05) during both sessions (disposables = 0.697 ng/L,
      tanks = 1.833 ng/L) than before (disposables = 0.004 ng/L, tanks = 0.010 ng/L) or
      after (disposables = 0.115 ng/L, tanks = 0.147 ng/L). Median accumulation rates
      of nicotine on surface samples were 2.1 ng/100 cm2/h using disposables and 4.0
      ng/100 cm2/h using tanks; for cloth samples, it was 44.4 ng/100 cm2/h using
      disposables and 69.6 ng/100 cm2/h using tanks (p < .01). Mean room ventilation
      rate was ~5 air changes per hour during both sessions. Conclusions: Short-term e
      cigarette use can produce: elevated PM2.5; elevated UF; nicotine in the air; and
      accumulation of nicotine on surfaces and clothing. Implications: Short-term
      indoor e-cigarette use produced accumulation of nicotine on surfaces and
      clothing, which could lead to dermal exposure to nicotine. Short-term e-cigarette
      use produced elevated PM2.5 and ultrafine particles, which could lead to
      secondhand inhalation of these particles and any chemicals associated with them
      by bystanders. We measured significant differences in PM2.5 and ultrafine
      particles between disposable e-cigarettes and tank-style e-cigarettes, suggesting
      a difference in the exposure profiles of e-cigarette products.

PMID- 28340081
TI  - Retroocular and Subdural Hemorrhage or Hemosiderin Deposits in Pediatric
      Autopsies.
AB  - The presence of hemosiderin in the optic nerve sheath and/or retina is sometimes
      used to estimate the timing of injury in infants or children with suspected non
      accidental head trauma. To determine the prevalence of hemosiderin in deaths not
      associated with trauma, we performed a prospective study of retroocular orbital
      tissue, cranial convexity, and cervical spinal cord dura mater in infants and
      children <2.5 years age. In 53 cases of non-traumatic death, approximately 70%
      had blood or hemosiderin within the orbital fat, ocular muscles, and parasagittal
      cranial and/or cervical spinal subdural compartment. This bleeding is likely a
      consequence of the birth process. None had evidence of hemorrhage within the
      optic nerve sheath. Premature birth was less likely associated with orbital
      tissue hemorrhage. Caesarean section birth (mainly nonelective) was not
      associated with lower prevalence. Residual hemosiderin was identifiable up to 36
      weeks postnatal age, suggesting gradual disappearance after birth.
      Cardiopulmonary resuscitation (performed in the majority of cases) was not
      associated with acute hemorrhage. In 9 traumatic deaths, 6 had blood and/or
      hemosiderin within the optic nerve sheath. Knowledge of the potential presence
      and resolution of hemosiderin in these locations is important for medicolegal
      interpretation of childhood deaths associated with head or brain injury.

PMID- 28340082
TI  - Disparities in Health Care Quality among Asian Children with Special Health Care
      Needs.
AB  - There is a dearth of information on the quality of health care for Asian American
      children and particularly Asian children with special health care needs (CSHCN).
      The goal of this article was to determine whether there were disparities in
      quality of health care for Asian CSHCN, whose experiences have not been studied.
      Data were derived from the 2009-2010 National Survey of Children with Special
      Health Care Needs (ns = 355 non-Hispanic Asian children and 4,343 non-Hispanic
      white CSHCN). Bivariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses were
      conducted to examine the relationship between racial identity (that is, non
      Hispanic white and non-Hispanic Asian) and quality of health care. Racial
      disparities in quality of health care were substantial between Asian and white
      CSHCN in 2009-2010. Asian parents were significantly less likely than white
      parents to report that their health care provider provided the specific
      information they needed, helped them feel like a partner in their child's care,
      and was sensitive to the family's values and customs. The development and testing
      of specific, targeted policy and practice interventions to reduce disparities in
      health care quality for these children are urgently needed.

PMID- 28340085
TI  - Prevalence of Neuropathic Pain in Patients with Traumatic Brachial Plexus Injury:
      A Multicenter Prospective Hospital-Based Study.
AB  - Objective: Prevalence and clinical characteristics of neuropathic pain due to
      traumatic brachial plexus injury. Design: Observational epidemiological study.
      Setting: Hospital-based multicenter study. Subjects: One hundred seven
      prospectively enrolled patients with brachial plexus injury. Methods: All the
      patients underwent clinical examination and neurophysiological testing for a
      definitive diagnosis of the brachial plexus lesion. The DN4 questionnaire was
      used to identify neuropathic pain, and the Neuropathic Pain Symptom Inventory
      (NPSI) to evaluate the different symptoms of neuropathic pain. The SF36
      questionnaire and the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) were used to assess quality
      of life and mood disturbances in patients with neuropathic pain. Results: Of the
      107 enrolled patients, 74 had pain (69%); neuropathic pain, as assessed by means
      of the DN4, was identified in 60 (56%) of these patients. According to the NPSI,
      the most frequent and severe pain type was the spontaneous burning pain. Clinical
      and neurophysiological findings showed that pain is unrelated to age but is
      associated with the severity of peripheral nerve damage. The SF36 questionnaire
      and BDI showed that neuropathic pain impairs quality of life and causes
      depression. Conclusions: Our study provides information on the prevalence,
      characteristics, and variables associated with neuropathic pain due to traumatic
      brachial plexus injuries that might provide a basis for improving the clinical
      management of this condition.

PMID- 28340083
TI  - Evaluating the Patterns of Aging-Related Tau Astrogliopathy Unravels Novel
      Insights Into Brain Aging and Neurodegenerative Diseases.
AB  - The term "aging-related tau astrogliopathy" (ARTAG) describes pathological
      accumulation of abnormally phosphorylated tau protein in astrocytes. We evaluated
      the correlates of ARTAG types (i.e., subpial, subependymal, white and gray
      matter, and perivascular) in different neuroanatomical regions. Clinical,
      neuropathological, and genetic (eg, APOE epsilon4 allele, MAPT H1/H2 haplotype)
      data from 628 postmortem brains from subjects were investigated; most of the
      patients had been longitudinally followed at the University of Pennsylvania. We
      found that (i) the amygdala is a hotspot for all ARTAG types; (ii) age at death,
      male sex, and presence of primary frontotemporal lobar degeneration (FTLD)
      tauopathy are significantly associated with ARTAG; (iii) age at death, greater
      degree of brain atrophy, ventricular enlargement, and Alzheimer disease (AD)
      related variables are associated with subpial, white matter, and perivascular
      ARTAG types; (iv) AD-related variables are associated particularly with lobar
      white matter ARTAG; and (v) gray matter ARTAG in primary FTLD-tauopathies appears
      in areas without neuronal tau pathology. We provide a reference map of ARTAG
      types and propose at least 5 constellations of ARTAG. Furthermore, we propose a
      conceptual link between primary FTLD-tauopathy and ARTAG-related astrocytic tau
      pathologies. Our observations serve as a basis for etiological stratification and
      definition of progression patterns of ARTAG.

PMID- 28340086
TI  - Real-World Massage Therapy Produces Meaningful Effectiveness Signal for Primary
      Care Patients with Chronic Low Back Pain: Results of a Repeated Measures Cohort
      Study.
AB  - Objective: While efficacy of massage and other nonpharmacological treatments for
      chronic low back pain is established, stakeholders have called for pragmatic
      studies of effectiveness in "real-world" primary health care. The Kentucky Pain
      Research and Outcomes Study evaluated massage impact on pain, disability, and
      health-related quality of life for primary care patients with chronic low back
      pain. We report effectiveness and feasibility results, and make comparisons with
      established minimal clinically important differences. Methods: Primary care
      providers referred eligible patients for 10 massage sessions with community
      practicing licensed massage therapists. Oswestry Disability Index and SF-36v2
      measures obtained at baseline and postintervention at 12 and 24 weeks were
      analyzed with mixed linear models and Tukey's tests. Additional analyses examined
      clinically significant improvement and predictive patient characteristics.
      Results: Of 104 enrolled patients, 85 and 76 completed 12 and 24 weeks of data
      collection, respectively. Group means improved at 12 weeks for all outcomes and
      at 24 weeks for SF-36v2's Physical Component Summary and Bodily Pain Domain. Of
      those with clinically improved disability at 12 weeks, 75% were still clinically
      improved at 24 weeks ( P  < 0.01). For SF-36v2 Physical and Mental Component
      Summaries, 55.4% and 43.4%, respectively, showed clinically meaningful
      improvement at 12 weeks, 46.1% and 30.3% at 24 weeks. For Bodily Pain Domain,
      49.4% were clinically improved at 12 weeks, 40% at 24 weeks. Adults older than
      age 49 years had better pain and disability outcomes than younger adults.
      Conclusions: Results provide a meaningful signal of massage effect for primary
      care patients with chronic low back pain and call for further research in
      practice settings using pragmatic designs with control groups.

PMID- 28340087
TI  - Nutrigenomic point of view on effects and mechanisms of action of ruminant trans
      fatty acids on insulin resistance and type 2 diabetes.
AB  - Evidence from observational studies suggests beneficial effects of ruminant trans
      fatty acids (rTFA) on insulin resistance (IR) and type 2 diabetes (T2D). However,
      beneficial effects of rTFA are not always observed in cell, animal, and human
      studies. This narrative review presents potential mechanisms of action of rTFA
      using nutrigenomics and microRNA results in an integrative model. In addition,
      the review presents factors, including measures of IR and T2D, dose and duration
      of studies, as well as health status, ethnicity, and genotypes of subjects, that
      may help explain the heterogeneity in response to rTFA supplementation. Future
      studies should consider these factors, as well as research in nutritional
      genomics, to better understand the effects of rTFA on IR and T2D.

PMID- 28340088
TI  - Does Pain Reduction with Oral Steroids Predict Pain Reduction after a First-Time
      Cervical Epidural Steroid Injection in Patients with Cervical Radicular Pain? A
      Pilot Study.
AB  - Objective: Oral and injected steroids are used commonly in the treatment of
      cervical radicular pain despite a paucity of data demonstrating their efficacy.
      The purpose of this study is to assess whether the response to orally
      administered steroids among patients with acute cervical radicular pain who
      develop recurrent pain is associated with their subsequent response to cervical
      epidural steroid injections. Methods: Patients referred to our center were
      evaluated and then referred for cervical epidural steroid injections at the
      clinical discretion of the provider; those who met inclusion criteria were
      offered participation in the study. After the injection was administered,
      patients were contacted by telephone and asked to complete the Brief Pain
      Inventory Short Form at one week, one month, three months, and six months
      postinjection. Results: Pain reduction after cervical steroid injection was not
      significantly different between 49 patients who reported pain reduction with a
      prior course of oral steroids and 22 patients who reported no pain reduction.
      Average pain scores decreased over six months (P < 0.001) among 72 patients
      treated with epidural steroid injection for cervical radicular pain. Of the 55
      who provided baseline and six-month data, 14 (25.5%) reported complete relief at
      six months and 20 (36.4%) reported decreased pain. Conclusions: Patients can be
      reassured that they may experience pain reduction after a cervical epidural
      steroid injection even if oral steroid therapy was not effective. The majority of
      patients treated for cervical radicular pain with epidural steroid injection have
      reduced or absent pain for at least six months after treatment.

PMID- 28340089
TI  - How Embryophytic is the Biosynthesis of Phenylpropanoids and their Derivatives in
      Streptophyte Algae?
AB  - The origin of land plants from algae is a long-standing question in evolutionary
      biology. It is becoming increasingly clear that many characters that were once
      assumed to be 'embryophyte specific' can in fact be found in their closest algal
      relatives, the streptophyte algae. One such case is the phenylpropanoid pathway.
      While biochemical data indicate that streptophyte algae harbor lignin-like
      components, the phenylpropanoid core pathway, which serves as the backbone of
      lignin biosynthesis, has been proposed to have arisen at the base of the land
      plants. Here we revisit this hypothesis using a wealth of new sequence data from
      streptophyte algae. Tracing the biochemical pathway towards lignin biogenesis, we
      show that most of the genes required for phenylpropanoid synthesis and the
      precursors for lignin production were already present in streptophyte algae.
      Nevertheless, phylogenetic analyses and protein structure predictions of one of
      the key enzyme classes in lignin production, cinnamyl alcohol dehydrogenase
      (CAD), suggest that CADs of streptophyte algae are more similar to sinapyl
      alcohol dehydrogenases (SADs). This suggests that the end-products of the pathway
      leading to lignin biosynthesis in streptophyte algae may facilitate the
      production of lignin-like compounds and defense molecules. We hypothesize that
      streptophyte algae already possessed the genetic toolkit from which the capacity
      to produce lignin later evolved in vascular plants.

PMID- 28340090
TI  - Predictive value of European Scleroderma Group Activity Index in an early
      scleroderma cohort.
AB  - Objective: To estimate the effect of disease activity, as measured by the
      European Scleroderma Research Group Activity Index (EScSG-AI), on the risk of
      subsequent organ damage in a large systemic sclerosis (SSc) cohort. Methods: Of
      421 SSc patients from the Canadian Scleroderma Research Group database with
      disease duration of ? 3 years, 197 who had no evidence of end-stage organ damage
      initially and available 3 year follow-up were included. Disease activity was
      assessed by the EScSG-AI with two variability measures: the adjusted mean EScSG
      AI (the area under the curve of the EScSG-AI over the observation period) and
      persistently active disease/flare. Outcomes were based on the Medsger severity
      scale and included accrual of a new severity score (Delta ? 1) overall and within
      organ systems or reaching a significant level of deterioration in health status.
      Results: After adjustment for covariates, the adjusted mean EScSG-AI was the most
      consistent predictor of risk across the study outcomes over 3 years in dcSSc:
      disease progression defined as Delta ? 1 in any major internal organ, significant
      decline in forced vital capacity and diffusing capacity of carbon monoxide,
      severity of visceral disease and HAQ Disability Index worsening. In multivariate
      analysis, progression of lung disease was predicted solely by adjusted mean EScSG
      AI, while the severity of lung disease was predicted the adjusted mean EScSG-AI,
      older age, modified Rodnan skin score (mRSS) and initial severity. The EScSG-AI
      was associated with patient- and physician-assessed measures of health status and
      overpowered the mRSS in predicting disease outcomes. Conclusion: Disease activity
      burden quantified with the adjusted mean EScSG-AI predicted the risk of
      deterioration in health status and severe organ involvement in dcSSc. The EScSG
      AI is more responsive when done repeatedly and averaged.

PMID- 28340091
TI  - Effect of Antimicrobial Treatment on the Resolution of Middle-Ear Effusion After
      Acute Otitis Media.
AB  - Background: Acute otitis media (AOM) induces middle-ear effusion (MEE), which
      affects hearing. The effect of antimicrobial treatment on the resolution of MEE
      is controversial, and the factors that affect resolution are unknown. Methods: We
      studied the effect of antimicrobial treatment on the time to the resolution of
      MEE as a secondary objective in our randomized double-blind placebo-controlled
      trial. Children aged 6 to 35 months with stringently diagnosed AOM were allocated
      to receive amoxicillin-clavulanate (161 patients) or placebo (158 patients) for 7
      days and closely followed for 3 months. This study was registered at
      ClinicalTrials.gov (identifier NCT00299455). Results: The median times to
      resolution of MEE were 20 days (95% confidence interval [CI], 16-24 days) and 29
      days (95% CI, 26-32 days) in the amoxicillin-clavulanate and placebo groups,
      respectively (P = .10). The resolution of MEE was confirmed in 138 (86%) of 161
      and 132 (84%) of 158 patients in the amoxicillin-clavulanate and placebo groups,
      respectively (P = .59). In multivariable analysis, the resolution of MEE was
      prolonged most significantly by at least 1 recurrence of AOM during follow-up.
      MEE resolved in 65 (65%) of 100 patients with a recurrence of AOM during follow
      up and in 205 (94%) of 219 of those without a recurrence (P < .001) (median times
      to resolution, 67 vs 15 days, respectively; P < .001). Conclusions: Immediate
      antimicrobial treatment of AOM does not significantly affect the resolution of
      MEE in young children. Subsequent recurrences of AOM are a major reason for the
      persistence of MEE.

PMID- 28340092
TI  - Community-Based Effectiveness Trials as a Means to Disseminate Evidence-Based and
      Culturally Responsive Behavioral Health Interventions.
AB  - This article adds to the existing knowledge about innovative community-based
      approaches used to reduce and eliminate behavioral health disparities. Special
      attention is given to culturally appropriate interventions that increase access
      to care and that improve the quality of behavioral health services across
      different geographic regions and communities. Effectiveness trials are presented
      as appropriate tools to translate existing efficacious interventions into real
      world settings. This article describes how to transition from efficacy to
      effectiveness, including factors essential to consider from the perspectives of
      university-based research teams and community-based organizations (CBOs). A case
      study illustrates how a university-CBO partnership mastered the complexities of
      transitioning an efficacious family intervention to a community setting while
      nurturing a new partnership. Included are implications of the study related to
      social work education and social work practice. Lessons learned about critical
      components of the community-based research collaboration and recommendations for
      future research are provided.

PMID- 28340093
TI  - The Molecular and Morphologic Structures That Make Saltatory Conduction Possible
      in Peripheral Nerve.
AB  - Saltatory conduction is the process by which action potentials are rapidly and
      efficiently propagated along myelinated axons. In the peripheral nervous system,
      saltatory conduction is made possible by a series of morphologically and
      molecularly distinct subdomains in both axons and their associated myelinating
      Schwann cells. This review briefly summarizes current knowledge on the molecular
      structure and physiology of the node of Ranvier and adjacent regions of the
      axoglial unit in peripheral nerve.

PMID- 28340094
TI  - NLRP2 is a suppressor of NF-kB signaling and HLA-C expression in human
      trophoblasts?,?.
AB  - During pregnancy, fetal extravillous trophoblasts (EVT) play a key role in the
      regulation of maternal T cell and NK cell responses. EVT display a unique
      combination of human leukocyte antigens (HLA); EVT do not express HLA-A and HLA
      B, but do express HLA-C, HLA-E, and HLA-G. The mechanisms establishing this
      unique HLA expression pattern have not been fully elucidated. The major
      histocompatibility complex (MHC) class I and class II transcriptional activators
      NLRC5 and CIITA are expressed neither by EVT nor by the EVT model cell line JEG3,
      which has an MHC expression pattern identical to that of EVT. Therefore, other
      MHC regulators must be present to control HLA-C, HLA-E, and HLA-G expression in
      these cells. CIITA and NLRC5 are both members of the nucleotide-binding domain,
      leucine-rich repeat (NLR) family of proteins. Another member of this family,
      NLRP2, is highly expressed by EVT and JEG3, but not in maternal decidual stromal
      cells. In this study, transcription activator-like effector nuclease technology
      was used to delete NLRP2 in JEG3. Furthermore, lentiviral delivery of shRNA was
      used to knockdown NLRP2 in JEG3 and primary EVT. Upon NLRP2 deletion, Tumor
      Necrosis Factor-alpha (TNFalpha)-induced phosphorylation of NF-KB p65 increased
      in JEG3 and EVT, and more surprisingly a significant increase in constitutive HLA
      C expression was observed in JEG3. These data suggest a broader role for NLR
      family members in the regulation of MHC expression during inflammation, thus
      forming a bridge between innate and adaptive immune responses. As suppressor of
      proinflammatory responses, NLRP2 may contribute to preventing unwanted antifetal
      responses.

PMID- 28340095
TI  - Non-laser percutaneous extraction of pacemaker and defibrillation leads: a decade
      of progress.
AB  - Aims: Non-laser-based methods are safe in lead extraction but in the past have
      been less effective than laser methods. In the past decade, new equipment has
      been introduced including the Evolution(r) Mechanical Dilator Sheath and the
      Evolution(r) RL. We sought to determine the impact of new equipment on outcome in
      mechanical lead extraction. Methods and results: We considered 288 consecutive
      patients (age 66 +/- 18 years) who underwent transvenous lead extraction (TLE) of
      522 leads in the decade to the end of 2014. Three groups were identified: Group 1
      (pre-Evolution(r) period, 76 patients, 133 leads), Group 2 (original Evolution(r)
      period, 115 patients, 221 leads), and Group 3 (Evolution(r) RL period, 97
      patients, 168 leads). The age of leads was significantly greater in Groups 2 and
      3 (6.2 +/- 4.4 and 6.1 +/- 5.4 years vs.4.7 +/- 4.5, P < 0.05) as was the
      proportion of implantable cardioverter defibrillator leads (27.2 and 28.9 vs.
      14.3%, P < 0.05). The groups were similar in the number of leads extracted per
      patient. Despite the increasing complexity of the systems extracted, complete
      extraction was achieved in a progressively greater proportion of leads (88.0% in
      Group 1, 95.5% in Group 2, and 97.6% in Group 3, P < 0.05), and procedure
      duration was similar. The proportion of leads for which femoral access was
      required was greater in Group 3 (11%, 18/164) compared with Group 2 (3%, 7/211),
      P = 0.006. The only major complications were a post-procedure subacute tamponade
      in Group 1 and an oesophageal injury related to transoesophageal echocardiography
      in Group 3. Conclusion: With current equipment, mechanical extraction provides a
      good combination of efficacy and safety.

PMID- 28340098
TI  - Effect of fluoride-releasing resin composite in white spot lesions prevention: a
      single-centre, split-mouth, randomized controlled trial.
AB  - Introduction: The objective of this two-arm split-mouth randomized trial, was to
      evaluate the ability of fluoride-releasing resin composite to prevent
      demineralization and white spot lesion (WSL) formation, during orthodontic
      treatment with fixed appliances. Methods: Patients needing comprehensive
      orthodontic treatment were randomly allocated into two groups, according to the
      half split-mouth technique. This trial examined a total of 300 teeth in each
      group: the control group, in which brackets were fixed with a non-fluoride
      containing adhesive resin; and the intervention group, in which brackets were
      fixed with a fluoride-containing adhesive resin. Eligibility criteria included
      Class I malocclusion in the permanent dentition, adequate oral hygiene and no
      missing teeth, active caries, enamel demineralization, fluorosis staining, or
      heavy restorations. The primary outcome was the formation of WSLs. Randomization
      was achieved using a computer-generated random number table; blinding of the
      patients, assessor, orthodontist and data analysist were achieved. The patients
      were followed for twelve months, during which time their teeth were checked every
      three months. To investigate the differences in frequencies and ranks of
      demineralization and WSL formation between the two groups, odds ratios were
      computed using mixed modelling (to compensate for the clustered nature of the
      data) with intervention as a fixed effect and patient as a random effect.
      Results: Thirty-four patients (ages, 13-25 years; mean age, 17.6) were randomized
      into a 1:1 ratio, though four patients dropped out before the start of the
      treatment. The percentage of the teeth showing the effects of demineralization
      and WSL formation, increased from 6.3% to 15% for the control group after three
      and twelve months, respectively, and from 3% to 16.3% for the study group, after
      three to twelve months, respectively. There were no significant differences
      between the two groups and no interaction between time and treatment group in the
      visual inspections (OR 0.79; 95% CI 0.52, 1.21), in DIAGNOdent examinations (OR
      0.68; 95% CI 0.43, 1.06), or in photographic images (OR 0.72; 95% CI 0.46, 1.11).
      No serious harm was observed during the trial. Limitations: This trial was a
      single-centre trial, and treatment was carried out by one orthodontist.
      Conclusions: Fluoride-containing resin adhesive does not have the desired
      preventive effect to prevent demineralization and WSL formation, during
      orthodontic treatment with fixed appliance. Registration and Protocol: This
      randomized trial was not registered, and the protocol was not published before
      patient recruitment. Funding: The University of Damascus funded this trial.

PMID- 28340099
TI  - Topical Gabapentin as Add-on Therapy for Trigeminal Neuralgia. A Case Report.

PMID- 28340096
TI  - Dual- vs. single-chamber defibrillators for primary prevention of sudden cardiac
      death: long-term follow-up of the Defibrillateur Automatique Implantable
      Prevention Primaire registry.
AB  - Aims: Implantable cardioverter defibrillators (ICDs) are an effective primary
      prevention of sudden cardiac death. We examined whether dual-chamber (DC) ICDs
      confer a greater benefit than single-chamber (SC) ICDs, and compared the long
      term outcomes of recipients of each type of device implanted for primary
      prevention. Methods and results: Between 2002 and 2012, the DAI-PP registry
      consecutively enrolled 1258 SC- and 1280 DC-ICD recipients at 12 French medical
      centres. The devices were interrogated at 4- to 6-month intervals during
      outpatient visits, with a focus on the therapies delivered. The study endpoints
      were incidence of appropriate therapies, ICD-related morbidity, and deaths from
      all and from specific causes. The mean age of the SC- and DC-ICD recipients was
      59 +/- 12 and 62 +/- 11 years, respectively (P< 0.0001). The distribution of
      genders, New York Heart Association functional classes and glomerular filtration
      rates, and the rates of ischaemic vs. dilated cardiomyopathies and of
      defibrillation tests at implant, were similar in both study groups. The rates of
      periprocedural complications were 12.1% in the DC- vs. 8.8% in the SC-ICD groups
      (P= 0.008). Over a mean follow-up of 3.1 +/- 2.2 years, pulse generators were
      replaced in 21.9% of the DC- vs. 13.6% of the SC-ICD group (P< 0.0001). The
      proportions of patients treated with >=1 appropriate therapies (24.7 vs. 23.8%)
      and >=1 inappropriate shocks (8.4 vs. 7.8%), and all-cause mortality (12.4 vs.
      13.2%) were similar in both groups. Conclusion: In this large registry of ICD
      implanted for primary prevention, DC-ICDs were associated with higher rates of
      peri-implant complications and generator replacements, whereas the survival and
      rates of inappropriate shocks were similar in both groups. Clinical trial number:
      NCT#01992458.

PMID- 28340100
TI  - Glioblastoma stem cell differentiation into endothelial cells evidenced through
      live-cell imaging.
AB  - Background: Glioblastoma cell-initiated vascularization is an alternative
      angiogenesis called vasculogenic mimicry. However, current knowledge on the
      mechanism of de novo vessel formation from glioblastoma stem cells (GSCs) is
      limited. Methods: Sixty-four glioblastoma samples from patients and 10
      fluorescent glioma xenograft samples were examined by immunofluorescence staining
      for endothelial marker (CD34 and CD31) and glial cell marker (glial fibrillary
      acidic protein [GFAP]) expression. GSCs were then isolated from human
      glioblastoma tissue and CD133+/Sox2+ red fluorescent protein-containing (RFP)-GSC
      1 cells were established. The ability of these cells to form vascular structures
      was examined by live-cell imaging of 3D cultures. Results: CD34-GFAP or CD31-GFAP
      coexpressing glioblastoma-derived endothelial cells (GDEC) were found in 30 of 64
      (46.9%) of clinical glioblastoma samples. In those 30 samples, GDEC were found to
      form vessel structures in 21 (70%) samples. Among 21 samples with GDEC vessels,
      the CD34+ GDEC vessels and CD31+ GDEC vessels accounted for about 14.16% and
      18.08% of total vessels, respectively. In the xenograft samples, CD34+ GDEC were
      found in 7 out of 10 mice, and 4 out of 7 mice had CD34+ GDEC vessels. CD31+ GDEC
      were also found in 7 mice, and 4 mice had CD31+ GDEC vessels (10 mice in total).
      Through live-cell imaging, we observed gradual CD34 expression when cultured with
      vascular endothelial growth factor in some glioma cells, and a dynamic increase
      in endothelial marker expression in RFP-GSC-1 in vitro was recorded. Cells
      expressed CD34 (9.46%) after 6 hours in culture. Conclusions: The results
      demonstrated that GSCs may differentiate into endothelial cells and promote
      angiogenesis in glioblastomas.

PMID- 28340101
TI  - Dietary assessment in minority ethnic groups: a systematic review of instruments
      for portion-size estimation in the United Kingdom.
AB  - Context: Dietary assessment in minority ethnic groups is critical for
      surveillance programs and for implementing effective interventions. A major
      challenge is the accurate estimation of portion sizes for traditional foods and
      dishes. Objective: The aim of this systematic review was to assess records
      published up to 2014 describing a portion-size estimation element (PSEE)
      applicable to the dietary assessment of UK-residing ethnic minorities. Data
      sources, selection, and extraction: Electronic databases, internet sites, and
      theses repositories were searched, generating 5683 titles, from which 57 eligible
      full-text records were reviewed. Data analysis: Forty-two publications about
      minority ethnic groups (n = 20) or autochthonous populations (n = 22) were
      included. The most common PSEEs (47%) were combination tools (eg, food models and
      portion-size lists), followed by portion-size lists in questionnaires/guides
      (19%) and image-based and volumetric tools (17% each). Only 17% of PSEEs had been
      validated against weighed data. Conclusions: When developing ethnic-specific
      dietary assessment tools, it is important to consider customary portion sizes by
      sex and age, traditional household utensil usage, and population literacy levels.
      Combining multiple PSEEs may increase accuracy, but such methods require
      validation.

PMID- 28340103
TI  - Diagnosis-to-ablation time as a predictor of success: early choice for pulmonary
      vein isolation and long-term outcome in atrial fibrillation: results from the
      Middelheim-PVI Registry.
AB  - Aims: The aim of the study is to define long-term outcome of pulmonary vein
      isolation (PVI) in atrial fibrillation (AF) and to determine whether time window
      between AF diagnosis and PVI affects outcome. Methods and results: Consecutive AF
      patients undergoing PVI (2006-14) were followed for 5 years. Primary outcome was
      clinical success, defined as freedom of documented AF without anti-arrhythmic
      drugs respecting a 1-month blanking period. A 1000 patients were included (age 60
      +/- 10 years, CHA2DS2-VASc score 1 +/- 1). The cohort was divided in four
      quartiles (Q) according to the diagnosis-to-ablation time (DAT): Q1 DAT 0-11
      months (N = 244), Q2 DAT 12-<=33 months (N = 254), Q3 DAT 34-<=70 months (N =
      252) and Q4 DAT 71-360 months (N = 250). Mean follow-up was 44.3+/-21.0 months.
      At 5 years, clinical success was achieved in 45.2 +/- 2.0% of patients.
      Independent predictors of clinical success were AF type (HR = 0.61; 95%CI 0.50
      0.74; P < 0.0001), left atrial size (HR = 1.03; 95%CI 1.02-1.05; P < 0.0001), DAT
      (HR = 1.00; 95%CI 1.00-1.00; P = 0.001), ablation technique (P = 0.012), and year
      of ablation (HR = 0.93; 95%CI 0.86-1.00; P = 0.045) in multivariable-adjusted
      analysis. The highest clinical success was achieved when PVI was performed within
      the first year, and gradually declined with increasing DAT: 55.9 +/- 4.6% for Q1,
      46.9 +/- 4.0% for Q2, 45.5 +/- 3.6% for Q3, and 35.5 +/- 3.6% for Q4 (P < 0.001).
      Conclusion: Long-term success rate of PVI is 45.2 +/- 2.0%. Shorter diagnosis-to
      ablation times are associated with better clinical success. Our data advocate for
      early PVI following diagnosis of AF.

PMID- 28340102
TI  - Impact of Unrestricted Access to Pregabalin on the Use of Opioids and Other CNS
      Active Medications: A Cross-Sectional Time Series Analysis.
AB  - Objective: Access to pregabalin via Ontario's public drug insurance program was
      expanded to an unrestricted model on April 1, 2013, from a prior authorization
      model. This study aims to identify the effect of expanded access on the rate of
      pregabalin use by publicly insured persons and to assess the characteristics of
      new patients initiating pregabalin following this expanded access. Methods: We
      conducted a cross-sectional time series analysis using the linked health
      administrative records of residents of Ontario, Canada, with public drug coverage
      who were dispensed a prescription for pregabalin between April 1, 2006, and
      December 31, 2014. Results: A total of 108,047 publicly insured persons were
      dispensed pregabalin over the study period. The overall rate of pregabalin use
      increased from 1.0 per 1,000 individuals in Q1 of 2013 to 22.0 per 1,000
      individuals in Q4 of 2014. Musculoskeletal (81.6%) and neurological (68.1%)
      conditions were the most prevalent diagnoses in patients who initiated pregabalin
      following the expansion of access. Past and concomitant use of opioids,
      nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, and antidepressants was also common in this
      population. Conclusions: Formulary changes in Ontario have led to expanded access
      to pregabalin, which may have led to an increase in off-label use of these
      products and potential patient risk associated with concomitant use of pregabalin
      with central nervous system-depressing drugs.

PMID- 28340104
TI  - Personalizing lung cancer risk prediction and imaging follow-up recommendations
      using the National Lung Screening Trial dataset.
AB  - Objective: To demonstrate a data-driven method for personalizing lung cancer risk
      prediction using a large clinical dataset. Materials and Methods: An algorithm
      was used to categorize nodules found in the first screening year of the National
      Lung Screening Trial as malignant or nonmalignant. Risk of malignancy for nodules
      was calculated based on size criteria according to the Fleischner Society
      recommendations from 2005, along with the additional discriminators of pack-years
      smoking history, sex, and nodule location. Imaging follow-up recommendations were
      assigned according to Fleischner size category malignancy risk. Results: Nodule
      size correlated with malignancy risk as predicted by the Fleischner Society
      recommendations. With the additional discriminators of smoking history, sex, and
      nodule location, significant risk stratification was observed. For example, men
      with >=60 pack-years smoking history and upper lobe nodules measuring >4 and <=6
      mm demonstrated significantly increased risk of malignancy at 12.4% compared to
      the mean of 3.81% for similarly sized nodules (P < .0001). Based on personalized
      malignancy risk, 54% of nodules >4 and <=6 mm were reclassified to longer-term
      follow-up than recommended by Fleischner. Twenty-seven percent of nodules <=4 mm
      were reclassified to shorter-term follow-up. Discussion: Using available clinical
      datasets such as the National Lung Screening Trial in conjunction with locally
      collected datasets can help clinicians provide more personalized malignancy risk
      predictions and follow-up recommendations. Conclusion: By incorporating 3
      demographic data points, the risk of lung nodule malignancy within the Fleischner
      categories can be considerably stratified and more personalized follow-up
      recommendations can be made.

PMID- 28340106
TI  - Erratum.

PMID- 28340107
TI  - Association between the application of ISO 9001:2008 alone or in combination with
      health-specific standards and quality-related activities in Hungarian hospitals.
AB  - Objective: To investigate how International Organization for Standardization
      (ISO) 9001 and the Hungarian Health Care Standards (HHCS) certifications are
      associated with quality management, patient safety, patient rights and human
      resource management activities. Design: A cross-sectional study was implemented
      using the 2009 Hungarian hospital survey's database. Setting: Hungary.
      Participants: Fifty-three general hospitals were included in the statistical
      analysis. Intervention: No intervention was carried out in the study. Main
      Outcome Measures: The outcomes included the percentage of compliance in the
      dimensions of quality management, patient safety, patient rights, human resource
      management and the overall score for each hospital, and they were grouped
      according to the hospitals' certifications. Results: Sixteen hospitals did not
      have either ISO 9001 or HHCS certifications, 19 had ISO 9001 certification only
      and 18 had both. Hospitals with ISO 9001 alone or in combination with the HHCS
      significantly outperformed hospitals with no certifications in terms of quality
      management and human resource management activities but not in terms of patient
      safety or patient rights activities. Combined, the two models provided the
      highest median levels in all cases. Nevertheless, no significant differences were
      observed when the hospitals with both certifications were compared with hospitals
      with ISO 9001 only. Conclusions: Although the combination of ISO 9001 and the
      HHCS showed the best results, the benefits were not decisive. Furthermore,
      although the HHCS include standards addressing patient safety, no direct
      association was found with regard to compliance. Thus, further investigation is
      required to understand this enigma.

PMID- 28340105
TI  - Morin Stain Detects Aluminum-Containing Macrophages in Macrophagic Myofasciitis
      and Vaccination Granuloma With High Sensitivity and Specificity.
AB  - Macrophagic myofasciitis (MMF) is an inflammatory condition associated with the
      intramuscular (i.m.) injection of aluminum adjuvant-containing vaccines. It is
      clinically characterized by myalgia, weakness, and chronic fatigue and
      histologically by aggregates of cohesive macrophages with abundant basophilic,
      periodic acid-Schiff (PAS)-positive, diastase-resistant granules that percolate
      through the peri- and endomysium without eliciting substantial myofiber damage.
      The definitive diagnosis of MMF requires demonstration of aluminum within these
      macrophages. We evaluated the Morin stain, a simple, 2-step histochemical stain
      for aluminum, as a confirmatory diagnostic tool for MMF. Among 2270 muscle
      biopsies processed at UTSW between 2010 and 2015, a total of 12 MMF cases and 1
      subcutaneous vaccination granuloma case were identified (11 pediatric, 2 adults).
      With the Morin stain, all 13 cases showed strong granular reactivity within the
      cytoplasm of macrophages but not in myofibers or connective tissue. Three cases
      of inflammatory myopathy with abundant macrophages (IMAM), 8 cases of
      granulomatous inflammation and 23 other deltoid muscle biopsies used as controls
      were all negative. Morin stain could be used in both formalin-fixed paraffin
      embedded and cryostat sections. Thus, Morin stain detects aluminum with high
      sensitivity and specificity in human muscle and soft tissue and may improve the
      diagnostic yield of MMF and vaccination granuloma.

PMID- 28340109
TI  - MTH1, an 8-oxo-2'-deoxyguanosine triphosphatase, and MYH, a DNA glycosylase,
      cooperate to inhibit mutations induced by chronic exposure to oxidative stress of
      ionising radiation.
AB  - Our previous results showed that in addition to the immediate interaction of
      ionising radiation with DNA (direct and indirect effect), low-dose and chronic
      low-dose rate of irradiation induce endogenous oxidative stress. During oxidative
      stress, free radicals react with DNA, nucleoside triphosphates (dNTPs), proteins
      and lipids, and modify their structures. The MYH and MTH1 genes play important
      roles in preventing mutations induced by 8-hydroxy-guanine, which is an oxidised
      product of guanine. In this study, we used short-hairpin RNA to permanently
      knockdown MYH and MTH1 proteins in human lymphoblastoid TK6 cells. Knockdown and
      wild-type cells were chronically exposed to low dose rates of gamma-radiation
      (between 1.4 and 30 mGy/h). The cells were also subjected to acute doses
      delivered at a high-dose rate. Growth rate, extracellular 8-hydroxy-2'
      deoxyguanosine, clonogenic cell survival and mutant frequencies were analysed in
      all cell types. A reduced level of cell growth and survival as well as increased
      mutant frequencies were observed in cells lacking both MYH and MTH1 proteins as
      compared to cells lacking only MYH and wild-type cells. To sum up, our results
      suggest that low-dose rates elevate oxidative stress. MTH1 together with MYH
      plays an important role in protection against mutations induced by modified dNTPs
      during chronic oxidative stress. In addition, we found no dose-rate effect at the
      level of mutations in the wild-type TK6 and MYH-KD cells. Our data interestingly
      indicate a dose-rate threshold for mutation induction in MTH1/MYH double
      knockdown cells.

PMID- 28340108
TI  - Cigarette Smoking and Musculoskeletal Pain Severity Among Male and Female
      Afghanistan/Iraq Era Veterans.
AB  - Objective: Cigarette smoking and musculoskeletal pain are prevalent among
      Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) health care system users. These conditions
      frequently co-occur; however, there is limited empirical information specific to
      Afghanistan/Iraq era veterans. The present study sought to examine gender
      differences in the association between cigarette smoking and moderate to severe
      musculoskeletal pain in US veterans with Afghanistan/Iraq era service. Methods: A
      random sample of 5,000 veterans with service after November 11, 2001,
      participated in a survey assessing health care needs and barriers to care. One
      thousand ninety veterans completed the survey assessing post-traumatic stress
      disorder (PTSD) symptoms, depressive symptoms, and current pain severity.
      Multivariate logistic regression was used to examine the association between
      gender, cigarette smoking status, and current moderate to severe musculoskeletal
      pain. Results: Findings indicated a significant gender by smoking interaction on
      moderate/severe musculoskeletal pain, adjusting for age, self-reported
      race/ethnicity and weight status, combat exposure, probable PTSD, depressive
      symptoms, service-connected injury during deployment, and VA health care service
      utilization. Deconstruction of the interaction indicated that female veteran
      smokers, relative to female nonsmokers, had increased odds of endorsing moderate
      to severe musculoskeletal pain (odds ratio [OR] = 2.73, 95% confidence interval
      [CI] = 1.16-6.41), whereas this difference was nonsignificant for male veterans
      (OR = 1.03, 95% CI = 0.69-1.56). Conclusions: Survey data from Operation Enduring
      Freedom/Operation Iraqi Freedom veterans suggest an association between current
      smoking, gender, and moderate to severe musculoskeletal pain. The stronger
      relationship between smoking and pain in women supports the need for
      interventional and longitudinal research that can inform gender-based risk
      factors for pain in veteran cigarette smokers.

PMID- 28340110
TI  - Peri-mitral atrial flutter: personalized ablation strategy based on
      arrhythmogenic substrate.
AB  - Aims: The aim of this study is to characterize the arrhythmogenic substrate for
      peri-mitral atrial flutter (PMAFL), thereby determining a personalized ablation
      strategy to treat PMAFL. Methods and results: Thirty-six consecutive PMAFL
      patients (mean age: 63.8 +/- 11.3, 23 males) underwent detailed three-dimensional
      electroanatomic mapping in left atrium (LA). The LA was divided into septal
      anterior wall (SAW), posterior inferior wall (PIW), and mitral isthmus (MI)
      region, respectively. Ablation strategy was determined based on the endocardial
      bipolar voltage map. Based on electrophysiological substrates, 10, 17, and 9
      cases were classified into iatrogenic, spontaneous, and no-substrate PMAFL,
      respectively. The mean voltage in SAW was significantly lower in spontaneous
      PMAFL (iatrogenic: 1.07 +/- 0.66 mV; spontaneous: 0.65 +/- 0.44 mV; no-substrate:
      1.60 +/- 0.53 mV, P <0.001), while iatrogenic PMAFL patients had the lowest
      voltage in MI (0.51 +/- 0.23 mV vs. 1.55 +/- 0.78 mV, 1.61 +/- 0.56 mV, P
      <0.001). No low-voltage or slow conduction zone was found in the no-substrate
      PMAFL group. Fifteen spontaneous PMAFLs were successfully terminated by modified
      septal-anterior (9/10) or conventional anterior ablation line (6/7). Eight
      iatrogenic PMAFLs (8/10) were terminated by reinforcing the previous ablation
      areas. Cardioversion without PMAFL ablation was done in no-substrate PMAFL
      patients. After a median follow-up of 12 (7-39) months, two spontaneous PMAFL
      patients received redo procedures for recurrence due to "gap" conduction.
      Conclusions: The ablation strategy for PMAFL patients should be based on the
      arrhythmogenic substrate, but not the indiscriminate MI ablation. No-substrate
      PMAFLs during AF ablation could be monitored after cardioversion and might not
      need further ablation.

PMID- 28340111
TI  - Assessment of Patient-Reported Outcome Instruments to Assess Chronic Low Back
      Pain.
AB  - Objective: To identify patient-reported outcome (PRO) instruments that assess
      chronic low back pain (cLBP) symptoms (specifically pain qualities) and/or
      impacts for potential use in cLBP clinical trials to demonstrate treatment
      benefit and support labeling claims. Design: Literature review of existing PRO
      measures. Methods: Publications detailing existing PRO measures for cLBP were
      identified, reviewed, and summarized. As recommended by the US Food & Drug
      Administration (FDA) PRO development guidance, standard measurement
      characteristics were reviewed, including development history, psychometric
      properties (validity and reliability), ability to detect change, and
      interpretation of observed changes. Results: Thirteen instruments were selected
      and reviewed: Low Back Pain Bothersomeness Scale, Neuropathic Pain Symptom
      Inventory, PainDETECT, Pain Quality Assessment Scale Revised, Revised Short Form
      McGill Pain Questionnaire, Low Back Pain Impact Questionnaire, Oswestry
      Disability Index, Pain Disability Index, Roland-Morris Disability Questionnaire,
      Brief Pain Inventory and Brief Pain Inventory Short Form, Musculoskeletal
      Outcomes Data Evaluation and Management System Spine Module, Orebro
      Musculoskeletal Pain Questionnaire, and the West Haven-Yale Multidimensional Pain
      Inventory Interference Scale. The instruments varied in the aspects of pain
      and/or impacts that they assessed, and none of the instruments fulfilled all
      criteria for use in clinical trials to support labeling claims based on
      recommendations outlined in the FDA PRO guidance. Conclusions: There is an unmet
      need for a validated PRO instrument to evaluate cLBP-related symptoms and impacts
      for use in clinical trials.

PMID- 28340112
TI  - Long-Term Mortality of Patients with an Alcohol-Related Wernicke-Korsakoff
      Syndrome.
AB  - Aims: To characterize a series of contemporary patients with alcohol-related
      Wernicke's encephalopathy (WE) or Korsakoff's syndrome (KS) and to update the
      current prognosis of disease. Methods: Retrospective and prospective study of
      patients diagnosed with an alcohol-related WE or KS between 2002 and 2011 in a
      tertiary hospital. Socio-demographic, alcohol use characteristics, signs and
      symptoms, co-morbidity and blood parameters were obtained at admission. Patients
      were followed up until 2013 and causes of death were ascertained through the
      review of charts. Results: Sixty-one patients were included (51 with WE and 10
      with KS). Among patients with WE, 78% were men and age at diagnosis was 57 years
      (interquartile range (IQR): 49-66). Twenty-three percent fulfilled the classic WE
      triad. Regarding Caine's criteria for WE, 70.6% presented with at least two out
      of four signs or symptoms. Median follow-up of patients with WE syndrome was 5.3
      years (IQR: 2.6-8.8), the cumulated mortality was 45% and death rate of 7.4 * 100
      person-years (95% confidence interval (CI): 4.8-10.9). Overall, 50% of patients
      would be expected to die within 8 years of WE episode and main causes of death
      included serious bacterial infections (44.5%) and cancer (33.3%). Conclusions:
      Survival of patients with an alcohol-related Wernicke-Korsakoff syndrome is poor;
      pursuing treatment of alcohol use disorder and early diagnosis of thiamine
      deficiency is a priority for improving clinical outcomes.

PMID- 28340114
TI  - The Pain-Related Cognitive Processes Questionnaire: Development and Validation.
AB  - Objective: Cognitive processes may be characterized as how individuals think,
      whereas cognitive content constitutes what individuals think. Both cognitive
      processes and cognitive content are theorized to play important roles in chronic
      pain adjustment, and treatments have been developed to target both. However, the
      evaluation of treatments that target cognitive processes is limited because
      extant measures do not satisfactorily separate cognitive process from cognitive
      content. The current study aimed to develop a self-report inventory of
      potentially adaptive and presumed maladaptive attentional processes that may
      occur when someone is experiencing pain. Methods: Scales were derived from a
      large item pool by successively applying confirmatory factor analysis to item
      data from two undergraduate samples (N = 393 and 233). Results: Items, which were
      generated to avoid confounding of cognitive content with cognitive processes,
      represented nine constructs: Suppression, Distraction, Enhancement, Dissociation,
      Reappraisal, Absorption, Rumination, Nonjudgment, and Acceptance. The resulting
      nine scales formed the Pain-Related Cognitive Process Questionnaire (PCPQ), and
      scale correlations produced four conceptually distinct composite scales: Pain
      Diversion, Pain Distancing, Pain Focus, and Pain Openness. Internal consistency
      reliabilities of the nine scales were adequate (alpha >= 0.70) to good, and the
      four composite scales had alpha values of 0.79 or higher. Correlations with pain
      related criterion variables were generally consistent with putative constructs.
      Conclusions: The developed PCPQ scales offer a comprehensive assessment of
      important cognitive processes specific to pain. Overall, the findings suggest
      that the PCPQ scales may prove useful for evaluating the role of pain-related
      cognitive processes in studies of chronic pain.

PMID- 28340113
TI  - GATA1 Is a Sensitive and Specific Nuclear Marker for Erythroid and Megakaryocytic
      Lineages.
AB  - Objectives: GATA binding factor 1 (GATA1) is a transcription factor essential for
      erythromegakaryocytic differentiation. Given its function in lineage
      specification, we sought to evaluate the immunohistochemical profile of GATA1 in
      normal marrow and acute leukemia and assess the use of GATA1 as a specific
      erythromegakaryocytic immunohistochemical marker. Methods: Immunohistochemical
      studies for GATA1 expression were performed on bone marrow biopsy specimens to
      define its role in the evaluation of acute leukemia and other hematologic
      disorders. Results: In normal marrows, intense nuclear reactivity is seen in
      immature erythroid precursors and megakaryocytes. Weak to moderate nuclear
      positivity is seen in eosinophils and mast cells. In marrows involved by acute
      leukemia, blasts of pure erythroleukemia and acute megakaryoblastic leukemia
      exhibit intense nuclear GATA1 positivity, while blasts of acute myeloid leukemia
      of other categories are negative. GATA1 is also absent in the blasts of acute
      lymphoblastic leukemia/lymphoma and in the neoplastic cells of metastatic
      carcinoma and plasma cell neoplasms. Conclusions: Intense GATA1 nuclear
      expression is a sensitive and specific marker for cells of erythroid and
      megakaryocytic lineages and is an excellent marker for neoplastic cells of pure
      erythroleukemia and acute megakaryoblastic leukemia.

PMID- 28340115
TI  - Cellular Senescence in Mouse Hippocampus After Irradiation and the Role of p53
      and p21.
AB  - Diverse stress signals including irradiation may trigger cellular senescence. We
      asked whether irradiation induced senescence in mouse hippocampus, and whether
      p53 or p21 played a role in this response. Following whole-brain irradiation,
      polymerase chain reaction (PCR) arrays for senescence-associated genes showed
      increased expression of CDKN1A (p21) and CDKN2A (p19ARF) in mouse hippocampus at
      9 weeks. Upregulation of p21 and p19ARF was confirmed using real-time PCR, which
      also demonstrated increased CDKN2A/p16INKa expression after irradiation. No
      altered regulation of another 17 senescence-associated genes was observed after
      irradiation. Immunohistochemistry revealed increased nuclear expression of
      p16INK4A, p19ARF, p53, p21, phosphorylated p38 (pp38), 4-hydroxy-2-nonenal, and
      interleukin-6 (IL6) in granule cells of dentate gyrus after irradiation.
      Increased p16 nuclear immunoreactivity was further observed in type -1 cells, the
      putative neural stem cells. gamma-phosphorylated-histone-2A nuclear foci were
      also seen in dentate gyrus 9 weeks postirradiation. In nonirradiated mice
      knockout of the TRP53 or p21 gene, there was increased p16INK4A, p19ARF, and IL6,
      but not pp38 in dentate gyrus. We conclude that irradiation induces transcript
      and protein expression profile alterations in mouse dentate gyrus consistent with
      the senescence phenotype. Absence of p53 or p21 results in increase in baseline
      expression of senescence markers with no further increase in expression after
      irradiation.

PMID- 28340117
TI  - An evaluation of the performance of the Dynamiker(r) Fungus (1-3)-beta-D-Glucan
      Assay to assist in the diagnosis of invasive aspergillosis, invasive candidiasis
      and Pneumocystis pneumonia.
AB  - Invasive fungal disease (IFD) can be caused by a range of pathogens. Conventional
      diagnosis has the capacity to detect most causes of IFD, but poor performance
      limits impact. The introduction of non-culture diagnostics, including the
      detection of (1-3)-beta-D-Glucan (BDG), has shown promising performance for the
      detection of IFD in variety of clinical settings. Recently, the Dynamiker(r)
      Fungus (1-3)-beta-D-Glucan assay (D-BDG) was released as an IFD diagnostic test.
      This article describes an evaluation of the D-BDG assay for the diagnosis of
      invasive aspergillosis (IA), invasive candidiasis (IC) and Pneumocystis pneumonia
      (PCP) across several high-risk patient cohorts and provides comparative data with
      the Associates of Cape Cod Fungitell(r) and BioRad PlateliaTM Aspergillus Ag (GM)
      assays. There were 163 serum samples from 121 patients tested, from 21 probable
      IA cases, 28 proven IC cases, six probable PCP cases, one probable IFD case, 14
      possible IFD cases and 64 control patients. For proven/probable IFD the mean BDG
      concentration was 209pg/ml, significantly greater than the control population
      (73pg/ml; P: <.0001). The sensitivity, specificity, and diagnostic odds ratio for
      proven/probable IFD was 81.4%, 78.1%, and 15.5, respectively. Significant BDG
      false positivity (9/13) was associated post abdominal surgery. D-BDG showed fair
      and good agreement with the Fungitell(r), and GM assays, respectively. In
      conclusion, the D-BDG provides a useful adjunct test to aid the diagnosis of IFD,
      with technical flexibility that will assist laboratories processing low sample
      numbers. Further, large scale, prospective evaluation is required to confirm the
      clinical validity and determine clinical utility.

PMID- 28340118
TI  - Group Music Therapy as a Preventive Intervention for Young People at Risk:
      Cluster-Randomized Trial.
AB  - Background: Music forms an important part of the lives and identities of
      adolescents and may have positive or negative mental health implications. Music
      therapy can be effective for mental disorders such as depression, but its
      preventive potential is unknown. Objective: The aim of this study was to examine
      whether group music therapy (GMT) is an effective intervention for young people
      who may be at risk of developing mental health problems, as indicated via
      unhealthy music use. The main question was whether GMT can reduce unhealthy uses
      of music and increase potentials for healthy uses of music, compared to self
      directed music listening (SDML). We were also interested in effects of GMT on
      depressive symptoms, psychosocial well-being, rumination, and reflection.
      Methods: In an exploratory cluster-randomized trial in Australian schools, 100
      students with self-reported unhealthy music use were invited to GMT (weekly
      sessions over 8 weeks) or SDML. Changes in the Healthy-Unhealthy Music Scale
      (HUMS) and mental health outcomes were measured over 3 months. Results: Both
      interventions were well accepted. No effects were found between GMT and SDML (all
      p > 0.05); both groups tended to show small improvements over time. Younger
      participants benefited more from GMT, and older ones more from SDML (p = 0.018).
      Conclusions: GMT was associated with similar changes as SDML. Further research is
      needed to improve the processes of selecting participants for targeted
      interventions; to determine optimal dosage; and to provide more reliable evidence
      of effects of music-based interventions for adolescents.

PMID- 28340119
TI  - The risk of nephrolithiasis is causally related to inactive matrix Gla protein, a
      marker of vitamin K status: a Mendelian randomization study in a Flemish
      population.
AB  - Background: Vitamin K (VK)-dependent gamma-glutamate carboxylation and serine
      phosphorylation activate matrix Gla protein (MGP) to a potent locally acting
      inhibitor of calcification. Nephrolithiasis represents a process of unwanted
      calcification associated with substantial mortality and high recurrence rates. We
      hypothesized that the risk of nephrolithiasis increases with VK shortage, as
      exemplified by higher plasma levels of desphospho-uncarboxylated MGP (dp-ucMGP).
      Methods: In 1748 randomly recruited Flemish individuals (51.1% women; mean age
      46.8 years), we determined dp-ucMGP and the prevalence of nephrolithiasis at
      baseline (April 1996-February 2015) and its incidence during follow-up until
      March 2016. We estimated the multivariable-adjusted relative risk associated with
      the doubling of dp-ucMGP, using logistic or Cox regression. We did a Mendelian
      randomization analysis using four MGP genotypes as instrumental variables.
      Results: With adjustments applied for sex, age and 24-h urinary volume and
      calcium excretion, the odds of having prevalent nephrolithiasis [n = 144 (8.2%)]
      associated with dp-ucMGP was 1.31 [95% confidence interval (CI) 1.04-1.64; P =
      0.022]. dp-ucMGP levels were associated (P <= 0.001) with MGP variants rs2098435,
      rs4236 and rs2430692. In the Mendelian analysis, the causal odds ratio was 3.82
      (95% CI 1.15-12.7; P = 0.029). The incidence of nephrolithiasis over 12.0 years
      (median) was 37 cases (0.2%). With similar adjustments as before, the hazard
      ratio in relation to dp-ucMGP was 2.48 (95% CI 1.71-3.61; P < 0.001). Additional
      adjustment for a nephrolithiasis propensity score produced consistent results.
      Conclusion: Higher levels of inactive dp-ucMGP may be causally associated with
      the risk of nephrolithiasis. Whether or not VK deficiency plays a role in these
      observations remains to be firmly established.

PMID- 28340120
TI  - Location, Location, Location: Appraising the Pleiotropic Function of HMGB1 in
      Fetal Brain.

PMID- 28340121
TI  - Atrioventricular nodal echoes over a wide echo window as a therapeutic end point
      for the catheter-guided radiofrequency ablation of atrioventricular nodal
      reentrant tachycardia: a prospective study.
AB  - Aims: In previous retrospective studies, it was shown that the presence of
      residual single atrioventricular node (AVN) echoes with an echo zone longer than
      30 ms may increase the rate of recurrence after radiofrequency ablation (RFA) of
      slow pathway in patients with AVN reentrant tachycardia (AVNRT). Based on that,
      some centres perform additional RFA in these patients. However, this opinion has
      never been tested prospectively and many centres do not perform re-ablation in
      these patients. The purpose of this study was to test whether persistence of a
      single AVN echo over a wide echo zone is a valid end point for RFA. Methods and
      results: In this prospective study, 576 patients who had a non-inducible
      arrhythmia post-RFA of AVNRT were divided into those with a remnant echo over a
      wide echo zone (case group) and those reaching classical end points (control
      group). The primary end point of the study was recurrence and patients were
      followed for 34.5 +/- 18.8 months. In the control group (n = 510), 14 patients
      (2.7%) had a recurrence while no recurrence was seen in the case group (n = 66)
      (final cure rate, 97.3 vs. 100%; difference, 2.7%; upper bound of the 98% CI,
      0.0488; P < 0.0001 for non-inferiority). Two complete heart blocks (0.4%)
      happened in the control group and none in the case group (P = 0.784). Conclusion:
      Non-inducibility in the presence of a wide echo window is non-inferior to non
      inducibility in the presence of narrow echo window or no AVN echoes. In general,
      the presence of a single echo beat is not an indication for further ablation and
      this applies for both narrow and wide windows.

PMID- 28340123
TI  - Rapid Ascent From Zero Quality to International Organization for Standardization
      Accreditation: A Case Study of Hai Duong Preventive Medicine Center in Vietnam,
      2012-2013.
AB  - Objectives: In 2012, the Vietnam Ministry of Health sought to improve the quality
      of health laboratories by introducing international quality standards. Methods:
      Strengthening Laboratory Management Toward Accreditation (SLMTA), a year-long,
      structured, quality improvement curriculum (including projects and mentorship)
      was piloted in 12 laboratories. Progress was measured using a standardized audit
      tool (Stepwise Laboratory Quality Improvement Process Towards Accreditation).
      Results: All 12 pilot laboratories (a mix of hospital and public health)
      demonstrated improvement; median scores rose from 44% to 78% compliance. The
      public health laboratory in Hai Duong Province entered the program with the
      lowest score of the group (28%) yet concluded with the highest score (86%). Five
      months after the completion of the program, without any additional external
      support, they were accredited. Laboratory management/staff describe factors key
      to their success: support from the facility senior management, how-to guidance
      provided by SLMTA, support from the site mentor, and strong commitment of
      laboratory staff. Conclusions: Hai Duong preventive medical center is one of only
      a handful of laboratories to reach accreditation after participation in SLMTA and
      the only laboratory to do so without additional support. Due to the success seen
      in Hai Duong and other pilot laboratories, Vietnam has expanded the use of SLMTA.

PMID- 28340124
TI  - Depressive Symptoms and Involvement in Physical Fighting among Portuguese
      Adolescents.
AB  - In this article, authors present findings on the relationship between depressive
      symptoms and involvement in physical fighting in late adolescence. Participants
      were 1,380 Portuguese adolescents initially recruited in 2003 to the EPITeen
      cohort. Depressive symptoms were assessed at 13 and 17 years of age using Beck
      Depressive Inventory II (BDI). Physical fighting was recorded at the age of 17.
      For girls, there was a significant association between depressive symptoms and
      physical fighting for those who scored BDI >13 at 17 years old and remained
      statistically significant after adjustment. For boys, those who scored >13 in
      both study waves presented higher crude odds to engage in fights that were
      attenuated after adjusting for grade retention. Depressive symptoms were
      significantly related to physical fighting involvement during adolescence, for
      both genders. However, whereas for female adolescents the association was
      significant when relevant symptoms and fighting occurred in the same period, for
      male adolescents such symptoms must have persisted from 13 to 17 years of age.

PMID- 28340122
TI  - Potential Role of Patients' CYP3A-Status in Clozapine Pharmacokinetics.
AB  - Background: The atypical antipsychotic clozapine is effective in treatment
      resistant schizophrenia; however, the success or failure of clozapine therapy is
      substantially affected by the variables that impact the clozapine blood
      concentration. Thus, elucidating the inter-individual differences in clozapine
      pharmacokinetics can facilitate the personalized therapy. Methods: Since a
      potential role in clozapine metabolism is assigned to CYP1A2, CYP2C19, CYP2D6 and
      CYP3A enzymes, the association between the patients' CYP status (CYP genotypes,
      CYP expression) and clozapine clearance was evaluated in 92 psychiatric patients.
      Results: The patients' CYP2C19 or CYP2D6 genotypes and CYP1A2 expression seemed
      to have no effect on clozapine serum concentration, whereas CYP3A4 expression
      significantly influenced the normalized clozapine concentration (185.53+/-56.53
      in low expressers vs 78.05+/-29.57 or 66.52+/-0.25 (ng/mL)/(mg/kg) in normal or
      high expressers, P<.0001), in particular that the patients expressed CYP1A2 at a
      relatively low level. The functional CYP3A5*1 allele seemed to influence
      clozapine concentrations in those patients who expressed CYP3A4 at low levels.
      The dose requirement for the therapeutic concentration of clozapine was
      substantially lower in low CYP3A4 expresser patients than in normal/high
      expressers (2.18+/-0.64 vs 4.98+/-1.40 mg/kg, P<.0001). Furthermore,
      significantly higher plasma concentration ratios of norclozapine/clozapine and
      clozapine N-oxide/clozapine were observed in the patients displaying normal/high
      CYP3A4 expression than in the low expressers. Conclusion: Prospective assaying of
      CYP3A-status (CYP3A4 expression, CYP3A5 genotype) may better identify the
      patients with higher risk of inefficiency or adverse reactions and may facilitate
      the improvement of personalized clozapine therapy; however, further clinical
      studies are required to prove the benefit of CYP3A testing for patients under
      clozapine therapy.

PMID- 28340125
TI  - The Association of Lesbian, Gay, and Bisexual Identity Facets With Smoking
      Dependence Motives.
AB  - Introduction: Lesbian, gay, and bisexual (LGB) adults have higher rates of
      smoking than heterosexual adults. LGB individuals face unique stressors,
      including challenges associated with having a LGB identity. The extent to which
      these unique stressors are related to dependence motives in LGB adult smokers,
      however, has not been previously explored. The current study was conducted to
      redress these gaps. Methods: Participants (N = 52; Mage = 42.8; 55.8%
      Black/African American) were recruited from the local community. Identity facets
      were measured by the Lesbian, Gay, and Bisexual Identity Scale (LGBIS).
      Dependence motives were measured by the Brief Wisconsin Inventory of Smoking
      Dependence Motives. Linear multiple regressions were calculated with the
      predictors of seven LGBIS subscales for primary and secondary dependence motives,
      respectively. Results: Primary dependence motives (core nicotine dependence
      features) were predicted by affirmation of LGB identity (beta = 0.44). Secondary
      dependence motives (eg, taste, cognitive/affective enhancement) were predicted by
      uncertainty of LGB identity (beta = 0.43). Conclusions: LGB identity affirmation
      was associated with primary dependence motives, suggesting that a positive view
      of one's sexual orientation is a risk factor for dependence. It may be that
      identity affirmation is related to stronger involvement with the LGB community,
      which has smoking-friendly norms. Identity uncertainty was associated with
      secondary dependence motives; this unique identity challenge may represent a
      stressor contributing to smoking dependence. Findings can help explain the higher
      rate of smoking in LGB populations and offer avenues to better tailor smoking
      cessation interventions. Implications: The current study is the first to examine
      multidimensional aspects of LGB identity in explaining smoking dependence motives
      among LGB adults. Results reveal that LGB identity challenges are associated with
      dependence motives, suggesting that interventions targeting these challenges may
      be help reduce LGB smoking disparities. Specifically, reducing identity
      uncertainty may help reduce smoking dependence. Though identity affirmation was a
      smoking dependence correlate, it is counterproductive to reduce affirmation,
      given its association with other positive health outcomes. Rather, interventions
      to change LGB community norms around smoking appear warranted, given the
      documented high overlap between affirmation and community affiliation.

PMID- 28340126
TI  - Association Between Socioeconomic Status and Access to Care and Quitting Smoking
      With and Without Assistance.
AB  - Introduction: Socio-economic disparities in smoking rates persist, in Ontario,
      despite public health care and universal tobacco control policies. Mechanisms for
      continuing disparities are not fully understood. Unequal access or utilization of
      assistance for cessation may contribute. The objective of this research was to
      use longitudinal data on smokers to examine the associations between
      socioeconomic status (SES) and access to care measures and assisted and
      unassisted quit attempts. Methods: Data were taken from 3578 smokers with at
      least one follow-up interview participating in the Ontario Tobacco Survey (OTS).
      Multinomial regression models with imputed missing values were run for each
      measure of SES and access to care to assess the association with quitting
      behavior and use of assistance, unadjusted and while adjusting for smoking
      history and demographic covariates. Results: Adjusted analyses found smokers
      living in areas with the lowest ethnic concentration were more likely to make an
      assisted quit attempt compared to unassisted quitting (RR = 1.64; 95% CI = 1.08
      2.50) or making no quit attempt (RR = 1.65; 95% CI = 1.15-2.37). Smokers who
      reported visiting a doctor in the previous 6 months were more likely to quit with
      assistance versus unassisted compared to those not visiting a doctor, whether
      they were advised (RR = 1.89, 95% CI = 1.43-2.48) or not advised to quit (OR =
      1.32, 95% CI = 1.01-1.74). Similar results were seen when comparing assisted quit
      attempts with no quit attempts. Conclusions: Adjusted analyses showed that
      quitting with assistance was unrelated to measures of SES except ethnic
      concentration. Physician intervention with patients who smoke is important for
      increasing assisted quit attempts. Implications: For most measures of SES there
      were no significant associations with either assisted or unassisted quitting
      adjusting for demographic and smoking history. Smokers who live in areas with the
      lowest ethnic concentration were most likely to use assistance as were smokers
      who visited their doctor and were advised to quit smoking. Interventions to
      increase the delivery of effective quitting methods in smokers living in areas
      with high ethnic concentrations and to increase physician compliance with asking
      and advising patients to quit may increase assisted quit attempts.

PMID- 28340127
TI  - Do Interoceptive Sensations Provoke Fearful Responses in Adolescents With Chronic
      Headache or Chronic Abdominal Pain? A Preliminary Experimental Study.
AB  - Objective: To determine whether fear can be triggered when experiencing
      interoceptive sensations locally proximal to the primary pain region.  Two groups
      of adolescents (11-18 years) with chronic headache ( n  = 20) or chronic
      abdominal pain (CAP; n  = 20) completed three muscle tensing tasks to induce
      proximal versus distal sensations: (1) "frown" task (proximal for chronic
      headache; distal for CAP), (2) "tighten stomach" task (proximal for CAP; distal
      for chronic headache), and (3) safe comparison task (clench fist). Fear and
      avoidance were assessed via self-report. Adolescents with CAP reported greater
      fear and avoidance after the proximal compared with the distal task, while
      adolescents with chronic headache did not. Both groups reported similar levels of
      fear and avoidance in the frown and safe comparison task.  Results suggest that
      the perception of proximal interoceptive sensations appears to activate the fear
      system in adolescents with CAP. Future research is warranted.

PMID- 28340128
TI  - Crossing the health IT chasm: considerations and policy recommendations to
      overcome current challenges and enable value-based care.
AB  - While great progress has been made in digitizing the US health care system,
      today's health information technology (IT) infrastructure remains largely a
      collection of systems that are not designed to support a transition to value
      based care. In addition, the pursuit of value-based care, in which we deliver
      better care with better outcomes at lower cost, places new demands on the health
      care system that our IT infrastructure needs to be able to support. Provider
      organizations pursuing new models of health care delivery and payment are finding
      that their electronic systems lack the capabilities needed to succeed. The result
      is a chasm between the current health IT ecosystem and the health IT ecosystem
      that is desperately needed.In this paper, we identify a set of focal goals and
      associated near-term achievable actions that are critical to pursue in order to
      enable the health IT ecosystem to meet the acute needs of modern health care
      delivery. These ideas emerged from discussions that occurred during the 2015
      American Medical Informatics Association Policy Invitational Meeting. To
      illustrate the chasm and motivate our recommendations, we created a vignette from
      the multistakeholder perspectives of a patient, his provider, and
      researchers/innovators. It describes an idealized scenario in which each
      stakeholder's needs are supported by an integrated health IT environment. We
      identify the gaps preventing such a reality today and present associated policy
      recommendations that serve as a blueprint for critical actions that would enable
      us to cross the current health IT chasm by leveraging systems and information to
      routinely deliver high-value care.

PMID- 28340130
TI  - Falling Down on the Job: Evaluation and Treatment of Fall Risk Among Older Adults
      With Upper Extremity Fragility Fractures.
AB  - Background: Clinical practice guidelines recommend fall risk assessment and
      intervention for older adults who sustain a fall-related injury to prevent future
      injury and mobility decline. Objective: The aim of this study was to describe how
      often Medicare beneficiaries with upper extremity fracture receive evaluation and
      treatment for fall risk. Design: Observational cohort. Methods: Participants were
      fee-for-service beneficiaries age 66 to 99 treated as outpatients for proximal
      humerus or distal radius/ulna ("wrist") fragility fractures. -Participants were
      studied using Carrier and Outpatient Hospital files. The proportion of patients
      evaluated or treated for fall risk up to 6 months after proximal humerus or wrist
      fracture from 2007-2009 was examined based on evaluation, treatment, and
      diagnosis codes. Time to evaluation and number of treatment sessions were
      calculated. Logistic regression was used to analyze patient characteristics that
      predicted receiving evaluation or treatment. Narrow (gait training) and broad
      (gait training or therapeutic exercise) definitions of service were used.
      Results: There were 309,947 beneficiaries who sustained proximal humerus (32%) or
      wrist fracture (68%); 10.7% received evaluation or treatment for fall risk or
      gait issues (humerus: 14.2%; wrist: 9.0%). Using the broader definition, the
      percentage increased to 18.5% (humerus: 23.4%; wrist: 16.3%). Factors associated
      with higher likelihood of services after fracture were: evaluation or treatment
      for falls or gait prior to fracture, more comorbidities, prior nursing home stay,
      older age, humerus fracture (vs wrist), female sex, and white race. Limitations:
      Claims analysis may underestimate physician and physical therapist fall
      assessments, but it is not likely to qualitatively change the results.
      Conclusions: A small proportion of older adults with upper extremity fracture
      received fall risk assessment and treatment. Providers and health systems must
      advance efforts to provide timely evidence-based management of fall risk in this
      population.

PMID- 28340131
TI  - Interobserver Variability in Histologic Evaluation of Liver Fibrosis Using
      Categorical and Quantitative Scores.
AB  - Objectives: The aim of the study was to investigate the interobserver agreement
      for categorical and quantitative scores of liver fibrosis. Methods: Sixty-five
      consecutive biopsy specimens from patients with mixed liver disease etiologies
      were assessed by three pathologists using the Ishak and nonalcoholic
      steatohepatitis Clinical Research Network (NASH CRN) scoring systems, and the
      fibrosis area (collagen proportionate area [CPA]) was estimated by visual
      inspection (visual-CPA). A subset of 20 biopsy specimens was analyzed using
      digital imaging analysis (DIA) for the measurement of CPA (DIA-CPA). Results: The
      bivariate weighted kappa between any two pathologists ranged from 0.57 to 0.67
      for Ishak staging and from 0.47 to 0.57 for the NASH CRN staging. Bland-Altman
      analysis showed poor agreement between all possible pathologist pairings for
      visual-CPA but good agreement between all pathologist pairings for DIA-CPA. There
      was good agreement between the two pathologists who assessed biopsy specimens by
      visual-CPA and DIA-CPA. The intraclass correlation coefficient, which is
      equivalent to the kappa statistic for continuous variables, was 0.78 for visual
      CPA and 0.97 for DIA-CPA. Conclusions: These results suggest that DIA-CPA is the
      most robust method for assessing liver fibrosis followed by visual-CPA.
      Categorical scores perform less well than both the quantitative CPA scores
      assessed here.

PMID- 28340132
TI  - The Impact of Weight and Weight-Related Perceptions on Smoking Status Among Young
      Adults in a Text-Messaging Cessation Program.
AB  - Introduction: Weight gain and concerns about weight can influence a smoker's
      ability to successfully quit, and young adults are a subgroup of smokers who are
      particularly concerned about the impact of quitting on their body weight. This
      study explored the associations between body mass index, weight perceptions, and
      smoking status among young adults. Methods: The sample consisted of 4027 young
      adults between the ages of 18 and 29 who participated in a randomized control
      trial of the National Cancer Institute's SmokefreeTXT program. Multivariable
      logistic regression models were used to examine the associations between weight
      related variables and smoking status. Results: Obese participants had a 0.72
      lower odds (95% CI: 0.62, 0.85) of reporting smoking at the end of the program
      than participants of normal weight, and this difference persisted over time.
      Weight perceptions were also associated with smoking status. Those who perceived
      themselves to be slightly underweight/underweight were more likely to report
      smoking than those who reported being just about the right weight (OR: 1.53, 95%
      CI: 1.20, 1.95), and those who strongly disagreed that smoking cigarettes helps
      people keep their weight down were less likely to report smoking at the end of
      treatment than those who neither agreed nor disagreed with this statement (OR:
      0.69, 95% CI: 0.54, 0.87). Conclusions: Weight related factors assessed at
      baseline predicted smoking status at the end of treatment and through long term
      follow-up. Smoking cessation programs that tailor content to addresses the
      specific needs of weight concerned smokers may enhance effectiveness.
      Implications: This study explores the association between weight related factors
      and smoking status among young adults, a priority population for smoking
      cessation efforts. This study demonstrates that both actual weight and weight
      perceptions (eg, perception of body weight, perception of associations between
      smoking and weight) are associated with smoking outcomes, and thus need to be a
      considered in the development of smoking cessation programs.

PMID- 28340133
TI  - A rare case of rheumatoid pachyleptomeningitis successfully treated with
      rituximab.

PMID- 28340134
TI  - Primary Motor Cortex Organization Is Altered in Persistent Patellofemoral Pain.
AB  - Objective: Reorganization of the primary motor cortex (M1) may be a feature of
      persistent patellofemoral pain (PFP), but no studies have investigated M1
      organization in this condition. Here we aimed to examine the organization of the
      M1 representation of the quadriceps muscles in people with PFP and healthy
      controls. Design: Using a cross-sectional design, the M1 representation of the
      rectus femoris, vastus lateralis, and vastus medialis was mapped using
      transcranial magnetic stimulation in 11 individuals with PFP and 11 controls.
      Measures of pain severity were also made. Results: Individuals with PFP had
      reduced map volumes (P < 0.001) and an anterior shift in the M1 representation (P
      = 0.03) across all three quadriceps muscles compared with controls. Greater
      overlap of the M1 representation (P = 0.02) and a reduction in the number of
      discrete cortical peaks (P = 0.009) across all three quadriceps muscles were also
      observed in individuals with PFP compared with controls. There was no
      relationship between altered M1 organization and pain in PFP. Conclusions: These
      findings provide evidence of altered M1 organization in individuals with PFP
      compared with healthy controls. Notably, no difference in M1 organization was
      observed for the medial and lateral heads of the quadriceps in PFP. These data
      have relevance for our understanding of the pathophysiology of PFP and for the
      design of future treatments that aim to target M1 in this condition.

PMID- 28340135
TI  - Modeling longitudinal data and its impact on survival in observational nephrology
      studies: tools and considerations.
AB  - Nephrologists and kidney disease researchers are often interested in monitoring
      how patients' clinical and laboratory measures change over time, what factors may
      impact these changes, and how these changes may lead to differences in morbidity,
      mortality, and other outcomes. When longitudinal data with repeated measures over
      time in the same patients are available, there are a number of analytical
      approaches that could be employed to describe the trends and changes in these
      measures, and to explore the associations of these changes with outcomes.
      Researchers may choose a streamlined and simplified analytic approach to examine
      trajectories with subsequent outcomes such as estimating deltas (subtraction of
      the last observation from the first observation) or estimating per patient slopes
      with linear regression. Conversely, they could more fully address the data
      complexity by using a longitudinal mixed model to estimate change as a predictor
      or employ a joint model, which can simultaneously model the longitudinal effect
      and its impact on an outcome such as survival. In this review, we aim to assist
      nephrologists and clinical researchers by reviewing these approaches in modeling
      the association of longitudinal change in a marker with outcomes, while
      appropriately considering the data complexity. Namely, we will discuss the use of
      simplified approaches for creating predictor variables representing change in
      measurements including deltas and patient slopes, as well more sophisticated
      longitudinal models including joint models, which can be used in addition to
      simplified models based on the indications and objectives of the study as
      warranted.

PMID- 28340136
TI  - The Effect of a "Class Smoke Free Pledge" on Breath Carbon Monoxide in Arabic
      Male Adolescents.
AB  - Introduction: Arabic male adolescents have a high smoking prevalence.
      Introduction of "Class smoke-free" pledges have been successful amongst European
      adolescents but have not been evaluated using objective valid measures. We tested
      the impact of adding a smoke free pledge strategy to a proven peer-led asthma and
      smoking prevention program on breath carbon monoxide level (BCO) in male high
      school students in Jordan. Methods: We enrolled male students from four high
      schools in Irbid, Jordan. Schools were randomly assigned to receive either TAJ
      (Triple A in Jordan, n = 218) or TAJ-Plus (with added class smoke-free pledge, n
      = 215). We hypothesized that students receiving TAJ-Plus would have greater
      reduction in BCO levels than those only receiving the TAJ intervention. Asthma
      and smoking status were assessed by self-administered questionnaires. Smoking
      outcomes were collected using a BCO Monitor. Results: Both groups had significant
      reductions in BCO levels post-intervention (p < .0001), however, decreases were
      greater in TAJ-Plus group (3.9 +/- 0.2 vs. 4.8 +/- 0.2, p < .0001). Intervention
      effects on BCO over time did not vary by smoking status (p = .085), asthma status
      (p = .602), or a combination of the two (p = .702). Conclusions: An added smoke
      free pledge strategy to a proven peer-led asthma education program appears to be
      a promising approach to motivate adolescents to abstain from smoking in Jordan.
      Future research is required to determine if these results can be extended to
      Jordanian adolescent females. Implications: A commitment by students via a "class
      smoke-free" pledge can be an added incentive to motivate adolescents in Arabic
      speaking countries to abstain from smoking. Social influence approaches in
      schools can be useful in countering the aggressive tobacco marketing campaigns
      targeting Jordanian and other Arabic-speaking youth. The combination of "class
      smoke-free" pledges and an evidence-based peer-led asthma and smoking education
      can be implemented in schools to influence adolescents with asthma to abstain
      from smoking.

PMID- 28340137
TI  - Questioning the preference for dual- vs. single-chamber implantable defibrillator
      in primary prevention implantable cardioverter-defibrillator recipients.

PMID- 28340139
TI  - Assessment of acute kidney injury in rhabdomyolytic mice by transcutaneous
      measurement of sinistrin excretion.
AB  - Background: Early and accurate assessment of renal function is required for the
      successful detection and treatment of acute kidney injury (AKI). However, only
      retention parameters such as plasma urea and creatinine, and the indirect
      estimation of glomerular filtration rate are commonly available. Methods: Here,
      we measured the kinetics of plasma fluorescein isothiocyanate (FITC)-sinistrin
      excretion to detect alterations of renal function over time in a murine model of
      rhabdomyolysis-induced AKI. The half-life of FITC-sinistrin was evaluated using a
      transcutaneous device at different time points in conscious mice, from 4 days
      before renal damage up to 30 days after. Retention markers were also evaluated,
      in parallel. Results: Evaluation of the FITC-sinistrin half-life revealed early
      reduction of renal filtration, observed as early as 6 h after renal damage, and
      maintained up to 12 h following AKI. Plasma creatinine and urea levels correlated
      with the transcutaneous measurements of sinistrin excretion. Evaluation of
      sinistrin excretion also demonstrated that glycerol-treated animals did not
      develop AKI. Finally, histological analysis showed the presence of renal
      parenchymal lesions, which developed following the reduced renal filtration and
      persisted over time, highlighting the causative role of vascular dysfunction and
      myoglobin toxicity on the subsequent induction of tissue damage. Conclusions:
      Taken together, the results of this study provide important insights into the
      pathophysiology of kidney injury in rhabdomyolytic mice, and indicate that the
      transcutaneous measurement of FITC-sinistrin is an efficient and simple method to
      assess renal function precisely. This method also allows reduction of the
      required number of experimental animals by monitoring the same mouse over time.

PMID- 28340140
TI  - Lipidomic profiling of endometrial fluid in women with ovarian endometriosis?.
AB  - The proteomic content of the endometrial fluid (EF) from patients with
      endometriosis has been investigated, but the lipidomic profile has not been
      analyzed yet in detail.This study is a comparative untargeted lipidomic analysis
      of human EF obtained from 35 patients (12 endometriosis and 23 controls). Global
      differential lipidomic profile was analyzed in both groups by ultrahigh
      performance liquid chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry. A total of 123
      out of the 457 metabolites identified in the EF were found to be significantly
      differentially expressed between ovarian endometriosis (OE) versus controls.
      Univariate statistical analysis showed reduced levels of saturated
      diacylglycerols and saturated triacylglycerols in endometriosis patients. A
      predictive model was generated using the 123 differentially expressed
      metabolites. Using this model, we were able to correctly classify 86% of the
      samples. This study identified the lipidomic profile in the EF associated with
      OE, suggesting that EF analysis could be considered as a minimally invasive
      approach for the diagnosis of endometriosis. In conclusion, the lipidomic profile
      of the EF is different between samples from patients with OE and controls.

PMID- 28340138
TI  - A life without worms.
AB  - Worms have co-evolved with humans over millions of years. To survive, they
      manipulate host systems by modulating immune responses so that they cause (in the
      majority of hosts) relatively subtle harm. Anthelminthic treatment has been
      promoted as a measure for averting worm specific pathology and to mitigate subtle
      morbidities which may include effects on anaemia, growth, cognitive function and
      economic activity. With our changing environment marked by rapid population
      growth, urbanisation, better hygiene practices and anthelminthic treatment, there
      has been a decline in worm infections and other infectious diseases and a rise in
      non-communicable diseases such as allergy, diabetes and cardiovascular disease.
      This review reflects upon our age-old interaction with worms, and the broader
      ramifications of life without worms for vaccine responses and susceptibility to
      other infections, and for allergy-related and metabolic disease. We touch upon
      the controversy around the benefits of mass drug administration for the more
      subtle morbidities that have been associated with worm infections and then focus
      our attention on broader, additional aspects of life without worms, which may be
      either beneficial or detrimental.

PMID- 28340141
TI  - The unfinished issue of ischaemic stroke and embolic events during catheter
      ablation of atrial fibrillation.

PMID- 28340142
TI  - Multigene signature for predicting prognosis of patients with 1p19q co-deletion
      diffuse glioma.
AB  - Background: Co-deletion of 1p and 19q marks a diffuse glioma subtype associated
      with relatively favorable overall survival; however, heterogeneous clinical
      outcomes are observed within this category. Methods: We assembled gene expression
      profiles and sample annotation of 374 glioma patients carrying the 1p/19q co
      deletion. We predicted 1p/19q status using gene expression when annotation was
      missing. A first cohort was randomly split into training (n = 170) and a
      validation dataset (n = 163). A second validation set consisted of 41 expression
      profiles. An elastic-net penalized Cox proportional hazards model was applied to
      build a classifier model through cross-validation within the training dataset.
      Results: The selected 35-gene signature was used to identify high-risk and low
      risk groups in the validation set, which showed significantly different overall
      survival (P = .00058, log-rank test). For time-to-death events, the high-risk
      group predicted by the gene signature yielded a hazard ratio of 1.78 (95%
      confidence interval, 1.02-3.11). The signature was also significantly associated
      with clinical outcome in the The Cancer Genome Atlas (CGA) IDH-mutant 1p/19q wild
      type and IDH-wild-type glioma cohorts. Pathway analysis suggested that high risk
      was associated with increased acetylation activity and inflammatory response.
      Tumor purity was found to be significantly decreased in high-risk IDH-mutant with
      1p/19q co-deletion gliomas and IDH-wild-type glioblastomas but not in IDH-wild
      type lower grade or IDH-mutant, non-co-deleted gliomas. Conclusion: We identified
      a 35-gene signature that identifies high-risk and low-risk categories of 1p/19q
      positive glioma patients. We have demonstrated heterogeneity amongst a relatively
      new glioma subtype and provided a stepping stone towards risk stratification.

PMID- 28340143
TI  - Protecting Pain Patients. The Evaluation of a Chronic Pain Educational
      Intervention.
AB  - Introduction: Advocacy and commercially funded education successfully reduced
      barriers to the provision of long-term opioid analgesia. The subsequent
      escalation of opioid prescribing for chronic noncancer pain has seen increasing
      harms without improved pain outcomes. Methods: This was a one-group pretest
      posttest design study. A multidisciplinary team developed a chronic pain
      educational package for general practitioner trainees emphasizing limitations,
      risk-mitigation, and deprescribing of opioids with transition to active self
      care. This educational intervention incorporated prereadings, a resource kit, and
      a 90-minute interactional video case-based workshop incorporated into an
      education day. Evaluation was via pre- and postintervention (two months)
      questionnaires. Differences in management of two clinical vignettes were tested
      using McNemar's test. Results: Of 58 eligible trainees, 47 (response rate =
      81.0%) completed both questionnaires (36 of whom attended the workshop). In a
      primary analysis including these 47 trainees, therapeutic intentions of tapering
      opioid maintenance for pain (in a paper-based clinical vignette) increased from
      37 (80.4%) pre-intervention to 44 (95.7%) postintervention (P = 0.039). In a
      sensitivity analysis including only trainees attending the workshop, 80.0% pre
      intervention and 97.1% postintervention tapered opioids (P = 0.070). Anticipated
      initiation of any opioids for a chronic osteoarthritic knee pain clinical
      vignette reduced from 35 (74.5%) to 24 (51.1%; P = 0.012) in the primary analysis
      and from 80.0% to 41.7% in the sensitivity analysis (P = 0.001). Conclusions:
      Necessary improvements in pain management and opioid harm avoidance are
      predicated on primary care education being of demonstrable efficacy. This brief
      educational intervention improved hypothetical management approaches two months
      subsequently. Further research measuring objective changes in physician behavior,
      especially opioid prescribing, is indicated.

PMID- 28340144
TI  - Preventive chemotherapy in one year reduces by over 80% the number of individuals
      with soil-transmitted helminthiases causing morbidity: results from meta
      analysis.
AB  - The morbidity due to Ascaris lumbricoides and Trichuris trichiura is caused by
      infections of moderate and heavy intensity while hookworm infections of all
      intensities are recognized to cause morbidity. This study aims to evaluate the
      effect of repeated rounds of preventive chemotherapy on the proportion of soil
      transmitted helminth (STH) infections causing morbidity. We identified studies
      from 17 countries, reporting changes in the proportion of STH infection causing
      morbidity between baseline and follow-up. In the studies identified, the average
      proportion of individuals with STH infections of moderate and heavy intensity was
      of 14% at baseline and was on average reduced to 2% by the intervention (i.e.,
      85% reduction). There was an average reduction of 73% after the first year of
      treatment, which reached almost 80% after 5 years and over 95% in 10 years of
      deworming interventions. The reduction in hookworm prevalence was 57% after 12
      months reaching 78% after 5 years. We consider the results presented in this
      study especially useful for decision makers as it demonstrates the effectiveness
      of preventive chemotherapy in reducing STH prevalence and morbidity. We encourage
      the implementation of deworming programs to achieve the goal, set by WHO for
      2020, to eliminate STH morbidity in children.

PMID- 28340145
TI  - Human Abuse Potential of the New Opioid Analgesic Molecule NKTR-181 Compared with
      Oxycodone.
AB  - Objective: Evaluate the human abuse potential, pharmacokinetics,
      pharmacodynamics, and safety of NKTR-181, a novel mu-opioid agonist molecule,
      relative to oxycodone. Design: This randomized, single-center, double-blind,
      active- and placebo-controlled five-period crossover study enrolled healthy,
      adult, non-physically dependent recreational opioid users. Setting: Inpatient
      clinical research site. Subjects: Forty-two randomized subjects (73.8% male, 81%
      white, mean age = 25 years). Methods: The primary objective was to evaluate
      single orally administered 100, 200, and 400 mg NKTR-181 doses in solution
      compared with 40 mg oxycodone and placebo solutions using the Drug Liking visual
      analog scale. Secondary measures included the Drug Effects Questionnaire,
      Addiction Research Center Inventory/Morphine Benzedrine Group Subscale, Price
      Value Assessment Questionnaire, Global Assessment of Overall Drug Liking, and
      Take Drug Again Assessment. Central nervous system mu-opioid effects were
      assessed using pupillometry. The study included qualifying and treatment phases.
      Subjects received each of the five treatments using a crossover design. Results:
      NKTR-181 at all dose levels had significantly lower Drug Liking Emax than
      oxycodone (P < 0.0001). Drug Liking scores for oxycodone increased rapidly within
      15 minutes and peaked at approximately one hour postdose, whereas Drug Liking
      (and most secondary abuse potential measures) for all doses of NKTR-181 were
      comparable with placebo for at least the first hour. Only the 400 mg Drug Liking
      scores were minimally differentiated vs placebo from one and a half to four
      hours, but remained significantly lower than oxycodone (P < 0.003). NKTR-181
      treatment-related adverse effects were mild and occurred at a lower rate compared
      with oxycodone. Conclusions: NKTR-181 demonstrated delayed onset of CNS effects
      and significantly lower abuse potential scores compared with oxycodone in
      recreational opioid users.

PMID- 28340146
TI  - Effect of broiler breeders fed with corn or sorghum diet and canthaxanthin
      supplementation on production and reproductive performance.
AB  - This study was designed to evaluate the effect of corn or sorghum diet and
      canthaxanthin (CX) supplementation on performance in broiler breeders. A total of
      440 females with similar body weight (BW) (3.71 +/- 0.14 kg) and 60 roosters were
      placed in an open-sided house with 20 pens, randomly distributed in a factorial
      arrangement (2 * 2). There were 4 diets of 2 ingredients; corn (CO) or sorghum
      (SO) and 2 levels of CX; 6 mg/kg (CX) and 0 mg/kg (NCX) totaling 5 replicate pens
      of 22 females and 3 males each, from 42 to 65 wk, divided in 2 periods (from wk
      42 to 53 and wk 54 to 65). Birds' BW was measured every 28 d and mortality rate
      was calculated at the end of trial. Egg production (%), egg specific gravity
      (g/cm3), egg weight (g), yolk weight (%), albumen weight (%), eggshell weight (%)
      and yolk colorimetric score were measured weekly. Incubation parameters were
      recorded in 12 incubations to evaluate hatching eggs, hatching (%), hatchability
      (%), fertility (%), weight of the chicks born and their quality. The BW,
      mortality, percentage of yolk and albumen weight, fertility and some incubation
      parameters were not affected (P > 0.05) by diets used. An increase in the egg
      production, hatching eggs, chicks born and first quality chick by hen at the
      second period were observed in CX breeder's diets (P = 0.0066; P = 0.0060; P =
      0.0368; P = 0.0326). Egg specific gravity and eggshell weight were improved at
      the first period by SO+CX diet (P = 0.0138; P = 0.0209) and the same effect to
      egg weight, but at the second period (P = 0.0251). The CX was well absorbed from
      the diet and effectively transferred to the egg yolk, thereby increasing egg yolk
      pigmentation in the both periods (P < 0.0001). The CX supplementation in broiler
      breeder diets improved the productive and reproductive performance (laying% and
      hatchable eggs) at the second period, also to the both periods improved the egg
      yolk pigmentation.

PMID- 28340147
TI  - Evoked Pressure Pain Sensitivity Is Associated with Differential Analgesic
      Response to Verum and Sham Acupuncture in Fibromyalgia.
AB  - Objective: Fibromyalgia is a chronic pain condition with few effective
      treatments. Many fibromyalgia patients seek acupuncture for analgesia; however,
      its efficacy is limited and not fully understood. This may be due to
      heterogeneous pathologies among participants in acupuncture clinical trials. We
      hypothesized that pressure pain tenderness would differentially classify
      treatment response to verum and sham acupuncture in fibromyalgia patients.
      Design: Baseline pressure pain sensitivity at the thumbnail at baseline was used
      in linear mixed models as a modifier of differential treatment response to sham
      versus verum acupuncture. Similarly, needle-induced sensation was also analyzed
      to determine its differential effect of treatment on clinical pain. Methods and
      Patients: A cohort of 114 fibromyalgia patients received baseline pressure pain
      testing and were randomized to either verum (N = 59) or sham (N = 55)
      acupuncture. Participants received treatments from once a week to three times a
      week, increasing in three-week blocks for a total of 18 treatments. Clinical pain
      was measured on a 101-point visual analog scale, and needle sensation was
      measured by questionnaire throughout the trial. Results: Participants who had
      higher pain pressure thresholds had greater reduction in clinical pain following
      verum acupuncture while participants who had lower pain pressure thresholds
      showed better analgesic response to sham acupuncture. Moreover, patients with
      lower pressure pain thresholds had exacerbated clinical pain following verum
      acupuncture. Similar relationships were observed for sensitivity to acupuncture
      needling. Conclusions: These findings suggest that acupuncture efficacy in
      fibromyalgia may be underestimated and a more personalized treatment for
      fibromyalgia may also be possible.

PMID- 28340148
TI  - Characteristics of Hookah Tobacco Smoking Sessions and Correlates of Use
      Frequency Among US Adults: Findings From Wave 1 of the Population Assessment of
      Tobacco and Health (PATH) Study.
AB  - Introduction: Hookah tobacco smoking has increased in the United States. However,
      information on hookah use frequency and other characteristics of hookah use is
      limited. Methods: Investigators analyzed data from Wave 1 of the Population
      Assessment of Tobacco and Health (PATH) Study, a nationally representative,
      longitudinal cohort study of US youth and adults. Our analysis draws on baseline
      data from adult (ages >=18 years) ever (N = 10 624) and past year (n = 3947)
      hookah users. Bivariate and regression analyses were conducted to identify
      associations between demographics, use characteristics, and hookah use frequency.
      Results: Overall, 16.4% of adults reported ever smoking tobacco from a hookah. Of
      those, 31.9% reported smoking hookah within the past year. Among 3947 past-year
      hookah tobacco smokers, 10.7% were daily/weekly users, 13.7% were monthly users,
      42.1% smoked every couple of months, and 33.5% smoked about once a year. Among
      daily/weekly hookah users, 66% were young adults (ages 18-24 years). When
      comparing daily/weekly hookah users to those who smoked every couple of months,
      more frequent hookah use was associated with younger age, male gender, a greater
      number of times the hookah is refilled during a session, fewer people sharing,
      and hookah ownership. Conclusion: Although there were few demographic differences
      between daily/weekly users and less frequent hookah tobacco smokers, some notable
      differences in use behaviors exist among use frequency groups. Unlike other
      tobacco products, hookah is often smoked communally, over an extended time
      period. A detailed understanding of hookah user characteristics and experiences
      could inform hookah-specific measures, messaging, and regulations. Implications:
      To our knowledge, this is one of the first studies to characterize hookah use
      frequency, session length, and other hookah use experiences using a nationally
      representative sample of US adult hookah smokers. Understanding characteristics
      of hookah tobacco smokers, their use experiences, and patterns of hookah use
      frequency would be useful in assessing risks for hookah tobacco dependence at the
      population level. Additionally, identifying variation in use behaviors of hookah
      tobacco smokers could be used to inform the development of strategies to reduce
      and prevent hookah tobacco use, such as tobacco regulations or public education
      efforts, particularly among young adults.

PMID- 28340149
TI  - Individual and Regional Determinants for Physical Therapy Utilization in Germany:
      Multilevel Analysis of National Survey Data.
AB  - Background: Physical therapy is included in many clinical guidelines and is a
      commonly used health service. However, access to its benefits should not strongly
      depend on social or demographic factors. Objective: The present study used the
      Andersen model to explain to what extent physical therapy utilization in Germany
      depends on factors beyond medical need. Methods: The German Health Interview and
      Examination Survey for Adults (DEGS, 2008-2011; target population, 18-79 years)
      is part of the German health-monitoring system. Two-stage stratified cluster
      sampling resulted in a sample of 8152 participants. Data were matched with
      district-related information on social structures and service supply. Following
      Andersen's Behavioral Model of Health Services Use, this study identified
      predisposing, enabling, and need factors for physical therapy utilization using
      multilevel logistic regression analyses. Results: Physical therapy was used by
      23.4% (95% CI: 22.0-24.8) of the German population within one year, with a higher
      proportion of females (26.8%; 95% CI: 25.1-28.6) than males (19.9%; 95% CI: 18.1
      21.8) and an increase with age. Beyond medical need, physical therapy utilization
      depended on higher education, migrant background, nonsmoking (predisposing),
      social support, higher income, private health insurance, and gatekeeping service
      contact (enabling). Variation among districts partly reflected regional supply.
      Limitations: Because the present study was cross-sectional, its findings provide
      representative information on physical therapy use but do not establish final
      causal links or identify whether utilization or supply in certain districts or
      population groups is adequate. Conclusions: Whether certain regions are under- or
      overserved and whether further regulations are needed is of political interest.
      Physicians and therapists should develop strategies to improve both adherence of
      hard-to-reach groups and supply in low-supply regions.

PMID- 28340150
TI  - Severe conduction defects requiring permanent pacemaker implantation in patients
      with a new-onset left bundle branch block after transcatheter aortic valve
      implantation.
AB  - Aims: Transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) is frequently associated
      with cardiac conduction defects (CCD) requiring permanent pacemaker implantation
      (PPI). Although new-onset left bundle branch block (LBBB) is often seen, the rate
      of progression to severe CCD is unclear. We aimed to find clinical and
      electrocardiographic (ECG) parameters associated with severe CCD requiring PPI in
      patients with a new-onset LBBB after TAVI and assess its effect on clinical
      outcome. Methods and results: All consecutive patients undergoing TAVI who
      developed a new-onset LBBB were retrospectively analysed. We excluded patients
      with pre-existing bundle branch block or pacemaker. Patients were divided into
      two groups: with or without PPI after TAVI. We included 155 patients (50% female,
      80 +/- 7 years), of which 37 (24%) developed CCD requiring PPI, mainly due to a
      total atrioventricular block (n = 17; 46%). Cardiac conduction defects requiring
      PPI were associated with the following pre-existing parameters: atrial
      fibrillation (AF), the use of digoxin, CoreValve implantation, and left heart
      axis. Furthermore, it was associated with the following post-procedural
      parameters: left heart axis, lower mean heart rate, and prolonged PQ and QRS
      times. During follow-up, patients with PPI showed a lower mortality rate (11 vs.
      29%, P = 0.03). In patients without PPI, mortality was lower in those with
      narrower QRS complex and transient LBBB. Conclusion: The severity and persistence
      of a new-onset LBBB after TAVI is associated with mortality. Cardiac conduction
      defects requiring PPI are associated with prior AF, the use of digoxin, CoreValve
      implantation, and a left heart axis. In these patients, PPI portends a better
      prognosis than no PPI.

PMID- 28340151
TI  - Effect of excess dietary fluoride on laying performance and antioxidant capacity
      of laying hens.
AB  - The objective of this study was to investigate the effects of excess dietary
      fluoride (F) on laying performance and antioxidant capacity of laying hens. A
      total of 576 laying hens, 51 wk old, was randomly divided into 6 groups, each of
      which included 6 replicates of 16 hens. Graded amounts of sodium fluoride (NaF)
      were added to the basal diet to achieve concentrations of 16 (control), 200, 400,
      600, 800, and 1,000 mg/kg F, respectively. Dietary F at 1,000 mg/kg significantly
      decreased ADFI, laying rate, and average egg weight, and increased feed
      conversion ratio (FCR) (P < 0.05). No significant differences were observed in
      serum total antioxidant capacity (T-AOC) level or catalase (CAT) concentration
      among all the treatments, while hens fed F at 800 and 1,000 mg/kg had higher
      activity of serum glutathione peroxidase (GSH-PX) and concentration of
      malondialdehyde (MDA) (P < 0.05) as compared to the control group. Compared with
      the control group, dietary F at 400 mg/kg increased liver MDA concentration (P <
      0.001), and decreased CAT concentration of liver (P < 0.001); 600 mg/kg F
      decreased liver T-AOC levels (P < 0.001); and 800 mg/kg of F decreased liver
      total superoxide dismutases (T-SOD) activity (P < 0.001). Compared with the
      control group, feeding F at 600 mg/kg decreased kidney T-AOC levels and T-SOD
      activity (P < 0.001), and increased MDA concentration of kidney (P < 0.001),
      while dietary 1,000 mg/kg of F decreased kidney GSH-PX activity (P < 0.05) and
      CAT concentration (P < 0.001). In conclusion, these results indicated that
      excessive F ingestion had an adverse effect on laying performance by inducing
      oxidative stress and impairing the antioxidant system of laying hens.

PMID- 28340152
TI  - Sarcopenia and relationships between muscle mass, measured glomerular filtration
      rate and physical function in patients with chronic kidney disease stages 3-5.
AB  - Background: Sarcopenia and poor physical function are common in patients with
      chronic kidney disease (CKD). Our aim was to investigate the relationships
      between muscle mass and measured glomerular filtration rate (GFR) and between
      muscle mass and strength and balance, respectively, in patients with CKD stages 3
      5. Methods: This is a baseline data analysis of a randomized controlled clinical
      trial. A total of 148 adult patients with an estimated GFR <30 mL/min/1.72 m2,
      not on renal replacement therapy, irrespective of the number of comorbidities
      were included from the Department of Nephrology, Skane University Hospital, Lund,
      from 2011 to 2016. Body composition was measured by dual-energy X-ray
      absorptiometry (DEXA). GFR was measured by iohexol clearance. Balance was
      measured by functional reach and the Berg balance test and strength by handgrip
      strength and isometric quadriceps strength. Results: Measured GFR ranged from 8
      to 55 mL/min/1.73 m2. Lean mass (P < 0.05), fat mass (P < 0.05), appendicular
      skeletal muscle (P < 0.001) and appendicular skeletal muscle index (P < 0.05)
      were associated with GFR. Functional reach was associated with leg lean mass (P <
      0.05) and the Berg balance test score was associated with trunk lean mass (P <
      0.05). Handgrip strength was associated with arm lean mass (P < 0.001). Isometric
      quadriceps strength was associated with leg lean mass (P < 0.001). More men (44%)
      suffered from low muscle mass than women (22%), whereas more women (36%) suffered
      from low muscle strength than men (26%). However, when combining both, men (16%)
      suffered from sarcopenia to a greater extent than women (8%). Conclusions: Among
      patients with CKD stages 3-5, loss of lean body mass, especially appendicular
      skeletal muscle, was significantly related to GFR decline. Two important markers
      of physical function, balance and strength, were significantly related to muscle
      mass. Moreover, men were more prone to sarcopenia than women during kidney
      function decline.

PMID- 28340153
TI  - Establishing a Stand-Alone Laboratory Dedicated to the Care of Patients With
      Ebola Virus Disease.
AB  - Objective: To describe the process for establishment of a stand-alone laboratory
      dedicated to testing for Ebola virus disease (EVD). Methods: We selected 2
      neighboring rooms for the EVD unit: 1 for patient care and 1 for laboratory
      testing. A limited test menu was developed after consultation with the team of
      healthcare providers treating patients with EVD, Centers for Disease Control and
      Prevention (CDC) recommendations, and other sites with EVD expertise. Results: We
      selected several point-of-care (POC) devices and manual assays to provide
      necessary testing. Three new instruments were purchased to meet testing needs
      (Abaxis Piccolo Xpress, Sysmex pocH-100i, and Helena Cascade) and accuracy,
      precision and reportable range were verified and found to be consistent with the
      manufacturers' claims. Training was obtained for volunteering laboratory staff
      members before the initiation of laboratory operation, involving simulation of
      all procedures. Conclusions: The establishment of a stand-alone unit and
      laboratory dedicated to the care of patients with EVD minimizes the risk of
      spreading EVD among hospital patients and employees. Risk assessment, instrument
      validation, and employee training are major components that contribute to the
      success of establishing this type of laboratory.

PMID- 28340154
TI  - Irradiation strongly reduces tumorigenesis of human induced pluripotent stem
      cells.
AB  - Induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cells have demonstrated they can undergo self
      renewal, attain pluripotency, and differentiate into various types of functional
      cells. In clinical transplantation of iPS cells, however, a major problem is the
      prevention of tumorigenesis. We speculated that tumor formation could be
      inhibited by means of irradiation. Since the main purpose of this study was to
      explore the prevention of tumor formation in human iPS (hiPS) cells, we tested
      the effects of irradiation on tumor-associated factors such as radiosensitivity,
      pluripotency and cell death in hiPS cells. The irradiated hiPS cells showed much
      higher radiosensitivity, because the survival fraction of hiPS cells irradiated
      with 2 Gy was < 10%, and there was no change of pluripotency. Irradiation with 2
      and 4 Gy caused substantial cell death, which was mostly the result of apoptosis.
      Irradiation with 2 Gy was detrimental enough to cause loss of proliferation
      capability and trigger substantial cell death in vitro. The hiPS cells irradiated
      with 2 Gy were injected into NOG mice (NOD/Shi-scid, IL-2 Rgammanull) for the
      analysis of tumor formation. The group of mice into which hiPS cells irradiated
      with 2 Gy was transplanted showed significant suppression of tumor formation in
      comparison with that of the group into which non-irradiated hiPS cells were
      transplanted. It can be presumed that this diminished rate of tumor formation was
      due to loss of proliferation and cell death caused by irradiation. Our findings
      suggest that tumor formation following cell therapy or organ transplantation
      induced by hiPS cells may be prevented by irradiation.

PMID- 28340155
TI  - Identification of Jasmonic Acid and Jasmonoyl-Isoleucine, and Characterization of
      AOS, AOC, OPR and JAR1 in the Model Lycophyte Selaginella moellendorffii.
AB  - Jasmonic acid (JA) is involved in a variety of physiological responses in seed
      plants. However, the detection and role of JA in lycophytes, a group of seedless
      vascular plants, have remained elusive until recently. This study provides the
      first evidence of 12-oxo-phytodienoic acid (OPDA), JA and jasmonoyl-isoleucine
      (JA-Ile) in the model lycophyte Selaginella moellendorffii. Mechanical wounding
      stimulated the accumulation of OPDA, JA and JA-Ile. These data were corroborated
      by the detection of enzymatically active allene oxide synthase (AOS), allene
      oxide cyclase (AOC), 12-oxo-phytodienoic acid reductase 3 (OPR3) and JA-Ile
      synthase (JAR1) in S. moellendorffii. SmAOS2 is involved in the first committed
      step of JA biosynthesis. SmAOC1 is a crucial enzyme for generating the basic
      structure of jasmonates and is actively involved in the formation of OPDA.
      SmOPR5, a functionally active OPR3-like enzyme, is also vital for the reduction
      of (+)-cis-OPDA, the only isomer of the JA precursor. The conjugation of JA to
      Ile by SmJAR1 demonstrates that S. moellendorffii produces JA-Ile. Thus, the four
      active enzymes have characteristics similar to those in seed plants. Wounding and
      JA treatment induced the expression of SmAOC1 and SmOPR5. Furthermore, JA
      inhibited the growth of shoots in S. moellendorffii, which suggests that JA
      functions as a signaling molecule in S. moellendorffii. This study proposes that
      JA evolved as a plant hormone for stress adaptation, beginning with the emergence
      of vascular plants.

PMID- 28340156
TI  - Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis: The Impact of Multicomponent Weight
      Management Interventions on Self-Esteem in Overweight and Obese Adolescents.
AB  - Objective: Building self-esteem in overweight adolescents is key to long-term
      weight management; yet, self-esteem is rarely a key outcome of adolescent weight
      management interventions. This systematic review investigates the impact of
      multicomponent weight management interventions on self-esteem in overweight and
      obese adolescents. Method: Six databases were searched in December 2014. Eligible
      studies met the following criteria: (1) randomized controlled trial, (2)
      overweight or obese participants, (3) adolescents (10-19 years), (4)
      multicomponent weight management intervention, (5) reported self-esteem and
      weight changes. Results: Thirteen studies with 1,157 overweight or obese
      adolescents, aged 10-19 years, were included. Meta-analyses showed no significant
      change in self-esteem (0.27 [-0.04, 0.59]), but body mass index z -score reduced
      following intervention (-0.17 [-0.22, -0.11]). Conclusion: The lack of change in
      self-esteem suggests weight loss alone is insufficient to improve self-esteem.
      Multicomponent weight management interventions require a specific focus on self
      esteem to improve this outcome in overweight and obese adolescents.

PMID- 28340157
TI  - Cervical Lateral Glide Neural Mobilization Is Effective in Treating
      Cervicobrachial Pain: A Randomized Waiting List Controlled Clinical Trial.
AB  - Background: Cervicobrachial pain (CP) is a high-incidence and prevalent
      condition. Cervical lateral glide (CLG) is a firstline treatment of CP. There is
      a current lack of enough high-quality randomized controlled double-blind clinical
      trials that measure the effectiveness of neural tissue mobilization techniques
      such as the CLG and its specific effect over CP. Objectives: The aim of the
      present study was to assess the effect of CLG neural mobilization in treating
      subjects who suffer from CP, compared with the complete absence of treatment.
      Study Design: This investigation was a single-center, blinded, parallel
      randomized controlled clinical trial (RCT). Setting: One hundred forty-seven
      individuals were screened in a medical center from July to November 2015. Fifty
      eight participants were diagnosed with CP. Methods: Participants were recruited
      and randomly assigned into two groups of 29 subjects. The intervention group
      received CLG treatment, and the control group (CG) was assigned to a six-week
      waiting list to receive treatment. Randomization was carried out by concealed
      computer software randomized printed cards. The primary outcome was pain
      intensity, reported through the Numeric Rating Scale for Pain (NRSP). Secondary
      outcomes were physical function involving the affected upper limb using the Quick
      DASH scale and ipsilateral cervical rotation (ICR) using a CROM device.
      Assessments were made at baseline and one hour after treatment. Results: The CLG
      group NRSP mean value was significantly (P < 0.0001) superior to those obtained
      by the CG. Subjects treated with CLG reported an average NRSP decrease of 2.16
      points (35%). CROM device and Quick DASH outcome values also reported significant
      (P < 0.0001) improvements only in the CLG group. Cohen's d showed a very large
      effect of the CLG intervention at subject discharge. Limitations: Due to the lack
      of dipper subgroup analysis and additional reproductions of the applied protocol,
      the authors considered the generalization of the study results to be impossible.
      Conclusions: CLG is superior to the absence of treatment in reducing pain and
      increasing the affected upper limb function of subjects who suffer from CP. CLG
      may be considered an effective treatment in specific cases of CP.

PMID- 28340158
TI  - Maintenance therapy is associated with better long-term outcomes in adult
      patients with primary angiitis of the central nervous system.
AB  - Objective: We aimed to analyse the effect of maintenance therapy after induction
      on the outcomes of adult patients with primary angiitis of the CNS (PACNS).
      Methods: We analysed long-term outcomes (relapse, survival and functional status)
      of patients enrolled in the French multicentre PACNS cohort who achieved
      remission after induction treatment and with ?12 months' follow-up, according to
      whether or not they received maintenance therapy. Good outcome was defined as
      relapse-free survival and good functional status (modified Rankin scale ? 2) at
      last follow-up. Results: Ninety-seven patients [46 (47%) female, median age: 46
      (18-78) years at diagnosis] were followed up for a median of 55 (5-198) months.
      Induction treatment consisted of glucocorticoids in 95 (98%) patients, combined
      with an immunosuppressant in 80 (83%) patients, mostly CYC. Maintenance therapy
      was prescribed in 48 (49%) patients, following CYC in 42 of them. Maintenance
      therapy was started 4 (3-18) months after glucocorticoid initiation. At last
      follow-up, good outcomes were observed in 32 (67%) patients who had received
      maintenance therapy vs 10 (20%) who had not (P < 0.0001). Thirty-two (33%)
      patients experienced relapse [10 (22%) had received maintenance therapy while 22
      (45%) had not, P = 0.01]; four subsequently died from relapse. In the
      multivariate analysis, maintenance therapy was the only independent predictor of
      good outcome [odds ratio (OR) = 7.8 (95% CI: 3.21, 20.36), P < 0.0001].
      Conclusion: The results of this long-term follow-up study suggest that
      maintenance therapy in adults with PACNS is associated with better functional
      outcomes and lower relapse rates. Further studies are needed to confirm these
      findings.

PMID- 28340159
TI  - Detection of Polish clinical Aspergillus fumigatus isolates resistant to
      triazoles.
AB  - We studied the presence of triazole resistance of 121 Aspergillus fumigatus
      clinical isolates collected in two Polish cities, Warsaw and Wroclaw, to
      determine if resistance is emerging in our country. We identified five
      itraconazole resistant isolates (4.13%) carrying the TR34/L98H alteration in
      Cyp51A gene, four of which were cross-resistant to posaconazole and one to
      voriconazole. One isolate was intermediate susceptible to itraconazole and
      harbored no Cyp51A alterations. The study confirms the presence of azole
      resistant A. fumigatus strains in Poland at a level that is comparative to other
      European countries.

PMID- 28340161
TI  - Organizational Benchmarks for Test Utilization Performance: An Example Based on
      Positivity Rates for Genetic Tests.
AB  - Objectives: Health care organizations are under increasing pressure to deliver
      value by improving test utilization management. Many factors, including
      organizational factors, could affect utilization performance. Past research has
      focused on the impact of specific interventions in single organizations. The
      impact of organizational factors is unknown. The objective of this study is to
      determine whether testing patterns are subject to organizational effects, ie, are
      utilization patterns for individual tests correlated within organizations.
      Methods: Comparative analysis of ordering patterns (positivity rates for three
      genetic tests) across 659 organizations. Hierarchical regression was used to
      assess the impact of organizational factors after controlling for test-level
      factors (mutation prevalence) and hospital bed size. Results: Test positivity
      rates were correlated within organizations. Conclusions: Organizations have a
      statistically significant impact on the positivity rate of three genetic tests.

PMID- 28340160
TI  - Safety of fluoroscopy-guided transseptal approach for ablation of left-sided
      arrhythmias.
AB  - Aims: The transseptal approach is used for left atrial access during the ablation
      of atrial fibrillation (AF) and other left-sided arrhythmia substrates.
      Transseptal puncture (TP) is commonly performed with fluoroscopic guidance,
      contrast injection, and pressure monitoring. In many centres, additional
      techniques [intracardiac echocardiography (ICE), transoesophageal
      echocardiography (TEE), radiofrequency needle] are used to facilitate TP but its
      use adds costs. In this retrospective study, we studied the safety and
      complication rate when TP was routinely done with fluoroscopic guidance, contrast
      injection, and pressure monitoring using ICE or TEE only in selected cases.
      Methods and results: This study analysed 4690 consecutive TP performed between
      2000 and 2015: 3408 (72.6%) were ablation of AF, left-sided atrial flutter, or
      left-sided atrial tachycardia (non-AP group); 1153 (24.6%) were ablation of left
      sided accessory pathway, AP group; and 129 (2.8%) were ablation of ventricular
      tachycardia. Transseptal puncture was done under fluoroscopy, pressure
      monitoring, and commonly using contrast media injection. In 27 procedures, ICE or
      TEE was used to guide the TP. We found 34 tamponades (Tx) that required
      pericardial drainage of which 28 (0.59%) could possibly be TP related and six
      could not. The total complication rate for all Tx was 0.72%. A higher rate of
      tamponades was observed in the AF (non-AP) group than in the AP group (0.88 vs.
      0.17%, P < 0.02). The highest rate of tamponades was registered during the
      operators 51-100 cases, 1.3%, and decreased to 0.4% in cases 101-200, P = 0.04.
      Conclusion: TP can safely be done under fluoroscopy and pressure monitoring
      without routine use of additional techniques. With experience, operators should
      be able to further decrease complication rate.

PMID- 28340162
TI  - Spina ventosa-a rare cause of sausage digit.

PMID- 28340163
TI  - Does Cervical Interlaminar Epidural Steroid Injection with Low-Dose Lidocaine
      Cause Objective Upper Extremity Weakness? A Preliminary Study.
AB  - Objective: Low-dose local anesthetic is often used in cervical interlaminar
      epidural steroid injections (CIESI), yet its effect on upper extremity strength
      has not been studied. The presence of consequent weakness has potential
      implications for postprocedure safety. This study aimed to determine whether low
      dose lidocaine in a C7-T1 CIESI causes objective weakness. Design: Prospective
      case series. Setting: Academic pain center. Subjects: Adults, cervical radicular
      pain. Methods: Participants underwent CIESI with 1 mL of 1% lidocaine (3 mL total
      injectate). Elbow flexion (EF), wrist extension (WE), elbow extension (EE), and
      handgrip strength were measured by dynamometry at baseline, 15 minutes, and 30
      minutes postinjection. Changes in strength from baseline and the proportion of
      participants with a minimum perceptible change in EF, WE, EE, and handgrip
      strength (>=20%) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were calculated. Results:
      Twenty-seven participants were included. At 15 and 30 minutes postinjection,
      there was no within-participant difference in EF, WE, EE, and handgrip strength
      from baseline overall. Nonetheless, five (19%, 95% CI = 4-33) of the participants
      demonstrated a 20% or greater strength decrease in at least one myotomal
      distribution. A 20% or greater decrease in strength was present in left EF 4%
      (95% CI = 0-11%), right EF 7% (95% CI = 0-17%), left WE 4% (95% CI = 0-11%), and
      right WE 7% (95% CI = 0-17%). Conclusions: The present data suggest that CIESI
      with an injectate volume of 3 mL that includes 1 mL of 1% lidocaine may result in
      objective upper extremity weakness that is above the minimum threshold of
      perception in a subset of patients.

PMID- 28340164
TI  - Denervation of the extrinsic cardiac sympathetic nervous system as a treatment
      modality for arrhythmia.
AB  - Denervation of the extrinsic cardiac sympathetic nervous system is a method of
      altering the autonomic tone experienced by the heart and vasculature. It has been
      studied and employed as a therapy for cardiac disease for decades. Currently,
      there is a high level of interest in using cardiac denervation for treatment of
      arrhythmias. This review describes the anatomy and physiology of the cardiac
      autonomic nervous system followed by a discussion of the mechanistic studies
      which provide a basis for the therapeutic use of sympathetic denervation. The
      clinical research supporting its use in human arrhythmias is then appraised,
      covering the standard indications, such as long QT syndrome, as well as future
      possibilities. Last, a detailed account of the methods for performing surgical
      cardiac denervation and percutaneous stellate ganglion anesthetic block is
      provided, including the complications of each procedure. An understanding of the
      anatomy and physiology of the cardiac autonomic nervous system along with the
      techniques of surgical denervation and percutaneous anesthetic block will allow
      the clinician to effectively discuss and implement these therapies.

PMID- 28340165
TI  - Attitudes Toward Opioids and Risk of Misuse/Abuse in Patients with Chronic
      Noncancer Pain Receiving Long-term Opioid Therapy.
AB  - Objectives: To determine the attitudes of patients toward long-term opioid
      therapy (LtOT) and the potential risk of misuse/abuse in patients with chronic
      noncancer pain (CNCP). Design: Prospective, descriptive epidemiological study.
      Setting: Multidisciplinary tertiary care pain center within the Montreal
      University Health Center. Subjects: Patients who had had at least one visit at
      least one year prior to the invitation. Methods: We used four questionnaires:
      demographic questionnaire, the Drug Attitude Inventory Modified (DAI-M), the
      Opioid Risk Tool (ORT), and the Screening Tool for Addiction Risk (STAR). All
      questionnaires were administered in their validated French version. Results:
      Three hundred seventy patients completed questionnaires. The response rate was
      79.26%. Of those who responded, 61.62% women and 38.38% men, the mean age was 57
      years. The patients had been treated with LtOT for an average of 6.31 years, and
      the median dose per day in morphine equivalents was 48.21 mg. The DAI-M showed
      that 32.16% had a positive attitude toward opioids, 39.73% had a negative
      attitude, and 22.16% had a neutral attitude. The ORT questionnaire demonstrated
      that 86.2% of the patients were at low risk of abuse/misuse, 13.2% were at
      moderate risk, and only 0.54% were at high risk. The STAR questionnaire showed
      that 4.2% had a low risk of abuse/misuse. Conclusions: Despite public opinion,
      patients treated with LtOT for CNCP and followed in a tertiary care pain center
      are at low risk for opioid misuse/abuse. We need to refine the way of prescribing
      opioids, should be selective with our patients, and should relive their pain
      adequately.

PMID- 28340166
TI  - Complete Blood Count Reference Ranges from a Rural Haitian Ambulatory Care
      Clinic.
AB  - Background: At rural healthcare centers in developing countries, it is difficult
      to recruit healthy individuals for reference range studies. So, in this study, I
      evaluated complete blood count (CBC) data to determine reference ranges for a
      rural Haitian population. Methods: A convenience sample of laboratory records was
      reviewed to obtain CBC results for 157 adult patients with normal screening
      examination results. Central 95% reference ranges were determined for male and
      female subjects. Results: Relative to reference ranges obtained with United
      States (US)-based subjects, the hemoglobin (Hgb), hematocrit (Hct), mean
      corpuscular volume (MCV), mean corpuscular hemoglobin (MCH), and absolute
      neutrophil count (ANC) ranges were lower in subjects who resided in rural Haiti.
      The upper reference limit of the red blood cell distribution width-coefficient of
      variation (RDW-CV) was higher than the reference range for the US-based group.
      Conclusion: Locally derived CBC reference ranges were established using data from
      subjects who resided in rural Haiti. Ranges for Hgb, Hct, MCV, MCH, RDW-CV, and
      ANC differed from those established using data from US-based subjects.

PMID- 28340167
TI  - Factors Influencing Cognitive Impairment in Neuropathic and Musculoskeletal Pain
      and Fibromyalgia.
AB  - Objective: To assess cognitive performance of chronic pain (CP) patients
      diagnosed with three types of pain-neuropathic pain (NP), musculoskeletal (MSK),
      and fibromyalgia (FM)-and to analyze the factors influencing cognitive
      difficulties in each group. Methods: Two hundred fifty-four CP patients-104 NP,
      99 MSK, 51 FM-and 72 pain-free subjects were included in the study. The "Test
      Your Memory" (TYM) scale was used to assess cognitive performance. Pain intensity
      was measured by means of the visual analog scale (VAS); the Hospital Anxiety and
      Depression scale was used to assess mental status, and the Medical Outcome Study
      (MOS) sleep scale to assess sleep quality. The relationships between cognitive
      performance and these factors were analyzed using linear regression models.
      Results: The mean score in the TYM was significantly lower (worse cognitive
      function) in CP patients than controls (40.5 vs 43.9, P < 0.001). In the separate
      analysis of each group, depression was observed to have a negative impact on MSK
      pain patients (beta = -0.37, 95% confidence interval [CI] = -0.53 to -0.2, P <
      0.001) and on FM subjects (beta =-1.01, 95% CI = -1.05 to -2.38, P = 0.022). A
      significant interaction between pain intensity and depression was observed in the
      FM patients. In addition, a U-shaped association was found between the duration
      of pain and cognitive performance in the NP patients. Neither anxiety nor sleep
      impairment affected cognitive performance in any of the CP patients. Conclusions:
      These results highlight the importance of taking into account the type of pain
      when assessing cognitive performance in CP patients and demonstrate the influence
      of the emotional state of the patient, especially if depression is present.

PMID- 28340168
TI  - Young Children's Acute Stress After a Burn Injury: Disentangling the Role of
      Injury Severity and Parental Acute Stress.
AB  - Objective: Although injury severity and parental stress are strong predictors of
      posttraumatic adjustment in young children after burns, little is known about the
      interplay of these variables. This study aimed at clarifying mediation processes
      between injury severity and mother's, father's, and young child's acute stress.
      Methods: Structural equation modeling was used to examine the relationships
      between injury severity and parental and child acute stress. Parents of 138 burn
      injured children (ages 1-4 years) completed standardized questionnaires on
      average 19 days postinjury. Results: Sixteen children (11.7%) met Diagnostic and
      Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 5th edition, preschool criteria for
      posttraumatic stress disorder (excluding time criterion). The model revealed a
      significant mediation of maternal acute stress, with the effect of injury
      severity on a child's acute stress mediated by maternal acute stress. Paternal
      acute stress failed to serve as a mediating variable. Conclusions: Our findings
      confirm mothers' crucial role in the posttraumatic adjustment of young children.
      Clinically, mothers' acute stress should be monitored.

PMID- 28340169
TI  - Histamine Receptors in the Cross-Talk between Periphery and Brain.

PMID- 28340170
TI  - The Behcet's centres of excellence.

PMID- 28340171
TI  - Immunohistochemical Approach to the Differential Diagnosis of Meningiomas and
      Their Mimics.
AB  - The differential diagnosis between meningioma and others tumors can be
      challenging. This study aimed to evaluate different immunohistochemical markers
      for the differential diagnosis between meningioma and their morphological mimics.
      Immunohistochemistry was performed on tissue microarray with antiepithelial
      membrane antigen (EMA), progesterone receptor, somatostatin receptor 2A (SSTR2A),
      CD34, STAT6, S100, SOX10, HMB45, MelanA, GFAP, inhibin, and BCL2 antibodies. One
      hundred and twenty-seven meningiomas, 26 solitary fibrous
      tumor/hemangiopericytomas (SFT/HPC), 39 schwannomas, 17 hemangioblastomas, 21
      melanomas, 9 gliosarcomas, 5 neurofibromas, 9 peripheral primitive
      neuroectodermal tumors, 7 synovial sarcomas, and 5 malignant peripheral nerve
      sheath tumors were included in the microarray. SSTR2A was the most sensitive
      (95.2%) and specific (92%) marker of meningiomas. In combination, SSTR2A and/or
      EMA positivity reached maximal sensitivity (100%). Coexpression of SSTR2A and EMA
      was the most specific (94.8%) for the diagnosis of meningioma, regardless of the
      grade or subtype, with the exception of the differential diagnosis with synovial
      sarcoma. All synovial sarcomas were EMA-positive and 6/7 SSTR2A-positive. STAT6
      showed optimum sensitivity and specificity (100%) for SFT/HPC. SOX10 was the most
      sensitive (94.3%) and specific (100%) marker to discriminate meningiomas from
      schwannomas. In conclusion, SSTR2A, STAT6, and SOX10 were the most sensitive and
      specific markers to distinguish meningiomas from their morphological mimics.

PMID- 28340174
TI  - Application of Virtual Navigation with Multimodality Image Fusion in Foramen
      Ovale Cannulation.
AB  - Objective: Idiopathic trigeminal neuralgia (ITN) can be effectively treated with
      radiofrequency thermocoagulation. However, this procedure requires cannulation of
      the foramen ovale, and conventional cannulation methods are associated with high
      failure rates. Multimodality imaging can improve the accuracy of cannulation
      because each imaging method can compensate for the drawbacks of the other. We aim
      to determine the feasibility and accuracy of percutaneous foramen ovale
      cannulation under the guidance of virtual navigation with multimodality image
      fusion in a self-designed anatomical model of human cadaveric heads. Design: Five
      cadaveric head specimens were investigated in this study. Spiral computed
      tomography (CT) scanning clearly displayed the foramen ovale in all five
      specimens (10 foramina), which could not be visualized using two-dimensional
      ultrasound alone. The ultrasound and spiral CT images were fused, and
      percutaneous cannulation of the foramen ovale was performed under virtual
      navigation. After this, spiral CT scanning was immediately repeated to confirm
      the accuracy of the cannulation. Results: Postprocedural spiral CT confirmed that
      the ultrasound and CT images had been successfully fused for all 10 foramina,
      which were accurately and successfully cannulated. The success rates of both
      image fusion and cannulation were 100%. Conclusions: Virtual navigation with
      multimodality image fusion can substantially facilitate foramen ovale cannulation
      and is worthy of clinical application.

PMID- 28340173
TI  - F-Box Protein FBX92 Affects Leaf Size in Arabidopsis thaliana.
AB  - F-box proteins are part of one of the largest families of regulatory proteins
      that play important roles in protein degradation. In plants, F-box proteins are
      functionally very diverse, and only a small subset has been characterized in
      detail. Here, we identified a novel F-box protein FBX92 as a repressor of leaf
      growth in Arabidopsis. Overexpression of AtFBX92 resulted in plants with smaller
      leaves than the wild type, whereas plants with reduced levels of AtFBX92 showed,
      in contrast, increased leaf growth by stimulating cell proliferation. Detailed
      cellular analysis suggested that AtFBX92 specifically affects the rate of cell
      division during early leaf development. This is supported by the increased
      expression levels of several cell cycle genes in plants with reduced AtFBX92
      levels. Surprisingly, overexpression of the maize homologous gene ZmFBX92 in
      maize had no effect on plant growth, whereas ectopic expression in Arabidopsis
      increased leaf growth. Expression of a truncated form of AtFBX92 showed that the
      contrasting effects of ZmFBX92 and AtFBX92 gain of function in Arabidopsis are
      due to the absence of the F-box-associated domain in the ZmFBX92 gene. Our work
      reveals an additional player in the complex network that determines leaf size and
      lays the foundation for identifying putative substrates.

PMID- 28340172
TI  - Repositioning disulfiram as a radiosensitizer against atypical teratoid/rhabdoid
      tumor.
AB  - Background: Atypical teratoid/rhabdoid tumor (AT/RT) is one of the most common
      malignant brain tumors in infants. Although cancer stem cells of AT/RT express
      aldehyde dehydrogenase (ALDH), effective chemotherapies against AT/RT have not
      been established. Here, we examined radiosensitizing effects of disulfiram (DSF),
      an irreversible inhibitor of ALDH against AT/RT for a novel therapeutic method.
      Methods: Patient-derived primary cultured AT/RT cells (SNU.AT/RT-5 and SNU.AT/RT
      6) and established AT/RT cell lines (BT-12 and BT-16) were used to assess
      therapeutic effects of combining DSF with radiation treatment (RT). Survival
      fraction by clonogenic assay, protein expression, immunofluorescence, and
      autophagy analysis were evaluated in vitro. Antitumor effects of combining DSF
      with RT were verified by bioluminescence imaging, tumor volume, and survival
      analysis in vivo. Results: The results demonstrated that DSF at low concentration
      enhanced the radiosensitivity of AT/RT cells with reduction of survival fraction
      to 1.21-1.58. DSF increased DNA double-strand break (gamma-H2AX, p-DNA-PKcs, and
      p-ATM), apoptosis (cleaved caspase-3), autophagy (LC3B), and cell cycle arrest
      (p21) in irradiated AT/RT cells, while it decreased anti-apoptosis (nuclear
      factor-kappaB, Survivin, and B-cell lymphoma 2 [Bcl2]). In vivo, DSF and RT
      combined treatment significantly reduced tumor volumes and prolonged the survival
      of AT/RT mouse models compared with single treatments. The combined treatment
      also increased gamma-H2AX, cleaved caspase-3, and LC3B expression and decreased
      ALDH1, Survivin, and Bcl2 expression in vivo. Conclusions: DSF and RT combination
      therapy has additive therapeutic effects on AT/RT by potentiating programmed cell
      death, including apoptosis and autophagy of AT/RT cells. We suggest that DSF can
      be applied as a radiosensitizer in AT/RT treatment.

PMID- 28340175
TI  - FunResDB-A web resource for genotypic susceptibility testing of Aspergillus
      fumigatus.
AB  - Therapy of invasive aspergillosis is becoming more difficult due to the emergence
      of azole resistance in Aspergillus fumigatus. A majority of resistant strains
      carries mutations in the CYP51A gene. Due to a lack of sensitivity of culture
      based methods, molecular detection of A. fumigatus has become an important
      diagnostic tool. We set up the database FunResDB (www.nrz-myk.de/funresdb) to
      gather all available information about CYP51A-dependent azole resistance from
      published literature. In summary, the screening resulted in 79 CYP51A variants,
      which are linked to 59 nonsynonymous mutations. A tailor-made online sequence
      analysis tool allows for genotypic susceptibility testing of A. fumigatus.

PMID- 28340176
TI  - European Heart Rhythm Association Young Electrophysiology Community: introducing
      our National Ambassadors of Italy, Turkey, and Poland.

PMID- 28340177
TI  - The Significance of Internode Length for Saltatory Conduction: Looking Back at
      the Age of 90.
AB  - The development of peripheral nerve fibers involves interdependence between the
      timing of Schwann cell recruitment during myelination and elongation of the
      nerve. This adjusts the number and the length of internodes to the length of the
      fiber. Saltatory conduction in longer nerves involves longer saltations; this
      makes internode length the factor that determines conduction velocity, thereby
      adjusting impulse transmission in circuits of different lengths. Myelination
      increases conduction velocity by means of saltatory conduction but what
      determines the saltatory conduction is not so much the indispensable insulating
      adjunct of myelin as the length of the internodes that separate the excitable
      membrane segments. We have previously studied the development of the length and
      proportion of internodes in some detail. If the anatomical data are combined, the
      data fall in place for a revised understanding of conduction velocity and the
      system that adapts the conduction properties of peripheral nerves to fiber
      lengths and to body size.

PMID- 28340178
TI  - Morphometric covariation between palatal shape and skeletal pattern in Class II
      growing subjects.
AB  - Objectives: To evaluate the patterns of covariation between palatal and
      craniofacial morphology in Class II subjects in the early mixed dentition by
      means of geometric morphometrics. Methods: A cross-sectional sample of 85 Class
      II subjects (44 females, 41 males; mean age 8.7 years +/- 0.8) was collected
      retrospectively according to the following inclusion criteria: European ancestry
      (white), Class II skeletal relationship, Class II division 1 dental relationship,
      early mixed dentition, and prepubertal skeletal maturation. Pre-treatment digital
      3D maxillary dental casts and lateral cephalograms were available. Landmarks and
      semilandmarks were digitized (239 on the palate and 121 on the cephalogram) and
      geometric morphometric methods (GMM) were applied. Procrustes analysis and
      principal component analysis (PCA) were performed to reveal the main patterns of
      palatal shape and craniofacial skeletal shape variation. Two-block partial least
      squares analysis (PLS) assessed patterns of covariation between palatal
      morphology and craniofacial morphology. Results: For the morphology of the
      palate, the first principal component (PC1) described variation in all three
      dimensions. For the morphology of the craniofacial complex, PC1 showed shape
      variation mainly in the vertical direction. Palatal shape and craniofacial shape
      covaried significantly (RV coefficient: 0.199). PLS1 accounted for more than 64
      per cent of total covariation and related divergence of the craniofacial complex
      to palatal height and width. The more a Class II subject tended towards high
      angle divergence, the narrower and higher was the palate. Conclusions: Class II
      high-angle patients tended to have narrower and higher palates, while Class II
      low-angle patients were related to wider and more shallow palates.

PMID- 28340179
TI  - Open-Label Pilot Study to Compare the Safety and Immunogenicity of Pentavalent
      Rotavirus Vaccine (RV5) Administered on an Early Alternative Dosing Schedule with
      Those of RV5 Administered on the Recommended Standard Schedule.
AB  - This study compares the safety and immunogenicity of pentavalent rotavirus
      vaccine (RV5) administered on an alternative schedule (initiated at 2-5 weeks of
      age) with those of RV5 administered on the recommended standard schedule. Our
      findings support the future conduct of larger clinical trials to confirm the
      safety and efficacy of rotavirus vaccination in the neonatal period.

PMID- 28340180
TI  - Reliability Study in Five Languages of the Translation of the Pain Observational
      Scale Algoplus.
AB  - Objective: Acute pain is frequent and underestimated in older persons, especially
      when they suffer from cognitive impairment. Algoplus is an observational scale
      for acute pain evaluation, validated in French in older persons with
      communication disorders. We present the validation by an international expert
      team of the Algoplus scale in five languages: English, Spanish, Italian,
      Portuguese, and Turkish. Methods: A total of 181 older consecutive patients were
      included in five countries (Spain, Australia, Italy, Portugal, and Turkey). Test
      retest and inter-rater reliabilities were determined by weighted kappa
      coefficient for each item and internal consistency by Kuder-Richardson-20 (KD).
      Results: Regarding test-retest reliability, the kappa coefficient for the five
      items ranged from 0.68 to 0.84. Inter-rater reliability kappa values ranged from
      0.64 to 0.82. Internal consistency was indicated at a KD greater than 0.6.
      Satisfaction was good to excellent for all teams. Results show that reliability
      tests are good to excellent for all items of Algoplus. Conclusions: This study
      shows evidence that Algoplus is an acceptable, reproducible, reliable, and easy
      to-use tool. It provides a unique opportunity to include the translated Algoplus
      scale in daily assessment of older persons with communication disorders in many
      countries.

PMID- 28340183
TI  - CRLF2-Positive B-Cell Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia in Adult Patients: A Single
      Institution Experience.
AB  - Objectives: Cytokine receptor-like factor 2 ( CRLF2 ) rearrangement is found in
      approximately 50% of pediatric Ph-like B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (B
      ALL), and around 50% of CRLF2 + cases harbor JAK mutations. We analyzed CRLF2
      expression and studied its correlation with CRLF2 rearrangement in adult patients
      with B-ALL. Methods: Multiparameter flow cytometry (MFC) was performed
      consecutively in 126 patients. Results: CRLF2 overexpression was detected in 30
      (27%) patients, 28 (41%) of 69 patients with B-ALL not otherwise specified, 14
      (21%) of 67 untreated patients, and 16 (27%) of 59 patients with relapsed B-ALL,
      with the highest among Hispanic patients (25/55, 45%). Of CRLF2+ cases, 21 (100%)
      of 21 cases showed CRLF2 rearrangement by fluorescence in situ hybridization,
      preferentially involving IGH@CRLF2 (15/15). The entire coding region of JAK2 was
      sequenced in 14 patients with CRLF2+ B-ALL, and nine (64%) were positive for JAK2
      mutations. Conclusions: MFC allows a rapid, inexpensive, and reliable detection
      of B-ALL with CRLF2 rearrangement that would further facilitate testing for JAK2
      mutations for targetable therapy.

PMID- 28340184
TI  - A cross-national comparison of incident reporting systems implemented in German
      and Swiss hospitals.
AB  - Objective: This study aimed to empirically compare incident reporting systems
      (IRS) in two European countries and to explore the relationship of IRS
      characteristics with context factors such as hospital characteristics and
      characteristics of clinical risk management (CRM). Design: We performed
      exploratory, secondary analyses of data on characteristics of IRS from nationwide
      surveys of CRM practices. Setting: The survey was originally sent to 2136
      hospitals in Germany and Switzerland. Participants: Persons responsible for CRM
      in 622 hospitals completed the survey (response rate 29%). Intervention(s): None.
      Main outcome measure(s): Differences between IRS in German and Swiss hospitals
      were assessed using Chi2, Fisher's Exact and Freeman-Halton-Tests, as
      appropriate. To explore interrelations between IRS characteristics and context
      factors (i.e. hospital and CRM characteristics) we computed Cramer's V. Results:
      Comparing participating hospitals across countries, Swiss hospitals had
      implemented IRS earlier, more frequently and more often provided introductory IRS
      training systematically. German hospitals had more frequently systematically
      implemented standardized procedures for event analyses. IRS characteristics were
      significantly associated with hospital characteristics such as hospital type as
      well as with CRM characteristics such as existence of strategic CRM objectives
      and of a dedicated position for central CRM coordination. Conclusions: This study
      contributes to an improved understanding of differences in the way IRS are set up
      in two European countries and explores related context factors. This opens up new
      possibilities for empirically informed, strategic interventions to further
      improve dissemination of IRS and thus support hospitals in their efforts to move
      patient safety forward.

PMID- 28340181
TI  - Different expression patterns of sperm motility-related genes in testis of
      diploid and tetraploid cyprinid fish?.
AB  - Sperm motility is an important standard to measure the fertility of male. In our
      previous study, we found that the diploid spermatozoa from allotetraploid hybrid
      (4nAT) had longer durations of rapid and slow progressive motility than haploid
      spermatozoa from common carp (COC). In this study, to explore sperm motility
      related molecular mechanisms, we compared the testis tissues transcriptomes from
      2-year-old male COC and 4nAT. The RNA-seq data revealed that 2985 genes were
      differentially expressed between COC and 4nAT, including 2216 upregulated and 769
      downregulated genes in 4nAT. Some differentially expressed genes, such as tubulin
      genes, dynein, axonemal, heavy chain(dnah) genes, mitogen-activated protein
      kinase(mapk) genes, tektin 4, FOX transcription factors, proteasome genes, and
      ubiquitin carboxyl-terminal hydrolase(uchl) genes, are involved in the regulation
      of cell division, flagellar and ciliary motility, gene transcription,
      cytoskeleton, energy metabolism, and the ubiquitin-proteasome system, suggesting
      that these genes were related to sperm motility of the 4nAT. We confirmed the
      differential expression of 12 such genes in 4nAT by quantitative PCR. By western
      blotting, we also confirmed increased expression of Uchl3 in 4nAT testis. In
      addition, we identified 1915 and 2551 predicted long noncoding RNA (lncRNA)
      transcripts from testis tissue transcriptomes of COC and 4nAT, respectively. Of
      these, 1575 lncRNAs were specifically expressed in 4nAT and 939 were specifically
      expressed in COC. This study provides insights into the transcriptome profile of
      testis tissues from diploid and tetraploid, which are useful for research on
      regulatory mechanisms behind sperm motility in male polyploidy.

PMID- 28340185
TI  - Knowledge of Opioid Overdose and Attitudes to Supply of Take-Home Naloxone Among
      People with Chronic Noncancer Pain Prescribed Opioids.
AB  - Objective: Take-home naloxone (THN) is recommended in response to pharmaceutical
      opioid-related mortality. Some health professionals are reluctant to discuss THN
      for fear of causing offense. The aims of this study were to assess knowledge of
      opioid overdose and attitudes toward THN for opioid overdose reversal in people
      with chronic noncancer pain (CNCP). Design: Prospective cohort study. Setting:
      Australia, September to October 2015. Subjects: A subset of participants (N =
      208) from a cohort of people prescribed restricted opioids for CNCP. Methods:
      Questions added in the two-year telephone interviews examined knowledge of
      overdose symptoms and attitudes toward community supply of naloxone. Associations
      with overdose risk factors and naloxone supply eligibility criteria with
      attitudes toward naloxone were explored. Results: Fourteen percent reported ever
      experiencing opioid overdose symptoms. Participants correctly identified fewer
      than half of the overdose signs and symptoms. After receiving information on
      naloxone, most participants (60%), thought it was a "good" or "very good" idea.
      Few participants reported that they would be "a little" (N = 21, 10%) or "very"
      offended (N = 7, 3%) if their opioid prescriber offered them naloxone. Positive
      attitudes toward THN were associated with male gender (odds ratio [OR] = 1.96,
      95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.09-3.50), past year cannabis use (OR = 2.52, 95%
      CI = 1.03-6.16), and past year nicotine use (OR = 2.11, 95% CI = 1.14-3.91).
      Conclusions: Most participants had positive attitudes toward THN but low
      knowledge about opioid overdose symptoms. Strategies for educating patients and
      their caregivers on opioid toxicity are needed. THN may be best targeted toward
      those with risk factors in terms of overdose prevention and acceptability.

PMID- 28340186
TI  - Monocyte-to-HDL-cholesterol ratio and left atrial remodelling in atrial
      fibrillation.

PMID- 28340188
TI  - Commentary on "Phase III randomized study of radiation and temozolomide versus
      radiation and nitrosourea therapy for anaplastic astrocytoma: results of NRG
      Oncology RTOG 9813".

PMID- 28340187
TI  - Biofilm, adherence, and hydrophobicity as virulence factors in Malassezia furfur.
AB  - Malassezia species are natural inhabitants of the healthy skin. However, under
      certain conditions, they may cause or exacerbate several skin diseases. The
      ability of this fungus to colonize or infect is determined by complex
      interactions between the fungal cell and its virulence factors. This study aims
      to evaluate "in vitro" the hydrophobicity levels, the adherence on a plastic
      surface and the biofilm formation of 16 clinical isolates of Malassezia furfur.
      Cellular surface hydrophobicity (CSH) levels were determined by two-phase system.
      The biofilm formation was determined by tetrazolium salt (XTT) reduction assay
      and by Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM). Results showed many isolates were
      hydrophobic, adherent, and producers of biofilm on abiotic surfaces with
      different capacity. SEM observations confirmed an abundant extracellular matrix
      after 48 h of biofilm formation. About 63% of strains with high production of
      biofilm showed medium to high percentage of hydrophobicity and/or adherence. In
      addition, it has been demonstrated a correlation between hydrophobicity,
      adherence, and biofilm formation in about 60% of strains examined. These
      important virulence factors could be responsible of this yeast changing from a
      commensal to a pathogenic status.

PMID- 28340189
TI  - The Relationship Between Pain Severity and Alcohol Use Among School-Aged Children
      and Adolescents: The Moderating Role of Drinking Motives.
AB  - Objective: Evidence from adult samples suggests a co-occurrence between pain and
      alcohol abuse. However, studies in adolescents are scarce and results are
      inconsistent, with some studies observing heightened and others observing reduced
      alcohol consumption in adolescents suffering from pain. We hypothesized that in
      adolescents the association between pain and alcohol use will be moderated by
      drinking motives. Methods: Data from a large representative sample of Flemish
      school children and adolescents (N = 10,650, 50.8% boys, age range = 10-21 years,
      Mage = 14.33 years) were collected as part of the World Health Organization
      collaborative Health Behaviour in School-Aged Children (HBSC) survey. Pain
      severity was graded based on a pediatric pain classification system that accounts
      for both pain intensity and disability. Alcohol consumption was operationalized
      using two variables: frequency of drinking and drunkenness. The Drinking Motives
      Questionnaire-Revised was used to capture drinking motives; it assesses four
      motive categories (enhancement, coping, social, and conformity). Results:
      Findings indicated that higher pain severity was associated with greater
      frequency of alcohol use and drunkenness. However, drinking motives moderated
      this association. The positive association between pain severity and drinking
      frequency was stronger in case of high conformity motives. Likewise, the
      association between pain severity and drunkenness frequency was stronger at high
      levels of conformity motives and reached significance only at high levels of
      coping motives. Conclusions: Our findings suggest that specific drinking motives
      are linked to problematic alcohol use in adolescents with pain. Future studies
      using a longitudinal design are needed to draw conclusions about direction of
      effects.

PMID- 28340190
TI  - Systematic Review: A Systematic Review of the Interrelationships Among Children's
      Coping Responses, Children's Coping Outcomes, and Parent Cognitive-Affective,
      Behavioral, and Contextual Variables in the Needle-Related Procedures Context.
AB  - Objective: To conduct a systematic review of the interrelationships between
      children's coping responses, children's coping outcomes, and parent variables
      during needle-related procedures.   A systematic literature search was conducted.
      It was required that the study examined a painful needle-related procedure in
      children from 3 to 12 years of age, and included a children's coping response, a
      children's coping outcome, and a parent variable. In all, 6,081 articles were
      retrieved to review against inclusion criteria. Twenty studies were included.  
      Parent coping-promoting behaviors and distress-promoting behaviors enacted in
      combination are the most consistent predictors of optimal children's coping
      responses, and less optimal children's coping outcomes, respectively. Additional
      key findings are presented.   Children's coping with needle-related procedures is
      a complex process involving a variety of different dimensions that interact in
      unison. Parents play an important role in this process. Future researchers are
      encouraged to disentangle coping responses from coping outcomes when exploring
      this dynamic process.

PMID- 28340191
TI  - Cardiac health and fitness of Colorado male/female firefighters.
AB  - Background: Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is documented as the leading cause of
      mortality in on-duty firefighters. Aims: To examine the prevalence of metabolic
      syndrome (MetS) components, cardiorespiratory fitness levels and the association
      between them in firefighters in Colorado, USA. Methods: This study included male
      and female Colorado firefighters. MetS was identified where three or more
      metabolic abnormalities were present, using Cholesterol Education Program/Adult
      Treatment Panel III guidelines. Cardiorespiratory fitness (indicated by VO2 max)
      was evaluated with the Bruce protocol. Poisson regression was conducted to
      examine the association between MetS components and VO2 max. Results: Among the
      947 male and 76 female study subjects, MetS was present in 9% of all
      firefighters, in 5% of females and 10% of males. The mean age was 37 +/- 10
      years. MetS prevalence increased with age (from 3% at age <30 to 17% at 50 and
      older, data not shown). In addition, 35% had one and 19% had two abnormal MetS
      components and 49% of participants did not meet the minimum recommended VO2 max
      of 42.0 ml/kg/min. VO2 max was negatively associated with abnormal MetS
      components (incident rate ratios = 0.95, 95% confidence interval 0.94-0.96, P <
      0.001). Conclusions: About one in 10 of these Colorado firefighters had MetS and
      nearly half had insufficient cardiorespiratory fitness. Comprehensive CVD risk
      management and cardiorespiratory fitness improvement are essential for
      firefighter health and safety.

PMID- 28340192
TI  - Prediction equation for calculating residual kidney urea clearance using urine
      collections for different hemodialysis treatment frequencies and interdialytic
      intervals.
AB  - Background: The purpose of the study was to explore the precision of an equation
      designed to estimate residual kidney urea clearance (KRU) from interdialytic
      urine collection data and pre-hemodialysis (HD) serum urea nitrogen (SUN) in
      different hemodialysis treatment schedules. Methods: The generalizability of the
      proposed equation was tested in 32 731 HD treatments where urine was collected
      prior to a dialysis session, mostly for 24 h but sometimes longer, in patients
      being dialyzed 1-4 times/week. Results: The residual kidney urea clearance
      estimating equation predicted a KRU that matched the one computed by formal
      modeling within 5% in >98% of sessions analyzed. The errors in estimated versus
      modeled KRU for interdialytic intervals (IDIs) of 2, 3, 4 and 7 days, were 1.6 +/
      1.5%, -0.4 +/- 1.6%, 0.9 +/- 1.6%, and 1.5 +/- 1.2%, respectively. Percent
      errors were similar for schedules of 1-4/week with the exception of urine
      collection during the 2-day interval of a 2:5-day twice-weekly schedule; here
      error averaged 5.0 +/- 1.2%. Use of the average of the SUN values at the start
      and end of the collection period overestimated modeled KRU by 11.3 +/- 4.5%,
      whereas an equation suggested by others underestimated modeled KRU by -9.9 +/-
      3.4%. Conclusions: The equation tested predicts values for KRU that are similar
      to those obtained from formal urea kinetic modeling, with percent errors that
      only rarely exceed 5%. It gives relatively precise results for a wide range of HD
      treatment schedules, IDIs and urine collection periods. Keywords: chronic
      hemodialysis, clearance, guidelines, hemodialysis, predialysis.

PMID- 28340194
TI  - Painful Foot Nodules and Rash in a Teenager.

PMID- 28340193
TI  - Addressing Structural Barriers to HIV Care among Triply Diagnosed Adults: Project
      Bridge Oakland.
AB  - People who are "triply diagnosed" with HIV, mental health issues, and substance
      related disorders face tremendous barriers connecting to and remaining in HIV
      care. Authors of this article implemented Project Bridge Oakland (PBO), an
      intervention based on harm reduction and trauma-informed care, to help maintain
      continuity of care for triply diagnosed adults through cycles of criminal justice
      involvement. From August 2011 to December 2014, a clinical social worker and an
      HIV physician provided intensive case management for 19 clients living in
      Oakland, California. By working with clients across a multitude of community,
      clinic, and correctional spaces while maintaining a low threshold for services,
      the social worker was able to engage a severely marginalized population in HIV
      care. This article details the PBO strategies for assisting with a wide range of
      services needed for community stabilization, navigating criminal justice
      involvement, and establishing a therapeutic relationship through mundane
      practices such as eating and waiting for appointments. This article illustrates
      how programs aimed at stabilizing triply diagnosed clients in the community and
      connecting them to HIV care require coordination among providers, outreach to
      engage clients, ample time to work with them, and flexibility to account for the
      complexities of their day-to-day lives and experiences.

PMID- 28340195
TI  - Nicotine Sales to Minors: Store-Level Comparison of E-Cigarette Versus Cigarette
      Violation Rates.
AB  - Introduction: In recent years, e-cigarettes overtook cigarettes as the leading
      tobacco product used by US adolescents. Most states, as well as federal
      regulations, have added e-cigarettes to laws prohibiting tobacco products sales
      to minors. We tested compliance with the newer regulation among Colorado urban
      retail businesses, speculating that violations might be more common for e
      cigarettes than smokable cigarettes. Methods: Supervised minors visited a random
      sample of urban businesses and sequentially attempted to purchase an e-cigarette
      product and cigarettes. The protocol prescribed that the same minor make both
      attempts in each business, separated by at least a day to minimize influence of
      the first result on the second result. Data were collected during May 2014
      January 2015. Results: Among 238 businesses, more than one-fourth (26.1%; 95%
      confidence interval (CI), 18.9%-33.2%) sold at least one type of product, and
      6.3% (CI, 1.8%-10.8%) sold both types. Violation rates were similar for e
      cigarette products and cigarettes (17.6% vs. 14.7%, p = n.s.). Conclusion:
      Enforcement to prevent retail tobacco sales to adolescents should include e
      cigarette products. Dual testing of stores indicates that single visits
      underestimate the problem of underage tobacco sales. Implications: Adolescents
      can buy e-cigarettes from retail stores as easily as they buy cigarettes.
      Enforcement of tobacco sales laws should include e-cigarettes, and test-retest
      protocols are needed to estimate the true extent of the problem.

PMID- 28340196
TI  - Erratum.

PMID- 28340197
TI  - The evolution and benefit of device therapy in patients listed for heart
      transplant.
AB  - Aims: The latest 2015 ESC Guidelines on the prevention of sudden cardiac death
      make a Class IIa recommendation for ICD implantation in patients listed for heart
      transplantation. This recommendation was based on expert consensus in view of the
      sparsity of data. Methods and results: All patients listed for heart
      transplantation at the University Hospitals of Leuven from 2002 until 2014 were
      studied retrospectively. Exclusion criteria were age <16 years, cardiac disease
      other than ischaemic or dilated cardiomyopathy and re-transplantation. A total of
      286 patients were included, of which 140 (49.0%) received an ICD. There was a
      historical increase of the time on the waiting list before transplantation (P <
      0.001) together with an increase of the use of ICDs (P < 0.001) and left
      ventricular assist devices (LVADs) (P < 0.001). The proportion of patients
      reaching heart transplant remained unchanged (P = 0.700). The annual appropriate
      shock rate in patients with ICD was 28.0%/y on the active waiting list. Patients
      with ICD showed a trend to improved survival (P = 0.070). Independent predictors
      of mortality or removal from the transplant list because of clinical
      deterioration were the need for LVAD (HR 4.38, 95%CI 2.11-9.01), a history of
      stroke (HR 2.95, 95%CI 1.61-5.40), older age (HR 1.03, 95%CI 1.01-1.05) and a
      worse renal function (HR 1.15, 95%CI 1.00-1.33). Conclusion: The time on the
      waiting list for heart transplantation significantly increased together with an
      increased use of device therapy in this population. The proportion of patients
      reaching transplant remained unchanged. This patient group is prone to life
      threatening arrhythmias and the use of an ICD may improve survival.

PMID- 28340198
TI  - Reasons to wait or to treat naive patients affected by chronic hepatitis C with
      low fibrosis stage and genotypes 2 or 3.
AB  - Background: New interferon (IFN)-free therapies are not currently available for
      all patients with chronic hepatitis C due to higher costs; in Italy, patients
      with genotype 2 (GT2) or GT3 without severe fibrosis can choose between wait or
      treatment with pegylated (PEG)-IFN and ribavirin. This study wants to examine the
      real rate of patients that accept or refused this therapy and the reasons related
      to decision. Methods: This prospective, observational analysis was performed at
      our centre between January 2014 and June 2015. Epidemiological, social and
      clinical data were collected in medical records; reasons for treatment
      acceptance/refusal were recorded through a questionnaire. Eligible patients were:
      naive, with genotypes 2 or 3, fibrosis stage F0-F2. Results: In total 132
      patients were included: 34 with GT2, 98 with GT3. Patients with GT3 were younger,
      with prevalent sex male and mostly with active intravenous drug use. 53 patients
      accepted the treatment option (40.1%): 12 with GT2 (22%), 41 GT3 (41.8%) (P <
      0.001). 79 patients refused (59.8%): 22 with GT2 (64.7%), 57 with GT3 (58.2) (P <
      0.001). Fear of side-effects (OR = 1.774; 95% CI = 1.089-2.117; P = 0.016) and
      active alcoholism (OR = 1.144; 95% CI = 1.012-2.006; P = 0.025) were predictive
      factors for treatment refusal in GT3, whereas the presence of extrahepatic
      manifestations in GT2 (OR = 1.911; 95% CI = 1.124-2.912; P = 0.019) and the will
      to eradicate the infection in GT3 (OR = 2.140; 95% CI = 1.120-3.445; P = 0.008)
      were predictive of treatment acceptance. Conclusions: Dual therapy is the only
      option for these subjects; however the motivation of patients and major socio
      economic conditions were strictly related to decision of acceptance or refusal.

PMID- 28340199
TI  - Intrarenal arterial stiffness is increased in systemic sclerosis patients with
      anti-ribonucleic acid polymerase III antibodies.

PMID- 28340200
TI  - Cytokines profile in immunocompetent mice during Trichosporon asahii infection.
AB  - Trichosporon asahii is an opportunistic yeastlike fungus commonly associated with
      systemic infections in immunocompromised patients. Neutropenia is recognized as
      the main risk factor in infections by T. asahii; however, little is known about
      the cytokine response during trichosporonosis. Here, we evaluated systemic and
      local cytokine production and histological damage in immunocompetent mice during
      systemic infection with T. asahii. We found a significant increased presence of G
      CSF, TNF-alpha, IFN-gamma, and IL-6 in sera samples. High levels of G-CSF were
      found in organs (kidney, liver and spleen); meanwhile IL-10, IL-17A, IL-2, IL-4
      and TNF-alpha were found in low levels. Neutrophils and fungal structures were
      found in early stage in analyzed organs. Our results demonstrated that T. asahii
      induces a systemic inflammatory response and G-CSF environment in infected organs
      in immunocompetent mice and neutrophil recruitment in analyzed tissue suggests
      the importance of these cells for fungal control.

PMID- 28340201
TI  - A systematic review of the relationship of physical activity and health status in
      adolescents.
AB  - Background: Reduced physical activity is a known risk factor for many illnesses.
      Research in adolescent populations found increased physical activity levels
      improves objective health outcomes, but there is conflicting evidence regarding
      the relationship between physical activity levels and self-reported health
      status. To synthesise current evidence on the association between physical
      activity and self-reported health status in adolescents. Secondary objectives are
      to assess whether the relationship is dose dependant, and the appropriateness of
      WHO recommendations on adolescents' physical activity. The main databases were
      searched using keywords for the main outcome of interest (health status, health
      behaviour and self-perception) and exposure of interest (motor activity, physical
      activity and exercise), supplemented with manual searches, secondary citation and
      reference searches. Quality appraisal was carried out using the Strengthening the
      Reporting of Observational Studies in Epidemiology checklist. Eleven studies
      entered this review. Nine studies reported a significant relationship between
      increased levels of physical activity and improved self-reported health status,
      however two did not. Two studies followed up participants and found that the
      relationship persisted over time. Two papers described a dose-response
      relationship. Improvements in self-perceived health can be observed even below
      the current recommended levels of physical activity. The review supports
      initiatives to encourage adolescents to engage in physical activity as it
      improves self-reported health status. Sub-optimal levels of physical activity can
      also be beneficial. Further research should use standardised measurement scales
      and objectively measured physical activity levels. The roles of gender, income
      and culture should be further investigated.

PMID- 28340202
TI  - Validity and Reproducibility of the STarT Back Tool (Dutch Version) in Patients
      With Low Back Pain in Primary Care Settings.
AB  - Objective: The purpose of this study was to translate and to investigate the
      reliability and validity of the STarT Back screening tool (SBT) in the primary
      care setting among patients with nonspecific low back pain (LBP). Design: The SBT
      was formally translated into Dutch following a multistep approach for forward and
      backward translation. General practitioners and physical therapists included
      patients with LBP. Methods: Patients completed a baseline questionnaire and a
      follow-up at 3 days and 3 months. The construct validity was calculated with
      Pearson's correlation coefficient. The reproducibility was assessed using the
      quadratic weighted kappa and the specific agreement. Predictive validity was
      assessed using relative risk ratios for persisting disability at 3 months.
      Content validity was analyzed using floor and ceiling effects. Results: In total,
      184 patients were included; 52.2% were categorized in the "low-risk" subgroup,
      38.0% "medium-risk," and 9.8% "high-risk." For the construct validity we found,
      as expected, a moderate to high Pearson's correlation for questions 3 to 9 and a
      low correlation for questions 1 and 2 with their respective reference
      questionnaires. The reproducibility had a quadratic weighted kappa of 0.65 and
      the specific agreement of 82.4% for "low-risk," 53.3% for "medium-risk," and
      33.3% for "high-risk." For the predictive validity for persisting disability we
      found a relative risk ratio for "medium-risk" of 1.8 (95% confidence interval
      [CI]: 1.0-3.1) and 2.7 (95% CI: 1.4-4.9) for "high-risk" compared with "low
      risk." For the content validity, we found that no floor and ceiling effects were
      present. Limitations: There was a relatively small sample size for the retest
      reliability study. Patients were not compared between physical therapist and GP,
      as there were not enough patients in both groups. For practical reasons, the
      patients filled out the baseline questionnaire after receiving the first
      treatment/consultation; however, the questionnaire is intended to be filled in
      before the first consultation/treatment. Conclusion: The SBT has been
      successfully translated into Dutch. The psychometric analysis showed acceptable
      results and, therefore, the SBT is a valid screening tool for patients with LBP
      in Dutch primary care.

PMID- 28340203
TI  - Been There, Done That: The Experience of Acting as a Young Adult Mentor to
      Adolescents Living With Chronic Illness.
AB  - Objective: To explore the perceived benefits and challenges of acting as a young
      adult peer mentor to adolescents with chronic illness. Methods: A qualitative
      descriptive study, using interviews and a focus group, explored the perceptions
      of young adult peer mentors following participation in the iPeer2Peer program, a
      Skype-based peer-mentorship program for adolescents with chronic illness.
      Interviews and focus group data were transcribed and analyzed using inductive
      content analysis. Results: Ten peer mentors (20.00 +/- 1.49 years old, range 17
      22 years; diagnosed with chronic pain [n = 4] or juvenile idiopathic arthritis [n
      = 6]) who mentored four mentees (+/-2.55 mentees, range = 1-10 mentees)
      participated. Four main categories were identified: social connection, personal
      growth, mentor role in mentee growth, and logistics of mentorship. Conclusions:
      Acting as a peer mentor online is a feasible and rewarding experience that
      supports the mentor's own illness self-management, social connection, and
      personal growth.

PMID- 28340204
TI  - Changes in Pain and Muscle Architecture in Colon Cancer Survivors After a
      Lumbopelvic Exercise Program: A Secondary Analysis of a Randomized Controlled
      Trial.
AB  - Objective: To investigate the efficacy of an eight-week lumbopelvic stabilization
      program (CO-CUIDATE) for colon cancer survivors. Design: A secondary analysis of
      a randomized controlled clinical trial. Settings: A blinded, trained researcher
      performed the end point assessments for pain (Pressure Pain Threshold and Brief
      Pain Inventory) and muscle architecture (ultrasound imaging measurements).
      Subjects: Forty-six colon cancer survivors who were assigned to the CO-CUIDATE
      group or usual care group. Methods: The CO-CUIDATE program was conducted for
      eight weeks. A trained researcher who was blinded to patient group performed the
      assessments. The tests were carried out with multiple observations. Intention-to
      treat analyses were performed. Results: The program had an adherence rate of
      88.36% and two dropouts (10.5%). The participants reported some minor side
      effects during the first exercise sessions. The analysis revealed significant
      differences in the group x time interactions for the lumbar side (dominant: F =
      3.1, P  < 0.001; nondominant: F = 3.0, P  = 0.01) and the infra-umbilical
      dominant side (F = 1.2, P  = 0.04) after the program and at the six-month follow
      up and for the internal oblique thickness (F = 5.1, P  = 0.030) after the
      program. The experimental group experienced a greater improvement in all values
      after the program compared with the control group. There were no significant
      changes in the other pressure pain threshold points, pain severity, interference
      of pain, or the remaining ultrasound imaging measurements. Conclusion: The CO
      CUIDATE program is effective for improving the musculoskeletal conditions related
      to the lumbopelvic area in colon cancer survivors, specifically in relation to
      pain and the internal oblique thickness.

PMID- 28340205
TI  - Ocular involvement in patients with spondyloarthritis.
AB  - Ocular inflammatory diseases can present as isolated conditions but also as part
      of systemic inflammatory diseases. Anterior uveitis is closely related to SpA and
      shares the common genetic background of HLA-B27. Other ocular manifestations,
      such as episcleritis and scleritis, may also occur, although less frequently.
      Therefore, ocular involvement has been included as one of the important clinical
      features of SpA in the recently published classification criteria for axial and
      peripheral disease. However, there are a wide variety of aetiologies for ocular
      diseases and this must be considered in assessment of SpA.

PMID- 28340206
TI  - Monitoring the quality of cardiac surgery based on three or more surgical
      outcomes using a new variable life-adjusted display.
AB  - Quality problem or issue: The traditional variable life-adjusted display (VLAD)
      is a graphical display of the difference between expected and actual cumulative
      deaths. The VLAD assumes binary outcomes: death within 30 days of an operation or
      survival beyond 30 days. Full recovery and bedridden for life, for example, are
      considered the same outcome. This binary classification results in a great loss
      of information. Initial assessment: Although there are many grades of survival,
      the binary outcomes are commonly used to classify surgical outcomes.
      Consequently, quality monitoring procedures are developed based on binary
      outcomes. With a more refined set of outcomes, the sensitivities of these
      procedures can be expected to improve. Choice of solution: A likelihood ratio
      method is used to define a penalty-reward scoring system based on three or more
      surgical outcomes for the new VLAD. The likelihood ratio statistic W is based on
      testing the odds ratio of cumulative probabilities of recovery R. Two methods of
      implementing the new VLAD are proposed. Implementation: We accumulate the
      statistic W-W-R to estimate the performance of a surgeon where W-R is the average
      of the W's of a historical data set. The accumulated sum will be zero based on
      the historical data set. This ensures that if a new VLAD is plotted for a future
      surgeon of performance similar to this average performance, the plot will exhibit
      a horizontal trend. Evaluation: For illustration of the new VLAD, we consider 3
      outcome surgical results: death within 30 days, partial and full recoveries. In
      our first illustration, we show the effect of partial recoveries on surgical
      results of a surgeon. In our second and third illustrations, the surgical results
      of two surgeons are compared using both the traditional VLAD based on binary
      outcome data and the new VLAD based on 3-outcome data. A reversal in relative
      performance of surgeons is observed when the new VLAD is used. In our final
      illustration, we display the surgical results of four surgeons using the new VLAD
      based completely on 3-outcome data. Lessons learned: Full recovery and bedridden
      for life are two completely different outcomes. There is a great loss of
      information when different grades of 'successful' operations are naively
      classified as survival. When surgical outcomes are classified more accurately
      into more than two categories, the resulting new VLAD will reveal more accurately
      and fairly the surgical results.

PMID- 28340208
TI  - Health care on equal terms? Assessing horizontal equity in health care use in
      Northern Sweden.
AB  - Background: The Swedish health care system has successively moved toward
      increased market-orientation, which has raised concerns as to whether Sweden
      still offers health on equal terms. To explore this issue, this study aimed (i)
      to assess if the principles of horizontal equity (equal access for equal need
      regardless of socio-economic factors) are met in Northern Sweden 2006-14; and
      (ii) to explore the contribution of different factors to the inequalities in
      access along the same period. Methods: Data came from cross sectional surveys
      known in 2006, 2010 and 2014 targeting 16-84-year-old residents in the four
      northern-most counties in Sweden. The horizontal inequity index was calculated
      based on variables representing (i) the individual socioeconomic status, (ii) the
      health care needs, (iii) non-need factors as well as (iv) health care
      utilization: general practitioner (GP), specialist doctors, hospitalization.
      Decomposition analysis of the concentration index for need-standardized health
      care utilization was applied. Results: Adjusting for needs, there was a higher
      use of GP services by rich people during the two last surveys, a roughly equal
      use of specialists, and hospitalization concentrated among the poor but with a
      clear time trend toward equality. The pro-rich inequalities in GP use were to a
      large part explained by the income gap. Conclusion: While health care utilization
      can be considered equitable regarding specialist and hospital use, the increasing
      pro-rich trend in the use of GP is a concern. Further studies are required to
      investigate the reasons and a constant monitoring of socioeconomic differences in
      health care access is recommended.

PMID- 28340207
TI  - Effect of the 2014/2015 Ebola outbreak on reproductive health services in a rural
      district of Guinea: an ecological study.
AB  - Background: The 2014/2015 Ebola outbreak was the most sustained in history. In
      Guinea, we compared trends in family planning, antenatal care, and institutional
      deliveries over the period before, during and after the outbreak. Methods: We
      carried out an ecological study involving all the health facilities during pre
      Ebola (1 March 2013 to 28 February 2014), intra-Ebola (1 March 2014 to 28
      February 2015) and post-Ebola (1 March to 31 July 2016) periods in Macenta
      district. Results: Utilization of family planning declined from a monthly average
      of 531 visits during the pre-Ebola period to 242 visits in the peak month of the
      Ebola outbreak (51% decline) but recovered in the post-Ebola period. From a
      monthly average of 2053 visits pre-Ebola, antenatal care visits declined by 41%
      during Ebola and then recovered to only 63% of the pre-Ebola level (recovery gap
      of 37%, p<0.001). From a monthly average of 1223 deliveries pre-Ebola,
      institutional deliveries also declined during Ebola and then recovered to only
      66% of the pre-Ebola level (p<0.001). Conclusions: All services assessed were
      affected by Ebola. Family planning recovered post-Ebola; however, shortfalls were
      observed in recovery of antenatal care and institutional deliveries. We call for
      stronger political will, international support and generous funding to change the
      current state of affairs.

PMID- 28340209
TI  - A novel PTEN mutation associated with colonic ganglioneuromatous polyps.

PMID- 28340211
TI  - Familial hypercholesterolemia: xanthelesma, arcus corneae and tendon xanthomas.

PMID- 28340210
TI  - Clinical Significance of Isolated Myeloperoxidase Expression in Pediatric B
      Lymphoblastic Leukemia.
AB  - Objectives: Diagnosis of B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (B-ALL) requires
      immunophenotypic evidence of B-lineage and absence of specific myeloid or T
      lineage markers. Rare cases of otherwise typical B-ALL express myeloperoxidase
      (MPO) detectable by flow cytometry with an absence of other myeloid markers, but
      the clinical significance of this finding is not well studied. Methods: A
      retrospective cohort analysis of flow cytometry and clinical data was performed
      to investigate the clinical outcome of this specific group of patients. Results:
      Twenty-nine cases of otherwise typical B-ALL that expressed MPO by flow cytometry
      (B-ALL-isoMPO) without expression of other myeloid markers were identified. The B
      ALL-isoMPO group had a significantly increased incidence of relapse (univariate
      log rank P  = .0083; multivariate hazard ratio, 2.50; 95% confidence interval,
      1.07-5.85; P  = .034) and significantly worse event-free survival by univariate
      analysis (log rank P  = .0066) compared with a reference group of patients with B
      ALL from the same time period (n = 264). Conclusions: To our knowledge, this is
      the first report to document the clinical outcomes in a group of pediatric
      patients with B-ALL that expresses MPO in the absence of other myeloid markers.
      This group had an increased rate of relapse and a worse event-free survival than
      the patients with B-ALL who did not express MPO.

PMID- 28340213
TI  - Effects of Alcohol Dependence Severity on Neural Correlates of Delay Discounting.
AB  - Aims: The current study examines the relationship between alcohol dependence
      severity and delay discounting neural activation. Methods: Participants (N = 17;
      6 female) completed measures of alcohol use and severity and a functional
      magnetic resonance imaging version of a delay discounting task. Results: Alcohol
      dependence severity was negatively associated with activation in superior frontal
      gyrus during impulsive relative to delayed decisions, and positively associated
      with activation in paracingulate gyrus and frontal pole in delayed relative to
      impulsive decisions. Conclusions: These results indicate that alcohol dependence
      severity tracks closely with dysregulations in cognitive control and reward
      evaluation areas during impulsive and delayed decisions, respectively. Delay
      discounting may be a useful construct in capturing these cognitive dysregulations
      as alcohol use disorders become more severe. Short summary: Among alcohol
      dependent individuals, alcohol dependence severity is associated with
      overactivation of ventromedial prefrontal areas during delayed and
      underactivation of dorsolateral prefrontal regions during impulsive reward
      decisions.

PMID- 28340214
TI  - Knuckle pigmentation and vitamin B12 deficiency.

PMID- 28340212
TI  - Accelerated senescence in skin in a murine model of radiation-induced multi-organ
      injury.
AB  - Accidental high-dose radiation exposures can lead to multi-organ injuries,
      including radiation dermatitis. The types of cellular damage leading to radiation
      dermatitis are not completely understood. To identify the cellular mechanisms
      that underlie radiation-induced skin injury in vivo, we evaluated the time-course
      of cellular effects of radiation (14, 16 or 17 Gy X-rays; 0.5 Gy/min) in the skin
      of C57BL/6 mice. Irradiation of 14 Gy induced mild inflammation, observed
      histologically, but no visible hair loss or erythema. However, 16 or 17 Gy
      radiation induced dry desquamation, erythema and mild ulceration, detectable
      within 14 days post-irradiation. Histological evaluation revealed inflammation
      with mast cell infiltration within 14 days. Fibrosis occurred 80 days following
      17 Gy irradiation, with collagen deposition, admixed with neutrophilic
      dermatitis, and necrotic debris. We found that in cultures of normal human
      keratinocytes, exposure to 17.9 Gy irradiation caused the upregulation of
      p21/waf1, a marker of senescence. Using western blot analysis of 17.9 Gy
      irradiated mice skin samples, we also detected a marker of accelerated senescence
      (p21/waf1) 7 days post-irradiation, and a marker of cellular apoptosis (activated
      caspase-3) at 30 days, both preceding histological evidence of inflammatory
      infiltrates. Immunohistochemistry revealed reduced epithelial stem cells from
      hair follicles 14-30 days post-irradiation. Furthermore, p21/waf1 expression was
      increased in the region of the hair follicle stem cells at 14 days post 17 Gy
      irradiation. These data indicate that radiation induces accelerated cellular
      senescence in the region of the stem cell population of the skin.

PMID- 28340215
TI  - Development of enzyme immunoassays (ELISA and Western blot) for the serological
      diagnosis of dermatophytosis in symptomatic and asymptomatic cats.
AB  - Dermatophytosis is the most common fungal infection in cats worldwide and plays
      an important role in both animal and human health due to their high zoonotic
      potential. Effective screening is a strong preventive measure and the fungal
      culture is quite useful but requires full laboratorial experience and it takes a
      long time to obtain the result. A rapid and accurate screening test for
      dermatophytosis in cats is crucial for the effective control of disease
      outbreaks. The aim of this study was to develop and evaluate the diagnostic
      efficacy of enzyme immunoassays (ELISA and Western blot [WB]) for the rapid and
      precise diagnosis of dermatophytosis in cats. Seventy cats of various ages were
      divided into three groups: S (symptomatic, n = 20), AS (asymptomatic, n = 30),
      and N (negative, n = 20). All animals were submitted to fungal culture and blood
      samples for carrying out the serological tests. A significant difference (P <
      0.05) was found between IgG-specific levels of sera of Microsporum canis positive
      and negative animals. There was no statistic difference between groups
      symptomatic and asymptomatic. The ELISA test showed sensitivity of 94% and
      specificity of 75%. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis also showed
      higher diagnostic accuracy (AUC 0.925). The WB technique detected 13 bands, and
      the 50 kDa protein was considered the most immunogenic protein, observing
      reactivity in 83.3% in the symptomatic group and 66.6% in the asymptomatic group.
      The study concluded that ELISA and WB were useful tools to reliably detect cats
      that have been exposed to M. canis.

PMID- 28340216
TI  - Meta-analysis of statins in chronic kidney disease: who benefits?
AB  - Background: Attempts to reduce the burden of vascular disease in advanced chronic
      kidney disease (CKD) by control of lipids have not been as successful as
      predicted. Aim: To determine the extent to which the effectiveness of statins
      varies by kidney class. Design: Meta-analysis. Methods: We selected randomized
      trials of statin vs. placebo that gave outcomes for CKD3 (eGFR 30-59 ml/min),
      CKD4 (eGFR 15-29 ml/min), CKD5 (eGFR < 15 ml/min)/5D(dialysis) and transplant
      patients separately. Data sources were the Cholesterol Triallists' Treatment
      Collaboration and previously published meta-analyses. Main outcome measures were
      major cardiovascular events (MACE), cardiovascular death and all-cause mortality
      (ACM). Results: A total of 13 studies provided 19 386 participants with CKD3,
      2565 with CKD4, 7051 with CKD5/5D and 2102 with a functioning renal transplant.
      Statins reduced MACE (pooled HR 0.72, 95% CI 0.67-0.78) and ACM (0.82, 0.73-0.91)
      in CKD3; probably reduced MACE (0.78, 0.62-0.99) in CKD4; and probably reduced
      cardiovascular death (0.62, 0.40-0.96) in renal transplants. There were no
      cardiovascular or ACM data in CKD4; there was no convincing evidence of benefit
      for any outcome in CKD5/5D; and no significant reduction in MACE or ACM in
      patients with a functioning transplant. Conclusions: Statins are indicated in
      CKD3, probably indicated in CKD4, not indicated in CKD5/5D and probably indicated
      in patients with a functioning transplant. Too few patients with CKD4 and renal
      transplants have been included in lipid lowering trials for confident conclusions
      to be drawn.

PMID- 28340217
TI  - Establishment of Reference Interval for Alkaline Phosphatase in Healthy Children
      of Various Ethnicities, Aged 0-12 Years.
AB  - Background: To establish a reference interval of alkaline phosphatase for healthy
      children of various ethnicities, aged 0 years to 12 years in China. Methods:
      According to the Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute guideline C28-A3,
      blood specimens were collected in the morning after overnight fasting from 502
      healthy children to determine the alkaline phosphatase (ALP) level, using the
      Beckman AU5800 automatic biochemical analyzer. Children were grouped by sex and
      age. The age groups were as follows: 0 to 1 year, 1 to 3 years, 3 to 6 years, and
      6 to 12 years. Results: There were no significant differences between the sex and
      age groups for the age groups of 0 to 1 year, 1 to 3 years, and 3 to 6 years; as
      a result, we combined those groups into a single group. The reference interval of
      ALP is 81.9 to 350.3 U per L in the group aged 0 to 6 years and 48.8 to 445.9 U
      per L in the group aged 6 to 12 years. Conclusions: The results of this study
      establish a reference interval for ALP in healthy children, which will provide a
      basis for screening, diagnosing, and monitoring bone or liver-related diseases in
      children.

PMID- 28340219
TI  - Reply to letter on results of NRG Oncology RTOG 9813.

PMID- 28340218
TI  - User-centered design of discharge warnings tool for colorectal surgery patients.
AB  - Objectives: Readmission following colorectal surgery, typically due to surgery
      related complications, is common. Patient-centered discharge warnings may guide
      recognition of early complication signs after colorectal surgery. Materials and
      Methods: User-centered design of a discharge warnings tool consisted of iterative
      health literacy review and a heuristic evaluation with human factors and clinical
      experts as well as patient end users to establish content validity and usability.
      Results: Literacy evaluation of the prototype suggested >12th-grade reading
      level. Subsequent revisions reduced reading level to 8th grade or below. Contents
      were formatted during heuristic evaluation into 3 action-oriented zones (green,
      yellow, and red) with relevant warning lexicons. Usability testing demonstrated
      comprehension of this 3-level lexicon and recognition of appropriate patient
      actions to take for each level. Discussion: We developed a discharge warnings
      tool for colorectal surgery using staged user-centered design. The lexicon of
      surgical discharge warnings could structure communication among patients,
      caregivers, and clinicians to improve post-discharge care.

PMID- 28340220
TI  - Her2/neu Status Determination in Breast Cancer: A Single Institutional Experience
      Using a Dual-Testing Approach With Immunohistochemistry and Fluorescence In Situ
      Hybridization.
AB  - Objectives: According to current guidelines, either immunohistochemistry (IHC) or
      in situ hybridization (ISH) can be used to determine human epidermal growth
      factor receptor 2 (Her2/neu) status in breast carcinoma. While the guidelines
      explicitly delineate result interpretation, there is no consensus on the most
      appropriate testing algorithm. Methods: The Her2/neu statuses of 369 consecutive
      cases of invasive breast cancer (from 351 patients) were assessed in a dual
      testing algorithm that uses both IHC and fluorescence ISH (FISH). FISH was
      performed using dual-color HER2/ chromosome enumeration probe 17 ( CEP17 )
      probes, and if equivocal results were obtained, reflex testing using
      HER2/lissencephaly gene 1 ( LIS1 ) probes was used. Results from both modalities
      were scored and reported using American Society of Clinical Oncology/College of
      American Pathologists 2013 criteria. Results: Sixty-one (16.5%) of the 369 tumors
      were found to be Her2/neu positive by at least one modality. The overall
      concordance between IHC and FISH results was 97.6%. Six of the 369 tumors were
      reclassified as Her2/neu positive after a negative IHC result. FISH was also able
      to identify significantly more Her2/neu-positive cases than IHC. Conclusions: The
      commonly used reflex strategy based on IHC results may deny potentially
      beneficial targeted therapy for a small cohort of patients, which should be
      considered as testing guidelines are formulated and the cost-benefit analyses of
      various testing algorithms are assessed.

PMID- 28340222
TI  - Success in Implementation of a Resident In-Service Examination Review Series.
AB  - Objectives: Primary pathology board certification has been correlated with senior
      resident in-service examination (RISE) performance. We describe our success with
      an annual, month-long review series. Methods: Aggregate program RISE performance
      data were gathered for 3 years prior to and 3 years following initiation of the
      review series. In addition, mean United States Medical Licensing Examination Step
      1 and 2 Clinical Knowledge scores for residents participating in each RISE
      examination were obtained to control for incoming knowledge and test-taking
      ability. Linear models were used to evaluate differences in average RISE
      performance prior to and following the initiation of the review series in
      addition to controlling for relevant covariates. Results: Significant improvement
      was noted in the grand total, anatomic pathology section average, clinical
      pathology section average, and transfusion medicine section. Although not
      statistically significant, improvement was noted on the cytopathology and
      clinical chemistry sections. There was no significant difference in scores in
      hematopathology, molecular pathology, and the special topics section average. In
      addition, improvement in primary pathology board certification rates was also
      noted. Conclusions: Institution of a month-long RISE review series demonstrated
      improved overall performance within our training program. The success could
      easily be replicated in any training program without significant disruption to an
      annual didactic series.

PMID- 28340223
TI  - Implantation of cardiac resynchronization therapy devices using three leads by
      cephalic vein dissection approach.
AB  - Aims: Percutaneous subclavian, axillary, and cephalic vein access are all used in
      conjunction for atrial and ventricular lead implantation, though no standard
      approach for cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT) device implantation has been
      established. We describe an effective and a safe technique for implanting three
      leads via cephalic vein for CRT pacemaker and/or defibrillator implantations.
      Methods and results: A total of 171 consecutive patients undergoing de novo
      implantation of CRT pacemaker or defibrillator were included. Cephalic vein
      access was achieved by dissection and direct visualization. If the cephalic vein
      was inadequate, alternate means of access was determined after outset of the
      procedure. Procedural success rates and complications were recorded. Of the 171
      de novo CRT implant attempts, 169 (98.8%) patients had successful implantation of
      all 3 leads on the first attempt. Of the 171 procedural attempts, 150 (87.7%)
      patients had all 3 leads placed via cephalic vein. Overall, complications
      occurred in 6 of 171 patients (3.5%) including initial and repeat procedures.
      These complications included seven lead dislodgements, two cases of diaphragmatic
      stimulation requiring lead revision, and one coronary sinus dissection without
      pericardial effusion. There were no cases of pneumothorax, pocket haematoma
      requiring evacuation, or infection. Conclusion: The triple lead via cephalic vein
      technique is safe and effective when used as a first approach for CRT device
      implantation.

PMID- 28340221
TI  - Nationwide multicentre kidney biopsy study of Japanese patients with type 2
      diabetes.
AB  - Background: The clinical and pathologic manifestations of nephropathy due to type
      2 diabetes are diverse, but large-scale pathologic studies with long-term
      observations are limited. Methods: Kidney biopsies and clinical data of 600
      patients with type 2 diabetes were collected retrospectively from 13 centres
      across Japan. Thirteen pathologic findings (nine glomerular lesions, two
      interstitial lesions and two vascular lesions) were clearly defined and scored.
      Results: During the observation period, there were 304 composite kidney events
      [dialysis, doubling of creatinine or reduction of estimated glomerular filtration
      rate (eGFR) by half], 31 instances of chronic kidney disease (CKD) G5D, 76
      cardiovascular events and 73 deaths. The mean observation period was 72.4 months.
      The distribution of CKD heat map categories for the 600 patients was 103 green or
      yellow, 149 orange and 348 red. Even in the cases in the green and yellow
      category, diffuse lesions (81.6%), polar vasculosis (42.6%) and subendothelial
      space widening (35.1%) were commonly detected. Cox proportional hazard analysis
      revealed that the presence of nodular lesions [hazard ratio (HR) 21.1, 95%
      confidence interval (CI) 5.3-84.6], exudative lesions (HR 5.1, 95% CI 1.3-20.3)
      and mesangiolysis (HR 7.6, 95% CI 2.0-28.8) in cases in the green and yellow
      category were associated with significantly great impact on composite kidney
      events after adjustment for clinical risk factors. Conclusions: This nationwide
      study on kidney biopsy of 600 cases with type 2 diabetes revealed that pathologic
      findings (presence of nodular lesions, exudative lesions and mesangiolysis) were
      strong predictors of kidney events in low-risk patients.

PMID- 28340224
TI  - The association of context-specific sitting time and physical activity intensity
      to working memory capacity and academic achievement in young adults.
AB  - Background: To examine combined associations between self-reported context
      specific sitting time (ST) and physical activity (PA) with working memory
      capacity (WMC) and academic achievement in a sample of Spanish adults. Design:
      Undergraduate students (n = 371; 21 years +/- 3 years, 44% female) were recruited
      from University of Vic-Central University of Catalonia. Methods: Participants
      completed a 54-item survey that assessed socio-demographic variables (e.g. age,
      gender, academic year), min/week of light (LPA), moderate (MPA) and vigorous
      (VPA) intensity PA (International Physical Activity Questionnaire), min/day of
      domain-specific ST (Last 7 days sedentary behavior questionnaire) and academic
      performance (grade point average). WMC was assessed through a multiple complex
      span task that included: Operation Span, Symmetry Span and Rotation Span. These
      tasks interleave a processing task with a short list of to-be-remembered items.
      General linear models-adjusted by PA, ST and gender-assessed combined
      associations between ST and PA with WMC and academic achievement. Results:
      Performing more than 3 h/week of MPA was related to increases in WMC (P < 0.001).
      However, PA was not associated with academic performance. More than 3 h seated on
      a weekend day while performing non-screen leisure activities were related to
      reduced WMC after adjusting for PA (P = 0.012). Similarly, >3 h/weekday spent
      seated in these sedentary activities or in leisure-forms of screen time were
      inversely associated with academic performance regardless of PA (P = 0.033; P =
      0.048). Conclusions: MPA may benefit working memory; however, specific domains of
      leisure-time sedentary behavior may have an unfavorable influence on working
      memory and academic performance regardless of time spent in PA.

PMID- 28340225
TI  - Long working hours and metabolic syndrome.

PMID- 28340226
TI  - Chronic total occlusion: a black-box?

PMID- 28340227
TI  - Transplant as a competing risk in the analysis of dialysis patients.
AB  - Time-to-event analyses are frequently used in nephrology research, for instance,
      when recording time to death or time to peritonitis in dialysis patients. Many
      papers have pointed out the important issue of competing events (or competing
      risks) in such analyses. For example, when studying one particular cause of death
      it can be noted that patients also die from other causes. Such competing events
      preclude the event of interest from occurring and thereby complicate the
      statistical analysis. The Kaplan-Meier approach to calculating the cumulative
      probability of the event of interest yields invalid results in the presence of
      competing risks, thus the alternative cumulative incidence competing risk (CICR)
      approach has become the standard. However, when kidney transplant is the
      competing event that prevents observing the outcome of interest, CICR may not
      always be the matter of interest. We discuss situations where both the Kaplan
      Meier and the CICR approach are not suitable for the purpose and point out
      alternative analysis methods for such situations. We also look at the suitability
      and interpretation of different estimators for relative risks. In the presence of
      transplant as a competing risk, one should very clearly state the research
      question and use an analysis method that targets this question.

PMID- 28340228
TI  - Dual Immunostain With SATB2 and CK20 Differentiates Appendiceal Mucinous
      Neoplasms From Ovarian Mucinous Neoplasms.
AB  - Objectives: Determination of the primary site of origin for mucinous neoplasms
      identified in the peritoneal and/or pelvic cavities may be challenging, with
      major differential diagnoses including appendiceal mucinous neoplasm (AMN) and
      ovarian mucinous neoplasm (OMN). Special AT-rich sequence binding protein 2
      (SATB2) has been shown to be highly selectively expressed in the lower
      gastrointestinal tract, including the appendix. Methods: We investigated the
      utility of a dual stain (DS) with SATB2 or caudal type homeobox 2 (CDX2) and
      cytokeratin 20 (CK20) or villin in distinguishing AMNs from OMNs. Tissue
      microarrays with 40 AMNs and 18 OMNs were stained with SATB2 or CDX2 paired with
      either CK20 or villin. Results: SATB2 single stain showed a good sensitivity of
      83% and the highest specificity of 78% for AMNs over OMNs among all four stains.
      DS with SATB2 and villin showed an identical sensitivity of 78% but specificity
      increased to 94%, while DS with SATB2 and CK20 showed a sensitivity of 80% and a
      specificity of 100%. In contrast, DS with CDX2 and CK20/villin showed slightly
      higher sensitivity but much lower specificity. Conclusions: DS with SATB2/CK20
      shows the greatest potential clinical utility in distinguishing AMNs from OMNs
      and is superior to DS with CDX2/CK20. Importantly, DS could be helpful for
      specimens with limited tissues.

PMID- 28340229
TI  - Meaningful use in the safety net: a rapid ethnography of patient portal
      implementation at five community health centers in California.
AB  - Objective: US health care institutions are implementing secure websites (patient
      portals) to achieve federal Meaningful Use (MU) certification. We sought to
      understand efforts to implement portals in "safety net" health care systems that
      provide services for low-income populations. Materials and Methods: Our rapid
      ethnography involved visits at 4 California safety net health systems and in
      depth interviews at a fifth. Visits included interviews with clinicians and
      executives ( n  = 12), informal focus groups with front-line staff ( n  = 35),
      observations of patient portal sign-up procedures and clinic work, review of
      marketing materials and portal use data, and a brief survey ( n  = 45). Results:
      Our findings demonstrate that the health systems devoted considerable effort to
      enlisting staff support for portal adoption and integrating portal-related work
      into clinic routines. Although all health systems had achieved, or were close to
      achieving, MU benchmarks, patients faced numerous barriers to portal use and our
      participants were uncertain how to achieve and sustain "meaningful use" as
      defined by and for their patients. Discussion: Health systems' efforts to achieve
      MU certification united clinic staff under a shared ethos of improved quality of
      care. However, MU's assumptions about patients' demand for electronic access to
      health information and ability to make use of it directed clinics' attention to
      enrollment and message routing rather than to the relevance and usability of a
      tool that is minimally adaptable to the safety net context. Conclusion: We found
      a mismatch between MU-based metrics of patient engagement and the priorities and
      needs of safety net patient populations.

PMID- 28340230
TI  - Determinants of Opioid Prescribing for Nonmalignant Chronic Pain in US Outpatient
      Settings.
AB  - Study Objectives: Identify prescribing trends for opioid use in non-malignant
      chronic pain (NMCP) from the National Ambulatory Medical Care Survey (NAMCS).
      Determine predictors of opioid use based on patient-specific factors. Design:
      This cross-sectional study analyzed NAMCS data from 2000 to 2007. Pain
      medications prescribed were retrieved using NAMCS drug codes. Multivariate
      logistic models examined determinants of opioid prescribing among NMCP patients.
      Subjects: Patients included in the study were age 18 years or older with NMCP
      diagnosis based on ICD-9 codes identified as reason for visits. Results:
      Approximately 690 million weighted outpatient visits related to NMCP were
      reported in the US between 2000 to 2007. Reported opioid use was 14.3%. Compared
      with patients age 18 to 34 years, patients age 35 to 49 years were 1.47 times
      more likely (odds ratio [OR] = 1.47, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.17-1.86)
      and patients age 65 years or older were 0.61 times less likely (OR = 0.39, 95% CI
      = 0.27-0.55] to receive opioids. Patient visits from primary care physicians were
      1.83 times more likely to report opioids (OR = 1.83, 95% CI = 1.50-2.25) than
      specialty physicians. Hispanic ethnicity and patients with private insurance were
      less likely to receive opioids, while patients having five or more medications,
      publicly funded insurance, the ICD-9 code of general chronic pain, established
      patients, and the southern prescribing region were more likely to receive
      opioids. Conclusions: Differences exist between those prescribed and not
      prescribed opioids. Results from this study paired with increased education and
      further research regarding the appropriate prescribing and monitoring of opioids
      may help enhance awareness, diminish treatment disparities and improve safe and
      appropriate use of opioids in the NMCP population.

PMID- 28340231
TI  - Prevalence and Determinants of Premature Menopause among Indian Women: Issues and
      Challenges Ahead.
AB  - Premature menopause refers to the occurrence of menopause in women less than 40
      years of age. This heterogeneous disorder affects 1 percent and 0.1 percent of
      women less than 40 and 30 years of age, respectively. The study reported in this
      article attempts to understand the prevalence and determinants of premature
      menopause among Indian women by studying the effects of various socioeconomic
      indicators, such as age, education, wealth index, rural-urban settlement, work
      status, religion, and caste, on women. The study analyzed the National Family
      Health Survey-3, which is equivalent to the Demographic Health Survey in India.
      Bivariate and logistic regression analyses were performed to tease out the
      determinants of premature menopause. Results indicate that the percentage of
      premature menopause is very high (5.5 percent) among Indian women. Among Indian
      states, Andhra Pradesh women have the highest percentage of premature menopause
      (14.6 percent). Smoking and the nutritional status of women are strongly
      associated with early menopause. Furthermore, women living in rural areas and
      using tobacco are at a greater risk of premature menopause.

PMID- 28340232
TI  - A Proposed Set of Metrics to Reduce Patient Safety Risk From Within the Anatomic
      Pathology Laboratory.
AB  - Background: Anatomic pathology laboratory workflow consists of 3 major specimen
      handling processes. Among the workflow are preanalytic, analytic, and
      postanalytic phases that contain multistep subprocesses with great impact on
      patient care. A worldwide representation of experts came together to create a
      system of metrics, as a basis for laboratories worldwide, to help them evaluate
      and improve specimen handling to reduce patient safety risk. Method: Members of
      the Initiative for Anatomic Pathology Laboratory Patient Safety (IAPLPS) pooled
      their extensive expertise to generate a list of metrics highlighting processes
      with high and low risk for adverse patient outcomes. Results: : Our group
      developed a universal, comprehensive list of 47 metrics for patient specimen
      handling in the anatomic pathology laboratory. Steps within the specimen workflow
      sequence are categorized as high or low risk. In general, steps associated with
      the potential for specimen misidentification correspond to the high-risk grouping
      and merit greater focus within quality management systems. Primarily workflow
      measures related to operational efficiency can be considered low risk.
      Conclusion: Our group intends to advance the widespread use of these metrics in
      anatomic pathology laboratories to reduce patient safety risk and improve patient
      care with development of best practices and interlaboratory error reporting
      programs.

PMID- 28340233
TI  - Increase in Drug Overdose Deaths Involving Fentanyl-Rhode Island, January 2012
      March 2014.
AB  - Objective: This study identified sociodemographic, substance use, and multiple
      opioid prescriber and dispenser risk factors among drug overdose decedents in
      Rhode Island, in response to an increase in overdose deaths (ODs) involving
      fentanyl. Methods: This cross-sectional investigation comprised all ODs reviewed
      by Rhode Island's Office of the State Medical Examiners (OSME) during January
      2012 to March 2014. Data for 536 decedents were abstracted from OSME's charts,
      death certificates, toxicology reports, and Prescription Monitoring Program (PMP)
      databases. Decedents whose cause of death involved illicit fentanyl (N = 69) were
      compared with decedents whose causes of death did not involve fentanyl (other
      drug decedents; N = 467). Results: Illicit-fentanyl decedents were younger than
      other drug decedents (P = 0.005). While more other-drug decedents than illicit
      fentanyl decedents had postmortem toxicological evidence of consuming heroin
      (31.9% vs 19.8%, P < 0.001) and various pharmaceutical substances (P = 0.002
      0.027), third party reports indicated more recent heroin use among illicit
      fentanyl decedents (62.3% vs 45.6%, P = 0.002). Approximately 35% of decedents
      filled an opioid prescription within 90 days of death; of these, one-third had a
      mean daily dosage greater than 100 morphine milligram equivalents (MME/day). Most
      decedents' opioid prescriptions were filled at one to two dispensers (83.9%) and
      written by one to two prescribers (75.8%). Notably, 29.2% of illicit fentanyl and
      10.5% of other drug decedents filled prescriptions for buprenorphine, which is
      used to treat opioid use disorders. Conclusions: Illicit-fentanyl deaths
      frequently involved other illicit drugs (e.g., cocaine, heroin). The proportion
      of all decedents acquiring greater than 100 MME/day prescription dosages written
      and/or filled by few prescribers and dispensers is concerning. To protect
      patients, prescribers and dispensers should review PMP records and substance
      abuse history prior to providing opioids.

PMID- 28340234
TI  - Detection of severe digital vasculopathy in systemic sclerosis by colour Doppler
      sonography is associated with digital ulcers.
AB  - Objective: Colour Doppler ultrasonography (CDUS) is very important in general
      vascular diagnostic procedures. Its role in determining the extent of
      vasculopathy in Systemic Sclerosis (SSc) needs further investigation. The aim of
      this study was to compare the presence of altered arteries with nailfold
      capillaroscopy and clinical signs of ischaemia, that is, digital ulcers or
      pitting scars (DU/PS). A feasible CDUS protocol is provided. Methods: Two
      thousand five hundred and twenty-eight arteries of the fingers, palms and wrists
      from 79 SSc patients (32 arteries per patient) were examined using CDUS.
      Furthermore, nailfold capillaroscopy, clinical and laboratory data were
      evaluated. Results: Narrowed or occluded lumens were seen in 39.8% of all
      assessable arteries (n = 2489) and 48.9% of all proper palmar digital arteries (n
      = 1564) but only 15.6% (P < 0.0001) of proximal arteries (n = 924). Fingerwise
      analyses presented significant coincidence of pathological CDUS findings and
      DU/PS (P = 0.0009). Pathological CDUS findings were also associated with elevated
      CRP concentrations, current or past smoking with ?20 pack-years, male gender and
      present or past DU/PS. Receiver operating characteristic curve analysis (area
      under the curve = 0.727) suggested a cut-off value of ?20% pathological vessels
      (sensitivity: 90.7%; specificity: 47.8%) for the presence of DU/PS. An
      examination protocol focusing on the right-hand digits II-V (proper palmar
      digital arteries) revealed similar results (area under the curve = 0.751;
      sensitivity: 93.0%; specificity: 43.5%). Conclusion: CDUS of hand and finger
      arteries allows measurement of the extent of SSc vasculopathy, which is
      associated with clinical signs of chronic malperfusion. A shortened examination
      protocol of CDUS (right-hand digits II-V; 15 min instead of 45 min examination
      time) could complement vascular diagnostics in SSc.

PMID- 28340235
TI  - Polymerase Chain Reaction Human Papillomavirus (HPV) Detection and HPV Genotyping
      in Invasive Cervical Cancers With Prior Negative HC2 Test Results.
AB  - Objectives: Recently, three large Chinese cohort studies showed that 7.5% to
      15.5% of patients with cervical carcinoma had negative high-risk human
      papillomavirus (hrHPV) test results on prior cytology specimens. These studies
      raise the question as to whether these negative hrHPV results represent truly
      hrHPV-negative carcinomas or false-negative hrHPV test results due to limitations
      in the testing of cytology specimens. This is increasingly an important question
      with increasing push to use hrHPV testing alone to screen for cervical cancer.
      Methods: We investigated the hrHPV status on the surgical specimens from these
      same patients with cervical carcinoma using three polymerase chain reaction
      methods and a linear assay genotyping method. Results: A variety of HPV genotypes
      were detected in 28 (45.9%) of 61 cases, all belonging to carcinogenic or
      possibly carcinogenic categories. HPV 16 was the most common genotype detected in
      positive cases (66.7%). HPV was detected in 25 (50%) of 50 squamous cell
      carcinomas and two (66.7%) of three adenosquamous carcinomas and only one (12.5%)
      of eight endocervical adenocarcinomas. Conclusions: Our findings demonstrate that
      negative hrHPV testing on cervicovaginal cytology specimens in women later
      diagnosed with cervical carcinoma can be explained by the occurrence of truly HPV
      negative carcinomas in more than half of patients. These results should be
      considered in the development of future cervical cancer screening guidelines.

PMID- 28340236
TI  - Diet density during the first week of life: Effects on energy and nitrogen
      balance characteristics of broiler chickens.
AB  - This study aimed to determine effects of diet density on growth performance,
      energy balance, and nitrogen (N) balance characteristics of broiler chickens
      during the first wk of life. Effects of diet density were studied using a dose
      response design consisting of 5 dietary fat levels (3.5, 7.0, 10.5, 14.0, and
      17.5%). The relative difference in dietary energy level was used to increase
      amino acid levels, mineral levels, and the premix inclusion level at the same
      ratio. Chickens were housed in open-circuit climate respiration chambers from d 0
      to 7 after hatch. Body weight was measured on d 0 and 7, whereas feed intake was
      determined daily. For calculation of energy balances, O2 and CO2 exchange were
      measured continuously and all excreta from d 0 to 7 was collected and analyzed at
      d 7. Average daily gain (ADG) and average daily feed intake (ADFI) decreased
      linearly (P = 0.047 and P < 0.001, respectively), whereas gain to feed ratio
      increased (P < 0.001) with increasing diet density. Gross energy (GE) intake and
      metabolizable energy (ME) intake were not affected by diet density, but the ratio
      between ME and GE intake decreased linearly with increasing diet density (P =
      0.006). Fat, N, and GE efficiencies (expressed as gain per unit of nutrient
      intake), heat production, and respiratory exchange ratio (CO2 to O2 ratio)
      decreased linearly (P < 0.001) as diet density increased. Energy retention, N
      intake, and N retention were not affected by diet density. We conclude that a
      higher diet density in the first wk of life of broiler chickens did not affect
      protein and fat retention, whereas the ME to GE ratio decreased linearly with
      increased diet density. This suggests that diet density appears to affect
      digestibility rather than utilization of nutrients.

PMID- 28340237
TI  - Pain and Cognition in Multiple Sclerosis.
AB  - Objective: The goal of the present study was to examine the relationship between
      pain and cognition in patients with multiple sclerosis. Design: Cross-sectional.
      Setting: Nursing home and personal environment of the investigators. Subjects:
      Two groups of participants were included: 91 patients with multiple sclerosis and
      80 matched control participants. Methods: The level of pain was measured by the
      following pain scales: Number of Words Chosen-Affective, Colored Analogue Scale
      for pain intensity and suffering from pain, and the Faces Pain Scale. Mood was
      tested by administering the Beck Depression Inventory and the Symptom Check List
      90 anxiety and depression subscale. Global cognitive functioning was assessed by
      the Mini Mental State Examination. Memory and executive functions were assessed
      by several neuropsychological tests. Results: Multiple sclerosis (MS) patients
      scored significantly lower than control participants on the majority of the
      neuropsychological tests. The MS patients experienced more pain compared with
      control participants, despite the fact that they were taking significantly more
      pain medication. No significant correlation was observed between cognition and
      pain in MS patients. Verbal working memory explained 10% of pain intensity
      (trend). Mood appeared to be a significant predictor of pain in patients with
      multiple sclerosis. Conclusion: The lack of a relationship between cognition and
      pain might be explained by the fact that, compared with control participants,
      patients with multiple sclerosis activate other non-pain-related areas to perform
      executive functions and memory tasks.

PMID- 28340240
TI  - Osteonecrosis, splenic calcification and sickle cell disease.

PMID- 28340238
TI  - Cigarette Smoke Exposure Worsens Endotoxin-Induced Lung Injury and Pulmonary
      Edema in Mice.
AB  - Introduction: Cigarette smoking (CS) remains a major public health concern and
      has recently been associated with an increased risk of developing acute
      respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS). Bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) experiments in
      human volunteers have demonstrated that active smokers develop increased alveolar
      epithelial barrier permeability to protein after inhaling lipopolysaccharide
      (LPS). Here we tested the hypothesis that short-term whole-body CS exposure would
      increase LPS-induced lung edema in mice. Methods: Adult mice were exposed in a
      Teague TE-10 machine to CS from 3R4F cigarettes at 100 mg/m3 total suspended
      particulates for 12 days, then given LPS or saline intratracheally. Control mice
      were housed in the same room without CS exposure. Post-mortem measurements
      included gravimetric lung water and BAL protein, cell counts, and lung histology.
      Cytokines were measured in lung homogenate by ELISA and in plasma by Luminex and
      ELISA. Results: In CS-exposed mice, intratracheal LPS caused greater increases in
      pulmonary edema by gravimetric measurement and histologic scoring. CS-exposed
      mice also had an increase in BAL neutrophilia, lung IL-6, and plasma CXCL9, a T
      cell chemoattractant. Intratracheal LPS concentrated blood hemoglobin to a
      greater degree in CS-exposed mice, consistent with an increase in systemic
      vascular permeability. Conclusions: These results demonstrate that CS exposure in
      endotoxin injured mice increases the severity of acute lung injury. The increased
      lung IL-6 in CS-exposed LPS-injured mice indicates that this potent cytokine,
      previously shown to predict mortality in patients with ARDS, may play a role in
      exacerbating lung injury in smokers and may have utility as a biomarker of
      tobacco-related lung injury. Implications: Our results suggest that short-term CS
      exposure at levels that cause no overt lung injury may still prime the lung for
      acute inflammatory damage from a "second hit", a finding that mirrors the
      increased risk of developing ARDS in patients who smoke. This model may be useful
      for evaluating the acute pulmonary toxicity of existing and/or novel tobacco
      products and identifying biomarkers of tobacco-related lung injury.

PMID- 28340239
TI  - Hypertension in dialysis patients: a consensus document by the European Renal and
      Cardiovascular Medicine (EURECA-m) working group of the European Renal
      Association-European Dialysis and Transplant Association (ERA-EDTA) and the
      Hypertension and the Kidney working group of the European Society of Hypertension
      (ESH).
AB  - In patients with end-stage renal disease (ESRD) treated with haemodialysis or
      peritoneal dialysis, hypertension is common and often poorly controlled. Blood
      pressure (BP) recordings obtained before or after haemodialysis display a J- or U
      shaped association with cardiovascular events and survival, but this most likely
      reflects the low accuracy of these measurements and the peculiar haemodynamic
      setting related to dialysis treatment. Elevated BP detected by home or ambulatory
      BP monitoring is clearly associated with shorter survival. Sodium and volume
      excess is the prominent mechanism of hypertension in dialysis patients, but other
      pathways, such as arterial stiffness, activation of the renin-angiotensin
      aldosterone and sympathetic nervous systems, endothelial dysfunction, sleep
      apnoea and the use of erythropoietin-stimulating agents may also be involved. Non
      pharmacologic interventions targeting sodium and volume excess are fundamental
      for hypertension control in this population. If BP remains elevated after
      appropriate treatment of sodium and volume excess, the use of antihypertensive
      agents is necessary. Drug treatment in the dialysis population should take into
      consideration the patient's comorbidities and specific characteristics of each
      agent, such as dialysability. This document is an overview of the diagnosis,
      epidemiology, pathogenesis and treatment of hypertension in patients on dialysis,
      aiming to offer the renal physician practical recommendations based on current
      knowledge and expert opinion and to highlight areas for future research.

PMID- 28340241
TI  - Pragmatic (trial) informatics: a perspective from the NIH Health Care Systems
      Research Collaboratory.
AB  - Pragmatic clinical trials (PCTs) are research investigations embedded in health
      care settings designed to increase the efficiency of research and its relevance
      to clinical practice. The Health Care Systems Research Collaboratory, initiated
      by the National Institutes of Health Common Fund in 2010, is a pioneering
      cooperative aimed at identifying and overcoming operational challenges to
      pragmatic research. Drawing from our experience, we present 4 broad categories of
      informatics-related challenges: (1) using clinical data for research, (2)
      integrating data from heterogeneous systems, (3) using electronic health records
      to support intervention delivery or health system change, and (4) assessing and
      improving data capture to define study populations and outcomes. These challenges
      impact the validity, reliability, and integrity of PCTs. Achieving the full
      potential of PCTs and a learning health system will require meaningful
      partnerships between health system leadership and operations, and federally
      driven standards and policies to ensure that future electronic health record
      systems have the flexibility to support research.

PMID- 28340242
TI  - Insertion of miniaturized cardiac monitors outside the catheter operating room:
      experience and practical advice.
AB  - Minor surgical procedures are increasingly being performed as outpatient
      procedures in settings outside hospital operating rooms (ORs). In
      electrophysiology, the recent miniaturization of insertable cardiac monitors
      (ICMs) has enabled the routine insertion of the device as a minimally invasive
      procedure without the need of a catheter OR. However, a shift to office-based
      environments for minor surgical procedures is associated with some concerns,
      particularly with respect to patient- and procedure-related safety in the new
      setting. In the present document, the authors provide practical advice on
      facilities, practices, and adaptations necessary when performing ICM insertions
      in office settings, based on available recommendations as well as their own
      experience with the use of the novel Reveal LINQ ICM. The main differences from
      in-hospital implant settings are simplified requirements of room, equipment, and
      insertion procedures, while ensuring and maintaining an adequate, sterile
      environment. Patient selection is important: certain groups of patients are
      recommended to be treated in the catheter OR (e.g. those at increased risk for
      bleeding or very frail elderly individuals). Insertion in alternative positions,
      as is sometimes performed for cosmetic reasons, should be referred to dedicated
      hospitals. Quality assurance and internal quality control are critical in the new
      procedural landscape, and it is important not to trivialize minor surgical
      procedures. Operators' sharing of experiences and lessons learned, e.g. in the
      form of registries, should be encouraged.

PMID- 28340243
TI  - Finite-time parametric identification for the model representing the metabolic
      and genetic regulatory effects of sequential aerobic respiration and anaerobic
      fermentation processes in Escherichia coli.
AB  - Mathematical modelling applied to biological systems allows for the inferring of
      changes in the dynamic behaviour of organisms associated with variations in the
      environment. Models based on ordinary differential equations are most commonly
      used because of their ability to describe the mechanisms of biological systems
      such as transcription. The disadvantage of using this approach is that there is a
      large number of parameters involved and that it is difficult to obtain them
      experimentally. This study presents an algorithm to obtain a finite-time
      parameter characterization of the model used to describe changes in the metabolic
      behaviour of Escherichia coli associated with environmental changes. In this
      scheme, super-twisting algorithm was proposed to recover the derivative of all
      the proteins and mRNA of E. coli associated to changes in the concentration of
      oxygen available in the growth media. The 75 identified parameters in this study
      maintain the biological coherence of the system and they were estimated with no
      more than 20% error with respect to the real ones included in the proposed model.

PMID- 28340244
TI  - Bupropion Administration Increases Resting-State Functional Connectivity in Dorso
      Medial Prefrontal Cortex.
AB  - Background: Patients on the selective serotonergic reuptake inhibitors like
      citalopram report emotional blunting. We showed previously that citalopram
      reduces resting-state functional connectivity in healthy volunteers in a number
      of brain regions, including the dorso-medial prefrontal cortex, which may be
      related to its clinical effects. Bupropion is a dopaminergic and noradrenergic
      reuptake inhibitor and is not reported to cause emotional blunting. However, how
      bupropion affects resting-state functional connectivity in healthy controls
      remains unknown. Methods: Using a within-subjects, repeated-measures, double
      blind, crossover design, we examined 17 healthy volunteers (9 female, 8 male).
      Volunteers received 7 days of bupropion (150 mg/d) and 7 days of placebo
      treatment and underwent resting-state functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging. We
      selected seed regions in the salience network (amygdala and pregenual anterior
      cingulate cortex) and the central executive network (dorsal medial prefrontal
      cortex). Mood and anhedonia measures were also recorded and examined in relation
      to resting-state functional connectivity. Results: Relative to placebo, bupropion
      increased resting-state functional connectivity in healthy volunteers between the
      dorsal medial prefrontal cortex seed region and the posterior cingulate cortex
      and the precuneus cortex, key parts of the default mode network. Conclusions:
      These results are opposite to that which we found with 7 days treatment of
      citalopram in healthy volunteers. These results reflect a different mechanism of
      action of bupropion compared with selective serotonergic reuptake inhibitors.
      These results help explain the apparent lack of emotional blunting caused by
      bupropion in depressed patients.

PMID- 28340246
TI  - Considerations on glycaemic control in older and/or frail individuals with
      diabetes and advanced kidney disease.
AB  - The increasing prevalence of chronic kidney disease (CKD) and diabetes over the
      last decade has resulted in increasing numbers of frail older patients with a
      combination of these conditions. Current treatment guidelines may not necessarily
      be relevant for such patients, who are mostly excluded from the trials upon which
      these recommendations are based. There is a paucity of data upon which to base
      the management of older patients with CKD. Nearly all current guidelines
      recommend less-tight glycaemic control for the older population, citing the lack
      of proven medium-term benefits and concerns about the high short-term risk of
      hypoglycaemia. However, reports from large landmark trials have shown potential
      benefits for both microvascular and macrovascular complications, though the
      relevance of these findings to this specific population is uncertain. The trials
      have also highlighted potential alternative explanations for the hazards of
      intensive glycaemic control. These include depression, low endogenous insulin
      reserve, low body mass index and side effects of the medication. Over the last
      few years, newer classes of hypoglycaemic drugs with a lower risk of
      hypoglycaemia have emerged. This article aims to present a balanced view of
      advantages and disadvantages of intense glycaemic control in this group of
      patients, which we hope will help the clinician and patient to come to an
      individualized management approach.

PMID- 28340245
TI  - Unacceptable human leucocyte antigens for organ offers in the era of organ
      shortage: influence on waiting time before kidney transplantation.
AB  - Background: The assignment of human leucocyte antigens (HLAs) against which
      antibodies are detected as unacceptable antigens (UAGs) avoids allocation of HLA-
      incompatible allografts. There is uncertainty as to what extent UAGs decrease the
      probability of receiving a kidney offer. Methods: Kidney transplantations in 3264
      patients on the waiting lists of six German transplant centres were evaluated for
      a period of at least 2 years. The proportion of excluded offers due to UAGs was
      calculated as virtual panel-reactive antibodies (vPRAs). Results: In the common
      Eurotransplant Kidney Allocation Scheme, the transplant probability was
      unaffected by vPRAs in exploratory univariate analyses. In the multivariable
      model, a 1% increase in vPRA values was outweighed by an additional waiting time
      of 2.5 weeks. The model was confirmed using an external validation cohort of 1521
      patients from seven centres. If only patients with standard risk were considered
      (e.g. no simultaneous transplantation of other organs), only 1.3 weeks additional
      waiting time was needed. In the Eurotransplant Senior Program, patients with vPRA
      values >50% had a strongly reduced transplant probability in the unadjusted
      analyses. In the multivariable model, a 1% increase in vPRA values was outweighed
      by an additional waiting time of 5 weeks. Conclusions: This study demonstrates
      that the assignment of UAGs decreases the transplant probability in both main
      Eurotransplant allocation programs because of insufficient compensatory
      mechanisms. At present, for immunized patients, a prolonged waiting time has to
      be weighed against the increased immunologic risk due to donor-specific
      antibodies not assigned as UAGs.

PMID- 28340247
TI  - Usability Testing of the iPhone App to Improve Pain Assessment for Older Adults
      with Cognitive Impairment (Prehospital Setting): A Qualitative Study.
AB  - Objectives: Pain assessment in older adults with cognitive impairment is often
      challenging, and paramedics are not given sufficient tools/training to assess
      pain. The development of a mobile app may improve pain assessment and management
      in this vulnerable population. We conducted usability testing of a newly
      developed iPhone pain assessment application with potential users, in this case
      as a tool for clinical paramedic practice to improve pain assessment of older
      adults with cognitive impairment. Methods: We conducted usability testing with
      paramedic students and a Delphi panel of qualified paramedics. Participants
      studied the app and paper-based algorithm from which the app was developed. The
      potential use for the app was discussed. Usability testing focus groups were
      recorded, transcribed verbatim, and analyzed using a thematic approach. Proposed
      recommendations were disseminated to the Delphi panel that reviewed and confirmed
      them. Results: Twenty-four paramedic students from two UK ambulance services
      participated in the focus groups. Usability of the app and its potential were
      viewed positively. Four major themes were identified: 1) overall opinion of the
      app for use in paramedic services; 2) incorporating technological applications
      into the health care setting; 3) improving knowledge and governance; and 4)
      alternative uses for the app. Subthemes were identified and are presented.
      Discussion: Our results indicate that the pain assessment app constitutes a
      potentially useful tool in the prehospital setting. By providing access to a tool
      specifically developed to help identify/assess pain in a user-friendly format,
      paramedics are likely to have increased knowledge and confidence in assessing
      pain in patients with dementia.

PMID- 28340248
TI  - Irradiation of Red Blood Cells and Alloimmunization.
AB  - Background: Animal models suggest that red blood cell (RBC) damage incurred
      during storage can increase immunogenicity to some RBC antigens. We hypothesized
      that RBC irradiation, a source of oxidative damage, may result in higher RBC
      alloimmunization rates among transfusion recipients. Methods: Individuals
      receiving 1 or more gamma-irradiated RBC units, with follow-up antibody
      screening, were studied. We recorded diagnosis at the time of first irradiated
      RBC-unit transfusion, total irradiated RBCs received, and alloantibodies detected
      before and after irradiated RBC transfusion. Results: The alloimmunization rate
      for patients receiving irradiated RBCs was 1.9% (3/154); this rate was not
      significantly different from the rate of 2.5% (5/200) derived from a control
      group that had undergone transfusion with nonirradiated RBCs ( P  > .99). Most of
      the study subjects (83/154 [53.9%]) did not harbor an immunosuppressive disorder
      at the time of transfusion of irradiated RBCs, with postoperative bleeding (36/83
      [43.4%]) being the most common diagnosis. Conclusions: This analysis provides
      reassurance that irradiated RBCs are not more immunogenic in patients with
      immunosuppression than in patients with immunocompetence.

PMID- 28340249
TI  - Orthodontic strain affects the Hippo-pathway effector YAP concomitant with
      proliferation in human periodontal ligament fibroblasts.
AB  - Objectives: During orthodontic tooth movement (OTM), human periodontal ligament
      fibroblasts (hPDLFs) sense, and respond to mechanical forces. Since the molecular
      constituents involved in these processes are not fully elucidated, the objective
      of the present study was to identify further key molecules of the cellular strain
      response. Materials and Methods: Primary hPDLFs were strained with a static
      equiaxial strain of 2.5 per cent for 15 minutes, 1 hour, 6 hours, and 24 hours.
      Western blot (WB) and indirect immunofluorescence (IIF) analyses were performed
      to investigate the quantity and activation state of proteins involved in
      mechanotransduction, namely extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) 1/2 and
      yes-associated protein (YAP). On the cell behavioural level, proliferation was
      assessed by the marker of proliferation KI-67. Results: In response to the
      applied strain, an early decline of phosphorylated and thus activated ERK1/2 was
      observed, followed by a mild recovery. Furthermore, both WB and IIF analyses
      revealed a modulation of nuclear YAP localisation. Concomitant with the
      modulation of YAP, the applied strain evoked an early increase in nuclear KI-67
      amount, followed by a continuous decrease. Limitations: Consecutive studies will
      focus on scrutinising the suggested relationship between YAP and proliferation in
      response to static strain. Conclusions: Our findings provide evidence of ERK1/2
      and YAP being biomechanically responsive molecular players in the context of OTM,
      among which YAP rather than ERK1/2 seems to be mechanistically interrelated with
      proliferation. Furthermore, the molecular and cell behavioural strain-induced
      early modulations may point to an involvement of the investigated molecules in
      the initial and the following lag phase of OTM.

PMID- 28340250
TI  - Improving safety culture in hospitals: Facilitators and barriers to
      implementation of Systemic Falls Investigative Method (SFIM).
AB  - Objective: The purpose of this study was to assess the facilitators and barriers
      to implementation of the Systemic Falls Investigative Method (SFIM) on selected
      hospital units. Design: A cross-sectional explanatory mixed methods design was
      used to converge results from a standardized safety culture survey with themes
      that emerged from interviews and focus groups. Findings were organized by six
      elements of the Ottawa Model of Research Use framework. Setting: A geriatric
      rehabilitation unit of an acute care hospital and a neurological unit of a
      rehabilitation hospital were selected purposefully due to the high frequency of
      falls. Participants: Hospital staff who took part in: surveys (n = 39),
      interviews (n = 10) and focus groups (n = 12), and 38 people who were interviewed
      during falls investigations: fallers, family, unit staff and hospital management.
      Intervention: Implementation of the SFIM to investigate fall occurrences. Main
      Outcome Measure(s): Percent of positive responses on the Modified Stanford
      Patient Safety Culture Survey Instrument converged with qualitative themes on
      facilitators and barriers for intervention implementation. Results: Both hospital
      units had an overall poor safety culture which hindered intervention
      implementation. Facilitators were hospital accreditation, strong emphasis on
      patient safety, infrastructure and dedicated champions. Barriers included heavy
      workloads, lack of time, lack of resources and poor communication. Conclusions:
      Successful implementation of SFIM requires regulatory and organizational support,
      committed frontline staff and allocation of resources to identify active causes
      and latent contributing factors to falls. System-wide adjustments show promise
      for promotion of safety culture in hospitals where falls happen regularly.

PMID- 28340251
TI  - Thermal QST Phenotypes Associated with Response to Lumbar Epidural Steroid
      Injections: A Pilot Study.
AB  - Objective: Response to lumbar epidural steroid injection in lumbar radicular pain
      varies. The purpose of this study is to characterize the changes in quantitative
      sensory testing (QST) phenotypes of subjects and compare the QST characteristics
      in patients who do respond to treatment of radicular pain with a lumbar epidural
      steroid injection (ESI). Design: Prospective, observational pilot study. Setting:
      Outpatient pain center. Methods: Twenty subjects with a lower extremity (LE)
      radicular pain who were scheduled to have an ESI were recruited. At the visit
      prior to and four weeks following an ESI, subjects underwent QST measurements of
      both the affected LE and the contralateral unaffected UE. Results: Following an
      ESI, nine subjects reported a greater than 30% reduction in radicular pain and 11
      reported a less than 30% reduction in radicular pain. Subjects who had less than
      30% pain reduction response (nonresponders) to an ESI had increased pre-injection
      warm sensation threshold (37.30  degrees C, SD = 2.51 vs 40.39, SD = 3.36, P =
      0.03) and heat pain threshold (47.22  degrees C, SD = 1.38, vs 48.83  degrees C,
      SD = 2.10, P = 0.04). Further, the nonresponders also showed increased pre
      injection warm sensation threshold as measured in the difference of warm
      sensation detection threshold difference in the affected limb and the unaffected
      arm (2.68  degrees C, SD = 2.92 vs 5.67  degrees C, SD = 3.22, P  = 0.045). Other
      QST parameters were not affected. Conclusions: The results show that the
      nonresponders to ESIs have increased detection threshold to heat pain and warm
      sensation, suggesting that a preexisting dysfunction in the C fibers in this
      group of subjects who can be detected by QST. Such altered QST characteristics
      may prognosticate the response to ESIs.

PMID- 28340253
TI  - Diagnostic Value, Prognostic Value, and Safety of Provocation Discography.

PMID- 28340252
TI  - Urinary tract infection: recent insight into the evolutionary arms race between
      uropathogenic Escherichia coli and our immune system.
AB  - Urinary tract infections (UTIs) are among the most common bacterial infections
      worldwide. Humans evolved various immune-dependent and independent defense
      mechanisms, while pathogens evolved multiple virulence factors to fight back.
      This article summarizes recent findings regarding the arms race between hosts and
      pathogens in UTIs. It was recently reported that macrophage subsets regulate
      neutrophil-mediated defense in primary UTIs but seem to subvert adaptive immunity
      upon re-infection. Moreover, some bacterial strains can survive inside
      macrophages, leading to recurrent infections. Inflammasome activation results in
      infected host cell death and pathogen release, facilitating the removal of
      intracellular bacteria. As a counteraction, some bacteria evolved mechanisms to
      disrupt inflammasome activation. Mucosal-associated invariant T cells are further
      effectors that can lyse infected epithelial cells and release intracellular
      bacteria. Once released, the bacteria are phagocytosed by neutrophils. However,
      some bacteria can inhibit neutrophil migration and deprive neutrophils of
      nutrients. Furthermore, the complement system, considered generally bactericidal,
      is exploited by the bacteria for cellular invasion. Another weapon against UTI is
      antimicrobial peptides, e.g. ribonuclease 7, but its production is inhibited by
      certain bacterial strains. Thus the arms race in UTI is ongoing, and knowing the
      enemy's methods can help in developing new drugs to win the race.

PMID- 28340254
TI  - The unfinished issue of ischaemic stroke and embolic events during ablation for
      atrial fibrillation: the authors' reply.

PMID- 28340255
TI  - Massive Gastric Juvenile Polyposis: A Clinicopathologic Study Using SMAD4
      Immunohistochemistry.
AB  - Objectives: Juvenile polyps involving the stomach are uncommon. Massive gastric
      juvenile polyposis is even rarer. Methods: We describe the clinicopathologic
      features of nine cases of massive gastric juvenile polyposis. Results: All
      patients had anemia; four had hypoalbuminemia. The polyps were composed
      predominantly of dilated crypts lined by columnar epithelium and abundant
      edematous stroma with mixed inflammatory infiltrates. One patient had a poorly
      differentiated adenocarcinoma, arising in juvenile polyp-associated
      intraepithelial neoplasia. A second patient had a well-differentiated
      intramucosal adenocarcinoma arising in a juvenile polyp with high-grade
      dysplasia. Three of our cases had polyposis restricted to the stomach. Six
      (66.6%) had loss of SMAD4 immunoreactivity, making them subject to severe
      bleeding and hypoproteinemia, as well as developing severe dysplasia or
      adenocarcinoma. Conclusions: SMAD4 immunohistochemstry is a helpful ancillary
      diagnostic test in cases of suspected juvenile polyposis syndrome involving the
      stomach.

PMID- 28340256
TI  - Sleep disturbance of adults with a brain tumor and their family caregivers: a
      systematic review.
AB  - The high incidence and psychophysiological morbidities of sleep disturbance in
      cancer have been increasingly recognized. Yet, more detailed understanding of
      sleep disturbance and options for management have been neglected areas in both
      clinical care and research. Brain tumor patients have been particularly
      overlooked. A systematic search of the literature from 1990 to 2015 was performed
      to review sleep disturbance in adults with primary or secondary brain tumor and
      their family caregivers. Fifty eligible studies were identified, of which 12
      focused on sleep, 37 reported sleep items within a health-related quality of life
      measure and 1 reported caregivers' sleep. No sleep intervention has been
      developed or tested for brain tumor patients. Sleep disturbance and somnolence
      were frequently reported as the most severely rated symptoms within health
      related quality of life across the disease course or treatments, along with
      fatigue. However, sleep-focused studies yielded inconsistent results in small
      samples of mostly benign brain tumors in long-term remission from total tumor
      resection. The research using standardized, multifaceted sleep assessments,
      particularly in patients with malignant brain tumor and caregivers who are
      undergoing treatment, is seriously lacking. A more systematic examination of
      sleep disturbance is warranted to inform the development of better symptom
      management programs in this population.

PMID- 28340257
TI  - CD8-Positive T-Cell Leukoencephalitis With Astrocytopathy Clinically Presenting
      as Neuromyelitis Optica.
AB  - We describe a novel disease entity with the clinical and radiologic presentation
      of neuromyelitis optica (NMO) and widespread CD8-positive T-cell
      leukoencephalitis and astrocytopathy. The 59-year-old female patient had a
      complex 2-year neurological history that included early changes in cognition and
      memory, progressive lower extremity motor dysfunction, and multimodal sensory
      involvement. MRI of the spinal cord showed increased T2 signal in the central
      cord extending from C2 through T4. MRI of the brain showed symmetric radial
      enhancement in periventricular deep white matter without evidence of
      demyelinating lesions. The constellation of findings met clinical criteria for
      NMO. Steroid treatment was initiated with subjective improvement but she
      developed urosepsis and died at age 61 years. At autopsy, the spinal cord showed
      typical NMO findings but no evidence of complement deposition or neutrophil
      infiltration. There was diffuse CD8-positive T-cell infiltration and CD68
      positive macrophage activation throughout subcortical white matter, optic chiasm,
      brainstem, and spinal cord. This was accompanied by marked astrocytopathy in all
      areas. Serum was negative for aquaporin-4 autoantibodies suggesting a nonhumoral
      basis of astrocyte damage. This first example of CD8-positive T-cell
      leukoencephalitis in a patient with a clinical presentation of NMO may explain
      the recalcitrance of some patients to therapies targeting humoral immunity.

PMID- 28340258
TI  - Hydrocodone is More Effective than Morphine or Oxycodone in Suppressing the
      Development of Burn-Induced Mechanical Allodynia.
AB  - Background: Pain is the most frequent complaint of burn-injured patients. Opioids
      are commonly used in the course of treatment. However, there is a lack of rodent
      studies that examine the differential effects of various opioids on burn pain.
      Objective: This study compared the ability of morphine, oxycodone, and
      hydrocodone to suppress the development of burn-induced mechanical allodynia and
      reduce pain sensitivity. Methods: Mice were examined for their baseline pain
      sensitivity thresholds using the von Frey Filaments test. Then, they were
      subjected to burn or sham injury and treated orally with morphine, oxycodone,
      hydrocodone (20 or 40 mg/kg), or saline twice daily throughout the study. They
      were retested on days 4, 7, 11, 14, 21, and 28 postburn. Results: In the sham
      animals, morphine produced significant opioid-induced hyperalgesia (OIH).
      Development of OIH was minimal for hydrocodone and was not observed for
      oxycodone. Secondary mechanical allodynia was observed beginning four days after
      the burn injury and intensified with time. All opioids produced comparable
      antinociceptive effects. Hydrocodone was effective in suppressing the development
      of burn-induced mechanical allodynia and fully treated the burn-induced increase
      in pain sensitivity. In contrast, morphine and oxycodone had only minimal effects
      on the development of burn-induced mechanical allodynia and only partially
      treated the burn-induced increase in pain sensitivity. Conclusions: This study
      demonstrated that hydrocodone is effective in suppressing the development of burn
      induced mechanical allodynia, while both morphine and oxycodone had minimal
      effects. These findings underscore the need for additional studies on the
      differences among various opioids using clinically relevant pain models.

PMID- 28340259
TI  - Sedative Prescriptions Are Common at Opioid Initiation: An Observational Study in
      the Veterans Health Administration.
AB  - Background: Concurrent use of sedatives, especially anxiolytics, and opioids is
      associated with increased risk of medication-related harms. To the extent that
      multiple prescribers are involved, approaches to influence patterns of
      coprescribing will differ from those to influence prescribing within a single
      drug class. Objectives: Describe the proportion of new opioid recipients with
      concurrent sedative medications at opioid initiation and determine whether these
      medications were prescribed by the same prescriber. Methods: We used national
      Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) outpatient pharmacy administration data to
      identify veterans who received a new opioid prescription between October 20,
      2010, and September 1, 2011 (FY 2011), preceded by a 365-day opioid-free period.
      Concurrent sedative use was defined as a skeletal muscle relaxant,
      benzodiazepine, atypical antipsychotic, or hypnotic filled on the opioid start
      date or before and after the opioid start date with a gap of less than twice the
      day supply of the prior fill. Results: Concurrent sedative use at opioid
      initiation was 21.4% (112,408/526,499) in FY 2011. The proportion of concurrent
      recipients who received at least one concurrent sedative prescribed by a provider
      other than the opioid prescriber was 61.4% (69,002/112,408). The proportion of
      recipients who received a sedative concurrent with opioid initiation from the
      same prescriber varied across sedative class. Benzodiazepines and opioids were
      prescribed by the same provider in 41.1% (15,520/37,750) of concurrent users.
      Conclusion: One in five patients newly prescribed opioids also had a sedative
      prescription. Less than half of patients with concurrent opioid and
      benzodiazepine prescriptions received these from the same provider. Efforts to
      reduce concurrent opioid and sedative prescribing will require addressing care
      coordination.

PMID- 28340260
TI  - A study on natural recovery of tassel fertilization and doubling method in maize
      haploids.
AB  - Doubling method is the technical barriers in maize haploid breeding. It was very
      important to establish the independent intellectual property rights for doubling
      method. In this experiment, the maize haploid inducer, TG15, was used for
      producing maternal haploids. Also, haploids were obtained from two kinds of
      maternal genotypes involved in the experiment, including high-oil type and common
      type. Significant differences were observed among offspring of various genotypes
      in the recovery of haploid fertilization. In 21 hybrid offspring haploids, the
      average powder rate was 8.28%, and the seed setting rate was 4.98%. The
      experimental results showed that when the hybrids were treated with 0.08%
      colchicine, the average powder rate and seed setting rate of offspring haploids
      were 35.53 and 20.30%, respectively, which were significantly higher than the
      hybrids with natural recovery ability. This study primarily established the
      doubling method of haploids called "bud seedling method" in China which was very
      practicably in maize doubled haploid breeding.

PMID- 28340261
TI  - Effect of a high-concentrate diet on milk components and mammary health in
      Holstein dairy cows.
AB  - In order to evaluate the milk yield, milk quality, and health of dairy cows fed a
      high-concentrate (HC) diet, eight lactating Holstein dairy cattle were randomly
      assigned to HC or low-concentrate (LC) diet groups and fed for 50 days, and the
      auto-control studying before and after treatment with the two diets was used.
      During the experiment, plasma and milk samples were collected and measured. With
      regard to milk component, HC feeding led to higher milk production (P < 0.05),
      but significantly lower milk protein percentage (P < 0.05), milk protein yield (P
      < 0.05), and milk fat percentage (P < 0.05) throughout the five periods than LC
      feeding. Milk somatic cell count and N-acetyl-D-glucosaminidase activity (P <
      0.01) were higher than those observed under LC feeding. mRNA expression levels of
      interleukin-8 (IL-8), C-C motif chemokine ligand (CCL5), and lactalbumin alpha
      (alpha-LA) were investigated by qPCR and found to be significantly lower (P <
      0.01) in cattle fed the HC diet. The amino acid content was analyzed by high
      performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), and the content of Asp (P < 0.01), Gln
      (P < 0.01), Ala (P < 0.05), Leu (P < 0.05), Lys (P < 0.05), and Ile (P < 0.01)
      was significantly lower in the HC group, whereas the content of Arg (P < 0.05)
      and Phe (P < 0.01) was significantly higher. These results suggest that the HC
      diet might have an important influence on mammary health. The amino acid content
      was lower, suggesting that depletion of amino acids, resulting in depleted milk
      protein, affects milk quality.

PMID- 28340262
TI  - Effect of photoperiod on serum hormone concentrations during the annual
      reproductive cycle in geese.
AB  - The poor egg-laying rate of geese hinders the development of the goose industry;
      therefore, the reproductive performance of geese is an important area of
      investigation. To evaluate the relationship between photoperiod, reproductive
      hormones, and reproductive activity during the egg-laying cycle in geese under
      natural conditions, we collected blood samples from Sichuan white geese and Xupu
      geese to quantify changes in prolactin (PRL), estradiol (E2), vasoactive
      intestinal polypeptide (VIP), follicle stimulating hormone (FSH), gonadotropin
      inhibitory hormone (GnIH), and luteinizing hormone (LH). We also calculated the
      rate of egg laying for the two populations during the egg-laying cycle. We show
      that the egg-laying rate and the serum concentration of some hormones (PRL, E2,
      VIP, FSH, GnIH, and LH) differed significantly between the two populations during
      the pre-laying, laying, and ceased-laying periods. Serum LH concentrations may be
      associated with maturation of the ovary and oviducts, whereas FSH, PRL, and GnIH
      play important roles in egg laying. These results provide a useful resource for
      future studies examining the laying rate in geese.

PMID- 28340263
TI  - Myrciaria dubia, an Amazonian fruit: population structure and its implications
      for germplasm conservation and genetic improvement.
AB  - Myrciaria dubia (camu-camu) is an Amazon tree that produces a tart fruit with
      high vitamin C content. It is probably the fruit with the highest vitamin C
      content among all Brazilian fruit crops and it can be used to supplement daily
      vitamin C dose. This property has attracted the attention of consumers and,
      consequently, encouraged fruit farmers to produce it. In order to identify and
      select potential accessions for commercial exploitation and breeding programs, M.
      dubia has received considerable research attention. The identification and
      characterization of genetic diversity, as well as identification of the
      population structure of accessions preserved in germplasm banks are fundamental
      for the success of any breeding program. The objective of this study was to
      evaluate the genetic variability of 10 M. dubia populations obtained from the
      shores of Reis Lake, located in the municipality of Caracarai, Roraima, Brazil.
      Fourteen polymorphic inter simple sequence repeat (ISSR) markers were used to
      study the population genetic diversity, which resulted in 108 identified alleles.
      Among the 14 primers, GCV, UBC810, and UBC827 produced the highest number of
      alleles. The study illustrated the suitability and efficiency of ISSR markers to
      study the genetic diversity of M. dubia accessions. We also revealed the
      existence of high genetic variability among both accessions and populations that
      can be exploited in future breeding programs and conservation activities of this
      species.

PMID- 28340264
TI  - Identification of 19 loci for reproductive traits in a local Chinese chicken by
      genome-wide study.
AB  - Reproductive traits have long been studied and have an important influence on
      chicken breeding. To identify quantitative trait loci affecting reproductive
      traits, a genome-wide analysis of a Chinese chicken breed was performed to
      analyze age at first egg body weight at first egg, first egg weight, egg weight
      at the age of 300 days, egg weight at the age of 462 days, egg number at the age
      of 300 days, egg number between the ages of 300 and 462 days and egg number at
      the age of 462 days. Nineteen SNPs related to reproductive traits were presented
      (P < 1.80E-6). Nine of the 19 SNPs had a significant effect on BWF, six SNPs were
      significantly associated with egg weight, and four SNPs were significantly
      associated with egg number. These SNPs were located near to or in 17 genes
      including FAM184B, HTT, KCNH7, CDC42BPA, KCNIP4, GJA5, CBFB, and GPC6. The
      present results may be beneficial for reproductive research and may be used in
      marker-assisted selection in future studies. These results could potentially
      benefit further breeding programs, especially in Jinghai Yellow Chicken.

PMID- 28340265
TI  - Association of RUNX2 and TNFSF11 genes with production traits in a paternal
      broiler line.
AB  - Intense selection for production traits has improved the genetic gain of
      important economic traits. However, selection for performance and carcass traits
      has led to the onset of locomotors problems and decreasing bone strength in
      broilers. Thus, genes associated with bone integrity traits have become
      candidates for genetic studies in order to reduce the impact of bone disorders in
      broilers. This study investigated the association of the RUNX2 and TNFSF11 genes
      with 79 traits related to performance, carcass composition, organs, and bone
      integrity in a paternal broiler line. Analyses of genetic association between
      single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) and traits were carried out using the
      maximum likelihood procedures for mixed models. Genetic associations (P < 0.05)
      were found between SNP g.124,883A>G in the RUNX2 gene and chilled femur weight
      (additive plus dominance deviation effects within sex) and with performance
      traits (additive within sex and additive effects). The SNP g.14,862T>C in the
      TNFSF11 gene presented genetic associations (P < 0.05) with additive plus
      dominance deviation effects within sex for performance traits. Suggestive genetic
      associations (P < 0.10) were found with abdominal fat and its yield. Selection
      based on SNPs g.14,862T>C in TNFSF11 and g.124,883A>G in RUNX2 could be used to
      improve performance and carcass quality traits in the population studied,
      although SNP g.14,862T>C was not in Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium because it was not
      undergoing a selection process. Furthermore, it is important to validate these
      markers in an unrelated population for use in the selection process.

PMID- 28340266
TI  - RNA-Seq-based transcriptome and the reproduction-related genes for the aphid
      Schlechtendalia chinensis (Hemiptera, Aphididae).
AB  - Chinese galls form on sumac plants (Rhus chinensis) and are used for medicinal
      and chemical purposes, due to their richness in tannins. The galls are formed by
      aphids, the most prominent of which is Schlechtendalia chinensis, which forms
      horn-shaped galls on the winged rachis of R. chinensis. S. chinensis has a
      complex life cycle, including both R. chinensis and certain mosses as hosts, as
      well as the existence of both sexual and asexual reproduction (cyclical
      parthenogenesis). Previous studies have shown that the alternate occurrence of
      sexual and asexual reproduction relies on many environmental factors, such as
      temperature, photoperiod, and host-plant. However, the sexual and asexual modes
      of reproduction are poorly understood on the molecular level. We aimed to
      identify genes that respond to changes in temperature that may be related to the
      reproduction process. We compared the transcriptome of two samples of S.
      chinensis, which had been reared at different temperatures. Using gene ontology
      analysis, a total of 51 evolutionary conserved genes related to reproduction
      determination in insects were identified. Of these genes, S. chinensis harbors 42
      genes. When we analyzed aphids that had asexually or sexually produced offspring,
      eight out of these 42 genes were identified and expressed differently in two
      temperature conditions. This is the first report on genes associated with
      reproduction determination in S. chinensis, which has a complex life cycle.
      Genes, expressed differently in response to different temperature conditions will
      be helpful to understand the mechanism of aphid reproductive determination.

PMID- 28340267
TI  - Digital phenotyping for quantification of genetic diversity in inbred guava
      (Psidium guajava) families.
AB  - Digital image analysis of seeds has been used for the identification of
      cultivars, determination of seed color and mechanical damage, and classification
      of different seed sizes. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the
      efficiency of digital image analysis of seeds for the quantification of genetic
      diversity among genotypes of inbred guava (Psidium guajava L.) families. The SAS
      Mini equipment, which consists of a capture module and a software program for
      analysis, was employed for the capture and analysis of the seed images. Different
      genetic diversity quantification strategies were tested using the Ward-Modified
      Location Model method. The set of variables related to geometry of the seeds was
      the largest contributor to divergence among the guava genotypes. The use of seed
      descriptors obtained by digital image analysis via the SAS system was efficient
      at quantifying the genetic diversity among genotypes of inbred guava families
      associated with the use of the Ward-Modified Location Model method.

PMID- 28340268
TI  - Is differential expression of p16INK4a based on the classification of uterine
      smooth muscle tumors associated with a different prognosis? A meta-analysis.
AB  - We conducted a meta-analysis to examine p16INK4a expression in uterine smooth
      muscle tumors (USMTs). Although the prognostic value of tumor suppressor p16INK4a
      has been elucidated in a variety of cancers and precancerous lesions, its role in
      USMTs is not well established. We searched PubMed, Web of Science, and Embase for
      publication son p16INK4a expression in USMTs. Strict inclusion and exclusion
      criteria were imposed. Risk ratios (RRs) with 95% confidence intervals (95%CIs)
      were calculated to assess the strength of association. Publication bias was
      estimated using funnel plots and the Egger's regression test. Twelve eligible
      studies comprising 661 patients were included. Compared with leiomyoma (LM), the
      figures for the strength of association were as follows: LM variants (RR = 1.53,
      95%CI = 1.03-2.27, P = 0.036, random effect); leiomyosarcoma (LMS) (RR = 3.20,
      95%CI = 1.68-6.12, P < 0.001, random effect); and smooth muscle tumors of
      uncertain malignant potential (STUMP) (RR = 2.90, 95%CI = 1.17-7.21, P = 0.022,
      random effect). p16INK4a expression was significantly higher in LMS than in LM
      variants (RR = 3.74, 95%CI = 1.96-7.13, P < 0.001, random effect) or STUMP (RR =
      1.67, 95%CI = 1.26-2.23, P < 0.001, fixed effect). There was a significant
      correlation between overexpressed p16INK4a and recurrence rates of USMTs (RR =
      1.85, 95%CI = 1.11-3.10, P = 0.019, fixed effect). p16INK4a over expression is a
      potential biomarker for diagnosing problematic USMTs and it might indicate a
      worse prognosis. However, there is currently insufficient evidence to assess the
      prognostic value of p16INK4a in USMTs.

PMID- 28340269
TI  - Prevention of DNA damage and anticarcinogenic activity of Activia(r) in a
      preclinical model.
AB  - Colorectal cancer is a global public health issue. Studies have pointed to the
      protective effect of probiotics on colorectal carcinogenesis. Activia(r) is a
      lacto probiotic product that is widely consumed all over the world and its
      beneficial properties are related, mainly, to the lineage of traditional yoghurt
      bacteria combined with a specific bacillus, DanRegularis, which gives the product
      a proven capacity to intestinal regulation in humans. The aim of this study was
      to evaluate the antigenotoxic, antimutagenic, and anticarcinogenic proprieties of
      the Activia product, in response to damage caused by 1,2-dimethylhydrazine (DMH)
      in Swiss mice. Activia does not have shown antigenotoxic activity. However, the
      percent of DNA damage reduction, evaluated by the antimutagenicity assay, ranged
      from 69.23 to 96.15% indicating effective chemopreventive action. Activia reduced
      up to 79.82% the induction of aberrant crypt foci by DMH. Facing the results, it
      is inferred that Activia facilitates the weight loss, prevents DNA damage and pre
      cancerous lesions in the intestinal mucosa.

PMID- 28340270
TI  - Genetic progress estimation strategy for upright common bean plants using
      recurrent selection.
AB  - Common bean producers in Brazil tend to grow plants as upright as possible.
      Because the control of this trait involves a large number of genes, recurrent
      selection (RS) is the best approach for successful plant improvement. Because
      plant architecture (PA) is evaluated using scores and usually has high
      heritability, RS for PA is performed through visual selection in generation S0.
      The aim of the present study was to evaluate selection progress and investigate
      whether this progress varies with the number of selected progenies or the
      generation evaluated. In addition, the effect of RS for the upright (PA) trait on
      progeny grain yield (GY) was investigated. Data of progenies S0:3 and S0:4 of the
      fifth, eighth, and twelfth cycles were used. A combined analysis of variance was
      performed using the adjusted means of the 47 best progenies from each generation
      and cycle, using two control cultivars as reference. A joint analysis of the two
      generations used during the evaluation of progenies for the different cycles was
      also performed. The genetic progress (GP) was estimated by fitting a linear
      regression equation to the relationship between the adjusted mean of each cycle
      and the number of cycles. We found that RS was efficient and the estimated GP of
      the evaluated progenies was 4.5%. Based on the GY heritability estimates, in more
      advanced generation selection for GY can be successfully performed on progenies.
      Thus, the selection already done for PA in F2 could be associated to the most
      productive progenies.

PMID- 28340272
TI  - REML/BLUP and sequential path analysis in estimating genotypic values and
      interrelationships among simple maize grain yield-related traits.
AB  - Methodologies using restricted maximum likelihood/best linear unbiased prediction
      (REML/BLUP) in combination with sequential path analysis in maize are still
      limited in the literature. Therefore, the aims of this study were: i) to use
      REML/BLUP-based procedures in order to estimate variance components, genetic
      parameters, and genotypic values of simple maize hybrids, and ii) to fit stepwise
      regressions considering genotypic values to form a path diagram with multi-order
      predictors and minimum multicollinearity that explains the relationships of cause
      and effect among grain yield-related traits. Fifteen commercial simple maize
      hybrids were evaluated in multi-environment trials in a randomized complete block
      design with four replications. The environmental variance (78.80%) and genotype
      vs-environment variance (20.83%) accounted for more than 99% of the phenotypic
      variance of grain yield, which difficult the direct selection of breeders for
      this trait. The sequential path analysis model allowed the selection of traits
      with high explanatory power and minimum multicollinearity, resulting in models
      with elevated fit (R2 > 0.9 and epsilon < 0.3). The number of kernels per ear
      (NKE) and thousand-kernel weight (TKW) are the traits with the largest direct
      effects on grain yield (r = 0.66 and 0.73, respectively). The high accuracy of
      selection (0.86 and 0.89) associated with the high heritability of the average
      (0.732 and 0.794) for NKE and TKW, respectively, indicated good reliability and
      prospects of success in the indirect selection of hybrids with high-yield
      potential through these traits. The negative direct effect of NKE on TKW (r = 
      0.856), however, must be considered. The joint use of mixed models and sequential
      path analysis is effective in the evaluation of maize-breeding trials.

PMID- 28340271
TI  - SNP detection using RNA-sequences of candidate genes associated with puberty in
      cattle.
AB  - Fertility traits, such as heifer pregnancy, are economically important in cattle
      production systems, and are therefore, used in genetic selection programs. The
      aim of this study was to identify single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) using
      RNA-sequencing (RNA-Seq) data from ovary, uterus, endometrium, pituitary gland,
      hypothalamus, liver, longissimus dorsi muscle, and adipose tissue in 62 candidate
      genes associated with heifer puberty in cattle. RNA-Seq reads were assembled to
      the bovine reference genome (UMD 3.1.1) and analyzed in five cattle breeds;
      Brangus, Brahman, Nellore, Angus, and Holstein. Two approaches used the Brangus
      data for SNP discovery 1) pooling all samples, and 2) within each individual
      sample. These approaches revealed 1157 SNPs. These were compared with those
      identified in the pooled samples of the other breeds. Overall, 172 SNPs within 13
      genes (CPNE5, FAM19A4, FOXN4, KLF1, LOC777593, MGC157266, NEBL, NRXN3, PEPT-1,
      PPP3CA, SCG5, TSG101, and TSHR) were concordant in the five breeds. Using
      Ensembl's Variant Effector Predictor, we determined that 12% of SNPs were in
      exons (71% synonymous, 29% nonsynonymous), 1% were in untranslated regions
      (UTRs), 86% were in introns, and 1% were in intergenic regions. Since these SNPs
      were discovered in RNA, the variants were predicted to be within exons or UTRs.
      Overall, 160 novel transcripts in 42 candidate genes and five novel genes
      overlapping five candidate genes were observed. In conclusion, 1157 SNPs were
      identified in 62 candidate genes associated with puberty in Brangus cattle, of
      which, 172 were concordant in the five cattle breeds. Novel transcripts and genes
      were also identified.

PMID- 28340273
TI  - Genetic diversity and selection of common bean lines based on technological
      quality and biofortification.
AB  - The development of common bean cultivars with high technological quality that are
      biofortified with minerals, is required to meet the demand for food with health
      benefits. The objectives of this study were to evaluate whether common bean
      genotypes differ in terms of technological and mineral biofortification traits,
      to study the correlations between these characters, to analyze the genetic
      dissimilarity of common bean genotypes, and to select superior lines for these
      traits. For this, 14 common bean genotypes were evaluated in experiments
      conducted in three growing seasons in the Rio Grande do Sul State, Brazil. A
      significant genotype x environment interaction was observed for technological
      quality (mass of 100 grains and cooking time) and biofortification traits
      (concentration of potassium, phosphorus, calcium, iron, zinc, and copper).
      Positive correlation estimates were obtained between phosphorus and potassium (r
      = 0.575), iron and zinc (r = 0.641), copper and iron (r = 0.729), and copper and
      phosphorus (r = 0.533). In the main component cluster analysis, four groups of
      genotypes were formed. The following lines are recommended for selection: LP 11
      363 for fast-cooking, CNFC 11 948 for high iron concentration, and LEC 03-14 for
      high potassium, phosphorus, and calcium concentrations in grains. Common bean
      lines with high phosphorus and iron concentrations in grains can be indirectly
      selected based on higher potassium, copper, and zinc concentrations. Controlled
      crossings between LP 11-363 x CNFC 11 948 and LP 11-363 x LEC 03-14 are
      recommended to obtain segregating lines that are fast-cooking and biofortified
      with minerals.

PMID- 28340274
TI  - Regularized quantile regression applied to genome-enabled prediction of
      quantitative traits.
AB  - Genomic selection (GS) is a variant of marker-assisted selection, in which
      genetic markers covering the whole genome predict individual genetic merits for
      breeding. GS increases the accuracy of breeding values (BV) prediction. Although
      a variety of statistical models have been proposed to estimate BV in GS, few
      methodologies have examined statistical challenges based on non-normal phenotypic
      distributions, e.g., skewed distributions. Traditional GS models estimate changes
      in the phenotype distribution mean, i.e., the function is defined for the
      expected value of trait-conditional on markers, E(Y|X). We proposed an approach
      based on regularized quantile regression (RQR) for GS to improve the estimation
      of marker effects and the consequent genomic estimated BV (GEBV). The RQR model
      is based on conditional quantiles, Qtau(Y|X), enabling models that fit all
      portions of a trait probability distribution. This allows RQR to choose one
      quantile function that "best" represents the relationship between the dependent
      and independent variables. Data were simulated for 1000 individuals. The genome
      included 1500 markers; most had a small effect and only a few markers with a
      sizable effect were simulated. We evaluated three scenarios according to
      symmetrical, positively, and negatively skewed distributions. Analyses were
      performed using Bayesian LASSO (BLASSO) and RQR considering three quantiles
      (0.25, 0.50, and 0.75). The use of RQR to estimate GEBV was efficient; the RQR
      method achieved better results than BLASSO, at least for one quantile model fit
      for all evaluated scenarios. The gains in relation to BLASSO were 86.28 and
      55.70% for positively and negatively skewed distributions, respectively.

PMID- 28340275
TI  - Mini tomato genotypes resistant to the silverleaf whitefly and to two-spotted
      spider mites.
AB  - The mini tomato production has expanded, becoming an amazing alternative for
      enterprise. Despite all commercial potential, the cultivation has the occurrence
      of pests as main obstacle during the crop development. Nowadays, there are no
      researches that aimed obtaining genotypes with high acylsugar content, capable of
      providing a broad-spectrum resistance to pests. This study aimed the selection of
      mini tomato genotypes, with high acylsugar content, and checking the resistance
      level to the silverleaf whitefly [Bemisia tabaci (Gennadius)] and to the two
      spotted spider mites (Tetranychus urticae Koch). Sixteen genotypes were
      evaluated, from which 12 were on the generation F2BC1, originated from the
      interespecific cross between Solanum pennellii versus Solanum lycopersicum L. and
      4 were check treatments, being three of cultivated tomatos (cv. Santa Clara, UFU
      02, and UFU-73) and the wild accession LA-716 (S. pennellii). The variables
      analyzed were acylsugar content, repellency to the silverleaf whitefly,
      repellence to the two-spotted spider mites, and density of glandular trichomes.
      The genotypes UFU-22-F2BC1#9 and UFU-73-F2BC1#11 have high acylsugar content and
      both are resistant to the pests that were evaluated. New studies must be
      conducted seeking for inbred lines, obtained from the selected genotypes, aiming
      to get commercial hybrids with high acylsugar content.

PMID- 28340276
TI  - Multivariate diallel analysis allows multiple gains in segregating populations
      for agronomic traits in Jatropha.
AB  - Jatropha is research target worldwide aimed at large-scale oil production for
      biodiesel and bio-kerosene. Its production potential is among 1200 and 1500 kg/ha
      of oil after the 4th year. This study aimed to estimate combining ability of
      Jatropha genotypes by multivariate diallel analysis to select parents and crosses
      that allow gains in important agronomic traits. We performed crosses in diallel
      complete genetic design (3 x 3) arranged in blocks with five replications and
      three plants per plot. The following traits were evaluated: plant height, stem
      diameter, canopy projection between rows, canopy projection on the line, number
      of branches, mass of hundred grains, and grain yield. Data were submitted to
      univariate and multivariate diallel analysis. Genotypes 107 and 190 can be used
      in crosses for establishing a base population of Jatropha, since it has favorable
      alleles for increasing the mass of hundred grains and grain yield and reducing
      the plant height. The cross 190 x 107 is the most promising to perform the
      selection of superior genotypes for the simultaneous breeding of these traits.

PMID- 28340277
TI  - Immunomodulatory and neuroprotective effect of cryopreserved allogeneic
      mesenchymal stem cells on spinal cord injury in rats.
AB  - This study aimed to evaluate the immunomodulatory and neuroprotective effects of
      allogeneic and cryopreserved mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) on spinal cord injury.
      A total of 120 rats were distributed into the following groups: negative control
      (NC) - without injury, positive control (PC) - with injury without treatment, and
      group treated with MSC (GMSC) - with injury and treated. Motor function was
      evaluated by the BBB test at 24, 48, and 72 h and at 8 and 21 postoperative days.
      Spinal cords were evaluated by histopathology and immunohistochemistry to
      determine the expression of CD68, NeuN, and GFAP. IL-10, TNF-alpha, IL-1beta, TGF
      beta, BDNF, GDNF, and VEGF expression was quantified by RT-PCR. The GMSC
      presented higher scores for motor function at 72 h and 8 and 21 days after
      injury, lower expression of CD68 at 8 days, and lower expression of GFAP at 21
      days compared to the PC. In addition, higher expression of NeuN and lower
      degeneration of the white matter occurred at 21 days. The GMSC also showed higher
      expression of IL-10 24 h after injury, GDNF at 48 h and 8 days, and VEGF at 21
      days. Moreover, lower expression of TNF-alpha was observed at 8 and 21 days and
      TGF-beta at 24 h and 21 days. There were no differences in the expression of IL
      1beta and BDNF between the GMSC and PC. Thus, cryopreserved MSCs promote
      immunomodulatory and neuroprotective effects in rats with spinal cord injury by
      increasing IL-10, GDNF, and VEGF expression and reducing TNF-alpha and TGF-beta
      expression.

PMID- 28340279
TI  - Corrigendum.

PMID- 28340278
TI  - Path analysis and canonical correlations for indirect selection of Jatropha
      genotypes with higher oil yield.
AB  - Jatropha is a species with great potential for biodiesel production, and the
      knowledge on how the main agronomic traits are correlated will contribute to its
      improvement. Therefore, the objectives of this study were to estimate the genetic
      parameters of the traits: plant height at 12 and 40 months, canopy projection on
      the row at 12 and 40 months, canopy projection between the row at 12 and 40
      months, number of branches at 40 months, grain yield, and oil yield; to verify
      the existence of phenotypic correlation between these traits; to verify the
      influence of the morphological traits on oil yield by means of path analysis; and
      to evaluate the relationship between the productive traits in Jatropha and the
      morphological traits measured at different ages. Sixty-seven half-sib families
      were evaluated using a completely randomized block design with two replications
      and five plants per plot. Analysis of variance was used to estimate the genetic
      value. Phenotypic correlations were given by the Pearson correlation between
      traits. For the canonical correlation analysis, two groups of traits were
      established: group I, consisting of traits of economic importance for the
      culture, and group II, consisting of morphological traits. Path analysis was
      carried out considering oil yield as the main dependent variable. Genetic
      variability was observed among Jatropha families. Productive traits can be
      indirectly selected via morphological traits due to the correlation between these
      two groups of traits. Therefore, canonical correlations and path analysis are two
      strategies that may be useful in Jatropha-breeding program when the objective is
      to select productive traits via morphological traits.

PMID- 28340280
TI  - Gap junctions in epilepsy: for better or worse.

PMID- 28340281
TI  - High ten-year remission rates following rituximab, fludarabine, mitoxantrone and
      dexamethasone (R-FND) with interferon maintenance in indolent lymphoma: Results
      of a randomized Study.
AB  - We report a single-centre, randomized study evaluating the efficacy and safety of
      concurrent fludarabine, mitoxantrone, dexamethasone (FND) and rituximab versus
      sequential FND followed by rituximab in 158 patients with advanced stage,
      previously untreated indolent lymphoma, enrolled between 1997 and 2002. Patients
      were randomized to 6-8 cycles of FND followed by 6 monthly doses of rituximab or
      6 doses of rituximab given concurrently with FND. All patients who achieved at
      least a partial response received 12 months of interferon (IFN) maintenance.
      Median ages were 54 and 55 years. The two groups were comparable with the
      exception of a higher percentage of females (65% vs. 43%) and baseline anaemia
      (23% vs. 11%) in the FND followed by rituximab group. Complete
      response/unconfirmed complete response rates were 89% and 93%. The most frequent
      grade >= 3 toxicity was neutropenia (86% vs. 96%). Neutropenic fever occurred in
      21% and 16%. Late toxicity included myelodysplastic syndrome (n = 3) and acute
      myeloid leukaemia (n = 5). With 12.5 years of follow-up, no significant
      differences based on treatment schedule were observed. 10-year overall survival
      estimates were 76% and 73%. 10-year progression-free survival estimates were 52%
      and 51%. FND with concurrent or sequential rituximab, and IFN maintenance in
      indolent lymphoma demonstrated high response rates and robust survival.

PMID- 28340282
TI  - Carfilzomib induces leukaemia cell apoptosis via inhibiting ELK1/KIAA1524 (Elk
      1/CIP2A) and activating PP2A not related to proteasome inhibition.
AB  - Enhancing the tumour suppressive activity of protein phosphatase 2A (PP2A) has
      been suggested to be an anti-leukaemic strategy. KIAA1524 (also termed CIP2A), an
      oncoprotein inhibiting PP2A, is associated with disease progression in chronic
      myeloid leukaemia and may be prognostic in cytogenetically normal acute myeloid
      leukaemia. Here we demonstrated that the selective proteasome inhibitor,
      carfilzomib, induced apoptosis in sensitive primary leukaemia cells and in
      sensitive leukaemia cell lines, associated with KIAA1524 protein downregulation,
      increased PP2A activity and decreased p-Akt, but not with the proteasome
      inhibition effect of carfilzomib. Ectopic expression of KIAA1524, or pretreatment
      with the PP2A inhibitor, okadaic acid, suppressed carfilzomib-induced apoptosis
      and KIAA1524 downregulation in sensitive cells, whereas co-treatment with the
      PP2A agonist, forskolin, enhanced carfilzomib-induced apoptosis in resistant
      cells. Mechanistically, carfilzomib affected KIAA1524 transcription through
      disturbing ELK1 (Elk-1) binding to the KIAA1524 promoter. Moreover, the drug
      sensitivity and mechanism of carfilzomib in xenograft mouse models correlated
      well with the effects of carfilzomib on KIAA1524 and p-Akt expression, as well as
      PP2A activity. Our data disclosed a novel drug mechanism of carfilzomib in
      leukaemia cells and suggests the potential therapeutic implication of KIAA1524 in
      leukaemia treatment.

PMID- 28340284
TI  - Quality of life and paediatric stroke: the shadows of things that may be.

PMID- 28340283
TI  - Comparative analysis of pulmonary hypertension in patients treated with imatinib,
      nilotinib and dasatinib.
AB  - Pulmonary hypertension (PH) is a rare, but life-threatening, adverse event in
      patients treated with tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs), such as dasatinib, but
      has not been fully evaluated in patients treated with imatinib or nilotinib. We
      used echocardiography to noninvasively assess the incidence of PH in 105 patients
      with chronic myeloid leukaemia (CML) treated with imatinib (n = 37), nilotinib (n
      = 30) or dasatinib (n = 38). The mean triscupid regurgitation peak gradient
      (TRPG), which reflects pulmonary arterial pressure, was 22.7 mmHg in the imatinib
      group, 23.1 mmHg in the nilotinib group and 23.4 mmHg for dasatinib group. These
      values were not significantly different, but higher than those (19.0 mmHg) in
      newly diagnosed CML patients. A TRPG > 31 mmHg, marking possible PH onset, was
      detected in 9 of 105 patients: one (2.7%) treated with imatinib, three (10.0%)
      with nilotinib and five (13.2%) with dasatinib. Only three patients complained of
      dyspnoea, whereas the other six were asymptomatic. In addition, there was a
      tendency toward correlation of TRPG value and age or TKI treatment duration.
      These results suggested that treatment with not only dasatinib, but also imatinib
      and nilotinib, can be associated with subclinical PH. Noninvasive
      echocardiography is useful for screening, especially in older patients with long
      term TKI treatment.

PMID- 28340285
TI  - The six-minute walk test in patients with AL amyloidosis: a single centre case
      series.
AB  - The six-minute walk test (6MWT) has been widely used as an objective evaluation
      of functional exercise capacity and response to medical intervention in
      cardiopulmonary diseases. However, little is known about the 6MWT in evaluating
      patients with AL amyloidosis. We performed a retrospective study of 120 adults
      with systemic AL amyloidosis (60 with cardiac involvement and 60 without cardiac
      involvement) who had their initial evaluation at the Amyloidosis Center between
      2013 and 2015 and had undergone 6MWT as a measure of functional exercise
      capacity. Forty-seven patients with cardiac involvement and 41 patients without
      cardiac involvement were included in the final analysis. The six-minute walk
      distances (6MWD) were 368 +/- 105 m and 420 +/- 116 m (mean +/- SD), respectively
      (P = 0.03). Among AL amyloidosis patients with cardiac involvement, the 6MWD was
      associated with New York Heart Association class (P < 0.001), B-type natriuretic
      peptide (P = 0.003) and overall survival (hazard ratio 0.381, 95% confidence
      interval 0.215-0.676, P = 0.001). In conclusion, the 6MWT is a valuable tool in
      assessing functional exercise capacity in patients with AL amyloidosis.

PMID- 28340286
TI  - Bringing the world of child neurology together.

PMID- 28340288
TI  - Erratum.

PMID- 28340289
TI  - Remote ischaemic conditioning decreases blood flow and improves oxygen extraction
      in patients with early complex regional pain syndrome.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Remote ischaemic conditioning (RIC) is the cyclic application of non
      damaging ischaemia leading to an increased tissue perfusion, among others
      triggered by NO (monoxide). Complex regional pain syndrome (CRPS) is known to
      have vascular alterations such as increased blood shunting and decreased NO blood
      levels, which in turn lead to decreased tissue perfusion. We therefore
      hypothesized that RIC could improve tissue perfusion in CRPS. METHOD: In this
      proof-of-concept study, RIC was applied in the following groups: in 21 patients
      with early CRPS with a clinical history less than a year, in 20 age/sex-matched
      controls and in 12 patients with unilateral nerve lesions via a tourniquet on the
      unaffected/non-dominant upper limb. Blood flow and tissue oxygen saturation (StO2
      ) were assessed before, during and after RIC via laser Doppler and tissue
      spectroscopy on the affected extremity. The oxygen extraction fraction was
      calculated. RESULTS: After RIC, blood flow declined in CRPS (p < 0.01). StO2
      decreased in CRPS and healthy controls (p < 0.01). Only in CRPS, the oxygen
      extraction fraction correlated negatively with the decreasing blood flow (p <
      0.05). CONCLUSION: Contrary to our expectations, RIC induced a decrease of blood
      flow in CRPS, which led to a revised hypothesis: the decrease of blood flow might
      be due to an anti-inflammatory effect that attenuates vascular disturbances and
      reduces blood shunting, thus improving oxygen extraction. Further studies could
      determine whether a repeated application of RIC leads to a reduced hypoxia in
      chronic CRPS. SIGNIFICANCE: Remote ischaemic conditioning leads to a decrease of
      blood flow. This decrease inversely correlates with the oxygen extraction in
      patients with CRPS.

PMID- 28340290
TI  - Nucleus accumbens dopamine receptors mediate hypothalamus-induced antinociception
      in the rat formalin test.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Lateral hypothalamus (LH) involves in modulation of tonic pain.
      Regarding the direct and indirect neural connections between the LH and nucleus
      accumbens (NAc), we aimed to examine the pain modulatory role of NAc dopamine
      receptors in modulation of LH-induced analgesia in the formalin test. METHODS:
      Vehicle-control groups received saline or DMSO into the NAc and saline into the
      LH. Carbachol-control groups received carbachol (250 nmol/L) into the LH, 5 min
      after saline or DMSO injection into the NAc. In treatment groups, intra-NAc
      administration of SCH-23390 or sulpiride (D1-and D2-like dopamine receptor
      antagonists, respectively) was performed 5 min before carbachol injection.
      Formalin test was done in all rats 5 min after the second injection. RESULTS: The
      blockade of NAc dopamine receptors reduced carbachol-induced antinociception
      during both phases of formalin test and reduction in LH-induced analgesia during
      the late phase was more than that during the early phase. Furthermore,
      contribution of D2-like dopamine receptors to mediation of anti-hyperalgesic
      effect of carbachol was greater than that of D1-like dopamine receptors during
      the late phase. CONCLUSIONS: The findings suggest that LH-VTA-NAc circuit is
      contributed to the modulation of formalin-induced pain. These findings
      demonstrate that transmission at D1- and D2-like dopamine receptors mediates the
      LH-induced analgesia. SIGNIFICANCE: Blockade of accumbal dopamine receptors
      attenuated analgesia induced by carbachol injection into the lateral hypothalamus
      during both phases of formalin test. Effect of blockade of D1- and D2-like
      dopamine receptors on reduction in antinociception was more during the late
      phase. Contribution of D2-like dopamine receptors to mediation of antinociception
      during the late phase was greater than the early phase.

PMID- 28340291
TI  - Head-to-Head Prenyl Synthases in Pathogenic Bacteria.
AB  - Many organisms contain head-to-head isoprenoid synthases; we investigated three
      such types of enzymes from the pathogens Neisseria meningitidis, Neisseria
      gonorrhoeae, and Enterococcus hirae. The E. hirae enzyme was found to produce
      dehydrosqualene, and we solved an inhibitor-bound structure that revealed a fold
      similar to that of CrtM from Staphylococcus aureus. In contrast, the homologous
      proteins from Neisseria spp. carried out only the first half of the reaction,
      yielding presqualene diphosphate (PSPP). Based on product analyses,
      bioinformatics, and mutagenesis, we concluded that the Neisseria proteins were
      HpnDs (PSPP synthases). The differences in chemical reactivity to CrtM were due,
      at least in part, to the presence of a PSPP-stabilizing arginine in the HpnDs,
      decreasing the rate of dehydrosqualene biosynthesis. These results show that not
      only S. aureus but also other bacterial pathogens contain head-to-head prenyl
      synthases, although their biological functions remain to be elucidated.

PMID- 28340293
TI  - Functional Paper-Based Platform for Rapid Capture and Detection of CeO2
      Nanoparticles.
AB  - Development of systems for capture, sequestration, and tracking of nanoparticles
      (NPs) is becoming a significant focus in many aspects of nanotechnology and
      environmental research. These systems enable a broad range of applications for
      evaluating concentration, distribution, and effects of NPs for environmental,
      clinical, epidemiological, and occupational exposure studies. Herein, we describe
      the first example of a ligand-graft multifunctional platform for capture and
      detection of cerium oxide (CeO2 or ceria) NPs. The approach involves the use of
      redox-active ligands containing o-dihydroxy functionality, enabling multivalent
      binding, surface retention, and formation of charge transfer complexes between
      the grafted ligand and the NPs. Using this strategy, paper-based and microarray
      printed platforms with NP-capture ability involving either catechol or ascorbic
      acid as ligands were successfully fabricated. Surface modification was determined
      by infrared spectroscopy, electron microscopy, X-ray spectroscopy, and
      thermogravimetric analysis. Functionality was demonstrated for the rapid
      assessment of NPs in chemical mechanical planarization (CMP) slurries and CMP
      wastewaters. This novel approach can enable further development of devices and
      separation technologies including platforms for retention and separation of NPs
      and measurement tools for detection of NPs in various environments.

PMID- 28340292
TI  - Combined spiroergometry and 31 P-MRS of human calf muscle during high-intensity
      exercise.
AB  - Simultaneous measurements of pulmonary oxygen consumption (VO2 ), carbon dioxide
      exhalation (VCO2 ) and phosphorus magnetic resonance spectroscopy (31 P-MRS) are
      valuable in physiological studies to evaluate muscle metabolism during specific
      loads. Therefore, the aim of this study was to adapt a commercially available
      spirometric device to enable measurements of VO2 and VCO2 whilst simultaneously
      performing 31 P-MRS at 3 T. Volunteers performed intense plantar flexion of their
      right calf muscle inside the MR scanner against a pneumatic MR-compatible pedal
      ergometer. The use of a non-magnetic pneumotachograph and extension of the
      sampling line from 3 m to 5 m to place the spirometric device outside the MR
      scanner room did not affect adversely the measurements of VO2 and VCO2 . Response
      and delay times increased, on average, by at most 0.05 s and 0.79 s,
      respectively. Overall, we were able to demonstrate a feasible ventilation
      response (VO2 = 1.05 +/- 0.31 L/min; VCO2 = 1.11 +/- 0.33 L/min) during the
      exercise of a single calf muscle, as well as a good correlation between local
      energy metabolism and muscular acidification (tauPCr fast and pH; R2 = 0.73, p <
      0.005) and global respiration (tauPCr fast and VO2 ; R2  = 0.55, p = 0.01). This
      provides improved insights into aerobic and anaerobic energy supply during strong
      muscular performances.

PMID- 28340294
TI  - A Well-Defined Osmium-Cupin Complex: Hyperstable Artificial Osmium Peroxygenase.
AB  - Thermally stable TM1459 cupin superfamily protein from Thermotoga maritima was
      repurposed as an osmium (Os) peroxygenase by metal-substitution strategy
      employing the metal-binding promiscuity. This novel artificial metalloenzyme
      bears a datively bound Os ion supported by the 4-histidine motif. The well
      defined Os center is responsible for not only the catalytic activity but also the
      thermodynamic stability of the protein folding, leading to the robust biocatalyst
      (Tm ~ 120  degrees C). The spectroscopic analysis and atomic resolution X-ray
      crystal structures of Os-bound TM1459 revealed two types of donor sets to Os
      center with octahedral coordination geometry. One includes trans-dioxide, OH, and
      mer-three histidine imidazoles (O3N3 donor set), whereas another one has four
      histidine imidazoles plus OH and water molecule in a cis position (O2N4 donor
      set). The Os-bound TM1459 having the latter donor set (O2N4 donor set) was
      evaluated as a peroxygenase, which was able to catalyze cis-dihydroxylation of
      several alkenes efficiently. With the low catalyst loading (0.01% mol), up to
      9100 turnover number was achieved for the dihydroxylation of 2-methoxy-6-vinyl
      naphthalene (50 mM) using an equivalent of H2O2 as oxidant at 70  degrees C for
      12 h. When octene isomers were dihydroxylated in a preparative scale for 5 h (2%
      mol cat.), the terminal alkene octene isomers was converted to the corresponding
      diols in a higher yield as compared with the internal alkenes. The result
      indicates that the protein scaffold can control the regioselectivity by the
      steric hindrance. This protein scaffold enhances the efficiency of the reaction
      by suppressing disproportionation of H2O2 on Os reaction center. Moreover, upon a
      simple site-directed mutagenesis, the catalytic activity was enhanced by about 3
      fold, indicating that Os-TM1459 is evolvable nascent osmium peroxygenase.

PMID- 28340295
TI  - Response of Catalase of the Mouse Primary Hepatocytes to Sodium
      Dodecylbenzenesulfonate and the Underlying Molecular Mechanisms.
AB  - This study investigated the adverse effects of sodium dodecylbenzenesulfonates
      (SDBS) on mouse primary hepatocytes by conducting cell viability, intracellular
      oxidative stress level, and catalase (CAT) activity assays. It was shown that
      SDBS altered CAT activities, triggered oxidative stress, and thus exhibited
      cytotoxicity to the hepatocytes. Both the stimulation of intracellular CAT
      production and the inhibition of molecular CAT activity contributed to
      intracellular CAT activity change. Molecular mechanisms underlying CAT activity
      inhibition and structural changes were explored by isothermal titration
      calorimetry, multispectroscopy, and molecular docking studies. SDBS binds to CAT
      with 8.81 +/- 0.751 sites via electrostatic forces, resulting in structural
      changes with alpha-helix significantly decreasing to 9.7 +/- 1.2%. SDBS could
      interact with HIS 74, ASN 147, and TYR 357 around the active sites as well as TRP
      185, ASP 127, and GLN 167 within the substrate channel and therefore might result
      in the inhibition of molecular CAT activity.

PMID- 28340297
TI  - Atomic-Scale Snapshots of the Formation and Growth of Hollow PtNi/C
      Nanocatalysts.
AB  - Determining the formation and growth mechanism of bimetallic nanoparticles (NPs)
      with atomic detail is fundamental to synthesize efficient "catalysts by design".
      However, an understanding of the elementary steps which take place during their
      synthesis remains elusive. Herein, we have exploited scanning transmission
      electron microscopy coupled to energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy, operando
      wide angle and small-angle X-ray scattering, and electrochemistry to unveil the
      formation and growth mechanism of hollow PtNi/C NPs. Such NPs, composed of a PtNi
      shell surrounding a nanoscale void, catalyze efficiently and sustainably the
      oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) in an acidic electrolyte. Our step-by-step study
      reveals that (i) Ni-rich/C NPs form first, before being embedded in a NixByOz
      shell, (ii) the combined action of galvanic displacement and the nanoscale
      Kirkendall effect then results in the sequential formation of Ni-rich core@Pt
      rich/C shell and ultimately hollow PtNi/C NPs. The electrocatalytic properties
      for the ORR and the stability of the different synthesis intermediates were
      tested and structure-activity-stability relationships established both in acidic
      and alkaline electrolytes. Beyond its interest for the ORR electrocatalysis, this
      study also presents a methodology that is capable to unravel the formation and
      growth mechanism of various nanomaterials including preferentially shaped metal
      NPs, core@shell NPs, onion-like NPs, Janus NPs, or a combination of several of
      these structures.

PMID- 28340296
TI  - Ultralow Surface Recombination Velocity in Passivated InGaAs/InP Nanopillars.
AB  - The III-V semiconductor InGaAs is a key material for photonics because it
      provides optical emission and absorption in the 1.55 MUm telecommunication
      wavelength window. However, InGaAs suffers from pronounced nonradiative effects
      associated with its surface states, which affect the performance of nanophotonic
      devices for optical interconnects, namely nanolasers and nanodetectors. This work
      reports the strong suppression of surface recombination of undoped InGaAs/InP
      nanostructured semiconductor pillars using a combination of ammonium sulfide,
      (NH4)2S, chemical treatment and silicon oxide, SiOx, coating. An 80-fold
      enhancement in the photoluminescence (PL) intensity of submicrometer pillars at a
      wavelength of 1550 nm is observed as compared with the unpassivated nanopillars.
      The PL decay time of ~0.3 MUm wide square nanopillars is dramatically increased
      from ~100 ps to ~25 ns after sulfur treatment and SiOx coating. The extremely
      long lifetimes reported here, to our knowledge the highest reported to date for
      undoped InGaAs nanostructures, are associated with a record-low surface
      recombination velocity of ~260 cm/s. We also conclusively show that the SiOx
      capping layer plays an active role in the passivation. These results are crucial
      for the future development of high-performance nanoscale optoelectronic devices
      for applications in energy-efficient data optical links, single-photon sensing,
      and photovoltaics.

PMID- 28340298
TI  - Quantum Yield of Nitrite from the Photolysis of Aqueous Nitrate above 300 nm.
AB  - Photolysis of nitrate (NO3-) produces reactive nitrogen and oxygen species via
      three different channels, forming: (1) nitrogen dioxide (NO2) and hydroxyl
      radical (*OH), (2) nitrite (NO2-) and oxygen atom (O(3P)), and (3) peroxynitrite
      (ONOO-). These photoproducts are important oxidants and reactants in surface
      waters, atmospheric drops, and snowpacks. While the efficiency of the first
      channel, to form NO2, is well documented, a large range of values have been
      reported for the second channel, nitrite, above 300 nm. In part, this
      disagreement reflects secondary chemistry that can produce or destroy nitrite. In
      this study, we examine factors that influence nitrite production and find that
      pH, nitrate concentration, and the presence of an *OH scavenger can be important.
      We measure an average nitrite quantum yield (Phi(NO2-)) of (1.1 +/- 0.2)% (313
      nm, 50 MUM nitrate, pH >= 5), which is at the upper end of past measurements and
      an order of magnitude above the smallest-and most commonly cited-value reported
      for this channel. Nitrite production is often considered a very minor channel in
      nitrate photolysis, but our results indicate it is as important as the NO2
      channel. In contrast, at 313 nm we observe no formation of peroxynitrite,
      corresponding to Phi(ONOO-) < 0.26%.

PMID- 28340299
TI  - Bifurcation of Regeneration and Recombination in Dye-Sensitized Solar Cells via
      Electronic Manipulation of Tandem Cobalt Redox Shuttles.
AB  - A cobalt(IV/III) redox shuttle, cobalt tris(2-(p-tolyl)pyridine), [Co(ptpy)3]+/0,
      was synthesized and investigated for use in dye-sensitized solar cells, DSSCs. An
      incredibly fast self-exchange rate constant of (9.2 +/- 3.9) * 108 M-1 s-1 was
      determined for [Co(ptpy)3]+/0, making it an ideal candidate for dye regeneration.
      To avoid fast recombination and solubility limitations, we utilized a tandem
      electrolyte containing [Co(ptpy)3]+/0 and cobalt tris(2,2'-bipyridine),
      [Co(bpy)3]3+/2+. An improved short circuit current density is achieved for DSSCs
      employing the tandem electrolyte, compared to electrolytes containing only
      [Co(bpy)3]3+/2+, consistent with superior dye regeneration expected based on
      predictions using Marcus theory, which is also discussed.

PMID- 28340300
TI  - Synthesis of 3-O-Sulfated Oligosaccharides to Understand the Relationship between
      Structures and Functions of Heparan Sulfate.
AB  - The sulfation at the 3-OH position of glucosamine is an important modification in
      forming structural domains for heparan sulfate to enable its biological
      functions. Seven 3-O-sulfotransferase isoforms in the human genome are involved
      in the biosynthesis of 3-O-sulfated heparan sulfate. As a rare modification
      present in heparan sulfate, the availability of 3-O-sulfated oligosaccharides is
      very limited. Here, we report the use of a chemoenzymatic synthetic approach to
      synthesize six 3-O-sulfated oligosaccharides, including three hexasaccharides and
      three octasaccharides. The synthesis was achieved by rearranging the enzymatic
      modification sequence to accommodate the substrate specificity of 3-O
      sulfotransferase 3. We studied the impact of 3-O-sulfation on the conformation of
      the pyranose ring of 2-O-sulfated iduronic acid using NMR, and on the correlation
      between ring conformation and anticoagulant activity. We identified a novel
      octasaccharide that interacts with antithrombin and displays anti factor Xa
      activity. Interestingly, the octasaccharide displays a faster clearance rate than
      fondaparinux, an FDA-approved pentasaccharide drug, in a rat model, making this
      octasaccharide a potential short-acting anticoagulant drug candidate that could
      reduce bleeding risk. Having access to a set of critically important 3-O-sulfated
      oligosaccharides offers the potential to develop new heparan sulfate-based
      therapeutics.

PMID- 28340301
TI  - Ten years of barcoding at the African Centre for DNA Barcoding.
AB  - The African Centre for DNA Barcoding (ACDB) was established in 2005 as part of a
      global initiative to accurately and rapidly survey biodiversity using short DNA
      sequences. The mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase 1 gene (CO1) was rapidly
      adopted as the de facto barcode for animals. Following the evaluation of several
      candidate loci for plants, the Plant Working Group of the Consortium for the
      Barcoding of Life in 2009 recommended that two plastid genes, rbcLa and matK, be
      adopted as core DNA barcodes for terrestrial plants. To date, numerous studies
      continue to test the discriminatory power of these markers across various plant
      lineages. Over the past decade, we at the ACDB have used these core DNA barcodes
      to generate a barcode library for southern Africa. To date, the ACDB has
      contributed more than 21 000 plant barcodes and over 3000 CO1 barcodes for
      animals to the Barcode of Life Database (BOLD). Building upon this effort, we at
      the ACDB have addressed questions related to community assembly, biogeography,
      phylogenetic diversification, and invasion biology. Collectively, our work
      demonstrates the diverse applications of DNA barcoding in ecology, systematics,
      evolutionary biology, and conservation.

PMID- 28340302
TI  - Does the type of activity "break" from prolonged sitting differentially impact on
      postprandial blood glucose reductions? An exploratory analysis.
AB  - Frequent breaks in prolonged sitting are associated beneficially with glycaemic
      control. However, the contribution of energy expenditure to this relationship has
      not been well characterised. In this exploratory analysis, data from 3 laboratory
      trials that standardised test meals, cohort characteristics (overweight/obese,
      sedentary), and break frequency and duration were pooled. Higher energy
      expenditures of different types of breaks (standing, light- or moderate-intensity
      walking) were associated with lower postprandial glucose and insulin responses in
      a dose-dependent manner.

PMID- 28340303
TI  - Epidemiology and patterns of facial fractures due to road traffic accidents in
      Taiwan: A 15-year retrospective study.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: The facial region is a commonly fractured site, but the etiology
      varies widely by country and geographic region. To date, there are no population
      based studies of facial fractures in Taiwan. METHODS: We conducted a
      retrospective study of patients diagnosed with facial fracture and registered in
      the National Health Insurance Research Database of Taiwan between 1997 and 2011.
      The epidemiological characteristics of this cohort were analyzed, including the
      etiology, fracture site, associated injuries, and sex and age distributions.
      RESULTS: A total of 6,013 cases were identified that involved facial fractures.
      Most patients were male (69.8%), aged 18-29 years (35.8%), and had fractures
      caused by road traffic accidents (RTAs; 55.2%), particularly motorcycle accidents
      (31.5%). Falls increased in frequency with advancing age, reaching 23.9% among
      the elderly (age > 65 years). The most common sites of involvement were the malar
      and maxillary bones (54.0%), but nasal bone fractures were more common among
      those younger than 18 years. CONCLUSION: Most facial injuries in Taiwan occur in
      young males and typically result from RTAs, particularly involving motorcycles.
      However, with increasing age, there is an increase in the proportion of facial
      injuries due to falls.

PMID- 28340304
TI  - Family members' experiences of driving disruption after acquired brain injury.
AB  - PRIMARY OBJECTIVE: 1) To explore family members' lived experiences of driving
      disruption at early and later stages of the recovery continuum following acquired
      brain injury (ABI). 2) To describe health-related quality of life of family
      members of individuals with ABI who are experiencing driving disruption. RESEARCH
      DESIGN: Mixed methods phenomenological research approach. METHODS AND PROCEDURES:
      Semi-structured interviews and health-related quality of life questionnaires were
      conducted with 15 family members of individuals with ABI (early group: 1-12
      months post-injury, n = 6; later group: >1 year post-injury, n = 9). RESULTS: Two
      main themes were identified: Different for everyone: how driving disruption
      affects families, and Making it harder: context of driving disruption. The
      challenges of driving disruption were reported more frequently and with a more
      intense focus by family members who were caring for their relative for more than
      1 year post-injury. This group also reported higher caregiver strain and poorer
      health-related quality of life. Reduced satisfaction with life, poor mental
      health and affected family functioning were reported by both groups. CONCLUSIONS:
      Driving disruption impacts on family members and has long-lasting consequences.
      It is important for clinicians to work with family members to manage these
      challenges even years after ABI and consider individual contextual factors.

PMID- 28340305
TI  - The clinical application of NGS-based SNP haplotyping for PGD of Hb H disease.
AB  - This study investigated the usefulness of next-generation sequencing (NGS)-based
      single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) haplotyping for preimplantation genetic
      diagnosis (PGD) of hemoglobin H (Hb H) disease. Multiple displacement
      amplification (MDA) was used for whole genome amplification (WGA) of biopsied
      trophectoderm (TE) cells. Gap-PCR and NGS-based SNP haplotyping was used to
      distinguish the two genotypes of -alpha3.7/alphaalpha and -SEA/alphaalpha for PGD
      of Hb H disease. One out of the ten blastocysts (B11) was successfully diagnosed
      as genotype -alpha3.7/alphaalpha by Gap-PCR, whereas the others revealed allele
      dropout (ADO) (B1, B2, B4, B5, B7, B8, B12, and B15) or amplification failure
      (B10). However, NGS-based SNP haplotyping successfully diagnosed the 
      alpha3.7/alphaalpha and -SEA/alphaalpha genotypes from the MDA products of the
      biopsied TE cells. The haplotyping result showed that B4, B7, B8, B10, B11, B12,
      and B15 were carriers of the -alpha3.7 deletion (-alpha3.7/alphaalpha), whereas
      B1, B2, and B5 were carriers of the -SEA deletion (-SEA/alphaalpha). A blastocyst
      (B11) was transferred into the uterus in a subsequent frozen embryo transfer
      (FET) cycle after PGD. A healthy infant with a -alpha3.7/alphaalpha genotype
      weighing 2,800 g was born by cesarean section at the 38th week of gestation. This
      result indicates that NGS-based SNP haplotyping is a valid screening tool for the
      PGD of Hb H disease.

PMID- 28340306
TI  - The Effects of Positive End-Expiratory Pressure at Different Levels on
      Postoperative Respiration Parameters in Patients Undergoing Laparoscopic
      Cholecystectomy.
AB  - : Purpose/Aim of the study: We investigated the effects of different positive end
      expiratory pressure (PEEP) levels on postoperative respiration parameters in
      patients undergoing laparoscopic cholecystectomy. MATERIALS AND METHODS: One
      hundred and five consecutive patients were randomly divided to three groups (n =
      35, for each group). Group I did not receive PEEP whereas group II received PEEP
      as 5 cmH2O and group III received PEEP as 8 cm H2O. Measurements with spirometer
      were taken 1 hour before the operation (T1) and, 1 (T2), 6 (T3), and 24 hours
      (T4) after extubation by an anesthetist. Forced expiratory volume (FEV1), forced
      vital capacity (FVC), and peak expiratory flow (PEF) were recorded. RESULTS:
      Group I had higher FVC values measured at T2 time point compared with other
      groups (p < 0.05, for both groups). There was a statistically significant
      difference between group I and group III in terms of the FVC values measured at
      T3 and T4 time points (p = 0.05 and p < 0.05, retrospectively). A statistical
      difference was found between group I and group II in terms of FEV1 measured at T2
      time point (p < 0.05). Group I had higher FEV1 values measured at T3 and T4 time
      points compared to group III (p = 0.05, P<0.05; respectively). Group III had
      lower PEF values measured at T4 time point compared to group I and II (p < 0.05).
      CONCLUSIONS: We concluded that PEEP with 5 or 8 cmH2O has negative effects on
      lung function tests measured with spirometer during postoperative 1st, 6th, and
      24th hours in patients underwent elective laparoscopic cholecystectomy.

PMID- 28340307
TI  - Genetic diversity analysis of Asian clam Corbicula fluminea in the Hongze Lake
      based on mitochondrial cytochrome b gene.
AB  - The Asian clam Corbicula fluminea is a small bivalve with high nutritional and
      medical values. However, natural resources of C. fluminea have declined in many
      areas of China including the Hongze Lake. In this study, 119 individuals from 10
      sites of this lake and 2 outgroups were analyzed using a 456 bp mitochondrial
      cytochrome b (cytb) gene segment. Totally, 19 polymorphic sites were detected,
      which defined 16 haplotypes. Polymorphism varied among the 10 populations with
      those at the water inlet being more polymorphic. Most FST values among these
      populations were below 0.15 with the overall value of 0.060 (p < .05), meanwhile,
      the overall gene flow was 7.67, both of which indicated the low level of
      population differentiation in this lake. Neutrality test and mismatch analyses
      indicated that population explosion may have occurred in this lake. The results
      obtained in this study will provide useful information for artificial breeding
      and resource protection of this species in the Hongze Lake.

PMID- 28340308
TI  - A preliminary investigation on the effect of extracorporeal shock wave therapy as
      a treatment for neurogenic heterotopic ossification following traumatic brain
      injury. Part I: Effects on pain.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: Neurogenic heterotopic ossification (NHO) is a complication of a
      neurological injury following traumatic brain injury (TBI) and may be present
      around major synovial joints. It is often accompanied by severe pain, which may
      lead to limitation in activities of daily living. Currently, a common
      intervention for NHO is surgery, which has been reported to carry many additional
      risks. This study was designed to assess the effect of extracorporeal shock wave
      therapy (ESWT) on pain in patients with TBI with chronic NHO. METHODS: A series
      of single-case studies (n = 11) was undertaken with patients who had TBI and
      chronic NHO at the hip or knee. Each patient received four applications of high
      energy EWST delivered to the affected joint over 8 weeks. Two-weekly follow-up
      assessments were carried out, and final assessments were made 3 and 6 months post
      intervention. Pain was measured using the Faces Rating Scale, and X-rays were
      taken at baseline and 6-months post-intervention to physiologically measure the
      size of the NHO. RESULTS: The application of high-energy ESWT was associated with
      significant overall reduction of pain in patients with TBI and NHO (Tau-0.412,
      95% confidence interval -0.672 to -0.159, p = 0.002). CONCLUSIONS: ESWT is a
      novel non-invasive intervention for reducing pain resulting from NHO in patients
      with TBI.

PMID- 28340310
TI  - Viruses in cystic fibrosis patients' airways.
AB  - Although bacteria have historically been considered to play a major role in
      cystic fibrosis (CF) airway damage, a strong impact of respiratory viral
      infections (RVI) is also now recognized. Emerging evidence confirms that
      respiratory viruses are associated with deterioration of pulmonary function and
      exacerbation and facilitation of bacterial colonization in CF patients. The aim
      of this review is to provide an overview of the current knowledge on respiratory
      viruses in CF airways, to discuss the resulting inflammation and RVI response, to
      determine how to detect the viruses, and to assess their clinical consequences,
      prevalence, and interactions with bacteria. The most predominant are Rhinoviruses
      (RVs), significantly associated with CF exacerbation. Molecular techniques, and
      especially multiplex PCR, help to diagnose viral infections, and the coming rise
      of metagenomics will extend knowledge of viral populations in the complex
      ecosystem of CF airways. Prophylaxis and vaccination are currently available only
      for Respiratory syncytial and Influenza virus (IV), but antiviral molecules are
      being tested to improve CF patients' care. All the points raised in this review
      highlight the importance of taking account of RVIs and their potential impact on
      the CF airway ecosystem.

PMID- 28340309
TI  - Analytical Techniques in Lipidomics: State of the Art.
AB  - Current studies related to lipid identification and determination, or lipidomics
      in biological samples, are one of the most important issues in modern
      bioanalytical chemistry. There are many articles dedicated to specific analytical
      strategies used in lipidomics in various kinds of biological samples. However, in
      such literature, there is a lack of articles dedicated to a comprehensive review
      of the actual analytical methodologies used in lipidomics. The aim of this
      article is to characterize the lipidomics methods used in modern bioanalysis
      according to the methodological point of view: (1) chromatography/separation
      methods, (2) spectroscopic methods and (3) mass spectrometry and also hyphenated
      methods. In the first part, we discussed thin layer chromatography (TLC), high
      pressure liquid chromatography (HPLC), gas chromatography (GC) and capillary
      electrophoresis (CE). The second part includes spectroscopic techniques such as
      Raman spectroscopy (RS), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR) and
      nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR). The third part is a synthetic review of mass
      spectrometry, matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization (MALDI), hyphenated
      methods, which include liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS), gas
      chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) and also multidimensional techniques.
      Other aspects are the possibilities of the application of the described methods
      in lipidomics studies. Due to the fact that the exploration of new methods of
      lipidomics analysis and their applications in clinical and medical studies are
      still challenging for researchers working in life science, we hope that this
      review article will be very useful for readers.

PMID- 28340311
TI  - Early Clinical Efficacy Comparison Study of Gamma3 Nail, Percutaneous Compression
      Plate (PCCP) and Femoral Head Replacement (FHR) Treatment on Senile Unstable
      Intertrochanteric Fractures.
AB  - PURPOSE: This study aimed to analyze the early clinical efficacy of Gamma 3 nail,
      percutaneous compression plate (PCCP) and femoral head replacement (FHR)
      treatments on senile unstable intertrochanteric fractures. MATERIALS AND METHODS:
      Totally 116 patients were included to perform an retrospective study, which
      involved analysis of the operation time, intraoperative blood loss, and
      hemoglobin reduction on the first postoperative day compared with preoperative
      levels, fracture gap, neck shaft angle and tip apex distance on the first
      postoperative X-ray, hospital stay, time from surgery to mobilization, Harris hip
      scores and Barthel index six months after operation, and complications
      postoperative meanwhile were evaluated respectively among three groups. RESULTS:
      The Harris hip score and Barthel index and time from surgery to mobilization
      after FHR treatment were superior to another two surgical methods, but had more
      blood loss and greater hemoglobin reduction. The mean PCCP hemoglobin reduction
      was notably shorter than that of the other two groups. Gamma 3 treatment had a
      lower operation time and blood loss than those treated with PCCP and FHR.
      CONCLUSIONS: Gamma 3 and PCCP treatments are a priority for senile unstable
      intertrochanteric fractures if patients are in good health and perform fair
      activities of daily living prior to the operation, but had a significantly longer
      mobilization time than that in FHR. Therefore, considering the senile patients
      who unable to tolerate long immobilization time, FHR treatment is a considerable
      choice for faster recovery of independent function and achieve a good clinical
      efficacy as well as improve quality of life.

PMID- 28340312
TI  - A preliminary investigation on the effect of extracorporeal shock wave therapy as
      a treatment for neurogenic heterotopic ossification following traumatic brain
      injury. Part II: Effects on function.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: Neurogenic heterotopic ossification (NHO) occurs as a complication
      of traumatic brain injury (TBI). Management of clinically significant NHO remains
      variable. Complications of mature NHO include limitation of mobility. The effect
      of the extracorporeal shock wave therapy (ESWT) on range of motion at hip and
      knee, and function in patients with TBI with chronic NHO was investigated.
      METHODS: A series of single-case studies applying ESWT to chronic NHO at the hip
      or knee of 11 patients with TBI were undertaken at a rehabilitation hospital.
      Participants received four applications of high-energy EWST delivered to the
      affected hip or knee over a period of 8 weeks. Two-weekly follow- up assessments
      were carried out; final assessments were made 3 and 6 months post-intervention.
      Range of motion (ROM) and Functional Reach (FR) or Modified Functional Reach
      (MFR) were measured. RESULTS: Application of high-energy ESWT was associated with
      significant improvement in ROM (flexion) of the NHO-affected knee (Tau = 0.833,
      95% CI 0.391-1.276, p = 0.002) and significant improvement of FR (Overall Tau
      0.486, 95% CI 0.141-0.832, p = 0.006); no significant improvement in hip ROM or
      MFR. CONCLUSIONS: ESWT may improve mobility and balance of patients with TBI who
      have chronic NHO.

PMID- 28340313
TI  - Linkage between mitochondrial genome alterations, telomere length and aging
      population.
AB  - We studied telomere length (TL) and mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) copy number
      variations in individuals from Latvian Caucasian population in different age
      groups. We showed a positive correlation between TL and mtDNA copy number in
      individuals of up to 90 years of age; however, this correlation was not observed
      in the 90-100 years age group. While TL shortened with age and mtDNA content
      decreased with increasing age, in this study it was observed that mtDNA copy
      number in nonagenarians was slightly higher than in the 60-89 years age group.
      The presence of heteroplasmy in the mtDNA HVS-I control region did not correlate
      with TL and mtDNA copy number. TL and mtDNA values also did not differ between
      mitochondrial haplogroups. In conclusion, while both TL and mtDNA are involved in
      the aging process and link between these cell components exists, nonagenarians
      may have differences in senescence-related pathways and systems, which may
      function as a protective mechanism that allows them to live longer.

PMID- 28340314
TI  - Ocular Manifestations in Children with Juvenile-Onset Systemic Lupus
      Erythematosus.
AB  - PURPOSE: To study the ocular manifestations of juvenile systemic lupus
      erythematosus (JSLE), including the ocular side-effects of the systemic
      medications used. METHODS: A descriptive cross-sectional study on 40 children
      diagnosed with JSLE was conducted. Ophthalmological and laboratory investigations
      as well as a calculation of the Systemic Lupus Disease Activity Index 2000
      (SLEDAI-2K) were performed. RESULTS: Forty consecutive children, 32 females and 8
      males, with JSLE were examined. Their mean age was 13+/-2.8 years and the mean
      SLEDAI-2K was 4.3+/-3.1. An abnormal Schirmer test was found in 16 patients
      (40%), retinal vascular changes were found in seven patients (17.5%), and one
      patient (2.5%) had faint posterior subcapsular cataract. CONCLUSION: Serious
      sight-threatening complications were not detected in our study; dry eye was the
      most common ocular finding, and the detected retinopathy was related to systemic
      hypertension and could not be correlated to either disease activity or duration.

PMID- 28340315
TI  - Systematic behavioural observation of executive performance after brain injury.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: To develop an ecologically valid measure of executive functioning
      (i.e. Planning and Organization, Executive Memory, Initiation, Cognitive
      Shifting, Impulsivity, Sustained and Directed Attention, Error Detection, Error
      Correction and Time Management) during a functional chocolate brownie cooking
      task. METHODS: In Study 1, the inter-rater reliability of a novel behavioural
      observation assessment method was assessed with 10 people with traumatic brain
      injury (TBI). In Study 2, 27 people with TBI and 16 healthy controls completed
      the functional task along with other measures of executive functioning to assess
      validity. RESULTS: Intraclass correlation coefficients for six of the nine
      aspects of executive functioning ranged from .54 to 1.00. Percentage agreements
      for the remaining aspects ranged from 70% to 90%. Significant and non
      significant, moderate, correlations were found between the functional cooking
      task and standard neuropsychological measures. The healthy control group
      performed better than the TBI group in six areas (d = 0.56 to 1.23). CONCLUSIONS:
      In this initial trial of a novel assessment method, adequate inter-rater
      reliability was found. The measure was associated with standard
      neuropsychological measures, and our healthy control group performed better than
      the TBI group. The measure appears to be an ecologically valid measure of
      executive functioning.

PMID- 28340316
TI  - Quality of relationship between veterans with traumatic brain injury and their
      family members.
AB  - OBJECTIVES: The quality of the relationship between patients with many illnesses
      and their family members has been shown to affect the well-being of both. Yet,
      relationship quality has not been studied in traumatic brain injury (TBI), and
      giving and receiving aspects have not been distinguished. The present study of
      veterans with TBI examined associations between relationship quality and
      caregiver burden, satisfaction with caregiving, and veterans' competence in
      interpersonal functioning, rated by veterans and family members. METHOD: In this
      cross-sectional study, 83 veterans and their family members were interviewed at
      home. Measures of quality of relationship, veterans' interpersonal competence and
      sociodemographics were collected for both, caregiver burden and satisfaction for
      family members only. RESULTS: As predicted, veteran-rated Qrel/Giving was
      associated with family-rated Qrel/Receiving, and veteran-rated Qrel/Receiving
      with family-rated Qrel/Giving. Lower caregiver burden and higher caregiving
      satisfaction were associated with higher Qrel/Receiving scores but not with
      Qrel/Giving scores. Veterans' interpersonal competence was associated with total
      Qrel as rated by either veterans or family members. CONCLUSIONS: Relationship
      quality should be included in family research in TBI, and giving and receiving
      aspects should be differentiated. Findings suggest that lower caregiver burden
      and greater satisfaction should be more achievable by increasing caregivers'
      sense of benefits received from the relationship.

PMID- 28340317
TI  - Opportunities for crash and injury reduction: A multiharm approach for crash data
      analysis.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: A multiharm approach for analyzing crash and injury data was developed
      for the ultimate purpose of getting a richer picture of motor vehicle crash
      outcomes for identifying research opportunities in crash safety. METHODS: Methods
      were illustrated using a retrospective analysis of 69,597 occupant cases from
      NASS CDS from 2005 to 2015. Occupant cases were analyzed by frequency and
      severity of outcome: fatality, injury by Abbreviated Injury Scale (AIS), number
      of cases, attributable fatality, disability, and injury costs. Comparative
      analysis variables included precrash scenario, impact type, and injured body
      region. RESULTS: Crash and injury prevention opportunities vary depending on the
      search parameters. For example, occupants in rear-end crash scenarios were more
      frequent than in any other precrash configuration, yet there were significantly
      more fatalities and serious injury cases in control loss, road departure, and
      opposite direction crashes. Fatality is most frequently associated with head and
      thorax injury, and disability is primarily associated with extremity injury.
      Costs attributed to specific body regions are more evenly distributed, dominated
      by injuries to the head, thorax, and extremities but with contributions from all
      body regions. Though AIS 3+ can be used as a single measure of harm, an analysis
      based on multiple measures of harm gives a much more detailed picture of the risk
      presented by a particular injury or set of crash conditions. CONCLUSIONS: The
      developed methods represent a new approach to crash data mining that is expected
      to be useful for the identification of research priorities and opportunities for
      reduction of crashes and injuries. As the pace of crash safety improvement
      accelerates with innovations in both active and passive safety, these techniques
      for combining outcome measures for insights beyond fatality and serious injury
      will be increasingly valuable.

PMID- 28340318
TI  - Is there a relationship between postural alignment and mobility for adults after
      acquired brain injury? A systematic review.
AB  - PRIMARY OBJECTIVE: To examine the relationship between postural alignment and
      mobility skills for adults after acquired brain injury (ABI). METHODS: Systematic
      review of the literature. Seven electronic databases, grey literature and
      reference lists of the shortlisted publications were searched. Studies were
      included if participants were adults with ABI, both postural alignment and
      mobility were measured and analysis included a relationship between alignment and
      mobility. Those that met the inclusion criteria were assessed with a critical
      appraisal tool. The review was registered with PROSPERO, registration number
      CRD42015019867. RESULTS: Seven observational studies were included that had
      examined a relationship between postural alignment and mobility after ABI.
      Critical appraisal scores were moderate to strong. While some studies reported
      that improved postural alignment was related to improved mobility after ABI,
      results varied and there was insufficient evidence to answer the primary
      question. Heterogeneous study designs did not allow meta-regression. CONCLUSIONS:
      A small amount of observational evidence exists for a relationship between
      postural alignment and mobility after ABI. Results vary, with some studies
      reporting that a more stable, upright trunk correlates with better mobility, and
      others providing conflicting or ambiguous results. Further research is needed to
      establish the relationship between postural alignment and mobility skills after
      ABI.

PMID- 28340319
TI  - Apigenin Reduces NF-kappaB and Subsequent Cytokine Production as Protective
      Effect in a Rodent Animal Model of Lung Ischemia-Reperfusion Injury.
AB  - PURPOSE: Lung ischemia-reperfusion injury (LIRI) can complicate lung
      transplantation or cardiac surgery with cardiopulmonary bypass, increasing
      morbidity and mortality. In LIRI, pro-inflammatory cytokines are activated,
      reactive oxygen species are generated and nuclear factor-kappaB (NF-kappaB) is up
      regulated, altering lung mechanics. We tested the effect of the flavonoid
      apigenin on a rodent model of LIRI. METHODS: Thirty-seven Wistar rats were
      subjected to LIRI with or without a single or double dose of apigenin. Induction
      of LIRI involved sternotomy and clamping of either the left lung hilum or the
      pulmonary artery alone for 30 min, followed by 60 min of reperfusion. Control
      groups consisted of LIRI plus NaCl, a sham group and a baseline group. At the end
      of the experiments, both lungs were analyzed by RT-PCR, Western blot, and light
      microscopy. RESULTS: In placebos, the expression levels of pro-inflammatory
      markers were increased in both lungs significantly, whereas NF-kappaB was
      markedly up-regulated. Administration of apigenin reduced the activation of NF
      kappaB and the expression of TNFalpha, iNOS, and IL-6. These effects were
      observed in total lung ischemia. Histology showed greater hemorrhage and
      exudation in the pulmonary periphery of all groups, whereby damage was
      practically absent in the central lung regions of the apigenin animals. A second
      dose of apigenin did not outclass a single one. CONCLUSIONS: We conclude that
      apigenin given intraperitoneally can reduce activation of NF-kappaB and also
      attenuate the expression of TNFalpha, IL-6, and iNOS in a surgical model of LIRI.
      The surgical procedure itself can induce significant damage to the lungs.

PMID- 28340320
TI  - Protective Effects of Alpha-Lipoic Acid on Methotrexate-Induced Oxidative Lung
      Injury in Rats.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: Oxidative stress is one of the major causes of methotrexate induced
      lung injury (MILI). Alpha-lipoic acid (ALA), which occurs naturally in human
      food, has antioxidative and anti-inflammatory activities. The aim of this study
      was to research the potential protective role of ALA on MILI in rats. METHODS:
      Twenty one rats were randomly subdivided into three groups: control (group I),
      methotrexate (MTX) treated (group II), and MTX+ALA treated (group III). Lung
      injury was performed with a single dose of MTX (20 mg/kg) to groups 2 and 3. On
      the sixth day, animals in all groups were sacrificed by decapitation and lung
      tissue and blood samples were removed for histological examination and also
      measurement the levels of interleukin-1-beta (IL-1beta), malondialdehyde (MDA),
      glutathione (GSH), tumour necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha), myeloperoxidase
      (MPO), and sodium potassium-adenosine triphosphatase (Na+/K+ATPase). RESULTS: In
      MTX group tissue GSH, Na+/K+ATPase activities were lower, tissue MDA, MPO and
      plasma IL-1?, TNF-? were significantly higher than the other groups.
      Histopathological examination showed that lung injury was less severe in group 2
      according to group 3. CONCLUSIONS: Oxidative damage of MTX in rat lung is
      partially reduced when combined with ALA.

PMID- 28340321
TI  - Exploring the relationship between cognition and functional verbal reasoning in
      adults with severe traumatic brain injury at six months post injury.
AB  - OBJECTIVE(S): This study aims to determine the association between cognitive
      impairment and functional verbal reasoning in adults with severe traumatic brain
      injury (TBI), at six months post-injury. METHOD(S): 38 participants with severe
      TBI were assessed using the four tasks on the Functional Assessment of Verbal
      Reasoning and Executive Strategies (FAVRES) [1] and a battery of
      neuropsychological tests at 6 months post injury in a cross-sectional
      observational study. RESULTS: Overall performance on the FAVRES [1] was strongly
      associated with overall performance on the neuropsychological battery (rho =
      0.60). FAVRES Task 2 and FAVRES Task 4 had the most significant positive
      associations with the cognitive indices of Attention and speed of processing,
      Memory and Executive functions. There was one weak significant association
      between the Task 1 Accuracy score and the Total Cognitive index (rho = 0.46).
      CONCLUSIONS: Performance on the FAVRES [1] is positively associated with
      cognitive processes. Participants with stronger verbal reasoning skills which may
      be required for activities in work, home and social contexts also had higher
      scores on tests of cognitive functioning. These findings may inform clinical
      practices for speech pathologists and other health professionals, in the
      assessment and treatment of cognitive communication disorders during early stages
      of recovery in people with severe TBI.

PMID- 28340323
TI  - A key to the backdoor into the castle: The clinical ramifications of
      immunoediting driven by antigenic competition.
AB  - Over the last decade the field of cancer biology has gained considerable data on
      genomic heterogeneity. This situation creates challenges and possibly
      opportunities for cancer treatment. The evolution of the tumor at all stages also
      requires the growing malignancy to confront and avoid the immune system. What we
      describe here is the interaction of two immune phenomena that work together to
      change the characteristics of the tumor, i.e., antigenic competition and immune
      editing. These two systems are mutually functional and their interaction is
      capable of altering the characteristics of the tumor for protection and survival
      in an immune competent host as well as restricting the diversity of the tumor
      clones. Therefore, the final outcome of these interactions can also become the
      key to the backdoor into the castle. Through an additional immune manipulation,
      autologous tumor cell immunization, we can achieve prevention of disease
      recurrence after surgical resection and by analyzing induced human monoclonal
      antibodies to the neoantigens, gain in site into the restriction of diversity of
      the mutant clones. These findings may also open the door for a pathway to immune
      prevention of cancer.

PMID- 28340324
TI  - VPS36-Mediated plasma membrane protein turnover is critical for Arabidopsis root
      gravitropism.
AB  - The gravitropic response is an evolutionary adaptation for plants to cope with
      the altered gravitational field. It involves reestablishing the distribution of
      the phytohormone auxin by differential degradation of auxin influx and efflux
      carriers. This process includes the endosomal sorting complexes required for
      transport (ESCRT) machinery to recognize ubiquitinated proteins and deliver them
      to vacuoles for degradation, as evidenced by vps36-1 mutants. Here, we generated
      RNAi knockdown plants of Vacuolar Protein Sorting 36 (VPS36) that could survive
      to adulthood. VPS36-induced RNAi plants showed PIN FORMED1 (PIN1) accumulation in
      the intracellular compartment, reduced root length and small stature, as observed
      in vps36-1 mutants. After gravistimulation, the roots of VPS36-induced RNAi
      plants did not show the bending observed in wild-type plants. The VPS36
      containing ESCRT machinery may have a role in the gravitropic response possibly
      associated with the degradation of auxin transporters.

PMID- 28340325
TI  - On doing the right science.

PMID- 28340322
TI  - Immunogenicity and safety of primary and booster vaccination with 2
      investigational formulations of diphtheria, tetanus and Haemophilus influenzae
      type b antigens in a hexavalent DTPa-HBV-IPV/Hib combination vaccine in
      comparison with the licensed Infanrix hexa.
AB  - Safety and immunogenicity of 2 investigational formulations of diphtheria,
      tetanus and Haemophilus influenzae type b antigens of the combined diphtheria
      tetanus-acellular pertussis-hepatitis B-inactivated poliomyelitis-Hib vaccine
      (DTPa-HBV-IPV/Hib) were evaluated in a Primary (NCT01248884) and a Booster
      vaccination (NCT01453998) study. In the Primary study, 721 healthy infants
      (randomized 1:1:1) received 3 doses of DTPa-HBV-IPV/Hib formulation A (DATAPa-HBV
      IPV/Hib), or B (DBTBPa-HBV-IPV/Hib) or the licensed DTPa-HBV-IPV/Hib vaccine
      (Infanrix hexa, GSK; control group) at 2, 3, 4 months of age. Infants were
      planned to receive a booster dose at 12-15 months of age with the same
      formulation received in the Primary study; however, following high incidence of
      fever associated with the investigational formulations in the Primary study, the
      Booster study protocol was amended and all infants yet to receive a booster dose
      (N = 385) received the licensed vaccine. In the Primary study, non-inferiority of
      3-dose vaccination with investigational formulations compared with the licensed
      vaccine was not demonstrated due to anti-pertactin failing to meet the non
      inferiority criterion. Post-primary vaccination, most infants had seroprotective
      levels of anti-diphtheria (100% of infants), anti-tetanus antigens (100%),
      against hepatitis B (>= 97.5% across groups), polyribosyl-ribitol-phosphate (>=
      88.0%) and poliovirus types 1-3 (>= 90.5%). Seropositivity rates for each
      pertussis antigen were 100% in all groups. Higher incidence of fever (> 38
      degrees C) was reported in infants receiving the investigational formulations
      (Primary study: 75.0% [A] and 72.1% [B] vs 58.8% [control]; Booster study, before
      amendment: 49.4% and 46.6% vs 37.4%, respectively). The development of the
      investigational formulations was not further pursued.

PMID- 28340326
TI  - Effects of coupling a UF membrane with a mesh screen and elevating temperature in
      the methanogenic digester of a two-phased anaerobic system.
AB  - This study was conducted to investigate coupling of UF with a mesh screen under
      thermophilic temperatures and compare the effectiveness of membrane filtration
      and temperature change in the methanogenic digester. A two-phased anaerobic
      digester coupled with an ultrafiltration (UF) membrane system was used for
      anaerobic sludge digestion. The overall average chemical oxygen demand (COD)
      removal efficiency achieved in the two-phased anaerobic digester coupled with the
      UF membrane system was 97.9 +/- 0.8%. In the methanogenic digester, 10.5%
      improvement of methane production rate was obtained by the increased microbial
      population and metabolic activity due to coupling with a UF membrane and a mesh
      screen and elevating the temperature from mesophilic to thermophilic conditions.
      The average methane production per VS loading and unit volume (m3) was 477.14 +/-
      31.5 and 567.15 +/- 43.3 mL CH4g-1 VS before and after elevating the temperature,
      respectively. The optimal operating pressure for the UF membrane system was less
      than 3 kgf cm-2, and the mesh screen saved 19.0% of the operating cost and 17.3%
      of energy consumption. As a result, the UF membrane system enhanced the digestion
      of sewage sludge, where the elevation of temperature improved the methane
      production rate in the thermophilic methanogenic digester.

PMID- 28340327
TI  - Polymorphic responses of Medicago truncatula accessions to potassium deprivation.
AB  - Potassium (K+) is an essential macronutrient for plants and the most abundant
      cation in cells. Due to variable K+ availability in the environment, plants must
      be able to adjust their developmental, physiological and transcriptional
      responses. The plant development to K+ deprivation was not well studied in
      legumes thus far. We recently described the first adaptation mechanisms of the
      model legume Medicago truncatula Jemalong A17 to long-term K+ deprivation and
      analyzed these responses in the context of arbuscular mycorrhizal symbiosis. Here
      we report polymorphic growth variations of two genetically very different
      accessions of M. truncatula to K+-limiting conditions, Jemalong A17, and the
      Tunisian accession Tn11.1. The faster adaptation of Tn11.1 than A17 to K+
      shortage might be due to its greater adaptation to saline soils. Examining in a
      more systematic way the developmental adaptation of various M. truncatula
      accessions to K+ deprivation will provide a better understanding of how legume
      evolved to cope with this stressful condition.

PMID- 28340328
TI  - The role of AUXIN RESPONSE FACTORs in the development and differential growth of
      inflorescence stems.
AB  - Plants react to environmental cues by altering their growth and development,
      which can include organ tropic responses. These differential growth responses are
      triggered by the hormone auxin, and AUXIN RESPONSE FACTORs (ARFs) have been
      implicated in numerous organ tropisms in Arabidopsis thaliana. Surprisingly,
      despite being critical for light capture and overall plant morphology,
      inflorescence stem tropic responses remain relatively understudied, with presumed
      direct links to ARF function yet to be established. Here, we show that the
      expression patterns of ARF5/MONOPTEROS and ARF7/NONPHOTOTROPIC HYPOCOTYL4 are
      consistent with roles in inflorescence stem tropisms. Mutation of these factors
      does not alter inflorescence stem responses to gravity or unilateral auxin
      application, meaning their participation in these processes is presumably masked
      by functional redundancies. Future resolution of these redundancies will likely
      require higher order arf mutant combinations, guided by detailed expression
      analyses of ARFs in the inflorescence stem.

PMID- 28340329
TI  - A close-up view of codon selection in eukaryotic initiation.
AB  - When given an option to choose among a set of alternatives and only one selection
      is right, one might stop and reflect over which one is best. However, the
      ribosome has no time to stop and make such reflections, proteins need to be
      produced and very fast. Eukaryotic translation initiation is an example of such a
      conundrum. Here, scanning for the correct codon match must be fast, efficient and
      accurate. We highlight our recent computational findings, which show how the
      initiation machinery manages to recognize one specific codon among many possible
      challengers, by fine-tuning the energetic landscape of base-pairing with the aid
      of the initiation factors eIF1 and eIF1A. Using a recent 3-dimensional structure
      of the eukaryotic initiation complex we have performed simulations of codon
      recognition in atomic detail. These calculations provide an in-depth energetic
      and structural view of how discrimination against near-cognate codons is achieved
      by the initiation complex.

PMID- 28340331
TI  - SUMO on CRMPs - wrestling for pain?

PMID- 28340330
TI  - Same same but different: The evolution of TBP in archaea and their eukaryotic
      offspring.
AB  - Transcription factors TBP and TF(II)B assemble with RNA polymerase at the
      promoter DNA forming the initiation complex. Despite a high degree of
      conservation, the molecular binding mechanisms of archaeal and eukaryotic TBP and
      TF(II)B differ significantly. Based on recent biophysical data, we speculate how
      the mechanisms co-evolved with transcription regulation and TBP multiplicity.

PMID- 28340333
TI  - The Randomized CRM: An Approach to Overcoming the Long-Memory Property of the
      CRM.
AB  - The primary object of a Phase I clinical trial is to determine the maximum
      tolerated dose (MTD). Typically, the MTD is identified using a dose-escalation
      study, where initial subjects are treated at the lowest dose level and subsequent
      subjects are treated at progressively higher dose levels until the MTD is
      identified. The continual reassessment method (CRM) is a popular model-based dose
      escalation design, which utilizes a formal model for the relationship between
      dose and toxicity to guide dose finding. Recently, it was shown that the CRM has
      a tendency to get "stuck" on a dose level, with little escalation or de
      escalation in the late stages of the trial, due to the long-memory property of
      the CRM. We propose the randomized CRM (rCRM), which introduces random escalation
      and de-escalation into the standard CRM dose-finding algorithm, as well as a
      hybrid approach that incorporates escalation and de-escalation only when certain
      criteria are met. Our simulation results show that both the rCRM and the hybrid
      approach reduce the trial-to-trial variability in the number of cohorts treated
      at the MTD but that the hybrid approach has a more favorable tradeoff with
      respect to the average number treated at the MTD.

PMID- 28340332
TI  - Super elongation complex promotes early HIV transcription and its function is
      modulated by P-TEFb.
AB  - Early work on the control of transcription of the human immunodeficiency virus
      (HIV) laid the foundation for our current knowledge of how RNA Polymerase II is
      released from promoter-proximal pausing sites and transcription elongation is
      enhanced. The viral Tat activator recruits Positive Transcription Elongation
      Factor b (P-TEFb) and Super Elongation Complex (SEC) that jointly drive
      transcription elongation. While substantial progress in understanding the role of
      SEC in HIV gene transcription elongation has been obtained, defining of the
      mechanisms that govern SEC functions is still limited, and the role of SEC in
      controlling HIV transcription in the absence of Tat is less clear. Here we
      revisit the contribution of SEC in early steps of HIV gene transcription. In the
      absence of Tat, the AF4/FMR2 Family member 4 (AFF4) of SEC efficiently activates
      HIV transcription, while gene activation by its homolog AFF1 is substantially
      lower. Differential recruitment to the HIV promoter and association with Human
      Polymerase-Associated Factor complex (PAFc) play key role in this functional
      distinction between AFF4 and AFF1. Moreover, while depletion of cyclin T1
      expression has subtle effects on HIV gene transcription in the absence of Tat,
      knockout (KO) of AFF1, AFF4, or both proteins slightly repress this early step of
      viral transcription. Upon Tat expression, HIV transcription reaches optimal
      levels despite KO of AFF1 or AFF4 expression. However, double AFF1/AFF4 KO
      completely diminishes Tat trans-activation. Significantly, our results show that
      P-TEFb phosphorylates AFF4 and modulates SEC assembly, AFF1/4 dimerization and
      recruitment to the viral promoter. We conclude that SEC promotes both early steps
      of HIV transcription in the absence of Tat, as well as elongation of
      transcription, when Tat is expressed. Significantly, SEC functions are modulated
      by P-TEFb.

PMID- 28340334
TI  - Advances in phase plate cryo-EM imaging of DNA and nucleosomes.
AB  - Contrast in electron cryo-microscopy (cryo-EM) is limited by the weak phase and
      radiation sensitive nature of biologic samples embedded in vitrified ice. We have
      recently shown that a new contrast enhancement technique utilizing the Volta
      phase plate can be combined with single particle analysis to determine the
      structure of a small chromatin complex, the nucleosome core particle, at near
      atomic resolution. Here, we discuss advantages and limitations of the technique
      in terms of data collection, particle detection, and visualization of individual
      DNA molecules and higher-order chromatin structure.

PMID- 28340335
TI  - Experimental Evolution to Study Virus Emergence.
AB  - Understanding how viruses adapt to new environments and acquire new phenotypes is
      critical for developing comprehensive responses to outbreaks. By studying the
      emergence of vaccine-derived poliovirus outbreaks, Stern et al. describe how a
      combination of sequence analysis and experimental evolution can be used to reveal
      adaptive pathways.

PMID- 28340336
TI  - A DNA-Based T Cell Receptor Reveals a Role for Receptor Clustering in Ligand
      Discrimination.
AB  - A T cell mounts an immune response by measuring the binding strength of its T
      cell receptor (TCR) for peptide-loaded MHCs (pMHC) on an antigen-presenting cell.
      How T cells convert the lifetime of the extracellular TCR-pMHC interaction into
      an intracellular signal remains unknown. Here, we developed a synthetic signaling
      system in which the extracellular domains of the TCR and pMHC were replaced with
      short hybridizing strands of DNA. Remarkably, T cells can discriminate between
      DNA ligands differing by a single base pair. Single-molecule imaging reveals that
      signaling is initiated when single ligand-bound receptors are converted into
      clusters, a time-dependent process requiring ligands with longer bound times. A
      computation model reveals that receptor clustering serves a kinetic proofreading
      function, enabling ligands with longer bound times to have disproportionally
      greater signaling outputs. These results suggest that spatial reorganization of
      receptors plays an important role in ligand discrimination in T cell signaling.

PMID- 28340337
TI  - Structural Basis of RNA Polymerase I Transcription Initiation.
AB  - Transcription initiation at the ribosomal RNA promoter requires RNA polymerase
      (Pol) I and the initiation factors Rrn3 and core factor (CF). Here, we combine X
      ray crystallography and cryo-electron microscopy (cryo-EM) to obtain a molecular
      model for basal Pol I initiation. The three-subunit CF binds upstream promoter
      DNA, docks to the Pol I-Rrn3 complex, and loads DNA into the expanded active
      center cleft of the polymerase. DNA unwinding between the Pol I protrusion and
      clamp domains enables cleft contraction, resulting in an active Pol I
      conformation and RNA synthesis. Comparison with the Pol II system suggests that
      promoter specificity relies on a distinct "bendability" and "meltability" of the
      promoter sequence that enables contacts between initiation factors, DNA, and
      polymerase.

PMID- 28340338
TI  - A Phase Separation Model for Transcriptional Control.
AB  - Phase-separated multi-molecular assemblies provide a general regulatory mechanism
      to compartmentalize biochemical reactions within cells. We propose that a phase
      separation model explains established and recently described features of
      transcriptional control. These features include the formation of super-enhancers,
      the sensitivity of super-enhancers to perturbation, the transcriptional bursting
      patterns of enhancers, and the ability of an enhancer to produce simultaneous
      activation at multiple genes. This model provides a conceptual framework to
      further explore principles of gene control in mammals.

PMID- 28340341
TI  - Tridimensional Visualization and Analysis of Early Human Development.
AB  - Generating a precise cellular and molecular cartography of the human embryo is
      essential to our understanding of the mechanisms of organogenesis in normal and
      pathological conditions. Here, we have combined whole-mount immunostaining,
      3DISCO clearing, and light-sheet imaging to start building a 3D cellular map of
      the human development during the first trimester of gestation. We provide high
      resolution 3D images of the developing peripheral nervous, muscular, vascular,
      cardiopulmonary, and urogenital systems. We found that the adult-like pattern of
      skin innervation is established before the end of the first trimester, showing
      important intra- and inter-individual variations in nerve branches. We also
      present evidence for a differential vascularization of the male and female
      genital tracts concomitant with sex determination. This work paves the way for a
      cellular and molecular reference atlas of human cells, which will be of paramount
      importance to understanding human development in health and disease. PAPERCLIP.

PMID- 28340342
TI  - Staying in Touch while on the Go.

PMID- 28340339
TI  - Targeted Apoptosis of Senescent Cells Restores Tissue Homeostasis in Response to
      Chemotoxicity and Aging.
AB  - The accumulation of irreparable cellular damage restricts healthspan after acute
      stress or natural aging. Senescent cells are thought to impair tissue function,
      and their genetic clearance can delay features of aging. Identifying how
      senescent cells avoid apoptosis allows for the prospective design of anti
      senescence compounds to address whether homeostasis can also be restored. Here,
      we identify FOXO4 as a pivot in senescent cell viability. We designed a FOXO4
      peptide that perturbs the FOXO4 interaction with p53. In senescent cells, this
      selectively causes p53 nuclear exclusion and cell-intrinsic apoptosis. Under
      conditions where it was well tolerated in vivo, this FOXO4 peptide neutralized
      doxorubicin-induced chemotoxicity. Moreover, it restored fitness, fur density,
      and renal function in both fast aging XpdTTD/TTD and naturally aged mice. Thus,
      therapeutic targeting of senescent cells is feasible under conditions where loss
      of health has already occurred, and in doing so tissue homeostasis can
      effectively be restored.

PMID- 28340340
TI  - Selective Chemical Inhibition of PGC-1alpha Gluconeogenic Activity Ameliorates
      Type 2 Diabetes.
AB  - Type 2 diabetes (T2D) is a worldwide epidemic with a medical need for additional
      targeted therapies. Suppression of hepatic glucose production (HGP) effectively
      ameliorates diabetes and can be exploited for its treatment. We hypothesized that
      targeting PGC-1alpha acetylation in the liver, a chemical modification known to
      inhibit hepatic gluconeogenesis, could be potentially used for treatment of T2D.
      Thus, we designed a high-throughput chemical screen platform to quantify PGC
      1alpha acetylation in cells and identified small molecules that increase PGC
      1alpha acetylation, suppress gluconeogenic gene expression, and reduce glucose
      production in hepatocytes. On the basis of potency and bioavailability, we
      selected a small molecule, SR-18292, that reduces blood glucose, strongly
      increases hepatic insulin sensitivity, and improves glucose homeostasis in
      dietary and genetic mouse models of T2D. These studies have important
      implications for understanding the regulatory mechanisms of glucose metabolism
      and treatment of T2D.

PMID- 28340343
TI  - SnapShot: Circulating Tumor Cells.

PMID- 28340344
TI  - Modified mRNA Vaccines Protect against Zika Virus Infection.

PMID- 28340345
TI  - SnapShot: Subcellular mRNA Localization.
AB  - Many cells localize mRNAs to discrete locations in the cytoplasm. Coupled to
      local translation, this process affords precise spatial and temporal control of
      protein function. This SnapShot provides an overview of the key events in
      subcellular mRNA localization and highlights recent progress in understanding how
      cytoskeletal motors orchestrate mRNA trafficking.

PMID- 28340347
TI  - Rejuvenation by Therapeutic Elimination of Senescent Cells.
AB  - In this issue of Cell, Baar et al. show how FOXO4 protects senescent cell
      viability by keeping p53 sequestered in nuclear bodies, preventing it from
      inducing apoptosis. Disrupting this interaction with an all-D amino acid peptide
      (FOXO4-DRI) restores p53's apoptotic role and ameliorates the consequences of
      senescence-associated loss of tissue homeostasis.

PMID- 28340346
TI  - The Upsides and Downsides of Organelle Interconnectivity.
AB  - Interconnectivity and feedback control are hallmarks of biological systems. This
      includes communication between organelles, which allows them to function and
      adapt to changing cellular environments. While the specific mechanisms for all
      communications remain opaque, unraveling the wiring of organelle networks is
      critical to understand how biological systems are built and why they might
      collapse, as occurs in aging. A comprehensive understanding of all the routes
      involved in inter-organelle communication is still lacking, but important themes
      are beginning to emerge, primarily in budding yeast. These routes are reviewed
      here in the context of sub-system proteostasis and complex adaptive systems
      theory.

PMID- 28340348
TI  - The Evolutionary Pathway to Virulence of an RNA Virus.
AB  - Paralytic polio once afflicted almost half a million children each year. The
      attenuated oral polio vaccine (OPV) has enabled world-wide vaccination efforts,
      which resulted in nearly complete control of the disease. However, poliovirus
      eradication is hampered globally by epidemics of vaccine-derived polio. Here, we
      describe a combined theoretical and experimental strategy that describes the
      molecular events leading from OPV to virulent strains. We discover that similar
      evolutionary events occur in most epidemics. The mutations and the evolutionary
      trajectories driving these epidemics are replicated using a simple cell-based
      experimental setup where the rate of evolution is intentionally accelerated.
      Furthermore, mutations accumulating during epidemics increase the replication
      fitness of the virus in cell culture and increase virulence in an animal model.
      Our study uncovers the evolutionary strategies by which vaccine strains become
      pathogenic and provides a powerful framework for rational design of safer vaccine
      strains and for forecasting virulence of viruses. VIDEO ABSTRACT.

PMID- 28340350
TI  - A Viral Immunoevasin Controls Innate Immunity by Targeting the Prototypical
      Natural Killer Cell Receptor Family.
AB  - Natural killer (NK) cells play a key role in innate immunity by detecting
      alterations in self and non-self ligands via paired NK cell receptors (NKRs).
      Despite identification of numerous NKR-ligand interactions, physiological ligands
      for the prototypical NK1.1 orphan receptor remain elusive. Here, we identify a
      viral ligand for the inhibitory and activating NKR-P1 (NK1.1) receptors. This
      murine cytomegalovirus (MCMV)-encoded protein, m12, restrains NK cell effector
      function by directly engaging the inhibitory NKR-P1B receptor. However, m12 also
      interacts with the activating NKR-P1A/C receptors to counterbalance m12 decoy
      function. Structural analyses reveal that m12 sequesters a large NKR-P1 surface
      area via a "polar claw" mechanism. Polymorphisms in, and ablation of, the viral
      m12 protein and host NKR-P1B/C alleles impact NK cell responses in vivo. Thus, we
      identify the long-sought foreign ligand for this key immunoregulatory NKR family
      and reveal how it controls the evolutionary balance of immune recognition during
      host-pathogen interplay.

PMID- 28340349
TI  - Structure Reveals Mechanisms of Viral Suppressors that Intercept a CRISPR RNA
      Guided Surveillance Complex.
AB  - Genetic conflict between viruses and their hosts drives evolution and genetic
      innovation. Prokaryotes evolved CRISPR-mediated adaptive immune systems for
      protection from viral infection, and viruses have evolved diverse anti-CRISPR
      (Acr) proteins that subvert these immune systems. The adaptive immune system in
      Pseudomonas aeruginosa (type I-F) relies on a 350 kDa CRISPR RNA (crRNA)-guided
      surveillance complex (Csy complex) to bind foreign DNA and recruit a trans-acting
      nuclease for target degradation. Here, we report the cryo-electron microscopy
      (cryo-EM) structure of the Csy complex bound to two different Acr proteins, AcrF1
      and AcrF2, at an average resolution of 3.4 A. The structure explains the
      molecular mechanism for immune system suppression, and structure-guided mutations
      show that the Acr proteins bind to residues essential for crRNA-mediated
      detection of DNA. Collectively, these data provide a snapshot of an ongoing
      molecular arms race between viral suppressors and the immune system they target.

PMID- 28340351
TI  - Bedside Back to Bench: Building Bridges between Basic and Clinical Genomic
      Research.
AB  - Genome sequencing has revolutionized the diagnosis of genetic diseases. Close
      collaborations between basic scientists and clinical genomicists are now needed
      to link genetic variants with disease causation. To facilitate such
      collaborations, we recommend prioritizing clinically relevant genes for
      functional studies, developing reference variant-phenotype databases, adopting
      phenotype description standards, and promoting data sharing.

PMID- 28340353
TI  - Molecular Structure of the Human CFTR Ion Channel.
AB  - The cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR) is an ATP-binding
      cassette (ABC) transporter that uniquely functions as an ion channel. Here, we
      present a 3.9 A structure of dephosphorylated human CFTR without nucleotides,
      determined by electron cryomicroscopy (cryo-EM). Close resemblance of this human
      CFTR structure to zebrafish CFTR under identical conditions reinforces its
      relevance for understanding CFTR function. The human CFTR structure reveals a
      previously unresolved helix belonging to the R domain docked inside the
      intracellular vestibule, precluding channel opening. By analyzing the sigmoid
      time course of CFTR current activation, we propose that PKA phosphorylation of
      the R domain is enabled by its infrequent spontaneous disengagement, which also
      explains residual ATPase and gating activity of dephosphorylated CFTR. From
      comparison with MRP1, a feature distinguishing CFTR from all other ABC
      transporters is the helix-loop transition in transmembrane helix 8, which likely
      forms the structural basis for CFTR's channel function.

PMID- 28340352
TI  - Human Epistatic Interaction Controls IL7R Splicing and Increases Multiple
      Sclerosis Risk.
AB  - Multiple sclerosis (MS) is an autoimmune disorder where T cells attack neurons in
      the central nervous system (CNS) leading to demyelination and neurological
      deficits. A driver of increased MS risk is the soluble form of the interleukin-7
      receptor alpha chain gene (sIL7R) produced by alternative splicing of IL7R exon
      6. Here, we identified the RNA helicase DDX39B as a potent activator of this exon
      and consequently a repressor of sIL7R, and we found strong genetic association of
      DDX39B with MS risk. Indeed, we showed that a genetic variant in the 5' UTR of
      DDX39B reduces translation of DDX39B mRNAs and increases MS risk. Importantly,
      this DDX39B variant showed strong genetic and functional epistasis with allelic
      variants in IL7R exon 6. This study establishes the occurrence of biological
      epistasis in humans and provides mechanistic insight into the regulation of IL7R
      exon 6 splicing and its impact on MS risk.

PMID- 28340356
TI  - Acquiring variation in an artificial language: Children and adults are sensitive
      to socially conditioned linguistic variation.
AB  - Languages exhibit sociolinguistic variation, such that adult native speakers
      condition the usage of linguistic variants on social context, gender, and
      ethnicity, among other cues. While the existence of this kind of socially
      conditioned variation is well-established, less is known about how it is
      acquired. Studies of naturalistic language use by children provide various
      examples where children's production of sociolinguistic variants appears to be
      conditioned on similar factors to adults' production, but it is difficult to
      determine whether this reflects knowledge of sociolinguistic conditioning or
      systematic differences in the input to children from different social groups.
      Furthermore, artificial language learning experiments have shown that children
      have a tendency to eliminate variation, a process which could potentially work
      against their acquisition of sociolinguistic variation. The current study used a
      semi-artificial language learning paradigm to investigate learning of the
      sociolinguistic cue of speaker identity in 6-year-olds and adults. Participants
      were trained and tested on an artificial language where nouns were obligatorily
      followed by one of two meaningless particles and were produced by one of two
      speakers (one male, one female). Particle usage was conditioned deterministically
      on speaker identity (Experiment 1), probabilistically (Experiment 2), or not at
      all (Experiment 3). Participants were given tests of production and
      comprehension. In Experiments 1 and 2, both children and adults successfully
      acquired the speaker identity cue, although the effect was stronger for adults
      and in Experiment 1. In addition, in all three experiments, there was evidence of
      regularization in participants' productions, although the type of regularization
      differed with age: children showed regularization by boosting the frequency of
      one particle at the expense of the other, while adults regularized by
      conditioning particle usage on lexical items. Overall, results demonstrate that
      children and adults are sensitive to speaker identity cues, an ability which is
      fundamental to tracking sociolinguistic variation, and that children's well
      established tendency to regularize does not prevent them from learning
      sociolinguistically conditioned variation.

PMID- 28340354
TI  - Mechanism of Substrate Translocation in an Alternating Access Transporter.
AB  - Transporters shuttle molecules across cell membranes by alternating among
      distinct conformational states. Fundamental questions remain about how
      transporters transition between states and how such structural rearrangements
      regulate substrate translocation. Here, we capture the translocation process by
      crystallography and unguided molecular dynamics simulations, providing an atomic
      level description of alternating access transport. Simulations of a SWEET-family
      transporter initiated from an outward-open, glucose-bound structure reported here
      spontaneously adopt occluded and inward-open conformations. Strikingly, these
      conformations match crystal structures, including our inward-open structure.
      Mutagenesis experiments further validate simulation predictions. Our results
      reveal that state transitions are driven by favorable interactions formed upon
      closure of extracellular and intracellular "gates" and by an unfavorable
      transmembrane helix configuration when both gates are closed. This mechanism
      leads to tight allosteric coupling between gates, preventing them from opening
      simultaneously. Interestingly, the substrate appears to take a "free ride" across
      the membrane without causing major structural rearrangements in the transporter.

PMID- 28340355
TI  - The Human Immunodeficiency Virus 1 ASP RNA promotes viral latency by recruiting
      the Polycomb Repressor Complex 2 and promoting nucleosome assembly.
AB  - Various epigenetic marks at the HIV-1 5'LTR suppress proviral expression and
      promote latency. Cellular antisense transcripts known as long noncoding RNAs
      (lncRNAs) recruit the polycomb repressor complex 2 (PRC2) to gene promoters,
      which catalyzes trimethylation of lysine 27 on histone H3 (H3K27me3), thus
      promoting nucleosome assembly and suppressing gene expression. We found that an
      HIV-1 antisense transcript expressed from the 3'LTR and encoding the antisense
      protein ASP promotes proviral latency. Expression of ASP RNA reduced HIV-1
      replication in Jurkat cells. Moreover, ASP RNA expression promoted the
      establishment and maintenance of HIV-1 latency in Jurkat E4 cells. We show that
      this transcript interacts with and recruits PRC2 to the HIV-1 5'LTR, increasing
      accumulation of the suppressive epigenetic mark H3K27me3, while reducing RNA
      Polymerase II and thus proviral transcription. Altogether, our results suggest
      that the HIV-1 ASP transcript promotes epigenetic silencing of the HIV-1 5'LTR
      and proviral latency through the PRC2 pathway.

PMID- 28340357
TI  - Ruthenium complexes with phenylterpyridine derivatives target cell membrane and
      trigger death receptors-mediated apoptosis in cancer cells.
AB  - Elucidation of the communication between metal complexes and cell membrane may
      provide useful information for rational design of metal-based anticancer drugs.
      Herein we synthesized a novel class of ruthenium (Ru) complexes containing phtpy
      derivatives (phtpy = phenylterpyridine), analyzed their structure-activity
      relationship and revealed their action mechanisms. The result showed that, the
      increase in the planarity of hydrophobic Ru complexes significantly enhanced
      their lipophilicity and cellular uptake. Meanwhile, the introduction of nitro
      group effectively improved their anticancer efficacy. Further mechanism studies
      revealed that, complex (2c), firstly accumulated on cell membrane and interacted
      with death receptors to activate extrinsic apoptosis signaling pathway. The
      complex was then transported into cell cytoplasm through transferrin receptor
      mediated endocytosis. Most of the intracellular 2c accumulated in cell plasma,
      decreasing the level of cellular ROS, inducing the activation of caspase-9 and
      thus intensifying the apoptosis. At the same time, the residual 2c can
      translocate into cell nucleus to interact with DNA, induce DNA damage, activate
      p53 pathway and enhance apoptosis. Comparing with cisplatin, 2c possesses
      prolonged circulation time in blood, comparable antitumor ability and
      importantly, much lower toxicity in vivo. Taken together, this study uncovers the
      role of membrane receptors in the anticancer actions of Ru complexes, and
      provides fundamental information for rational design of membrane receptor
      targeting anticancer drugs.

PMID- 28340358
TI  - Lysosomal rupture induced by structurally distinct chitosans either promotes a
      type 1 IFN response or activates the inflammasome in macrophages.
AB  - Chitosan is a family of glucosamine and N-acetyl glucosamine polysaccharides with
      poorly understood immune modulating properties. Here, functional U937 macrophage
      responses were analyzed in response to a novel library of twenty chitosans with
      controlled degree of deacetylation (DDA, 60-98%), molecular weight (1 to >100
      kDa), and acetylation pattern (block vs. random). Specific chitosan preparations
      (10 or 190 kDa 80% block DDA and 3, 5, or 10 kDa 98% DDA) either induced
      macrophages to release CXCL10 and IL-1ra at 5-50 MUg/mL, or activated the
      inflammasome to release IL-1beta and PGE2 at 50-150 MUg/mL. Chitosan induction of
      these factors required lysosomal acidification. CXCL10 production was preceded by
      lysosomal rupture as shown by time-dependent co-localization of galectin-3 and
      chitosan and slowed autophagy flux, and specifically depended on IFN-beta
      paracrine activity and STAT-2 activation that could be suppressed by PGE2.
      Chitosan induced a type I IFN paracrine response or inflammasome response
      depending on the extent of lysosomal rupture and cytosolic foreign body invasion.
      This study identifies the structural motifs that lead to chitosan-driven cytokine
      responses in macrophages and indicates that lysosomal rupture is a key mechanism
      that determines the endogenous release of either IL-1ra or IL-1beta.

PMID- 28340359
TI  - Diabetic foot ulcer development risk classifications' validation: A multicentre
      prospective cohort study.
AB  - AIMS: To prospectively validate the existing classifications to stratify subjects
      with diabetes mellitus (DM) by their risk of diabetic foot ulcer (DFU), in high
      and low risk settings. METHODS: A prospective multicentre cohort study was
      conducted, including 446 subjects with DM without active DFU followed in the
      hospital or primary care setting. Demographic, clinical characterization
      variables, and those included in the classifications were collected at baseline.
      Subjects were followed for 1year, until DFU or death. RESULTS: In our sample,
      with a mean age of 65years, 52% were male; 32 developed a DFU, 7 required an
      amputation and 18 died. Differences were found between participants'
      characteristics and classifications' accuracy according to the setting. The great
      majority of the variables were associated with higher DFU risk. Globally,
      classifications were highly and equally valid, positive predictive values (PV)
      were inferior to 40%, negative PV superior to 90% and area under the receiver
      operating characteristic curve superior to 0.75. DISCUSSION: All the existing
      classifications are valid to be applied in high risk clinical context and have a
      very high capacity to categorize as low risk those subjects that will not develop
      a DFU. Further research is needed in the primary care setting.

PMID- 28340360
TI  - The influence of carbohydrate consumption on glycemic control in pregnant women
      with type 1 diabetes.
AB  - AIMS: To study the influence of the quantity and the quality of carbohydrate
      consumption on glycemic control in early pregnancy among women with type 1
      diabetes. METHODS: A retrospective study of 107 women with type 1 diabetes who
      completed 1-3days of diet recording before first antenatal visit, as a part of
      routine care. The total daily carbohydrate consumption from the major sources
      (e.g. bread, potatoes, rice, pasta, dairy products, fruits, candy) was
      calculated. A dietician estimated the overall glycemic index score (scale 0-7).
      RESULTS: At least two days of diet recording were available in 75% of the 107
      women at mean 64 (SD+/-14) gestational days. The quantity of carbohydrate
      consumption from major sources was 180 (+/-51)g/day. HbA1c was positively
      associated with the quantity of carbohydrate consumption (beta=0.41; 95% CI 0.13
      0.70, P=0.005), corresponding to an increase of 0.4% in HbA1c per 100g
      carbohydrates consumed daily, when adjusted for insulin dose/bodyweight and use
      of insulin pump treatment. The median (IQR) glycemic index score was 2 (0-3). An
      adjusted association between HbA1c and glycemic index score was not demonstrated.
      The women using carbohydrate counting daily (45%) had lower HbA1c compared to the
      remaining women (6.4 (+/-0.5) vs. 6.8 (+/-0.9)% (47+/-6 vs. 51+/-10mmol/mol),
      P=0.01). CONCLUSIONS: HbA1c in early pregnancy was positively associated with the
      quantity of carbohydrate consumption regardless of insulin treatment.
      Carbohydrate counting is probably important for glycemic control in pregnant
      women with type 1 diabetes.

PMID- 28340362
TI  - Studies on neutron spectrum characterization for the Pneumatic Fast Transfer
      System (PFTS) of KAMINI reactor.
AB  - Characterization of neutron energy spectrum along with the determination of sub
      cadmium to epithermal neutron flux ratio (f) and the epithermal neutron flux
      shape factor (alpha) has been carried out at pneumatic fast transfer system
      (PFTS) of KAMINI reactor. The facility has been extensively used for the neutron
      activation analysis (NAA) studies using both k0-NAA and relative method. This
      paper describes the multi-foil activation method to determine the reaction rates
      followed by the generation of computed guess spectrum to unfold the neutron
      spectrum using least square minimization approach.

PMID- 28340361
TI  - HDL inhibits saturated fatty acid mediated augmentation of innate immune
      responses in endothelial cells by a novel pathway.
AB  - BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Peripheral insulin resistance is associated with several
      metabolic abnormalities, including elevated serum fatty acids that contribute to
      vascular injury and atherogenesis. Our goals were to examine whether saturated
      fatty acids can modify innate immune responses to subclinical concentrations of
      lipopolysaccharide (LPS) in endothelial cells, and to explore the underlying
      pathway and determine whether it is modified by high density lipoprotein (HDL)
      and other factors commonly altered in insulin resistance. METHODS: Physiologic
      concentrations of palmitic acid were added to human aortic endothelial cells with
      and without a variety of inhibitors or HDL and measures of cell inflammation and
      function assessed. RESULTS: Palmitic acid significantly amplified human aortic
      endothelial cell inflammatory responses to LPS. Similar results were obtained
      from lipolysis products of triglyceride rich lipoproteins. Metabolism of palmitic
      acid to ceramide and subsequent activation of PKC-zeta, MAPK and ATF3 appeared
      critical in amplifying LPS induced inflammation. The amplified response to
      palmitic acid/LPS was decreased by HDL, dose dependently, and this inhibition was
      dependent on activation of PI3K/AKT and reduction in ATF3. CONCLUSIONS: These
      results indicate that endothelial cell innate immune responses are modified by
      metabolic abnormalities commonly present in insulin resistance and provide
      evidence for a novel mechanism by which HDL may reduce vascular inflammation.

PMID- 28340363
TI  - Benchmark integral neutron experiments for Fe, Be and C with DT neutron by liquid
      scintillation detector.
AB  - The measurements of iron, beryllium and carbon sphere neutron leakage spectra
      using BC501A detector by DT neutron source are presented. The experiments were
      carried out in Institute of Nuclear Physics and Chemistry (INPC), China. Neutron
      leakage spectra in a wide energy range at angles of 0 degrees  and 30 degrees 
      from the direction of incident deuteron beam were obtained. The results show the
      leakage neutron flux decreases notably with the spherical shell increasing when
      neutron energy >10MeV. When neutron energy <6MeV the leakage neutron distribution
      tends to lower energy side with the shell increase. The total uncertainty
      evaluation of the neutron spectra is also provided: in the high-energy parts the
      uncertainty is about 5-7%, while in the low-energy parts the uncertainty is about
      7-9%. In order to compare the experiment results a Monte-carlo calculation was
      made using the MCNP5 Code with the ENDF/B-VII.1 nuclear data files.

PMID- 28340364
TI  - Cervical facet force analysis after disc replacement versus fusion.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Cervical total disc replacement was developed to preserve motion and
      reduce adjacent-level degeneration relative to fusion, yet concerns remain that
      total disc replacement will lead to altered facet joint loading and long-term
      facet joint arthrosis. This study is intended to evaluate changes in facet
      contact force, pressure and surface area at the treated and superior adjacent
      levels before and after discectomy, disc replacement, and fusion. METHODS: Ten
      fresh-frozen human cadaveric cervical spines were potted from C2 to C7 with
      pressure sensors placed into the facet joints of C3-C4 and C4-C5 via slits in the
      facet capsules. Moments were applied to the specimens to produce axial rotation,
      lateral bending and extension. Facet contact force and pressure were measured at
      both levels for intact, discectomy at C4-C5, disc replacement with ProDisc-C
      (Synthes Spine, West Chester, Pennsylvania, USA) at C4-C5, and anterior
      discectomy and fusion with Cervical Spine Locking Plate (Synthes Spine, West
      Chester, Pennsylvania, USA) at C4-C5. Facet contact area was calculated from the
      force and pressure measurements. An analysis of variance was used to determine
      significant differences with P-values <0.05 indicating significance. FINDINGS:
      Facet contact force was elevated at the treated level under extension following
      both discectomy and disc replacement, while facet contact pressure and area were
      relatively unchanged. Facet contact force and area were decreased at the treated
      level following fusion for all three loading conditions. INTERPRETATION: Total
      disc replacement preserved facet contact force for all scenarios except extension
      at the treated level, highlighting the importance of the anterior disco
      ligamentous complex. This could promote treated-level facet joint disease.

PMID- 28340365
TI  - Emotion regulation strategies mediate the associations of positive and negative
      affect to upper extremity physical function.
AB  - BACKGROUND: The Gross process model of emotion regulation holds that emotion
      eliciting situations (e.g. musculoskeletal illness) can be strategically
      regulated to determine the final emotional and behavioral response. Also, there
      is some evidence that innate emotional traits may predispose an individual to a
      particular regulating coping style. METHODS: We enrolled 107 patients with upper
      extremity musculoskeletal illness in this cross-sectional study. They completed
      self-report measures of positive and negative affect, emotion regulation
      strategies (cognitive reappraisal and expressive suppression), upper extremity
      physical function, pain intensity, and demographics. We used Preacher and Hayes'
      bootstrapping approach to process analysis to infer the direct effect of positive
      and negative affect on physical function as well as their indirect effects
      through activation of emotion regulation strategies. RESULTS: Negative affect was
      associated with decreased physical function. The association was partly mediated
      by expressive suppression (b (SE)=-.10 (.05), 95% BCa CI [-.21, -.02]). Positive
      affect was associated with increased physical function. Cognitive reappraisal
      partially mediated this association (b (SE)=.11 (.05), 95% BCa CI [.03, .24]).
      After controlling for pain intensity, the ratio of the mediated effect to total
      effect grew even larger in controlled model comparing to uncontrolled model (33%
      vs. 26% for expressive suppression and 32% vs. 30% for cognitive reappraisal).
      CONCLUSIONS: The relationships between affect, emotion regulation strategies and
      physical function appear to be more dependent on the emotional response to an
      orthopedic condition rather than the intensity of the nociceptive stimulation of
      the pain. Findings support integration of emotion regulation training in skill
      based psychotherapy in this population to mitigate the effect of negative affect
      and enhance the influence of positive affect on physical function.

PMID- 28340367
TI  - Insulin resistance is associated with carotid intima-media thickness in non
      diabetic subjects. A cross-sectional analysis of the ELSA-Brasil cohort baseline.
AB  - BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Epidemiological studies have analyzed the association
      between carotid intima-media thickness (CIMT) and insulin resistance, glucose
      levels or glycated hemoglobin with mixed results. We aimed to evaluate the
      association between CIMT and homeostasis model assessment - insulin resistance
      (HOMA-IR), fasting and post-load plasma glucose and glycated hemoglobin in the
      Brazilian Longitudinal Study of Adult Health (ELSA-Brasil) baseline. METHODS: We
      included 8028 participants (aged 35-74 years) without diabetes or overt
      cardiovascular disease who had complete CIMT data at baseline. We built crude and
      adjusted linear and binary logistic models to evaluate the association between
      CIMT and (a) HOMA-IR; (b) fasting plasma glucose; (c) post-load plasma glucose;
      and (d) glycated hemoglobin. We also built post-hoc models, stratified by sex.
      RESULTS: In the fully-adjusted linear models, only the association between CIMT
      (in mm) and HOMA-IR remained significant (beta = 0.004; 95% confidence interval
      [95%CI]:0.001 to 0.006). Consistent with these results, only the association
      between the highest age- sex- and race-specific CIMT quartile and HOMA-IR was
      significant in the adjusted logistic model (odds ratio [OR]:1.10; 95% CI:1.04
      1.17). The association between HOMA-IR and the highest CIMT quartile remained
      significant in sex-specific analyses (OR:1.10; 95% CI:1.02-1.20 for men and
      OR:1.10; 95% CI:1.02-1.20 for women). We did not find an independent association
      between CIMT and glucose or glycated hemoglobin. CONCLUSIONS: We found a direct
      association between HOMA-IR and CIMT in a large sample of non-diabetic
      participants. Mechanisms unrelated to glucose homeostasis, as a direct effect of
      insulin on atherosclerosis, or medial hypertrophy, may be involved.

PMID- 28340368
TI  - Synthesis, molecular docking, antimycobacterial and antimicrobial evaluation of
      new pyrrolo[3,2-c]pyridine Mannich bases.
AB  - In this report, we describe the synthesis and biological evaluation of a new
      series of pyrrolo[3,2-c]pyridine Mannich bases (7a-v). The Mannich bases were
      obtained in good yields by one-pot three component condensation of pyrrolo[3,2
      c]pyridine scaffold (6a-c) with secondary amines and excess of formaldehyde
      solution in AcOH. The chemical structures of the compounds were characterized by
      1H NMR, 13C NMR, LC/MS and elemental analysis. Single crystal X-ray diffraction
      has been recorded for compound 7k ([C23H29ClN4]+2, H2O). The in vitro
      antimicrobial activities of the compounds were evaluated against various
      bacterial and fungal strains using Agar diffusion method and Broth micro dilution
      method. Compounds 7e, 7f, 7r, 7t, and 7u were showed good Gram-positive
      antibacterial activity against S. aureus, B. flexus, C. sporogenes and S. mutans.
      Furthermore, in vitro antimycobacterial activity was evaluated against
      Mycobacterium tuberculosis H37Rv (ATCC 27294) using MABA. Compounds 7r, 7t, and
      7u were showed good antitubercular activity against Mtb (MIC >=6.25 MUg/mL).
      Among the tested compounds, 1-((4-chloro-2-(cyclohexylmethyl)-1H-pyrrolo[3,2
      c]pyridin-3-yl)methyl)piperidine-3-carboxamide (7t) was showed excellent
      antimycobacterial activity against Mtb (MIC <0.78 MUg/mL) and low cytotoxicity
      against the HEK-293T cell line (SI >>25). Molecular docking of the active
      compounds against glutamate racemase (MurI) and Mtb glutamine synthetase were
      explained the structure-activity observed in vitro.

PMID- 28340369
TI  - Degradation of diclofenac by UV-activated persulfate process: Kinetic studies,
      degradation pathways and toxicity assessments.
AB  - Diclofenac (DCF) is the frequently detected non-steroidal pharmaceuticals in the
      aquatic environment. In this study, the degradation of DCF was evaluated by UV
      254nm activated persulfate (UV/PS). The degradation of DCF followed the pseudo
      first-order kinetics pattern. The degradation rate constant (kobs) was
      accelerated by UV/PS compared to UV alone and PS alone. Increasing the initial PS
      dosage or solution pH significantly enhanced the degradation efficiency. Presence
      of various natural water constituents had different effects on DCF degradation,
      with an enhancement or inhibition in the presence of inorganic anions (HCO3- or
      Cl-) and a significant inhibition in the presence of NOM. In addition,
      preliminary degradation mechanisms and major products were elucidated using LC
      MS/MS. Hydroxylation, decarbonylation, ring-opening and cyclation reaction
      involving the attack of SO4*- or other substances, were the main degradation
      mechanism. TOC analyzer and Microtox bioassay were employed to evaluate the
      mineralization and cytotoxicity of solutions treated by UV/PS at different times,
      respectively. Limited elimination of TOC (32%) was observed during the
      mineralization of DCF. More toxic degradation products and their related
      intermediate species were formed, and the UV/PS process was suitable for removing
      the toxicity. Of note, longer degradation time may be considered for the final
      toxicity removal.

PMID- 28340366
TI  - Effect of ezetimibe on low- and high-density lipoprotein subclasses in
      sitosterolemia.
AB  - BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Sitosterolemia displays high plasma total sterols [high
      plant sterols (PS) + normal to high total cholesterol (TC)] with normal to
      moderately elevated low-density lipoprotein (LDL) levels. High LDL, intermediate
      density lipoprotein (IDL) and very low-density lipoprotein (VLDL) particles, low
      high-density lipoprotein (HDL), and increased non-HDL and the ratios of TC and
      triglycerides (TG) to HDL can increase the risk for atherosclerosis. Ezetimibe
      (EZE) can reduce plasma PS and TC levels in sitosterolemia, but its effect on
      lipoprotein subclasses has not been previously reported. METHODS: Sitosterolemia
      patients (n = 8) were taken off EZE for 14 weeks (OFF EZE) and placed on EZE (10
      mg/d) for 14 weeks (ON EZE). Serum lipids were measured enzymatically and
      lipoprotein subclasses were assessed by polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis.
      RESULTS: EZE reduced (p < 0.05) total sterols (-12.5 +/- 4.1%) and LDL-sterol (
      22.7 +/- 5.7%) and its sterol mass of large VLDL (-24.4 +/- 4.5%), VLDL remnants
      (-21.1 +/- 7.9%) and large IDL (-22.4 +/- 7.2%) compared to OFF EZE. EZE did not
      affect large LDL subclasses or mean LDL particle size (273.8 +/- 0.6 vs. 274.6 +/
      0.3 A). EZE increased HDL-sterol (25.5 +/- 8.0%, p = 0.008) including
      intermediate (34 +/- 14%, p = 0.02) and large (33 +/- 16%, p = 0.06) HDL. EZE
      reduced non-HDL-sterol (-21.8+/- 5.0%), total sterols/HDL (-28.2 +/- 5.5%) and
      TG/HDL (-27.4 +/- 6.5%, all p < 0.01). CONCLUSIONS: EZE improves VLDL and HDL
      subfraction distribution, thereby reducing the atherogenic lipid profile, thus
      providing potential clinical benefit in sitosterolemia beyond TC and PS
      reduction.

PMID- 28340370
TI  - Validation of Comet assay in Oregon-R and Wild type strains of Drosophila
      melanogaster exposed to a natural radioactive environment in Brazilian semiarid
      region.
AB  - Natural radiation of geological origin is a common phenomenon in Brazil, a
      country where radioactive agents such as uranium may be often found. As an
      unstable atom, uranium undergoes radioactive decay with the generation of a
      series of decay by-products, including radon, which may be highly genotoxic and
      trigger several pathological processes, among which cancer. Because it is a gas,
      radon may move freely between cracks and gaps in the ground, seeping upwards into
      the buildings and in the environment. In this study, two Drosophila melanogaster
      Meigen (Diptera, Drosophilidae) strains called Oregon-R and Wild (collected in a
      non-radioactive environment) were exposed to atmospheric radiation in the Lajes
      Pintadas city, in the semiarid zone of northeastern Brazil. After six days of
      environmental exposure, the organisms presented genetic damage significantly
      higher than that of the negative control group. The genotoxic effects observed
      reinforce the findings of other studies carried out in the same region, which
      warn about the environmental risks related to natural radioactivity occurrence.
      The results also validate the use of the Comet assay in hemocytes of D.
      melanogaster as a sensitive test to detect genotoxicity caused by natural
      radiation, and the use of a recently collected D. melanogaster strain in the
      environmental of radon.

PMID- 28340371
TI  - Walking-adaptability assessments with the Interactive Walkway: Between-systems
      agreement and sensitivity to task and subject variations.
AB  - The ability to adapt walking to environmental circumstances is an important
      aspect of walking, yet difficult to assess. The Interactive Walkway was developed
      to assess walking adaptability by augmenting a multi-Kinect-v2 10-m walkway with
      gait-dependent visual context (stepping targets, obstacles) using real-time
      processed markerless full-body kinematics. In this study we determined
      Interactive Walkway's usability for walking-adaptability assessments in terms of
      between-systems agreement and sensitivity to task and subject variations. Under
      varying task constraints, 21 healthy subjects performed obstacle-avoidance,
      sudden-stops-and-starts and goal-directed-stepping tasks. Various continuous
      walking-adaptability outcome measures were concurrently determined with the
      Interactive Walkway and a gold-standard motion-registration system: available
      response time, obstacle-avoidance and sudden-stop margins, step length, stepping
      accuracy and walking speed. The same holds for dichotomous classifications of
      success and failure for obstacle-avoidance and sudden-stops tasks and performed
      short-stride versus long-stride obstacle-avoidance strategies. Continuous walking
      adaptability outcome measures generally agreed well between systems (high
      intraclass correlation coefficients for absolute agreement, low biases and narrow
      limits of agreement) and were highly sensitive to task and subject variations.
      Success and failure ratings varied with available response times and obstacle
      types and agreed between systems for 85-96% of the trials while obstacle
      avoidance strategies were always classified correctly. We conclude that
      Interactive Walkway walking-adaptability outcome measures are reliable and
      sensitive to task and subject variations, even in high-functioning subjects. We
      therefore deem Interactive Walkway walking-adaptability assessments usable for
      obtaining an objective and more task-specific examination of one's ability to
      walk, which may be feasible for both high-functioning and fragile populations
      since walking adaptability can be assessed at various levels of difficulty.

PMID- 28340372
TI  - Shotgun metagenomic sequencing reveals freshwater beach sands as reservoir of
      bacterial pathogens.
AB  - Recreational waters and adjacent beach sands harbor complex microbial communities
      which may contain human pathogens that cannot be detected by conventional
      methods. Here, we investigate the diversity of bacterial populations inhabiting
      four freshwater beaches of the Great Lakes region using shotgun metagenomic
      sequencing approach. Our analysis suggests that average taxonomic richness and
      alpha diversity are significantly higher (P < 0.001) in beach sands compared to
      the corresponding water environments. Compared to the water environments, beach
      sands harbored taxa from a more diverse range of phyla, including a higher
      proportion of sequences from unclassified phyla. Unique phyla were also
      identified in sand which included species from Aquificae, Candidatus
      Microgenomates, Latescibacteria, and Candidatus Aminicenantes. Sequences
      originating from pathogens were detected in both sand and water, with some
      pathogens enriched in both environments. Both lakes exhibited similar community
      composition suggesting that geographic location did not appear to have any major
      impact on bacterial diversity. These findings reveal the diversity of bacterial
      communities of freshwater beaches and highlight the importance of monitoring
      pathogens in recreational beaches, especially in the sand environment of these
      beaches.

PMID- 28340373
TI  - Influence of sex on cardiovascular drug responses: role of estrogen.
AB  - In this review we discuss the sex/estrogen-specific modulation of cardiovascular
      function and responses to current therapeutics. We discuss how anatomical
      differences such as a smaller kidney size, and lower glomerular filtration rate
      in females, reduce the clearance and increase the toxicity of some drugs in
      females. Other important sex differences include the dampening effect of estrogen
      on central sympathetic and renin angiotensin systems. Further, we discuss how a
      shift in myocardial redox status leads to paradoxical transformation of estrogen
      into a pro-inflammatory hormone. Finally, the review, along with cited recent
      publications, identify some areas that need further investigation to advance our
      understanding of the sex differences in cardiovascular disease outcomes to help
      develop female specific interventions for these anomalies.

PMID- 28340374
TI  - Ebola virus persistence as a new focus in clinical research.
AB  - Ebola virus (EBOV) causes severe acute human disease with high lethality. Viremia
      is typical during the acute disease phase. However, EBOV RNA can remain
      detectable in immune-privileged tissues for prolonged periods of time after
      clearance from the blood, suggesting EBOV may persist during convalescence and
      thereafter. Eliminating persistent EBOV is important to ensure full recovery of
      survivors and decrease the risk of outbreak re-ignition caused by EBOV spread
      from apparently healthy survivors to naive contacts. Here, we review prior
      evidence of EBOV persistence and explore the tools needed for the development of
      model systems to understand persistence.

PMID- 28340375
TI  - Repetitive TMS in right sensorimotor areas affects the selection and completion
      of contralateral movements.
AB  - Although the existence of directional motor deficits (DMD) associated with
      movement planning and/or execution seems to be widely recognized, neglect and
      single cell studies examining their neuroanatomical foundation have produced
      contradictory and inconclusive findings. The present study assessed the
      occurrence of DMD following the application of repetitive transcranial magnetic
      stimulation (rTMS) over two regions, as commonly reported in the neglect
      literature, namely the right middle frontal gyrus (rMFG) and the right angular
      gyrus (rAG). Fourteen healthy subjects underwent rTMS while performing an
      auditory choice task, involving pointing toward two laterally located targets,
      under internally (i.e., pointing side freely selected) and externally guided
      conditions (i.e., pointing side guided by spatial auditory cues). In order to
      examine whether subjects compensated for induced deficits with the help of
      vision, visual feedback was occluded at movement onset in half of the trials.
      rTMS applied to the rAG significantly increased reaction times (RTs) for leftward
      internally-guided movements. In contrast, rTMS applied to the rMFG reduced the
      likelihood to complete leftward internally-guided movements under blindfolded
      conditions. These effects suggest that DMD might involve cognitive processes
      contributing to the different stages of motor control, such as movement selection
      and goal maintenance.

PMID- 28340376
TI  - Linarin could protect myocardial tissue from the injury of Ischemia-reperfusion
      through activating Nrf-2.
AB  - OBJECTIVES: As we all know, oxidative stress was one of the most important causes
      of ischemia-reperfusion injury. And it was reported that Nrf-2 as an important
      regulator for oxidative stress could be activated by Linarin. Thus it would be
      interesting to find whether Linarin could inhibit ischemia-reperfusion injury
      through activating Nrf-2. METHODS: In this study, cell activity was detected by
      MTT assay and caspase-3 activity detection kit. And the expressions or activities
      of some signal proteins were evaluated by western-blot or activity detection
      kits. At last, the effect and mechanism of Linarin on heart tissues were verified
      in the ischemia-reperfusion model of isolated hearts. RESULTS: The proliferation
      activity of cell was inhibited while the apoptosis rate was increased after
      hypoxia-reoxygenation. However, Linarin could inhibit these two variations. It
      was found that these effects of Linarin were related with the activation of Nrf-2
      through PI3K/Akt signaling pathway. Meanwhile, the anti-oxidative enzymes,
      regulated by Nrf-2, were enhanced to against the oxidative stress caused by
      hypoxia-reoxygenation. And with the inhibition of oxidative stress, some
      proliferation and apoptosis related proteins such as NF-kB and Cytochrome C were
      adjusted to support the viability of cells. At last, these results were verified
      in the ischemia reperfusion experiment of isolated hearts. CONCLUSIONS: From this
      study, we assured that LIN could protect myocardial tissue from ischemia
      reperfusion through activating Nrf-2.

PMID- 28340377
TI  - Possible protective effect of royal jelly against cyclophosphamide induced
      prostatic damage in male albino rats; a biochemical, histological and immuno
      histo-chemical study.
AB  - Almost all the chemotherapy treat many cancer types effectively, but it leads to
      severe side effects. Chemotherapy like cyclophosphamide (CP) not works only on
      the active cells, such as cancer cells, but also acts on the healthy cells. Royal
      jelly (RJ) was reported to have a lot of therapeutic effects besides being an
      anti-oxidant and anti-cancer agent. The purpose of this study was to assess the
      possible protective role of RJ in ameliorating the toxic effects of CP overdose
      in the rat prostatic tissue. The rats were separated into 4 groups; control
      group, RJ group, CP group and RJ with CP group. Prostatic specimens were
      processed for biochemical, histological and immune-histo-chemical studies. The
      mean area fractions of eNOS and Bax expression were measured in all groups, and
      statistical analysis was carried out. The results showed that in CP treated
      group, there were marked biological changes in the form of significant increase
      in prostatic malondialdehyde (MDA) and C - reactive protein (CRP). Additionally
      there was a significant decrease in glutathione peroxidase (GPx) in prostatic
      tissue if compared with the control group. Furthermore, the histological changes
      showed marked acinar and stromal prostatic degeneration. Most prostatic acini
      showed less PAS reaction and more (eNOS and Bax) expression if compared with the
      control group. Concomitant administration of RJ with CP revealed a noticeable
      amelioration of these biochemical and histological changes. In conclusion, RJ
      provided biochemical and histo-pathological improvement in CP induced prostatic
      tissue toxicity. These findings revealed that this improvement was associated
      with a decrease in the tissue oxidative damage and apoptosis.

PMID- 28340378
TI  - Current FDA-approved treatments for non-small cell lung cancer and potential
      biomarkers for its detection.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Lung cancer is the leading worldwide cancer with almost 1.5 million
      deaths every year. Some drugs for lung cancer treatment have been available on
      the market for decades, but novel drugs have emerged promising better outcomes,
      especially for Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer (NSCLC), which represents 75% of lung
      cancer cases. However, how much do drugs have evolved for NSCLC treatment? Are
      they sharing the same mechanism of action? AIM: In this review we analyzed how
      the approved drugs by Federal Drug Agency for NSCLC have advanced in the last
      four decades identifying shared mechanism of action of medicines against NSCLC
      treatment and some of the potential biomarkers for early detection. RESULTS:
      Cisplatin and its derivatives are still the most used therapy in combination with
      some other more specific drugs. However, increasing the survival rates seems to
      be a great challenge and research is moving into early detection through
      biomarkers but also trying to identify molecules such as those derived from the
      immune system, cell-free DNA, non-coding RNAs, but also polymorphisms to detect
      early tumor formation. CONCLUSIONS: Cisplatin and derivatives have been one of
      the most successful therapies in spite of their side effects and low specificity.
      Some of the drugs developed after cisplatin discovery, have been targeted the
      epidermal growth factor receptor, anaplastic lymphoma kinase, programmed cell
      death 1 ligand and vascular endothelial growth factor. Since none of the
      pharmacological treatments in combination with radiation/surgery have extended
      dramatically the survival rate, research is now focused in early cancer detection
      in combination with precision medicine, which attempts to treat patients
      individually according to their stage and tumor characteristics.

PMID- 28340379
TI  - Knockdown of SKA1 gene inhibits cell proliferation and metastasis in human
      adenoid cystic carcinoma.
AB  - The spindle and kinetochore-associated complex subunit 1(SKA1) is a newly
      discovered gene, which has been associated with mitosis and tumorigenesis.
      However, its role insalivary adenoid cystic carcinoma (SACC) is still unknown,
      and the invasive and metastatic mechanism in SACC is still unclear. To explore
      the molecular mechanism of SKA1 in the process of malignant proliferation and
      metastasis in adenoid cystic cancer (ACC) cells, we employed lentivirus-mediated
      short hairpin RNA to knockdown SKA1 in SACC-83 cells. The results demonstrated
      that the lentivirus-mediated shRNA-targeting SKA1 lead to a significant down
      regulation of SKA1 expression. Knockdown of SKA1 inhibited cell proliferation,
      cell invasion, migration and the cell cycle arrest. Furthermore, knockdown of
      SKA1 reduced the Ndc80, CDK4, Cyclin D1, Cyclin E1, Cyclin B1 and matrix
      metalloproteinase-9 (MMP-9) protein expression, but increased the p27 protein
      expression. These findings indicated that SKA1 might be a promising target for
      cancer gene therapy in human ACC.

PMID- 28340380
TI  - The origin and evolution of the term "clone".
AB  - In biology, the term "clone" is most widely used to designate genetically
      identical cells or organisms that are asexually descended from a common
      progenitor. The concept of clonality in hematology-oncology has received much
      attention in recent years, as the advent of next-generation sequencing platforms
      has provided new tools for detection of clonal populations in patients, and
      experiments on primary cells have provided fascinating new insights into the
      clonal architecture of human malignancies. The term "clone" is used more loosely
      by the general public to mean any close or identical copy. Cloning of humans has
      been a staple of science fiction films and dystopian novels since Aldous Huxley's
      Brave New World was published in 1932. Here I trace the origin and evolution of
      the word clone, from its first use as an agricultural and botanical term in 1903,
      to its widespread adoption in biology, adaptation by artists, and contemporary
      use in hematology-oncology.

PMID- 28340381
TI  - Studying the adsorption of DNA nanostructures on graphene in the aqueous phase
      using molecular dynamic simulations.
AB  - DNA nanostructures can undergo large structural fluctuations and deviate from
      their intended configurations. In this work, two model DNA nanostructures (i.e.,
      Nan and Kai) were designed based on the shape of the two Chinese characters of
      the name of Nankai University, and additional single-stranded DNA fragments were
      added to interact with graphene. During four 50-ns molecular dynamic simulations
      in aqueous solution, the DNA nanostructures adsorbed onto graphene demonstrated
      more stable conformations with lower root mean square deviations and smaller
      coordinate changes in the z-axis direction than the DNA nanostructures that were
      not adsorbed onto graphene. The interaction analyses and energetic calculations
      show that pi-pi interactions between single-stranded DNA and graphene are
      necessary for adsorption of the DNA nanostructures. Overall, this work examined
      the interactions between DNA and graphene at a large spatial scale with the hope
      that it provides a new strategy to stabilize DNA nanostructures.

PMID- 28340382
TI  - The BDNFval66met polymorphism and individual differences in temperament in 4
      month-old infants: A pilot study.
AB  - Individual differences in infants' temperament are under genetic control. We
      investigated the association between brain-derived-neurotrophic-factor
      (BDNFval66met) polymorphism and temperament in 63 full-term infants. Met-carriers
      (N=25) had lower Regulatory capacities compared to val-homozygotes (N=38). These
      findings suggest that the BDNF polymorphism affects early temperament individual
      differences.

PMID- 28340383
TI  - Infant helping in the first year of life: Parents' recollection of infants'
      earliest prosocial behaviors.
AB  - Prosocial behavior is widely thought to emerge early in the second year of life.
      This paper presents evidence that helping emerges early in the first year of
      life. Parents of 80 children asked to recollect the earliest instance of their
      child helping recalled help in two contexts: chores (e.g., cleaning up) and care
      and self-care (e.g., feeding and dressing). A subset of parents recalled helping
      even before eight months of age, most often in the context of self-care tasks.
      The presence of helping this early in the lifespan is situated in recent
      research, and its implications for current theories of early prosocial behavior
      are discussed.

PMID- 28340384
TI  - Effects of waste eggshells and SiC addition on specific strength and thermal
      expansion of hybrid green metal matrix composite.
AB  - Chicken eggshell waste is an industrial byproduct, and its disposal constitutes a
      serious environmental hazard. Chicken eggshell can be used in commercial products
      to produce new materials with low cost and density. Low density material which
      can sustain at higher temperature is a remarkable area of research. Keeping these
      facts in the mind, the present investigation aims to study the physical
      behaviour, specific strength and thermal expansion of AA2014/SiC/carbonized
      eggshell hybrid green metal matrix composites. Microstructure of hybrid green
      metal matrix shows that the reinforcement particles (SiC particulates and
      carbonized eggshells particles) are uniformly distributed in the matrix AA2014
      alloy. Specific strength for the composites containing 2.5wt.% SiC and up to
      7.5wt.% carbonized eggshell was observed to be higher than that of the other
      selected composites. While for the same composition (AA2014/2.5% SiC/7.5%
      carbonized eggshell composites), porosity was observed lower than other selected
      composites. The results revealed that sample of AA2014/2.5% SiC/7.5% carbonized
      eggshell showed minimum cross sectional area reduction after the thermal
      expansion at 450 degrees C among all the selected samples. Overall costs of
      hybrid metal matrix composites were also calculated.

PMID- 28340385
TI  - Experimental study of polyethylene pyrolysis and combustion over HZSM-5, HUSY,
      and MCM-41.
AB  - The effects of temperatures, catalysts, and catalyst contents on polyethylene
      (PE) pyrolysis were investigated by using single-photon ionization time-of-flight
      mass spectrometry (SPI-TOFMS). The mass spectra of pyrolyzed PE and PE/catalysts
      from 300 degrees C to 800 degrees C illustrate that the pyrolysis reactions were
      apparently promoted and varied by introducing HZSM-5, HUSY, and MCM-41. As
      microporous catalysts, HZSM-5 and HUSY were found to accelerate the BTX formation
      at 400 degrees C, which could not be observed for pure PE until 800 degrees C.
      With the existence of MCM-41, only alkenes were produced below 600 degrees C. The
      pyrolysis processes could to be accelerated by adding catalysts. Principal
      components analysis (PCA) was finally employed to identify the main factors with
      influence on the products distribution. Analytical results showed that the yield
      of the majority of products could be affected by different experimental
      conditions, that the type of catalysts makes the most significant influence. The
      impact of different types of catalysts on fire hazard of PE was studied by using
      the cone calorimeter. The results indicated that the time to ignition (TTI) and
      the peak heat release rate (pHRR) were changed remarkably. It is worth noting
      that with the addition of MCM-41, the pHRR is the minimum.

PMID- 28340386
TI  - Constructed ILs coated porous magnetic nickel cobaltate hexagonal nanoplates
      sensing materials for the simultaneous detection of cumulative toxic metals.
AB  - The different morphologies of magnetic nickel cobaltate (NiCo2O4)
      electrocatalysts, consisting of nanoparticles (NiCo2O4-N), nanoplates (NiCo2O4-P)
      and microspheres (NiCo2O4-S) were fabricated. It was found that the
      electrocatalytic properties of the sensing materials were strongly dependent on
      morphology and specific surface area. The porous NiCo2O4 hexagonal nanoplates
      coupled with ILs as modified materials (ILs@NiCo2O4-P) for the simultaneous
      determination of thallium (Tl+), lead (Pb2+) and copper (Cu2+), exhibited high
      sensitivity, long-time stability and good repeatability. The enhanced
      electrocatalytic activity was attributed to relatively large specific surface
      area, excellent electronic conductivity, and unique porous nanostructure. The
      analytical performance of the constructed electrode on detection of Tl+, Pb2+ and
      Cu2+ was examined using differential pulse anodic stripping voltammetry (DPASV).
      Under optimal conditions, the electrode showed a good linear response to Tl+,
      Pb2+and Cu2+ in the concentration range of 0.1-100.0, 0.1-100.0 and 0.05
      100.0MUg/L, respectively. The detection limits (S/N=3) were 0.046, 0.034 and
      0.029MUg/L for Tl+, Pb2+ and Cu2+, respectively. The fabricated sensor was
      successfully applied to detect trace Tl+, Pb2+ and Cu2+ in various water and soil
      samples with satisfactory results. Hence, this work provided a promising material
      for electrochemical determination of cumulative toxic metals individually and
      simultaneously.

PMID- 28340387
TI  - An exploration of the effect and interaction mechanism of bisphenol A on waste
      sludge hydrolysis with multi-spectra, isothermal titration microcalorimetry and
      molecule docking.
AB  - An increasing amount of bisphenol A (BPA) is being produced and used, then
      discharged into sewage treatment plants and accumulated in sludge or soil, when
      the sludge is used as fertilizer. Accumulation of BPA in sludge or soil causes
      poisoning to the enzyme, which affects the biological treatment of sludge and the
      circulation and conversion of materials in soil. In this research, effect of BPA
      on sludge hydrolysis is studied from the respect of concentration and components
      of soluble organic matter in sludge, using three-dimensional fluorescence
      spectra. In order to illuminate the interaction mechanism, toxic effect of BPA on
      alpha-Amylase (a model of hydrolase in sludge) is investigated with multi
      spectra, isothermal titration microcalorimetry and molecule docking at the
      molecular level. Results show that the secondary structure of alpha-Amylase and
      the microenvironment of amino acid residue in alpha-Amylase are changed. The
      molecular docking study and ITC results show that hydrophobic bond and hydrogen
      bond exist in the interaction between BPA and alpha-Amylase. Based on the above
      analysis and enzyme activity assay, sludge hydrolysis is inhibited due to the
      denaturation of alpha-Amylase with BPA exposure.

PMID- 28340388
TI  - Evaluation of Cr(VI) reduction mechanism and removal by Cellulosimicrobium funkei
      strain AR8, a novel haloalkaliphilic bacterium.
AB  - The present study, a novel haloalkaliphilic Cr(VI) tolerant bacterial strain,
      Cellulosimicrobium funkei AR8, was isolated and characterized for its high Cr(VI)
      reduction. In batch experiments, Cr(VI) reduction was evaluated under different
      parametric conditions which include different pH (5-9), temperature (25-45
      degrees C), NaCl (0-3%) and Cr(VI) concentrations (100-250MUg/ml). Variations in
      the cell surface functional groups and morphology of the bacterial cells after
      Cr(VI) reduction were characterized by FT-IR and SEM-EDX. FT-IR analysis revealed
      that cell surface functional groups such as alkanes, amide and amines are
      involved in chromium biosorption and SEM-EDX results showed that biosorption and
      immobilization of chromium species on the cell surface. Bioconversion of Cr(VI)
      into Cr(III) by strain AR8 was confirmed by XRD and Raman spectroscopy analysis.
      Intracellular localization of reduced product (Cr(III)) was visualized by TEM
      analysis. Various instrumentation analysis verified that Cr(VI) removal mechanism
      of C. funkei AR8 strain was achieved by both extra and intracellular reducing
      machinery. Toxicity study revealed that the bacterially reduced product exerted
      less toxic effects on phenotypic, survival (91.31%), hatching (84.04%) and heart
      function (115+/-1.03 beats/min) of zebrafish (Danio rerio) embryos. Higher Cr(VI)
      reducing ability of the strain under haloalkaliphilic condition suggests the C.
      funkei AR8 as a novel and efficient strain for remediating Cr(VI) contaminated
      industrial effluents with high salinity and alkalinity.

PMID- 28340389
TI  - Minilaparotomy without general anesthesia for the treatment of sigmoid volvulus
      in high-risk patients: A case series of 4 patients.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Sigmoid volvulus (SV) is a common cause of large bowel obstruction
      worldwide. Presenting symptoms can be nonspecific and varied amongst the elderly
      population, making medical and surgical management challenging. This population
      is at markedly increase risk of complications and mortality with surgery under
      general anesthesia. In this case series, we describe 4 cases of sigmoid volvulus
      in octogenarians. GOALS: To demonstrate that sigmoid colectomy under local
      anesthesia, with or without intravenous conscious sedation, is feasible and can
      be done safely and with a low rate of converting to a general anesthetic.
      RESULTS: Four patients, mean age 90 years, were admitted a total of 4 times for
      acute sigmoid volvulus. All patients had serious comorbidities and were
      classified as ASA III. There was no relevant past surgical history. All patients
      were severely physically deconditioned but alert and able to interact
      meaningfully with their families and caregivers. Three patients suffered
      recurrent volvulus following endoscopic decompression and one patient underwent
      immediate surgery due to abdominal tenderness. CONCLUSION: Our experience
      demonstrates that minilaparotomy for sigmoid volvulus is effective and safe. The
      techniques and can extend the applicability of definitive surgical intervention
      to this high-risk population of patients. In our series postoperative outcomes
      were excellent, however, additional studies are needed to determine if this
      technique results in improved 30-day and long-term mortality and morbidity in
      high-risk patients and to determine the utility of extending the technique to all
      patients with sigmoid volvulus.

PMID- 28340391
TI  - Optimization of the marinelli beaker dimensions using genetic algorithm.
AB  - A computational code, based on the genetic algorithm and MCNPX version 2.6 code
      was developed and used to investigate the effects of some important parameters of
      HPGe detector (such as Al cap thickness, dead-layer thickness and Ge hole size)
      on optimum dimensions of marinelli beaker. In addition, the effects of detector
      material on optimal beaker dimensions were also investigated. Finally, the
      optimized beaker dimensions at various beaker volumes (300, 500, 700, 1000 and
      1500 cm3) were determined for some conventional Ge detectors with different
      crystal sizes (16 sizes). These sets of data then were used to drive mathematical
      formulas (obtained by best fitting to data sets). The results showed that, there
      is no meaningful correlation between the optimum dimensions of the beaker and
      each of the dead-layer thickness, Al cap thickness and the Ge-crystal hole size.
      On the other hand, the optimum beaker radius increases with decreasing the
      density of the detector material while the beaker height decreases.

PMID- 28340392
TI  - 237Np analytical method using 239Np tracers and application to a contaminated
      nuclear disposal facility.
AB  - Environmental 237Np analyses are challenged by low 237Np concentrations and lack
      of an available yield tracer; we report a rapid, inexpensive 237Np analytical
      approach employing the short lived 239Np (t1/2 = 2.3 days) as a chemical yield
      tracer followed by 237Np quantification using inductively coupled plasma-mass
      spectrometry. 239Np tracer is obtained via separation from a 243Am stock solution
      and standardized using gamma spectrometry immediately prior to sample processing.
      Rapid digestions using a commercial, 900 W "Walmart" microwave and Parr microwave
      vessels result in 99.8 +/- 0.1% digestion yields, while chromatographic
      separations enable Np/U separation factors on the order of 106 and total Np
      yields of 95 +/- 4% (2sigma). Application of this method to legacy soil samples
      surrounding a radioactive disposal facility (the Subsurface Disposal Area at
      Idaho National Laboratory) reveal the presence of low level 237Np contamination
      within 600 m of this site, with maximum 237Np concentrations on the order of 103
      times greater than nuclear weapons testing fallout levels.

PMID- 28340390
TI  - The association of eating performance and environmental stimulation among older
      adults with dementia in nursing homes: A secondary analysis.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Nursing home residents with dementia experience increased risk for
      compromised eating performance due to intrapersonal, interpersonal, and
      environmental factors. Environmental stimulation is physical, social, and/or
      sensory stimulation present in the environment that can potentially trigger
      individuals' emotion or motivate physical reactions. Beyond the personal factors,
      there is a lack of evidence on how environmental stimulation influences
      individuals' eating performance at mealtimes. OBJECTIVES: This study examined the
      association between environmental stimulation and eating performance among
      nursing home residents with dementia. DESIGN: This study was a secondary analysis
      using baseline videos selected from a communication intervention study, where
      videos were recorded to capture staff-resident interactions during care
      activities for nursing home residents with dementia. Videos were included in this
      study only if residents demonstrated eating activities at mealtimes. SAMPLE AND
      SETTING: A total of 36 videos were selected (mean length=4min). The sample
      included 15 residents with dementia (mean age=86), and 19 certified nursing
      assistants (mean age=36) in 8 nursing homes. METHODS: The dependent variable was
      eating performance as measured by the Level of Eating Independence scale (range:
      15-36, with higher scores indicating better eating performance). The independent
      variables were characteristics of environmental stimulation measured by the
      Person-Environment Apathy Rating-Environment subscale (stimulation clarity,
      stimulation strength, stimulation specificity, interaction involvement, physical
      accessibility, and environmental feedback). Each characteristic was rated on a 1
      4 scale with higher scores indicating more desirable environmental stimulation.
      Multilevel models were used to examine the association between eating performance
      and environmental stimulation, adjusting for resident characteristics (i.e., age,
      gender, dementia stage, function, comorbidity, psychoactive medication use) and
      nesting effects of residents and staff. RESULTS: Resident participants
      demonstrated moderate levels of eating performance (M=27.08, SD=5.16). Eating
      performance was significantly lower among older residents, those with more
      advanced dementia, and higher comorbidity. After controlling for resident
      characteristics, eating performance was significantly associated with stimulation
      specificity (how the stimulation is delivered and tailored to the resident), and
      was not associated with other environmental stimulation characteristics. For each
      1 point increase in stimulation specificity, eating performance increased by 8.78
      points (95% CI=0.59, 16.97). CONCLUSIONS: Environmental stimulation that is
      personally tailored to a resident' needs and preferences and directly offered to
      a resident contributed to better eating performance among residents with
      dementia. The findings will direct future development and implementation of
      person-directed mealtime care programs and dining environment arrangements for
      residents with dementia in nursing homes.

PMID- 28340393
TI  - When public health intervention is not successful: Cost sharing, crowd-out, and
      selection in Korea's National Cancer Screening Program.
AB  - This study investigates the impact of and behavioral responses to cost sharing in
      Korea's National Cancer Screening Program, which provides free stomach and breast
      cancer screenings to those with an income below a certain cutoff. Free cancer
      screening substantially increases the screening take up rate, yielding more
      cancer detections. However, the increase in cancer detection is quickly crowded
      out by cancer detection through other channels such as diagnostic testing and
      private cancer screening. Further, compliers are much less likely to have cancer
      than never takers. Crowd-out and selection help explain why the program has been
      unable to reduce cancer mortality.

PMID- 28340394
TI  - Assessment of engineered surfaces roughness by high-resolution 3D SEM
      photogrammetry.
AB  - We describe a methodology to obtain three-dimensional models of engineered
      surfaces using scanning electron microscopy and multi-view photogrammetry
      (3DSEM). For the reconstruction of the 3D models of the surfaces we used freeware
      available in the cloud. The method was applied to study the surface roughness of
      metallic samples patterned with parallel grooves by means of laser. The results
      are compared with measurements obtained using stylus profilometry (PR) and SEM
      stereo-photogrammetry (SP). The application of 3DSEM is more time demanding than
      PR or SP, but it provides a more accurate representation of the surfaces. The
      results obtained with the three techniques are compared by investigating the
      influence of sampling step on roughness parameters.

PMID- 28340395
TI  - A quint-wavelength UV spectroscopy for simultaneous determination of
      dichlorobenzene, chlorobenzene, and benzene in simulated water reduced by
      nanoscale zero-valent Fe/Ni bimetal.
AB  - A quint-wavelength UV spectroscopy for rapid determination of dichlorobenzene
      (DCB), chlorobenzene (CB) and benzene (B) was developed for the dechlorination
      process of DCB reduced by nanoscale zero-valent Fe/Ni bimetal. Based on the
      absorbance measurements at 260, 269, 277, 290 and 300nm, the equations for
      calculating the concentration of DCB and CB and B were established, in which the
      spectral interference from the nanoparticles could be effectively minimized. The
      results show that the present method has a good measurement precision (the
      relative standard deviations are within 2.0%) and accuracy (the recoveries are
      between 89 and 111%) in the DCB, CB and B's quantification. The present method is
      simple, rapid, and such a methodology is very suitable to be used for evaluating
      the dechlorination performance of chlorinated aromatic compounds in the presence
      of bimetal nanoparticle.

PMID- 28340396
TI  - Spectral studies on anthracene based dual sensor for Hg2+ and Al3+ ions with two
      distinct output modes of detection.
AB  - A simple and easily synthesized colorimetric and fluorescent chemosensor 1, based
      on aromatic OH and imine moieties as a binding and anthracene as signaling unit,
      has been synthesized in a one-step procedure. The chemosensor 1 is developed as a
      dual chemosensor for detection of Hg2+ and Al3+ ions in CH3OH, which exhibited a
      color change from light yellow to dark yellow with Hg2+ ions, enabling 1 a
      suitable "bare eye" indicator for Hg2+ ions. On the other hand, fluorescent
      enhancement with blue shift along with brilliant cyan fluorescence was observed
      upon binding with Al3+ ions. A possible sensing mechanism has been proposed by
      means of Job's plot and 1H NMR titration.

PMID- 28340397
TI  - Quantification of hydrocarbon species on surfaces by combined microbalance-FTIR.
AB  - Absorption coefficients for the asymmetric stretching modes of CH3 and CH2 groups
      formed by adsorbing alkyl chained species from the vapour phase onto two
      different adsorbents; a gamma-alumina support material and a supported metal
      catalyst have been determined using a custom made thermogravimetric-infrared
      cell. Results show that despite variations in the individually calculated
      absorption coefficients (ca. +/-20%), the ratio of the absorption coefficients
      (CH2:CH3) remained consistent despite employing adsorbates of varying chain
      length and functionality, and despite the choice of adsorbents which exhibited
      different surface areas and light scattering characteristics. The use of this
      absorption coefficient ratio has been shown to be applicable in the
      quantification of the average chain length of multiple adsorbed species of
      differing chain length. The potential for applying this to scenarios where
      reactions on surfaces are monitored is discussed.

PMID- 28340398
TI  - Proteomics analysis of maize (Zea mays L.) grain based on iTRAQ reveals molecular
      mechanisms of poor grain filling in inferior grains.
AB  - In maize, inferior grains (IG) located on the upper part of the ear have poor
      grain filling process compared to superior grains (SG) located on the middle and
      lower parts of the ear. This difference limits satisfactory yield and quality;
      however, the underlying molecular mechanisms remain unknown. Here, using the
      isobaric tag for relative and absolute quantification (iTRAQ) technology, the
      proteomes of IG and SG during early and middle grain filling stages were
      investigated. In total, 4720 proteins were identified in maize grain and 305
      differentially accumulated proteins (DiAPs) were detected between IG and SG.
      These DiAPs were involved in diverse cellular and metabolic processes with
      preferred distribution in protein synthesis/destination and metabolism. Compared
      to SG, DiAPs related to cell growth/division and starch synthesis were lag
      accumulated and down-regulated in IG, respectively, resulting in smaller sink
      sizes and lower sink activities in IG. Meanwhile, impediment of the glycolysis
      pathway in IG may lead to reduce energy supply and building materials for
      substance synthesis. Additionally, reactive oxygen species (ROS) homeostasis and
      the defense system were disturbed in IG, which might lead to reduce protection
      against various environmental stresses. The present study provides new
      information on the proteomic differences between IG and SG, and explains possible
      molecular mechanisms for poor grain filling in IG.

PMID- 28340399
TI  - Metacognition in the classroom: The association between students' exam
      predictions and their desired grades.
AB  - Students are overconfident when making grade predictions, and worse, the lowest
      performing students are generally the most overconfident. Because metacognitive
      accuracy is associated with academic performance, multiple studies have attempted
      to improve metacognitive accuracy with mixed results. However, these studies may
      be of limited use because we do not understand the types of information
      university students use to make performance predictions. The current studies
      examined the possibility that university students' predictions are associated
      with their desires-the grade they want to receive. Studies 1-4 demonstrated that
      students' desired grades were strongly associated with their grade predictions
      across different courses, universities, and measurement strategies. Study 4 also
      showed that, if warned about the previous results, students could reduce their
      reliance on their desired grades and improve the accuracy of their predictions
      relative to control. Together, results demonstrated that students' exam
      predictions are associated with their desired grades.

PMID- 28340401
TI  - Clinical supervision in perioperative nursing education in Sweden - A
      questionnaire study.

PMID- 28340400
TI  - Pharmacoinformatics exploration of polyphenol oxidases leading to novel
      inhibitors by virtual screening and molecular dynamic simulation study.
AB  - Polyphenol oxidases (PPOs)/tyrosinases are metal-dependent enzymes and known as
      important targets for melanogenesis. Although considerable attempts have been
      conducted to control the melanin-associated diseases by using various inhibitors.
      However, the exploration of the best anti-melanin inhibitor without side effect
      still remains a challenge in drug discovery. In present study, protein structure
      prediction, ligand-based pharmacophore modeling, virtual screening, molecular
      docking and dynamic simulation study were used to screen the strong novel
      inhibitor to cure melanogenesis. The 3D structures of PPO1 and PPO2 were built
      through homology modeling, while the 3D crystal structures of PPO3 and PPO4 were
      retrieved from PDB. Pharmacophore modeling was performed using LigandScout 3.1
      software and top five models were selected to screen the libraries (2601 of
      Aurora and 727, 842 of ZINC). Top 10 hit compounds (C1-10) were short-listed
      having strong binding affinities for PPO1-4. Drug and synthetic accessibility
      (SA) scores along with absorption, distribution, metabolism, excretion and
      toxicity (ADMET) assessment were employed to scrutinize the best lead hit. C4
      (name) hit showed the best predicted SA score (5.75), ADMET properties and drug
      likeness behavior among the short-listed compounds. Furthermore, docking
      simulations were performed to check the binding affinity of C1-C10 compounds
      against target proteins (PPOs). The binding affinity values of complex between C4
      and PPOs were higher than those of other complexes (-11.70, -12.1, -9.90 and 
      11.20kcal/mol with PPO1, PPO2, PPO3, or PPO4, respectively). From comparative
      docking energy and binding analyses, PPO2 may be considered as better target for
      melanogenesis than others. The potential binding modes of C4, C8 and C10 against
      PPO2 were explored using molecular dynamics simulations. The root mean square
      deviation and fluctuation (RMSD/RMSF) graphs results depict the significance of
      C4 over the other compounds. Overall, bioactivity and ligand efficiency profiles
      suggested that the proposed hit may be more effective inhibitors for
      melanogenesis.

PMID- 28340402
TI  - Eslicarbazepine acetate as a therapeutic option in a patient with carbamazepine
      induced rash and HLA-A*31:01.
AB  - Eslicarbazepine acetate (ESL) is an anticonvulsant drug approved for the
      treatment of focal epilepsies, and related to oxcarbazepine and carbamazepine
      (CBZ), which are also derivatives of the dibenzazepine family. ESL is
      contraindicated in patients with hypersensitivity reactions to CBZ.We report a
      patient with frontal lobe epilepsy responding to treatment with ESL without any
      serious adverse effects after developing a severe skin rash following treatment
      with CBZ. HLA testing revealed an HLA-A*31:01 haplotype, that increases the risk
      of CBZ-induced cutaneous reactions.This case study shows that, in clinical
      practice, ESL may be considered in a patient with the HLA-A*31:01 haplotype and a
      hypersensitivity reaction to CBZ.

PMID- 28340403
TI  - Micro- and macrovascular function in children with sickle cell anaemia and sickle
      cell haemoglobin C disease.
AB  - It is unclear whether vascular function is affected similarly in children with
      sickle cell anaemia (SS) and children with sickle haemoglobin C (SC) disease.
      Therefore, we compared micro and macrovascular functions in healthy (AA)
      children, children with SS and SC disease, and assessed their association with
      physical activity. Participants (24 SS, 22 SC and 16 AA), were compared in terms
      of 1) thermal hyperaemic response (finger pad warming to 42 degrees C) measured
      by Laser Doppler techniques, 2) arterial stiffness determined by pulse wave
      velocity, 3) daily energy expenditure related to moderate and intense physical
      activities estimated by questionnaire and 4) fitness level, evaluated by the six
      minute walk test. Response to heating differed between SS, SC and controls.
      Peripheral microvascular reactivity was lower and pulse wave velocity higher in
      SS compared to AA. SC had blunted microvascular reactivity in response to heating
      compared to AA but pulse wave velocity was not different within the two groups.
      Physical activity and fitness levels were markedly lower in sickle cell patients
      compared to healthy controls but no association was observed with vascular
      function. Microvasodilatory reserve is decreased in both SS and SC patients but
      only SS patients were also characterised by impaired macrovascular function.

PMID- 28340404
TI  - Synthesis, in vitro antiproliferative activity and kinase profile of new
      benzimidazole and benzotriazole derivatives.
AB  - Protein kinase 2 (CK2), a member of the serine/threonine kinase family, has been
      established as a promising target in anticancer therapy. New derivatives of known
      CK2 inhibitors 4,5,6,7-tetrabromo-1H-benzimidazole (TBBi) and 4,5,6,7-tetrabromo
      1H-benzotriazole (TBBt) bearing azide or substituted triazole groups were
      synthesized. Their influence on the activity of human recombinant CK2alpha and
      cytotoxicity against normal and cancer cell lines were evaluated. TBBi
      derivatives with triazole substituted with carboxyl substituent (7 and 10)
      exhibited the most potent inhibitory activity against CK2 with Ki value in the
      range of 1.96-0.91MUM, respectively. New TBBi derivatives 2, 3, 5 and 9 have
      demonstrated the EC50, in the range of 12-25MUM and 13-29MUM respectively towards
      CCRF-CEM and MCF-7 cells. Derivatives TBBi decreased viability of cancer cells
      more efficiently than BALB cells and the biggest differences were observed for
      the azide substituted compounds 3 and 5. The effect of the most active compounds
      on the activity of eight off-target kinases was evaluated. Inhibitory efficiency
      of CK2-mediated p65 phosphorylation was demonstrated for the TBBi and compound
      12.

PMID- 28340405
TI  - Population pharmacokinetic modeling of furosemide in patients with hypertension
      and fluid overload conditions.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Furosemide is a loop diuretic drug frequently indicated in
      hypertension and fluid overload conditions such as congestive heart failure and
      hepatic cirrhosis. OBJECTIVE: The purpose of the study was to establish a
      population pharmacokinetic model for furosemide in Indian hypertensive and fluid
      overload patients, and to evaluate effects of covariates on the volume of
      distribution (V/F) and oral clearance (CL/F) of furosemide. METHODS: A total of
      188 furosemide plasma sample concentrations from 63 patients with hypertension or
      fluid overload conditions were collected in this study. The population
      pharmacokinetic model for furosemide was built using Phoenix NLME 1.3 software.
      The covariates included age, sex, body surface area, bodyweight, height and
      creatinine clearance (CRCL). RESULTS: The pharmacokinetic data of furosemide was
      adequately explained by a two-compartment linear pharmacokinetic model with first
      order absorption and an absorption lag-time. The mean values of CL/F and Vd/F of
      furosemide in the patients were 15.054Lh-1 and 4.419L, respectively. Analysis of
      covariates showed that CRCL was significantly influencing the clearance of
      furosemide. CONCLUSION: The final population pharmacokinetic model was
      demonstrated to be appropriate and effective and it can be used to assess the
      pharmacokinetic parameters of furosemide in Indian patients with hypertension and
      fluid overload conditions.

PMID- 28340406
TI  - A local adjustment strategy for the initialization of dynamic causal modelling to
      infer effective connectivity in brain epileptic structures.
AB  - This paper addresses the question of effective connectivity in the human cerebral
      cortex in the context of epilepsy. Among model based approaches to infer brain
      connectivity, spectral Dynamic Causal Modelling is a conventional technique for
      which we propose an alternative to estimate cross spectral density. The proposed
      strategy we investigated tackles the sub-estimation of the free energy using the
      well-known variational Expectation-Maximization algorithm highly sensitive to the
      initialization of the parameters vector by a permanent local adjustment of the
      initialization process. The performance of the proposed strategy in terms of
      effective connectivity identification is assessed using simulated data generated
      by a neuronal mass model (simulating unidirectional and bidirectional flows) and
      real epileptic intracerebral Electroencephalographic signals. Results show the
      efficiency of proposed approach compared to the conventional Dynamic Causal
      Modelling and the one wherein a deterministic annealing scheme is employed.

PMID- 28340407
TI  - Transmission of persistent ionizing radiation-induced foci through cell division
      in human primary cells.
AB  - Unrepaired DNA double-strand breaks (DSBs) induced by ionizing radiation are
      associated with lethal effects and genomic instability. After the initial breaks
      and chromatin destabilization, a set of post-translational modifications of
      histones occurs, including phosphorylation of serine 139 of histone H2AX
      (gammaH2AX), which leads to the formation of ionizing radiation-induced foci
      (IRIF). DSB repair results in the disappearance of most IRIF within hours after
      exposure, although some remain 24h after irradiation. Their relation to
      unrepaired DSBs is generally accepted but still controversial. This study
      evaluates the frequency and kinetics of persistent IRIF and analyzes their impact
      on cell proliferation. We observed persistent IRIF up to 7 days postirradiation,
      and more than 70% of cells exposed to 5Gy had at least one of these persistent
      IRIF 24h after exposure. Moreover we demonstrated that persistent IRIF did not
      block cell proliferation definitively. The frequency of IRIF was lower in
      daughter cells, due to asymmetric distribution of IRIF between some of them. We
      report a positive association between the presence of IRIF and the likelihood of
      DNA missegregation. Hence, the structure formed after the passage of a persistent
      IRI focus across the S and G2 phases may impede the correct segregation of the
      affected chromosome's sister chromatids. The ensuing abnormal resolution of
      anaphase might therefore cause the nature of IRIF in daughter-cell nuclei to
      differ before and after the first cell division. The resulting atypical
      chromosomal assembly may be lethal or result in a gene dosage imbalance and
      possibly enhanced genomic instability, in particular in the daughter cells.

PMID- 28340408
TI  - Ongoing evolution of Pseudomonas aeruginosa PAO1 sublines complicates studies of
      DNA damage repair and tolerance.
AB  - Sublines of the major P. aeruginosa reference strain PAO1 are derivatives of the
      original PAO1 isolate, which are maintained in laboratories worldwide. These
      sublines display substantial genomic and phenotypic variation due to ongoing
      microevolution. Here, we examined four sublines, MPAO1, PAO1-L, PAO1-DSM and PAO1
      UT, originated from different laboratories, and six DNA polymerase-deficient
      mutants from the P. aeruginosa MPAO1 transposon library for their employment in
      elucidation of DNA damage repair and tolerance mechanisms in P. aeruginosa. We
      found that PAO1 subline PAO1-UT carries a large deletion encompassing the DNA
      damage inducible imuA-imuB-imuC cassette (PA0669-PA0671), which is implied in
      mutagenesis in several species. Furthermore, the genetic changes leading to
      variation in the functionality of the MexEF-OprN efflux system contributed
      largely to the phenotypic discordance between P. aeruginosa PAO1 sublines.
      Specifically, we identified multiple mutations in the mexT gene, which encodes a
      transcriptional regulator of the mexEF-oprN genes, mutations in the mexF, and
      complete absence of these genes. Of the four tested sublines, MPAO1 was the only
      subline with the functional MexEF-OprN multidrug efflux system. Active efflux
      through MexEF-OprN rendered MPAO1 highly resistant to chloramphenicol and
      ciprofloxacin. Moreover, the functions of specialized DNA polymerase IV and
      nucleotide excision repair (NER) in 4-NQO-induced DNA damage tolerance appeared
      to be masked in MPAO1, while were easily detectable in other sublines. Finally,
      the frequencies of spontaneous and MMS-induced Rifr mutations were also
      significantly lower in MPAO1 in comparison to the PAO1 sublines with impaired
      MexEF-OprN efflux system. The MexEF-OprN-attributed differences were also
      observed between MPAO1 and MPAO1-derived transposon mutants from the two-allele
      transposon mutant collection. Thus, the accumulating mutations and discordant
      phenotypes of the PAO1 derivatives challenge the reproducibility and
      comparability of the results obtained with different PAO1 sublines and also limit
      the usage of the MPAO1 transposon library in DNA damage tolerance and mutagenesis
      studies.

PMID- 28340409
TI  - Mitochondrial DNA damage and oxidative damage in HL-60 cells exposed to 900MHz
      radiofrequency fields.
AB  - HL-60 cells, derived from human promyelocytic leukemia, were exposed to
      continuous wave 900MHz radiofrequency fields (RF) at 120MUW/cm2 power intensity
      for 4h/day for 5 consecutive days to examine whether such exposure is capable
      damaging the mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) mediated through the production of
      reactive oxygen species (ROS). In addition, the effect of RF exposure was
      examined on 8-hydroxy-2'-dexoyguanosine (8-OHdG) which is a biomarker for
      oxidative damage and on the mitochondrial synthesis of adenosine triphosphate
      (ATP) which is the energy required for cellular functions. The results indicated
      a significant increase in ROS and significant decreases in mitochondrial
      transcription factor A, mtDNA polymerase gamma, mtDNA transcripts and mtDNA copy
      number in RF-exposed cells compared with those in sham-exposed control cells. In
      addition, there was a significant increase in 8-OHdG and a significant decrease
      in ATP in RF-exposed cells. The response in positive control cells exposed to
      gamma radiation (GR, which is also known to induce ROS) was similar to those in
      RF-exposed cells. Thus, the overall data indicated that RF exposure was capable
      of inducing mtDNA damage mediated through ROS pathway which also induced
      oxidative damage. Prior-treatment of RF- and GR-exposed the cells with melatonin,
      a well-known free radical scavenger, reversed the effects observed in RF-exposed
      cells.

PMID- 28340411
TI  - Synthesis and biological evaluation of novel chalcone derivatives as a new class
      of microtubule destabilizing agents.
AB  - A series of novel chalcone derivatives were designed and synthesized as potential
      antitumor agents. Structures of target molecules were confirmed by 1H NMR, 13C
      NMR and HR-MS, and evaluated for their in vitro anti-proliferative activities
      using MTT assay. Among them, compound 12k displayed potent activity against the
      test tumor cell lines including multidrug resistant human cancer lines, with the
      IC50 values ranged from 3.75 to 8.42 MUM. In addition, compound 12k was found to
      induce apoptosis in NCI-H460 cells via the mitochondrial pathway, including an
      increase of the ROS level, loss of mitochondrial membrane potential, release of
      cytochrome c, down-regulation of Bcl-2, up-regulation of Bax, activation of
      caspase-9 and caspase-3, respectively. Moreover, the cell cycle analysis
      indicated that 12k effectively caused cell cycle arrest at G2/M phase. The
      results of tubulin polymerization assay displayed that 12k could inhibit tubulin
      polymerization in vitro. Furthermore, molecular docking study indicated that 12k
      can be binding to the colchicine site of tubulin.

PMID- 28340410
TI  - Development of fusogenic glass surfaces that impart spatiotemporal control over
      macrophage fusion: Direct visualization of multinucleated giant cell formation.
AB  - Implantation of synthetic material, including vascular grafts, pacemakers, etc.
      results in the foreign body reaction and the formation of multinucleated giant
      cells (MGCs) at the exterior surface of the implant. Despite the long-standing
      premise that fusion of mononucleated macrophages results in the formation of
      MGCs, to date, no published study has shown fusion in context with living
      specimens. This is due to the fact that optical-quality glass, which is required
      for the majority of live imaging techniques, does not promote macrophage fusion.
      Consequently, the morphological changes that macrophages undergo during fusion as
      well as the mechanisms that govern this process remain ill-defined. In this
      study, we serendipitously identified a highly fusogenic glass surface and
      discovered that the capacity to promote fusion was due to oleamide contamination.
      When adsorbed on glass, oleamide and other molecules that contain long-chain
      hydrocarbons promoted high levels of macrophage fusion. Adhesion, an essential
      step for macrophage fusion, was apparently mediated by Mac-1 integrin
      (CD11b/CD18, alphaMbeta2) as determined by single cell force spectroscopy and
      adhesion assays. Micropatterned glass further increased fusion and enabled a
      remarkable degree of spatiotemporal control over MGC formation. Using these
      surfaces, we reveal the kinetics that govern MGC formation in vitro. We
      anticipate that the spatiotemporal control afforded by these surfaces will
      expedite studies designed to identify the mechanism(s) of macrophage fusion and
      MGC formation with implication for the design of novel biomaterials.

PMID- 28340412
TI  - Discovery of 2-substituted 1H-benzo[d]immidazole-4-carboxamide derivatives as
      novel poly(ADP-ribose)polymerase-1 inhibitors with in vivo anti-tumor activity.
AB  - Novel 1H-benzo[d]immidazole-4-carboxamide derivatives bearing five-membered or
      six-membered N-heterocyclic moieties at the 2-position were designed and
      synthesized as PARP-1 inhibitors. Structure-activity relationships were conducted
      and led to a number of potent PARP-1 inhibitors having IC50 values in the single
      or double digit nanomolar level. Some potent PARP-1 inhibitors also had similar
      inhibitory activities against PARP-2. Among all the synthesized compounds,
      compound 10a and 11e displayed strong potentiation effects on temozolomide (TMZ)
      in MX-1 cells (PF50 = 7.10, PF50 = 4.17). In vivo tumor growth inhibition was
      investigated using compound 10a in combination with TMZ, and it was demonstrated
      that compound 10a could strongly potentiate the cytotoxicity of TMZ in MX-1
      xenograft tumor model. Two co-crystal structures of compounds 11b and 15e
      complexed with PARP-1 were achieved and demonstrated a unique binding mode of
      these benzo-imidazole derivatives.

PMID- 28340413
TI  - Design, synthesis and biological evaluation of novel coumarin-based benzamides as
      potent histone deacetylase inhibitors and anticancer agents.
AB  - Histone deacetylases (HDACs) are attractive therapeutic targets for the treatment
      of cancer and other diseases. It has four classes (I-IV), among them especially
      class I isozyme are involved in promoting tumor cells proliferation,
      angiogenesis, differentiation, invasion and metastasis and also viable targets
      for cancer therapeutics. A novel series of coumarin-based benzamides was designed
      and synthesized as HDAC inhibitors. The cytotoxic activity of the synthesized
      compounds (8a-u) was evaluated against six human cancer cell lines including
      HCT116, A2780, MCF7, PC3, HL60 and A549 and a single normal cell line (Huvec). We
      evaluated their inhibitory activities against pan HDAC and HDAC1 isoform. Four
      compounds (8f, 8q, 8r and 8u) showed significant cytotoxicity with IC50 in the
      range of 0.53-57.59 MUM on cancer cells and potent pan-HDAC inhibitory activity
      (consists of HDAC isoenzymes) (IC50 = 0.80-14.81 MUM) and HDAC1 inhibitory
      activity (IC50 = 0.47-0.87 MUM and also, had no effect on Huvec (human normal
      cell line) viability (IC50 > 100 MUM). Among them, 8u displayed a higher potency
      for HDAC1 inhibition with IC50 value of 0.47 +/- 0.02 MUM near equal to the
      reference drug Entinostat (IC50 = 0.41 +/- 0.06 MUM). Molecular docking studies
      and Molecular dynamics simulation of compound 8a displayed possible mode of
      interaction between this compound and HDAC1enzyme.

PMID- 28340414
TI  - Intersection crash prediction modeling with macro-level data from various
      geographic units.
AB  - There have been great efforts to develop traffic crash prediction models for
      various types of facilities. The crash models have played a key role to identify
      crash hotspots and evaluate safety countermeasures. In recent, many macro-level
      crash prediction models have been developed to incorporate highway safety
      considerations in the long-term transportation planning process. Although the
      numerous macro-level studies have found that a variety of demographic and
      socioeconomic zonal characteristics have substantial effects on traffic safety,
      few studies have attempted to coalesce micro-level with macro-level data from
      existing geographic units for estimating crash models. In this study, the authors
      have developed a series of intersection crash models for total, severe,
      pedestrian, and bicycle crashes with macro-level data for seven spatial units.
      The study revealed that the total, severe, and bicycle crash models with ZIP-code
      tabulation area data performs the best, and the pedestrian crash models with
      census tract-based data outperforms the competing models. Furthermore, it was
      uncovered that intersection crash models can be drastically improved by only
      including random-effects for macro-level entities. Besides, the intersection
      crash models are even further enhanced by including other macro-level variables.
      Lastly, the pedestrian and bicycle crash modeling results imply that several
      macro-level variables (e.g., population density, proportions of specific age
      group, commuters who walk, or commuters using bicycle, etc.) can be a good
      surrogate exposure for those crashes.

PMID- 28340415
TI  - Uncertainty analysis for effluent trading planning using a Bayesian estimation
      based simulation-optimization modeling approach.
AB  - In this study, a Bayesian estimation-based simulation-optimization modeling
      approach (BESMA) is developed for identifying effluent trading strategies. BESMA
      incorporates nutrient fate modeling with soil and water assessment tool (SWAT),
      Bayesian estimation, and probabilistic-possibilistic interval programming with
      fuzzy random coefficients (PPI-FRC) within a general framework. Based on the
      water quality protocols provided by SWAT, posterior distributions of parameters
      can be analyzed through Bayesian estimation; stochastic characteristic of
      nutrient loading can be investigated which provides the inputs for the decision
      making. PPI-FRC can address multiple uncertainties in the form of intervals with
      fuzzy random boundaries and the associated system risk through incorporating the
      concept of possibility and necessity measures. The possibility and necessity
      measures are suitable for optimistic and pessimistic decision making,
      respectively. BESMA is applied to a real case of effluent trading planning in the
      Xiangxihe watershed, China. A number of decision alternatives can be obtained
      under different trading ratios and treatment rates. The results can not only
      facilitate identification of optimal effluent-trading schemes, but also gain
      insight into the effects of trading ratio and treatment rate on decision making.
      The results also reveal that decision maker's preference towards risk would
      affect decision alternatives on trading scheme as well as system benefit.
      Compared with the conventional optimization methods, it is proved that BESMA is
      advantageous in (i) dealing with multiple uncertainties associated with
      randomness and fuzziness in effluent-trading planning within a multi-source,
      multi-reach and multi-period context; (ii) reflecting uncertainties existing in
      nutrient transport behaviors to improve the accuracy in water quality prediction;
      and (iii) supporting pessimistic and optimistic decision making for effluent
      trading as well as promoting diversity of decision alternatives.

PMID- 28340416
TI  - Nonradical oxidation from electrochemical activation of peroxydisulfate at Ti/Pt
      anode: Efficiency, mechanism and influencing factors.
AB  - Electrochemical activation of peroxydisulfate (PDS) at Ti/Pt anode was
      systematically investigated for the first time in this work. The synergistic
      effect produced from the combination of electrolysis and the addition of PDS
      demonstrates that PDS can be activated at Ti/Pt anode. The selective oxidation
      towards carbamazepine (CBZ), sulfamethoxazole (SMX), propranolol (PPL), benzoic
      acid (BA) rather than atrazine (ATZ) and nitrobenzene (NB) was observed in
      electrochemical activation of PDS process. Moreover, addition of excess methanol
      or tert-butanol had negligible impact on CBZ (model compound) degradation,
      demonstrating that neither sulfate radical (SO4-) nor hydroxyl radical (HO) was
      produced in electrochemical activation of PDS process. Direct oxidation (PDS
      oxidation alone and electrolysis) and nonradical oxidation were responsible for
      the degradation of contaminants. The results of linear sweep voltammetry (LSV)
      and chronoamperometry suggest that electric discharge may integrate PDS molecule
      with anode surface into a unique transition state structure, which is responsible
      for the nonradical oxidation in electrochemical activation of PDS process.
      Adjustment of the solution pH from 1.0 to 7.0 had negligible effect on CBZ
      degradation. Increase of either PDS concentration or current density facilitated
      the degradation of CBZ. The presence of chloride ion (Cl-) significantly enhanced
      CBZ degradation, while addition of bicarbonate (HCO3-), phosphate (PO43-) and
      humic acid (HA) all inhibited CBZ degradation with the order of HA >> HCO3- >
      PO43-. The degradation products of CBZ and chlorinated products were also
      identified. Electrochemical activation of PDS at Ti/Pt anode may serve as a novel
      technology for selective oxidation of organic contaminants in water and soil.

PMID- 28340417
TI  - Interfacial interactions between Skeletonema costatum extracellular organic
      matter and metal oxides: Implications for ceramic membrane filtration.
AB  - In the current study, the interfacial interactions between the high molecular
      weight (HMW) compounds of Skeletonema costatum (SKC) extracellular organic matter
      (EOM) and ZrO2 or Al2O3, were investigated by atomic force microscopy (AFM). HMW
      SKC-EOM was rigorously characterized and described as a hydrophilic organic
      compound mainly comprised of polysaccharide-like structures. Lipids and proteins
      were also observed, although in lower abundance. HMW SKC-EOM displayed attractive
      forces during approaching (i.e., leading to jump-to-contact events) and adhesion
      forces during retracting regime to both metal oxides at all solution conditions
      tested, where electrostatics and hydrogen bonding were suggested as dominant
      interacting mechanisms. However, the magnitude of these forces was significantly
      higher on ZrO2 surfaces, irrespective of cation type (Na+ or Ca2+) or
      concentration. Interestingly, while HMW SKC-EOM interacting forces to Al2O3 were
      practically insensitive to solution chemistry, the interactions between ZrO2 and
      HMW SKC-EOM increased with increasing cation concentration in solution. The
      structure, and lower charge, hydrophilicity, and density of hydroxyl groups on
      ZrO2 surface would play a key role on favoring zirconia associations with HMW SKC
      EOM. The current results contribute to advance our fundamental understanding of
      Algogenic Organic Matter (AOM) interfacial interactions with metal oxides (i.e.,
      AOM membrane fouling), and would highly assist in the proper selection of
      membrane material during episodic algal blooms.

PMID- 28340418
TI  - Enantioselective reductive transformation of climbazole: A concept towards
      quantitative biodegradation assessment in anaerobic biological treatment
      processes.
AB  - An efficient chiral method-based using liquid chromatography-high resolution-mass
      spectrometry analytical method has been validated for the determination of
      climbazole (CBZ) enantiomers in wastewater and sludge with quantification limits
      below the 1 ng/L and 2 ng/g range, respectively. On the basis of this newly
      developed analytical method, the stereochemistry of CBZ was investigated over
      time in sludge biotic and sterile batch experiments under anoxic dark and light
      conditions and during wastewater biological treatment by subsurface flow
      constructed wetlands. CBZ stereoselective degradation was exclusively observed
      under biotic conditions, confirming the specificity of enantiomeric fraction
      variations to biodegradation processes. Abiotic CBZ enantiomerization was
      insignificant at circumneutral pH and CBZ was always biotransformed into CBZ
      alcohol due to the specific and enantioselective reduction of the ketone function
      of CBZ into a secondary alcohol function. This transformation was almost
      quantitative and biodegradation gave good first order kinetic fit for both
      enantiomers. The possibility to apply the Rayleigh equation to enantioselective
      CBZ biodegradation processes was investigated. The results of enantiomeric
      enrichment allowed for a quantitative assessment of in situ biodegradation
      processes due to a good fit (R2 > 0.96) of the anoxic/anaerobic CBZ
      biodegradation to the Rayleigh dependency in all the biotic microcosms and was
      also applied in subsurface flow constructed wetlands. This work extended the
      concept of applying the Rayleigh equation towards quantitative biodegradation
      assessment of organic contaminants to enantioselective processes operating under
      anoxic/anaerobic conditions.

PMID- 28340419
TI  - Photolytic degradation of the beta-blocker nebivolol in aqueous solution.
AB  - Nebivolol (NEB) is one of the top-sold prescription drugs belonging to the third
      generation of beta-blockers. However, so far, occurrence data in the environment
      are lacking. Within this study NEB has been found for the first time in effluent
      samples of wastewater treatment plants in Germany with an average concentration
      of 13 ng L-1. Its photodegradation behavior in the environment and in technical
      processes is largely unknown. To fill this gap, three different UV treatment
      procedures (UV-C at 254 nm, UV-B at 312 nm and UV-A at 365 nm) were investigated
      in three different matrices: pure water, pure water in presence of the hydroxyl
      radical (OH) scavenger tert.-butanol and real wastewater. No elimination was
      observed during UV-A treatment. In contrast, NEB degradation during UV-B and UV-C
      treatment followed pseudo first order reaction kinetics, with highest removal
      rate during UV-C treatment in pure water (k = 7.8 * 10-4 s-1). The rate constant
      for UV-C irradiation decreased to 2.9 * 10-4 s-1 in the presence of the OH
      scavenger and in the presence of the wastewater matrix. The rate constant for the
      UV-B lamp was 4.4 * 10-4 s-1, Three transformation products were identified after
      UV-B and UV-C photolytic degradation using high resolution mass spectrometry. The
      main photoreaction is the substitution of the fluorine atoms of NEB by hydroxyl
      groups. A photolytic cleavage of the CF bond can be excluded as the high bond
      dissociation energy of aromatic CF bonds (525 kJ mol-1), exceeds the energy of
      electromagnetic radiation applied in the present study (>=254 nm, i.e., max. 471
      kJ E-1). The quantum yields for NEB degradation for the UV-C lamp achieved in
      pure water, the OH scavenged system and wastewater matrix were Phideg = 0.53,
      0.19 and 0.22, respectively. For UV-B Phideg was 0.023 +/- 0.003, noticeable
      differences in quantum yield were not found. The photooxidation involves reactive
      oxygen species such as superoxide and singlet oxygen. These oxidative species may
      be formed upon reaction of photo-excited NEB with oxygen.

PMID- 28340420
TI  - Extended anaerobic conditions in the biological wastewater treatment: Higher
      reduction of toxicity compared to target organic micropollutants.
AB  - Extended anaerobic conditions during biological wastewater treatment may enhance
      the biodegradation of micropollutants. To explore this, we combined iron-reducing
      or substrate-limited anaerobic conditions and aerobic pilot-scale reactors
      directly at a wastewater treatment plant. To investigate the detoxification by
      these processes, we applied two in vitro bioassays for baseline toxicity
      (Microtox) and reactive toxicity (AREc32) as well as in vivo bioassays with
      aquatic model species in two laboratory experiments (Desmodesmus subspicatus,
      Daphnia magna) and two on-site, flow-through experiments (Potamopyrgus
      antipodarum, Lumbriculus variegatus). Moreover, we analyzed 31 commonly occurring
      micropollutants and 10 metabolites. The baseline toxicity of raw wastewater was
      effectively removed in full-scale and reactor scale activated sludge treatment
      (>85%), while the oxidative stress response was only partially removed (>61%). A
      combination of an anaerobic pre-treatment under iron reducing conditions and an
      aerobic nitrification significantly further reduced the residual in vitro
      toxicities by 46-60% and outperformed the second combination consisting of an
      aerobic pre-treatment and an anaerobic post-treatment under substrate-limiting
      conditions (27-43%). Exposure to effluents of the activated sludge treatment did
      not induce adverse in vivo effects in aquatic invertebrates. Accordingly, no
      further improvement in water quality could be observed. Compared to that, the
      removal of persistent micropollutants was increased. However, this observation
      was restricted to a limited number of compounds and the removal of the sum
      concentration of all target micropollutants was relative low (14-17%). In
      conclusion, combinations of strictly anaerobic and aerobic processes
      significantly enhanced the removal of specific and non-specific in vitro
      toxicities. Thus, an optimization of biological wastewater treatment can lead to
      a substantially improved detoxification. These otherwise hidden capacities of a
      treatment technology can only be uncovered by a complementary biological
      analysis.

PMID- 28340422
TI  - The clinicopathologic relevance of RECK gene polymorphisms in ameloblastoma.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: To investigate the relationship between RECK gene polymorphisms and
      the clinicopathologic features of ameloblastoma. DESIGN: Normal gingival mucosa
      specimens were obtained from 10 healthy volunteers. Ameloblastomas were
      surgically removed from 30 patients and part of the tumor specimens were used to
      detect RECK gene polymorphisms by using PCR-single-strand conformation
      polymorphism (PCR-SSCP) and DNA sequencing analysis. Expression of RECK and MMP-9
      protein was measured using western blot. RESULTS: The overall SNP rate was 46.7%
      (14/30). Four polymorphisms were detected in exon 9, 11, 13, 15 of the RECK gene:
      two synonymous (P520P and R625R) and two missense SNPs (V275I and I395V). RECK
      protein expression in specimens with minor RECK SNPs was lower than that in
      specimens without RECK SNPs (P<0.05), and, RECK protein expression in specimens
      with and without RECK SNPs was lower than that in the normal gingiva specimens
      (P<0.05). MMP-9 protein expression in specimens with minor RECK SNPs was higher
      than that in specimens without RECK SNPs (P<0.05), and MMP-9 protein expression
      in specimens with and without RECK SNPs was higher than that in normal gingiva
      specimens (P<0.05). RECK gene polymorphisms were closely associated with active
      proliferation, capsular invasion, and clinical recurrence of ameloblastoma.
      CONCLUSION: The rs16932912(G/A) SNP in the RECK gene was closely associated with
      active proliferation, capsular invasion, and clinical recurrence of
      ameloblastoma. RECK protein expression was closely associated with the presence
      of the rs16932912(G/A) SNP.

PMID- 28340421
TI  - Cannabis use patterns and motives: A comparison of younger, middle-aged, and
      older medical cannabis dispensary patients.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: Medical cannabis is increasingly being used for a variety of health
      conditions as more states implement legislation permitting medical use of
      cannabis. Little is known about medical cannabis use patterns and motives among
      adults across the lifespan. METHODS: The present study examined data collected at
      a medical cannabis dispensary in San Francisco, California. Participants included
      217 medical cannabis patients who were grouped into age-defined cohorts (younger:
      18-30, middle-aged: 31-50, and older: 51-72). The age groups were compared on
      several measures of cannabis use, motives and medical conditions using one-way
      ANOVAs, chi-square tests and linear regression analyses. RESULTS: All three age
      groups had similar frequency of cannabis use over the past month; however, the
      quantity of cannabis used and rates of problematic cannabis use were higher among
      younger users relative to middle-aged and older adults. The association between
      age and problematic cannabis use was moderated by age of regular use initiation
      such that earlier age of regular cannabis use onset was associated with more
      problematic use in the younger users, but not among older users. Middle-aged
      adults were more likely to report using medical cannabis for insomnia, while
      older adults were more likely to use medical cannabis for chronic medical
      problems such as cancer, glaucoma and HIV/AIDS. Younger participants reported
      cannabis use when bored at a greater rate than middle-aged and older adults.
      CONCLUSIONS: Findings suggest that there is an age-related risk for problematic
      cannabis use among medical cannabis users, such that younger users should be
      monitored for cannabis use patterns that may lead to deleterious consequences.

PMID- 28340423
TI  - Carbon nanotube-impeded transport of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs in
      Xiangjiang sediments.
AB  - Carbon nanotubes (CNTs), usually with a superior affinity with organic chemicals,
      are expected to ultimately released to the environment through their
      manufacturing, usage, and eventual disposal, which will influence the mobility
      and environmental risk of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs). In this
      study, batch and column experiments were performed to examine the effects of two
      kinds of multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs: MWCNT2040, MWCNT0815) and one
      kind of single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs) on the environmental fate of two
      NSAIDs, paracetamol (PA) and diclofenac sodium (DS), in sediments. Impact ways of
      CNTs including addition in inflow and mixing with sediments were investigated.
      The adsorption capacity of NSAIDs on sediments increased with increasing
      CNTs/sediments ratios and in an order of MWCNT2040<MTWCNT0815<SWCNT. In column
      tests, PA showed a higher mobility than DS. With CNTs in inflow, the amounts of
      NSAIDs leached from sediment columns reduced because of the association with
      CNTs. For the sediment columns mixed with CNTs, breakthrough of the two NSAIDs
      was dramatically retarded, and the NSAIDs were hard to separate from CNT-polluted
      sediments. Our work provides useful insights into fate, transport and risk
      assessment of NSAIDs in the presence of CNTs.

PMID- 28340424
TI  - Less money, more problems: How changes in disposable income affect child
      maltreatment.
AB  - A number of research studies have documented an association between child
      maltreatment and family income. Yet, little is known about the specific types of
      economic shocks that affect child maltreatment rates. The paucity of information
      is troubling given that more than six million children are reported for
      maltreatment annually in the U.S. alone. This study examines whether an exogenous
      shock to families' disposable income, a change in the price of gasoline, predicts
      changes in child maltreatment. The findings of a fixed-effects regression show
      that increases in state-level gas prices are associated with increases in state
      level child maltreatment referral rates, even after controlling for demographic
      and other economic variables. The results are robust to the manner of estimation;
      random-effects and mixed-effects regressions produce similar estimates. The
      findings suggest that fluctuations in the price of gas may have important
      consequences for children.

PMID- 28340425
TI  - Increased nucleus accumbens volume in first-episode psychosis.
AB  - Nucleus accumbens has been reported as a key structure in the neurobiology of
      schizophrenia. Studies analyzing structural abnormalities have shown conflicting
      results, possibly related to confounding factors. We investigated the nucleus
      accumbens volume using manual delimitation in first-episode psychosis (FEP)
      controlling for age, cannabis use and medication. Thirty-one FEP subjects who
      were naive or minimally exposed to antipsychotics and a control group were MRI
      scanned and clinically assessed from baseline to 6 months of follow-up. FEP
      showed increased relative and total accumbens volumes. Clinical correlations with
      negative symptoms, duration of untreated psychosis and cannabis use were not
      significant.

PMID- 28340426
TI  - Porcine parvovirus induces activation of NF-kappaB signaling pathways in PK-15
      cells mediated by toll-like receptors.
AB  - Porcine parvovirus (PPV) is a pathogenic factor that primarily induces severe
      reproductive failure of pregnant swine, which results in extensive losses to the
      swine industry worldwide. In this study, a potential mechanism of PPV-induced
      activation of the nuclear transcription factor-kappaB (NF-kappaB) by infection in
      porcine kidney cells (PK-15) was elucidated for the first time. The subcellular
      localization of p65 analyzed by immunofluorescence assay (IFA) showed that PPV
      infection induced p65 translocation from the cytoplasm to the nucleus. p65
      phosphorylation was detected in PK-15 cells with progression of PPV infection. NF
      kappaB-regulated gene expression was enhanced in a viral dose-dependent manner
      using the NF-kappaB luciferase reporter assay system. Furthermore, PPV-induced NF
      kappaB activation was closely related to the inhibitory kappa B alpha
      (IkappaBalpha) degradation. Treatment with a NF-kappaB-specific inhibitor
      demonstrated that the production of PPV progeny viruses was enhanced to some
      extent. In addition, these results demonstrated that the adapter molecule TIR
      domain-containing adapter inducing IFN-beta (TRIF) and myeloid differentiation
      primary-response protein 88 (MyD88)-dependent signaling pathways were involved in
      PPV-induced NF-kappaB activation. Together, these results provide evidence that
      the toll-like receptor (TLR) pathway participates in recognition of PPV and
      induction of NF-kappaB activation, and add to understanding of the molecular
      mechanisms underlying PPV infection.

PMID- 28340427
TI  - Identification and characterization of a beta-defensin gene involved in the
      immune defense response of channel catfish, Ictalurus punctatus.
AB  - Antimicrobial peptides are small peptides that play important roles in a host's
      innate immune response. As an important antimicrobial peptide, beta-defensin
      widely distribute in mammals, insects and plants with broad-spectrum
      antimicrobial activity. In this study, the beta-defensin gene of the channel
      catfish, Ictalurus punctatus, was cloned, sequenced, and subjected to a
      bioinformatic analysis. The beta-defensin gene of the channel catfish contains
      three exons and two introns, and encodes a precursor peptide consisting of two
      domains: a signal peptide of 24 amino acid residues and a mature peptide of 43
      amino acid residues. The mature peptide is estimated to have a molecular mass of
      7.1kDa and a theoretical isoelectric point of 8.21. Channel catfish beta-defensin
      (ccBD) has six conserved cysteine residues, forming three disulfide bridges at C1
      C5, C2-C4, and C3-C6, and a beta-sheet in the predicted three-dimensional
      structure. A phylogenetic analysis suggests that ccBD belongs to the type 1 beta
      defensins. Real-time quantitative PCR showed that channel catfish beta-defensin
      transcripts are constitutively expressed in various tissues in healthy fish, with
      highest expression in the skin. The expression of ccBD in vivo increased
      significantly in the head kidney (2.9-fold), gill (2.2-fold), and skin (6.6-fold)
      at 48h after bacterial (Edwardsiella ictaluri) challenge. In vitro,
      lipopolysaccharide (LPS), a bacterial mimic, induced significant changes in ccBD
      expression in leukocytes from the spleen (3.4-fold) and head kidney (3.9-fold)
      24h after stimulation. Chemically synthesized ccBD displayed marked inhibitory
      activity against a broad range of bacteria. These results suggest that ccBD is
      involved in the innate antibacterial defenses of the channel catfish.

PMID- 28340428
TI  - Vaccination as a control strategy against Salmonella infection in pigs: A
      systematic review and meta-analysis of the literature.
AB  - Consumption or handling of improperly processed or cooked pork is considered one
      of the top sources for foodborne salmonellosis, a common cause of intestinal
      disease worldwide. Asymptomatic carrier pigs may contaminate pork at
      slaughtering; therefore, pre-harvest reduction of Salmonella load can contribute
      to reduce public health risk. Multiple studies have evaluated the impact of
      vaccination on controlling Salmonella in swine farms, but results are highly
      variable due to the heterogeneity in vaccines and vaccination protocols. Here, we
      report the results of an inclusive systematic review and a meta-analysis of the
      peer-reviewed scientific literature to provide updated knowledge on the potential
      effectiveness of Salmonella vaccination. A total of 126 articles describing the
      use of Salmonella vaccines in swine were identified, of which 44 fulfilled the
      inclusion criteria. Most of the studies (36/44) used live vaccines, and S.
      Typhimurium and S. Choleraesuis were the predominant serotypes evaluated. Vaccine
      efficacy was most often measured through bacteriological isolation, and pooled
      estimates of vaccine efficacy were obtained as the difference in the percentage
      of positive animals when available. Attenuated and inactivated vaccines had
      similar efficacy [Risk Difference=-26.8% (-33.8, -19.71) and -29.5% (-44.4, 
      14.5), respectively]. No serotype effect was observed on the efficacy recorded
      for attenuated vaccines; however, a higher efficacy of inactivated vaccines
      against S. Choleraesuis was observed, though in a reduced sample. Results from
      the meta-analysis here demonstrate the impact that vaccination may have on the
      control of Salmonella in swine farms and could help in the design of programs to
      minimize the risk of transmission of certain serotypes through the food chain.

PMID- 28340429
TI  - Simple index of functional connectivity at rest in Multiple Sclerosis fatigue.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: To investigate the EEG-derived functional connectivity at rest (FCR)
      patterns of fatigued Multiple Sclerosis (MS) patients in order to find good
      parameters for a future EEG-Neurofeedback intervention to reduce their fatigue
      symptoms. METHODS: We evaluated FCR between hemispheric homologous areas, via
      spectral coherence between pairs of corresponding left and right bipolar
      derivations, in the Theta, Alpha and Beta bands. We estimated FCR in 18MS
      patients with different levels of fatigue and minimal clinical severity and in 11
      age and gender matched healthy controls. We used correlation analysis to assess
      the relationship between the fatigue scores and the FCR values differing between
      fatigued MS patients and controls. RESULTS: Among FCR values differing between
      fatigued MS patients and controls, fatigue symptoms increased with higher Beta
      temporo-parietal FCR (p=0.00004). Also, positive correlations were found between
      the fatigue levels and the fronto-frontal FCR in Beta and Theta bands (p=0.0002
      and p=0.001 respectively). CONCLUSION: We propose that a future EEG-Neurofeedback
      system against MS fatigue would train patients to decrease voluntarily the beta
      coherence between the homologous temporo-parietal areas. SIGNIFICANCE: We
      extracted a feature for building an EEG-Neurofeedback system against fatigue in
      MS.

PMID- 28340430
TI  - Bilateral sequential motor cortex stimulation and skilled task performance with
      non-dominant hand.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: To check whether bilateral sequential stimulation (BSS) of M1 with
      theta burst stimulation (TBS), using facilitatory protocol over non-dominant M1
      followed by inhibitory one over dominant M1, can improve skilled task performance
      with non-dominant hand more than either of the unilateral stimulations do. Both,
      direct motor cortex (M1) facilitatory non-invasive brain stimulation (NIBS) and
      contralateral M1 inhibitory NIBS were shown to improve motor learning. METHODS:
      Forty right-handed healthy subjects were divided into 4 matched groups which
      received either ipsilateral facilitatory (intermittent TBS [iTBS] over non
      dominant M1), contralateral inhibitory (continuous TBS [cTBS] over dominant M1),
      bilateral sequential (contralateral cTBS followed by ipsilateral iTBS), or
      placebo stimulation. Performance was evaluated by Purdue peg-board test (PPT),
      before (T0), immediately after (T1), and 30min after (T2) an intervention.
      RESULTS: In all groups and for both hands, the PPT scores increased at T1 and T2
      in comparison to T0, showing clear learning effect. However, for the target non
      dominant hand only, immediately after BSS (at T1) the PPT scores improved
      significantly more than after either of unilateral interventions or placebo.
      CONCLUSION: M1 BSS TBS is an effective intervention for improving motor
      performance. SIGNIFICANCE: M1 BSS TBS seems as a promising tool for motor
      learning improvement with potential uses in neurorehabilitation.

PMID- 28340431
TI  - Utility of repetitive nerve stimulation test for ALS diagnosis.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: Decremental responses in the repetitive nerve stimulation (RNS) test
      in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) patients have been reported, although
      their possible diagnostic role has received little investigation. We investigated
      their diagnostic role in differentiation between ALS and cervical spondylotic
      amyotrophy (CSA), an important ALS mimic especially in Japan. METHODS: Patients
      were prospectively enrolled and the diagnosis was confirmed by follow-up. RNS was
      performed on the abductor pollicis brevis (APB), upper trapezius (trapezius) and
      deltoid muscles. RESULTS: Enrolled subjects consisted of 53 ALS and 37 CSA
      patients. Abnormal decremental responses (>5%) were observed in 32%, 51% and 75%
      of ALS patients and 3%, 0% and 20% of CSA patients for the APB, trapezius and
      deltoid muscles, respectively. The sensitivity for 23 ALS patients with upper
      limb onset was 78% for the trapezius and 100% for the deltoid muscles.
      CONCLUSIONS: An abnormal decremental response in the trapezius muscle was 100%
      specific to ALS in comparison with CSA: abnormal decrement in this muscle would
      strongly suggest ALS. No decrement in the deltoid muscle might exclude ALS in
      patients having symptoms with upper-limb onset. SIGNIFICANCE: RNS is useful in
      differentiation between ALS and CSA.

PMID- 28340432
TI  - Reorganization of anterior and posterior hippocampal networks associated with
      memory performance in mesial temporal lobe epilepsy.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: To investigate the pattern of functional demarcation of hippocampal
      network and its relationship with memory performance in mesial temporal lobe
      epilepsy (mTLE) with unilateral hippocampal sclerosis. METHODS: Resting state
      fMRI data were acquired from fifteen left mTLE patients, fourteen right mTLE
      patients and twenty healthy subjects. We explore the hippocampal-cortical
      alterations and corresponding inter-hemispheric functional connectivity (FC)
      across anterior and posterior hippocampal networks. The association between FC
      and memory performance was assessed. RESULTS: Left mTLE showed increased intra
      hemispheric FC in anterior hippocampal networks, including left anterior
      hippocampal-entorhinal cortex and right anterior hippocampal-orbitofrontal
      cortex, and decreased inter-hemispheric FC between anterior hippocampus,
      entorhinal cortex and posterior cingulate cortex. Right mTLE was associated with
      extensive reduction in inter-hemispheric FC along the areas of anterior and
      posterior hippocampal networks. Intra-hemispheric FC between left anterior
      hippocampus and entorhinal cortex was positively correlated with verbal memory in
      left mTLE. Inter-hemispheric FC between posterior parahippocampal gyrus was
      negatively correlated with verbal memory in right mTLE. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings
      suggested that left and right mTLE exhibit different neural reorganization
      patterns of anterior and posterior hippocampal networks associated with verbal
      memory. SIGNIFICANCE: The findings may facilitate the characterization of mTLE
      associated with memory deficit.

PMID- 28340433
TI  - Feasibility of carbon dioxide sequestration by Spongiochloris sp microalgae
      during petroleum wastewater treatment in airlift bioreactor.
AB  - The aim of this work was to study the ability of using Hydrocabonoclastic native
      microbial and Spongiochloris sp microalgae in airlift bioreactors couples in
      order to restore hydrocarbons wastewater and develop the capacity of natural
      systems to reduce greenhouse effect through maximal control of CO2 gas emission
      in atmosphere. The kinetic parameters of CO2 gas fixation level and conversion it
      into biological material by microalgae as the biodegradation process effect in
      hydrocarbon have been evaluated. The result present that maximum specific growth
      rate MUmax of Spongiochloris sp was (0.87+/-0.04day-1) and the biomass
      productivity Pmax was attended (1.5+/-0.3gL-1day-1) with maximal CO2 biofixation
      rate RCO2 (2.9205gL-1day-1). At 30 degrees C and pH (7.6-7.4) the bioreactor
      showed a good wastewater removal efficiency (99.18%) in total hydrocarbons with
      COD stabilized within (1.30g/L), this result obtained suggesting that, the
      bioreactor applied system represented a useful strategy for maximizing CO2 bio
      mitigation.

PMID- 28340434
TI  - Potentially direct interspecies electron transfer of methanogenesis for
      syntrophic metabolism under sulfate reducing conditions with stainless steel.
AB  - Direct interspecies electron transfer (DIET) is an alternative to syntrophic
      metabolism in natural carbon cycle as well as in anaerobic digesters, but its
      function in anaerobic treatment of sulfate-containing wastewater have not yet to
      be described. Here, conductive stainless steel was added into anaerobic digesters
      for treating sulfate-containing wastewater to investigate the potential role of
      DIET in the response to the sulfate impact. Results showed that adding the
      conductive stainless steel made the anaerobic digestion less affected by the
      sulfate reduction than adding insulative plastic material. With adding stainless
      steel, methane production of the digesters increased by 7.5%-24.6%. Microbial
      analysis showed that the dissimilatory Fe (III) reducers like Geobacter species
      were enriched on the surface of the stainless steel. These results implied that
      the potential DIET of methanogenesis was established associating with stainless
      steel to outcompete the sulfate reduction.

PMID- 28340435
TI  - Optimization of hydrogen dispersion in thermophilic up-flow reactors for ex situ
      biogas upgrading.
AB  - This study evaluates the efficiency of four novel up-flow reactors for ex situ
      biogas upgrading converting externally provided CO2 and H2 to CH4, via
      hydrogenotrophic methanogenesis. The gases were injected through stainless steel
      diffusers combined with alumina ceramic sponge or through alumina ceramic
      membranes. Pore size, input gas loading and gas recirculation flow rate were
      modulated to optimize gas-liquid mass transfer, and thus methanation efficiency.
      Results showed that larger pore size diffusion devices achieved the best kinetics
      and output-gas quality converting all the injected H2 and CO2, up to
      3.6L/LREACTOR.d H2 loading rate. Specifically, reactors' CH4 content increased
      from 23 to 96% and the CH4 yield reached 0.25LCH4/LH2. High throughput 16S rRNA
      gene sequencing revealed predominance of bacteria belonging to Anaerobaculum
      genus and to uncultured order MBA08. Additionally, the massive increase of
      hydrogenotrophic methanogens, such as Methanothermobacter thermautotrophicus, and
      syntrophic bacteria demonstrates the selection-effect of H2 on community
      composition.

PMID- 28340436
TI  - A comparative study on biochemical methane potential of algal substrates:
      Implications of biomass pre-treatment and product extraction.
AB  - Dried powdered algae (SDPA), heat treated algae (MHTA), lipid extracted algae
      (LEA) and protein extracted algae (PEA) were digested to determine biomethane
      potential. The average CH4 production rate was ~2.5-times higher for protein and
      lipid extracted algae than for whole algae (SDPA and MHTA) whilst the cumulative
      CH4 production was higher for pre-treated algae. Highest cumulative CH4
      production (318.7mlCH4g-1VS) was observed for MHTA followed by SDPA (307.4mlCH4g
      1VS). CH4/CO2 ratios of 1.5 and 0.7 were observed for MHTA and LEA respectively.
      Pre-treatment processes disrupted the algal cell wall, exposing intracellular
      material which remained intact as opposed to product extraction processes which
      broke down the intracellular compounds resulting in changes in elemental
      composition and decreases the cumulative gas yield and CH4/CO2 ratio. Comparative
      analysis determined that the most profitable route of biomass utilisation was
      protein extraction followed by biogas production giving ~2.5-times higher return
      on investment.

PMID- 28340437
TI  - Assessment of microalga biofilms for simultaneous remediation and biofuel
      generation in mine tailings water.
AB  - Microalgae crops can generate a biochemical profile of high energy density and
      may be used for remediation of contaminated waste waters. This manuscript
      presents a laboratory-scale investigation into the potential for growing endemic
      microalgae biofilms in phosphorus-enriched nickel refinery tailings water, with
      an emphasis on product potential and the remediation of heavy metals. The
      dominant species of the consortia was a Chlorella-like microalga. The growth was
      monitored over time, with a productivity (0.77+/-0.07gAFDW.m-2.day-1) showing
      promising potential. The biochemical profile of biomass had a high total
      carbohydrate yield (40.0%), and a potential for increased lipid yields (6.7
      19.5%). Biofilms showed a significant potential for the removal of heavy metals
      (Ni, Co, Mn, Sr) from the waste water with 24.8%, 10.5%, 24.8% and 26.4%
      reduction in Ni, Co, Mn and Sr, respectively. Results highlight significant
      potential for large-scale biofilm biomass production using metal-laden nickel
      refinery waste waters.

PMID- 28340438
TI  - Long-term stability and nutrient removal efficiency of aerobic granules at low
      organic loads.
AB  - The feasibility of application of aerobic granular sludge cultivated with high
      organic loads for biological nutrient removal (BNR) from low-strength wastewater
      was studied. Granules obtained with high-strength (COD=1400mg/L) wastewater were
      fed with medium (COD=700mg/L) and then low-strength (COD=400mg/L) wastewater. The
      granules rapidly acclimated to the medium-strength wastewater. However, feeding
      with low-strength wastewater reduced the F/M ratio from 0.4 to 0.2gCOD/gVSSd and
      granules disintegration occurred. Re-granulation was obtained after poor settling
      biomass was washed out and the F/M ratio reached 0.4gCOD/gVSSd. Disintegration of
      granules coincided with the decrease in extracellular polymeric substances (EPS)
      content and protein-to-carbohydrate ratio and re-granulation was assisted with
      the increase in EPS and protein-to-carbohydrate ratio. The results indicated that
      cultivation of aerobic granules with high organic loads and its implication for
      BNR treatment of low-strength wastewater while balancing the F/M ratio can be an
      alternative to reduce start-up period.

PMID- 28340439
TI  - Co-production of functional xylooligosaccharides and fermentable sugars from
      corncob with effective acetic acid prehydrolysis.
AB  - A novel and green approach for the coproduction of xylooligosaccharides (XOS), in
      terms of a series of oligosaccharide components from xylobiose to xylohexose, and
      fermentable sugars was developed using the prehydrolysis of acetic acid that was
      fully recyclable and environmentally friendly, followed by enzymatic hydrolysis.
      Compared to hydrochloric acid and sulfuric acid, acetic acid hydrolysis provided
      the highest XOS yield of 45.91% and the highest enzymatic hydrolysis yield. More
      than 91% conversion of cellulose was achieved in a batch-hydrolysis using only a
      cellulase loading of 20FPU/g cellulose and even a high solid loading of 20%
      without any special strategies. The acetic acid pretreated corncob should be
      washed adequately before saccharification to achieve complete hydrolysis.
      Consequently, a mass balance analysis showed that 139.8g XOS, 328.1g glucose,
      25.1g cellobiose, and 147.8g xylose were produced from 1000g oven dried raw
      corncob.

PMID- 28340440
TI  - Bioaugmentation with hydrolytic microbes to improve the anaerobic
      biodegradability of lignocellulosic agricultural residues.
AB  - Bioaugmentation with hydrolytic microbes was applied to improve the methane yield
      of bioreactors fed with agricultural wastes. The efficiency of Clostridium
      thermocellum and Melioribacter roseus to degrade lignocellulosic matter was
      evaluated in batch and continuously stirred tank reactors (CSTRs). Results from
      batch assays showed that C. thermocellum enhanced the methane yield by 34%. A
      similar increase was recorded in CSTR during the bioaugmentation period; however,
      at steady-state the effect was noticeably lower (7.5%). In contrast, the
      bioaugmentation with M. roseus did not promote markedly the anaerobic
      biodegradability, as the methane yield was increased up to 10% in batch and no
      effect was shown in CSTR. High-throughput 16S rRNA amplicon sequencing was used
      to assess the effect of bioaugmentation strategies on bacterial and archaeal
      populations. The microbial analysis revealed that both strains were not markedly
      resided into biogas microbiome. Additionally, the applied strategies did not
      alter significantly the microbial communities.

PMID- 28340441
TI  - Type D personality, stress coping strategies and self-efficacy as predictors of
      Facebook intrusion.
AB  - Recently, Facebook has become one of the most popular social networking sites.
      People use it more and more often. A number of studies have recently addressed
      the issue of excessive Facebook use, showing this phenomenon to be a spreading
      problem. The main aim of the present study was to examine whether Type D
      personality, self-efficacy and coping strategies are related to Facebook
      intrusion. The participants were 882 students of Polish universities, all of them
      Facebook users (72% women, mean age: 22.25 years, SD =2.06). We used the Facebook
      Intrusion Questionnaire, the Facebook Intensity Scale, the General Self-Efficacy
      Scale, the Coping Inventory for Stressful Situations, and the Type D Scale. We
      applied the pen-and-paper procedure. Our results indicate that emotion-oriented
      and avoidance-oriented strategies of coping in stressful situations are
      predictors of Facebook intrusion and Facebook intensity. The relations between
      both Facebook intrusion and intensity and social inhibition are significant only
      when emotion-oriented coping strategy is controlled. The knowledge of whether
      coping strategies in stressful situations, such as focus on emotions or
      avoidance, are related to Facebook intrusion might be useful for clinical
      purposes.

PMID- 28340443
TI  - Quantitative EEG abnormalities in major depressive disorder with basal ganglia
      stroke with lesions in different hemispheres.
AB  - BACKGROUND: This study aimed to examine the aberrant EEG oscillation in major
      depressive subjects with basal ganglia stroke with lesions in different
      hemispheres. METHODS: Resting EEG of 16 electrodes in 58 stroke subjects, 26 of
      whom had poststroke depression (13 with left-hemisphere lesion and 13 with right)
      and 32 of whom did not (18 with left lesion and 14 with right), was recorded to
      obtain spectral power analysis for several frequency bands. Multiple analysis of
      variance and receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves were used to identify
      differences between poststroke depression (PSD) and poststroke non-depression
      (PSND), treating the different lesion hemispheres separately. Moreover, Pearson
      linear correlation analysis was conducted to test the severity of depressive
      symptoms and EEG indices. RESULTS: PSD with left-hemisphere lesion showed
      increased beta2 power in frontal and central areas, but PSD with right-hemisphere
      lesion showed increased theta and alpha power mainly in occipital and temporal
      regions. Additionally, for left-hemisphere lesions, beta2 power in central and
      right parietal regions provided high discrimination between PSD and PSND, and for
      right-hemisphere lesions, theta power was similarly discriminative in most
      regions, especially temporal regions. We also explored the association between
      symptoms of depression and the power of abnormal bands, but we found no such
      relationship. LIMITATIONS: The sample size was relatively small and included
      subjects with different lesions of the basal ganglia. CONCLUSIONS: The aberrant
      EEG oscillation in subjects with PSD differs between subjects with lesions of the
      left and right hemispheres, suggesting a complex association between depression
      and lesion location in stroke patients.

PMID- 28340442
TI  - Neurocognitive performance as an endophenotype for mood disorder subgroups.
AB  - BACKGROUND: There is growing evidence that neurocognitive function may be an
      endophenotype for mood disorders. The goal of this study is to examine the
      specificity and familiality of neurocognitive functioning across the full range
      of mood disorder subgroups, including Bipolar I (BP-I), Bipolar II (BP-II), Major
      Depressive Disorders (MDD), and controls in a community-based family study.
      METHODS: A total of 310 participants from 137 families with mood spectrum
      disorders (n=151) and controls (n=159) completed the University of Pennsylvania's
      Computerized Neurocognitive Battery (CNB) that assessed the accuracy and speed of
      task performance across five domains. Mixed effects regression models tested
      association and familiality. RESULTS: Compared to those without mood disorders,
      participants with BP-I had increased accuracy in complex cognition, while
      participants with MDD were more accurate in emotion recognition. There was also a
      significant familial association for accuracy of complex cognition. Mood disorder
      subgroups did not differ in performance speed in any of the domains. LIMITATIONS:
      The small number of BP-I cases, and family size limited the statistical power of
      these analyses, and the cross-sectional assessment of neurocognitive function
      precluded our ability to determine whether performance precedes or post dates
      onset of disorder. CONCLUSIONS: This is one of the few community-based family
      studies of potential neurocognitive endophenotypes that includes the full range
      of mood disorder subgroups. There were few differences in neurocognitive function
      except enhanced accuracy in specific domains among those with BP-I and MDD. The
      differential findings across specific mood disorder subgroups substantiate their
      heterogeneity in other biologic and endophenotypic domains.

PMID- 28340444
TI  - Comparative effectiveness of dual-action versus single-action antidepressants for
      the treatment of depression in people living with HIV/AIDS.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Depression is the most common psychiatric comorbidity among people
      living with HIV/AIDS (PLWHA). Little is known about the comparative effectiveness
      between different types of antidepressants used to treat depression in this
      population. We compared the effectiveness of dual-action and single-action
      antidepressants in PLWHA for achieving remission from depression. METHODS: We
      used data from the Centers for AIDS Research Network of Integrated Clinic Systems
      to identify 1175 new user dual-action or single-action antidepressant treatment
      episodes occurring from 2005 to 2014 for PLWHA diagnosed with depression. The
      primary outcome was remission from depression defined as a Patient Health
      Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9) score <5. Mean difference in PHQ-9 depressive symptom
      severity was a secondary outcome. The main approach was an intent-to-treat (ITT)
      evaluation complemented with a per protocol (PP) sensitivity analysis.
      Generalized linear models were fitted to estimate treatment effects. RESULTS: In
      ITT analysis, 32% of the episodes ended in remission for both dual-action and
      single-action antidepressants. The odds ratio (OR) of remission was 1.02
      (95%CI=0.63,1.67). In PP analysis, 40% of dual-action episodes ended in remission
      compared to 32% in single-action episodes. Dual-action episodes had 1.33 times
      the odds of remission (95%CI=0.55,3.21), however the result was not statistically
      significant. Non-significant differences were also observed for depressive
      symptom severity. LIMITATIONS: Missing data was common but was addressed with
      inverse probability weights. CONCLUSIONS: Results suggest that single-action and
      dual-action antidepressants are equally effective in PLWHA. Remission was
      uncommon highlighting the need to identify health service delivery strategies
      that aid HIV providers in achieving full remission of their patients' depression.

PMID- 28340445
TI  - An updated meta-analysis: Short-term therapeutic effects of repeated transcranial
      magnetic stimulation in treating obsessive-compulsive disorder.
AB  - BACKGROUND: This study was conducted to evaluate the short-term therapeutic
      effects of using repeated transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) to treat
      obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) and to examine potential influencing factors.
      METHOD: We searched the PubMed, EMBASE, CENTRAL, Wanfang, CNKI, and Sinomed
      databases on September 18, 2016 and reviewed the references of previous meta
      analyses. Sham-controlled, randomized clinical trials using rTMS to treat OCD
      were included. Hedge's g was calculated for the effect size. Subgroup analyses
      and univariate meta-regressions were conducted. RESULTS: Twenty studies with 791
      patients were included. A large effect size (g=0.71; 95%CI, 0.55-0.87; P<0.001)
      was found for the therapeutic effect. Targeting the supplementary motor area
      (SMA) (g=0.56; 95%CI, 0.12-1.01; P<0.001), left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex
      (DLPFC) (g=0.47; 95%CI, 0.02-0.93; P=0.02), bilateral DLPFC (g=0.65; 95%CI, 0.38
      0.92; P<0.001) and right DLPFC (g=0.93; 95%CI, 0.70-1.15; P<0.001), excluding the
      orbitofrontal cortex (OFC) (g=0.56; 95%CI, -0.05-1.18; P=0.07), showed
      significant improvements over sham treatments. Both low-frequency (g=0.73; 95%CI,
      0.50-0.96; P<0.001) and high-frequency (g=0.70; 95%CI, 0.51-0.89; P<0.001)
      treatments were significantly better than sham treatments, with no significant
      differences between the effects of the two frequencies. The subgroup analyses
      indicated that patients who were non-treatment resistant, lacked concurrent major
      depressive disorder (MDD) and received threshold-intensity rTMS showed larger
      therapeutic effects than the corresponding subgroups. The subgroup analysis
      according to sham strategy showed that tilted coils yielded larger effects than
      sham coils. Meta-regression analyses revealed that none of the continuous
      variables were significantly associated with the therapeutic effects.
      LIMITATIONS: Only short-term therapeutic effects were assessed in this study.
      CONCLUSIONS: Based on this study, the short-term therapeutic effects of rTMS are
      superior to those of sham treatments. The site of stimulation, stimulation
      frequency and intensity and sham condition were identified as potential factors
      modulating short-term therapeutic effects. The findings of this study may inspire
      future research.

PMID- 28340446
TI  - Mental health and behavioral weight loss: 24-month outcomes in Veterans.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Individuals with mental health (MH) disorders have an increased risk
      of being overweight/obese; however research on behavioral weight loss
      interventions has been limited. A priori hypothesis was that Veterans with
      serious mental illness (SMI) and/or affective disorders (AD) would lose
      significantly less weight and have a different pattern of weight loss than
      Veterans without these diagnoses. METHODS: Secondary data analysis of ASPIRE-VA
      study, three-arm randomized, effectiveness weight loss trial among Veterans
      (n=409) categorized by MH diagnoses: 1) SMI, 2) AD without SMI, or 3) No SMI/No
      AD. Linear mixed-effects model analyzed weight changes from baseline thru 24
      months. RESULTS: SMI and AD were diagnosed in 10% (n=41) and 31% (n=125).
      Participants attended approximately 15 sessions from baseline to 24 months. On
      average, participants lost a modest amount of weight over 24 months regardless of
      MH diagnosis. Longitudinally, no statistically significant differences were found
      in weight loss patterns by MH diagnosis. Unadjusted average weight loss (kg) was
      1.6+/-4.0 at 3 months (n=373), 1.9+/-6.5 at 12 months (n=361), 1.5+/-7.8 at 18
      months (n=289), and 1.4+/-8.0 at 24 months (n=279). LIMITATIONS: ASPIRE-VA study
      was not designed or powered to detect weight loss differences among MH diagnostic
      groups. CONCLUSIONS: Veterans achieved and maintained modest weight loss, through
      24 months, with the three behavioral weight loss interventions. Contrary to our
      hypotheses, the amount and pattern of weight loss did not differ by MH diagnosis.
      Greater inclusion of individuals with MH diagnoses may be warranted in behavioral
      weight loss interventions not specifically tailored for them.

PMID- 28340447
TI  - Fronto-limbic disconnection in depressed patients with suicidal ideation: A
      resting-state functional connectivity study.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Suicidal ideation (SI) is highly prevalent and a known symptom of
      Major Depressive Disorder (MDD), but its underlying biological mechanisms are
      relatively unknown. Several studies linked suicidal ideation to dysfunctional
      brain circuits, specifically fronto-limbic connections. The purpose of this work
      was to investigate fronto-limbic disconnection in MDD patients with or without
      SI. METHODS: MDD patients with SI (SI, n=28) or without SI (NSI, n=20),
      identified by the Scale for Suicide Ideation and healthy controls (HCs, n=30)
      underwent resting-state functional MRI scanning. The functional properties of
      correlations in neural activity (intrinsic functional connectivity, iFC) of the
      rostral anterior cingulate cortex (rACC) were analyzed among the three groups.
      Furthermore, correlation analyses between iFC, SI severity and depression
      severity were performed. RESULTS: We found that the SI group exhibited decreased
      iFC between the rACC, the orbitomedial prefrontal cortex and the right middle
      temporal pole compared to HCs and NSI groups. The NSI group showed decreased iFC
      between the rACC and the orbitomedial prefrontal cortex compared to HCs. In the
      SI group, iFC strength between the right rACC and the middle temporal pole
      positively correlated with SI severity. CONCLUSION: Transdiagnostic and diagnosis
      specific alterations of fronto-limbic iFC were found in MDD patients with or
      without SI. Disrupted fronto-limbic circuits may impact decision-making and
      emotional processing in SI. These results provide useful information about the
      pathophysiological mechanisms of MDD patients with SI.

PMID- 28340448
TI  - Structural correlates of creative thinking in patients with bipolar disorder and
      healthy controls-a voxel-based morphometry study.
AB  - BACKGROUND: This study investigated the structural correlates of creative
      thinking in patients with bipolar disorder (BD) to understand the possible neural
      mechanism of creative thinking in BD. METHODS: We recruited 59 patients with BD I
      or BD II (35.3+/-8.5 y) and 56 age- and sex-matched controls (HCs; 34+/-7.4 y).
      Each participant underwent structural magnetic resonance imaging and evaluation
      of creative thinking, which was assessed using two validated tools: the Chinese
      version of the Abbreviated Torrance Test for Adults for divergent thinking and
      the Chinese Word Remote Associates Test for remote association. Voxel-based
      morphometry was performed using SPM12. RESULTS: In patients with BD, divergent
      thinking positively correlated with the gray matter volume (GMV) in right medial
      frontal gyrus (Brodmann area [BA] 9), and remote association positively
      correlated with the GMV in the medial prefrontal gyrus (BA 10). In the HCs,
      divergent thinking negatively correlated with the GMV in left superior frontal
      gyrus (BA 8) and positively correlated with the GMV in the precuneus and
      occipital regions, and remote association positively correlated with the GMV in
      the hippocampus. LIMITATIONS: Patients with BD were receiving various dosages of
      antipsychotics, antidepressants and mood stabilizer. These medications may
      confound the GMV-creative thinking relationship in patients with BD. CONCLUSIONS:
      Our findings indicate that medial prefrontal cortex plays a major and positive
      role in creative thinking in patients with BD. By contrary, creative thinking
      involves more diverse structures, and the prefrontal cortex may have an opposite
      effect in HCs.

PMID- 28340449
TI  - Right hemisphere pitch-mismatch negativity reduction in patients with major
      depression: An MEG study.
AB  - BACKGROUND: The mismatch negativity (MMN) component of the event-related
      potential and its magnetic counterpart, the MMNm, are generated by a mismatch
      between the physical features of a deviant stimulus and a neuronal sensory-memory
      trace produced by repetitive standard stimuli. Deficits in the MMN/MMNm have been
      reported in patients with major depression; however, the results are
      inconsistent. The present study investigated the pitch-MMNm in patients with
      major depression using whole-head 306-channel magnetoencephalography (MEG).
      METHODS: Twenty patients with major depression and 36 healthy subjects
      participated in this study. Subjects were presented with two sequences of
      auditory stimuli. One consisted of 1000Hz standard signals (probability=90%) and
      1200Hz deviant signals (probability=10%), while the other consisted of 1200Hz
      standard (90%) and 1000Hz deviant signals (10%). Event-related brain responses to
      standard tones were subtracted from responses to deviant tones. RESULTS: Major
      depressive patients showed significantly reduced magnetic global field power
      (GFP) of MMNm in the right hemisphere (p=0.02), although no significant MMNm
      reduction was observed in the left hemisphere (p=0.81). Additionally, patients
      with major depression showed significantly earlier bilateral MMNm peak latencies
      (p=0.004). No significant associations were observed between MMNm variables and
      demographic data/clinical variables within the patients. LIMITATIONS: We could
      not exclude the effects of antidepressants, mood stabilizers, or neuroleptics on
      the MMNm abnormalities found in patients with major depression. Sample size was
      also insufficient to permit subgroup analyses. CONCLUSIONS: Patients with major
      depression exhibited reduced GFP of MMNm in the right hemisphere. The present
      study suggested that patients with major depression may have right hemispheric
      dominant preattentive dysfunction.

PMID- 28340450
TI  - Health promotion and psychological interventions for adolescent and young adult
      cancer survivors: A systematic literature review.
AB  - BACKGROUND: The effects of cancer and treatment have severe and long lasting
      negative impacts on quality of life. Adolescents and Young Adults (AYA) have high
      survival rates but may not reach their full life potential because of these
      consequences. This review aims to identify, appraise and synthesise the effects
      of health promotion and psychological interventions for AYA after cancer
      treatment. METHODS: The review was undertaken using the preferred reporting items
      for systematic reviews and meta-analyses guidelines. Included studies were
      identified though a range of electronic databases through to May 2016. Studies
      were critically appraised using the Cochrane Risk of Bias tool. RESULTS:
      Seventeen studies, comprising a total of 2314 participants aged 13-39years were
      included in this review. Participants in 15 studies were survivors of childhood
      cancer, with only two studies specifically recruiting survivors of cancer
      diagnosed during young adulthood. Ten studies were randomised controlled trials
      (RCTs); the remaining seven were before and after studies. The quality of studies
      was variable across all appraised domains; risk of bias was evident in regards to
      recruitment, measures of exposure and outcomes, confounding factors, attrition
      and lost-to follow-up. Studies evaluated a range of health promotion and
      psychological interventions to improve health related and process outcomes.
      Eleven studies reported modest positive outcomes, with psychological and physical
      activity interventions achieving greater success compared to general health
      promotion interventions. CONCLUSION: This review highlights the lack of high
      quality studies for optimising the health and well-being of AYA cancer survivors.
      No conclusive evidence favouring specific interventions were identified, although
      recommendations for future studies are made. Interventions delivered face-to-face
      and those that facilitate peer-to-peer support hold promise. Harnessing social
      media and technology to deliver interventions is likely to increase and these
      modes of delivery require further investigations.

PMID- 28340451
TI  - The role of drug-drug interactions in prostate cancer treatment: Focus on
      abiraterone acetate/prednisone and enzalutamide.
AB  - Elderly patients with cancer may have comorbidities, each requiring additional
      pharmacologic treatment. Therefore, the occurrence of pharmacokinetic (PK) and
      pharmacodynamic (PD) interactions is very likely, and the risk of adverse
      reactions (ADRs), due to the narrow therapeutic window of anticancer drugs, is
      increased. Drug-drug interactions (DDIs) may occur in prostate cancer patients
      due to inhibition by abiraterone of liver cytochrome P450 (CYP)-dependent enzymes
      CYP2C8 and 2D6, which are involved in the metabolism of approximately 25% of all
      drugs, and induction by enzalutamide of CYP3A4, 2C9 and 2C19, which metabolize up
      to 50% of medications. Therefore, abiraterone may increase plasma levels of
      CYP2D6 substrates, including amitriptyline, oxycodone and risperidone, as well as
      of CYP2C8 substrates including amiodarone and carbamazepine. Since enzalutamide
      is extensively metabolized by CYP2C8, its plasma levels are likely to be raised
      if coadministered with strong CYP2C8 inhibitors such as gemfibrozil or
      pioglitazone. Inducers of CYP2C8 (i.e., rifampin) may reduce the effectiveness of
      enzalutamide and hence should be avoided. Enzalutamide may decrease plasma levels
      of CYP3A4, 2C9 and 2C19 substrates including disopiramide, quetiapine, quinidine
      and warfarin. Growing awareness of the importance of DDIs in cancer patients is
      now reflected in the variety of web-based sources offering information and
      guidance. However, the evaluation of the clinical relevance of DDIs is the result
      of a comprehensive evaluation of many factors, including therapeutic index,
      amplitude of therapeutic range and presence of comorbidities, requiring a
      specific expertise in clinical pharmacology.

PMID- 28340452
TI  - A study of photosynthetic biogas upgrading based on a high rate algal pond under
      alkaline conditions: Influence of the illumination regime.
AB  - Microalgal-bacterial processes have emerged as environmental friendly systems for
      the cost-effective treatment of anaerobic effluents such as biogas and nutrients
      laden digestates. Environmental parameters such as temperature, irradiation,
      nutrient concentration and pH effect the performance of the systems. In this
      paper, the potential of a microalgal-bacterial photobioreactor operated under
      high pH (~9.5) and high alkalinity to convert biogas into biomethane was
      evaluated. The influence of the illumination regime (continuous light supply vs
      12h/12h light/dark cycles) on the synthetic biogas upgrading efficiency, biomass
      productivity and nutrient removal efficiency was assessed in a High-Rate Algal
      Pond interconnected to a biogas absorption bubble column. No significant
      differences in the removal efficiency of CO2 and H2S (91.5+/-2% and 99.5%+/-0.5,
      respectively) were recorded regardless of the illumination regime. The high
      fluctuations of the dissolved oxygen concentration during operation under
      light/dark cycles allowed to evaluate the specific growth rate and the specific
      partial degradation rate of the microalgae biomass by photosynthesis and
      respiration, respectively. The respiration reduced the net microalgae biomass
      productivity under light/dark cycles compared with process operation under the
      continuous light supply.

PMID- 28340453
TI  - Long-term nitrogen deposition increases heathland carbon sequestration.
AB  - The large increases in reactive nitrogen (N) deposition in developed countries
      since the Industrial Revolution have had a marked impact on ecosystem
      functioning, including declining species richness, shifts in species composition,
      and increased N leaching. A potential mitigation of these harmful effects is the
      action of N as a fertiliser, which, through increasing primary productivity (and
      subsequently, organic matter production), has the potential to increase ecosystem
      carbon (C) storage. Here we report the response of an upland heath to 10years of
      experimental N addition. We find large increases in plant and soil C and N pools,
      with N-driven C sequestration rates in the range of 13-138kgCkg-1. These rates
      are higher than those previously found in forest and lowland heath, mainly due to
      higher C sequestration in the litter layer. C sequestration is highest at lower N
      treatments (10, 20, and 40kgNha-1yr-1 above ambient), with evidence of saturation
      at the highest N treatment, reflecting a physiologically aged Calluna vulgaris
      (Calluna) canopy. To maintain these rates of sequestration, the Calluna canopy
      should be managed to maximise it's time in the building phase. Scaling our
      results across UK heathlands, this equates to an additional 0.77Mt CO2e per annum
      extra C sequestered into plant litter and the top 15cm of heathland soil as a
      result of N deposition. The bulk of this is found in the litter and organic soil
      horizons that hold an average of 23% and 54% of soil C, respectively. This
      additional C represents around 0.44% of UK annual anthropogenic GHG emissions.
      When considered in the context of falling biodiversity and altered species
      composition in heathland, policy focus should remain on reducing N emissions.

PMID- 28340454
TI  - Pea cultivar and wheat residues affect carbon/nitrogen dynamics in pea-triticale
      intercropping: A microcosms approach.
AB  - The underlying mechanisms by which legume cultivars contribute to nitrous oxide
      (N2O) generation are poorly understood. The aim of the present study was to
      explore the effects of two pea cultivars (Zero4 and Nitouche) intercropped with
      triticale, with or without wheat (Triticum aestivum) residues incorporation, on
      soil C and N dynamics, on bacterial community structure and their links with N2O
      emissions. Monocrops and bare soil (no plant) treatments were used as an
      additional control in order to account for the level of mineralisation between
      treatments. Changes in total C and N contents and in some functionally-related
      soil pools (microbial biomass C and N, basal respiration, KCl-exchangeable
      ammonium and nitrate, potentially mineralisable N, DOC, ecophysiological indexes)
      were followed throughout a 97-day microcosm experiment carried out on a loamy
      arable soil. ARISA community fingerprinting of soil extracted DNA and GHG
      emissions were carried out at two key stages (pea flowering and harvest). The
      addition of residues to the soil resulted in only small changes to the total C
      and N pools the Nitouche monocrop, which was found to have the highest
      potentially mineralisable N (13.4MUgg-128d-1) of the treatments with added
      residue. The different pea cultivar selectively affected N2O emissions, with
      highest emissions associated with the cultivar Nitouche in the absence of
      residues. The two intercropping treatments of triticale/pea were significantly
      different either with residues or without, especially the triticale/Zero4 which
      had the lowest values (356gN2O-Nha-1). Similar patterns were also observed in
      below ground data. ARISA analysis showed that monocropped legumes and the
      Triticale-based treatment clearly grouped on separate clusters to the added
      residue treatment. We hypothesize that in pea-based intercrops variations in
      carbon supply from different cultivars may contribute to differences in N2O
      emissions and thus influence the choice of suitable cultivars, to optimize
      nutrient cycling and sustainable crop management.

PMID- 28340455
TI  - Toxicological and behavioral responses as a tool to assess the effects of natural
      and synthetic dyes on zebrafish early life.
AB  - Organic dyes extracted from natural sources have been widely used to develop
      safety and eco-friendly dyes as an alternative to synthetic ones, since the
      latter are usually precursors of mutagenic compounds. Thereby, toxicity tests to
      non-target organisms are critical step to develop harmless dyes to environment
      and in this context, zebrafish early life stages are becoming an important
      alternative model. We aimed to assess the toxic effects of the synthetic dye
      Basic Red 51 (BR51, used in cosmetic industry), the natural dye erythrostominone
      (ERY, a potential commercial dye extracted from fungi) and its photodegradation
      product (DERY), using zebrafish early life assays. Developmental malformations on
      embryos and behavioral impairment on larvae were explored. Our results showed
      that embryos exposed to BR51 and ERY exhibited a large yolk sac (LOEC = 7.5 mg L
      1), possibly due to a deformity or delayed resorption. ERY also induced
      pericardial and yolk sac edemas at high concentrations (LOEC = 15 and 30 mg L-1,
      respectively). Moreover, larvae swan less distance and time when exposed to ERY
      (LOEC = 7.5 mg L-1) and BR51 (LOEC = 1.875 mg L-1). The lowest larvae locomotion
      have been associated with impairment of the yolk sac, important tissue of the
      energy source. Interestingly, DERY did not affect neither development nor
      behavior of zebrafish, showing that ERY photodegradation is sufficient to prevent
      its toxic effects. In conclusion, both natural and synthetic dyes impaired
      development and behavior of zebrafish early life, therefore, a simple treatment
      of the natural dye can prevent the aquatic life impact.

PMID- 28340456
TI  - Macroscopic and microscopic investigation of adsorption and precipitation of Zn
      on gamma-alumina in the absence and presence of As.
AB  - Contaminants zinc (Zn) and arsenate (As) often coexist in soils. However, little
      is known concerning the impacts of coexisting As on Zn adsorption and
      precipitation on soil minerals. In the present study, adsorption and
      precipitation of Zn on gamma-alumina in the absence and presence of arsenate was
      investigated employing batch experiments and Extended X-ray Absorption Fine
      Structure (EXAFS) spectroscopy. Results indicated that Zn formed edge-sharing
      tetrahedral surface complexes at pH 5.5 and Zn-Al LDH-like (layered double
      hydroxide) precipitates at pH 7.0 on the surface of gamma-alumina. The presence
      of arsenate significantly enhanced Zn sorption densities, and remarkably changed
      its bonding environment. At pH 5.5, SR-XRD (Synchrotron Radiation-based X-ray
      Diffraction) and EXAFS showed that koettigite-like precipitate were formed in the
      cosorption of Zn and As on gamma-alumina regardless of the addition sequence of
      As and Zn. At pH 7.0, when Zn was preequilibrated with gamma-alumina prior to the
      As introduction, mixed Zn-Al LDH-like and amorphous adamite-like precipitates
      formed. However, when Zn and As were added simultaneously, only amorphous adamite
      like precipitate was observed. Zn inner-sphere complexes and surface ternary
      complexes gamma-alumina-As-Zn were the main outcome when As was preequilibrated
      firstly. Zn-arsenate precipitates could significantly decrease the concentration
      of Zn in aqueous solution and decrease the bioavailability and mobilization of Zn
      in soils.

PMID- 28340457
TI  - Dermal exposure of applicators to chlorpyrifos on rice farms in Ghana.
AB  - Studies evaluating dermal exposure to pesticides among applicators in tropical
      countries have largely been conducted using the patch dosimetry and hand
      wiping/washing techniques. This study used the more accurate whole-body dosimetry
      technique to evaluate dermal exposure to chlorpyrifos among applicators on rice
      farms in Ghana. The exposure levels were plotted as Cumulative Probability
      Distribution (CPD). Total Dermal Exposure (TDE) of chlorpyrifos among the median
      exposed and the 5% highly exposed groups during a spray event were 24 mg and 48
      mg, respectively. When these were converted as a percentage of the quantity of
      active ingredient applied (Unit Exposure, UE), UE values of 0.03% and 0.06% were
      found among the median exposed and the 5% highly exposed groups, respectively.
      Overall, the hands were the most contaminated anatomical regions of the
      applicators, both in terms of proportion of TDE (39%) and skin loading (13
      MUg/cm2). Also, the lower anatomical region was more contaminated (82% of TDE)
      compared to the upper anatomical region (18% of TDE). The levels of chlorpyrifos
      TDE among the applicators were found to be influenced by the quantity of
      insecticide applied and the height of the crops sprayed (p < 0.05). The pesticide
      UE data of the present study can be used to estimate the levels of dermal
      exposure under similar pesticide use scenarios among applicators. The findings of
      the present study suggest that protecting the hands and the lower anatomical
      regions with appropriate PPE may significantly reduce exposure among applicators.

PMID- 28340458
TI  - Toxic effects of environmental pollutants: Comparative investigation using Allium
      cepa L. and Lactuca sativa L.
AB  - Studies that help understand the mechanisms of action of environmental pollutants
      are extremely important in environmental toxicology. In this context, assays
      using plants as models stand out for their simplicity and low performance cost.
      Among the plants used for this purpose, Allium cepa L. is the model most commonly
      applied for cytogenotoxic tests, while Lactuca sativa L., already widely used in
      phytotoxic investigations, has been gaining prominence in cytotoxic analyses. The
      present study aimed to compare the responses of A. cepa and L. sativa via
      macroscopic (root growth) and microscopic analyses (cell cycle and DNA
      fragmentation via TdT-mediated deoxy-uracil nick and labeling (TUNEL) and comet
      assays) after exposure of their roots to environmental pollutants with known
      cytogenotoxic mechanisms. Both species presented sensitive and efficient response
      to the applied tests after exposure to the DNA-alkylating agent Methyl
      Methanesulfonate (MMS), the heavy metal Cadmium, the aluminum industry waste
      Spent Potliner (SPL) and the herbicide Atrazine. However, they differed regarding
      the responses to the evaluated endpoints. Overall, A. cepa was more efficient in
      detecting clastogenic changes, arising from DNA breakage, while L. sativa rather
      detected aneugenic alterations, related to chromosome segregation in mitosis. In
      the tests applied to verify DNA fragmentation (comet and TUNEL assays), A. cepa
      presented higher sensitivity. In conclusion, both models are efficient to
      evaluate toxicological risks of environmental pollutants.

PMID- 28340459
TI  - Transcriptional profiling of porcine granulosa cells exposed to 2,3,7,8
      tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin.
AB  - 2,3,7,8-Tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (TCDD) is a toxic man-made chemical compound
      contaminating the environment. An exposure of living organisms to TCDD may result
      in numerous disorders, including reproductive pathologies. The aim of the current
      study was to examine the effects of TCDD on the transcriptome of porcine
      granulosa cell line AVG-16. By employing next-generation sequencing (NGS) we
      aimed to identify genes potentially involved in the mechanism of TCDD action and
      toxicity in porcine granulosa cells. The AVG-16 cells were treated with TCDD (100
      nM) for 3, 12 or 24 h, and afterwards total cellular RNA was isolated and
      sequenced. In TCDD-treated cells we identified 141 differentially expressed genes
      (DEGs; padjusted < 0.05 and log2 fold change >=1.0). The DEGs were assigned to GO
      term, covering biological processes, molecular functions and cellular components.
      Due to the large number of genes with altered expression, in the current study we
      analyzed only the genes involved in follicular growth, development and
      functioning. The obtained results showed that TCDD may affect ovarian follicle
      fate by influencing granulosa cell cycle, proliferation and DNA repair. The
      demonstrated over-time changes in the quantity and quality of genes being
      affected by TCDD treatment showed that the effects of TCDD on granulosa cells
      changed dramatically between 3-, 12- and 24-h of cell culture. This finding
      indicate that timing of gene expression measurement is critical for drawing
      correct conclusions on detailed relationships between the TCDD-affected genes and
      resulting intracellular processes. These conclusions have to be confirmed and
      extended by research involving proteomic and functional studies.

PMID- 28340460
TI  - Interactions between three typical endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs) in
      binary mixtures exposure on myocardial differentiation of mouse embryonic stem
      cell.
AB  - In recent years, various kinds of endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs) have been
      detected in human blood and urine. Thus, it was important to investigate the
      combined toxicity effect of EDCs. In the present study, we evaluated the
      individual and combined developmental toxicities of three classic EDCs:
      perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS), perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA), and bisphenol A
      (BPA) by embryonic stem cell test (EST). The similarities and differences between
      combination of same chemical group as well as different chemical groups were
      investigated in this research. Our results showed that the three compounds were
      all classified as weak embryotoxicity. The results of co-exposure revealed that
      there was synergistic action in combination of PFOS and BPA on myocardial
      differentiation. However, in all endpoints, the combined effects between PFOA
      with PFOS or BPA were both additive action. Therefore, we concluded that the
      additive effects were found in most different EDC mixtures whether they had
      similar structure or not. On the other hand, synergistic action was observed in a
      mixture of EDCs that belonged to a different chemical groups.

PMID- 28340461
TI  - Tracing biomarker of PAH-exposure and susceptibility factor (GSTM-polymorphism)
      among cancer patients in Pakistan.
AB  - We studied cancer patients for possible PAH exposure, using urinary concentration
      of 1-hydroxypyrene (1-OHP) as a biomarker of internal dose of polycyclic aromatic
      hydrocarbons (PAHs). The subjects included in this study belonged to various
      socio-demographic backgrounds, and were diagnosed with cancer (i.e. lung, head
      and neck or digestive tract cancer). In general, we observed high concentration
      of urinary 1-OHP among digestive tract cancer patients, compared with the
      controls (CN) (mean 1.06, median 1.03 and mean 0.62, median 0.63 MUmol/mol-Cr in
      digestive tract cancer patients and controls respectively). The concentrations of
      urinary 1-OHP were higher than the background level of PAHs; therefore, these
      groups could have been exposed to PAHs. Highest urinary 1-OHP concentration was
      observed in digestive tract cancer patients (median 1.25 MUmol/mol-Cr) with GSTM
      1 genotype. The results of PCA were consistent with qualitative and quantitative
      data analysis. The contribution of urinary 1-OHP eigenvector revealed a
      relatively high PAH-exposure among cancer patients compared with CN, while diet
      and age were influential parameters among cancer patients, which could have a
      strong link in cancer etiology in the selected exposure groups.

PMID- 28340462
TI  - Assessment of arsenic and fluorine in surface soil to determine environmental and
      health risk factors in the Comarca Lagunera, Mexico.
AB  - Total, bioaccessible and mobile concentrations of arsenic and fluorine are
      determined in polluted surface soil within the Comarca Lagunera region using
      standardized protocols to obtain a full description of the environmental behavior
      for these elements. The composition of mineral phases associated with them is
      evaluated with microscopic and spectroscopic techniques. Mineralogical
      characterizations indicate that ultra-fine particles (<1-5 MUm) including
      mimetite-vanadite (Pb5(AsO4)3Cl, Pb5(AsO4, VO4)3Cl)-like, lead arseniate
      (Pb3(AsO4)2)-like and complex arsenic-bearing compounds are main arsenic-bearing
      phases, while fluorite (CaF2) is the only fluorine-bearing phase. Total fluorine
      and arsenic concentrations in surface soil range from 89.75 to 926.63 and 2.7
      78.6 mg kg-1, respectively, exceeding in many points a typical baseline value for
      fluorine (321 mg kg-1), and trigger level criterion for arsenic soil remediation
      (20 mg kg-1); whereas fluoride and arsenic concentrations in groundwater vary
      from 0.24 to 1.8 mg L-1 and 0.12-0.650 mg L-1, respectively. The main
      bioaccessible percentages of soil in the gastric phase (SBRC-G) are estimated for
      arsenic from 1 to 63%, and this parameter in the intestinal phase (SBRC-I)
      fluorine from 2 to 46%, suggesting human health risks for this region. While a
      negligible/low mobility is found in soil for arsenic (0.1-11%), an important
      mobility is determined for fluorine (2-39%), indicating environmental risk
      related to potential fluorine release. The environmental and health risks
      connected to arsenic and fluorine are discussed based on experimental data.

PMID- 28340463
TI  - Hypoxia and hydrogen sulfide differentially affect normal and tumor-derived
      vascular endothelium.
AB  - BACKGROUND: endothelial cells play a key role in vessels formation both under
      physiological and pathological conditions. Their behavior is influenced by blood
      components including gasotransmitters (H2S, NO and CO). Tumor cells are subjected
      to a cyclic shift between pro-oxidative and hypoxic state and, in this scenario,
      H2S can be both cytoprotective and detrimental depending on its concentration.
      H2S effects on tumors onset and development is scarcely studied, particularly
      concerning tumor angiogenesis. We previously demonstrated that H2S is
      proangiogenic for tumoral but not for normal endothelium and this may represent a
      target for antiangiogenic therapeutical strategies. METHODS: in this work, we
      investigate cell viability, migration and tubulogenesis on human EC derived from
      two different tumors, breast and renal carcinoma (BTEC and RTEC), compared to
      normal microvascular endothelium (HMEC) under oxidative stress, hypoxia and
      treatment with exogenous H2S. RESULTS: all EC types are similarly sensitive to
      oxidative stress induced by hydrogen peroxide; chemical hypoxia differentially
      affects endothelial viability, that results unaltered by real hypoxia. H2S
      neither affects cell viability nor prevents hypoxia and H2O2-induced damage.
      Endothelial migration is enhanced by hypoxia, while tubulogenesis is inhibited
      for all EC types. H2S acts differentially on EC migration and tubulogenesis.
      CONCLUSIONS: these data provide evidence for a great variability of normal and
      altered endothelium in response to the environmental conditions.

PMID- 28340464
TI  - A review on various electrochemical techniques for heavy metal ions detection
      with different sensing platforms.
AB  - Heavy metal ions are non-biodegradable and contaminate most of the natural
      resources occurring in the environment including water. Some of the heavy metals
      including Lead (Pb), Mercury (Hg), Arsenic (As), Chromium (Cr) and Cadmium (Cd)
      are considered to be highly toxic and hazardous to human health even at trace
      levels. This leads to the requirement of fast, accurate and reliable techniques
      for the detection of heavy metal ions. This review presents various
      electrochemical detection techniques for heavy metal ions those are user
      friendly, low cost, provides on-site and real time monitoring as compared to
      other spectroscopic and optical techniques. The categorization of different
      electrochemical techniques is done on the basis of different types of detection
      signals generated due to presence of heavy metal ions in the solution matrix like
      current, potential, conductivity, electrochemical impedance, and
      electrochemiluminescence. Also, the recent trends in electrochemical detection of
      heavy metal ions with various types of sensing platforms including metals, metal
      films, metal oxides, nanomaterials, carbon nano tubes, polymers, microspheres and
      biomaterials have been evoked.

PMID- 28340465
TI  - Dumbbell DNA-templated CuNPs as a nano-fluorescent probe for detection of enzymes
      involved in ligase-mediated DNA repair.
AB  - DNA repair processes are responsible for maintaining genome stability. Ligase and
      polynucleotide kinase (PNK) have important roles in ligase-mediated DNA repair.
      The development of analytical methods to monitor these enzymes involved in DNA
      repair pathways is of great interest in biochemistry and biotechnology. In this
      work, we reported a new strategy for label-free monitoring PNK and ligase
      activity by using dumbbell-shaped DNA templated copper nanoparticles (CuNPs). In
      the presence of PNK and ligase, the dumbbell-shaped DNA probe (DP) was locked and
      could resist the digestion of exonucleases and then served as an efficient
      template for synthesizing fluorescent CuNPs. However, in the absence of ligase or
      PNK, the nicked DP could be digested by exonucleases and failed to template
      fluorescent CuNPs. Therefore, the fluorescence changes of CuNPs could be used to
      evaluate these enzymes activity. Under the optimal conditions, highly sensitive
      detection of ligase activity of about 1U/mL and PNK activity down to 0.05U/mL is
      achieved. To challenge the practical application capability of this strategy, the
      detection of analyte in dilute cells extracts was also investigated and showed
      similar linear relationships. In addition to ligase and PNK, this sensing
      strategy was also extended to the detection of phosphatase, which illustrates the
      versatility of this strategy.

PMID- 28340466
TI  - A flexible and disposable battery powered by bacteria using eyeliner coated paper
      electrodes.
AB  - Herein, an environment friendly paper-based biobattery is demonstrated that
      yields a power of 12.5W/m3. Whatman filter papers were used not only as support
      for electrode fabrication but also as separator of the biobattery. To provide
      electrical conductivity to the paper-based cathode and anode, commercially
      available eyeliner containing carbon nanoparticles and Fe3O4 was directly
      employed as conductive ink without any binder. With an instant start-up, the as
      fabricated biocompatible electrodes could hold bacteria in an active form at the
      anode allowing chemical oxidation of organic fuel producing current. The facile
      process delineated here can be employed for the tailored electrode fabrication of
      various flexible energy harnessing devices.

PMID- 28340467
TI  - The clinical use of chromosomal microarray analysis in detection of fetal
      chromosomal rearrangements: a study from China Mainland.
AB  - OBJECTIVES: This study aimed to evaluate the detection rate of chromosomal
      microarray analysis (CMA) in prenatal fetuses compared with conventional
      karyotype and to assess the additional diagnostic yields of CMA in groups of
      different indications. STUDY DESIGN: A total of 217 fetuses were divided into
      seven groups according to different indications. All cases were tested by both
      CMA and karyotype. The detection rates of CMA and karyotype were evaluated. The
      increased value of CMA in each group was also calculated. RESULTS: A total of 35
      cases were detected to have a pathogenic result by CMA, indicating the overall
      detection rate of 16.1%. Nine more cases were detected only by CMA, indicating an
      incremental diagnostic yield of 4.2%. The highest incremental value was observed
      in fetuses with structural defects (6.6%). In 11 cases with known abnormal
      chromosome anomalies, CMA revealed additional information over conventional
      karyotyping in 4 fetuses. CONCLUSIONS: The present study convincingly
      demonstrated the efficiency of CMA in detecting feal chromosomal rearrangements.
      CMA significantly improves the detection rate in fetuses with structural defects
      and provides helpful information for fetuses with known abnormal chromosomes but
      without clear diagnosis.

PMID- 28340468
TI  - The prevalence of HIV among women with high-grade cervical smear abnormalities in
      Birmingham, United Kingdom: A prospective cohort study.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: The aim of the study was twofold: 1. To assess the acceptance for HIV
      screening in women attending Colposcopy clinic 2. To determine the prevalence of
      HIV in women presenting with high-grade cervical smear abnormalities. DESIGN: A
      prospective study. SETTING: Colposcopy clinic, Birmingham Women's Hospital, UK.
      POPULATION: Patients attending colposcopy clinic. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: To
      determine acceptance of HIV testing and prevalence in colposcopy patients with
      High-grade cervical smear abnormalities. RESULTS: Of the 252 patients who were
      offered the HIV test, 244(96.5%) accepted the test. None of 244 cases tested for
      HIV were found positive. CONCLUSIONS: HIV testing is feasible and acceptable in
      colposcopy clinics.

PMID- 28340469
TI  - Characterization and expression patterns of key C4 photosynthetic pathway genes
      in bread wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) under field conditions.
AB  - Wheat is a C3 plant with relatively low photosynthetic efficiency and is a
      potential target for C4 photosynthetic pathway engineering. Here we reported the
      characterization of four key C4 pathway genes and assessed their expression
      patterns and enzymatic activities at three growth stages in flag leaves of 59
      bread wheat genotypes. The C4-like genes homologous to PEPC, NADP-ME, MDH, and
      PPDK in maize were identified in the A, B, and D sub-genomes of bread wheat,
      located on the long arms of chromosomes 3 and 5 (TaPEPC), short arms of
      chromosomes 1 and 3 (TaNADP-ME), long arms of chromosomes 1 and 7 (TaMDH), and
      long arms of chromosome 1 (TaPPDK), respectively. All the four C4-like genes were
      expressed in the flag leaves at the three growth stages with considerable
      variations among the 59 bread wheat genotypes. Significant differences were
      observed between the photosynthesis rates (A) of wheat genotypes with higher
      expressions of TaPEPC_5, TaNADP-ME_1, and TaMDH_7 at heading and middle grain
      filling stages and those with intermediate and low expressions. Our results also
      indicated that the four C4 enzymes showed activity in the flag leaves and were
      obviously different among the 59 wheat genotypes. The activities of PEPcase and
      PPDK decreased at anthesis and slightly increased at grain-filling stage, while
      NADP-ME and MDH exhibited a decreasing trend at the three stages. The results of
      the current study could be very valuable and useful for wheat researchers in
      improving photosynthetic capacity of wheat.

PMID- 28340470
TI  - Calcifying giant cell cardiomyopathy: a possible new entity: Images in
      Cardiovascular Pathology.
AB  - We demonstrated an extremely unusual case of an 83-year-old male's sudden death
      secondary to characteristic myocardial necrosis and fibrosis with calcification
      and multinucleated giant cells infiltration, possibly due to sepsis and Stage IV
      pulmonary pleomorphic carcinoma-induced cachexia after postmortem study. We
      propose that this calcifying giant cell cardiomyopathy (CGC) would be a new
      entity especially from the pathological viewpoints and should be considered in
      the classification of noninfectious myocarditis. Further prospective studies are
      needed to validate the presence and significance of CGC and the association with
      any triggers of somewhat microvascular dysfunction and/or toxic agents, after
      collecting and investigating a larger number of CGC cases examined.

PMID- 28340471
TI  - Chemotaxonomic studies of nine Paris species from China based on ultra-high
      performance liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry and Fourier transform
      infrared spectroscopy.
AB  - Paris species, which contain steroid saponins, have been used as herb folk
      medicines in Asia. In the present study, a comprehensive strategy based on liquid
      chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) and Fourier transform infrared
      (FT-IR) spectroscopy was firstly proposed to evaluate the chemotaxonomic
      relationships of nine Paris species sampled from different geographical regions
      in China. Principle component analysis (PCA) based on FT-IR data revealed
      chemical similarities in term of the nine species and geographical regions,
      indicating the accumulation of metabolites affected by the combination of
      geographical factors and species. The chemotaxonomic relationships of four
      species supported the morphological taxonomy and implied ancestry from P.
      polyphylla. After high-efficiency chromatographic separation, ions trap/time-of
      flight mass spectrometry (IT-TOFMS) and triple quadrupole mass spectrometry (QQQ
      MS) were used to identify unknown metabolites and simultaneously determine six
      key compounds (polyphyllin I, II, V, VI, VII and gracillin) in Paris species,
      respectively. The tentative identification of 22 steroid saponins was indicative
      of a common biosynthetic pathway in Paris species. Phytoecdysones, gracillin and
      open-chain steroid saponins were considered as key precursors. According to
      Pearson's correlation analysis, an insignificant correlation was found between
      diosgenin-type and pennogenin-type saponins belonging to the same biosynthetic
      pathways in the current stage. Our results could provide a reasonable foundation
      for chemotaxonomy or further studies of Paris species.

PMID- 28340472
TI  - Characterization of an unknown impurity in doxofylline using LC-MS and NMR.
AB  - During quality control of doxofylline, a novel impurity was detected, which was
      above the identification threshold defined by ICH. First, a liquid
      chromatographic method compatible with mass spectrometric (MS) detection was
      developed. Based on tandem multistage MS and high resolution MS data, the unknown
      impurity was found to consist of two theophylline groups connected by a methylene
      group. The structure was further confirmed by 1D and 2D nuclear magnetic
      resonance (NMR) experiments after semi-preparative isolation. In addition, the
      formation of the impurity was also discussed.

PMID- 28340473
TI  - Enantiomers of triclabendazole sulfoxide: Analytical and semipreparative HPLC
      separation, absolute configuration assignment, and transformation into sodium
      salt.
AB  - Direct HPLC separation of the enantiomers of triclabendazole sulfoxide (TCBZ-SO),
      which is the main metabolite of the anthelmintic drug triclabendazole, was
      carried out using the polysaccharide-based Chiralpak AS-H and Chiralpak IF-3
      chiral stationary phases (CSPs). The chromatographic behaviour of both CSPs was
      evaluated and compared using normal-phase and reversed-phase eluents at different
      column temperatures. The eluent mixture of n-hexane-2-propanol-trifluoroacetic
      acid 70:30:0.1 (v/v/v) and a column temperature of 40 degrees C were identified
      as the best operational conditions to carry out semipreparative
      enantioseparations on a 1-cm I.D. AS-H column. Under these conditions, 12.5mg of
      racemic sample were resolved in a single chromatographic run within 15min.
      Comparison of calculated and experimental chiroptical properties provided the
      absolute configuration assignment at the sulfur atom. The salification of the
      isolated enantiomers of TCBZ-SO by reaction with sodium hydroxide solution
      produced water-soluble Na salts which are potentially useful in the development
      of new anthelmintic enantiomerically pure formulations.

PMID- 28340474
TI  - Studying the effects of natural extracts with metabolomics: A longitudinal study
      on the supplementation of healthy rats with Polygonum cuspidatum Sieb. et Zucc.
AB  - BACKGROUND: A longitudinal study was performed to evaluate the effects of
      Polygonum cuspidatum extract (standardized at 20% resveratrol) supplementation on
      healthy rats. The effects were explored by monitoring urinary metabolome changes
      using UPLC-HRMS and 1H NMR-based approaches. The aim of the study was to explore
      the effects of P. cuspidatum supplementation on a healthy animal model using
      metabolomics, in order to determine possible modes of action and obtain
      information on bioactivity. METHODS: Healthy Sprague-Dawley rats were orally
      supplemented with 100mg/kg of dried P. cuspidatum extract for 49days and 24-h
      urinary outputs were collected. Samples were analysed by untargeted UPLC-HRMS and
      1H NMR approaches and the obtained data sets were modelled by an adaptation of
      post-transformation of PLS2 to longitudinal studies. Putative markers were
      discovered by a stability selection procedure and specific oxidative stress
      markers were monitored by a targeted HPLC-MS/MS analysis to assess the in vivo
      antioxidant activity of P. cuspidatum extract. RESULTS: UPLC-HRMS and 1H NMR
      platforms showed two different but complementary patterns of metabolites
      describing the changes ascribable to P. cuspidatum supplementation and using both
      approaches, a comprehensive resveratrol metabolism and urinary excretion could be
      observed. Markers of P. cuspidatum supplementation effects identified by UPLC
      HRMS were mainly related to its antioxidant activity and to a possible
      "adaptogenic" activity. Urinary changes observed by 1H NMR were mainly related to
      energy metabolism. UPLC-HRMS and 1H NMR metabolomics approaches allowed the
      effects of a prolonged supplementation with P. cuspidatum on healthy rats to be
      observed. The statistical models built from both data sets showed metabolic
      changes in urines related to rat aging.

PMID- 28340475
TI  - Irinotecan Upregulates Fibroblast Growth Factor Receptor 3 Expression in
      Colorectal Cancer Cells, Which Mitigates Irinotecan-Induced Apoptosis.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Irinotecan (IRI) is an integral part of colorectal cancer (CRC)
      therapy, but response rates are unsatisfactory and resistance mechanisms are
      still insufficiently understood. As fibroblast growth factor receptor 3 (FGFR3)
      mediates essential survival signals in CRC, it is a candidate gene for causing
      intrinsic resistance to IRI. METHODS: We have used cell line models
      overexpressing FGFR3 to study the receptor's impact on IRI response. For pathway
      blockade, a dominant-negative receptor mutant and a small molecule kinase
      inhibitor were employed. RESULTS: IRI exposure induced expression of FGFR3 as
      well as its ligands FGF8 and FGF18 both in cell cultures and in xenograft tumors.
      As overexpression of FGFR3 mitigated IRI-induced apoptosis in CRC cell models,
      this suggests that the drug itself activated a survival response. On the cellular
      level, the antiapoptotic protein bcl-xl was upregulated and caspase 3 activation
      was inhibited. Targeting FGFR3 signaling using a dominant-negative receptor
      mutant sensitized cells for IRI. In addition, the FGFR inhibitor PD173074 acted
      synergistically with the chemotherapeutic drug and significantly enhanced IRI
      induced caspase 3 activity in vitro. In vivo, PD173074 strongly inhibited growth
      of IRI-treated tumors. CONCLUSION: Together, our results indicate that targeting
      FGFR3 can be a promising strategy to enhance IRI response in CRC patients.

PMID- 28340476
TI  - Temporal patterns of CO2 and CH4 in a rural area in northern Spain described by a
      harmonic equation over 2010-2016.
AB  - The present paper seeks to improve our knowledge concerning the evolution of CO2
      and CH4 in terms of monthly trends, growth rate and seasonal variations in the
      lower atmosphere. Dry continuous measurements of CO2 and the CH4 mixing ratio
      were carried out over five and a half years (from 15 October 2010 to 29 February
      2016) by multi-point sampling at 1.8, 3.7 and 8.3m, using a Picarro analyzer at a
      rural site in the Low Atmosphere Research Centre (CIBA), on the upper Spanish
      plateau. Data were divided into diurnal and nocturnal records. The mathematical
      equation proposed to analyze the overall data was a harmonic one, comprising a
      polynomial (trend) and a series of harmonics (seasonal cycle). Amplitude was
      considered as a constant and variable term over time. Quite different behaviour
      was found between day and night measurements in both climate forcing agents. CO2
      showed an accelerating trend in autumn, whereas CH4 trends were higher during the
      winter. Increasing growth rates were reported for CO2 and CH4 over the whole
      study period. Nocturnal CO2 amplitudes are higher than diurnal ones except in
      winter for both gases, and also in the autumn for CH4.

PMID- 28340477
TI  - Environmental analysis of typical antibiotic-resistant bacteria and ARGs in
      farmland soil chronically fertilized with chicken manure.
AB  - Antibiotics and the corresponding resistant bacteria and resistance genes (ARGs)
      are generally considered emerging pollutants. To assess the impacts of
      tetracycline (TC) and sulfonamide (SA) antibiotics that are eliminated with
      fecaluria as drug prototypes, farmland soil used to research long-term
      fertilization with chicken manure was collected at four sites in Shandong
      Province. In this study, the rates of bacterial drug resistance to the same
      antibiotic decreased with an increase in the concentration of that antibiotic,
      and the resistance rates to TCs were lower than those to SAs. PCR of ARGs
      revealed that the ARGs detected at the highest frequency were the TC resistance
      genes tetW and tetO and the SA resistance genes sul1 and sul2. Real-time qPCR
      showed that the quantities of ARGs in farmland soil fertilized with chicken
      manure were significantly greater compared with the control soil. Moreover,
      significant correlations (R2=0.9525, p<0.05) between the number of sul ARGs and
      the total SA concentration were observed in all of the soil samples. In summary,
      this study showed that SAs can induce the appearance of ARGs and pollute the soil
      environment.

PMID- 28340478
TI  - Different DNA damage response of cis and trans isomers of commonly used UV filter
      after the exposure on adult human liver stem cells and human lymphoblastoid
      cells.
AB  - 2-ethylhexyl 4-methoxycinnamate (EHMC), used in many categories of personal care
      products (PCPs), is one of the most discussed ultraviolet filters because of its
      endocrine-disrupting effects. EHMC is unstable in sunlight and can be transformed
      from trans-EHMC to emergent cis-EHMC. Toxicological studies are focusing only on
      trans-EHMC; thus the toxicological data for cis-EHMC are missing. In this study,
      the in vitro genotoxic effects of trans- and cis-EHMC on adult human liver stem
      cells HL1-hT1 and human-derived lymphoblastoid cells TK-6 using a high-throughput
      comet assay were studied. TK-6 cells treated with cis-EHMC showed a high level of
      DNA damage when compared to untreated cells in concentrations 1.56 to 25MUgmL-1.
      trans-EHMC showed genotoxicity after exposure to the two highest concentrations
      12.5 and 25MUgmL-1. The increase in DNA damage on HL1-hT1 cells induced by cis
      EHMC and trans-EHMC was detected at the concentration 25MUgmL-1. The No observed
      adverse effect level (NOAEL, mg kg-1bwday-1) was determined using a Quantitative
      in vitro to in vivo extrapolation (QIVIVE) approach: NOAELtrans-EHMC=3.07,
      NOAELcis-EHMC=0.30 for TK-6 and NOAELtrans-EHMC=26.46, NOAELcis-EHMC=20.36 for
      HL1-hT1. The hazard index (HI) was evaluated by comparing the reference dose
      (RfD, mgkg-1bwday-1) obtained from our experimental data with the chronic daily
      intake (CDI) of the female population. Using comet assay experimental data with
      the more sensitive TK-6 cells, HIcis-EHMC was 7 times higher than HItrans-EHMC.
      In terms of CDI, relative contributions were; dermal exposure
      route>oral>inhalation. According to our results we recommend the RfDtrans
      EHMC=0.20 and RfDcis-EHMC=0.02 for trans-EHMC and cis-EHMC, respectively, to use
      for human health risk assessment. The significant difference in trans-EHMC and
      cis-EHMC response points to the need for toxicological reevaluation and
      application reassessment of both isomers in PCPs.

PMID- 28340479
TI  - Additive effects prevail: The response of biota to multiple stressors in an
      intensively monitored watershed.
AB  - Freshwater ecosystems are impacted by a range of stressors arising from diverse
      human-caused land and water uses. Identifying the relative importance of single
      stressors and understanding how multiple stressors interact and jointly affect
      biology is crucial for River Basin Management. This study addressed multiple
      human-induced stressors and their effects on the aquatic flora and fauna based on
      data from standard WFD monitoring schemes. For altogether 1095 sites within a
      mountainous catchment, we used 12 stressor variables covering three different
      stressor groups: riparian land use, physical habitat quality and nutrient
      enrichment. Twenty-one biological metrics calculated from taxa lists of three
      organism groups (fish, benthic invertebrates and aquatic macrophytes) served as
      response variables. Stressor and response variables were subjected to Boosted
      Regression Tree (BRT) analysis to identify stressor hierarchy and stressor
      interactions and subsequently to Generalised Linear Regression Modelling (GLM) to
      quantify the stressors standardised effect size. Our results show that riverine
      habitat degradation was the dominant stressor group for the river fauna, notably
      the bed physical habitat structure. Overall, the explained variation in benthic
      invertebrate metrics was higher than it was in fish and macrophyte metrics. In
      particular, general integrative (aggregate) metrics such as % Ephemeroptera,
      Plecoptera and Trichoptera (EPT) taxa performed better than ecological traits
      (e.g. % feeding types). Overall, additive stressor effects dominated, while
      significant and meaningful stressor interactions were generally rare and weak. We
      concluded that given the type of stressor and ecological response variables
      addressed in this study, river basin managers do not need to bother much about
      complex stressor interactions, but can focus on the prevailing stressors
      according to the hierarchy identified.

PMID- 28340480
TI  - Using UHPLC Q-Trap/MS as a complementary technique to in-depth mine UPLC Q-TOF/MS
      data for identifying modified nucleosides in urine.
AB  - Modified nucleosides, metabolites of RNA, are potential biomarkers of cancer
      before the appearance of morphological abnormalities. It is of great significance
      to comprehensively detect and identify nucleosides in human urine for discovery
      of cancer biomarkers. However, the lower abundance, the greater polarity and the
      matrix effects make it difficult to detect urinary nucleosides. In this paper, an
      integrated method consisted of sample preparation followed by ultraperformance
      liquid chromatography quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry (UPLC Q-TOF/MS)
      detection and primary identification, then ultra-high performance liquid
      chromatography coupled with hybrid triple quadrupole linear ion trap mass
      spectrometer (UHPLC Q-Trap/MS) further identification and validation were
      introduced. Firstly, to enrich the nucleosides and eliminate the urine matrix
      effects, different sorbent materials of solid phase extraction (SPE) and the
      elution conditions were screened. Secondly, UPLC Q-TOF/MS was used to acquire
      mass data in MSE mode. The structural formulas of nucleosides in urine sample
      were primarily identified according to retention time, accurate mass precursor
      ions and fragment ions from in-house database and online database. Thirdly, the
      preliminary identified nucleoside structures lacking of characteristic fragment
      ions were verified by UHPLC Q-Trap/MS in multiple reaction monitoring trigger
      enhanced product ion scan (MRM-EPI) and neutral loss scan (NL). At last,
      phenylboronic acid (PBA)-based SPE was utilized due to its higher MS signal and
      weaker matrix effects under optimized extraction conditions. Fifty-five
      nucleosides were primarily identified by UPLC Q-TOF/MS, among which 50
      nucleosides were confirmed by UHPLC Q-Trap/MS. Five nucleosides, namely 4',5'
      didehydro-5'-deoxyadenosine, 4',5'-didehydro-5'-deoxyinosine, isonicotinamide
      riboside, peroxywybutosine and hydroxywybutosine, were found from urine for the
      first time. The results will expand the Human Metabolome Database (HMDB).

PMID- 28340481
TI  - Metabolic profiling of tyrosine, tryptophan, and glutamate in human urine using
      gas chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry combined with single SPE cleanup.
AB  - The tyrosine, tryptophan, and glutamate metabolic pathways play key roles on
      pathological state of neuronal functions and the change of their levels in
      biological systems reflects the progress degree of neuronal diseases.
      Comprehensive profiling of these metabolites is important to find new biomarkers
      for diagnosis or prognosis of various neuronal diseases. However, the overall
      profiling analysis of various neurochemicals in biological sample is confronted
      with several limitations due to their low concentration and physicochemical
      properties and the coexistence of matrices. We developed an efficient and
      feasible method using gas chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (GC-MS/MS).
      Wide-bore mixed cation exchange (MCX) SPE process enables a rapid and effective
      cleanup of 20 neurochemicals even including acidic and basic neurochemicals in a
      single SPE cartridge by using different composition of eluents. Selective
      derivatization of various types of metabolites was applied to achieve highly
      chromatographic separation and sensitive mass detection. Appropriate selection of
      precursor and product transition ions used in multiple reaction-monitoring (MRM)
      mode based on the MS/MS fragmentations of the derivatized neurochemicals could be
      significantly minimized the matrix effects and enhanced the reliability of
      quantification results. The developed method was validated in terms of linearity,
      limits of detection, precision, accuracy, and matrix effects. The intra- and
      inter-assay analytical variations were less than 10%. The overall linearity for
      all of the targets was excellent (R2>=0.996). The detection limits ranged between
      0.38 and 8.13ng/mL for the acidic neurochemicals and between 0.02 and 11.1ng/mL
      for the basic neurochemicals. The developed protocol will be expected to be a
      promising tool for the understanding of the pathological state and diagnosis of
      various neuronal diseases.

PMID- 28340482
TI  - The effect of interprofessional team-based learning among nursing students: A
      quasi-experimental study.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Although interprofessional education has received attention in recent
      years as a means of providing opportunities for health-care professionals to
      learn with, from and about other disciplines and enhance the quality of patient
      care, evidence of its effectiveness is limited. Interprofessional team-based
      learning was introduced to make it possible for students in different healthcare
      disciplines to interact with each other, and to prepare them to function
      effectively within a team in their future career. OBJECTIVES: To examine the
      effects of interprofessional team-based learning for undergraduate nursing
      students in terms of knowledge level, readiness for interprofessional learning,
      attitude towards various aspects of team learning, and perceived collective
      efficacy. DESIGN: The study employed a one-group pretest-posttest quasi
      experimental design. METHODS: An interprofessional education program was given to
      students from two universities in Hong Kong who were in different healthcare
      disciplines including medicine, nursing, pharmacy, biomedical science, and
      Chinese medicine programs. The program was based on four phases of student
      learning- individual readiness assessment test, ice breaking session, team
      readiness assessment test, and application exercise. Nursing students involved in
      the program were invited to complete anonymous questionnaires to evaluate their
      interprofessional team experience. RESULTS: A total of 40 nursing students (9
      male, 31 female) participated in the study. A statistically significant
      improvement was identified in their knowledge level (p<0.001), attitude towards
      readiness for interprofessional learning, team learning, and perceived collective
      efficacy (p<0.001). CONCLUSION: This study suggests that interprofessional team
      based learning can enhance cross-disciplinary learning and outcomes resulting
      from team efforts.

PMID- 28340483
TI  - Improving the water solubility and antimicrobial activity of silymarin by
      nanoencapsulation.
AB  - The aims of this study were to improve the water solubility and antimicrobial
      activity of milk thistle silymarin by nanoencapsulation and to assess the
      functions of silymarin nanoparticle-containing film as an antimicrobial food
      packaging agent. Silymarin nanoparticles were prepared using water-soluble
      chitosan (WCS) and poly-gamma-glutamic acid (gamma-PGA). As the WCS and silymarin
      concentrations increased, particle size and polydispersity index (PDI)
      significantly increased. Nanoencapsulation significantly improved the water
      solubility of silymarin 7.7-fold. Antimicrobial activity of silymarin was
      effectively improved when silymarin was entrapped within the nanocapsule compared
      to when it was not entrapped. Films incorporating silymarin nanoparticles had
      better antimicrobial activity than films incorporating free silymarin. The
      results suggest that silymarin nanoparticles have applications in antimicrobial
      food additives and food packing.

PMID- 28340484
TI  - Engineering of layered, lipid-encapsulated drug nanoparticles through spray
      drying.
AB  - Drug-containing nanoparticles have been synthesized through the spray-drying of
      submicron droplet aerosols by using matrix materials such as lipids and
      biopolymers. Understanding layer formation in composite nanoparticles is
      essential for the appropriate engineering of particle substructures. The present
      study developed a droplet-shrinkage model for predicting the solid-phase
      formation of two non-volatile solutes-stearic acid lipid and a set of drugs, by
      considering molecular volume and solubility. Nanoparticle formation was simulated
      to define the parameter space of material properties and process conditions for
      the formation of a layered structure with the preferential accumulation of the
      lipid in the outer layer. Moreover, lipid-drug demarcation diagrams representing
      a set of critical values of ratios of solute properties at which the two solutes
      precipitate simultaneously were developed. The model was validated through the
      preparation of stearic acid-isoniazid nanoparticles under controlled processing
      conditions. The developed model can guide the selection of solvents, lipids, and
      processing conditions such that drug loading and lipid encapsulation in composite
      nanoparticles are optimized.

PMID- 28340485
TI  - An approach for liposome immobilization using sterically stabilized micelles
      (SSMs) as a precursor for bio-layer interferometry-based interaction studies.
AB  - Non-fluidic bio-layer interferometry (BLI) has rapidly become a standard tool for
      monitoring almost all biomolecular interactions in a label-free, real-time and
      high-throughput manner. High-efficiency screening methods which measure the
      kinetics of liposomes with a variety of compounds require the immobilization of
      liposomes. In this work, a method is described for immobilizing liposomes for
      interaction studies, based on the biophysical principles of this biosensor
      platform. The immobilization approach includes the loading of DSPE-PEG(2000)
      biotin containing sterically stabilized micelles (SSMs) which are restructured in
      a buffer change step, resulting in an accessible substrate for liposome
      immobilization. Liposomes in a concentration of 5mM of varying composition and
      fluidity were immobilized on the sensor surface by inserting the hydrophobic
      residues of the former loaded SSMs. This proof of principle was carried out using
      Cytochrome C as a membrane-interacting model protein. The binding of Cytochrome C
      to the immobilized liposomes was demonstrated, and the derived kinetic and
      affinity constants were similar to values given in the literature. In order to
      obtain a detailed understanding of this surface, and to show the integrity of the
      liposomes, confocal fluorescence microscopy was used. Images of immobilized
      liposomes containing calcein in the aqueous core indicated intact vesicles. A
      combination of this simple liposome immobilization approach, the possibility of
      automation on BLI systems with high throughput within an acceptable timescale and
      excellent reproducibility makes this assay suitable for basic research as well as
      for industrial and regulatory applications.

PMID- 28340486
TI  - Review of current nuclear fallout codes.
AB  - The importance of developing a robust nuclear forensics program to combat the
      illicit use of nuclear material that may be used as an improvised nuclear device
      is widely accepted. In order to decrease the threat to public safety and improve
      governmental response, government agencies have developed fallout-analysis codes
      to predict the fallout particle size, dose, and dispersion and dispersion
      following a detonation. This paper will review the different codes that have been
      developed for predicting fallout from both chemical and nuclear weapons. This
      will decrease the response time required for the government to respond to the
      event.

PMID- 28340487
TI  - MicroRNA-4739 regulates osteogenic and adipocytic differentiation of immortalized
      human bone marrow stromal cells via targeting LRP3.
AB  - Understanding the regulatory networks underlying lineage differentiation and fate
      determination of human bone marrow stromal cells (hBMSC) is a prerequisite for
      their therapeutic use. The goal of the current study was to unravel the novel
      role of the low-density lipoprotein receptor-related protein 3 (LRP3) in
      regulating the osteogenic and adipogenic differentiation of immortalized hBMSCs.
      Gene expression profiling revealed significantly higher LRP3 levels in the highly
      osteogenic hBMSC clone imCL1 than in the less osteogenic clone imCL2, as well as
      a significant upregulation of LRP3 during the osteogenic induction of the imCL1
      clone. Data from functional and gene expression assays demonstrated the role of
      LRP3 as a molecular switch promoting hBMSC lineage differentiation into
      osteoblasts and inhibiting differentiation into adipocytes. Interestingly,
      microRNA (miRNA) expression profiling identified miR-4739 as the most under
      represented miRNA (-36.11 fold) in imCL1 compared to imCL2. The TargetScan
      prediction algorithm, combined with functional and biochemical assays, identified
      LRP3 mRNA as a novel target of miR-4739, with a single potential binding site for
      miR-4739 located in the LRP3 3' UTR. Regulation of LRP3 expression by miR-4739
      was subsequently confirmed by qRT-PCR, western blotting, and luciferase assays.
      Over-expression of miR-4739 mimicked the effects of LRP3 knockdown on promoting
      adipogenic and suppressing osteogenic differentiation of hBMSCs. Hence, we report
      for the first time a novel biological role for the LRP3/hsa-miR-4739 axis in
      balancing osteogenic and adipocytic differentiation of hBMSCs. Our data support
      the potential utilization of miRNA-based therapies in regenerative medicine.

PMID- 28340488
TI  - National and sub-national age-sex specific and cause-specific mortality and
      disability-adjusted life years (DALYs) attributable to household air pollution
      from solid cookfuel use (HAP) in Iran, 1990-2013.
AB  - National and sub-national mortality, years of life lost due to premature
      mortality (YLLs), years lived with disability (YLDs) and disability-adjusted life
      years (DALYs) for household air pollution from solid cookfuel use (HAP) in Iran,
      1990-2013 were estimated based on the Global Burden of Disease Study 2013 (GBD
      2013). The burden of disease attributable to HAP was quantified by the
      comparative risk assessment method using four inputs: (1) exposure to HAP, (2)
      the theoretical minimum risk exposure level (TMREL), (3) exposure-response
      relationships of related causes (4) disease burden of related causes. All across
      the country, solid fuel use decreased from 5.26% in 1990 to 0.15% in 2013. The
      drastic reduction of solid fuel use leaded to DALYs attributable to HAP fell by
      97.8% (95% uncertainty interval 97.7-98.0%) from 87,433 (51072-144303) in 1990 to
      1889 (1016-3247) in 2013. Proportion of YLLs in DALYs from HAP decreased from
      95.7% in 1990 to 86.6% in 2013. Contribution of causes in the attributable DALYs
      was variable during the study period and in 2013 was in the following order:
      ischemic heart disease for 43.4%, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease for
      24.7%, hemorrhagic stroke for 9.7%, lower respiratory infections for 9.3%,
      ischemic stroke for 7.8%, lung cancer for 3.4% and cataract for 1.8%. Based on
      the Gini coefficient, the spatial inequality of the disease burden from HAP
      increased during the study period. The remained burden of disease was relatively
      scarce and it mainly occurred in seven southern provinces. Further reduction of
      the disease burden from HAP as well as compensation of the increasing spatial
      inequality in Iran could be attained through an especial plan for providing
      cleaner fuels in the southern provinces.

PMID- 28340490
TI  - A Novel Method of Neo-osseous Flap Prefabrication: Induction of Free Calvarial
      Periosteum with Bioactive Glass.
AB  - BACKGROUND:  Reconstruction of craniofacial bone defects is a primary focus of
      craniofacial surgery. Although autogenous bone grafts remain as the gold
      standard, alloplastic materials have also gained widespread popularity due to
      their off-the-shelf availability, ease of use, and durability. In addition to
      replacing the missing bone, some of these alloplastic materials have also been
      found to induce new bone formation. OBJECTIVES:  In this study, the phenomenon of
      neo-osseous induction with bioactive glass was investigated for different implant
      soft tissue configurations. MATERIALS AND METHODS:  Thirty-two male, Wistar
      albino rats were divided into four equally numbered study groups. In group 1
      (FP), adipofascial groin flaps were prefabricated with free periosteal grafts. In
      group 2 (FPB), adipofascial groin flaps were prefabricated with free periosteal
      grafts and bioactive glass. In group 3 (FB), adipofascial groin flaps were
      prefabricated with bioactive glass. In group 4 (control), adipofascial groin
      flaps were not prefabricated. Morphometric analyses of the prefabricated
      structures were performed using micro-CT. The histologic properties of the
      ectopic ossification were assessed by using a modified scoring system. RESULTS: 
      Group 1 (FP) showed the greatest rate of mature lamellar bone formation. Group 2
      (FBP) showed the greatest amount of bone density and volume. However, the
      addition of bioactive glass in group 2 (FBP) decreased the rate of mature
      lamellar bone formation when compared with group 1 (FP). Ectopic ossification was
      not observed in the control group. CONCLUSION:  Bioactive glass can be
      successfully used in the prefabrication of vascularized compound structures for
      the reconstruction of complex bone defects. However, interference with the
      periosteal induction of mature lamellar bone formation should be taken into
      consideration, especially in pediatric bone defects, which primarily rely on
      spontaneous osteogenesis through periosteal induction.

PMID- 28340489
TI  - MiR-34a-3p alters proliferation and apoptosis of meningioma cells in vitro and is
      directly targeting SMAD4, FRAT1 and BCL2.
AB  - Micro (mi)RNAs are short, noncoding RNAs and deregulation of miRNAs and their
      targets are implicated in tumor generation and progression in many cancers.
      Meningiomas are mostly benign, slow growing tumors of the central nervous system
      with a small percentage showing a malignant phenotype.Following in silico
      prediction of potential targets of miR-34a-3p, SMAD4, FRAT1, and BCL2 have been
      confirmed as targets by dual luciferase assays with co-expression of miR-34a-3p
      and reporter gene constructs containing the respective 3'UTRs. Disruption of the
      miR-34a-3p binding sites in the 3'UTRs resulted in loss of responsiveness to miR
      34a-3p overexpression. In meningioma cells, overexpression of miR-34a-3p resulted
      in decreased protein levels of SMAD4, FRAT1 and BCL2, while inhibition of miR-34a
      3p led to increased levels of these proteins as confirmed by Western blotting.
      Furthermore, deregulation of miR-34a-3p altered cell proliferation and apoptosis
      of meningioma cells in vitro.We show that SMAD4, FRAT1 and BCL2 are direct
      targets of miR-34a-3p and that deregulation of miR-34a-3p alters proliferation
      and apoptosis of meningioma cells in vitro. As part of their respective signaling
      pathways, which are known to play a role in meningioma genesis and progression,
      deregulation of SMAD4, FRAT1 and BCL2 might contribute to the aberrant activation
      of these signaling pathways leading to increased proliferation and inhibition of
      apoptosis in meningiomas.

PMID- 28340491
TI  - Comparison of Skillful vs. Less Skilled Young Soccer Players on Anthropometric,
      Maturation, Physical Fitness and Time of Practice.
AB  - This study compared maturation, body composition and physical fitness between
      youth soccer athletes with different technical skills levels. Sixty-two young
      athletes (11-17 years) were categorized dichotomously in more skilled (n=31) and
      less skilled (n=31) groups based on 3 specific technical tests (Dribbling Speed
      Test [DST], Shuttle Dribble Test [SDT] and Slalom Dribble Test [SLDT]).
      Chronological and skeletal age, time of practice, body composition and 4 physical
      fitness tests were performed for comparisons. As expected, the 3 technical tests
      were correlated (r=0.47-0.54, P<0.05). More skilled subjects in DST and SDT
      showed (respectively) higher time of practice (effect size [ES]=0.72 and 0.90),
      and greater performance sit-ups (ES=1.23 and 0.81), squat jump (ES=1.10 and
      1.08), countermovement jump (ES=1.11 and 1.10), and Yo-Yo test (ES=1.17 and 1.40)
      compared to the less skilled subjects (P<0.05). However, more skilled subjects in
      SLDT showed greater performance (P<0.05) only in the squat jump (ES=0.67) and Yo
      Yo tests (ES=0.83). The results suggest that technical performance is associated
      with greater time of practice and some physical capabilities. Moreover, the DST
      and SDT tests seem to be good options to discriminate technical performance in
      youth soccer athletes.

PMID- 28340492
TI  - Hemolysis, Elevated Liver Enzymes, Low Platelets Syndrome Superimposed on
      Hemolytic Uremic Syndrome.
AB  - A pregnancy complicated by typical hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS) and hemolysis,
      elevated liver enzymes, low platelets (HELLP) syndrome is reported. At 20 weeks
      of gestation, a case of HUS was diagnosed, with Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia
      coli identified. Plasmapheresis allowed continuation of the pregnancy for 5
      weeks. Superimposed preeclampsia and HELLP syndrome were diagnosed after the
      establishment of nephrotic range proteinuria, hypertension and recurrence of
      hemolysis. This is a singular case, as it demonstrates that HELLP syndrome can
      superimpose upon HUS, a fact that can impact future research on reproductive
      immunology. It also reminds clinicians that the overlapping of clinical and
      laboratory findings in HELLP syndrome makes the diagnosis of other thrombotic
      microangiopathies during pregnancy a clinical challenge.

PMID- 28340493
TI  - Conservative Treatment with Octreotide to Provide Early Recovery of Children with
      Esophageal Perforation.
AB  - BACKGROUND: The effectiveness of nonoperative treatment of esophageal perforation
      (EP) in children with octreotide is highlighted. METHODS: Records of nine
      patients (seven boys and two girls with an average age of 5.83 +/- 5.35 years)
      with EP were reviewed. RESULTS: EP developed in six patients during dilation of
      esophageal stenosis (five of six caused by caustic burns). In the other three
      patients, EP developed after nasogastric placement, after endotracheal
      intubation, and during endoscopy for foreign body. The symptoms consisted of
      dyspnea in four patients, tachypnea in seven patients, fever in six patients,
      chest pain in two patients, and abdominal pain in one patient. Two patients had
      pneumomediastinum, four patients had pleural effusion, one patient had
      subcutaneous emphysema, four patients had pneumothorax, and two patients had
      severe sepsis. Eight of the perforations resolved spontaneously. Therapy included
      cessation of oral feedings, implementation of proper antibiosis, parenteral
      and/or enteral nutrition by gastrostomy, and drainage of pleural effusions or
      mediastinal abscesses if required. Though not recommended by literature,
      octreotide was administered to these patients. Only one patient was operated in
      another clinic and was lost during follow-up. The length of hospitalization stay
      had a median of 11 +/- 6.59 days, ranging between 5 and 28 days. If the patient
      who was operated and did not receive octreotide therapy is excluded, the median
      hospitalization was only 8 days (5 to 12 days). All patients in our series
      (except patient 8) survived and still have their native esophagus. CONCLUSION:
      The initiation of octreotide treatment in the early period after diagnosis of EP
      without surgical intervention leads to early improvement in children.

PMID- 28340494
TI  - Postoperative Care of Patients with High-grade Glioma: Is There a Real Need for
      the Neurocritical ICU and Early CT Scan?
AB  - BACKGROUND:  Pressure on economic resources now requires a careful
      rationalization of services. For adult patients with supratentorial gliomas,
      there is no consensus on the real need for care in a postoperative neurocritical
      intensive care unit (NICU) and on the timing of a postsurgical computed
      tomography (CT) scan. In this retrospective nonrandomized study, we assessed if
      and when there is a real need for NICU and if an early CT scan could be justified
      in the absence of neurologic worsening. METHODS:  Of 264 patients, 21 were
      admitted to the NICU after the procedure as planned before the surgery for their
      clinical features (Karnofsky performance status < 70, American Society of
      Anesthesiologists score > 2, or Charlson Comorbidity Index > 5). RESULTS:  The
      mean stay in the NICU was 19.7 hours. One of these patients had developed a
      postoperative hematoma that was subsequently removed, and died afterward. The
      other 243 patients were followed clinically after the procedure: 219 underwent a
      cerebral CT scan 24 hours after the procedure and were discharged in good
      condition. The other 24 patients had a cerebral CT scan within 24 hours after the
      procedure. The early CT showed the presence of a local edema in five cases and a
      hematoma surgically treated with a subsequent admission to the NICU in two cases.
      CONCLUSION:  Considering our data, we suggest that NICU should not always be used
      after craniotomy for supratentorial gliomas. Clinical observation was sufficient
      to predict early postoperative complications. A CT scan before 24 hours after
      surgery is not recommended in the absence of clinical worsening.

PMID- 28340495
TI  - Residents' Learning Curve of Lumbar Transforaminal Epidural Steroid Injections.
AB  - Background and Study Aims There is a paucity of literature on beginners' training
      and on its connection with patient safety for transforaminal epidural steroid
      injections (TFESIs). This study retrospectively assessed the learning curves and
      associated complications of neurosurgery residents never previously exposed to
      TFESI and compared them with experienced board-certified faculty neurosurgeons
      (BCFNs). Material and Methods Procedure time in minutes, dose-area product (DAP)
      in cGy*cm2, periprocedural observations, and complications in 354 TFESIs for
      radicular pain secondary to lumbar disk herniation or lumbar spinal stenosis were
      extracted from operative notes and the electronic infiltration logbook in the per
      injection format. Learning curves for 238 residents and 116 BCFN TFESIs in terms
      of procedure time and DAP were estimated using monotone regression. Results
      Residents' TFESI procedure time and DAP reached BCFN level (4.7 minutes and 140.2
      Gy*cm2) after 67 and 68 cases, respectively. Residents' TFESIs were unsuccessful
      in 1.7%, mostly for severe obesity and hypertrophied facet joints, but no severe
      complications were noted. Obesity, however, did not result in increased procedure
      times or radiation exposure in general. Residents were faster and required less
      fluoroscopy in TFESI of the upper lumbar nerve roots than for L5 or S1 in
      particular. Conclusion The residents' learning curve for TFESIs in terms of
      procedure time and radiation exposure can be overcome safely after < 70 TFESIs.
      An outcome analysis correlating to the interventionalist's training level would
      be worth investigating in future studies.

PMID- 28340496
TI  - Recent developments in nanomedicine for melanoma treatment.
AB  - Melanoma is a most aggressive skin cancer with limited therapeutic options and
      its incidence is increasing rapidly in recent years. The discovery and
      application of new targeted therapy agents have shown significant benefits.
      However, adverse side-effects and resistance to chemotherapy remain formidable
      challenges in the clinical treatment of malignant melanoma. Nanotherapeutics
      offers an important prospect of overcoming these drawbacks. The anti-tumoral
      applications of nanomedicine are varied, including those in chemotherapy, RNA
      interference, photothermal therapy, and photodynamic therapy. Furthermore,
      nanomedicine allows delivery of the effector structures into the tumor site via
      passive or active targeting, thereby allowing increased therapeutic specificity
      and reduced side effects. In this review, we summarize the latest developments in
      the application of nanocarrier-mediated targeted drug delivery to melanoma and
      nanomedicine-related clinical trials in melanoma treatment. We also discuss
      existing problems and opportunities for future developments, providing direction
      and new thoughts for further studies.

PMID- 28340497
TI  - P450 inhibitor ketoconazole increased the intratumor drug levels and antitumor
      activity of fenretinide in human neuroblastoma xenograft models.
AB  - We previously reported that concurrent ketoconazole, an oral anti-fungal agent
      and P450 enzyme inhibitor, increased plasma levels of the cytotoxic retinoid,
      fenretinide (4-HPR) in mice. We have now determined the effects of concurrent
      ketoconazole on 4-HPR cytotoxic dose-response in four neuroblastoma (NB) cell
      lines in vitro and on 4-HPR activity against two cell line-derived, subcutaneous
      NB xenografts (CDX) and three patient-derived NB xenografts (PDX). Cytotoxicity
      in vitro was assessed by DIMSCAN assay. Xenografted animals were treated with 4
      HPR/LXS (240 mg/kg/day) + ketoconazole (38 mg/kg/day) in divided oral doses in
      cycles of five continuous days a week. In one model, intratumoral levels of 4-HPR
      and metabolites were assessed by HPLC assay, and in two models intratumoral
      apoptosis was assessed by TUNEL assay, on Day 5 of the first cycle. Antitumor
      activity was assessed by Kaplan-Meier event-free survival (EFS). The in vitro
      cytotoxicity of 4-HPR was not affected by ketoconazole (p >= 0.06). Ketoconazole
      increased intratumoral levels of 4-HPR (p = 0.02), of the active 4-oxo-4-HPR
      metabolite (p = 0.04), and intratumoral apoptosis (p <= 0.0006), compared to 4
      HPR/LXS-alone. Concurrent ketoconazole increased EFS in both CDX models compared
      to 4-HPR/LXS-alone (p <= 0.008). 4-HPR + ketoconazole also increased EFS in PDX
      models compared to controls (p <= 0.03). Thus, concurrent ketoconazole decreased
      4-HPR metabolism with resultant increases of plasma and intratumoral drug levels
      and antitumor effects in neuroblastoma murine xenografts. These results support
      the clinical testing of concurrent ketoconazole and oral fenretinide in
      neuroblastoma.

PMID- 28340499
TI  - Pagan symbols associated with the female anatomy in the Medici Chapel by
      Michelangelo Buonarroti.
AB  - Numerous studies have shown that many works of art from the Renaissance period
      contain hidden symbols and codes that could have religious, mathematical and/or
      pagan significance and even anatomical allusions. In this context, the present
      manuscript offers new evidence that the great genius of anatomy, Michelangelo
      Buonarroti (1475-1564), included pagan symbols associated with female anatomy in
      the funerary monuments found in the Sagrestia Nuova/Medici Chapel (1519-1533) in
      Florence, Italy. The interpretation of the symbols provided in this study will
      interest those with a passion for the history of anatomy. Clin. Anat. 30:572-577,
      2017. (c) 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

PMID- 28340498
TI  - Academic Difficulties in Children with Prenatal Alcohol Exposure: Presence,
      Profile, and Neural Correlates.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Academic achievement was evaluated in children with heavy prenatal
      alcohol exposure to determine potential strengths and weaknesses, evaluate the
      utility of different definitions for identifying low academic performance, and
      explore the neural correlates that may underlie academic performance. METHODS:
      Children (8 to 16 years) were assessed using the WIAT-II. Patterns of performance
      were examined in 2 subject groups: children with heavy prenatal alcohol exposure
      (n = 67) and controls (n = 61). A repeated-measures MANCOVA examining group
      differences on academic domain (reading, spelling, math) scores was conducted.
      Post hoc comparisons examined within-group profiles. Numbers and percentage of
      children with low achievement were calculated using several criteria. In a
      subsample (n = 42), neural correlates were analyzed using FreeSurfer v5.3 to
      examine relations between cortical structure (thickness and surface area) and
      performance. RESULTS: The alcohol-exposed group performed worse than controls on
      all domains and had a unique academic profile, supported by a significant group *
      academic domain interaction (p < 0.001). For the alcohol-exposed group, math
      reasoning was significantly lower than numerical operations, which was
      significantly lower than spelling and word reading. Over half of the alcohol
      exposed group (58.2%) demonstrated low achievement on 1 or more academic domains.
      The number and percentage of children meeting criteria for low achievement varied
      based on the domain and definition used. The imaging analysis identified several
      surface area clusters that were differentially related to math (L superior
      parietal and R lateral/middle occipital) and spelling (bilateral inferior and
      medial temporal) performance by group, with no relations for the other academic
      domains. Generally, scores improved as surface area decreased in controls,
      whereas no relation or a positive relation was observed in the alcohol-exposed
      group. CONCLUSIONS: Alcohol-exposed children demonstrated deficits in academic
      performance across domains and definitions, with a relative weakness in math
      functioning. Atypical brain development may contribute to these impairments in
      academic achievement. Understanding academic difficulties can assist in
      advocating effectively for alcohol-exposed children.

PMID- 28340500
TI  - Advanced Practice Registered Nurses and Long-Acting Reversible Contraception.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: Advanced practice registered nurses (APRNs) are in an excellent
      position to address the high rates of unintended pregnancy in the United States
      by providing long-acting reversible contraceptives (LARCs). These methods are
      significant in their effectiveness in preventing pregnancy in individual women
      and in having population-level effects on unintended pregnancy. The aim of this
      study was to learn more about APRN practices around long-acting reversible
      contraception and influences on those practices. METHODS: A cross-sectional
      survey of APRNs who provide women's health services was conducted during the
      summer of 2015 using an existing adapted instrument with items on personal and
      patient characteristics, opinions, practices, and training around LARC methods.
      Zero-inflated Poisson regression models were conducted to study the factors that
      influenced the number of LARC insertions in the past year. RESULTS: While 84% of
      the 390 respondents were inserting intrauterine devices (IUDs) and 77% single-rod
      implants, only 16% of these were inserting more devices than 5 years earlier. The
      most significant predictor of placement of these contraceptives was the clinical
      practice of requiring only one visit for completion. DISCUSSION: National
      guidelines and recommendations have been in place for several years stating that
      women should be able to receive the contraceptive method of their choice in just
      one clinic visit. Women's access to LARCs from APRNs may be less than optimal.
      Additional research is needed to understand if the limitations in accessibility
      of this important reproductive health service are a function of clinician
      practices or clinic policies.

PMID- 28340501
TI  - Hepatitis C.

PMID- 28340502
TI  - Trends in Alcohol Consumption Among Older Americans: National Health Interview
      Surveys, 1997 to 2014.
AB  - BACKGROUND: The majority of U.S. older adults consume alcoholic beverages. The
      older population is projected to almost double by 2050. Substantially more
      drinkers are likely. PURPOSE: To describe gender-specific trends (1997 to 2014)
      in prevalence of drinking status (lifetime abstention, former drinking, current
      drinking [including average volume], and binge drinking) among U.S. adults ages
      60+ by age group and birth cohort. METHODS: In the 1997 to 2014 National Health
      Interview Surveys, 65,303 respondents ages 60+ (31,803 men, 33,500 women) were
      current drinkers; 6,570 men and 1,737 women were binge drinkers. Prevalence
      estimates and standard errors were computed by age group (60+, 60 to 64, 65 to
      69, 70 to 74, 75 to 79, 80+) and birth cohort (<1925, 1925 to 1935, 1936 to 1945,
      1946 to 1954). Trends were examined using joinpoint regression and described as
      average annual percent change (AAPC; overall change 1997 to 2014) and annual
      percent change (APC; in-between infection points). Primary analyses were
      unadjusted. All analyses (unadjusted and adjusted for demographics/lifestyle)
      were weighted to produce nationally representative estimates. Statistical
      procedures accounted for the complex survey design. RESULTS: Among men ages 60+,
      unadjusted prevalence of current drinking trended upward, on average, 0.7% per
      year (AAPC, p = 0.02); average volume and prevalence of binge drinking remained
      stable. Adjusted results were similar. Among women age 60+, unadjusted prevalence
      of current drinking trended upward, on average, 1.6% per year (AAPC, p < 0.0001),
      but average volume remained stable; prevalence of binge drinking increased, on
      average, 3.7% per year (AAPC, p < 0.0001). Adjusted results were similar. Trends
      varied by age group and birth cohort. Among men born 1946 to 1954, unadjusted
      prevalence of current drinking trended upward, on average, 2.4% per year (AAPC, p
      = 0.02); adjusted results were nonsignificant. CONCLUSIONS: Our finding of upward
      trends in drinking among adults ages 60+, particularly women, suggests the
      importance of public health planning to meet future needs for alcohol-related
      programs.

PMID- 28340504
TI  - Improving the outcomes of human immunodeficiency virus/hepatitis C virus
      coinfected transplant recipients: The answer is Blowin' in the wind.

PMID- 28340503
TI  - Risk factors for lymph node metastases in women with endometrial cancer: A
      population-based, nation-wide register study-On behalf of the Swedish
      Gynecological Cancer Group.
AB  - The role of lymphadenectomy in the management of early endometrial cancer remains
      controversial. In the recent ESMO-ESGO-ESTRO guidelines, lymphadenectomy is
      recommended for patients with endometrioid adenocarcinoma Grade 3 with deep
      myometrial invasion, but complete agreement was not achieved. In Sweden, DNA
      aneuploidy has been included as a high-risk factor. The aim of our study was to
      evaluate the impact of tumor histology, FIGO grade, DNA ploidy and myometrial
      invasion (MI) on occurrence of lymph node metastasis (LNM) in patients with
      endometrial cancer. The study design is a retrospective cohort study based on
      prospectively recorded register data. Endometrial cancer patients registered in
      the Swedish Quality Registry for Gynecologic Cancer 2010-2015 with FIGO Stages I
      III and verified nodal status were included. Data on DNA ploidy, histology, FIGO
      grade and MI were included in multivariable log-binomial regression analyses with
      LNM as dependent variable. 1,165 cases fulfilled the inclusion criteria. The
      multivariable analyses revealed increased risk of LNM in patients with tumors
      with MI >= 50% (risk ratio [RR] = 4.1; 95% confidence interval [CI] 3.0-5.6),
      nonendometrioid compared to endometrioid histology (RR 1.8; CI 1.4-2.4) and FIGO
      Grade 3 compared to Grade 1-2 tumors (RR 1.5; CI 1.1-2.0). No statistically
      significant association between DNA ploidy status and LNM was detected. This
      population-based, nation-wide study in women with endometrial cancer confirms a
      strong association between MI >= 50%, nonendometrioid histology and FIGO Grade 3,
      respectively, and LNM. DNA ploidy should not be included in the preoperative
      decision making of removing nodes or not.

PMID- 28340505
TI  - Afferent and efferent connections of the interpeduncular nucleus with special
      reference to circuits involving the habenula and raphe nuclei.
AB  - The habenula is an epithalamic structure differentiated into two nuclear
      complexes, medial (MHb) and lateral habenula (LHb). Recently, MHb together with
      its primary target, the interpeduncular nucleus (IP), have been identified as
      major players in mediating the aversive effects of nicotine. However, structures
      downstream of the MHb-IP axis, including the median (MnR) and caudal dorsal raphe
      nucleus (DRC), may contribute to the behavioral effects of nicotine. The afferent
      and efferent connections of the IP have hitherto not been systematically
      investigated with sensitive tracers. Thus, we placed injections of retrograde or
      anterograde tracers into different IP subdivisions or the MnR and additionally
      examined the transmitter phenotype of major IP and MnR afferents by combining
      retrograde tract tracing with immunofluorescence and in situ hybridization
      techniques. Besides receiving inputs from MHb and also LHb, we found that IP is
      reciprocally interconnected mainly with midline structures, including the
      MnR/DRC, nucleus incertus, supramammillary nucleus, septum, and laterodorsal
      tegmental nucleus. The bidirectional connections between IP and MnR proved to be
      primarily GABAergic. Regarding a possible topography of IP outputs, all IP
      subnuclei gave rise to descending projections, whereas major ascending
      projections, including focal projections to ventral hippocampus, ventrolateral
      septum, and LHb originated from the dorsocaudal IP. Our findings indicate that IP
      is closely associated to a distributed network of midline structures that
      modulate hippocampal theta activity and forms a node linking MHb and LHb with
      this network, and the hippocampus. Moreover, they support a cardinal role of
      GABAergic IP/MnR interconnections in the behavioral response to nicotine.

PMID- 28340506
TI  - Neuromedin U alters bioenergetics and expands the cancer stem cell phenotype in
      HER2-positive breast cancer.
AB  - Neuromedin U (NmU) is a neuropeptide belonging to the neuromedin family.
      Recently, we reported a significant association between NmU and breast cancer,
      particularly correlating with increased aggressiveness, resistance to HER2
      targeted therapies and overall significantly poorer outcome for patients,
      although the mechanism through which it exerts this effect remained unexplained.
      Investigating this, here we found that ectopic over-expression of NmU in HER2
      positive breast cancer cells induced aberrant metabolism, with increased
      glycolysis, likely due to enhanced pyruvate dehydrogenase kinase activity.
      Similar results were observed in HER2-targeted drug-resistant cell variants,
      which we had previously shown to display increased levels of NmU. Overexpression
      of NmU also resulted in upregulation of epithelial-mesenchymal transition markers
      and increased IL-6 secretion which, together with aberrant metabolism, have all
      been associated with the cancer stem cell (CSC) phenotype. Flow cytometry
      experiments confirmed that NmU-overexpressing and HER2-targeted drug-resistant
      cells showed an increased proportion of cells with CSC phenotype (CD44+ /CD24- ).
      Taken together, our results report a new mechanism of action for NmU in HER2
      overexpressing breast cancer that enhances resistance to HER2-targeted drugs
      through conferring CSC characteristics and expansion of the CSC phenotype.

PMID- 28340507
TI  - Understanding the contribution of disulfide bridges to the folding and misfolding
      of an anti-Abeta scFv.
AB  - ScFv-h3D6 is a single chain variable fragment that precludes Abeta peptide
      induced cytotoxicity by withdrawing Abeta oligomers from the amyloid pathway to
      the worm-like pathway. Production of scFv molecules is not a straightforward
      procedure because of the occurrence of disulfide scrambled conformations
      generated in the refolding process. Here, we separately removed the disulfide
      bond of each domain and solved the scrambling problem; and then, we intended to
      compensate the loss of thermodynamic stability by adding three C-terminal
      elongation mutations, previously described to stabilize the native fold of scFv
      h3D6. Such stabilization occurred through stabilization of the intermediate state
      in the folding pathway and destabilization of a different, beta-rich,
      intermediate state driving to worm-like fibrils. Elimination of the disulfide
      bridge of the less stable domain, VL , deeply compromised the yield and increased
      the aggregation tendency, but elimination of the disulfide bridge of the more
      stable domain, VH , solved the scrambling problem and doubled the production
      yield. Notably, it also changed the aggregation pathway from the protective worm
      like morphology to an amyloid one. This was so because a partially unfolded
      intermediate driving to amyloid aggregation was present, instead of the beta-rich
      intermediate driving to worm-like fibrils. When combining with the elongation
      mutants, stabilization of the partially unfolded intermediate driving to amyloid
      fibrils was the only effect observed. Therefore, the same mutations drove to
      completely different scenarios depending on the presence of disulfide bridges and
      this illustrates the relevance of such linkages in the stability of different
      intermediate states for folding and misfolding.

PMID- 28340508
TI  - Dyspareunia in a Survivor of Childhood Sexual Abuse.
AB  - Dyspareunia is a frequent chief concern encountered by midwives and other women's
      health care providers. There are many possible etiologies for dyspareunia,
      including a history of childhood sexual abuse, and approaching assessment in a
      holistic manner is necessary to identify the etiology. This case report presents
      evidence on the importance of screening a woman who presents with dyspareunia in
      a therapeutic manner to facilitate disclosure of sexual abuse. Best practices for
      screening for sexual violence, along with recommendations for providing
      gynecologic care to survivors, are offered. By understanding the long-term
      sequelae of sexual abuse and through screening all women, midwives and other
      women's health care providers can facilitate healing and treatment for survivors.

PMID- 28340509
TI  - Liver transplantation recipients with nonalcoholic steatohepatitis have lower
      risk hepatocellular carcinoma.
AB  - Liver transplantation (LT) is a well-established treatment for hepatocellular
      carcinoma (HCC) in carefully selected patients. Risk factors for tumors with poor
      prognostic features on explant have not been well described in a national cohort.
      We performed a retrospective cohort study of adult LT recipients with HCC
      transplanted from April 8, 2012 (when explant pathology in United Network for
      Organ Sharing [UNOS] became available) until September 30, 2014. We evaluated the
      association between listing diagnosis and other demographic factors with tumor
      features on explant using logistic regression. High-risk tumor features included
      the following: > 3 tumors, largest tumor > 5 cm, presence of vascular invasion,
      presence of metastases, and poor differentiation of tumor. In total, 3733 LT
      recipients with HCC who had complete explant data in UNOS were included. The
      median age was 60 years; 78% were male; and 68% were white. Of the primary non
      HCC listing diagnoses, 2608 (70%) had hepatitis C virus (HCV); 271 (7%) had
      nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH); 246 (7%) had alcoholic cirrhosis; and 189
      (5%) had hepatitis B virus. Also, 1140 (31%) had evidence of >= 1 high-risk
      explant feature(s). The presence of >= 1 high-risk explant feature(s) was
      associated with HCC recurrence after transplant (odds ratio [OR], 5.00; P <
      0.001). Compared with HCV-associated HCC transplant recipients, individuals with
      NASH had lower likelihood of high-risk explant features (OR, 0.71; P = 0.02)
      after adjusting for covariables. Women were more likely to have high-risk explant
      features (OR, 1.23; P = 0.04). Diabetes mellitus (DM) was not associated with
      high-risk explant features. In conclusion, LT recipients with NASH-associated HCC
      had fewer high-risk tumor features on explant compared with HCV-associated HCC,
      despite having higher rates of DM and other potential risk factors for the
      development of HCC. Women had a higher likelihood of high-risk tumor features.
      Further study is warranted whether these differences are due to disease-specific
      or sex-specific influences on tumor biology or due to selection criteria for
      transplant. Liver Transplantation 23 1015-1022 2017 AASLD.

PMID- 28340510
TI  - The diverse family of MmpL transporters in mycobacteria: from regulation to
      antimicrobial developments.
AB  - Mycobacterial genomes contain large sets of loci encoding membrane proteins that
      belong to a family of multidrug resistance pumps designated Resistance-Nodulation
      Cell Division (RND) permeases. Mycobacterial membrane protein Large (MmpL)
      transporters represent a subclass of RND transporters known to participate in the
      export of lipid components across the cell envelope. These surface-exposed lipids
      with unusual structures play key roles in the physiology of mycobacteria and/or
      can act as virulence factors and immunomodulators. Defining the substrate
      specificity of MmpLs and their mechanisms of regulation helps understanding how
      mycobacteria elaborate their complex cell wall. This review describes the
      diversity of MmpL proteins in mycobacteria, emphasising their high abundance in a
      few opportunistic rapid-growing mycobacteria. It reports the conservation of mmpL
      loci between Mycobacterium tuberculosis and non-tuberculous mycobacteria, useful
      in predicting the role of MmpLs with unknown functions. Paradoxically, whereas
      MmpLs participate in drug resistance mechanisms, they represent also attractive
      pharmacological targets, opening the way for exciting translational applications.
      The most recent advances regarding structural/functional information are also
      provided to explain the molecular basis underlying the proton-motive force driven
      lipid transport. Overall, this review emphasises the Janus-face nature of MmpLs
      at the crossroads between antibiotic resistance mechanisms and exquisite
      vulnerability to drugs.

PMID- 28340511
TI  - Quantitative mapping reveals age and sex differences in vasopressin, but not
      oxytocin, immunoreactivity in the rat social behavior neural network.
AB  - The neuropeptides vasopressin (AVP) and oxytocin (OT) have been implicated in the
      regulation of numerous social behaviors in adult and juvenile animals. AVP and OT
      signaling predominantly occur within a circuit of interconnected brain regions
      known collectively as the "social behavior neural network" (SBNN). Importantly,
      AVP and OT signaling within the SBNN has been shown to differentially regulate
      diverse social behaviors, depending on the age and/or sex of the animal. We
      hypothesized that variation in the display of these behaviors is due in part to
      age and sex differences in AVP and OT synthesis within the SBNN. However, a
      thorough characterization of AVP and OT-immunoreactive (ir) fibers and cell
      bodies across age and sex within the SBNN has been lacking in rats. We therefore
      quantified AVP- and OT-ir fibers and cell bodies in 22 subregions of the
      forebrain SBNN in juvenile and adult, male and female rats. We found numerous age
      (16 subregions) and sex (10 subregions) differences in AVP-ir fiber fractional
      areas, and AVP-ir cell body numbers, which were mainly observed in the medial
      amygdala/bed nucleus of the stria terminalis to lateral septum circuit. In
      contrast to AVP, we observed no age or sex differences in OT-ir fiber fractional
      areas or cell bodies in any of the 22 subregions of the forebrain SBNN. Thus,
      unlike the static pattern observed for OT, AVP innervation of the forebrain SBNN
      appears to undergo developmental changes, and is highly sexually dimorphic, which
      likely has significant functional consequences for the regulation of social
      behavior.

PMID- 28340512
TI  - Activation mechanisms of alphaVbeta3 integrin by binding to fibronectin: A
      computational study.
AB  - Integrin alphaVbeta3 plays an important role in regulating cellular activities
      and in human diseases. Although the structure of alphaVbeta3 has been studied by
      crystallography and electron microscopy, the detailed activation mechanism of
      integrin alphaVbeta3 induced by fibronectin remains unclear. In this study, we
      investigated the conformational and dynamical motion changes of Mn2+ -bound
      integrin alphaVbeta3 by binding to fibronectin with molecular dynamics
      simulations. Results showed that fibronectin binding to integrin alphaVbeta3
      caused the changes of the conformational flexibility of alphaVbeta3 domains, the
      essential mode of motion for the domains of alphaV subunit and beta3 subunit and
      the degrees of correlated motion of residues between the domains of alphaV
      subunit and beta3 subunit of integrin alphaVbeta3. The angle of Propeller domain
      with respect to the Calf-2 domain of alphaV subunit and the angle of Hybrid
      domain with respect to betaA domain of beta3 subunit significantly increased when
      integrin alphaVbeta3 was bound to fibronectin. These changes could result in the
      conformational change tendency of alphaVbeta3 from a bend conformation to an
      extended conformation and lead to the open swing of Hybrid domain relative to
      betaA domain of beta3 subunit, which have demonstrated their importance for
      alphaVbeta3 activation. Fibronectin binding to integrin alphaVbeta3 significantly
      decreased the relative position of alpha1 helix to betaA domain and that to metal
      ion-dependent adhesion site, stabilized Mn2+ ions binding in integrin alphaVbeta3
      and changed fibronectin conformation, which are important for alphaVbeta3
      activation. Results from this study provide important molecular insight into the
      "outside-in" activation mechanism of integrin alphaVbeta3 by binding to
      fibronectin.

PMID- 28340514
TI  - Elucidation of the methods used for quantitative analysis of radiolabeled
      sphingolipids with beta imager 2000 radiochromatoscanner in MOLT-4 leukemic
      cells.

PMID- 28340513
TI  - Mendelian randomisation implicates hyperlipidaemia as a risk factor for
      colorectal cancer.
AB  - While elevated blood cholesterol has been associated with an increased risk of
      colorectal cancer (CRC) in observational studies, causality is uncertain. Here we
      apply a Mendelian randomisation (MR) analysis to examine the potential causal
      relationship between lipid traits and CRC risk. We used single nucleotide
      polymorphisms (SNPs) associated with blood levels of total cholesterol (TC),
      triglyceride (TG), low-density lipoprotein (LDL), and high-density lipoprotein
      (HDL) as instrumental variables (IV). We calculated MR estimates for each risk
      factor with CRC using SNP-CRC associations from 9,254 cases and 18,386 controls.
      Genetically predicted higher TC was associated with an elevated risk of CRC (odds
      ratios (OR) per unit SD increase = 1.46, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.20-1.79,
      p = 1.68 * 10-4 ). The pooled ORs for LDL, HDL, and TG were 1.05 (95% CI: 0.92
      1.18, p = 0.49), 0.94 (95% CI: 0.84-1.05, p = 0.27), and 0.98 (95% CI: 0.85-1.12,
      p = 0.75) respectively. A genetic risk score for 3-hydoxy-3-methylglutaryl
      coenzyme A reductase (HMGCR) to mimic the effects of statin therapy was
      associated with a reduced CRC risk (OR = 0.69, 95% CI: 0.49-0.99, p = 0.046).
      This study supports a causal relationship between higher levels of TC with CRC
      risk, and a further rationale for implementing public health strategies to reduce
      the prevalence of hyperlipidaemia.

PMID- 28340515
TI  - Inflammatory potential of diet and risk of oral and pharyngeal cancer in a large
      case-control study from Italy.
AB  - Diet and inflammation have been suggested to be important risk factors for oral
      and pharyngeal cancer. We examined the association between dietary inflammatory
      index (DIITM) and oral and pharyngeal cancer in a large case-control study
      conducted between 1992 and 2009 in Italy. This study included 946 cases with
      incident, histologically confirmed oral and pharyngeal cancer, and 2,492 controls
      hospitalized for acute non-neoplastic diseases. The DII was computed based on
      dietary intake assessed by a valid 78-item food frequency questionnaire and was
      adjusted for nonalcohol energy intake using the residual approach (E-DIITM).
      Logistic regression models were used to estimate odds ratios (ORs), and 95%
      confidence intervals (CIs), adjusted for age, sex, non-alcohol energy intake,
      study center, year of interview, education, body mass index, tobacco smoking, and
      alcohol drinking. Subjects with higher DII scores (i.e., with a more pro
      inflammatory diet) had a higher risk of oral and pharyngeal cancer, the OR being
      1.80 (95% CI 1.36-2.38) for the highest versus the lowest DII quartile and 1.17
      (95% CI 1.10-1.25) for a one-unit increase (8% of the DII range). When stratified
      by selected covariates, a stronger association was observed among women
      (ORquartile4 v.1 3.30, 95% CI 1.95-5.57). We also observed a stronger association
      for oral cancers and a strong combined effect of higher DII score and tobacco
      smoking or alcohol consumption on oral and pharyngeal cancer. These results
      indicate that the pro-inflammatory potential of the diet, as shown by higher DII
      scores, is associated with higher odds of oral and pharyngeal cancer.

PMID- 28340517
TI  - Piecemeal Mechanism Combining Sprouting and Intussusceptive Angiogenesis in
      Intravenous Papillary Formation Induced by PGE2 and Glycerol.
AB  - Recently, we demonstrated that in human intravascular papillary endothelial
      hyperplasia (IPEH), vein wall vascularization occurs in association with myriad
      papillae, a large part of which formed in the vascularized vein wall. Previously,
      using an animal model, we observed that PGE2 and glycerol administration around
      the femoral vein originates intense vascularization of the vein wall from its
      intimal endothelial cells (ECs). This vascularization is similar to that in IPEH.
      The aim of this study is to assess the mechanism of papillary formation, using
      this model after demonstrating papillary development in neo-vascularized femoral
      vein walls. In semithin and ultrathin sections, the sequential vascular and
      papillary development was as follows: (a) activation of vein intimal ECs, (b)
      sprouting of intimal ECs towards the vein media layer and microvessel
      development, (c) interconnection between neighboring microvessels originated
      elementary loops, which encircled vein wall components and formed papillae. The
      encircling ECs formed the papillary cover, and the encircled component formed the
      core. The papillae showed a similar structure to that of folds and pillars in
      intussusceptive angiogenesis, and (d) origin of secondary and complex loop
      systems by interconnection of neighboring elementary loops and by splitting of
      papillae by new loops, with abundant papillary development. In conclusion, the
      results support a piecemeal angiogenic mechanism in papillary formation, with
      association of sprouting and intussusceptive types of angiogenesis. Further
      studies are needed to assess whether the intravascular papillae described in
      several pathologic processes, including vessel tumors, such as Dabska's tumor,
      retiform hemangioendothelioma, and angiosarcoma, follow a similar mechanism. Anat
      Rec, 2017. (c) 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Anat Rec, 300:1781-1792, 2017. (c)
      2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

PMID- 28340516
TI  - Markers of dietary protein intake are associated with successful weight loss in
      the POUNDS Lost trial.
AB  - To assess the association of markers for dietary protein intake, measures of
      dietary adherence and demographic variables with weight loss in the POUNDS Lost
      study over the first 6 months and again between 6 and 24 months using data from
      those who completed each period. This is a secondary analysis of pooled data on
      completers assigned to one of four diets: 65%C/15%P/20%F (AP/LF), 55%C/25%P/20%F
      (HP/LF), 45%C/15%P/40%F (AP/HF) or 35%C/25%P40%F (HP/HF) in the POUNDS Lost
      study. Urinary nitrogen excretion, dietary adherence measured by 24-h recall and
      attendance at sessions, age (above and below 50 years), gender, race/ethnicity
      and activity by pedometry were analysed. Increased spread between protein intake
      at baseline and protein at 6 or 24 months, assessed by urinary nitrogen
      excretion, was associated with greater weight loss from baseline to 2 years. At 6
      and 24 months, older age, male gender, body mass index > 30 kg m-2 and adherence
      to the fat and protein diets were associated with more weight loss. None of these
      variables was associated with a regain from 6 to 24 months. Weight regain for
      women in the highest carbohydrate (65%) group was significantly greater (-4.4 kg
      [95% CI: -5.9, -3.0]) than for women in the lowest carbohydrate group (-1.8 kg
      [95% CI: -3.2, -0.4 kg]) (P for interaction = 0.012). An increased spread in the
      difference between baseline and follow-up protein intake was associated with
      greater weight loss, consistent with the 'protein spread theory'. Women eating
      the highest carbohydrate diet regained more weight from 6 to 24 months.

PMID- 28340518
TI  - Prevalence and distribution of sesamoid bones in the hand determined using
      digital tomosynthesis.
AB  - The aim of this study was to identify the prevalence and distribution of sesamoid
      bones in the hand using digital tomosynthesis (DTS) in comparison to previous
      studies. Using conventional radiography (CR) and DTS, hand images (81 left and
      100 right) taken at a tertiary hospital were retrospectively reviewed. The
      sesamoid bones were identified in the interphalangeal (IP) and
      metacarpophalangeal (MCP) joints of the thumb (I), and in the distal
      interphalangeal (DIP) and metacarpophalangeal (MCP) of index (II), middle (III),
      ring (IV), and little (V) fingers. Differences in number of sesamoid bones
      detected on CR and DTS were analyzed. Sesamoid bones were observed in MCP I
      (100%), MCP II (46%), MCP III (2%), MCP IV (2%), MCP V (53%), and IP I (53%) on
      CR. Using DTS, sesamoid bones were found more often in MCP I (100%), MCP II
      (54%), MCP III (2%), MCP IV (1%), MCP V (59%), and IP I (75%). Differences in the
      mean number of sesamoid bones detected on CR and DTS were statistically
      significant. Sesamoid bones in DIP joints were frequently observed on DTS, but
      rarely found on CR. Most sesamoid bones in the hand were detected in MCP I, II,
      V, and IP I joints, and were more often detected on DTS than CR. DTS is a
      reliable tool to evaluate bony structures in the hand. Clin. Anat. 30:608-613,
      2017. (c) 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

PMID- 28340520
TI  - Galangin inhibits human osteosarcoma cells growth by inducing transforming growth
      factor-beta1-dependent osteogenic differentiation.
AB  - Osteosarcoma is the most common primary malignancy of the musculoskeletal system,
      and is associated with excessive proliferation and poor differentiation of
      osteoblasts. Currently, despite the use of traditional chemotherapy and
      radiotherapy, no satisfactory and effective agent has been developed to treat the
      disease. Herein, we found that a flavonoid natural product, galangin, could
      significantly attenuate human osteosarcoma cells proliferation, without causing
      obvious cell apoptosis. Moreover, galangin enhanced the expression of osteoblast
      differentiation markers (collagen type I, alkaline phosphatase, osteocalcin and
      osteopontin) remarkably and elevated the alkaline phosphatase activity in human
      osteosarcoma cells. And galangin could also attenuated osteosarcoma growth in
      vivo. These bioactivities of galangin resulted from its selective activation of
      the transforming growth factor (TGF)-beta1/Smad2/3 signaling pathway, which was
      demonstrated by pathway blocking experiments. These findings suggested that
      galangin could be a promising agent to treat osteosarcoma. In addition, targeting
      TGF-beta1 to induce osteogenic differentiation might represent a novel
      therapeutic strategy to treat osteosarcoma with minimal side effects.

PMID- 28340521
TI  - Stable and Controllable Synthesis of Silver Nanowires for Transparent Conducting
      Film.
AB  - Silver nanowires without particles are synthesized by a solvothermal method at
      temperature 150  degrees C. Silver nanowires are prepared via a reducing agent of
      glycerol and a capping agent of polyvinylpyrrolidone (M w  ~ 1,300,000). Both of
      them can improve the purity of the as-prepared silver nanowires. With
      controllable shapes and sizes, silver nanowires are grown continuously up to 10
      20 MUm in length with 40-50 nm in diameter. To improve the yield of silver
      nanowires, the different concentrations of AgNO3 synthesis silver nanowires are
      discussed. The characterizations of the synthesized silver nanowires are analyzed
      by UV-visible absorption spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron
      microscopy (SEM), and atomic force microscope (AFM), and silver nanowires are
      pumped on the cellulose membrane and heated stress on the PET. Then, the
      cellulose membrane is dissolved by the steam of acetone to prepare flexible
      transparent conducting thin film, which is detected 89.9 of transmittance and 58
      Omega/?. Additionally, there is a close loop connected by the thin film, a blue
      LED, a pair of batteries, and a number of wires, to determinate directly the film
      if conductive or not.

PMID- 28340522
TI  - Tin Oxide-Carbon-Coated Sepiolite Nanofibers with Enhanced Lithium-Ion Storage
      Property.
AB  - Natural sepiolite (Sep) nanofibers were coated with carbon and nanoscale SnO2 to
      prepare an emerging nanocomposite (SnO2-C@Sep), which exhibited enhanced
      electrochemical performance. Sepiolite could act as a steady skeleton, carbon
      coating principally led sepiolite from an isolated to an electric state, and
      decoration of nanoscale SnO2 was beneficial to the functionization of sepiolite.
      Cycling performances indicated that SnO2-C@Sep showed higher discharge capacities
      than commercial SnO2 after 50 cycles. The nanocomposite SnO2-C@Sep possessed
      enhanced lithium storage properties with stable capacity retention and low cost,
      which could open up a new strategy to synthesize a variety of functional hybrid
      materials based on the cheap and abundant clay and commercialization of lithium
      metal oxide batteries.

PMID- 28340519
TI  - Barrington's nucleus: Neuroanatomic landscape of the mouse "pontine micturition
      center".
AB  - Barrington's nucleus (Bar) is thought to contain neurons that trigger voiding and
      thereby function as the "pontine micturition center." Lacking detailed
      information on this region in mice, we examined gene and protein markers to
      characterize Bar and the neurons surrounding it. Like rats and cats, mice have an
      ovoid core of medium-sized Bar neurons located medial to the locus coeruleus
      (LC). Bar neurons express a GFP reporter for Vglut2, develop from a Math1/Atoh1
      lineage, and exhibit immunoreactivity for NeuN. Many neurons in and around this
      core cluster express a reporter for corticotrophin-releasing hormone (BarCRH ).
      Axons from BarCRH neurons project to the lumbosacral spinal cord and ramify
      extensively in two regions: the dorsal gray commissural and intermediolateral
      nuclei. BarCRH neurons have unexpectedly long dendrites, which may receive
      synaptic input from the cerebral cortex and other brain regions beyond the core
      afferents identified previously. Finally, at least five populations of neurons
      surround Bar: rostral-dorsomedial cholinergic neurons in the laterodorsal
      tegmental nucleus; lateral noradrenergic neurons in the LC; medial GABAergic
      neurons in the pontine central gray; ventromedial, small GABAergic neurons that
      express FoxP2; and dorsolateral glutamatergic neurons that express FoxP2 in the
      pLC and form a wedge dividing Bar from the dorsal LC. We discuss the implications
      of this new information for interpreting existing data and future experiments
      targeting BarCRH neurons and their synaptic afferents to study micturition and
      other pelvic functions.

PMID- 28340523
TI  - Nanostructured (Co, Mn)3O4 for High Capacitive Supercapacitor Applications.
AB  - Nanostructured Co doped Mn3O4 spinel structure ((Co, Mn)3O4) were prepared by co
      precipitation under O3 oxidizing conditions and post-heat treatment. The product
      was composed of nanogranules with a diameter of 20-60 nm. The electrochemical
      performance of (Co, Mn)3O4 electrode was tested by cyclic voltammetry, impedance,
      and galvanostatic charge-discharge measurements. A maximum specific capacitance
      value of 2701.0 F g-1 at a current density of 5 A g-1 could be obtained within
      the potential range from 0.01 to 0.55 V versus Hg/HgO electrode in 6 mol L-1 KOH
      electrolyte. When at high current density of 30 A g-1, the capacitance is 1537.2
      F g-1 or 56.9% of the specific capacitance at 5 A g-1, indicating its good rate
      capability. After 500 cycles at 20 A g-1, the specific capacitance remains 1324 F
      g-1 with a capacitance retention of 76.4%.

PMID- 28340524
TI  - Controlled Hydrothermal Synthesis and Photoluminescence of Nanocrystalline
      ZnGa2O4:Cr3+ Monospheres.
AB  - The hydrothermal synthesis of nanocrystalline ZnGa2O4:Cr3+ (ZGC) red phosphor
      monospheres was accomplished in this work, and the effects of system pH, reactant
      content, reaction time, and citrate anions (Cit3-) on the phase and morphology
      evolution of the product were systematically studied. Under the optimized
      conditions of Cit3-/M = 1.0 molar ratio (M = total cations), pH = 5.0, and 0.2
      mmol of Zn2+, well-dispersed ZGC monospheres with an average diameter of ~454 +/-
      56 nm (average crystallite size ~15 nm) were successfully obtained via
      hydrothermal reaction at 180  degrees C for 18 h. Cit3+ ions were demonstrated to
      be crucial to the formation of monospheres and substantially affect the pathway
      of phase formation. The ZGC monospheres calcined at 800  degrees C (average
      diameter ~353 +/- 59 nm; average crystallite size ~30 nm) have an intensity ~6
      times that of the original phosphor for the 700 nm red emission of Cr3+ (the 2E 
      > 4A2 transition) under excitation with the O2- -> Ga3+ charge transfer band at
      250 nm. Fluorescence decay analysis found that the 700 nm emission has lifetime
      values of ~5 ms for the ZGC phosphors.

PMID- 28340525
TI  - Enhanced Dielectric Environment Sensitivity of Surface Plasmon-Polariton in the
      Surface-Barrier Heterostructures Based on Corrugated Thin Metal Films with Quasi
      Anticorrelated Interfaces.
AB  - A new approach to the formation of a 1D planar periodicity on the front of a
      plasmonic photodetector based on Schottky barrier is proposed. It allows forming
      a 1D planar periodicity with corrugation at the "metal/environment" interface by
      laser interference lithography using embedded chalcogenide wires, whereas the
      "metal/semiconductor" interface is flat that leads to reducing of surface
      recombination losses at Shottky barrier in contrary to the conventional
      technology for forming corrugated metal films on the semiconductor surface
      requiring chemical etching of the semiconductor substrate. In this case, the
      metal film interfaces are quasi-anticorrelated as opposed to correlated ones in
      the conventional technology. It has been theoretically predicted that the
      polarization sensitivity (T p /T s ) strongly depends on the cross-sectional
      shape of chalcogenide wires and reaches a value of 8. Furthermore, it was
      theoretically found that the maximum sensitivity of the signal intensity on the
      environment refractive index is three times larger than for an equivalent
      structure obtained by conventional technology. Comparison of experimental data
      for the photocurrent in the case of two types of correlation between metal film
      interfaces demonstrates good agreement with numerical simulations.

PMID- 28340526
TI  - An Experimental Study on Flow and Heat Transfer Characteristics of
      Ethanol/Polyalphaolefin Nanoemulsion Flowing Through Circular Minichannels.
AB  - This work experimentally studied the convective flow and heat transfer
      characteristics of a novel nanostructured heat transfer fluid:
      "ethanol/polyalphaolefin nanoemulsion" flowing through 12 circular minichannels
      of 1-mm diameter each. Ethanol/polyalphaolefin nanoemulsion is a
      thermodynamically stable system formed by dispersing ethanol into a mixture of
      "polyalphaolefin (PAO)" and surfactants. In this study, ethanol/PAO nanoemulsion
      is used as the working fluid to study the effect of ethanol nanodroplets on its
      convective flow and heat transfer characteristics. In addition, the effect of
      flow regime on its heat transfer is examined. It is found that using ethanol/PAO
      nanoemulsion fluids can improve convective heat transfer compared to that of pure
      PAO under both single- and two-phase flow regimes. For single-phase flow, there
      is no significant difference in Nusselt number between ethanol/PAO nanoemulsion
      and pure PAO in laminar flow regime. However, when entering transition flow
      regime, the ethanol/PAO nanoemulsion fluid showed a substantial increase in
      Nusselt number. Meanwhile, there is an increase in pressure drop and early onset
      of the laminar-turbulent transitional region for the ethanol/PAO nanoemulsion
      compared to pure PAO. The heat transfer coefficient of ethanol/PAO nanoemulsion
      can be further enhanced when the ethanol nanodroplets undergo phase change, which
      is hypothesized that such an effect is likely related to the enhanced interfacial
      thermal transport between the nanodroplets and base fluid under elevated
      temperature and the latent heat of phase changeable nanodroplets inside
      nanoemulsion. Further studies are needed to fully explore the convective heat
      transfer properties of nanoemulsion fluids.

PMID- 28340527
TI  - Synthesis and Adsorption Properties of 4-Vinylpyridine and Styrene Copolymer In
      Situ Immobilized on Silica Surface.
AB  - Copolymer of 4-vinylpyridine with styrene was in situ immobilized on silica gel
      surface via the heterogeneous radical polymerization. Anchorage of the copolymer
      on the surface layer was confirmed by IR spectroscopy. The quantity of copolymer
      on the silica gel surface was evaluated as 25.73 wt.% by TG and DSC-MS analysis.
      "Islet" location of polymer layer on the silica surface was confirmed by the
      scanning electron microscopy. A high adsorption activity of silica gel with
      immobilized copolymer towards microquantitatives of Cu(II), Cd(II), Pb(II),
      Fe(III), and Ni(II) ions in steady state conditions as well as of Ni(II) ions in
      dynamic regime was found.

PMID- 28340529
TI  - Effects of Rapid Thermal Annealing and Different Oxidants on the Properties of
      LaxAlyO Nanolaminate Films Deposited by Atomic Layer Deposition.
AB  - A comparative study of different sequences of two metal precursors
      [trimethylaluminum (TMA) and Tris(isopropylcyclopentadienyl) lanthanum
      (La(iPrCp)3)] for atomic layer deposition (ALD) lanthanum aluminum oxide
      (LaxAlyO) films is carried out. The percentage compositions of C and N impurity
      of LaxAlyO films were investigated using in situ X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy
      (XPS). The effects of different oxidants on the physical and chemical properties
      and electrical characteristics of LaxAlyO films are studied before and after
      annealing. Preliminary testing results indicate that the impurity level of
      LaxAlyO films grown with different oxidants can be well controlled before and
      after annealing. Analysis indicates the rapid thermal annealing (RTA) and kinds
      of oxidants have significant effects on the equivalent oxide thickness (EOT),
      dielectric constant, electrical properties, and stability of LaxAlyO films.
      Additionally, the change of chemical bond types of rapid thermal annealing
      effects on the properties of LaxAlyO films are grown with different oxidants also
      investigated by XPS.

PMID- 28340528
TI  - ZnFe2O4 Nanotapers: Slag Assistant-Growth and Enhanced Photoelectrochemical
      Efficiency.
AB  - In this study, ZnFe2O4 (ZFO) nanotapers are fabricated on the ZnO nanorods (NRs)
      by recycling rare-earth oxide (REO) slag as the iron source, which thereby
      exhibits dramatically enhanced photoelectrochemical (PEC) efficiency. Our studies
      demonstrate that the electron-hole separation and charge migration can be
      facilitated by the cascade band alignment of ZFO and ZnO and the branched
      nanotaper structures. Not only the iron source, the slag particles can also act
      as the passivation layers, leading to improved electron lifetime and significant
      PEC enhancement. The current study presents a novel REO-slag-modified PEC anode
      for high-efficiency PEC devices and offers a possibility of recycling industrial
      waste for renewable energy generation.

PMID- 28340530
TI  - Effect of Severe Plastic Deformation on Structure and Properties of Al-Sc-Ta and
      Al-Sc-Ti Alloys.
AB  - The comparative analysis of the effect of monotonous and non-monotonous severe
      plastic deformations (SPD) on the structure and properties of aluminum alloys has
      been carried out. Conventional hydrostatic extrusion (HE) with a constant
      deformation direction and equal-channel angular hydroextrusion (ECAH) with an
      abrupt change in the deformation direction were chosen for the cases of
      monotonous and non-monotonous SPD, respectively. Model cast hypoeutectic Al
      0.3%Sc alloys and hypereutectic Al-0.6%Sc alloys with Ta and Ti additives were
      chosen for studying. It was demonstrated that SPD of the alloys resulted in the
      segregation of the material into active and inactive zones which formed a banded
      structure. The active zones were shown to be bands of localized plastic
      deformation. The distance between zones was found to be independent of the
      accumulated strain degree and was in the range of 0.6-1 MUm. Dynamic
      recrystallization in the active zones was observed using TEM. The dynamic
      recrystallization was accompanied by the formation of disclinations, deformation
      bands, low-angle, and high-angle boundaries, i.e., rotational deformation modes
      developed. The dynamic recrystallization was more intense during the non
      monotonous deformation as compared with the monotonous one, which was confirmed
      by the reduction of texture degree in the materials after ECAH.

PMID- 28340531
TI  - Zinc Oxide Coating Effect for the Dye Removal and Photocatalytic Mechanisms of
      Flower-Like MoS2 Nanoparticles.
AB  - Flower-like MoS2 nanoparticles (NPs) consist of ultra-thin MoS2 nanosheets are
      synthesized via a facile one-pot hydrothermal method. The MoS2/ZnO p-n
      heterostructure is formed by coating n-type ZnO on the surface of flower-like
      MoS2 NPs through the seed-mediate route and post-annealing treatment. The effects
      for the dye removal and photocatalytic performances after ZnO coating are
      systematically investigated. The results demonstrated that the coating of ZnO
      nanoparticles has a positive promotion to the photodegrading properties while
      negative effect on the adsorption capacity of the MoS2/ZnO heterostructures. The
      related mechanisms on the relationship of adsorption capacity and photocatalysis
      are discussed in detail.

PMID- 28340533
TI  - Vapor Phase Exchange of Self-Assembled Monolayers for Engineering of
      Biofunctional Surfaces.
AB  - We show that 4'-nitro-1,1'-biphenyl-4-thiol self-assembled monolayers (NBPT SAMs)
      on gold can be exchanged with 11-(mercaptoundecyl)triethylene glycol (C11EG3OH)
      SAMs via vapor deposition (VD). The pristine and the exchanged SAMs obtained by
      VD as well as solution method (SM) were characterized by X-ray photoelectron
      spectroscopy (XPS) and polarization modulation infrared reflection-absorption
      spectroscopy (PM-IRRAS). Using surface plasmon resonance (SPR), it is shown that
      C11EG3OH SAMs on gold obtained by vapor deposition exchange (VDEx) have the same
      protein resistivity as SAMs obtained by the direct self-assembly process. As
      expected, the cross-linked NBPT SAM are found to be resistive to both exchange
      processes, VDEx and solution method exchange (SMEx). In this way, VDEx opens up
      an elegant and new approach of patterning SAM surfaces in situ at vacuum
      conditions without using any solvents. By combining electron irradiation-induced
      chemical lithography of NBPT SAMs with VDEx, biofunctional patterned substrates
      were engineered and used for immobilization of protein arrays.

PMID- 28340532
TI  - A Phytochrome-Derived Photoswitch for Intracellular Transport.
AB  - Cells depend on the proper positioning of their organelles, suggesting that
      active manipulation of organelle positions can be used to explore spatial cell
      biology and to restore cellular defects caused by organelle misplacement.
      Recently, blue-light dependent recruitment of specific motors to selected
      organelles has been shown to alter organelle motility and positioning, but these
      approaches lack rapid and active reversibility. The light-dependent interaction
      of phytochrome B with its interacting factors has been shown to function as a
      photoswitch, dimerizing under red light and dissociating under far-red light.
      Here we engineer phytochrome domains into photoswitches for intracellular
      transport that enable the reversible interaction between organelles and motor
      proteins. Using patterned illumination and live-cell imaging, we demonstrate that
      this system provides unprecedented spatiotemporal control. We also demonstrate
      that it can be used in combination with a blue-light dependent system to
      independently control the positioning of two different organelles. Precise
      optogenetic control of organelle motility and positioning will provide a better
      understanding of and control over the spatial biology of cells.

PMID- 28340534
TI  - Raman spectroscopy enabled investigation of carbon nanotubes quality upon
      dispersion in aqueous environments.
AB  - Dispersion of high quality carbon nanotubes (CNTs) in aqueous solutions is of
      central importance for their potential biological and biomedical applications.
      Although it is now possible to obtain highly dispersed CNT solutions by means of
      surfactant assisted processing, organic functionalization, and mechanical mixing,
      a concern remains about preservation of CNTs' quality during these dispersion
      procedures. In this report, the authors demonstrate that by employing Raman
      spectroscopy, one can study changes in CNTs' quality post-dispersion.
      Specifically, the authors focused on mechanical mixing via sonication and
      quantitatively determined the effects of various parameters such as surfactants,
      CNTs' geometry, sonication time, and sonication method on CNTs' quality post
      sonication. While not addressed here, our method could be extended to monitor
      CNTs' quality as a function of other parameters that could potentially compromise
      their quality, such as chemical functionalization or doping.

PMID- 28340535
TI  - Continuation of Renin-Angiotensin-Aldosterone Inhibitors Does Not Impact Renal
      Function Among Patients Undergoing Percutaneous Nephrolithotomy.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: In the perioperative period, renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system
      (RAAS) inhibitors may result in cardiovascular and renal functional changes. We
      sought to determine the acute and chronic renal functional and blood pressure
      effects of continuing or withdrawing angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors
      (ACE-I) and angiotensin receptor blockers (ARBs) after percutaneous
      nephrolithotomy (PCNL). MATERIALS AND METHODS: This was a retrospective review of
      all patients undergoing PCNL at our institution from 2002 to 2013. Patients on
      either an ACE-I and/or ARB who received an ACE-I and/or ARB during their surgical
      hospitalization were matched based on sex, age, and body mass index to patients
      who had their medication withheld during the postoperative period. The two groups
      were compared. RESULTS: A total of 2784 patients underwent PCNL during the study
      period. At the time of PCNL, 15.2% (423/2784) of patients and 6.5% (181/2784)
      were prescribed an ACE-I and an ARB, respectively. Fifty-nine percent (248/423)
      of patients on an ACE-I and 66.9% (121/181) on an ARB received their medication
      during their postoperative hospitalization. There was no significant difference
      in average length of stay (2 days vs 2 days), perioperative change in glomerular
      filtration rate, glomerular filtration rate (GFR) (-0.50 mL/min/1.73 m2 vs -2.34
      mL/min/1.73 m2, p = 0.267), change in GFR at 1 month postoperatively (-4.63
      mL/min/1.73 m2 vs -5.90 mL/min/1.73 m2, p = 0.748), or change in GFR at 1 year (
      2.08 mL/min/1.73 m2 vs -0.13 mL/min/1.73 m2, p = 0.267) between patients who
      received vs withheld their medication during the postoperative stay. CONCLUSION:
      It is safe to continue RAAS inhibitors in patients undergoing PCNL during their
      operative hospitalization.

PMID- 28340537
TI  - Study on a 3D Hydrogel-Based Culture Model for Characterizing Growth of
      Fibroblasts under Viral Infection and Drug Treatment.
AB  - Three-dimensional (3D) in vitro tissue models provide an approach for the
      systematic, repetitive, and quantitative study of drugs. In this study, we
      constructed an in vitro 3D acrylated hyaluronic acid (AHA) hydrogel model
      encapsulating fibroblasts, performed long-period 3D culture, and tested cellular
      topological changes and proliferation variation in the presence of herpes simplex
      virus-1 (HSV-1) as an infecting virus and acyclovir (ACV) as the treatment drug.
      The AHA hydrogels were formed by using Michael addition chemistry of bis-cysteine
      containing MMP-degradable cross-linker onto AHA prefunctionalized with cell
      adhesion peptides (RGD). Cellular structures of 3T3 fibroblasts in hydrogel
      presented different morphological evolution processes and proliferation rates
      between different groups, including HSV-1 treated alone, ACV treated alone, HSV-1
      and ACV cotreated, and control samples. In AHA hydrogel, ACV blocked HSV-1
      infection/replication on fibroblasts. Yet, the proliferation of ACV-treated
      fibroblasts was slower than that of the control group. A significantly longer
      period was required for cells in 3D AHA gel to regain a healthy status when
      compared with cells in two-dimensional (2D) culture. This hydrogel-based 3D
      culture model potentially lays a foundation for analyzing the response of self
      organized 3D tissues to viruses and drugs in a way that is closer to nature.

PMID- 28340538
TI  - Development of High-Throughput Screening Assay for Antihantaviral Therapeutics.
AB  - Humans acquire hantavirus infection by the inhalation of aerosolized excreta of
      infected rodent hosts. There is no treatment for hantavirus diseases at present.
      Therapeutic intervention during early stages of viral infection can improve the
      outcome of this zoonotic viral illness. The interaction between an evolutionary
      conserved sequence at the 5' terminus of hantaviral genomic RNA and hantavirus
      nucleocapsid protein plays a critical role in the hantavirus replication cycle.
      This unique interaction is a novel target for therapeutic intervention of
      hantavirus disease. We developed a very sensitive, tractable, and cost-effective
      fluorescence-based assay to monitor the interaction between the nucleocapsid
      protein and the target RNA sequence. The assay was optimized for high-throughput
      screening of chemical libraries to identify molecules that interrupt this RNA
      protein interaction. The assay was validated using a library of 6880 chemical
      compounds. This validation screen demonstrated the reproducibility and validity
      of required statistical criteria for high-throughput screening. The assay is
      ready to use for high-throughput screening of large chemical libraries to
      identify antihantaviral therapeutic molecules and can be amenable to similar
      targets in other viruses.

PMID- 28340539
TI  - Erratum.

PMID- 28340536
TI  - Comparison of Broad vs Narrow Focal Width Lithotripter Fields.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: To investigate the impact of lithotripter focal width on stone
      fragmentation. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A modified reflector was used to reduce -6
      dB beam size of the HM3 lithotripter, while increasing concomitantly peak
      pressure. Fragmentation in vitro was assessed with modified and original
      reflectors using BegoStone phantoms. A membrane holder was used to mimic
      lithotripsy in vivo, and a matrix holder was used to assess variations of
      fragmentation power in the focal plane of the lithotripter field. Stone
      fragmentation in vivo produced by the two reflectors was further compared in a
      swine model. RESULTS: Stone fragmentation in vitro after 500 (or 2000) shocks was
      ~60% (or ~82%) vs ~40% (or ~75%) with original and modified reflector,
      respectively (p <= 0.0016). Fragmentation power with the modified reflector was
      the highest on the lithotripter axis, but dropped rapidly in the lateral
      direction and became insignificant at radial distances >6.0 mm. Stone
      fragmentation with the original reflector was lower along the lithotripter axis,
      but fragmentation power decayed slowly in lateral direction, with appreciable
      fragmentation produced at 6.0 mm. Stone fragmentation efficiency in vivo after
      500 (or 2000) shocks was ~70% (or ~90%) vs ~45% (or ~80%) with original and
      modified reflector, respectively (p <= 0.04). CONCLUSIONS: A lithotripter field
      with broad beam size yields superior stone comminution when compared with narrow
      beam size under comparable effective acoustic pulse energy both in vivo and in
      vitro. These findings may facilitate future improvements in lithotripter design
      to maximize comminution efficiency while minimizing tissue injury.

PMID- 28340540
TI  - Use of the Moses Technology to Improve Holmium Laser Lithotripsy Outcomes: A
      Preclinical Study.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: To evaluate in vitro and in vivo effects of Moses technology in
      Holmium laser and to compare it with the Regular mode in terms of lithotripsy
      efficiency and laser-tissue interactions. METHODS: The Lumenis(r) PulseTM P120H
      holmium laser system together with Moses D/F/L fibers were used to compare the
      Regular mode with the Moses modes in stone retropulsion by using a high-speed
      camera, and stone ablation efficiency. In addition, a porcine ureteroscopy model
      was used to assess stone fragmentation and dusting as well as laser-tissue
      interaction with the ureteral wall. RESULTS: After a laser pulse, in vitro stone
      displacement experiments showed a significant reduction in retropulsion when
      using the Moses mode. The stone movement was reduced by 50 times at 0.8 J and 10
      Hz (p < 0.01). The pronounced reduction of retropulsion in the Moses mode was
      clearly observed during fragmentation setting (high energy) and dusting (low
      energy, high Hz). In addition, stone fragmentation tests showed that the Moses
      modes resulted in a significantly higher ablation volume when compared with the
      Regular mode (160% higher; p < 0.001). In vivo assessment also supported the
      reduction in retropulsion when treating stones in the porcine kidney.
      Histological analysis of the porcine ureter after direct lasing in the Moses mode
      suggested less damage than in the Regular mode. CONCLUSIONS: The Moses technology
      resulted in more efficient laser lithotripsy, in addition to significantly
      reduced stone retropulsion, and displayed a margin of safety that may result in a
      shorter procedural time and safer lithotripsy.

PMID- 28340541
TI  - Drug Discovery Testing Compounds in Patient Samples by Automated Flow Cytometry.
AB  - Functional ex vivo assays that predict a patient's clinical response to
      anticancer drugs for guiding cancer treatment have long been a goal, but few have
      yet proved to be reliable. To address this, we have developed an automated flow
      cytometry platform for drug screening that evaluates multiple endpoints with a
      robust data analysis system that can capture the complex mechanisms of action
      across different compounds. This system, called PharmaFlow, is used to test
      peripheral blood or bone marrow samples from patients diagnosed with
      hematological malignancies. Functional assays that use the whole sample,
      retaining all the microenvironmental components contained in the sample, offer an
      approach to ex vivo testing that may give results that are clinically relevant.
      This new approach can help to predict the patients' response to existing
      treatments or to drugs under development, for hematological malignancies or other
      tumors. In addition, relevant biomarkers can be identified that determine the
      patient's sensitivity, resistance, or toxicity to a given treatment. We propose
      that this approach, which better recapitulates the human microenvironment,
      constitutes a more predictive assay for personalized medicine and preclinical
      drug discovery.

PMID- 28340543
TI  - NHANES.

PMID- 28340542
TI  - Expectations and Attitudes of Individuals With Type 1 Diabetes After Using a
      Hybrid Closed Loop System.
AB  - Purpose The first hybrid closed loop (HCL) system, which automates insulin
      delivery but requires user inputs, was approved for treatment of type 1 diabetes
      (T1D) by the US Food and Drug Administration in September 2016. The purpose of
      this study was to explore the benefits, expectations, and attitudes of
      individuals with T1D following a clinical trial of an HCL system. Methods Thirty
      two individuals with T1D (17 adults, 15 adolescents) participated in focus groups
      after 4 to 5 days of system use. Content analysis generated themes regarding
      perceived benefits, hassles, and limitations. Results Some participants felt
      misled by terms such as "closed loop" and "artificial pancreas," which seemed to
      imply a more "hands-off" experience. Perceived benefits were improved glycemic
      control, anticipated reduction of long-term complications, better quality of
      life, and reduced mental burden of diabetes. Hassles and limitations included
      unexpected tasks for the user, difficulties wearing the system, concerns about
      controlling highs, and being reminded of diabetes. Conclusion Users are willing
      to accept some hassles and limitations if they also perceive health and quality
      of-life benefits beyond current self-management. It is important for clinicians
      to provide a balanced view of positives and negatives to help manage
      expectations.

PMID- 28340544
TI  - Understanding Challenges, Strategies, and the Role of Support Networks in
      Medication Self-management Among Patients With Type 2 Diabetes.
AB  - Purpose The purpose of this qualitative study was to investigate the challenges
      and strategies of patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) regarding daily
      management of their medication regimen focusing on the role of their support
      networks. Methods A purposeful sample of 25 patients with T2DM was recruited from
      local self-help groups, general practitioner practices, and a university hospital
      in southwestern Germany. Four semi-structured focus groups were conducted to
      identify the challenges patients experienced, the strategies they used, and their
      collaboration with support networks to assist them in self-managing their
      medication regimen. Sessions were audio- and video-recorded, fully transcribed,
      and subjected to computer-aided qualitative content analysis, guided by the Self-
      and Family Management Framework (SFMF). Results Patients with T2DM experienced
      numerous challenges affecting medication self-management arising from their
      personal situation, health status and resources, characteristics of their
      regimen, and how health care is currently organized. Patients' self-initiated
      strategies included activating health care, community, social, and online
      resources; taking ownership of medication-related needs; and integrating
      medication-taking into daily life. Patients drew on self-help groups, family, and
      friends to discuss concerns regarding medication safety and receive experience
      based information and advice for navigating within the health care system as well
      as practical hands-on support with daily medication self-management. Conclusions
      Understanding the challenges and building on strategies patients with T2DM
      devised help diabetes educators to better address patients' needs and priorities
      and guide patient-centered interventions to support patients' self-management
      activities. Community and social support networks operating in patients' lives
      need to be engaged in the self-management support.

PMID- 28340545
TI  - A Comparison of the Use of Antidepressant Treatment Between Non-Hispanic Black
      and White and Mexican American Adults With Type 2 Diabetes in the United States.
AB  - Purpose The purpose of this study was to determine antidepressant use among
      Mexican Americans (MA) and non-Hispanic (NH) blacks and whites with type 2
      diabetes and depressive symptoms. Methods A secondary data analysis based on
      National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) 2005-2012 cohort data
      included 560 noninstitutionalized civilian MA, NH black, and NH white adults with
      type 2 diabetes and depressive symptoms. Unadjusted and adjusted 2-way ANOVA
      models evaluated whether there was a difference in the use of antidepressants by
      depressive symptom level across race/ethnic group. Results Whites were more
      likely than blacks and MA to be on antidepressant treatment (whites: 41.7%,
      blacks: 27.1%, MA: 24.2%) and on serotonin-norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors
      (SNRI) (whites: 8.1%, blacks: 2.9%, MA: 2.4%). However, there was no difference
      in the use of other drug classes or antidepressant use by depressive symptom
      level across racial/ethnic group. Followed by tricyclic antidepressants (TCA),
      selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRI) were the most commonly used drug
      class overall. Approximately 30% of subjects were on antidepressants and among
      those, 80% were on one antidepressant, all others on 2 or more. Conclusions
      Racial/ethnic differences were observed in the use of antidepressant treatment
      but not when depressive symptom levels were incorporated in the analyses. Further
      studies on the effectiveness of different antidepressants in diabetes outcomes
      minorities are needed.

PMID- 28340546
TI  - A Qualitative Study of Cognitive, Behavioral, and Psychosocial Challenges
      Associated With Pediatric Type 2 Diabetes in Ethnic Minority Parents and
      Adolescents.
AB  - Purpose The purpose of this descriptive qualitative study was to explore
      cognitive, behavioral, and psychosocial challenges associated with having and/or
      parenting an adolescent with pediatric type 2 diabetes (T2D) from the
      perspectives of ethnic minority parents and adolescents. Methods Ethnic minority
      (79.2% non-Hispanic black, 29.6% Hispanic) adolescents (n = 14, 78.6% female,
      14.7 +/- 1.9 years) and their parents (n = 13, 100% female) participated in
      either individual family interviews or multifamily focus group sessions. Sessions
      were audio recorded, transcribed, and coded by a team of 4 raters. QSR NVivo 10
      was used to perform a content analysis and to extract coded adolescent and parent
      responses. Results Six themes corresponding to 3 broad categories (cognitive,
      behavioral, and psychosocial challenges) emerged. Regarding cognitive challenges,
      families described difficulties learning about a new disease and managing youth
      knowledge deficits and/or superficial knowledge. In terms of behavioral
      challenges, parents and adolescents discussed ongoing difficulties with making
      and maintaining positive youth health behavior changes as well as with ensuring
      regimen adherence. Finally, managing youth emotions related to diabetes and
      navigating social relationships with peers and other family members around the
      disclosure of T2D were the primary psychosocial challenges to emerge. Conclusions
      Directions for future research include developing and evaluating brief family
      interventions and adolescent psychosocial screening measures. Recommendations for
      clinical practice include increasing family knowledge of T2D, enhancing parenting
      skills for managing youth behavior change, and conducting routine psychosocial
      screening during follow-up clinic visits.

PMID- 28340547
TI  - The Complexities of "Struggling to Live Life".
AB  - Purpose The purpose of the study was to explore and describe perceptions and
      experiences of young adults with type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM) living in
      Appalachia, Tennessee. Methods Qualitative descriptive analysis of in-depth
      interviews of 9 young adults (male = 3, female = 6) 18 to 30 years of age living
      in Appalachian counties in Tennessee provided the basis of identifying the
      salient concerns from the perspective of this diverse group related to living
      daily with T1DM. Data analysis was facilitated by using NVivo 11 Pro and
      consisted of iterative review of the accounts in 3 phases: immersion, reduction,
      and interpretation. Results Findings revealed that young Appalachian adults had
      some common, consistent experiences living with T1DM. Major themes included the
      struggle toward adulthood, the daily struggle of living with diabetes, the strong
      desire to live life, the supportive environment, the development of one's
      identity by diabetes, the disruptiveness of diabetes' demands, and the pros and
      cons of technological development in diabetes management. Conclusion Health
      vulnerabilities are multiplied for young adults living with T1DM in Appalachian
      Tennessee. Participants pointed to living in communities with social stigma, lack
      of T1DM knowledge, and lack of access to health care that compares with the
      quality of care they experienced when in pediatric care. They also expressed fear
      about pregnancy, diabetes complications, and the dangers of hypoglycemia.
      Individual and community-based empowerment programs focusing on T1DM accompanied
      by insurance reimbursement and T1DM policy reinforcement are necessary to reduce
      health disparities and improve quality of life in this underserved population of
      young adults in Appalachia.

PMID- 28340549
TI  - Long-Term In Vivo Monitoring of Adult-Derived Human Liver Stem/Progenitor Cells
      by Bioluminescence Imaging, Positron Emission Tomography, and Contrast-Enhanced
      Computed Tomography.
AB  - Adult-derived human liver stem/progenitor cells (ADHLSCs) have the potential to
      alleviate liver injury. However, the optimal delivery route and long-term
      biodistribution of ADHLSCs remain unclear. In this article, we used a triple
      fusion reporter system to determine the kinetic differences in the
      biodistribution of ADHLSCs following intrasplenic (IS) and intrahepatic (IH)
      administration in severe combined immunodeficiency/beige mice. ADHLSCs were
      transduced with a lentiviral vector expressing a triple fusion reporter
      comprising renilla luciferase, monomeric red fluorescent protein, and truncated
      HSV-1 thymidine kinase. The stability and duration of the transgenes, and the
      effects of transduction on the cell properties were evaluated in vitro. The acute
      retention and long-term engraftment in vivo were revealed by positron emission
      tomography and bioluminescence imaging (BLI), respectively, followed by
      histochemical analysis. We showed that ADHLSCs can be safely transduced with the
      triple fusion reporter. Radiolabeled ADHLSCs showed acute cell retention at the
      sites of injection. The IH group showed a confined BLI signal at the injection
      site, while the IS group displayed a dispersed distribution at the upper
      abdominal liver area, and a more intense signal. In conclusion, ADHLSCs could be
      monitored by BLI for up to 4 weeks with a spread out biodistribution following IS
      injection.

PMID- 28340550
TI  - High Prevalence of Vitamin D Deficiency in Patients With Bone Marrow Edema
      Syndrome of the Foot and Ankle.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Bone marrow edema syndrome (BMOS) is a phenomenon primarily affecting
      the lower extremity. It is characterized by a sudden onset of pain and an ill
      defined osseous hyperintense signal in magnetic resonance imaging. The main cause
      of BMOS is still largely unknown. Its pathophysiology is presumably
      multifactorial and it has recently been demonstrated that it usually involves an
      increase in bone turnover and alterations within the bone microenvironment.
      Vitamin D plays a pivotal role in maintaining a healthy and well-balanced bone
      microenvironment. However, to date only limited information has been reported on
      vitamin D status in patients with BMOS. Moreover, it is still uncertain whether
      hypovitaminosis D is associated with the etiology and course of the disease. For
      this reason, the aim of this study was to determine serum vitamin D levels
      (25(OH)D) of patients diagnosed with BMOS of the foot and ankle. METHODS:
      Patients were identified and laboratory results collected by retrospective review
      of the medical records between year 2011 and 2015. Diagnosis was based on
      clinical examination, the existence of prolonged foot pain, the presence of
      abnormal bone marrow signal intensity in T1- and T2-weighted magnetic resonance
      imaging, and the patient's medical history. All patients who demonstrated other
      concomitant diagnoses were excluded from the study. RESULTS: Overall, 31 patients
      were affected by BMOS with a mean age of 44.4 (range, 18-76) years. Notably, 84%
      of patients (26/31) had low vitamin D levels with a mean 25(OH)D level of 19.03
      ng/mL. Specifically, 61% of patients (19/31) were vitamin D deficient, 23% (7/31)
      vitamin D insufficient, and only 5 patients (16%) had sufficient vitamin D
      levels. Statistical analysis showed no significant difference comparing vitamin D
      levels with patient age, sex, and time of diagnosis. Moreover, there was no
      correlation between vitamin D status and the number of bony foci or location of
      BMOS. CONCLUSION: We found a widespread rate of vitamin D deficiency in patients
      presenting with BMOS of the foot and ankle. Comparing these data to the vitamin D
      status of the general population in Germany and to patients living in comparable
      latitudes, this raises the possibility that BMOS might be associated with low
      vitamin D status. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Level IV, retrospective case series.

PMID- 28340551
TI  - Genomic prediction using subsampling.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Genome-wide assisted selection is a critical tool for the genetic
      improvement of plants and animals. Whole-genome regression models in Bayesian
      framework represent the main family of prediction methods. Fitting such models
      with a large number of observations involves a prohibitive computational burden.
      We propose the use of subsampling bootstrap Markov chain in genomic prediction.
      Such method consists of fitting whole-genome regression models by subsampling
      observations in each round of a Markov Chain Monte Carlo. We evaluated the effect
      of subsampling bootstrap on prediction and computational parameters. RESULTS:
      Across datasets, we observed an optimal subsampling proportion of observations
      around 50% with replacement, and around 33% without replacement. Subsampling
      provided a substantial decrease in computation time, reducing the time to fit the
      model by half. On average, losses on predictive properties imposed by subsampling
      were negligible, usually below 1%. For each dataset, an optimal subsampling point
      that improves prediction properties was observed, but the improvements were also
      negligible. CONCLUSION: Combining subsampling with Gibbs sampling is an
      interesting ensemble algorithm. The investigation indicates that the subsampling
      bootstrap Markov chain algorithm substantially reduces computational burden
      associated with model fitting, and it may slightly enhance prediction properties.

PMID- 28340552
TI  - StrAuto: automation and parallelization of STRUCTURE analysis.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Population structure inference using the software STRUCTURE has
      become an integral part of population genetic studies covering a broad spectrum
      of taxa including humans. The ever-expanding size of genetic data sets poses
      computational challenges for this analysis. Although at least one tool currently
      implements parallel computing to reduce computational overload of this analysis,
      it does not fully automate the use of replicate STRUCTURE analysis runs required
      for downstream inference of optimal K. There is pressing need for a tool that can
      deploy population structure analysis on high performance computing clusters.
      RESULTS: We present an updated version of the popular Python program StrAuto, to
      streamline population structure analysis using parallel computing. StrAuto
      implements a pipeline that combines STRUCTURE analysis with the Evanno Delta K
      analysis and visualization of results using STRUCTURE HARVESTER. Using
      benchmarking tests, we demonstrate that StrAuto significantly reduces the
      computational time needed to perform iterative STRUCTURE analysis by distributing
      runs over two or more processors. CONCLUSION: StrAuto is the first tool to
      integrate STRUCTURE analysis with post-processing using a pipeline approach in
      addition to implementing parallel computation - a set up ideal for deployment on
      computing clusters. StrAuto is distributed under the GNU GPL (General Public
      License) and available to download from http://strauto.popgen.org .

PMID- 28340553
TI  - Promoting independence, health and well-being for older people: a feasibility
      study of computer-aided health and social risk appraisal system in primary care.
AB  - BACKGROUND: With population ageing, research is needed into new low-cost,
      scalable methods of effective promotion of health and wellbeing for older people.
      We aimed to assess feasibility, reach and costs of implementing a new tailored
      computer-aided health and social risk appraisal system in primary care. METHODS:
      Design: Feasibility study. SETTING: Five General Practices in London (Ealing) and
      Hertfordshire, United Kingdom (UK) Participants: Random sample of patients aged
      65 + years. INTERVENTION: The Multi-dimensional Risk Appraisal for Older people
      (MRA-O) system includes: 1) Postal questionnaire including health, lifestyle,
      social and environmental domains; 2) Software system generating a personalised
      feedback report with advice on health and wellbeing; 3) Follow-up of people with
      new concerning or complex needs by GPs or practice nurses. EVALUATION:
      Feasibility of implementation; participant wellbeing, functional ability and
      quality of life; social needs, health risks, potential lifestyle changes; and
      costs of implementation. RESULTS: Response rates to initial postal invitations
      were low (526/1550, 34%). Of these, 454/526 (86%) completed MRA-O assessments.
      Compared to local UK Census data on older people, participants were younger, more
      were owner-occupiers and fewer were from ethnic minority groups than expected. A
      range of problems was identified by participants, including pain in last week
      (269/438, 61.4%), low physical activity (173/453, 38.2%), sedentary lifestyle
      (174/447, 38.3%), falls (117/439, 26.7%), incontinence (111/441 25.2%), impaired
      vision 116/451 (25.7%), impaired hearing (145/431, 33.6%), depressed mood
      (71/451, 15.7%), impaired memory (44/444 9.9%), social isolation (46/449, 10.2%)
      and loneliness (31/442, 7.0%). Self-rated health was good/excellent in 312/437
      (71.4%), and quality of life and well-being were slightly above age-specific
      population norms. Implementation costs were low. Practices reviewed medical
      records of 143/454 (31.5%) of participants as a consequence of their responses,
      and actively followed up 110/454 (24.2%) of their patients. CONCLUSIONS: A
      computer-aided risk appraisal system was feasible for General Practices to
      implement, yields useful information about health and social problems, and
      identifies individual needs. Participation rates were however low, particularly
      for the oldest old, the poorest, and ethnic minority groups, and this type of
      intervention may increase inequalities in access. Widespread implementation of
      this approach would require work to address potential inequalities.

PMID- 28340554
TI  - Cross disease analysis of co-functional microRNA pairs on a reconstructed network
      of disease-gene-microRNA tripartite.
AB  - BACKGROUND: MicroRNAs always function cooperatively in their regulation of gene
      expression. Dysfunctions of these co-functional microRNAs can play significant
      roles in disease development. We are interested in those multi-disease associated
      co-functional microRNAs that regulate their common dysfunctional target genes
      cooperatively in the development of multiple diseases. The research is
      potentially useful for human disease studies at the transcriptional level and for
      the study of multi-purpose microRNA therapeutics. METHODS AND RESULTS: We
      designed a computational method to detect multi-disease associated co-functional
      microRNA pairs and conducted cross disease analysis on a reconstructed disease
      gene-microRNA (DGR) tripartite network. The construction of the DGR tripartite
      network is by the integration of newly predicted disease-microRNA associations
      with those relationships of diseases, microRNAs and genes maintained by existing
      databases. The prediction method uses a set of reliable negative samples of
      disease-microRNA association and a pre-computed kernel matrix instead of kernel
      functions. From this reconstructed DGR tripartite network, multi-disease
      associated co-functional microRNA pairs are detected together with their common
      dysfunctional target genes and ranked by a novel scoring method. We also
      conducted proof-of-concept case studies on cancer-related co-functional microRNA
      pairs as well as on non-cancer disease-related microRNA pairs. CONCLUSIONS: With
      the prioritization of the co-functional microRNAs that relate to a series of
      diseases, we found that the co-function phenomenon is not unusual. We also
      confirmed that the regulation of the microRNAs for the development of cancers is
      more complex and have more unique properties than those of non-cancer diseases.

PMID- 28340555
TI  - RNA-Seq transcriptomics and pathway analyses reveal potential regulatory genes
      and molecular mechanisms in high- and low-residual feed intake in Nordic dairy
      cattle.
AB  - BACKGROUND: The selective breeding of cattle with high-feed efficiencies (FE) is
      an important goal of beef and dairy cattle producers. Global gene expression
      patterns in relevant tissues can be used to study the functions of genes that are
      potentially involved in regulating FE. In the present study, high-throughput RNA
      sequencing data of liver biopsies from 19 dairy cows were used to identify
      differentially expressed genes (DEGs) between high- and low-FE groups of cows
      (based on Residual Feed Intake or RFI). Subsequently, a profile of the pathways
      connecting the DEGs to FE was generated, and a list of candidate genes and
      biomarkers was derived for their potential inclusion in breeding programmes to
      improve FE. RESULTS: The bovine RNA-Seq gene expression data from the liver was
      analysed to identify DEGs and, subsequently, identify the molecular mechanisms,
      pathways and possible candidate biomarkers of feed efficiency. On average, 57
      million reads (short reads or short mRNA sequences < ~200 bases) were sequenced,
      52 million reads were mapped, and 24,616 known transcripts were quantified
      according to the bovine reference genome. A comparison of the high- and low-RFI
      groups revealed 70 and 19 significantly DEGs in Holstein and Jersey cows,
      respectively. The interaction analysis (high vs. low RFI x control vs. high
      concentrate diet) showed no interaction effects in the Holstein cows, while two
      genes showed interaction effects in the Jersey cows. The analyses showed that
      DEGs act through certain pathways to affect or regulate FE, including steroid
      hormone biosynthesis, retinol metabolism, starch and sucrose metabolism, ether
      lipid metabolism, arachidonic acid metabolism and drug metabolism cytochrome
      P450. CONCLUSION: We used RNA-Seq-based liver transcriptomic profiling of high-
      and low-RFI dairy cows in two breeds and identified significantly DEGs, their
      molecular mechanisms, their interactions with other genes and functional
      enrichments of different molecular pathways. The DEGs that were identified were
      the CYP's and GIMAP genes for the Holstein and Jersey cows, respectively, which
      are related to the primary immunodeficiency pathway and play a major role in feed
      utilization and the metabolism of lipids, sugars and proteins.

PMID- 28340556
TI  - Innovative substance 2250 as a highly promising anti-neoplastic agent in
      malignant pancreatic carcinoma - in vitro and in vivo.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Former studies already revealed the anti-neoplastic properties of the
      anti-infective agent Taurolidine (TRD) against many tumor species in vitro and in
      vivo. Its anti-proliferative and cell death inducing capacity is largely due to
      its main derivative Taurultam (TRLT). In this study it could be demonstrated,
      that substance 2250 - a newly defined innovative structural analogue of TRLT -
      exhibits an anti-neoplastic effect on malignant pancreatic carcinoma in vitro and
      in vivo. METHODS: The anti-neoplastic potential of substance 2250 as well as its
      mode of action was demonstrated in extensive in vitro analysis, followed by
      successful and effective in vivo testings, using xenograft models derived from
      established pancreatic cancer cell lines as well as patient derived tissue.
      RESULTS: Our functional analysis regarding the role of oxidative stress (ROS) and
      caspase activated apoptosis showed, that ROS driven programmed cell death (PCD)
      is the major mechanisms induced by substance 2250 in pancreatic carcinoma. What
      is strongly relevant towards clinical practice is especially the observed
      inhibition of patient derived pancreatic cancer tumor growth in mice treated with
      this new substance in combination with its sharply higher metabolic stability.
      CONCLUSION: These encouraging results provide new therapeutical opportunities in
      pancreatic cancer treatment and build the basis for further functional analysis
      as well as first clinical studies for this promising agent.

PMID- 28340557
TI  - Development of selective medium for IMP-type carbapenemase-producing
      Enterobacteriaceae in stool specimens.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Identification of carbapenemase-producing Enterobacteriaceae (CPE) in
      faecal specimens is challenging. This fact is particularly critical because low
      level carbapenem-resistant organisms such as IMP-producing CPE are most prevalent
      in Japan. We developed a modified selective medium more suitable for IMP-type
      CPE. METHODS: Fifteen reference CPE strains producing different types of beta
      lactamases were used to evaluate the commercially available CHROMagar KPC and
      chromID CARBA as well as the newly prepared MC-ECC medium (CHROMagar ECC
      supplemented with meropenem, cloxacillin, and ZnSO4) and M-ECC medium (CHROMagar
      ECC supplemented with meropenem and ZnSO4). A total of 1035 clinical samples were
      then examined to detect CPE using chromID CARBA and M-ECC medium. RESULTS: All
      tested strains producing NDM-, KPC-, and OXA-48-carbapenemases were successfully
      cultured in the media employed. Although most of the IMP-positive strains did not
      grow in CHROMagar KPC, chromID CARBA, or MC-ECC, all tested strains grew on M
      ECC. When faecal samples were applied to the media, M-ECC medium allowed the best
      growth of IMP-type CPE with a significantly higher sensitivity (99.3%) than that
      of chromID CARBA (13.9%). CONCLUSIONS: M-ECC medium was determined as the most
      favourable selective medium for the detection of IMP-type CPE as well as other
      types of CPE.

PMID- 28340558
TI  - A novel real-time PCR assay for specific detection of Brucella melitensis.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Brucellosis is a zoonosis that occurs worldwide. The disease has been
      completely eradicated in livestock in Sweden in 1994, and all cases of confirmed
      human brucellosis are imported into Sweden from other countries. However, due to
      an increase in the number of refugees and asylum seekers from the middle-east to
      Sweden, there is a need to improve the current diagnostic methodology for
      Brucella melitensis. Whilst culture of Brucella species can be used as a
      diagnostic tool, real-time PCR approaches provide a much faster result. The aim
      of this study was to set up a species-specific real-time PCR for the detection of
      all biovars of Brucella melitensis, which could be used routinely in diagnostic
      laboratories. METHODS: A Brucella melitensis real-time PCR assay was designed
      using all available genomes in the public database of Brucella (N = 96) including
      all complete genomes of Brucella melitensis (N = 17). The assay was validated
      with a collection of 37 Brucella species reference strains, 120 Brucella
      melitensis human clinical isolates, and 45 clinically relevant non-Brucella
      melitensis strains. RESULTS: In this study we developed a single real-time PCR
      for the specific detection of all biovars of Brucella melitensis. CONCLUSIONS:
      This new real-time PCR method shows a high specificity (100%) and a high
      sensitivity (1.25 GE/MUl) and has been implemented in the laboratories of four
      governmental authorities across Sweden.

PMID- 28340559
TI  - Association of general psychological factors with frequent attendance in primary
      care: a population-based cross-sectional observational study.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Whereas several studies have examined the association between
      frequent attendance in primary care and illness-specific psychological factors,
      little is known about the relation between frequent attendance and general
      psychological factors. Thus, the aim of this study was to investigate the
      association between being a frequent attender in primary care and general
      psychological factors. METHODS: Data were used from a large, population-based
      sample of community-dwelling individuals aged 40 and above in Germany in 2014 (n
      = 7,446). Positive and negative affect, life satisfaction, optimism, self-esteem,
      self-efficacy, and self-regulation were included as general psychological
      factors. The number of self-reported GP visits in the past twelve months was used
      to quantify frequency of attendance; individuals with more than 9 visits (highest
      decile) were defined as frequent attenders. RESULTS: Multiple logistic
      regressions showed that being a frequent attender was positively associated with
      less life satisfaction [OR: 0.79 (0.70-0.89)], higher negative affect [OR: 1.38
      (1.17-1.62)], less self-efficacy [OR: 0.74 (0.63-0.86)], less self-esteem [OR:
      0.65 (0.54-0.79)], less self-regulation [OR: 0.74 (0.60-0.91)], and higher
      perceived stress [OR: 1.46 (1.28-1.66)], after adjusting for sociodemographic
      factors, morbidity and lifestyle factors. However, frequent attendance was not
      significantly associated with positive affect and self-regulation. CONCLUSIONS:
      The present study highlights the association between general psychological
      factors and frequent attendance. As frequent GP visits produce high health care
      costs and are potentially associated with increased referrals and use of
      secondary health care services, this knowledge might help to address these
      individuals with high needs.

PMID- 28340560
TI  - A novel pore-region mutation, c.887G > A (p.G296D) in KCNQ4, causing hearing loss
      in a Chinese family with autosomal dominant non-syndromic deafness 2.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Hereditary non-syndromic hearing loss is the most common inherited
      sensory defect in humans. The KCNQ4 channel belongs to a family of potassium ion
      channels that play crucial roles in physiology and disease. Mutations in KCNQ4
      underlie deafness non-syndromic autosomal dominant 2, a subtype of autosomal
      dominant, progressive, high-frequency hearing loss. METHODS: A six-generation
      Chinese family from Hebei Province with autosomal dominantly inherited,
      sensorineural, postlingual, progressive hearing loss was enrolled in this study.
      Mutation screening of 129 genes associated with hearing loss was performed in
      five family members by next-generation sequencing (NGS). We also carried out
      variant analysis on DNA from 531 Chinese individuals with normal hearing as
      controls. RESULTS: This family exhibits postlingual, progressive, symmetrical,
      bilateral, non-syndromic sensorineural hearing loss. NGS, bioinformatic analysis,
      and Sanger sequencing confirmed the co-segregation of a novel mutation [c.887G >
      A (p.G296D)] in KCNQ4 with the disease phenotype in this family. This mutation
      leads to a glycine-to-aspartic acid substitution at position 296 in the pore
      region of the KCNQ4 channel. This mutation affects a highly conserved glutamic
      acid. NGS is a highly efficient tool for identifying gene mutations causing
      heritable disease. CONCLUSIONS: Progressive hearing loss is common in individuals
      with KCNQ4 mutations. NGS together with Sanger sequencing confirmed that the five
      affected members of this Chinese family inherited a missense mutation, c.887G > A
      (p.G296D), in exon 6 of KCNQ4. Our results increase the number of identified
      KCNQ4 mutations.

PMID- 28340561
TI  - Ascorbic acid ameliorates renal injury in a murine model of contrast-induced
      nephropathy.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Contrast induced nephropathy (CIN) is the commonest cause of
      iatrogenic renal injury and its incidence has increased with the advent of
      complex endovascular procedures. Evidence suggests that ascorbic acid (AA) has a
      nephroprotective effect in percutaneous coronary interventions when contrast
      media are used. A variety of biomarkers (NGAL, NGAL:creatinine, mononuclear cell
      infiltration, apoptosis and RBP-4) in both the urine and kidney were assayed
      using a mouse model of CIN in order to determine whether AA can reduce the
      incidence and/or severity of renal injury. METHODS: Twenty-four BALB/c mice were
      divided into 4 groups. Three groups were exposed to high doses of contrast media
      (omnipaque) in a well-established model of CIN, and then treated with low or high
      dose AA or placebo (saline). CIN severity was determined by measurement of
      urinary neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin (NGAL):creatinine at specific
      time intervals. Histological analysis was performed to determine the level of
      mononuclear inflammatory infiltration as well as immunohistochemistry to
      determine apoptosis in the glomeruli by staining for activated caspase-3 and DNA
      nicking (TUNEL assays). Reverse transcriptase PCR (rtPCR) of mRNA transcripts
      prepared from mRNA extracted from mouse kidneys was also performed for both
      lipocalin-2 (Lcn2) encoding NGAL and retinol binding protein-6 (RBP4) genes. NGAL
      protein expression was also confirmed by ELISA analysis of kidney lysates.
      RESULTS: Urinary NGAL:creatinine ratio was significantly lower at 48 h with a 44%
      and 62% (204.3MUg/mmol versus 533.6MUg/mmol, p = 0.049) reduction in the low and
      high dose AA groups, respectively. The reduced urinary NGAL:creatinine ratio
      remained low throughout the time period assessed (up to 96 h) in the high dose AA
      group. In support of the urinary analysis ELISA analysis of NGAL in kidney
      lysates also showed a 57% reduction (12,576 ng/ml versus 29,393 ng/ml) reduction
      in the low dose AA group. Immunohistochemistry for apoptosis demonstrated
      decreased TUNEL and caspase-3 expression in both low and high dose AA groups.
      CONCLUSIONS: Ascorbic acid reduced the frequency and severity of renal injury in
      this murine model of CIN. Further work is required to establish whether AA can
      reduce the incidence of CIN in humans undergoing endovascular procedures.

PMID- 28340562
TI  - Drug-induced liver injury from antituberculous treatment: a retrospective study
      from a large TB centre in the UK.
AB  - BACKGROUND: We describe drug-induced liver injury (DILI) secondary to
      antituberculous treatment (ATT) in a large tuberculosis (TB) centre in London; we
      identify the proportion who had risk factors for DILI and the timing and outcome
      of DILI. METHODS: We identified consecutive patients who developed DILI whilst on
      treatment for active TB; patients with active TB without DILI were selected as
      controls. Comprehensive demographic and clinical data, management and outcome
      were recorded. RESULTS: There were 105 (6.9%) cases of ATT-associated DILI
      amongst 1529 patients diagnosed with active TB between April 2010 and May 2014.
      Risk factors for DILI were: low patient weight, HIV-1 co-infection, higher
      baseline ALP, and alcohol intake. Only 25.7% of patients had British or American
      Thoracic Society defined criteria for liver test (LT) monitoring. Half (53%) of
      the cases occurred within 2 weeks of starting ATT and 87.6% occurred within 8
      weeks. Five (4.8%) of seven deaths were attributable to DILI. CONCLUSIONS: Only a
      quarter of patients who developed DILI had British or American Thoracic Society
      defined criteria for pre-emptive LT monitoring, suggesting that all patients on
      ATT should be considered for universal liver monitoring particularly during the
      first 8 weeks of treatment.

PMID- 28340564
TI  - Erratum to: Schrodinger's scat: a critical review of the currently available
      tiger (Panthera Tigris) and leopard (Panthera pardus) specific primers in India,
      and a novel leopard specific primer.

PMID- 28340563
TI  - Genome evolutionary dynamics followed by diversifying selection explains the
      complexity of the Sesamum indicum genome.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Whole genome duplication (WGD) and tandem duplication (TD) provide
      two critical sources of raw genetic material for genome complexity and
      evolutionary novelty. Little is known about the complexity of the Sesamum indicum
      genome after it diverged from a common ancestor with the paleodiploid Vitis
      vinifera and further experienced WGD and TD events. RESULTS: Here, we analyzed
      the functional divergence of different classes of inter- and intra-genome gene
      pairs from ancestral events to uncover multiple-layers of evolutionary dynamics
      acting during the process of forming the modern S. indicum genome. Comprehensive
      inter-genome analyses revealed that 60% and 70% of syntenic orthologous gene
      pairs were retained among the two subgenomes in S. indicum compared to V.
      vinifera, although there was no evidence of significant differences under
      selection pressure. For the intra-genomic analyses, 5,932 duplicated gene pairs
      experienced fractionation, with the remaining 1,236 duplicated gene pairs having
      undergone functional divergence under diversifying selection. Analysis of the TD
      events indicated that 2,945 paralogous gene pairs, from 1,089 tandem arrays of 2
      16 genes, experienced functional divergence under diversifying selection.
      Sequence diversification of different classes of gene pairs revealed that most of
      TD events occurred after the WGD event, with others following the ancestral gene
      order indicating ancient TD events at some time prior to the WGD event. Our
      comparison-of-function analyses for different classes of gene pairs indicated
      that the WGD and TD evolutionary events were both responsible for introducing
      genes that enabled exploration of novel and complementary functionalities, whilst
      maintaining individual plant ruggedness. CONCLUSIONS: In this study, we first
      investigated functional divergence of different classes of gene pairs to
      characterize the dynamic processes associated with each evolutionary event in S.
      indicum. The data demonstrated massive and distinct functional divergence among
      different classes of gene pairs, and provided a genome-scale view of gene
      function diversification explaining the complexity of the S. indicum genome. We
      hope this provides a biological model to study the mechanism of plant species
      formation, particularly in the context of the evolutionary history of flowering
      plants, and offers novel insights for the study of angiosperm genomes.

PMID- 28340565
TI  - u-PAR expression in cancer associated fibroblast: new acquisitions in multiple
      myeloma progression.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Multiple Myeloma (MM) is a B-cell malignancy in which clonal plasma
      cells progressively expand within the bone marrow (BM) as effect of complex
      interactions with extracellular matrix and a number of microenvironmental cells.
      Among these, cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAF) mediate crucial reciprocal
      signals with MM cells and are associated to aggressive disease and poor
      prognosis. A large body of evidence emphasizes the role of the urokinase
      plasminogen activator (u-PA) and its receptor u-PAR in potentiating the invasion
      capacity of tumor plasma cells, but little is known about their role in the
      biology of MM CAF. In this study, we investigated the u-PA/u-PAR axis in MM
      associated fibroblasts and explore additional mechanisms of tumor/stroma
      interplay in MM progression. METHODS: CAF were purified from total BM stromal
      fraction of 64 patients including monoclonal gammopathy of undetermined
      significance, asymptomatic and symptomatic MM, as well as MM in post-treatment
      remission. Flow cytometry, Real Time PCR and immunofluorescence were performed to
      investigate the u-PA/u-PAR system in relation to the level of activation of CAF
      at different stages of the disease. Moreover, proliferation and invasion assays
      coupled with silencing experiments were used to prove, at functional level, the
      function of u-PAR in CAF. RESULTS: We found higher activation level, along with
      increased expression of pro-invasive molecules, including u-PA, u-PAR and
      metalloproteinases, in CAF from patients with symptomatic MM compared to the
      others stages of the disease. Consistently, CAF from active MM as well as U266
      cell line under the influence of medium conditioned by active MM CAF, display
      higher proliferative rate and invasion potential, which were significantly
      restrained by u-PAR gene expression inhibition. CONCLUSIONS: Our data suggest
      that the stimulation of u-PA/u-PAR system contributes to the activated phenotype
      and function of CAF during MM progression, providing a biological rationale for
      future targeted therapies against MM.

PMID- 28340567
TI  - Improving the provision of services to young people from refugee backgrounds with
      comorbid mental health and substance use problems: addressing the barriers.
AB  - BACKGROUND: South Australia (SA) has resettled 151,134 refugees in the last ten
      years (Department of Immigration and Border Protection, Settlement reporting
      facility, 2014). Northern metropolitan Adelaide, an area which experiences
      significant social disadvantage, has received a significant number of
      (predominantly young) refugees. Research indicates that refugee youth are at
      elevated risk of mental health (MH) and alcohol and other drug (AOD) problems.
      These factors, along with the low socio-economic status of northern Adelaide, the
      number of refugee youth residing there, and the added complexity of treating
      comorbid MH and AOD problems (comorbidity) prompted this research. We
      investigated the barriers and facilitators to culturally responsive comorbidity
      care for these youth and whether the MH and AOD services were equipped to provide
      such support. METHODS: This mixed-methods study employed semi-structured
      interviews with refugee youth and service providers and an online survey with
      managers of services. Thirty participants (15 refugee youth, 15 service
      providers) took part in the semi-structured interviews and 56 (40 complete, 16
      partially-complete) in the survey. RESULTS: Thematic analysis of the interview
      data revealed the most commonly reported barriers related to four broad areas:
      (1) organisational and structural, (2) access and engagement, (3) treatment and
      service delivery, and (4) training and resources. Survey data supported the
      barriers identified in the qualitative findings. CONCLUSIONS: This research
      highlights significant gaps in the response of MH and AOD services to refugee
      youth with comorbidity. Based on the findings, ways of overcoming the barriers
      are discussed, and are of particular relevance to policy makers, organisations
      and clinicians.

PMID- 28340566
TI  - A critical review of manual therapy use for headache disorders: prevalence,
      profiles, motivations, communication and self-reported effectiveness.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Despite the expansion of conventional medical treatments for
      headache, many sufferers of common recurrent headache disorders seek help outside
      of medical settings. The aim of this paper is to evaluate research studies on the
      prevalence of patient use of manual therapies for the treatment of headache and
      the key factors associated with this patient population. METHODS: This critical
      review of the peer-reviewed literature identified 35 papers reporting findings
      from new empirical research regarding the prevalence, profiles, motivations,
      communication and self-reported effectiveness of manual therapy use amongst those
      with headache disorders. RESULTS: While available data was limited and studies
      had considerable methodological limitations, the use of manual therapy appears to
      be the most common non-medical treatment utilized for the management of common
      recurrent headaches. The most common reason for choosing this type of treatment
      was seeking pain relief. While a high percentage of these patients likely
      continue with concurrent medical care, around half may not be disclosing the use
      of this treatment to their medical doctor. CONCLUSIONS: There is a need for more
      rigorous public health and health services research in order to assess the role,
      safety, utilization and financial costs associated with manual therapy treatment
      for headache. Primary healthcare providers should be mindful of the use of this
      highly popular approach to headache management in order to help facilitate safe,
      effective and coordinated care.

PMID- 28340568
TI  - Chronic lymphocytic leukemia skin infiltration mimicking an ICD pocket infection:
      a case report.
AB  - BACKGROUND: We are presenting a case report on an unreported and unusual
      cutaneous manifestation of chronic lymphocytic leukemia in a patient with an
      implantable cardioverter-defibrillator (ICD). CASE PRESENTATION: A 65-year-old
      man with a history of chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL), previously treated with
      chlorambucil, was referred in October 2013 for extraction of a single chamber ICD
      due to a suspected device-related infection in the pulse generator area (left
      hand side of Fig. 1). The ICD system (Current VR, St. Jude Medical, USA) had been
      implanted in November 2009. The patient complained of painless erythema with
      pruritus in the pocket area. Inflammatory blood parameters were C-reactive
      protein 17.3 mg/L and leucocytes 29.0 * 109/L. Due to the atypical appearance of
      the pocket area we did not extract the device. Instead, we created an exploratory
      excision in the skin induration, which had been present for approximately 6
      weeks, and conducted a microbiological and histological examination. All
      cultivation examinations were negative. However, we did histologically show skin
      infiltration by CD-5 positive low-grade B-cell chronic lymphocytic leukemia/small
      lymphocytic lymphoma (B-CLL/SLL). Re-initiation of chemotherapy was not necessary
      and the skin induration completely disappeared within 2 months (right-hand side
      of Fig. 1). CONCLUSIONS: Complete removal of an ICD system carries considerable
      risk. In patients with a history of hematological disease, it is crucial to
      exclude cutaneous manifestations of the disease prior to device removal.

PMID- 28340570
TI  - The therapeutic HIV Env C5/gp41 vaccine candidate Vacc-C5 induces specific T cell
      regulation in a phase I/II clinical study.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Levels of non-neutralising antibodies (AB) to the C5 domain of HIV
      Env gp120 are inversely related to progression of HIV infection. In this phase
      I/II clinical study we investigated safety of Vacc-C5, a peptide-based
      therapeutic vaccine candidate corresponding to C5/gp41732-744 as well as the
      effects on pre-existing AB levels to C5/gp41732-744, immune activation and T cell
      responses including exploratory assessments of Vacc-C5-induced T cell regulation.
      Our hypothesis was that exposure of the C5 peptide motif may have detrimental
      effects due to several of its HLA-like features and that enhancement of non
      neutralising anti-C5 AB by vaccination could reduce C5 exposure and thereby
      chronic immune activation. METHODS: Thirty-six HIV patients on effective
      antiretroviral therapy were randomised to one of three dose levels of Vacc-C5
      administered intramuscularly with Alhydrogel or intradermally with GM-CSF as
      adjuvant through initial immunisation and two booster periods over 26 weeks. Vacc
      C5-specific AB were measured by ELISA and T cell responses by both IFN-gamma
      ELISPOT and proliferative assays analysed by flow cytometry. Immune regulation
      was assessed by functional blockade of the two inhibitory cytokines IL-10 and TGF
      beta in parallel cultures. Non-parametric statistical tests were applied.
      RESULTS: Vacc-C5 was found safe and well tolerated in all patients. Only marginal
      changes in humoral and cellular responses were induced, without any effect on
      immune activation. Overall, anti-Vacc-C5 AB levels seemed to decrease compared to
      pre-existing levels. Whereas Vacc-C5-specific CD8+ T cell proliferative responses
      increased after the first booster period (p = 0.020; CD4+, p = 0.057), they were
      reduced after the second. In contrast, Vacc-C5-induced T cell regulation
      increased after completed vaccination (p <= 0.027) and was lower at baseline in
      the few AB responders identified (p = 0.027). CONCLUSIONS: The therapeutic HIV
      vaccine candidate Vacc-C5 safely induced only marginal immune responses, whereas
      Vacc-C5-induced T cell regulation markedly increased. Our data support further
      attention on immune regulation during therapeutic HIV vaccination studies. TRIAL
      REGISTRATION: NCT01627678 .

PMID- 28340569
TI  - An immunohistochemical, enzymatic, and behavioral study of CD157/BST-1 as a
      neuroregulator.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Recent rodent and human studies provide evidence in support of the
      fact that CD157, well known as bone marrow stromal cell antigen-1 (BST-1) and a
      risk factor in Parkinson's disease, also meaningfully acts in the brain as a
      neuroregulator and affects social behaviors. It has been shown that social
      behaviors are impaired in CD157 knockout mice without severe motor dysfunction
      and that CD157/BST1 gene single nucleotide polymorphisms are associated with
      autism spectrum disorder in humans. However, it is still necessary to determine
      how this molecule contributes to the brain's physiological and pathophysiological
      functions. METHODS: To gain fresh insights about the relationship between the
      presence of CD157 in the brain and its enzymatic activity, and aberrant social
      behavior, CD157 knockout mice of various ages were tested. RESULTS: CD157
      immunoreactivity colocalized with nestin-positive cells and elements in the
      ventricular zones in E17 embryos. Brain CD157 mRNA levels were high in neonates
      but low in adults. Weak but distinct immunoreactivity was detected in several
      areas in the adult brain, including the amygdala. CD157 has little or no base
      exchange activity, but some ADP-ribosyl cyclase activity, indicating that CD157
      formed cyclic ADP-ribose but much less nicotinic acid adenine dinucleotide
      phosphate, with both mobilizing Ca2+ from intracellular Ca2+ pools. Social
      avoidance in CD157 knockout mice was rescued by a single intraperitoneal
      injection of oxytocin. CONCLUSIONS: CD157 may play a role in the embryonic and
      adult nervous systems. The functional features of CD157 can be explained in part
      through the production of cyclic ADP-ribose rather than nicotinic acid adenine
      dinucleotide phosphate. Further experiments are required to elucidate how the
      embryonic expression of CD157 in neural stem cells contributes to behaviors in
      adults or to psychiatric symptoms.

PMID- 28340571
TI  - DIRProt: a computational approach for discriminating insecticide resistant
      proteins from non-resistant proteins.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Insecticide resistance is a major challenge for the control program
      of insect pests in the fields of crop protection, human and animal health etc.
      Resistance to different insecticides is conferred by the proteins encoded from
      certain class of genes of the insects. To distinguish the insecticide resistant
      proteins from non-resistant proteins, no computational tool is available till
      date. Thus, development of such a computational tool will be helpful in
      predicting the insecticide resistant proteins, which can be targeted for
      developing appropriate insecticides. RESULTS: Five different sets of feature
      viz., amino acid composition (AAC), di-peptide composition (DPC), pseudo amino
      acid composition (PAAC), composition-transition-distribution (CTD) and auto
      correlation function (ACF) were used to map the protein sequences into numeric
      feature vectors. The encoded numeric vectors were then used as input in support
      vector machine (SVM) for classification of insecticide resistant and non
      resistant proteins. Higher accuracies were obtained under RBF kernel than that of
      other kernels. Further, accuracies were observed to be higher for DPC feature set
      as compared to others. The proposed approach achieved an overall accuracy of >90%
      in discriminating resistant from non-resistant proteins. Further, the two classes
      of resistant proteins i.e., detoxification-based and target-based were
      discriminated from non-resistant proteins with >95% accuracy. Besides, >95%
      accuracy was also observed for discrimination of proteins involved in
      detoxification- and target-based resistance mechanisms. The proposed approach not
      only outperformed Blastp, PSI-Blast and Delta-Blast algorithms, but also achieved
      >92% accuracy while assessed using an independent dataset of 75 insecticide
      resistant proteins. CONCLUSIONS: This paper presents the first computational
      approach for discriminating the insecticide resistant proteins from non-resistant
      proteins. Based on the proposed approach, an online prediction server DIRProt has
      also been developed for computational prediction of insecticide resistant
      proteins, which is accessible at http://cabgrid.res.in:8080/dirprot/ . The
      proposed approach is believed to supplement the efforts needed to develop dynamic
      insecticides in wet-lab by targeting the insecticide resistant proteins.

PMID- 28340572
TI  - Does sevoflurane add to outpatient procedural sedation in children? A randomised
      clinical trial.
AB  - BACKGROUND: There is little evidence concerning the effect of sevoflurane in
      outpatient procedural sedation, especially in children. We hypothesised that the
      addition of sevoflurane to a sedation regimen improves children's behaviour with
      minimal adverse events. METHODS: This is a randomised, triple-blind clinical
      trial conducted on an outpatient basis. Participants were 27 healthy children
      aged 4 to 6 years, who previously refused dental treatment with non-pharmacologic
      methods. All participants received oral midazolam (0.5 mg/kg, maximum 20 mg) and
      oral ketamine (3 mg/kg, maximum 50 mg) and, in addition: Group MK - 100% oxygen;
      Group MKS - inhalational sevoflurane at a sedative dose (final expired
      concentration between 0.3 and 0.4%). Dental appointments were video recorded for
      assessment of the children's sleep patterns, crying, movements, and overall
      behaviour during the procedure with the Houpt scale. Intra- and post-operative
      adverse events were systematically reported. Data were analysed by bivariate
      analyses in the IBM SPSS v. 19, at a significance level of 5%. RESULTS: MK (n =
      13) and MKS (n = 14) did not differ regarding the Houpt scores (P > 0.05), but
      53.8% of children in the MK group showed hysterical and continuous crying at the
      time of the local anaesthesia injection, compared to 7.1% of children in the MKS
      group (P = 0.01; phi = 0.5). There was a trend toward less crying and movement
      over time during the dental appointment in the MKS group (P = 0.48). Minor
      adverse events were observed in 10 MK children and 4 MKS children (P = 0.01).
      CONCLUSIONS: The addition of sevoflurane to oral midazolam-ketamine improved the
      children's crying behaviour during local anaesthetic administration, and did not
      increase the occurrence of adverse events. TRIAL REGISTRATION: Clinical Trials
      NCT02284204 . Registered 5 October 2014.

PMID- 28340573
TI  - A questionnaire measuring staff perceptions of Lean adoption in healthcare:
      development and psychometric testing.
AB  - BACKGROUND: During the past decade, the concept of Lean has spread rapidly within
      the healthcare sector, but there is a lack of instruments that can measure
      staff's perceptions of Lean adoption. Thus, the aim of the present study was to
      develop a questionnaire measuring Lean in healthcare, based on Liker's
      description of Lean, by adapting an existing instrument developed for the service
      sector. METHODS: A mixed-method design was used. Initially, items from the
      service sector instrument were categorized according to Liker's 14 principles
      describing Lean within four domains: philosophy, processes, people and partners
      and problem-solving. Items were lacking for three of Liker's principles and were
      therefore developed de novo. Think-aloud interviews were conducted with 12
      healthcare staff from different professions to contextualize and examine the face
      validity of the questionnaire prototype. Thereafter, the adjusted questionnaire's
      psychometric properties were assessed on the basis of a cross-sectional survey
      among 386 staff working in primary care. RESULTS: The think-aloud interviews led
      to adjustments in the questionnaire to better suit a healthcare context, and the
      number of items was reduced. Confirmatory factor analysis of the adjusted
      questionnaire showed a generally acceptable correspondence with Liker's
      description of Lean. Internal consistency, measured using Cronbach's alpha, for
      the factors in Liker's description of Lean was 0.60 for the factor people and
      partners, and over 0.70 for the three other factors. Test-retest reliability
      measured by the intra-class correlation coefficient ranged from 0.77 to 0.88 for
      the four factors. CONCLUSIONS: We designed a questionnaire capturing staff's
      perceptions of Lean adoption in healthcare on the basis of Liker's description.
      This Lean in Healthcare Questionnaire (LiHcQ) showed generally acceptable
      psychometric properties, which supports its usability for measuring Lean adoption
      in healthcare. We suggest that further research focus on verifying the usability
      of LiHcQ in other healthcare settings, and on adjusting the instrument if needed.

PMID- 28340574
TI  - Myocyte enhancer factor 2D provides a cross-talk between chronic inflammation and
      lung cancer.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer-related morbidity and
      mortality worldwide. Patients with chronic respiratory diseases, such as chronic
      obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), are exposed to a higher risk of developing
      lung cancer. Chronic inflammation may play an important role in the lung
      carcinogenesis among those patients. The present study aimed at identifying
      candidate biomarker predicting lung cancer risk among patients with chronic
      respiratory diseases. METHODS: We applied clinical bioinformatics tools to
      analyze different gene profile datasets with a special focus on screening the
      potential biomarker during chronic inflammation-lung cancer transition. Then we
      adopted an in vitro model based on LPS-challenged A549 cells to validate the
      biomarker through RNA-sequencing, quantitative real time polymerase chain
      reaction, and western blot analysis. RESULTS: Bioinformatics analyses of the 16
      enrolled GSE datasets from Gene Expression Omnibus online database showed myocyte
      enhancer factor 2D (MEF2D) level significantly increased in COPD patients
      coexisting non-small-cell lung carcinoma (NSCLC). Inflammation challenge
      increased MEF2D expression in NSCLC cell line A549, associated with the severity
      of inflammation. Extracellular signal-regulated protein kinase inhibition could
      reverse the up-regulation of MEF2D in inflammation-activated A549. MEF2D played a
      critical role in NSCLC cell bio-behaviors, including proliferation,
      differentiation, and movement. CONCLUSIONS: Inflammatory conditions led to
      increased MEF2D expression, which might further contribute to the development of
      lung cancer through influencing cancer microenvironment and cell bio-behaviors.
      MEF2D might be a potential biomarker during chronic inflammation-lung cancer
      transition, predicting the risk of lung cancer among patients with chronic
      respiratory diseases.

PMID- 28340575
TI  - NOX2 deficiency alters macrophage phenotype through an IL-10/STAT3 dependent
      mechanism: implications for traumatic brain injury.
AB  - BACKGROUND: NADPH oxidase (NOX2) is an enzyme system that generates reactive
      oxygen species (ROS) in microglia and macrophages. Excessive ROS production is
      linked with neuroinflammation and chronic neurodegeneration following traumatic
      brain injury (TBI). Redox signaling regulates macrophage/microglial phenotypic
      responses (pro-inflammatory versus anti-inflammatory), and NOX2 inhibition
      following moderate-to-severe TBI markedly reduces pro-inflammatory activation of
      macrophages/microglia resulting in concomitant increases in anti-inflammatory
      responses. Here, we report the signaling pathways that regulate NOX2-dependent
      macrophage/microglial phenotype switching in the TBI brain. METHODS: Bone marrow
      derived macrophages (BMDMs) prepared from wildtype (C57Bl/6) and NOX2 deficient
      (NOX2-/-) mice were treated with lipopolysaccharide (LPS; 10 ng/ml), interleukin
      4 (IL-4; 10 ng/ml), or combined LPS/IL-4 to investigate signal transduction
      pathways associated with macrophage activation using western immunoblotting and
      qPCR analyses. Signaling pathways and activation markers were evaluated in
      ipsilateral cortical tissue obtained from adult male wildtype and NOX2-/- mice
      that received moderate-level controlled cortical impact (CCI). A neutralizing
      anti-IL-10 approach was used to determine the effects of IL-10 on NOX2-dependent
      transitions from pro- to anti-inflammatory activation states. RESULTS: Using an
      LPS/IL-4-stimulated BMDM model that mimics the mixed pro- and anti-inflammatory
      responses observed in the injured cortex, we show that NOX2-/- significantly
      reduces STAT1 signaling and markers of pro-inflammatory activation. In addition,
      NOX2-/- BMDMs significantly increase anti-inflammatory marker expression; IL-10
      mediated STAT3 signaling, but not STAT6 signaling, appears to be critical in
      regulating this anti-inflammatory response. Following moderate-level CCI, IL-10
      is significantly increased in microglia/macrophages in the injured cortex of NOX2
      /- mice. These changes are associated with increased STAT3 activation, but not
      STAT6 activation, and a robust anti-inflammatory response. Neutralization of IL
      10 in NOX2-/- BMDMs or CCI mice blocks STAT3 activation and the anti-inflammatory
      response, thereby demonstrating a critical role for IL-10 in regulating NOX2
      dependent transitions between pro- and anti-inflammatory activation states.
      CONCLUSIONS: These studies indicate that following TBI NOX2 inhibition promotes a
      robust anti-inflammatory response in macrophages/microglia that is mediated by
      the IL-10/STAT3 signaling pathway. Thus, therapeutic interventions that inhibit
      macrophage/microglial NOX2 activity may improve TBI outcomes by not only limiting
      pro-inflammatory neurotoxic responses, but also enhancing IL-10-mediated anti
      inflammatory responses that are neuroprotective.

PMID- 28340576
TI  - Polysaccharides from Ganoderma lucidum attenuate microglia-mediated
      neuroinflammation and modulate microglial phagocytosis and behavioural response.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Ganoderma lucidum (GL) has been widely used in Asian countries for
      hundreds of years to promote health and longevity. The pharmacological functions
      of which had been classified, including the activation of innate immune
      responses, suppression of tumour and modulation of cell proliferations. Effective
      fractions of Ganoderma lucidum polysaccharides (GLP) had already been reported to
      regulate the immune system. Nevertheless, the role of GLP in the microglia
      mediated neuroinflammation has not been sufficiently elucidated. Further, GLP
      effect on microglial behavioural modulations in correlation with the inflammatory
      responses remains to be unravelled. The aim of this work was to quantitatively
      analyse the contributions of GLP on microglia. METHODS: The BV2 microglia and
      primary mouse microglia were stimulated by lipopolysaccharides (LPS) and amyloid
      beta42 (Abeta42) oligomer, respectively. Investigation on the effect of GLP was
      carried by quantitative determination of the microglial pro- and anti
      inflammatory cytokine expressions and behavioural modulations including
      migration, morphology and phagocytosis. Analysis of microglial morphology and
      phagocytosis modulations was confirmed in the zebrafish brain. RESULTS:
      Quantitative results revealed that GLP down-regulates LPS- or Abeta-induced pro
      inflammatory cytokines and promotes anti-inflammatory cytokine expressions in BV
      2 and primary microglia. In addition, GLP attenuates inflammation-related
      microglial migration, morphological alterations and phagocytosis probabilities.
      We also showed that modulations of microglial behavioural responses were
      associated with MCP-1 and C1q expressions. CONCLUSIONS: Overall, our study
      provides an insight into the GLP regulation of LPS- and Abeta-induced
      neuroinflammation and serves an implication that the neuroprotective function of
      GLP might be achieved through modulation of microglial inflammatory and
      behavioural responses.

PMID- 28340579
TI  - Obstacles and opportunities in Chinese pharmaceutical innovation.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Global healthcare innovation networks nowadays have expanded beyond
      developed countries with many developing countries joining the force and becoming
      important players. China, in particular, has seen a significant increase in the
      number of innovative firms and research organizations stepping up to the global
      network in recent years. Nevertheless, the intense Research and Development input
      has not brought about the expectable output. While China is ascending at a great
      speed to a leading position worldwide in terms of Research and Development
      investment, scientific publications and patents, the innovation capabilities in
      the pharmaceutical sector remain weak. DISCUSSION: This study discusses the
      challenges and opportunities for pharmaceutical innovation in China. One hand,
      academic, industrial, institutional and financial constraints were found to be
      the major and inevitable barriers hindering the development of drug innovation.
      On the other hand, unique advantages had been observed which included growing
      pharmaceutical market, Research and Development funding, distinctive source, and
      international cooperation. The most important thing for China's pharmaceutical
      sector to leap forward is to break though innovation barriers and integrate own
      advantages into global value-chain of healthcare product development.

PMID- 28340577
TI  - Gene and protein analysis reveals that p53 pathway is functionally inactivated in
      cytogenetically normal Acute Myeloid Leukemia and Acute Promyelocytic Leukemia.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Mechanisms that inactivate the p53 pathway in Acute Myeloid Leukemia
      (AML), other than rare mutations, are still not well understood. METHODS: We
      performed a bioinformatics study of the p53 pathway function at the gene
      expression level on our collection of 1153 p53-pathway related genes. Publically
      available Affymetrix data of 607 de-novo AML patients at diagnosis were analyzed
      according to the patients cytogenetic, FAB and molecular mutations subtypes. We
      further investigated the functional status of the p53 pathway in cytogenetically
      normal AML (CN-AML) and Acute Promyelocytic Leukemia (APL) patients using
      bioinformatics, Real-Time PCR and immunohistochemistry. RESULTS: We revealed
      significant and differential alterations of p53 pathway-related gene expression
      in most of the AML subtypes. We found that p53 pathway-related gene expression
      was not correlated with the accepted grouping of AML subtypes such as by
      cytogenetically-based prognosis, morphological stage or by the type of molecular
      mutation. Our bioinformatic analysis revealed that p53 is not functional in CN
      AML and APL blasts at inducing its most important functional outcomes: cell cycle
      arrest, apoptosis, DNA repair and oxidative stress defense. We revealed
      transcriptional downregulation of important p53 acetyltransferases in both CN-AML
      and APL, accompanied by increased Mdmx protein expression and inadequate Chk2
      protein activation. CONCLUSIONS: Our bioinformatic analysis demonstrated that p53
      pathway is differentially inactivated in different AML subtypes. Focused gene and
      protein analysis of p53 pathway in CN-AML and APL patients imply that functional
      inactivation of p53 protein can be attributed to its impaired acetylation. Our
      analysis indicates the need in further accurate evaluation of p53 pathway
      functioning and regulation in distinct subtypes of AML.

PMID- 28340578
TI  - ABCB1 and ABCG2 drug transporters are differentially expressed in non-small cell
      lung cancers (NSCLC) and expression is modified by cisplatin treatment via
      altered Wnt signaling.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Lung cancer (LC) is still the most common cause of cancer related
      deaths worldwide. Non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) accounts for 85% of all LC
      cases but is not a single entity. It is now accepted that, apart from the
      characteristic driver mutations, the unique molecular signatures of adeno- (AC)
      and squamous cell carcinomas (SCC), the two most common NSCLC subtypes should be
      taken into consideration for their management. Therapeutic interventions,
      however, frequently lead to chemotherapy resistance highlighting the need for in
      depth analysis of regulatory mechanisms of multidrug resistance to increase
      therapeutic efficiency. METHODS: Non-canonical Wnt5a and canonical Wnt7b and ABC
      transporter expressions were tested in primary human LC (n = 90) resections of AC
      and SCC. To investigate drug transporter activity, a three dimensional (3D) human
      lung aggregate tissue model was set up using differentiated primary human lung
      cell types. Following modification of the canonical, beta-catenin dependent Wnt
      pathway or treatment with cisplatin, drug transporter analysis was performed at
      mRNA, protein and functional level using qRT-PCR, immunohistochemistry, immune
      fluorescent staining and transport function analysis. RESULTS: Non-canonical
      Wnt5a is significantly up-regulated in SCC samples making the microenvironment
      different from AC, where the beta-catenin dependent Wnt7b is more prominent. In
      primary cancer tissues ABCB1 and ABCG2 expression levels were different in the
      two NSCLC subtypes. Non-canonical rhWnt5a induced down-regulation of both ABCB1
      and ABCG2 transporters in the primary human lung aggregate tissue model
      recreating the SCC-like transporter pattern. Inhibition of the beta-catenin or
      canonical Wnt pathway resulted in similar down-regulation of both ABC transporter
      expression and function. In contrast, cisplatin, the frequently used adjuvant
      chemotherapeutic agent, activated beta-catenin dependent signaling that lead to
      up-regulation of both ABCB1 and ABCG2 transporter expression and activity.
      CONCLUSIONS: The difference in the Wnt microenvironment in AC and SCC leads to
      variations in ABC transporter expression. Cisplatin via induction of canonical
      Wnt signaling up-regulates ABCB1 and ABCG2 drug transporters that are not
      transporters for cisplatin itself but are transporters for drugs that are
      frequently used in combination therapy with cisplatin modulating drug response.

PMID- 28340580
TI  - Toll-like receptors genes polymorphisms and the occurrence of HCMV infection
      among pregnant women.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) is the most common cause of intrauterine
      infections worldwide. The toll-like receptors (TLRs) have been reported as
      important factors in immune response against HCMV. Particularly, TLR2, TLR4 and
      TLR9 have been shown to be involved in antiviral immunity. Evaluation of the role
      of single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs), located within TLR2, TLR4 and TLR9
      genes, in the development of human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) infection in pregnant
      women and their fetuses and neonates, was performed. METHODS: The study was
      performed for 131 pregnant women, including 66 patients infected with HCMV during
      pregnancy, and 65 age-matched control pregnant individuals. The patients were
      selected to the study, based on serological status of anti-HCMV IgG and IgM
      antibodies and on the presence of viral DNA in their body fluids. Genotypes in
      TLR2 2258 A > G, TLR4 896 G > A and 1196 C > T and TLR9 2848 G > A SNPs were
      determined by self-designed nested PCR-RFLP assays. Randomly selected PCR
      products, representative for distinct genotypes in TLR SNPs, were confirmed by
      sequencing. A relationship between the genotypes, alleles, haplotypes and
      multiple variants in the studied polymorphisms, and the occurrence of HCMV
      infection in pregnant women and their offsprings, was determined, using a
      logistic regression model. RESULTS: Genotypes in all the analyzed polymorphisms
      preserved the Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium in pregnant women, both infected and
      uninfected with HCMV (P > 0.050). GG homozygotic and GA heterozygotic status in
      TLR9 2848 G > A SNP decreased significantly the occurrence of HCMV infection (OR
      0.44 95% CI 0.21-0.94 in the dominant model, P <= 0.050). The G allele in TLR9
      SNP was significantly more frequent among the uninfected pregnant women than
      among the infected ones (chi2 = 4.14, P <= 0.050). Considering other
      polymorphisms, similar frequencies of distinct genotypes, haplotypes and multiple
      SNP variants were observed between the studied groups of patients. CONCLUSIONS:
      TLR9 2848 G > A SNP may be associated with HCMV infection in pregnant women.

PMID- 28340581
TI  - Does psychological functioning mediate the relationship between bullying
      involvement and weight loss preoccupation in adolescents? A two-stage cross
      sectional study.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Adolescent bullying is associated with a range of adversities for
      those who are bullied i.e., victims and bully-victims (e.g., those who bully
      others and get victimised), including reduced psychological functioning and
      eating disorder symptoms. Bullies are generally well-adjusted psychologically,
      but previous research suggests that bullies may also engage in problematic diet
      behaviours. This study investigates a) whether adolescents involved in bullying
      (bullies, victims, bully-victims) are at increased risk of weight loss
      preoccupation, b) whether psychological functioning mediates this relationship
      and c) whether sex is a key moderator. METHOD: A two-stage design was used. In
      stage 1, adolescents (n = 2782) from five UK secondary schools were screened for
      bullying involvement using self and peer reports. In stage 2, a sample of
      bullies, victims, bully-victims and uninvolved adolescents (n = 767) completed a
      battery of assessments. The measures included the eating behaviours component of
      the Child and Adolescent Psychiatric Assessment, which was reduced to one factor
      (weight loss preoccupation) and used as the outcome variable. Measures of self
      esteem, body-esteem and emotional problems were reduced to a latent (mediator)
      variable of psychological functioning. Multi-group analysis examined the effects
      of sex and all models were adjusted for covariates (BMI, pubertal stage, age,
      parental education and ethnicity). RESULTS: Bullies, victims and bully-victims
      were at increased risk of weight loss preoccupation compared to adolescents
      uninvolved in bullying. The mechanism by which bullying involvement related to
      increased weight loss preoccupation varied by bullying role: in bullies the
      effect was direct, in victims the effect was indirect (via reduced psychological
      functioning) and in bully-victims the effect was both direct and indirect. Sex
      significantly moderated the relationship in bullies: weight loss preoccupation
      was only statistically significant in bullies who were boys. CONCLUSION: Bullying
      involvement during adolescence is associated with weight loss preoccupation.
      Bullies are likely driven by a desire to increase attractiveness and social
      status; whereas weight loss preoccupation in bullied adolescents may have
      maladaptive influences on diet and exercise behaviours due to its association
      with reduced psychological functioning. Future research should consider peer
      victimisation as a potential modifiable risk factor for reduced psychological
      functioning and weight loss preoccupation, which if targeted, may help to prevent
      maladaptive diet and exercise behaviours.

PMID- 28340582
TI  - Optimisation of an exemplar oculomotor model using multi-objective genetic
      algorithms executed on a GPU-CPU combination.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Parameter optimisation is a critical step in the construction of
      computational biology models. In eye movement research, computational models are
      increasingly important to understanding the mechanistic basis of normal and
      abnormal behaviour. In this study, we considered an existing neurobiological
      model of fast eye movements (saccades), capable of generating realistic
      simulations of: (i) normal horizontal saccades; and (ii) infantile nystagmus -
      pathological ocular oscillations that can be subdivided into different waveform
      classes. By developing appropriate fitness functions, we optimised the model to
      existing experimental saccade and nystagmus data, using a well-established multi
      objective genetic algorithm. This algorithm required the model to be numerically
      integrated for very large numbers of parameter combinations. To address this
      computational bottleneck, we implemented a master-slave parallelisation, in which
      the model integrations were distributed across the compute units of a GPU, under
      the control of a CPU. RESULTS: While previous nystagmus fitting has been based on
      reproducing qualitative waveform characteristics, our optimisation protocol
      enabled us to perform the first direct fits of a model to experimental
      recordings. The fits to normal eye movements showed that although saccades of
      different amplitudes can be accurately simulated by individual parameter sets, a
      single set capable of fitting all amplitudes simultaneously cannot be determined.
      The fits to nystagmus oscillations systematically identified the parameter
      regimes in which the model can reproduce a number of canonical nystagmus
      waveforms to a high accuracy, whilst also identifying some waveforms that the
      model cannot simulate. Using a GPU to perform the model integrations yielded a
      speedup of around 20 compared to a high-end CPU. CONCLUSIONS: The results of both
      optimisation problems enabled us to quantify the predictive capacity of the
      model, suggesting specific modifications that could expand its repertoire of
      simulated behaviours. In addition, the optimal parameter distributions we
      obtained were consistent with previous computational studies that had proposed
      the saccadic braking signal to be the origin of the instability preceding the
      development of infantile nystagmus oscillations. Finally, the master-slave
      parallelisation method we developed to accelerate the optimisation process can be
      readily adapted to fit other highly parametrised computational biology models to
      experimental data.

PMID- 28340583
TI  - Inflammatory signature of cerebellar neurodegeneration during neonatal
      hyperbilirubinemia in Ugt1 -/- mouse model.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Severe hyperbilirubinemia is toxic during central nervous system
      development. Prolonged and uncontrolled high levels of unconjugated bilirubin
      lead to bilirubin-induced neurological damage and eventually death by
      kernicterus. Bilirubin neurotoxicity is characterized by a wide array of
      neurological deficits, including irreversible abnormalities in motor, sensitive
      and cognitive functions, due to bilirubin accumulation in the brain. Despite the
      abundant literature documenting the in vitro and in vivo toxic effects of
      bilirubin, it is unclear which molecular and cellular events actually
      characterize bilirubin-induced neurodegeneration in vivo. METHODS: We used a
      mouse model of neonatal hyperbilirubinemia to temporally and spatially define the
      response of the developing cerebellum to the bilirubin insult. RESULTS: We showed
      that the exposure of developing cerebellum to sustained bilirubin levels induces
      the activation of oxidative stress, ER stress and inflammatory markers at the
      early stages of the disease onset. In particular, we identified TNFalpha and
      NFKbeta as key mediators of bilirubin-induced inflammatory response. Moreover, we
      reported that M1 type microglia is increasingly activated during disease
      progression. Failure to counteract this overwhelming stress condition resulted in
      the induction of the apoptotic pathway and the generation of the glial scar.
      Finally, bilirubin induced the autophagy pathway in the stages preceding death of
      the animals. CONCLUSIONS: This study demonstrates that inflammation is a key
      contributor to bilirubin damage that cooperates with ER stress in the onset of
      neurotoxicity. Pharmacological modulation of the inflammatory pathway may be a
      potential intervention target to ameliorate neonatal lethality in Ugt1 -/- mice.

PMID- 28340584
TI  - Validation of the German version of two scales (RIS, RCS-HCP) for measuring
      regret associated with providing healthcare.
AB  - BACKGROUND: The regret intensity scale (RIS) and the regret coping scale for
      healthcare professionals (RCS-HCP) working in hospitals assess the experience of
      care-related regrets and how healthcare professional deal with these negative
      events. The aim of this study was to validate a German version of the RIS and the
      RCS-HCP. METHODS: The RIS and RCS-HCP in German were first translated into German
      (forward- and backward translations) and then pretested with 16 German-speaking
      healthcare professionals. Finally, two surveys (test and 1-month retest)
      administered the scales to a large sample of healthcare professionals from two
      different hospitals. RESULTS: Of the 2142 eligible healthcare professionals, 494
      (23.1%) individuals (108 physicians) completed the cross-sectional web based
      survey and 244 completed the retest questionnaire. Participants (n = 165, 33.4%
      of the total sample) who reported not having experienced a regret in the last 5
      years, had significantly more days of sick leave during the last 6 months. These
      participants were excluded from the subsequent analyses. The structure of the
      scales was similar to the French version with a single dimension for the regret
      intensity scale (Cronbach's alpha: 0.88) and three types of coping strategies for
      the regret coping scale (alphas: 0.69 for problem-focused strategies, 0.67 for
      adaptive strategies and 0.86 for the maladaptive strategies). Construct validity
      was good and reproduced the findings of the French study, namely that higher
      regret intensity was associated with situations that entailed more consequences
      for the patients. Furthermore, higher regret intensity and more frequent use of
      maladaptive strategies were associated with more sleep difficulties and less work
      satisfaction. CONCLUSIONS: The German RIS and RCS-HCP scales were found valid for
      measuring regret intensity and regret coping in a population of healthcare
      professionals working in a hospital. Reporting no regret, which corresponds to
      the coping strategy of suppression, seems to be a maladaptive strategy because it
      was associated with more frequent sick day leaves.

PMID- 28340585
TI  - Analytical sensitivity of current best-in-class malaria rapid diagnostic tests.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Rapid diagnostic tests (RDTs) are today the most widely used method
      for malaria diagnosis and are recommended, alongside microscopy, for the
      confirmation of suspected cases before the administration of anti-malarial
      treatment. The diagnostic performance of RDTs, as compared to microscopy or PCR
      is well described but the actual analytical sensitivity of current best-in-class
      tests is poorly documented. This value is however a key performance indicator and
      a benchmark value needed to developed new RDTs of improved sensitivity. METHODS:
      Thirteen RDTs detecting either the Plasmodium falciparum histidine rich protein 2
      (HRP2) or the plasmodial lactate dehydrogenase (pLDH) antigens were selected from
      the best performing RDTs according to the WHO-FIND product testing programme. The
      analytical sensitivity of these products was evaluated using a range of reference
      materials including P. falciparum and Plasmodium vivax whole parasite samples as
      well as recombinant proteins. RESULTS: The best performing HRP2-based RDTs could
      detect all P. falciparum cultured samples at concentrations as low as 0.8 ng/mL
      of HRP2. The limit of detection of the best performing pLDH-based RDT
      specifically detecting P. vivax was 25 ng/mL of pLDH. CONCLUSION: The analytical
      sensitivity of P. vivax and Pan pLDH-based RDTs appears to vary considerably from
      product to product, and improvement of the limit-of-detection for P. vivax
      detecting RDTs is needed to match the performance of HRP2 and Pf pLDH-based RDTs
      for P. falciparum. Different assays using different reference materials produce
      different values for antigen concentration in a given specimen, highlighting the
      need to establish universal reference assays.

PMID- 28340586
TI  - Development and validation of a condition-specific diary to measure severity,
      bothersomeness and impact on daily activities for patients with acute urinary
      tract infection in primary care.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Urinary tract infection (UTI) is a common condition in primary care.
      Patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs) are crucial in the evaluation of
      interventions to improve diagnosis, treatment and prognosis of UTI. The aim of
      this study was to identify an existing condition-specific PROM to measure symptom
      severity, bothersomeness and impact on daily activities for adult patients with
      suspected urinary tract infection in primary care; or, in the absence of such a
      PROM, to test items identified from existing PROMs for coverage and relevance in
      single and group interviews and to psychometrically validate the resulting PROM.
      METHODS: The literature was searched for existing PROMs covering the three
      domains. Items from the identified PROMs were tested in single and group
      interviews. The resulting symptom diary was psychometrically validated using the
      partial credit Rasch model for polytomous items in a cohort of 451 women
      participating in two studies regarding UTI. RESULTS: No existing PROM fulfilled
      the inclusion criteria. Content validation resulted in one domain concerning
      symptom severity (18 items), one concerning bothersomeness (18 items), and one
      concerning impact on daily activities (7 items). Psychometrical validation
      resulted in four dimensions in each of the first two domains and one dimension in
      the third domain. CONCLUSIONS: Domains were not unidimensional, which meant that
      we identified dimensions of patient-experienced UTI that differed substantially
      from those previously found. We recommend that future studies on UTI, in which
      PROMs are to be used, should ensure high content validity of their outcome
      measures and unidimensionality of the included dimensions.

PMID- 28340587
TI  - Lymphocytes have a role in protection, but not in pathogenesis, during La Crosse
      Virus infection in mice.
AB  - BACKGROUND: La Crosse Virus (LACV) is a primary cause of pediatric viral
      encephalitis in the USA and can result in severe clinical outcomes. Almost all
      cases of LACV encephalitis occur in children 16 years or younger, indicating an
      age-related susceptibility. This susceptibility is recapitulated in a mouse model
      where weanling (3 weeks old or younger) mice are susceptible to LACV-induced
      disease, and adults (greater than 6 weeks) are resistant. Disease in mice and
      humans is associated with infiltrating leukocytes to the CNS. However, what cell
      types are infiltrating into the brain during virus infection and how these cells
      influence pathogenesis remain unknown. METHODS: In the current study, we analyzed
      lymphocytes recruited to the CNS during LACV-infection in clinical mice, using
      flow cytometry. We analyzed the contribution of these lymphocytes to LACV
      pathogenesis in weanling mice using knockout mice or antibody depletion.
      Additionally, we studied at the potential role of these lymphocytes in preventing
      LACV neurological disease in resistant adult mice. RESULTS: In susceptible
      weanling mice, disease was associated with infiltrating lymphocytes in the CNS,
      including NK cells, CD4 T cells, and CD8 T cells. Surprisingly, depletion of
      these cells did not impact neurological disease, suggesting these cells do not
      contribute to virus-mediated damage. In contrast, in disease-resistant adult
      animals, depletion of both CD4 T cells and CD8 T cells or depletion of B cells
      increased neurological disease, with higher levels of virus in the brain.
      CONCLUSIONS: Our current results indicate that lymphocytes do not influence
      neurological disease in young mice, but they have a critical role protecting
      adult animals from LACV pathogenesis. Although LACV is an acute virus infection,
      these studies indicate that the innate immune response in adults is not
      sufficient for protection and that components of the adaptive immune response are
      necessary to prevent virus from invading the CNS.

PMID- 28340588
TI  - Comparison of the COM-FCP inclination angle and other mediolateral stability
      indicators for turning.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Studies have shown that turning is associated with more instability
      than straight walking and instability increases with turning angles. However, the
      precise relationship of changes in stability with the curvature and step length
      of turning is not clear. The traditional center of mass (COM)-center of pressure
      (COP) inclination angle requires the use of force plates. A COM-foot contact
      point (FCP) inclination angle derived from kinematic data is proposed in this
      study as a measure of the stability of turning. METHODS: In order to generate
      different degrees of stability, we designed an experiment of walking with
      different curvatures and step lengths. Simultaneously, a novel method was
      proposed to calculate the COM-FCP inclination angles of different walking
      trajectories with different step lengths for 10 healthy subjects. The COM-FCP
      inclination angle, the COM acceleration, the step width and the COM-ankle
      inclination angles were statistically analyzed. RESULTS: The statistical results
      showed that the mediolateral (ML) COM-FCP inclination angles increased
      significantly as the curvature of the walking trajectories or the step length in
      circular walking increased. Changes in the ML COM acceleration, the step width
      and the ML COM-ankle inclination angle verified the feasibility and reliability
      of the proposed method. Additionally, the ML COM-FCP inclination angle was more
      sensitive to the ML stability than the ML COM-ankle inclination angle.
      CONCLUSIONS: The work suggests that it is more difficult to keep balance when
      walking in a circular trajectory with a larger curvature or in a larger step
      length. Essentially, turning with a larger angle in one step leads to a lower ML
      stability. A novel COM-FCP inclination angle was validated to indicate ML
      stability. This method can be applied to complicated walking tasks, where the
      force plate is not applicable, and it accounts for the variability of the base of
      support (BOS) compared to the COM-ankle inclination angle.

PMID- 28340589
TI  - Critical race theory as a tool for understanding poor engagement along the HIV
      care continuum among African American/Black and Hispanic persons living with HIV
      in the United States: a qualitative exploration.
AB  - BACKGROUND: African American/Black and Hispanic persons living with HIV (AABH
      PLWH) in the U.S. evidence insufficient engagement in HIV care and low uptake of
      HIV antiretroviral therapy, leading to suboptimal clinical outcomes. The present
      qualitative study used critical race theory, and incorporated intersectionality
      theory, to understand AABH-PLWH's perspectives on the mechanisms by which
      structural racism; that is, the macro-level systems that reinforce inequities
      among racial/ethnic groups, influence health decisions and behaviors. METHODS:
      Participants were adult AABH-PLWH in New York City who were not taking
      antiretroviral therapy nor well engaged in HIV care (N = 37). Participants were
      purposively sampled for maximum variation from a larger study, and engaged in
      semi-structured in-depth interviews that were audio-recorded and professionally
      transcribed verbatim. Data were analyzed using a systematic content analysis
      approach. RESULTS: We found AABH-PLWH experienced HIV care and medication
      decisions through a historical and cultural lens incorporating knowledge of past
      and present structural racism. This contextual knowledge included awareness of
      past maltreatment of people of color in medical research. Further, these
      understandings were linked to the history of HIV antiretroviral therapy itself,
      including awareness of the first HIV antiretroviral regimen; namely, AZT
      (zidovudine) mono-therapy, which was initially prescribed in unacceptably high
      doses, causing serious side effects, but with only modest efficacy. In this
      historical/cultural context, aspects of structural racism negatively influenced
      health care decisions and behavior in four main ways: 1) via the extent to which
      healthcare settings were experienced as overly institutionalized and, therefore,
      dehumanizing; 2) distrust of medical institutions and healthcare providers, which
      led AABH-PLWH to feel pressured to take HIV antiretroviral therapy when it was
      offered; 3) perceptions that patients are excluded from the health decision
      making process; and 4) an over-emphasis on antiretroviral therapy compared to
      other non-HIV related priorities. We found that although participants were
      located at the intersection of multiple social categories (e.g., gender, social
      class, AABH race/ethnicity), race/ethnicity and social class were described as
      primary factors. CONCLUSIONS: Critical race theory proved useful in uncovering
      how macro-level structural racism affects individual-level health decisions and
      behaviors. HIV clinical settings can counter-balance the effects of structural
      racism by building "structural competency," and interventions fostering core self
      determination needs including autonomy may prove culturally appropriate and
      beneficial for AABH-PLWH.

PMID- 28340590
TI  - Comparison of angle, shape, and position of articular processes in Dobermans and
      Great Danes with and without cervical spondylomyelopathy.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Cervical spondylomyelopathy (CSM), also known as wobbler syndrome,
      affects mainly large and giant-breed dogs, causing compression of the cervical
      spinal cord and/or nerve roots. Structural and dynamic components seem to play a
      role in the development of CSM; however, pathogenesis is not yet fully
      understood. Physiologic and pathologic movements of the cervical spine depend on
      the morphology and morphometry of articular processes, as well as on
      intervertebral discs and vertebral column ligaments. Moreover, the
      characteristics of the articular processes affect motion and stability of the
      vertebral column. The goal of this study was to investigate the angle, shape, and
      position of the articular surfaces within the articular processes and compare
      them between Doberman Pinschers and Great Danes with and without cervical
      spondylomyelopathy. RESULTS: Magnetic resonance images were obtained for 60 dogs:
      15 clinically normal Dobermans (Dob-N), 15 CSM-affected Dobermans (Dob-CSM), 15
      clinically normal Great Danes (GD-N), and 15 CSM-affected Great Danes (GD-CSM).
      Angle, shape, and position (lateral distance) of the articular surfaces from the
      articular processes were analyzed from C2-3 to C7-T1. Results indicate that the
      mean angle was different between Dob-CSM and GD-CSM at C4-5, C5-6, and C6-7, and
      between GD-N and GD-CSM at C6-7. There were differences between Dob-N and GD-N,
      and between Dob-CSM and GD-CSM for the lateral distance at most locations, except
      C2-3. Compared with Great Danes, Dobermans generally had a greater proportion of
      concave caudal surfaces at C4-5, C5-6, and C6-7. Concave articular surfaces have
      been associated with greater axial rotation. This may explain the high proportion
      of disc-associated CSM in Dobermans compared to Great Danes. The differences
      between breeds suggest they may have different motion patterns in the caudal
      cervical vertebral column. CONCLUSIONS: Considering that no differences in angle,
      shape, or position of the articular surfaces within the articular processes were
      found between normal and CSM-affected dogs, their relevance appears to have a
      secondary role in the pathogenesis of CSM.

PMID- 28340591
TI  - Altered mTOR and Beclin-1 mediated autophagic activation during right ventricular
      remodeling in monocrotaline-induced pulmonary hypertension.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Right ventricular structure and function is a major predictor of
      outcomes in pulmonary hypertension (PH), yet the underlying mechanisms remain
      poorly understood. Growing evidence suggests the importance of autophagy in
      cardiac remodeling; however, its dynamics in the process of right ventricle(RV)
      remodeling in PH has not been fully explored. We sought to study the time course
      of cardiomyocyte autophagy in the RV in PH and determine whether mammalian target
      of rapamycin (mTOR) and Beclin-1 hypoxia-related pro-autophagic pathways are
      underlying mechanisms. METHODS: Rats were studied at 2, 4, and 6 weeks after
      subcutaneous injection of 60 mg/kg monocrotaline (MCT) (MCT-2 W, 4 W, 6 W) or
      vehicle (CON-2 W, 4 W, 6 W). Cardiac hemodynamics and RV function were assessed
      in rats. Autophagy structures and markers were assessed using transmission
      electron microscope, RT-qPCR, immunohistochemistry staining, and western blot
      analyses. Western blot was also used to quantify the expression of mTOR and
      Beclin-1 mediated pro-autophagy signalings in the RV. RESULTS: Two weeks after
      MCT injection, pulmonary artery systolic pressure increased and mild RV
      hypertrophy without RV dilation was observed. RV enlargement presented at 4 weeks
      with moderately decreased function, whereas typical characteristics of RV
      decompensation and failure occurred at 6 weeks thus demonstrating the progression
      of RV remodeling in the MCT model. A higher LC3 (microtubule- associated protein
      light chain 3) II/I ratio, upregulated LC3 mRNA and protein levels, as well as
      accumulation of autophagosomes in RV of MCT rats indicated autophagy induction.
      Autophagy activation was coincident with increased pulmonary artery systolic
      pressure. Pro-autophagy signaling pathways were activated in a RV remodeling
      stage-dependent manner since phospho-AMPK (adenosine monophosphate-activated
      protein kinase)-alpha were primarily upregulated and phospho-mTOR suppressed in
      the RV at 2 and 4 weeks post-MCT injection, whearas, BNIP3 (Bcl2-interacting
      protein 3) and beclin-1 expression were relatively low during these stages, they
      were significantly upregulated after 6 weeks in this model. CONCLUSIONS: Our
      findings provide evidence of sustained activation of autophagy in RV remodeling
      of MCT induced PH model, while pro-autophagic signaling pathways varied depending
      on the phase.

PMID- 28340593
TI  - Erratum to: Aryl hydrocarbon receptor/cytochrome P450 1A1 pathway mediates breast
      cancer stem cells expansion through PTEN inhibition and beta-Catenin and Akt
      activation.

PMID- 28340592
TI  - The Impact of the Share 35 Policy on Racial and Ethnic Disparities in Access to
      Liver Transplantation for Patients with End Stage Liver Disease in the United
      States: An Analysis from UNOS Database.
AB  - BACKGROUND: The Share 35 policy was instituted in June 2013 by the United Network
      for Organ Sharing (UNOS) in order to reduce death on liver transplant waiting
      list. The effect of this policy on racial and ethnic disparities in access to
      liver transplantation has not been examined. METHODS: A total of 14,585 adult
      patients registered for liver transplantation between 2012 and 2015 were
      identified from UNOS database. Logistic and proportional hazards models were used
      to model the effects of race and ethnicity on access to liver transplantation.
      Stratification on pre- and post-Share 35 periods was performed to compare the
      first 18 months of Share 35 policy to an equivalent time period before. RESULTS:
      Comparison of the pre- and post-Share 35 periods showed significantly decreased
      time on waiting list and increased numbers of minorities having access to liver
      transplantation. Hispanic recipients still experienced significantly longer
      waiting time (HR: 0.69, 95% CI: 0.53-0.88) before they received liver
      transplantation after Share 35 policy took effect. CONCLUSION: The Share 35
      policy did not lead to improved access to liver transplantation among minorities
      but eliminated the previously observed racial and ethnic disparities in
      transplant rates as well as shortened the waiting time.

PMID- 28340594
TI  - Species-specific ecological niche modelling predicts different range contractions
      for Lutzomyia intermedia and a related vector of Leishmania braziliensis
      following climate change in South America.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Before 1996 the phlebotomine sand fly Lutzomyia neivai was usually
      treated as a synonym of the morphologically similar Lutzomyia intermedia, which
      has long been considered a vector of Leishmania braziliensis, the causative agent
      of much cutaneous leishmaniasis in South America. This report investigates the
      likely range changes of both sand fly species in response to a stabilisation
      climate change scenario (RCP4.5) and a high greenhouse gas emissions one
      (RCP8.5). METHODS: Ecological niche modelling was used to identify areas of South
      America with climates currently suitable for each species, and then the future
      distributions of these climates were predicted based on climate change scenarios.
      Compared with the previous ecological niche model of L. intermedia (sensu lato)
      produced using the GARP algorithm in 2003, the current investigation modelled the
      two species separately, making use of verified presence records and additional
      records after 2001. Also, the new ensemble approach employed ecological niche
      modelling algorithms (including Maximum Entropy, Random Forests and Support
      Vector Machines) that have been widely adopted since 2003 and perform better than
      GARP, as well as using a more recent climate change model (HadGEM2) considered to
      have better performance at higher resolution than the earlier one (HadCM2).
      RESULTS: Lutzomyia intermedia was shown to be the more tropical of the two
      species, with its climatic niche defined by higher annual mean temperatures and
      lower temperature seasonality, in contrast to the more subtropical L. neivai.
      These different latitudinal ranges explain the two species' predicted responses
      to climate change by 2050, with L. intermedia mostly contracting its range
      (except perhaps in northeast Brazil) and L. neivai mostly shifting its range
      southwards in Brazil and Argentina. This contradicts the findings of the 2003
      report, which predicted more range expansion. The different findings can be
      explained by the improved data sets and modelling methods. CONCLUSIONS: Our
      findings indicate that climate change will not always lead to range expansion of
      disease vectors such as sand flies. Ecological niche models should be species
      specific, carefully selected and combined in an ensemble approach.

PMID- 28340596
TI  - Clinical treatment considerations in the intensity-modulated radiotherapy era for
      patients with N0-category nasopharyngeal carcinoma and enlarged neck lymph nodes.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) shows a high proportion of lymph node
      metastasis, and treatment guidelines have been developed for positive nodes.
      However, no irradiation guidelines have been proposed for patients with enlarged
      neck lymph nodes (ENLNs) that do not meet the radiological criteria of 10 mm in
      diameter for positive lymph nodes. This study aimed to determine the prognostic
      value and radiation dose for ENLNs in N0-category NPC patients treated with
      intensity-modulated radiotherapy (IMRT). METHODS: We reviewed the medical data of
      251 patients with non-metastatic, N0-category NPC treated with IMRT. Receiver
      operating characteristic curves were used to calculate the cut-off value of the
      ENLN diameter for the prediction of disease failure. The biological equivalent
      dose (BED) for ENLNs was calculated. Patient survival was compared between the
      small and large ENLN groups. Independent prognostic factors were identified using
      the Cox proportional hazards model. RESULTS: The estimated 4-year regional
      relapse-free survival rate was higher in patients with ENLNs >=5.5 mm than in
      those with ENLNs <5.5 mm (100% vs. 98.8%, P = 0.049), whereas disease-free,
      overall, and distant metastasis-free survival rates were similar between the two
      groups. After adjusting for various factors, ENLN diameter was not identified as
      an independent prognostic factor (P > 0.05 for all survival rates). In the
      subgroup analysis, patients receiving BED >=72 Gy had a similar prognosis as
      patients receiving BED <72 Gy in both the small and large ENLN groups. The
      multivariate analysis also confirmed that BED >=72 Gy was not associated with
      significantly improved prognosis in patients with N0-category NPC. CONCLUSIONS: A
      BED of 72 Gy to ENLNs is considerably sufficient to provide a clinical benefit to
      patients with N0-category NPC. Prospective studies are warranted to validate the
      findings in the present study.

PMID- 28340595
TI  - The risk associated with spinal manipulation: an overview of reviews.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Spinal manipulative therapy (SMT) is a widely used manual treatment,
      but many reviews exist with conflicting conclusions about the safety of SMT. We
      performed an overview of reviews to elucidate and quantify the risk of serious
      adverse events (SAEs) associated with SMT. METHODS: We searched five electronic
      databases from inception to December 8, 2015. We included reviews on any type of
      studies, patients, and SMT technique. Our primary outcome was SAEs. Quality of
      the included reviews was assessed using a measurement tool to assess systematic
      reviews (AMSTAR). Since there were insufficient data for calculating incidence
      rates of SAEs, we used an alternative approach; the conclusions regarding safety
      of SMT were extracted for each review, and the communicated opinion were judged
      by two reviewers independently as safe, harmful, or neutral/unclear. Risk ratios
      (RRs) of a review communicating that SMT is safe and meeting the requirements for
      each AMSTAR item, were calculated. RESULTS: We identified 283 eligible reviews,
      but only 118 provided data for synthesis. The most frequently described adverse
      events (AEs) were stroke, headache, and vertebral artery dissection. Fifty-four
      reviews (46%) expressed that SMT is safe, 15 (13%) expressed that SMT is harmful,
      and 49 reviews (42%) were neutral or unclear. Thirteen reviews reported incidence
      estimates for SAEs, roughly ranging from 1 in 20,000 to 1 in 250,000,000
      manipulations. Low methodological quality was present, with a median of 4 of 11
      AMSTAR items met (interquartile range, 3 to 6). Reviews meeting the requirements
      for each of the AMSTAR items (i.e. good internal validity) had a higher chance of
      expressing that SMT is safe. CONCLUSIONS: It is currently not possible to provide
      an overall conclusion about the safety of SMT; however, the types of SAEs
      reported can indeed be significant, sustaining that some risk is present. High
      quality research and consistent reporting of AEs and SAEs are needed. SYSTEMATIC
      REVIEW REGISTRATION: PROSPERO CRD42015030068 .

PMID- 28340597
TI  - Temporal dynamics of the gut microbiota in people sharing a confined environment,
      a 520-day ground-based space simulation, MARS500.
AB  - BACKGROUND: The intestinal microbial communities and their temporal dynamics are
      gaining increasing interest due to the significant implications for human health.
      Recent studies have shown the dynamic behavior of the gut microbiota in free
      living, healthy persons. To date, it is not known whether these dynamics are
      applicable during prolonged life sharing in a confined and controlled
      environment. RESULTS: The MARS500 project, the longest ground-based space
      simulation ever, provided us with a unique opportunity to trace the crew
      microbiota over 520 days of isolated confinement, such as that faced by
      astronauts in real long-term interplanetary space flights, and after returning to
      regular life, for a total of 2 years. According to our data, even under the
      strictly controlled conditions of an enclosed environment, the human gut
      microbiota is inherently dynamic, capable of shifting between different steady
      states, typically with rearrangements of autochthonous members. Notwithstanding a
      strong individuality in the overall gut microbiota trajectory, some key microbial
      components showed conserved temporal dynamics, with potential implications for
      the maintenance of a health-promoting, mutualistic microbiota configuration.
      CONCLUSIONS: Sharing life in a confined habitat does not affect the resilience of
      the individual gut microbial ecosystem, even in the long term. However, the
      temporal dynamics of certain microbiota components should be monitored when
      programming future mission simulations and real space flights, to prevent
      breakdowns in the metabolic and immunological homeostasis of the crewmembers.

PMID- 28340598
TI  - Myelin-specific multiple sclerosis antibodies cause complement-dependent
      oligodendrocyte loss and demyelination.
AB  - Intrathecal immunoglobulin G (IgG) synthesis, cerebrospinal fluid (CSF)
      oligoclonal IgG bands and lesional IgG deposition are seminal features of
      multiple sclerosis (MS) disease pathology. Both the specific targets and
      pathogenic effects of MS antibodies remain poorly characterized. We produced IgG1
      monoclonal recombinant antibodies (rAbs) from clonally-expanded plasmablasts
      recovered from MS patient CSF. Among these were a subset of myelin-specific MS
      rAbs. We examined their immunoreactivity to mouse organotypic cerebellar slices
      by live binding and evaluated tissue injury in the presence and absence of human
      complement. Demyelination, glial and neuronal viability, and complement pathway
      activation were assayed by immunofluorescence microscopy and compared to the
      effects of an aquaporin-4 water channel (AQP4)-specific rAb derived from a
      neuromyelitis optica (NMO) patient. MS myelin-specific rAbs bound to discrete
      surface domains on oligodendrocyte processes and myelinating axons. Myelin
      specific MS rAbs initiated complement-dependent cytotoxicity to oligodendrocytes
      and induced rapid demyelination. Demyelination was accompanied by increased
      microglia activation; however, the morphology and survival of astrocytes,
      oligodendrocyte progenitors and neurons remained unaffected. In contrast, NMO
      AQP4-specific rAb initiated complement-dependent astrocyte damage, followed by
      sequential loss of oligodendrocytes, demyelination, microglia activation and
      neuronal death. Myelin-specific MS antibodies cause oligodendrocyte loss and
      demyelination in organotypic cerebellar slices, which are distinct from AQP4
      targeted pathology, and display seminal features of active MS lesions. Myelin
      specific antibodies may play an active role in MS lesion formation through
      complement-dependent mechanisms.

PMID- 28340599
TI  - DNA methylation changes at infertility genes in newborn twins conceived by in
      vitro fertilisation.
AB  - BACKGROUND: The association of in vitro fertilisation (IVF) and DNA methylation
      has been studied predominantly at regulatory regions of imprinted genes and at
      just thousands of the ~28 million CpG sites in the human genome. METHODS: We
      investigated the links between IVF and DNA methylation patterns in whole cord
      blood cells (n = 98) and cord blood mononuclear cells (n = 82) from newborn twins
      using genome-wide methylated DNA immunoprecipitation coupled with deep
      sequencing. RESULTS: At a false discovery rate (FDR) of 5%, we identified one
      significant whole blood DNA methylation change linked to conception via IVF,
      which was located ~3 kb upstream of TNP1, a gene previously linked to male
      infertility. The 46 most strongly associated signals (FDR of 25%) included a
      second region in a gene also previously linked to infertility, C9orf3, suggesting
      that our findings may in part capture the effect of parental subfertility. Using
      twin modelling, we observed that individual-specific environmental factors appear
      to be the main overall contributors of methylation variability at the FDR 25% IVF
      associated differentially methylated regions, although evidence for methylation
      heritability was also obtained at several of these regions. We replicated
      previous findings of differential methylation associated with IVF at the H19/IGF2
      region in cord blood mononuclear cells, and we validated the signal at C9orf3 in
      monozygotic twins. We also explored the impact of intracytoplasmic sperm
      injection on the FDR 25% signals for potential effects specific to male or female
      infertility factors. CONCLUSIONS: To our knowledge, this is the most
      comprehensive study of DNA methylation profiles at birth and IVF conception to
      date, and our results show evidence for epigenetic modifications that may in part
      reflect parental subfertility.

PMID- 28340600
TI  - An evaluation of the comparative effectiveness of geriatrician-led comprehensive
      geriatric assessment for improving patient and healthcare system outcomes for
      older adults: a protocol for a systematic review and network meta-analysis.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Comprehensive geriatric assessment (CGA) is an integrated model of
      care involving a geriatrician and an interdisciplinary team and can prioritize
      and manage complex health needs of older adults with multimorbidity. CGAs differ
      across healthcare settings, ranging from shared care conducted in primary care
      settings to specialized inpatient units in acute care. Models of care involving
      geriatricians vary across healthcare settings, and it is unclear which CGA model
      is most effective. Our objective is to conduct a systematic review and network
      meta-analysis (NMA) to examine the comparative effectiveness of various
      geriatrician-led CGAs and to identify which models improve patient and healthcare
      system level outcomes. METHODS: An integrated knowledge translation approach will
      be used and knowledge users (KUs) including patients, caregivers, geriatricians,
      and healthcare policymakers will be involved throughout the review. Electronic
      databases including MEDLINE, EMBASE, Cochrane library, and Ageline will be
      searched from inception to November 2016 to identify relevant studies. Randomized
      controlled trials of older adults (>=65 years of age) that examine geriatrician
      led CGAs compared to any intervention will be included. Primary and secondary
      outcomes will be selected by KUs to ensure the results are relevant to their
      decision-making. Two reviewers will independently screen the search results,
      extract data, and assess risk of bias. Data will be synthesized using an NMA to
      allow for multiple comparisons using direct (head-to-head) as well as indirect
      evidence. Interventions will be ranked according to their effectiveness using
      surface under the cumulative ranking curve (SUCRA). DISCUSSION: As the proportion
      of older adults grows worldwide, the demand for specialized geriatric services
      that help manage complex health needs of older adults with multimorbidity will
      increase in many countries. Results from this systematic review and NMA will
      enhance decision-making and the efficient allocation of scarce geriatric
      resources. Moreover, active involvement of KUs throughout the review process will
      ensure the results are relevant to different levels of decision-making.
      SYSTEMATIC REVIEW REGISTRATION: PROSPERO CRD42014014008.

PMID- 28340601
TI  - RANTES levels in peripheral blood, CSF and contused brain tissue as a marker for
      outcome in traumatic brain injury (TBI) patients.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Traumatic brain injury (TBI) causes activation of several
      neurochemical and physiological cascades, leading to neurological impairment. We
      aimed to investigate the level of novel chemokine RANTES in plasma, cerebrospinal
      fluid (CSF) and contused brain tissue in traumatic brain injury patients and to
      correlate the expression of this chemokine with the severity of head injury and
      neurological outcome. METHODS: This longitudinal case control study was performed
      on 70 TBI patients over a period of 30 months. Glasgow coma scale (GCS) and
      Glasgow outcome score were used to assess the severity of head injury and
      clinical outcome. Level of RANTES was quantified in plasma (n = 60), CSF (N = 10)
      and contused brain tissue (n = 5). Alterations in the plasma levels on 1st and
      5th day following TBI were assessed. Patients were categorized as severe (GCS <
      8) (SHI), moderate and mild Head injury (GCS > 8-14). 15 healthy volunteers were
      taken as the control group. RESULTS: The median plasma RANTES levels were 971.3
      (88.40-1931.1); 999.2 (31.2-2054.9); 471.8 (370.9-631.9) for SHI, MHI and healthy
      control respectively and showed statistically significant variation (p = 0.005).
      There was no statistical difference in the mean 1st and 5th day RANTES levels for
      the SHI group. However, admission RANTES levels were significantly higher in
      patients who died than those who survived (p = 0.04). Also, RANTES levels were
      significantly higher in plasma as compared to contused brain tissue and CSF (p =
      0.0001). CONCLUSION: This is the first study of its kind which shows that there
      is significant correlation of admission RANTES levels and early mortality.
      Another interesting finding was the significant upregulated in the expression of
      RANTES in plasma, compared to CSF and contused brain tissue following severe TBI.

PMID- 28340602
TI  - Clinical application prospect of umbilical cord-derived mesenchymal stem cells on
      clearance of advanced glycation end products through autophagy on diabetic wound.
AB  - Nowadays, wound healing delay due to diabetes is considered to be closely related
      to the accumulation of advanced glycation end products (AGEs). Although
      mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) exhibit positive effects on diabetic wound healing,
      related mechanisms are still not fully elucidated. It has been reported that MSCs
      can improve the activity of autophagy in injured tissues, thereby playing an
      important role in wound healing. The autophagy induced by MSCs may be beneficial
      to diabetic wound healing via removing AGEs, which provide new ideas for clinical
      treatment of diabetic wounds with the potential of broad application prospects.
      In this study, the current research situation and application prospect of
      umbilical cord-derived MSCs on the clearance of AGEs in diabetic wound were
      reviewed.

PMID- 28340603
TI  - Blunt cardiac injury due to trauma associated with snowboarding: a case report.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Cardiac trauma is associated with a much higher mortality rate than
      injuries to other organ systems, even though cardiac trauma is identified in less
      than 10% of all trauma admissions. Here we report blunt trauma of the left atrium
      due to snowboarding trauma. CASE PRESENTATION: A 45-year-old Asian man collided
      with a tree while he was snowboarding and drinking. He lost consciousness
      temporarily. An air ambulance was requested and he was transported to an advanced
      critical care center. On arrival, a pericardial effusion was detected by a
      focused assessment with sonography for trauma. His presenting electrocardiogram
      revealed normal sinus rhythm and complete right bundle branch block. Laboratory
      findings included a white blood cell count of 13.5 * 103/MUl, serum creatine
      kinase level of 459 IU/l, and creatine kinase-myocardial band level of 185 IU/l.
      Enhanced computed tomography showed a large pericardial effusion and bleeding
      from his left adrenal gland. There were no pelvic fractures. A diagnosis of
      cardiac tamponade due to blunt cardiac injury and left adrenal injury due to
      blunt trauma was made. Subsequently, emergency thoracic surgery and transcatheter
      arterial embolization of his left adrenal artery were performed simultaneously. A
      laceration of the left atrial appendage in the lateral wall of his left ventricle
      was detected intraoperatively and repaired. His postoperative course progressed
      favorably, although a pericardial effusion was still detected on chest computed
      tomography on hospital day 35. His electrocardiogram showed normal sinus rhythm
      and the complete right bundle branch block pattern changed to a narrow QRS wave
      pattern. He was discharged on hospital day 40. CONCLUSIONS: The present case
      report illustrates two points: (1) severe injuries resulted from snowboarding,
      and (2) complete right bundle branch block was caused by blunt cardiac injury.
      The present report showed blunt trauma of the left atrium with complete right
      bundle branch block as an electrocardiogram change due to snowboarding trauma. To
      detect cardiac trauma in snowboarding accidents, an examination of an
      electrocardiogram is required in all patients who might have a bruised chest.

PMID- 28340604
TI  - The conclusion of a comparative efficacy study of fluralaner and sarolaner
      against the tick Amblyomma americanum on dogs is based on results obtained at
      study times that are outside the fluralaner label recommendations.
AB  - The only fluralaner-related conclusion presented in a study comparing the
      efficacy of fluralaner and sarolaner for control of the tick Amblyomma americanum
      on dogs is based on study times that are outside the label administration
      recommendations. Label recommendations for fluralaner treatment of A. americanum
      on dogs in the USA require re-administration at 56 days. This 56 day re
      administration was not conducted in the study; therefore, all assessed time
      points following 56 days post-treatment in the study present comparisons that are
      not consistent with fluralaner administration recommendations. The only
      comparative time point assessed prior to 56 days showing a difference between
      treatments was at 42 days post-administration, a time point when methodological
      problems were identified by the investigators. Therefore, the only comparative
      study conclusion that a difference was shown between fluralaner and sarolaner
      beyond 6 weeks (42 days) after treatment is not based on recommended product use.
      Furthermore, if the study does not show that there is a difference between the
      treatments at times when the products are used as recommended, then there also
      can be no comparative discussion of the risk of tick-borne pathogen transmission
      risk between treatments.

PMID- 28340605
TI  - Diagnostic value of urinary tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinase-2 and insulin
      like growth factor binding protein 7 for acute kidney injury: a meta-analysis.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinase-2 (TIMP-2) and insulin-like
      growth factor binding protein 7 (IGFBP7), inducers of G1 cell cycle arrest, are
      two recently discovered good biomarkers for early diagnosis of acute kidney
      injury (AKI). To obtain a more robust performance measurement, the present meta
      analysis was performed, pooling existing studies. METHODS: Literature in the
      MEDLINE (via PubMed), Ovid, Embase, and Cochrane Library databases was
      systematically searched from inception to 12 October 2016. Studies that met the
      set inclusion and exclusion criteria were identified by two independent
      investigators. The diagnostic value of urinary [TIMP-2] * [IGFBP7] for AKI was
      evaluated by pooled sensitivity, specificity, likelihood ratio (LR), diagnostic
      odds ratio (DOR), and summary receiver operating characteristic (SROC) curve
      analyses. The causes of heterogeneity were explored by sensitivity and subgroup
      analyses. RESULTS: A total of nine published and eligible studies assessing 1886
      cases were included in this meta-analysis. Early diagnostic value of urinary
      [TIMP-2] * [IGFBP7] for AKI was assessed using a random-effects model. Pooled
      sensitivity and specificity with corresponding 95% CIs were 0.83 (95% CI 0.79
      0.87, heterogeneity I 2  = 68.8%) and 0.55 (95% CI 0.52-0.57, I 2  = 92.9%),
      respectively. Pooled positive LR, negative LR, and DOR were 2.37 (95% CI 1.87
      2.99, I 2  = 82.6%), 0.30 (95% CI 0.21-0.41, I 2  = 43.4%), and 9.92 (95% CI 6.09
      16.18, I 2  = 38.5%), respectively. The AUC estimated by SROC was 0.846 (SE
      0.027) with a Q* value of 0.777 (SE 0.026). Sensitivity analysis indicated that
      one study significantly affected the stability of pooled results. Subgroup
      analysis showed that population setting and AKI threshold were the key factors
      causing heterogeneity in pooled sensitivity and specificity. CONCLUSIONS: On the
      basis of recent evidence, urinary [TIMP-2] * [IGFBP7] is an effective predictive
      factor of AKI. TRIAL REGISTRATION: PROSPERO registration number: CRD42016051186 .
      Registered on 10 November 2016.

PMID- 28340607
TI  - Randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled trials of non-individualised
      homeopathic treatment: systematic review and meta-analysis.
AB  - BACKGROUND: A rigorous systematic review and meta-analysis focused on randomised
      controlled trials (RCTs) of non-individualised homeopathic treatment has not
      previously been reported. We tested the null hypothesis that the main outcome of
      treatment using a non-individualised (standardised) homeopathic medicine is
      indistinguishable from that of placebo. An additional aim was to quantify any
      condition-specific effects of non-individualised homeopathic treatment. METHODS:
      Literature search strategy, data extraction and statistical analysis all followed
      the methods described in a pre-published protocol. A trial comprised 'reliable
      evidence' if its risk of bias was low or it was unclear in one specified domain
      of assessment. 'Effect size' was reported as standardised mean difference (SMD),
      with arithmetic transformation for dichotomous data carried out as required; a
      negative SMD indicated an effect favouring homeopathy. RESULTS: Forty-eight
      different clinical conditions were represented in 75 eligible RCTs. Forty-nine
      trials were classed as 'high risk of bias' and 23 as 'uncertain risk of bias';
      the remaining three, clinically heterogeneous, trials displayed sufficiently low
      risk of bias to be designated reliable evidence. Fifty-four trials had
      extractable data: pooled SMD was -0.33 (95% confidence interval (CI) -0.44, 
      0.21), which was attenuated to -0.16 (95% CI -0.31, -0.02) after adjustment for
      publication bias. The three trials with reliable evidence yielded a non
      significant pooled SMD: -0.18 (95% CI -0.46, 0.09). There was no single clinical
      condition for which meta-analysis included reliable evidence. CONCLUSIONS: The
      quality of the body of evidence is low. A meta-analysis of all extractable data
      leads to rejection of our null hypothesis, but analysis of a small sub-group of
      reliable evidence does not support that rejection. Reliable evidence is lacking
      in condition-specific meta-analyses, precluding relevant conclusions. Better
      designed and more rigorous RCTs are needed in order to develop an evidence base
      that can decisively provide reliable effect estimates of non-individualised
      homeopathic treatment.

PMID- 28340608
TI  - Molecular evidence of Rickettsia spp. in ixodid ticks and rodents in suburban,
      natural and rural habitats in Slovakia.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Natural foci of tick-borne spotted fever group (SFG) rickettsiae of
      public health concern have been found in Slovakia, but the role of rodents in
      their circulation is unclear. Ticks (Ixodes ricinus, Ixodes trianguliceps,
      Dermacentor marginatus, Dermacentor reticulatus, Haemaphysalis concinna and
      Haemaphysalis inermis) and tissues of rodents (Apodemus flavicollis, Apodemus
      sylvaticus, Myodes glareolus, Microtus arvalis, Microtus subterraneus and
      Micromys minutus) were examined for the presence of SFG rickettsiae and Coxiella
      burnetii by molecular methods. Suburban, natural and rural habitats were
      monitored to acquire information on the role of ticks and rodents in the agents'
      maintenance in various habitat types of Slovakia. RESULTS: The overall prevalence
      of rickettsial infection in questing I. ricinus and D. marginatus was 6.6% and
      21.4%, respectively. Rickettsia helvetica, R. monacensis and non-identified
      rickettsial species were detected in I. ricinus, whereas R. slovaca and R.
      raoultii were identified in D. marginatus. Rickettsia spp.-infected I. ricinus
      occurred during the whole tick questing period. Rickettsia helvetica dominated
      (80.5%) followed by R. monacensis (6.5%). The species were present in all studied
      habitats. Rickettsia slovaca (66.7%) and R. raoultii (33.3%) were identified in
      D. marginatus from the rural habitat. Apodemus flavicollis was the most infested
      rodent species with I. ricinus, but My. glareolus carried the highest proportion
      of Rickettsia-positive I. ricinus larvae. Only 0.5% of rodents (A. flavicollis)
      and 5.2% of engorged I. ricinus removed from My. glareolus, A. flavicollis and M.
      arvalis were R. helvetica- and R. monacensis-positive. Coxiella burnetii was not
      detected in any of the tested samples. We hypothesize that rodents could play a
      role as carriers of infected ticks and contribute to the maintenance of
      rickettsial pathogens in natural foci. CONCLUSIONS: Long-term presence of SFG
      Rickettsia spp. was confirmed in questing ticks from different habitat types of
      Slovakia. The results suggest a human risk for infection with the pathogenic R.
      helvetica, R. monacensis, R. slovaca and R. raoultii.

PMID- 28340606
TI  - Validating a self-report measure of HIV viral suppression: an analysis of linked
      questionnaire and clinical data from the Canadian HIV Women's Sexual and
      Reproductive Health Cohort Study.
AB  - BACKGROUND: We assessed the validity of a self-report measure of undetectable
      viral load (VL) among women with HIV in British Columbia (BC), Canada.
      Questionnaire data from the Canadian HIV Women's Sexual and Reproductive Health
      Cohort Study was linked with population-based clinical data from the BC Centre
      for Excellence in HIV/AIDS. Self-reported undetectable VL was assessed by the
      question: "What was your most recent VL, undetectable (i.e. <50 copies/mL) or
      detectable (i.e. >=50 copies/mL)?" Laboratory measurements of VL <50 copies/mL
      (closest to/before study visit) were the criterion for validity analyses. We
      measured positive and negative predictive values (PPV, NPV) and likelihood ratios
      (LR+, LR-). RESULTS: Of 356 participants, 99% were linked to clinical data. Those
      unlinked (n = 1), missing self-report VL (n = 18), or missing self-report and
      laboratory VL (n = 1) were excluded. Among the remaining 336: median age was 44
      (IQR 37-51); 96% identified as cis-gender; 84% identified as heterosexual; and
      45% identified as Indigenous, 40% White, 8% African, Caribbean, or Black, and 8%
      other/multiple ethnicities. Overall, 85% self-reported having an undetectable VL
      while 82% had clinical data indicating viral suppression. The PPV was 93.7 (95%
      CI 90.2-96.2) indicating that 94% of women who self-reported being undetectable
      truly were. The NPV was 80.4 (95% CI 66.9-90.2). LR+ was 3.2 (2.1-4.6) and LR-
      was 0.05 (0.03-0.10). CONCLUSIONS: Our self-report measure assessing undetectable
      VL strongly predicted true viral suppression among Canadian women with HIV. This
      measure can be used in research settings without laboratory data in regions with
      high rates of VL testing and suppression.

PMID- 28340609
TI  - A systematic review of screening instruments for depression for use in antenatal
      services in low resource settings.
AB  - BACKGROUND: In low resource settings, short, valid and reliable instruments with
      good high sensitivity and specificity are essential for the screening of
      depression in antenatal care. A review of published evidence on screening
      instruments for depression for use in antenatal services in low resource settings
      was conducted. The aim of this review was to appraise the best available evidence
      on screening instruments suitable for detecting depression in antenatal care in
      low resource settings. METHODS: Searching, selection, quality assessment, and
      data abstraction was done by two reviewers. ScienceDirect, CINAHL, MEDLINE,
      PubMed, SABINET and PsychARTICLES databases were searched using relevant search
      terms. Retrieved studies were evaluated for relevancy (whether psychometric data
      were reported) and quality. Data were synthesised and sensitivity and specificity
      of instruments were pooled using forest plots. RESULTS: Eleven articles were
      included in the review. The methodological quality ranged from adequate to
      excellent. The review found 7 tools with varying levels of accuracy, sensitivity
      and specificity, including the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale, Beck
      Depression Index, Centre for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale 20, Hamilton
      Rating Scale for Depression, Hopkins Symptoms Checklist-25, Kessler Psychological
      Distress Scale and Self-Reporting Questionnaire. The Edinburgh Postnatal
      Depression Scale was most common and had the highest level of accuracy (AUC =
      .965) and sensitivity. CONCLUSION: This review suggests that the Edinburgh
      Postnatal Depression Scale can be a suitable instrument of preference for
      screening antenatal depression in low resource settings because of the reported
      level of accuracy, sensitivity and specificity. PROSPERO REGISTRATION:
      CRD42015020316 .

PMID- 28340610
TI  - The importance of informational, clinical and personal support in patient
      experience with total knee replacement: a qualitative investigation.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Total knee arthroplasty (TKA) is the most frequently performed joint
      replacement surgery in North America. Patient perspectives on TKA have been
      investigated in various ways, including finding as many as 20% of TKA patients
      are dissatisfied with their surgical outcomes. Understanding the patient
      experience with TKA broadly and in relation to patient satisfaction is a key gap
      in existing literature. METHODS: We report on the qualitative component of a
      mixed methods prospective cohort study examining patient experience and
      satisfaction post-TKA for adults in British Columbia, Canada. Data collection
      consisted of 45 in-depth interviews about individuals' knee surgery experiences
      conducted eight months after surgery. Analysis consisted of thematic coding by
      multiple coders. RESULTS: Participants' descriptions of their TKA experiences
      were primarily concerned with support, or the provision of aid and assistance.
      Support was insufficient when their expectations of support were not met; unmet
      support expectations led to an overall negative TKA experience. Support operated
      in three key domains: (1) informational support, (2) clinical support, and (3)
      personal support. Key sources of informational and clinical support included pre
      optimisation clinics, surgeons, and physiotherapists. Key topics for
      informational support included pain, pain management, and recovery trajectories.
      Personal support was provided by family, friends, other TKA patients, employers,
      and themselves. CONCLUSIONS: Patient needs and expectations for support are
      shaped both before and after TKA surgery. Patients with an overall positive TKA
      experience had improvement in their knee pain, stiffness or functioning post-TKA,
      had their major expectations and needs for support met during their TKA recovery,
      and believed that any significant future expectations or needs for ongoing
      support would be adequately met. In contrast, patients with an overall negative
      TKA experience had at least one major expectation or need for support not met
      during their TKA recovery, even in cases where they had good TKA outcomes.
      Suggested interventions to improve the experience of persons receiving TKA
      include an expanded patient navigator model, revised pre-surgery educational
      materials, particularly around pain expectations and management, and
      comprehensive sharing of other patients' TKA experience.

PMID- 28340611
TI  - An exploratory cross-sectional study on the impact of education on perception of
      stigma by Chinese patients with schizophrenia.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Stigma is a major issue across various society and cultures, and few
      studies focus on the perception of stigma by Chinese patients with schizophrenia.
      In the current cross-sectional study, we sought to assess the extent of
      internalized stigma among outpatients with schizophrenia in China and to
      investigate whether education level correlated with the experience of stigma.
      METHODS: Outpatients with schizophrenia were evaluated using the brief psychosis
      rating scale (BPRS), the positive and negative syndrome scale (PANSS), the
      clinical global impression-severity of illness (CGI-SI) scale and the Stigma
      Scale for Mental Illness (SSMI 2C). Patients were categorized into the high
      education and low education group according to their educational levels. RESULTS:
      One hundred thirty-three subjects were included in the study. Their mean course
      of illness was 4.32 +/- 6.14 years (range, 1 month to 15 years). Their mean BPRS
      score was 19.87 +/- 5.46, their mean PANSS score was 44.11 +/- 13.1, and their
      mean CGI-SI score was 2.22 +/- 0.81. In addition, the mean SSMI 2C score of the
      high education group (7.15 +/- 0.98) was markedly higher than that of the low
      education group (5.75 +/- 0.79, P < 0.05). The mean domain I score of the high
      education group (2.30 +/- 0.76) was comparable to that of the low education group
      (2.07 +/- 0.78, P > 0.05). The mean domain II score of the high education group
      (2.42 +/- 0.96) was markedly higher than that of the low education group (2.01 +/
      0.79, P < 0.05). Moreover, the mean domain III score of the high education group
      (2.43 +/- 0.79) was significantly higher than that of the low education group
      (1.67 +/- 0.77, P < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Education level impacts on the perception
      of stigma by patients with schizophrenia and more psycho-education should be done
      to improve patients' knowledge about schizophrenia.

PMID- 28340612
TI  - The singular epidemiology of HPV infection among French Guianese women with
      normal cytology.
AB  - BACKGROUND: In French Guiana, cervical cancer is the second most frequent cancer
      in females. The objective of the present study was to describe the prevalence of
      HPV infections in women with normal cervical cytology living in the remote
      villages of French Guiana. METHODS: Before the study, the study team communicated
      in the remote villages on the importance of screening. All women from the target
      population were offered to participate. They signed informed consent during
      inclusion and then had a concomitant HPV-test and cervical smear. Only women with
      normal cytology and a good quality smear were analyzed. The detection of HPV-DNA
      was performed using the GREINER-BIO-ONE kit. RESULTS: Overall, 27.2% of women
      with normal cervical cytology had a positive HPV-test. There was a U-shaped
      evolution of prevalence with women over 50 years having the highest HPV
      prevalence, followed by the 20 to 29 years group. The most prevalent HPV
      genotypes were HPV 53(3.52%), 68(3.33%), 52(2.59%), 31(2.22%) and 16 (1.85%). The
      proportion of HPV 16 among HPV-infected women was 6.8%. CONCLUSIONS: HPV
      prevalence in cytologically normal women was very high. The most prevalent
      genotypes were very different from what is usually described in the world, and
      notably in South America.

PMID- 28340613
TI  - Adherence to and factors associated with self-care behaviours in type 2 diabetes
      patients in Ghana.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Previous research has failed to examine more than one self-care
      behaviour in type 2 diabetes patients in Ghana. The purpose of this study is to
      investigate adult Ghanaian type 2 diabetes patients' adherence to four self-care
      activities: diet (general and specific), exercise, self-monitoring of blood
      glucose (SMBG) and foot care. METHODS: Consenting type 2 diabetes patients
      attending diabetes outpatient clinic appointments at three hospitals in the
      Tamale Metropolis of Ghana completed a cross-sectional survey comprising the
      Summary of Diabetes Self-Care Activities Measure, and questions about demographic
      characteristics and diabetes history. Height and weight were also measured.
      Multiple linear regression analyses were conducted to identify the factors
      associated with adherence to each of the four self-care behaviours. RESULTS: In
      the last 7 days, participants exercised for a mean (SD) of 4.78 (2.09) days and
      followed diet, foot care and SMBG for a mean (SD) of 4.40 (1.52), 2.86 (2.16) and
      2.15 (0.65) days, respectively. More education was associated with a higher
      frequency of reported participation in exercise (r = 0.168, p = 0.022), following
      a healthy diet (r = 0.223, p = 0.002) and foot care (r = 0.153, p = 0.037) in the
      last 7 days. Males reported performing SMBG (r = 0.198, p = 0.007) more
      frequently than their female counterparts. CONCLUSION: Adherence to diet, SMBG
      and checking of feet were relatively low. People with low education and women may
      need additional support to improve adherence to self-care behaviours in this type
      2 diabetes population.

PMID- 28340614
TI  - Family-focused practice within a recovery framework: practitioners' qualitative
      perspectives.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Family-focused practice (FFP) is an effective approach to supporting
      individuals with mental illness. 'Recovery' is also central to contemporary
      mental health care. However, there is a dearth of evidence about how the two
      concepts are related and subsequently implemented in practice. The aim of this
      study was to explore practitioners' understandings and practices of FFP within a
      recovery framework. METHODS: Purposive/snowball sampling was used to recruit and
      conduct qualitative interviews with 11 mental health practitioners in rural
      Australia. Concurrent sampling and data collection were informed by thematic
      analysis and continued until data saturation was reached. RESULTS: Participants
      found it difficult to articulate their understandings of FFP within a recovery
      framework. Nonetheless they were able to describe practices that embodied family
      focused recovery. Barriers to such practices included medical models of care,
      where there are often a shortage of skilled staff and high demands for care.
      Stigma (self and from others) and confidentiality were also identified as
      barriers to involving family members in recovery focused care. CONCLUSIONS:
      Family-focused recovery care is a priority in many high-income countries. A
      family-focused recovery framework is needed to assist service planners,
      practitioners, family members and those with mental health needs and ensure such
      care is embedded within practice guidelines.

PMID- 28340615
TI  - Glucocorticoids induce production of reactive oxygen species/reactive nitrogen
      species and DNA damage through an iNOS mediated pathway in breast cancer.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Psychological stress increases the circulating levels of the stress
      hormones cortisol and norepinephrine (NE). Chronic exposure to elevated stress
      hormones has been linked to a reduced response to chemotherapy through induction
      of DNA damage. We hypothesize that stress hormone signalling may induce DNA
      damage through the production of reactive oxygen species (ROS)/reactive nitrogen
      species (RNS) and interference in DNA repair processes, promoting tumourigenesis.
      METHODS: Breast cancer cell lines were incubated with physiological levels of
      cortisol and NE in the presence and absence of receptor antagonists and inducible
      nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) inhibitors and DNA damage measured using
      phosphorylated gamma-H2AX. The rate of DNA repair was measured using comet assays
      and electrochemical sensors were used to detect ROS/RNS in the cell lysates from
      cells exposed to stress hormones. A syngeneic mouse model was used to assess the
      presence of iNOS in mammary tumours in stressed versus control animals and
      expression of iNOS was examined using western blotting and qRT-PCR. RESULTS:
      Acute exposure to cortisol and NE significantly increased levels of ROS/RNS and
      DNA damage and this effect was diminished in the presence of receptor
      antagonists. Cortisol induced DNA damage and the production of RNS was further
      attenuated in the presence of an iNOS inhibitor. An increase in the expression of
      iNOS in response to psychological stress was observed in vivo and in cortisol
      treated cells. Inhibition of glucocorticoid receptor-associated Src kinase also
      produced a decrease in cortisol-induced RNS. CONCLUSION: These results
      demonstrate that glucocorticoids may interact with iNOS in a non-genomic manner
      to produce damaging levels of RNS, thus allowing an insight into the potential
      mechanisms by which psychological stress may impact breast cancer.

PMID- 28340616
TI  - Lacking of palladin leads to multiple cellular events changes which contribute to
      NTD.
AB  - BACKGROUND: The actin cytoskeleton-associated protein palladin plays an important
      role in cell motility, morphogenesis and adhesion. In mice, Palladin deficient
      embryos are lethal before embryonic day (E) 15.5, and exhibit severe cranial
      neural tube and body wall closure defects. However, the mechanism how palladin
      regulates the process of cranial neural tube closure (NTC) remains unknown.
      METHODS: In this paper, we use gene knockout mouse to elucidate the function of
      palladin in the regulation of NTC process. RESULTS: We initially focuse on the
      expression pattern of palladin and found that in embryonic brain, palladin is
      predominantly expressed in the neural folds at E9.5. We further check the major
      cellular events in the neural epithelium that may contribute to NTC during the
      early embryogenesis. Palladin deficiency leads to a disturbance of cytoskeleton
      in the neural tube and the cultured neural progenitors. Furthermore, increased
      cell proliferation, decreased cell differentiation and diminished apical cell
      apoptosis of neural epithelium are found in palladin deficient embryos. Cell
      cycle of neural progenitors in Palladin -/- embryos is much shorter than that in
      wt ones. Cell adhesion shows a reduction in Palladin -/- neural tubes.
      CONCLUSIONS: Palladin is expressed with proper spatio-temporal pattern in the
      neural folds. It plays a crucial role in regulating mouse cranial NTC by
      modulating cytoskeleton, proliferation, differentiation, apoptosis, and adhesion
      of neural epithelium. Our findings facilitate further study of the function of
      palladin and the underlying molecular mechanism involved in NTC.

PMID- 28340617
TI  - The efficacy of pregabalin for the management of postoperative pain in primary
      total knee and hip arthroplasty: a meta-analysis.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: A systematic review of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) was
      conducted to evaluate the efficacy of pregabalin for the management of
      postoperative pain in patients undergoing primary total knee arthroplasty (TKA)
      and primary total hip arthroplasty (THA). METHOD: The PubMed, Embase, Cochrane
      Central Register of Controlled Trials, and Google Scholar databases were searched
      for related articles using search strategy. RevMan 5.3 software was selected to
      conduct the meta-analysis. RESULTS: Seven RCTs were included in our meta
      analysis. There were significant differences in visual analogue scale (VAS) at 24
      and 48 h with rest, knee flexion degree, mean morphine consumption, and
      postoperative side effects (nausea, vomiting, pruritus, and dizziness) when
      comparing the pregabalin group to the placebo group after TKA and THA. However,
      the differences in VAS at 72 h with rest and at 24 h on movement were not
      significant between the two groups. CONCLUSIONS: Pregabalin was found to improve
      pain control at 24 and 48 h with rest, reduce morphine consumption, improve the
      knee flexion degree, decrease the incident rate of nausea, vomiting, and
      pruritus, and increase the incident rate of dizziness after TKA and THA but could
      not improve the pain control at 72 h with rest. In summary, the use of pregabalin
      may be a valuable asset in pain management within the first 48 h after TKA and
      THA. However, future studies regarding doses and pregabalin medication are
      required.

PMID- 28340618
TI  - Are cells from a snowman realistic? Cryopreserved tissues as a source for single
      cell RNA-sequencing experiments.
AB  - A recently published study in Genome Biology shows that cells isolated from
      cryopreserved tissues are a reliable source of genetic material for single-cell
      RNA-sequencing experiments.Please see related Method article:
      http://genomebiology.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s13059-017-1171-9.

PMID- 28340619
TI  - Operational and implementation research within Global Fund to Fight AIDS,
      Tuberculosis and Malaria grants: a situation analysis in six countries.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Operational/implementation research (OR/IR) is a key activity to
      improve disease control programme performance. We assessed the extent to which
      malaria and tuberculosis (TB) grants from the Global Fund to Fight AIDS,
      Tuberculosis and Malaria ("Global Fund") include support for OR/IR, and discuss
      the implications of the current Global Fund operating mechanisms for OR/IR
      support. METHODS: The situation analysis focussed on malaria and TB, while HIV
      was excluded. Stakeholder interviews were conducted at the Global Fund
      secretariat and in six purposefully selected high disease burden countries,
      namely the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ethiopia, India, Indonesia, Myanmar
      and Zimbabwe. Interviewed in-country stakeholders included the relevant disease
      control programme managers, project implementation partners, representatives from
      international organisations with a stake in global health, academic and
      governmental research institutions, and other relevant individuals such as
      members of the country coordination mechanism. Additionally, documentation of
      grants and OR/IR obtained from the Global Fund was reviewed. RESULTS: The Global
      Fund provides substantial resources for malaria and TB surveys, and supports
      OR/IR if such support is requested and the application is well justified. We
      observed considerable variations from one country to another and between
      programmes with regards to need, demand, absorption capacity and funding for
      OR/IR related to malaria and TB. Important determinants for the extent of such
      funding are the involvement of national research coordination bodies, established
      research agendas and priorities, human and technical research capacity, and
      involvement of relevant stakeholders in concept note development. Efforts to
      disseminate OR/IR findings were generally weak, and the Global Fund does not
      maintain a central OR/IR database. When faced with a need to choose between
      procurement of commodities for disease control and supporting research, countries
      tend to seek research funding from other donors. The Global Fund is expected to
      issue more specific guidance on the conditions under which it supports OR/IR, and
      to adapt administrative procedures to facilitate research. CONCLUSIONS: The
      importance of OR/IR for optimising disease control programmes is generally
      accepted but countries vary in their capacity to demand and implement studies.
      Countries expect guidance on OR/IR from the Global Fund. Administrative
      procedures specifically related to the budget planning should be modified to
      facilitate ad-hoc OR/IR funding. More generally, several countries expressed a
      need to strengthen capacity for planning, negotiating and implementing research.

PMID- 28340620
TI  - Stable high-level expression of factor VIII in Chinese hamster ovary cells in
      improved elongation factor-1 alpha-based system.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Recombinant factor VIII (FVIII), used for haemophilia A therapy, is
      one of the most challenging among the therapeutic proteins produced in
      heterologous expression systems. Deletion variant of FVIII, in which the entire
      domain B is replaced by a short linker peptide, was approved for medical use.
      Efficacy and safety of this FVIII deletion variant are similar to full-length
      FVIII preparations while the level of production in CHO cells is substantially
      higher. Typical levels of productivity for CHO cell lines producing deletion
      variant FVIII-BDD SQ, described elsewhere, are 0.5-2 IU/ml, corresponding to the
      concentration of FVIII of about 0.2 MUg/ml. Using standard vectors based on the
      cytomegalovirus promoter (CMV) and the dihydrofolate reductase cDNA we have
      previously obtained the cell line secreting 0.5 IU/ml of FVIII-BDD, which roughly
      corresponds to the previously published data. RESULTS: An expression system based
      on CHO genomic sequences including CHO-EEF1A promoter and Epstein-Barr virus
      terminal repeat fragment allowed us to achieve 80-fold increase in the production
      level as compared with the conventional expression system based on the CMV
      promoter. Immediately after the primary selection FVIII -producing cells secreted
      5-10 IU/ml of FVIII-BDD, and after multi-stage methotrexate-driven amplification
      a stable clonal line 11A4H was selected, secreting 39 IU/ml of FVIII-BDD in the
      simple batch culturing conditions, which considerably exceeds known indicators
      for industrial producers of this protein. In contrast to other FVIII-BDD
      producing lines 11A4H accumulates low proportion of the secreted FVIII on the
      membrane. Its productivity may be further increased approximately two-fold by
      adding sodium butyrate and butylated hydroxyanisol to the culture medium. A five
      stage purification process for the factor VIII was employed. It allowed isolation
      of the intact FVIII-BDD as was confirmed by mass spectrometry. Purified FVIII-BDD
      has a specific activity of 11,000 IU/mg, similar to known recombinant FVIII
      drugs. CONCLUSIONS: The recombinant FVIII-BDD was produced in CHO cells without
      addition of any animal-derived materials, purified and characterized. Novel
      genetic constructions for the expression of heterologous proteins combined with
      optimized cultivation method allowed to obtain the secretion level of
      biologically active recombinant FVIII increased by almost ten times as compared
      with the previously published analogues.

PMID- 28340621
TI  - Antibacterial and antibiotic resistance modulatory activities of leaves and bark
      extracts of Recinodindron heudelotii (Euphorbiaceae) against multidrug-resistant
      Gram-negative bacteria.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Recinodindron heudelotii (Euphorbiaceae) is a plant used in Africa,
      particularly in Cameroon to treat various ailments including bacterial
      infections. In this study, we evaluated the extracts of the leaves (RHL) and bark
      (RHB) of R. heudelotii for their antibacterial and antibiotic resistance
      modulating activities against 29 Gram-negative bacteria, including multidrug
      resistant (MDR) phenotypes. METHODS: The broth micro-dilution assay was used to
      evaluate the antibacterial activity, and the antibiotic resistance modulating
      effects of the plant extracts. RESULTS: RHL displayed the most important spectrum
      of activity with minimal inhibitory concentrations (MICs) values ranging from 256
      to 1024 MUg/mL against 75.86% of the 29 tested bacteria strains while RHB was not
      active. RHL also showed killing effects with minimal bactericidal concentrations
      (MBCs) ranging from 256 to 1024 MUg/mL. The activities of tetracycline and
      kanamycin associated with RHL were improved on 88.89% and 77.78% of the tested
      MDR bacteria, at MIC/2 at MIC/4 respectively, with 2 to 16-folds decreasing of
      MIC. This suggests the antibiotic resistance modulating effects of these
      antibiotics. CONCLUSION: The present study provides data indicating a possible
      use of the leaves extract of Recinodindron heudelotii alone or in association
      with common antibiotics in the fight against bacterial infections including those
      involving MDR bacteria.

PMID- 28340622
TI  - Anti-plasmodial activity of Norcaesalpin D and extracts of four medicinal plants
      used traditionally for treatment of malaria.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Malaria is an old life-threatening parasitic disease that is still
      affecting many people, mainly children living in sub-Saharan Africa. Availability
      of effective antimalarial drugs played a significant role in the treatment and
      control of malaria. However, recent information on the emergence of P. falciparum
      parasites resistant to one of the artemisinin-based combination therapies
      suggests the need for discovery of new drug molecules. Therefore, this study
      aimed to evaluate the antiplasmodial activity of extracts, fractions and isolated
      compound from medicinal plants traditionally used in the treatment of malaria in
      Tanzania. METHODS: Dry powdered plant materials were extracted by cold
      macerations using different solvents. Norcaesalpin D was isolated by column
      chromatography from dichloromethane root extract of Caesalpinia bonducella and
      its structure was assigned based on the spectral data. Crude extracts, fractions
      and isolated compound were evaluated for antiplasmodial activity against
      chloroquine-sensitive P. falciparum (3D7), chloroquine-resistant P. falciparum
      (Dd2, K1) and artemisinin-resistant P. falciparum (IPC 5202 Battambang, IPC 4912
      Mondolkiri) strains using the parasite lactate dehydrogenase assay. RESULTS: The
      results indicated that extracts of Erythrina schliebenii, Holarrhena pubescens,
      Dissotis melleri and C. bonducella exhibited antiplasmodial activity against Dd2
      parasites. Ethanolic root extract of E. schliebenii had an IC50 of 1.87 MUg/mL
      while methanolic and ethanolic root extracts of H. pubescens exhibited an IC50 =
      2.05 MUg/mL and IC50 = 2.43 MUg/mL, respectively. Fractions from H. pubescens and
      C. bonducella roots were found to be highly active against K1, Dd2 and
      artemisinin-resistant parasites. Norcaesalpin D from C. bonducella root extract
      was active with IC50 of 0.98, 1.85 and 2.13 MUg/mL against 3D7, Dd2 and IPC 4912
      Mondolkiri parasites, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: Antiplasmodial activity of
      norcaesalpin D and extracts of E. schliebenii, H. pubescens, D. melleri and C.
      bonducella reported in this study requires further attention for the discovery of
      antimalarial lead compounds for future drug development.

PMID- 28340623
TI  - Changes in clinical symptoms and functional disability in patients with
      coexisting patellofemoral and tibiofemoral osteoarthritis: a 1-year prospective
      cohort study.
AB  - BACKGROUND: This 1-year prospective cohort study aimed to compare the changes in
      clinical symptoms and functional disability between patients with coexisting
      patellofemoral (PF) and tibiofemoral (TF) osteoarthritis (OA) and those with
      isolated TFOA. METHODS: Seventy-two patients with medial knee OA were enrolled.
      Knee pain and functional disability were assessed at baseline and at 1-year
      follow-up using the Japanese Knee Osteoarthritis Measure (JKOM) and a visual
      analog scale (VAS). We performed two-way analysis of covariance for the clinical
      outcome variables to examine, time (baseline and follow-up), group (coexisting
      PFOA and isolated TFOA), and time-group interaction effects. Furthermore, we
      conducted post-hoc exploratory analysis to address the possibility that dividing
      patients according to location of PFOA (i.e., isolated lateral, isolated medial,
      and mixed [bilateral]) may identify a distinct subgroup with different changes in
      clinical outcomes at 1-year follow-up. RESULTS: We detected group effects only in
      scores of the JKOM pain subscale (P = 0.012) and VAS (P = 0.033), adjusted for
      age, sex, and body mass index. Patients with coexisting PFOA have stable moderate
      level knee pain and functional disability throughout the year which is
      significantly worse than that in those with isolated TFOA. Post-hoc subgroup
      analysis demonstrated that change of knee pain likely varied with location of
      PFOA. Patients with isolated lateral PFOA had mild/moderate level knee pain, and
      their VAS scores were likely to improve, whereas those with mixed PFOA exhibited
      stable to worsening moderate/severe knee pain. CONCLUSIONS: Although we did not
      detect differences in changes in clinical symptoms and functional disability
      between patients with coexisting PFOA and those with isolated TFOA, our findings
      indicate that patients with coexisting PFOA had worse clinical symptoms and
      functional disability than those with isolated TFOA. The results of the
      exploratory analysis suggested that patients with coexisting PFOA might have
      heterogeneous clinical outcomes, and presence of mixed PFOA might be an indicator
      of severe clinical knee OA.

PMID- 28340624
TI  - MeDeCom: discovery and quantification of latent components of heterogeneous
      methylomes.
AB  - It is important for large-scale epigenomic studies to determine and explore the
      nature of hidden confounding variation, most importantly cell composition. We
      developed MeDeCom as a novel reference-free computational framework that allows
      the decomposition of complex DNA methylomes into latent methylation components
      and their proportions in each sample. MeDeCom is based on constrained non
      negative matrix factorization with a new biologically motivated regularization
      function. It accurately recovers cell-type-specific latent methylation components
      and their proportions. MeDeCom is a new unsupervised tool for the exploratory
      study of the major sources of methylation variation, which should lead to a
      deeper understanding and better biological interpretation.

PMID- 28340625
TI  - Habit training versus habit training with direct visual biofeedback in adults
      with chronic constipation: study protocol for a randomised controlled trial.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Constipation affects up to 20% of adults. Chronic constipation (CC)
      affects 1-2% of adults. Patient dissatisfaction is high; nearly 80% feel that
      laxative therapy is unsatisfactory and symptoms have significant impact on
      quality of life. There is uncertainty about the value of specialist
      investigations and whether equipment-intensive therapies using biofeedback confer
      additional benefit when compared with specialist conservative advice.
      METHODS/DESIGN: A three-arm, parallel-group, multicentre randomised controlled
      trial. OBJECTIVES: to determine whether standardised specialist-led habit
      training plus pelvic floor retraining using computerised biofeedback is more
      clinically effective than standardised specialist-led habit training alone; to
      determine whether outcomes are improved by stratification based on prior
      investigation of anorectal and colonic pathophysiology. Primary outcome measure
      is response to treatment, defined as a 0.4-point (10% of scale) or greater
      reduction in Patient Assessment of Constipation-Quality of Life (PAC-QOL) score 6
      months after the end of treatment. Other outcomes up to 12 months include
      symptoms, quality of life, health economics, psychological health and qualitative
      experience. HYPOTHESES: (1) habit training (HT) with computer-assisted direct
      visual biofeedback (HTBF) results in an average reduction in PAC-QOL score of 0.4
      points at 6 months compared to HT alone in unselected adults with CC, (2)
      stratification to either HT or HTBF informed by pathophysiological investigation
      (INVEST) results in an average 0.4-point reduction in PAC-QOL score at 6 months
      compared with treatment not directed by investigations (No-INVEST). Inclusion:
      chronic constipation in adults (aged 18-70 years) defined by self-reported
      symptom duration of more than 6 months; failure of previous laxatives or
      prokinetics and diet and lifestyle modifications. Consenting participants (n =
      394) will be randomised to one of three arms in an allocation ratio of 3:3:2: [1]
      habit training, [2] habit training and biofeedback or [3] investigation-led
      allocation to one of these arms. Analysis will be on an intention-to-treat basis.
      DISCUSSION: This trial has the potential to answer some of the major outstanding
      questions in the management of chronic constipation, including whether costly
      invasive tests are warranted and whether computer-assisted direct visual
      biofeedback confers additional benefit to well-managed specialist advice alone.
      TRIAL REGISTRATION: International Standard Randomised Controlled Trial Number:
      ISRCTN11791740. Registered on 16 July 2015.

PMID- 28340628
TI  - Auf dem Weg zu einer okologischen Abfallwirtschaft Auf dem Weg zu einer
      okologischen Abfallwirtschaft.

PMID- 28340629
TI  - Ruckgewinnung von CKW aus Destillationsruckstanden Ruckgewinnung von CKW aus
      Destillationsruckstanden.

PMID- 28340630
TI  - Umdenken in der Abfallwirtschaft: Volkswirtschaftliche Aspekte des
      Materialrecycling Umdenken in der Abfallwirtschaft: Volkswirtschaftliche Aspekte
      des Materialrecycling.

PMID- 28340627
TI  - The contribution of dietary restriction to extended longevity in the malaria
      vector Anopheles coluzzii.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Variation in longevity has long been of interest in vector biology
      because of its implication in disease transmission through vectorial capacity.
      Recent studies suggest that Anopheles coluzzii adults persist during the ~7 month
      dry season via aestivation. Recently there has been a growing body of evidence
      linking dietary restriction and low ratio of dietary protein to carbohydrate with
      extended longevity of animals. Here, we evaluated the effects of dietary
      restriction and the protein : carbohydrate ratio on longevity of An. coluzzii.
      RESULTS: In our experiment, we combined dietary regimes with temperature and
      relative humidity to assess their effects on An. coluzzii longevity, in an
      attempt to simulate aestivation under laboratory conditions. Our results showed
      significant effects of both the physical and the dietary variables on longevity,
      but that diet regimen had a considerably greater effect than those of the
      physical conditions. Higher temperature and lower humidity reduced longevity. At
      22  degrees C dietary protein (blood) shortened longevity when sugar was not
      restricted (RH = 85%), but extended longevity when sugar was restricted (RH =
      50%). CONCLUSIONS: Dietary restriction extended longevity in accord with
      predictions, but protein : carbohydrate ratio had a negligible effect. We
      identified conditions that significantly extend longevity in malaria vectors,
      however, the extent of increase in longevity was insufficient to simulate
      aestivation.

PMID- 28340631
TI  - Behandlung der gasformigen Abgange Sondermulldeponie Kolliken Behandlung der
      gasformigen Abgange Sondermulldeponie Kolliken.

PMID- 28340632
TI  - Abfallprobleme bei Sandoz Abfallprobleme bei Sandoz.

PMID- 28340626
TI  - Decision making for breast cancer prevention among women at elevated risk.
AB  - Several medical management approaches have been shown to be effective in
      preventing breast cancer and detecting it early among women at elevated risk: 1)
      prophylactic mastectomy; 2) prophylactic oophorectomy; 3) chemoprevention; and 4)
      enhanced screening routines. To varying extents, however, these approaches are
      substantially underused relative to clinical practice recommendations. This
      article reviews the existing research on the uptake of these prevention
      approaches, the characteristics of women who are likely to use various methods,
      and the decision-making processes that underlie the differing choices of women.
      It also highlights important areas for future research, detailing the types of
      studies that are particularly needed in four key areas: documenting women's
      perspectives on their own perceptions of risk and prevention decisions; explicit
      comparisons of available prevention pathways and their likely health effects; the
      psychological, interpersonal, and social processes of prevention decision making;
      and the dynamics of subgroup variation. Ultimately, this research could support
      the development of interventions that more fully empower women to make informed
      and values-consistent decisions, and to move towards favorable health outcomes.

PMID- 28340633
TI  - PLASMOX(r), ein Plasma-Ultrahochtemperaturverfahren zur umweltgerechten
      Entsorgung von Sonderabfallen, mit Stoff- und Energieruckgewinnungs-potentialen,
      sowie endlagerfahiger Schlackenproduktion

PMID- 28340635
TI  - Abfallminderung, ein zentrales Anliegen der chemischen Industrie Abfallminderung,
      ein zentrales Anliegen der chemischen Industrie.

PMID- 28340634
TI  - Methodik und Problemlosungskonzepte der Bodensanierung Methodik und
      Problemlosungskonzepte der Bodensanierung.

PMID- 28340636
TI  - 1st Entsorgung Aufgabe des Herstellers? 1st Entsorgung Aufgabe des Herstellers?

PMID- 28340638
TI  - Abfall, Materie am falschen Ort Abfall, Materie am falschen Ort.

PMID- 28340637
TI  - Reststoffentsorgung bei Kehrichtverbrennungsanlagen Reststoffentsorgung bei
      Kehrichtverbrennungsanlagen.

PMID- 28340639
TI  - Control of Metal-Catalyzed Reactions by Organic Ligands: From Corrinoid and
      Porphinoid Metal Complexes to Tailor-Made Catalysts for Asymmetric Synthesis.
AB  - Corrinoid and porphinoid metal complexes playa fundamental role in nature as
      catalysts for a variety of biochemical transformations. The properties of the
      metal ion in these complexes are strongly influenced by the macrocyclic ligand.
      In this way, the reactivity of the metal complex is adjusted to the specific
      requirements of enzymatic catalysis. This is illustrated in the first part of
      this article, which is centered on the structure and properties of coenzyme F430,
      a hydroporphinoid nickel complex involved in the methane-producing step of the
      energy metabolism of methanogenic bacteria. A different group of metal complexes,
      which exemplify the concept of ligand-based selectivity control, is discussed in
      the second part, summarizing our work on enantioselective catalysis. Inspired by
      the structure of corrinoid and hydroporphinoid compounds, we have developed a
      route to chiral C2-symmetric semicorrins, a particular class of bidentate
      nitrogen ligands specifically designed for the stereocontrol of metal-catalyzed
      reactions. Semicorrins were found to induce remarkable enantioselectivities in
      the cobalt-catalyzed conjugate reduction of alpha,beta-unsaturated carboxylic
      esters and amides and in the copper-catalyzed cyclopropanation of olefins with
      diazo compounds.

PMID- 28340640
TI  - New Solid-State Contact for lon-Selective Liquid Membrane Electrodes.
AB  - A new kind of solid-state contact for ion-selective electrodes based on solvent
      polymeric membranes is described. These electrodes show similar electrochemical
      behaviour to conventional ion-selective membranes in contact with an internal
      filling solution. They exhibit no significant interference with oxygen, nitrogen
      or carbon dioxide.

PMID- 28340642
TI  - Otto Isler: On the Occasion of his 80th Birthday.

PMID- 28340641
TI  - Herstellung von (S)-4-Methyloxetan-2-on(beta-Butyrolacton) durch Lactonisierung
      von (R)-3-Hydroxy-buttersaure mit Orthoessigsaure-triethylester
AB  - The readily available (R)-3-hydroxybutanoic acid (1) was treated with triethyl
      orthoacetate, with azeotropic removal of ethanol, to yield (6R)-2-ethoxy-2,6
      dimethyl-1,3-dioxan-4-one (3a). Pyrolysis of 3a led to the beta-Lactone of (S)-3
      hydroxybutanoic acid and other products. The influence of pressure, temperature,
      solvents, and some additives has been tested. A procedure for preparing (S)-4
      methyloxetan-2-one (4) in a 0.25-mol scale is described.

PMID- 28340643
TI  - Markt: Apparate, Chemikalien und Dienstleistungen Markt: Apparate, Chemikalien
      und Dienstleistungen.

PMID- 28340644
TI  - Sweet success: will sugar taxes improve health?

PMID- 28340645
TI  - Transgender hormone therapy: understanding international variation in practice.

PMID- 28340646
TI  - Essential Anatomy and Evaluation for Functional Rhinoplasty.
AB  - The nose, a prominent facial feature in defining facial beauty, is responsible
      for the fundamental physiologic functions of heating, humidifying, and filtering
      inspired air. When the normal balance of laminar and turbulent airflow become
      disturbed due to anatomic abnormalities, nasal obstruction may result. To
      successfully restore these basic physiologic functions, the surgeon must have a
      detailed understanding of the nasal anatomy and be able to successfully identify
      the specific cause of the nasal obstruction. This article discusses the
      fundamental surgical anatomy and the various diagnostic techniques and
      instruments at the surgeon's disposal.

PMID- 28340647
TI  - Septoplasty: Basic and Advanced Techniques.
AB  - Nasal septal deviation is a prevalent problem that can have significant quality
      of life ramifications. Septoplasty is commonly performed to provide qualitative
      and quantitative benefit to those with nasal obstruction owing to septal
      deviation. Although a standard, basic technique is often adequate for individuals
      with mild to moderate mid to posterior septal deviation, unique challenges arise
      with caudal septal deviation. Herein, multiple strategies that attempt to address
      anterior septal deviation are discussed. Anterior septal reconstruction has been
      shown to be a safe and effective means by which to address severe caudal septal
      deviation and long-term reduction in preoperative symptoms.

PMID- 28340648
TI  - The Inferior Turbinate in Rhinoplasty.
AB  - There is controversy regarding optimum treatment of the hypertrophied inferior
      turbinate. Patients undergoing rhinoplasty will likely need treatment of bony
      hypertrophy as well as possibly soft tissue hypertrophy. Although inferior
      turbinate hypertrophy is a heterogeneous entity, future studies should
      standardize outcome measures and compare treatment methods with rigorous clinical
      trials.

PMID- 28340649
TI  - The External Nasal Valve.
AB  - The external nasal valve is a complex entity comprised of multiple structures and
      tissue types. As such, there is no single operation that can address all problems
      of the external valve. This article reviews the relevant anatomy, pathologic
      conditions, and treatments for external nasal valve dysfunction, including a
      detailed review of the nasal muscles and their contribution to external nasal
      valve patency. Surgical and nonsurgical options for treatment and the evidence
      supporting the importance of proper external nasal valve function on quality-of
      life measures are discussed.

PMID- 28340650
TI  - Functional Rhinoplasty.
AB  - Understanding nasal anatomy and physiology are the most important points for
      successful functional rhinoplasty. Anatomic structures playing major roles in
      nasal breathing functions include the septum, and internal and external nasal
      valves, so physical examination of these regions is essential. Planning for
      functional rhinoplasty involves the identification of the sites of nasal airway
      obstruction or old trauma, and addressing those regions during the operation with
      a number of different techniques that have been described.

PMID- 28340651
TI  - Osteotomies Demystified.
AB  - Osteotomies are critical techniques in rhinoplasty. There are a variety of
      approaches, trajectories, and tools used with no widely standardized
      classification or nomenclature. Percutaneous osteotomies are gaining in
      popularity, and picture framing the nasomaxillary bone is crucial for predictable
      fracture and reproducible results. This is best accomplished with medial,
      lateral, and transverse osteotomies. Intermediate osteotomies are used less
      frequently, but provide more mobility. With a detailed understanding of anatomy
      and a thorough approach to nasal osteotomies, the contour and function of the
      bony vault can be reshaped with a successful outcome for both the surgeon and
      patient.

PMID- 28340652
TI  - Management of Pediatric Nasal Surgery (Rhinoplasty).
AB  - Nasal surgery in children, most often performed after trauma, can be performed
      safely in selected patients with articulate, deliberate, and conscientious
      operative plan. All nasal surgery in children seeks to avoid disruption of the
      growth centers, preserving and optimizing nasal growth while improving the form
      and function of the nose. A solid appreciation of long-term outcomes and effects
      on growth remain elusive.

PMID- 28340654
TI  - The Saddle Deformity: Camouflage and Reconstruction.
AB  - This article presents a comprehensive review of past and present modalities in
      the surgical management of saddle nose deformities. Various surgical techniques,
      including allograft materials, are systematically reviewed. The senior author's
      surgical experience and current management approach are highlighted.

PMID- 28340653
TI  - Cleft Septorhinoplasty: Form and Function.
AB  - Nasal deformity associated with typical cleft lip can cause aesthetic and
      functional issues that are difficult to address. The degree of secondary nasal
      deformity is based on the extent of the original cleft deformity, growth over
      time, and any prior surgical correction to the nose or lip. Repair and
      reconstruction of these deformities require comprehensive understanding of
      embryologic growth, the cleft anatomy, as well as meticulous surgical technique
      and using a spectrum of structural grafting. This article reviews cleft lip nasal
      deformity, presurgical care, primary cleft rhinoplasty, and definitive cleft
      septorhinoplasty with a focus on aesthetics and function.

PMID- 28340655
TI  - Revision Functional Surgery: Salvaging Function.
AB  - Reduction rhinoplasty techniques include maneuvers that weaken the nasal
      osseocartilaginous framework. The structurally compromised anatomy remaining
      after reductive surgery may be left with inadequate strength to withstand
      postoperative contractile forces. Significant aesthetic and functional
      deformities requiring revision rhinoplasty may develop. This article reviews
      common causes of nasal obstruction after primary rhinoplasty. The discussion of
      etiology is based on both the anatomic description of nasal subsites (middle
      vault and lateral walls) as well as an explanation of why certain techniques lead
      to functional problems in these areas. Revision rhinoplasty techniques for
      correcting these problems are discussed in detail.

PMID- 28340656
TI  - Advances in Technology for Functional Rhinoplasty: The Next Frontier.
AB  - Advances in computer modeling and simulation technologies have the potential to
      provide facial plastic surgeons with information and tools that can aid in
      patient-specific surgical planning for rhinoplasty. Finite element modeling and
      computational fluid dynamics are modeling technologies that have been applied to
      the nose to study structural biomechanics and nasal airflow. Combining these
      technologies with patient-specific imaging data and symptom measures has the
      potential to alter the future landscape of nasal surgery.

PMID- 28340657
TI  - Crafting a Functional Nose.

PMID- 28340658
TI  - A Global View of Digital Replantation and Revascularization.
AB  - Survival rates of digital replantation vary in different regions and countries,
      and Asian surgeons see more challenging cases and have developed some unique
      methods. Replantation of multiple digits in one or both hands can follow a
      structure-by-structure method or a digit-by-digit method. For replanting all 10
      digits, 3 or 4 teams should be organized. Flow-through flaps, often venous flaps,
      can be taken from the distal forearm or lower extremity to repair defects of soft
      tissues and arteries. A pedicled digital artery flap from the adjacent digit can
      also repair tissue defects and supply blood to the replanted digit.

PMID- 28340659
TI  - Exploring New Frontiers of Microsurgery: From Anatomy to Clinical Methods.
AB  - This article presents the authors' understanding and experience concerning
      anatomic studies and clinical methods in microsurgical hand reconstruction. The 4
      parts of this article include anatomic study of the hand for developing new
      flaps; application of miniflaps from the hand, including clinical experience with
      8 unique flaps in the hand; anatomic and clinical considerations concerning
      several flaps from other parts of the human body; And our experience with
      vascularized free toe joint transfer.

PMID- 28340660
TI  - Severe Crush Injury to the Forearm and Hand: The Role of Microsurgery.
AB  - The main goals of treating severe crush injuries are debriding away devitalized
      tissue and filling any resultant dead space with vascularized tissue. In the
      authors' experience, the most ideal methods for soft tissue coverage in treating
      crush injuries are the iliac flap, the adipofascial lateral arm flap, and the
      gracilis flap. Accompanying bone defects respond very well to free
      corticoperiosteal flaps. Digital defects often require the use of complete or
      subtotal toe transfer to avoid amputation and restore function to the hand.

PMID- 28340661
TI  - Medial Femoral Trochlea Osteochondral Flap: Applications for Scaphoid and Lunate
      Reconstruction.
AB  - Vascularized osteochondral flaps are a new technique described for the
      reconstruction of challenging articular defects of the carpus. The medial femoral
      trochlea osteochondral flap is supplied by the descending geniculate artery. This
      osteochondral flap has shown promise in the treatment of recalcitrant scaphoid
      proximal pole nonunions and advanced avascular necrosis of the lunate. The
      anatomy, surgical technique, and results are discussed, with clinical cases
      provided.

PMID- 28340662
TI  - Vascularized Small-Bone Transfers for Fracture Nonunion and Bony Defects.
AB  - Vascularized small-bone grafting is an efficient and often necessary surgical
      approach for nonunion or necrosis of several bones in particular sites of the
      body, including scaphoid, lunate, distal ulna, and clavicle. The medial femoral
      condyle is an excellent graft source that can be used in treating scaphoid, ulna,
      clavicle, or lower-extremity bone defects, including nonunion. Vascularized bone
      grafting to the small bones, particularly involving reconstruction of damaged
      cartilage surfaces, should enhance subchondral vascular supply and help prevent
      cartilage regeneration. Vascularized osteoperiosteal and corticoperiosteal flaps
      are useful for treating nonunion of long bones.

PMID- 28340663
TI  - Compound or Specially Designed Flaps in the Lower Extremities.
AB  - Novel and combined tissue transfers from the lower extremity provide new tools to
      combat soft tissue defects of the hand, foot, and ankle, or fracture nonunion.
      Flaps can be designed for special purposes, such as providing a gliding bed for a
      grafted or repaired tendon or for thumb or finger reconstruction. Propeller flaps
      can cover soft tissue defects of the leg and foot. In repairing severe bone and
      soft tissue defects of the lower extremity, combined approaches, including
      external fixators, one-stage vascularized bone grafting, and skin or muscle flap
      coverage of the traumatized leg and foot, have become popular.

PMID- 28340664
TI  - Complex Microsurgical Reconstruction After Tumor Resection in the Trunk and
      Extremities.
AB  - Reconstruction of soft tissue defects following tumor ablation procedures in the
      trunk and extremities can challenge the microsurgeon. The goal is not just to
      provide adequate soft tissue coverage but also to restore form and function and
      minimize donor site morbidity. Although the principles of the reconstructive
      ladder still apply in the trunk and extremities, free tissue transfer is used in
      many cases to optimally restore form and function. Microsurgery has changed the
      practice in soft tissue tumors, and amputation is less frequently necessary.

PMID- 28340665
TI  - Pediatric Microsurgery: A Global Overview.
AB  - As microsurgical expertise has improved, allowing for the safe transfer of
      smaller and more refined flaps, free tissue transfer has continued to gain
      popularity for the management of pediatric soft tissue and bony defects. For the
      past 2 decades pediatric microsurgery has been shown to be technically feasible
      and reliable. The major advantage of free tissue transfer in children is the
      ability to reconstruct defects in a single stage, avoiding the historic
      treatments of skin grafting, tissue expansion, and pedicled flaps. This article
      reviews the present state-of-the-art in pediatric microsurgery.

PMID- 28340666
TI  - Innovations and Future Directions in Head and Neck Microsurgical Reconstruction.
AB  - Head and neck reconstructive microsurgery is constantly innovating because of a
      combination of multidisciplinary advances. This article examines recent
      innovations that have affected the field as well as presenting research leading
      to future advancement. Innovations include the use of virtual surgical planning
      and three-dimensional printing in craniofacial reconstruction, advances in
      intraoperative navigation and imaging, as well as postoperative monitoring,
      development of minimally invasive reconstructive microsurgery techniques,
      integration of regenerative medicine and stem cell biology with reconstruction,
      and the dramatic advancement of face transplant.

PMID- 28340667
TI  - Microsurgical Tissue Transfer in Breast Reconstruction.
AB  - Autologous breast reconstructions have grown in popularity because of their
      durability, aesthetic outcomes, symmetry, increase in external beam radiotherapy
      use, and potential aesthetic enhancement at the donor site. Increasing patient
      expectations for predictable high aesthetic outcomes with minimal complications
      or need for further procedures has been met by refinement in the use of flaps.
      The authors' microsurgical breast reconstruction center aims to provide this
      while delivering efficient service. The deep inferior epigastric flaps form 85%
      and transverse upper gracilis and profunda artery perforator flaps account for
      10%; lumbar artery perforator flaps are a new addition to the authors'
      armamentarium.

PMID- 28340668
TI  - Anastomosis of the Superficial Inferior Epigastric Vein to the Internal Mammary
      Vein to Augment Deep Inferior Artery Perforator Flaps.
AB  - Use of the retrograde limb of the internal mammary vein has been described
      previously as a lifeboat for venous congestion but not prophylactically.
      Maximizing the length of the deep inferior artery perforator (DIEP) flap pedicle,
      identifying and dissecting the superficial inferior epigastric vein proximally in
      every patient, and taking advantage of the retrograde internal mammary vein are
      all technical details that facilitate the additional venous anastomosis and flap
      inset. Performing a second venous anastomosis routinely using the superficial
      inferior epigastric vein to the retrograde internal mammary vein helps with flap
      inset.

PMID- 28340669
TI  - Maximizing the Utility of the Pedicled Anterolateral Thigh Flap for Locoregional
      Reconstruction: Technical Pearls and Pitfalls.
AB  - The pedicled anterolateral thigh (PALT) flap is an underutilized flap for
      locoregional reconstruction largely because methods to maximize its reach are
      neither universally implemented nor fully understood. In addition, most of the
      available literature has focused on the utility of the free anterolateral thigh
      flap with less emphasis on the PALT flap. Moreover, flap design concepts to
      maximize its utility and reach and optimize outcomes have not been
      comprehensively described. In an effort to address this knowledge gap, the
      authors sought to review their institution's experience with the PALT flap for
      locoregional reconstruction.

PMID- 28340670
TI  - Keystone and Pedicle Perforator Flaps in Reconstructive Surgery: New
      Modifications and Applications.
AB  - Pedicle perforator flaps and keystone perforator island flaps are additional
      tools for reconstructive surgeons. Advances in understanding of vascular anatomy,
      the dynamic nature of perforator perfusion, inter-perforator flow and the hot
      spot principle have led to reconstructive techniques that allow innovative
      autologous tissue transfer while limiting donor site morbidity. Further
      modifications of the pedicle perforator flap have led to a multitude of freestyle
      pedicle perforator flap options, as well as freestyle free flaps for soft tissue
      reconstruction. Modifications in the keystone perforator island flap have
      increased the degrees of freedom for soft tissue coverage of large defects, with
      reliable and aesthetically pleasing results.

PMID- 28340671
TI  - Unique Techniques or Approaches in Microvascular and Microlymphatic Surgery.
AB  - Several methods can be used for identifying tissues for transfer in donor-site
      depleted patients. A fillet flap can be temporarily stored in other parts of the
      body and transferred back to the site of tissue defect, including covering the
      amputated stump of the lower extremity. Human arm transplant is rare and has some
      unique concerns for the surgery and postsurgical treatment. Cosmetics of the
      narrow neck of transferred second toes can be improved with insertion of a flap.
      Lymphedema of the breast after cancer treatment can be diagnosed with several
      currently available imaging techniques and treated surgically with
      lymphaticovenous anastomosis.

PMID- 28340672
TI  - New Frontiers in Robotic-Assisted Microsurgical Reconstruction.
AB  - Robotic surgery has revolutionized minimally invasive surgery. Owing to its
      unique features and key advantages, robotic surgery is being used for complex
      cases across surgical specialties. It has been introduced into reconstructive
      surgery, and is being applied in microsurgery. Robotic surgery combines
      properties of conventional microsurgery, endoscopic surgery, and telesurgery. It
      holds great promise in expanding the boundaries of reconstructive microsurgery.
      However, there are constraints that limit its widespread use. We present the
      different clinical applications of robotic microsurgery, highlighting its
      advantages over conventional microsurgery, and outlining the main limitations
      that might prevent its widespread use.

PMID- 28340673
TI  - The Advent of Vascularized Composite Allotransplantation.
AB  - Modern microsurgical techniques have made possible a broad spectrum of novel
      means for the reconstruction of complex bone and soft tissue defects. These
      techniques, in combination with developments in transplant immunology, have led
      to successful hand and facial allotransplantation and achievement of the highest
      rung in the reconstructive ladder - truly replacing like with like. The
      utilization of contemporary microsurgical technique in the context of
      vascularized composite allotransplantation (VCA) (1) permits successful technical
      execution and feasibility of VCA, (2) facilitates the study of immunologic
      tolerance in VCA preclinical models, and (3) optimizes functional VCA outcomes.

PMID- 28340674
TI  - Microsurgery Half a Century After Establishment: Global Perspectives.

PMID- 28340675
TI  - Development and Historical Evolution Half a Century Ago at the Dawn of
      Microsurgery.

PMID- 28340676
TI  - Erratum.

PMID- 28340677
TI  - Microsurgical Technical Training: Differences Between China and the United
      States.

PMID- 28340678
TI  - Biomedical Research as a Team Sport.

PMID- 28340680
TI  - Heat-Induced Editing of HPV Genes to Clear Mucocutaneous Warts?
AB  - Hyperthermia increases expression of the antiviral cellular factors APOBEC3A and
      APOBEC3G and induces G-to-A or C-to-T mutations in human papilloma virus cervical
      cell lines and genital warts. This unexpected effect of heat treatment correlated
      with regression of genital warts in a subset of patients, including at distant
      sites, suggesting that this effect may be mediated in part by antiviral as well
      as immunological mechanisms.

PMID- 28340679
TI  - Insights into Pathomechanisms and Treatment Development in Heritable Ectopic
      Mineralization Disorders: Summary of the PXE International Biennial Research
      Symposium-2016.
AB  - Pseudoxanthoma elasticum is a prototype of heritable ectopic mineralization
      disorders, with phenotypic overlap with generalized arterial calcification of
      infancy and arterial calcification due to CD73 deficiency. Recent observations
      have suggested that the reduced inorganic pyrophosphate/phosphate ratio is the
      cause of soft connective tissue mineralization in these disorders. PXE
      International, a patient advocacy organization, supports research in part by
      sponsoring biennial research symposia on these disorders; the latest meeting was
      held in September 2016 at Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia. This report
      summarizes the progress in pseudoxanthoma elasticum and other ectopic
      mineralization disorders, as presented in the symposium, with focus on
      translational aspects of precision medicine toward improved diagnostics and
      treatment development for these currently intractable disorders.

PMID- 28340682
TI  - SCFAs Control Skin Immune Responses via Increasing Tregs.
AB  - We are surrounded by billions of microbes, and our immune system is substantially
      affected by the commensal bacteria on the surface of our body. Schwarz et al.
      describe the immune-suppressive effect of sodium butyrate, a bacterial metabolite
      that is categorized as one of the short-chain fatty acids, during skin
      inflammatory responses.

PMID- 28340681
TI  - Seeking Standards for the Detection of Merkel Cell Polyomavirus and its Clinical
      Significance.
AB  - Merkel cell carcinoma is a rare skin cancer associated with Merkel cell
      polyomavirus in most cases. Prior studies associating Merkel cell carcinoma viral
      status with prognosis have inconsistent findings. Moshiri et al. used multimodal
      virus detection to determine that the 81% of patients with virus-positive Merkel
      cell carcinoma tumors had earlier stage disease and better outcomes relative to
      virus-negative cases.

PMID- 28340683
TI  - TRPV4 Moves toward Center-Fold in Rosacea Pathogenesis.
AB  - Mascarenhas et al. report that TRPV4 expression is upregulated in mast cells in
      response to the proteolytic cathelicidin fragment LL37 in a murine rosacea model
      and that TRPV4 loss of function attenuates mast cell degranulation. These
      findings render TRPV4 a translational-medical target in rosacea. However,
      signaling mechanisms causing increased expression of TRPV4 await elucidation.
      Moreover, we ask whether TRPV4-mediated Ca++-influx evokes mast cell
      degranulation.

PMID- 28340684
TI  - Do the Side Effects of BRAF Inhibitors Mimic RASopathies?
AB  - Recent advances in targeted anticancer therapies have substantially improved the
      prognosis of several cancers. Such targeted therapies are not, however, free of
      side effects, and these side effects are clearly distinct from those induced by
      classical cytotoxic chemotherapies. This is likely so because targeted therapies
      are designed to interfere with specific oncogenic signaling pathways rather than
      to inhibit cell proliferation in general. In fact, interference with specific
      signaling pathways may lead to effects that mimic those associated with genetic
      disorders due to alterations in the corresponding signaling pathways. Here, we
      compare the clinical effects of treatment with BRAF inhibitors with those of
      genetic RASopathies and find a striking overlap between the inhibitor-induced,
      iatrogenic dermatoses with the genodermatoses seen in patients with corresponding
      congenital RASopathies. We hope that such comparisons lead to a better
      understanding of the side effects of targeted therapies.

PMID- 28340685
TI  - Research Techniques Made Simple: Experimental Methodology for Single-Cell Mass
      Cytometry.
AB  - Growing recognition of the complexity of interactions within cellular systems has
      fueled the development of mass cytometry. The precision of time-of-flight mass
      spectrometry combined with the labeling of specific ligands with mass tags
      enables detection and quantification of more than 40 markers at a single-cell
      resolution. The 135 available detection channels allow simultaneous study of
      additional characteristics of complex biological systems across millions of
      cells. Cutting-edge mass cytometry by time-of-flight (CyTOF) can profoundly
      affect our knowledge of cell population heterogeneity and hierarchy, cellular
      state, multiplexed signaling pathways, proteolysis products, and mRNA
      transcripts. Although CyTOF is currently scarcely used within the field of
      investigative dermatology, we aim to highlight CyTOF's utility and demystify the
      technique. CyTOF may, for example, uncover the immunological heterogeneity and
      differentiation of Langerhans cells, delineate the signaling pathways responsible
      for each phase of the hair cycle, or elucidate which proteolysis products from
      keratinocytes promote skin inflammation. However, the success of mass cytometry
      experiments depends on fully understanding the methods and how to control for
      variations when making comparisons between samples. Here, we review key
      experimental methods for CyTOF that enable accurate data acquisition by
      optimizing signal detection and minimizing background noise and sample-to-sample
      variation.

PMID- 28340688
TI  - Rho-associated kinase 1 inhibition is synthetically lethal with von Hippel-Lindau
      deficiency in clear cell renal cell carcinoma. Thompson JM, Nguyen QH, Singh M,
      Pavesic MW, Nesterenko I, Nelson LJ, Liao AC, Razorenova OV.

PMID- 28340689
TI  - Basic/Translational Science Survey Section: Kidney Cancer.

PMID- 28340690
TI  - Basic/Translational Science Survey: Kidney Cancer.

PMID- 28340691
TI  - Fabry disease: A fundamental genetic modifier of cardiac function.
AB  - Fabry disease (FD) is an inherited X-linked metabolic storage disorder triggered
      by abnormalities in the GLA gene at Xq22, which leads to a deficiency in alpha
      galactosidase A and massive accumulation of intralysosomal glycosphingolipids.
      Cardiac complications are very common in FD and are the main cause of late
      morbidity, as well as early mortality in both hemizygous men and heterozygous
      women. There is a need for a multidisciplinary approach to evaluation and
      management of FD patients as there is a wide range of presentation of FD, which
      varies with mutation and other organ involvement/dysfunction. An overview of
      common cardiac involvement and clinical characteristics in FD including: left
      ventricular hypertrophy (LVH), conduction abnormalities and arrhythmias, coronary
      artery disease and valvular infiltrative myopathy are provided in this review.
      Current therapeutic approaches such as enzyme replacement therapy as well as the
      emergence of novel therapeutic options such as gene therapy to optimize disease
      outcomes in FD patients will be highlighted in this paper.

PMID- 28340692
TI  - CALR gene mutational profile in myeloproliferative neoplasms with non-mutated
      JAK2 in Moroccan patients: A case series and germline in-frame deletion.
AB  - BACKGROUND: The discovery of somatic mutations within the gene encoding
      calreticulin (CALR) in 2013 represented a major milestone in the molecular
      diagnosis of BCR-ABL negative myeloproliferative neoplasms (MPN). In fact, exome
      sequencing revealed that most patients with essential thrombocythemia (ET) or
      primary myelofibrosis (PMF) lacking JAK2 or MPL mutations, harbor somatic
      insertion and/or deletion in exon 9 of CALR gene. In this study, we identified
      the first CALR gene mutational landscape in Moroccan patients with MPN nonmutated
      for the JAK2 gene. METHODS: We performed Sanger sequencing of exon 9 of CALR gene
      in blood samples obtained from 33 Moroccan patients with ET or PMF non-mutated
      for JAK2. RESULTS: Of the 33 patients analyzed, we detected eight distinct
      variants in 15 patients (45.4%); six indel mutations, five with type 1 recurrent
      52bp deletion, four with type 2 recurrent 5bp insertion and one in frame deletion
      which was found to be a germline variant suggesting a very rare condition in MPN.
      CONCLUSION: This is the first cohort reported in CALR gene mutation analysis in
      Morocco. Our results were concordant with studies reported up to date and very
      encouraging in promoting the molecular diagnosis of myeloproliferative neoplasms
      in Moroccan patients. Moreover, the presence of a germline in frame deletion in a
      symptomatic patient should undermine the effectiveness of sizing assays without
      DNA sequencing in the diagnosis of CALR mutations.

PMID- 28340693
TI  - Protective effects of bezafibrate against elaidic acid-induced accumulation of
      lipid droplets in monocytic cells.
AB  - Some factors related to diet, such as trans fatty acids (TFA), are known to be
      involved in the progression of atherosclerosis in humans. Thus, the aim of our
      study was (i) to evaluate the effects of three dietary free fatty acids (FFA)
      (elaidic (EA), oleic (OA) and palmitic acid (PA)) on U937 human monocytes, and
      (ii) to study the eventual benefits of bezafibrate (BZF), a pan-agonist for PPAR
      isoforms (alpha, gamma and delta) in U937 cells treated with FFA. Morphologic and
      functional changes were investigated by microscopic and flow cytometric methods.
      Cellular lipid content, lipid droplets and FA composition were identified and
      studied. All analyses were also realized in association with or without BZF.
      Contrary to OA and PA, EA slightly induced both propidium iodide-positive cells
      and mitochondrial depolarization. In addition, in contrast to OA and PA, EA
      induced only a slight increase in superoxide anion production. However, EA and OA
      promoted cytoplasmic lipid droplets accumulation. Only EA and OA significantly
      increased CD36 expression. It is noteworthy that BZF had a more or less
      pronounced protective effect against EA-, OA- and PA-induced side effects: BZF
      attenuated the impaired cell viability and inflammatory response, decreased
      superoxide anion production and prevented the accumulation of neutral and polar
      lipids. The effects were less pronounced with OA and PA than with EA. Altogether,
      our data revealed a benefit of BZF on the side effects induced especially with
      EA. It may thus be of interest in preventing the early stages of atherosclerotic
      plaque formation.

PMID- 28340694
TI  - Composition and organization of the pancreatic extracellular matrix by combined
      methods of immunohistochemistry, proteomics and scanning electron microscopy.
AB  - The epidemic expansion of diabetes is a major concern of public health. A
      promising treatment is the transplantation of islets of Langerhans isolated from
      the whole pancreas but the yields of islets isolation and the rates of successful
      engraftments still have to be improved to make this therapy effective. The
      extracellular matrix (ECM) of the pancreatic tissue is partially lost during the
      isolation process and a comprehensive knowledge of the pancreatic ECM composition
      and organization could identify targets to improve islets isolation and
      transplantation or highlight new therapeutics for pancreatic diseases. The
      organization, composition and three-dimensional architecture of the pancreatic
      ECM were analysed in mouse and pig by three different techniques. Laminin alpha-4
      and beta-2 chains are localized by immunohistochemistry in the exocrine tissue
      and inside islets of mouse pancreas but not around islets that are surrounded by
      an ECM made of collagen type IV and type V. Collagen type I, III, and VI were
      identified by proteomics as specific constituents of the pig pancreatic ECM along
      with the low-abundance isoforms alpha3(IV) alpha4(IV) alpha5(IV) and alpha1(V)
      alpha2(V) alpha3(V) of collagen type IV and type V respectively. The three
      dimensional ECM architecture is analysed on decellularized mouse pancreas by
      scanning electron microscopy and is organized in honeycomb structures made of
      thin ECM fibers assembled in thicker bundles. The combination of
      immunohistochemistry, proteomics and scanning electron microscopy gives
      complementary perspective on the pancreatic ECM composition and organization. It
      represents a valuable toolbox for deeper investigations of ECMs and proposes
      clues in tissue engineering of the pancreas.

PMID- 28340695
TI  - Long-term follow-up after autologous adipose-derived stromal vascular fraction
      injection into fingers in systemic sclerosis patients.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: Hand involvement confers a substantial handicap in work and daily
      activities in patients with Systemic sclerosis (SSc). Autologous adipose-derived
      stromal vascular fraction is as an easily accessible source of cells with
      regenerative effects. We previously performed a phase I open-label clinical trial
      (NTC01813279) assessing the safety of subcutaneous injection of autologous
      adipose-derived stromal vascular fraction. Six and 12-month data have been
      reported. As patients were followed in our medical centre, we report their longer
      term outcome beyond the end of the trial. PATIENTS AND METHOD: Twelve females,
      mean age 54.5+/-10.3 years, initially enrolled in the clinical trial were
      assessed during a scheduled medical care, which took place between 22 and
      30months after treatment. RESULTS: Multiple patient-reported outcomes showed
      sustained improvement, in comparison with the assessment performed just before
      surgery: 62.5% in the Cochin Hand Function Scale, 51.1% in the Scleroderma Health
      Assessment Questionnaire, 33.1% in hand pain, and 88.3% in the Raynaud Condition
      Score. A decrease in the number of digital ulcers number was noted. Mobility,
      strength and fibrosis of the hand also showed improvement. None of the 8 patients
      who had previously received iloprost infusion required new infusion. CONCLUSION:
      Despite the limits of an open label study, the data are in favour of the long
      term safety of the adipose-derived stromal vascular fraction injection. Two
      randomized double blind, placebo-controlled trials of this therapeutic agent are
      ongoing in the USA (NCT02396238) and in France (NCT02558543) and will help
      determine the place of this innovative therapy for SSc patients.

PMID- 28340696
TI  - Comments on the history of medical-biological studies of aging, the birth of
      scientific gerontology.
AB  - Recent books (Immunity. How Elie Metchnikoff changed the course of modern
      medicine and Expectations of Life) reviewed the important contribution of
      Metchnikoff to the emergence of gerontology as a new branch of biomedical
      sciences. Here, we insist on Metchnikoff's contribution and pivotal role in the
      emergence of nutrition as a science and its importance for health and longevity.
      The discovery of phagocytosis by Metchnikoff and of its evolutionary ancestry are
      at the origin of the emergence of cellular immunity as an independent science
      besides humoral immunity. The longevity of Metchnikoff (71years) at a time when
      average life expectancy of men did hardly pass 50years certainly contributed to
      the acceptance of his teachings. The recent increase of the senior population in
      most advanced countries is a good opportunity to review the contributions of
      nutrition to longevity.

PMID- 28340697
TI  - Hypoxia inducible factor one alpha and human viral pathogens.
AB  - If the oxygen tension level is 21% in ambient air, it is only between 14% and 1%
      in vivo. Consequently, viral pathogens are exposed and must adapt to these
      fluctuating oxygen levels to colonize the host and cause diseases. The problem is
      that for many years, the virological studies have been performed at 21% oxygen
      levels and consequently this is a real handicap to have a correct view of the
      mechanistic aspects of human viral infections. In this brief review, we describe
      for some selected examples the interactions of human viruses with this relative
      hypoxia observed in vivo.

PMID- 28340698
TI  - Determination of Pd(II) using an antimony film coated on a screen-printed
      electrode by adsorptive stripping voltammetry.
AB  - The use of an antimony film coated on a screen-printed carbon electrode (ex-situ
      SbSPCE) is proposed for the determination of Pd(II) at ppb levels in natural
      samples by adsorptive stripping voltammetry using dimethylglyoxime as chelating
      agent. Ex-situ SbSPCE produces a better analytical performance as compared to a
      commercially sputtered bismuth screen-printed electrode (BispSPE). The detection
      and quantification limits were 2.7 and 9.0ugL-1 respectively with a good linear
      behaviour in the wide examined concentration range (from 1ugL-1 up to 100.0ugL-1,
      R2=0.998). The proposed ex-situ SbSPCE showed an excellent repeatability with a
      relative standard deviation of 0.5% for ten successive measurements and a very
      good reproducibility (1.6% for three different ex-situ SbSPCE units within series
      of ten repetitive assays). Moreover, the ex-situ SbSPCE was successfully applied
      for the determination of low concentration levels of Pd(II) in spiked tap water
      with a very high reproducibility (0.2%) and providing equivalent results to those
      achieved by ICP-MS measurements.

PMID- 28340699
TI  - A LED-based fiber-optic sensor integrated with lab-on-valve manifold for
      colorimetric determination of free chlorine in water.
AB  - In this work, a colorimetric methodology was developed for free chlorine
      determination by constructing a fiber-optic sensor (FOS) which was designed by
      using a small LED as light source and two silica fibers as light transmission
      elements. Then the FOS was integrated with the sequential injection lab-on-valve
      (SI-LOV) manifold to fabricate a FOS-SI-LOV system for free chlorine detection.
      The colorimetric determination was based on the reaction between N,N-diethyl-p
      phenylenediamine (DPD) reagent and free chlorine, which would produce a
      chromophore showing maximum absorbance at 511 and 551nm and detected by a micro
      spectrometer detector. By choosing a green LED with emission wavelength at 520nm
      as light source, the chlorine concentration could be simply evaluated according
      to Beer's law. The developed FOS-SI-LOV system showed improved performances of
      wide linear range (10-400MUgL-1), low detection limit (3.5MUgL-1, 3sigma), fast
      analysis (6.85s) and excellent repeatability (0.0083 RSD, n=8) for chlorine
      determination. The proposed FOS-SI-LOV system has been applied to on-line and
      real-time chlorine determination in different water samples with excellent
      selectivity. Furthermore, this FOS-SI-LOV methodology provided a colorimetric and
      fluorescence detection platform for other hazardous species monitoring in water
      environment based on Beer's law and Stern-Volmer relationship, respectively.

PMID- 28340701
TI  - Development of nitrogen-enriched carbonaceous material coated titania nanotubes
      array as a fiber coating for solid-phase microextraction of ultraviolet filters
      in environmental water.
AB  - A novel solid-phase microextraction (SPME) fiber was fabricated by direct
      electrodeposition of polyaniline (PANI) coated the titania nanotube arrays in
      situ grown on the titanium wire followed by carbonization at 500 degrees C under
      nitrogen atmosphere. The resulting titanium-based fiber with nitrogen-enriched
      carbonaceous material coated titania nanotubes (N-C/TiO2NTs/Ti) showed better
      extraction performance for ultraviolet (UV) filters among model aromatic
      compounds compared with common PANI as well as commercial polydimethylsiloxane
      and polyacrylate coatings. The influence of various experimental parameters on
      the extraction efficiency of UV filters were investigated and optimized. The
      calibration curves were linear from 0.2 to 200MUgL-1 for each analyte with
      correlation coefficients above 0.9980. Limits of detection (LODs) and limits of
      quantitation (LOQs) ranged from 0.03 to 0.05MUgL-1 and from 0.11 to 0.18MUgL-1
      for UV filters, respectively. Relative standard deviations (RSDs) for single
      fiber repeatability ranged from 3.3% to 4.1% (n=5) and RSDs for fiber-to-fiber
      reproducibility (n=3) varied from 5.7% to 7.7%. The proposed method was
      successfully applied to the preconcentration and determination of target UV
      filters in river water and wastewater samples with good recoveries from 86.2% to
      113%. Moreover this novel Ti-based fiber is mechanically and chemically stable,
      and can be easily prepared in a highly reproducible manner.

PMID- 28340700
TI  - Highly photosensitive colorimetric immunoassay for tumor marker detection based
      on Cu2+ doped Ag-AgI nanocomposite.
AB  - Visual detection of tumor markers with accuracy and selectivity exhibits
      significant advantages for cancer early diagnosis due to its low-cost and simple
      analytical instruments. Herein, a highly photosensitive colorimetric immunoassay
      for carcino embryonie antigen (CEA, as a model) detection based on Cu2+ doped Ag
      AgI nanocomposite was constructed. First, Cu2+ doped Ag-AgI nanocomposite
      (Cu2+/Ag-AgI) owned the ability of oxidization of TMB was synthesized by
      impregnation method, which was characterized by transmission electron microscope
      (TEM), scanning electron microscope (SEM), energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy
      (EDX), X-ray powder diffraction (XRD), UV-Vis diffuse reflectance spectroscopy
      (DRS) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). Second, based on sandwich-type
      immunoassay, the immunocomplex was built on the surface of magnetic bead by
      utilizing Cu2+/Ag-AgI as labels. The blue color of TMBox was obtained under
      visible irradiation and ultraviolet spectrum scanning was carried out in ABS
      buffer solution. Under optimal conditions, the absorbance values increased with
      the increasing of CEA concentrations in sample with the linearity range of
      1.0pgmL-1-5.0ngmL-1. The detection limit was 0.13pgmL-1. More importantly, the
      developed colorimetric immunoassay exhibited good selectivity, repeatability,
      stability and possible applications in the real serum sample analysis.

PMID- 28340702
TI  - Selective solid phase extraction of JWH synthetic cannabinoids by using
      computationally designed peptides.
AB  - The objective of the present work is to demonstrate a rational way to prepare
      selective sorbents able to extract simultaneously several structural analogs. For
      this purpose the binding specificity of two hexapeptides computationally designed
      (VYWLVW and YYIGGF) versus four synthetic cannabinoids Naphthalen-1-yl-(1
      pentylindol-3-yl)methanone (JWH 018), naphthalen-1-yl-(1-butylindol-3
      yl)methanone (JWH 073), (R)-(1-((1-methylpiperidin-2-yl)methyl)-1H-indol-3
      yl)(naphthalen-1-yl)methanone (AM 1220) and (R)-(+)-[2,3-Dihydro-5-methyl-3-(4
      morpholinylmethyl)pyrrolo[1,2,3-de]-1,4-benzoxazin-6-yl]-1-napthalenylmethanone
      (WIN 55) was computationally studied and then experimentally tested by solid
      phase extraction (SPE) clean-up and ultra-high performance liquid chromatography
      tandem mass spectrometry (UHPLC-MS/MS) analysis. The two peptides were chosen
      using a semi combinatorial virtual technique by generating 4 cycles of peptide
      libraries (around 2.3*104 elements). To select the two peptides, the simulated
      binding scores between synthetic cannabinoids and peptides was used by maximizing
      the recognition properties of amino acid motif between the two JWH and the other
      synthetic cannabinoids. In particular, the peptide YYIGGF, having also affinity
      for AM 120, was selected as control because it was the only one without
      tryptophan residues within the best peptides obtained from simulation.
      Experimentally, the two hexapeptides were tested as SPE sorbent using nanomolar
      solutions of the four drugs. After optimization of best retentions the binding
      constants were calculated by loading synthetic cannabinoids solutions at
      different concentrations. The results indicated a strong interaction between
      hexapeptide VYWLVW and JWH 018 (15.58+/-2.03*106M-1), 3-fold and 40-fold larger
      compared to the analog JWH 073 and both AM 1220 and the WIN 55. Similar trend was
      observed for the hexapeptide YYIGGF but the binding constants were at least three
      times lower highlighting the key role of the tryptophan. To demonstrate the
      hexapeptides specific interaction with only synthetic cannabinoids, a cross
      reactivity study was carried out using other drugs (cocaine, morphine,
      phencyclidine and methamphetamine) in the same SPE condition. Finally the
      practical utility of these peptide modified sorbent materials was further
      demonstrated by detecting the synthetic cannabinoids in real samples using hair
      matrix.

PMID- 28340703
TI  - A ratiometric two-photon fluorescent probe for imaging hydrogen sulfide in
      lysosomes.
AB  - Hydrogen sulfide (H2S) is a kind of gaseous signalling molecule that plays
      pivotal role in various biological processes. So far, it is still a challenge to
      develop convenient and reliable methods for H2S detection in lysosomes. Herein,
      we developed a novel ratiometric two-photon fluorescent probe LR-H2S for imaging
      H2S in lysosomes. Upon the addition of H2S (using Na2S as a donor) to LR-H2S in
      buffer solution, the azide group is reduced to amino group and subsequently the
      carbamate ester is cleaved by 1,6-elimination, resulting in a fluorescence
      emission increase at 541nm and a concomitant emission decrease at 475nm. Under
      two-photon excitation of 840nm, an 80-fold fluorescence ratio (F541/F475)
      enhancement was observed with a wide linear range of 25-2500MUM. The detection
      limit was calculated to be 0.70MUM based on 3sigma/k method, indicating that the
      probe can detect H2S with a high sensitivity. The probe also shows excellent
      selectivity toward H2S among other biological interference species and features
      with low cytotoxicity and favorable two-photon properties. Furthermore, LR-H2S
      can easily localize in lysosomes and vividly illuminate endogenous/exogenous H2S
      level and distribution in lysosomes of living SGC-7901 cells.

PMID- 28340704
TI  - Sub-attomolar electrochemical measurement of DNA hybridization based on the
      detection of high coverage biobarcode latex labels at PNA-modified screen printed
      electrodes.
AB  - We have constructed biobarcode labels based on 468nm diameter latex spheres.
      Modification with polyallylamine and then glutaraldehyde was used to attach a
      high DNA loading, consisting of aminated probe DNA (approx. 1.01*102 molecules
      per sphere) and biobarcode DNA (approx. 1.66*104 molecules per sphere). Detection
      of the biobarcodes was performed by application of a Ag enhancer solution,
      causing association of the Ag+ ions with the phosphate groups of the DNA. The
      deposited Ag was detected by differential pulse voltammetry. A 30 mer sequence
      from the BL21 strain of E. coli was detected with an LOD of 2.6fM (calibration
      range 10 aM to 0.1pM, r2=0.91, n=45). The LOD was lowered to 0.56aM (calibration
      range 100zM to 0.1nM, r2=0.991, n=50) by utilizing a sandwich assay with PNA
      modified screen printed electrodes, which lowered the Ag background current. The
      sandwich assay platform was used to calibrate E. coli strain BL2(DE3) with an LOD
      of 17.0 CFU mL-1 (calibration range 10 to 106 CFU mL-1, r2=0.99, n=33) with good
      discrimination against Salmonella.

PMID- 28340705
TI  - Towards automation in protein digestion: Development of a monolithic trypsin
      immobilized reactor for highly efficient on-line digestion and analysis.
AB  - Reducing experimental variability, limiting contamination and increasing
      automation are essential goals in the development of reliable analytical
      platforms for mass spectrometry (MS)-based proteomics. In this work novel trypsin
      based monolithic immobilized enzyme reactors (tryp-IMERs), obtained by covalent
      immobilization on convective interaction media (CIMacTM) analytical columns
      (5mm*5.2mm I.D.), were developed. Notwithstanding the small dimensions, column
      format allowed the insertion in common high performance liquid chromatography
      (HPLC) systems, thus avoiding the use of expensive micro- or nano-platforms.
      Monolith pore diameter and surface chemistry were optimized to achieve high
      digestion efficiency even with high molecular weight proteins and to avoid
      protein/peptide adsorption, peak broadening and sample loss. A full
      characterization of the tryp-IMERs was undertaken to select the best protocol for
      preparation and type of trypsin. Optimization of the operational and storage
      conditions was carried out by an off-line approach. On-line studies were
      performed by setting a multidimensional analytical platform, which included the
      tryp-IMER, a trapping column, an analytical C4 column and a high resolution
      hybrid mass spectrometer (ESI-Q-TOF). In the optimized conditions rapid protein
      digestion (90+/-9s), high protein coverage (>=60%) and high score values were
      achieved for five selected sample proteins (cytochrome c, myoglobin and albumins
      from different sources) differing in molecular size, isoelectric point and
      accessibility to cleavage sites as well as for a protein mixture of 200ng. The
      best performing tryp-IMERs showed high sensitivity down to the pmole level. The
      platform also resulted suitable for the analysis of high-molecular weight
      proteins such as a pool of human immunoglobulins G (hIgG) and for the high
      molecular weight fraction of human plasma proteins, which were digested in less
      than two minutes to an extent similar to that achieved by overnight incubation in
      a classical in solution protocol. Finally, underestimated key procedural issues
      were also highlighted during the study. Such aspects are of general interest both
      for tryp-IMER users and tryp-IMER developers.

PMID- 28340706
TI  - Layer-by-layer self-assembly of gold nanoparticles/thiols beta-cyclodextrin
      coating as the stationary phase for enhanced chiral differentiation in open
      tubular capillary electrochromatography.
AB  - The popularity of capillary electrochromatography (CEC) has led to an increasing
      number of studies on the development and evaluation of enantioselective CEC
      systems. Herein, a novel, simple, and economical method for the preparation of
      chiral stationary phases for enantioselective open tubular capillary
      electrochromatography (OTCEC) was reported for the first time. This novel
      capillary column was fabricated through layer-by-layer self-assembly of GNPs on a
      3-mercaptopropyl-trimethoxysilane (MPTMS)-modified fused-silica capillary and
      subsequent surface functionalization of the GNPs through self-assembly of thiols
      beta-cyclodextrin (SH-beta-CD). With this method, monolayer and multilayer GNPs
      film capillary columns were prepared and evaluated using meptazinol and its three
      intermediate enantiomers as templates. Consequently, the three-layer GNPs
      capillary column was found to exhibit favorable enantioseparation performance.
      Factors that influence the chiral separation resolution were examined. Under the
      optimized conditions, enantioselectivity was obtained for meptazinol and its
      three intermediate enantiomers (intermediates II, III and IV) in less than 20min
      with resolutions of 2.05, 0.36, 1.67, 1.53, respectively. The proposed column
      revealed adequate repeatability concerning run-to-run and day-to-day. In brief,
      these results confirmed the use of GNPs as the electrochromatographic support can
      enhance the phase ratio of OTC column in capillary electrochromatography (CEC).
      Then, this proposed method was well validated with good linearity (>=0.999),
      recovery (92.0-94.5%) and repeatability, and was successfully used for
      enantioseparation of meptazinol in spiked urine samples, which indicated the new
      column's potential usage in biological analysis.

PMID- 28340707
TI  - Sequential determination of multi-nutrient elements in natural water samples with
      a reverse flow injection system.
AB  - An integrated system was developed for automatic and sequential determination of
      NO2-, NO3-, PO43-, Fe2+, Fe3+ and Mn2+ in natural waters based on reverse flow
      injection analysis combined with spectrophotometric detection. The system
      operation was controlled by a single chip microcomputer and laboratory-programmed
      software written in LabVIEW. The experimental parameters for each nutrient
      element analysis were optimized based on a univariate experimental design, and
      interferences from common ions were evaluated. The upper limits of the linear
      range (along with detection limit, umolL-1) of the proposed method was 20 (0.03),
      200 (0.7), 12 (0.3), 5 (0.03), 5 (0.03), 9 (0.2) umolL-1, for NO2-, NO3-, PO43-,
      Fe2+, Fe3+ and Mn2+, respectively. The relative standard deviations were below 5%
      (n=9-13) and the recoveries varied from 88.0+/-1.0% to 104.5+/-1.0% for spiked
      water samples. The sample throughput was about 20h-1. This system has been
      successfully applied for the determination of multi-nutrient elements in
      different kinds of water samples and showed good agreement with reference methods
      (slope 1.0260+/-0.0043, R2=0.9991, n=50).

PMID- 28340708
TI  - Phosphoserine imprinted nanosensor for detection of Cancer Antigen 125.
AB  - Cancer antigen 125 (CA 125) is widely used as diagnostic biomarker for ovarian
      cancer. Change in the concentration level of CA 125 is associated with disease
      progression or regression. CA 125 posseses a phosphorylation site and protein
      backbone is phosphorylated on serine, before secretion. In this study, we have
      developed an imprinting method for CA 125 recognition and determination. In this
      method, methacryloyl antipyrine europium (III) [(MAAP)2-Eu(III)] and methacryloyl
      antipyrine terbium (III) [(MAAP)2-Tb(III)] have been used as new metal-chelating
      monomers via metal coordination-chelation interactions. Phosphoserine (PS) has
      been used as a template for the detection of CA 125. PS imprinted carbon nanotube
      (CNT) and Fe2O3 nanoparticle (SPN) have cavities that are selective for CA 125.
      The binding affinity of the PS imprinted CNT and SPN nanosensor has been
      investigated using Langmuir adsorption isotherms and affinity constants
      (Kaffinity) have found to be 1.85 105M-1 for PS and 13.5 10-3 mLU-1 and 7.73 10-3
      mLU-1 for CA 125 (for CNT and SPN, respectively). Detection limit of PS imprinted
      CNT nanosensor for PS and CA 125 have been found to be 1.77 10-10M and 0.49 UmL
      1, respectively. Human serum samples have been spiked with different
      concentrations of CA 125 (in pH 7.4 PBS) to investigate the feasibility of the
      nanosensors for clinical applications. Experimental results have been revealed
      that prepared nanosensors have been exhibited better sensivity, recovery and
      reproducibility.

PMID- 28340709
TI  - An overview on forensic analysis devoted to analytical chemists.
AB  - The present article has as main aim to show analytical chemists interested in
      forensic analysis the world they will face if decision in favor of being a
      forensic analytical chemist is adopted. With this purpose, the most outstanding
      aspects of forensic analysis in dealing with sampling (involving both bodily and
      no bodily samples), sample preparation, and analytical equipment used in
      detection, identification and quantitation of key sample components are
      critically discussed. The role of the great omics in forensic analysis, and the
      growing role of the youngest of the great omics -metabolomics- are also
      discussed. The foreseeable role of integrative omics is also outlined.

PMID- 28340710
TI  - Selective colorimetric analysis of spermine based on the cross-linking
      aggregation of gold nanoparticles chain assembly.
AB  - A selective colorimetric assay for spermine was proposed in this work. In a weak
      alkaline medium, the conformational structure of double-stranded calf thymus DNA
      (ctDNA) was loosened to install gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) into chains. While,
      the chain assembly of AuNPs could form cross-linking aggregates when spermine was
      present, which was attributed to the electrostatic interaction between the
      positive change of spermine and negative change both of AuNPs and ctDNA, as well
      as the groove binding between ctDNA and spermine. Under the optimum conditions,
      the aggregation degree of AuNPs was proportional to the concentration of spermine
      in the range of 0.1-2.0MUM with a limit of detection of 11.6nM. More
      interestingly, AuNPs changed from red to purple and even to blue depending on the
      concentration of spermine, which could be developed as the colorimetric analysis
      of spermine. ctDNA-AuNPs assembly was demonstrated as a novel visual probe for
      the specific sensing of spermine with high specificity and sensitivity.

PMID- 28340711
TI  - Non-enzymatic sensors based on in situ laser-induced synthesis of copper-gold and
      gold nano-sized microstructures.
AB  - The synthesis of conductive gold and copper-gold microstructures with high
      developed surface based on the method of laser-induced metal deposition from
      solution was developed. The topology and crystallization phase of these
      structures were observed by means of scanning electron microscopy and X-ray
      diffraction, respectively. The electrochemical properties of the synthesized
      materials were investigated using cyclic voltamperometry and amperometry.
      According to the obtained results, it was found out that copper-gold
      microstructures demonstrate a linear dependence of Faraday current vs.
      concentration from 0.025 to 5uM for D-glucose and from 0.025 to 10uM for hydrogen
      peroxide. In turn, gold deposit exhibits a linear dependence of Faraday current
      vs. concentration from 0.025 to 50uM for D-glucose and from 0.025 to 1uM for
      hydrogen peroxide. Moreover, the synthesized materials reveal low detection
      limits (0.025uM) with respect to the aforementioned analytes, which is quite
      promising for their potential application in design and fabrication of new non
      enzymatic biosensors.

PMID- 28340712
TI  - A double-mediator based whole cell electrochemical biosensor for acute
      biotoxicity assessment of wastewater.
AB  - This work investigates the feasibility and sensitivity of a double-mediator based
      whole cell electrochemical biosensor to detect the acute biotoxicity of
      wastewater. The lipophilic mediator menadione was used to mediate the
      intracellular metabolic activities whereas hydrophilic potassium ferricyanide was
      employed as extracellular electron acceptor to transport the electron from the
      menadiol to anode. A chitosan hydrogel polymer film with boron-doped
      nanocrystalline diamond (BND) particles was electrodeposited onto a glassy carbon
      (GC) electrode to immobilize Saccharomyces cerevisiae cells and the mediators.
      The feasibility of the as-prepared biosensor was verified by determine the acute
      biotoxicity of four heavy metal ions(Cu2+, Cd2+, Ni2+, Pb2+), three phenol
      pollutants (3,5-dichlorophenol, 4-chlorophenol, phenol) and three real wastewater
      samples. The IC50 values for Cu2+, Cd2+, Ni2+, Pb2+ are 10.12mg/L,13.88mg/L,
      17.06mg/L and 34.56mg/L. And the IC50 value is 16.48mg/L, 34.40mg/L and 44.55mg/L
      for 3,5-dichlorophenol, 4-chlorophenol and phenol, respectively. The results of
      this work indicate that the double-mediator based whole cell electrochemical
      biosensor could be applied into the acute toxicity assessment of real wastewater
      samples with excellent performance and highlight their merit as portable and
      sensitive, which may providing a reasonable and reliable way for wastewater
      toxicity online detection.

PMID- 28340713
TI  - Tunable diode laser absorption spectroscopy as method of choice for non-invasive
      and automated detection of microbial growth in media fills.
AB  - Tunable diode laser absorption spectroscopy (TDLAS) was evaluated on its
      potential to detect bacterial growth of contaminated media fill vials. The target
      was a replacement/ automation of the traditional visual media fill inspection.
      TDLAS was used to determine non-invasively O2 and/or CO2 changes in headspaces of
      such vials being induced by metabolically active microorganisms. Four different
      vial formats, 34 microorganisms (inoculation volume<10 cells) and two different
      media (TSB/FTM) were tested. Applying parallel CO2 and O2 headspace measurements
      all format-organism combinations were detected within <11 days reliably with
      reproducible results. False negatives were exclusively observed for samples that
      were intentionally breached with syringes of 0.3mm in diameter. Overall it was
      shown that TDLAS functionality for a replacement of the visual media fill
      inspection is given and that investing in further validation and implementation
      studies is valuable. Nevertheless, some small but vincible challenges remain to
      have this technology in practical use.

PMID- 28340714
TI  - Critical evaluation of strategies for single and simultaneous determinations of
      As, Bi, Sb and Se by hydride generation inductively coupled plasma optical
      emission spectrometry.
AB  - A systematic study of hydride generation (HG) of As, Bi, Sb and Se from solutions
      containing As(III), As(V), Bi(III), Sb(III), Sb(V), Se(IV) and Se(VI) was
      presented. Hydrides were generated in a gas-liquid phase separation system using
      a continuous flow vapor generation accessory (VGA) by mixing acidified aqueous
      sample, HCl and sodium borohydride reductant (NaBH4) solutions on-line. For
      detection, a simultaneous axially viewed inductively coupled plasma optical
      emission spectrometer (ICP-OES) was applied. Effects of the HCl concentration
      (related to sample and additional acid solutions) and type of the pre-reducing
      agents used for reduction of As(V), Sb(V) and Se(VI) into As(III), Sb(III) and
      Se(IV) on the analytical responses of As, Bi, Sb and Se were studied and
      discussed. Two compromised HG reaction conditions for simultaneous measurements
      of As+Bi+Sb (CC1) or As+Sb+Se (CC2) were established. It was found that choice of
      the pre-reductant prior to formation of the hydrides is critical in obtaining the
      dependable results of the analysis. Accordingly, for a
      As(III)+As(V)+Bi(III)+Sb(III)+Sb(V) mixture and using CC1, thiourea/thiourea
      ascorbic acid interfered in Bi determination and hence, total As+Sb could be
      measured. If L-cysteine/L-cysteine-ascorbic acid were used, measurements of total
      Bi+Sb was possible in these HG reaction conditions. For a
      As(III)+As(V)+Sb(III)+Sb(V)+Se(IV)+Se(VI) mixture and using CC2,
      thiourea/thiourea-ascorbic acid and L-cysteine/L-cysteine-ascorbic acid
      influenced HG of Se but ensured total As+Sb determination. In contrast, heating a
      sample solution with HCl, although did not pre-reduce As(V) and Sb(V), assured
      quantitative reduction of Se(VI) to Se(IV). Finally, considering all favorable
      pre-reducing and HG conditions, methodologies for reliable determination of total
      As, Bi, Sb and Se by HG-ICP-OES were proposed. Strategies for single-, two- and
      three-element measurements were evaluated and validated, obtaining the detection
      limits (DLs) below 0.1ngg-1 and precision typically in the range of 1.4-3.9% RSD.

PMID- 28340715
TI  - Short wave infrared chemical imaging as future tool for analysing gunshot
      residues patterns in targets.
AB  - This work used chemical imaging in the short-wave infrared region for analysing
      gunshot residues (GSR) patterns in cotton fabric targets shot with conventional
      and non-toxic ammunition. It presents a non-destructive, non-toxic, highly visual
      and hiperspectral-based approach. The method was based on classical least squares
      regression, and was tested with the ammunition propellants and their standard
      components' spectra. The propellants' spectra were satisfactorily used (R2
      >0.966, and CorrCoef >0.982) for identifying the GSR irrespective of the type of
      ammunition used for the shooting. In a more versatile approach, nitrocellulose,
      the main component in the ammunition propellants, resulted an excellent standard
      for identifying GSR patterns (R2>0.842, and CorrCoef >0.908). In this case, the
      propellants' stabilizers (diphenilamine and centralite), and its nitrated
      derivatives as well as dinitrotoluene, showed also high spectral activity.
      Therefore, they could be recommended as complementary standards for confirming
      the GSR identification. These findings establish the proof of concept for a
      science-based evidence useful to support expert reports and final court rulings.
      This approach for obtaining GSR patterns can be an excellent alternative to the
      current and traditional chemical methods, which are based in presumptive and
      invasive colour tests.

PMID- 28340716
TI  - High sensitive detection of penicillin G residues in milk by surface-enhanced
      Raman scattering.
AB  - The antibiotic residue in animal source foods (milk, meat, etc.) is threatening
      people's health due to its abusing in livestock breeding more and more seriously.
      In this study, a simple and sensitive SERS method coupled with a two-step
      pretreatment process of sample was proposed for the residue detection of
      penicillin G (PENG) in real milk sample. It can be found that the two-step
      pretreatment process of sample is an essential procedure for the successful
      detection of PENG residue in milk, which can effectively avoid interference from
      other components in the sample and achieve the trace-level detection of PENG
      residue by SERS. Under the optimal test conditions, the limit of detection of
      PENG residue is 2.54*10-9mol/L (equal to 0.85MUg/kg), which is lower than the
      standard of the European Union (4MUg/kg). And, there is a good linear
      relationship (R2=0.9902) in the concentration range of 1.0*10-8~1.0*10-3mol/L. By
      this method, the recovery of PENG residue ranges from 76% to 97% with relative
      standard deviation between 4.8% and 2.1%. The proposed SERS method can be
      effectively applied for determination of PENG residue in milk.

PMID- 28340717
TI  - A rapid, accurate and sensitive method with the new stable isotopic tags based on
      microwave-assisted dispersive liquid-liquid microextraction and its application
      to the determination of hydroxyl UV filters in environmental water samples.
AB  - A rapid, accurate and sensitive method, using the stable isotope labeling (SIL),
      microwave-assisted dispersive liquid-liquid micro extraction (MADLLME) and the
      ultra-high performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (UPLC
      MS/MS), was developed and validated for the determination of hydroxyl UV Filters
      in environmental water samples. A pair of new isotopic tags D0-/D3-1-methylindole
      3-acetic acid (D0-/D3-MIAA) is synthesized, with which a simple yet efficient
      pretreatment MADLLME-SIL is developed. Under the optimized conditions (80C, 240W,
      180s), the sample pretreatment including analyte extraction, pre-concentration
      and isotope labeling can be finished conveniently in only 9min. D0-/D3-MIAA
      labeling improves the chromatographic retention by strengthening the
      hydrophobicity and enhances the MS response for 3-4 orders of magnitude.
      Excellent linearity is established by the H/D ratios of 1/10-10/1 with the
      correlation coefficients >0.9990. The quite low detection limits (0.54-1.79ng/L)
      are achieved, ensuring the trace detection. This method is successfully applied
      to a series of environmental water samples. The recoveries (93.2%~103.5%) are
      significantly improved and the analysis time is largely reduced (<15min). The
      excellent sensitivity, accuracy, recovery, and efficiency demonstrate this
      MADLLME-SIL-LC-MS/MS method a superior alternative for the analysis of UV filters
      in water samples.

PMID- 28340718
TI  - Metal-to-ligand charge-transfer: Applications to visual detection of beta
      galactosidase activity and sandwich immunoassay.
AB  - In this work, we report a novel use of the distinctive metal-to-ligand charge
      transfer (MLCT) absorption properties of the chromogenic Fe(BPDS)34-
      (BPDS=bathophenanthroline disulfonic acid) reporter for the visual detection of
      beta-galactosidase (beta-Gal) activity and sandwich immunoassay. The enzymatic
      hydrolysis of the substrate p-aminophenyl-beta-D-galactopyranoside can switch on
      the reduction of Fe3+ to Fe2+ and the subsequent complexation of Fe2+ with the
      BPDS ligand to generate the Fe(BPDS)34- reporter, leading to the appearance of
      the intense MLCT absorption band at 535nm and the colorless-to-red color change
      of the solution. Simply through a single step, the activity of beta-Gal can be
      sensitively and selectively detected within the dynamic range of 0-220mUmL-1,
      with a limit of detection (LOD) of 1.69mUmL-1. This approach is applicable for
      the visual detection of beta-Gal activities in the presence of complex human
      serum samples. Besides, when integrated with the sandwich immunoassay of
      carcinoembryonic antigen, a LOD of 1.16ngmL-1 can be achieved. In light of its
      prominent simplicity and practicality, our MLCT-based approach holds great
      potential in diagnostic and analytical applications.

PMID- 28340719
TI  - Application of a rapid MU-SPE clean-up for multiclass quantitative analysis of
      sixteen new psychoactive substances in whole blood by LC-MS/MS.
AB  - Europe is an important market for illegal drugs, and nowadays a lot of new
      different psychoactive substances (NPS) are widespread. This work reports the
      development of a method to determine simultaneously different classes of NPS, as
      synthetic cannabinoids (SC) and their metabolites, cathinones and phenetylamines,
      directly on whole blood (WB) without anti-coagulants and using miniaturized solid
      phase extraction (MU-SPE). In order to demonstrate the feasibility of the method
      16 different NPS belonging to the mentioned classes were selected for the
      analysis. Recoveries ranged from 21% to 70% while matrix effect was lower than
      15% for all the analytes. LOQ values were 5ngmL-1 for cathinones and
      phenetylamines, between 0.25 and 1ngmL-1 for SCs and up to 2.5ngmL-1 for SC
      metabolites. The performance of MU-SPE was compared with different clean-up
      strategies (i.e. protein precipitation (PPT), liquid liquid extraction, PPT/SPE
      hybrid) in term of recovery, matrix effect and suitability for multi-class
      analysis. The developed method was validated according to SWGTOX guidelines. The
      validation data demonstrated that this approach is potentially very useful as
      confirmation method for multiclass analysis in WB and post mortem specimens. In
      fact only 100MUL of human WB are used, sample preparation involves few rapid
      steps and the method is easily implementable for the determination of other NPS.

PMID- 28340720
TI  - Headspace single drop microextraction versus dispersive liquid-liquid
      microextraction using magnetic ionic liquid extraction solvents.
AB  - A headspace single drop microextraction (HS-SDME) method and a dispersive liquid
      liquid microextraction (DLLME) method were developed using two
      tetrachloromanganate ([MnCl42-])-based magnetic ionic liquids (MIL) as extraction
      solvents for the determination of twelve aromatic compounds, including four
      polyaromatic hydrocarbons, by reversed phase high-performance liquid
      chromatography (HPLC). The analytical performance of the developed HS-SDME method
      was compared to the DLLME approach employing the same MILs. In the HS-SDME
      approach, the magnetic field generated by the magnet was exploited to suspend the
      MIL solvent from the tip of a rod magnet. The utilization of MILs in HS-SDME
      resulted in a highly stable microdroplet under elevated temperatures and long
      extraction times, overcoming a common challenge encountered in traditional SDME
      approaches of droplet instability. The low UV absorbance of the [MnCl42-]-based
      MILs permitted direct analysis of the analyte enriched extraction solvent by
      HPLC. In HS-SDME, the effects of ionic strength of the sample solution,
      temperature of the extraction system, extraction time, stir rate, and headspace
      volume on extraction efficiencies were examined. Coefficients of determination
      (R2) ranged from 0.994 to 0.999 and limits of detection (LODs) varied from 0.04
      to 1.0MUgL-1 with relative recoveries from lake water ranging from 70.2% to
      109.6%. For the DLLME method, parameters including disperser solvent type and
      volume, ionic strength of the sample solution, mass of extraction solvent, and
      extraction time were studied and optimized. Coefficients of determination for the
      DLLME method varied from 0.997 to 0.999 with LODs ranging from 0.05 to 1.0MUgL-1.
      Relative recoveries from lake water samples ranged from 68.7% to 104.5%. Overall,
      the DLLME approach permitted faster extraction times and higher enrichment
      factors for analytes with low vapor pressure whereas the HS-SDME approach
      exhibited better extraction efficiencies for analytes with relatively higher
      vapor pressure.

PMID- 28340721
TI  - Sensitive determination of Hg together with Mn, Fe, Cu by combined photochemical
      vapor generation and pneumatic nebulization in the programmable temperature spray
      chamber and inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometry.
AB  - Continuous photo-induced generation of mercury cold vapor has been successfully
      coupled with conventional pneumatic nebulization in programmable temperature
      spray chamber (PCVG-PN-PTSC) allowing fast, sensitive and easy multi-element
      analysis. The applied technique enabled simultaneous determination of non
      volatile forming elements (Fe, Cu, Mn) and volatile Hg, while 15%v/v formic acid
      is present in the sample. PTSC elevated temperature (40 degrees C) causes partial
      conversion of sample matrix into vapor form, thus improving plasma robustness.
      The efficiency of Hg vapor generation and its transport to the plasma is close to
      100%. Moreover, spray chamber temperature stabilization improved the precision of
      the measurements (Hg signal RSD below 0.5%). The achieved limit of detection for
      Hg (90pgmL-1) at 194.23nm with no monochromator purge is better by almost two
      orders of magnitude than that obtained by conventional PN-ICP-OES. On the other
      hand, LODs for non-vapor forming elements are comparable to those obtained with
      pneumatic nebulization. The linear dynamic ranges for all examined elements are
      at least three orders of magnitude up to 1000ngmL-1. None mutual interference
      between examined analytes (Hg, Fe, Cu, Mn) has been observed. The method was
      validated by the analysis of two CRM materials of different matrix composition
      (waste water ERM CA713 and estuarine sediment ERM CC580) giving satisfactory
      results. As low as 2 ppb of Hg can he directly determined in waste water. The
      proposed procedure uses mild reagents and allows for fast multi-element analysis,
      and matches green chemistry requirements.

PMID- 28340722
TI  - Amperometric biosensors based on carboxylated multiwalled carbon nanotubes-metal
      oxide nanoparticles-7,7,8,8-tetracyanoquinodimethane composite for the
      determination of xanthine.
AB  - A comparison of the analytical performances of two xanthine biosensors, based on
      the use of different metal oxide nanoparticles (MONPs: Co3O4 or Fe3O4)-modified
      carboxylated multiwalled carbon nanotubes (c-MWCNTs)-7,7',8,8'
      tetracyanoquinodimethane (TCNQ)-chitosan (CHIT) composite, is discussed. Xanthine
      oxidase (XOD) enzyme was covalently attached to c-MWCNTs/MONPs/TCNQ/CHIT/GCE via
      N-ethyl-N'-(3-dimethylaminopropyl) carbodiimide (EDC) and N-hydroxy succinimide
      (NHS) chemistry and the electrode surface was further modified with Nafion in
      order to minimize the effect of possible interfering substances. The results
      showed that analytical performance of the Fe3O4 based biosensor was better than
      the Co3O4 based biosensor. The linear working range, limit of detection and
      sensitivity were found to be 1.9*10-6-2.3*10-4M, 0.20MUM (S/N=3), 25.07MUAmM-1cm
      2 for the Fe3O4 based biosensor and 1.9*10-6-1.2*10-4M, 0.36MUM (S/N=3),
      13.24MUAmM-1cm-2 for the Co3O4 based biosensor, respectively. The purposed
      biosensors were applied in the determination of xanthine in coffee samples, and
      satisfactory results were obtained.

PMID- 28340723
TI  - An electrochemical sensor device for measuring blood ammonia at the point of
      care.
AB  - The level of ammonia in blood is relevant in a number of medical conditions.
      While ammonia is a marker of dysfunction, elevated ammonia is itself a serious
      medical emergency and can lead to significant and permanent neurological
      impairment if not addressed quickly. Blood ammonia testing is typically performed
      in the central laboratory. While a number of point of care devices have been
      developed, these are based on classical enzymatic or colorimetric principles and
      have not been widely adopted. In this work, an electrochemical sensor device was
      developed for measuring blood ammonia. The device was based on the deposition of
      polyaniline nanoparticle films onto screen printed interdigitated electrodes
      using inkjet printing and their integration into a polymer microfabricated device
      with a polytetrafluoroethylene membrane. The device required a 52uL serum sample
      and measured the change in impedance of the sensor with respect to air at 1kHz,
      5mV rms. The device was capable of the measurement of ammonia in serum across the
      physiologically relevant range of 25-200uM (r2 =0.9984) and had a limit of
      detection of 12uM (n =3). The device showed no significant issues with common
      electrochemical interferences in blood. The device was also validated against a
      commercial spectrophotometric assay which resulted in excellent correlation (r
      =0.9699, p<0.0001) between both methods (n =3). When stored under desiccation,
      devices displayed minimal variation over time (0.64%) with respect to their
      impedance in air (n =12) and could be stored in desiccant for at least five
      months.

PMID- 28340724
TI  - Mass spectrometry and metallomics: A general protocol to assess stability of
      metallodrug-protein adducts in bottom-up MS experiments.
AB  - The bottom-up mass spectrometry approach is today one of the best tools of
      Metallomics to characterize the binding of metal-based drugs to proteins. Yet,
      the stability of metal-protein coordination bonds along the whole process may be
      a critical issue. This led us to build up a general protocol to test metallodrug
      protein adduct stability under the typical conditions of the filter-aided sample
      preparation (FASP)/bottom-up procedure, ranging from the analysis of solutions
      containing metal-protein adducts to tandem mass spectrometry experiments. More in
      detail, we identified nine critical situations, either during the sample
      manipulations or instrumental, as a potential source of metal-protein bond
      impairment when using FASP operative conditions and a nano high performance
      liquid chromatography-nanoelectrospray ionization-LTQ-Orbitrap (nanoLC-nanoESI
      LTQ-Orbitrap) mass spectrometer system, equipped with a
      preconcentration/purification device. These are: 1) sample permanence in the
      ammonium bicarbonate buffer; 2) denaturation with urea; 3) reduction with
      dithiothreitol; 4) alkylation with iodoacetamide; 5) sample permanence in the
      loading mobile phase; 6) sample permanence in the elution mobile phase; 7) the
      nanoESI process; 8) the transfer of the adduct through ion transfer tube and tube
      lens; 9) collision induced dissociation in the ion trap. Accordingly, an ad hoc
      experimental protocol was developed and applied to the adducts formed between
      cytochrome c (Cyt c) and two different metallodrugs, i.e. cisplatin (cis
      diamminedichloridoplatinum(II), CDDP) and RAPTA-C, a well-known ruthenium(II)
      arene compound [Ru(eta6-p-cymene)Cl2(pta)] (pta=1,3,5-triaza-7
      phosphaadamantane), used here as models. Notably, Cyt c-CDDP adducts were stable
      through all the above conditions while Cyt c-RAPTA-C adducts turned out unstable
      in the ammonium bicarbonate buffer. This latter finding supports the need to
      perform a test-protocol of this kind when starting any extensive bottom-up MS
      investigation of protein-metallodrug systems.

PMID- 28340726
TI  - A flow-batch manipulated Ag NPs based SPR sensor for colorimetric detection of
      copper ions (Cu2+) in water samples.
AB  - Using flow-batch analysis, a highly sensitive and selective method for automatic
      colorimetric detection of copper ions (Cu2+) was produced on the basis of the
      surface plasma resonance (SPR) of silver nanoparticles (Ag NPs). The Ag NPs were
      catalytically etched by thiosulfate in the presence of Cu(NH3)42+, resulting in a
      color change of the solution induced by the absorbance decrease at 401nm of the
      SPR peak of Ag NPs. The proposed method showed high selectivity for Cu2+ over
      various metallic ions, including Fe3+, Mn2+, Co2+, Ni2+, Zn2+, Pb2+, Ba2+, Cd2+,
      Bi3+, Sb2+, As3+, Hg2+, Cr3+ and K+. The linear range was 0.5-35MUg/L with a
      coefficient of 0.9954. The limit of detection was as low as 0.24MUg/L. The
      relative standard deviation (RSD, n=7) for the determination of Cu2+ spiked
      samples at concentrations of 10MUg/L was 1.21% and for 25MUg/L was 1.03%. The
      proposed method was successfully applied to analyze Cu2+ in lake water, tap
      water, rainwater and bottled water samples, as well as leaf samples for food
      packaging. The results were in good agreement with those obtained by graphite
      furnace atomic absorption spectrometry, the classical technique.

PMID- 28340725
TI  - Biomonitored UHPLC-ESI-QTOF-MS2 and HPLC-UV thermostability study of the aerial
      parts of Sphagneticola trilobata (L.) Pruski, Asteraceae.
AB  - As the temperature of extraction and processing could impact the biological
      effects of herbal extracts, which have wide chemical diversity, the aim of this
      work were to investigate the thermostability of herbal derivatives of the aerial
      parts of Sphagneticola trilobata, a reputed medicinal plant; to biomonitor its
      oral anti-hyperalgesic effect; and to elucidate the degradation pathways of the
      major components by UHPLC-ESI-QTOF-MS. The lipophilic markers (kaurenoic acid-KA)
      and hydrophilic markers [chlorogenic acids; measured as total phenolic compounds
      (PC), expressed in caffeic acid] were also monitored through a validated HPLC-UV
      methodology, suitable for quality control and stability studies. The soft extract
      (drug:solvent ratio of 1:10, ethanol 60% v/v) was exposed to high temperatures
      (50-180 degrees C). PC showed high thermolability (27.4% of degradation at 150
      degrees C), compared to KA (16.5%, at 180 degrees C). These results suggest that
      the loss of oral anti-hyperalgesic activity observed in the spray-dried extracts
      (dried at 170 degrees C), compared with the soft and the lyophilized extract may
      be related to degradation of the active components, especially the polar
      compounds, i.e. chlorogenic acid derivatives and the four oleanane type
      triterpenoid saponins. These latter degraded at temperatures above 150 degrees C
      and vanished at 180 degrees C, as demonstrated in the UHPLC-ESI-QTOF-MS analyses.
      These results provide a relevant guide for the extraction process of S.
      trilobata, aimed at preserving the antinociceptive effect.

PMID- 28340727
TI  - A quantitative approach for Cd, Cu, Fe and Mn through laser ablation imaging for
      evaluating the translocation and accumulation of metals in sunflower seeds.
AB  - The uptake and accumulation of Cd in sunflower seeds represents an important
      pathway for imputing potentially toxic metals into human and animal food. In this
      way, bioimaging of Cd and micronutrients (Cu, Fe and Mn) in the seeds of
      sunflower grown in soil contaminated with Cd are performed. For this task, laser
      ablation inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (LA-ICP-MS) is used in
      quantitative approach, considering four groups: precursor, control, Cd-low (50mg)
      and Cd-high (700mg). For attaining our proposals, ICP-MS (nebulizer and auxiliary
      flow rates and radiofrequency power) and LA (laser intensity, frequency and spot
      size) parameters were optimized, and the analytical signal improved to 197%,
      217%, 232%, and 283%, for 57Fe, 112Cd, 55Mn and 63Cu, respectively. The accuracy
      of proposed method using LA-ICP-MS is evaluated comparing the CRM results (Tomato
      leaves, NIST SRM 1573a). No difference is found at 95% confidence level.
      Regarding Cd accumulation in sunflower seeds, the results indicated that cadmium
      is translocated to seeds, and the cotyledons showed the highest concentration (Cd
      high group), ranging from 10 to 20ugg-1. Considering both total concentration and
      the distribution in the seeds, Cd uptake is responsible to the homeostasis
      misbalance of micronutrients, which play an essential role in the sunflower
      metabolism. Such results highlight the importance of bioimaging evaluation, in
      the translocation and accumulation of metals, contributing to expand the
      information available of this culture.

PMID- 28340728
TI  - Ferrocene-graphene sheets for high-efficiency quenching of
      electrochemiluminescence from Au nanoparticles functionalized cadmium sulfide
      flower-like three dimensional assemblies and sensitive detection of prostate
      specific antigen.
AB  - A signal-switchable electrochemiluminescence (ECL) aptasensor was presented for
      sensitive prostate specific antigen (PSA) assay using ferrocene-graphene sheets
      (Fc-GNs) for high-efficiency quenching of ECL from Au nanoparticles
      functionalized cadmium sulfide flower-like three dimensional (3D) assemblies (Au
      CdS flower-like 3D assemblies). Au-CdS flower-like 3D assemblies were synthesized
      and employed as luminophore, exhibiting strong and stable ECL intensity, and
      followed by assembling captured DNA (cDNA) and hybridizing it with half of base
      sequence of PSA aptamer on the Au-CdS flower-like 3D assemblies modified
      electrode. The remaining part of the non-complementary base of the aptamer could
      preferentially adsorb GN with the signal switched "off" state. While in the
      presence of the PSA, the binding of PSA with aptamer caused desorption of aptamer
      from the surface of Fc-GNs and was then released from electrode surface, thus
      allowing the ECL signal enhancement. With the transformation of luminescence
      signal from "off" to "on", the aptasensor displays high sensitivity for PSA
      detection with a linear range from 1pgmL-1 to 25ngmL-1 and a detection limit of
      0.38pgmL-1S/N=3). Moreover, this developed method could be successfully applied
      to the determination of PSA in human serum samples with recoveries of 85.8
      104.0%, suggesting great potential applications in biochemical analysis.

PMID- 28340729
TI  - Development, validation and comparison of near infrared and Raman spectroscopic
      methods for fast characterization of tablets with amlodipine and valsartan.
AB  - The objective of this study was to develop, validate and compare NIR and Raman
      spectroscopic methods for fast characterization in terms of API content and
      tensile strength of fixed-dose combination tablets containing amlodipine and
      valsartan. For the APIs assay NIR-transmittance and Raman-reflectance methods
      were considered, whereas for the tensile strength assay Raman spectra were
      recorded in reflectance configuration and NIR spectra were recorded in both
      reflectance and transmittance. Multivariate calibration models (PLS) were built
      by applying different pre-processing methods (SNV, MSC, SD+SNV) on certain
      spectral regions. Correlating pre-processed spectral data with tablet properties
      resulted in highly predictive models except in the case of NIR-transmittance
      spectra for tensile strength estimation. The best models selected by cross
      validation were further validated on independent samples in terms of linearity,
      trueness, accuracy and precision. Using Bland and Altman analysis the analytical
      performance of the NIR and Raman methods were compared, demonstrating their
      similarity considering the investigated applications. The two spectroscopic
      methods can be used in association to confirm each others results for at-line
      characterization of the pharmaceutical product.

PMID- 28340730
TI  - Identification and determination of synthetic cannabinoids in herbal products by
      dry film attenuated total reflectance-infrared spectroscopy.
AB  - A new procedure has been developed for the identification and quantitative
      determination of synthetic cannabinoids in illicit herbal preparations. The
      methodology is based on the use of attenuated total reflectance Fourier transform
      infrared spectroscopy (ATR-FTIR) measurement of sample extracts with 2-propanol
      drying 5uL of the extracts onto the ATR crystal. The qualitative identification
      was carried out on the 2-propanol extract after identification of the herbal
      matrix, followed by its subtraction and using a cut-off criterion of 75%.
      Quantitative determination was made by univariate calibration using the
      absorbance of the band located at 1520cm-1 of the spectrum. Four different
      cannabinoids, RCS-4, JWH-210, UR-144 and JWH-081 were used as test analytes and
      the ATR-FTIR method provided limits of quantification from 14 till 79mgL-1. Sized
      blank market samples were successfully identified and UR-144 quantified.

PMID- 28340731
TI  - Prediction of organic carbon and total nitrogen contents in organic wastes and
      their composts by Infrared spectroscopy and partial least square regression.
AB  - Middle and near infrared (MIR and NIR) were employed to determine organic carbon
      (OC) and total nitrogen (TN) in different soil organic amendments including
      wastes, composts and mixtures of composts and organic wastes. Prediction models
      based on partial least squares (PLS) regression from the spectra of untreated
      samples were built. Different spectra preprocessing strategies were adopted and
      the best number of latent variable was evaluated using leave-one-out cross
      validation. Attenuated total reflectance (PLS-ATR-MIR) and diffuse reflectance
      (PLS-DR-NIR) models were built and evaluated from root mean square error of cross
      validation and prediction (RMSECV and RMSEP), coefficients of determination for
      prediction (R2 pred) and residual predictive deviation (RPD). ATR-MIR provided a
      better prediction capability than DR-NIR with RMSEP, R2pred and RPD values of
      2.2%, 0.76 and 2.0 for OC and values of 0.2%, 0.82 and 2.4 for TN, respectively.

PMID- 28340732
TI  - Glycine post-synthetic modification of MIL-53(Fe) metal-organic framework with
      enhanced and stable peroxidase-like activity for sensitive glucose biosensing.
AB  - A facile and rapid post-synthetic strategy was proposed to prepare a glycine
      functionalized MIL-53(Fe), namely glycine-MIL-53(Fe), by a simple mixing of water
      dispersible MIL-53(Fe) and glycine. The FT-IR, SEM, XRD and zeta potential were
      used to characterize the glycine-MIL-53(Fe). The result showed that glycine post
      synthetic modification of MIL-53(Fe) did not change in the morphology and crystal
      structure of MIL-53(Fe). Interestingly, compared with MIL-53(Fe), the glycine-MIL
      53(Fe) exhibits an enhanced peroxidase-like activity, which could catalyze the
      oxidation of TMB by H2O2 to produce an intensive color reaction. Kinetic analysis
      indicated that the Km of glycine-MIL-53(Fe) for TMB was one-tenth of that of MIL
      53(Fe). The glycine-MIL-53(Fe) as peroxidase mimetic displays better stability
      under alkaline or acidic conditions than MIL-53(Fe). The good performance of
      glycine-MIL-53(Fe) over MIL-53(Fe) may be attributed to the increase of affinity
      between TMB and the glycine-MIL-53(Fe). With these characteristics, a simple and
      sensitive method was developed for the detection of H2O2 and glucose. The linear
      detection range for H2O2 is 0.10-10MUM with a detection limit of 49nM, and
      glucose could be linearly detected in the range from 0.25 to 10MUM with a
      detection limit of 0.13MUM. The proposed method was successfully used for glucose
      detection in human serum samples.

PMID- 28340734
TI  - Novel immunochromatographic assay on cotton thread based on carbon nanotubes
      reporter probe.
AB  - In this article, a novel immunochromatographic assay method on cotton thread
      based on carbon nanotubes (CNTs) as reporter probe was successfully prepared for
      visual and rapid detection of a lung cancer related biomarker, human ferritin
      antigen. A model system comprising ferritin as an analyte was used to demonstrate
      the protocol of the cotton thread immunoassay device. The device can detect at
      least 50ng/mL human ferritin antigen, which improved the sensitivity
      approximately by 500 folds comparing with previous point-of-care test report
      based on carbon nanotubes as reporter probe. The CNTs reporter probe combined
      with cotton thread device based biosensor provided an alternative path for
      clinical diagnosis of other protein or nucleic acid biomarkers.

PMID- 28340733
TI  - Migration test of Bisphenol A from polycarbonate cups using excitation-emission
      fluorescence data with parallel factor analysis.
AB  - Bisphenol A (BPA) is one of the most largely produced chemical in the world; it
      is used to make plastics and epoxy resins. The endocrine disruptor potential of
      BPA is well known, but recent researches suggest a relationship between chronic
      exposure to BPA, genotoxic activity and epigenetic modifications. The main source
      of exposure to BPA includes food contact materials (FCM). Thus simple and robust
      test methods are needed to improve the migration test of BPA. In this work, a non
      separative, easy, fast and inexpensive spectrofluorimetric method based on the
      second order calibration of excitation-emission fluorescence matrices (EEMs) was
      proposed for the determination of BPA. For the first time, molecular fluorescence
      was used to identify unequivocally and quantify BPA. Trilinearity of the data
      tensor guarantees the uniqueness of the solution obtained through parallel factor
      analysis (PARAFAC), so one factor of the decomposition matches up with BPA even
      if other fluorophores are in the test sample. The effect of four experimental
      factors of the procedure on the figures of merit and the unequivocally
      identification was investigated by means of a D-optimal design and PARAFAC
      calibration. The method is linear and accurate in the range 0-720ugL-1. The
      decision limit CCalpha and detection capability CCbeta are 6.63ugL-1 and 18.85ugL
      1 respectively (with probabilities of false positive and false negative fixed at
      0.05). Finally the proposed method was applied to carry out a migration test from
      two polycarbonate cups, using 3% (w/v) acetic acid in aqueous solution as food
      simulant. The migrated amount of BPA was found to be 688.7ugL-1 (n=5) for the
      first cup and 710.5ugL-1 (n=4) for the second one, above the specific migration
      limit set by EFSA (European Food Safety Authority).

PMID- 28340735
TI  - Facile visual colorimetric sensor based on iron carbide nanoparticles
      encapsulated in porous nitrogen-rich graphene.
AB  - Herein, via one-step pyrolysis of glucose, dicyandiamide (DCDA) and Fe containing
      metal-organic framework (Fe-MOF), small Fe3C nanoparticles were in-situ decorated
      in 3D porous network of N-rich graphene (NGr). The Fe-MOF served as size
      regulating precursor, layered g-C3N4 (derived from pyrolysis of DCDA) acted as
      not only a template to guide the growth of small Fe3C nanoparticles, but also the
      carbon source for 3D porous NGr network. The intrinsic peroxidase-like catalytic
      activity of Fe3C/NGr was unpredictably discovered, by taking the oxidation
      reaction of 3,3',5,5'-tetramethylbenzidine (TMB) with H2O2 as a protocol. Fast
      and distinguished color change, improved stability in exposure to extreme H2O2
      concentration and high temperature were obtained. The Michaelis-Menten kinetics
      was investigated. The detection of glucose was accomplished over a wide
      concentration range of 2.0~500.0MUM with a detection limit lower than most of
      other similar systems. The reliability of the present sensor was further
      evaluated by practical monitoring glucose in diluted serum samples. Low cost and
      simple preparation, fast and distinguished color change, high tolerance to
      extreme H2O2 concentration and high temperature, endow Fe3C/NGr as one of the
      promising materials for fast visual colorimetry.

PMID- 28340736
TI  - Highly sensitive electrochemical sensor for chloramphenicol based on MOF derived
      exfoliated porous carbon.
AB  - Benefit from the advantages in costless, simplicity and efficiency, solvent
      exfoliation has been widely used in preparation of two-dimensional nanosheets
      with enhanced performances in electronics, photonics, and catalysis. In this
      work, solvent exfoliation was first applied to prepare exfoliated porous carbon
      (EPC) from an isoreticular metal-organic framework-8 (IRMOF-8) derived porous
      carbon (DPC). The obtained EPC with high surface area (1854m2g-1) and improved
      dispersibility was used as electrode modifier for glassy carbon electrode (GCE)
      in square wave voltammetry (SWV) detection of chloramphenicol (CAP). The
      sensitivity of EPC modified GCE (EPC/GCE) was greatly improved in compare with
      that of the DPC modification. The corresponding linear ranges are 1*10-8-1*10
      6molL-1 and 1*10-6-4*10-6molL-1. The detection limit was calculated to be 2.9*10
      9molL-1 (at a signal-to-noise ratio of 3, S/N=3). In addition, the proposed
      sensor was successfully applied in the analysis of CAP in honey and achieved
      satisfying recovery.

PMID- 28340737
TI  - Efficient extraction of low-abundance peptides from digested proteins and
      simultaneous exclusion of large-sized proteins with novel hydrophilic magnetic
      zeolitic imidazolate frameworks.
AB  - Zeolitic imidazolate frameworks (ZIFs) are composed of tetrahedral transition
      metal ions and imidazolate type organic linkers. This kind of metal organic
      frameworks (MOFs) combines the unique properties of both zeolites and MOFs.
      Furthermore, ZIFs can be assembled under mild biocompatible conditions. These
      advantages make them be primarily studied for biochemical analysis. In this work,
      polydopamine-modified hydrophilic magnetic ZIFs were synthesized in a simple and
      mild way for the efficient extraction of low-abundance peptides. Thanks to the
      low-coordinated Zn2+ ions, the Fe3O4@PDA@ZIF-8 composites showed strong affinity
      towards low-abundance peptides, especially those with histidine residues. After
      enrichment, the sequence coverage of BSA and HSA tryptic digest got a significant
      increase. The solid phase method based on the magnetic ZIFs exhibited size
      exclusion effect towards large-sized proteins, and proved to be effective even
      under the 200-fold dilution with BSA protein solution.

PMID- 28340738
TI  - 226Ra dynamic lixiviation from phosphogypsum samples by an automatic flow-through
      system with integrated renewable solid-phase extraction.
AB  - The release of 226Ra from phosphogypsum (PG) was evaluated by developing a novel
      tool for fully automated 226Ra lixiviation from PG integrating extraction/pre
      concentration using a renewable sorbent format. Eight leached fractions (30mL
      each one) and a residual fraction were analyzed allowing the evaluation of
      dynamic lixiviation of 226Ra. An automatic system allows this approach coupling a
      homemade cell with a 226Ra extraction/pre-concentration method, which is carried
      out combining two procedures: Ra adsorption on MnO2 and its posterior co
      precipitation with BaSO4. Detection was carried out with a low-background
      proportional counter, obtaining a minimum detectable activity of 7Bqkg-1. Method
      was validated by analysis of a PG reference material (MatControl CSN-CIEMAT
      2008), comparing the content found in fractions (sum of leached fractions +
      residual fraction) to the reference value. PG samples from Huelva (Spain) were
      studied. 226Ra average activity concentration of the sum of leached fractions
      with artificial rainwater at pH 5.4+/-0.2 was 105+/-3Bqkg-1d.w. representing a
      226Ra lixiviation of 37%; while at pH 2.0+/-0.2, it was 168+/-3Bqkg-1 d.w., which
      represents a 50%. Also, static lixiviation, maintaining the same experimental
      conditions, was carried out indicating that, for both considered pH, the 226Ra
      release from PG is up to 50% higher in a dynamic leaching that in a static one,
      may have both environmental and reutilization implications.

PMID- 28340739
TI  - Optimization and validation of the methods for the total mercury and
      methylmercury determination in breast milk.
AB  - The objective of the work was to develop and validate methods for the total Hg
      and methylmercury (MeHg) in breast milk that could be further used to obtain
      first data on chemical contamination of French breast milk. For total Hg
      determination, the potential of two techniques, namely Advanced Mercury Analyzer
      (AMA) and ICP MS, was compared. For MeHg determination, ICP MS detection
      associated to a quantification by isotopic dilution was used and the potential of
      a preliminary separation by gas or liquid chromatography was evaluated and
      discussed. The optimization studies have shown that AMA for total Hg
      determination and HPLC - ID - ICP MS, after a preconcentration step by freeze
      drying, for MeHg quantification were the most relevant methods to use for
      epidemiologic studies. The figures of merit for both methods were evaluated by
      means of accuracy profiles in terms of limits of quantification (1.82 and 1.35ug
      Hg/kg dry weight, corresponding to 0.22 and 0.16ug Hg/kg wet basis for total Hg
      and MeHg, respectively), repeatability (2-11% and 3-8% for total Hg and MeHg
      respectively), intermediate precision reproducibility (4-12% and 4-8% for total
      Hg and MeHg respectively) and trueness bias (-0.1-9% and -4-0% for total Hg and
      MeHg respectively). The methods were then applied to 180 breast milk samples.
      Total Hg concentrations ranged from <LD to 16.9ug Hg/kg wet basis (<LD to 142ug
      Hg/kg dry weight) and the MeHg contents from <LD to 0.43ug Hg/kg wet basis (<LD
      to 3.67ug Hg/kg dry weight).

PMID- 28340740
TI  - Quantification of polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) in food. A review.
AB  - The polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs), a class of brominated flame
      retardants (BFRs), are food contaminants of animal origin. Interest in food
      matrices analysis is growing due to the toxicity of PBDEs and European Commission
      (EC) recommendation (118/2014/EU). Here we review papers concerning methods of
      PBDEs analysis while focusing on extraction, clean up, chromatographic separation
      and detection techniques. The emphasis is put on EC recommendation, the congeners
      and the efficiency of different detection systems. Some analytical problems
      caused by differences between low- and high-molecular-mass congener properties,
      especially the possible limitations of BDE-209 analysis, are discussed. Detection
      techniques and mass spectrometry (MS) ionization modes applied to PBDE level
      determination in food of animal origin are compared. The gas chromatography (GC)
      coupled to high-resolution MS is undoubtedly fit for that purpose, but ion trap
      MS could be used to PBDEs determination as well. ECD is the most sensitive
      technique; however, other halogen compounds present in sample may interfere with
      PBDEs congeners necessitating results confirmation. Moreover, the novel
      atmospheric pressure chemical ionization (APCI) method applied to GC in tandem
      with MS places this technique in the top category of the most sensitive
      techniques which may be used.

PMID- 28340741
TI  - Controlled synthesis of hollow porous carbon spheres for enrichment and
      simultaneous determination of nine bisphenols from real samples.
AB  - An extended one-step Stober method was utilized for the preparation of core@shell
      spheres, which was made up of a thin layer of resorcinol-formaldehyde (RF) and a
      silica core. After the carbonization and template-removal process, hollow porous
      carbon spheres (HPCSs) were synthesized. The structure of HPCSs was characterized
      by scanning/transmission electron microscopy and N2 adsorption/desorption
      isotherms, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, energy dispersive X-ray
      spectrometer and Raman spectroscopy. The results showed that the silica cores
      were removed successfully and the HPCSs were in good sphere shape with uniform
      size, high surface areas as well as pores hollow framework structure. Compared
      with MWCNTs and 3D-graphene, HPCSs exhibited superior extraction ability for nine
      bisphenols (BPs). HPCSs showed extremely outstanding extraction efficiency for
      BPs as well as high adsorption capacity due to its hollow porous structure. It
      was applied as sorbent for the enrichment of nine BPs from environmental water
      samples and soft drinks prior to high performance liquid chromatographic (HPLC)
      analysis, obtaining recoveries ranged from 89.6% to 111.5% and the relative
      standard deviations (RSD) from 0.8% to 6.3%, and the limits of quantification
      (LOQs) were in the range of 0.183-1.763MUgL-1.

PMID- 28340742
TI  - A new way to discriminate polluted wood by vibrational spectroscopies.
AB  - In this work, two sets of samples were considered: field samples collected from
      local waste wood and synthetic samples made by mixing clean wood (including oak,
      beech, poplar) with typical organic pollutants: creosote, polychlorinated
      byphenils (PCBs), pentachlorophenol (PCP), cypermethrin, dodecyl dimethyl
      ammonium chloride (DDAC). Vibrational spectroscopy techniques were tested to
      detect organic pollutants in wood items. Raman and infrared spectroscopies were
      showed as fast, non-destructive and non-invasive fingerprint techniques for
      detection of organic molecules. Associated with principal component analysis, we
      have shown the evidence of quick detection of and discrimination of polluted wood
      items by kinds and versus concentration.

PMID- 28340743
TI  - Linking ATR-FTIR and Raman features to phenolic extractability and other
      attributes in grape skin.
AB  - The importance of wine phenolics on the sensory characteristic of red wines is
      well-known. Therefore, it is necessary to control the extractability of phenolic
      compounds from grape skins, which depends significantly on grape ripeness and
      hence, on cell wall degradation. In the present study, attenuated total
      reflectance Fourier transform infrared (ATR-FTIR) and Raman spectra of grape skin
      have been recorded. Then, these spectral matrices have been studied and the main
      spectral features have been linked to extractabilities of phenolic compounds
      (anthocyanins, flavanols and total phenols). Moreover, spectral differences
      between external and internal grape skin surfaces also have been studied. It has
      been confirmed that the amount of polysaccharides and the degree of
      esterification of pectins have significant influence on the phenolic
      extractability levels of grape skin tissue.

PMID- 28340744
TI  - Simultaneous multi-residue determination of twenty one veterinary drugs in
      poultry litter by modeling three-way liquid chromatography with fluorescence and
      absorption detection data.
AB  - A method for the simultaneous investigation of twenty one veterinary active
      ingredients in poultry litter based on MCR-ALS modeling of three-way liquid
      chromatography with fluorescence and UV detection data is presented. The
      chromatographic procedure was optimized in terms of both the nature of the
      organic solvent and the pH of the mobile phase to maximize the resolution of the
      analytes. In order to improve the simultaneous extraction efficiency of the
      twenty one veterinary drugs, a simplex-centroid design with combinations of the
      three components of the extracting mixture, i.e. MeOH, ACN and sodium phosphate
      buffer 10mmolL-1 pH =3.50, was carried out. The second-order advantage was
      exploited in the analysis of highly complex samples containing unmodeled
      components. The qualitative and quantitative results showed that the application
      of MCR-ALS was appropriate to resolve highly overlapped peaks in the presence of
      unknown matrix compounds. Limits of quantification, relative errors of prediction
      (REP) and average recoveries ranging from 0.02 to 0.61ugg-1, 3.09-9.35% and 91.0
      105.6%, respectively, were obtained. Eventually, the method was successfully
      applied to the determination of active ingredients in five poultry litter samples
      collected from different poultry livestock in Argentina.

PMID- 28340745
TI  - Virgin olive oil stability study by mesh cell-FTIR spectroscopy.
AB  - Mesh cell is a rapid tool designed to monitor chemical changes that occurs as a
      consequence of oxidation at moderate conditions. In this study this accessory has
      been proposed for assessing virgin olive oil (VOO) stability by Fourier transform
      infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy. Monocultivar VOOs have been stored in mesh cells
      under different temperatures (at 23, 35, 65 degrees C) simulating the real
      conditions during storage and transport (<60 degrees C). In addition to
      temperature, the samples have been also stored in mesh cells at different light
      intensities (400, 1000, 7000lx) to evaluate the resistance of the samples to
      photooxidation. The oil stability of the samples determined by using this
      accessory has been compared with the oil stability determined with the common
      methods used for this purpose (e.g. Rancimat). Despite the moderate conditions
      applied, mesh cell-FTIR spectra have revealed the formation of hydroperoxides and
      the subsequent formation of alcohols and aldehydes. Unlike other methods that
      require high temperature to accelerate the oxidation rate, mesh cell-FTIR has
      allowed differentiate the oil stability of the samples from a multi-factor
      perspective that includes several properties (temperature and light) and chemical
      species (primary and secondary oxidation products). The information obtained with
      this method can be relevant for optimizing handling (e.g. packaging and storage
      temperature) of VOO samples during their shelf life.

PMID- 28340746
TI  - A novel sensitive amperometric choline biosensor based on multiwalled carbon
      nanotubes and gold nanoparticles.
AB  - A novel amperometric biosensor for choline determination has been developed,
      exploiting the electrocatalytic properties of multiwalled carbon nanotubes
      (MWCNT) and gold nanoparticles (GNP). Chitosan (Chit), a natural biocompatible
      polymer, was used to disperse CNT, then Chit-MWCNT was dropped on the surface of
      a glassy carbon electrode (GCE), followed by GNP; finally, choline oxidase (ChOx)
      was immobilized by glutaraldehyde crosslinking. The ChOx/(GNP)4/MWCNT/GCE
      exhibited linear response to choline from 3 to 120uM, the sensitivity was 204uAcm
      2mM-1 and the detection limit was 0.6MUM. The biosensor exhibited good intra and
      inter-electrode precision, and excellent selectivity and stability.
      Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) was also used to measure choline at
      0.0V and this is the first report on choline determination by EIS. Successful
      measurement in milk samples was performed.

PMID- 28340747
TI  - Recent configurations and progressive uses of magnetic molecularly imprinted
      polymers for drug analysis.
AB  - Since the introduction of the molecularly imprinting technology (MIT) in the
      1970s, it becomes an emerging technology with the potential for wide-ranging
      applications in drug determination. With the rise of green chemistry, many
      researchers began to focus on the application and development of green materials
      which led to the breakthrough of molecularly imprinted polymers (MIPs) in the
      green chemistry. Because of the low concentration levels in the human matrices,
      almost adequate analytical methods should be used for quantification of drugs at
      the trace levels. In recent years there have been reported benefits of combining
      MIPs with additional features, e.g. magnetic properties, through the build-up of
      this type of material on magnetite particles. Magnetic molecularly imprinted
      polymer (MMIP) is a new material which is composed of magnetic material and non
      magnetic polymer material and shares the characteristics of high adsorption
      capacity to template molecule, special selective recognition ability, and the
      magnetic adsorption property. These materials have been widely used in the
      different fields such as chemical, biological and medical science. This review
      describes the novel configurations and progressive applications of magnetic
      molecularly imprinted polymers to the drug analysis. Also, the advantages and
      drawbacks of each methodology, as well as the future expected trends, are
      evaluated.

PMID- 28340748
TI  - Mitigation of solvent interference using a short packed column prior to ion
      mobility spectrometry.
AB  - This paper introduces a novel approach to overcome the solvent interference in
      corona discharge-ion mobility spectrometry (CD-IMS) based on the time-resolved
      signals of the solvent and the analyte. To that end, a short Teflon tube was
      filled with a low amount of squalene or OV-1, which was prepared and located
      between the injection port and the entrance of the CD-IMS cell. Through this
      procedure, a sufficient delay (~5s) was obtained between the introduction of the
      solvent and the analyte into the reaction region of IMS. This resulted in
      removing the proton by solvent molecules, as well as increasing the effective
      collision during the analyte ionization, thereby providing an analysis with more
      sensitivity, accuracy, and precision. To show the column efficiency, ethion and
      diazinon (organophosphorus pesticides) were selected as the test compounds and
      their solutions were analyzed by the proposed method. The amount of sorbent,
      carrier gas flow rate, and the sorbent temperature affecting the sorbent
      efficiency were optimized by employing the response surface methodology and the
      central composite design. The proposed method was exhaustively validated in terms
      of sensitivity, linearity, and repeatability. In particular, the feasibility of
      direct injection was successfully verified by the satisfactory results, as
      compared with those achieved without the prior column. The methodology used in
      this study is very simple and inexpensive, which can overcome the solvent
      interference when a solution is directly injected into the CD-IMS.

PMID- 28340749
TI  - Validation of a new method based on salting-out assisted liquid-liquid extraction
      and UHPLC-MS/MS for the determination of betalactam antibiotics in infant dairy
      products.
AB  - In this work a new multiresidue method has been developed for the determination
      of 15 betalactam antibiotics in infant milk and yogurt based on follow-on milk by
      ultra-high performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (UHPLC
      MS/MS). The separation was achieved in 6min, using a Kinetex Biphenyl Core-Shell
      column (50mmx2.1mm, 1.7um), with a mobile phase of water with 0.05% acetic acid
      and methanol. The analytes were detected in ESI+ with multiple reaction
      monitoring mode and fragmentation conditions were optimized to obtain the highest
      sensitivity. The use of a biphenyl bonded column allowed to obtain a satisfactory
      selectivity for all the studied analytes. Moreover, ion-pair salting-out assisted
      liquid-liquid extraction (IP-SALLE) has been proposed as sample treatment and
      optimized by means of experimental design. Under optimum conditions, the
      recoveries for fortified samples ranged from 79% to 93%, (RSD <7.5%). The limits
      of quantification were lower than 9.0ugkg-1, showing the high sensitivity and
      applicability of this fast and simple method. The results in terms of analysis
      time, sensitivity and accuracy showed the suitability of this procedure for the
      monitoring of betalactam residues in different infant foods.

PMID- 28340750
TI  - Elemental-tagged immunoassay combined with inductively coupled plasma mass
      spectrometry for the detection of tumor cells using a lead sulfide nanoparticle
      label.
AB  - This work reports an efficient, specific and sensitive immunoassay protocol for
      detection of tumor cells by using inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry
      (ICP-MS) with lead sulfide nanoparticles (PbS NPs) as the elemental tags. PbS NPs
      conjugated with anti-EpCAM target the HepG2 cells with high affinity and
      specificity. The conditions of the ICP-MS based immunoassay for the detection of
      HepG2 cells were carefully optimized, including the incubation time, the
      concentration of the labeling probe, and the elution conditions. Under the
      optimized conditions, the limit of detection of 282 HepG2 cells and the linear
      range of 800-40,000 were obtained, and the relative standard deviation for seven
      replicate determinations of 3000 HepG2 cells was 5.0%. The proposed method has
      numerous advantages, including ease of preparation, high sensitivity and
      selectivity. Importantly, this methodology could be extended to the detection of
      other cells based on their cellular biomarkers.

PMID- 28340751
TI  - Metal oxide-based dispersive solid-phase extraction coupled with mass
      spectrometry analysis for determination of ribose conjugates in human follicular
      fluid.
AB  - Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is the most common cause of anovulatory
      infertility. The pathogenesis of PCOS remains unclear and early diagnosis of PCOS
      is challenging. Follicular fluid provides a unique window in the critical
      processes during oocyte and follicular maturation, and the metabolic level of
      follicular fluid has important impact on the developmental potential of oocytes
      and subsequent embryos. Previous studies demonstrated some modified
      ribonucleosides in biological fluids were diseases related metabolites. In this
      respect, analysis of endogenous modified ribonucleosides in follicular fluids
      will facilitate the investigation of follicular development. Here, we developed a
      strategy for determination of ribose conjugates from follicular fluid using metal
      oxide-based dispersive solid-phase extraction (DSPE) coupled with liquid
      chromatography-multiple reaction monitoring-mass spectrometry analysis (DSPE-LC
      MRM-MS/MS). Cerium dioxide (CeO2) was used to selectively recognize and capture
      cis-diol containing ribose conjugates from complex biological samples under basic
      environment. The trapped ribose conjugates were then easily released under acidic
      environment. The results showed that 50 potential ribose conjugates were detected
      in follicular fluid by the developed DSPE-LC-MRM-MS/MS method. We then further
      investigated the contents change of the detected ribose conjugates in follicular
      fluid from PCOS patients. The results indicated that the follicular fluid from
      healthy controls and PCOS patients can be clearly differentiated with the partial
      least squares-discriminate analysis (PLS-DA) based on the detected ribose
      conjugates. In addition, the contents of 8 ribose conjugates were significantly
      different between PCOS patients and healthy controls, which could potentially
      serve as the indicator of PCOS.

PMID- 28340752
TI  - Highly sensitive ratiometric quantification of cyanide in water with gold
      nanoparticles via Resonance Rayleigh Scattering.
AB  - A highly sensitive and selective ratiometric sensor for the quantification of
      cyanide (CN-) in aqueous samples has been developed using spherical gold
      nanoparticles (AuNPs) stabilized by polysorbate 40 (PS-40). Three different AuNP
      sizes (14, 40 and 80nm mean diameters) were used to evaluate the response of the
      sensor using both colorimetric and Resonance Rayleigh Scattering (RRS) detection
      schemes. The best results were obtained for the sensor using 40nm AuNPs, for
      which the limits of detection (LODs) were found to be 100nmolL-1 in a benchtop
      instrument and 500nmolL-1 by the naked eye, values well below the maximum
      acceptable level for drinking water (1.9umolL-1) set by the World Health
      Organization (WHO). The practical use of the 40nm-AuNPs RRS sensor was
      demonstrated with the determination of CN- in drinking and fresh waters. Finally,
      the sensor was successfully implemented in a compact portable device consisting
      of two light-emitting diodes (LEDs) and a miniature spectrometer, turning this
      sensor into a very potent tool for its application as a quick routine field
      deployable analytical method.

PMID- 28340753
TI  - Fluorometric detection of cholesterol based on beta-cyclodextrin functionalized
      carbon quantum dots via competitive host-guest recognition.
AB  - A sensitive and selective fluorescent method for detection of cholesterol based
      on beta-cyclodextrin functionalized carbon quantum dots (beta-CD-CQD) nanoprobe
      through competitive host-guest recognition has been developed. The bright
      fluorescence of beta-CD-CQD nanoprobe can be effectively quenched by the
      introduction of a very small amount of p-nitrophenol, and strong quenching
      ability of p-nitrophenol to the probe was identified. This efficient fluorescence
      quenching as a static quenching is due to the formation of nonfluorescent complex
      between beta-CD-CQD and p-nitrophenol induced by host-guest interaction between
      them. Cholesterol, as a more suited guest molecule of beta-cyclodextrin, can form
      an inclusion complex with beta-cyclodextrin with a much greater binding constant
      than p-nitrophenol. As a result, the presence of cholesterol causes a replacement
      of guest molecule of beta-CD moiety in the probe through a competitive way, and
      the inclusion of cholesterol in the probe as the removal of p-nitropheonl induces
      significant fluorescence enhancement. The fluorescence recovery can be achieved
      by continuous addition of cholesterol. In terms of this relationship between
      enhanced fluorescence and concentration of cholesterol, a quantitative
      measurement for cholesterol based on beta-CD-CQD nanoprobe has been established.
      Under the optimized detection conditions, this method shows good analytical
      performance in detection of cholesterol with lowest detection limit of 0.7+/
      0.1uM and a relatively wide linear scope of 110uM. Specificity test and complex
      matrix test show that this method possesses excellent selectivity to cholesterol,
      and complex matrix such as serum does not exert apparent influence on the
      analytical performance, which enables its use in practical serum samples.

PMID- 28340754
TI  - An environmentally-friendly, highly efficient, gas pressure-assisted sample
      introduction system for ICP-MS and its application to detection of cadmium and
      lead in human plasma.
AB  - An environmentally friendly and highly efficient gas pressure-assisted sample
      introduction system (GPASIS) was developed for inductively-coupled plasma mass
      spectrometry. A GPASIS consisting of a gas-pressure control device, a customized
      nebulizer, and a custom-made spray chamber was fabricated. The advantages of this
      GPASIS derive from its high nebulization efficiencies, small sample volume
      requirements, low memory effects, good precision, and zero waste emission. A
      GPASIS can continuously, and stably, nebulize 10% NaCl solution for more than an
      hour without clogging. Sensitivity, detection limits, precision, long-term
      stability, double charge and oxide ion levels, nebulization efficiencies, and
      matrix effects of the sample introduction system were evaluated. Experimental
      results indicated that the performance of this GPASIS, was equivalent to, or
      better than, those obtained by conventional sample introduction systems. This
      GPASIS was successfully used to determine Cd and Pb by ICP-MS in human plasma.

PMID- 28340755
TI  - Single-molecule transformation and analysis of glutathione oxidized and reduced
      in nanopore.
AB  - The determination of glutathione reduced (GSH) or oxidized (GSSG) in bulk
      solution has been reported previously. However, it is critically important to set
      up a simple and label-free method to recognize GSSG and GSH selectively and
      dynamically, especially at a single-molecule level. Here we report a novel
      nanopore method to recognize GSSG based on a newly synthesized per-6-quaternary
      ammonium-beta-cyclodextrin (p-QABCD), which is used as both the molecular adaptor
      of protein nanopore and the recognizing element of GSSG. Distinct current
      signature is observed upon GSSG binding in a mutant protein nanopore (M113R RL2)7
      equipped with p-QABCD, while there is no signal for GSH. Thus GSSG in the mixture
      can be selectively detected in the concentration range of 6.00-90.0MUM.
      Furthermore, the conversion between GSH and GSSG both in bulk solution and in
      nanochannel can be continuously monitored in real time and in situ. The label
      free method provides a possibility to investigate enzymatic activity as well as
      its activators or inhibitors related to the transformation between GSH and GSSG.

PMID- 28340756
TI  - Simultaneous quantification of iodine and high valent metals via ICP-MS under
      acidic conditions in complex matrices.
AB  - The determination of iodine as a main fission product (especially the isotopes I
      129 and I-131) of stored HLW in a disposal beside its distribution as a natural
      ingredient of many different products like milk, food and seawater is a matter of
      particular interest. The simultaneous ICP-MS determination of iodine as iodide
      together with other elements (especially higher valent metal ions) relevant for
      HLW is analytically very problematic. A reliable ICP-MS quantification of iodide
      must be performed at neutral or alkaline conditions in contrast to the analysis
      of metal ions which are determined in acidic pH ranges. Herein, we present a
      method to solve this problem by changing the iodine speciation resulting in an
      ICP-MS determination of iodide as iodate. The oxidation from iodide to iodate
      with sodium hypochlorite at room temperature is a fast and convenient method with
      flexible reaction time, from one hour up to three days, thus eliminating the
      disadvantages of quantifying iodine species via ICP-MS. In the analysed
      concentration range of iodine (0.1-100ugL-1) we obtain likely quantitative
      recovery rates for iodine between 91% and 102% as well as relatively low RSD
      values (0.3-4.0%). As an additional result, it is possible to measure different
      other element species in parallel together with the generated iodate, even high
      valent metals (europium and uranium beside caesium) at recovery rates in the same
      order of magnitude (93-104%). In addition, the oxidation process operates above
      pH 7 thus offering a wide pH range for sample preparation. Even analytes in
      complex matrices, like 5M saline (NaCl) solution or artificial cement pore water
      (ACW) can be quantified with this robust sample preparation method.

PMID- 28340757
TI  - Corrigendum to "Ordered titanium templates functionalized by gold films for
      biosensing applications - Towards non-enzymatic glucose detection" [Talanta 166
      (2017) 207-214].

PMID- 28340759
TI  - A label-free and universal platform for antibiotics detection based on microchip
      electrophoresis using aptamer probes.
AB  - A novel label-free, universal, and high throughput aptasensor was developed based
      on a microchip electrophoresis (MCE) platform for automatic detection of
      antibiotic residues in food. Firstly, chloramphenicol (CAP) was employed as a
      model to be captured by its aptamer probe (Apt). Then, the partial complementary
      oligonucleotide of CAP's aptamer (C-DNA) was introduced into the reaction system.
      Because the Apt-CAP complex can't further hybrid with free C-DNA, the amount of
      hybrid Apt-C-DNA double strand DNA (dsDNA) was less than that without adding the
      target. Finally, the above mixture was introduced into the microchip
      electrophoresis (MCE) platform for detection, both dsDNA and Apt-CAP can be
      separated and produce different fluorescence signals in the MCE. In a certain
      concentration range, the ratio of signal between dsDNA and Apt-CAP (IdsDNA/I Apt
      CAP) was proportional to the concentration of targets. Under the optimum
      conditions, the ratio showed a satisfactory linearity range from 0.008 to 1ng/mL
      of CAP with a detection limit of 0.003ng/mL. Thus, a universal MCE-based assay
      was developed for quantifying CAP automatically. The method was also successfully
      applied in the different food samples for CAP detection, which showed a good
      recovery (Milk: 91.1-108%, Fish: 86.1-114%) and the results were consistent with
      that of ELISA. This method owned many merits as follows: firstly, MCE was a high
      throughput screening platform and the detection time is limited to 3min for each
      sample. Secondly, the aptamer probes can be directly used for detection without
      labeling any signal tag which can facilitate the preparation procedures of
      probes. Thirdly, the operation was easy just by the following steps: firstly, the
      mixture of aptamer probes were incubated followed adding C-DNA; then measurement
      was performed. Moreover, the assay with MCE platform can be used to detect other
      targets just by changing the corresponding aptamer probe; it can even realize
      simultaneous detection when the targets have aptamers with different number of
      base pairs. Above all, it's a high- throughput and prospective method which can
      be applied in high throughput screening of antibiotics in food safety.

PMID- 28340758
TI  - Versatile magnetic carbon nanotubes for sampling and pre concentration of
      pesticides in environmental water.
AB  - This article describes a simple, efficient, and versatile magnetic carbon
      nanotubes (MCNT) method for sampling and pre-concentration of pesticides in
      environmental water samples. The multi-walled magnetic carbon nanotubes were
      obtained by chemical deposition vapor (CVD) process. The MCNTs structures are
      formed of hydrophobic and hydrophilic fractions that provide great dispersion at
      any water matrix allowing simultaneously a high efficiency of pesticides
      sorption. Following the extraction, analytes were desorbed with minor amounts of
      solvent and analyzed by gas chromatography coupled mass spectrometry (GC/MS). The
      parameters amount of MCNTs used to extraction, desorption time, and desorption
      temperature were optimized. The method showed good linearity with determination
      coefficients between 0.9040 and 0.9733. The limits of detection and
      quantification were ranged between 0.51 and 2.29ugL-1 and between 1.19 and
      5.35ugL-1 respectively. The recovery ranged from 79.9% to 111.6%. The method was
      applied to the determination of fifteen multiclass pesticides in real samples of
      environmental water collected in Minas Gerais, Brazil.

PMID- 28340760
TI  - Tetraphenylethene derivative modified DNA oligonucleotide for in situ potassium
      ion detection and imaging in living cells.
AB  - The monitoring of K+ is very important and emergency because of their unique
      relationship in various disease diagnosis and treatment. G-quadruplex analogue is
      a classical recognition unit for K+ detection and has been widely applied in K+
      relevant research. Common fluorescent dyes were employed for design of G
      quadruplex structure-based K+ probes which suffered from the aggregation-caused
      quenching effect, and possibly limited the biological applications in living
      systems. Herein, we report an aggregation-induced emission (AIE) effect-based
      fluorescent probe for cellular K+ analysis and imaging. Benefitting from the K+
      triggered AIE phenomenon, the designed TPE derivative modified guanine (G)-rich
      oligonucleotide fluorescent probe (TPE-oligonucleotide probe) exhibits high
      sensitivity (~10-fold higher than most reported G-quadruplex-based probes) with
      extended photostability which facilitates the prolonged fluorescence observations
      of K+ in living cells. On the basis of these advantages, the TPE-oligonucleotide
      probe serves as a promising candidate for the functional study and analysis of
      K+.

PMID- 28340761
TI  - Synchronous fluorescence spectroscopy for determination of tahini adulteration.
AB  - In this study, a quick and simple method was developed for detection of tahini
      adulteration with sunflower oil. The synchronous fluorescence spectroscopy (SFS)
      data of oil samples were collected by scanning the excitation and emission
      monochromators simultaneously with 20, 40, 60 and 80nm wavelength intervals
      within the range of 250-600nm. Three different multivariate calibration methods,
      namely partial least squares (PLS) analysis, principal component regression
      (PCR), and multiple linear regression (MLR) were used for data analysis.
      Wavelength selection feature of the chemometric software was also used in order
      to determine the optimum range of each dataset collected at 20, 40, 60 and 80nm
      wavelength intervals. All regression methods with and without wavelength
      selection mode were applied to these each dataset individually. Application of
      wavelength selection mode adversely affected the root mean square error of cross
      validation (RMSECV) and root mean square error of prediction (RMSEP) values and
      other quality parameters of all calibration and validation models which were
      built by using each dataset collected at 20, 40, 60 and 80nm wavelength
      intervals. Taking all parameters into consideration, the best results were
      obtained through the application of PLS analysis without wavelength selection
      mode on the SFS data collected at all wavelength intervals. The lowest detection
      limits of adulteration, 0.09% and 0.15% were obtained through the use of 40 and
      80nm as wavelength intervals, respectively. RMSECV and RMSEP values were
      calculated as 0.74 and 1.26 for 40nm, and 0.65 and 0.81 for 80nm wavelength
      intervals.

PMID- 28340762
TI  - Reference-free spectroscopic determination of fat and protein in milk in the
      visible and near infrared region below 1000nm using spatially resolved diffuse
      reflectance fiber probe.
AB  - New technique of diffuse reflectance spectroscopic analysis of milk fat and total
      protein content in the visible (Vis) and adjacent near infrared (NIR) region (400
      995nm) has been developed and tested. Sample analysis was performed through a
      probe having eight 200-um fiber channels forming a linear array. One of the end
      fibers was used for the illumination and other seven - for the spectroscopic
      detection of diffusely reflected light. One of the detection channels was used as
      a reference to normalize the spectra and to convert them into absorbance
      equivalent units. The method has been tested experimentally using a designed
      sample set prepared from industrial raw milk standards with widely varying fat
      and protein content. To increase the modelling robustness all milk samples were
      measured in three different homogenization degrees. Comprehensive data analysis
      has shown the advantage of combining both spectral and spatial resolution in the
      same measurement and revealed the most relevant channels and wavelength regions.
      The modelling accuracy was further improved using joint variable selection and
      preprocessing optimization method based on the genetic algorithm. The root mean
      square errors of different validation methods were below 0.10% for fat and below
      0.08% for total protein content. Based on the present experimental data, it was
      computationally shown that the full-spectrum analysis in this method can be
      replaced by a sensor measurement at several specific wavelengths, for instance,
      using light-emitting diodes (LEDs) for illumination. Two optimal sensor
      configurations have been suggested: with nine LEDs for the analysis of fat and
      seven - for protein content. Both simulated sensors exhibit nearly the same
      component determination accuracy as corresponding full-spectrum analysis.

PMID- 28340763
TI  - A preconcentrator-separator two-in-one online system for polycyclic aromatic
      hydrocarbons analysis.
AB  - A novel preconcentrator-separator two-in-one online system has been developed for
      the online analysis of trace amounts of four polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons
      (PAHs) in tea samples. A micro-preconcentrator unit of zeolite imidazolate
      framework-8-poly(vinyl alcohol) cryogel (ZIF-8-PVA cryogel) and a micro
      separation unit of multiwalled carbon nanotubes-poly(vinyl alcohol) cryogel
      (MWCNTs-PVA cryogel) were fabricated onto an acrylic plate. The eluent from this
      two-in-one system flowed directly to an on-column UV-visible detector. Under
      optimum conditions, the system provided a wide linear range from 0.10ugL-1 to
      2.00mgL-1 for benzo(a)anthracene (BaA) and chrysene (Chry), 0.15ugL-1 to 3.00mgL
      1 for benzo(a)pyrene (BaP) and 0.20ugL-1 to 5.00mgL-1 for benzo(b)fluoranthene
      (BbF). The limits of detection were 0.05ugL-1 of both BaA and Chry, 0.10ugL-1 of
      BaP and 0.20ugL-1 of BbF. This two-in-one system was cost-effective, easy to
      prepare, had excellent stability for up to 417 consecutive injection cycles and
      provided a good system-to-system reproducibility (n=6) with a relative standard
      deviation of less than 4%. The system was successfully applied to detect PAHs in
      tea samples. The concentrations of BaA, Chry, BaP and BbF in seven tea samples
      were found in the range of non-detectable 2.73+/-0.07mgL-1 with good recoveries
      of 83+/-6 to 108+/-4%. In addition, it can be easily applied for the detection of
      other aromatic compounds in contaminated water samples.

PMID- 28340764
TI  - Revisiting the fission track method for the analysis of particles in safeguards
      environmental samples.
AB  - This paper details an improved approach to environmental particle analysis for
      safeguards by means of a combination of an upgraded version of the so-called
      fission track method with state-of-the-art microscope and microprobe techniques.
      Improvements to the fission track method comprise a novel sample assembly, the
      automation of several of its steps and the extensive use of correlative
      microscopy. This is followed by an automated isolation of particles-of-interest
      by means of laser micro-dissection (LMD) and their collection onto a harvester
      for transfer to other micro-analytical instruments for further analysis. The
      samples examined in this contribution were analysed for their nuclear material
      signatures, in particular the presence of uranium isotopes. The length of a
      single analysis cycle herewith was reduced to 12 days.

PMID- 28340765
TI  - Detection of trace levels of organophosphate pesticides using an electronic
      tongue based on graphene hybrid nanocomposites.
AB  - Organophosphate (OP) compounds impose significant strains on public health,
      environmental/food safety and homeland security, once they have been widely used
      as pesticides and insecticides and also display potential to be employed as
      chemical warfare agents by terrorists. In this context, the development of
      sensitive and reliable chemical sensors that would allow in-situ measurements of
      such contaminants is highly pursued. Here we report on a free-enzyme impedimetric
      electronic tongue (e-tongue) used in the analysis of organophosphate pesticides
      comprising four sensing units based on graphene hybrid nanocomposites. The
      nanocomposites were prepared by reduction of graphene oxide in the presence of
      conducting polymers (PEDOT:PSS and polypyrrole) and gold nanoparticles (AuNPs),
      which were deposited by drop casting onto gold interdigitated electrodes.
      Impedance spectroscopy measurements were collected in triplicate for each sample
      analyzed, and the electrical resistance data were treated by Principal Component
      Analysis (PCA), revealing that the system was able to discriminate OPs at
      nanomolar concentrations. In addition, the electronic tongue system could detect
      OPs in real samples, where relations between the principal components and the
      variation of pesticides in a mixture were established, proving to be useful to
      analyze and monitor mixtures of OP pesticides. The materials employed provided
      sensing units with high specific surface area and high conductivity, yielding the
      development of a sensor with suitable stability, good reproducibility, and high
      sensitivity towards pesticide samples, being able to discriminate concentrations
      as low as 0.1nmolL-1. Our results indicate that the e-tongue system can be used
      as a rapid, simple and low cost alternative in the analyses of OPs pesticide
      solutions below the concentration range permitted by legislation of some
      countries.

PMID- 28340766
TI  - Flower-like MoS2 decorated with Cu2O nanoparticles for non-enzymatic amperometric
      sensing of glucose.
AB  - In this study, a novel nanohybrid consisting of flower-like MoS2 decorated with
      Cu2O nanoparticles has been successfully synthesized for non-enzymatic
      amperometric sensing of glucose. Structural characterizations revealed that Cu2O
      nanoparticles were highly dispersed on MoS2 nanosheets. Electrochemical
      performances were investigated by cyclic voltammetry (CV) and chronoamperometry.
      Compared to single Cu2O component, the-synthesized Cu2O/MoS2 nanohybrid showed
      superior electrocatalysis to the oxidation of glucose. The fabricated non
      enzymatic amperometric glucose sensor exhibited a wide linear range from 0.01 to
      4.0mM with a low detection limit of 1.0uM (S/N =3) and a high sensitivity of
      3108.87MUAmM-1cm-2. Meanwhile, the non-enzymatic sensor also possesses
      satisfactory stability, good reproducibility and high selectivity to interfering
      components of uric acid, dopamine and ascorbic acid. The excellent analytical
      performances are resulted from the synergistic effect provided by the Cu2O
      nanoparticals and MoS2 nanosheets.

PMID- 28340767
TI  - Lectin functionalized ZnO nanoarrays as a 3D nano-biointerface for bacterial
      detection.
AB  - The detection of pathogenic bacteria is essential in various fields, such as food
      safety, water environmental analysis, or clinical diagnosis. Although rapid and
      selective techniques have been achieved based on the fast and specific binding of
      recognitions elements and target, the sensitive detection of bacterial pathogens
      was limited by their low targets-binding efficiency. The three-dimensional (3D)
      nano-biointerface, compared with the two-dimensional (2D) flat substrate, has a
      much higher binding capacity, which can offer more reactive sites to bind with
      bacterial targets, resulting in a great improvement of detection sensitivity.
      Herein, a lectin functionalized ZnO nanorod (ZnO-NR) array has been fabricated
      and employed as a 3D nano-biointerface for Escherichia coli (E. coli) capture and
      detection by multivalent binding of concanavalin A (ConA) with polysaccharides on
      the cellular surface of E. coli. The 3D lectin functionalized ZnO-NR array-based
      assay shows reasonable detection limit and efficiently expanded linear range
      (1.0*103 to 1.0*107 cfumL-1) for pathogen detection. The platform has a potential
      for further applications and provides an excellent sensitivity approach for
      detection of pathogenic bacteria.

PMID- 28340768
TI  - SiO2-coated magnetic graphene oxide modified with polypyrrole-polythiophene: A
      novel and efficient nanocomposite for solid phase extraction of trace amounts of
      heavy metals.
AB  - The synthesis of a novel nanocomposite comprised of SiO2-coated magnetic graphene
      oxide modified with a pyrrole-thiophene (mGO/SiO2@coPPy-Th) copolymer is reported
      in the present work. The nanocomposite was applied for the fast magnetic solid
      phase extraction (MSPE) of trace levels of copper, lead, chromium, zinc and
      cadmium from water and agricultural samples. The nanocomposite was prepared in
      three steps: (1) decoration of graphene oxide sheets with magnetite nanoparticles
      thorough a facile one-step chemical reaction strategy; (2) chemical grafting by a
      silica layer to obtain high stability in acidic solutions; and (3) surface
      modification by coPPy-Th via simultaneous oxidation polymerization of pyrrole and
      thiophene in the presence of mGO/SiO2 composite. The nanocomposite was
      subsequently characterized by transmission electron microscopy (TEM), scanning
      electron microscopy (SEM), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), X-ray
      powder diffraction (XRD) and vibrating sample magnetometry (VSM) techniques.
      Several important experimental variables that could affect MSPE performance,
      including the pH of the sample, sorption time, sorbent dosage, eluent type and
      its concentration, eluent volume and elution time, were investigated and
      optimized. Under optimal conditions, the limits of detection for the target heavy
      metals ranged from 0.15 to 0.65MUgL-1. The maximum sorption capacity of the
      mGO/SiO2@coPPy-Th nanocomposite was 201, 230, 125, 98 and 80mgg-1 for Cu(II),
      Pb(II), Zn(II), Cr(III) and Cd(II), respectively. Finally, the feasibility of the
      proposed method was investigated for the extraction and determination of the
      target metals from real matrices.

PMID- 28340769
TI  - Development of a nano-SiO2 based enzyme-linked ligand binding assay for the
      determination of ibuprofen in human urine.
AB  - The application domains of classic enzyme-linked ligand binding assay (ELBA) is
      relatively narrow due to the high cost and hardly available binding receptor. In
      here, we described for the first time the possibility of developing a new ELBA
      based on silica nanoparticles (nano-SiO2) to assess the ibuprofen in human urine.
      Nano-SiO2 with a large surface area was introduced as stationary phase to improve
      the analytical performance. In the experiment, a competitively binding procedure
      with human serum albumin (HSA) was performed between the ibuprofen presented in
      sample and horseradish peroxidase labeled ibuprofen (HRP-ibuprofen) subsequently
      added. After centrifugal separation, the HRP/ibuprofen/nano-SiO2 composite
      catalyzed the substrate solution (TMB/H2O2) with a color change from colorless to
      yellow for quantitative measurement via an ultraviolet spectrophotometer. As a
      validation of the new principle, the developed nano-ELBA method was applied in
      the determination of ibuprofen excreted in human urine with excellent
      performance. This detection range only depends on the solubility of ligand and
      sensitivity of UV spectrophotometer. Our results indicate that this new method
      demonstrated to be able to rapidly and adequately determine the concentration of
      components in biological samples and advocate its effectiveness for various
      applications.

PMID- 28340770
TI  - A novel polyaniline/polypyrrole/graphene oxide fiber for the determination of
      volatile organic compounds in headspace gas of lung cell lines.
AB  - Exploration of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) generated by lung cell lines is
      a powerful and non-invasive tool for the detection of potential volatile
      biomarkers of lung cancer. In this study, a simple and sensitive solid phase
      microextraction-gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (SPME-GC-MS) method was
      developed for the determination of VOCs in the headspace gas of lung cell lines.
      For the purpose of preconcentration, a novel polyaniline/polypyrrole/graphene
      oxide (PANI/PPy/GO) coating was prepared on the surface of stainless steel fiber
      via in-situ electrochemical deposition for the first time. The characteristic
      properties of the coating were studied and the results revealed that the coating
      possessed large surface area, high extraction efficiency, excellent thermal and
      mechanical stability as well as long lifespan. Some parameters affecting the
      extraction efficiency such as synthesis conditions, extraction and desorption
      conditions were optimized. Under the optimal conditions, the method displayed
      relatively wide linear range (three or four orders of magnitude) with correlation
      coefficients above 0.9916. Low detection limits from 1.0 to 12ngL-1 were
      obtained. Relative standard deviations ranged from 1.2% to 18.0% indicating good
      repeatability and reproducibility of the method. This method has been
      successfully applied to analyze VOCs in the headspace gas of lung adenocarcinoma
      epithelial cell line (A549) and human embryonic fibroblast cell line (MRC-5).

PMID- 28340771
TI  - A DNAzyme sensor based on target-catalyzed hairpin assembly for enzyme-free and
      non-label single nucleotide polymorphism genotyping.
AB  - Single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) are widely existed in human genome and
      associated with many diseases. Traditional PCR-based methods for SNP genotyping
      require protein enzyme, precise control of temperature and removal of resultant
      products, making the whole process labor intensive and time consuming. Although G
      quadruplex DNAzyme-based assays provide many advantages over traditional
      approaches, the relatively low catalytic activity of DNAzyme becomes an
      unfavorable factor in its application process. Therefore, amplification of
      DNAzyme for further determination is of great desire in bioanalysis. In this
      work, we have developed an enzyme-free and non-label DNAzyme sensor for SNP
      genotyping based on target-catalyzed hairpin assembly (CHA) for DNAzyme
      amplification. The proposed sensor, carried out on microfluidic chemiluminescence
      (CL) assay, can sensitively discriminate rs242557 hotspot-SNP, the A/G single
      nucleotide variation on human chromosome associated with Alzheimer's disease,
      with an absolute detection limit of 0.3 fmol.

PMID- 28340772
TI  - Vanadium-doped tin oxide porous nanofibers: Enhanced responsivity for hydrogen
      detection.
AB  - Vanadium (V)-doped tin oxide (SnO2) one-dimensional porous nanofibers (PNFs) were
      fabricated for the hydrogen detection application. V-doping changes the distances
      of different facets of the SnO2 crystal in different roles, and therefore deform
      or distort the SnO2 structure. The modulation effects of V4+ and V5+ on hydrogen
      detecting performance were discussed. With a suitable amount of V-doping, the
      porous SnO2 nanofibers exhibits ~66% increase of response sensitivity, 33% faster
      in response (2s) and 50% faster in recovery time (1s), comparing with undoped
      SnO2 nanofibers.

PMID- 28340773
TI  - Label-free molecular beacons-based cascade amplification DNA machine for
      sensitive detection of telomerase activity.
AB  - Sensitive detection of telomerase activity is critical to cancer diagnosis,
      screening of anticancer drugs and evaluation of cancer therapy. Herein, a label
      free molecular beacons-based DNA machine was developed for sensitive detection of
      telomerase activity. The DNA machine consisted of T7 exonuclease (T7 Exo), label
      free recognition molecular beacon (RMB) and signal molecular beacon (SMB) with
      projecting 5'-terminuses, which can protect RMB and SMB from being digested by T7
      Exo. Firstly, telomerase elongated telomerase substrate (TS) primer, generating a
      telomerase elongation production (TEP) with tandem repeats (TTAGGG)n. Next, TEP
      activated the DNA machine by hybridizing with RMB, unfolding RMB with a recessed
      5'-terminus, making RMB deprotection from T7 Exo. Then T7 Exo-assisted cycling
      cleavage was incurred, releasing intact TEP and numerous DNA fragments (trigger
      DNA), which got recycling I. Subsequently, trigger DNA specifically opened SMB
      and was recycled by T7 Exo, liberating multiple G-quadruplex (G4) structures,
      which got recycling II. Finally, TEP and the liberative G4 structures strongly
      interacted with N-methyl-mesoporphyrin IX (NMM), yielding a significantly
      enhanced fluorescence together. In this way, per telomerase-mediated elongation
      event was efficiently converted into the greatly amplified fluorescence signals.
      Telomerase activity in crude HeLa cells extracts equivalent to 50 cells/mL was
      successfully measured with a linear range from 50 cells/mL to 2000 cells/mL.
      Besides, the strategy was also successfully used to assay the inhibition effect
      of a telomerase-inhibiting drug, demonstrating the strategy holds the potential
      to screen telomerase inhibitors.

PMID- 28340774
TI  - Rapid micromotor-based naked-eye immunoassay.
AB  - A dynamic micromotor-based immunoassay, exemplified by cortisol detection, based
      on the use of tubular micromotors functionalized with a specific antibody is
      described. The use of antibody-functionalized micromotors offers huge
      acceleration of both direct and competitive cortisol immunoassays, along with
      greatly enhanced sensitivity of direct and competitive immunoassays. The
      dramatically improved speed and sensitivity reflect the greatly increased
      likelihood of antibody-cortisol contacts and fluid mixing associated with the
      dynamic movement of these microtube motors and corresponding bubble generation
      that lead to a highly efficient and rapid recognition process. Rapid naked-eye
      detection of cortisol in the sample is achieved in connection to use of
      horseradish peroxidase (HRP) tag and TMB/H2O2 system. Key parameters of the
      competitive immunoassay (e.g., incubation time and reaction volume) were
      optimized. This fast visual micromotor-based sensing approach enables "on the
      move" specific detection of the target cortisol down to 0.1MUgmL-1 in just 2min,
      using ultrasmall (50uL) sample volumes.

PMID- 28340775
TI  - Quantification of 226Ra at environmental relevant levels in natural waters by ICP
      MS: Optimization, validation and limitations of an extraction and
      preconcentration approach.
AB  - Radium (Ra) at environmental relevant levels in natural waters was determined by
      ICP-MS after an off-line pre-concentration procedure. The latter consisted of Ra
      selective elution from potential interfering elements (i.e. other alkaline earth
      cations: Ba2+, Sr2+, Ca2+, Mg2+) on a series of two different ion exchange resins
      (AG50W-X8 and Sr-resin). The overall analytical method was optimized according to
      the instrumental performance, the volume of water sample loaded on resins, and
      the sample salinity. Longer acquisition time (up to 150 s) was required to ensure
      stable measurement of Ra by ICP-MS at ultra trace level (1.0pgL-1). For a
      synthetic groundwater spiked with Ra at 10.0pgL-1, the analytical procedure
      demonstrated efficient separation of the analyte from its potential interfering
      elements and a complete recovery, independent of the sample volume tested from 10
      up to 100mL. For synthetic seawater spiked at a level of 10.0pgL-1 of Ra, the
      total load of salts on the two resins should not exceed 0.35g in order to ensure
      a complete separation and recovery of Ra. The method was validated on natural
      waters (i.e. groundwater, freshwater and seawater samples) spiked with Ra at
      different levels (0.0, 0.5, 1.0 and 5.0pgL-1). Absolute Ra detection limits were
      determined at 0.020pgL-1 (0.73mBqL-1) and 0.12pgL-1 (4.4mBqL-1) respectively for
      60.0mL of freshwater sample and for 10.0mL of seawater.

PMID- 28340776
TI  - Amperometric indicator displacement assay for biomarker monitoring: Indirectly
      sensing strategy for electrochemically inactive sarcosine.
AB  - Indicator displacement assay plays a fundamental role in the development of
      chemosensors. We explored here an ingenious yet effective strategy for
      amperometric assay of electrochemically inactive sarcosine based on an indicator
      displacement principle, in which 1,2-naphthoquinone-4-sulphonic acid sodium salt
      (NQS) was proposed as the receptor and the electroactive Ru(NH3)63+ cations used
      as an indicator. Due to the stronger binding affinity of the NQS toward sarcosine
      than toward Ru(NH3)63+, the developed amperometric indicator displacement assay
      (A-IDA) exhibits high selectivity and excellent sensitivity toward sarcosine
      determination as well as with a lower detection limit (30.00nM, S/N =3).

PMID- 28340777
TI  - Taylor dispersion analysis, resonant mass measurement and bioactivity of pepsin
      coated gold nanoparticles.
AB  - Immobilized enzyme reactors based on nanoparticulate carriers are becoming
      increasingly popular. A toolbox of methods is usually utilized for their
      characterization in order to be capable of assessing their suitability for the
      intended purpose. In this work, as a model system pepsin was conjugated to gold
      nanoparticles (GNPs) by a straightforward adsorptive immobilization process. The
      success of the immobilization procedure was monitored by Vis spectroscopy via
      shifts of the localized surface plasmon resonance (LSPR) band, size
      characterization by dynamic light scattering (DLS), and zeta-potential
      determinations by electrophoretic light scattering. DLS revealed a significantly
      different hydrodynamic diameter for unmodified GNPs and protein-coated GNPs.
      However, the hydrodynamic diameters of pepsin-coated GNPs obtained with various
      concentrations of pepsin in the coating solution were not significantly
      different. In contrast, Taylor dispersion analysis allowed measuring the slight
      differences in the hydrodynamic radius. It provided also information on the
      viscosity of GNP suspensions and diffusion coefficients for the various
      pepsin@GNP preparations. For the determination of the pepsin surface coverage on
      the GNPs results from indirect protein quantitation of non-immobilized pepsin by
      Lowry assay were compared to direct measurement of immobilized pepsin by resonant
      mass measurements. Reasonable agreement was found. Accurate information on enzyme
      coverage is of utmost importance for a representative comparison of the turnover
      numbers and catalytic efficiencies of nanoparticulate immobilized enzyme
      reactors, which is shown by the adsorptively immobilized pepsin@GNP as model
      system.

PMID- 28340778
TI  - Aging of paper - Ultra-fast quantification of 2,5-dihydroxyacetophenone, as a key
      chromophore in cellulosics, by reactive paper spray-mass spectrometry.
AB  - The detection of individual chromophores that contribute to the overall
      discoloration of paper or pulp ("yellowing") is a challenge because these
      substances are only present in extremely small amounts (ppm to ppb range). In
      this work, paper spray (PS) coupled with mass spectrometry was used to detect a
      low-concentrated cellulosic key-chromophore, 2,5-dihydroxyacetophenone (DHAP).
      Sensitivity was enhanced by derivatization with Girard's reagent T (GT). DHAP was
      successfully detected in historic paper samples and also was applied to model
      papers in order to investigate different factors that influence its generation:
      temperature, time, relative humidity, and the presence of iron ions, by means of
      a full factorial design. The main factors, temperature and relative humidity,
      have the most impact on the generation of DHAP, but the interactions between the
      factors are also significant and are therefore important for the degradation
      process. The historical papers containing DHAP were then compared to the
      artificially aged samples. The results were confirmed by independent, accurate
      mass measurements.

PMID- 28340779
TI  - A fluorescent probe based upon anthrancene-dopamine thioether for imaging Hg2+
      ions in living cells.
AB  - A novel anthrancene-dopamine thioether L compound was designed as fluorescent
      probe for detecting Hg2+ in living cells sample. L exhibits a good sensitive and
      selective recognition towards Hg2+ ions in the presence of other important
      relevant metal ions and amino acids in HEPES solution. The addition of Hg2+
      causes a marked enhancement in the fluorescence emission intensity with the
      detection limit as low as 1.1*10-6M, combining with obvious colormetric change
      from colorless to pale brown. Mechanistic studies show that catechol group and
      sulfur atom in L all participate in the coordination with Hg2+, though catechol
      group contributes mainly to chelation-enhanced fluorescence enhancement and
      sulfur atom to selectivity. Furthermore, L demonstrates good cell permeability
      and compatibility for sensitive fluorescent detection of Hg2+ in HepG2 cells.
      This present probe will have broad applications in biological imaging.

PMID- 28340780
TI  - Development of a robust, fast screening method for the potentiometric
      determination of iodide in urine and salt samples.
AB  - In this work, a potentiometric flow injection method is described for the fast bi
      parametric determination of iodide and iodate in urine and salt samples. The
      developed methodology aimed for iodine speciation with a potentially portable
      system (running on batteries). The iodate reduction to iodide was effectively
      attained in line within the same manifold. The iodide determination was
      accomplished in the dynamic range of 2.50*10-6-1.00*10-3M and the total iodine
      dynamic range, resulted from iodide plus iodate, was 3.50*10-6-2.00*10-3M. The
      calculated limits of detection were 1.39*10-6M and 1.77*10-6M for iodide and
      iodate, respectively. A determination rate of 21h-1 for the bi-parametric iodide
      and iodate determination was obtained for sample injection. The urine samples
      (RSD <5.8% for iodide and RSD <7.0% for iodate) results were in agreement with
      those obtained by the classic Sandell-Kolthoff reaction colorimetric reference
      procedure (RD <7.0%) and standard samples from Centers for Disease Control and
      Prevention, Atlanta, USA (CDC) international inter-laboratory EQUIP program. The
      developed flow method was also successfully applied to the iodide and iodate
      determination in salt samples (RSD <3.1% for iodate and iodide), with comparable
      results to conventional procedures. No significant interferences were observed
      interference percentage <9% for both determinations.

PMID- 28340781
TI  - Use of multiresponse statistical techniques to optimize the separation of
      diosmin, hesperidin, diosmetin and hesperitin in different pharmaceutical
      preparations by high performance liquid chromatography with UV-DAD.
AB  - A new method for the separation and determination of four flavonoids: hesperidin
      (HES), diosmin (DIO), hesperitin (HTIN), and diosmetin (DTIN) in pure form and
      pharmaceutical formulations has been developed by using high performance liquid
      chromatography (HPLC) with UV-DAD detection. Multivariate statistics (2k full
      factorial and Box Behnken Designs) has been used for the multiresponse
      optimization of the chromatographic separation, which was completed in 22min, and
      carried out on a symmetry(r) C18 column (250*3mm; 5um) as stationary phase.
      Separation was conducted by gradient elution mode using a mixture of methanol,
      acetonitrile and water pH: 2.5 (CH3COOH), as mobile phase. Analytes were
      separated setting the column at 22 degrees C, with a flow rate of 0.58mLmin-1 and
      detected at 285nm. Under the optimized conditions, the flavonoids showed
      retention times of: 8.62, 11.53, 18.55 and 19.94min for HES, DIO, HTIN and DTIN,
      respectively. Limits of detection and quantification were <0.0156ugmL-1 and
      <0.100ugmL-1, respectively. Linearity was achieved with good correlation
      coefficients values (r2=0.999; n=5). Intra-day and inter-day precision were found
      to be less than 3.44% (n=7). Finally, the proposed method was successfully
      applied to determine the target flavonoids in pharmaceutical preparations with
      satisfactory recoveries (between 95.2% and 107.9%), demonstrating that should
      also find application in the quality control, as well as in the pharmacokinetic
      studies of these drugs.

PMID- 28340782
TI  - Microsequential injection lab-on-valve system for the spectrophotometric bi
      parametric determination of iron and copper in natural waters.
AB  - The determination of iron and copper exploiting a microsequential injection lab
      on-valve system with online spectrophotometric detection is described. A new,
      environmental friendly 3-hydroxy-4-pyridinone chelator, functionalized with a
      polyethylene glycol chain (MRB12) to improve water solubility, was used for iron
      determination. For copper determination, 1-(2-pyridylazo)-2-naphthol (PAN) was
      used. Different parameters affecting the formation of the complexes were studied,
      namely sample volume, reagent concentration, and buffer composition and
      concentration. The optimized conditions, 150uL of sample volume and 250mgL-1 of
      MRB12 for iron determination, and 200uL of sample and 120mgL-1 of PAN for copper
      determination, enabled an LOD of 15 and 18ugL-1 for iron and copper,
      respectively. The robustness of the developed procedure was assessed by the
      calculation of the relative standard deviation (RSD), 5% for iron determination
      and 2% for copper determination. The accuracy of the method was assessed
      comparing the results with two certified samples (RD<7.5%) and calculating
      recovery percentages with five river water samples (average<107%).

PMID- 28340783
TI  - Automated sugaring-out liquid-liquid extraction based on flow system coupled with
      HPLC-UV for the determination of procainamide in urine.
AB  - A fully automated sugaring-out assisted liquid-liquid extraction procedure was
      suggested. The procedure was based on the separation of the acetonitrile phase,
      containing a target analyte from the homogeneous sample solution after injection
      of sugaring-out reagent (glucose) into a mixing chamber of the flow system. Air
      bubbling was used to promote the extraction process and phase separation. After
      the fast phase separation in the mixing chamber, the acetonitrile phase
      containing the target analyte was transferred to an HPLC-UV system. Under the
      optimal conditions, the detector response of procainamide was linear in the
      concentration range of 6*10-7-4*10-5molL-1. The limit of detection, calculated
      from a blank test based on 3sigma, was 2*10-7molL-1. The proposed method was
      successfully applied for the determination of procainamide in human urine samples
      and the analytical results agreed fairly well with the results obtained by
      reference CE method.

PMID- 28340784
TI  - Separation of 20 coumarin derivatives using the capillary electrophoresis method
      optimized by a series of Doehlert experimental designs.
AB  - The aim of this study was to develop the first CE-based method enabling
      separation of 20 structurally similar coumarin derivatives. To facilitate method
      optimization a series of three consequent Doehlert experimental designs with the
      response surface methodology was employed, using number of peaks and the adjusted
      time of analysis as the selected responses. Initially, three variables were
      examined: buffer pH, ionic strength and temperature (No. 1 Doehlert design). The
      optimal conditions provided only partial separation, on that account, several
      buffer additives were examined at the next step: organic cosolvents and
      cyclodextrin (No. 2 Doehlert design). The optimal cyclodextrin type was also
      selected experimentally. The most promising results were obtained for the buffers
      fortified with methanol, acetonitrile and heptakis(2,3,6-tri-O-methyl)-beta
      cyclodextrin. Since these additives may potentially affect acid-base equilibrium
      and ionization state of analytes, the third Doehlert design (No. 3) was used to
      reconcile concentration of these additives with optimal pH. Ultimately, the total
      separation of all 20 compounds was achieved using the borate buffer at basic pH
      9.5 in the presence of 10mM cyclodextrin, 9% (v/v) acetonitrile and 36% (v/v)
      methanol. Identity of all compounds was confirmed using the in-lab build UV-VIS
      spectra library. The developed method succeeded in identification of coumarin
      derivatives in three real samples. It demonstrates a huge resolving power of CE
      assisted by addition of cyclodextrins and organic cosolvents. Our unique
      optimization approach, based on the three Doehlert designs, seems to be
      prospective for future applications of this technique.

PMID- 28340785
TI  - An automatic chemiluminescence method based on the multi-pumping flow system
      coupled with the fluidized reactor and direct-injection detector: Determination
      of uric acid in saliva samples.
AB  - A novel approach for the automatic chemiluminescence (CL) analysis of the complex
      samples is proposed. A multi-pumping flow system was successfully combined with
      fluidized reactor and direct-injection CL detector. The possibility of the
      approach was demonstrated on the determination of uric acid in saliva samples.
      Uric acid is clinically important analyte and its determination in biological
      fluids is related to human organism dysfunctions, such as gout. For the first
      time, the fast luminol - N-bromosuccinimide (NBS) reaction in an alkaline medium
      was used for the CL determination of uric acid in saliva samples. The CL
      intensity is greatly quenched in the presence of the analyte. The method includes
      on-line separation of uric acid from the saliva samples based on fluidized beds
      strategy using anion-exchange resin Dowex(r) 2*8 followed by the elution and CL
      determination using a direct-injection CL detector. The stroke pulsations of the
      solenoid micro-pumps provided the floating of the anion exchange resin in a
      sample phase and uric acid separation from the sample matrix into a sample pre
      treatment block of flow system. To obtain efficient elution of analyte an eluent
      circulation was applied. Under the optimal conditions, the detector response for
      uric acid was linear in the logarithmic concentration ranges from 6.10-6 to 1.10
      3molL-1. The limit of detection, calculated from a blank test based on 3sigma,
      was 2.10-6molL-1. Fluidized bed strategy allows us to exclude saliva matrices
      influence on the luminol-NBS CL reaction, which results in improved selectivity.
      The applicability of the method developed is demonstrated with the help of real
      sample analysis. The obtained results are confirmed by reference HPLC-UV method.

PMID- 28340786
TI  - From thermometric to spectrophotometric kinetic-catalytic methods of analysis. A
      review.
AB  - Kinetic-catalytic analytical methods have proved to be very easy and highly
      sensitive strategies for chemical analysis, that rely on simple instrumentation
      [1,2]. Molecular absorption spectrophotometry is commonly used as the detection
      technique. However, other detection systems, like electrochemical or thermometric
      ones, offer some interesting possibilities since they are not affected by the
      color or turbidity of the samples. In this review some initial experience with
      thermometric kinetic-catalytic methods is described, up to our current experience
      exploiting spectrophotometric flow techniques to automate this kind of reactions,
      including the use of integrated chips. Procedures for determination of inorganic
      and organic species in organic and inorganic matrices are presented.

PMID- 28340787
TI  - Determination of ammonia nitrogen in solid and liquid high-complex matrices using
      one-step gas-diffusion microextraction and fluorimetric detection.
AB  - This paper introduces a new method for a one-step determination of ammonia
      nitrogen (NH3) in high complex solid and liquid samples from the agricultural and
      livestock sectors. To this end, we developed a simultaneous extraction and
      fluorimetric labeling of NH3, using gas diffusion microextraction (GDME),
      followed by the fluorescence measurement under 96-well microplate format. The
      GDME ensured a selective diffusion of NH3 through a commercial hydrophobic
      membrane, and confined the acceptor solution, which included the fluorimetric
      labeling reagent o-phthalaldehyde (OPA). The OPA-NH3 labeling reaction was
      optimized resorting to a full factorial experimental design, which showed that
      the reducing agent (Na2SO3) concentration was critical to achieve the highest
      sensitivity. A similar optimization approach for GDME showed that time and
      temperature significantly influenced the sensitivity of the assay, and also that
      the modifications in these two factors could be used to adjust the sensitivity
      according to the concentrations present in the samples. In our final conditions,
      it was possible to quantify NH3 in the range between 0.38 and 6.27mgL-1 using a
      10min extraction at 25 degrees C in different samples (e.g., corn and grass
      silages, feces, urine). The developed method showed a high repeatability and
      reproducibility (intraday and interday relative standard deviations values of
      4.5% and 9.5%, respectively) and an adequate limit of detection (0.22mgL-1). This
      new methodology also highlighted the simplicity and versatility of GDME for the
      determination of volatile components of high-complex matrices, which will
      certainly drive future developments in the analysis of environmental and
      biological samples.

PMID- 28340788
TI  - Rapid identification and desorption mechanisms of nitrogen-based explosives by
      ambient micro-fabricated glow discharge plasma desorption/ionization (MFGDP) mass
      spectrometry.
AB  - A novel technique of micro-fabricated glow discharge plasma desorption/ionization
      mass spectrometry was investigated for the first time in negative ion mode in
      this study. Negative ion micro-fabricated glow discharge plasma
      desorption/ionization mass spectrometry (NI-MFGDP-MS) was successfully applied to
      identify trace explosives in open air. Six explosives and explosives-related
      compounds were directly analyzed in seconds with this ion source. The ions of [M
      H]- were predominant for 2-methyl-1,3,5-trinitrobenzene (trinitrotoluene, TNT)
      and 2,4,6-trinitrophenol (picric acid), and [M+NO3]- were dominant ions for 1,3,5
      trinitro-perhydro-1,3,5-triazine (cyclonite, RDX), octahydro-1,3,5,7-tetranitro
      1,3,5,7-tetrazocine (octogen, HMX), 1,2,3-trinitroxypropane (nitroglycerin, NG),
      and pentaerythritol tetranitrate (PETN). The limits of detection (LOD) were from
      87.5pgmm-2 to 0.4 fg mm-2 and the relative standard deviation (RSD) ranged
      between 5.8% and 16.8% for the explosives involved in this study. The reliability
      of NI-MFGDP-MS was characterized by the analysis of a picric acid-RDX-PETN
      mixture and a mixture of RDX-pond water. NI-MFGDP-MS and ESI-MS were compared
      with these explosives and along with collision induced dissociation (CID)
      experiments. The results showed that electron capture, proton abstraction
      reaction, nucleophilic attack, ion-molecule attachment, decomposition and anion
      attachment took place during the NI-MFGDP-MS measurement. These findings provide
      a guideline and a supplement to the chemical libraries for rapid and accurate
      detection of explosives. The method shows great potential for fast, in situ, on
      line and high throughput detection of explosives in the field of antiterrorism.

PMID- 28340789
TI  - A new and efficient Solid Phase Microextraction approach for analysis of high fat
      content food samples using a matrix-compatible coating.
AB  - The current work presents the optimization of a protocol enabling direct
      extraction of avocado samples by a new Solid Phase Microextraction matrix
      compatible coating. In order to further extend the coating life time, pre
      desorption and post-desorption washing steps were optimized for solvent type,
      time, and degree of agitation employed. Using optimized conditions, lifetime
      profiles of the coating related to extraction of a group of analytes bearing
      different physical-chemical properties were obtained. Over 80 successive
      extractions were carried out to establish coating efficiency using PDMS/DVB 65um
      commercial coating in comparison with the PDMS/DVB/PDMS. The PDMS/DVB coating was
      more prone to irreversible matrix attachment on its surface, with consequent
      reduction of its extractive performance after 80 consecutive extractions.
      Conversely, the PDMS/DVB/PDMS coating showed enhanced inertness towards matrix
      fouling due to its outer smooth PDMS layer. This work represents the first step
      towards the development of robust SPME methods for quantification of contaminants
      in avocado as well as other fatty-based matrices, with minimal sample pre
      treatment prior to extraction. In addition, an evaluation of matrix components
      attachment on the coating surface and related artifacts created by desorption of
      the coating at high temperatures in the GC-injector port, has been performed by
      GCxGC-ToF/MS.

PMID- 28340790
TI  - On-line in-syringe sugaring-out liquid-liquid extraction coupled with HPLC-MS/MS
      for the determination of pesticides in fruit and berry juices.
AB  - A fully automated method for the determination of pesticides (malathion,
      diazinon, imidacloprid and triadimefon) in fruit and berry juices has been
      developed. In the current study, the on-line in-syringe sugaring-out liquid
      liquid extraction was successfully combined with a HPLC-MS/MS system for the
      first time. The procedure assumes the liquid-liquid extraction of analytes in
      water-miscible organic solvent acetonitrile followed by phase separation using
      glucose as sugaring-out reagent. After the phase separation in a syringe of a
      flow system, the extract containing pesticides was injected into the HPLC-MS/MS
      system. The proposed automated sample preparation procedure is rapid, simple,
      relatively inexpensive, and allows to avoid shortcomings of conventional liquid
      liquid extraction, such as necessity to use nonpolar organic solvents, which are
      not always suitable for the HPLC-MS/MS detection. The conditions of pesticides'
      extraction such as ratio of acetonitrile/water, type and concentration of
      sugaring-out reagent, volume of sample and effect of pH have been studied and
      optimized. Under optimal experimental conditions the linear detection ranges were
      found to be 10-2-10mgL-1 for malathion and triadimefon, 10-3-10mgL-1 for
      diazinon, and 10-1-10mgL-1 for imidacloprid. The LODs, calculated from a blank
      test, based on 3sigma, found to be 3.10-3mg L-1 for malathion and triadimefon,
      3.10-4mg L-1 for diazinon and 3.10-2mgL-1 for imidacloprid. The application of
      the method has been demonstrated in the determination of these four pesticides in
      commercial samples of five fruit and berry juices. As an outcome, the analytical
      results agreed fairly well with the results obtained by a reference GC-FID
      method.

PMID- 28340791
TI  - Solid-phase extraction microfluidic devices for matrix removal in trace element
      assay of actinide materials.
AB  - Advances in sample nebulization and injection technology have significantly
      reduced the volume of solution required for trace impurity analysis in plutonium
      and uranium materials. Correspondingly, we have designed and tested a novel chip
      based microfluidic platform, containing a 100-uL or 20-uL solid-phase
      microextraction column, packed by centrifugation, which supports nuclear material
      mass and solution volume reductions of 90% or more compared to standard methods.
      Quantitative recovery of 28 trace elements in uranium was demonstrated using a
      UTEVA chromatographic resin column, and trace element recovery from thorium (a
      surrogate for plutonium) was similarly demonstrated using anion exchange resin AG
      MP-1. Of nine materials tested, compatibility of polyvinyl chloride (PVC),
      polypropylene (PP), and polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) chips with the strong
      nitric acid media was highest. The microcolumns can be incorporated into a
      variety of devices and systems, and can be loaded with other solid-phase resins
      for trace element assay in high-purity metals.

PMID- 28340792
TI  - In situ quantitative and visual investigation of the retention of polycyclic
      aromatic hydrocarbons on the root surface of Kandelia obovata using a microscopic
      fluorescence spectral analysis method.
AB  - A novel approach for in situ determination of individual benzo[a]pyrene (B[a]P),
      pyrene (Pyr) and anthracene (Ant) on the root surface micro-zone (0.960mm2) of
      Kandelia obovata (K. obovata) was established using a microscopic fluorescence
      spectral analysis (MFSA) system. The detection limits for the three polycyclic
      aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) were 44.2, 59.7 and 36.3ngg-1 on lateral roots and
      were 42.8, 62.4 and 39.1ngg-1 on taproots of the K. obovata root micro-zone.
      Using the established MFSA method, retention of the PAHs on the K. obovata
      lateral root and taproot surface micro-zone were investigated in situ. The
      retention of PAHs on the lateral root and taproot surface of K. obovata showed
      uneven distribution, and both of the retained quantities showed significant
      differences, which was related to both passive uptake patterns or active uptake
      patterns of the PAH and the polarity index ((O+N)/C) of the root surface. In
      addition, increased quantities of retention of the PAHs on both lateral root and
      taproot surfaces of K. obovata were observed in the order of Ant<Pyr<B[a]P in the
      presence of graphene oxide (10mgL-1) for 7 days. The results of this work
      provided an in situ method for the investigation on the retention of PAHs on
      plant lateral root and taproot surfaces at the microscopic scale, contributing to
      the understanding of the mechanisms of plant root uptake of PAHs.

PMID- 28340793
TI  - A novel quartz crystal microbalance sensor array based on molecular imprinted
      polymers for simultaneous detection of clenbuterol and its metabolites.
AB  - For the rapid and robust detection of both parent clenbuterol (CLB) and its
      metabolites in swine urine samples, a novel quartz crystal microbalance (QCM)
      sensor array for CLB detection based on molecularly imprinted polymers (MIPs) was
      developed in this investigation. At first, clenbuterol and the structural analogs
      of its metabolites, 4-Aminohippuric acid (AHA) and 4-hydroxymandelic acid (HMA),
      were chosen as molecular templates. Through computational molecular modeling, the
      optimum ratio between the functional monomer and molecular template was selected.
      The surface imprinting method was applied to modify QCM electrode surface to
      graft a thin MIP film. The grafting polymer was characterized by Fourier
      transformed infrared spectrometry (FTIR) and atomic force microscopy (AFM),
      respectively. After then, an array system composed of three sensors was employed
      to test the responses with different solutions and the principal component
      analysis (PCA) was adopted to analyze the corresponding data. As a result, for
      the designed sensor to clenbuterol, a linear equation y=100.07x-722.96
      (R2=0.9928) was found between the sensor frequency shift DeltaF and negative
      logarithm of clenbuterol concentration (-lgC). The limitation of detection (LOD)
      was 3.0ng/mL, which is lower than the Codex Alimentarius Commission regulations
      residue limit 10MUg/L. The corresponding data of the three template solutions
      were analyzed by PCA, obtaining 100% recognition. The result demonstrated the
      feasibility that the developed method could be applied to detect whether the
      livestock was feed with CLB nutrient redistribution agent by checking the urine
      samples.

PMID- 28340794
TI  - Paradigm shifts in diagnostics and treatment of multiply injured patients - How
      does it affect visceral injuries?

PMID- 28340795
TI  - WITHDRAWN: PROGNOSTIC VALUE OF BLOOD PRESSURE MODELELING IN WOMEN; RECEIVING
      PCI/CABG; RESULTS FORM THE NHLBI-WISE TRIAL.

PMID- 28340796
TI  - Preface.

PMID- 28340797
TI  - Numbers of Brain Deaths and Deceased Donors in Hospitals in Istanbul Region That
      Have Transplantation Units: A Retrospective Analysis Between the Years 2005 and
      2015.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Turkey is one of the countries facing a serious organ shortage
      problem, with thousands of patients with end-stage organ failure. The Social
      Security Institution started to increase the reimbursement for transplantation
      operations in 2007 to solve this problem, and this policy has continued since
      then. Although the number of transplantation centers and operations in Turkey
      increased in this term, according to organ donation and transplantation
      statistics from the Ministry of Health, the rate of organ retrieval from deceased
      organ donors has decreased. METHODS: This study was performed with the purpose of
      retrospectively analyzing (between the years 2005 and 2015) the number of brain
      deaths and donors after brain death in hospitals that are affiliated with the
      Istanbul Regional Coordination Office and have transplantation units. Data were
      collected via the website of the Ministry of Health. Hospitals were categorized
      as those directly affiliated with the Ministry of Health, university hospitals,
      and private hospitals. RESULTS: This study found that the number of
      transplantation centers has increased >3 times since 2005, and the number of
      private transplantation centers has increased 9 times for the same period. We
      also found that the number of brain deaths, donors after brain death in
      hospitals, and number of brain deaths and donors after brain death per hospital
      had varied throughout the study years. CONCLUSIONS: Although the number of
      transplantation centers has increased since 2005, the number of brain deaths and
      donors after brain death has not increased to the same extent for this period in
      these hospitals that have transplantation units.

PMID- 28340798
TI  - Effect of Interviews Done by Intensive Care Physicians on Organ Donation.
AB  - In this study, we examined the correspondence between intensive care unit
      physicians and the relatives of potential brain-dead donors regarding the
      decision to donate or the reasons for refusing organ donation. A total of 12
      consecutive cases of potential brain-dead patients treated in intensive care
      units of Marmara University Pendik Education and Research Hospital in 2013 were
      evaluated. For each of the cases, the Potential Donor Questionnaire, and Family
      Notification, Brain Death Criteria Fulfilment and Organ Donation Conversation
      Questionnaires were used to collect the required data. Statistically, descriptive
      analyses were performed. We concluded that honestly, regularly, and sufficiently
      informed relatives of the potential brain-dead donor more readily donate organs,
      with a positive contribution from the intensive care physician.

PMID- 28340799
TI  - Is There a Long-Term Risk for Donors With Heterozygous MEFV Mutation After Kidney
      Donation?
AB  - BACKGROUND: Familial Mediterranean fever (FMF) is an autosomal-recessive
      autoinflammatory disorder manifested severely by systemic amyloidosis. It has
      been hypothesized that heterozygous carriers may also have susceptibility to
      certain symptoms or even diseases. Because the living kidney donors of patients
      with FMF are generally relatives of the kidney recipients, there is a high
      possibility that the donors will have a heterozygous mutation of the FMF gene.
      The goal of this study was to investigate the long-term kidney function of donors
      who are carriers of the Mediterranean fever (MEFV) gene. METHODS: The medium- to
      long-term outcomes of 12 asymptomatic donors were compared with MEFV gene
      carriers and 24 non-FMF recipients' donors. RESULTS: Heterozygous carriers and
      the control group were similar with respect to age, sex, and follow-up period.
      The preoperative estimated glomerular filtration rate and 24-hour urine
      proteinuria levels were similar in the MEFV carrier and control groups. Four
      years after the donation, both groups had similar estimated glomerular filtration
      rates, but the change in 24-hour urine protein was statistically higher in the
      MEFV carrier group, and no significant change was observed in the control group
      (P = .004). At the end of the follow-up period, neither overt proteinuria nor
      kidney failure was seen in either group. CONCLUSIONS: This study showed that the
      medium- to long-term results of the kidney donors who are carriers of the MEFV
      gene seem to be safe. However, there was more of a tendency for an increase in
      proteinuria in the MEFV gene carriers compared with control subjects, which
      necessitated further long-term care for these donors.

PMID- 28340800
TI  - Long-term Results of Living Donors in Simultaneous Kidney and Liver
      Transplantations.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: Because of the shortage of organs available for transplantation,
      living related sequential transplantation with the use of liver and a kidney from
      the same donor has emerged as a reasonable therapeutic alternative. However,
      there is insufficient literature about the complications that living donors
      experience after simultaneous kidney and liver transplantations. METHODS: From
      December 2001 to October 2009, 5 living donors provided simultaneous donation of
      livers and kidneys and 1 living donor donated first her kidney and then her
      liver. Demographic data of the donors and information concerning the surgery and
      postoperative observation were collected prospectively. RESULTS: All of the
      donors were female. The median age was 27.5 (range, 19-36) years. Indications
      requiring the simultaneous transplantation of livers and kidneys were primary
      hyperoxaluria type 1 (PH1) in 5 potential recipients and cirrhosis due to chronic
      hepatitis B infection and idiopathic chronic renal insufficiency in 1 potential
      recipient. Four recipients underwent right hepatectomy (segments 5-8) and right
      nephrectomy; 1 recipient underwent left hepatectomy (segments 2-4) and right
      nephrectomy; and 1 recipient underwent left lobectomy (segments 2-3) and right
      nephrectomy. There were no complications except in 1 donor (postoperative ileus).
      No donor developed hypertension or microalbuminuria. CONCLUSIONS: With the right
      indications, appropriate preoperative evaluation, meticulous surgical technique,
      proper postoperative care, and long-term close monitoring to minimize morbidity
      and mortality risks, liver and kidney donation from the same donor can be
      considered for simultaneous kidney and liver transplantation.

PMID- 28340801
TI  - Increased Oxidative Stress in Living Kidney Donors: Correlation of Renal
      Functions With Antioxidant Capacity.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Substantial attention has recently been paid to the possibility of an
      increased risk of chronic kidney disease (CKD) in living kidney donors. It has
      been demonstrated that CKD patients suffer from increased oxidative stress, which
      have been reported to show a strong association with several clinical problems
      such as accelerated atherosclerosis. The purpose of the current cross-sectional,
      single-center study was to evaluate the relationship between renal functions of
      living kidney donors and systemic oxidative stress. METHODS: A total of 55 living
      kidney donors operated at least 1 year ago and 40 age- and sex-matched healthy
      individuals were enrolled in this study. Plasma malondialdehyde (MDA) levels were
      determined as oxidative stress marker. Superoxide dismutase (SOD) and glutathione
      peroxidase (GPx) activities were measured as antioxidants. Renal function
      parameters and proteinuria were also assessed. RESULTS: Mean serum creatinine
      levels were higher (P = .022) and 24-hour creatinine clearance was lower (P =
      .016) in living kidney donors compared with healthy controls. Serum MDA levels
      were higher (P = .034), and SOD and GPx activities were lower (P = .023 and P <
      .001, respectively). There was a significant positive correlation between serum
      GPx activity and 24-hour creatinine clearance levels (r = 0.524, P < .01). A
      linear regression analysis showed that serum GPx activity was still significantly
      and positively correlated with creatinine clearance (regression coefficient =
      0.416, P < .001). CONCLUSION: Our data demonstrated that living kidney donors
      exhibit slightly reduced kidney function, increased oxidative stress, and
      decreased antioxidant activity. We propose that 24-hour creatinine clearance is
      positively correlated with antioxidant enzyme GPx. To our knowledge, this is the
      first study to demonstrate the association between renal functions and
      antioxidant activity in kidney donors.

PMID- 28340802
TI  - Comparison of Two Different Laparoscopic Donor Nephrectomy With Vaginal
      Extraction Techniques-A Single-Center Experience.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to compare the results of standard
      laparoscopic donor nephrectomy with vaginal extraction (SLDN-VE) and
      laparoendoscopic single-site donor nephrectomy with vaginal extraction (LESSDN
      VE). METHODS: We analyzed the data of 95 female donors who underwent SLDN-VE
      (group I; n = 87) and LESSDN-VE (group II; n = 8) in our center. Parameters
      regarding donor age, body mass index (BMI), length of hospitalization, duration
      of surgical procedure, amount of blood loss, warm and cold ischemia times, side
      of graft nephrectomy, number of renal arteries and veins, postoperative visual
      analog pain scores at 6th and 12th hours (VAS6, VAS12), peri-and postoperative
      complications of donors and recipients, and graft function at discharge and
      follow-up were compared between the 2 groups. RESULTS: No significant difference
      regarding donor age, mean operative time, amount of blood loss, or warm ischemia
      time was observed between the 2 groups. However, BMI (P = .018) and pain scores
      (VAS6: P = .047; VAS12: P = .009) were lower and length of hospitalization (P =
      .005) shorter in group II. On the other hand, cold ischemia time (P = .047) was
      lower in group I. No peri- or postoperative complications occurred for donors and
      recipients in both groups. Graft function at discharge and during follow-up were
      similar in both groups. CONCLUSIONS: Because our first priority is to minimize
      the morbidity of donors, LESSDN-VE can be chosen in selected female donors for
      not only decreased pain and hospital stay, but also for better cosmetic outcomes.

PMID- 28340803
TI  - Evaluation of Ureteral Stent Colonization in Live-Donor Renal Transplant
      Recipients.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Ureteral stent insertion during kidney transplantation is a matter of
      debate. Stenting has been proven to reduce the risk of surgical complications. In
      addition, it has been reported to increase risks such as urinary tract infections
      especially after operation. Ureteral stent colonization (USC) is known to play a
      role in the pathogenesis of stent related-infections. The aim of this study was
      (1) to assess the frequency of USC and values of urine cultures in identifying
      colonizing bacteria; (2) to assess the importance of indwelling time for USC in
      live-donor renal transplant recipients; and (3) to evaluate the biomarker role of
      neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) on USC. METHODS: A total of 107 live-donor
      kidney transplant patients were included in the study (76 men and 31 women). The
      mean age was 43.7 years, and average indwelling time of the ureteral stent was
      24.7 days. Patients were divided into three groups according to indwelling stent
      time as group 1: 15 to 21 days (3rd week), group 2: 22 to 28 days (4th week), and
      group 3: 29 to 35 days (5th week). The decision to remove the stent was primarily
      based on clinical judgment. Ureteral stents were removed with the use of flexible
      cystoscopy. Midstream urine for urine culture and blood samples for NLR were
      taken prior to stent removal. The removed stents were divided into three parts
      and taken for bacteriological investigation. RESULTS: Of 107 patients, USC was
      detected in 24 (22.4%) patients, whereas urinary proliferation was observed in 8
      (7.4%) patients. The most common microorganisms found in USC was the Enterecoccus
      species. The most common microorganisms in urinary culture were Enterecoccus spp.
      and Klebsiella pnemoniae. All patients with isolated microorganisms in the urine
      had USC (P < .001). On the other hand, proliferation in urinary culture was
      observed only in 30% of patients. Urine culture was not significant in
      identification of USC (P = .063). The three patient groups that were determined
      according to indwelling stent time were compared in terms of USC, proliferation
      in urine culture, and NLR. The highest incidence of USC was found in group 3
      (44%) and the least in group 2 (11%) (P < .05). No significant difference was
      found between the groups in terms of urine culture (P = .546). Although no
      significant difference was found between groups 1 and 2 in NLR values (P = .755),
      NLR was significantly higher in group 3 (P = .026). CONCLUSIONS: Colonization is
      common in ureteral stents inserted in live-donor kidney transplant patients,
      although routine urine culture is insufficient in identfying this colonization.
      The most common microorganism detected in ureteral stent colonization was
      Enterecoccus spp. The 4th week was the most convenient time for stent removal
      time in terms of USC among the 3rd, 4th, and 5th weeks. In addition, increased
      NLR might have value as a biomarker for USC.

PMID- 28340804
TI  - Preliminary Screening Results of Fabry Disease in Kidney Transplantation
      Patients: A Single-Center Study.
AB  - Fabry disease (FD) is a rare X-linked lysosomal storage disorder caused by the
      deficiency of alfa-galactosidase A (AGALA) and leads to progressive impairment of
      renal function in almost all male patients and in a significant proportion of
      female patients. FD is underdiagnosed or even misdiagnosed in patients undergoing
      kidney transplantation. We initiated a selective screening study for FD among
      kidney transplant patients in our center. In this study, 1095 male and female
      patients were included. Dried blood samples on Guthrie papers were used to
      analyze galactosidase A enzyme for male patients. Genetic analyses were performed
      in all female and male patients with low enzyme activity. In total, 648 female
      and 447 male patients with functioning grafts were evaluated. Among 1095
      patients, 5 male patients had AGALA activity below threshold and 3 female
      patients had galactosidase alpha gene DNA variations. One male patient had a
      disease-causing mutation. The other 4 patients had polymorphisms causing low
      enzyme activity. All the 3 female patients had mutations that were associated
      with FD according to Human Gene Mutation Database (ID: CM025441). In contrast,
      these mutations were reported as unknown clinical significance in Clinvar
      (rs149391489). The patients with clinical findings suggesting FD were planned to
      be analyzed for Lyso Gb3. In our selective screening study, 8 variations were
      found among 1095 kidney transplantation patients, which needs further
      investigation to determine causes of FD. Clinical findings, physical examination,
      and family history are also necessary to evaluate the genetic changes as a
      mutation in this selected population.

PMID- 28340805
TI  - Association Between HLA Antibodies and Different Sensitization Events in Renal
      Transplant Candidates.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Human leukocyte antigen (HLA) allo-immunization is caused by various
      events such as blood transfusions, pregnancies, or organ transplantations, which
      can lead to sensitization. In this retrospective study, we evaluated different
      sensitization models and their effects on panel-reactive antibody (PRA) profiles
      of renal transplantation candidates. METHODS: Anti-HLA class I/II antibody
      screening tests were performed in 906 renal transplantation candidates with the
      use of a microbead-based assay (Luminex). RESULTS: Two hundred ninety-seven
      (32.8%) of the patients were determined as positive in terms of PRA, and 609
      (67.2%) were negative. Sensitized and non-sensitized patients were compared
      separately in terms of each sensitization type. The anti-HLA class I, II, and
      I+II positivity rates in patients sensitized only by blood transfusion were
      13.1%, 6.3%, and 14.1%, the rates with pregnancy sensitization were 35.5%, 29%,
      and 45.2%, and rates with previous transplantation sensitization were 15.6%,
      34.4%, and 38.9%, respectively. Prevalence of PRA positivity was significantly
      higher in patients with previous pregnancy than with transplantation and
      transfusion (odds ratio, 1.003; 95% confidence interval, 0.441-2.281; P = .031).
      The risk of developing HLA class I antibodies was higher in pregnancies (P <
      .001), and the risk of developing anti-HLA class II antibodies was higher in
      patients who had undergone a previous transplantation (P < .001). The rate of
      developing HLA-B antibodies in patients sensitized by pregnancy were
      significantly higher compared with sensitization after transfusion (P = .015), as
      was the rate of developing HLA-DQ antibodies in patients sensitized by previous
      transplantation compared with sensitization through pregnancy (P = .042).
      CONCLUSIONS: In patients who are waiting for kidney transplantation,
      sensitization by pregnancy and transplantation have a significant impact on
      development of HLA class I and class II antibodies.

PMID- 28340806
TI  - Average Tacrolimus Trough Level in the First Month After Transplantation May
      Predict Acute Rejection.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Although tacrolimus is one of the essential drugs used for the
      prevention of rejection in kidney recipients, target trough levels are not well
      established. In this study, we aimed to investigate the association between
      average tacrolimus trough levels (TTLs) of the first month after transplantation
      and biopsy-proven acute rejection (BPAR) during the first 12 months after
      transplant. METHODS: A total of 274 patients who underwent kidney-alone
      transplantation between 2002 and 2014 were enrolled in the study. Average TTLs of
      the first month were assessed by means of receiver operating characteristic (ROC)
      curve analysis to discriminate patients with and those without BPAR. Univariate
      and multivariate Cox proportional hazards models were used to determine the
      effect of average TTLs of the first month on BPAR. RESULTS: According to ROC
      curve analysis, the highest area under the curve (AUC) was obtained from 8 ng/mL
      (AUC = 0.73 +/- 0.11; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.62-0.84). Forty-two (31.8%)
      of the 132 patients with average TTLs <8 ng/mL and 13 (9.1%) of 142 patients with
      >=8 ng/mL had BPAR during the first 12 months after transplant (P < .001). In
      univariable analysis, average TTLs of the first month <8 ng/mL were associated
      with higher risk of BPAR (P < .001), and the significance remained in Cox
      multivariable analysis (hazard ratio, 2.79; 95% CI, 1.76-3.82; P = .001). No
      significant differences were observed in the glomerular filtration rate,
      cytomegalovirus, BK viremia, or BK nephropathy between groups at post-transplant
      month 12. CONCLUSIONS: Keeping the average TTLs of the first month after
      transplantation at >=8 ng/mL not only prevents BPAR occurrence but also minimizes
      the toxic effects of the use of a single-trough level.

PMID- 28340807
TI  - Prevalence of Human Herpesvirus-8 and BK Polyoma Virus Infections in End-stage
      Renal Disease and the Influence of Renal Transplantation.
AB  - Viral infections lead to significant morbidity and mortality in kidney transplant
      recipients. We evaluated 49 kidney transplant recipients for human herpesvirus 8
      (HHV-8) and BK polyomavirus infections in conjunction with data obtained from 43
      donors. The seroprevalence of HHV-8 was 6.9% in donors and 12.2% in recipients.
      HHV-8 DNA was detected below the limit of quantification (<5000 copies/mL) in a
      recipient with HHV-8 seropositivity at the pretransplant period and was
      undetectable at month 3 after transplantation. Transient viruria with BK
      polyomavirus was recorded in 10.2% of recipients without viremia. Multiple
      factors contribute to viral reactivation, particularly immunosuppressive
      treatment. Reduction in maintenance immunosuppression seems beneficial in terms
      of viral reactivation. At our center, routine use of valganciclovir for antiviral
      prophylaxis may be effective for the prevention of HHV-8 reactivation.

PMID- 28340808
TI  - Cytotoxic Antibody Detection by Means of Flow-Cytometric Cross-Match.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Complement-dependent lymphocytotoxicity (CDC-XM) and flow-cytometric
      (FCXM) cross-match are analyzed individually for each donor and recipient pair,
      because these techniques have fundamental differences for the evaluation of
      histocompatibility. Lately, cytotoxic flow-cytometric cross-match (cFCXM) has
      been developed as an alternative to both CDC-XM and FCXM techniques. We evaluated
      the limits of cFCXM with the use of different positive serum dilutions. METHODS:
      CDC-XM, FCXM, and cFCXM tests were performed with the use of commercially
      available negative and positive serum samples and lymphocytes from healthy
      donors. RESULTS: Complement-dependent cell death was successfully detected with
      the use of cFCXM. Complement-dependent cell death ratios in cFCXM were similar
      those in CDC-XM. With cFCXM, not only complement-dependent cell death but also
      IgG binding could be detected within a single assay. At higher concentrations of
      the positive serum, IgG-fluorescein isothiocyanate (FITC) mean fluorescent
      intensity (MFI) values detected with the use of cFCXM were less than those of
      conventional FCXM. Correspondingly, for dead cells, MFI values of IgG-FITC were
      less than those of live cells in higher positive serum concentrations in the
      cFCXM assay. Moreover, our results demonstrated that in cFCXM analysis, the
      decreasing ratio of dead cells at increasing positive serum dilutions was not in
      parallel with the same decrease in IgG-FITC MFI values. CONCLUSIONS: The cFCXM
      technique detects complement-mediated cytotoxic cell death with the additional
      ability to show IgG binding in the same tube and therefore may reduce the
      necessary bench time and workload.

PMID- 28340809
TI  - Corrected Panel-Reactive Antibody Positivity Rates for Hypersensitized Patients
      in Turkish Population With Calculated Panel-Reactive Antibody Software.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: High rates of panel-reactive antibody (PRA) may decrease the chance
      of kidney transplantation and may result in long waiting periods before
      transplantation. The calculated PRA (cPRA) is performed based on unacceptable HLA
      antigens. These antigens are identified by a program that was created based on
      the antibodies that developed against the HLA antigens circulating in serum and
      on the risk of binding of these antibodies to antigens. The antigen profile of
      the population and antigen frequencies can be measured, and more realistic cPRA
      positivity rates may be obtained using this method. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We
      developed a program based on the HLA antigens of 494 blood donors in 2 European
      Federation for Immunogenetics-accredited Tissue Typing Laboratories in Turkey.
      Next-generation sequencing-based tissue typing (HLA-A, -B, -C, -DR, -DQ, 4
      digits) of the samples was performed. The PRA screening test was performed on 380
      patients who were waiting for organ transplant from a cadaver in Istanbul Faculty
      of Medicine. The single antigen bead assay testing was performed to identify the
      antibody profiles on 48 hypersensitized patients. RESULTS: The PRA testing
      results using the current methods were 44.6% +/- 18.5%, and the cPRA rate was
      86.2% +/- 5.1%. The mean PRA positivity of the sensitized patients using the
      current methods was 44.6%; however, the rate was 86.2% using the cPRA.
      DISCUSSION: cPRA shows the rate of the rejected donors according to all
      unacceptable antigens. The need for a list of unacceptable antigens in place of
      the PRA positivity rate is a real change in the sensitization-dependent
      calculation as cPRA positivity rate. CONCLUSION: In principal, implementation of
      cPRA will encourage many centers and laboratories to adopt a standard measurement
      of sensitization in Turkey. It will increase the chances of better donor match,
      particularly for hypersensitized patients, by the creation of an unacceptable
      mismatch program using cPRA software.

PMID- 28340811
TI  - Tac-MMF Versus CsA-MMF/CsA-AZA-Based Regimens in Development of De Novo
      Complement-Binding Anti-HLA Antibodies After Kidney Transplantation.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Immunosuppressive regimens with tacrolimus or cyclosporine A (CsA)
      were compared for graft-related outcomes in conjunction with complement-binding
      de novo donor-specific antibodies (DSAs). METHODS: Non-sensitized adult patients
      without rejection episodes within 3 months after transplantation were screened
      for the presence of de novo DSAs and C1q binding. Clinical and biopsy data were
      retrospectively obtained. RESULTS: The analysis included 118 patients (68
      tacrolimus, 50 CsA), with mean age and follow-up of 36.1 +/- 11.4 and 7.2 +/- 4.8
      years, respectively. As compared with tacrolimus, the CsA group had higher rates
      of both class II DSAs and C1q-binding DSAs (20% vs 4.4%, P = .008, and 18% vs 0%,
      P = .003, respectively). Rates of chronic antibody-mediated rejection (cAMR),
      proteinuria >500 mg/g, and levels of creatinine both at last visits were also
      higher in the CsA group (20% vs 0%, P = .002, 30% vs 5.9%, P = .005, 1.67 +/-
      1.31 vs 1.18 +/- 0.45 mg/dL, P = .019, respectively).Class II DSAs and C1q
      binding class II DSAs were significantly correlated with the clinical outcomes
      (creatinine levels, proteinuria, and cAMR). CONCLUSIONS: Compared with
      tacrolimus, CsA appears to pose a higher risk for the development of de novo anti
      HLA antibodies with C1q-binding properties and, consequently, adverse graft
      related outcomes.

PMID- 28340810
TI  - Comparison of Two Different Inhalation Anesthetics on Grafted Kidney Function in
      Patients Undergoing Renal Transplantation Surgery: Desflurane or Sevoflurane?
AB  - BACKGROUND: Anesthetic management of patients during renal transplantation is
      vitally important for ensuring proper functioning of kidneys that have undergone
      ischemia-reperfusion damage. The goal of this prospective study was to compare
      the effects of 2 different inhalation agents (sevoflurane and desflurane) on
      grafted kidney function in renal transplantation surgery. METHODS: Sixty-five
      patients who were scheduled for living donor renal transplantation were enrolled
      in the study. General anesthesia was performed on all patients. Thirty-five pairs
      of recipients and donors were anesthetized with sevoflurane (group S) and 30
      pairs of recipients and donors were anesthetized with desflurane (group D). Each
      patient's demographic characteristics, immunologic and clinical data, and
      hemodynamic parameters were recorded. The estimated glomerular filtration rate
      was calculated in the preoperative period and on postoperative days 1 and 7. The
      blood samples were collected before the operation and on postoperative days 1 and
      7 for measurement of serum creatinine, neutrophil gelatinase-associated
      lipocalin, and interleukin 18. RESULTS: There were no significant differences in
      demographic characteristics or immunologic data between group D and group S.
      Intraoperative heart rate and mean arterial blood pressure were the same between
      groups. Creatinine, estimated glomerular filtration rate, neutrophil gelatinase
      associated lipocalin, and interleukin 18 values did not differ between groups (P
      > .05) in the preoperative period and postoperative days 1 and 7. CONCLUSIONS:
      Sevoflurane and desflurane had no adverse effects on grafted kidney functions
      according to short-term graft outcomes in patients undergoing living donor renal
      transplantation.

PMID- 28340812
TI  - Outcomes of Kidney Transplantations From the Same Deceased Donor to Two Different
      Recipients: A Single-Center Experience.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Kidney transplantation is the best treatment method for end-stage
      renal disease. Technically, left kidney transplantation is easier than right
      kidney, and the complication rates in the right are higher than the left kidney.
      We performed 28 kidney transplantations from 14 deceased donors between November
      2010 and May 2016. Our aim was to share our outcomes and experiences about these
      28 patients. METHODS: We performed 182 kidney transplantations between November
      2010 and May 2016. Fifty-four kidney transplantations were performed from
      deceased donors. Thirty-two of these were performed from 16 of the same donors.
      These 32 recipients' data were collected and retrospectively analyzed. We
      excluded the transplantations from two same-donors to their four recipients in
      this study. The remaining 28 recipients were included in the study. RESULTS: The
      left and right kidney recipients' numbers were equal (14:14). The left
      kidney:right kidney rate was 11:3 in the first kidney transplantation recipient
      group; in the second kidney transplantation recipient group, the rate was 3:11.
      The difference was statistically significant (P = .002). We found no statistical
      differences for sex, mean age, and body mass index of recipients, total ischemic
      time of grafts, hospitalization times, creatinine levels at discharge time, and
      current ratio of postoperative complications of recipients (P > .05).
      CONCLUSIONS: There were no differences in the left or the right kidneys or in the
      first and the second kidney transplantations during the long follow-up period.

PMID- 28340813
TI  - Comparison of Anti-HLA Antibody Production According to Gestational Periods in
      Pregnant Women.
AB  - BACKGROUND: To evaluate paternal anti-HLA antibody profiles, sera samples were
      collected from pregnant women in different trimesters and the panel-reactive
      antibody (PRA) specificities were identified. METHODS: From 2013 to 2015, serum
      samples were obtained from 41 pregnant women who had registered at the Izmir
      Tepecik Education and Research Hospital Gynecology Clinic. Anti-HLA antibodies
      were screened by using the panel reactive antibody screening and identification
      tests. Sera samples were obtained at the first, second, and third trimesters. The
      primary outcome was to determine the anti-HLA antibody production term during
      pregnancy; the secondary outcome was identification of anti-HLA antibodies.
      RESULTS: None of the women had a sensitization history except during pregnancy.
      We observed that 54% of the women produced paternal antibodies, either class I or
      II. Class I PRA positivity of the women who had a first or second pregnancy was
      the same in all 3 trimesters, whereas class II positivity was increased in the
      third trimester. Class II and both class I and II positivity increased in the
      third trimester; class I positivity was decreased in the third trimester. PRA
      positivity could be affected by the history of pregnancy and could be raised, but
      no impact was observed from the history of abortion and miscarriage (odds ratios,
      1.9, 0.4, and 0.5 [95% confidence intervals, 0.5-7.8, 0.1-2.0, and 0.3-0.7],
      respectively; P > .05). The most frequently detected antibodies were A2, B7, DR7,
      DR4, DR11, DR13, DQ2, and DQ8. CONCLUSIONS: Anti-HLA antibodies against paternal
      HLA antigens were detected more in multiparous women than in primiparous women.
      Anti-HLA antibody detection ratios did not change until the third trimester and
      were followed by a specific increase in class II anti-HLA antibody production.

PMID- 28340814
TI  - Evaluation of TH17 and TH1 Immune Response Profile in Patients After Renal
      Transplant.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Renal transplantation (RT) is the best treatment option for patients
      with end-stage renal disease (ESRD) because it improves both quality of life and
      survival. However, allograft rejection remains the most important barrier to
      successful transplantation. Underlying immunologic mechanisms should be
      understood to develop appropriate treatment strategies. METHODS: In this
      prospective study, we followed renal transplant recipients for 6 months. The
      study population comprised 50 recipients of renal transplants, and these were
      divided into 2 groups: 44 patients with stable graft function (SGF) and 6
      patients with rejection (RX). Peripheral blood samples were drawn from patients
      on the pre-RT day, at post-RT day 7, month 1, and month 6, and on the day of
      rejection for analysis of the percentages of cytokines interleukin (IL) 17 and
      interferon (IFN) gamma with the use of flow cytometry and enzyme-linked
      immunosorbent assay. RESULTS: The percentages of intracellular IFN-gamma were not
      significant in the group with RX compared with SGF. Levels of intracellular IL-17
      obtained at the 6th month after RT were significantly higher in the RX group than
      in the SGF group. Plasma levels of pre-RT IL-17 were also higher in the RX group;
      therefore, it may be a predictive biomarker of acute rejection of renal
      transplants. CONCLUSIONS: The present study provides information about pre-RT and
      post-RT cytokine profiles of Turkish patients with ESRD. We consider cytokine
      analysis to be a valuable biomarker panel in the prevention of rejection and in
      assisting with new treatment strategies for patients undergoing renal transplant.

PMID- 28340815
TI  - Expression Profile of MicroRNA Biogenesis Components in Renal Transplant
      Patients.
AB  - BACKGROUND: MicroRNAs (miRNAs) and the miRNA biogenesis components are potential
      biomarkers of some prevalent diseases, such as cancer and diabetes. In light of
      this information, we aimed to investigate the expression profiles of miRNA
      biogenesis components in renal transplant patients before and after
      transplantation and how these profiles are related to immunosuppressive treatment
      and clinical outcomes of these patients. METHODS: In this study, gene and protein
      expression profiles of Dicer, Drosha, Pasha (DGCR8), Exportin5 (XPO5), and
      Argonaute2 (AGO2) in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) of renal
      transplant patients were evaluated by means of real-time quantitative polymerase
      chain reaction and Western blot methods before and 3 months after
      transplantation. Patients who had transplant procedures for the first time were
      included in the study. RESULTS: Gene expressions were significantly reduced after
      transplantation. The reduction rate of expressions in 1 patient undergoing
      chronic rejection was higher. In addition, in patients under everolimus
      treatment, gene expression of Dicer did not change and gene expression of AGO2
      increased. Dicer, Drosha, DGCR8, and AGO2 protein expressions were reduced in all
      patients, but no change was observed in XPO5 protein expression in nonrejecting
      patients. Interestingly, in the patient undergoing chronic rejection, protein
      expression profiles other than Dicer were distinctive from nonrejecting patients.
      However, XPO5 protein expression was higher in that patient. CONCLUSIONS: Our
      study shows the importance of the global effect of immunosuppressive treatment on
      the miRNA biogenesis pathway. miRNA biogenesis components are potential
      biomarkers indicative of graft outcome and pharmacologic target molecules.

PMID- 28340816
TI  - Relevance of Flow Cytometric Auto-Crossmatch to the Post-transplant Course of
      Kidney Transplant Recipients.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: The crossmatch test is essential prior to kidney transplantation
      (tx) to confirm compatibility between the donor and the recipient. However, its
      results can be misleading due to "undetectable antibodies" in the recipient's
      serum. To establish if undetectable autoantibodies are responsible for a positive
      result, an auto-crossmatch test can be performed. In this study, we aim to
      determine the long-term prognostic value of auto-flow cytometric auto-crossmatch
      (FCXM) test on kidney survival in kidney tx recipients. MATERIALS AND METHODS:
      The primary outcome variable was reduced renal function. Secondary endpoints were
      incidence of biopsy-confirmed chronic antibody-mediated rejection (CAMR) and
      recurrent glomerulonephritis (GN). RESULTS: There were no differences regarding
      initial serum creatinine levels between the study and control groups (P = .441).
      Patients who had positive auto-B FCXM had a significantly reduced renal function
      compared with the control group (P = .016). Four patients developed biopsy
      confirmed CAMR in the study group and 1 patient in the control group (P = .047).
      Five patients had biopsy-confirmed recurrent GN in the GN study group, and only 1
      patient had recurrent GN in the GN control group (P = .026). DISCUSSION: Kidney
      transplant recipients with positive auto-FCXM test had significantly reduced
      renal function and a higher incidence of recurrent GN and CAMR compared with the
      control group. The findings of this study suggest a potential role of auto
      antibody causing positive auto-FCXM test result, meanwhile increasing the risk of
      CAMR, recurrent GN, and new-onset diabetes after tx.

PMID- 28340817
TI  - Efficacy and Safety of ATG-Fresenius as an Induction Agent in Living-Donor Kidney
      Transplantation.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Induction therapy is mostly recommended for deceased-donor
      transplantation, whereas it has some controversies in live-donor transplantation.
      In this study, we described the outcomes of live-donor renal transplant
      recipients who received ATG-Fresenius (ATG-F) induction. METHODS: Live-donor
      transplantations in patients over 18 years old with ATG-F induction between 2009
      and 2015 were included. All patients received quadruple immunosuppression, one of
      which was ATG-F induction. Biopsies after the artery anastomosis (zero hour) and
      protocol biopsies at the 6th month and at the 1st first year were obtained. Acute
      graft dysfunction was defined as a 20% to 25% increase in creatinine level from
      baseline. All acute rejection episodes were biopsy-confirmed. All episodes were
      initially treated with intravenous methyl prednisolone (MP) or ATG-F if resistant
      to MP. Four hundred twenty-two patients with live-donor transplantation were
      evaluated. The mean age was 40 +/- 13 (18-73) years. The mean panel-reactive
      antibody levels were 42% +/- 30% and 45% +/- 30% for class I and II,
      respectively. RESULTS: The mean mismatch number for living unrelated donors (n =
      112) was 4.6 +/- 1.0. Acute rejection rate was 29.1% (123 patients) within the
      first year. The mean cumulative ATG-F doses for per patient and per kilogram were
      344 +/- 217 mg and 5.1 +/- 2.7 mg, respectively. Patient survival rates were
      98.3% and 96.7% for 12 months and 60 months, respectively. Death-censored graft
      survival rates were 97.6% and 92.1% for 12 months and 60 months, respectively.
      CONCLUSIONS: ATG-F induction provided excellent graft and patient survival rates
      without any significantly increased side effects. Increasing sensitized patient
      numbers, more unrelated donors, increasing re-transplantation numbers, and more
      desensitization protocols make ATG-F more favorable in an induction regimen.

PMID- 28340818
TI  - Use of ATG-Fresenius as an Induction Agent in Deceased-Donor Kidney
      Transplantation.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Anti-T-lymphocyte globulins (ATG) are most commonly used as induction
      agents in kidney transplantation (KT). In this study, we investigated the use of
      ATG as induction therapy in deceased-donor KT. METHODS: Among 152 deceased-donor
      KT recipients transplanted between January 2009 and December 2003, 147 with exact
      data were enrolled in this study. Delayed graft function was defined as dialysis
      requirement after KT. Greater than 10% panel-reactive antibody (PRA) was
      considered as positive. Total ATG (rATG-Fresenius) dosage and induction duration
      was evaluated. Mean age was 45 +/- 10 years; 91 patients were male and 56
      patients were female. Class I and class II PRA-positive patient numbers were 20
      (13.6%) and 17 (11.5%), respectively. Pre-transplant dialysis vintage was 108 +/-
      63 months. Mean donor age was 42 +/- 17, and cold ischemia time was 16 +/- 5
      hours. Eighty-nine patients (60%) had delayed graft function and needed at least
      one session of hemodialysis after transplantation. Cumulative ATG-F dosage was
      676 +/- 274 mg. The mean ATG-F cumulative dosage was 10.6 +/- 3.8 mg/kg. At the
      end of first year, mean creatinine and proteinuria levels were 1.4 +/- 1.0 mg/dL
      and 0.3 +/- 0.4 g/d, respectively. RESULTS: Mean follow-up time was 32 +/- 20
      months. During follow-up, there were 14 graft failures and 11 patients died.
      Patient survival for 1 and 2 years were 93% and 92.3%, respectively. Death
      censored graft survival rates for 1 and 2 years were 94.8% and 90.8%,
      respectively. CONCLUSIONS: ATG-F induction provides acceptable graft and patient
      survival in deceased-donor KT. ATG-F infusion is well tolerated. Infection rates
      seem to be acceptable compared with all transplantation populations.

PMID- 28340819
TI  - Influence of Proton Pump Inhibitors on Mycophenolic Acid Pharmacokinetics in
      Patients With Renal Transplantation and the Relationship With Cytochrome 2C19
      Gene Polymorphism.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Most patients have serious digestive complications after renal
      transplantation. Therefore, it is important to protect gastrointestinal function
      to improve the survival rate of transplant patients. Proton pump inhibitors
      (PPIs) such as lansoprazole and rabeprazole are widely administered to renal
      transplant patients with mycophenolic acid (MPA) in the perioperative period.
      PPIs are metabolized by cytochrome (CYP) 2C19 enzymes. Mycophenolate sodium (MYF)
      and mycophenolate mofetil (MMF) have been used in immunosuppression. Clinically
      relevant drug-drug interactions have been described between immunosuppressive
      drugs. In the present study, we investigated the drug interaction between MPA and
      lansoparazole or rabeprazole and the impact of CYP2C19 polymorphisms on these
      drug interactions after renal transplantation. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A total of
      125 renal transplant patients taking MPA derivatives between 2012 and 2016 were
      included in this study. The 125 patients were divided into 6 groups:
      MMF/tacrolimus/steroid together with lansoprazole or rabeprazole;
      MYF/tacrolimus/steroid together with lansoprazole or rabeprazole and without PPI.
      The single nucleotide polymorphisms of CYP2C19 were determined by the polymerase
      chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism. Plasma concentrations of
      MPA were measured by cloned enzyme donor immunoassay. Clinical parameters such as
      incidence of delayed graft function and acute rejection, the rate of change of
      serum creatinine, toxicity, and gastrointestinal adverse effects were analyzed
      retrospectively. RESULTS: The mean concentrations of MPA in the MYF group were
      higher than those in the MMF group. The mean dose-adjusted blood concentration of
      MPA coadministered with lansoprazole was lower than that of MPA with rabeprazole
      or without PPI in MMF and MYF groups (P < .05). In patients with the CYP2C19*2/*2
      genotype, the mean concentrations of MMF with lansoprazole were significantly
      lower than those with rabeprazole with MMF or without PPI (P < .05).
      Gastrointestinal side effects were significantly higher in MMF with lansoprazole
      group than in MYF with lansoprazole group (P < .05). However, no differences were
      found according to genotype distribution in all groups (P > .05). CONCLUSION:
      Polymorphisms in CYP2C19 are related to the metabolic oxidation of drugs to
      varying degrees. Both genetic and clinical factors in pharmacokinetics may help
      to make further progress toward individualized therapy to yield maximum efficacy
      with minimal side effects.

PMID- 28340820
TI  - Role of Everolimus on Cardiac Functions in Kidney Transplant Recipients.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Kidney transplantation is known to increase the survival of dialysis
      patients by ameloriating cardiac status, including both systolic and diastolic
      functions. We aimed to evaluate the role of immunosuppressive drug regimens on
      cardiac functions of kidney transplant recipients (KTRs). METHODS: We
      prospectively evaluated 120 KTRs immediately before and 1 year after the kidney
      transplantation, using tissue Doppler echocardiography. A triple
      immunosuppressive therapy including tacrolimus, mycophenoloic acid (MPA), and
      prednisolone was started for all patients. After 3 to 6 months, the tacrolimus
      dose was lowered to achieve target serum levels of 5 to 8 ng/mL in both groups.
      MPA was switched to everolimus, with target levels of 4 to 6 ng/mL, in group 1 (n
      = 58), whereas group 2 (n = 62) continued with MPA. RESULTS: No differences in
      age, sex, or dialysis duration existed between the groups. The prevalence of
      diabetic or hypertensive nephropathy as the etiology of chronic kidney disease
      was similar. Blood pressure was strictly controlled. The number of acute
      rejection episodes was not different in both groups, and no graft loss was
      observed in either group. Improvement in cardiac parameters including ejection
      fraction, left ventricular diastolic diameter, posterior wall thickness, and left
      ventricular hypertrophy was significantly better before and 1 year after
      transplantation. Interestingly, when compared with group 2, ameloriation of all
      of the parameters mentioned above was even better in group 1 patients (P = .02, P
      = .03, P = .04, and P = .04, respectively). Multivariate analysis of the
      significant variables determined by univariate analysis identified albumin
      (relative risk [RR] = 1.05, P = .02) and everolimus (RR = 1.07, P = .01) as two
      independent factors of improving cardiovascular function. CONCLUSIONS: Better
      ameloriation of cardiovascular functions with everolimus may favor the choice of
      this drug in KTRs.

PMID- 28340821
TI  - Incidence, Management, and Risk Factors for Lower Gastrointestinal Bleeding in
      Renal Transplant Recipients.
AB  - BACKGROUND: There are limited convincing data regarding management and outcomes
      of lower gastrointestinal bleeding (LGB) in renal transplant recipients (RTR).
      The aim of this study was to evaluate incidence, management strategies, and risk
      factors associated with LGB in RTR. METHODS: Between January 2004 and December
      2013, RTR with LGB were analyzed. LGB was defined as having clinical evidence of
      hemorrhage after upper gastrointestinal etiology was ruled out. RESULTS: There
      were 1578 RTR with a mean age of 50 +/- 14 years at the time of transplantation.
      Mean follow-up time after transplantation was 57 +/- 45 months. Forty-five (2.9%)
      patients had a documented site of LGB. The most common causes of bleeding were
      colitis and angiodysplasia (n = 17). Mean time to LGB after transplantation was
      43 +/- 36 months. Twelve patients with LGB required intervention. Three underwent
      colectomy, endoscopic treatment was utilized in 8, and 1 patient had angiographic
      embolization to control bleeding. Recurrent LGB developed in 11 patients of 42
      patients who did not have surgery at the time of index bleeding. Surgical (n = 1)
      or endoscopic intervention (n = 4) was required in 5 of recurrent bleeders. LGB
      was more commonly seen in RTRs who had development of a nonfunctioning kidney (P
      < .0001). RTR who had an LGB had an increased overall mortality rate (not
      directly related to the bleeding episode) compared with those who did not have a
      LGB (P = .001). We did not observe any increased risk of LGB bleeding among
      patients who were receiving anticoagulant or anti-aggregant treatment agents (P =
      .76). CONCLUSIONS: Nonfunctioning kidney after transplant is a risk factor for
      LGB. Overall mortality rates increased after LGB in RTR. Strategies aiming to
      prolong transplanted kidney function may reduce the incidence of LGB and improve
      life expectancy in RTR.

PMID- 28340822
TI  - Risk Factors of Hyperuricemia After Renal Transplantation and Its Long-term
      Effects on Graft Functions.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Hyperuricemia is a common complication in renal transplant
      recipients. Recent studies have suggested that hyperuricemia may contribute to
      the deterioration of graft function. METHODS: In this study, we aimed to
      investigate the risk factors related to hyperuricemia and the effects of
      hyperuricemia on graft dysfunction, graft survival, cardiovascular events, and
      mortality rates. Between the years 2005 and 2016, 141 renal transplantation
      patients with at least 5 years of follow-up were included in this retrospective
      cohort study. Multi-linear regression analysis was used to determine the
      relationship between mean serum uric acid level and estimated glomerular
      filtration rate (eGFR). RESULTS: The average transplant age was 37.1 +/- 12.1
      years and the average follow-up time was 83.09 +/- 20.30 months; the prevalence
      of patients with hyperuricemia was 39 (27.6%). The mean uric acid levels were
      higher in women (P < .001) in the condition of dyslipidemia (P = .026), beta
      blocker usage (P = .002), and thiazide diuretics (P = .020). Patients with
      hyperuricemia (P < .001), new-onset hypertension (P = .027), beta-blocker usage
      (P = .005), and thiazide diuretics (P = .040) had statistically different eGFR
      levels than other recipients. Multivariant regression analyses showed that eGFR
      levels after transplantation were correlated with mean uric acid levels (beta = 
      0.46, P = .001), donor age (beta = -0.18, P = .048), recipient age (beta = -0.28,
      P = .0003), and mean hemoglobin levels (beta = 0.31, P = .003). CONCLUSIONS:
      There was no difference in graft loss, general mortality, and cardiovascular
      events between normo-uricemic and hyperuricemic groups. Increased uric acid
      levels contribute to eGFR decline in patients with renal transplantation. On the
      other hand, effects of uric acid levels on graft survival, cardiovascular events,
      and general mortality are still controversial.

PMID- 28340823
TI  - Evaluation of Bone Disease in Kidney Transplant Recipients.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Kidney transplant recipients are known to have bone disease,
      specifically osteoporosis. In this descriptive clinical study we aimed to
      evaluate the incidence of osteoporosis and to determine the risk factors among
      our transplant recipients. METHODS: A total of 109 patients (82 males and 27
      females) aged from 19 to 70 years, who had undergone kidney transplantation 12 to
      69 months previously, were included in the study. Bone mineral densitometry was
      performed using dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry. The correlation between femur
      and lumbar spine T-scores with age, gender, post-transplantation duration, serum
      25 hydroxy vitamin D, parathyroid hormone, calcium, phosphorus, creatinine, and
      hemoglobin values were investigated. RESULTS: The incidence of osteoporosis was
      22% (24 of 109 patients). The most common sites of osteoporosis were the femur
      (osteoporotic in 17 patients [15.5%] and osteopenic in 57 [52.2%]) and the lumbar
      spine (osteoporotic in 24 patients [22%] and osteopenic in 50 [45.8%]).
      Osteoporosis was found to have no relationship with age and gender. There was a
      significant negative correlation between serum parathyroid hormone levels with
      both femur and lumbar spine T-scores (P = .013 and .033, respectively). However,
      serum phosphorus levels were negatively correlated with only femur T-scores (P =
      .037). A positive correlation of hemoglobin with lumbar T-scores and a negative
      correlation with post-transplantation duration (P = .038 and .012, respectively)
      were also observed. CONCLUSION: Bone disease after transplantation is a frequent
      complication, which may decrease the quality of life, so we believe it is
      important to reduce the morbidity; it is required to detect and correct the risk
      factors of this complex pathophysiological situation.

PMID- 28340824
TI  - Comparison of Surgical Correction Techniques for Post-Renal Transplantation
      Vesicoureteral Reflux.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Symptomatic urinary tract infection (UTI) after renal transplantation
      (RT) is an important morbidity in transplant recipients and may cause
      pyelonephritis and sepsis. Surgical correction of high-grade vesicoureteral
      reflux (VUR) after RT is suggested, performing ureteral reimplantation or pyelo
      ureteral/uretero-ureteral anastomosis. Recently, extravesical seromuscular tunnel
      lengthening techniques have been reported with favorable results and low
      complication rates. METHODS: We retrospectively reviewed the charts of 38
      patients with post-transplantation VUR who underwent reflux correction surgery.
      Patient characteristics were analyzed to compare our extravesical seromuscular
      tunnel lengthening technique with uretero-ureteral and pyelo-ureteral anastomosis
      techniques. RESULTS: Twenty patients were treated with the extravesical approach
      (group I) and 18 patients by pyelo-ureteral or uretero-ureteral anastomosis with
      the use of native ureter (group II). Mean operative time was significantly
      shorter in group I than in group II (64.8 vs 110.1 min; P < .05), and mean
      duration of hospital stay after the operation also was shorter in group I (1.5 vs
      5.1 d; P < .05). We determined persistent VUR in postoperative voiding
      cystouretrography in 2 patients (10%) in group I, but there was regression in VUR
      grades of all of the patients. There was no significant difference in
      postoperative number of UTI episodes and serum creatinine levels between the 2
      groups. CONCLUSIONS: Extravesical seromuscular tunnel lengthening is an effective
      and safe technique for post-transplantation VUR management.

PMID- 28340825
TI  - Should Interventional Radiology or Open Surgery Be the First Choice for the
      Management of Ureteric Stenosis After Transplantation? Dual-Center Study.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Ureteric stenosis (US) is the most common urologic complication after
      kidney transplantation. In this dual-center retrospective study we compared the
      efficacy and safety of open surgery versus interventional radiology for the
      management of US. METHODS: From 2009 to January 2016, US was treated by surgical
      revision in 22 (7.8%) out of 281 recipients at one center (group 1) and managed
      by percutaneous nephrostomy with antegrade nephroureteral stenting (PNAS) in 22
      (14.2%) out of 155 recipients at the other center (group 2). RESULTS: Three
      patients in group 1 required reintervention and again were treated with open
      surgery. With a mean follow-up of 42.1 +/- 38.7 months, graft function improved
      in all but one patients (95%). Three patients in group 2 were admitted with
      relapse of US not amenable to 2nd PNAS, and 2 of them were managed with surgery.
      These 3 and 2 other cases with improved graft function after PNAS lost their
      grafts and returned to hemodialysis. The remaining 17 patients (77%) still have
      functioning grafts. There was no statistically significant difference between the
      efficacy of PNAS and open surgery for the management of post-transplantation US.
      However; a benefit in favor of open surgery existed for type 2 urinary tract
      obstruction in terms of decreased reintervention rate and much better protection
      of the graft function and survival. CONCLUSIONS: Both interventional radiology
      and open surgery have acceptable efficacy rates in the management of ureteric
      complications after renal transplantation. Open surgery is a better treatment
      option for type 2 obstruction.

PMID- 28340826
TI  - Optimal Timing for Removal of the Double-J Stent After Kidney Transplantation.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Urologic complications (UC) have gradually decreased in recent years
      after advanced surgical experience. The incidence of urologic complications
      varies between 0.22% and 30% in different medical studies. There is no routine
      usage of double-J stenting (DJS) during renal transplantation (RT) in the
      literature. It is a necessity, and optimal timing for stent removal is an
      important question for many transplantation centers. METHODS: This study includes
      818 renal transplant patients whose ureteroneocystostomy anastomoses were
      completed by use of the Lich-Gregorie procedure during a 2-year period at a
      transplantation center. We performed 926 renal transplantations at Antalya
      Medical Park Hospital Renal Transplantation Center between January 2014 and
      January 2016. The patients were divided into four groups according to the timing
      of DJS removal. RESULTS: For group 1, removal time for DJS was between 5 and 7
      days; group 2, Removal time for DJS was between 8 and 14 days; group 3, removal
      time for DJS was between 15 and 21 days; and group 4, removal time for DJS was
      later than 22 days. The patients were divided into two groups according to
      removal time of stent as 5 to 14 days and >15 days. DJS was performed again in
      the patients whose urine output was reduced during the first 5 days after removal
      of the DJS, whose creatine level increased, and whose graft ureter and collecting
      tubules were extended as an ultrasonographic finding. CONCLUSIONS: There is no
      declared optimal time for the removal of DJS. The removal time was reported
      between postoperative first week and 3 months in some of the reports of RT
      centers, according to their protocols. We emphasize that the optimal time for the
      removal of DJS is 14 to 21 days after RT, based on the findings of our large case
      report study.

PMID- 28340827
TI  - End-To-Side Versus End-to-End Uretero-Ureteral Anastomosis in Kidney Transplant
      Recipients With Disused Atrophic Bladder.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Extravesical Lich-Gregoir ureteroneocystostomy (UC) is the most
      widely used method for urinary reconstruction during kidney transplantation.
      Sometimes it is difficult to perform UC in cases with disused atrophic bladder.
      Pyelo-ureteral anastomosis (PUA) and uretero-ureteral anastomosis (UUA) may be
      preferred to UC for these patients. METHODS: We retrospectively reviewed the
      charts of 833 kidney transplant recipients operated on by our transplantation
      team between July 2010 and November 2014. The patients were divided into two
      groups: Group I consisted of 16 patients who underwent end-to-side UUA and Group
      II consisted of 20 patients who underwent end-to-end UUA. The two groups were
      compared in terms of efficacy, safety, and graft function. RESULTS: As we
      performed end-to-side UUA as a relatively new technique compared with end-to-end
      UUA, the post-transplantation follow-up period of Group II was significantly
      longer than Group I (P = .000), but all the patients in both groups had at least
      1 year of follow-up. Because the first two patients in Group II, who underwent
      native ureteral ligation without nephrectomy, developed hydronephrosis in their
      native kidneys, requiring nephrectomy in the post-transplantation period, we
      performed native nephrectomy in all of the remaining patients in this group. That
      is why the mean operative time was significantly longer in Group II compared with
      Group I (P = .000). There was no significant difference between the two groups in
      terms of postoperative surgical complications, post-transplantation urinary
      infections, and graft function. CONCLUSION: End-to-side UUA without native
      ureteral ligation is a safe surgical technique for urinary tract reconstruction
      during kidney transplantation in patients with disused atrophic bladder.

PMID- 28340828
TI  - Prevalence and Risk Factors of BK Viremia in Patients With Kidney
      Transplantation: A Single-Center Experience From Turkey.
AB  - BACKGROUND: BK virus is the cause of nephropathy, which can progress to graft
      loss after kidney transplantation. In this study, we aimed to investigate the
      prevalence and risk factors of BK viremia in patients with kidney transplantation
      at our center. METHODS: This was a retrospective single-center study. We included
      recipients transplanted between 2010 and 2015. Patients were stratified according
      to BK virus DNA follow-up values into three groups (0-999 copies/mL, 1000-9999
      copies/mL and >=10,000 copies/mL). The parametric t test and the non-parametric
      chi2 test were used to detect differences between groups. Multivariate analysis
      was used to identify risk factors for BK viremia. RESULTS: One hundred eighty
      three patients were included in the study, with mean follow-up time of 33.6 +/-
      14.9 months. BK viremia prevalence was found 15.8% (n = 29), and time to
      detection of viremia was 7.6 months. Cadaveric transplantation and matching human
      leukocyte antigen (HLA) A24 and HLA B55 subgroups were found to be independent
      risk factors for BK viremia [odds ratio (OR), 3.65; 95% confidence interval (CI),
      1.42-9.39; P < .001; OR, 4.94; 95% CI, 1.84-13.2; P < .001 and OR, 14.03; 95% CI,
      1.07-183.5; P = .04, respectively]. Risk factors for BKV level >=10,000 copies/mL
      cadaveric transplantation, male sex, and HLA A24 matching (OR, 4.53; 95% CI, 1.49
      13.7; P < .001; OR, 3.47; 95% CI, 1.11-10.86; P = .03 and OR, 3.63; 95% CI, 1.08
      12.1; P = .03, respectively). CONCLUSIONS: Patients should be followed more
      carefully for BK viremia who have cadaveric transplantation, are male, and have
      matching in certain HLA groups, which were independent risk factors in the
      present study. Our results are important to individualize screening methods and
      provide early diagnosis in our country.

PMID- 28340829
TI  - Impact of Prophylaxis vs Pre-emptive Approach for Cytomegalovirus Infection in
      Kidney Transplant Recipients.
AB  - Cytomegalovirus (CMV) is the most common viral infection during the post
      transplant period, and it is one of the major causes of morbidity and mortality
      in kidney transplantation. In this study, the incidence and impact of pre-emptive
      and prophylactic approaches and long-term effects on graft and patient survival
      of CMV infection were investigated. Among 493 adult kidney transplant recipients,
      pretransplant CMV IgG-negative patients and patients with a follow-up shorter
      than a month were excluded. The patients were divided into 2 groups: pre-emptive
      group (n = 187, regular screening and acyclovir 400 mg twice daily for 6 months),
      and prophylaxis group (n = 275, valganciclovir 450 mg/d for 3 months). The pre
      emptive group was screened for CMV with either pp65 antigenemia or CMV DNA. There
      were 462 patients, and mean follow-up was 37.7 months. There were more CMV
      infections in the pre-emptive group than in the prophylaxis group (n = 56, 30.1%
      vs n = 12, 4.4%, respectively; P < .001). Late CMV infections were significantly
      more frequent in the prophylaxis group (10 of 12, 83.3%) than in the pre-emptive
      group (8 of 56, 14.3%, P < .001). In multivariate analysis, valganciclovir
      prophylaxis was associated with a lower CMV infection (relative risk [RR]: 0.18,
      95% confidence interval [CI] 0.08 to 0.39, P < .001). Delayed graft function was
      the only independent risk factor for graft loss during the follow-up on
      multivariate Cox regression analysis (RR: 2.66, 95% GA 1.17 to 6.04, P = .02).
      Valganciclovir prophylaxis was more protective against CMV infection than the pre
      emptive approach. Neither prophylaxis/pre-emptive approaches nor CMV infection
      had negative effect on graft and patient survival.

PMID- 28340830
TI  - A Novel Biomarker for Post-Transplant Recurrent IgA Nephropathy.
AB  - BACKGROUND: The serum levels of galactose-deficient immunoglobulin (Ig)A1 (Gd
      IgA1) represent the most promising candidate biomarker for IgA nephropathy
      (IgAN). The aim of this study was to evaluate the serum levels of Gd-IgA1 as a
      novel noninvasive biomarker for post-transplant IgAN recurrence. METHODS: Serum
      Gd-IgA1 levels of 18 patients with recurrent IgAN were compared with control
      renal transplant recipients (n = 23) with non-recurrent IgAN and control non
      transplant IgAN patients (n = 44) and healthy relatives (n = 11). Serum Gd-IgA1
      levels of patients were measured with the use of KM55 enzyme-linked immunosorbent
      assay (ELISA). The effects of serum Gd-IgA1 concentrations on IgAN recurrence,
      post-transplant events, and graft survival were evaluated. RESULTS: All recurrent
      IgAN patients presented with renal dysfunction (mean serum creatinine, 1.62 +/-
      0.39 mg/dL) and detectable proteinuria at the time of diagnosis. Serum Gd-IgA1
      levels of recurrent IgAN patients (8735 +/- 10854 ng/mL [log10: 3.71 +/- 0.45])
      were significantly higher than those of non-recurrent IgAN patients (4790 +/-
      6089 ng/MUL [log10: 3.31 +/- 0.64]) (P = .027). Serum Gd-IgA1 levels of non
      transplant IgAN patients were significantly higher (8791 +/- 8700 ng/MUL [log10:
      3.79 +/- 0.36]) than those of non-recurrent IgAN patients (4790 +/- 6089 ng/MUL
      [log10: 3.31 +/- 0.64]) and healthy relatives (2615 +/- 1611 ng/MUL [log10: 3.34
      +/- 0.27]) (P < .001 and P = .021, respectively). Receiver-operating
      characteristic curve analysis revealed that the area under the curve for
      recurrence of IgAN was 0.69 (0.53-0.85) for serum Gd-IgA1 (P = .038). Biopsy
      confirmed allograft rejection rates were similar in the recurrent IgAN group [3
      (17%)] compared with the non-recurrent IgAN [6 (26%)] group (P = .47). Graft
      failure rate was not also significantly different in the recurrent IgAN group [4
      (22.2%)] compared with the non-recurrent IgAN group [2 (8.7%)] (P = .224).
      CONCLUSIONS: This novel lectin-independent Gd-IgA1 ELISA that can detect serum Gd
      IgA1 in patients with recurrent IgAN can be used as a biomarker for diagnosis and
      activity assessment of post-transplant recurrent IgAN.

PMID- 28340831
TI  - Pregnancy and Delivery in the Sequel of Kidney Transplantation: Single-Center
      Study of 8 Years' Experience.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Depending on hyphothalamic, hyphophyseal, and gonadal axis
      dysfunction, anovulatory irregular cycles occur and the probability of pregnancy
      decreases in the patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD). Maternal mortality
      and morbidity rates are increased in CKD patients; the risk of premature delivery
      is 70% and the risk of preeclampsia is 40% more than normal among those with a
      creatine level of >2.5 mg/dL. METHODS: If a pregnancy is expected in the sequel
      of kidney transplantation (KT), a multidisciplinary team approach should be
      adopted and both the gynecologist and the nephrologist should follow the patient
      simultaneously. Among 3883 patients who underwent KT at Antalya Medical Park
      Hospital Transplantion Department between November 2009 and October 2016, the
      records of 550 female patients between the ages of 18 and 40 years were examined
      retrospectively; 31 patients who complied with these criteria were included in
      the study group. In 6 of these patients who had an unplanned pregnancy, medical
      abortion was performed after the families were informed about the possible fetal
      anomalies caused by the use of everolimus in the first trimester, and they were
      excluded from the study (pregnant group). The control group consisted of 43
      patients who had a KT and became pregnant, and of those who had recently
      undergone KT and shared similarities regarding age, CKD etiology, duration of
      dialysis, and number of transplants. RESULTS: In both groups, the ages of the
      patients, their follow-up span and dialysis duration, tissue compatibility, age
      of the donor, and time elapsed until the pregnancy was analyzed, whereas in the
      control group, creatinine levels in the first, second, third, and fourth years
      after the KT were reviewed. Additionally, in the pregnant group, creatinine
      levels of the first, second, and third trimesters; delivery week; birth weight of
      the baby; APGAR scores of the first minute; postnatal creatinine levels of first,
      second, and third years; and prenatal, maternal, and postnatal acute rejections
      were reviewed. We measured the creatine clearance by use of the Cockcroft-Gault
      formula in the pregnancy group before pregnancy and during delivery [Cockcroft
      Gault formula: (140 - age) * body weight (kg)/72 * plasma creatine level (mg/dL)
      * 0.85]. CONCLUSIONS: Pregnancy after KT is risky both for the mother and the
      baby; however, if planned and followed in coordination within an experienced
      center, both the pregnancy period and the birth process can occur without
      distress.

PMID- 28340832
TI  - The Most Frequently Cited 100 Articles in Liver Transplantation Literature.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: We investigated the liver transplantation literature since 1975 and
      found the most frequently cited 100 articles and assessed the distribution of
      authors and journals of these articles. METHOD: Using the advanced mode of the
      Institute for Scientific Information (ISI) Web of Science (WOS) search engine,
      the words "SU = transplantation AND TI = liver OR SU = transplantation AND TS =
      liver" were used to scan articles and determine the most-cited 100 articles on
      July 18, 2016. RESULTS: From 1975 to date, it appears a total of 43,369 articles
      were published in the field of liver transplantation in the WOS. Although the
      most cited article had 677 citations, the least cited article had 180 citations.
      The mean citation number for the 100 articles was 252.31 +/- 96.75. The mean
      annual citation number for the articles varied from 61.55 to 5 and the mean was
      15.31 +/- 8.63. The most cited article was by Feng et al "Characteristics
      Associated With Liver Graft Failure: The Concept of a Donor Risk Index" published
      in the American Journal of Transplantation (677 citations). CONCLUSION:
      Bibliometric analysis highlights the key topics and publications that have shaped
      the understanding and management of liver transplantation. According to our
      research, this is the first study to investigate articles with most citations in
      the field of liver transplantation. In our study the article with the most
      citations was cited 677 times, whereas the 100th article was cited 180 times with
      a mean citation number for the 100 articles of 252.31 +/- 96.75.

PMID- 28340833
TI  - Telescopic Biliary Reconstruction in Patients Undergoing Liver Transplantation
      With 1-Year Follow-up.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Biliary complications are important during liver transplantation
      because of their effect on recipient and graft survival, incidence, and the long
      treatment period. These complications are associated with 50% morbidity and 30%
      mortality rates in recent studies. One of the most important reasons for biliary
      anastomosis complications is arterial ischemia. We present the results of our
      telescopic biliary anastomosis technique performed on the mucosa of the main
      biliary duct. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Fifty-six cases of telescopic biliary
      reconstruction were performed in 203 patients during 2015. Fifty cases and 52
      patients who underwent standard reconstruction were chosen and compared. All
      patients had been scanned retrospectively. Statistical analyses were conducted
      with chi2 and Mann-Whitney U tests for the complications that occurred during the
      first 3 months. A P value <.05 was considered significant. RESULTS: No clinical
      or demographic differences were detected between the groups. About 90% of both
      groups were living donor liver transplantation cases. Five (10%) anastomotic
      leaks occurred in telescopic reconstruction group (n = 50), and 13 (25%) occurred
      in the standard reconstruction group (n = 52; P < .05). CONCLUSION: The arterial
      blood supply is better if the biliary anastomosis is made on the mucosal side of
      the main biliary duct. Early period anastomotic leaks may decrease significantly.

PMID- 28340834
TI  - Hepatic Artery Reconstruction With Autologous Inferior Mesenteric Artery Graft in
      Living Donor Liver Transplant Recipients.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: In living donor liver transplantation (LDLT), hepatic arterial
      continuity is crucial to avoid biliary leakage, biliary stricture, cholangitis,
      and graft and patient loss. Sometimes there exist factors making anastomosis
      difficult or even impossible. In these cases, a vascular graft may be needed to
      bridge the two arteries for revascularization. METHOD: Medical records of 297
      patients who underwent LDLT between June 2000 and July 2016 at the
      Hepatopancreatobiliary Surgery and Liver Transplantation Unit of Dokuz Eylul
      University Hospital were reviewed retrospectively. Twenty-eight (9%) patients
      younger than the age of 18 were excluded from the study. The remaining 269
      patients were included in the study. We analyzed data of patients who developed
      hepatic arterial complications during or after LDLT and underwent
      revascularization using autologous interposed inferior mesenteric artery (IMA)
      grafts. RESULTS: In 8 (2.9%) of the 269 patients who underwent LDLT and were
      included in the study, autologous interposed IMA grafts were used for the hepatic
      artery revascularization. All of the patients were males. Their mean age was 42
      (range, 25-57). The mean duration of follow-up was 83.25 months (range, 3-144
      months). One patient developed intraoperative hepatic arterial thrombosis (HAT)
      after autologus IMA reconstruction and this patient needed retransplantation. No
      arterial complications developed in the other 7 patients. CONCLUSION: Autologous
      interposed IMA graft could be used as an alternative vascular graft in hepatic
      artery revascularization to provide tension-free hepatic arterial continuity.

PMID- 28340835
TI  - Can Patients Who Develop Cerebral Death in Fulminant Liver Failure Despite Liver
      Transplantation Be Previously Forseen?
AB  - BACKGROUND: The outcome of medical treatment is worse in fulminant liver failure
      (FLF) developing on acute or chronic ground. Recently, liver transplantations
      with the use of living and cadaveric donors have been performed in these diseases
      and good results obtained. In this study, we aimed to present the factors
      affecting the recovery of cerebral functions after liver transplantation in
      hepatic encephalopathy (HE) developing in FLF, to identify irreversible patient
      groups and to prevent unnecessary liver transplantation. METHODS: In Inonu
      University's Liver Transplant Institute, 69 patients who made an emergency notice
      to the National Coordination Center for liver transplantation owing to FLF from
      January 2012 to December 2015 were included in the study. Patients were divided
      into 2 groups. Group 1 consisted of 52 patients who underwent liver
      transplantation and recovered normal brain function, and group 2 had 17 patients
      who underwent liver transplantation and did not recover normal brain function and
      had cerebral death. All patients were evaluated before surgery for clinical
      encephalopathy stage, light reflex, and convulsions. Groups were compared and
      assessed according to age (>40, 10-40 and <10 years), body mass index, etiologic
      factor, preoperative laboratory values, transplantation type, mortality, and
      encephalopathy level. Multivariate analysis was done for specific parameters.
      RESULTS: Prothrombin time (PT), international normalized ratio (INR), and total
      bilirubin values were significantly different between the groups. There was no
      significant difference between the groups regarding ammonia and lactate levels.
      There was a statistically significant difference between the groups regarding
      sodium and potassium levels from serum electrolytes. However, the averages of
      both groups were within normal limits. pH and total bilirubin levels were
      meaningful for multivariate analysis. CONCLUSIONS: HE reversibility, mortality,
      and morbidity are important in patients with HE who undergo liver
      transplantation. Therefore, West Haven clinical staging and serum INR, PT, and
      total bilirubin level may be helpful in predicting the reversibility of FLF
      patients with HE before liver transplantation. It was determined that West Haven
      encephalopathy grading is important in determining the reversibility of HE after
      transplantation in FLF; especially the probability of reversibility of stage 4 HE
      decreases significantly. High PT and INR levels, hyperbilirubinemia, and serum
      sodium and potassium concentrations were risk factors for the reversibility of HE
      in this study.

PMID- 28340836
TI  - Effect of Dosage and Type of Hepatitis B Immunoglobulin on Hepatitis Antibody
      Levels in Liver Transplant Recipients.
AB  - BACKGROUND: The current study aimed to evaluate the effect of dosage and type
      (intramuscular [IM] vs intravenous [IV]) of hepatitis B immunoglobulin (HBIG) on
      hepatitis antibody level in liver transplant recipients. METHODS: Between
      September 2000 and August 2016, patients who underwent orthotropic liver
      transplantation for chronic liver failure or hepatocellular carcinoma secondary
      to chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV) were retrospectively reviewed from a
      prospectively maintained database. The analyses of risk factors for postoperative
      short- and long-term anti-hepatitis B surface antibody levels (as classified
      level I: 0 to 100 U; II: 100 to 500 U; III: 500 to 1000 U; IV: >1000 U) were
      performed based on demographic characteristics, hepatitis B envelope antigen,
      hepatitis B core antibody, HBV DNA, delta antigen, HBIG administration dosage
      during unhepatic phase (5000 or 10,000 I/U; IM or IV), and type of administration
      in post-transplant period. Patients who were followed for less than 12 months
      were excluded from long-term analysis. RESULTS: The mean follow-up of 58
      orthotropic liver transplant patients was 72 (+/-45) months. No adverse events
      were observed during both IM and IV type of administration. Compared with IM
      type, IV administration was associated with a significantly higher HBV antibody
      level in the short term (for IM and IV: level I: 24% vs 6%; II: 49% vs 18%; III:
      12% vs 35%; IV: 15% vs 41%, respectively, P = .007). In the long term, IV
      administration of hepatitis B immunoglobulin (HBIG) was reported as the sole
      factor causing higher antibody level (P = .002). Longer follow-up was associated
      with decreased levels of anti-hepatitis B surface antibody. CONCLUSION: IV HBIG
      administration in preoperative anhepatic phase and postoperative prophylaxis is
      associated with higher antibody level both the short and long term without any
      adverse event.

PMID- 28340837
TI  - Complications in Donors Using Right Liver Graft: Analysis of 280 Consecutive
      Cases.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: Living donor liver transplantation (LDLT) is performed with
      increasing frequency worldwide due to the shortage of donated organs. It is a
      life-saving procedure for the recipient, but, on the other hand, a major surgical
      procedure for healthy donors and it may cause morbidity and even mortality.
      PATIENTS AND METHODS: This research was completed at Dokuz Eylul University
      Faculty of Medicine Hospital General Surgery Department Liver Transplant Unit and
      included 280 cases (4 with simultaneous liver and kidney transplants from living
      donors) who underwent donor right hepatectomy for LDLT from June 2000 to June
      2016. We analyzed the data of patients retrospectively. RESULTS: Of 280 donor
      right hepatectomies for LDLT, 181 were male (M; 64.6%) and 99 were female (F;
      35.4%) (M/F: 1.82). Mean donor age was 31.2 +/- 0.9 years (range, 18-56). Mean
      donor monitoring duration was 45 +/- 2.4 months (range, 3-192 months). Mean body
      mass index (BMI) was 24.28 +/- 2.96 kg/m2 (range, 18.1-32.42 kg/m2). In our study
      72 cases (25.7%) developed postoperative complications. There were 17 Clavien
      grade 3A, 1 grade 3B, and 5 grade 4A complications and also 1 death due to
      pulmonary embolism. CONCLUSION: Together with the increase in living donor
      surgery, the morbidity and mortality of these cases are becoming controversial.
      Full donor safety is only possible with appropriate donor choice requiring very
      detailed studies, a problem-free hepatectomy process, and close postoperative
      donor monitoring.

PMID- 28340838
TI  - Anesthetic Management for Left Ventricular Assist Device Implantation Through
      Left Thoracotomy: Evaluation of On-Pump Versus Off-Pump.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Ventricular assist devices (VADs) are alternative approaches to
      medical treatment in patients with acute or chronic heart failure. The goal of
      this study was to compare an anesthetic approach in patients undergoing
      implantation of a VAD with (on-pump) or without (off-pump) cardiopulmonary bypass
      (CPB) through left thoracotomy. METHODS: A total of 32 patients were divided into
      2 groups: on-pump (group 1) and off-pump (group 2). A standard anesthesia
      protocol was used in all patients. Baseline characteristics of the patients,
      intraoperative hemodynamic and respiratory variables, anesthetic agents and
      vasoactive drugs administered, the amount of blood products, extubation, length
      of hospital stay and intensive care unit stay, and postoperative complications
      were recorded. RESULTS: Patients' mean age was 54.7 +/- 13.3 years (range, 18-74
      years). Eighteen patients underwent surgery with CPB. Demographic data of the
      patients, preoperative characteristics, intraoperative use of blood products,
      intraoperative complications, and anesthetic drugs used were similar between
      groups (P > .05). The duration of surgery (219 +/- 23 vs 273 +/- 56 minutes) and
      anesthesia (274 +/- 38 vs 323 +/- 57 minutes) were shorter in group 2; there was
      no difference between the 2 groups in terms of mechanical ventilation time,
      length of stay in the intensive care unit, and length of hospital stay. There was
      no decrease in postoperative oxygen parameters and an increase in patient lactate
      levels with the use of CPB. The use of fresh frozen plasma and platelet
      suspension in the postoperative period was significantly higher in group 1 (P <
      .05). The rate of complications and mortality rate were comparable between the 2
      groups (P > .05). CONCLUSIONS: Our study results show that the use of CPB during
      VAD implantation via left thoracotomy increases operation time and use of blood
      products, while causing no change in the rate of complications.

PMID- 28340839
TI  - Incidence of Early Acute Kidney Injury in Lung Transplant Patients: A Single
      Center Experience.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Acute kidney injury (AKI) is a common complication in the early
      period of lung transplantation (LTx). We aimed to describe the incidence and
      perioperative risk factors associated with AKI following LTx. METHODS: Clinical
      data of 30 patients who underwent LTx were retrospectively reviewed. Primary
      outcomes were development of AKI and patient mortality within 30 postoperative
      days. Postoperative AKI is determined based on creatinine criteria from Acute
      Kidney Injury Network (AKIN) classification. Secondary outcomes included the
      association between AKI and demographic and clinical parameters of patients and
      treatment modalities in the pre- and postoperative periods. RESULTS: Of the 30
      LTx recipients included, AKI occurred in 16 patients (53.4%) within the first 30
      days. Length of intensive care unit (P = .06) and hospital stay (P = .008) and
      mechanical ventilation duration (P = .03) were significantly higher in patients
      with AKI compared with patients without AKI. Factors independently associated
      with AKI were intraoperative hypotension (odds ratio [OR] 0.500; 95% confidence
      interval [CI], 1.145 to 26.412, P = .02), longer duration of mechanical
      ventilation (OR 1.204; 95% CI 0.870 to 1.665, P = .03), and systemic infection
      (OR 8.067; 95% CI 1.538 to 42.318, P = .014) in the postoperative period. Short
      term mortality was similar in patients with and patients without AKI. CONCLUSION:
      By the AKIN definition, AKI occurred in half of the patients following LTx.
      Several variables including intraoperative hypotension, longer duration of
      mechanical ventilation, and systemic infection in the postoperative period
      independently predict AKI in LTx recipients.

PMID- 28340840
TI  - Short-term Results of Heartmate 3 Ventricular Assist Device Implantation for End
      Stage Heart Failure.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: To report our initial experience with Heartmate 3 ventricular assist
      device (HM3) in cases with end-stage heart failure (ESHF). METHODS: Charts of 8
      ESHF patients who underwent HM3 implantation in our clinic from January to June
      2016 (group 1) and 16 patients who underwent HM2 implantation during 2015 (group
      2) were reviewed retrospectively. Demographics as well as pre- and early
      postoperative medical data were noted and statistically analyzed between the 2
      groups. RESULTS: No statistical difference was found in age or sex distribution
      between groups (P > .05). Mean Interagency Registry for Mechanically Assisted
      Circulatory Support scores were 2.13 +/- 0.99 and 3.38 +/- 0.72 in groups 1 and
      2, respectively (P = .020). Mean cardiopulmonary bypass time, and chest tube
      drainage fluid volume and blood product requirement during intensive care unit
      (ICU) stay were 64.0 +/- 13.9 minutes, 1,112.5 +/- 516.7 mL, and 318.8 +/- 271.2
      mL, respectively, in group 1 and 89.0 +/- 33.3 minutes, 2,081.3 +/- 1,696.0 mL,
      and 1,118.8 +/- 1,010.8 mL in group 2 (P = .027, P = .019, and P = .040,
      respectively). Need for surgical revision and early mortality were not evident
      for group 1, although 4 cases (25.0%) required revision surgery, and early
      mortality was seen in 3 cases (18.8%) in group 2 (P = .121 and P = .190,
      respectively). Mean durations of ICU stay and total postoperative hospitalization
      were 5.9 +/- 2.0 and 18.3 +/- 5.5 days, respectively in group 1 and 6.2 +/- 4.3
      and 18.0 +/- 6.9 days in the surviving 13 patients of the group 2 (P = .645 and P
      = .697, respectively). CONCLUSIONS: With its shorter implantation time and
      reduced blood product requirement in the early postoperative period, the HM3
      system was found to be safe and effective in ESHF treatment.

PMID- 28340841
TI  - Liver Transplantation for Polycystic Liver Disease Due to Huge Liver With Related
      Complications: A Case Report.
AB  - Polycystic liver disease is characterized by multiple cystic lesions on the
      liver. It is an uncommon autosomal dominant disease. The cysts' diameters range
      from 20 to 30 cm to small microscopic nodules. Generally, more than half of the
      liver parenchyma is covered. The mass effect of the liver created by the large
      cysts can cause life-threatening symptoms such as weight loss, reduction of oral
      intake, and malnutrition. Liver transplantation is the best treatment option in
      symptomatic patients. We present a patient who had polycystic liver and kidney
      disease, and we performed liver transplantation because of his life-threatening
      symptoms.

PMID- 28340842
TI  - Surgical Treatment of Portal Vein Thrombosis With the Use of Cadaveric Venous
      Patch After Donor Hepatectomy: A Case Report.
AB  - Live donors should be the priority of transplant professionals to prevent surgery
      related morbidity and mortality during living-donor liver transplantation. Portal
      vein thrombosis after donor hepatectomy is an important complication which can be
      prevented by careful preoperative as well as perioperative evaluation. If portal
      vein thrombus occurs after donor hepatectomy, anticoagulation and surgical
      thrombectomy and even portal vein reconstruction should be kept in mind.
      Cadaveric venous patches can be used for the reconstruction of narrowed and
      angulated portal veins. Here we report the surgical treatment of a donor with a
      cadaveric venous patch who developed portal vein thrombosis after donor
      hepatectomy.

PMID- 28340843
TI  - Acquired Acrodermatitis Enteropathica Syndrome in a Kidney Transplant Receipt: A
      Case Report.
AB  - Acrodermatitis enteropathica syndrome (AE) is a clinical entity that results in
      severe zinc deficiency. It can be genetic or acquired. Acquired AE has been
      reported in patients with chronic liver disease, malabsorption syndrome, sickle
      cell anemia, and chronic renal failure. We present a kidney transplant recipient
      with skin rash and watery diarrhea. The patient had low serum zinc levels, which
      quickly resolved after zinc supplementation. Skin biopsy showed cytoplasmic
      pallor and vacuolization and ballooning degeneration of keratinocytes within the
      superficial epidermis, which may have led to confluent necrosis of keratinocytes.
      Large amounts of keratinosome-derived lamellae were found in the intercellular
      spaces in the keratinized area, probably related to disturbance of keratinosome
      metabolism due to zinc deficiency.

PMID- 28340844
TI  - Anatomic Diversity Encountered During Laparoscopic Hand-Assisted Transperitoneal
      Donor Nephrectomy: A Case Report of Complete Caval Duplication.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: Laparoscopic donor nephrectomy is widely used to retrieve a kidney
      for transplantation. Preoperative evaluation of the donor is of crucial
      importance to the recipient. In particular, vascular anatomy should be assessed
      with the help of modern imaging modalities. We present a hand-assisted
      laparoscopic nephrectomy of a kidney donor with a complete duplex vena cava. CASE
      REPORT: A 40-year-old male patient was admitted to our clinic as a kidney donor
      for his 20-year-old son. After the preliminary tests, further imaging with the
      use of computerized tomographic angiography showed a complete duplex vena cava.
      He had no morbidities or previous surgeries. A hand-assisted transperitoneal
      laparoscopic left nephrectomy was performed as the kidney removal technique
      commonly used in our center. There was minimal blood loss, and the warm ischemia
      time was 66 minutes. Operation time was 265 minutes. After transplantation had
      been performed, graft functions were good with normal urine output. Blood sample
      tests were in normal ranges. The live donor was discharged on the 7th day after
      the procedure without any complications. CONCLUSIONS: Although renal vascular
      anomalies are rarely seen, they have a significant impact on the outcomes of the
      renal transplantation. Knowing the vascular anatomy minimizes the complications
      risk and increases the success rate. Laparoscopic live-donor nephrectomy can be
      performed safely, even in patients with vascular anomalies.

PMID- 28340845
TI  - Erratum.

PMID- 28340846
TI  - Erratum.

PMID- 28340847
TI  - Erratum.

PMID- 28340848
TI  - Preeclampsia and the Long-term Risk of Kidney Failure.

PMID- 28340849
TI  - The Interaction of Dialysis Prescription and Residual Kidney Function: Yet
      Another Layer of Complexity.

PMID- 28340850
TI  - From Static to Dynamic Risk Prediction: Time Is Everything.

PMID- 28340851
TI  - In Reply to 'Kidney Disease of Unknown Cause in Agricultural Laborers (KDUCAL) Is
      a Better Term to Describe Regional and Endemic Kidney Diseases Such as Uddanam
      Nephropathy'.

PMID- 28340852
TI  - Kidney Disease of Unknown Cause in Agricultural Laborers (KDUCAL) Is a Better
      Term to Describe Regional and Endemic Kidney Diseases Such as Uddanam
      Nephropathy.

PMID- 28340853
TI  - Quiz: Acute Kidney Injury in a Patient on a TNF-alpha Blocking Agent.

PMID- 28340854
TI  - AJKD Atlas of Renal Pathology: IgG4-Related Tubulointerstitial Nephritis.

PMID- 28340855
TI  - No mediating effects of glycemic control and inflammation on the association
      between vitamin D and lung function in the general population.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Vitamin D deficiency is discussed to be associated with lung health.
      While former studies focused on subjects suffering from pulmonary diseases, we
      aimed to investigate the association of 25-hydroxy vitamin D [25(OH)D] with lung
      function in the general population and examined whether mediating effects of
      inflammation, glycemic control or renal function exist. METHODS: 1404
      participants from the Study of Health in Pomerania with pulmonary function
      testing assessed by expiratory volume in 1 s (FEV1), forced vital capacity (FVC),
      total lung capacity and Krogh index were used. Adjusted analysis of variance,
      linear regression models and mediation analyses were performed. RESULTS:
      Significant positive associations between 25(OH)D levels and FEV1, FVC and Krogh
      index were found. Mediator analyses revealed no mediating effect of inflammation
      (fibrinogen), glycemic control (HbA1c) or renal function (eGFR) on associations
      with FEV1 or FVC. With respect to Krogh-Index, the association to 25(OH)D was
      slightly mediated by fibrinogen with a proportion mediated of 9.7%. CONCLUSION:
      Significant positive associations of 25(OH)D with lung function were revealed in
      a general population. The proposed mediating effects of inflammation, glycemic
      control and renal function on these relations were not confirmed. Further studies
      examining the causality of the association between 25(OH)D and lung function are
      necessary.

PMID- 28340856
TI  - Changes in the prevalence of COPD in Korea between 2001 and 2011 in the KNHANES
      data.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a serious public
      health problem. Understanding the longitudinal trend in prevalence is important
      for characterizing the burden of COPD and planning health services. METHODS: We
      analyzed the prevalence of airflow obstruction between 2001 and 2011 using data
      from Korean National Health and Nutritional Examination Surveys (2001, n = 2217;
      2011, n = 3101). Participants >40 years of age with an FEV1/FVC <0.7 were defined
      as having COPD. We used data from the Population and Housing Census, which was
      conducted by Statistics Korea in 2010, to compare the prevalence of COPD after
      standardizing by age. RESULTS: The crude prevalence of COPD was not significantly
      different between 2001 and 2011 (2001, 13.0%; 2011, 13.2%), but the age
      standardized prevalence of COPD decreased significantly over the 10-year period
      (2001, 15.7%; 2011, 12.4%). While significant decreases were observed for ex
      smokers and current smokers, significant increases were noted for subjects who
      smoked <20 pack-years and those with a BMI <=18.5 kg/m2. The prevalence of mild
      and severe COPD decreased (2001, mild 8.5%, severe 1.4%; 2011, mild 5.4%, severe
      0.5%), while the prevalence of moderate COPD increased (2001, 5.7%; 2011, 6.4%)
      after age standardization. CONCLUSIONS: We report a reduction in the age
      standardized prevalence of COPD in Korea from 2001 to 2011. Continued
      surveillance and early prevention are required because the socioeconomic burden
      of COPD remains substantial.

PMID- 28340857
TI  - Reducing socioeconomic inequalities in COPD care in the hospital outpatient
      setting - A nationwide initiative.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: Socioeconomic differences in quality of care have been suggested to
      contribute to inequality in clinical prognosis of COPD. We examined socioeconomic
      differences in the quality of COPD outpatient care and the potential of a
      systematic quality improvement initiative in reducing potential socioeconomic
      differences. METHODS: A mandatory national quality improvement initiative has
      since 2008 monitored the quality of COPD care at all national pulmonary
      specialized outpatient clinics in Denmark using six evidence-based process
      performance measures. We followed patients aged >=30 years with a first-ever
      outpatient contact for COPD during 2008-2012 (N = 23,741). Adjusted year-specific
      relative risks (RR) of fulfilling all relevant process performance measures was
      compared according to ethnicity, education, income, employment, and cohabitation
      using Poisson regression. RESULTS: Quality of care improved following the
      implementation of the clinical improvement initiative with 11% of COPD patients
      receiving optimal care in 2008 compared to 57% in 2012. Substantial socioeconomic
      differences were observed the first year: immigrants (RR 0.41, 95% CI 0.21-0.82),
      the unemployed (RR 0.37, 95% CI 0.18-0.74), disability pensioners (RR 0.63, 95%
      CI 0.46-0.87) and patients living alone (RR 0.80, 95% CI 0.60-0.97) were less
      likely to receive all relevant care processes, whereas those with highest
      education (RR 1.22, 95% CI 0.92-1.63) were more likely to receive these
      processes. These differences were eliminated during the study period. CONCLUSION:
      A systematic quality improvement initiative including regular audits, knowledge
      sharing, and detailed disease-specific recommendations for care improvement may
      increase the overall quality of care and considerably modify the substantial
      socioeconomic inequalities in COPD management.

PMID- 28340858
TI  - Corrigendum to "Analysis of discrepant results between the Genotype(r) MTBDRplus
      assay and an antimicrobial-susceptibility test for isoniazid-resistant
      tuberculosis'"[Respiratory Med. 122 (January 2017) 12-17].

PMID- 28340859
TI  - Heterogeneity of obesity-asthma association disentangled by latent class
      analysis, the SAPALDIA cohort.
AB  - Although evidence for the heterogeneity of asthma accumulated, consensus for
      definitions of asthma phenotypes is still lacking. Obesity may have heterogeneous
      effects on various asthma phenotypes. We aimed to distinguish asthma phenotypes
      by latent class analysis and to investigate their associations with different
      obesity parameters in adults using a population-based Swiss cohort (SAPALDIA). We
      applied latent class analysis to 959 self-reported asthmatics using information
      on disease activity, atopy, and age of onset. Associations with obesity were
      examined by multinomial logistic regression, after adjustments for age, sex,
      smoking status, educational level, and study centre. Body mass index, percent
      body fat, waist hip ratio, waist height ratio, and waist circumference were used
      as obesity measure. Four asthma classes were identified, including persistent
      multiple symptom-presenting asthma (n = 122), symptom-presenting asthma (n =
      290), symptom-free atopic asthma (n = 294), and symptom-free non-atopic asthma (n
      = 253). Obesity was positively associated with symptom-presenting asthma classes
      but not with symptom-free ones. Percent body fat showed the strongest association
      with the persistent multiple symptom-presenting asthma. We observed heterogeneity
      of associations with obesity across asthma classes, indicating different asthma
      aetiologies.

PMID- 28340860
TI  - Association of pre-hospital theophylline use and mortality in chronic obstructive
      pulmonary disease patients with sepsis.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Although theophylline has been shown to have anti-inflammatory
      effects, the therapeutic use of theophylline before sepsis is unknown. The aim of
      our study was to determine the effect of theophylline on COPD patients presenting
      with sepsis. METHODS: This nationwide, population-based, propensity score-matched
      analysis used data from the linked administrative databases of Taiwan's National
      Health Insurance program. Patients with COPD who were hospitalized for sepsis
      between 2000 and 2011 were divided into theophylline users and non-users. The
      primary outcome was 30-day mortality. The secondary outcome was in-hospital
      death, intensive care unit admission, and need for mechanical ventilation. Cox
      proportional hazard model and conditional logistic regression were used to
      calculate the risk between groups. RESULTS: A propensity score-matched cohort of
      51,801 theophylline users and 51,801 non-users was included. Compared with non
      users, the 30-day (HR 0.931, 95% CI 0.910-0.953), 180-day (HR 0.930, 95% CI 0.914
      0.946), 365-day (HR 0.944, 95% CI 0.929-0.960) and overall mortality (HR 0.965,
      95% CI 0.952-0.979) were all significantly lower in theophylline users.
      Additionally, the theophylline users also had lower risk of in-hospital death (OR
      0.895, 95% CI 0.873-0.918) and need for mechanical ventilation (OR 0.972, 95% CI
      0.949-0.997). CONCLUSIONS: Theophylline use is associated with a lower risk of
      sepsis-related mortality in COPD patients. Pre-hospital theophylline use may be
      protective to COPD patients with sepsis.

PMID- 28340861
TI  - A randomised double-blind, placebo-controlled, long-term extension study of the
      efficacy, safety and tolerability of fixed-dose combinations of
      aclidinium/formoterol or monotherapy in the treatment of chronic obstructive
      pulmonary disease.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: Aclidinium bromide/formoterol fumarate (AB/FF) 400/12 MUg efficacy
      and safety was demonstrated in two 6-month Phase III studies (AUGMENT and
      ACLIFORM) and a 12-month study in patients with moderate to severe chronic
      obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). This Phase III, double-blind, placebo
      controlled, 6-month AUGMENT extension investigated the long-term safety and
      tolerability of AB/FF 400/12 MUg (NCT01572792). METHODS: Patients were randomised
      in AUGMENT (1:1:1:1:1) to twice-daily AB/FF 400/12 MUg, AB/FF 400/6 MUg, AB 400
      MUg, FF 12 MUg or placebo. Patients completing AUGMENT were invited to continue
      the same treatment in the extension. Adverse events (AEs), major adverse
      cardiovascular events (MACE), laboratory tests, electrocardiograms and vital
      signs were recorded. Efficacy was assessed. RESULTS: Of 1322 patients completing
      AUGMENT, 921 enrolled and 780 completed the extension. AE incidence was low and
      comparable across treatment groups; most common were nasopharyngitis (range 4.8%
      9.3%), urinary tract infection (range 4.1%-8.8%) and upper respiratory tract
      infection (range 2.7%-5.5%). Serious AEs (SAEs) and MACE were low (ranges 6.8%
      7.7% and 0.5%-1.5%, respectively). Significant improvements in bronchodilation
      and dyspnoea were maintained over 52 weeks versus placebo. Trends towards
      improvements in other symptoms and health status were observed versus placebo and
      monotherapies. AB/FF combinations increased the time to first exacerbation by
      approximately 30% versus placebo (p < 0.05). CONCLUSION: AB/FF 400/12 MUg was
      well tolerated over 52 weeks with low incidences of AEs, SAEs and MACE that were
      comparable across treatment groups. Improvements in bronchodilation, symptoms and
      health status were maintained across 52 weeks.

PMID- 28340862
TI  - Symptom variability and control in COPD: Advantages of dual bronchodilation
      therapy.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a heterogeneous
      disorder characterized by usually progressive development of airflow obstruction
      that is not fully reversible. While most patients will experience symptoms
      throughout the day or in the morning upon awakening, many patients do not
      experience their symptoms as constant but report variability in symptoms during
      the course of the day or over time. Symptom variability adversely affects
      patients' health status and increases the risk of COPD exacerbations. METHODS: We
      examined data from the literature on symptom variability and control in patients
      with COPD, with focus on the use of inhaled bronchodilator therapy with long
      acting muscarinic antagonist agents (LAMA) plus long-acting beta2-agonists
      (LABA); in particular twice-daily fixed-dose combination LAMA/LABA therapy with
      aclidinium/formoterol. RESULTS: Correct diagnosis and assessment of COPD requires
      comprehensive clinical and functional evaluation and consideration of individual
      needs to support the clinical decisions necessary for effective long-term
      management. Combining bronchodilators from different and complementary
      pharmacological classes with distinct mechanisms of action can increase the
      magnitude of bronchodilation as opposed to increasing the dose of a single
      bronchodilator. CONCLUSIONS: The use of inhaled bronchodilator therapy with
      LAMA/LABA fixed-dose combinations in patients with stable COPD is supported by
      current evidence. This treatment approach provides robust effects on lung
      function and symptom control and may improve patients' adherence to treatment.
      Administration of the long-acting bronchodilators aclidinium and formoterol as
      twice daily fixed-dose aclidinium/formoterol 400/12 MUg has the potential to
      control symptoms throughout the 24 h in patients with stable moderate-to-severe
      COPD.

PMID- 28340863
TI  - Serum cytokine profiles as predictors of asthma control in adults from the EGEA
      study.
AB  - BACKGROUND: To which extent serum cytokines may predict asthma control in adults
      remains understudied. OBJECTIVES: We investigated cross-sectional and
      longitudinal associations between cytokine profiles and asthma outcomes. METHODS:
      Serum interleukin (IL)-1Ra, IL-5, IL-7, IL-8, IL-10, IL-13 and TNF-alpha levels
      were determined in 283 adults with current asthma from the 2nd survey of the
      Epidemiological Study on the Genetics and Environment of Asthma (EGEA2).
      Participants were followed-up seven years later. Asthma symptom control was
      assessed according to GINA 2015 guidelines. Cytokine profiles were identified by
      principal component (PC) analyses, and expressed as above/below the median.
      RESULTS: The first two PCs captured 82.5% of the variability. While all seven
      cytokines scored high on PC1, only IL-1Ra and IL-10 scored high on PC2. At EGEA2,
      neither PC1 nor PC2 were related to exacerbations, asthma attacks, asthma symptom
      control, lung function, or allergic diseases. High level of PC1 (above the
      median) was associated with higher blood neutrophil counts (P = 0.02), while high
      level of PC2 was associated with lower IgE levels (P = 0.04). High level of PC2
      at EGEA2 was associated with lower bronchial hyperresponsiveness (adjusted(a)
      OR[95%CI] = 0.46[0.23; 0.91]) and with subsequent lower risk of worsening asthma
      control and attacks (aOR[95%CI] = 0.24[0.09; 0.60]; 0.31[0.11; 0.85]
      respectively). CONCLUSIONS: Serum cytokine profiles with high levels of IL-1Ra
      and IL-10 were associated with lower subsequent risks of worsening asthma control
      and attacks in adults. This study adds new findings for the role of serum
      cytokine profiles to help identifying adults with subsequent risk of asthma
      burden that could be targeted for specific therapies.

PMID- 28340864
TI  - Multi-dimensional scores to predict mortality in patients with idiopathic
      pulmonary fibrosis undergoing lung transplantation assessment.
AB  - BACKGROUND: The heterogeneous progression of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF)
      makes prognostication difficult and contributes to high mortality on the waitlist
      for lung transplantation (LTx). Multi-dimensional scores (Composite Physiologic
      index [CPI], [Gender-Age-Physiology [GAP]; RIsk Stratification scorE [RISE])
      demonstrated enhanced predictive power towards outcome in IPF. The lung
      allocation score (LAS) is a multi-dimensional tool commonly used to stratify
      patients assessed for LTx. We sought to investigate whether IPF-specific multi
      dimensional scores predict mortality in patients with IPF assessed for LTx.
      METHODS: The study included 302 patients with IPF who underwent a LTx assessment
      (2003-2014). Multi-dimensional scores were calculated. The primary outcome was 12
      month mortality after assessment. LTx was considered as competing event in all
      analyses. RESULTS: At the end of the observation period, there were 134
      transplants, 63 deaths, and 105 patients were alive without LTx. Multi
      dimensional scores predicted mortality with accuracy similar to LAS, and superior
      to that of individual variables: area under the curve (AUC) for LAS was 0.78
      (sensitivity 71%, specificity 86%); CPI 0.75 (sensitivity 67%, specificity 82%);
      GAP 0.67 (sensitivity 59%, specificity 74%); RISE 0.78 (sensitivity 71%,
      specificity 84%). A separate analysis conducted only in patients actively listed
      for LTx (n = 247; 50 deaths) yielded similar results. CONCLUSIONS: In patients
      with IPF assessed for LTx as well as in those actually listed, multi-dimensional
      scores predict mortality better than individual variables, and with accuracy
      similar to the LAS. If validated, multi-dimensional scores may serve as
      inexpensive tools to guide decisions on the timing of referral and listing for
      LTx.

PMID- 28340866
TI  - Epidemiology of clinical trials of medicines in respiratory diseases in Europe
      and Italy.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Clinical trials play a key role in advancing medical knowledge,
      improving patient care and promoting economic growth in Europe. We have assessed
      the clinical trial activity in any respiratory diseases in Europe, with a
      specific focus on Italy. METHODS: Information from public sources (EFPIA,
      clinicaltrials.gov, clinicaltrialsregister. eu, AIFA) was used to describe
      clinical trial activity of in respiratory diseases in Europe and by country.
      RESULTS: In 2015, 3908 clinical trials were reported in Europe, 386 in
      respiratory diseases (9.9%). Germany was the first country both as absolute
      number (76 trials) and as percentage within country trials (14%), followed by
      Poland. Spain, Italy and France were the countries with the lowest number and
      percentage of trials in respiratory diseases. In 2013, the Italian Drug Agency
      reported 9 trials with respiratory compounds in Italy (2.1% of overall trials,
      12^ position in the therapeutic area rank), 33% in phase 2 and 66% in phase 3. No
      phase 1 or phase 4 trials were reported for respiratory trials. Prevalence of
      respiratory trials by non-profit sponsors (28.3%) was below the average for the
      country (38.3%). CONCLUSIONS: Europe has a greater potential for clinical
      research on drugs for respiratory diseases, particularly in countries with less
      activity, such as Spain, France and Italy, that should identify and implement
      actions to increase attractiveness for clinical trials of drugs.

PMID- 28340865
TI  - Association of systemic inflammation, adiposity, and metabolic dysregulation with
      asthma burden among Hispanic adults.
AB  - RATIONALE: Obesity-related asthma is associated with higher disease burden than
      normal-weight asthma among Hispanics. Adiposity, metabolic dysregulation, and
      inflammation are all implicated in pathogenesis of obesity-related asthma, but
      their independent contributions are poorly understood. OBJECTIVE: To examine the
      independent contributions of body fat distribution, metabolic abnormalities and
      inflammation on asthma symptoms and pulmonary function among Hispanics. METHODS:
      Participants of the Hispanic Community Health Study/Study of Latinos with doctor
      diagnosed asthma who completed an asthma symptom questionnaire and performed a
      valid spirometry were included in the analysis (n = 1126). Multivariate analysis
      was used to examine the independent association of general adiposity (assessed
      using body mass index), truncal adiposity (assessed by waist circumference),
      metabolic dysregulation (presence of insulin resistance and low HDL) and
      inflammation (high-sensitivity C-Reactive Protein>=3 mg/L) with reported asthma
      symptoms or pulmonary function measures (FEV1, and FVC) while adjusting for
      demographic and clinical covariates. RESULTS: Of the 1126 participants, 334
      (29.5%) were overweight, and 648 (57.8%) were obese. FEV1 and FVC were lower in
      obese compared to normal-weight asthmatics. In analyses controlling for metabolic
      and adiposity factors, high hs-CRP (>7 mg/L) was associated with more symptoms
      (prevalence-ratio 1.27 (95%CI 1.05, 1.54), and lower FVC (beta -138 ml (95%CI -27
      ml, -249 ml)) and FEV1 (beta -155 ml (95% CI -38 ml, -272 ml). Low HDL was also
      associated with lower FVC (beta -111 ml (-22 ml, -201 ml) and FEV1 (beta -100 ml
      (-12 ml, -188 ml)). Results were similar in men and women. CONCLUSIONS: Our
      findings suggest that hs-CRP and low HDL, rather than general and truncal
      adiposity, are associated with asthma burden among overweight and obese Hispanic
      adults.

PMID- 28340868
TI  - Suicidal Ideation and Alcohol Use: Understanding Developmental Trajectories.

PMID- 28340867
TI  - Comparative prevalence of co-morbidities in smoking and non-smoking asthma
      patients with incomplete reversibility of airway obstruction, non-smoking asthma
      patients with complete reversibility of airway obstruction and COPD patients.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Asthma with incomplete reversibility of airway obstruction (IRAO) may
      often be associated to smoking-induced changes. Nevertheless, a high proportion
      of patients showing IRAO have never smoked. These patients with IRAO often share
      features of patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Although
      IRAO is still a poorly defined condition, it has been associated with a higher
      morbidity and mortality than asthma with complete reversibility of airway
      obstruction (CRAO) or even COPD alone. A high prevalence of comorbidities could
      contribute to the reported poorer clinical outcome in IRAO, in comparison to CRAO
      or COPD alone. AIM: To determine the prevalence of past and current comorbidities
      in IRAO patients compared to patients with CRAO or COPD. METHODS: This was a
      retrospective, cross-sectional study. Demographic data, clinical characteristics
      and 36 predetermined comorbidities documented from self-report and chart review,
      were recorded from smoking-associated IRAO (S-IRAO), non-smoking IRAO (NS-IRAO),
      CRAO and COPD patients. RESULTS: A total of 199 patients were included in the
      final analysis (111F/88M, mean (+/-SD) age of 63 +/- 10 years). The CRAO group
      had more comorbidities than the three other groups, but this difference was
      significant only with the NS-IRAO group (P = 0.04). For most comorbidities, the
      prevalence of comorbidities in both IRAO sub-groups was intermediate between CRAO
      and COPD, with significant differences between S-IRAO and NS-IRAO only for
      hypertension (P = 0.03), nasal polyps (P = 0.002) and pneumonia (P = 0.04).
      Typical asthma-associated comorbidities tended to be more prevalent in NS-IRAO
      patients and COPD-associated comorbidities in S-IRAO patients. CONCLUSION: In
      this study, the prevalence of comorbidities was not superior in patients with
      IRAO, compared to those with CRAO or COPD alone. The prevalence of comorbidities
      in the two main types of IRAO patients reflects exposure to cigarette smoke and
      asthma-related mechanisms.

PMID- 28340869
TI  - Young People: Understanding the Links Between Satisfaction With Services and
      Their Health Outcomes in Primary Care.

PMID- 28340871
TI  - Improving Knowledge About, Access to, and Utilization of Long-Acting Reversible
      Contraception Among Adolescents and Young Adults.

PMID- 28340870
TI  - Collaboration Is Key for Successful Treatment of Youth-Onset Type 2 Diabetes.
AB  - Type 2 diabetes (T2D) is increasing in U.S. adolescents, particularly those of
      ethnic and racial minority groups. Risk factors for youth-onset T2D include
      obesity, family history of T2D, poor diet, lack of exercise, and poverty. The
      onset of diabetes-related complications is accelerated in adolescents with T2D
      compared to adults, and knowledge regarding the optimal way to prevent and slow
      complications is lacking. Existing treatment options are limited, and research
      into novel pharmacologic treatments is hindered by lack of sufficient patient
      population for clinical trials. Health care providers and investigators should
      collaborate both with each other, and with patients and their communities to
      build networks that will allow comprehensive evaluation of this disease in order
      to offer optimal, comprehensive care for these adolescents.

PMID- 28340872
TI  - Establishing an Immunization Platform for 16-Year-Olds in the United States.

PMID- 28340873
TI  - Peripheral T-Cell Lymphoma, Not Otherwise Specified: A Review of Current Disease
      Understanding and Therapeutic Approaches.
AB  - Peripheral T-cell lymphoma, not otherwise specified (PTCL-NOS), corresponds with
      a heterogeneous group of mature T-cell lymphomas. Recent gene expression
      profiling studies have identified at least two molecular subgroups (GATA3 and
      TBX2). Standard treatment and outcomes remain poor. High-dose chemotherapy with
      autologous stem cell transplantation is incorporated into primary therapy for
      young fit patients but remains ineffective for most and has not been tested in a
      randomized study. Several novel agents have been approved for use in
      relapsed/refractory PTCLs, and although response rates are modest for most,
      durable remissions have been reported. Selecting rationale combinations and
      incorporating predictive biomarkers will be important moving forward to improve
      outcomes in patients with PTCL.

PMID- 28340874
TI  - Management of Anaplastic Large Cell Lymphoma.
AB  - Anaplastic large cell lymphoma (ALCL) is one of the most common peripheral T-cell
      lymphomas, and the incidence is higher in blacks than non-Hispanic whites. ALK
      positive and ALK-negative ALCL are distinct subtypes that have different
      characteristics and clinical outcomes. Breast implant-associated ALCL is a rare
      lymphoma that has a good survival outcome, and a recent study showed that total
      capsulectomy is essential for treatment. Brentuximab vedotin (BV) is a standard
      treatment for relapsed/refractory ALCL. The response rate is high at 80-90%;
      however, once the disease progresses in patients on BV, survival outcome is very
      poor, with a median overall survival of less than two months.

PMID- 28340875
TI  - Angioimmunoblastic T-Cell Lymphoma.
AB  - Angioimmunoblastic T-cell lymphoma is a follicular T-helper-derived neoplasm
      displaying a peculiar morphologic appearance and biological complexity. New
      mutations have been described that contribute to elucidating the underlying
      pathogenetic events. The disease behaves aggressively and typically affects
      elderly patients. The outcomes reported with anthracycline-containing regimens
      are poor; therefore autologous transplantation in first remission should be
      offered whenever possible. Newer approaches are urgently needed for relapsed and
      refractory patients. Newly approved agents show activity in pretreated patients
      but response durations are short. Innovative induction strategies (CHOP +
      biologic agent) should be designed to enhance response quality, facilitate
      transplantation, and prolong survival.

PMID- 28340876
TI  - Clinical Features and Current Optimal Management of Natural Killer/T-Cell
      Lymphoma.
AB  - Extranodal natural killer/T-cell lymphoma, nasal type (ENKL), is a rare subtype
      of non-Hodgkin lymphoma, and its treatment outcome was previously poor. Novel
      treatment strategies have improved the outcomes of ENKL remarkably in the last
      decade. Nowadays, patients with localized nasal ENKL are recommended treatment
      with concurrent chemoradiotherapy, and their 5-year overall survival rate is
      approximately 70%. In patients with advanced or relapsed/refractory disease, the
      efficacy of l-asparaginase-containing therapy has been confirmed. However, there
      still remain unmet needs in the treatment of ENKL. Continued efforts should be
      made to further improvements in the treatment of ENKL.

PMID- 28340878
TI  - T-cell Prolymphocytic Leukemia.
AB  - T-cell prolymphocytic leukemia (T-PLL) is a rare and aggressive T-cell
      malignancy. T-PLL can be distinguished from other lymphoid diseases by the
      evaluation and integration of clinical features, morphology, immunophenotyping,
      cytogenetics, and molecular features. The current therapeutic approach relies on
      immunotherapy followed by a hematopoietic stem cell transplant in selected cases.
      Clinical outcomes are generally poor, although insights from genomic and
      molecular studies may increase our understanding of this disease, with the
      promise of additional effective therapeutic options.

PMID- 28340877
TI  - Adult T-cell Leukemia/Lymphoma: A Problem Abroad and at Home.
AB  - Adult T-cell leukemia/lymphoma (ATLL) is a rare T-cell disorder that is
      etiologically linked to chronic infection with human T-cell lymphotropic virus
      type 1. ATLL is divided into four subtypes: acute, lymphomatous, chronic, and
      smoldering. The acute and lymphomatous variants are often described clinically as
      the aggressive types of ATLL. Treatment strategies traditionally have focused on
      antiviral therapy with zidovudine and interferon-alpha and combination
      chemotherapy. Novel therapeutic approaches include the use of monoclonal
      antibodies, anti-CCR4 therapy, immunomodulatory therapy, and anti-TAX vaccines.
      Future research must focus on multi-institutional clinical trial participation
      because of the rarity of this deadly hematologic malignancy.

PMID- 28340879
TI  - Uncommon Variants of T-Cell Lymphomas.
AB  - Peripheral T-cell lymphomas represent 10% to 15% of non-Hodgkin lymphomas and
      comprise more than 20 different entities. Treatment of very rare T-cell lymphomas
      can be challenging because there are no large or randomized studies to guide
      clinical decision making, and treatment paradigms are often based on small series
      or imperfect data. Although a strict algorithm cannot be written with certainty,
      through the literature that exists and clinical experience, themes and principles
      of approaches do emerge that when coupled with clinical judgment allow reasonable
      and logical decisions.

PMID- 28340880
TI  - Mycosis Fungoides and Sezary Syndrome.
AB  - Mycosis fungoides and the Sezary syndrome (SS) are rare lymphomas of CD4+ helper
      T cells. There is stagewise progression from patch/plaques to thicker tumor
      lesions/diffuse erythroderma. Blood involvement is a characteristic of SS.
      Outcomes are related to the extent of skin, blood, lymph node, and visceral organ
      involvement. Patients with limited patch and plaque disease are treated with skin
      directed therapies. More advanced/refractory disease is treated with skin
      directed therapies and oral or systemic immunomodulatory agents. Single-agent
      chemotherapies are used against tumors, refractory plaques, and lymph node and
      visceral involvement. Allogeneic stem cell transplantation is a potentially
      curative strategy for advanced/resistant disease.

PMID- 28340882
TI  - Autologous and Allogeneic Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation in Peripheral T/NK
      cell Lymphomas: A Histology-Specific Review.
AB  - Peripheral T-cell lymphoma and natural killer/T-cell lymphomas (PT/NKCL) make up
      a diverse subgroup of non-Hodgkin's lymphomas characterized by an aggressive
      clinical course. The use of hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) in the
      treatment of PT/NKCL remains controversial because of the absence of randomized
      controlled trials. The best available data suggest that certain subtypes of
      PT/NKCL may benefit more from the application of HSCT than other subtypes and
      that this benefit results from their unique clinical characteristics and
      underlying biology. Ultimately, however, prospective randomized controlled trials
      are needed to clarify the optimal type and timing of HSCT in patients with
      PT/NKCL.

PMID- 28340883
TI  - Novel Agents in the Treatment of Relapsed or Refractory Peripheral T-Cell
      Lymphoma.
AB  - Peripheral T-cell lymphomas (PTCL) are a heterogeneous group of mature T-cell
      malignancies associated with exceptionally poor prognoses. Currently,
      chemotherapy remains the standard of care, but outcomes are suboptimal, with 5
      year survival rates ranging from 15% to 25%. In recent years, several novel
      agents, including pralatrexate, romidepsin, belinostat, and brentuximab vedotin,
      have been approved for the treatment of relapsed/refractory PTCL. In addition,
      numerous other therapies with different mechanisms of action and targets are
      currently under investigation. This article discusses in detail agents currently
      available, those currently under investigation, and active combination trials.

PMID- 28340881
TI  - CD30+ Lymphoproliferative Disorders of the Skin.
AB  - Primary cutaneous CD30+ lymphoproliferative disorders encompass lymphomatoid
      papulosis (LyP), primary cutaneous anaplastic large cell lymphoma (pcALCL), and
      indeterminate cases. LyP is a benign disorder characterized by recurrent crops of
      red or violaceous papulonodules. Patients with LyP are at an increased risk of a
      secondary malignancy. pcALCL is characterized by a solitary red to violaceous
      nodule or tumor larger than 20 mm. LyP is benign, is limited to the skin, and
      self-resolves, with a 5-year survival rate of 100%; pcALCL is limited to the skin
      and responsive to directed therapies, with a 5-year survival rate of over 95%.
      Aggressive chemotherapeutic regimens should be avoided.

PMID- 28340884
TI  - Peripheral T-Cell Lymphoma: The Beginning of the End of the Beginning.

PMID- 28340885
TI  - Immunosuppression for kidney transplantation: Where are we now and where are we
      going?
AB  - Advances in immunosuppression have propelled kidney transplantation from a
      scientific curiosity to the optimal treatment for patients with end stage kidney
      disease. Declining rates of acute rejection have led to improvements in short
      term kidney transplant survival, culminating in incrementally better long term
      patient and allograft outcomes. Contextualized around established immune
      suppressing drug targets, this review summarizes the history of the clinical
      science and highlights the pivotal trials that have led to present-day treatment
      standards at the level of both individual agents and multidrug regimens for
      kidney recipients. Finally, recently approved and emerging therapies are
      discussed, with an emphasis on challenges faced by clinicians managing this
      increasingly complex patient population.

PMID- 28340886
TI  - Diagnostic Imaging of Reproductive Tract Disorders in Reptiles.
AB  - Diagnostic imaging of the reproductive tract in reptiles is used for gender
      determination, evaluation of breeding status, detection of pathologic changes,
      and supervising treatment. Whole-body radiographs provide an overview and support
      detection of mineralized egg shells. Sonography is used to evaluate follicles,
      nonmineralized eggs, and the salpinx in all reptiles. Computed tomography is able
      to overcome imaging limitations in chelonian species. This article provides
      detailed information about the performance of different imaging techniques.
      Multiple images demonstrate the physiologic appearance of the male and female
      reproductive tract in various reptile species and pathologic changes. Advantages
      and disadvantages of radiography, sonography, and computed tomography are
      described.

PMID- 28340887
TI  - Reproductive Disorders in Snakes.
AB  - Reproduction of snakes is one of the challenging aspects of herpetology medicine.
      Due to the complexity of reproduction, several disorders may present before,
      during, or after this process. This article describes the physical examination,
      and radiographic, ultrasonographic, and endoscopic findings associated with
      reproductive disorders in snakes. Surgical techniques used to resolve
      reproductive disorders in snakes are described. Finally, common reproductive
      disorders in snakes are individually discussed.

PMID- 28340888
TI  - Veterinary Aspects of Bird of Prey Reproduction.
AB  - Captive breeding has contributed to successful restoration of many species of
      birds of prey. Avicultural techniques pioneered by raptor breeders include double
      clutching, direct fostering, cross-fostering, hatch and switch, hacking,
      imprinting male and female falcons for semen collection, and artificial
      insemination techniques. However, reproductive failure occurs related to
      management problems, including hygiene measures, food quality issues, breeding
      flock structure, or individual health issues of breeding birds. These may result
      in non-egg laying females, low-quality eggs, or infertile eggs caused by male
      infertility. Veterinary care of breeding collections is extremely important. This
      article provides an overview of veterinary involvement in raptor breeding
      projects.

PMID- 28340889
TI  - Disorders of the Reproductive Tract of Rabbits.
AB  - Disorders of the reproductive tract are common in rabbits. Conditions are
      different in rabbits that are farmed for their meat or fur and those that are
      kept as pets. Farmed rabbits suffer from infections and diseases associated with
      pregnancy. Congenital abnormalities are more likely to be recognized and treated
      in pet rabbits. Pet rabbits suffer from age-related changes to their genital
      tract (hyperplasia, neoplasia, or hernias). Neutering is an important part of
      prevention and treatment of reproductive disorders. Knowledge of normal male and
      female reproductive anatomy is essential to prevent complications. These are
      described and illustrated.

PMID- 28340890
TI  - Reproductive Disorders in Pet Rodents.
AB  - Reproduction diseases are common presentations in small rodents. Some can be
      presented to the clinician as an emergency where a fast and effective treatment
      is required. This article presents an overview of reproductive disorders in these
      species. Diseases affecting the ovary, uterus, testicles, and mammary gland are
      developed in rats, mice, hamsters, and gerbils: inflammatory, infectious, and
      neoplasia. Clinical signs, diagnosis, and treatment information are included.
      Some specific indications about the surgical reproduction procedures are
      described. Literature regarding reproductive disorders exists for squirrels and
      prairie dogs. Brief information about the normal anatomy of the reproductive
      system is given.

PMID- 28340891
TI  - Reproductive Medicine in Guinea Pigs, Chinchillas and Degus.
AB  - Guinea pigs, chinchillas, and degus are hystricomorph rodents originating from
      South America. They are commonly presented as exotic pets in veterinary practice.
      Reviewing the anatomy and physiology of their reproductive tract helps to offer
      better client education about preventive medicine and helps to act faster in
      emergency situations. Choosing the right anesthetic protocol helps to prevent
      complications. This article should aid as a guideline on the most common
      reproductive problems of these 3 species and help in making decisions regarding
      the best treatment options.

PMID- 28340893
TI  - Reproductive Medicine in Exotic Animal Species.

PMID- 28340892
TI  - Reproductive Medicine in Ferrets.
AB  - In the United States, desexing is performed routinely in ferrets at the age of 6
      weeks, therefore reproductive tract diseases are not so common. However, in
      Europe most ferrets are desexed when they are several months old, or they are
      kept as intact animals. For this reason, diseases of the reproductive organs and
      a prolonged estrus are far more frequent in Europe than in the United States.
      This article summarizes and reviews the anatomy, reproductive physiology,
      management of reproduction (including surgical and hormonal contraception) and
      reproductive tract diseases in male and female ferrets.

PMID- 28340894
TI  - Wenckebach pattern in right bundle branch block - benign or not?
AB  - A Mobitz type I block (Wenckebach phenomenon) with narrow QRS complex is almost
      always due to a lesion in the AV node. In a type I block with wide QRS complex
      (>0.12sec), the block can be in the His-Purkinje system in 60-70% of the cases.
      Even though the progressive PR prolongation with every conducted beat suggests
      Wenckebach phenomenon, one needs to pay attention to the accompanying QRS
      complex. In the setting of persistent right bundle branch block, axis change of
      subsequent conducted beat before an unconducted p suggests alternating fascicular
      block, giving clue to unreliable infra-Hisian conduction; and in the setting of
      symptoms, a pacemaker should be implanted. Infra-Hisian Wenckebach block is rare
      with only sparse literature reports. The present case report adds to these,
      suggesting that wide QRS with Wenckebach block on surface ECG may indicate infra
      Hisian conduction abnormalities.

PMID- 28340895
TI  - Post-operative consequences of hemodynamic optimization.
AB  - Hemodynamic optimization begins with a medical assessment to identify the high
      risk patients. This stratification is needed to customize the choice of
      hemodynamic support that is best adapted to the patient's level of risk,
      integrating the use of the least invasive procedures. The macro-circulatory
      hemodynamic approach aims to maintain a balance between oxygen supply (DO2) and
      oxygen demand (VO2). Volume replacement plays a crucial role based on the
      titration of fluid boluses according to their effect on measured stroke volume or
      indices of preload dependency. Good function of the microcirculatory system is
      the best guarantee to achieve this goal. An assessment of the DO2/VO2 ratio is
      needed for guidance in critical situations where tissue hypoxia may occur.
      Overall, all of these strategies are based on objective criteria to guide
      vascular replacement and/or tissue oxygenation in order to improve the patient's
      post-operative course by decreasing morbidity and hospital stay.

PMID- 28340896
TI  - Bioactive constituents from transformed root cultures of Nepeta teydea.
AB  - A phytochemical study of an extract from transformed root cultures of Nepeta
      teydea, induced by Agrobacterium rhizogenes, led to the isolation of the
      following new compounds: the sesquiterpene (-)-cinalbicol, the diterpene
      teydeadione (6,11,14-trihydroxy-12-methoxy-abieta-5,8,11,13,15-penten-7-one), a
      degraded C23-triterpene (teydealdehyde) and three fatty acid esters of lanosta
      7,24-dien-3beta-ol. The propyl ester of rosmarinic acid was also isolated for the
      first time from a natural source. In addition, two dehydroabietane diterpenes,
      eight triterpenes and eighteen known phenolic compounds were obtained. The
      antifeedant, cytotoxic and phytotoxic activities of the isolated compounds have
      also been investigated.

PMID- 28340897
TI  - Response to "DHEA as marker of good surgical homeostasis".

PMID- 28340898
TI  - Proctologic surgery done by residents: Who is the surgeon in real life?

PMID- 28340899
TI  - [When will cardiology care be tailored to the specific needs of women?]

PMID- 28340900
TI  - [Radial approach in women].
AB  - Since the first series of coronary angiographies through the radial approach
      reported by Campeau in 1989, the radial route has become a major approach, used
      in up to 95 % of PCIs in some centers. As documented by this clinical case, and
      although registries show that the radial approach is underused in women compared
      to men, women benefit from the radial approach mainly by reducing the bleeding
      risk. Indeed, despite more frequent difficulties encountered by using this
      approach in women, the radial approach has to be preferred because it reduces
      haemorrhagic complications and death in comparison to the femoral route.

PMID- 28340901
TI  - Predictive validity of an observer-rated adherence protocol for multisystemic
      therapy with juvenile drug offenders.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: Multisystemic therapy (MST) is perhaps the best validated treatment
      for youth who engage in serious and chronic antisocial behavior (Henggeler,
      Schoenwald, Borduin, Rowland, & Cunningham, 2009). Despite evidence suggesting
      that high treatment adherence is needed to achieve optimal MST outcomes, this
      research is limited because past studies have relied on adherence reports derived
      solely from treatment participants (i.e., caregivers, youth, and therapists). To
      address this gap in the literature, the present study assessed the reliability
      and predictive validity of an observational protocol for rating adherence to MST.
      METHOD: The sample was drawn from a randomized clinical trial of juvenile drug
      offenders (77.5% male, 65% African American) referred to one of four treatment
      conditions (Henggeler et al., 2006). Audiotaped sessions of youth and their
      families were selected from the first month of MST and trained undergraduate
      students independently rated therapist adherence to the nine MST treatment
      principles. We assessed the validity of MST adherence in predicting outcomes at
      post-recruitment and 12-month follow-up. RESULTS: Good interrater reliability
      (ICC=0.642) was found across all raters for our composite index of adherence.
      High adherence to MST during the first month of therapy predicted decreases in
      externalizing behavior at post-recruitment and decreases in youth alcohol
      consumption at 12-month follow-up. CONCLUSIONS: These results provide independent
      support for the link between treatment fidelity and behavioral outcomes in the
      context of MST. Further, this study demonstrates the feasibility of using novice,
      undergraduate judges to reliably code therapist adherence.

PMID- 28340903
TI  - Erratum to "Heterogeneity in pathways to abstinence among women in treatment for
      alcohol use disorder" [Journal of Substance Abuse Treatment 75 (2017) 1-9].

PMID- 28340902
TI  - Quality of care measures for the management of unhealthy alcohol use.
AB  - There is a paucity of quality measures to assess the care for the range of
      unhealthy alcohol use, ranging from risky drinking to alcohol use disorders.
      Using a two-phase expert panel review process, we sought to develop an expanded
      set of quality of care measures for unhealthy alcohol use, focusing on outpatient
      care delivered in both primary care and specialty care settings. This process
      generated 25 candidate measures. Eight measures address screening and assessment,
      11 address aspects of treatment, and six address follow-up. These quality
      measures represent high priority targets for future development, including
      creating detailed technical specifications and pilot testing them to evaluate
      their utility in terms of feasibility, reliability, and validity.

PMID- 28340904
TI  - A group-based motivational interviewing brief intervention to reduce substance
      use and sexual risk behavior among homeless young adults.
AB  - Homeless young adults ages 18-25 exhibit high rates of alcohol and other drug
      (AOD) use, and sexual risk behaviors such as unprotected sex. Yet few programs
      exist for this population that are both effective and can be easily incorporated
      into settings serving this population. This pilot cluster cross-over randomized
      controlled trial evaluates AWARE, a voluntary four session group-based
      motivational interviewing (MI) intervention to reduce AOD use and sexual risk
      behavior. We evaluated AWARE with 200 homeless young adults using drop-in center
      services in Los Angeles County (mean age=21.8years; 73% male; 79% heterosexual;
      31% non-Hispanic White, 25% African American, 24% Hispanic, 21%
      multiracial/other). Surveys were completed at baseline and three months after
      program completion. Retention in the AWARE program was excellent (79% attended
      multiple sessions) and participants reported high levels of satisfaction with the
      program. AWARE participants self-reported positive change in their past 3month
      and past 30day alcohol use (ps<=0.05), motivation to change drug use (ps<0.05),
      and condom use self-efficacy (p=0.05) compared to the control group. Among those
      with multiple sex partners, AWARE participants showed a decrease in unprotected
      sexual events (p<0.05), whereas the control group did not. Results from this
      pilot evaluation are promising, suggesting that a brief group-MI risk reduction
      intervention can be effective in helping homeless young adults make positive
      changes in their alcohol and condom use. Further work is needed to more fully
      evaluate the efficacy of AWARE on AOD behavior and sexual risk behavior outcomes.

PMID- 28340905
TI  - Searching objective criteria for patient assignment in addiction treatment.
AB  - The main aim of this study was to objectify the treatment assignment criteria
      used in a clinical centre for addiction treatment in Spain. A sample of 162
      patients (87 inpatients and 75 outpatients) who sought treatment between 2010 and
      2012 was assessed. Clinical characteristics (addiction severity,
      psychopathological symptoms, impulsiveness and maladjustment) of the two
      treatment groups (inpatient and outpatient) into which patients were assigned
      according to the clinical criteria of therapists were analysed to identify which
      variables were more relevant for patient placement. Moreover, the therapeutic
      progression of patients who met and did not meet the assignment criteria received
      was studied. According to the results, a score above 4 in the family/social
      support area of the European Addiction Severity Index (EuropASI), or, in cases of
      a score between 2 and 4 in the family/social area of EuropASI, a score above 2 in
      the partner subscale of the Maladjustment Scale correctly classified 73.5% of
      cases (96.6% of inpatients and 46.7% of outpatients). Comparisons of therapeutic
      results depending on matching or mismatching these assignment criteria showed a
      larger effect size in mismatching patient assignment criteria for outpatient
      treatment. The results obtained in this study provide an objective criterion for
      addicted patient placement. Moreover, from a cost-effective perspective, they
      question the necessity of inpatient treatment in most cases, demonstrating that
      outpatient treatment is a sufficient level of care. This study addresses the
      approach to assigning patients to the treatment modality that best fits them,
      implementing the least expensive level of care needed to achieve treatment
      success.

PMID- 28340907
TI  - Pervious concrete reactive barrier for removal of heavy metals from acid mine
      drainage - column study.
AB  - This paper presents a column study conducted to investigate the potential use of
      pervious concrete as a reactive barrier for treatment of water impacted by mine
      waste. The study was done using acid mine drainage (AMD) collected from a gold
      mine (WZ) and a coalfield (TDB). Pervious concrete mixtures consisting of
      Portland cement CEM I 52.5R with or without 30% fly ash (FA) were prepared at a
      water-cementitious ratio of 0.27 then used to make cubes which were employed in
      the reactor columns. It was found that the removal efficiency levels of Al, Fe,
      Mn, Co and Ni were 75%, 98%, 99%, 94% and 95% for WZ; 87%, 96%, 99%, 98% and 90%
      for TDB, respectively. The high rate of acid reduction and metal removal by
      pervious concrete is attributed to dissolution of portlandite which is a typical
      constituent of concrete. The dominant reaction product in all four columns was
      gypsum, which also contributed to some removal of sulphate from AMD. Formation of
      gypsum, goethite, and Glauber's salt were identified. Precipitation of metal
      hydroxides seems to be the dominant metal removal mechanism. Use of pervious
      concrete offers a promising alternative treatment method for polluted or acidic
      mine water.

PMID- 28340906
TI  - Veterans treatment courts: A case study of their efficacy for Veterans' needs.
AB  - Veterans Treatment Courts (VTCs) were created to: (1) address issues unique to
      U.S. Military Veterans; and, (2) where possible, avoid punishing veterans for
      crimes that may have been committed as a direct result of their mental conditions
      (e.g., Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and/or Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI)).
      Little research has been undertaken to ascertain whether VTCs are accomplishing
      their intended goals. To that end, the present case study examined three
      operating VTCs in order to determine if they are meeting their objectives. The
      research provides further information about VTC operations and recidivism rates.
      The research further reveals that, while the three VTCs examined are arguably
      benefitting veterans, they are not reaching a greater part of the population due
      largely to the gatekeeping role of VTC prosecutors, and the rigid eligibility
      requirements established by the three VTCs for veteran participation.
      Consequently, it's possible that the low recidivism rates reported by the three
      VTCs examined are inflated or constitute false positives.

PMID- 28340908
TI  - Preparing the United States for Zika Virus: Pre-emptive Vector Control and
      Personal Protection.
AB  - Discovered in 1947 in a monkey in the Zika forest of Uganda, Zika virus was
      dismissed as a cause of a mild illness that was confined to Africa and Southeast
      Asia and transmitted by Aedes mosquitoes. In 2007, Zika virus appeared outside of
      its endemic borders in an outbreak on the South Pacific Island of Yap. In 2013,
      Zika virus was associated with a major neurological complication, Guillain-Barre
      syndrome, in a larger outbreak in the French Polynesian Islands. From the South
      Pacific, Zika invaded Brazil in 2015 and caused another severe neurological
      complication, fetal microcephaly. The mosquito-borne transmission of Zika virus
      can be propagated by sexual transmission and, possibly, by blood transfusions,
      close personal contacts, and organ transplants, like other flaviviruses. Since
      these combined mechanisms of infectious disease transmission could result in
      catastrophic incidences of severe neurological diseases in adults and children,
      the public should know what to expect from Zika virus, how to prevent infection,
      and what the most likely failures in preventive measures will be. With federal
      research funding stalled, a Zika vaccine is far away. The only national
      strategies to prepare the United States for Zika virus invasion now are effective
      vector control measures and personal protection from mosquito bites. In addition
      to a basic knowledge of Aedes mosquito vectors and their biting behaviors, an
      understanding of simple household vector control measures, and the selection of
      the best chemical and physical mosquito repellents will be required to repel the
      Zika threat.

PMID- 28340909
TI  - Investigation of bias related to differences between case and control interview
      dates in five INTERPHONE countries.
AB  - PURPOSE: Associations between cellular telephone use and glioma risk have been
      examined in several epidemiological studies including the 13-country INTERPHONE
      study. Although results showed no positive association between cellular telephone
      use and glioma risk overall, no increased risk for long-term users, and no
      exposure-response relationship, there was an elevated risk for those in the
      highest decile of cumulative call time. However, results may be biased as data
      were collected during a period of rapidly increasing cellular telephone use, and
      as controls were usually interviewed later in time than cases. METHODS: Further
      analyses were conducted in a subset of five INTERPHONE study countries
      (Australia, Canada, France, Israel, New Zealand) using a post hoc matching
      strategy to optimize proximity of case-to-control interview dates and age.
      RESULTS: Although results were generally similar to the original INTERPHONE
      study, there was some attenuation of the reduced odds ratios and stronger
      positive associations among long-term users and those in the highest categories
      for cumulative call time and number of calls (eighth-ninth and 10th decile).
      CONCLUSIONS: Proximity and symmetry in timing of case-to-control interviews
      should be optimized when exposure patterns are changing rapidly with time.

PMID- 28340910
TI  - Birth seasonality in rural areas of Iran, analysis of 5,536,262 births from 1992
      to 2007.
AB  - PURPOSE: We conducted this study to investigate birth seasonality in rural parts
      of Iran. METHODS: In this study, patterns of 5,536,262 live births in rural parts
      of Iran between 1992 and 2007 were studied. Information about birth numbers,
      environmental factors, and sociocultural status of participants was obtained from
      previous works. Visually inspecting the seasonal variation of birth, studying its
      trend using autocorrelation analysis, examining the trend of birth seasonality
      using the seasonality coefficient, a newly introduced index, studying
      correlations between birth seasonality and possible associated factors, and
      analyzing associations between these variables and birth seasonality using
      multiple regression model were performed in this study. RESULTS: In this study,
      we showed birth seasonality in rural parts of Iran, with the highest births in
      the first two seasons, winter and spring, mostly before the year of 2002.
      Latitude and mean temperature of districts, wealth status of families, education
      of women, and mothers' ages were associated with birth seasonality. However,
      latitude, temperature, and mothers' ages lost their associations after adjusting
      for sociocultural factors in the regression model. CONCLUSIONS: Birth numbers in
      rural areas of Iran follow a rhythmic seasonal pattern; however, the ordering of
      seasons changes in the last years of the study period.

PMID- 28340911
TI  - Ultrasound-guided vascular cannulation in critical care patients: A practical
      review.
AB  - Vascular cannulation is common practice in critical care, and is traditionally
      performed using the landmark technique - though failures and complications are
      not uncommon. In this regard, ultrasound guided vascular cannulation (USGVC) has
      been shown to improve the procedure success rate and reduce its associated
      complications. This review addresses the fundamental aspects of USGVC and
      discusses some training issues related to this technique which is currently
      regarded as essential for intensivists.

PMID- 28340912
TI  - Autophagy and the invisible line between life and death.
AB  - For a considerable time cell death has been considered to represent mutually
      exclusive states with cell death modalities that are governed by their inherent
      and unique mode of action involving specific molecular entities and have
      therefore been studied primarily in isolation. It is now, however, becoming
      increasingly clear that these modalities are regulated by similar pathways and
      share a number of initiator and effector molecules that control both cell death
      as well as cell survival mechanisms, demanding a newly aligned and integrative
      approach of cell death assessment. Frequently cell death is triggered through a
      dual action that incorporates signaling events associated with more than one
      death modality. Apoptosis and necrosis regularly co-operate in a tightly balanced
      interplay that involves autophagy to serve context dependently either as a pro
      survival or a pro-death mechanism. In this review we will assess current cell
      death modalities and their molecular overlap with the goal of clarifying the
      controversial role of autophagy in the cell death response. By dissecting the key
      molecular pathways and their positioning within a network of regulatory
      signalling hubs and checkpoints we discuss a distinct approach that integrates
      autophagy with a resultant cell death manifestation. In doing so, former
      classifications of cell death modalities fade and reveal the intricate molecular
      proportions and complexities of the cell death response that may contribute
      towards an enhanced means of cell death control.

PMID- 28340913
TI  - Synthesis, activity and docking studies of phenylpyrimidine-carboxamide Sorafenib
      derivatives.
AB  - Two series of Sorafenib derivatives bearing phenylpyrimidine-carboxamide moiety
      (16a-g and 17a-p) were designed, synthesized and evaluated for the IC50 values
      against three cancer cell lines (A549, MCF-7 and PC-3). Two selected compounds
      (17f and 17n) were further evaluated for the activity against VEGFR2/KDR kinase.
      More than half of the synthesized compounds showed moderate to excellent activity
      against three cancer cell lines. Compound 17f showed equal activity to Sorafenib
      against MCF-7 cell line, with the IC50 values of 6.35+/-0.43MUM. Meanwhile,
      compound 17n revealed more active than Sorafenib against A549 cell line, with the
      IC50 values of 3.39+/-0.37MUM. Structure-activity relationships (SARs) and
      docking studies indicated that the second series (17a-p) showed more active than
      the first series (16a-g). What's more, the introduction of fluoro atom to the
      phenoxy part played no significant impact on activity. In addition, the presence
      of electron-donating on aryl group was benefit for the activity.

PMID- 28340914
TI  - Editorial overview: Cell reprogramming, regeneration and repair.

PMID- 28340915
TI  - Quality improvement program reduces perioperative dental injuries - A review of
      64,718 anesthetic patients.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Perioperative dental injury (PDI) is a common adverse event
      associated with anesthesia that can easily lead to medicolegal litigation. A
      quality improvement program was conducted with the electronic, standardized
      dental chart to document dentition before anesthesia and dentist consultation
      when necessary. This study aimed to reduce PDIs through execution of a quality
      improvement program. METHODS: We reviewed the 42-month interval anesthetic
      records of 64,718 patients who underwent anesthesia. A standardized electronic
      dental chart was designed to identify any dental prosthetics, fixed and removable
      dentures, and degree of loose teeth. The incidence of dental injuries associated
      with anesthesia was separated into three time periods: baseline, initiative
      (Phase I), and execution (Phase II). Primary outcome measurement was the
      incidence of PDIs related to anesthesia. RESULTS: The overall incidence of dental
      injury related to anesthesia was 0.059% (38/64,718 patients). During the baseline
      period, the dental injury rate was 0.108% (26/24,137 patients), and it decreased
      from 0.051% in the initiative period (10/19,711 patients) to 0.009% in the
      execution period (2/20,870 patients) during implementation of the quality
      improvement program. Most dental injuries were associated with laryngeal mask
      airway (42.1%) and laryngoscopy (28.9%). The most commonly involved teeth were
      the upper incisors. CONCLUSION: Dental injury incidence was significantly reduced
      and remained at low levels after implementation of the quality improvement
      program. We suggest the implementation of a standardized dental examination into
      the preoperative evaluation system adding pathologic teeth fixed or protected
      devices to minimize dental injury associated with anesthesia.

PMID- 28340916
TI  - Erratum to "Head and neck adenoid cystic carcinoma: A prospective multicenter
      REFCOR study of 95 cases" [Eur. Ann. Otorhinolaryngol. Head Neck Dis. 133 (1)
      (2016) 13-7].

PMID- 28340918
TI  - A Challenging Case of Colitis in a Young Man.

PMID- 28340919
TI  - An Unusual Case of an Extremely Large alpha-Fetoprotein-Producing Tumor.

PMID- 28340920
TI  - Rapidly Progressing Liver Failure in an Adult Female.

PMID- 28340921
TI  - A Rash and a Mass: What's the Link?

PMID- 28340922
TI  - Derivation and Validation of a Panel of Exhaled Volatile Organic Compounds in
      Differentiating Irritable Bowel Syndrome From Health.

PMID- 28340923
TI  - Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease-Related Hepatocellular Carcinoma: A Potential
      New Challenge for Hepatocellular Carcinoma Surveillance.

PMID- 28340924
TI  - Hippocampal-Sparing Whole-Brain Radiotherapy for Lung Cancer.
AB  - Brain metastases occur in 20% to 40% of lung cancer patients. Whole-brain
      radiotherapy (WBRT) has long been considered the treatment of choice for many
      patients with lung cancer, because of its wide availability, ease of delivery,
      and effectiveness in prolonging survival. However, WBRT is also associated with
      several side effects, such as decline in memory and other cognitive functions.
      There exists significant preclinical and clinical evidence that radiation-induced
      injury to the hippocampus correlates with neurocognitive decline of patients who
      receive WBRT. Technological advances in treatment planning and delivery
      facilitate the use of hippocampal-sparing (HS) WBRT as prophylactic cranial
      irradiation or the primary treatment modality for lung cancer patients with brain
      metastases. In this review, we provide a detailed and comprehensive discussion of
      the safety profile, techniques for hippocampus-sparing, and the clinical evidence
      of HS-WBRT for lung cancer patients.

PMID- 28340925
TI  - Duration of Twice-Daily Thoracic Radiotherapy and Time From the Start of Any
      Treatment to the End of Chest Irradiation as Significant Predictors of Outcomes
      in Limited-Disease Small-Cell Lung Cancer.
AB  - BACKGROUND: The hypothesis of this retrospective study was that the duration of
      twice-daily (BID) thoracic radiotherapy (TRT) and time from the start of any
      treatment to the end of chest irradiation (SER) would predict outcomes in limited
      disease small-cell lung cancer. MATERIALS AND METHODS: All 81 patients received
      45 Gy in 30 fractions BID with a >= 6-hour interval and concurrent chemotherapy
      of platinum and etoposide. RESULTS: The median radiotherapy duration was 25 days
      (range, 21-38 days). The 5-year overall survival rates were 26.2% (95% confidence
      interval [CI], 14.3%-38.0%), and the median survival time was 30 months (95% CI,
      15.5-44.5 months). Using multivariate regression analysis, the significant
      predictors of survival were the sum of the diameters of the primary tumor and
      metastatic lymph nodes, male gender, age >= 60 years, and the duration of BID-TRT
      (hazard ratio [HR], 1.15; 95% CI, 1.06-1.25; HR, 2.38; 95% CI, 1.13-5.02; HR,
      2.38; 95% CI, 1.10-5.17; and HR, 1.08; 95% CI, 1.01-1.15, respectively). A total
      of 70 of 81 patients (86%) received radiotherapy during the first chemotherapy
      cycle. The median SER was 29 days (range, 21-109 days). The 5-year local control
      rate was 48.7% (95% CI, 33.9%-63.6%). The significant predictors of local control
      were the sum of the diameters of the primary tumor and metastatic lymph nodes,
      age >= 60 years, and SER (HR, 1.18; 95% CI, 1.06-1.31; HR, 4.18; 95% CI, 1.23
      14.24; and HR, 1.02; 95% CI, 1-1.04, respectively). CONCLUSIONS: The duration of
      BID-TRT and SER were identified as one of the significant predictors of survival
      and local control in limited-disease small-cell lung cancer treated with
      concurrent chemoradiotherapy at 45 Gy in 30 fractions, respectively.

PMID- 28340926
TI  - Impact of obesity on postoperative 30-day outcomes in emergent open ventral
      hernia repairs.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Anecdotally, obese patients experience increased morbidity with
      emergent ventral hernia repair (VHR). We hypothesized obese patients are over
      represented in emergent VHRs and experience increased 30-day morbidity. METHODS:
      American College of Surgeons National Surgical Quality Improvement Program
      database (2011 to 2013) was queried for patients undergoing open VHR. Patients
      were stratified by body mass index (BMI) categories: underweight, normal weight,
      overweight, and obesity classes I, II, and III; 30-day postoperative
      complications (surgical site infections, return to operating room, dehiscence,
      death) were evaluated across BMI for elective vs emergent VHR. RESULTS: In all,
      39,822 patients were included: 7.3% emergent. Obese classes I to III represented
      higher percent of emergent VHRs (55.8% vs 68.9%). Complication rate doubled for
      emergent group (7.2% vs 14.5%), and likelihood of at least one complication
      increased with BMI for emergent vs normal weight-elective VHR (overweight odds
      ratio, 2.2; 95% confidence interval, 1.4 to 3.4; class III odds ratio, 4.0; 95%
      confidence interval, 2.9 to 5.5). CONCLUSIONS: Selection bias exists with obese
      patients and ventral hernias. Emergent VHR have increased complications. Elective
      BMI cutoffs require re-evaluation.

PMID- 28340927
TI  - Resuscitative endovascular balloon occlusion of the aorta for control of
      noncompressible truncal hemorrhage in the abdomen and pelvis.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Noncompressible truncal hemorrhage is a leading cause of potentially
      preventable death in trauma and acute care surgery patients. These patients are
      at high risk of exsanguination before potentially life-saving surgical
      intervention may be performed. Temporary aortic occlusion is an effective means
      of augmenting systolic blood pressure and perfusion of the heart and brain in
      these patients. Aortic occlusion temporarily controls distal bleeding until
      permanent hemostasis can be achieved. The traditional method for temporary aortic
      occlusion is via resuscitative thoracotomy with cross clamping of the descending
      aorta. While effective, resuscitative thoracotomy is highly invasive and may
      worsen blood loss, hypothermia, and coagulopathy by opening an otherwise
      uninjured body cavity. Resuscitative endovascular balloon occlusion of the aorta
      (REBOA) achieves temporary aortic occlusion using an occlusive balloon catheter
      that is introduced into the aorta via endovascular access of the common femoral
      artery. For this reason it is thought that REBOA could provide a less-invasive
      method for temporary aortic occlusion. Our purpose is to describe our experience
      with the implementation of REBOA at our Level 1 trauma center. METHODS: A
      retrospective case series describing all cases of REBOA performed at a prominent
      level 1 trauma center between October 2011 and September 2015. The study
      inclusion criteria were any patient that received a REBOA procedure in the acute
      phases after injury. There were no exclusion criteria. Data were collected from
      electronic medical records and the hospital's trauma registry. RESULTS: A total
      of 31 patients underwent REBOA during the study period. The median age of REBOA
      patients was 47 (interquartile range [IQR] = 27 to 63) and 77% were male. A
      majority (87%) of patients sustained blunt trauma. The median injury severity
      score was 34 (IQR = 22 to 42). The overall survival rate was 32% but varied
      greatly between subgroups. Balloon inflation resulted in a median increase in
      systolic blood pressure of 55-mm Hg (IQR 33 to 60), in cases where the data were
      available (n = 20). A return to spontaneous circulation was noted in 60% of
      patients who had arrested before REBOA (n = 10). Overall, early death by
      hemorrhage was 28% with only 2 deaths in the emergency department before reaching
      the operating room. CONCLUSIONS: REBOA is an effective method for achieving
      temporary aortic occlusion in trauma patients with noncompressible truncal
      hemorrhage. Balloon inflation correlated with increased blood pressure and
      temporary hemorrhage control in a vast majority of patients.

PMID- 28340928
TI  - The difficult gall bladder: Outcomes following laparoscopic cholecystectomy and
      the need for open conversion.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: Surgery for the difficult gallbladder (DGB) is associated with
      increased risk compared to more routine laparoscopic cholecystectomies (LC).
      Laparoscopic "damage control" methods including cholecystostomy, fundus-down
      approach and subtotal cholecystectomy (SC) have been proposed to avoid conversion
      to open. We hypothesized that a Total LC (TLC) for DBG can be completed safely
      with an acceptably low conversion rate. MATERIAL AND METHODS: All patients that
      underwent LC from January 2005-June 2015 were retrospectively reviewed. Cases met
      criteria for DGB if they were necrotic/gangrenous, involved Mirizzi syndrome, had
      extensive adhesions, were converted to open, lasted more than 120 min, had prior
      tube cholecystostomy or known GB perforation. RESULTS: A total of 2212 patients
      underwent LC during the study time period, of which 351 (15.8%) met criteria for
      DGB. Of these cases, 213 (60.7%) were admitted from the emergency department and
      67 (19.1%) underwent urgent/emergent cholecystectomy (within 24 h). Additionally
      18 (5.1%) had pre-operative tube cholecystostomies. Seventy patients (19.9%) were
      converted to open. Indications for conversion included severe
      inflammation/adhesion (n = 31, 46.3%), difficult anatomy (n = 14, 20.9%) and
      bleeding (n = 6, 9.0%). Predictors for conversion included urgent/emergent
      intervention (OR, 0.80; 95% CI 0.351-0.881, p = 0.032), previous abdominal
      surgery (OR, 2.18; 95% CI, 1.181-4.035, p = 0.013) and necrotic/gangrenous
      cholecystitis (OR, 1.92; 95% CI, 1.356-4.044, p = 0.033). Comparing the TLC and
      the conversion groups, mean operative time and length of hospital stay were
      significantly different; 147 +/- 47 min vs 185 +/- 71 min; p < 0.005 and 3 +/- 2
      days vs 5 +/- 3 days; p = 0.011, respectively. There was no significant
      difference in postoperative hemorrhage, subhepatic collection, cystic duct leak,
      wound infection, reoperation and 30 day mortality. There was no bile duct injury
      in either group. CONCLUSION: Total laparoscopic cholecystectomy can be safely
      performed in difficult gallbladder situations with a lower conversion rate than
      previously reported. Possible predictors of conversion include urgency, necrotic
      gallbladder and history of prior abdominal surgeries. For patients converted to
      open, similar morbidity and mortality can be expected.

PMID- 28340929
TI  - Pattern transition phenomena in spatial modeling of infectious diseases: Comment
      on "Pattern transitions in spatial epidemics: Mechanisms and emergent properties"
      by Gui-Quan Sun et al.

PMID- 28340930
TI  - Transition from stationary pattern to patch invasion in infectious diseases with
      space: Comment on "Pattern transitions in spatial epidemics: Mechanisms and
      emergent properties" by Gui-Quan Sun et al.

PMID- 28340931
TI  - Time delay induces pattern transition in spatial epidemics: Comment on "Pattern
      transitions in spatial epidemics: Mechanisms and emergent properties" by Gui-Quan
      Sun et al.

PMID- 28340933
TI  - Financial compensation of oocyte donors: an Ethics Committee opinion.
AB  - Financial compensation of women donating oocytes for infertility therapy or for
      research is justified on ethical grounds and should acknowledge the time,
      inconvenience, and discomfort associated with screening, ovarian stimulation, and
      oocyte retrieval, and not vary according to the planned use of the oocytes, the
      number or quality of oocytes retrieved, the number or outcome of prior donation
      cycles, or the donor's ethnic or other personal characteristics. This document
      replaces the document of the same name, last published in 2007 (Fertil Steril
      2007;88:305-9).

PMID- 28340932
TI  - Predicting first trimester pregnancy outcome: derivation of a multiple marker
      test.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: To predict first trimester pregnancy outcome using biomarkers in a
      multicenter cohort. DESIGN: Case-control study. SETTING: Three academic centers.
      PATIENT(S): Women with pain and bleeding in early pregnancy. INTERVENTION(S):
      Sera from women who were 5-12 weeks' gestational age with ectopic pregnancy (EP),
      viable intrauterine pregnancy (IUP), and miscarriage/spontaneous abortion (SAB)
      was analyzed by ELISA and immunoassay for activin A, inhibin A, P, A Disintegrin
      And Metalloprotease-12, pregnancy-associated plasma protein A (PAPP-A), pregnancy
      specific B1-glycoprotein (SP1), placental-like growth factor, vascular
      endothelial growth factor, glycodelin (Glyc), and hCG. Classification trees were
      developed to optimize sensitivity/specificity for pregnancy location and
      viability. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE(S): Area under receiver operating characteristic
      curve, sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy of first trimester pregnancy
      outcome. RESULT(S): In 230 pregnancies, the combination of trees to maximize
      sensitivity and specificity resulted in 73% specificity (95% confidence interval
      (CI) 0.65-0.80) and 31% sensitivity (95% CI 0.21-0.43) for viability. Similar
      methods had 21% sensitivity (95% CI 0.12-0.32) and 33% specificity (95% CI 0.26
      0.41) for location. Activin A, Glyc, and A Disintegrin And Metalloprotease-12
      definitively classified pregnancy location in 29% of the sample with 100%
      accuracy for EP. Progesterone and PAPP-A classified the viability in 61% of the
      sample with 94% accuracy. CONCLUSION(S): Multiple marker panels can distinguish
      pregnancy location and viability in a subset of women at risk for early pregnancy
      complications. This strategy of combining markers to maximize sensitivity and
      specificity results in high accuracy in a subset of subjects. Activin A, ADAM12,
      and Glyc are the most promising markers for pregnancy location; P and PAPP-A for
      viability.

PMID- 28340934
TI  - [Iris metastasis presenting as monocular diplopia].

PMID- 28340935
TI  - Individual and hospital-related determinants of potentially inappropriate
      admissions emerging from administrative records.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: The appropriate use of health care is an important issue in
      developed countries. The purpose of this study was to ascertain the extent of
      potentially inappropriate hospital admissions and their individual, clinical and
      hospital-related determinants. METHODS: Medical records were analyzed for the
      year 2014 held by the Local Heath Unit n. 13 in the Veneto Region of north-east
      Italy (19,000 records). The outcomes calculated were: admissions for conditions
      amenable to day hospital care; brief medical admissions; outlier lengths of stay
      for elderly patients' medical admissions; and medical admissions to surgical
      wards. Univariate analyses and logistic regression models were used to test
      associations with demographic, clinical and hospital ward covariates, including
      organizational indicators. RESULTS: Inappropriate reliance on acute care beds
      ranged from 6% to 28%, depending on the type of quality indicator analyzed. Some
      individual features, and wards' specific characteristics were associated with at
      least one of the phenomena of inappropriate hospital resource usage. In
      particular, male gender, younger age and transferals seemed to affect
      inappropriate admissions to surgical wards. Potentially avoidable admissions
      featuring inpatients amenable to day hospital care were associated with subjects
      with fewer comorbidities and lower case-mix wards, while inappropriately short
      medical stays were influenced by patients' higher functional status and local
      residency and by lower bed occupancy rates. In conclusion, inappropriately long
      hospital stays for elderly cases were associated with patients with multiple
      pathologies in wards with a low bed-occupancy. Education level and citizenship
      did not seem to influence inappropriate admissions. CONCLUSIONS: Some individual,
      clinical ad structural characteristics of patients and wards emerging from
      administrative records could be associated with inappropriate reliance on acute
      hospital beds. Analyzing the indicators considered in this study could generate
      inexpensive real-time data for identifying what determines potentially
      inappropriate hospital resource usage, and thus orient auditing activities and
      health care policy-making.

PMID- 28340936
TI  - Population ageing and healthcare demand: The case of Slovenia.
AB  - The aim of this paper is to explore the consequences of demographic ageing on
      healthcare demand in Slovenia for primary care, secondary care, hospital day-care
      treatments, and hospitalisations. In the paper, we develop a model for making
      projections of the total number of treatments using the age-group projection
      method with the scenario approach. The model allows the number of treatments to
      be observed with respect to medical services, age groups and main disease groups.
      The results are presented for the cross-section years 2015, 2025 and 2035. The
      smallest increase in the number of treatments occurs in primary care, a larger
      one for secondary care, and the largest for hospital day-care services and
      hospitalisations (up to 29.9%). The structure of demand will also change. Demand
      for healthcare services for children and infants will decrease while demand for
      diseases associated with older age groups will increase, particularly for
      diseases of the circulatory system, eye and adnexa, and diseases of the blood and
      blood-forming organs. The results presented in this paper can help improve
      understanding of similar processes in other countries for total healthcare demand
      and for changes in the structure of demand. The results show that the healthcare
      system in Slovenia will face a major additional burden in the next 20 years.

PMID- 28340938
TI  - Guest Editorial: Sociology, environment and public health.

PMID- 28340937
TI  - Sirtuin 5 protects mitochondria from fragmentation and degradation during
      starvation.
AB  - During starvation, intra-mitochondrial sirtuins, NAD+ sensitive deacylating
      enzymes that modulate metabolic homeostasis and survival, directly adjust
      mitochondrial function to nutrient availability; concomitantly, mitochondria
      elongate to escape autophagic degradation. However, whether sirtuins also impinge
      on mitochondrial dynamics is still uncharacterized. Here we show that the
      mitochondrial Sirtuin 5 (Sirt5) is essential for starvation induced mitochondrial
      elongation. Deletion of Sirt5 in mouse embryonic fibroblasts increased levels of
      mitochondrial dynamics of 51kDa protein and mitochondrial fission protein 1,
      leading to mitochondrial accumulation of the pro-fission dynamin related protein
      1 and to mitochondrial fragmentation. During starvation, Sirt5 deletion blunted
      mitochondrial elongation, resulting in increased mitophagy. Our results indicate
      that starvation induced mitochondrial elongation and evasion from autophagic
      degradation requires the energy sensor Sirt5.

PMID- 28340941
TI  - Brown dog tick, Rhipicephalus sanguineus sensu lato, infestation of susceptible
      dog hosts is reduced by slow release of semiochemicals from a less susceptible
      host.
AB  - Domestic dog breeds are hosts for the brown dog tick, Rhipicephalus sanguineus
      sensu lato, but infestation levels vary among breeds. Beagles are less
      susceptible to tick infestations than English cocker spaniels due to enhanced
      production of 2-hexanone and benzaldehyde that act as volatile tick repellents.
      We report the use of prototype slow-release formulations of these compounds to
      reduce the burden of R. sanguineus s. l. on English cocker spaniel dogs. Twelve
      dogs were randomly assigned to two groups with six dogs each. The treated group
      received collars with slow-release formulations of the compounds attached, while
      the control group received collars with clean formulations attached. Five
      environmental infestations were performed, with the number of ticks (at all
      stages) on the dogs being counted twice a day for 45days. The counts on the
      number of tick stages found per dog were individually fitted to linear mixed
      effects models with repeated measures and normal distribution for errors. The
      mean tick infestation in the treated group was significantly lower than in the
      control group. For larvae and nymphs, a decrease in tick infestation was observed
      at the fifth count, and for adults, lower average counts were observed in all
      counts. The compounds did not interfere with the distribution of the ticks on the
      body of the dogs, as a similar percentage of ticks was found on the anterior half
      of the dogs (54.5% for the control group and 56.2% for the treated group). The
      biological and reproductive parameters of the ticks were not affected by the
      repellents. This study highlights for the first time the potential use of a novel
      allomone (repellent)-based formulation for reduction of tick infestation on
      susceptible dogs.

PMID- 28340940
TI  - Axially-modified paddlewheel diruthenium(II,III)-ibuprofenato metallodrugs and
      the influence of the structural modification on U87MG and A172 human glioma cell
      proliferation, apoptosis, mitosis and migration.
AB  - The metallodrug chloridotetrakis(ibuprofenato)diruthenium(II,III) ([Ru2(Ibp)4Cl]
      or RuIbpCl (1), Ibp=carboxylate anion derived from the non-steroidal anti
      inflammatory drug ibuprofen) has shown promising results in vitro and in vivo,
      which point to its potential as an inhibitor of glioma tumour growth in vivo. In
      order to get insight into the influence of structural changes on the biological
      response of the metallodrug, the [Ru2(Ibp)4] metal-metal multiply bonded
      paddlewheel unit was modified for the axial ligand. Two new analogues,
      [Ru2(Ibp)4(CF3SO3)] (2) and [Ru2(Ibp)4(EtOH)2]PF6 (3), were synthesized and fully
      characterized by elemental analysis, ESI-MS, vibrational (FTIR, Raman) and
      electronic (UV/VIS/NIR) spectroscopy, magnetic susceptibility, molar conductivity
      measurements, and thermal analysis. RuIbpCl was re-prepared and complementary
      characterization to previous work was performed. The three axially-modified RuIbp
      metallodrugs were compared for their effects on U87MG and A172 human glioma cell
      proliferation, apoptosis, mitosis, and cell migration in vitro. The results
      provide evidence that the chloride ligand in RuIbpCl may play key role in the
      mode of action of the metallodrug, since the best results for antiproliferative
      activity were found for (1) in both types of human glioma cells. All the
      metallodrugs, (1), (2) and (3), were uptaken by the cells, and were shown to
      cause increase on number of apoptotic cells and decrease on number of mitotic
      cells. Additionally, the RuIbp metallodrugs were capable of inhibiting cell
      migration process in both human glioma cell lines. These data are extremely
      promising as drugs which can inhibit both cell proliferation/mitosis and inhibit
      cell migration could target two major chemotherapeutic targets in high grade
      gliomas.

PMID- 28340942
TI  - Where is the true location of the femoral piriform fossa?
AB  - OBJECTIVE: To analyze knowledge of the anatomic location of the piriform fossa
      using a questionnaire with anatomic figures. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Participants
      taking AO Trauma Brasil courses were requested to complete a questionnaire
      containing a photograph of the superior surface and a photograph of the lateral
      surface of the femur and answer a question asking which of four numbered points
      corresponded to the piriform fossa. RESULTS: Just 4.5% of respondents correctly
      chose point 2 (the piriform fossa) in both images, while 75.4% of respondents
      chose point 4 (the trochanteric fossa) as the correct anatomic structure. The
      subset of 4th-year residents' answers was significantly different from those of
      the other subsets, with 7.5% of correct answers. CONCLUSIONS: The low rate of
      correct answers indicates a tendency for the respondents to be influenced by
      illustrations in text books or examples in scientific publications that indicate
      the site of the piriform fossa incorrectly. Interest in the specialty of
      traumatology is possibly the reason why the subset of 4th-year residents had a
      better- than-average rate of correct answers.

PMID- 28340943
TI  - Femoral neck collapse after internal fixation of an intracapsular hip fracture:
      Does it indicate a poor outcome?
AB  - The degree of femoral neck collapse that occurred after 519 patients with an
      intracapsular hip fracture treated by internal fixation with a Targon FN implant
      was measured. Mean femoral neck collapse was 8.0mm and this was increased for
      displaced fractures in comparison to undisplaced fractures (9.5mm versus 5.9mm,
      p<0.0001) and for those patients that subsequently developed fracture healing
      complications (11.6mm versus 7.1mm, p<0.0001). At one year from injury femoral
      neck collapse in excess of 15mm was associated with an increase in the degree of
      residual pain (p=0.01). A clear relationship between increased collapse and
      increased loss of mobility was demonstrated (P<0.0001). This study confirms
      previous smaller studies that excessive femoral neck collapse (of more than 15mm)
      is more common for displaced fractures and presents new data to demonstrate that
      excessive femoral neck collapse is associated with an increased risk of fracture
      healing complications and increased loss of function. Future studies are now
      justified that consider methods to reduce fracture collapse.

PMID- 28340944
TI  - Snapping knee syndrome caused by semitendinosus and semimembranosus tendons. A
      case report.
AB  - We report the case of a 24-year-old female triathlon athlete with a snapping
      syndrome of both the distal semimembranosus and the semitendinosus tendon which
      has not been described so far. The semitendinosus tendon was harvested whereupon
      snapping has diminished. Tenoscopy and digital palpation showed the
      semimembranosus tendon to cause the snapping, as well. A careful step-by-step
      release of the anterior insertion of the tendon was performed with the result of
      a snapping-free range of motion of the patient's knee.

PMID- 28340945
TI  - Plasma levels of apolipoprotein E, APOE genotype and risk of dementia and
      ischemic heart disease: A review.
AB  - Dementia is one of the major causes of disability in later life, and ischemic
      heart disease is a leading cause of morbidity and mortality. Apolipoprotein E
      (apoE) plays a pivotal role in lipoprotein metabolism in the brain and in the
      periphery, and is implicated in both dementia and ischemic heart disease.
      Peripherally, liver-derived apoE is the main source of plasma apoE. Approximately
      half of plasma apoE is associated with triglyceride-rich lipoproteins, where apoE
      serves as the main ligand for the low density lipoprotein (LDL) receptor and the
      LDL receptor Related Protein (LRP). In the brain, apoE is produced mainly by
      astrocytes. Astrocyte-derived apoE is pivotal for cerebral cholesterol metabolism
      and clearance of beta-amyloid, a major pathological hallmark of Alzheimer
      disease. Plasma levels of apoE and other lipids and lipoproteins are under strong
      genetic influence by the APOE polymorphism, and the epsilon4 allele is a strong
      genetic risk factor for Alzheimer disease. The characteristics of the APOE
      polymorphism thus suggest the qualitative importance of apoE, whereas studies of
      familial absolute apoE deficiency suggest a quantitative importance of plasma
      apoE levels in lipid metabolism. Whether plasma levels of apoE are associated
      with increased risk of dementia and ischemic heart disease, and whether these
      associations are independent of the APOE polymorphism and of lipids and
      lipoproteins has only recently been established. The aim of this review is to
      summarize and discuss the current epidemiological and biological evidence for an
      association of plasma levels of apoE with risk of dementia and ischemic heart
      disease.

PMID- 28340946
TI  - Fifty Shades of Stigma: Exploring the Health Care Experiences of Kink-Oriented
      Patients.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: The term kink describes sexual behaviors and identities
      encompassing bondage, discipline, domination and submission, and sadism and
      masochism (collectively known as BDSM) and sexual fetishism. Individuals who
      engage in kink could be at risk for health complications because of their sexual
      behaviors, and they could be vulnerable to stigma in the health care setting.
      However, although previous research has addressed experiences in mental health
      care, very little research has detailed the medical care experiences of kink
      oriented patients. AIM: To broadly explore the health care experiences of kink
      oriented patients using a community-engaged research approach. METHODS: As part
      of the Kink Health Project, we gathered qualitative data from 115 kink-oriented
      San Francisco area residents using focus groups and interviews. Interview
      questions were generated in collaboration with a community advisory board. Data
      were analyzed using a thematic analysis approach. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Themes
      relating to kink-oriented patients' experience with health and healthcare.
      RESULTS: Major themes included (i) kink and physical health, (ii) sociocultural
      aspects of kink orientation, (iii) the role of stigma in shaping health care
      interactions, (iv) coming out to health care providers, and (v) working toward a
      vision of kink-aware medical care. The study found that kink-oriented patients
      have genuine health care needs relating to their kink behaviors and social
      context. Most patients would prefer to be out to their health care providers so
      they can receive individualized care. However, fewer than half were out to their
      current provider, with anticipated stigma being the most common reason for
      avoiding disclosure. Patients are often concerned that clinicians will confuse
      their behaviors with intimate partner violence and they emphasized the consensual
      nature of their kink interactions. CONCLUSION: Like other sexual minorities, kink
      oriented patients have a desire to engage with their health care providers in
      meaningful discussions about their health risks, their identities, and their
      communities without fear of being judged. Additional research is needed to
      explore the experiences of kink-oriented patients in other areas of the country
      and internationally.

PMID- 28340947
TI  - Ultrasonic assisted formation and stability of mustard oil in water nanoemulsion:
      Effect of process parameters and their optimization.
AB  - The present work reports the ultrasound assisted preparation of mustard oil in
      water nanoemulsion stabilized by Span 80 and Tween 80 at different operating
      conditions. Effects of various operating parameters such as HLB (Hydrophilic
      Lipophilic Balance) value, surfactant volume fraction (phiS), oil volume fraction
      (phiO) and power amplitude were investigated and optimized on the basis of
      droplet size and stability of nanoemulsions. It was observed that minimum droplet
      size of about 87.38nm was obtained within 30min of ultrasonication at an optimum
      HLB value of 10, phiS of 0.08 (8%, v/v), phiO of 0.1 (10%, v/v) and ultrasonic
      power amplitude of 40%. The stability of the nanoemulsion was measured through
      visual observation and it was found that the unstable emulsions got separated
      within 24h whereas, stable emulsions never showed any separation until 90days. In
      addition to that, the kinetic stability of the prepared nanoemulsions was also
      assessed under centrifuge and thermal stress conditions. The emulsion stability
      was found to be unaffected by these forces as the droplet size remained
      unchanged. The ultrasound prepared emulsion was found to be long term stable even
      after 3months of storage at ambient conditions without any visual evidence of
      creaming and phase separation and also remained kinetically stable. FTIR analysis
      of the emulsions at different sonication conditions was carried out to examine
      the possible impact of ultrasonically induced chemical effects on oil structure
      during emulsification and it was found that the oil molecular structure was
      unaffected by ultrasonication process. The present work illustrates the formation
      and stability of mustard oil in water nanoemulsion using ultrasound cavitation
      which may be useful in food and cosmetic based applications.

PMID- 28340948
TI  - Application of ultrasound-aided method for the synthesis of CdS-incorporated
      three-dimensional TiO2 photocatalysts with enhanced performance.
AB  - In this study, an ultrasound-aided hydrothermal-impregnation method was used to
      synthesize three-dimensional (3D) urchin-like CdS-TiO2 nanostructures (UCTs) with
      variable CdS content. The photocatalytic efficiencies (for degrading limonene and
      toluene vapor) of UCTs synthesized using the ultrasound-aided process were
      greater than those of UCTs fabricated without ultrasound treatment. In addition,
      the photocatalytic efficiencies of ultrasound-treated UCTs were greater than
      those of zero-dimensional ultrasound-treated CdS-TiO2 particles, which, in turn,
      were greater than those of untreated 3D TiO2. These results indicate that
      ultrasonication is an amicable process for the synthesis of UCTs with high
      photocatalytic activity. The enhanced activity of ultrasound-treated
      photocatalysts is ascribed to the greater charge carrier efficiency, adsorption
      capacity, and light absorption efficiency of these materials. The photocatalytic
      efficiencies of ultrasound-treated UCTs increased as the CdS loading was
      increased from 0.1% to 0.3%, gradually dropping as the loading was further
      increased to 3.0%, which indicated the existence of an optimum CdS loading. UCT
      photocatalytic efficiencies depended on the input concentration of target
      pollutants, relative humidity, and air flow rate. The photocatalytic efficiency
      for the decomposition of limonene mixed with 2-propanol was lower than that for
      limonene alone, likely due to the radical scavenging properties of 2-propanol.
      However, the photocatalytic degradation efficiency of the latter alcohol was not
      changed upon admixture. Toluene exhibited the same behavior. The mineralization
      ratios of both target compounds were lower than their decomposition ratios,
      indicating formation of byproducts due to incomplete oxidation. In addition to
      CO, three organic compounds were observed as photocatalytic decomposition
      byproducts of limonene (acetic acid, limonene oxide, and methacrolein) and
      toluene (benzene, benzaldehyde, and p-xylene). UCTs synthesized by the ultrasound
      aided hydrothermal-impregnation method could be used to decompose organic vapors
      with an efficiency of up to 98%, depending on operating conditions.

PMID- 28340949
TI  - Genetic variants in IL-6 and IL-10 genes and susceptibility to hepatocellular
      carcinoma in HCV infected patients.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection is the major cause of
      hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), a common primary liver malignancy, and the third
      leading cause of cancer-related death. The HCC risk increases with the severity
      of liver inflammation, and the clinical course of HCV infection depends on a
      balance between pro- and anti-inflammatory cytokines. The former includes
      interleukin (IL)-6, while the latter includes IL-10. However, the exact
      pathogenic mechanisms underlying IL-6 and IL-10 effects remain unclear. METHODS:
      The present study evaluated 174 chronic HCV Tunisian patients. Polymorphisms of
      IL-6 (rs1880242, rs1474847, rs2069840, rs1800797, rs1800796, rs2069845,
      rs2069827, rs1474348, rs1800795), and IL-10 (rs1800896, rs1800871, rs1800872,
      rs1554286, rs1878672, rs1518111) were determined by real-time PCR. RESULTS:
      Notable differences between chronic HCV-infected patients and HCC patients were
      observed for the three IL-10 SNPs; rs1800871 (-819T/C), rs1800872 (-592A/C), and
      rs1878672. Carriage of IL-6 rs1800796 G/G genotype, IL-6 rs1474358 C-allele, and
      IL-6 rs1800797 A-allele was more frequent in chronic HCV-infected patients than
      in HCC patients. On the other hand, IL-6 rs1474358 GG genotype had a favourable
      factor for HCC establishment. CONCLUSION: IL-10 and IL-6 SNPs markedly influence
      the clinical outcomes of HCV infection. These SNPs could be used as biomarkers
      for early detection and molecular therapy for preventing HCC, and prognostic
      factors for predicting the clinical outcomes of HCC.

PMID- 28340950
TI  - Pharmacokinetics and bioavailability of oral single-dose maleic acid in biofluids
      of Sprague-Dawley rats.
AB  - Maleic acid (MA) was purposefully adulterated in an array of starch-based foods
      in Taiwan, inciting a food safety incident. Due to limited data on the
      pharmacokinetics and bioavailability of ingested MA, we studied pharmacokinetic
      (PK) parameters in serum and urine of Sprague Dawley rats. Three groups of male
      and female rats were given three doses of MA by oral gavage; biofluid samples
      were collected accordingly. Data demonstrated that a non-compartment model best
      described MA's linear kinetic behavior upon ingestion. The mean residence life of
      maleic acid in serum was 17.58 h and 9.84 h for low-dosed male and female rats,
      whereas 8.24 h and 4.17 h for high-dosed male and female rats, respectively. Our
      results revealed oral bioavailability ranged from 30.8 to 41.0% for males and
      32.2-39.1% for females. The data confirmed that ingested MA is absorbed and
      metabolized rapidly, along with low bioavailability. Future pathological studies
      may determine whether prolonged and low-level exposures of MA produce
      nephrotoxicity. These data provide additional contribution to current
      understanding of the kinetics of MA in a rat model and enable the development of
      a physiologically based model, which is essential to form the basis of evidenced
      based food safety guidelines.

PMID- 28340951
TI  - Epstein barr virus hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis related to rituximab use
      and immunopathogenetic insights.
AB  - Anti-CD20-based chemo-immunotherapeutic regimens have been suggested to assist in
      the management of Epstein-Barr virus (EBV)-induced hemophagocytic
      lymphohistiocytosis (HLH) and EBV-associated post-transplant lymphoproliferative
      disorders (EBV-PTLD), by reducing EBV viral load and EBV-induced inflammation.
      Herein we report a fatal EBV-related HLH in the context of Hodgkin lymphoma (HL)
      like Richter's transformation of B chronic lymphocytic leukemia (B-CLL), two
      months after rituximab treatment. The complex balance between EBV driven T-cell
      stimulation and immunosuppressive therapy in the context of multiple immune
      deficits is discussed.

PMID- 28340952
TI  - Lack of association of mortalin (HSPA9) and other mitochondria-related genes with
      risk of Parkinson's and Alzheimer's diseases.
AB  - We investigated the role of mortalin (HSPA9) and its interaction with other
      mitochondria-related genes (parkin, PINK1, DJ1, and COQ2) as a risk factor for
      Parkinson's disease (PD) and Alzheimer's disease (AD) in 500 PD, 400 AD, and 500
      control subjects. The HSPA9 variants identified by direct sequencing or its
      interaction with other genes assessed by genetic risk scores did not show a
      significant association with PD or AD risk. Our findings did not provide a strong
      evidence for the role of HAPA9 and its interaction with other mitochondria
      related genes as a genetic risk factor for PD or AD.

PMID- 28340953
TI  - Clinical features of Chinese patients with Gerstmann-Straussler-Scheinker
      identified by targeted next-generation sequencing.
AB  - Gerstmann-Straussler-Scheinker (GSS) is an autosomal dominant neurodegenerative
      disease due to mutations within prion protein (PRNP) gene. Clinically, it is not
      easy to distinguish GSS from spinocerebellar ataxia (SCA), especially in the
      early stage of disease. We aimed to identify genetic mutations in 8 Chinese
      pedigrees with dominant ataxia but excluded dynamic mutations of SCA genes.
      Targeted next-generation sequencing was performed in the 8 probands. A customized
      panel was designed to capture 24 known causative genes, including 15 autosomal
      dominant SCA genes and 9 dementia-related genes. A 2-year follow-up was performed
      in these patients who harbored mutation. Of the 8 probands, 5 were identified to
      harbor the p.P102L mutation within PRNP. All these 5 cases had progressive ataxia
      with age at onset ranging from 48 to 52 years (49.5 +/- 4.51). Remarkable
      phenotypic heterogeneity was observed in them. Cognitive decline was found in 4/5
      probands. The average duration from initial symptoms to cognitive decline is 32.5
      months, ranging from 22 to 48 months. In this study, we presented the detailed
      clinical features of 5 GSS pedigrees with PRNP p.P102L mutation. The variable
      phenotypes among these GSS patients indicated other genetic or environmental
      factors might be involved in the phenotypic heterogeneity of GSS. Our findings
      also support the proposal that screening of PRNP mutations should be performed
      for the patients with dominant ataxia if dynamic mutations of SCA genes were
      excluded.

PMID- 28340954
TI  - Professor Peter York-A Distinguished Career in Powders, Processing, and Particle
      Design.

PMID- 28340955
TI  - A Practical Framework Toward Prediction of Breaking Force and Disintegration of
      Tablet Formulations Using Machine Learning Tools.
AB  - Enabling the paradigm of quality by design requires the ability to quantitatively
      correlate material properties and process variables to measureable product
      performance attributes. Conventional, quality-by-test methods for determining
      tablet breaking force and disintegration time usually involve destructive tests,
      which consume significant amount of time and labor and provide limited
      information. Recent advances in material characterization, statistical analysis,
      and machine learning have provided multiple tools that have the potential to
      develop nondestructive, fast, and accurate approaches in drug product
      development. In this work, a methodology to predict the breaking force and
      disintegration time of tablet formulations using nondestructive ultrasonics and
      machine learning tools was developed. The input variables to the model include
      intrinsic properties of formulation and extrinsic process variables influencing
      the tablet during manufacturing. The model has been applied to predict breaking
      force and disintegration time using small quantities of active pharmaceutical
      ingredient and prototype formulation designs. The novel approach presented is a
      step forward toward rational design of a robust drug product based on insight
      into the performance of common materials during formulation and process
      development. It may also help expedite drug product development timeline and
      reduce active pharmaceutical ingredient usage while improving efficiency of the
      overall process.

PMID- 28340956
TI  - Stability Orders of Acetaminophen and Theophylline Co-crystals Determined by Co
      crystal Former Exchange Reactions and Their Correlation With In Silico and
      Thermal Parameters.
AB  - The aim of this study was to determine the thermodynamic stability order of co
      crystals using co-crystal former exchange reactions and to validate 2 in silico
      parameters for predicting co-crystal formation. Co-crystal former exchange
      reactions were performed using acetaminophen (AC) co-crystals of oxalic acid
      (OX), maleic acid (MA), and theophylline (TH). The addition of TH to an AC-MA co
      crystal (AC-MA) afforded AC-TH, suggesting that AC-TH was more stable than AC-MA.
      The stability order among the other co-crystals was determined in the same
      manner. The stability order of the AC co-crystals was determined to be AC-TH > AC
      MA ~ AC-OX. Interestingly, the addition of TH to AC-OX afforded TH-OX. The
      stability order of the TH co-crystals was also determined (OX-TH > AC-TH ~ MA
      TH). Although the stability order of the AC co-crystals was consistent with the
      differences in their hydrogen bond energy (DeltaE), an in silico parameter for
      predicting co-crystal formation, it showed no relationship to the excess enthalpy
      (Hex). These results suggest that co-crystal formation can be predicted with
      greater accuracy using DeltaE rather than Hex for AC co-crystals. The stability
      orders of the AC and TH co-crystals also correlated well with their melting
      points and disintegration temperatures.

PMID- 28340957
TI  - The perils of rivaroxaban in younger patients.

PMID- 28340958
TI  - Metabolism and acetylation in innate immune cell function and fate.
AB  - Innate immunity is the first line of defense against invading pathogens. Changes
      in both metabolism and chromatin accessibility contribute to the shaping of these
      innate immune responses, and we are beginning to appreciate that cross-talk
      between these two systems plays an important role in determining innate immune
      cell differentiation and function. In this review we focus on acetylation, a post
      translational modification important for both regulating chromatin accessibility
      by modulating histone function, and for functional regulation of non-histone
      proteins, which has many links to both immune signaling and metabolism. We
      discuss the interactions between metabolism and acetylation, including the
      requirement for metabolic intermediates as substrates and co-factors for
      acetylation, and the regulation of metabolic proteins and enzymes by acetylation.
      Here we highlight recent findings, which demonstrate the role that the metabolism
      acetylation axis has in coordinating the responses of innate immune cells to the
      availability of nutrients and the microenvironment.

PMID- 28340959
TI  - Molecular detection of Clostridium difficile on inert surfaces from a Costa Rican
      hospital during and after an outbreak.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Hospital transmission of Clostridium difficile is fostered by
      contamination of surfaces and medical equipment with spores highly resistant to
      disinfectants and regular cleaning procedures. Despite the outbreaks and
      fatalities that C difficile causes, its epidemiology has not been studied in
      hospitals from middle- and low-income countries. To tackle this knowledge gap,
      the detection frequency of C difficile DNA on inert surfaces of a major Costa
      Rican hospital during and after an outbreak was compared. METHODS: We used a
      presence-absence real-time polymerase chain reaction to detect a fragment of the
      tpi gene of C difficile on 21 surface samples collected during an outbreak and 54
      surface samples taken 2 years later at the same hospital. RESULTS: C difficile
      DNA was detected in 40% of the 75 environmental samples analyzed. Whereas 71% of
      the samples collected during the outbreak were positive, only 28% of the samples
      obtained 2 years after the outbreak gave the same result. This 2.5* ratio was
      maintained when the comparison was restricted to the wards that were sampled both
      during and after the outbreak (72% vs 35%, P = .016). CONCLUSIONS: Our results
      show that environmental surfaces in the hospital analyzed are continuously being
      contaminated with C difficile DNA and that their level of contamination is higher
      during an outbreak than after it.

PMID- 28340962
TI  - The reliability of measuring the density of the L1 vertebral body on CT imaging
      as a predictor of bone mineral density.
AB  - AIM: To determine whether the density of the L1 vertebra measured on computed
      tomography (CT) images correlates with the bone mineral density (BMD) as measured
      by quantitative computed tomography (QCT), and to determine the reliability of L1
      density measurements by different observers to see if this measure could help
      identify patients who would benefit from formal BMD assessment. MATERIALS AND
      METHODS: Non-contrast CT along with a phantom for determination of BMD was
      performed on 30 healthy patients. The L1 density was measured by 3 observers at
      two time-points separated by at least 2 weeks. RESULTS: L1 density was well
      correlated to the QCT BMD (correlation coefficient 0.83; 95% confidence interval
      [CI]: 0.67-0.92). There was excellent intra- and interobserver agreement in L1
      density measurements. There were excellent intra-class correlation coefficients
      for each observer's measurements at two separate time points with a coefficient
      for observer 1 of 0.94 (95% CI: 0.88-0.97) and for observer 2 and 3 of 0.99 (95%
      CI: 0.98-1). The interobserver measurements had an intra-class correlation
      coefficient of 0.98 (95% CI: 0.96-0.99). CONCLUSION: L1 vertebral density can be
      reliably measured on CT images and might be used as an indicator of BMD for
      opportunistic screening of patients with osteoporosis. Low bone density detected
      incidentally on CT imaging could be used to identify patients who should be
      further investigated and treated for osteoporosis.

PMID- 28340963
TI  - Pioglitazone in patients with insulin resistance after ischemic stroke or
      transient ischemic attack: A comment on the IRIS trial.

PMID- 28340964
TI  - Higher parity is associated with increased risk of Type 2 diabetes mellitus in
      women: A linear dose-response meta-analysis of cohort studies.
AB  - AIM: The goal of this study is to investigate the association between higher
      parity and the risk of occurrence of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) in women and
      to quantify the potential dose-response relation. METHODS: We searched MEDLINE,
      and EMBASE electronic databases for related cohort studies up to March 10th,
      2016. Summary rate ratios (RRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for T2DM with
      at least 3 categories of exposure were eligible. A random-effects dose-response
      analysis procedure was used to study the relations between them. RESULTS: After
      screening a total of 13,647 published studies, only 7 cohort studies (9,394
      incident cases and 286,840 female participants) were found to be eligible for
      this meta-analysis. In the category analysis, the pooled RR for the highest
      number of parity vs. the lowest one was 1.42 (95% CI: 1.17-1.72, I2=71.5%,
      Pheterogeneity=0.002, Power=0.99). In the dose-response analysis, a noticeable
      linear dose-risk relation was found between parity and T2DM (Pfor nonlinearity
      test=0.942). For every live birth increase in parity, the combined RR was 1.06
      (95% CI: 1.02-1.09, I2=84.3%, Pheterogeneity=0.003, Power=0.99). Subgroup and
      sensitivity analyses yielded similar results. No publication bias was found in
      the results. CONCLUSION: This meta-analysis suggests that higher parity and the
      risk of T2DM show a linear relationship in women.

PMID- 28340965
TI  - Identification and quantification of microplastics using Nile Red staining.
AB  - We investigated the applicability of Nile Red (NR), a fluorescent dye, for
      microplastic analysis, and determined the optimal staining conditions. Five mg/L
      NR solution in n-hexane effectively stained plastics, and they were easily
      recognized in green fluorescence. The NR staining method was successfully applied
      to micro-sized polyethylene, polypropylene, polystyrene, polycarbonate,
      polyurethane, and poly(ethylene-vinyl acetate), except for polyvinylchloride,
      polyamide and polyester. The recovery rate of polyethylene (100-300MUm) spiked to
      pretreated natural sand was 98% in the NR stating method, which was not
      significantly (p<0.05) different with FT-IR identification. The NR staining
      method was suitable for discriminating fragmented polypropylene particles from
      large numbers of sand particles in laboratory weathering test samples. The method
      is straightforward and quick for identifying and quantifying polymer particles in
      the laboratory controlled samples. Further studies, however, are necessary to
      investigate the application of NR staining to field samples with organic
      remnants.

PMID- 28340966
TI  - Recognition memory is selectively impaired in adult rats exposed to binge-like
      doses of ethanol during early postnatal life.
AB  - Exposure to alcohol in utero can induce a variety of physical and mental
      impairments, collectively known as fetal alcohol spectrum disorders (FASD). This
      study explores the persistent cognitive consequences of ethanol administration in
      rat pups over postnatal days (PD) 4-9, modeling human third trimester
      consumption. Between PD65-70, ethanol-exposed (5E) and control rats were
      evaluated in two variants of recognition memory, the spontaneous novel object
      recognition (NOR) task, using 20 and 240 min sample-to-test delays, and the
      associative object-in-context (OIC) task, using a 20 min delay. No treatment
      group differences were observed in object exploration during the sample session
      for any task. In the 20 min NOR test session the 5E rats explored the novel
      object significantly less than controls, relative to the total time exploring
      both objects. Postnatal ethanol exposure is hypothesized to impede object memory
      consolidation in the perirhinal cortex of 5E rats, hindering their ability to
      discriminate between familiar and novel objects at short delays. The 5E rats
      performed as well or better than control rats in the 240 min NOR and the 20 min
      OIC tasks, indicating developmental ethanol exposure selectively impairs the
      retention and expression of recognition memories in young adult rats.

PMID- 28340967
TI  - [Age and cardiopulmonary resuscitation wishes of patients with heart disease].

PMID- 28340968
TI  - Genetics of triple-negative breast cancer: Implications for patient care.
AB  - Patients with triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC), defined as lacking expression
      of the estrogen and progesterone receptors (ER/PR) and amplification of the HER2
      oncogene, often have a more aggressive disease course than do patients with
      hormone receptor-positive breast cancer, including higher rates of visceral and
      central nervous system metastases, early cancer recurrences and deaths. Triple
      negative breast cancer is associated with a young age at diagnosis and both
      African and Ashkenazi Jewish ancestry, the latter due to three common founder
      mutations in the highly penetrant cancer susceptibility genes BRCA1 and BRCA2
      (BRCA1/2). In the past decade, there has been a surge both in genetic testing
      technology and in patient access to such testing. Advances in genetic testing
      have enabled more rapid and less expensive commercial sequencing than could be
      imagined only a few years ago. Massively parallel, next-generation sequencing
      allows the simultaneous analysis of many different genes. Studies of TNBC
      patients in the current era have revealed associations of TNBC with mutations in
      several moderate penetrance breast cancer susceptibility genes, including PALB2,
      BARD1, BRIP1, RAD51C and RAD51D. Interestingly, many of these genes, like
      BRCA1/2, are involved in homologous recombination DNA double-stranded repair. In
      this review, we summarize the current understanding of pathogenic germline gene
      mutations associated with TNBC and the early detection and prevention strategies
      for women at risk of developing this high-risk breast cancer subtype.
      Furthermore, we discuss recent the advances in targeted therapies for TNBC
      patients with a hereditary predisposition, including the role of poly (ADP
      ribose) polymerase (PARP) inhibitors in BRCA1/2 mutation-associated breast
      cancers.

PMID- 28340969
TI  - Effect of different rates of spent coffee grounds (SCG) on composting process,
      gaseous emissions and quality of end-product.
AB  - The use of spent coffee grounds (SCG) in composting for organic farming is a
      viable way of valorising these agro-industrial residues. In the present study,
      four treatments with different amounts of spent coffee grounds (SCG) were
      established, namely, C0 (Control), C10, C20 and C40, containing 0, 10, 20 and 40%
      of SCG (DM), respectively; and their effects on the composting process and the
      end-product quality characteristics were evaluated. The mixtures were completed
      with Acacia dealbata L. shoots and wheat straw. At different time intervals
      during composting, carbon dioxide (CO2), methane (CH4) and nitrous oxide (N2O)
      emissions were measured and selected physicochemical characteristics of the
      composts were evaluated. During the composting process, all treatments showed a
      substantial decrease in total phenolics and total tannins, and an important
      increase in gallic acid. Emissions of greenhouse gases were very low and no
      significant difference between the treatments was registered. The results
      indicated that SCG may be successfully composted in all proportions. However C40,
      was the treatment which combined better conditions of composting, lower GHG
      emissions and better quality of end product.

PMID- 28340971
TI  - Glutathione species and metabolomic prints in subjects with liver disease as
      biological markers for the detection of hepatocellular carcinoma.
AB  - BACKGROUND: The incidence of liver disease is increasing in USA. Animal models
      had shown glutathione species in plasma reflects liver glutathione state and it
      could be a surrogate for the detection of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC).
      METHODS: The present study aimed to translate methods to the human and to explore
      the role of glutathione/metabolic prints in the progression of liver dysfunction
      and in the detection of HCC. Treated plasma from healthy subjects (n = 20),
      patients with liver disease (ESLD, n = 99) and patients after transplantation
      (LTx, n = 7) were analyzed by GC- or LC/MS. Glutathione labeling profile was
      measured by isotopomer analyzes of 2H2O enriched plasma. Principal Component
      Analyzes (PCA) were used to determined metabolic prints. RESULTS: There was a
      significant difference in glutathione/metabolic profiles from patients with ESLD
      vs healthy subjects and patients after LTx. Similar significant differences were
      noted on patients with ESLD when stratified by the MELD score. PCA analyses
      showed myristic acid, citric acid, succinic acid, l-methionine, d-threitol,
      fumaric acid, pipecolic acid, isoleucine, hydroxy-butyrate and glycolic, steraric
      and hexanoic acids were discriminative metabolites for ESLD-HCC+ vs ESLD-HCC-
      subject status. CONCLUSIONS: Glutathione species and metabolic prints defined
      liver disease severity and may serve as surrogate for the detection of HCC in
      patients with established cirrhosis.

PMID- 28340975
TI  - A Case of Apples and Oranges.

PMID- 28340974
TI  - Herpes Zoster Vaccine Coverage in Older Adults in the U.S., 2007-2013.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: This study aimed to assess the coverage of herpes zoster (HZ)
      vaccine among a large cohort of insured individuals aged >=50 years from 2007 to
      2013, and to determine the factors associated with being vaccinated for adults
      aged >=60 years. METHODS: This was a retrospective, observational study using the
      MarketScan(r) database conducted in 2015. The study population was U.S. adults
      aged >=60 years during 2007-2013 and 50-59 years during 2011-2013. The claims of
      each eligible subject were evaluated post-index date to assess HZ vaccine uptake.
      Multivariate analyses were performed to understand factors associated with
      receiving HZ vaccine. RESULTS: A total of 6,746,476 adults aged >=60 years and
      6,770,294 adults aged 50-59 years were identified. By 2013, 1.7% of adults aged
      50-59 years, 23.9% of adults aged 60-64 years, and 14.5% of adults aged >=65
      years received HZ vaccine. Adults aged >=65 years were less likely to receive HZ
      vaccine than those aged 60-64 years (hazard ratio [HR]=0.543; 95% CI=0.539,
      0.547). Adults who were female, immunocompetent, and had more outpatient
      hospital, doctor office, and pharmacy visits were more likely to receive HZ
      vaccine. Adults who received influenza vaccine were more likely to receive HZ
      vaccine (HR=1.841; 95% CI=1.830, 1.853). CONCLUSIONS: Estimated HZ vaccine
      coverage is 19.5% in adults aged >=60 years, which is lower than the Healthy
      People 2020 target of 30%. Providers should identify every opportunity for HZ
      vaccination to assure that older adults are protected from HZ, a vaccine
      preventable disease.

PMID- 28340973
TI  - Multilevel Interventions Targeting Obesity: Research Recommendations for
      Vulnerable Populations.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: The origins of obesity are complex and multifaceted. To be
      successful, an intervention aiming to prevent or treat obesity may need to
      address multiple layers of biological, social, and environmental influences.
      METHODS: NIH recognizes the importance of identifying effective strategies to
      combat obesity, particularly in high-risk and disadvantaged populations with
      heightened susceptibility to obesity and subsequent metabolic sequelae. To move
      this work forward, the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, in
      collaboration with the NIH Office of Behavioral and Social Science Research and
      NIH Office of Disease Prevention convened a working group to inform research on
      multilevel obesity interventions in vulnerable populations. The working group
      reviewed relevant aspects of intervention planning, recruitment, retention,
      implementation, evaluation, and analysis, and then made recommendations. RESULTS:
      Recruitment and retention techniques used in multilevel research must be
      culturally appropriate and suited to both individuals and organizations. Adequate
      time and resources for preliminary work are essential. Collaborative projects can
      benefit from complementary areas of expertise and shared investigations
      rigorously pretesting specific aspects of approaches. Study designs need to
      accommodate the social and environmental levels under study, and include
      appropriate attention given to statistical power. Projects should monitor
      implementation in the multiple venues and include a priori estimation of the
      magnitude of change expected within and across levels. CONCLUSIONS: The
      complexity and challenges of delivering interventions at several levels of the
      social-ecologic model require careful planning and implementation, but hold
      promise for successful reduction of obesity in vulnerable populations.

PMID- 28340976
TI  - Population genetic data for 12 X-STR loci in the Northern Han Chinese and StatsX
      package as tools for population statistics on X-STR.
AB  - The X-chromosomal short tandem repeat (X-STR) has the advantage in female traces
      identification against male contamination and in complex kinship cases. In this
      study, a total of 516 Northern Han Chinese were genotyped using the
      Investigator(r) Argus X-12 QS Kit and pairwise genetic distances (FST) were
      measured between Northern Han Chinese and 35 published populations using the same
      12 X-STR loci in four presumed linkage groups (LG). Meanwhile, the StatsX package
      was compiled to aid the analysis of population statistics on X-STR. Off-ladder
      alleles were investigated by Sanger sequencing or next generation sequencing
      (NGS). The results showed that high combined PDM, PDF, MECKruger, MECKishida,
      MECDesmarais and MECDesmarais Duo based on allele frequencies were achieved as
      0.999999998, >0.999999999, 0.999996425, 0.999999993, 0.999999993 and 0.999998732,
      respectively, so did they based on haplotype frequencies. Averaged FST and
      multidimensional scaling (MDS) plot generally mirrored with the biogeography
      distribution of the studied populations and their historical relationships. A
      total of 16 unique off-ladder alleles were observed in this experiment, four of
      which have not been reported yet. The StatsX package could obtain full
      concordance with established software. Overall, the Investigator(r) Argus X-12 QS
      Kit may provide high polymorphic information for forensic identification and
      kinship analysis in the Northern Han Chinese population, and the StatsX package
      can make the workflow smoother for researchers to do population statistical
      analysis on X-STR.

PMID- 28340977
TI  - Commentary to 'Management of undescended testes: European Association of
      Urology/European Society for Paediatric Urology Guidelines'.

PMID- 28340979
TI  - Delirium in heart failure.

PMID- 28340978
TI  - Adult congenital heart disease nurse coordination: Essential skills and role in
      optimizing team-based care a position statement from the International Society
      for Adult Congenital Heart Disease (ISACHD).
AB  - BACKGROUND: Founded in 1992, the International Society for Adult Congenital Heart
      Disease (ISACHD) is the leading global organization of professionals dedicated to
      pursuing excellence in the care of adults with congenital heart disease (CHD)
      worldwide. Among ISACHD's objectives is to "promote a holistic team-based
      approach to the care of the adult with CHD that is comprehensive, patient
      centered, and interdisciplinary" (http://www.isachd.org). This emphasis on team
      based care reflects the fact that adults with CHD constitute a heterogeneous
      population with a wide spectrum of disease complexity, frequent association with
      other organ involvement, and varied co-morbidities and psychosocial issues.
      METHODS: Recognizing the vital role of the adult CHD (ACHD) nurse coordinator
      (ACHD-NC) in optimizing team-based care, ISACHD established a task force to
      elucidate and provide guidance on the roles and responsibilities of the ACHD-NC.
      Acknowledging that nursing roles can vary widely from region to region based on
      factors such as credentials, scopes of practice, regulations, and local culture
      and tradition, an international panel was assembled with experts from North
      America, Europe, East Asia, and Oceania. The writing committee was tasked with
      reviewing key aspects of the ACHD-NC's role in team-based ACHD care.
      RESULTS/CONCLUSION: The resulting ISACHD position statement addresses the ACHD
      NC's role and skills required in organizing, coordinating, and facilitating the
      care of adults with CHD, holistic assessment of the ACHD patient, patient
      education and counseling, and support for self-care management and self-advocacy.

PMID- 28340980
TI  - Comments on the letter to the editor by Farjadmand et al., on "Galen's book on
      sphygmology" [Int. J. Cardiol. 221 (2016) 333-334].

PMID- 28340981
TI  - Is mean platelet volume a prognostic marker for hemodialysis patients?

PMID- 28340982
TI  - Corrigendum to "Untangling the relatedness among correlations, Part I:
      Nonparametric approaches to inter-subject correlation analysis at the group
      level" [Neuroimage (in press)].

PMID- 28340983
TI  - Sonographer preference of ballistic gelatin concentration used to create DVT
      training phantoms.

PMID- 28340984
TI  - An unusual etiology for acquired long QT syndrome and torsade de pointes.

PMID- 28340986
TI  - Design and synthesis of affinity chromatography ligands for the purification of 5
      hydroxyeicosanoid dehydrogenase.
AB  - Arachidonic acid (AA) is converted to biologically active metabolites by
      different pathways, one of the most important of which is initiated by 5
      lipoxygenase (5-LO). 5-Hydroxyeicosatetraenoic acid (5-HETE), although possessing
      only weak biological activity itself, is oxidized to 5-oxo-6,8,11,14
      eicosatetraenoic acid (5-oxo-ETE), a potent chemoattractant for eosinophils and
      neutrophils. Our main goal is to determine how the biosynthesis of 5-oxo-ETE is
      regulated and to determine its pathophysiological roles. To achieve this task, we
      designed and synthesized affinity chromatography ligands for the purification of
      5-hydroxyeicosanoid dehydrogenase (5-HEDH), the enzyme responsible for the
      formation of 5-oxo-ETE.

PMID- 28340985
TI  - Autoimmunity, Autoantibodies, and Autism Spectrum Disorder.
AB  - Auism spectrum disorder (ASD) now affects one in 68 births in the United States
      and is the fastest growing neurodevelopmental disability worldwide. Alarmingly,
      for the majority of cases, the causes of ASD are largely unknown, but it is
      becoming increasingly accepted that ASD is no longer defined simply as a
      behavioral disorder, but rather as a highly complex and heterogeneous biological
      disorder. Although research has focused on the identification of genetic
      abnormalities, emerging studies increasingly suggest that immune dysfunction is a
      viable risk factor contributing to the neurodevelopmental deficits observed in
      ASD. This review summarizes the investigations implicating autoimmunity and
      autoantibodies in ASD.

PMID- 28340987
TI  - Discovery of novel curcumin derivatives targeting xanthine oxidase and urate
      transporter 1 as anti-hyperuricemic agents.
AB  - A series of curcumin derivatives as potent dual inhibitors of xanthine oxidase
      (XOD) and urate transporter 1 (URAT1) was discovered as anti-hyperuricemic
      agents. These compounds proved efficient effects on anti-hyperuricemic activity
      and uricosuric activity in vivo. More importantly, some of them exhibited proved
      efficient effects on inhibiting XOD activity and suppressing uptake of uric acid
      via URAT1 in vitro. Especially, the treatment of 4d was demonstrated to improve
      uric acid over-production and under-excretion in oxonate-induced hyperuricemic
      mice through regulating XOD activity and URAT1 expression. Docking study was
      performed to elucidate the potent XOD inhibition of 4d. Compound 4d may serve as
      a tool compound for further design of anti-hyperuricemic drugs targeting both XOD
      and URAT1.

PMID- 28340988
TI  - Rational design, synthesis, and structure-activity relationships of 5-amino-1H
      pyrazole-4-carboxylic acid derivatives as protein tyrosine phosphatase 1B
      inhibitors.
AB  - A series of novel amino-carboxylic based pyrazole as protein tyrosine phosphatase
      1B (PTP1B) inhibitors were designed on the basis of structure-based pharmacophore
      model and molecular docking. Compounds containing different hydrophobic tail (1,2
      diphenyl ethanone, oxdiadizole and dibenzyl amines) were synthesized and
      evaluated in PTP1B enzymatic assay. Structure-activity relationship based
      optimization resulted in identification of several potent, metabolically stable
      and cell permeable PTP1B inhibitors.

PMID- 28340989
TI  - Bio-Electron-Fenton (BEF) process driven by microbial fuel cells for triphenyltin
      chloride (TPTC) degradation.
AB  - The intensive use of triphenyltin chloride (TPTC) has caused serious
      environmental pollution. In this study, an effective method for TPTC degradation
      was proposed based on the Bio-Electron-Fenton process in microbial fuel cells
      (MFCs). The maximum voltage of the MFC with graphite felt as electrode was
      278.47% higher than that of carbon cloth. The electricity generated by MFC can be
      used for in situ generation of H2O2 to a maximum of 135.96MUmolL-1 at the
      Fe@Fe2O3(*)/graphite felt composite cathode, which further reacted with leached
      Fe2+ to produce hydroxyl radicals. While 100MUmolL-1 TPTC was added to the
      cathodic chamber, the degradation efficiency of TPTC reached 78.32+/-2.07%, with
      a rate of 0.775+/-0.021MUmolL-1h-1. This Bio-Electron-Fenton driving TPTC
      degradation might involve in SnC bonds breaking and the main process is probably
      a stepwise dephenylation until the formation of inorganic tin and CO2. This study
      provides an energy saving and efficient approach for TPTC degradation.

PMID- 28340990
TI  - Identification of sulfonylurea biodegradation pathways enabled by a novel
      nicosulfuron-transforming strain Pseudomonas fluorescens SG-1: Toxicity
      assessment and effect of formulation.
AB  - Nicosulfuron is a selective herbicide belonging to the sulfonylurea family,
      commonly used on maize culture. A bacterial strain SG-1 was isolated from an
      agricultural soil previously treated with nicosulfuron. This strain was
      identified as Pseudomonas fluorescens and is able to quantitatively dissipate
      77.5% of nicosulfuron (1mM) at 28 degrees C in the presence of glucose within the
      first day of incubation. Four metabolites were identified among which ASDM (2
      (aminosulfonyl)-N,N-dimethyl-3-pyridinecarboxamide) and ADMP (2-amino-4,6
      dimethoxypyrimidine) in substantial proportions, corresponding to the hydrolytic
      sulfonylurea cleavage. Two-phase dissipation kinetics of nicosulfuron by SG-1
      were observed at the highest concentrations tested (0.5 and 1mM) due to
      biosorption. The extend and rate of formulated nicosulfuron transformation were
      considerably reduced compared to those with the pure active ingredient
      (appearance of a lag phase, 30% dissipation after 10days of incubation instead of
      100% with the pure herbicide) but the same metabolites were observed. The
      toxicity of metabolites (standardized Microtox(r) test) showed a 20-fold higher
      toxicity of ADMP than nicosulfuron. P. fluorescens strain SG-1 was also able to
      biotransform two other sulfonylureas (metsulfuron-methyl and tribenuron-methyl)
      with various novel pathways. These results provide new tools for a comprehensive
      picture of the sulfonylurea environmental fate and toxicity of nicosulfuron in
      the environment.

PMID- 28340991
TI  - SERS-based ultrasensitive detection of organophosphorus nerve agents via
      substrate's surface modification.
AB  - Highly efficient detection of the organicphosphor nerve agents such as sarin and
      soman, based on surface enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) effect, has been in
      challenge due to their weak adsorption property on coin metals. In this paper, a
      new strategy is presented to achieve the SERS-based ultrasensitive detection of
      sarin-simulated agent methanephosphonic acid (MPA) via the surface modification
      of SERS-substrates. The Au-coated Si nanocone array is surface-modified with 2
      aminoethanethiol and used as SERS-substrate for detection of MPA. It has been
      shown that the modified substrate could preferentially capture MPA molecules in
      the solution with coupling agent and induce amidation reaction. The reaction
      products are still bound or anchor on the substrate's surface. The MPA molecules
      can thus be detected by Raman spectral measurement of the solution-soaked SERS
      substrate. The minimum detection level is down to ~1ppb. The Raman peak intensity
      versus the MPA concentration is subject to a linear double logarithmic relation
      from ~1ppb to ~1000ppm, which is attributed to Freundlich adsorption of MPA on
      the surface-modified SERS substrate. This study provides a new way for the highly
      efficient SERS-based detection of the organophosphorus nerve agents and some
      other target molecules weakly interacted with metal substrates.

PMID- 28340992
TI  - Hierarchical structured MnO2@SiO2 nanofibrous membranes with superb flexibility
      and enhanced catalytic performance.
AB  - Constructing nanostructured catalyst-embedded ceramic fibrous membranes would
      facilitate the remediation or preliminary treatment of dyeing wastewater,
      however, most of such membranes are brittle with low deformation resistance,
      thus, restricting their widely applications. Herein, the flexible and
      hierarchical nanostructured MnO2-immobilized SiO2 nanofibrous membranes
      (MnO2@SiO2 NFM) were fabricated by combining the electrospinning technique with
      hydrothermal method. The morphologies of membranes could be regulated from
      nanowires and nanoflower to mace-like structure via varying concentration of
      reactants. The resultant MnO2@SiO2 NFM could cooperate with hydrogen peroxide to
      form a Fenton-like reagent for the degradation of methylene blue (MB). The
      resultant membrane exhibited prominent catalytic performance towards MB,
      including high degradation degree of 95% within 40min, fast degradation rate of
      0.0865min-1, and excellent reusability in 5 cycles. Moreover, the membranes could
      be used in a wide pH range of 0 to 14 and the degradation degree reached 76%
      during dynamic filtration process with a flux of 490,000Lm-2h-1. The successful
      fabricating of such membrane with extraordinary catalytic performance would
      provide a platform for preparing high-performance catalysts for remediation of
      dyeing wastewater.

PMID- 28340993
TI  - Antimony speciation as geochemical tracer for anthropogenic emissions of
      atmospheric particulate matter.
AB  - The chemical composition of atmospheric particulate matter (PM) has been studied
      at the cities of Cordoba and Granada (South of Spain) between 2007 and 2013,
      considering urban background, traffic and industrial monitoring stations. The
      results of Principal Component Analysis (PCA) indicated that geochemical
      anomalies observed in the ambient air of Cordoba (mainly Cu, Zn, Pb and Cd) are
      closely related to the geochemical profile obtained from fugitive metallurgy
      emissions of brass industries. These findings have been confirmed performing an
      Sb speciation analysis of PM10 samples, which allowed to distinguish between
      Sb(III) and Sb(V). The percentage of Sb(V) in PM10 found in the traffic station
      of Granada was 64-69%. At Cordoba, the percentage of Sb(V) was found to be higher
      (73-77%) at both urban background and traffic stations, indicating a possible
      second source of Sb in the PM of this city. The PM10 samples from the industrial
      station of Cordoba showed a 85-86% of Sb(V). A similar percentage (84-88%) of
      Sb(V) was found for the fugitive emissions of the brass industries, confirming
      this industrial source of Sb. These results show that Sb speciation can be a
      useful geochemical tracer to identify anthropogenic sources (traffic and
      industrial) emissions of PM.

PMID- 28340994
TI  - Biological effect of aqueous C60 aggregates on Scenedesmus obliquus revealed by
      transcriptomics and non-targeted metabolomics.
AB  - This work evaluated biological effect of nC60 on Scenedesmus obliquus. The cells
      were exposed to various concentrations of nC60 for 7days. Low-dose of nC60 was
      found to have a minor growth inhibitory effect. The transcriptomics and
      metabolomics were integrated to examine intricate molecular and cellular effects
      of nC60 on Scenedesmus obliquus. We found that Scenedesmus obliquus cells exposed
      to nC60 had several significant alterations in cellular transcription and
      biochemical processes. During the 7-day exposure to nC60, 2234 and 2,448 unigenes
      were differentially expressed by 0.1mg/L and 1mg/L nC60-treated groups compared
      with the control, including 2085 or 2247 up-regulated genes and 149 or 201 down
      regulated genes, respectively. We successfully identified 22 metabolites,
      including 6 significantly changed metabolites, such as sucrose, d-glucose, and
      malic acid. The citrate cycle (TCA cycle) (ko00020) was the main target of both
      differentially expressed genes and metabolic change. However, accumulation of
      sucrose (end-product) could have induced feedback inhibition of photosynthesis in
      Scenedesmus obliquus, explaining the slight growth inhibition observed. The
      results provided a mechanistic understanding of the growth inhibition of nC60
      toxicity. These genes and metabolites are useful biomarkers for future studies
      and offer new insights into the early detectable changes in Scenedesmus obliquus
      with nC60 exposure.

PMID- 28340995
TI  - An overview of advanced reduction processes for bromate removal from drinking
      water: Reducing agents, activation methods, applications and mechanisms.
AB  - Bromate (BrO3-) is a possible human carcinogen regulated at a strict standard of
      10MUg/L in drinking water. Various techniques to eliminate BrO3- usually fall
      into three main categories: reducing bromide (Br-) prior to formation of BrO3-,
      minimizing BrO3- formation during the ozonation process, and removing BrO3- from
      post-ozonation waters. However, the first two approaches exhibit low degradation
      efficiency and high treatment cost. The third workaround has obvious advantages,
      such as high reduction efficiency, more stable performance and easier combination
      with UV disinfection, and has therefore been widely implemented in water
      treatment. Recently, advanced reduction processes (ARPs), the photocatalysis of
      BrO3-, have attracted much attention due to improved performance. To increase the
      feasibility of photocatalytic systems, the focus of this work concerns new
      technological developments, followed by a summary of reducing agents, activation
      methods, operational parameters, and applications. The reaction mechanisms of two
      typical processes involving UV/sulfite homogeneous photocatalysis and UV/titanium
      dioxide heterogeneous photocatalysis are further summarized. The future research
      needs for ARPs to reach full-scale potential in drinking water treatment are
      suggested accordingly.

PMID- 28340996
TI  - Diabetes for Cardiologists: Practical Issues in Diagnosis and Management.
AB  - Diabetes mellitus (DM), a chronic metabolic disease characterized by
      hyperglycemia, is a profound cardiovascular (CV) risk factor. It compounds the
      effects of all other risk factors, leads to premature micro- and macrovascular
      disease, facilitates development of heart failure, worsens the clinical course of
      all CV diseases, and shortens life expectancy. Established DM, unrecognized DM,
      and dysglycemia that may progress to DM are all commonly present at the time of
      presentation of overt CV disease. Thus, CV specialists and trainees frequently
      treat patients with dysglycemia. The traditional and proven role of cardiologists
      in reducing the risk of macrovascular events in this population is through
      aggressive lipid and blood pressure treatment. However, a more proactive role in
      the detection and management of DM is likely to become increasingly important as
      the prevalence continues to increase and therapies continue to improve. The
      latter include antihyperglycemic therapies with proven cardiovascular safety
      profiles and CV event reduction properties not yet fully elucidated and not
      necessarily related to glycemic control. Accordingly, the purpose of this article
      is to (1) expand the interest of cardiologists in earlier stages of the natural
      history of DM, when prevention or early detection might help achieve greatest
      benefit; (2) highlight principles of optimal glycemic management, with an
      emphasis on add-on choices showing promising reduction of CV events and lacking
      CV adverse effects; and (3) encourage cardiologists to become proactive partners
      in the multidisciplinary care needed to ensure optimal lifelong vascular health
      in patients with, or who are at risk of, DM.

PMID- 28340997
TI  - Association between Nutrition Risk in Critically Ill score and mortality may be
      mediated by nutritional therapy.

PMID- 28340998
TI  - Theophylline increases diaphragmatic contractility in mechanically ventilated
      newborns.

PMID- 28340999
TI  - Emergent vs. elective stenting of carotid stenosis with intraluminal carotid
      thrombus.
AB  - BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Carotid stenosis (CS) with intraluminal carotid artery
      thrombus (ICAT) is rare but ominous finding. The optimal treatment modality is
      unclear. The aim of this study was to analyze the feasibility and outcome of
      acute endovascular intervention and delayed elective endovascular therapy after
      initial anticoagulation in these delicate cases. Moreover, both treatment points
      were compared and several parameters discussed to facilitate the determination of
      the optimal time modality in future cases. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A series of 11
      consecutive cases with acute symptomatic CS with ICAT that received endovascular
      treatment was retrospectively analyzed. General patient data, pre and post
      interventional symptoms and imaging were evaluated in an overall mean follow-up
      of 84 weeks. RESULTS: Urgent stenting and mechanical thrombectomy was performed
      in 6 patients. In the remaining 5 cases, elective endovascular treatment was
      planned after initial anticoagulation therapy with thrombus resolution. One case
      received secondary urgent treatment due to clinical deterioration. Overall
      outcome at three months follow-up was excellent (Modified Ranking Scale [mRS] 0
      1) in 5 cases, good (mRS 2) in 4 and unfavorable in the remaining 2. Important
      differences between the two treatment arms were seen in 3 parameters (stenosis
      degree, thrombus length, and NIHSS score). CONCLUSIONS: This is one of the
      largest studies analysing endovascular treatment in patients with acute
      symptomatic CS and additional ICAT only. Both endovascular treatment strategies
      seem feasible. Parameters such as size of intraluminal thrombus and clinical
      symptoms should be included in the decision-making process regarding the optimal
      individual treatment time.

PMID- 28341000
TI  - Arterial spin-labeling perfusion imaging of children with subdural hemorrhage:
      Perfusion abnormalities in abusive head trauma.
AB  - BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Perfusion abnormalities have not been well described in
      children with subdural hemorrhage (SDH). We investigated whether patients with
      abusive head trauma (AHT+) had more perfusion abnormalities than those without
      (AHT-). MATERIALS AND METHODS: We reviewed the perfusion MR studies of 12 infants
      with SDH and 21 controls. The perfusion images were obtained using a pseudo
      continuous arterial spin-labeling sequence with volumetric fast spin-echo
      readout. An MR perfusion scoring system (0-6 points) was devised to facilitate
      appraisal of the extent of abnormalities. An asymmetry index (AI) was calculated
      for each region of perfusion abnormality. Comparison of perfusion scores across
      the AHT+, AHT-, and control groups was performed. The AIs of the hypoperfused
      lesions and hyperperfused lesions in patients were separately compared with those
      of the controls. The neurological outcomes of the patients were associated with
      imaging abnormalities. RESULTS: Perfusion abnormalities were found in five (83%)
      of six AHT+ patients and in one (17%) of six AHT- patients. The AHT+ group
      recorded a significantly higher perfusion score than did both the AHT- group and
      the controls. Four patients with hypoperfused lesions exhibited significantly
      lower AI (P=.002) than did the controls, and three patients with hyperperfused
      lesions had significantly higher AI (P=.006) than did the controls. Of the four
      patients with hypoperfused lesions, two expired and one experienced hemiparesis.
      CONCLUSIONS: Patients with AHT have higher perfusion abnormality scores than
      patients with other causes of SDH and controls. Moreover, hypoperfusion may
      suggest a poor clinical outcome.

PMID- 28341001
TI  - Atypical intracranial artifacts caused by dreadlocks during brain Magnetic
      Resonance Imaging: Keep calm and recognize them.

PMID- 28341002
TI  - Seroprevalence survey of selective anti-neuronal autoantibodies in patients with
      first-episode schizophrenia and chronic schizophrenia.
AB  - Autoimmune encephalopathy caused by autoantibodies against neuronal cell-surface
      proteins in the brain is a newly discovered disease category associated with
      psychiatric disorders. Correct diagnosis of this condition relies on the
      detection of specific autoantibodies in the blood or cerebral spinal fluid in
      addition to the clinical presentations. The study aimed to understand the
      seroprevalence of selective anti-neuronal autoantibodies in our patients with
      schizophrenia. First, we screened for six anti-neuronal autoantibodies in an
      archived blood sample collected from patients with the first-episode
      schizophrenia. The six autoantibodies including antibodies against N-methyl-d
      aspartate (NMDA) receptor, alpha-amino-3-hydroxy-5-methyl-4-isoxazolepropionic
      acid (AMPA) receptors 1 and 2, gamma-butyric acid receptor type B1 (GABARB1),
      leucine-rich glioma inactivated-1 (LGI1) protein, and contactin-associated
      protein-like 2 (CASPR2) protein. A total of 78 plasma samples (46 males and 32
      females) were investigated; however, no positive case was identified. In this
      second study, we screened anti-NMDA receptor autoantibodies in a blood sample of
      234 patients with chronic schizophrenia (133 females and 101 males) including 48
      patients defined as treatment resistance. None of this sample was detected as
      positive. The negative findings in this study suggest that the seroprevalence of
      autoantibodies against neuronal surface proteins might be low in patients
      diagnosed with schizophrenia.

PMID- 28341004
TI  - Correction.

PMID- 28341003
TI  - [Can venous iron and tranexamic acid reduce the transfusion need? Report on a non
      randomized, case control study].
AB  - OBJECTIVES: To evaluate if the association of injectable iron and tranexamic acid
      allows a significant saving in transfusion, in cases of myomectomies and
      hysterectomies. PATIENTS AND METHOD: This is a prospective, non randomized study
      done over 8 months (from January 2013 to August 2013). Were included, patients
      undergoing hysterectomy or myomectomy who had a hemoglobin level greater than or
      equal to 8g/dl and less than 12g/dl. Two groups were compared: group A consisting
      of patients for whom a pack red cells was ordered and the group B which patients
      received intravenous iron preoperatively and tranexamic acid perioperatively. The
      level of hemoglobin, pre- and postoperative, the average number of blood units
      per patient and estimated blood loss was compared. The transfusion economy was
      evaluated. RESULTS: During this period, 87 patients with a mean age of 40+/-9
      years (range: 23 and 70years) were included according to our criteria: 44
      patients in group A and 43 patients in group B. Initial mean hemoglobin in both
      groups was 9.1+/-0.7g/dl. In group B, after iron administration, the mean
      hemoglobin was 11.3+/-0.7g/dl. The average number of red blood cells received
      intraoperative patient in group A was 1.54+/-0.51. The estimated blood loss was
      significant greater (P=0.0002) in group A (571.6+/-237.1ml) than in group B
      (213.7+/-131.7ml). No transfusion was performed in group B. CONCLUSION: The
      association intravenous iron and tranexamic acid resulted in the reduction of
      transfusion requirements in our setting. It could be integrated in the strategy
      for sparing blood transfusion in scheduled surgery with hemorrhagic risks.

PMID- 28341005
TI  - An Industry/Academia Collaborative to Support Smoking-Cessation Grants.

PMID- 28341006
TI  - An unusual case of sudden unexpected death due to massive hemopericardium from
      primary mediastinal seminoma.
AB  - It is well-known that cardiovascular disease is the most common cause of sudden
      unexpected death, especially in the young. However complete postmortem
      investigation performed by qualified forensic pathologists is crucial in
      establishing the exact cause and manner of death. Sudden death caused by a
      cardiac tamponade occurring secondarily to a primary mediastinal tumor is
      extremely unusual. An autopsy on a 25-year-old man who died unexpectedly
      discovered a massive hemopericardium in association with an anterosuperior
      mediastinal mass. The tumor had invaded the pericardium and an ulcerative surface
      with hemorrhagic necrosis on the cut surfaces of the intrapericardial tumor was
      revealed. All cardiac chambers and intrathoracic great vessels were intact and
      both testes were normal. Histologic examination confirmed the diagnosis of
      primary mediastinal pure cell seminoma. Diffuse pulmonary edema, as well as
      generalized congestion of internal organs, was observed as evidence of acute
      decompensated heart failure. To our knowledge, this is the first reported case of
      unexpected death due to massive hemopericardium as a result of primary
      mediastinal seminoma.

PMID- 28341007
TI  - On the mishandling of probabilities in Lamotte & Wells' commentary on J.P.
      Michaud, G. Moreau, Predicting the visitation of carcasses by carrion-related
      insects under different rates of degree-day accumulation.
AB  - LaMotte and Wells re-analyzed and criticized one of our articles in which we
      proposed a novel statistical test for predicting postmortem interval from insect
      succession data. Using simple mathematical examples, we demonstrate that LaMotte
      and Wells erred because their analyses are based on an erroneous interpretation
      of the nature of probabilities that disregards more than 300 years of scientific
      literature on probability combination. We also argue that the methods presented
      in our article, more specifically the use of degree-day-based logistic regression
      analysis to model succession, was a positive contribution to the fields of
      forensic entomology and carrion ecology, which LaMotte and Wells forgot to
      mention by instead focusing on issues that were either trivial or did not exist.

PMID- 28341008
TI  - Serum vitamin D level in Egyptian children with Familial Mediterranean fever.
AB  - BACKGROUND: The aim of the study is to measure plasma vitamin D levels in a group
      of Egyptian children with familial Mediterranean fever (FMF) compared to healthy
      children. METHODS: The study enrolled 52 children with FMF and 40 apparently
      healthy controls. Serum vitamin D level was measured by enzyme-linked
      immunosorbent assay. RESULTS: The mean serum vitamin D level was significantly
      lower in children with FMF than control group (12.3+/-3.4 and 21.2+/-3.5ng/mL,
      respectively, p<0.001). Vitamin D level was significantly lower in female
      patients than males (11.3+/-2.9, 13.2+/-3.6, respectively p=0.04). No
      statistically significant relations were detected between vitamin D level and
      different clinical, laboratory and genetic variables. CONCLUSION: Vitamin D
      levels were lower in Egyptian FMF children than healthy controls. There is a
      speculation that vitamin D deficiency in FMF patients may be related to
      inflammation. Further studies with larger number of patients before and after
      Vitamin D, therapy may be needed. Supplementation with high doses of vitamin D
      seems appropriate for children with FMF.

PMID- 28341009
TI  - Gardnerella vaginalis diversity and ecology in relation to vaginal symptoms.
AB  - Gardnerella vaginalis was first described in 1953, and subsequently identified as
      the causative agent of a cluster of vaginal symptoms currently known as
      vaginosis. Research has so far failed to confirm whether and by which mechanism
      G. vaginalis initiates vaginosis, with, consequently, poor diagnostics and
      treatment outcomes. Recent molecular analyses of protein-coding genes demonstrate
      that the taxon G. vaginalis consists of at least four distinct species. This
      development may represent a critical turning point in clarifying ecological
      interactions and virulence factors contributing to symptoms and/or sequelae of
      vaginosis.

PMID- 28341010
TI  - History and development of ophthalmology in Taiwan.
AB  - Western medicine was first introduced to Taiwan by medical missionaries in the
      mid-19th century. Modernization of medicine was systematically transplanted to
      Taiwan in the Japanese colonial period, and ophthalmology was established third
      among hospital departments, following internal medicine and surgery. Dr Hidetaka
      Yamaguchi, an ophthalmologist, was the first head of the Taihoku Hospital, later
      known as National Taiwan University Hospital (NTUH; Taipei, Taiwan).
      Ophthalmologists during the colonial period conducted studies on tropical and
      infectious eye diseases. After World War II, ophthalmologists at NTUH played an
      important role in medical education, residency training, studies, and teaching.
      Dr Yan-Fei Yang established the Taiwan Ophthalmological Society in 1960 and
      instituted its official journal in 1962. Dr Ho-Ming Lin established the
      Department of Ophthalmology at the Tri-Service General Hospital in the 1950s and
      the Veterans General Hospital in the 1960s. Taiwan ophthalmologists eradicated
      trachoma by 1971. Cataract surgery and penetrating keratoplasty were initially
      performed in the 1960s. Currently, there are about 1600 ophthalmologists in
      Taiwan conducting an estimated 120,000 cataract surgeries and 600 corneal
      transplantations annually. Many subspecialty societies have been established
      recently that serve to educate Taiwanese ophthalmologists and to connect with
      international ophthalmic societies. Taiwan ophthalmologists continue to
      contribute to the advancement of ophthalmic knowledge globally.

PMID- 28341011
TI  - Interstitial high-dose-rate brachytherapy as salvage treatment for locally
      recurrent prostate cancer after definitive radiation therapy: Toxicity and 5-year
      outcome.
AB  - PURPOSE: We report our results with interstitial high-dose-rate brachytherapy
      (HDR-BT) as a salvage therapy option after external beam therapy with or without
      BT. Emphasis was put on toxicity and 5-year outcome. METHODS AND MATERIALS: From
      2003 to 2011, 29 patients with local failure after previous radiotherapy for
      prostate cancer were treated with salvage interstitial HDR-BT. The diagnosis of
      local recurrence was made on the basis of choline positron emission tomography.
      Salvage HDR-BT was given in three fractions with a single dose of 10 Gy per
      fraction and weekly. The target volume covered the peripheral zone of the
      prostate and the positron emission tomography-positive area. Acute and late
      toxicities were documented according to common terminology criteria for adverse
      events (CTCAE v 4.0). RESULTS: Twenty-two patients with minimum followup of 60
      months were analyzed. The 5-year overall survival was 95.5% with a disease
      specific survival of 100%. The 5-year biochemical control was 45%. Late grade 2
      gastrointestinal toxicities were observed in two patients (9%). No grade 3 or
      higher gastrointestinal late toxicities were observed. Urinary incontinence found
      in 2 patients (9%) and grade 2 obstruction of urinary tract occurred in one
      patient (4%). CONCLUSIONS: Interstitial HDR-BT was feasible and effective in the
      treatment of locally recurrent prostate cancer after definitive radiotherapy. The
      long-term toxicity was low and acceptable.

PMID- 28341014
TI  - Live pertussis vaccines: will they protect against carriage and spread of
      pertussis?
AB  - Pertussis is a severe respiratory disease that can be fatal in young infants. Its
      main aetiological agent is the Gram-negative micro-organism Bordetella pertussis.
      Vaccines against the disease have been in use since the 1950s, and global
      vaccination coverage has now reached more than 85%. Nevertheless, the disease has
      not been controlled in any country, and has even made a spectacular come-back in
      the industrialized world, where the first-generation whole-cell vaccines have
      been replaced by the more recent, less reactogenic, acellular vaccines. Several
      hypotheses have been proposed to explain these observations, including the fast
      waning of acellular vaccine-induced protection. However, recent mathematical
      modelling studies have indicated that asymptomatic transmission of B. pertussis
      may be the main reason for the current resurgence of pertussis. Recent studies in
      non-human primates have shown that neither whole-cell, nor acellular vaccines
      prevent infection and transmission of B. pertussis, in contrast to prior
      exposure. New vaccines that can be applied nasally to mimic natural infection
      without causing disease may therefore be useful for long-term control of
      pertussis. Several vaccine candidates have been proposed, the most advanced of
      which is the genetically attenuated B. pertussis strain BPZE1. This vaccine
      candidate has successfully completed a first-in-man phase I trial and was shown
      to be safe in young male volunteers, able to transiently colonize the nasopharynx
      and to induce antibody responses to B. pertussis antigens in all colonized
      individuals. Whether BPZE1 will indeed be useful to ultimately control pertussis
      obviously needs to be assessed by carefully conducted human efficacy trials.

PMID- 28341015
TI  - Impairment of Social Function in Young Females With Recent-Onset Anorexia Nervosa
      and Recovered Individuals.
AB  - PURPOSE: A subgroup of individuals with anorexia nervosa (AN) displays social
      difficulties; however, it is not clear if individuals with comorbid autism
      spectrum disorders account for these difficulties. METHODS: We compared social
      function using the Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule in 43 young females
      with first-episode AN who did not have comorbid autism spectrum disorder, 28
      individuals recovered from adolescent-onset AN, and 41 healthy comparison
      individuals (age range 14-22 years). We measured adaptive behavior with the
      Vineland-II parent questionnaire, and aspects of social cognition with
      psychological tests, such as the Reading-the-Mind-in-the-Eyes test, Profile of
      Nonverbal Sensitivity short version, The Awareness of Social Inference Test,
      Animated Triangles, and the CANTAB Affective Go/No-go task. RESULTS: Participants
      with first-episode AN and those recovered from AN displayed difficulties in
      social function, which were not associated with body mass index or other state
      factors of the disorder in those with first-episode AN. Mood problems and anxiety
      were not associated with these difficulties. Parents rated participants with
      first-episode AN lower than recovered and control participants on the
      Socialization Domain of Vineland-II. Finally, only participants recovered from AN
      demonstrated deficits in specific domains of social cognition: perceiving
      nonverbal bodily gesture and vocal prosody. CONCLUSIONS: Young females with first
      episode AN and those recovered from AN displayed impairments in social function,
      which may represent more stable traits of the disorder. Only participants
      recovered from AN demonstrated deficits in social cognition.

PMID- 28341016
TI  - The Role of Alcohol Expectancies in Sexual Risk Behaviors Among Adolescents and
      Young Adults in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
AB  - PURPOSE: Considering the increased risk of HIV among alcohol users, we explored
      the role of individual alcohol expectancies in risk behaviors among youth in the
      Democratic Republic of the Congo. METHODS: We surveyed 1,396 adolescents (ages 15
      19) and young adults (ages 20-24) on alcohol and sexual behaviors in May, 2010.
      We assessed expectancies of alcohol use (1) leading to sex or positive sexual
      experiences; (2) diminishing one's ability to resist unwanted sex; and (3)
      diminishing one's ability to use or negotiate use of condoms. Adjusted logistic
      regression models assessed the association between alcohol use and alcohol
      expectancies with unprotected sex and multiple sex partners (MSP). RESULTS:
      Participants reporting alcohol use (36.8%) were more likely to have engaged in
      unprotected sex and MSP than nondrinkers (adjusted odds ratio [AOR]: 2.87, 95%
      confidence interval [CI]: 2.29-3.60; AOR: 3.73 95% CI: 2.94-4.72, respectively).
      Among alcohol users, after adjusting for drinking quantity, moderate expectancies
      of alcohol leading to positive sexual experiences were significantly associated
      with MSP among adolescent boys (AOR: 4.20, 95% CI: 1.49-11.86) and girls (AOR:
      3.97, 95% CI: 1.36-11.60), whereas high expectancies were significant among young
      adult men (AOR: 2.70, 95% CI: 1.19-6.10). Among adolescent girls who used
      alcohol, adjusted odds of unprotected sex were elevated among those with
      expectancies of diminished ability to refuse unwanted sex (AOR: 5.13, 95% CI:
      1.41-16.64) or to negotiate condom use (AOR: 16.22; 2.08-126.8). CONCLUSIONS: HIV
      prevention efforts for youth should acknowledge the role of alcohol expectancies
      in sexual risk behaviors and tailor programs to address different roles of
      expectancies in males and females.

PMID- 28341017
TI  - Family Meals and Adolescent Emotional Well-Being: Findings From a National Study.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: To describe the relationship between family meals and adolescent
      mental health and determine whether the relationship differs by sex. DESIGN:
      Secondary analyses of a cross-sectional survey. PARTICIPANTS: A total of 8,500
      nationally representative students. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Reynolds Adolescent
      Depression Scale; Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire; World Health
      Organization Well-being Index. ANALYSIS: Multiple regression models determined
      the relationships between family meals and mental health indicators;
      sociodemographic variables and family connection were included as covariates.
      RESULTS: Approximately 60% of adolescents shared family meals >=5 times in the
      previous week, whereas 22% reported that they shared <=2 meals in the previous
      week. Greater frequency of family meals was associated with fewer depressive
      symptoms (P < .001), fewer emotional difficulties (P < .001) and better emotional
      well-being (<.001). These relationships between family meals and depressive
      symptoms were attenuated by sex; the relationship was stronger for females than
      for males. CONCLUSIONS AND IMPLICATIONS: Frequent family meals may have a
      protective effect on the mental health of adolescents, particularly for
      depressive symptoms in girls. Interventions that aim to increase the frequency of
      family meals are needed to evaluate whether family meals alone can have an
      emotional benefit for adolescents.

PMID- 28341018
TI  - Using Skin Carotenoids to Assess Dietary Changes in Students After 1 Academic
      Year of Participating in the Shaping Healthy Choices Program.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: To determine whether fourth-grade students participating in the
      Shaping Healthy Choices Program (SHCP), a school-based nutrition intervention,
      would change vegetable and carotenoid intake measured by skin carotenoids and
      dietary intake. METHODS: Single-group pretest-posttest with a self-selected,
      convenience sample of students (n = 30) participating in the SHCP, which lasted 1
      academic year (9 months). Dietary intake of vegetables and carotenoids as
      measured by Block food frequency questionnaire and skin carotenoids as measured
      by Raman spectroscopy were collected at the school preintervention and
      postintervention. RESULTS: Reported carotenoid intake decreased by 1.5 mg (P =
      .05) and skin carotenoids decreased by 2,247.9 RRS intensity units (P = .04).
      Change in reported intake correlated with change in skin carotenoids (r = .43; P
      = .02). CONCLUSIONS AND IMPLICATIONS: The reported decrease in vegetable and
      carotenoid intake was unanticipated; nevertheless, the RRS measurements confirmed
      this. RRS data can help evaluate changes in fruit and vegetable intake.

PMID- 28341019
TI  - Re: Lead diagnostic testing and maxillofacial gunshot wounds.

PMID- 28341020
TI  - Editorial Comment.

PMID- 28341021
TI  - Author Reply.

PMID- 28341023
TI  - Molecular characterization of invasive Streptococcus dysgalactiae subsp.
      equisimilis. Multicenter study: Argentina 2011-2012.
AB  - Streptococcus dysgalactiae subsp. equisimilis (SDSE) has virulence factors
      similar to those of Streptococcus pyogenes. Therefore, it causes pharyngitis and
      severe infections indistinguishable from those caused by the classic pathogen.
      The objectives of this study were: to know the prevalence of SDSE invasive
      infections in Argentina, to study the genetic diversity, to determine the
      presence of virulence genes, to study antibiotic susceptibility and to detect
      antibiotic resistance genes. Conventional methods of identification were used.
      Antibiotic susceptibility was determined by the disk diffusion and the agar
      dilution methods and the E-test. Twenty eight centers from 16 Argentinean cities
      participated in the study. Twenty three isolates (16 group G and 7 group C) were
      obtained between July 1 2011 and June 30 2012. Two adult patients died (8.7%).
      Most of the isolates were recovered from blood (60.9%). All isolates carried speJ
      and ssa genes. stG62647, stG653 and stG840 were the most frequent emm types.
      Nineteen different PFGE patterns were detected. All isolates were susceptible to
      penicillin and levofloxacin, 6 (26.1%) showed resistance or reduced
      susceptibility to erythromycin [1 mef(A), 3 erm(TR), 1 mef(A)+erm(TR) and 1
      erm(TR)+erm(B)] and 7 (30.4%) were resistant or exhibited reduced susceptibility
      to tetracycline [2 tet(M), 5 tet(M)+tet(O)]. The prevalence in Argentina was of
      at least 23 invasive infections by SDSE. A wide genetic diversity was observed.
      All isolates carried speJ and ssa genes. Similarly to other studies, macrolide
      resistance (26.1%) was mainly associated to the MLSB phenotype.

PMID- 28341024
TI  - [Biochemical basis of tolerance to osmotic stress in phytopathogenic fungus: The
      case of Macrophomina phaseolina (Tassi) Goid.]
AB  - Fungus Macrophomina phaseolina (Tassi) Goid. is the causative agent of charcoal
      rot disease which causes significant yield losses in major crops such as maize,
      sorghum, soybean and common beans in Mexico. This fungus is a facultative
      parasite which shows broad ability to adapt itself to stressed environments where
      water deficits and/or high temperature stresses commonly occur. These
      environmental conditions are common for most cultivable lands throughout Mexico.
      Here we describe some basic facts related to the etiology and epidemiology of the
      fungus as well as to the importance of responses to stressed environments,
      particularly to water deficits, based on morphology and growth traits, as well as
      on physiology, biochemistry and pathogenicity of fungus M. phaseolina. To
      conclude, we show some perspectives related to future research into the genus,
      which emphasize the increasing need to improve the knowledge based on the
      application of both traditional and biotechnological tools in order to elucidate
      the mechanisms of resistance to environmental stress which can be extrapolated to
      other useful organisms to man.

PMID- 28341025
TI  - Standardizing Care and Parental Training to Improve Training Duration, Referral
      Frequency, and Length of Stay: Our Quality Improvement Project Experience.
AB  - OBJECTIVES: At our institution, there is a six bed Pediatric Respiratory Care
      Unit for technology dependent infants and children with a tracheostomy tube. A
      lack of consistency in patient care and parent/guardian education prompted our
      group to critically evaluate the services we provided by revisiting our teaching
      protocol and instituting a new model of care in the Unit. The aims of this
      quality improvement (QI) project were to standardize care and skills proficiency
      training to parents of infants with a tracheostomy tube in preparation for
      discharge to home. METHODS: After conducting a current state survey of key unit
      stakeholders, we initiated a multidisciplinary, QI project to answer the
      question: 'could a standardized approach to care and training lead to a decrease
      in parental/guardian training time, a decrease in length of stay, and/or an
      increase in developmental interventions for infants with tracheostomy tubes'? A
      convenience sample of infants with a tracheostomy tube admitted to the Pediatric
      Respiratory Care Unit were included in the study. Descriptive statistics were
      used to analyze the results. RESULTS: Through this QI approach, we were able to
      decrease the time required by parents to achieve proficiency in the care of a
      technology dependent infant, the length of stay for these infants, and increase
      referral of the infants for developmental assessment. CONCLUSIONS: These outcomes
      have implications for how to approach deficiencies in patient care and make
      changes that lead to sustained improvements.

PMID- 28341026
TI  - Dimethyl sulfoxide but not indomethacin is efficient for healing in hydrofluoric
      acid eye burns.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: In this study, we aimed to investigate the effect of indomethacin
      and dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO), well-known antioxidant and anti-inflammatory
      agents, to heal eye burns induced with hydrofluoric acid in rabbits. METHODS:
      After general anesthesia, the right eye of 72 male New Zealand rabbits were
      burned by instillation of 2% hydrofluoric acid for 60s. Following this, the eyes
      were irrigated with 500 cc normal saline. The rabbits were then divided into four
      groups of 18 rabbits each. Group D was instilled dimethyl sulfoxide 40%, Group I
      indomethacin 0.1%, and Group DI dimethyl sulfoxide together with indomethacin for
      2, 7, and 14 treatment days, respectively. Group C received no instilled drug as
      control. Treatment efficacies were evaluated as clinical (corneal haziness,
      conjunctival status, conjunctivitis, corneal erosion area, and intraocular
      pressure) and histopathological (inflammatory cell infiltration, vascularization,
      stromal thickness, reepithelization, proliferating cell nuclear antigen [PCNA],
      apoptosis, and inducible nitric oxide synthases [iNOS]). RESULTS: In terms of
      corneal haziness and erosion area at days 7 and 14, group D showed the best
      result statistically as compared to the other groups. This group also showed the
      best result statistically for reepithelization rate, stromal thickness, and
      inflammatory cell end at day 14 as compared to the other groups. CONCLUSIONS:
      Dimethyl sulfoxide (40%) was efficient to induce reepithelization on mild
      hydrofluoric acid eye burns, whereas 0.1% indomethacin both alone and along with
      DMSO poorly induced reepithelization and exacerbated inflammation. Thus, 40% DMSO
      could be used for the treatment of corneal disorders.

PMID- 28341027
TI  - Thinking under Pressure.

PMID- 28341031
TI  - Surveillance of women with a personal history of breast cancer by tumour subtype.
AB  - AIM: To determine if the rate and timing of a second breast cancer event (SBCE)
      in women with a personal history of breast cancer varies by disease subtype or
      breast imaging method. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A retrospective review was
      performed of women with a SBCE from January 2006 to December 2010 at a single
      institution. Data analysed included oestrogen receptor (ER), progesterone
      receptor (PR), human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2) status of the
      primary and second breast cancers; mammographic and ultrasound (US) features from
      SBCE; and the time interval between both events. RESULTS: Of 207 patients
      diagnosed with a SBCE, the median age at first diagnosis was 50.6 years, range
      24.8 to 80.2; at second diagnosis was 56.2 years, range 25.8 to 87.9. Eleven
      percent of SBCE were diagnosed >10 years after the primary cancer diagnosis. The
      median time between the first and second diagnosis for ER-positive patients was
      2.7 years (range 0.7-17.4 years); and 1.9 years for ER-negative patients, (range
      0.4-23.4 years; p<0.002). Patients with triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) had
      a shorter time between diagnoses than others (p=0.0003). At 3, 5, and 10 years,
      85%, 92%, and 97% of ER-negative and 54%, 81%, and 95% of ER-positive tumours,
      respectively, had recurred. ER-negative tumours and TNBC were more likely to be
      visible at US. CONCLUSION: There may be a role for customised imaging
      surveillance of women with a personal history of breast cancer (PHBC) after 10
      years. Further studies are necessary to determine if US may be valuable in the
      surveillance of patients with ER-negative and TNBC tumours.

PMID- 28341030
TI  - The clinical value of hepatic extracellular volume fraction using routine
      multiphasic contrast-enhanced liver CT for staging liver fibrosis.
AB  - AIM: To investigate the value of hepatic extracellular volume fractions (fECVs)
      measured using routine liver computed tomography (CT) evaluating liver fibrosis
      (LF). MATERIALS AND METHODS: A total of 60 patients (male:female ratio, 39:21;
      mean age, 42.4 years) histologically diagnosed with LF underwent routine liver
      CT. Absolute enhancement (in Hounsfield units) of the liver parenchyma (Eliver)
      and aorta (Eaorta) 3 minutes after contrast medium administration was calculated
      using precontrast and equilibrium phase scans. The fECV was calculated using the
      following equation: fECV (%)=Eliver* (100 - haematocrit [%])/Eaorta. Correlation
      between fECV and LF stage was evaluated using the Spearman correlation
      coefficient. The fECVs were compared between each stage of LF. The diagnostic
      performance of fECV was assessed using receiver operating characteristic (ROC)
      curve analysis. RESULTS: The difference among the groups was statistically
      significant (p<0.05). The fECVs were significantly different (p<0.05) between F0
      versus F4, F1 versus F4, and F2 versus F4. The fECVs showed a significant
      correlation with pathological LF staging (r=0.468, p=0.001). The sensitivity and
      specificity were 0.76 and 0.68 for severe LF (F>=3); and 0.89 and 0.63 for
      cirrhosis (F=4). The areas under the ROC curve (AUCs) for F>=3 and F=4 were 0.757
      and 0.775, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: Calculation of fECV during routine contrast
      enhanced liver CT may provide a non-invasive means of assessing LF.

PMID- 28341032
TI  - Normal Ranges of Left Atrial Strain by Speckle-Tracking Echocardiography: A
      Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Recent advances in the assessment of myocardial function have
      facilitated the direct measurement of atrial function using speckle-tracking
      echocardiography. Currently, normal reference ranges for atrial function using
      speckle-tracking echocardiography are based on a few initial studies, with
      variations among modestly sized (n = 100-350) studies. METHODS: The authors
      searched the PubMed, Embase, and Scopus databases for the key terms "left
      atrial/atrial/atrium" and "strain/function/deformation/stiffness" and "speckle
      tracking/Velocity Vector Imaging/edge tracking." Studies of global left atrial
      function using speckle-tracking were selected if they involved >30 normal or
      healthy participants without any cardiac risk factors. Normal ranges for
      reservoir strain, conduit strain, and contractile strain were computed using a
      random-effects model. Meta-regression and subgroup analysis was performed to
      explore between-study heterogeneity. RESULTS: Forty studies (2,542 healthy
      subjects) satisfied the inclusion criteria. Meta-analysis revealed a normal
      reference range for reservoir strain of 39% (95% CI, 38%-41%, from 40 articles),
      for conduit strain of 23% (95% CI, 21%-25%, from 14 articles), and for
      contractile strain of 17% (95% CI, 16%-19%, from 18 articles). Meta-regression
      identified heart rate (P = .02) and body surface area (P = .003) as contributors
      to this heterogeneity. Subgroup analyses revealed heterogeneity due to sample
      size (n > 100 vs N < 100, P = .02). CONCLUSIONS: The normal reference ranges for
      the three components of left atrial function are demonstrated. The between-study
      heterogeneity is explained partly by heart rate, body surface area, and sample
      size.

PMID- 28341033
TI  - Stress Echocardiographic Evaluation for D-Transposition of the Great Arteries
      after Atrial Redirection: Unmasking Early Signs of Myocardial Dysfunction and
      Baffle Stenosis.
AB  - BACKGROUND: The authors used semisupine cycle ergometry stress echocardiography
      to assess cardiac function and unmask baffle stenosis in patients with d
      transposition of the great arteries after atrial redirection surgery. METHODS:
      This was a retrospective review of semisupine cycle ergometry stress
      echocardiography performed in 53 patients (64% male; mean age, 24.0 years; 90%
      Mustard procedure) and 56 healthy control subjects. Incremental exercise to
      volitional fatigue was performed. Hemodynamic data, echocardiographic cardiac
      dimensions, area change, tissue Doppler velocities, strain, ventricular
      synchronization, and superior vena cava flow velocities before and immediately
      after exercise are reported. RESULTS: Patients had lower exercise capacity (870
      vs 1,854 J/kg, P < .001) and peak heart rates (132 vs 167 beats/min, P < .001).
      Stroke volume index did not increase with exercise (45 vs 47 mL/m2, P = .400).
      Cardiac index increased in both groups with exercise (3.0 vs 6.1 and 2.9 vs 7.0
      L/min/m2, P < .001) and was higher in control subjects (P = .006). Right
      ventricular diastolic and systolic areas decreased significantly with exercise in
      both the short-axis and four-chamber views. Right and left ventricular
      contraction time shortened with exercise (405 vs 247 and 338 vs 217 msec, P <
      .001) and remained synchronous (ratio of right ventricular to left ventricular
      contraction time = 0.080). Doppler velocities in patients with baffle obstruction
      were higher in the lower superior vena cava with exercise compared with
      nonobstructed patients (1.87 vs 1.46 m/sec, P = .020) and normalized after
      catheter intervention (1.49 vs 1.46 m/sec, P = .800). CONCLUSIONS: Patients with
      d-transposition of the great arteries have lower exercise capacity and peak heart
      rates. The systemic right ventricle presents a lesser but qualitatively normal
      systolic response and decreased diastolic filling. Semisupine cycle ergometry
      stress echocardiography unmasked SVC obstruction.

PMID- 28341034
TI  - Outcome Assessment in Total Knee Arthroplasty: A Systematic Review and Critical
      Appraisal.
AB  - BACKGROUND: The Outcome Measures in Rheumatology (OMERACT) initiative developed a
      core outcome set (COS) of domains to assess effectiveness of interventions for
      knee osteoarthritis. These domains (pain, physical function, patient global
      assessment, imaging at 1 year) should be assessed in every trial to make research
      evidence meaningful and comparable. We systematically evaluated and critically
      appraised the use of measurement instruments and outcome domains in prospective
      studies evaluating patients with knee osteoarthritis undergoing total knee
      arthroplasty (TKA) and assessed their accordance with the OMERACT COS. METHODS:
      Literature search was performed until August 26, 2014, in Medline and Embase.
      Clinical trials and prospective observational studies with >=50 participants and
      a follow-up of >=1 year were included. We collected general study
      characteristics, comprehensive information on measurement instruments, and
      corresponding domains used. RESULTS: This systematic review identified low
      accordance of used outcome domains with the OMERACT COS of domains published in
      1997. Only 4 of 100 included studies included all recommended core domains. Pain
      (85% of studies) and physical function (86%) were assessed frequently, whereas
      patient global assessment (21%) and joint imaging (>=1 year; 27%) were rarely
      assessed. There was substantial heterogeneity in the use of measurement
      instruments (n = 111) investigating TKA. CONCLUSION: More efforts are required to
      implement the existing COS. In addition, a more consistent use of adequate
      measurement instruments is important to make research evidence on TKA more
      relevant, better comparable, and thus more useful for guideline developers and
      clinical decision makers.

PMID- 28341036
TI  - Advanced Methodologies in High-Throughput Sequencing of Immune Repertoires.
AB  - In recent years, major efforts have been made to develop sophisticated
      experimental and bioinformatic workflows for sequencing adaptive immune
      repertoires. The immunological insight gained has been applied to fields as
      varied as lymphocyte biology, immunodiagnostics, vaccines, cancer immunotherapy,
      and antibody engineering. In this review, we provide a detailed overview of these
      advanced methodologies, focusing specifically on strategies to reduce sequencing
      errors and bias and to achieve high-throughput pairing of variable regions (e.g.,
      heavy-light or alpha-beta chains). In addition, we highlight recent technologies
      for single-cell transcriptome sequencing that can be integrated with immune
      repertoires. Finally, we provide a perspective on advanced immune repertoire
      sequencing and its ability to impact basic immunology, biopharmaceutical drug
      discovery and development, and cancer immunotherapy.

PMID- 28341037
TI  - Influenza virus infection exacerbates experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis
      disease by promoting type I T cells infiltration into central nervous system.
AB  - Multiple sclerosis starts with increased migration of auto-reactive lymphocytes
      across the blood-brain barrier, resulting in persistent neurodegeneration.
      Clinical and epidemiological studies indicated upper respiratory viral infections
      are associated with clinical exacerbation of multiple sclerosis. However, so far
      there is no any direct evidence to support it. Using the experimental autoimmune
      encephalomyelitis mice as the model for multiple sclerosis, we demonstrated that
      mice experienced with influenza virus infection were unable to recover from
      experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis with a long-term exacerbation. The
      exacerbated disease was due to more type I T cells, such as CD45highCD4+CD44high,
      CD45highCD4+CCR5+, CD45high IFNgamma+CD4+, MOG35-55-specific IFNgamma+CD4+ and
      influenza virus-specific IFNgamma+CD4+ T cells, infiltrating central nervous
      system in mice with prior influenza virus infection. Influenza virus infection
      created a notable inflammatory environment in lung and mediastinal lymph node
      after influenza virus inoculation, suggesting the lung may constitute an
      inflammatory niche in which auto-aggressive T cells gain the capacity to enter
      CNS. Indeed, the early stage of EAE disease was accompanied by increased
      CCR5+CD4+, CXCR3+CD4+ T cell and MOG35-55 specific CD4+ T cells localized in the
      lung in influenza virus-infected mice. CCL5/CCR5 might mediate the infiltration
      of type I T cells into CNS during the disease development after influenza
      infection. Administration of CCR5 antagonist could significantly attenuate the
      exacerbated disease. Our study provided the evidence that the prior influenza
      virus infection may promote the type I T cells infiltration into the CNS, and
      subsequently cause a long-term exacerbation of experimental autoimmune
      encephalomyelitis.

PMID- 28341038
TI  - Acute Gout Following Dermofasciectomy in a Patient With Dupuytren Disease.
AB  - A 62-year-old man underwent uncomplicated dermofasciectomy of the right little
      finger. In the week after surgery, he presented with erythema, tenderness,
      reduced range of movement, and a chalklike discharge from the suture line.
      Investigations revealed a raised serum urate level accompanied with a borderline
      rise in inflammatory markers. A diagnosis of acute gout was made. The patient was
      managed with nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs. Clinicians should consider the
      diagnosis of gout when patients present after surgery with redness, pain, and
      swelling and also consider measuring urate levels before surgery and initiating
      colchicine prophylaxis when there is a known diagnosis of gout before surgery.
      Accurate diagnosis may prevent unnecessary antibiotic use.

PMID- 28341039
TI  - Cognitive impairment and BDNF serum levels.
AB  - BACKGROUND/AIMS: To investigate the alterations of brain-derived neurotrophic
      factor (BNDF) serum levels in subjects with different intensity of cognitive
      impairment and different neurodegenerative processes. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Serum
      BDNF levels were analyzed by ELISA kit in 378 subjects: 134 Alzheimer's disease
      (AD) patients, 115 amnestic mild cognitive impairment (MCI) patients, and 129
      controls divided into two groups: neurodegenerative control group (ND),
      consisting of 49 Parkinson's disease patients without any cognitive complaints,
      and cognitively normal control group (CN), consisting of 80 subjects without any
      neurological disorders. RESULTS: AD patients had significantly lower (p<0.001)
      BDNF serum levels compared to MCI, CN and ND controls. Age and education had
      significant influence on BDNF serum levels regardless the diagnosis or group
      assignment. We have found no influence of depression on BDNF serum levels either
      in our group as a whole, or in each group assessed separately. We found
      significant correlation between BDNF serum levels and cognitive impairments.
      After multiple comparisons between the groups, we found that, after adjustment
      for confounding factors (age, gender, education, depression, cognitive
      impairment), BDNF serum levels were the lowest in AD group (p=0.05). CONCLUSIONS:
      Advanced age and low educational level are associated with decreased BDNF serum
      levels. Decreased BDNF serum levels correspond to the severity of cognitive
      impairment. There is no correlation between BDNF serum levels and depressive
      symptoms.

PMID- 28341040
TI  - Hyperdense middle cerebral artery sign as the only radiological manifestation of
      hyperacute ischemic stroke in computed tomography.
AB  - OBJECTIVES: The main aim of the study was to find the effect of hyperdense middle
      cerebral artery sign (HMCAS), as the only admission computed tomography (CT)
      manifestation of ischemic stroke involving middle cerebral artery (MCA) region,
      on the extent of stroke measured by Alberta Stroke Program Early CT score
      (ASPECTS) in the follow-up CT. The secondary aim was to determine the correlation
      between length of hyperdense MCA segment on admission CT and ASPECTS in follow-up
      CT. METHODS: The group analyzed consisted of 118 patients with ischemic MCA
      region stroke, with no early signs of brain tissue ischemia on admission CT, but
      infarcts confirmed in follow-up CT, with extent evaluated using ASPECTS. For the
      subgroups: 66 patients with HMCAS present and 52 with HMCAS absent, median
      ASPECTS values were compared. In the subgroup with HMCAS present, length of
      hyperdense segment was measured and correlation with ASPECTS was determined.
      RESULTS: The median ASPECTS 6 (min. 0, max. 9) in the subgroup with HMCAS present
      was significantly lower, compared to the score 8.5 (min. 0, max. 9) in the
      subgroup with HMCAS absent. Moderate correlation between the length of hyperdense
      segment and ASPECTS was found (R=-0.45). CONCLUSION: In patients with ischemic
      stroke involving MCA region and no early signs of brain tissue ischemia on the
      admission CT, HMCAS is associated with significantly lower ASPECTS in the follow
      up CT. There is moderate correlation between the length of hyperdense MCA segment
      and ASPECTS.

PMID- 28341041
TI  - Invited review: A systematic literature review and meta-analysis of mortality and
      culling in dairy cattle.
AB  - Dairy industries and individual farmers are concerned about mortality and culling
      of dairy animals. This is because the timing and fates of animals that exit dairy
      farms have important animal welfare and economic consequences that reflect the
      conditions under which they are farmed and the efficiency of their production
      systems. Reports from a few countries have indicated increased incidence of
      mortality, and occasionally culling, of dairy animals in recent decades, and
      these changes have been associated with intensification of production systems.
      Dairy industries and farmers need benchmarks for culling and mortality against
      which they can compare themselves, as well as improved understanding of the
      extent of any change and of any associated factors. We reasoned that a systematic
      literature review and meta-analysis of scientific articles published between 1989
      and 2014 would allow us to determine whether these reports were universal, to
      quantify any change over time, and to investigate whether production systems or
      study factors were associated with culling and mortality. From 3,275 articles
      retrieved from databases and manual searching of cited articles, 118 articles
      were appraised independently by 2 assessors, and 51 articles representing 54
      studies were determined to be eligible for review and meta-analysis. We estimated
      that both the annual incidence risk (IR) and incidence density of mortality of
      cows had increased significantly from 0.02 per cow and 2.32 per 100 cow-years, to
      0.04 per cow and 3.75 per 100 cow-years, an increase per decade of 0.02 per cow
      and 1.42 per 100 cow-years, respectively. We also estimated that the annual IR of
      culling attributed to low production had declined significantly from 0.07 to 0.05
      and that the IR of perinatal, but not neonatal, mortality had increased
      significantly from 0.04 to 0.06 per decade. We found no evidence of change in
      overall annual IR of culling of cows over time or any association between study
      design factors and the IR or incidence density of culling or mortality. These
      findings provide benchmarks for describing culling and mortality, and should
      encourage farmers and researchers in countries with modern dairy industries to
      discover and implement management strategies to reduce the animal welfare and
      economic costs associated with these changes.

PMID- 28341042
TI  - Effect of forage to concentrate ratio with sorghum silage as a source of forage
      on rumen fermentation, N balance, and purine derivative excretion in limit-fed
      dairy heifers.
AB  - Sorghum silage has been shown to be a good alternative to corn silage for dairy
      cows; however, studies regarding heifers are insufficiently explored. Therefore,
      the objective of this study was to evaluate effects of changing forage to
      concentrate ratio (FOR:CON) in diets based on sorghum silage on N digestibility,
      rumen fermentation, N balance, C excretion, and microbial N yield in limit-fed
      dairy heifers. A split-plot 4*4 Latin square design with 19-d periods (15 d of
      adaptation and 4 d of sampling) was conducted with 8 rumen cannulated dairy
      heifers (age 13.7+/-0.6mo and weight 364.8+/-17.6kg). Heifers were fed sorghum
      silage-based diets with 4 FOR:CON (85:15, 75:25, 65:35, and 55:45) balanced for
      similar metabolizable energy intake per unit of body weight and crude protein
      concentration. Diets were fed to allow 900 to 1,000g/d body weight gain and were
      fed once daily. Total collection of feces and urine was completed on d 15 to 19
      to determine N, C, urea N, allantoin, uric acid, and creatinine excretion. Rumen
      contents were sampled on d 19 at 0, 1.5, 3, 4.5, 6, 9, 13, 17, 21, and 23h after
      feeding to measure pH, volatile fatty acid (VFA), ammonia-N, and free AA
      concentrations. The pH decreased linearly while ammonia-N and free AA levels
      increased linearly with decreasing FOR:CON of diets. Although mean total VFA did
      not differ among treatment diets, molar proportions of VFA did. Acetate
      proportion decreased while propionate and butyrate increased with decreasing
      FOR:CON. Intake of N and urea N excretion decreased with decreasing forage
      proportion in diets while total N excretion, apparent N digestibility, and N
      retention were not different. Intake of C and excretion in feces (g/d) decreased
      linearly with decreasing FOR:CON in diets. Creatinine, allantoin, and uric acid
      excretion were not affected by FOR:CON; however, microbial N yield tended to
      increase linearly with greater concentrate in diets. Heifers limit fed diets
      based on sorghum silage demonstrated the effect of available ammonia-N and
      readily fermentable carbohydrates with subsequent effects on nutrient utilization
      when different FOR:CON were applied. Based on the presented results, FOR:CON
      65:35 had the most suitable balance of available ammonia-N and readily
      fermentable carbohydrates for the most optimal results.

PMID- 28341043
TI  - Sorghum forage in precision-fed dairy heifer diets.
AB  - Sorghum forage is an alternative crop that is more adapted to drier conditions
      and more resistant than corn to drought conditions. Thus, sorghum forage
      maximizes water utilization. The objective of this study was to evaluate sorghum
      silage (SS), including digestibility and fermentation parameters, in precision
      fed dairy heifers. Eight Holstein heifers (13.7+/-0.6mo of age and 364.8+/
      17.64kg of body weight) fitted with rumen cannulas were used in a replicated 4*4
      Latin Square design; treatments were 4 levels of forage to concentrate ratios
      (85:15, 75:25, 65:35, and 55:45). Rumen contents were sampled at various times to
      determine pH and volatile fatty acid concentrations. Dry matter (DM) and neutral
      detergent fiber (NDF) in situ degradation kinetics were compared between SS and
      corn silage (CS) diets. Fecal total collection was used to estimate apparent
      total-tract digestibility. Fecal grab samples at 0, 6, 12, and 18h after feeding
      were used to estimate total-tract starch digestibility. Amount of concentrate in
      the diet affected the time that heifers spent eating as well as rumen pH. When
      the concentrate proportion of the diet increased, eating time and rumen pH
      decreased linearly. Total volatile fatty acid concentrations were not affected by
      treatment, but butyrate increased as the proportion of concentrate increased in
      the diet. Digestibility of DM and starch were higher in diets with lower forage
      to concentrate ratio, but NDF, acid detergent fiber, and hemicellulose
      digestibility were not affected. Corn silage had greater DM and NDF digestibility
      than SS. Also, fractional rate of digestion was faster for CS than SS (2.78 vs.
      2.42% per hour, respectively). We conclude that fecal grab samples are suitable
      for predicting starch digestibility in heifers given the starch levels studied.
      In addition, SS was an adequate alternative forage in precision-fed dairy heifers
      with outcomes very similar to CS-based rations.

PMID- 28341044
TI  - Decreasing the pH of milk replacer containing soy flour affects nutrient
      digestibility, digesta pH, and gastrointestinal development of preweaned calves.
AB  - We evaluated the effect of feeding soy flour-containing milk replacer (MR) with a
      lower than normal pH on growth, nutrient digestibility, digesta pH, and
      gastrointestinal development of preweaned calves. The study consisted of 48
      neonatal calves, allocated to 8 treatments in a 2-factor 4*2 randomized design.
      The calves received 2 types of MR containing soy flour. The proportion of soy
      crude protein (CP) to total CP (SP/CP) in MR was 50% (MR50 treatment) or 80%
      (MR80 treatment), respectively. The pH of the reconstituted MR was decreased by 1
      N HCl from to 6.2 to 5.5, 5.0, or 4.5. We measured body weight and dry matter
      intake and calculated feed conversion rate in the MR50 treatment. We monitored
      urinary and fecal pH consecutively for 5h when calves were 25d old. We also
      conducted a digestion trial to determine nutrient digestibility from 49 to 55d of
      age. At 63d old, calves were slaughtered, and gastrointestinal pH, mass index,
      and morphology were evaluated. Reducing the pH of MR containing soy flour
      improved average daily gain and feed conversion rate, increased Ca digestibility,
      and reduced urinary, fecal, and digesta pH in the rumen, reticulum, and omasum.
      Although treatments had no effect on gastrointestinal mass index, the pH 5.0
      treatment led to favorable ruminal epithelium growth, and the pH 5.5 treatment
      led to better intestinal epithelium growth. Increasing SP/CP from 50 to 80%
      decreased P digestibility and fecal and digesta pH in rumen, reticulum, and
      omasum. Moreover, the MR80 treatment reduced the mass index of the abomasums and
      jejunum. In conclusion, decreasing the pH of MR containing soy flour to a pH of
      5.0 to 5.5 improved the digestive tract of preweaned calves. A pH reduction to
      4.5 had adverse effects on intestinal epithelium growth.

PMID- 28341045
TI  - Exogenous beta-mannanase improves feed conversion efficiency and reduces somatic
      cell count in dairy cattle.
AB  - Exogenous fibrolytic enzymes have been shown to be a promising way to improve
      feed conversion efficiency (FCE). beta-Mannanase is an important enzyme digesting
      the polysaccharide beta-mannan in hemicellulose. Supplementation of diets with
      beta-mannanase to improve FCE has been more extensively studied in nonruminants
      than in ruminants. The objective of this study was to investigate the effects of
      beta-mannanase supplementation on nutrient digestibility, FCE, and nitrogen
      utilization in lactating Holstein dairy cows. Twelve post-peak-lactation
      multiparous Holstein cows producing 45.5+/-6.6kg/d of milk at 116+/-19.0d in milk
      were randomly allotted to 1 of 3 treatments in a 3*3 Latin square design with 3
      periods of 18d (15d for adaptation plus 3d for sample collection). All cows were
      fed the same basal diet and the 3 treatments differed only by the beta-mannanase
      dose: 0% dry matter (DM; control), 0.1% of DM (low supplement, LS), and 0.2% of
      DM (high supplement, HS) supplemented to the basal diet. Supplementation of beta
      mannanase enzyme at the LS dose reduced dry matter intake (DMI) but did not
      affect milk yield or milk composition. Cows receiving LS produced 90g more milk
      per kg of DMI compared with control cows. Somatic cell count (SCC) in milk was
      lower for cows fed the LS diet compared with cows fed control diets. Cows fed LS
      diet had lower DM, organic matter and crude protein digestibility compared with
      cows fed control diets. Starch, neutral detergent fiber, and acid detergent fiber
      digestibility were not affected by LS. Milk yield, DMI, SCC, and nutrient
      digestibility did not change for HS. Despite the reduced crude protein
      digestibility, reduced N intake led to similar fecal N excretions in LS cows and
      control cows (234 vs. 235g/cow per day). Urinary N excretions remained similar
      between enzyme-fed and control cows (~190g/cow per day), although the percentage
      of N intake partitioned to urinary N tended to be greater in LS than in control
      cows (31 vs. 27%). Cows fed LS significantly improved the percentage of
      apparently absorbed N partitioned to milk protein N (42 vs. 38%). When
      supplemented at 0.1% of dietary DM, beta-mannanase can improve FCE and lower the
      SCC of dairy cows without affecting milk yield, milk composition, or total manure
      N excretions of dairy cows.

PMID- 28341046
TI  - Relationship between residual feed intake and digestibility for lactating
      Holstein cows fed high and low starch diets.
AB  - We determined if differences in digestibility among cows explained variation in
      residual feed intake (RFI) in 4 crossover design experiments. Lactating Holstein
      cows (n=109; 120+/-30d in milk; mean +/- SD) were fed diets high (HS) or low (LS)
      in starch. The HS diets were 30% (+/-1.8%) starch and 27% (+/-1.2%) neutral
      detergent fiber (NDF); LS diets were 14% (+/-2.2%) starch and 40% (+/-5.3%) NDF.
      Each experiment consisted of two 28-d treatment periods, with apparent total
      tract digestibility measured using indigestible NDF as an internal marker during
      the last 5d of each period. Individual cow dry matter (DM) intake and milk yield
      were recorded daily, body weight was measured 3 to 5 times per week, and milk
      components were analyzed 2 d/wk. Individual DM intake was regressed on milk
      energy output, metabolic body weight, body energy gain, and fixed effects of
      parity, experiment, cohort (a group of cows that received treatments in the same
      sequence) nested within experiment, and diet nested within cohort and experiment,
      with the residual being RFI. High RFI cows ate more than expected and were deemed
      less efficient. Residual feed intake correlated negatively with digestibility of
      starch for both HS (r=-0.31) and LS (r=-0.23) diets, and with digestibilities of
      DM (r=-0.30) and NDF (r=-0.23) for LS diets but was not correlated with DM or NDF
      digestibility for HS diets. For each cohort within an experiment, cows were
      classified as high RFI (HRFI; >0.5 SD), medium RFI (MRFI; +/-0.5 SD), and low RFI
      (LRFI; <-0.5 SD). Digestibility of DM was similar (~66%) among HRFI and LRFI for
      HS diets but greater for LRFI when fed LS diets (64 vs. 62%). For LS diets,
      digestibility of DM could account for up to 31% of the differences among HRFI and
      LRFI for apparent diet energy density, as determined from individual cow
      performance, indicating that digestibility explains some of the between-animal
      differences for the ability to convert gross energy into net energy. Some of the
      differences in digestibility between HRFI and LRFI were expected because cows
      with high RFI eat at a greater multiple of maintenance, and greater intake is
      associated with increased passage rate and digestibility depression. Based on
      these data, we conclude that a cow's digestive ability explains none of the
      variation in RFI for cows eating high starch diets but 9 to 31% of the variation
      in RFI when cows are fed low starch diets. Perhaps differences in other metabolic
      processes, such as tissue turnover, heat production, or others related to
      maintenance, can account for more variation in RFI than digestibility.

PMID- 28341047
TI  - Short communication: Effects of prill size of a palmitic acid-enriched fat
      supplement on the yield of milk and milk components, and nutrient digestibility
      of dairy cows.
AB  - The objective of our experiment was to evaluate the effects of prill size of a
      palmitic acid-enriched fatty acid supplement (PA; 85% C16:0) on feed intake,
      nutrient digestibility, and production responses of dairy cows. Twenty-four
      primiparous and multiparous Holstein cows were assigned based on parity and
      production level to replicated 4*4 Latin squares balanced for carryover effects
      with 21-d periods. Treatments were a control diet (no added PA), or 2.0% PA added
      as a small prill size (PA-SM; 284+/-12.4um), a medium prill size (PA-MD; 325+/
      14.7um), or a large prill size (PA-LG; 600+/-17.4um) supplement. Overall, PA
      treatments increased milk fat content (4.25 vs. 3.99%), milk fat yield (1.48 vs.
      1.39kg/d), 3.5% fat-corrected milk (39.2 vs. 37.7kg/d), and improved feed
      efficiency (fat-corrected milk:dry matter intake; 1.51 vs. 1.42) compared with
      control. Compared with control, PA treatments did not affect dry matter intake,
      body weight, body condition score, or yields of milk, protein, and lactose. The
      PA treatments increased neutral detergent fiber digestibility (44.8 vs. 42.4%)
      and reduced the digestibility of 16-carbon fatty acids (72.3 vs. 79.1%) and total
      fatty acids (76.6 vs. 80.3%). Compared with control, PA treatments reduced the
      contents of de novo synthesized milk fatty acids (23.0 vs. 25.8g/100g of fatty
      acids) and preformed milk fatty acids (36.3 vs. 39.1g/100g of fatty acids), but
      did not affect their yields. In contrast, PA treatments increased the content
      (40.8 vs. 35.1g/100g of fatty acids) and yield (570 vs. 436g/d) of 16-carbon milk
      fatty acids compared with control. The PA prill size had no effect on dry matter
      intake, yield of milk and milk components, or feed efficiency. However, PA-LG
      tended to increase milk fat content compared with PA-SM (4.28 vs. 4.22%), and it
      increased 16-carbon fatty acid digestibility compared with PA-MD (74.2 vs. 71.0%)
      and PA-SM (74.2 vs. 71.7%). Additionally, PA-LG increased total fatty acid
      digestibility compared with PA-MD (78.1 vs. 75.6%) and PA-SM (78.1 vs. 76.0%).
      Results demonstrate that PA increased milk fat content and yield, and feed
      efficiency. Reducing prill size decreased fatty acid digestibility, but it had no
      effect on animal performance under the dietary conditions and prill sizes
      evaluated.

PMID- 28341048
TI  - Genetic analysis of coagulation properties, curd firming modeling, milk yield,
      composition, and acidity in Sarda dairy sheep.
AB  - Sheep milk is an important source of food, especially in Mediterranean countries,
      and is used in large part for cheese production. Milk technological traits are
      important for the sheep dairy industry, but research is lacking into the genetic
      variation of such traits. Therefore the aim of this study was to estimate the
      heritability of traditional milk coagulation properties and curd firmness modeled
      on time t (CFt) parameters, and their genetic relationships with test-day milk
      yield, composition (fat, protein, and casein content), and acidity in Sarda dairy
      sheep. Milk samples from 1,121 Sarda ewes from 23 flocks were analyzed for 5
      traditional coagulation properties by lactodynamographic tests conducted for up
      to 60min: rennet coagulation time (min), curd-firming time (k20, min), and
      3measures of curd firmness (a30, a45, and a60, mm). The 240 curd firmness
      observations (1 every 15 s) from each milk sample were recorded, and 4 parameters
      for each individual sample equation were estimated: rennet coagulation time
      estimated from the equation (RCTeq), the asymptotic potential curd firmness
      (CFP), the curd firming instant rate constant (kCF), and the syneresis instant
      rate constant (kSR). Two other derived traits were also calculated (CFmax, the
      maximum curd firmness value; and tmax, the attainment time). Multivariate
      analyses using Bayesian methodology were performed to estimate the genetic
      relationships of milk coagulation properties and CFt with the other traits;
      statistical inference was based on the marginal posterior distributions of the
      parameters of concern. The marginal posterior distribution of heritability
      estimates of milk yield (0.16+/-0.07) and composition (0.21+/-0.11 to 0.28+/
      0.10) of Sarda ewes was similar to those often obtained for bovine species. The
      heritability of rennet coagulation time as a single point trait was also similar
      to that frequently obtained for cow milk (0.19+/-0.09), whereas the same trait
      calculated as an individual equation parameter exhibited larger genetic variation
      and a higher heritability estimate (0.32+/-0.11). The other curd firming and
      syneresis traits, whether as traditional single point observations or as
      individual equation parameters and derived traits, were characterized by
      heritability estimates lower than for coagulation time and for the corresponding
      bovine milk traits (0.06 to 0.14). Phenotypic and additive genetic correlations
      among the 11 technological traits contribute to describing the interdependencies
      and meanings of different traits. The additive genetic relationships of these
      technological traits with the single test-day milk yield and composition were
      variable and showed milk yield to have unfavorable effects on all measures of
      curd firmness (a30, a45, a60, CFP, and CFmax) and tmax, but favorable effects on
      both instant rate constants (kCF and kSR). Milk fat content had a positive effect
      on curd firmness traits, especially on those obtained from CFt equations, whereas
      the negative effects on both coagulation time traits were attributed to the milk
      protein and casein contents. Finally, in view of the estimated heritabilities and
      additive genetic correlations, enhancement of technological traits of sheep milk
      through selective breeding could be feasible in this population.

PMID- 28341049
TI  - Accuracy of breeding values in small genotyped populations using different
      sources of external information-A simulation study.
AB  - Genetically linked small and large dairy cattle populations were simulated to
      test the effect of different sources of information from foreign populations on
      the accuracy of predicting breeding values for young animals in a small
      population. A large dairy cattle population (PL) with >20 generations was
      simulated, and a small subpopulation (PS) with 3 generations was formed as a
      related population, including phenotypes and genomic information. Predicted
      breeding values for young animals in the small population were calculated using
      BLUP and single-step genomic BLUP (ssGBLUP) in 4 different scenarios: (S1) 3,166
      phenotypes, 22,855 pedigree animals, and 1,000 to 6,000 genotypes for PS; (S2) S1
      plus genomic estimated breeding value (GEBV) for 4,475 sires from PL as external
      information; (S3) S1 plus 221,580 phenotypes, 402,829 pedigree animals, and
      53,558 genotypes for PL; and (S4) single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) effects
      calculated based on PL data. The ability to predict true breeding value was
      assessed in the youngest third of the genotyped animals in the small population.
      When data only from the small population were used and 1,000 animals were
      genotyped, the accuracy of GEBV was only 1 point greater than the estimated
      breeding value accuracy (0.32 vs. 0.31). Adding external GEBV for sires from PL
      did not considerably increase accuracy (0.33 vs. 0.32 in S1). Combining
      phenotypes, pedigree, and genotypes for PS and PL was beneficial for predicting
      accuracy of GEBV in the small population, and the prediction accuracy of GEBV in
      this scenario was 0.38 compared with 0.31 from estimated breeding values. When
      SNP effects from PL were used to predict GEBV for young genotyped animals from
      PS, accuracy was greatest (0.56). With 6,000 genotyped animal in PS, accuracy was
      greatest (0.61) with the combined populations. In a small population with few
      genotypes, the highest accuracy of evaluation may be obtained by using SNP
      effects derived from a related large population.

PMID- 28341050
TI  - Development of genetic and genomic evaluation for wellness traits in US Holstein
      cows.
AB  - In March 2016, Zoetis Genetics offered the first commercially available
      evaluation for wellness traits of Holstein dairy cattle. Phenotypic data on
      health events, pedigree, and genotypes were collected directly from producers
      upon obtaining their permission. Among all recorded health events, 6 traits were
      chosen to be included in the evaluation: mastitis, metritis, retained placenta,
      displaced abomasum, ketosis, and lameness. Each trait was defined as a binary
      event, having a value of 1 if a cow has been recorded with a disorder at any
      point during the lactation and zero otherwise. The number of phenotypic records
      ranged from 1.8 million for ketosis to 4.1 million for mastitis. Over 14 million
      pedigree records and 114,216 genotypes were included in the evaluation. All
      traits were analyzed using univariate threshold animal model with repeated
      observations, including fixed effect of parity and random effects of herd by year
      by season of calving, animal, and permanent environment. A total of 45,425 single
      nucleotide polymorphisms were used in the genomic analyses. Animals genotyped
      with low-density chips were imputed to the required number of single nucleotide
      polymorphisms. All analyses were based on the single-step genomic BLUP, a method
      that combines phenotype, pedigree, and genotype information. Predicted
      transmitting abilities were expressed in percentage points as a difference from
      the average estimated probability of a disorder in the base population.
      Reliabilities of breeding values were obtained by approximation based on
      partitioning of a function of reliability into contributions from records,
      pedigree, and genotypes. Reliabilities of genomic predicted transmitting
      abilities for young genotyped and pedigreed females without recorded health
      events had average values between 50.2% (displaced abomasum) and 51.9%
      (mastitis). Genomic predictions for wellness traits can provide new information
      about an animal's genetic potential for health and new selection tools for dairy
      wellness improvement.

PMID- 28341051
TI  - Whey protein-derived exosomes increase protein synthesis and hypertrophy in C2
      C12 myotubes.
AB  - We sought to examine potential amino acid independent mechanisms whereby
      hydrolyzed whey protein (WP) affects muscle protein synthesis (MPS) and anabolism
      in vitro. Specifically, we tested (1) whether 3-h and 6-h treatments of WP,
      essential amino acids, or l-leucine (Leu) affected MPS, and whether 6-h
      treatments with low-, medium-, or high doses of WP versus Leu affected MPS; (2)
      whether knockdown of the primary Leu transporter affected WP- and Leu-mediated
      changes in MPS, mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) signaling responses, or
      both, following 6-h treatments; (3) whether exosomes isolated from WP (WP-EXO)
      affected MPS, mTOR signaling responses, or both, compared with untreated
      (control) myotubes, following 6-h, 12-h, and 24-h treatments, and whether they
      affected myotube diameter following 24-h and 48-h treatments. For all treatments,
      7-d post-differentiated C2C12 myotubes were examined. In experiment 1, 6-h WP
      treatments increased MPS compared with control (+46%), Leu (+24%), and essential
      amino acids (+25%). Moreover, the 6-h low-, medium-, and high WP treatments
      increased MPS by approximately 40 to 50% more than corresponding Leu treatments.
      In experiment 2 (LAT short hairpin RNA-transfected myotubes), 6-h WP treatments
      increased MPS compared with control (+18%) and Leu (+19%). In experiment 3, WP
      EXO treatments increased MPS over controls at 12h (+18%) and 24h (+45%), and
      myotube diameters increased with 24-h (+24%) and 48-h (+40%) WP-EXO treatments
      compared with controls. The WP-EXO treatments did not appear to operate through
      mTOR signaling; instead, they increased mRNA and protein levels o eukaryotic
      initiation factor 4A. Bovine-specific microRNA following 24-h WP-EXO treatments
      were enriched in myotubes (chiefly miR-149-3p, miR-2881), but were not related to
      hypertrophic gene targets. To summarize, hydrolyzed WP-EXO increased skeletal MPS
      and anabolism in vitro, and this may be related to an unknown mechanism that
      increases translation initiation factors rather than enhancing mTOR signaling or
      the involvement of bovine-specific microRNA.

PMID- 28341052
TI  - Factors associated with intramammary infection in dairy cows caused by coagulase
      negative staphylococci, Staphylococcus aureus, Streptococcus uberis,
      Streptococcus dysgalactiae, Corynebacterium bovis, or Escherichia coli.
AB  - The aim of this study was to determine risk factors for bovine intramammary
      infection (IMI) associated with the most common bacterial species in Finland.
      Large databases of the Finnish milk-recording system and results of
      microbiological analyses of mastitic milk samples from Valio Ltd. (Helsinki,
      Finland) were analyzed. The study group comprised 29,969 cows with IMI from 4,173
      dairy herds. A cow with a quarter milk sample in which DNA of target species was
      detected in the PathoProof Mastitis PCR Assay (Thermo Fisher Scientific, Waltham,
      MA) was determined to have IMI. Only cows with IMI caused by the 6 most common
      pathogens or groups of pathogens, coagulase-negative staphylococci (CNS),
      Staphylococcus aureus, Streptococcus uberis, Streptococcus dysgalactiae,
      Corynebacterium bovis, and Escherichia coli, were included. The control group
      comprised 160,176 IMI-free cows from the same herds as the study group. A
      multilevel logistic regression model was used to study herd- and cow-specific
      risk factors for incidence of IMI. Pathogen-specific results confirmed those of
      earlier studies, specifically that increasing parity increases prevalence of IMI
      regardless of causative pathogen. Holsteins were more susceptible to IMI than
      Nordic Reds except when the causative pathogen was CNS. Occurrence of IMI caused
      by C. bovis was not related to milk yield, in contrast to IMI caused by all other
      pathogens investigated. Organic milk production was associated with IMI only when
      the causative pathogen of IMI was Staph. aureus; Staph. aureus IMI was more
      likely to occur in conventional than in organic production. Cows in older
      freestall barns with parlor milking had an increased probability of contracting
      an IMI compared with cows in tiestall barns or in new freestall barns with
      automatic milking. This was the case for all IMI, except those caused by CNS, the
      prevalence of which was not associated with the milking system, and IMI caused by
      Staph. aureus, which was most common in cows housed in tiestall barns. A better
      breeding index for milk somatic cell count was associated with decreased
      occurrence of IMI, indicating that breeding for improved udder health has been
      successful in reducing the incidence of IMI caused by the most common pathogens
      in Finland. In the Finnish dairy sector, the importance of other measures to
      control IMI will increase as the Holstein breed progressively takes the place of
      the Nordic Red breed. Attention should be paid to hygiene and cleanliness,
      especially in old freestall barns. Based on our results, the increasing
      prevalence of automatic milking is not a reason for special concern.

PMID- 28341053
TI  - Water use on nonirrigated pasture-based dairy farms: Combining detailed
      monitoring and modeling to set benchmarks.
AB  - Water use in intensively managed, confinement dairy systems has been widely
      studied, but few reports exist regarding water use on pasture-based dairy farms.
      The objective of this study was to quantify the seasonal pattern of water use to
      develop a prediction model of water use for pasture-based dairy farms. Stock
      drinking, milking parlor, and total water use was measured on 35 pasture-based,
      seasonal calving dairy farms in New Zealand over 2 yr. Average stock drinking
      water was 60 L/cow per day, with peak use in summer. We estimated that, on
      average, 26% of stock drinking water was lost through leakage from water
      distribution systems. Average corrected stock drinking water (equivalent to
      voluntary water intake) was 36 L/cow per day, and peak water consumption was 72
      L/cow per day in summer. Milking parlor water use increased sharply at the start
      of lactation (July) and plateaued (August) until summer (February), after which
      it decreased with decreasing milk production. Average milking parlor water use
      was 58 L/cow per day (between September and February). Water requirements were
      affected by parlor type, with rotary milking parlor water use greater than
      herringbone parlor water use. Regression models were developed to predict stock
      drinking and milking parlor water use. The models included a range of climate,
      farm, and milk production variables. The main drivers of stock drinking water use
      were maximum daily temperature, potential evapotranspiration, radiation, and
      yield of milk and milk components. The main drivers for milking parlor water use
      were average per cow milk production and milking frequency. These models of water
      use are similar to those used in confinement dairy systems, where milk yield is
      commonly used as a variable. The models presented fit the measured data more
      accurately than other published models and are easier to use on pasture-based
      dairy farms, as they do not include feed and variables that are difficult to
      measure on pasture-based farms.

PMID- 28341054
TI  - Corrigendum to "The lipoxygenase pathway in zebrafish. Expression and
      characterization of zebrafish ALOX5 and comparison with its human ortholog"
      [Biochim. Biophys. Acta 1861/1, (2016) 1-11].

PMID- 28341055
TI  - Obstetric care for women with thalassemia.
AB  - Thalassemia is the commonest monogenic disease and manifests as severe anemia. It
      is increasingly encountered outside the Mediterranean region, Africa, Middle
      East, and Southeast Asia because of immigration. Pregnancy, previously uncommon
      in patients with homozygous beta-thalassemia, is encountered increasingly because
      of improved management and assisted reproduction technology; however,
      preconceptional problems that include anemia, iron overload, cardiac dysfunction,
      thromboembolism, alloimmunization, infections, and endocrine and bone disorders,
      could influence maternal and obstetric outcome. Although, successful pregnancy in
      thalassemia trait carriers and women with hemoglobin H disease is more common,
      there is still increased risk of obstetric and perinatal complications. Prenatal
      diagnosis to exclude fetal homozygous thalassemia and other congenital anomalies,
      together with close monitoring of the pregnancy, would optimize outcome. Further
      research is warranted to elucidate the fetal safety of iron chelation therapy and
      potential effect of pregnancy on long-term maternal health outcome, especially
      following occurrence of maternal complications.

PMID- 28341056
TI  - Temporal changes in plasma markers of oxidative stress following laparoscopic
      sleeve gastrectomy in subjects with impaired glucose regulation.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy (LSG) is an effective treatment for
      obesity and associated metabolic complications. Obesity and type 2 diabetes are
      associated with increased oxidative stress. Previous studies have examined
      changes in plasma oxidative stress after laparoscopic Roux-en-Y gastric bypass,
      but there is limited evidence of the effects of LSG. OBJECTIVES: To examine the
      effects of LSG on plasma thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS) and
      total antioxidant status (TAOS) at 1 and 6 months after LSG in patients with
      obesity and impaired glucose regulation. SETTING: University hospital, United
      Kingdom. METHODS: Twenty-two participants with impaired glucose homeostasis
      undergoing LSG (body mass index 50.1 kg/m2, glycated hemoglobin 53 mmol/mol) were
      studied. Measurements of fasting and 120-minute TBARS and TAOS were performed
      during an oral glucose tolerance test preoperatively and postoperatively.
      RESULTS: Compared with preoperative levels, significant decreases were seen 6
      months postoperatively in fasting TBARS (61.0+/-17.9 versus 39.4+/-13.8 ng/mL, P
      = .04) and 120-minute TBARS (76.0+/-29.5 versus 46.5+/-16.3 ng/mL, P = .02). No
      significant changes were observed in plasma TAOS. No significant association was
      observed between changes in TBARS and other clinical or biochemical measures.
      CONCLUSION: We observed a significant reduction in TBARS, a global measure of
      lipid peroxidation 6 months after LSG in participants with obesity and impaired
      glucose regulation.

PMID- 28341057
TI  - Histone deacetylase inhibitors suppress immature dendritic cell's migration by
      regulating CC chemokine receptor 1 expression.
AB  - The modulation of immature dendritic cells (iDCs), which involves processes such
      as phagocytosis, migration, and maturation, is considered a beneficial research
      theme. Once activated by an antigen, iDCs turn to mature DCs (mDCs) and migrate
      towards secondary lymphoid organs, and initiate the progress of cellular
      immunity. Histone deacetylase inhibitors (HDACis) are also thought to be a major
      modulator of cellular immunity. Herein, we demonstrate that HDACis (trichostatin
      A (TSA), sodium butylate (SB), scriptaid (ST)) play a central regulatory role in
      the migratory activity of iDCs. In our results, TSA, SB and ST showed the potent
      inhibitory effect on the migration of iDCs stimulated by MIP-1alpha. The
      inhibitory activities of HDACis were found to be caused by reduction of CCR1
      expression on the cell surface, and by the inhibition of phosphorylation of p38
      mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK), extracellular signal-regulated kinases 1
      and 2 (ERK 1/2), and c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK).

PMID- 28341058
TI  - Anti-fibrotic effects of soluble guanylate cyclase stimulators and activators: A
      review of the preclinical evidence.
AB  - It is now well established that the NO-sGC-cGMP signal transduction system
      mediates many different physiological functions in almost every conceivable organ
      system; this has been best characterized in the cardiovascular system where NO
      driven cGMP production exerts a plethora of cytoprotective and anti-atherogenic
      effects, including dilatation, inhibition of vascular smooth muscle
      proliferation, blockade of leukocyte recruitment, and anti-platelet activity.
      Accordingly, dysfunctional NO-sGC-cGMP mediated signaling is perceived as the
      underlying pathophysiological cause of many cardiovascular and non-cardiovascular
      diseases. Due to the fundamental role of sGC in the signaling pathways triggered
      by NO, novel sGC 'modulators' have been identified that directly stimulate both
      heme-containing as well as heme-free sGC, the so-called 'sGC activators' and 'sGC
      stimulators', respectively. The beneficial effects of this new family of sGC
      'modulators' extend beyond vasodilation, and their potential in other
      cardiovascular diseases aside from pulmonary arterial hypertension is promising.
      In animal models of hypertension and heart failure, reno-protective effects,
      attenuated cardiac fibrosis, and attenuated hypertrophy independent of
      hemodynamic effects have been shown. During recent years it has become obvious
      that cGMP increase by sGC modulators exerts direct antifibrotic efficacy in
      various organs as well as the skin. This review will provide an overview of the
      preclinical in vitro and in vivo studies for different fibrotic disorders
      including chronic renal, cardiac, liver, and lung fibrosis, as well as sclerosis
      and wound healing. Moreover, this review provides evidence for a new mode of
      action of sGC 'modulators' and its implication for clinical investigations in the
      treatment of fibrotic disorders such as pulmonary fibrosis and skin fibrosis.

PMID- 28341059
TI  - Masking properties of ceramics for veneer restorations.
AB  - STATEMENT OF PROBLEM: The translucency and opacity of ceramics play a significant
      role in emulating the natural color of teeth, but studies of the masking
      properties and limitations of dental ceramics when used as monolayer restorations
      are lacking. PURPOSE: The purpose of this in vitro study was to determine the
      translucency of 6 materials used for veneer restorations by assessing their
      translucency parameters (TPs), contrast ratios (CRs), and potential to mask dark
      tooth colors. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Ten square- or disk-shaped specimens (0.5-mm
      thickness, shade A2) were fabricated from Vitablocks Mark II (VMII; Vita
      Zahnfabrik), IPS e.max CAD LT (EMXC LT; Ivoclar Vivadent AG), IPS e.max CAD HT
      (EMXC HT; Ivoclar Vivadent AG), IPS Empress CAD LT (EMP LT; Ivoclar Vivadent AG),
      IPS e.max Press LT (EMXP LT; Ivoclar Vivadent AG), and CZR (CZR; Kuraray Noritake
      Dental Inc). Their luminance (Y) values over black and over white tiles were
      measured, followed by their color (CIELab) over black tiles and white tiles and
      shaded A2 (control group), A3.5, A4, and B4 acrylic resin blocks. All
      measurements were performed using a spectrophotometer in 2 different areas on
      each specimen. Then CRs, TPs, and color differences (over shaded backgrounds)
      were determined. Data were subjected to 1-way and 2-way ANOVA (alpha=.05) for
      analysis. RESULTS: Mean CR values of EMXP LT were significantly higher than those
      of the other tested materials, whereas VMII and EMXC HT had the lowest values
      (P<.001). Mean TP values over black and over white backgrounds of VMII and EMXC
      HT were significantly higher than those of the other tested materials, while EMXP
      LT and EMXC LT revealed the lowest values (P<.001). Background shade A4 displayed
      the highest mean effect (expressed in DeltaE* values) on the color of the ceramic
      materials, whereas shade B4 demonstrated the lowest mean background effect
      (P<.001). CONCLUSIONS: Significant differences in translucency among the tested
      ceramics were revealed (P<.001). The EMXC LT and EMXP LT groups were the least
      translucent under the conditions of this study (P<.001). All tested ceramics
      exhibited poor masking properties against the A4 background. The color
      differences of most tested ceramics were more acceptable when tested against the
      B4 background (DeltaE*<=3.3).

PMID- 28341060
TI  - Dose dependent treatment with isotretinoin induces more changes in the ileum than
      in the duodenum and jejunum in Wistar rats.
AB  - Acne is the most common skin disorder and can directly affect the patients' self
      esteem. Systemic treatment has been indicated for nodular, cystic or persistent
      acne rather than another type of treatment, such as a topic one. Isotretinoin is
      an analogue of vitamin A and by suppressing the sebaceous glands the disease can
      be controlled. This study was designed to mimic the treatment performed in young
      patients using the dosage of 1mg/kg, and a higher one of 10mg/kg, for 60days in
      young male Wistar rats. 24 Wistar rats were divided into four groups:
      control(water), D0(soybean oil, control group), D1(1mg/kg of Isotretinoin
      solution), D10(10mg/kg of Isotretinoin solution). Using the morphometry tool and
      histochemical techniques we evaluated the villus, intestinal crypts, and goblet
      cells to find signs of possible alterations of the duodenum, jejunum and ileum
      segments of the small intestine. We found no signs of changes in the jejunum
      mucosa after 60 days of treatment with 1mg/kg and 10mg/kg. The duodenum is also
      less affected, whereas significant modifications were found in the ileum. The
      goblet cell frequency was altered, indicating a proliferative potential for the
      substance. Although some patients have described intestinal symptoms, no
      important alterations were found with this protocol, reaffirming the security
      involved in the treatment with this substance.

PMID- 28341061
TI  - VMAT plus a few computer-optimized non-coplanar IMRT beams (VMAT+) tested for
      liver SBRT.
AB  - PURPOSE: To propose a novel treatment approach, designated VMAT+, involving
      addition of <5 IMRT beams with computer-optimized non-coplanar orientations to
      VMAT, and evaluate it for liver Stereotactic Body Radiation Therapy (SBRT). VMAT+
      is investigated as an alternative for (1) coplanar VMAT and (2) multi-beam non
      coplanar treatment. METHODS/MATERIALS: For fifteen patients with liver
      metastases, VMAT+ plans were compared with (1) dual-arc VMAT and (2) 25-beam, non
      coplanar treatment with computer-optimized beam orientations (25-NCP). All plans
      were generated fully automatically for delivery of the highest feasible tumor
      Biologically Effective Dose (BED). OAR doses, intermediate-dose-spillage, dose
      compactness, and measured delivery times were evaluated. RESULTS: With VMAT+ the
      maximum achievable tumor BED was equal to that of 25-NCP. Conversely, VMAT
      resulted in a lower tumor BED in 5 patients. Compared to VMAT, VMAT+ yielded
      significant dose reductions in OARs. Intermediate-dose-spillage and dose
      compactness were significantly improved by 9.8% and 17.3% (p<=0.002),
      respectively. Treatment times with VMAT+ were only enhanced by 4.1min on average,
      compared to VMAT (8.4min). Improvements in OAR sparing with 25-NCP, compared to
      VMAT+, were generally modest and/or statistically insignificant, while delivery
      times were on average 20.5min longer. CONCLUSIONS: For liver SBRT, VMAT+ is
      equivalent to time-consuming treatment with 25 non-coplanar beams in terms of
      achievable tumor BED. Compared to VMAT, OAR sparing and intermediate-dose
      spillage are significantly improved, with minor increase in delivery time.

PMID- 28341062
TI  - The effect of post-mastectomy radiation in women with one to three positive nodes
      enrolled on the control arm of BCIRG-005 at ten year follow-up.
AB  - BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: We evaluated the effect of post-mastectomy radiation
      (PMRT) in 1-3 positive lymph nodes (LN) in patients who received uniform modern
      systemic therapy. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Cohort study using individual data
      collected for 1,649 node-positive women who received doxorubicin/cyclophosphamide
      with sequential docetaxel in 2000-2003 on the control arm of BCIRG-005. All women
      underwent mastectomy or lumpectomy and axillary LN dissection. PMRT was given at
      investigator's discretion. RESULTS: A total of 523 women with 1-3 positive LN
      underwent mastectomy and 39% (206/523) received PMRT. With a median follow-up of
      10years, PMRT improved loco-regional control (LRC) from 91% to 98% (p=0.001) but
      had no effect on overall survival (OS) (84% vs. 86%, p=0.9). On multivariate
      analysis, PMRT improved local control (LC) (hazard ratio, 0.14; 95% CI, 0.03
      0.62; p=0.01) and LRC (hazard ratio, 0.15; 95% CI, 0.04-0.50; p=0.002). PMRT did
      not significantly impact OS on multivariate analysis (hazard ratio, 0.91; 95% CI,
      0.55-1.51; p=0.7). Results remained consistent with the use of propensity score
      analysis. CONCLUSIONS: In this cohort of patients with N1 disease treated with
      modern systemic therapy, PMRT improves LRC but has no effect on OS. The rates of
      OS were excellent, irrespective of adjuvant radiation.

PMID- 28341063
TI  - The personnel's experiences with the implementation of an activity program for
      men in municipal health services.
AB  - The aim of this study was to explore the personnel's experiences with the
      implementation of an activity program for male residents in municipal care
      services. The design was inspired by a grounded theory approach. The data were
      collected by means of two focus group interviews with 11 participants in total.
      The findings showed that the personnel experienced that continuity was a
      prerequisite to being and remaining motivated when taking part in the activity
      program. Therefore, a lack of continuity was an obstacle. The categories 'to be
      prepared', 'to be responsible for a sense of fellowship', and 'to gain new
      perspectives' illuminate the personnel's experiences. Different conditions had an
      impact on how the personnel experienced the implementation of the activity
      program and whether they stayed motivated for being a part of the program in the
      future. More attention should be given to ward routines that, with only minor
      changes, may strengthen the activity leader role.

PMID- 28341064
TI  - A qualitative study to examine older adults' perceptions of health: Keys to aging
      successfully.
AB  - Older adult health is often defined in clinical terms. Research has demonstrated
      that many older adults self-report aging successfully regardless of clinical
      health status. This qualitative study used claims data to identify older adults
      on three levels of health status: healthy and active, managing diseases, or very
      sick, to better understand how health is defined and maintained. In total, 32
      participants from two cities were interviewed. Interviews were audio- and video
      recorded and then transcribed. Thematic analysis identified five themes:
      disconnectedness between objective and subjective health; health defined to
      include psychological and social components; resilience and coping mechanisms
      indicative of successful aging; social support systems integral to health; and
      the goal of maintaining functioning. These results indicate the importance of
      individual perceptions of health rather than just counts of chronic diseases.
      Health management programs should provide holistic approaches to maximize health
      outcomes and to promote successful aging.

PMID- 28341065
TI  - Recommendations for CSF AD biomarkers in the diagnostic evaluation of dementia.
AB  - This article presents recommendations, based on the Grading of Recommendations,
      Assessment, Development, and Evaluation method, for the clinical application of
      cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) amyloid-beta1-42, tau, and phosphorylated tau in the
      diagnostic evaluation of patients with dementia. The recommendations were
      developed by a multidisciplinary working group based on the available evidence
      and consensus from focused discussions for (i) identification of Alzheimer's
      disease (AD) as the cause of dementia, (ii) prediction of rate of decline, (iii)
      cost-effectiveness, and (iv) interpretation of results. The working group found
      sufficient evidence to support a recommendation to use CSF AD biomarkers as a
      supplement to clinical evaluation, particularly in uncertain and atypical cases,
      to identify or exclude AD as the cause of dementia. Because of insufficient
      evidence, it was uncertain whether CSF AD biomarkers outperform imaging
      biomarkers. Operational recommendations for the interpretation of ambiguous CSF
      biomarker results were also provided.

PMID- 28341067
TI  - Treatment of Recurrent Dupuytren Contracture in Joints Previously Effectively
      Treated With Collagenase Clostridium histolyticum.
AB  - PURPOSE: Collagenase Clostridium histolyticum (CCH) is approved for the treatment
      of adults with Dupuytren contracture with a palpable cord. This open-label, phase
      4 study evaluated the safety and efficacy of CCH for the retreatment of recurrent
      contractures in joints that were previously effectively treated with CCH.
      METHODS: Patients participating in a long-term follow-up study who had
      contracture recurrence (increased >= 20 degrees  with a palpable cord) after
      successful treatment in the previous study were eligible. Recurrent joint
      contractures were treated with up to 3 CCH injections (~ 1 month apart). Patients
      were followed for 1 year to evaluate safety. Assessments included change in joint
      contracture, range of motion, and the percentage of joints that achieved
      contracture of 5 degrees  or less at day 30 after the last injection. RESULTS:
      The efficacy analysis included 51 patients with 1 treated joint per patient (31
      metacarpophalangeal, 20 proximal interphalangeal). A total of 35 joints (69%)
      received 1 injection, 12 (24%) received 2 injections, and 4 (8%) received 3
      injections. Fifty-seven percent of joints achieved contracture of 5 degrees  or
      less (29 of 51). Overall, 86% (43 of 50) patients had a 20 degrees  or greater
      increase in range of motion. The adverse event profile was consistent with
      previous studies. One ligament injury was reported. CONCLUSIONS: At a short-term
      follow-up of 1 year, recurrent contracture in joints previously successfully
      treated with CCH may be effectively retreated with up to 3 injections of CCH.
      TYPE OF STUDY/LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Therapeutic IV.

PMID- 28341066
TI  - Recommendations for cerebrospinal fluid Alzheimer's disease biomarkers in the
      diagnostic evaluation of mild cognitive impairment.
AB  - This article presents recommendations, based on the Grading of Recommendations,
      Assessment, Development, and Evaluation method, for the clinical application of
      cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) amyloid-beta1-42, tau, and phosphorylated tau in the
      diagnostic evaluation of patients with mild cognitive impairment (MCI). The
      recommendations were developed by a multidisciplinary working group and based on
      the available evidence and consensus from focused group discussions for 1)
      prediction of clinical progression to Alzheimer's disease (AD) dementia, 2) cost
      effectiveness, 3) interpretation of results, and 4) patient counseling. The
      working group recommended using CSF AD biomarkers in the diagnostic workup of MCI
      patients, after prebiomarker counseling, as an add-on to clinical evaluation to
      predict functional decline or conversion to AD dementia and to guide disease
      management. Because of insufficient evidence, it was uncertain whether CSF AD
      biomarkers outperform imaging biomarkers. Furthermore, the working group provided
      recommendations for interpretation of ambiguous CSF biomarker results and for pre
      and post-biomarker counseling.

PMID- 28341068
TI  - Clinical Characteristics of Pyogenic Flexor Tenosynovitis in Pediatric Patients.
AB  - PURPOSE: To characterize the clinical presentation, common pathogens,
      antimicrobial susceptibility, and treatment methods associated with pyogenic
      flexor tenosynovitis (PFT) in pediatric patients. METHODS: Patients who underwent
      surgical treatment for PFT at a large tertiary-care children's hospital between
      2001 and 2015 were identified. Descriptive summary statistics were reported on
      patient demographics, presenting symptoms and clinical examination features,
      culture results, treatment strategies, and early complications. RESULTS: Thirty
      two patients (71.9% male) with a mean age of 9.5 +/- 5.5 years (range, 0.8-19
      years) were included. At least 3 Kanavel signs were present on presentation in
      62% of the cohort, with all 4 signs identified in 34%. Three children (9%)
      presented with 0 to 1 Kanavel signs, with semiflexed posturing of the digit as
      the least commonly (41%) manifested sign. The most frequently cultured organisms
      were methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) (38%), methicillin
      sensitive S. aureus (22%), and Pasteurella multocida (13%). Multiple organisms
      were cultured in 19% of cases. Intravenous antibiotics were administered for a
      median duration of 4 days (range, 1-16 days) in all cases. Organisms were
      sensitive to the initial antibiotic regimen in 81% of cases. All methicillin
      resistant S. aureus infections were sensitive to vancomycin and trimethroprim
      sulfamethoxazole, and 83% were sensitive to clindamycin. Incision and drainage
      (I&D) was performed in all cases, with 18% of patients requiring repeat I&D.
      Surgical approaches included limited incision (80%), midaxial incision (13%), and
      Bruner incision (7%). The average length of hospitalization was 5.1 days.
      Infection resolved in all cases without readmission. No neurovascular
      complications were identified. CONCLUSIONS: The presence of Kanavel signs at
      presentation are a meaningful indicator of PFT, but are not uniformly present on
      examination in children and adolescents. Owing to the prevalence of antimicrobial
      resistance and polymicrobial infection, empirical antibiotic therapy using broad
      spectrum agents with MRSA coverage is essential. In our cohort of pediatric
      patients with PFT of sufficient severity to warrant surgical management, prompt
      I&D along with culture-guided antibiotics predictably resolves infection. TYPE OF
      STUDY/LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Therapeutic IV.

PMID- 28341069
TI  - Open Surgery Versus Ultrasound-Guided Corticosteroid Injection for Trigger
      Finger: A Randomized Controlled Trial With 1-Year Follow-up.
AB  - PURPOSE: Trigger finger is a common condition with a lifetime prevalence of 2%.
      Corticosteroid injection is a treatment often considered as a first-line
      intervention with reported cure rates between 60% and 90% in observational
      cohorts. Nevertheless, open surgery remains the most effective treatment with
      reported cure rates near 100%. Head-to-head trials on these treatments are
      limited. We investigated the efficacy of open surgery compared with ultrasound
      guided corticosteroid injections. METHODS: The study was performed as a single
      center, randomized, controlled trial with a 1-year follow-up. A total of 165
      patients received either open surgery (n = 81) or ultrasound-guided
      corticosteroid injection (n = 84). Follow-up was conducted at 3 and 12 months. If
      the finger had normal movement or normal movement with discomfort at latest
      follow-up, the outcome was considered a success. Secondary outcomes were
      postprocedural pain and complications. RESULTS: The groups were similar at
      baseline except for lower alcohol consumption in the open surgery group. At 3
      months, 86% and 99% were successfully treated after corticosteroid injection and
      open surgery, respectively. At 12 months, 49% and 99% were considered
      successfully treated after corticosteroid injection and open surgery,
      respectively. The pain score at latest follow-up was significantly higher in the
      corticosteroid injection group. Complications after open surgery were more severe
      and included 3 superficial infections and 1 iatrogenic nerve lesion. After
      corticosteroid injection 11 patients experienced a steroid flare and 2 had fat
      necrosis at the site of injection. CONCLUSIONS: Open surgery is superior to
      ultrasound-guided corticosteroid injections. Complications after open surgery are
      more severe; this must be taken into account when advising patients with regard
      to treatment. TYPE OF STUDY/LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Therapeutic I.

PMID- 28341070
TI  - Severe Hand Injuries From Fireworks: Injury Patterns, Outcomes, and Fireworks
      Types.
AB  - PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to characterize injury patterns and
      outcomes of fireworks-related hand injuries and determine if there was an
      association with certain fireworks types. METHODS: A retrospective cohort study
      was conducted on patients treated at a trauma center between 2005 and 2015. A
      total of 105 patients sustaining operative hand injuries due to fireworks were
      identified. Medical records were reviewed to identify injury patterns, treatment
      outcomes, and fireworks types. RESULTS: Eighty-eight patients (84%) sustained 92
      thumb and/or first web space injuries. There were 12 thumb soft tissue-only
      injuries (13%) and 80 thumb fractures/dislocations (87%). Of these, there were 52
      thumb carpometacarpal (CMC) joint dislocations (57%) and 36 thumb fractures
      outside the thumb CMC joint (39%). Fifteen hands (16%) sustained both thumb CMC
      joint dislocations and additional thumb fractures. Twenty-three hands (25%)
      required thumb revision amputation. The number of surgeries for acute
      reconstruction ranged from 1 to 7, with 17 patients (19%) requiring 3 or more.
      Sixty-three hands had deep first web space injuries, and 11 (17%) required flaps
      acutely for first web space reconstruction. Six hands required secondary
      reconstruction of a first web space contracture. An external fixator was applied
      to 6 hands to maintain the first web space; none of these required secondary web
      reconstruction. Excluding isolated pin removals and dressing changes under
      anesthesia, 19 patients (22%) required later-stage surgeries. Shells/mortars
      (59%) were the most common fireworks type causing injury. CONCLUSIONS: Among
      operative hand injuries, fireworks most commonly fracture the thumb, destabilize
      the thumb CMC joint, and deeply damage the first web space. The first web space
      requires particular consideration because deep injury may result in adduction
      contracture and require secondary reconstruction if not prevented. TYPE OF
      STUDY/LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Therapeutic IV.

PMID- 28341071
TI  - Comparative study of 2 oral care protocols in intensive care units.
AB  - BACKGROUND: The quality of oral care is important in limiting the emergence of
      ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP) in intubated patients. Our main objective
      was to measure the quality improvement in oral care following the implementation
      of a new oral care protocol. We also monitored VAP rates. MATERIAL/METHODS: This
      was a cohort study of patients in 5 adult ICUs covering different specialties.
      During period 1, caregivers used a foam stick for oral care and during period 2 a
      stick and tooth brushing with aspiration. Oral chlorhexidine was used during both
      periods. The caregivers rated improvement in oral health on the basis of 4
      criteria (tongue, mucous membranes, gingivae, and teeth). Caregiver satisfaction
      was also assessed. The incidence of VAP was monitored. RESULTS: A total of 2,030
      intubated patients admitted to intensive care units benefited from oral care. The
      patient populations during the 2 periods were similar with regard to demographic
      data and VAP potential risk factors. Oral health was significantly better from
      the third day of oral care in period 2 onward (period 1, 6.4 +/- 2.1; period 2,
      5.6 +/- 1.8; P = .043). Caregivers found the period 2 protocol easier to
      implement and more effective. VAP rates decreased significantly between the 2
      periods (period 1, 12.8%; period 2, 8.5%; P = .002). CONCLUSIONS: Our study
      showed that the implementation of a simple strategy improved the quality of oral
      care of patients in intensive care units, and decreased VAP rates.

PMID- 28341074
TI  - Long-Term Prognosis in Ischemic Stroke Patients Treated with Intravenous
      Thrombolytic Therapy.
AB  - BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: It remains unclear if intravenous thrombolysis (IVT) with
      recombinant tissue plasminogen activator has an impact on the survival and
      maintenance of a favorable effect on functional recovery over a long follow-up
      period. The aim of this study was to assess whether or not IVT treatment has a
      favorable effect on functional recovery and survival less than 1 year after a
      stroke. METHODS: This matched cohort study included 259 patients with acute
      ischemic stroke (IS) who were treated with IVT and standard care and 259 patients
      treated with standard care alone in the stroke unit between February 2006 and
      January 2013. RESULTS: After a median follow-up period of 3 years (range, 1-7
      years), survival did not differ significantly between the groups; specifically,
      56 patients (21.6%) in the thrombolysed group died versus 62 patients (23.94%) in
      the nonthrombolysed group (log-rank, .240, P = .624). Based on a multivariate Cox
      proportional hazards regression model, older age (>70 years), stroke severity
      (National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale score >= 15), diabetes mellitus, and
      a history of atrial fibrillation were independent predictors of long-term
      mortality after stroke. After the follow-up period, 144 patients (55.6%) in the
      IVT-treated group versus 112 patients (43.2%) in the control group had an
      excellent outcome, with a modified Rankin Scale score of 0-1 (hazard ratio [HR] =
      1.64, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.16-2.32). Based on a multivariate Cox
      proportional hazards regression model, an excellent 3-month functional recovery
      was a strong predictor of favorable outcome (HR = 11.27, 95% CI = 6.45-19.63).
      CONCLUSION: The results suggest that IVT for acute IS has a favorable effect on
      functional recovery more than 1 year after stroke.

PMID- 28341077
TI  - First Report of Arg587Cys Mutation of Notch3 Gene in Two Chinese Families with
      CADASIL.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: To explore Notch3 mutation sites of Chinese patients with cerebral
      autosomal dominant arteriopathy with subcortical infarcts and leukoencephalopathy
      (CADASIL). METHODS: Direct sequencing of all exons in Notch3 gene was performed
      on 12 unrelated suspected CADASIL cases from mainland China. RESULT: A missense
      p.Arg587Cys (1759C>T) mutation in exon 11 was identified in 2 patients through
      genetic analysis. CONCLUSION: Chinese patients with CADASIL of R587C mutation in
      exon 11 was firstly reported.

PMID- 28341078
TI  - Isolation, molecular characterization, and in vitro differentiation of bovine
      Wharton jelly-derived multipotent mesenchymal cells.
AB  - Extrafetal tissues are a noncontroversial and inexhaustible source of mesenchymal
      stem cells that can be harvested noninvasively at low cost. In the veterinary
      field, as in man, stem cells derived from extrafetal tissues express plasticity,
      reduced immunogenicity, and have high anti-inflammatory potential making them
      promising candidates for treatment of many diseases. Umbilical cord mesenchymal
      cells have been isolated and characterized in different species and have recently
      been investigated as potential candidates in regenerative medicine. In this
      study, cells derived from bovine Wharton jelly (WJ) were isolated for the first
      time by enzymatic methods, frozen/thawed, cultivated for at least 10 passages,
      and characterized. Wharton jelly-derived cells readily attached to plastic
      culture dishes displaying typical fibroblast-like morphology and, although their
      proliferative capacity decreased to the seventh passage, these cells showed a
      mean doubling time of 34.55 +/- 6.33 hours and a mean frequency of one colony
      forming unit fibroblast like for every 221.68 plated cells. The results of
      molecular biology studies and flow cytometry analyses revealed that WJ-derived
      cells showed the typical antigen profile of mesenchymal stem cells and were
      positive for CD29, CD44, CD105, CD166, Oct-4, and c-Myc. They were negative for
      CD34 and CD14. Remarkably, WJ-derived cells showed differentiation ability. After
      culture in induced media, WJ-derived cells were able to differentiate into
      osteogenic, adipogenic, chondrogenic, and neurogenic lines as shown by positive
      staining and expression of specific markers. On polymerase chain reaction
      analysis, these cells were negative for MHC-II and positive for MHC-I, thus
      reinforcing the role of extrafetal tissue as an allogenic source for bovine cell
      based therapies. These results provide evidence that bovine WJ-derived cells may
      have the potential to differentiate to repair damaged tissues and reinforce the
      importance of extrafetal tissues as stem cell sources in veterinary regenerative
      medicine. A more detailed evaluation of their immunologic properties is necessary
      to better understand their potential role in cellular therapy.

PMID- 28341079
TI  - Monitoring of nociception, reality or fiction?
AB  - There are currently various projects underway that attempt to monitor the
      nociceptive responses caused by surgical stress and ensure patients the best
      analgesic conditions. The systemic response to surgical stress has repercussions
      in the postoperative period, such as worse pain control, delayed recovery,
      greater complications, longer stay in resuscitation and hospital units, and
      increased healthcare costs. However, treatment with higher doses of opioids than
      necessary may lead to slower awakening, increased drowsiness and adverse effects,
      as well as situations of postoperative opioid-induced hyperalgesia. There are 2
      large groups of nociceptive monitoring according to the origin of the theoretical
      objective of monitoring response to the stimulus, that may derive from changes in
      the electroencephalogram or the response of the autonomic nervous system.

PMID- 28341080
TI  - Residual neuromuscular blockade in the postanesthesia care unit. A secondary
      analysis of the ReCuSS. Observational cross-sectional study of a multicenter
      cohort.

PMID- 28341081
TI  - Is albumin a real alternative to starches in septic patients?

PMID- 28341082
TI  - Perioperative management of liver transplantation in Spanish hospitals: Results
      of a survey.

PMID- 28341083
TI  - Scientific publications in gastroenterology and hepatology in Taiwan: An analysis
      of Web of Science from 1993 to 2013.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Scientific publications are important for evaluating the achievements
      of a medical specialty or discipline. Gastroenterology and Hepatology is a
      medical specialty in great demand in Taiwan, therefore, this study aimed to
      analyze the Gastroenterology and Hepatology publications from 1993 to 2013 in
      Taiwan, using the Web of Science (WoS) database. METHODS: Scientific publications
      from departments/institutes of gastroenterology and hepatology were retrieved and
      analyzed from the WoS database, which included articles published in the Science
      Citation Index Expanded and Social Science Citation Index journals from 1993 to
      2013. RESULTS: Among 229,030 articles published from departments/institutes of
      gastroenterology and hepatology worldwide during 1993-2013, 5061 (2.21%) were
      published in Taiwan, ranking the country 13th in the world. In total, 4759
      articles from Taiwan were selected for further analysis, excluding meeting
      abstracts and corrections. During these two decades, the number of
      gastroenterology and hepatology publications increased rapidly. There were 440
      articles published during 1993-1997, 646 articles during 1998-2002, 1211 articles
      during 2003-2007, and up to 2462 articles during 2008-2013. However, the mean
      number of articles cited decreased from 25.35 to 27.25 to 20.64 to 7.28, and the
      mean impact factor of publishing journals decreased from 5.0 to 4.20 to 4.13 to
      4.03 during 1993-1997, 1998-2002, 2003-2007, and 2008-2013, respectively. Most of
      those publications belong to the subject category gastroenterology and hepatology
      (2346 articles, 49.30%), followed by surgery (677 articles, 14.23%), medicine,
      general and internal (358 articles, 7.52%), oncology (316 articles, 6.64%), and
      pharmacology pharmacy (286 articles, 6.01%). The Journal of Gastroenterology and
      Hepatology published the most papers (326 articles, 6.9%), followed by World
      Journal of Gastroenterology (201 articles, 4.2%), Hepato-Gastroenterology (165
      articles, 3.5%), Gastrointestinal Endoscopy (159 articles, 3.3%), and Hepatology
      (146 articles, 3.1%). CONCLUSION: Scientific publications from
      departments/institutes of gastroenterology and hepatology in Taiwan increased
      rapidly from 1993 to 2013. However, there were decreasing trends in the number of
      articles cited and journal impact factors.

PMID- 28341084
TI  - Corrigendum to "Sense of life worth living (ikigai) and incident functional
      disability in elderly Japanese: The Tsurugaya Project" [J. Psychosom. Res. 95
      (2017) 62-67].

PMID- 28341085
TI  - Faculty Evaluations Correlate Poorly with Medical Student Examination Performance
      in a Fourth-Year Emergency Medicine Clerkship.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Clerkship directors routinely evaluate medical students using
      multiple modalities, including faculty assessment of clinical performance and
      written examinations. Both forms of evaluation often play a prominent role in
      final clerkship grade. The degree to which these modalities correlate in an
      emergency medicine (EM) clerkship is unclear. OBJECTIVE: We sought to correlate
      faculty clinical evaluations with medical student performance on a written,
      standardized EM examination of medical knowledge. METHODS: This is a
      retrospective study of fourth-year medical students in a 4-week EM elective at
      one academic medical center. EM faculty performed end of shift evaluations of
      students via a blinded online system using a 5-point Likert scale for 8 domains:
      data acquisition, data interpretation, medical knowledge base, professionalism,
      patient care and communication, initiative/reliability/dependability, procedural
      skills, and overall evaluation. All students completed the National EM M4
      Examination in EM. Means, medians, and standard deviations for end of shift
      evaluation scores were calculated, and correlations with examination scores were
      assessed using a Spearman's rank correlation coefficient. RESULTS: Thirty-nine
      medical students with 224 discrete faculty evaluations were included. The median
      number of evaluations completed per student was 6. The mean score (+/-SD) on the
      examination was 78.6% +/- 6.1%. The examination score correlated poorly with
      faculty evaluations across all 8 domains (rho 0.074-0.316). CONCLUSION: Faculty
      evaluations of medical students across multiple domains of competency correlate
      poorly with written examination performance during an EM clerkship. Educators
      need to consider the limitations of examination score in assessing students'
      ability to provide quality patient clinical care.

PMID- 28341086
TI  - Recurrent Priapism Gone Wrong: ST-Elevation Myocardial Infarction and Cardiogenic
      Shock After Penile Corporal Phenylephrine Irrigation.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Recurrent priapism secondary to sickle cell trait in an African
      American male has been reported in the literature. A common treatment for these
      low-flow priapism cases is aspiration and injection of the corpus cavernosum with
      a sympathomimetic agent. We report a rare complication not described previously
      in the literature of ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) and cardiogenic
      shock in a 29-year-old male with sickle cell trait undergoing a routine
      detumescence procedure. CASE REPORT: A 29-year-old African-American male with a
      history of sickle cell trait and recurrent low-flow/ischemic priapism presented
      with a painful erection for 8 h. Corporal aspiration and irrigation with
      phenylephrine was performed. After phenylephrine injection, the patient
      experienced hypertensive emergency, flash pulmonary edema, STEMI, and subsequent
      cardiogenic shock. He required intubation, ionotropic support, cardiac
      catheterization, and admission to the cardiac care unit. History taken from the
      patient's wife on the following day revealed that he was taking high doses of
      pseudoephedrine at home to treat symptoms. The patient was subsequently
      discharged after 3 days with normalization of ejection fraction and negative
      troponin. WHY SHOULD AN EMERGENCY PHYSICIAN BE AWARE OF THIS?: Intracavernosal
      injection of phenylephrine is a common emergency department treatment utilized in
      management of priapism, but emergency physicians should be aware of the potential
      severe systemic complications resulting from this procedure. Providers should
      take a careful history, including over-the-counter medication use; consider
      comorbid medical history; standardize phenylephrine mixing instructions with
      pharmacy; and perform the procedure in a monitored setting with a brief
      observation after complete detumescence.

PMID- 28341087
TI  - The Impact of a Pediatric Emergency Department Facility Verification System on
      Pediatric Mortality Rates in Arizona.
AB  - BACKGROUND: The Emergency Medical Services for Children State Partnership
      Program, as well as the Institute of Medicine report on pediatric emergency care,
      encourages recognition of emergency departments (EDs) through categorization and
      verification systems. Although pediatric verification programs are associated
      with greater pediatric readiness, clinical outcome data have been lacking to
      track the effects and patient-centered outcomes by implementing such programs.
      OBJECTIVE: To describe pediatric mortality rates prior to and after
      implementation of a pediatric emergency facility verification system in Arizona.
      METHODS: This was a cross-sectional study conducted using data from ED visits
      between 2011 and 2014 recorded in the Arizona Hospital Discharge Database. The
      primary outcome measure was the mortality rate for ED visits by patients under 18
      years old. Rates were compared prior to and after facility certification by the
      Arizona Pediatric Prepared Emergency Care program. RESULTS: The total number of
      ED visits by children during the study period was 1,928,409. Of these, 1,127,294
      were at facilities undergoing certification. For hospitals becoming certified,
      overall ED mortality rates were 35.2 deaths/100,000 ED visits (95% confidence
      interval [CI] 29.5-41.7) in the precertification analysis and 34.4 deaths/100,000
      ED visits (95% CI 30.4-38.9) in the postcertification analysis. The injury
      related ED visit mortality rate for certified hospitals showed a decrease from
      40.0 injury-related deaths/100,000 ED visits (95% CI 28.6-54.4) in the
      precertification analysis to 25.8 injury-related deaths/100,000 ED visits (95% CI
      18.7-34.8) in the postcertification analysis. CONCLUSION: The implementation of
      the Arizona pediatric ED verification system was associated with a trend toward
      lower mortality. These results offer a platform for further research on pediatric
      ED preparedness efforts and their effects on improved patient outcomes.

PMID- 28341088
TI  - The latest treatment strategy for the rheumatoid hand deformity.
AB  - With a remarkable improvement in the pharmacotherapy of rheumatoid arthritis
      (RA), severely handicapped patients are very rare to see. Healing, repair and
      drug-free, and toward radical cure are coming to be possible. In the clinical
      practice, more than 50% of the patients are in remission. However, some patients
      are still difficult to reach remission due to comorbidities and economic burden.
      In the patient with clinical remission, smoldering synovitis so called "silent
      destructor" is often detected by ultrasonograpy or by synovial histology in the
      small joints of the hand. In recent years, over use with "no pain" increases the
      risk of deformity, osteoarthrosis, tendon rupture and entrapment neuropathy.
      Highly motivated patients, who concern about the appearance of the hand, hope to
      get a higher level of activities of daily living and quality of life (QOL). A
      prospective cohort study was performed for the purpose of knowing whether
      rheumatoid hand surgery affects the patient's QOL and mental health as well as
      upper extremity function. A primary hand surgery was scheduled in 119 patients
      with RA. Synovectomy and Darrach procedure, radiolunate arthrodesis,
      reconstruction of the extensor tendons, arthroplasty at the metacarpophalangeal
      (MP) using Swanson implant, fusion at the proximal interphalangeal (PIP) joint,
      suspensionplasty at the carpometacarpal (CM) joint of the thumb (Thompson method)
      et al. were performed. As a result, Japanese version of the Stanford Health
      Assessment Questionnaire (J-HAQ:physical function,QOL), EuroQOL-5 dimension (EQ
      5D:QOL), Beck Depression Inventory-II (BDI-II:depression, mentality) at 6 months
      and at 12 months after surgery improved significantly compared to those just
      before surgery (p < 0.01). Disease activity score 28- C reactive protein 4 (DAS28
      CRP (4)) decreased significantly (p < 0.01). Latest hand surgery with tight
      medical control is possible to raise QOL and to provide mental wellness for the
      patient with RA.

PMID- 28341089
TI  - Corrigendum to "malignant transformation of keratocystic odontogenic tumor: Two
      case reports" [American journal of otolaryngology 34 (2013) 357-361].

PMID- 28341090
TI  - Transient Isolated Lower Bulbar Palsy With Elevated Serum Anti-GM1 and Anti-GD1b
      Antibodies During Aripiprazole Treatment.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Transient bulbar palsy without involvement of the facial or
      extraocular muscles is a rare presentation. It is considered a form of cranial
      polyneuropathy, a variant of Guillain-Barre syndrome that is related to the
      autoimmune mechanisms induced by preceding infections or vaccinations. However,
      drug-induced cranial polyneuropathy has not previously been reported. We describe
      a boy with isolated bulbar palsy and positive serum antiganglioside antibodies
      during aripiprazole treatment. PATIENT DESCRIPTION: This 12-year-old boy was
      admitted with a seven-day history of dysarthria, tongue discomfort, and tinnitus.
      Three weeks before symptom onset, aripiprazole was added to the patient's
      medications for attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder. On examination, he
      showed curtaining of the pharyngeal wall, tongue fasciculation and deviation, and
      a weak gag reflex. Cranial magnetic resonance imaging suggested lower cranial
      nerve involvement. Serum anti-GM1 IgG and anti-GD1b IgG antibodies were positive.
      After stopping aripiprazole, his bulbar symptoms improved. However, on
      readministration of aripiprazole seven weeks later, dysarthria recurred and again
      resolved after stopping the drug. CONCLUSION: We describe the first patient with
      anti-GM1 IgG and anti-GD1b IgG antibodies-associated transient cranial
      polyneuropathy presenting as isolated bulbar palsy. These findings could be an
      adverse effect of aripiprazole treatment.

PMID- 28341091
TI  - Predictors of moderate to severe fatigue 12 months following admission to
      hospital for burn: Results from the Burns Registry of Australia and New Zealand
      (BRANZ) Long Term Outcomes project.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: Fatigue has been identified as an outcome of concern following burn
      but is rarely captured in outcomes studies. We aimed to: (i) describe the
      prevalence, and predictors, of moderate to severe fatigue in the first 12 months
      following burn, and (ii) establish the association between fatigue and health
      related quality of life and work outcomes. METHODS: Adult burns patients,
      admitted >24h, were recruited from five BRANZ sites. Participants were followed
      up at 1-, 6-, and 12-months after injury using the Brief Fatigue Inventory (BFI),
      36-item Short Form Health Survey (SF-36) and the Sickness Impact Profile (SIP)
      work scale. Moderate to severe fatigue was defined as a global BFI score of 4-10.
      Multivariable mixed effects regression modelling was used to identify
      demographic, socioeconomic, burn size and severity predictors of moderate/severe
      fatigue at follow-up. RESULTS: The mean+/-SD age of the 328 participants was
      42.1+/-16.7years, 70% were male, 47% were flame burns, and the mean+/-SD %TBSA
      was 8.7+/-11.2. The prevalence of moderate/severe fatigue decreased from 37% at 1
      month, to 32% at 6-months and 26% at 12-months. The adjusted odds of
      moderate/severe fatigue were 2.62 (95% CI: 1.27, 5.42) times higher for women
      compared to men, and 2.64 (95% CI: 1.03, 6.79) times higher in patients with a
      %TBSA>=20. Compared to patients in major cities, the adjusted odds of reporting
      moderate/severe fatigue were 2.48 fold higher (95% CI: 1.17, 5.24) for patients
      residing in inner regional areas, and 3.60 fold (95% CI: 1.43, 9.05) higher for
      patients living in remote/very remote areas. At each time point, the physical and
      mental health summary scores, and each sub-scale score, of the SF-36 were
      significantly lower in patients reporting moderate/severe fatigue. Patients
      experiencing moderate to severe fatigue reported higher work-related disability
      on the SIP work scale at each time point after injury. DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION:
      More than a quarter of participants reported moderate to severe fatigue on the
      BFI at 12-months and fatigue was strongly associated with poorer health-related
      quality of life and greater work-related disability.

PMID- 28341092
TI  - Repigmentation or stimulated skin physiology? Medical needling in combination
      with non-cultured skin cell transplantation-The way of the melanocyte.

PMID- 28341093
TI  - Response to Letter to the Editor: 'Repigmentation or stimulated skin physiology?
      Medical needling in combination with non-cultured skin cell transplantation-The
      way of the melanocyte'.

PMID- 28341094
TI  - Association between exposure to angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors and
      angiotensin receptor blockers prior to septic shock and acute kidney injury.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the association between angiotensin-converting enzyme
      inhibitors (ACEIs) and angiotensin receptor blockers (ARBs) use prior to a septic
      shock episode and the development, prognosis and long-term recovery from acute
      kidney injury (AKI). DESIGN: A single-centre, prospective observational study was
      carried out between September 2005 and August 2010. SCOPE: Patients admitted to
      the ICU of a third level hospital. PATIENTS: A total of 386 septic shock patients
      were studied. INTERVENTIONS: None. VARIABLES OF INTEREST: Use of ACEIs/ARBs, AKI
      development, recovery of previous creatinine levels and time to recovery.
      RESULTS: A total of 386 patients were included, of which 312 (80.8%) developed
      AKI during ICU stay and 23% were receiving ACEIs/ARBs. The percentage of patients
      on ACEIs/ARBs increased significantly in relation to more severe stages of AKI
      irrespective of the kind of AKI score. After adjusting for confounders, the
      development of AKI was independently associated to the use of ACEIs/ARBs (OR
      2.19; 95%CI 1.21-3.84; p=.04). With respect to the recovery of kidney function,
      the group of patients on ACEIs/ARBs had significantly higher creatinine levels at
      ICU discharge and needed hemodialysis more frequently thereafter. However, use of
      ACEIs/ARBs affected neither recovery of previous creatinine levels nor
      significantly delayed recovery. CONCLUSIONS: The use of ACEIs/ARBs before septic
      shock episodes was correlated to AKI development and severity, but did not affect
      the recovery of kidney function after sepsis resolution.

PMID- 28341095
TI  - Nano-graphene induced positive effects on methanogenesis in anaerobic digestion.
AB  - The effects of nano-graphene on methanogenesis in anaerobic digestion was
      investigated. Short-term results showed that graphene (30 and 120mg/L) had
      significantly positive effects on methane production rate, which increased by
      17.0% and 51.4%. Further investigation indicated that acetate-consuming
      methanogenesis was enhanced. The failure of quinones to replicate graphene
      stimulation effects on methanogenesis suggested that graphene did not function as
      electron shuttles. After 55 day's operation at room temperature (from 20 to 10
      degrees C, the methane production rate with 30mg/L graphene was 14.3% higher than
      that of the control, while 120mg/L graphene showed a slight inhibition on methane
      yield. Illumina sequencing data showed that the archaeal community structure
      remained fairly constant as the incubated sludge with graphene at low
      temperature, in which Methanoregula, Methanosaeta and Methanospirillum were the
      dominant species. Besides, Geobacter enrichment was observed with graphene,
      suggesting that the direct interspecies electron transfer might be promoted.

PMID- 28341096
TI  - Anoxic oscillating MBR for photosynthetic bacteria harvesting and high salinity
      wastewater treatment.
AB  - In this study, photosynthetic bacteria (PSB) were first harvested by MBR with
      pendulum type oscillation (PTO) hollow fiber module in succession and on a large
      scale. Based on unique properties of PSB, PSB/MBR was successfully applied for
      high-salinity wastewater treatment. Compared with control PSB-MBR (CMBR), PSB/PTO
      MBR exhibited more excellent organics removal, which was mainly attributed to
      much higher biomass production for utilization. Meanwhile, the influence of light
      irradiation and aeration on activity of PSB was investigated in detail. Results
      showed that PTO-MBR with 12h light irradiation proved to be a promising and
      economical alternative. The cycle of dark/light and anoxic had a positive effect
      on PSB cultivating. Moreover, PTO-MBR exhibited much higher flux than CMBR even
      if large amounts of biomass existed, which demonstrated that the strong shear
      stress on interface of liquid-membrane played important roles on membrane fouling
      reduction.

PMID- 28341097
TI  - First report of OXA-232-producing Klebsiella pneumoniae strains in Tunisia.
AB  - Eleven carbapenem-resistant Klebsiella pneumoniae isolates were recovered from
      the military hospital of Tunis, Tunisia. Three of these isolates carried the
      carbapenemase blaOXA-232 gene recently identified in France. These isolates were
      clonally related and co-expressed the extended-spectrum beta-lactamase, CTX-M-15.
      This work identified the occurrence of OXA-232 producers in North-African
      countries.

PMID- 28341098
TI  - Antimicrobial activity of tigecycline and cefoperazone/sulbactam tested against
      18,386 Gram-negative organisms from Europe and the Asia-Pacific region (2013
      2014).
AB  - A total of 18,386 organisms, including 13,224 Enterobacteriaceae, 3536
      Pseudomonas aeruginosa, 1254 Acinetobacter spp., and 372Stenotrophomonas
      maltophilia were collected from Western Europe (WEU; n=10,021), Eastern Europe
      (EEU; n=4957), and the Asia-Pacific region (APAC; n=3408 [1052 from China]) in
      2013-2014 as part of the SENTRY Antimicrobial Surveillance Program and tested by
      a reference broth microdilution method for susceptibility against tigecycline,
      cefoperazone/sulbactam, and comparator agents. Overall, 95.3% of
      Enterobacteriaceae were susceptible (<=1MUg/mL; EUCAST) to tigecycline (MIC50/90,
      0.12/1MUg/mL) with regional EUCAST susceptibility rates of 94.8-97.8% (98.9-99.6%
      inhibited at <=2MUg/mL [US FDA]). Among Acinetobacter spp., 66.1% (EEU) and 79.5%
      (WEU) were inhibited at <=1MUg/mL of tigecycline (94.9% and 97.3% inhibited at
      <=2MUg/mL; pan-European MIC50/90, 1/2MUg/mL). For S. maltophilia, 65.4% (China)
      to 88.9% (EEU) of the isolates were inhibited at <=1MUg/mL of tigecycline.
      Cefoperazone/sulbactam inhibited 94.6/83.5/91.5% of Enterobacteriaceae at
      <=16MUg/mL in WEU/EEU/APAC, respectively.

PMID- 28341099
TI  - Invitro Apramycin Activity against multidrug-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii
      and Pseudomonas aeruginosa.
AB  - The in vitro activity of apramycin was compared to that of amikacin, gentamicin,
      and tobramycin against multidrug-resistant, extensively drug-resistant, and
      pandrug-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii and Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Apramycin
      demonstrated an MIC50/MIC90 of 8/32MUg/ml for A. baumannii and 16/32MUg/ml for P.
      aeruginosa. Only 2% of A. baumannii and P. aeruginosa had an MIC greater than an
      epidemiological cutoff value of 64MUg/ml. In contrast, the MIC50/MIC90 for
      amikacin, gentamicin, and tobramycin were >=64/>256MUg/ml for A. baumannii with
      57%, 95%, and 74% of isolates demonstrating resistance, respectively, and the
      MIC50/MIC90 were >=8/256MUg/ml for P. aeruginosa with 27%, 50%, and 57% of
      strains demonstrating resistance, respectively. Apramycin appears to offer
      promising in vitro activity against highly resistant pathogens. It therefore may
      warrant further pre-clinical study to assess potential for repurposing as a human
      therapeutic and relevance as a scaffold for further medicinal chemistry
      exploration.

PMID- 28341100
TI  - The ubiquitin-proteasome system: A potential therapeutic target for heart
      failure.
AB  - The rising incidence of heart failure (HF) is one of the biggest challenges in
      cardiovascular medicine. The persistent shortage of donor organs for
      transplantation has led to an expanding application of left ventricular assist
      devices as a bridge to recovery. Accumulating evidence suggests that the
      ubiquitin-proteasome system (UPS), which is responsible for protein degradation,
      plays a direct role in cardiac hypertrophy and HF and is impacted by mechanical
      unloading. The UPS system also plays a role in the cardiac regulation of
      apoptosis, cell mass, and sarcomere quality control. Furthermore, it is a key
      regulator of beta2-adrenergic signaling, cell excitability, and conductance. In
      this review, we discuss the roles of the UPS in cardiac health and disease,
      including its roles in the pathologic hypertrophy associated with HF and its
      reversal during mechanical unloading. Finally, we suggest future areas of
      research, including possible therapeutic strategies for reversing cardiac
      remodeling by targeting the UPS.

PMID- 28341101
TI  - Crucial residue Trp158 of lipoprotein PiaA stabilizes the ferrichrome-PiaA
      complex in Streptococcus pneumoniae.
AB  - The pathogenic Streptococcus pneumoniae (S. pneumoniae) has evolved a special
      mechanism such as pneumococcal iron acquisition ATP binding cassette (PiaABC) to
      take up siderophore-iron from its host. The cell-surface lipoprotein PiaA, a key
      component of PiaABC, is the primary receptor to bind ferrichrome (Fc). To study
      the structure-function relationship of PiaA, three conservative amino-acid
      residues, Trp63, Trp158 and Phe255, in the hydrophobic barrel of the metal
      binding site of PiaA, were individually and collectively mutated to alanine; and
      the resulted single-point mutants, W63A, W158A and F255A, and triple mutant
      W63A/W158A/F255A were characterized by using biochemical and biophysical methods.
      Experiments showed that wild-type PiaA (WT-PiaA) and the single-point mutant
      proteins bound Fc with a similar kinetics mode, but the reaction rate of W158A
      was lower than that for WT-PiaA. The binding affinity of W158A toward Fc was
      significantly weaker than that of the WT-PiaA-Fc (wild-type PiaA bound with Fc)
      interaction. Furthermore, the absence of Trp158 in the protein led to a
      significant impact on the secondary structure of PiaA, resulting in a labile
      conformational structure of W158A, with impaired resistance to thermal and
      chemical denaturation. Collectively, Trp158 is a crucial residue for binding Fc,
      playing an important role in stabilizing the PiaA-Fc complex. This study revealed
      the critical role of the conserved tryptophan residues in Fc-binding protein
      PiaA, and provided valuable information for understanding the Fc transport
      mechanism mediated by PiaA or its homologous proteins in bacteria.

PMID- 28341102
TI  - Bicolumnar 90-90 plating of AO 13C type fractures.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to evaluate functional results and
      complication rate of patients who underwent medial-dorsolateral plating for intra
      articular distal humeral fracture (Muller AO type 13C). METHODS: Twenty-four
      patients (14 men, 10 women; mean age: 47 years) with AO type 13C distal humerus
      fracture were included in the study. Mean follow-up time was 28 months. Nine
      patients were in 13C1 subgroup, according to AO classification system, 11
      patients were categorized as 13C2, and 4 patients were 13C3. Final follow-up
      assessment of outcomes included Broberg and Morrey radiological criteria; Mayo
      Elbow Performance Score, disabilities of the Arm, Shoulder and Hand (DASH)
      Outcome Measure, score based on Jupiter criteria; and range of motion (ROM)
      values. RESULTS: The mean carrying angle of operated elbows was 11.37 degrees 
      (range: 0-20 degrees ). According to Broberg and Morrey radiological criteria, 14
      patients, had radiologically normal elbow, 4 patients had mild change, 3 patients
      had moderate change, and 3 patients had severe radiological change. Mean DASH
      score was 21.91 (range: 0-50), and mean Mayo rating was 83.37 (range: 55-100).
      Jupiter criteria evaluation revealed excellent results in 10 cases, good in 12,
      and fair results in 2. One patient with fair result had open fracture, and the
      other had previous hemiparesis in the same extremity. There was no instance of
      nonunion observed at follow-up. CONCLUSION: Osteosynthesis with medial
      dorsolateral plating is a safe and effective method for the treatment of intra
      articular fractures of distal humerus. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Level IV, Therapeutic
      study.

PMID- 28341103
TI  - Reply to: Non invasive ventilation for relieving dyspnea in severe COPD: Some key
      practical insights from lung physiology.

PMID- 28341104
TI  - Assessment of the adult patient presenting with knee pain: A review article.

PMID- 28341105
TI  - Commentary on: "Reduced burden of childhood diarrheal diseases through increased
      access to water and sanitation in India: A modelling analysis".

PMID- 28341106
TI  - The APPLE Trial: Feasibility and Activity of AZD9291 (Osimertinib) Treatment on
      Positive PLasma T790M in EGFR-mutant NSCLC Patients. EORTC 1613.
AB  - The AZD9291 (Osimertinib) Treatment on Positive PLasma T790M in EGFR-mutant NSCLC
      Patients (APPLE) trial is a randomized, open-label, multicenter, 3-arm, phase II
      study in advanced, epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR)-mutant and EGFR
      tyrosine kinase inhibitor (TKI)-naive non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC)
      patients, to evaluate the best strategy for sequencing gefitinib and osimertinib
      treatment. Advanced EGFR-mutant NSCLC patients, with World Health Organization
      performance status 0-2 who are EGFR TKI treatment-naive and eligible to receive
      first-line treatment with EGFR TKI will be randomized to: In all arms, a
      plasmatic ctDNA T790M test will be performed by a central laboratory at the
      Medical University of Gdansk (Poland) but will be applied as a predictive marker
      for making treatment decisions only in arm B. The primary objective is to
      evaluate the best strategy for sequencing of treatment with gefitinib and
      osimertinib in advanced NSCLC patients with common EGFR mutations, and to
      understand the value of liquid biopsy for the decision-making process. The
      progression-free survival rate at 18 months is the primary end point of the
      trial. The activity of osimertinib versus gefitinib to prevent brain metastases
      will be evaluated.

PMID- 28341107
TI  - Comparison of clinical effects of epidural levobupivacaine morphine versus
      bupivacaine morphine in dogs undergoing elective pelvic limb surgery.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the efficacy, in terms of the amount of rescue analgesia
      required, and the clinical usefulness of epidural injection of morphine with
      bupivacaine or levobupivacaine for elective pelvic limb surgery in dogs during a
      24-hour perioperative period. STUDY DESIGN: Prospective, blinded, randomized
      clinical study. ANIMALS: A group of 26 dogs weighing 31.7 +/- 14.2 (mean +/-
      standard deviation) kg and aged 54 +/- 36 months. METHODS: All dogs were
      premedicated with methadone intravenously (0.2 mg kg-1) and anaesthesia induced
      with diazepam (0.2 mg kg-1) and propofol intravenously to effect. After induction
      of anaesthesia, dogs randomly received a lumbosacral epidural injection of
      morphine 0.1 mg kg-1 with either levobupivacaine 0.5% (1 mg kg-1; group LevoBM)
      or bupivacaine 0.5% (1 mg kg-1; group BM). Cardiovascular, respiratory and
      temperature values were recorded during the intra- and postoperative period. A
      visual analogue scale, subjective pain scale, sedation scale and the short form
      of the Glasgow pain scale were assessed every 6 hours after epidural injection
      during 24 hours. The ability to stand and walk, neurological deficits and other
      side effects were assessed at the same time points. The amount of rescue
      analgesia (sufentanil intraoperatively and methadone postoperatively) was
      recorded. RESULTS: No statistically significant differences were found between
      groups for any of the recorded data, with the exception of the incidence of
      spontaneous urination and postoperative rescue analgesia requirement. In group
      LevoBM four dogs spontaneously urinated at recovery while none of the dogs in
      group BM did (p = 0.03) and seven dogs of group LevoBM required postoperative
      rescue analgesia versus none of the dogs in the BM group (p = 0.005).
      CONCLUSIONS: and clinical relevance Epidural LevoBM is a suitable alternative to
      BM in healthy dogs during elective pelvic limb surgery. Epidural BM produced more
      urinary retention but better pain control compared to the same concentration and
      dose of LevoBM in dogs.

PMID- 28341108
TI  - Treatment Rationale and Design for J-AXEL: A Randomized Phase 3 Study Comparing
      Nab-Paclitaxel With Docetaxel in Patients With Previously Treated Advanced Non
      Small-Cell Lung Cancer.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Nanoparticle albumin-bound (nab) paclitaxel is a promising new
      therapeutic agent for all histologic types of non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC).
      We recently performed a phase 2 study of weekly nab-paclitaxel in patients with
      previously treated advanced NSCLC, finding promising activity and acceptable
      toxicity for this regimen. We have now designed a randomized phase 3 intergroup
      study (J-AXEL, UMIN000017487) to examine the clinical benefit and safety of nab
      paclitaxel compared to docetaxel in patients with previously treated advanced
      NSCLC. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Patients are randomized to receive either docetaxel
      (60 mg/m2 on day 1 every 3 weeks, control arm) or nab-paclitaxel (100 mg/m2 on
      days 1, 8, and 15 every 3 weeks, experimental arm), with each drug being
      administered until disease progression or unacceptable toxicity. The study will
      evaluate the noninferiority of nab-paclitaxel relative to docetaxel for the
      primary end point of overall survival. CONCLUSION: If the primary objective is
      achieved, this study will provide evidence for a new alternative treatment option
      for patients with previously treated advanced NSCLC.

PMID- 28341109
TI  - Phase 1/2 Study of the CD56-Targeting Antibody-Drug Conjugate Lorvotuzumab
      Mertansine (IMGN901) in Combination With Carboplatin/Etoposide in Small-Cell Lung
      Cancer Patients With Extensive-Stage Disease.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: This trial assessed the safety and efficacy of LM in combination
      with carboplatin/etoposide therapy compared to carboplatin/etoposide treatment
      alone in patients with previously untreated extensive-disease small-cell lung
      cancer (ED-SCLC). PATIENTS AND METHODS: A run-in phase 1 stage was used to
      determine the recommended phase 2 dose and characterize the dose-limiting
      toxicities of LM in combination with carboplatin/etoposide followed by LM alone
      in patients with CD56-positive solid tumors. In phase 2, chemotherapy-naive ED
      SCLC patients were randomized 2:1 to carboplatin AUC (area under the plasma
      concentration vs. time curve) of 5 day 1 + etoposide 100 mg/m2 days 1 to 3 plus
      LM (arm 1) or alone (arm 2). RESULTS: In the phase 1 study (n = 33), a dose of LM
      at 112 mg/m2 with carboplatin/etoposide was identified as the recommended phase 2
      dose. However, because of an increased incidence of peripheral neuropathy events
      during early phase 2, this dose was reduced to 90 mg/m2. In phase 2, a total of
      94 and 47 evaluable patients were assigned to arms 1 and 2, respectively. No
      difference in median progression-free survival was observed between arms 1 and 2
      (6.2 vs. 6.7 months). The most common treatment-emergent adverse event leading to
      discontinuation was peripheral neuropathy (29%). A total of 21 patients had a
      treatment-emergent adverse event leading to death (18 in arm 1 and 3 in arm 2);
      for 10 individuals, this was an infection (pneumonia or sepsis) deemed to be
      related to the study drug. CONCLUSION: The combination of LM plus
      carboplatin/etoposide did not improve efficacy over standard
      carboplatin/etoposide doublet therapy in ED-SCLC patients and showed increased
      toxicity, including a higher incidence of serious infections with fatal outcomes.

PMID- 28341110
TI  - Clinical Response to Everolimus of EGFR-Mutation-Positive NSCLC With Primary
      Resistance to EGFR TKIs.

PMID- 28341111
TI  - Generation, characterization and immunogenicity of a novel chimeric recombinant
      protein based on Plasmodium vivax AMA-1 and MSP119.
AB  - Plasmodium vivax is the most widely distributed malaria species and the most
      prevalent species of malaria in America and Asia. Vaccine development against P.
      vivax is considered a priority in the global program for the eradication of
      malaria. Earlier studies have characterized the Apical Membrane Antigen 1 (AMA-1)
      ectodomain and the C-terminal region (19kDa) of the Merozoite Surface Protein 1
      (MSP-1) of P. vivax as immunodominant antigens. Based on this characterization,
      we designed a chimeric recombinant protein containing both merozoite
      immunodominant domains (PvAMA166-MSP119). The recombinant PvAMA166-MSP119 was
      successfully expressed in Pichia pastoris and used to immunize two different
      mouse strains (BALB/c and C57BL/6) in the presence of the Poly (I:C) as an
      adjuvant. Immunization with the chimeric protein induced high antibody titers
      against both proteins in both strains of mice as detected by ELISA. Antisera also
      recognized the native proteins expressed on the merozoites of mature P. vivax
      schizonts. Moreover, this antigen was able to induce IFN-gamma-secreting cells in
      C57BL/6 mice. These findings indicate that this novel yeast recombinant protein
      containing PvAMA166 and PvMSP119 is advantageous, because of improved antibody
      titers and cellular immune response. Therefore, this formulation should be
      further developed for pre-clinical trials in non-human primates as a potential
      candidate for a P. vivax vaccine.

PMID- 28341112
TI  - Off-label use of vaccines.
AB  - This article reviews the off-label recommendations and use of vaccines, and
      focuses on the differences between the labelled instructions on how to use the
      vaccine as approved by the regulatory authorities (or "label"1), and the
      recommendations for use issued by public health advisory bodies at national and
      international levels. Differences between public health recommendations and the
      product label regarding the vaccine use can lead to confusion at the level of
      vaccinators and vaccinees and possibly result in lower compliance with national
      vaccination schedules. In particular, in many countries, the label may contain
      regulatory restrictions and warnings against vaccination of specific population
      groups (e.g. pregnant women) due to a lack of evidence of safety from controlled
      trials at the time of initial licensure of the vaccine, while public health
      authorities may recommend the same vaccine for that group, based on additional
      post-marketing data and benefit risk analyses. We provide an overview of the
      different responsibilities between regulatory authorities and public health
      advisory bodies, and the rationale for off-label use2 of vaccines, the challenges
      involved based on the impact of off-label use in real-life. We propose to reduce
      off-label use of vaccines by requiring the manufacturer to regularly adapt the
      label as much as possible to the public health needs as supported by new
      evidence. This would require manufacturers to collect and report post-marketing
      data, communicate them to all stakeholders and regulators to extrapolate existing
      evidence (when acceptable) to other groups or to other brands of a vaccine (class
      effect3). Regulatory authorities have a key role to play by requesting additional
      post-marketing data, e.g. in specific target groups. When public health
      recommendations for vaccine use that are outside labelled indications are
      considered necessary, good communication between regulatory bodies, public health
      authorities, companies and health care providers or vaccinators is crucial.
      Recommendations as well as labels and label changes should be evidence-based. The
      rationale for the discrepancy and the recommended off-label use of a vaccine
      should be communicated to providers.

PMID- 28341113
TI  - Dynamics of African horse sickness virus nucleic acid and antibody in horses
      following immunization with a commercial polyvalent live attenuated vaccine.
AB  - African horse sickness (AHS) is a fatal disease of equids relevant to the global
      equine industry. Detection of AHS virus (AHSV) during outbreaks has become more
      rapid and efficient with the advent of group specific reverse transcriptase
      quantitative polymerase chain reaction (GS RT-qPCR) assays to detect AHSV nucleic
      acid. Use of GS RT-qPCR together with recently described type specific (TS RT
      qPCR) assays cannot only expedite diagnosis of AHS but also facilitate further
      evaluation of the dynamics of AHSV infection in the equine host. A potential
      limitation to the application of these assays is that they detect viral nucleic
      acid originating from any AHS live attenuated vaccine (LAV), which is the vaccine
      type routinely administered to horses in South Africa. The aim of this study was
      to contrast the dynamics and duration of the RNAaemia to the serological
      responses of horses following immunization with a commercial polyvalent AHSV-LAV
      using GS and TS RT-qPCR assays and serum neutralisation tests. The results of the
      study showed extended RNAemia in vaccinated horses, and that more horses tested
      positive on GS RT-qPCR with lower Cq values after receiving the AHSV-LAV
      containing types 1, 3 and 4 prior to the vaccine containing types 2, 6, 7 and 8,
      rather than when the vaccine combinations were reversed. Furthermore, lower Cq
      values were obtained when vaccines were administered 4weeks apart as compared
      with a longer interval or 12weeks apart. These findings are of particular
      relevance in regions where AHSV-LAVs are used as the use of these vaccines may
      complicate the accurate interpretation of diagnostic testing results.

PMID- 28341114
TI  - Measuring maternal Tdap and influenza vaccination rates: Comparison of two
      population-based methods.
AB  - Pregnant women are routinely recommended to receive Tdap and influenza vaccines
      to prevent disease and complications among mothers and newborns. Monitoring
      population trends in maternal vaccination is important in order to evaluate the
      implementation of these recommendations and to identify pockets of need. We
      present two methods for measuring maternal vaccination among a state population
      and discuss the strengths and drawbacks of each method. First, we matched
      maternal information from records of Wisconsin births during 2013-2015 with
      maternal vaccination records in the Wisconsin Immunization Registry. Second, we
      used an all-payer health insurance claims database to identify Wisconsin women
      with deliveries during 2013-2015 and vaccinations received during pregnancy. Both
      methods produced similar trends and indicated a substantial increase in the
      percentage of women receiving Tdap during pregnancy, and lower vaccination rates
      among women who were Medicaid-insured. When available and timely, both methods
      are useful for monitoring maternal vaccination.

PMID- 28341115
TI  - Fewer out-of-sequence vaccinations and reduction of child mortality in Northern
      Ghana.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Studies suggest that diphtheria-tetanus-pertussis (DTP) vaccine
      administered simultaneously with measles vaccine (MV) or DTP administered after
      MV are associated with higher child mortality than having MV-after-DTP3 as most
      recent vaccination. We tested this in Northern Ghana where the prevalence of such
      out-of-sequence vaccinations has declined. METHODS: Using annual cohort data of
      children aged 12-23months from 1996 to 2012 and Cox proportional hazards models,
      we assessed survival in relation to the most recent vaccination status within the
      next 12months and until five years of age. We assessed whether mortality in
      children aged 12-59months was higher when the most recent vaccine was non-live
      (DTP) rather than live (MV or OPV). RESULTS: Out-of-sequence vaccinations with
      DTP-containing vaccines and MV declined from 86% in 1989 to 24% in 1996 and 0.7%
      in 2012. Between 1996 and 2012, 38 070 children had their vaccinations status
      assessed: the adjusted hazard ratio (HR) for out-of-sequence vaccinations
      (DTP>=MV) compared with the recommended sequence of MV-after-DTP3 was 1.42(1.06
      1.90) during the first 12months after assessment of vaccination status and
      1.29(1.03-1.60) with follow-up to five years of age; the HR was 2.58(1.14-5.84)
      before OPV or MV campaigns and 1.37(1.02-1.85) after the campaigns. CONCLUSION:
      Out-of-sequence vaccinations with DTP and MV are associated with higher mortality
      than MV as most recent vaccination; the effect is unlikely to be due to
      confounding. Hence, the reduction in out-of-sequence vaccinations may have
      lowered child mortality. It is recommended not to give DTP with MV or DTP after
      MV.

PMID- 28341116
TI  - Management and outcomes of acute pancreatitis patients over the last decade: A US
      tertiary-center experience.
AB  - BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES: Acute pancreatitis (AP) management remains largely
      supportive and can be challenging in patients with severe disease. This study
      aims to describe a ten-year US tertiary-center experience in managing AP
      patients. METHODS: Clinical management and outcomes of 400 prospectively enrolled
      AP patients stratified by the Revised Atlanta Classification were analyzed;
      trends in management between early (2004-2008) and late enrollment phase (2009
      2014) were assessed. RESULTS: Fifty-two% of patients were classified as mild AP
      (MAP); moderately severe (MoAP) and severe (SAP) grades contained 23.5% and 24.5%
      of participants. Intravenous fluid administration during the first 24 h (MAP 3.7,
      MoAP 4.7, and SAP 4.8 L), need for ICU (6%, 23%, 93%), and nutritional support
      (7%, 51%, 90%) increased significantly with greater AP severity (p < 0.001). One
      hundred fifty five (39%) patients developed necrotizing AP, of which 41% received
      prophylactic antibiotics, and 44% underwent pancreatic drainage/debridement.
      Prophylactic antibiotics (58% vs. 27%) and interventions (63% vs. 27%) were noted
      more frequently in SAP than MoAP (p < 0.001). Enteral nutrition (18% vs. 30%) and
      minimally invasive pancreatic interventions (19% vs. 41%) were more commonly used
      in the late phase (p < 0.05). The overall median length of hospitalization was 7
      days reaching 29 days in SAP group. Mortality was 5%; all deaths occurred in SAP
      group. CONCLUSIONS: This study provides an extensive report on clinical
      management of AP and its trends overtime. Pancreatic intervention is required in
      less than 50% of patients with necrotizing pancreatitis. Utilization of enteral
      nutrition and minimally invasive pancreatic interventions has been increasing
      over time.

PMID- 28341118
TI  - Efficacy of emergency transarterial embolization in acute lower gastrointestinal
      bleeding: A single-center experience.
AB  - PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to assess the safety and efficacy of
      transcatheter arterial embolization (TAE) in the treatment of acute lower
      gastrointestinal bleeding (LGIB) and to determine the potential factors that
      influence treatment outcome. MATERIAL AND METHODS: A total of 38 patients with
      acute LGIB who were treated by TAE were retrospectively included. There were 24
      men and 14 women, with a mean age of 61 years (range: 9-84 years). Patient
      characteristics, laboratory findings, treatments, causes of bleeding,
      angiographic findings, and outcomes were reviewed. RESULTS: Active contrast
      extravasation was observed in 26/38 patients (68.4%) and was the most frequent
      angiographic finding, followed by abnormal mucosal staining (8/38; 21.1%) and
      tumor staining (4/38; 10.5%). Technical success of TAE was obtained in 35/38
      patients (92%) whereas technical failure was observed in 3/38 patients (8%).
      Clinical success rate following TAE was 63%. Bowel ischemia occurred in 5/38
      patients (13%) following TAE; mild ischemia without sequelae was observed in 3
      patients and severe ischemias with bowel perforation requiring surgery in 2
      patients. No variables were identified as significant predictive factors of
      failed TAE. CONCLUSION: TAE is a safe and effective treatment to control massive
      acute LGIB, especially in the emergency setting with a clinical success rate of
      63%.

PMID- 28341117
TI  - Progress and challenges in maternal health in western China: a Countdown to 2015
      national case study.
AB  - BACKGROUND: China is one of the few Countdown countries to have achieved
      Millennium Development Goal 5 (75% reduction in maternal mortality ratio between
      1990 and 2015). We aimed to examine the health systems and contextual factors
      that might have contributed to the substantial decline in maternal mortality
      between 1997 and 2014. We chose to focus on western China because poverty, ethnic
      diversity, and geographical access represent particular challenges to ensuring
      universal access to maternal care in the region. METHODS: In this systematic
      assessment, we used data from national census reports, National Statistical
      Yearbooks, the National Maternal and Child Health Routine Reporting System, the
      China National Health Accounts report, and National Health Statistical Yearbooks
      to describe changes in policies, health financing, health workforce, health
      infrastructure, coverage of maternal care, and maternal mortality by region
      between 1997 and 2014. We used a multivariate linear regression model to examine
      which contextual and health systems factors contributed to the regional variation
      in maternal mortality ratio in the same period. Using data from a cross-sectional
      survey in 2011, we also examined equity in access to maternity care in 42 poor
      counties in western China. FINDINGS: Maternal mortality declined by 8.9% per year
      between 1997 and 2014 (geometric mean ratio for each year 0.91, 95% CI 0.91
      0.92). After adjusting for GDP per capita, length of highways, female illiteracy,
      the number of licensed doctors per 1000 population, and the proportion of ethnic
      minorities, the maternal mortality ratio was 118% higher in the western region
      (2.18, 1.44-3.28) and 41% higher in the central region (1.41, 0.99-2.01) than in
      the eastern region. In the rural western region, the proportion of births in
      health facilities rose from 41.9% in 1997 to 98.4% in 2014. Underpinning such
      progress was the Government's strong commitment to long-term strategies to ensure
      access to delivery care in health facilities-eg, professionalisation of maternity
      care in large hospitals, effective referral systems for women medically or
      socially at high risk, and financial subsidies for antenatal and delivery care.
      However, in the poor western counties, substantial disparity by education level
      of the mother existed in access to health facility births (44% of illiterate
      women vs 100% of those with college or higher education), antenatal care (17% vs
      69%) had at least four visits), and caesarean section (8% vs 44%).
      INTERPRETATION: Despite remarkable progress in maternal survival in China,
      substantial disparities remain, especially for the poor, less educated, and
      ethnic minority groups in remote areas in western China. Whether China's highly
      medicalised model of maternity care will be an answer for these populations is
      uncertain. A strategy modelled after China's immunisation programme, whereby care
      is provided close to the women's homes, might need to be explored, with township
      hospitals taking a more prominent role. FUNDING: Government of Canada, UNICEF,
      and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.

PMID- 28341119
TI  - Atypical presentation of symptomatic accessory soleus muscle: Imaging findings.

PMID- 28341120
TI  - Voice Quality Following Unilateral Vocal Fold Paralysis: A Randomized Comparison
      of Therapeutic Modalities.
AB  - In this work, a study on the efficacy of different therapeutic modalities in
      patients with unilateral vocal fold paralysis (UVFP) was carried out. The study
      included 20 patients with UVFP, divided into two groups. The objective of this
      work is to evaluate the voice quality in these patients and to compare the voice
      following surgery and voice therapy. Group I received voice therapy and group II
      underwent thyroplasty type I and type IV. The voice was assessed pretreatment and
      1 and 3 months posttreatment. Different parameters, such as habitual fundamental
      frequency (F0), signal-to-noise ratio, jitter, shimmer, maximum phonation
      duration, s/z ratio, and objective and subjective ratings of dysphonia, were
      analyzed. It was observed that in group I, all the parameters in seven out of ten
      patients improved significantly, except for shimmer. In group II, voice quality
      improved in 70% of the patients with all the parameters. As per previous studies,
      jitter and shimmer improved after a rehabilitation procedure. However, in this
      work, it is observed that shimmer did not improve in patients receiving voice
      therapy. The present study is the first of its type documenting and comparing the
      efficacy of voice therapy and thyroplasty type I and type IV in patients with
      UVFP.

PMID- 28341121
TI  - Activation of EphA1-Epha receptor axis attenuates diabetic nephropathy in mice.
AB  - The Eph family of receptor tyrosine kinases serves as key modulators of various
      cellular functions, including inflammation, hypertrophy and fibrosis. Recent
      analyses have revealed that a member of the Eph family, EphA1, plays a pivotal
      role in regulating insulin metabolism and kidney injury. However, the importance
      of EphA1 in diabetic nephropathy has not been recognized. We established a
      diabetic nephropathy mouse model using a high-fat diet and streptozotocin (STZ)
      injection. Then, the recombinant adeno-associated virus type 9 (AAV9)
      overexpressing EphA1 or a negative control was injected locally into the kidney.
      Metabolite testing and histopathological analyses of kidney fibrosis, pancreatic
      islet function and signaling pathways were evaluated. Our study showed that
      hyperglycemia, insulin resistance, and renal fibrosis accompanied the
      deterioration of kidney function in diabetic mice. The overexpression of EphA1 in
      the kidney attenuated renal fibrosis and improved kidney function but did not
      affect systemic glucose metabolism and pancreatic islet function. Furthermore,
      the overexpression of EphA1 decreased the phosphorylation of ERK1/2, JNK and
      MYPT1 (a substrate of Rho kinase). The overexpression of EphA1 can be
      therapeutically targeted to inhibit diabetic renal fibrosis, which suggests that
      the EphA1-Epha receptor axis may be a novel therapy target for diabetic
      nephropathy. Mechanistically, the overexpression of EphA1 could inhibit MAPK and
      the Rho pathway in diabetic kidneys.

PMID- 28341122
TI  - Molecular dynamics simulations of Zika virus NS3 helicase: Insights into RNA
      binding site activity.
AB  - America is still suffering with the outbreak of Zika virus (ZIKV) infection.
      Congenital ZIKV syndrome has already caused a public health emergency of
      international concern. However, there are still no vaccines to prevent or drugs
      to treat the infection caused by ZIKV. The ZIKV NS3 helicase (NS3h) protein is a
      promising target for drug discovery due to its essential role in viral genome
      replication. NS3h unwinds the viral RNA to enable the replication of the viral
      genome by the NS5 protein. NS3h contains two important binding sites: the NTPase
      binding site and the RNA binding site. Here, we used molecular dynamics (MD)
      simulations to study the molecular behavior of ZIKV NS3h in the presence and
      absence of ssRNA and the potential implications for NS3h activity and inhibition.
      Although there is conformational variability and poor electron densities of the
      RNA binding loop in various apo flaviviruses NS3h crystallographic structures,
      the MD trajectories of NS3h-ssRNA demonstrated that the RNA binding loop becomes
      more stable when NS3h is occupied by RNA. Our results suggest that the presence
      of RNA generates important interactions with the RNA binding loop, and these
      interactions stabilize the loop sufficiently that it remains in a closed
      conformation. This closed conformation likely keeps the ssRNA bound to the
      protein for a sufficient duration to enable the unwinding/replication activities
      of NS3h to occur. In addition, conformational changes of this RNA binding loop
      can change the nature and location of the optimal ligand binding site, according
      to ligand binding site prediction results. These are important findings to help
      guide the design and discovery of new inhibitors of NS3h as promising compounds
      to treat the ZIKV infection.

PMID- 28341123
TI  - Acetaminophen analog N-acetyl-m-aminophenol, but not its reactive metabolite, N
      acetyl-p-benzoquinone imine induces CYP3A activity via inhibition of protein
      degradation.
AB  - Cytochrome P450 (CYP) 3A subfamily members are known to metabolize various types
      of drugs, highlighting the importance of understanding drug-drug interactions
      (DDI) depending on CYP3A induction or inhibition. While transcriptional
      regulation of CYP3A members is widely understood, post-translational regulation
      needs to be elucidated. We previously reported that acetaminophen (APAP) induces
      CYP3A activity via inhibition of protein degradation and proposed a novel DDI
      concept. N-Acetyl-p-benzoquinone imine (NAPQI), the reactive metabolite of APAP
      formed by CYP, is known to cause adverse events related to depletion of
      intracellular reduced glutathione (GSH). We aimed to inspect whether NAPQI rather
      than APAP itself could cause the inhibitory effects on protein degradation. We
      found that N-acetyl-l-cysteine, the precursor of GSH, and 1-aminobenzotriazole, a
      nonselective CYP inhibitor, had no effect on CYP3A1/23 protein levels affected by
      APAP. Thus, we used APAP analogs to test CYP3A1/23 mRNA levels, protein levels,
      and CYP3A activity. We found N-acetyl-m-aminophenol (AMAP), a regioisomer of
      APAP, has the same inhibitory effects of CYP3A1/23 protein degradation, while p
      acetamidobenzoic acid (PAcBA), a carboxy-substituted form of APAP, shows no
      inhibitory effects. AMAP and PAcBA cannot be oxidized to quinone imine forms such
      as NAPQI, so the inhibitory effects could depend on the specific chemical
      structure of APAP.

PMID- 28341124
TI  - Tenascin-C is a potential cancer-associated fibroblasts marker and predicts poor
      prognosis in prostate cancer.
AB  - Tenascin-C (TNC), as a member of the extracellular matrix (ECM), plays an
      important role in cancer cell proliferation and migration and tumor invasion in
      various types of cancer. Here, we attempted to investigate the role of TNC as a
      prognostic factor in prostate cancer. We studied TNC expression via
      immunohistochemistry in 145 prostate cancer tissue samples. The
      clinicopathological relevance of TNC expression was examined, as well as other
      cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs)-related factors. Our results showed that the
      high levels of TNC expression in prostate cancer stroma was significantly
      associated with lymph node metastasis (P = 0.024) and clinical stage (P = 0.032).
      Furthermore, TNC was positively correlated with increased micro-vessel density
      (MVD) (P = 0.017) and tumor associated macrophage (TAM) population (P = 0.025).
      In both univariate and multivariate Cox regression analyses, TNC (P < 0.001) was
      an independent poor prognostic factor for overall survival in prostate cancer
      patients. Moreover, over-expression of TNC (P < 0.001), SMA (P = 0.042) and
      vimentin (P = 0.010) were significantly correlated with the lower overall
      survival. In addition, TNC expression in prostate cancer stroma was significantly
      associated with FSP1 (P = 0.011), SMA (P = 0.021), and vimentin (P = 0.002). In
      conclusion, our study revealed that high level of TNC as a potential biomarker of
      CAFs was significantly correlated with the poor prognosis for prostate cancer
      patients.

PMID- 28341125
TI  - Corrigendum to "Reduction of dioxin-like toxicity in effluents by additional
      wastewater treatment and related effects in fish" [Ecotoxicol. Environ. Saf. 132
      (2016) 47-58].

PMID- 28341126
TI  - Rasmussen and the boundaries of empirical evaluation.
AB  - In this special issue, many of the papers focus on Rasmussen's analytic
      contributions to the understanding of work in complex sociotechnical systems.
      Work is analysed for the purpose of developing new designs that can improve the
      nature of that work. The evaluation of such designs was a key part of Rasmussen's
      program, yet he was often sceptical of the claims made for the generalizability
      of empirical studies. To tackle this problem, he extended his work analysis
      framework to provide a way of thinking about empirical evaluation. As authors of
      this paper, we come from two different backgrounds-systems engineering in the
      case of Burns, and engineering psychology in the case of Sanderson-and over the
      decades of our respective research programs, we have both performed many
      empirical investigations: field investigations, simulation studies, and
      behavioural laboratory experiments. Rasmussen's scepticism-and his writings on
      the issue-have stimulated and shaped our own research. In this brief paper we
      present our interpretation of Rasmussen's perspective, we provide examples how
      our research sits within Rasmussen's framework of constraints defining boundary
      conditions for experiments, and we draw conclusions for the future.

PMID- 28341127
TI  - Effects of coal contamination on early life history processes of a reef-building
      coral, Acropora tenuis.
AB  - Successful reproduction and larval dispersal are important for the persistence of
      marine invertebrate populations, and these early life history processes can be
      sensitive to marine pollution. Coal is emerging as a contaminant of interest due
      to the proximity of ports and shipping lanes to coral reefs. To assess the
      potential hazard of this contaminant, gametes, newly developed embryos, larvae
      and juveniles of the coral Acropora tenuis were exposed to a range of coal
      leachate, suspended coal, and coal smothering treatments. Fertilisation was the
      most sensitive reproductive process tested. Embryo survivorship decreased with
      increasing suspended coal concentrations and exposure duration, effects on larval
      settlement varied between treatments, while effects on juvenile survivorship were
      minimal. Leachate exposures had negligible effects on fertilisation and larval
      settlement. These results indicate that coral recruitment could be affected by
      spills that produce plumes of suspended coal particles which interact with
      gametes and embryos soon after spawning.

PMID- 28341128
TI  - [A bronchial mucous gland adenoma resected by endoscopic procedure].
AB  - INTRODUCTION: Surgical resection is usually performed for the treatment of
      endobronchial tumors. This case describes the use of endoscopic resection as an
      initial treatment, allowing to spare lung parenchyma. CASE REPORT: A patient was
      admitted to the emergency unit with right lower lobe pneumonia. A thoracic CT
      scan and subsequent bronchoscopy revealed an intrabronchial tumor between the
      right main and intermediate bronchus. Biopsies were non-diagnostic and a PET
      scanner did not find any abnormalities. Surgical resection was initially proposed
      but would have required a right upper lobectomy. The patient had stage 2
      (moderate) chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (GOLD classification). Because
      of this, we decided to perform an endoscopic resection to obtain further
      histology and hopefully achieve total removal. Under conscious sedation, the
      resection by argon plasma coagulation with a flexible bronchoscope was realized
      without any complication. The histological diagnosis was a bronchial mucous gland
      adenoma. CONCLUSION: This case emphasizes the role of multidisciplinary
      discussion when considering suitability of local resection of tumors by an
      endobronchial procedure rather than a surgical resection.

PMID- 28341129
TI  - Optimal hand washing technique to minimize bacterial contamination before
      neuraxial anesthesia: a randomized control trial.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: Infectious complications related to neuraxial anesthesia may result
      in adverse outcomes. There are no best practice guidelines regarding hand
      sanitizing measures specifically for these procedures. The objective of this
      study was to compare the growth of microbial organisms on the operator's forearm
      between five common techniques of hand washing for labor epidurals. METHODS: In
      this single blind randomized controlled trial, all anesthesiologists performing
      labor epidurals in a tertiary care hospital were randomized into five study
      groups: hand washing with alcohol gel only up to elbows (Group A); hand washing
      with soap up to elbows, sterile towel to dry, followed by alcohol gel (Group B);
      hand washing with soap up to elbows, non-sterile towel to dry, followed by
      alcohol gel (Group C); hand washing with soap up to elbows, non-sterile towel to
      dry (Group D) or hand washing with soap up to elbows, sterile towel to dry (Group
      E). The number of colonies for each specimen/rate per 100 specimens on one or
      both arms per group was measured. RESULTS: The incidence of colonization was 2.5,
      23.0, 18.5, 114.5, and 53.0 in Groups A, B, C, D and E, respectively. Compared to
      Group A, the odds ratio of bacterial growth for Group B was 1.52 (P=0.519), Group
      C 5.44 (P=0.003), Group D 13.82 (P<0.001), and Group E 8.65 (P<0.001).
      CONCLUSION: Alcohol-based antiseptic solutions are superior in terms of reducing
      the incidence of colonization. The results will enable us to develop guidelines
      to standardize and improve hand-sanitizing practices among epidural
      practitioners.

PMID- 28341131
TI  - Neural evidence that inhibition is linked to the affective devaluation of
      distractors that match the contents of working memory.
AB  - Stimuli appearing as visual distractors subsequently receive more negative
      affective evaluations than novel items or prior targets of attention. Leading
      accounts question whether this distractor devaluation effect occurs through
      evaluative codes that become associated with distractors as a mere artefact of
      attention-task instructions, or through affective consequences of attentional
      inhibition when applied to prevent distractor interference. Here we test opposing
      predictions arising from the evaluative-coding and devaluation-by-inhibition
      hypotheses using an electrophysiological marker of attentional inhibition in a
      task that requires participants to avoid interference from abstract-shape
      distractors presented while maintaining a uniquely-colored stimulus in memory.
      Consistent with prior research, distractors that matched the colour of the
      stimulus being held in memory elicited a Pd component of the event-related
      potential waveform, indicating that their processing was being actively
      suppressed. Subsequent affective evaluations revealed that memory-matching
      distractors also received more negative ratings than non-matching distractors or
      previously-unseen shapes. Moreover, Pd magnitude was greater on trials in which
      the memory-matching distractors were later rated negatively than on trials
      preceding positive ratings. These results support the devaluation-by-inhibition
      hypothesis and strongly suggest that fluctuations in stimulus inhibition are
      closely associated with subsequent affective evaluations. In contrast, none of
      the evaluative-coding based predictions were confirmed.

PMID- 28341132
TI  - Stochastic modeling and numerical simulation of gene regulatory networks with
      protein bursting.
AB  - Gene expression is inherently stochastic. Advanced single-cell microscopy
      techniques together with mathematical models for single gene expression led to
      important insights in elucidating the sources of intrinsic noise in prokaryotic
      and eukaryotic cells. In addition to the finite size effects due to low copy
      numbers, translational bursting is a dominant source of stochasticity in cell
      scenarios involving few short lived mRNA transcripts with high translational
      efficiency (as is typically the case for prokaryotes), causing protein synthesis
      to occur in random bursts. In the context of gene regulation cascades, the
      Chemical Master Equation (CME) governing gene expression has in general no closed
      form solution, and the accurate stochastic simulation of the dynamics of complex
      gene regulatory networks is a major computational challenge. The CME associated
      to a single gene self regulatory motif has been previously approximated by a one
      dimensional time dependent partial integral differential equation (PIDE).
      However, to the best of our knowledge, multidimensional versions for such PIDE
      have not been developed yet. Here we propose a multidimensional PIDE model for
      regulatory networks involving multiple genes with self and cross regulations (in
      which genes can be regulated by different transcription factors) derived as the
      continuous counterpart of a CME with jump process. The model offers a reliable
      description of systems with translational bursting. In order to provide an
      efficient numerical solution, we develop a semilagrangian method to discretize
      the differential part of the PIDE, combined with a composed trapezoidal
      quadrature formula to approximate the integral term. We apply the model and
      numerical method to study sustained stochastic oscillations and the development
      of competence, a particular case of transient differentiation attained by certain
      bacterial cells under stress conditions. We found that the resulting probability
      distributions are distinguishable from those characteristic of other transient
      differentiation processes. In this way, they can be employed as markers or
      signatures that identify such phenomena from bacterial population experimental
      data, for instance. The computational efficiency of the semilagrangian method
      makes it suitable for purposes like model identification and parameter estimation
      from experimental data or, in combination with optimization routines, the design
      of gene regulatory networks under molecular noise.

PMID- 28341133
TI  - Sperm cryopreservation in the spermcasting Australian flat oyster Ostrea angasi
      by a programmable freezing method.
AB  - Cryopreservation offers long-term storage of gametes without constraint from
      seasonal gamete maturation, provides opportunities to improve the efficiency of
      breeding and genetic programs, and protects endangered species from extinction
      due to epidemic diseases and natural disasters. In this study, a protocol for
      cryopreserving sperm of the spermcasting Australian flat oyster Ostrea angasi was
      developed by optimizing key factors influencing the quality of cryopreserved
      sperm. Dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) was non-toxic to sperm within the concentration
      and duration assessed in the toxicity experiment whereas 10% methanol or a higher
      concentration was toxic to sperm from the exposure duration of 30 min onwards.
      DMSO produced higher post-thaw sperm motility among the treatments with a single
      cryoprotectant. The inclusion of trehalose or glucose with DMSO further increased
      the post-thaw sperm motility (%) and plasma membrane integrity (PMI). Sperm
      equilibrated for 30 min showed higher post-thaw motility and PMI than those for
      10 or 50 min. Higher post-thaw sperm motility and PMI were achieved at the
      freezing rate of -3  degrees C/min than at -7  degrees C/min. Sperm packaged in
      0.5 ml straws had a higher post-thaw motility and PMI than those packaged in 0.25
      ml straws. In this study, 44.4% post-thaw sperm motility and 49.2% PMI were
      achieved when sperm were equilibrated in 10% DMSO +0.45 M trehalose for 30 min,
      packaged in 0.5 ml straws, frozen at -3  degrees C/min from 4  degrees C to -80 
      degrees C, and thawed at 40  degrees C for 8 s. The availability of viable
      cryopreserved sperm would open an option for future breeding and genetic
      improvement programs for the spermcasting Australian flat oyster.

PMID- 28341134
TI  - Metabolic changes in droplet vitrified semen of wild endangered Persian sturgeon
      Acipenser persicus (Borodin, 1997).
AB  - Comparative quantitative metabolite profiling can be used for better
      understanding of cell functions and dysfunctions in particular circumstances such
      as sperm banking which is an important approach for cryopreservation of
      endangered species. Cryopreservation techniques have some deleterious effects on
      spermatozoa which put the obtained results in controversy. Therefore, in the
      present study, quantitative 1H NMR (Nuclear Magnetic Resonance) based metabolite
      profiling was conducted to evaluate metabolite changes related to energetics and
      some other detected metabolites in vitrified semen of critically endangered wild
      Acipenser persicus. The semen was diluted with extenders containing 0, 5, 10, and
      15 MUM of fish antifreeze protein (AFP) type III as a cryoprotectant. Semen
      extenders were vitrified and stored for two days. Based on post-thaw motility
      duration and motility percentage assessments, two treatments with 10 MUM and 0
      MUM of AFP had the highest and the lowest motility percentages respectively and
      they were objected to 1H NMR spectroscopy investigations in order to reveal the
      extremes of the metabolites dynamic range. Univariate (ANOVA) and multivariate
      (PCA) analysis of the resulting metabolic profiles indicated significant changes
      (P > 0.05) in metabolites. The level of some metabolites including acetate,
      adenine, creatine, creatine phosphate, lactate, betaine, sarcosine, beta-alanine
      and trimethylamine N-oxide significantly decreased in vitrified semen while some
      others such as creatinine, guanidinoacetate, N, N-dimethylglycine, and glycine
      significantly increased. There were also significant differences between
      vitrified treatments in levels of creatine, creatine phosphate, creatinine,
      glucose, guanidinoacetate, lactate, N, N-dimethylglycine, and glycine, suggesting
      how fish AFP type III can be effective as a cryoprotectant.

PMID- 28341135
TI  - Methamphetamine induces hepatotoxicity via inhibiting cell division, arresting
      cell cycle and activating apoptosis: In vivo and in vitro studies.
AB  - Methamphetamine (METH) resulted in acute hepatic injury. However, the underlying
      mechanisms have not been fully clarified. In the present study, rats were treated
      with METH (15 mg/kg B.W.) for 8 injections (i.p.), and the levels of alanine
      transaminase, asparatate transaminase and ammonia in serum were significantly
      elevated over those in the control group, suggesting hepatic injury, which was
      evidenced by histopathological observation. Analysis of the liver tissues with
      microarray revealed differential expressions of a total of 332 genes in METH
      treated rats. According to the GO and KEGG annotations, a large number of down
      regulated cell cycle genes were screened out, suggesting that METH induced cell
      cycle arrest and deficient of cell cycle checkpoint. Related genes and proteins
      were confirmed by RT-qPCR and western blotting in rat livers, respectively.
      Moreover, treatment of Brl-3A cells with METH caused significant cytotoxic
      response and marked cell cycle arrest. Furthermore, overexpressions of Cidea,
      cleaved caspase 3 and PARP 1 in METH-treated rats indicated activation of
      apoptosis, while its inhibition alleviated cell death in Brl-3A cells, suggesting
      that activation of apoptosis took an important role in METH-induced
      hepatotoxicity. Taken together, the present study demonstrates that METH induced
      hepatotoxicity via inducing cell cycle arrest and activating apoptosis.

PMID- 28341136
TI  - Criteria for the evidence-based categorisation of skin sensitisers.

PMID- 28341137
TI  - Targeting hepatocellular carcinoma with piperine by radical-mediated
      mitochondrial pathway of apoptosis: An in vitro and in vivo study.
AB  - Redox mediated cancer therapeutics are of immense interest in the recent decade
      due to their anticancer activity. Piperine is the principal alkaloid of black and
      long pepper. Although its anticancer activity has been reported in number of
      cancers , the precise molecular mechanism of action remains to be unravelled.
      Hence, in this study, for the first time, we delineated the mechanistic insight
      into the effect of piperine against hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC).MTT analysis
      determined the dose and time dependent cytotoxicity of piperine against Hep G2
      cells. Further molecular studies evidenced the prooxidant property of piperine by
      inducing H2O2 driven mitochondria-mediated apoptosis in Hep G2 cells by
      inhibiting the peroxide detoxifying enzyme Catalase. Molecular docking and
      western blotting analysis uncovered the piperine mediated receptor tyrosine
      kinase inhibition and mitigation of HCC progression. In addition, histological
      investigations of piperine - treated, DEN-induced HCC rats showed significant
      prognosis with apoptotic cell death. Whereas,co-treatment of an antioxidant EUK
      134 significantly abrogated its chemotherapeutic activity substantiating its
      radical-mediated anticancer property. Altogether, this study shows that the
      piperine may be a promising prooxidant drug for the amelioration of
      hepatocellular carcinoma.

PMID- 28341138
TI  - Depression is Associated with Increased Risk for Metabolic Syndrome in Latinos
      with Type 2 Diabetes.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: Latino adults are 66% more likely to have diabetes relative to non
      Latino white adults. Prior research identifies depression as a significant risk
      factor for metabolic syndrome (MetS), but research examining this among Latinos
      is lacking. This study sought to examine the links between depression and MetS
      and clinically significant elevations in cardiovascular disease risk markers of
      MetS in a sample of community-dwelling older Latinos with type 2 diabetes.
      METHODS: Participants were 332 community-dwelling older (>=60 years) Latinos with
      type 2 diabetes who completed the nine-item Patient Health Questionnaire and
      received a health checkup assessing body mass index (BMI), triglyceride and high
      density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol levels, and blood pressure. Logistic
      regression analysis compared MetS rates of those meeting criteria for depression
      with those who did not. Secondary analyses examined the associations between
      depression and individual MetS components. All analyses controlled for
      demographic (e.g., income, age) and other potential MetS risk factors (e.g.,
      smoking status, physical activity, alcohol level consumption). RESULTS:
      Depression was significantly associated with an increased risk of MetS (OR: 5.79;
      95% CI: 1.32-25.42) and clinically significant elevations in triglycerides (OR:
      2.71; 95% CI: 1.15-6.42) and reduced (HDL) cholesterol (OR: 2.46; 95% CI: 1.11
      5.45). A significant association was not observed between depression and either
      BMI or hypertension. CONCLUSION: Depression is significantly linked to MetS, and
      most notably dyslipidemia, in older Latinos with diabetes. Causation, however,
      cannot be inferred from these analyses given the cross-sectional nature of the
      study. Future research should prospectively examine the directionality of this
      effect.

PMID- 28341140
TI  - A meta-analysis of the efficacy of prophylactic alpha-blockade for the prevention
      of urinary retention following primary unilateral inguinal hernia repair.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Urinary retention following inguinal hernia surgery is common and is
      believed to be associated with adrenergic over-stimulation of the smooth muscle
      in the bladder neck and prostate. The efficacy of prophylactic alpha-blockade in
      the prevention of urinary retention following elective inguinal hernia repair in
      males is unknown. METHODS: A comprehensive literature search was performed
      adhering to PRISMA guidelines. Each study was reviewed and data were extracted.
      Random-effects models were used to combine data. RESULTS: Five randomized studies
      describing 456 patients were identified. General or spinal anaesthetic were used.
      Prophylactic alpha-blockade decreases the risk of urinary retention requiring
      catheterisation following elective unilateral inguinal hernia repair compared to
      control groups (OR:0.179, 95% CI:0.043-0.747, p:0.018). Rates of urinary
      retention between treatment and control groups are reduced by 20.6%. No serious
      complications relating to alpha blockade occurred. CONCLUSIONS: Prophylactic
      alpha-blockade reduces urinary retention following elective inguinal hernia
      surgery under general or spinal anaesthetic.

PMID- 28341139
TI  - Comparison of topical mupirocin and gentamicin in the prevention of peritoneal
      dialysis-related infections: A systematic review and meta-analysis.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Topical antibiotics have been shown to reduce exit-site infection and
      peritonitis. The aim of this study was to compare infection rates between
      mupirocin and gentamicin. METHODS: Multiple comprehensive databases were searched
      systematically to include relevant randomized controlled trials and observational
      studies. Pooled risk ratios (RRs) and 95% confidence intervals were calculated
      for the incidences of exit-site infection and peritonitis. RESULTS: Seven studies
      (mupirocin group n = 458, gentamicin group n = 448) were analyzed for exit-site
      infection. The risk of gram-positive exit-site infection was similar between the
      groups. Gram-negative exit-site infection rate was higher in the mupirocin group
      (RR = 2.125, P = 0.037). Six studies were assessed the peritonitis risk. There
      was no difference in the gram-positive and -negative peritonitis rate.
      CONCLUSIONS: Topical use of gentamicin is associated with fewer exit-site
      infections caused by gram-negative organisms. Gentamicin has comparable efficacy
      to mupirocin for peritonitis and gram-positive exit-site infection.

PMID- 28341143
TI  - Corrigendum to "Multiple inhibitory factor removal from an Escherichia coli cell
      extract improves cell-free protein synthesis" [J Biosci Bioeng 108 (2009) 30-35].

PMID- 28341141
TI  - Efficacy and safety of tocilizumab in neuro-Behcet's disease: A case report.

PMID- 28341142
TI  - Mitochondrial DNA G13708A variation and multiple sclerosis: Is there an
      association?
AB  - BACKGROUND: Multiple sclerosis (MS) is considered a pathogenetic enigma.
      Recently, efforts to implicate genetics in human susceptibility to MS have
      identified an important role of mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA). G13708A is a common
      mtDNA variation associated with MS in specific populations. This study tested the
      hypothesis that the mtDNA G13708A variation is associated with MS in an Iranian
      population. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Blood samples were collected from 100 MS
      patients and 100 unrelated healthy controls. DNA was extracted using a salting
      out method, followed by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) amplification. For
      assessment of restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP), PCR products were
      restricted by restriction enzyme Mva I. Thereafter, the restriction products were
      assessed by means of an ultraviolet (UV) transilluminator following
      electrophoresis with 3% agarose gel. Accuracy of the genotyping procedure was
      assessed by direct sequencing. RESULTS: The mtDNA G13708A variation was found in
      17 cases (17%) and 19 controls (19%) (P=0.7, OR: 0.8, 95% CI: 0.3-1.9).
      CONCLUSION: The findings of the present study fail to support the hypothesis that
      the G13708A mtDNA variation is associated with MS in the selected Iranian
      population.

PMID- 28341144
TI  - A subjective domestic cat (Felis silvestris catus) temperament assessment results
      in six independent dimensions.
AB  - The study of personality or temperament is well developed in many species, but in
      domestic cats (Felis silvestris catus) it has lagged behind. We applied one
      common methodology, subjective surveys, performed by their owners, to investigate
      the dimensions of cat temperament. To do this, we developed an eighteen question
      survey covering common behavioral traits of cats, and had the evaluators rank
      their cat on a seven point Likert scale for trait. The responses were analyzed
      with factor analysis, and resulted in six significant dimensions of temperament
      across the 251 surveys. The six dimensions, in order of importance, are: Cat
      Social, Active, Human Nonsocial, Human Aggressive, and Intense. Supplemental
      questions were also included in all the surveys, and MANOVA analysis of these
      showed that outdoor usage, feeding style (ad-lib vs. meal fed), living with other
      cats, sex, duration of ownership, and previous history as a stray all had effects
      on at least one of the dimensions of cat temperament. Future work is clearly
      needed to fully validate our model and to further investigate our findings.

PMID- 28341145
TI  - Facial correlates of emotional behaviour in the domestic cat (Felis catus).
AB  - Leyhausen's (1979) work on cat behaviour and facial expressions associated with
      offensive and defensive behaviour is widely embraced as the standard for
      interpretation of agonistic behaviour in this species. However, it is a largely
      anecdotal description that can be easily misunderstood. Recently a facial action
      coding system has been developed for cats (CatFACS), similar to that used for
      objectively coding human facial expressions. This study reports on the use of
      this system to describe the relationship between behaviour and facial expressions
      of cats in confinement contexts without and with human interaction, in order to
      generate hypotheses about the relationship between these expressions and
      underlying emotional state. Video recordings taken of 29 cats resident in a
      Canadian animal shelter were analysed using 1-0 sampling of 275 4-s video clips.
      Observations under the two conditions were analysed descriptively using
      hierarchical cluster analysis for binomial data and indicated that in both
      situations, about half of the data clustered into three groups. An argument is
      presented that these largely reflect states based on varying degrees of relaxed
      engagement, fear and frustration. Facial actions associated with fear included
      blinking and half-blinking and a left head and gaze bias at lower intensities.
      Facial actions consistently associated with frustration included hissing, nose
      licking, dropping of the jaw, the raising of the upper lip, nose wrinkling, lower
      lip depression, parting of the lips, mouth stretching, vocalisation and showing
      of the tongue. Relaxed engagement appeared to be associated with a right gaze and
      head turn bias. The results also indicate potential qualitative changes
      associated with differences in intensity in emotional expression following human
      intervention. The results were also compared to the classic description of
      "offensive and defensive moods" in cats (Leyhausen, 1979) and previous work by
      Gourkow et al. (2014a) on behavioural styles in cats in order to assess if these
      observations had replicable features noted by others. This revealed evidence of
      convergent validity between the methods However, the use of CatFACS revealed
      elements relating to vocalisation and response lateralisation, not previously
      reported in this literature.

PMID- 28341146
TI  - [Construction of a diagnostic prediction model of severe bacterial infection in
      febrile infants under 3 months old].
AB  - INTRODUCTION: Fever is a common cause of paediatric admissions in emergency
      departments. An aetiological diagnosis is difficult to obtain in those less than
      3 months of age, as they tend to have a higher rate of serious bacterial
      infection (SBI). The aim of this study is to find a predictor index of SBI in
      children under 3 months old with fever of unknown origin. METHODS: A study was
      conducted on all children under 3 months of age with fever admitted to hospital,
      with additional tests being performed according to the clinical protocol.
      Rochester criteria for identifying febrile infants at low risk for SBI were also
      analysed. A predictive model for SBI and positive cultures was designed,
      including the following variables in the maximum model: C-reactive protein (CRP),
      procalcitonin (PCT), and meeting not less than four of the Rochester criteria.
      RESULTS: A total of 702 subjects were included, of which 22.64% had an SBI and
      20.65% had positive cultures. Children who had SBI and a positive culture showed
      higher values of white cells, total neutrophils, CRP and PCT. A statistical
      significance was observed with less than 4 Rochester criteria, CRP and PCT
      levels, an SBI (area under the curve [AUC] 0.877), or for positive cultures (AUC
      0.888). Using regression analysis a predictive index was calculated for SBI or a
      positive culture, with a sensitivity of 87.7 and 91%, a specificity of 70.1 and
      87.7%, an LR+ of 2.93 and 3.62, and a LR- of 0.17 and 0.10, respectively.
      CONCLUSIONS: The predictive models are valid and slightly improve the validity of
      the Rochester criteria for positive culture in children less than 3 months
      admitted with fever.

PMID- 28341147
TI  - Cadmium stimulates myofibroblast differentiation and mouse lung fibrosis.
AB  - Increasing evidence suggests that Cd at levels found in the human diet can cause
      oxidative stress and activate redox-sensitive transcription factors in
      inflammatory signaling. Following inflammation, tissue repair often involves
      activation of redox-sensitive transcription factors in fibroblasts. In lungs,
      epithelial barrier remodeling is required to restore gas exchange and barrier
      function, and aberrant myofibroblast differentiation leads to pulmonary fibrosis.
      Contributions of exogenous exposures, such as dietary Cd, to pulmonary fibrosis
      remain incompletely defined. In the current study, we tested whether Cd activates
      fibrotic signaling in human fetal lung fibroblasts (HFLF) at micromolar and
      submicromolar Cd concentrations that do not cause cell death. Exposure of HFLF to
      low-dose Cd (<=1.0MUM) caused an increase in stress fibers and increased protein
      levels of myofibroblast differentiation markers, including alpha-smooth muscle
      actin (alpha-SMA) and extra-domain-A-containing fibronectin (ED-A-FN). Assay of
      transcription factor (TF) activity using a 45-TF array showed that Cd increased
      activity of 12 TF, including SMAD2/3/4 (mothers against decapentaplegic homolog)
      signaling differentiation and fibrosis. Results were confirmed by real-time PCR
      and supported by increased expression of target genes of SMAD2/3/4.
      Immunocytochemistry of lungs of mice exposed to low-dose Cd (0.3 and 1.0mg/L in
      drinking water) showed increased alpha-SMA protein level with lung Cd
      accumulation similar to lung Cd in non-smoking humans. Together, the results show
      that relatively low Cd exposures stimulate pulmonary fibrotic signaling and
      myofibroblast differentiation by activating SMAD2/3/4-dependent signaling. The
      results indicate that dietary Cd intake could be an important variable
      contributing to pulmonary fibrosis in humans.

PMID- 28341149
TI  - Docetaxel-loaded RIPL peptide (IPLVVPLRRRRRRRRC)-conjugated liposomes: Drug
      release, cytotoxicity, and antitumor efficacy.
AB  - We previously synthesized the RIPL peptide (IPLVVPLRRRRRRRRC) to facilitate
      selective delivery into hepsin-expressing cancer cells and showed that RIPL
      peptide-conjugated liposomes (RIPL-L) enhanced the intracellular delivery of
      fluorescent probes in vitro. In this study, docetaxel-loaded RIPL-L (DTX-RIPL-L)
      were prepared and evaluated for in vitro drug release, cytotoxicity, and in vivo
      antitumor efficacy. DTX was successfully encapsulated by pre-loading, with an
      average encapsulation efficiency and drug loading capacity of 32.4% and 21.39+/
      2.05 (MUg/mg), respectively. A DTX release study using dialysis showed a biphasic
      release pattern, i.e., rapid release for 6h, followed by sustained release up to
      72h. The first-order equation provided the best fit for drug release (r2=0.9349).
      In vitro cytotoxicity was dose-dependent, resulting in IC50 values of 36.10 (SK
      OV-3) and 48.62ng/mL (MCF-7) for hepsin-positive, and 61.12 (DU145) and
      53.04ng/mL (PC-3) for hepsin-negative cell lines. Live/dead cell imaging was
      carried out to visualize the proportion of viable and nonviable SK-OV-3 cells.
      Compared to DTX solution, DTX-RIPL-L significantly inhibited tumor growth and
      prolonged survival time in BALB/c nude mice with SK-OV-3 cell tumors. We suggest
      that DTX-RIPL-L is a good candidate for efficient drug targeting to hepsin
      expressing cancer cells.

PMID- 28341148
TI  - Lipidomics: Prospects from a technological perspective.
AB  - Over the last two decades, lipidomics has evolved into an 'omics' technology pari
      passu with benchmarking 'omics' technologies, such as genomics or proteomics. The
      driving force behind this development was a constant advance in mass spectrometry
      and related technologies. The aim of this opinion article is to give the
      interested reader a concise but still comprehensive overview about the
      technological state of the art in lipidomics, current challenges and perspectives
      for future development. As such, this article guides through the whole workflow
      of lipidomics, from sampling to data analysis. This article is part of a Special
      Issue entitled: BBALIP_Lipidomics Opinion Articles edited by Sepp Kohlwein.

PMID- 28341150
TI  - In vitro and in silico characterization of fibrous scaffolds comprising alternate
      colistin sulfate-loaded and heat-treated polyvinyl alcohol nanofibrous sheets.
AB  - A multilayer mat for dispensing colistin sulfate through a body surface was
      prepared by electrospinning. The fabricated system comprised various polyvinyl
      alcohol fibrous layers prepared with or without the active ingredient. One of the
      electrospun layers contained water-soluble colistin sulfate and the other was
      prepared from the same polymer type and composition without the active drug and
      was finally heat-treated. The heat treatment modified the supramolecular
      structure and conferred the polymer nanofibre with the rate-controlling function.
      The microstructure of different layers was tracked by positron annihilation
      lifetime spectroscopy, and detailed morphological analysis of the fibre mats was
      performed using a scanning electron microscope. The drug-release profiles of
      various layer arrangements were studied in relation to their antimicrobial
      activity. The finite element method was applied to overcome the challenge of
      diffusion-controlled drug release from multilayer polymer scaffolds. The finite
      element method was first verified using analytical solutions for a simple
      arrangement (one drug-loaded swellable fibre and one rate-controlling
      nonswellable fibre) under perfect sink conditions and in a well-stirred finite
      volume. The effect of alternate layer arrangements on the drug-release profiles
      was also investigated to plan for controlled topical drug release from fibrous
      scaffolds. This design is expected to aid in increasing local effectiveness, thus
      reducing the systemic loading and the consequent side effects of colistin.

PMID- 28341151
TI  - Mice heterozygous for an inactivated allele of the schizophrenia associated Brd1
      gene display selective cognitive deficits with translational relevance to
      schizophrenia.
AB  - Schizophrenia is a debilitating brain disorder characterized by disturbances of
      emotion, perception and cognition. Cognitive impairments predict functional
      outcome in schizophrenia and are detectable even in the prodromal stage of the
      disorder. However, our understanding of the underlying neurobiology is limited
      and procognitive treatments remain elusive. We recently demonstrated that mice
      heterozygous for an inactivated allele of the schizophrenia-associated Brd1 gene
      (Brd1+/- mice) display behaviors reminiscent of schizophrenia, including impaired
      social cognition and long-term memory. Here, we further characterize performance
      of these mice by following the preclinical guidelines recommended by the
      'Measurement and Treatment Research to Improve Cognition in Schizophrenia
      (MATRICS)' and 'Cognitive Neuroscience Treatment Research to Improve Cognition in
      Schizophrenia (CNTRICS)' initiatives to maximize translational value. Brd1+/-
      mice exhibit relational encoding deficits, compromised working and long term
      memory, as well as impaired executive cognitive functioning with cognitive
      behaviors relying on medial prefrontal cortex being particularly affected. Akin
      to patients with schizophrenia, the cognitive deficits displayed by Brd1+/- mice
      are not global, but selective. Our results underline the value of Brd1+/- mice as
      a promising tool for studying the neurobiology of cognitive deficits in
      schizophrenia.

PMID- 28341152
TI  - Identification of genotoxic compounds in crude oil using fractionation according
      to distillation, polarity and Kow.
AB  - We examined the degree of DNA damage caused by fractions of crude oil in
      accordance with the boiling points, polarity and log Kow. Relatively high DNA
      damage was observed in the aromatic fraction (290-330 degrees C) and resin and
      polar fraction (350-400 degrees C). The resin and polar fraction showed
      relatively high genotoxicity compared with the aliphatic and aromatic fraction at
      the 1-4 log Kow range. At the 6-7 log Kow range, the aromatic fraction showed
      relatively high DNA damage compared with the aliphatic and resin and polar
      fraction. In particular, every detailed fraction in accordance with the log Kow
      values (aliphatic and aromatic (310-320 degrees C) and resins and polar fractions
      (370-380 degrees C)) showed one or less than one DNA damage. However, the
      fractions before separation in accordance with log Kow values (aliphatic and
      aromatic (310-320 degrees C) and resin and polar (370-380 degrees C) fractions)
      showed high DNA damage. Thus, we confirm the synergistic action between the
      detailed compounds.

PMID- 28341153
TI  - Elemental distribution and trace metal contamination in the surface sediment of
      south east coast of India.
AB  - Spatial distribution and potential ecological risk of trace metals in the surface
      sediment of south east coast of India covering eight different ecosystems was
      studied. The concentration of major elements viz. Ca, Mg, K, Ti and trace metals
      viz. Cr, Mn, Co, Al, Fe, Ni, Cu, Zn, Cd and Pb were analysed by energy dispersive
      X-ray fluorescence technique. Contamination factor, geo-accumulation index,
      probable effect level, enrichment factor and pollution load index were calculated
      to evaluate the pollution status. Except cadmium, CF values for all the metals
      ranged between 1<=CF<=3 indicating moderate metal contaminations along the coast.
      Mean PEL quotient (Qm-PEL) indicated toxicity probability to be below 21%. Fe,
      Cu, Zn and Co showed significant positive correlation (p<0.01) with clay.
      Chromium was the only metal that demonstrated strong negative correlation with
      clay (p<0.01) and positive correlation (p<0.01) with sand content.

PMID- 28341154
TI  - The short-term effects of farmed fish food consumed by wild fish congregating
      outside the farms.
AB  - We simulated in the laboratory the possible effects on fatty acids and immune
      status of wild fish arriving for the first time in the vicinity of a sea-cage
      fish farm, shifting their natural diet to commercial feed consumption, rich in
      fatty acids of vegetable origin. The flesh fatty acid profile of golden mullet
      specimens was altered after 2weeks of commercial feed consumption, showing an
      increase in fatty acids of vegetable origin. The serum peroxidase and
      bactericidal activities, and head-kidney leucocyte phagocytic capacity, increased
      after eight weeks of the new diet, while the respiratory burst activity
      decreased. The extent of these changes cannot be considered large enough to
      regard them as compromising the health status of fish. More research is needed in
      order to elucidate whether the rapid assimilation of the dietary fatty acids
      could harm the immune status of fish when feeding for longer periods than two
      months.

PMID- 28341155
TI  - Anthropogenic debris in the nests of kelp gulls in South Africa.
AB  - Anthropogenic debris results in detrimental interactions with many marine
      species. Several seabirds include debris items in their nests, which can lead to
      entanglement of chicks and adults, resulting in injury or death. Anthropogenic
      debris was found in 4-67% of kelp gull Larus dominicanus nests in seven colonies
      in the Western Cape, South Africa. Nests contained two types of litter: items
      included in the nest structure during construction (mainly ropes and straps), and
      regurgitated items (mainly bags and food wrappers) that probably accumulate
      primarily during the chick-rearing period. Debris used in nest construction was
      more likely to injure gulls, and was found mainly at coastal sites where there
      was little natural vegetation for construction. Distance to the nearest urban
      waste landfill significantly affected the occurrence of debris items in nests,
      especially dietary-derived items. The amount of debris in kelp gull nests
      highlights the need for improved debris management in South Africa.

PMID- 28341156
TI  - Long-range interactions between protein-coated particles and POEGMA brush layers
      in a serum environment.
AB  - Hydrophilic poly[oligo(ethylene glycol) methyl methacrylate] (POEGMA) brush
      layers with different thickness and graft densities were prepared by surface
      initiated atom transfer radical polymerization (SI-ATRP) to construct a model
      surface to examine protein-surface interactions in a serum environment. The
      thickness of the POEGMA brush layers could be well controlled by the
      polymerization time and density of the immobilized initiators. The interactions
      between these brush-modified surfaces and the protein-coated polystyrene (PS)
      particles in newborn calf serum (NBCS) environment were then measured by total
      internal reflection microscopy (TIRM). In addition, protein adsorption properties
      onto the polymer brush surface layers were examined by atomic force microscopy
      (AFM). Relatively large amounts of protein adsorbed to short (4nm and 9nm-thick)
      POEGMA-coated surfaces or surfaces grafted with a low density of polymer chains.
      It was considered that shorter polymer chains or chains with low grafted density
      cannot fully cover the surfaces, proteins in serum could directly interact with
      the material surface and then deposited to form an adsorbed layer. The TIRM
      measurements showed that such adsorbed protein layer could mediate the
      interactions between the two surfaces by generating steric or bridging forces,
      resulting in different interaction potentials. Some particles were freely
      diffusing, some experienced intermittent diffusion and more than 50% of particles
      were irreversibly deposited to the surfaces covered by short polymer brushes.
      However, for longer (17 and 30nm-thick) POEGMA brush layer surfaces, material
      surface would be sufficiently covered by the dense coating and the first step of
      protein adsorption on surface was avoided. TIRM measurements showed that around
      95% of the protein-coated particles could freely move in the serum and no
      attractive force between two surfaces was detected. The steric repulsion
      generated from the long POEGMA brush layer in the swollen state was long-range
      and strong so that the protein adsorption is very unlikely. These results
      concluded that the adsorbed protein layer on POEGMA surfaces plays an important
      role in regulating the interaction between protein-coated particles and POEGMA
      surfaces which are highly repellent toward protein adsorption.

PMID- 28341157
TI  - Answer to UCB letter to the editor concerning "cancer risk in women exposed to
      diethylstilbestrol in utero".

PMID- 28341158
TI  - Letter to the editor concerning the cancer risk in women exposed to
      diethylstilbestrol in utero.

PMID- 28341159
TI  - [Effectiveness of preventive treatment by Influenzinum in the winter period
      against the onset of influenza-like illnesses].
AB  - AIM: In vitro Influenzinum induce a cellular change. We present the results of
      the first study examining the effectiveness of Influenzinum against influenza
      like illnesses. METHOD: Retrospective cohort study during winter 2014-2015. After
      influenza epidemic, a self-assessment questionnaire was offered to patients
      presenting for a consultation. The primary endpoint was the declaration of an
      influenza-like illness. The exposed patients (treated by Influenzinum) were
      matched to two non-exposed patients (untreated) with a propensity score. A
      conditional logistic model expressed influenza-like illness risk reduction
      provided by the Influenzinum. RESULTS: The cohort included 3514 patients
      recruited from 46 general practitioners. After matching, the treated group
      (n=2041) and the untreated group (n=482) did not differ on variables collected.
      Influenzinum preventive therapy does not significantly alter the likelihood of
      influenza-like illness (adjusted odds ratio=0,91 [0,62 to 1,35], p=0,64).
      CONCLUSION: Influenzinum preventive therapy did not appear effective in
      preventing influenza-like illness.

PMID- 28341161
TI  - Predictive position computations mediated by parietal areas: TMS evidence.
AB  - When objects move or the eyes move, the visual system can predict the consequence
      and generate a percept of the target at its new position. This predictive
      localization may depend on eye movement control in the frontal eye fields (FEF)
      and the intraparietal sulcus (IPS) and on motion analysis in the medial temporal
      area (MT). Across two experiments we examined whether repetitive transcranial
      magnetic stimulation (rTMS) over right FEF, right IPS, right MT, and a control
      site, peripheral V1/V2, diminished participants' perception of two cases of
      predictive position perception: trans-saccadic fusion, and the flash grab
      illusion, both presented in the contralateral visual field. In trans-saccadic
      fusion trials, participants saccade toward a stimulus that is replaced with
      another stimulus during the saccade. Frequently, predictive position mechanisms
      lead to a fused percept of pre- and post-saccade stimuli (Paeye et al., 2017). We
      found that rTMS to IPS significantly decreased the frequency of perceiving trans
      saccadic fusion within the first 10min after stimulation. In the flash grab
      illusion, a target is flashed on a moving background leading to the percept that
      the target has shifted in the direction of the motion after the flash (Cavanagh
      and Anstis, 2013). In the first experiment, the reduction in the flash grab
      illusion after rTMS to IPS and FEF did not reach significance. In the second
      experiment, using a stronger version of the flash grab, the illusory shift did
      decrease significantly after rTMS to IPS although not after rTMS to FEF or to MT.
      These findings suggest that right IPS contributes to predictive position
      perception during saccades and motion processing in the contralateral visual
      field.

PMID- 28341162
TI  - Structural laterality is associated with cognitive and mood outcomes: An
      assessment of 105 healthy aged volunteers.
AB  - The human brain presents multiple asymmetries that dynamically change throughout
      life. These phenomena have been associated with cognitive impairments and
      psychiatric disorders although possible associations with specific patterns of
      cognitive aging are yet to be determined. We have therefore mapped and quantified
      morphological asymmetries in a heterogeneous and aged population (65.2+/-8.0
      years old, 52 male and 53 female) to explore potential associations between the
      asymmetries in specific brain regions and cognitive performance. The sample was
      characterized in a battery of neuropsychological tests and in terms of brain
      structural asymmetries using a ROI-based approach. A substantial number of brain
      areas presented some degree of asymmetry. Such biases survived a stringent
      statistical correction and were largely confirmed in a voxel-based analysis. In
      specific brain areas, like the thalamus and insula, asymmetry was correlated with
      cognition and mood descriptors as the Stroop words/colors test or depressive mood
      scale, respectively. Curiously in the latter, the association was independent of
      its left/right direction. Altogether, results reveal that asymmetry is widespread
      in the aged brain and that area-specific biases (degree and direction) associate
      with the functional profile of the individual.

PMID- 28341163
TI  - Factor analysis linking functions for simultaneously modeling neural and
      behavioral data.
AB  - A growing number of researchers have advocated for the advancement of cognitive
      neuroscience by blending cognitive models with neurophysiology. The recently
      proposed joint modeling framework is one way to bridge the gap between the
      abstractions assumed by cognitive models and the neurophysiology obtained by
      modern methods in neuroscience. Despite this advancement, the current method for
      linking the two domains is hindered by the dimensionality of the neural data. In
      this article, we present a new linking function based on factor analysis that
      allows joint models to grow linearly in complexity with increases in the number
      of neural features. The new linking function is then evaluated in two simulation
      studies. The first simulation study shows how the model parameters can be
      accurately recovered when there are many neural features, that mimics real-world
      applications. The second simulation shows how the new linking function can (1)
      properly recover a representation of the data generating model, even in the case
      of model misspecification, and (2) outperform the previous linking function in a
      cross-validation test. We close by applying a model equipped with the new linking
      function to real-world data from a perceptual decision making task. The model
      allows us to understand how differences in the model parameters emerge as a
      function of differences in brain function across speed and accuracy instruction.

PMID- 28341160
TI  - Metabolic network failures in Alzheimer's disease: A biochemical road map.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: The Alzheimer's Disease Research Summits of 2012 and 2015
      incorporated experts from academia, industry, and nonprofit organizations to
      develop new research directions to transform our understanding of Alzheimer's
      disease (AD) and propel the development of critically needed therapies. In
      response to their recommendations, big data at multiple levels are being
      generated and integrated to study network failures in disease. We used
      metabolomics as a global biochemical approach to identify peripheral metabolic
      changes in AD patients and correlate them to cerebrospinal fluid pathology
      markers, imaging features, and cognitive performance. METHODS: Fasting serum
      samples from the Alzheimer's Disease Neuroimaging Initiative (199 control, 356
      mild cognitive impairment, and 175 AD participants) were analyzed using the
      AbsoluteIDQ-p180 kit. Performance was validated in blinded replicates, and values
      were medication adjusted. RESULTS: Multivariable-adjusted analyses showed that
      sphingomyelins and ether-containing phosphatidylcholines were altered in
      preclinical biomarker-defined AD stages, whereas acylcarnitines and several
      amines, including the branched-chain amino acid valine and alpha-aminoadipic
      acid, changed in symptomatic stages. Several of the analytes showed consistent
      associations in the Rotterdam, Erasmus Rucphen Family, and Indiana Memory and
      Aging Studies. Partial correlation networks constructed for Abeta1-42, tau,
      imaging, and cognitive changes provided initial biochemical insights for disease
      related processes. Coexpression networks interconnected key metabolic effectors
      of disease. DISCUSSION: Metabolomics identified key disease-related metabolic
      changes and disease-progression-related changes. Defining metabolic changes
      during AD disease trajectory and its relationship to clinical phenotypes provides
      a powerful roadmap for drug and biomarker discovery.

PMID- 28341165
TI  - The left intraparietal sulcus adapts to symbolic number in both the visual and
      auditory modalities: Evidence from fMRI.
AB  - A growing body of evidence from functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging adaptation
      (fMRIa) has implicated the left intraparietal sulcus (IPS) as a crucial brain
      region representing the semantic of number symbols. However, it is currently
      unknown to what extent the left IPS brain activity can be generalized across
      modalities (e.g., Arabic digits and spoken number words) and how robust and
      reproducible numerical adaptation effects are. In two separate fMRIa experiments
      we habituated the brain response of 20 native English-speaking (Experiment 1) and
      34 native German-speaking (Experiment 2) adults to Arabic digits or spoken number
      words. Consistent with previous findings, experiment 1 revealed numerical ratio
      dependent adaptation to Arabic numerals in the left IPS using both conventional
      and cortex-based alignment techniques. Experiment 2 revealed numerical ratio
      dependent signal recovery in the left IPS following adaptation to both Arabic
      numerals and spoken number words using both conventional and cortex-based
      alignment techniques. Together, these findings suggest that the left IPS is
      involved in symbolic number processing across modalities.

PMID- 28341166
TI  - [Identification of neurodegenerative diseases in administrative databases in
      France: A systematic review of the literature].
AB  - BACKGROUND: Given the health, social and economic burden of neurodegenerative
      diseases (ND), the development of epidemiologic studies is required.
      Administrative databases, such as the French national health insurance database
      (SNIIRAM) could represent an opportunity for researchers. ND could be presumed
      from drug reimbursement data, hospital stays or registration of a chronic
      condition. The aim of this study was to describe, in French administrative
      databases, algorithms used to identify Alzheimer's disease and associated
      disorders (ADAD), Parkinson's disease and associated disorders (PDAD), multiple
      sclerosis (MS), and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). METHODS: A systematic
      literature review was performed in Medline and gray literature through December
      31th, 2015. French studies focusing on ADAD, PDAD, MS or ALS as a primary health
      outcome, conducted among one of the SNIIRAM data sources (outpatient
      reimbursements, chronic condition registration, hospital discharge) were
      included. RESULTS: Thirty-four studies were included (ADAD, n=18, PDAD, n=9, MS,
      n=4, ALS, n=3), leading to 36 algorithms. For each studied ND, there was an
      important variability in the algorithms, concerning (i) the type of criteria used
      (administrative database versus multi-source systems); (ii) the number of
      criteria used; (iii) the definition used for each criteria. The extent and level
      of drug exposure highly varied. Identification through hospitalizations showed
      variations in terms of type of stay (short stay, long-term stay, psychiatric
      ward...), extent of diagnosis codes used, diagnosis type (principal, related,
      associated diagnosis) and period used. A validation study was conducted for 2 out
      of 36 algorithms (PDAD), and criteria completeness was estimated for 3 algorithms
      (MS, ALS). CONCLUSION: Despite the increase in ND identification among French
      administrative databases, few algorithms have been validated. Validation studies
      should be encouraged.

PMID- 28341164
TI  - Expectation violation and attention to pain jointly modulate neural gain in
      somatosensory cortex.
AB  - The neural processing and experience of pain are influenced by both expectations
      and attention. For example, the amplitude of event-related pain responses is
      enhanced by both novel and unexpected pain, and by moving the focus of attention
      towards a painful stimulus. Under predictive coding, this congruence can be
      explained by appeal to a precision-weighting mechanism, which mediates bottom-up
      and top-down attentional processes by modulating the influence of feedforward and
      feedback signals throughout the cortical hierarchy. The influence of expectation
      and attention on pain processing can be mapped onto changes in effective
      connectivity between or within specific neuronal populations, using a canonical
      microcircuit (CMC) model of hierarchical processing. We thus implemented a CMC
      within dynamic causal modelling for magnetoencephalography in human subjects, to
      investigate how expectation violation and attention to pain modulate intrinsic
      (within-source) and extrinsic (between-source) connectivity in the somatosensory
      hierarchy. This enabled us to establish whether both expectancy and attentional
      processes are mediated by a similar precision-encoding mechanism within a network
      of somatosensory, frontal and parietal sources. We found that both unexpected and
      attended pain modulated the gain of superficial pyramidal cells in primary and
      secondary somatosensory cortex. This modulation occurred in the context of
      increased lateralized recurrent connectivity between somatosensory and fronto
      parietal sources, driven by unexpected painful occurrences. Finally, the strength
      of effective connectivity parameters in S1, S2 and IFG predicted individual
      differences in subjective pain modulation ratings. Our findings suggest that
      neuromodulatory gain control in the somatosensory hierarchy underlies the
      influence of both expectation violation and attention on cortical processing and
      pain perception.

PMID- 28341168
TI  - Lies, damned lies and statistics: Clinical importance versus statistical
      significance in research.
AB  - Correctly performed and interpreted statistics play a crucial role for both those
      who 'produce' clinical research, and for those who 'consume' this research.
      Unfortunately, however, there are many misunderstandings and misinterpretations
      of statistics by both groups. In particular, there is a widespread lack of
      appreciation for the severe limitations with p values. This is a particular
      problem with small sample sizes and low event rates - common features of many
      published clinical trials. These issues have resulted in increasing numbers of
      false positive clinical trials (false 'discoveries'), and the well-publicised
      inability to replicate many of the findings. While chance clearly plays a role in
      these errors, many more are due to either poorly performed or badly
      misinterpreted statistics. Consequently, it is essential that whenever p values
      appear, these need be accompanied by both 95% confidence limits and effect sizes.
      These will enable readers to immediately assess the plausible range of results,
      and whether or not the effect is clinically meaningful.

PMID- 28341167
TI  - Procalcitonin as a potential predicting factor for prognosis in bacterial
      meningitis.
AB  - We investigated the potential role of serum procalcitonin in differentiating
      bacterial meningitis from viral meningitis, and in predicting the prognosis in
      patients with bacterial meningitis. This was a retrospective study of 80 patients
      with bacterial meningitis (13 patients died). In addition, 58 patients with viral
      meningitis were included as the disease control groups for comparison. The serum
      procalcitonin level was measured in all patients at admission. Differences in
      demographic and laboratory data, including the procalcitonin level, were analyzed
      between the groups. We used the mortality rate during hospitalization as a marker
      of prognosis in patients with bacterial meningitis. Multiple logistic regression
      analysis showed that high serum levels of procalcitonin (>0.12ng/mL) were an
      independently significant variable for differentiating bacterial meningitis from
      viral meningitis. The risk of having bacterial meningitis with high serum levels
      of procalcitonin was at least 6 times higher than the risk of having viral
      meningitis (OR=6.76, 95% CI: 1.84-24.90, p=0.004). In addition, we found that
      high levels of procalcitonin (>7.26ng/mL) in the blood were an independently
      significant predictor for death in patients with bacterial meningitis. The risk
      of death in patients with bacterial meningitis with high serum levels of
      procalcitonin may be at least 9 times higher than those without death (OR=9.09,
      95% CI: 1.74-47.12, p=0.016). We found that serum procalcitonin is a useful
      marker for differentiating bacterial meningitis from viral meningitis, and it is
      also a potential predicting factor for prognosis in patients with bacterial
      meningitis.

PMID- 28341170
TI  - Amoxicillin challenge without penicillin skin testing in evaluation of penicillin
      allergy in a cohort of Marine recruits.

PMID- 28341169
TI  - Evaluation of basophil activation test in the management of immediate
      hypersensitivity reactions to gadolinium-based contrast agents: a five-year
      experience.

PMID- 28341171
TI  - Chronic granulomatous disease caused by maternal uniparental isodisomy of
      chromosome 16.

PMID- 28341172
TI  - Comparison of Pediatric and Adult Systemic Reactions to Subcutaneous
      Immunotherapy.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Subcutaneous immunotherapy (SCIT) has been used to treat allergic
      rhinitis for over a century, and current regimens have wide variability with an
      array of practice styles and dosing strategies. Although there are some
      statements about contraindications and cautions, no specific formal age- or
      weight-based dosing guidelines are utilized when administering SCIT. OBJECTIVE:
      The primary objective of this study was to estimate the overall incidence rate of
      any reaction to SCIT and to consider the severity of the reaction by grade in
      children and adults. METHODS: A retrospective chart review was conducted to
      document the number and severity of episodes of systemic reactions (SRs) in
      pediatric and adult subjects. Crude incidence rates were estimated as the number
      of SRs relative to the total injections administered. Adjusted incidence rate
      ratios were generated using a generalized estimating equation approach, which
      accounted for multiple visits within subjects. RESULTS: The incidence rate for
      any SR was 0.2%. The unadjusted incidence rate of any SR was significantly higher
      in children compared with adults (P < .001), although not significant when
      adjusted for asthma, gender, and phase of SCIT (P < .054). However, the incidence
      rate for grade 1 and 2 SRs in children was 1.89 times the incidence rate for
      adults, adjusting for these variables (P < .015). CONCLUSIONS: These results
      suggest that current SCIT practices are associated with a higher rate of SRs,
      specifically of grade 1 and 2 SRs, in children than adults. Further studies are
      necessary to evaluate if changes in dosing strategies for children, such as a
      lower starting dose, a decrease in target maintenance dose, or a slower build-up
      phase, are warranted.

PMID- 28341173
TI  - Preparation and characterization of reinforced papers using nano bacterial
      cellulose.
AB  - The main goal of this work was to reinforce softwood pulp (SP) with bacterial
      cellulose (BC) to generate a sustainable biocomposite. BC is a nanocellulose,
      which was anticipated to increase interfacial adhesion between the cellulosic
      fibers and BC. The organism used was Gluconacetobacter xylinus, which was
      incubated in a static Hestrin-Schramm culture at 28 degrees C for 14days. The
      specimens of BC, SP and the reinforced SP with BC were characterized using X-ray
      diffraction (XRD), FT-IR, FESEM, and physico-mechanical testing. The
      crystallinity index was found to be 83 and 54% for BC and SP, respectively. FT-IR
      spectra showed that the composition of BC was fully different from that of SP
      fibers. Based on FESEM images, one can conclude that BC and softwood fibers do
      form a good combination with a nonporous structure. BC fibers fill in among the
      softwood fibers in the sheet. The physical and mechanical properties showed that
      as the dosage of BC increased, the properties of tensile index, tear index, and
      burst index greatly improved, while the porosity and the elongation decreased.
      The reason for the improved mechanical properties can be attributed to the
      increase of interfibrillar bonding which reduced porosity. This would be due to
      the high aspect ratio of BC that is capable of connecting between the cellulosic
      fibers and BC nanofibers, enhancing a large contact surface and therefore
      producing excellent coherence. This study suggests that BC could be a promising
      material for reinforcing composites at low loading.

PMID- 28341174
TI  - Insights into the mechanism of how Morin suppresses amyloid fibrillation of hen
      egg white lysozyme.
AB  - This communication describes the inhibitory effect of Morin on the fibrillation
      of Hen Egg White Lysozyme (HEWL), a generic amyloid-forming model protein. This
      effect was dose-dependent and stronger than other small molecules we have tested
      previously. Spectrofluorometric and computational studies support a model
      suggesting that Morin inhibits amyloid fibril formation of HEWL by binding to the
      aggregation prone cleft region of the beta-domain of HEWL, thereby stabilizing
      the molecule in its native-like state. Interestingly, transmission electron
      microscopy observations suggest that, along with increases in Morin
      concentration, the observed amorphous aggregates became larger and
      morphologically different. We propose that following occupation of the binding
      cleft, excess Morin adheres and coats the HEWL protein surface, thereby
      minimizing the interaction between the protein surface and water molecules.

PMID- 28341175
TI  - Enhanced mechanical and thermal properties of poly (vinyl alcohol)/corn starch
      blends by nanoclay intercalation.
AB  - Poly (vinyl alcohol) (PVA)/corn starch blend films with enhanced properties were
      fabricated by melt processing and montmorillonite (MMT) reinforcing. It was
      revealed that strong hydrogen bonding occurred between the abundant OH groups of
      the matrix and polar SiOSi and OH groups of MMT. The highly exfoliated MMT
      nanolayers were randomly dispersed in the matrix containing MMT lower than 10wt%,
      whereas the intercalated structure was predominant with MMT content higher than
      10wt%. With the increase of MMT, the glass transition temperature as well as
      equilibrium torque increased. The water sorption decreased and water resistant
      properties were improved with the incorporation of MMT due to the restricted
      swelling of the matrix by MMT nanolayers. Significant improvement in strength and
      flexibility were observed due to the fine dispersion of the MMT layers and the
      strong interaction between MMT and the matrix. The thermal stability was also
      improved. The MMT nanolayers could act as the heat and mass transport barriers
      and retard the thermal decomposition of the composites.

PMID- 28341176
TI  - Effect of dual modification of sonication and gamma-irradiation on
      physicochemical and functional properties of lentil (Lens culinaris L.) starch.
AB  - Starch isolated from lentil was subjected to two treatments namely sonication
      and, a dual treatment of sonication and irradiation at a dose of 5kGy. Lentil
      yielded 26.12+/-1.56g starch/100g of lentil. Chemical composition of native
      starch revealed 7.83+/-0.28% moisture, 0.23+/-0.30% protein, 0.35+/-0.05% fat and
      0.10+/-0.00% ash. The results revealed that pasting properties of lentil starch
      were not affected upon sonication. However, these decreased significantly
      (p<=0.05) upon dual treatments. Amylose content of native starch was 31.16+/
      1.80g/100g which showed a decrease upon sonication and dual treatments.
      Sonication and dual treatments (sonication and irradiation) decreased hunter 'L'
      value while 'a' and 'b' values showed an increase. Syneresis decreased more or
      less insignificantly upon sonication. However, a significant decrease in
      syneresis was observed after 120h storage following dual treatments. Sonication
      did not decrease the functional properties significantly while as dual treatment
      induced a significant decrease in functional properties. FT-IR analysis revealed
      a decrease in the intensities of OH, CH and OC stretches and CH2 bending upon
      sonication and dual treatments.

PMID- 28341177
TI  - Changes in physicochemical properties and in vitro starch digestion of native and
      extruded maize flours subjected to branching enzyme and maltogenic alpha-amylase
      treatment.
AB  - Extrusion is an increasingly used type of processing which combined with
      enzymatic action could open extended possibilities for obtaining clean label
      modified flours. In this study, native and extruded maize flours were modified
      using branching enzyme (B) and a combination of branching enzyme and maltogenic
      alpha-amylase (BMA) in order to modulate their hydrolysis properties. The
      microstructure, pasting properties, in vitro starch hydrolysis and resistant
      starch content of the flours were investigated. Whereas BMA treatment led to
      greater number of holes on the granule surface in native samples, B and BMA
      extruded samples showed rougher surfaces with cavities. A reduction in the
      retrogradation trend was observed for B and BMA native flours, in opposition to
      the flat pasting profile of their extruded counterparts. The glucose release
      increased gradually for native flours as the time of reaction did, whereas for
      extruded flours a fast increase of glucose release was observed during the first
      minutes of reaction, and kept till the end, indicating a greater accessibility to
      their porous structure. These results suggested that, in enzymatically treated
      extruded samples, changes produced at larger hierarchical levels in their starch
      structure could have masked a slowdown in the starch digestion properties.

PMID- 28341179
TI  - The use of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs in neurological diseases.
AB  - Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) have been in use for many years
      and constitute a large part of prescriptions issued in daily practice. Although
      NSAIDs are used for many diseases in neurology, they have also been tested as a
      new therapeutic option for various other diseases. While their effects on
      headache and cerebrovascular diseases are well known, little is known about their
      impact on neurodegenerative diseases. This review discusses the use, effects and
      safety of NSAIDs in neurological diseases.

PMID- 28341180
TI  - Morphological and morphometrical maturation of ventral cochlear nucleus in human
      foetus.
AB  - Auditory impulses perceived by the hair cells of the organ of corti are relayed
      in the cochlear nucleus, the first relay station in the brainstem, by the
      cochlear nerve. The human foetus is well known to respond to sound during the
      last trimester of gestation. On the contrary, studies conducted in rat, cat and
      mouse have shown that these mammals have an immature auditory system at the time
      of birth. There are very few reports available regarding the morphological and
      functional maturation of the cochlear nucleus in human. Although the human
      cochlear nucleus neurons attain adult morphological characters by mid-gestation,
      there are hardly any studies discussing the functional maturation of the cochlear
      nucleus. Hence the present study was aimed at observing the morphological as well
      as functional maturation of the human foetal cochlear nuclei at various
      gestational ages. Morphological maturation was observed qualitatively while
      stereological estimation of the volume of well defined ventral cochlear nucleus
      (VCN) was calculated by the Cavalieri principle; neuronal count and density was
      estimated by dissector principle. The functional maturation was assessed by
      observing the expression of synaptophysin, a synaptic marker, at different
      gestational ages and by the presence of parvalbumin, a calcium binding functional
      neuronal marker by immunohistochemistry. Neurons showed coarse Nissl's substance
      and well developed cell processes and gradual increase in cell size by the 24th
      30th gestational week. Synaptophysin labeling in the complete cochlear nucleus
      was observed at 20 weeks of gestation. Adult pattern of synaptophysin labeling
      was observed finally at37weeks of gestation. Earliest presence of parvalbumin
      expression was detected at 16 weeks of gestation and a distinct adult pattern was
      seen at 37 weeks of gestation. This study concluded that morphological and
      functional maturation of the human cochlear nuclei occurs simultaneously during
      mid-gestation which represents the critical period of development and continues
      up to term.

PMID- 28341178
TI  - Mechanisms underlying sodium nitroprusside-induced tolerance in the mouse aorta:
      Role of ROS and cyclooxygenase-derived prostanoids.
AB  - AIMS: To determine the role of reactive oxygen species (ROS) on sodium
      nitroprusside (SNP)-induced tolerance. Additionally, we evaluated the role of ROS
      on NF-kappaB activation and pro-inflammatory cytokines production during SNP
      induced tolerance. MAIN METHODS: To induce in vitro tolerance, endothelium-intact
      or -denuded aortic rings isolated from male Balb-c mice were incubated for 15,
      30, 45 or 60min with SNP (10nmol/L). KEY FINDINGS: Tolerance to SNP was observed
      after incubation of endothelium-denuded, but not endothelium-intact aortas for
      60min with this inorganic nitrate. Pre-incubation of denuded rings with tiron
      (superoxide anion (O2-) scavenger), and the NADPH oxidase inhibitors apocynin and
      atorvastatin reversed SNP-induced tolerance. l-NAME (non-selective NOS inhibitor)
      and l-arginine (NOS substrate) also prevented SNP-induced tolerance. Similarly,
      ibuprofen (non-selective cyclooxygenase (COX) inhibitor), nimesulide (selective
      COX-2 inhibitor), AH6809 (prostaglandin PGF2alpha receptor antagonist) or SQ29584
      [PGH2/thromboxane TXA2 receptor antagonist] reversed SNP-induced tolerance.
      Increased ROS generation was detected in tolerant arteries and both tiron and
      atorvastatin reversed this response. Tiron prevented tolerance-induced increase
      on O2- and hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) levels. The increase onp65/NF-kappaB
      expression and TNF-alpha production in tolerant arteries was prevented by tiron.
      The major new finding of our study is that SNP-induced tolerance is mediated by
      NADPH-oxidase derived ROS and vasoconstrictor prostanoids derived from COX-2,
      which are capable of reducing the vasorelaxation induced by SNP. Additionally, we
      found that ROS mediate the activation of NF-kappaB and the production of TNF
      alpha in tolerant arteries. SIGNIFICANCE: These findings identify putative
      molecular mechanisms whereby SNP induces tolerance in the vasculature.

PMID- 28341181
TI  - Transcription factor SP1 mediates hyperglycemia-induced upregulation of
      roundabout4 in retinal microvascular endothelial cells.
AB  - Roundabout4 (Robo4) is a gene that is expressed specifically in vasculature and
      is involved in the angiogenesis and integrity of blood vessels. The expression
      level of Robo4 increases gradually along with the development of diabetic
      retinopathy (DR). In this study, we explored the mechanism of transcriptional
      regulation of Robo4 in retinal endothelial cells, and investigated the effects of
      this regulation on cellular functions under hyperglycemic conditions. Human
      retinal endothelial cells (HREC) exposed to hyperglycemia were used to detect the
      expression levels of specificity protein 1 (SP1) and Robo4 by RT-qPCR and western
      blotting. Small interfering RNA (SiRNA) transfection technology was used to
      analyze the regulatory relationship between SP1 and Robo4. The effect of
      transcription factor SP1 on Robo4 promoter activity and the location of SP1
      binding sites were investigated using chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP) and
      luciferase assay. Cell migration, monolayer permeability and tube formation
      assays were performed to demonstrate the role of SP1/Robo4 in regulating HREC
      functions in hyperglycemic conditions. The results showed that hyperglycemia
      upregulated the mRNA and protein levels of SP1 and Robo4 in HREC. Depletion of
      SP1 by siRNA transfection inhibited the hyperglycemia induced overexpression of
      Robo4. ChIP combined with luciferase assay showed that under hyperglycemic
      conditions, SP1 significantly increased the transcriptional level of Robo4 via an
      additional SP1 binding site at -1912/-1908 in the Robo4 promoter. Repressing the
      SP1/Robo4 pathway effectively mitigated the abnormity in HREC migration,
      permeability and angiogenesis induced by hyperglycemia. All these findings
      indicate that hyperglycemia-induced upregulation of Robo4 is mediated by enhanced
      transcription of SP1. The SP1/Robo4 signaling pathway can regulate the migratory
      ability, monolayer permeability and angiogenesis of HREC under hyperglycemic
      conditions, suggesting that it may play an important role in microvascular
      dysfunction during DR.

PMID- 28341182
TI  - Systematic identification of key genes and pathways in the development of
      invasive cervical cancer.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Cervical cancer progresses through different stages: a long stage of
      precancerous lesions, then high-grade squamous intraepithelial lesion (HSIL)
      stage in which precancerous lesions transform into invasive cervical carcinoma,
      and finally invasive squamous cell carcinomas (SCC) which is difficult to be
      treated and can be deadly. METHODS AND RESULTS: To identify critical genes for
      the development and progression of cervical cancer development, we analyzed an
      online database comprised of normal squamous cervical epithelia samples, HSIL
      samples and SCC of cervix. Dysregulated genes were identified in both early stage
      (from normal to HSIL stage) and late stage (from HSIL stage to SCC stage) of
      cervical cancer. By overlapping these dysregulated genes, we found that three
      genes, including CDKN2A, IL1R2 and RFC4, were not only changed in HSIL, but also
      significantly changed in SCC, indicating that their dysregulation may contribute
      to cervical cancer development. Several altered pathways during tumor progression
      were also discovered, including those involved in cell proliferation, cell cycle
      and cell division. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings suggest that dysregulations of
      CDKN2A, IL1R2 and RFC4 may contribute to cervical cancer progression and they
      might be potential diagnostic markers and therapeutic drug targets.

PMID- 28341183
TI  - Transfer of extensor digiti minimi and extensor carpi ulnaris nerve branches to
      the intrinsic motor nerve branches: A histological study on cadaver.
AB  - BACKGROUND: In cases of high ulnar and median nerve palsy, result of nerve repair
      in term of intrinsic muscle recovery is unsatisfactory. Distal nerve transfer can
      alleviate the regeneration time and improve the results. Transfer of the extensor
      digiti minimi (EDM) and extensor carpi ulnaris (ECU) nerve branches to the deep
      branch of ulnar nerve (DBUN)/recurrent branch of median nerve (RMN) at wrist had
      been used to restore intrinsic hand function but, incomplete recovery occurred.
      The axon count at the donor nerve has a strong influence on the final results.
      HYPOTHESIS: This cadaveric study aims to analyses the histology of this nerve
      transfer to evaluate whether these donor nerves are suitable for this transfer or
      another donor nerve may be considered. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Ten cadaveric upper
      limbs dissected to identify the location of the EDM, ECU, RMN and DBUN. Surface
      area, fascicle count, and axon number was determined by histological methods.
      RESULTS: The mean of axon number in the EDM, ECU, RMN and DBUN branches was 5931,
      7355, 30960 and 35426, respectively. In this study, the number of axons in the
      EDM and ECU branches was 37% (13281/35426) of that in the DBUN. Also, the number
      of axons in the EDM and ECU branches was 42% (13281/30960) of that in the RMN.
      CONCLUSION: The axon count data showed an unfavorable match between the EDM, ECU
      and DBUN/RMN. Therefore, it is suggested that another donor nerve with higher
      axon number to be considered. TYPE OF STUDY: Cadaver study (histological study).

PMID- 28341184
TI  - Global fit concept in revision hip arthroplasty for cementless press-fit femoral
      stems.
AB  - A revision stem may be required after a femoral extended trochanteric osteotomy
      (ETO) is made during revision hip arthroplasty. The two main complications of
      straight cementless femoral stems are subsidence due to inadequate
      osteointegration and stress-shielding. We will describe an original revision
      method with ETO that uses a straight cementless stem. The goal of this method was
      to achieve the most extensive press-fit possible during stem implantation to
      improve the transmission of stresses to the bone and to prevent reduction in bone
      density. The intramedullary preparation was done after closure and fixation of
      the ETO, which allows impaction of the revision stem with metaphyseal and
      diaphyseal press-fit. We report encouraging results with preservation of
      periprosthetic bone stock and good osteointegration of these revision stems at
      the final follow-up. Pronounced sagittal curvature or large bone defects are
      contraindications for this technique.

PMID- 28341185
TI  - C-MAC compared with direct laryngoscopy for intubation in patients with cervical
      spine immobilization: A manikin trial.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: The aim of this study was to compare C-MAC videolaryngoscopy with
      direct laryngoscopy for intubation in simulated cervical spine immobilization
      conditions. METHODS: The study was designed as a prospective randomized crossover
      manikin trial. 70 paramedics with <5years of medical experience participated in
      the study. The paramedics attempted to intubate manikins in 3 airway scenarios:
      normal airway without cervical immobilization (Scenario A); manual inline
      cervical immobilization (Scenario B); cervical immobilization using cervical
      extraction collar (Scenario C). RESULTS: Scenario A: Nearly all participants
      performed successful intubations with both MAC and C-MAC on the first attempt
      (95.7% MAC vs. 100% C-MAC), with similar intubation times (16.5s MAC vs. 18s C
      MAC). Scenario B: The results with C-MAC were significantly better than those
      with MAC (p<0.05) for the time of intubation (23 s MAC vs. 19 s C-MAC), success
      of the first intubation attempt (88.6% MAC vs. 100% C-MAC), Cormack-Lehane grade,
      POGO score, severity of dental compression, device difficulty score, and
      preferred airway device. Scenario C: The results with C-MAC were significantly
      better than those with MAC (p<0.05) for all the analysed variables: success of
      the first attempt (51.4% MAC vs. 100% C-MAC), overall success rate, intubation
      time (27 s MAC vs. 20.5 s C-MAC), Cormack-Lehane grade, POGO score, dental
      compression, device difficulty score and the preferred airway device. CONCLUSION:
      The C-MAC videolaryngoscope is an excellent alternative to the MAC laryngoscope
      for intubating manikins with cervical spine immobilization.

PMID- 28341186
TI  - Problem-based learning discussion on advanced life support training for
      perioperative interprofessional education.

PMID- 28341187
TI  - Persistent hyperlactatemia-high central venous-arterial carbon dioxide to
      arterial-venous oxygen content ratio is associated with poor outcomes in early
      resuscitation of septic shock.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: Several studies reported Pv-aCO2/Ca-vO2 ratio as a surrogate of
      VCO2/VO2 to detect global tissue hypoxia. The present study aimed to evaluate the
      prognostic value of Pv-aCO2/Ca-vO2 ratio combined with lactate levels during the
      early phases of resuscitation in septic shock. METHODS: A retrospective study was
      conducted in 144 septic shock patients in a 30-bed mixed ICU. A Pv-aCO2/Ca-vO2
      ratio>1.4 was considered abnormal. Patients were classified into four predefined
      groups according to lactate levels and Pv-aCO2/Ca-vO2 ratio after the first 6h of
      resuscitation. Sequential Organ Failure Assessment (SOFA) score at day 3 was
      assessed. A Kaplan-Meier curve showed the survival probabilities at day 28 using
      a log-rank test to evaluate the differences between groups. A receiver operating
      characteristics (ROC) curve evaluated the ability of lactate, Pv-aCO2/Ca-vO2
      ratio and Pv-aCO2/Ca-vO2 ratio combined with lactate to predict mortality at day
      28. RESULTS: Combination of hyperlactatemia and high Pv-aCO2/Ca-vO2 ratio was
      associated with poor SOFA scores and low survival rates at day 28 (P<0.001). The
      Cox multivariate survival analysis demonstrated that Pv-aCO2/Ca-vO2 ratio and
      lactate at T6 were independent predictors of mortality at day 28. The area under
      the ROC curve of the Pv-aCO2/Ca-vO2 ratio combined with lactate for predicting
      mortality at day 28 was highest and superior to that of lactate and Pv-aCO2/Ca
      vO2 ratios. CONCLUSION: Combination of Pv-aCO2/Ca-vO2 ratio and lactate at early
      stages of resuscitation of septic shock can better predict the prognosis of
      patients. The Pv-aCO2/Ca-vO2 ratio may become a useful parameter supplementary to
      lactate in the resuscitation of septic shock.

PMID- 28341188
TI  - Features of hospital and emergency medical service in out-of-hospital cardiac
      arrest patients with shockable rhythm.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: Predicting the outcome of out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA)
      patients is crucial. We examined hospital characteristics and parameters of
      emergency medical service (including scene time interval and direct ambulance
      delivery to intensive heart hospitals) as survival or outcome predictors. STUDY
      DESIGN: Data from 546 consecutive OHCA shockable patients treated between January
      2012 and December 2015 in Taoyuan City (Taiwan, ROC) were collected. In addition
      to demographic data, location of arrest, initial rhythm, availability of a
      hospital with or without 24/7 percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI), emergency
      medical service (EMS) time, provision of cardiopulmonary resuscitation by a
      bystander, presence of a witness at collapse, and level of life support were
      analysed. RESULTS: Multivariate analysis showed that hospitalisation with
      immediate PCI availability was an independent predictor (OR: 4.32; 95% CI: 1.27
      14.70) solely for the outcome of survival until discharge. The presence of a
      witness while collapsing (OR: 3.52; 95% CI: 1.03-11.98), EMS response time (OR:
      0.83; 95% CI: 0.70-0.98), and scene time interval (STI; OR: 0.89; 95% CI: 0.81
      0.99) were valuable for predicting the neurological outcome. CONCLUSIONS: Direct
      ambulance delivery to intensive heart hospitals that had 24/7 PCI availability
      was associated with a higher probability of surviving until discharge in OHCA
      patients with shockable rhythms. Similarly, a witnessed collapse was correlated
      with being discharged alive from hospital and recovering with good cerebral
      performance. In addition, longer response time and scene time interval indicated
      poorer survival and neurological outcome.

PMID- 28341189
TI  - Cost savings and the HEART pathway: The author responds.

PMID- 28341190
TI  - Evolving cutoff values of "hyperlactatemia" and the role of infection.

PMID- 28341191
TI  - [Bacillus cereus endocarditis and a probable cutaneous gateway].
AB  - BACKGROUND: Bacillus cereus is a ubiquitous telluric organism. B. cereus
      endocarditis is a rare condition seen mostly in prosthetic heart valves and among
      intravenous drug users. We report a new case of a patient without risk factors
      and with a good clinical outcome not requiring valve replacement. CASE REPORT: In
      October 2014, a 50-year-old woman was referred to the dermatology department of
      Lille University Hospital for lower-limb wounds developing 6 months earlier. She
      presented fever without clinical signs of infection, except for the lower-limbs
      wounds. Blood cultures revealed the presence of B. cereus. Transesophageal
      echocardiography was performed and revealed two foci of aortic valve vegetation
      with a diameter of 5mm. After bacterial sensitivity testing, rifampicin and
      levofloxacin treatment was given for six weeks, with complete remission. A skin
      graft was performed and good improvement was seen. DISCUSSION: Nineteen cases of
      B. cereus endocarditis have been described previously, only one of which was
      without risk factors. We described a case of complete remission after a 6-week
      course of antibiotics. Our case demonstrates that BC should not be considered as
      a blood culture contamination, and that treatment may be complex due to
      antibiotic resistance.

PMID- 28341192
TI  - Potential Infection Control Risks Associated with Ultrasound Equipment - A
      Bacterial Perspective.
AB  - Ultrasound equipment used in trans-abdominal (TA) and trans-vaginal (TV)
      examination may carry bacterial contamination and pose risks to infection control
      during ultrasound examination. We aimed to describe the prevalence of bacterial
      contamination on ultrasound probes, gel, machine keyboard and cords and examined
      the effectiveness of low- and high-level disinfection techniques. This study was
      performed at a public hospital and a private practice. A total of 171 swabs were
      analyzed and bacterial species were identified using matrix-assisted laser
      desorption/ionization time-of-flight (MALDI-TOF) analysis and polymerase chain
      reaction (PCR). Sixty percent of TA probes and 14% of TV probes had evidence of
      bacterial contamination after an ultrasound examination. Low-level disinfection
      was partially effective, but 4% of probes were still contaminated by spore
      forming species. Some heated gel samples were highly contaminated with the
      environmental bacterium Brevundimonas aurantiaca, suggesting the gel was
      conducive to bacterial growth. Ultrasound machines, probe cords and gels were
      identified as potential sources of bacterial contamination and need to be cleaned
      and changed regularly to minimize risks of infection.

PMID- 28341193
TI  - Is Grey Level a Suitable Alternative to Low-Contrast Penetration as a Serial
      Measure of Sensitivity in Computerised Ultrasound Quality Assurance?
AB  - The aim of this study was to test the hypothesis that grey levels are a suitable
      alternative measure of sensitivity in ultrasound imaging quality assurance, as
      there are several caveats in the use of penetration depth. In a primary cohort of
      nine probes, where measurements had been made for 6 to 34 mo, both penetration
      depth and mean grey level fell below tolerance for six probes; both penetration
      depth and mean grey level remained within tolerance for three probes. In a
      secondary cohort where a measurement programme had been in place for a shorter
      period, grey level and/or penetration depth fell below tolerance in 15 of 66
      probes; the sensitivity and specificity of at least 10% loss of grey level in
      predicting >5% loss in penetration depth were 91% and 93%, respectively. A loss
      of grey level accompanies a loss of penetration and provides a suitable
      alternative measure of sensitivity.

PMID- 28341194
TI  - Outcomes of open staged corrective surgery in the setting of adult spinal
      deformity.
AB  - BACKGROUND CONTEXT: Adult spinal deformity (ASD) represents a constellation of
      complex malalignments affecting the spinal column. Corrective surgical procedures
      aimed at improving ASD can be equally challenging, and commonly require multiple
      index procedures and potential revisions before definitive management. There is a
      paucity of data comparing the outcomes of same-day(simultaneous [SIM]) and 2-day
      (staged [STA]) procedures for long spinal fusions for ASD. Using a large patient
      cohort with surgeon- and patient-reported outcomes will be particularly useful in
      determining the utility and effect of staging long spinal fusions for ASD.
      PURPOSE: This study aimed to compare intraoperative, perioperative, and 2-year
      outcomes of STA and SIM procedures correcting ASD. STUDY DESIGN: This is a
      retrospective analysis of a prospective multicenter database. PATIENT SAMPLE: A
      total of 142 patients (71 STA, 71 SIM) were included. OUTCOME MEASURES: Primary
      outcome measures were intra- and perioperative (6 weeks) complication rates.
      Secondary outcome measures were 2-year thoracolumbar and spinopelvic radiographic
      parameters, 2-year health-related quality of life (HRQoL) changes (Oswestry
      Disability Index [ODI] and Short Form-36 [SF-36]), and 2-year complication rates.
      METHODS: Inclusion criteria included patients with ASD >=18 years with 6-week and
      2-year follow-up. Propensity score matching identified similar patients
      undergoing STA or SIM long spinal fusions based on surgical invasiveness, pelvic
      tilt, and sagittal vertical axis (SVA). Complications, HRQoL scores (Scoliosis
      Research Society-22 Patient Questionnaire [SRS-22r], SF-36, ODI), and patient
      characteristics were compared across and within treatment groups at follow-up
      with analysis of variance (ANOVA) and paired t tests at three surgical stages:
      intraoperatively, perioperatively (6 weeks), and postoperatively (>6 weeks).
      RESULTS: A total of 142 patients were included (71 STA, 71 SIM). Matching STA and
      SIM groups based on degree of deformity and surgical invasiveness created two
      groups similar in overall correction of the surgery. Patients undergoing STA
      underwent more anterior lumbar interbody fusion (ALIF) and lateral lumbar
      interbody fusion (LLIF) procedures, whereas patients undergoing SIM had longer
      fusions. Charlson comorbidity index and revision status were similar between
      groups (p>.05). Staging procedures had significantly more complications causing
      reoperation (STA: 47% vs. SIM: 8%, p=.021), and had a greater number of
      perioperative complications requiring a return to the operating room (OR) (STA:
      9.9% vs. SIM: 1.4%, p=.029). There was no difference in intraoperative
      complications, mortality, or perioperative infection or wound complications
      (p>.05) between the two procedures. At 2-year follow-up, incidence of revision
      surgery was higher in STA (STA: 21.1% vs. SIM: 8.5%, p=.033). CONCLUSION: Staged
      spinal fusions, which add ALIFs and LLIFs to the procedure, compared with similar
      correction SIM procedures, result in similar intraoperative complication
      incidence, but significantly higher rates of peri- and postoperative
      complications leading to revision. Functional outcomes, radiographic parameters,
      and mortality were similar. This will aid surgeons in their determination of the
      optimal treatment for such complex procedures.

PMID- 28341195
TI  - Methylenetetrahydrofolate Reductase (MTHFR) (C677T and A1298C) Polymorphisms and
      Vascular Complications in Patients with Type 2 Diabetes.
AB  - OBJECTIVES: To assess whether 2 polymorphisms of the methylenetetrahydrofolate
      reductase (MTHFR) gene, C677T and A1298C, are risk factors for vascular
      complications in Tunisian patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus. METHODS: The
      MTHFR polymorphisms were genotyped, and plasma homocysteine levels were evaluated
      in 160 Tunisian patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus. RESULTS: Prevalence of
      the 2 heterozygous polymorphisms of the thermolabile MTHFR gene (CT and AC) was
      encountered more commonly in patients with diabetes mellitus than in the healthy
      controls (p<10-3). Subjects with diabetes had significantly higher homocysteine
      (Hcy) levels than the control subjects; however, there was no statistical
      difference in plasma Hcy values between carriers of mutant genotypes (CT/TT for
      C677T and AC/CC for A1298C) and wild types (CC and AA) in patients with diabetes.
      Retinopathy was found to be a vascular complication in patients with either the
      677CT or the 1298(AC+CC) genotype more commonly than in those with the wild-type
      genotypes (p=0.003; OR=3.2, 95% CI, 1.4 to 7.4; p<10-3; OR=5.9, 95% CI, 2.7 to
      13). Only patients who carry the A1298C mutation (AC+CC) are at risk for at least
      1 complication (p=0.002). Double heterozygous mutants were at the greatest risk
      for retinopathy and for suffering at least 1 complication (p<10-3). CONCLUSIONS:
      Studies involving a larger study population and various ethnic groups are
      required before ruling out the role of MTHFR gene in type 2 diabetes mellitus and
      in vascular complications.

PMID- 28341196
TI  - The use of intraosseous needles for injection of contrast media for computed
      tomographic angiography of the thoracic aorta.
AB  - BACKGROUND: The objective of this study is to evaluate the safety and quality of
      computed tomographic angiography of the thoracic aorta (CTA-TA) exams performed
      using intraosseous needle intravenous access (ION-IVA) for contrast media
      injection (CMI). METHODS: All CTA-TA exams at the study institution performed
      between 1/1/2013 and 8/14/2015 were reviewed retrospectively to identify those
      exams which had been performed using ION-IVA (ION-exams). ION-exams were then
      analyzed to determine aortic attenuation and contrast-to-noise ratio (CNR).
      Linear regression was used to determine how injection rate and other variables
      affected image quality for ION-exams. Patient electronic medical records were
      reviewed to identify any adverse events related to CTA-TA or ION-IVA. RESULTS: 17
      (~0.2%) of 7401 exams were ION-exams. ION-exam CMI rates varied between 2.5 and 4
      ml/s. Mean attenuation was 312 HU (SD 88 HU) and mean CNR was 25 (SD 9.9). A
      strong positive linear association between attenuation and injection rate was
      found. No immediate or delayed complications related to the ION-exams, or
      intraosseous needle use in general, occurred. CONCLUSION: For CTA-TA, ION-IVA
      appears to be a safe and effective route for CMI at rates up to 4 ml/s.

PMID- 28341197
TI  - Label-free quantitative proteomics unravels the importance of RNA processing in
      glioma malignancy.
AB  - Glioma, one of the most common cancers in human, is classified to different
      grades according to the degrees of malignancy. Glioblastoma (GBM) is known to be
      the most malignant (Grade IV) whereas low-grade astrocytoma (LGA, Grade II) is
      relatively benign. The mechanism underlying the pathogenesis and progression of
      glioma malignancy remains unclear. Here we report a quantitative proteomic study
      to elucidate the differences between GBM and LGA using liquid chromatography and
      tandem mass spectrometry followed by label-free quantification. A total of 136
      proteins were differentially expressed in GBM for at least five folds in
      comparison with LGA. Ontological analysis revealed a close correlation between
      GBM-associated proteins and RNA processing. Interaction network analysis
      indicated that the GBM-associated proteins in the RNA processing were linked to
      crucial signaling transduction modulators including epidermal growth factor
      receptor (EGFR), signal transducer and activator of transcription 1 (STAT1), and
      mitogen-activated protein kinase 1 (MAPK1), which were further connected to the
      proteins important for neuronal structural integrity, development and functions.
      Upregulation of 40S ribosomal protein S5 (RPS5), Ferritin Heavy chain (FTH1) and
      STAT1, and downregulation of tenascin R (TNR) were validated as representatives
      by immune assays. In summary, we revealed a panel of GBM-associated proteins and
      the important modulators centered at the RNA-processing network in glioma
      malignancy that may become novel biomarkers and help elucidate the underlying
      mechanism.

PMID- 28341199
TI  - Quantitative Magnetic Resonance Diffusion-Weighted Imaging Evaluation of the
      Supratentorial Brain Regions in Patients Diagnosed with Brainstem Variant of
      Posterior Reversible Encephalopathy Syndrome: A Preliminary Study.
AB  - BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Posterior reversible encephalopathy syndrome (PRES) is a
      clinicoradiologic entity with several causes, characterized by rapid onset of
      symptoms and typical neuroimaging features, which usually resolve if promptly
      recognized and treated. Brainstem variant of PRES presents with vasogenic edema
      in brainstem regions on magnetic resonance (MR) images and there is sparing of
      the supratentorial regions. Because PRES is usually caused by a hypertensive
      crisis, which would likely have a systemic effect and global manifestations on
      the brain tissue, we thus proposed that some microscopic abnormalities of the
      supratentorial regions could be detected with diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI)
      using apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) analysis in brainstem variant of PRES
      and hypothesized that "normal-looking" supratentorial regions will increase water
      diffusion. METHODS: We retrospectively identified patients with PRES who
      underwent brain magnetic resonance imaging studies. We identified 11 brainstem
      variants of PRES patients, who formed the study cohort, and 11 typical PRES
      patients and 20 normal control subjects as the comparison cohorts for this study.
      Nineteen regions of interest were drawn and systematically placed. The mean ADC
      values were measured and compared among these 3 groups. RESULTS: ADC values of
      the typical PRES group were consistently elevated compared with those in normal
      control subjects. ADC values of the brainstem variant group were consistently
      elevated compared with those in normal control subjects. ADC values of the
      typical PRES group and brainstem variant group did not differ significantly,
      except for the pons area. CONCLUSIONS: Quantitative MR DWI may aid in the
      evaluation of supratentorial microscopic abnormalities in brainstem variant of
      PRES patients.

PMID- 28341200
TI  - Clinical Characteristics of Stroke Occurring while Bathing.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Stroke can occur during any human activity. Although cardiac arrests
      or drowning accidents while bathing have been studied extensively, there are few
      studies focusing on stroke occurring while bathing. The objectives of this study
      were to evaluate the clinical characteristics of stroke occurring while bathing
      and the association between stroke and drowning accidents. METHODS: Clinical data
      prospectively acquired between January 2011 and December 2015 on 1939 patients
      with stroke (1224 cerebral infarctions [CIs], 505 intracerebral hemorrhages
      [ICHs], and 210 subarachnoid hemorrhages [SAHs]) were reviewed to identify
      patients who sustained a stroke while bathing. The ratio of bathing-related
      strokes to strokes occurring during other activities was evaluated. Moreover, the
      demographics of these 2 groups were compared in each stroke type. RESULTS: Among
      the 1939 patients, 78 (CI, 32; ICH, 28; and SAH, 18) sustained a stroke while
      bathing. The ratio of bathing to other activities in the SAH group was the
      highest (8.6%), followed by the ICH group (5.5%), whereas that in the CI group
      was the lowest (2.6%). Regardless of stroke type, only a minority of patients
      were found to have collapsed inside the bathtub. CONCLUSIONS: The higher ratio of
      bathing in hemorrhagic strokes may indicate that there is a small risk of
      hemorrhagic stroke while bathing in vulnerable subjects. This retrospective study
      did not establish a causal relationship between bathing and stroke nor identify
      risk factors, which means that future prospective studies are warranted. The
      finding that the great majority of bathing-related stroke patients were found to
      have collapsed outside the bathtub suggests that the involvement of stroke in
      drowning accidents in the bathtub may be small.

PMID- 28341201
TI  - The ATM kinase inhibitor KU-55933 provides neuroprotection against hydrogen
      peroxide-induced cell damage via a gammaH2AX/p-p53/caspase-3-independent
      mechanism: Inhibition of calpain and cathepsin D.
AB  - The role of the kinase ataxia-telangiectasia mutated (ATM), a well-known protein
      engaged in DNA damage repair, in the regulation of neuronal responses to
      oxidative stress remains unexplored. Thus, the neuroprotective efficacy of KU
      55933, a potent inhibitor of ATM, against cell damage evoked by oxidative stress
      (hydrogen peroxide, H2O2) has been studied in human neuroblastoma SH-SY5Y cells
      and compared with the efficacy of this agent in models of doxorubicin (Dox)- and
      staurosporine (St)-evoked cell death. KU-55933 inhibited the cell death induced
      by H2O2 or Dox but not by St in undifferentiated (UN-) and retinoic acid
      differentiated (RA)-SH-SY5Y cells, with a more pronounced effect in the latter
      cell phenotype. Furthermore, this ATM inhibitor attenuated the Dox- but not H2O2
      induced caspase-3 activity in both UN- and RA-SH-SY5Y cells. Although KU-55933
      inhibited the H2O2- and Dox-induced activation of ATM, it attenuated the toxin
      induced phosphorylation of the proteins H2AX and p53 only in the latter model of
      cell damage. Moreover, the ATM inhibitor prevented the H2O2-evoked increases in
      calpain and cathepsin D activity and attenuated cell damage to a similar degree
      as inhibitors of calpain (MDL28170) and cathepsin D (pepstatin A). Finally, we
      confirmed the neuroprotective potential of KU-55933 against the H2O2- and Dox
      evoked cell damage in primary mouse cerebellar granule cells and in the mouse
      hippocampal HT-22 cell line. Altogether, our results extend the neuroprotective
      portfolio of KU-55933 to a model of oxidative stress, with this effect not
      involving inhibition of the gammaH2AX/p-p53/caspase-3 pathway and instead
      associated with the attenuation of calpain and cathepsin D activity.

PMID- 28341202
TI  - Tumor necrosis factor-alpha did not enhance alpha-smooth muscle actin expression
      in fibroblastic cell cultures derived from healthy donors.

PMID- 28341203
TI  - Nosocomial nontuberculous mycobacteria infections associated with heater-cooler
      devices.

PMID- 28341204
TI  - The economic cost of respiratory disease in the UK.

PMID- 28341205
TI  - Autism-like behavior in the BTBR mouse model of autism is improved by propofol.
AB  - Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a developmental disorder that is characterized
      by symptoms of impaired social interactions, restricted interests and repetitive
      behaviors. Recent studies in humans and animal-models suggest that reduced
      GABAergic neurotransmission in the brain may underlie autism-related behavioral
      symptoms. It has been shown that propofol, a commonly used anesthetic,
      facilitates gamma-aminobutyric acid-mediated inhibitory synaptic transmission.
      The present study investigated whether propofol improved autistic phenotypes in
      BTBR T + Itpr3tf/J (BTBR) mice, a model of idiopathic autism. We found that i.p.
      injection of propofol in BTBR mice significantly improved aspects of social
      approach and repetitive behaviors without affecting reciprocal social
      interactions and without any detrimental effects in C57BL/6J mice. The ability of
      propofol to improve autistic phenotypes in BTBR mice through GABAergic
      neurotransmission suggests a potential pharmacological target for interventions
      to treat symptoms of autism.

PMID- 28341207
TI  - Transcriptome analysis of airborne PM2.5-induced detrimental effects on human
      keratinocytes.
AB  - Ambient air pollution is becoming more severe worldwide, posing a serious threat
      to human health. Fine airborne particles of particulate matter (PM2.5) show
      higher cytotoxicity than other coarse fractions. Indeed, PM2.5 induces
      cardiovascular or respiratory damage; however, few studies have evaluated the
      detrimental effect of PM2.5 to normal human skin. We used a next-generation
      sequencing-based (RNA-Seq) method with transcriptome and Gene Ontology (GO)
      enrichment analysis to determine the harmful influences of PM2.5 on human normal
      epidermal keratinocytes. DAVID analysis showed that the most significantly
      enriched GO terms were associated with epidermis-related biological processes
      such as "epidermis development (GO: 0008544)" and "keratinocyte differentiation
      (GO: 0030216)", suggesting that PM2.5 has some deleterious effects to the human
      epidermis. In addition, Ingenuity Pathway Analysis predicted inflammation-related
      signaling as one of the major PM2.5-induced signaling pathways, and pro
      inflammatory cytokines as upstream regulators with symptoms similar to psoriasis
      as downstream effects. PM2.5 caused considerable changes in the expression of pro
      inflammatory cytokines and psoriatic skin disease-related genes, might lead to
      epidermal dysfunctions. Our results might help to understand the mechanism of air
      pollution-induced skin barrier perturbation and contribute to the development of
      a new strategy for the prevention or recovery of the consequent damage.

PMID- 28341208
TI  - Geometry of carbon nanotubes and mechanisms of phagocytosis and toxic effects.
AB  - A review of in vivo and in vitro toxicological studies of the potential toxic
      effects of carbon nanotubes is presented along with the analysis of experimental
      data and a hypothesis about the nanotube-asbestos similarity. Developments of the
      structure-activity paradigm have been reviewed along with the size effects and
      the classification of carbon nanotubes into eleven distinct classes (e.g., the
      high aspect ratio nanotubes, thick multi-wall nanotubes and short nanotubes).
      Scaling analysis of similarities between different classes of carbon nanotubes
      and asbestos fibers in the context of their potential toxicity and the efficiency
      of phagocytosis has been reviewed. The potential toxic effects of carbon
      nanotubes have been characterized by their normalized length, their aspect ratio
      and other parameters related to their inhalability, engulfment by macrophages and
      the effectiveness of phagocytosis. Geometric scaling parameters and the
      classification of carbon nanotubes are used to develop an updated parametric map
      for the extrapolation of the potential toxic effects resulting from the
      inhalation of long and short carbon nanotubes. An updated parametric map has been
      applied to the evaluation of the efficiency of phagocytosis involving distinct
      classes of carbon nanotubes. A critical value of an important nondimensional
      parameter characterizing the efficiency of phagocytosis for different nanotubes
      is presented along with its macrophage-based normalization. The present
      evaluation of the potential toxicological effects of the high aspect ratio carbon
      nanotubes is found to be in the agreement with other available studies and
      earlier scaling analyses.

PMID- 28341209
TI  - A non-zero variance of Tajima's estimator for two sequences even for infinitely
      many unlinked loci.
AB  - The population-scaled mutation rate, theta, is informative on the effective
      population size and is thus widely used in population genetics. We show that for
      two sequences and n unlinked loci, the variance of Tajima's estimator (theta^),
      which is the average number of pairwise differences, does not vanish even as n
      >infinity. The non-zero variance of theta^ results from a (weak) correlation
      between coalescence times even at unlinked loci, which, in turn, is due to the
      underlying fixed pedigree shared by gene genealogies at all loci. We derive the
      correlation coefficient under a diploid, discrete-time, Wright-Fisher model, and
      we also derive a simple, closed-form lower bound. We also obtain empirical
      estimates of the correlation of coalescence times under demographic models
      inspired by large-scale human genealogies. While the effect we describe is small
      (Vartheta^/theta2~ONe-1), it is important to recognize this feature of
      statistical population genetics, which runs counter to commonly held notions
      about unlinked loci.

PMID- 28341198
TI  - Cholesterol Levels Are Associated with 30-day Mortality from Ischemic Stroke in
      Dialysis Patients.
AB  - BACKGROUND: We investigated the impact of serum cholesterol levels on 30-day
      mortality after ischemic stroke in dialysis patients. METHODS: From the Taiwan
      Stroke Registry data, we identified 46,770 ischemic stroke cases, including 1101
      dialysis patients and 45,669 nondialysis patients from 2006 to 2013. RESULTS:
      Overall, the 30-day mortality was 1.46-fold greater in the dialysis group than in
      the nondialysis group (1.75 versus 1.20 per 1000 person-days). The mortality
      rates were 1.64, .62, 2.82, and 2.23 per 1000 person-days in dialysis patients
      with serum total cholesterol levels of <120 mg/dL, 120-159 mg/dL, 160-199 mg/dL,
      and >=200 mg/dL, respectively. Compared to dialysis patients with serum total
      cholesterol levels of 120-159 mg/dL, the corresponding adjusted hazard ratios of
      mortality were 4.20 (95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.01-17.4), 8.06 (95% CI =
      2.02-32.2), and 6.89 (95% CI = 1.59-29.8) for those with cholesterol levels of
      <120 mg/dL, 160-199 mg/dL, and >=200 mg/dL, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: Dialysis
      patients with serum total cholesterol levels of >=160 mg/dL or <120 mg/dL on
      admission are at an elevated hazard of 30-day mortality after ischemic stroke.

PMID- 28341213
TI  - Lung Cancer Screening Practices in North Carolina CT Facilities.
AB  - BACKGROUND: The burden of lung cancer in the United States is staggering, with
      more Americans dying from lung cancer than the next four most common cancers
      combined. With endorsement of lung cancer screening by the United States
      Preventive Services Task Force and reimbursement by CMS, the number screened for
      lung cancer with low-dose CT (LDCT) is anticipated to rise in the near future.
      METHODS: In 2015, we conducted a cross-sectional study of mailed surveys to 112
      ACR CT facilities across North Carolina to examine recommended guidelines for
      lung cancer screening, referral patterns, and patient tracking methods. We
      describe the survey results and compare findings with surveys of academic medical
      centers. RESULTS: Among 48 respondents (response rate = 42.9%), 54.2% offer lung
      cancer screening with LDCT (93.1% community and 6.9% academic settings); of
      these, 70.8% use ACR/CMS guidelines. In lung cancer screening facilities,
      reported patient volumes are low (average eight patients screened per month,
      range: 0-30) and patient tracking occurs in 72% of facilities. CONCLUSIONS: Among
      our predominately community-based sample of facilities, we found variation in
      lung cancer screening guideline usage, number of patients screened, and tracking
      methods.

PMID- 28341214
TI  - The Long Arms of Radiology: Emergence of Radiologists as Public Health
      Practitioners.

PMID- 28341206
TI  - Alcohol and basal ganglia circuitry: Animal models.
AB  - Brain circuits that include the cortex and basal ganglia make up the bulk of the
      forebrain, and influence behaviors related to almost all aspects of affective,
      cognitive and sensorimotor functions. The learning of new actions as well as
      association of existing action repertoires with environmental events are key
      functions of this circuitry. Unfortunately, the cortico-basal ganglia circuitry
      is also the target for all drugs of abuse, including alcohol. This makes the
      circuitry susceptible to the actions of chronic alcohol exposure that impairs
      circuit function in ways that contribute to cognitive dysfunction and drug use
      disorders. In the present review, we describe the connectivity and functions of
      the associative, limbic and sensorimotor cortico-basal ganglia circuits. We then
      review the effects of acute and chronic alcohol exposure on circuit function.
      Finally, we review studies examining the roles of the different circuits and
      circuit elements in alcohol use and abuse. We attempt to synthesize information
      from a variety of studies in laboratory animals and humans to generate hypotheses
      about how the three circuits interact with each other and with the other brain
      circuits during exposure to alcohol and during the development of alcohol use
      disorders. This article is part of the Special Issue entitled "Alcoholism".

PMID- 28341210
TI  - Chronic Kidney Disease and Subclinical Brain Infarction Increase the Risk of
      Vascular Cognitive Impairment: The Sefuri Study.
AB  - BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to determine the complex
      associations among chronic kidney disease (CKD), subclinical brain infarction
      (SBI), and cognitive impairment. METHODS: We used structural equation modeling
      (SEM) to examine the complex relationships among CKD, SBI, and cognitive function
      with Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE; global function) and modified Stroop
      test (executive function) in a population-based cohort of 560 non-demented
      elderly subjects. RESULTS: Path analysis based on SEM revealed that the direct
      paths from estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) to SBI and from SBI to
      executive function were significant (beta = -.10, P = .027, and beta = .16, P <
      .001, respectively). Furthermore, the direct path from eGFR to executive function
      was also significant (beta = -.12, P = .006), indicating that the effects of CKD
      on executive function are independent of SBI. The direct paths from age and
      education to global cognitive function were highly significant (beta = -.17 and
      .22, respectively, P < .001), whereas the direct path from eGFR to MMSE was not
      significant. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings indicate that CKD confers a risk of
      vascular cognitive impairment or executive dysfunction through mechanisms
      dependent and independent of SBI. Treating CKD may be a potential strategy to
      protect against vascular cognitive impairment or executive dysfunction in healthy
      elderly subjects.

PMID- 28341215
TI  - Identification and molecular characterization of cytochrome P450 (CYP450) family
      genes in the marine ciliate Euplotes crassus: The effect of benzo[a]pyrene and
      beta-naphthoflavone.
AB  - Marine ciliate Euplotes crassus, a single-cell eukaryote, and has been considered
      as a model organism for monitoring of environmental pollutions in sediments.
      Cytochrome P450 (CYP450) monooxygenase are phase I enzyme involved in
      detoxification of environmental pollutants, such as polycyclic aromatic
      hydrocarbons (PAHs). However, little information on CYP450 family genes in
      ciliate is available. In the present study, acute toxicity of PAH, benzo[a]pyrene
      (B[a]P) and PAH-like model compound, beta-naphthoflavone (beta-NF), was
      investigated; full-length cDNA sequences and genomic structure of five CYP450
      genes (CYP5680A1, CYP5681A1, CYP5681B1, CYP5682A1, and CYP5683A1) were analyzed;
      and finally their activities and transcriptional changes were measured after
      exposure to PAHs for 48h. According to the results, B[a]P exposure showed a
      negative effect on E. crassus survival, whereas beta-NF exposure showed no
      significant effect. The 8h-LC50 value of B[a]P was determined to be 2.449MUM (95%
      C.L., 7.726-3.619MUM). Five genes belonging to the CYP450 family had conserved
      domains and clustered with those of ciliate group, as revealed in phylogenetic
      analysis. CYP activity did not change after exposure to B[a]P, whereas it was
      slightly, but significantly, induced after exposure to beta-NF. The mRNA
      expression of five CYP450 genes was significantly modulated in a concentration-
      and time-dependent manner after exposure to both the chemicals. Our findings
      suggest that CYP450 genes in E. crassus may be involved in detoxification of
      B[a]P and beta-NF. This study would give a better understanding about the mode of
      action of B[a]P and beta-NF in marine ciliates at the molecular level.

PMID- 28341216
TI  - Effects of methimazole on Drosophila glucolipid metabolism in vitro and in vivo.
AB  - Methimazole (MMI) is an antithyroid agent widely used in the treatment of
      hyperthyroidism, and metabolized by cytochrome P450 enzymes and flavin-containing
      monooxygenases in mammals. However, drug overdose and the inadequate
      detoxification of the metabolite(s) are responsible for hepatocellular damage and
      organ dysfunction. Depending on the desired properties, Drosophila melanogaster
      has recently emerged as an ideal model organism for the study of human diseases.
      Here we investigated the changes in metabolic profiles and mRNA expressions
      related to glucolipid metabolism in response to treatment with MMI in Drosophila.
      Remarkable loss of lifespan occurred in fruit flies fed on the diets containing
      10 or 30mM MMI compared to unsupplemented controls. To examine whether MMI
      affects glucolipid metabolism in vitro and in vivo, fruit flies were fed diets
      containing 30mM MMI for two weeks and Drosophila S2 cells were incubated with
      300MUM MMI for 48h. Measurements of metabolites showed that triglyceride content
      dramatically decreased (30.56% in vivo and 18.13% in vitro), and glycogen content
      significantly increased (10.7% in vivo and 126.8% in vitro). Quantitative
      analyses indicated that mRNA expression levels of Dmfmo1, s6k, dilp2, acc and
      dilp5 genes involved in metabolic homeostasis were remarkably down-regulated in
      vivo and in vitro. Meanwhile, the addition of MMI could significantly reduce the
      lipid droplet content in S2 cells by approximately 25% compared to control
      subjects. These data may provide a biological basis for the study of MMI on
      disease symptoms and complications, and discovery of therapeutic treatments.

PMID- 28341217
TI  - Lemmel's syndrome: Obstructive jaundice secondary to a duodenal diverticulum.

PMID- 28341218
TI  - [A Third nerve palsy that reveals a diffuse large B cell lymphoma in an
      octogenarian patient].

PMID- 28341219
TI  - [Patients with cognitive impairment and falls in a psychogeriatric clinic].

PMID- 28341220
TI  - National Academy of Medicine Social and Behavioral Measures: Associations With
      Self-Reported Health.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: Social and behavioral factors play important roles in physical and
      mental health; however, they are not routinely assessed in the healthcare system.
      A brief panel of measures of social and behavioral determinants of health (SBDs)
      were recommended in a National Academy of Medicine report for use in electronic
      health records. Initial testing of the panel established feasibility of use and
      robustness of the measures. This study evaluates their convergent and divergent
      validity in relation to self-reported physical and mental health and social
      desirability bias. METHODS: Adults, aged >=18 years, were recruited through
      Qualtrics online panel survey platform in 2015 (data analyzed in 2015-2016).
      Participants completed the (1) panel of SBD measures; (2) 12-Item Short Form
      Health Survey to assess associations with global physical and mental health; and
      (3) Marlowe-Crowne Social Desirability Scale short form to assess whether social
      desirability influenced associations between SBD measures and self-reported
      health. RESULTS: The sample included 513 participants (mean age, 47.9 [SD=14.2]
      years; 65.5% female). Several SBD domain measures were associated with physical
      and mental health. Adjusting for age, poorer physical and mental health were
      observed among participants reporting higher levels of financial resource strain,
      stress, depression, physical inactivity, current tobacco use, and a positive
      score for intimate partner violence. These associations remained significant
      after adjustment for social desirability bias. CONCLUSIONS: SBD domains were
      associated with global measures of physical and mental health and were not
      impacted by social desirability bias. The panel of SBD measures should now be
      tested in clinical settings.

PMID- 28341221
TI  - A Systematic Review of Obesity Disparities Research.
AB  - CONTEXT: A review of interventions addressing obesity disparities could reveal
      gaps in the literature and provide guidance on future research, particularly for
      populations with a high prevalence of obesity and obesity-related cardiometabolic
      risk. EVIDENCE ACQUISITION: A systematic review of clinical trials in obesity
      disparities research that were published in 2011-2016 in PubMed/MEDLINE resulted
      in 328 peer-reviewed articles. Articles were excluded if they had no BMI, weight,
      or body composition measure as primary outcome or were foreign (n=201); were
      epidemiologic or secondary data analyses of clinical trials (n=12); design or
      protocol papers (n=54); systematic reviews (n=3); or retracted or duplicates
      (n=9). Forty-nine published trials were summarized and supplemented with a review
      of ongoing obesity disparities grants being funded by the National, Heart, Lung
      and Blood Institute. EVIDENCE SYNTHESIS: Of the 49 peer-reviewed trials, 27
      targeted adults and 22 children only or parent-child dyads (5 of 22).
      Interventions were individually focused; mostly in single settings (e.g., school
      or community); of short duration (mostly <=12 months); and primarily used
      behavioral modification (e.g., self-monitoring) strategies. Many of the trials
      had small sample sizes and moderate to high attrition rates. A meta-analysis of
      13 adult trials obtained a pooled intervention effect of BMI -1.31 (95% CI=-2.11,
      -0.52, p=0.0012). Institutional review identified 140 ongoing obesity-related
      health disparities grants, but only 19% (n=27) were clinical trials. CONCLUSIONS:
      The reviews call for cardiovascular-related obesity disparities research that is
      long term and includes population research, and multilevel, policy, and
      environmental, or "whole of community," interventions.

PMID- 28341222
TI  - The science and ethics of cell-based therapies for Parkinson's disease.
AB  - Parkinson's Disease (PD) is an age-related, disabling neurodegenerative disorder.
      Although sufferers usually respond to dopamine agonists for extended periods, the
      disease remains progressive and adverse drug effects can compromise effective
      long term treatment. Cell-based therapies have been the subject of much hype and
      optimism with regard to PD. Proof of principle was provided in the 1980s with
      fetal tissue transplantation trials demonstrating successful graft survival.
      Embryonic stem cells and reprogrammed or transdifferentiated somatic cells may
      provide alternative sources of tissue with the potential to overcome the material
      shortages and technical difficulties that have hindered fetal neural transplants.
      This article will review the state of the science for cell based therapies and
      examine the ethical issues that societies must negotiate regarding their clinical
      use.

PMID- 28341223
TI  - A novel mutation of CHCHD2 p.R8H in a sporadic case of Parkinson's disease.

PMID- 28341224
TI  - Palliative care and its emerging role in Multiple System Atrophy and Progressive
      Supranuclear Palsy.
AB  - Multiple System Atrophy (MSA) and Progressive Supranuclear Palsy (PSP) are
      sporadic, neurodegenerative conditions and belong to a group known as the
      atypical Parkinsonian disorders. The atypical Parkinsonian (AP) disorders have
      some features of idiopathic Parkinson's disease (PD) but often with poor or
      transient levodopa response [1], distinct symptom profiles, more rapid
      progression and reduced survival. They have significant symptom burden [2]. It is
      beginning to be appreciated that AP disorders not only carry a heavy symptom
      burden equivalent to that of patients with advanced cancer but that AP patients
      experience significant morbidity for an extended period of time. PSP and MSA
      patients reach clinical milestones such as wheelchair-dependence or frequent
      falls early in the course of their disease and can live with these accumulating
      burdens for some years [3]. The acknowledgement of the benefits of emphasizing
      quality of life in progressive disorders and the growing evidence for palliative
      care need in non-malignant conditions suggests that MSA and PSP would benefit
      from an integrated palliative approach. Studies to determine palliative need and
      possibility of benefit from intervention are beginning to yield results in
      Parkinsonian conditions. This review aims to discuss the trajectory of disease in
      MSA and PSP, explore significant symptoms and summarize some evidence which
      exists for palliative care need and quality of life in these conditions. The
      challenges of a palliative approach with this group including advance care
      planning will also be discussed.

PMID- 28341225
TI  - Improved Outcomes with Modern Lung-Sparing Trimodality Therapy in Patients with
      Malignant Pleural Mesothelioma.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: Higher target conformity and better sparing of organs at risk with
      modern radiotherapy (RT) may result in higher tumor control and less toxicity. In
      this study, we compare our institutional multimodality therapy experience of
      adjuvant chemotherapy and hemithoracic intensity-modulated pleural RT (IMPRINT)
      with previously used adjuvant conventional RT (CONV) in patients with malignant
      pleural mesothelioma (MPM) treated with lung-sparing pleurectomy/decortication
      (P/D). METHODS: We analyzed 209 patients who underwent P/D and adjuvant RT (131
      who received CONV and 78 who received IMPRINT) for MPM between 1974 and 2015. The
      primary end point was overall survival (OS). The Kaplan-Meier method and Cox
      proportional hazards model were used to calculate OS; competing risks analysis
      was performed for local failure-free survival and progression-free survival.
      Univariate analysis and multivariate analysis were performed with relevant
      clinical and treatment factors. RESULTS: The median age was 64 years, and 80% of
      the patients were male. Patients receiving IMPRINT had significantly higher rates
      of the epithelial histological type, advanced pathological stage, and
      chemotherapy treatment. OS was significantly higher after IMPRINT (median 20.2
      versus 12.3 months, p = 0.001). Higher Karnofsky performance score, epithelioid
      histological type, macroscopically complete resection, and use of
      chemotherapy/IMPRINT were found to be significant factors for longer OS in
      multivariate analysis. No significant predictive factors were identified for
      local failure or progression. Grade 2 or higher esophagitis developed in fewer
      patients after IMPRINT than after CONV (23% versus 47%). CONCLUSIONS: Trimodality
      therapy including adjuvant hemithoracic IMPRINT, chemotherapy, and P/D is
      associated with promising OS rates and decreased toxicity in patients with MPM.
      Dose constraints should be applied vigilantly to minimize serious adverse events.

PMID- 28341227
TI  - Corrigendum to "Design and methods of a double blind randomized placebo
      controlled trial of extended-release naltrexone for alcohol dependent and
      hazardous drinking prisoners with HIV who are transitioning to the community"
      [Contemp. Clin. Trials (2014) 209-218].

PMID- 28341226
TI  - Lung Adenocarcinoma and Squamous Cell Carcinoma Gene Expression Subtypes
      Demonstrate Significant Differences in Tumor Immune Landscape.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: Molecular subtyping of lung adenocarcinoma (AD) and lung squamous
      cell carcinoma (SCC) reveal biologically diverse tumors that vary in their
      genomic and clinical attributes. METHODS: Published immune cell signatures and
      several lung AD and SCC gene expression data sets, including The Cancer Genome
      Atlas, were used to examine immune response in relation to AD and SCC expression
      subtypes. Expression of immune cell populations and other immune related genes,
      including CD274 molecule gene (CD274) (programmed death ligand 1), was
      investigated in the tumor microenvironment relative to the expression subtypes of
      the AD (terminal respiratory unit, proximal proliferative, and proximal
      inflammatory) and SCC (primitive, classical, secretory, and basal) subtypes.
      RESULTS: Lung AD and SCC expression subtypes demonstrated significant differences
      in tumor immune landscape. The proximal proliferative subtype of AD demonstrated
      low immune cell expression among ADs whereas the secretory subtype showed
      elevated immune cell expression among SCCs. Tumor expression subtype was a better
      predictor of immune cell expression than CD274 (programmed death ligand 1) in SCC
      tumors but was a comparable predictor in AD tumors. Nonsilent mutation burden was
      not correlated with immune cell expression across subtypes; however, major
      histocompatibility complex class II gene expression was highly correlated with
      immune cell expression. Increased immune and major histocompatibility complex II
      gene expression was associated with improved survival in the terminal respiratory
      unit and proximal inflammatory subtypes of AD and in the primitive subtype of
      SCC. CONCLUSIONS: Molecular expression subtypes of lung AD and SCC demonstrate
      key and reproducible differences in immune host response. Evaluation of tumor
      expression subtypes as potential biomarkers for immunotherapy should be
      investigated.

PMID- 28341230
TI  - Intraoperative cryoanalgesia for managing pain after the Nuss procedure.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Cryoanalgesia prevents pain by freezing the affected peripheral
      nerve. We report the use of intraoperative cryoanalgesia during the Nuss
      procedure for pectus excavatum and describe our initial experience, modifications
      of technique, and lessons learned. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We retrospectively
      reviewed the medical records of patients who received cryoanalgesia during the
      Nuss procedure between June 1, 2015, and April 30, 2016, at our institutions and
      analyzed modifications in surgical technique during this early adoption period.
      RESULTS: Eight male and two female patients underwent the Nuss procedure with
      cryoanalgesia. The mean postoperative length of stay (LOS) was 2days (range 1-3).
      Average inpatient pain scores were 3.4, 3.2, and 4.6 on postoperative days 1-3,
      respectively (N=10, 7, and 2). At a 1-week postoperative visit, mean pain score
      was 1.1 (N=6). Compared to the preceding 15 Nuss patients at our institution, who
      were treated with a thoracic epidural, postoperative LOS was significantly
      shorter with cryoanalgesia (2.0+/-0.82 vs. 6.3+/-1.3days, P<0.001). We modified
      our technique for patient habitus and adopted single-lung ventilation for
      improved visualization. CONCLUSIONS: Cryoanalgesia may be the ideal pain
      management strategy for Nuss patients because it is effective and long lasting.
      Intraoperative application is easily integrated into the Nuss procedure. STUDY
      TYPE: Treatment study: case series; Evidence level IV.

PMID- 28341228
TI  - Use of the ROLL technique for lumpectomy in non-palpable breast lesions.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the efficiency of radioguided occult lesion localising in
      non-palpable breast lesions (NPBL) compared to the surgical wire technique.
      METHOD: A prospective study was conducted on 161 women with NPBL, of whom 80
      marked with the wire (group 1), whereas 81 women were marked with an intratumour
      injection of 99mTc-nanocoloid (group 2). The NPBL were located by ultrasound or
      stereotactic guidance. The lumpectomies were performed following the wire
      direction in group 1, and with the aid of a gamma-probe in group 2. Surgical
      margins were then checked, determining the need of extension if the margin was
      less than 5mm in the intra-surgical study, and less than 2mm in the deferred
      study. Data were collected on the mean number detected by surgery, surgical
      margins, number of extensions, presence of residual tumour in the extension,
      second surgeries, lumpectomy volume, as well as total resected volume,
      volume/tumour ratio, and complications. RESULTS: No significant differences were
      observed between the two groups in the mean number detected, surgical margins,
      number of extensions, presence of residual tumour in the extension, second
      surgeries, lumpectomy volume, total resected volume, volume/tumour ratio or
      complications. The multivariate analysis showed the determining factors of the
      resected volume were the radiological guidance technique, as well as the surgeon.
      CONCLUSIONS: The radioguided occult lesion localising technique helps in the
      detection and resection of NPBL with the same efficiency as the surgical wire,
      and adds the possibility of sentinel node detection in the same surgery. The
      determining factors of the resected volume were the radiological guidance
      technique and the surgeon.

PMID- 28341229
TI  - Assessment of the extension of pressure ulcers into soft tissue and osteomyelitis
      diagnosis using 18F-FDG PET/CT.
AB  - The precise assessment of pressure ulcer extension in patients with neurological
      diseases has crucial therapeutic implications, especially in the early detection
      of fistula to interior structures and osteomyelitis. Two case reports are
      presented on patients with a similar ischial ulcer, in whom an 18F-FDG PET/CT
      study enabled a precise assessment of infectious complications in underlying
      tissues. These cases support the implementation of 18F-FDG PET/CT as a first-line
      technique in their management.

PMID- 28341231
TI  - Rectal suction biopsy with calretinin immunohistochemistry in patients suspected
      with residual aganglionosis after operation for Hirschsprung disease.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: This study investigates the use of rectal suction biopsy (RSB) with
      calretinin immunohistochemical staining (CIS) in patients suspected of having
      abnormally innervated bowel after pull through operation for Hirschsprung disease
      (HD). METHOD: This study was conducted in Children's Hospital 2, Ho Chi Minh City
      from January 2015 through June 2016. Patients suspected with abnormally
      innervated bowel after pull through operation for HD were submitted for a RSB
      with CIS. Following histological results, the patients underwent an appropriate
      treatment (redo pull through operation or non-operative medical management) and
      followed up at least 6 months to evaluate their outcomes. RESULTS: Ten patients
      were enrolled in our study. The median age was 5.6 (range 1.4-20) years. The
      diagnosis of normally innervated bowel was made in five patients by showing
      positive reactivity of CIS on RSB, whereas five others were diagnosed with
      abnormally innervated bowel. Final diagnosis of the five latter patients was
      confirmed by analyses of the resected bowel after a redo pull through operation
      (including 4 cases with residual aganglionosis and one case with transition zone
      bowel). CONCLUSIONS: RSB with CIS is a reliable and simple method for diagnosis
      of abnormally innervated bowel after pull through operation for HD. LEVEL OF
      EVIDENCE: III TYPE OF STUDY: Study of diagnostic test (evaluate the effectiveness
      of a diagnostic test or outcome assessment).

PMID- 28341232
TI  - Lower urinary tract symptoms and sexual functions after endorectal pull-through
      for Hirschsprung disease: controlled long-term outcomes.
AB  - BACKGROUND/PURPOSE: To define the prevalence of lower urinary tract symptoms
      (LUTS) and outcomes for sexual function after endorectal pull-through (EPT) for
      Hirschsprung disease (HD) compared to controls. To date, similar controlled
      studies are lacking. METHODS: Patients aged >=4years (n=123) operated on for HD
      at our center between 1987 and 2011 were invited to answer questionnaires on LUTS
      and sexual function (aged >=16years). Patients with an intellectual disability
      and patients with a definitive endostomy were excluded. Patients were matched to
      three controls and also invited to a clinical follow-up for urological
      investigations including urine flow measurement, renal tract ultrasound, and
      urinalysis. RESULTS: Altogether, 59 responses concerning LUTS and 24 responses
      concerning sexual functions were analyzed. No significant differences were
      demonstrated in the overall prevalence of LUTS between patients (67%) and
      controls (80%), nor in the prevalence of frequent LUTS (14% vs. 16%; P=NS for
      both). One patient (2%) had a urethral stricture after laparotomy-assisted EPT.
      Male patients reported sexual satisfaction and erectile function similar to
      controls (P>0.10). Female patients were currently less in stable relationships
      compared to controls (25% vs. 83%, P=0.005). CONCLUSIONS: Our results support the
      safety of EPT in patients with HD with regard to preservation of the integrity
      and functioning of the genitourinary tract.

PMID- 28341233
TI  - Neonatal reflexes and behavior in hypertensive rats of ISIAH strain.
AB  - Hypertension is one of the most common diseases in humans, and there is a special
      concern on the consequences of maternal hypertensive conditions for the health of
      newborns. An inherited stress-induced arterial hypertension (ISIAH) rat strain
      has been selected but only a few studies have addressed behavior in these rats.
      Body weight, neurodevelopmental reflexes, and neuronal density in the hippocampus
      were compared in ISIAH and normotensive WAG rats during their suckling period.
      Systolic and diastolic blood pressure (SBP, DBP), adult rat performance in the
      open field (OF), elevated plus maze (EPM), and novel object recognition (NOR)
      tests were evaluated at the age of 12-14weeks old. Body weight in pups did not
      differ significantly during the suckling period, while adult ISIAH rats were
      heavier than age-matched WAG rats and possessed the increased SBP and DBP. ISIAH
      pups were developmentally more advanced than WAG as indicated by grasp reflex and
      negative geotaxis reaction scores. This was associated with higher neuronal
      density in CA1 and CA3 hippocampal areas in ISIAH pups on postnatal day 6 as
      compared to WAG rats. Adult ISIAH rats demonstrated an increased locomotor and
      exploratory activity in the OF and EPM tests as well as low levels of anxiety.
      The NOR test revealed no significant difference in recognition but confirmed
      higher exploratory activity in ISIAH rats compared to WAG rats. The results
      indicate that hypertensive ISIAH rats feature accelerated development during
      their suckling period, and as adults, they are more active and less anxious than
      normotensive WAG rats.

PMID- 28341234
TI  - Radioprotective effect of ursolic acid in radiation-induced impairment of
      neurogenesis, learning and memory in adolescent BALB/c mouse.
AB  - The effect of acute irradiation with 5Gy or fractionated exposure with 0.5Gy
      continuously for 10days (a total dose of 5Gy) was evaluated in an immature BALB/c
      mouse model. Radioprotective effect of ursolic acid (at 25mg/kg/daily
      administered 1h after acute or each of fractionated irradiations, and
      continuously for 30days) was also investigated. We found that both acute and
      fractionated irradiation at a total dose of 5Gy did not induce any mortality
      within 30days after exposure to postnatal day 26 (P26) BALB/c mice, but reduced
      animal weigh gain in the first few weeks. At 90days after irradiation, the weight
      of animals with acute irradiation was still significantly lower than the control
      group; no significant difference though was observed for those fractionatedly
      exposed mice compared to the control group. Behavioral tests indicated that acute
      irradiation at 5Gy induced deficits in learning and memory in the contextual fear
      conditioning test. The memory for novel object recognition was also impaired.
      Similar changes were not observed in mice with fractionated irradiation.
      Immunohistochemical study demonstrated clearly that acute and fractionated
      irradiations induced impairment of neurogenesis in the subgranular zone (SGZ) of
      the dentate gyrus although fractionated exposure induced much lesser loss of
      newly generated neurons. Ursolic acid administered at 25mg/kg/daily for 30days
      after irradiation greatly improved acute irradiation-induced deficits in
      contextual learning and memory and in novel object recognition memory although it
      exacerbated radiation-induced reduction of neurogenesis in SGZ.

PMID- 28341236
TI  - Use of behaviour change techniques in lifestyle change interventions for people
      with intellectual disabilities: A systematic review.
AB  - BACKGROUND: People with intellectual disabilities (ID) experience more health
      problems and have different lifestyle change needs, compared with the general
      population. AIMS: To improve lifestyle change interventions for people with ID,
      this review examined how behaviour change techniques (BCTs) were applied in
      interventions aimed at physical activity, nutrition or physical activity and
      nutrition, and described their quality. METHODS AND PROCEDURES: After a broad
      search and detailed selection process, 45 studies were included in the review.
      For coding BCTs, the CALO-RE taxonomy was used. To assess the quality of the
      interventions, the Physiotherapy Evidence Database (PEDro) scale was used.
      Extracted data included general study characteristics and intervention
      characteristics. OUTCOMES AND RESULTS: All interventions used BCTs, although
      theory-driven BCTs were rarely used. The most frequently used BCTs were 'provide
      information on consequences of behaviour in general' and 'plan social
      support/social change'. Most studies were of low quality and a theoretical
      framework was often missing. CONCLUSION AND IMPLICATIONS: This review shows that
      BCTs are frequently applied in lifestyle change interventions. To further improve
      effectiveness, these lifestyle change interventions could benefit from using a
      theoretical framework, a detailed intervention description and an appropriate and
      reliable intervention design which is tailored to people with ID.

PMID- 28341237
TI  - ACTIVLIM-CP a new Rasch-built measure of global activity performance for children
      with cerebral palsy.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: Children with cerebral palsy (CP) often have upper extremity (UE) and
      lower extremity (LE) impairments. While tools measuring separately UE and LE
      abilities are currently used, activities in which UE and LE are used in
      combination - numerous in everyday life - cannot be assessed because no
      instrument allows capturing global activity performance in children with CP. This
      study aimed to develop a clinical tool for measuring their global activity
      performance using the Rasch model. STUDY DESIGN: The caregivers of 226 children
      with CP (2-18 years old) answered a 154-item experimental questionnaire. Within 4
      6 weeks, 129 of them filled in the questionnaire a second time. Responses were
      analyzed using the Rasch RUMM2020 software. RESULTS: The final 43 item scale
      presented a high reliability (R=0.98) and reproducibility (R=0.97). The item
      difficulty hierarchy was consistent over time and did not vary according to age,
      gender, or clinical form, allowing the follow-up of children from 2 to 18 years
      old. CONCLUSIONS: ACTIVLIM-CP is a unidimensional scale specifically developed to
      measure global activity performance in children with CP providing a reliable tool
      to follow children's evolution and document changes related to
      neurorehabilitation, especially where a combination of UE and LE is targeted. Its
      responsiveness is still to be tested.

PMID- 28341235
TI  - Physiological Markers of Motor Inhibition during Human Behavior.
AB  - Transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) studies in humans have shown that many
      behaviors engage processes that suppress excitability within the corticospinal
      tract. Inhibition of the motor output pathway has been extensively studied in the
      context of action stopping, where a planned movement needs to be abruptly
      aborted. Recent TMS work has also revealed markers of motor inhibition during the
      preparation of movement. Here, we review the evidence for motor inhibition during
      action stopping and action preparation, focusing on studies that have used TMS to
      monitor changes in the excitability of the corticospinal pathway. We discuss how
      these physiological results have motivated theoretical models of how the brain
      selects actions, regulates movement initiation and execution, and switches from
      one state to another.

PMID- 28341239
TI  - Calcineurin inhibitors block sodium-chloride cotransporter dephosphorylation in
      response to high potassium intake.
AB  - Dietary potassium intake is inversely related to blood pressure and mortality.
      Moreover, the sodium-chloride cotransporter (NCC) plays an important role in
      blood pressure regulation and urinary potassium excretion in response to
      potassium intake. Previously, it was shown that NCC is activated by the WNK4-SPAK
      cascade and dephosphorylated by protein phosphatase. However, the mechanism of
      NCC regulation with acute potassium intake is still unclear. To identify the
      molecular mechanism of NCC regulation in response to potassium intake, we used
      adult C57BL/6 mice fed a 1.7% potassium solution by oral gavage. We confirmed
      that acute potassium load rapidly dephosphorylated NCC, which was not dependent
      on the accompanying anions. Mice were treated with tacrolimus (calcineurin
      inhibitor) and W7 (calmodulin inhibitor) before the oral potassium loads.
      Dephosphorylation of NCC induced by potassium was significantly inhibited by both
      tacrolimus and W7 treatment. There was no significant difference in WNK4, OSR1,
      and SPAK expression after high potassium intake, even after tacrolimus and W7
      treatment. Another phosphatase, protein phosphatase 1, and its endogenous
      inhibitor I-1 did not show a significant change after potassium intake.
      Hyperkaliuria, induced by high potassium intake, was significantly suppressed by
      tacrolimus treatment. Thus, calcineurin is activated by an acute potassium load,
      which rapidly dephosphorylates NCC, leading to increased urinary potassium
      excretion.

PMID- 28341241
TI  - High Dose Rate Brachytherapy as Monotherapy for Localised Prostate Cancer: Review
      of the Current Status.
AB  - The aim of this article is to review and present the published data on high dose
      rate (HDR) brachytherapy as monotherapy in the treatment of localised prostate
      cancer. A search and review of the literature was carried out on PubMed and
      MedLine using the medical subject headings 'high-dose-rate, brachytherapy,
      prostate cancer, monotherapy' as search terms. The search yielded more than 100
      articles and abstracts published between 2000 and 2016. Only original clinical
      data on HDR monotherapy reporting oncological outcomes were included. When more
      than one series from the same institution were identified, the most recent one
      encompassing the largest patient number was considered for analysis. For citation
      crosscheck, the ISI web of science database was used employing the same search
      terms. Data tables were generated and summary descriptions created. The main
      outcome parameters used were biochemical control and toxicity scores. Fifteen
      articles comprising 3546 patients reported clinical outcome and toxicity, with
      follow-up ranging from median 1.4 to 8.0 years. A variety of dose and
      fractionation schedules were described, including 19.0 Gy as a single fraction to
      54.0 Gy in nine fractions. Biochemical control rates ranged from 66 to 100% in
      low-risk, 63 to 98% in intermediate-risk and 81-93% in high-risk patients. Late
      grade 3 genitourinary and gastrointestinal toxicity was 0-16% and 0-2%,
      respectively. The reported potency preservation rates ranged from 60 to 90%. In
      conclusion, high biochemical control and low complication rates are reported with
      HDR monotherapy. It is a safe and effective local treatment modality for organ
      confined prostate cancer with reproducible high-quality dosimetry.

PMID- 28341240
TI  - Overexpression of exogenous kidney-specific Ngal attenuates progressive cyst
      development and prolongs lifespan in a murine model of polycystic kidney disease.
AB  - Neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin (Ngal) is a biomarker for acute and
      chronic renal injuries, including polycystic kidney disease (PKD). However, the
      effect of Ngal on PKD progression remains unexplored. To study this, we generated
      3 strains of mice with different expression levels of Ngal within an established
      PKD model (Pkd1L3/L3): Pkd1L3/L3 (with endogenous Ngal), Pkd1L3/L3; NgalTg/Tg
      (with endogenous and overexpression of exogenous kidney-specific Ngal) and
      Pkd1L3/L3; Ngal-/- mice (with Ngal deficiency). Knockout of endogenous Ngal had
      no effect on phenotypes, cystic progression, or survival of the PKD mice.
      However, the transgenic mice had a significantly longer lifespan, smaller (but
      not fewer) renal cysts, and less interstitial fibrosis than the mice without or
      with endogenous Ngal. Western-blot analyses showed significant increases in Ngal
      and cleaved caspase-3 and decreases in alpha-smooth muscle actin, hypoxia
      inducible factor 1-alpha, pro-caspase 3, proliferating cell nuclear antigen, Akt,
      mammalian target of rapamycin, and S6 Kinase in the transgenic mice as compared
      with the other 2 strains of PKD mice. Thus, overexpression of exogenous kidney
      specific Ngal reduced cystic progression and prolonged the lifespan in PKD mice,
      was associated with reductions in interstitial fibrosis and proliferation, and
      augmented apoptosis.

PMID- 28341242
TI  - Adjuvant Chemotherapy for Stage II and III Colon Cancer Following Complete
      Resection: A Cancer Care Ontario Systematic Review.
AB  - The objective of this systematic review was to provide current evidence regarding
      the use of adjuvant systemic chemotherapy for stage II and III colon cancer
      following curative intent surgery. MEDLINE and EMBASE databases and proceedings
      of American Society for Clinical Oncology and European Society of Medical
      Oncology/European Cancer Congress were searched through to August 2015.
      Systematic reviews (with or without meta-analyses) and randomised controlled
      trials were included. Patients with completely resected stage III colon cancer
      have an overall survival benefit from adjuvant chemotherapy. Combination
      chemotherapy (5-fluorouracil/leucovorin/oxaliplatin or capecitabine/oxaliplatin)
      provides a larger benefit than monotherapy but with additional toxicity. For
      stage II colon cancer, a clear overall survival benefit has not been shown.
      However, based on the subgroup analysis available, patients with high-risk stage
      II disease may benefit from adjuvant chemotherapy. Patients younger than 70 years
      of age may derive greater disease-free survival and overall survival benefit from
      adjuvant chemotherapy (in combination with oxaliplatin) compared with those older
      than 70 years. Stage II patients with microsatellite instability may have an
      overall survival detriment if given adjuvant chemotherapy.

PMID- 28341243
TI  - Variation of clearance considering viscosity of the solution used in the
      reservoir and following scleral lens wear over time.
AB  - PURPOSE: This study aims to evaluate the settling of a scleral lens and if this
      process is influenced by the nature of the fluid layer. METHODS: A prospective,
      non-randomized control study was performed using an 18mm scleral lens. They were
      fitted with a central clearance of 400 um at insertion. One eye was randomly
      assigned to be fitted with a non-preserved gel solution of
      carboxymethylcellulose, while the other was inserted with non-preserved saline.
      Measurements of clearance in 3 locations were taken (OCT) at baseline, every
      30min up to 1h30 post insertion and every 2h thereafter up to 6h00 of wear. A two
      way repeated measure analysis of variance (liquids*times) was used to test
      central, nasal and temporal fluid thickness. RESULTS: Following 6h of wear, the
      18mm lens had a mean central settling of 70.0+/-9.8MUm, 36.7+/-9.8MUm of which
      occurred within the first 30min of wear. There was no significant difference
      between lenses filled with non-preserved saline to those with non-preserved gel.
      However, a paired comparison concluded to a significant difference between mean
      nasal settling (41.4MUm) and temporal settling (20.4MUm). CONCLUSION: With
      respect to the lens studied, current results suggest that practitioners can
      evaluate the lens 30min post insertion and can estimate the amount of fluid that
      will remain after lens stabilization by doubling the value obtained initially.
      The use of non-preserved saline or non-preserved more viscous solution to fill
      the lens does not influence its settling.

PMID- 28341244
TI  - Imperatorin suppresses proliferation and angiogenesis of human colon cancer cell
      by targeting HIF-1alpha via the mTOR/p70S6K/4E-BP1 and MAPK pathways.
AB  - ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE: Angelica dahurica is a commonly used traditional
      Chinese medicine to treat migraine headache, toothache and cancer. Imperatorin is
      an active natural furocoumarin component originating from Angelica dahurica and
      has been shown to exhibit multiple bioeffector functions, including anti-cancer
      activity. However, the mechanism by which imperatorin inhibits tumor growth is
      not fully understood. AIM OF THE STUDY: The aim of this study was to investigate
      the effectiveness of imperatorin as a treatment of cancer and to identify the
      underlying mechanisms of its anticancer activity. MATERIALS AND METHODS: HCT116,
      HeLa, and Hep3B cells were used in this study. Major assays were promoter
      reporter gene assay, MTT, western blot analysis, immunofluorescence assay,
      reverse transcription-PCR (RT-PCR), flow cytometric analysis, clonogenic assay,
      EdU labeling and immunofluorescence, xenografted assay, and VEGF ELISA. RESULTS:
      We here demonstrated the effect of imperatorin on hypoxia-inducible factor-1 (HIF
      1) activation. Imperatorin showed a potent inhibitory activity against HIF-1
      activation induced by hypoxia in various human cancer cell lines. This compound
      markedly decreased the hypoxia-induced accumulation of HIF-1alpha protein dose
      dependently, whereas it did not affect the expressions of HIF-1beta and
      topoisomerase-I (Topo-I). Further analysis revealed that imperatorin inhibited
      HIF-1alpha protein synthesis, without affecting the expression level of HIF
      1alpha mRNA or degradation of HIF-1alpha protein. Moreover, the phosphorylation
      levels of mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR), ribosomal protein S6 kinase
      (p70S6K), eIF4E binding protein-1 (4E-BP1), eukaryotic initiation factor 4E
      (eIF4E), extracellular signal-regulated kinase-1/2 (ERK1/2), SAPK/JNK and p38
      were significantly suppressed by imperatorin. Furthermore, imperatorin prevented
      hypoxia-induced expression of HIF-1 target genes and flow cytometric analysis
      indicated that imperatorin induced G1 phase arrest in human colon cancer cell
      (HCT116). We found that imperatorin administration inhibits tumor growth and
      blocks tumor angiogenesis in a xenograft tumor model. CONCLUSIONS: These results
      show that imperatorin inhibited HIF-1alpha protein synthesis by downregulating
      the mTOR/p70S6K/4E-BP1 and MAPK pathways. These conclusions suggest that
      imperatorin is an effective inhibitor of HIF-1 and provide new perspectives into
      the mechanism of its anticancer activity.

PMID- 28341245
TI  - In vitro anti-diabetic activity of flavonoids and pheophytins from Allophylus
      cominia Sw . on PTP1B, DPPIV, alpha-glucosidase and alpha-amylase enzymes.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Ethno-botanical information from diabetic patients in Cuba led to the
      identification of Allophylus cominia as a possible source of new drugs for the
      treatment of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2-DM). EXPERIMENTAL: Chemical
      characterization of the extracts from A. cominia was carried out using
      chromatographic and spectroscopic methods. The extracts were tested for their
      activity on PTP1B, DPPIV, alpha-glucosidase enzymes and alpha-amylase. RESULTS:
      The flavonoid rich fractions from A. cominia inhibited DPPIV enzyme (75.3+/
      2.33%) at 30ug/ml and produced a concentration-dependent inhibition against DPPIV
      with a Ki value of 2.6ug/ml. At 30ug/ml, flavonoids and pheophytins extracts
      significantly inhibited PTP1B enzyme (100+/-2.6% and 68+/-1% respectively). The
      flavonoids, pheophytin A and pheophytin B fractions showed significant
      concentration-dependent inhibition against PTP1B with Ki values of 3ug/ml,
      0.64ug/ml and 0.88ug/ml respectively. At 30ug/ml, the flavonoid fraction
      significantly inhibited alpha-glucosidase enzyme (86+/-0.3%) in a concentration
      dependent pattern with a Ki value of 2ug/ml. None of the fractions showed
      significant effects on alpha-amylase. Fatty acids, tannins, pheophytins A and B,
      and a mixture of flavonoids were detected in the methanolic extract from A.
      cominia. The identified flavonoids were mearnsitrin, quercitrin, quercetin-3
      alloside, and naringenin-7-glucoside. CONCLUSION: The pharmacological effects of
      the extracts from A. cominia earlier observed in experimental diabetic models was
      confirmed in this study. Thus a new drug or formulation for the treatment of T2
      DM could be developed from A. cominia.

PMID- 28341246
TI  - Anemone rivularis inhibits pyruvate dehydrogenase kinase activity and tumor
      growth.
AB  - ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE: Anemone rivularis Buch.-Ham. ex DC.
      (Ranunculaceae) have been used as a traditional remedy for treatment of
      inflammation and cancer. However, there is no report demonstrating experimental
      evidence on anti-tumor action of A. rivularis. AIM OF STUDY: The Warburg's
      effect, preference of aerobic glycolysis rather than oxidative phosphorylation
      (OXPHOS) even in oxygen rich condition, is focused as one of major
      characteristics of malignant tumor. Thus, we investigated the effect of A.
      rivularis on the Pyruvate dehydrogenase (PDH) kinases (PDHKs), a major molecular
      targets for reducing aerobic glycolysis. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The ethanol
      extract of whole plant of A. rivularis (ARE), fingerprinted by high performance
      liquid chromatography (HPLC), was applied to in vitro and cell-based PDHK
      activity assays. The effect of ARE on cell viabilities of several tumor cells was
      estimated by MTT assay. The expression of phosphor-PDH, PDH and PDHK1 were
      measured by Western blot analysis. The production of reactive oxygen species
      (ROS) and apoptosis was measured by fluorescence-activated cell sorting analysis,
      using 5-(and-6)-carboxy-2',7'-dichlorodihydrofluorescein diacetate (carboxy
      H2DCFDA) and Annexin V/propidium iodide (PI) staining, respectively.
      Mitochondrial membrane potential was examined by tetramethylrhodamine methyl
      ester (TMRM) staining. In vivo anti-tumor efficacy of ARE was estimated by means
      of tumor volume and weight using allograft injection of murine Lewis lung
      carcinoma (LLC) cells to dorsa of C57BL/6 mice. RESULTS: ARE inhibited the
      viabilities of several cancer cells, including MDA-MB321, K562, HT29, Hep3B, DLD
      1, and LLC. ARE suppressed PDHK activity in in vitro kinase assay, and also
      inhibited aerobic glycolysis by reducing phosphorylation of PDHA in human DLD-1
      colon cancer and murine LLC cells. The expression of PDHK1, a major isoform of
      PDHKs in cancer, was not affected by ARE treatment. Moreover, ARE increased the
      both ROS production and mitochondrial damage. In addition, ARE suppressed the in
      vitro tumor growth through mitochondria-mediated apoptosis. The growth rates of
      allograft LLC cells were also reduced by ARE treatment. CONCLUSIONS: Here, we
      firstly report that ARE inhibits PDHK activity and growth of tumor in both in
      vitro and in vivo experiments. Therefore, we suggest ARE as a potential candidate
      for developing anti-cancer drugs.

PMID- 28341247
TI  - Toxicological evaluation of Oviductus ranae: Acute, sub-acute and genotoxicity
      studies in mice and rats.
AB  - ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE: Oviductus ranae (OR) is a traditional animal
      based Chinese medicine, which has been listed in the Chinese Pharmacopoeia since
      1985 edition. Although its medicinal application has been widely acknowledged,
      there is little available information on its potential toxicity. AIM OF THE
      STUDY: The aim of this study was to investigate the acute, sub-acute, and genetic
      toxicities of OR. MATERIALS AND METHODS: In acute toxicity evaluation, OR was
      administered orally to mice at doses of 2.5, 5.0, 10.0, and 20.0g/kg BW for one
      time. Mortality, clinical signs, and body weight were observed for 14 days after
      treatment. In sub-acute toxicity evaluation, OR was administered orally to rats
      once a day for 28 consecutive days at doses of 1.75, 3.50, and 7.00g/kg BW.
      Animals were observed for general behaviors, mortality, food intake, and body
      weight changes. At the end of treatment, relative organ weight, pathology,
      hematological and biochemical parameters were monitored. In genotoxicity
      evaluation, bacterial reverse mutation assay (Ames test) was performed by
      treating OR with four different Salmonella typhimurium strains at doses of 8, 40,
      200, 1000, and 5000MUg/plate without or with S-9 mix, respectively. The
      genotoxicity of OR was also evaluated by micronucleus and sperm malformation
      assays in mice at doses of 2.5, 5.0, and 10.0g/kg BW, respectively. RESULTS: The
      results of acute toxicity study showed that the LD50 value of OR is higher than
      20.0g/kg BW in mice. Death and abnormal clinical symptoms were not found during
      the period of experiment. In sub-acute toxicity, we found that the no-observed
      adverse-effect levels (NOAEL) of OR in rats is up to 7.00g/kg BW. No
      statistically significant or toxicologically relevant defferences in body weight,
      food intake, relative organ weight, pathology, hematological and biochemical
      parameters were observed, when compared with control group. Results of Ames test,
      micronucleus and sperm malformation assays indicated that OR has no mutagenicity
      in vitro at a limited dose of 5000MUg/plate, and dose not induce micronuclei and
      sperm malformation in mice at the dose of up to 10.0g/kg BW in mice. CONCLUSIONS:
      In conclusion, OR is a tranditional Chinese medicine with high safety.

PMID- 28341249
TI  - How many tumor indications should be initially screened in development of next
      generation immunotherapies?
AB  - An experimental oncology immunotherapy may have the potential to be effective in
      a large number of tumor indications. We have considered a staggered approach for
      efficacy screening in subjects with an unmet medical need. A cohort of tumor
      indications is selected for the first wave investigation and the second wave
      investigation in a different cohort of tumor indications is initiated only after
      the drug has been demonstrated to be effective in the first wave. The
      effectiveness of an experimental immunotherapy is unknown at the planning stage,
      and the assumptions at the planning stage are subject to revision later on. How
      many tumor indications should be investigated in the first wave for the
      development program to be cost-effective amid the uncertainties? We attempt to
      answer this question by maximizing a benefit-cost ratio, defined to be the
      expected number of effective tumor indications correctly identified in the two
      waves (benefit) divided by the expected total sample size in the two waves and
      the subsequent trials for more definitive testing triggered by those with a
      positive outcome in the first wave (cost). It is found from the benefit-cost
      ratio analyses that, depending on resource availability, three to five tumor
      indications may be initiated in the first wave to properly balance the risk and
      benefit, and adequate investment is important to maintain the quality of
      statistical design.

PMID- 28341248
TI  - Abnormal lipid/lipoprotein metabolism and high plasma testosterone levels in male
      but not female aromatase-knockout mice.
AB  - Sex steroid hormones, such as estrogen and testosterone, are believed to play
      important roles in lipid metabolism. To elucidate the effects of estrogen
      depletion on lipid metabolism in male and female mice, we used aromatase-knockout
      (ArKO) mice, in which Cyp19 gene disruption prevented estrogen synthesis in vivo.
      These mice were divided into the following 4 groups: male and female ArKO mice
      and male and female wild-type (WT) mice. These mice were fed a normal-fat diet
      (13.6% fat) ad libitum. At 159 days after birth, the mice were tested for liver
      and plasma lipid content and hepatic hormone receptor- and lipid/lipoprotein
      metabolism-related gene expression. Interestingly, we found that hepatic
      steatosis was accompanied by markedly elevated plasma testosterone levels in male
      ArKO mice but not in female ArKO mice. Plasma lipoprotein profiles exhibited
      concurrent decreases in LDL- and small dense LDL-triglyceride (TG) levels in male
      ArKO mice. Moreover, male mice, but not female mice, exhibited marked elevations
      in androgen receptor (AR), sterol regulatory element-binding protein 1 (SREBP1),
      and CD36 expression. These results strongly suggest that Cyp19 gene disruption,
      which induces a sexually dimorphic response and high plasma testosterone levels
      in male mice, also induces hepatic steatosis.

PMID- 28341250
TI  - Modulation of LILRB2 protein and mRNA expressions in septic shock patients and
      after ex vivo lipopolysaccharide stimulation.
AB  - Septic patients develop immune dysfunctions, the intensities and durations of
      which are associated with deleterious outcomes. LILRB2 (leukocyte immunoglobulin
      like receptors subfamily B, member 2), an inhibitory member of the LILR family of
      receptors, is known for its immunoregulatory properties. In a microarray study,
      we identified LILRB2 as an upregulated gene in septic shock patients. On
      monocytes primed with LPS ex vivo, LILRB2 mRNA and protein expressions were dose
      dependently downregulated and subsequently highly upregulated versus non
      stimulated cells. This is concordant with clinical data, since both LILRB2 mRNA
      and protein expressions were significantly increased in septic shock patients at
      day 3. In a cohort of more than 700 patients, only after septic shock were LILRB2
      mRNA levels increased compared with non-infected or less severely infected
      patients. This was preceded by a phase of downregulated mRNA expression during
      the first hours after septic shock. Interestingly, the intensity of this decrease
      was associated with increased risk of death after septic shock. LILRB2 protein
      and mRNA expressions are deregulated on monocytes after septic shock and this can
      be reproduced ex vivo after LPS challenge. Considering LILRB2 inhibitory
      properties, we can hypothesize that LILRB2 may participate in the altered immune
      response after septic shock.

PMID- 28341251
TI  - Vitamin D and muscle function.
AB  - Muscle weakness is a hallmark of severe vitamin D deficiency, but the effect of
      milder vitamin D deficiency or insufficiency on muscle mass and performance and
      risk of falling is uncertain. In this presentation, I review the evidence that
      vitamin D influences muscle mass and performance, balance, and risk of falling in
      older adults. Special consideration is given to the impact of both the starting
      25-hydroxyvitamin D [25(OH)D] level and the dose administered on the clinical
      response to supplemental vitamin D in older men and women. Based on available
      evidence, older adults with serum 25(OH)D levels <40nmol/L appear most likely to
      improve their muscle performance with supplementation. The vitamin D dose range
      of 800-1000 IU per day has been effective in many studies; lower doses have
      generally been ineffective and several doses above this range have increased the
      risk of falls. In conclusion, older adults with serum 25(OH)D levels <40nmol/L
      are likely to have fewer falls if supplemented with 800-1000 IU per day of
      vitamin D.

PMID- 28341252
TI  - Correlation between digital epiluminescence microscopy parameters and
      histopathological changes in lentigo maligna and solar lentigo: A dermoscopic
      index for the diagnosis of lentigo maligna.
AB  - BACKGROUND: The clinical and dermoscopic differentiation between lentigo maligna
      (LM) and solar lentigo (SL)/initial seborrheic keratosis (SK) may be difficult.
      OBJECTIVE: Our aim was to identify digital epiluminescence microscopy (DELM)
      specific criteria that can be helpful in distinguishing LM from SL/SK and to
      propose a new model of LM dermoscopic progression based on a study of DELM
      histopathological correlation. METHODS: A total of 167 consecutive doubtful
      pigmented lesions of the head (105 LM and 62 SL/SK) were studied. DELM assessment
      was based on the presence or absence of 15 DELM parameters that were subsequently
      examined histologically. Statistical analysis was performed to determine which
      DELM parameters were most strongly associated with LM. RESULTS: The finding of at
      least 1 of 4 parameters (ie, brown globules, a "necklace" pigment network, an
      atypical pigment network, and dark-brown/blue-gray ribbonlike structures) showed
      to be an extremely sensitive (99%) and specific (83.9%) DELM criterion to
      discriminate between LM and SL/SK. LIMITATIONS: Our findings were obtained by
      examining medium-high magnification DELM images. CONCLUSIONS: The finding of 1 or
      more among the 4 above-mentioned DELM parameters allows for the correct
      identification of 99.0% of the LM lesions, and - when the score is 0 - the
      correct classification as non-LM, of 83.9% of the SL/SK lesions.

PMID- 28341253
TI  - Digital workflow for a dental prosthesis that considers lateral mandibular
      relation.
AB  - Most digital prosthesis designs consider only the maximal intercuspal position
      (MIP) and not the lateral movement. During the computer-aided design and computer
      aided manufacture (CAD-CAM) prosthesis delivery process, the clinician has to
      adjust the prosthesis to avoid occlusal interference during lateral excursion.
      The novel digital workflow described in this report can be divided into 2 steps.
      After obtaining interocclusal records for the MIP and the lateral excursion
      position, the crown CAD data were designed using a general digital workflow
      considering only the MIP. The previous crown CAD data were then adjusted in the
      lateral excursion state before manufacturing the prosthesis. This process using
      information for 2 occlusal positions means that the definitive prosthesis design
      reflects not only static occlusion but also lateral mandibular relation.

PMID- 28341255
TI  - Damage-associated molecular patterns (DAMPs) released after burn are associated
      with inflammation and monocyte activation.
AB  - Burns are associated with activation of the innate immunity that can contribute
      to complications. Damage-associated molecular patterns (DAMPs) released after
      tissue injury play a critical role in the activation of the innate immunity,
      which appears to be mediated via toll-like receptors (TLRs). Previous findings
      have shown that TLRs and TLR-mediated responses are up-regulated after burn.
      Nonetheless, it is unclear what impact burn has on circulating levels of DAMPs.
      To study this, male C57BL/6 mice were subjected to a major burn or sham
      procedure. Three hours to 7days thereafter, plasma was collected and assayed for
      the representative DAMPs (i.e., HMGB1, cytochrome C, DNA and S100A) and
      extracellular cleavage products (fibronectin and hyaluronan). HMGB1, cytochrome
      C, fibronectin and hyaluronan levels were elevated in a time-dependent manner
      after burn as compared to sham levels. A significant elevation in TNF-alpha, IL-6
      and IL-10 cytokine plasma levels was also found after burn. All cytokine levels
      were increased as early as 3h and remained elevated up to 24h. Circulating CD11b+
      monocytes were increased at 24h after burn and showed increased expression of TLR
      2. In conclusion, these findings support the concept that burn-induced elevations
      in circulating DAMPs are in part responsible for monocyte activation and the
      development of inflammatory complications under such conditions and warrants
      further investigation.

PMID- 28341256
TI  - The ability of selected plant essential oils to enhance the action of recommended
      antibiotics against pathogenic wound bacteria.
AB  - The aim of this work was to characterize the ability of essential oils to support
      antibiotics against pathogenic bacteria in wounds. Gram-positive and Gram
      negative bacteria obtained from wound infections were identified according to
      standard microbiological methods. Essential oils were analysed by GC-FID-MS. The
      susceptibility of bacteria to antibiotics, essential oils and their combination
      was assessed using the disc-diffusion method. The Minimal Inhibitory
      Concentration and Minimum Bactericidal Concentration of the essential oils were
      established by the micro-dilution broth method. Although cinnamon, clove, thyme
      and lavender essential oils were found to have the greatest antibacterial
      activity when used alone, the greatest additive and synergistic effects against
      pathogenic wound bacteria in combination with recommended antibiotics were
      demonstrated by basil, clary sage and rosemary oils.

PMID- 28341257
TI  - Our initial learning curve in the enzymatic debridement of severely burned hands
      Management and pit falls of initial treatments and our development of a post
      debridement wound treatment algorithm.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: Excisional surgical debridement (SD) is still the gold standard in
      the treatment of deeply burned hands, though the intricate anatomy is easily
      damaged. Previous studies demonstrated that enzymatic debridement with the
      bromelain debriding agent NexoBrid(r) (EDNX) is more selective and thus can
      preserve viable tissue with excellent outcome results. So far no method paper has
      been published presenting different treatment algorithms in this new field.
      Therefore our aim was to close this gap by presenting our detailed learning curve
      in EDNX of deeply burned hands. METHODS: We conducted a single-center prospective
      observational clinical trial treating 20 patients with deeply burned hands with
      EDNX. Different anaesthetic procedures, debridement and wound treatment
      algorithms were compared and main pitfalls described. RESULTS: EDNX was efficient
      in 90% of the treatments though correct wound bed evaluation was challenging and
      found unusual compared to SD. Post EDNX surprisingly the majority of the burn
      surface area was found overestimated (18 wounds). Finally we simplified our
      process and reduced treatment costs by following a modified treatment algorithm
      and treating under plexus anaesthesia bedside through a single nurse and one burn
      surgeon solely. Suprathel(r) could be shown to be an appropriate dressing for
      wound treatment after EDNX. Complete healing (less 5% rest defect) was achieved
      at an average of day 28. CONCLUSION: EDNX in deep burned hands is promising
      regarding handling and duration of the treatment, efficiency and selectivity of
      debridement, healing potential and early rehabilitation. Following our treatment
      algorithm EDNX can be performed easily and even without special knowledge in burn
      wound depth evaluation.

PMID- 28341258
TI  - Treatment costs of burn victims in a university hospital.
AB  - OBJECTIVES: To analyze the direct costs of treating critically ill patients in
      the intensive care unit of a center specializing in treating burns. METHODS: This
      is a prospective cohort study of 180 patients from May 2011 to May 2013. Clinical
      and demographic data were collected in addition to data for the calculation of
      severity scores. The costs related to daily clinical and surgical treatment were
      evaluated until hospital outcome. The costs were grouped into five blocks:
      Clinical support, Drugs and blood products, Medical procedures, Specific burn
      procedures and Hospital fees. The level of significance was set at 5%. RESULTS:
      There was a predominance of males, 131 (72.8%). The mean age of the patients was
      42.0+/-15.3years and the mean burned body surface area was 27.9+/-17%. The median
      length of stay in intensive care beds was 15.0 (interquartile range IQR: 7.0
      24.8) days and the median hospital stay was 23.0 (IQR: 14.0-34.0) days. The mean
      daily cost was US$ 1330.48 (standard error of the mean SE=38.36) and the mean
      total cost of hospitalization was US$ 39,594.90 (SE: 2813.11). The drugs and
      blood products block accounted for the largest fraction of the total costs (US$
      18,086.09; SE 1444.55). There was a difference in the daily costs of survivors
      and non survivors (US$ 1012.89; SE: 29.38 and US$ 1866.11, SE: 36.43,
      respectively, P<0.001). CONCLUSION: The direct costs of the treatment of burn
      patients at the study center were high. The drugs and blood products block
      presented the highest mean total and daily costs. Non surviving patients
      presented higher costs.

PMID- 28341259
TI  - Effect of vitamin D supplementation and isokinetic training on muscle strength,
      explosive strength, lean body mass and gait in severely burned children: A
      randomized controlled trial.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: To determine the effects of vitamin D (VD) supplementation and
      isokinetic training on muscle strength, explosive strength (counter movement
      jump) (ES), lean body mass (LBM) and gait parameters in severe pediatric burn.
      METHODS: Forty-eight burned children with circumferential lower extremity burns
      covering 40-55% of the total body surface area (TBSA), aged 10-16 years (Mean+/
      SD 13.01+/-1.75), were randomized into the standard of care (n=16), isokinetic
      (n=17) and VD (n=15) groups. Unburned children (n=20) served as matched controls.
      All burned children received 12 weeks of routine physical therapy program (RPTP).
      In addition, the isokinetic group received isokinetic training for the quadriceps
      dominant limb 3 times per week at angular velocity 150 degrees /s, and the VD
      group received the isokinetic training plus an oral daily dose of vitamin D3 1000
      IU (Cholecalciferol). The primary measures, assessed at baseline and 12 weeks,
      included quadriceps strength by isokinetic dynamometer, ES, LBM by dual-energy X
      ray absorptiometry (DEXA) and gait parameters by GAITRite system. RESULTS: The VD
      and isokinetic groups showed significant improvement in quadriceps strength, ES,
      LBM and gait parameters compared with the standard of care, and VD group show
      significant improvement in the VD level as compared with the other groups. The
      outcome measures (and percent of improvement where applicable) for the VD,
      isokinetic and standard of care are as follows: quadriceps strength, 85.25+/
      0.93Nm (85%), 64.25+/-0.93 (36%) and 51.88+/-1.31Nm (12%); stride length, 94.00+/
      2.69 (7%), 110.60+/-2.87 (25%) and 139.56+/-2.57 (60%); step length, 67.26+/-2.45
      (72%), 55.25+/-2.49 (43%) and 43.76+/-1.34 (18%); velocity, 133.94+/-1.65 (82%),
      99.94+/-1.65 (35%) and 80.11+/-1.91 (9%); and cadence, 140.63+/-1.36 (68%),
      132.63+/-1.36 (58%) and 90.35+/-1.32 (9%), VD level 43.33+/-7.48 (75%), 24.77+/
      7.38 (5%) and 25.63+/-8.39 (4%) respectively. CONCLUSIONS: VD supplementation
      combined with exercise training significantly increased muscle strength, ES, LBM,
      gait and VD level in severely burned children.

PMID- 28341260
TI  - The effect of preexisting respiratory co-morbidities on burn outcomes.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: Burns cause physiologic changes in multiple organ systems in the
      body. Burn mortality is usually attributable to pulmonary complications, which
      can occur in up to 41% of patients admitted to the hospital after burn. Patients
      with preexisting comorbidities such as chronic lung diseases may be more
      susceptible. We therefore sought to examine the impact of preexisting respiratory
      disease on burn outcomes. METHODS: A retrospective analysis of patients admitted
      to a regional burn center from 2002-2012. Independent variables analyzed included
      basic demographics, burn mechanism, presence of inhalation injury, TBSA, pre
      existing comorbidities, smoker status, length of hospital stay, and days of
      mechanical ventilation. Bivariate analysis was performed and Cox regression
      modeling using significant variables was utilized to estimate hazard of
      progression to mechanical ventilation and mortality. RESULTS: There were a total
      of 7640 patients over the study period. Overall survival rate was 96%. 8% (n=672)
      had a preexisting respiratory disease. Chronic lung disease patients had a higher
      mortality rate (7%) compared to those without lung disease (4%, p<0.01). The
      adjusted Cox regression model to estimate the hazard of progression to mechanical
      ventilation in patients with respiratory disease was 21% higher compared to those
      without respiratory disease (HR=1.21, 95% CI=1.01-1.44). The hazard of
      progression to mortality is 56% higher (HR=1.56, 95% CI=1.10-2.19) for patients
      with pre-existing respiratory disease compared to those without respiratory
      disease after controlling for patient demographics and injury characteristics.
      CONCLUSION: Preexisting chronic respiratory disease significantly increases the
      hazard of progression to mechanical ventilation and mortality in patients
      following burn. Given the increasing number of Americans with chronic respiratory
      diseases, there will likely be a greater number of individuals at risk for worse
      outcomes following burn.

PMID- 28341261
TI  - Occlusive drainage system for split-thickness skin graft: A prospective
      randomized controlled trial.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Split-thickness skin grafts are widely used in reconstruction of
      large area defects. Conventional postoperative recipient site care includes
      saline-moistened gauze with a protective layer of petroleum gauze and splints for
      immobilization. This method causes pain while changing the dressing. We designed
      a better occlusive drainage system for split-thickness skin grafts. We compared
      the treatment effect and subjective evaluation of our occlusive drainage system
      with that of the conventional method for coverage of split-thickness skin grafts.
      METHODS: A randomized controlled trial was carried out in patients who received
      split-thickness skin grafts. Patients aged 24-76 years were randomly assigned to
      the occlusive drainage system or the conventional indirect wet dressing method.
      The status of graft take, pain, and subjective evaluations were compared.
      RESULTS: Twenty-eight participants were enrolled, with 14 in each group. The
      percentage of graft take was no difference between the 2 groups. No wound
      infection developed. Patients in the occlusive drainage system group experienced
      less pain and greater satisfaction. All patients followed up for at least 3
      months, and no hypertrophic scar formation was noted. CONCLUSION: Comparing with
      the indirect wet dressing method, this new method is practical for covering split
      thickness skin grafts, causes less pain, and provides a better experience for
      patients.

PMID- 28341262
TI  - Pulsed-xenon ultraviolet light disinfection in a burn unit: Impact on
      environmental bioburden, multidrug-resistant organism acquisition and healthcare
      associated infections.
AB  - Portable pulsed xenon ultraviolet disinfection (PPX-UVD) may reduce healthcare
      associated infections (HAI). There is limited data to inform use in burn
      intensive care units (BICU), where multidrug-resistant organisms (MDRO),
      especially gram negative rods (GNR), commonly cause disease. We evaluated PPX-UVD
      effects on environmental bioburden and rates of HAI and MDRO acquisition in a
      BICU. PPX-UVD was used for 3 months after standard cleaning of patient and
      operating rooms (ORs). Settle and touch plates in patient rooms and ORs were
      obtained after standard cleaning, pre-and post-PPX-UVD. HAI and MDRO acquisition
      were evaluated 1year prior to and for 3 month periods before, during, and after
      PPX-UVD. 110 touch and settle plates (33 pre- and 30 post-PPX-UVD) were obtained
      after standard cleaning, pre- and post-PPX-UVD. After PPX-UVD, environmental
      samples with any growth decreased (48% vs 31%, p=0.02), as did mean colony
      count/sample (2.8 pre- vs 1.6 post-, p=0.03). The 379 colonies largely
      represented skin commensals, without identified MDRO. Following PPX-UVD, no
      changes in device-associated infections, overall MDRO, or MDR GNR were seen,
      though a prolonged interval without healthcare-associated Clostridium difficile
      infection was observed. PPX-UVD in a BICU reduced overall environmental
      bioburden, without a statistically significant impact on HAI or MDRO.

PMID- 28341263
TI  - Living with burn scars caused by self-immolation among women in Iraqi Kurdistan:
      A qualitative study.
AB  - Patients with burns have to live with a variety of long-term physical and
      psychosocial consequences. Burns lead to prolonged hospital stay, disfiguring
      scars, disability, and even death. Since self-immolation is common in women of
      Iraqi Kurdistan, the present study sought to explore the experiences of women
      living with scars caused by self-immolation. This paper was part of a qualitative
      research study. A purposive sample of 18 female self-immolation survivors from
      Iraqi Kurdistan was selected, and 21 individual interviews were conducted and
      analyzed using conventional content analysis. Four categories emerged during the
      data analysis: (1) feelings of disbelief, regret, and anger caused by post-burn
      scars; (2) desperately seeking solutions; (3) grief due to disappointment and
      surrender to despair; and (4) rejection and isolation. In conclusion, individuals
      with scars and disfigurements sometimes adopted inappropriate measures to deal
      with the psychological problems caused by others' behaviors and wrong
      perceptions. Educational and support programs are hence indicated to promote
      awareness levels of self-immolation survivors, their families, and the whole
      society.

PMID- 28341264
TI  - Total hip arthroplasty survival in femoral head avascular necrosis versus primary
      hip osteoarthritis: Case-control study with a mean 10-year follow-up after
      anatomical cementless metal-on-metal 28-mm replacement.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Total hip arthroplasty is the most widely used procedure to treat
      avascular necrosis (AVN) of the femoral head. Few studies have compared the
      outcomes of THA in femoral head AVN and primary hip osteoarthritis. Therefore we
      performed a case-control study to compare THA for femoral head AVN vs. primary
      hip osteoarthritis in terms of: (1) prosthesis survival, (2) complication rates,
      (3) functional outcomes and radiographic outcomes, (4) and to determine whether
      specific risk factors for THA failure exist in femoral head AVN. HYPOTHESIS: THA
      survival is similar in femoral head AVN and primary hip osteoarthritis. MATERIAL
      AND METHODS: We compared two prospective cohorts of patients who underwent THA
      before 65 years of age, one composed of cases with femoral head AVN and the other
      of controls with primary hip osteoarthritis. In both cohorts, a cementless metal
      on-metal prosthesis with a 28-mm cup and an anatomical stem was used. Exclusion
      criteria were THA with other types of prosthesis, posttraumatic AVN, and
      secondary osteoarthritis. With alpha set at 5%, to obtain 80% power, 246 patients
      were required in all. Prosthesis survival was assessed based on time to major
      revision (defined as replacement of at least one implant fixed to bone) and time
      to aseptic loosening. The other evaluation criteria were complications, Postel
      Merle d'Aubigne (PMA) score, and the Engh and Agora Radiographic Assessment (ARA)
      scores for implant osseointegration. RESULTS: The study included 282 patients,
      149 with AVN and 133 with osteoarthritis. Mean age was 47.8+/-10.2 years (range,
      18.5-65) and mean follow-up was 11.4+/-2.8 years (range, 4.5-18.3 years). The 10
      year survival rates were similar in the two groups: for major revision, AVN
      group, 92.5% (95% confidence interval [95% CI], 90.2-94.8) and osteoarthritis
      group, 95.3% (95% CI, 92.9-97.7); for aseptic loosening, AVN group, 98.6% (95%
      CI, 97.6-98.6) and osteoarthritis, 99.2% (95% CI, 98.4-100). The AVN group had
      higher numbers of revision for any reason (19 vs. 6, P=0.018) and for dislocation
      (8 vs. 1, P=0.031). Mean PMA scores at last follow-up were comparable in the AVN
      group (17.65+/-1.27 [range, 10-18]) and osteoarthritis group (17.59+/-1.32
      [range, 14-18]) (P=0.139). Osseointegration was also similar in the two groups:
      global Engh score, 26.51+/-1.81 (range, 14-27) for AVN and 26.84+/-0.91 (range,
      19.5-27) for osteoarthritis (P=0.065); femoral ARA score, 5.83+/-0.46 (range, 3
      6) for AVN and 5.90+/-0.42 (range, 3-6) for osteoarthritis (P=0.064); and cup ARA
      score, 5.74+/-0.67 (range, 3-6) for AVN and 5.78+/-0.66 (range, 3-6) for
      osteoarthritis (P=0.344). DISCUSSION: Survival in this study was good and
      consistent with recent data on AVN, with no difference between AVN and
      osteoarthritis. Revisions for any cause or for dislocation were more common after
      THA for AVN. Functional outcomes were similar in the AVN and osteoarthritis
      groups. An anatomical cementless prosthesis combined with metal-on-metal 28-mm
      bearing provides durable good outcomes. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: III, non-randomized
      comparison of two prospective cohorts.

PMID- 28341265
TI  - Does a titanium sleeve reduce the frequency of pseudotumors in metal-on-metal
      total hip arthroplasty at 5-7years follow-up?
AB  - INTRODUCTION: Little is known about pseudotumor frequency and risk factors for
      pseudotumor formation among different types of metal-on-metal (MoM) hip
      arthroplasties. A lower release of chromium and cobalt have been reported in MoM
      hip arthroplasties with a titanium sleeve compared to MoM designs without a
      titanium sleeve, but yet it is unknown whether a titanium sleeve reduces the
      pseudotumor frequency. We conducted a cross-sectional study to investigate: 1)
      pseudotumor frequency, 2) risk factors of pseudotumor formation 3) and
      correlations between pseudotumors, serum metal-ions, implant position, and
      clinical symptoms. HYPOTHESIS: We expected a lower pseudotumor frequency in MoM
      hip articulation with a titanium sleeve than reported in MoM hip articulation
      designs using chromium-cobalt sleeve. MATERIALS AND METHOD: A consecutive series
      of 41 patients/49 hips (31 males), mean age 52 (28-68) years, participated in a
      5.5+/-0.5 (4-6.5) year follow-up study of their M2a_Magnum hip articulation
      (Biomet Inc., Warsaw, Indiana, USA). Patients were evaluated with magnetic
      resonance imaging (MRI), measurements of serum metal-ions, plain radiographs, and
      clinical outcome measures of Harris Hip Score (HHS) and Oxford Hip Score (OHS).
      RESULTS: Eighteen of 47 hips (38%) had MRI-verified pseudotumors, all cystic,
      with a mean dimension of 10.6*25.6*41mm. Digital measurements on plain
      radiographs revealed a higher cup anteversion in patients with a pseudotumor of
      mean 28.4 degrees +/-5.05 degrees  compared to mean 23.5 degrees +/-6.5 degrees 
      in patients without a pseudotumor (P=0.009). Serum metal-ion concentrations,
      acetabular cup inclination and measures of HHS and OHS were similar between
      patients with and without a pseudotumor (P>0.46). CONCLUSION: At 5.5+/-0.5years
      after surgery, MRI-verified cystic pseudotumors were frequently observed in
      M2a_Magnum hip articulations despite the use of titanium sleeves. The
      pseudotumors were related to high cup anteversion angles but not related to high
      serum metal-ions or clinical symptoms. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: IV: cross-sectional
      study.

PMID- 28341266
TI  - Influence of fixation point of latissimus dorsi tendon transfer for irreparable
      rotator cuff tear on glenohumeral external rotation: A cadaver study.
AB  - : Latissimus dorsi tendon transfer is a surgical option for treating irreparable
      posterosuperior rotator cuff tears, notably when attempting to reconstruct active
      external rotation. We hypothesized that the positioning of the transfer's point
      of fixation would differ depending on the desired elbow-to-body external rotation
      or external rotation with the elbow abducted. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Seven
      shoulders from four whole frozen cadavers were used. We created two systems to
      install the subject in a semi-seated position to allow external rotation elbow to
      body and the arm abducted 90 degrees . Traction sutures were positioned on the
      latissimus dorsi muscle and a massive tear of the rotator cuff was created. We
      tested six different transfer positions. Muscle contraction of the latissimus
      dorsi was stimulated using 10-N and 20-N suspended weights. RESULTS: The point of
      fixation of the latissimus dorsi on the humeral head had an influence on the
      elbow-to-body external rotation and with 90 degrees  abduction (P<0.001). The
      fixation point for a maximum external rotation with the elbow to the body was the
      anterolateral position (P<0.016). The fixation point for a maximum external
      rotation at 90 degrees  abduction was the position centered on the infraspinatus
      footprint (P<0.078). CONCLUSION: The optimal point of fixation differs depending
      on whether external rotation is restored at 0 degrees  or 90 degrees  abduction.
      LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Fundamental study, anatomic study.

PMID- 28341267
TI  - In vivo clinical and radiological effects of platelet-rich plasma on interstitial
      supraspinatus lesion: Case series.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Rotator cuff tear (RCT) is a frequent condition of clinical relevance
      that can be managed with a symptomatic conservative treatment, but surgery is
      often needed. Biological components like leukocytes and platelet rich plasma (L
      PRP) could represent an alternative curative method for interstitial RCT.
      HYPOTHESES: It has been hypothesized that an ultrasound guided L-PRP injection in
      supraspinatus interstitial RCT could induce radiological healing. MATERIAL AND
      METHODS: A prospective case series including 25 patients was performed in order
      to assess the effect of L-PRP infiltration into supraspinatus interstitial RCTs.
      Primary outcome was tear size change determined by magnetic resonance imaging
      arthrogram (MRA) before and 6 months after L-PRP infiltration. Secondary outcomes
      were Constant score, SANE score, and pain visual analog scale (VAS) after L-PRP
      infiltration. RESULTS: Tear volume diminution was statistically significant
      (P=.007), and a >50% tear volume diminution was observed in 15 patients. A
      statistically significant improvement of Constant score (P<.001), SANE score
      (P=.001), and VAS (P<.001) was observed. In 21 patients, Constant score
      improvement reached the minimal clinical important difference of 10.4 points.
      DISCUSSION: We observed a statistically significant and clinically relevant
      effect on RCT size and clinical parameters after L-PRP infiltration. Such an
      important improvement of supraspinatus interstitial RCT with conservative
      management is uncommon, therefore intratendinous L-PRP infiltrations could have
      been beneficial. This encouraging result could pave the way for future randomized
      studies in order to formally determinate whether L-PRP infiltrations are a
      possible alternative to surgical treatment of interstitial RCT. LEVEL OF
      EVIDENCE: Prospective observational study; Level of evidence II.

PMID- 28341268
TI  - Social is special: A normative framework for teaching with and learning from
      evaluative feedback.
AB  - Humans often attempt to influence one another's behavior using rewards and
      punishments. How does this work? Psychologists have often assumed that
      "evaluative feedback" influences behavior via standard learning mechanisms that
      learn from environmental contingencies. On this view, teaching with evaluative
      feedback involves leveraging learning systems designed to maximize an organism's
      positive outcomes. Yet, despite its parsimony, programs of research predicated on
      this assumption, such as ones in developmental psychology, animal behavior, and
      human-robot interaction, have had limited success. We offer an explanation by
      analyzing the logic of evaluative feedback and show that specialized learning
      mechanisms are uniquely favored in the case of evaluative feedback from a social
      partner. Specifically, evaluative feedback works best when it is treated as
      communicating information about the value of an action rather than as a form of
      reward to be maximized. This account suggests that human learning from evaluative
      feedback depends on inferences about communicative intent, goals and other mental
      states-much like learning from other sources, such as demonstration, observation
      and instruction. Because these abilities are especially developed in humans, the
      present account also explains why evaluative feedback is far more widespread in
      humans than non-human animals.

PMID- 28341269
TI  - Ultrasonic, bipolar, and integrated energy devices: comparing heat spread in
      collateral tissues.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Integrated devices incorporating ultrasonic and bipolar technology
      have been used in laparoscopic surgery, however, are not yet incorporated into
      open operations. Here, we compare thermal spread and recurrent laryngeal nerve
      (RLN) functional data of the integrated THUNDERBEAT Open Fine Jaw device, the
      bipolar Ligasure Small Jaw, and the ultrasonic Harmonic Focus for open
      thyroidectomy. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The three energy devices were compared in a
      live porcine model using three tissue types including liver, muscle, and thyroid.
      The devices were fired three times on each energy setting, and the thermal spread
      was measured by thermocouples that were inserted in surrounding tissues at 1-mm
      intervals. To determine RLN injury, devices were fired at successive 1-mm
      increments from the RLN until the monitor signal was lost. RESULTS: When
      comparing heat generated across these devices at 1 mm, the peak temperature
      (Celsius) reached in liver tissue was observed with the ultrasonic device (115.4
      +/- 86.7), in muscle tissue with the integrated device (104.2 +/- 82.1), and in
      thyroid with the bipolar device (81.4 +/- 41.3). Temperatures generated at
      individual settings on each device were similar (P = 0.11-0.81). RLN injury
      occurred after firing on manually approximated tissue 1-mm away from the RLN for
      all devices; however, there was no signal loss at >=2 mm. CONCLUSIONS: Heat
      transfer was similar among all devices with the exception of the ultrasonic
      device when used in the liver, which showed higher temperatures. Liver tissue
      showed the most consistent results. RLN injury did not occur if the devices were
      fired on manually approximated tissue >=2 mm from the nerve.

PMID- 28341270
TI  - Age-Dependent Gender Disparities in Post Lung Transplant Survival Among Patients
      With Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis.
AB  - BACKGROUND: The influence of age and gender on survival after lung transplant in
      patients with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) is not well defined. METHODS:
      The United Network for Organ Sharing database was queried to identify IPF
      patients receiving lung transplant between 2005 and 2015. RESULTS: There were
      6,677 patients receiving lung transplant between May 2015 and June 2015 who met
      the inclusion criteria, predominantly males (n = 4,769, 71%). Within 1 year
      posttransplant, the survival curves of male and female recipients diverged, with
      male recipients having significantly worse survival (log-rank test p = 0.008).
      Univariate Cox proportional hazards regressions demonstrated no gender difference
      in survival below age 65 years (HR = 1.051; 95% CI = 0.945, 1.168; p = 0.362) but
      a significant increase in mortality hazard associated with male gender among
      patients age 65 years and older (HR = 1.161; 95% CI = 1.000, 1.347; p = 0.049).
      Multivariable Cox regression accounting for age modulation of the gender effect
      further demonstrated the emergence of a male disadvantage in post-transplant
      survival above age 65 years at transplantation. CONCLUSIONS: In patients with IPF
      receiving lung transplant at greater than 65 years of age, male gender is
      associated with significantly increased risk for death, so referral for lung
      transplant in IPF should be considered early in the disease course.

PMID- 28341271
TI  - Obesity and kidney disease: from population to basic science and the search for
      new therapeutic targets.
AB  - The global burden of kidney disease is increasing strikingly in parallel with
      increases in obesity and diabetes. Indeed, chronic kidney disease (CKD) and end
      stage renal disease (ESRD) coupled with comorbidities such as obesity, diabetes,
      and hypertension cost the health care system hundreds of billions of dollars in
      the US alone. The progression to ESRD in patients with obesity and diabetes
      continues despite widespread use of inhibitors of the renin-angiotensin
      aldosterone system (RAAS) along with aggressive blood pressure and glycemic
      control in these high-risk populations. Thereby, it is increasingly important to
      better understand the underlying mechanisms involved in obesity-related CKD in
      order to develop new strategies that prevent or interrupt the progression of this
      costly disease. In this context, a key mechanism that drives development and
      progression of kidney disease in obesity is endothelial dysfunction and
      associated tubulointerstitial fibrosis. However, the precise interactive
      mechanisms in the development of aortic and kidney endothelial dysfunction and
      tubulointerstitial fibrosis remain unclear. Further, strategies specifically
      targeting kidney fibrosis have yielded inconclusive benefits in human studies.
      While clinical data support the benefits derived from inhibition of the RAAS,
      there is a tremendous amount of residual risk for the progression of kidney
      disease in individuals with obesity and diabetes. There is promising experimental
      data to suggest that exercise, targeting inflammation and oxidative stress,
      lowering uric acid, and targeting the mineralocorticoid receptor signaling and/or
      sodium channel inhibition could improve tubulointerstitial fibrosis and mitigate
      progression of kidney disease in persons with obesity and diabetes.

PMID- 28341272
TI  - Kidney fibroblast growth factor 23 does not contribute to elevation of its
      circulating levels in uremia.
AB  - Fibroblast growth factor 23 (FGF23) secreted by osteocytes is a circulating
      factor essential for phosphate homeostasis. High plasma FGF23 levels are
      associated with cardiovascular complications and mortality. Increases of plasma
      FGF23 in uremia antedate high levels of phosphate, suggesting a disrupted
      feedback regulatory loop or an extra-skeletal source of this phosphatonin. Since
      induction of FGF23 expression in injured organs has been reported we decided to
      examine the regulation of FGF23 gene and protein expressions in the kidney and
      whether kidney-derived FGF23 contributes to the high plasma levels of FGF23 in
      uremia. FGF23 mRNA was not detected in normal kidneys, but was clearly
      demonstrated in injured kidneys, already after four hours in obstructive
      nephropathy and at 8 weeks in the remnant kidney of 5/6 nephrectomized rats. No
      renal extraction was found in uremic rats in contrast to normal rats. Removal of
      the remnant kidney had no effect on plasma FGF23 levels. Well-known regulators of
      FGF23 expression in bone, such as parathyroid hormone, calcitriol, and inhibition
      of the FGF receptor by PD173074, had no impact on kidney expression of FGF23.
      Thus, the only direct contribution of the injured kidney to circulating FGF23
      levels in uremia appears to be reduced renal extraction of bone-derived FGF23.
      Kidney-derived FGF23 does not generate high plasma FGF23 levels in uremia and is
      regulated differently than the corresponding regulation of FGF23 gene expression
      in bone.

PMID- 28341273
TI  - Branched-chain amino acids enhance cyst development in autosomal dominant
      polycystic kidney disease.
AB  - Autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease (ADPKD) is characterized by the
      progressive development of kidney and liver cysts. The mammalian target of
      rapamycin (mTOR) cascade is one of the important pathways regulating cyst growth
      in ADPKD. Branched-chain amino acids (BCAAs), including leucine, play a crucial
      role to activate mTOR pathway. Therefore, we administered BCAA dissolved in the
      drinking water to Pkd1flox/flox:Mx1-Cre (cystic) mice from four to 22 weeks of
      age after polyinosinic-polycytidylic acid-induced conditional Pkd1 knockout at
      two weeks of age. The BCAA group showed significantly greater kidney/body weight
      ratio and higher cystic index in both the kidney and liver compared to the
      placebo-treated mice. We found that the L-type amino acid transporter 1 that
      facilitates BCAA entry into cells is strongly expressed in cells lining the
      cysts. We also found increased cyst-lining cell proliferation and upregulation of
      mTOR and mitogen-activated protein kinase/extracellular signal-regulated kinase
      (MAPK/ERK) pathways in the BCAA group. In vitro, we cultured renal epithelial
      cell lines from Pkd1 null mice with or without leucine. Leucine was found to
      stimulate cell proliferation, as well as activate mTOR and MAPK/ERK pathways in
      these cells. Thus, BCAA accelerated disease progression by mTOR and MAPK/ERK
      pathways. Hence, BCAA may be harmful to patients with ADPKD.

PMID- 28341275
TI  - Current thinking about the management of dysfunction of the temporomandibular
      joint: a review.
AB  - Increasingly the management of TMJ pathology is becoming a subspecialist
      interest. The number of patients having TMJ joint replacement had steadily
      increased over the last decade and there is now NICE guidance on this matter.
      Whilst the evidence of the management of TMJ disease is limited and there are few
      randomised controlled trials, the incidence of TMJ pathology has not changed and
      there is a requirement for guidance on the management. Whilst previously patients
      with TMJ pain were managed surgically, this is changing, and the vast bulk of
      initial management is non-surgical/medical. This paper will review the literature
      on TMD and provide guidance for management.

PMID- 28341274
TI  - Oxford Classification of IgA nephropathy 2016: an update from the IgA Nephropathy
      Classification Working Group.
AB  - Since the Oxford Classification of IgA nephropathy (IgAN) was published in 2009,
      MEST scores have been increasingly used in clinical practice. Further
      retrospective cohort studies have confirmed that in biopsy specimens with a
      minimum of 8 glomeruli, mesangial hypercellularity (M), segmental sclerosis (S),
      and interstitial fibrosis/tubular atrophy (T) lesions predict clinical outcome.
      In a larger, more broadly based cohort than in the original Oxford study,
      crescents (C) are predictive of outcome, and we now recommend that C be added to
      the MEST score, and biopsy reporting should provide a MEST-C score.
      Inconsistencies in the reporting of M and endocapillary cellularity (E) lesions
      have been reported, so a web-based educational tool to assist pathologists has
      been developed. A large study showed E lesions are predictive of outcome in
      children and adults, but only in those without immunosuppression. A review of S
      lesions suggests there may be clinical utility in the subclassification of
      segmental sclerosis, identifying those cases with evidence of podocyte damage. It
      has now been shown that combining the MEST score with clinical data at biopsy
      provides the same predictive power as monitoring clinical data for 2 years; this
      requires further evaluation to assess earlier effective treatment intervention.
      The IgAN Classification Working Group has established a well-characterized
      dataset from a large cohort of adults and children with IgAN that will provide a
      substrate for further studies to refine risk prediction and clinical utility,
      including the MEST-C score and other factors.

PMID- 28341276
TI  - Lung metastasectomy in adenoid cystic cancer: Is it worth it?
AB  - BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Adenoid cystic carcinoma (ACC) of salivary glands is
      characterized by long-term distant metastasis, most commonly in lungs. No
      agreement has been reached about the role of surgical treatment of pulmonary
      lesions. We evaluated the long-term results of lung metastasectomy for ACC in
      order to identify factors that should be taken into account in selecting patients
      eligible for surgery and treatment planning. PATIENTS AND METHODS: A
      retrospective study was conducted on 109 patients selected from our institutional
      experience and from the International Registry of Lung Metastases. Survival was
      calculated by Kaplan-Meier estimate and prognostic factors endowed with a
      predictive power for most other metastatic cancers were investigated. RESULTS:
      The cumulative survival was 66.8% at 5years and 40.5% at 10years. In patients
      with a disease-free interval (DFI) greater than 36months, the overall survival
      was 76.5% at 5years. Survival in case of complete surgical resection was 69.5% at
      5years. Multivariate analysis confirmed DFI and completeness of resection
      resulted in the best prognostic variables. DISCUSSION: Lung metastasectomy should
      be considered as a therapeutic option to achieve local control of disease when 2
      conditions are met: (1) complete surgical resection is feasible and (2) the time
      to pulmonary relapse after primary tumor treatment is greater than 36months.
      Symptomatic benefits of an incomplete lung resection in slow-growing tumors such
      as ACC remain uncertain. The turning point in the management of disseminated
      cancers will be clarified with biological profiling of ACC and the development of
      targeted therapies.

PMID- 28341277
TI  - Seasonality of Periprosthetic Femur Fractures in 12,700 Primary and Revision
      Total Hip Arthroplasties.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Periprosthetic femur fractures after primary and revision total hip
      arthroplasty (THA) are one of the most common long-term reasons for reoperation
      after THA. Previous investigations have analyzed the incidence and risk factors
      of these fractures. No previous study, however, has analyzed a variation in
      periprosthetic femur fractures between meteorologic seasons. The aim of this
      study was to compare the incidence of periprosthetic femur fractures after
      primary and revision THAs depending on the meteorologic season. METHODS: We
      identified 8920 patients (10,672 hips) who underwent primary THAs and 1830
      patients (1998 hips) who underwent revision THAs at our institution between 1995
      and 2011. All patients resided in the Upper Midwest at the time of surgery.
      Patients who experienced periprosthetic femur fractures were identified and
      categorized based on the meteorologic season. A Cox model was used to assess the
      association of seasonality with the risk of fracture. RESULTS: During the study
      period, 165 primary THAs and 80 revision THAs sustained a periprosthetic femur
      fracture. Using winter as a reference, the risk of a periprosthetic femur
      fracture after primary THA was not statistically higher in the spring (hazard
      ratio [HR] = 1.3; P = .2), autumn (HR = 1.4; P = .2), and summer (HR = 1.415; P =
      .1). Similarly, the risk of periprosthetic femur fracture after revision THA was
      not statistically higher in the spring (HR = 0.9; P = .6), autumn (HR = 0.6; P =
      .1), and summer (HR = 0.9; P = 1.0). CONCLUSION: The risk of periprosthetic femur
      fracture after primary and revision THA does not significantly differ between
      meteorologic seasons.

PMID- 28341278
TI  - Early Outcomes of Kinematic Alignment in Primary Total Knee Arthroplasty: A Meta
      Analysis of the Literature.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Kinematic alignment in total knee arthroplasty (TKA) seeks to more
      anatomically align the knee prosthesis to promote more physiological kinematics.
      However, there are questions about the durability, function, and complication
      rate of a non-mechanically aligned TKA. Therefore, the purpose of this study is
      to perform a systematic review and meta-analysis to evaluate early outcomes after
      kinematic alignment. METHODS: Two independent reviewers performed a systematic
      review of the English literature using both the MEDLINE and Embase databases
      searching for studies on kinematic TKA. Of the initial 839 published reports, 9
      studies were included in the review. Four randomized, controlled trials comparing
      outcomes of kinematic and conventional alignment TKA were identified. Data were
      extracted and aggregated using inverse variance and Mantel-Haenszel fixed effects
      meta-analysis. RESULTS: Of an aggregated 877 kinematic TKAs, the cumulative
      survivorship was 97.4% at a weighted mean follow-up of 37.9 months. The most
      common reasons for revision were patellofemoral problems in 8 patients (1.2%). We
      found no difference in the complication rate between the 229 kinematic and 229
      conventional TKA patients (3.9% vs 4.4%; P = .83). The kinematic TKA group had a
      higher combined postoperative Knee Society Score than the conventional TKA group
      (mean difference, 9.1 points; 95% confidence interval, 5.2-13.0 points; P <
      .001). CONCLUSION: Small deviations from the traditional mechanical axis
      alignment in TKA do not appear to impact overall survivorship or complication
      rates at short-term follow-up. Functional outcome as measured by the Knee Society
      Score favored kinematic alignment. These preliminary results illustrate the
      concept that there may be more than a single alignment target for all patients
      undergoing primary TKA.

PMID- 28341279
TI  - Letter to the Editor on 'The Prevalence of Positive Findings on Metal Artifact
      Reduction Sequence Magnetic Resonance Imaging in Metal-on-Metal Total Hip
      Arthroplasty': Part 1.

PMID- 28341280
TI  - Cost-Effectiveness of Staphylococcus aureus Decolonization Strategies in High
      Risk Total Joint Arthroplasty Patients.
AB  - BACKGROUND: The risk of prosthetic joint infection increases with Staphylococcus
      aureus colonization. The cost-effectiveness of decolonization is controversial.
      We evaluated cost-effectiveness decolonization protocols in high-risk
      arthroplasty patients. METHODS: An analytical model evaluated risk under 3
      protocols: 4 swabs, 2 swabs, and nasal swab alone. These were compared to no
      screening and universal decolonization strategies. Cost-effectiveness was
      evaluated from the hospital, patient, and societal perspective. RESULTS: Under
      base case conditions, universal decolonization and 4-swab strategies were most
      effective. The 2-swab and universal decolonization strategy were most cost
      effective from patient and societal perspectives. From the hospital perspective,
      universal decolonization was the dominant strategy (much less costly and more
      effective). CONCLUSION: S aureus decolonization may be cost-effective for
      reducing prosthetic joint infections in high-risk patients. These results may
      have important implications for treatment of patients and for cost containment in
      a bundled payment system.

PMID- 28341281
TI  - Uncemented Metal-Backed Tantalum Patellar Components in Total Knee Arthroplasty
      Have a High Fracture Rate at Midterm Follow-Up.
AB  - BACKGROUND: There is interest in uncemented total knee arthroplasty due to the
      hope for long-term biologic fixation, but limited data are available regarding
      uncemented tantalum patellar components. The purpose of this study was to
      evaluate the radiographic outcomes of uncemented tantalum patellar implants at
      midterm follow-up. METHODS: We retrospectively reviewed a consecutive series of
      30 knees in 29 patients who underwent cementless total knee arthroplasty with an
      uncemented metal-backed tantalum patella between September 2006 and April 2009.
      Patients were required to have a minimum radiographic follow-up of 2 years.
      Anteroposterior and lateral radiographs of the knee were evaluated for signs of
      implant fracture or gross loosening. Clinical follow-up was obtained by reviewing
      each patient's most recent orthopedic record. RESULTS: Thirty knees in 29
      patients met inclusion criteria. The mean age of the cohort was 59.1 years with a
      mean body mass index of 31.9 kg/m2. Mean postoperative radiographic follow-up
      time was 5.5 years. Six fractures of the patellar component were noted. This
      represented a fracture rate of 20% among the entire cohort and 35% among the 17
      knees with visible patellae on anteroposterior radiograph. All fractures had a
      transverse pattern. No gross patellar component loosening was noted. Among
      patients with component fractures, 2 required revisions for instability and 1
      revision was for infection. CONCLUSION: Our results suggest a minimum 20% rate of
      component fracture at midterm follow-up. Although many of these patellar
      component fractures were asymptomatic, they have the potential to impact revision
      rates in the longer term.

PMID- 28341282
TI  - The state of the surgical workforce in Brazil.
AB  - BACKGROUND: A critical insufficiency of surgeons, anesthesiologists, and
      obstetricians exists around the world, leaving billions of people without access
      to safe operative care. The distribution of the surgical workforce in Brazil,
      however, is poorly described and rarely assessed. Though the surgical workforce
      is only one element in the surgical system, this study aimed to map and
      characterize the distribution of the surgical workforce in Brazil in order to
      stimulate discussion on future surgical policy reforms. METHODS: The distribution
      of the surgical workforce was extracted from the Brazilian Federal Medical Board
      registry as of July 2014. Included in the surgical workforce were surgeons,
      anesthesiologists, and obstetricians. RESULTS: There are 95,169 surgeons,
      anesthesiologists, and obstetricians in the surgical workforce of Brazil,
      creating a surgical workforce density of 46.55/100,000 population. This varies
      from 20.21/100,000 population in the North Region up to 60.32/100,000 population
      in the South Region. A total of 75.2% of the surgical workforce is located in the
      100 biggest cities in Brazil, where only 40.4% of the population lives. The
      average age of a physician in the surgical workforce is 46.6 years. Women make up
      30.0% of the surgical workforce, 15.8% of surgeons, 36.6% of anesthesiologists,
      and 53.8% of obstetricians and gynecologists. CONCLUSION: Brazil has a
      substantial surgical workforce, but inequalities in its distribution are
      concerning. There is an urgent need for increased surgeons, anesthesiologists,
      and obstetricians in states like Para, Amapa, and Maranhao. Female surgeons and
      anesthesiologists are particularly lacking in the surgical workforce, and
      incentives to recruit these physicians are necessary. Government policies and
      leadership from health organizations are required to ensure that the surgical
      workforce will be more evenly distributed in the future.

PMID- 28341283
TI  - Are antimicrobial peripherally inserted central catheters associated with
      reduction in central line-associated bloodstream infection? A systematic review
      and meta-analysis.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Antimicrobial peripherally inserted central catheters (PICCs) may
      reduce the risk of central line-associated bloodstream infection (CLABSI).
      However, data regarding efficacy are limited. We aimed to evaluate whether
      antimicrobial PICCs are associated with CLABSI reduction. METHODS: MEDLINE,
      EMBASE, CINHAL, and Web of Science were searched from inception to July 2016;
      conference proceedings were searched to identify additional studies. Study
      selection and data extraction were performed independently by 2 authors. RESULTS:
      Of 597 citations identified, 8 studies involving 12,879 patients met eligibility
      criteria. Studies included adult and pediatric patients from intensive care, long
      term care, and general ward settings. The incidence of CLABSI in patients with
      antimicrobial PICCs was 0.2% (95% confidence interval [CI], 0.0%-0.5%), and the
      incidence among nonantimicrobial catheters was 5.3% (95% CI, 2.6%-8.8%). Compared
      with noncoated PICCs, antimicrobial PICCs were associated with a significant
      reduction in CLABSI (relative risk [RR], 0.29; 95% CI, 0.10-0.78). Statistical
      heterogeneity (I2, 71.6%; T2 = 1.07) was resolved by publication type, with peer
      reviewed articles showing greater reduction in CLABSI (RR, 0.21; 95% CI, 0.06
      0.74). Twenty-six patients (95% CI, 21-75) need to be treated with antimicrobial
      PICCs to prevent 1 CLABSI. Studies of adults at greater baseline risk of CLABSI
      experienced greater reduction in CLABSI (RR, 0.20; P = .003). CONCLUSIONS:
      Available evidence suggests that antimicrobial PICCs may reduce CLABSI,
      especially in high-risk subgroups. Randomized trials are needed to assess
      efficacy across patient populations.

PMID- 28341284
TI  - Prospective microbiologic evaluation of the forceps elevator in closed-channel
      duodenoscopes after reprocessing.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Endoscopes are well-known sources of bacterial transmission in health
      care facilities offering endoscopy services. The association between multidrug
      resistant bacterial infections in patients who had undergone an endoscopic
      retrograde cholangiopancreatography procedure with reprocessed duodenoscopes has
      been much discussed. Bacterial contamination of duodenoscopes has been attributed
      to difficulties with reprocessing these devices, specifically the distal end of
      the scope, which features a movable forceps elevator. In light of a recent Food
      and Drug Administration warning letter to Olympus regarding their closed-channel
      duodenoscope model TJF-Q180V, the aim of our study was to prospectively evaluate
      the efficacy and safety of our current reprocessing procedures with regard to the
      TJF-Q180V duodenoscope models used in our hospital. METHODS: From August 2015
      March 2016, we prospectively collected microbiologic surveillance samples from 6
      TJF-Q180V model duodenoscopes in routine use at the Division of Gastroenterology
      and Hepatology using the ESwab collection system (COPAN Diagnostics Inc,
      Murrieta, CA). RESULTS: A total of 237 microbiologic samples from the forceps
      elevator were obtained during the survey period. None of the samples yielded
      microorganism growth. CONCLUSION: These findings suggest that when following a
      diligent and validated reprocessing standard in accordance with manufacturer's
      recommendations, closed-channel endoscope models can still be used. Nevertheless,
      validated adaptions of current closed-channel duodenoscope models are needed to
      allow for simple and safe reprocessing. Furthermore, comprehensive postmarket
      surveillance needs to be established.

PMID- 28341287
TI  - Outcomes of the retrograde approach through epicardial versus non-epicardial
      collaterals in chronic total occlusion percutaneous coronary intervention.
AB  - BACKGROUND: The retrograde approach through epicardial collaterals (EC) for
      chronic total occlusion (CTO) percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) is a
      challenging procedure. Our study aim was to evaluate the outcomes of patients
      undergoing CTO PCI using a retrograde approach through epicardial versus non
      epicardial collaterals (NEC). METHODS: We collected data from our single-center
      registry of consecutive patients undergoing retrograde CTO PCI, performed by an
      experienced operator through EC and NEC (septals and bypass grafts). Clinical,
      angiographic and procedural data were recorded. The primary endpoint (major
      adverse cardiac events, MACE) was a composite of cardiac death, target-vessel
      myocardial infarction (MI) and target-vessel revascularization (TVR) on follow
      up. RESULTS: During the study period, 318 CTO PCIs were performed. Of these, 81
      procedures (25%) were performed retrogradely in 75 patients (38 using NEC [31
      septals, 7 bypass grafts], 37 through EC [34 contralateral, 3 ipsilateral]).
      Clinical characteristics were balanced between EC and NEC. J-CTO score was 2.1+/
      1.1 and 2.2+/-1.2, respectively (p=0.92). Collateral tortuosity was more marked
      in EC. Technical and procedural success was lower in EC (35% vs. 76%, p<0.001;
      30% vs. 76%, p<0.001; respectively). There were two perforations (5%) with need
      for intervention in EC, and none in NEC (p=0.15). After a median follow-up of 443
      (331-744) days, MACE were observed in 12.9% (n=4) of EC vs. 5.4% (n=2) in NEC
      patients (p=0.28). CONCLUSIONS: In our experience, retrograde CTO PCI through EC
      was associated with lower success rate, and a numerically higher rate of
      perforation, as compared with NEC. Clinical outcomes on follow-up were similar.

PMID- 28341288
TI  - Establishing the structures within populations of models.
AB  - As computational biology matures as a field, increasing attention is being paid
      to the relation of computational models to their target. One aspect of this is
      addressing how computational models can appropriately reproduce the variation
      seen in experimental data, with one solution being to use populations of models
      united by a common set of equations (the framework), with each individual member
      of the population (each model) possessing its own unique set of equation
      parameters. These model populations are then calibrated and validated against
      experimental data, and as a whole reproduce the experimentally observed
      variation. The primary focus of validation thus becomes the population, with the
      individual models' validation seemingly deriving from their membership of this
      population. The role of individual models within the population is not clear,
      with uncertainty regarding the relationship between individual models and the
      population they make up. This work examines the role of models within the
      population, how they relate to the population they make up, and how both can be
      said to be validated in this context.

PMID- 28341289
TI  - Long-term culture with lipopolysaccharide induces dose-dependent cytostatic and
      cytotoxic effects in THP-1 monocytes.
AB  - Monocytes act as a first line of defence against invading pathogens and their
      dysfunctions seem to be a key factor in many immune disorders. However, the data
      on mechanisms underlying these dysfunctions remain elusive. In this study, we
      evaluated the effects of long-term (168h) lipopolysaccharide exposure on
      monocytes at low density cultures (1*105cells/ml). Treatment with low dose LPS
      (<=5MUg/ml) resulted in oxidative stress induction followed by p21 pathway
      activation, permanent cell cycle arrest and SASP development. Furthermore, high
      dose LPS (>=10MUg/ml) induced cell death involving mitochondrial pathways, death
      receptors as well as p21-dependent DNA damage response activation mediated by ROS
      generation and TNF-alpha release. Additionally, exposure to high dose of LPS
      resulted in THP-1 monocytes differentiation to macrophages. In conclusion, long
      term culture with LPS exerts in low density monocytes cytostatic/cytotoxic
      effects in a dose-dependent manner by inducing senescence associated with chronic
      inflammation at low doses and initiation of cell death at higher doses. These
      findings shed new light on understanding of monocytes dysfunction, an issue
      relevant to chronic inflammation and many immune disorders.

PMID- 28341290
TI  - The cessation of breathing in the chicken embryo during cold-hypometabolism.
AB  - The avian embryo toward end-incubation combines gas exchange through the
      chorioallantoic membrane (CAM) and pulmonary ventilation (VE). The main
      experiments examined breathing activity during cold-hypometabolism. Chicken
      embryos close to hatching were prepared for simultaneous measurements of oxygen
      consumption ( [Formula: see text] ) and carbon dioxide production ( [Formula: see
      text] ; open-flow methodology) and breathing frequency (f; barometric technique).
      As ambient (Ta) and egg temperature (Tegg) dropped, breathing eventually ceased
      at ~18 degrees C, when [Formula: see text] and [Formula: see text] were 22-28% of
      the normothermic values. With the eggshell experimentally covered to reduce CAM
      gas exchange breathing ceased at slightly lower [Formula: see text] and [Formula:
      see text] (17-18% of normothermia). Once breathing had stopped, egg exposure to
      hypoxia (10% or 5% O2) or hypercapnia (3% or 8% CO2) did not resume breathing,
      which recovered with re-warming. In normothermia, 10% O2 caused hypometabolism
      and tachypnea; differently, in 5% O2 [Formula: see text] dropped as much as with
      hypothermia and breathing stopped, to recover upon return in air. Correlation
      analysis among Ta, Tegg, [Formula: see text] , [Formula: see text] and f during
      cooling and re-warming indicated that f followed more closely the changes in
      [Formula: see text] and, especially, in [Formula: see text] than the changes in
      Ta or Tegg. Some considerations suggest that in this experimental model the
      cessation of breathing in hypothermia or severe hypoxia may be due to
      hypometabolism, while the lack of chemo-responses may have a different
      mechanistic basis.

PMID- 28341291
TI  - Attitudes of students of a health sciences university towards the extension of
      smoke-free policies at the university campuses of Barcelona (Spain).
AB  - OBJECTIVE: To assess attitudes towards the extension of outdoor smoke-free areas
      on university campuses. METHODS: Cross-sectional study (n=384) conducted using a
      questionnaire administered to medical and nursing students in Barcelona in 2014.
      Information was obtained pertaining to support for indoor and outdoor smoking
      bans on university campuses, and the importance of acting as role models.
      Logistic regression analyses were performed to examine agreement. RESULTS: Most
      of the students agreed on the importance of health professionals and students as
      role models (74.9% and 64.1%, respectively) although there were statistically
      significant differences by smoking status and age. 90% of students reported
      exposure to smoke on campus. Students expressed strong support for indoor smoke
      free policies (97.9%). However, only 39.3% of participants supported regulation
      of outdoor smoking for university campuses. Non-smokers (OR=12.315; 95% CI: 5.377
      28.204) and students >=22 years old (OR=3.001; 95% CI: 1.439-6.257) were the
      strongest supporters. CONCLUSIONS: The students supported indoor smoke-free
      policies for universities. However, support for extending smoke-free regulations
      to outdoor areas of university campuses was limited. It is necessary to educate
      students about tobacco control and emphasise their importance as role models
      before extending outdoor smoke-free legislation at university campuses.

PMID- 28341292
TI  - Antioxidant response to metal pollution in Phragmites australis from Anzali
      wetland.
AB  - This research was conducted to examine variations of antioxidant enzyme activity
      in Phragmites australis as a biomarker for metals such as As, Pb, Cu, and Cd.
      Samples of sediment and plants were collected from 7 stations located in Anzali
      wetland. Biochemical parameters including Catalase, Peroxidase and Ascorbate
      Peroxidase activity were analyzed in the roots, stems and leaves of P. australis.
      The obtained results indicated that there were significant differences among
      activities of antioxidant enzymes in three organs (p<0.05). Antioxidant enzyme
      activities in the organs for all studied stations were as the following order:
      stem<leaf<root. Overall, significant positive correlations were observed among
      concentrations of metals in sediments and activities of antioxidant enzymes in P.
      australis. As a result, it can be concluded from this study that antioxidant
      enzymes are good biomarkers reflecting metal contamination in sediments of Anzali
      wetland.

PMID- 28341293
TI  - Marine protected communities against biological invasions: A case study from an
      offshore island.
AB  - Biological invasions are a major threat to the world's biota and are considered a
      major cause of biodiversity loss. Therefore, world marine policy has recognized
      the need for more marine protected areas (MPAs) as a major tool for biodiversity
      conservation. The present work experimentally evaluated how protected communities
      from an offshore island can face the settlement and/or expansion of nonindigenous
      species (NIS). First, NIS colonization success in marine protected and marina
      communities was compared by deploying PVC settling plates at the Garajau MPA and
      Funchal marina (SW Madeira Island). Then, the settling plates from the MPA were
      transferred to Funchal marina to test their resistance to NIS invasion under high
      levels of NIS pressure. Results indicated that the structure and composition of
      fouling communities from the MPA differed from those collected in the marina.
      Interestingly, communities from the protected area showed lower NIS colonization
      success, suggesting some degree of biotic resistance against NIS invasion.

PMID- 28341294
TI  - Near-surface distribution of pollutants in coastal waters as assessed by novel
      polyethylene passive samplers.
AB  - We report a novel and inexpensive method to provide high resolution vertical
      measurements of temporally integrated organic contaminants in surface and sub
      surface waters in polluted coastal environments. It employs a strip of
      polyethylene deployed as a passive sampler. Verifications are confirmed via
      conventional spot sample analyses and against Performance Reference Compound
      (PRC) calibration methods. Analytes targeted include 16 Polycyclic Aromatic
      Hydrocarbons, 15 personal care products, 8 organophosphorus flame retardants, 4
      antifouling 'booster' biocides and 15 n-alkanes. Whilst all contaminants
      typically revealed homogeneous concentrations from 10 cm to 3 m depth in the
      selected harbour (<30% variations), many increased sharply at the air-sea
      interface. The passive sampler was shown to afford better resolution than could
      be achieved using conventional analytical techniques at the surface microlayer
      (SML). Whilst hydrophobicity appeared to be a key factor for the enrichment of
      many determinants, less correlation was found for the emerging contaminants.

PMID- 28341295
TI  - Robust and durable superhydrophobic fabrics fabricated via simple Cu
      nanoparticles deposition route and its application in oil/water separation.
AB  - The exploitation of separation materials with high selectivity for oil pollutants
      is of great importance due to severe environmental damage from oil spillages and
      industrial discharge of oils. A facile in situ growth process for creating
      superhydrophobic-superoleophilic fabrics for oil-water separation is developed.
      This proposed method is based mainly on the deposition Cu nanoparticles and
      subsequent hydrophobic modification. Compared with the hydrophilicity of original
      fabric, the water contact angle of the modified fabric rises to 154.5 degrees ,
      suggesting its superhydrophobicity. The as-prepared fabrics also exhibit
      wonderful oil-water selectivity, excellent recyclability, and high separation
      efficiency (>94.5%). Especially, via pumping the fabric rolled into a
      multilayered tube, various types of oils on water surface can be continuously
      separated in situ without any water uptake. Furthermore, the superhydrophobic
      fabrics show excellent superhydrophobic stability, and can resist different
      chemicals, such as salty, acidic, and alkaline solutions, oils, and hot water.
      After the abrasion of 400cycles, the broken fabric still possesses highly
      hydrophobicity with water contact angle of 145 degrees . Therefore, due to simple
      fabrication steps, low cost, and scalable process, the as-prepared fabrics can be
      applied in the separation of oils and other organic solvents from water.

PMID- 28341296
TI  - Ocean acidification increases larval swimming speed and has limited effects on
      spawning and settlement of a robust fouling bryozoan, Bugula neritina.
AB  - Few studies to date have investigated the effects of ocean acidification on non
      reef forming marine invertebrates with non-feeding larvae. Here, we exposed
      adults of the bryozoan Bugula neritina and their larvae to lowered pH. We
      monitored spawning, larval swimming, settlement, and post-settlement individual
      sizes at two pHs (7.9 vs. 7.6) and settlement dynamics alone over a broader pH
      range (8.0 down to 6.5). Our results show that spawning was not affected by adult
      exposure (48h at pH7.6), larvae swam 32% faster and the newly-settled individuals
      grew significantly larger (5%) at pH7.6 than in the control. Although larvae
      required more time to settle when pH was lowered, reduced pH was not lethal, even
      down to pH6.5. Overall, this fouling species appeared to be robust to
      acidification, and yet, indirect effects such as prolonging the pelagic larval
      duration could increase predation risk, and might negatively impact population
      dynamics.

PMID- 28341297
TI  - GEANT4 models for the secondary radiation flux in the collimation system of a
      300MeV proton microbeam.
AB  - In Harbin, we are developing a 300MeV proton microbeam for many applications in
      space science including upset studies in microelectronic devices, radiation
      hardness of materials for satellites and radiation effects in human tissues.
      There are also applications of this facility proposed for proton therapy. The
      microbeam system will employ a purpose-built proton synchrotron to provide the
      beam. However there are many challenges to be addressed in the design,
      construction and operation of this facility. Here we address two important design
      aspects for which we apply GEANT4 modeling. First, the high energy proton beam
      interacts strongly with beam line materials, especially the collimation slits, to
      produce showers of secondary particles which could introduce significant
      background signals and degrade the resolution of the proton microbeam. Second,
      the beam transport within the residual vacuum of the beam line may also introduce
      undesirable background radiation. In both cases mitigation strategies need to be
      incorporated during the design phase of the new system. We study the use of a
      dipole magnet following the aperture collimator to reduce the flux of secondary
      particles incident on the analysis chamber. Monte Carlo simulations are performed
      using GEANT4 and SRIM. By inserting the dipole magnet, we find as expected a
      significant reduction in the scattering of protons and other particles, such as
      neutrons and gamma rays, at the collimation system exit position. Secondary
      radiation from the residual gas pressure within the beam line vacuum system are
      also modelled and found to be negligible under the standard operating conditions.

PMID- 28341298
TI  - Providing hope.

PMID- 28341299
TI  - Adopting a public health approach to addressing child sexual abuse and
      exploitation.

PMID- 28341301
TI  - Disease Modeling in Stem Cell-Derived 3D Organoid Systems.
AB  - Organoids are 3D in vitro culture systems derived from self-organizing stem
      cells. They can recapitulate the in vivo architecture, functionality, and genetic
      signature of original tissues. Thus, organoid technology has been rapidly applied
      to understanding stem cell biology, organogenesis, and various human pathologies.
      The recent development of human patient-derived organoids has enabled disease
      modeling with precision, highlighting their great potential in biomedical
      applications, translational medicine, and personalized therapy. In light of
      recent breakthroughs using organoids, it is only apt that we appreciate the
      advantages and shortcomings of this technology to exploit its full potential. We
      discuss recent advances in the application of organoids in studying cancer and
      hereditary diseases, as well as in the examination of host cell-microorganism
      interactions.

PMID- 28341300
TI  - A phase I pharmacokinetic study of intraperitoneal bortezomib and carboplatin in
      patients with persistent or recurrent ovarian cancer: An NRG Oncology/Gynecologic
      Oncology Group study.
AB  - PURPOSE: Intraperitoneal (IP) therapy improves survival compared to intravenous
      (IV) treatment for women with newly diagnosed, optimally cytoreduced, ovarian
      cancer. However, the role of IP therapy in recurrent disease is unknown.
      Preclinical data demonstrated IP administration of the proteasome inhibitor,
      bortezomib prior to IP carboplatin increased tumor platinum accumulation
      resulting in synergistic cytotoxicity. We conducted this phase I trial of IP
      bortezomib and carboplatin in women with recurrent disease. METHODS: Women with
      recurrent ovarian cancer were treated with escalating doses of IP bortezomib - in
      combination with IP carboplatin (AUC 4 or 5) every 21days for 6cycles.
      Pharmacokinetics of both agents were evaluated in cycle 1. RESULTS: Thirty-three
      women participated; 32 were evaluable for safety. Two patients experienced dose
      limiting toxicity (DLT) at the first dose level (carboplatin AUC 5, bortezomib
      0.5mg/m2), prompting carboplatin reduction to AUC 4 for subsequent dose levels.
      With carboplatin dose fixed at AUC 4, bortezomib was escalated from 0.5 to
      2.5mg/m2 without DLT. Grade 3/4 related toxicities included abdominal pain,
      nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea which were infrequent. The overall response rate
      in patients with measurable disease (n=21) was 19% (1 complete, 3 partial). Cmax
      and AUC in peritoneal fluid and plasma increased linearly with dose, with a
      favorable exposure ratio of the peritoneal cavity relative to peripheral blood
      plasma. CONCLUSION: IP administration of this novel combination was feasible and
      showed promising activity in this phase I trial of heavily pre-treated women with
      ovarian cancer. Further evaluation of this IP combination should be conducted.

PMID- 28341302
TI  - Health systems in the Republic of Congo: challenges and opportunities for
      implementing tuberculosis and HIV collaborative service, research, and training
      activities.
AB  - The Republic of Congo is on the World Health Organization (WHO) list of 'high
      burden' countries for tuberculosis (TB) and HIV. TB is the leading cause of death
      among HIV-infected patients in the Republic of Congo. In this viewpoint, the
      available data on TB and HIV in the Republic of Congo are reviewed, and the gaps
      and bottlenecks that the National TB Control Program (NTCP) faces are discussed.
      Furthermore, priority requirements for developing and implementing TB and HIV
      collaborative service activities are identified. HIV and TB control programs
      operate as distinct entities with separate case management plans. The
      implementation of collaborative TB/HIV activities to evaluate and monitor the
      management of TB/HIV co-infected individuals remains inefficient in most regions,
      and these activities are sometimes non-existent. This reveals major challenges
      that require definition in order to improve the delivery of healthcare. The NTCP
      lacks adequate resources for optimal implementation of control measures of TB and
      HIV compliance and outcomes. The importance of aligning and integrating TB and
      HIV treatment services (including follow-up) and adherence support services
      through coordinated and collaborative efforts between individual TB and HIV
      programs is discussed. Aligning and integrating TB and HIV treatment services
      through coordinated and collaborative efforts between individual TB and HIV
      programs is required. However, the WHO recommendations are generic, and health
      services in the Republic of Congo need to tailor their TB and HIV programs
      according to the availability of resources and operational feasibility. This will
      also open opportunities for synergizing collaborative TB/HIV research and
      training activities, which should be prioritized by the donors supporting the
      TB/HIV programs.

PMID- 28341303
TI  - Changing Perceptions of Harm of E-Cigarettes Among U.S. Adults, 2012-2015.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: Although the impact of long-term use of electronic cigarettes (e
      cigarettes) on health is still unknown, current scientific evidence indicates
      that e-cigarettes are less harmful than combustible cigarettes. The study
      examined whether perceived relative harm of e-cigarettes and perceived
      addictiveness have changed during 2012-2015 among U.S. adults. METHODS: Data were
      from Tobacco Products and Risk Perceptions surveys of probability samples
      representative of U.S. adults in 2012, 2014, and 2015. Changes over time in
      perceived harmfulness of e-cigarettes were examined using pairwise comparisons of
      proportions and multinomial logistic regression analysis. Analyses were conducted
      in January 2016. RESULTS: Whereas 11.5% and 1.3% of adults perceived e-cigarettes
      to have about the same level of harm and to be more harmful than cigarettes,
      respectively, in 2012, 35.7% and 4.1% did so in 2015. The proportion of adults
      who thought e-cigarettes were addictive more than doubled during 2012-2015 (32.0%
      in 2012 vs 67.6% in 2015). Compared with 2012, the odds of perceiving e
      cigarettes to be equally or more harmful (than to be less harmful) doubled (95%
      CI=1.64, 2.41) in 2014, and tripled (95% CI=2.60, 3.81) in 2015. CONCLUSIONS:
      There is an increase in the proportion of U.S. adults who misperceive the harm of
      e-cigarettes and consider them to be as harmful as combustible cigarettes. The
      study highlights the need to design public health messages that accurately
      interpret the scientific data on the potential harm of e-cigarettes and clearly
      differentiate the absolute from the relative harm of e-cigarettes.

PMID- 28341304
TI  - The normal variants in the left bundle branch system.
AB  - This article reviewed the main anatomic and physiopathological aspects of the
      left bundle branch from its origin in the His bundle and its intraventricular
      distribution on the left endocardial surface. The results are based on the
      relevant literature and on personal observations executed on 206 hearts
      distributed as follows: 67 dogs, 60 humans, 45 sheep, 22 pigs, 10 cows, 2
      monkeys, 1 guanaco, and 1 sea lion. The main anatomical features of the His
      Purkinje conducting system may be summarized as follows: The bundle of His is
      composed by two segments: the penetrating and branching portions. LBB originates
      in the branching portion located underneath the membranous septum. There is no
      true bifurcation of the bundle of His in a human heart. Short after its origin
      the LBB gives rise to its two main fascicles, anterior and posterior, both
      heading the anterior and posterior papillary muscles, respectively. The anterior
      division is thinner and longer than the posterior one. The RBB and the most
      anterior fibers of the LBB arise at the end of the branching portion. In some
      cases a well-defined left septal fascicle can be identified, usually arising from
      the posterior division. Each division gives off small fibers and false tendons
      crossing the left ventricular cavity connecting the papillary between them or the
      papillary muscles with the septal surface. From each division of the LBB, their
      corresponding Purkinje networks emerge covering the subendocardium of the septum
      and the free wall of the left ventricles. There are critical relationships of the
      proximal segments of the His-Purkinje system with the surrounding cardiac
      structures whose pathologic processes may damage the conducting tissue.

PMID- 28341305
TI  - Welcome to The Residents and Fellows Corner.

PMID- 28341306
TI  - High-frequency QRS analysis in the evaluation of chest pain in the emergency
      department.
AB  - OBJECTIVES: High frequency QRS (HFQRS) analysis has been shown to be an accurate
      marker for myocardial ischemia. Our objective was to test the use of HFQRS in
      diagnosing ACS in the emergency department. METHODS: 324 patients presenting to
      the ED with chest pain were enrolled. Resting ECG was recorded and later analyzed
      by an HFQRS algorithm. Results were compared to the conventional ECG diagnosis by
      3 independent interpretations: treating physician, expert cardiologist and an
      automated computer program. RESULTS: The HFQRS analysis demonstrated improved
      sensitivity (67.5%) for the NSTE-ACS group compared to the human interpreters
      (59.7% and 53.2% for the treating physician and cardiologist respectively) with
      similar specificity. The automatic program had significantly lower sensitivity
      (31%) with a higher specificity (77%). CONCLUSIONS: HFQRS which has shown great
      promise in diagnosing stable CAD may also be helpful in the ED for diagnosing
      ACS.

PMID- 28341307
TI  - The efficacy advantage of evolocumab (AMG 145) dosed at 140mg every 2weeks versus
      420mg every 4weeks in patients with hypercholesterolemia: Evidence from a meta
      analysis.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Evolocumab (AMG 145), a PCSK9 inhibitor, has been shown to decrease
      low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) levels. Doses of 140mg administered
      every 2weeks (Q2W) and 420mg administered every 4weeks (Q4W) are widely used, and
      both dosing schedules were effective in clinical trials. However, some
      researchers have speculated that 140mg Q2W administration has equal or even
      greater efficacy. This meta-analysis was performed to assess the differences in
      efficacy and safety between the two doses. METHODS: We searched the PubMed,
      EMBASE, and Web of Science databases to identify relevant clinical trials
      published before January 2016. A total of 2403 patients from 8 randomized
      controlled trials were identified and included in the analysis. RESULTS:
      Evolocumab administered at 140mg Q2W resulted in a greater percent change from
      baseline in LDL-C concentration (-7.27; 95% confidence interval (CI), -10.36 to 
      4.18) and had greater efficacy in achieving the treatment goal of LDL-C
      <=1.8mmol/L with an relative risk (RR) of 1.09 (95% CI, 1.00 to 1.18) compared
      with 420mg Q4W in patients who were concomitantly treated with statins. These
      findings were not significantly different between the 140mg Q2W and 420mg Q4W
      groups when evolocumab was administered as monotherapy. There was no difference
      in the rate of occurrence of the main treatment-related adverse events between
      the two doses. CONCLUSIONS: Evolocumab administered at 140mg Q2W was more
      effective than the 420mg Q4W dosage at lowering lipid concentrations, especially
      in patients who concomitantly received stable statin therapy.

PMID- 28341308
TI  - Biochemical characterization and stability of immune globulin intravenous 10%
      liquid (Panzyga(r)).
AB  - Panzyga(r) is a new glycine-formulated immune globulin intravenous 10% liquid for
      the treatment of patients suffering from immunodeficiencies and autoimmune
      diseases. Panzyga(r) is a high purity, native and functional IgG product with an
      IgG subclass distribution equivalent to normal plasma. The levels of
      hemagglutinins and accompanying plasma proteins (including IgA and IgM) are low.
      Potential procoagulant activity is not detectable. Functional activity of the IgG
      was demonstrated by opsonophagocytosis and receptor binding assays. Dynamic light
      scattering measurements and fluorescent dye binding were used to characterize the
      integrity of the IgG molecule. Panzyga(r) is stable under refrigerated storage
      for at least two years regarding all assessed physicochemical and functional
      parameters; it can also be stored at room temperature for at least twelve months
      within its total shelf-life.

PMID- 28341309
TI  - Polymorphic distribution of proteins in solution by mass spectrometry: The
      analysis of insulin analogues.
AB  - The characterization of conformational and oligomeric distribution of proteins is
      of paramount importance for the understanding of the correlation between
      structure and function. Among the bioanalytical approaches currently available,
      the electrospray ionization-mass spectrometry (ESI-MS) coupled to ion mobility
      spectrometry (IMS) is the best suited for high resolution identification with
      high sensitivity, allowing the in situ separation of oligomeric and
      conformational species. We tested the performance of the ESI-MS technique along
      with the IMS separation approach on a broad variety of insulin and insulin
      analogues with distinct oligomeric distribution pattern. The measurement of
      commercial insulin allowed the identification of species ranging from monomers to
      hexamers and their complexes with zinc ions. Dissimilar distribution profile for
      regular insulin as a function of formulation component and among the insulin
      analogues were observed by ESI-IMS-MS but not by ESI-MS along, crystallographic
      assays or size-exclusion chromatography. These data suggest the additional
      suitability of ESI-IMS-MS in conformational and oligomeric profiling of
      biomacromolecules and biopharmaceuticals. The easiness of the technique provides
      further motivation for its application in the characterization of both raw and
      formulated protein biopharmaceuticals in routine and comparability exercises.

PMID- 28341310
TI  - Women in Leadership: Why So Few and What to Do About It.
AB  - The numbers of women in medical school and in medical training have increased
      dramatically and are near 50% overall, but the number of women who advance to
      senior and leadership positions is not nearly this high. There are many reasons
      why the number of women in leadership roles in academic medicine has not kept
      pace with the number of women entering the field of medicine. Two popular themes
      are the glass ceiling (referring to an invisible barrier to advancement) and the
      leaky pipeline (the loss of women faculty along the path, or pipeline, to
      advancement). I believe that both come into play. Glass ceiling issues tend to be
      of two types: those related to the institutional culture and those related to
      problems of bias, especially unconscious bias. Leaky pipeline issues include the
      challenges of work-life integration and the need for leadership development for
      women. There are solutions to all of these challenges. These include improving
      institutional culture; making sure women advance as quickly as men and are paid
      equitably; ensuring that there are resources to help with work-life balance,
      related not only to family but to all aspects of life; and providing adequate
      mentoring and leadership training. These measures will help all faculty, as
      factors that hamper women's advancement may hamper men as well. Although these
      themes are broadly applicable, there are strategies that can address them all. We
      just need to be aware, and be proactive, and we will succeed in breaking the
      glass ceiling and patching the leaky pipeline.

PMID- 28341311
TI  - R-SCAN: Imaging for Headache.

PMID- 28341312
TI  - Evaluation of methods for the assessment of attention while driving.
AB  - The ability to assess the current attentional state of the driver is important
      for many aspects of driving, not least in the field of partial automation for
      transfer of control between vehicle and driver. Knowledge about the driver's
      attentional state is also necessary for the assessment of the effects of
      additional tasks on attention. The objective of this paper is to evaluate
      different methods that can be used to assess attention, first theoretically, and
      then empirically in a controlled field study and in the laboratory. Six driving
      instructors participated in all experimental conditions of the study, delivering
      within-subjects data for all tested methods. Additional participants were
      recruited for some of the conditions. The test route consisted of 14km of
      motorway with low to moderate traffic, which was driven three times per
      participant per condition. The on-road conditions were: baseline, driving with
      eye tracking and self-paced visual occlusion, and driving while thinking aloud.
      The laboratory conditions were: Describing how attention should be distributed on
      a motorway, and thinking aloud while watching a video from the baseline drive.
      The results show that visual occlusion, especially in combination with eye
      tracking, was appropriate for assessing spare capacity. The think aloud protocol
      was appropriate to gain insight about the driver's actual mental representation
      of the situation at hand. Expert judgement in the laboratory was not reliable for
      the assessment of drivers' attentional distribution in traffic. Across all
      assessment techniques, it is evident that meaningful assessment of attention in a
      dynamic traffic situation can only be achieved when the infrastructure layout,
      surrounding road users, and intended manoeuvres are taken into account. This
      requires advanced instrumentation of the vehicle, and subsequent data reduction,
      analysis and interpretation are demanding. In conclusion, driver attention
      assessment in real traffic is a complex task, but a combination of visual
      occlusion, eye tracking and thinking aloud is a promising combination of methods
      to come further on the way.

PMID- 28341313
TI  - Perioperative Topical Nonsteroidal Anti-inflammatory Drugs for Macular Edema
      Prophylaxis Following Cataract Surgery.

PMID- 28341314
TI  - Fretting and Corrosion at the Backside of Modular Cobalt Chromium Acetabular
      Inserts: A Retrieval Analysis.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Adverse local tissue reaction formation has been suggested to occur
      with the Modular Dual Mobility (MDM) acetabular design. Few reports in the
      literature have evaluated fretting and corrosion damage between the acetabular
      shell and modular metal inserts in this modular system. We evaluated a series of
      18 retrieved cobalt chromium MDM inserts for evidence of fretting and corrosion.
      METHODS: We assessed the backsides of 18 MDM components for evidence of fretting
      and corrosion in polar and taper regions based on previously established methods.
      We collected and assessed 30 similarly designed modular inserts retrieved from
      metal-on-metal (MoM) total hip arthroplasties as a control. RESULTS: No specific
      pattern of fretting or corrosion was identified on the MDM inserts. Both fretting
      and corrosion were significantly greater in the MoM cohort than the MDM cohort,
      driven by higher fretting and corrosion scores in the engaged taper region of the
      MoM inserts. CONCLUSION: MoM components demonstrated more fretting and corrosion
      than MDM designs, specifically at the taper region, likely driven by differences
      in the taper engagement mechanism and geometry among the insert designs. The lack
      of significant fretting and corrosion observed in the MDM inserts are
      inconsistent with recent claims that this interface may produce clinically
      significant metallosis and adverse local tissue reactions.

PMID- 28341315
TI  - Initial clinical experience of postmastectomy intensity modulated proton therapy
      in patients with breast expanders with metallic ports.
AB  - PURPOSE: The feasibility of proton postmastectomy radiation therapy in patients
      reconstructed with expanders has not been previously reported, limiting treatment
      options. We analyzed the dosimetric impact of the metallic port contained within
      expanders on intensity modulated proton therapy (IMPT) and report our techniques
      and quality control for treating patients in this setting. METHODS AND MATERIALS:
      Twelve patients with the same expander model underwent 2-field IMPT as part of a
      prospective registry. All planning dosimetry was checked with an in-house graphic
      processing unit--based Monte Carlo simulation. Proton ranges through the expander
      were validated using a sample implant. Dosimetric impact of setup metallic port
      position uncertainty was evaluated. Pre- and posttreatment photographs were
      obtained and acute toxicity was graded using the Common Terminology Criteria for
      Adverse Events, version 4.0. RESULTS: Nine patients had bilateral skin-sparing
      mastectomy with bilateral tissue expander reconstruction, and 3 patients had
      unilateral skin-sparing mastectomy and reconstruction. The left side was treated
      in 10 patients and the right side in 2. Target coverage and normal tissue dose
      uncertainties resulting from the expander were small and clinically acceptable.
      The maximum physician-assessed acute radiation dermatitis was grade 3 in 1
      patient, grade 2 in 5 patients, and grade 1 in 6 patients. CONCLUSIONS:
      Postmastectomy IMPT in breast cancer patients with expanders is feasible and
      associated with favorable clinical target volume coverage and normal tissue
      sparing, even when taking into account treatment uncertainties; therefore, these
      patients should be eligible to participate in clinical trials studying the
      potential role of proton therapy in breast cancer. We caution, however, that
      institutions should carry out similar analyses of the physical properties and
      dosimetric impact of the particular expanders used in their practice before
      considering IMPT.

PMID- 28341316
TI  - What are appropriate physics manuscripts for submission to the Practical
      Radiation Oncology journal?

PMID- 28341317
TI  - Target volume and artifact evaluation of a new data-driven 4D CT.
AB  - PURPOSE: Four-dimensional computed tomography (4D CT) is often used to define the
      internal gross target volume (IGTV) for radiation therapy of lung cancer.
      Traditionally, this technique requires the use of an external motion surrogate;
      however, a new image, data-driven 4D CT, has become available. This study aims to
      describe this data-driven 4D CT and compare target contours created with it to
      those created using standard 4D CT. METHODS AND MATERIALS: Cine CT data of 35
      patients undergoing stereotactic body radiation therapy were collected and sorted
      into phases using standard and data-driven 4D CT. IGTV contours were drawn using
      a semiautomated method on maximum intensity projection images of both 4D CT
      methods. Errors resulting from reproducibility of the method were characterized.
      A comparison of phase image artifacts was made using a normalized cross
      correlation method that assigned a score from +1 (data-driven "better") to -1
      (standard "better"). RESULTS: The volume difference between the data-driven and
      standard IGTVs was not significant (data driven was 2.1 +/- 1.0% smaller, P =
      .08). The Dice similarity coefficient showed good similarity between the contours
      (0.949 +/- 0.006). The mean surface separation was 0.4 +/- 0.1 mm and the
      Hausdorff distance was 3.1 +/- 0.4 mm. An average artifact score of +0.37
      indicated that the data-driven method had significantly fewer and/or less severe
      artifacts than the standard method (P = 1.5 * 10-5 for difference from 0).
      CONCLUSIONS: On average, the difference between IGTVs derived from data-driven
      and standard 4D CT was not clinically relevant or statistically significant,
      suggesting data-driven 4D CT can be used in place of standard 4D CT without
      adjustments to IGTVs. The relatively large differences in some patients were
      usually attributed to limitations in automatic contouring or differences in
      artifacts. Artifact reduction and setup simplicity suggest a clinical advantage
      to data-driven 4D CT.

PMID- 28341318
TI  - Online palliative care and oncology patient education resources through Google:
      Do they meet national health literacy recommendations?
AB  - PURPOSE: The Google search engine is a resource commonly used by patients to
      access health-related patient education information. The American Medical
      Association and National Institutes of Health recommend that patient education
      resources be written at a level between the third and seventh grade reading
      levels. We assessed the readability levels of online palliative care patient
      education resources using 10 readability algorithms widely accepted in the
      medical literature. METHODS AND MATERIALS: In October 2016, searches were
      conducted for 10 individual terms pertaining to palliative care and oncology
      using the Google search engine; the first 10 articles written for the public for
      each term were downloaded for a total of 100 articles. The terms included
      palliative care, hospice, advance directive, cancer pain management, treatment of
      metastatic disease, treatment of brain metastasis, treatment of bone metastasis,
      palliative radiation therapy, palliative chemotherapy, and end-of-life care. We
      determined the average reading level of the articles by readability scale and Web
      site domain. RESULTS: Nine readability assessments with scores equivalent to
      academic grade level found that the 100 palliative care education articles were
      collectively written at a 12.1 reading level (standard deviation, 2.1; range, 7.6
      17.3). Zero articles were written below a seventh grade level. Forty-nine (49%)
      articles were written above a high school graduate reading level. The Flesch
      Reading Ease scale classified the articles as "difficult" to read with a score of
      45.6 of 100. The articles were collected from 62 Web site domains. Seven domains
      were accessed 3 or more times; among these, www.mskcc.org had the highest average
      reading level at a 14.5 grade level (standard deviation, 1.4; range, 13.4-16.1).
      CONCLUSIONS: Most palliative care education articles readily available on Google
      are written above national health literacy recommendations. There is need to
      revise these resources to allow patients and their families to derive the most
      benefit from these materials.

PMID- 28341319
TI  - Improving patient safety and workflow efficiency with standardized pretreatment
      radiation therapist chart reviews.
AB  - PURPOSE: Radiation therapists play a critical role in ensuring patient safety;
      however, they are sometimes given insufficient time to perform quality assurance
      (QA) of a patient's treatment chart and documentation before the start of
      treatment. In this work, we show the benefits of introducing a formal therapist
      prestart QA checklist, completed in a quiet space well in advance of treatment,
      into our workflow. METHODS AND MATERIALS: A therapist prestart QA checklist was
      created by analyzing in-house variance reports and treatment unit delays over 6
      months. Therapists were then given dedicated time and workspace to perform their
      checks within the dosimetry office of our department. The effectiveness of the
      checklist was quantified by recording the percentage of charts that underwent QA
      before treatment, the percentage of charts with errors needing intervention, and
      treatment unit delays during a nearly 2-year period. The frequency and types of
      errors found by the prestart QA were also recorded. RESULTS: Through the use of
      therapist prestart QA, instances of treatment unit delays were reduced by up to a
      factor of 9 during the first year of the program. At the outset of this new
      initiative, nearly 40% of charts had errors requiring intervention, with the
      majority being scheduling related. With upstream workflow changes and automation,
      this was reduced over the period of a year to about 10%. CONCLUSIONS: The number
      of treatment unit delays was dramatically reduced by using a formal therapist
      prestart QA checklist completed well in advance of treatment. The data collected
      via the checklist continue to be used for further quality improvement efforts.

PMID- 28341320
TI  - Gallbladder toxicity and high-dose ablative-intent radiation for liver tumors:
      Should we constrain the dose?
AB  - PURPOSE: Little is known about the risk of gallbladder toxicity from
      hypofractionated (HFXRT) and stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT). We
      report on gallbladder toxicity and attribution to treatment in a prospective
      series of patients with primary and metastatic liver tumors receiving ablative
      intent HFXRT and SBRT with protons. METHODS AND MATERIALS: We evaluated 93
      patients with intact gallbladders enrolled in either of 2 trials investigating
      proton HFXRT and SBRT for primary and metastatic liver tumors from 2009 to 2014.
      Patients received 45 to 67.5 GyE in 15 fractions for primary liver tumors (n =
      45) and 30 to 50 GyE in 5 fractions for metastatic tumors (n = 48). No
      gallbladder dose constraints were used at treatment, and gallbladder volumes and
      dose-volume histograms were created retrospectively. Attributable toxicity was
      defined as cholecystitis or perforation without preexisting gallbladder disease.
      Baseline factors were evaluated using Fisher exact test and the nonparametric K
      sample test. RESULTS: At baseline, 25 patients had preexisting cholelithiasis and
      15 underwent biliary stenting before or after RT. Median follow-up after
      treatment was 11.8 months (range, 0.1-59.2 months). Despite maximum gallbladder
      doses >70 GyE in 41%, >80 GyE in 31%, and >90 GyE in 13% (equieffective dose at 2
      Gy [EQD2], alpha/beta = 3), there were no attributable cases of gallbladder
      toxicity. Two patients developed grade 3 and 4 cholecystitis 16 and 2 months
      after treatment, respectively, and both had a strong history of preexisting
      cholelithiasis and biliary stenting. These patients received relatively low
      gallbladder doses with mean doses of 0.02 GyE and 5.1 GyE (EQD2, alpha/beta = 3),
      well below the 17.1 GyE mean for the remaining cohort (range, 0-81.1 GyE, EQD2).
      CONCLUSIONS: We identified no relationship between gallbladder dose and toxicity
      and did not reach the maximum tolerated gallbladder dose in this cohort treated
      with high-dose radiation. We recommend not constraining dose to the gross tumor
      volume to protect the gallbladder during ablative HFXRT and SBRT.

PMID- 28341321
TI  - Reprint of "Repeated adolescent activity-based anorexia influences central
      estrogen signaling and adulthood anxiety-like behaviors in rats".
AB  - Anorexia nervosa (AN) typically presents in adolescence and is highly comorbid
      with anxiety and depression, which often persist after elimination of AN
      symptomology. The activity-based anorexia (ABA) paradigm allows for evaluation of
      behavioral and neuroendocrine consequences of AN-like behaviors, including
      voluntary anorexia, hyperactivity, and disruption of the hypothalamic-pituitary
      gonadal (HPG) and the hypothalamic pituitary adrenal (HPA) axis. Because ABA in
      adolescent females results in increased anxiety-like behavior in adulthood and
      the estrogen signaling system has been shown to play a role in anxiety and food
      intake, we investigated the role of ovarian hormones in adolescent ABA-treated
      rats, and long-term effects of mid- and late adolescent ABA exposure on behavior
      and estrogen signaling. While previous research demonstrated that two bouts of
      ABA during adolescence resulted in decreased time in the open arm of the elevated
      plus maze (EPM) and increased activity of the HPA axis in response to a novel
      stressor, here we show that one bout of ABA in mid-or late-adolescence did not
      result in the same behavioral outcome. Two exposures to ABA during adolescence
      were necessary to produce long-term anxiety-like behavior on the EPM. Finally,
      removal of ovarian hormones by ovariectomy (OVX) prior to puberty did not
      attenuate long-term behavioral consequences of ABA in adolescence, and estrogen
      receptor beta (ERbeta) expression level in the amygdala of ABA rats was
      significantly lower than control subjects. Taken together, these studies identify
      enduring effects of ABA in adolescent females that may be mediated by ABA-induced
      changes to CNS ERbeta signaling that increase anxiety-like behaviors.

PMID- 28341322
TI  - Re: Clonal Evolution of Chemotherapy-resistant Urothelial Carcinoma.

PMID- 28341323
TI  - Experts' perspective on a definition for delayed return-to-work after surgery for
      nontraumatic upper extremity disorders: Recommendations and implications.
AB  - STUDY DESIGN: Descriptive study. INTRODUCTION: A delayed return to work (RTW) is
      often associated with poorer outcomes after a workplace injury but is ill
      defined. PURPOSE OF THE STUDY: To define delayed RTW after surgery for
      nontraumatic upper extremity conditions. METHODS: Experts were consulted to
      define delayed RTW and whether a universal time point can determine the
      transition from early to delayed RTW. RESULTS: Forty-two experts defined a
      delayed RTW as either a worker not returning to preinjury (or similar) work
      within the expected time frame (45%); not returning to any type of work (36%); or
      recovering slower than expected (12%). Two-thirds of experts believed that
      universal time points to delineate delayed RTW should be avoided. DISCUSSION:
      Multiple factors complicate a uniform definition of delayed RTW. CONCLUSION:
      Defining delayed RTW should be individualized with due consideration to the type
      of work. Time-based cutoffs for outcome measurement may not be appropriate with
      continuous measures more appropriate in research. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Decision
      analysis V.

PMID- 28341324
TI  - The suitcase packing activity: A new evaluation of hand function.
AB  - STUDY DESIGN: Prospective, repeated-measures study. INTRODUCTION: Understanding
      individual hand function can assist therapists with the process of determining
      relevant treatment approaches and realistic therapeutic outcomes. At this point
      in time, a composite test that assesses both unilateral and bimanual hand
      function in relation to a functional activity is not available. PURPOSE OF THE
      STUDY: To establish the reliability and validity of the suitcase packing activity
      (SPA). METHODS: An expert panel established face and content validity. Eighty
      healthy, English-speaking volunteers aged between 18 and 45 years were randomly
      assigned to either 1 or 2 sessions (test-retest reliability). Relative agreement
      between 2 examiners using an intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC)3,1
      determined interrater reliability. Test-retest reliability was determined by
      using a repeated-measures analysis of variance and an ICC3,2. Concurrent validity
      was evaluated against 2 well-established hand evaluations using separate tests of
      correlational coefficients. RESULTS: Face and content validity were established
      across 4 focus groups. Our results demonstrate good to excellent interrater
      reliability (ICC3,1 >= 0.93) and good to excellent test-retest reliability
      (ICC3,2 >= 0.83). SPA scores were moderately correlated with the 2-hand
      evaluations. DISCUSSION: Through evaluating hand function during participation in
      a goal-directed activity (eg, packing a suitcase), the SPA exhibits promise in
      usefulness as a future viable outcome measure that can be used to assess
      functional abilities following a hand injury. CONCLUSION: The SPA is a valid and
      reliable tool for assessing bimanual and unilateral hand function in healthy
      subjects. LEVELS OF EVIDENCE: Diagnostic level II.

PMID- 28341325
TI  - Relevance of grasp types to assess functionality for personal autonomy.
AB  - STUDY DESIGN: Cross-sectional research design. INTRODUCTION: Current assessment
      of hand function is not focused on evaluating the real abilities required for
      autonomy. PURPOSE OF THE STUDY: To quantify the relevance of grasp types for
      autonomy to guide hand recovery and its assessment. METHODS: Representative tasks
      of the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health
      activities in which the hands are directly involved were recorded. The videos
      were analyzed to identify the grasps used with each hand, and their relevance for
      autonomy was determined by weighting time with the frequency of appearance of
      each activity in disability and dependency scales. Relevance is provided globally
      and distinguished by hand (right-left) and bimanual function. Significant
      differences in relevance are also checked. RESULTS: The most relevant grasps are
      pad-to-pad pinch (31.9%), lumbrical (15.4%), cylindrical (12%), and special pinch
      (7.3%) together with the nonprehensile (18.6%) use of the hand. Lumbrical grasp
      has higher relevance for the left hand (19.9% vs 12%) while cylindrical grasp for
      the right hand (15.3% vs 7.7%). Relevancies are also different depending on
      bimanual function. DISCUSSION: Different relative importance was obtained when
      considering dependency vs disability scales. Pad-to-pad pinch and nonprehensile
      grasp are the most relevant grasps for both hands, whereas lumbrical grasp is
      more relevant for the left hand and cylindrical grasp for the right one. The most
      significant difference in bimanual function refers to pad-to-pad pinch (more
      relevant for unimanual actions of the left hand and bimanual actions of the
      right). CONCLUSIONS: The relative importance of each grasp type for autonomy and
      the differences observed between hand and bimanual action should be used in
      medical and physical decision-making. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: N/A.

PMID- 28341326
TI  - A novel XRF method to measure environmental release of copper and zinc from
      antifouling paints.
AB  - The release of copper (Cu) and zinc (Zn) from vessels and leisure crafts coated
      with antifouling paints can pose a threat to water quality in semi-enclosed areas
      such as harbors and marinas as well as to coastal archipelagos. However, no
      reliable, practical and low-cost method exists to measure the direct release of
      metals from antifouling paints. Therefore, the paint industry and regulatory
      authorities are obliged to use release rate measurements derived from either
      mathematical models or from laboratory studies. To bridge this gap, we have
      developed a novel method using a handheld X-Ray Fluorescence spectrometer (XRF)
      to determine the cumulative release of Cu and Zn from antifouling paints. The
      results showed a strong linear relationship between XRF Kalpha net intensities
      and metal concentrations, as determined by ICP-MS. The release of Cu and Zn were
      determined for coated panels exposed in harbors located in the Baltic Sea and in
      Kattegat. The field study showed salinity to have a strong impact on the release
      of Cu, i.e. the release increased with salinity. Contrary, the effect of salinity
      on Zn was not as evident. As exemplified in this work, the XRF method also makes
      it possible to identify the governing parameters to the release of Cu and Zn,
      e.g. salinity and type of paint formulation. Thus, the XRF method can be used to
      measure environmentally relevant releases of metallic compounds to design more
      efficient and optimized antifouling coatings.

PMID- 28341327
TI  - Importance of the structure and nanoporosity of organic matter on the desorption
      kinetics of benzo[a]pyrene in sediments.
AB  - The desorption kinetics and mechanism were investigated using a Tenax extraction
      technique on different sediments spiked with radiocarbon-labeled benzo[a]pyrene
      (BaP). Five sedimentary fractions were sequentially fractionated, and the only
      nonhydrolyzable organic carbon fractions (NHC) were characterized using advanced
      solid-state 13C nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy (NMR), improved six end
      member model, and a CO2 gas adsorption technique. The sediments contained high
      percentages of algaenan and/or sporopollenin but low percentages of black carbon
      and lignin. A first-order, two-compartment kinetics model described the
      desorption process very well (R2 > 0.990). Although some of the organic carbon
      fractions were significantly related to the desorption kinetics parameters, the
      NHC fractions showed the highly significant correlation. Moreover, the
      nanoporosity or specific surface area (SSA) of the NHC fractions was highly
      related to their OC contents and aliphatic C (R2 = 0.960, p < 0.01). The multiple
      regression equations among the desorption kinetics parameters, structural
      parameters, and nanoporosity were well established (R2=>0.999). Nanoporosity and
      aromatic C were the dominant contributors. Furthermore, the enhanced percentages
      of desorbed BaP at elevated temperatures significantly showed a linear regression
      with the structure and nanoporosity. To our knowledge, the above evidence
      demonstrates for the first time that the transfer (or diffusion) of BaP in the
      nanopores of condensed aromatic components is the dominant mechanism of the
      desorption kinetics of BaP at organic matter particle scale.

PMID- 28341328
TI  - Assessment of bioavailability of selenium in different plant-soil systems by
      diffusive gradients in thin-films (DGT).
AB  - Uptake of selenium (Se) by plants largely depend on the availability of Se in
      soil. Soils and plants were sampled four times within 8 weeks of plant growth in
      pot experiments using four plant species. Sequential extraction and diffusive
      gradients in thin-films (DGT) method were employed to measure Se concentrations
      in potted soils in selenite- or selenate-amended soils. Results showed that DGT
      measured Se concentrations (CDGT-Se) were generally several folds higher for
      selenate than selenite amended soils, which were obviously affected by the plant
      species and the duration of their growth. For example, the folds in soil planted
      with mustard were 1.49-3.47 and those in soils planted with purple cabbage and
      broccoli, which grew for 3 and 4 weeks after sowing, were 1.06-2.14 and only 0.15
      0.62 after 6 weeks of growth. The selenate-amended soil planted with wheat showed
      an extremely high CDGT-Se compared with selenite-amended soil, except the last
      harvest. Furthermore, minimal changes in CDGT-Se and soluble Se(IV) were found in
      selenite-amended soils during plant growth, whereas significant changes were
      observed in selenate-amended soils (p < 0.05). Additionally, Se distribution in
      various fractions of soil remarkably changed; the soils planted with purple
      cabbage and broccoli showed the most obvious change followed by wheat and
      mustard. Soluble Se(VI) and exchangeable Se(VI) were likely the major sources of
      CDGT-Se in selenate-amended soils, and soluble Se(IV) was the possible source of
      CDGT-Se in selenite-amended soils. In selenate-amended soils, soluble Se(VI) and
      exchangeable Se(VI) were significantly correlated with Se concentrations in
      purple cabbage, broccoli, and mustard; in wheat, Se concentration was
      significantly correlated only with soluble Se(VI) but not with exchangeable Se.
      CDGT-Se eventually became positively correlated with Se concentrations
      accumulated by different plants, indicating that DGT is a feasible method in
      predicting plant uptake of selenate but not of selenite.

PMID- 28341329
TI  - Body mass index and insulin-like growth factor 1 as risk factors for discordant
      growth hormone and insulin-like growth factor 1 levels following pituitary
      surgery in acromegaly.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Growth hormone (GH)-secreting pituitary adenoma is a chronic disease
      characterized by excess levels of GH and insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1).
      Based on our clinical experience and observations, we identified discordant GH
      and IGF-1 levels after surgery. The risk factors for this phenomenon are unclear,
      and individualized cure, control criteria, and management after surgery should be
      considered. PURPOSE: This study aims to investigate the factors affecting the
      discordant GH and IGF-1 levels after pituitary surgery in acromegalic patients.
      METHODS: We retrospectively analyzed 146 patients diagnosed with acromegaly
      caused by GH-secreting pituitary adenoma who had undergone trans-sphenoidal
      adenectomy (TSA) at Peking Union Medical College Hospital in 2013. Medical
      histories were obtained for all patients. Hormone levels, biochemical
      measurements of liver and renal function, and tumor size were recorded before and
      3 months after surgery. RESULTS: Among the GH-cured patients who had normal GH
      levels after TSA, 39.2% (20 of 51) had elevated IGF-1. Acromegalic patients with
      elevated IGF-1 and normal GH levels after TSA had a significantly higher mean
      body mass index and percentage of upper limit of normal range IGF-1 than the
      cured patients (p < 0.05). A body mass index greater than >25.0 kg/m2 and a
      percentage of upper limit of normal range IGF-1 higher than 141.5 before TSA
      might predict the occurrence of hormone-level discordance after surgery.
      CONCLUSION: Body mass index and percentage of upper limit of normal range IGF-1
      before TSA might constitute prognostic risk factors for discordance in IGF-1 and
      GH levels in acromegaly. Additional attention should be devoted to potential risk
      factors for this phenomenon, and methods for modifying the cure and control
      criteria for acromegaly should be developed.

PMID- 28341331
TI  - How sonochemistry contributes to green chemistry?
AB  - Based on the analyses of papers from the literature, and especially those
      published in Ultrasonics Sonochemistry journal, the contribution of sonochemistry
      to green chemistry area has been discussed here. Important reminders and insights
      on the good practices and considerations have been made to understand and
      demonstrate how sonochemistry can continue to efficiently contribute to green
      chemistry area in the further studies.

PMID- 28341330
TI  - Community perspectives on the use of regulation and law for obesity prevention in
      children: A citizens' jury.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: Childhood obesity is a significant challenge for public health
      internationally. Regulatory and fiscal measures propagated by governments offer a
      potentially effective response to this issue. Fearing public criticism,
      governments are often reluctant to use such measures. In this study we asked a
      descriptively representative and informed group of Australians their views on the
      use of legislation and fiscal measures by governments to address childhood
      obesity. METHODS: A citizens' jury, held in South Australia in April 2015, was
      asked to consider the question: What laws, if any, should we have in Australia to
      address childhood obesity? RESULTS: The jury agreed that prevention of obesity
      was complex requiring multifaceted government intervention. Recommendations fell
      into the areas of health promotion and education (n=4), regulation of food
      marketing (n=3), taxation/subsidies (n=2) and a parliamentary enquiry. School
      based nutrition education and health promotion and mandatory front-of-pack
      interpretive labelling of food and drink were ranked 1 and 2 with taxation of
      high fat, high sugar food and drink third. CONCLUSION: The recommendations were
      similar to findings from other citizens' juries held in Australia suggesting that
      the reticence of decision makers in Australia, and potentially elsewhere, to use
      legislative and fiscal measures to address childhood obesity is misguided.
      Supporting relevant informed public discussion could facilitate a politically
      acceptable legislative approach.

PMID- 28341332
TI  - The viral innate immune antagonism and an alternative vaccine design for PRRS
      virus.
AB  - Porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome (PRRS) remains one of the most
      economically significant diseases in the swine industry worldwide. The current
      vaccines are less satisfactory to confer protections from heterologous infections
      and long-term persistence, and the need for better vaccines are urgent. The
      immunological hallmarks in PRRSV-infected pigs include the unusually poor
      production of type I interferons (IFNs-alpha/beta) and the aberrant and delayed
      adaptive immune responses, indicating that PRRSV has the ability to suppress both
      innate and adaptive immune responses in the host. Type I IFNs are the potent
      antiviral cytokines and recent studies reveal their pleiotropic functions in the
      priming of expansion and maturation of adaptive immunity. Thus, IFN antagonism
      negative PRRSV is hypothesized to be attenuated and to build effective and broad-
      spectrum innate and adaptive immune responses in pigs. Such vaccines are
      promising alternatives to traditional vaccines for PRRSV.

PMID- 28341333
TI  - Hinfinity control for a class of singular systems with state time-varying delay.
AB  - This paper is concerned with the Hinfinity control problem for a class of
      singular systems. The systems under consideration involve state time-varying
      delay. The aim of this paper is to design a dynamic feedback controller such that
      the resultant closed-loop system is regular, impulse-free and stable with given
      Hinfinity performance index. By using the Lyapunov-Krasovskii functional method,
      some delay-dependent sufficient criteria which guarantee the existence of the
      dynamic feedback controller and determine explicitly the parameters of the
      dynamic feedback controller are presented. Finally, some numerical examples are
      provided to show the effectiveness of the presented approaches.

PMID- 28341334
TI  - Hinfinity output-feedback fuzzy proportional-integral control of fully delayed
      input/output systems.
AB  - This paper presents the output-feedback fuzzy proportional-integral (PI)
      controller design for uncertain nonlinear systems with both fully delayed input
      and output. Based on the Takagi-Sugeno (T-S) fuzzy model representation, the
      output-feedback PI control is realized via parallel distributed PI compensation
      and novel LMI gain design. Although the T-S fuzzy PI controller is simple,
      asymptotic output regulation is assured to overcome the effect of uncertainty,
      state delay, and full input/output delays. When considering disturbance and
      measurement noise, the control performance is achieved by robust gain design.
      Furthermore, state observers and bilinear matrix inequality conditions are
      removed in this paper. Finally, time-delay Chua's circuit system and a continuous
      time stirred tank reactor are taken as applications to show the expected
      performance.

PMID- 28341335
TI  - Robust control of a spin-stabilized spacecraft via a 1DoF gimbaled-thruster and
      two reaction wheels.
AB  - In impulsive orbital maneuvers, thrust vector misalignment from the center of
      mass (C.M) results in a large disturbance torque. In this paper a thrusting
      maneuver system is proposed and studied which is based on the combination of a
      one degree of freedom (1DoF) gimbaled-thruster, two reaction wheels (RWs) and
      spin-stabilization. The main goals are disturbance rejection and thrust vector
      stabilization without using reaction control systems (RCS). The nonlinear two
      body dynamics of the proposed system is formulated. The controller design is
      formulated as a multi-objective optimization problem where the peak-value of the
      control input and Hinfinity performance are the cost functions. Based on the peak
      to-peak gain minimization, the accuracy of the linearized model can be
      guaranteed. The optimization results give many optimal controllers which are
      acceptable for a thrusting maneuver. The simulation results illustrate the
      applicability of the proposed method in presence of the sampling effects of the
      control inputs.

PMID- 28341336
TI  - Valproic acid malabsorption in 30 year-old female patient - Case study.
AB  - AIM: Valproic acid (VPA) is used in epilepsy treatment and as a stabilizer in
      bipolar affective disorder for over 40 years. Although, the pharmacokinetic
      properties of valproic acid are well known, it is often forgotten that the
      formulation of the drug significantly influences its gastrointestinal absorption.
      CASE: We are describing the case of 30 year-old female patient, diagnosed at the
      age of 13 with juvenile myoclonic epilepsy. Complete ineffectiveness of the
      treatment was caused by malabsorption of sodium valproate and valproic acid in
      the patient. The change of the drug formulation resulted in a several times
      higher bioavailability of the drug and a partial improvement of the patient's
      clinical condition. COMMENTARY: Low concentration of valproic acid after
      administration the slow-released tablets are usually observed. However, a low
      bioavailability beside the bad compliance should be considered when the minimal
      level is extremely low during therapy. It is known that form of the drug, beside
      presence of food and its components, as well as gastrointestinal tract condition
      or interactions with other drugs can influence the drug level. Modification of
      the formulation of the drug may lead to improvement of absorption and increase
      its effectiveness.

PMID- 28341338
TI  - Response to the Letter to the Editor regarding "Comparison of temporalis fascia
      muscle and full-thickness cartilage grafts in type 1 pediatric tympanoplasties"
      by Yegin et al. (Braz J Otorhinolaryngol. 2016;82:695-701).

PMID- 28341339
TI  - The Uterine-shaped Intrauterine Device.

PMID- 28341337
TI  - Anti-inflammatory effects of hyperbaric oxygen on irradiated laryngeal tissues.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: To manage the complications of irradiation of head and neck tissue
      is a challenging issue for the otolaryngologist. Definitive treatment of these
      complications is still controversial. Recently, hyperbaric oxygen therapy is
      promising option for these complications. OBJECTIVE: In this study, we used
      biochemical and histopathological methods to investigate the efficacy of
      hyperbaric oxygen against the inflammatory effects of radiotherapy in blood and
      laryngeal tissues when radiotherapy and hyperbaric oxygen are administered on the
      same day. METHODS: Thirty-two Wistar Albino rats were divided into four groups.
      The control group was given no treatment, the hyperbaric oxygen group was given
      only hyperbaric oxygen therapy, the radiotherapy group was given only
      radiotherapy, and the radiotherapy plus hyperbaric oxygen group was given both
      treatments on the same day. RESULTS: Histopathological and biochemical
      evaluations of specimens were performed. Serum tumor necrosis factor-alpha,
      interleukin-1beta, and tissue inflammation levels were significantly higher in
      the radiotherapy group than in the radiotherapy plus hyperbaric oxygen group,
      whereas interleukin-10 was higher in the radiotherapy plus hyperbaric oxygen
      group. CONCLUSION: When radiotherapy and hyperbaric oxygen are administered on
      the same day, inflammatory cytokines and tissue inflammation can be reduced in an
      early period of radiation injury.

PMID- 28341340
TI  - ?

PMID- 28341341
TI  - The High Prevalence of Vitamin D Insufficiency in Cord Blood in Calgary, Alberta
      (APrON-D Study).
AB  - OBJECTIVE: Vitamin D is important in promoting healthy pregnancy and fetal
      development. We undertook this study to measure 25-hydroxyvitamin D in maternal
      and cord blood and to identify maternal factors related to vitamin D status in
      Calgary. METHODS: Blood samples collected at the time of delivery from the
      Alberta Pregnancy Outcomes and Nutrition study cohort (ApronStudy.ca)
      participants were processed for plasma and assayed using liquid chromatography
      mass spectrometry methodology for 25(OH)D3. RESULTS: Ninety-two pairs of maternal
      and cord blood samples were obtained. The prevalence of 25(OH)D3 insufficiency
      25(OH)D3 <75 nmol/L-was 38% and 80% in women and neonates, respectively. Vitamin
      D supplementation was the only clinical factor associated with 25(OH)D3
      sufficiency, and the odds of sufficiency were 3.75 (95% CI 1.00 to 14.07) higher
      for women and 5.27 (95% CI 1.37 to 20.27) when over 2000 IU/day were used.
      CONCLUSION: Using liquid chromatography mass spectrometry, we demonstrated a very
      high prevalence of vitamin D insufficiency in cord blood and that the use of high
      dose vitamin D was associated with greater odds of sufficiency in pregnant women
      and cord blood in Alberta.

PMID- 28341342
TI  - A Parasitic Leiomyoma of the Small Bowel.

PMID- 28341343
TI  - Leiomyome parasitaire dans l'intestin grele.

PMID- 28341344
TI  - Propofol affinity to mitochondrial membranes does not alter mitochondrial
      function.
AB  - The molecular mechanisms of hepatotoxicity after propofol anaesthesia have not
      been fully elucidated, although there is a relation with mitochondrial
      dysfunction. The action of propofol on mitochondrial hepatic functions in a rat
      model was evaluated by infusion for 4h with 25 and 62.5mg/kg/h propofol or
      3.125ml/kg/h (vehicle). Liver mitochondrial respiratory rates were evaluated as
      well as mitochondrial transmembrane potential (DeltaPsi), calcium fluxes,
      mitochondrial enzymatic activities (Complex I-V) and oxidative stress biomarkers
      (superoxide dismutase, catalase, glutathione reductase, glutathione S
      transferase, lipid peroxidation and the oxidised/reduced glutathione ratio).
      Biophysical interactions with membrane models were also performed. The
      mitochondrial transmembrane potential was decreased and the opening time of the
      mitochondrial permeability transition pore was slightly reduced for the highest
      dose. The activity of complex II was stimulated by propofol, which also causes
      fluctuations on some respiratory parameters, whereas the antioxidant system was
      affected in a nonspecific manner. Fluorescence quenching studies suggested that
      propofol is preferably located in deeper regions of the bilayer and has a high
      affinity to mitochondrial membranes. It is suggested that propofol interacts with
      liver mitochondrial membranes with mild modification in mitochondrial function.

PMID- 28341345
TI  - The signaling signature of the neurotensin type 1 receptor with endogenous
      ligands.
AB  - The human neurotensin 1 receptor (hNTS1) is a G protein-coupled receptor involved
      in many physiological functions, including analgesia, hypothermia, and
      hypotension. To gain a better understanding of which signaling pathways or
      combination of pathways are linked to NTS1 activation and function, we
      investigated the ability of activated hNTS1, which was stably expressed by CHO-K1
      cells, to directly engage G proteins, activate second messenger cascades and
      recruit beta-arrestins. Using BRET-based biosensors, we found that neurotensin
      (NT), NT(8-13) and neuromedin N (NN) activated the Galphaq-, Galphai1-, GalphaoA
      , and Galpha13-protein signaling pathways as well as the recruitment of beta
      arrestins 1 and 2. Using pharmacological inhibitors, we further demonstrated that
      all three ligands stimulated the production of inositol phosphate and modulation
      of cAMP accumulation along with ERK1/2 activation. Interestingly, despite the
      functional coupling to Galphai1 and GalphaoA, NT was found to produce higher
      levels of cAMP in the presence of pertussis toxin, supporting that hNTS1
      activation leads to cAMP accumulation in a Galphas-dependent manner.
      Additionally, we demonstrated that the full activation of ERK1/2 required
      signaling through both a PTX-sensitive Gi/o-c-Src signaling pathway and PLCbeta
      DAG-PKC-Raf-1-dependent pathway downstream of Gq. Finally, the whole-cell
      integrated signatures monitored by the cell-based surface plasmon resonance and
      changes in the electrical impedance of a confluent cell monolayer led to
      identical phenotypic responses between the three ligands. The characterization of
      the hNTS1-mediated cellular signaling network will be helpful to accelerate the
      validation of potential NTS1 biased ligands with an improved therapeutic/adverse
      effect profile.

PMID- 28341346
TI  - Stimulation of MU-opioid receptors dilates retinal arterioles by neuronal nitric
      oxide synthase-derived nitric oxide in rats.
AB  - Opioids contribute to the regulation of cerebral vascular tone. The purpose of
      this study was to examine the effects of herkinorin, a non-opioid MU-opioid
      receptor agonist derived from salvinorin A, on blood vessels in the rat retina
      and to investigate the mechanism underlying the herkinorin-induced retinal
      vasodilatory response. Ocular fundus images were captured using an original high
      resolution digital fundus camera in vivo. The retinal vascular responses were
      evaluated by measuring the diameter of retinal arterioles in the fundus images.
      Both systemic blood pressure and heart rate were continuously recorded.
      Herkinorin increased the retinal arteriolar diameter without significantly
      changing mean blood pressure and heart rate. The retinal vasodilator response to
      herkinorin was almost completely prevented following treatment with naloxone, a
      nonselective opioid receptor antagonist and H-D-Phe-Cys-Tyr-D-Trp-Orn-Thr-Pen-Thr
      NH2 (CTOP), a selective MU-opioid receptor antagonist. Nomega-nitro-L-arginine
      methyl ester, a nonselective nitric oxide (NO) synthase inhibitor, or
      indomethacin, a cyclooxygenase inhibitor, significantly attenuated the herkinorin
      induced retinal vasodilator responses. In addition, Nomega-propyl-L-arginine, an
      inhibitor of neuronal NO synthase, diminished the herkinorin-induced retinal
      vasodilator responses. Seven days after an intravitreal injection of N-methyl-D
      aspartic acid, loss of inner retinal neurons and abolishment of the retinal
      vasodilator response to herkinorin were observed. These results suggest that
      herkinorin dilates rat retinal arterioles through stimulation of retinal MU
      opioid receptors. The MU-opioid receptor-mediated retinal vasodilator response is
      likely mediated by NO generated by neuronal NO synthase. Retinal neurons play an
      important role in the retinal vasodilator mechanism involving MU-opioid receptors
      in rats.

PMID- 28341347
TI  - Remote limb ischemic post conditioning during early reperfusion alleviates
      cerebral ischemic reperfusion injury via GSK-3beta/CREB/ BDNF pathway.
AB  - Remote limb ischemic post conditioning (RIPOC) has been reported to attenuate
      cerebral ischemic reperfusion (I/R) injury, while the molecular mechanisms remain
      elusive. Various studies have highlighted the involvement of glycogen synthase
      kinase (GSK-3beta) in cerebral I/R injury and cognitive disorders. Hence, the
      present study was designed to explore the role of GSK-3beta and its downstream
      regulators in RIPOC mediated neuroprotection against cerebral I/R injury and
      associated cognitive impairment. Male Wistar rats are randomly assigned into four
      groups: Sham, bilateral common carotid arteries occlusion (BCCAO), RIPOC and
      BCCAO+RIPOC. BCCAO was achieved by transient occlusion of bilateral common
      carotid arteries for 20min, followed by reperfusion. Non-invasive RIPOC was
      induced by 3 cycles each of 10min occlusion and reperfusion of both femoral
      arteries by using tourniquets, during early reperfusion phase. A battery of
      behavioral and cognitive tests were performed. Biochemical estimation of
      oxidative markers, anti-oxidants and pro-inflammatory markers were estimated.
      Levels of GSK-3beta, CREB and BDNF were estimated to confirm the molecular
      mechanism. Hippocampal structural abnormalities were confirmed by H and E
      staining. The neurobehavioral analysis revealed that neurological and cognitive
      deficits caused by BCCAO, were reduced by RIPOC intervention. Meanwhile, the
      results of biochemical tests suggested that RIPOC attenuates the BCCAO induced
      oxidative damage, neuroinflammation and hippocampal structural abnormalities.
      Further, RIPOC prevented the elevation of BCCAO induced GSK-3beta. RIPOC exerts
      neuroprotective effect against I/R injury, putatively by attenuating GSK-3beta
      expression and upregulating the levels of CREB and BDNF.

PMID- 28341348
TI  - The impact of oral Polypodium leucotomos extract on ultraviolet B response: A
      human clinical study.
AB  - BACKGROUND: There is a rationale for adding systemic photoprotective agents to
      the current photoprotection regimen. OBJECTIVE: This study was designed to
      objectively evaluate the molecular and photobiologic effects of oral
      administration of Polypodium leucotomos extract (PLE). METHODS: In all, 22
      subjects with Fitzpatrick skin phototype I to III were enrolled. On day 1,
      subjects were irradiated with visible light, ultraviolet (UV) A1, and UVB (using
      308-nm excimer laser). Evaluation was done immediately and 24 hours after
      irradiation. On days 3 and 4, irradiation and evaluation process was repeated
      after ingestion of PLE. RESULTS: Clinical assessments and colorimetry data showed
      a decrease in UVB-induced changes in 17 of 22 subjects post-PLE administration;
      histology findings demonstrated such a decrease in all 22 subjects. LIMITATIONS:
      Only 2 doses of PLE were given. Furthermore, subjects with skin phototypes I to
      III only were studied. CONCLUSION: The results suggest that PLE can potentially
      be used as an adjunctive agent to lessen the negative photobiologic effects of
      UVB.

PMID- 28341349
TI  - Implementing a standard internal telephone number 2222 for cardiac arrest calls
      in all hospitals in Europe.

PMID- 28341350
TI  - Deadly business, the usefulness of ETCO2.

PMID- 28341351
TI  - Should we still be teaching the recovery position?

PMID- 28341352
TI  - Volumetric analysis of the maxillary, sphenoid and frontal sinuses: A comparative
      computerized tomography based study.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: To study volume characteristics of the maxillary, sphenoid and frontal
      sinuses among healthy Caucasians adults, using computed tomography (CT) scans.
      METHODS: A retrospective, case series study in a single academic center, CT scans
      of 201 consecutive adult subjects, performed between January and September 2014,
      were reviewed for the volume and dimensions of the paranasal sinuses. Patients
      with documented sinus pathology or lack of pneumatization were excluded. The
      study population was subdivided by gender and age (50 men age 25-64; 51 men age
      >=65; 50 women age 25-64, and 50 women age >=65). RESULTS: The mean volume of
      maxillary, sphenoid and frontal sinuses in the four groups were 12.75+/-4.38 cc;
      4.00+/-1.99 cc and 2.92+/-2.57 cc, respectively. In both genders, older patients
      demonstrated a significantly lower volume of the maxillary and sphenoid sinuses
      (14.81+/-3.96 cc vs. 11.82+/-4.28 cc and 4.84+/-1.97 vs. 3.84+/-1.89 cc
      respectively; p<0.001). No age related difference was found in the frontal sinus.
      Males had significantly larger sinus volumes than females (p<0.001): maxillary
      14.38+/-(4.64) vs. 12.23+/-(3.82) cc, sphenoid 4.74+/-(2.06) vs. 3.55+/-(1.73)
      cc, frontal 3.74+/-(2.97) vs. 3.21+/-(2.79) cc. No synergistic effect of age and
      gender was found. CONCLUSION: Volumes of the paranasal sinuses correlates with
      age and gender. Age related volume degeneration is expected in the maxillary and
      sphenoid sinuses. This volume reduction may influence future surgical and
      therapeutic approaches in the geriatric population.

PMID- 28341353
TI  - The NCK and ABI adaptor genes in catfish and their involvement in ESC disease
      response.
AB  - Adaptor proteins non-catalytic region of tyrosine kinase (NCK) and Abelson
      interactor (ABI) are crucial for disease response. NCK1 was identified to be a
      candidate gene for enteric septicemia of catfish (ESC) disease resistance, and
      was speculated to play similar roles during ESC and enteropathogenic Escherichia
      coli (EPEC) pathogenicity. ABI1 was reported as a positional candidate gene for
      bacterial cold water disease (BCWD) resistance in rainbow trout. In this study,
      three NCK genes and six ABI genes were identified in the channel catfish
      (Ictalurus punctatus) genome and blue catfish (I. furcatus) transcriptome, and
      annotated by domain structures, phylogenetic and syntenic analyses. Their
      expression patterns were examined in the intestine and liver of catfish after
      challenge with Edwardsiella ictaluri. In the intestine, NCK1, ABI2a, ABI2b, ABI3a
      were differentially expressed after E. ictaluri infection. In the liver, NCK2a,
      NCK2b, ABI1b, ABI2a, ABI2b were significantly upregulated in ESC susceptible
      fish. In general, the NCK and ABI genes, with exception of ABI3a gene and NCK1
      gene, were expressed at higher levels in susceptible fish after infection than in
      control fish, but were expressed at lower levels in resistant fish than in the
      control fish. Taken together, these results support the notion that NCK and ABI
      genes are involved in disease processes facilitating pathogenesis of the E.
      ictaluri bacteria.

PMID- 28341354
TI  - Comparison of Propensity Score-Matched Analysis of Acute Kidney Injury After
      Percutaneous Coronary Intervention With Transradial Versus Transfemoral
      Approaches.
AB  - Transradial percutaneous coronary intervention (TR-PCI) may be associated with
      reduced rates of acute kidney injury (AKI). There is limited data from real-world
      registries about AKI rates stratified by PCI access. Our aim was to evaluate AKI
      rates and correlates in TR-PCI versus transfemoral PCI (TF-PCI) in a propensity
      score-matched analysis of patient data from a large, single-center registry. We
      performed a 1:1 propensity score-matched analysis on consecutive patients who
      underwent PCI from January 2011 to June 2016, excluding those on dialysis. A
      multivariate logistic regression model was adjusted to variables found to be
      significant in univariate models. AKI was defined by creatinine increase of >=0.3
      mg/dL post-PCI during hospitalization. During the study period, 6,743 patients
      underwent PCI (TR-PCI n = 1,119). Initial univariate models revealed significant
      differences between patients with TF-PCI and TR-PCI. Contrast amount and
      procedure duration were both increased with TR-PCI versus TF-PCI (162 vs 154 ml,
      p = 0.003; and 86 vs 79 minutes, p <0.001, respectively). Multivariate propensity
      score analysis matched 536 pairs of patients. In this matched cohort, TR-PCI was
      associated with a reduced risk for AKI compared with TF-PCI in univariate (4.3%
      vs 10.4%, p <0.001) and multivariate adjusted models (odds ratio 0.28, 95%
      confidence interval 0.19 to 0.59, p <0.001).

PMID- 28341355
TI  - Comparison of Clinical and Electrocardiographic Predictors of Ischemic and
      Nonischemic Cardiomyopathy During the Initial Evaluation of Patients With Reduced
      (<=40%) Left Ventricular Ejection Fraction.
AB  - Invasive coronary angiography is routinely performed during the initial
      evaluation of patients with suspected cardiomyopathy with reduced left
      ventricular function. Clinical and electrocardiographic (ECG) data may accurately
      predict ischemic cardiomyopathy (IC). Medical records of adults referred for
      coronary angiography for evaluation of left ventricular ejection fraction <=40%
      from 2010 to 2014 were retrospectively reviewed. Patients with myocardial
      infarction (MI), previous coronary revascularization, cardiac surgery, or left
      sided valvular disease were excluded. IC was defined as >=70% diameter stenosis
      of the left main, proximal left anterior descending, or involvement of >=2
      epicardial coronary arteries. A risk model was developed from logistic regression
      coefficients, with a dichotomous cut-point based on the maximal Youden's index
      from the receiver-operating characteristic curve. A total of 273 patients met
      study inclusion criteria. Mean age was 56.8 +/- 11.6 and 68.1% were men. IC was
      identified in 41 patients (15%). Patients with IC were more likely to have ECG
      evidence of Q-wave MI (34% vs 13%, p <0.001) and less likely to have left bundle
      branch block (2% vs 15%, p = 0.03) than non-IC. A model including age,
      hypertension, diabetes mellitus, tobacco use, ECG evidence of ST or T-wave
      abnormalities concerning for ischemia, and previous Q-wave MI, yielded a 95%
      negative predictive value for IC. In conclusion, at an urban referral hospital,
      the prevalence of IC was low. Left bundle branch block on electrocardiography was
      rarely associated with IC. A risk score incorporating clinical and ECG
      abnormalities identified patients at a low likelihood for IC.

PMID- 28341356
TI  - Mortality Risk Stratification in Fontan Patients Who Underwent Heart
      Transplantation.
AB  - The number of patients who require orthotopic heart transplantation (OHT) for
      failing Fontan physiology continues to grow; however, the methods and tools to
      evaluate risk of OHT are limited. This study aimed to identify a set of
      preoperative variables and characteristics that were associated with a greater
      risk of postoperative mortality in patients who received OHT for failing Fontan
      physiology. Thirty-six Fontan patients were identified as having undergone OHT at
      University of California-Los Angeles Medical Center from 1991 to 2014. Data were
      collected retrospectively and analyzed. The primary end point was designated as
      postoperative mortality. After an average follow-up time of 3.5 years, 17 (44%)
      patients suffered postoperative mortality. Patient characteristics including (1)
      age <18 years at the time of OHT, (2) Fontan-OHT interval of <10 years, (3)
      systemic ventricular ejection fraction <20%, (4) moderate-to-severe
      atrioventricular valve insufficiency, (5) an elevated Model of End-stage Liver
      Disease, eXcluding INR score, or (6) need for advanced mechanical support before
      surgery were associated with an increased incidence of postoperative mortality.
      Using these risk factors, we present a theoretical framework to stratify risk of
      postoperative death in failing Fontan patients after OHT. In conclusion, a method
      such as this may aid in the transplantation evaluation and listing process of
      patients with failing Fontan physiology.

PMID- 28341357
TI  - Prognostic Significance of Early Rehospitalization After Takotsubo
      Cardiomyopathy.
AB  - Short-term complications, particularly rehospitalization, after a diagnosis of
      takotsubo cardiomyopathy (TTC) are poorly described. We sought to characterize
      the rates, causes, clinical associations, and prognostic implications of early
      rehospitalization in this patient population. We performed a retrospective
      observational study of all adult subjects diagnosed with TTC at an academic
      tertiary care hospital from 2005 to 2015. The primary outcome was
      rehospitalization within 30 days of index discharge. Multivariable logistic
      regression was used to test for association between clinical variables and
      rehospitalization. Association between rehospitalization and survival after index
      discharge was assessed as a secondary outcome using a multivariable Cox
      proportional hazard model. Two hundred sixty-three subjects met the inclusion
      criteria for the study. There were 38 rehospitalizations among 32 subjects (12%).
      Ninety-five percent of rehospitalizations were due to nonheart failure causes,
      and 76% were related to noncardiovascular complaints. In multivariable analysis,
      recent hospitalization before TTC diagnosis and increased length of index
      hospitalization were associated with greater risk of rehospitalization (odds
      ratio 4.58, 95% CI 1.97 to 10.65, p <0.001 and odds ratio 1.05, 95% CI 1.01 to
      1.10, p = 0.026, respectively). Early rehospitalization after TTC was associated
      with decreased survival (hazard ratio 3.17, 95% CI 1.53 to 6.56, p = 0.002).

PMID- 28341358
TI  - Meta-Analysis of the Optimal Percutaneous Revascularization Strategy in Patients
      With Acute Myocardial Infarction, Cardiogenic Shock, and Multivessel Coronary
      Artery Disease.
AB  - The optimal percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) revascularization strategy
      in patients with multivessel (MV) coronary artery disease (CAD) who present with
      acute myocardial infarction (AMI) complicated by cardiogenic shock (CS) has not
      been systematically addressed. Accordingly, we performed a study-level meta
      analysis comparing 2 PCI strategies in these patients-infarct-related artery
      (IRA) only versus MV revascularization. Studies including patients with AMI and
      MV CAD complicated with CS who received primary PCI were searched from 2000 to
      2016. The primary end points were in-hospital/30-day and mid- to long-term (>=6
      month) mortality. Fixed and random effects models were used for analysis. Ten
      studies (9 prospective and 1 retrospective) involving 6,068 patients met our
      inclusion criteria. IRA-only PCI was the most frequently used revascularization
      strategy (4,872 patients, 80%), while MV PCI was performed in 1,196 patients
      (20%). The MV PCI strategy was associated with higher short-term mortality
      compared with the IRA-only PCI strategy (odds ratio 1.41, 95% confidence interval
      1.15 to 1.71, p = 0.008). There was no difference in mid- to long-term mortality
      between MV PCI and IRA-only strategies (odds ratio 1.02, 95% confidence interval
      0.65 to 1.58, p = 0.94). In conclusion, in patients with AMI and MV CAD
      complicated by CS, the IRA-only PCI strategy seems to be associated with lower
      short-term, but not mid- to long-term mortality compared with MV PCI. This
      finding is different from the revascularization strategy recommended by current
      professional guidelines and suggests the need for dedicated randomized clinical
      trials.

PMID- 28341359
TI  - Prognostic Value of the Clinical SYNTAX Score on 2-Year Outcomes in Patients With
      Acute Coronary Syndrome Who Underwent Percutaneous Coronary Intervention.
AB  - This prospective, single-center, observational study evaluated prognostic value
      of clinical SYNTAX score (CSS) on 2-year outcomes in patients with acute coronary
      syndrome (ACS) who underwent percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). The SYNTAX
      score (SS) is a scoring system based on the complexity and severity of coronary
      lesions and is thought to be a prognostic tool to predict long-term outcomes.
      However, SS was a sole angiographic grading tool only with no consideration for
      clinical factors. There are few studies investigating the prognostic value of CSS
      in patients with ACS who underwent PCI. From January 2013 to December 2013, 6,099
      consecutive patients with ACS admitted to FuWai hospital and underwent PCI were
      enrolled in this study. Based on CSS, patients were divided into low CSS group
      (CSS <= 6.5; 2,012 patients), mid-CSS group (6.5 < CSS < 13.8; 2,056 patients),
      and high CSS group (CSS >= 13.8; 2,031 patients). At 2-year follow-up, rates of
      cardiac death and major adverse cardiac events (MACE) were significantly higher
      in the high CSS group. Compared with baseline SS, CSS demonstrated significantly
      improved performance for 2-year cardiac death (receiver-operating characteristic
      curve C-statistic: 0.74 vs 0.62, p <0.001) but not for MACE (receiver-operating
      characteristic curve C-statistic: 0.60 vs 0.59, p = 0.29). By multivariable
      analysis, the CSS combined with PCI history and hypertension were strong
      predictors for cardiac death and CSS, intra-aortic balloon pump support,
      diabetes, and successful PCI were independent predictors for MACE. In conclusion,
      compared with the anatomic SS, CSS was suitable in risk stratifying and
      predicting 2-year clinical outcome among ACS population.

PMID- 28341360
TI  - Use of Antiarrhythmic Medications in Medicare Part D Patients With an Implantable
      Cardioverter-Defibrillator and Ventricular Tachycardia.
AB  - Ventricular tachycardia (VT) is common in cardiomyopathy patients with an
      implantable cardioverter-defibrillator. This analysis evaluated antiarrhythmic
      medication use and change in use over time in patients with VT and structural
      heart disease. Query of Medicare claims identified patients with an implantable
      cardioverter-defibrillator and VT. Patients with atrial fibrillation or
      supraventricular tachycardia were excluded. Two cohorts were created of patients
      enrolled in Medicare Part D for the 12 months before 2007 and 2012. Patients were
      identified through a search for antiarrhythmic medication fills with a supply
      covering January 1 of the cohort year. Adjusted logistic regression modeling
      evaluated the association between patient characteristics and antiarrhythmic
      medication use. The 2007 (n = 2,334) and 2012 (n = 3,892) Medicare Part D cohorts
      had similar demographics: median age 76 years, 64%-67% male, and 87%-89% white.
      Of the 2007 cohort, 1,380 (59%) patients were on a beta blocker, and 484 (20.7%)
      were on an antiarrhythmic medication (70% amiodarone and 20% sotalol). Between
      2007 and 2012, there was a statistically significant higher use of any
      antiarrhythmic medication (p = 0.014), beta blockers (p <0.0001), mexiletine (p =
      0.005), and ranolazine (p <0.0001), while amiodarone use remained unchanged (p =
      0.53). After multivariable adjustment, male gender and renal disease were
      associated with higher antiarrhythmic medication use. In conclusion, although
      antiarrhythmic medication and beta blocker use in patients with VT increased over
      time, <1 in 4 patients were on an antiarrhythmic medication and only 65% of the
      patients were on a beta blocker.

PMID- 28341361
TI  - Frequency of Left Ventricular End-Diastolic Volume-Mediated Declines in Ejection
      Fraction in Patients Receiving Potentially Cardiotoxic Cancer Treatment.
AB  - We sought to determine the frequency by which decreases in left ventricular (LV)
      end-diastolic volume (LVEDV) with and without increases in end-systolic volume
      (LVESV) influenced early cancer treatment-associated declines in LV ejection
      fraction (LVEF) or LV mass. One hundred twelve consecutively recruited subjects
      (aged 52 +/- 14 years) with cancer underwent blinded cardiovascular magnetic
      resonance measurements of LV volumes, mass, and LVEF before and 3 months after
      initiating potentially cardiotoxic chemotherapy (72% of participants received
      anthracyclines). Twenty-six participants developed important declines in LVEF of
      >10% or to values <50% at 3 months, in whom 19% versus 60%, respectively,
      experienced their decline in LVEF due to isolated declines in LVEDV versus an
      increase in LVESV; participants who dropped their LVEF due to decreases in LVEDV
      lost more LV mass than those who dropped their LVEF due to an increase in LVESV
      (p = 0.03). Nearly one fifth of subjects experience marked LVEF declines due to
      an isolated decline in LVEDV after initiating potentially cardiotoxic
      chemotherapy. Because reductions in intravascular volume (which could be treated
      by volume repletion) may account for LVEDV-related declines in LVEF, these data
      indicate that LV volumes should be reviewed along with LVEF when acquiring
      imaging studies for cardiotoxicity during the treatment for cancer.

PMID- 28341362
TI  - Sinus Bradycardia in Habitual Cocaine Users.
AB  - Common physiological manifestations of cocaine are related to its adrenergic
      effects, due to inhibition of dopamine and norepinephrine uptake at the
      postsynaptic terminal. Few studies have documented bradycardia secondary to
      cocaine use, representing the antithesis of its adrenergic effects. We assessed
      the prevalence of sinus bradycardia (SB) in habitual cocaine users and postulated
      a mechanism for this effect. One hundred sixty-two patients with a history of
      cocaine use were analyzed and compared with age- and gender-matched controls. SB
      was defined as a rate of <60 beats/min and habitual cocaine use as 2 or more
      documented uses >30 days apart. Propensity score-matching analysis was applied to
      balance covariates between cocaine users and nonusers and reduce selection bias.
      Patients with a history of bradycardia, hypothyroidism, or concomitant beta
      blocker use were excluded. Mean age of study patients was 44 +/- 8 years. SB was
      observed in 43 of 162 (27%) cocaine users and in 9 of 149 (6%) nonusers (p =
      0.0001). Propensity score-matching analysis matched 218 patients from both
      groups. Among matched patients SB was observed in 25 of 109 (23%) cocaine users
      and in 5 of 109 (5%) nonusers (p = 0.0001). Habitual cocaine use was an
      independent predictor of SB and associated with a sevenfold increase in the risk
      of SB (95% CI 2.52 to 19.74, p = 0.0002). In conclusion, habitual cocaine use is
      a strong predictor of SB and was unrelated to recency of use. A potential
      mechanism for SB may be related to cocaine-induced desensitization of the beta
      adrenergic receptor secondary to continuous exposure. Symptomatic SB was not
      observed; thus, pacemaker therapy was not indicated.

PMID- 28341364
TI  - Decreased access to bariatric care: an analysis of referral practices to
      bariatric specialists.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Substantial evidence reveals tolerability and co-morbid disease
      resolution after bariatric surgery; however, few physicians refer morbidly obese
      patients for bariatric consultation. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate morbidly obese
      patient access to bariatric surgical consultation. SETTING: A multidisciplinary,
      private, bariatric center of excellence. METHODS: Patient surveyed in person
      regarding preconsultation co-morbidities, physician discussion and support for
      bariatric surgery, and physician referral practices. RESULTS: The patients' (n =
      388) co-morbid profile was 27.0% diabetes, 54.1% hypertension, 30.1%
      hyperlipidemia, and 37.1% obstructive sleep apnea. It was reported that 71.1% of
      patients stated that their primary care physician did not initiate a discussion
      about bariatric surgery. Among this group, 59.7% of patients initiated a
      conversation about bariatric surgery, with 80.6% of physicians supporting the
      decision and 18.4% referring to a bariatric practice. Overall referring specialty
      profile was 14.4% primary care, 4.4% cardiology, and 3.6% endocrinology. Diabetes
      and obstructive sleep apnea were more likely to prompt a referral (P = .008 and P
      = .014, respectively). CONCLUSION: Most primary care and subspecialists do not
      discuss bariatric surgical options, resulting in decreased access to bariatric
      care. The main barrier to referral is noncommunication by the primary care
      physician or subspecialist, despite the vast majority of physicians having
      positive attitudes about bariatric surgery. Co-morbidities of diabetes and
      obstructive sleep apnea are more likely to prompt a referral. Primary care
      physicians are most likely to refer, while endocrinologists are least likely.
      Improved familiarity with nationally recognized obesity management algorithms
      could contribute to improved referral rates.

PMID- 28341365
TI  - Sham surgical procedures for pain intervention result in significant improvements
      in pain: systematic-review and meta-analysis: Metaepidemiologic research requires
      reporting requirements.

PMID- 28341366
TI  - Transforming intraclass correlation coefficients with the Spearman-Brown formula.
AB  - OBJECTIVES: De Vet, Mokkink, Mosmuller, and Terwee (2017) discovered that the
      Spearman-Brown formula (SB formula) can be used to transform certain intraclass
      correlation coefficients (ICCs) for single measurements into the corresponding
      ICCs for average measurements, without knowledge of the variance components.
      RESULTS: A formal proof of the discovery by De Vet et al. is presented. It is
      also proved that, vice versa, the SB formula can be used to transform certain
      ICCs for average measurements into the corresponding ICCs for single
      measurements. Furthermore, it is specified to which type of ICC the
      transformations can be applied. Finally, several illustrations of the
      transformations are presented. CONCLUSION: The discovery by De Vet et al. is
      quite remarkable because ICCs and the SB formula come from quite different
      scientific disciplines.

PMID- 28341367
TI  - Embedding researchers in health service organizations improves research
      translation and health service performance: the Australian Hunter New England
      Population Health example.

PMID- 28341368
TI  - Acute necrotizing pancreatitis after transarterial chemoembolization in
      candidates for a liver transplant.

PMID- 28341369
TI  - Muscular and heart adaptations of execise in hypoxia. Is training in slow hypoxy
      healthy?

PMID- 28341363
TI  - A gene regulatory program controlling early Xenopus mesendoderm formation:
      Network conservation and motifs.
AB  - Germ layer formation is among the earliest differentiation events in metazoan
      embryos. In triploblasts, three germ layers are formed, among which the endoderm
      gives rise to the epithelial lining of the gut tube and associated organs
      including the liver, pancreas and lungs. In frogs (Xenopus), where early germ
      layer formation has been studied extensively, the process of endoderm
      specification involves the interplay of dozens of transcription factors. Here, we
      review the interactions between these factors, summarized in a transcriptional
      gene regulatory network (GRN). We highlight regulatory connections conserved
      between frog, fish, mouse, and human endodermal lineages. Especially prominent is
      the conserved role and regulatory targets of the Nodal signaling pathway and the
      T-box transcription factors, Vegt and Eomes. Additionally, we highlight network
      topologies and motifs, and speculate on their possible roles in development.

PMID- 28341370
TI  - Management of smoldering myeloma: Recommendations of the Spanish Myeloma Group.

PMID- 28341371
TI  - Erratum to "Prognostic value of interleukin 6 for death of patients with sepsis"
      [Med Clin (Barc). 147 (7) (2016) 281-286].

PMID- 28341372
TI  - Evaluation of remote dielectric sensing (ReDS) technology-guided therapy for
      decreasing heart failure re-hospitalizations.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: We tested whether remote dielectric sensing (ReDS)-directed fluid
      management reduces readmissions in patients recently hospitalized for heart
      failure (HF). BACKGROUND: Pulmonary congestion is the most common cause of
      worsening HF leading to hospitalization. Accurate remote monitoring of lung fluid
      volume may guide optimal treatment and prevent re-hospitalization. ReDS
      technology is a quantitative non-invasive method for measuring absolute lung
      fluid volume. METHODS: Patients hospitalized for acute decompensated HF were
      enrolled during their index admission and followed at home for 90days post
      discharge. Daily ReDS readings were obtained using a wearable vest, and were used
      as a guide to optimizing HF therapy, with a goal of maintaining normal lung fluid
      content. Comparisons of the number of HF hospitalizations during ReDS-guided HF
      therapy were made, both to the 90days prior to enrollment and to the 90days
      following discontinuation of ReDS monitoring. RESULTS: Fifty patients were
      enrolled, discharged, and followed at home for 76.9+/-26.2days. Patients were
      73.8+/-10.3years old, 40% had LVEF above 40%, and 38% were women. Compared to the
      pre- and post-ReDS periods, there were 87% and 79% reductions in the rate of HF
      hospitalizations, respectively, during ReDS-guided HF therapy. The hazard ratio
      between the ReDS and the pre-ReDS period was 0.07 (95% CI [0.01-0.54] p=0.01),
      and between the ReDS and the post-ReDS period was 0.11 (95% CI [0.014-0.88]
      p=0.037). CONCLUSIONS: These findings suggest that ReDS-guided management has the
      potential to reduce HF readmissions in acute decompensated HF patients recently
      discharged from the hospital.

PMID- 28341373
TI  - Drugs to prevent sudden cardiac death.
AB  - Sudden cardiac death (SCD) remains a major public health burden despite enormous
      advances in post-resuscitation care, management of structural heart diseases, and
      antiarrhythmic treatment modalities. Primary and secondary prevention of sudden
      cardiac death require understanding of the underlying substrate causing
      ventricular arrhythmias and its modification by pharmacological (i.e. heart
      failure therapy) or interventional (catheter ablation) methods. Antiarrhythmic
      drug therapy has experienced ups and downs during the last 30years balancing high
      antiarrhythmic potential, toxic side effects and pro-arrhythmic potency.
      Therefore, the implantable cardioverter-defibrillator (ICD) remains irreplaceable
      in primary and secondary prevention of SCD. Hybrid therapy combing antiarrhythmic
      drugs (predominantly amiodarone) with ICD therapy represents an often-used
      treatment option. This short review provides an overview of current
      pharmacological therapy aiming to prevent SCD.

PMID- 28341374
TI  - Cardiorenal disease connection during post-menopause: The protective role of
      estrogen in uremic toxins induced microvascular dysfunction.
AB  - Female gender, post-menopause, chronic kidney disease (CKD) and (CKD linked)
      microvascular disease are important risk factors for developing heart failure
      with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF). Enhancing our understanding of the
      interrelation between these risk factors could greatly benefit the identification
      of new drug targets for future therapy. This review discusses the evidence for
      the protective role of estradiol (E2) in CKD-associated microvascular disease and
      related HFpEF. Elevated circulating levels of uremic toxins (UTs) during CKD may
      act in synergy with hormonal changes during post-menopause and could lead to
      coronary microvascular endothelial dysfunction in HFpEF. To elucidate the
      molecular mechanism involved, published transcriptome datasets of indoxyl sulfate
      (IS), high inorganic phosphate (HP) or E2 treated human derived endothelial cells
      from the NCBI Gene Expression Omnibus database were analyzed. In total, 36 genes
      overlapped in both IS- and HP-activated gene sets, 188 genes were increased by
      UTs (HP and/or IS) and decreased by E2, and 572 genes were decreased by UTs and
      increased by E2. Based on a comprehensive in silico analysis and literature
      studies of collected gene sets, we conclude that CKD-accumulated UTs could
      negatively impact renal and cardiac endothelial homeostasis by triggering
      extensive inflammatory responses and initiating dysregulation of angiogenesis. E2
      may protect (myo)endothelium by inhibiting UTs-induced inflammation and
      ameliorating UTs-related uremic bleeding and thrombotic diathesis via restored
      coagulation capacity and hemostasis in injured vessels.

PMID- 28341375
TI  - Risk factors for mortality in patients undergoing hemodialysis: A systematic
      review and meta-analysis.
AB  - BACKGROUND: No consensus exists regarding the factors influencing mortality in
      patients undergoing hemodialysis (HD). This meta-analysis aimed to evaluate the
      impact of various patient characteristics on the risk of mortality in such
      patients. METHODS: PubMed, Embase, and Cochrane Central were searched for studies
      evaluating the risk factors for mortality in patients undergoing HD. The factors
      included age, gender, diabetes mellitus (DM), body mass index (BMI), previous
      cardiovascular disease (CVD), HD duration, hemoglobin, albumin, white blood cell,
      C-reactive protein (CRP), parathyroid hormone, total iron binding capacity
      (TIBC), iron, ln ferritin, adiponectin, apolipoprotein A1 (ApoA1), ApoA2, ApoA3,
      high-density lipoprotein (HDL), total cholesterol, hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c), serum
      phosphate, troponin T (TnT), and B-type natriuretic peptide (BNP). Relative risks
      with 95% confidence intervals were derived. Data were synthesized using the
      random-effects model. RESULTS: Age (per 1-year increment), DM, previous CVD, CRP
      (higher versus lower), ln ferritin, adiponectin (per 10.0MUg/mL increment), HbA1c
      (higher versus lower), TnT, and BNP were associated with an increased risk of all
      cause mortality. BMI (per 1kg/m2 increment), hemoglobin (per 1d/dL increment),
      albumin (higher versus lower), TIBC, iron, ApoA2, and ApoA3 were associated with
      reduced risk of all-cause mortality. Age (per 1-year increment), gender (women
      versus men), DM, previous CVD, HD duration, ln ferritin, HDL, and HbA1c (higher
      versus lower) significantly increased the risk of cardiac death. Albumin (higher
      versus lower), TIBC, and ApoA2 had a beneficial impact on the risk of cardiac
      death. CONCLUSIONS: Multiple markers and factors influence the risk of mortality
      and cardiac death in patients undergoing HD.

PMID- 28341376
TI  - Decreased frequency and duration of tooth brushing is a risk factor for
      endothelial dysfunction.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Periodontal disease is associated with endothelial dysfunction,
      leading to cardiovascular disease. The effect of detailed tooth brushing
      behavior, not only frequency but also duration of tooth brushing, on endothelial
      function is unclear. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the relationships
      of detailed methods of tooth brushing with vascular function. METHODS: We
      evaluated flow-mediated vasodilation (FMD), nitroglycerine-induced vasodilation,
      and frequency and duration of tooth brushing in 896 subjects. We divided the
      subjects into three groups according to the frequency and duration of tooth
      brushing: low frequency and short duration group (<twice/day and
      <2min/procedure), low frequency or short duration group (<twice/day or
      <2min/procedure), non-low frequency and non-short duration group (>=twice/day and
      >=2min/procedure). RESULTS: FMD in the low frequency and short duration group was
      significantly lower than FMD in the low frequency or short duration group and FMD
      in the non-low frequency and non-short duration group [3.1 (2.7)% vs. 4.2 (3.1)%
      and 4.7 (3.1)%, P=0.001 and <0.001, respectively]. Nitroglycerine-induced
      vasodilation was similar in the three groups. Using the non-low frequency and non
      short duration group as the reference, the low frequency and short duration of
      tooth brushing group was significantly associated with an increased odds ratio of
      a low FMD tertile after adjustment for conventional risk factors (OR: 2.25, 95%
      CI: 1.39-3.59; P<0.001). CONCLUSIONS: These findings suggest that low frequency
      and short duration of tooth brushing are associated with endothelial dysfunction.
      CLINICAL TRIAL REGISTRATION INFORMATION: URL for clinical trial: http://UMIN;
      registration number for clinical trial: UMIN000003409.

PMID- 28341377
TI  - LRP5: From bedside to bench to bone.
AB  - A role for low-density lipoprotein-related receptor 5 (LRP5) in human bone was
      first established by the identification of genetic alterations that led to
      dramatic changes in bone mass. Shortly thereafter, mutations that altered the
      function of the sclerostin (SOST) gene were also associated with altered human
      bone mass. Subsequent studies of LRP5 and sclerostin have provided important
      insights into the mechanisms by which these proteins regulate skeletal
      homeostasis. Sclerostin normally binds to LRP5 and the related LRP6 protein and
      prevents their activation by Wnts, the LRP5/LRP6 ligands. The interaction of
      sclerostin with LRP5 or LRP6 is facilitated by the LRP4 protein. Loss of LRP5
      leads to defective osteoblast function and low bone mass, while loss of SOST or
      mutations in LRP5, which produce a protein that can no longer be bound by SOST,
      result in high bone mass. Insights gained from the use of genetically engineered
      mouse models are presented, as well as a brief summary of the status of
      antibodies in clinical trials that block the function of SOST as a mechanism to
      increase bone mass.

PMID- 28341378
TI  - Pilot scale intensification of rubber seed (Hevea brasiliensis) oil via chemical
      interesterification using hydrodynamic cavitation technology.
AB  - Chemical interesterification of rubber seed oil has been investigated for four
      different designed orifice devices in a pilot scale hydrodynamic cavitation (HC)
      system. Upstream pressure within 1-3.5bar induced cavities to intensify the
      process. An optimal orifice plate geometry was considered as plate with 1mm dia
      hole having 21 holes at 3bar inlet pressure. The optimisation results of
      interesterification were revealed by response surface methodology; methyl acetate
      to oil molar ratio of 14:1, catalyst amount of 0.75wt.% and reaction time of
      20min at 50 degrees C. HC is compared to mechanical stirring (MS) at optimised
      values. The reaction rate constant and the frequency factor of HC were 3.4-fold
      shorter and 3.2-fold higher than MS. The interesterified product was
      characterised by following EN 14214 and ASTM D 6751 international standards.

PMID- 28341379
TI  - The rapid adsorption-microbial reduction of perchlorate from aqueous solution by
      novel amine-crosslinked magnetic biopolymer resin.
AB  - The aim of this work was to study the adsorption characters of resin, microbial
      reduction of perchlorate and combined process of perchlorate removal in aqueous
      solution. Study demonstrated the adsorption equilibrium was achieved in 120min,
      which based on ion exchange reaction. Dissolved perchlorate (100mg/L) can be
      completely removed by acclimated anaerobic sludge in 15h, and the concentrated
      perchlorate (~200mg/g) on the surface of resin would be effectively microbial
      reduced after 3days. Neutral environment (pH=7.4), higher biomass and additional
      electron donor can apparently improve the biological reduction efficiency of
      concentrated perchlorate. Addition of many co-anions showed the competition
      adsorption towards perchlorate, especially in the presence of NO3-. This study
      provides an effective method for perchlorate reduction by the adsorption
      microbial process.

PMID- 28341380
TI  - Low energy single-staged anaerobic fluidized bed ceramic membrane bioreactor
      (AFCMBR) for wastewater treatment.
AB  - An aluminum dioxide (Al2O3) ceramic membrane was used in a single-stage anaerobic
      fluidized bed ceramic membrane bioreactor (AFCMBR) for low-strength wastewater
      treatment. The AFCMBR was operated continuously for 395days at 25 degrees C using
      a synthetic wastewater having a chemical oxygen demand (COD) averaging 260mg/L. A
      membrane net flux as high as 14.5-17L/m2h was achieved with only periodic
      maintenance cleaning, obtained by adding 25mg/L of sodium hypochlorite solution.
      No adverse effect of the maintenance cleaning on organic removal was observed. An
      average SCOD in the membrane permeate of 23mg/L was achieved with a 1h hydraulic
      retention time (HRT). Biosolids production averaged 0.014+/-0.007gVSS/gCOD
      removed. The estimated electrical energy required to operate the AFCMBR system
      was 0.039kWh/m3, which is only about 17% of the electrical energy that could be
      generated with the methane produced.

PMID- 28341381
TI  - Potential of Brachiaria mutica (Para grass) for bioethanol production from Loktak
      Lake.
AB  - The aim of present study was to evaluate feasibility of using the Para grass as
      feedstock for production of bioethanol. Process involved the pretreatment with
      dilute acid or alkali and followed by enzymatic saccharification with commercial
      cellulase. Maximum sugar release of 696mg/g was obtained from 10% biomass loading
      and 0.5% w/v of alkali whereas in the case of acid pretreatment maximum sugar of
      660mg/g was obtained from 20% biomass loading and 2% w/v acid loading. Results
      showed that Para grass utilization as a biorefinery feedstock can be a potential
      strategy to address the sustainable utilization of this invasive grass thereby
      keeping its population in check in the Loktak Lake.

PMID- 28341382
TI  - Assisting cultivation of photosynthetic microorganisms by microbial fuel cells to
      enhance nutrients recovery from wastewater.
AB  - Spirulina was cultivated in cathodic compartments of photo-microbial fuel cells
      (P-MFC). Anodic compartments were fed with swine-farming wastewater, enriched
      with sodium acetate (2.34gCODL-1). Photosynthetic oxygen generation rates were
      sufficient to sustain cathodic oxygen reduction, significantly improving P-MFC
      electrochemical performances, as compared to water-cathode control experiments.
      Power densities (0.8-1Wm-2) approached those of air-cathode MFCs, run as control.
      COD was efficiently removed and only negligible fractions leaked to the cathodic
      chamber. Spirulina growth rates were comparable to those of control (MFC-free)
      cultures, while pH was significantly (0.5-1unit) higher in P-MFCs, due to
      cathodic reactions. Alkaliphilic photosynthetic microorganisms like Spirulina
      might take advantage of these selective conditions. Electro-migration along with
      diffusion to the cathodic compartment concurred for the recovery of most
      nutrients. Only P and Mg were retained in the anodic chamber. A deeper look into
      electro-osmotic mechanisms should be addressed in future studies.

PMID- 28341384
TI  - Field demonstration of polymer-amended in situ chemical oxidation (PA-ISCO).
AB  - The methods and results of the first field-scale demonstration of polymer-amended
      in situ chemical oxidation (PA-ISCO) are presented. The demonstration took place
      at MCB CAMLEJ (Marine Corps Base, Camp Lejeune) Operable Unit (OU) 15, Site 88,
      in Camp Lejeune, North Carolina between October and December 2010. PA-ISCO was
      developed as an alternative treatment approach that utilizes viscosity-modified
      fluids to improve the in situ delivery and distribution (i.e. sweep-efficiency)
      of chemical oxidants within texturally heterogeneous contaminated aquifers. The
      enhanced viscosity of the fluid mitigates the effects of preferential flows,
      improving sweep-efficiency and enhancing the subsurface contact between the
      injected oxidant and the target contamination within the treatment zone. The PA
      ISCO fluid formulation used in this demonstration included sodium permanganate as
      oxidant, xanthan gum biopolymer as a shear-thinning viscosifier, and sodium
      hexametaphosphate (SHMP) as an anti-coagulant. It was the goal of this
      demonstration to validate the utility of PA-ISCO within a heterogeneous aquifer.
      An approximate 100% improvement in sweep-efficiency was achieved for the PA-ISCO
      fluid, as compared to a permanganate-only injection within an adjacent control
      plot.

PMID- 28341385
TI  - Imaging of Intracranial and Orbital Complications of Sinusitis and Atypical Sinus
      Infection: What the Radiologist Needs to Know.
AB  - Sinusitis is a common disease. Complications, however, are less common and can be
      life threatening. Major complications occur from extension of disease into the
      orbit and intracranial compartment and often require emergent treatment with
      intravenous (IV) antibiotics or operative intervention. Immunocompromised
      patients with acute sinusitis are susceptible to atypical infections, such as
      invasive fungal sinusitis, which is a surgical emergency. Therefore, it is
      important to accurately and promptly identify potentional complications of acute
      sinusitis to ensure appropriate treatment and minimize negative outcomes. This
      article reviews the imaging features of a spectrum of complications associated
      with acute sinusitis and atypical infections.

PMID- 28341383
TI  - Utilization of gynecologic services in women with breast cancer receiving
      hormonal therapy.
AB  - BACKGROUND: The selective estrogen receptor modulator tamoxifen is now widely
      used for the treatment and prevention of breast cancer. Tamoxifen use has been
      associated with a variety of gynecologic problems. Despite the frequency with
      which hormonal therapy is used for the treatment of breast cancer, limited
      population-level data are available to describe the occurrence of gynecologic
      conditions and the use of surveillance testing in women receiving tamoxifen and
      aromatase inhibitors. OBJECTIVE: We performed a population-based analysis among
      women with breast cancer receiving hormonal therapy with tamoxifen, a drug
      commonly used in premenopausal and sometimes postmenopausal women, to determine
      the frequency of gynecologic abnormalities and use of diagnostic and surveillance
      testing. We compared these findings to women treated with aromatase inhibitors,
      agents commonly used in postmenopausal women. STUDY DESIGN: The MarketScan
      database was used to identify women diagnosed with breast cancer from 2009
      through 2013 who underwent mastectomy or lumpectomy. Women receiving tamoxifen
      (age <50 vs >=50 years) were compared to women >=50 years of age treated with
      aromatase inhibitors. We examined the occurrence of gynecologic symptoms and
      diseases (vaginal bleeding, endometrial polyps, endometrial hyperplasia, and
      endometrial cancer) and gynecologic procedures and interventions (transvaginal
      ultrasound, endometrial biopsy, hysteroscopy/dilation and curettage, and
      hysterectomy). Time-dependent analyses were performed to examine symptoms and
      testing. RESULTS: A total of 75,170 women, including 15,735 (20.9%) age <50 years
      treated with tamoxifen, 13,827 (18.4%) age >=50 years treated with tamoxifen, and
      45,608 (60.7%) age >=50 years treated with aromatase inhibitors were identified.
      The cumulative incidence of any gynecologic symptom or pathologic diagnosis
      during the study period was 20.2%, 12.3%, and 3.5%, respectively (P < .001),
      while the cumulative incidence of any gynecologic procedure or intervention
      during the study period was 34.2%, 20.9%, and 9.0%, respectively (P < .0001).
      Among women without symptoms or pathology, interventions were performed in 20.0%,
      11.0%, and 6.8%, respectively (P < .0001). CONCLUSION: Compared to women taking
      aromatase inhibitors, gynecologic symptoms, procedures, and pathology are higher
      for both premenopausal and postmenopausal women with breast cancer on tamoxifen.
      Increased efforts to curb use of gynecologic interventions in asymptomatic women
      are needed.

PMID- 28341386
TI  - Follicular output rate can predict clinical pregnancy in women with unexplained
      infertility undergoing IVF/ICSI: a prospective cohort study.
AB  - This study aimed to determine whether follicular output rate (FORT) can predict
      the clinical pregnancy rate in women with unexplained infertility undergoing
      IVF/ICSI. This was a prospective study conducted at Dar El Teb subfertility
      centre in Cairo between June 2014 and July 2016. A total of 303 women with
      unexplained infertility, who were undergoing IVF/ICSI, were divided into three
      groups according to FORT tertile values. FORT was calculated as pre-ovulatory
      follicle count/antral follicle count * 100. There was a progressive and
      significant increase from the low to the high FORT groups in the clinical
      pregnancy rate (29.9%, 43.3% and 57.8%; P < 0.001), number of retrieved oocytes
      (5.4 +/- 1.5, versus 6.8 +/- 2.8, and 7.4 +/- 2.1; P < 0.001), and fertilization
      rate (48.4 +/- 21.8 versus 55.3 +/- 20.3 and 57.4 +/- 19.2; P = 0.006).
      Multivariate logistic regression analysis revealed that the correlation between
      FORT and pregnancy was independent of potential confounding factors (P = 0.008).
      We concluded that FORT is an independent variable affecting the clinical
      pregnancy rate in IVF/ICSI cycles. Higher FORT values had better oocyte yield and
      clinical pregnancy rates in women with unexplained infertility undergoing
      IVF/ICSI with potentially normal ovarian response.

PMID- 28341387
TI  - [New-onset preseptal cellulitis secondary to group B Streptococcus agalactiae
      bacteremia in a 12-day-old boy].

PMID- 28341388
TI  - [Real life visual and anatomic outcomes of aflibercept treatment for treatment
      naive patients with exudative age-related macular degeneration].
AB  - : Anti-VEGF therapies have revolutionized the treatment of neovascular age
      related macular degeneration (AMD). PURPOSE: The goal of this study was to
      evaluate the "real life" visual and anatomical outcomes of aflibercept treatment
      for treatment-naive patients with exudative AMD. METHODS: This was a
      retrospective study of patients treated with aflibercept in the department of
      Ophthalmology at the University Hospital of Bordeaux between November 2013 and
      July 2015. The follow-up period varied from 3months to 2years. All patients
      received an induction phase with 3monthly intravitreal injections (IVT) followed
      by personalized monitoring. ETDRS best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA), fundus
      examination and OCT were performed at each visit. Data were collected at day 0, 3
      months, 6, 9, 12months, 18 and 24months. RESULTS: Forty-three eyes of forty
      patients, mean age 77.7years, were included, with a minimum of 3months follow-up.
      Twenty-five eyes were followed for 1year; 5 eyes for two years. At baseline, the
      mean BCVA was 55.7 letters. Patients received 7.5 injections on average the first
      year and 2.6 the 2nd year. The mean gain of visual acuity was +7.3 letters at 3
      months, +6.2 letters at 12 months, and +6.8 letters at 2years. Anatomically, the
      OCT data showed a decline of all parameters. The central macular thickness
      decreased by 118.3MUm at 3months, 136.4MUm at 12months and 65.5MUm at 2years.
      CONCLUSION: Aflibercept can achieve effective visual and anatomical outcomes with
      results, which approach the pivotal studies, despite the use of personalized
      protocols and longer monitoring intervals.

PMID- 28341389
TI  - Visual outcomes and complications of cataract surgery with primary implantation
      in infants.
AB  - PURPOSE: To describe the visual results and postoperative complications of
      cataract surgery with primary intraocular lens (IOL) implantation performed in
      infants and to determine possible predictive factors related to poor visual
      outcome. METHODS: A retrospective consecutive case series of cataract surgeries
      with primary IOL implantation in infants was performed. Visual outcome and
      postoperative complications were recorded. A final visual acuity>0.5 logMAR was
      considered as a poor visual outcome. RESULTS: Sixty-one consecutive procedures
      were evaluated in 43 infants. Eighteen infants (42%) had bilateral cataract
      surgery and 25 (58%) had monocular surgery. The median age at primary surgery was
      5.7 months (range: 4 weeks-24 months). The median follow-up was 47 months (range:
      14-60 months). The median best-corrected visual acuity in logarithm of the
      minimum angle of resolution (logMAR) at the last follow-up examination was 1.00
      in the case of unilateral surgery and 0.40 in the case of bilateral surgery. The
      overall visual result in all eyes was 0.50 logMAR. A better visual result was
      achieved when the infants were younger than 6 months or older than 12 months of
      age when surgery was performed. Opacification in the visual axis requiring
      secondary surgery occurred in 54% of the eyes (33/61). Postoperative inflammation
      occurred in 41% of the eyes (25/61) but was not associated with poor visual
      outcome (P=0.39). Glaucoma affected 11.5% of the eyes (7/61) and was
      significantly associated with poorer visual function (OR: 15.36, 95% CI 1.02
      230.35, P=0.05). Compared with the unilateral cataract group, the OR of poor
      visual acuity was 0.06 (95% CI 0.01-0.35, P<0.01) in the bilateral cataract
      group. No statistical association was observed between final visual acuity>0.5
      logMAR and leukocoria at time of diagnosis, IOL-related complications and
      postoperative strabismus. CONCLUSIONS: Primary IOL implantation is associated
      with an overall satisfactory visual outcome, especially when surgery is performed
      before 6 months or after 12 months of age and in bilateral cases. Glaucoma is the
      main complication associated with poor visual outcome.

PMID- 28341390
TI  - Pulmonary MR angiography and perfusion imaging-A review of methods and
      applications.
AB  - The pulmonary vasculature and its role in perfusion and gas exchange is an
      important consideration in many conditions of the lung and heart. Currently the
      mainstay of imaging of the vasculature and perfusion of the lungs lies with CT
      and nuclear medicine perfusion scans, both of which require ionizing radiation
      exposure. Improvements in MRI techniques have increased the use of MRI in
      pulmonary vascular imaging. Here we review MRI methods for imaging the pulmonary
      vasculature and pulmonary perfusion, both using contrast enhanced and non
      contrast enhanced methodology. In many centres pulmonary MR angiography and
      dynamic contrast enhanced perfusion MRI are now well established in the routine
      workflow of patients particularly with pulmonary hypertension and thromboembolic
      disease. However, these imaging modalities offer exciting new directions for
      future research and clinical use in other respiratory diseases where
      consideration of pulmonary perfusion and gas exchange can provide insight in to
      pathophysiology.

PMID- 28341392
TI  - Novel synthesis of gold nanoparticles using Artemisia vulgaris L. leaf extract
      and their efficacy of larvicidal activity against dengue fever vector Aedes
      aegypti L.
AB  - The Aedes aegypti L. mosquito transmits dengue and yellow fever, which cause
      millions of death every year. Dengue is a mosquito-borne viral disease that has
      rapidly spread worldwide particularly in countries with tropical and subtropical
      climates areas. The present study denotes a simple and eco-friendly biosynthesis
      of gold nanoparticles using Artemisia vulgaris L. leaf extract as reducing agent.
      The synthesized gold nanoparticles were characterized by UV-Visible Spectroscopy,
      X-Ray Diffraction (XRD), Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FT-IR), Dynamic
      Light Scattering (DLS), Zeta Potential (ZP), Transmission Electron Microscopy
      (TEM) and Energy Dispersive X-ray Spectroscopy (EDX). Solid state 13C NMR was
      utilized to confirm the presence of larvicidal compound Beta caryophyllene in the
      synthesized AuNPs. Larvicidal activity of the synthesized AuNPs was measured
      against A. aegypti over 12 and 24h exposure periods and compared with essential
      oil in various concentrations (25ppm, 50ppm, 100ppm, 200ppm and 400ppm). After a
      12h exposure period, the larvicidal activity of 3rd instar larva by AuNPs showed
      LC50=156.55ppm and LC90=2506.21ppm, while and essential oil displayed
      LC50=128.99ppm and LC90=1477.08ppm. Larvicidal activity of 4th instar larva by
      AuNPs showed LC50=97.90ppm and LC90=1677.36ppm, while essential oil displayed
      LC50=136.15ppm and LC90=2223.55ppm. After a 24h of exposure period, larvicidal
      activity of 3rd instar larva by AuNPs showed LC50=62.47ppm and LC90=430.16ppm and
      essential oil showed LC50=111.15ppm and LC90=1441.51ppm. The larvicidal activity
      of 4th instar larva and AuNPs displayed LC50=43.01ppm and LC90=376.70ppm and for
      essential oil LC50=74.42ppm, LC90=858.36ppm. Histopathology of A. aegypti with
      AuNPs for 3rdand 4th stage larvae after 24h exposure at the highest mortality
      concentration (400ppm) showed that the area of the midgut, epithelial cells and
      cortex were highly affected. The present findings demonstrate that the
      biosynthesis of AuNPs using A. vulgaris leaf extracts could be an eco-friendly,
      safer nanobiopesticide and treatment against A. aegypti which could be used to
      combat of dengue fever.

PMID- 28341393
TI  - Cell-specific immuno-localization of progesterone receptor alpha in the rabbit
      ovary during pregnancy and after parturition.
AB  - Progesterone receptor alpha (PRA) has a central coordinator role in the ovarian
      functions in mammals. The aim of this study was to investigate the
      immunolocalization of PRA in the rabbit ovary during pregnancy and after
      parturition. The rabbit ovary during pregnancy and after parturition had moderate
      cytoplasmic and moderate to intense nuclear PRA immunostaining in the ovarian
      surface epithelial cells, stromal cells and interstitial gland cells. The PRA was
      also present in granulosa cells and theca interna cells of the growing, small
      antral and mature Graafian follicles. Theca interna cells of the atretic antral
      follicle in addition to endothelial and fibroblast cells had PRA
      immunoreactivity. The PRA were also observed in the theca externa smooth muscle
      like cells of the growing and antral follicles and in the telocytes. In the
      present study, the corpora haemorrhagica and early developing corpora lutea had,
      slight cytoplasmic and nuclear PRA immunostaining in the large lutein and small
      lutein cells. The endothelial cells of the corpora haemorrhagica and corpora
      lutea had an intense nuclear PRA immune signal. The corpora lutea at an advanced
      stage of development had moderate cytoplasmic and nuclear PRA immunostaining in
      the large lutein cells and intense nuclear PRA immunostaining in the small lutein
      cells. The regressed corpora lutea did not have PRA immunostaining in the
      apoptotic large lutein cells and moderate cytoplasmic and intense nuclear PRA
      immunostaining in the small lutein cells.

PMID- 28341394
TI  - Serum biochemical profile and molecular detection of pathogens in semen of
      infertile male dromedary camels (Camelus dromedarius).
AB  - Detection of pathogens in the semen of camels has not been completely elucidated.
      Therefore, the current study aimed to determine the association of some
      economically important pathogens with infertility in 94 male infertile camels
      through molecular detection and estimation of selected biochemical parameters in
      serum of these animals compared with a control non infected fertile animals
      (n=40). PCR analysis of semen samples of infertile camels indicated that, four
      potential pathogens namely Mycoplasma spp., Leptospira spp., Brucella melitensis,
      and Bovine viral diarrhea virus (BVDV) were detected in 50 semen samples of
      infertile camels whereas, 44 semen samples of infertile camels were free of
      pathogens and all tested semen samples were negative for bovine herpes virus 1,
      Salmonella spp. and Trypanosoma evansi. Single and mixed infection was detected
      in 88% and 12% of the infected semen samples, respectively. Mycoplasma spp.,
      Leptospira spp., Brucella and Bovine viral diarrhea virus infection represented
      66%, 27.2%, 4.5% and 2.3% of the single infected semen samples. Mycoplasma
      spp.+Leptospira spp. and Mycoplasma spp.+Brucella spp. were detected in 83.3% and
      16.7% of mixed infected semen samples, respectively. Testosterone concentration
      decreased significantly in infertile infected camels compare to both control and
      infertile non infected animals that remained comparable. The current findings
      reported the molecular detection of mixed infection in camel semen for the first
      time. Mycoplasma spp. is the most widely recognized microorganism in the present
      study and together with Leptospira spp., Brucella spp. and Bovine viral diarrhea
      virus, might be associated with infertility in dromedary camels.

PMID- 28341391
TI  - Mice lacking liver-specific beta-catenin develop steatohepatitis and fibrosis
      after iron overload.
AB  - BACKGROUND & AIMS: Iron overload disorders such as hereditary hemochromatosis and
      iron loading anemias are a common cause of morbidity from liver diseases and
      increase risk of hepatic fibrosis and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Treatment
      options for iron-induced damage are limited, partly because there is lack of
      animal models of human disease. Therefore, we investigated the effect of iron
      overload in liver-specific beta-catenin knockout mice (KO), which are susceptible
      to injury, fibrosis and tumorigenesis following chemical carcinogen exposure.
      METHODS: Iron overload diet was administered to KO and littermate control (CON)
      mice for various times. To ameliorate an oxidant-mediated component of tissue
      injury, N-Acetyl-L-(+)-cysteine (NAC) was added to drinking water of mice on iron
      overload diet. RESULTS: KO on iron diet (KO +Fe) exhibited remarkable
      inflammation, followed by steatosis, oxidative stress, fibrosis, regenerating
      nodules and occurrence of occasional HCC. Increased injury in KO +Fe was
      associated with activated protein kinase B (AKT), ERK, and NF-kappaB, along with
      reappearance of beta-catenin and target gene Cyp2e1, which promoted lipid
      peroxidation and hepatic damage. Addition of NAC to drinking water protected KO
      +Fe from hepatic steatosis, injury and fibrosis, and prevented activation of AKT,
      ERK, NF-kappaB and reappearance of beta-catenin. CONCLUSIONS: The absence of
      hepatic beta-catenin predisposes mice to hepatic injury and fibrosis following
      iron overload, which was reminiscent of hemochromatosis and associated with
      enhanced steatohepatitis and fibrosis. Disease progression was notably alleviated
      by antioxidant therapy, which supports its chemopreventive role in the management
      of chronic iron overload disorders. LAY SUMMARY: Lack of animal models for iron
      overload disorders makes it hard to study the disease process for improving
      therapies. Feeding high iron diet to mice that lack the beta-catenin gene in
      liver cells led to increased inflammation followed by fat accumulation, cell
      death and wound healing that mimicked human disease. Administration of an
      antioxidant prevented hepatic injury in this model.

PMID- 28341395
TI  - Gonocytes-to-spermatogonia transition initiates prior to birth in murine testes
      and it requires FGF signaling.
AB  - Spermatogenesis is a continuous and highly coordinated process of spermatozoa
      production. In mice, this process is believed to initiate shortly after birth
      with the emergence of nascent spermatogonia in the testes. However, because the
      nascent spermatogonia originated from the gonocytes are morphologically
      indistinguishable from their predecessors and there is no clear definition for
      the gonocytes-to-spermatogonia transition (GST), it remains unclear when and how
      spermatogenesis is initiated in the mouse testes. To address these questions, we
      characterized the emergence of nascent spermatogonia in ICR mice. We found that
      GST is initiated in a subset of gonocytes as early as E18.5. These nascent
      spermatogonia express markers typical of undifferentiated spermatogonia residing
      in testes of adult mice. In addition to markers expression, we identified FOXO1
      nuclear-to-cytoplasmic translocation as a novel feature of GST distinguishing
      nascent spermatogonia from the gonocytes. Using those criteria, we demonstrated
      that GST requires FGF signaling. When FGF signaling was inhibited
      pharmacologically, gonocytes retained nuclear FOXO1 expression, did not express
      spermatogonial markers and failed to proliferate. We found that FGF signaling
      acts upstream of GDNF and RA signalings for the activation of the MEK/ERK and
      PI3K/Akt pathways in germ cells during GST. Taken together, we defined the
      precise timing of GST and revealed FGF signaling as a master regulator of GST in
      the perinatal mouse testes.

PMID- 28341396
TI  - Beyond D'Arcy Thompson: Future challenges for quantitative biology.
AB  - The centennial of "On Growth and Form" is a good opportunity to reflect on the
      progress of the quantitative study of living systems and where we would like to
      see it heading. The era of the physical sciences being a mere vehicle for tool
      building for biological investigations is over. The approaches taken nowadays are
      analogous to those that physical scientists have taken within their respective
      fields for centuries, only that now they ask them about biological phenomena and
      function. Here I give a brief reflection on where we are and where we should
      direct our focus next, both from the perspective of the research endeavor as a
      whole, but also with respect to teaching the next generation of scientists
      joining the field.

PMID- 28341398
TI  - Further enhancement of FR901469 productivity by co-overexpression of cpcA, a
      cross-pathway control gene, and frbF in fungal sp. No. 11243.
AB  - FR901469 is a secondary metabolite with antifungal activity, produced by fungal
      sp. No. 11243. In our previous study, we constructed the frbF overexpression
      mutant (TFH2-2) from the wild-type strain. FR901469 productivity of TFH2-2 was
      3.4 times higher than that of the wild-type strain. To further enhance FR901469
      productivity in TFH2-2, we attempted to find genes from the genome that limited
      the productivity as bottlenecks in this study. Based on both correlation analysis
      of gene expression level against FR901469 productivity and genome annotation
      information, the cross-pathway control gene A (cpcA) was most predicted as the
      bottleneck. The cpcA and frbF co-overexpression mutant named TFCH3 was then
      constructed from TFH2-2. As a result, FR901469 productivity of TFCH3 was enhanced
      at 1.8 times higher than that of TFH2-2. Transcriptome analysis revealed that
      many genes involved in amino acid biosynthesis and encoding tRNA ligases were
      significantly upregulated in TFCH3, which implied increase of amino acids as the
      substrates of FR901469 would be a reason of further productivity enhancement.

PMID- 28341397
TI  - Degradation of textile dyes by cyanobacteria.
AB  - Dyes are recalcitrant compounds that resist conventional biological treatments.
      The degradation of three textile dyes (Indigo, RBBR and Sulphur Black), and the
      dye-containing liquid effluent and solid waste from the Municipal Treatment
      Station, Americana, Sao Paulo, Brazil, by the cyanobacteria Anabaena flos-aquae
      UTCC64, Phormidium autumnale UTEX1580 and Synechococcus sp. PCC7942 was
      evaluated. The dye degradation efficiency of the cyanobacteria was compared with
      anaerobic and anaerobic-aerobic systems in terms of discolouration and toxicity
      evaluations. The discoloration was evaluated by absorption spectroscopy. Toxicity
      was measured using the organisms Hydra attenuata, the alga Selenastrum
      capricornutum and lettuce seeds. The three cyanobacteria showed the potential to
      remediate textile effluent by removing the colour and reducing the toxicity.
      However, the growth of cyanobacteria on sludge was slow and discoloration was not
      efficient. The cyanobacteria P. autumnale UTEX1580 was the only strain that
      completely degraded the indigo dye. An evaluation of the mutagenicity potential
      was performed by use of the micronucleus assay using Allium sp. No mutagenicity
      was observed after the treatment. Two metabolites were produced during the
      degradation, anthranilic acid and isatin, but toxicity did not increase after the
      treatment. The cyanobacteria showed the ability to degrade the dyes present in a
      textile effluent; therefore, they can be used in a tertiary treatment of
      effluents with recalcitrant compounds.

PMID- 28341400
TI  - The breath of life. Patients' experiences of breathing during and after
      mechanical ventilation.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: Breathlessness is a prevalent and distressing symptom in intensive
      care, underestimated by nurses and physicians. Therefore, to develop a more
      comprehensive understanding of this problem, the study had two aims: to compare
      patients' self-reported scores of breathlessness obtained during mechanical
      ventilation (MV) with experiences of breathlessness later recalled by patients
      and: to explore the lived experience of breathing during and after MV. METHOD: A
      qualitatively driven sequential mixed method design combining prospective
      observational breathlessness data at the end of a spontaneous breathing trial
      (SBT) and follow up data from 11 post-discharge interviews. FINDINGS: Four out of
      six patients who reported breathlessness at the end of an SBT did not remember
      being breathless in retrospect. Experiences of breathing intertwined with the
      whole illness experience and were described in four themes: existential threat;
      the tough time; an amorphous and boundless body and getting through. CONCLUSION:
      Breathing was not always a clearly separate experience, but intertwined with the
      whole illness experience. This may explain the poor correspondence between
      patients' and clinicians assessments of breathlessness. The results suggest
      patients' own reports of breathing should form part of nursing interventions and
      follow-up to support patients' quest for meaning.

PMID- 28341399
TI  - Early postoperative blood pressure and blood loss after cardiac surgery: A
      retrospective analysis.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Increased blood loss after cardiac surgery is a risk factor for
      patient morbidity and mortality. Guidelines for postoperative haemodynamics
      management recommend normotensive blood pressure to avoid increased chest drain
      volumes. The aim of this study was to verify the correlation of early
      postoperative hypertension and blood loss in patients after cardiac surgery
      during the early postoperative period. METHODS: Postoperative mean blood pressure
      values and chest drain volumes of 431 patients were registered by an intensive
      care monitoring system during first 60minutes after intensive care admission.
      Correlation between blood pressure and blood loss was calculated by linear
      regression analysis. RESULTS: In the entire patient cohort and in various
      subgroup analyses (body-mass-index, type of surgery, comorbidity, emergency
      surgery, preoperative anticoagulation therapy) no association between early mean
      blood pressure >80mmHg and increased blood loss was evident in simple regression
      analysis. Merely, after aortic surgery a correlation of hypertension and blood
      loss was found. Multiple regression revealed postoperative INR values >1.5 and
      thrombocyte counts <100.000/nL to impact blood loss in contrast to postoperative
      hypertension. CONCLUSION: Evidence for strict blood pressure management to reduce
      blood loss after cardiac surgery is scarce. Instead, in face of higher INR and
      low thrombocytes increasing postoperative blood loss, achieving and maintaining a
      physiological coagulation is essential.

PMID- 28341401
TI  - Discovery of (2-aminophenyl)methanol as a new molecular chaperone that rescues
      the localization of P123S mutant pendrin stably expressed in HEK293 cells.
AB  - Pendred syndrome is the most common form of syndromic deafness. It is associated
      with a mutation in the SLC26A4 gene that encodes pendrin, which is thought to
      maintain the ion concentration of endolymph in the inner ear most likely by
      acting as a chloride/bicarbonate transporter. Mutations in the SLC26A4 gene are
      responsible for sensorineural hearing loss. In this study, we established a
      stable HEK293 cell line expressing P123S mutant pendrin and developed screening
      methods for compounds that show pharmacological chaperone activity by image
      analysis using CellInsightTM. Morphological analysis of stained cells in each
      well of 96-well plates yielded six compounds in the compound library.
      Furthermore, fluorescence intensity analysis of the intracellular localization of
      P123S mutant pendrin in HEK293 cells using FLUOVIEWTM and cytotoxicity
      experiments revealed that (2-aminophenyl)methanol 8 is the most promising
      molecular chaperone to rescue P123S mutant pendrin: the plasma membrane
      (M)/cytoplasm (C) ratios are 1.5 and 0.9 at the concentrations of 0.3 and 0.1mM,
      respectively, and a sustained effect was observed 12h after removal of the
      compound from the cell medium. Because the M/C ratio of salicylate, which was
      previously discovered as a molecular chaperone of P123S mutant pendrin, was
      approximately 1 at 10mM concentration and a sustained effect was not observed
      even at 6h, (2-aminophenyl)methanol 8 was 100 times more potent and exhibited a
      longer sustained effect than salicylate. These findings suggest that (2
      aminophenyl)methanol 8 is an attractive candidate for therapeutic agent for
      Pendred syndrome patients.

PMID- 28341402
TI  - Inhibitors of protein arginine deiminases and their efficacy in animal models of
      multiple sclerosis.
AB  - Protein arginine deiminases (PAD) are implicated in a variety of inflammatory and
      neurodegenerative diseases including multiple sclerosis (MS). Following the
      discovery of an in silico hit containing hydantoin and a piperidine moiety, we
      hypothesized that a 2-carbon linker on the hydantoin would be necessary for a 5
      membered heterocycle for optimal PAD inhibitory activity. We designed thirteen
      compounds as potential inhibitors of PAD2 and PAD4 enzymes-two important PAD
      enzymes implicated in MS. Two compounds, one with an imidazole moiety (22) and
      the other with a tetrazole moiety (24) showed good inhibition of PAD isozymes in
      vitro and in the EAE mouse model of MS in vivo. Further experiments suggested
      that compound 22, a non-covalent inhibitor of PAD2 and PAD4, exhibits dose
      dependent efficacy in the EAE mouse model and in the cuprizone-mediated
      demyelination model.

PMID- 28341404
TI  - Corrigendum to "Synthesis and biological activity of 2,5-diaryl-3
      methylpyrimido[4,5-c]quinolin-1(2H)-one derivatives" [Bioorg. Med. Chem. 15
      (2007) 2434-2440].

PMID- 28341403
TI  - Thiazolidine derivatives as potent and selective inhibitors of the PIM kinase
      family.
AB  - The PIM family of serine/threonine kinases have become an attractive target for
      anti-cancer drug development, particularly for certain hematological
      malignancies. Here, we describe the discovery of a series of inhibitors of the
      PIM kinase family using a high throughput screening strategy. Through a
      combination of molecular modeling and optimization studies, the intrinsic
      potencies and molecular properties of this series of compounds was significantly
      improved. An excellent pan-PIM isoform inhibition profile was observed across the
      series, while optimized examples show good selectivity over other kinases. Two
      PIM-expressing leukemic cancer cell lines, MV4-11 and K562, were employed to
      evaluate the in vitro anti-proliferative effects of selected inhibitors.
      Encouraging activities were observed for many examples, with the best example
      (44) giving an IC50 of 0.75MUM against the K562 cell line. These data provide a
      promising starting point for further development of this series as a new cancer
      therapy through PIM kinase inhibition.

PMID- 28341405
TI  - Synthesis of novel C-9 carbon substituted derivatives of artemisinin.
AB  - Several artemisinin derivatives carrying several groups (alkyl, hydroxyalkyl,
      allyl or azide) at position 9 have been synthesized starting from artemisinin via
      enolate formation and subsequent reaction with appropriate electrophiles.

PMID- 28341406
TI  - Sweet New Roles for Protein Glycosylation in Prokaryotes.
AB  - Long-held to be a post-translational modification unique to Eukarya, it is now
      clear that both Bacteria and Archaea also perform protein glycosylation, namely
      the covalent attachment of mono- to polysaccharides to specific protein targets.
      At the same time, many of the roles assigned to this protein-processing event in
      eukaryotes, such as guiding protein folding/quality control, intracellular
      trafficking, dictating cellular recognition events and others, do not apply or
      are even irrelevant to prokaryotes. As such, protein glycosylation must serve
      novel functions in Bacteria and Archaea. Recent efforts have begun to elucidate
      some of these prokaryote-specific roles, which are addressed in this review.

PMID- 28341407
TI  - Comparison of endoscopic laser therapy and self expanding metal stents for
      palliation in patients with non-resectable oesophageal carcinoma.
AB  - BACKGROUND: There are currently limited data on the comparative success of
      endoscopic laser therapy (NLT) and self expanding metal stents (SEMS) as
      palliative measures in patients with non-resectable oesophageal cancer. This
      study aims to assess and compare the outcomes of these methods of endoscopic
      palliation. METHODS: Patients with non-curative oesophageal/gastro-oesophageal
      cancers with dysphagia were identified prospectively and consented to swallow
      assessment and follow-up. Patients underwent SEMS or NLT at the discretion of the
      treating endoscopist. Initial standardised swallow scores (0-4) were assessed.
      All subsequent interventions were recorded as well as survival. RESULTS: 31
      patients were recruited (30M vs 8F, mean age 70.8). There was no significant
      difference in age, sex or chemotherapy treatment between groups. 19(61%)patients
      underwent NLT as primary procedure. 20(64.5%) patients required subsequent
      intervention(s) (median 1, range 0-8). Primary NLT patients were more likely to
      require subsequent therapy (p = 0.004) and multiple procedures (p = 0.001).
      8(42.1%)patients initially undergoing NLT subsequently required SEMS, while no
      SEMS patients underwent subsequent NLT. Swallow scores of 1 or 2 were more likely
      to be maintained with NLT while scores of 3 or 4 were more likely to progress to
      SEMS (p = 0.039). Time to repeat procedure was greater in the SEMS group (p =
      0.001). Median survival was 133 days for NLT vs 60 days for SEMS (p = 0.412).
      CONCLUSION: In this series, patients selected for NLT had a trend towards longer
      survival, but were more likely to require repeated procedures. Those with lower
      early initial dysphagia scores were more likely to be maintained by NLT alone.

PMID- 28341408
TI  - The Effect of 3-Dimensional Simulation on Neurosurgical Skill Acquisition and
      Surgical Performance: A Review of the Literature.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: In recent years, 3-dimensional (3D) simulation of neurosurgical
      procedures has become increasingly popular as an addition to training programmes.
      However, there remains little objective evidence of its effectiveness in
      improving live surgical skill. This review analysed the current literature in 3D
      neurosurgical simulation, highlighting remaining gaps in the evidence base for
      improvement in surgical performance and suggests useful future research
      directions. DESIGN: An electronic search of the databases was conducted to
      identify studies investigating 3D virtual reality (VR) simulation for various
      types of neurosurgery. Eligible studies were those that used a combination of
      metrics to measure neurosurgical skill acquisition on a simulation trainer.
      Studies were excluded if they did not measure skill acquisition against a set of
      metrics or if they assessed skills that were not used in neurosurgical practice.
      This was not a systematic review however, the data extracted was tabulated to
      allow comparison between studies RESULTS: This study revealed that the average
      overall quality of the included studies was moderate. Only one study assessed
      outcomes in live surgery, while most other studies assessed outcomes on a
      simulator using a variety of metrics. CONCLUSIONS: It is concluded that in its
      current state, the evidence for 3D simulation suggests it as a useful supplement
      to training programmes but more evidence is needed of improvement in surgical
      performance to warrant large-scale investment in this technology.

PMID- 28341410
TI  - Emotional Wellness of Current Musculoskeletal Radiology Fellows.
AB  - RATIONALE AND OBJECTIVES: Burnout is a psychological syndrome composed of
      emotional exhaustion, depersonalization, and sense of lack of personal
      accomplishment, as a result of prolonged occupational stress. The purpose of our
      study was to determine the prevalence of burnout among current musculoskeletal
      radiology fellows and to explore causes of emotional stress. MATERIALS AND
      METHODS: A 24-item survey was constructed on SurveyMonkey using the Maslach
      Burnout Inventory. We identified 82 musculoskeletal radiology fellowship
      programs. We recruited subjects indirectly through the program director or
      equivalent. RESULTS: Fifty-eight respondents (48 male, 10 female) identified
      themselves as current musculoskeletal radiology fellows and completed the survey.
      Comparison of the weighted subscale means in our data to the Maslach normative
      subscale thresholds for medical occupations indicates that musculoskeletal
      radiology fellows report relatively high levels of burnout with regard to lack of
      personal accomplishment and depersonalization, whereas emotional exhaustion
      levels in our sample are within the average range reported by Maslach. Although
      male musculoskeletal radiology fellows experience relatively high levels in two
      of the three dimensions of burnout (depersonalization and personal
      accomplishment), female musculoskeletal radiology fellows experience relatively
      high burnout across all three dimensions. Job market-related stress and the
      effort required providing care for dependents significantly affect personal
      accomplishment. Conversely, imbalances in the work-life relationship and feelings
      of powerlessness are significantly associated with depersonalization and
      emotional exhaustion. CONCLUSIONS: Musculoskeletal radiology fellows report
      relatively high levels of burnout. Because the consequences of burnout can be
      severe, early identification and appropriate intervention should be a priority.

PMID- 28341409
TI  - Glottis Closure Influences Tracheal Size Changes in Inspiratory and Expiratory CT
      in Patients with COPD.
AB  - RATIONALE AND OBJECTIVES: The opened or closed status of the glottis might
      influence tracheal size changes in inspiratory and expiratory computed tomography
      (CT) scans. We investigated if the glottis status makes the tracheal collapse
      differently correlate with lung volume difference between inspiratory and
      expiratory CT scans. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Forty patients with chronic
      obstructive pulmonary disease whose glottis was included in the acquired scanned
      volume for lung CT were divided into two groups: 16 patients with the glottis
      closed in both inspiratory and expiratory CT, and 24 patients with the glottis
      open in at least one CT acquisition. Lung inspiratory (Vinsp) and expiratory
      (Vexp) volumes were automatically computed and lung DeltaV was calculated using
      the following formula: (Vinsp - Vexp)/Vinsp * 100. Two radiologists manually
      measured the anteroposterior diameter and cross-sectional area of the trachea 1
      cm above the aortic arch and 1 cm above the carina. Tracheal collapse was then
      calculated and correlated with lung DeltaV. RESULTS: In the 40 patients, the
      correlations between tracheal Deltaanteroposterior diameter and Deltacross
      sectional area at each level and lung DeltaV ranged between 0.68 and 0.74 (rho)
      at Spearman rank correlation test. However, in the closed glottis group, the
      correlations were higher for all measures at the two levels (rho range: 0.84
      0.90), whereas in the open glottis group, correlations were low and not
      statistically significant (rho range: 0.29-0.34) at the upper level, and moderate
      at the lower level (rho range: 0.51-0.55). CONCLUSIONS: A closed or open glottis
      influences the tracheal size change in inspiratory and expiratory CT scans. With
      closed glottis, the tracheal collapse shows a stronger correlation with the lung
      volume difference between inspiratory and expiratory CT scans.

PMID- 28341411
TI  - Oligoprogression: What Radiologists Need to Know About This Emerging Concept in
      Cancer Therapeutic Decision-making.

PMID- 28341413
TI  - A Response to Skerl et al. (2016).

PMID- 28341412
TI  - Dorsal Muscle Attenuation May Predict Failure to Respond to Interleukin-2 Therapy
      in Metastatic Renal Cell Carcinoma.
AB  - RATIONALE AND OBJECTIVES: To explore whether the sarcopenia body type can help
      predict response to interleukin-2 (IL-2) therapy in metastatic renal cell
      carcinoma (RCC). MATERIALS AND METHODS: Institutional review board approval was
      obtained for this Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act-compliant
      retrospective cohort study of 75 subjects with metastatic RCC who underwent
      pretreatment contrast-enhanced computed tomography within 1 year of initiating IL
      2 therapy. Cross-sectional area and attenuation of normal-density (31-100
      Hounsfield units [HU]) and low-density (0-30 HU) dorsal muscles were obtained at
      the T11 vertebral level. The primary outcome was partial or complete response to
      IL-2 using RECIST 1.1 criteria at 6 weeks. A conditional inference tree was used
      to determine an optimal HU cutoff for predicting outcome. Bonferroni-adjusted
      multivariate logistic regression was conducted to investigate the independent
      associations between imaging features and response after controlling for
      demographics, doses of IL-2, and RCC prognostic scales (eg, Heng and the Memorial
      Sloan Kettering Cancer Center [MSKCC]). RESULTS: Most subjects had intermediate
      prognosis by Heng (65% [49 of 75]) and the MSKCC (63% [47 of 75]) criteria; 7%
      had complete response and 12% had partial response. Mean attenuation of low
      density dorsal muscles was a significant univariate predictor of IL-2 response
      after Bonferroni correction (P = 0.03). The odds of responding to treatment were
      5.8 times higher for subjects with higher-attenuation low-density dorsal muscles
      (optimal cutoff: 18.1 HU). This persisted in multivariate analysis (P = 0.02).
      Body mass index (P = 0.67) and the Heng (P = 0.22) and MSKCC (P = 0.08) clinical
      prognostic scales were not significant predictors of response. CONCLUSIONS: Mean
      cross-sectional attenuation of low-density dorsal muscles (ie, sarcopenia) may
      predict IL-2 response in metastatic RCC. Clinical variables are poor predictors
      of response.

PMID- 28341414
TI  - Myocardial Extracellular Volume Is Not Associated With Malignant Ventricular
      Arrhythmias in High-risk Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy.
AB  - INTRODUCTION AND OBJECTIVES: Myocardial interstitial fibrosis, a hallmark of
      hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM), has been proposed as an arrhythmic substrate.
      Fibrosis is associated with increased extracellular volume (ECV), which can be
      quantified by computed tomography (CT). We aimed to analyze the association
      between CT-determined ECV and malignant ventricular arrhythmias. METHODS: A
      retrospective case-control observational study was conducted in HCM patients with
      implantable cardioverter-defibrillator, undergoing a CT-protocol with continuous
      iodine contrast infusion to determine equilibrium ECV. Left ventricular septal
      and lateral CT-determined ECV was compared between prespecified cases (malignant
      arrhythmia any time before CT scan) and controls (no prior malignant arrhythmias)
      and among ECV tertiles. RESULTS: A total of 78 implantable cardioverter
      defibrillator HCM patients were included; 24 were women, with a mean age of 52.1
      +/- 15.6 years. Mean ECV +/- standard deviation in the septal left ventricular
      wall and was 29.8% +/- 6.3% in cases (n = 24) vs 31.9% +/- 8.5% in controls (n =
      54); P = .282. Mean ECV in the lateral wall was 24.5% +/- 6.8% in cases vs 28.2%
      +/- 7.4% in controls; P = .043. On comparison of the entire population according
      to septal ECV tertiles, no significant differences were found in the number of
      patients receiving appropriate shocks. Conversely, we found a trend (P = .056)
      for a higher number of patients receiving appropriate shocks in the lateral ECV
      lowest tertile. CONCLUSIONS: Extracellular volume was not increased in
      implantable cardioverter-defibrillator HCM patients with malignant ventricular
      arrhythmias vs those without arrhythmias. Our findings do not support the use of
      ECV (a surrogate of diffuse fibrosis) as a predictor of arrhythmias in high-risk
      HCM patients.

PMID- 28341416
TI  - A physiologically-oriented transcriptomic analysis of the midgut of Tenebrio
      molitor.
AB  - Physiological data showed that T. molitor midgut is buffered at pH 5.6 at the two
      anterior thirds and at 7.9 at the posterior third. Furthermore, water is absorbed
      and secreted at the anterior and posterior midgut, respectively, driving a midgut
      counter flux of fluid. To look for the molecular mechanisms underlying these
      phenomena and nutrient absorption as well, a transcriptomic approach was used.
      For this, 11 types of transporters were chosen from the midgut transcriptome
      obtained by pyrosequencing (Roche 454). After annotation with the aid of
      databanks and manual curation, the sequences were validated by RT-PCR. The
      expression level of each gene at anterior, middle and posterior midgut and
      carcass (larva less midgut) was evaluated by RNA-seq taking into account
      reference sequences based on 454 contigs and reads obtained by Illumina
      sequencing. The data showed that sugar and amino acid uniporters and symporters
      are expressed along the whole midgut. In the anterior midgut are found
      transporters for NH3 and NH4+ that with a chloride channel may be responsible for
      acidifying the lumen. At the posterior midgut, bicarbonate-Cl- antiporter with
      bicarbonate supplied by carbonic anhydrase may alkalinize the lumen. Water
      absorption caused mainly by an anterior Na+-K+-2Cl- symporter and water secretion
      caused by a posterior K+-Cl- may drive the midgut counter flux. Transporters that
      complement the action of those described were also found.

PMID- 28341417
TI  - Poor knowledge of age-related fertility decline and assisted reproduction among
      healthcare professionals.
AB  - Reproduction is a matter of concern for individuals and society due to the
      postponement of childbearing, and healthcare professionals are the main source of
      information and counselling. This study aims to evaluate how knowledgeable
      healthcare professionals are about fertility and assisted reproduction, and to
      explore attitudes towards social oocyte freezing. A cross-sectional study was
      performed with 201 professionals (gynaecologists, physicians and nurses) from
      four public centres in Spain. Participants completed a survey about fertility,
      IVF, oocyte donation (OD) and social oocyte freezing, between May 2013 and March
      2014. Reported mean age limits for pregnancy were 39.5 +/- 4.5 (spontaneously),
      43.7 +/- 5.2 (IVF) and 49.0 +/- 6.5 (OD). Gynaecologists reported a younger limit
      for spontaneous and IVF pregnancies (P < 0.001); 36.1% reported a limit for a
      spontaneous pregnancy >39, compared with 77.3% of other physicians and 72.9% of
      nurses. Regarding social oocyte freezing, 41.8% of gynaecologists thought it
      should be offered to every young woman, versus 62.7% of other physicians and
      48.9% of nurses (P = 0.041). In conclusion, gynaecologists are more knowledgeable
      about fertility and assisted reproduction, while more restrictive towards social
      oocyte freezing. Knowledge and attitudes could influence the quality of
      information and counselling given to patients.

PMID- 28341415
TI  - Diuretic Strategies in Acute Heart Failure and Renal Dysfunction: Conventional vs
      Carbohydrate Antigen 125-guided Strategy. Clinical Trial Design.
AB  - INTRODUCTION AND OBJECTIVES: The optimal treatment of patients with acute heart
      failure (AHF) and cardiorenal syndrome type 1 (CRS-1) is far from being well
      defined. Arterial hypoperfusion in concert with venous congestion plays a crucial
      role in the pathophysiology of CRS-I. Plasma carbohydrate antigen 125 (CA125) has
      emerged as a surrogate of fluid overload in AHF. The aim of this study was to
      evaluate the clinical usefulness of CA125 for tailoring the intensity of diuretic
      therapy in patients with CRS-1. METHODS: Multicenter, open-label, parallel
      clinical trial, in which patients with AHF and serum creatinine >= 1.4mg/dL on
      admission will be randomized to: a) standard diuretic strategy: titration-based
      on conventional clinical and biochemical evaluation, or b) diuretic strategy
      based on CA125: high dose if CA125 > 35 U/mL, and low doses otherwise. The main
      endpoint will be renal function changes at 24 and 72hours after therapy
      initiation. Secondary endpoints will include: a) clinical and biochemical changes
      at 24 and 72hours, and b) renal function changes and major clinical events at 30
      days. RESULTS: The results of this study will add important knowledge on the
      usefulness of CA125 for guiding diuretic treatment in CRS-1. In addition, it will
      pave the way toward a better knowledge of the pathophysiology of this challenging
      situation. CONCLUSIONS: We hypothesize that higher levels of CA125 will identify
      a patient population with CRS-1 who could benefit from the use of a more intense
      diuretic strategy. Conversely, low levels of this glycoprotein could select those
      patients who would be harmed by high diuretic doses.

PMID- 28341418
TI  - A novel Y chromosome microdeletion potentially associated with defective
      spermatogenesis identified by custom array comparative genome hybridization.
AB  - Male infertility is a major health problem worldwide. Oligospermia and
      azoospermia are the most common symptoms of this disorder. Despite recent
      advances, the aetiopathogenesis of defective spermatogenesis remains largely
      uncertain. The aim of this study is to discover unknown or novel chromosome
      aberrations associated with male reproductive failure. We developed a high
      resolution custom array comparative genomic hybridization for initial screening
      of copy number variations in 10 patients with idiopathic oligozoospermia and
      azoospermia and eight normal fertile men. We found that deletions were mainly
      located in the deleted-in-azoospermia subregion and were confined to patients.
      More importantly, an interesting microdeletion of the Y chromosome designated as
      D01 was detected in four out of 10 patients with oligozoospermia and azoospermia.
      We validated this recurrent deletion in nine out of 100 additional infertile men
      using polymerase chain reaction assays, whereas, it was not present in 100 proven
      fertile controls(P = 0.002). Furthermore, a bioinformatics analysis demonstrated
      that the 5' terminal of D01 is situated proximal to several conserved
      transcription factor binding sites within the Y chromosome. Our study indicated
      that this newly identified Y chromosome deletion might be potentially associated
      with impaired spermatogenesis and it is worthy of further investigations in
      larger cohorts.

PMID- 28341420
TI  - Brain metastasization of breast cancer.
AB  - Central nervous system metastases have been reported in 15-25% of breast cancer
      patients, and the incidence is increasing. Moreover, the survival of these
      patients is generally poor, with reports of a 1-year survival rate of 20%.
      Therefore, a better knowledge about the determinants of brain metastasization is
      essential for the improvement of the clinical outcomes. Here, we summarize the
      current data about the metastatic cascade, ranging from the output of cancer
      cells from the primary tumour to their colonization in the brain, which involves
      the epithelial-mesenchymal transition, invasion of mammary tissue, intravasation
      into circulation, and homing into and extravasation towards the brain. The
      phenotypic change in malignant cells, and the importance of the microenvironment
      in the formation of brain metastases are also inspected. Finally, the importance
      of genetic and epigenetic changes, and the recently disclosed effects of
      microRNAs in brain metastasization of breast cancer are highlighted.

PMID- 28341421
TI  - Mutations, evolution and the central role of a self-defined fitness function in
      the initiation and progression of cancer.
AB  - The origin and progression of cancer is widely viewed as "somatic evolution"
      driven by the accumulation of random genetic changes. This theoretical model,
      however, neglects fundamental conditions for evolution by natural selection,
      which include competition for survival and a local environmental context. Recent
      observations that the mutational burden in different cancers can vary by 2 orders
      of magnitude and that multiple mutations, some of which are "oncogenic," are
      observed in normal tissue suggests these neglected Darwinian dynamics may play a
      critical role in modifying the evolutionary consequences of molecular events.
      Here we discuss evolutionary principles in normal tissue focusing on the
      dynamical tension between different evolutionary levels of selection. Normal
      somatic cells within metazoans do not ordinarily evolve because their survival
      and proliferation are governed by tissue signals and internal controls (e.g.
      telomere shortening) that maintain homeostatic function. The fitness of each cell
      is, thus, identical to the whole organism, which is the evolutionary level of
      selection. For a cell to evolve, it must acquire a self-defined fitness function
      so that its survival and proliferation is determined entirely by its own
      heritable phenotypic properties. Cells can develop independence from normal
      tissue control through randomly accumulating mutations that disrupt its ability
      to recognize or respond to all host signals. A self-defined fitness function can
      also be gained non-genetically when tissue control signals are lost due to
      injury, inflammation, or infection. Accumulating mutations in cells without a
      self-defined fitness function will produce no evolution - consistent with reports
      showing mutations, including some that would ordinarily be oncogenic, are present
      in cells from normal tissue. Furthermore, once evolution begins, Darwinian forces
      will promote mutations that increase fitness and eliminate those that do not.
      Thus, cancer cells will typically have a mutational burden similar to adjacent
      normal cells and many (perhaps most) mutations observed in cancer cells occurred
      prior to somatic evolution and may not contribute to the cell's malignant
      phenotype. This article is part of a Special Issue entitled: Evolutionary
      principles - heterogeneity in cancer?, edited by Dr. Robert A. Gatenby.

PMID- 28341422
TI  - Pyrolysis of waste tires: A modeling and parameter estimation study using Aspen
      Plus(r).
AB  - This paper presents a simulation flowsheet model of a waste tire pyrolysis
      process with feed capacity of 150kg/h. A kinetic rate-based reaction model is
      formulated in a form implementable in the simulation package Aspen Plus, giving
      the flowsheet model the capability to predict more than 110 tire pyrolysis
      products as reported in experiments by Laresgoiti et al. (2004) and Williams
      (2013) for the oil and gas products respectively. The simulation model is
      successfully validated in two stages: firstly against experimental data from
      Olazar et al. (2008) by comparing the mass fractions for the oil products (gas,
      liquids (non-aromatics), aromatics, and tar) at temperatures of 425, 500, 550 and
      610 degrees C, and secondly against experimental results of main hydrocarbon
      products (C7 to C15) obtained by Laresgoiti et al. (2004) at temperatures of 400,
      500, 600, and 700 degrees C. The model was then used to analyze the effect of
      pyrolysis process temperature and showed that increased temperatures led to chain
      fractions from C10 and higher to decrease while smaller chains increased; this is
      attributed to the extensive cracking of the larger hydrocarbon chains at higher
      temperatures. The utility of the flowsheet model was highlighted through an
      energy analysis that targeted power efficiency of the process determined through
      production profiles of gasoline and diesel at various temperatures. This shows,
      through the summation of the net power gain from the plant for gasoline plus
      diesel that the maximum net power lies at the lower temperatures corresponding to
      minimum production of gasoline and maximum production of diesel. This simulation
      model can thus serve as a robust tool to respond to market conditions that
      dictate fuel demand and prices while at the same time identifying optimum process
      conditions (e.g. temperature) driven by process economics.

PMID- 28341424
TI  - Swedish infant VUR trial.

PMID- 28341425
TI  - Proximal hypospadias repair with bladder mucosal graft: Our 10 years experience.
AB  - INTRODUCTION AND OBJECTIVE: A great variety of different surgical techniques has
      been described for proximal hypospadias repair and an ideal tissue has not been
      determined yet. We present our 10 years of surgical experience using a bladder
      mucosal graft for urethroplasty. STUDY DESIGN: Bladder mucosal graft
      urethroplasty was performed between 2005 and 2015 in 50 patients with severe
      proximal hypospadias. The mean age of patients was 45.1 months (range 24-164
      months). Hypospadias were perineal in 18 patients, scrotal in 22, and penoscrotal
      in 10. In all cases a chordee correction was performed and median time between
      the first and the second stages was 12 months (mean 17 months, range 4-68
      months). Both foley catheter and a suprapubic cystostomy were positioned and
      maintained for 2-4 weeks. Follow-up was performed at 1-3 and 6-12 months after
      surgery, and afterwards annually with clinical examination and flowmetry test.
      RESULTS: Mean follow-up was 5.3 years (median 5, range 1-10 years). Mean graft
      length was 57.4 mm (median 55 mm, range 35-85 mm). Among all the only early
      complication registered was a postoperative infection in one patient (2%) at the
      site of anastomosis. The long-term complications observed were urethrocutaneous
      fistula in nine patients (18%), urethral stricture in 15 patients (30%), meatal
      stricture in four patients (8%), and prolapse of meatus in seven patients (14%).
      The mean time of complication occurrence was 15 months (median 15.5 months, range
      1-96 months). The functional and cosmetic appearance after surgery was
      satisfactory in 42/50 patients (84%) during the follow-up period. DISCUSSION:
      There is still an open debate regarding the optimal surgical approach for
      management of severe proximal hypospadias. Compared with other approaches, our
      technique showed acceptable results even though encumbered by slightly higher
      complication rates. CONCLUSION: Our results show that bladder mucosal graft for
      primary severe proximal hypospadias in selected patients is a possible
      alternative to other commonly used techniques, with the aim of restoring recovery
      of the normal continuity of the distal urinary tract see figure below.

PMID- 28341426
TI  - Corrigendum to "Management of undescended testes: European Association of
      Urology/European Society for Paediatric Urology Guidelines" [J Pediatr Urol 12
      (2016) 335-343].

PMID- 28341427
TI  - Community-onset carbapenem-resistant Klebsiella pneumoniae urinary tract
      infections in infancy following NICU hospitalisation.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: Urinary tract infection (UTI) is a common bacterial infection in
      childhood with favourable outcome. However, the recent emergence of UTI caused by
      multidrug-resistant pathogens, such as carbapenem-resistant Enterobacteriaceae
      (CRE), has become a great concern worldwide. CRE are mainly responsible for
      nosocomial infections and community-onset CRE infections in healthy individuals
      are rare. OBJECTIVES: In this study, we report a series of infants without
      substantial genitourinary abnormalities that were admitted with community-onset
      urinary tract infections (UTIs) caused by carbapenem-resistant Klebsiella
      pneumoniae (CRKP) and we discuss their aetiology. METHODS: We retrospectively
      reviewed the medical records of nine infants who presented from community to the
      paediatric ward with CRKP urinary tract infections, as well as all affected
      neonates of a concomitant CRKP outbreak that occurred in the neonatal intensive
      care unit (NICU) in a tertiary hospital (period from April 2009 to July 2012). We
      further retrieved all culture-proven CRKP infections of any site from 2007 to
      2015 in our paediatric department. RESULTS: Over a 33-month period, nine infants,
      all males, aged 0.9-19.3 (median 4.0) months, were admitted to the Department of
      Paediatrics with UTI caused by CRKP. Three of them were diagnosed with urinary
      tract abnormalities but only one had vesicoureteral reflux (VUR), which was a UTI
      associated one. History revealed that they had all been hospitalised in the same
      NICU during a concurrent long-lasting CRKP outbreak for a median of 17 (2-275)
      days and thereafter presented with CRKP UTI 15 to 207 (median 41) days after NICU
      discharge. The antibiotic susceptibility and phenotypic characteristics were
      identical among all isolates in NICU and the paediatric ward. The summary Figure
      shows a timeline of NICU hospitalisation indicative of its duration and
      subsequent CRKP UTI of study participants is presented. CONCLUSIONS: These cases
      illustrate that UTI caused by multidrug-resistant pathogens does not necessarily
      imply an underlying urinary track anomaly. Hospital acquisition of CRKP may well
      provoke community-onset multidrug-resistant UTI in infants months later, and this
      highlights the value of detailed history in patients with unusual pathogens.
      Cautious use of broad-spectrum antibiotics in NICUs and infection control
      measures would minimise the spread of multidrug-resistant pathogens in infants in
      the community.

PMID- 28341428
TI  - Renal papillary necrosis in patients with sickle cell disease: How to recognize
      this 'forgotten' diagnosis.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: Renal papillary necrosis is not commonly seen in daily practice,
      but can have severe consequences when it is not diagnosed in time. It is known to
      be associated with sickle cell hemoglobinopathies; however a wide range of
      etiologies are possible, and it is therefore not the first diagnosis clinicians
      consider in patients with sickle cell disease who present with hematuria.
      METHODS: A literature search was performed to summarize the current knowledge
      about renal papillary necrosis associated with sickle cell disease. These
      findings are illustrated with a case of a 9-year old girl with sickle cell
      disease who was referred with painless gross hematuria. RESULTS: Typical
      radiologic signs for renal papillary necrosis are necrotic cavities that fill
      with contrast, small collections of contrast peripheral to the calyces in the
      papillary region (ball-on-tee sign), calcification of the papillary defect,
      filling defects, hydronephrosis, blunted papillary tip, clefts in the renal
      medulla filled with contrast, hyperattenuated medullary calcifications, non
      enhanced lesions surrounded by rings of excreted contrast, and clubbed calyces.
      DISCUSSION: This study focuses on the pathophysiology of renal papillary necrosis
      associated with sickle cell disease, the possible symptoms, as well as the
      diagnostic steps, with a special interest in particular presentation on old
      (retrograde pyelography) and new (computed tomography) gold standard in
      radiologic imaging, and the management for this pathology. CONCLUSION: This study
      aims to remind clinicians of this "forgotten" diagnosis and what signs to look
      for in pediatric patients with sickle cell disease who present with hematuria. In
      pediatric cases radiation protection is important, therefore knowing what
      radiologic signs can be found on retrograde pyelography can lead to early
      identification of this pathology without having to proceed to computed
      tomography.

PMID- 28341429
TI  - Survival following redo hepatectomy vs radiofrequency ablation for recurrent
      hepatocellular carcinoma: a systematic review and meta-analysis.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Redo hepatic resection (RHR) and radiofrequency ablation (RFA) are
      salvage treatment choices for recurrent hepatocellular carcinoma (RHCC). As yet,
      it is unclear as to which treatment modality is superior in terms of long term
      survival. The aim of this study was to compare the survival benefits and
      treatment efficacy of RHR and RFA for recurrent HCC. METHODS: A literature review
      using the EMBASE, Medline, Google scholar, and Cochrane databases was performed.
      Meta-analyses were performed using an inference of variance, random effects model
      for 1, 3 and 5-year Disease Free Survival (DFS) and Overall Survival (OS).
      Secondary outcomes were major morbidity and mortality. RESULTS: Five
      retrospective studies including 639 patients were eligible. Overall, there were
      no differences in 1, 3 and 5-year DFS or OS for patients undergoing RHR or RFA
      for recurrent HCC. Comparison between the two groups demonstrated similar 5-year
      DFS (HR 0.86, 95% CI 0.67-1.11, p = 0.250) and 5-year OS (HR 1.03, 95% CI 0.83
      1.27, p = 0.082). However, RFA had a lower morbidity rate (2%) compared with RHR
      (17%, p < 0.001). CONCLUSION: This study demonstrates, neither RHR nor RFA
      appeared to be superior in terms of DFS and OS. Well-constructed, randomised,
      multicenter trials will be required to determine if a true difference exists.

PMID- 28341433
TI  - Minimizing the impact of Joule heating as a prerequisite for the reliable
      analysis of metal-protein complexes by capillary electrophoresis.
AB  - Herein we report on a drastic release of metal ions from the Fe-bound
      transferrin, and Fe- or Mn-bound lactoferrin, observed upon the increase in the
      separation voltage during CE-based analysis. To verify whether this process is
      caused directly by electric field, we developed an Isothermal Voltage Increase
      approach (IVI), which is the extension of methods reported by Krylov et al. IVI
      ensures isothermal conditions while increasing separation voltage by a
      hydrodynamic pushing of the injected sample to the actively cooled capillary
      section, combined with a rationale choice of cooling temperature, dependent on
      the value of current. Interestingly, the application of IVI revealed that the
      previously observed effect was caused solely by the insufficient dissipation of
      Joule heating - the saturation of each protein remained unchanged despite a
      significant rise in the electric field. This outcome demonstrates how crucial is
      to ensure an effective temperature control for preventing systematic errors in
      the analysis of biomolecular complexes. IVI seems also to be a simple and useful
      tool for discovering new potential processes that may be stimulated directly by
      electric field.

PMID- 28341432
TI  - Development, validation and evaluation of an analytical method for the
      determination of monomeric and oligomeric procyanidins in apple extracts.
AB  - There is a lack of data for individual oligomeric procyanidins in apples and
      apple extracts. Our aim was to develop, validate and evaluate an analytical
      method for the separation, identification and quantification of monomeric and
      oligomeric flavanols in apple extracts. To achieve this, we prepared two types of
      flavanol extracts from freeze-dried apples; one was an epicatechin-rich extract
      containing ~30% (w/w) monomeric (-)-epicatechin which also contained oligomeric
      procyanidins (Extract A), the second was an oligomeric procyanidin-rich extract
      depleted of epicatechin (Extract B). The parameters considered for method
      optimisation were HPLC columns and conditions, sample heating, mass of extract
      and dilution volumes. The performance characteristics considered for method
      validation included standard linearity, method sensitivity, precision and
      trueness. Eight laboratories participated in the method evaluation.
      Chromatographic separation of the analytes was best achieved utilizing a Hilic
      column with a binary mobile phase consisting of acidic acetonitrile and acidic
      aqueous methanol. The final method showed linearity for epicatechin in the range
      5-100MUg/mL with a correlation co-efficient >0.999. Intra-day and inter-day
      precision of the analytes ranged from 2 to 6% and 2 to 13% respectively. Up to
      dp3, trueness of the method was >95% but decreased with increasing dp. Within
      laboratory precision showed RSD values <5 and 10% for monomers and oligomers,
      respectively. Between laboratory precision was 4 and 15% (Extract A) and 7 and
      30% (Extract B) for monomers and oligomers, respectively. An analytical method
      for the separation, identification and quantification of procyanidins in an apple
      extract was developed, validated and assessed. The results of the inter
      laboratory evaluation indicate that the method is reliable and reproducible.

PMID- 28341434
TI  - Trends in maxillofacial imaging.
AB  - Maxillofacial imaging encompasses radiology of the teeth and jaws, including the
      temporomandibular joints. Modalities used include intra-oral radiographs,
      panoramic tomography, cephalograms, cone-beam computed tomography, computed
      tomography, magnetic resonance imaging, ultrasound, and radionuclide imaging.
      Common indications for imaging are impacted and supernumerary teeth, dental
      implants, inflammatory dental disease, and fibro-osseous lesions, cysts, and
      masses of the jaws. Osteonecrosis of the jaws may follow radiotherapy or the use
      of bisphosphonates and other drugs. Imaging of the temporomandibular joints and
      the potential role of imaging in obstructive sleep apnoea are also discussed.

PMID- 28341435
TI  - The visceral brain: Bipolar disorder and microbiota.

PMID- 28341436
TI  - Optimal dosage and duration of pivmecillinam treatment for uncomplicated lower
      urinary tract infections: a systematic review and meta-analysis.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: To compare the efficacy and safety of different pivmecillinam (PIV)
      regimes for uncomplicated lower urinary tract infections (UTIs). METHODS: The
      MEDLINE, Embase, and Cochrane Library databases were searched. Randomized
      controlled clinical trials (RCTs) involving adults or children with symptoms
      suggestive of uncomplicated UTI and that compared different PIV regimes or PIV
      versus other antibiotics were included. Meta-analyses were conducted to obtain
      direct and indirect efficacy estimates. PIV regimes were categorized into high
      total dosage, moderate total dosage, and low total dosage. The risk of bias was
      evaluated using the Cochrane tool. RESULTS: Twenty-four RCTs were identified. No
      difference in clinical cure was found for the high vs. moderate (short-term: risk
      ratio (RR) 1.01, p=0.813; long term: RR 1.09, p=0.174) or high vs. low dosage
      comparisons (mean difference 0, 95% confidence interval -0.44 to 0.45, p=1). For
      bacteriological cure, comparisons of high vs. moderate dosage (short term: RR
      1.05, p=0.056; long term: RR 1.05, p=0.131) and high vs. low dosage (short term:
      RR 1.02, p=0.759; long term: RR 1.13, p=0.247) showed a trend in favor of the
      high dosage treatment. Results for relapse, re-infection, and failure were
      inconclusive and not statistically significant. Patients treated with high
      dosages were 40% (p=0.062) and 44% (p=0.293) more likely to report mild to
      moderate adverse events. CONCLUSIONS: There is insufficient evidence to support
      the use of an optimal combination of dosage, frequency, and duration of PIV
      therapy for the treatment of uncomplicated lower UTI. Evidence is limited due to
      the high risk of bias, poor reporting, and heterogeneous study data.

PMID- 28341440
TI  - Optimization and testing of dried antibody tube: The EuroFlow LST and PIDOT tubes
      as examples.
AB  - Within EuroFlow, we recently developed screening tubes for hematological
      malignancies and immune deficiencies. Pipetting of antibodies for such 8-color 12
      marker tubes however is time-consuming and prone to operational mistakes. We
      therefore evaluated dried formats of the lymphocytosis screening tube (LST) and
      of the primary immune deficiency orientation tube (PIDOT). Both tubes were
      evaluated on normal and/or on patient samples, comparing the mean fluorescence
      intensity of specific lymphocyte populations. Our data show that the dried tubes
      and liquid counterparts give highly comparable staining results, particularly
      when analyzed in multidimensional plots. In addition, the use of dried tubes may
      result in a reduced staining variability between different samples and thereby
      contributes to the generation of more robust data. Therefore, by using ready-to
      use reagents in a dried single test tube format, the laboratory efficiency and
      quality will be improved.

PMID- 28341439
TI  - Restoring pulmonary surfactant membranes and films at the respiratory surface.
AB  - Pulmonary surfactant is a complex of lipids and proteins assembled and secreted
      by the alveolar epithelium into the thin layer of fluid coating the respiratory
      surface of lungs. There, surfactant forms interfacial films at the air-water
      interface, reducing dramatically surface tension and thus stabilizing the air
      exposed interface to prevent alveolar collapse along respiratory mechanics. The
      absence or deficiency of surfactant produces severe lung pathologies. This review
      describes some of the most important surfactant-related pathologies, which are a
      cause of high morbidity and mortality in neonates and adults. The review also
      updates current therapeutic approaches pursuing restoration of surfactant
      operative films in diseased lungs, mainly through supplementation with exogenous
      clinical surfactant preparations. This article is part of a Special Issue
      entitled: Membrane Lipid Therapy: Drugs Targeting Biomembranes edited by Pablo V.
      Escriba.

PMID- 28341437
TI  - Lipid functions in skin: Differential effects of n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids
      on cutaneous ceramides, in a human skin organ culture model.
AB  - Ceramides are important for skin health, with a multitude of species found in
      both dermis and epidermis. The epidermis contains linoleic acid-Ester-linked
      Omega-hydroxylated ceramides of 6-Hydroxy-sphingosine, Sphingosine and
      Phytosphingosine bases (CER[EOH], CER[EOS] and CER[EOP], respectively), that are
      crucial for the formation of the epidermal barrier, conferring protection from
      environmental factors and preventing trans-epidermal water loss. Furthermore, a
      large number of ceramides, derivatives of the same sphingoid bases and various
      fatty acids, are produced by dermal and epidermal cells and perform signalling
      roles in cell functions ranging from differentiation to apoptosis.
      Supplementation with the n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) eicosapentaenoic
      acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) have shown promise as therapeutic
      agents in a number of inflammatory skin conditions, altering the lipid profile of
      the skin and production of bioactive lipids such as the eicosanoids, docosanoids
      and endocannabinoids. In this study we wished to investigate whether EPA and DHA
      could also affect the ceramide profile in epidermis and dermis, and, in this way,
      contribute to formation of a robust lipid barrier and ceramide-mediated
      regulation of skin functions. Ex vivo skin explants were cultured for 6days, and
      supplemented with EPA or DHA (50MUM). Liquid chromatography coupled to tandem
      mass spectrometry with electrospray ionisation was used to assess the prevalence
      of 321 individual ceramide species, and a number of sphingoid bases,
      phosphorylated sphingoid bases, and phosphorylated ceramides, within the dermis
      and epidermis. EPA augmented dermal production of members of the ceramide
      families containing Non-hydroxy fatty acids and Sphingosine or Dihydrosphingosine
      bases (CER[NS] and CER[NDS], respectively), while epidermal CER[EOH], CER[EOS]
      and CER[EOP] ceramides were not affected. DHA did not significantly affect
      ceramide production. Ceramide-1-phosphate levels in the epidermis, but not the
      dermis, increased in response to EPA, but not DHA. This ex vivo study shows that
      dietary supplementation with EPA has the potential to alter the ceramide profile
      of the skin, and this may contribute to its anti-inflammatory profile. This has
      implications for formation of the epidermal lipid barrier, and signalling
      pathways within the skin mediated by ceramides and other sphingolipid species.
      This article is part of a Special Issue entitled: Membrane Lipid Therapy: Drugs
      Targeting Biomembranes edited by Pablo V. Escriba.

PMID- 28341442
TI  - Risk factors for postoperative delirium after colorectal operation.
AB  - BACKGROUND: A clear understanding of risk factors for postoperative delirium
      helps in the selection of individuals who might benefit from targeted
      perioperative intervention. The aim of this study was to identify risk factors
      for postoperative delirium after colorectal operation for malignancy. METHODS:
      All consecutive patients who underwent elective or emergency operation because of
      malignancy of the colon, sigmoid, or rectum between 2009 and 2012 were included
      in this study. Potential risk factors for postoperative delirium were selected
      based on previous studies. These candidate factors were analyzed using univariate
      and multivariate logistic regression analysis. Based on this analysis, odds
      ratios and 95% confidence intervals were estimated. RESULTS: A total of 436
      patients underwent an oncologic resection of the colon, sigmoid, or rectum.
      Postoperative delirium was observed in 45 (10.3%) patients. Patients with a
      delirium had a greater in-hospital mortality rate (8.9% vs 3.6%, P = .09), spent
      more days in the intensive care unit, and had a longer total hospital stay.
      Variables associated with postoperative delirium in univariate analyses were age,
      American Society of Anesthesiologists classification, blood transfusion, history
      of psychiatric disease, history of cerebrovascular disease, postoperative pain
      management, postoperative renal impairment, C-reactive protein levels, leukocyte
      blood count, and postoperative complications. Independent risk factors were
      history of psychiatric disease (odds ratio 8.38, 95% confidence interval: 1.50
      46.82), age (odds ratio 4.01, 95% confidence interval; 1.55-10.37), and
      perioperative blood transfusion (odds ratio 2.37, 95% confidence interval; 1.11
      5.06). CONCLUSION: This study shows that postoperative delirium is a frequently
      encountered complication after colorectal operation. Three independent risk
      factors for postoperative delirium were identified (history of psychiatric
      disease, age, and perioperative transfusion) that may contribute to risk
      estimation in this patient population.

PMID- 28341438
TI  - Engineering a Novel Porin OmpGF Via Strand Replacement from Computational
      Analysis of Sequence Motif.
AB  - beta-Barrelmembrane proteins (betaMPs) form barrel-shaped pores in the outer
      membrane of Gram-negative bacteria, mitochondria, and chloroplasts. Because of
      the robustness of their barrel structures, betaMPs have great potential as
      nanosensors for single-molecule detection. However, natural betaMPs currently
      employed have inflexible biophysical properties and are limited in their pore
      geometry, hindering their applications in sensing molecules of different sizes
      and properties. Computational engineering has the promise to generate betaMPs
      with desired properties. Here we report a method for engineering novel betaMPs
      based on the discovery of sequence motifs that predominantly interact with the
      cell membrane and appear in more than 75% of transmembrane strands. By replacing
      beta1-beta6 strands of the protein OmpF that lack these motifs with beta1-beta6
      strands of OmpG enriched with these motifs and computational verification of
      increased stability of its transmembrane section, we engineered a novel betaMP
      called OmpGF. OmpGF is predicted to form a monomer with a stable transmembrane
      region. Experimental validations showed that OmpGF could refold in vitro with a
      predominant beta-sheet structure, as confirmed by circular dichroism. Evidence of
      OmpGF membrane insertion was provided by intrinsic tryptophan fluorescence
      spectroscopy, and its pore-forming property was determined by a dye-leakage
      assay. Furthermore, single-channel conductance measurements confirmed that OmpGF
      function as a monomer and exhibits increased conductance than OmpG and OmpF.
      These results demonstrated that a novel and functional betaMP can be successfully
      engineered through strand replacement based on sequence motif analysis and
      stability calculation.

PMID- 28341441
TI  - Neoadjuvant therapy versus upfront surgery for resected pancreatic
      adenocarcinoma: A nationwide propensity score matched analysis.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Neoadjuvant therapy is an emerging paradigm in pancreatic cancer
      care; however, its role for resectable disease remains controversial in the
      absence of conclusive randomized controlled trials. The purpose of the present
      study is to assess the impact of neoadjuvant therapy on survival in resected
      pancreatic cancer patients by clinical stage. METHODS: A retrospective cohort
      study using the National Cancer Data Base from 2004 to 2012 including
      nonmetastatic pancreatic adenocarcinoma patients who underwent pancreatectomy and
      initiated chemotherapy. Propensity score matching within each stage was used to
      account for potential selection bias between patients undergoing neoadjuvant
      therapy and upfront surgery. Overall survival was compared by the Kaplan-Meier
      method. RESULTS: In the study, 1,541 and 7,159 patients received neoadjuvant
      therapy followed by surgery and upfront surgery succeeded by adjuvant therapy,
      respectively. In clinical stage III pancreatic cancer (n = 486), neoadjuvant
      therapy was associated with significant survival benefit after matching (median
      survival 22.9 vs 17.3 months; log-rank P < .0001) compared with conventional
      upfront surgery followed by adjuvant therapy; however, no survival difference was
      found between the 2 treatment sequences in patients with clinical stage I (n =
      3,149; median survival, 26.2 vs 25.7 months; P = .4418) and II (n = 5,065; median
      survival, 23.5 vs 23.0 months; P = .7751) disease after matching. CONCLUSION: The
      survival impact of neoadjuvant therapy is stage-dependent. Neoadjuvant therapy
      does not disadvantage survival compared with conventional upfront surgery
      followed by adjuvant therapy in any stage, and is associated with a significant
      survival advantage in stage III pancreatic cancer.

PMID- 28341443
TI  - High serum soluble tumor necrosis factor receptor 1 predicts poor treatment
      response in acute-stage schizophrenia.
AB  - Inflammation may be involved in the pathophysiology of schizophrenia. However,
      few cross-sectional or longitudinal studies have examined changes in biomarker
      expression to evaluate diagnostic and prognostic efficacy in acute-stage
      schizophrenia. We compared serum inflammatory biomarker concentrations in 87
      patients with acute-stage schizophrenia on admission to 105 age-, sex-, and body
      mass index (BMI)-matched healthy controls. The measured biomarkers were soluble
      tumor necrosis factor receptor 1 (sTNFR1) and adiponectin, which are associated
      with inflammatory responses, and pigment epithelium-derived factor (PEDF), which
      has anti-inflammatory properties. We then investigated biomarker concentrations
      and associations with clinical factors in 213 patients (including 42 medication
      free patients) and 110 unmatched healthy controls to model conditions typical of
      clinical practice. Clinical symptoms were assessed using the Brief Psychiatric
      Rating Scale and Global Assessment of Function. In 121 patients, biomarker levels
      and clinical status were evaluated at both admission and discharge. Serum sTNFR1
      was significantly higher in patients with acute-stage schizophrenia compared to
      matched controls while no significant group differences were observed for the
      other markers. Serum sTNFR1 was also significantly higher in the 213 patients
      compared to unmatched controls. The 42 unmedicated patients had significantly
      lower PEDF levels compared to controls. Between admission and discharge, sTNFR1
      levels decreased significantly; however, biomarker changes did not correlate with
      clinical symptoms. The discriminant accuracy of sTNFR1 was 93.2% between controls
      and patients, showing no symptom improvement during care. Inflammation and a low
      level anti-inflammatory state may be involved in both schizophrenia pathogenesis
      and acute-stage onset. High serum sTNFR1 in the acute stage could be a useful
      prognostic biomarker for treatment response in clinical practice.

PMID- 28341444
TI  - The importance of TCF4 gene in the etiology of recurrent depressive disorders.
AB  - BACKGROUND: A recurrent depressive disorder is one of the most commonly diagnosed
      disease entities among psychiatric disorders. The prevalence and morbidity of
      depression are constantly increasing. Numerous studies have demonstrated the role
      of genetic factors in the etiology of depressive disorders. Many studies are
      being conducted to identify genes that predispose to depression. The purpose of
      this study was to investigate the role of TCF4 gene in the etiology of recurrent
      depressive disorders and, in particular, to assess expression of the TCF4 gene at
      the mRNA and protein level in patients with recurrent depressive disorders versus
      healthy individuals. MATERIAL AND METHODS: The examined population consisted of
      170 individuals suffering from depression and 90 healthy individuals. The
      expressions of the TCF4 gene at the mRNA and protein level were assessed.
      RESULTS: Decreased TCF4 expression at the mRNA and protein level was found in
      patients with depressive disorder versus healthy individuals. Expression of the
      studied gene was not affected by the patients' sex and age. The statistical
      analysis also showed no correlation between the expression of TCF4 at the mRNA
      and protein level and the number of episodes or the severity of symptoms. Among
      the clinical manifestations of depression, only the duration of the illness
      correlated with the expression of TCF4 at the mRNA level. CONCLUSIONS: Expression
      of TCF4 at the mRNA and protein level may be significant in the pathomechanism of
      recurrent depressive disorder and it is not dependent on sex and age.

PMID- 28341445
TI  - Insulin promotes cell migration by regulating PSA-NCAM.
AB  - Cellular interactions with the extracellular environment are modulated by cell
      surface polysialic acid (PSA) carried by the neural cell adhesion molecule
      (NCAM). PSA-NCAM is involved in cellular processes such as differentiation,
      plasticity, and migration, and is elevated in Alzheimer's disease as well as in
      metastatic tumour cells. Our previous work demonstrated that insulin enhances the
      abundance of cell surface PSA by inhibiting PSA-NCAM endocytosis. In the present
      study we have identified a mechanism for insulin-dependent inhibition of PSA-NCAM
      turnover affecting cell migration. Insulin enhanced the phosphorylation of the
      focal adhesion kinase leading to dissociation of alphav-integrin/PSA-NCAM
      clusters, and promoted cell migration. Our results show that alphav-integrin
      plays a key role in the PSA-NCAM turnover process. alphav-integrin knockdown
      stopped PSA-NCAM from being endocytosed, and alphav-integrin/PSA-NCAM clusters co
      labelled intracellularly with Rab5, altogether indicating a role for alphav
      integrin as a carrier for PSA-NCAM during internalisation. Furthermore,
      inhibition of p-FAK caused dissociation of alphav-integrin/PSA-NCAM clusters and
      counteracted the insulin-induced accumulation of PSA at the cell surface and cell
      migration was impaired. Our data reveal a functional association between the
      insulin/p-FAK-dependent regulation of PSA-NCAM turnover and cell migration
      through the extracellular matrix. Most importantly, they identify a novel
      mechanism for insulin-stimulated cell migration.

PMID- 28341446
TI  - PKR induces the expression of NLRP3 by regulating the NF-kappaB pathway in
      Porphyromonas gingivalis-infected osteoblasts.
AB  - The double-stranded RNA-dependent kinase (PKR), which is activated by double
      stranded RNA, induces inflammation by regulating NF-kappaB signaling. The NLR
      family pyrin domain-containing 3 (NLRP3) inflammasome also modulates inflammation
      in response to infection. Porphyromonas gingivalis (P.gingivalis) is an oral
      bacterium which is implicated in the pathogenesis of periodontal diseases. We
      previously reported that PKR is a key modulator of bone metabolism and
      inflammation in the periodontal tissue. PKR was also reported to induce
      inflammation in response to microbes by regulating the NLRP3 inflammasome,
      suggesting that PKR could affect inflammation along with NLRP3 in periodontal
      diseases. In this study, we investigated the effects of PKR on NLRP3 expression
      and NF-kappaB activity in P. gingivalis infected osteoblasts. We first
      constructed a SNAP26b-tagged P.gingivalis (SNAP-P. g.) and traced its
      internalization into the cell. SNAP-P. g. increased the activity of PKR and NF
      kappaB and also induced NLRP3 expression in osteoblasts. Inhibition of NF-kappaB
      attenuated SNAP-P. g.-induced NLRP3 expression. The knockdown of PKR using shRNA
      decreased both the activity of NF-kappaB and the expression of NLRP3 induced by
      SNAP-P.g.. We therefore concluded that in osteoblasts, P. gingivalis activated
      PKR, which in turn increased NLRP3 expression by activating NF-kappaB. Our
      results suggest that PKR modulates inflammation by regulating the expression of
      the NLRP3 inflammasome through the NF-kappaB pathway in periodontal diseases.

PMID- 28341447
TI  - Macrophage heterogeneity and energy metabolism.
AB  - Macrophages are versatile and multifunctional cell types present in most
      vertebrate tissues. They are the first line of defense against pathogens through
      phagocytosis of microbial infections, particles and dead cells. Macrophages
      harbor additional functions besides immune protection by participating in
      essential homeostatic and tissue development functions. The immune response
      requires a concomitant and coordinated regulation of the energetic metabolism. In
      this review, we will discuss how macrophages influence metabolic tissues and in
      turn how metabolic pathways, particularly glucose and lipid metabolism, affect
      macrophage phenotypes.

PMID- 28341448
TI  - The Drosophila DOCK family protein Sponge is required for development of the air
      sac primordium.
AB  - Dedicator of cytokinesis (DOCK) family genes are known as DOCK1-DOCK11 in
      mammals. DOCK family proteins mainly regulate actin filament polymerization
      and/or depolymerization and are GEF proteins, which contribute to cellular
      signaling events by activating small G proteins. Sponge (Spg) is a Drosophila
      counterpart to mammalian DOCK3/DOCK4, and plays a role in embryonic central
      nervous system development, R7 photoreceptor cell differentiation, and adult
      thorax development. In order to conduct further functional analyses on Spg in
      vivo, we examined its localization in third instar larval wing imaginal discs.
      Immunostaining with purified anti-Spg IgG revealed that Spg mainly localized in
      the air sac primordium (ASP) in wing imaginal discs. Spg is therefore predicted
      to play an important role in the ASP. The specific knockdown of Spg by the
      breathless-GAL4 driver in tracheal cells induced lethality accompanied with a
      defect in ASP development and the induction of apoptosis. The monitoring of ERK
      signaling activity in wing imaginal discs by immunostaining with anti-diphospho
      ERK IgG revealed reductions in the ERK signal cascade in Spg knockdown clones.
      Furthermore, the overexpression of D-raf suppressed defects in survival and the
      proliferation of cells in the ASP induced by the knockdown of Spg. Collectively,
      these results indicate that Spg plays a critical role in ASP development and
      tracheal cell viability that is mediated by the ERK signaling pathway.

PMID- 28341450
TI  - Oral Surgery in Patients With Glanzmann Thrombasthenia: A Case Series.
AB  - Glanzmann thrombasthenia is a severe defect of platelet function caused by an
      inherited deficiency or dysfunction of the glycoprotein IIb/IIIa complex, the
      platelet fibrinogen receptor. Patients with Glanzmann thrombasthenia experience
      lifelong spontaneous and post-traumatic mucocutaneous bleeding diathesis. Surgery
      is usually very challenging, requiring close cooperation among surgeons,
      hematologists, and anesthesiologists. For anatomic reasons, oral surgery is
      particularly difficult owing to the inherent risk of hemorrhage and the
      difficulty in achieving local hemostasis. In the present report, we describe 3
      successful cases of oral surgery in patients with Glanzmann thrombasthenia and
      report the surgical and hematologic management of each case.

PMID- 28341449
TI  - Do Antibiotics Decrease the Risk of Inflammatory Complications After Third Molar
      Removal in Community Practices?
AB  - PURPOSE: The role of antibiotic use in third molar (M3) surgery is controversial.
      The purpose of this study was to measure the association between antibiotic use
      and postoperative inflammatory complications after M3 surgery in the community
      office-based ambulatory private practice setting. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The
      authors designed and implemented a prospective cohort study and enrolled a sample
      composed of patients who had at least one M3 removed in a private practice
      setting by oral and maxillofacial surgeons participating in a practice-based
      research collaborative from June 2011 through May 2012. The predictor variable
      was antibiotic use of any type, categorized as yes or no. The primary outcome
      variable was the presence or absence of an inflammatory complication,
      specifically surgical site infection (SSI) or alveolar osteitis (AO), after M3
      removal. Descriptive, bivariate, and multiple logistic regression statistics were
      computed to measure the association between antibiotic use and inflammatory
      complications after M3 removal, with statistical significance set at a P value
      less than or equal to .05. RESULTS: The study sample was composed of 2,954
      patients. Three fourths (75.2%) of the sample received antibiotics in some form.
      The overall inflammatory complication (AO or SSI) frequencies in the antibiotic
      and nonantibiotic groups were 5.0 and 7.5%, respectively (P = .012). After
      adjusting for differences between the two groups, statistical significance
      between the groups persisted. CONCLUSIONS: The results of this study suggest that
      antibiotic therapy, regardless of type, dose, frequency, or pattern of delivery,
      is associated with a decreased risk of inflammatory complications after M3
      removal.

PMID- 28341451
TI  - Is Treating Oral and Maxillofacial Trauma Profitable? An Analysis of Hospital and
      Surgeon Reimbursement at an Academic Medical Center.
AB  - PURPOSE: During the past 2 decades, there has been a marked decrease in the
      willingness of community-based oral and maxillofacial surgeons to participate in
      trauma call. Although many factors can influence the decision not to take trauma
      call, 1 primary disincentive is the perception that managing facial trauma might
      be profitable for the hospital, but not profitable for the surgeon. The purpose
      of this study was to compare the profitability of facial trauma management for
      the hospital and the surgeon at the Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU)
      Medical Center (Richmond, VA). MATERIALS AND METHODS: In this retrospective
      cohort study, records were collected for patients who were seen for primary
      trauma management by the Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery at VCU
      (VCUOMS) from June 2011 through July 2014. Cost and reimbursement data were
      analyzed for these patients from the VCU Health System (VCUHS) and the VCUOMS.
      For the hospital, actual cost data were provided; for the surgeon, cost was
      calculated based on an average overhead of 50%. For uniformity, patients were
      excluded if they remained in the hospital for longer than a 23-hour observation
      period. Patients younger than 18 years also were excluded. RESULTS: In total, 169
      patients met the inclusion criteria. There was a statistically relevant
      difference in the percentage of costs recouped and the actual profit. The average
      percentage of costs recouped was 230% for the VCUHS versus 47% for the VCUOMS.
      This amounts to an average profit per case of $3,461 for the hospital versus a
      loss of $1,162 for the surgeon. CONCLUSIONS: The results of this study indicate
      that in the VCU Medical Center, maxillofacial trauma yields a net profit for the
      hospital and a net loss for the operating surgeon. Although the results are
      limited to outpatient management at 1 academic institution, they suggest that
      hospitals in some settings might be in a position to incentivize surgeons for
      trauma management.

PMID- 28341456
TI  - Two distinct CXC chemokine receptors (CXCR3 and CXCR4) from the big-belly
      seahorse Hippocampus abdominalis: Molecular perspectives and immune defensive
      role upon pathogenic stress.
AB  - CXC chemokine receptor 3 (CXCR3) and 4 (CXCR4) are members of the seven
      transmembrane G protein coupled receptor family, involved in pivotal
      physiological functions. In this study, seahorse CXCR3 and CXCR4 (designated as
      HaCXCR3 and HaCXCR4) cDNA sequences were identified from the transcriptome
      library and subsequently molecularly characterized. HaCXCR3 and HaCXCR4 encoded
      363 and 373 amino acid long polypeptides, respectively. The HaCXCR3 and HaCXCR4
      deduced proteins have typical structural features of chemokine receptors,
      including seven transmembrane domains and a G protein coupled receptors family 1
      profile with characteristic DRY motifs. Amino acid sequence comparison and
      phylogenetic analysis of these two CXC chemokine receptors revealed a close
      relationship to their corresponding teleost counterparts. Quantitative real time
      PCR analysis revealed that HaCXCR3 and HaCXCR4 were ubiquitously expressed in all
      the tested tissues, with highest expression levels in blood cells. The seahorse
      blood cells and kidney HaCXCR3 and HaCXCR4 mRNA expressions were differently
      modulated when challenged with Edwardsiella tarda, Streptococcus iniae,
      lipopolysaccharide, and polyinosinic:polycytidylic acid, confirming their
      involvement in post immune responses.

PMID- 28341457
TI  - Thyroid hormone transport across L-type amino acid transporters: What can
      molecular modelling tell us?
AB  - Thyroid hormones (THs) and their derivatives require transmembrane transporters
      (TTs) to mediate their translocation across the cell membrane. Among these TTs,
      the L-type amino acid transporters (LAT) not only transport amino acids (AAs) but
      also certain THs and their derivatives. This review summarizes available
      knowledge concerning structure function patterns of the TH transport by LAT1 and
      LAT2. For example, LAT2 imports 3,3'-T2 and T3, but not rT3 and T4. In contrast
      to amino acids, THs are not at all exported by LAT2. Homology modelling of LAT1
      and LAT2 is based on available crystal structures from the same superfamily the
      amino acid/polyamine/organocation transporter (APC). Molecular model guided
      mutagenesis has been used to predict substrate interaction sites. A common
      recognition feature for amino acid- and TH-derivatives has been suggested in an
      interior cavity of LAT1 and LAT2. Therein additional distinct molecular
      determinants that are responsible for the bidirectional AA transport but allowing
      only unidirectional import of particular THs have been confirmed for LAT2 by
      mutagenesis. Characterized substrate features that are needed for TH
      translocation and distinct LAT2 properties will be highlighted to understand the
      molecular import and export mechanisms of this transporter in more detail.

PMID- 28341458
TI  - Not just a woman's business! Understanding men and women's knowledge of HPV, the
      HPV vaccine, and HPV-associated cancers.
AB  - Few studies have included men when assessing differences in knowledge about HPV,
      and HPV-associated cancers. We examined gender differences in knowledge about
      HPV, HPV vaccine, and HPV-associated cancers. Multivariable logistic regression
      models were used to analyze data of 3,677 survey respondents aged 18 years and
      older from the 2014 Health Information National Trends Survey. Covariates
      included age, race/ethnicity, marital status, education, income level, regular
      provider, general health, internet use, and family structure aged 9 to 27 years.
      Analyses were conducted in 2015. Sixty-four percent of respondents had heard of
      HPV and the HPV vaccine. Seventy-eight percent of respondents knew HPV causes
      cervical cancer, but only 29% knew it causes penile cancer, 26% knew it causes
      anal cancer, and 30% knew it causes oral cancer. In multivariable analyses, males
      were less likely to have heard of HPV (aOR: 0.33; 95% CI: 0.25-0.45), and less
      likely to have heard of the HPV vaccine (aOR: 0.24; 95% CI: 0.18-0.32) compared
      to females. No differences existed between males and females regarding knowledge
      about HPV-associated cancers. In conclusion, knowledge of HPV, the vaccine, and
      HPV-associated cancers in both males and females in the United States remains
      very low, especially among men.

PMID- 28341459
TI  - Does where you shop or who you are predict what you eat?: The role of stores and
      individual characteristics in dietary intake.
AB  - Interventions to address diet, a modifiable risk factor for diabetes, cancer, and
      cardiovascular disease, have increasingly emphasized the influence of the
      physical environment on diet, while more traditional approaches have focused on
      individual characteristics. We examined environmental and individual influences
      on diet to understand the role of both. Household interviews were conducted in
      2011 with 1372 individuals randomly selected from two low-income, predominantly
      African American neighborhoods in Pittsburgh, PA. Participants reported their
      sociodemographic characteristics, food shopping behavior, and dietary intake.
      Both food shopping frequency at different types of food stores and
      sociodemographic characteristics showed significant associations with diet in
      adjusted regression models. More frequent shopping at convenience and
      neighborhood stores and being younger, male, without a college degree, and
      receiving SNAP benefits were associated with greater intake of sugar-sweetened
      beverages (SSBs), added sugars, and discretionary fats. Being older, male, and
      having a college degree were associated with greater intake of fruits and
      vegetables. However, while food shopping behavior and sociodemographic
      characteristics accounted for similar amounts of nonoverlapping variance in fruit
      and vegetable intake, food shopping behavior accounted for much less variance,
      and little unique variance, in SSBs, added sugars, and discretionary fats in
      models with sociodemographic characteristics. The current study reinforces the
      need for policies and interventions at both the environmental and individual
      levels to improve diet in food desert residents. Individual interventions to
      address food choices associated with certain sociodemographic characteristics
      might be particularly important for curbing intake of SSBs, added sugars, and
      discretionary fats.

PMID- 28341461
TI  - Sequential therapy of anti-Nogo-A antibody treatment and treadmill training leads
      to cumulative improvements after spinal cord injury in rats.
AB  - Intense training is the most clinically successful treatment modality following
      incomplete spinal cord injuries (SCIs). With the advent of plasticity enhancing
      treatments, understanding how treatments might interact when delivered in
      combination becomes critical. Here, we investigated a rational approach to
      sequentially combine treadmill locomotor training with antibody mediated
      suppression of the fiber growth inhibitory protein Nogo-A. Following a large but
      incomplete thoracic lesion, rats were immediately treated with either anti-Nogo-A
      or control antibody (2weeks) and then either left untrained or step-trained
      starting 3weeks after injury for 8weeks. It was found that sequentially combined
      therapy improved step consistency and reduced toe dragging and climbing errors,
      as seen with training and anti-Nogo-A individually. Animals with sequential
      therapy also adopted a more parallel paw position during bipedal walking and
      showed greater overall quadrupedal locomotor recovery than individual treatments.
      Histologically, sequential therapy induced the greatest corticospinal tract
      sprouting caudally into the lumbar region and increased the number of
      serotonergic synapses onto lumbar motoneurons. Increased primary afferent
      sprouting and synapse formation onto lumbar motoneurons observed with anti-Nogo-A
      antibody were reduced by training. Animals with sequential therapy also showed
      the highest reduction of lumbar interneuronal activity associated with walking (c
      fos expression). No treatment effects for thermal nociception, mechanical
      allodynia, or lesion volume were observed. The results demonstrate that
      sequential administration of anti-Nogo-A antibody followed in time with intensive
      locomotor training leads to superior recovery of lost locomotor functions, which
      is probably mediated by changes in the interaction between descending sprouting
      and local segmental networks after SCI.

PMID- 28341460
TI  - Cortical adrenoceptor expression, function and adaptation under conditions of
      cannabinoid receptor deletion.
AB  - A neurochemical target at which cannabinoids interact to have global effects on
      behavior is brain noradrenergic circuitry. Acute and repeated administration of a
      cannabinoid receptor synthetic agonist is capable of increasing multiple indices
      of noradrenergic activity. This includes cannabinoid-induced 1) increases in
      norepinephrine (NE) release in the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC); 2)
      desensitization of cortical alpha2-adrenoceptor-mediated effects; 3) activation
      of c-Fos in brainstem locus coeruleus (LC) noradrenergic neurons; and 4)
      increases in anxiety-like behaviors. In the present study, we sought to examine
      adaptations in adrenoceptor expression and function under conditions of
      cannabinoid receptor type 1 (CB1r) deletion using knockout (KO) mice and compare
      these to wild type (WT) controls. Electrophysiological analysis of alpha2
      adrenoceptor-mediated responses in mPFC slices in WT mice showed a clonidine
      induced alpha2-adrenoceptor-mediated increase in mPFC cell excitability coupled
      with an increase in input resistance. In contrast, CB1r KO mice showed an alpha2
      adrenoceptor-mediated decrease in mPFC cell excitability. We then examined
      protein expression levels of alpha2- and beta1-adrenoceptor subtypes in the mPFC
      as well as TH expression in the locus coeruleus (LC) of mice deficient in CB1r.
      Both alpha2- and beta1-adrenoceptors exhibited a significant decrease in
      expression levels in CB1r KO mice when compared to WT in the mPFC, while a
      significant increase in TH was observed in the LC. To better define whether the
      same cortical neurons express alpha2A-adrenoceptor and CB1r in mPFC, we utilized
      high-resolution immunoelectron microscopy. We localized alpha2A-adrenoceptors in
      a knock-in mouse that expressed a hemoagglutinin (HA) tag downstream of the
      alpha2A-adrenoceptor promoter. Although the alpha2A-adrenoceptor was often
      identified pre-synaptically, we observed co-localization of CB1r with alpha2
      adrenoceptors post-synaptically in the same mPFC neurons. Finally, using receptor
      binding, we confirmed prior results showing that alpha2A-adrenoceptor is
      unchanged in mPFC following acute or chronic exposure to the synthetic
      cannabinoid receptor agonist, WIN 55,212-2, but is increased, following chronic
      treatment followed by a period of abstinence. Taken together, these data provide
      convergent lines of evidence indicating cannabinoid regulation of the cortical
      adrenergic system.

PMID- 28341462
TI  - Asthma management in a specialist setting: Results of an Italian Respiratory
      Society survey.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Asthma considerably impairs patients' quality of life and increases
      healthcare costs. Severity, morbidity, and degree of disease control are the
      major drivers of its clinical and economic impact. National scientific societies
      are required to monitor the application of international guidelines and to adopt
      strategies to improve disease control and better allocate resources. AIM: to
      provide a detailed picture of the characteristics of asthma patients and
      modalities of asthma management by specialists in Italy and to develop
      recommendations for the daily management of asthma in a specialist setting.
      METHOD: A quantitative research program was implemented. Data were collected
      using an ad hoc questionnaire developed by a group of specialists selected by the
      Italian Pneumology Society/Italian Respiratory Society. RESULTS: The records of
      557 patients were analyzed. In the next few years, specialists are expected to
      focus their activity patients with more severe disease and will be responsible
      for selection of patients for personalized biological therapy; however, only 20%
      of patients attending Italian specialist surgery can be considered severe. In
      84.4% of cases, the visit was a follow-up visit requested in 82.2% of cases by
      the specialist him/herself. The Asthma Control Test is used only in 65% of
      patients. When available, a significant association has been observed between the
      test score and asthma control as judged by the physician, although concordance
      was only moderate (kappa = 0.68). Asthma was considered uncontrolled by the
      specialist managing the case in 29.1% of patients; nevertheless, treatment was
      not stepped up in uncontrolled or partly controlled patients (modified in only
      37.2% of patients). CONCLUSIONS: The results of this survey support re-evaluation
      of asthma management by Italian specialists. More resources should be made
      available for the initial visit and for more severely ill patients. In addition,
      more extensive use should be made of validated tools, and available drugs should
      be used more appropriately.

PMID- 28341463
TI  - Increasing trends in rainfall-runoff erosivity in the Source Region of the Three
      Rivers, 1961-2012.
AB  - As the head source of the two longest rivers in China and the longest river in
      Southeast Asia, the East Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau (QTP) is experiencing increasing
      thaw snowmelt and more heavy precipitation events under global warming, which
      might lead to soil erosion risk. To understand the potential driving force of
      soil erosion and its relationship with precipitation in the context of climate
      change, this study analyzed long-term variations in annual rainfall-runoff
      erosivity, a climatic index of soil erosion, by using the Mann-Kendall
      statistical test and Theil and Sen's approach in the Source Region of the Three
      Rivers during 1961-2012. The results showed the followings: (i) increasing annual
      rainfall-runoff erosivity was observed over the past 52years, with a mean
      relative trend index (RT1) value of 12.1%. The increasing trend was more obvious
      for the latest two decades: RT1 was nearly three times larger than that over the
      entire period; (ii) more precipitation events and a higher precipitation amount
      were the major forces for the increasing rainfall-runoff erosivity; (iii) similar
      rising trends in sediment yields, which corresponded to rainfall-runoff erosivity
      under slightly increasing vegetation coverage in the study area, implied a large
      contribution of rainfall-runoff erosivity to the increasing sediment yields; and
      (iv) high warming rates increased the risk of soil destruction, soil erosion and
      sediment yields. Conservation measures, such as enclosing grassland, returning
      grazing land to grassland and rotation grazing since the 1980s, have maintained
      vegetation coverage and should be continued and strengthened.

PMID- 28341464
TI  - Reproductive effects of oestrogenic endocrine disrupting chemicals in Astyanax
      rivularis inhabiting headwaters of the Velhas River, Brazil.
AB  - The Velhas River is the most polluted river in the state of Minas Gerais, south
      eastern Brazil. Due to its historical and environmental relevance, the aim of
      this study was to evaluate the effects of oestrogenic endocrine disruptors on the
      reproduction of the lambari Astyanax rivularis, a small-sized species found in
      headwaters of the Sao Francisco River basin. Quarterly field samplings were
      carried out during a reproductive cycle in three streams of the upper Velhas
      River: S1 (reference site) and S2 and S3 (sites contaminated by untreated
      sewage). The main oestrogenic compounds were evaluated in water using HPLC/MS.
      Molecular, histological and reproductive biomarkers were assessed in liver and
      gonad. The results showed higher average concentrations of oestradiol (>200ng/l)
      in S2 and S3, oestrone (>250ng/l) in S2 as well as oestriol (>200ng/l), bisphenol
      A (>190ng/l), and nonylphenol (>600ng/l) in S3 compared to S1 (<70ng/l for all
      compounds). In S2 and S3, there was an increase in the proportion of females,
      higher ELISA levels of vitellogenin (Vtg) and proteins of the zona radiata (Zrp)
      in liver males. Insulin-like growth factor (IGF-I) levels were lower in S2 males,
      which also had a smaller body size, a smaller seminiferous tubule diameter, a
      higher proportion of spermatogonia, and lower proportion of spermatozoa in
      relation to S1. Histopathological analyses detected an increase in yolk deficient
      oocytes and over-ripening in the contaminated sites, and these alterations were
      associated to a reduction of hepatic Vtg levels and a delay in spawning,
      respectively. Intersex specimens with perinucleolar follicles in a multifocal
      distribution in the testis were detected in S2 and S3. These results indicate
      that chronic exposure to oestrogenic compounds induced endocrine disruption that
      may affect wild populations of A. rivularis in the Velhas River.

PMID- 28341465
TI  - Influences of removing linear and nonlinear trends from climatic variables on
      temporal variations of annual reference crop evapotranspiration in Xinjiang,
      China.
AB  - Reference crop evapotranspiration (ETo) is a key parameter in field irrigation
      scheduling, drought assessment and climate change research. ETo uses key
      prescribed (or fixed or reference) land surface parameters for crops. The linear
      and nonlinear trends in different climatic variables (CVs) affect ETo change.
      This research aims to reveal how ETo responds after the related CVs were linearly
      and nonlinearly detrended over 1961-2013 in Xinjiang, China. The ETo-related CVs
      included minimum (Tmin), average (Tave), and maximum air temperatures (Tmax),
      wind speed at 2m (U2), relative humidity (RH) and sunshine hour (n). ETo was
      calculated using the Penman-Monteith equation. A total of 29 ETo scenarios,
      including the original scenario, 14 scenarios in Group I (ETo was recalculated
      after removing linear trends from single or more CVs) and 14 scenarios in Group
      II (ETo was recalculated after removing nonlinear trends from the CVs), were
      generated. The influence of U2 was stronger than influences of the other CVs on
      ETo for both Groups I and II either in northern, southern or the entirety of
      Xinjiang. The weak influences of increased Tmin, Tave and Tmax on increasing ETo
      were masked by the strong effects of decreased U2 &n and increased RH on
      decreasing ETo. The effects of the trends in CVs, especially U2, on changing ETo
      were clearly shown. Without the general decreases of U2, ETo would have increased
      in the past 53years. Due to the non-monotone variations of the CVs and ETo, the
      results of nonlinearly detrending CVs on changing ETo in Group II should be more
      plausible than the results of linearly detrending CVs in Group I. The decreasing
      ETo led to a general relief in drought, which was indicated by the recalculated
      aridity index. Therefore, there would be a slightly lower risk of water
      utilization in Xinjiang, China.

PMID- 28341466
TI  - Limited role of biochars in nitrogen fixation through nitrate adsorption.
AB  - Nitrate cycling is essential in sustaining soil systems. Excessive application of
      N-fertilizers and the associated underground water contamination have attracted a
      great deal of research attention. Sorption is efficient and environmentally
      friendly in nitrate fixation. A debate was noted in literature regarding whether
      biochars have potential to fix nitrate through sorption. In this study, biochars
      produced from different biomasses as well as biomass compositions were chosen as
      the absorbents to evaluate their potential efficiencies in nitrate fixation.
      Increased sorption to nitrate was observed for biochars with increased pyrolysis
      temperature, but the increasing extent varied with biomass. The surface base
      functional groups and surface charges of biochars could not well explain nitrate
      sorption. The significant positive correlation between nitrate sorption and
      biochar surface areas suggested that surface area was the controlling parameter
      for nitrate sorption. The pre-coating of tannic acid (TA) on biochars decreased
      but did not completely inhibit nitrate sorption. This observation suggested that
      nitrate sorption on biochars may be further decreased after their interactions
      with natural organic matter. Nitrate sorption was compared among various
      adsorbents, including biochars, soil particles, clay minerals, engineered
      particles, as well as humic substances. Soil particles generally showed high
      sorption to nitrate over biochars. This result suggested that biochars
      investigated in this work may play a limited role in nitrate fixation through
      sorption after their massive application. Nitrogen fixation through nitrate
      adsorption on biochars should be carefully evaluated taking into consideration of
      biochar feedstocks and properties.

PMID- 28341467
TI  - Prediction of soil organic carbon in an intensively managed reclamation zone of
      eastern China: A comparison of multiple linear regressions and the random forest
      model.
AB  - Organic carbon is a key component of soils and plays a fundamental role in soil
      fertility and climate change. Determining the importance of potential drivers of
      soil organic carbon (SOC) and thus predicting the distribution of SOC are
      important for measuring carbon sequestration or emissions. Coastal wetlands are
      precious land resources that are currently undergoing rapid reclamation in China.
      The alternations in soil physicochemical conditions caused by reclamation can
      strongly impact the cycle of organic carbon. However, identification of the
      important drivers of SOC dynamics and prediction of SOC using the potential
      drivers remain largely unclear. In this study, we used classification and
      regression tree (CART) to identify the importance of the potential drivers of SOC
      at 241 sites from an intensively managed reclamation zone of eastern China.
      Multiple linear regressions (MLR) and random forest (RF) models were applied to
      predict the distribution of SOC using continuous variables, such as the contents
      of Cl, CaO, Fe2O3, Al2O3, SiO2, clay, silt, and sand as well as the soil pH,
      along with categorical variables, such as land use and reclamation duration. The
      results indicate that the soil/sediment pH was the most important variable
      impacting SOC, followed by the Cl and silt contents. The RF and MLR involving all
      predictor variables produced much higher R2 and lower error indices than the RF
      and MLR models involving independent variables (pH and CaO). RF performed much
      better than MLR as it revealed much lower error indices (ME, MSE, and RMSE) and a
      higher R2 than MLR. The superiority of RF in predicting SOC is related to its
      capability to deal with non-linear and hierarchical relationships between SOC and
      predictors. Analyses of land use effects on SOC dynamics indicated that paddy
      soils were superior in sequestering SOC than other land use types, which is
      likely ascribed to the rapid desalination and dealkalization of paddy field
      management. Therefore, paddy field management is recommended as an environment
      friendly approach for managing newly reclaimed lands.

PMID- 28341468
TI  - Cause and predictability for the severe haze pollution in downtown Beijing in
      November-December 2015.
AB  - Based on the hourly PM2.5 concentrations, meteorological variable records and ERA
      Interim reanalysis data, a series of diagnostic analyses were conducted to
      explore the possible meteorological causes for the severe haze pollution that
      occurred in Beijing in November-December 2015. Using the online-coupled WRF-Chem
      model and GFS data, the predictability of hourly and daily PM2.5 concentrations
      was evaluated. The results showed that, in the context of pollutant emission, the
      severe haze pollution in downtown Beijing in November-December 2015 was primarily
      attributed to anomalous local meteorological conditions, which were caused and
      strengthened by anomalous large-scale atmospheric circulations. The abnormal
      changes in the upper troposphere appeared to trigger the anomalies in the middle
      lower troposphere and the local conditions. The numerical simulations can capture
      the spatial distribution patterns of the PM2.5 concentrations for predictions of
      1 to 10days in advance. The PM2.5 concentration trends in downtown Beijing were
      generally consistent with the predictions on both daily and hourly time-scales,
      although the predictability decreased gradually as the lead times prolonged. The
      predictability of the daily mean PM2.5 concentration was slightly higher than
      that of the hourly concentration. The statistical indices suggested that the
      predictions of daily and hourly mean PM2.5 concentrations were generally skillful
      and reliable for maximum lead times of 8 and 5days, respectively.

PMID- 28341469
TI  - Long-term survival after the Fontan operation: Twenty years of experience at a
      single center.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: Existing studies of patients palliated with the Fontan operation are
      limited by heterogeneous patient populations and incomplete follow-up. This study
      aimed to describe long-term post-Fontan survival in a modern patient cohort.
      METHODS: All 773 patients who underwent a first Fontan operation at our
      institution between 1992 and 2009 were reviewed. The primary outcome was the
      composite endpoint of Fontan takedown, heart transplantation, or death before
      2013. RESULTS: Follow-up rate was 99.2%. Survival with intact Fontan circulation
      was 94% at 1 year (95% confidence interval [95% CI], 92%-95%), 90% at 10 years
      (95% CI, 88%-92%), 85% at 15 years (95% CI, 82%-88%), and 74% at 20 years (95%
      CI, 67%-80%). Distinct risk factors were identified for early (<=1 year) and late
      composite outcomes. Independent risk factors for early outcome included prolonged
      pleural drainage (hazard ratio [HR], 4.4; P < .001), intensive care unit stay >1
      week (HR, 2.4; P < .001), Fontan before 1997 (HR, 3.3; P < .001), preoperative
      atrioventricular valve regurgitation (HR, 2.0; P < .001), and longer crossclamp
      time (HR, 1.3 per 10 minutes; P < .001). Late outcome was predicted by
      atrioventricular valve regurgitation prior to Fontan (HR, 2.0; P <= .001), and
      post-Fontan ICU stay >1 week (HR, 2.4; P < .001). CONCLUSIONS: Long-term
      mortality after Fontan operation remains substantial. Risk factors for death or
      loss of Fontan circulation differ between the early and late postoperative
      periods. Long-term survival has not improved appreciably over the last decade,
      suggesting that alternatives to the Fontan are warranted.

PMID- 28341471
TI  - Discussion.

PMID- 28341470
TI  - History of The Journal of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery.

PMID- 28341472
TI  - Indices and scores, or how to simplify complexity.

PMID- 28341473
TI  - Pneumonia after cardiac surgery: Experience of the National Institutes of
      Health/Canadian Institutes of Health Research Cardiothoracic Surgical Trials
      Network.
AB  - RATIONALE: Pneumonia remains the most common major infection after cardiac
      surgery despite numerous preventive measures. OBJECTIVES: To prospectively
      examine the timing, pathogens, and risk factors, including modifiable management
      practices, for postoperative pneumonia and estimate its impact on clinical
      outcomes. METHODS: A total of 5158 adult cardiac surgery patients were enrolled
      prospectively in a cohort study across 10 centers. All infections were
      adjudicated by an independent committee. Competing risk models were used to
      assess the association of patient characteristics and management practices with
      pneumonia within 65 days of surgery. Mortality was assessed by Cox proportional
      hazards model and length of stay by a multistate model. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN
      RESULTS: The cumulative incidence of pneumonia was 2.4%, 33% of which occurred
      after discharge. Older age, lower hemoglobin level, chronic obstructive pulmonary
      disease, steroid use, operative time, and left ventricular assist device/heart
      transplant were risk factors. Ventilation time (24-48 vs <=24 hours; hazard ratio
      [HR], 2.83; 95% confidence interval [95% CI], 1.72-4.66; >48 hours HR, 4.67; 95%
      CI, 2.70-8.08), nasogastric tubes (HR, 1.80; 95% CI, 1.10-2.94), and each unit of
      blood cells transfused (HR, 1.16; 95% CI, 1.08-1.26) increased the risk of
      pneumonia. Prophylactic use of second-generation cephalosporins (HR, 0.66; 95%
      CI, 0.45-0.97) and platelet transfusions (HR, 0.49, 95% CI, 0.30-0.79) were
      protective. Pneumonia was associated with a marked increase in mortality (HR,
      8.89; 95% CI, 5.02-15.75) and longer length of stay of 13.55 +/- 1.95 days
      (bootstrap 95% CI, 10.31-16.58). CONCLUSIONS: Pneumonia continues to impose a
      major impact on the health of patients after cardiac surgery. After we adjusted
      for baseline risk, several specific management practices were associated with
      pneumonia, which offer targets for quality improvement and further research.

PMID- 28341474
TI  - Anti-Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor Therapy for Primary Treatment of Type 1
      Retinopathy of Prematurity: A Report by the American Academy of Ophthalmology.
AB  - PURPOSE: To review the available evidence on the ocular safety and efficacy of
      anti-vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) agents for the treatment of
      retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) compared with laser photocoagulation therapy.
      METHODS: A literature search of the PubMed and Cochrane Library databases was
      conducted last on September 6, 2016, with no date restrictions and limited to
      articles published in English. This search yielded 311 citations, of which 37
      were deemed clinically relevant for full-text review. Thirteen of these were
      selected for inclusion in this assessment. The panel methodologist assigned
      ratings to the selected articles according to the level of evidence. RESULTS: Of
      the 13 citations, 6 articles on 5 randomized clinical trials provided level II
      evidence supporting the use of anti-VEGF agents, either as monotherapy or in
      combination with laser therapy. The primary outcome for these articles included
      recurrence of ROP and the need for retreatment (3 articles), retinal structure (2
      articles), and refractive outcome (1 article). Seven articles were comparative
      case series that provided level III evidence. The primary outcomes included the
      effects of anti-VEGF treatment on development of peripheral retinal vessels (1
      article), refractive outcomes (1 article), or both structural and refractive or
      visual outcomes (5 articles). CONCLUSIONS: Current level II and III evidence
      indicates that intravitreal anti-VEGF therapy is as effective as laser
      photocoagulation for achieving regression of acute ROP. Although there are
      distinct ocular advantages to anti-VEGF pharmacotherapy for some cases (such as
      eyes with zone I disease or aggressive posterior ROP), the disadvantages are that
      the ROP recurrence rate is higher, and vigilant and extended follow-up is needed
      because retinal vascularization is usually incomplete. After intravitreal
      injection, bevacizumab can be detected in serum within 1 day, and serum VEGF
      levels are suppressed for at least 8 to 12 weeks. The effects of lowering
      systemic VEGF levels on the developing organ systems of premature infants are
      unknown, and there are limited long-term data on potential systemic and
      neurodevelopmental effects after anti-VEGF use for ROP treatment. Anti-VEGF
      agents should be used judiciously and with awareness of the known and unknown or
      potential side effects.

PMID- 28341476
TI  - Panel-Based Clinical Genetic Testing in 85 Children with Inherited Retinal
      Disease.
AB  - PURPOSE: To assess the clinical usefulness of genetic testing in a pediatric
      population with inherited retinal disease (IRD). DESIGN: Single-center
      retrospective case series. PARTICIPANTS: Eighty-five unrelated children with a
      diagnosis of isolated or syndromic IRD who were referred for clinical genetic
      testing between January 2014 and July 2016. METHODS: Participants underwent a
      detailed ophthalmic examination, accompanied by electrodiagnostic testing (EDT)
      and dysmorphologic assessment where appropriate. Ocular and extraocular features
      were recorded using Human Phenotype Ontology terms. Subsequently, multigene panel
      testing (105 or 177 IRD-associated genes) was performed in an accredited
      diagnostic laboratory, followed by clinical variant interpretation. MAIN OUTCOME
      MEASURES: Diagnostic yield and clinical usefulness of genetic testing. RESULTS:
      Overall, 78.8% of patients (n = 67) received a probable molecular diagnosis; 7.5%
      (n = 5) of these had autosomal dominant disease, 25.4% (n = 17) had X-linked
      disease, and 67.2% (n = 45) had autosomal recessive disease. In a further 5.9% of
      patients (n = 5), a single heterozygous ABCA4 variant was identified; all these
      participants had a spectrum of clinical features consistent with ABCA4
      retinopathy. Most participants (84.7%; n = 72) had undergone EDT and 81.9% (n =
      59) of these patients received a probable molecular diagnosis. The genes most
      frequently mutated in the present cohort were CACNA1F and ABCA4, accounting for
      14.9% (n = 10) and 11.9% (n = 8) of diagnoses respectively. Notably, in many
      cases, genetic testing helped to distinguish stationary from progressive IRD
      subtypes and to establish a precise diagnosis in a timely fashion. CONCLUSIONS:
      Multigene panel testing pointed to a molecular diagnosis in 84.7% of children
      with IRD. The diagnostic yield in the study population was significantly higher
      compared with that in previously reported unselected IRD cohorts. Approaches
      similar to the one described herein are expected to become a standard component
      of care in pediatric ophthalmology. We propose the introduction of genetic
      testing early in the diagnostic pathway in children with clinical and/or
      electrophysiologic findings, suggestive of IRD.

PMID- 28341475
TI  - Genotypic and Phenotypic Characteristics of CRB1-Associated Retinal Dystrophies:
      A Long-Term Follow-up Study.
AB  - PURPOSE: To describe the phenotype, long-term clinical course, clinical
      variability, and genotype of patients with CRB1-associated retinal dystrophies.
      DESIGN: Retrospective cohort study. PARTICIPANTS: Fifty-five patients with CRB1
      associated retinal dystrophies from 16 families. METHODS: A medical record review
      of 55 patients for age at onset, medical history, initial symptoms, best
      corrected visual acuity, ophthalmoscopy, fundus photography, full-field
      electroretinography (ffERG), Goldmann visual fields (VFs), and spectral-domain
      optical coherence tomography. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Age at onset, visual acuity
      survival time, visual acuity decline rate, and electroretinography and imaging
      findings. RESULTS: A retinitis pigmentosa (RP) phenotype was present in 50
      patients, 34 of whom were from a Dutch genetic isolate (GI), and 5 patients had a
      Leber congenital amaurosis phenotype. The mean follow-up time was 15.4 years
      (range, 0-55.5 years). For the RP patients, the median age at symptom onset was
      4.0 years. In the RP group, median ages for reaching low vision, severe visual
      impairment, and blindness were 18, 32, and 44 years, respectively, with a visual
      acuity decline rate of 0.03 logarithm of the minimum angle of resolution per
      year. The presence of a truncating mutation did not alter the annual decline rate
      significantly (P = 0.75). Asymmetry in visual acuity was found in 31% of
      patients. The annual VF decline rate was 5% in patients from the genetic isolate,
      which was significantly faster than in non-GI patients (P < 0.05). Full-field
      electroretinography responses were extinguished in 50% of patients, were
      pathologically attenuated without a documented rod or cone predominance in 30% of
      patients, and showed a rod-cone dysfunction pattern in 20% of RP patients.
      Cystoid fluid collections in the macula were found in 50% of RP patients.
      CONCLUSIONS: Mutations in the CRB1 gene are associated with a spectrum of
      progressive retinal degeneration. Visual acuity survival analyses indicate that
      the optimal intervention window for subretinal gene therapy is within the first 2
      to 3 decades of life.

PMID- 28341477
TI  - Melatonin reduces hypoxic-ischaemic (HI) induced autophagy and apoptosis: An in
      vivo and in vitro investigation in experimental models of neonatal HI brain
      injury.
AB  - Melatonin has neuroprotective effects in many diseases, including neonatal
      hypoxic-ischaemic (HI) brain injury. The purpose of this study was to evaluate
      the neuroprotective effects of melatonin both in vivo and in vitro and associated
      molecular mechanisms behind these effects. Postnatal day 7 male and female rat
      pups were subjected to unilateral HI, melatonin was injected intraperitoneally 1h
      before HI and an additional six doses were administered at 24h intervals. The
      pups were sacrificed at 24h and 7 d after HI. Pre-treatment with melatonin
      significantly reduced brain damage at 7 d after HI, with 15mg/kg melatonin
      achieving over 30% recovery in tissue loss compared to vehicle-treated animals.
      Autophagy and apoptotic cell death as indicated by autophagy associated proteins,
      cleaved caspase 3 and Tunel staining, was significantly inhibited after melatonin
      treatment in vivo as well as in PC12 cells. Melatonin treatment also
      significantly increased the GAP43 in the cortex. In conclusion, melatonin
      treatment reduced neonatal rat brain injury after HI, and this appeared to be
      related to inhibiting autophagy as well as reducing apoptotic cell death.

PMID- 28341478
TI  - Importance of major histocompatibility complex of class I (MHC-I) expression for
      astroglial reactivity and stability of neural circuits in vitro.
AB  - MHC-I molecules are involved in the antigenic presentation of cytosol-derived
      peptides to CD8T lymphocytes. In the nervous system, MHC-I expression is low to
      absent, occurring only during certain phases of development and aging or after
      injuries. The involvement of MHC-I in synaptic plasticity has been reported and,
      following lesion, astrocytes become reactive, limiting tissue damage. Such cells
      also attempt to restore homeostasis by secreting cytokines and neurotrophic
      factors. Moreover, astrocytes modulate synapse function, by taking up and
      releasing neurotransmitters and by limiting the synaptic cleft. Thus, the aim of
      the present study was to evaluate if astrocyte activation and reactivity are
      related to MHC I expression and if astrogliosis can be downregulated by silencing
      MHC-I mRNA synthesis. Given that, we evaluated astrocyte reactivity and
      synaptogenesis in co-cultures of astrocytes and spinal neurons under MHC-I RNA
      interference. For that, the MHC-I beta2-microglobulin subunit (beta2m) was
      knocked-down by siRNA in co-cultures (beta2m expression <60%, p<0.001). As
      measured by qRT-PCR, silencing of beta2m decreased expression of the astrocytic
      marker GFAP (<60%, p<0.001), as well as neurotrophic factors (BDNF and GDNF) and
      pro-inflammatory cytokines (TNF-alpha, IL-1, IL-6, IL-12 and IL-17). No
      significant changes in synaptic stability indicate that neuron-neuron interaction
      was preserved after beta2m silencing. Overall, the present data reinforce the
      importance of MHC-I expression for generation of astrogliosis, what may, in turn,
      become a target for future CNS/PNS therapies following injury.

PMID- 28341479
TI  - A method for independent modelling in support of regulatory review of dose
      assessments.
AB  - Several countries consider geological disposal facilities as the preferred option
      for spent nuclear fuel due to their potential to provide isolation from the
      surface environment on very long timescales. In 2011 the Swedish Nuclear Fuel &
      Waste Management Co. (SKB) submitted a license application for construction of a
      spent nuclear fuel repository. The disposal method involves disposing spent fuel
      in copper canisters with a cast iron insert at about 500 m depth in crystalline
      basement rock, and each canister is surrounded by a buffer of swelling bentonite
      clay. SKB's license application is supported by a post-closure safety assessment,
      SR-Site. SR-Site has been reviewed by the Swedish Radiation Safety Authority
      (SSM) for five years. The main method for review of SKB's license application is
      document review, which is carried out by SSM's staff and supported by SSM's
      external experts. The review has proven a challenging task due to its broad
      scope, complexity and multidisciplinary nature. SSM and its predecessors have,
      for several decades, been developing independent models to support regulatory
      reviews of post-closure safety assessments for geological repositories. For the
      review of SR-Site, SSM has developed a modelling approach with a structured
      application of independent modelling activities, including replication modelling,
      use of alternative conceptual models and bounding calculations, to complement the
      traditional document review. This paper describes this scheme and its application
      to biosphere and dose assessment modelling. SSM's independent modelling has
      provided important insights regarding quality and reasonableness of SKB's rather
      complex biosphere modelling and has helped quantifying conservatisms and
      highlighting conceptual uncertainty.

PMID- 28341480
TI  - Multiplex platform technology and bioinformatics are essential for development of
      biomarkers in atopic dermatitis.

PMID- 28341481
TI  - Reply.

PMID- 28341485
TI  - Modulation of gut microbiota contributes to curcumin-mediated attenuation of
      hepatic steatosis in rats.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Structural disruption of gut microbiota contributes to the
      development of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) and modulating the gut
      microbiota represents a novel strategy for NAFLD prevention. Although previous
      studies have demonstrated that curcumin alleviates hepatic steatosis, its effect
      on the gut microbiota modulation has not been investigated. METHODS: Next
      generation sequencing and multivariate analysis were utilized to evaluate the
      structural changes of gut microbiota in a NAFLD rat model induced by high fat
      diet (HFD) feeding. RESULTS: We found that curcumin attenuated hepatic ectopic
      fat deposition, improved intestinal barrier integrity, and alleviated metabolic
      endotoxemia in HFD-fed rats. More importantly, curcumin dramatically shifted the
      overall structure of the HFD-disrupted gut microbiota toward that of lean rats
      fed a normal diet and altered the gut microbial composition. The abundances of
      110 operational taxonomic units (OTUs) were altered by curcumin. Seventy-six
      altered OTUs were significantly correlated with one or more hepatic steatosis
      associated parameters and designated 'functionally relevant phylotypes'. Thirty
      six of the 47 functionally relevant OTUs that were positively correlated with
      hepatic steatosis associated parameters were reduced by curcumin. CONCLUSION:
      These results indicate that curcumin alleviates hepatic steatosis in part through
      stain-specific impacts on hepatic steatosis associated phylotypes of gut
      microbiota in rats. GENERAL SIGNIFICANCE: Compounds with antimicrobial activities
      should be further investigated as novel adjunctive therapies for NAFLD.

PMID- 28341484
TI  - RUVBL1-ITFG1 interaction is required for collective invasion in breast cancer.
AB  - BACKGROUND: The mechanisms of breast cancer collective invasion are poorly
      understood limiting the metastasis therapy. The ATPase RUVBL1 is frequently
      overexpressed in various cancers and plays a crucial role in oncogenic process.
      We further investigated the role of RUVBL1 in promoting collective invasion and
      uncovered that targeting RUVBL1 could inhibit metastatic progression. METHODS:
      The expression levels of RUVBL1 and ITFG1 were examined by Western blot and qRT
      PCR. Co-localization and interaction of RUVBL1 and ITFG1 were determined by
      immunofluorescence and co-immunoprecipitation. The invasive ability was examined
      by transwell assay and microfluidic assay. The metastatic and tumorigenic
      abilities of breast cancer cells were revealed in BALB/c nude mice by xenograft
      and tail vein injection. RESULTS: ATPase RUVBL1 is highly expressed in breast
      cancer and predicts the poor prognosis. Elevated expression of RUVBL1 is found in
      high metastatic breast cancer cells. Silencing RUVBL1 suppresses cancer cell
      expansion and invasion in vitro and in vivo. RUVBL1 interacts with a conserved
      transmembrane protein ITFG1 in cytoplasm and plasma membrane to promote the
      collective invasion. Using a microfluidic model, we demonstrated that silencing
      RUVBL1 or ITFG1 individually compromises collective invasion of breast cancer
      cells. CONCLUSION: RUVBL1 is a vital regulator for collective invasion. The
      interaction between RUVBL1 and ITFG1 is required for breast cancer cell
      collective invasion and progression. GENERAL SIGNIFICANCE: Targeting collective
      invasion promoted by RUVBL1-ITFG1 complex provides a novel therapeutic strategy
      to improve the prognosis of invasive breast cancer.

PMID- 28341487
TI  - Fever in an elderly patient unmasks Brugada syndrome.

PMID- 28341486
TI  - Polo-like kinase 1 expression is suppressed by CCAAT/enhancer-binding protein
      alpha to mediate colon carcinoma cell differentiation and apoptosis.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Human polo-like kinase 1 (PLK1), a highly conserved serine/threonine
      kinase is a key player in several essential cell-cycle events. PLK1 is considered
      an oncogene and its overexpression often correlates with poor prognosis of
      cancers, including colorectal cancer (CRC). However, regulation of PLK1
      expression in colorectal cells was never studied earlier and it is currently
      unknown if PLK1 regulates differentiation and apoptosis of CRC. METHODS: PLK1
      expression was analyzed by real-time PCR and western blotting. Transcriptional
      regulation was studied by reporter assay, gene knock-down, EMSA and ChIP.
      RESULTS: PLK1 expression was down-regulated during butyrate-induced
      differentiation of HT-29 and other CRC cells. Also, PLK1 down-regulation mediated
      the role of butyrate in CRC differentiation and apoptosis. We report here a novel
      transcriptional regulation of PLK1 by butyrate. Transcription factors
      CCAAT/enhancer-binding protein alpha (C/EBPalpha) and Oct-1 share an overlapping
      binding site over the PLK1 promoter. Elevated levels of C/EBPalpha by butyrate
      treatment of CRC cells competed out the activator protein Oct-1 from binding to
      the PLK1 promoter and sequestered it. Binding of C/EBPalpha was associated with
      increased deacetylation near the transcription start site (TSS) of the PLK1
      promoter, which abrogated transcription through reduced recruitment of RNA
      polymerase II. We also found a synergistic role between the synthetic PLK1
      inhibitor SBE13 and butyrate on the apoptosis of CRC cells. CONCLUSION: This
      study offered a novel p53-independent regulation of PLK1 during CRC
      differentiation and apoptosis. GENERAL SIGNIFICANCE: Down-regulation of PLK1 is
      one of the mechanisms underlying the anti-cancer role of dietary fibre-derived
      butyrate in CRC.

PMID- 28341488
TI  - What would be the fate of the association between saxagliptin and heart failure
      admission in the SAVOR-TIMI 53 trial if appropriate statistical methods should
      have been applied?

PMID- 28341489
TI  - Automatic Evaluation of Scan Adequacy and Dysplasia Metrics in 2-D Ultrasound
      Images of the Neonatal Hip.
AB  - Ultrasound (US) imaging of an infant's hip joint is widely used for early
      detection of developmental dysplasia of the hip. In current US-based diagnosis of
      developmental dysplasia of the hip, trained clinicians acquire US images and, if
      they judge them to be adequate (i.e., to contain relevant hip joint structures),
      analyze them manually to extract clinically useful dysplasia metrics. However,
      both the scan adequacy classification and dysplasia metrics extraction steps
      exhibit significant variability within and between both clinicians and
      institutions, which can result in significant over- and undertreatment rates. To
      reduce the subjectivity resulting from this variability, we propose a
      computational image analysis technique that automatically identifies adequate
      images and subsequently extracts dysplasia metrics from these 2-D US images. Our
      automatic method uses local phase symmetry-based image measures to robustly
      identify intensity-invariant geometric features of bone/cartilage boundaries from
      the US images. Using the extracted geometric features, we trained a random forest
      classifier to classify images as adequate or inadequate, and in the adequate
      images we used a subset of the geometric features to calculate key dysplasia
      metrics. We validated our method on a data set of 693 US scans collected from 35
      infants. Our approach produces excellent agreement with clinician adequacy
      classifications (area under the receiver operating characteristic curve = 0.985)
      and in reducing variability in the measured developmental dysplasia of the hip
      metrics (p < 0.05). The automatically computed dysplasia metrics appear to be
      slightly biased toward higher Graf categories than the manually estimated
      metrics, which could potentially reduce missed early diagnoses.

PMID- 28341490
TI  - Validation of Shear Wave Elastography Cutoff Values on the Supersonic Aixplorer
      for Practical Clinical Use in Liver Fibrosis Staging.
AB  - The purpose of this study was to determine the validity of previously established
      ultrasound shear wave elastography (SWE) cut-off values (>=F2 fibrosis) on an
      independent cohort of patients with chronic liver disease. In this cross
      sectional study, approved by the institutional review board and compliant with
      the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act, 338 patients undergoing
      liver biopsy underwent SWE using an Aixplorer ultrasound machine (SuperSonic
      Imagine, Aix-en-Provence, France). Median SWE values were calculated from sets of
      10 elastograms. A single blinded pathologist evaluated METAVIR fibrosis staging
      as the gold standard. The study analyzed 277 patients with a mean age of 48 y. On
      pathologic examination, 212 patients (76.5%) had F0-F1 fibrosis, whereas 65
      (23.5%) had >=F2 fibrosis. Spearman's correlation of fibrosis with SWE was 0.456
      (p < 0.001). A cut-off value of 7.29 kPa yielded sensitivity of 95.4% and
      specificity of 50.5% for the diagnosis of METAVIR stage >=F2 liver fibrosis in
      patients with liver disease using the SuperSonic Imagine Aixplorer SWE system.

PMID- 28341491
TI  - One-year follow-up optical coherence tomography after endovascular treatment with
      a new-generation zotarolimus-eluting stent for chronic mesenteric ischemia.

PMID- 28341492
TI  - Understanding antibiotic decision making in surgery-a qualitative analysis.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: To investigate the characteristics and culture of antibiotic decision
      making in the surgical specialty. METHODS: A qualitative study including
      ethnographic observation and face-to-face interviews with participants from six
      surgical teams at a teaching hospital in London was conducted. Over a 3-month
      period: (a) 30 ward rounds (WRs) (100 h) were observed, (b) face-to-face follow
      up interviews took place with 13 key informants, (c) multidisciplinary meetings
      on the management of surgical patients and daily practice on wards were observed.
      Applying these methods provided rich data for characterizing the antibiotic
      decision making in surgery and enabled cross-validation and triangulation of the
      findings. Data from the interview transcripts and the observational notes were
      coded and analysed iteratively until saturation was reached. RESULTS: The
      surgical team is in a state of constant flux with individuals having to adjust to
      the context in which they work. The demands placed on the team to be in the
      operating room, and to address the surgical needs of the patient mean that the
      responsibility for antibiotic decision making is uncoordinated and diffuse.
      Antibiotic decision making is considered by surgeons as a secondary task,
      commonly delegated to junior members of their team and occurs in the context of
      disjointed communication. CONCLUSION: There is lack of clarity around medical
      decision making for treating infections in surgical patients. The result is sub
      optimal and uncoordinated antimicrobial management. Developing the role of a
      perioperative clinician may help to improve patient-level outcomes and optimize
      decision making.

PMID- 28341493
TI  - Procalcitonin as a Biomarker for Predicting Amputation Level in Lower Extremity
      Infections.
AB  - Inflammatory markers are essential tools in the decision-making process for lower
      extremity infections. When coupled with objective findings, clinicians can more
      accurately diagnose and treat these entities. Typically, markers such as the
      white blood cell count, erythrocyte sedimentation rate, and C-reactive protein
      are used to initially assess these patients or monitor the progression of medical
      or surgical therapy. Procalcitonin is a newer inflammatory marker that is
      specific for an infectious process. Originally, procalcitonin was used to monitor
      antibiotic therapy and sepsis for patients in the intensive care setting, but it
      has now been expanded to other facets of medicine. The utility of procalcitonin
      has been described for diagnosing infection or osteomyelitis in diabetic foot
      ulcers. However, limited research has compared inflammatory marker levels and the
      level of amputation. A retrospective inpatient medical record review was
      performed of 156 consecutive patient occurrences during 25 months in which
      surgical intervention was required for a lower extremity infection and an initial
      procalcitonin level had been obtained. This initial procalcitonin value was then
      compared with the level of amputation at the final surgical intervention. A
      highly statistically significant difference was found when comparing those who
      underwent a below-the-knee or above-the-knee amputation (median procalcitonin
      1.72 ng/mL) and those who did not (median procalcitonin 0.105 ng/mL; p < .001).
      Therefore, patients with higher initial procalcitonin values were more likely to
      undergo below-the-knee or above-the-knee amputation or require aggressive
      surgical intervention. Thus, the procalcitonin level can provide valuable initial
      information to the clinician.

PMID- 28341494
TI  - How do patients choose between active surveillance, radical prostatectomy, and
      radiotherapy? The effect of a preference-sensitive decision aid on treatment
      decision making for localized prostate cancer.
AB  - PURPOSE: To determine the effect of a decision aid (DA) on treatment preferences
      and to investigate which patient preferences are important for final treatment
      preferences. We also determined if the patient's treatment decision was
      influenced by the urologist's treatment preference. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Between
      August 2014 and July 2015, newly diagnosed patients with low-/intermediate-risk
      prostate cancer were offered to use a web-based DA after diagnosis. Treatment
      preferences and patient's values were extracted from the DA. Urologists'
      treatment preferences were indicated at the time of inclusion. RESULTS: We
      included 181 patients, of whom 21% preferred active surveillance, 33% radical
      prostatectomy, 10% brachytherapy, 3% external beam radiotherapy, and 34% did not
      indicate a specific preferred treatment option after DA use (missing N = 6).
      Among 67%, treatment preference before DA use did not change after DA use. In men
      who chose active surveillance after DA use, 97% (37/38) preferred to postpone
      unnecessary treatment. For radical prostatectomy, 91% (52/57) of the patients
      valued tumor removal, and for brachytherapy, 88% (15/17) valued incontinence
      worse than bowel complaints. For 64% (missing N = 21) of the patients, urologists
      indicated one specific preferred treatment option as most suitable for the
      patient concerned. Agreement between final treatment decision and urologist's
      preference was lower (kappa = 0.68) than between final treatment decision and
      preferred treatment after DA use (kappa = 0.82). CONCLUSION: Most patients with
      prostate cancer chose the treatment in accordance with the post-DA preference and
      to a lesser extent the urologists preference; implications of this are
      prospectively investigated in an ongoing study.

PMID- 28341495
TI  - A phase 2 study of TMX-101, intravesical imiquimod, for the treatment of
      carcinoma in situ bladder cancer.
AB  - PURPOSE: Imiquimod is a toll-like receptor agonist with proven antitumor activity
      as a topical treatment for skin cancer. TMX-101 (Vesimune) is a novel liquid
      formulation of imiquimod optimized for intravesical delivery. The agent
      demonstrated safety as an intravesical treatment for non-muscle-invasive bladder
      cancer in a phase 1 clinical trial. We report the results of a phase 2
      prospective multicenter clinical trial assessing the safety and activity of TMX
      101. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Patients with non-muscle-invasive bladder cancer
      containing carcinoma in situ were eligible for inclusion. Enrolled patients
      received 6 weekly intravesical administrations of 200mg/50ml TMX-101 0.4%. End
      points included rate of adverse events, changes in urinary cytokine levels
      following treatment, and clinical response at 6 weeks following final
      instillation, defined as negative posttreatment bladder biopsy and urine cytology
      results. RESULTS: A total of 12 patients were enrolled, with 10 available for
      efficacy analysis. Half of the patients (6/12) had received>=2 prior induction
      courses of bacillus Calmette-Guerin. All patients received all 6 doses of TMX-101
      per protocol. Overall, 75% of patients experienced treatment-related adverse
      events, only 1 of which was>grade 2 (urinary tract infection). Furthermore, 2
      patients demonstrated a negative cytology and biopsy result at 6 weeks following
      treatment. Significant increases in urinary cytokines, including IL-6 and IL-18,
      were seen following treatment. CONCLUSION: In this phase 2 pilot study in
      patients with carcinoma in situ bladder cancer, intravesical TMX-101 was safe and
      well tolerated with common, mild genitourinary adverse effects. Clinical activity
      was suggested by the increase in posttreatment urinary cytokines. Complete
      responders were seen. Further investigation of the agent is warranted.

PMID- 28341496
TI  - Prospective assessment and histological analysis of adherent perinephric fat in
      partial nephrectomies.
AB  - OBJECTIVES: The complexity of partial nephrectomy (PN) is partly anticipated by
      morphometric tumor-based scores that do not consider patient-related issues such
      as adherent perinephric fat (APF). Also, the objective is to prospectively assess
      the predictive factors of APF during PN, its effect on complications, and to
      correlate it to the histological reality. METHODS: A total of 125 consecutive
      patients undergoing robotic or open PN were prospectively included. The Mayo
      adhesive probability score (MAP score) was compared to the peroperative presence
      of APF defined by a score>=2. Adipose tissue was analyzed histologically for
      fibrosis and inflammatory infiltrate of CD68+macrophages. Univariate and
      multivariate logistic regression analyses were performed to evaluate predictive
      factors of APF, and outcomes were compared using chi-square and Kruskal-Wallis
      tests. RESULTS: APF was present in 51 patients (40.8%) and associated with slight
      longer operating time and increased blood loss. Warm ischemia time, margins,
      transfusion, and the Clavien-Dindo score were not different. In multivariate
      analysis, only male sex, age, waist circumference, fat density on computed
      tomography, and MAP score were significant predictors of APF. A radioclinical
      score was more predictive of APF than MAP score alone. Histologically, there was
      no macrophage infiltration but larger adipocytes in APF without significant
      differences in fibrosis. CONCLUSIONS: APF can be accurately predicted using
      radioclinical data as the MAP score, combined with sex, age, and waist
      circumference. APF is associated with increased operative time and blood loss
      without postoperative complications. Histological analysis finds larger
      adipocytes in APF without inflammatory infiltrate, and no difference in fibrosis.

PMID- 28341497
TI  - Congenital pseudarthrosis of the clavicle: a report on 27 cases.
AB  - HYPOTHESIS: We aimed to report our experience in treating congenital
      pseudarthrosis of the clavicle (CPC). MATERIALS AND METHODS: A retrospective
      search of the archive of our institute was performed; 27 cases (12 male and 15
      female patients) affected by CPC were recorded. Among these patients, 19
      underwent surgical intervention for cosmetic appearance between 1960 and 2015. Of
      19 patients, 18 were treated by pseudarthrosis resection and stabilization with a
      Kirschner wire, whereas in 1 case, the osteosynthesis was performed with a plate.
      Iliac crest bone autograft was used in 15 patients, whereas 4 patients were
      treated with a fibular allograft. RESULTS: The mean follow-up period was 36.3 +/-
      49.1 months. Bone healing was achieved in 14 of 19 operated cases (74%); none of
      the patients had complaints regarding cosmetic abnormalities or unesthetic
      appearance. All the operated patients were pain free, range of motion was
      complete, and no other subjective anomalies were found. No vascular or neurologic
      complications were observed. However, the use of allograft was associated with
      high rates of nonunion in this case series (P = .037). CONCLUSION: CPC can be
      satisfactorily treated by K-wire fixation and autologous iliac crest bone
      grafting, which showed better results in terms of functional and cosmetic
      outcome.

PMID- 28341498
TI  - Natural History of Iatrogenic Pediatric Femoral Artery Injury.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Iatrogenic femoral artery trauma complicates the course of critically
      ill neonates and children. Complications from persistent arterial occlusion may
      include claudication and limb length discrepancies. Data supporting risk factors
      for such and need for revascularization are lacking. METHODS: Review of a
      prospectively maintained database at a tertiary institution of iatrogenic
      pediatric femoral artery injuries incurred between 2013 and 2014 was performed.
      Additional injuries were identified by review of pediatric arterial duplex
      performed between 2008 and 2013. Demographics, risk factors, and outcomes were
      queried. Data analysis utilized Fischer's exact t-test and logistic regression.
      RESULTS: Seventy-six patients were identified of which 68 presented with acute
      limb ischemia (ALI) and 8 with chronic iliofemoral arterial occlusion resulting
      in claudication (n = 6) or limb length discrepancy (n = 2). Mean weight at injury
      was 6.3 kg; mean age at injury was 49 weeks (50% aged <3 months). Mean follow-up
      was 14 months (out to 11 years). Six patients required surgery for ALI, and 6
      required delayed operation for limb length discrepancy (n = 4) or for persistent
      external iliac artery (EIA) occlusion. Mean age at delayed revascularization was
      6 years (range: 2-13 years). Vasopressor use, mechanism/location of injury, and
      concomitant venous thrombosis were not significantly correlated with need for
      operation; trends suggested that cardiac catheterization and EIA thrombosis may
      correlate with chronic disease. Increased age at injury was associated with need
      for operation. CONCLUSIONS: Although a majority of children with ALI may be
      successfully treated medically, 9% will require operation for ALI and 16%
      ultimately required revascularization during follow-up. Persistent iliofemoral
      arterial thrombosis is a likely risk factor for limb length discrepancy with
      growth; identifying risk factors for this and improved methods for surveillance
      requires ongoing investigation.

PMID- 28341499
TI  - Renal Arteriovenous Malformations: A Rare Vascular Cause of Back Pain.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Renal arteriovenous malformation (AVM) is a very rare phenomenon
      (fewer than 200 cases in the literature), most commonly (75%) presenting with
      hematuria in young women. Renal AVMs may be cirsoid (multibranched) or cavernous,
      with cirsoid morphology predominating 3:1. The historical treatment is partial
      nephrectomy. Best endovascular therapy is divided among many options. We present
      2 cases of large renal AVMs treated with single Amplatzer plugs. METHODS: During
      a 2-year period (2014-15), 2 patients presented for vascular evaluation of renal
      AVMs found incidentally on workup for nonspecific abdominal and back pain. Both
      were the less common cavernous-type AVM. Each noted back pain ipsilateral to the
      AVM. Neither had a history of trauma or renal procedures. Each underwent
      angiography and Amplatzer plug placement to occlude flow while preserving
      parenchyma. RESULTS: Each patient successfully underwent occlusion of the
      arterial feeding branch of the AVM with immediate angiographic success. Each
      patient subsequently underwent follow-up imaging that demonstrated absence of
      filling of the AVM with preservation of healthy renal parenchyma. CONCLUSIONS:
      Renal AVMs, although very rare, do present to vascular surgeons and may be
      managed successfully via an endovascular approach with standard techniques.
      Although renal AVMs are often managed with cyanoacrylate embolization, careful
      selective arterial catheterization allows for single plug embolization with
      excellent results and without requiring venous intervention.

PMID- 28341500
TI  - Effect of 2% Chlorhexidine Gluconate-Impregnated Cloth on Surgical Site
      Infections in Vascular Surgery.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Surgical site infections (SSIs) are a significant burden to patients
      and health care systems. This retrospective study evaluates the observed rates of
      SSI after our institution implemented chlorhexidine gluconate-impregnated (CHG)
      cloth as a preoperative antiseptic preparation in elective vascular surgery.
      METHODS: Between March 2011 and January 2012, we reviewed 250 patients who
      underwent elective vascular surgery who used the CHG cloth preoperatively. Their
      rate of SSIs was compared with 252 control patients who received the CHG shower
      preoperatively during the preintervention period. Urgent and emergent cases were
      excluded. The primary outcome measured was SSI within 30 days of index operation.
      RESULTS: There was no baseline difference in mean age, gender distribution,
      smoking status, diabetes, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and the number
      of patients with body mass index >40 between the cohorts. There was no difference
      in the overall rate (5.6% vs. 5.6%, P = 1.00) and type of SSIs between the 2
      groups, but the control group trended toward deeper infections (4 deep incisional
      and 2 organ space vs. none and 1, respectively). The control group also had more
      dirty or infected wound categories (10 vs. 21.4%, P < 0.01) and more
      perioperative antibiotic errors and hypothermia (P < 0.02). CONCLUSIONS: There
      was no observed difference in SSI rates before and after implementation of the
      CHG as the preoperative method of skin decontamination in our retrospective case
      control cohorts.

PMID- 28341501
TI  - Normal Lower Extremity Duplex Findings in Patients with Left Ventricular Assist
      Devices: A Basis for Vascular Laboratory Interpretation.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Left ventricular assist devices (LVADs) have been shown to cause
      changes in carotid artery duplex-derived flow velocity waveforms; however,
      possible effects on lower extremity arterial duplex (LEAD) findings have not been
      characterized. We sought to characterize LEAD findings in patients with LVADs to
      establish a basis for vascular laboratory interpretation of LEAD in patients with
      LVADs. METHODS: Retrospective single institution review of all patients with LEAD
      performed after LVAD implantation from 2003 to 2014. Peak systolic velocity
      (PSVs) of common femoral (CFA), superficial femoral (SFA), popliteal, and
      posterior tibial arteries (PTA) in asymptomatic extremities in patients with
      LVADs were compared to a control group of patients at our institution without
      LVADs who underwent LEAD for nonischemic indications. Arterial brachial index
      (ABIs) and CFA waveform acceleration times (ATs) and end diastolic velocity (EDV)
      were also measured. RESULTS: There were 248 LVAD patients, 29 had LEAD of at
      least 1 lower extremity (34 extremities, 22 asymptomatic, and 12 symptomatic)
      during the study period and 136 control limbs. Mean PSVs (cm/s) in the control
      CFA, mid SFA, popliteal, and PTA were 137 +/- 4.8, 104.2 +/- 4.5, 65.2 +/- 2.8,
      and 64.6 +/-3.2. Mean PSVs were significantly decreased in the LVAD patients:
      49.5 +/- 4.9, 40.6 +/- 3.7, 27.2 +/- 2.2, and 25.5 +/- 2.3, P < 0.001 for each
      comparison. Average ABI for control limbs was 0.91 +/- 0.05 compared to 1.17 +/-
      0.35 in LVAD extremities (P < 0.001). Mean CFA AT was 97 ms in the controls and
      207 ms in LVAD patients, P < 0.001. Mean CFA EDV was 14.7 cm/s in the controls
      and 18.6 cm/s in the LVAD patients, P = 0.011. CONCLUSIONS: This is the first
      study characterizing LEAD in lower extremity arteries in LVAD patients. PSV is
      significantly decreased throughout lower extremity vessels, and common femoral
      artery acceleration time increased. Results can serve as a basis for identifying
      normal LEAD findings in LVAD patients.

PMID- 28341502
TI  - Significance of Blunted Venous Waveforms Seen on Upper Extremity Ultrasound.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Current guidelines recommend vascular mapping ultrasound (US) prior
      to arteriovenous fistula creation. Blunted venous waveforms (BVWs) suggest
      central venous stenosis; however, this relationship and one between BVWs and the
      presence of a central venous catheter (CVC) remain unclear. METHODS: All patients
      who received upper extremity vascular mapping US between January 2013 and October
      2014 at a single institution were retrospectively reviewed. Patient demographics,
      comorbidities, US results, pacemaker history, and CVC status were collected.
      Waveforms were assessed at the proximal subclavian vein/distal axillary vein and
      interpreted by radiologists. Patients were determined to have central venous
      stenosis (CVS) if detected by venography within 6 months of US. RESULTS: There
      were 342 patients, of which 165 (48%) had a current CVC and 29 (8.5%) had BVW of
      at least 1 arm. Right-sided BVW were associated with a history of a prior
      ipsilateral CVC (odds ratio [OR] = 4.5, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.6-12.6,
      P = 0.009). Of the 342 patients, 69 (20%) had a venogram within 6 months.
      Seventeen (25%) of the 69 patients had CVS, with 7 involving the left subclavian
      vein, 8 the right subclavian vein, and 3 the superior vena cava (one patient had
      tandem stenoses). A BVW on the left side was not associated with any CVS. A BVW
      on the right side was associated with an ipsilateral CVS (OR = 5.8, 95% CI = 1.2
      27.4, P = 0.04). This association persisted in the setting of a prior CVC
      (relative risk = 1.3, 95% CI = 0.9-2, P = 0.01). CONCLUSIONS: There are
      associations between right-sided BVW and an ipsilateral subclavian vein stenosis.
      We recommend that hemodialysis access planning includes venography to rule out
      central vein stenosis in patients with BVW, especially if right-sided and in the
      setting of a prior CVC.

PMID- 28341503
TI  - Endovascular Repair of a Large Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm in a Patient Presenting
      with Lower Extremity Edema as a Result of Inferior Vena Cava Thrombosis.
AB  - PURPOSE: Abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) can present with symptoms because of
      aneurysmal compression of adjacent organ systems. This condition has always been
      treated by open surgical repair. Here, we report a case of an AAA complicated by
      inferior vena cava (IVC) thrombosis and deep venous thrombosis (DVT) due to IVC
      compression by aneurysm successfully treated by endovascular aneurysm repair
      (EVAR). CASE REPORT: A 50-year-old man was presented with 3-day right lower
      extremity edema. He was diagnosed with acute DVT and IVC thrombosis initially.
      Anticoagulation therapy and catheter-directed thrombolysis under the protection
      of IVC filter were performed. Subsequent imaging revealed a 9.5-cm infrarenal AAA
      compressing the IVC. The patient was transferred to our hospital and underwent
      EVAR successfully. CONCLUSIONS: EVAR is a viable treatment option for patients
      with an AAA complicated by IVC thrombosis and DVT due to IVC compression by
      aneurysm.

PMID- 28341504
TI  - The Management of Superior Mesenteric Artery Aneurysm: Experience with 16 Cases
      in a Single Center.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Superior mesenteric artery aneurysm (SMAA) represents a rare but
      potentially fatal condition. This study aimed to present the individual
      management protocol of SMAA in our center and to discuss a potential preliminary
      treatment algorithm. METHODS: SMAA patients treated in our center between January
      2007 and December 2014 were retrospectively reviewed on January 2015. RESULTS:
      Sixteen patients with SMAA were identified, including 1 female and 15 males, with
      a mean age of 48.9 +/- 12.9 years. Three patients (3/16, 18.8%) were treated by
      multiple overlapping bare stents and one (1/16, 6.3%) initially by a single bare
      stent. Two cases (2/16, 12.5%) were treated by a covered stent implantation, but
      one of those suffered from SMAA rupture 7 days later, whereas the other had inner
      stent thrombosis one month after discharge and died from multiple organ
      dysfunction syndrome. Nine patients (9/16, 56.2%) received conservative therapy,
      one of who received multiple overlapping bare stents implantations for persistent
      abdominal pain. One patient underwent open surgery. There were 2 major
      complications, with no death during hospitalization and 1 death during follow-up.
      CONCLUSIONS: SMAA treatment needs to be individually prescribed, based on
      clinical manifestation, anatomy, and etiology. Multiple overlapping bare stents
      are safe and effective in selective patients with SMAA, and covered stents should
      be used with caution to avoid covering proximal branches; open surgery should be
      reserved for patients with suspected intestinal necrosis.

PMID- 28341505
TI  - Secondary Aortoenteric Erosion Followed by Recurrent Lower Extremity Abscesses.
AB  - A secondary aortoenteric fistula (SAEF) is a relatively rare complication of
      aortoiliac reconstructive surgery, often involving relatively fixed duodenal
      third portion and a vascular anastomosis. We observed a 52-year-old man with a
      recurrent right lower leg abscess following the erosion between ipsilateral
      bifurcated prosthetic graft limb and nonfixed jejunum. In situ graft-sparing
      surgical treatment with aggressive debridement was successfully performed. A SAEF
      may occur even at a nonvascular anastomosis site, or in nonfixed small bowel, and
      may become a source of a septic embolus. A high index of suspicion for SAEF is
      required for early diagnosis and treatment of this life-threatening complication.

PMID- 28341506
TI  - A Case of Acute Ischemic Monomelic Neuropathy and Review of the Literature.
AB  - Ischemia monomelic neuropathy is rare and underrecognized complication of
      hemodialysis access (HA), characterized by diffuse multiple mononeuropathies in
      the absence of significant clinical ischemia. It is important to diagnose this
      syndrome early because ligation of the HA is the most accepted treatment to
      prevent or at least halt irreversible neural dysfunction and therefore, chronic
      pain and disability. Literature describing this fistulae-related pathology is
      rare, and we attempt to increase its awareness.

PMID- 28341507
TI  - Endovascular Aortic Repair for Progressive Chronic Thoracoabdominal Aortic
      Dissections.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Ascending and thoracic aortic dissections progress into
      thoracoabdominal aneurysms 20-40% of the time, due to the initial aortic injury
      with associated weakness of the aortic wall. The increased firmness of the
      intimal flap usually results in a collapsed true lumen that does not
      spontaneously reexpand even with progressive dilatation of the aorta. In an
      effort to identify a safe and effective treatment path for this complex disease
      process, we present 4 cases illustrating successful sequential thoracic
      endovascular aortic repair (TEVAR) and fenestrated endovascular aortic repair
      (FEVAR). The treatment of these patients with endovascular techniques is less
      invasive than open conventional operations. However, multiple procedures are
      required using various complex novel techniques. METHODS: Institutional review
      board approval was obtained to identify 4 cases between January 2010 and May 2015
      of patients with pretreatment hypertension, who initially presented with an
      aortic dissection. All patients subsequently developed a descending aortic
      aneurysm and were treated by TEVAR and FEVAR. Monthly and yearly outcomes were
      analyzed. RESULTS: All procedures concluded with branched visceral vessel patency
      and no type I endoleaks. One patient required extraction of the retrograde
      superior mesenteric artery stent placed during the acute phase for visceral
      reperfusion. Another patient developed acute thromboembolic occlusion of the
      right common femoral artery requiring emergent revascularization in the immediate
      postoperative period. CONCLUSIONS: Aortic dissection is the most common cause of
      death related to aortic pathology. Treatment of type B aortic dissections has
      traditionally been initially medical therapy unless complications develop. The
      treatment of subsequent complications has been associated with a high morbidity
      and mortality rate. However, the advent of evolving endovascular therapies has
      resulted in the reassessment of how these patients might be handled. This case
      series illustrates the treatment of expanding chronic thoracoabdominal aortic
      dissecting aneurysms with a total endovascular approach using various novel
      techniques.

PMID- 28341508
TI  - Efficacy of Endovascular Radiofrequency Ablation for Thromboangiitis Obliterans
      (Buerger's Disease).
AB  - BACKGROUND: This study aimed to evaluate the efficacy of endovascular
      radiofrequency ablation (RFA) for the treatment of thromboangiitis obliterans
      (TAO). METHODS: Total 30 males (median age: 46.00 years, interquartile range:
      42.00-51.25 years) with unilateral TAO in the lower extremity underwent RFA were
      retrospectively enrolled from January 2013 and October 2013. The pre-operative
      and post-operative digital subtraction angiographic (DSA) images were recorded.
      Pain scores preoperatively and postoperatively were assessed according to the
      World Health Organization Pain Guideline. The values of ankle brachial index
      (ABI) at pre-operation, post-operation, 2 weeks and 2 years after surgery were
      all recorded and analyzed. Additionally, a 2-year follow up was performed by a
      computed tomographic angiography (CTA) image. RESULTS: The DSA images indicated
      that occlusion of femoral artery was improved after surgery. Moreover, there was
      no recurrence of TAO at 2 years of follow-up based on the CTA images. The pain
      score (P < 0.001) was significantly deceased after surgery. The values of ABI at
      postoperation, 2 weeks after surgery, and 2 years after surgery were all
      significantly higher than the preoperative ABI (P < 0.001). Furthermore, the
      values of ABI at 2 weeks after surgery and 2 years after surgery were all
      significantly higher than the postoperative ABI (P < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: These
      results supported the application of endovascular RFA for treating TAO.

PMID- 28341509
TI  - Dialysis Access Hemorrhage: Access Rescue from a Surgical Emergency.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Hemorrhage from a dialysis access can be a life-threatening
      condition. This study details our experience using access rescue strategies,
      including in situ graft replacement, primary repair, or conversion to an
      autogenous fistula, coupled with treatment of central vein occlusion to maintain
      access usage in patients presenting with conduit hemorrhage. METHODS: During a 3
      year period (2012-2014), 26 patients (14 women, 12 men) on chronic hemodialysis
      were treated for access conduit bleeding (n = 18) or life-threatening hemorrhage
      (n = 8), located in the upper extremity (n = 23) or thigh (n = 3). All patients
      had developed bleeding from a skin eschar/ulcer over a bovine (n = 9) or
      polytetrafluoroethylene (n = 9) bridge graft, or aneurysmal autogenous fistula (n
      = 8). A retrospective review of outcome relative to clinical signs, etiology of
      conduit bleeding (infection, wall erosion), and the type of rescue procedure(s)
      was performed. Duplex ultrasound testing was used to guide therapy based on the
      presence of aneurysmal degeneration, perigraft fluid, or access flow pattern
      indicative of venous outflow obstruction. RESULTS: One-half of the patients were
      taken emergently to the operating room for hemorrhage control or impending
      rupture of an infected false aneurysm, the remaining repaired on an urgent basis.
      In 18 patients, emergency room personnel attempted control of access site
      bleeding by suturing (n = 14) or tourniquet (n = 4). Dialysis access salvage was
      achieved in 22 (85%) of 26 patients by in situ conduit replacement using a
      rifampin-soaked polytetrafluoroethylene conduit (n = 19) or primary repair (n =
      3). Two patients with sepsis and ruptured, infected false aneurysm were treated
      by ligation, and 2 patients with nonsalvable access had conversion to an
      autogenous fistula. One-third of rescued accesses (n = 7) had staged endovascular
      treatment of central vein stenosis. One patient died within 30 days. All dialysis
      access revisions remained patent and used for immediate dialysis (n = 5), within
      4-5 weeks (n = 19), or after vein maturation (n = 2). One replaced graft was
      revised for infection. Positive blood or bleeding site cultures were obtained
      from 9 (45%) of 20 patients tested. CONCLUSIONS: Salvage of a functional dialysis
      access is possible in the majority of patients presenting with conduit
      hemorrhage. Loss of wall integrity, infection, and venous hypertension were
      etiologic factors. Application of in situ graft replacement strategies known to
      be effective in the treatment of graft infection should be considered in the
      management of this surgical emergency.

PMID- 28341510
TI  - Endovascular Stenting of Portal Vein for Graft Rescue after a Pancreas Transplant
      Venous Graft Thrombosis: A Case Report.
AB  - Venous thrombosis of pancreas transplant allografts often leads to graft loss. It
      is an worrisome complication and difficult to treat, forming the most common
      nonimmunological cause of graft loss. Multiple risk factors have been implicated
      in the development of venous thrombosis of pancreas transplant. Color Doppler
      ultrasonography enables early diagnosis of venous thrombosis, thus increasing the
      possibility of graft-rescue treatments. Endovascular management of pancreatic
      transplant vascular complications is scant and in the form of case reports. We
      report a case of early detection of pancreatic graft venous thrombosis that was
      treated successfully by catheter-directed thrombolysis mechanical thrombectomy,
      percutaneous transluminal angioplasty, and stenting of portal vein.

PMID- 28341511
TI  - Open and Endovascular Abdominal Aortic Injury Repair Outcomes in Polytrauma
      Patients.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: The management of patients with abdominal aortic injury (AAI)
      remains challenging. Open repair of AAI is still the standard of care although it
      is associated with high mortality. In past few years, endovascular surgery has
      evolved as a less invasive alternative to open surgery in emergency settings. The
      objective of this study was to compare outcomes after open repair versus
      endovascular repair of AAI in polytrauma patients. METHODS: The National Trauma
      Data Bank, from 2008 to 2012, was queried to identify trauma patients undergoing
      open and endovascular repair of AAI using International Classification of
      Diseases, ninth Edition, and Clinical Modification codes. Data reviewed included
      demographics, type of associated injury, type of operative management, and
      complications. Factors independently associated with mortality were evaluated
      using multivariate logistic regression model. RESULTS: Of 325 injured patients
      with AAI, 91 patients underwent endovascular repair and 234 patients underwent
      open repair. Of these, 80.6% were male, with a mean age of 35.70 years, and a
      mean injury severity score (ISS) was 30.59 for patients undergoing open repair
      and 31.56 for endovascular repair. Associated traumatic injuries included bowel
      injuries 57.5%, liver-pancreas injuries 36.6%, splenic injuries 14.8%, renal
      injuries 15.7%, and retroperitoneal injuries 19.1%. In-patient mortality for
      patients undergoing the open repair cohort was 63.7% and 20.9% for patients in
      the endovascular cohort (P < 0.001). The endovascular repair cohort patients had
      a higher incidence of pneumonia 17.6% as compared to open repair cohort 5.1% (P <
      0.001). Similarly, patients in the endovascular repair cohort also had a higher
      abdominal compartment syndrome (4.4% vs. 0.4% in the open repair cohort, P =
      0.009), postoperative acute kidney injury (9.9% endovascular repair cohort vs.
      6.4% in the open repair cohort, P = 0.281), and acute mesenteric ischemia (1.1%).
      After controlling for associated injuries, acidosis, blood pressure at
      presentation, age, and ISS, patients in the open repair cohort had 6.58 times
      higher odds (confidence interval: 3.25-13.33; P < 0.001) of mortality as compared
      to the endovascular repair cohort. CONCLUSIONS: Endovascular repair of abdominal
      aorta in polytrauma patients seems to be feasible and may improve survivorship in
      appropriately selected patients. More research is needed to understand to
      identify indications for endovascular repair versus open repair.

PMID- 28341512
TI  - Change in Aortic Neck Diameter after Endovascular Aortic Aneurysm Repair.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Implications of aortic neck dilatation following endovascular
      aneurysm repair (EVAR) are unclear. Previous studies are limited to comparisons
      of individual, early generation devices. We compared aortic neck dilatation among
      contemporary stent grafts. METHODS: We reviewed preoperative and postoperative
      computed tomographic angiograms for EVARs performed from 2008-2014. Images were
      analyzed using 3-dimensional centerline reconstructions. Aortic neck diameter was
      measured in orthogonal planes at and 10 mm below the lowest renal artery. Device
      type and main body graft diameter were obtained from operative reports. RESULTS:
      Eighty-six patients were analyzed with a median radiologic follow-up of 21.9
      months (range: 4-64). Stent grants implanted included 26 Cook Zenith, 26 Gore
      Excluder, 22 Medtronic Endurant, 10 Endologix Powerlink, and 2 Trivascular
      Ovation devices. Mean device oversizing was 13.6 +/- 11.5% and did not vary by
      device type (P = 0.54). Most patients (86.0%) experienced increases in aortic
      neck diameter during follow-up, with a mean increase of 1.3 +/- 2.2 mm (5.9 +/-
      9.3%) and 3.3 +/- 0.6 mm (8.9 +/- 2.5%) at 30 day and latest follow-up scans,
      respectively. Repeated-measures analysis further demonstrated a significant
      increase in mean neck dilatation during follow-up (P < 0.001). Neck dilatation
      was not significantly different across different devices (P = 0.233). However,
      there was a moderate positive correlation between percent change in neck diameter
      and degree of oversizing, which was statistically significant (rs = 0.41, P <
      0.001). Type Ia endoleak was observed in 2 patients and was associated with
      greater mean neck dilatation (8.8 +/- 3.3 mm vs. 3.35 +/- 2.71, P = 0.041). There
      was no relationship between changes in neck diameter and sac
      regression/expansion. CONCLUSIONS: Aortic neck diameter increases consistently
      over time following EVAR. The degree of neck dilatation correlates with degree of
      device oversize but not with device type.

PMID- 28341513
TI  - Impact of Inferior Vena Cava Filter Placement on Short-Term Outcomes in Patients
      with Acute Pulmonary Embolism.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Inferior vena cava filters (IVCFs) have been associated with improved
      survival in patients with acute pulmonary embolism (PE) in some studies. However,
      without randomization, those with early mortality who did not receive an IVCF
      might have died prior to treatment decision about filter placement, falsely
      contributing a survival advantage to those receiving IVCF and biasing the results
      of previous observational studies. The objective of this study is to evaluate the
      impact of IVCF on in-hospital mortality after adjusting for this survivor
      treatment selection. METHODS: National Inpatient Sample data sets from 2009 to
      2012 were analyzed to assess the impact of IVCF placement on in-hospital
      mortality in all patients with acute PE. Subgroup analyses were performed in
      those with high-risk PE (hemodynamic shock) and also for those with both shock
      and concomitant thrombolysis. Inverse propensity-score weighting was used to
      balance clinical and comorbid differences between filter and nonfilter groups. To
      account for survivor treatment selection bias, an extended Cox model was fitted
      with IVCF placement as a time-dependent covariate. RESULTS: We identified 263,955
      patients with acute PE over this period; 36,702 (13.9%) received IVCF. Those
      receiving IVCF in the unadjusted cohort were older (IVCF: 66.3 +/- 15.9 vs. non
      IVCF: 62.4 +/- 17.4; P < 0.001) with higher rates of shock (6.8% vs. 3.8%; P <
      0.001), deep venous thrombosis (32.8% vs. 13.9%; P < 0.001), thrombolytic therapy
      (5.9% vs. 1.6%; P < 0.001), and lower crude mortality (6.0% vs. 6.7%; P < 0.001).
      Propensity weighted extended Cox analysis showed that IVCF placement did not
      significantly decrease mortality hazard compared to an untreated patient (hazard
      ratio [HR]: 0.93, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.89-1.01). Similar results were
      seen in the combined high-risk and thrombolysis (HR: 0.85, 95% CI: 0.60-1.21)
      subgroup and associated with worse outcomes in the high-risk (HR: 1.2, 95% CI
      1.11-1.38) subgroup. CONCLUSIONS: Placement of IVCF in all patients with acute
      PE, in high-risk patients, or in high-risk patients concurrently treated with
      thrombolysis is not significantly associated with improvement of in-hospital
      mortality when accounting for survivor treatment selection bias.

PMID- 28341514
TI  - The INFANT study-a flawed design foreseen.

PMID- 28341516
TI  - Computerised cardiotocography-study design hampers findings.

PMID- 28341515
TI  - Computerised interpretation of fetal heart rate during labour (INFANT): a
      randomised controlled trial.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Continuous electronic fetal heart-rate monitoring is widely used
      during labour, and computerised interpretation could increase its usefulness. We
      aimed to establish whether the addition of decision-support software to assist in
      the interpretation of cardiotocographs affected the number of poor neonatal
      outcomes. METHODS: In this unmasked randomised controlled trial, we recruited
      women in labour aged 16 years or older having continuous electronic fetal
      monitoring, with a singleton or twin pregnancy, and at 35 weeks' gestation or
      more at 24 maternity units in the UK and Ireland. They were randomly assigned
      (1:1) to decision support with the INFANT system or no decision support via a
      computer-generated stratified block randomisation schedule. The primary outcomes
      were poor neonatal outcome (intrapartum stillbirth or early neonatal death
      excluding lethal congenital anomalies, or neonatal encephalopathy, admission to
      the neonatal unit within 24 h for >=48 h with evidence of feeding difficulties,
      respiratory illness, or encephalopathy with evidence of compromise at birth), and
      developmental assessment at age 2 years in a subset of surviving children.
      Analyses were done by intention to treat. This trial is completed and is
      registered with the ISRCTN Registry, number 98680152. FINDINGS: Between Jan 6,
      2010, and Aug 31, 2013, 47 062 women were randomly assigned (23 515 in the
      decision-support group and 23 547 in the no-decision-support group) and 46 042
      were analysed (22 987 in the decision-support group and 23 055 in the no-decision
      support group). We noted no difference in the incidence of poor neonatal outcome
      between the groups-172 (0.7%) babies in the decision-support group compared with
      171 (0.7%) babies in the no-decision-support group (adjusted risk ratio 1.01, 95%
      CI 0.82-1.25). At 2 years, no significant differences were noted in terms of
      developmental assessment. INTERPRETATION: Use of computerised interpretation of
      cardiotocographs in women who have continuous electronic fetal monitoring in
      labour does not improve clinical outcomes for mothers or babies. FUNDING:
      National Institute for Health Research.

PMID- 28341517
TI  - Enhancement of bactericidal activity against group B streptococci with reduced
      penicillin susceptibility by uptake of gentamicin into cells resulting from
      combination with beta-lactam antibiotics.
AB  - Combined effects of penicillin (PEN) and gentamicin (GM) against Streptococcus
      agalactiae, i.e. group B streptococci (GBS), are known to occur, but synergy has
      not been examined in strains with reduced PEN susceptibility, usually called PEN
      resistant GBS (PRGBS). We therefore studied combined effects of beta-lactam
      antibiotics and GM in cultures of 3 PRGBS strains belonging to serotype Ia or III
      that were isolated from Japanese adults with invasive infections. Killing
      kinetics were determined at 2-h intervals from 0 to 6 h after exposure to
      ampicillin (AMP) or cefotaxime (CTX) combined with GM. Concentrations of GM in
      bacterial cells were measured by liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry.
      Morphologic changes after exposure to agents were observed by transmission
      electron microscopy. Combining AMP or CTX with GM synergistically increased
      bactericidal activity against PRGBS beyond that of either beta-lactam alone. GM
      concentrations in bacterial cells increased 5- to 8-fold when GM was combined
      with AMP or CTX. Electron microscopically, bacterial cells showed aggregates of
      strands and ribosomal damage most likely reflecting enhanced GM uptake into
      bacterial cells. This uptake appeared to result from cell wall damage caused by
      beta-lactam antibiotics. This study suggests that combining beta-lactam
      antibiotics with GM might be useful against severe PRGBS infection.

PMID- 28341518
TI  - Evaluation of the implementation rate of primary antifungal prophylaxis and the
      prognosis of invasive fungal disease in acute leukemia patients in China.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Invasive fungal disease (IFD) is a major complication of acute
      leukemia, thus primary antifungal prophylaxis (PAP) is recommended by guidelines.
      Nevertheless, guidelines might not be commonly followed in developing countries
      due to economic factors. The primary objectives were to evaluate the
      implementation rate of PAP in acute leukemia patients in China and to compare the
      prognosis of IFD with and without PAP. The secondary objectives were to
      investigate the safety of PAP, clinical characteristics of IFDs and risk factors
      of breakthrough. METHODS: This was a retrospective observational single-center
      study, including non-M3 acute myeloid leukemia (AML) and acute lymphocytic
      leukemia (ALL) patients receiving uniform induction or salvage chemotherapy
      between 2012 and 2016. RESULTS: There were 29.4% of patients without PAP among a
      total of 248 cases. The incidence of breakthrough proven/probable/possible IFDs
      was 24.7%, 6.5%, 5.5%, 5.4% and 5.3% in control (no prophylaxis), fluconazole,
      itraconazole, voriconazole and posaconazole group respectively (P = 0.007), while
      the percentage of patients requiring empirical or pre-emptive therapy was 54.8%,
      45.7%, 23.3%, 18.9%, 10.5% respectively (P < 0.001). PAP could also significantly
      improve IFD-free survival (P < 0.001) and reduce 90-day overall mortality in
      patients on AML salvage regimen (P = 0.021). There were no statistical
      differences in PAP-related adverse events. Past history of IFD (OR 9.5, P =
      0.006) was confirmed to be independent risk factors. CONCLUSIONS: There are a
      considerable number of acute leukemia patients without PAP in China, who have
      higher IFD incidence, increased empiric/pre-emptive antifungal drug use and worse
      IFD-free survival.

PMID- 28341519
TI  - Rett Syndrome-Current Status and Future Directions.

PMID- 28341520
TI  - In silico prediction of the effects of mutations in the human triose phosphate
      isomerase gene: Towards a predictive framework for TPI deficiency.
AB  - Triose phosphate isomerase (TPI) deficiency is a rare, but highly debilitating,
      inherited metabolic disease. Almost all patients suffer severe neurological
      effects and the most severely affected are unlikely to live beyond early
      childhood. Here, we describe an in silico study into well-characterised variants
      which are associated with the disease alongside an investigation into 79
      currently uncharacterised TPI variants which are known to occur in the human
      population. The majority of the disease-associated mutations affected amino acid
      residues close to the dimer interface or the active site. However, the location
      of the altered amino acid residue did not predict the severity of the resulting
      disease. Prediction of the effect on protein stability using a range of different
      programs suggested a relationship between the degree of instability caused by the
      sequence variation and the severity of the resulting disease. Disease-associated
      variations tended to affect well-conserved residues in the protein's sequence.
      However, the degree of conservation of the residue was not predictive of disease
      severity. The majority of the 79 uncharacterised variants are potentially
      associated with disease since they were predicted to destabilise the protein and
      often occur in well-conserved residues. We predict that individuals homozygous
      for the corresponding mutations would be likely to suffer from TPI deficiency.

PMID- 28341521
TI  - Periodic leg movements during sleep: phenotype, neurophysiology, and clinical
      significance.
AB  - Periodic leg movements during sleep (PLMS) are the most important objective
      finding in restless legs syndrome (RLS). During the last decade, PLMS have been
      very important for the assessment and comprehension of their pathophysiological
      correlates, which have been paralleled by the emergence of new computer-assisted
      and data-driven rules for their identification, scoring, and analysis. The
      present article focused on the most relevant PLMS-related findings of the last
      decade, and sought to provide a coherent and comprehensive overview on this
      enigmatic motor phenomenon. First, a clear description was made on the
      identification, quantification, and scoring of PLMS and their associated events.
      This was followed by a description of the current knowledge of their
      neurophysiologic aspects. Then, the typical phenotype of genuine PLMS in RLS and
      other clinical conditions was described, allowing for their careful separation
      from other sleep leg motor activities. In addition, the most recent findings on
      the genetics of PLMS were briefly summarized, followed by the current evidence on
      their clinical correlates, which is another rapidly advancing field of research.
      The description of the specific aspects of PLMS in children was also carefully
      reported, with important clues on their evaluation in this age group. Finally,
      further research was proposed, which may lead to consideration of PLMS as a
      clinically significant concern, independent of the association with RLS.

PMID- 28341522
TI  - Cognitive Schemas in Placebo and Nocebo Responding: Role of Autobiographical
      Memories and Expectations.
AB  - PURPOSE: Placebo effects are presumed to be based on one's expectations and
      previous experience with regard to a specific treatment. The purpose of this
      study was to investigate the role of the specificity and valence of memories and
      expectations with regard to itch in experimentally induced placebo and nocebo
      itch responses. It was expected that cognitive schemas with more general and more
      negative memories and expectations with regard to itch contribute to less placebo
      itch responding. METHODS: Validated memory tasks (ie, the Autobiographical Memory
      Test and the Self-referential Endorsement and Recall Task) and expectation tasks
      (ie, Future Event Task and the Self-referential Endorsement and Recall Task) were
      modified for physical symptoms, including itch. Specificity and valence of
      memories and expectations were assessed prior to a placebo experiment in which
      expectations regarding electrical itch stimuli were induced in healthy
      participants. FINDINGS: Participants who were more specific in their memories
      regarding itch and who had lesser negative itch-related expectations for the
      future were more likely to be placebo itch responders. There were no significant
      differences in effects between the nocebo responders and nonresponders.
      IMPLICATIONS: The adapted tasks for assessing cognitive (memory and expectations)
      schemas on itch seem promising in explaining interindividual differences in
      placebo itch responding. Future research should investigate whether similar
      mechanisms apply to patients with chronic itch. This knowledge can be used for
      identifying patients who will benefit most from the placebo component of a
      treatment.

PMID- 28341523
TI  - Intracranial stents in the endovascular treatment of acute ischemic stroke.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the efficacy and safety of intracranial stenting as a
      rescue therapy after failed mechanical thrombectomy in patients with acute
      ischemic stroke. MATERIAL AND METHODS: We retrospectively studied 42 patients
      treated with intracranial stenting after failed mechanical thrombectomy between
      December 2008 and January 2016. We compared outcomes before and after the
      incorporation of stentrievers. We assessed the degree of recanalization in the
      carotid and basilar territories (modified TIMI score), prognostic factors, and
      outcome (modified Rankin Score at 3 months). Safety was evaluated in function of
      the appearance of symptomatic intracranial hemorrhage (SICH). RESULTS: Median
      NIHSS was 17 in patients with carotid territory strokes and 26 in those with
      vertebrobasilar territory strokes. Median time from onset of symptoms to
      treatment was 225minutes in carotid territory strokes and 390minutes in
      vertebrobasilar territory strokes. A total of 10 patients underwent intravenous
      fibrinolytic therapy before treatment with stentrievers. Two patients developed
      SICH; both had undergone intravenous fibrinolytic therapy (p=0.0523).
      Recanalization was effective in 30 (71.4%) in the entire series: in 7 (50%) of 14
      patients treated before the incorporation of stentrievers and in 23 (82.1%) of 28
      treated after the incorporation of stentrievers (p=0.0666). Outcome at 3 months
      was good in 2 (14.3%) patients in the earlier group and in 14 (50%) patients in
      the later group (p=0.042). We found significant associations between
      recanalization and outcome (p=0.0415) and between shorter time to treatment and
      outcome (p=0.002). Outcome was good in 14 (48.3%) of the 29 patients with carotid
      territory strokes and in 2 (15.4%) of the 13 patients with vertebrobasilar
      territory strokes (p=0.078). CONCLUSIONS: Intracranial stenting is the rescue
      treatment when the usual treatment fails. Stentrievers must be used to eliminate
      the clot burden before stenting. In our study, antiplatelet treatment did not
      seem to increase the risk of SICH except in patients with prior intravenous
      fibrinolytic treatment.

PMID- 28341524
TI  - A Clinical Care Algorithmic Toolkit for Promoting Screening and Next-Level
      Assessment of Pediatric Depression and Anxiety in Primary Care.
AB  - With a documented shortage in youth mental health services, pediatric primary
      care (PPC) providers face increased pressure to enhance their capacity to
      identify and manage common mental health problems among youth, such as anxiety
      and depression. Because 90% of U.S. youth regularly see a PPC provider, the
      primary care setting is well positioned to serve as a key access point for early
      identification, service provision, and connection to mental health services. In
      the context of task shifting, we evaluated a quality improvement project designed
      to assist PPC providers in overcoming barriers to practice-wide mental health
      screening through implementing paper and computer-assisted clinical care
      algorithms. PPC providers were fairly successful at changing practice to better
      address mental health concerns when equipped with screening tools that included
      family mental health histories, next-level actions, and referral options. Task
      shifting is a promising strategy to enhance mental health services, particularly
      when guided by computer-assisted algorithms.

PMID- 28341525
TI  - Two-Year Follow-Up Outcomes of Premature Infants Enrolled in the Phase I Trial of
      Mesenchymal Stem Cells Transplantation for Bronchopulmonary Dysplasia.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: To determine the long-term safety and outcomes of mesenchymal stem
      cells (MSCs) for bronchopulmonary dysplasia in premature infants enrolled in a
      previous phase I clinical trial up to 2 years of corrected age (CA). STUDY
      DESIGN: We assessed serious adverse events, somatic growth, and respiratory and
      neurodevelopmental outcomes at visit 1 (4-6 months of CA), visit 2 (8-12 months
      of CA), and visit 3 (18-24 months of CA) in a prospective longitudinal follow-up
      study up to 2 years' CA of infants who received MSCs (MSC group). We compared
      these data with those from a historical case-matched comparison group. RESULTS:
      One of 9 infants in the MSC group died of Enterobacter cloacae sepsis at 6 months
      of CA, the remaining 8 infants survived without any transplantation-related
      adverse outcomes, including tumorigenicity. No infant in the MSC group was
      discharged with home supplemental oxygen compared with 22% in the comparison
      group. The average rehospitalization rate in the MSC group was 1.4/patient
      because of respiratory infections during 2 years of follow-up. The mean body
      weight of the MSC group at visit 3 was significantly higher compared with that of
      the comparison group. No infant in the MSC group was diagnosed with cerebral
      palsy, blindness, or developmental delay; in the comparison group, 1 infant was
      diagnosed with cerebral palsy and 1 with developmental delay. CONCLUSIONS:
      Intratracheal transplantation of MSCs in preterm infants appears to be safe, with
      no adverse respiratory, growth, and neurodevelopmental effects at 2 years' CA.
      TRIAL REGISTRATION: ClinicalTrials.gov: NCT01632475.

PMID- 28341526
TI  - Getting Published: A Primer on Manuscript Writing and the Editorial Process.

PMID- 28341528
TI  - Molecular diagnosis of allergy to Anisakis simplex and Gymnorhynchus gigas fish
      parasites.
AB  - BACKGROUND: There has been an increase in the prevalence of hypersensitivity to
      Anisakis simplex. There are fish parasites other than Anisakis simplex whose
      allergenicity has not yet been studied. OBJECTIVE: To assess IgE hypersensitivity
      caused by fish parasite allergens in patients with gastro-allergic symptoms after
      consumption of fish, shellfish or cephalopods, compared with healthy subjects,
      pollen allergic individuals and children with digestive symptoms after eating
      marine food. METHODS: We carried out in vivo tests (skin prick) and in vitro
      tests (specific IgE determination, Western blot) and component resolved
      diagnostics (CRD) using microarray analysis in all patients. RESULTS: CRD better
      detected sensitisation to allergens from marine parasites than skin prick tests
      and determination of specific IgE by CAP. Sensitisation to Gymnorhynchus gigas
      was detected in 26% of patients measured by skin prick tests and 36% measured by
      IgE. CONCLUSIONS: The prevalence of hypersensitivity to marine parasite allergens
      other than Anisakis simplex should be studied, and the most appropriate technique
      for this is CRD.

PMID- 28341529
TI  - Radiation enteritis diagnosed through capsule endoscopy, an uncommon cause of
      iron-deficiency anemia.

PMID- 28341530
TI  - Thoracic Endovascular Aortic Repair for Type B Acute Aortic Dissection
      Complicated by Descending Thoracic Aneurysm.
AB  - OBJECTIVES: To analyse the results and review the literature about thoracic
      aortic endovascular repair (TEVAR) for type B acute aortic dissection (TBAAD)
      complicated by descending thoracic aortic aneurysm (DTA) in the hyperacute or
      acute phases. METHODS: This was a multicentre, observational descriptive study.
      Inclusion criteria were TBAAD with a DTA of >=50 mm, TBAAD on an already known
      aneurysmal descending thoracic aorta, and TBAAD presenting with an enlarged aorta
      with a total diameter <50 mm, but with >50% diameter increase compared with a
      previous computed tomography angiography (CTA) showing a non-dissected aorta with
      normal sizing. Primary endpoints were early and long-term survival, freedom from
      TEVAR and aortic related mortality (ARM), and freedom from re-intervention.
      RESULTS: Twenty-two patients were included in the analysis. The mean aortic
      diameter was 66 +/- 26 mm (range 42-130; IQR 51-64). The in hospital TEVAR
      related mortality was 14% (n = 3). The mean radiological follow-up was 56 +/- 45
      months (range 6-149; IQR 12-82), and the follow-up index 0.97 +/- 0.1. All
      surviving patients were available for follow-up. During follow-up the cumulative
      mortality was 26% (n = 5) and TEVAR related mortality was 5% (n = 1). Overall the
      estimate of survival was 82% (95%CI: 61.5-93) at 1 year, and 64% at 5 years.
      Ongoing primary clinical success was 79% (re-intervention n = 4). Freedom from
      aortic related mortality was 86% (95%CI: 66-95) at 1 and 5 year, while freedom
      from re-intervention was 95% (95%CI: 75.5-95) at 1 year, and 77% (95%CI: 50-92)
      at 5 years. CONCLUSIONS: In our experience, DTA is a frequent complication from
      the very beginning of the clinical onset of TBAAD. In this high-risk cohort,
      TEVAR showed satisfactory results, better than those predicted by the risk score
      for open repair, with favourable stability of the aortic diameter and no aortic
      related adverse events during follow-up.

PMID- 28341527
TI  - The Relationship of Maternal Prepregnancy Body Mass Index and Pregnancy Weight
      Gain to Neurocognitive Function at Age 10 Years among Children Born Extremely
      Preterm.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: To assess the association between maternal prepregnancy body mass
      index and adequacy of pregnancy weight gain in relation to neurocognitive
      function in school-aged children born extremely preterm. STUDY DESIGN: Study
      participants were 535 ten-year-old children enrolled previously in the
      prospective multicenter Extremely Low Gestational Age Newborns cohort study who
      were products of singleton pregnancies. Soon after delivery, mothers provided
      information about prepregnancy weight. Prepregnancy body mass index and adequacy
      of weight gain were characterized based on this information. Children underwent a
      neurocognitive evaluation at 10 years of age. RESULTS: Maternal prepregnancy
      obesity was associated with increased odds of a lower score for Differential
      Ability Scales-II Verbal IQ, for Developmental Neuropsychological Assessment-II
      measures of processing speed and visual fine motor control, and for Wechsler
      Individual Achievement Test-III Spelling. Children born to mothers who gained an
      excessive amount of weight were at increased odds of a low score on the Oral and
      Written Language Scales Oral Expression assessment. Conversely, children whose
      mother did not gain an adequate amount of weight were at increased odds of a
      lower score on the Oral and Written Language Scales Oral Expression and Wechsler
      Individual Achievement Test-III Word Reading assessments. CONCLUSION: In this
      cohort of infants born extremely preterm, maternal obesity was associated with
      poorer performance on some assessments of neurocognitive function. Our findings
      are consistent with the observational and experimental literature and suggest
      that opportunities may exist to mitigate risk through education and behavioral
      intervention before pregnancy.

PMID- 28341532
TI  - The Importance of Peer Review.

PMID- 28341531
TI  - Urease activity as an index for assessing the maturity of cow manure and wheat
      residue vermicomposts.
AB  - The establishment of a reliable index is an essential need to assess the degree
      of stability and maturity of solid wastes vermicomposts. The objective of this
      study was to investigate the effects of vermicomposting process on some chemical
      (pH, EC, OC, TN, lignin and C:N ratio) and biochemical properties of the cow
      manure (CM) and wheat residue (WR). Results demonstrated that during
      vermicomposting process of CM and WR urease activity was highly correlated with
      the time of vermicomposting (r=-0.97** for CM and r=-0.99** for WR), and well
      able to show the stability of organic waste. The urease activity showed
      significant correlations with the C:N ratio during the vermicomposting of CM and
      WR (r=0.89* and r=0.93** respectively) therefore it can be considered as a
      reliable indicator for determining the maturity and stability of organic wastes
      during vermicomposting process.

PMID- 28341533
TI  - Epidemiology of infectious encephalitis causes in 2016.
AB  - We performed a literature search in the Medline database, using the PubMed
      website. The incidence of presumably infectious encephalitis is estimated at 1.5
      7 cases/100,000 inhabitants/year, excluding epidemics. Infectious encephalitis
      and immune-mediated encephalitis share similar clinical signs and symptoms. The
      latter accounts for a significant proportion of presumably infectious
      encephalitis cases without any established etiological diagnosis; as shown from a
      prospective cohort study where 21% of cases were due to an immune cause. Several
      infectious agents are frequently reported in all studies: Herpes simplex virus
      (HSV) is the most frequent pathogen in 65% of studies, followed by Varicella
      zoster virus (VZV) in several studies. Enteroviruses are also reported; being the
      most frequent viruses in two studies, and the 2nd or 3rd viruses in five other
      studies. There are important regional differences, especially in case of vector
      borne transmission: Asia and the Japanese encephalitis virus, Eastern and
      Northern Europe/Eastern Russia and the tick-borne encephalitis virus, Northern
      America and Flavivirus or Alphavirus. Bacteria can also be incriminated:
      Mycobacterium tuberculosis and Listeria monocytogenes are the most frequent,
      after HSV and VZV, in a French prospective study. The epidemiology of
      encephalitis is constantly evolving. Epidemiological data may indicate the
      emergence and/or dissemination of new causative agents. The dissemination and
      emergence of causative agents are fostered by environmental, social, and
      economical changes, but prevention programs (vaccination, vector controls) help
      reduce the incidence of other infectious diseases and associated encephalitis
      (e.g., measles).

PMID- 28341534
TI  - The Declaration of Rabat: An update.

PMID- 28341535
TI  - As a Nucleus Enters a Small Pore, Chromatin Stretches and Maintains Integrity,
      Even with DNA Breaks.
AB  - As a cell pushes or pulls its nucleus through a small constriction, the chromatin
      must distort and somehow maintain genomic stability despite ever-present double
      strand breaks in the DNA. Here we visualize within a living cell the pore-size
      dependent deformation of a specific locus engineered into chromosome-1 and
      cleaved. An mCherry-tagged nuclease targets the submicron locus, causing DNA
      cleavage and recruiting repair factors such as GFP-53BP1 to a large region around
      the locus. Aspiration of a cell and its nucleus into a micropipette shows that
      chromatin aligns and stretches parallel to the pore. Extension is largest in
      small pores, increasing >10-fold but remaining 30-fold shorter than the DNA
      contour length in the locus. Brochard and de Gennes' blob model for tube geometry
      fits the data, with a simple modification for chromatin crowding. Continuity of
      the highly extended, cleaved chromatin is also maintained, consistent with
      folding and cross bridging of the DNA. Surprisingly, extensional integrity is
      unaffected by an inhibitor of the DNA repair scaffold.

PMID- 28341536
TI  - The role of cPLA2 in Methylglyoxal-induced cell apoptosis of HUVECs.
AB  - Methylglyoxal (MGO), a highly reactive dicarbonyl compound, is mainly formed as a
      byproduct of glycolysis. Elevated MGO level is known to induce apoptosis of
      vascular endothelial cells, which is implicated with progression of
      atherosclerosis and diabetic complications. However, the underlying mechanisms
      have not been exhaustively investigated yet. Here, we further characterized the
      mechanisms how MGO induced apoptosis in human umbilical vein endothelial cells
      (HUVECs). Our data revealed that cytosolic phospholipase A2 (cPLA2) played an
      important role in MGO-induced cell apoptosis. It was found that MGO could
      increase both the activity and expression of cPLA2. Inhibition of cPLA2 by
      Pyrrophenone (PYR) or siRNA significantly attenuated the MGO-induced apoptosis.
      Additionally, MGO time-dependently decreased the phosphorylation of nuclear
      factor kappaB (NF-kappaB). Pretreatment of the cells with NF-kappaB inhibitor,
      BAY11-7082, further increased MGO-induced apoptosis of HUVECs, indicating that NF
      kappaB played a survival role in this MGO-induced apoptosis. Furthermore, in the
      presence of si-cPLA2 or PYR, MGO no longer decreased NF-kappaB phosphorylation.
      Beyond that, the antioxidant N-acetyl cysteine (NAC) could reverse the changes of
      both cPLA2 and NF-kappaB caused by MGO. p38, the upstream of cPLA2, was also
      significantly phosphorylated by MGO. However, p38 inhibitor failed to reverse the
      apoptosis induced by MGO. This study gives an important insight into the
      downstream signaling mechanisms of MGO, cPLA2-NF-kappaB, in endothelial
      apoptosis.

PMID- 28341537
TI  - Interleukin-6 expression in disc derangement of human temporomandibular joint and
      association with osteoarthrosis.
AB  - The inflammatory process is a coordinated response that protects host after
      infection or trauma, involving several molecular reactions. Once the inflammation
      is closely linked to the process of destruction of the temporomandibular joint,
      this study aims to examine, by immunohistochemistry, the expression of
      interleukin-6 (IL-6), an important inflammatory marker, in temporomandibular
      articular discs of patients with anterior disc displacement with (ADDwR) and
      without reduction (ADDwoR) and its association with osteoarthrosis (OA). Thirty
      eight (n = 38) articular discs were divided into two cutoffs: 1) analysis 1: 4
      control (acute pathology), 17 ADDwR, 17 ADDwoR; and 2) analysis 2: without OA (n
      = 21) and with OA (n = 17). The area of immunostaining was compared statistically
      between groups (p < 0.05). In the disc samples, no significant differences were
      observed between the groups ADDwR and ADDwoR, and with and without OA, in respect
      to the expression of IL-6 by immunohistochemical examination. Future studies
      should be conducted with a larger sample size, which could clarify the
      association of the inflammatory mediator IL-6 with temporomandibular joint
      dysfunction.

PMID- 28341538
TI  - The differential impact of oxytocin receptor gene in violence-exposed boys and
      girls.
AB  - Childhood violence exposure is a prevalent public health problem. Understanding
      the lasting impact of violence requires an enhanced appreciation for the complex
      effects of violence across behavioral, physiologic, and molecular outcomes. This
      subject matched, cross-sectional study of 80 children explored the impact of
      violence exposure across behavioral, physiologic, and cellular outcomes.
      Externalizing behavior, diurnal cortisol rhythm, and telomere length (TL) were
      examined in a community recruited cohort of Black youth. Given evidence that
      genetic variation contributes to individual differences in response to the
      environment, we further tested whether a polymorphism in the oxytocin receptor
      gene (OXTR rs53576) moderated associations between violence and youth outcomes.
      Exposure to violence was directly associated with increased externalizing
      behavior, but no direct association of violence was found with cortisol or TL.
      Oxytocin genotype, however, moderated the association between violence and both
      cortisol and TL, suggesting that pathways linked to oxytocin may contribute to
      individual differences in the physiologic and molecular consequences of violence
      exposure. Sex differences with OXTR in cortisol and TL outcomes were also
      detected. Taken together, these findings suggest that there are complex pathways
      through which violence exposure impacts children, and that these pathways differ
      by both genetic variation and the sex of the child.

PMID- 28341539
TI  - Functional results in endoscopic Zenker's diverticulum surgery.
AB  - OBJECTIVES: The main objective of this retrospective study was to assess
      functional results in endoscopic Zenker's diverticulum surgery. The secondary
      objectives were to assess safety, identify recurrence risk factors, and determine
      optimal management of recurrence. MATERIAL AND METHODS: From 2000 to 2014, 50
      patients underwent endoscopic surgery for marsupialization of Zenker's
      diverticulum. Regurgitation and dysphagia were assessed on the FOIS scale, pre-
      and post-operatively. Recurrences and complications rates were determined
      retrospectively at a minimum 18 months' follow-up. RESULTS: Regurgitation and
      dysphagia improved in respectively 96% and 86% of patients. There was a 12% rate
      of complications, mostly minor. Mean hospital stay and time to return to oral
      feeding were 2.0 and 1.3 days respectively. Nine patients (18%) showed recurrence
      of symptoms, requiring revision surgery at a mean 2.7 years, performed
      endoscopically in the majority of cases. Only one recurrence risk factor was
      identified: small diverticulum size. CONCLUSION: Endoscopic Zenker's diverticulum
      surgery provided functional improvement in most cases. Safe and effective, it is
      currently the treatment of choice for Zenker's diverticulum.

PMID- 28341540
TI  - Clinical meaningfulness of Alzheimer's Disease Assessment Scale-Cognitive
      subscale change in relation to goal attainment in patients on cholinesterase
      inhibitors.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: The clinical meaningfulness of Alzheimer's Disease Assessment Scale
      Cognitive subscale (ADAS-Cog) subscale change is disputed. We compared 2- to 4
      point ADAS-Cog changes with changes in Goal Attainment Scaling (GAS) and everyday
      function across initial ADAS-Cog scores and treatment responses. METHODS: This
      exploratory analysis evaluated mild-moderate Alzheimer's disease patients treated
      with donepezil (12 months) or galantamine (8 months). Clinical meaningfulness was
      defined as concomitant ADAS-Cog and GAS changes of +/-3 points and/or functional
      improvement. RESULTS: Patients with >=3-point ADAS-Cog improvement significantly
      improved on GAS but not on standard tests of everyday function. ADAS-Cog "no
      change" (<=+/-3 points) was seen with mean GAS improvement. Initial ADAS-Cog
      improvement made endpoint improvement (ADAS-Cog 3 points and GAS 1 point) more
      likely (odds ratio = 6.9; 95% confidence interval = 2.5-19.5). In contrast,
      initial deterioration made endpoint improvement unlikely (0.33; 0.14-0.64).
      DISCUSSION: ADAS-Cog improvement and no change were each associated with GAS
      improvement. Initial ADAS-Cog worsening was unlikely to result in later
      improvement. CLINICAL TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER: ISRCTN26167328.

PMID- 28341541
TI  - Pro-resolving actions of SPM in adipose tissue biology.
AB  - White adipose tissue plays an important endocrine role in balancing metabolic
      homeostasis. During conditions of nutrient excess, as occurs in obesity, there is
      an expansion of adipose tissue mass associated with a state of "low-grade"
      inflammation in this tissue. This chronic, unresolved inflammation of adipose
      tissue is deleterious and leads to many pathological sequelae associated with
      obesity including insulin resistance, type 2 diabetes and non-alcoholic fatty
      liver disease. Recently, a novel genus of anti-inflammatory and pro-resolving
      lipid mediators endogenously generated from membrane phospholipid-derived
      polyunsaturated fatty acids has been identified during the resolution phase of
      acute inflammation. These molecules have been termed specialized pro-resolving
      mediators and act not only as "stop-signals" of inflammatory response but also as
      facilitators of timely resolution of inflammation. In this review, we provide a
      comprehensive description of the role of these specialized pro-resolving
      mediators as endogenous counter-regulators of the persistent inflammatory status
      present in white adipose tissue of obese individuals. In addition, we discuss the
      potentiality of these molecules as a novel therapy for the prevention of
      metabolic co-morbidities associated with obesity.

PMID- 28341542
TI  - QT spatial dispersion and sudden cardiac death in hypertrophic cardiomyopathy:
      Time for reappraisal.
AB  - BACKGROUND: The 12-lead surface electrocardiographic (ECG) analysis is able to
      provide independent predictors of prognosis in several cardiovascular settings,
      including hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM). The present single-center study
      investigated the possible ability of several ECG-derived variables in stratifying
      sudden cardiac death (SCD) risk and, possibly, in improving the accuracy of the
      2014 European Society of Cardiology guidelines. METHODS: A total of 221
      consecutive HCM outpatients were recruited and prospectively followed. All of
      them underwent a full clinical and instrumental examination, including a 12-lead
      surface ECG to calculate the dispersion for the following intervals: QRS, Q-Tend
      (QT), Q-Tpeak (QTp), Tpeak-Tend (TpTe), J-Tpeak (JTp), and J-Tend (JT). The study
      composite end-point was SCD, aborted SCD, and appropriate implantable
      cardioverter defibrillator (ICD) interventions. RESULTS: During a median follow
      up of 4.4 years (25th-75th interquartile range: 2.4-9.4 years), 23 patients
      reached the end-point at 5-years (3 SCD, 3 aborted SCD, 17 appropriate ICD
      interventions). At multivariate analysis, the spatial QT dispersion corrected
      according to Bazett's formula (QTcd) remains independently associated to the
      study endpoint over the HCM Risk-SCD score (C-index 0.737). A QTcd cut-off value
      of 93ms showed the best accuracy in predicting the SCD endpoint within the entire
      HCM study cohort (sensitivity 56%, specificity 75%, positive predictive value
      22%, negative predictive value 97%). CONCLUSION: Our data suggest that the QTcd
      might be helpful in SCD risk stratification, particularly in those HCM categories
      classified at low-intermediate SCD risk according to the contemporary guidelines.

PMID- 28341543
TI  - Long-term prognostic impact of the Great East Japan Earthquake in patients with
      cardiovascular disease - Report from the CHART-2 Study.
AB  - BACKGROUND: We and others have previously reported that the Great East Japan
      Earthquake (GEJE) caused a significant but transient increase in cardiovascular
      diseases and deaths in the disaster area. However, it remains to be examined
      whether the GEJE had a long-term prognostic influence in large-scale cohort
      studies. This point is important when analyzing the data before and after the
      GEJE in the cohort studies in the disaster area. METHODS: We examined 8676
      patients registered in our Chronic Heart Failure Analysis and Registry in the
      Tohoku District-2 (CHART-2) Study (N=10,219) between 2006 and 2010 and were alive
      after March 10, 2011. RESULTS: There were 48 GEJE-related deaths, causing a sharp
      and transient increase in all-cause death within a month after the GEJE. However,
      after excluding the GEJE-related deaths, the cubic polynomial spline smoothing
      showed no significant increase in all-cause death, heart failure admission, non
      fetal acute myocardial infarction, or non-fetal stroke during the median 3-year
      follow-up after the GEJE. The extrapolation curves beyond the GEJE, which were
      obtained by the parametric survival models based on the survival data censored on
      the GEJE, were not significantly different from the Kaplan-Meier curves
      estimating the survival functions of deaths and cardiac events during the total
      follow-up period without considering the impacts of the GEJE. Furthermore, the
      multivariate Cox proportional hazard model applied to the matched cohort of the
      baseline data and the data after the GEJE showed no significant differences in
      the impacts of prognostic factors on all-cause mortality before and after the
      GEJE. CONCLUSIONS: These results indicate that the GEJE had no significant long
      term prognostic impact after the earthquake in cardiovascular patients in the
      disaster area.

PMID- 28341544
TI  - Echocardiographic assessment of right ventricular function in routine practice:
      Which parameters are useful to predict one-year outcome in advanced heart failure
      patients with dilated cardiomyopathy?
AB  - BACKGROUND: Right ventricular (RV) function has recently gained attention as a
      prognostic predictor of outcome even in patients who have left-sided heart
      failure. Since several conventional echocardiographic parameters of RV systolic
      function have been proposed, our aim was to determine if any of these parameters
      (tricuspid annular plane systolic excursion: TAPSE, tissue Doppler derived
      systolic tricuspid annular motion velocity: S', fractional area change: FAC) are
      associated with outcome in advanced heart failure patients with dilated
      cardiomyopathy (DCM). METHODS: We retrospectively enrolled 68 DCM patients, who
      were New York Heart Association (NYHA) Class III or IV and had a left ventricular
      (LV) ejection fraction <35%. All patients were undergoing evaluation for heart
      transplantation or management of heart failure. Primary outcomes were defined as
      LV assist device implantation or cardiac death within one year. RESULTS: Thirty
      nine events occurred (5 deaths, 32 LV assist devices implanted). Univariate
      analysis showed that age, systolic blood pressure, heart rate, NYHA functional
      class IV, plasma brain natriuretic peptide concentration, intravenous inotrope
      use, left atrial volume index, and FAC were associated with outcome, whereas
      TAPSE and S' were not. Receiver-operating characteristic curve analysis showed
      that the optimal FAC cut-off value to identify patients with an event was <26.7%
      (area under the curve=0.74). The event-free rate determined by Kaplan-Meier
      analysis was significantly higher in patients with FAC>=26.7% than in those with
      FAC<26.7% (log-lank, p=0.0003). Moreover, the addition of FAC<26.7% improved the
      prognostic utility of a model containing clinical variables and conventional
      echocardiographic indexes. CONCLUSIONS: FAC may provide better prognostic
      information than TAPSE or S' in advanced heart failure patients with DCM.

PMID- 28341545
TI  - Novel putative Bluetongue virus in healthy goats from Sardinia, Italy.
AB  - In recent years, novel Bluetongue virus (BTV) serotypes have been isolated and/or
      sequenced by researchers within the field. During Bluetongue surveillance
      activities, we identified a putative novel BTV serotype in healthy goats from
      Sardinia, Italy. RNAs purified from blood and serum samples were positive for BTV
      by a generic real time RT-PCR and c-ELISA, respectively, whereas genotyping and
      serotyping were unsuccessful. By NGS, the whole genome sequence was obtained from
      two blood samples (BTV-X ITL2015 strains 34200 and 33531). Overall, Seg 2 of BTV
      X ITL2015 shows the highest identity (75.3-75.5% nt/77.4-78.1% aa) with recently
      isolated BTV-27s from Corsica and with the last discovered BTV XJ1407 from China
      (75.9% nt /78.2% aa), whereas it is less related with BTV-25 from Switzerland
      (73.0% nt/75.0% aa) and BTV-26 from Kuwait (62.0% nt/60.5% aa). A specific RT
      qPCR targeting Seg 2 of BTV-X ITL2015 was assessed in this study. Considering the
      Seg 2/VP2 identity of BTV-X ITL2015 with BTV-25, 26, 27s and BTV XJ1407 and that
      serum of BTV-X ITL2015 infected goats failed to neutralize all tested extant
      serotypes, we propose the existence of a novel BTV serotype circulating in goats
      in Sardinia. Isolation was so far unsuccessful thus hampering proper antigenic
      characterization.

PMID- 28341546
TI  - Co-circulation of two Usutu virus strains in Northern Italy between 2009 and
      2014.
AB  - Usutu virus is an arbovirus closely related to West Nile virus (genus
      Flavivirus), which circulates between mosquitoes and wild birds. This virus has
      been increasingly reported in Europe, raising concerns for its possible
      pathogenic potential for wild birds and humans. This study reports the whole
      genome sequences of 15 strains of USUV, isolated between 2010 and 2014 from
      mosquitoes and wild birds in the course of West Nile virus surveillance in the
      Emilia-Romagna and Lombardy regions of Northern Italy. Both whole and 656 partial
      genome sequences, obtained from isolated viruses and field samples (mosquitoes
      and wild birds), were analyzed to describe the temporal and geographical spread
      of USUV in the surveyed area. The detected sequences belonged to two groups, with
      one circulating primarily in the northwestern part of the area and the other in
      the southeastern part. This pattern is likely the result of different routes of
      introduction from the North (over the Alps) and from the East, respectively. The
      phylogenetic analysis of obtained sequences and other European sequences
      demonstrated that the majority of European strains belonged to one main clade,
      while less common strains, mainly from Western Europe, fell in other two clades.
      This analysis strongly suggested an autochthonous evolution process of strains of
      the main clade from a common ancestor with an estimated time of arrival in Europe
      at the beginning of the 1990s. In addition to causing mass mortality in wild
      birds, Usutu virus can infect humans and can sporadically cause disease. These
      factors and the endemization of the Usutu virus in a large area of Europe,
      sustained by the obtained data, strongly support the need to adequately survey
      Usutu virus in areas in which its circulation is detected.

PMID- 28341547
TI  - Evaluation and rational design of guide RNAs for efficient CRISPR/Cas9-mediated
      mutagenesis in Ciona.
AB  - The CRISPR/Cas9 system has emerged as an important tool for various genome
      engineering applications. A current obstacle to high throughput applications of
      CRISPR/Cas9 is the imprecise prediction of highly active single guide RNAs
      (sgRNAs). We previously implemented the CRISPR/Cas9 system to induce tissue
      specific mutations in the tunicate Ciona. In the present study, we designed and
      tested 83 single guide RNA (sgRNA) vectors targeting 23 genes expressed in the
      cardiopharyngeal progenitors and surrounding tissues of Ciona embryo. Using high
      throughput sequencing of mutagenized alleles, we identified guide sequences that
      correlate with sgRNA mutagenesis activity and used this information for the
      rational design of all possible sgRNAs targeting the Ciona transcriptome. We also
      describe a one-step cloning-free protocol for the assembly of sgRNA expression
      cassettes. These cassettes can be directly electroporated as unpurified PCR
      products into Ciona embryos for sgRNA expression in vivo, resulting in high
      frequency of CRISPR/Cas9-mediated mutagenesis in somatic cells of electroporated
      embryos. We found a strong correlation between the frequency of an Ebf loss-of
      function phenotype and the mutagenesis efficacies of individual Ebf-targeting
      sgRNAs tested using this method. We anticipate that our approach can be scaled up
      to systematically design and deliver highly efficient sgRNAs for the tissue
      specific investigation of gene functions in Ciona.

PMID- 28341548
TI  - Cos2/Kif7 and Osm-3/Kif17 regulate onset of outer segment development in
      zebrafish photoreceptors through distinct mechanisms.
AB  - Zebrafish morphants of osm-3/kif17, a kinesin-2 family member and intraflagellar
      transport motor, have photoreceptor outer segments that are dramatically reduced
      in number and size. However, two genetic mutant lines, osm-3/kif17sa0119 and osm
      3/kif17sa18340, reportedly lack any observable morphological outer segment
      defects. In this work, we use TALENs to generate an independent allele, osm
      3/kif17mw405, and show that both osm-3/kif17sa0119 and osm-3/kif17mw405 have an
      outer segment developmental delay in both size and density that is fully
      recovered by 6 days post-fertilization. Additionally, we use CRISPRs to generate
      cos2/kif7mw406, a mutation in the kinesin-4 family member cos2/kif7 that has been
      implicated in controlling ciliary architecture and Hedgehog signaling to test
      whether it may be functioning redundantly with osm-3/kif17. We show that
      cos2/kif7mw406 has an outer segment developmental delay similar to the osm
      3/kif17 mutants. Using a three-dimensional mathematical model of outer segments,
      we show that while cos2/kif7mw406 and osm-3/kif17mw405 outer segments are smaller
      throughout the first 6 days of development, the volumetric rates of outer segment
      morphogenesis are not different among wild-type, cos2/kif7mw406, and osm
      3/kif17mw405 after 60hpf. Instead, our model suggests that cos2/kif7mw406 and osm
      3/kif17mw405 impact outer segment morphogenesis through upstream events that that
      are different for each motor. In the case of cos2/kif7mw406 mutants, we show that
      early defects in Hedgehog signaling lead to a general, non-photoreceptor-specific
      delay of retinal neurogenesis, which in turn causes the secondary phenotype of
      delayed outer segment morphogenesis. In contrast, the osm-3/kif17mw405 outer
      segment morphogenesis delays are linked specifically to initial disc
      morphogenesis of photoreceptors rather than an upstream event. Further, we show
      that osm-3/kif17 mutant mice also exhibit a similarly delayed outer segment
      development, suggesting a role for osm-3/kif17 in early outer segment development
      that is conserved across species. In conclusion, we show that both osm-3/kif17
      and cos2/kif7 have comparable outer segment developmental delays, although
      through independent mechanisms.

PMID- 28341550
TI  - Sphingosine's role in epithelial host defense: A natural antimicrobial and novel
      therapeutic.
AB  - Sphingosine is a natural sphingolipid found in membranes of all eukaryotic cells.
      In addition to its functions in cell signaling, sphingosine has broad-spectrum
      antimicrobial properties. Sphingosine's role as an antimicrobial is important in
      tissues such as the skin and respiratory epithelium. Reduction in the normal
      sphingosine level is associated with problems related to infection
      susceptibility. Therefore, exogenous sphingosine may be an effective
      antimicrobial therapeutic. Inhaled nebulized sphingosine has been shown to be
      effective at both preventing and treating pneumonia in multiple mouse models. We
      now show that inhaled sphingosine has low toxicity to the respiratory system,
      strengthening its case as an excellent candidate for a novel inhaled
      antimicrobial drug.

PMID- 28341549
TI  - A quantitative method for screening and identifying molecular targets for
      nanomedicine.
AB  - Identifying a molecular target is essential for tumor-targeted nanomedicine.
      Current cancer nanomedicines commonly suffer from poor tumor specificity, "off
      target" toxicity, and limited clinical efficacy. Here, we report a method to
      screen and identify new molecular targets for tumor-targeted nanomedicine based
      on a quantitative analysis. In our proof-of-principle study, we used comparative
      flow cytometric screening to identify ICAM-1 as a potential target for metastatic
      melanoma (MM). We further evaluated ICAM-1 as a MM targeting moiety by
      characterizing its (1) tumor specificity, (2) expression level, (3) cellular
      internalization, (4) therapeutic function, and (5) potential clinical impact.
      Quantitation of ICAM-1 protein expression on cells and validation by
      immunohistochemistry on human tissue specimens justified the synthesis of
      antibody-functionalized drug delivery vehicles, which were benchmarked against
      appropriate controls. We engineered ICAM-1 antibody conjugated, doxorubicin
      encapsulating immunoliposomes (ICAM-Dox-LPs) to selectively recognize and deliver
      doxorubicin to MM cells and simultaneously neutralize ICAM-1 signaling via an
      antibody blockade, demonstrating significant and simultaneous inhibitory effects
      on MM cell proliferation and migration. This paper describes a novel,
      quantitative metric system that identifies and evaluates new cancer targets for
      tumor-targeting nanomedicine.

PMID- 28341551
TI  - Augmenting the cytotoxicity of oleic acid-protein complexes: Potential of target
      specific antibodies.
AB  - HAMLET (Human Alpha-Lactalbumin Made LEthal to Tumor cells), a complex of oleic
      acid (OA) with partially unfolded human alpha-lactalbumin, shows remarkable
      toxicity towards a spectrum of tumor cells as well as few differentiated cells
      including mammalian erythrocytes. Human erythrocytes, for this reason, have been
      used as convenient model cells to study toxic properties of the OA complexes. The
      toxicity of HAMLET-like complexes, prepared using immunoglobulin gamma (IgG)
      isolated from the sera of rabbits immunized with human erythrocytes as well as
      those unimmunized, towards the red cells was investigated. The OA complex of the
      IgG prepared by the heat-treatment procedure comprised of protein monomers and
      oligomers with bound OA. The IgG in the complexes retained most secondary but
      only partial tertiary structure and complex formation with OA did not abolish the
      ability of anti-erythrocyte IgG to bind to the erythrocytes. Anti-erythrocyte IgG
      OA complexes were remarkably more hemolytic than those prepared using non
      specific IgG, while complexes prepared using affinity purified anti-erythrocyte
      IgG were most effective in hemolyzing the cells. The work suggests that
      antibodies that exhibit affinity towards target cells may be useful in the
      preparation of selective and highly toxic OA complexes for the cells.

PMID- 28341553
TI  - Spin polarisation with electron Bessel beams.
AB  - The theoretical possibility to use an electron microscope as a spin polarizer is
      studied. It turns out that a Bessel beam passing a standard magnetic objective
      lens is intrinsically spin polarized when post-selected on-axis. In the limit of
      infinitely small detectors, the spin polarisation tends to 100%. Increasing the
      detector size, the polarisation decreases rapidly, dropping below 10-4 for
      standard settings of medium voltage microscopes. For extremely low voltages, the
      Figure of Merit increases by two orders of magnitude, approaching that of
      existing Mott detectors. Our findings may lead to new desings of spin filters, an
      attractive option in view of its inherent combination with the electron
      microscope, especially at low voltage.

PMID- 28341552
TI  - Identification of a molecular signaling gene-gene regulatory network between GWAS
      susceptibility genes ADTRP and MIA3/TANGO1 for coronary artery disease.
AB  - Coronary artery disease (CAD) is the leading cause of death worldwide. GWAS have
      identified >50 genomic loci for CAD, including ADTRP and MIA3/TANGO1. However, it
      is important to determine whether the GWAS genes form a molecular network. In
      this study, we have uncovered a novel molecular network between ADTRP and
      MIA3/TANGO1 for the pathogenesis of CAD. We showed that knockdown of ADTRP
      expression markedly down-regulated expression of MIA3/TANGO1. Mechanistically,
      ADTRP positively regulates expression of PIK3R3 encoding the regulatory subunit 3
      of PI3K, which leads to activation of AKT, resulting in up-regulation of
      MIA3/TANGO1. Both ADTRP and MIA3/TANGO1 are involved in endothelial cell (EC)
      functions relevant to atherosclerosis. Knockdown of ADTRP expression by siRNA
      promoted oxidized-LDL-mediated monocyte adhesion to ECs and transendothelial
      migration of monocytes, inhibited EC proliferation and migration, and increased
      apoptosis, which was reversed by expression of constitutively active AKT1 and
      MIA3/TANGO1 overexpression, while the over-expression of ADTRP in ECs blunted
      these processes. Knockdown of MIA3/TANGO1 expression also promoted monocyte
      adhesion to ECs and transendothelial migration of monocytes, and vice versa for
      overexpression of MIA3/TANGO1. We found that ADTRP negatively regulates the
      levels of collagen VII and ApoB in HepG2 and endothelial cells, which are
      downstream regulatory targets of MIA3/TANGOI. In conclusion, we have uncovered a
      novel molecular signaling pathway for the pathogenesis of CAD, which involves a
      novel gene-gene regulatory network. We show that ADTRP positively regulates
      PIK3R3 expression, which leads to activation of AKT and up-regulation of
      MIA3/TANGO1, thereby regulating endothelial cell functions directly relevant to
      atherosclerosis.

PMID- 28341554
TI  - Structure and chemistry of epitaxial ceria thin films on yttria-stabilized
      zirconia substrates, studied by high resolution electron microscopy.
AB  - We have applied aberration-corrected transmission electron microscopy (TEM)
      imaging and electron energy loss spectroscopy (EELS) to study the structure and
      chemistry of epitaxial ceria thin films, grown by pulsed laser deposition onto
      (001) yttria-stabilized zirconia (YSZ) substrates. There are few observable
      defects apart from the expected mismatch interfacial dislocations and so the
      films would be expected to have good potential for applications. Under high
      electron beam dose rate (above about 6000 e-/A2s) domains of an ordered structure
      appear and these are interpreted as being created by oxygen vacancy ordering. The
      ordered structure does not appear at lower lose rates (ca. 2600 e-/A2s) and can
      be removed by imaging under 1 mbar oxygen gas in an environmental TEM. EELS
      confirms that there is both oxygen deficiency and the associated increase in Ce3+
      versus Ce4+ cations in the ordered domains. In situ high resolution TEM
      recordings show the formation of the ordered domains as well as atomic migration
      along the ceria thin film (001) surface.

PMID- 28341555
TI  - Enhanced thermal stability of a polymer solar cell blend induced by electron beam
      irradiation in the transmission electron microscope.
AB  - We show by in situ microscopy that the effects of electron beam irradiation
      during transmission electron microscopy can be used to lock microstructural
      features and enhance the structural thermal stability of a nanostructured
      polymer:fullerene blend. Polymer:fullerene bulk-heterojunction thin films show
      great promise for use as active layers in organic solar cells but their low
      thermal stability is a hindrance. Lack of thermal stability complicates
      manufacturing and influences the lifetime of devices. To investigate how electron
      irradiation affects the thermal stability of polymer:fullerene films, a model
      bulk-heterojunction film based on a thiophene-quinoxaline copolymer and a
      fullerene derivative was heat-treated in-situ in a transmission electron
      microscope. In areas of the film that exposed to the electron beam the
      nanostructure of the film remained stable, while the nanostructure in areas not
      exposed to the electron beam underwent large phase separation and nucleation of
      fullerene crystals. UV-vis spectroscopy shows that the polymer:fullerene films
      are stable for electron doses up to 2000kGy.

PMID- 28341556
TI  - Advanced electron holography techniques for in situ observation of solid-state
      lithium ion conductors.
AB  - Advanced techniques for overcoming problems encountered during in situ electron
      holography experiments in which a voltage is applied to an ionic conductor are
      reported. The three major problems encountered were 1) electric-field leakage
      from the specimen and its effect on phase images, 2) high electron conductivity
      of damage layers formed by the focused ion beam method, and 3) chemical reaction
      of the specimen with air. The first problem was overcome by comparing
      experimental phase distributions with simulated images in which three-dimensional
      leakage fields were taken into account, the second by removing the damage layers
      using a low-energy narrow Ar ion beam, and the third by developing an air-tight
      biasing specimen holder.

PMID- 28341557
TI  - Cathodoluminescence in the scanning transmission electron microscope.
AB  - Cathodoluminescence (CL) is a powerful tool for the investigation of optical
      properties of materials. In recent years, its combination with scanning
      transmission electron microscopy (STEM) has demonstrated great success in
      unveiling new physics in the field of plasmonics and quantum emitters. Most of
      these results were not imaginable even twenty years ago, due to conceptual and
      technical limitations. The purpose of this review is to present the recent
      advances that broke these limitations, and the new possibilities offered by the
      modern STEM-CL technique. We first introduce the different STEM-CL operating
      modes and the technical specificities in STEM-CL instrumentation. Two main
      classes of optical excitations, namely the coherent one (typically plasmons) and
      the incoherent one (typically light emission from quantum emitters) are
      investigated with STEM-CL. For these two main classes, we describe both the
      physics of light production under electron beam irradiation and the physical
      basis for interpreting STEM-CL experiments. We then compare STEM-CL with its
      better known sister techniques: scanning electron microscope CL,
      photoluminescence, and electron energy-loss spectroscopy. We finish by
      comprehensively reviewing recent STEM-CL applications.

PMID- 28341558
TI  - Biomethane: The energy storage, platform chemical and greenhouse gas mitigation
      target.
AB  - Results in three areas of anaerobic microbiology in which methane formation and
      utilization plays central part are reviewed. a.) Bio-methane formation by
      reduction of carbon dioxide in the power-to-gas process and the various
      possibilities of improvement of the process is a very intensively studied topic
      recently. From the numerous potential methods of exploiting methane of biological
      origin two aspects are discussed in detail. b.) Methane can serve as a platform
      chemical in various chemical and biochemical synthetic processes. Particular
      emphasis is put on the biochemical conversion pathways involving methanotrophs
      and their methane monooxygenase-catalyzed reactions leading to various small
      molecules and polymeric materials such as extracellular polysaccharides,
      polyhydroxyalkanoates and proteins. c.) The third area covered concerns methane
      consuming reactions and methane emission mitigation. These investigations
      comprise the anaerobic microbiology of ruminants and approaches to diminishing
      methane emissions from ruminant animals.

PMID- 28341559
TI  - [Moyamoya disease associated with kidney angiodysplasia in a child].
AB  - INTRODUCTION: Moyamoya disease is a progressive, chronic occlusive vascular
      disease of the circle of Willis arteries leading to the development of collateral
      circulation to compensate the occlusion. CASE REPORT: An 11-year-old girl
      presented an abrupt loss of consciousness and a right-sided motor deficit.
      Clinical examination found hypertension with 220/120mmHg arterial blood pressure.
      Brain magnetic resonance imaging showed a large left hemispheric ischemic lesion.
      Cerebral arteriography demonstrated an abnormal anastomotic vascular network with
      fine arteriolar ends in several territories, with a "wisp of smoke" aspect
      arguing in favor of moyamoya disease. Renal arteriography revealed dysplasia of
      the upper polar branches of the right kidney. CONCLUSION: Moyamoya disease is a
      rare cause of stroke in children. Its association with renal angiodysplasia is
      unusual and may be responsible for malignant hypertension. Cognitive impairment
      and social dependence have recently been recognized as an important unresolved
      social issue. Affected children require medical-surgical, social, and
      psychological care.

PMID- 28341560
TI  - Showcasing Clinical Development and Production of Cellular Therapies.

PMID- 28341561
TI  - Duvoglustat HCl Increases Systemic and Tissue Exposure of Active Acid alpha
      Glucosidase in Pompe Patients Co-administered with Alglucosidase alpha.
AB  - Duvoglustat HCl (AT2220, 1-deoxynojirimycin) is an investigational
      pharmacological chaperone for the treatment of acid alpha-glucosidase (GAA)
      deficiency, which leads to the lysosomal storage disorder Pompe disease, which is
      characterized by progressive accumulation of lysosomal glycogen primarily in
      heart and skeletal muscles. The current standard of care is enzyme replacement
      therapy with recombinant human GAA (alglucosidase alfa [AA], Genzyme). Based on
      preclinical data, oral co-administration of duvoglustat HCl with AA increases
      exposure of active levels in plasma and skeletal muscles, leading to greater
      substrate reduction in muscle. This phase 2a study consisted of an open-label,
      fixed-treatment sequence that evaluated the effect of single oral doses of 50 mg,
      100 mg, 250 mg, or 600 mg duvoglustat HCl on the pharmacokinetics and tissue
      levels of intravenously infused AA (20 mg/kg) in Pompe patients. AA alone
      resulted in increases in total GAA activity and protein in plasma compared to
      baseline. Following co-administration with duvoglustat HCl, total GAA activity
      and protein in plasma were further increased 1.2- to 2.8-fold compared to AA
      alone in all 25 Pompe patients; importantly, muscle GAA activity was increased
      for all co-administration treatments from day 3 biopsy specimens. No duvoglustat
      related adverse events or drug-related tolerability issues were identified.

PMID- 28341562
TI  - Deformable Discoidal Polymeric Nanoconstructs for the Precise Delivery of
      Therapeutic and Imaging Agents.
AB  - Over the last 15 years, a plethora of materials and different formulations have
      been proposed for the realization of nanomedicines. Yet drug-loading efficiency,
      sequestration by phagocytic cells, and tumor accumulation are sub-optimal. This
      would imply that radically new design approaches are needed to propel the
      clinical integration of nanomedicines, overcoming well-accepted cliches. This
      work briefly reviews the use of deformable discoidal nanoconstructs as a novel
      delivery strategy for therapeutic and imaging agents. Inspired by blood cell
      behavior, these nanoconstructs are designed to efficiently navigate the
      circulatory system, minimize sequestration by phagocytic cells, and recognize the
      tortuous angiogenic microvasculature of neoplastic masses. This article discusses
      the notion of nanoparticle margination and vascular adhesion, as well as
      advantages associated with deformable particles. Finally, details on the
      synthesis, physico-chemical properties, and in vivo characterization of discoidal
      polymeric nanoconstructs are provided, with particular emphasis on their ability
      to independently control size, shape, surface properties, and mechanical
      stiffness. These nanoconstructs could help in gaining a deeper understanding of
      the mechanisms regulating the behavior of nanomedicines and identifying optimal
      delivery strategies for patient-specific therapeutic interventions.

PMID- 28341563
TI  - Avoidance of On-Target Off-Tumor Activation Using a Co-stimulation-Only Chimeric
      Antigen Receptor.
AB  - Chimeric antigen receptors (CARs) combine T cell activation with antibody
      mediated tumor antigen specificity, bypassing the need for T cell receptor (TCR)
      ligation. A limitation of CAR technology is on-target off-tumor toxicity caused
      by target antigen expression on normal cells. Using GD2 as a model cancer
      antigen, we hypothesized that this could be minimized by using T cells expressing
      Vgamma9Vdelta2 TCR, which recognizes transformed cells in a major
      histocompatibility complex (MHC)-unrestricted manner, in combination with a co
      stimulatory CAR that would function independently of the TCR. An anti-GD2 CAR
      containing a solitary endodomain derived from the NKG2D adaptor DAP10 was
      expressed in Vgamma9Vdelta2+ T cells. Differential ligation of the CAR and/or TCR
      using antibody-coated beads showed that pro-inflammatory cytokine response
      depended on activation of both receptors. Moreover, in killing assays, GD2
      expressing neuroblastoma cells that engaged the Vgamma9Vdelta2 TCR were
      efficiently lysed, whereas cells that expressed GD2 equivalently but did not
      engage the Vgamma9Vdelta2 TCR were untouched. Differentiation between X-on tumor
      and X-off tumor offers potential for safer immunotherapy and broader target
      selection.

PMID- 28341564
TI  - Systemic AAV Gene Therapy Close to Clinical Trials for Several Neuromuscular
      Diseases.

PMID- 28341565
TI  - Single pulse electrical stimulation and high-frequency oscillations, a
      complicated marriage.

PMID- 28341566
TI  - Vibration-induced nystagmus in patients with vestibular schwannoma:
      Characteristics and clinical implications.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: To investigate the clinical significance of vibration-induced
      nystagmus (VIN) in unilateral vestibular asymmetry and vestibular schwannoma.
      METHODS: Thirteen patients with vestibular schwannoma underwent the VIN test, in
      which stimulation was applied to the mastoid processes and sternocleidomastoid
      (SCM) muscles on the ipsilateral and contralateral sides of lesions. Preoperative
      VIN was measured, and changes in VIN were followed up for 6months after tumor
      removal. Significance of VIN was determined by evaluation of its sensitivity,
      correlation with vestibular function tests and tumor volume, and postoperative
      changes. RESULTS: The overall pre and postoperative sensitivities of VIN were
      92.3% and 100%, respectively, considering stimulation at all four sites. Maximum
      slow-phase velocity (MSPV) of VIN was linearly correlated with caloric weakness
      and tumor volume, especially when stimulation was applied to the SCM muscle.
      Postoperative MSPV of VIN exhibited stronger linear correlation with
      postoperative changes in canal paresis value and inverse correlation with tumor
      size upon stimulation of the ipsilateral SCM muscle than upon stimulation of
      other sites. During the 6-month follow-up period, persistence of VIN without
      changes in MSPV was observed even after vestibular compensation. CONCLUSIONS:
      Evoking VIN by stimulation of the mastoid processes and SCM muscles is effective
      for detecting vestibular asymmetry. It could also help determine the degree of
      vestibular asymmetry and volume of vestibular schwannoma if stimulation is
      applied to the SCM muscle. SIGNIFICANCE: The results of this study could provide
      clues for the basic application of VIN in patients with vestibular loss and
      vestibular schwannoma.

PMID- 28341567
TI  - Can epileptiform abnormalities predict delayed cerebral ischemia in subarachnoid
      hemorrhage?

PMID- 28341568
TI  - A mathematical method for precisely calculating the radiographic angles of the
      cup after total hip arthroplasty.

PMID- 28341569
TI  - Oral exposure of pregnant rats to toxic doses of methylmercury alters fetal
      accumulation.
AB  - Methylmercury (CH3Hg+) is an environmental toxicant that may lead to significant
      pathologies in exposed individuals. The current study assessed the disposition
      and toxicological effects of 2.5 or 7.5mgkg-1 CH3Hg+, conjugated to cysteine
      (Cys; Cys-S-CH3Hg) and administered orally to pregnant and non-pregnant Wistar
      and TR- rats. Rats were euthanized on gestational day 20 and the content of
      mercury in each fetus, amniotic sac, and placenta was determined. The brain,
      liver, and kidneys were removed from each fetus for estimation of mercury
      content. From the dams, a sample of blood, kidneys, liver, and brain were removed
      at the time of euthanasia. The findings from this study indicate that pregnancy
      leads to significant changes in the handling of mercuric ions, particularly in
      the liver. Furthermore, there are significant differences in the handling of non
      nephrotoxic and nephrotoxic doses of Cys-S-CH3Hg by maternal and fetal organs.

PMID- 28341570
TI  - A study of the age-related effects of lactational atrazine exposure.
AB  - A growing number of reports have demonstrated that the widely-used herbicide
      Atrazine (ATR) can cause injury to dopamine (DA) neurons, but the exact mechanism
      remains unclear. In this study, we examined the effects of lactational ATR
      exposure in Sprague-Dawley rats on dopaminergic neuron health later in life.
      Compared with control rats, rats exposed to ATR during a critical period of
      neural development showed decreased striatal DA content and increased rates of DA
      turnover. The expression of Monoamine oxidase (MAO), which is associated with DA
      degradation, was up-regulated, and the expression of Vesicular Monoamine
      Transporter 2 (VMAT2), which is associated with DA transport, was down-regulated.
      The expression of transcription factor Nuclear Receptor Related Factor 1 (Nurr1),
      which is associated with DA neuron development, was down-regulated. Increased age
      (6-12 months old) increased the statistical significance of the differences of
      the above indicators in the ATR-treated rats compared to the control rats
      (P<0.05). Taken together, our results indicate that ATR exposure during the
      critical neural development period causes a down-regulation of Nurr1, which in
      turn affects Nurr1 target genes, including MAO, VMAT2 and DAT, which are involved
      in DA degradation and transport. Reduced expression of these genes impairs the
      capacity for vesicular storage or reuptake of DA, causing decreased levels of
      striatal DA, which can ultimately lead to DA neuron injury. DA neuron injuries
      become more severe over time, which suggests that aging can synergistically
      promote the ATR-associated DA neuron injuries.

PMID- 28341571
TI  - Alterations in prostate morphogenesis in male rat offspring after maternal
      exposure to Di-n-butyl-phthalate (DBP).
AB  - Prostate morphogenesis is regulated by androgens hormones and modulated by
      morphogenetic proteins such as Bone Morphogenetic Proteins (BMPs). This study
      aims to investigate the effects on prostate development in male offspring and
      differentiation after gestational and lactational maternal exposure to Di-n-butyl
      phthalate (DBP), an important environmental contamination. Pregnant Wistar rats
      received 100 or 500mg/kg of DBP (DBP100 and DBP500), by gavage, from gestation
      day 15 (GD15) until postnatal day 21 (PND21). The pups were euthanized on PND1
      and PND21. Anogenital distance and testosterone levels decreased in animals from
      exposed mothers (DBP100 and 500) on PND1. A three-dimensional reconstruction
      model of the prostatic urethra showed reduction in the prostatic buds in the
      DBP500 group. AR expression and alpha-actin immunoreactivity decreased, and BMP-4
      expression was lower on PND1 for DBP500. These results showed that DBP exposure,
      especially at a higher dose, delayed prostate morphogenesis by reducing the
      testosterone/AR axis and BMP-4 expression.

PMID- 28341574
TI  - Homozygous familial hypercholesterolaemia - Early recognition and early treatment
      improve outcomes.

PMID- 28341573
TI  - Quercetin alters uterine fluid volume and aquaporin (AQP) subunits (AQP-1, 2, 5 &
      7) expression in the uterus in the presence of sex-steroids in rats.
AB  - : Effects of quercetin on uterine fluid volume and aquaporin (AQP) expression in
      the uterus were investigated. Estradiol (E) or estradiol followed by progesterone
      (E+P) were given to ovariectomised rats with or without quercetin (10, 50 or
      100mg/kg/day) treatment. Uteri were harvested and its inner/outer circumference
      ratio was determined. AQP-1, 2, 5 and 7 mRNA and protein levels in uterus were
      quantified by Real-time PCR and Western blotting respectively. Protein
      distribution was observed by immunohistochemistry. Administration of quercetin in
      E-treated rats decreased the uterine fluid volume and uterine AQP-2 expression.
      In E+P-treated rats, administration of 100mg/kg/day quercetin increased uterine
      fluid volume, AQP-1 and 2 expression but decreased AQP-7 expression in uterus.
      AQP-1 was distributed in stromal blood vessels while AQP-2, 5 and 7 were
      distributed in uterine epithelium. CONCLUSIONS: Quercetin-induced changes in
      uterine fluid volume and AQP subunits expression in uterus could affect the
      uterine reproductive functions under different sex-steroid influence.

PMID- 28341572
TI  - Cell and region specificity of Aryl hydrocarbon Receptor (AhR) system in the
      testis and the epididymis.
AB  - Aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR) plays multiple important functions in adaptive
      responses. Exposure to AhR ligands may produce an altered metabolic activity
      controlled by the AhR pathways, and consequently affect drug/toxin responses,
      hormonal status and cellular homeostasis. This research revealed species-, cell-
      and region-specific pattern of the AhR system expression in the rat and human
      testis and epididymis, complementing the existing knowledge, especially within
      the epididymal segments. The study showed that AhR level in the rat and human
      epididymis is higher than in the testis. The downregulation of AhR expression
      after TCDD treatment was revealed in the spermatogenic cells at different stages
      and the epididymal epithelial cells, but not in the Sertoli and Leydig cells.
      Hence, this basic research provides information about the AhR function in the
      testis and epididymis, which may provide an insight into deleterious effects of
      drugs, hormones and environmental pollutants on male fertility.

PMID- 28341575
TI  - The use of a Colapinto TIPS Needle under cone-beam computed tomography guidance
      for true lumen re-entry in subintimal recanalization of chronic iliac artery
      occlusion.
AB  - BACKGROUND: To report the technique and clinical outcome of subintimal re-entry
      in chronic iliac artery occlusion by using a Colapinto transjugular intrahepatic
      portosystemic shunt (TIPS) needle under rotational angiography (cone-beam
      computed tomography; CT) imaging guidance. METHODS: Patients with chronic iliac
      artery occlusion with earlier failed attempts at conventional percutaneous
      recanalization during the past 5 years were enrolled in our study. In these
      patients, an ipsilateral femoral access route was routinely utilized in a
      retrograde fashion. A Colapinto TIPS Needle was used to aid the true lumen re
      entry after failed conventional intraluminal or subintimal guidewire and catheter
      based techniques. The puncture was directed under rotational angiography cone
      beam CT guidance to re-enter the abdominal aorta. Bare metallic stents 8-10 mm in
      diameter were deployed in the common iliac artery, and followed by balloon
      dilation. RESULTS: Ten patients (9 male; median age, 75 years) were included in
      our investigation. The average occlusion length was 10.2 cm (range, 4-15 cm).
      According to the Trans-Atlantic Inter-Society Consensus (TASC) II classification,
      there were five patients each with Class B and D lesions. Successful re-entry was
      achieved in all patients without procedure-related complications. The ankle
      brachial index (ABI) values increased from 0.38-0.79 to 0.75-1.28 after the
      procedure. Imaging follow-up (> 6 months) was available in six patients with
      patency of all stented iliac artery. Thereafter, no complaints of recurrent
      clinical symptoms occurred during the follow-up period. CONCLUSION: The use of
      Colapinto TIPS needle, especially under cone-beam CT image guidance, appears to
      be safe and effective to re-enter the true lumen in a subintimal angioplasty for
      a difficult chronic total iliac occlusion.

PMID- 28341576
TI  - Effectiveness of interventions to reduce household air pollution and/or improve
      health in homes using solid fuel in low-and-middle income countries: A systematic
      review and meta-analysis.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Cookstove intervention programs have been increasing over the past
      two (2) decades in Low and Middle Income Countries (LMICs) across the globe.
      However, there remains uncertainty regarding the effects of these interventions
      on household air pollution concentrations, personal exposure concentrations and
      health outcomes. OBJECTIVES: The primary objective was to determine if household
      air pollution (HAP) interventions were associated with improved indoor air
      quality (IAQ) in households in LMICs. Given the potential impact of HAP
      interventions on health, a secondary objective was to evaluate the effectiveness
      of HAP interventions to improve health in populations receiving these
      interventions. DATA SOURCES: OVID Medline, Ovid Embase, SCOPUS and PubMED were
      searched from their inception until December 2015 with no restrictions on study
      design. The WHO Global database of household air pollution measurements and
      Members' archives were also reviewed together with the reference lists of
      identified reviews and relevant articles. STUDY ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA,
      PARTICIPANTS AND INTERVENTION: We considered randomized controlled trials, or non
      randomized control trials, or before-and-after studies; original studies; studies
      conducted in a LMIC (based on the United Nations Human Development Report
      released in March 2013 (World Bank, 2013); interventions that were explicitly
      aimed at improving IAQ and/or health from solid fuel use; studies published in a
      peer-reviewed journal or student theses or reports; studies that reported on
      outcomes which was indicative of IAQ or/and health. There was no restriction on
      the type of comparator (e.g. household receiving plancha vs. household using
      traditional cookstove) used in the intervention study. STUDY APPRAISAL AND
      SYNTHESIS METHODS: Five review authors independently used pre-designed data
      collection forms to extract information from the original studies and assessed
      risk of bias using the Effective Public Health Practice Project (EPHPP). We
      computed standardized weighted mean difference (SMD) using random-effects models.
      Heterogeneity was computed using the Q and I2-statistics. We examined the
      influence of various characteristics on the study-specific effect estimates by
      stratifying the analysis by population type, study design, intervention type, and
      duration of exposure monitoring. The trim and fill method was used to assess the
      potential impact of missing studies. RESULTS: Fifty-five studies met our a priori
      inclusion criteria and were included in the systematic review. Fifteen studies
      provided 43 effect estimates for our meta-analysis. The largest improvement in
      HAP was observed for average particulate matter (PM) (SMD=1.57) concentrations in
      household kitchens (1.03), followed by daily personal average concentrations of
      PM (1.18), and carbon monoxide (CO) concentrations in kitchens. With respect to
      personal PM, significant improvement was observed in studies of children (1.26)
      and studies monitoring PM for >=24h (1.32). This observation was also noted in
      terms of studies of kitchen concentrations of CO. A significant improvement was
      also observed for kitchen levels of PM in both adult populations (1.56) and in
      RCT/cohort designs (1.59) involving replacing cookstoves without chimneys. Our
      findings on health outcomes were inconclusive. LIMITATIONS, CONCLUSIONS AND
      IMPLICATIONS OF KEY FINDINGS: We observed high statistical between study
      variability in the study-specific estimate. Thus, care should be taken in
      concluding that HAP interventions - as currently designed and implemented -
      support reductions in the average kitchen and personal levels of PM and CO.
      Further, there is limited evidence that current stand-alone HAP interventions
      yield any health benefits. Post-intervention levels of pollutants were generally
      still greatly in excess of the relevant WHO guideline and thus a need to promote
      cleaner fuels in LMICs to reduce HAP levels below the WHO guidelines. SYSTEMATIC
      REVIEW REGISTRATION NUMBER: The review has been registered with PROSPERO
      (registration number CRD42014009768).

PMID- 28341577
TI  - Re: Zacho et al.: Unexplained Bone Pain Is an Independent Risk Factor for Bone
      Metastases in Newly Diagnosed Prostate Cancer: A Prospective Study (Urology
      2017;99:148-154).

PMID- 28341578
TI  - The Utility of the Kidneys-ureters-bladder Radiograph as the Sole Imaging
      Modality and Its Combination With Ultrasonography for the Detection of Renal
      Stones.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: To investigate the efficacy of plain radiography and ultrasonography,
      each as the sole imaging tool as well as combined, for detecting renal stones
      using unenhanced computed tomography as a standard reference. Ultrasonography and
      plain radiography of the kidneys, ureters, and bladder are often used for urinary
      tract stone detection, but the effectiveness of each method used alone, or the 2
      methods used together, remains controversial. MATERIALS AND METHODS: From January
      2012 to September 2014, 822 patients underwent plain radiography,
      ultrasonography, and unenhanced computed tomography on the same day. The
      sensitivity and specificity of the 2 modalities to detect stones were evaluated.
      We compared the sizes of stones on plain radiography and ultrasonography with
      their size on unenhanced computed tomography. RESULTS: Of 1644 kidneys,
      unenhanced computed tomography detected at least 1 stone in 994 kidneys.
      Ultrasonography and plain radiography detected at least 1 stone in 882 and 488
      kidneys, yielding a sensitivity of 88.7% and 49.1% and a specificity of 68.3% and
      99.1%, respectively. Of 488 stones detected by plain radiography, 476 stones were
      also detected by ultrasound, with a sensitivity of 89.9% and specificity of 68.1%
      for the combination of the 2 modalities. The detection rate for plain radiography
      for stones <5 mm was low. Stone sizes measured by the 2 modalities positively
      correlated with those obtained by computed tomography, and the concordance rate
      based on size was similar. CONCLUSION: Plain radiography is of limited value for
      detecting small renal stones <5 mm.

PMID- 28341579
TI  - Beware the Looping Vas Deferens in Orchidopexy.
AB  - A looping vas deferens may be present in up to 20% of undescended testes located
      within or proximal to the inguinal canal. This associated abnormality is
      vulnerable to transection during orchidopexy. We present an example of a very
      long looping vas to emphasize the importance of inspection for this anomaly, and
      demonstrate the extreme extent that a looping vas may extend. Identification of
      the vas among cord structures may provide false reassurance of normal ductal
      anatomy. Examination for a looping vas by inspecting structures caudal to the
      testis should occur at an early opportunity during orchidopexy to avoid
      inadvertent transection.

PMID- 28341580
TI  - Efficacy and Safety of Sildenafil in Men With Sexual Dysfunction and Spinal Cord
      Injury.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: Spinal cord injury (SCI) is estimated to affect approximately
      276,000 individuals in the United States. Since 2010, the mean age of individuals
      at the time of the SCI has been 42 years, with nearly 80% of cases involving men.
      This means that individuals with SCI generally are young men who typically place
      a great deal of importance on normal sexual and reproductive function. AIM: To
      assess the effect of sildenafil treatment on erectile function and the frequency
      of ejaculation in men with SCI. METHODS: This study was a post hoc analysis of
      pooled data from two randomized, double-blinded, placebo-controlled, flexible
      dose, crossover sildenafil trials conducted in Europe, Australia, and Turkey. Two
      hundred forty-eight men at least 18 years old with traumatic SCI of at least 6
      months' duration, with erectile dysfunction solely attributed to SCI, and in a
      stable heterosexual relationship were treated sequentially with sildenafil and
      placebo. Exclusion criteria included taking nitrate therapy, severe cardiac
      failure, and recent stroke or myocardial infarction. The starting sildenafil dose
      was 50 mg, taken approximately 1 hour before sexual activity, with subsequent
      dose adjustment to 100 or 25 mg based on efficacy and safety during treatment.
      There was a 2-week washout between 6-week treatments. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES:
      Change from baseline in International Index of Erectile Function question 3
      (frequency of penetration), question 4 (maintaining erection after penetration),
      question 9 (frequency of ejaculation), and erectile function domain scores;
      intercourse success; and treatment preference. RESULTS: All International Index
      of Erectile Function outcomes, including achieving and maintaining erections and
      ejaculation frequency, were statistically significantly greater with sildenafil
      vs placebo, including the subgroup with complete SCI (P < .01 for all
      comparisons). The percentage of successful intercourse attempts with sildenafil
      (53% vs 12%) and preference for sildenafil (96% vs 4%) vs placebo were
      significant (P < .001), including the subgroup with complete SCI. The most common
      all-cause adverse events with sildenafil were headache (16.1%) and urinary tract
      infection (11.6%). CONCLUSION: Sildenafil significantly improves erections,
      intercourse success, and ejaculation frequency vs placebo, including in men with
      complete SCI. Sildenafil is an effective and well-tolerated treatment for sexual
      dysfunction in men with SCI. The increase in frequency of ejaculation could allow
      the possibility of having children without medical intervention in this patient
      population. Ohl DA, Carlsson M, Stecher VJ, Rippon GA. Efficacy and Safety of
      Sildenafil in Men With Sexual Dysfunction and Spinal Cord Injury. Sex Med Rev
      2017;5:521-528.

PMID- 28341581
TI  - The Graham Jackson Memorial Lecture ISSM 2016-"The Man Who Knew Too Much": Time
      to Recognize Erectile Dysfunction and Low Testosterone as Independent Risk
      Factors for Cardiovascular Disease.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: Graham Jackson introduced the concept that erectile dysfunction
      (ED) is a marker for undiagnosed cardiovascular (CV) disease and future events.
      In the Princeton 3 guidelines, he recognized the important impact of testosterone
      deficiency (TD) on all-cause and CV mortality. Recent evidence suggests that
      testosterone therapy to target levels and for sufficient duration decreases CV
      events. Unfortunately, this had a modest impact on CV disease management because
      ED is not incorporated into current risk calculators. This report is based on the
      Graham Jackson Memorial Lecture presented at the International Society for Sexual
      Medicine (ISSM) in Beijing in 2016. AIM: To examine recent evidence as to whether
      ED should be upgraded to a risk factor, especially with the high predictive value
      in younger men, and to develop a case for TD to be considered an independent risk
      factor based on a large number of long-term studies during the past 5 years.
      METHODS: A Medline search was undertaken to include articles on ED and TD and
      related terms from 1998 to 2016 during the preparation of ISSM guidelines on ED
      and TD. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: A rational justification for ED and low
      testosterone to be considered risk factors for CV disease and be included in risk
      calculators. RESULTS: The evidence for inclusion of ED and TD might be stronger
      than for accepted risk factors and have the advantages of being easily assessed,
      quantitative, symptomatic, and clinically relevant, especially in younger men.
      Because important studies are often published in endocrine, sexual medicine,
      urology, and cardiology journals, a multidisciplinary approach is needed.
      CONCLUSION: There is strong evidence that ED and low testosterone might be of
      more practical relevance to programs that decrease CV risk than some current
      recognized risk factors. Hackett G. The Graham Jackson Memorial Lecture ISSM 2016
      "The Man Who Knew Too Much": Time to Recognize Erectile Dysfunction and Low
      Testosterone as Independent Risk Factors for Cardiovascular Disease. Sex Med Rev
      2017;5:256-265.

PMID- 28341583
TI  - A story of birth and death: Insights into the formation and dynamics of the
      microglial population.
AB  - Microglia are the main resident immunocompetent cells of the brain with key roles
      in brain development, homeostasis and function. Here we briefly review our
      current knowledge of the homeostatic mechanisms regulating the composition and
      turnover of the microglial population under physiological conditions from
      development to ageing. A greater understanding of these mechanisms may inform
      understanding of how dysregulation of microglial dynamics could contribute to the
      pathogenesis and/or progression of neurological disorders.

PMID- 28341582
TI  - Sex differences in microglial phagocytosis in the neonatal hippocampus.
AB  - Microglia regulate brain development through many processes, such as promoting
      neurogenesis, supporting cell survival, and phagocytizing progenitor, newly-born,
      and dying cells. Many of these same developmental processes show robust sex
      differences, yet very few studies have assessed sex differences in microglia
      function during development. Hormonally-induced sexual differentiation of the
      brain occurs during the perinatal period, thus we examined sex differences in
      microglial morphology, phagocytosis, and proliferation in the hippocampus during
      the early postnatal period. We found that the neonatal female hippocampus had
      significantly more microglia with phagocytic cups than the male hippocampus. We
      subsequently found that female microglia phagocytized more neural progenitor
      cells and healthy cells compared to males, but there were no sex differences in
      the number of newly-born or dying cells targeted by microglial phagocytosis. We
      found that the number of phagocytic microglia in females was reduced to male
      typical levels by treatment with estradiol, the hormone responsible for
      masculinizing the rodent brain. Females also had higher expression of several
      phagocytic pathway genes in the hippocampus compared to males. In contrast to
      robust sex differences in phagocytic microglia, we found no sex differences in
      the number of microglia with amoeboid, transitioning, or ramified morphologies or
      differences in three-dimensional reconstructions of microglial morphology. While
      we did not find a baseline sex difference in microglial proliferation during or
      following the prenatal gonadal hormone surge in males, we found that estradiol
      treatment increased microglia proliferation in females. Overall, these data show
      that there are important sex differences in microglia function in the hippocampus
      during the early neonatal period.

PMID- 28341584
TI  - Development of videogrammetry as a tool for gas-particle fluidization research.
AB  - Many industries use fluidization of solid particles for energy efficiency or
      environmental friendly process development, and this paper introduces research
      techniques developed for investigating gas-particle systems At present there is
      plenty of room for refining gas-particle fluidization process. With the rapidly
      rising application of mathematical modelling, real time visualization of
      processes will be widely used for validation of those models in the near future.
      In presented research, photogrammetry, as a part of close range vision metrology,
      has been expanded to allow dynamic space and time analysis of the phase
      concentration distribution inside fluidization devices. A novel videogrammetry
      method was created with additional stochastic process analysis for detailed
      frequency and amplitude characteristics. Videogrammetry was used for the
      assessment of flow regimes, which were held in various types of fluidization
      apparatuses. Classic bubbling, jet-spouted and fast circulating fluidization
      processes were explored under the investigation. Videogrammetry is non-invasive
      flow regime recognition method, which enables detailed research of gas-particle
      fluidization phenomena. Until now, there were no comparative studies for three
      different types of fluidization processes with the use of one complex approach.
      Developed videogrammetric method consists of the flow structure visualization and
      dynamic image analysis. The analysed feature is the grey level of the image in
      time domain, and grey level signals were analysed with the use of autocorrelation
      function and power density function. The results are presented as images, plots
      and a flow map. Efficiency of the method was tested by comparison of real
      observed flow structures to the reconstructed flow structures and the recognition
      accuracy reached 92%.

PMID- 28341585
TI  - The experiences of last-year student midwives with High-Fidelity Perinatal
      Simulation training: A qualitative descriptive study.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Simulation training is a powerful and evidence-based teaching method
      in healthcare. It allows students to develop essential competences that are often
      difficult to achieve during internships. High-Fidelity Perinatal Simulation
      exposes them to real-life scenarios in a safe environment. Although student
      midwives' experiences need to be considered to make the simulation training work,
      these have been overlooked so far. AIM: To explore the experiences of last-year
      student midwives with High-Fidelity Perinatal Simulation training. METHODS: A
      qualitative descriptive study, using three focus group conversations with last
      year student midwives (n=24). Audio tapes were transcribed and a thematic content
      analysis was performed. The entire data set was coded according to recurrent or
      common themes. To achieve investigator triangulation and confirm themes,
      discussions among the researchers was incorporated in the analysis. FINDINGS:
      Students found High-Fidelity Perinatal Simulation training to be a positive
      learning method that increased both their competence and confidence. Their
      experiences varied over the different phases of the High-Fidelity Perinatal
      Simulation training. Although uncertainty, tension, confusion and disappointment
      were experienced throughout the simulation trajectory, they reported that this
      did not affect their learning and confidence-building. CONCLUSION: As High
      Fidelity Perinatal Simulation training constitutes a helpful learning experience
      in midwifery education, it could have a positive influence on maternal and
      neonatal outcomes. In the long term, it could therefore enhance the midwifery
      profession in several ways. The present study is an important first step in
      opening up the debate about the pedagogical use of High-Fidelity Perinatal
      Simulation training within midwifery education.

PMID- 28341586
TI  - Less Exercise and More Drugs: How a Low-Income Population Manages Chronic Pain.
AB  - OBJECTIVES: To evaluate chronic pain management in a multistate, low-income
      Hispanic population, and to examine predictors of exercising and prescription
      pain medication (PPM) use. DESIGN: Online survey administered to a representative
      sample of Hispanic adults in June 2015. SETTING: Five southwestern states.
      PARTICIPANTS: Among all online panel members who were Hispanic (N=1007), aged 35
      to 75 years from 5 states, representing 11,016,135 persons, the survey was
      completed by 516 members (51%). Among these, 102 participants were identified
      with chronic noncancer pain representing 1,140,170 persons. INTERVENTIONS: Not
      applicable. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Exercising or using PPM for chronic pain in
      past year. RESULTS: Most participants reported using PPM (58%) and exercise (54%)
      to manage pain. Compared with annual household incomes >$75,000, adjusted odds
      ratios [AORs] for exercising were .20 for <$10,000 (P=.12); .40 for $10,000 to
      $34,999 (P=.22); and .15 for $35,000 to $74,999 (P=.015). Conversely, AORs for
      PPM were over 4-fold higher for lower-income groups as follows: 14.2, 4.79, and
      4.85, respectively (all P<.065). PPM users rated the importance of accessing a
      gym to manage pain lower (P=.01), while exercisers rated the feasibility of gym
      access to manage pain higher (P=.001). CONCLUSIONS: In a Hispanic population
      based sample with chronic pain, lower-income groups tended to exercise less but
      use PPM more. Barriers to gym access and use may play a role in these
      disparities.

PMID- 28341587
TI  - Impact of Rapid Molecular Respiratory Virus Testing on Real-Time Decision Making
      in a Pediatric Emergency Department.
AB  - Acute respiratory illnesses (ARIs) are usually viral [influenza, respiratory
      syncytial virus (RSV)] and account for 25% of emergency department (ED) peak
      season visits. Laboratory PCR testing is accurate albeit slow, whereas rapid
      antigen testing is inaccurate. We determined the impact of bedside PCR (molecular
      point-of-care test; mPOCT) on pediatric ARI management. This was a prospective
      cohort study of consecutive pediatric patients with ED-ordered respiratory PCR
      test, enrolled over 9 weeks during peak flu season. On ordering, ED physicians
      were interviewed to ascertain real-time plans if given immediate influenza/RSV
      PCR results for the current patient. Two groups were compared: actual management
      and management adjusted for mPOCT results. We compared ED length of stay (LOS),
      tests ordered, and antibiotic/antiviral ordering. One-hundred thirty-six
      respiratory PCR panels were ordered, 71 by admitting team, 61 for ED management.
      Of 61 ED-initiated tests, physicians indicated in 39 cases (64%) they would
      change patient management were bedside viral results available. Physicians would
      have decreased ED LOS by 33 minutes, ordered fewer tests (18%; P < 0.001) with
      average patient charge savings of $669, fewer antibiotics among discharged
      patients (17%; P = 0.043), and increased appropriate antiviral use (13%; P =
      0.023). Rapid bedside ARI mPOCT PCR has the potential to decrease ED LOS, reduce
      diagnostic tests and patient charges, and increase appropriate use of antibiotics
      and antiviral agents.

PMID- 28341588
TI  - Targeted Next-Generation Sequencing of 51 Genes Involved in Primary Electrical
      Disease.
AB  - Primary electrical disease (PED) is characterized by cardiac arrhythmias, which
      can lead to sudden cardiac death in the absence of detectable structural heart
      disease. PED encompasses a diversity of inherited syndromes, predominantly
      Brugada syndrome, early repolarization syndrome, long QT syndrome, short QT
      syndrome, arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy, and catecholaminergic
      polymorphic ventricular tachycardia. To overcome the diagnostic challenges
      imposed by the clinical and genetic heterogeneity of PED, we developed a targeted
      gene panel for next-generation sequencing of 51 PED genes. The amplified samples
      were sequenced on MiSeq. To validate the panel, 20 Human Polymorphism Study
      Center samples and 19 positive control samples were used, with a total of 1479
      variants. An analytical sensitivity and specificity of 100% and 99.9% were
      obtained. After validation, we applied the assay to 114 PED patients. We
      identified 107 variants in 36 different genes, 18 of which were classified as
      pathogenic or likely pathogenic, 54 variants were of unknown significance, and 35
      were classified as likely benign. We can conclude that the PED Multiplex
      Amplification of Specific Targets for Resequencing Plus assay is a proficient and
      highly reliable test to routinely screen patients experiencing primary
      arrhythmias.

PMID- 28341590
TI  - Guidelines for Validation of Next-Generation Sequencing-Based Oncology Panels: A
      Joint Consensus Recommendation of the Association for Molecular Pathology and
      College of American Pathologists.
AB  - Next-generation sequencing (NGS) methods for cancer testing have been rapidly
      adopted by clinical laboratories. To establish analytical validation best
      practice guidelines for NGS gene panel testing of somatic variants, a working
      group was convened by the Association of Molecular Pathology with liaison
      representation from the College of American Pathologists. These joint consensus
      recommendations address NGS test development, optimization, and validation,
      including recommendations on panel content selection and rationale for
      optimization and familiarization phase conducted before test validation;
      utilization of reference cell lines and reference materials for evaluation of
      assay performance; determining of positive percentage agreement and positive
      predictive value for each variant type; and requirements for minimal depth of
      coverage and minimum number of samples that should be used to establish test
      performance characteristics. The recommendations emphasize the role of laboratory
      director in using an error-based approach that identifies potential sources of
      errors that may occur throughout the analytical process and addressing these
      potential errors through test design, method validation, or quality controls so
      that no harm comes to the patient. The recommendations contained herein are
      intended to assist clinical laboratories with the validation and ongoing
      monitoring of NGS testing for detection of somatic variants and to ensure high
      quality of sequencing results.

PMID- 28341589
TI  - Comprehensive Determination of Prostate Tumor ETS Gene Status in Clinical Samples
      Using the CLIA Decipher Assay.
AB  - ETS family gene fusions are common in prostate cancer and molecularly define a
      tumor subset. ERG is the most commonly rearranged, leading to its overexpression,
      followed by ETV1, ETV4, and ETV5, and these alterations are generally mutually
      exclusive. We validated the Decipher prostate cancer assay to detect ETS
      alterations in a Clinical Laboratory Improvement Amendments-accredited
      laboratory. Benchmarking against ERG immunohistochemistry and ETV1/4/5 RNA in
      situ hybridization, we examined the accuracy, precision, and reproducibility of
      gene expression ETS models using formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded samples. The m
      ERG model achieved an area under curve of 95%, with 93% sensitivity and 98%
      specificity to predict ERG immunohistochemistry status. The m-ETV1, -ETV4, and 
      ETV5 models achieved areas under curve of 98%, 88%, and 99%, respectively. The
      models had 100% robustness for ETS status, and scores were highly correlated
      across sample replicates. Models predicted 41.5% of a prospective radical
      prostatectomy cohort (n = 4036) to be ERG+, 6.3% ETV1+, 1% ETV4+, and 0.4% ETV5+.
      Of prostate tumor biopsy samples (n = 509), 41.2% were ERG+, 8.6% ETV1+, 0.4%
      ETV4+, and none ETV5+. Higher Decipher risk status tumors were more likely to be
      ETS+ (ERG or ETV1/4/5) in the radical prostatectomy and the biopsy cohorts (P <
      0.05). These results support the utility of microarray-based ETS status
      prediction models for molecular classification of prostate tumors.

PMID- 28341591
TI  - Report of Morinda citrifolia chronic toxicity not applicable to commercial noni
      juice.

PMID- 28341592
TI  - Comparison of two cadaveric acellular dermal matrices for immediate breast
      reconstruction: A prospective randomized trial.
AB  - AlloDerm RTU(r) and AlloMaxTM are two acellular dermal matrices (ADMs) used in
      implant-based breast reconstruction. In this study, we examined whether different
      processing methods for the ADMs lead to a disparity in histologic, clinical, and
      financial outcomes after breast reconstruction. Thirty patients undergoing
      implant-based breast reconstruction were randomized into AlloMax or AlloDerm arms
      (n = 15, each). ADM was placed at the time of immediate reconstruction. Patients
      were evaluated for complications on postoperative days 7, 14, and 30. During
      implant exchange, ADM biopsies were taken and compared histologically for
      vascular and cellular infiltration. Patient satisfaction was evaluated using the
      BRECON-31 questionnaire 1 year after implant exchange. A cost analysis was
      performed comparing the two ADMs. Patient demographics and complication rates
      were similar between the two groups (p > 0.05). Histologically, vessel density
      and fibroblast/inflammatory cell infiltrate were greater on the dermal side than
      on the implant side (p < 0.01) in both ADMs, suggesting greater vascular and
      cellular in-growth from the dermal side. Vessel density in the middle portion of
      the Allomax biopsies was significantly higher than the same site in the Alloderm
      biopsies (p < 0.05). The extent of fibroblast/inflammatory cell infiltration was
      similar in both arms (p > 0.05). The BRECON-31 satisfaction questionnaire yielded
      similar responses across all metrics between the two study arms. The negotiated
      price was slightly different when comparing the two ADMs, with no significant
      difference in ADM reimbursement. In this study, AlloDerm RTU and AlloMax were
      successfully used for implant-based breast reconstruction with comparable
      outcomes.

PMID- 28341593
TI  - Correction of tuberous breast deformity: A retrospective study comparing
      lipofilling versus breast implant augmentation.
AB  - Breast implants and, more recently, autologous fat grafting are the two most
      common treatments used to correct tuberous breast deformity (TBD). The post
      surgical quality of life between the two techniques is not well demonstrated.
      This study aimed to compare satisfaction and health-related quality of life in
      patients affected by TBD between these two techniques. All TBD patients operated
      between January 2008 and May 2015 were retrospectively identified, and only those
      treated with implants or lipofilling were included. Satisfaction was evaluated at
      least 6 months after surgery with the postoperative Breast-Q(r) augmentation
      module. From January 2008 to May 2015, 62 patients were recruited in our study,
      and 37 patients were evaluated using a Breast-Q questionnaire after at least 6
      months of follow-up. Breast implant-augmented patients were significantly more
      satisfied concerning the "satisfaction with breasts" module (p = 0.002) and the
      "satisfaction with outcome" module (p = 0.00008). A question-by-question analysis
      revealed several interesting and significant differences, showing higher scores
      in most of the questions in the breast implant group. Patients in the lipofilling
      group, interestingly, had a mean of 1.6 interventions compared to the mean 1.36
      interventions in the implant group (p = 0.23). This reflects the need to perform
      more surgical sessions in the lipofilling group to achieve a satisfactory result.
      Our study demonstrated that tuberous breast correction with implants can achieve
      better satisfaction along with good outcomes than lipofilling usually does.

PMID- 28341594
TI  - iTRAQ-based proteomics analysis of hippocampus in spatial memory deficiency rats
      induced by simulated microgravity.
AB  - : It has been demonstrated that simulated microgravity (SM) may lead to cognitive
      dysfunction. However, the underlying mechanism remains unclear. In present study,
      tail-suspension (30 degrees ) rat was employed to explore the effects of 28 days
      of SM on hippocampus-dependent learning and memory capability and the underlying
      mechanisms. We found that 28-day tail-suspension rats displayed decline of
      learning and memory ability in Morris water maze (MWM) test. Using iTRAQ-based
      proteomics analysis, a total of 4774 proteins were quantified in hippocampus. Of
      these identified proteins, 147 proteins were differentially expressed between
      tail-suspension and control group. Further analysis showed these differentially
      expressed proteins (DEPs) involved in different molecular function categories,
      and participated in many biological processes. Based on the results of PANTHER
      pathway analysis and further western blot verification, we observed the
      expression of glutamate receptor 1 (GluR1) and glutamate receptor 4 (GluR4) which
      involved in metabotropic glutamate receptor group III pathway and ionotropic
      glutamate receptor pathway were significantly induced by SM. Moreover, an
      increased concentration of glutamic acid (Glu) was also found in hippocampus
      while the concentrations of 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT), dopamine (DA), gamma
      amino acid butyric acid (GABA) and epinephrine (E) were decreased. Our finding
      confirms that 28-day SM exposure can cause degrading of the spatial learning and
      memory capability and the possible mechanisms might be related with glutamate
      excitotoxicity and imbalances in specific neurotransmitters. BIOLOGICAL
      SIGNIFICANCE: The goal of sending astronauts farther into space and extending the
      duration of spaceflight missions from months to years will challenge the current
      capabilities of bioastronautics. The investigation of the physiological and
      pathological changes induced by spaceflight will be critical in developing
      countermeasures to ensure astronauts to complete spaceflight mission accurately
      and effectively and return to earth safely. It has been demonstrated that
      spaceflight may lead to impairments in cognitive function which is crucial for
      mission success. Here we show that long-term simulated microgravity, the most
      potent environment risk factor during spaceflight, impairs the spatial learning
      and memory of rats and the underlying mechanism may be involved in glutamate
      excitotoxicity and imbalances in specific neurotransmitters release in
      hippocampus, which may provide new insight for the countermeasures of cognitive
      impairment during spaceflight.

PMID- 28341596
TI  - Application of an NLME-Stochastic Deconvolution Approach to Level A IVIVC
      Modeling.
AB  - Stochastic deconvolution is a parameter estimation method that calculates drug
      absorption using a nonlinear mixed-effects model in which the random effects
      associated with absorption represent a Wiener process. The present work compares
      (1) stochastic deconvolution and (2) numerical deconvolution, using clinical
      pharmacokinetic (PK) data generated for an in vitro-in vivo correlation (IVIVC)
      study of extended release (ER) formulations of a Biopharmaceutics Classification
      System class III drug substance. The preliminary analysis found that numerical
      and stochastic deconvolution yielded superimposable fraction absorbed (Fabs)
      versus time profiles when supplied with exactly the same externally determined
      unit impulse response parameters. In a separate analysis, a full population
      PK/stochastic deconvolution was applied to the clinical PK data. Scenarios were
      considered in which immediate release (IR) data were either retained or excluded
      to inform parameter estimation. The resulting Fabs profiles were then used to
      model level A IVIVCs. All the considered stochastic deconvolution scenarios, and
      numerical deconvolution, yielded on average similar results with respect to the
      IVIVC validation. These results could be achieved with stochastic deconvolution
      without recourse to IR data. Unlike numerical deconvolution, this also implies
      that in crossover studies where certain individuals do not receive an IR
      treatment, their ER data alone can still be included as part of the IVIVC
      analysis.

PMID- 28341595
TI  - Systems characterization of differential plasma metabolome perturbations
      following thrombotic and non-thrombotic myocardial infarction.
AB  - : Myocardial infarction (MI) is an acute event characterized by myocardial
      necrosis. Thrombotic MI is caused by spontaneous atherosclerotic plaque
      disruption that results in a coronary thrombus; non-thrombotic MI occurs
      secondary to oxygen supply-demand mismatch. We sought to characterize the
      differential metabolic perturbations associated with these subtypes utilizing a
      systems approach. Subjects presenting with thrombotic MI, non-thrombotic MI and
      stable coronary artery disease (CAD) were included. Whole blood was collected at
      two acute time-points and at a time-point representing the quiescent stable
      disease state. Plasma metabolites were analyzed by untargeted UPLC-MS/MS and GC
      MS. A weighted network was constructed, and modules were determined from the
      resulting topology. To determine perturbed modules, an enrichment analysis for
      metabolites that demonstrated between-group differences in temporal change across
      the disease state transition was then conducted. BIOLOGICAL SIGNIFICANCE: We
      report evidence of metabolic perturbations of acute MI and determine
      perturbations specific to thrombotic MI. Specifically, a module characterized by
      elevated glucocorticoid steroid metabolites following acute MI showed greatest
      perturbation following thrombotic MI. Modules characterized by elevated
      pregnenolone metabolites, monoacylglycerols, and acylcarnitines were perturbed
      following acute MI. A module characterized by a decrease in plasma amino acids
      following thrombotic MI was differentially perturbed between MI subtypes.

PMID- 28341597
TI  - Effect of Isopropyl Myristate on Transdermal Permeation of Testosterone From
      Carbopol Gel.
AB  - The objective of the present study was to investigate the effect of isopropyl
      myristate (IPM) on the in vitro permeation of testosterone through human cadaver
      skin from carbopol gels. Six testosterone gel formulations were prepared using
      different IPM contents of 0%, 0.4%, 0.7%, 1%, 2%, and 3%. The gels were
      characterized for drug permeation, matrix morphology, pH, kinetics of ethanol
      evaporation, and viscosity. Mass balance studies were performed to estimate
      testosterone distribution among the compartments of diffusion cells. All
      formulations exhibited pH values of 5.1 and viscosities of 1.25-1.75 Pa.s
      depending on IPM contents. Under occlusive condition, testosterone flux was found
      to increase significantly (p < 0.05) by increasing IPM content. Gels containing
      2% IPM exhibited 11-fold increase in flux compared with formulation devoid of
      IPM. Ethanol was found to have a synergistic effect with IPM in enhancing
      testosterone flux. Mass balance analysis showed that testosterone was in a
      saturated state in the skin. Conducting permeation experiments under nonocclusive
      condition was nondiscriminating because of the evaporation of alcohol and
      consequent precipitation of drugs. Based on demonstrated effect of IPM on product
      performance, the final IPM concentration should be controlled with minimal
      variation during manufacturing and shelf life of drug product.

PMID- 28341598
TI  - Lyophilized Drug Product Cake Appearance: What Is Acceptable?
AB  - Cake appearance is an important attribute of freeze-dried products, which may or
      may not be critical with respect to product quality (i.e., safety and efficacy).
      Striving for "uniform and elegant" cake appearance may continue to remain an
      important goal during the design and development of a lyophilized drug product.
      However, "sometimes" a non-ideal cake appearance has no impact on product quality
      and is an inherent characteristic of the product (due to formulation, drug
      product presentation, and freeze-drying process). This commentary provides a
      summary of challenges related to visual appearance testing of freeze-dried
      products, particularly on how to judge the criticality of cake appearance.
      Furthermore, a harmonized nomenclature and description for variations in cake
      appearance from the ideal expectation of uniform and elegant is provided,
      including representative images. Finally, a science and risk-based approach is
      discussed on establishing acceptance criteria for cake appearance.

PMID- 28341599
TI  - Nucleo-cytoplasmic transport of estrogen receptor alpha in breast cancer cells.
AB  - Approximately 70% cases of breast cancers exhibit high expression and activity
      levels of estrogen receptor alpha (ERalpha), a transcription regulator that
      induces the expression of genes associated with cellular proliferation and
      survival. These nuclear functions of the receptor are associated with the
      development of breast cancer. However, ERalpha localization is not static, but
      rather, dynamic with continuous shuttling between the nucleus and the cytoplasm.
      Interestingly, both the nuclear import and export of ERalpha are modulated by
      several stimuli that include estradiol, antiestrogens, and growth factors. As
      ERalpha nuclear accumulation is critical to the regulation of gene expression,
      nuclear export of this receptor modulates the intensity and duration of its
      transcriptional activity. Thus, the subcellular spatial distribution of ERalpha
      ensures tight modulation of its concentration in cellular compartments, as well
      as of its nuclear and extranuclear functions. In this review, we will discuss
      current findings regarding the biological importance of molecular mechanisms of,
      and proteins responsible for, the nuclear import and export of ERalpha in breast
      cancer cells.

PMID- 28341602
TI  - Cytosolic YB-1 and NSUN2 are the only proteins recognizing specific motifs
      present in mRNAs enriched in exosomes.
AB  - Exosomes, membranous vesicles secreted by various cells, are involved in
      intercellular communication and carry vast repertoires of RNAs and proteins.
      Processes mediating RNA sorting into exosomes are currently poorly understood.
      Using bioinformatics approaches, three structural motifs ACCAGCCU, CAGUGAGC and
      UAAUCCCA have been discovered as enriched in exosomal mRNAs and long noncoding
      RNAs. Here, utilizing short RNA hairpins, each containing one of the motifs, in a
      pull-down assay of cytosolic extract of human embryonic kidney 293 (HEK293)
      cells, we prove that multifunctional RNA-binding protein YB-1 specifically
      interacts with all three motifs, whereas methyltransferase NSUN2 recognizes only
      the motif CAGUGAGC. RNA hairpins other than those mentioned above pull out
      neither YB-1 nor NSUN2. Both these proteins are found in exosomes secreted by
      HEK293 cells. YB-1 for all that is detected as a form having a slightly higher
      electrophoretic mobility than that of YB-1 associated with the above RNA
      hairpins, assuming changes in posttranslational modifications of the protein
      during its transfer from cytoplasm into exosomes. Next generation sequencing of
      total exosomal RNA (eRNA) reveals a large representative set of RNA species,
      including mRNAs containing the above-mentioned motifs. The degree of enrichment
      in exosomes with this kind of mRNAs strongly depends on the locations of eRNA
      specific motifs within the mRNA sequences. Altogether, our findings point to YB-1
      and NSUN2 as possible mediators of the process of transfer of specific mRNAs into
      exosomes, allowing us to speculate on an involvement of these proteins in the
      mRNA sorting via the recognition of the above motifs.

PMID- 28341601
TI  - Advances in MALDI imaging mass spectrometry of proteins in cardiac tissue,
      including the heart valve.
AB  - Significant progress has been made for tissue imaging of proteins using matrix
      assisted laser desorption ionization imaging mass spectrometry (MALDI IMS). These
      advancements now facilitate mapping of a wide range of proteins, peptides, and
      post-translational modifications in a wide variety of tissues; however, the use
      of MALDI IMS to detect proteins from cardiac tissue is limited. This review
      discusses the most recent advances in protein imaging and demonstrates
      application to cardiac tissue, including the heart valve. Protein imaging by
      MALDI IMS allows multiplexed histological mapping of proteins and protein
      components that are inaccessible by antibodies and should be considered an
      important tool for basic and clinical cardiovascular research. This article is
      part of a Special Issue entitled: MALDI Imaging, edited by Dr. Corinna Henkel and
      Prof. Peter Hoffmann.

PMID- 28341603
TI  - Different desmin peptides are distinctly deposited in cytoplasmic aggregations
      and cytoplasm of desmin-related cardiomyopathy patients.
AB  - Desmin-related cardiomyopathy is a heterogeneous group of myofibrillar myopathies
      characterized by aggregates of desmin and related proteins in myocytes. It has
      been debated how the expression and protein structure are altered in the
      aggregates and other parts of myocytes in patients. To address this question, we
      investigated the proteome quantification as well as localization in formalin
      fixed and paraffin-embedded specimens of the heart of patients by imaging mass
      spectrometry and liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry analyses. Fifteen
      tryptic peptide signals were enriched in the desmin-related cardiomyopathy
      myocardium, twelve of which were identified as desmin peptides with 14.3- to 27.3
      fold increase compared to normal hearts. High-intensity signals at m/z 1032.5 and
      1002.5, which were desmin peptides 59-70 at the head portion and 213-222 at the
      1B domain, were with infrequent colocalization distributed not only in desmin
      positive intracytoplasmic aggregates but also in histologically normal cytoplasm,
      indicating that desmin protein is fragmented and different types of naturally
      occurring truncated proteins ectopically assemble throughout the heart of
      patients. Thus, in addition to conventional histological identification of
      protein aggregates, specific desmin peptides show a marked difference in quantity
      and localization in a tissue section of desmin-related cardiomyopathy and
      differentiate from other cardiomyopathies. This article is part of a Special
      Issue entitled: MALDI Imaging, edited by Dr. Corinna Henkel and Prof. Peter
      Hoffmann.

PMID- 28341605
TI  - Patient-Reported Spectacle Independence Questionnaire (PRSIQ): Development and
      Validation.
AB  - PURPOSE: To develop a questionnaire quantifying spectacle independence following
      cataract surgery. DESIGN: Questionnaire design and validation study. METHODS: A
      literature review, expert clinical interviews, and patient interviews were
      undertaken to develop a patient-reported questionnaire assessing spectacle
      independence. Draft items were assessed and revised in a series of cognitive
      interviews where the instructions, recall period, and response categories were
      evaluated for understandability and consistency. The final draft items were
      evaluated in 2 quantitative studies. Confirmatory factor analyses, including item
      response theory calibration, were performed; reliability estimates were obtained;
      and validity analyses of the resulting scores were carried out. RESULTS:
      Qualitative research demonstrated that patients often considered themselves
      spectacle independent yet, when probed, it was determined that the respondent
      actually wore correction for certain activities. Moreover, despite what the
      respondents claimed about needing to wear correction and their actual use of
      correction, there were various levels of function reported when carrying out
      activities at several different distances without the use of correction. Using
      the qualitative results, the Patient-Reported Spectacle Independence
      Questionnaire (PRSIQ) was developed to assess spectacle independence via items
      that assess what patients say and do, and how they function at various distances.
      All quantitative analyses (eg, discriminant and convergent validity correlations,
      known-groups analyses) conform to predictions and support the use of the PRSIQ as
      a measure of spectacle independence. CONCLUSIONS: The PRSIQ is a patient-reported
      measure assessing spectacle independence following cataract surgery. The analyses
      conducted provide evidence for the use of the PRSIQ total score as a measure of
      spectacle independence.

PMID- 28341604
TI  - Analysis of FDA-approved imaging agents.
AB  - The development of imaging agents was initially driven following the discovery of
      X-ray technologies, but quickly evolved and expanded to include radiolabeling of
      cells and tissues to assist disease diagnosis and progression. The first imaging
      agents preceded the Great War but the field did not gain momentum until the
      1950s. The approval rate for imaging NMEs continued at a high level for the
      remainder of the 20th century, but substantially decreased thereafter. This
      decline in approval rates corresponds with industry consolidation. Such losses
      have stabilized, but could have important implications for a field that has
      conveyed direct benefits to medicine and that could ensure the future of the
      wider biopharmaceutical industry.

PMID- 28341607
TI  - Do emotion regulation difficulties when upset influence the association between
      dietary restraint and weight gain among college students?
AB  - Obesity is a significant public health concern that affects more than one-fifth
      of adolescents aged 12-19 in the United States. Theoretical models suggest that
      prolonged dietary restraint leads to binge-eating behaviors, which in turn
      increases individuals' risk for weight gain or obesity. Results from the
      literature indicate a potential role for negative urgency (the tendency to act
      rashly when distressed) as a mediating variable that explains the link between
      dietary restraint and binge-eating episodes. The current study tested short-term,
      prospective longitudinal associations among dietary restraint, binge eating,
      negative urgency, and weight gain among college students - a population at
      increased risk for the development of overweight and obesity. We hypothesized
      that dietary restraint and weight gain would be mediated by negative urgency and
      binge eating, but only among participants with overweight and obesity. College
      students (N = 227) completed the Eating Pathology Symptoms Inventory, UPPS-P
      Impulsivity Scale, and self-reported weight and height to calculate body mass
      index. Results showed that the association between dietary restraint and weight
      gain was mediated by negative urgency and binge eating, but only among
      participants with overweight and obesity. Our findings indicated that negative
      urgency might represent a mechanism that explains why dietary restraint leads to
      future binge-eating episodes and weight gain among college students with
      overweight and obesity. Results suggest that future treatment and prevention
      programs for overweight and obesity may benefit from incorporating strategies to
      improve emotion regulation as a way to reduce binge eating and to prevent
      additional weight gain among 'at-risk' populations.

PMID- 28341606
TI  - Safety and Efficacy of Sequential Intracorneal Ring Segment Implantation and
      Cross-linking in Pediatric Keratoconus.
AB  - PURPOSE: To evaluate the safety and visual outcome of intracorneal ring segment
      (ICRS) implantation followed by cross-linking in pediatric keratoconus patients.
      DESIGN: Retrospective interventional case series. METHODS: This retrospective
      study included pediatric patients (aged <=14 years) with keratoconus and poor
      corrected distance visual acuity (CDVA) that underwent ICRS implantation and
      cross-linking (CXL). ICRS were inserted under topical anesthesia after creating a
      corneal tunnel with a femtosecond laser. Cross-linking was performed 1 month
      subsequently. Records were reviewed and data collected preoperatively and at 6
      months, 1 year, 2 years, and 4 years postoperatively. RESULTS: Twelve patients
      (17 eyes; 10 male, 2 female) aged 9-14 years (mean age 12.3 years) received ICRS
      implantation followed by CXL. Follow-up times ranged from 6 months to 4 years
      after surgery. At the 6-month follow-up all eyes were evaluated; at the 1-year, 2
      year, and 4-year follow-up 11, 10, and 7 eyes were evaluated, respectively. At
      the 6-month follow-up, mean CDVA in comparison to preoperative levels improved
      significantly (P = .001) from 0.30 +/- 0.19 logMAR to 0.12 +/- 0.1 logMAR; mean
      uncorrected distance visual acuity (UDVA) also improved significantly from 0.90
      +/- 0.50 logMAR to 0.43 +/- 0.31 logMAR. A significant decrease in both
      keratometry readings and spherical equivalent (from -4.0 to -1.56 diopters) was
      also noted after ICRS insertion. At the 1-year, 2-year, and 4-year follow-up
      refractive values remained relatively stable in comparison to the 6-month follow
      up, except for a minor but significant improvement in cylinder and, at 4 years,
      in UDVA. All patients tolerated the surgery well and no intraoperative or
      postoperative complications were reported, except for 1 ring segment that had to
      be removed after 2 years owing to vascularization and corneal thinning.
      CONCLUSION: ICRS implantation is a safe and effective procedure for visual
      rehabilitation in children with keratoconus and poor CDVA.

PMID- 28341600
TI  - Metabolic Dysfunction in Parkinson's Disease: Bioenergetics, Redox Homeostasis
      and Central Carbon Metabolism.
AB  - The loss of dopaminergic neurons in the substantia nigra pars compacta (SNpc) and
      the accumulation of protein inclusions (Lewy bodies) are the pathological
      hallmarks of Parkinson's disease (PD). PD is triggered by genetic alterations,
      environmental/occupational exposures and aging. However, the exact molecular
      mechanisms linking these PD risk factors to neuronal dysfunction are still
      unclear. Alterations in redox homeostasis and bioenergetics (energy failure) are
      thought to be central components of neurodegeneration that contribute to the
      impairment of important homeostatic processes in dopaminergic cells such as
      protein quality control mechanisms, neurotransmitter release/metabolism, axonal
      transport of vesicles and cell survival. Importantly, both bioenergetics and
      redox homeostasis are coupled to neuro-glial central carbon metabolism. We and
      others have recently established a link between the alterations in central carbon
      metabolism induced by PD risk factors, redox homeostasis and bioenergetics and
      their contribution to the survival/death of dopaminergic cells. In this review,
      we focus on the link between metabolic dysfunction, energy failure and redox
      imbalance in PD, making an emphasis in the contribution of central carbon
      (glucose) metabolism. The evidence summarized here strongly supports the
      consideration of PD as a disorder of cell metabolism.

PMID- 28341608
TI  - The dual-pathway model of binge eating: Is there a need for modification?
AB  - The dual-pathway model proposes that body dissatisfaction might lead to binge
      eating (BE) through restraint eating and negative affect. Both pathways have been
      confirmed longitudinally, but there is evidence that the affect-pathway might
      rather be found in the short-term, whereas other variables might be involved over
      longer periods. Research suggests that self-esteem represents a key-factor in the
      etiology of BE in adolescent girls and might serve as a mediator between body
      dissatisfaction and eating pathology. Based on these findings, the aim of this
      study was to investigate the original dual-pathway model across 20 months and to
      evaluate a modified version of the model with self-esteem instead of negative
      affect as a mediator in the affect-pathway. We assessed eating pathology,
      negative affect and self-esteem by self-report in a sample of 523 adolescent
      girls at two time points separated by 20 months. Data were analyzed using a cross
      lagged panel design. Both, the original and the modified model provided good fit
      to the data, but results yielded limited support for the assumptions of the
      original model. Neither restraint eating nor negative affect mediated the link
      between body dissatisfaction and BE. The modified model fit the data slightly
      better and results indicated that low self-esteem mediated the relationship
      between body dissatisfaction and BE. Notably, our results indicated that
      restraint eating might even reduce the risk for BE through the enhancement of
      self-esteem. Results suggest that the dual-pathway model could benefit from the
      inclusion of a more trait-like variable such as self-esteem when evaluated across
      the long-term. Furthermore, our findings indicate that healthy restraint eating
      might have positive effects on self-esteem, thereby reducing risk for BE in
      adolescent girls, who are dissatisfied with their bodies.

PMID- 28341609
TI  - Effects of chronic restraint stress on the global DNA methylation profile of rat
      lung cells: Modulation by physical exercise.
AB  - The potential of behavioral stress to affect epigenetic mechanisms of non
      encephalic tissues is still underestimated. In the present study we evaluated the
      effects of chronic behavioral stress on the DNA methylation profile of rat lung
      cells. Furthermore, we evaluated the potential of physical exercise to modulate
      the changes evoked by behavioral stress in lung cells. Male Wistar rats were
      divided into four experimental groups: (1) animals submitted to chronic restraint
      stress (CRS) (ST group) during the period of the 67th-80th postnatal day (PND);
      (2) animals submitted to physical exercise (EX group) during the 53rd-79th PND;
      (3) animals submitted to swimming during the 53rd-79th PND and to CRS during the
      67th-80th PND (EX-ST group); and (4) animals not submitted to stress or swimming
      protocols (CTL). Global DNA methylation was quantified using an ELISA-based
      approach and gene expression was evaluated by real time PCR. A decreased global
      DNA methylation profile was observed in the ST group, however physical exercise
      demonstrated protection of lung cells from this stress-related hypomethylation.
      Increased expression of the Dnmt1 gene was evidenced in the ST group, whereas
      physical exercise was shown to protect lung cells from this stress-related effect
      in the EX-ST group. Comparative analysis of the ST and EX groups revealed
      opposite effects on the expression of Dnmt3a and Dnmt3b; however, a stress
      related increase in expression of Dnmt3a and Dnmt3b was not seen in the EX-ST
      group. Our data showed that behavioral stress induced significant changes in the
      DNA methylation profile of rat lung cells and that this could be modulated by
      physical exercise.

PMID- 28341612
TI  - Impact of beta-lactam antibiotic therapeutic drug monitoring on dose adjustments
      in critically ill patients undergoing continuous renal replacement therapy.
AB  - The objective of this study was to describe the effect of therapeutic drug
      monitoring (TDM) and dose adjustments of beta-lactam antibiotics administered to
      critically ill patients undergoing continuous renal replacement therapy (CRRT) in
      a 30-bed tertiary intensive care unit (ICU). beta-Lactam TDM data in our tertiary
      referral ICU were retrospectively reviewed. Clinical, demographic and dosing data
      were collected for patients administered beta-lactam antibiotics while undergoing
      CRRT. The target trough concentration range was 1-10* the minimum inhibitory
      concentration (MIC). A total of 111 TDM samples from 76 patients (46 male) with a
      mean +/- standard deviation age of 56.6 +/- 15.9 years and weight of 89.1 +/-
      25.8 kg were identified. The duration of antibiotic therapy was between 2 days
      and 42 days. TDM identified a need for dose modification of beta-lactam
      antibiotics in 39 (35%) instances; in 27 (24%) samples, TDM values resulted in
      decreasing the prescribed dose of beta-lactam antibiotic whereas an increase in
      the prescribed dose occurred in 12 (11%) cases. In patients treated for hospital
      acquired pneumonia and primary or secondary bacteraemia, the dose was required to
      be decreased in 10/25 (40%) and 7/46 (15%) cases, respectively, to attain target
      concentrations. beta-Lactam TDM is a useful tool for guiding drug dosing in
      complex patients such as those receiving CRRT. Although over one-third of
      patients manifested concentrations outside the therapeutic range, most of these
      CRRT patients had excessive beta-lactam concentrations.

PMID- 28341610
TI  - Differential effects of social and novelty enrichment on individual differences
      in impulsivity and behavioral flexibility.
AB  - Early life experience profoundly impacts behavior and cognitive functions in
      rats. The present study investigated how the presence of conspecifics and/or
      novel objects, could independently influence individual differences in
      impulsivity and behavioral flexibility. Twenty-four rats were reared in an
      isolated condition, an isolated condition with a novel object, a pair-housed
      social condition, or a pair-housed social condition with a novel object. The rats
      were then tested on an impulsive choice task, a behavioral flexibility task, and
      an impulsive action task. Novelty enrichment produced an overall increase in
      impulsive choice, while social enrichment decreased impulsive choice in the
      absence of novelty enrichment and also produced an overall increase in impulsive
      action. In the behavioral flexibility task, social enrichment increased
      regressive errors, whereas both social and novelty enrichment reduced never
      reinforced errors. Individual differences analyses indicated a significant
      relationship between performance in the behavioral flexibility and impulsive
      action tasks, which may reflect a common psychological correlate of action
      inhibition. Moreover, there was a relationship between delay sensitivity in the
      impulsive choice task and performance on the DRL and behavioral flexibility
      tasks, suggesting a dual role for timing and inhibitory processes in driving the
      interrelationship between these tasks. Overall, these results indicate that
      social and novelty enrichment produce distinct effects on impulsivity and
      adaptability, suggesting the need to parse out the different elements of
      enrichment in future studies. Further research is warranted to better understand
      how individual differences in sensitivity to enrichment affect individuals'
      interactions with and the resulting consequences of the rearing environment.

PMID- 28341611
TI  - Extinction memory is facilitated by methylphenidate and regulated by dopamine and
      noradrenaline receptors.
AB  - Extinction is defined as the learned inhibition of retrieval and is the mainstay
      of exposure therapy, which is widely used to treat drug addiction, phobias and
      fear disorders. The psychostimulant, methylphenidate (MPH) is known to increase
      extracellular levels of noradrenaline and dopamine by blocking their reuptake and
      studies have demonstrated that MPH can modulate hippocampal physiology and/or
      functions including long-term potentiation (LTP), learning and memory. However,
      the influence of MPH on fear extinction memory has been insufficiently studied.
      Here we investigate the effect of MPH infused into the CA1 region of the
      hippocampus on extinction memory in animals normally incapable of showing
      contextual fear conditioning (CFC) extinction because of weak training, and the
      possible mechanisms through which it acts during this process. For this, male
      Wistar rats with infusion cannulae stereotaxically implanted in the CA1 region
      were submitted to a weak extinction protocol in a CFC apparatus. Animals that
      received intra-CA1 infusion of MPH (12.5MUg/side) 20min before the extinction
      training (Ext Tr) expressed less freezing behavior than Veh-treated animals
      during both Ext Tr and extinction retention Test (Ext Test). Additionally, the
      administration of MPH+Timolol (1MUg/side) or MPH+SCH23390 (1.5MUg/side) intra-CA1
      20min before the Ext Tr blocked the enhancing effect of the MPH on extinction
      learning. These results suggest that MPH in the CA1 region of the hippocampus is
      able to induce the consolidation of extinction memory and this process occurs
      through both beta-adrenergic and D1/D5 dopaminergic receptors.

PMID- 28341613
TI  - Development and photoprotective effect of a sunscreen containing the antioxidants
      Spirulina and dimethylmethoxy chromanol on sun-induced skin damage.
AB  - The literature claims that incorporation of antioxidants into sunscreens provides
      additional skin photoprotection by scavenging free radicals formed due to sun
      radiation, but there are limited in vivo studies that support this hypothesis.
      This study aims to examine whether addition of antioxidants to a broad-spectrum
      sunscreen increases its photoprotective effect in real-use conditions. Sunscreen
      formulations composed of stable UV filters (Tinosorb(r) S, Tinosorb(r) M,
      Uvinul(r) APlus, and Uvinul(r) T150) alone or in combination with antioxidants
      (Spirulina and dimethylmethoxy chromanol-loaded solid lipid nanoparticles) were
      developed and their appearance, odor, rheological behavior, Sun Protection Factor
      (SPF), and UVA protection were analyzed. Next, it was conducted a 3-month, single
      blind clinical study with 44 healthy subjects (30-50years). Before and 28, 54,
      and 84days after twice-daily self application of the sunscreens on the face, the
      stratum corneum water content, transepidermal water loss, dermis echogenicity,
      and skin elasticity and pigmentation were measured. At the end of the study
      period, the volunteers answered a questionnaire containing terms related to
      sensory characteristics of the formulations. All formulations were stable and
      exhibited non-Newtonian and pseudoplastic behavior, in vivo SPF 30, and good UVA
      protection. Antioxidant supplementation to the sunscreen formulation
      significantly improved the skin pigmentation, the collagen degradation on the
      dermis and thereby the skin net elasticity after 84days of treatment compared to
      the sunscreen alone. Concerning safety, all formulations were considered non
      irritant according to the sensorial analyses, whose results agreed with the
      clinical study findings.

PMID- 28341614
TI  - Anti-tubercular drug discovery: in silico implications and challenges.
AB  - Tuberculosis (TB) has been reported as a major public health concern, especially
      in the developing countries. WHO report on tuberculosis 2016 shows a high
      mortality rate caused by TB leading to 1.8 million deaths worldwide (including
      deaths due to TB in HIV positive individuals), which is one of the top 10 causes
      of mortality in 2015. However, the main therapy used for the treatment of TB is
      still the Direct Observed Therapy Short-course (DOTS) that consists of four main
      first-line drugs. Due to the prolonged and unorganized use of these drugs,
      Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb) has developed drug-resistance against them. To
      overcome this drug-resistance, efforts are continuously being made to develop new
      therapeutics. New drug-targets of Mtb are pursued by the researchers to develop
      their inhibitors. For this, new methodologies that comprise of the computational
      drug designing techniques are vigorously applied. A major limitation that is
      found with these techniques is the inability of the newly identified target-based
      inhibitors to inhibit the whole cell bacteria. A foremost factor for this
      limitation is the inability of these inhibitors to penetrate the bacterial cell
      wall. In this regard, various strategies to overcome this limitation have been
      discussed in detail in this review, along with new targets and new methodologies.
      A bunch of in silico tools available for the prediction of physicochemical
      properties that need to be explored to deal with the permeability issue of the
      Mtb inhibitors has also been discussed.

PMID- 28341615
TI  - Design and Usability of a Heart Failure mHealth System: A Pilot Study.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Despite the advances in mobile health (mHealth) systems, little is
      known about patients' and providers' experiences using a new mHealth system
      design. OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to understand challenges and provide design
      considerations for a personalized mHealth system that could effectively support
      heart failure (HF) patients after they transition into the home environment.
      METHODS: Following exploratory interviews with nurses and preventive care
      physicians, an mHealth system was developed. Patients were asked to measure their
      weight, blood pressure, and blood glucose (if they had diabetes). They were also
      instructed to enter symptoms, view notifications, and read messages on a mobile
      app that we developed. A Bluetooth-enabled weight scale, blood pressure monitor,
      glucometer, and mobile phone was provided after an introductory orientation and
      training session. HF nurses used a dashboard to view daily measurements for each
      patient and received text and email alerts when risk was indicated. Observations
      of usage, cases of deterioration, readmissions, and metrics related to system
      usability and quality of life outcomes were used to determine overall
      effectiveness of the system, whereas focus group sessions with patients were
      conducted to elicit participants' feedback on the system's design. RESULTS: A
      total of 8 patients with HF participated over a 6-month period. Overall, the mean
      users' satisfaction with the system ranked 73%, which was above average. Quality
      of life improvement was 3.6. Patients and nurses used the system on a regular
      basis and were able to successfully identify and manage 8 health deteriorations,
      of which 5 were completely managed remotely. Focus groups revealed that, on one
      hand, the system was beneficial and helped patients with: recording and tracking
      readings; receiving encouragement and reassurance from nurses; spotting and
      solving problems; learning from past experiences; and communication. On the other
      hand, findings also highlighted design issues and recommendations for future
      systems such as the need to communicate via other media, personalize symptom
      questions and messages, integrate other health tracking technologies, and provide
      additional methods to analyze and visualize their data. CONCLUSIONS:
      Understanding users' experiences provides important design considerations that
      could complement existing design recommendations from the literature, and, when
      combined with physician and nurse requirements, have the potential to yield a
      feasible telehealth system that is effective in supporting HF self-care. Future
      studies will include these guidelines and use a larger sample size to validate
      the outcomes.

PMID- 28341616
TI  - Cloudy with a Chance of Pain: Engagement and Subsequent Attrition of Daily Data
      Entry in a Smartphone Pilot Study Tracking Weather, Disease Severity, and
      Physical Activity in Patients With Rheumatoid Arthritis.
AB  - BACKGROUND: The increasing ownership of smartphones provides major opportunities
      for epidemiological research through self-reported and passively collected data.
      OBJECTIVE: This pilot study aimed to codesign a smartphone app to assess
      associations between weather and joint pain in patients with rheumatoid arthritis
      (RA) and to study the success of daily self-reported data entry over a 60-day
      period and the enablers of and barriers to data collection. METHODS: A patient
      and public involvement group (n=5) and 2 focus groups of patients with RA (n=9)
      supported the codesign of the app collecting self-reported symptoms. A separate
      "capture app" was designed to collect global positioning system (GPS) and
      continuous raw accelerometer data, with the GPS-linking providing local weather
      data. A total of 20 patients with RA were then recruited to collect daily data
      for 60 days, with entry and exit interviews. Of these, 17 were loaned an Android
      smartphone, whereas 3 used their own Android smartphones. RESULTS: Of the 20
      patients, 6 (30%) withdrew from the study: 4 because of technical challenges and
      2 for health reasons. The mean completion of daily entries was 68% over 2 months.
      Patients entered data at least five times per week 65% of the time. Reasons for
      successful engagement included a simple graphical user interface, automated
      reminders, visualization of data, and eagerness to contribute to this easily
      understood research question. The main barrier to continuing engagement was
      impaired battery life due to the accelerometer data capture app. For some,
      successful engagement required ongoing support in using the smartphones.
      CONCLUSIONS: This successful pilot study has demonstrated that daily data
      collection using smartphones for health research is feasible and achievable with
      high levels of ongoing engagement over 2 months. This result opens important
      opportunities for large-scale longitudinal epidemiological research.

PMID- 28341618
TI  - Can Gaming Increase Antibiotic Awareness in Children? A Mixed-Methods Approach.
AB  - BACKGROUND: e-Bug is a pan-European educational resource for junior and senior
      school children, which contains activities covering prudent antibiotic use and
      the spread, treatment, and prevention of infection. Teaching resources for
      children aged 7-15 years are complemented by a student website that hosts games
      and interactive activities for the children to continue their learning at home.
      OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to appraise young people's opinions of 3
      antibiotic games on the e-Bug student website, exploring children's views and
      suggestions for improvements, and analyzing change in their knowledge around the
      learning outcomes covered. The 3 games selected for evaluation all contained
      elements and learning outcomes relating to antibiotics, the correct use of
      antibiotics, and bacteria and viruses. METHODS: A mixed methodological approach
      was undertaken, wherein 153 pupils aged 9-11 years in primary schools and summer
      schools in the Bristol and Gloucestershire area completed a questionnaire with
      antibiotic and microbe questions, before and after playing 3 e-Bug games for a
      total of 15 minutes. The after questionnaire also contained open-ended and Likert
      scale questions. In addition, 6 focus groups with 48 students and think-aloud
      sessions with 4 students who had all played the games were performed. RESULTS:
      The questionnaire data showed a significant increase in knowledge for 2 out of 7
      questions (P=.01 and P<.001), whereas all questions showed a small level of
      increase. The two areas of significant knowledge improvement focused around the
      use of antibiotics for bacterial versus viral infections and ensuring the course
      of antibiotics is completed. Qualitative data showed that the e-Bug game "Body
      Busters" was the most popular, closely followed by "Doctor Doctor," and "Microbe
      Mania" the least popular. CONCLUSIONS: This study shows that 2 of the e-Bug
      antibiotic educational games are valuable. "Body Busters" effectively increased
      antibiotic knowledge in children and had the greatest flow and enjoyment. "Doctor
      Doctor" also resulted in increased knowledge, but was less enjoyable. "Microbe
      Mania" had neither flow nor knowledge gain and therefore needs much modification
      and review. The results from the qualitative part of this study will be very
      important to inform future modifications and improvements to the e-Bug games.

PMID- 28341617
TI  - Internet-Delivered Health Interventions That Work: Systematic Review of Meta
      Analyses and Evaluation of Website Availability.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Due to easy access and low cost, Internet-delivered therapies offer
      an attractive alternative to improving health. Although numerous websites contain
      health-related information, finding evidence-based programs (as demonstrated
      through randomized controlled trials, RCTs) can be challenging. We sought to
      bridge the divide between the knowledge gained from RCTs and communication of the
      results by conducting a global systematic review and analyzing the availability
      of evidence-based Internet health programs. OBJECTIVES: The study aimed to (1)
      discover the range of health-related topics that are addressed through Internet
      delivered interventions, (2) generate a list of current websites used in the
      trials which demonstrate a health benefit, and (3) identify gaps in the research
      that may have hindered dissemination. Our focus was on Internet-delivered self
      guided health interventions that did not require real-time clinical support.
      METHODS: A systematic review of meta-analyses was conducted using Preferred
      Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines
      (PROSPERO Registration Number CRD42016041258). MEDLINE via Ovid, PsycINFO,
      Embase, Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, and the Cumulative Index to
      Nursing and Allied Health Literature (CINAHL) were searched. Inclusion criteria
      included (1) meta-analyses of RCTs, (2) at least one Internet-delivered
      intervention that measured a health-related outcome, and (3) use of at least one
      self-guided intervention. We excluded group-based therapies. There were no
      language restrictions. RESULTS: Of the 363 records identified through the search,
      71 meta-analyses met inclusion criteria. Within the 71 meta-analyses, there were
      1733 studies that contained 268 unique RCTs which tested self-help interventions.
      On review of the 268 studies, 21.3% (57/268) had functional websites. These
      included evidence-based Web programs on substance abuse (alcohol, tobacco,
      cannabis), mental health (depression, anxiety, post-traumatic stress disorder
      [PTSD], phobias, panic disorders, obsessive compulsive disorder [OCD]), and on
      diet and physical activity. There were also evidence-based programs on insomnia,
      chronic pain, cardiovascular risk, and childhood health problems. These programs
      tended to be intensive, requiring weeks to months of engagement by the user,
      often including interaction, personalized and normative feedback, and self
      monitoring. English was the most common language, although some were available in
      Spanish, French, Portuguese, Dutch, German, Norwegian, Finnish, Swedish, and
      Mandarin. There were several interventions with numbers needed to treat of <5;
      these included painACTION, Mental Health Online for panic disorders, Deprexis,
      Triple P Online (TPOL), and U Can POOP Too. Hyperlinks of the sites have been
      listed. CONCLUSIONS: A wide range of evidence-based Internet programs are
      currently available for health-related behaviors, as well as disease prevention
      and treatment. However, the majority of Internet-delivered health interventions
      found to be efficacious in RCTs do not have websites for general use. Increased
      efforts to provide mechanisms to host "interventions that work" on the Web and to
      assist the public in locating these sites are necessary.

PMID- 28341620
TI  - Caesarean section is associated with offspring obesity in childhood and young
      adulthood.

PMID- 28341619
TI  - Assessing Feasibility and Acceptability of Web-Based Enhanced Relapse Prevention
      for Bipolar Disorder (ERPonline): A Randomized Controlled Trial.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Interventions that teach people with bipolar disorder (BD) to
      recognize and respond to early warning signs (EWS) of relapse are recommended but
      implementation in clinical practice is poor. OBJECTIVES: The objective of this
      study was to test the feasibility and acceptability of a randomized controlled
      trial (RCT) to evaluate a Web-based enhanced relapse prevention intervention
      (ERPonline) and to report preliminary evidence of effectiveness. METHODS: A
      single-blind, parallel, primarily online RCT (n=96) over 48 weeks comparing
      ERPonline plus usual treatment with "waitlist (WL) control" plus usual treatment
      for people with BD recruited through National Health Services (NHSs), voluntary
      organizations, and media. Randomization was independent, minimized on number of
      previous episodes (<8, 8-20, 21+). Primary outcomes were recruitment and
      retention rates, levels of intervention use, adverse events, and participant
      feedback. Process and clinical outcomes were assessed by telephone and Web and
      compared using linear models with intention-to-treat analysis. RESULTS: A total
      of 280 people registered interest online, from which 96 met inclusion criteria,
      consented, and were randomized (49 to WL, 47 to ERPonline) over 17 months, with
      80% retention in telephone and online follow-up at all time points, except at
      week 48 (76%). Acceptability was high for both ERPonline and trial methods.
      ERPonline cost approximately L19,340 to create, and L2176 per year to host and
      maintain the site. Qualitative data highlighted the importance of the
      relationship that the users have with Web-based interventions. Differences
      between the group means suggested that access to ERPonline was associated with: a
      more positive model of BD at 24 weeks (10.70, 95% CI 0.90 to 20.5) and 48 weeks
      (13.1, 95% CI 2.44 to 23.93); increased monitoring of EWS of depression at 48
      weeks (-1.39, 95% CI -2.61 to -0.163) and of hypomania at 24 weeks (-1.72, 95% CI
      -2.98 to -0.47) and 48 weeks (-1.61, 95% CI -2.92 to -0.30), compared with WL.
      There was no evidence of impact of ERPonline on clinical outcomes or medication
      adherence, but relapse rates across both arms were low (15%) and the sample
      remained high functioning throughout. One person died by suicide before
      randomization and 5 people in ERPonline and 6 in WL reported ideas of suicide or
      self-harm. None were deemed study related by an independent Trial Steering
      Committee (TSC). CONCLUSIONS: ERPonline offers a cheap accessible option for
      people seeking ongoing support following successful treatment. However, given
      high functioning and low relapse rates in this study, testing clinical
      effectiveness for this population would require very large sample sizes. Building
      in human support to use ERPonline should be considered. TRIAL REGISTRATION:
      International Standard Randomized Controlled Trial Number (ISRCTN): 56908625;
      http://www.isrctn.com/ISRCTN56908625 (Archived by WebCite at
      http://www.webcitation.org/6of1ON2S0).

PMID- 28341621
TI  - Cancer cachexia-induced muscle atrophy: evidence for alterations in microRNAs
      important for muscle size.
AB  - Muscle atrophy is a hallmark of cancer cachexia resulting in impaired function
      and quality of life and cachexia is the immediate cause of death for 20-40% of
      cancer patients. Multiple microRNAs (miRNAs) have been identified as being
      involved in muscle development and atrophy; however, less is known specifically
      on miRNAs in cancer cachexia. The purpose of this investigation was to examine
      the miRNA profile of skeletal muscle atrophy induced by cancer cachexia to
      uncover potential miRNAs involved with this catabolic condition. Phosphate
      buffered saline (PBS) or Lewis lung carcinoma cells (LLC) were injected into
      C57BL/6J mice at 8 wk of age. LLC animals were allowed to develop tumors for 4 wk
      to induce cachexia. Tibialis anterior muscles were extracted and processed to
      isolate small RNAs, which were used for miRNA sequencing. Sequencing results were
      assembled with mature miRNAs, and functions of miRNAs were analyzed by Ingenuity
      Pathway Analysis. LLC animals developed tumors that contributed to significantly
      smaller tibialis anterior muscles (18.5%) and muscle cross-sectional area (40%)
      compared with PBS. We found 371 miRNAs to be present in the muscle above
      background levels. Of these, nine miRNAs were found to be differentially
      expressed. Significantly altered groups of miRNAs were categorized into primary
      functionalities including cancer, cell-to-cell signaling, and cellular
      development among others. Gene network analysis predicted specific alterations of
      factors contributing to muscle size including Akt, FOXO3, and others. These
      results create a foundation for future research into the sufficiency of targeting
      these genes to attenuate muscle loss in cancer cachexia.

PMID- 28341622
TI  - Abortion care in Canada is decided between a woman and her doctor, without
      recourse to criminal law.

PMID- 28341623
TI  - Twenty miles per hour speed limits: a sustainable solution to public health
      problems in Wales.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Prevention, rather than treatment, is the key to longer healthier
      lives. Identifying interventions that will impact positively on road traffic
      injuries, air quality and encourage active travel is a significant public health
      challenge. This paper aimed to explore whether 20 mph limits could be useful in
      achieving this. METHODS: Research evidence was reviewed to identify the effect of
      20 mph zones and limits on health and well-being. The evidence was then used to
      estimate the effect of a change to a 20 mph limit on road traffic casualties and
      air pollution. It was then mapped against the seven goals of the Well-being of
      Future Generations Act (2015). RESULTS: If all current 30 mph limit roads in
      Wales became 20 mph limits, it is estimated that 6-10 lives would be saved and
      1200-2000 casualties avoided each year, at a value of prevention of L58M-L94M. In
      terms of air pollution, deaths attributed to nitrogen dioxide (NO2) may increase
      by 63, and years of life lost by 753. However, deaths attributed to particulates
      (PM2.5) may decrease by 117 and years of life lost by 1400. Evidence review
      suggests benefits in terms of road traffic casualties, air quality, active
      travel, noise pollution, greater social inclusion, greater community cohesion and
      local business viability. CONCLUSIONS: Road traffic injuries, air pollution and
      obesity are an inter-related, interdependent triad. The challenge facing public
      health today is identifying robust interventions that will have positive effects
      on all three as a minimum; default 20 mph limits is the solution to increasing
      public health problems in Wales.

PMID- 28341624
TI  - Compliance affects success of ultrasound for bone healing.

PMID- 28341625
TI  - Non-cardiac surgery in patients with continuous-flow left ventricular assist
      devices: a single institutional experience.
AB  - With improvements in life expectancy for patients with continuous-flow left
      ventricular assist devices (LVADs), non-cardiac surgeons will increasingly
      encounter surgical problems in this population. 209 patients underwent LVAD
      placement between 10/1/2007 and 6/1/2015 at a single institution. Survival was
      compared between patients who had non-cardiac surgery (NCS) during the initial
      LVAD implantation hospitalization (n=36) and those who had NCS only in subsequent
      hospitalizations (n=33). Postoperative complication rates were examined. Index
      admission NCS was associated with lower 5-year survival compared with subsequent
      admission NCS (27.1% vs 39.4%, p=0.017). In subsequent admissions, the risks of
      bleeding and infectious complications were the same for elective or urgent NCS,
      but the risk of death was higher in the urgent surgery group. We conclude that
      elective NCS can be performed with low risk of death or LVAD dysfunction after
      sufficient recovery of patients from LVAD implantation.

PMID- 28341626
TI  - Phenotypic effects of allotetraploidization of wild Arachis and their
      implications for peanut domestication.
AB  - PREMISE OF THE STUDY: Several species of Arachis have been cultivated for their
      edible seeds, historically and to the present day. The diploid species that have
      a history of cultivation show relatively small signatures of domestication. In
      contrast, the tetraploid species A. hypogaea evolved into highly domesticated
      forms and became a major world crop, the cultivated peanut. It seems likely that
      allotetraploidization (hybridity and/or tetraploidization) in some way enhanced
      attractiveness for cultivation. Here we investigate this using six different
      hybridization and tetraploidization events, from distinct Arachis diploid
      species, including one event derived from the same wild species that originated
      peanut. METHODS: Twenty-six anatomical, morphological, and physiological traits
      were examined in the induced allotetraploid plants and compared with their wild
      diploid parents. KEY RESULTS: Nineteen traits were transgressive (showed strong
      response to hybridization and chromosome duplication): allotetraploids had larger
      leaves, stomata and epidermal cells than did their diploid parents. In addition,
      allotetraploids produced more photosynthetic pigments. These traits have the same
      trend across the different hybrid combinations, suggesting that the changes are
      more likely due to ploidy rather than hybridity. In contrast, seed dimensions and
      seed mass did not significantly change in response to hybridization or
      tetraploidization. CONCLUSIONS: We suggest that the original allotetraploid that
      gave rise to cultivated peanut may have been attractive because of an increase in
      plant size, different transpiration characteristics, higher photosynthetic
      capacity, or other characteristics, but contrary to accepted knowledge, increased
      seed size was unlikely to have been important in the initial domestication.

PMID- 28341628
TI  - Species richness and endemism in the native flora of California.
AB  - PREMISE OF THE STUDY: California's vascular flora is the most diverse and
      threatened in temperate North America. Previous studies of spatial patterns of
      Californian plant diversity have been limited by traditional metrics, non-uniform
      geographic units, and distributional data derived from floristic descriptions for
      only a subset of species. METHODS: We revisited patterns of sampling intensity,
      species richness, and relative endemism in California based on equal-area spatial
      units, the full vascular flora, and specimen-based distributional data. We
      estimated richness, weighted endemism (inverse range-weighting of species), and
      corrected weighted endemism (weighted endemism corrected for richness), and
      performed a randomization test for significantly high endemism. KEY RESULTS:
      Possible biases in herbarium data do not obscure patterns of high richness and
      endemism at the spatial resolution studied. High species richness was sometimes
      associated with significantly high endemism (e.g., Klamath Ranges) but often not.
      In Stebbins and Major's (1965) main endemism hotspot, Southwestern California,
      species richness is high across much of the Peninsular and Transverse ranges but
      significantly high endemism is mostly localized to the Santa Rosa and San
      Bernardino mountains. In contrast, species richness is low in the Channel
      Islands, where endemism is significantly high, as also found for much of the
      Death Valley region. CONCLUSIONS: Measures of taxonomic richness, even with
      greater weighting of range-restricted taxa, are insufficient for identifying
      areas of significantly high endemism that warrant conservation attention.
      Differences between our findings and those in previous studies appear to mostly
      reflect the source and scale of distributional data, and recent analytical
      refinements.

PMID- 28341629
TI  - Persistent homology and the branching topologies of plants.

PMID- 28341630
TI  - Flexibility of resource allocation in a hermaphroditic-gynomonoecious herb
      through deployment of female and male resources in perfect flowers.
AB  - PREMISE OF THE STUDY: It has been hypothesized that two flower types permit
      flexible allocation of resources to female and male functions, yet empirical
      evidence for the sex-allocation hypothesis remains scarce in gynomonoecious
      species. To characterize resource allocation to pistillate and perfect flowers
      and allocation of perfect flowers between gynomonoecious and hermaphroditic
      individuals, we examined the flexibility and whether female-biased allocation
      increases with plant size in the hermaphroditic-gynomonoecious herb Eremurus
      anisopterus. METHODS: Frequency of gynomonoecious individuals, flower production,
      and plant size were investigated in different populations. Floral allocation was
      compared among the three flower types of E. anisopterus. KEY RESULTS: Frequency
      of gynomonoecious plants varied from 2-17% in nine populations. Only larger
      plants produced female flowers at the bottom of racemes. Both female and perfect
      flower production tended to increase proportionately with plant size in
      gynomonoecious individuals. Female flowers did not produce less biomass than
      perfect flowers from hermaphroditic or gynomonoecious plants. However, both
      female and perfect flowers from gynomonoecious individuals had lighter stamen
      mass, but larger pistil mass, than perfect flowers from hermaphrodites.
      CONCLUSIONS: Although the prediction of an increase in female flower number with
      plant size was not observed in E. anisopterus, the flexibility of sex allocation
      in gynomonoecious species was confirmed in that gynomonoecious individuals had a
      female-biased floral allocation compared to hermaphroditic individuals. Such
      comparisons of gynomonoecious to hermaphroditic individuals permit us to unveil a
      sexual adjustment strategy: flexibility of sexual investments within plants.

PMID- 28341631
TI  - Effects of soil type and light on height growth, biomass partitioning, and
      nitrogen dynamics on 22 species of tropical dry forest tree seedlings:
      Comparisons between legumes and nonlegumes.
AB  - PREMISE OF THE STUDY: The seedling stage is particularly vulnerable to resource
      limitation, with potential consequences for community composition. We
      investigated how light and soil variation affected early growth, biomass
      partitioning, morphology, and physiology of 22 tree species common in tropical
      dry forest, including eight legumes. Our hypothesis was that legume seedlings are
      better at taking advantage of increased resource availability, which contributes
      to their successful regeneration in tropical dry forests. METHODS: We grew
      seedlings in a full-factorial design under two light levels in two soil types
      that differed in nutrient concentrations and soil moisture. We measured height
      biweekly and, at final harvest, biomass partitioning, internode segments, leaf
      carbon, nitrogen, delta13C, and delta15N. KEY RESULTS: Legumes initially grew
      taller and maintained that height advantage over time under all experimental
      conditions. Legumes also had the highest final total biomass and water-use
      efficiency in the high-light and high-resource soil. For nitrogen-fixing legumes,
      the amount of nitrogen derived from fixation was highest in the richer soil.
      Although seed mass tended to be larger in legumes, seed size alone did not
      account for all the differences between legumes and nonlegumes. Both belowground
      and aboveground resources were limiting to early seedling growth and function.
      CONCLUSIONS: Legumes may have a different regeneration niche, in that they
      germinate rapidly and grow taller than other species immediately after
      germination, maximizing their performance when light and belowground resources
      are readily available, and potentially permitting them to take advantage of high
      light, nutrient, and water availability at the beginning of the wet season.

PMID- 28341632
TI  - Microvascular leakage in acute myocardial infarction: characterization by
      histology, biochemistry, and magnetic resonance imaging.
AB  - Cardiac microvascular obstruction (MVO) after ischemia-reperfusion (I/R) has been
      well studied, but microvascular leakage (MVL) remains largely unexplored. We
      characterized MVL in the mouse I/R model by histology, biochemistry, and cardiac
      magnetic resonance (CMR) imaging. I/R was induced surgically in mice. MVL was
      determined by administrating the microvascular permeability tracer Evans blue
      (EB) and/or gadolinium-diethylenetriaminepentaacetic acid contrast. The size of
      MVL, infarction, and MVO in the heart was quantified histologically. Myocardial
      EB was extracted and quantified chromatographically. Serial CMR images were
      acquired from euthanized mice to determine late gadolinium enhancement (LGE) for
      comparison with MVL quantified by histology. I/R resulted in MVL with its
      severity dependent on the ischemic duration and reaching its maximum at 24-48 h
      after reperfusion. The size of MVL correlated with the degree of left ventricular
      dilatation and reduction in ejection fraction. Within the risk zone, the area of
      MVL (75 +/- 2%) was greater than that of infarct (47 +/- 4%, P < 0.01) or MVO (36
      +/- 4%, P < 0.01). Contour analysis of paired CMR-LGE by CMR and histological MVL
      images revealed a high degree of spatial colocalization (r = 0.959, P < 0.0001).
      These data indicate that microvascular barrier function is damaged after I/R
      leading to MVL. Histological and biochemical means are able to characterize MVL
      by size and severity while CMR-LGE is a potential diagnostic tool for MVL. The
      size of ischemic myocardium exhibiting MVL was greater than that of infarction
      and MVO, implying a role of MVL in postinfarct pathophysiology.NEW & NOTEWORTHY
      We characterized, for the first time, the features of microvascular leakage (MVL)
      as a consequence of reperfused myocardial infarction. The size of ischemic
      myocardium exhibiting MVL was significantly greater than that of infarction or no
      reflow. We made a proof-of-concept finding on the diagnostic potential of MVL by
      cardiac magnetic resonance imaging.

PMID- 28341633
TI  - Increased hypoxia-inducible factor-1alpha in striated muscle of tumor-bearing
      mice.
AB  - Cancer cachexia is a progressive wasting disease resulting in significant effects
      on the quality of life and high mortality. Most studies on cancer cachexia have
      focused on skeletal muscle; however, the heart is now recognized as a major site
      of cachexia-related effects. To elucidate possible mechanisms, a proteomic study
      was performed on the left ventricles of colon-26 (C26) adenocarcinoma tumor
      bearing mice. The results revealed several changes in proteins involved in
      metabolism. An integrated pathway analysis of the results revealed a common
      mediator in hypoxia-inducible factor-1alpha (HIF-1alpha). Work by other
      laboratories has shown that extensive metabolic restructuring in the C26 mouse
      model causes changes in gene expression that may be affected directly by HIF
      1alpha, such as glucose metabolic genes. M-mode echocardiography showed
      progressive decline in heart function by day 19, exhibited by significantly
      decreased ejection fraction and fractional shortening, along with posterior wall
      thickness. Using Western blot analysis, we confirmed that HIF-1alpha is
      significantly upregulated in the heart, whereas there were no changes in its
      regulatory proteins, prolyl hydroxylase domain-containing protein 2 (PHD2) and
      von Hippel-Lindau protein (VHL). PHD2 requires both oxygen and iron as cofactors
      for the hydroxylation of HIF-1alpha, marking it for ubiquination via VHL and
      subsequent destruction by the proteasome complex. We examined venous blood gas
      values in the tumor-bearing mice and found significantly lower oxygen
      concentration compared with control animals in the third week after tumor
      inoculation. We also examined select skeletal muscles to determine whether they
      are similarly affected. In the diaphragm, extensor digitorum longus, and soleus,
      we found significantly increased HIF-1alpha in tumor-bearing mice, indicating a
      hypoxic response, not only in the heart, but also in skeletal muscle. These
      results indicate that HIF-1alpha may contribute, in part, to the metabolic
      changes that occur during cancer cachexia.NEW & NOTEWORTHY We used proteomics and
      metadata analysis software to identify contributors to metabolic changes in
      striated muscle during cancer cachexia. We found increased expression of hypoxia
      inducible factor-1alpha in the heart and skeletal muscle, suggesting a potential
      target for the therapeutic treatment of cancer cachexia.

PMID- 28341635
TI  - Sept7b is required for the subcellular organization of cardiomyocytes and cardiac
      function in zebrafish.
AB  - Myofibrils made up of actin, myosin, and associated proteins generate the
      contractile force in muscle, and, consequently, mutations in these proteins may
      lead to heart failure. Septins are a conserved family of small GTPases that
      associate with actin filaments, microtubules, and cellular membranes. Despite the
      importance of septins in cytoskeleton organization, their role in cardiomyocyte
      organization and function is poorly characterized. Here, we show that septin 7 is
      expressed in both embryonic and adult zebrafish hearts and elucidate the
      physiological significance of sept7b, the zebrafish ortholog of human septin 7,
      in the heart in embryonic and larval zebrafish. Knockdown of sept7b reduced F
      actin and alpha-cardiac actin expression in the heart and caused disorganization
      of actin filaments. Electron microscopy of sept7b-depleted larvae showed
      disorganization of heart myofibrils and partial detachment from Z-disks.
      Functional studies revealed that knockdown of sept7b leads to reduced ventricular
      dimensions, contractility, and cardiac output. Furthermore, we found that
      depletion of sept7b diminished the expression of retinaldehyde dehydrogenase 2,
      which catalyzes the synthesis of retinoic acid necessary for heart morphogenesis.
      We further observed that the sept7b and retinoic acid signaling pathways converge
      to regulate cardiac function. Together, these results specify an essential role
      for sept7b in the contractile function of the heart.NEW & NOTEWORTHY Knockdown of
      the zebrafish ortholog of human septin 7 (sept7b) destabilizes cardiac actin and
      reduces ventricular dimensions, contractility, and cardiac output in larval
      zebrafish, indicating that sept7b is essential for cardiac function. We further
      found that sept7b and retinoic acid signaling pathways converge to regulate
      cardiac function. These data prompt further studies defining the role of sept7b
      in cardiomyopathies.

PMID- 28341634
TI  - Contribution of two-pore K+ channels to cardiac ventricular action potential
      revealed using human iPSC-derived cardiomyocytes.
AB  - Two-pore K+ (K2p) channels have been described in modulating background
      conductance as leak channels in different physiological systems. In the heart,
      the expression of K2p channels is heterogeneous with equivocation regarding their
      functional role. Our objective was to determine the K2p expression profile and
      their physiological and pathophysiological contribution to cardiac
      electrophysiology. Induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) generated from humans
      were differentiated into cardiomyocytes (iPSC-CMs). mRNA was isolated from these
      cells, commercial iPSC-CM (iCells), control human heart ventricular tissue
      (cHVT), and ischemic (iHF) and nonischemic heart failure tissues (niHF). We
      detected 10 K2p channels in the heart. Comparing quantitative PCR expression of
      K2p channels between human heart tissue and iPSC-CMs revealed K2p1.1, K2p2.1,
      K2p5.1, and K2p17.1 to be higher expressed in cHVT, whereas K2p3.1 and K2p13.1
      were higher in iPSC-CMs. Notably, K2p17.1 was significantly lower in niHF tissues
      compared with cHVT. Action potential recordings in iCells after K2p small
      interfering RNA knockdown revealed prolongations in action potential
      depolarization at 90% repolarization for K2p2.1, K2p3.1, K2p6.1, and K2p17.1.
      Here, we report the expression level of 10 human K2p channels in iPSC-CMs and how
      they compared with cHVT. Importantly, our functional electrophysiological data in
      human iPSC-CMs revealed a prominent role in cardiac ventricular repolarization
      for four of these channels. Finally, we also identified K2p17.1 as significantly
      reduced in niHF tissues and K2p4.1 as reduced in niHF compared with iHF. Thus, we
      advance the notion that K2p channels are emerging as novel players in cardiac
      ventricular electrophysiology that could also be remodeled in cardiac pathology
      and therefore contribute to arrhythmias.NEW & NOTEWORTHY Two-pore K+ (K2p)
      channels are traditionally regarded as merely background leak channels in myriad
      physiological systems. Here, we describe the expression profile of K2p channels
      in human-induced pluripotent stem cell-derived cardiomyocytes and outline a
      salient role in cardiac repolarization and pathology for multiple K2p channels.

PMID- 28341637
TI  - The Tax Exclusion for Employer-Sponsored Insurance Is Not Regressive-But What Is
      It?
AB  - Conventional wisdom says that the tax exclusion for employer-sponsored health
      insurance (ESI) is "regressive and therefore unfair." Yet, by the standard
      definition of regressive tax policy, the conventional view is almost certainly
      false. It confuses the absolute size of the tax exclusion with its proportional
      effect on income. The error results from paying attention only to the marginal
      tax rate applied to ESI benefits as a portion of income and ignoring the fact
      that benefits are normally a much larger share of income for people with lower
      wages. This article explains the difference and then considers other
      distributional effects of ESI. It suggests that ESI-for those who receive it
      further redistributes toward those with lesser means or greater need. The most
      evident effect is by need, favoring employees with families over those without.
      Yet there is good reason to believe there is also a redistribution by income,
      with the package of wages plus benefits being less unequal than wages alone would
      be. Therefore reformers should be much more careful before criticizing either ESI
      or its subsidy through the tax code as "unfair," especially as the likelihood of
      enacting something better in the United States seems quite low.

PMID- 28341636
TI  - Relief from neuropathic pain by blocking of the platelet-activating factor-pain
      loop.
AB  - Neuropathic pain resulting from peripheral neuronal damage is largely resistant
      to treatment with currently available analgesic drugs. Recently, ATP,
      lysophosphatidic acid, and platelet-activating factor (PAF) have been reported to
      play important inductive roles in neuropathic pain. In the present study, we
      found that pain-like behaviors resulting from partial sciatic nerve ligation
      (PSL) were largely attenuated by deficiency of lysophosphatidylcholine
      acyltransferase (LPCAT)2, which is one of the PAF biosynthetic enzymes. By
      contrast, deficiency of the other PAF biosynthetic enzyme, LPCAT1, did not
      ameliorate neuropathic pain. With regard to the mechanism of the observed
      effects, LPCAT2 was detected in wild-type spinal cord microglia, and the absence
      of LPCAT2 expression precluded spinal PAF expression in LPCAT2-knockout mice.
      Furthermore, ATP-stimulated PAF biosynthesis in macrophages was decreased by
      pretreatment with the PAF receptor antagonist ABT-491, indicating the existence
      of a positive feedback loop of PAF biosynthesis, which we designated the PAF-pain
      loop. In conclusion, LPCAT2 is a novel therapeutic target for newly categorized
      analgesic drugs; in addition, our data call for the re-evaluation of the clinical
      utility of PAF receptor antagonists.-Shindou, H., Shiraishi, S., Tokuoka, S. M.,
      Takahashi Y., Harayama, T., Abe, T., Bando, K., Miyano, K., Kita, Y., Uezono, Y.,
      Shimizu, T. Relief from neuropathic pain by blocking of the platelet-activating
      factor-pain loop.

PMID- 28341638
TI  - TET1 exerts its tumour suppressor function by regulating autophagy in glioma
      cells.
AB  - DNA methylation and demethylation play a critical role in the regulation of the
      molecular pathogenesis of gliomas. Tet methylcytosine dioxygenase 1 (TET1)
      catalyses the sequential oxidation of 5-methylcytosine (5mC) to 5
      hydroxymethylcytosine, (5hmC) leading to eventual DNA demethylation. It has been
      reported that TET1 is a tumour suppressor in several cancers. However, whether
      TET1 plays a role in glioma development is largely unclear. Different glioma
      specimens and corresponding normal controls were collected to analyse the
      expression of TET1. At the same time, TET1 of glioma U251 cells was knocked down
      or overexpressed to observe its effect on glioma cell proliferation and invasion
      as well as autophagy level. Here, we reported that the expression of TET1 in
      glioma tissue was significantly lower than the corresponding non-tumour normal
      tissues, and the concentration of TET1 is negatively correlated with the glioma
      WHO classification. When TET1 gene in glioma U251 cells was knocked down by
      CRISPR/Caspase-9 system, the proliferation and invasive ability of U251 increased
      remarkably. But when TET1 was overexpressed in U251 cells, the proliferation and
      invasion were impaired. Following the down-expression of TET1, the level of
      autophagy in U251 cells decreased accordingly.However, when TET1 was
      overexpressed in U251 cells, the level of autophagy incraesed. Furthermore,
      bafilomycin A1 (Baf-A1) but not 3-methyladenine (3-MA) could decrease the
      autophagy level of TET1-/- U251 cells as the wild-type controls. It suggests that
      the tumour suppressor effect of TET1 seems to be mediated by regulating the level
      of autophagy, and the regulation of TET1 on autophagy is at an early stage.

PMID- 28341639
TI  - Indian doctors take to streets to demand better security.

PMID- 28341640
TI  - Impaired B cell function during viral infections due to PTEN-mediated inhibition
      of the PI3K pathway.
AB  - Transient suppression of B cell function often accompanies acute viral infection.
      However, the molecular signaling circuitry that enforces this hyporesponsiveness
      is undefined. In this study, experiments identify up-regulation of the inositol
      phosphatase PTEN (phosphatase and tensin homolog) as primarily responsible for
      defects in B lymphocyte migration and antibody responses that accompany acute
      viral infection. B cells from mice acutely infected with gammaherpesvirus 68 are
      defective in BCR- and CXCR4-mediated activation of the PI3K pathway, and this, we
      show, is associated with increased PTEN expression. This viral infection-induced
      PTEN overexpression appears responsible for the suppression of antibody responses
      observed in infected mice because PTEN deficiency or expression of a
      constitutively active PI3K rescued function of B cells in infected mice.
      Conversely, induced overexpression of PTEN in B cells in uninfected mice led to
      suppression of antibody responses. Finally, we demonstrate that PTEN up
      regulation is a common mechanism by which infection induces suppression of
      antibody responses. Collectively, these findings identify a novel role for PTEN
      during infection and identify regulation of the PI3K pathway, a mechanism
      previously shown to silence autoreactive B cells, as a key physiological target
      to control antibody responses.

PMID- 28341642
TI  - Feasibility and accuracy of teleconcussion for acute evaluation of suspected
      concussion.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: To assess the feasibility and accuracy of telemedical concussion
      evaluations (teleconcussion) for real-time athletic sideline assessment of
      concussion, as such assessment may address the gap in access some populations of
      athletes have to providers with expertise in concussion evaluation. METHODS: A
      cohort of 11 consecutive male collegiate football players with suspected
      concussion was assessed using Standardized Assessment of Concussion (SAC), King
      Devick test (K-D), and modified Balance Error Scoring System (mBESS). A remote
      neurologist assessed each athlete using a telemedicine robot with real-time, 2
      way audiovisual capabilities, while a sideline provider performed a simultaneous
      face-to-face assessment. After the assessment, a remove-from-play (RFP)
      determination was made. The remote and the face-to-face providers were blinded to
      each other's examination findings and RFP decision until the end of the
      assessment. RESULTS: The teleconcussion and face-to-face SAC were in agreement
      100% of the time (6/6; 95% confidence interval [CI] 54%-100%). The mean (SD)
      difference between remote and sideline K-D times was 0.7 (1.4) seconds. Remote
      and sideline K-D times were within a 3-second difference 100% of the time (11/11;
      95% CI 72%-100%). Remote and sideline mBESS scores were within 3 points 100% of
      the time (6/6; 95% CI 54%-100%). RFP decisions were in agreement 100% of the time
      (11/11; 95% CI 72%-100%). CONCLUSIONS: The aim of this study was to investigate
      the feasibility of teleconcussion for sideline concussion assessments. These data
      suggest a high level of agreement between remote and face-to-face providers with
      regard to examination findings and RFP determinations.

PMID- 28341641
TI  - Proliferation of latently infected CD4+ T cells carrying replication-competent
      HIV-1: Potential role in latent reservoir dynamics.
AB  - A latent reservoir for HIV-1 in resting CD4+ T lymphocytes precludes cure.
      Mechanisms underlying reservoir stability are unclear. Recent studies suggest an
      unexpected degree of infected cell proliferation in vivo. T cell activation
      drives proliferation but also reverses latency, resulting in productive infection
      that generally leads to cell death. In this study, we show that latently infected
      cells can proliferate in response to mitogens without producing virus, generating
      progeny cells that can release infectious virus. Thus, assays relying on one
      round of activation underestimate reservoir size. Sequencing of independent
      clonal isolates of replication-competent virus revealed that 57% had env
      sequences identical to other isolates from the same patient. Identity was
      confirmed by full-genome sequencing and was not attributable to limited viral
      diversity. Phylogenetic and statistical analysis suggested that identical
      sequences arose from in vivo proliferation of infected cells, rather than
      infection of multiple cells by a dominant viral species. The possibility that
      much of the reservoir arises by cell proliferation presents challenges to cure.

PMID- 28341643
TI  - Pharmacotherapy for diabetic peripheral neuropathy pain and quality of life: A
      systematic review.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: To systematically assess the effect of pharmacologic treatments of
      diabetic peripheral neuropathy (DPN) on pain and quality of life. METHODS: We
      searched PubMed and Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews for systematic
      reviews from 2011 to October 12, 2015, and PubMed, Embase, and the Cochrane
      Central Register of Controlled Trials for primary studies from January 1, 2013,
      to May 24, 2016. We searched Clinicaltrials.gov on March 9, 2016. Two reviewers
      independently evaluated studies for eligibility, serially abstracted data, and
      independently evaluated risk of bias and graded strength of evidence (SOE).
      RESULTS: We updated a recently completed systematic review of 57 eligible studies
      with 24 additional published studies and 25 unpublished studies. For reducing
      neuropathy-related pain, the serotonin-norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors
      duloxetine and venlafaxine (moderate SOE), the anticonvulsants pregabalin and
      oxcarbazepine (low SOE), the drug classes tricyclic antidepressants (low SOE) and
      atypical opioids (low SOE), and botulinum toxin (low SOE) were more effective
      than placebo. We could not draw conclusions about quality of life due to
      incomplete reporting. All studies were short-term (less than 6 months), and all
      effective drugs had more than 9% dropouts from adverse effects. CONCLUSIONS: For
      reducing pain, duloxetine and venlafaxine, pregabalin and oxcarbazepine,
      tricyclic antidepressants, atypical opioids, and botulinum toxin were more
      effective than placebo. However, quality of life was poorly reported, studies
      were short-term, drugs had substantial dropout rates, and opioids have
      significant risks. Future studies should evaluate longer-term outcomes, use
      methods and measures recommended by pain organizations, and assess patients'
      quality of life.

PMID- 28341644
TI  - Nerve ultrasound: A useful screening tool for peripheral nerve sheath tumors in
      NF1?
AB  - OBJECTIVE: To determine ultrasonographic peripheral nerve involvement in patients
      with asymptomatic neurofibromatosis type 1 (NF1). METHODS: Thirteen asymptomatic
      and 4 minimally symptomatic patients with NF1 were included in this cross
      sectional pilot study to detect asymptomatic abnormalities of the brachial plexus
      and upper and lower extremity nerves. Patients underwent clinical examination,
      nerve conduction studies (NCS), and high-resolution ultrasonography (HRUS).
      RESULTS: HRUS showed abnormalities in 16 patients (94.1%). Neurofibromas were
      identified in 10 patients (58.8%): localized neurofibromas were found in 3
      patients (17.6%), plexiform neurofibromas in 3 (17.6%), and both in 4 (23.5%). In
      6 patients (35.3%), only nerve enlargement without an abnormal fascicular pattern
      was observed. Severe involvement of the peripheral nervous system with multiple
      plexiform neurofibromas was observed in 7 patients (41.2%), while 4 patients
      (23.5%) had no or only minor involvement. Both NCS and HRUS were performed on 73
      individual nerve segments. In 5.5%, abnormalities were found with both tests; in
      50.7%, only with HRUS; and in 1.4%, only with NCS. CONCLUSIONS: HRUS frequently
      showed subclinical involvement of the peripheral nerves in NF1, also when NCS
      were normal. HRUS findings ranged from normal to widespread peripheral nerve
      involvement. Because the presence of plexiform neurofibromas and the benign tumor
      load are risk factors for the development of a malignant peripheral nerve sheath
      tumor, HRUS may be a useful tool to identify a subgroup of patients who could
      benefit from regular follow-up.

PMID- 28341645
TI  - Paroxysmal eye-head movements in Glut1 deficiency syndrome.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: To describe a characteristic paroxysmal eye-head movement disorder
      that occurs in infants with Glut1 deficiency syndrome (Glut1 DS). METHODS: We
      retrospectively reviewed the medical charts of 101 patients with Glut1 DS to
      obtain clinical data about episodic abnormal eye movements and analyzed video
      recordings of 18 eye movement episodes from 10 patients. RESULTS: A documented
      history of paroxysmal abnormal eye movements was found in 32/101 patients (32%),
      and a detailed description was available in 18 patients, presented here. Episodes
      started before age 6 months in 15/18 patients (83%), and preceded the onset of
      seizures in 10/16 patients (63%) who experienced both types of episodes. Eye
      movement episodes resolved, with or without treatment, by 6 years of age in 7/8
      patients with documented long-term course. Episodes were brief (usually <5
      minutes). Video analysis revealed that the eye movements were rapid,
      multidirectional, and often accompanied by a head movement in the same direction.
      Eye movements were separated by clear intervals of fixation, usually ranging from
      200 to 800 ms. The movements were consistent with eye-head gaze saccades. These
      movements can be distinguished from opsoclonus by the presence of a clear
      intermovement fixation interval and the association of a same-direction head
      movement. CONCLUSIONS: Paroxysmal eye-head movements, for which we suggest the
      term aberrant gaze saccades, are an early symptom of Glut1 DS in infancy.
      Recognition of the episodes will facilitate prompt diagnosis of this treatable
      neurodevelopmental disorder.

PMID- 28341646
TI  - Cardiorespiratory fitness alters the influence of a polygenic risk score on
      biomarkers of AD.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: To examine whether a polygenic risk score (PRS) derived from APOE4,
      CLU, and ABCA7 is associated with CSF biomarkers of Alzheimer disease (AD)
      pathology and whether higher cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF) modifies the
      association between the PRS and CSF biomarkers. METHODS: Ninety-five individuals
      from the Wisconsin Registry for Alzheimer's Prevention were included in these
      cross-sectional analyses. They were genotyped for APOE4, CLU, and ABCA7, from
      which a PRS was calculated for each participant. The participants underwent
      lumbar puncture for CSF collection. beta-Amyloid 42 (Abeta42), Abeta40, total tau
      (t-tau), and phosphorylated tau (p-tau) were quantified by immunoassays, and
      Abeta42/Abeta40 and tau/Abeta42 ratios were computed. CRF was estimated from a
      validated equation incorporating sex, age, body mass index, resting heart rate,
      and self-reported physical activity. Covariate-adjusted regression analyses were
      used to test for associations between the PRS and CSF biomarkers. In addition, by
      including a PRS*CRF term in the models, we examined whether these associations
      were modified by CRF. RESULTS: A higher PRS was associated with lower
      Abeta42/Abeta40 (p < 0.001), higher t-tau/Abeta42 (p = 0.012), and higher p
      tau/Abeta42 (p = 0.040). Furthermore, we observed PRS * CRF interactions for
      Abeta42/Abeta40 (p = 0.003), t-tau/Abeta42 (p = 0.003), and p-tau/Abeta42 (p =
      0.001). Specifically, the association between the PRS and these CSF biomarkers
      was diminished in those with higher CRF. CONCLUSIONS: In a late-middle-aged
      cohort, CRF attenuates the adverse influence of genetic vulnerability on CSF
      biomarkers. These findings support the notion that increased cardiorespiratory
      fitness may be beneficial to those at increased genetic risk for AD.

PMID- 28341647
TI  - Estimating Seven Coefficients of Pairwise Relatedness Using Population-Genomic
      Data.
AB  - Population structure can be described by genotypic-correlation coefficients
      between groups of individuals, the most basic of which are the pairwise
      relatedness coefficients between any two individuals. There are nine pairwise
      relatedness coefficients in the most general model, and we show that these can be
      reduced to seven coefficients for biallelic loci. Although all nine coefficients
      can be estimated from pedigrees, six coefficients have been beyond empirical
      reach. We provide a numerical optimization procedure that estimates all seven
      reduced coefficients from population-genomic data. Simulations show that the
      procedure is nearly unbiased, even at 3* coverage, and errors in five of the
      seven coefficients are statistically uncorrelated. The remaining two coefficients
      have a negative correlation of errors, but their sum provides an unbiased
      assessment of the overall correlation of heterozygosity between two individuals.
      Application of these new methods to four populations of the freshwater crustacean
      Daphnia pulex reveal the occurrence of half siblings in our samples, as well as a
      number of identical individuals that are likely obligately asexual clone mates.
      Statistically significant negative estimates of these pairwise relatedness
      coefficients, including inbreeding coefficients that were typically negative,
      underscore the difficulties that arise when interpreting genotypic correlations
      as estimations of the probability that alleles are identical by descent.

PMID- 28341648
TI  - DNA Damage Tolerance Pathway Choice Through Uls1 Modulation of Srs2 SUMOylation
      in Saccharomyces cerevisiae.
AB  - DNA damage tolerance and homologous recombination pathways function to bypass
      replication-blocking lesions and ensure completion of DNA replication. However,
      inappropriate activation of these pathways may lead to increased mutagenesis or
      formation of deleterious recombination intermediates, often leading to cell death
      or cancer formation in higher organisms. Post-translational modifications of PCNA
      regulate the choice of repair pathways at replication forks. Its
      monoubiquitination favors translesion synthesis, while polyubiquitination
      stimulates template switching. Srs2 helicase binds to small ubiquitin-related
      modifier (SUMO)-modified PCNA to suppress a subset of Rad51-dependent homologous
      recombination. Conversely, SUMOylation of Srs2 attenuates its interaction with
      PCNA Sgs1 helicase and Mus81 endonuclease are crucial for disentanglement of
      repair intermediates at the replication fork. Deletion of both genes is lethal
      and can be rescued by inactivation of Rad51-dependent homologous recombination.
      Here we show that Saccharomyces cerevisiae Uls1, a member of the Swi2/Snf2 family
      of ATPases and a SUMO-targeted ubiquitin ligase, physically interacts with both
      PCNA and Srs2, and promotes Srs2 binding to PCNA by downregulating Srs2-SUMO
      levels at replication forks. We also identify deletion of ULS1 as a suppressor of
      mus81Delta sgs1Delta synthetic lethality and hypothesize that uls1Delta mutation
      results in a partial inactivation of the homologous recombination pathway,
      detrimental in cells devoid of both Sgs1 and Mus81 We thus propose that Uls1
      contributes to the pathway where intermediates generated at replication forks are
      dismantled by Srs2 bound to SUMO-PCNA. Upon ULS1 deletion, accumulating Srs2-SUMO
      unable to bind PCNA-takes part in an alternative PCNA-independent recombination
      repair salvage pathway(s).

PMID- 28341649
TI  - F-Box Protein XREP-4 Is a New Regulator of the Oxidative Stress Response in
      Caenorhabditis elegans.
AB  - The transcription factor SKN-1 (Skinhead family member-1) in Caenorhabditis
      elegans is a homolog of the mammalian Nrf-2 protein and functions to promote
      oxidative stress resistance and longevity. SKN-1 mediates protection from
      reactive oxygen species (ROS) via the transcriptional activation of genes
      involved in antioxidant defense and phase II detoxification. Although many core
      regulators of SKN-1 have been identified, much remains unknown about this complex
      signaling pathway. We carried out an ethyl methanesulfonate (EMS) mutagenesis
      screen and isolated six independent mutants with attenuated SKN-1-dependent gene
      activation in response to acrylamide. All six were found to contain mutations in
      F46F11.6/xrep-4 (xenobiotics response pathways-4), which encodes an
      uncharacterized F-box protein. Loss of xrep-4 inhibits the skn-1-dependent
      expression of detoxification genes in response to prooxidants and decreases
      survival of oxidative stress, but does not shorten life span under standard
      culture conditions. XREP-4 interacts with the ubiquitin ligase component SKR-1
      and the SKN-1 principal repressor WDR-23, and knockdown of xrep-4 increases
      nuclear localization of a WDR-23::GFP fusion protein. Furthermore, a missense
      mutation in the conserved XREP-4 F-box domain that reduces interaction with SKR-1
      but not WDR-23 strongly attenuates SKN-1-dependent gene activation. These results
      are consistent with XREP-4 influencing the SKN-1 stress response by functioning
      as a bridge between WDR-23 and the ubiquitin ligase component SKR-1.

PMID- 28341650
TI  - Bivariate Analysis of Age-Related Macular Degeneration Progression Using Genetic
      Risk Scores.
AB  - Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is a leading cause of blindness in the
      developed world. While many AMD susceptibility variants have been identified,
      their influence on AMD progression has not been elucidated. Using data from two
      large clinical trials, Age-Related Eye Disease Study (AREDS) and AREDS2, we
      evaluated the effects of 34 known risk variants on disease progression. In doing
      so, we calculated the eye-level time-to-late AMD and modeled them using a
      bivariate survival analysis approach, appropriately accounting for between-eye
      correlation. We then derived a genetic risk score (GRS) based on these 34 risk
      variants, and analyzed its effect on AMD progression. Finally, we used the AREDS
      data to fit prediction models of progression based on demographic and
      environmental factors, eye-level AMD severity scores and the GRS and tested the
      models using the AREDS2 cohort. We observed that GRS was significantly associated
      with AMD progression in both cohorts, with a stronger effect in AREDS than in
      AREDS2 (AREDS: hazard ratio (HR) = 1.34, P = 1.6 * 10-22; AREDS2: HR = 1.11, P =
      2.1 * 10-4). For prediction of AMD progression, addition of GRS to the
      demographic/environmental risk factors considerably improved the prediction
      performance. However, when the baseline eye-level severity scores were included
      as the predictors, any other risk factors including the GRS only provided small
      additional predictive power. Our model for predicting the disease progression
      risk demonstrated satisfactory performance in both cohorts, and we recommend its
      use with baseline AMD severity scores plus baseline age, education level, and
      smoking status, either with or without GRS.

PMID- 28341651
TI  - A Cre Transcription Fidelity Reporter Identifies GreA as a Major RNA Proofreading
      Factor in Escherichia coli.
AB  - We made a coupled genetic reporter that detects rare transcription
      misincorporation errors to measure RNA polymerase transcription fidelity in
      Escherichia coli Using this reporter, we demonstrated in vivo that the transcript
      cleavage factor GreA, but not GreB, is essential for proofreading of a
      transcription error where a riboA has been misincorporated instead of a riboG. A
      greA mutant strain had more than a 100-fold increase in transcription errors
      relative to wild-type or a greB mutant. However, overexpression of GreB in
      DeltagreA cells reduced the misincorporation errors to wild-type levels,
      demonstrating that GreB at high concentration could substitute for GreA in RNA
      proofreading activity in vivo.

PMID- 28341652
TI  - Exploring Evolutionary Relationships Across the Genome Using Topology Weighting.
AB  - We introduce the concept of topology weighting, a method for quantifying
      relationships between taxa that are not necessarily monophyletic, and visualizing
      how these relationships change across the genome. A given set of taxa can be
      related in a limited number of ways, but if each taxon is represented by multiple
      sequences, the number of possible topologies becomes very large. Topology
      weighting reduces this complexity by quantifying the contribution of each taxon
      topology to the full tree. We describe our method for topology weighting by
      iterative sampling of subtrees (Twisst), and test it on both simulated and real
      genomic data. Overall, we show that this is an informative and versatile
      approach, suitable for exploring relationships in almost any genomic dataset.
      Scripts to implement the method described are available at
      http://github.com/simonhmartin/twisst.

PMID- 28341654
TI  - Rapid Adaptation of a Polygenic Trait After a Sudden Environmental Shift.
AB  - Although a number of studies have shown that natural and laboratory populations
      initially well adapted to their environment can evolve rapidly when conditions
      suddenly change, the dynamics of rapid adaptation are not well understood. Here a
      population genetic model of polygenic selection is analyzed to describe the short
      term response of a quantitative trait after a sudden shift of the phenotypic
      optimum. We provide explicit analytical expressions for the timescales over which
      the trait mean approaches the new optimum. We find that when the effect sizes are
      small relative to a scaled mutation rate, small to moderate allele frequency
      changes occur in the short-term phase in a synergistic fashion. In contrast,
      selective sweeps, i.e., dramatic changes in the allele frequency, may occur
      provided the size of the effect is sufficiently large. Applications of our
      theoretical results to the relationship between QTL and selective sweep mapping
      and to tests of fast polygenic adaptation are discussed.

PMID- 28341653
TI  - Locomotion Behavior Is Affected by the GalphaS Pathway and the Two-Pore-Domain K+
      Channel TWK-7 Interacting in GABAergic Motor Neurons in Caenorhabditis elegans.
AB  - Adjusting the efficiency of movement in response to environmental cues is an
      essential integrative characteristic of adaptive locomotion behavior across
      species. However, the modulatory molecules and the pathways involved are largely
      unknown. Recently, we demonstrated that in Caenorhabditis elegans, a loss-of
      function of the two-pore-domain potassium (K2P) channel TWK-7 causes a fast,
      coordinated, and persistent forward crawling behavior in which five central
      aspects of stimulated locomotion-velocity, direction, wave parameters, duration,
      and straightness-are affected. Here, we isolated the reduction-of-function allele
      cau1 of the C. elegans gene kin-2 in a forward genetic screen and showed that it
      phenocopies the locomotor activity and locomotion behavior of twk-7(null)
      animals. Kin-2 encodes the negative regulatory subunit of protein kinase A (KIN
      1/PKA). Consistently, we found that other gain-of-function mutants of the GalphaS
      KIN-1/PKA pathway resemble kin-2(cau1) and twk-7(null) in locomotion phenotype.
      Using the powerful genetics of the C. elegans system in combination with cell
      type-specific approaches and detailed locomotion analyses, we identified TWK-7 as
      a putative downstream target of the GalphaS-KIN-1/PKA pathway at the level of the
      gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA)ergic D-type motor neurons. Due to this epistatic
      interaction, we suggest that KIN-1/PKA and TWK-7 may share a common pathway that
      is probably involved in the modulation of both locomotor activity and locomotion
      behavior during forward crawling.

PMID- 28341656
TI  - Why can't hospital trusts recruit home grown talent?

PMID- 28341655
TI  - Accuracy of Demographic Inferences from the Site Frequency Spectrum: The Case of
      the Yoruba Population.
AB  - Some methods for demographic inference based on the observed genetic diversity of
      current populations rely on the use of summary statistics such as the Site
      Frequency Spectrum (SFS). Demographic models can be either model-constrained with
      numerous parameters, such as growth rates, timing of demographic events, and
      migration rates, or model-flexible, with an unbounded collection of piecewise
      constant sizes. It is still debated whether demographic histories can be
      accurately inferred based on the SFS. Here, we illustrate this theoretical issue
      on an example of demographic inference for an African population. The SFS of the
      Yoruba population (data from the 1000 Genomes Project) is fit to a simple model
      of population growth described with a single parameter (e.g., founding time). We
      infer a time to the most recent common ancestor of 1.7 million years (MY) for
      this population. However, we show that the Yoruba SFS is not informative enough
      to discriminate between several different models of growth. We also show that for
      such simple demographies, the fit of one-parameter models outperforms the
      stairway plot, a recently developed model-flexible method. The use of this method
      on simulated data suggests that it is biased by the noise intrinsically present
      in the data.

PMID- 28341658
TI  - Authors' reply to Farrar.

PMID- 28341657
TI  - Effect of fixation time on breast biomarker expression: a controlled study using
      cell line-derived xenografted (CDX) tumours.
AB  - AIMS: Altering the length of time specimens are placed in fixative without
      compromising analytical testing accuracy is a continuous challenge in the
      anatomical pathology lab. The aim of this study was to determine under controlled
      conditions the effects of variable fixation time on breast biomarker expression
      in human breast cancer cell line-derived xenografted (CDX) tumours. METHODS: CDX
      tumours using strong oestrogen receptor (ER)-positive, Her2-negative (MCF7) and
      weak ER-positive, Her2 equivocal (T47D) breast cancer cell lines were fixed for
      various times ranging from 1 to 336 hours in 10% neutral buffered formalin. CDX
      tumours were processed according to routine biomarker testing protocols and
      stained for ER and Her2 immunohistochemistry (IHC) and processed for HER2
      fluorescence in situ hybridisation (FISH). The tumours were evaluated using
      Allred scoring for ER and current ASCO/CAP guidelines for Her2, and by objective
      cell counting methodology. RESULTS: No differences were found in expression of ER
      in either MCF7 or T47D CDX tumours under variable fixation. T47D tumours
      displayed equivocal Her2 staining when fixed for 24 hours, but fixation for <=8
      hours resulted in consistently negative staining while tumours fixed for >72
      hours demonstrated consistent equivocal staining (p<0.01). Cell counting assays
      revealed only a significant increase in sensitivity in tumours fixed for >72
      hours (p<0.01). As expected, FISH results were unaffected by variable fixation.
      CONCLUSIONS: Neither shortened nor prolonged fixation affects ER expression,
      consistent with previous findings. In equivocal Her2-expressing tumours, however,
      increasing fixation increased the sensitivity of Her2 IHC reporting while not
      affecting FISH.

PMID- 28341659
TI  - Chronic microaspiration of bile acids induces lung fibrosis through multiple
      mechanisms in rats.
AB  - Gastroesophageal reflux (GER) and microaspiration of duodenogastric refluxate
      have been recognized as a risk factor for pulmonary fibrosis. Recent evidence
      suggests that bile acid microaspiration may contribute to the development of lung
      fibrosis. However, the molecular evidence is scarce and the underlying mechanisms
      remain to be elucidated. We have recently demonstrated that bile acids induce
      activation of alveolar epithelial cells (AECs) and lung fibroblasts in vitro In
      the present study, a rat model of bile acid microaspiration was established by
      weekly intratracheal instillation of three major bile acids including
      chenodeoxycholic acid (CDCA), deoxycholic acid (DCA), and lithocholic acid (LCA).
      Repeated microaspiration of CDCA, DCA, and LCA caused fibrotic changes, including
      alveolar wall thickening and extensive collagen deposition, in rat lungs. Bile
      acid microaspiration also induced alveolar epithelial-mesenchymal transition
      (EMT), as indicated by up-regulation of mesenchymal markers alpha-smooth muscle
      actin (alpha-SMA) and vimentin, as well as down-regulaton of epithelial markers E
      cadherin and cytokeratin in alveolar epithelium of rat lungs. The expression of
      fibrogenic mediators, including transforming growth factor-beta1 (TGF-beta1),
      connective tissue growth factor (CTGF), basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF),
      vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), and periostin, was significantly
      elevated in rat lungs exposed to microaspiration of bile acids. Furthermore,
      microaspiration of bile acids also induced p-Smad3 and farnesoid X receptor (FXR)
      expression in rat lungs. Our findings suggest that microaspiration of bile acids
      could promote the development of pulmonary fibrosis in vivo, possibly via
      stimulating fibrogenic mediator expression and activating TGF-beta1/Smad3
      signaling and FXR.

PMID- 28341660
TI  - The noncoding RNA linc-ADAMTS5 cooperates with RREB1 to protect from
      intervertebral disc degeneration through inhibiting ADAMTS5 expression.
AB  - Previous studies have indicated the important roles of ADAMTS5 in intervertebral
      disc degeneration (IDD). However, the mechanisms that regulate ADAMTS5 expression
      in nuclear pulposus (NP) cells remain largely unknown. Evidence suggests that
      intergenic transcription may be associated with genes that encode transcriptional
      regulators. Here, we identified a long intergenic noncoding RNA, linc-ADAMTS5,
      which was transcribed in the opposite direction to ADAMTS5. In the present study,
      through mining computational algorithm programs, and publicly available data
      sets, we identified Ras-responsive element-binding protein 1 (RREB1) as a crucial
      transcription factor regulating the expression of ADAMTS5 in NP cells. RNA pull
      down, RNA immunoprecipitation (RIP), in vitro binding assays, and gain- and loss
      of-function studies indicated that a physical interaction between linc-ADAMTS5
      and splicing factor proline/glutamine-rich (SFPQ) facilitated the recruitment of
      RREB1 to binding sites within the ADAMTS5 promoter to induce chromatin
      remodeling. This resulted in subdued ADAMTS5 levels in cultured NP cells
      involving histone deacetylases (HDACs). In clinical NP tissues, linc-ADAMTS5 and
      RREB1 were correlated negatively with ADAMTS5 expression. Taken together, these
      results demonstrate that RREB1 cooperates with noncoding RNA linc-ADAMTS5 to
      inhibit ADAMTS5 expression, thereby affecting degeneration of the extracellular
      matrix (ECM) of the intervertebral disc (IVD).

PMID- 28341662
TI  - Extreme polarisation sensitivity in the retina of the corn borer moth Ostrinia.
AB  - The visual system of the European corn borer (Ostrinia nubilalis) was analysed
      with microscopy and electrophysiological methods (electroretinograms and single
      cell recordings). Ostrinia nubilalis has a pair of mainly ultraviolet-sensitive
      ocelli and a pair of compound eyes, maximally sensitive to green light. The
      ommatidia contain a tiered, fused rhabdom, consisting of the rhabdomeres of 9-12
      photoreceptor cells with sensitivity peak wavelengths at 356, 413, 480 and 530
      nm. The photoreceptors in a large dorsal rim area have straight rhabdomeres and
      high polarisation sensitivity (PS1,2=3.4, 14). Elsewhere, in the main retina, the
      majority of photoreceptors have non-aligned microvilli and negligible PS, but
      each ommatidium contains one or two blue-sensitive distal photoreceptors with
      straight microvilli parallel to the dorsoventral axis, yielding extremely high PS
      (PS1,2,3=56, 63, 316). Rhabdoms containing distal cells with potentially high PS
      have evolved at least twice: in moths (Crambidae, Noctuidae, Saturniidae), as
      well as in dung beetles (Scarabaeidae). The distal photoreceptors with high PS,
      sensitive to vertically polarised light, represent a monopolatic system, which is
      unsuitable for the proper analysis of electric field vector (e-vector)
      orientation. However, the distal photoreceptors might be used in conjunction with
      polarisation-insensitive photoreceptors to detect objects that reflect polarised
      light with stereotyped orientation.

PMID- 28341663
TI  - Muscle-tendon mechanics explain unexpected effects of exoskeleton assistance on
      metabolic rate during walking.
AB  - The goal of this study was to gain insight into how ankle exoskeletons affect the
      behavior of the plantarflexor muscles during walking. Using data from previous
      experiments, we performed electromyography-driven simulations of musculoskeletal
      dynamics to explore how changes in exoskeleton assistance affected plantarflexor
      muscle-tendon mechanics, particularly for the soleus. We used a model of muscle
      energy consumption to estimate individual muscle metabolic rate. As average
      exoskeleton torque was increased, while no net exoskeleton work was provided, a
      reduction in tendon recoil led to an increase in positive mechanical work
      performed by the soleus muscle fibers. As net exoskeleton work was increased,
      both soleus muscle fiber force and positive mechanical work decreased. Trends in
      the sum of the metabolic rates of the simulated muscles correlated well with
      trends in experimentally observed whole-body metabolic rate (R2=0.9), providing
      confidence in our model estimates. Our simulation results suggest that different
      exoskeleton behaviors can alter the functioning of the muscles and tendons acting
      at the assisted joint. Furthermore, our results support the idea that the series
      tendon helps reduce positive work done by the muscle fibers by storing and
      returning energy elastically. We expect the results from this study to promote
      the use of electromyography-driven simulations to gain insight into the operation
      of muscle-tendon units and to guide the design and control of assistive devices.

PMID- 28341664
TI  - Monitoring Resistance, Recurrence in NSCLC.
AB  - Two studies indicate the importance of serial biopsies in monitoring patients
      with non-small cell lung cancer. In one, heterogeneous resistance mechanisms to
      EGFR-targeted therapy were observed, often varying between biopsies for
      individual patients. In another, circulating tumor cells detected recurrence 6
      months earlier, on average, than conventional imaging.

PMID- 28341661
TI  - Vascular endothelial growth factor-A165b ameliorates outer-retinal barrier and
      vascular dysfunction in the diabetic retina.
AB  - Diabetic retinopathy (DR) is one of the leading causes of blindness in the
      developed world. Characteristic features of DR are retinal neurodegeneration,
      pathological angiogenesis and breakdown of both the inner and outer retinal
      barriers of the retinal vasculature and retinal pigmented epithelial (RPE)
      choroid respectively. Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF-A), a key
      regulator of angiogenesis and permeability, is the target of most pharmacological
      interventions of DR. VEGF-A can be alternatively spliced at exon 8 to form two
      families of isoforms, pro- and anti-angiogenic. VEGF-A165a is the most abundant
      pro-angiogenic isoform, is pro-inflammatory and a potent inducer of permeability.
      VEGF-A165b is anti-angiogenic, anti-inflammatory, cytoprotective and
      neuroprotective. In the diabetic eye, pro-angiogenic VEGF-A isoforms are up
      regulated such that they overpower VEGF-A165b. We hypothesized that this
      imbalance may contribute to increased breakdown of the retinal barriers and by
      redressing this imbalance, the pathological angiogenesis, fluid extravasation and
      retinal neurodegeneration could be ameliorated. VEGF-A165b prevented VEGF-A165a
      and hyperglycaemia-induced tight junction (TJ) breakdown and subsequent increase
      in solute flux in RPE cells. In streptozotocin (STZ)-induced diabetes, there was
      an increase in Evans Blue extravasation after both 1 and 8 weeks of diabetes,
      which was reduced upon intravitreal and systemic delivery of recombinant human
      (rh)VEGF-A165b. Eight-week diabetic rats also showed an increase in retinal
      vessel density, which was prevented by VEGF-A165b. These results show rhVEGF
      A165b reduces DR-associated blood-retina barrier (BRB) dysfunction, angiogenesis
      and neurodegeneration and may be a suitable therapeutic in treating DR.

PMID- 28341670
TI  - Prime-Boost Immunization Eliminates Metastatic Colorectal Cancer by Producing
      High-Avidity Effector CD8+ T Cells.
AB  - Heterologous prime-boost immunization with plasmid DNA and viral vector vaccines
      is an emerging approach to elicit CD8+ T cell-mediated immunity targeting
      pathogens and tumor Ags that is superior to either monotherapy. Yet, the
      mechanisms underlying the synergy of prime-boost strategies remain incompletely
      defined. In this study, we examine a DNA and adenovirus (Ad5) combination regimen
      targeting guanylyl cyclase C (GUCY2C), a receptor expressed by intestinal mucosa
      and universally expressed by metastatic colorectal cancer. DNA immunization
      efficacy was optimized by i.m. delivery via electroporation, yet it remained
      modest compared with Ad5. Sequential immunization with DNA and Ad5 produced
      superior antitumor efficacy associated with increased TCR avidity, whereas
      targeted disruption of TCR avidity enhancement eliminated GUCY2C-specific
      antitumor efficacy, without affecting responding T cell number or cytokine
      profile. Indeed, functional TCR avidity of responding GUCY2C-specific CD8+ T
      cells induced by various prime or prime-boost regimens correlated with antitumor
      efficacy, whereas T cell number and cytokine profile were not. Importantly,
      although sequential immunization with DNA and Ad5 maximized antitumor efficacy
      through TCR avidity enhancement, it produced no autoimmunity, reflecting
      sequestration of GUCY2C to intestinal apical membranes and segregation of mucosal
      and systemic immunity. Together, TCR avidity enhancement may be leveraged by
      prime-boost immunization to improve GUCY2C-targeted colorectal cancer
      immunotherapeutic efficacy and patient outcomes without concomitant autoimmune
      toxicity.

PMID- 28341671
TI  - Lipopolysaccharide-Elicited TSLPR Expression Enriches a Functionally Discrete
      Subset of Human CD14+ CD1c+ Monocytes.
AB  - Thymic stromal lymphopoietin (TSLP) is a cytokine produced mainly by epithelial
      cells in response to inflammatory or microbial stimuli and binds to the TSLP
      receptor (TSLPR) complex, a heterodimer composed of TSLPR and IL-7 receptor alpha
      (CD127). TSLP activates multiple immune cell subsets expressing the TSLPR complex
      and plays a role in several models of disease. Although human monocytes express
      TSLPR and CD127 mRNAs in response to the TLR4 agonist LPS, their responsiveness
      to TSLP is poorly defined. We demonstrate that TSLP enhances human CD14+ monocyte
      CCL17 production in response to LPS and IL-4. Surprisingly, only a subset of
      CD14+ CD16- monocytes, TSLPR+ monocytes (TSLPR+ mono), expresses TSLPR complex
      upon LPS stimulation in an NF-kappaB- and p38-dependent manner. Phenotypic,
      functional, and transcriptomic analysis revealed specific features of TSLPR+
      mono, including higher CCL17 and IL-10 production and increased expression of
      genes with important immune functions (i.e., GAS6, ALOX15B, FCGR2B, LAIR1).
      Strikingly, TSLPR+ mono express higher levels of the dendritic cell marker CD1c.
      This evidence led us to identify a subset of peripheral blood CD14+ CD1c+ cells
      that expresses the highest levels of TSLPR upon LPS stimulation. The
      translational relevance of these findings is highlighted by the higher expression
      of TSLPR and CD127 mRNAs in monocytes isolated from patients with Gram-negative
      sepsis compared with healthy control subjects. Our results emphasize a phenotypic
      and functional heterogeneity in an apparently homogeneous population of human
      CD14+ CD16- monocytes and prompt further ontogenetic and functional analysis of
      CD14+ CD1c+ and LPS-activated CD14+ CD1c+ TSLPR+ mono.

PMID- 28341672
TI  - Activation of Myeloid TLR4 Mediates T Lymphocyte Polarization after Traumatic
      Brain Injury.
AB  - Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is a major public health issue, producing
      significant patient mortality and poor long-term outcomes. Increasing evidence
      suggests an important, yet poorly defined, role for the immune system in the
      development of secondary neurologic injury over the days and weeks following a
      TBI. In this study, we tested the hypothesis that peripheral macrophage
      infiltration initiates long-lasting adaptive immune responses after TBI. Using a
      murine controlled cortical impact model, we used adoptive transfer, transgenic,
      and bone marrow chimera approaches to show increased infiltration and
      proinflammatory (classically activated [M1]) polarization of macrophages for up
      to 3 wk post-TBI. Monocytes purified from the injured brain stimulated the
      proliferation of naive T lymphocytes, enhanced the polarization of T effector
      cells (TH1/TH17), and decreased the production of regulatory T cells in an MLR.
      Similarly, elevated T effector cell polarization within blood and brain tissue
      was attenuated by myeloid cell depletion after TBI. Functionally, C3H/HeJ (TLR4
      mutant) mice reversed M1 macrophage and TH1/TH17 polarization after TBI compared
      with C3H/OuJ (wild-type) mice. Moreover, brain monocytes isolated from C3H/HeJ
      mice were less potent stimulators of T lymphocyte proliferation and TH1/TH17
      polarization compared with C3H/OuJ monocytes. Taken together, our data implicate
      TLR4-dependent, M1 macrophage trafficking/polarization into the CNS as a key
      mechanistic link between acute TBI and long-term, adaptive immune responses.

PMID- 28341673
TI  - Differential Impacts of Land-Based Sources of Pollution on the Microbiota of
      Southeast Florida Coral Reefs.
AB  - Coral reefs are dynamic ecosystems known for decades to be endangered due, in
      large part, to anthropogenic impacts from land-based sources of pollution (LBSP).
      In this study, we utilized an Illumina-based next-generation sequencing approach
      to characterize prokaryotic and fungal communities from samples collected off the
      southeast coast of Florida. Water samples from coastal inlet discharges, oceanic
      outfalls of municipal wastewater treatment plants, treated wastewater effluent
      before discharge, open ocean samples, and coral tissue samples (mucus and polyps)
      were characterized to determine the relationships between microbial communities
      in these matrices and those in reef water and coral tissues. Significant
      differences in microbial communities were noted among all sample types but varied
      between sampling areas. Contamination from outfalls was found to be the greatest
      potential source of LBSP influencing native microbial community structure among
      all reef samples, although pollution from inlets was also noted. Notably, reef
      water and coral tissue communities were found to be more greatly impacted by LBSP
      at southern reefs, which also experienced the most degradation during the course
      of the study. The results of this study provide new insights into how microbial
      communities from LBSP can impact coral reefs in southeast Florida and suggest
      that wastewater outfalls may have a greater influence on the microbial diversity
      and structure of these reef communities than do contaminants carried in runoff,
      although the influences of runoff and coastal inlet discharge on coral reefs are
      still substantial.IMPORTANCE Coral reefs are known to be endangered due to sewage
      discharge and to runoff of nutrients, pesticides, and other substances associated
      with anthropogenic activity. Here, we used next-generation sequencing to
      characterize the microbial communities of potential contaminant sources in order
      to determine how environmental discharges of microbiota and their genetic
      material may influence the microbiomes of coral reef communities and coastal
      receiving waters. Runoff delivered through inlet discharges impacted coral
      microbial communities, but impacts from oceanic outfalls carrying treated
      wastewater were greater. Geographic differences in the degree of impact suggest
      that coral microbiomes may be influenced by the microbiological quality of
      treated wastewater.

PMID- 28341674
TI  - Interbacterial Adhesion Networks within Early Oral Biofilms of Single Human
      Hosts.
AB  - Specific interbacterial adhesion, termed coaggregation, is well established for
      three early colonizers of the plaque biofilm: streptococci, actinomyces, and
      veillonellae. However, little is known about interactions of other early
      colonizers and about the extent of interactions within the bacterial community
      from a single host. To address these gaps, subject-specific culture collections
      from two individuals were established using an intraoral biofilm retrieval
      device. Molecular taxonomy (Human Oral Microbe Identification Microarray [HOMIM])
      analysis of biofilm samples confirmed the integrity and completeness of the
      collections. HOMIM analysis verified the isolation of Streptococcus gordonii and
      S. anginosus from only one subject, as well as isolation of a previously
      uncultivated streptococcal phylotype from the other subject. Strains
      representative of clonal diversity within each collection were further
      characterized. Greater than 70% of these streptococcal strains from each subject
      coaggregated with at least one other coisolate. One-third of the strains carry a
      known coaggregation mediator: receptor polysaccharide (RPS). Almost all
      nonstreptococcal isolates coaggregated with other coisolates. Importantly,
      certain Rothia strains demonstrated more coaggregations with their coisolated
      bacteria than did any Streptococcus or Actinomyces strain, and certain
      Haemophilus isolates participated in twice as many. Confocal microscopy of
      undisturbed biofilms showed that Rothia and Haemophilus each occur in small
      multispecies microcolonies. However, in confluent high-biomass regions, Rothia
      occurred in islands whereas Haemophilus was distributed throughout. Together, the
      data demonstrate that coaggregation networks within an individual's oral
      microflora are extensive and that Rothia and Haemophilus can be important
      initiators of cell-cell interactions in the early biofilm.IMPORTANCE Extensive
      involvement of specific interbacterial adhesion in dental plaque biofilm
      formation has been postulated based on in vitro coaggregation between oral
      bacteria from culture collections that are not subject specific. In the present
      study, subject-specific culture collections were obtained from early plaque
      biofilm of two volunteers, and coaggregations within each culture collection were
      assayed. Coaggregations, several of which involved a coaggregation-mediating cell
      surface molecule known from well-studied streptococci, were widespread.
      Unexpectedly, the little-studied organisms Haemophilus and Rothia participated in
      the greatest numbers of interactions with community members; these two organisms
      showed different distributions within the undisturbed biofilm. The data show that
      coaggregation networks encompass most organisms within the biofilm community of
      each individual, and they indicate prominent participation of organisms such as
      Haemophilus and Rothia in early plaque biofilm formation.

PMID- 28341675
TI  - Enterobius vermicularis as a Novel Surrogate for the Presence of Helminth Ova in
      Tertiary Wastewater Treatment Plants.
AB  - Significant effort has gone into assessing the fate and removal of viruses,
      bacteria, and protozoan parasites during wastewater treatment to provide data
      addressing potential health risks associated with reuse options. Comparatively
      less is known about the fate of parasitic worm species ova in these complex
      systems. It is largely assumed that these helminths settle, are removed with the
      sludge, and consequently represent a relatively low risk for wastewater reuse
      applications. However, helminths are a highly diverse group of organisms that
      display a wide range of physical properties that complicate the application of a
      single treatment for helminth reduction during wastewater treatment. Moreover,
      their diverse biological and physical properties make some ova highly resistant
      to both disinfection (i.e., with chlorine or UV treatment) and physical removal
      (settling) through the wastewater treatment train, indicating that there may be
      reason to broaden the scope of our investigations into whether parasitic worm
      eggs can be identified in treated wastewater. The ubiquitous human parasitic
      nematode Enterobius vermicularis (pinworm) produces small, buoyant ova. Utilizing
      a novel diagnostic quantitative PCR (qPCR), this study monitored E. vermicularis
      presence at two full-scale wastewater treatment plants over the course of 8
      months and demonstrated incomplete physical removal of E. vermicularis ova
      through tertiary treatment, with removal efficiencies approximating only 0.5 and
      1.6 log10 at the two wastewater treatment plants based on qPCR. These findings
      demonstrate the need for more-diverse surrogates of helminthic ova to fully
      assess treatment performance with respect to reclaimed wastewaters.IMPORTANCE
      Helminths, despite being a diverse and environmentally resistant class of
      pathogens, are often underestimated and ignored when treatment performance at
      modern wastewater treatment plants is considered. A one-size-fits-all surrogate
      for removal of helminth ova may be inappropriate to adequately assess risk and
      ensure public safety when treated and partially treated wastewaters are
      encountered. This study argues for the use of human pinworm as a conservative
      indicator of the presence of helminth ova due to its small size, buoyancy,
      prevalence in humans, and environmental resistance.

PMID- 28341677
TI  - A Newly Determined Member of the meso-Diaminopimelate Dehydrogenase Family with a
      Broad Substrate Spectrum.
AB  - meso-Diaminopimelate dehydrogenase (meso-DAPDH) from Symbiobacterium thermophilum
      (StDAPDH) is the first member of the meso-DAPDH family known to catalyze the
      asymmetric reductive amination of 2-keto acids to produce d-amino acids. It is
      important to understand the catalytic mechanisms of StDAPDH and other enzymes in
      this family. In this study, based on an evolutionary analysis and examination of
      catalytic activity, the meso-DAPDH enzymes can be divided into two types. Type I
      showed highly preferable activity toward meso-diaminopimelate (meso-DAP), and
      type II exhibited obviously reversible amination activity with a broad substrate
      spectrum. StDAPDH belongs to type II. A quaternary structure analysis revealed
      that insertions/deletions (indels) and a loss of quaternary structure resulted in
      divergence among members of the meso-DAPDH family. A structure alignment of
      StDAPDH with a representative of type I, the meso-DAPDH from Corynebacterium
      glutamicum (CgDAPDH), indicated that they had the same folding. Based on sequence
      and conservation analyses, two amino acid residues of StDAPDH, R35 and R71, were
      found to be highly conserved within type II while also distinct from each other
      between the subtypes. Site mutagenesis studies identified R71 as a substrate
      preference-related residue of StDAPDH, which may serve as an indicator of the
      amination preference of type II. These results deepen the present understanding
      of the meso-DAPDH family and provide a solid foundation for the discovery and
      engineering of meso-DAPDH for d-amino acid biosynthesis.IMPORTANCE The l-form of
      amino acids is typically more abundant than the d-form. However, the d-form has
      many important pharmaceutical applications. meso-Diaminopimelate dehydrogenase
      (meso-DAPDH) from Symbiobacterium thermophilum (StDAPDH) was the first member of
      meso-DAPDH known to catalyze the amination of 2-keto acids to produce d-amino
      acids. Accordingly, we analyzed the evolution of meso-DAPDH proteins and found
      that they form two groups, i.e., type I proteins, which show high preference
      toward meso-diaminopimelate (meso-DAP), and type II proteins, which show a broad
      substrate spectrum. We examined the differences in sequence, ternary structure,
      and quaternary structure to determine the mechanisms underlying the functional
      differences between the type I and type II lineages. These results will
      facilitate the identification of additional meso-DAPDHs and may provide guidance
      to protein engineering studies for d-amino acid biosynthesis.

PMID- 28341676
TI  - Anaerobic Methane Oxidation Driven by Microbial Reduction of Natural Organic
      Matter in a Tropical Wetland.
AB  - Wetlands constitute the main natural source of methane on Earth due to their high
      content of natural organic matter (NOM), but key drivers, such as electron
      acceptors, supporting methanotrophic activities in these habitats are poorly
      understood. We performed anoxic incubations using freshly collected sediment,
      along with water samples harvested from a tropical wetland, amended with 13C
      methane (0.67 atm) to test the capacity of its microbial community to perform
      anaerobic oxidation of methane (AOM) linked to the reduction of the humic
      fraction of its NOM. Collected evidence demonstrates that electron-accepting
      functional groups (e.g., quinones) present in NOM fueled AOM by serving as a
      terminal electron acceptor. Indeed, while sulfate reduction was the predominant
      process, accounting for up to 42.5% of the AOM activities, the microbial
      reduction of NOM concomitantly occurred. Furthermore, enrichment of wetland
      sediment with external NOM provided a complementary electron-accepting capacity,
      of which reduction accounted for ~100 nmol 13CH4 oxidized . cm-3 . day-1
      Spectroscopic evidence showed that quinone moieties were heterogeneously
      distributed in the wetland sediment, and their reduction occurred during the
      course of AOM. Moreover, an enrichment derived from wetland sediments performing
      AOM linked to NOM reduction stoichiometrically oxidized methane coupled to the
      reduction of the humic analogue anthraquinone-2,6-disulfonate. Microbial
      populations potentially involved in AOM coupled to microbial reduction of NOM
      were dominated by divergent biota from putative AOM-associated archaea. We
      estimate that this microbial process potentially contributes to the suppression
      of up to 114 teragrams (Tg) of CH4 . year-1 in coastal wetlands and more than
      1,300 Tg . year-1, considering the global wetland area.IMPORTANCE The
      identification of key processes governing methane emissions from natural systems
      is of major importance considering the global warming effects triggered by this
      greenhouse gas. Anaerobic oxidation of methane (AOM) coupled to the microbial
      reduction of distinct electron acceptors plays a pivotal role in mitigating
      methane emissions from ecosystems. Given their high organic content, wetlands
      constitute the largest natural source of atmospheric methane. Nevertheless,
      processes controlling methane emissions in these environments are poorly
      understood. Here, we provide tracer analysis with 13CH4 and spectroscopic
      evidence revealing that AOM linked to the microbial reduction of redox functional
      groups in natural organic matter (NOM) prevails in a tropical wetland. We suggest
      that microbial reduction of NOM may largely contribute to the suppression of
      methane emissions from tropical wetlands. This is a novel avenue within the
      carbon cycle in which slowly decaying NOM (e.g., humic fraction) in organotrophic
      environments fuels AOM by serving as a terminal electron acceptor.

PMID- 28341678
TI  - Defining the Core Citrus Leaf- and Root-Associated Microbiota: Factors Associated
      with Community Structure and Implications for Managing Huanglongbing (Citrus
      Greening) Disease.
AB  - Stable associations between plants and microbes are critical to promoting host
      health and productivity. The objective of this work was to test the hypothesis
      that restructuring of the core microbiota may be associated with the progression
      of huanglongbing (HLB), the devastating citrus disease caused by Liberibacter
      asiaticus, Liberibacter americanus, and Liberibacter africanus The microbial
      communities of leaves (n = 94) and roots (n = 79) from citrus trees that varied
      by HLB symptom severity, cultivar, location, and season/time were characterized
      with Illumina sequencing of 16S rRNA genes. The taxonomically rich communities
      contained abundant core members (i.e., detected in at least 95% of the respective
      leaf or root samples), some overrepresented site-specific members, and a diverse
      community of low-abundance variable taxa. The composition and diversity of the
      leaf and root microbiota were strongly associated with HLB symptom severity and
      location; there was also an association with host cultivar. The relative
      abundance of Liberibacter spp. among leaf microbiota positively correlated with
      HLB symptom severity and negatively correlated with alpha diversity, suggesting
      that community diversity decreases as symptoms progress. Network analysis of the
      microbial community time series identified a mutually exclusive relationship
      between Liberibacter spp. and members of the Burkholderiaceae,
      Micromonosporaceae, and Xanthomonadaceae This work confirmed several previously
      described plant disease-associated bacteria, as well as identified new potential
      implications for biological control. Our findings advance the understanding of
      (i) plant microbiota selection across multiple variables and (ii) changes in
      (core) community structure that may be a precondition to disease establishment
      and/or may be associated with symptom progression.IMPORTANCE This study provides
      a comprehensive overview of the core microbial community within the microbiomes
      of plant hosts that vary in extent of disease symptom progression. With 16S
      Illumina sequencing analyses, we not only confirmed previously described
      bacterial associations with plant health (e.g., potentially beneficial bacteria)
      but also identified new associations and potential interactions between certain
      bacteria and an economically important phytopathogen. The importance of core taxa
      within broader plant-associated microbial communities is discussed.

PMID- 28341679
TI  - Industrial Relevance of Chromosomal Copy Number Variation in Saccharomyces
      Yeasts.
AB  - Chromosomal copy number variation (CCNV) plays a key role in evolution and health
      of eukaryotes. The unicellular yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae is an important
      model for studying the generation, physiological impact, and evolutionary
      significance of CCNV. Fundamental studies of this yeast have contributed to an
      extensive set of methods for analyzing and introducing CCNV. Moreover, these
      studies provided insight into the balance between negative and positive impacts
      of CCNV in evolutionary contexts. A growing body of evidence indicates that CCNV
      not only frequently occurs in industrial strains of Saccharomyces yeasts but also
      is a key contributor to the diversity of industrially relevant traits. This
      notion is further supported by the frequent involvement of CCNV in industrially
      relevant traits acquired during evolutionary engineering. This review describes
      recent developments in genome sequencing and genome editing techniques and
      discusses how these offer opportunities to unravel contributions of CCNV in
      industrial Saccharomyces strains as well as to rationally engineer yeast
      chromosomal copy numbers and karyotypes.

PMID- 28341682
TI  - The Royal College of Emergency Medicine composite pain scale for children: level
      of inter-rater agreement.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: To assess the inter-rater agreement of the Royal College of Emergency
      Medicine (RCEM) Composite Pain Scale. METHODS: A prospective, observational study
      of 117 children who presented to the ED with pain due to a limb injury. Pain
      severity was assessed by the triage nurse, doctor and child (depending on their
      age) using indicators of the RCEM Composite Pain Scale. This pain scale comprises
      a modified Wong-Baker FACES Pain Rating Scale (FACES Scale), a Behaviour scale
      and a numerical rating scale (Ladder). Comparisons were made between scores from
      individual scales and raters. RESULTS: 117 children (26 aged 0-8 years (group 1)
      and 91 aged >8-16 years (group 2)) were enrolled in the study. Pain in group 1
      was assessed by the nurse and doctor using the FACES Scale and the Behaviour
      scale. The FACES Scale demonstrated greater inter-rater agreement than the
      Behaviour scale. Pain in group 2 was assessed by the nurse and doctor using the
      Behaviour scale and by the child using the FACES Scale and Ladder. The Ladder
      demonstrated poor inter-rater agreement in comparison with the Behaviour Score.
      CONCLUSION: The Ladder score could be omitted from this composite tool as it has
      poor inter-rater agreement in comparison with the other indicators.

PMID- 28341680
TI  - PhaR, a Negative Regulator of PhaP, Modulates the Colonization of a Burkholderia
      Gut Symbiont in the Midgut of the Host Insect, Riptortus pedestris.
AB  - Five genes encoding PhaP family proteins and one phaR gene have been identified
      in the genome of Burkholderia symbiont strain RPE75. PhaP proteins function as
      the surface proteins of polyhydroxyalkanoate (PHA) granules, and the PhaR protein
      acts as a negative regulator of PhaP biosynthesis. Recently, we characterized one
      phaP gene to understand the molecular cross talk between Riptortus insects and
      Burkholderia gut symbionts. In this study, we constructed four other phaP gene
      depleted mutants (DeltaphaP1, DeltaphaP2, DeltaphaP3, and DeltaphaP4 mutants),
      one phaR gene-depleted mutant, and a phaR-complemented mutant (DeltaphaR/phaR
      mutant). To address the biological roles of four phaP family genes and the phaR
      gene during insect-gut symbiont interaction, these Burkholderia mutants were fed
      to the second-instar nymphs, and colonization ability and fitness parameters were
      examined. In vitro, the DeltaphaP3 and DeltaphaR mutants cannot make a PHA
      granule normally in a stressful environment. Furthermore, the DeltaphaR mutation
      decreased the colonization ability in the host midgut and negatively affected the
      host insect's fitness compared with wild-type Burkholderia-infected insects.
      However, other phaP family gene-depleted mutants colonized well in the midgut of
      the fifth-instar nymph insects. However, in the case of females, the colonization
      rate of the DeltaphaP3 mutant was decreased and the host's fitness parameters
      were decreased compared with the wild-type-infected host, suggesting that the
      environment of the female midgut may be more hostile than that of the male
      midgut. These results demonstrate that PhaR plays an important role in the
      biosynthesis of PHA granules and that it is significantly related to the
      colonization of the Burkholderia gut symbiont in the host insects'
      midgut.IMPORTANCE Bacterial polyhydroxyalkanoate (PHA) biosynthesis is a complex
      process requiring several enzymes. The biological roles of PHA granule synthesis
      enzymes and the surface proteins of PHA granules during host-gut symbiont
      interactions are not fully understood. Here, we report the effects on
      colonization ability in the host midguts and the fitness of host insects after
      feeding Burkholderia mutant cells (four phaP-depleted mutants and one phaR
      depleted mutant) to the host insects. Analyses of both synthesized PHA granule
      amounts and CFU numbers suggest that the phaR gene is closely related to
      synthesis of the PHA granule and the colonization of the Burkholderia gut
      symbiont in the host insect's midgut. Like our previous report, this study also
      supports the idea that the environment of the host midgut may not be favorable to
      symbiotic Burkholderia cells and that PHA granules may be required to adapt in
      the host midgut.

PMID- 28341681
TI  - Chromosome-Encoded Hemolysin, Phospholipase, and Collagenase in Plasmidless
      Isolates of Photobacterium damselae subsp. damselae Contribute to Virulence for
      Fish.
AB  - Photobacterium damselae subsp. damselae is a pathogen of marine animals,
      including fish of importance in aquaculture. The virulence plasmid pPHDD1,
      characteristic of highly hemolytic isolates, encodes the hemolysins damselysin
      (Dly) and phobalysin (PhlyP). Strains lacking pPHDD1 constitute the vast majority
      of the isolates from fish outbreaks, but genetic studies to identify virulence
      factors in plasmidless strains are scarce. Here, we show that the chromosome I
      encoded hemolysin PhlyC plays roles in virulence and cell toxicity in pPHDD1
      negative isolates of this pathogen. By combining the analyses of whole genomes
      and of gene deletion mutants, we identified two hitherto uncharacterized
      chromosomal loci encoding a phospholipase (PlpV) and a collagenase (ColP). PlpV
      was ubiquitous in the subspecies and exerted hemolytic activity against fish
      erythrocytes, which was enhanced in the presence of lecithin. ColP was restricted
      to a fraction of the isolates and was responsible for the collagen-degrading
      activity in this subspecies. Consistent with the presence of signal peptides in
      PlpV and ColP sequences, mutants for the type II secretion system (T2SS) genes
      epsL and pilD exhibited impairments in phospholipase and collagenase activities.
      Sea bass virulence experiments and cell culture assays demonstrated major
      contributions of PhlyC and PlpV to virulence and toxicity.IMPORTANCE This study
      constitutes genetic and genomic analyses of plasmidless strains of an emerging
      pathogen in marine aquaculture, Photobacterium damselae subsp. damselae To date,
      studies on the genetic basis of virulence were restricted to the pPHDD1 plasmid
      encoded toxins Dly and PhlyP. However, the vast majority of the recent isolates
      of this pathogen from fish farm outbreaks lack this plasmid. Here we demonstrate
      that the plasmidless strains produce two hitherto uncharacterized ubiquitous
      toxins encoded in chromosome I, namely, the hemolysin PhlyC and the phospholipase
      PlpV. We report the main roles of these two toxins in fish virulence and in cell
      toxicity. Our results constitute the basis for a better understanding of the
      virulence of a widespread marine pathogen.

PMID- 28341683
TI  - Total volume and composition of fluid intake and mortality in older women: a
      cohort study.
AB  - OBJECTIVES: The health benefits of 'drinking at least 8 glasses of water a day"
      in healthy individuals are largely unproven. We aimed to examine the relationship
      between total fluid and the sources of fluid consumption, risk of rapid renal
      decline, cardiovascular disease (CVD) mortality and all-cause mortality in
      elderly women. DESIGN, SETTING AND PARTICIPANTS: We conducted a longitudinal
      analysis of a population-based cohort study of 1055 women aged >=70 years
      residing in Australia. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: The associations between total
      daily fluid intake (defined as total volume of beverage excluding alcohol and
      milk) and the types of fluid (water, black tea, coffee, milk and other fluids)
      measured as cups per day and rapid renal decline, CVD and all-cause mortality
      were assessed using adjusted logistic and Cox regression analyses. RESULTS: Over
      a follow-up period of 10 years, 70 (6.6%) experienced rapid renal decline and 362
      (34.4%) died, of which 142 (13.5%) deaths were attributed to CVD. The median
      (IQR) intake of total fluid was 10.4 (8.5-12.5) cups per day, with water (median
      (IQR) 4 (2-6) cups per day) and black tea (median (IQR) 3 (1-4) cups per day)
      being the most frequent type of fluid consumed. Every cup per day higher intake
      of black tea was associated with adjusted HRs of 0.90 (95% CI 0.81 to 0.99) and
      0.92 (95% CI 0.86 to 0.98) for CVD mortality and all-cause mortality,
      respectively. There were no associations between black tea intake and rapid renal
      decline, or between the quantity or type of other fluids, including water intake,
      and any clinical outcomes. CONCLUSIONS: Habitual higher intake of black tea may
      potentially improve long-term health outcomes, independent of treating
      traditional CVD risk factors, but validation of our study findings is essential.

PMID- 28341684
TI  - Association between physical activity and body fat percentage, with adjustment
      for BMI: a large cross-sectional analysis of UK Biobank.
AB  - OBJECTIVES: The objective of this study was to examine if, in the general
      population, physically active adults have less body fat after taking body mass
      index (BMI) into account. DESIGN: A cross-sectional analysis of participants
      recruited into UK Biobank in 2006-2010. SETTING: UK Biobank assessment centres
      throughout the UK. PARTICIPANTS: 119 230 men and 140 578 women aged 40-69 years,
      with complete physical activity information, and without a self-reported long
      term illness, disability or infirmity. EXPOSURES: Physical activity measured as
      excess metabolic equivalent (MET)-hours per week, estimated from a combination of
      walking, and moderate and vigorous physical activity. BMI from measured height
      and weight. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE: Body fat percentage estimated from
      bioimpedance. RESULTS: BMI and body fat percentage were highly correlated (r=0.85
      in women; r=0.79 in men), and both were inversely associated with physical
      activity. Compared with <5 excess MET-hours/week at baseline, >=100 excess MET
      hours/week were associated with a 1.1 kg/m2 lower BMI (27.1 vs 28.2 kg/m2) and
      2.8 percentage points lower body fat (23.4% vs 26.3%) in men, and 2.2 kg/m2 lower
      BMI (25.6 vs 27.7 kg/m2) and 4.0 percentage points lower body fat (33.9% vs
      37.9%) in women. For a given BMI, greater physical activity was associated with
      lower average body fat percentage (for a BMI of 22.5-24.99 kg/m2: 2.0 (95% CI 1.8
      to 2.2), percentage points lower body fat in men and 1.8 (95% CI 1.6 to 2.0)
      percentage points lower body fat in women, comparing >=100 excess MET-hours per
      week with <5 excess MET-hours/week). CONCLUSIONS: In this sample of middle-aged
      adults, drawn from the general population, physical activity was inversely
      associated with BMI and body fat percentage. For people with the same BMI, those
      who were more active had a lower body fat percentage.

PMID- 28341685
TI  - Use of a computerised decision aid (DA) to inform the decision process on
      adjuvant chemotherapy in patients with stage II colorectal cancer: development
      and preliminary evaluation.
AB  - OBJECTIVES: To develop a computerised decision aid (DA) to inform the decision
      process on adjuvant chemotherapy in patients with stage II colorectal cancer, and
      examine perceived usefulness, acceptability and areas for improvement of the DA.
      DESIGN: Mixed methods. SETTING: Single outpatient oncology department in central
      London. PARTICIPANTS: Consecutive recruitment of 13 patients with stage II
      colorectal cancer, 12 of whom completed the study. Inclusion criteria were: age
      >18 years; complete resection for stage II adenocarcinoma of the colon or rectum;
      patients within 14-56 days after surgery; no contraindication to adjuvant
      chemotherapy; able to give written informed consent. Exclusion criterion:
      previous chemotherapy. PRIMARY OUTCOMES: Patient perceived usefulness (assessed
      by the PrepDM questionnaire) and acceptability of the DA. RESULTS: PrepDM scores,
      measuring the perceived usefulness of the DA in preparing the patient to
      communicate with their doctor and make a health decision, were above those
      reported in other patient groups. Patient acceptability scores were also high;
      however, interviews showed that there was evidence of a lack of understanding of
      key information among some patients, in particular their baseline risk of
      recurrence, the net benefit of combination chemotherapy and the rationale for
      having chemotherapy when cancer had apparently gone. CONCLUSIONS: Patients found
      the DA acceptable and useful in supporting their decision about whether or not to
      have adjuvant chemotherapy. Suggested improvements for the DA include: sequential
      presentation of treatment options (eg, no treatment vs 1 drug, 1 drug vs 2 drugs)
      to enhance patient understanding of the difference between combination and single
      therapy, diagrams to help patients understand the rationale for chemotherapy to
      prevent a recurrence and inbuilt checks on patient understanding of baseline risk
      of recurrence and net benefit of chemotherapy.

PMID- 28341687
TI  - Perspectives on procedure-based assessments: a thematic analysis of
      semistructured interviews with 10 UK surgical trainees.
AB  - OBJECTIVES: The introduction of competency-based training has necessitated
      development and implementation of accompanying mechanisms for assessment.
      Procedure-based assessments (PBAs) are an example of workplace-based assessments
      that are used to examine focal competencies in the workplace. The primary
      objective was to understand surgical trainees' perspective on the value of PBA.
      DESIGN: Semistructured interviews with 10 surgical trainees individually
      interviewed to explore their views. Interviews were audio-recorded and
      transcribed; following this, they were open and axial coded. Thematic analysis
      was then performed. RESULTS: Semistructured interviews yielded several topical
      and recurring themes. In trainees' experience, the use of PBAs as a summative
      tool limits their educational value. Trainees reported a lack of support from
      seniors and variation in the usefulness of the tool based on stage of training.
      Concerns related to the validity of PBAs for evaluating trainees' performance
      with reports of 'gaming' the system and trainees completing their own
      assessments. Trainees did identify the significant value of PBAs when used
      correctly. Benefits included the identification of additional learning
      opportunities, standardisation of assessment and their role in providing a
      measure of progress. CONCLUSIONS: The UK surgical trainees interviewed identified
      both limitations and benefits to PBAs; however, we would argue based on their
      responses and our experience that their use as a summative tool limits their
      formative use as an educational opportunity. PBAs should either be used
      exclusively to support learning or solely as a summative tool; if so, further
      work is needed to audit, validate and standardise them for this purpose.

PMID- 28341686
TI  - Incidental findings on brain MRI of cognitively normal first-degree descendants
      of patients with Alzheimer's disease: a cross-sectional analysis from the ALFA
      (Alzheimer and Families) project.
AB  - OBJECTIVES: To describe the prevalence of brain MRI incidental findings (IF) in a
      cohort of cognitively normal first-degree descendants of patients with
      Alzheimer's disease (AD). DESIGN: Cross-sectional observational study. SETTING:
      All scans were obtained with a 3.0 T scanner. Scans were evaluated by a single
      neuroradiologist and IF recorded and categorised. The presence of white matter
      hyperintensities (WMH) was determined with the Fazekas scale and reported as
      relevant if >=2. PARTICIPANTS: 575 participants (45-75 years) underwent high
      resolution structural brain MRI. Participants were cognitively normal and scored
      over the respective cut-off values in all the following neuropsychological tests:
      Mini-Mental State Examination (>=26), Memory Impairment Screen (>=6), Time
      Orientation Subtest of the Barcelona Test II (>=68), verbal semantic fluency
      (naming animals >=12). Clinical Dementia Rating (CDR) had to be 0. RESULTS: 155
      participants (27.0%) presented with at least one IF. Relevant WMH were present in
      7.8% of the participants, and vascular abnormalities, cyst and brain volume loss
      in 10.7%, 3.1% and 6.9% of the study volunteers, respectively. Neoplastic brain
      findings were found in 2.4% of participants and within these, meningiomas were
      the most common (1.7%) and more frequently found in women. A positive correlation
      between increasing age and the presence of IF was found. Additionally, brain
      atrophy greater than that expected by age was significantly more prevalent in
      participants without a parental history of AD. CONCLUSIONS: Brain MRIs of healthy
      middle-aged participants show a relatively high prevalence of IF even when study
      participants have been screened for subtle cognitive alterations. Most of our
      participants are first-degree descendants of patients with AD, and therefore
      these results are of special relevance for novel imaging studies in the context
      of AD prevention in cognitively healthy middle-aged participants. TRIAL
      REGISTRATION NUMBER: NCT02198586.

PMID- 28341688
TI  - Global cardiovascular risk assessment in the primary prevention of cardiovascular
      disease in adults: systematic review of systematic reviews.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: To identify, critically appraise and summarise existing systematic
      reviews on the impact of global cardiovascular risk assessment in the primary
      prevention of cardiovascular disease (CVD) in adults. DESIGN: Systematic review
      of systematic reviews published between January 2005 and October 2016 in The
      Cochrane Library, EMBASE, MEDLINE or CINAHL databases, and post hoc analysis of
      primary trials. PARTICIPANTS, INTERVENTIONS, OUTCOMES: Systematic reviews of
      interventions involving global cardiovascular risk assessment relative to no
      formal risk assessment in adults with no history of CVD. The primary outcomes of
      interest were CVD-related morbidity and mortality and all-cause mortality;
      secondary outcomes were systolic blood pressure (SBP), cholesterol and smoking.
      RESULTS: We identified six systematic reviews of variable but generally of low
      quality (mean Assessing the Methodological Quality of Systematic Reviews 4.2/11,
      range 0/11 to 7/11). No studies identified by the systematic reviews reported CVD
      related morbidity or mortality or all-cause mortality. Meta-analysis of reported
      randomised controlled trials (RCTs) showed small reductions in SBP (mean
      difference (MD) -2.22 mm Hg (95% CI -3.49 to -0.95); I2=66%; n=9; GRADE: very
      low), total cholesterol (MD -0.11 mmol/L (95% CI -0.20 to -0.02); I2=72%; n=5;
      GRADE: very low), low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (MD -0.15 mmol/L (95% CI 
      0.26 to -0.05), I2=47%; n=4; GRADE: very low) and smoking cessation (RR 1.62 (95%
      CI 1.08 to 2.43); I2=17%; n=7; GRADE: low). The median follow-up time of reported
      RCTs was 12 months (range 2-36 months). CONCLUSIONS: The quality of existing
      systematic reviews was generally poor and there is currently no evidence reported
      in these reviews that the prospective use of global cardiovascular risk
      assessment translates to reductions in CVD morbidity or mortality. There are
      reductions in SBP, cholesterol and smoking but they may not be clinically
      significant given their small effect size and short duration. Resources need to
      be directed to conduct high-quality systematic reviews focusing on hard patient
      outcomes, and likely further primary RCTs. TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER:
      CRD42015019821.

PMID- 28341689
TI  - Designing a physical activity intervention for children with asthma: a
      qualitative study of the views of healthcare professionals, parents and children
      with asthma.
AB  - OBJECTIVES: Qualitative methods were used to examine: (1) the attitudes of health
      professionals to promoting physical activity for children with asthma; (2)
      reasons why children with asthma are less active and (3) how a physical activity
      programme for children with asthma could be designed. DESIGN: Semistructured
      interviews were conducted with health professionals, children with asthma and
      their parents between October 2015 and March 2016. Interviews were transcribed
      verbatim and thematically analysed. SETTING: Primary and secondary care in
      Bristol (UK). PARTICIPANTS: Interviews were held with 8 primary care
      practitioners (5 general practitioners, 2 nurse practitioners and 1 practice
      nurse), 9 parent-child dyads (2 fathers, 7 mothers, 6 sons, 3 daughters) of
      children aged 6-7 who had asthma and 4 secondary care professionals (2
      respiratory consultants, 2 specialist nurses). RESULTS: Health professionals
      reported that physical activity was beneficial for children with asthma and if
      managed appropriately, children with asthma could be as active as children
      without asthma. Current promotion of physical activity for children with asthma
      was limited and restricted by NHS staff time, access to inhalers at school and a
      lack of parental knowledge. Potentially important components of a new programme
      include parental education on the possibilities of activity for children with
      asthma and the difference between exercise-induced breathlessness and asthma
      symptoms. Other important elements include how to use inhalers as a preventive
      measure, coping with exacerbations and practical solutions (such as clearing
      sputum), managing transitions from warm to cold climates and general symptom
      control. CONCLUSIONS: There is a need to build on current asthma programmes to
      increase the support for children with asthma to be physically active. Future
      programmes could consider working more closely with schools, increasing parental
      knowledge and providing children with practical support to help be physically
      active.

PMID- 28341690
TI  - Qualitative study to explore the health and well-being impacts on adults
      providing informal support to female domestic violence survivors.
AB  - OBJECTIVES: Domestic violence (DV) is hazardous to survivors' health, from
      injuries sustained and from resultant chronic physical and mental health
      problems. Support from friends and relatives is significant in the lives of DV
      survivors; research shows associations between positive support and the health,
      well-being and safety of survivors. Little is known about how people close to
      survivors are impacted. The aim of this study was exploratory, with the following
      research question: what are the health and well-being impacts on adults who
      provide informal support to female DV survivors? DESIGN: A qualitative study
      using semistructured interviews conducted face to face, by telephone or using
      Skype. A thematic analysis of the narratives was carried out. SETTING: Community
      based, across the UK. PARTICIPANTS: People were eligible to take part if they had
      had a close relationship (either as friend, colleague or family member) with a
      woman who had experienced DV, and were aged 16 or over during the time they knew
      the survivor. Participants were recruited via posters in community venues, social
      media and radio advertisement. 23 participants were recruited and interviewed;
      the majority were women, most were white and ages ranged from mid-20s to 80.
      RESULTS: Generated themes included: negative impacts on psychological and
      emotional well-being of informal supporters, and related physical health impacts.
      Some psychological impacts were over a limited period; others were chronic and
      had the potential to be severe and enduring. The impacts described suggested that
      those providing informal support to survivors may be experiencing secondary
      traumatic stress as they journey alongside the survivor. CONCLUSIONS: Friends and
      relatives of DV survivors experience substantial impact on their own health and
      well-being. There are no direct services to support this group. These findings
      have practical and policy implications, so that the needs of informal supporters
      are legitimised and met.

PMID- 28341691
TI  - Evaluating CollaboRATE in a clinical setting: analysis of mode effects on scores,
      response rates and costs of data collection.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Shared decision-making (SDM) has become a policy priority, yet its
      implementation is not routinely assessed. To address this gap we tested the
      delivery of CollaboRATE, a 3-item patient reported experience measure of SDM, via
      multiple survey modes. OBJECTIVE: To assess CollaboRATE response rates and
      respondent characteristics across different modes of administration, impact of
      mode and patient characteristics on SDM performance and cost of administration
      per response in a real-world primary care practice. DESIGN: Observational study
      design, with repeated assessment of SDM performance using CollaboRATE in a
      primary care clinic over 15 months of data collection. Different modes of
      administration were introduced sequentially including paper, patient portal,
      interactive voice response (IVR) call, text message and tablet computer.
      PARTICIPANTS: Consecutive patients >=18 years, or parents/guardians of patients
      <18 years, visiting participating primary care clinicians. MAIN MEASURES:
      CollaboRATE assesses three core SDM tasks: (1) explanation about health issues,
      (2) elicitation of patient preferences and (3) integration of patient preferences
      into decisions. Responses to each item range from 0 (no effort was made) to 9
      (every effort was made). CollaboRATE scores are calculated as the proportion of
      participants who report a score of nine on each of the three CollaboRATE
      questions. KEY RESULTS: Scores were sensitive to mode effects: the paper mode had
      the highest average score (81%) and IVR had the lowest (61%). However, relative
      clinician performance rankings were stable across the different data collection
      modes used. Tablet computers administered by research staff had the highest
      response rate (41%), although this approach was costly. Clinic staff giving paper
      surveys to patients as they left the clinic had the lowest response rate (12%).
      CONCLUSIONS: CollaboRATE can be introduced using multiple modes of survey
      delivery while producing consistent clinician rankings. This may allow routine
      assessment and benchmarking of clinician and clinic SDM performance.

PMID- 28341693
TI  - Minocycline-induced skin hyperpigmentation.

PMID- 28341692
TI  - 'We both just wanted to be normal parents': a qualitative study of the experience
      of maternity care for women with learning disability.
AB  - BACKGROUND: More women with learning disability (LD) are becoming mothers. Women
      with LD have rights to equal access to maternity care that meets their needs,
      however, many have poor pregnancy and birth outcomes compared to other women in
      the UK. Research is limited in this area. OBJECTIVES: The aim of the study was to
      explore the lived experiences of pregnancy, childbirth, prenatal and postnatal
      care and services received by this group of women in the UK, including their
      expressed information and support needs relating to maternity care. METHODS: A
      qualitative study in which data were generated using in-depth semistructured
      interviews with learning disabled women who were pregnant or had given birth
      within the last 3 years in the UK; data were analysed using interpretative
      phenomenological analysis. RESULTS: 9 women with varying levels of cognitive
      impairment took part. 4 super-ordinate themes were identified: 'I hate being
      treated differently', 'I find it harder to understand than other people', 'We've
      had to prove ourselves' and 'Make sure you've got very good support around you'.
      Subthemes included: 'Negative attitudes and denial of choice', 'Understanding of
      normal care', 'Written information' and 'Being judged by professionals'.
      CONCLUSIONS: With support from family and services, learning disabled women can
      become confident and successful parents. Maternity services should make
      reasonable adjustments when providing care to this group, including adapting to
      their individual communication and learning needs: allowing sufficient time in
      appointments, offering clear explanations of each aspect of care and sensitive
      support for autonomy and fully informed choice. Mothers who will be subject to a
      social care assessment of their parenting skills need clear information about the
      process, their choices and the level of skill they must demonstrate, as well as
      access to sufficient antenatal and postnatal support to give them the best
      possible chance of passing the assessment.

PMID- 28341694
TI  - 30 YEARS OF THE MINERALOCORTICOID RECEPTOR: Mineralocorticoid receptor and NaCl
      transport mechanisms in the renal distal nephron.
AB  - A key role of aldosterone and mineralocorticoid receptor is to regulate fluid
      volume and K+ homeostasis in the body by acting on the renal distal nephron.
      Global responses of the kidney to elevated aldosterone levels are determined by
      the coordinate action of different constituent tubule cells, including principal
      cells, intercalated cells and distal convoluted tubule cells. Recent studies on
      genetic mutations causing aldosterone overproduction have identified the
      molecules involved in aldosterone biosynthesis in the adrenal gland, and there is
      also increasing evidence for mechanisms and signaling pathways regulating the
      balance between renal NaCl reabsorption and K+ secretion, the two major effects
      of aldosterone. In particular, recent studies have demonstrated that
      mineralocorticoid receptor in intercalated cells is selectively regulated by
      phosphorylation, which prevents ligand binding and activation. Moreover, the
      ubiquitin ligase complex composed of Kelch-like 3 and Cullin 3 acts downstream of
      angiotensin II and plasma K+ alterations, regulating Na-Cl cotransporter
      independently of aldosterone in distal convoluted tubule cells. These and other
      effects are integrated to produce appropriate kidney responses in a high
      aldosterone state, and are implicated in fluid and electrolyte disorders in
      humans. This review summarizes the current knowledge on mechanisms modulating
      mineralocorticoid receptor and its downstream effectors in the distal nephron.

PMID- 28341695
TI  - Cancer-associated epiphora: a retrospective analysis of referrals to a tertiary
      oculoplastic practice.
AB  - AIM: To report the underlying causes and treatment outcome of lacrimal drainage
      obstruction in patients with cancer-associated epiphora. METHODS: A single-centre
      retrospective review was performed for consecutive referrals to an oculoplastic
      surgeon for cancer-associated epiphora between 2010 and 2016. Charts were
      reviewed for underlying neoplastic conditions, pharmacy records, radiotherapy
      records, levels of obstruction of the lacrimal drainage apparatus and treatment
      methods and outcome. RESULTS: Forty-three patients (70 eyes) were included in
      this study. The most common cause of epiphora was radiotherapy on the head and
      neck (35%), followed by oral S-1 (33%) and docetaxel (23%). The nasolacrimal duct
      was the most common obstruction site in patients who underwent radiotherapy
      (59%), whereas the punctum or canaliculus was mostly affected in patients treated
      with S-1 (94%) or docetaxel (100%). S-1-treated patients showed severe
      obstruction of the entire canaliculus (11/24 (46%)) with the lowest success rate
      at 58% (S-1 vs radiotherapy: p=0.012; S-1 vs docetaxel: p=0.002). Moreover, the
      patients treated within 1 year after the first symptom showed a significantly
      higher proportion of symptom improvement (85%) than did those treated after 1
      year (27%) in the S-1 group (p=0.011). CONCLUSIONS: Cancer-associated epiphora
      can have various causes. The level of obstruction and treatment outcome vary
      according to underlying causes, and S-1-associated epiphora and delayed treatment
      are related to unsatisfactory results. Given the importance of early
      intervention, oncologists should be alert to tearing symptoms and cooperate with
      ophthalmologists in the early stages to improve patients' quality of life.

PMID- 28341697
TI  - Risk factors for persistence of lower respiratory symptoms among community
      members exposed to the 2001 World Trade Center terrorist attacks.
AB  - OBJECTIVES: We studied the course of lower respiratory symptoms (LRS; cough,
      wheeze or dyspnoea) among community members exposed to the 9/11/2001 World Trade
      Center (WTC) attacks during a period of 12-13 years following the attacks, and
      evaluated risk factors for LRS persistence, including peripheral airway
      dysfunction and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). METHODS: Non-smoking adult
      participants in a case-control study of post-9/11-onset LRS (exam 1, 2008-2010)
      were recruited for follow-up (exam 2, 2013-2014). Peripheral airway function was
      assessed with impulse oscillometry measures of R5 and R5-20. Probable PTSD was a
      PTSD checklist score >=44 on a 2006-2007 questionnaire. RESULTS: Of 785 exam 1
      participants, 545 (69%) completed exam 2. Most (321, 59%) were asymptomatic at
      all assessments. Among 192 participants with initial LRS, symptoms resolved for
      110 (57%) by exam 2, 55 (29%) had persistent LRS and 27 (14%) had other patterns.
      The proportion with normal spirometry increased from 65% at exam 1 to 85% at exam
      2 in the persistent LRS group (p<0.01) and was stable among asymptomatic
      participants and those with resolved LRS. By exam 2, spirometry results did not
      differ across symptom groups; however, R5 and R5-20 abnormalities were more
      common among participants with persistent LRS (56% and 46%, respectively) than
      among participants with resolved LRS (30%, p<0.01; 27%, p=0.03) or asymptomatic
      participants (20%, p<0.001; 8.2%, p<0.001). PTSD, R5 at exam 1, and R5-20 at exam
      1 were each independently associated with persistent LRS. CONCLUSIONS: Peripheral
      airway dysfunction and PTSD may contribute to LRS persistence. Assessment of
      peripheral airway function detected pulmonary damage not evident on spirometry.
      Mental and physical healthcare for survivors of complex environmental disasters
      should be coordinated carefully.

PMID- 28341698
TI  - Schizosaccharomyces pombe MutSalpha and MutLalpha Maintain Stability of Tetra
      Nucleotide Repeats and Msh3 of Hepta-Nucleotide Repeats.
AB  - Defective mismatch repair (MMR) in humans is associated with colon cancer and
      instability of microsatellites, that is, DNA sequences with one or several
      nucleotides repeated. Key factors of eukaryotic MMR are the heterodimers
      MutSalpha (Msh2-Msh6), which recognizes base-base mismatches and unpaired
      nucleotides in DNA, and MutLalpha (Mlh1-Pms1), which facilitates downstream
      steps. In addition, MutSbeta (Msh2-Msh3) recognizes DNA loops of various sizes,
      although our previous data and the data presented here suggest that Msh3 of
      Schizosaccharomyces pombe does not play a role in MMR. To test microsatellite
      stability in S. pombe and hence DNA loop repair, we have inserted tetra-, penta-,
      and hepta-nucleotide repeats in the ade6 gene and determined their Ade+ reversion
      rates and spectra in wild type and various mutants. Our data indicate that loops
      with four unpaired nucleotides in the nascent and the template strand are the
      upper limit of MutSalpha- and MutLalpha-mediated MMR in S. pombe Stability of
      hepta-nucleotide repeats requires Msh3 and Exo1 in MMR-independent processes as
      well as the DNA repair proteins Rad50, Rad51, and Rad2FEN1 Most strikingly,
      mutation rates in the double mutants msh3 exo1 and msh3 rad51 were decreased when
      compared to respective single mutants, indicating that Msh3 prevents error prone
      processes carried out by Exo1 and Rad51. We conclude that Msh3 has no obvious
      function in MMR in S. pombe, but contributes to DNA repeat stability in MMR
      independent processes.

PMID- 28341699
TI  - Genomic Comparison of Indigenous African and Northern European Chickens Reveals
      Putative Mechanisms of Stress Tolerance Related to Environmental Selection
      Pressure.
AB  - Global climate change is increasing the magnitude of environmental stressors,
      such as temperature, pathogens, and drought, that limit the survivability and
      sustainability of livestock production. Poultry production and its expansion is
      dependent upon robust animals that are able to cope with stressors in multiple
      environments. Understanding the genetic strategies that indigenous, noncommercial
      breeds have evolved to survive in their environment could help to elucidate
      molecular mechanisms underlying biological traits of environmental adaptation. We
      examined poultry from diverse breeds and climates of Africa and Northern Europe
      for selection signatures that have allowed them to adapt to their indigenous
      environments. Selection signatures were studied using a combination of population
      genomic methods that employed FST , integrated haplotype score (iHS), and runs of
      homozygosity (ROH) procedures. All the analyses indicated differences in
      environment as a driver of selective pressure in both groups of populations. The
      analyses revealed unique differences in the genomic regions under selection
      pressure from the environment for each population. The African chickens showed
      stronger selection toward stress signaling and angiogenesis, while the Northern
      European chickens showed more selection pressure toward processes related to
      energy homeostasis. The results suggest that chromosomes 2 and 27 are the most
      diverged between populations and the most selected upon within the African
      (chromosome 27) and Northern European (chromosome 2) birds. Examination of the
      divergent populations has provided new insight into genes under possible
      selection related to tolerance of a population's indigenous environment that may
      be baselines for examining the genomic contribution to tolerance adaptions.

PMID- 28341700
TI  - asymptoticMK: A Web-Based Tool for the Asymptotic McDonald-Kreitman Test.
AB  - The McDonald-Kreitman (MK) test is a widely used method for quantifying the role
      of positive selection in molecular evolution. One key shortcoming of this test
      lies in its sensitivity to the presence of slightly deleterious mutations, which
      can severely bias its estimates. An asymptotic version of the MK test was
      recently introduced that addresses this problem by evaluating polymorphism levels
      for different mutation frequencies separately, and then extrapolating a function
      fitted to that data. Here, we present asymptoticMK, a web-based implementation of
      this asymptotic MK test. Our web service provides a simple R-based interface into
      which the user can upload the required data (polymorphism and divergence data for
      the genomic test region and a neutrally evolving reference region). The web
      service then analyzes the data and provides plots of the test results. This
      service is free to use, open-source, and available at
      http://benhaller.com/messerlab/asymptoticMK.html We provide results from
      simulations to illustrate the performance and robustness of the asymptoticMK test
      under a wide range of model parameters.

PMID- 28341701
TI  - From Pine Cones to Read Clouds: Rescaffolding the Megagenome of Sugar Pine (Pinus
      lambertiana).
AB  - We investigate the utility and scalability of new read cloud technologies to
      improve the draft genome assemblies of the colossal, and largely repetitive,
      genomes of conifers. Synthetic long read technologies have existed in various
      forms as a means of reducing complexity and resolving repeats since the outset of
      genome assembly. Recently, technologies that combine subhaploid pools of high
      molecular weight DNA with barcoding on a massive scale have brought new
      efficiencies to sample preparation and data generation. When combined with
      inexpensive light shotgun sequencing, the resulting data can be used to scaffold
      large genomes. The protocol is efficient enough to consider routinely for even
      the largest genomes. Conifers represent the largest reference genome projects
      executed to date. The largest of these is that of the conifer Pinus lambertiana
      (sugar pine), with a genome size of 31 billion bp. In this paper, we report on
      the molecular and computational protocols for scaffolding the P. lambertiana
      genome using the library technology from 10* Genomics. At 247,000 bp, the NG50 of
      the existing reference sequence is the highest scaffold contiguity among the
      currently published conifer assemblies; this new assembly's NG50 is 1.94 million
      bp, an eightfold increase.

PMID- 28341705
TI  - Leading anaesthetist praises NHS response to Westminster attacks.

PMID- 28341703
TI  - Niacin ameliorates ulcerative colitis via prostaglandin D2-mediated D prostanoid
      receptor 1 activation.
AB  - Niacin, as an antidyslipidemic drug, elicits a strong flushing response by
      release of prostaglandin (PG) D2 However, whether niacin is beneficial for
      inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) remains unclear. Here, we observed niacin
      administration-enhanced PGD2 production in colon tissues in dextran sulfate
      sodium (DSS)-challenged mice, and protected mice against DSS or 2,4,6
      trinitrobenzene sulfonic acid (TNBS)-induced colitis in D prostanoid receptor 1
      (DP1)-dependent manner. Specific ablation of DP1 receptor in vascular endothelial
      cells, colonic epithelium, and myeloid cells augmented DSS/TNBS-induced colitis
      in mice through increasing vascular permeability, promoting apoptosis of
      epithelial cells, and stimulating pro-inflammatory cytokine secretion of
      macrophages, respectively. Niacin treatment improved vascular permeability,
      reduced apoptotic epithelial cells, promoted epithelial cell update, and
      suppressed pro-inflammatory gene expression of macrophages. Moreover, treatment
      with niacin-containing retention enema effectively promoted UC clinical remission
      and mucosal healing in patients with moderately active disease. Therefore, niacin
      displayed multiple beneficial effects on DSS/TNBS-induced colitis in mice by
      activation of PGD2/DP1 axis. The potential efficacy of niacin in management of
      IBD warrants further investigation.

PMID- 28341704
TI  - Structural landscape of base pairs containing post-transcriptional modifications
      in RNA.
AB  - Base pairs involving post-transcriptionally modified nucleobases are believed to
      play important roles in a wide variety of functional RNAs. Here we present our
      attempts toward understanding the structural and functional role of naturally
      occurring modified base pairs using a combination of X-ray crystal structure
      database analysis, sequence analysis, and advanced quantum chemical methods. Our
      bioinformatics analysis reveals that despite their presence in all major
      secondary structural elements, modified base pairs are most prevalent in tRNA
      crystal structures and most commonly involve guanine or uridine modifications.
      Further, analysis of tRNA sequences reveals additional examples of modified base
      pairs at structurally conserved tRNA regions and highlights the conservation
      patterns of these base pairs in three domains of life. Comparison of structures
      and binding energies of modified base pairs with their unmodified counterparts,
      using quantum chemical methods, allowed us to classify the base modifications in
      terms of the nature of their electronic structure effects on base-pairing.
      Analysis of specific structural contexts of modified base pairs in RNA crystal
      structures revealed several interesting scenarios, including those at the
      tRNA:rRNA interface, antibiotic-binding sites on the ribosome, and the three-way
      junctions within tRNA. These scenarios, when analyzed in the context of available
      experimental data, allowed us to correlate the occurrence and strength of
      modified base pairs with their specific functional roles. Overall, our study
      highlights the structural importance of modified base pairs in RNA and points
      toward the need for greater appreciation of the role of modified bases and their
      interactions, in the context of many biological processes involving RNA.

PMID- 28341706
TI  - Partner abundance controls mutualism stability and the pace of morphological
      change over geologic time.
AB  - Mutualisms that involve symbioses among specialized partners may be more stable
      than mutualisms among generalists, and theoretical models predict that in many
      mutualisms, partners exert reciprocal stabilizing selection on traits directly
      involved in the interaction. A corollary is that mutualism breakdown should
      increase morphological rates of evolution. We here use the largest ant-plant
      clade (Hydnophytinae), with different levels of specialization for mutualistic
      ant symbionts, to study the ecological context of mutualism breakdown and the
      response of a key symbiosis-related trait, domatium entrance hole size, which
      filters symbionts by size. Our analyses support three predictions from mutualism
      theory. First, all 12 losses apparently only occur from a generalist symbiotic
      state. Second, mutualism losses occurred where symbionts are scarce, in our
      system at high altitudes. Third, domatium entrance hole size barely changes in
      specialized symbiotic species, but evolves rapidly once symbiosis with ants has
      broken down, with a "morphorate map" revealing that hotspots of entrance hole
      evolution are clustered in high-altitude areas. Our study reveals that
      mutualistic strategy profoundly affects the pace of morphological change in
      traits involved in the interaction and suggests that shifts in partners' relative
      abundances may frequently drive reversions of generalist mutualisms to autonomy.

PMID- 28341702
TI  - NRAS destines tumor cells to the lungs.
AB  - The lungs are frequently affected by cancer metastasis. Although NRAS mutations
      have been associated with metastatic potential, their exact role in lung homing
      is incompletely understood. We cross-examined the genotype of various tumor cells
      with their ability for automatic pulmonary dissemination, modulated NRAS
      expression using RNA interference and NRAS overexpression, identified NRAS
      signaling partners by microarray, and validated them using Cxcr1- and Cxcr2
      deficient mice. Mouse models of spontaneous lung metastasis revealed that mutant
      or overexpressed NRAS promotes lung colonization by regulating interleukin-8
      related chemokine expression, thereby initiating interactions between tumor
      cells, the pulmonary vasculature, and myeloid cells. Our results support a model
      where NRAS-mutant, chemokine-expressing circulating tumor cells target the CXCR1
      expressing lung vasculature and recruit CXCR2-expressing myeloid cells to
      initiate metastasis. We further describe a clinically relevant approach to
      prevent NRAS-driven pulmonary metastasis by inhibiting chemokine signaling. In
      conclusion, NRAS promotes the colonization of the lungs by various tumor types in
      mouse models. IL-8-related chemokines, NRAS signaling partners in this process,
      may constitute an important therapeutic target against pulmonary involvement by
      cancers of other organs.

PMID- 28341707
TI  - Epigenetic contribution to diversification.

PMID- 28341708
TI  - Rapid evolution of resistance to parasitism in biological control.

PMID- 28341709
TI  - Magnetization dynamics and its scattering mechanism in thin CoFeB films with
      interfacial anisotropy.
AB  - Studies of magnetization dynamics have incessantly facilitated the discovery of
      fundamentally novel physical phenomena, making steady headway in the development
      of magnetic and spintronics devices. The dynamics can be induced and detected
      electrically, offering new functionalities in advanced electronics at the
      nanoscale. However, its scattering mechanism is still disputed. Understanding the
      mechanism in thin films is especially important, because most spintronics devices
      are made from stacks of multilayers with nanometer thickness. The stacks are
      known to possess interfacial magnetic anisotropy, a central property for
      applications, whose influence on the dynamics remains unknown. Here, we
      investigate the impact of interfacial anisotropy by adopting CoFeB/MgO as a model
      system. Through systematic and complementary measurements of ferromagnetic
      resonance (FMR) on a series of thin films, we identify narrower FMR linewidths at
      higher temperatures. We explicitly rule out the temperature dependence of
      intrinsic damping as a possible cause, and it is also not expected from existing
      extrinsic scattering mechanisms for ferromagnets. We ascribe this observation to
      motional narrowing, an old concept so far neglected in the analyses of FMR
      spectra. The effect is confirmed to originate from interfacial anisotropy,
      impacting the practical technology of spin-based nanodevices up to room
      temperature.

PMID- 28341696
TI  - A Low-Frequency Inactivating AKT2 Variant Enriched in the Finnish Population Is
      Associated With Fasting Insulin Levels and Type 2 Diabetes Risk.
AB  - To identify novel coding association signals and facilitate characterization of
      mechanisms influencing glycemic traits and type 2 diabetes risk, we analyzed
      109,215 variants derived from exome array genotyping together with an additional
      390,225 variants from exome sequence in up to 39,339 normoglycemic individuals
      from five ancestry groups. We identified a novel association between the coding
      variant (p.Pro50Thr) in AKT2 and fasting plasma insulin (FI), a gene in which
      rare fully penetrant mutations are causal for monogenic glycemic disorders. The
      low-frequency allele is associated with a 12% increase in FI levels. This variant
      is present at 1.1% frequency in Finns but virtually absent in individuals from
      other ancestries. Carriers of the FI-increasing allele had increased 2-h insulin
      values, decreased insulin sensitivity, and increased risk of type 2 diabetes
      (odds ratio 1.05). In cellular studies, the AKT2-Thr50 protein exhibited a
      partial loss of function. We extend the allelic spectrum for coding variants in
      AKT2 associated with disorders of glucose homeostasis and demonstrate
      bidirectional effects of variants within the pleckstrin homology domain of AKT2.

PMID- 28341710
TI  - Reply to Baveye and Darnault: Useful models are simple and extendable.

PMID- 28341711
TI  - A cardiac-enriched microRNA, miR-378, blocks cardiac hypertrophy by targeting Ras
      signaling.

PMID- 28341712
TI  - Deficiency of cardiomyocyte-specific microRNA-378 contributes to the development
      of cardiac fibrosis involving a transforming growth factor beta (TGFbeta1)
      dependent paracrine mechanism.

PMID- 28341713
TI  - Substrate recognition by the Cdh1 destruction box receptor is a general
      requirement for APC/CCdh1-mediated proteolysis.

PMID- 28341714
TI  - Quantitative Assessment of Variation in CT Parameters on Texture Features: Pilot
      Study Using a Nonanatomic Phantom.
AB  - Our aim was to evaluate changes in texture features based on variations in CT
      parameters on a phantom. Scans were performed with varying milliampere, kilovolt,
      section thickness, pitch, and acquisition mode. Forty-two texture features were
      extracted by using an in-house-developed Matlab program. Two-tailed t tests and
      false-detection analyses were performed with significant differences in texture
      features based on detector array configurations (Q values = 0.001-0.006), section
      thickness (Q values = 0.0002-0.001), and acquisition mode (Q values = 0.003
      0.006). Variations in milliampere and kilovolt had no significant effect.

PMID- 28341715
TI  - Can MRI Visual Assessment Differentiate the Variants of Primary-Progressive
      Aphasia?
AB  - BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Primary-progressive aphasia is a clinically and
      pathologically heterogeneous condition. Nonfluent, semantic, and logopenic are
      the currently recognized clinical variants. The recommendations for the
      classification of primary-progressive aphasia have advocated variant-specific
      patterns of atrophy. The aims of the present study were to evaluate the
      sensitivity and specificity of the proposed imaging criteria and to assess the
      intra- and interrater reporting agreements. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The cohort
      comprised 51 patients with a root diagnosis of primary-progressive aphasia, 25
      patients with typical Alzheimer disease, and 26 matched control participants.
      Group-level analysis (voxel-based morphometry) confirmed the proposed atrophy
      patterns for the 3 syndromes. The individual T1-weighted anatomic images were
      reported by 3 senior neuroradiologists. RESULTS: We observed a dichotomized
      pattern of high sensitivity (92%) and specificity (93%) for the proposed atrophy
      pattern of semantic-variant primary-progressive aphasia and low sensitivity (21%
      for nonfluent-variant primary-progressive aphasia and 43% for logopenic-variant
      primary-progressive aphasia) but high specificity (91% for nonfluent-variant
      primary-progressive aphasia and 95% for logopenic-variant primary-progressive
      aphasia) in other primary-progressive aphasia variants and Alzheimer disease
      (sensitivity 43%, specificity 92%). MR imaging was least sensitive for the
      diagnosis of nonfluent-variant primary-progressive aphasia. Intrarater agreement
      analysis showed mean kappa values above the widely accepted threshold of 0.6
      (mean, 0.63 +/- 0.16). Pair-wise interobserver agreement outcomes, however, were
      well below this threshold in 5 of the 6 possible interrater contrasts (mean, 0.41
      +/- 0.09). CONCLUSIONS: While the group-level results were in precise agreement
      with the recommendations, semantic-variant primary-progressive aphasia was the
      only subtype for which the proposed recommendations were both sensitive and
      specific at an individual level.

PMID- 28341717
TI  - Regarding "Embolization of Intracranial Dural Arteriovenous Fistulas Using PHIL
      Liquid Embolic Agent in 26 Patients: A Multicenter Study".

PMID- 28341716
TI  - Multiparametric Evaluation in Differentiating Glioma Recurrence from Treatment
      Induced Necrosis Using Simultaneous 18F-FDG-PET/MRI: A Single-Institution
      Retrospective Study.
AB  - BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Differentiating glioma recurrence from treatment-induced
      necrosis can be a challenge on conventional imaging. This study aimed to assess
      the diagnostic performance of each functional MR imaging and PET parameter
      derived by using simultaneous FDG-PET/MR imaging individually and in combination
      in the evaluation of suspected glioma recurrence. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Thirty
      five treated glioma patients with 41 enhancing lesions (World Health Organization
      grade II = 9, III = 13, IV = 19) on MR imaging after an operation followed by
      radiation therapy and/or chemotherapy formed part of this study. Using PET/MR
      imaging, we calculated the normalized mean relative CBV, mean ADC, Cho/Cr, and
      maximum and mean target-to-background ratios. Statistical analysis was performed
      to determine the diagnostic performance of each parameter by receiver operating
      characteristic analysis individually and in combination with multivariate
      receiver operating characteristic analysis for the detection of glioma
      recurrence. Histopathology or clinicoradiologic follow-up was considered the
      criterion standard. RESULTS: Of 35 patients, 25 (30 lesions) were classified as
      having a recurrence and 10 (11 lesions) patients as having treatment-induced
      necrosis. Parameters like rCBVmean (mean relative CBV), ADCmean, Cho/Cr, and
      maximum and mean target-to-background ratios were statistically significant in
      the detection of recurrent lesions with an accuracy of 77.5%, 78.0%, 90.9%,
      87.8%, and 87.8%, respectively. On multivariate receiver operating characteristic
      analysis, the combination of all 3 MR imaging parameters resulted in an area
      under the curve of 0.913 +/- 0.053. Furthermore, an area under the curve of 0.935
      +/- 0.046 was obtained when MR imaging parameters (ADCmean and Cho/Cr) were
      combined with the PET parameter (mean target-to-background ratio), demonstrating
      an increase in diagnostic accuracy. CONCLUSIONS: Simultaneous PET/MR imaging with
      FDG offers correlative and synergistic multiparametric assessment of glioma
      recurrence with increased accuracy and clinical utility.

PMID- 28341718
TI  - Relationships among Cortical Glutathione Levels, Brain Amyloidosis, and Memory in
      Healthy Older Adults Investigated In Vivo with 1H-MRS and Pittsburgh Compound-B
      PET.
AB  - BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Oxidative stress has been implicated as an important
      pathologic mechanism in the development of Alzheimer disease. The purpose of this
      study was to assess whether glutathione levels, detected noninvasively with
      proton MR spectroscopy, are associated with brain amyloidosis and memory in a
      community-dwelling cohort of healthy older adults. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Fifteen
      cognitively healthy subjects were prospectively enrolled in this study. All
      subjects underwent 1H-MR spectroscopy of glutathione, a positron-emission
      tomography scan with an amyloid tracer, and neuropsychological testing by using
      the Repeatable Battery for the Assessment of Neuropsychological Status.
      Associations among glutathione levels, brain amyloidosis, and memory were
      assessed by using multivariate regression models. RESULTS: Lower glutathione
      levels were associated with greater brain amyloidosis in the temporal (P = .03)
      and parietal (P = .05) regions, adjusted for apolipoprotein E epsilon4 carrier
      status. There were no significant associations between glutathione levels and
      cognitive scores. CONCLUSIONS: This study found an association between cortical
      glutathione levels and brain amyloidosis in healthy older adults, suggesting a
      potential role for 1H-MR spectroscopy measures of glutathione as a noninvasive
      biomarker of early Alzheimer disease pathogenesis.

PMID- 28341721
TI  - Increased pathogenicity in rabbit haemorrhagic disease virus type 2 (RHDV2).

PMID- 28341719
TI  - Brain Perivascular Spaces as Biomarkers of Vascular Risk: Results from the
      Northern Manhattan Study.
AB  - BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Dilated perivascular spaces in the brain are associated
      with greater arterial pulsatility. We hypothesized that perivascular spaces
      identify individuals at higher risk for systemic and cerebral vascular events.
      MATERIALS AND METHODS: Stroke-free participants in the population-based Northern
      Manhattan Study had brain MR imaging performed and were followed for myocardial
      infarction, any stroke, and death. Imaging analyses distinguished perivascular
      spaces from lesions presumably ischemic. Perivascular spaces were further
      subdivided into lesions with diameters of <=3 mm (small perivascular spaces) and
      >3 mm (large perivascular spaces). We calculated relative rates of events with
      Poisson models and hazard ratios with Cox proportional models. RESULTS: The
      Northern Manhattan Study participants who had MR imaging data available for
      review (n = 1228; 59% women, 65% Hispanic; mean age, 71 +/- 9 years) were
      followed for an average of 9 +/- 2 years. Participants in the highest tertile of
      the small perivascular space score had a higher relative rate of all deaths
      (relative rate, 1.38; 95% CI, 1.01-1.91), vascular death (relative rate, 1.87;
      95% CI, 1.12-3.14), myocardial infarction (relative rate, 2.08; 95% CI, 1.01
      4.31), any stroke (relative rate, 1.79; 95% CI, 1.03-3.11), and any vascular
      event (relative rate, 1.74; 95% CI, 1.18-2.56). After we adjusted for
      confounders, there was a higher risk of vascular death (hazard ratio, 1.06; 95%
      CI, 1.01-1.11), myocardial infarction (hazard ratio, 2.22; 95% CI, 1.12-4.42),
      and any vascular event (hazard ratio, 1.04; 95% CI, 1.01-1.08) with higher small
      perivascular space scores. CONCLUSIONS: In this multiethnic, population-based
      study, participants with a high burden of small perivascular spaces had increased
      risk of vascular events. By gaining pathophysiologic insight into the mechanism
      of perivascular space dilation, we may be able to propose novel therapies to
      better prevent vascular disorders in the population.

PMID- 28341722
TI  - Sciatic and femoral nerve blockade using bupivacaine alone, or in combination
      with dexmedetomidine or buprenorphine in cats.
AB  - The aim of this study was to determine the onset and offset of antinociception
      after sciatic (ScN) and femoral (FN) nerve blocks. Six healthy adult cats (4.8+/
      1.3years; 4.3+/-0.4 kg) were included in a randomised, crossover, blinded and
      controlled study. Following sedation with dexmedetomidine (25 ug/kg,
      intramuscular), each ScN and FN injection was performed using 0.1 ml/kg of saline
      (CONTROL), bupivacaine (0.46 per cent, 0.46 mg/kg; BUPI), bupivacaine and
      dexmedetomidine (1 ug/kg; BUPI-DEX) or bupivacaine and buprenorphine (2.5 ug/kg;
      BUPI-BUPRE). Atipamezole (250 ug/kg) was administered after injections. Paw
      withdrawal thresholds (PWT) and motor blockade were evaluated before sedation and
      up to 24 hours. The PWT were significantly increased at half an hour in CONTROL,
      from two to four hours in BUPI and BUPI-DEX when compared with baseline. Motor
      blockade was observed between one and three hours in treatments using
      bupivacaine. Ability to walk was significantly impaired in BUPI at half an hour
      to two hours, BUPI-DEX at one to two hours and BUPI-BUPRE at two hours.
      Antinociception was observed in BUPI between one and eight hours, and in BUPI-DEX
      and BUPI-BUPRE between one and four hours. This study could not demonstrate a
      benefit of administering bupivacaine with dexmedetomidine or buprenorphine in
      cats. Results in BUPI-DEX may have been biased by the administration of
      atipamezole.

PMID- 28341723
TI  - Supervisor descriptions of veterinary student performance in the clinical
      workplace: a qualitative interview study.
AB  - This qualitative study investigated the qualities of veterinary student
      performance that inform a supervisor's impression of their competency. Semi
      structured interviews were conducted with a purposive sample of 15 supervisors
      from different veterinary subdisciplines, to elicit descriptions of excellent,
      weak and marginal students. Thematic analysis of transcriptions revealed 12
      themes, of which engagement was frequently discussed and of stated importance,
      and trustworthiness was a differentiator of weak and marginal students from
      excellent students. Other themes were knowledge, application of knowledge,
      technical and animal handling skills, communication, social interaction, personal
      functioning, caring for animals, impact, prospects and the difficulty in judging
      competency. Patterns of association of themes were found, however themes were
      also used independently in unique combinations for most students described. The
      findings show the range of abilities, behaviours, attitudes and personal
      characteristics of students that are considered by supervisors and how these are
      weighted and balanced. The key contribution of engagement and trustworthiness to
      the overall impression aligns with research indicating their importance for
      success in clinical practice, as both contributors to competency and indicators
      of it. The findings may inform future design and investigation of workplace-based
      learning and in-training evaluation, as well as conceptions of veterinary
      competency.

PMID- 28341724
TI  - Less than half of new mothers in England breast feed after two months.

PMID- 28341726
TI  - Rest and treatment/rehabilitation following sport-related concussion: a
      systematic review.
AB  - AIM OR OBJECTIVE: The objective of this systematic review was to evaluate the
      evidence regarding rest and active treatment/rehabilitation following sport
      related concussion (SRC). DESIGN: Systematic review. DATA SOURCES: MEDLINE
      (OVID), CINAHL (EbscoHost), PsycInfo (OVID), Cochrane Central Register of
      Controlled Trials (OVID), SPORTDiscus (EbscoHost), EMBASE (OVID) and Proquest
      DissertationsandTheses Global (Proquest) were searched systematically.
      ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA FOR SELECTING STUDIES: Studies were included if they met the
      following criteria: (1) original research; (2) reported SRC as the diagnosis; and
      (3) evaluated the effect of rest or active treatment/rehabilitation. Review
      articles were excluded. RESULTS: Twenty-eight studies met the inclusion criteria
      (9 regarding the effects of rest and 19 evaluating active treatment). The
      methodological quality of the literature was limited; only five randomised
      controlled trials (RCTs) met the eligibility criteria. Those RCTs included rest,
      cervical and vestibular rehabilitation, subsymptom threshold aerobic exercise and
      multifaceted collaborative care. SUMMARY/CONCLUSIONS: A brief period (24-48
      hours) of cognitive and physical rest is appropriate for most patients. Following
      this, patients should be encouraged to gradually increase activity. The exact
      amount and duration of rest are not yet well defined and require further
      investigation. The data support interventions including cervical and vestibular
      rehabilitation and multifaceted collaborative care. Closely monitored subsymptom
      threshold, submaximal exercise may be of benefit. SYSTEMATIC REVIEW REGISTRATION:
      PROSPERO 2016:CRD42016039570.

PMID- 28341725
TI  - Paraneoplastic endocrine syndromes.
AB  - The majority of neoplasms are responsible for symptoms caused by mass effects to
      surrounding tissues and/or through the development of metastases. However,
      occasionally neoplasms, with or without endocrine differentiation, acquire the
      ability to secrete a variety of bioactive substances or induce immune cross
      reactivity with the normal tissues that can lead to the development of
      characteristic clinical syndromes. These syndromes are named endocrine
      paraneoplastic syndromes when the specific secretory components (hormones,
      peptides or cytokines) are unrelated to the anticipated tissue or organ of
      origin. Endocrine paraneoplastic syndromes can complicate the patient's clinical
      course, response to treatment, impact prognosis and even be confused as
      metastatic spread. These syndromes can precede, occur concomitantly or present at
      a later stage of tumour development, and along with the secreted substances
      constitute the biological 'fingerprint' of the tumour. Their detection can
      facilitate early diagnosis of the underlying neoplasia, monitor response to
      treatment and/or detect early recurrences following successful initial
      management. Although when associated with tumours of low malignant potential they
      usually do not affect long-term outcome, in cases of highly malignant tumours,
      endocrine paraneoplastic syndromes are usually associated with poorer survival
      outcomes. Recent medical advances have not only improved our understanding of
      paraneoplastic syndrome pathogenesis in general but also enhanced their diagnosis
      and treatment. Yet, given the rarity of endocrine paraneoplastic syndromes, there
      is a paucity of prospective clinical trials to guide management. The development
      of well-designed prospective multicentre trials remains a priority in the field
      in order to fully characterise these syndromes and provide evidence-based
      diagnostic and therapeutic protocols.

PMID- 28341727
TI  - Fractures associated with ACL injury need to be taken seriously.

PMID- 28341728
TI  - Appraising the exercise oncology literature: a reminder of the rigour needed in
      systematic reviews.

PMID- 28341729
TI  - Vitamin D deficiency and diabetes.
AB  - Vitamin D deficiency has been linked to the onset of diabetes. This review
      summarizes the role of Vitamin D in maintaining the normal release of insulin by
      the pancreatic beta cells (beta-cells). Diabetes is initiated by the onset of
      insulin resistance. The beta-cells can overcome this resistance by releasing more
      insulin, thus preventing hyperglycaemia. However, as this hyperactivity
      increases, the beta-cells experience excessive Ca2+ and reactive oxygen species
      (ROS) signalling that results in cell death and the onset of diabetes. Vitamin D
      deficiency contributes to both the initial insulin resistance and the subsequent
      onset of diabetes caused by beta-cell death. Vitamin D acts to reduce
      inflammation, which is a major process in inducing insulin resistance. Vitamin D
      maintains the normal resting levels of both Ca2+ and ROS that are elevated in the
      beta-cells during diabetes. Vitamin D also has a very significant role in
      maintaining the epigenome. Epigenetic alterations are a feature of diabetes by
      which many diabetes-related genes are inactivated by hypermethylation. Vitamin D
      acts to prevent such hypermethylation by increasing the expression of the DNA
      demethylases that prevent hypermethylation of multiple gene promoter regions of
      many diabetes-related genes. What is remarkable is just how many cellular
      processes are maintained by Vitamin D. When Vitamin D is deficient, many of these
      processes begin to decline and this sets the stage for the onset of diseases such
      as diabetes.

PMID- 28341730
TI  - Combination of ibrutinib and chemotherapy produced a durable remission in
      multiply relapsed diffuse large B-cell lymphoma leg type with mutant MYD88 and
      wildtype CD79.

PMID- 28341731
TI  - Targeting the 5T4 oncofetal glycoprotein with an antibody drug conjugate
      (A1mcMMAF) improves survival in patient-derived xenograft models of acute
      lymphoblastic leukemia.
AB  - Outcome in childhood acute lymphoblastic leukemia is prognosticated from levels
      of minimal residual disease after remission induction therapy. Higher levels of
      minimal residual disease are associated with inferior results even with
      intensification of therapy, thus suggesting that identification and targeting of
      minimal residual disease cells could be a therapeutic strategy. Here we identify
      high expression of 5T4 in subclonal populations of patient-derived xenografts
      from patients with high, post-induction levels of minimal residual disease. 5T4
      positive cells showed preferential ability to overcome the NOD-scidIL2Rgammanull
      mouse xenograft barrier, migrated in vitro on a CXCL12 gradient, preferentially
      localized to bone marrow in vivo and displayed the ability to reconstitute the
      original clonal composition on limited dilution engraftment. Treatment with
      A1mcMMAF (a 5T4-antibody drug conjugate) significantly improved survival without
      overt toxicity in mice engrafted with a 5T4-positive acute lymphoblastic leukemia
      cell line. Mice engrafted with 5T4-positive patient-derived xenograft cells were
      treated with combination chemotherapy or dexamethasone alone and then given
      A1mcMMAF in the minimal residual disease setting. Combination chemotherapy was
      toxic to NOD-scidIL2Rgammanull mice. While dexamethasone or A1mcMMAF alone
      improved outcomes, the sequential administration of dexamethasone and A1mcMMAF
      significantly improved survival (P=0.0006) over either monotherapy. These data
      show that specifically targeting minimal residual disease cells improved outcomes
      and support further investigation of A1mcMMAF in patients with high-risk B-cell
      precursor acute lymphoblastic leukemia identified by 5T4 expression at diagnosis.

PMID- 28341732
TI  - Novel recurrent chromosomal aberrations detected in clonal plasma cells of light
      chain amyloidosis patients show potential adverse prognostic effect: first
      results from a genome-wide copy number array analysis.
AB  - Immunoglobulin light chain (AL) amyloidosis is a rare plasma cell dyscrasia
      characterized by the deposition of abnormal amyloid fibrils in multiple organs,
      thus impairing their function. In the largest cohort studied up to now of 118
      CD138-purified plasma cell samples from previously untreated immunoglobulin light
      chain amyloidosis patients, we assessed in parallel copy number alterations using
      high-density copy number arrays and interphase fluorescence in situ hybridization
      (iFISH). We used fluorescence in situ hybridization probes for the IgH
      translocations t(11;14), t(4;14), and t(14;16) or any other IgH rearrangement as
      well as numerical aberrations of the chromosome loci 1q21, 8p21, 5p15/5q35,
      11q22.3 or 11q23, 13q14, 15q22, 17p13, and 19q13. Recurrent gains included
      chromosomes 1q (36%), 9 (24%), 11q (24%), as well as 19 (15%). Recurrent losses
      affected chromosome 13 (29% monosomy) and partial losses of 14q (19%), 16q (14%)
      and 13q (12%), respectively. In 88% of patients with translocation t(11;14), the
      hallmark chromosomal aberration in AL amyloidosis, a concomitant gain of
      11q22.3/11q23 detected by iFISH was part of the unbalanced translocation
      der(14)t(11;14)(q13;q32) with the breakpoint in the CCND1/MYEOV gene region.
      Partial loss of chromosome regions 14q and 16q were significantly associated to
      gain 1q. Gain 1q21 detected by iFISH almost always resulted from a gain of the
      long arm of chromosome 1 and not from trisomy 1, whereas deletions on chromosome
      1p were rarely found. Overall and event-free survival analysis found a potential
      adverse prognostic effect of concomitant gain 1q and deletion 14q as well as of
      deletion 1p. In conclusion, in the first whole genome report of clonal plasma
      cells in AL amyloidosis, novel aberrations and hitherto unknown potential adverse
      prognostic effects were uncovered.

PMID- 28341733
TI  - Effect of antithymocyte globulin source on outcomes of bone marrow
      transplantation for severe aplastic anemia.
AB  - For treatment of severe aplastic anemia, immunosuppressive therapy with horse
      antithymocyte globulin results in superior response and survival compared with
      rabbit antithymocyte globulin. This relative benefit may be different in the
      setting of transplantation as rabbit antithymocyte globulin results in more
      profound immunosuppression. We analyzed 833 severe aplastic anemia transplants
      between 2008 and 2013 using human leukocyte antigen (HLA)-matched siblings
      (n=546) or unrelated donors (n=287) who received antithymocyte globulin as part
      of their conditioning regimen and bone marrow graft. There were no differences in
      hematopoietic recovery by type of antithymocyte globulin. Among recipients of HLA
      matched sibling transplants, day 100 incidence of acute (17% versus 6%, P<0.001)
      and chronic (20% versus 9%, P<0.001) graft-versus-host disease were higher with
      horse compared to rabbit antithymocyte globulin. There were no differences in 3
      year overall survival, 87% and 92%, P=0.76, respectively. Among recipients of
      unrelated donor transplants, acute graft-versus-host disease was also higher with
      horse compared to rabbit antithymocyte globulin (42% versus 23%, P<0.001) but not
      chronic graft-versus-host disease (38% versus 32%, P=0.35). Survival was lower
      with horse antithymocyte globulin after unrelated donor transplantation, 75%
      versus 83%, P=0.02. These data support the use of rabbit antithymocyte globulin
      for bone marrow transplant conditioning for severe aplastic anemia.

PMID- 28341735
TI  - Venous thromboembolism is associated with graft-versus-host disease and increased
      non-relapse mortality after allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation.
AB  - Although venous thromboembolism rates and risk factors are well described in
      patients with cancer, there are limited data on the incidence, risk factors and
      outcomes of thrombosis after allogeneic stem cell transplantation, a curative
      therapy for patients with hematologic malignancies. We aimed to determine the
      incidence and risks associated with venous thrombosis in allogeneic stem cell
      transplants. We studied 2276 recipients of first transplant between 2002-2013 at
      our institution with a median follow up of 50 months (range 4-146). Using
      pharmacy records and subsequent chart reviews, 190 patients who received systemic
      anticoagulation for venous thrombosis were identified. The 1-and 2-year
      cumulative incidence of all venous thrombotic events were 5.5% (95% confidence
      interval (CI) 4.6-6.5%) and 7.1% (95% CI 6.1-8.2%), respectively. There was no
      difference in age, sex, body mass index, diagnosis, disease risk index,
      conditioning intensity, donor type or graft source between transplant recipients
      with and without subsequent thrombosis. In multivariable models, both acute and
      chronic graft-versus-host disease were independently associated with thrombosis
      occurrence (Hazard ratio (HR)=2.05, 95% CI 1.52-2.76; HR=1.71, 95% CI 1.19-2.46,
      respectively). Upper extremity thrombosis differed from all other thromboses in
      terms of timing, risk factors and clinical impact, and was not associated with
      non-relapse mortality (HR=1.15; 95% CI 0.69-1.90), unlike all other thromboses
      which did increase non-relapse mortality (HR=1.71; 95% CI 1.17-2.49). In subgroup
      analysis evaluating conventional thrombosis predictors by comparing patients with
      and without thrombosis, a history of prior venous thrombosis was the only
      significant predictor. Venous thromboembolism has a high incidence after
      allogeneic stem cell transplant and is associated with graft-versus-host disease
      and non-relapse mortality.

PMID- 28341736
TI  - Molecular landscape of acute promyelocytic leukemia at diagnosis and relapse.

PMID- 28341734
TI  - Development of a modified prognostic index for patients with aggressive adult T
      cell leukemia-lymphoma aged 70 years or younger: possible risk-adapted management
      strategies including allogeneic transplantation.
AB  - Adult T-cell leukemia-lymphoma is a distinct type of peripheral T-cell lymphoma
      caused by human T-cell lymphotropic virus type I. Although allogeneic stem cell
      transplantation after chemotherapy is a recommended treatment option for patients
      with aggressive adult T-cell leukemia-lymphoma, there is no consensus about
      indications for allogeneic stem cell transplantation because there is no
      established risk stratification system for transplant eligible patients. We
      conducted a nationwide survey of patients with aggressive adult T-cell leukemia
      lymphoma in order to construct a new, large database that includes 1,792 patients
      aged 70 years or younger with aggressive adult T-cell leukemia-lymphoma who were
      diagnosed between 2000 and 2013 and received intensive first-line chemotherapy.
      We randomly divided patients into two groups (training and validation sets).
      Acute type, poor performance status, high soluble interleukin-2 receptor levels
      (> 5,000 U/mL), high adjusted calcium levels (>= 12 mg/dL), and high C-reactive
      protein levels (>= 2.5 mg/dL) were independent adverse prognostic factors used in
      the training set. We used these five variables to divide patients into three risk
      groups. In the validation set, median overall survival for the low-, intermediate
      , and high-risk groups was 626 days, 322 days, and 197 days, respectively. In the
      intermediate- and high-risk groups, transplanted recipients had significantly
      better overall survival than non-transplanted patients. We developed a promising
      new risk stratification system to identify patients aged 70 years or younger with
      aggressive adult T-cell leukemia-lymphoma who may benefit from upfront allogeneic
      stem cell transplantation. Prospective studies are warranted to confirm the
      benefit of this treatment strategy.

PMID- 28341737
TI  - An abnormal bone marrow microenvironment contributes to hematopoietic dysfunction
      in Fanconi anemia.
AB  - Fanconi anemia is a complex heterogeneous genetic disorder with a high incidence
      of bone marrow failure, clonal evolution to acute myeloid leukemia and
      mesenchymal-derived congenital anomalies. Increasing evidence in Fanconi anemia
      and other genetic disorders points towards an interdependence of skeletal and
      hematopoietic development, yet the impact of the marrow microenvironment in the
      pathogenesis of the bone marrow failure in Fanconi anemia remains unclear. Here
      we demonstrated that mice with double knockout of both Fancc and Fancg genes had
      decreased bone formation at least partially due to impaired osteoblast
      differentiation from mesenchymal stem/progenitor cells. Mesenchymal
      stem/progenitor cells from the double knockout mice showed impaired hematopoietic
      supportive activity. Mesenchymal stem/progenitor cells of patients with Fanconi
      anemia exhibited similar cellular deficits, including increased senescence,
      reduced proliferation, impaired osteoblast differentiation and defective
      hematopoietic stem/progenitor cell supportive activity. Collectively, these
      studies provide unique insights into the physiological significance of
      mesenchymal stem/progenitor cells in supporting the marrow microenvironment,
      which is potentially of broad relevance in hematopoietic stem cell
      transplantation.

PMID- 28341738
TI  - Higher HOPX expression is associated with distinct clinical and biological
      features and predicts poor prognosis in de novo acute myeloid leukemia.
AB  - Homeodomain-only protein homeobox (HOPX) is the smallest homeodomain protein. It
      was regarded as a stem cell marker in several non-hematopoietic systems. While
      the prototypic homeobox genes such as the HOX family have been well characterized
      in acute myeloid leukemia (AML), the clinical and biological implications of HOPX
      in the disease remain unknown. Thus we analyzed HOPX and global gene expression
      patterns in 347 newly diagnosed de novo AML patients in our institute. We found
      that higher HOPX expression was closely associated with older age, higher
      platelet counts, lower white blood cell counts, lower lactate dehydrogenase
      levels, and mutations in RUNX1, IDH2, ASXL1, and DNMT3A, but negatively
      associated with acute promyelocytic leukemia, favorable karyotypes, CEBPA double
      mutations and NPM1 mutation. Patients with higher HOPX expression had a lower
      complete remission rate and shorter survival. The finding was validated in two
      independent cohorts. Multivariate analysis revealed that higher HOPX expression
      was an independent unfavorable prognostic factor irrespective of other known
      prognostic parameters and gene signatures derived from multiple cohorts. Gene set
      enrichment analysis showed higher HOPX expression was associated with both
      hematopoietic and leukemia stem cell signatures. While HOPX and HOX family genes
      showed concordant expression patterns in normal hematopoietic stem/progenitor
      cells, their expression patterns and associated clinical and biological features
      were distinctive in AML settings, demonstrating HOPX to be a unique homeobox
      gene. Therefore, HOPX is a distinctive homeobox gene with characteristic clinical
      and biological implications and its expression is a powerful predictor of
      prognosis in AML patients.

PMID- 28341739
TI  - Modifiers of prion protein biogenesis and recycling identified by a highly
      parallel endocytosis kinetics assay.
AB  - The cellular prion protein, PrPC, is attached by a glycosylphosphatidylinositol
      anchor to the outer leaflet of the plasma membrane. Its misfolded isoform PrPSc
      is the causative agent of prion diseases. Conversion of PrPC into PrPSc is
      thought to take place at the cell surface or in endolysosomal organelles.
      Understanding the intracellular trafficking of PrPC may, therefore, help
      elucidate the conversion process. Here we describe a time-resolved fluorescence
      energy transfer (FRET) assay reporting membrane expression and real-time
      internalization rates of PrPC The assay is suitable for high-throughput genetic
      and pharmaceutical screens for modulators of PrPC trafficking. Simultaneous
      administration of FRET donor and acceptor anti-PrPC antibodies to living cells
      yielded a measure of PrPC surface density, whereas sequential addition of each
      antibody visualized the internalization rate of PrPC (Z' factor >0.5). RNA
      interference assays showed that suppression of AP2M1 (AP-2 adaptor protein),
      RAB5A, VPS35 (vacuolar protein sorting 35 homolog), and M6PR (mannose 6-phosphate
      receptor) blocked PrPC internalization, whereas down-regulation of GIT2 and VPS28
      increased PrPC internalization. PrPC cell-surface expression was reduced by down
      regulation of RAB5A, VPS28, and VPS35 and enhanced by silencing EHD1. These data
      identify a network of proteins implicated in PrPC trafficking and demonstrate the
      power of this assay for identifying modulators of PrPC trafficking.

PMID- 28341740
TI  - Nanomolar nitric oxide concentrations quickly and reversibly modulate astrocytic
      energy metabolism.
AB  - Nitric oxide (NO) is an intercellular messenger involved in multiple bodily
      functions. Prolonged NO exposure irreversibly inhibits respiration by covalent
      modification of mitochondrial cytochrome oxidase, a phenomenon of pathological
      relevance. However, the speed and potency of NO's metabolic effects at
      physiological concentrations are incompletely characterized. To this end, we set
      out to investigate the metabolic effects of NO in cultured astrocytes from mice
      by taking advantage of the high spatiotemporal resolution afforded by genetically
      encoded Forster resonance energy transfer (FRET) nanosensors. NO exposure
      resulted in immediate and reversible intracellular glucose depletion and lactate
      accumulation. Consistent with cytochrome oxidase involvement, the glycolytic
      effect was enhanced at a low oxygen level and became irreversible at a high NO
      concentration or after prolonged exposure. Measurements of both glycolytic rate
      and mitochondrial pyruvate consumption revealed significant effects even at
      nanomolar NO concentrations. We conclude that NO can modulate astrocytic energy
      metabolism in the short term, reversibly, and at concentrations known to be
      released by endothelial cells under physiological conditions. These findings
      suggest that NO modulates the size of the astrocytic lactate reservoir involved
      in neuronal fueling and signaling.

PMID- 28341742
TI  - pH regulation in early endosomes and interferon-inducible transmembrane proteins
      control avian retrovirus fusion.
AB  - Enveloped viruses infect host cells by fusing their membranes with those of the
      host cell, a process mediated by viral glycoproteins upon binding to cognate host
      receptors or entering into acidic intracellular compartments. Whereas the effect
      of receptor density on viral infection has been well studied, the role of cell
      type-specific factors/processes, such as pH regulation, has not been
      characterized in sufficient detail. Here, we examined the effects of cell
      extrinsic factors (buffer environment) and cell-intrinsic factors (interferon
      inducible transmembrane proteins, IFITMs), on the pH regulation in early
      endosomes and on the efficiency of acid-dependent fusion of the avian sarcoma and
      leukosis virus (ASLV), with endosomes. First, we found that a modest elevation of
      external pH can raise the pH in early endosomes in a cell type-dependent manner
      and thereby delay the acid-induced fusion of endocytosed ASLV. Second, we
      observed a cell type-dependent delay between the low pH-dependent and temperature
      dependent steps of viral fusion, consistent with the delayed enlargement of the
      fusion pore. Third, ectopic expression of IFITMs, known to potently block
      influenza virus fusion with late compartments, was found to only partially
      inhibit ASLV fusion with early endosomes. Interestingly, IFITM expression
      promoted virus uptake and the acidification of endosomal compartments, resulting
      in an accelerated fusion rate when driven by the glycosylphosphatidylinositol
      anchored, but not by the transmembrane isoform of the ASLV receptor.
      Collectively, these results highlight the role of cell-extrinsic and cell
      intrinsic factors in regulating the efficiency and kinetics of virus entry and
      fusion with target cells.

PMID- 28341743
TI  - Adductome-based identification of biomarkers for lipid peroxidation.
AB  - Lipid peroxidation is an endogenous source of aldehydes that gives rise to
      covalent modification of proteins in various pathophysiological states. In this
      study, a strategy for the comprehensive detection and comparison of adducts was
      applied to find a biomarker for lipid peroxidation-modified proteins in vivo This
      adductome approach utilized liquid chromatography with electrospray ionization
      tandem mass spectrometry (LC-ESI-MS/MS) methods designed to detect the specific
      product ions from positively ionized adducts in a selected reaction monitoring
      mode. Using this procedure, we comprehensively analyzed lysine and histidine
      adducts generated in the in vitro oxidized low-density lipoproteins (LDL) and
      observed a prominent increase in several adducts, including a major lysine
      adduct. Based on the high resolution ESI-MS of the adduct and on the LC-ESI-MS/MS
      analysis of the synthetic adduct candidates, the major lysine adduct detected in
      the oxidized LDL was identified as Nepsilon-(8-carboxyoctanyl)lysine (COL).
      Strikingly, a significantly higher amount of COL was detected in the sera from
      atherosclerosis-prone mice and from patients with hyperlipidemia compared with
      the controls. These data not only offer structural insights into protein
      modification by lipid peroxidation products but also provide a platform for the
      discovery of biomarkers for human diseases.

PMID- 28341741
TI  - Endogenous prostaglandin E2 amplifies IL-33 production by macrophages through an
      E prostanoid (EP)2/EP4-cAMP-EPAC-dependent pathway.
AB  - When activated through toll-like receptors (TLRs), macrophages generate IL-33, an
      IL-1 family member that induces innate immune responses through ST2 signaling.
      LPS, a TLR4 ligand, induces macrophages to generate prostaglandin E2 (PGE2)
      through inducible COX-2 and microsomal PGE2 synthase 1 (mPGES-1) (1). We
      demonstrate that IL-33 production by bone marrow-derived murine macrophages
      (bmMFs) requires the generation of endogenous PGE2 and the intrinsic expression
      of EP2 receptors to amplify NF-kappaB-dependent, LPS-induced IL-33 expression via
      exchange protein activated by cAMP (EPAC). Compared with WT cells, bmMFs lacking
      either mPGES-1 or EP2 receptors displayed reduced LPS-induced IL-33 levels. A
      selective EP2 agonist and, to a lesser extent, EP4 receptor agonist potentiated
      LPS-induced IL-33 generation from both mPGES-1-null and WT bmMFs, whereas EP1 and
      EP3 receptor agonists were inactive. The effects of PGE2 depended on cAMP, were
      mimicked by an EPAC-selective agonist, and were attenuated by EPAC-selective
      antagonism and knockdown. LPS-induced p38 MAPK and NF-kappaB activations were
      necessary for both IL-33 production and PGE2 generation, and exogenous PGE2
      partly reversed the suppression of IL-33 production caused by p38 MAPK and NF
      kappaB inhibition. Mice lacking mPGES-1 showed lower IL-33 levels and attenuated
      lung inflammation in response to repetitive Alternaria inhalation challenges.
      Cumulatively, our data demonstrate that endogenous PGE2, EP2 receptors, and EPAC
      are prerequisites for maximal LPS-induced IL-33 expression and that exogenous
      PGE2 can amplify IL-33 production via EP2 and EP4 receptors. The ubiquitous
      induction of mPGES-1-dependent PGE2 may be crucial for innate immune system
      activation during various IL-33 driven pathologic disorders.

PMID- 28341744
TI  - beta-Arrestin 1 has an essential role in neurokinin-1 receptor-mediated
      glioblastoma cell proliferation and G2/M phase transition.
AB  - Glioblastoma is the most common malignant brain tumor and has a poor prognosis.
      Tachykinin receptor neurokinin-1 (NK1R) is a promising target in glioblastoma
      therapy because of its overexpression in human glioblastoma. NK1R agonists
      promote glioblastoma cell growth, whereas NK1R antagonists efficiently inhibit
      cell growth both in vitro and in vivo However, the molecular mechanisms involved
      in these effects are incompletely understood. beta-Arrestins (ARRBs) serve as
      scaffold proteins and adapters to mediate intracellular signal transduction. Here
      we show that the ARRB1-mediated signaling pathway is essential for NK1-mediated
      glioblastoma cell proliferation. ARRB1 knockdown significantly inhibited NK1
      mediated glioblastoma cell proliferation and induced G2/M phase cell cycle
      arrest. ARRB1 knockdown cells showed remarkable down-regulation of
      CDC25C/CDK1/cyclin B1 activity. We also demonstrated that ARRB1 mediated
      prolonged phosphorylation of ERK1/2 and Akt in glioblastoma cells induced by NK1R
      activation. ERK1/2 and Akt phosphorylation are involved in regulating
      CDC25C/CDK1/cyclin B1 activity. The lack of long-term ERK1/2 and Akt activation
      in ARRB1 knockdown cells was at least partly responsible for the delayed cell
      cycle progression and proliferation. Moreover, we found that ARRB1-mediated
      ERK1/2 and Akt phosphorylation regulated the transcriptional activity of both NF
      kappaB and AP-1, which were involved in cyclin B1 expression. ARRB1 deficiency
      increased the sensitivity of glioblastoma cells to the treatment of NK1R
      antagonists. Taken together, our results suggest that ARRB1 plays an essential
      role in NK1R-mediated cell proliferation and G2/M transition in glioblastoma
      cells. Interference with ARRB1-mediated signaling via NK1R may have potential
      significance for therapeutic strategies targeting glioblastoma.

PMID- 28341745
TI  - Phospholipase C-related, but catalytically inactive protein (PRIP) up-regulates
      osteoclast differentiation via calcium-calcineurin-NFATc1 signaling.
AB  - Phospholipase C-related, but catalytically inactive protein (PRIP) was previously
      identified as a novel inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate-binding protein with a domain
      organization similar to that of phospholipase C-delta but lacking phospholipase
      activity. We recently showed that PRIP gene knock-out (KO) in mice increases bone
      formation and concomitantly decreases bone resorption, resulting in increased
      bone mineral density and trabecular bone volume. However, the role of PRIP in
      osteoclastogenesis has not yet been fully elucidated. Here, we investigated the
      effects of PRIP on bone remodeling by investigating dynamic tooth movement in
      mice fitted with orthodontic devices. Morphological analysis indicated that the
      extent of tooth movement was smaller in the PRIP-KO mice than in wild-type mice.
      Histological analysis revealed fewer osteoclasts on the bone-resorption side in
      maxillary bones of PRIP-KO mice, and osteoclast formation assays and flow
      cytometry indicated lower osteoclast differentiation in bone marrow cells
      isolated from these mice. The expression of genes implicated in bone resorption
      was lower in differentiated PRIP-KO cells, and genes involved in osteoclast
      differentiation, such as the transcription factor NFATc1, exhibited lower
      expression in immature PRIP-KO cells initiated by M-CSF. Moreover, calcineurin
      expression and activity were also lower in the PRIP-KO cells. The PRIP-KO cells
      also displayed fewer M-CSF-induced changes in intracellular Ca2+ and exhibited
      reduced nuclear localization of NFATc1. Up-regulation of intracellular Ca2+
      restored osteoclastogenesis of the PRIP-KO cells. These results indicate that
      PRIP deficiency impairs osteoclast differentiation, particularly at the early
      stages, and that PRIP stimulates osteoclast differentiation through calcium
      calcineurin-NFATc1 signaling via regulating intracellular Ca2.

PMID- 28341746
TI  - Leveraging sequence-based faecal microbial community survey data to identify a
      composite biomarker for colorectal cancer.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: Colorectal cancer (CRC) is the second leading cause of cancer
      associated mortality in the USA. The faecal microbiome may provide non-invasive
      biomarkers of CRC and indicate transition in the adenoma-carcinoma sequence. Re
      analysing raw sequence and metadata from several studies uniformly, we sought to
      identify a composite and generalisable microbial marker for CRC. DESIGN: Raw 16S
      rRNA gene sequence data sets from nine studies were processed with two pipelines,
      (1) QIIME closed reference (QIIME-CR) or (2) a strain-specific method herein
      termed SS-UP (Strain Select, UPARSE bioinformatics pipeline). A total of 509
      samples (79 colorectal adenoma, 195 CRC and 235 controls) were analysed.
      Differential abundance, meta-analysis random effects regression and machine
      learning analyses were carried out to determine the consistency and diagnostic
      capabilities of potential microbial biomarkers. RESULTS: Definitive taxa,
      including Parvimonas micra ATCC 33270, Streptococcus anginosus and yet-to-be
      cultured members of Proteobacteria, were frequently and significantly increased
      in stools from patients with CRC compared with controls across studies and had
      high discriminatory capacity in diagnostic classification. Microbiome-based CRC
      versus control classification produced an area under receiver operator
      characteristic (AUROC) curve of 76.6% in QIIME-CR and 80.3% in SS-UP. Combining
      clinical and microbiome markers gave a diagnostic AUROC of 83.3% for QIIME-CR and
      91.3% for SS-UP. CONCLUSIONS: Despite technological differences across studies
      and methods, key microbial markers emerged as important in classifying CRC cases
      and such could be used in a universal diagnostic for the disease. The choice of
      bioinformatics pipeline influenced accuracy of classification. Strain-resolved
      microbial markers might prove crucial in providing a microbial diagnostic for
      CRC.

PMID- 28341747
TI  - Gut symbiotic microbes imprint intestinal immune cells with the innate receptor
      SLAMF4 which contributes to gut immune protection against enteric pathogens.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Interactions between host immune cells and gut microbiota are crucial
      for the integrity and function of the intestine. How these interactions regulate
      immune cell responses in the intestine remains a major gap in the field. AIM: We
      have identified the signalling lymphocyte activation molecule family member 4
      (SLAMF4) as an immunomodulator of the intestinal immunity. The aim is to
      determine how SLAMF4 is acquired in the gut and what its contribution to
      intestinal immunity is. METHODS: Expression of SLAMF4 was assessed in mice and
      humans. The mechanism of induction was studied using GFPtg bone marrow chimaera
      mice, lymphotoxin alpha and TNLG8A-deficient mice, as well as gnotobiotic mice.
      Role in immune protection was revealed using oral infection with Listeria
      monocytogenes and Cytobacter rodentium. RESULTS: SLAMF4 is a selective marker of
      intestinal immune cells of mice and humans. SLAMF4 induction occurs directly in
      the intestinal mucosa without the involvement of the gut-associated lymphoid
      tissue. Gut bacterial products, particularly those of gut anaerobes, and gut
      resident antigen-presenting cell (APC) TNLG8A are key contributors of SLAMF4
      induction in the intestine. Importantly, lack of SLAMF4 expression leads the
      increased susceptibility of mice to infection by oral pathogens culminating in
      their premature death. CONCLUSIONS: SLAMF4 is a marker of intestinal immune cells
      which contributes to the protection against enteric pathogens and whose
      expression is dependent on the presence of the gut microbiota. This discovery
      provides a possible mechanism for answering the long-standing question of how the
      intertwining of the host and gut microbial biology regulates immune cell
      responses in the gut.

PMID- 28341749
TI  - Suppression of interferon-mediated anti-HBV response by single CpG methylation in
      the 5'-UTR of TRIM22.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: Interferons (IFNs) mediate direct antiviral activity. They play a
      crucial role in the early host immune response against viral infections. However,
      IFN therapy for HBV infection is less effective than for other viral infections.
      DESIGN: We explored the cellular targets of HBV in response to IFNs using
      proteome-wide screening. RESULTS: Using LC-MS/MS, we identified proteins
      downregulated and upregulated by IFN treatment in HBV X protein (HBx)-stable and
      control cells. We found several IFN-stimulated genes downregulated by HBx,
      including TRIM22, which is known as an antiretroviral protein. We demonstrated
      that HBx suppresses the transcription of TRIM22 through a single CpG methylation
      in its 5'-UTR, which further reduces the IFN regulatory factor-1 binding
      affinity, thereby suppressing the IFN-stimulated induction of TRIM22.
      CONCLUSIONS: We verified our findings using a mouse model, primary human
      hepatocytes and human liver tissues. Our data elucidate a mechanism by which HBV
      evades the host innate immune system.

PMID- 28341750
TI  - Mortality associated with the treatment of HCV with direct-acting antivirals.

PMID- 28341748
TI  - Drug-induced liver injury: recent advances in diagnosis and risk assessment.
AB  - Idiosyncratic drug-induced liver injury (IDILI) is a rare but potentially severe
      adverse drug reaction that should be considered in patients who develop
      laboratory criteria for liver injury secondary to the administration of a
      potentially hepatotoxic drug. Although currently used liver parameters are
      sensitive in detecting DILI, they are neither specific nor able to predict the
      patient's subsequent clinical course. Genetic risk assessment is useful mainly
      due to its high negative predictive value, with several human leucocyte antigen
      alleles being associated with DILI. New emerging biomarkers which could be useful
      in assessing DILI include total keratin18 (K18) and caspase-cleaved keratin18
      (ccK18), macrophage colony-stimulating factor receptor 1, high mobility group box
      1 and microRNA-122. From the numerous in vitro test systems that are available,
      monocyte-derived hepatocytes generated from patients with DILI show promise in
      identifying the DILI-causing agent from among a panel of coprescribed drugs.
      Several computer-based algorithms are available that rely on cumulative scores of
      known risk factors such as the administered dose or potential liabilities such as
      mitochondrial toxicity, inhibition of the bile salt export pump or the formation
      of reactive metabolites. A novel DILI cluster score is being developed which
      predicts DILI from multiple complimentary cluster and classification models using
      absorption-distribution-metabolism-elimination-related as well as physicochemical
      properties, diverse substructural descriptors and known structural liabilities.
      The provision of more advanced scientific and regulatory guidance for liver
      safety assessment will depend on validating the new diagnostic markers in the
      ongoing DILI registries, biobanks and public-private partnerships.

PMID- 28341751
TI  - Low Recombination Proficiency Score (RPS) Predicts Heightened Sensitivity to DNA
      Damaging Chemotherapy in Breast Cancer.
AB  - Purpose: Molecular-based cancer tests have been developed to augment the standard
      clinical and pathologic features used to tailor treatments to individual breast
      cancer patients. Homologous recombination (HR) repairs double-stranded DNA breaks
      and promotes tolerance to lesions that disrupt DNA replication. Recombination
      Proficiency Score (RPS) quantifies HR efficiency based on the expression of four
      genes involved in DNA damage repair. We hypothesized low RPS values can identify
      HR-deficient breast cancers most sensitive to DNA-damaging
      chemotherapy.Experimental Design: We collected pathologic tumor responses and
      tumor gene expression values for breast cancer patients that were prospectively
      enrolled on clinical trials involving preoperative chemotherapy followed by
      surgery (N = 513). We developed an algorithm to calculate breast cancer-specific
      RPS (RPSb) values on an individual sample basis.Results: Low RPSb tumors are
      approximately twice as likely to exhibit a complete pathologic response or
      minimal residual disease to preoperative anthracycline-based chemotherapy as
      compared with high RPSb tumors. Basal, HER2-enriched, and luminal B breast cancer
      subtypes exhibit low RPSb values. In addition, RPSb predicts treatment
      responsiveness after controlling for clinical and pathologic features, as well as
      intrinsic breast subtype.Conclusions: Overall, our findings indicate that low RPS
      breast cancers exhibit aggressive features at baseline, but they have heightened
      sensitivity to DNA-damaging chemotherapy. Low RPSb values in basal, HER2
      enriched, and luminal B subtypes provide a mechanistic explanation for their
      clinical behaviors and genomic instability. RPSb augments standard clinical and
      pathologic features used to tailor treatments, thereby enabling more personalized
      treatment strategies for individual breast cancer patients. Clin Cancer Res;
      23(15); 4493-500. (c)2017 AACR.

PMID- 28341753
TI  - Aspirin and Risk of Subarachnoid Hemorrhage: Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.
AB  - BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Recent studies have suggested that the use of low-dose
      aspirin may reduce the risk of aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage (aSAH). We
      aimed to evaluate any association between aspirin use and risk of aSAH based on
      the literature, and whether this is influenced by duration or frequency of
      aspirin use. METHODS: A search of electronic databases was done from inception to
      September 2016. For each study, data on risk of aSAH in aspirin versus nonaspirin
      users were used to generate odds ratios and 95% confidence intervals, and
      combined using inverse variance-weighted averages of logarithmic odds ratios in a
      random-effects models. RESULTS: From 7 included studies, no significant
      difference was noted between aspirin use of any duration or frequency and
      nonaspirin users (odds ratio, 1.00; 95% confidence interval, 0.81-1.24; P=0.99).
      We found a significant association between short-term use of aspirin (<3 months)
      and the risk of aSAH (odds ratio, 1.61; 95% confidence interval, 1.20-2.18;
      P=0.002). No significant difference was found in terms of risk of aSAH for 3 to
      12 months, 1 to 3 years, and >3 years of durations of use. No significant
      association was found between infrequent aspirin use (<=2* per week) or frequent
      use (>=3* per week) with risk of aSAH. CONCLUSIONS: Current evidence suggests
      that short-term (<3 months) use of aspirin is associated with increased risk of
      aSAH. Limitations include substantial heterogenity of the included studies. The
      role of long-term aspirin in reducing risk of aSAH remains unclear and ideally
      should be addressed by an appropriately designed randomized controlled trial.

PMID- 28341752
TI  - The Promise of Targeting Macrophages in Cancer Therapy.
AB  - Cancer therapy has developed around the concept of killing, or stopping the
      growth of, the cancer cells. Molecularly targeted therapy is the modern
      expression of this paradigm. Increasingly, however, the realization that the
      cancer has co-opted the normal cells of the stroma for its own survival has led
      to the concept that the tumor microenvironment (TME) could be targeted for
      effective therapy. In this review, we outline the importance of tumor-associated
      macrophages (TAM), a major component of the TME, in the response of tumors to
      cancer therapy. We discuss the normal role of macrophages in wound healing, the
      major phenotypes of TAMs, and their role in blunting the efficacy of cancer
      treatment by radiation and anticancer drugs, both by promoting tumor angiogenesis
      and by suppressing antitumor immunity. Finally, we review the many preclinical
      studies that have shown that the response of tumors to irradiation and anticancer
      drugs can be improved, sometimes markedly so, by depleting TAMs from tumors or by
      suppressing their polarization from an M1 to an M2 phenotype. The data clearly
      support the validity of clinical testing of combining targeting TAMs with
      conventional therapy. Clin Cancer Res; 23(13); 3241-50. (c)2017 AACR.

PMID- 28341754
TI  - Proportional Recovery From Lower Limb Motor Impairment After Stroke.
AB  - BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: In people with preserved corticospinal tract (CST)
      function after stroke, upper limb impairment resolves by ~70% within 3 months.
      This is known as the proportional recovery rule. Patients without CST function do
      not fit this rule and have worse upper limb outcomes. This study investigated
      resolution of motor impairment in the lower limb (LL). METHODS: Patients with
      stroke and LL weakness were assessed 3 days and 3 months after stroke with the LL
      Fugl-Meyer. CST integrity was determined in a subset of patients using
      transcranial magnetic stimulation to test for LL motor-evoked potentials and
      magnetic resonance imaging to measure CST lesion load. Linear regression analyses
      were conducted to predict resolution of motor impairment (DeltaFugl-Meyer)
      including factors initial impairment, motor-evoked potential status, CST lesion
      load, and LL therapy dose. RESULTS: Thirty-two patients completed 3-month follow
      up and recovered 74% (95% confidence interval, 60%-88%) of initial LL motor
      impairment. Initial impairment was the only significant predictor of resolution
      of motor impairment. There was no identifiable cluster of patients who did not
      fit the proportional recovery rule. Measures of CST integrity did not predict
      proportional LL recovery. CONCLUSIONS: LL impairment resolves by ~70% within 3
      months after stroke. The absence of a nonfitter group may be because of
      differences in the neuroanatomical organization of descending motor tracts to the
      upper limb and LL. Proportional recovery of the LL is not influenced by therapy
      dose providing further evidence that it reflects a fundamental biological
      process.

PMID- 28341755
TI  - Pathogenic variants in the healthy elderly: unique ethical and practical
      challenges.
AB  - : : Genetic research into ageing, longevity and late-onset disease is becoming
      increasingly common. Yet, there is a paucity of knowledge related to clinical
      actionability and the return of pathogenic variants to otherwise healthy elderly
      individuals. Whether or not genetic research in the elderly should be managed
      differently from standard practices adapted for younger populations has not yet
      been defined. In this article, we provide an overview of ethical and practical
      challenges in preparing for a genetic study of over 14 000 healthy Australians
      aged 70 years or older enrolled in the ASPirin in Reducing Events in the Elderly
      (ASPREE) Healthy Ageing Biobank. At the time of consent, all participants in this
      study were free of life-threatening illness, cardiovascular disease or cognitive
      impairment. ASPREE is thus a cohort of healthy elderly individuals with seemingly
      minimal burden of genetic disease recruited without ascertainment bias. The
      cohort presents a unique opportunity to address the penetrance of known
      pathogenic variants in a population without disease symptoms; however, it also
      raises a number of ethical concerns regarding the interpretation and disclosure
      of variants with known clinical actionability. Some of the challenges include (a)
      how to manage the interpretation, disclosure and actioning of pathogenic variants
      found in otherwise healthy elderly adults without disease symptoms, (b) whether
      or not to disclose findings for the benefit of family members rather than elderly
      consented donors themselves, (c) how to manage the return of genetic findings to
      the elderly individuals who are now in severe cognitive decline or terminal
      illness, (d) how to ensure quality of information and clinical service upon
      disclosure of results to this demographic and (e) how to prepare for the
      insurance implications of disclosing genetic information under Australian law. We
      discuss these and other dilemmas and propose a defensible plan of management.
      TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER: ISRCTN83772183.

PMID- 28341756
TI  - Distress, disease, desire: perspectives on the medicalisation of premature
      ejaculation.
AB  - The discovery that certain selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors delay
      ejaculation and the later development and approval of dapoxetine as an on-demand
      treatment option has led to a dramatic increase in medical interest in premature
      ejaculation. This paper analyses the diagnostic criteria and the discussion
      within the medical community about suitable treatments against the backdrop of
      theories of science, sex and gender. Our conclusion is that the diagnosis itself
      and the suggested treatments contribute to normative models of sexual conduct and
      therefore reinforce the norms that cause patients' distress over ejaculating 'too
      soon'.

PMID- 28341757
TI  - Elevated Serum Levels of sCD30 and IL6 and Detectable IL10 Precede Classical
      Hodgkin Lymphoma Diagnosis.
AB  - Background: We investigated whether an immune system environment characterized by
      elevated serum levels of B-cell activation molecules was associated with the
      subsequent development of classical Hodgkin lymphoma (cHL).Methods: We measured
      serum levels of B-cell-stimulatory cytokines, IL6 and IL10, soluble CD30 (sCD30),
      and total IgE prior to cHL diagnosis in 103 cases and 206 matched controls with
      archived specimens in the DoD Serum Repository.Results: Prediagnosis serum sCD30
      and IL6 levels had strong positive associations with risk of a cHL diagnosis 0 to
      1 year prior to diagnosis [sCD30 OR = 5.5; 95% confidence interval (CI), 3.4-9.0;
      IL6 OR = 4.6; 95% CI, 2.9-7.5] and >1 year to 2 years pre-cHL diagnosis (sCD30 OR
      = 3.3; 95% CI, 1.6-6.7; IL6 OR = 2.9; 95% CI, 1.3-6.5). We observed similar,
      albeit not consistently significant positive associations, over 4 or more years
      preceding diagnosis. We did not observe a clear association with IgE levels. Of
      note, detectable IL10 levels were significantly associated with Epstein-Barr
      virus (EBV)-positive cHL cases compared with EBV-negative cases.Conclusion: In
      this prospective analysis, elevated sCD30 and IL6 levels and detectable IL10
      preceded cHL diagnosis.Impact: The associations of these cytokines with cHL risk
      may reflect the production of these molecules by proliferating nascent cHL tumor
      cells, or by immune cells responding to their presence, prior to clinical
      detection. The stable elevation in cHL risk, 4 or more years prediagnosis, also
      suggests that a B-cell-stimulatory immune system milieu precedes, and may
      promote, lymphomagenesis. Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev; 26(7); 1114-23.
      (c)2017 AACR.

PMID- 28341758
TI  - High Salt Intake Is Associated with Atrophic Gastritis with Intestinal
      Metaplasia.
AB  - Background: Although several studies have investigated excessive salt intake as a
      risk factor for gastric precancerous lesions, such as atrophic gastritis and
      intestinal metaplasia, the evidence is insufficient to make a conclusion. We
      evaluated the association between gastric precancerous lesions and salt
      intake.Methods: From 2008 to 2015, the medical records of 728 subjects who
      underwent upper gastrointestinal endoscopy and sodium excretion in 24-hour urine
      tests were retrospectively reviewed. Sixty-six subjects were excluded due to
      diuretics use (n = 55), diagnosis with a gastric neoplasm (n = 4), or the cases
      of intestinal metaplasia in the absence of atrophy (n = 7), so 662 subjects were
      included. Atrophic gastritis and intestinal metaplasia were diagnosed by
      endoscopic findings. The subjects were grouped into three levels by tertiles of
      24-hour urine sodium excretion.Results: A total of 192 (29.0%) had atrophic
      gastritis without intestinal metaplasia and 112 (16.9%) had atrophic gastritis
      with intestinal metaplasia. A total of 276 subjects (61.5%) were infected with
      Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori). In multivariate analyses, H. pylori infection
      [OR = 14.17; 95% confidence interval (CI), 7.12-28.22) was associated with
      atrophic gastritis without intestinal metaplasia. Highest levels of sodium
      excretion (OR = 2.870; 95% CI, 1.34-6.14), heavy smoking (>=20 pack-years) (OR =
      2.75; 95% CI, 1.02-7.39), and H. pylori infection (OR = 3.96; 95% CI, 2.02-7.76)
      were associated with atrophic gastritis with intestinal metaplasia.Conclusions:
      Our endoscopy-based study suggested that high salt intake could be associated
      with an increased risk of atrophic gastritis with intestinal metaplasia.Impact:
      Low salt diet might be helpful to prevent gastric carcinogenesis. Cancer
      Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev; 26(7); 1133-8. (c)2017 AACR.

PMID- 28341760
TI  - Intratumoral Heterogeneity in Breast Cancer: A Comparison of Primary and
      Metastatic Breast Cancers.
AB  - Intratumoral heterogeneity presents challenges in the management of cancer. To
      gain deeper insight in intratumoral heterogeneity at different levels and tumor
      sites for common biomarkers in breast cancers, this report examines seven cases
      of invasive breast cancer with multiple axillary nodal metastases and/or
      recurrences for immunohistochemical expression of estrogen receptors,
      progesterone receptors, human epidermal growth receptor 2, and Ki67 on all tissue
      blocks in both primary and metastatic tumors. The Oncologist 2017;22:487-490.

PMID- 28341759
TI  - A Phase Ib Study of Sorafenib (BAY 43-9006) in Patients with Kaposi Sarcoma.
AB  - LESSONS LEARNED: Oral targeted agents are desirable for treatment of Kaposi
      sarcoma (KS); however, in patients with HIV, drug-drug interactions must be
      considered. In this study to treat KS, sorafenib was poorly tolerated at doses
      less than those approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for
      hepatocellular carcinoma and other cancers, and showed only modest
      activity.Sorafenib's metabolism occurs via the CYP3A4 pathway, which is inhibited
      by ritonavir, a commonly used antiretroviral agent used by most patients in this
      study. Strong CYP3A4 inhibition by ritonavir may contribute to the observed
      sorafenib toxicity.Alternate antiretroviral agents without predicted interactions
      are preferred for co-administration in patients with HIV and cancers for which
      sorafenib is indicated. BACKGROUND: We conducted a phase Ib study of sorafenib, a
      vascular epithelial growth factor receptor (VEGFR), c-kit, and platelet derived
      growth factor receptor (PDGFR)-targeted treatment in Kaposi sarcoma (KS). We
      evaluated drug-drug interactions between sorafenib and ritonavir, an HIV
      medication with strong CYP3A4 inhibitory activity. METHODS: Two cohorts were
      enrolled: HIV-related KS on ritonavir (Cohort R) and HIV-related or classical KS
      not receiving ritonavir (Cohort NR). Sorafenib dose level 1 in cohort R (R1) was
      200 mg daily and 200 mg every 12 hours in cohort NR (NR1). Steady-state
      pharmacokinetics were evaluated at cycle 1, day 8. KS responses and correlative
      factors were assessed. RESULTS: Ten patients (nine HIV+) were enrolled: R1
      (eight), NR1 (two). Median CD4+ count (HIV+) was 500 cells/uL. Dose-limiting
      toxicities (DLTs) were grade 3 elevated lipase (R1), grade 4 thrombocytopenia
      (R1), and grade 3 hand-foot syndrome (NR1). Two of seven evaluable patients had a
      partial response (PR; 29%; 95% CI 4%-71%). Steady-state area under the curve of
      the dosing interval (AUCTAU) of sorafenib was not significantly affected by
      ritonavir; however, a trend for decreased AUCTAU of the CYP3A4 metabolite
      sorafenib-N-oxide (3.8-fold decrease; p = .08) suggests other metabolites may be
      increased. CONCLUSION: Sorafenib was poorly tolerated, and anti-KS activity was
      modest. Strong CYP3A4 inhibitors may contribute to sorafenib toxicity, and
      ritonavir has previously been shown to be a CYP3A4 inhibitor. Alternate
      antiretroviral agents without predicted interactions should be used when possible
      for concurrent administration with sorafenib. The Oncologist 2017;22:505-e49.

PMID- 28341761
TI  - Cardiac Safety of Dual Anti-HER2 Therapy in the Neoadjuvant Setting for Treatment
      of HER2-Positive Breast Cancer.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Trastuzumab and pertuzumab are approved for the neoadjuvant treatment
      of human epidermal growth receptor 2 (HER2)-positive breast cancer, but cardiac
      safety data is limited. We report the cardiac safety of dose-dense doxorubicin
      and cyclophosphamide (AC) followed by paclitaxel, trastuzumab, and pertuzumab
      (THP) in the neoadjuvant setting followed by adjuvant trastuzumab-based therapy.
      METHODS: Fifty-seven patients treated with neoadjuvant dose-dense AC-THP followed
      by adjuvant trastuzumab-based therapy between September 1, 2013, and March 1,
      2015, were identified. The primary outcome was cardiac event rate, defined by
      heart failure (New York Heart Association [NYHA] class III/IV) or cardiac death.
      Patients underwent left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) monitoring at
      baseline, after AC, and serially during 1 year of anti-HER2 therapy. RESULTS: The
      median age was 46 years (range 26-68). Two (3.5%) patients developed NYHA class
      III/IV heart failure 5 and 9 months after initiation of trastuzumab-based
      therapy, leading to permanent discontinuation of anti-HER2 treatment. Seven
      (12.3%) patients developed a significant LVEF decline (without NYHA class III/IV
      symptoms). The median LVEF was 65% (range 55%-75%) at baseline and 64% (range 53%
      72%) after AC, and decreased to 60% (range 35%-70%), 60% (range 23%-73%), 61%
      (range 25%-73%), and 58% (range 28%-66%) after 3, 6, 9, and 12 months (+/- 6
      weeks) of trastuzumab-based therapy. CONCLUSION: The incidence of NYHA class
      III/IV heart failure after neoadjuvant AC-THP (followed by adjuvant trastuzumab
      based therapy) is comparable to rates reported in trials of sequential
      doxorubicin and trastuzumab. Our findings do not suggest an increased risk of
      cardiotoxicity from trastuzumab plus pertuzumab following a doxorubicin-based
      regimen. IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTICE: Dual anti-human epidermal growth receptor 2
      (HER2) therapy with trastuzumab and pertuzumab combined with standard
      chemotherapy has received accelerated approval for the neoadjuvant treatment of
      stage II-III HER2-positive breast cancer. Cardiac safety data for trastuzumab and
      pertuzumab in this setting are limited to clinical trials that utilized
      epirubicin-based chemotherapy. Formalized investigations into the cardiac safety
      of trastuzumab and pertuzumab with doxorubicin- (rather than epirubicin) based
      regimens are important because these regimens are widely used for the adjuvant
      and neoadjuvant treatment of breast cancer. The known role of HER2 signaling in
      the physiological adaptive responses of the heart provides further rationale for
      study on the potential cardiotoxicity of dual anti-HER2 blockade. Findings from
      this retrospective study provide favorable preliminary data on the cardiac safety
      of trastuzumab and pertuzumab in combination with a regimen of neoadjuvant
      doxorubicin and cyclophosphamide followed by paclitaxel, one of the preferred
      breast cancer treatment regimens, according to the National Comprehensive Cancer
      Network.

PMID- 28341766
TI  - Recommendations to the European Commission implementing a priority list of
      additives that should have more stringent reporting requirements: the opinion of
      the Scientific Committee on Emerging and Newly Identified Health Risks (SCENIHR).

PMID- 28341765
TI  - Quantifying the hepatotoxic risk of alcohol consumption in patients with
      rheumatoid arthritis taking methotrexate.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) who take methotrexate (MTX)
      are advised to limit their alcohol intake due to potential combined
      hepatotoxicity. However, data are limited to support this. The aim of this study
      was to quantify the risk of developing abnormal liver blood tests at different
      levels of alcohol consumption, using routinely collected data from primary care.
      METHODS: Patients with RA in the Clinical Practice Research Datalink starting MTX
      between 1987 and 2016 were included. Hepatotoxicity was defined as transaminitis:
      alanine transaminase or aspartate aminotransferase more than three times the
      upper limit of normal. Crude rates of transaminitis were calculated per 1000
      person-years, categorised by weekly alcohol consumption in units. Cox
      proportional hazard models tested the association between alcohol consumption and
      transaminitis univariately, then age and gender adjusted. RESULTS: 11 839
      patients were included, with 530 episodes of transaminitis occurring in 47 090
      person-years follow-up. Increased weekly alcohol consumption as a continuous
      variable was associated with increased risk of transaminitis, adjusted HR (95%
      CI) per unit consumed 1.01 (1.00 to 1.02); consuming between 15 and 21 units was
      associated with a possible increased risk of hepatotoxicity, while drinking >21
      units per week significantly increased rates of transaminitis, adjusted HR (95%
      CI) 1.85 (1.17 to 2.93). CONCLUSIONS: Weekly alcohol consumption of <14 units per
      week does not appear to be associated with an increased risk of transaminitis.

PMID- 28341762
TI  - A Prospective Observational Study on Effect of Short-Term Periodic Steroid
      Premedication on Bone Metabolism in Gastrointestinal Cancer (ESPRESSO-01).
AB  - BACKGROUND: A multicenter prospective observational study evaluated the effect of
      gastrointestinal cancer chemotherapy with short-term periodic steroid
      premedication on bone metabolism. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Seventy-four patients
      undergoing chemotherapy for gastrointestinal cancer were studied. The primary
      endpoints were changes in bone mineral densities (BMDs) and metabolic bone
      turnover 16 weeks after initiation of chemotherapy. BMDs, measured by dual-energy
      x-ray absorptiometry, and serum cross-linked N-telopeptides of type I collagen
      (sNTX), and bone alkaline phosphatase (sBAP) were assessed for evaluation of bone
      resorption and formation, respectively. RESULTS: In 74.3% (55/74) of the
      patients, BMDs were significantly reduced at 16 weeks relative to baseline. The
      percent changes of BMD were -1.89% (95% confidence interval [CI], -2.67% to 
      1.11%: p < .0001) in the lumbar spine, -2.24% (95% CI, -3.59% to -0.89%: p =
      .002) in the total hip, and -2.05% (95% CI, -3.11% to -0.99%: p < .0001) in the
      femoral neck. Although there was no significant difference in sNTX levels during
      16 weeks (p = .136), there was a significant increase in sBAP levels (p = .010).
      Decreased BMD was significantly linked to number of chemotherapy cycles (p =
      .02). There were no significant correlations between changes in BMDs and the
      primary site of malignancy, chemotherapy regimens, total cumulative steroid dose,
      steroid dose intensity, and additive steroid usage. CONCLUSION: Gastrointestinal
      cancer chemotherapy with periodic glucocorticoid premedication was associated
      with reduced BMD and increased sBAP levels, which were linked to number of
      chemotherapy cycles but independent of primary site, chemotherapy regimen,
      duration, and additive steroid usage. The Oncologist 2017;22:592-600 IMPLICATIONS
      FOR PRACTICE: Bone health and the management of treatment-related bone loss are
      important for cancer care. The present study showed that a significant decrease
      in bone mineral density (BMD) and an increase in serum bone alkaline phosphatase
      levels occurred in gastrointestinal cancer patients receiving chemotherapy, which
      were linked to number of chemotherapy cycles but were independent of primary
      site, chemotherapy regimen, total steroid dose, and steroid dose intensity.
      Surprisingly, it seems that the decreasing BMD levels after only 16 weeks of
      chemotherapy for gastrointestinal cancer were comparable to that of 12-month
      adjuvant aromatase inhibitor therapy for early-stage breast cancer patients.

PMID- 28341767
TI  - The effect of excise tax increases on cigarette prices in South Africa.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: The effectiveness of excise tax increases as a tool for reducing
      tobacco consumption depends largely on how the tax increases impact the retail
      price. We estimate this relationship in South Africa for 2001-2015. DATA:
      Statistics South Africa provided disaggregated cigarette price data, used in the
      calculation of the Consumers' Price Index. Data on the excise tax per cigarette
      were obtained from Budget Reviews prepared by the National Treasury of South
      Africa. METHODS: Regression equations were estimated for each month. The month-on
      month change in cigarette prices in February through April was regressed against
      March's excise tax change to estimate the pass-through coefficient. For the other
      9 months, the month-on-month change in cigarette price was regressed against
      monthly dummy variables to determine the size of the non-tax-related price
      increase in each of these months. The analysis was performed in both nominal and
      real (inflation-adjusted) terms. FINDINGS: Expressed in real terms, the excise
      tax was undershifted. A R1.00 (one rand) increase in the excise tax is associated
      with an increase in the retail price of cigarettes of R0.90 in the pre-2010
      period, and R0.49 in the post-2010 period. In the pre-2010 period, the tobacco
      industry increased the retail price of cigarettes in July/August, independent of
      the excise tax increase. The discretionary July/August price increases largely
      disappeared after 2010, primarily because the market became more competitive.
      CONCLUSION: The degree of excise tax pass-through, and the magnitude of
      discretionary increases in cigarette prices, is significantly determined by the
      competitive environment in the cigarette market.

PMID- 28341768
TI  - Public reactions to e-cigarette regulations on Twitter: a text mining analysis.
AB  - BACKGROUND: In May 2016, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued a final
      rule that deemed e-cigarettes to be within their regulatory authority as a
      tobacco product. News and opinions about the regulation were shared on social
      media platforms, such as Twitter, which can play an important role in shaping the
      public's attitudes. We analysed information shared on Twitter for insights into
      initial public reactions. METHODS: A text mining approach was used to uncover
      important topics among reactions to the e-cigarette regulations on Twitter. SAS
      Text Miner V.12.1 software was used for descriptive text mining to uncover the
      primary topics from tweets collected from May 1 to May 17 2016 using NUVI
      software to gather the data. RESULTS: A total of nine topics were generated.
      These topics reveal initial reactions to whether the FDA's e-cigarette
      regulations will benefit or harm public health, how the regulations will impact
      the emerging e-cigarette market and efforts to share the news. The topics were
      dominated by negative or mixed reactions. CONCLUSIONS: In the days following the
      FDA's announcement of the new deeming regulations, the public reaction on Twitter
      was largely negative. Public health advocates should consider using social media
      outlets to better communicate the policy's intentions, reach and potential impact
      for public good to create a more balanced conversation.

PMID- 28341770
TI  - An Integrated Hydraulic-Hormonal Model of Conifer Stomata Predicts Water Stress
      Dynamics.

PMID- 28341769
TI  - Stomatal Defense a Decade Later.

PMID- 28341771
TI  - Small chromosomal regions position themselves autonomously according to their
      chromatin class.
AB  - The spatial arrangement of chromatin is linked to the regulation of nuclear
      processes. One striking aspect of nuclear organization is the spatial segregation
      of heterochromatic and euchromatic domains. The mechanisms of this chromatin
      segregation are still poorly understood. In this work, we investigated the link
      between the primary genomic sequence and chromatin domains. We analyzed the
      spatial intranuclear arrangement of a human artificial chromosome (HAC) in a
      xenospecific mouse background in comparison to an orthologous region of native
      mouse chromosome. The two orthologous regions include segments that can be
      assigned to three major chromatin classes according to their gene abundance and
      repeat repertoire: (1) gene-rich and SINE-rich euchromatin; (2) gene-poor and
      LINE/LTR-rich heterochromatin; and (3) gene-depleted and satellite DNA-containing
      constitutive heterochromatin. We show, using fluorescence in situ hybridization
      (FISH) and 4C-seq technologies, that chromatin segments ranging from 0.6 to 3 Mb
      cluster with segments of the same chromatin class. As a consequence, the
      chromatin segments acquire corresponding positions in the nucleus irrespective of
      their chromosomal context, thereby strongly suggesting that this is their
      autonomous property. Interactions with the nuclear lamina, although largely
      retained in the HAC, reveal less autonomy. Taken together, our results suggest
      that building of a functional nucleus is largely a self-organizing process based
      on mutual recognition of chromosome segments belonging to the major chromatin
      classes.

PMID- 28341772
TI  - Diurnal regulation of RNA polymerase III transcription is under the control of
      both the feeding-fasting response and the circadian clock.
AB  - RNA polymerase III (Pol III) synthesizes short noncoding RNAs, many of which are
      essential for translation. Accordingly, Pol III activity is tightly regulated
      with cell growth and proliferation by factors such as MYC, RB1, TRP53, and MAF1.
      MAF1 is a repressor of Pol III transcription whose activity is controlled by
      phosphorylation; in particular, it is inactivated through phosphorylation by the
      TORC1 kinase complex, a sensor of nutrient availability. Pol III regulation is
      thus sensitive to environmental cues, yet a diurnal profile of Pol III
      transcription activity is so far lacking. Here, we first use gene expression
      arrays to measure mRNA accumulation during the diurnal cycle in the livers of (1)
      wild-type mice, (2) arrhythmic Arntl knockout mice, (3) mice fed at regular
      intervals during both night and day, and (4) mice lacking the Maf1 gene, and so
      provide a comprehensive view of the changes in cyclic mRNA accumulation occurring
      in these different systems. We then show that Pol III occupancy of its target
      genes rises before the onset of the night, stays high during the night, when mice
      normally ingest food and when translation is known to be increased, and decreases
      in daytime. Whereas higher Pol III occupancy during the night reflects a MAF1
      dependent response to feeding, the rise of Pol III occupancy before the onset of
      the night reflects a circadian clock-dependent response. Thus, Pol III
      transcription during the diurnal cycle is regulated both in response to nutrients
      and by the circadian clock, which allows anticipatory Pol III transcription.

PMID- 28341773
TI  - PML protein organizes heterochromatin domains where it regulates histone H3.3
      deposition by ATRX/DAXX.
AB  - Maintenance of chromatin homeostasis involves proper delivery of histone variants
      to the genome. The interplay between different chaperones regulating the supply
      of histone variants to distinct chromatin domains remains largely undeciphered.
      We report a role of promyelocytic leukemia (PML) protein in the routing of
      histone variant H3.3 to chromatin and in the organization of megabase-size
      heterochromatic PML-associated domains that we call PADs. Loss of PML alters the
      heterochromatic state of PADs by shifting the histone H3 methylation balance from
      K9me3 to K27me3. Loss of PML impairs deposition of H3.3 by ATRX and DAXX in PADs
      but preserves the H3.3 loading function of HIRA in these regions. Our results
      unveil an unappreciated role of PML in the large-scale organization of chromatin
      and demonstrate a PML-dependent role of ATRX/DAXX in the deposition of H3.3 in
      PADs. Our data suggest that H3.3 loading by HIRA and ATRX-dependent H3K27
      trimethylation constitute mechanisms ensuring maintenance of heterochromatin when
      the integrity of these domains is compromised.

PMID- 28341774
TI  - RNA-DNA hybrid (R-loop) immunoprecipitation mapping: an analytical workflow to
      evaluate inherent biases.
AB  - The impact of R-loops on the physiology and pathology of chromosomes has been
      demonstrated extensively by chromatin biology research. The progress in this
      field has been driven by technological advancement of R-loop mapping methods that
      largely relied on a single approach, DNA-RNA immunoprecipitation (DRIP). Most of
      the DRIP protocols use the experimental design that was developed by a few
      laboratories, without paying attention to the potential caveats that might affect
      the outcome of RNA-DNA hybrid mapping. To assess the accuracy and utility of this
      technology, we pursued an analytical approach to estimate inherent biases and
      errors in the DRIP protocol. By performing DRIP-sequencing, qPCR, and receiver
      operator characteristic (ROC) analysis, we tested the effect of formaldehyde
      fixation, cell lysis temperature, mode of genome fragmentation, and removal of
      free RNA on the efficacy of RNA-DNA hybrid detection and implemented workflows
      that were able to distinguish complex and weak DRIP signals in a noisy background
      with high confidence. We also show that some of the workflows perform poorly and
      generate random answers. Furthermore, we found that the most commonly used genome
      fragmentation method (restriction enzyme digestion) led to the overrepresentation
      of lengthy DRIP fragments over coding ORFs, and this bias was enhanced at the
      first exons. Biased genome sampling severely compromised mapping resolution and
      prevented the assignment of precise biological function to a significant fraction
      of R-loops. The revised workflow presented herein is established and optimized
      using objective ROC analyses and provides reproducible and highly specific RNA
      DNA hybrid detection.

PMID- 28341775
TI  - Diarrhea in a Long-Term Kidney-Pancreas Recipient.

PMID- 28341777
TI  - Respiratory Compromise as a New Paradigm for the Care of Vulnerable Hospitalized
      Patients.
AB  - Acute respiratory compromise describes a deterioration in respiratory function
      with a high likelihood of rapid progression to respiratory failure and death.
      Identifying patients at risk for respiratory compromise coupled with monitoring
      of patients who have developed respiratory compromise might allow earlier
      interventions to prevent or mitigate further decompensation. The National
      Association for the Medical Direction of Respiratory Care (NAMDRC) organized a
      workshop meeting with representation from many national societies to address the
      unmet needs of respiratory compromise from a clinical practice perspective.
      Respiratory compromise may arise de novo or may complicate preexisting lung
      disease. The group identified distinct subsets of respiratory compromise that
      present similar opportunities for early detection and useful intervention to
      prevent respiratory failure. The subtypes were characterized by the
      pathophysiological mechanisms they had in common: impaired control of breathing,
      impaired airway protection, parenchymal lung disease, increased airway
      resistance, hydrostatic pulmonary edema, and right-ventricular failure.
      Classification of acutely ill respiratory patients into one or more of these
      categories may help in selecting the screening and monitoring strategies that are
      most appropriate for the patient's particular pathophysiology. Standardized
      screening and monitoring practices for patients with similar mechanisms of
      deterioration may enhance the ability to predict respiratory failure early and
      prevent its occurrence.

PMID- 28341778
TI  - Use of a Metered-Dose Inhaler Compared With a Vibrating Mesh Nebulizer During
      Mechanical Ventilation: Does It Really Matter?

PMID- 28341776
TI  - An NPPB Promoter Polymorphism Associated With Elevated N-Terminal pro-B-Type
      Natriuretic Peptide and Lower Blood Pressure, Hypertension, and Mortality.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Elevated B-type natriuretic peptide (BNP) levels are associated with
      heart failure and increased mortality in the general population. We investigated
      rs198389, a functional variant in the promoter region of the BNP gene (NPPB), in
      patients from the Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities Study to investigate
      associations with N-terminal pro-BNP (NT-proBNP) levels and outcomes. METHODS AND
      RESULTS: A total of 11 361 black and white patients with rs198389 genotyping
      attended visit 1 (aged 45-64 years; 1987-1989), with follow-up visits occurring
      every 3 years (visit 2-visit 4, 1990-1999), followed by visit 5 (2011-2013). NT
      proBNP levels were measured at visits 2, 4, and 5. At visit 2, the GG genotype
      (frequency 18%) was associated with a 41% higher mean plasma level of NT-proBNP
      compared with the AA genotype (frequency 34%), with intermediate values observed
      in AGs (P=4.2*10-52). The GG genotype was associated with reduced systolic blood
      pressure (-1.6 mm Hg, P=0.006), diastolic blood pressure (-1 mm Hg, P=0.003),
      antihypertension medication use (odds ratio, 0.85; 95% CI, 0.74-0.97 [P=0.02]),
      and hypertension (odds ratio, 0.81; 95% CI, 0.72-0.92 [P=0.002]) compared with
      the AA genotype with intermediate values in AGs. These relationships persisted
      throughout subsequent visits. After a median follow-up of 23 years, there were
      4031 deaths. With and without covariate adjustment, the GG genotype was
      associated with modestly lower mortality (hazard ratio, 0.86; 95% CI, 0.78-0.95),
      primarily reflective of cardiovascular death (hazard ratio, 0.75; 95% CI, 0.61
      0.92), and increased residual lifespan of 8 months from 50 years of age (P=0.02)
      versus AAs. CONCLUSIONS: The rs198389 G allele in the NPPB promoter is associated
      with elevated levels of NT-proBNP throughout adult life, reduced blood pressure,
      hypertension and cardiovascular mortality, and increased lifespan.

PMID- 28341779
TI  - CPAP Adherence: A Matter of Perfect Airflow Curves?

PMID- 28341783
TI  - Erratum. Psychosocial Care for People With Diabetes: A Position Statement of the
      American Diabetes Association. Diabetes Care 2016;39:2126-2140.

PMID- 28341782
TI  - Predictive Properties of Biomarkers GDF-15, NTproBNP, and hs-TnT for Morbidity
      and Mortality in Patients With Type 2 Diabetes With Nephropathy.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: Although patients with type 2 diabetes (T2D) with nephropathy are at
      high risk for renal and cardiovascular complications, relevant biomarkers have
      been poorly identified. Because renal impairment may increase biomarker levels,
      this potentially confounds associations between biomarker levels and risk. To
      investigate the predictive value of a biomarker in such a setting, we examined
      baseline levels of growth differentiation factor-15 (GDF-15), N-terminal
      prohormone of B-type natriuretic peptide (NTproBNP), and high-sensitivity
      troponin T (hs-TnT) in relation to renal and cardiovascular risk in T2D patients
      with nephropathy. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS: Eight hundred sixty-one T2D
      patients from the sulodexide macroalbuminuria (Sun-MACRO) trial were included in
      our post hoc analysis. Prospective associations of baseline serum GDF-15,
      NTproBNP, and hs-TnT with renal and cardiovascular events were determined by Cox
      multiple regression and C-statistic analysis. Renal base models included albumin
      to-creatinine ratio (ACR), serum creatinine, hemoglobin, age, and sex.
      Cardiovascular base models included diastolic blood pressure, ACR, cholesterol,
      age, and sex. RESULTS: The mean (+/-SD) estimated glomerular filtration rate was
      33 +/- 9 mL/min/1.73 m2, and the median serum concentration for GDF-15 was 3,228
      pg/mL (interquartile range 2,345-4,310 pg/mL), for NTproBNP was 380 ng/L (155-989
      ng/L), and for hs-TnT was 30 ng/L (20-47 ng/L). In multiple regression analysis,
      GDF-15 (hazard ratio [HR] 1.83, P = 0.04), NTproBNP (HR 2.34, P = 0.004), and hs
      TnT (HR 2.09, P = 0.014) were associated with renal events, whereas NTproBNP (HR
      3.45, P < 0.001) was associated with cardiovascular events. The C-statistic was
      improved by adding NTproBNP and hs-TNT to the renal model (0.793 vs. 0.741, P =
      0.04). For cardiovascular events, the C-statistic was improved by adding NTproBNP
      alone (0.722 vs. 0.658, P = 0.018). CONCLUSIONS: Biomarkers GDF-15, NTproBNP, and
      hs-TnT associate independently with renal risk, whereas NTproBNP independently
      predicts cardiovascular risk.

PMID- 28341784
TI  - Should US doctors mourn for Obamacare?

PMID- 28341785
TI  - Commentary.

PMID- 28341781
TI  - Genotype-Phenotype Correlation of SCN5A Mutation for the Clinical and
      Electrocardiographic Characteristics of Probands With Brugada Syndrome: A
      Japanese Multicenter Registry.
AB  - BACKGROUND: The genotype-phenotype correlation of SCN5A mutations as a predictor
      of cardiac events in Brugada syndrome remains controversial. We aimed to
      establish a registry limited to probands, with a long follow-up period, so that
      the genotype-phenotype correlation of SCN5A mutations in Brugada syndrome can be
      examined without patient selection bias. METHODS: This multicenter registry
      enrolled 415 probands (n=403; men, 97%; age, 46+/-14 years) diagnosed with
      Brugada syndrome whose SCN5A gene was analyzed for mutations. RESULTS: During a
      mean follow-up period of 72 months, the overall cardiac event rate was 2.5%/y. In
      comparison with probands without mutations (SCN5A (-), n=355), probands with
      SCN5A mutations (SCN5A (+), n=60) experienced their first cardiac event at a
      younger age (34 versus 42 years, P=0.013), had a higher positive rate of late
      potentials (89% versus 73%, P=0.016), exhibited longer P-wave, PQ, and QRS
      durations, and had a higher rate of cardiac events (P=0.017 by log-rank).
      Multivariate analysis indicated that only SCN5A mutation and history of aborted
      cardiac arrest were significant predictors of cardiac events (SCN5A (+) versus
      SCN5A (-): hazard ratio, 2.0 and P=0.045; history of aborted cardiac arrest
      versus no such history: hazard ratio, 6.5 and P<0.001). CONCLUSIONS: Brugada
      syndrome patients with SCN5A mutations exhibit more conduction abnormalities on
      ECG and have higher risk for cardiac events.

PMID- 28341786
TI  - Effectiveness of foot fasciotomies in foot and ankle trauma.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Foot compartment syndrome (FCS) has been reported to cause
      neuropathic pain, claw or hammer toes, and motor and sensory disturbances. The
      optimal treatment of FCS is controversial. The purpose of this study was to
      determine if foot fasciotomies improve patient outcomes in high-energy, combat
      related lower extremity trauma. METHODS: Medical records of patients with
      documented FCS from May 2007 to January 2009 were retrospectively reviewed.
      Consecutive, matched control patients were identified based on similar hindfoot,
      mid-foot and/or forefoot injuries who did not undergo foot fasciotomy during the
      same period. The primary outcomes analysed were the development of claw or hammer
      toes and neuropathic pain. RESULTS: 19 patients with foot fasctiotomies were
      identified and matched with 19 controls. Median follow-up was 19.5 months (range,
      3.5-47.5 months) for the combined cohorts. The most common mechanism of injury
      was an explosive blast. Nine fasciotomy and nine control patients sustained open
      foot fractures. Significantly more patients with foot fasciotomies developed claw
      toes (50% vs 17%, p=0.03). There were no significant differences in the
      development of neuropathic pain, sensory deficits, motor deficits, chronic pain,
      stiffness or infection. The fasciotomy patients underwent an average of 5.5
      surgeries per patient versus 4 surgeries per patient in the control group.
      CONCLUSIONS: Fasciotomy of the foot did not prevent neuropathic pain and
      deformities in patients with FCS in this study.

PMID- 28341787
TI  - Potential new treatment for non-freezing cold injury: is Iloprost the way
      forward?
AB  - INTRODUCTION: Non-freezing cold injury (NFCI) remains largely under-reported, and
      is of particular importance in the armed forces where its prevalence is greatest.
      Iloprost, a synthetic prostaglandin I2 analogue, has previously been used with
      some success in the treatment of vasospastic and freezing cold injuries, although
      its role in NFCI remains unclear. CASE REPORT: An Iloprost infusion was used to
      treat the long-term sequelae of an ex-soldier suffering with ongoing pedal pain
      and loss of function 20 years after the initial NFCI insult sustained on military
      exercise. Following 5 days of iloprost infusion, he reported 4 weeks of markedly
      reduced pain and increased mobility before symptom relapse. A second infusion was
      thus given 3 months later, which resulted in increased pain and analgesic
      requirements. DISCUSSION: The use of iloprost in the treatment of NFCI is
      discussed and its use in a condition which physicians consistently struggle to
      treat effectively is considered. Careful counselling is recommended as symptoms
      may be worsened.

PMID- 28341788
TI  - Discovery and Pharmacological Characterization of JNJ-42756493 (Erdafitinib), a
      Functionally Selective Small-Molecule FGFR Family Inhibitor.
AB  - Fibroblast growth factor (FGF) signaling plays critical roles in key biological
      processes ranging from embryogenesis to wound healing and has strong links to
      several hallmarks of cancer. Genetic alterations in FGF receptor (FGFR) family
      members are associated with increased tumor growth, metastasis, angiogenesis, and
      decreased survival. JNJ-42756493, erdafitinib, is an orally active small molecule
      with potent tyrosine kinase inhibitory activity against all four FGFR family
      members and selectivity versus other highly related kinases. JNJ-42756493 shows
      rapid uptake into the lysosomal compartment of cells in culture, which is
      associated with prolonged inhibition of FGFR signaling, possibly due to sustained
      release of the inhibitor. In xenografts from human tumor cell lines or patient
      derived tumor tissue with activating FGFR alterations, JNJ-42756493
      administration results in potent and dose-dependent antitumor activity
      accompanied by pharmacodynamic modulation of phospho-FGFR and phospho-ERK in
      tumors. The results of the current study provide a strong rationale for the
      clinical investigation of JNJ-42756493 in patients with tumors harboring FGFR
      pathway alterations. Mol Cancer Ther; 16(6); 1010-20. (c)2017 AACR.

PMID- 28341791
TI  - Organ donation in the emergency department.

PMID- 28341789
TI  - MET Tyrosine Kinase Inhibition Enhances the Antitumor Efficacy of an HGF
      Antibody.
AB  - Receptor tyrosine kinase therapies have proven to be efficacious in specific
      cancer patient populations; however, a significant limitation of tyrosine kinase
      inhibitor (TKI) treatment is the emergence of resistance mechanisms leading to a
      transient, partial, or complete lack of response. Combination therapies using
      agents with synergistic activity have potential to improve response and reduce
      acquired resistance. Chemoreagent or TKI treatment can lead to increased
      expression of hepatocyte growth factor (HGF) and/or MET, and this effect
      correlates with increased metastasis and poor prognosis. Despite MET's role in
      resistance and cancer biology, MET TKI monotherapy has yielded disappointing
      clinical responses. In this study, we describe the biological activity of a
      selective, oral MET TKI with slow off-rate and its synergistic antitumor effects
      when combined with an anti-HGF antibody. We evaluated the combined action of
      simultaneously neutralizing HGF ligand and inhibiting MET kinase activity in two
      cancer xenograft models that exhibit autocrine HGF/MET activation. The
      combination therapy results in additive antitumor activity in KP4 pancreatic
      tumors and synergistic activity in U-87MG glioblastoma tumors. Pharmacodynamic
      characterization of biomarkers that correlate with combination synergy reveal
      that monotherapies induce an increase in the total MET protein, whereas
      combination therapy significantly reduces total MET protein levels and
      phosphorylation of 4E-BP1. These results hold promise that dual targeting of HGF
      and MET by combining extracellular ligand inhibitors with intracellular MET TKIs
      could be an effective intervention strategy for cancer patients who have acquired
      resistance that is dependent on total MET protein. Mol Cancer Ther; 16(7); 1269
      78. (c)2017 AACR.

PMID- 28341790
TI  - Tumor-Associated Macrophages Can Contribute to Antitumor Activity through
      FcgammaR-Mediated Processing of Antibody-Drug Conjugates.
AB  - The primary mechanism of antibody-drug conjugates (ADC) is targeted delivery of a
      cytotoxic payload to tumor cells via cancer-associated membrane receptors.
      However, the tumor microenvironment likely plays a role in ADC penetration,
      distribution, and processing and thus impacts the overall antitumor activity.
      Here, we report on the potential contribution of Fc-FcgammaR interactions between
      ADCs and tumor-associated macrophages (TAM) to the preclinical antitumor
      activities of ADCs. In the CD30+ L-428 Hodgkin lymphoma model, anti-CD30-vcMMAE
      and a non-binding control (hIgG-vcMMAE) demonstrated similar antitumor activity
      as well as similar payload release in the tumors. IHC analysis revealed L-428
      tumors contained highly abundant TAMs, which were confirmed to bind ADCs by IHC
      and flow cytometry. The infiltration of TAMs was further found to correlate with
      the antitumor activity of the non-binding hIgG-vcMMAE in five additional
      xenograft models. hIgG1V1-vcMMAE, bearing a mutation in the Fc region which
      ablates Fc gamma receptor (FcgammaR) binding, lost antitumor activity in three
      TAM-high xenograft models, suggesting Fc-FcgammaR interactions modulate the TAM
      ADC interaction. Our results suggest that TAMs can contribute to ADC processing
      through FcgammaR interaction in preclinical tumor models and may represent an
      important additional mechanism for drug release from ADCs. Correlative studies in
      clinical trials will further shed light on whether TAMs play a role in patients'
      response to ADC therapies. Mol Cancer Ther; 16(7); 1347-54. (c)2017 AACR.

PMID- 28341792
TI  - Severe chest pain in an elderly woman.

PMID- 28341796
TI  - Abstracts from international Emergency Medicine journals.
AB  - Editor's note: EMJ has partnered with the journals of multiple international
      emergency medicine societies to share from each a highlighted research study, as
      selected by their editors. This edition will feature an abstract from each
      publication.

PMID- 28341793
TI  - BET 1: IN PATIENTS WITH SUSPECTED ACUTE CORONARY SYNDROME, DOES WELLENS' SIGN ON
      THE ELECTROCARDIOGRAPH IDENTIFY CRITICAL LEFT ANTERIOR DESCENDING ARTERY
      STENOSIS?
AB  - Wellens' syndrome consists of a history suggestive of an acute coronary syndrome
      and biphasic or deeply inverted T waves in ECG leads V2-V3. A shortcut review was
      carried out to establish whether this ECG pattern identifies patients with a
      critical left anterior descending artery stenosis. Six relevant papers were
      found. The clinical bottom line is that biphasic T-wave inversion in lead V2-V3
      should alert the clinician to a probable critical stenosis of the left anterior
      descending artery.

PMID- 28341795
TI  - BET 2: LASER THERAPY IN THE TREATMENT OF ACUTE HAMSTRING MUSCLE INJURIES.
AB  - Local laser therapy has been suggested as a promising treatment for acute
      hamstring muscle tears. We carried out a shortcut systematic review to establish
      whether therapeutic lasers are beneficial for patients with acute hamstring
      tears. Despite a comprehensive literature search, no studies that were directly
      relevant to the question could be identified. The clinical bottom line is
      therefore that there is currently no evidence for the use of any form of laser
      therapy in the treatment of acute hamstring muscle tears.

PMID- 28341797
TI  - Painful skin reaction.

PMID- 28341798
TI  - Daily use of high-potency cannabis is associated with an increased risk of
      admission and more intervention after first-episode psychosis.

PMID- 28341799
TI  - Use of Traumatic Brain Injury Prediction Rules With Clinical Decision Support.
AB  - OBJECTIVES: We determined whether implementing the Pediatric Emergency Care
      Applied Research Network (PECARN) traumatic brain injury (TBI) prediction rules
      and providing risks of clinically important TBIs (ciTBIs) with computerized
      clinical decision support (CDS) reduces computed tomography (CT) use for children
      with minor head trauma. METHODS: Nonrandomized trial with concurrent controls at
      5 pediatric emergency departments (PEDs) and 8 general EDs (GEDs) between
      November 2011 and June 2014. Patients were <18 years old with minor blunt head
      trauma. Intervention sites received CDS with CT recommendations and risks of
      ciTBI, both for patients at very low risk of ciTBI (no Pediatric Emergency Care
      Applied Research Network rule factors) and those not at very low risk. The
      primary outcome was the rate of CT, analyzed by site, controlling for time trend.
      RESULTS: We analyzed 16 635 intervention and 2394 control patients. Adjusted for
      time trends, CT rates decreased significantly (P < .05) but modestly (2.3%-3.7%)
      at 2 of 4 intervention PEDs for children at very low risk. The other 2 PEDs had
      small (0.8%-1.5%) nonsignificant decreases. CT rates did not decrease
      consistently at the intervention GEDs, with low baseline CT rates (2.1%-4.0%) in
      those at very low risk. The control PED had little change in CT use in similar
      children (from 1.6% to 2.9%); the control GED showed a decrease in the CT rate
      (from 7.1% to 2.6%). For all children with minor head trauma, intervention sites
      had small decreases in CT rates (1.7%-6.2%). CONCLUSIONS: The implementation of
      TBI prediction rules and provision of risks of ciTBIs by using CDS was associated
      with modest, safe, but variable decreases in CT use. However, some secular trends
      were also noted.

PMID- 28341800
TI  - Variability in Very Preterm Stillbirth and In-Hospital Mortality Across Europe.
AB  - BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: Stillbirth and in-hospital mortality rates associated
      with very preterm births (VPT) vary widely across Europe. International
      comparisons are complicated by a lack of standardized data collection and
      differences in definitions, registration, and reporting. This study aims to
      determine what proportion of the variation in stillbirth and in-hospital VPT
      mortality rates persists after adjusting for population demographics, case-mix,
      and timing of death. METHODS: Standardized data collection for a geographically
      defined prospective cohort of VPTs (22+0-31+6 weeks gestation) across 16 regions
      in Europe. Crude and adjusted stillbirth and in-hospital mortality rates for VPT
      infants were calculated by time of death by using multinomial logistic regression
      models. RESULTS: The stillbirth and in-hospital mortality rate for VPTs was 27.7%
      (range, 19.9%-35.9% by region). Adjusting for maternal and pregnancy
      characteristics had little impact on the variation. The addition of infant
      characteristics reduced the variation of mortality rates by approximately one
      fifth (4.8% to 3.9%). The SD for deaths <12 hours after birth was reduced by one
      quarter, but did not change after risk adjustment for deaths >=12 hours after
      birth. CONCLUSIONS: In terms of the regional variation in overall VPT mortality,
      over four-fifths of the variation could not be accounted for by maternal,
      pregnancy, and infant characteristics. Investigation of the timing of death
      showed that these characteristics only accounted for a small proportion of the
      variation in VPT deaths. These findings suggest that there may be an inequity in
      the quality of care provision and treatment of VPT infants across Europe.

PMID- 28341801
TI  - Photo Quiz: Is Gardening Dangerous?

PMID- 28341802
TI  - The Brief Case: Benign Rectal Polyp with Schistosoma mansoni.

PMID- 28341803
TI  - Closing the Brief Case: Benign Rectal Polyp with Schistosoma mansoni.

PMID- 28341804
TI  - Answer to April 2017 Photo Quiz.

PMID- 28341805
TI  - CORRECTION.

PMID- 28341806
TI  - Polar Localization of the NIP5;1 Boric Acid Channel Is Maintained by Endocytosis
      and Facilitates Boron Transport in Arabidopsis Roots.
AB  - Boron uptake in Arabidopsis thaliana is mediated by nodulin 26-like intrinsic
      protein 5;1 (NIP5;1), a boric acid channel that is located preferentially on the
      soil side of the plasma membrane in root cells. However, the mechanism underlying
      this polar localization is poorly understood. Here, we show that the polar
      localization of NIP5;1 in epidermal and endodermal root cells is mediated by the
      phosphorylation of Thr residues in the conserved TPG (ThrProGly) repeat in the N
      terminal region of NIP5;1. Although substitutions of Ala for three Thr residues
      in the TPG repeat did not affect lateral diffusion in the plasma membrane, these
      substitutions inhibited endocytosis and strongly compromised the polar
      localization of GFP-NIP5;1. Consistent with this, the polar localization was
      compromised in u subunit mutants of the clathrin adaptor AP2. The Thr-to-Ala
      substitutions did not affect the boron transport activity of GFP-NIP5;1 in
      Xenopus laevis oocytes but did inhibit the ability to complement boron
      translocation to shoots and rescue growth defects in nip5;1-1 mutant plants under
      boron-limited conditions. These results demonstrate that the polar localization
      of NIP5;1 is maintained by clathrin-mediated endocytosis, is dependent on
      phosphorylation in the TPG repeat, and is necessary for the efficient transport
      of boron in roots.

PMID- 28341807
TI  - The human cancer cell active toxin Cry41Aa from Bacillus thuringiensis acts like
      its insecticidal counterparts.
AB  - Understanding how certain protein toxins from the normally insecticidal bacterium
      Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) target human cell lines has implications for both the
      risk assessment of products containing these toxins and potentially for cancer
      therapy. This understanding requires knowledge of whether the human cell active
      toxins work by the same mechanism as their insecticidal counterparts or by
      alternative ones. The Bt Cry41Aa (also known as Parasporin3) toxin is
      structurally related to the toxins synthesised by commercially produced
      transgenic insect-resistant plants, with the notable exception of an additional C
      terminal beta-trefoil ricin domain. To better understand its mechanism of action,
      we developed an efficient expression system for the toxin and created mutations
      in regions potentially involved in the toxic mechanism. Deletion of the ricin
      domain did not significantly affect the activity of the toxin against the human
      HepG2 cell line, suggesting that this region was not responsible for the
      mammalian specificity of Cry41Aa. Various biochemical assays suggested that
      unlike some other human cell active toxins from Bt Cry41Aa did not induce
      apoptosis, but that its mechanism of action was consistent with that of a pore
      forming toxin. The toxin induced a rapid and significant decrease in metabolic
      activity. Adenosine triphosphate depletion, cell swelling and membrane damage
      were also observed. An exposed loop region believed to be involved in receptor
      binding of insecticidal Cry toxins was shown to be important for the activity of
      Cry41Aa against HepG2 cells.

PMID- 28341810
TI  - Correction for Rhodes et al., Evaluation of Vancomycin Exposures Associated with
      Elevations in Novel Urinary Biomarkers of Acute Kidney Injury in Vancomycin
      Treated Rats.

PMID- 28341811
TI  - Erratum for Rutter et al., Nephrotoxicity during Vancomycin Therapy in
      Combination with Piperacillin-Tazobactam or Cefepime.

PMID- 28341808
TI  - Protein CoAlation: a redox-regulated protein modification by coenzyme A in
      mammalian cells.
AB  - Coenzyme A (CoA) is an obligatory cofactor in all branches of life. CoA and its
      derivatives are involved in major metabolic pathways, allosteric interactions and
      the regulation of gene expression. Abnormal biosynthesis and homeostasis of CoA
      and its derivatives have been associated with various human pathologies,
      including cancer, diabetes and neurodegeneration. Using an anti-CoA monoclonal
      antibody and mass spectrometry, we identified a wide range of cellular proteins
      which are modified by covalent attachment of CoA to cysteine thiols (CoAlation).
      We show that protein CoAlation is a reversible post-translational modification
      that is induced in mammalian cells and tissues by oxidising agents and metabolic
      stress. Many key cellular enzymes were found to be CoAlated in vitro and in vivo
      in ways that modified their activities. Our study reveals that protein CoAlation
      is a widespread post-translational modification which may play an important role
      in redox regulation under physiological and pathophysiological conditions.

PMID- 28341809
TI  - Structural basis of molecular recognition of helical histone H3 tail by PHD
      finger domains.
AB  - The plant homeodomain (PHD) fingers are among the largest family of epigenetic
      domains, first characterized as readers of methylated H3K4. Readout of histone
      post-translational modifications by PHDs has been the subject of intense
      investigation; however, less is known about the recognition of secondary
      structure features within the histone tail itself. We solved the crystal
      structure of the PHD finger of the bromodomain adjacent to zinc finger 2A [BAZ2A,
      also known as TIP5 (TTF-I/interacting protein 5)] in complex with unmodified N
      terminal histone H3 tail. The peptide is bound in a helical folded-back
      conformation after K4, induced by an acidic patch on the protein surface that
      prevents peptide binding in an extended conformation. Structural bioinformatics
      analyses identify a conserved Asp/Glu residue that we name 'acidic wall', found
      to be mutually exclusive with the conserved Trp for K4Me recognition.
      Neutralization or inversion of the charges at the acidic wall patch in BAZ2A, and
      homologous BAZ2B, weakened H3 binding. We identify simple mutations on H3 that
      strikingly enhance or reduce binding, as a result of their stabilization or
      destabilization of H3 helicity. Our work unravels the structural basis for
      binding of the helical H3 tail by PHD fingers and suggests that molecular
      recognition of secondary structure motifs within histone tails could represent an
      additional layer of regulation in epigenetic processes.

PMID- 28341813
TI  - Microbial competition and evolution in natural porous environments: Not that
      simple.

PMID- 28341815
TI  - TGF-beta1 Transduced Mesenchymal Stem Cells Have Profound Modulatory Effects on
      DCs and T Cells.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) and transforming growth factor-beta1
      (TGF-beta1) molecules are well known for their immunomodulatory properties and
      their function in tissue regeneration and remodeling. OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the
      interaction of TGF-beta1 engineered MSCs with T cells and dendritic cells (DCs)
      and their modulatory effect on the immune response. METHODS: MSCs and DCs were
      generated from bone marrow of Balb/c mice and T cells were generated from mice
      lymph nodes. TGF-beta1 expressing lentiviruses were used for MSCs transduction,
      and then these engineered MSCs were co-cultured with T cells and DCs. T cells
      proliferation and cytokines release and also DCs maturation, TNF-alpha release,
      and stimulation of allogeneic T cells were evaluated. RESULTS: T cells
      proliferation and IFN-gamma release were suppressed by TGF-beta1/MSCs while IL-4
      secretion was enhanced. Co-cultured DCs with TGF-beta1/MSCs showed reduced
      expression of CD40, CD86, and MHC II and also lower level of TNF-alpha secretion.
      Co-cultured DCs could also induce lower levels of allogeneic T cells
      proliferation and IFN-gamma release in comparison to control DCs. CONCLUSION:
      Engineered TGF-beta1/MSC cells showed collaborative immune suppressive functions
      between TGF-beta1 and MSCs to modulate T cells and DCs immune responses. We
      therefore suggest that TGF-beta1/MSC cells could provide a promising tool for
      treatment of clinical conditions such as organ transplantation, GVHD, and
      autoimmune disorders.

PMID- 28341814
TI  - The Effect of Monophosphoryl Lipid A on Maturation of DCs from Patients with
      Acute Myeloid Leukaemia.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Generation of monocyte-derived dendritic cells (MDDC) is induced in
      the presence of GM-CSF and IL-4, and a maturation stimulus is added to the
      monocyte culture to obtain mature Dendritic Cells (DCs) suitable for therapy. TNF
      alpha is the most common cytokine used for activating DCs and generating mature
      MDDC either alone or in combination with other cytokines. OBJECTIVE: To compare
      effects of traditional cytokine cocktail (TNF-alpha + IL-1beta) versus TLR4
      agonist monophosphoryl lipid A on the viability, phenotype, cytokine profile and
      functionality of MDDC. METHODS: The study included 32 individuals; twenty Acute
      Myeloid Leukaemia (AML) cases in complete remission and 12 healthy volunteers.
      They were divided into 3 groups: Group 1: control group: 12 subjects to measure
      the baseline levels of all markers in the monocytic preparation. Group 2:
      cytokine cocktail (TNF-alpha) group, which included 10 AML subjects. Group 3:
      MPLA group which included 10 AML subjects. RESULTS: TNF-alpha group showed higher
      expression of CD83 than MPLA group indicating higher capacity to induce DC
      maturation but both were similar in CD86, CCR7 and IL-10 expression. Preparation
      of dendritic cells from AML cases in remission and loading them with tumor
      peptides was successful. CONCLUSION: MPLA effect in DC maturation is comparable
      with traditional DC maturation cocktail.

PMID- 28341812
TI  - Parkinson's disease-associated receptor GPR37 is an ER chaperone for LRP6.
AB  - Wnt/beta-catenin signaling plays a key role in embryonic development, stem cell
      biology, and neurogenesis. However, the mechanisms of Wnt signal transmission,
      notably how the receptors are regulated, remain incompletely understood. Here we
      describe that the Parkinson's disease-associated receptor GPR37 functions in the
      maturation of the N-terminal bulky beta-propellers of the Wnt co-receptor LRP6.
      GPR37 is required for Wnt/beta-catenin signaling and protects LRP6 from ER
      associated degradation via CHIP (carboxyl terminus of Hsc70-interacting protein)
      and the ATPase VCP GPR37 is highly expressed in neural progenitor cells (NPCs)
      where it is required for Wnt-dependent neurogenesis. We conclude that GPR37 is
      crucial for cellular protein quality control during Wnt signaling.

PMID- 28341816
TI  - Increased Expression of Toll-Like Receptors 2 and 4 in Renal Transplant
      Recipients that Develop Allograft Dysfunction: A Cohort Study.
AB  - BACKGROUND: The incidence of ischemic reperfusion injury (IRI) in early phase
      post-transplantation and activation of toll-like receptor (TLR-2) and TLR-4
      remarkably impact the outcome of a renal allograft. OBJECTIVE: To investigate
      whether the expression of TLRs in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) can
      predict the clinical outcome of kidney allografts. METHODS: We obtained blood
      samples from 52 renal transplant patients before transplant, and 2, 90, and 180
      days post-transplantation in order to analyze the surface expressions of TLR-2
      and TLR-4 on peripheral blood monocytes. The expression patterns of TLR-2 and TLR
      4 were compared between patients with graft dysfunction (GD) and those with well
      functioning graft (WFG). RESULTS: Significantly different mean dynamic changes in
      surface expression of TLR-2 according to percentage of TLR-2+ cells between (the
      GD and WFG) groups existed at most time-points before and after renal
      transplantation (p=0.007) with the exception of day 2 post-transplantation. We
      observed significantly higher mean fluorescence intensities of TLR-2 and TLR-4 on
      CD14+ cells in the GD group compared to the WFG group. This finding was
      particularly observed 180 days post-transplantation (p=0.001). Based on TLR-2 and
      TLR-4 protein expression for each step, multiple logistic regression and ROC
      curve analysis revealed that an increase in CD14+ TLR-2+ monocytes within the 90
      days post-transplantaton was associated with increased risk of GD at 180 and 365
      days post-transplantation [odds ratio (OR)=1.27, p=0.005)]. CONCLUSION:
      Sequential monitoring of TLR-2 and TLR-4 expression patterns in peripheral blood
      monocytes appear to be prognostic and predictive biomarkers for early and late
      kidney allograft outcomes.

PMID- 28341817
TI  - Impairment of Macrophage Presenting Ability and Viability by Echinococcus
      granulosus Antigens.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Despite advances toward an improved understanding of the evasive
      mechanisms leading to the establishment of cystic echinococcosis, the discovery
      of specific immunosuppressive mechanisms and related factors are of great
      interest in the development of an immunotherapeutic approach. OBJECTIVE: To
      elucidate immunosuppressive effects of bioactive factors contained in
      chromatographic fractions from hydatid cystic fluid (HCF) of Echinococcus
      granulosus. METHODS: Hydatid cystic fluid was fractionated by reverse phase
      chromatography. Non-specific Concanavalin A-driven proliferation of spleen cells
      was used to determine specific inhibitory fractions. Trypan blue exclusion test
      and flowcytometry analysis were performed to check whether highly inhibitory
      fractions of HCF have apoptotic effect on peritoneal macrophages. Western blot
      analysis was used to determine proteolytic effects of parasitic antigens on major
      histocompatibility complex (MHC) class II (I-a) contained in membrane proteins
      extract from macrophages. RESULTS: High concentrations of HCF and few of
      chromatographic fractions suppressed spleen cells proliferation. Fractions 7 and
      35 were the highest inhibitory fractions. Specifically fraction 35 and to a
      lesser extent HCF induced apoptosis in peritoneal naive macrophages. However, HCF
      and the fraction 7 proteolytically altered the expression of MHC class II
      molecules on peritoneal macrophages. The proteolytic molecule was identified to
      be a serine protease. Macrophages taken at the chronic and end phase from cystic
      echinococcosis-infected mice were able to uptake and process C-Ovalbumine-FITC.
      These cells expressed a drastically reduced level of (I-a) molecules. CONCLUSION:
      Our study present new aspects of immune suppression function of E. granulosus.
      Further molecular characterization of apoptotic and proteolytic factors might be
      useful to develop immunotherapeutic procedure to break down their inhibitory
      effects.

PMID- 28341818
TI  - Clinical Relevance of Cytokines Gene Polymorphisms and Protein Levels in Gingival
      Cervical Fluid from Chronic Periodontitis Patients.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Cytokines are suggested to play a role in periodontitis. OBJECTIVES:
      To determine and compare the levels of Interleukin-1 beta (IL-1beta) and Tumor
      necrosis factor alpha (TNF-alpha) in gingival crevicular fluid (GCF) samples
      amongst healthy individuals and those with chronic periodontitis. Further to
      compare the GCF cytokine levels in three genotype classes defined by the
      respective gene polymorphisms. METHODS: The study was conducted on 41 chronic
      periodontitis patients and 40 healthy volunteers. IL-1beta and TNF-alpha were
      quantified in GCF by cytometric bead array. DNA was extracted from peripheral
      blood samples and genotyping of IL1B +3954C/T (rs1143634) IL1B -511G/A (rs16944),
      TNFA -1031T/C (rs1799964) and TNFA -863C/A (rs1800630) polymorphisms were
      performed using Sanger sequencing and Taqman SNP genotyping assays methods.
      RESULTS: Both IL-1beta and TNF-alpha levels were significantly higher in chronic
      periodontitis group compared to the controls. IL-1beta and TNF-alpha levels did
      not significantly differ in genotype classes of the respective polymorphism (IL1B
      -511G/A, TNFA -1031T/C and TNFA -863C/A). However, individuals with CT genotype
      of IL1B +3954C/T showed higher levels of IL-1beta in the gingival crevicular
      fluid (ANOVA p<0.05). CONCLUSION: The results of this study revealed the presence
      of higher levels of IL-1beta and TNF-alpha in subjects with periodontitis and
      genetic control of IL-1beta levels in our samples of Indians.

PMID- 28341819
TI  - Interleukin-23 Receptor Gene Variants in Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia and Their
      Relation to Prognostic Factors.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Interleukin (IL)-23 has an important role in tumor immune regulation.
      OBJECTIVE: To investigate the possible association of interleukin-23 receptor
      (IL23R) gene variants rs1884444, rs10889677 and rs11209026 with development of
      acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL). METHODS: The IL23R variants were studied in
      164 ALL patients and compared to 175 healthy controls by polymerase chain
      reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism. The relationship between these
      variants and clinical and laboratory features of the patients and response to
      therapy were evaluated. RESULTS: No significant differences in genotype and
      allele frequencies existed between patients and controls. The rs1884444TG
      genotype was significantly lower in patients who relapsed (24.2%) compared to
      those without relapse (55.9%, p=0.006). Fewer patients who relapsed had evidence
      of the G allele (p=0.034). The TG genotype was associated with a longer complete
      remission at 1804+/-116 days compared to other genotypes (<1217 days, p=0.028),
      however, this result was not significant in multivariate analysis. The rs10889677
      AA genotype and A allele were associated with age (p<0.041) and platelet number
      (p=0.03) in precursor-B cell ALL (B-ALL) patients. Both occurred more frequently
      in patients aged 2-10 years (63.6% and 66%, respectively) and in those with
      platelets >100*10^3 MUL (68.4% and 52.4%, respectively). CONCLUSION: Our findings
      showed a lack of association of the studied polymorphisms with the risk of ALL.
      The influence of the rs1884444 polymorphism on relapse rate and association of
      rs10889677 AA genotype with favorable prognostic factors suggest the effect of
      the studied polymorphisms on ALL response to therapy and prognosis.

PMID- 28341820
TI  - IL-23 Gene and Protein Expression in Childhood Asthma.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Asthma is the chronic inflammation of airways characterized by
      eosinophilic infiltration, mucus overproduction, airway hyper-responsiveness and
      airway remodeling. These changes are induced mostly by cytokines which are
      produced by T helper (Th) 2 cells. Recently, the role of interleukin-23 (IL-23)
      in the pathogenesis of adult allergic asthma has been studied. OBJECTIVE: To
      explore IL-23 serum levels and its expression in persistent asthma compared with
      healthy children younger than five years old. METHOD: Blood samples of 40
      children with mild and severe persistent asthma were compared to 34 healthy
      children regarding IL-23 serum levels and gene expression using enzyme-linked
      immunosorbentassay (ELISA) and real time quantitative polymerase chain reaction
      (PCR). RESULTS: The IL-23 gene expression level was significantly different in
      the 25 children with mild persistent asthma and the 15 children with severe
      persistent asthma compared to the control group (p=0.001). There was no
      significant difference in IL-23 gene expression level between the two groups of
      patients with mild and severe persistent asthma. A significant difference was
      seen in IL-23 serum levels between the 25 children with persistent asthma and
      control group (p=0.002). CONCLUSION: For pre-school children with history and
      physical exam in favor of asthma which cannot be tested by spirometry, IL-23
      serum levels may be an auxiliary biomarker for the diagnosis of asthma.

PMID- 28341821
TI  - Salicylate Food Intolerance and Aspirin Hypersensitivity in Nasal Polyposis.
AB  - BACKGROUND: A clear association between allergy and nasal polyposis (NP) is not
      determined and the role of food intolerance in patients with NP is not
      investigated by oral food challenge (OFC). OBJECTIVE: To investigate the relation
      of salicylate food intolerance and atopy in patients with NP according to
      recurrence and aspirin sensitivity. METHODS: A cross sectional multicenter study
      was done in two tertiary centers for allergy in Iran. Adult patients with NP were
      selected for the study that had been referred to allergy clinics. The oral
      aspirin challenge (OAC) test was performed to identify aspirin exacerbated
      respiratory disease (AERD) and the OFC test was used to investigate food
      intolerance. Atopic evaluation was performed by skin-prick tests, nasal smear and
      blood eosinophil count as well as serum total IgE. RESULTS: One hundred and
      nineteen Iranian patients (female to male ratio 1.05) with NP were enrolled (mean
      age, 38 +/- 11 years). Recurrence of nasal polyposis was 64.7%. OAC was performed
      in all cases; 43.79% cases had aspirin hypersensitivity. In addition, OFC tests
      determined that 69.9% of patients had salicylate food allergy. Salicylate food
      intolerance was significantly higher in NP cases with AERD than in aspirin
      tolerant patients (p<0.05). Yet, positive skin prick test was not associated with
      NP recurrence and AERD. CONCLUSION: Atopy and NSAID exacerbated respiratory
      disease; therefore, they can both be considered as predictors of NP recurrence.
      Our study also showed that salicylate food intolerance was associated with AERD
      in nasal polyposis.

PMID- 28341822
TI  - Berberine Restricts Coxsackievirus B Type 3 Replication via Inhibition of c-Jun N
      Terminal Kinase (JNK) and p38 MAPK Activation In Vitro.
AB  - BACKGROUND At present, the treatment of coxsackievirus-induced myocarditis
      remains difficult. Berberine (BBR), an isoquinoline alkaloid isolated from
      traditional medicine herbs, exhibits significant anti-viral efficacy against
      various viruses. However, the underlying mechanism by which BBR controls CVB3
      infection has not yet been reported. The purpose of this study was to investigate
      the anti-viral efficacy of BBR against CVB3 infection and its mechanism. MATERIAL
      AND METHODS In our experiments, the protein levels of VP1 and MAPKs signal
      pathway were measured by Western blot. The mRNA level of VP1 was measured by RT
      PCR. The virus titers were determined by TCID50 assay. RESULTS We found that BBR
      treatment significantly decreased CVB3 replication in HeLa cells. In addition,
      the BBR treatment reduced the phosphorylation levels of JNK and p38 MAPK upon
      CVB3 infection in both HeLa cells and primary rat myocardial cells. CONCLUSIONS
      Taken together, these results suggest that BBR inhibits CVB3 replication through
      the suppression of JNK and p38 MAPK activation, shedding new light on the
      investigation of therapeutic strategies against CVB3-induced viral myocarditis.

PMID- 28341823
TI  - A Case with Serrated Polyposis Syndrome Controlled by Multiple Applications of
      Endoscopic Mucosal Resection and Endoscopic Submucosal Dissection.
AB  - BACKGROUND Serrated polyposis syndrome (SPS) is characterized by numerous
      hyperplastic polyps and sessile serrated adenoma/polyp (SSA/P) in the large
      intestine. SSA/P is known to transform into malignant lesions through the
      serrated pathway instead of the adenoma-carcinoma sequence. Early diagnosis with
      lower gastrointestinal endoscopy and early treatment are now considered to be
      essential. CASE REPORT We had an experience with a case of SPS to which
      endoscopic treatment was applied in multiple sessions. Endoscopic treatment was
      performed for 16 lesions in total, and the pathological findings were SSA/P for
      15 and adenoma for the other lesion. We intend to continue performing endoscopic
      surveillance for any newly developing lesions. CONCLUSIONS SPS has a potential
      for malignant transformation, and issues, such as long-term prognosis and optimal
      therapeutic strategies, await resolution. However, multiple endoscopic treatments
      are useful for cases with lesions that are controllable employing this modality.

PMID- 28341824
TI  - Posterior cingulate cross-hemispheric functional connectivity predicts the level
      of consciousness in traumatic brain injury.
AB  - Previous studies have demonstrated that altered states of consciousness are
      related to changes in resting state activity in the default-mode network (DMN).
      Anatomically, the DMN can be divided into anterior and posterior regions. The
      anterior DMN includes the perigenual anterior cingulate cortex and other medial
      prefrontal cortical regions, whereas the posterior DMN includes regions such as
      the posterior cingulate cortex (PCC) and the temporal parietal junction (TPJ).
      Although differential roles have been attributed to the anterior and posterior
      DMN regions, their exact contributions to consciousness levels remain unclear. To
      investigate the specific role of the posterior DMN in consciousness levels, we
      investigated 20 healthy controls (7 females, mean age = 33.6 years old) and 20
      traumatic brain injury (TBI) patients (5 females, mean age = 43 years old) whose
      brain lesions were mainly restricted to the bilateral frontal cortex but retained
      a well-preserved posterior DMN (e.g., the PCC and the TPJ) and who exhibited
      varying levels of consciousness. We investigated the intra- and cross-functional
      connectivity strengths (FCSs) between the right/left PCC and the right/left TPJ
      and their correlation with consciousness levels. Significant reductions in both
      the intra- and cross-hemispheric FCSs were observed in patients compared with
      controls. A significant correlation with consciousness levels was observed only
      for the cross-hemispheric PCC-TPJ FCS but not for the intra-hemispheric PCC-TPJ
      FCS. Taken together, our results show that the cross-hemispheric posterior DMN is
      related to consciousness levels in a specific group of patients without posterior
      structural lesions. We therefore propose that the PCC may be central in
      maintaining consciousness through its cross-hemispheric FC with the TPJ.

PMID- 28341825
TI  - Transcriptomic profile of tobacco in response to Phytophthora nicotianae
      infection.
AB  - Black shank, caused by Phytophthora nicotianae (P. nicotianae), is a serious
      disease of cultivated tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum) worldwide. The interactions
      between tobacco and P. nicotianae are complex and the outcomes of the
      interactions depend on the tobacco genotype, P. nicotianae strain, and
      environmental conditions. In this study, we used RNA-sequencing (RNA-Seq) to
      investigate and compare transcriptional changes in the stems of tobacco upon
      inoculation with P. nicotianae strain race 0. We used two tobacco varieties: RBST
      (named from resistance to black shank and tobacco mosaic virus), which was
      resistant to the P. nicotianae strain race 0, and Honghuadajinyuan (HD), which
      was susceptible to P. nicotianae race 0. Samples were collected 12 and 72-hour
      post inoculation (hpi). Analysis of differentially expressed genes (DEGs) and
      significantly enriched GO terms indicated that several basic defense mechanisms
      were suppressed in both varieties, which included response to wounding (GO:
      0009611), and defense response to fungus (GO: 0050832). We also found some genes
      that may especially be related to mechanisms of resistance in RBST, such as the
      one encoding a chitinase. These results will provide a valuable resource for
      understanding the interactions between P. nicotianae and tobacco plants.

PMID- 28341826
TI  - Poly(ethylmethacrylate-co-diethylaminoethyl acrylate) coating improves
      endothelial re-population, bio-mechanical and anti-thrombogenic properties of
      decellularized carotid arteries for blood vessel replacement.
AB  - Decellularized vascular scaffolds are promising materials for vessel
      replacements. However, despite the natural origin of decellularized vessels,
      issues such as biomechanical incompatibility, immunogenicity risks and the
      hazards of thrombus formation, still need to be addressed. In this study, we
      coated decellularized vessels obtained from porcine carotid arteries with poly
      (ethylmethacrylate-co-diethylaminoethylacrylate) (8g7) with the purpose of
      improving endothelial coverage and minimizing platelet attachment while enhancing
      the mechanical properties of the decellularized vascular scaffolds. The polymer
      facilitated binding of endothelial cells (ECs) with high affinity and also
      induced endothelial cell capillary tube formation. In addition, platelets showed
      reduced adhesion on the polymer under flow conditions. Moreover, the coating of
      the decellularized arteries improved biomechanical properties by increasing its
      tensile strength and load. In addition, after 5 days in culture, ECs seeded on
      the luminal surface of 8g7-coated decellularized arteries showed good
      regeneration of the endothelium. Overall, this study shows that polymer coating
      of decellularized vessels provides a new strategy to improve re
      endothelialization of vascular grafts, maintaining or enhancing mechanical
      properties while reducing the risk of thrombogenesis. These results could have
      potential applications in improving tissue-engineered vascular grafts for
      cardiovascular therapies with small caliber vessels.

PMID- 28341828
TI  - Variants in the host genome may inhibit tumour growth in devil facial tumours:
      evidence from genome-wide association.
AB  - Devil facial tumour disease (DFTD) has decimated wild populations of Tasmanian
      devils (Sarcophilus harrisii) due to its ability to avoid immune detection and
      pass from host to host by biting. A small number of devils have been observed to
      spontaneously recover from the disease which is otherwise fatal. We have
      sequenced the genomes of these rare cases and compared them to the genomes of
      devils who succumbed to the disease. Genome-wide association, based on this
      limited sampling, highlighted two key genomic regions potentially associated with
      ability to survive DFTD. Following targeted genotyping in additional samples,
      both of these loci remain significantly different between cases and controls,
      with the PAX3 locus retaining significance at the 0.001 level, though genome-wide
      significance was not achieved. We propose that PAX3 may be involved in a
      regulatory pathway that influences the slowing of tumour growth and may allow
      more time for an immune response to be mounted in animals with regressed tumours.
      This provides an intriguing hypothesis for further research and could provide a
      novel route of treatment for this devastating disease.

PMID- 28341827
TI  - Neural basis of negativity bias in the perception of ambiguous facial expression.
AB  - Negativity bias, which describes the tendency to interpret ambiguous stimuli or
      events as negative, is often observed in patients with depression and may prevent
      psychological well-being. Here, we used ambiguous facial stimuli, with negative
      (sad) and positive (happy) emotions simultaneously accessible, to examine neural
      activation during perceptual decision-making in healthy participants. The
      negativity bias was positively correlated with the activity of the bilateral
      pregenual anterior cingulate cortex (pgACC) when ambiguous faces were perceived
      as sad versus happy. Additionally, the strength of the functional connectivity
      between the bilateral pgACC and the right dorsal ACC (dACC)/right thalamus was
      positively correlated with hopelessness, one of the core characteristics of
      depression. Given the role of the pgACC as a major site of depressive affect and
      the roles of the dACC and thalamus in conflict monitoring and vigilance,
      respectively, our results reveal valid and important neuroanatomical correlates
      of the association between negativity bias and hopelessness in the healthy
      individuals.

PMID- 28341829
TI  - USP9X deubiquitylating enzyme maintains RAPTOR protein levels, mTORC1 signalling
      and proliferation in neural progenitors.
AB  - USP9X, is highly expressed in neural progenitors and, essential for neural
      development in mice. In humans, mutations in USP9X are associated with
      neurodevelopmental disorders. To understand USP9X's role in neural progenitors,
      we studied the effects of altering its expression in both the human neural
      progenitor cell line, ReNcell VM, as well as neural stem and progenitor cells
      derived from Nestin-cre conditionally deleted Usp9x mice. Decreasing USP9X
      resulted in ReNcell VM cells arresting in G0 cell cycle phase, with a concomitant
      decrease in mTORC1 signalling, a major regulator of G0/G1 cell cycle progression.
      Decreased mTORC1 signalling was also observed in Usp9x-null neurospheres and
      embryonic mouse brains. Further analyses revealed, (i) the canonical mTORC1
      protein, RAPTOR, physically associates with Usp9x in embryonic brains, (ii)
      RAPTOR protein level is directly proportional to USP9X, in both loss- and gain-of
      function experiments in cultured cells and, (iii) USP9X deubiquitlyating activity
      opposes the proteasomal degradation of RAPTOR. EdU incorporation assays confirmed
      Usp9x maintains the proliferation of neural progenitors similar to Raptor-null
      and rapamycin-treated neurospheres. Interestingly, loss of Usp9x increased the
      number of sphere-forming cells consistent with enhanced neural stem cell self
      renewal. To our knowledge, USP9X is the first deubiquitylating enzyme shown to
      stabilize RAPTOR.

PMID- 28341830
TI  - X-ray Dark-field Radiography - In-Vivo Diagnosis of Lung Cancer in Mice.
AB  - Accounting for about 1.5 million deaths annually, lung cancer is the prevailing
      cause of cancer deaths worldwide, mostly associated with long-term smoking
      effects. Numerous small-animal studies are performed currently in order to better
      understand the pathogenesis of the disease and to develop treatment strategies.
      Within this letter, we propose to exploit X-ray dark-field imaging as a novel
      diagnostic tool for the detection of lung cancer on projection radiographs. Here,
      we demonstrate in living mice bearing lung tumors, that X-ray dark-field
      radiography provides significantly improved lung tumor detection rates without
      increasing the number of false-positives, especially in the case of small and
      superimposed nodules, when compared to conventional absorption-based imaging.
      While this method still needs to be adapted to larger mammals and finally humans,
      the technique presented here can already serve as a valuable tool in evaluating
      novel lung cancer therapies, tested in mice and other small animal models.

PMID- 28341833
TI  - Large-Scale Crustal-Block-Extrusion During Late Alpine Collision.
AB  - The crustal-scale geometry of the European Alps has been explained by a classical
      subduction-scenario comprising thrust-and-fold-related compressional wedge
      tectonics and isostatic rebound. However, massive blocks of crystalline basement
      (External Crystalline Massifs) vertically disrupt the upper-crustal wedge. In the
      case of the Aar massif, top basement vertically rises for >12 km and peak
      metamorphic temperatures increase along an orogen-perpendicular direction from
      250  degrees C-450  degrees C over horizontal distances of only <15 km
      (Innertkirchen-Grimselpass), suggesting exhumation of midcrustal rocks with
      increasing uplift component along steep vertical shear zones. Here we demonstrate
      that delamination of European lower crust during lithosphere mantle rollback
      migrates northward in time. Simultaneously, the Aar massif as giant upper crustal
      block extrudes by buoyancy forces, while substantial volumes of lower crust
      accumulate underneath. Buoyancy-driven deformation generates dense networks of
      steep reverse faults as major structures interconnected by secondary branches
      with normal fault component, dissecting the entire crust up to the surface. Owing
      to rollback fading, the component of vertical motion reduces and is replaced by a
      late stage of orogenic compression as manifest by north-directed thrusting.
      Buoyancy-driven vertical tectonics and modest late shortening, combined with
      surface erosion, result in typical topographic and metamorphic gradients, which
      might represent general indicators for final stages of continent-continent
      collisions.

PMID- 28341831
TI  - The relationship between retinal nerve fibre layer thickness profiles and
      CorvisST tonometry measured biomechanical properties in young healthy subjects.
AB  - We previously reported that a shallow circumpapillary retinal nerve fiber layer
      (cpRNFL) peak angle as measured by optical coherence tomography (OCT) suggests
      the temporal retina is stretched around the optic disc from the papillo-macular
      bundle (Yamashita T et al. Investigative Ophthalmol Vis Sci 2013). The purpose of
      the current study was to investigate the relationship between CorvisST tonometry
      (CST) corneal measurements, axial length (AL) and the change in OCT-measured
      cpRNFL peak angle, in young healthy subjects. OCT and CST measurements were
      carried out in 97 eyes of 97 young healthy volunteers. The relationship between
      cpRNFL peak angle and 12 CST parameters, adjusted for AL, was investigated using
      linear modelling. The mean +/- standard deviation cpRNFL peak angle of the 97
      healthy volunteers was 130.6 +/- 25.4 (range: 77.8 to 207.0) degrees. The optimal
      linear model to explain cpRNFL peak angle (chosen from 216 different models)
      included three CST variables related to the speed and size of energy absorption
      (namely, A1 time, A1 length and A2 time), in addition to AL. In eyes with longer
      AL and shorter energy absorption in CST measurement, temporal retina is stretched
      around the optic disc from the papillo-macular bundle, as suggested by a shallow
      cpRNFL peak angle.

PMID- 28341832
TI  - MiR-2425-5p targets RAD9A and MYOG to regulate the proliferation and
      differentiation of bovine skeletal muscle-derived satellite cells.
AB  - Our group previously identified miR-2425-5p, a unique bovine miRNA; however, its
      biological function and regulation in muscle-derived satellite cells (MDSCs)
      remain unclear. Herein, stem-loop RT-PCR results showed that miR-2425-5p
      increased during MDSCs proliferation, but decreased during differentiation. Cell
      proliferation was examined using EdU assays, cyclin B1 (CCNB1) and proliferating
      cell nuclear antigen (PCNA) western blot (WB) and flow cytometry analysis. These
      results showed that miR-2425-5p mimics (miR-2425-M) enhanced MDSCs proliferation,
      whereas, miR-2425-5p inhibitor (miR-2425-I) had opposite effect. Conversely, cell
      differentiation studies by desmin (DES) immunofluorescence, myotubes formation,
      and myosin heavy chain 3 (MYH3) WB analyses revealed that miR-2425-M and miR-2425
      I blocked and promoted MDSCs differentiation, respectively. Moreover, luciferase
      reporter, RT-PCR, and WB assays showed that miR-2425-5p directly targeted the 3'
      UTR of RAD9 homolog A (RAD9A) and myogenin (MYOG) to regulate their expression.
      Rescue experiment showed RAD9A inhibited the proliferation of MDSCs through miR
      2425-5p. In addition, we found that miR-2425-5p expression was regulated by its
      host gene NCK associated protein 5-like (NCKAP5L) rather than being transcribed
      independently as a separate small RNA. Collectively, these data indicate that miR
      2425-5p is a novel regulator of bovine MDSCs proliferation and differentiation
      and provides further insight into the biological functions of miRNA in this
      species.

PMID- 28341834
TI  - Grating chips for quantum technologies.
AB  - We have laser cooled 3 * 106 87Rb atoms to 3 MUK in a micro-fabricated grating
      magneto-optical trap (GMOT), enabling future mass-deployment in highly accurate
      compact quantum sensors. We magnetically trap the atoms, and use Larmor spin
      precession for magnetic sensing in the vicinity of the atomic sample. Finally, we
      demonstrate an array of magneto-optical traps with a single laser beam, which
      will be utilised for future cold atom gradiometry.

PMID- 28341835
TI  - Investigation and manipulation of metabolically active methanogen community
      composition during rumen development in black goats.
AB  - This study was performed to investigate the initial colonization of metabolically
      active methanogens and subsequent changes in four fractions: the rumen solid
      phase (RS), liquid-phase (RL), protozoa-associated (RP), and epithelium
      associated (RE) from 1 to 60 d after birth, and manipulate methanogen community
      by early weaning on 40 d and supplementing rhubarb from 40 to 60 d in black
      goats. The RNA-based real-time quantitative PCR and 16S rRNA amplicon sequencing
      were employed to indicate the metabolically active methanogens. Results showed
      that active methanogens colonized in RL and RE on 1 d after birth. RP and RE
      contained the highest and lowest density of methanogens, respectively.
      Methanobrevibacter, Candidatus Methanomethylophilus, and Methanosphaera were the
      top three genera. The methanogen communities before weaning differed from those
      post weaning and the structure of the methanogen community in RE was distinct
      from those in the other three fractions. The discrepancies in the distribution of
      methanogens across four fractions, and various fluctuations in abundances among
      four fractions according to age were observed. The addition of rhubarb
      significantly (P < 0.05) reduced the abundances of Methanimicrococcus spp. in
      four fractions on 50 d, but did not change the methanogen community composition
      on 60 d.

PMID- 28341836
TI  - FAM46C is critical for the anti-proliferation and pro-apoptotic effects of
      norcantharidin in hepatocellular carcinoma cells.
AB  - Norcantharidin (NCTD), a demethylated analog of cantharidin derived from Chinese
      traditional medicine blister beetle, has been currently used as an anticancer
      drug for various cancers including hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). In this study,
      for a more comprehensive understanding of the targets of NCTD in HCC, next
      generation RNA-Seq was utilized. We revealed that the expression of FAM46C, which
      has been reported as a tumor suppressor for multiple myeloma, was enhanced after
      NCTD treatment. Re-analysis of TCGA (The Cancer Genome Atlas) LIHC (liver
      hepatocellular carcinoma) dataset demonstrated that FAM46C expression was
      significantly lower in HCC tissues than in normal liver tissues. NCTD injection
      or FAM46C overexpression could mitigate diethylnitrosamine (DEN)-initiated HCC in
      mice. Ectopic expression of FAM46C in two HCC cell lines, SMCC-7721 and SK-Hep-1,
      significantly repressed cell proliferation, and increased cells population in
      G2/M phase and cell apoptotic rate. We also found that FAM46C overexpression
      caused a notable decrease in Ras expression, MEK1/2 phosphorylation and ERK1/2
      phosphorylation. More importantly, FAM46C knockdown significantly weakened the
      biological effects of NCTD on HCC cells, which suggested NCTD exerted the
      anticancer functions partially through up-regulating FAM46C. In conclusion,
      FAM46C, a tumor suppressor for HCC, is important for the anti-proliferation and
      proapoptotic effects of NCTD.

PMID- 28341837
TI  - Enhancement of CCL2 expression and monocyte migration by CCN1 in osteoblasts
      through inhibiting miR-518a-5p: implication of rheumatoid arthritis therapy.
AB  - Cysteine-rich 61 (Cyr61 or CCN1), a secreted protein from the CCN family, is an
      important proinflammatory cytokine. Migration and infiltration of mononuclear
      cells to inflammatory sites play a critical role in the pathogenesis of
      rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 (MCP-1/CCL2) is the
      key chemokine that regulates migration and infiltration of monocytes. Here, we
      examined the role of CCN1 in monocyte migration, and CCL2 expression in
      osteoblasts. We found higher levels of CCN1 and CCL2 in synovial fluid from RA
      patients compared with levels from non-RA controls. We also found that the CCN1
      induced increase in CCL2 expression is mediated by the MAPK signaling pathway and
      that miR-518a-5p expression was negatively regulated by CCN1 via the MAPK
      cascade. In contrast, inhibition of CCN1 expression with lentiviral vectors
      expressing short hairpin RNA ameliorated articular swelling, cartilage erosion,
      and infiltration of monocytes in the ankle joints of mice with collagen-induced
      arthritis. Our study describes how CCN1 promotes monocyte migration by
      upregulating CCL2 expression in osteoblasts in RA disease. CCN1 could serve as a
      potential target for RA treatment.

PMID- 28341838
TI  - Occlusion and Disocclusion Time Changes in Single Unit Crowns Designed by
      Functional Generated Path Technique: A Randomised Clinical Trial.
AB  - Although it is believed that implementation of the functional generated path
      (FGP) technique can facilitate occlusal surface design for restorations, it has
      not been objectively compared in situ with the conventional fabrication yet.
      Therefore, in the present study, a single-blind crossover clinical trial was
      conducted using T-scan to compare changes in occlusion time (OT) and disocclusion
      time (DT) of single posterior artificial crowns designed differently using FGP
      technique (FGP), average-value FGP technique (AVR) and conventional fabrication
      (CON). Each of the 10 participants took part in the study tried three artificial
      crowns in different sequences according to a computer generated randomization
      list. The results objectively revealed that changes in OT and DT were
      significantly smaller for FGP than CON (P < 0.05) and considerably smaller for
      AVR than CON, respectively. The subjective feedback and the occlusal adjusting
      time were better and shorter for FGP and AVR than CON (P < 0.05). No harm to the
      participants occurred. Overall, FGP is an efficient technique showing more
      physiological harmonious relationship with the articulating system.

PMID- 28341839
TI  - Therapeutic efficacy of neural stem cells originating from umbilical cord-derived
      mesenchymal stem cells in diabetic retinopathy.
AB  - The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of intravitreal injection of
      neural stem cells (NSCs) originating from human umbilical cord-derived
      mesenchymal stem cells (UC-MSCs) on neurodegeneration of diabetic retinopathy
      (DR) in rats. UC-MSCs were isolated and passaged, followed by induction to NSCs
      in neural differentiation medium. Four weeks following NSC transplantation,
      treatment attenuated retinal vascular dysfunction compared with non-treated rats,
      and BDNF and Thy-1 expression was significantly higher in the treated group than
      in the control group. Treatment of diabetic rats with NSCs prevented the decrease
      in BDNF levels caused by diabetes. The average leakage of Evans Blue (EB) dye in
      the treated group was significantly less than that in the control group. These
      morphological improvements were accompanied by a restoration of vision, as
      documented by F-ERG. NSCs originating from MSCs demonstrated a neuroprotective
      effect by increasing the number of surviving RGCs and significantly reducing the
      progression of DR. Thus, transplantation of NSCs could be a novel strategy for
      the treatment of neurodegeneration in DR.

PMID- 28341840
TI  - Comparison of Two Massively Parallel Sequencing Platforms using 83 Single
      Nucleotide Polymorphisms for Human Identification.
AB  - The potential of Massively Parallel Sequencing (MPS) technology to vastly expand
      the capabilities of human identification led to the emergence of different MPS
      platforms that use forensically relevant genetic markers. Two of the MPS
      platforms that are currently available are the MiSeq(r) FGxTM Forensic Genomics
      System (Illumina) and the HID-Ion Personal Genome Machine (PGM)TM (Thermo Fisher
      Scientific). These are coupled with the ForenSeqTM DNA Signature Prep kit
      (Illumina) and the HID-Ion AmpliSeqTM Identity Panel (Thermo Fisher Scientific),
      respectively. In this study, we compared the genotyping performance of the two
      MPS systems based on 83 SNP markers that are present in both MPS marker panels.
      Results show that MiSeq(r) FGxTM has greater sample-to-sample variation than the
      HID-Ion PGMTM in terms of read counts for all the 83 SNP markers. Allele coverage
      ratio (ACR) values show generally balanced heterozygous reads for both platforms.
      Two and four SNP markers from the MiSeq(r) FGxTM and HID-Ion PGMTM, respectively,
      have average ACR values lower than the recommended value of 0.67. Comparison of
      genotype calls showed 99.7% concordance between the two platforms.

PMID- 28341841
TI  - Regulation of membrane ruffling by polarized STIM1 and ORAI1 in cortactin-rich
      domains.
AB  - Cell motility and migration requires the reorganization of the cortical
      cytoskeleton at the leading edge of cells and extracellular Ca2+ entry is
      essential for this reorganization. However the molecular nature of the regulators
      of this pathway is unknown. This work contributes to understanding the role of
      STIM1 and ORAI1 in the promotion of membrane ruffling by showing that phospho
      STIM1 localizes at the leading edge of cells, and that both phospho-STIM1 and
      ORAI1 co-localize with cortactin (CTTN), a regulator of the cytoskeleton at
      membrane ruffling areas. STIM1-KO and ORAI1-KO cell lines were generated by
      CRISPR/Cas9 genome editing in U2OS cells. In both cases, KO cells presented a
      notable reduction of store-operated Ca2+ entry (SOCE) that was rescued by
      expression of STIM1-mCherry and ORAI1-mCherry. These results demonstrated that
      SOCE regulates membrane ruffling at the leading edge of cells. Moreover,
      endogenous ORAI1 and overexpressed ORAI1-GFP co-immunoprecipitated with
      endogenous CTTN. This latter result, in addition to the KO cells' phenotype, the
      preservation of ORAI1-CTTN co-localization during ruffling, and the inhibition of
      membrane ruffling by the Ca2+-channel inhibitor SKF96365, further supports a
      functional link between SOCE and membrane ruffling.

PMID- 28341842
TI  - A scoring system to predict breast cancer mortality at 5 and 10 years.
AB  - : Although predictive models exist for mortality in breast cancer (BC) (generally
      all cause-mortality), they are not applicable to all patients and their
      statistical methodology is not the most powerful to develop a predictive model.
      Consequently, we developed a predictive model specific for BC mortality at 5 and
      10 years resolving the above issues. This cohort study included 287 patients
      diagnosed with BC in a Spanish region in 2003-2016. MAIN OUTCOME VARIABLE: time
      to-BC death. Secondary variables: age, personal history of breast surgery,
      personal history of any cancer/BC, premenopause, postmenopause, grade, estrogen
      receptor, progesterone receptor, c-erbB2, TNM stage,
      multicentricity/multifocality, diagnosis and treatment. A points system was
      constructed to predict BC mortality at 5 and 10 years. The model was internally
      validated by bootstrapping. The points system was integrated into a mobile
      application for Android. Mean follow-up was 8.6 +/- 3.5 years and 55 patients
      died of BC. The points system included age, personal history of BC, grade, TNM
      stage and multicentricity. Validation was satisfactory, in both discrimination
      and calibration. In conclusion, we constructed and internally validated a scoring
      system for predicting BC mortality at 5 and 10 years. External validation studies
      are needed for its use in other geographical areas.

PMID- 28341843
TI  - Multistructure index characterization of heart rate and systolic blood pressure
      reveals precursory signs of syncope.
AB  - Recurrent syncope - abrupt loss of consciousness - can have a serious impact on
      patients' quality of life, comparable with chronic illnesses. Vasovagal syncope
      (VVS) is a specific reflex syncope, in which an inappropriate reaction of the
      autonomic nervous system (ANS) plays a key role in the pathophysiology. In
      syncope diagnosis, an ideal diagnostic method should positively identify
      vasovagal sensitive patients, without the need to perform a specialised head-up
      tilt table (HUTT) test. We apply a novel methodology of multistructure index (MI)
      statistics for seamlessly evaluating the size spectrum of the asymmetry
      properties of magnitudes of neural reflexes responsible for maintaining the
      homeostatic dynamics of autonomic control. Simultaneous evaluation using the MI
      of the effects on heart rate and blood pressure involved in achieving homeostasis
      of contrasting properties of the dynamics of slow and fast neural regulation
      reveals a clear distinction between vasovagal patients and healthy subjects, who
      are/are not susceptible to spontaneous fainting. Remarkably, a healthy
      cardiovascular response to the HUTT test is indeed evident prior to the test,
      making the MI a robust novel indicator, clearly distinguishing the cardiovascular
      autonomic regulation of healthy people from that of vasovagal patients without
      the need to perform an actual HUTT test.

PMID- 28341844
TI  - Relevance of the dietary glycemic index, glycemic load and genetic predisposition
      for the glucose homeostasis of Chinese adults without diabetes.
AB  - Type 2 diabetes (T2DM) and pre-diabetes have become a major public health problem
      in China. We examined whether a higher dietary glycemic index (GI) or glycemic
      load (GL) was associated with a less favorable glucose homeostasis among Chinese
      adults and whether these associations were modified by their genetic
      predisposition or whether combined effects exist with their cereal fiber intake.
      Multivariable regression analyses were performed in 3918 adults aged 23-69 years
      for whom three 24-hour dietary recalls and information on glucose homeostasis,
      genetic background and potential confounders was available. Adults in the highest
      GI (GL) tertile had an approximately 9% (5%) higher fasting plasma glucose, 11%
      (3%) higher glycated haemoglobin, 12% (7%) higher insulin level, and 28% (22%)
      higher hepatic insulin resistance compared to those in the lowest tertile
      (adjusted pfor-trend <= 0.04). Moreover, a higher dietary GI or GL was associated
      with higher odds of pre-diabetes (pfor-trend = 0.03). These associations were
      more pronounced among persons with a high T2DM genetic risk score (pfor
      interaction <= 0.06) or a low cereal fiber intake (pfor-interaction <= 0.05). In
      conclusion, our study indicates that the dietary GI or GL is of relevance for
      glucose homeostasis among Chinese adults, particularly among individuals
      genetically predisposed to T2DM.

PMID- 28341845
TI  - The trimer interface in the quaternary structure of the bifunctional prokaryotic
      FAD synthetase from Corynebacterium ammoniagenes.
AB  - Bifunctional FAD synthetases (FADSs) fold in two independent modules; The C
      terminal riboflavin kinase (RFK) catalyzes the RFK activity, while the N-terminal
      FMN-adenylyltransferase (FMNAT) exhibits the FMNAT activity. The search for
      macromolecular interfaces in the Corynebacterium ammoniagenes FADS (CaFADS)
      crystal structure predicts a dimer of trimers organization. Within each trimer, a
      head-to-tail arrangement causes the RFK and FMNAT catalytic sites of the two
      neighboring protomers to approach, in agreement with active site residues of one
      module influencing the activity at the other. We analyze the relevance of the
      CaFADS head-to-tail macromolecular interfaces to stabilization of assemblies,
      catalysis and ligand binding. With this aim, we evaluate the effect of point
      mutations in loop L1c-FlapI, loop L6c, and helix alpha1c of the RFK module
      (positions K202, E203, F206, D298, V300, E301 and L304), regions at the
      macromolecular interface between two protomers within the trimer. Although none
      of the studied residues is critical in the formation and dissociation of
      assemblies, residues at L1c-FlapI and helix alpha1c particularly modulate
      quaternary architecture, as well as ligand binding and kinetic parameters
      involved with RFK and FMNAT activities. These data support the influence of
      transient oligomeric structures on substrate accommodation and catalysis at both
      CaFADS active sites.

PMID- 28341846
TI  - Risk factors of post-operative severe hyperlactatemia and lactic acidosis
      following laparoscopic resection for pheochromocytoma.
AB  - Severe hyperlactatemia (SH)/lactic acidosis (LA) after laparoscopic resection of
      pheochromocytoma is an infrequently reported complication. The study aims to
      investigate the incidence of this complication and to determine the clinical risk
      factors. Patients who underwent laparoscopic resection for pheochromocytoma
      between 2011 and 2014 at Peking Union Medical College Hospital were enrolled. LA
      was defined as pH < 7.35, bicarbonate <20 mmol/L, and serum lactate >=5 mmol/L;
      SH as lactate >=5 mmol/L; and moderate hyperlactatemia (MH) as lactate 2.5-5.0
      mmol/L without evidence of acidosis (pH > 7.35 and/or bicarbonate >20 mmol/L).
      Data concerning patient demographics, clinical history, and laboratory results
      were collected and statistical analyses were performed. Out of 145 patients, 59
      (40.7%) developed post-operative hyperlactatemia. The incidences of MH and SH/LA
      were 25.5% and 15.2%, respectively. Multivariate analysis demonstrated that body
      mass index (BMI) (odds ratio [OR], 1.204; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.016
      1.426), 24-hour urine epinephrine concentration (OR, 1.012; 95% CI, 1.002-1.022),
      and tumor size (OR, 1.571; 95% CI, 1.102-2.240) were independent predictors of
      post-operative SH/LA. The data show that post-operative SH/LA is not a rare
      complication after pheochromocytoma resection and may be closely associated with
      higher BMI, larger tumor size, and higher levels of urine epinephrine.

PMID- 28341847
TI  - APOE Genotype Effects on Intrinsic Brain Network Connectivity in Patients with
      Amnestic Mild Cognitive Impairment.
AB  - Whether and how the apolipoprotein E (APOE) epsilon4 genotype specifically
      modulates brain network connectivity in patients with amnestic mild cognitive
      impairment (aMCI) remain largely unknown. Here, we employed resting-state ('task
      free') functional MRI and network centrality approaches to investigate local
      (degree centrality, DC) and global (eigenvector centrality, EC) functional
      integrity in the whole-brain connectome in 156 older adults, including 66 aMCI
      patients (27 epsilon4-carriers and 39 non-carriers) and 90 healthy controls (45
      epsilon4-carriers and 45 non-carriers). We observed diagnosis-by-genotype
      interactions on DC in the left superior/middle frontal gyrus, right middle
      temporal gyrus and cerebellum, with higher values in the epsilon4-carriers than
      non-carriers in the aMCI group. We further observed diagnosis-by-genotype
      interactions on EC, with higher values in the right middle temporal gyrus but
      lower values in the medial parts of default-mode network in the epsilon4-carriers
      than non-carriers in the aMCI group. Notably, these genotype differences in DC or
      EC were absent in the control group. Finally, the network connectivity DC values
      were negatively correlated with cognitive performance in the aMCI epsilon4
      carriers. Our findings suggest that the APOE genotype selectively modulates the
      functional integration of brain networks in patients with aMCI, thus providing
      important insight into the gene-connectome interaction in this disease.

PMID- 28341849
TI  - Quantitative profiling of glycerophospholipids during mouse and human macrophage
      differentiation using targeted mass spectrometry.
AB  - Macrophage lipid metabolism plays a pivotal role in innate and adaptive immune
      responses. Previous studies have shown that this process plays a role in
      infections and contributes to the pathogenesis of diabetes, atherosclerosis, and
      other immunometabolic diseases. M1 macrophages, or classically activated
      macrophages, are key players in the defense against bacterial infections. M2
      macrophages, or alternatively activated macrophages, are involved in anti
      inflammatory responses. Using the multiple reaction monitoring method, we
      identified changes in lipid composition during the differentiation of human and
      murine macrophages. We detected over 300 lipid molecules in mammalian
      macrophages, and we observed a striking shift in the composition of
      glycerophospholipids (GLs) from saturated and monounsaturated to polyunsaturated
      during human macrophage polarization. Moreover, M2 macrophages showed a higher
      level of lysophospholipids (lysoGLs) than did M1 macrophages. The lysoPI species
      increased in human and mouse M2 macrophages, suggesting that they may be involved
      in M2 macrophage polarization and anti-inflammatory processes. Collectively,
      these results indicate that lipids may play a role in the pro- and anti
      inflammatory activities of macrophages and may be markers of the macrophage
      activation state.

PMID- 28341850
TI  - The effects of symmetrical arrangement on quantum metrology.
AB  - An obstacle for precision improvement in quantum metrology is the information
      loss causing by the unavoidable interaction between probe system and environment.
      Quantum fluctuations are environment no system can be isolated from and it will
      make the precision of initial parameter estimation of the probe atom decrease
      with time. After the typical time of the spontaneous decay of the probe atom, the
      precision is greatly damaged. However, quantum fluctuations can be modified. Our
      results show that if we put several ancillary atoms beside the probe atom in
      symmetrical arrangement, the probe atom will be affected by the ancillary atoms
      indirectly and the information loss of the probe atom causing by the quantum
      fluctuations will be partially avoided. We find that the retained precision after
      long time evolution can approaches to [Formula: see text] times of the initial
      precision in condition that the probe atom and three ancillary atoms are located
      in the vertex of regular tetrahedron.

PMID- 28341848
TI  - Role of p62 in the suppression of inflammatory cytokine production by adiponectin
      in macrophages: Involvement of autophagy and p21/Nrf2 axis.
AB  - Adiponectin possesses potent anti-inflammatory properties. p62, an adaptor
      protein composed of multi-functional domain, is known to play a role in
      controlling inflammatory responses. In the present study, we examined the role of
      p62 in suppressing inflammatory cytokines produced by globular adiponectin
      (gAcrp) and the potential underlying mechanisms in macrophages. We demonstrated
      that gAcrp significantly increased p62 expression. Knockdown of p62 abrogated the
      suppressive effects of gAcrp on LPS-stimulated TNF-alpha and IL-1beta expression
      and TRAF6/p38 MAPK pathway, indicating that p62 signaling is critical for
      suppressing inflammatory cytokines production by gAcrp. We next examined the role
      of p62 in gAcrp-induced autophagy activation, because autophagy has been shown to
      play a pivotal role in suppressing TNF-alpha. Herein, we observed that gene
      silencing of p62 prevented gAcrp-induced increases in autophagy-related genes and
      autophagosome formation. In addition, we found that Nrf2 knockdown prevented
      gAcrp-induced p62 expression, and p21 knockdown prevented Nrf2 induction,
      suggesting the role of p21/Nrf2 axis in gAcrp-induced p62 expression. Taken
      together, these findings imply that p62 signaling plays a crucial role in
      suppressing inflammatory cytokine production by globular adiponectin in
      macrophages, at least in part, through autophagy induction. Furthermore, the
      p21/Nrf2 signaling cascade contributes to p62 induction by globular adiponectin.

PMID- 28341851
TI  - Respiratory Microbiome of Endangered Southern Resident Killer Whales and
      Microbiota of Surrounding Sea Surface Microlayer in the Eastern North Pacific.
AB  - In the Salish Sea, the endangered Southern Resident Killer Whale (SRKW) is a high
      trophic indicator of ecosystem health. Three major threats have been identified
      for this population: reduced prey availability, anthropogenic contaminants, and
      marine vessel disturbances. These perturbations can culminate in significant
      morbidity and mortality, usually associated with secondary infections that have a
      predilection to the respiratory system. To characterize the composition of the
      respiratory microbiota and identify recognized pathogens of SRKW, exhaled breath
      samples were collected between 2006-2009 and analyzed for bacteria, fungi and
      viruses using (1) culture-dependent, targeted PCR-based methodologies and (2)
      taxonomically broad, non-culture dependent PCR-based methodologies. Results were
      compared with sea surface microlayer (SML) samples to characterize the respective
      microbial constituents. An array of bacteria and fungi in breath and SML samples
      were identified, as well as microorganisms that exhibited resistance to multiple
      antimicrobial agents. The SML microbes and respiratory microbiota carry a
      pathogenic risk which we propose as an additional, fourth putative stressor
      (pathogens), which may adversely impact the endangered SRKW population.

PMID- 28341852
TI  - Profiling of long non-coding RNAs identifies LINC00958 and LINC01296 as candidate
      oncogenes in bladder cancer.
AB  - Aberrant expression of long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) has been regarded as a
      critical component in bladder cancer (BC) and lncRNAs have been associated with
      BC development and progression although their overall expression and functional
      significance is still unclear. The aim of our study was to identify novel lncRNAs
      with a functional role in BC carcinogenesis. RNA-sequencing was used to identify
      aberrantly expressed lncRNAs in 8 normal and 72 BC samples. We identified 89
      lncRNAs that were significantly dys-regulated in BC. Five lncRNAs; LINC00958,
      LINC01296, LINC00355, LNC-CMC1-1 and LNC-ALX1-2 were selected for further
      analyses. Silencing of LINC00958 or LINC01296 in vitro reduced both cell
      viability and migration. Knock-down of LINC00958 also affected invasion and
      resistance to anoikis. These cellular effects could be linked to direct/indirect
      regulation of protein coding mRNAs involved in cell death/survival, proliferation
      and cellular movement. Finally, we showed that LINC00958 binds proteins involved
      in regulation and initiation of translation and in post-transcriptional
      modification of RNA, including Metadherin, which has previously been associated
      with BC. Our analyses identified novel lncRNAs in BC that likely act as oncogenic
      drivers contributing to an aggressive cancerous phenotype likely through
      interaction with proteins involved in initiation of translation and/or post
      transcriptional modification of RNA.

PMID- 28341854
TI  - Gliding locomotion of manta rays, killer whales and swordfish near the water
      surface.
AB  - The hydrodynamic performance of the locomotive near the water surface is impacted
      by its geometrical shape. For marine animals, their geometrical shape is
      naturally selective; thus, investigating gliding locomotion of marine animal
      under the water surface may be able to elucidate the influence of the geometrical
      shape. We investigate three marine animals with specific geometries: the killer
      whale is fusiform shaped; the manta ray is flat and broad-winged; and the
      swordfish is best streamlined. The numerical results are validated by the
      measured drag coefficients of the manta ray model in a towing tank. The friction
      drag of the three target models are very similar; the body shape affected form
      drag coefficient is order as swordfish < killer whale < manta ray; the induced
      wave breaking upon the body of the manta ray performs different to killer whale
      and swordfish. These bio-inspired observations provide a new and in-depth
      understanding of the shape effects on the hydrodynamic performances near the free
      surface.

PMID- 28341853
TI  - Non cell-autonomous role of DCC in the guidance of the corticospinal tract at the
      midline.
AB  - DCC, a NETRIN-1 receptor, is considered as a cell-autonomous regulator for
      midline guidance of many commissural populations in the central nervous system.
      The corticospinal tract (CST), the principal motor pathway for voluntary
      movements, crosses the anatomic midline at the pyramidal decussation. CST fails
      to cross the midline in Kanga mice expressing a truncated DCC protein. Humans
      with heterozygous DCC mutations have congenital mirror movements (CMM). As CMM
      has been associated, in some cases, with malformations of the pyramidal
      decussation, DCC might also be involved in this process in human. Here, we
      investigated the role of DCC in CST midline crossing both in human and mice.
      First, we demonstrate by multimodal approaches, that patients with CMM due to DCC
      mutations have an increased proportion of ipsilateral CST projections. Second, we
      show that in contrast to Kanga mice, the anatomy of the CST is not altered in
      mice with a deletion of DCC in the CST. Altogether, these results indicate that
      DCC controls CST midline crossing in both humans and mice, and that this process
      is non cell-autonomous in mice. Our data unravel a new level of complexity in the
      role of DCC in CST guidance at the midline.

PMID- 28341856
TI  - Autoassociative Memory and Pattern Recognition in Micromechanical Oscillator
      Network.
AB  - Towards practical realization of brain-inspired computing in a scalable physical
      system, we investigate a network of coupled micromechanical oscillators. We
      numerically simulate this array of all-to-all coupled nonlinear oscillators in
      the presence of stochasticity and demonstrate its ability to synchronize and
      store information in the relative phase differences at synchronization.
      Sensitivity of behavior to coupling strength, frequency distribution,
      nonlinearity strength, and noise amplitude is investigated. Our results
      demonstrate that neurocomputing in a physically realistic network of
      micromechanical oscillators with silicon-based fabrication process can be robust
      against noise sources and fabrication process variations. This opens up
      tantalizing prospects for hardware realization of a low-power brain-inspired
      computing architecture that captures complexity on a scalable manufacturing
      platform.

PMID- 28341855
TI  - MiR-503 Promotes Bone Formation in Distraction Osteogenesis through Suppressing
      Smurf1 Expression.
AB  - Distraction osteogenesis (DO) is a unique technique for promoting bone formation
      in clinical practice. However the underlying mechanism remains elusive. As
      epigenetic mediators, microRNAs have been reported to play important roles in
      regulating osteogenesis. In this study, after successfully established the DO
      model of rats, a microRNA microarray was performed to find molecular targets for
      DO. Total 100 microRNAs were identified as differently expressed, with miR-503
      being one of the most significantly up-regulated miRNAs in DO. The further
      investigation also showed that miR-503 was upregulated during osteogenesis in
      mesenchymal stem cells of rats, and overexpression of miR-503 significantly
      promoted osteogenesis in vitro and accelerated mineralization in DO process in
      vivo. By using bioinformatic investigations and luciferase activities, we
      successfully demonstrated that Smurf1, a negative regulator of osteogenesis, was
      a real target of miR-503. Furthermore, Smurf1 knockdown promoted osteogenesis and
      antagomir-503 abolished the promotive effect, suggesting that miR-503 mediated
      osteogenic differentiation via suppressing Smurf1 expression. To sum up, these
      findings indicated that miR-503 promoted osteogenesis and accelerated bone
      formation, which may shed light on the development for a potential therapeutic
      target for bone repair.

PMID- 28341858
TI  - Visualization of weak interactions between quantum dot and graphene in hybrid
      materials.
AB  - The mechanisms of the weak interactions within hybrid materials such as quantum
      dot (QD) and graphene (GR) have important implications for the design of related
      optoelectronic devices. We characterize the weak interactions in hybrid QD-GR
      systems using a non-covalent interactions approach. For a single Cd13Se13 QD with
      a core-cage structure, the intensity of the steric repulsive strain in every Cd
      Se spatial four-atom ring of the cage surface is stronger than that of the inter
      core-cage structure. Van der Waals (vdW) interactions occur within the cavity of
      the cage and within the six-atom rings of the cage surface. The spatial repulsion
      strain and attractive interactions play a key role in stabilizing the structure
      of the monolayer graphene. Interestingly, the spatial six-atom ring of the single
      QD change into spatial four-atom rings of the QD in the hybrid system,
      accompanied by the translation of vdW interactions into steric repulsive
      interactions. We conclude that the vdW interactions with pi extensions and the
      weak attractive interactions within local areas between the QD and graphene
      together stabilize the integral structure of the hybrid QD-GR system. These
      results explain of the formation mechanism and the stabilization of the
      components in QD-GR hybrid materials.

PMID- 28341857
TI  - Embryonic defence mechanisms against glucose-dependent oxidative stress require
      enhanced expression of Alx3 to prevent malformations during diabetic pregnancy.
AB  - Oxidative stress constitutes a major cause for increased risk of congenital
      malformations associated to severe hyperglycaemia during pregnancy. Mutations in
      the gene encoding the transcription factor ALX3 cause congenital craniofacial and
      neural tube defects. Since oxidative stress and lack of ALX3 favour excessive
      embryonic apoptosis, we investigated whether ALX3-deficiency further increases
      the risk of embryonic damage during gestational hyperglycaemia in mice. We found
      that congenital malformations associated to ALX3-deficiency are enhanced in
      diabetic pregnancies. Increased expression of genes encoding oxidative stress
      scavenging enzymes in embryos from diabetic mothers was blunted in the absence of
      ALX3, leading to increased oxidative stress. Levels of ALX3 increased in response
      to glucose, but ALX3 did not activate oxidative stress defence genes directly.
      Instead, ALX3 stimulated the transcription of Foxo1, a master regulator of
      oxidative stress-scavenging genes, by binding to a newly identified binding site
      located in the Foxo1 promoter. Our data identify ALX3 as an important component
      of the defence mechanisms against the occurrence of developmental malformations
      during diabetic gestations, stimulating the expression of oxidative stress
      scavenging genes in a glucose-dependent manner via Foxo1 activation. Thus, ALX3
      deficiency provides a novel molecular mechanism for developmental defects arising
      from maternal hyperglycaemia.

PMID- 28341859
TI  - Refractive index variation in a free-standing diamond thin film induced by
      irradiation with fully transmitted high-energy protons.
AB  - Ion irradiation is a widely employed tool to fabricate diamond micro- and nano
      structures for applications in integrated photonics and quantum optics. In this
      context, it is essential to accurately assess the effect of ion-induced damage on
      the variation of the refractive index of the material, both to control the side
      effects in the fabrication process and possibly finely tune such variations.
      Several partially contradictory accounts have been provided on the effect of the
      ion irradiation on the refractive index of single crystal diamond. These
      discrepancies may be attributable to the fact that in all cases the ions are
      implanted in the bulk of the material, thus inducing a series of concurrent
      effects (volume expansion, stress, doping, etc.). Here we report the systematic
      characterization of the refractive index variations occurring in a 38 um thin
      artificial diamond sample upon irradiation with high-energy (3 MeV and 5 MeV)
      protons. In this configuration the ions are fully transmitted through the sample,
      while inducing an almost uniform damage profile with depth. Therefore, our
      findings conclusively identify and accurately quantify the change in the material
      polarizability as a function of ion beam damage as the primary cause for the
      modification of its refractive index.

PMID- 28341860
TI  - High Plasma Lipid Levels Reduce Efficacy of Adenovirus-Mediated Gene Therapy.
AB  - Adenoviruses are very efficient vectors for delivering therapeutic genes in
      preclinical and clinical trials. However, randomized controlled human trials have
      often been lacking clear clinically relevant results. We hypothesized that high
      lipid levels and specific lipoproteins could significantly decrease adenoviral
      transduction efficiency in vivo. Here we demonstrate that mice on a high fat diet
      have lower transgene expression compared to mice on a regular chow. In addition,
      on a high fat diet, ApoE-/- mice have much higher plasma transgene levels
      compared to LDLR-deficient mice. We also found that specific lipoprotein
      receptors play an important role in adenoviral transduction. These findings
      suggest that high plasma lipid levels, especially apoE-containing lipoproteins,
      reduce efficacy of adenoviral transduction in mice, which implies that high
      cholesterol levels in humans could be protective against viral infections and
      also lead to insufficient transgene expression in clinical trials using
      adenoviral vectors.

PMID- 28341861
TI  - Minimum Vertex-type Sequence Indexing for Clusters on Square Lattice.
AB  - An effective indexing scheme for clusters that enables fast structure comparison
      and congruence check is desperately desirable in the field of mathematics,
      artificial intelligence, materials science, etc. Here we introduce the concept of
      minimum vertex-type sequence for the indexing of clusters on square lattice,
      which contains a series of integers each labeling the vertex type of an atom. The
      minimum vertex-type sequence is orientation independent, and it builds a one-to
      one correspondence with the cluster. By using minimum vertex-type sequence for
      structural comparison and congruence check, only one type of data is involved,
      and the largest amount of data to be compared is n pairs, n is the cluster size.
      In comparison with traditional coordinate-based methods and distance-matrix
      methods, the minimum vertex-type sequence indexing scheme has many other
      remarkable advantages. Furthermore, this indexing scheme can be easily
      generalized to clusters on other high-symmetry lattices. Our work can facilitate
      cluster indexing and searching in various situations, it may inspire the search
      of other practical indexing schemes for handling clusters of large sizes.

PMID- 28341862
TI  - Follistatin like-1 aggravates silica-induced mouse lung injury.
AB  - Occupational inhalation of dust, such as crystalline silica, for prolonged
      periods in the workplace leads to fibrotic lung diseases worldwide. The
      mechanisms underlying the diseases are unknown, so that no effective treatment
      exists for these conditions. We found elevated levels of follistatin like 1
      (FSTL1) in serum from patients with silicosis and in lungs from silica-induced
      mouse model. The induced Fstl1 regulated inflammation response via activation of
      nod-like receptor family, pyrin domain containing 3v (NLRP3) inflammasome
      mediated IL-1beta production from macrophages. Meanwhile, Fstl1 promoted fibrosis
      via positive regulation of TGF-beta1 signaling. Haploinsufficiency of Fstl1 or
      blockage of FSTL1 with a neutralizing antibody was protective from silica-induced
      lung injury in mice in vivo. Our data suggest that Fstl1 plays an important role
      in lung fibrosis, and may serve as a novel therapeutic target for treatment of
      silicosis.

PMID- 28341863
TI  - The feature-specific propagation of orientation and direction adaptation from
      areas 17 to 21a in cats.
AB  - Adaptation plays a key role in visual information processing, and investigations
      on the adaptation across different visual regions will be helpful to understand
      how information is processed dynamically along the visual streams. Recent studies
      have found the enhanced adaptation effects in the early visual system (from LGN
      to V1) and the dorsal stream (from V1 to MT). However, it remains unclear how
      adaptation effect propagates along the form/orientation stream in the visual
      system. In this study, we compared the orientation and direction adaptation
      evoked by drifting gratings and stationary flashing gratings, as well as moving
      random dots, in areas 17 and 21a simultaneously of cats. Recorded by single-unit
      and intrinsic signal optical imaging, induced by both top-up and biased
      adaptation protocols, the orientation adaptation effect was greater in response
      decline and preferred orientation shifts in area 21a compared to area 17.
      However, for the direction adaptation, no difference was observed between these
      two areas. These results suggest the feature-specific propagation of the
      adaptation effect along the visual stream.

PMID- 28341864
TI  - MicroRNA-140-5p regulates osteosarcoma chemoresistance by targeting HMGN5 and
      autophagy.
AB  - Chemotherapy is an important treatment modality for osteosarcoma. However, it
      often fails because of chemoresistance, especially multidrug resistance.
      Previously, we found several genes were involved in chemoresistance development.
      In this report, we used high-throughput microRNA (miRNA) expression analysis to
      reveal that expression of miR-140-5p was associated with chemosensitivity in
      osteosarcoma. The exact roles of miR-140-5p in the chemoresistance of
      osteosarcoma were then investigated, we found that knockdown of miR-140-5p
      enhanced osteosarcoma cells resistance to multiple chemotherapeutics while
      overexpression of miR-140-5p sensitized tumors to chemotherapy in vitro.
      Moreover, in vivo, knockdown of miR-140-5p also increased the osteosarcoma cells
      resistance to chemotherapy. Luciferase assay and Western blot analysis showed
      that HMGN5 was the direct target of miR-140-5p which could positively regulated
      autophagy. Silencing these target genes by siRNA or inhibition of autophagy
      sensitized osteosarcoma cells to chemotherapy. These findings suggest that a miR
      140-5p/HMGN5/autophagy regulatory loop plays a critical role in chemoresistance
      in osteosarcoma. In conclusion, our data elucidated that miR-140-5p promoted
      autophagy mediated by HMGN5 and sensitized osteosarcoma cells to chemotherapy.
      These results suggest a potential application of miR-140-5p in overall survival,
      chemoresistance prognosis and treatment.

PMID- 28341865
TI  - Radioablation of adrenal gland malignomas with interstitial high-dose-rate
      brachytherapy : Efficacy and outcome.
AB  - PURPOSE: To assess the efficacy, safety, and outcome of image-guided high-dose
      rate (HDR) brachytherapy in patients with adrenal gland metastases (AGM).
      MATERIALS AND METHODS: From January 2007 to April 2014, 37 patients (7 female, 30
      male; mean age 66.8 years, range 41.5-82.5 years) with AGM from different primary
      tumors were treated with CT-guided HDR interstitial brachytherapy (iBT). Primary
      endpoint was local tumor control (LTC). Secondary endpoints were time to
      untreatable progression (TTUP), time to progression (TTP), overall survival (OS),
      and safety. In a secondary analysis, risk factors with an influence on survival
      were identified. RESULTS: The median biological equivalent dose (BED) was 37.4
      Gy. Mean LTC after 12 months was 88%; after 24 months this was 74%. According to
      CTCAE criteria, one grade 3 adverse event occurred. Median OS after first
      diagnosis of AGM was 18.3 months. Median OS, TTUP, and TTP after iBT treatment
      were 11.4, 6.6, and 3.5 months, respectively. Uni- and multivariate Cox
      regression analyses revealed significant influences of synchronous disease, tumor
      diameter, and the total number of lesions on OS or TTUP or both. CONCLUSION:
      Image-guided HDR-iBT is safe and effective. Treatment- and primary tumor
      independent features influenced survival of patients with AGM after HDR-iBR
      treatment.

PMID- 28341867
TI  - A safe procedure for connecting a continuous renal replacement therapy device
      into an extracorporeal membrane oxygenation circuit.
AB  - Patients receiving extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) often require
      continuous renal replacement therapy (CRRT). The intra-circuit pressure of adult
      ECMO usually deviates from the physiological range. We investigated the use of
      CRRT connected to an ECMO circuit with physiological intra-circuit pressures (0
      150 mmHg, defined as the "safety range") using an in vitro experiment involving a
      water-filled ECMO circuit. The intra-circuit pressure pre-pump, post-pump, and
      post-oxygenator were measured while varying the height of the pump or ECMO flow.
      The bypass conduit pressure and distance from the post-oxygenator port were
      measured to find the "safety point", where the bypass pressure remained within
      the safety range. Both drainage and return limbs of the CRRT machine were
      connected to the safety point and the inlet and outlet pressures of the
      hemofilter were recorded while varying the ECMO and CRRT flow. The pre-pump
      pressure only remained within the safety range for heights >75 cm (ECMO flow = 4
      L/min) or ECMO flow <3.5 L min (height = 50 cm). The post-pump and post
      oxygenator pressure was generally outside of the safety range. The bypass
      pressure decreased according to the distance from the post-oxygenator port and
      the safety point was found at 60 or 75 cm (in a 90-cm length conduit) regardless
      of ECMO flow. The hemofilter inlet and outlet pressures remained within the
      safety range for all conditions of ECMO and CRRT flow, findings validated in
      clinical cases. The bypass conduit within an ECMO circuit can be connected to a
      CRRT machine safely under physiological pressures in adult patients receiving
      ECMO.

PMID- 28341866
TI  - Mapping brain structure and function: cellular resolution, global perspective.
AB  - A comprehensive understanding of the brain requires analysis, although from a
      global perspective, with cellular, and even subcellular, resolution. An important
      step towards this goal involves the establishment of three-dimensional high
      resolution brain maps, incorporating brain-wide information about the cells and
      their connections, as well as the chemical architecture. The progress made in
      such anatomical brain mapping in recent years has been paralleled by the
      development of physiological techniques that enable investigators to generate
      global neural activity maps, also with cellular resolution, while simultaneously
      recording the organism's behavioral activity. Combination of the high-resolution
      anatomical and physiological maps, followed by theoretical systems analysis of
      the deduced network, will offer unprecedented opportunities for a better
      understanding of how the brain, as a whole, processes sensory information and
      generates behavior.

PMID- 28341868
TI  - Risk Factors of Reoperation After Pancreatic Resection.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Pancreatic resection is associated with a high incidence of
      postoperative complications, some of which require reoperation. AIMS: To analyze
      the incidence of and risk factors for reoperation following pancreatectomy.
      METHODS: Pre- and postoperative information and procedure characteristics of
      15,549 patients having undergone pancreatectomy in 435 hospitals participating in
      the American College of Surgeons National Surgical Quality Improvement Program
      from 2011 to 2014 were analyzed. RESULTS: A total of 773 (5.0%) patients required
      reoperation within 30 days of their index pancreatectomy. Patients requiring
      reoperation were more likely to be younger (mean +/- standard deviation, 62.6 +/-
      13.2 vs. 64.1 +/- 12.2 years, p < 0.001), male (60 vs. 49%, p < 0.001), to have
      respiratory comorbidities, lower preoperative serum albumin (3.7 +/- 0.68 vs. 3.8
      +/- 0.62 mg/dl, p < 0.001), higher total bilirubin (1.7 +/- 2.7 vs. 1.5 +/- 2.4
      mg/dl, p = 0.02), and higher American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) class
      than those who did not undergo reoperation. Other factors associated with
      increased incidence of reoperation included longer mean operative duration at the
      index procedure, postoperative transfusion requirement, wound complications, and
      cardiorespiratory, renal, thromboembolic, and infectious events. Multivariate
      regression analysis identified male sex, preoperative serum albumin <3.5 mg/dl,
      ASA class of 3 or 4, pancreaticoduodenectomy, and total pancreatectomy as the
      strongest predictors for reoperation after index pancreatic resection.
      Complication and readmission rates were significantly higher for those undergoing
      reoperation. CONCLUSION: Patient characteristics and procedural factors
      contribute to reoperation after pancreatectomy in this largest and most diverse
      sample to date. Further investigation to identify perioperative strategies for
      mitigating this risk is required to improve the safety of pancreatic resection.

PMID- 28341871
TI  - Erratum to: Considering total intracranial volume and other nuisance variables in
      brain voxel based morphometry in idiopathic PD.

PMID- 28341869
TI  - The Profile of Serum microRNAs Predicts Prognosis for Resected Gastric Cancer
      Patients Receiving Platinum-Based Chemotherapy.
AB  - BACKGROUND AND AIM: Adjuvant chemotherapy is an important component in the
      treatment of gastric cancer (GC) patients; however, some patients do not respond
      to the drugs. We aimed to develop a practical profile based on serum microRNAs
      (miRNAs) that can be used to predict patients likely to respond to treatment.
      METHODS: Microarrays were used to screen cisplatin-resistant SGC7901/DDP GC cells
      and the parental SGC7901 cell lines for miRNAs related to chemotherapy
      sensitivity. The correlation between the expression patterns of identified serum
      miRNAs and overall survival was confirmed in 68 GC patients. Furthermore, we also
      validated the signature of the serum miRNAs in an independent cohort of 50 GC
      patients. RESULTS: From the screening microarrays, we focused on miR-15a, miR-15b
      and miR-93 as downregulated miRNAs in the SGC7901/DDP cells and miR-27a, miR-106a
      and miR-664 as upregulated miRNAs. Only serum miR-106, miR-15a, miR-93 and miR
      664 were useful in predicting the prognosis of patients who received adjuvant
      chemotherapy. We identified a signature of four serum miRNAs (miR-106, miR-15a,
      miR-93 and miR-664) that, when combined, can be used as a risk score for overall
      survival. Patients with a higher risk score had worse prognosis (p < 0.05). For
      the independent cohort of patients, the signature of the four miRNAs predicted
      prognosis well. CONCLUSION: Our data showed that the risk score derived from the
      four serum miRNAs was closely associated with the overall survival in GC patients
      who received adjuvant chemotherapy.

PMID- 28341872
TI  - Childhood adversity associated with white matter alteration in the corpus
      callosum, corona radiata, and uncinate fasciculus of psychiatrically healthy
      adults.
AB  - Diffusion tensor imaging studies report childhood adversity (CA) is associated
      with reduced fractional anisotropy (FA) in multiple white matter tracts in
      adults. Reduced FA may result from changes in tissue, suggesting myelin/axonal
      damage, and/or from increased levels of extracellular free-water, suggesting
      atrophy or neuroinflammation. Free-water imaging can separately identify FA in
      tissue (FAT) and the fractional volume of free-water (FW). We tested whether CA
      was associated with altered FA, FAT, and FW in seven white matter regions of
      interest (ROI), in which FA changes had been previously linked to CA (corona
      radiata, corpus callosum, fornix, cingulum bundle: hippocampal projection,
      inferior fronto-occipital fasciculus, superior longitudinal fasciculus, uncinate
      fasciculus). Tract-based spatial statistics were performed in 147 psychiatrically
      healthy adults who had completed a self-report questionnaire on CA primarily
      stemming from parental maltreatment. ROI were extracted according to the protocol
      provided by the ENIGMA-DTI working group. Analyses were performed both treating
      CA as a continuous and a categorical variable. CA was associated with reduced FA
      in all ROI (although categorical analyses failed to find an association in the
      fornix). In contrast, CA was only associated with reduced FAT in the corona
      radiata, corpus callosum, and uncinate fasciculus (with the continuous measure of
      CA finding evidence of a negative relation between CA and FAT in the fornix).
      There was no association between CA on FW in any ROI. These results provide
      preliminary evidence that childhood adversity is associated with changes to the
      microstructure of white matter itself in adulthood. However, these results should
      be treated with caution until they can be replicated by future studies which
      address the limitations of the present study.

PMID- 28341870
TI  - Influences of the Gut Microbiota on DNA Methylation and Histone Modification.
AB  - The gut microbiota is a vast ensemble of microorganisms inhabiting the mammalian
      gastrointestinal tract that can impact physiologic and pathologic processes.
      However, our understanding of the underlying mechanism for the dynamic
      interaction between host and gut microbiota is still in its infancy. The highly
      evolved epigenetic modifications allow hosts to reprogram the genome in response
      to environmental stimuli, which may play a key role in triggering multiple human
      diseases. In spite of increasing studies in gut microbiota and epigenetic
      modifications, the correlation between them has not been well elaborated. Here,
      we review current knowledge of gut microbiota impacts on epigenetic
      modifications, the major evidence of which centers on DNA methylation and histone
      modification of the immune system.

PMID- 28341873
TI  - Exploring the plasmatic platelet-activating factor acetylhydrolase activity in
      patients with anti-phospholipid antibodies.
AB  - PURPOSE: To explore the role of plasmatic platelet-activating factor
      acetylhydrolase (PAF-AH), a marker of cardiovascular risk, in patients with anti
      phospholipid antibodies (aPL). METHODS: PAF-AH activity was assessed in a series
      of 167 unselected patients screened for aPL in a context of thrombotic events,
      risk of thrombosis or obstetric complications and in 77 blood donors. RESULTS:
      116/167 patients showed positive results for at least one aPL among IgG/IgM anti
      prothrombin/phosphatidylserine (aPS/PT), anti-cardiolipin (aCL), anti-beta2
      glycoprotein I (abeta2GPI) or lupus anticoagulant (LAC), while 51/167 patients
      resulted aPL-negative. LAC+ patients disclosed higher PAF-AH than LAC-negative
      (22.1 +/- 6.4 nmol/min/ml vs. 19.5 +/- 4.1 nmol/min/ml; p = 0.0032), and aPL
      negative patients (p = 0.03). Patients presenting positive IgG abeta2GPI
      disclosed higher PAF-AH than patients with only IgM abeta2GPI-positive antibodies
      (23.1 +/- 7.2 nmol/min/ml vs. 20.1 +/- 5.3 nmol/min/ml; p = 0.035), as well as
      than patients showing only isolated LAC, aCL or aPS/PT (16.9 +/- 3.8 nmol/min/ml;
      p = 0.003). CONCLUSIONS: PAF-AH plasmatic activity is particularly up-regulated
      in LAC+ and in abeta2GPI IgG+ patients, possibly representing an alternative
      prognostic biomarker for the therapeutic management of APS patients.

PMID- 28341874
TI  - The multi-faceted potential of CD38 antibody targeting in multiple myeloma.
AB  - CD38, an adenine dinucleotide phosphate (ADP) ribose cyclase and a cyclic ADP
      ribose hydrolase, is widely expressed on the surface of multiple myeloma (MM)
      cells. It is known to play a pivotal role in the downstream pathways that mediate
      MM cell growth, signal transduction, and adhesion. The clinical use of CD38
      monoclonal antibodies (MoAbs), such as daratumumab, either as monotherapy or in
      combination with other anti-MM agents, has produced impressive results in
      patients who have failed standard MM therapy. CD38 MoAbs exhibit several
      cytotoxic mechanisms on MM cells. In addition to the classical effector
      mechanisms associated with antibody therapy, CD38 MoAbs induce MM apoptosis and
      clonal T-cell expansion. Here, we summarize the results of some pivotal clinical
      studies using a human CD38 MoAb, daratumumab, in patients with MM, discuss the
      anti-MM effector mechanisms induced by CD38 MoAbs, and review the potential tumor
      antigens that may be suitable targets for immunotherapy of MM. Finally, we
      present a paradigm of immunotherapy for MM patients using CD38 MoAbs followed by
      GM-CSF and an immune checkpoint inhibitor in patients who have undergone high
      dose chemotherapy and autologous stem cell transplant. CD38 MoAbs have emerged as
      a novel and ultimately very promising immunotherapeutic agent for MM because of
      its ability to induce MM cytotoxicity through both arms of the adaptive immune
      responses.

PMID- 28341875
TI  - PD-L1 overexpression is partially regulated by EGFR/HER2 signaling and associated
      with poor prognosis in patients with non-small-cell lung cancer.
AB  - Immunocheckpoint inhibitors targeting the programmed cell death-1 (PD-1) and PD-1
      ligand 1 (PD-L1) axis have shown promising results in patients with non-small
      cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Recent research has shown that epidermal growth factor
      receptor (EGFR) signaling affects PD-L1 expression in NSCLC cells; however, the
      mechanism regulating PD-L1 expression in tumor cells remains unclear. Using
      immunohistochemistry, we evaluated the impact of expression of PD-L1 and EGF
      family receptors EGFR and human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2) in
      tumor cells from 91 patients with pathological Stage IA-IIIA NSCLC.
      Overexpression of PD-L1 was observed in 14% of the resected tumors, and
      associated with poor recurrence-free survival (p = 0.021) and overall survival (p
      = 0.033). PD-L1 expression is positively correlated with EGFR expression and
      inversely correlated with HER2. NSCLC cell lines were treated in vitro with the
      EGFR ligand EGF with or without inhibition of EGFR or HER2, after which PD-L1
      expression was evaluated using flow cytometry. Consistent with previous reports,
      PD-L1 expression was clearly enhanced by EGF. EGFR-tyrosine kinase inhibitors or
      EGFR small interfering RNA (siRNA) blocked EGF-induced PD-L1 overexpression in
      NSCLC cell lines, but HER2 siRNA did not. Moreover, our findings suggest that PD
      L1 expression could be partially regulated via the PI3K/AKT and JAK/STAT
      pathways. We conclude that PD-L1 overexpression is associated with poor prognosis
      and is positively correlated with EGFR expression but inversely correlated with
      HER2 expression in NSCLC. We also showed that EGFR and HER2 have different
      effects on EGF-induced PD-L1 expression in NSCLC cell lines.

PMID- 28341876
TI  - Consumption of green tea epigallocatechin-3-gallate enhances systemic immune
      response, antioxidative capacity and HPA axis functions in aged male swiss albino
      mice.
AB  - The present investigation assessed the potential of green tea phytochemical
      epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG) in alleviating age-associated aberrations in
      immunity, hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis and redox homeostasis using
      16 months old male Swiss albino mice. Four groups of animals (n = 6 per group)
      were supplemented with either aqueous EGCG at 25, 50 and 100 mg/kg/animal or
      vehicle control for 6 weeks. A concurrent analysis of CD4+ and CD8+ lymphocytes
      in splenocytes, differential leucocyte population, T cell differentiation markers
      in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs), neutrophil functions,
      immunoglobulins profile in intestine, circulatory HPA axis hormonal levels as
      well as inflammatory and oxidative stress in the liver was performed. We observed
      a remarkable increase in plasma dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) levels of 100 mg
      EGCG fed animals while eosinophils and monocytes counts in blood increased. EGCG
      consumption increased the fraction of CD3+CD8+ cells in splenocytes and CD28
      expression on PBMCs. The immunoglobulins profile revealed decreased production of
      secretory IgA, IgE and IgG1/IgG2a ratio. Liver extracts showed increase in
      superoxide dismutase activity and total antioxidant capacity while lipid
      peroxidation along with inflammatory markers (IL-6 and TNF-alpha) decreased. Our
      results collectively show that EGCG consumption during aging strengthens systemic
      immunity by enhancing cellular immune response and simultaneously attenuating
      antibody response aided by an increase in adrenal DHEA production. Thus,
      consumption of green tea may be beneficial in alleviating some of the deleterious
      aspects of aging and immunosenescence in elderly.

PMID- 28341877
TI  - Short courses of daily prednisolone during upper respiratory tract infections
      reduce relapse frequency in childhood nephrotic syndrome.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Relapses of childhood nephrotic syndrome (NS) are frequently
      precipitated by viral upper respiratory tract infections (URTIs). A review of the
      literature reveals that in patients with steroid-dependent NS on alternate day
      corticosteroids, a short course of daily corticosteroid therapy during the course
      of an URTI may reduce relapse frequency. OBJECTIVE: To assess the effect of a
      short course of low-dose corticosteroid therapy during the course of an URTI on
      relapse frequency in patients with steroid-sensitive NS who have not been taking
      any treatment for a minimum period of 3 months. METHODS: A double-blind placebo
      controlled crossover trial was conducted on 48 patients with idiopathic NS who
      had not been receiving corticosteroid therapy for a minimum of 3 months. Patients
      were randomized into two groups. Group A received 5 days of daily prednisolone at
      0.5 mg/kg at the onset of an URTI while group B received 5 days of placebo. Both
      groups were followed up for 1 year and the URTI-induced relapse frequency was
      noted. A crossover was performed during the next year, with group A receiving
      placebo and group B receiving prednisolone. RESULTS: Thirty-three patients
      completed the study. In the treatment group, 115 episodes of URTI led to 11
      relapses while in the control group 101 episodes of URTI led to 25 relapses.
      There was no significant difference between the mean number of URTIs between the
      treatment and control groups. The treatment group had significantly less relapses
      compared to the control group (p = 0.014). Within the treatment group, 65.6% did
      not relapse, while the remainder had a single relapse. In contrast, only 40.6% of
      the control group remained in remission while 40.6% suffered a single relapse and
      18.8% had two or more relapses. CONCLUSIONS: Prescribing a short course of daily
      corticosteroids during an URTI significantly reduces the frequency of URTI
      induced relapse in patients with steroid-responsive NS who are off corticosteroid
      therapy.

PMID- 28341878
TI  - Sports activity is maintained or increased following total knee arthroplasty.
AB  - PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to investigate sports activities and
      functional abilities in patients following total knee arthroplasty (TKA). It was
      hypothesized that patients who had undergone TKA would return to a higher
      activity level as that experienced preoperatively. METHODS: Two hundred patients
      were included in this prospective single-cohort study. All the patients completed
      subjective questionnaires (Tegner Activity Level, Oxford Knee Score, Visual
      Analog Scale for pain) prior to surgery as well as at 6, 12, and 24 months
      postoperatively. Additionally, sports behaviour was evaluated. Sports frequency
      was divided into four categories: more than 5 times a week, 2-3 times a week,
      occasionally, and no sports activities. Additionally, the patients were asked to
      state their three favourite summer and winter sports. RESULTS: All patient
      reported outcome scores improved significantly over time (p <= 0.005). The Tegner
      Activity Level increased significantly from the preoperative state to 24 months
      postsurgery (p = 0.005). Six months after surgery, 43% of the patients returned
      to the same and 35% to a higher Tegner Activity Level than prior to surgery.
      Gender-related differences were observed for the Tegner Activity Level showing a
      higher activity level for the male than for the female patients. Overall, 24
      months postsurgery 83% of the patients practiced sports in comparison with 79%
      prior to surgery. CONCLUSIONS: Following TKA, the patients were able to increase
      sports performance, while pain was reduced. Therefore, patients who want to
      continue their desired sports may safely consider TKA. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: II.

PMID- 28341880
TI  - Long-term skeletal and dental effects of facemask versus chincup treatment in
      Class III patients : A retrospective study.
AB  - OBJECTIVES: To investigate the skeletal and dental changes during chincup versus
      facemask treatment, to compare the long-term effects of the two appliances, and
      to document the impact of each on treatment success. METHODS: In all, 61 patients
      with Class III syndrome were retrospectively analyzed at three examination times:
      7.8 +/- 1.7 years of age (T0, pretreatment), 9.6 +/- 2.4 years of age (T1,
      posttreatment), and around 15-20 years later (T2, long-term follow-up). RESULTS:
      Significant changes of specific cephalometric parameters for all treatment times:
      T0-T1 (SNA, interbase and gonial angle, Bjork's sum angle, maxillomandibular
      differential, and distance of upper lip to esthetic line), T1-T2 (NL-NSL, SNB,
      mandibular-body length, effective mandibular length, and effective maxillary
      length), and T0-T2 (mandibular-body length, effective mandibular length,
      effective maxillary length, maxillomandibular differential, SNB, ANB, gonial
      angle, Bjork's sum angle, and Wits appraisal). The T1-T2 results illustrate that
      in both treatment groups the typical Class III growth pattern often reappeared
      after treatment, including gains in SNB angle, condylion-gnathion length, and
      gonion-menton distance. CONCLUSIONS: Either a facemask or a chincup may be
      effectively used to treat Class III malocclusion. There were differences in long
      term stability. Maxillary development was similarly favorable in both groups of
      patients with successful outcome. The subgroup in whom chincup treatment had
      failed were mainly characterized by excessive mandibular growth, or lack of
      maxillary catch-up growth, with deterioration of the maxillomandibular
      relationship notably in the initial phase of treatment. Early chincup treatment
      did not have an adverse impact on the temporomandibular joints.

PMID- 28341879
TI  - Intra-articular findings in symptomatic minor instability of the lateral elbow
      (SMILE).
AB  - PURPOSE: Lateral epicondylitis is generally considered an extra-articular
      condition. The role of minor instability in the aetiology of lateral elbow pain
      has rarely been considered. The aim of this study was to evaluate the correlation
      of lateral ligamentous laxity with aspects of intra-articular lateral elbow
      pathology and investigate the role of minor instability in lateral elbow pain.
      METHODS: Thirty-five consecutive patients aged between 20 and 60 years with
      recalcitrant lateral epicondylitis who had failed conservative therapy and had no
      previous trauma or overt instability, were included. The presence of three signs
      of lateral ligamentous patholaxity and five intra-articular findings were
      documented during arthroscopy. The relative incidence of each of these was
      calculated, and the correlation between patholaxity and intra-articular pathology
      was evaluated. RESULTS: At least one sign of lateral ligamentous laxity was
      observed in 48.6% of the studied cohort, and 85.7% demonstrated at least one
      intra-articular abnormal finding. Radial head ballottement was the most common
      sign of patholaxity (42.9%). Synovitis was the most common intra-articular aspect
      of pathology (77.1%), followed by lateral capitellar chondropathy (40.0%). A
      significant correlation was found between the presence of lateral ligamentous
      patholaxity signs and capitellar chondropathy (p = 0.0409), as well as
      anteromedial synovitis (p = 0.0408). CONCLUSIONS: Almost one half of patients
      suffering from recalcitrant lateral epicondylitis display signs of lateral
      ligamentous patholaxity, and over 85% demonstrate at least one intra-articular
      abnormality. The most frequent intra-articular findings are synovitis and lateral
      capitellar chondropathy, which correlate significantly with the presence of
      lateral ligamentous patholaxity. The fact that several patients demonstrated
      multiple intra-articular findings in relation to laxity provides support to a
      sequence of pathologic changes that may result from a symptomatic minor
      instability of the lateral elbow (SMILE) condition. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: III.

PMID- 28341881
TI  - Birmingham vasculitis activity score at diagnosis is a significant predictor of
      relapse of polyarteritis nodosa.
AB  - The objective of this study was to investigate whether clinical and laboratory
      data, Birmingham vasculitis activity score (BVAS) and five factor scores (FFS) at
      diagnosis could predict relapse in 30 patients with polyarteritis nodosa (PAN)
      having the follow-up duration for over 12 months. We reviewed the medical charts
      of 30 patients with PAN. We obtained clinical and laboratory data at diagnosis,
      and we compared them between the two groups based on relapse. The optimal cut-off
      values of BVAS and FFS (1996) at diagnosis to predict relapse were extrapolated.
      The mean age of patients (15 men) was 50.8 years, and the mean follow-up duration
      was 64.1 months. Nine patients (30.0%) had experience relapse after remission.
      Patients having relapse showed the higher frequency of weight loss and ocular
      symptoms and the less frequency of diastolic hypertension than those having not
      (p < 0.005 for all). On multivariate logistic regression analysis, weight loss
      was the only independent predictor of relapse, but on Cox Hazard model analysis,
      its statistical significance disappeared. The mean initial BVAS and FFS (1996) of
      patients in relapse group were higher than those of patients in no relapse group
      (p < 0.005 for all). Patients having initial BVAS over 13.5 and FFS (1996) over 1
      exhibited significantly higher risk of relapse than those having not (RR 40.0 and
      RR 7.0, respectively). However, initial BVAS over 13.5 only remained significant
      in Kaplan-Meier survival analysis. In conclusion, BVAS over 13.5 at diagnosis was
      the only independent predictor of relapse of PAN.

PMID- 28341883
TI  - Conformational dynamics play important roles upon the function of N
      acetylglutamate kinase.
AB  - N-acetylglutamate kinase (NAGK) catalyzes the phosphorylation of N
      acetylglutamate. In many bacteria, NAGK catalysis is the rate controlling step in
      the L-arginine biosynthesis pathway from glutamate to L-arginine and is
      allosterically inhibited by L-arginine. Many data show that conformational
      dynamics of NAGKs are essential for their function. The demonstration of the
      conformational mechanism provides a potential way to improve the yield of
      arginine. Due to the lack of NAGK catalysis step in arginine synthesis route of
      mammals, the elucidation of the dynamic mechanism can also provide a way to
      design a new antivirus drug. This paper reviews how the dynamics affect the
      activity of NAGKs and are controlled by the effectors. X-ray crystallography and
      modeling data have shown that in NAGKs, the structural elements required for
      inhibitor and substrate binding, catalysis and product release, are highly
      mobile. It is possible to eliminate the inhibition of the arginine and/or block
      the synthesis of arginine by disturbing the flexibility of the NAGKs. Amino acid
      kinase family is thought to share some common dynamic features; the flexible
      structural elements of NAGKs have been identified, but the details of the
      dynamics and the signal transfer pathways are yet to be elucidated.

PMID- 28341882
TI  - Lifetime allergic rhinitis prevalence among US primary farm operators: findings
      from the 2011 Farm and Ranch Safety survey.
AB  - PURPOSE: Allergic rhinitis is associated with decreased quality of life, and
      reduced workplace performance and productivity. This study investigated the
      prevalence of lifetime allergic rhinitis and factors associated with allergic
      rhinitis among US primary farm operators. METHODS: The 2011 Farm and Ranch Safety
      Survey data collected from 11,210 active farm operators were analyzed. Survey
      respondents were determined to have lifetime allergic rhinitis based on a "yes"
      response to the question: "Have you ever been told by a doctor, nurse, or other
      health professional that you had hay fever, seasonal allergies, or allergic
      rhinitis?" Data were weighted to produce nationally representative estimates.
      RESULTS: An estimated 30.8% of the 2.1 million active farm operators had lifetime
      allergic rhinitis in 2011. The allergic rhinitis prevalence varied by demographic
      and farm characteristics. Farm operators with allergic rhinitis were 1.38 (95% CI
      1.22-1.56) times more likely to be exposed to pesticides compared with operators
      with no allergic rhinitis. The association with pesticide exposure for allergic
      rhinitis and current asthma, and allergic rhinitis alone was statistically
      significant and greater than that for current asthma alone. CONCLUSION: Certain
      groups of farm operators may be at increased risk of allergic rhinitis. Studies
      should further investigate the association of allergic rhinitis with specific
      pesticide exposure.

PMID- 28341884
TI  - Mitochondrial genome of the nematode endoparasitic fungus Hirsutella vermicola
      reveals a high level of synteny in the family Ophiocordycipitaceae.
AB  - Ophiocordycipitaceae is a diverse fungal family comprising multiple ecologically,
      economically, medicinally, and culturally important fungal species; however, only
      four species of the family have available mitochondrial genomes (mitogenomes). In
      this study, the complete mitogenome of the nematode endoparasitic fungus
      Hirsutella vermicola in Ophiocordycipitaceae was sequenced, and a comparative
      mitogenomic analysis of Ophiocordycipitaceae was performed. We found that the
      53,793-bp circular mitogenome of H. vermicola, except for standard fungal
      mitochondrial genes, harbors seven introns acquired possibly through lateral
      transfer from other fungi and three free-standing open reading frames (ORFs)
      coding for hypothetical proteins. Phylogenetic analysis based on concatenated
      mitochondrial protein sequences confirmed its placement in Ophiocordycipitaceae.
      Comparison on five mitogenomes of Ophiocordycipitaceae revealed great variation
      on their sizes, from 35.2 kb in Tolypocladium ophioglossoides to 157.5 kb in
      Ophiocordyceps sinensis, mainly due to variable numbers of introns (from 7 to 54)
      as well as variable lengths of intergenic regions. The five mitogenomes, however,
      are highly syntenic to each other in terms of gene order, the presence of an
      intronic ORF encoding ribosomal protein S3 within rnl, and the nad2/nad3 joining
      pattern. Our study is the first report of the mitogenome of H. vermicola and has
      facilitated the understanding of mitogenome evolution of Ophiocordycipitaceae.

PMID- 28341885
TI  - Transcriptomic profiling and its implications for the H2 production of a non
      methanogen deficient in the frhAGB-encoding hydrogenase.
AB  - The F420-reducing hydrogenase of methanogens functions in methanogenesis by
      providing reduced coenzyme F420 (F420H2) as an electron donor. In non
      methanogens, however, their physiological function has not been identified yet.
      In this study, we constructed an DeltafrhA mutant, whose frhA gene encoding the
      hydrogenase alpha subunit was deleted, in the non-methanogenic Thermococcus
      onnurineus NA1 as a model organism. There was no significant difference in the
      formate-dependent growth between the mutant and the wild-type strains.
      Interestingly, the mutation in the frhA gene affected the expression of genes
      involved in various cellular functions such as H2 oxidation, chemotactic signal
      transduction, and carbon monoxide (CO) metabolism. Among these genes, the CO
      oxidation gene cluster, enabling CO-dependent growth and H2 production, showed a
      2.8- to 7.0-fold upregulation by microarray-based whole transcriptome expression
      profiling. The levels of proteins produced by this gene cluster were also
      significantly increased not only under the formate condition but also under the
      CO condition. In a controlled bioreactor, where 100% CO was continuously fed, the
      DeltafrhA mutant exhibited significant increases in cell growth (2.8-fold) and H2
      production (3.4-fold). These findings strongly imply that this hydrogenase is
      functional in non-methanogens and is related to various cellular metabolic
      processes through an unidentified mechanism. An understanding of the mechanism by
      which the frhA gene deletion affected the expression of other genes will provide
      insights that can be applied to the development of strategies for the enhancement
      of H2 production using CO as a substrate.

PMID- 28341886
TI  - Industrial robustness linked to the gluconolactonase from Zymomonas mobilis.
AB  - The physiological characteristics and the potential gluconolactone production of
      the gluconolactonase-deficient strain, Zymomonas mobilis ZM4 gnlDelta, were
      investigated via growth inhibitory assay and biotransformation of glucose and
      fructose into gluconolactone and sorbitol, respectively. The results of ethanol
      fermentation studies performed in the presence of high concentration of glucose
      (>200 g l-1) under fermentative or aerobic conditions indicated that a
      significant reduction of volumetric ethanol productivity from the strain of ZM4
      gnlDelta was noticeable due to the reduced rates of specific growth, sugar
      uptake, and biomass yield as compared with those of the parental strain ZM4. The
      biotransformation prepared at pH 6.0 using the permeabilized cell indicated that
      gluconic acid from ZM4 gnlDelta was still produced as a major product (67 g l-1)
      together with sorbitol (65 g l-1) rather than gluconolactone after 24 h. Only
      small amount of gluconolactone was transiently overproduced up to 9 g l-1, but at
      the end of biotransformation, all gluconolactone were oxidized into gluconic
      acid. This indicated that autolysis of gluconolactone at the pH led to such
      results despite under gluconolactonase inactivation conditions. The physiological
      characteristics of ZM4 gnlDelta was further investigated under various stress
      conditions, including suboptimal pH (3.5~6.0), temperature (25~40  degrees C),
      and presence of growth inhibitory molecules including hydrogen peroxide, ethanol,
      acetic acid, furfural, and so forth. The results indicated that ZM4 gnlDelta was
      more susceptible at high glucose concentration, low pH of 3.5, and high
      temperature of 40  degrees C and in the presence of 4 mM H2O2 comparing with ZM4.
      Therefore, the results were evident that gluconolactonase in Z. mobilis
      contributed to industrial robustness and anti-stress regulation.

PMID- 28341887
TI  - Understanding the biological activity of high rate algae ponds through the
      calculation of oxygen balances.
AB  - Microalgae culture in high rate algae ponds (HRAP) is an environmentally friendly
      technology for wastewater treatment. However, for the implementation of these
      systems, a better understanding of the oxygenation potential and the influence of
      climate conditions is required. In this work, the rates of oxygen production,
      consumption, and exchange with the atmosphere were calculated under varying
      conditions of solar irradiance and dilution rate during six months of operation
      in a real scale unit. This analysis allowed determining the biological response
      of these dynamic systems. The rates of oxygen consumption measured were
      considerably higher than the values calculated based on the organic loading rate.
      The response to light intensity in terms of oxygen production in the bioreactor
      was described with one of the models proposed for microalgae culture in dense
      concentrations. This model is based on the availability of light inside the
      culture and the specific response of microalgae to this parameter. The specific
      response to solar radiation intensity showed a reasonable stability in spite of
      the fluctuations due to meteorological conditions. The methodology developed is a
      useful tool for optimization and prediction of the performance of these systems.

PMID- 28341888
TI  - The respiratory control of carbon dioxide in children and adolescents referred
      for treatment of psychogenic non-epileptic seizures.
AB  - Psychogenic non-epileptic seizures (PNES) are a common problem in paediatric
      neurology and psychiatry that can best be understood as atypical responses to
      threat. Threats activate the body for action by mediating increases in arousal,
      respiration, and motor readiness. In previous studies, a range of cardiac,
      endocrine, brain-based, attention-bias, and behavioral measures have been used to
      demonstrate increases in arousal, vigilance, and motor readiness in patients with
      PNES. The current study uses respiratory measures to assess both the motor
      readiness of the respiratory system and the respiratory regulation of CO2.
      Baseline respiratory rates during clinical assessment and arterial CO2 levels
      during the hyperventilation component of routine video electroencephalogram were
      documented in 60 children and adolescents referred for treatment of PNES and in
      50 controls. Patients showed elevated baseline respiratory rates [t(78) = 3.34, p
      = .001], with 36/52 (69%) of patients [vs. 11/28 (39%) controls] falling above
      the 75th percentile (chi 2 = 6.7343; df = 1; p = .009). Twenty-eight (47%) of
      patients [vs. 4/50 (8%) controls] showed a skewed hyperventilation-challenge
      profile-baseline PCO2 <36 mmHg, a trough PCO2 <= 20 mmHg, or a final PCO2 <36
      mmHg after 15 min of recovery-signaling difficulties with CO2 regulation (chi 2 =
      19.77; df = 1; p < .001). Children and adolescents with PNES present in a state
      of readiness-for-action characterized by high arousal coupled with activation of
      the respiratory motor system, increases in ventilation, and a hyperventilation
      challenge profile shifted downward from homeostatic range. Breathing
      interventions that target arousal, decrease respiratory rate, and normalize
      ventilation and arterial CO2 may help patients shift brain-body state and avert
      PNES episodes.

PMID- 28341890
TI  - Syndemic Conditions Reinforcing Disparities in HIV and Other STIs in an Urban
      Sample of Behaviorally Bisexual Latino Men.
AB  - Syndemics research has made great contributions to understanding sexual risk
      among Latino men who have sex with men. However, such work often combines data
      for behaviorally bisexual men with data for men with exclusively same-sex
      partners. Using cross-sectional data from 148 behaviorally bisexual Latino men,
      this study explored the impact of syndemic factors-polydrug use, childhood sexual
      abuse, and depression-on sexual risk behaviors and STI incidence. Approximately
      one-third of participants reported polydrug use, 22% reported childhood sexual
      abuse, and 26% screened for clinically significant depressive symptoms. An
      increase in syndemic factors was associated with increased odds of lifetime STI
      incidence and condomless receptive anal intercourse with men; however, the model
      did not predict condomless insertive anal intercourse with men or condomless
      vaginal intercourse. More efforts are needed to explore the varying mechanisms,
      including but not restricted to the combined impact of syndemic conditions, that
      influence sexual risk in this population.

PMID- 28341891
TI  - Homecoming of Citizen Soldiers: Postdeployment Problems and Service Use Among
      Army National Guard Soldiers.
AB  - The present study described the types and amount of problems and services sought
      among returned deployed Army National Guard soldiers (4568 soldiers in 50 units).
      The study responds to gaps in the research literature to better understand
      community intervention needs of reservists. About half (48%) of the soldiers
      reported one or two problems, mostly those of psychological well-being, such as
      feelings of anger and frustration, upsetting memories, and troubled sleep (34% of
      the study sample), followed by problems of social support (18%), alcohol use
      (17%), feelings of isolation including suicidal thoughts (13%), and financial
      difficulties (11%). Having engaged in direct combat and having wounded or killed
      someone showed positive relationships with reported problems. One-third (35%) of
      soldiers who reported having used services went to one service and, generally,
      soldiers went to services related to their expressed problems. Variance in self
      reported problems explained by service use was low, suggesting unsought
      postdeployment services.

PMID- 28341889
TI  - Complement regulation and kidney diseases: recent knowledge of the double-edged
      roles of complement activation in nephrology.
AB  - The complement activation system plays important roles to maintain homeostasis in
      the host and to fight foreign invaders to protect the host. Therefore, the
      complement system is considered a core part of innate immunity which also cross
      talks to acquired immunity. In the history of nephrology, the complement system
      is familiar to us, because complement protein or fragment deposition, including
      C3, C4, C1q, and/or C4d, is routinely estimated by immunohistochemistry to
      diagnose renal pathologies. The relationships between pathological mechanisms and
      complement activation have been investigated for renal diseases such as post
      infectious glomerulonephritis, lupus nephritis, and primary membranoproliferative
      glomerulonephritis, which are usually accompanied by hypocomplementemia. However,
      unregulated complement activation in local areas might be associated with
      progression of various renal injuries even in the normocomplementemic patient.
      Recently, attention has focused on dysfunction of complement regulation in
      various diseases including renal diseases such as atypical hemolytic uremic
      syndrome and C3 glomerulopathy. Some mechanisms associated with complement
      activation in these diseases were clarified. In addition, lots of anti-complement
      agents were developed and some of the agents have become clinically available.
      Now, anti-complement therapies represent a realistic choice of therapeutic
      approaches for complement-related diseases. Research on roles of complement
      activation is proceeding into new stages in the field of nephrology and in other
      fields involving both basic and clinical research. We herein summarize
      relationships between the complement activation and regulation systems, their
      physiological effects and roles in maintenance of homeostasis in the host, and
      how dysregulation of the complement system triggers disease, especially renal
      disease.

PMID- 28341892
TI  - Aquaporin 4 Forms a Macromolecular Complex with Glutamate Transporter 1 and Mu
      Opioid Receptor in Astrocytes and Participates in Morphine Dependence.
AB  - The water channel aquaporin 4 (AQP4) is abundantly expressed in astrocytes and
      provides a mechanism by which water permeability of the plasma membrane can be
      regulated. Evidence suggests that AQP4 is associated with glutamate transporter-1
      (GLT-1) for glutamate clearance and contributes to morphine dependence. Previous
      studies show that AQP4 deficiency changed the mu opioid receptor expression and
      opioid receptors' characteristics as well. In this study, we focused on whether
      AQP4 could form macromolecular complex with GLT-1 and mu opioid receptor (MOR)
      and participates in morphine dependence. By using immunofluorescence staining,
      fluorescence resonance energy transfer, and co-immunoprecipitation, we
      demonstrated that AQP4 forms protein complexes with GLT-1 and MOR in both brain
      tissue and primary cultured astrocytes. We then showed that the C-terminus of
      AQP4 containing the amino acid residues 252 to 323 is the site of interaction
      with GLT-1. Protein kinase C, activated by morphine, played an important role in
      regulating the expression of these proteins. These findings may help to reveal
      the mechanism that AQP4, GLT-1, and MOR form protein complex and participate in
      morphine dependence, and deeply understand the reason that AQP4 deficiency
      maintains extracellular glutamate homeostasis and attenuates morphine dependence,
      moreover emphasizes the function of astrocyte in morphine dependence.

PMID- 28341895
TI  - Capsule Commentary on Egede et al., Telephone-Delivered Behavioral Skills
      Intervention for African American Adults with Type 2 Diabetes: A Randomized
      Controlled Trial.

PMID- 28341893
TI  - Single-Prolonged-Stress-Induced Changes in Autophagy-Related Proteins Beclin-1,
      LC3, and p62 in the Medial Prefrontal Cortex of Rats with Post-traumatic Stress
      Disorder.
AB  - Autophagy, or type II programmed cell death, plays a crucial role in many nervous
      system diseases. However, few studies have examined the role of autophagy in post
      traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and the mechanisms underlying PTSD are poorly
      understood. The objective of this research was to explore the expression of three
      important autophagy-related proteins, Beclin-1, microtubule-associated protein 1
      light chain 3 (LC3), and p62/SQSTM1 (p62), in the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC)
      of an animal model of PTSD to identify changes in autophagic activity during PTSD
      pathogenesis. PTSD was induced in rats by exposure to a single-prolonged stress
      (SPS). The Morris water maze was used to assess cognitive changes in rats from
      the SPS and control groups. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) was employed
      to observe mPFC morphological changes. Immunohistochemistry, immunofluorescence,
      and Western blotting techniques were used to detect expression of Beclin-1, LC3,
      and p62 in the mPFC. The Morris water maze test results showed that the escape
      latency time was increased and that the percent time in the target quadrant was
      decreased in the SPS group compared with that in the control group. Numerous
      visible autolysosomes in mPFC neurons were observed using TEM after SPS
      stimulation. Compared with that in the control group, the expression of Beclin-1
      and the LC3-II/I ratio significantly decreased at 1 day, then increased and
      peaked at 7 days, and slightly decreased at 14 days after SPS stimulation,
      whereas the converse was found for p62 expression. In conclusion, dysregulation
      of autophagic activity in the mPFC may play a crucial role in PTSD pathogenesis.

PMID- 28341894
TI  - Using a Self-Reported Global Health Measure to Identify Patients at High Risk for
      Future Healthcare Utilization.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Research studies have shown that patient-reported outcome measures
      (PROMs) that assess global health are helpful for predicting health care
      utilization, but less evidence exists that collection of PROMs in routine care
      can identify patients with high health care needs. OBJECTIVE: To investigate the
      association between the PROMIS Global Health (PGH) scores and subsequent health
      care utilization among patients in a large accountable care organization (ACO).
      DESIGN: Retrospective cohort study of individuals in the Partners HealthCare ACO
      who completed at least one PGH during a primary care visit. PARTICIPANTS: A total
      of 2639 individuals who completed at least one PGH and who also had 12 months of
      ACO membership and/or claims data prior to the PROM completion and at least one
      month of claims data post-PGH completion. MAIN MEASURES: The main outcomes were
      the rates of emergency department (ED) visits and hospitalizations by quartile of
      PGH physical and mental health scores. We also compared the predictive accuracy
      of administrative data models with and without the PGH scores to identify the
      highest utilizers. KEY RESULTS: The group with the worst (lowest) physical and
      mental health scores had significantly higher rates of hospitalization (RR 5.14,
      95% CI 2.37, 11.15; and 2.27, 95% CI 1.06, 4.85, respectively) than those with
      higher scores. After adjustment for demographic and clinical factors, only the
      group with lower physical health scores had higher rates of hospitalization (RR
      3.15, 95% CI 1.30, 7.90). The addition of the physical health subscore to
      administrative data increased the sensitivity to detect the top 5% of hospital
      utilizers compared with administrative data alone (44.0% vs. 36.0% respectively).
      CONCLUSIONS: Worse self-reported physical health, measured during routine primary
      care, is associated with significantly higher rates of hospitalization. It is not
      associated with increased rates of ED visits. Self-reported physical health
      modestly increases the sensitivity to detect the highest hospital utilizers.

PMID- 28341896
TI  - Role of conservative management in tubercular abdominal cocoon: a case series.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Sclerosing encapsulating peritonitis (Abdominal cocoon) is an
      uncommon cause of intestinal obstruction and tuberculosis is an important
      etiology. Appropriate management of this entity is still uncertain. METHODS: We
      did a retrospective analysis of patients with abdominal cocoon who were seen over
      a two year period at a tertiary care center in North India. We included patients
      with tubercular abdominal cocoon (TAC) who were managed primarily with
      antitubercular therapy in the present report. The diagnosis of TAC was made using
      combination of criteria (radiological or surgical findings of cocoon with
      evidence of tuberculosis in form of microbiological, histological or biochemical
      evidence). The clinical presentation, outcome and need for surgery for these
      patients were retrieved from the records of these cases maintained in a database.
      RESULTS: Of 18 patients with abdominal cocoon, 15 patients had underlying
      tuberculosis. The median age was 28 years (interquartile range 24) and 12 (80%)
      were males. Three patients had confirmed tuberculosis on basis of microbiological
      evidence. All had abdominal pain for 1-9 months, and 11 had intestinal
      obstruction. Twelve patients had positive Mantoux test, none had HIV. Pulmonary
      tuberculosis was noted in four patients, pleural in five, splenic and intestinal
      in two each, hepatic and mediastinal lymph-nodal in one each. Thirteen patients
      were started on usual 4-drug anti-tubercular therapy (ATT) while two cirrhotics
      needed modified ATT. Three patients were on steroids with ATT and all three
      improved. One patient was lost to follow up. Of the rest 14 patients, 2 underwent
      surgery, 1 at initial presentation while another after 4 months of ATT. Overall
      five patients developed intestinal obstruction while on ATT, one needed surgery
      and one died of liver failure while others improved with conservative means.
      CONCLUSION: TAC can be managed conservatively in a subset of patients.

PMID- 28341897
TI  - Researcher readiness for participating in community-engaged dissemination and
      implementation research: a conceptual framework of core competencies.
AB  - Participating in community-engaged dissemination and implementation (CEDI)
      research is challenging for a variety of reasons. Currently, there is not
      specific guidance or a tool available for researchers to assess their readiness
      to conduct CEDI research. We propose a conceptual framework that identifies
      detailed competencies for researchers participating in CEDI and maps these
      competencies to domains. The framework is a necessary step toward developing a
      CEDI research readiness survey that measures a researcher's attitudes,
      willingness, and self-reported ability for acquiring the knowledge and performing
      the behaviors necessary for effective community engagement. The conceptual
      framework for CEDI competencies was developed by a team of eight faculty and
      staff affiliated with a university's Clinical and Translational Science Award
      (CTSA). The authors developed CEDI competencies by identifying the attitudes,
      knowledge, and behaviors necessary for carrying out commonly accepted CE
      principles. After collectively developing an initial list of competencies, team
      members individually mapped each competency to a single domain that provided the
      best fit. Following the individual mapping, the group held two sessions in which
      the sorting preferences were shared and discrepancies were discussed until
      consensus was reached. During this discussion, modifications to wording of
      competencies and domains were made as needed. The team then engaged five
      community stakeholders to review and modify the competencies and domains. The
      CEDI framework consists of 40 competencies organized into nine domains: perceived
      value of CE in D&I research, introspection and openness, knowledge of community
      characteristics, appreciation for stakeholder's experience with and attitudes
      toward research, preparing the partnership for collaborative decision-making,
      collaborative planning for the research design and goals, communication
      effectiveness, equitable distribution of resources and credit, and sustaining the
      partnership. Delineation of CEDI competencies advances the broader CE principles
      and D&I research goals found in the literature and facilitates development of
      readiness assessments tied to specific training resources for researchers
      interested in conducting CEDI research.

PMID- 28341898
TI  - Functional block of IL-17 cytokine promotes bone healing by augmenting FOXO1 and
      ATF4 activity in cortical bone defect model.
AB  - : We determine the effect of interleukin (IL)-17 neutralizing antibody on new
      bone regeneration. Anti-IL-17 antibody promoted new bone regeneration in cortical
      bone defect model by augmenting FOXO1 and ATF4 activity thereby decreasing
      oxidative stress. Our study demonstrates the bone healing and regeneration
      potential of neutralizing IL-17antibody in osteoporotic fractures. INTRODUCTION:
      The immune system plays important role in the fracture healing process. However,
      fracture healing is prolonged in disorders associated with systemic inflammation.
      Fracture healing is decelerated in osteoporosis, condition linked with systemic
      inflammation. Bone regeneration therapies like recombinant human BMP2 are
      associated with serious side effects. Studies have been carried out where agents
      like denosumab and infliximab enhance bone regeneration in osteoporotic
      conditions. Our previous studies show the osteoprotective and immunoprotective
      effects of neutralizing IL-17 antibody. Here, we determine the effect of IL-17
      neutralizing antibody on new bone regeneration and compare its efficacy with
      known osteoporotic therapies. METHODS: For the study, female BALB/c mice were
      ovariectomized or sham operated and left for a month followed by a 0.6-mm drill
      hole injury in femur mid-diaphysis. The treatment was commenced next day onwards
      with anti-IL-17, anti-RANKL (Receptor activator of nuclear factor kappa-B
      ligand), parathyroid hormone (PTH), or alendronate for a period of 3, 10, or 21
      days. Animals were then autopsied, and femur bones were dissected out for micro
      CT scanning, confocal microscopy, and gene and protein expression studies.
      RESULTS: Micro-CT analysis showed that anti-IL-17 antibody promoted bone healing
      at days 10 and 21, and the healing effect observed was significantly better than
      Ovx, anti-RANKL antibody, and ALN, and equal to PTH. Anti-IL-17 also enhanced new
      bone regeneration as assessed by calcein-labeling studies. Additionally, anti-IL
      17 therapy enhanced expression of osteogenic markers and decreased oxidative
      stress at the injury site. CONCLUSION: Overall, our study demonstrates bone
      healing and regeneration potential of neutralizing IL-17 antibody in osteoporotic
      fractures.

PMID- 28341899
TI  - Cortical microstructure compensates for smaller bone size in young Caribbean
      Hispanic versus non-Hispanic white men.
AB  - : Hispanic men have smaller bone size but thicker and denser cortices compared to
      white men, leading to similar mechanical competence. INTRODUCTION: The purpose of
      this study was to assess differences in vBMD and microarchitecture in young
      Caribbean Hispanic (n = 30) and non-Hispanic Caucasian (n = 30) men. METHODS: We
      measured areal bone mineral density (aBMD) at the spine, total hip (TH), femoral
      neck (FN), and forearm by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) and bone
      geometry, mass, microarchitecture, and mechanical competence by high-resolution
      peripheral quantitative computed tomography (HRpQCT), individual trabecula
      segmentation (ITS), and finite element analysis (FEA). RESULTS: Hispanic men were
      slightly older, shorter, and heavier and had higher BMI compared with white men.
      aBMD, measured by DXA, did not differ at the spine, TH, or forearm before or
      after adjustment for age, height, weight, and the interaction of height and
      weight. At the FN, marginally significant higher BMD in Hispanics prior to
      adjustment was attenuated and no longer differed after adjustment for covariates.
      Adjusted HRpQCT indices indicated smaller total and trabecular area at the radius
      but greater total volumetric density and cortical thickness in Hispanic versus
      white men. The adjusted difference in cortical density at the radius was of
      borderline significance. Trabecular and ITS microstructure tended not to differ
      at the radius. At the tibia, results were similar. Bone size tended to be smaller
      and covariate-adjusted cortical density and cortical thickness were greater in
      Hispanic versus white men. Additionally, cortical porosity was lower at the tibia
      in Hispanic compared to white men. Stiffness and failure load did not differ at
      either skeletal site by ethnicity. CONCLUSION: In conclusion, greater cortical
      thickness and density as well as lower cortical porosity tend to compensate for
      smaller bone size in Hispanic men, leading to similar mechanical competence
      compared with white men.

PMID- 28341900
TI  - Tumor-induced osteomalacia: experience from a South American academic center.
AB  - : The majority of tumor-induced osteomalacia cases have been reported in the
      Northern Hemisphere and Asia. In this first series of South American patients, we
      show that the clinical presentation and sensitivity of plasmatic fibroblast
      growth factor 23 and somatostatin analog-based imaging are similar to those
      described in other populations. INTRODUCTION: Describe the experience of clinical
      presentation, diagnostic study, and treatment of patients with tumor-induced
      osteomalacia (TIO) in a South American academic center in comparison to
      literature. METHODS: Analysis of the records of patients diagnosed with TIO. The
      clinical presentation, diagnostic studies, and treatment were analyzed.
      Fibroblast growth factor 23 (FGF23) was measured by ELISA. RESULTS: Six patients
      were diagnosed with TIO during the studied period. The patients' median age was
      53 years (range 22-64). All patients presented with weakness and pain in the
      extremities. Four experienced fractures during their evolution. The median time
      to diagnosis was 4.5 years (1-20). Biochemical studies showed hypophosphatemia,
      median of 1.4 mg/dL (1.2-1.6), with low maximum rates of tubular reabsorption of
      phosphate adjusted for glomerular filtration rate. FGF23 was elevated in 4/6
      patients and inappropriately normal in the other two. In three patients, the
      location of the tumor was clinically evident and confirmed with anatomical
      imaging. In the remaining patients, two tumors were located with 68Ga DOTATATE
      PET/CT and one with OctreoScan. The causal tumors were located in the lower
      extremities in five patients and invading the frontal sinus in one patient. In
      all patients, tumors were successfully removed. Within 14 days, there was
      normalization of phosphate and FGF23 levels and resolution of clinical symptoms
      in all patients. In all cases, the histopathology was compatible with a
      phosphaturic mesenchymal tumor. CONCLUSIONS: The clinical presentation, delay
      time to diagnosis, FGF23 diagnostic sensitivity and histopathology in this first
      series of South American patients is similar to those described in other
      populations. The success of localization by somatostatin analog-based imaging,
      suggests this may the optimal imaging modality.

PMID- 28341901
TI  - Hypoplastic Left Heart Syndrome is not Associated with Worse Clinical or
      Neurodevelopmental Outcomes Than Other Cardiac Pathologies After the Norwood-Sano
      Operation.
AB  - There is evidence to suggest that patients undergoing a Norwood for non-HLHS
      anatomy may have lower mortality than classic HLHS, but differences in
      neurodevelopmental outcome have not been assessed. Our objective was to compare
      survival and neurodevelopmental outcome during the same surgical era in a large,
      well-described cohort. All subjects who underwent a Norwood-Sano operation
      between 2005 and 2014 were included. Follow-up clinical, neurological, and
      developmental data were obtained from the Western Canadian Complex Pediatric
      Therapies Follow-up Program database. Developmental outcomes were assessed at 2
      years of age using the Bayley Scales of Infant and Toddler Development (Bayley
      III). Survival was assessed using Kaplan-Meier analysis. Baseline
      characteristics, survival, and neurodevelopmental outcomes were compared between
      those with HLHS and those with non-HLHS anatomy (non-HLHS). The study comprised
      126 infants (75 male), 87 of whom had HLHS. Five-year survival was the same for
      subjects with HLHS and those with non-HLHS (HLHS 71.8%, non-HLHS 76.9%; p =
      0.592). Ninety-three patients underwent neurodevelopmental assessment including
      Bayley-III scores. The overall mean cognitive composite score was 91.5 (SD 14.6),
      language score was 86.6 (SD 16.7) and overall mean motor composite score was 85.8
      (SD 14.5); being lower than the American normative population mean score of 100
      (SD 15) for each (p-value for each comparison, <0.0001). None of the cognitive,
      language, or motor scores differed between those with HLHS and non-HLHS (all p >
      0.05). In the generalized linear models, dominant right ventricle anatomy
      (present in 117 (93%) of patients) was predictive of lower language and motor
      scores. Comparative analysis of the HLHS and non-HLHS groups undergoing single
      ventricle palliation including a Norwood-Sano, during the same era, showed
      comparable 2-year survival and neurodevelopmental outcomes.

PMID- 28341903
TI  - Exercise increases lactoferrin, but decreases lysozyme in salivary granulocytes.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: Intracellular lactoferrin (Lac) and lysozyme (Lys) content play an
      important role in regulating inflammation and promoting host protection. While
      exercise has demonstrated an increase in Lac and Lys concentration in exocrine
      solutions, little is known regarding intracellular concentration changes in
      response to exercise. PURPOSE: To quantify intracellular Lac and Lys
      concentration before and after exercise in salivary CD45+CD15+ cells. METHODS: 11
      males (20.3 +/- 0.8 years, 57.2 +/- 7.6 mL/kg/min VO2pk, 11.1 +/- 3.9% body fat)
      ran for 45 min at 75% of VO2pk. 12 mL of stimulated saliva were collected pre and
      immediately post exercise. Saliva was filtered through a 30-um filter before
      analysis of leukocytes (CD45+) and granulocytes (CD45+CD15+) using flow
      cytometry. RESULTS: Median fluorescent intensity (MFI) of Lac increased from pre
      (64,268 +/- 46,036 MFI) to post (117,134 +/- 88,115 MFI) exercise (p <0.05). Lys
      MFI decreased with exercise (pre: 16,933 +/- 8249; post: 11,616 +/- 6875) (p
      <0.05). CONCLUSION: Acute running resulted in an increased Lac concentration
      which could lead to a decrease in inflammation, adding further evidence of the
      anti-inflammatory effects of exercise. Conversely, the exercise-associated
      decrease of intracellular Lys content could be the cause of increased Lys in
      exocrine solutions.

PMID- 28341904
TI  - Association between cultural distance and migrant self-rated health.
AB  - We study whether migrant health in Europe is associated with the cultural
      distance between their host country and country of origin. To this end, we run
      multilevel regression models on data merging self-rated health and social
      background of >=3800 migrants from the European Social Survey with an index of
      cultural distance based on country differences in values, norms and attitudes
      measured in the World Values Survey. We find that higher levels of cultural
      distance are associated with worse migrant health. This association is comparable
      in size with the negative association between health and female (compared with
      male) gender but less important than the association between health and education
      level. In addition, this association is less significant among second-generation
      than first-generation migrants.

PMID- 28341902
TI  - Red Flags for Maltese Adults with Congenital Heart Disease: Poorer Dental Care
      and Less Sports Participation Compared to Other European Patients-An APPROACH-IS
      Substudy.
AB  - Studies in recent years have explored lifestyle habits and health-risk behaviours
      in adult congenital heart disease (ACHD) patients when compared to controls. The
      aim of this study was to investigate differences in lifestyle habits between
      Maltese and other European ACHD patients. Data on alcohol consumption, cigarette
      smoking, substance misuse, dental care and physical activity collected in 2013
      2015 during "Assessment of Patterns of Patient-Reported Outcomes in Adults with
      Congenital Heart disease-International Study" (APPROACH-IS) were analysed.
      Responses from 119 Maltese participants were compared to those of 1616
      participants from Belgium, France, Italy, Norway, Sweden, Switzerland and the
      Netherlands. Significantly fewer Maltese patients with simple (Maltese 84.1% vs.
      European 97.5%, p < 0.001) and moderately complex CHD (Maltese 83.6% vs. European
      97.4%, p < 0.001) brushed their teeth daily. Only 67.2% of Maltese with
      moderately complex disease had dental reviews in the previous year compared to
      80.3% of Europeans (p = 0.02). Maltese patients with simple (Maltese 31.8% vs.
      European 56.1%, p = 0.002) and moderately complex lesions (Maltese 30.0% vs.
      European 59.2%, p < 0.001) performed less regular sport activities. Comparison by
      country showed Maltese patients to have significantly poorer tooth brushing and
      sports participation than patients from any other participating country. Alcohol
      consumption, cigarette smoking and substance misuse were not significantly
      different. This study highlights lifestyle aspects that Maltese ACHD patients
      need to improve on, which might not be evident upon comparing patients to non-CHD
      controls. These findings should also caution researchers against considering
      behaviours among patients in one country as necessarily representative of
      patients on the larger scale.

PMID- 28341905
TI  - Emotions and scope effects in the monetary valuation of health.
AB  - This study presents evidence on the role of emotions in the monetary evaluation
      of health technologies, namely, drug-eluting stents (DES) in our case. It is
      shown that subjects who are very afraid of having to undergo an angioplasty are:
      (a) less sensitive to the size of the risk reduction provided by DES and (b)
      willing to pay more. The lack of scope sensitivity questions the normative
      validity of the responses of highly emotional subjects. We provide evidence of
      this effect using what we call the cognitive-emotional random utility model and
      the responses of a face-to-face, computer-assisted personal interview survey
      conducted in a representative sample of the Spanish general population (n =
      1663).

PMID- 28341906
TI  - South Brazilian wines: culturable yeasts associated to bottled wines produced in
      Rio Grande do Sul and Santa Catarina.
AB  - A comprehensive understanding of the presence and role of yeasts in bottled wines
      helps to know and control the organoleptic quality of the final product. The
      South Region of Brazil is an important wine producer, and the state of "Rio
      Grande do Sul" (RS) accounts for 90% of Brazilian wines. The state of "Santa
      Catarina" (SC) started the production in 1975, and is currently the fifth
      Brazilian producer. As there is little information about yeasts present in
      Brazilian wines, our main objective was to assess the composition of culturable
      yeasts associated to bottled wines produced in RS and SC, South of Brazil. We
      sampled 20 RS and 29 SC bottled wines produced between 2003 and 2011, and we
      isolated culturable yeasts in non-selective agar plates. We identified all
      isolates by sequencing of the D1/D2 domain of LSU rDNA or ITS1-5.8 S-ITS2 region,
      and comparison with type strain sequences deposited in GenBank database. Six
      yeast species were shared in the final product in both regions. We obtained two
      spoilage yeast profiles: RS with Zygosaccharomyces bailii and Pichia
      membranifaciens (Dekkera bruxellensis was found only in specific table wines);
      and SC with Dekkera bruxellensis and Pichia manshurica. Knowledge concerning the
      different spoilage profiles is important for winemaking practices in both
      regions.

PMID- 28341908
TI  - Lactic acid production from submerged fermentation of broken rice using undefined
      mixed culture.
AB  - The present work aimed to characterize and optimize the submerged fermentation of
      broken rice for lactic acid (LA) production using undefined mixed culture from
      dewatered activated sludge. A microorganism with amylolytic activity, which also
      produces LA, Lactobacillus amylovorus, was used as a control to assess the extent
      of mixed culture on LA yield. Three level full factorial designs were performed
      to optimize and define the influence of fermentation temperature (20-50  degrees
      C), gelatinization time (30-60 min) and broken rice concentration in culture
      medium (40-80 g L-1) on LA production in pure and undefined mixed culture. LA
      production in mixed culture (9.76 g L-1) increased in sixfold respect to pure
      culture in optimal assessed experimental conditions. The optimal conditions for
      maximizing LA yield in mixed culture bioprocess were 31  degrees C temperature,
      45 min gelatinization time and 79 g L-1 broken rice concentration in culture
      medium. This study demonstrated the positive effect of undefined mixed culture
      from dewatered activated sludge to produce LA from culture medium formulated with
      broken rice. In addition, this work establishes the basis for an efficient and
      low-cost bioprocess to manufacture LA from this booming agro-industrial by
      product.

PMID- 28341907
TI  - Utilization of inulin-containing waste in industrial fermentations to produce
      biofuels and bio-based chemicals.
AB  - Inulins are polysaccharides that belong to an important class of carbohydrates
      known as fructans and are used by many plants as a means of storing energy.
      Inulins contain 20 to several thousand fructose units joined by beta-2,1
      glycosidic bonds, typically with a terminal glucose unit. Plants with high
      concentrations of inulin include: agave, asparagus, coffee, chicory, dahlia,
      dandelion, garlic, globe artichoke, Jerusalem artichoke, jicama, onion, wild yam,
      and yacon. To utilize inulin as its carbon and energy source directly, a
      microorganism requires an extracellular inulinase to hydrolyze the glycosidic
      bonds to release fermentable monosaccharides. Inulinase is produced by many
      microorganisms, including species of Aspergillus, Kluyveromyces, Penicillium, and
      Pseudomonas. We review various inulinase-producing microorganisms and inulin
      feedstocks with potential for industrial application as well as biotechnological
      efforts underway to develop sustainable practices for the disposal of residues
      from processing inulin-containing crops. A multi-stage biorefinery concept is
      proposed to convert cellulosic and inulin-containing waste produced at crop
      processing operations to valuable biofuels and bioproducts using Kluyveromyces
      marxianus, Yarrowia lipolytica, Rhodotorula glutinis, and Saccharomyces
      cerevisiae as well as thermochemical treatments.

PMID- 28341909
TI  - Metagenomic analyses of bacterial endophytes associated with the phyllosphere of
      a Bt maize cultivar and its isogenic parental line from South Africa.
AB  - Genetic modification of maize with Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) cry proteins may
      predispose shifts in the bacterial endophytes' community associated with maize
      shoots. In this study, the diversity of bacterial endophytes associated with a Bt
      maize genotype (Mon810) and its isogenic non-transgenic parental line were
      investigated at pre-flowering (50 days) and post-flowering (90 days)
      developmental stages. PCR-DGGE and high throughput sequencing on the Illumina
      MiSeq sequencer were used to characterize bacterial 16S rRNA gene diversity in
      leaves, stems, seeds and tassels. PCR-DGGE profile revealed similarity as well as
      differences between bacterial communities of shoots in both cultivars and at both
      developmental stages. A total of 1771 operational taxonomic units (OTUs) were
      obtained from the MiSeq and assigned into 14 phyla, 27 classes, 58 orders, 116
      families and 247 genera. Differences in alpha and beta diversity measures of OTUs
      between the phyllospheres of both genotypes were not significant (P > .05) at all
      developmental stages. In all cultivars, OTU diversity reduced with plant
      development. OTUs belonging to the phyla Proteobacteria were dominant in all
      maize phyllospheres. The class Gammaproteobacteria was dominant in Bt maize
      while, Alphaproteobacteria and Actinobacteria were dominant in non-Bt maize
      phyllospheres. Differences in the abundance of some genera, including Acidovorax,
      Burkerholderia, Brachybacterium, Enterobacter and Rhodococcus, whose species are
      known beneficial endophytes were observed between cultivars. Hierarchical cluster
      analysis further suggests that the bacterial endophyte communities of both maize
      genotypes associate differently (are dissimilar). Overall, the results suggest
      that bacterial endophytes community differed more across developmental stages
      than between maize genotypes.

PMID- 28341910
TI  - Effectiveness and Cost-benefit Evaluation of a Comprehensive Workers' Health
      Surveillance Program for Sustainable Employability of Meat Processing Workers.
AB  - Objective To evaluate the effectiveness of a comprehensive workers' health
      surveillance (WHS) program on aspects of sustainable employability and cost
      benefit. Methods A cluster randomized stepped wedge trial was performed in a
      Dutch meat processing company from february 2012 until march 2015. In total 305
      workers participated in the trial. Outcomes were retrieved during a WHS program,
      by multiple questionnaires, and from company registries. Primary outcomes were
      sickness absence, work ability, and productivity. Secondary outcomes were health,
      vitality, and psychosocial workload. Data were analyzed with linear and logistic
      multilevel models. Cost-benefit analyses from the employer's perspective were
      performed as well. Results Primary outcomes sickness absence (OR = 1.40), work
      ability (B = -0.63) and productivity (OR = 0.71) were better in the control
      condition. Secondary outcomes did not or minimally differ between conditions. Of
      the 12 secondary outcomes, the only outcome that scored better in the
      experimental condition was meaning of work (B = 0.18). Controlling for
      confounders did not or minimally change the results. However, our stepped wedge
      design did not enable adjustment for confounding in the last two periods of the
      trial. The WHS program resulted in higher costs for the employer on the short and
      middle term. Conclusions Primary outcomes did not improve after program
      implementation and secondary outcomes remained equal after implementation. The
      program was not cost-beneficial after 1-3 year follow-up. Main limitation that
      may have contributed to absence of positive effects may be program failure,
      because interventions were not deployed as intended.

PMID- 28341912
TI  - Ralstonia eutropha as a biocatalyst for desulfurization of dibenzothiophene.
AB  - The potential of Ralstonia eutropha as a biocatalyst for desulfurization of
      dibenzothiophene (DBT) was studied in growing and resting cell conditions. The
      results of both conditions showed that sulfur was removed from DBT which
      accompanied by the formation of 2-hydroxybiphenyl (2-HBP). In growing cell
      experiments, glucose was used as an energy supplying substrate in initial
      concentrations of 55 mM (energy-limited) and 111 mM (energy-sufficient). The
      growing cell behaviors were quantitatively described using the logistic equation
      and maintenance concept. The results indicated that 2-HBP production was higher
      for the energy-sufficient cultures, while the values of the specific growth rate
      and the maintenance coefficient for these media were lower than those of the
      energy-limited cultures. Additionally, the kinetic studies showed that the half
      saturation constant for the energy-limited cultures was 2 times higher than the
      energy-sufficient ones where the inhibition constant (0.08 mM) and the maximum
      specific DBT desulfurization rate (0.002 mmol gcell-1 h-1) were almost constant.
      By defining desulfurizing capacity (D DBT) including both the biomass
      concentration and time to reach a particular percentage of DBT conversion, the
      best condition for desulfurizing cell was determined at 23% gcell L-1 h-1 which
      corresponded with the resting cells that were harvested at the mid-exponential
      growth phase.

PMID- 28341911
TI  - Nutlin-3, an Antagonist of MDM2, Enhances the Radiosensitivity of Esophageal
      Squamous Cancer with Wild-Type p53.
AB  - Murine double minute 2 (MDM2) negatively regulates the activity of the p53
      protein and plays a vital role in cell cycle arrest, apoptosis, and senescence
      mediated by p53. Nutlin-3, an antagonist of MDM2, is frequently used in anti
      cancer studies. In many human tumors, nutlin-3 stabilizes p53 status and enhances
      p53 expression in cells with wild-type p53. However, the effect of nutlin-3
      combined with radiotherapy on esophageal squamous cancer (ESCC) has not been
      reported. In this study, we examined whether nutlin-3 increases the
      radiosensitivity of ESCC in vitro and in vivo.We chose two cell lines, ECA-109
      (wild-type p53) and TE-13 (p53 mutated), for the following experiments. Cell
      proliferation and clonogenic survival experiments showed that nutlin-3 inhibits
      the cell growth and colony formation of ECA-109 cells in a dose-dependent manner.
      Flow cytometry analysis showed that the apoptosis rate of ECA-109 cells co
      treated with nutlin-3 and irradiation(IR) was significantly increased compared
      with cells treated with irradiation or nutlin-3 alone. Western blotting detected
      the expression of apoptosis-associated proteins in ECA-109 cells in response to
      nutlin-3 and irradiation. These effects were not evident in TE-13 cells.
      Xenograft mouse models indicated that nutlin-3 suppresses tumor growth and
      promotes radiosensitivity in the ESCC cell line ECA-109 in vivo. We have
      demonstrated that co-treatment of nutlin-3 with irradiation can significantly
      inhibit the growth and improve the radiosensitivity of ESCC cells with wild-type
      p53. The study suggests that nutlin-3 may be a potent therapeutic agent in
      conjunction with radiotherapy in ESCC.

PMID- 28341913
TI  - Medium-chain-length poly-3-hydroxyalkanoates-carbon nanotubes composite anode
      enhances the performance of microbial fuel cell.
AB  - Insufficient power generation from a microbial fuel cell (MFC) hampers its
      progress towards utility-scale development. Electrode modification with
      biopolymeric materials could potentially address this issue. In this study,
      medium-chain-length poly-3-hydroxyalkanoates (PHA)/carbon nanotubes (C) composite
      (CPHA) was successfully applied to modify the surface of carbon cloth (CC) anode
      in MFC. Characterization of the functional groups on the anodic surface and its
      morphology was carried out. The CC-CPHA composite anode recorded maximum power
      density of 254 mW/m2, which was 15-53% higher than the MFC operated with CC-C
      (214 mW/m2) and pristine CC (119 mW/m2) as the anode in a double-chambered MFC
      operated with Escherichia coli as the biocatalyst. Electrochemical impedance
      spectroscopy and cyclic voltammetry showed that power enhancement was attributed
      to better electron transfer capability by the bacteria for the MFC setup with CC
      CPHA anode.

PMID- 28341914
TI  - The Injury Tolerance of the Tibia Under Off-Axis Impact Loading.
AB  - During a frontal collision, there are a range of lower extremity postures that
      the vehicle's occupant may assume, potentially changing the way load is
      transmitted to this region of the body. While most experimental studies on the
      tibia's injury tolerance assume that load is directed along the leg's long axis,
      the effects of off-axis loading due to non-standard postures have not been well
      quantified, and commonly-cited injury criteria such as the Tibia Index do not
      directly account for posture. Therefore, twelve cadaveric tibias (paired from six
      donors) were subjected to off-axis impact loading in a custom-built test
      apparatus. One specimen from each pair was held at an angle of 15 degrees 
      relative to the direction of loading, while the contralateral was held at an
      angle of 30 degrees , with these angles representing ankle plantarflexion and
      corresponding knee extension in a vehicle occupant. Specimens held at 30 degrees 
      fractured at lower forces than the specimens held at 15 degrees  (mean force =
      5.8 vs. 7.5 kN). This indicates that posture should be incorporated into injury
      criteria for the tibia in future safety assessments instead of using a single
      force value based on axial impacts.

PMID- 28341915
TI  - In vivo system for analyzing the function of the PsbP protein using Chlamydomonas
      reinhardtii.
AB  - The PsbP protein is an extrinsic subunit of photosystem II (PSII) specifically
      developed in green-plant species including land plants and green algae. The
      protein-protein interactions involving PsbP and its effect on oxygen evolution
      have been investigated in vitro using isolated PSII membranes. However, the
      importance of those interactions needs to be examined at the cellular level. To
      this end, we developed a system expressing exogenous PsbP in the background of
      the Chlamydomonas BF25 mutant lacking native PsbP. Expression of His-tagged PsbP
      successfully restored the oxygen-evolving activity and photoautotrophic growth of
      the mutant, while PsbP-?15 lacking the N-terminal 15 residues, which are crucial
      for the oxygen-evolving activity of spinach PSII in vitro, only partially did.
      This demonstrated the importance of N-terminal sequence of PsbP for the
      photosynthetic activity in vivo. Furthermore, the PSII-LHCII supercomplex can be
      specifically purified from the Chlamydomonas cells having His-tagged PsbP using a
      metal affinity chromatography. This study provides a platform not only for the
      functional analysis of PsbP in vivo but also for structural analysis of the PSII
      LHCII supercomplex from green algae.

PMID- 28341916
TI  - Long-Term Results Following Antibiotic Treatment of Acute Appendicitis in Adults.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Antibiotic treatment of acute appendicitis has gained interest and
      inquiries. Reports have demonstrated both safety and high resolution of symptoms
      and inflammation following antibiotic treatment of appendicitis, but information
      on long-term results is required. Our present aim was therefore to evaluate long
      term recurrence rate of initial antibiotics-alone treatment for suspected acute
      appendicitis. METHODS: Patients with favourable response to antibiotics in
      earlier randomized (RCT, n = 97) and population-based (PBT, n = 342) studies as
      well as subsequently treated non-randomized (Non-R, n = 271) patients are
      evaluated for long-term risk to relapse demanding surgical appendectomy;
      altogether 710 patients. RESULTS: Clinical characteristics among randomized and
      non-randomized patients were similar without any statistical difference according
      to abdominal symptoms and degree of systemic inflammation (CRP, WCC) when
      antibiotic treatment started. Females and males showed the same results. The
      median follow-up time was 2162 days (5.92 years), and the range across highest
      and lowest follow-up was 3495 days (range 2-3497) for the entire group, without
      significant differences among subgroups (RCT, PBT, Non-R). The cumulative
      probability for relapse of appendicitis demanding appendectomy was: 0.09, 0.12,
      0.12 and 0.13 at 1-, 2-, 3- and 5-year follow-up, with a probability of 0.86 +/-
      0.013 without appendectomy after 8 years. This may imply an overall benefit of 60
      70% by antibiotics during expected 10-year follow-up accounting for initial
      treatment failures at 10-23% in our published reports. CONCLUSION: Antibiotic
      treatment is safe and effective as a first-line therapy in unselected adults with
      acute appendicitis with a risk around 15% for long-term relapse following
      favourable initial treatment response.

PMID- 28341917
TI  - The Effect of Parathyroidectomy on Risk of Hip Fracture in Secondary
      Hyperparathyroidism.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Secondary hyperparathyroidism increases the risk for fractures.
      Despite improvement in medical therapy, surgical parathyroidectomy (PTX) often
      becomes necessary, but its effect on risk of fractures is not clear. Our aim was
      to study the effect of parathyroidectomy on the risk of hip fractures in patients
      on dialysis or with a functioning renal graft at time of parathyroidectomy.
      DESIGN: In a cohort of 20,056 patients on dialysis or with functioning renal
      allograft, we identified 590 patients who underwent parathyroidectomy between
      1991 and 2009. Of these, 579 were matched with 1970 non-PTX patients on age, sex,
      cause of renal disease and functioning renal allograft or not at the time of PTX
      or at the corresponding time for non-PTX patients (t). We calculated the risk for
      hip fracture after PTX using crude and adjusted Cox proportional hazards
      regressions, adjusting for time in renal replacement therapy before t, time with
      functioning renal allograft before and after t, comorbidity at t and a hip
      fracture before t. RESULTS: The adjusted hazard ratio (95% confidence interval)
      for hip fracture was 0.40 (0.18-0.88) for PTX patients, compared to non-PTX
      patients. When analyses were performed separately for sex, only women had a lower
      risk of hip fracture after PTX compared to non-PTX patients. The risk of hip
      fracture after PTX was similar in patients with or without functioning renal
      allograft at time for PTX. CONCLUSION: Parathyroidectomy is associated with a
      lower risk of hip fracture in female patients with secondary hyperparathyroidism.

PMID- 28341918
TI  - Dasatinib versus imatinib in Japanese patients with newly diagnosed chronic phase
      chronic myeloid leukemia: a subanalysis of the DASISION 5-year final report.
AB  - The international phase III DASISION trial demonstrated improved efficacy of
      dasatinib versus imatinib in treatment-naive patients with chronic myeloid
      leukemia in the chronic phase (CML-CP). We report efficacy and safety outcomes in
      a Japanese population from the final, 5-year follow-up of DASISION. At the end of
      the study, 77% (20/26) of dasatinib-treated and 61% (14/23) of imatinib-treated
      patients remained on initial therapy. Improved responses were observed in
      Japanese patients who received dasatinib versus imatinib (complete cytogenetic
      response: 96 vs 87%; major molecular response: 88 vs 74%; BCR-ABL1 <=0.0032%
      International Scale [MR4.5]: 58 vs 52%). In patients who achieved BCR-ABL1 <=10%
      at 3 months, 5-year progression-free survival and overall survival rates were
      high with dasatinib (96 and 96%) and imatinib (88 and 100%). The majority of
      adverse events were grade 1/2 in Japanese patients. Pleural effusion occurred
      more frequently in dasatinib-treated Japanese patients versus all patients (42 vs
      28%), with no treatment discontinuations. Overall, in Japanese patients,
      dasatinib maintained its safety profile and had higher or comparable response and
      survival outcomes compared with imatinib or with all patients in DASISION. These
      findings demonstrate the long-term efficacy and tolerability of dasatinib and
      support frontline treatment of Japanese patients with CML-CP with dasatinib.

PMID- 28341920
TI  - Rhythmic Modulation of Entrained Auditory Oscillations by Visual Inputs.
AB  - Temporal structure is ubiquitous in sensory signals, and the brain has been shown
      to robustly represent information about temporal structure in the phase of low
      frequency neural oscillations. In a related construct, the integration of
      information across the different senses has been proposed to be at least partly
      due to the phase resetting of these low frequency oscillations. As a consequence,
      oscillations represent a potential contributor to the encoding of complex
      multisensory signals with informative temporal structures. Here we investigated
      these interactions using electroencephalography (EEG). We entrained low frequency
      (3 Hz) delta oscillations using a repetitive auditory stimulus-broadband
      amplitude modulated noise. Following entrainment, we presented auditory and
      audiovisual stimuli at variable delays. We examined whether the power of
      oscillations at the entrained frequency was dependent on the delay (and thus,
      potentially, phase) at which subsequent stimulation was delivered, and whether
      this relationship was different for subsequent multisensory (i.e., audiovisual)
      stimuli when compared with auditory stimuli alone. Our findings demonstrate that,
      when the subsequent stimuli are solely auditory, the power of oscillations at the
      entrained frequency is rhythmically modulated by when the stimulus was delivered.
      For audiovisual stimuli, however, no such dependency is present, yielding
      consistent power modulations. These effects indicate that reciprocal oscillatory
      mechanisms may be involved in the continuous encoding of complex temporally
      structured multisensory inputs such as speech.

PMID- 28341919
TI  - Intraoperative hydroxyethyl starch 70/0.5 administration may increase
      postoperative bleeding: a retrospective cohort study.
AB  - PURPOSE: Studies evaluating the safety of hydroxyethyl starch with a molecular
      weight of 70 kDa and a molar substitution ratio of 0.5 (HES 70/0.5) are scarce in
      the literature. In this study, we investigated the relationship between
      intraoperative HES 70/0.5 administration and postoperative bleeding. METHODS:
      This is a single-center, retrospective cohort study. Subjects were postoperative
      adult patients who stayed in the intensive care unit (ICU) for more than 24 h
      during the period from January 1, 2010 to December 31, 2012. We compared
      postoperative adult patients with and without intraoperative HES 70/0.5
      administration. The primary outcome was the drainage volume from surgical sites
      during the first 24 h after ICU admission. We conducted propensity score matching
      between the control group and the HES group. RESULTS: We analyzed data for 769
      patients who met our inclusion criteria. Using propensity score matching, we
      successfully created 119 matched pairs from the HES group and control group, with
      no significant differences in patient characteristics. The drainage volume during
      the first 24 h after ICU admission was greater in the HES group than in the
      control group (400 +/- 479 vs. 260 +/- 357 mL, p < 0.003). CONCLUSION: Our
      retrospective cohort study suggests that intraoperative HES 70/0.5 administration
      is associated with increased postoperative bleeding.

PMID- 28341921
TI  - Selection methods in healthcare professions: where are we now and where next?

PMID- 28341922
TI  - Have admissions committees considered all the evidence?

PMID- 28341923
TI  - A research agenda for establishing the validity of non-academic assessments of
      medical school applicants.

PMID- 28341924
TI  - Effect of rhythm control on sleep disordered breathing in patients with atrial
      fibrillation or flutter: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

PMID- 28341925
TI  - Relationship between serum adiponectin and bone mineral density in male patients
      with obstructive sleep apnea syndrome.
AB  - PURPOSE: Obstructive sleep apnea syndrome (OSAS) is reported to have an
      association with bone mineral density (BMD). However, the underlying mechanism is
      far from clear. The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between
      OSAS, bone turnover markers, and BMD and to evaluate the effect of adiponectin on
      BMD in patients with OSAS. METHODS: Seventy-one male patients with OSAS and 13
      male control subjects were enrolled in this study. Serum adiponectin, calcium,
      phosphorus, 25-hydroxyvitamin-D3, beta-isomerized form C-terminal telopeptide of
      type I collagen, osteocalcin, and procollagen type 1 N-propeptide were measured
      in all subjects, and BMD was evaluated by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DEXA)
      in the lumbar spine (L1-L4), the femoral neck, and the hip total. RESULTS: No
      statistically significant differences were found between the studied groups in
      terms of demographic data and bone turnover markers. Serum adiponectin
      significantly decreased with the aggravation of OSAS. Compared with subjects
      without OSAS, those with OSAS had a higher hip total BMD and t scores (p = 0.027
      and p = 0.028). The significant negative association was found between serum
      adiponectin levels and hip total BMD. After adjusting for confounders,
      adiponectin as well as oxygen desaturation index (ODI) significantly predicted
      the hip total BMD (beta = -0.232, p = 0.005 and beta = 0.226, p = 0.037).
      CONCLUSIONS: In male subjects, the presence of obstructive sleep apnea syndrome
      is associated with higher bone mineral density of the hip. These findings suggest
      that serum adiponectin may be an underlying mediator for BMD in OSAS.

PMID- 28341927
TI  - Optimal Network for Patients with Severe Mental Illness: A Social Network
      Analysis.
AB  - It is still unclear what the optimal structure of mental health care networks
      should be. We examine whether certain types of network structure have been
      associated with improved continuity of care and greater social integration. A
      social network survey was carried out, covering 954 patients across 19 mental
      health networks in Belgium in 2014. We found continuity of care to be associated
      with large, centralized, and homophilous networks, whereas social integration was
      associated with smaller, centralized, and heterophilous networks. Two important
      goals of mental health service provision, continuity of care and social
      integration, are associated with different types of network. Further research is
      needed to ascertain the direction of this association.

PMID- 28341928
TI  - Description of a new species of Ixodes Latreille, 1795 (Acari: Ixodidae) and
      redescription of I. lasallei Mendez & Ortiz, 1958, parasites of agoutis and pacas
      (Rodentia: Dasyproctidae, Cuniculidae) in Central and South America.
AB  - Ixodes bocatorensis n. sp. (Acari: Ixodidae), is described based on adults ex
      agoutis (Rodentia: Dasyproctidae), pacas (Rodentia: Cuniculidae) and "tapir and
      sloth" (Perissodactyla: Tapiridae and Pilosa) from Colombia, Panama and
      Venezuela. Adults of I. bocatorensis n. sp. are similar to those of I. lasallei
      Mendez & Ortiz, 1958 but can be distinguished by the scutum dimensions,
      punctation pattern, gnathosoma and palpi measurements and their ratios, basis
      capituli anterior angle and shape of the spur of palpal segment I ventrally. For
      comparative purposes the female of I. lasallei is redescribed and the true male
      of this species is described for the first time. Studied adults of I. lasallei
      were found on agoutis, pacas and ocelot (Carnivora: Felidae) in Colombia, Peru
      and Venezuela.

PMID- 28341926
TI  - Risks associated with antiretroviral treatment for human immunodeficiency virus
      (HIV): qualitative analysis of social media data and health state utility
      valuation.
AB  - PURPOSE: Despite benefits of antiretroviral therapies (ART), people with HIV
      infection have increased risk of cardiovascular disease, kidney disease, and low
      bone mineral density. Some ARTs increase risk of these events. The purpose of
      this study was to examine patients' perspectives of these risks and estimate
      health state utilities associated with these risks for use in cost-utility
      models. METHODS: Qualitative thematic analysis was conducted to examine messages
      posted to the POZ/AIDSmeds Internet community forums, focusing on bone, kidney,
      and cardiovascular side effects and risks of HIV/AIDS medications. Then, health
      state vignettes were drafted based on this qualitative analysis, literature
      review, and clinician interviews. The health states (representing HIV, plus
      treatment-related risks) were valued in time trade-off interviews with general
      population participants in the UK. RESULTS: Qualitative analysis of the Internet
      forums documented patient concerns about ART risks, as well as treatment
      decisions made because of these risks. A total of 208 participants completed
      utility interviews (51.4% female; mean age 44.6 years). The mean utility of the
      HIV health state (virologically suppressed, treated with ART) was 0.86. Adding a
      description of risk resulted in statistically significant disutility (i.e.,
      utility decreases): renal risk (disutility = -0.02), bone risk (-0.03), and
      myocardial infarction risk (-0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Patient concerns and treatment
      decisions were documented via qualitative analysis of Internet forum discussions,
      and the impact of these concerns was quantified in terms of health state
      utilities. The resulting disutilities may be useful for differentiating among
      ARTs in economic modeling of treatment for patients with HIV.

PMID- 28341929
TI  - Molecular characterisation of four echinostomes (Digenea: Echinostomatidae) from
      birds in New Zealand, with descriptions of Echinostoma novaezealandense n. sp.
      and Echinoparyphium poulini n. sp.
AB  - Morphological and molecular characterisation of echinostome specimens (Digenea:
      Echinostomatidae) recovered in one Anas platyrhynchos L. and one Cygnus atratus
      (Latham) (Anseriformes: Anatidae) from New Zealand revealed the presence of two
      known species, Echinostoma miyagawai Ishii, 1932 and Echinoparyphium ellisi
      (Johnston & Simpson, 1944) and two species new to science. Comparative
      morphological and phylogenetic analyses supported the distinct species status of
      Echinostoma novaezealandense n. sp. ex Branta canadensis (L.), A. platyrhynchos
      and C. atratus, and Echinoparyphium poulini n. sp. ex C. atratus. Echinostoma
      novaezealandense n. sp., a species of the "revolutum" species complex
      characterised by the possession of a head collar armed with 37 spines, keyed down
      to E. revolutum but was distinguished from the latter in having a much narrower
      body with almost parallel margins, longer oesophagus, wider cirrus-sac, larger
      seminal vesicle, much smaller ventral sucker, ovary, Mehlis' gland and testes,
      more anteriorly located ovary and testes, and distinctly smaller eggs (81-87 * 42
      53 vs 106-136 * 55-70 um). This new species appears similar to Echinostoma
      acuticauda Nicoll, 1914 described in Australia but differs in having a longer
      forebody, more posteriorly located ovary and testes, and much smaller eggs (81-87
      * 42-53 vs 112-126 * 63-75 um). Echinoparyphium poulini n. sp. is differentiated
      from the four species of Echinoparyphium possessing 37 collar spines considered
      valid as follows: from E. chinensis Ku, Li & Chu, 1964 in having a much smaller
      body, four (vs five) angle spines and simple seminal vesicle (vs bipartite); from
      E. schulzi Matevosyan, 1951 in having a less robust body at a comparable body
      length, much smaller ventral sucker, ovary and testes, and longer but narrower
      eggs (87-109 * 50-59 vs 70-85 * 60-84 um); and from the two smaller forms, E.
      serratum Howell, 1968 and E. aconiatum Dietz, 1909, in a number of additional
      metrical features correlated with body size and especially in the possession of
      much larger collar spines. Partial fragments of the mitochondrial nad1 and 28S
      rRNA genes were amplified for representative isolates of the four species and
      analysed together with sequences for Echinostoma spp. and Echinoparyphium spp.
      available on GenBank. Phylogenetic analyses based on the mitochondrial nad1 gene
      revealed congruence between the molecular data and species
      identification/delineation based on morphology; this was corroborated by the 28S
      rDNA sequence data.

PMID- 28341930
TI  - Clinical Utility of Cxbladder for the Diagnosis of Urothelial Carcinoma.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: This study aimed to demonstrate the clinical utility of non
      invasive multigene Cxbladder urine tests in reducing the overall number of
      diagnostic tests and invasive procedures used in the clinical evaluation of
      patients presenting with microhematuria, a key symptom of urothelial carcinoma
      (UC). There is a belief that using non-invasive molecular diagnostic tests in
      patients with hematuria may lead to patients undergoing unnecessary and costly
      invasive procedures that can cause adverse events and decrease patient quality of
      life. The objective of this study was to determine whether or not this was the
      case, using Cxbladder. METHODS: Data from 396 patient-by-urologist interactions
      generated 792 decision points from a standardized cohort of 33 patients evaluated
      by 12 urologists. Participant physicians recommended a selection of tests and
      procedures based on referral data, then reviewed and amended their
      recommendations in the context of diagnostic information from Cxbladder used in
      the Triage and Triage and Detect clinical modalities. RESULTS: All urologists
      changed their diagnostic behavior in at least one patient case with the addition
      of Cxbladder results. The total number of diagnostic procedures was reduced by 5%
      and 25% following disclosure of results from Cxbladder in the Triage and the
      Triage and Detect modalities, respectively. The total number of requested
      invasive procedures was reduced from 425 at referral to 379 (-11%) and 292 (-31%)
      following disclosure of Cxbladder information in the Triage and Triage and Detect
      modalities, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: Urologists made compelling changes to
      their clinical decision-making when they were provided with Cxbladder results for
      patients presenting with hematuria. Cxbladder provides an increase in clinical
      utility by focusing the use of invasive diagnostic procedures to appropriate
      patients, reducing both the total number and number of invasive procedures used
      in the clinical management of patients with hematuria, thereby improving the
      diagnostic experience and outcomes for patients. FUNDING: Pacific Edge Ltd.

PMID- 28341931
TI  - A Case Series of Dacryoendoscopy in Childhood: A Diagnostic and Therapeutic
      Alternative for Complex Congenital Nasolacrimal Duct Obstruction Even in the
      First Year of Life.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: Congenital nasolacrimal duct obstruction (CNLDO) is the most common
      cause of epiphora in infancy. Spontaneous resolution occurs in the majority of
      the cases by 1 year of age. Nevertheless, obstruction has a negative impact on
      the outcome of conservative or surgical therapy, especially in cases of complex
      CNLDO. When the condition persists beyond several months, early intervention with
      dacryoendoscopy (DE) around the age of 1 year could yield good results. The
      objective of the study is to analyze the success rate and effectiveness of early
      DE for complex CNLDO in the first year of life. METHODS: A retrospective, non
      comparative case series is presented. DE was performed under general anesthesia
      in patients between the age of 1 and 12 months with severe recurrent acute or
      chronic dacryocystitis. The medical histories, intraoperative and postoperative
      results after 3 months as well as via parents' interviews were analyzed to
      investigate the success rate. RESULTS: A total of 18 consecutive DE in 16
      patients between the age of 1 and 12 months (mean 7.3 +/- 3.4 months) were
      studied. Nine lacrimal ducts were diagnosed with persistent chronic
      dacryocystitis refractory to probing/syringing. The remaining 9 presented
      recurrent acute dacryocystitis. Diagnostic DE was performed in 18 cases. A
      therapeutic DE was conducted in 15 lacrimal ducts (83.3%) with simultaneous
      correction of the associated stenosiswith the tip of the endoscope. A visual
      controlled opening of the stenosis was impossible in 3 cases due to a too narrow
      presaccal anatomy (n = 1), an osseous duct stenosis (n = 1), and a bulging
      membrane of Hasner into the inferior nasal meatus (n = 1). Postoperative findings
      were classified into four categories: poor, fair, good and excellent. Good
      results were documented in 16.7% (n = 3) and excellent results in 77.7% (n = 14).
      The bony obstruction was treated with dacryocystorhinostomy. A minimum follow-up
      of 3 months was considered for final clinical analysis. Ten patients' parents (12
      surgeries) were interviewed by telephone (mean follow-up 24.8 months). No
      recurrence of stenosis and no further postoperative complications were observed.
      CONCLUSION: DE is a diagnostic and therapeutic option for complex CNLDO in
      patients before the age of 1 year. The outcome of DE in the 3 months follow-up is
      highly indicative of positive final results in terms of patency of the lacrimal
      duct.

PMID- 28341932
TI  - [Cross-sectional field pain medicine Q14 - the Mainz model : Development of the
      pain medicine curriculum in the standard study course at the University Medical
      School of the Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz].
AB  - BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Following the amendment of the Medical Licensure Act
      (AAppO) in 2012, pain medicine was introduced as a mandatory subject for students
      during undergraduate medical training. Medical schools were required to define
      and to implement adequate curricular and formal teaching structures based on
      interdisciplinary and multiprofessional requirements according to the curriculum
      for pain medicine of the German Pain Society. These aspects were considered in
      the new interdisciplinary curriculum for pain medicine, the so-called Mainz
      model. STUDY DESIGN AND METHODS: A new curriculum based on the Kern cycle was
      developed and implemented at the Medical Center of the Johannes Gutenberg
      University in Mainz. Different teaching methods (lectures, interprofessional
      tutorials and bedside coaching in small groups) were used to impart professional
      expertise in pain medicine to medical students in an interdisciplinary clinical
      context. RESULTS: The new curriculum was put into practice and evaluated starting
      from the winter semester 2014/2015. Before and after the first implementation,
      medical students were asked about the relevance of pain medicine and their
      perception of personal competence. CONCLUSION: The interdisciplinary course in
      pain medicine was successfully introduced into the degree program based on the
      curriculum of the German Pain Society and the Kern cycle. With educational
      support, interdepartmental and multiprofessional collaboration the process of
      implementation of new interdisciplinary courses can be facilitated. In the
      future, the question how to increase the amount of practical lessons without
      increasing the load on teaching resources has to be resolved. Blended learning
      modules, such as a combination of E-learning and practical lessons are currently
      being studied in smaller cohorts.

PMID- 28341933
TI  - Masturbation and Partnered Sex: Substitutes or Complements?
AB  - Drawing upon a large, recent probability sample of American adults ages 18-60
      (7648 men and 8090 women), we explored the association between sexual frequency
      and masturbation, evaluating the evidence for whether masturbation compensates
      for unavailable sex, complements (or augments) existing paired sexual activity,
      or bears little association with it. We found evidence supporting a compensatory
      relationship between masturbation and sexual frequency for men, and a
      complementary one among women, but each association was both modest and
      contingent on how content participants were with their self-reported frequency of
      sex. Among men and women, both partnered status and their sexual contentment were
      more obvious predictors of masturbation than was recent frequency of sex. We
      conclude that both hypotheses as commonly evaluated suffer from failing to
      account for the pivotal role of subjective sexual contentment in predicting
      masturbation.

PMID- 28341935
TI  - A Natural Triterpenoid Saponin as Multifunctional Stabilizer for Drug
      Nanosuspension Powder.
AB  - The objective of this study is to prepare a novel drug nanosuspension modified by
      a natural triterpenoid saponin (glycyrrhizin (GZ)) and evaluate its stability and
      redispersibility. A poorly soluble drug (andrographolide (AGE)) was used as a
      model drug. AGE nanosuspensions (AGE-NS) using GZ as natural stabilizer with mean
      particle size of 487 nm were firstly prepared by homogenization and converted
      into dried AGE nanosuspension powder (AGE-NP) by freeze-drying. It was found that
      GZ was able to prevent the aggregation of AGE nanocrystals and the freeze-dried
      AGE-NP could easily redisperse back to AGE-NS. It was related with special
      properties of GZ that possessed the interfacial property (37.02 +/- 0.29 N/m) and
      electrostatic effect (-43.6 +/- 0.9 mV) and could entrap AGE nanocrystals into
      its network structure. The freeze-dried AGE-NP/GZ exhibited excellent
      performance, compared with those combined with trehalose as matrix formers. The
      powder X-ray diffraction result demonstrated that GZ did not alter the AGE
      crystal state. The dissolution of AGE-NP/GZ (99.87%) was significantly enhanced,
      compared with the coarse AGE (42.35%). This study demonstrated that GZ could be
      used as a novel multifunctional stabilizer for production of drug nanosuspensions
      and provided a promising basis for further formulation development of poorly
      soluble drug.

PMID- 28341934
TI  - Molecular chaperone Jiv promotes the RNA replication of classical swine fever
      virus.
AB  - The nonstructural protein 2 (NS2) of classical swine fever virus (CSFV) is a self
      splicing ribozyme wherein the precursor protein NS2-3 is cleaved, and the
      cleavage efficiency of NS2-3 is crucial to the replication of viral RNA. However,
      the proteolytic activity of NS2 autoprotease may be achieved through a cellular
      chaperone called J-domain protein interacting with viral protein (Jiv) or its
      fragment Jiv90, as evidence suggests that Jiv is required for the proper
      functioning of the NS2 protein of bovine viral diarrhea virus. Hence, the
      expression of Jiv may be correlated with the replication efficiency of CSFV RNA.
      We investigated the expression levels of Jiv and viral RNA in CSFV-infected cells
      and tissues using Real-time RT-PCR or Western blot analysis. The obtained results
      show that Jiv90 possibly plays an important role in the lifecycle of CSFV because
      the distribution of Jiv90 protein shows a positive correlation with the viral
      load of CSFV. Furthermore, the overexpression or knockdown of Jiv90 in swine
      cells can also significantly promote or decrease the viral load, respectively.
      The detection of Flow cytometry shows that the overexpression of Jiv90 prolongs
      the G1 phase of cell cycles but has no effect on apoptosis. These findings are
      likely to be of benefit in clarifying the pathogenesis of the CSFV.

PMID- 28341936
TI  - Erratum to: White Matter Microstructure and Subcortical Gray Matter Structure
      Volumes in Aspartylglucosaminuria; a 5-Year Follow-up Brain MRI Study of an
      Adolescent with Aspartylglucosaminuria and His Healthy Twin Brother.

PMID- 28341938
TI  - Erratum to Current status of immunologic approaches to treating tobacco
      dependence: Vaccines and nicotine-specific antibodies.

PMID- 28341937
TI  - Percutaneous needle biopsy of mediastinal masses under C-arm conebeam CT
      guidance: diagnostic performance and safety.
AB  - The aim of this study is to evaluate the feasibility of percutaneous needle
      biopsy of mediastinal masses under conebeam computed tomography (CBCT) and
      "XperGuide" navigation guidance. From September 2013 to April 2016, 40 patients
      (25 men and 15 women; mean age 52.5 years; range 18.7-86.4 years) with 40
      mediastinal masses underwent CBCT-/"XperGuide"-guided percutaneous needle
      biopsies. Technical success, sensibility, specificity, positive predictive value
      (ppv), negative predictive value (npv) and complications rate were evaluated.
      Technical success evaluated as the correct positioning of the needle inside the
      lesion was 100%. Based on histopathological diagnosis, 2 of 40 biopsies (5%)
      resulted a false negative. Diagnostic accuracy was 95%, sensitivity was 95%,
      specificity was 100%, ppv was 100%, and npv was 33%. The mean total procedure
      time was 32 min (range 15-60 min) revealing a reduction in time comparing the
      first group of 20 patients (mean time 45 min) with the last group of 20 patients
      (mean time 17 min). No major complications were recorded. Only three patients
      (7.5%) had mild pneumothorax as demonstrated by post-procedural CBCT, resolved
      spontaneously. CBCT/"XperGuide" navigation system is a new, safe and accurate
      technique that can be used as guidance for mediastinal mass biopsies. It also
      permits the use of CT machines for diagnostic examinations relieving them from
      interventional procedures burden.

PMID- 28341942
TI  - Integrating NIMH Research Domain Criteria (RDoC) into PTSD Research.
AB  - Three and a half decades of research on posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) has
      produced substantial knowledge on the pathobiology of this frequent and
      debilitating disease. However, despite all research efforts, so far no drug that
      has specifically targeted PTSD core symptoms progressed to clinical use. Instead,
      although not overly efficient, serotonin re-uptake inhibitors continue to be
      considered the gold standard of PTSD pharmacotherapy. The psychotherapeutic
      treatment and symptom-oriented drug therapy options available for PTSD treatment
      today show some efficacy, although not in all PTSD patients, in particular not in
      a substantial percent of those suffering from the detrimental sequelae of
      repeated childhood trauma or in veterans with combat related PTSD. PTSD has this
      in common with other psychiatric disorders - in particular effective treatment
      for incapacitating conditions such as resistant major depression, chronic
      schizophrenia, and frequently relapsing obsessive-compulsive disorder as well as
      dementia has not yet been developed through modern neuropsychiatric research.In
      response to this conundrum, the National Institute of Mental Health launched the
      Research Domain Criteria (RDoC) framework which aims to leave diagnosis-oriented
      psychiatric research behind and to move on to the use of research domains
      overarching the traditional diagnosis systems. To the best of our knowledge, the
      paper at hand is the first that has systematically assessed the utility of the
      RDoC system for PTSD research. Here, we review core findings in neurobiological
      PTSD research and match them to the RDoC research domains and units of analysis.
      Our synthesis reveals that several core findings in PTSD such as amygdala
      overactivity have been linked to all RDoC domains without further specification
      of their distinct role in the pathophysiological pathways associated with these
      domains. This circumstance indicates that the elucidation of the cellular and
      molecular processes ultimately decisive for regulation of psychic processes and
      for the expression of psychopathological symptoms is still grossly incomplete.
      All in all, we find the RDoC research domains to be useful but not sufficient for
      PTSD research. Hence, we suggest adding two novel domains, namely stress and
      emotional regulation and maintenance of consciousness. As both of these domains
      play a role in various if not in all psychiatric diseases, we judge them to be
      useful not only for PTSD research but also for psychiatric research in general.

PMID- 28341939
TI  - The Basic Pharmacology of Opioids Informs the Opioid Discourse about Misuse and
      Abuse: A Review.
AB  - Morphine and other opioids are widely used to manage moderate to severe acute
      pain syndromes, such as pain associated with trauma or postoperative pain, and
      they have been used to manage chronic pain, even chronic nonmalignant pain.
      However, recent years have seen a renewed recognition of the potential for
      overuse, misuse, and abuse of opioids. Therefore, prescribing opioids is
      challenging for healthcare providers in that clinical effectiveness must be
      balanced against negative outcomes-with the possibility that neither are achieved
      perfectly. The current discourse about the dual 'epidemics' of under-treatment of
      legitimate pain and the over-prescription of opioids is clouded by inadequate or
      inaccurate understanding of opioid drugs and the endogenous pain pathways with
      which they interact. An understanding of the basic pharmacology of opioids helps
      inform the clinician and other stakeholders about these simultaneously under- and
      over-used agents.

PMID- 28341944
TI  - Discriminative Stimulus Effects of Psychostimulants.
AB  - Numerous drugs elicit locomotor stimulant effects at appropriate doses; however,
      we typically reserve the term psychostimulant to refer to drugs with affinity for
      monoamine reuptake transporters. This chapter comprises select experiments that
      have characterized the discriminative stimulus effects of psychostimulants using
      drug discrimination procedures. The substitution profiles of psychostimulants in
      laboratory rodents are generally consistent with those observed in human and
      nonhuman primate drug discrimination experiments. Notably, two major classes of
      psychostimulants can be distinguished as those that function as passive monoamine
      reuptake inhibitors (such as cocaine) and those that function as substrates for
      monoamine transporters and stimulate monoamine release (such as the
      amphetamines). Nevertheless, the discriminative stimulus effects of both classes
      of psychostimulant are quite similar, and drugs from different classes will
      substitute for one another. Most importantly, for both the cocaine-like and
      amphetamine-like psychostimulants, dopaminergic mechanisms most saliently
      determine discriminative stimulus effects, but these effects can be modulated by
      alterations in noradrenergic and serotonergic neurotransmission as well. Thusly,
      the drug discrimination assay is useful for characterizing the interoceptive
      effects of psychostimulants and determining the mechanisms that contribute to
      their subjective effects in humans.

PMID- 28341943
TI  - Cross-Species Translational Findings in the Discriminative Stimulus Effects of
      Ethanol.
AB  - The progress on understanding the pharmacological basis of ethanol's
      discriminative stimulus effects has been substantial, but appears to have
      plateaued in the past decade. Further, the cross-species translational efforts
      are clear in laboratory animals, but have been minimal in human subject studies.
      Research findings clearly demonstrate that ethanol produces a compound stimulus
      with primary activity through GABA and glutamate receptor systems, particularly
      ionotropic receptors, with additional contribution from serotonergic mechanisms.
      Further progress should capitalize on chemogenetic and optogenetic techniques in
      laboratory animals to identify the neural circuitry involved in mediating the
      discriminative stimulus effects of ethanol. These infrahuman studies can be
      guided by in vivo imaging of human brain circuitry mediating ethanol's subjective
      effects. Ultimately, identifying receptors systems, as well as where they are
      located within brain circuitry, will transform the use of drug discrimination
      procedures to help identify possible treatment or prevention strategies for
      alcohol use disorder.

PMID- 28341945
TI  - Translational Value of Drug Discrimination with Typical and Atypical
      Antipsychotic Drugs.
AB  - This chapter focuses on the translational value of drug discrimination as a
      preclinical assay for drug development. In particular, the importance of two
      factors, i.e., training dose and species, for drug discrimination studies with
      the atypical antipsychotic clozapine is examined. Serotonin receptors appear to
      be an important pharmacological mechanism mediating clozapine's discriminative
      cue in both rats and mice, although differences are clearly evident as antagonism
      of cholinergic muscarinic receptors is important in rats at a higher training
      dose (5.0 mg/kg) of clozapine, but not at a lower training dose (1.25 mg/kg).
      Antagonism of alpha1 adrenoceptors is a sufficient mechanism in C57BL/6 and 129S2
      mice to mimic clozapine's cue, but not in DBA/2 and B6129S mice, and only
      produces partial substitution in low-dose clozapine discrimination in rats.
      Dopamine antagonism produces partial substitution for clozapine in DBA/2, 129S2,
      and B6129S mice, but not in C57BL/6 mice, and partial substitution is seen with
      D4 antagonism in low-dose clozapine drug discrimination in rats. Thus, it is
      evident that clozapine has a complex mixture of receptor contributions towards
      its discriminative cue based on the data from the four mouse strains that have
      been tested that is similar to the results from rat studies. A further
      examination of antipsychotic stimulus properties in humans, particularly in
      patients with schizophrenia, would go far in evaluating the translational value
      of the drug discrimination paradigm for antipsychotic drugs.

PMID- 28341946
TI  - Surgical Masculinization of the Breast: Clinical Classification and Surgical
      Procedures.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: Aesthetic breast area improvements for gynecomastia and gender
      dysphoria patients who seek a more masculine appearance have increased recently.
      We present our clinical experience in breast masculinization and a classification
      for these patients. METHODS AND MATERIALS: From July 2003 to May 2014, 68
      patients seeking a more masculine thorax underwent surgery. They were divided
      into five groups depending on three factors: excess fatty tissue, breast tissue,
      and skin. A specific surgical treatment was assigned according to each group. The
      surgical treatments included thoracic liposuction, subcutaneous mastectomy,
      periareolar skin resection in one or two stages, and mastectomy with a nipple
      areola complex graft. The evaluation was performed 6 months after surgery to
      determine the degree of satisfaction and presence of complications. RESULTS:
      Surgery was performed on a total of 68 patients, 45 male and 22 female, with ages
      ranging from 18 to 49 years, and an average age of 33 years. Liposuction alone
      was performed on five patients; subcutaneous mastectomy was performed on eight
      patients; subcutaneous mastectomy combined with liposuction was performed on 27
      patients; periareolar skin resection was performed on 11 patients; and mastectomy
      with NAC free grafts was performed on 16 patients. The surgical procedure
      satisfied 94% of the patients, with very few complications. CONCLUSIONS: All
      patients who wish to obtain a masculine breast shape should be treated with only
      one objective regardless patient's gender: to obtain a masculine thorax. We
      recommend a simple mammary gland classification for determining the best surgical
      treatment for these patients LEVEL OF EVIDENCE V: This journal requires that
      authors assign a level of evidence to each article. For a full description of
      these Evidence-Based Medicine ratings, please refer to the Table of Contents or
      the online Instructions to Authors www.springer.com/00266 .

PMID- 28341947
TI  - The Versatile Posterior Auricular Fascia in Secondary Rhinoplasty Procedures.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Secondary rhinoplasty often involves the addition of autogenous graft
      material to add volume, structure, support and to camouflage cartilage and bone
      grafts. A variety of fascias have been used to camouflage, wrap and give "fill"
      in secondary rhinoplasty. The posterior auricular fascia is a source of material
      ideal for such purposes, and its quantity, anatomical structure and ease of
      harvest with minimal donor site morbidity make it a versatile and attractive
      autogenous graft. METHODS: The clinical records of patients receiving autogenous
      posterior auricular fascial grafts were reviewed. There were two main uses of
      this graft material, one was to cover the tip reconstruction in secondary
      rhinoplasties under thin tip skin. This is a camouflage graft. The second use is
      for fill and augmentation, especially for the nasal dorsum and as an
      interpostitional graft between the dorsum and the tip. CONCLUSION: The posterior
      auricular fascial graft has many potential uses in secondary rhinoplasties and is
      readily harvested as a generous graft concurrent to conchal cartilage harvest and
      with a concealed scar behind the ear. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE V: This journal requires
      that authors assign a level of evidence to each article. For a full description
      of these evidence-based medicine ratings, please refer to the Table of Contents
      or the online Instructions to Authors www.springer.com/00266 .

PMID- 28341948
TI  - Author Commentary: Objective Outcome Measurement After Upper Blepharoplasty: An
      Analysis of Different Operative Techniques.

PMID- 28341949
TI  - Complications and Outcomes After Gynecomastia Surgery: Analysis of 204 Pediatric
      and 1583 Adult Cases from a National Multi-center Database.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Gynecomastia is a common disease that is prevalent across all age
      groups of boys and men. Although benign in nature, it can lead to psychological
      and social distress, prompting affected patients to seek medical attention.
      Management strategies include observation and drug therapy, yet surgical
      procedures remain the hallmark of treatment. The goal of this study was to
      analyze patient demographics, outcomes, and complication rates of gynecomastia
      surgery in a large multi-institutional cohort. METHODS: We performed a
      retrospective analysis of the American College of Surgeons National Surgical
      Quality Improvement Program adult and pediatric databases to produce two cohorts
      that underwent gynecomastia surgical repair. The two populations were compared
      for comorbidities, perioperative details, and complication rates. Multivariate
      analyses helped detect risk factors associated with adverse events. RESULTS: A
      total of 204 pediatric and 1583 adult male patients were identified in our
      analysis. Mean ages were 15.8 and 39.6 years, respectively. A BMI of 28.2 in the
      latter cohort revealed an overweight adult population. Preoperative comorbidities
      (0.0-4.9% in children, 0.0-6.4% in adults) and American Society of
      Anesthesiologists scores (ASA 1 + 2: 98.5 and 82.7%) symbolized a healthy
      population. Procedures were subsequently performed mostly as outpatient (84.3 and
      93.9%) and with short hospitalization durations (0.27 and 0.06 days). Our results
      demonstrated low surgical (3.9 and 1.9%) and medical (0.0 and 0.3%) complications
      within the standardized 30-day postoperative period. Children and adolescents,
      however, required double mean operative times compared to adults (111.3 vs 56.7
      min). CONCLUSION: Operative gynecomastia treatment remains a safe treatment
      modality across all age groups. Patients with known preoperative medical or
      surgical comorbidities necessitate more extensive perioperative assessment and
      monitoring. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE III: This journal requires that authors assign a
      level of evidence to each article. For a full description of these Evidence-Based
      Medicine ratings, please refer to the Table of Contents or the online
      Instructions to Authors www.springer.com/00266 .

PMID- 28341950
TI  - Frontal Changes in the Lower Face After Clockwise Rotation of the
      Maxillomandibular Complex Without Perisurgical Orthodontic Treatment in Angle
      Class I and Skeletal Class III Women.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Orthognathic surgery has become more popular to slenderize a wide
      lower face and to improve facial esthetics in Asian patients with normal
      occlusion. Clockwise rotation (CR) of the maxillomandibular complex (MMC)
      steepens the mandibular plane. This study performed a quantitative analysis on
      the influence of CR on slenderness of the lower face from the frontal view.
      PATIENTS AND METHODS: This retrospective study included 36 female patients with
      Angle Class I occlusion and skeletal Class III pattern. The subjects underwent CR
      of the MMC without perioperative orthodontic treatment and change in the
      occlusion only for the purpose of esthetic improvement. Linear and angular
      variables were measured on a cephalogram and three-dimensional computed
      tomography (3D CT) obtained before and at least 6 months after surgery. Data were
      analyzed using paired t tests and Spearman correlations. Univariate regression
      analysis was used to predict the postoperative change according to the amount of
      posterior impaction. RESULTS: The mean posterior impaction was 3.81 mm. All
      mandibular plane angle (MPA) measurements were increased (ranged from 5.69
      degrees  to 13.12 degrees , p < 0.001), exhibiting a significant correlation with
      the amount of posterior impaction. Bigonial width measurements were decreased
      after surgery (ranged from 4.97 to 5.51 mm, p < 0.001). Among the MPAs derived
      from the 3D CT, the coronal projection from the frontal view exhibited a
      discrepancy between right and left side. CONCLUSIONS: The changes in linear and
      angular measurements in this study indicate that the lower face becomes narrower
      and more slender as the MMC rotates in a clockwise direction. Orthognathic
      surgery with CR has the advantage of increasing the MPAs and obtaining natural
      soft tissue contouring while minimizing the amount of bone resection. LEVEL OF
      EVIDENCE IV: This journal requires that authors assign a level of evidence to
      each article. For a full description of these Evidence-Based Medicine ratings,
      please refer to the Table of Contents or the online Instructions to Authors
      www.springer.com/00266c .

PMID- 28341951
TI  - Discussion: Surgical Management of Gynecomastia: Subcutaneous Mastectomy and
      Liposuction.

PMID- 28341952
TI  - Septal Deviation Treatment Using Bone or Cartilage Grafts Fixed with
      Cyanoacrylate Tissue Adhesive.
AB  - BACKGROUND: This paper presents a method in which bone or cartilage grafts are
      fixed to the septal cartilage with cyanoacrylate-based tissue adhesive for the
      treatment of septal deviation. A prospective study was designed to show the
      effectiveness of the technique. METHODS: Cyanoacrylate-based tissue adhesive was
      used to fix the cartilage or bone grafts onto the septal cartilage to straighten
      deviated septal cartilage in 77 patients. Regarding the patients' preoperative
      and postoperative nasal respiration, the following were assessed: (1) Nasal
      Obstruction Symptom Evaluation (NOSE) scales, (2) patient satisfaction with
      postoperative nasal respiration using visual analog scoring, and (3) computerized
      tomographic images. RESULTS: The patients were followed up for 29 months on
      average. Patients' respiration-related problems resulting from septal deviation
      were relieved in all but four patients. Clinically and radiologically, the
      straightened septums preserved their new forms, and it was detected with
      computerized tomography that the bone grafts had acquired permanency. In
      addition, the NOSE scores improved significantly compared to their preoperative
      levels. CONCLUSIONS: In cases in which the use of bone or cartilage grafts is
      chosen to straighten the deviated septal cartilage, fixation of grafts with
      cyanoacrylate (CA) tissue adhesive is a quick, instantly effective, and reliable
      method. CA, which enables the subsurface of the graft to have complete contact
      with the septal cartilage, provides extra benefit by transferring all of the
      reformative forces of the grafts to the septal cartilage. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE II:
      This journal requires that authors assign a level of evidence to each article.
      For a full description of these Evidence-Based Medicine ratings, please refer to
      the Table of Contents or the online Instructions to Authors
      www.springer.com/00266 .

PMID- 28341953
TI  - Giant Rhinophyma: A Rare Case of Total Nasal Obstruction and Restitutio Ad
      Integrum.
AB  - Rhinophyma is considered the end stage in the development of rosacea, accompanied
      by hypertrophy of the sebaceous glands, which causes an enlargement of the nose.
      It is an uncommon condition that often results in both functional and cosmetic
      impairment. A large variety of surgical and nonsurgical treatments have been
      published to treat it. Closure is usually obtained by wound granulating in by
      secondary intention, skin grafting or local flaps. Rarely these lesions can
      attain a giant size and pose a challenge in surgical treatment. We present a 63
      year-old male with the necessity for tracheostomy at the ICU due to total nasal
      obstruction and recurrent episodes of pneumonia caused by a huge giant
      rhinophyma, which had undergone extreme growth in the last five years. The tumor
      was removed under general anesthesia by decortication with an electrosurgical
      wire loop to recreate the aesthetic units of the nose preserving the alar
      cartilage as well as the pilosebaceous appendages. The wounds healed in by
      secondary intention with a very pleasant cosmetic and improved functional result.
      The relevant literature is discussed. Level of Evidence V This journal requires
      that authors assign a level of evidence to each article. For a full description
      of these Evidence-Based Medicine ratings, please refer to the Table of Contents
      or the online Instructions to Authors www.springer.com/00266 .

PMID- 28341955
TI  - Osteoplasty in Crooked Nose Deformity: A Novel Approach.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Crooked nose deformity is one of the most difficult issues to correct
      by rhinoplasty, as it can result in undesired late sequelae. Revision rates are
      often high, and numerous operational techniques have been tested. This study
      describes a crooked nose rhinoplasty technique that reduces the need for a double
      osteotomy in the long nasal bone. METHODS: This study included 26 patients with
      an I-shaped crooked nose deformity. In the surgical correction of the crooked
      nose deformity, previously defined techniques were applied to the cartilage
      identically. However, the traditional double osteotomy of the long nasal bone was
      not performed. Instead, the bone protruding laterally from the long nasal bone
      was narrowed by rasping with a file or burr, and this section was delivered to
      the maxilla accordingly. Angle values were measured preoperatively and
      postoperatively. Two lines were used to measure the angle: The first was drawn
      from the midpoint of the glabella to the midpoint of the upper lip, while the
      second, representing the nasal dorsal axis, consisted of both the osseous and
      cartilaginous parts from the nasion to the anterior nasal spine. The angle
      between these two lines was taken as the angle of deviation from the median line.
      RESULTS: Postoperatively, patients' angle values were significantly smaller than
      preoperatively. After 1 year, no persistence was observed. CONCLUSION: In crooked
      nose deformity surgery, the osteoplasty technique applied to the lateral
      protrusion of the long nasal bone described here was as successful as a double
      osteotomy. Thus, certain complications of a double osteotomy can be avoided. In
      addition, as no greenstick fractures were induced, the long-term persistence risk
      was also reduced. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE IV: This journal requires that authors assign
      a level of evidence to each article. For a full description of these Evidence
      Based Medicine ratings, please refer to the Table of Contents or the online
      Instructions to Authors www.springer.com/00266 .

PMID- 28341954
TI  - Reversible Alopecia with Localized Scalp Necrosis After Accidental Embolization
      of the Parietal Artery with Hyaluronic Acid.
AB  - Hyaluronic acid (HA) filler injection is widely used for soft-tissue
      augmentation. Complications associated with HA filling are not uncommon; however,
      HA-induced alopecia is a rarely reported complication that could result in severe
      secondary psychological trauma. The etiology, clinical traits, treatment
      strategies, outcomes, and possible reversibility of HA-induced alopecia have not
      been characterized. Here, we report a case in which bilateral temple injections
      of 6.5 mL of HA led to persistent pain over the left scalp for several days.
      Although the pain was relieved at day 9 after 600 U of hyaluronidase were
      injected in the left temple, the patient developed localized alopecia at the left
      temporoparietal region with central skin necrosis at day 15. After topical
      applications of recombinant bovine basic fibroblast growth factor gel and 2%
      minoxidil spay, the necrotic skin wound was healed at day 42. Hair regrowth and
      normal hair density were restored at day 74. Analyses of Doppler ultrasound
      examinations and histopathology of the skin biopsy suggested that mild ischemia
      of the left temporoparietal region led to reversible alopecia, while the
      permanent hair loss in the left parietal area was associated with severe skin
      ischemia. Therefore, the key to treatment would be to focus on the effective
      correction of severe ischemia-induced skin necrosis to prevent permanent hair
      loss. Level of Evidence V This journal requires that authors assign a level of
      evidence to each article. For a full description of these Evidence-Based Medicine
      ratings, please refer to the Table of Contents or the online Instructions to
      Authors www.springer.com/00266 .

PMID- 28341956
TI  - Improvement on the Neo-umbilicoplasty Technique and Review of the Literature.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: The umbilicus is an important component of body esthetics, and its
      absence or dysmorphia may give rise to psychological discomfort, making it a
      common concern in surgical planning. Many techniques of umbilicus reconstruction
      have been proposed, each with its own limitations in terms of esthetics, risk of
      stenosis or final positioning. Reconstruction techniques may involve skin
      grafting, cartilage, purse-string suture and flaps. One of the most promising
      approaches is scarless neo-umbilicoplasty. OBJECTIVE: To improve the technique of
      neo-umbilicoplasty, creating a deeper and more natural-looking umbilicus, and
      propose a reoperation technique for shallow umbilici. PATIENTS AND METHODS: The
      sample consisted of 108 patients aged 25-67 years submitted to abdominoplasty and
      scarless neo-umbilicoplasty under epidural anesthesia performed by the same
      surgeon and at the same hospital between July 2013 and October 2015. RESULTS:
      Follow-up lasted from 6 to 24 months. The new umbilici were scarless. DISCUSSION:
      Many different techniques may be used to reconstruct the umbilicus. The main
      purpose is to create an adequately localized structure with a natural, youthful
      appearance and minimal scarring. To do so, we used ten (rather than six)
      attachment stitches and mobilized the adipose tissue toward the center of the new
      umbilicus to achieve greater depth, even in lean patients. Techniques which
      involve suturing the umbilical stalk onto the incised skin of the abdominal flap
      tend to produce unesthetic results, such as visible scars and umbilical skin
      islands of varying size. Scarless neo-umbilicoplasty does not require suture
      removal and poses no risk of dehiscence, secretion or umbilical stenosis, as
      observed with other techniques. CONCLUSION: The localization of the new umbilicus
      in the space between the rectus abdominis muscles, the use of ten rather than six
      stitches and the mobilization of the adipose tissue toward the periumbilical area
      constitute an improvement on the neo-umbilicoplasty technique. The resulting
      umbilici were scarless and very natural-looking. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE IV: This
      journal requires that authors assign a level of evidence to each article. For a
      full description of these Evidence-Based Medicine ratings, please refer to the
      Table of Contents or the online Instructions to Authors www.springer.com/00266 .

PMID- 28341957
TI  - Phase Ib dose-finding trial of lapatinib plus pegylated liposomal doxorubicin in
      advanced HER2-positive breast cancer.
AB  - PURPOSE: Combination of anthracyclines with trastuzumab is hampered by
      cardiotoxicity. Pegylated liposomal doxorubicin and lapatinib could represent a
      safer alternative to combination therapy. METHODS: In this phase Ib study with 3
      + 3 dose escalation design, patients with HER2-positive advanced breast cancer
      received pegylated liposomal doxorubicin 30 mg/m2 intravenously on day 1 plus
      lapatinib 1250 (level 1) or 1500 (level 2) mg/day orally on days 1-21 of each 21
      day cycle. The aims were to establish the maximum tolerated dose at first cycle,
      and the activity and safety of multiple cycles. RESULTS: Nine patients out of 11
      enrolled were evaluable: 3 at level 1 and 6 at level 2. No dose-limiting
      toxicities occurred at dose level 1, while 1 (grade 3 diarrhea) occurred at dose
      level 2, leading to the expansion of this cohort to 6 patients, with no further
      dose-limiting toxicities. Main grade 1-2 toxicities at first cycle were
      leucopenia, diarrhea, elevated transaminases, mucositis. Three patients had grade
      3 toxicities at subsequent cycles, including colitis, anorexia, stomatitis plus
      hand-foot syndrome. One partial response, 5 disease stabilizations, and 3 disease
      progressions were reported. CONCLUSIONS: Combination of pegylated liposomal
      doxorubicin and lapatinib is feasible and potentially active in pretreated HER2
      positive advanced breast cancer patients. TRIAL REGISTRATION: NCT02131506
      (ClinicalTrials.gov identifier).

PMID- 28341958
TI  - Randomized phase II study comparing weekly docetaxel-cisplatin vs. gemcitabine
      cisplatin in elderly or poor performance status patients with advanced non-small
      cell lung cancer.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Docetaxel/cisplatin (DP) and gemcitabine/cisplatin (GP) are standard
      treatment regimens for advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). In spite of
      potent efficacy, the conventional 1-day DP is regarded as having more toxicity as
      compared with GP. There is increasing interest in a biweekly split administration
      of DP to reduce its toxicity. Hypothesis was that first-line biweekly DP is as
      safe as GP in the elderly or poor performance status (PS) patients. METHODS:
      Chemotherapy-naive patients with advanced NSCLC (IIIB/IV) who were elderly (65<)
      or PS (ECOG 2) were randomized to DP or GP arm by balancing for ECOG (0-1 vs. 2)
      and stage (IIIB vs. IV). DP comprised docetaxel (35 mg/m2)/cisplatin (30 mg/m2)
      iv on days 1 and 8, every 3 weeks. GP comprised gemcitabine (1000
      mg/m2)/cisplatin (30 mg/m2) iv on days 1 and 8, every 3 weeks. Chemotherapy
      lasted up to 4-6 cycles or until progression. Primary endpoint was safety
      (proportion of grade 3/4 toxicities). Planned sample size was 49 patients in each
      arm. RESULTS: From November 2009 to August 2012, a total of 99 patients were
      randomized (DP 50/GP 49) from nine institutions. Adenocarcinoma and squamous cell
      carcinoma were observed in 62% and 33% of patients, respectively. Toxicity
      profiles were comparable for both arms and the differences were not statistically
      significant except for anemia and leucocytopenia. Any grade of anemia (86 vs.
      98%) and of leucocytopenia (18 vs. 43%) was more common in the GP arm with
      statistical significance. Oral mucositis tended to be predominant in the DP arm.
      Patients in the DP arm (51%) suffered grade 3 or higher toxicities as did 47% in
      the GP arm (47%). The most common grade 3 or higher toxicities were as follows:
      In the DP arm, neutropenia (8%), leucopenia (8%), anemia (4%), pneumonia with
      normal ANC (4%) and febrile neutropenia (2%) were observed. In the GP arm, anemia
      (15%), neutropenia (15%), pneumonia with normal ANC (4%), thrombocytopenia (4%)
      and leucopenia (2%) were observed. The best overall response rates (CR + PR) for
      the DP and GP arms were 20.0 and 21% with no CR, respectively, and disease
      control rates (CR + PR + SD) were 70.0 and 76%, respectively. Median progression
      free survival and median overall survival were 3.7 and 14.9 months in the DP arm
      and 5.6 and 20.8 months in the GP arm, respectively. CONCLUSION: This study
      showed that DP is similar to GP in terms of efficacy and toxicity in treatment of
      elderly or poor performance patients. Both regimens showed similar grade 3/4
      toxicities with different profiles.

PMID- 28341959
TI  - A randomized, single-blind, single-dose study evaluating the pharmacokinetic
      equivalence of proposed biosimilar ABP 980 and trastuzumab in healthy male
      subjects.
AB  - PURPOSE: This study compared the pharmacokinetic (PK) profiles of the proposed
      biosimilar ABP 980 and trastuzumab in healthy males. METHODS: In this single
      blind study, 157 healthy males were randomized 1:1:1 to a single 6 mg/kg
      intravenous infusion of ABP 980, FDA-licensed trastuzumab [trastuzumab (US)], or
      EU-authorized trastuzumab [trastuzumab (EU)]. Primary endpoints were area under
      the serum concentration-time curve from time 0 to infinity (AUCinf) and maximum
      observed serum concentration (C max). To establish equivalence, the geometric
      mean ratio (GMR) and 90% confidence interval (CI) for C max and AUCinf had to be
      within the equivalence criteria of 0.80-1.25. RESULTS: The GMRs and 90% CIs for C
      max and AUCinf, respectively, were: 1.04 (0.99-1.08) and 1.06 (1.00-1.12) for ABP
      980 versus trastuzumab (US); 0.99 (0.95-1.03) and 1.00 (0.95-1.06) for ABP 980
      versus trastuzumab (EU); and 0.96 (0.92-1.00) and 0.95 (0.90-1.01) for
      trastuzumab (US) versus trastuzumab (EU). All comparisons were within the
      equivalence criteria of 0.80-1.25. Treatment-emergent adverse events (TEAEs) were
      reported in 84.0, 75.0, and 78.2 of subjects in the ABP 980, trastuzumab (US),
      and trastuzumab (EU) groups, respectively. There were no deaths or TEAEs leading
      to study discontinuation and no binding or neutralizing anti-drug anti-bodies
      were detected. CONCLUSIONS: This study demonstrated the PK similarity of ABP 980
      to both trastuzumab (US) and trastuzumab (EU), and of trastuzumab (US) to
      trastuzumab (EU). No differences in safety and tolerability between treatments
      were noted; no subject tested positive for binding anti-bodies.

PMID- 28341960
TI  - Relationship between healthy lifestyle behaviors and cardiovascular risk factors
      in Chinese patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus: a subanalysis of the CCMR-3B
      STUDY.
AB  - AIMS: This subanalysis of a cross-sectional, nationwide study was undertaken to
      assess the relationship between healthy lifestyle behaviors and multiple
      cardiovascular risk factors among people with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM).
      METHODS: Data collected from 25,454 participants, including demographics,
      lifestyle behaviors and cardiovascular risk profiles, were analyzed. Blood
      pressure control as well as blood glucose and blood lipid (3Bs) levels were
      measured as multi-risk factors for cardiovascular disease. Healthy lifestyle
      behaviors included regular exercise, nonsmoking status and no alcohol
      consumption. The relationship between the healthy lifestyle behavior(s) and
      control of 3B(s) was calculated. RESULTS: Of the 25,454 eligible participants,
      4171 (16.4%) were current smokers, 2011 (7.9%) currently consumed alcohol, and
      11,174 (43.9%) did not exercise. In total, 654 (2.6%) reported all three
      unhealthy lifestyle behaviors. Most participants (71.1%) had received at least a
      high school education and were more likely to smoke and drink as compared to
      those with lower education. Unhealthy lifestyle behaviors were commonly found in
      participants with low atherosclerosis risk, such as non-elderly people and those
      with an above-college education level. Unhealthy lifestyle is associated with
      poor 3B control and worse medication adherence. CONCLUSIONS: Unhealthy lifestyles
      are common in Chinese people with T2DM, especially in people who are non-elderly
      and above-college educated. Interventions aimed at changing risky lifestyle
      behaviors are required for improved outcomes for Chinese patients with T2DM.

PMID- 28341961
TI  - From smooth to rough, from water to air: the intertidal habitat of Northern
      clingfish (Gobiesox maeandricus).
AB  - The Northern clingfish is a small, Eastern North Pacific fish that can attach to
      rough, fouled rocks in the intertidal. Their ability to attach to surfaces has
      been measured previously in the laboratory, and in this study, we show the
      roughness and fouling of the natural habitat of these fish. We introduce a new
      method for measuring surface roughness of natural substrates with time-limited
      accessibility. We expect this method to be broadly applicable in studies of
      animal/substrate surface interactions in habitats difficult to characterize. Our
      roughness measurements demonstrate that the fish's ability to attach to very
      coarse roughness is required in its natural environment. Some of the rocks showed
      even coarser roughness than the fish could attach to in the lab setting. We also
      characterized the clingfish's preference for other habitat descriptors such as
      the size of the rocks, biofilm, and Aufwuchs (macroalgae, encrusting
      invertebrates) cover, as well as grain size of underlying substrate. Northern
      clingfish seek shelter under rocks of 15-45 cm in size. These rocks have variable
      Aufwuchs cover, and gravel is the main underlying substrate type. In the
      intertidal, environmental conditions change with the tides, and for clingfish,
      the daily time under water (DTUW%) was a key parameter explaining distribution.
      Rather than location being determined by intertidal zonation, an 80% DTUW, a
      finer scale concept of tidal inundation, was required by the fish. We expect that
      this is likely because the mobility of the fish allows them to more closely track
      the ideal inundation in the marine intertidal.

PMID- 28341963
TI  - Is drug-induced sedation endoscopy surgical decision-making process objective and
      systematic?

PMID- 28341964
TI  - 'Conservative' approach to periocular necrotising fasciitis with paranasal sinus
      involvement.

PMID- 28341962
TI  - Tumour suppressor EP300, a modulator of paclitaxel resistance and stemness, is
      downregulated in metaplastic breast cancer.
AB  - PURPOSE: We have previously described a novel pathway controlling drug
      resistance, epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT) and stemness in breast
      cancer cells. Upstream in the pathway, three miRs (miR-106b, miR-93 and miR-25)
      target EP300, a transcriptional activator of E-cadherin. Upregulation of these
      miRs leads to the downregulation of EP300 and E-cadherin with initiation of an
      EMT. However, miRs regulate the expression of many genes, and the contribution to
      EMT by miR targets other than EP300 cannot be ruled out. METHODS: We used
      lentiviruses expressing EP300-targeting shRNA to downregulate its expression in
      MCF-7 cells as well as an EP300-knocked-out colon carcinoma cell line. An EP300
      expression plasmid was used to upregulate its expression in basal-like CAL51 and
      MDA-MB-231 breast cancer cells. Drug resistance was determined by short-term
      proliferation and long-term colony formation assays. Stemness was determined by
      tumour sphere formation in both soft agar and liquid cultures as well as by the
      expression of CD44/CD24/ALDH markers. Gene expression microarray analysis was
      performed in MCF-7 cells lacking EP300. EP300 expression was analysed by
      immunohistochemistry in 17 samples of metaplastic breast cancer. RESULTS: Cells
      lacking EP300 became more resistant to paclitaxel whereas EP300 overexpression
      increased their sensitivity to the drug. Expression of cancer stem cell markers,
      as well as tumour sphere formation, was also increased in EP300-depleted cells,
      and was diminished in EP300-overexpressing cells. The EP300-regulated gene
      signature highlighted genes associated with adhesion (CEACAM5), cytoskeletal
      remodelling (CAPN9), stemness (ABCG2), apoptosis (BCL2) and metastasis (TGFB2).
      Some genes in this signature were also validated in a previously generated EP300
      depleted model of breast cancer using minimally transformed mammary epithelial
      cells. Importantly, two key genes in apoptosis and stemness, BCL2 and ABCG2, were
      also upregulated in EP300-knockout colon carcinoma cells and their paclitaxel
      resistant derivatives. Immunohistochemical analysis demonstrated that EP300
      expression was low in metaplastic breast cancer, a rare, but aggressive form of
      the disease with poor prognosis that is characterized by morphological and
      physiological features of EMT. CONCLUSIONS: EP300 plays a major role in the
      reprogramming events, leading to a more malignant phenotype with the acquisition
      of drug resistance and cell plasticity, a characteristic of metaplastic breast
      cancer.

PMID- 28341965
TI  - Reliability of a laryngo-pharyngeal esthesiometer and a method for measuring
      laryngo-pharyngeal mechano-sensitivity in a prospectively recruited cohort of
      patients.
AB  - BACKGROUND: There are not reliable methods for measuring laryngo-pharyngeal
      mechano-sensitivity (LPMS). We aimed to determine the reliability of a new method
      for measuring LPMS using a new laryngo-pharyngeal esthesiometer (LPEER) in a
      prospective cohort of dysphagic stroke and non-dysphagic patients. The patients
      underwent clinical and endoscopic evaluations of swallowing (FESSST). The LPMS
      assessments consisted of measurements by an expert and a novel rater of the
      laryngeal-adductor reflex threshold (LART), cough reflex threshold (CRT) and gag
      reflex threshold (GRT) using the LPEER. We assessed the Bland-Altman limits of
      agreement, the intraclass correlation coefficients (ICCs) and Spearman
      correlation coefficients (SCCs). For the inter-rater comparisons, we contrasted
      the expert and novel raters. A total of 1608 measurements were obtained from 34
      dysphagic stroke patients and 33 non-dysphagic patients. The intra-rater ICCs for
      all reflex thresholds were >0.90. The inter-rater ICCs were 0.87 for the LART,
      0.79 for the CRT and 0.70 for the GRT. The intra-rater SCCs for all reflex
      thresholds were above 0.88 (P < 0.0001). The inter-rater SCC were 0.80 for the
      LART, 0.79 for the CRT and 0.70 for the GRT (all P < 0.0001). The Bland-Altman
      plots revealed good agreement for the LART and CRT and moderate agreement for the
      GRT. The median normal value was 0.14 mN for the LART, 4.4 mN for the CRT and
      11.9 mN for the GRT. The median thresholds values in patients with aspiration
      were LART: 1.31 mN; CRT: 32.9 mN and GRT: 32.9 mN (all P < 0.006 vs normal
      thresholds). The LPEER exhibited substantial to excellent intra- and inter-rater
      reliability.

PMID- 28341967
TI  - New organ-based tube current modulation method to reduce the radiation dose
      during computed tomography of the head: evaluation of image quality and radiation
      dose to the eyes in the phantom study.
AB  - A new organ-based tube current modulation (NOB-TCM) method was designed with the
      intent to decrease tube current by 30% over a prescribed 90 degrees  radial arc
      across the anterior aspect of the radiosensitive organ, without increasing tube
      current in the remaining radial arc. We compared a reference scan and five other
      dose-reducing methods with regard to effects on dose, practicality, and image
      quality to determine the most effective method for the reduction of the radiation
      dose to the eyes during CT examinations of the head. We compared the radiation
      doses to the eyes and physical image quality in different regions of interest for
      TCM and shielding scans. Three types of TCM scans were performed: longitudinal
      TCM, angular TCM, and NOB-TCM. A bismuth sheet and lead goggles were each applied
      for the shielding scan. Relative to the reference scan, the dose to the eye was
      reduced to 25.88% with NOB-TCM, 44.53% with lead goggles, and 36.91% with a
      bismuth shield. Relative to the reference scan, the mean signal-to-noise ratio
      (SNR) was decreased to 8.02% with NOB-TCM, 28.36% with lead goggles, and 32.95%
      with the bismuth shield. The SNR of the anterior region of interest was decreased
      to 11.89% with NOB-TCM and 87.89% with the bismuth shield. The average figure of
      merit was increased by 11.7% with longitudinal TCM and 13.39% with NOB-TCM,
      compared with the reference scan. NOB-TCM is a superior solution for head CT,
      including the orbital area, due to the reduction in radiation exposure without
      significant loss in image quality.

PMID- 28341966
TI  - Efficacy of single-dose gonadotropin-releasing hormone agonist administration
      prior to magnetic resonance-guided focused ultrasound surgery for symptomatic
      uterine fibroids.
AB  - PURPOSE: To investigate the effects of a single-dose GnRHa on the thermal
      ablation of MRgFUS in women with symptomatic fibroids. MATERIALS AND METHOD: In
      this pilot study, a single-dose GnRHa was administered in 17 patients with a
      total of 20 fibroids. Volume and scaled signal intensity (SSI) as an objective
      marker of fluid contents were prospectively followed up with serial MR scans. The
      control group of 17 patients with 19 fibroids were retrospectively enrolled and
      compared with GnRHa group in terms of non-perfused volume (NPV) and thermal
      dosimetry to assess the efficiency of thermal ablation. RESULTS: About 29 days
      after GnRHa administration, SSI and volume of fibroids were reduced by 55.1 and
      10.6%, respectively (p < 0.05) but no adverse events were reported. NPV per unit
      energy (0.046 cm3/J +/- 0.026 vs. 0.031 cm3/J +/- 0.018, p = 0.041) was larger
      and SSI (8.4 +/- 8.0 vs. 13.9 +/- 12.0, p = 0.053) was lower in GnRHa group.
      Linear regression analysis showed that these two parameters were in a reverse
      correlation (p = 0.011). CONCLUSION: GnRHa is supposed to reduce the fluid
      contents of fibroids including blood vessels and enhance the tissue
      responsiveness to thermal energy. A single dose prior to MRgFUS has the potential
      to improve treatment efficiency, while avoiding the side effects of multiple
      doses of GnRHa.

PMID- 28341969
TI  - Computed tomographic analysis of the internal structure of the metacarpals and
      its implications for hand use, pathology, and surgical intervention.
AB  - The variation of bone structure and biomechanics between the metacarpals is not
      well characterized. It was hypothesized that their structure would reflect their
      common patterns of use (i.e., patterns of hand grip), specifically that
      trabecular bone density would be greater on the volar aspect of all metacarpal
      bases, that this would be most pronounced in the thumb, and that the thumb
      diaphysis would have the greatest bending strength. Cross-sections at basal and
      mid-diaphyseal locations of 50 metacarpals from 10 human hands were obtained by
      peripheral quantitative computed tomography. The volar and dorsal trabecular
      densities of each base were measured and characterized using the volar/dorsal
      density ratio. The polar stress-strain index (SSIp), a surrogate measure of
      torsional/bending strength, was measured for each diaphysis and standardized for
      bone length and mass. Comparisons were made using mixed-model analyses of
      variance (ANOVAs) and post hoc tests. Volar/dorsal trabecular density ratios
      showed even distribution in all metacarpal bases except for the thumb, which
      showed greater values on the volar aspect. The thumb, second, and third
      metacarpals all had high bending strength (SSIp), but the thumb's SSIp relative
      to its length and trabecular mass was much higher than those of the other
      metacarpals. Trabecular density of the metacarpal bases was evenly distributed
      except in the thumb, which also showed higher bending strength relative to its
      length and mass. Understanding of how these indicators of strength differ across
      metacarpals may improve both fracture diagnosis and treatment and lays the
      groundwork for investigating changes with age, hand dominance, and occupation.

PMID- 28341970
TI  - Impact of dyspnea on advanced cancer patients referred to a palliative
      radiotherapy clinic.
AB  - PURPOSE: Dyspnea is a debilitating symptom commonly experienced by advanced
      cancer patients that can lead to negative effects on function and quality of life
      (QOL). The present study aims to determine the relationship between dyspnea and
      other Edmonton Symptom Assessment System (ESAS) symptoms in palliative cancer
      patients referred to a radiotherapy clinic. METHODS: The presence and severity of
      dyspnea was measured using the ESAS. All patients that visited a palliative
      radiotherapy clinic between 1999 to 2002 and 2006 to 2009 and completed the ESAS
      were included. ESAS scores and other demographic and clinical information were
      extracted from a prospectively collected database. Statistical tests including
      chi-squared tests, Spearman correlations, and multivariate analysis were
      conducted to explore the relationship between dyspnea, other ESAS items, and
      other demographic factors. Kaplan-Meier overall survival curves were generated
      based on dyspnea severity. RESULTS: One thousand three hundred forty-four
      patients were included in the dyspnea analysis; reported moderate or severe
      dyspnea. Dyspnea severity was significantly associated with eight other ESAS
      interference severities (p < 0.001). Upon multivariate analysis, greater severity
      of dyspnea was significantly related to higher ESAS scores for tiredness, nausea,
      depression, anxious, drowsiness, and poor appetite (p < 0.05). The actuarial
      median survival time was 6.57 months (95% CI 5.91-7.29 months). There were highly
      significant differences in overall survival between those with none, mild, and
      moderate dyspnea (p < 0.0001). CONCLUSION: Cancer patients often experience
      dyspnea along with a multitude of other symptoms. Moderate and severe dyspnea
      should be assessed and optimally managed to reduce functional and QOL
      debilitations. As presence of increased dyspnea severity is associated with worse
      overall survival, interventions should occur at the end of life to reduce symptom
      burden in palliative patients.

PMID- 28341968
TI  - The complex interrelations between two paroxysmal disorders: headache and
      epilepsy.
AB  - The interrelations between headache/migraine and epileptic seizures are an
      interesting topic, still lacking a systematization, which is the objective of the
      present revision. We organize the general setting on: (a) a distinction between
      pre-ictal, ictal, post-ictal and inter-ictal headaches, assuming "ictal" as
      epileptic seizure, and (b) the kind of headache, if it is of migraine type or
      not. Concerning pre-ictal migraine/headache, the necessity of its differentiation
      from an epileptic headache presenting as an aura of a seizure is stressed; this
      is connected with the indefiniteness of the term "migralepsy". The term "migraine
      aura-triggered seizure" should be used only in front of a proven triggering
      effect of migraine. Epileptic headache (called also "ictal epileptic headache")
      is a well-characterized entity, in which different types of head pain may occur
      and an ictal EEG is necessary for the diagnosis. It may present as an isolated
      event ("isolated epileptic headache"), requiring a differential diagnosis from
      other kinds of headache, or it may be uninterruptedly followed by other epileptic
      manifestations being in this case easily identifiable as an epileptic aura.
      Hemicrania epileptica is a very rare variant of epileptic headache, characterized
      by the ipsilaterality of head pain and EEG paroxysms. Ictal non-epileptic
      headache needs to be differentiated from epileptic headache. Post-ictal headaches
      are a frequent association of headache with seizures, particularly in patients
      suffering also from inter-ictal headache-migraine. The reported systematization
      of the topic led us to suggest a classification which is shown in Appendix.

PMID- 28341971
TI  - A prospective, observational, multicenter study on risk factors and prophylaxis
      for low emetic risk chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting.
AB  - PURPOSE: The incidence of and the risk factors for nausea and vomiting in
      patients undergoing low emetic risk chemotherapy (LEC) are unclear. The aim of
      the study was to provide information on these topics by performing a multicenter,
      observational, prospective study. METHODS: The study consisted of patients who
      were administered first-time LEC that was consistent or inconsistent with current
      guidelines. Using the visual analog scale, patients recorded their daily food
      intake and the occurrence and severity of nausea over a 5-day treatment period.
      RESULTS: The overall incidence of chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting did
      not differ significantly between patients undergoing guideline-consistent (n =
      89) or guideline-inconsistent (n = 121) prophylaxis (30.3 vs. 22.3%,
      respectively; P = 0.19). Logistic regression analysis identified a history of
      nausea and LEC other than taxanes as independent risk factors associated with
      nausea and vomiting in patients undergoing LEC. The mean daily visual analog
      scale scores for nausea severity and a decrease in food intake were <25 mm
      throughout the entire observation period. CONCLUSIONS: Guideline-consistent
      prophylaxis appeared to control nausea and vomiting effectively in patients
      undergoing LEC. However, patients with a history of nausea and receiving LEC
      other than taxanes should be carefully observed and treatment should be adjusted
      according to their symptoms.

PMID- 28341972
TI  - A prospective study of aromatase inhibitor therapy initiation and self-reported
      side effects.
AB  - PURPOSE: The objective of this study was to examine the associations between
      aromatase inhibitors (AIs) and side effects less frequently reported in the
      literature, including difficulty concentrating, forgetfulness, hair loss, and
      numbness in the extremities. METHODS: Data were analyzed from a cohort of 146
      breast cancer patients initiating AI therapy and followed for 1 year and a cohort
      of 144 postmenopausal women without a history of cancer followed for 6 months. At
      baseline (prior to AI therapy for breast cancer patients), and at 3 months, 6
      months, and 1 year (for breast cancer patients only), a comprehensive
      questionnaire was administered that ascertained data on symptoms. Odds ratios
      (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (95% CIs) were calculated using logistic
      regression for new onset of symptoms among the breast cancer patients compared to
      the women without a history of cancer. RESULTS: Among the breast cancer patients,
      34.2% were treated with chemotherapy prior to AI treatment. Over the first 6
      months of AI treatment, breast cancer patients had significantly higher odds of
      reporting new onset of forgetfulness (OR 4.00; 95% CI 1.67, 9.59), difficulty
      concentrating (OR 2.73; 95% CI 1.29; 5.78), hair loss (OR 4.12; 95% CI 1.86,
      9.17), and numbness/tingling in the extremities (OR 2.47; 95% CI 1.09, 5.62)
      compared to women without a history of cancer. Similar increases in odds were
      observed for the subgroup of women not treated with chemotherapy versus the
      comparison group. CONCLUSIONS: AI-related symptoms should be monitored and
      addressed so that adherence to therapy is maintained.

PMID- 28341973
TI  - Counting the cost of cancer: out-of-pocket payments made by colorectal cancer
      survivors.
AB  - PURPOSE: Cancer places a significant cost burden on health services. There is
      increasing recognition that cancer also imposes a financial and economic burden
      on patients but this has rarely been quantified outside North America. We
      investigate out-of-pocket costs (OOPCs) incurred by colorectal (CRC) survivors in
      Ireland. METHODS: CRC survivors (ICD10 C18-20) diagnosed 6-30 months previously
      were identified from the National Cancer Registry Ireland and invited to complete
      a postal questionnaire. Cancer-related OOPC for tests, procedures, drugs, allied
      medications and household management in approximately the year following
      diagnosis were calculated. Robust regression was used to identify predictors of
      OOPC; this was done for all survivors combined and stratified by age (<70 and
      >=70 years) and employment status (working and not working) at diagnosis.
      RESULTS: Four hundred ninety-seven CRC survivors completed questionnaires
      (response rate = 39%). Almost all (90%) respondents reported some cancer-related
      OOPC. The average total OOPC was ?1589. Stage III at diagnosis was associated
      with significantly higher OOPCs than other stages in the all-survivor model, in
      those not working in the employment model and in those under 70 years in the age
      stratified model. In all-survivor model, those under 70 also had higher OOPCs, as
      did those in employment. Having one or more children was associated with
      significantly lower OOPCs in those under 70 years. CONCLUSIONS: Almost all CRC
      survivors incur cancer-related OOPCs; for some, these are not insignificant.
      Greater attention should be paid to the development of services to help survivors
      manage the financial and economic burden of cancer.

PMID- 28341975
TI  - Longitudinal volumetric and 2D assessment of cerebellar atrophy in a large cohort
      of children with phosphomannomutase deficiency (PMM2-CDG).
AB  - OBJECTIVE: We aim to delineate the progression of cerebellar atrophy (the primary
      neuroimaging finding) in children with phosphomannomutase-deficiency (PMM2-CDG)
      by analyzing longitudinal MRI studies and performing cerebellar volumetric
      analysis and a 2D cerebellar measurement. METHODS: Statistical analysis was used
      to compare MRI measurements [midsagittal vermis relative diameter (MVRD) and
      volume] of children with PMM2-CDG and sex- and age-matched controls, and to
      determine the rate of progression of cerebellar atrophy at different ages.
      RESULTS: Fifty MRI studies of 33 PMM2-CDG patients were used for 2D evaluation,
      and 19 MRI studies were available for volumetric analysis. Results from a linear
      regression model showed that patients have a significantly lower MVRD and
      cerebellar volume compared to controls (p < 0.001 and p < 0.001 respectively).
      There was a significant negative correlation between age and MVRD for patients (p
      = 0.014). The rate of cerebellar atrophy measured by the loss of MVRD and
      cerebellar volume per year was higher at early ages (r = -0.578, p = 0.012 and r
      = -0.323, p = 0.48 respectively), particularly in patients under 11 years (p =
      0.004). There was a significant positive correlation between MVRD and cerebellar
      volume in PMM2-CDG patients (r = 0.669, p = 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: Our study
      quantifies a progression of cerebellar atrophy in PMM2-CDG patients, particularly
      during the first decade of life, and suggests a simple and reliable measure, the
      MVRD, to monitor cerebellar atrophy. Quantitative measurement of MVRD and
      cerebellar volume are essential for correlation with phenotype and outcome,
      natural follow-up, and monitoring in view of potential therapies in children with
      PMM2-CDG.

PMID- 28341976
TI  - Development and Evaluation of User-Friendly Single Vial DOTA-Peptide Kit
      Formulations, Specifically Designed for Radiolabelling with 68Ga from a Tin
      Dioxide 68Ge/68Ga Generator.
AB  - PURPOSE: This study was aimed to develop single vial 1,4,7,10
      tetraazacyclododecane-1,4,7,10-tetraacetic acid (DOTA)-peptide kits to be used
      with fractionated eluates from a SnO2-based 68Ge/68Ga generator. PROCEDURES: Kits
      were formulated with 35 MUg DOTA-Tyr3-Thre8-octreotide, DOTA-[Tyr3]-octreotide
      and DOTA-[NaI3]-octreotide (DOTATATE, DOTATOC and DOTANOC) and sodium acetate
      powder, vacuum-dried and stored at -20  degrees C for up to 12 months. Labelling
      of the kits was carried out with 2 ml 68Ga eluate. Comparative labelling was
      carried out using aqueous DOTA-peptide stock solutions kept frozen at -20 
      degrees C for up to 12 months. RESULTS: The quality of the kits was found to be
      suitable over a 1-year storage period (pH, sterility, endotoxin content,
      radiolabelling efficiency and radiochemical yields of 68Ga-labelled DOTA
      peptides). Radiochemical yields ranged from 73 to 83 %, while those obtained from
      stock solutions from 64 to 79 %. No significant decline in kit labelling yields
      was observed over a 12-month storage period. CONCLUSION: The single vial kit
      formulations met the quality release specifications for human administration and
      appear to be highly advantageous over using peptide stock solutions in terms of
      stability and user-friendliness.

PMID- 28341974
TI  - Free radical and superoxide reactivity detection in semen quality assessment:
      past, present, and future.
AB  - Oxidative stress is a well-established cause of male infertility, with reactive
      oxygen species (ROS) impairing sperm production, motility, membrane, and DNA
      integrity. Currently, most clinics do not test infertile patients for the
      imbalance between ROS generation and the ability of the antioxidants to scavenge
      them, although there is a clear need for andrology laboratories to be able to
      identify and/or quantify seminal oxidative stress. As such there is a clinical
      urgency for an inexpensive and easy-to-perform assay able to identify oxidative
      stress in semen. The aim of this review is to provide information on the
      currently available methods to assess and quantify ROS and particularly
      superoxide in male reproductive cells, tissues, and fluids which may have a
      significant clinical utility in identifying men with impaired fertility
      associated with oxidative stress. Through a deeper understanding of oxidative
      stress and its assessment options, clinical andrology labs may better assist
      patients to achieve increased rates of fertility and pregnancy.

PMID- 28341978
TI  - Antegrade thoracic endovascular aortic repair using an ascending aortofemoral
      through-and-through wire technique for a severely tortuous aorta associated with
      rickets.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Severe aortic tortuosity of the access route often prevents
      successful complete exclusion of an aneurysm in thoracic endovascular aortic
      repair (TEVAR). CASE PRESENTATION: We performed antegrade TEVAR on a 79-year-old
      man with right hemiparesis. We deployed the stent graft from the ascending aorta
      with a tube graft conduit to treat a descending thoracic aortic aneurysm
      associated with rickets and multiple comorbidities. Although the application of a
      ministernotomy diminished the potential advantages of endovascular treatment in
      view of less invasive surgery, antegrade TEVAR using an ascending aortofemoral
      through-and-through wire technique was a good option in this patient because a
      conventional retrograde approach was not feasible due to his severely tortuous
      aorta. CONCLUSIONS: To avoid device-related complications, it is crucial to make
      a prudent preoperative decision on a patient-by-patient basis, taking into
      account the appropriate access site, adjuvant guidewire technique, and adjunctive
      surgical interventions.

PMID- 28341977
TI  - Genetic Analysis of FBXO2, FBXO6, FBXO12, and FBXO41 Variants in Han Chinese
      Patients with Sporadic Parkinson's Disease.
AB  - Parkinson's disease (PD) is the second most common neurodegenerative disorder and
      has an elusive etiology. It is likely multifactorial, and genetic defects
      contribute to its pathogenesis. At least 25 genetic loci and 20 monogenic genes
      have been identified in monogenic PD. Recessive F-box protein 7 gene (FBXO7)
      mutations reportedly cause hereditary parkinsonism. To explore the roles of four
      paralogs (FBXO2, FBXO6, FBXO12, and FBXO41) in PD development, their variants
      (rs9614, rs28924120, rs6442117, and rs61733550, respectively) were analyzed in
      502 Han Chinese patients with PD and 556 age, gender, and ethnicity-matched
      normal participants in mainland China. Statistically significant differences in
      genotypic and allelic frequencies were detected only in the FBXO2 variant rs9614
      (P = 0.001 and 0.023, respectively; odds ratio 0.819, 95% confidence interval
      0.690-0.973) between patients and controls. These results suggest that the FBXO2
      variant rs9614 C allele may decrease the PD risk in mainland Han Chinese and may
      be a biomarker for PD.

PMID- 28341980
TI  - Implementation and evaluation of a paediatric nurse-driven sedation protocol in a
      paediatric intensive care unit.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Optimal sedation and analgesia is a challenge in paediatric intensive
      care units (PICU) because of difficulties in scoring systems and specific
      metabolism inducing tolerance and withdrawal. Excessive sedation is associated
      with prolonged mechanical ventilation and hospitalisation. Adult and paediatric
      data suggest that goal-directed sedation algorithms reduce the duration of
      mechanical ventilation. We implemented a nurse-driven sedation protocol in a PICU
      and evaluated its impact. METHODS: We conducted a before and after protocol
      implementation study in a population of children aged 0-18 years who required
      mechanical ventilation for at least 24 h between January 2013 and March 2015.
      After the protocol implementation in January 2014, nurses managed analgesia and
      sedation following an algorithm that included the COMFORT behaviour scale
      (COMFORT-B). Duration of mechanical ventilation was the primary outcome;
      secondary outcomes were total doses and duration of medications, PICU length of
      stay, incidence of ventilator-associated pneumonia, and occurrence of withdrawal
      symptoms. Pre-post analysis followed with segmented regression analysis of
      interrupted time series was used to assess the effect of protocol. RESULTS: A
      total of 200 children were analysed, including 107 before implementation and 93
      children after implementation of the protocol. After implementation of the
      protocol, the total number of COMFORT-B scores per day of mechanical ventilation
      significantly increased from 3.9 +/- 2.5 times during the pre-implementation
      period to 6.6 +/- 3.5 times during the post-implementation period (p < 10-3).
      Mean duration of mechanical ventilation tended to be lower in the post
      implementation period (8.3 +/- 7.3 vs 6.6 +/- 5.6 days, p = 0.094), but changes
      in either the trend per trimester from pre-implementation to post-implementation
      (p = 0.933) or the immediate change after implementation (p = 0.923) were not
      significant with segmented regression analysis. No significant change between pre
      and post-implementation was shown for total dose of sedatives, withdrawal
      symptoms, agitation episodes, or unplanned endotracheal extubations. CONCLUSIONS:
      These results were promising and suggested that implementation of a nurse-driven
      sedation protocol in a PICU was feasible. Evaluation of sedation and analgesia
      was better after the protocol implementation; duration of mechanical ventilation
      and occurrence of withdrawal symptoms tended to be reduced.

PMID- 28341979
TI  - Are third-generation cephalosporins unavoidable for empirical therapy of
      community-acquired pneumonia in adult patients who require ICU admission? A
      retrospective study.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Third-generation cephalosporins (3GCs) are recommended for empirical
      antibiotic therapy of community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) in patients requiring
      ICU admission. However, their extensive use could promote the emergence of
      extended-spectrum beta-lactamases-producing Enterobacteriaceae. Our aim was to
      assess whether the use of 3GCs in patients with CAP requiring ICU admission was
      justified. METHODS: We assessed all patients with CAP who required ICU admission
      during a 7-year period. We recorded empirical and definitive antibiotic therapies
      and susceptibility of causative pathogens. Amoxicillin, amoxicillin/clavulanate
      (A/C) susceptibilities as well as amikacin susceptibility of A/C-resistant
      strains were recorded. RESULTS: From January 2007 to March 2014, 391 patients
      were included in the study. Empirical 3GCs were used in 215 patients (55%). Among
      267 patients with microbiologically documented CAP (68%), 241 received a beta
      lactam as definitive therapy, and of those, 3CGs were chosen for 43 patients
      (18%). Amoxicillin or A/C was active against isolated pathogens in 159 patients
      (66%), while 39 patients (16%) required a beta-lactam with a broader spectrum
      than 3GCs. Ninety-four per cent of A/C-resistant strains were amikacin
      susceptible. CONCLUSIONS: In ICU patients with CAP, 3GCs given on an empirical
      basis are changed, according to microbiological documentation, for another beta
      lactam in 82% of cases especially to A/C in the absence of resistance risk
      factor. In patients evidencing risk factors for A/C-resistant strains infection,
      3GCs or antipseudomonal beta-lactams including carbapenem associated with
      amikacin in the most severe patients seem a relevant empirical antibiotic
      therapy. This strategy could decrease 3GCs' use.

PMID- 28341981
TI  - Meta-analysis of Fontan procedure : Extracardiac conduit vs. intracardiac lateral
      tunnel.
AB  - This meta-analysis was designed to determine the effect of an intracardiac
      lateral tunnel (ILT) versus an extracardiac conduit (ECC) on patients undergoing
      a Fontan procedure. A search of the literature in PubMed, Embase, China Academic
      Literature, and Wanfang databases yielded 23 studies comprising approximately
      1000 patients for analysis. There were statistically significant differences
      between ILT and ECC in the frequency of early sinus node dysfunction, early total
      arrhythmias, late supraventricular tachycardia, late sinus node dysfunction, late
      total arrhythmias, and need for pacemaker. By contrast, no statistically
      significant differences between the two methods were found in takedown, protein
      losing enteropathy, thromboembolic events, early supraventricular tachycardia,
      early mortality, and total mortality. We conclude that an ECC confers some
      advantages over an ILT, although the underlying mechanism remains unclear.

PMID- 28341982
TI  - Pocket-sized point-of-care cardiac ultrasound devices : Role in the emergency
      department.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Acute breathlessness accounts for 8% of accident and emergency
      attendances. Point-of-care cardiac ultrasound (US) effectively reduces time to
      diagnosis. Fast and practical information via pocket-sized cardiac US devices may
      better the diagnosis in this complex patient group. METHODS: We prospectively
      enrolled 40 consecutive patients presenting with shortness of breath at the
      emergency department (ED). Divided into two groups were all adult patients over
      18 with acute breathing difficulties (triage category 1-3): 21 patients received
      a short focused cardiac US scan using a pocket-sized Vscan and 19 patients
      received no scan. Data were obtained regarding the time taken for diagnosis and
      treatment, patient length of stay, inpatient mortality and 30-day mortality.
      RESULTS: In the scanned group 33% of patients had significantly abnormal Vscan
      results that had the potential to aid diagnosis and guide management. The
      difference of 20 min between the means of the time to diagnosis between the
      groups was not significant. DISCUSSION: The individual knowledge of UK emergency
      physicians regarding basic echocardiography varies greatly. An intuitive approach
      following a brief tutorial on pocket-size echocardiography was shown to improve
      diagnostic accuracy in addition to history taking and physical examination by
      medical students and junior doctors with no previous exposure to
      echocardiography. Increasing evidence shows the feasibility and benefit of FOCUS
      echo in the ED and the pocket-sized devices could play a large role. CONCLUSION:
      The Vscan is a practical, portable device that provides rapid diagnostic
      information. One third of patients had significant findings on the scans to
      possibly aid diagnosis and prevent misdiagnosis. This has the potential to reduce
      time to diagnosis in the ED.

PMID- 28341983
TI  - [Management of different cardiovascular risk factors with a combination tablet
      (polypill)].
AB  - BACKGROUND: The multifactorial origin of cardiovascular diseases has led to
      polypharmacy in primary and secondary prophylaxis with evidence-based
      medications, such as statins, antihypertensive drugs and platelet aggregation
      inhibitors. The number of prescribed drugs correlates inversely to adherence and
      can lead to treatment failure. Fixed-dose combination drugs (polypills) could
      increase the medication adherence of patients, reduce risks and prevent
      cardiovascular events. METHODS: This review is based on publications that were
      retrieved from Medline (via PubMed) and The Cochrane Library. The clinical
      database ClinicalTrials.gov. was also considered. RESULTS: In the studies on
      primary prevention conducted to date, fixed-dose combinations showed a superior
      control of risk factors, e.g. hypertension and low-density lipoprotein (LDL)
      cholesterol compared to placebo and at least non-inferiority compared to usual
      care. In secondary prevention, the effect of the polypill is mostly on the
      reduction of blood pressure and LDL cholesterol in non-adherent patients;
      however, evidence that fixed-drug combinations reduce cardiovascular morbidity
      and mortality compared to standard therapy is lacking. CONCLUSION: The polypill
      can be considered as an alternative to polypharmacy after a risk-benefit
      assessment, especially in non-adherent patients. Ongoing studies are
      investigating the effect of the polypill on cardiovascular events. Current
      polypills are limited by the lack of sufficient dosages of the individual
      components to avoid overtreatment and undertreatment at the individual treatment
      level.

PMID- 28341985
TI  - Non-invasive identification of organic materials in historical stringed musical
      instruments by reflection infrared spectroscopy: a methodological approach.
AB  - The analysis of historical musical instruments is becoming more relevant and the
      interest is increasingly moving toward the non-invasive reflection FTIR
      spectroscopy, especially for the analysis of varnishes. In this work, a specific
      infrared reflectance spectral library of organic compounds was created with the
      aim of identifying musical instrument materials in a totally non-invasive way.
      The analyses were carried out on pure organic compounds, as bulk samples and
      laboratory wooden models, to evaluate the diagnostic reflection mid-infrared
      (MIR) bands of proteins, polysaccharides, lipids, and resins by comparing
      reflection spectra before and after the KK correction. This methodological
      approach was applied to real case studies represented by four Stradivari violins
      and a Neapolitan mandolin.

PMID- 28341984
TI  - Combinatorial requirement of W- and WT-boxes in microbe-associated molecular
      pattern-responsive synthetic promoters.
AB  - KEY MESSAGE: The WT-box GGACTTTC belongs to a novel class of MAMP-responsive cis
      regulatory sequences that are part of combinatorial elements. Microbe-associated
      molecular pattern (MAMP)-responsive synthetic promoters were generated with two
      cis-regulatory modules (CRM1 and CRM2) from the Arabidopsis thaliana WRKY30
      promoter. Both modules harbour two W-boxes and one WT-box. Mutation analysis of
      the synthetic promoters and transient gene expression analysis in parsley
      protoplasts underline the importance of the W- and WT-boxes for MAMP-responsive
      gene expression and reveal the combinatorial requirement of at least two boxes
      for full MAMP responsivity. In the context of the native promoter, CRM1 is
      required for MAMP responsivity, while CRM2 alone is not sufficient. Yeast one
      hybrid screenings using CRM1 with a transcription factor (TF) only prey library
      select only WRKY factors. Selection of WRKY26, 40, 41, and 70 requires the W
      boxes. The WT-box is also required for selection of WRKY26 and 41 in yeast. In
      plant cells, WRKY26, 40, and 41 act as repressors of MAMP-responsive gene
      expression, whereas WRKY70 is an activator. To investigate whether the WT-box is
      also required for WRKY26 and 41 mediated gene expression in plant cells, both
      were converted into transcriptional activators by adding the GAL4 activating
      domain (AD). In contrast to yeast, transient gene expression in parsley
      protoplasts shows that only the W-boxes from CRM1 are required for WRKY41AD
      activated reporter gene activity but not the WT-box. In addition, WRKY70
      activated reporter gene activity in parsley cells does not require the WT-box of
      CRM1. The results demonstrate the importance of the WT-box as a new cis
      regulatory sequence for MAMP-responsive gene expression. Based on these and
      earlier results, two types of WT-boxes are proposed.

PMID- 28341986
TI  - Enhancing effectiveness of capillary electrophoresis as an analytical tool in the
      supramolecular acidity modification.
AB  - A strategic modification of acidity (pK a values) by the non-covalent host-guest
      interactions is one of the most promising concepts in current supramolecular
      chemistry. This work is aimed at enhancing the effectiveness of capillary
      electrophoresis (CE) in determination of pK a shifts caused by such interactions
      and their thermal dependencies crucial in a deep thermodynamic description. We
      show how to (i) minimize the systematic errors related to Joule heating, (ii)
      minimize the influence of a voltage ramp time, (iii) speed up pK a shift
      identification and estimation, (iv) interpret thermal effects related to two
      overlapped dynamic equilibria, and (v) determine pK a shifts by an alternative
      spectrophotometric method (CE-DAD). The proposed solutions were implemented to
      examine the supramolecular pK a shifts of several coumarin derivatives, caused by
      a variety of structurally different cyclodextrins. It was revealed that a
      specific host substitution pattern determines the magnitude of apparent pK a
      shifts. Accordingly, heptakis(2,6-di-O-methyl)-beta-cyclodextrin induces the much
      stronger shifts than both non-methylated-beta-cyclodextrin and heptakis(2,3,6-tri
      O-methyl)-beta-cyclodextrin applied at the same concentration. We also show that
      insofar as the complexation of 4-hydroxycoumarin and its derivative
      (coumatetralyl) are similarly exothermic, the thermal effects accompanying the
      deprotonation process are remarkably different for both molecules. The pK a shift
      induced by complexation with calixarene was also for the first time determined by
      a CE method. These observations throw a new light on the background of acidity
      modification and confirm the applicability of CE as an analytical tool.

PMID- 28341987
TI  - A facile synthesis of novel three-dimensional magnetic imprinted polymers for
      rapid extraction of bovine serum albumin in bovine calf serum.
AB  - A novel three-dimensional (3D) magnetic imprinted polymer was prepared with
      bovine serum albumin as the template molecule, dopamine as the functional
      monomer, and a graphene oxide and carbon nanotube hybrid 3D nanocomposite as the
      carrier. The preparation conditions for the 3D magnetic molecularly imprinted
      polymers were optimized. The 3D magnetic molecularly imprinted polymers were
      characterized in detail by scanning electron microscopy, Fourier transform
      infrared spectroscopy, and vibrating sample magnetometry. The 3D magnetic
      molecularly imprinted polymers possessed a fast adsorption rate and excellent
      adsorption performance toward bovine serum albumin, with a maximum adsorption
      capacity of 78.12 mg g-1. The extraction conditions, including the washing
      solvent, the pH of the eluent, and the desorption time, were also optimized.
      Combined with high-performance liquid chromatography, the 3D magnetic molecularly
      imprinted polymers were successfully applied to enrich and separate bovine serum
      albumin from bovine calf serum samples with recoveries of 84.0-94.5%. Graphical
      Abstract ?.

PMID- 28341988
TI  - Unexpected differences between planar and column liquid chromatographic retention
      of 1-acenaphthenol enantiomers controlled by supramolecular interactions
      involving beta-cyclodextrin at subambient temperatures.
AB  - We report the results of experimental work focusing on host-guest supramolecular
      complex creation between macrocyclic compound (beta-cyclodextrin) and 1
      acenaphthenol enantiomers (racemic mixture) in liquid phase composed of 35%
      acetonitrile in water (v/v) at different temperatures ranging from 0 to 90 
      degrees C. Experimental setup involved several analytical protocols based on
      classical non-forced flow planar chromatography (RP-18 TLC plates), micro-TLC (RP
      18 W HPTLC plates), column chromatography (HPLC with C-18 and C-30 stationary
      phases), as well as UV-Vis spectrophotometry and optical microscopy. It has been
      found that under various planar chromatographic conditions (stationary plates
      type, chamber shape and volume, development mode, and saturation) non-typical
      retention properties (extremely high retention) of 1-acenaphthenol at subambient
      temperatures can be observed. To our knowledge, reported experimental results are
      in opposition to currently described retention models based on column
      chromatographic investigation of host-guest complexes (where in case of strong
      interaction of given analyte with macrocyclic mobile phases additive, which
      itself is non strongly retarded by stationary phase-close to the retention of
      dead volume marker, the retention of target compounds is shortened at low
      temperatures). To explain this TLC phenomenon that may have in our opinion a
      number of practical applications, especially for selective high throughput
      separation involving microchromatographic and/or microfluidic devices as well
      fractionation and extraction protocols (using, e.g., bar extraction systems),
      several experiments were conducted focusing on (i) acenaphthenol chromatography
      under different instrumental conditions, (ii) cyclodextrin retention measured as
      analyte or mobile phase additive, (iii) plate development time under different
      mobile phases and temperature settings, (iv) various column chromatographic
      conditions including C-30 and two C-18 stationary phases, (v) UV-Vis
      spectrophotometry, and (vi) microscopy inspection of precipitated CD
      acenaphthenol crystals. Analysis of collected data has revealed that the most
      probable reasons for TLC retention behavior of 1-acenaphthenol under beta
      cyclodextrin additive conditions can be associated with (i) solubility changes of
      created host-guest complex, (ii) kinetics of solid complex precipitation, and
      (iii) differences in analysis time between planar and column chromatography.
      Because precipitation phenomenon may have a massive impact on analytes
      quantification involving macrocycles as the mobile phase additives, our
      previously reported data concerning a number of low-molecular compounds (mainly
      steroids and non steroidal endocrine disrupting chemicals) using HPLC methodology
      based on binary mobile phases without and with beta-cyclodextrin and its
      hydroxypropyl derivative were re-examined and results discussed. Considering
      these data and the whole data set reported presently, the enhanced model of
      chromatographic retention driven by host-guest interaction was proposed.

PMID- 28341989
TI  - A fully validated bioanalytical method using an UHPLC-MS/MS system for
      quantification of DNA and RNA oxidative stress biomarkers.
AB  - A new, rapid and effective ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography method
      with mass spectrometry detection is described for the separation and
      quantification of 8-hydroxy-2-deoxyguanosine, 8-hydroxyguanosine and creatinine
      in human urine. The present study uses an isotope-labelled internal standard
      ([15N]5-8-hydroxy-2-deoxyguanosine), a BIO core-shell stationary phase and an
      isocratic elution of methanol and water. Sample preparation of human urine was
      performed by solid-phase extraction (SPE) on Oasis HLB cartridges with
      methanol/water 50:50 (v/v) elution. Extraction recoveries ranged from 98.1% to
      109.2%. Biological extracts showed high short-term stability. Several aspects of
      this procedure make it suitable for both clinical and research purposes: a short
      elution time of less than 3.2 min, an intra-day precision of 2.5-8.9%, an inter
      day precision of 3.4-8.7% and low limits of quantification (27.7 nM for 8
      hydroxyguanosine, 6.0 nM for 8-hydroxy-2-deoxyguanosine). Finally, simultaneous
      analysis of DNA and RNA oxidative stress biomarkers is a useful tool for
      monitoring disease progression in neurodegenerative disorders and cancer.
      Graphical abstract UHPLC-MS/MS analysis of DNA and RNA oxidative stress
      biomarkers.

PMID- 28341990
TI  - [Rare complication of a chronic perianal fistula].

PMID- 28341991
TI  - Altered interhemispheric functional connectivity in patients with anisometropic
      and strabismic amblyopia: a resting-state fMRI study.
AB  - PURPOSE: Altered brain functional connectivity has been reported in patients with
      amblyopia by recent neuroimaging studies. However, relatively little is known
      about the alterations in interhemispheric functional connectivity in amblyopia.
      The present study aimed to investigate the functional connectivity patterns
      between homotopic regions across hemispheres in patients with anisometropic and
      strabismic amblyopia under resting state. METHODS: Nineteen monocular
      anisometropic amblyopia (AA), 18 strabismic amblyopia (SA), and 20 normal-sight
      controls (NC) were enrolled in this study. After a comprehensive ophthalmologic
      examination, resting-state fMRI scanning was performed in all participants. The
      pattern of the interhemispheric functional connectivity was measured with the
      voxel-mirrored homotopic connectivity (VMHC) approach. VMHC values differences
      within and between three groups were compared, and correlations between VMHC
      values and each the clinical variable were also analyzed. RESULTS: Altered VMHC
      was observed in AA and SA patients in lingual gyrus and fusiform gyrus compared
      with NC subjects. The altered VMHC of lingual gyrus showed a pattern of AA > SA >
      NC, while the altered VMHC of fusiform gyrus showed a pattern of AA > NC > SA.
      Moreover, the VMHC values of lingual gyrus were positively correlated with the
      stereoacuity both in AA and SA patients, and the VMHC values of fusiform gyrus
      were positively correlated with the amount of anisometropia just in AA patients.
      CONCLUSION: These findings suggest that interhemispheric functional coordination
      between several homotopic visual-related brain regions is impaired both in AA and
      SA patients under resting state and revealed the similarities and differences in
      interhemispheric functional connectivity between the anisometropic and strabismic
      amblyopia.

PMID- 28341993
TI  - A Method for Preparing Silver Nanoparticle Suspensions in Bulk for Ecotoxicity
      Testing and Ecological Risk Assessment.
AB  - Methods are needed to prepare stable suspensions of engineered nanoparticles in
      aqueous matrixes for ecotoxicity testing and ecological risk assessments. We
      developed a novel method of preparing large volumes of silver nanoparticles
      (AgNP) in suspension using a commercially available rotor-stator dispersion mill.
      AgNP in powder form (PVP capped, 30-50 nm) was suspended in deionized water and
      natural lake water at 1 g/L and the addition of 0.025% (w/v) gum arabic (GA)
      increased stability over 2 weeks after preparation. The concentrations of total
      and dissolved Ag in the suspensions did not change significantly over this
      period. Analysis of hydrodynamic diameters of the major peaks in suspension using
      dynamic light scattering showed that suspensions prepared with GA were stable,
      and this was confirmed by single-particle ICP-MS analysis. This method for
      dispersing AgNPs provides an inexpensive, yet reliable method for preparing
      suspensions for toxicity testing and ecosystem level studies of the fate and
      biological effects of AgNPs in aquatic ecosystems.

PMID- 28341992
TI  - A semi-automated volumetric software for segmentation and perfusion parameter
      quantification of brain tumors using 320-row multidetector computed tomography: a
      validation study.
AB  - PURPOSE: We developed a semi-automated volumetric software, NPerfusion, to
      segment brain tumors and quantify perfusion parameters on whole-brain CT
      perfusion (WBCTP) images. The purpose of this study was to assess the feasibility
      of the software and to validate its performance compared with manual
      segmentation. METHODS: Twenty-nine patients with pathologically proven brain
      tumors who underwent preoperative WBCTP between August 2012 and February 2015
      were included. Three perfusion parameters, arterial flow (AF), equivalent blood
      volume (EBV), and Patlak flow (PF, which is a measure of permeability of
      capillaries), of brain tumors were generated by a commercial software and then
      quantified volumetrically by NPerfusion, which also semi-automatically segmented
      tumor boundaries. The quantification was validated by comparison with that of
      manual segmentation in terms of the concordance correlation coefficient and Bland
      Altman analysis. RESULTS: With NPerfusion, we successfully performed segmentation
      and quantified whole volumetric perfusion parameters of all 29 brain tumors that
      showed consistent perfusion trends with previous studies. The validation of the
      perfusion parameter quantification exhibited almost perfect agreement with manual
      segmentation, with Lin concordance correlation coefficients (rho c) for AF, EBV,
      and PF of 0.9988, 0.9994, and 0.9976, respectively. On Bland-Altman analysis,
      most differences between this software and manual segmentation on the commercial
      software were within the limit of agreement. CONCLUSIONS: NPerfusion successfully
      performs segmentation of brain tumors and calculates perfusion parameters of
      brain tumors. We validated this semi-automated segmentation software by comparing
      it with manual segmentation. NPerfusion can be used to calculate volumetric
      perfusion parameters of brain tumors from WBCTP.

PMID- 28341994
TI  - Exploring the effect of confinement on water clusters in carbon nanotubes.
AB  - Using armchair-type single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs) of different sizes as
      model compounds for lignite, the effect of water molecule confinement on the
      water-holding capacity of lignite pores was investigated. Results indicated that
      the water-holding capacity of pores with diameters of <10 nm was eight times
      larger than that of pores with diameters of 100 nm. The configuration of the
      cluster of water molecules in each SWCNT and the binding energy between each
      SWCNT and the water molecules within it were calculated by means of density
      functional theory using a hybrid functional: M06-2X/6-311+G**, 6-31G*. The
      results prove that the configurations of the water molecules in the SWCNTs are
      very different to their configuration in the unconfined state. In vacuum, the
      cluster of three water molecules adopted a trimer configuration, while they
      presented a linear configuration in the 6.78 A SWCNT. Similarly, in vacuum, the
      cluster of five water molecules formed a five-membered ring, while they favored a
      linear configuration in the 6.78 A SWCNT, a zigzag configuration in the 8.14 A
      SWCNT, and a trimer + 1 + 1 configuration (i.e., a trimer plus two isolated water
      molecules) in the 9.49 A, 10.85 A, and 13.75 A SWCNTs. There was found to be a
      degree of competition between the coupling energy of the water molecules with the
      SWCNT and the hydrogen bonding among the water molecules. When the diameter of
      the SWCNT was >1 nm, the hydrogen bonding among the water molecules dominated,
      while the coupling energy of the water molecules with the SWCNT amounted to only
      30-40% of the total interaction energy of the water molecules. Graphical Abstract
      Computed equilibrium structures of five water molecules confined in SWCNTs with
      diameters of 6.78 A, 8.14 A, 9.49 A, 10.85 A, and 13.75 A, and in vacuum.

PMID- 28341995
TI  - Performance of wave function and density functional methods for water hydrogen
      bond spin-spin coupling constants.
AB  - Spin-spin coupling constants in water monomer and dimer have been calculated
      using several wave function and density functional-based methods. CCSD, MCSCF,
      and SOPPA wave functions methods yield similar results, specially when an
      additive approach is used with the MCSCF. Several functionals have been used to
      analyze their performance with the Jacob's ladder and a set of functionals with
      different HF exchange were tested. Functionals with large HF exchange
      appropriately predict 1 J O H , 2 J H H and 2h J O O couplings, while 1h J O H is
      better calculated with functionals that include a reduced fraction of HF
      exchange. Accurate functionals for 1 J O H and 2 J H H have been tested in a
      tetramer water model. The hydrogen bond effects on these intramolecular couplings
      are additive when they are calculated by SOPPA(CCSD) wave function and DFT
      methods. Graphical Abstract Evaluation of the additive effect of the hydrogen
      bond on spin-spin coupling constants of water using WF and DFT methods.

PMID- 28341996
TI  - Structural insights into ligand binding of PGRP1 splice variants in Chinese giant
      salamander (Andrias davidianus) from molecular dynamics and free energy
      calculations.
AB  - Peptidoglycan (PGN) recognition proteins (PGRPs) are important pattern
      recognition receptors of the innate immune system. A number of PGRP splicing
      variants produced by alternative splicing of PGRP genes have been reported.
      However, several important aspects of interactions between PGRP splice variants
      and their ligands are still unclear. In the present study, three dimensional
      models of salamander PGRP1 (adPGRP1) and its splice variant (adPGRP1a) were
      constructed, and their key amino acids involved in interacting with PGNs were
      analyzed. The results revealed that adPGRP1a has a typical PGRPs structure
      containing five beta-sheets and four alpha-helices, while adPGRP1 contained five
      beta-sheets and only one alpha-helix due to the lack of 51 amino acids at its C
      terminus. Molecular docking revealed that van der Waals and Coulombic
      interactions contributed to interactions in the protein-ligand complex. Further
      binding energy of adPGRP-PGNs computed by the MM-PBSA method revealed that
      adPGRP1a and adPGRP1 might selectively bind to different PGNs; the former might
      selectively bind Dap-type PGNs and the latter both types of PGNs. In addition,
      the binding energy of each residue of adPGRP1a and adPGRP1 was also calculated,
      revealing that residues involved in the interaction of protein-ligand complexes
      were different in adPGRP1a and adPGRP1. These results provided a first insight
      into the potential basis for interaction between PGRPs generated by alternative
      splicing and PGN derivatives.

PMID- 28341998
TI  - IRE1 signaling exacerbates Alzheimer's disease pathogenesis.
AB  - Altered proteostasis is a salient feature of Alzheimer's disease (AD),
      highlighting the occurrence of endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress and abnormal
      protein aggregation. ER stress triggers the activation of the unfolded protein
      response (UPR), a signaling pathway that enforces adaptive programs to sustain
      proteostasis or eliminate terminally damaged cells. IRE1 is an ER-located kinase
      and endoribonuclease that operates as a major stress transducer, mediating both
      adaptive and proapoptotic programs under ER stress. IRE1 signaling controls the
      expression of the transcription factor XBP1, in addition to degrade several RNAs.
      Importantly, a polymorphism in the XBP1 promoter was suggested as a risk factor
      to develop AD. Here, we demonstrate a positive correlation between the
      progression of AD histopathology and the activation of IRE1 in human brain
      tissue. To define the significance of the UPR to AD, we targeted IRE1 expression
      in a transgenic mouse model of AD. Despite initial expectations that IRE1
      signaling may protect against AD, genetic ablation of the RNase domain of IRE1 in
      the nervous system significantly reduced amyloid deposition, the content of
      amyloid beta oligomers, and astrocyte activation. IRE1 deficiency fully restored
      the learning and memory capacity of AD mice, associated with improved synaptic
      function and improved long-term potentiation (LTP). At the molecular level, IRE1
      deletion reduced the expression of amyloid precursor protein (APP) in cortical
      and hippocampal areas of AD mice. In vitro experiments demonstrated that
      inhibition of IRE1 downstream signaling reduces APP steady-state levels,
      associated with its retention at the ER followed by proteasome-mediated
      degradation. Our findings uncovered an unanticipated role of IRE1 in the
      pathogenesis of AD, offering a novel target for disease intervention.

PMID- 28342000
TI  - Efficacy and safety of percutaneous ultrasound guided radiofrequency ablation for
      treating cervical metastatic lymph nodes from papillary thyroid carcinoma.
AB  - PURPOSE: The aim of this study was to assess the effectiveness and safety of
      ultrasound guided percutaneous radiofrequency ablation (RFA) of cervical
      metastatic lymph nodes (LNs) from papillary thyroid carcinoma. METHODS: 54
      metastatic LNs confirmed by percutaneous biopsy in 33 patients with previous
      total thyroidectomy and radioiodine therapy were enrolled in this retrospective
      study. US and contrast-enhanced ultrasound (CEUS) examinations were performed
      before ablation. Follow-up consisted of conventional US, CEUS, thyroglobulin (Tg)
      level at 1, 3, 6, and 12 months and every 6 months thereafter. In 3 months after
      ablation, US-guided core needle biopsy (CNB) was performed in the center, at the
      edge of the ablation area to exclude recurrence. RESULTS: Technical success was
      obtained in all 54 lymph nodes (100%) without immediate or later major
      complications occurred. With a mean follow-up of 21 +/- 4 months (range 12-24
      months), there were no evidence of recurrence at ablated sites. After RFA, 33
      metastatic LNs completely disappeared (33/54, 61.1%) and 21 metastatic lymph
      nodes remained as small scarlike lesions (21/54, 38.9%) at the last follow-up
      visit. The mean volume reduction ratio (VRR) was 32.7 +/- 8.6% (range 21.2
      59.3%), 46.8 +/- 9.7% (range 33.6-68.1%), 62.5 +/- 12.1% (range 42.5-95.4%), 77.1
      +/- 10.6% (range 54.3-100.0%), 89.2 +/- 8.3% (range 68.7-100.0%) and 94.9 +/-
      5.3% (range 78.2-100.0%) at 1, 3, 6, 12, 18 and 24 months after RFA respectively.
      Significant differences in the VRR were found between every two follow-up visits
      (P < 0.001). At the last follow-up visit, the mean serum Tg level decreased from
      10.2 +/- 5.1 ng/ml (range 0.8-16.2 ng/ml) to 1.1 +/- 0.8 ng/ml (range 0.2-3.1
      ng/ml) (P < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: Ultrasound guided percutaneous RFA for cervical
      metastatic LNs from papillary thyroid carcinoma is a feasible, effective and safe
      therapy. This procedure shows a nonsurgical therapeutic option that can eradicate
      the lesions with a very low complication rate.

PMID- 28341999
TI  - Immunological memory to hyperphosphorylated tau in asymptomatic individuals.
AB  - Several reports have described the presence of antibodies against Alzheimer's
      disease-associated hyperphosphorylated forms of tau in serum of healthy
      individuals. To characterize the specificities that can be found, we interrogated
      peripheral IgG+ memory B cells from asymptomatic blood donors for reactivity to a
      panel of phosphorylated tau peptides using a single-cell screening assay.
      Antibody sequences were recovered, cloned, and expressed as full-length IgGs. In
      total, 52 somatically mutated tau-binding antibodies were identified,
      corresponding to 35 unique clonal families. Forty-one of these antibodies
      recognize epitopes in the proline-rich and C-terminal domains, and binding of 26
      of these antibodies is strictly phosphorylation dependent. Thirteen antibodies
      showed inhibitory activity in a P301S lysate seeded in vitro tau aggregation
      assay. Two such antibodies, CBTAU-7.1 and CBTAU-22.1, which bind to the proline
      rich and C-terminal regions of tau, respectively, were characterized in more
      detail. CBTAU-7.1 recognizes an epitope that is similar to that of murine anti
      PHF antibody AT8, but has different phospho requirements. Both CBTAU-7.1 and
      CBTAU-22.1 detect pathological tau deposits in post-mortem brain tissue. CBTAU
      7.1 reveals a similar IHC distribution pattern as AT8, immunostaining
      (pre)tangles, threads, and neuritic plaques. CBTAU-22.1 shows selective detection
      of neurofibrillary changes by IHC. Taken together, these results suggest the
      presence of an ongoing antigen-driven immune response against tau in healthy
      individuals. The wide range of specificities to tau suggests that the human
      immune repertoire may contain antibodies that can serve as biomarkers or be
      exploited for therapy.

PMID- 28342001
TI  - GLI-mediated Keratin 17 expression promotes tumor cell growth through the anti
      apoptotic function in oral squamous cell carcinomas.
AB  - PURPOSE: Keratin 17 (KRT17) has been suggested as a potential diagnostic marker
      of squamous cell carcinoma including oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC). The
      current study was conducted to clarify the function of KRT17 and its expression
      mechanism in OSCC. METHODS: Immunohistochemical analyses were carried out to
      examine the expression of KRT17, GLI family zinc finger (GLI)-1, GLI-2, or
      cleaved caspase-3 in OSCCs. The expression of KRT17, GLI-1, or GLI-2 was
      investigated among OSCC cell lines, and the effects of loss-of-function of KRT17
      or GLI, using siRNA or inhibitor, on the cell growth of the OSCC cell line HSC-2
      particularly with respect to apoptosis were examined. RESULTS:
      Immunohistochemical analyses of tissue specimens obtained from 78 OSCC patients
      revealed that KRT17 was not observed in non-tumor regions but was strongly
      expressed at high frequencies in tumor regions. Knockdown of KRT17 increased the
      number of cleaved caspase-3-positive cells, leading to the reduction of cell
      number. Loss-of-function of GLI-1 or GLI-2 also increased the cell numbers of
      apoptotic cells positive for staining of Annexin-V and propidium iodide (PI) and
      the terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase dUTP-biotin nick-end labeling (TUNEL)
      method, and induced DNA fragmentation. This inhibitory effect on cell growth was
      partially rescued by exogenous KRT17 expression. In the KRT17-positive regions in
      OSCCs, GLI-1 or GLI-2 was frequently detected, and the number of cells with
      cleaved caspase-3 positive was decreased. CONCLUSIONS: KRT17 promotes tumor cell
      growth, at least partially, through its anti-apoptotic effect as a result of the
      KRT17 overexpression by GLIs in OSCC.

PMID- 28342002
TI  - A retrospective study comparing the outcomes and toxicities of intensity
      modulated radiotherapy versus two-dimensional conventional radiotherapy for the
      treatment of children and adolescent nasopharyngeal carcinoma.
AB  - PURPOSE: To compare the clinical outcomes and toxicities of two-dimensional
      conventional radiotherapy (2D-CRT) and intensity-modulated radiotherapy (IMRT)
      for the treatment of children and adolescent nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC).
      METHODS: A total of 176 children with non-metastatic NPC treated at Sun Yat-sen
      University Cancer Center between October 2003 and September 2013 were included in
      this study. Of the 176 patients, 74 received 2D-CRT and 102 were treated with
      IMRT. The clinical outcomes and acute and late toxicities were determined and
      compared. RESULTS: The IMRT group achieved significantly higher overall survival
      (OS) (90.4% vs. 76.1% at 5 year, P = 0.007) and disease-free survival (DFS)
      (85.7% vs. 71.2%, P = 0.029) mainly due to an improvement in locoregional relapse
      free survival (LRRFS) (97.9 vs. 88.3%, P = 0.049). After stratification by
      disease stage, IMRT provided significant benefits for patients with stage III-IV
      disease in terms of OS, LRRFS and DFS. Multivariate analyses indicated that the
      treatment group (2D-CRT vs. IMRT) was a prognostic factor for OS, LRRFS and DFS.
      A significant reduction in Grade 2-4 xerostomia (52.7 vs. 34.3%, P = 0.015) and
      hearing loss (40.5 vs. 22.5%, P = 0.010) was observed in patients treated by
      IMRT. CONCLUSION: IMRT provides better locoregional relapse-free survival and
      overall survival, especially in late-stage children and adolescent NPC patients,
      and is associated with a lower incidence of Grade 2-4 xerostomia as well as
      hearing loss compared with 2D-CRT. Distant metastasis remains a challenge in the
      treatment of children and adolescent NPC.

PMID- 28342003
TI  - Lung carcinoma progression and survival versus amino- and carboxyl-parathyroid
      hormone-related protein expression.
AB  - PURPOSE: Expression of the carboxyl PTHrP region of parathyroid hormone-related
      protein (PTHrP) is a positive prognostic indicator in women with lung cancer, but
      amino PTHrP is a negative indicator in other lung cancer patients. This project
      investigated whether PTHrP could be expressed as predominantly amino PTHrP or
      carboxyl PTHrP in individual lung carcinomas. It also assessed domain-specific
      effects on cancer progression and patient survival. METHODS: PTHrP
      immunoreactivities were analyzed versus survival in a human lung cancer tissue
      microarray (TMA). Growth was compared in athymic mice for isogenic lung carcinoma
      xenografts differing in expression of amino and carboxyl PTHrP domains. RESULTS:
      In the TMA, 33 of 99 patient tumors expressed only one PTHrP domain, while 54
      expressed both. By Cox regression, the hazard ratio for cancer-specific mortality
      (95% confidence interval) was 2.6 (1.28-5.44) for amino PTHrP (P = 0.008) and 0.6
      (0-2.58) for carboxyl PTHrP (P = 0.092). Xenografts of H358 lung adenocarcinoma
      cells that overexpressed amino PTHrP grew twice as fast as isogenic low PTHrP
      tumors in athymic mice, but growth of tumors expressing amino plus carboxyl PTHrP
      was not significantly different than growth of the control tumors. In summary,
      the presence of amino PTHrP signifies worse prognosis in lung cancer patients. In
      mouse xenografts, this effect was abrogated if carboxyl PTHrP was also present.
      CONCLUSION: Amino PTHrP and carboxyl PTHrP can vary independently in different
      lung carcinomas. Carboxyl PTHrP may temper the stimulatory effect of amino PTHrP
      on cancer progression.

PMID- 28342004
TI  - Modulatory effects of Terminalia arjuna against domoic acid induced toxicity in
      Caco-2 cell line.
AB  - Domoic acid is a potent marine algal toxin produced by diatomic genus of Pseudo
      nitzschia causing amnesic shell fish poisoning. Domoic acid toxicosis mainly
      involves excitotoxic effects coupled with oxidative stress. The present study was
      aimed to evaluate the protective effects of hydro-alcoholic extract of Terminalia
      arjuna (TA) against domoic acid induced toxic effects in Caco-2 cell line. It was
      observed that the toxicity induced by domoic acid in Caco-2 cells was mediated by
      oxidative insult leading to morphological changes, DNA damage and apoptosis. In
      our study pre-treatment of the cells with TA (10, 20 and 30 MUg/ml) showed
      significant protection against domoic acid induced morphological, oxidative and
      apoptotic damages in a dose dependent manner. The effect of phytocompounds
      present in TA viz., kaempferol and arjungenin showed significant protection
      against domoic acid induced toxicity in Caco-2 cell line. Hence, it could be
      inferred that the protective effect of TA extract against domoic acid induced
      toxicity could be due to the individual or synergistic effects of kaempferol and
      argungenin. However, further clinical studies are warranted to consider TA as a
      natural remedy to prevent amnesic shell fish poisoning.

PMID- 28342005
TI  - Genetic polymorphisms for 19 autosomal STR loci of Chongqing Han ethnicity and
      phylogenetic structure exploration among 28 Chinese populations.
AB  - The allele frequencies and forensic statistical parameters of 19 autosomal short
      tandem repeat (STR) loci (D8S1179, D21S11, D7S820, CSF1P0, D3S1358, THOl,
      D13S317, D16S539, D2S1338, D19S433, vWA, TPOX, D18S51, D5S818, FGA, D6S1043,
      Penta D, Penta E, and D12S391) included in the GoldeneyeTM DNA ID system 20A kit
      were obtained in 671 Chinese Han individuals residing in Chongqing, Southwest
      China. All 19 STR loci were identified in agreement with the Hardy-Weinberg
      equilibrium. A total of 238 alleles were observed with corresponding allele
      frequencies that varied from 0.0007 to 0.5119. The combined power of
      discrimination and the combined probability of exclusion for 19 STR loci in the
      Chongqing Han population were 0.99999999999999999999998954 and 0.99999998387,
      respectively. The findings indicated that the 19 autosomal STR loci were highly
      polymorphic in the Chongqing Han population and can be used as a powerful tool in
      personal identification and parentage testing. Our genetic study enriched the
      Chinese local forensic reference database. Population comparisons and
      phylogenetic analyses revealed that genetic heterogeneity widely existed among
      the Chongqing Han, Xinjiang Uyghur, and Kazakh populations as well as
      demonstrated that genetic similarity was tightly associated with those of close
      geographic origin or of the same ethnic origin.

PMID- 28342006
TI  - Potential synergistic effects of a mixture of mineral trioxide aggregate (MTA)
      cement and Bacillus subtilis in dental caries treatment.
AB  - Bacillus subtilis is nonpathogenic in humans and produces a number of useful
      substances and, therefore, this bacterium is used in probiotic therapy. There
      have been trials of B. subtilis for patients with periodontitis, but not for
      patients with caries. Similarly, mineral trioxide aggregate (MTA) cement has been
      widely used for endodontic treatment, but there are few reports of its use for
      caries. Therefore, examinations were performed regarding the benefits of addition
      of B. subtilis to MTA cement for treatment of dental caries. Indirect pulp
      capping with a mixture of MTA cement and B. subtilis spore powder is effective
      for avoiding pulpectomy or tooth extraction in such cases (personal
      communication). This study was planned to examine the scientific basis of this
      clinical finding, with examination of possible synergistic effects of MTA cement
      and B. subtilis. From these experiments, the following five results were
      obtained: (1) B. subtilis did not proliferate in liquid-culture media at pH >=10.
      (2) B. subtilis proliferated when mixed with MTA cement. (3) There was no
      significant difference in proliferation of B. subtilis under aerobic and
      microaerobic conditions. (4) B. subtilis exhibited antibacterial effects on
      Staphylococcus aureus and Lactobacillus casei. (5) MTA cement exhibited
      antibacterial effects on S. aureus and Streptococcus mutans, but not on B.
      subtilis. These results support the hypothesis that a combination of B subtilis
      and MTA cement is likely to be clinically useful for treatment of dental caries.

PMID- 28342007
TI  - The effect of LED on blood microcirculation during chronic wound healing in
      diabetic and non-diabetic patients-a prospective, double-blind randomized study.
AB  - Chronic wounds, especially in diabetic patients, represent a challenging health
      issue. Since standard treatment protocols often do not provide satisfactory
      results, additional treatment methods-like phototherapy using low-level light
      therapy-are being investigated. The aim of our study was to evaluate the effect
      of phototherapy with light-emitting diodes on chronic wound treatment in diabetic
      and non-diabetic patients. Since a sufficient blood supply is mandatory for wound
      healing, the evaluation of microcirculation in the healthy skin at a wound's edge
      was the main outcome measure. Forty non-diabetic patients and 39 diabetics with
      lower limb chronic wounds who were referred to the University Medical Center
      Ljubljana between October 2012 and June 2014 were randomized to the treated and
      control groups. The treated group received phototherapy with LED 2.4 J/cm2
      (wavelengths 625, 660, 850 nm) three times a week for 8 weeks, and the control
      group received phototherapy with broadband 580-900 nm and power density 0.72
      J/cm2. Microcirculation was measured using laser Doppler. A significant increase
      in blood flow was noted in the treated group of diabetic and non-diabetic
      patients (p = 0.040 and p = 0.033), while there was no difference in the control
      groups. Additional Falanga wound bed score evaluation showed a significant
      improvement in both treated groups as compared to the control group. According to
      our results, phototherapy with LED was shown to be an effective additional
      treatment method for chronic wounds in diabetic and non-diabetic patients.

PMID- 28342009
TI  - Severe Aspergillus Pneumonia and Pulmonary Artery Hypertension in a Child with
      Autosomal Recessive Chronic Granulomatous Disease and Selective IgA Deficiency.

PMID- 28342010
TI  - Aridity promotes bet hedging via delayed hatching: a case study with two
      temporary pond crustaceans along a latitudinal gradient.
AB  - Climate change does affect not only average rainfall and temperature but also
      their variation, which can reduce the predictability of suitable conditions for
      growth and reproduction. This situation is problematic for inhabitants of
      temporary waters whose reproductive success depends on rainfall and evaporation
      that determine the length of the aquatic phase. For organisms with long-lived
      dormant life stages, bet hedging models suggest that a fraction of these should
      stay dormant during each growing season to buffer against the probability of
      total reproductive failure in variable environments. Thus far, however, little
      empirical evidence supports this prediction in aquatic organisms. We study
      geographic variation in delayed hatching of dormant eggs in natural populations
      of two crustaceans, Branchinella longirostris and Paralimnadia badia, that occur
      in temporary rock pools along a 725 km latitudinal aridity gradient in Western
      Australia. Consistent with bet hedging theory, populations of both species were
      characterised by delayed hatching under common garden conditions and hatching
      fractions decreased towards the drier end of the gradient where the probability
      of reproductive success was shown to be lower. This decrease was most pronounced
      in the species with the longer maturation time, presumably because it is more
      sensitive to the higher prevalence of short inundations. Overall, these findings
      illustrate that regional variation in climate can be reflected in differential
      investment in bet hedging and hints at a higher importance of delayed hatching to
      persist when the climate becomes harsher. Such strategies could become
      exceedingly relevant as determinants of vulnerability under climate change.

PMID- 28342008
TI  - Alterations of the oxidative status in rat hippocampus and prodepressant effect
      of chronic testosterone enanthate administration.
AB  - In a last few decades, anabolic-androgenic steroids (AASs) abuse has become
      serious health concern especially among adolescents. AASs abuse has been reported
      to be involved in pathogenesis of various mood disorders, including depression.
      In order to evaluate the effects of chronic (6 weeks) testosterone enanthate (TE)
      treatment in supraphysiological dose and exercise on depression-like behavior in
      rats, 32 male rats were divided into four groups: control (C), testosterone
      enanthate (T, 20 mg/kg/w, s.c.), exercise (E, swimming for 1 h/day), and combined
      group-testosterone enanthate plus exercise (T + E). TE produced prodepressant
      effect in tail suspension test (TST) parameters compared to the control and
      exercise groups, while exercise induced the opposite effect. Simultaneous TE
      administration along with exercise attenuated the antidepressant effect of
      exercise reversing the parameters of TST to the control values. Oxidative stress
      markers in rat hippocampus were significantly altered following applied
      protocols. TE administration increased index of lipid peroxidation (TBARS) and
      decreased superoxide dismutase activity (SOD), while exercise induced the
      opposite effect, with no change in glutathione (GSH) levels. Our results indicate
      that TE chronic treatment resulted in clear depressive-like behavior, even
      abolishing beneficial antidepressant effects of exercise in TST that was
      accompanied with increased oxidative damage in rat hippocampus. The
      antidepressant effect of exercise correlated with the improvement of redox status
      in hippocampal tissue. Behavioral parameters obtained in TST significantly
      correlated with the levels of oxidative stress markers.

PMID- 28342011
TI  - Acquiring nutrients from tree leaves: effects of leaf maturity and development
      type on a generalist caterpillar.
AB  - The rapid growth and prolific reproduction of many insect herbivores depend on
      the efficiencies and rates with which they acquire nutrients from their host
      plants. However, little is known about how nutrient assimilation efficiencies are
      affected by leaf maturation or how they vary between plant species. Recent work
      showed that leaf maturation can greatly decrease the protein assimilation
      efficiency (PAE) of Lymantria dispar caterpillars on some tree species, but not
      on species in the willow family (Salicaceae). One trait of many species in the
      Salicaceae that potentially affects PAE is the continuous (or "indeterminate")
      development of leaves throughout the growing season. To improve our understanding
      of the temporal and developmental patterns of nutrient availability for tree
      feeding insects, this study tested two hypotheses: nutrients (protein and
      carbohydrate) are more efficiently assimilated from immature than mature leaves,
      and, following leaf maturation, nutrients are more efficiently assimilated from
      indeterminate than determinate tree species. The nutritional physiology and
      growth of a generalist caterpillar (L. dispar) were measured on five determinate
      and five indeterminate tree species while their leaves were immature and again
      after they were mature. In support of the first hypothesis, caterpillars that fed
      on immature leaves had significantly higher PAE and carbohydrate assimilation
      efficiency (CAE), as well as higher protein assimilation rates and growth rates,
      than larvae that fed on mature leaves. Contrary to the second hypothesis,
      caterpillars that fed on mature indeterminate tree leaves did not have higher PAE
      than those that fed on mature determinate leaves, while CAE differed by only 3%
      between tree development types. Instead, "high-PAE" and "low-PAE" tree species
      were found across taxonomic and development categories. The results of this study
      emphasize the importance of physiological mechanisms, such as nutrient
      assimilation efficiency, to explain the large variation in host plant quality for
      insect herbivores.

PMID- 28342012
TI  - Predation risk influences feeding rates but competition structures space use for
      a common Pacific parrotfish.
AB  - In terrestrial systems it is well known that the spatial patterns of grazing by
      herbivores can influence the structure of primary producer communities. On coral
      reefs, the consequences of varied space use by herbivores on benthic community
      structure are not well understood, nor are the relative influences of bottom-up
      (resource abundance and quality), horizontal (competition), and top-down
      (predation risk) factors in affecting spatial foraging behaviors of mobile
      herbivorous fishes. In the current study we quantified space use and feeding
      rates of the parrotfish, Chlorurus spilurus, across a strong gradient of food
      resources and predator and competitor abundance across two islands with
      drastically different fisheries management schemes. We found evidence that while
      feeding rates of this species are affected by direct interference competition and
      chronic predation risk, space use appears to be primarily related to exploitative
      competition with the surrounding herbivore community. We found no evidence that
      predation risk influences diurnal foraging space use in this small bodied
      parrotfish species. Additionally, we found the influence of chronic predation
      risk on feeding rates of this species to be less dramatic than the results of
      recent studies that used model predators to measure acute behavioral responses of
      other species of herbivorous fishes. Our results indicate that the non
      consumptive effects of predators on the foraging behaviors of coral reef
      herbivores may be less dramatic than previously thought.

PMID- 28342015
TI  - A Prognostic Model for Predicting Overall Survival in Patients with Peritoneal
      Surface Malignancy of an Appendiceal Origin Treated with Cytoreductive Surgery
      and Hyperthermic Intraperitoneal Chemotherapy.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: Our aim was to develop a prognostic model for predicting overall
      survival following cytoreductive surgery and hyperthermic intraperitoneal
      chemotherapy (HIPEC) in patients with appendiceal adenocarcinoma and peritoneal
      metastasis. METHODS: A retrospective analysis of a prospectively maintained
      database for all patients treated for appendiceal adenocarcinoma with peritoneal
      metastasis from 1989 to 2012 was conducted. RESULTS: Overall, 734 (50.7%) males
      and 715 (49.3%) females, with a mean age at presentation of 48.6 years, were
      included. Prognostic variables identified in a univariate Cox analysis included
      sex, tumor recurrence, tumor histology, Peritoneal Carcinomatosis Index, age at
      diagnosis, lesion size, completeness of cytoreduction (CC) score, distant
      metastasis, lymph node status, and use of HIPEC. A multivariate Cox analysis
      identified distant metastasis, CC score, tumor histology, HIPEC use, and sex as
      independently predictive of survival. A prognostic index was derived and four
      risk groups were categorized (<=1, 2-4, 5-10, and >=10). Median survival for the
      four risk groups differed significantly: 240 months for patients with a
      prognostic score <=1 versus 235, 78.4, and 19.4 months for the cohort of patients
      with a prognostic score of 2-4, 5-10 and >=10, respectively (p = 0.000). An
      internal validation of our prognostic model was carried out on a series of 379
      randomly selected patients from our data, which provided corresponding estimates.
      CONCLUSIONS: Our prognostic model demonstrated a significant difference in
      overall survival for patients stratified by our derived prognostic scores.
      External validation of this model in other cohorts of patients is needed.

PMID- 28342013
TI  - The Evaluation of Folic Acid-Deficient or Folic Acid-Supplemented Diet in the
      Gestational Phase of Female Rats and in Their Adult Offspring Subjected to an
      Animal Model of Schizophrenia.
AB  - Although folic acid (FA) supplementation is known to influence numerous
      physiological functions, especially during pregnancy, little is known about its
      direct effects on the mothers' health. However, this vitamin is essential for the
      health of the mother and for the normal growth and development of the fetus.
      Thus, the aim of this study was (1) to evaluate the cognitive effects and
      biochemical markers produced by the AIN-93 diet (control), the AIN-93 diet
      supplemented with different doses of FA (5, 10, and 50 mg/kg), and a FA-deficient
      diet during pregnancy and lactation in female mother rats (dams) and (2) to
      evaluate the effect of maternal diets on inflammatory parameters in the adult
      offspring which were subjected to an animal model of schizophrenia (SZ) induced
      by ketamine (Ket). Our study demonstrated through the Y-maze test that rats
      subjected to the FA-deficient diet showed significant deficits in spatial memory,
      while animals supplemented with FA (5 and 10 mg/kg) showed no deficit in spatial
      memory. Our results also suggest that the rats subjected to the FA-deficient diet
      had increased levels of carbonylated proteins in the frontal cortex and
      hippocampus and also increased plasma levels of homocysteine (Hcy). Folate was
      able to prevent cognitive impairments in the rats supplemented with FA (5 and 10
      mg/kg), data which may be attributed to the antioxidant effect of the vitamin.
      Moreover, FA prevented protein damage and elevations in Hcy levels in the rats
      subjected to different doses of this vitamin (5, 10, and 50 mg/kg). We verified a
      significant increase of the anti-inflammatory cytokine (interleukin-4 (IL-4)) and
      a reduction in the plasma levels of proinflammatory cytokines (interleukin-6 (IL
      6)) and TNF-alpha) in the dams that were subjected to the diets supplemented with
      FA (5, 10, and 50 mg/kg), showing the possible anti-inflammatory effects of FA
      during pregnancy and lactation. In general, we also found that in the adult
      offspring that were subjected to an animal model of SZ, FA had a protective
      effect in relation to the levels of IL-4, IL-6, and TNF-alpha, which indicates
      that the action of FA persisted in the adult offspring, since FA showed a lasting
      effect on the inflammatory response, which was similar in both the dams and their
      offspring. In conclusion, the importance of supplementation with FA during
      pregnancy and lactation should be emphasized, not only for the benefit of the
      offspring but also for the health of the mother. All this is due to the
      considerable protective effect of this vitamin against oxidative damage,
      cognitive impairment, hyperhomocysteinemia, immune function, and also its ability
      in preventing common processes in post-pregnancy stages, as well as in reducing
      the risks of neurodevelopmental disorders and enhancing fetal immune development.

PMID- 28342014
TI  - Serum Hepcidin and Soluble Transferrin Receptor in the Assessment of Iron
      Metabolism in Children on a Vegetarian Diet.
AB  - The aim of this study was to assess the effect of vegetarian diet on iron
      metabolism parameters paying special attention to serum hepcidin and soluble
      transferrin receptor (sTfR) concentrations in 43 prepubertal children (age range
      4.5-9.0 years) on vegetarian and in 46 children on omnivorous diets. There were
      no significant differences according to age, weight, height, and body mass index
      (BMI) between vegetarian and omnivorous children. Vegetarians had similar intake
      of iron and vitamin B12 and a significantly higher intake of vitamin C (p < 0.05)
      compared with non-vegetarians. Hematologic parameters and serum iron
      concentrations were within the reference range in both groups of children. Serum
      transferrin levels were similar in all subjects; however, ferritin concentrations
      were significantly (p < 0.01) lower in vegetarians than in omnivores. In children
      on a vegetarian diet, median hepcidin levels were lower (p < 0.05) but sTfR
      concentrations significantly higher (p < 0.001) compared with omnivorous
      children. In the multivariate regression model, we observed associations between
      hepcidin level and ferritin concentration (beta = 0.241, p = 0.05) in the whole
      group of children as well as between hepcidin concentration and CRP level (beta =
      0.419, p = 0.047) in vegetarians. We did not find significant associations with
      concentration of sTfR and selected biochemical, anthropometric, and dietary
      parameters in any of the studied groups of children. As hematologic parameters
      and iron concentrations in vegetarians and omnivores were comparable and ferritin
      level was lower in vegetarians, we suggest that inclusion of novel markers, in
      particular sTfR (not cofounded by inflammation) and hepcidin, can better detect
      subclinical iron deficiency in children following vegetarian diets.

PMID- 28342016
TI  - Severity of Psoriasis Differs Between Men and Women: A Study of the Clinical
      Outcome Measure Psoriasis Area and Severity Index (PASI) in 5438 Swedish Register
      Patients.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Psoriasis is a common skin disease and moderate to severe psoriasis
      is associated with a dose-dependent risk for metabolic and cardiovascular
      morbidity. It has previously been speculated that women have less severe
      psoriasis, as men are overrepresented in psoriasis registers and consume more
      care. OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study was to investigate, for the first
      time, the sex differences in the severity of psoriasis using the gold standard of
      severity measurement, the Psoriasis Area and Severity Index (PASI), and the
      distinct elements of the PASI score. DESIGN, SETTING AND PARTICIPANTS: This was a
      cross-sectional study based on the national registry for systemic treatment of
      psoriasis in Sweden (PsoReg), with 5438 patients experiencing moderate to severe
      psoriasis. Differences in the PASI score and its elements at enrolment were
      tested by multivariable ordinal logistic regressions. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: The
      different components of the PASI score were used to analyze the assessment of
      disease severity. For each body area (head, arms, trunk, and legs), the score of
      the plaque characteristics and degree of skin involvement were used as outcomes.
      RESULTS: Women had statistically significantly lower median PASI scores (5.4)
      than men (7.3) [p < 0.001], which was consistent across all ages. The difference
      remained statistically significant in a multivariable linear regression. The
      itemized PASI analyses from the Mann-Whitney-Wilcoxon tests and the adjusted
      ordinal logistic regressions confirmed that women had significantly lower scores
      than men in all areas of the body, except for the head. No differences in the use
      of medications prior to enrolment could be found that may cause this difference
      between the sexes. CONCLUSIONS: As the PsoReg contains the detailed disease
      measurement PASI, which was traditionally used for selected participants in
      clinical studies only, a nationwide unselected population could be investigated.
      The fact that women have less severe psoriasis can explain the dominance of males
      in the systemic treatment of psoriasis. These findings motivate a gender
      perspective in the management of psoriasis and in the prevention and management
      of its comorbidities.

PMID- 28342017
TI  - Primary Localized Cutaneous Amyloidosis: A Systematic Treatment Review.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Primary localized cutaneous amyloidosis (PLCA) is characterized by
      extracellular deposition of heterogenic amyloid proteins in the skin without
      systemic involvement. Lichen amyloidosis, macular amyloidosis, and (primary
      localized cutaneous) nodular amyloidosis are different subtypes of PLCA.
      OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to review the current reported treatment
      options for PLCA. METHODS: This systematic review was based on a search in the
      PubMed database for English and German articles from 1985 to 2016. RESULTS:
      Reports on the treatment of PLCA were limited predominantly to case reports or
      small case series. There were a few clinical trials but these lacked control
      groups. A variety of treatment options for PLCA were reported including
      retinoids, corticosteroids, cyclophosphamide, cyclosporine, amitriptyline,
      colchicine, cepharanthin, tacrolimus, dimethyl sulfoxide, vitamin D3 analogs,
      capsaicin, menthol, hydrocolloid dressings, surgical modalities, laser treatment,
      and phototherapy. CONCLUSION: No definitive recommendation of preferable
      treatment procedures can be made based on the analyzed literature. Randomized
      controlled trials are needed to offer patients an evidence-based therapy with
      high-quality standardized treatment regimens for PLCA.

PMID- 28342019
TI  - Dopa-responsive dystonia presenting with predominant hemifacial dystonia.

PMID- 28342020
TI  - Idiopathic orbital myositis presenting as cluster headache: a case report.

PMID- 28342018
TI  - Overexpression of OsGATA12 regulates chlorophyll content, delays plant senescence
      and improves rice yield under high density planting.
AB  - Agronomic traits controlling the formation, architecture and physiology of source
      and sink organs are main determinants of rice productivity. Semi-dwarf rice
      varieties with low tiller formation but high seed production per panicle and dark
      green and thick leaves with prolonged source activity are among the desirable
      traits to further increase the yield potential of rice. Here, we report the
      functional characterization of a zinc finger transcription factor, OsGATA12,
      whose overexpression causes increased leaf greenness, reduction of leaf and
      tiller number, and affects yield parameters. Reduced tillering allowed testing
      the transgenic plants under high density which resulted in significantly
      increased yield per area and higher harvest index compared to wild-type. We show
      that delayed senescence of transgenic plants and the corresponding longer stay
      green phenotype is mainly due to increased chlorophyll and chloroplast number.
      Further, our work postulates that the increased greenness observed in the
      transgenic plants is due to more chlorophyll synthesis but most significantly to
      decreased chlorophyll degradation, which is supported by the reduced expression
      of genes involved in the chlorophyll degradation pathway. In particular we show
      evidence for the down-regulation of the STAY GREEN RICE gene and in vivo
      repression of its promoter by OsGATA12, which suggests a transcriptional
      repression function for a GATA transcription factor for prolonging the onset of
      senescence in cereals.

PMID- 28342021
TI  - Establishment of immortalized mouse intestinal epithelial cells line and study of
      effects of Arg-Arg on inflammatory response.
AB  - Primary mouse intestinal epithelial cells (MIEs) are not ideal models for long
      term culture in vitro and a limited amount of approximate three generations. In
      addition, the mechanism that arginine-arginine dipeptide (Arg-Arg) regulates
      mouse intestinal inflammatory response remains unknown. Therefore, the aim of
      this study was to establish immortal MIEs and study the effects of Arg-Arg on
      inflammatory response after challenging the MIEs with lipopolysaccharide (LPS) or
      staphylococcal enterotoxin C (rSEC). Our data showed that immortalized MIEs could
      be cultured over 100 generations. The immortalized MIEs showed positive reaction
      against cytokeratine 18 antigen, E-cadherin, and peptide transporters (Pept1)
      using indirect immunofluorescence. Cytokeratine 18 and Pept1 can be expressed in
      immortalized MIEs by immunoblotting. Fatty acid-binding proteins (FABPs) and
      villin known as intestinal epithelial cell functional protein were constitutively
      expressed in immortalized MIEs. For inflammatory response, these results showed
      that Arg-Arg can decrease the LPS-induced expression of IL-1beta and the rSEC
      induced expression of TNF-alpha; however, it can upregulate the LPS-induced
      expression of IL-6 and TNF-alpha and the rSEC-induced expression level of IL
      1beta. In addition, in the MAPK signaling pathway, pSAPK/JNK and p-Erk1/2 in LPS
      with Arg-Arg treatment were upregulated than that in LPS treatment. p-p38 in LPS
      with Arg-Arg treatment was attenuated than that in LPS treatment. pSAPK/JNK and p
      p38 in rSEC with Arg-Arg treatment were enhanced than that in rSEC treatment.
      Conversely, p-Erk1/2 in rSEC with Arg-Arg treatment was attenuated than that in
      rSEC treatment. These novel findings suggest that Arg-Arg dipeptide plays an
      important role for regulation of the immunologic balance in mouse intestinal
      inflammatory response.

PMID- 28342022
TI  - Identifying connexin expression and determining gap junction intercellular
      communication in rainbow trout cells.
AB  - Gap junctions are groups of membrane-bound channels that allow the passage of
      small molecules and ions between cells, permitting cell-cell communication.
      Because of their importance in cell homeostasis, gap junction presence and
      function were characterized in three commonly studied rainbow trout cell lines,
      namely RTgill-W1, RTgutGC, and RTG-2. Firstly, gap junction presence was
      determined by screening for gap junction protein alpha 7 and alpha 1 (GJA7 and
      GJA1) presence at the transcript level and GJA7 at the protein level. GJA7 was
      successfully identified at both the transcript and protein levels, and GJA1 was
      detected at the transcript level in all three cell lines. This is the first
      report of a GJA7 full-length transcript sequence in rainbow trout cells. Gap
      junction function, as determined by gap junction intercellular communication
      (GJIC), was examined using Lucifer yellow dye migration with the scrape and load
      technique; visualized by fluorescence microscopy. Phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate
      (PMA), a gap junction inhibitor, was used to confirm the presence of functional
      gap junctions. Effects of serum deprivation on GJIC were also monitored; 24-h
      serum deprivation resulted in greater dye migration compared with 30-min serum
      deprivation. Both RTG-2 and RTgill-W1 showed significant dye migration that was
      inhibited by PMA while RTgutGC did not. Human foreskin fibroblast (HFF-1) cells
      were used as a positive control for gap junction presence and function. Taken
      together, our study shows that rainbow trout cells express connexin transcripts
      and proteins, and RTG-2 and, to a lesser extent, RTgill-W1 cells are able to
      perform GJIC.

PMID- 28342023
TI  - Biogenic synthesis of Marsilea quadrifolia gold nanoparticles: a study of
      improved glucose utilization efficiency on 3T3-L1 adipocytes.
AB  - This study aims mainly to provide an insight and understanding of the effect of
      glucose utilization efficiency of biogenic gold nanoparticles (GNPs) synthesized
      through the mediation of Marsilea quadrifolia (M. quadrifolia) methanol extract
      on 3T3-L1 adipocytes. The biosynthesized GNPs were characterized by UV visible
      spectrophotometry and FTIR. Simultaneously, the nature, stability, and
      morphological characteristics were analyzed by XRD, TG-DTA, SEM-EDS, HRTEM, and
      SAED. The results of characterization studies were used to assess the properties
      of GNPs. The in vitro cytotoxicity screening indicates that 100 MUM of biogenic
      GNPs were displayed 71.23 +/- 1.56% of cellular viability in 3T3-L1 adipocyte
      cells. Subsequently, increased glucose utilization of biosynthesized GNPs based
      on a dose-dependent manner on 3T3-L1 has also been demonstrated. The effect of
      GNPs (30 MUg) on glucose uptake was higher than that of insulin and metformin.
      Moreover, the observed results clearly highlight that the biogenic GNPs have
      higher efficiency of glucose utilization and cellular viability in 3T3-L1
      adipocytes with lower toxicity.

PMID- 28342025
TI  - Social media: physicians-to-physicians education and communication.
AB  - PURPOSE OF REVIEW: Physician to physician communication is essential for the
      transfer of ideas, surgical experience, and education. Social networks and online
      video educational contents have grown exponentially in recent years changing the
      interaction among physicians. RECENT FINDINGS: Social media platforms can improve
      physician-to-physician communication mostly through video education and social
      networking. There are several online video platforms for orthopedic surgery with
      educational content on diagnosis, treatment, outcomes, and surgical technique.
      Social networking instead is mostly centered on sharing of data, discussion of
      confidential topics, and job seeking. Quality of educational contents and data
      confidentiality represent the major drawbacks of these platforms. Orthopedic
      surgeons must be aware that the quality of the videos should be better controlled
      and regulated to avoid inaccurate information that may have a significant impact
      especially on trainees that are more prone to use this type of resources. Sharing
      of data and discussion of confidential topics should be extremely secure
      according the HIPAA regulations in order to protect patients' confidentiality.

PMID- 28342024
TI  - Towards optimization of odonto/osteogenic bioengineering: in vitro comparison of
      simvastatin, sodium fluoride, melanocyte-stimulating hormone.
AB  - Tissue engineering has emerged as a potential therapeutic option for dental
      problems in recent years. One of the policies in tissue engineering is to use
      both scaffolds and additive factors for enhancing cell responses. This study aims
      to evaluate and compare the effect of three types of biofactors on poly
      caprolactone-poly-ethylene glycol-poly caprolactone (PCL-PEG-PCL) nanofibrous
      scaffold on human dental pulp stem cell (hDPSCs) engineering. The PCL-PEG-PCL
      copolymer was synthesized with ring opening polymerization method, and its
      nanofiber scaffold was prepared by electrospinning method. Nanofibrous scaffold
      seeded hDPSCs were treated with sodium fluoride (NaF), melanocyte-stimulating
      hormone (MSH), or simvastatin (SIM). Non-treated nanofiber seeded cells were
      utilized as control. The viability, biocompatibility, adhesion, proliferation
      rate, morphology, osteo/odontogenic potential, and the expression of tissue
      specific genes were studied. The results showed that significant higher results
      demonstrated significant higher adhesive behavior, viability, alizarin red
      activity, and dentin specific gene expression in MSH- and SIM-treated cells (p <
      0.05). This study is unique; in that, it compares the effects of different
      treatments for optimization of dental tissue engineering.

PMID- 28342026
TI  - High dose rate brachytherapy source measurement intercomparison.
AB  - This work presents a comparison of air kerma rate (AKR) measurements performed by
      multiple radiotherapy centres for a single HDR 192Ir source. Two separate groups
      (consisting of 15 centres) performed AKR measurements at one of two host centres
      in Australia. Each group travelled to one of the host centres and measured the
      AKR of a single 192Ir source using their own equipment and local protocols.
      Results were compared to the 192Ir source calibration certificate provided by the
      manufacturer by means of a ratio of measured to certified AKR. The comparisons
      showed remarkably consistent results with the maximum deviation in measurement
      from the decay-corrected source certificate value being 1.1%. The maximum
      percentage difference between any two measurements was less than 2%. The
      comparisons demonstrated the consistency of well-chambers used for 192Ir AKR
      measurements in Australia, despite the lack of a local calibration service, and
      served as a valuable focal point for the exchange of ideas and dosimetry methods.

PMID- 28342027
TI  - A comparative evaluation of Ac225 vs Bi213 as therapeutic radioisotopes for
      targeted alpha therapy for cancer.
AB  - The Ac225:Bi213 generator is the mainstay for preclinical and clinical studies of
      targeted alpha therapy for cancer. Both Ac225 (four alpha decays) and Bi213 (one
      alpha decay) are being used to label targeting vectors to form the alpha
      immunoconjugate for cancer therapy. This paper considers the radiobiological and
      economic aspects of Ac225 vs Bi213 as the preferred radioisotope for preclinical
      and clinical TAT. The in vitro and in vivo evidence and the role of DNA repair
      processes is examined. The maximum tolerance dose and therapeutic gain are
      endpoints for comparison. Ac225 has the higher therapeutic gain, when normalised
      to equal alpha production. However, the slow repair of double strand breaks
      reduces this advantage. Comparisons are made for the specific energy deposition
      in targeted and non-targeted cells, for endothelial cells by direct or indirect
      targeting, the need for sparing agents to save critical organs and cost
      considerations for preclinical and clinical trials and clinical use. Overall,
      Ac225 is found to have the better or equal performance to Bi213 at a much lower
      cost.

PMID- 28342028
TI  - Disparities in Knee and Hip Arthroplasty Outcomes: an Observational Analysis of
      the ACS-NSQIP Clinical Registry.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Disparities in total joint arthroplasty (TJA) have largely been
      studied in single center studies and using administrative data. Our objective was
      to investigate differences in TJA outcomes in white men, black men, white women,
      and black women using a large international registry. METHODS: We used 2010-2013
      data from the ACS-NSQIP to identify four groups of adults (white men, black men,
      white women, black women) who underwent primary total knee arthroplasty (TKA) or
      total hip arthroplasty (THA). We compared differences in (1) surgical
      complications (mortality, pulmonary embolism, wound infection, sepsis, blood loss
      requiring transfusion, myocardial infarction, pneumonia, acute renal failure, and
      a composite representing occurrence of one or more adverse outcomes) and (2)
      discharge to a nursing home. RESULTS: We identified 62,075 TKA and 39,334 THA
      patients. For TKA, 35.3% were white men, 57.2% white women, 1.9% black men, and
      5.6% black women. White and black women were significantly more likely to
      experience our composite outcome when compared to their male counterparts (16.5
      and 14.1% for white women and white men; P < .001) (18.3 and 14.3% for black
      women and black men; P = .002); higher complications for women were explained by
      higher transfusion rates in women (14.9 vs 12.2% for white women and men, 16.4 vs
      11.7% for black; P < .001 for both). For TKA, blacks (compared to whites) and
      women (compared to men) were significantly more likely to be discharged to a
      nursing home. Results were similar for THA. CONCLUSIONS: In contrast to prior
      studies, we found that complications after primary TJA were generally similar
      among white and black men and women with the exception of markedly higher
      transfusion rates among women of both racial groups.

PMID- 28342030
TI  - Time Pattern of Exercise-Induced Changes in Type I Collagen Turnover after
      Prolonged Endurance Exercise in Humans.
AB  - Type I collagen is known to adapt to physical activity, and biomarkers of
      collagen turnover indicate that synthesis can be influenced by a single intense
      exercise bout, but the exact time pattern of these latter changes are largely
      undescribed. In the present study, 17 healthy young males had their plasma
      concentrations of the carboxyterminal propeptide of type I procollagen (PICP), a
      marker of collagen formation, and the immunoactive carboboxyterminal cross-linked
      telopeptide (ICTP), a marker of collagen resorption, measured before and
      immediately postexercise, as well as 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6 days after completion
      of a marathon run (42 km). Serum concentrations of creatine kinase (S-CK) were
      measured as an indicator of muscular breakdown in response to the exercise bout.
      After a transient decrease in collagen formation immediately after exercise
      (plasma PICP concentration: 176 +/- 17 MUg/liter to 156 +/- 9 MUg/liter)(P <
      0.05), concentrations rose in the days following the marathon, peaked 72 hours
      after exercise (197 +/- 8 MUg/liter)(P < 0.05 versus basal), and returned to
      basal values similar to those 5 days postexercise (170 +/- 10 MUg/liter). Apart
      from a short increase immediately after exercise, collagen resorption did not
      change from basal levels throughout the remaining period (P > 0.05). Muscle
      breakdown was elevated during the days following the exercise and peaked 24 hours
      after the exercise (S-CK concentration: 3133 +/- 579 U/liter). The findings in
      the present study indicate that type I collagen synthesis is accelerated in
      response to prolonged strenuous exercise, reaching a peak after 3 days and
      returning to preexercising levels 5 days after the completion of a marathon run.

PMID- 28342029
TI  - Self-Awareness and Cultural Identity as an Effort to Reduce Bias in Medicine.
AB  - In response to persistently documented health disparities based on race and other
      demographic factors, medical schools have implemented "cultural competency"
      coursework. While many of these courses have focused on strategies for treating
      patients of different cultural backgrounds, very few have addressed the impact of
      the physician's own cultural background and offered methods to overcome his or
      her own unconscious biases. In hopes of training physicians to contextualize the
      impact of their own cultural background on their ability to provide optimal
      patient care, the authors created a 14-session course on culture, self
      reflection, and medicine. After completing the course, students reported an
      increased awareness of their blind spots and that providing equitable care and
      treatment would require lifelong reflection and attention to these biases. In
      this article, the authors describe the formation and implementation of a novel
      medical school course on self-awareness and cultural identity designed to reduce
      unconscious bias in medicine. Finally, we discuss our observations and lessons
      learned after more than 10 years of experience teaching the course.

PMID- 28342031
TI  - Ibrutinib in CLL: a focus on adverse events, resistance, and novel approaches
      beyond ibrutinib.
AB  - Bruton's tyrosine kinase (BTK), a mediator in B cell receptor signaling has been
      successfully exploited as a therapeutic target in treatment of chronic
      lymphocytic leukemia/small lymphocytic lymphoma (CLL/SLL). Ibrutinib is a BTK
      inhibitor that has shown excellent efficacy in treatment-naive, heavily pre
      treated, and high-risk CLL/SLL. With remarkable efficacy, good oral
      bioavailability, and modest adverse events profile, ibrutinib use is likely to
      continue to increase. As data with ibrutinib use in CLL matures, concerns
      regarding adverse events and drug resistance have emerged. New insights into
      mechanisms of ibrutinib resistance in CLL have uncovered potential therapeutic
      targets. Several promising novel agents are currently in early phases of
      development for overcoming ibrutinib resistance in CLL/SLL. We provide a
      comprehensive analysis of emerging adverse events profile of ibrutinib, summarize
      our current understanding of ibrutinib resistance in CLL, and review promising
      novel therapeutic tools to overcome this challenge.

PMID- 28342032
TI  - Densoviruses in oyster Crassostrea ariakensis.
AB  - Densoviruses have short ssDNA genomes and mainly infect arthropods. To
      characterize viral nucleic acid in shellfish, oysters (Crassostrea ariakensis)
      were analyzed using viral metagenomics. Two large de novo assembled contigs,
      CaaDV1 and CaaDV2, consisting of nearly complete densovirus genomes (5860
      nucleotides (nt) and 4034 nt) with two major ambisense protein coding regions
      were identified. Several potential non-structural proteins and capsid proteins
      were encoded by these genomes, but these were divergent from the existing
      densoviral species. The NS1 protein of the two CaaDVs shared 43.3%~61.5% amino
      acid identities with the sea star-associated densovirus and cherax
      quadricarinatus densovirus, with the four species clustering by phylogenetic
      analysis. This is the first report of densovirus detection in shellfish,
      increasing the potential host range of densoviruses and the genetic diversity of
      the genus Ambidensovirus.

PMID- 28342033
TI  - Sequencing and phylogenetic analysis of tobacco virus 2, a polerovirus from
      Nicotiana tabacum.
AB  - The complete genome sequence of a new virus, provisionally named tobacco virus 2
      (TV2), was determined and identified from leaves of tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum)
      exhibiting leaf mosaic, yellowing, and deformity, in Anhui Province, China. The
      genome sequence of TV2 comprises 5,979 nucleotides, with 87% nucleotide sequence
      identity to potato leafroll virus (PLRV). Its genome organization is similar to
      that of PLRV, containing six open reading frames (ORFs) that potentially encode
      proteins with putative functions in cell-to-cell movement and suppression of RNA
      silencing. Phylogenetic analysis of the nucleotide sequence placed TV2 alongside
      members of the genus Polerovirus in the family Luteoviridae. To the best our
      knowledge, this study is the first report of a complete genome sequence of a new
      polerovirus identified in tobacco.

PMID- 28342034
TI  - Molecular characterization of a new begomovirus infecting Mirabilis jalapa in
      northern India.
AB  - Begomoviruses are whitefly-transmitted single-stranded DNA viruses that are
      responsible for considerable economic losses. A begomovirus, alphasatellite and
      betasatellite were characterized in a Mirabilis jalapa plant exhibiting severe
      leaf curling and mottling symptoms. The complete viral genome shared highest
      sequence identity of 87% with pedilanthus leaf curl virus (AM712436), reported
      from Pakistan. Additionally, the viral genome was 84% identical to that of chilli
      leaf curl India virus (KX951415) and 83% identical to that of tobacco curly shoot
      virus (GU1999584), which were previously reported to infect M. jalapa in India
      and China, respectively. Based on the ICTV criterion for begomovirus species
      demarcation (>=91% sequence identity for the complete genome), the virus
      represents a new species, for which we propose the name Mirabilis leaf curl
      virus. The alphasatellite and betasatellite sequences were similar to the
      corresponding sequences of ageratum yellow vein India alphasatellite (KU852743;
      99% identity) and tomato leaf curl Patna betasatellite (HQ180394; 86% identity)
      sequences, respectively. This report describes a new begomovirus-satellite
      disease complex in M. jalapa.

PMID- 28342035
TI  - Prediction of cortical bone porosityIn Vitro by microcomputed tomography.
AB  - The high importance of intracortical porosity for mechanical strength of cortical
      bone has been established. The contribution of other parameters of microstructure
      such as osteon dimensions for strength is in discussion. The aim of this study
      was to evaluate the predictive value of microcomputed tomography (uCT) for
      porosity and other microstructural parameters of cortical bone in cortical bone
      biopsies. Femoral cortical bone specimens from the middiaphysis of 24 patients
      were harvested during the procedure of total hip replacement at the location
      where normally one hole (O 4.5 mm) for the relief of the intramedullary pressure
      is placed.In vitro intracortical porosity and bone mineral density (BMD)
      measurements by uCT were compared with structural parameters assessed in
      histological sections of the same specimens. A strong correlation was found
      between intracortical porosity measured by uCT and histological porosity
      (r=0.95,P<0.0001). Porosity measured by uCT was also a strong predictor for other
      parameters describing dimensions of porous structures. BMD-1 was associated with
      osteonal area (r=-0.76,P<0.0001). We consider the measurement of porosity by uCT
      as a very potent procedure for assessing intracortical porosity and parameters
      related to porous structures of cortical bone nondestructivelyin vitro.

PMID- 28342039
TI  - Italian Spine Society National Congress SICV&GIS Naples, Italy May 11-13, 2017
      ABSTRACTS.

PMID- 28342038
TI  - Coronary artery calcium in breast cancer survivors after radiation therapy.
AB  - The purpose of the current study is to investigate whether breast cancer
      survivors after radiation therapy have a higher burden of coronary artery calcium
      as a potential surrogate of radiation-induced accelerated coronary artery
      disease. 333 patients were included. 54 patients underwent chest CT >= 6 months
      after the start of radiation therapy (radiation therapy group), while 279
      patients had a CT scan either prior to or without undergoing radiation therapy
      (RT). Coronary artery calcium was quantified from CT by applying a threshold
      based automated algorithm. Mean age at diagnosis was similar (p = 0.771) between
      RT (57.4 +/- 13.1 years) and NoRT (58.0 +/- 11.9 years). Median time between
      radiation therapy and CT was 2 years. The groups showed no significant
      differences in race, smoking history, cancer laterality, or cancer stage. 39
      (72.2%) of RT patients had a coronary artery calcium score of 0, compared to 201
      (72.0%) in patients without radiation therapy. Median coronary artery calcium
      burden for both groups was not significantly different (p = 0.982), nor when
      comparing patients who underwent left- versus right-sided radiation therapy (p =
      0.453). When adjusting for the time between diagnosis and CT, radiation therapy
      patients had a significantly lower risk of a positive coronary artery calcium
      score. In conclusion, breast cancer survivors after radiation therapy are not
      more likely to show coronary artery calcium on follow-up CT imaging. Our results
      thus do not support radiation-induced accelerated coronary artery disease as an
      explanation for higher rates of heart disease in this group.

PMID- 28342041
TI  - Utility of MR imaging in the evaluation of colon cancer.

PMID- 28342040
TI  - Ancient parasites from endemic deer from "CUEVA PARQUE DIANA" archeological site,
      Patagonia, Argentina.
AB  - The narrow Andean-Patagonian temperate rainforest strip in the west of southern
      South America is inhabited by two endemic species of cervids, the southern pudu
      (Pudu puda) and the huemul (Hippocamelus bisulcus), both cataloged as near
      threatened and threatened species, respectively. One of the possible causes of
      their declined number is the susceptibility to livestock diseases. Significant
      zooarchaeological records of both deer have been found throughout the Holocene
      from Patagonia. The present contribution reports the first paleoparasitological
      results obtained from coprolites of endemic deer from the archeological site
      "Cueva Parque Diana," Neuquen Province, Argentina, and discusses the possible
      diseases found in ancient times. Thirty-four coprolites were fully processed,
      rehydrated, homogenized, sieved, subjected to spontaneous sedimentation, and
      examined by light microscopy. Thirty samples contained parasite remains. The
      presence of diverse parasitic diseases such as trematodioses, metastrongylosis,
      trichuriosis, strongylida gastroenteritis, dioctophymosis, and coccidiosis which
      could cause diseases in deer previous to the arrival of European livestock and
      the presence of zoonotic diseases in the hunters-gatherers and fishermen are
      discussed.

PMID- 28342042
TI  - Genetic variant of BNC2 gene is functionally associated with adolescent
      idiopathic scoliosis in Chinese population.
AB  - Adolescent idiopathic scoliosis (AIS) is a structural curvature of the spine that
      was estimated to affect millions of children worldwide. Recent study shows that
      the functional variant rs10738445 could add to the risk of AIS through the
      regulation of BNC2 gene. This study aims to investigate whether the rs10738445 of
      BNC2 gene is a functional susceptible locus for AIS in the Chinese population and
      to further clarify the association of the BNC2 expression with the curve
      severity. SNP rs10738445 was genotyped in 1952 patients and 2492 controls, and
      further replicated in 693 patients and 254 controls. We found that patients have
      a significantly higher frequency of CC than the controls (21.9 vs. 17.7%, p =
      0.004 for stage 1; 12.6 vs. 7.9%, p = 0.03 for stage 2). Allele C can
      significantly add to the risk of AIS with an OR of 1.14-1.24. AIS patients were
      found to have significantly higher BNC2 expression than the controls. The BNC2
      expression was significantly correlated with the curve severity (r = 0.316, p =
      0.02). In conclusion, our study suggests a functional role of BNC2 in the
      development and progression of the spinal deformity in AIS.

PMID- 28342043
TI  - Accuracy Validation of an Automated Method for Prostate Segmentation in Magnetic
      Resonance Imaging.
AB  - Three dimensional (3D) manual segmentation of the prostate on magnetic resonance
      imaging (MRI) is a laborious and time-consuming task that is subject to inter
      observer variability. In this study, we developed a fully automatic segmentation
      algorithm for T2-weighted endorectal prostate MRI and evaluated its accuracy
      within different regions of interest using a set of complementary error metrics.
      Our dataset contained 42 T2-weighted endorectal MRI from prostate cancer
      patients. The prostate was manually segmented by one observer on all of the
      images and by two other observers on a subset of 10 images. The algorithm first
      coarsely localizes the prostate in the image using a template matching technique.
      Then, it defines the prostate surface using learned shape and appearance
      information from a set of training images. To evaluate the algorithm, we assessed
      the error metric values in the context of measured inter-observer variability and
      compared performance to that of our previously published semi-automatic approach.
      The automatic algorithm needed an average execution time of ~60 s to segment the
      prostate in 3D. When compared to a single-observer reference standard, the
      automatic algorithm has an average mean absolute distance of 2.8 mm, Dice
      similarity coefficient of 82%, recall of 82%, precision of 84%, and volume
      difference of 0.5 cm3 in the mid-gland. Concordant with other studies, accuracy
      was highest in the mid-gland and lower in the apex and base. Loss of accuracy
      with respect to the semi-automatic algorithm was less than the measured inter
      observer variability in manual segmentation for the same task.

PMID- 28342044
TI  - 3D Histopathology-a Lung Tissue Segmentation Workflow for Microfocus X-ray
      Computed Tomography Scans.
AB  - Lung histopathology is currently based on the analysis of 2D sections of tissue
      samples. The use of microfocus X-ray-computed tomography imaging of unstained
      soft tissue can provide high-resolution 3D image datasets in the range of 2-10
      MUm without affecting the current diagnostic workflow. Important details of
      structural features such as the tubular networks of airways and blood vessels are
      contained in these datasets but are difficult and time-consuming to identify by
      manual image segmentation. Providing 3D structures permits a better understanding
      of tissue functions and structural interrelationships. It also provides a more
      complete picture of heterogeneous samples. In addition, 3D analysis of tissue
      structure provides the potential for an entirely new level of quantitative
      measurements of this structure that have previously been based only on
      extrapolation from 2D sections. In this paper, a workflow for segmenting such 3D
      images semi-automatically has been created using and extending the ImageJ open
      source software and key steps of the workflow have been integrated into a new
      ImageJ plug-in called LungJ. Results indicate an improved workflow with a modular
      organization of steps facilitating the optimization for different sample and scan
      properties with expert input as required. This allows for incremental and
      independent optimization of algorithms leading to faster segmentation.
      Representation of the tubular networks in samples of human lung, building on
      those segmentations, has been demonstrated using this approach.

PMID- 28342045
TI  - Effects of an alveolar recruitment maneuver on subdural pressure, brain swelling,
      and mean arterial pressure in patients undergoing supratentorial tumour
      resection: a randomized crossover study.
AB  - PURPOSE: Although recruitment maneuvers have been advocated as part of a lung
      protective ventilation strategy, their effects on cerebral physiology during
      elective neurosurgery are unknown. Our objectives were to determine the effects
      of an alveolar recruitment maneuver on subdural pressure (SDP), brain relaxation
      score (BRS), and cerebral perfusion pressure among patients undergoing
      supratentorial tumour resection. METHODS: In this prospective crossover study,
      patients scheduled for resection of a supratentorial brain tumour were randomized
      to undergo either a recruitment maneuver (30 cm of water for 30 sec) or a "sham"
      maneuver (5 cm of water for 30 sec), followed by the alternative intervention
      after a 90-sec equilibration period. Subdural pressure was measured through a
      dural perforation following opening of the cranium. Subdural pressure and mean
      arterial pressure (MAP) were recorded continuously. The blinded neurosurgeon
      provided a BRS at baseline and at the end of each intervention. During each
      treatment, the changes in SDP, BRS, and MAP were compared. RESULTS: Twenty-one
      patients underwent the study procedure. The increase in SDP was higher during the
      recruitment maneuver than during the sham maneuver (difference, 3.9 mmHg; 95%
      confidence interval [CI], 2.2 to 5.6; P < 0.001). Mean arterial pressure
      decreased further in the recruitment maneuver than in the sham maneuver
      (difference, -9.0 mmHg; 95% CI, -12.5 to -5.6; P < 0.001). Cerebral perfusion
      pressure decreased 14 mmHg (95% CI, 4 to 24) during the recruitment maneuver. The
      BRS did not change with either maneuver. CONCLUSION: Our results suggest that
      recruitment maneuvers increase subdural pressure and reduce cerebral perfusion
      pressure, although the clinical importance of these findings is thus far unknown.
      This trial was registered with ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT02093117.

PMID- 28342047
TI  - Blood toxic metals and hemoglobin levels in Mexican children.
AB  - Metal toxicity can cause hematologic abnormalities and hemolysis. To evaluate the
      relationship of anemia with metal contamination in children, the following
      elements were quantified in dry blood: silicon, chromium, lead, titanium,
      vanadium, nickel, arsenic, manganese, and cadmium. A total of 88 samples of
      anemic children and 208 of non-anemic children aged 6-12 years were analyzed.
      Lead (35.1%), chromium (24.3%), vanadium (24.3%), nickel (45.6%), and silicon
      (48.6%) were identified in the samples, with titanium only detected in anemic
      children. The average level of arsenic was higher in anemic than non-anemic
      children (0.041 +/- 0.11 wt% vs 0.014 +/- 0.05 wt%, p < 0.05) and correlated with
      the concentration of hemoglobin (r = -0.441, p < 0.01). In conclusion, heavy
      metals, which confer a health risk, were detected in the dry blood of the
      children evaluated, and the levels of arsenic and titanium were found to be
      related to anemia.

PMID- 28342046
TI  - Sources, mechanisms, and fate of steroid estrogens in wastewater treatment
      plants: a mini review.
AB  - Steroid estrogens, such as estrone (E1), 17beta-estradiol (E2), estriol (E3), and
      17alpha-ethinylestradiol (EE2), are natural and synthetic hormones released into
      the environment through incomplete sewage discharge. This review focuses on the
      sources of steroid estrogens in wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs). The
      mechanisms and fate of steroid estrogens throughout the entire wastewater
      treatment system are also discussed, and relevant information on regulatory
      aspects is given. Municipal, pharmaceutical industry, and hospitals are the main
      sources of steroid estrogens that enter WWTPs. A typical WWTP comprises primary,
      secondary, and tertiary treatment units. Sorption and biodegradation are the main
      mechanisms for removal of steroid estrogens from WWTPs. The fate of steroid
      estrogens in WWTPs depends on the types of wastewater treatment systems. Steroid
      estrogens in the primary treatment unit are removed by sorption onto primary
      sludge, followed by sorption onto micro-flocs and biodegradation by microbes in
      the secondary treatment unit. Tertiary treatment employs nitrification,
      chlorination, or UV disinfection to improve the quality of the secondary
      effluent. Activated sludge treatment systems for steroid estrogens exhibit a
      removal efficiency of up to 100%, which is higher than that of the trickling
      filter treatment system (up to 75%). Moreover, the removal efficiency of advance
      treatment systems exceeds 90%. Regulatory aspects related to steroid estrogens
      are established, especially in the European Union. Japan is the only Asian
      country that implements a screening program and is actively involved in endocrine
      disruptor testing and assessment. This review improves our understanding of
      steroid estrogens in WWTPs, proposes main areas to be improved, and provides
      current knowledge on steroid estrogens in WWTPs for sustainable development.

PMID- 28342048
TI  - Assessing knowledge, performance, and efficiency for hospital waste management-a
      comparison of government and private hospitals in Pakistan.
AB  - Proper management of healthcare waste is a critical concern in many countries of
      the world. Rapid urbanization and population growth rates pose serious challenges
      to healthcare waste management infrastructure in such countries. This study was
      aimed at assessing the situation of hospital waste management in a major city of
      Pakistan. Simple random sampling was used to select 12 government and private
      hospitals in the city. Field visits, physical measurements, and questionnaire
      survey method were used for data collection. Information was obtained regarding
      hospital waste generation, segregation, collection, storage, transportation, and
      disposal. Data envelopment analysis (DEA) was used to classify the hospitals on
      the basis of their relative waste management efficiencies. The weighted average
      total waste generation at the surveyed hospitals was discovered to be 1.53
      kg/patient/day of which 75.15% consisted of general waste and the remaining
      consisted of biomedical waste. Of the total waste, 24.54% came from the public
      hospital and the remaining came from the private hospitals. DEA showed that seven
      of the surveyed hospitals had scale or pure technical inefficiencies in their
      waste management activities. The public hospital was relatively less efficient
      than most of the private hospitals in these activities. Results of the
      questionnaire survey showed that none of the surveyed hospitals was carrying out
      waste management in strict compliance with government regulations. Moreover,
      hospital staff at all the surveyed hospitals had low level of knowledge regarding
      safe hospital waste management practices. The current situation should be
      rectified in order to avoid environmental and epidemiological risks.

PMID- 28342049
TI  - Safety assessment of chromafenozide residue level with decline study on tomato in
      Egypt.
AB  - The objective of this study is to perform a safety assessment of chromafenozide
      residue level on tomato at the Egyptian national level. An open field decline
      study of chromafenozide on tomato was performed. The theoretical maximum daily
      intake (TMDI) of chromafenozide was calculated for assessing the chronic dietary
      exposure indicating that the ADI value of chromafenozide (0.27 mg/kg bw/day) was
      not exceeded. As a result, the safety assessment of chromafenozide residue levels
      was attained. A validated method of the QuEChERS approach followed by HPLC-DAD
      analysis was used to determine the chromafenozide residues. The recoveries ranged
      from 70 to 88% with relative standard deviations ranging from 2.0 to 9.0%. The
      limit of quantitation was 0.01 mg/kg. The half-life of chromafenozide on tomatoes
      was 3.5 days.

PMID- 28342050
TI  - Sewage pollution: genotoxicity assessment and phytoremediation of nutrients
      excess with Hydrocotyle ranunculoides.
AB  - The discharge of sewage effluents into low-order streams has negative effects on
      water quality. Macrophytes can be efficient in the treatment of this wastewater
      due to the removal of the main pollutants. The genotoxicity of sewage-polluted
      water discharging into La Choza stream was evaluated by testing with Allium cepa.
      Also, a phytoremediation assay with continuous recirculation of the residual
      water was conducted for 12 days. Three treatments were carried out. One treatment
      (Hr) was performed with a macrophyte (Hydrocotyle ranunculoides), and two
      treatments were conducted without macrophytes: with lighting (Ai) and without
      lighting (Ao). The wastewater was toxic according to all the evaluated indexes
      (mitotic index, frequency of chromosomal aberrations and micronucleus). High
      concentrations of ammonium, dissolved inorganic nitrogen (DIN), total (TP) and
      soluble reactive phosphorous (SRP) and indicators of faecal contamination were
      determined in the wastewater. The ammonium, DIN, SRP and TP loads at the end of
      the assay were significantly lower in the treatments with light (Hr and Ai). So,
      the nutrient removal was due to their absorption and adsorption by the periphyton
      and H. ranunculoides. Our results lead us to recommend the maintenance and
      planting of macrophytes in lowland streams subject to sewage pollution.

PMID- 28342051
TI  - Appraisal of nutrient distribution in the surface water and bed sediments of a
      small mountainous river.
AB  - A total of 42 (21 surface water and 21 bed sediments) samples were collected from
      upstream to downstream stretches of Meenachil river during pre-monsoon (PRM),
      monsoon (MON) and post monsoon (POM) seasons. DOC in water showed increasing
      trend spatially while temporal study illustrates high mean value during PRM (1.58
      ppm) followed by POM (0.97) and MON (0.36). Spatial assessment of elements such
      as Ca, Mg, K and Na in sediments reveals erratic trend during different seasons,
      while total phosphorous showed escalating trend signifying abrupt addition from
      anthropogenic sources. Based on characteristic carbon to nitrogen ratio, the
      study demonstrates significant control of macrophyte in terrestrial organic
      matter accumulation along downstream stations.

PMID- 28342052
TI  - Arsenic concentrations in local aromatic and high-yielding hybrid rice cultivars
      and the potential health risk: a study in an arsenic hotspot.
AB  - The presence of high levels of arsenic (As) in rice fields has negative effects
      on the health of those consuming rice as their subsistence food. This study
      determined the variation in total As concentration in local aromatic rice (LAR)
      (kalijira) and two high-yielding varieties (HYVs) (BRRI dhan 32 and BRRI dhan 28)
      grown in paddy fields in Matlab, Bangladesh, an As hotspot with elevated As
      levels in groundwater. Mature rice grain samples and soil samples were collected
      from different paddy fields, and the As concentrations in both the de-husked
      grains and the husks of the three rice cultivars were analysed to identify the
      safest of the three cultivars for human consumption. The results showed that the
      total As concentration was higher (0.09-0.21 mg As kg-1) in the de-husked grains
      of LAR than in the husks, while the opposite was found for the HYV rice.
      Moreover, the As concentration in soil samples was 2 to 5-fold higher for the LAR
      than for the HYVs, but the As accumulation factor (AF) was lower in the LAR (0.2
      0.4%) than in the HYVs (0.9-1%). Thus, LAR can be considered the safest of the
      three cultivars for human consumption owing to its low AF value. Furthermore, due
      to the low AF, growing LAR instead of HYVs in soils with slightly elevated As
      levels could help improve the food safety level in the food chain.

PMID- 28342053
TI  - An increasing problem in publication ethics: Publication bias and editors' role
      in avoiding it.
AB  - Publication bias is defined as "the tendency on the parts of investigators,
      reviewers, and editors to submit or accept manuscripts for publication based on
      the direction or the strength of the study findings."Publication bias distorts
      the accumulated data in the literature, causes the over estimation of potential
      benefits of intervention and mantles the risks and adverse effects, and creates a
      barrier to assessing the clinical utility of drugs as well as evaluating the long
      term safety of medical interventions. The World Medical Association, the
      International Committee of Medical Journals, and the Committee on Publication
      Ethics have conferred responsibilities and ethical obligations to editors
      concerning the avoidance of publication bias. Despite the explicit statements in
      these international documents, the editors' role in and ability to avoid
      publication bias is still being discussed. Unquestionably, all parties involved
      in clinical research have the ultimate responsibility to sustain the research
      integrity and validity of accumulated general knowledge. Cooperation and
      commitment is required at every step of a clinical trial. However, this holistic
      approach does not exclude effective measures to be taken at the editors' level.
      The editors of major medical journals concluded that one precaution that editors
      can take is to mandate registration of all clinical trials in a public repository
      as a precondition to submitting manuscripts to journals. Raising awareness
      regarding the value of publishing negative data for the scientific community and
      human health, and increasing the number of journals that are dedicated to
      publishing negative results or that set aside a section in their pages to do so,
      are positive steps editors can take to avoid publication bias.

PMID- 28342054
TI  - Tube task hand preference in captive hylobatids.
AB  - The link between laterality in humans and other primates is still hotly debated.
      Hylobatids have been rather neglected in this research area, yet they can provide
      important insights because: (1) they share with humans a complex vocal
      repertoire, which in humans is thought to be associated with brain hemispheric
      specialization and lateralized behaviors; (2) their adaptation to arboreality has
      produced unique postural constraints; (3) the little that is known about
      laterality in gibbons is contradictory (captive studies have provided conflicting
      results, while a field study on siamangs reported a population-level left-hand
      preference). To clarify this, we investigated hand preference in captive
      hylobatids [n = 42; 22 siamangs (Symphalangus syndactylus) and 20 gibbons
      (Hylobates sp., Nomascus leucogenys)] in nine Japanese facilities. We had a large
      sample size, controlled for possible confounds (posture, enclosure limitations)
      and used a well-established testing protocol (tube task). Handedness indices
      calculated from raw frequencies and bouts were highly correlated and showed a
      significant left-hand skew, which is consistent with data from wild siamangs.
      Major differences between captive and wild siamangs were a larger number of
      ambiguously handed individuals, and no significant age-related variation in
      captivity. The use of the index finger elicited a much more strongly lateralized
      response than the thumb. These results confirmed a left-hand preference in
      siamangs, but were equivocal in other hylobatids, and suggest selective pressures
      that may have acted on the highly arboreal hylobatids to favor handedness. Our
      study also indicates factors that might explain the discrepancy in the literature
      between handedness studies on captive and wild primate populations.

PMID- 28342055
TI  - The analysis of lncRNA HOTAIR rs12826786 C>T polymorphism and gastric cancer
      susceptibility in a Turkish population: lack of any association in a hospital
      based case-control study.
AB  - BACKGROUND: The HOX transcript antisense intergenic RNA (HOTAIR), a well-known
      long noncoding RNA (lncRNA), has been widely identified to participate in
      pathogenesis of multiple cancers. An aberrant up-regulation and biological
      functions have been observed in gastric cancer (GC). A common single nucleotide
      polymorphism (SNP) (rs12826786 C>T) at the HOTAIR has been reported to influence
      HOTAIR expression, but its association with GC has yet to be investigated in
      Turkish population. AIM: The aim of the present study was to investigate whether
      HOTAIR rs12826786 C>T polymorphism could be involved in the risk of GC
      susceptibility in Turkish population. METHODS: We genotyped HOTAIR rs12826786 C>T
      polymorphism in 312 Turkish individuals including 105 GC patients and 207 healthy
      controls matched on age and gender by a Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR)
      with the TaqMan assay. RESULTS: No statistically significant differences were
      found in the allele or genotype distributions of the HOTAIR rs12826786 C>T
      polymorphism among GC and healthy control subjects (P > 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Our
      results demonstrate that the HOTAIR rs12826786 C>T polymorphism has not been in
      any major role in genetic susceptibility to gastric carcinogenesis, at least in
      the population studied here. Independent studies are needed to validate our
      findings in a larger series, as well as in patients of different ethnic origins.

PMID- 28342057
TI  - Preparation of Drug-Loaded PLGA-PEG Nanoparticles by Membrane-Assisted
      Nanoprecipitation.
AB  - PURPOSE: The aim of this work is to develop a scalable continuous system suitable
      for the formulation of polymeric nanoparticles using membrane-assisted
      nanoprecipitation. One of the hurdles to overcome in the use of nanostructured
      materials as drug delivery vectors is their availability at industrial scale.
      Innovation in process technology is required to translate laboratory production
      into mass production while preserving their desired nanoscale characteristics.
      METHODS: Membrane-assisted nanoprecipitation has been used for the production of
      Poly[(D,L lactide-co-glycolide)-co-poly ethylene glycol] diblock) (PLGA-PEG)
      nanoparticles using a pulsed back-and-forward flow arrangement. Tubular Shirasu
      porous glass membranes (SPG) with pore diameters of 1 and 0.2 MUm were used to
      control the mixing process during the nanoprecipitation reaction. RESULTS: The
      size of the resulting PLGA-PEG nanoparticles could be readily tuned in the range
      from 250 to 400 nm with high homogeneity (PDI lower than 0.2) by controlling the
      dispersed phase volume/continuous phase volume ratio. Dexamethasone was
      successfully encapsulated in a continuous process, achieving an encapsulation
      efficiency and drug loading efficiency of 50% and 5%, respectively. The
      dexamethasone was released from the nanoparticles following Fickian kinetics.
      CONCLUSIONS: The method allowed to produce polymeric nanoparticles for drug
      delivery with a high productivity, reproducibility and easy scalability.

PMID- 28342059
TI  - Dental Traits of Congenital Syphilis Revisited in Dental Outpatient Department
      (OPD).

PMID- 28342058
TI  - Galician consensus on management of cardiotoxicity in breast cancer: risk
      factors, prevention, and early intervention.
AB  - This Galician consensus statement is a joint oncologists/cardiologists initiative
      indented to establish basic recommendations on how to prevent and to manage the
      cardiotoxicity in breast cancer with the aim of ensuring an optimal
      cardiovascular care of these patients. A clinical screening of the patients
      before treatment is recommended to stratify them into a determined risk group
      based on their intrinsic cardiovascular risk factors and those extrinsic arose
      from breast cancer therapy, thereby providing individualized preventive and
      monitoring measures. Suitable initial and ongoing assessments for patients with
      low and moderate/high risk and planned treatment with anthracyclines and
      trastuzumab are given; also, measures aimed at preventing and correcting any
      modifiable risk factor are pointed out .

PMID- 28342056
TI  - Formulation, Delivery and Stability of Bone Morphogenetic Proteins for Effective
      Bone Regeneration.
AB  - Bone morphogenetic proteins (BMPs) are responsible for bone formation during
      embryogenesis and bone regeneration and remodeling. The osteoinductive action of
      BMPs, especially BMP-2 and BMP-7, has led to their use in a range of
      insurmountable treatments where intervention is required for effective bone
      regeneration. Introduction of BMP products to the market, however, was not
      without reports of multiple complications and side effects. Aiming for
      optimization of the therapeutic efficacy and safety, efforts have been focused on
      improving the delivery of BMPs to lower the administered dose, localize the
      protein, and prolong its retention time at the site of action. A major challenge
      with these efforts is that the protein stability should be maintained. With this
      review we attempt to shed light on how the stability of BMPs can be affected in
      the formulation and delivery processes. We first provide a short overview of the
      current standing of the complications experienced with BMP products. We then
      discuss the different delivery parameters studied in association with BMPs, and
      their influence on the efficacy and safety of BMP treatments. In particular, the
      literature addressing the stability of BMPs and their possible interactions with
      components of the delivery system as well as their sensitivity to conditions of
      the formulation process is reviewed. In summary, recent developments in the
      fields of bioengineering and biopharmaceuticals suggest that a good understanding
      of the relationship between the formulation/delivery conditions and the stability
      of growth factors such as BMPs is a prerequisite for a safe and effective
      treatment.

PMID- 28342061
TI  - Cost-Effectiveness Analysis of Obinutuzumab for Previously Untreated Chronic
      Lymphocytic Leukaemia in Portuguese Patients who are Unsuitable for Full-Dose
      Fludarabine-Based Therapy.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Chronic lymphocytic leukaemia (CLL) mostly affects patients with
      comorbidities and limited therapeutic options. Obinutuzumab in combination with
      chlorambucil (GClb) is a new therapeutic option for previously untreated CLL
      patients who are unsuitable for full-dose fludarabine-based therapy. This
      combination delays disease progression but incurs additional costs; thus, an
      assessment of its value for money is relevant. OBJECTIVE: To estimate the
      incremental cost-utility ratio of GClb in comparison with (i) rituximab in
      combination with chlorambucil (RClb), and (ii) chlorambucil alone (Clb) from the
      perspective of the Portuguese National Health Service (NHS). METHODS: A Markov
      model was used to predict disease progression. Pre-progression clinical data were
      based on the latest CLL11 trial data, and post-progression clinical data were
      obtained from CLL5 trial data. Utility values are from Kosmas et al. (Leuk
      Lymphoma 56:1320-1326, 14). Only direct medical costs were included. The resource
      consumption was estimated by a panel of Portuguese experts, and the unit costs
      were obtained from official sources. A discount rate of 5% was applied to costs
      and consequences. RESULTS: GClb and RClb were associated with an increase of 1.06
      and 0.39 quality-adjusted life-years (QALY) at an additional cost of ?21,720 and
      ?9836 when compared to Clb, respectively. The cost-utility ratio of GClb versus
      Clb was ?20,397/QALY, while RClb was extendedly dominated. CONCLUSIONS: The use
      of GClb for previously untreated CLL patients who are unsuitable for full-dose
      fludarabine-based therapy incurs an incremental cost per QALY that is generally
      accepted in Portugal. Therefore, although there is some uncertainty, obinutuzumab
      is probably a cost-effective therapy in the Portuguese setting.

PMID- 28342062
TI  - [New challenges for medical rehabilitation].

PMID- 28342063
TI  - ?

PMID- 28342060
TI  - Glycogen-Rich Clear Cell Squamous Cell Carcinoma Originating in the Oral Cavity.
AB  - Clear cell squamous cell carcinoma (CCSCC) is a rare histological subtype of
      squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) that was originally described in the skin. Here, we
      report a case of a 66-year-old female patient who presented with a fungating
      ulcerative mass of the left lateral tongue extending anteriorly to the floor of
      the mouth, and posteriorly to the left retromolar fossa and the oropharynx. The
      patient had a history of SCC of the left posterior tongue that was treated with
      partial glossectomy and adjuvant radiotherapy. Representative biopsies were
      obtained from the floor of the mouth, tongue and retromolar fossa. The examined
      biopsies showed various degrees of dysplastic surface epithelium with transition
      into infiltrating epithelial tumor nests and cords with clear cytoplasm and
      malignant cellular features. Pancytokeratin, CK5/6, and p63 were all diffusely
      positive. S-100, Calponin, and smooth muscle actin (SMA) were negative. PAS stain
      was diffusely positive and diastase labile in the tumor clear cells. Sparse areas
      of mucicarmine positivity were noted. Based on these findings a final diagnosis
      of a glycogen-rich CCSCC was given. This case represents a very rare histological
      variant of oral SCC, which is significant for the histological differential
      diagnosis of clear cell tumors of the oral cavity.

PMID- 28342065
TI  - Pharmacokinetics of linezolid in plasma and cerebrospinal fluid in patients with
      cerebral hemorrhage post-surgical intervention.

PMID- 28342066
TI  - Antidepressant use in suicides: a case-control study from the Friuli Venezia
      Giulia Region, Italy, 2005-2014.
AB  - PURPOSE: To compare the use of antidepressant (AD) classes and compounds in
      individuals who committed suicide and in controls from the general population and
      to assess to what extent adherence and current use of different AD classes can
      affect the risk of committing suicide. METHODS: Individual data on suicide,
      diagnoses and AD use in Friuli Venezia Giulia from 2005 to 2014 were obtained
      from the Regional Social and Health Information System. All suicides that had at
      least one prescription of AD in the 730 days before death (N = 876) were included
      as cases. Each case was matched with regard to age and sex with five controls
      from the general population. The association between suicide and AD use was
      assessed using conditional logistic regression analysis. RESULTS: Almost 70% of
      all suicides occurring in the10-year period had been prescribed AD. Selective
      serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) accounted for more than the 90% of the
      prescriptions, with paroxetine the most prescribed AD. All AD compounds and
      classes were not associated with a higher suicide risk, with the exception of
      SSRI (OR = 1.6). A decreasing trend in suicide risk was observed when adherent
      subjects or current AD users were compared to the others. CONCLUSIONS: AD
      treatment is an important factor for preventing suicide, since the use of AD at
      adequate dosage and for a proper duration was associated with a lower suicide
      risk. The proper use of AD should be ascertained by physicians, particularly in a
      primary care context.

PMID- 28342068
TI  - Erratum to: The influence of memory on indoor environment exploration: A
      numerical study.

PMID- 28342067
TI  - The incidence of post-transplant cancer among kidney transplant recipients is
      associated with the level of tacrolimus exposure during the first year after
      transplantation.
AB  - PURPOSE: Immunosuppressive therapy plays a major role in the development of post
      transplant cancer. In this nested case-control study of kidney transplant
      recipients (KTRs), we investigated whether the incidence of post-transplant
      cancer is associated with the level of tacrolimus exposure over time. METHODS: We
      screened the Rabin Medical Center database for adults who received kidney
      transplants between 2001 and 2014 and developed post-transplant cancer (excluding
      basal and squamous cell skin cancers). They were matched against KTRs without
      cancer. All patients received a maintenance immunosuppressive treatment with
      tacrolimus, mycophenolate mofetil and corticosteroids. The degree of exposure to
      tacrolimus was estimated as the time-weighted average (tTWA) value of tacrolimus
      blood levels. The tTWA was calculated as the area under the curve divided by time
      at 1, 6, and 12 months after transplantation and at time of cancer diagnosis.
      RESULTS: Thirty-two cases were matched against 64 controls. tTWA values above 11
      ng/mL at 6 and 12 months after transplantation were associated with odds ratio
      (OR) of 3.1 (95% CI 1.1-9) and 11.7 (95% CI = 1.3-106), respectively, for post
      transplant cancer; and with OR of 5.2 (95% CI 1.3-20.5) and 14.1 (95% CI = 1.5
      134.3), respectively, for cancer diagnosed more than 3 years after
      transplantation. CONCLUSION: Exposure to a tacrolimus time-weighted average level
      above 11 ng/mL at 6 or 12 months after kidney transplantation is associated with
      an increased risk of developing cancer.

PMID- 28342069
TI  - Erratum to: Measuring sequences of keystrokes with jsPsych: Reliability of
      response times and interkeystroke intervals.

PMID- 28342064
TI  - HDL cholesterol: reappraisal of its clinical relevance.
AB  - BACKGROUND: While several lines of evidence prove that elevated concentrations of
      low-density lipoproteins (LDL) causally contribute to the development of
      atherosclerosis and its clinical consequences, high-density lipoproteins are
      still widely believed to exert atheroprotective effects. Hence, HDL cholesterol
      (HDL-C) is in general still considered as "good cholesterol". Recent research,
      however, suggests that this might not always be the case and that a fundamental
      reassessment of the clinical significance of HDL-C is warranted. METHOD: This
      review article is based on a selective literature review. RESULTS: In individuals
      without a history of cardiovascular events, low concentrations of HDL-C are
      inversely associated with the risk of future cardiovascular events. This
      relationship may, however, not apply to patients with metabolic disorders or
      manifest cardiovascular disease. The classical function of HDL is to mobilise
      cholesterol from extrahepatic tissues for delivery to the liver for excretion.
      These roles in cholesterol metabolism as well as many other biological functions
      of HDL particles are dependent on the number as well as protein and lipid
      composition of HDL particles. They are poorly reflected by the HDL-C
      concentration. HDL can even exert negative vascular effects, if its composition
      is pathologically altered. High serum HDL-C is therefore no longer regarded
      protective. In line with this, recent pharmacological approaches to raise HDL-C
      concentration have not been able to show reductions of cardiovascular outcomes.
      CONCLUSION: In contrast to LDL cholesterol (LDL-C), HDL-C correlates with
      cardiovascular risk only in healthy individuals. The calculation of the ratio of
      LDL-C to HDL-C is not useful for all patients. Low HDL-C should prompt
      examination of additional metabolic and inflammatory pathologies. An increase in
      HDL-C through lifestyle change (smoking cessation, physical exercise) has
      positive effects and is recommended. However, HDL-C is currently not a valid
      target for drug therapy.

PMID- 28342070
TI  - Normative data for Chinese compound remote associate problems.
AB  - The Remote Associates Test (RAT) is a well-known measure of creativity, with each
      item on the RAT is composed of three unrelated stimulus words. The participant's
      task is to find an answer in the form of a word that could combine with each of
      the stimulus words, thus forming three new actual nouns. Researchers have
      modified the RAT to develop compound remote associate problems that emphasize
      combining vocabulary to form compound words. In the field of creativity research
      for Mandarin speakers, the Chinese RAT has been widely applied for over 10 years.
      The original RAT, compound remote associate problems, and Chinese RAT have
      various common advantages, such as being convenient to use and having objective
      scoring; additionally, the development of items for certain tests is easy and
      satisfies the requirements of psychological assessments in terms of the quantity
      of items. Currently, many language editions of the RAT and compound remote
      associate problems already exist. In particular, the English and Italian versions
      of these tests already have derived normative data. Because approximately 20% of
      the world's population are native Mandarin speakers, and because increasing
      numbers of people are choosing Mandarin as a second language, the need to
      increase Mandarin-language resources is growing; however, normative data for the
      Chinese RAT still do not exist. To address this issue, in the present study we
      developed Chinese compound remote associate problems and analyzed the passing
      rates by items, problem solving times, and various normative data, using the
      responses of 253 subjects in three experiments.

PMID- 28342071
TI  - Estimating psychological networks and their accuracy: A tutorial paper.
AB  - The usage of psychological networks that conceptualize behavior as a complex
      interplay of psychological and other components has gained increasing popularity
      in various research fields. While prior publications have tackled the topics of
      estimating and interpreting such networks, little work has been conducted to
      check how accurate (i.e., prone to sampling variation) networks are estimated,
      and how stable (i.e., interpretation remains similar with less observations)
      inferences from the network structure (such as centrality indices) are. In this
      tutorial paper, we aim to introduce the reader to this field and tackle the
      problem of accuracy under sampling variation. We first introduce the current
      state-of-the-art of network estimation. Second, we provide a rationale why
      researchers should investigate the accuracy of psychological networks. Third, we
      describe how bootstrap routines can be used to (A) assess the accuracy of
      estimated network connections, (B) investigate the stability of centrality
      indices, and (C) test whether network connections and centrality estimates for
      different variables differ from each other. We introduce two novel statistical
      methods: for (B) the correlation stability coefficient, and for (C) the
      bootstrapped difference test for edge-weights and centrality indices. We
      conducted and present simulation studies to assess the performance of both
      methods. Finally, we developed the free R-package bootnet that allows for
      estimating psychological networks in a generalized framework in addition to the
      proposed bootstrap methods. We showcase bootnet in a tutorial, accompanied by R
      syntax, in which we analyze a dataset of 359 women with posttraumatic stress
      disorder available online.

PMID- 28342073
TI  - A Web-based interface to calculate phonotactic probability for words and nonwords
      in Modern Standard Arabic.
AB  - A number of databases (Storkel Behavior Research Methods, 45, 1159-1167, 2013)
      and online calculators (Vitevitch & Luce Behavior Research Methods, Instruments,
      and Computers, 36, 481-487, 2004) have been developed to provide statistical
      information about various aspects of language, and these have proven to be
      invaluable assets to researchers, clinicians, and instructors in the language
      sciences. The number of such resources for English is quite large and continues
      to grow, whereas the number of such resources for other languages is much
      smaller. This article describes the development of a Web-based interface to
      calculate phonotactic probability in Modern Standard Arabic (MSA). A full
      description of how the calculator can be used is provided. It can be freely
      accessed at http://phonotactic.drupal.ku.edu/ .

PMID- 28342072
TI  - Statistical properties of four effect-size measures for mediation models.
AB  - This project examined the performance of classical and Bayesian estimators of
      four effect size measures for the indirect effect in a single-mediator model and
      a two-mediator model. Compared to the proportion and ratio mediation effect
      sizes, standardized mediation effect-size measures were relatively unbiased and
      efficient in the single-mediator model and the two-mediator model. Percentile and
      bias-corrected bootstrap interval estimates of ab/s Y , and ab(s X )/s Y in the
      single-mediator model outperformed interval estimates of the proportion and ratio
      effect sizes in terms of power, Type I error rate, coverage, imbalance, and
      interval width. For the two-mediator model, standardized effect-size measures
      were superior to the proportion and ratio effect-size measures. Furthermore, it
      was found that Bayesian point and interval summaries of posterior distributions
      of standardized effect-size measures reduced excessive relative bias for certain
      parameter combinations. The standardized effect-size measures are the best effect
      size measures for quantifying mediated effects.

PMID- 28342074
TI  - Evaluation of 'SAEFVIC', A Pharmacovigilance Surveillance Scheme for the
      Spontaneous Reporting of Adverse Events Following Immunisation in Victoria,
      Australia.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: Australia is traditionally an early adopter of vaccines, therefore
      comprehensive and effective post-licensure vaccine pharmacovigilance is critical
      to maintain confidence in immunisation, both nationally and internationally. With
      adverse event following immunisation (AEFI) surveillance the responsibility of
      Australian jurisdictions, Victoria operates an enhanced passive AEFI surveillance
      system integrated with clinical services, called 'SAEFVIC' (Surveillance of
      Adverse Events Following Vaccination In the Community). OBJECTIVE: The aim of
      this study was to evaluate Victoria's current AEFI surveillance system 'SAEFVIC'
      and inform ongoing quality improvement of vaccine pharmacovigilance in Victoria
      and Australia. METHODS: We conducted a retrospective structured desktop
      evaluation of AEFI reporting received by SAEFVIC from 2007 to 2014, to evaluate
      the system according to its stated objectives, i.e. to improve AEFI reporting;
      provide AEFI signal detection; and to maintain consumer confidence in
      vaccination. RESULTS: AEFI reporting has tripled since SAEFVIC commenced
      (incidence risk ratio [IRR] 3.04, 95% confidence interval [CI] 2.35-3.93),
      raising Victoria to be the lead jurisdiction by AEFI reporting volume and to rank
      third by population reporting rate nationally. The largest increase was observed
      in children. Data were utilised to investigate potential signal events and inform
      vaccine policy. Signal detection required clinical suspicion by surveillance
      nurses, or prior vaccine-specific concerns. Subsequent vaccination post-AEFI was
      documented for 56.2% (95% CI 54.1-58.4) of reports, and the proportion of
      children due or overdue for vaccination was 2.3% higher for those reporting AEFI
      compared with the general population. CONCLUSION: SAEFVIC has improved AEFI
      surveillance, facilitates signal investigation and validation, and supports
      consumer confidence in immunisation. Expansion of the system nationally has the
      potential to improve capacity and capability of vaccine pharmacovigilance,
      particularly through data consistency and jurisdictional comparability in
      Australia.

PMID- 28342075
TI  - Evaluation of Pre-marketing Factors to Predict Post-marketing Boxed Warnings and
      Safety Withdrawals.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: An important goal in drug regulation is understanding serious
      safety issues with new drugs as soon as possible. Achieving this goal requires us
      to understand whether information provided during the Food and Drug
      Administration (FDA) drug review can predict serious safety issues that are
      usually identified after the product is approved. However, research on this topic
      remains understudied. In this paper, we examine whether any pre-marketing drug
      characteristics are associated with serious post-marketing safety actions.
      METHODS: We study this question using an internal FDA database containing every
      new small molecule drug submitted to the FDA's Center for Drug Evaluation and
      Research (CDER) on or after November 21, 1997, and approved and commercially
      launched before December 31, 2009. Serious post-marketing safety actions include
      whether these drugs ever experienced either a post-marketing boxed warning or a
      withdrawal from the market due to safety concerns. A random effects logistic
      regression model was used to test whether any pre-marketing characteristics were
      associated with either post-marketing safety action. RESULTS: A total of 219 new
      molecular entities were analyzed. Among these drugs, 11 experienced a safety
      withdrawal and 30 received boxed warnings by July 31, 2016. Contrary to
      prevailing hypotheses, we find that neither clinical trial sample sizes nor
      review time windows are associated with the addition of a post-marketing boxed
      warning or safety withdrawal. However, we do find that new drugs approved with
      either a boxed warning or priority review are more likely to experience post
      marketing boxed warnings. Furthermore, drugs approved with boxed warnings tend to
      receive post-marketing boxed warnings resulting from new safety information that
      are unrelated to the original warning. Drugs approved with a boxed warning are
      3.88 times more likely to receive a post-marketing boxed warning, while drugs
      approved with a priority review are 3.51 times more likely to receive a post
      marketing boxed warning. CONCLUSION: Although drugs approved with a boxed warning
      or priority review are more likely to experience serious post-marketing safety
      events, other information provided during the FDA drug review that is easy to
      quantify is generally not associated with post-marketing safety events. It
      appears that these post-marketing events are not discernible during a pre
      marketing review and therefore might not be avoidable using current review data.

PMID- 28342076
TI  - Schizosaccharomyces pombe rsv1 Transcription Factor and its Putative Homologues
      Preserved their Functional Homology and are Evolutionarily Conserved.
AB  - Environmental glucose is an important regulator of biological processes, as it
      can launch different cell processes depending on its concentration. Thus, low
      glucose concentration can induce entry into quiescence, which ensures long-term
      viability for the cells or in other cases mycelial growth in the dimorphic
      species, which, in turn, provides the cells with fresh nutrients. Several genes,
      such as the genes of cAMP cascade, are involved in glucose sensing and response.
      Since this signal transduction pathway seemed to be an evolutionarily conserved
      process, we assumed that its genes were also conserved and preserved their
      functional homology. To obtain evidence, Schizosaccharomyces pombe rsv1 and its
      orthologous genes were investigated using in silico and experimental approaches.
      Our results supported that the Rsv1 zinc-finger transcription factors of
      Schizosaccharomyces japonicus and Schizosaccharomyces octosporus and the Candida
      albicans cas5p were really functional homologues of the S. pombe Rsv1. Namely,
      the homologous proteins were able to restore mutant phenotype of the S. pombe
      rsv1-deleted cells. Bioinformatic anaysis revealed that the most conserved parts
      of the proteins always contained the C2H2 domains and the complementation
      abilities of the counterpart genes were not uniform regarding the investigated
      features, which can be in connection with the conserved regions outside C2H2.

PMID- 28342077
TI  - The Influences of Bacillus subtilis on the Virulence of Aeromonas hydrophila and
      Expression of luxS Gene of Both Bacteria Under Co-cultivation.
AB  - The aim of this study was to explore the influence of Bacillus subtilis CH9 on
      Aeromonas hydrophila SC2005. The transcription level of virulence genes of A.
      hydrophila SC2005 and its hemolysin activity as well as its cytotoxicity were
      analyzed when B. subtilis CH9 and A. hydrophila SC2005 were co-cultured. The
      results indicated that the transcription levels of four virulence genes of A.
      hydrophila, including aer, ahyB, hcp, and emp, decreased when A. hydrophila was
      cultured with B. subtilis CH9. Furthermore, the extracellular products of A.
      hydrophila showed attenuated hemolysin activity as well as cytotoxicity when A.
      hydrophila was cultured with B. subtilis CH9. Finally, the transcriptional levels
      of luxS genes of B. subtilis CH9 and A. hydrophila SC2005 were determined when
      these two species were co-cultured. RT-qPCR results suggested that the
      transcription level of A. hydrophila was down-regulated significantly. On the
      contrary, the transcription level of B. subtilis CH9 was up-regulated
      significantly. These results suggested that the probiotic role of B. subtilis CH9
      is related to the inhibition of growth and virulence of A. hydrophila SC2005, and
      quorum sensing may be involved.

PMID- 28342078
TI  - An anoxic-aerobic system for simultaneous biodegradation of phenol and ammonia in
      a sequencing batch reactor.
AB  - A laboratory-scale sequencing batch reactor (SBR) was investigated to treat
      artificial pretreated coal gasification wastewater that was mainly contained of
      ammonia and phenol. The efficiency of SBR fed with increasing phenol
      concentrations (from 150 to 300 mg l-1) and the relationship among phenol,
      nitrogen removal, and the microbial community structure were evaluated. When the
      phenol feeding concentration was increased to about 300 mg l-1, the removal
      efficiency was above 99.0%, demonstrating the robustness of phenol removal
      capacity. The study showed that most phenol was degraded in anoxic stage. The
      average removal efficiencies of ammonia and total nitrogen were 98.4 and 81.9%,
      respectively, with average NH4+-N concentration of 107.5 mg l-1 and COD/N 7.5.
      Low temperature caused sludge loss that led to the decreased performance.
      Increasing the temperature could not recover the performance effectively. The
      data from bacterial analysis revealed that Delftia, Hydrogenophaga, and
      unclassified Xanthomonadaceae played a significant role in phenol degradation
      before the temperature increase, while uncultured Syntrophococcus sp. and
      unclassified Rhodocyclaceae were responsible for phenol degradation after the
      temperature increase. These results imply that the SBR holds potential for the
      simultaneous removal of phenolic compounds and nitrogen through aerobic ammonia
      oxidation and anoxic denitrification with phenol as the co-organic carbon source.

PMID- 28342079
TI  - Remediation of PCB-contaminated soil using a combination of mechanochemical
      method and thermal desorption.
AB  - The combination of mechanochemical method and thermal desorption for remediating
      polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) in contaminated soil was tested in this study.
      The effects of grinding time and heating time on PCB removal efficiency were
      investigated. The contaminated soil, mixed with CaO powder at a weight ratio of
      1:1, was first ground using a planetary ball mill. After 4 h of grinding, the
      total PCB concentration and its toxic equivalence quantity (TEQ) decreased by
      74.6 and 75.8%, respectively. Then, after being heated at 500  degrees C for 60
      min, the residual PCBs in mechanochemical + thermal treated soil decreased to 247
      ng/g, resulting in a removal efficiency of 99.95%. The removal effect can be
      promoted by longer grinding time and heating time; however, increased energy
      consumption was inevitable. The combination of grinding time and heating time
      should be optimized in a practical remediation process.

PMID- 28342080
TI  - Heavy metals bioconcentration from soil to vegetables and appraisal of health
      risk in Koka and Wonji farms, Ethiopia.
AB  - Heavy metal accumulation in agricultural crops has grown a major concern globally
      as a result of a significant health impact on human. The quantification of heavy
      metals (Cd, Pb, Cr, Zn, Cu, and Ni) in the soil and vegetables at two sites (Koka
      and Wonji Gefersa) was done using flame atomic absorption spectrophotometer. The
      mean concentrations of heavy metals in vegetable fields' soil samples obtained
      from Koka were higher for Pb, Cr, Zn, Cu, and Ni. The overall results of soil
      samples ranged 0.52-0.93, 13.6-27.3, 10.0-21.8, 44.4-88.5, 11.9-30.3, and 14.7
      34.5 mg kg-1 for Cd, Pb, Cr, Zn, Cu, and Ni, respectively. The concentrations of
      heavy metals were maximum for Cd (0.41 +/- 0.03 mg kg-1), Pb (0.54 +/- 0.11 mg kg
      1), Zn (14.4 +/- 0.72 mg kg-1), Cu (2.84 +/- 0.27 mg kg-1), and Ni (1.09 +/- 0.11
      mg kg-1) in Cabbage and for Cr (2.63 +/- 0.11 mg kg-1) in green pepper. The
      result indicated that Cd has high transfer factor value and Pb was the lowest.
      The transfer pattern for heavy metals in different vegetables showed a trend in
      the order: Cd > Zn > Cu > Cr > Ni > Pb. Among different vegetables, cabbage
      showed the highest value of metal pollution index and bean had the lowest value.
      Hazard index of all the vegetables was less than unity; thus, the consumption of
      these vegetables is unlikely to pose health risks to the target population.

PMID- 28342081
TI  - Characterization of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in soil close to secondary
      copper and aluminum smelters.
AB  - A total of 35 surface soil samples around two secondary copper smelters and one
      secondary aluminum smelter were collected and analyzed for 16 USEPA priority
      polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). The concentrations of PAHs were highest
      when the soil sample sites were closest to the secondary copper smelters. And, a
      level gradient of PAHs was observed in soil samples according to the distance
      from two secondary copper smelters, respectively. The results suggested that PAH
      concentrations in surrounding soils may be influenced by secondary copper
      smelters investigated, whereas no such gradient was observed in soils around the
      secondary aluminum smelter. Further analysis revealed that PAH patterns in soil
      samples also showed some difference between secondary copper and aluminum
      smelter, which may be attributed to the difference in their fuel and smelting
      process. PAH patterns and diagnostic ratios indicated that biomass burning may be
      also an important source of PAHs in the surrounding soil in addition to the
      emissions from the plants investigated.

PMID- 28342082
TI  - Quantitative characterization of pore structure of several biochars with 3D
      imaging.
AB  - Pore space characteristics of biochars may vary depending on the used raw
      material and processing technology. Pore structure has significant effects on the
      water retention properties of biochar amended soils. In this work, several
      biochars were characterized with three-dimensional imaging and image analysis. X
      ray computed microtomography was used to image biochars at resolution of 1.14 MUm
      and the obtained images were analysed for porosity, pore size distribution,
      specific surface area and structural anisotropy. In addition, random walk
      simulations were used to relate structural anisotropy to diffusive transport.
      Image analysis showed that considerable part of the biochar volume consist of
      pores in size range relevant to hydrological processes and storage of plant
      available water. Porosity and pore size distribution were found to depend on the
      biochar type and the structural anisotopy analysis showed that used raw material
      considerably affects the pore characteristics at micrometre scale. Therefore,
      attention should be paid to raw material selection and quality in applications
      requiring optimized pore structure.

PMID- 28342084
TI  - The transplantation of mesenchymal stem cells derived from unconventional
      sources: an innovative approach to multiple sclerosis therapy.
AB  - In recent years, in the effort to find a potential innovative therapy for
      multiple sclerosis (MS), researchers focused on transplantation of mesenchymal
      stem cells (MSCs) due to their well-recognized ability to suppress
      inflammatory/autoimmune responses and exert neuroregenerative properties. MSCs
      are a heterogeneous subset of pluripotent non-hematopoietic stromal cells that
      can be isolated from many different adult tissues, characterized by the
      capability to differentiate into various cell lineages, and to translocate into
      damaged areas, providing immunomodulatory effects. To date, several encouraging
      results were obtained mainly from the use of MSCs derived from the bone marrow
      (BM-MSCs) in experimental models of MS as well as in clinical trials. However,
      their use in clinic is limited due to the invasive collecting procedure and the
      low yield of viable stem cells. Consequently, these restrictions have prompted
      researchers to look for alternative tissue sources for stem cells such as adipose
      tissue, fetal annexes, and dental tissues that could represent a novel
      therapeutic option for MS treatment. Here, we provide an overview of the current
      knowledge about the most explored BM-MSCs in MS treatment in experimental and
      clinical studies. Moreover, we propose that unconventional sources of stem cells,
      which show characteristics similar to that of BM-MSCs, and being less invasive
      for removal, could be considered an excellent alternative to BM-MSCs and thus
      could be a promising innovative approach for MS treatment.

PMID- 28342083
TI  - Classification of advanced stages of Parkinson's disease: translation into
      stratified treatments.
AB  - Advanced stages of Parkinson's disease (advPD) still impose a challenge in terms
      of classification and related stage-adapted treatment recommendations. Previous
      concepts that define advPD by certain milestones of motor disability apparently
      fall short in addressing the increasingly recognized complexity of motor and non
      motor symptoms and do not allow to account for the clinical heterogeneity that
      require more personalized approaches. Therefore, deep phenotyping approaches are
      required to characterize the broad-scaled, continuous and multidimensional
      spectrum of disease-related motor and non-motor symptoms and their progression
      under real-life conditions. This will also facilitate the reasoning for clinical
      care and therapeutic decisions, as neurologists currently have to refer to
      clinical trials that provide guidance on a group level; however, this does not
      always account for the individual needs of patients. Here, we provide an overview
      on different classifications for advPD that translate into critical phenotypic
      patterns requiring the differential therapeutic adjustments. New concepts refer
      to precision medicine approaches also in PD and first studies on genetic
      stratification for therapeutic outcomes provide a potential for more objective
      treatment recommendations. We define novel treatment targets that align with this
      concept and make use of emerging device-based assessments of real-life
      information on PD symptoms. As these approaches require empowerment of patients
      and integration into treatment decisions, we present communication strategies and
      decision support based on new technologies to adjust treatment of advPD according
      to patient demands and safety.

PMID- 28342085
TI  - Concerns about the long-term safety of live kidney donors are justified.

PMID- 28342086
TI  - Motivational and Volitional Correlates of Physical Activity in Participants
      Reporting No, Past, and Current Hypertension: Findings from a Cross-Sectional
      Observation Study.
AB  - PURPOSE: The study investigated differences in motivational and volitional
      correlates of physical activity in persons who reported currently having
      hypertension, had hypertension in the past, or had no hypertension by using the
      health action process approach as a theoretical background. METHOD: Self-reported
      data from 512 participants (71.9% women; M age = 46.83 years; SD age = 13.77; M
      BMI = 24.89; SD BMI = 4.71) were analyzed using multivariate analysis of variance
      (MANOVA), analysis of variance (ANOVA), and post hoc comparisons of groups to
      determine differences in motivational and volitional correlates for physical
      activity between groups followed by analysis of covariance (ANCOVA).
      Additionally, chi 2 statistic was used to analyze differences in the distribution
      of behavioral stages between groups. RESULTS: Participants with hypertension
      reported a higher perceived vulnerability (d = 0.99) and lower action planning (d
      = 0.32) and self-efficacy (d = 0.30) compared to those who indicated no
      hypertension. Their perceived vulnerability was also higher compared to those who
      indicated past hypertension on the mean level (d = 0.60). Significant main
      effects for all independent variables were found when controlling for gender and
      HAPA stages with main effects for perceived vulnerability, action planning, and
      self-efficacy. Participants with current hypertension were more prominent in the
      intender stage, whereas participants with past hypertension were more likely to
      be in the actor stage. Participants with no hypertension at all were equally
      distributed across the intender and actor stages. CONCLUSION: The study
      contributes to the understanding of differences in motivational and volitional
      correlates of physical activity in persons who reported different hypertension
      statuses.

PMID- 28342087
TI  - Pelvic inflammatory disease and the risk of ovarian cancer: a meta-analysis.
AB  - PURPOSE: Previous studies on pelvic inflammatory disease (PID) and the risk of
      ovarian cancer have found inconsistent results. We performed an updated meta
      analysis to summarize the evidence of this association. METHODS: PubMed, Embase,
      and ISI web of science databases were searched through October 2016 for studies
      that investigated the PID and ovarian cancer association. Summary risk estimates
      were calculated using random-effects meta-analysis. RESULT: Thirteen studies were
      eligible for analysis, which included six cohort studies and seven case-control
      studies. PID was associated with an increased risk of ovarian cancer overall
      [relative risk (RR) 1.24, 95% CI 1.06-1.44; I 2  = 58.8%]. In analyses stratified
      by race, a significant positive association was observed in studies conducted
      among Asian women (RR 1.69, 95% CI 1.22-2.34; I 2  = 0%), but marginally
      significant among Caucasians (RR 1.18, 95% CI 1.00-1.39; I 2  = 60.7%).Risk
      estimates were elevated in both cohort (RR1.32; 95% CI 1.05-1.66; I 2  = 64.7%)
      and case-control studies (RR 1.17; 95% CI 0.93-1.49; I 2  = 57.6%), albeit not
      statistically significant in case-control studies. CONCLUSIONS: Our results
      suggested that PID might be a potential risk factor of ovarian cancer, with
      pronounced associations among Asian women. Large and well-designed studies with
      objective assessment methods, such as hospital records, are needed to confirm the
      findings of this meta-analysis.

PMID- 28342090
TI  - The effect of varenicline and nicotine patch on smoking rate and satisfaction
      with smoking: an examination of the mechanism of action of two pre-quit
      pharmacotherapies.
AB  - OBJECTIVES: In recent years, there has been growing research interest in using
      nicotine replacement medications to aid smoking reduction prior to a quit
      attempt. Gaining a better understanding of how treatments influence smoking
      reduction may allow for better tailoring of treatments and, ultimately, better
      cessation outcomes. The objective of the current study was to test the effects of
      the pre-quit use of varenicline and nicotine patch on smoking rate and
      satisfaction with smoking. METHODS: All participants were required to attend up
      to five study visit sections. Participants (n = 213) who were interested in
      quitting were randomised (open-label) to receive either pre-quit patch or
      varenicline (both treatments started 2 weeks prior to an assigned quit day,
      followed by 10 weeks post-quit) or standard patch (10 weeks starting from an
      assigned quit day). Participants used modified smartphones to monitor their
      smoking in real time for 4 weeks. RESULTS: Participants in the two pre-quit
      treatment groups reported significant reductions in both their satisfaction with
      smoking (p < 0.001) and smoking rate (p < 0.001) from baseline to the end of pre
      quit period; participants in the standard patch group did not. The observed
      reduction of smoking rate was associated with the satisfaction with smoking (p <
      0.01), although the mediation effect of satisfaction was small. CONCLUSIONS: Pre
      quit treatment caused reductions in satisfaction with smoking and smoking rate.
      Satisfaction was associated with changes in smoking rate, but the relationship
      was weak. As such, monitoring reductions in satisfaction do not appear to be a
      viable method of evaluating responsiveness to treatment.

PMID- 28342089
TI  - Voluntary induction and maintenance of alcohol dependence in rats using alcohol
      vapor self-administration.
AB  - RATIONALE: A major issue in the addiction field is the limited number of animal
      models of the voluntary induction and maintenance of alcohol dependence in
      outbred rats. OBJECTIVES: To address this issue, we developed a novel apparatus
      that vaporizes alcohol for 2-10 min after an active nosepoke response. METHODS:
      Male Wistar rats were allowed to self-administer alcohol vapor for 8 h/day every
      other day for 24 sessions (escalated) or eight sessions (non-escalated).
      Escalated and non-escalated rats were then tested for progressive ratio
      responding. Anxiety-like behavior, somatic signs of withdrawal, and hyperalgesia
      were assessed during acute withdrawal. RESULTS: The results showed that rats
      exhibited excellent discrimination between the active and inactive operanda
      (>85%), and the escalated rats quickly increased their blood alcohol levels from
      ~50 to >200 mg% in ~6 weeks. Compared with non-escalated rats, escalated rats
      exhibited severe addiction-like behavior, including somatic signs of withdrawal,
      anxiety-like behavior, hyperalgesia, and higher responding on a progressive ratio
      schedule of reinforcement. CONCLUSIONS: These results demonstrate that outbred
      rats will voluntarily self-administer alcohol vapor to the point of dependence
      without the use of forced alcohol administration, sweeteners, food/water
      restriction, operant pretraining, or behavioral/genetic selection. This novel
      animal model may be particularly useful for medication development to help unveil
      the neuronal circuitry that underlies the voluntary induction of alcohol
      addiction and identify novel molecular targets that are specifically recruited
      after the voluntary induction and maintenance of alcohol dependence.

PMID- 28342091
TI  - Both nicotine reward and withdrawal are enhanced in a rodent model of diabetes.
AB  - RATIONALE: It is presently unclear whether diabetic rats experience greater
      rewarding effects of nicotine and/or negative affective states produced by
      nicotine withdrawal. OBJECTIVE: The present study utilized a rodent model of
      diabetes to examine the rewarding effects of nicotine and negative affective
      states and physical signs produced by withdrawal. METHODS: Separate groups of
      rats received systemic administration of either vehicle or streptozotocin (STZ),
      which destroys insulin-producing beta cells in the pancreas and elevates glucose
      levels. Place conditioning procedures were utilized to compare the rewarding
      effects of nicotine (conditioned place preference; CPP) and negative affective
      states produced by withdrawal (conditioned place aversion; CPA) in vehicle- and
      STZ-treated rats. CPA and physical signs of withdrawal were compared after
      administration of the nicotinic receptor antagonist mecamylamine to precipitate
      withdrawal in nicotine-dependent rats. A subsequent study utilized elevated plus
      maze (EPM) procedures to compare anxiety-like behavior produced by nicotine
      withdrawal in vehicle- and STZ-treated rats. RESULTS: STZ-treated rats displayed
      greater rewarding effects of nicotine and a larger magnitude of aversive effects
      and physical signs produced by withdrawal as compared to vehicle-treated
      controls. STZ-treated rats also displayed higher levels of anxiety-like behavior
      on the EPM during nicotine withdrawal as compared to controls. CONCLUSION: The
      finding that both nicotine reward and withdrawal are enhanced in a rodent model
      of diabetes implies that the strong behavioral effects of nicotine promote
      tobacco use in persons with metabolic disorders, such as diabetes.

PMID- 28342093
TI  - Achieving value in mobile health applications for cancer survivors.
AB  - PURPOSE: This study aimed to identify appropriate development and testing
      strategies for mobile health applications for cancer survivors. METHODS: In
      January of 2016, we conducted a PubMed search for mobile applications for cancer
      survivors. A total of 32 articles were selected for inclusion, including 13
      review articles, and 19 articles describing an mHealth application or
      intervention. We assessed mobile app development and testing strategies and
      standards as described in these articles. RESULTS: We identified seven elements
      of patient empowerment applications for cancer survivors, strategies for
      application development that take advantage of smartphone capabilities, issues
      for consideration in developing new applications, and steps for creating user
      centered mobile health applications that provide meaningful value for cancer
      survivors. However, few mobile health apps implemented empowerment elements,
      underwent rigorous design approaches, or included assessment of use in the cancer
      survivor population. CONCLUSIONS: There is tremendous potential for mobile health
      apps to benefit cancer survivors. However, there are specific issues for
      consideration in developing new applications and steps for creating user-centered
      applications which are not routinely used. This diminishes the value for the
      cancer survivor population but could be easily addressed through standardized
      development and testing procedures. IMPLICATIONS FOR CANCER SURVIVORS: Smartphone
      applications have the potential to improve the cancer survivorship experience,
      but users should look for evidence that the application was appropriately
      developed and tested.

PMID- 28342092
TI  - Evaluation of structural connectivity changes in betel-quid chewers using
      generalized q-sampling MRI.
AB  - RATIONALE: Betel quid (BQ) is a common addictive substance in many Asian
      countries. However, few studies have focused on the influences of BQ on the
      brain. It remains unclear how BQ can affect structural brain abnormalities in BQ
      chewers. OBJECTIVES: We aimed to use generalized q-sampling imaging (GQI) to
      evaluate the impact of the neurological structure of white matter caused by BQ.
      METHODS: The study population comprised 16 BQ chewers, 15 tobacco and alcohol
      controls, and 17 healthy controls. We used GQI with voxel-based statistical
      analysis (VBA) to evaluate structural brain and connectivity abnormalities in the
      BQ chewers compared to the tobacco and alcohol controls and the healthy controls.
      Graph theoretical analysis (GTA) and network-based statistical (NBS) analysis
      were also performed to identify the structural network differences among the
      three groups. RESULTS: Using GQI, we found increases in diffusion anisotropy in
      the right anterior cingulate cortex (ACC), the midbrain, the bilateral angular
      gyrus, the right superior temporal gyrus (rSTG), the bilateral superior occipital
      gyrus, the left middle occipital gyrus, the bilateral superior and inferior
      parietal lobule, and the bilateral postcentral and precentral gyrus in the BQ
      chewers when compared to the tobacco and alcohol controls and the healthy
      controls. In GTA and NBS analyses, we found more connections in connectivity
      among the BQ chewers, particularly in the bilateral anterior cingulum.
      CONCLUSIONS: Our results provided further evidence indicating that BQ chewing may
      lead to brain structure and connectivity changes in BQ chewers.

PMID- 28342094
TI  - Comparison of the use of rhBMP-7 versus iliac crest autograft in single-level
      lumbar fusion: a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.
AB  - The aim of this study was to evaluate the safety and clinical effectiveness of
      rhBMP-7 (or osteogenic protein-1) versus that of autogenous iliac crest bone
      graft (ICBG) in single-level posterolateral fusion (PLF) of the lumbar spine. A
      systematic search of all articles published through July 1, 2016 was conducted in
      databases such as PubMed, EMBASE, Scopus, and the Cochrane Collaboration Library.
      Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) that compared rhBMP-7 with ICBG for the
      treatment of single-level degenerative spondylolisthesis, provided the fusion
      rate, clinical success rate, safety and adverse events report, operation time,
      and hospital stay durations as the outcome were assessed. As a result, a total of
      five RCTs involving 539 patients met the inclusion criteria. The outcomes of
      subgroup analysis demonstrated that when compared with autogenous ICBG, rhBMP-7
      appear to yield lower fusion rates in instrumented posterolateral fusion patients
      (RR = 0.76, 95% CI [0.60, 0.98], P = 0.03), despite the test for overall fusion
      rates suggested that there was no significant difference between the two groups
      (RR = 0.89, 95% CI [0.78, 1.02], P = 0.09). Patients treated with OP-1 had
      shorter operation times versus those treated with ICBG (WMD = -16.70,95% CI [
      25.83, -7.57], P = 0.0003). Additionally, the outcomes demonstrated a lack of
      significant differences between rhBMP-7 and ICBG in terms of clinical success of
      ODI, overall adverse events, revision rates and duration of hospitalization. In
      conclusion, with the exception of reducing the operation time, our review
      suggests that the use of the rhBMP-7 instead of ICBG produce no any additional
      beneficial effect on the fusion rates, clinical success of ODI, overall adverse
      events, revision rates and duration of hospitalization in single level PLF. On
      the contrary, it appeared to yield lower fusion rate in the instrumented
      posterolateral fusion patients and cannot be recommended as an effective tool for
      this set of patients.

PMID- 28342095
TI  - [Advances in diagnostic microbiology : Opportunities and limitations].
AB  - In the light of ever increasing problems related to the emergence of multidrug
      resistant bacteria, rapid microbiological diagnostics are of growing importance.
      Timely pathogen detection and availability of susceptibility data are essential
      for optimal treatment, but are even more crucial for de-escalation of broad
      spectrum empiric therapies. Medical microbiology is, thus, an integral part of
      antimicrobial stewardship programs. Traditional microbiological techniques for
      species identification and susceptibility testing rely on bacterial growth and
      are, thus, characterized by inherent slowness. Time-to-report is usually 48 h or
      longer, and typically delays optimization of therapeutic regimens. Constant
      improvement of available techniques (e. g., molecular methods) and introduction
      of novel methods (e. g., matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization time-of
      flight [MALDI-ToF] mass spectrometry) have fundamentally changed diagnostic
      procedures. As a consequence, sensitivity and specificity as well as time-to
      report have been dramatically improved. In this manuscript, key methodological
      advances in medical microbiology are discussed, emphasizing consequences for
      daily management of infectious disease patients.

PMID- 28342096
TI  - [Emergency treatment of tachycardias].
AB  - The treatment of symptomatic tachycardia is a key challenge in intensive care
      medicine and emergency care. Making a quick and authoritative diagnosis on an ECG
      and applying adequate emergency treatment requires a structured approach to
      analyzing and treating arrhythmias. This CME article offers a practical
      categorization of the multitude of tachycardias, with medical and electrical
      treatment options and ECG examples. Appropriate first- and second-line treatment
      options are presented for most common tachyarrhythmias.

PMID- 28342097
TI  - A systematic review of propensity score methods in the acute care surgery
      literature: avoiding the pitfalls and proposing a set of reporting guidelines.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Propensity score methods are techniques commonly employed in
      observational research to account for confounding when estimating the effects of
      treatments and exposures. These methods have been increasingly employed in the
      acute care surgery literature in an attempt to infer causality; however, the
      adequacy of reporting and the appropriateness of statistical analyses when using
      propensity score matching remain unclear. OBJECTIVES: The goal of this systematic
      review is to assess the adequacy of reporting of propensity score methods, with
      an emphasis on propensity score matching (to assess balance and the use of
      appropriate statistical tests), in acute care surgery (ACS) studies and to
      provide suggestions for improvement for junior investigators. METHODS: We
      searched three databases, and other relevant literature (from January 2005 to
      June 2015) to identify observational studies within the ACS literature using
      propensity score methods (PROSPERO No: CRD42016036432). Two reviewers extracted
      data and assessed the quality of the studies retrieved by reviewing the adequacy
      of both overall reporting and of the propensity score matching methods used.
      RESULTS: A total of 49/71 (69%) of studies adequately reported propensity score
      methods overall. Matching was the most common propensity score method used in
      46/71 (65%) studies, with 36/46 (78%) studies reporting matching methods
      adequately. Only 19/46 (41%) of matching studies reported the balance of baseline
      characteristics between treated and untreated subjects while 6/46 (13%) used
      correct statistical methods to assess balance. There were 35/46 (76%) of matching
      studies that explicitly used statistical methods appropriate for the analysis of
      matched data when estimating the treatment effect and its statistical
      significance. CONCLUSION: We have proposed reporting guidelines for the use of
      propensity score methods in the acute care surgery literature. This is to help
      investigators improve the adequacy of reporting and statistical analyses when
      using observational data to estimate effects of treatments and exposures.

PMID- 28342100
TI  - Erratum to: Yolk sac tumour: a rare cause of raised serum alpha-foetoprotein in a
      young child with a large liver mass.

PMID- 28342098
TI  - Expression of cell cycle regulators and biomarkers of proliferation and regrowth
      in human pituitary adenomas.
AB  - PURPOSE: The pathogenesis of pituitary adenomas (PA) is complex. Ki-67, pituitary
      tumour transforming gene (PTTG), vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF),
      cyclin D1, c-MYC and pituitary adenylate cyclase-activating peptide (PACAP)
      protein expression were analysed and correlated with tumour and patient
      characteristics. METHODS: 74 pituitary tumour samples (48 non-functional PA, 26
      functional PAs); Immunohistochemical analysis of protein expression,
      retrospective analysis of MR images and in vitro analysis of octreotide treatment
      was carried out on GH3 cells. RESULTS: PTTG expression was negatively associated
      with age and positively with PA size, regrowth and Ki-67 index. Cyclin D1
      correlated with Ki-67 and tumour size. c-MYC negatively correlated with size of
      tumour and age; and correlated with PTTG expression. Somatostatin analogue
      treatment was associated with lower Ki-67, PTTG and Cyclin D1 expression while T2
      hypointense PAs were associated with lower PTTG, cyclin D1, c-MYC and Ki-67. In
      vitro analyses confirmed the effect of somatostatin analogue treatment on Pttg
      and Cyclin D1 expression. CONCLUSIONS: Interesting and novel observations on the
      differences in expression of tumour markers studied are reported. Correlation
      between Ki-67 expression, PTTG nuclear expression and recurrence/regrowth of PAs,
      emphasizes the role that Ki-67 and PTTG expression have as markers of increased
      proliferation. c-MYC and PTTG nuclear expression levels were correlated providing
      evidence that PTTG induces c-MYC expression in PAs and we propose that c-MYC
      might principally have a role in early pituitary tumorigenesis. Evidence is shown
      that the anti-proliferative effect of somatostatin analogue treatment in vivo
      occurs through regulation of the cell cycle.

PMID- 28342099
TI  - Optimized decellularization protocol including alpha-Gal epitope reduction for
      fabrication of an acellular porcine annulus fibrosus scaffold.
AB  - Recent advances in tissue engineering have led to potential new strategies,
      especially decellularization protocols from natural tissues, for the repair,
      replacement, and regeneration of intervertebral discs. This study aimed to
      validate our previously reported method for the decellularization of annulus
      fibrosus (AF) tissue and to quantify potentially antigenic alpha-Gal epitopes in
      the decellularized tissue. Porcine AF tissue was decellularized using different
      freeze-thaw temperatures, chemical detergents, and incubation times in order to
      determine the optimal method for cell removal. The integrity of the
      decellularized material was determined using biochemical and mechanical tests.
      The alpha-Gal epitope was quantified before and after decellularization.
      Decellularization with freeze-thaw in liquid nitrogen, an ionic detergent (0.1%
      SDS), and a 24 h incubation period yielded the greatest retention of GAG and
      collagen relative to DNA reduction when tested as single variables. Combined,
      these optimal decellularization conditions preserved more GAG while removing the
      same amount of DNA as the conditions used in our previous study. Components and
      biomechanical properties of the AF matrix were retained. The decellularized AF
      scaffold exhibited suitable immune-compatibility, as evidenced by successful in
      vivo remodeling and a decrease in the alpha-Gal epitope. Our study defined the
      optimal conditions for decellularization of porcine AF tissues while preserving
      the biological composition and mechanical properties of the scaffold. Under these
      conditions, immunocompatibility was evidenced by successful in vivo remodeling
      and reduction of the alpha-Gal epitope in the decellularized material.
      Decellularized AF scaffolds are potential candidates for clinical applications in
      spinal surgery.

PMID- 28342101
TI  - Myocardial segmentation based on coronary anatomy using coronary computed
      tomography angiography: Development and validation in a pig model.
AB  - OBJECTIVES: To validate a method for performing myocardial segmentation based on
      coronary anatomy using coronary CT angiography (CCTA). METHODS: Coronary artery
      based myocardial segmentation (CAMS) was developed for use with CCTA. To validate
      and compare this method with the conventional American Heart Association (AHA)
      classification, a single coronary occlusion model was prepared and validated
      using six pigs. The unstained occluded coronary territories of the specimens and
      corresponding arterial territories from CAMS and AHA segmentations were compared
      using slice-by-slice matching and 100 virtual myocardial columns. RESULTS: CAMS
      more precisely predicted ischaemic area than the AHA method, as indicated by 95%
      versus 76% (p < 0.001) of the percentage of matched columns (defined as
      percentage of matched columns of segmentation method divided by number of
      unstained columns in the specimen). According to the subgroup analyses, CAMS
      demonstrated a higher percentage of matched columns than the AHA method in the
      left anterior descending artery (100% vs. 77%; p < 0.001) and mid- (99% vs. 83%;
      p = 0.046) and apical-level territories of the left ventricle (90% vs. 52%; p =
      0.011). CONCLUSIONS: CAMS is a feasible method for identifying the corresponding
      myocardial territories of the coronary arteries using CCTA. KEY POINTS: * CAMS is
      a feasible method for identifying corresponding coronary territory using CTA *
      CAMS is more accurate in predicting coronary territory than the AHA method * The
      AHA method may underestimate the ischaemic territory of LAD stenosis.

PMID- 28342102
TI  - The value of gadoxetic acid-enhanced MRI for differentiation between hepatic
      microabscesses and metastases in patients with periampullary cancer.
AB  - OBJECTIVES: We aimed to identify features that differentiate hepatic microabscess
      from hepatic metastasis on gadoxetic acid-enhanced MRI in patients with
      periampullary cancer. METHODS: We included 72 patients (31 patients with 83
      hepatic microabscesses and 41 patients with 71 hepatic metastases) who had a
      history of periampullary cancer and underwent gadoxetic acid-enhanced MRI. Image
      analysis was performed for margin, signal intensity, rim enhancement,
      perilesional hyperaemia, pattern on DWI and dynamic phases, and size discrepancy
      between sequences by consensus of two observers. RESULTS: Multivariate analysis
      revealed that the following significant parameters favour microabscess: a history
      of bile duct cancer, perilesional hyperaemia, persistent arterial rim enhancement
      through the transitional phase (TP), and size discrepancy between T1WI and T2WI
      and between T1WI and hepatobiliary phase image (HBPI). The diagnostic accuracy
      for microabscess was highest (90.9%) when showing a size discrepancy >=30%
      between T1WI and HBPI or persistent arterial rim enhancement through the TP. When
      the lesion was positive for both these variables, specificity reached 100%.
      CONCLUSION: The combination of a size discrepancy between T1WI and HBPI and
      persistent arterial rim enhancement through the TP represents a reliable MRI
      feature for distinguishing between hepatic microabscess and metastasis in
      patients with periampullary cancer. KEY POINTS: * Gadoxetic acid-enhanced MRI is
      useful for distinguishing hepatic microabscess from metastasis. * Hepatic
      microabscess showed significant size discrepancy >=30% between T1WI and HBPI. *
      Arterial rim enhancement persistent through the TP indicates hepatic
      microabscess.

PMID- 28342103
TI  - Survival and prognostic factors after adjuvant 131iodine-labeled lipiodol for
      hepatocellular carcinoma: a retrospective analysis of 106 patients over 20 years.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) has high recurrence rate after curative
      treatment. The aim of the present study was to report our experience with
      adjuvant use of 131I-lipiodol after curative treatment of HCC in terms of
      recurrence and survival in a large cohort of patients with a long follow-up.
      METHODS: All patients treated with 131I-lipiodol after curative treatment of HCC
      in two French centers from 1991 to 2009 were included in a retrospective cohort
      study. RESULTS: One hundred and six patients were included. The median (range)
      follow-up was 6 years (0.3-22). Forty-three patients (41%) had cirrhosis.
      Recurrence-free survival rates at 1, 2, 5, 10, and 20 years were 73, 57, 40, 30,
      and 14%, respectively. Cirrhosis was an independent predictive factor of
      recurrence [RR = 1.18, 95% CI (1.11-3.02), p = 0.019]. Overall, survival rates at
      1, 2, 5, 10, and 20 years were 90, 83, 59, 37, and 23%, respectively. Prognostic
      factors were recurrence [RR = 2.73, 95% CI (1.35-5.54); p = 0.005], age over 60
      years (RR = 1.91, 95% CI [1.02-3.61]; p = 0.044), and tumor number over 3 [RR =
      3.31, 95% CI (1.25-8.77); p = 0.016]. CONCLUSION: Our results suggest that the
      effect of 131I-lipiodol after curative treatment of HCC could be related to a
      beneficial impact on risk factors of early tumor recurrence. This could be
      evaluated in further studies using modern radioembolization methods.

PMID- 28342104
TI  - A comprehensive review of paediatric low-grade diffuse glioma: pathology,
      molecular genetics and treatment.
AB  - Gliomas are the most common central nervous system neoplasms affecting children
      and can be both high- and low-grade. Paediatric low-grade glioma may be either
      World Health Organization grade I or grade II. Despite being classified as grade
      II diffuse astrocytoma, these neoplasms arising in children are distinct
      clinically and molecularly from their adult counterparts. They do not tend to
      progress to higher grade lesions and only rarely harbour an IDH mutation. Here,
      we review the clinical, histologic and molecular features of paediatric grade II
      diffuse glioma, highlighting their diagnostic criteria, prevalence across brain
      locations, their most common molecular features and how to test for them, and
      lastly the current status of therapeutic options available for their treatment.

PMID- 28342105
TI  - Real-time surgical tool tracking and pose estimation using a hybrid cylindrical
      marker.
AB  - PURPOSE: To provide an integrated visualisation of intraoperative ultrasound and
      endoscopic images to facilitate intraoperative guidance, real-time tracking of
      the ultrasound probe is required. State-of-the-art methods are suitable for
      planar targets while most of the laparoscopic ultrasound probes are cylindrical
      objects. A tracking framework for cylindrical objects with a large work space
      will improve the usability of the intraoperative ultrasound guidance. METHODS: A
      hybrid marker design that combines circular dots and chessboard vertices is
      proposed for facilitating tracking cylindrical tools. The circular dots placed
      over the curved surface are used for pose estimation. The chessboard vertices are
      employed to provide additional information for resolving the ambiguous pose
      problem due to the use of planar model points under a monocular camera.
      Furthermore, temporal information between consecutive images is considered to
      minimise tracking failures with real-time computational performance. RESULTS:
      Detailed validation confirms that our hybrid marker provides a large working
      space for different tool sizes (6-14 mm in diameter). The tracking framework
      allows translational movements between 40 and 185 mm along the depth direction
      and rotational motion around three local orthogonal axes up to [Formula: see
      text]. Comparative studies with the current state of the art confirm that our
      approach outperforms existing methods by providing nearly 100% detection rates
      and accurate pose estimation with mean errors of 2.8 mm and 0.72[Formula: see
      text]. The tracking algorithm runs at 20 frames per second for [Formula: see
      text] image resolution videos. CONCLUSION: Experiments show that the proposed
      hybrid marker can be applied to a wide range of surgical tools with superior
      detection rates and pose estimation accuracies. Both the qualitative and
      quantitative results demonstrate that our framework can be used not only for
      assisting intraoperative ultrasound guidance but also for tracking general
      surgical tools in MIS.

PMID- 28342106
TI  - Extraction of skin lesions from non-dermoscopic images for surgical excision of
      melanoma.
AB  - PURPOSE: Computerized prescreening of suspicious moles and lesions for malignancy
      is of great importance for assessing the need and the priority of the removal
      surgery. Detection can be done by images captured by standard cameras, which are
      more preferable due to low cost and availability. One important step in
      computerized evaluation is accurate detection of lesion's region, i.e.,
      segmentation of an image into two regions as lesion and normal skin. METHODS: In
      this paper, a new method based on deep neural networks is proposed for accurate
      extraction of a lesion region. The input image is preprocessed, and then, its
      patches are fed to a convolutional neural network. Local texture and global
      structure of the patches are processed in order to assign pixels to lesion or
      normal classes. A method for effective selection of training patches is proposed
      for more accurate detection of a lesion's border. RESULTS: Our results indicate
      that the proposed method could reach the accuracy of 98.7% and the sensitivity of
      95.2% in segmentation of lesion regions over the dataset of clinical images.
      CONCLUSION: The experimental results of qualitative and quantitative evaluations
      demonstrate that our method can outperform other state-of-the-art algorithms
      exist in the literature.

PMID- 28342107
TI  - Interactive segmentation in MRI for orthopedic surgery planning: bone tissue.
AB  - PURPOSE: Planning orthopedic surgeries is commonly performed in computed
      tomography (CT) images due to the higher contrast of bony structure. However,
      soft tissues such as muscles and ligaments that may determine the functional
      outcome of a procedure are not easy to identify in CT, for which fast and
      accurate segmentation in MRI would be desirable. To be usable in daily practice,
      such method should provide convenient means of interaction for modifications and
      corrections, e.g., during perusal by the surgeon or the planning physician for
      quality control. METHODS: We propose an interactive segmentation framework for MR
      images and evaluate the outcome for segmentation of bones. We use a random forest
      classification and a random walker-based spatial regularization. The latter
      enables the incorporation of user input as well as enforcing a single connected
      anatomical structures, thanks to which a selective sampling strategy is proposed
      to substantially improve the supervised learning performance. RESULTS: We
      evaluated our segmentation framework on 10 patient humerus MRI as well as 4 high
      resolution MRI from volunteers. Interactive humerus segmentations for patients
      took on average 150 s with over 3.5 times time-gain compared to manual
      segmentations, with accuracies comparable (converging) to that of much longer
      interactions. For high-resolution data, a novel multi-resolution random walker
      strategy further reduced the run time over 20 times of the manual segmentation,
      allowing for a feasible interactive segmentation framework. CONCLUSIONS: We
      present a segmentation framework that allows iterative corrections leading to
      substantial speed gains in bone annotation in MRI. This will allow us to pursue
      semi-automatic segmentations of other musculoskeletal anatomy first in a user-in
      the-loop manner, where later less user interactions or perhaps only few for
      quality control will be necessary as our annotation suggestions improve.

PMID- 28342108
TI  - Fine mapping of a quantitative resistance gene for gray leaf spot of maize (Zea
      mays L.) derived from teosinte (Z. mays ssp. parviglumis).
AB  - KEY MESSAGE: In this study we mapped the QTL Qgls8 for gray leaf spot (GLS)
      resistance in maize to a ~130 kb region on chromosome 8 including five predicted
      genes. In previous work, using near isogenic line (NIL) populations in which
      segments of the teosinte (Zea mays ssp. parviglumis) genome had been introgressed
      into the background of the maize line B73, we had identified a QTL on chromosome
      8, here called Qgls8, for gray leaf spot (GLS) resistance. We identified
      alternate teosinte alleles at this QTL, one conferring increased GLS resistance
      and one increased susceptibility relative to the B73 allele. Using segregating
      populations derived from NIL parents carrying these contrasting alleles, we were
      able to delimit the QTL region to a ~130 kb (based on the B73 genome) which
      encompassed five predicted genes.

PMID- 28342109
TI  - Sensitivity to Enterocins of Biogenic Amine-Producing Faecal Enterococci from
      Ostriches and Pheasants.
AB  - Enterococci are widespread bacteria forming the third largest genus among lactic
      acid bacteria. Some possess probiotic properties or they can produce beneficial
      proteinaceous antimicrobial substances called enterocins. On the other hand, some
      enterococci produce biogenic amines (BAs), so this study is focused on the
      sensitivity to enterocins of biogenic amine-producing faecal enterococci from
      ostriches and pheasants. Altogether, 60 enterococci isolated from faeces of
      ostriches and pheasants were tested for production of BAs. This target of the
      identified enterococci involved 46 strains selected from 140 ostriches and 17
      from 60 pheasants involving the species Enterococcus hirae, E. faecium, E.
      faecalis, and E. mundtii. Although BAs histamine, cadaverine, putrescine, and
      tryptamine were not detected in the enterococci tested, in general high BA
      production by the tested enterococci was noted. The species E. hirae formed the
      majority of the enterococcal strains from ostrichs faeces (34 strains). High
      production of tyramine (TYM) was measured with an average amount of 958.16 +/-
      28.18 mg/ml. Among the enterococci from pheasants, the highest was production of
      TYM compared to phenylethylamine, spermidine, and spermine. Enterococci featured
      high BA production; however, they were sensitive to seven enterocins with
      inhibition activity ranging from 100 up to 25,600 AU/ml.

PMID- 28342110
TI  - Electroconvulsive therapy enhances endocannabinoids in the cerebrospinal fluid of
      patients with major depression: a preliminary prospective study.
AB  - Despite the lack of clinical data about the role of the endocannabinoid system
      (ECS) in affective disorders, preclinical work suggests that the ECS is relevant
      in both with regard to the etiology of depression as well as the mediation of
      antidepressant effects. We measured the intraindividual levels of the
      endocannabinoids N-arachidonoylethanolamine (AEA) and 2-arachidonoylglycerol (2
      AG) in the cerebrospinal fluid of 12 patients suffering from a major depressive
      episode before and after the antidepressant treatment by electroconvulsive
      therapy (ECT). AEA was significantly elevated after ECT as compared to baseline.
      The AEA increase positively correlated with the number of individually performed
      ECT sessions. Although the sample size was small and confounders were not
      rigorously controlled for, our finding corroborates preclinical work and should
      encourage further exploration of the involvement of the ECS in depressive
      disorder.

PMID- 28342112
TI  - An Investigation of the Overlap Between the ICECAP-A and Five Preference-Based
      Health-Related Quality of Life Instruments.
AB  - BACKGROUND: The ICEpop CAPability measure for Adults (ICECAP-A) is a measure of
      capability wellbeing developed for use in economic evaluations. It was designed
      to overcome perceived limitations associated with existing preference-based
      instruments, where the explicit focus on health-related aspects of quality of
      life may result in the failure to capture fully the broader benefits of
      interventions and treatments that go beyond health. The aim of this study was to
      investigate the extent to which preference-based health-related quality of life
      (HRQoL) instruments are able to capture aspects of capability wellbeing, as
      measured by the ICECAP-A. METHODS: Using data from the Multi Instrument
      Comparison project, pairwise exploratory factor analyses were conducted to
      compare the ICECAP-A with five preference-based HRQoL instruments [15D,
      Assessment of Quality of Life 8-dimension (AQoL-8D), EQ-5D-5L, Health Utilities
      Index Mark 3 (HUI-3), and SF-6D]. RESULTS: Data from 6756 individuals were used
      in the analyses. The ICECAP-A provides information above that garnered from most
      commonly used preference-based HRQoL instruments. The exception was the AQoL-8D;
      more common factors were identified between the ICECAP-A and AQoL-8D compared
      with the other pairwise analyses. CONCLUSION: Further investigations are needed
      to explore the extent and potential implications of 'double counting' when
      applying the ICECAP-A alongside health-related preference-based instruments.

PMID- 28342111
TI  - CKB1 is involved in abscisic acid and gibberellic acid signaling to regulate
      stress responses in Arabidopsis thaliana.
AB  - Casein kinase II (CK2), an evolutionarily well-conserved Ser/Thr kinase, plays
      critical roles in all higher organisms including plants. CKB1 is a regulatory
      subunit beta of CK2. In this study, homozygous T-DNA mutants (ckb1-1 and ckb1-2)
      and over-expression plants (35S:CKB1-1, 35S:CKB1-2) of Arabidopsis thaliana were
      studied to understand the role of CKB1 in abiotic stress and gibberellic acid
      (GA) signaling. Histochemical staining showed that although CKB1 was expressed in
      all organs, it had a relatively higher expression in conducting tissues. The ckb1
      mutants showed reduced sensitivity to abscisic acid (ABA) during seed germination
      and seedling growth. The increased stomatal aperture, leaf water loss and proline
      accumulation were observed in ckb1 mutants. In contrast, the ckb1 mutant had
      increased sensitivity to polyaluminum chloride during seed germination and
      hypocotyl elongation. We obtained opposite results in over-expression plants. The
      expression levels of a number of genes in the ABA and GA regulatory network had
      changed. This study demonstrates that CKB1 is an ABA signaling-related gene,
      which subsequently influences GA metabolism, and may play a positive role in ABA
      signaling.

PMID- 28342113
TI  - Crizotinib for Untreated Anaplastic Lymphoma Kinase-Positive Non-Small-Cell Lung
      Cancer: An Evidence Review Group Perspective of a NICE Single Technology
      Appraisal.
AB  - As part of the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) single
      technology appraisal process, the manufacturer of crizotinib submitted evidence
      on the clinical and cost effectiveness of crizotinib in untreated anaplastic
      lymphoma kinase-positive (ALK-positive) non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC).
      Crizotinib has previously been assessed by NICE for patients with previously
      treated ALK-positive NSCLC (TA 296). It was not approved in this previous
      appraisal, but had been made available through the cancer drugs fund. As part of
      this new appraisal, the company included a price discount patient access scheme
      (PAS). The Centre for Reviews and Dissemination and Centre for Health Economics
      Technology Appraisal Group at the University of York was commissioned to act as
      the independent Evidence Review Group (ERG). This article provides a description
      of the company's submission and the ERG's review and summarises the resulting
      NICE guidance issued in August 2016. The main clinical-effectiveness data were
      derived from a multicentre randomised controlled trial-PROFILE 1014-that compared
      crizotinib with pemetrexed chemotherapy in combination with carboplatin or
      cisplatin in patients with untreated non-squamous ALK-positive NSCLC. In the
      trial, crizotinib demonstrated improvements in progression-free survival (PFS)
      and overall survival (OS). The company's economic model was a three-state 'area
      under the curve' Markov model. The base-case incremental cost-effectiveness ratio
      (ICER) was estimated to be greater than L50,000 per quality-adjusted life-year
      (QALY) gained (excluding the PAS discount). The ERG assessment of the evidence
      submitted by the company raised a number of concerns. In terms of the clinical
      evidence, the OS benefit was highly uncertain due to the cross-over permitted in
      the trial and the immaturity of the data; only 26% of events had occurred by the
      data cut-off point. In the economic modelling, the most significant concerns
      related to the analysis of OS and assumptions made regarding the duration of
      therapy. The ERG exploratory re-analysis of the OS data relaxed the assumption of
      proportional hazards made in the company submission, which demonstrated
      significant uncertainty regarding the OS gains from crizotinib. The ERG
      reconfigured the economic model so that duration of therapy was based on the area
      under the curve analysis of the PROFILE 1014 trial, dramatically increasing the
      cost associated with implementing crizotinib and consequently, substantially
      increasing the ICER. At the first appraisal meeting, the NICE Appraisal Committee
      concluded that crizotinib, while clinically effective, was not sufficiently cost
      effective for use in the UK NHS. Following the consultation, the company offered
      a revised PAS and conducted extensive re-analysis, resulting in a revised base
      case ICER of L47,291 per QALY gained. The NICE Appraisal Committee concluded that
      crizotinib was likely to be a cost-effective use of NHS resources, despite the
      uncertainty that persisted around a number of factors, namely the long-term
      survival benefit of crizotinib. Crizotinib was therefore recommended as an option
      for untreated ALK-positive advanced NSCLC in adults.

PMID- 28342114
TI  - Using Parameter Constraints to Choose State Structures in Cost-Effectiveness
      Modelling.
AB  - BACKGROUND: This article addresses the choice of state structure in a cost
      effectiveness multi-state model. Key model outputs, such as treatment
      recommendations and prioritisation of future research, may be sensitive to state
      structure choice. For example, it may be uncertain whether to consider similar
      disease severities or similar clinical events as the same state or as separate
      states. Standard statistical methods for comparing models require a common
      reference dataset but merging states in a model aggregates the data, rendering
      these methods invalid. METHODS: We propose a method that involves re-expressing a
      model with merged states as a model on the larger state space in which particular
      transition probabilities, costs and utilities are constrained to be equal between
      states. This produces a model that gives identical estimates of cost
      effectiveness to the model with merged states, while leaving the data unchanged.
      The comparison of state structures can be achieved by comparing maximised
      likelihoods or information criteria between constrained and unconstrained models.
      We can thus test whether the costs and/or health consequences for a patient in
      two states are the same, and hence if the states can be merged. We note that
      different structures can be used for rates, costs and utilities, as appropriate.
      APPLICATION: We illustrate our method with applications to two recent models
      evaluating the cost effectiveness of prescribing anti-depressant medications by
      depression severity and the cost effectiveness of diagnostic tests for coronary
      artery disease. CONCLUSIONS: State structures in cost-effectiveness models can be
      compared using standard methods to compare constrained and unconstrained models.

PMID- 28342116
TI  - Constantin von Monakow (1853-1930) and his legacy to science.
AB  - Constantin von Monakow was a Russian-born Swiss neurologist. Monakow was an
      outstanding scientist of his time. He will be remembered by his important
      contributions to our knowledge on the organization, location, and direction of
      tracts of the nervous system.

PMID- 28342115
TI  - SSh versus TSE sequence protocol in rapid MR examination of pediatric patients
      with programmable drainage system.
AB  - PURPOSE: A low radiation burden is essential during diagnostic procedures in
      pediatric patients due to their high tissue sensitivity. Using MR examination
      instead of the routinely used CT reduces the radiation exposure and the risk of
      adverse stochastic effects. Our retrospective study evaluated the possibility of
      using ultrafast single-shot (SSh) sequences and turbo spin echo (TSE) sequences
      in rapid MR brain imaging in pediatric patients with hydrocephalus and a
      programmable ventriculoperitoneal drainage system. METHODS: SSh sequences seem to
      be suitable for examining pediatric patients due to the speed of using this
      technique, but significant susceptibility artifacts due to the programmable
      drainage valve degrade the image quality. Therefore, a rapid MR examination
      protocol based on TSE sequences, less sensitive to artifacts due to ferromagnetic
      components, has been developed. Of 61 pediatric patients who were examined using
      MR and the SSh sequence protocol, a group of 15 patients with hydrocephalus and a
      programmable drainage system also underwent TSE sequence MR imaging. The
      susceptibility artifact volume in both rapid MR protocols was evaluated using a
      semiautomatic volumetry system. RESULTS: A statistically significant decrease in
      the susceptibility artifact volume has been demonstrated in TSE sequence imaging
      in comparison with SSh sequences. Using TSE sequences reduced the influence of
      artifacts from the programmable valve, and the image quality in all cases was
      rated as excellent. In all patients, rapid MR examinations were performed without
      any need for intravenous sedation or general anesthesia. CONCLUSIONS: Our study
      results strongly suggest the superiority of the TSE sequence MR protocol compared
      to the SSh sequence protocol in pediatric patients with a programmable
      ventriculoperitoneal drainage system due to a significant reduction of
      susceptibility artifact volume. Both rapid sequence MR protocols provide quick
      and satisfactory brain imaging with no ionizing radiation and a reduced need for
      intravenous or general anesthesia.

PMID- 28342117
TI  - Otto Mennicke (1876-) and the first description of skull base anomalies causing
      cerebellar tonsillar ectopia: one of the first mentions of the Chiari I
      malformation.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: Although Hans Chiari made significant and meaningful contributions
      to our understanding and classification of hindbrain herniations, others have
      also contributed to this knowledge. One figure who has been lost to history is
      Otto Mennicke. Herein, we discuss his role in our understanding of tonsillar
      ectopia and his life and connection to Hans Chiari. CONCLUSIONS: Our knowledge of
      what is now known as the Chiari malformations has been shaped by several
      clinicians including Otto Mennicke.

PMID- 28342119
TI  - Returns to Operating Room After Colon and Rectal Surgery in a Tertiary Care
      Academic Medical Center: a Valid Measure of Surgical Quality?
AB  - INTRODUCTION: Returns to the operating room (ROR) have been suggested as a marker
      of surgical quality. Increasingly, quality and value metrics are utilized for
      reimbursement as well as public reporting to inform health care consumers. We
      sought to understand the etiology of ROR and assess the validity of simple ROR as
      a quality metric. METHODS: This was a single referral center retrospective review
      of all colon and rectal operations between January 1, 2014 and December 31, 2014.
      Surgical Systems Nurse + was constructed and validated at our institution for
      classifying ROR as either an unplanned return to the OR, planned return due to
      complications, planned staged return, or an unrelated return. The primary outcome
      was the classification of ROR and total number of ROR within 30 days. RESULTS: Of
      the 2389 colorectal patients who underwent surgery between January 1, 2014 and
      December 31, 2014; 214 returned to the operating room within 30 days (9.0%).
      Among the 214 patients, there were a total of 232 ROR with an average of 1.1 ROR
      per patient (range 1-4); 90 (38.8%) were unplanned ROR, 49 (21.1%) were planned
      returns due to complications, 92 (39.7%) were planned staged returns, and 1
      (0.4%) were unrelated ROR. The most common reason for an unplanned ROR was an
      anastomotic leak (n = 21; 9.1%). Overall, unplanned reoperations were rare events
      (n = 90/2389; 3.8%), largely comprised of patients experiencing an anastomotic
      abscess or leak (n=21/2389; 0.9%). CONCLUSIONS: In a high volume and complexity
      academic colon and rectal surgery practice, RORs within 30 days occurred after
      10.4% of cases. Unplanned ROR were relatively rare and most commonly associated
      with an anastomotic leak. Since the majority of ROR were planned-staged returns,
      overall rate of ROR should be questioned as a metric of surgical quality.
      Perhaps, the anastomotic leak rate may be a better metric to monitor for quality
      improvement efforts.

PMID- 28342118
TI  - Somatosensory evoked potentials as a screening tool for diagnosis of spinal
      pathologies in children with treatment refractory overactive bladder.
AB  - PURPOSE: To evaluate the usefulness of somatosensory evoked potential as a
      screening tool for spinal pathologies in patients with treatment refractory
      overactive bladder. METHODS: This prospective study was performed between January
      2011 and January 2014. Children >5 years old with treatment refractory overactive
      bladder were enrolled after exclusion of anatomical and neurological causes of
      incontinence. All patients underwent urodynamic studies, spinal MRI, and
      somatosensory evoked potential (SEP). Sensitivity, specificity, PPV, and NPV were
      calculated for SEP. RESULTS: Thirty-one children (average age 8.3 +/- 2.9 years)
      were included in the study. SEP was abnormal in 13 (41.9%), and MRI was abnormal
      in 8 (25.8%) patients. SEP was found to have a sensitivity of 87.5%, a
      specificity of 73.9%, positive predictive value of 53.85%, and negative
      predictive value (NPV) of 94.4%. CONCLUSION: In patients with treatment
      refractory OAB, SEP is an important tool for the screening of tethered
      cord/spinal pathologies. Our results suggest that a child with a normal SEP study
      in this group of patients may not require further investigation with MRI.

PMID- 28342120
TI  - The Impact of Hepaticojejunostomy Leaks After Pancreatoduodenectomy: a
      Devastating Source of Morbidity and Mortality.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: Hepaticojejunostomy leaks are less frequent than pancreatic leaks
      after pancreatoduodenectomy, and the current literature suggests comparable
      outcomes. The purpose of this study was to determine if the hepaticojejunostomy
      leak adversely affected patient outcomes. METHODS: Consecutive cases of
      pancreatoduodenectomy (n = 924) were reviewed at a single high-volume institution
      over an 8-year period (2006-2014). RESULTS: Pancreaticojejunostomy leaks were
      identified in 217 (23%) patients and hepaticojejunostomy leaks were identified in
      24 patients (3%); combined hepaticojejunostomy/pancreaticojejunostomy leaks were
      identified in 31 patients (3%). Those with hepaticojejunostomy leaks or combined
      leaks had a significantly increased risk of morbidity when compared to
      pancreaticojejunostomy leaks or no leak (54 and 58 vs. 34 and 24%, respectively,
      p < 0.05). The median length of stay was significantly greater for
      hepaticojejunostomy leaks or combined leaks when compared to pancreatojejunostomy
      leaks (17 or 14 vs. 9 days, p = 0.001) and those with no leak (17 or 14 vs. 7
      days, p = 0.001). Ninety-day mortality for all patients was 3.6%.
      Hepaticojejunostomy leaks and combined leaks significantly increased 90-day
      mortality rate (17 and 32%, respectively, p < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS:
      Hepaticojejunostomy and combined leaks after pancreatoduodenectomy are rarer than
      pancreaticojejunostomy leaks; these patients are at a significantly increased
      risk of major morbidity and mortality.

PMID- 28342121
TI  - Can Comprehensive Imaging Analysis with Analytic Morphomics and Geriatric
      Assessment Predict Serious Complications in Patients Undergoing Pancreatic
      Surgery?
AB  - We aimed to determine whether comprehensive imaging analysis with analytic
      morphomics (AM) enhances or replaces geriatric assessment (GA) in risk
      stratifying pancreatic surgery patients. One hundred thirty-four pancreatic
      surgery patients were identified from a prospective cohort. Sixty-three patients
      in the cohort had preoperative CT scans in addition to comprehensive geriatric
      assessments. CT scans were processed using AM. Associations with National
      Surgical Quality Improvement Program (NSQIP) serious complications were evaluated
      using univariate analysis and robust elastic net modeling to obtain AUROC curves
      by adding AM and GA measures to our previously defined clinical base risk model
      (age, body mass index, American Society of Anesthesiologists classification, and
      Charlson comorbidity index). NSQIP serious complications were associated with low
      psoas Hounsfield units (HUs) (p = 0.002), low-density (0 to 30 HU) psoas area (p
      = 0.01), visceral fat HU (p <= 0.001), visceral fat area (p = 0.009),
      subcutaneous fat HU (p = 0.023), and total body area (p = 0.012) on univariate
      analysis. Elastic net models incorporating the base model with geriatric
      assessment and psoas HU (AUC = 0.751), and AM alone (AUC = 0.739) have greater
      predictive value than the base model alone (AUC = 0.601). The model utilizing AM
      and GA in combination had the highest predictive value (AUC = 0.841). When
      combined, AM and GA improve prediction of NSQIP serious complications compared to
      either technique alone. The additive nature of these two modalities suggests they
      likely capture unique aspects of a patient's fitness for surgery.

PMID- 28342122
TI  - Impact of Secreted Protein Acidic and Rich in Cysteine (SPARC) Expression on
      Prognosis After Surgical Resection for Biliary Carcinoma.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Secreted protein acidic and rich in cysteine (SPARC) is a
      matricellular protein that influences chemotherapy effectiveness and prognosis.
      The aim of this study was to investigate whether SPARC expression correlates with
      the postoperative survival of patients treated with surgical resection for
      biliary carcinoma. METHODS: SPARC expression in resected biliary carcinoma
      specimens was investigated immunohistochemically in 175 patients. The
      relationship between SPARC expression and prognosis after surgery was evaluated
      using univariate and multivariate analyses. RESULTS: High SPARC expression in
      peritumoral stroma was found in 61 (35%) patients. In all patients, stromal SPARC
      expression was significantly associated with overall survival (OS) (P = 0.006).
      Multivariate analysis revealed that high stromal SPARC expression was an
      independent risk factor for poor OS (HR 1.81, P = 0.006). Moreover, high stromal
      SPARC expression was independently associated with poor prognosis in a subset of
      118 patients treated with gemcitabine-based adjuvant chemotherapy (HR 2.04, P =
      0.010) but not in the 57 patients who did not receive adjuvant chemotherapy (P =
      0.21). CONCLUSIONS: Stromal SPARC expression correlated with the prognosis of
      patients with resectable biliary carcinoma, and its significance was enhanced in
      patients treated with adjuvant gemcitabine-based chemotherapy.

PMID- 28342123
TI  - Clinical case of cfr-positive MRSA CC398 in Belgium.

PMID- 28342124
TI  - Laparoscopic image-based navigation for microwave ablation of liver tumors-A
      multi-center study.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Stereotactic navigation technology has been proposed to augment
      accuracy in targeting intrahepatic lesions for local ablation therapy. This
      retrospective study evaluated accuracy, efficacy, and safety when using
      laparoscopic image-guided microwave ablation (LIMA) for malignant liver tumors.
      METHODS: All patients treated for malignant liver lesions using LIMA at two
      European centers between 2013 and 2015 were included for analysis. A landmark
      based registration technique was applied for intraoperative tumor localization
      and positioning of ablation probes. Intraoperative efficiency of the procedure
      was measured as number of registration attempts and time needed to achieve
      sufficient registration accuracy. Technical accuracy was assessed as Fiducial
      Registration Error (FRE). Outcome at 90 days including mortality, postoperative
      morbidity, rates of incomplete ablations, and early intrahepatic recurrences were
      reported. RESULTS: In 34 months, 54 interventions were performed comprising a
      total of 346 lesions (median lesions per patient 3 (1-25)). Eleven patients had
      concomitant laparoscopic resections of the liver or the colorectal primary tumor.
      Median time for registration was 4:38 min (0:26-19:34). Average FRE was 8.1 +/-
      2.8 mm. Follow-up at 90 days showed one death, 24% grade I/II, and 4% grade IIIa
      complications. Median length of hospital stay was 2 days (1-11). Early local
      recurrence was 9% per lesion and 32% per patient. Of these, 63% were successfully
      re-ablated within 6 months. CONCLUSIONS: LIMA does not interfere with the
      intraoperative workflow and results in low complication and early local
      recurrence rates, even when simultaneously targeting multiple lesions. LIMA may
      represent a valid therapy option for patients with extensive hepatic disease
      within a multimodal treatment approach.

PMID- 28342125
TI  - Underwater endoscopic mucosal resection is associated with fewer recurrences and
      earlier curative resections compared to conventional endoscopic mucosal resection
      for large colorectal polyps.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Studies comparing the efficacy and safety of conventional saline
      assisted piecemeal endoscopic mucosal resection (EMR) to underwater EMR (UEMR)
      without submucosal lifting of colorectal polyps are lacking. The objective of
      this study was to compare the efficacy and safety of EMR to UEMR of large
      colorectal polyps. METHODS: Two hundred eighty-nine colorectal polyps were
      removed by a single endoscopist from 7/2007 to 2/2015 using EMR or UEMR. 135
      polyps (EMR: 62, UEMR: 73) that measured >=15 mm and had not undergone prior
      attempted polypectomy were evaluated for rates of complete macroscopic resection
      and adverse events. 101 of these polyps (EMR: 46, UEMR: 55) had at least 1 follow
      up colonoscopy and were studied for rates of recurrence and the number of
      procedures required to achieve curative resection. RESULTS: The rate of complete
      macroscopic resection was higher following UEMR compared to EMR (98.6 vs. 87.1%,
      p = 0.012). UEMR had a lower recurrence rate at the first follow-up colonoscopy
      compared to EMR (7.3 vs. 28.3%, OR 5.0 for post-EMR recurrence, 95% CI: [1.5,
      16.5], p = 0.008). UEMR required fewer procedures to reach curative resection
      than EMR (mean of 1.0 vs. 1.3, p = 0.002). There was no significant difference in
      rates of adverse events. CONCLUSIONS: UEMR appears superior to EMR for the
      removal of large colorectal polyps in terms of rates of complete macroscopic
      resection and recurrent (or residual) abnormal tissue. Compared to conventional
      EMR, UEMR may offer increased procedural effectiveness without compromising
      safety in the removal of large colorectal polyps without prior attempted
      resection.

PMID- 28342126
TI  - Learning curve takes 65 repetitions of totally extraperitoneal laparoscopy on
      inguinal hernias for reduction of operating time and complications.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Inguinal hernia repair is one of the most frequently conducted
      surgical procedures worldwide. Totally extraperitoneal (TEP) hernioplasty has
      shown many advantages over traditional open surgery. However, because of
      increased surgical complexity, it requires more practice to achieve optimal
      results. OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study is to evaluate the learning curve for
      TEP hernioplasty, analysing parameters related to the mean operating time. The
      secondary objective is to assess the complications and early discharge rates
      related to this procedure. METHODS: A prospective study of 238 consecutive
      patients undergoing TEP hernioplasty from the same practitioner between May 2009
      and May 2014, in a specialised centre for abdominal hernias in Sao Paulo, Brazil,
      was conducted. All data were obtained through medical records. RESULTS: The study
      included 137 patients undergoing a total of 157 TEP hernia repairs. Bilaterality
      and complications can influence the operating time and so were excluded. Patients
      with unilateral surgery and without complications were included. Patients were
      chronologically divided into four groups. Groups 1-3 were composed of 35 patients
      and group 4 of 32. There were no significant variations in clinical
      characteristics between the groups. The plateau of the learning curve was reached
      on the 65 th repetition of the surgery, with a mean operating time of 28 min (p <
      0,05). Complications were only observed in the first group of 35 patients. 97% of
      patients were discharged early, defined as patient leaving hospital less than 12
      h after surgery. CONCLUSION: After an initial reduction, the mean operating time
      stabilised after 65 cases. A reduction in the rate of complications was observed
      after 35 cases, and a rate of 97% of early discharge was achieved.

PMID- 28342127
TI  - Robotic single-site plus ONE port distal pancreatectomy.
AB  - Laparoscopic distal pancreatectomy is regarded as safe and effective surgical
      approach in benign and low-grade malignant tumor of the pancreas. With the
      advances of laparoscopic techniques and instruments, many efforts to reduce the
      number of the trocar site has been made. There are a few available surgical
      techniques of laparoscopic single-site (single port or reduced port) distal
      pancreatectomy, suggesting its safety and feasibility. However, it is true that
      laparoscopic single-site distal pancreatectomy is difficult and technically quite
      demanding. Robotic surgical system was introduced to overcome the limitation of
      conventional laparoscopic surgery. Recently, we experienced robotic single-site
      plus ONE port distal pancreatectomy in benign and low-grade malignant tumor of
      the pancreas. A 45-year-old male patient was incidentally found to have
      pancreatic mass in tail of the pancreas. October 6th 2015, robotic distal
      pancreatectomy was performed using the Da Vinci single-site surgical platform
      (DVSSP) with one additional port. Additional robotic 12-mm-port was placed left
      side of DVSSP, and robotic 3rd arm was used through this site. Usual robotic
      instruments such as hook, bipolar, vessel sealer, and endo-GIA with endo-wrist
      function could be used to facilitate effective surgical procedure. The general
      operation procedure was based on modified Lasso technique (isolation and ligation
      of splenic artery prior to Lasso technique). Resected specimen was delivered
      through umbilicus and drains were inserted through additional port site. Five
      consecutive clinical experiences were reviewed. This study was approved by
      institutional review board. Two patients were male and three were female with
      median age, 38 years (range 21-56). The distribution of the pathological
      diagnosis was 2 solid pseudopapillary tumors, 1 serous cystic neoplasm, 1 chronic
      pancreatitis, and 1 neuroendocrine tumor. Median operation time was 165 min
      (range 120-270 min), and intraoperative-estimated blood loss were median 5 ml
      (range 0-50 ml). One patient could preserve spleen by Warshaw procedure. One
      patient converted to conventional multi-port robotic distal pancreatectomy due to
      inter-arms collisions. There was no clinically relevant postoperative pancreatic
      fistula. Length of hospital stay was median 6 days after surgery (range 5-8
      days). Robotic single-site plus ONE port distal pancreatectomy is safe and
      feasible with acceptable perioperative outcomes. Although, certain patients such
      as those with a hard pancreas need an amount of care due to the features of
      robotic GIA, currently available robotic single-site plus ONE port surgical
      system was thought to have potential role to make laparoscopic single-site distal
      pancreatectomy much easier and ergonomics, providing some room to expand more
      minimally invasive surgery. Further experiences are mandatory.

PMID- 28342128
TI  - Efficacy and safety of endoscopic submucosal dissection in elderly patients with
      esophageal squamous cell carcinoma.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Endoscopic submucosal dissection (ESD) has been widely applied in
      superficial esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (SESCC) as a minimally invasive
      treatment, which has advantages over surgery, especially in the elderly who have
      high risk of surgery. This study elucidated the efficacy and safety of ESD for
      SESCC in the elderly. METHODS: Between April 2007 and June 2016, a total of 176
      patients with SESCC treated with ESD were analyzed. Clinical outcomes including
      En bloc, complete, and curative resection rates, procedure-related complication
      rates, and cumulative recurrence rates were compared between the elderly (n = 46,
      >=70 years of age) and the non-elderly groups (n = 130, <70 years of age).
      RESULTS: Between the two groups, sex, past medical history (hypertension and
      diabetes), body mass index, tumor characteristics (number, location, shape,
      maximal and circumferential size of the tumor and the resected specimen, and
      depth), and use of stricture prevention except for age (elderly vs non-elderly;
      74.1 +/- 2.78 vs. 61.1 +/- 6.06 years, p < 0.001) did not differ. En bloc
      resection (elderly vs. non-elderly; 93.5 vs. 93.8%, p = 1.000), complete
      resection (elderly vs. non-elderly; 69.6 vs. 76.2%, p = 0.433), and curative
      resection rates (elderly vs. non-elderly; 54.3 vs. 60.0%, p = 0.602) did not
      differ significantly between the two groups. Procedure time and hospital stay
      were also similar between the two groups. Complications of ESD such as stricture
      (17.4 vs. 10.8%, p = 0.299) and perforation (13.0 vs. 6.2%, p = 0.083) occurred
      at a similar rate in the elderly and non-elderly groups. After curative ESD,
      cumulative recurrence rate of the elderly group (0%) did not differ significantly
      to that of the non-elderly group (5.1%) by the log-rank test (p = 0.307).
      CONCLUSION: ESD for SESCC is effective and safe in elderly patients as in non
      elderly patients.

PMID- 28342129
TI  - Comparison of two specimen retrieval techniques in laparoscopic sleeve
      gastrectomy: what is the role of endobag?
AB  - BACKGROUND: Laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy (LSG) has become a popular stand
      alone treatment for morbid obesity. However, removal of the gastric specimen
      could be a challenging step due to its large size relative to the width of the
      trocar site. OBJECTIVES: We aimed to compare a simplified retrieval technique for
      extraction of the gastric specimen without an endobag with conventionally
      performed specimen retrieval using an endobag. METHODS: A case-control study was
      conducted recruiting patients undergoing LSG. Patient's demographics,
      preoperative characteristics, intra-operative, and postoperative variables were
      compared between the two groups according to the technique of gastric specimen
      removal. RESULTS: A total of 193 patients (60.6% female) were enrolled into case
      (n = 100) and control groups (n = 93). Mean +/- SD age and BMI of patients were
      35.64 +/- 11.84 years and 47.28 +/- 8.22 Kg/m2, respectively with no significant
      difference between groups. Median (25th, 75th inter-quartile), extraction time
      was significantly reduced in the non-endobag group compared to the endobag group
      (3.5 [2.5-4.5] min vs. 6.5 [3.4-8.2] min, p = 0.03).Patients of both groups had
      similar intra-operative and trocar site complications (hernia and wound
      infection) (3% for endobag group and 3.3 % for non-endobag group). The median (25
      75% [IQR]) LOS was also comparable between endobag and non-endobag patients (3[2
      3] vs. 3[2-4] days, p = 0.84). No difference was observed between the two groups
      for weight loss and comorbidity resolution. CONCLUSION: Non-endobag technique for
      gastric specimen retrieval is safe and feasible with substantial saving in
      operative time and comparable intra-operative and postoperative outcomes to the
      conventional retrieval technique.

PMID- 28342130
TI  - Laparoscopic proximal gastrectomy with double tract reconstruction is superior to
      laparoscopic total gastrectomy for proximal early gastric cancer.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Laparoscopic proximal gastrectomy (LPG) with double tract
      reconstruction (DTR) is known to reduce reflux symptoms, which is a major concern
      after proximal gastrectomy. The aim of this study is to compare retrospectively
      the clinical outcomes of patients undergoing LPG with DTR with those treated by
      laparoscopic total gastrectomy (LTG). METHODS: Ninety-two and 156 patients
      undergoing LPG with DTR and LTG for proximal stage I gastric cancer were
      retrospectively analyzed for short- and long-term clinical outcomes. RESULTS:
      There were no significant differences in the demographics, T-stage, N-stage, and
      complications between the groups. The LPG with DTR group had a shorter operative
      time and lower estimated blood loss than the LTG group (198.3 vs. 225.4 min, p <
      0.001; and 84.7 vs. 128.3 mL p = 0.001). The incidence of reflux symptoms >=
      Visick grade II did not significantly differ between the groups during a mean
      follow-up period of 37.2 months (1.1 vs. 1.9%, p = 0.999). The hemoglobin change
      was significantly lower in the LPG with DTR group compared to in the LTG group in
      the first and second postoperative years (5.03 vs. 9.18% p = 0.004; and 3.45 vs.
      8.30%, p = 0.002, respectively), as was the mean amount of vitamin B12
      supplements 2 years after operation (0.1 vs. 3.1 mg, p < 0.001). The overall
      survival rate was similar between the groups. CONCLUSIONS: LPG with DTR
      maintained comparable oncological safety and anastomosis-related late
      complications compared to LTG and is preferred over LTG in terms of preventing
      postoperative anemia and vitamin B12 deficiency.

PMID- 28342131
TI  - Volume and outcomes relationship in laparoscopic diaphragmatic hernia repair.
AB  - BACKGROUND: There is no published data regarding the relationship between
      hospital volume and outcomes in patients undergoing laparoscopic diaphragmatic
      hernia repair. We hypothesize that hospitals performing high case volume have
      improved outcomes compared to low-volume hospitals. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We
      reviewed the National Inpatient Sample (NIS) database between 2008 and 2012 for
      adults with the diagnosis of diaphragmatic hernia who underwent elective
      laparoscopic repair of diaphragmatic Hernia and/or Nissen fundoplication.
      Pediatric, emergent, and open cases were excluded. Main outcome measures included
      logistic regression analysis of factors predictive of in-hospital mortality and
      outcomes according to annual hospital case volume. RESULTS: A total of 31,228
      laparoscopic diaphragmatic hernia operations were analyzed. The overall in
      hospital mortality was 0.14%. Risk factors for higher in-hospital mortality
      included renal failure (AOR: 6.26; 95% CI: 2.48-15.78; p < 0.001), age>60 years
      (AOR: 5.06; 95% CI: 2.38-10.76; p < 0.001), and CHF (AOR: 3.80; 95% CI: 1.39
      10.38; p = 0.009) while an incremental increase in volume of 10 cases/year (AOR:
      0.89; 95% CI: 0.81-0.98; p = 0.019) and diabetes (AOR: 0.34; 95% CI: 0.12-0.93; p
      = 0.036) decreases mortality. There was a small but significant inverse
      relationship between hospital case volume and mortality with a 10% reduction in
      adjusted odds of in-hospital mortality for every increase in 10 cases per year.
      Using 10 cases per year as the volume threshold, low-volume hospitals (<=10
      cases/year) had almost a twofold higher mortality compared to high-volume
      hospitals (0.23 vs. 0.12%, respectively, p = 0.02). CONCLUSIONS: There was a
      small but significant inverse relationship between the hospitals' case volume and
      mortality in laparoscopic diaphragmatic hernia repair.

PMID- 28342132
TI  - Endoscopic mucosal resection versus esophagectomy for intramucosal adenocarcinoma
      in the setting of barrett's esophagus.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Esophagectomy has been the standard of care for patients with
      intramucosal adenocarcinoma (IMC) in the setting of Barrett's esophagus. It is,
      however, associated with significant post-operative morbidity and mortality.
      Endoscopic mucosal resection (EMR) offers a minimally invasive approach with
      lesser morbidity. This study investigates the transition from esophagectomy to
      EMR for IMC with respect to eradication rates, post-operative morbidity, and long
      term survival. METHODS: Patients diagnosed with IMC from 2005 to 2013 were
      identified retrospectively. Beginning in 2009, preferred initial therapy for IMC
      transitioned from esophagectomy to EMR. Esophagectomy was performed either
      through a transthoracic or transhiatal technique. EMR was repeated until
      resolution of IMC on pathology or progression of disease. Continuous data are
      expressed as mean (SD) and analyzed using Student's t test. Categorical data are
      presented as number (%) and analyzed using Fisher's exact test. RESULTS: We
      identified 23 patients; 12 patients underwent esophagectomy and 11 patients
      underwent EMR as initial therapy. Patients were similar with respects to age,
      gender, and comorbidity index. Most tumors arose from short segment (vs long
      segment) Barrett's (esophagectomy: 9 (75%) vs. EMR: 10 (91%), p = 0.59) and one
      patient in each group had superficial invasion into the submucosa (T1sm1), the
      remainder having mucosal disease. Esophagectomy was associated with 7 (58%) minor
      complications and 2 (17%) major complications (respiratory failure, anastomotic
      leak), whereas there were no complications related to EMR (p < 0.01). EMR
      successfully eradicated IMC in 10 patients (91%) with one progressing to
      esophagectomy. Patients required 2 (1) endoscopies to achieve eradication. There
      was one mortality in each group on long-term follow-up (log-rank test, p = 0.62).
      CONCLUSIONS: EMR was successful in eradicating IMC in 10/11 patients with similar
      long-term recurrence and mortality to esophagectomy patients. Patients with IMC
      may benefit from EMR as initial therapy by obviating the need for a complex and
      morbid operation.

PMID- 28342133
TI  - Is old age a contraindication to elective ventral hernia repair?
AB  - BACKGROUND: Ventral hernia repair (VHR) is a frequent problem in the expanding
      aging population. However, advanced age is often viewed as a contraindication to
      elective hernia surgery. We aimed to analyze outcomes of VHR in a large cohort of
      elderly patients. We hypothesized that elective VHR is safe and effective even in
      patients over 70 years old. METHODS: We conducted a retrospective review of
      consecutive patients over the age of 70 who underwent VHR at a at a tertiary care
      hospital. Main outcome measures included postoperative complications and
      recurrence rate. RESULTS: Between 2006 and 2015, 263 elderly patients who
      underwent elective VHR were included. Major comorbidities included diabetes,
      COPD, and smoking history. The majority of the patients underwent open repairs.
      Surgical site events occurred in 54 patients (21%). Postoperative complications
      included 17 venous thromboembolism occurrences, 2 myocardial infarctions, 41
      patients who required postoperative critical care, and 1 mortality. Readmission
      within 90 days postoperatively occurred in 34 patients (13%). At a mean follow-up
      of 25.6 months, 17 patients in the open group and 6 patients in the laparoscopic
      group had a recurrence. CONCLUSION: We demonstrated that VHR can be performed
      reasonably safely and effectively even in this potentially risky cohort. The use
      of laparoscopy might be associated with further reduction in morbidity. Overall,
      age should not be a contraindication to elective VHR, even in patients over 70
      years old.

PMID- 28342134
TI  - Dopaminergic Neuron-Specific Deletion of p53 Gene Attenuates Methamphetamine
      Neurotoxicity.
AB  - p53 plays an essential role in the regulation of cell death in dopaminergic (DA)
      neurons and its activation has been implicated in the neurotoxic effects of
      methamphetamine (MA). However, how p53 mediates MA neurotoxicity remains largely
      unknown. In this study, we examined the effect of DA-specific p53 gene deletion
      in DAT-p53KO mice. Whereas in vivo MA binge exposure reduced locomotor activity
      in wild-type (WT) mice, this was significantly attenuated in DAT-p53KO mice and
      associated with significant differences in the levels of the p53 target genes BAX
      and p21 between WT and DAT-p53KO. Notably, DA-specific deletion of p53 provided
      protection of substantia nigra pars reticulata (SNpr) tyrosine hydroxylase (TH)
      positive fibers following binge MA, with DAT-p53KO mice having less decline of TH
      protein levels in striatum versus WT mice. Whereas DAT-p53KO mice demonstrated a
      consistently higher density of TH fibers in striatum compared to WT mice at 10
      days after MA exposure, DA neuron counts within the substantia nigra pars
      compacta (SNpc) were similar. Finally, supportive of these results,
      administration of a p53-specific inhibitor (PFT-alpha) provided a similarly
      protective effect on MA binge-induced behavioral deficits. Neither DA specific
      p53 deletion nor p53 pharmacological inhibition affected hyperthermia induced by
      MA binge. These findings demonstrate a specific contribution of p53 activation in
      behavioral deficits and DA neuronal terminal loss by MA binge exposure.

PMID- 28342135
TI  - PACAP Protects Against Ethanol and Nicotine Toxicity in SH-SY5Y Cells:
      Implications for Drinking-Smoking Co-morbidity.
AB  - The detrimental effects of heavy drinking and smoking are multiplied when the two
      are combined. Treatment modalities for each and especially for the combination
      are very limited. Although in low concentration, alcohol and nicotine, each may
      have beneficial effects including neuroprotection, their combination, instead of
      providing additive protection, may actually lead to toxicity in cell cultures.
      Pituitary adenylate cyclase-activating polypeptide (PACAP) is an endogenous 38
      amino-acid peptide with demonstrated protection against neuronal injury, trauma
      as well as various endogenous and exogenous toxic agents. The aim of this study
      was to investigate whether PACAP may also protect against toxicity induced by
      high alcohol, high nicotine, or the combination of low alcohol and nicotine
      concentrations, and if so, whether this effect was mediated via PAC1 receptor. We
      used the neuroblastoma-derived SH-SY5Y cells and applied various colorimetric
      assays for determination of cell viability or toxicity. Results indicate that
      PACAP blocks toxicity induced by high alcohol and high nicotine as well as their
      combination at low concentrations. The effects of PACAP in turn were blocked by
      the PACAP antagonist (PACAP 6-38), indicating involvement of the PACAP receptor
      PAC1 and possibly vasoactive intestinal peptide (VIP) receptors in PACAP's
      protection. Moreover, no combined toxicity of low alcohol and low nicotine could
      be detected in calcium-free medium. These findings suggest possible beneficial
      effects of PACAP in preventing alcohol and nicotine toxicity and that calcium
      contributes to the damage induced by combination of low alcohol and nicotine in
      SH-SY5Y cells.

PMID- 28342136
TI  - Molecular basis of P450 OleTJE: an investigation of substrate binding mechanism
      and major pathways.
AB  - Cytochrome P450 OleTJE has attracted much attention for its ability to catalyze
      the decarboxylation of long chain fatty acids to generate alkenes, which are not
      only biofuel molecule, but also can be used broadly for making lubricants,
      polymers and detergents. In this study, the molecular basis of the binding
      mechanism of P450 OleTJE for arachidic acid, myristic acid, and caprylic acid was
      investigated by utilizing conventional molecular dynamics simulation and binding
      free energy calculations. Moreover, random acceleration molecular dynamics (RAMD)
      simulations were performed to uncover the most probable access/egress channels
      for different fatty acids. The predicted binding free energy shows an order of
      arachidic acid < myristic acid < caprylic acid. Key residues interacting with
      three substrates and residues specifically binding to one of them were
      identified. The RAMD results suggest the most likely channel for arachidic acid,
      myristic acid, and caprylic acid are 2e/2b, 2a and 2f/2a, respectively. It is
      suggested that the reaction is easier to carry out in myristic acid bound system
      than those in arachidic acid and caprylic acid bound system based on the distance
      of Hbeta atom of substrate relative to P450 OleTJE Compound I states. This study
      provided novel insight to understand the substrate preference mechanism of P450
      OleTJE and valuable information for rational enzyme design for short chain fatty
      acid decarboxylation.

PMID- 28342137
TI  - Skewed Exposure to Environmental Antigens Complements Hygiene Hypothesis in
      Explaining the Rise of Allergy.
AB  - The Hygiene Hypothesis has been recognized as an important cornerstone to explain
      the sudden increase in the prevalence of asthma and allergic diseases in
      modernized culture. The recent epidemic of allergic diseases is in contrast with
      the gradual implementation of Homo sapiens sapiens to the present-day forms of
      civilization. This civilization forms a gradual process with cumulative effects
      on the human immune system, which co-developed with parasitic and commensal
      Helminths. The clinical manifestation of this epidemic, however, became only
      visible in the second half of the twentieth century. In order to explain these
      clinical effects in terms of the underlying IgE-mediated reactions to innocuous
      environmental antigens, the low biodiversity of antigens in the domestic
      environment plays a pivotal role. The skewing of antigen exposure as a cumulative
      effect of reducing biodiversity in the immediate human environment as well as in
      changing food habits, provides a sufficient and parsimonious explanation for the
      rise in allergic diseases in a highly developed and helminth-free modernized
      culture. Socio-economic tendencies that incline towards a further reduction of
      environmental biodiversity may provide serious concern for future health. This
      article explains that the "Hygiene Hypothesis", the "Old Friends Hypothesis", and
      the "Skewed Antigen Exposure Hypothesis" are required to more fully explain the
      rise of allergy in modern societies.

PMID- 28342138
TI  - Does Removal of Subchondral Cortical Bone Provide Sufficient Resection Depth for
      Treatment of Cam Femoroacetabular Impingement?
AB  - BACKGROUND: Residual impingement resulting from insufficient resection of bone
      during the index femoroplasty is the most-common reason for revision surgery in
      patients with cam-type femoroacetabular impingement (FAI). Development of
      surgical resection guidelines therefore could reduce the number of patients with
      persistent pain and reduced ROM after femoroplasty. QUESTIONS/PURPOSES: We asked
      whether removal of subchondral cortical bone in the region of the lesion in
      patients with cam FAI could restore femoral anatomy to that of screened control
      subjects. To evaluate this, we analyzed shape models between: (1) native cam and
      screened control femurs to observe the location of the cam lesion and establish
      baseline shape differences between groups, and (2) cam femurs with simulated
      resections and screened control femurs to evaluate the sufficiency of subchondral
      cortical bone thickness to guide resection depth. METHODS: Three-dimensional (3
      D) reconstructions of the inner and outer cortical bone boundaries of the
      proximal femur were generated by segmenting CT images from 45 control subjects
      (29 males; 15 living subjects, 30 cadavers) with normal radiographic findings and
      28 nonconsecutive patients (26 males) with a diagnosis of cam FAI based on
      radiographic measurements and clinical examinations. Correspondence particles
      were placed on each femur and statistical shape modeling (SSM) was used to create
      mean shapes for each cohort. The geometric difference between the mean shape of
      the patients with cam FAI and that of the screened controls was used to define a
      consistent region representing the cam lesion. Subchondral cortical bone in this
      region was removed from the 3-D reconstructions of each cam femur to create a
      simulated resection. SSM was repeated to determine if the resection produced
      femoral anatomy that better resembled that of control subjects. Correspondence
      particle locations were used to generate mean femur shapes and evaluate shape
      differences using principal component analysis. RESULTS: In the region of the cam
      lesion, the median distance between the mean native cam and control femurs was
      1.8 mm (range, 1.0-2.7 mm). This difference was reduced to 0.2 mm (range, -0.2 to
      0.9 mm) after resection, with some areas of overresection anteriorly and
      underresection superiorly. In the region of resection for each subject, the
      distance from each correspondence particle to the mean control shape was greater
      for the cam femurs than the screened control femurs (1.8 mm, [range, 1.1-2.9 mm]
      and 0.0 mm [range, -0.2-0.1 mm], respectively; p < 0.031). After resection, the
      distance was not different between the resected cam and control femurs (0.3 mm;
      range, -0.2-1.0; p > 0.473). CONCLUSIONS: Removal of subchondral cortical bone in
      the region of resection reduced the deviation between the mean resected cam and
      control femurs to within a millimeter, which resulted in no difference in shape
      between patients with cam FAI and control subjects. Collectively, our results
      support the use of the subchondral cortical-cancellous bone margin as a visual
      intraoperative guide to limit resection depth in the correction of cam FAI.
      CLINICAL RELEVANCE: Use of the subchondral cortical-cancellous bone boundary may
      provide a method to guide the depth of resection during arthroscopic surgery,
      which can be observed intraoperatively without advanced tooling, or imaging.

PMID- 28342140
TI  - Correlates of the Third Victim Phenomenon.
AB  - The third victim phenomenon refers to a system-wide organizational response to a
      serious untoward event in health care settings. The objective of this report is
      to describe possible measurable correlates of this phenomenon. A serious incident
      on one unit in the hospital is described. Utilization of constant observation and
      rate of discharge in the aftermath throughout the hospital were assessed. There
      was a hospital-wide uptick in conservative decision making following the serious
      incident, exemplified by an increase in the utilization of constant observation
      and decreased rate of discharges. These findings lend support to the validity of
      the concept of the third victim phenomenon and underscore the imperative for a
      coherent leadership response to prevent damage to institutional core values,
      morale, and reputation. Systematic investigation of this phenomenon and its
      potential effects on clinical practice in the aftermath of serious incidents is
      warranted.

PMID- 28342139
TI  - Exploring the Link Between Posttraumatic Stress Disorder and inflammation-Related
      Medical Conditions: An Epidemiological Examination.
AB  - There have been few epidemiological studies exploring the link between PTSD and
      inflammation using population-based samples. This study examined the relation
      between posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and inflammation-related medical
      conditions using data from the 2013-2014 New York City Health and Nutrition
      Examination Survey. Using a representative sample of 1,527 residents in New York
      City, the association between PTSD and 17 inflammation-related medical conditions
      were examined. Bivariate and multivariable analyses were conducted, adjusting for
      demographic characteristics and lifetime depression. PTSD was strongly associated
      with increased odds for hypercholesterolemia, insulin resistance, angina, heart
      attack, and emphysema with the greatest odds observed for heart attack (OR= 3.94)
      and emphysema (OR= 4.06). But PTSD was also associated with lower odds for
      hypertension, type 1 diabetes, asthma, coronary heart disease, stroke,
      osteoporosis, and a failing kidney with the lowest odds observed for type 1
      diabetes (OR= 0.43). These findings suggest a complex link between PTSD and
      inflammation-related medical conditions.

PMID- 28342141
TI  - Total Tau and Phosphorylated Tau Protein Serum Levels in Patients with
      Schizophrenia Compared with Controls.
AB  - Tau protein is located in the axons of neurons and in Alzheimer Disease, is
      abnormally phosphorylated and aggregates into paired helical filaments
      (neurofibrillary tangles) reflecting the degree of neurofibrillary pathology and
      neurodegeneration. Although tau and phosphorylated tau (p-Tau) pathology is a
      hallmark for dementia, few studies were performed in patients of schizophrenia.
      This preliminary serum study was designed to compare serum total tau and p-Tau
      levels of schizophrenia patients with healthy controls. The study was included 42
      patients diagnosed with schizophrenia and 42 healthy control subjects.
      Sociodemographic form was applied to both groups and PANSS was applied to patient
      group. Serum total tau and p-Tau levels were measured by ELISA method. Total tau
      and p-Tau levels of patients were significantly lower than healthy controls.
      There was a positive correlation between amount of past electroconvulsive
      therapies and total tau level. However total tau and p-Tau levels were positively
      correlated. Our study results showed that serum total tau and p-Tau levels of
      patients with schizophrenia were significantly lower than healthy controls.

PMID- 28342142
TI  - Smoking Prevalence Among Users of Primary Healthcare Units in Brazil: The Role of
      Religiosity.
AB  - The objective of this cross-sectional study is to examine the association between
      religious involvement and tobacco use in a large representative sample of users
      of primary healthcare units of Ribeirao Preto, Southeast Brazil. Current and past
      smoking habits were determined among 1055 users of primary healthcare units.
      Participants' religiosity was measured using the DUREL questionnaire. The
      prevalence of smoking among men was 16.8% [95% confidence interval (CI) 12.0
      22.5] and among women was 12.6% (95% CI 10.4-15.0). Among the current smokers,
      40.9% were light smokers, 24.6% were moderate smokers, and 34.5% were heavy
      smokers. The mean number of cigarettes smoked per day was 13.5. Respondents who
      have a religion had a lower smoking prevalence than people who had no religion.
      Current smoking prevalence tended to be higher among people who do not practice
      their religion than people who practice their religion. Smoking status is also
      associated with self-reported religiosity, organizational religious activity and
      some aspects of intrinsic religiosity. Religiosity is an important factor in
      influencing the smoking behavior in Brazilian users of the public health
      services.

PMID- 28342143
TI  - "One Big Family": Pastoral Care and Treatment Seeking in an Egyptian Coptic
      Church in England.
AB  - Little is known about Coptic migrants' chronic disease health beliefs and
      treatment-seeking behaviours. Interviews to explore these issues and their
      relationship with church membership were conducted with 15 Coptic migrants in
      Southern England. Obesity and cardiovascular disease (CVD) were most frequently
      identified as health risks for Coptic migrants. CVD was ascribed to stress and
      considered amenable to spiritual healing. Lay referral to medical practitioners
      who were church members was common but may devalue perceptions of family
      medicine. The Coptic Church functions as a community that addresses members'
      wider vulnerability. Central to this is the "parish nurse" role of the priest.

PMID- 28342144
TI  - Transformational Analysis and Religious Experience.
AB  - The therapeutic process, which taps into the individual's most vulnerable inner
      experience, can always reach a radical reversal of one's perception of religion
      and God, which may be askew due to deep trauma. This transformation caused by the
      therapeutic relationship can reciprocally help to resolve one's deep and
      complicated issues, while at the same time radically altering their relationship
      to religion. This is especially apparent among those who were cruelly and
      traumatically abused in their earliest stages of development.

PMID- 28342145
TI  - Spiritual Experiences of Muslim Critical Care Nurses.
AB  - The purpose of this study was to determine the experiences and perceptions of
      intensive care nurses (ICNs) about spirituality and spiritual care, as well as
      the effective factors, and increase the sensitivity to the subject. In this
      study, we examined spiritual experiences, using McSherry et al. (Int J Nurs Stud
      39:723-734, 2002) Spirituality and spiritual care rating scale (SSCRS), among 145
      ICNs. 44.8% of the nurses stated that they received spiritual care training and
      64.1% provided spiritual care to their patients. ICNs had a total score average
      of 57.62 +/- 12.00 in SSCRS. As a consequence, it was determined that intensive
      care nurses participating in the study had insufficient knowledge about
      spirituality and spiritual care, but only the nurses with sufficient knowledge
      provided the spiritual care to their patients.

PMID- 28342146
TI  - Religious Practice and Health-Related Quality of Life in Iranian Adolescent
      Girls.
AB  - This study aimed to determine the relationship between religious practice and
      health-related quality of life in adolescent girls in Tabriz, Iran, 2014-2015.
      This cross-sectional study was conducted on 520 female students who were selected
      using the random sampling method. Religious practice and health-related quality
      of life questionnaires were used for data collection. Multivariate linear
      regression analysis showed a significant relationship between health-related
      quality of life and received religious support, religiosity, father's and
      mother's education, father's occupation, family economic status, and the number
      of children. It is necessary to find ways to further promote religious practices
      in adolescents and ultimately their quality of life.

PMID- 28342147
TI  - Meaning-Making Coping Among Cancer Patients in Sweden and South Korea: A
      Comparative Perspective.
AB  - The present study compared meaning-making coping among cancer patients in Sweden
      and South Korea, with a focus on the sociocultural context. Semi-structured
      interviews were conducted with 51 Swedes and 33 Koreans. The results showed
      significant differences between the two countries as well as similarities in
      existential, spiritual, and religious coping. For example, Swedes primarily used
      meaning-making coping as a means of meditation or relaxation, whereas Koreans
      relied on coping with prayer and using healthy foods as a means to survive. The
      present study confirms the significance of investigating cultural context when we
      explore the use of meaning-making coping among people who have experienced
      cancer.

PMID- 28342148
TI  - Further characterization and independent validation of a DNA aptamer-quantum dot
      based magnetic sandwich assay for Campylobacter.
AB  - Previously reported DNA aptamers developed against surface proteins extracted
      from Campylobacter jejuni were further characterized by aptamer-based Western
      blotting and shown to bind epitopes on proteins weighing ~16 and 60 kD from
      reduced C. jejuni and Campylobacter coli lysates. Proteins of these approximate
      weights have also been identified in traditional antibody-based Western blots of
      Campylobacter spp. Specificity of the capture and reporter aptamers from the
      previous report was further validated by aptamer-based ELISA-like (ELASA)
      colorimetric microplate assay. Finally, the limit of detection of the previously
      reported plastic-adherent aptamer-magnetic bead and aptamer-quantum dot sandwich
      assay (PASA) was validated by an independent food safety testing laboratory to
      lie between 5 and 10 C. jejuni cells per milliliter in phosphate buffered saline
      and repeatedly frozen and thawed chicken rinsate. Such ultrasensitive and rapid
      (30 min) aptamer-based assays could provide alternative or additional screening
      tools to enhance food safety testing for Campylobacter and other foodborne
      pathogens.

PMID- 28342149
TI  - Identification and Preparation of a Novel Chemokine Receptor-Binding Domain in
      the Cytoplasmic Regulator FROUNT.
AB  - FROUNT is a cytoplasmic protein that binds to the membrane-proximal C-terminal
      regions (Pro-Cs) of chemokine receptors, CCR2 and CCR5. The FROUNT-chemokine
      receptor interactions play a pivotal role in the migration of inflammatory immune
      cells, indicating the potential of FROUNT as a drug target for inflammatory
      diseases. To provide the foundation for drug development, structural information
      of the Pro-C binding region of FROUNT is desired. Here, we defined the novel
      structural domain (FNT-CB), which mediates the interaction with the chemokine
      receptors. A recombinant GST-tag-fused FNT-CB protein expression system was
      constructed. The protein was purified by affinity chromatography and then
      subjected to in-gel protease digestion of the GST-tag. The released FNT-CB was
      further purified by anion-exchange and size-exclusion chromatography. Purified
      FNT-CB adopts a helical structure, as indicated by CD. NMR line-broadening
      indicated that weak aggregation occurred at sub-millimolar concentrations, but
      the line-broadening was mitigated by using a deuterated sample in concert with
      transverse relaxation-optimized spectroscopy. The specific binding of FNT-CB to
      CCR2 Pro-C was confirmed by the fluorescence-based assay. The improved NMR
      spectral quality and the retained functional activity of FNT-CB support the
      feasibility of further structural and functional studies targeted at the anti
      inflammatory drug development.

PMID- 28342150
TI  - Expression and Characterization of Human beta-1, 4-Galactosyltransferase 1
      (beta4GalT1) Using Silkworm-Baculovirus Expression System.
AB  - Baculovirus expression vector system (BEVS) is widely known as a mass-production
      tool to produce functional recombinant glycoproteins except that it may not be
      always suitable for medical practice due to the differences in the structure of N
      linked glycans between insects and mammalian. Currently, various approaches have
      been reported to alter N-linked glycan structures of glycoproteins derived from
      insects into terminally sialylated complex-type N-glycans. In the light of those
      studies, we also proposed in vitro maturation of N-glycan with mass-produced and
      purified glycosyltransferases by silkworm-BEVS. beta-1,4-Galactosyltransferase 1
      (beta4GalT1) is known as one of type II transmembrane enzymes that transfer
      galactose in a beta-1, 4 linkage to accepter sugars, and a key enzyme for further
      sialylation of N-glycans. In this study, we developed a large-scale production of
      recombinant human beta4GalT1 (rhbeta4GalT1) with N- or C-terminal tags in
      silkworm-BEVS. We demonstrated that rhbeta4GalT1 is N-glycosylated and without
      mucin-type glycosylation. Interestingly, we found that purified rhbeta4GalT1 from
      silkworm serum presented higher galactosyltransferase activity than that
      expressed from cultured mammalian cells. We also validated the UDP-galactose
      transferase activity of produced rhbeta4GalT1 proteins by using protein subtracts
      from silkworm silk gland. Taken together, rhbeta4GalT1 from silkworms can become
      a valuable tool for producing high-quality recombinant glycoproteins with
      mammalian-like N-glycans.

PMID- 28342152
TI  - Association of 86 bp variable number of tandem repeat (VNTR) polymorphism of
      interleukin-1 receptor antagonist (IL1RN) with susceptibility and clinical
      activity in rheumatoid arthritis.
AB  - Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a chronic, systemic disease of unknown etiology.
      Several studies have reported a variable number of tandem repeat (VNTR) 86 bp
      (rs2234663) in the intron 2 of IL1RN gene with RA risk. The present study was
      designed to determine the frequencies of this polymorphism in patients with RA
      and control subjects (CS) and its association with RA in a western Mexican
      population. An analytical cross-sectional study was performed, in which 350
      patients with RA and 307 CS were included. The identification of IL1RN VNTR
      polymorphism was carried out by polymerase chain reaction (PCR), and genotypes
      were associated with clinical variables (DAS28 and CRP). The presence of A1/A2
      genotype was associated with RA risk (p = 0.03, OR = 1.45, 95% CI = 1.02-2.05).
      Also, results indicate that the presence of heterozygote genotypes which include
      A2 was associated with RA risk (p = 0.01, OR = 1.5, 95% CI = 1.07-2.11). Patients
      carrier of A2/A2 genotype have a higher score of DAS28 (5.64 [4.49-6.70]). A-/A-
      has higher level of CRP (2.30 [0.62-9.10]) in comparison with A2/A- (1.06 [0.37
      2.82]). A1/A2 genotype was associated with susceptibility to RA in a western
      Mexican population. The presence of the A2/A2 genotype in RA is associated with
      increased disease activity.

PMID- 28342154
TI  - Aluminum fractionation in acidic soils and river sediments in the Upper Mero
      basin (Galicia, NW Spain).
AB  - This study aims to determine aluminum fractions in the fine earth of acidic soils
      under different land uses (forest, pasture and cultivation) and in the river bed
      sediments of the headwater of the Mero River in order to identify and quantify Al
      bearing phases to assess Al mobility and potential bioavailability (environmental
      availability) in the monitoring area. Sequential extraction is used to evaluate
      the Al partitioning into six fractions operationally defined:
      soluble/exchangeable/specifically adsorbed, bound to manganese oxides, associated
      with amorphous compounds, aluminum bound to oxidizable organic matter, associated
      with crystalline iron oxides, and residual fraction (aluminum within the crystal
      lattices of minerals). The mean concentration of total aluminum (24.01 g kg-1)
      was similar for the three considered uses. The mean percentage of the aluminum
      fractions, both in soils and sediments, showed the following order: residual
      fraction ? amorphous compounds ~ crystalline iron oxides > water
      soluble/exchangeable/specifically adsorbed > bound to oxidizable organic matter ~
      Mn oxides. However, in the soils, the amorphous compounds and water
      soluble/exchangeable/specifically adsorbed fraction showed considerable
      differences between some types of uses, the percentage of aluminum linked to
      amorphous compounds being higher in forest soils (16% of total Al) compared to
      other uses (mean about 8% of total Al). The highest values of water
      soluble/exchangeable/specifically adsorbed Al were also found in forest soils
      (mean 8.6% of the total Al versus about 4% of pasture and cultivation), which is
      consistent with the lower pH and higher organic matter content in forest soils.
      Nevertheless, the potentially bioavailable fraction (sum of the first three
      fractions) is low, suggesting very low geoavailability of this element in both
      soils and sediments; hence, the possibility to affect the crops and water quality
      is minimal.

PMID- 28342153
TI  - Response to "Vaccine-related serious adverse events might have been under
      recognized in the pivotal HPV vaccine randomized trial".

PMID- 28342155
TI  - [Benefits of zoster vaccination in older patients].

PMID- 28342151
TI  - Cardiovascular disease in rheumatoid arthritis: medications and risk factors in
      China.
AB  - This study aims to assess the risk factors of cardiovascular disease (CVD) and to
      determine the association of traditional and biologic disease-modifying anti
      rheumatic drugs (DMARDs) with risk for CVD in Chinese rheumatoid arthritis (RA)
      patients. A cross-sectional cohort of 2013 RA patients from 21 hospitals around
      China was established. Medical history of CVD was documented. The patients'
      social background, clinical manifestations, comorbidities, and medications were
      also collected. Of the 2013 patients, 256 had CVD with an incidence of 12.7%.
      Compared with non-CVD controls, RA patients with CVD had a significantly advanced
      age, long-standing median disease duration, more often male and more deformity
      joints. Patients with CVD also had higher rates of smoking, rheumatoid nodules,
      interstitial lung disease, and anemia. The prevalence of comorbidities, including
      hypothyroidism, diabetes mellitus (DM), hypertension, and hyperlipidemia, was
      also significant higher in the CVD group. In contrast, patients treated with
      methotrexate, hydroxychloroquine (HCQ), and TNF blockers had lower incidence of
      CVD. The multivariate analysis showed that the use of HCQ was a protective factor
      of CVD, while hypertension, hyperlipidemia, and interstitial lung disease were
      independent risk factors of CVD. Our study shows that the independent risk
      factors of CVD include hypertension, hyperlipidemia, and interstitial lung
      disease. HCQ reduces the risk of CVD in patients with RA.

PMID- 28342157
TI  - Recto-vaginal fistula after pessary therapy.

PMID- 28342158
TI  - The incidence of and risk factors for a repeat obstetric anal sphincter injury
      (OASIS) in the vaginal birth subsequent to a first episode of OASIS: a hospital
      based cohort study.
AB  - PURPOSE: To identify the incidence of and risk factors for a repeat obstetric
      anal sphincter injury (OASIS) in women who sustained an OASIS in their first
      vaginal delivery and have a subsequent vaginal birth. METHODS: Data were
      collected retrospectively for women having had singleton cephalic presentation
      vaginal deliveries between 2007 and 2015. Women with breech deliveries,
      stillbirths, foetal congenital abnormalities and multiple pregnancies were
      excluded. RESULTS: Over the study period, we identified 11,191 women who had a
      first vaginal birth, of which 603 (5.4%) sustained a first episode of OASIS. Of
      these women, 243 (40.2%) had a subsequent pregnancy with 190 (78.1%) having a
      second vaginal birth, 13 (5.4%) an emergency caesarean section (CS) delivery
      while in labour and 40 (16.5%) an elective CS delivery. In those who delivered
      vaginally, 16 (8.4%) women had a repeat OASIS. After adjusting for several
      confounding factors, it was found that the risk of a repeat OASIS was associated
      with the use of epidural analgesia (OR = 3.66; 95% CI: 1.14-11.71) and an
      episiotomy in the first delivery (OR = 3.93; 95% CI:1. 03-15.02) and a short
      labour (<2.8 h) in the second delivery (OR = 14.55; 95% CI: 1.83-115.75). The
      time interval between the two vaginal births was not associated with any
      increased risk of a repeat OASIS. CONCLUSION: We found that 8.4% of women
      sustained a repeat OASIS in a subsequent vaginal birth with this risk being
      associated with the presence of a short second labour and certain features from
      the first labour.

PMID- 28342156
TI  - Diet Change After Sleeve Gastrectomy Is More Effective for Weight Loss Than
      Surgery Only.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Bariatric surgery with or without diet change has become one of the
      most effective treatments for obesity. The objective of this study was to observe
      the effects of vertical sleeve gastrectomy (VSG) and diet change in Sprague
      Dawley rats on both body and tissue weights. METHODS: Eighteen rats were fed with
      a standard chow diet (SCD) (C group), and 36 rats were fed with a high-fat diet
      (HFD) (diet-induced obesity (DIO) group). After 8 weeks, the animals underwent
      VSG, sham surgery or no surgery (NS). After surgery, a third of the rats fed with
      the HFD changed to the SCD (DIO + C group). Body weight, food and energy intake
      were recorded daily during the experiment (12 weeks). Food efficiency (%) (FE)
      was determined from weekly weight gain and weekly kilocalorie consumed
      measurements. RESULTS: The DIO group had higher and significant weight gain than
      the C group at the time of surgery (p < 0.001). The major weight loss (WL) was
      observed in the DIO + C-VSG group, during the 4 weeks after surgery. Adipose
      tissues in the DIO + C-VSG group were drastically reduced and had a weight
      similar to those in the C-VSG group. CONCLUSION: VSG and the diet change
      combination led to a greater WL, which was maintained during the 4 weeks post
      surgery, leading to a normalization of body weight. VSG and diet change also
      affected most of the tissues, not only adipose, showing a global change in whole
      body composition.

PMID- 28342159
TI  - Genetic aspects of feed efficiency and reduction of environmental footprint in
      broilers: a review.
AB  - Currently, optimization of feed efficiency is one of the main challenges in
      improvement programs of livestock and poultry genetics. The objective of this
      review is to present the genetic aspects of feed efficiency related traits in
      meat-type chicken and possible ways to reduce the environmental impact of poultry
      meat production with effective breeding. Basic measures of feed efficiency are
      defined and the genetic background of these traits, including a review of
      heritabilities is described. Moreover, a number of genomic regions and candidate
      genes determining feed efficiency traits of broilers that were detected over the
      past decades are described. Classical and genomic selection strategies for feed
      efficiency in the context of its relationships with other performance traits are
      discussed as well. Finally, future strategies to improve feed digestibility are
      described as it is expected that they will decrease wastes and greenhouse gas
      emission. Further genetic improvement of feed efficiency, should be examined
      jointly with appropriate feeding strategies in broilers.

PMID- 28342160
TI  - Dogs demonstrate perspective taking based on geometrical gaze following in a
      Guesser-Knower task.
AB  - Currently, there is still no consensus about whether animals can ascribe mental
      states (Theory of Mind) to themselves and others. Showing animals can respond to
      cues that indicate whether another has visual access to a target or not, and that
      they are able to use this information as a basis for whom to rely on as an
      informant, is an important step forward in this direction. Domestic dogs (Canis
      familiaris) with human informants are an ideal model, because they show high
      sensitivity towards human eye contact, they have proven able to assess the
      attentional state of humans in food-stealing or food-begging contexts, and they
      follow human gaze behind a barrier when searching for food. With 16 dogs, we not
      only replicated the main results of Maginnity and Grace (Anim Cogn 17(6):1375
      1392, 2014) who recently found that dogs preferred to follow the pointing of a
      human who witnessed a food hiding event over a human who did not (the Guesser
      Knower task), but also extended this finding with a further, critical control for
      behaviour-reading: two informants showed identical looking behaviour, but due to
      their different position in the room, only one had the opportunity to see where
      the food was hidden by a third person. Preference for the Knower in this critical
      test provides solid evidence for geometrical gaze following and perspective
      taking in dogs.

PMID- 28342161
TI  - Granulocyte and monocyte adsorptive apheresis ameliorates sepsis in rats.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Overwhelming activation of granulocytes and monocytes is central to
      inflammatory responses during sepsis. Granulocyte and monocyte adsorptive
      apheresis (GMA) is an extracorporeal leukocyte apheresis device filled with
      cellulose acetate beads and selectively adsorbs granulocytes and monocytes from
      the peripheral blood. METHODS: In this study, septic rats received the GMA
      treatment for 2 h at 18 h after cecal ligation and puncture. RESULTS: GMA
      selectively adsorbed activated neutrophils and monocytes from the peripheral
      blood, reduced serum inflammatory cytokine expression, and seemed to improve
      organ injuries and animal survival. GMA potentially reduced lung injury by
      alleviating the infiltration of inflammatory cells and the secretion of
      cytokines. CONCLUSIONS: This study showed that selective granulocyte and monocyte
      adsorption with cellulose acetate beads might ameliorate cecal ligation and
      puncture (CLP)-induced sepsis and improve survival and organ function.

PMID- 28342162
TI  - Brief Report: Estimated Prevalence of a Community Diagnosis of Autism Spectrum
      Disorder by Age 4 Years in Children from Selected Areas in the United States in
      2010: Evaluation of Birth Cohort Effects.
AB  - We compared early-diagnosed autism spectrum disorder (ASD) (defined as diagnosis
      by age 4 years) between the 2002 and 2006 birth cohorts, in five sites of the
      Autism and Developmental Disabilities Monitoring Network. In the 2002 cohort, the
      prevalence/1000 of early-diagnosed ASD was half the 8-year-old prevalence (7.2
      vs. 14.7, prevalence ratio [PR] 0.5 [0.4-0.6]). Overall, the prevalence of early
      diagnosed ASD did not differ between birth cohorts (PR 1.1 [0.9-1.3]). However,
      in three sites with complete case ascertainment, the prevalence of early
      diagnosed ASD was higher for those born in 2006 versus 2002 (PR 1.3 [1.1-1.5]),
      suggesting possible improvement in early identification. The lack of change in
      two sites may reflect less complete case ascertainment. Studies in more recent
      cohorts are needed.

PMID- 28342163
TI  - Brief Report: Sexual Attraction and Relationships in Adolescents with Autism.
AB  - Past research suggests more variation in sexual attraction in Autism Spectrum
      Disorder (ASD) using clinical samples. This study utilised a population
      representative group of 14/15 year olds from the Longitudinal Study of Australian
      Children. Ninety-four adolescents (73 males, 21 females) with ASD and 3454 (1685
      males, 1675 females) without self-reported on sexual attraction and past sexual
      relationships. Females with ASD reported lower rates of heterosexual preference
      (adjusted odds ratio: 0.14, p < .001), higher rates of bisexuality (adjusted odds
      ratio: 6.05, p < .001) and uncertainty in attraction (adjusted odds ratio: 10.44,
      p < .001) compared with non-ASD females. ASD males reported fewer prior
      boyfriends/girlfriends. Findings confirm female adolescents with ASD have
      differences in sexual attraction compared with non-ASD females.

PMID- 28342164
TI  - Attempting to "Increase Intake from the Input": Attention and Word Learning in
      Children with Autism.
AB  - Previous work has demonstrated that social attention is related to early language
      abilities. We explored whether we can facilitate word learning among children
      with autism by directing attention to areas of the scene that have been
      demonstrated as relevant for successful word learning. We tracked eye movements
      to faces and objects while children watched videos of a woman teaching them new
      words. Test trials measured participants' recognition of these novel word-object
      pairings. Results indicate that for children with autism and typically developing
      children, pointing to the speaker's mouth while labeling a novel object impaired
      performance, likely because it distracted participants from the target object. In
      contrast, for children with autism, holding the object close to the speaker's
      mouth improved performance.

PMID- 28342165
TI  - Formal Thought Disorder and Executive Functioning in Children and Adolescents
      with Autism Spectrum Disorder: Old Leads and New Avenues.
AB  - Formal thought disorder (FTD) is a disruption in the flow of thought and a common
      feature in psychotic disorders and autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Executive
      dysfunction has often been associated with FTD, yet for ASD convincing evidence
      is lacking. This study investigated FTD and three core executive functions in 50
      young children and adolescents with high-functioning ASD and 56 matched controls.
      Higher overall levels of FTD marked ASD compared to controls. Furthermore, in ASD
      decreased performance on verbal working memory was correlated with increased FTD
      ratings and explained a significant amount of variance of objective and
      subjective FTD. Verbal working memory is currently the most promising target
      executive function for understanding the development of idiosyncratic thought
      disorders in ASD.

PMID- 28342166
TI  - Second Language Exposure, Functional Communication, and Executive Function in
      Children With and Without Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD).
AB  - Parents and professionals are concerned that second language exposure may delay
      communication in children with ASD. In this study 174 youth (6-16 years) with and
      without ASD, exposed to a second language, were compared on executive function
      (EF) and functional communication (FC) with their peers without exposure. There
      were no significant differences between groups on age, IQ, and socioeconomic
      status. Parents reported on language exposure and rated EF and FC skills within
      everyday social contexts. The findings indicated that second language exposure in
      children with ASD is not associated with delay in cognitive and functional
      communication skills rather there was evidence of a reduced clinical impact as
      indexed by a lower percentage of children whose FC and EF ratings fell within the
      clinical range.

PMID- 28342169
TI  - Erratum to: Diet and Diabetic Kidney Disease: Plant Versus Animal Protein.

PMID- 28342167
TI  - How Children with Autism Reason about Other's Intentions: False-Belief and
      Counterfactual Inferences.
AB  - We examine false belief and counterfactual reasoning in children with autism with
      a new change-of-intentions task. Children listened to stories, for example, Anne
      is picking up toys and John hears her say she wants to find her ball. John goes
      away and the reason for Anne's action changes-Anne's mother tells her to tidy her
      bedroom. We asked, 'What will John believe is the reason that Anne is picking up
      toys?' which requires a false-belief inference, and 'If Anne's mother hadn't
      asked Anne to tidy her room, what would have been the reason she was picking up
      toys?' which requires a counterfactual inference. We tested children aged 6, 8
      and 10 years. Children with autism made fewer correct inferences than typically
      developing children at 8 years, but by 10 years there was no difference. Children
      with autism made fewer correct false-belief than counterfactual inferences, just
      like typically developing children.

PMID- 28342168
TI  - Bone Mass in Boys with Autism Spectrum Disorder.
AB  - To examine bone mass in children and adolescents with autism spectrum disorders
      (ASD). Risperidone-treated 5 to 17 year-old males underwent anthropometric and
      bone measurements, using dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry and peripheral
      quantitative computed tomography. Multivariable linear regression analysis models
      examined whether skeletal outcomes differed among participants with (n = 30)
      versus without ASD (n = 156). After adjusting for potential covariates, having
      ASD was associated with significantly lower trabecular bone mineral density and
      bone strength at the radius, and with marginally lower total body less head bone
      mineral content (p < 0.09). No differences at the lumbar spine were observed. ASD
      are associated with lower bone mass. Future studies should investigate
      interventions to optimize skeletal health in ASD.

PMID- 28342170
TI  - Importance of stress-response genes to the survival of airborne Escherichia coli
      under different levels of relative humidity.
AB  - Other than the needs for infection control to investigate the survival and
      inactivation of airborne bacterial pathogens, there has been a growing interest
      in exploring bacterial communities in the air and the effect of environmental
      variables on them. However, the innate biological mechanism influencing the
      bacterial viability is still unclear. In this study, a mutant-based approach,
      using Escherichia coli as a model, was used to prove the concept that common
      stress-response genes are important for airborne survival of bacteria. Mutants
      with a single gene knockout that are known to respond to general stress (rpoS)
      and oxidative stress (oxyR, soxR) were selected in the study. Low relative
      humidity (RH), 30-40% was more detrimental to the bacteria than high RH, >90%.
      The log reduction of ?rpoS was always higher than that of the parental strain at
      all RH levels but the ?oxyR had a higher log reduction than the parental strain
      at intermediate RH only. ?soxR had the same viability compared to the parental
      strain at all RH levels. The results hint that although different types and
      levels of stress are produced under different RH conditions, stress-response
      genes always play a role in the bacterial viability. This study is the first
      reporting the association between stress-response genes and viability of airborne
      bacteria.

PMID- 28342172
TI  - Rheumatoid neutrophilic dermatitis in a patient taking tocilizumab for treatment
      of rheumatoid arthritis.

PMID- 28342171
TI  - Expressing anti-HIV VRC01 antibody using the murine IgG1 secretion signal in
      Pichia pastoris.
AB  - The use of the recombinant expression platform Pichia pastoris to produce
      pharmaceutically important proteins has been investigated over the past 30 years.
      Compared to mammalian cultures, expression in P. pastoris is cheaper and faster,
      potentially leading to decreased costs and process development times. Product
      yields depend on a number of factors including the secretion signal chosen for
      expression, which can influence the host cell response to recombinant protein
      production. VRC01, a broadly neutralising anti-HIV antibody, was expressed in P.
      pastoris, using the methanol inducible AOX1 promoter for both the heavy and light
      chains. Titre reached up to 3.05 MUg mL-1 in small scale expression. VRC01 was
      expressed using both the alpha-mating factor signal peptide from Saccharomyces
      cerevisiae and the murine IgG1 signal peptide. Surprisingly, using the murine
      IgG1 signal peptide resulted in higher yield of antibody capable of binding gp140
      antigen. Furthermore, we evaluated levels of secretory stress compared to the
      untransformed wild-type strain and show a reduced level of secretory stress in
      the murine IgG1 signal peptide strains versus those containing the alpha-MF
      signal peptide. As bottlenecks in the secretory pathway are often the limiting
      factor in protein secretion, reduced levels of secretory stress and the higher
      yield of functional antibody suggest the murine IgG1 signal peptide may lead to
      better protein folding and secretion. This work indicates the possibilities for
      utilising the murine IgG1 signal peptide for a range of antibodies, resulting in
      high yields and reduced cellular stress.

PMID- 28342174
TI  - Did you know? Modelling vision: computational science for understanding human
      visual perception.

PMID- 28342173
TI  - Metal ions-binding T4 lysozyme as an intramolecular protein purification tag
      compatible with X-ray crystallography.
AB  - Phage T4 lysozyme is a well folded and highly soluble protein that is widely used
      as an insertion tag to improve solubility and crystallization properties of
      poorly behaved recombinant proteins. It has been used in the fusion protein
      strategy to facilitate crystallization of various proteins including multiple G
      protein-coupled receptors, lipid kinases, or sterol binding proteins. Here, we
      present a structural and biochemical characterization of its novel, metal ions
      binding mutant (mbT4L). We demonstrate that mbT4L can be used as a purification
      tag in the immobilized-metal affinity chromatography and that, in many respects,
      it is superior to the conventional hexahistidine tag. In addition, structural
      characterization of mbT4L suggests that mbT4L can be used as a purification tag
      compatible with X-ray crystallography.

PMID- 28342175
TI  - Black Swan - the sacrifice of a prima ballerina: Psychosexual (self-)injuries as
      the legacy of archaic experiences of violence.

PMID- 28342176
TI  - Investigating the physiological effects of 10.5 Tesla static field exposure on
      anesthetized swine.
AB  - PURPOSE: In this work, we investigated the relative effects of static magnetic
      field exposure (10.5 Tesla [T]) on two physiological parameters; blood pressure
      (BP) and heart rate (HR). METHODS: In vivo, we recorded both BP and HR in 4 swine
      (3 female, 1 male) while they were positioned within a 10.5T magnet. All
      measurements were performed invasively within these anesthetized animals by the
      placement of pressure catheters into their carotid arteries. RESULTS: We measured
      average increases of 2.0 mm Hg (standard deviation [SD], 6.9) in systolic BP and
      an increase of 4.5 mm Hg (SD, 13.7) in the diastolic BPs: We also noted an
      average increase of 1.2 beats per minute (SD, 2.5) in the HRs during such.
      CONCLUSION: Data regarding changes in BP and HR in anesthetized swine attributed
      to whole-body 10.5T exposure are reported. Magn Reson Med 79:511-514, 2018. (c)
      2017 International Society for Magnetic Resonance in Medicine.

PMID- 28342177
TI  - Career Development Awards in Emergency Medicine: Resources and Challenges.
AB  - OBJECTIVES: In the United States, emergency medicine (EM) researchers hold
      proportionately fewer federal career development awards than researchers in other
      specialties. Others hypothesize that this deficit may partly be attributed to
      lack of mentors, departmental resources, and qualified applicants. Our objectives
      were to examine the association between departmental and institutional resources
      and career development awards and to describe the barriers to conducting research
      and btaining grants in EM. METHODS: We conducted an online, cross-sectional
      survey study of vice chairs for research and research directors at academic
      emergency departments in the United States in January and February 2016.
      Participants provided quantitative information regarding their department's
      demographics, available research resources, number of funded independent
      investigators, and number of career development awards. They were also asked
      about the perceived adequacy of departmental and institutional resources and
      perceived barriers to research and grant success. Data were analyzed using
      descriptive statistics and multivariable linear regression, as appropriate.
      RESULTS: Of 178 eligible participants, 103 (58%) completed the survey. Most
      departments reported some infrastructure for research and grant submission,
      including research coordinator(s) (n = 75/99; 76%, 95% confidence interval [CI] =
      66%-84%), research associates (69/99; 70%, 95% CI = 60%-79%), and
      administrative/secretarial research support (79/101; 78%, 95% CI = 69%-86%). The
      majority of departments (56/103; 49%, 95% CI = 44%-64%) had no R01-funded
      researchers, and only 15 (15%, 95% CI = 8%-23%) had three or more R01-funded
      researchers. The most frequently reported challenge to junior faculty applying
      for grants was low motivation for applying (62/103; 60%, 95% CI = 50%-70%),
      followed closely by insufficient mentorship (50/103; 49%, 95% CI = 39%-59%) and
      discouragement from low funding rates (50/103; 49%, 95% CI = 39%-59%). In the
      multivariable model, only the number of departmental R-level-funded researchers
      was associated with the number of departmental career development awards
      (coefficient = 0.75, 95% CI = 0.39-1.11; R2  = 0.57). CONCLUSIONS: While more
      multiple departmental and institutional resources correlated with a greater
      number of funded career development awards, the single greatest predictor was the
      number of R-level-funded researchers in the department. Low motivation and
      insufficient mentorship were the most frequently reported barriers to junior
      faculty applying for career development awards. Further studies are needed to
      describe junior faculty perspectives on these issues and to explore strategies
      for overcoming these barriers.

PMID- 28342178
TI  - Return of the lysergamides. Part III: Analytical characterization of N6 -ethyl-6
      norlysergic acid diethylamide (ETH-LAD) and 1-propionyl ETH-LAD (1P-ETH-LAD).
AB  - The psychoactive properties of lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD) have fascinated
      scientists across disciplines and the exploration of other analogues and
      derivatives has been motivated by deepening the understanding of ligand-receptor
      interactions at the molecular level as well as by the search for new
      therapeutics. Several LSD congeners have appeared on the new psychoactive
      substances (NPS) market in the form of blotters or powders. Examples include 1
      propionyl-LSD (1P-LSD), AL-LAD, and LSZ. The absence of analytical data for novel
      compounds is a frequent challenge encountered in clinical and toxicological
      investigations. Two newly emerging lysergamides, namely N6 -ethyl-6-norlysergic
      acid diethylamide (ETH-LAD) and 1P-ETH-LAD, were characterized by gas
      chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS), low and high mass accuracy electrospray
      MS(/MS), GC solid-state infrared analysis, high performance liquid chromatography
      diode array detection as well as nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy. Limited
      analytical data for ETH-LAD were previously available, whereas information about
      1P-ETH-LAD has not previously been encountered in the scientific literature. This
      study extends the characterization of lysergamides distributed on the NPS market,
      which will help to make analytical data available to clinicians, toxicologists,
      and other stakeholders who are likely to encounter these substances. The analysis
      of a test incubation of 1P-ETH-LAD with human serum at 37 degrees C by LC single
      quadrupole MS at various time points (0-6 h, once per hour and one measurement
      after 24 h) revealed the formation of ETH-LAD, suggesting that 1P-ETH-LAD might
      serve as a pro-drug. 1P-ETH-LAD was still detectable in serum after 24 h.
      Copyright (c) 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

PMID- 28342179
TI  - Common polymorphisms of chemokine (C-X3-C motif) receptor 1 gene modify
      amyotrophic lateral sclerosis outcome: A population-based study.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: In the brain, the chemokine (C-X3-C motif) receptor 1 (1CX3CR1)
      gene is expressed only by microglia, where it acts as a key mediator of the
      neuron-microglia interactions. We assessed whether the 2 common polymorphisms of
      the CX3CR1 gene (V249I and T280M) modify amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS)
      phenotype. METHODS: The study included 755 ALS patients diagnosed in Piemonte
      between 2007 and 2012 and 369 age-matched and sex-matched controls, all genotyped
      with the same chips. RESULTS: Neither of the variants was associated with an
      increased risk of ALS. Patients with the V249I V/V genotype had a 6-month-shorter
      survival than those with I/I or V/I genotypes (dominant model, P = 0.018). The
      T280M genotype showed a significant difference among the 3 genotypes (additive
      model, P = 0.036). Cox multivariable analysis confirmed these findings.
      DISCUSSION: We found that common variants of the CX3CR1 gene influence ALS
      survival. Our data provide further evidence for the role of neuroinflammation in
      ALS. Muscle Nerve 57: 212-216, 2018.

PMID- 28342181
TI  - Reply.

PMID- 28342180
TI  - Metabolic syndrome in patients on first-line antiretroviral therapy containing
      zidovudine or tenofovir in rural Lesotho, Southern Africa.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: To assess the prevalence of metabolic syndrome (MetS) among patients
      in rural Lesotho who are taking first-line antiretroviral therapy (ART)
      containing either zidovudine or tenofovir disoproxil. METHODS: Cross-sectional
      survey in 10 facilities in Lesotho among adult (>=16 years) patients on non
      nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitor (NNRTI)-based first-line ART for >=6
      months. MetS was defined according to the International Diabetes Federation
      criteria. RESULTS: Among 1166 patients (65.8% female), 22.2% (95% CI: 19.3-25.3)
      of women and 6.3% (4.1-9.1) of men met the IDF definition of MetS (P < 0.001). In
      both sexes, there was no significant difference in MetS prevalence between
      NNRTIs. However, in women taking zidovudine as nucleoside reverse transcriptase
      inhibitor (NRTI), MetS prevalence was 27.9%, vs. 18.8% in those taking tenofovir.
      In the multivariate logistic regression allowing for socio-demographic and
      clinical covariates, ART containing zidovudine was associated with MetS in women
      (aOR 2.17 (1.46-3.22), P < 0.001) but not in men. CONCLUSION: In this study,
      taking ART containing zidovudine instead of tenofovir disoproxil was an
      independent predictor of MetS in women but not in men. This finding endorses
      WHO's recommendation of tenofovir as preferred NRTI.

PMID- 28342182
TI  - At first sight or second glance: clinical presentation of mosaic manifestations
      of autosomal dominant skin disorders - a case series.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Several autosomal dominant disorders may manifest in mosaic patterns
      with cutaneous involvement. Genomic mosaicism results from postzygotic autosomal
      mutations, giving rise to clonal proliferation of two genetically distinct cell
      groups, which clinically present as lesions following the lines of Blaschko.
      OBJECTIVE: To increase the awareness of the clinical variability of mosaic
      manifestations in autosomal dominant skin disorders in order to avoid delayed
      diagnosis. METHODS: Clinicopathologic correlation in a case series including
      three patients with mosaic manifestations of different autosomal dominant skin
      diseases. RESULTS: Here, we describe a patient with type 1 segmental mosaicism of
      epidermolytic ichthyosis (case 1) and two patients with either type 1 (case 2) or
      type 2 (case 3) segmental neurofibromatosis 1 (NF1). CONCLUSION: Dermatologists
      should be familiar with mosaic manifestations of autosomal dominant skin diseases
      to ensure appropriate guidance of the affected patient. Genetic counselling is
      mandatory as even limited forms of mosaicism may involve the patient's germline
      with a moderately increased risk to transmit the mutation to their offspring,
      resulting in a more severe, generalized form of the respective disease.

PMID- 28342183
TI  - Results of a multicentre UK-wide compassionate use programme evaluating the
      efficacy of idelalisib monotherapy in relapsed, refractory follicular lymphoma.

PMID- 28342184
TI  - The lipid-lowering effect of levothyroxine in patients with subclinical
      hypothyroidism: A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled
      trials.
AB  - OBJECTIVES: Dyslipidaemia is common in patients with subclinical hypothyroidism
      (SCH). To date, there is no universal agreement regarding the lipid-lowering
      effect of substitution treatment with L-T4 in patients with SCH. We aimed to
      clarify the effect by conducting this systematic review and meta-analysis of
      randomized controlled trials (RCTs). DESIGN: We systematically searched PubMed,
      the Cochrane Library, ClinicalTrials.gov and EMBASE for RCTs comparing
      substitution treatment to placebo treatment or observation. We focused on the
      primary outcomes of changes from baseline of total, low-density lipoprotein and
      high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (TC, LDL-C and HLD-C) and triglycerides.
      Subgroup analyses were performed, assessing the effect of treatment duration,
      disease severity and ethnicity on the occurrence of discrepancy. RESULTS: Twelve
      trials, with 940 participants, were eligible for analysis. Compared with the
      control group, levothyroxine substitution yielded a mean reduction in TC (-0.29
      mmol/L, [-0.42 to -0.16]) and LDL-C (-0.22 mmol/L, [-0.36 to -0.09]), with no
      significant effects on HDL-C (-0.04 mmol/L, [-0.08 to 0.01]) or triglycerides (
      0.04 mmol/L, [-0.08 to 0.00]). Trials in which only patients with mild SCH
      (thyrotropin <10 mIU/L) were enrolled showed equivalent effects. The lowering
      effects were weaker, but still significant, in long-term treatment (>6 months)
      compared with short-term treatment (<=6 months) for TC (-0.19 mmol/L [-0.35, 
      0.03] vs -0.50 mmol/L [-0.68, -0.31], P=.047) and LDL-C (-0.09 mmol/L [-0.16, 
      0.02] vs -0.46 mmol/L [-0.68, -0.25], P=.006). CONCLUSIONS: Levothyroxine
      treatment has clear benefits on TC and LDL-C in SCH patients, including those
      with mild SCH.

PMID- 28342185
TI  - A Spotlight on the Compatibility between XFEL and Ab Initio Structures of the
      Oxygen Evolving Complex in Photosystem II.
AB  - The Mn4 CaO5 cluster of photosystem II promotes a crucial step in the oxygenic
      photosynthesis, namely, the water-splitting reaction. The structure of such
      cluster in the S1 state of the Kok-Joliot's cycle has been recently resolved by
      femtosecond X-ray free-electron laser (XFEL) measurements. However, the XFEL
      results are characterized by appreciable discrepancies with previous X-ray
      diffraction (XRD), as well as with S1 models based on ab initio calculations. We
      provide here a unifying picture based on a combined set of DFT-based structures
      and molecular dynamics simulations of the S0 and S1 states. Our findings indicate
      that the XFEL results cannot be interpreted on the grounds of a single structure.
      A combination of two S1 stable isomers together with a minority contribution of
      the S0 state is necessary to reproduce XFEL results within 0.16 A.

PMID- 28342186
TI  - Simplifying oral misoprostol protocols for the induction of labour.

PMID- 28342188
TI  - Haemorrhagic onychomadesis: a cutaneous clue to chronic selenosis - case series.

PMID- 28342187
TI  - Effect of adverse environmental conditions and protective clothing on temperature
      rise in a human body exposed to radiofrequency electromagnetic fields.
AB  - This study considers the computationally determined thermal profile of a finely
      discretized, heterogeneous human body model, simulating a radiofrequency
      electromagnetic field (RF-EMF) worker wearing protective clothing subject to RF
      EMF exposure, and subject to various environmental conditions including high
      ambient temperature and high humidity, with full thermoregulatory mechanisms in
      place. How the human body responds in various scenarios was investigated, and the
      information was used to consider safety limits in current international RF-EMF
      safety guidelines and standards. It was found that different environmental
      conditions had minimal impact on the magnitude of the thermal response due to RF
      EMF exposure, and that the current safety factor of 10 applied in international
      RF-EMF safety guidelines and standards for RF-EMF workers is generally
      conservative, though it is only narrowly so when workers are subjected to the
      most adverse environmental conditions. Bioelectromagnetics. 38:356-363, 2017. (c)
      2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

PMID- 28342189
TI  - Straight-to-test colonoscopy for 2-week-wait referrals improves time to diagnosis
      of colorectal cancer and is feasible in a high-volume unit.
AB  - AIM: We have introduced 'straight-to-test' (STT) colonoscopy as part of our 2
      week-wait (2WW) pathway to address increasing numbers of urgent referrals for
      colorectal cancer (CRC) within the National Health Service. In this study we
      evaluated the ability of this initiative to shorten the time to diagnosis of CRC.
      METHOD: We amended our 2WW referral form to include performance status and
      comorbidities. General practitioners were asked to provide data on estimated
      glomerular filtration rate and full blood count/ferritin. Our 2WW referrals were
      screened by a colorectal consultant and a nurse specialist. Those deemed
      unsuitable for STT were offered outpatient assessment (OPA). RESULTS: Of 553 2WW
      referrals screened, 352 were considered suitable, 65 of whom failed a telephone
      assessment or were uncontactable, and accordingly 287 were offered the STT
      pathway. The STT group was significantly younger than the OPA group (median 65.9
      years vs 78.7 years; P < 0.0001). STT colonoscopy significantly reduced the time
      to first test (13 days vs 22 days; P < 0.0001) and tissue diagnosis from the
      referral date (17 days vs 24.5 days; P < 0.0001). Thirty-seven (6.8%) CRCs were
      detected. Proportionately fewer patients in the STT pathway were managed with
      'best supportive care only' compared with patients attending OPA (one of 15 vs
      six of 22, respectively). STT colonoscopy obviated the need for clinic attendance
      before testing in 287 patients, representing a potential net cost benefit of at
      least L48 500 in 4 months. CONCLUSION: STT colonoscopy was safe and effective for
      selecting out a group of symptomatic patients who could proceed straight to
      endoscopic examination and receive a diagnosis more rapidly.

PMID- 28342190
TI  - Expanded Medicaid dental coverage under the Affordable Care Act: an analysis of
      Minnesota emergency department visits.
AB  - OBJECTIVES: Hospital emergency departments (EDs) function as the safety net for
      patients with non-traumatic dental conditions (NTDCs). With the implementation of
      Medicaid expansion under the Affordable Care Act (ACA) many adults became
      eligible for dental benefits. We examined the impact of "early" Medicaid
      expansion in Minnesota on ED visits for NTDCs from 2008 (prereform) to 2014
      (postreform). METHODS: Data from the State Emergency Department Databases for
      Minnesota were analyzed for 2 years: 2008 and 2014. All individuals who presented
      to the ED with a dental problem were identified based on the International
      Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision, Clinical Modification with a primary
      diagnosis of 520.0-529.9. Demographic variables including patient age, gender,
      and primary payer were examined. RESULTS: Between 2008 and 2014 there was a 18.8
      percent increase in the number of all non-dental ED visits and a 9.7 percent
      decrease in the number of NTDC visits. In that time period, young adults 18-26
      years old showed a significant decrease (19.3 percent, P < 0.001) in the number
      of NTDC visits. CONCLUSIONS: The Minnesota experience suggests that the increase
      in Medicaid dental benefits through the ACA has significantly decreased NTDC
      visits, especially among young adults who were eligible for a dependent coverage
      policy that extends parents' health insurance to age 26. To our knowledge, no
      previous study has reported on the impact of early Medicaid expansion on the rate
      of ED use for NTDCs.

PMID- 28342191
TI  - Exploiting multicompartment effects in triple-echo steady-state T2 mapping for
      fat fraction quantification.
AB  - PURPOSE: To investigate and exploit the effect of intravoxel off-resonance
      compartments in the triple-echo steady-state (TESS) sequence without fat
      suppression for T2 mapping and to leverage the results for fat fraction
      quantification. METHODS: In multicompartment tissue, where at least one
      compartment is excited off-resonance, the total signal exhibits periodic
      modulations as a function of echo time (TE). Simulated multicompartment TESS
      signals were synthesized at various TEs. Fat emulsion phantoms were prepared and
      scanned at the same TE combinations using TESS. In vivo knee data were obtained
      with TESS to validate the simulations. The multicompartment effect was exploited
      for fat fraction quantification in the stomach by acquiring TESS signals at two
      TE combinations. RESULTS: Simulated and measured multicompartment signal
      intensities were in good agreement. Multicompartment effects caused erroneous T2
      offsets, even at low water-fat ratios. The choice of TE caused T2 variations of
      as much as 28% in cartilage. The feasibility of fat fraction quantification to
      monitor the decrease of fat content in the stomach during digestion is
      demonstrated. CONCLUSIONS: Intravoxel off-resonance compartments are a
      confounding factor for T2 quantification using TESS, causing errors that are
      dependent on the TE. At the same time, off-resonance effects may allow for
      efficient fat fraction mapping using steady-state imaging. Magn Reson Med 79:423
      429, 2018. (c) 2017 International Society for Magnetic Resonance in Medicine.

PMID- 28342192
TI  - Intravenous Versus Nonintravenous Benzodiazepines for the Cessation of Seizures:
      A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials.
AB  - BACKGROUND: The acquisition of intravenous (IV) access in the actively convulsing
      patient is difficult. This often delays the administration of the IV
      benzodiazepine (BDZ) necessary for seizure cessation. Delays in seizure cessation
      are associated with increased pharmacoresistance, increased risk of neuronal
      injury, worse patient outcomes, and increased morbidity. OBJECTIVE: The objective
      was to assess whether the delay imposed by IV access acquisition is justified by
      improved outcomes. We compared IV versus non-IV BDZ efficacy in the real world
      with regard to failure rates (primary outcome), interval to seizure control, and
      observed complications (secondary outcomes). METHODS: A systematic review was
      performed using Medline, Embase, and the Cochrane Library. All studies published
      or in press from the inception of the respective database to July 2016 were
      included. Only randomized and quasi-randomized controlled trials directly
      comparing IV to non-IV (buccal, rectal, intranasal, or intramuscular) BDZ were
      included. RESULTS: Our search strategy retrieved 2,604 citations for review. A
      total of 11 studies were finally included in qualitative synthesis and 10 in
      quantitative analysis. Only one was of high quality. For treatment failure, non
      IV BDZ was superior to IV BDZ (odd ratio [OR] = 0.72; 95% confidence interval
      [CI] = 0.56-0.92). However, no significant difference was found between the two
      treatments in the pediatric subgroup (OR = 1.16; 95% CI = 0.74-1.81). Non-IV BDZ
      was administered faster than IV BDZ and therefore controlled seizures faster
      (mean difference = 3.41 minutes; 95% CI = 1.69-5.13 minutes) despite a longer
      interval between drug administration and seizure cessation (mean difference =
      0.74 minutes; 95% CI = 0.52-0.95 minutes). Respiratory complications requiring
      intervention were similar between non-IV BDZ and IV BDZ, regardless of
      administration route (risk difference = 0.00; 95% CI = -0.02 to 0.01).
      CONCLUSION: Non-IV BDZ, compared to IV BDZ, terminate seizures faster and have a
      superior efficacy and side effect profile. Higher-quality studies and further
      evaluation in different age groups are warranted.

PMID- 28342193
TI  - Metabolism of the tryptamine-derived new psychoactive substances 5-MeO-2-Me-DALT,
      5-MeO-2-Me-ALCHT, and 5-MeO-2-Me-DIPT and their detectability in urine studied by
      GC-MS, LC-MSn , and LC-HR-MS/MS.
AB  - Many N,N-dialkylated tryptamines show psychoactive properties and were
      encountered as new psychoactive substances. The aims of the presented work were
      to study the phase I and II metabolism and the detectability in standard urine
      screening approaches (SUSA) of 5-methoxy-2-methyl-N,N-diallyltryptamine (5-MeO-2
      Me-DALT), 5-methoxy-2-methyl-N-allyl-N-cyclohexyltryptamine (5-MeO-2-Me-ALCHT),
      and 5-methoxy-2-methyl-N,N-diisopropyltryptamine (5-MeO-2-Me-DIPT) using gas
      chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS), liquid chromatography coupled with
      multistage accurate mass spectrometry (LC-MSn ), and liquid chromatography-high
      resolution tandem mass spectrometry (LC-HR-MS/MS). For metabolism studies, urine
      was collected over a 24 h period after administration of the compounds to male
      Wistar rats at 20 mg/kg body weight (BW). Phase I and II metabolites were
      identified after urine precipitation with acetonitrile by LC-HR-MS/MS. 5-MeO-2-Me
      DALT (24 phase I and 12 phase II metabolites), 5-MeO-2-Me-ALCHT (24 phase I and
      14 phase II metabolites), and 5-MeO-2-Me-DIPT (20 phase I and 11 phase II
      metabolites) were mainly metabolized by O-demethylation, hydroxylation, N
      dealkylation, and combinations of them as well as by glucuronidation and
      sulfation of phase I metabolites. Incubations with mixtures of pooled human liver
      microsomes and cytosols (pHLM and pHLC) confirmed that the main metabolic
      reactions in humans and rats might be identical. Furthermore, initial CYP
      activity screenings revealed that CYP1A2, CYP2C19, CYP2D6, and CYP3A4 were
      involved in hydroxylation, CYP2C19 and CYP2D6 in O-demethylation, and CYP2C19,
      CYP2D6, and CYP3A4 in N-dealkylation. For SUSAs, GC-MS, LC-MSn , and LC-HR-MS/MS
      were applied to rat urine samples after 1 or 0.1 mg/kg BW doses, respectively. In
      contrast to the GC-MS SUSA, both LC-MS SUSAs were able to detect an intake of 5
      MeO-2-Me-ALCHT and 5-MeO-2-Me-DIPT via their metabolites following 1 mg/kg BW
      administrations and 5-MeO-2-Me-DALT following 0.1 mg/kg BW dosage. Copyright (c)
      2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

PMID- 28342194
TI  - Analysis of mobile phone use among young patients with brain tumors in Japan.
AB  - The purpose of this study was to clarify ownership and usage of mobile phones
      among young patients with brain tumors in Japan. The subjects of this study were
      patients with brain tumors diagnosed between 2006 and 2010 who were between the
      ages of 6 and 18 years. The target population for the analysis was 82 patients.
      Patients were divided into two groups: 16 patients who were mobile phone owners 1
      year before diagnosis, and 66 patients who did not own mobile phones (non
      owners). Using data on the mobile phone ownership rate obtained from three
      general-population surveys, we calculated the expected number of mobile phone
      owners. The three age-adjusted standardized ownership ratios were 0.83 (95%
      confidence interval [CI]: 0.56-1.22), 0.51 (95% CI: 0.24-1.04), and 0.75 (95% CI:
      0.42-1.32). The mobile phone ownership prevalence among the young Japanese
      patients with brain tumors in the current study does not differ from available
      estimates for the general population of corresponding age. However, since the use
      of mobile phones among children is increasing annually, investigations into the
      health effects of mobile phone use among children should continue.
      Bioelectromagnetics. 38:349-355, 2017. (c) 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

PMID- 28342195
TI  - A simple self-diagnosis tool to assess the prevalence of dermatoporosis in
      France.
AB  - IMPORTANCE: The term dermatoporosis has been proposed to describe clinical signs
      and functional consequences of age-related extreme skin fragility. OBJECTIVE: To
      create a simple dermatoporosis self-diagnosis tool (IDA: Index Dermatoporosis
      Assessment) and to use this tool to estimate the prevalence of dermatoporosis in
      France. DESIGN, SETTING AND PARTICIPANTS: A specific dermatoporosis questionnaire
      was developed with the help of senior dermatologists and survey experts. This
      questionnaire was submitted to consecutive individuals aged >=65 years who
      consulted a dermatologist. At the end of the consultation, the dermatologist was
      asked to assess 'whether or not' dermatoporosis was present. In a second step,
      the final questionnaire was mailed to a representative sample of the French
      population aged >=65 years in order to estimate the prevalence of dermatoporosis.
      RESULTS: The initial questionnaire, consisting of two modules (24 questions), was
      validated in 173 individuals aged >=65 years) during a dermatologist
      consultation. Dermatologists diagnosed 46% of the individuals with
      dermatoporosis. The final validated questionnaire consisted of 14 items, 12
      consisting in presence or absence of clinical signs and two items consisting of
      the self-assessment by individuals of skin ageing on neckline and hands
      (none/moderate/significant/very significant). A scoring system was generated to
      quote quantitatively dermatoporosis (from 0 if no sign of dermatoporosis to 20
      maximal dermatoporosis). The area under the receiver operator curve was 0.8535,
      indicating a very good ability of the questionnaire to differentiate between
      individuals. A cut-off value of 11 was linked to positive and negative predictive
      values of 0.78 and 0.81, respectively. In a second step, using the questionnaire
      in a representative sample of the French population (n = 533), the estimated
      overall prevalence of dermatoporosis was 37.5% in French subjects aged >=65 years
      [27.5% (males) vs. 43.9% (females); P < 0.05]. The estimated prevalence of
      dermatoporosis was twice higher in subjects with eczema or atopic dermatitis
      during childhood than in the population without dermatoporosis (60.6% vs. 33.4%,
      P < 0.001). Individuals with dermatoporosis also reported a higher prevalence of
      itching, long-term corticosteroid use, anticoagulant use and prior sun exposure.
      CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE: Using a new simple dermatoporosis self-diagnosis tool,
      this study provides a previously unprecedented insight into the high prevalence
      of dermatoporosis in elderly individuals. IDA questionnaire is a short (14-item)
      and easy to use tool for evaluating dermatoporosis in adults and may allow an
      easy evaluation of each subject.

PMID- 28342196
TI  - A DNA Logic Gate Automaton for Detection of Rabies and Other Lyssaviruses.
AB  - Immediate activation of biosensors is not always desirable, particularly if
      activation is due to non-specific interactions. Here we demonstrate the use of
      deoxyribozyme-based logic gate networks arranged into visual displays to
      precisely control activation of biosensors, and demonstrate a prototype molecular
      automaton able to discriminate between seven different genotypes of Lyssaviruses,
      including Rabies virus. The device uses novel mixed-base logic gates to enable
      detection of the large diversity of Lyssavirus sequence populations, while an
      ANDNOT logic gate prevents non-specific activation across genotypes. The
      resultant device provides a user-friendly digital-like, but molecule-powered, dot
      matrix text output for unequivocal results read-out that is highly relevant for
      point of care applications.

PMID- 28342197
TI  - Clinicopathological analysis of primary central nervous system NK/T cell
      lymphoma: rare and localized aggressive tumour among extranasal NK/T cell
      tumours.
AB  - AIMS: The central nervous system (CNS) is a rare primary site of non-Hodgkin
      lymphoma. Although direct invasion of nasal natural killer (NK)/T cell tumours
      into CNS is reported occasionally, primary CNS NK/T cell lymphoma is extremely
      rare, and the clinicopathological features of primary CNS NK/T cell lymphoma
      remain largely unknown. METHODS AND RESULTS: We identified four cases from our
      consultation files and analysed the clinicopathological features. Three were
      immunocompetent and one was immunosuppressed. There were three males and one
      female and their ages ranged from 21 to 77 years (median: 46 years). Radiotherapy
      was rendered for all patients, and methotrexate was administered to two patients.
      The overall survival was 4-29 months (median, 19 months) for the three
      immunocompetent patients. Neoplastic cells exhibited medium to large atypical
      nuclei. Angiocentric growth and necrosis were observed. The immunophenotype was
      typical of NK cell tumours: CD3epsilon, 100%; CD56, 67%; CD5, 50%; cytotoxic
      molecules, 100%; Epstein-Barr virus encoded small RNA (EBER), 100% and T cell
      receptor (TCR)-beta or gamma, 0%. No TCR-gene rearrangements were detected.
      Reviewing 10 additional cases from the literature and comparing with extranasal
      NK/T cell lymphoma of the more frequent origins (skin or gastrointestinal tract),
      primary CNS NK/T cell lymphoma was diagnosed at an earlier stage without B
      symptoms but exhibited aggressive clinical behaviours. CONCLUSIONS: Although
      extremely rare, primary CNS NK/T cell lymphoma does occur and should always be
      included in the differential diagnosis and we should apply relevant markers
      routinely in conjunction with exploring the patient background. The accumulation
      of cases is indispensable to establish an effective treatment strategy for this
      rare and aggressive malignancy.

PMID- 28342198
TI  - An Isolable Diboron-Centered Diradical with a Triplet Ground State.
AB  - Two new diboranes, 2,6-bis(BMes2 )mesitylene (1) and 3,3'-bis(BMes2 )bimesitylene
      (3), were synthesized. Two-electron reduction of 1 with elemental potassium
      afforded the C-H activation product [(18-c-6)K(THF)2 ]2+ ?22- bearing a BC3 four
      membered ring as colorless crystals, whereas the reduction of 3 with potassium
      led to the isolation of [(18-c-6)K(THF)2 ]2+ ?32-.. as dark blue crystals. Both
      reduction products were characterized by structural and spectroscopic methods.
      Electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) spectroscopy and theoretical calculations
      revealed that the electron spin density of 32-.. mainly resides on the two boron
      nuclei and features a triplet ground state, which was confirmed by
      superconducting quantum interference device (SQUID) measurements as well as
      theoretical calculations. 32-.. represents the first structurally characterized
      boron-centered diradical with a triplet ground state. In addition, the reactivity
      of [(18-c-6)K(THF)2 ]2+ ?32-.. toward PhSeSePh and nBu3 SnH was investigated,
      which is consistent with its radical character.

PMID- 28342199
TI  - Overexpression of Drosha, DiGeorge syndrome critical region gene 8 (DGCR8), and
      Dicer mRNAs in the pathogenesis of psoriasis.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: Psoriasis is a complex autoimmune inflammatory disease that occurs
      in genetically susceptible individuals and presents with the development of
      inflammatory plaques on the skin. Recent studies have indicated that microRNAs
      (miRNAs) play important roles in psoriasis. OBJECTIVE: To investigate whether
      expression of Drosha, DGCR8, and Dicer mRNAs is involved in the pathogenesis of
      psoriasis. METHODS: Biopsies were obtained from involved psoriatic skin (PP),
      noninvolved psoriatic skin (PN), and healthy skin (NN). Expression of Drosha,
      Dicer, and DGCR8 was assessed with real-time quantitative real-time PCR in 25
      patients with psoriasis and 25 healthy volunteers. RESULTS: We observed that
      expression levels of Drosha, Dicer, and DGCR8 were upregulated in patients with
      psoriasis compared to the control group. However, the Drosha and Dicer expression
      levels were higher in PP tissues and PN tissues compared to NN tissues, but they
      were more upregulated in PP tissues compared to PN tissues (P<.001). Although the
      DGCR8 expression was higher in PP tissues and PN tissues compared to NN tissues,
      it was more upregulated in PN tissues compared to PP tissues (P<.001).
      CONCLUSION: Our data demonstrate that upregulated expression of Drosha, DGCR8,
      and Dicer mRNAs may be involved in the pathogenesis of psoriasis.

PMID- 28342200
TI  - Telomere length is a critical determinant for survival in multiple myeloma.
AB  - The variable clinical outcomes of Multiple Myeloma (MM) patients are incompletely
      defined by current prognostication tools. We examined the clinical utility of
      high-resolution telomere length analysis as a prognostic marker in MM. Cohort
      stratification, using a previously determined length threshold for telomere
      dysfunction, revealed that patients with short telomeres had a significantly
      shorter overall survival (P < 0.0001; HR = 3.4). Multivariate modelling using
      forward selection identified International Staging System (ISS) stage as the most
      important prognostic factor, followed by age and telomere length. Importantly,
      each ISS prognostic subset could be further risk-stratified according to telomere
      length, supporting the inclusion of this parameter as a refinement of the ISS.

PMID- 28342202
TI  - Treatment of chronic venous ulcers: experience in six patients treated with
      terminal interruption of the reflux source (TIRS) TIRS: effective option for the
      treatment of venous ulcers.

PMID- 28342201
TI  - Expression of oxysterol pathway genes in oestrogen-positive breast carcinomas.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: This study investigated whether gene expression levels of key
      modulators of the oxysterol signalling pathway modify the prognosis of patients
      with oestrogen receptor-positive (ER+) breast carcinomas via interaction with
      endocrine therapy. CONTEXT: The prognosis of patients with ER+ breast carcinoma
      depends on several factors. Previous studies have suggested that some oxygenated
      forms of cholesterol (oxysterols) bind to oestrogen receptor and anti-oestrogen
      binding site which may deregulate cholesterol homoeostasis and influence effect
      of therapy. DESIGN: The expression levels of 70 oxysterol pathway genes were
      evaluated in a test set of breast carcinomas differing in ER expression. The
      genes differentially expressed in ER+ tumours were assessed in a comprehensive
      set of ER+ tumours to evaluate their clinical significance. PATIENTS: A total of
      193 primary patients with breast carcinoma were included. MEASUREMENTS: The
      transcript levels were determined by quantitative real-time polymerase chain
      reaction. RESULTS: The expression levels of 23 genes were found to be
      specifically dysregulated in ER+ tumours compared to ER- tumours of the test set.
      The expression levels of ABCG2, CYP7B1, CYP24A1, CYP39A1 and CH25H genes were
      found to be strongly associated with disease stage; however, none of the gene
      expression levels were associated with disease-free survival in patients treated
      with endocrine therapy. CONCLUSIONS: The expression of a number of oxysterol
      pathway genes is significantly modulated by ER expression and associated with the
      clinical stage of patients. However, the expression of oxysterol pathway genes
      was not found to modify the prognosis of ER+ patients with breast carcinoma
      treated with endocrine therapy.

PMID- 28342203
TI  - GPU accelerated implementation of NCI calculations using promolecular density.
AB  - The NCI approach is a modern tool to reveal chemical noncovalent interactions. It
      is particularly attractive to describe ligand-protein binding. A custom
      implementation for NCI using promolecular density is presented. It is designed to
      leverage the computational power of NVIDIA graphics processing unit (GPU)
      accelerators through the CUDA programming model. The code performances of three
      versions are examined on a test set of 144 systems. NCI calculations are
      particularly well suited to the GPU architecture, which reduces drastically the
      computational time. On a single compute node, the dual-GPU version leads to a 39
      fold improvement for the biggest instance compared to the optimal OpenMP parallel
      run (C code, icc compiler) with 16 CPU cores. Energy consumption measurements
      carried out on both CPU and GPU NCI tests show that the GPU approach provides
      substantial energy savings. (c) 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

PMID- 28342204
TI  - The EP4 antagonist, L-161,982, induces apoptosis, cell cycle arrest, and inhibits
      prostaglandin E2-induced proliferation in oral squamous carcinoma Tca8113 cells.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Recent studies suggest that cyclooxygenase 2 (COX-2) inhibitors may
      enhance the toxic effects of anticancer drugs on tumor cells, including oral
      squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC), but its long-term use can cause side effects such
      as stomach ulcers and myocardial infarction. Our aim was to investigate
      proliferative effects of a downstream product of COX-2, prostaglandin E2 (PGE2),
      in human oral squamous carcinoma cell line Tca8113 and explore the effects of
      PGE2 receptors, especially EP4 receptor, on the growth of Tca8113 cells. METHODS:
      To evaluate the effects of PGE2 and EP receptors on Tca8113 cells, CCK8 assay,
      Western blotting, cell cycle analysis, and apoptosis assay were performed.
      RESULTS: We found that the EP4 receptor agonist, PGE1-OH, could mimick PGE2
      rescued the inhibitory effect of celecoxib and induced cell growth via ERK
      phosphorylation, and the EP4 receptor antagonist, L-161,982, completely blocked
      PGE2-stimulated ERK phosphorylation and proliferation of Tca8113 cells.
      Furthermore, L-161,982 may induce apoptosis and block cell cycle progression at s
      phase by upregulating Bax and p21 protein levels and by downregulating Bcl-2,
      CDK2, and cyclin A2 protein levels. CONCLUSIONS: Our results indicate that EP4
      receptor mediates PGE2-induced cell proliferation through ERK signaling, and
      inhibition of EP4 receptor may represent an alternative therapeutic strategy for
      the prevention and treatment of OSCC.

PMID- 28342205
TI  - Superficial herpes simplex virus wound infection following lung transplantation.
AB  - Surgical site infections (SSIs) are infections of tissues, organs, or spaces
      exposed by surgeons during performance of an invasive procedure. SSIs are
      classified into superficial, which are limited to skin and subcutaneous tissues,
      and deep. The incidence of deep SSIs in lung transplant (LTx) patients is
      estimated at 5%. No reports have been published as to the incidence of
      superficial SSIs specifically in LTx patients. Common sense would dictate that
      the majority of superficial SSIs would be bacterial. Uncommonly, fungal SSIs may
      occur, and we believe that no reports exist as to the incidence of viral wound
      infections in LTx patients, or in any solid organ transplant patients. We report
      a de novo superficial wound infection with herpes simplex virus following lung
      transplantation, its possible source, treatment, and resolution.

PMID- 28342206
TI  - Case of lupus miliaris disseminatus faciei associated with marked formation of
      cysts, successfully treated with intralesional injections of triamcinolone
      acetonide.

PMID- 28342207
TI  - Genetic effect of MTHFR C677T polymorphism on the structural covariance network
      and white-matter integrity in Alzheimer's disease.
AB  - The 677 C to T transition in the MTHFR gene is a genetic determinant for
      hyperhomocysteinemia. We investigated whether this polymorphism modulates gray
      matter (GM) structural covariance networks independently of white-matter
      integrity in patients with Alzheimer's disease (AD). GM structural covariance
      networks were constructed by 3D T1-magnetic resonance imaging and seed-based
      analysis. The patients were divided into two genotype groups: C homozygotes (n =
      73) and T carriers (n = 62). Using diffusion tensor imaging and white-matter
      parcellation, 11 fiber bundle integrities were compared between the two genotype
      groups. Cognitive test scores were the major outcome factors. The T carriers had
      higher homocysteine levels, lower posterior cingulate cortex GM volume, and more
      clusters in the dorsal medial lobe subsystem showing stronger covariance
      strength. Both posterior cingulate cortex seed and interconnected peak cluster
      volumes predicted cognitive test scores, especially in the T carriers. There were
      no between-group differences in fiber tract diffusion parameters. The MTHFR 677T
      polymorphism modulates posterior cingulate cortex-anchored structural covariance
      strength independently of white matter integrities. Hum Brain Mapp 38:3039-3051,
      2017. (c) 2017 The Authors Human Brain Mapping Published Wiley by Periodicals,
      Inc.

PMID- 28342209
TI  - From somatic pain to psychic pain: The body in the psychoanalytic field.
AB  - The integration of psyche and soma begins with a baby's earliest contact with his
      or her parents. With the help of maternal empathy and reverie, beta-elements are
      transformed into alpha-elements. While we understand this to be the case, we
      would like to enquire what actually happens to those parts of the affect which
      have not been transformed? For the most part they may be dealt with by
      evacuation, but they can also remain within the body, subsequently contributing
      to psychosomatic symptoms. This paper describes how the body serves as an
      intermediate store between the psychic (inner) and outer reality. The authors
      focuses on the unconscious communicative process between the analyst and the
      analysand, and in particular on how psychosomatic symptoms can spread to the
      analyst's body. The latter may become sensitive to the analysand's psychosomatic
      symptoms in order to better understand the psychoanalytical process. Sensory
      processes (visual and auditory) and psychic mechanisms such as projective
      identification can serve as a means for this communication. One of the first
      analysts to deal with this topic was Wilhelm Reich. He described one kind of
      psychosomatic defence like a shell, the character armour, comparing the armour
      formed by muscle tension with another, more psychical type of armour. This
      concept can be linked to Winnicott's contribution of the false self and later on
      to Feldman's concept of compliance as a defence. The authors links further
      details of the clinical material with theoretical concepts from Joyce McDougall,
      Piera Aulagnier, and Ricardo Rodulfo and Marilia Aisenstein. With the aid of the
      complex concept of projective identification, as described by Heinz Weiss, the
      authors discusses the important question of how the analyst gets in touch with
      the patient's current psychosomatic state, and describes a specific communication
      between the body of the psychoanalyst and the body of the patient. A vignette
      illustrates in greater detail the relationship between this theoretical
      understanding and an actual clinical example. In the session described, the
      analyst reacts to the patient with an intense body-countertransference, taking on
      the patient's symptoms for a short time. The patient, who had been unable to
      integrate psyche and soma (whose psyche did not indwell (Winnicott) in his body),
      projected the untransformed beta-elements into his body, where they emerged as
      bodily symptoms. The body became a kind of intermediate store between inner and
      outer reality. By internalizing the patient's symptoms in his own body, the
      analyst created a bodily communication - something in between concerning the
      inner and the outer reality of both participants of the analytic dyad. The
      analyst was able to recognize his psychosomatic experience as the fear of dying,
      and to work through his bodily countertransference. This is described in detail.
      The emerging understanding of the countertransference helped the analyst to
      contribute to the patient's process of transforming his symptoms. The analyst was
      able to help the patient get in touch emotionally with many traumatic situations
      experienced during his life. The function of the psychosomatic symptoms was to
      contain the patient's fear of death. These frightening feelings could now be
      worked through on a psychical level; they could enter into a process of symbol
      formation so that the psychosomatic symptoms were no longer necessary and
      disappeared.

PMID- 28342208
TI  - Serogroups and genotypes of Leptospira spp. strains from bovine aborted foetuses.
AB  - Leptospirosis is a global disease of animals, with potential major economic
      impact on livestock industry and important zoonotic capacities. The disease
      represents a major challenge in the developing countries as humans and animals
      frequently live in close association. The serovar Hardjo of Leptospira whose
      primary host is cattle has been studied extensively, but few data exist on other
      current circulating or emerging serotypes. To better understand the disease in
      cattle and how to prevent and/or control it, it is necessary to identify the
      genotype and the serotype of circulating Leptospira. This study presents results
      of several investigations performed on a historical Belgian collection of
      congenital jaundice in bovine aborted foetuses coming from the leptospirosis
      emerging episode of 2014 (Delooz et al., Transboundary and Emerging Diseases, 62,
      2015, 124). The results revealed that L. Grippotyphosa and L. Australis were the
      most prevalent serogroups with, respectively, 17/42 and 13/42 positive
      microscopic agglutination test (MAT) during this emerging event associated with
      the same clinical pattern. The study also confirms that congenital jaundice is
      associated with L. kirscheneri and L. interrogans and provides the genotyping of
      DNA obtained from these two species.

PMID- 28342210
TI  - Does the turgor loss point characterize drought response in dryland plants?
AB  - The water potential at turgor loss point (Psitlp ) has been suggested as a key
      functional trait for determining plant drought tolerance, because of its close
      relationship with stomatal closure. Psitlp may indicate drought tolerance as
      plants, which maintain gas exchange at lower midday water potentials as soil
      water availability declines also have lower Psitlp . We evaluated 17 species from
      seasonally dry habitats, representing a range of life-forms, under well-watered
      and drought conditions, to determine how Psitlp relates to stomatal sensitivity
      (pre-dawn water potential at stomatal closure: Psigs0 ) and drought strategy
      (degree of isohydry or anisohydry; DeltaPsiMD between well-watered conditions and
      stomatal closure). Although Psigs0 was related to Psitlp , Psigs0 was better
      related to drought strategy (DeltaPsiMD ). Drought avoiders (isohydric) closed
      stomata at water potentials higher than their Psitlp ; whereas, drought tolerant
      (anisohydric) species maintained stomatal conductance at lower water potentials
      than their Psitlp and were more dehydration tolerant. There was no significant
      relationship between Psitlp and DeltaPsiMD . While Psitlp has been related to
      biome water availability, we found that Psitlp did not relate strongly to
      stomatal closure or drought strategy, for either drought avoiders or tolerators.
      We therefore suggest caution in using Psitlp to predict vulnerability to drought.

PMID- 28342211
TI  - The molecular behavior of a single beta-amyloid inside a
      dipalmitoylphosphatidylcholine bilayer at three different temperatures: An
      atomistic simulation study: Abeta interaction with DPPC: Atomistic simulation.
AB  - The behavior of a single Abeta40 molecule within a dipalmitoylphosphatidylcholine
      (DPPC) bilayer was studied by all-atom molecular dynamics simulations. The effect
      of membrane structure was investigated on Abeta40 behavior, secondary structure,
      and insertion depth. Simulations were performed at three temperatures (323, 310,
      and 300 K) to probe three different bilayer fluidities. Results show that at all
      above temperatures, the peptide contains two short helices, coil, bend, and turn
      structures. At 300 K, the peptide contains a region with beta structure in C
      terminal region. Our results also show that Abeta decreases the bilayer thickness
      and the order of lipids in its vicinity which leads to water insertion into the
      bilayer and concomitant increase in the local fluidity. The peptide remains
      embedded in the bilayer at all temperatures, and become inserted into the bilayer
      up to several residues at 323 and 310 K. At 310 and 300 K, the dominant
      interaction energy between Abeta and bilayer changes from electrostatic to van
      der Waals. It can be proposed that at higher temperatures (e.g., 323 K), Lys28
      and the C-terminal region of the peptide play the role of two anchors that keep
      Abeta inside the top leaflet. This study demonstrates that Abeta molecule can
      perturb the integrity of cellular membranes. Proteins 2017; 85:1298-1310. (c)
      2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

PMID- 28342213
TI  - Reply.

PMID- 28342212
TI  - High-speed whole-brain oximetry by golden-angle radial MRI.
AB  - PURPOSE: To determine whole-brain cerebral metabolic rate of oxygen (CMRO2 ), an
      improved imaging approach, based on radial encoding, termed radial OxFlow
      (rOxFlow), was developed to simultaneously quantify draining vein venous oxygen
      saturation (SvO2 ) and total cerebral blood flow (tCBF). METHODS: To evaluate the
      efficiency and precision of the rOxFlow sequence, 10 subjects were studied during
      a paradigm of repeated breath-holds with both rOxFlow and Cartesian OxFlow
      (cOxFlow) sequences. CMRO2 was calculated at baseline from OxFlow-measured data
      assuming an arterial O2 saturation of 97%, and the SvO2 and tCBF breath-hold
      responses were quantified. RESULTS: Average neurometabolic-vascular parameters
      across the 10 subjects for cOxFlow and rOxFlow were, respectively: SvO2 (%)
      baseline: 64.6 +/- 8.0 versus 64.2 +/- 6.6; SvO2 peak: 70.5 +/- 8.5 versus 72.6
      +/- 5.4; tCBF (mL/min/100 g) baseline: 39.2 +/- 3.8 versus 40.6 +/- 8.0; tCBF
      peak: 53.2 +/- 5.1 versus 56.1 +/- 11.7; CMRO2 (umol O2 /min/100 g) baseline:
      111.5 +/- 26.8 versus 120.1 +/- 19.6. The above measures were not significantly
      different between sequences (P > 0.05). CONCLUSION: There was good agreement
      between the two methods in terms of the physiological responses measured.
      Comparing the two, rOxFlow provided higher temporal resolution and greater
      flexibility for reconstruction while maintaining high SNR. Magn Reson Med 79:217
      223, 2018. (c) 2017 International Society for Magnetic Resonance in Medicine.

PMID- 28342214
TI  - Real-time fMRI neurofeedback in adolescents with attention deficit hyperactivity
      disorder.
AB  - Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is associated with poor self
      control, underpinned by inferior fronto-striatal deficits. Real-time functional
      magnetic resonance neurofeedback (rtfMRI-NF) allows participants to gain self
      control over dysregulated brain regions. Despite evidence for beneficial effects
      of electrophysiological-NF on ADHD symptoms, no study has applied the spatially
      superior rtfMRI-NF neurotherapy to ADHD. A randomized controlled trial tested the
      efficacy of rtfMRI-NF of right inferior prefrontal cortex (rIFG), a key region
      that is compromised in ADHD and upregulated with psychostimulants, on improvement
      of ADHD symptoms, cognition, and inhibitory fMRI activation. To control for
      region-specificity, an active control group received rtfMRI-NF of the left
      parahippocampal gyrus (lPHG). Thirty-one ADHD boys were randomly allocated and
      had to learn to upregulate their target brain region in an average of 11 rtfMRI
      NF runs over 2 weeks. Feedback was provided through a video-clip of a rocket that
      had to be moved up into space. A transfer session without feedback tested
      learning retention as a proximal measure of transfer to everyday life. Both NF
      groups showed significant linear activation increases with increasing number of
      runs in their respective target regions and significant reduction in ADHD
      symptoms after neurotherapy and at 11-month follow-up. Only the group targeting
      rIFG, however, showed a transfer effect, which correlated with ADHD symptom
      reductions, improved at trend level in sustained attention, and showed increased
      IFG activation during an inhibitory fMRI task. This proof-of-concept study
      demonstrates for the first time feasibility, safety, and shorter- and longer-term
      efficacy of rtfMRI-NF of rIFG in adolescents with ADHD. Hum Brain Mapp 38:3190
      3209, 2017. (c) 2017 The Authors Human Brain Mapping Published by Wiley
      Periodicals, Inc.

PMID- 28342215
TI  - Efficacy and safety of nivolumab in Japanese patients with previously untreated
      advanced melanoma: A phase II study.
AB  - Treating advanced or recurrent melanoma remains a challenge. Cancer cells can
      evade the immune system by blocking T-cell activation through overexpression of
      the inhibitory receptor programmed death 1 (PD-1) ligands. The PD-1 inhibitor
      nivolumab blocks the inhibitory signal in T cells, thus overcoming the immune
      resistance of cancer cells. Nivolumab has shown promising anticancer activity in
      various cancers. We carried out a single-arm, open-label, multicenter, phase II
      study to investigate the efficacy and safety of nivolumab in previously untreated
      Japanese patients with advanced melanoma. Twenty-four patients with stage III/IV
      or recurrent melanoma were enrolled and received i.v. nivolumab 3 mg/kg every 2
      weeks until disease progression or unacceptable toxicity. The primary endpoint
      was overall response rate evaluated by an independent radiology review committee.
      The independent radiology review committee-assessed overall response rate was
      34.8% (90% confidence interval, 20.8-51.9), and the overall survival rate at 18
      months was 56.5% (90% confidence interval, 38.0-71.4). Treatment-related adverse
      events (AEs) of grade 3 or 4 only occurred in three patients (12.5%). Two
      patients discontinued nivolumab because of AEs, but all AEs were considered
      manageable by early diagnosis and appropriate treatment. Subgroup analyses showed
      that nivolumab was clinically beneficial and tolerable regardless of BRAF
      genotype, and that patients with treatment-related select AEs and with vitiligo
      showed tendency for better survival. In conclusion, nivolumab showed favorable
      efficacy and safety profiles in Japanese patients with advanced or recurrent
      melanoma, with or without BRAF mutations. (Trial registration no. JapicCTI
      142533.).

PMID- 28342217
TI  - The Sacral Autonomic Outflow Is Spinal, but Not "Sympathetic".
AB  - A recent article published in a high-profile journal proposed to reclassify the
      sacral autonomic outflow as being part of the sympathetic system. In this
      commentary, arguments against this erroneous proposal are provided. Anat Rec,
      300:1369-1370, 2017. (c) 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

PMID- 28342218
TI  - Histological assessment of regenerative endodontic treatment in animal studies
      with different scaffolds: A systematic review.
AB  - BACKGROUND/AIM: The concept of regenerative endodontic procedures remains
      controversial. The aim of this study was to evaluate the histology of the tissues
      formed in immature animal teeth with necrotic and infected pulps after attempted
      endodontic regeneration procedures using different scaffolds. DESIGN: A
      systematic electronic literature search was performed in PubMed, Web of Science,
      Scopus, EMBASE, DOSS, and Cochrane Library databases. The terms used were a
      combination of the following: "immature permanent necrotic tooth or teeth" or
      "open apex or apices" and "regeneration or revitalization or revascularization"
      and "histology." The inclusion criteria comprised animal studies with
      histological examination following regenerative endodontics in immature necrotic
      infected permanent teeth. RESULTS: From 123 screened studies, 13 met the
      inclusion criteria. Formation of dentin-like tissue on the dentinal walls was
      reported in only 4% of teeth treated with blood clot scaffold and 2% treated with
      blood clot with additional materials. Cementum-like hard tissue was found in 64%
      of teeth with blood clot, 80% treated with blood clot with additional materials,
      50% treated with alternative scaffolds, and 5% that were left empty. Bone-like
      tissue was reported in 10% of teeth treated with blood clot, 2% treated with
      blood clot with additional materials, and 4% treated with alternative scaffolds.
      The tissues in the canal space were found to be connective tissue with
      infiltration of fibroblast-like cells and blood vessels. Forty-six percent of the
      studies reported formation of periodontal ligament-like tissues. CONCLUSIONS:
      None of the regeneration protocols resulted in the predictable formation of a
      true pulp-dentin complex.

PMID- 28342216
TI  - Case of bullous pemphigoid coexisting with anti-desmoglein autoantibodies.
AB  - A 79-year-old Japanese woman had clinical and histopathological features of
      bullous pemphigoid, while direct immunofluorescence test revealed C3 and
      immunoglobulin G depositions in the lower cell surfaces of the epidermis in
      addition to those in the dermoepidermal junction. Chemiluminescent enzyme
      immunoassays were positive for desmoglein-1 and -3 antibodies in addition to anti
      BP180 antibodies. In an immunoblotting study, antibodies against both 180-kDa
      bullous pemphigoid antigen and 130-kDa pemphigus vulgaris antigen were detected.
      Based on these results, bullous pemphigoid coexisting with anti-desmoglein
      autoantibodies was diagnosed in this case.

PMID- 28342219
TI  - Combining two antifungal agents does not enhance survival of Galleria mellonella
      larvae infected with Madurella mycetomatis.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: To determine whether combination therapy would improve therapeutic
      outcome in eumycetoma caused by Madurella mycetomatis. METHODS: Survival, colony
      forming units (CFU), melanisation and histopathology in M. mycetomatis-infected
      Galleria mellonella larvae treated with amphotericin B, itraconazole, terbinafine
      or combinations thereof were determined. RESULTS: Compared to larvae treated with
      5% glucose, enhanced survival was obtained when M. mycetomatis-infected larvae
      were treated with amphotericin B, but not when they were treated with
      itraconazole or terbinafine. Combination therapy did not increase survival
      compared to 5% glucose-treated larvae, itraconazole-treated larvae or terbinafine
      treated larvae. Compared to amphotericin B monotreatment, a significant decrease
      in survival was noted when this therapy was combined with either itraconazole or
      terbinafine. CFU, melanisation and histopathology did not differ between
      monotherapy, combination therapy or 5% glucose-treated larvae. CONCLUSIONS:
      Combining different classes of antifungal agents did not enhance the survival of
      M. mycetomatis-infected G. mellonella larvae. Instead of improving the
      therapeutic outcome, combining either itraconazole or terbinafine with
      amphotericin B resulted in significantly lower survival rates of infected larvae
      than amphotericin B monotherapy. This experimental study does not provide support
      for the use of combined amphotericin B and itraconazole, combined itraconazole
      and terbinafine or combined terbinafine and amphotericin B and should be
      confirmed in other animal models.

PMID- 28342220
TI  - Prenatal course of metaphyseal anadysplasia associated with homozygous mutation
      in MMP9 identified by exome sequencing.
AB  - Metaphyseal anadysplasia (MANDP) is a rare autosomal recessive form of skeletal
      dysplasia characterized by normal length at birth and transitory bowing of the
      legs. Although several families with MANDP have been reported, homozygous
      mutations in the matrix metalloproteinase type 9 (MMP9) gene have been described
      in only one consanguineous family, and thus the pre and postnatal phenotypic
      spectrum is still obscure. A clinically similar but more severe type is caused by
      autosomal-dominant inheritance and is caused by mutations in matrix
      metalloproteinase type 13 gene (MMP13). Here, we report the prenatal and early
      postnatal course of two affected sib fetuses with early sonographic evidence of
      long bone shortening and postnatally no metaphyseal changes. Whole-exome
      sequencing revealed homozygous mutation in MMP9 in both fetuses suggesting a
      diagnosis of MANDP. We propose that MANDP should be considered in pregnancies
      with early prenatal shortening of the long bones without associated finding of
      lethal skeletal dysplasias. In addition, the finding of homozygous mutation in
      non-consanguineous parents of Jewish-Caucasus ancestry may suggest unawareness of
      such relation or the occurrence of a founder mutation in this gene.

PMID- 28342221
TI  - p53 immunohistochemistry in high-grade urothelial carcinoma of the bladder is
      prognostically significant.
AB  - AIMS: TP53 mutations are characteristic of the high-grade pathway in the dual
      pathway of urothelial carcinogenesis. These mutations have been correlated with
      aberrant accumulation of p53 protein; however the definition and significance of
      this vary in the literature. The aim of this study was to assess p53
      immunostaining in a cohort of high-grade urothelial carcinomas by using standard
      published cut-offs and a novel binarized method that included assessment of the
      null phenotype. Each scoring method was correlated with oncological outcome.
      METHODS AND RESULTS: A triplicate core tissue microarray was constructed from 207
      cases of high-grade urothelial carcinoma treated by cystectomy, and was stained
      with p53. The percentage nuclear staining was recorded for each core and averaged
      for every case (206 cases were evaluable). Cases were categorized as
      positive/negative according to published cut-offs (10%, 40%) or by binarizing
      them as abnormal (null phenotype or >50% positivity) and wild type (1-49%
      positivity). Correlation with disease-specific survival was not significant
      according to standard definitions of p53 positivity. When a 40% cut-off was used,
      a correlation with relapse-free survival was significant on univariate analysis
      (P = 0.038) but not on multivariate analysis (P = 0.079). Abnormal p53 expression
      showed a near-significant trend for association with disease-specific survival (P
      = 0.052) and was a significant predictor for relapse-free survival on both
      univariate analysis (P = 0.047) and multivariate analysis (P = 0.035).
      CONCLUSIONS: Prior to this study, the p53 null phenotype was not well described
      in urothelial carcinoma of the bladder. Abnormal p53 immunoexpression (null
      staining pattern or staining in >50% of cells) is prognostic in terms of
      oncological outcome.

PMID- 28342222
TI  - The H3 loop of antibodies shows unique structural characteristics.
AB  - The H3 loop in the Complementarity Determining Region of antibodies plays a key
      role in their ability to bind the diverse space of potential antigens. It is also
      exceptionally difficult to model computationally causing a significant hurdle for
      in silico development of antibody biotherapeutics. In this article, we show that
      most H3s have unique structural characteristics which may explain why they are so
      challenging to model. We found that over 75% of H3 loops do not have a sub
      Angstrom structural neighbor in the non-antibody world. Also, in a comparison
      with a nonredundant set of all protein fragments over 30% of H3 loops have a
      unique structure, with the average for all of other loops being less than 3%. We
      further observed that this structural difference can be seen at the level of four
      residue fragments where H3 loops present numerous novel conformations, and also
      at the level of individual residues with Tyrosine and Glycine often found in
      energetically unfavorable conformations. Proteins 2017; 85:1311-1318. (c) 2017
      Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

PMID- 28342225
TI  - Japanese version of the Family Dermatology Life Quality Index: Translation and
      validation.
AB  - Skin conditions affect the quality of life (QoL) of patients and their family. To
      assess family members' QoL, a questionnaire uniquely designed for family members
      is necessary. We translated the Family Dermatology Life Quality Index (FDLQI),
      originally created and validated by Basra et al., into Japanese, and evaluated
      its reliability and validity. For psychometric evaluations, 150 dermatology
      patients and their family members were included. The Japanese version of the
      FDLQI showed high test-retest reliability (intraclass correlation coefficient =
      0.95) and internal consistency reliability (Cronbach's alpha = 0.86). FDLQI
      scores significantly correlated with DLQI scores (r = 0.58, P < 0.01, Spearman's
      rho) and global question (GQ) which measured the patient's skin condition on a
      visual analog scale (r = 0.36, P < 0.01). Family members of patients with
      inflammatory skin diseases showed higher FDLQI scores than those with isolated
      lesions, but the difference was not statistically significant (P = 0.062, Mann
      Whitney U-test). Responsiveness to change was demonstrated in a group in which
      the patient's skin condition was assessed as improved (n = 37, r = 0.46, P <
      0.01) but not in that in which it became worse. The difference of the change
      between the two groups was statistically significant (P < 0.01). Additionally,
      the change in FDLQI scores and GQ were significantly correlated (r = 0.40, P <
      0.01). Exploratory factor analysis suggested essential unidimensionality of the
      instrument. We showed acceptable validity and responsiveness of this Japanese
      version of FDLQI. Further clinical epidemiological studies are required to
      confirm this.

PMID- 28342224
TI  - Interleukin-18 activates Vgamma9Vdelta2+ T cells from HIV-positive individuals:
      recovering the response to phosphoantigen.
AB  - The study aimed to identify an immunoregulatory factor that restores the
      phosphoantigen response of Vgamma9Vdelta2+ T cells from HIV-positive individuals
      on antiretroviral therapy. It was designed to characterize the effects of
      interleukin-18 (IL-18) on proliferation and effector function in Vgamma9Vdelta2 T
      cells from HIV-negative individuals and test whether exogenous IL-18
      reconstitutes the Vgamma9Vdelta2 T-cell response to phosphoantigen from HIV
      positive donors. Vgamma9Vdelta2 T cells from HIV-negative individuals responded
      strongly to phosphoantigen or aminobisphosphonate stimulation of peripheral blood
      mononuclear cells (PBMC), whereas cells with similar T-cell receptor profiles
      from HIV-positive individuals only responded to aminobisphosphonate. Interleukin
      18 was higher after aminobisphosphonate stimulation due to activation of the
      inflammasome pathway. Both IL-18 and IL-18 receptor levels were measured and the
      activity of exogenous IL-18 on HIV-negative and HIV-positive PBMC was evaluated
      in terms of Vgamma9Vdelta2 T-cell proliferation, memory subsets, cytokine
      expression and CD107a expression. Interleukin-18 stimulation increased
      proliferation, enhanced the accumulation of effector memory cells, and increased
      expression of cytotoxic markers in HIV-negative controls. When Vgamma9Vdelta2 T
      cells from HIV-positive individuals were stimulated with isopentenyl
      pyrophosphate in the presence of IL-18, there was increased proliferation,
      accumulation of memory cells, and higher expression of CD56, NKG2D and CD107a
      (markers of cytotoxic effector phenotype). Interleukin-18 stimulation
      specifically expanded the Vgamma9-JgammaP+ subset of Vgamma9Vdelta2 T cells, as
      was expected for normal responses to phosphoantigen. Interleukin-18 is a potent
      stimulator of Vgamma9Vdelta2 T-cell proliferation and effector function.
      Therapies directed at reconstituting Vgamma9Vdelta2 T-cell activity in HIV
      positive individuals should include stimulators of IL-18 or direct cytokine
      supplementation.

PMID- 28342223
TI  - Ritonavir and ixazomib kill bladder cancer cells by causing ubiquitinated protein
      accumulation.
AB  - There is no curative treatment for advanced bladder cancer. Causing ubiquitinated
      protein accumulation and endoplasmic reticulum stress is a novel approach to
      cancer treatment. The HIV protease inhibitor ritonavir has been reported to
      suppress heat shock protein 90 and increase the amount of unfolded proteins in
      the cell. If the proteasome functions normally, however, they are rapidly
      degraded. We postulated that the novel proteasome inhibitor ixazomib combined
      with ritonavir would kill bladder cancer cells effectively by inhibiting
      degradation of these unfolded proteins and thereby causing ubiquitinated proteins
      to accumulate. The combination of ritonavir and ixazomib induced drastic
      apoptosis and inhibited the growth of bladder cancer cells synergistically. The
      combination decreased the expression of cyclin D1 and cyclin-dependent kinase 4,
      and increased the sub-G1 fraction significantly. Mechanistically, the combination
      caused ubiquitinated protein accumulation and endoplasmic reticulum stress. The
      combination-induced apoptosis was markedly attenuated by the protein synthesis
      inhibitor cycloheximide, suggesting that the accumulation of ubiquitinated
      proteins played an important role in the combination's antineoplastic activity.
      Furthermore, the combination induced histone acetylation cooperatively and the
      decreased expression of histone deacetylases was thought to be one mechanism of
      this histone acetylation. The present study provides a theoretical basis for
      future development of novel ubiquitinated-protein-accumulation-based therapies
      effective against bladder cancer.

PMID- 28342226
TI  - Psychopathology and personality traits associated with driving while intoxicated
      in Beijing, China: Implications for interventions.
AB  - BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Driving while intoxicated (DWI) represents an area of
      grave concern in China, yet little research has focused on it or on the
      personality traits and psychiatric disorders among these drivers. METHODS: We
      enrolled 325 of 382 residents charged with DWI in a compulsory detention center
      in Beijing, China. And 351 male drivers who had never had any alcohol arrests as
      control participants. All were screened for Axis I disorders using the Chinese
      version of the Structured Clinical Interview for the Diagnostic Statistical
      Manual of Mental Disorders IV-TR (SCID), the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality
      Inventory (MMPI-2), and the Sixteen Personality Factor Questionnaire (16PF).
      RESULTS: The subjects were all males with a mean (+/-SD) age of 34.41 +/- 8.48
      years, and almost 30% met DSM-IV criteria for alcohol abuse or dependence (n =
      92). Compared to normal controls they showed greater Social Boldness,
      Abstractedness, Apprehension, Liveliness and Tension, and poorer Reasoning,
      Vigilance, Openness to Change, and Self-reliance. On the MMPI-2, DWI subjects
      showed greater Hypochondriasis, Psychopathic Deviate, Paranoia, Psychasthenia,
      Schizophrenia and Hypomania; and lower Social introversion. CONCLUSIONS AND
      SCIENTIFIC SIGNIFICANCE: Severe alcohol problems are more common in Beijing's
      drunk drivers than in the Chinese general population. These DWI drivers also have
      a broad variety of traits that increase their tendency to be venturesome and
      socially bold while enjoying excitement and risk-taking. (Am J Addict 2017;26:374
      378).

PMID- 28342227
TI  - Treatment of adenoviral keratoconjunctivitis with a combination of povidone
      iodine 1.0% and dexamethasone 0.1% drops: a clinical prospective controlled
      randomized study.
AB  - PURPOSE: To determine the efficacy of combination povidone-iodine (PVP-I) 1.0%
      eyedrops and dexamethasone 0.1% eyedrops in the treatment of adenoviral
      keratoconjunctivitis. MATERIALS AND METHODS: In a prospective, randomized,
      controlled, double-blinded clinical trial patients with recent adenoviral
      keratoconjunctivitis (diagnosed clinically and confirmed by PCR), we randomly
      divided into three treatment groups: study group - received PVP-I 1.0% and
      dexamethasone 0.1%, control 1 group - received dexamethasone 0.1% and control 2
      group - received lubricating eyedrops (hypromellose 0.3%). The treatment was
      administered four times a day in each group. All patients were examined and
      filled a questionnaire before treatment and on the 3rd, 5th and 7th days of
      treatment. RESULTS: We included in the study 78 eyes (26 in each group).
      Adenovirus type 8 was the most common pathogen (83% of cases). The fastest
      improvement in patients red eyes, discharge, superficial punctate keratitis and
      pseudomembranes was observed in the study group (p < 0.001). Those patients
      reached a near complete recovery in 5-7 days, which was also confirmed by
      reduction in Adenovirus titres by PCR. The slowest improvement was in the control
      2 group. Subepithelial infiltrates (SEI) were observed in 44% of the control 1
      group, 20% of the control 2 group and in 0% of the study group. The rate of
      reduction in Adenovirus titres was the slowest in the control 1 group.
      CONCLUSION: The combination of PVP-I 1.0% and dexamethasone 0.1% four times a day
      can reduce symptoms and expedite recovery in epidemic keratoconjunctivitis
      patients.

PMID- 28342228
TI  - Coevolutionary constraints in the sequence-space of macromolecular complexes
      reflect their self-assembly pathways.
AB  - Is the order in which biomolecular subunits self-assemble into functional
      macromolecular complexes imprinted in their sequence-space? Here, we demonstrate
      that the temporal order of macromolecular complex self-assembly can be
      efficiently captured using the landscape of residue-level coevolutionary
      constraints. This predictive power of coevolutionary constraints is irrespective
      of the structural, functional, and phylogenetic classification of the complex and
      of the stoichiometry and quaternary arrangement of the constituent monomers.
      Combining this result with a number of structural attributes estimated from the
      crystal structure data, we find indications that stronger coevolutionary
      constraints at interfaces formed early in the assembly hierarchy probably
      promotes coordinated fixation of mutations that leads to high-affinity binding
      with higher surface area, increased surface complementarity and elevated number
      of molecular contacts, compared to those that form late in the assembly. Proteins
      2017; 85:1183-1189. (c) 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

PMID- 28342230
TI  - Self-Assembled Chiral Nanostructures as Scaffolds for Asymmetric Reactions.
AB  - The asymmetric reaction is one of the most important reactions in organic
      synthesis. While a large number of efficient molecular catalysts have been
      developed and applied, recently, supramolecular and nanostructured catalysts have
      been attracting interest. In this Minireview, we focus on self-assembled chiral
      nanostructures and review their possibility and feasibility as enantioselective
      catalysts. The design concept and the requirement of the chiral scaffold as the
      catalysts are discussed. Based on the chirality and catalytic performance of the
      building molecules and the supramolecular nanostructures, the nanocatalyst is
      divided into chiral nanostructure driven (CND) and chiral nanostructure enhanced
      (CNE) enantioselective catalysts. Then, several typical self-assembled chiral
      nanostructures such as nanocages, nanotubes, nanorods, micelles and vesicles are
      selected as the chiral scaffold and their catalytic behaviors for the asymmetric
      reactions were demonstrated. Finally, the future developments of the field are
      also discussed.

PMID- 28342229
TI  - Real-world experience with the all-oral, interferon-free regimen of
      ombitasvir/paritaprevir/ritonavir and dasabuvir for the treatment of chronic
      hepatitis C virus infection in the German Hepatitis C Registry.
AB  - Real-world studies are relevant to complement clinical trials on novel antiviral
      therapies against chronic hepatitis C; however, clinical practice data are
      currently limited. This study investigated effectiveness and safety of
      ombitasvir/paritaprevir/ritonavir (OBV/PTV/r)+/-dasabuvir (DSV)+/-ribavirin (RBV)
      for treatment of HCV genotype (GT) 1 and GT4 infection in a large real-world
      cohort. The German Hepatitis C Registry is an observational cohort study
      prospectively collecting clinical practice data on direct-acting antiviral
      therapies. Patients with GT1/4 infection treated with OBV/PTV/r+/-DSV+/-RBV were
      analysed. Effectiveness was assessed by sustained virologic response in 558
      patients who reached post-treatment week 12 (SVR12). Safety is reported in 1017
      patients who initiated treatment. Of the patients, 892 (88%) had GT1 and 125
      (12%) had GT4 infection. Prior treatment experience and cirrhosis were reported
      in 598 (59%) and 228 (22%) patients, respectively. Overall, SVR12 (mITT) was 96%
      (486/505) in GT1- and 100% (53/53) in GT4 patients. SVR12 rates were high across
      subgroups including patients with cirrhosis (95%, 123/129), patients with
      moderate to severe renal impairment (100%, 34/34), and subgroups excluded from
      registrational trials like patients >=70 years (96%, 64/67) and failures to prior
      protease inhibitor treatment (96%, 46/48). Adverse events (AEs) and serious AEs
      were reported in 52% (525/1017) and 2% (21/1017) of patients, respectively, and
      led to treatment discontinuation in 1.5% (15/1017) of patients. OBV/PTV/r+/-DSV+/
      RBV was effective and generally well tolerated for treatment of HCV infection in
      clinical practice.

PMID- 28342231
TI  - Exploring the hypothesis of differential care for African immigrant and native
      women in France with hypertensive disorders during pregnancy: a qualitative
      study.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: To analyse whether prenatal care trajectories among women with
      hypertensive disorders during pregnancy in France differ between immigrants from
      sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) and native French women. DESIGN: Qualitative interview
      study. SETTING: Three public maternity units in the Paris region. POPULATION:
      Women born in SSA or in France of French parents and treated for hypertension or
      pre-eclampsia during their pregnancy. METHODS: A sociologist conducted semi
      structured in-depth interviews of 33 women during their postpartum
      hospitalisation and collected data from their medical files. n'vivo 10 (QSR
      International) was used for line-by-line coding of the transcriptions, to
      identify emerging themes. Strauss's concept of illness trajectories was then
      applied to these data. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Themes derived from interviews.
      RESULTS: Women reported during the interviews that the blood pressure measurement
      procedures used by hospital staff varied between the two groups, and their
      medical records supported this finding. Repeated urinary dipstick testing of
      proteinuria before laboratory testing was more frequent for African women, as was
      the failure to further test proteinuria levels requiring additional action. The
      two groups received similar standardised care after severe complications. Other
      findings showed that African women were less likely to rely on healthcare
      services. CONCLUSIONS: These results suggest non-medically justified differential
      prenatal care between African and native women that may have helped delay the
      diagnosis of hypertension or pre-eclampsia. This study suggests hypotheses for
      further quantitative studies to explore the potential involvement of this
      differential care in the higher frequency of severe complications in this
      subgroup, concordantly reported in European countries hosting SSA migrants.
      TWEETABLE ABSTRACT: Differential prenatal care may delay diagnosis of pre
      eclampsia among African compared with native French women.

PMID- 28342232
TI  - Immune modulator-induced changes in the gastrointestinal tract.

PMID- 28342233
TI  - Extraneural findings during peripheral nerve ultrasound: Prevalence and further
      assessment.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: In this study we evaluated the frequency and further assessment of
      extraneural findings encountered during peripheral nerve ultrasound (US).
      METHODS: Our retrospective review identified 278 peripheral nerve US examinations
      of 229 patients performed between December 2014 and December 2015. Reports were
      reviewed to assess the number of studies without peripheral nerve abnormalities
      and the frequency and further assessment of extraneural findings. RESULTS: A
      total of 107 peripheral nerve US examinations of 90 patients (49 men and 41
      women, mean age 55 +/- 16 years) did not report peripheral nerve abnormalities.
      Extraneural findings were observed in 24 of 107 (22.4%) studies. Fifteen of the
      278 [5.4% (95% confidence interval 2.7%-8.1%)] studies led to a recommendation
      for additional imaging or clinical evaluation of an extraneural finding.
      DISCUSSION: At least 5.4% (15 of 278) of peripheral nerve US studies led to
      additional clinical or imaging assessment. Muscle Nerve 57: 65-69, 2018.

PMID- 28342234
TI  - Critical contribution of the interleukin-6/signal transducer and activator of
      transcription 3 axis to vasculopathy associated with systemic sclerosis.
AB  - Reflecting the critical role of interleukin (IL)-6 in systemic sclerosis (SSc),
      tocilizumab, an anti-IL-6 receptor antibody, is currently under a global phase
      III trial against skin sclerosis of this disease. We here demonstrate that the IL
      6/signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 axis is broadly activated in
      various cell types in the lesional skin of SSc patients irrespective of disease
      subtypes, especially in endothelial cells. Importantly, 12 monthly infusions of
      tocilizumab improved nailfold capillary changes as well as skin sclerosis in a
      patient with diffuse cutaneous SSc. The present findings suggest a potential
      disease-modifying effect of tocilizumab on SSc vasculopathy.

PMID- 28342235
TI  - The inactivation of rfaP, rarA or sspA gene improves the viability of the
      Escherichia coli DNA polymerase III holD mutant.
AB  - The Escherichia coli holD mutant is poorly viable because the stability of
      holoenzyme polymerase III (Pol III HE) on DNA is compromised. Consequently, the
      SOS response is induced and the SOS polymerases DinB and Pol II further hinder
      replication. Mutations that restore the holD mutant viability belong to two
      classes, those that stabilize Pol III on DNA and those that prevent the
      deleterious effects of DinB over-production. We identified a dnaX mutation and
      the inactivation of rfaP and sspA genes as belonging to the first class of holD
      mutant suppressors. dnaX encodes a Pol III clamp loader subunit that interacts
      with HolD. rfaP encodes a lipopolysaccharide kinase that acts in outer membrane
      biogenesis. Its inactivation improves the holD mutant growth in part by affecting
      potassium import, previously proposed to stabilize Pol III HE on DNA by
      increasing electrostatic interactions. sspA encodes a global transcriptional
      regulator and growth of the holD mutant in its absence suggests that SspA
      controls genes that affect protein-DNA interactions. The inactivation of rarA
      belongs to the second class of suppressor mutations. rarA inactivation has a weak
      effect but is additive with other suppressor mutations. Our results suggest that
      RarA facilitates DinB binding to abandoned forks.

PMID- 28342236
TI  - Resolving protein structure-function-binding site relationships from a binding
      site similarity network perspective.
AB  - Functional annotation is seldom straightforward with complexities arising due to
      functional divergence in protein families or functional convergence between non
      homologous protein families, leading to mis-annotations. An enzyme may contain
      multiple domains and not all domains may be involved in a given function, adding
      to the complexity in function annotation. To address this, we use binding site
      information from bound cognate ligands and catalytic residues, since it can help
      in resolving fold-function relationships at a finer level and with higher
      confidence. A comprehensive database of 2,020 fold-function-binding site
      relationships has been systematically generated. A network-based approach is
      employed to capture the complexity in these relationships, from which different
      types of associations are deciphered, that identify versatile protein folds
      performing diverse functions, same function associated with multiple folds and
      one-to-one relationships. Binding site similarity networks integrated with fold,
      function, and ligand similarity information are generated to understand the depth
      of these relationships. Apart from the observed continuity in the functional site
      space, network properties of these revealed versatile families with topologically
      different or dissimilar binding sites and structural families that perform very
      similar functions. As a case study, subtle changes in the active site of a set of
      evolutionarily related superfamilies are studied using these networks. Tracing of
      such similarities in evolutionarily related proteins provide clues into the
      transition and evolution of protein functions. Insights from this study will be
      helpful in accurate and reliable functional annotations of uncharacterized
      proteins, poly-pharmacology, and designing enzymes with new functional
      capabilities. Proteins 2017; 85:1319-1335. (c) 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

PMID- 28342237
TI  - An ecosystem services approach to the ecological effects of salvage logging:
      valuation of seed dispersal.
AB  - Forest disturbances diminish ecosystem services and boost disservices. Because
      post-disturbance management intends to recover the greatest possible value,
      selling timber often prevails over other considerations. Ecological research has
      shown diverse effects of salvage logging, yet such research has focused on the
      biophysical component of post-disturbance ecosystems and lacks the link with
      human well-being. Here we bridge that gap under the ecosystem services framework
      by assessing the impact of post-fire management on a non-timber value. By
      employing the replacement cost method, we calculated the value of the post-fire
      natural regeneration of Holm oaks in southern Spain under three post-fire
      management options by considering the cost of planting instead. The value of this
      ecosystem service in non-intervention areas doubled that of salvage-logged stands
      due to the preference for standing dead trees by the main seed disperser. Still,
      most of the value resulted from the resprouting capacity of oaks. The value of
      this and other ecosystem services should be added to traditional cost/benefit
      analyses of post-disturbance management. We thus call for a more holistic
      approach to salvage logging research, one that explicitly links ecological
      processes with human well-being through ecosystem services, to better inform
      decision-makers on the outcomes of post-disturbance management.

PMID- 28342238
TI  - A peel-off facial mask comprising myoinositol and trehalose-loaded liposomes
      improves adult female acne by reducing local hyperandrogenism and activating
      autophagy.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Hyperandrogenism and reduced skin autophagy have been implicated in
      the pathogenesis of adult female acne (AFA). Here, we tested whether a ready-to
      use peel-off facial mask containing myoinositol (an androgen inhibitor) and
      trehalose-loaded liposomes (as activators of cutaneous autophagy) applied
      overnight every other day for 60 days can improve AFA. We also sought to
      investigate the molecular mechanisms underlying the clinical effects. OBJECTIVES:
      We conducted an uncontrolled, open-label clinical study in 40 cases of AFA to
      investigate the effect of the facial mask on lesion count, sebum production
      (measured with the Sebutape(r) technique), and Global Acne Grading System (GAGS)
      scale. We also investigated the changes from baseline to the end of treatment in
      androgen and beclin-1 levels (as a marker of authophagy) in skin biopsy
      supernatants. METHODS: Forty Caucasian patients with AFA were enrolled. Changes
      in clinical and molecular endpoints before and after treatment were investigated.
      RESULTS: The mean counts of comedones, papules, pustules, and nodular lesions
      decreased significantly (all P<.001). The mean Sebutape(r) score was reduced from
      3.4+/-0.6 to 1.8+/-0.2 (P<.001), whereas the mean GAGS scale score decreased from
      16.8+/-5.3 at baseline to 9.8+/-4.6 after treatment (P<.001). A significant
      decrease in testosterone and dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate in skin biopsy
      supernatants was observed, whereas beclin-1 levels increased significantly
      (P<.001). CONCLUSION: A ready-to-use peel-off facial mask containing myoinositol
      and trehalose-loaded liposomes improved the cosmetic appearance of AFA by
      reducing cutaneous androgen content and promoting skin autophagy.

PMID- 28342239
TI  - Cultural Differences in Visual Search for Geometric Figures.
AB  - While some studies suggest cultural differences in visual processing, others do
      not, possibly because the complexity of their tasks draws upon high-level factors
      that could obscure such effects. To control for this, we examined cultural
      differences in visual search for geometric figures, a relatively simple task for
      which the underlying mechanisms are reasonably well known. We replicated earlier
      results showing that North Americans had a reliable search asymmetry for line
      length: Search for long among short lines was faster than vice versa. In
      contrast, Japanese participants showed no asymmetry. This difference did not
      appear to be affected by stimulus density. Other kinds of stimuli resulted in
      other patterns of asymmetry differences, suggesting that these are not due to
      factors such as analytic/holistic processing but are based instead on the target
      detection process. In particular, our results indicate that at least some
      cultural differences reflect different ways of processing early-level features,
      possibly in response to environmental factors.

PMID- 28342240
TI  - Combination of growth pattern and tumor regression identifies a high-risk group
      in neoadjuvant treated rectal cancer patients.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: To analyze the prognostic effect of E-cadherin expression, the growth
      pattern of the tumor and the regression grade in a rectal cancer cohort treated
      with neoadjuvant radiochemotherapy (RCT). METHODS: A total of 223 patients with
      rectal cancer treated with neoadjuvant RCT followed by surgery were included.
      Altogether 88 biopsies prior to RCT and 213 tumor resections in an average of 55
      days post-RCT were investigated. Protein expression of E-cadherin and tumor
      growth pattern (solid glandular vs single-cell pattern) was assessed by staining
      tissue microarrays. The regression grade at the invasion front was determined
      according to the Dworak scale. RESULTS: There was a significant decrease of E
      cadherin expression (P = 0.002) and a significant increased single-cell growth (P
      < 0.001) at the invasion front in tumor samples after RCT compared with primary
      biopsies of the tumor. A low E-cadherin expression in the biopsy was related to a
      longer metastasis-free survival (P = 0.033) and tumor-specific survival (P =
      0.030). Post-RCT single-cell growth at the tumor invasion front was a prognostic
      factor for longer tumor-specific survival (P = 0.021). A combination of growth
      pattern and the Dworak regression grade was an independent prognostic parameter
      for tumor-specific survival (P = 0.015). CONCLUSIONS: Loss of E-cadherin protein
      expression in the pretreatment biopsy of rectal cancer is associated with fewer
      metastases and improved survival. Furthermore, the growth pattern in the post-RCT
      resection specimen has a prognostic value for survival. A combination of growth
      pattern and tumor regression score (the RegPat score) showed the highest
      discriminatory power to identify high-risk patients.

PMID- 28342241
TI  - Overt and occult hepatitis B virus infection among community children in
      Northwest China.
AB  - Although a universal newborn hepatitis B (HB) immunization programme has been
      implemented in China, hepatitis B virus (HBV) breakthrough infection, including
      HB surface antigen (HBsAg)-positive infection and occult HBV infection (OBI),
      still occurs during infancy or childhood. Obtaining the actual prevalence of HBV
      infection in general children is important for preventing and controlling the
      spread of HB. Accordingly, we investigated the prevalence of overt infection and
      OBI in community children and compared the serological and virological
      characteristics of OBI and HBsAg carrier children to clarify the mechanisms
      related to OBI. In total, 6 706 community children <12 years of age were included
      from a population-based HBV seroepidemiological investigation in Northwest China.
      The HBsAg carrier rate in community children was 1.60% (107/6706), and the anti
      HBs positive rate was 57.35% (3846/6706). Additionally, 1192 HBsAg-negative
      children were examined for OBI using nested PCR. The prevalence of OBI in local
      children was 1.26% (15/1192), and the predominant OBI genotypes were C and D. The
      15 OBI children and 29 HBsAg-positive children from the same population did not
      have a statistical significant difference in age, gender, alanine
      aminotransferase (ALT), proportion of anti-HBs or anti-HBc, viral genotypes or
      mutations. Children with chronic overt infection had higher viral loads than OBI
      children (P=.004). These results suggested that HBV overt and occult infection of
      children was more serious in underdeveloped north-west regions. HBV neonatal
      immunization and catch-up programmes should be strengthened and supplemented.
      None of specific viral mutations or genotypes related to OBI were found. OBI may
      be a specific stage of HBV infection.

PMID- 28342242
TI  - A systematic analysis of scoring functions in rigid-body protein docking: The
      delicate balance between the predictive rate improvement and the risk of
      overtraining.
AB  - Protein-protein interactions play fundamental roles in biological processes
      including signaling, metabolism, and trafficking. While the structure of a
      protein complex reveals crucial details about the interaction, it is often
      difficult to acquire this information experimentally. As the number of
      interactions discovered increases faster than they can be characterized, protein
      protein docking calculations may be able to reduce this disparity by providing
      models of the interacting proteins. Rigid-body docking is a widely used docking
      approach, and is often capable of generating a pool of models within which a near
      native structure can be found. These models need to be scored in order to select
      the acceptable ones from the set of poses. Recently, more than 100 scoring
      functions from the CCharPPI server were evaluated for this task using decoy
      structures generated with SwarmDock. Here, we extend this analysis to identify
      the predictive success rates of the scoring functions on decoys from three rigid
      body docking programs, ZDOCK, FTDock, and SDOCK, allowing us to assess the
      transferability of the functions. We also apply set-theoretic measure to test
      whether the scoring functions are capable of identifying near-native poses within
      different subsets of the benchmark. This information can provide guides for the
      use of the most efficient scoring function for each docking method, as well as
      instruct future scoring functions development efforts. Proteins 2017; 85:1287
      1297. (c) 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

PMID- 28342243
TI  - COPD: Lessons learned, forging a fantastic future.

PMID- 28342244
TI  - The utility of pap cell block preparations with liqui-PREPTM cell pellets to
      clarify the cytological diagnosis of atypical squamous cells of undetermined
      significance and atypical glandular cells.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: Atypical squamous cells of undetermined significance (ASCUS) and
      atypical glandular cells (AGC) reflect cellular abnormalities insufficient for
      clear diagnosis. We used cell pellets obtained from liquid-based cytology (LBC)
      to prepare cell blocks (CB) and clarify the initial diagnosis of ASCUS and AGC.
      STUDY DESIGN: A total of 393 CBs with initial diagnosis of ASCUS or AGC were
      processed. Of those, 305 of the ASCUS and 20 of the AGC had adequate specimens.
      We compared results of CBs prepared from ASCUS and AGC to determine which had
      higher frequencies of higher-grade lesions. RESULTS: A majority of specimens
      (83%) were adequate for evaluation. Compared with the initial diagnosis, 14%
      (42/305) of ASCUS were diagnosed with low-grade squamous intraepithelial lesion
      (LSIL) in CB, while 10% (2/20) of AGC were diagnosed with LSIL or adenocarcinoma.
      No statistical relationship between the initial diagnosis of ASCUS and AGC and
      results of higher-grade lesions in CB is evident as determined by p value greater
      than 0.05 (p = 0.228). CONCLUSIONS: CBs prepared from Liqui-PREP cell pellets
      are, in most cases, assessable and can be useful as an adjunctive test to help
      clarify the initial diagnosis of ASCUS and AGC. Diagn. Cytopathol. 2017;45:520
      525. (c) 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

PMID- 28342245
TI  - Cutaneous spindle cell adenolipoma on the nose: A rare variant of lipoma.

PMID- 28342246
TI  - Hypohidrosis and metal allergy: Trigger factors for unilateral lichen planus.
AB  - Unilateral lichen planus (LP) is a rare clinical variant of LP. The etiology of
      unilateral LP has not been clarified, although various causes have been reported
      because of the characteristic distribution. We focused on the contribution of
      metal allergy and sweating in the development of unilateral LP in this case. To
      confirm the presence of metal allergy, patch tests with metal allergens were
      performed. To investigate the cause of the unilateral distribution in unilateral
      LP, the function of sweating and sweat leaking in the dermis was assessed by a
      thermoregulatory sweat test and immunohistochemical staining of dermcidin. The
      patch tests with SnCl2 , H2 PtCl6 , ZnCl2 and MnCl2 were positive. The
      thermoregulatory sweat test using the starch-iodine method (Minor test) with
      sweating provoked by heat stimulation revealed hypohidrosis of the affected area,
      whereas no skin lesions were observed on the dorsal hand and wrist where sweating
      was normal. Histopathological examination showed keratin plugging of the
      acrosyringium and lymphocytic infiltrations in the papillary and subpapillary
      dermis around the intraepidermal and intradermal eccrine duct in the affected
      area. The immunohistochemical staining of dermcidin confirmed sweat leakage in
      the subpapillary dermis in the affected area. The symptoms refractory to the
      topical steroids were markedly improved after removal of the dental metals. The
      coexistence of metal allergy and sweat leakage in the hypohidrotic area may be
      involved in the development of unilateral LP.

PMID- 28342247
TI  - Closing the gap.

PMID- 28342248
TI  - Therapeutic Intervention for Pulmonary Embolism: Show me the data!

PMID- 28342249
TI  - "Cognitive" radial access.

PMID- 28342251
TI  - Radiation attenuating hand cream: Better than bare.

PMID- 28342250
TI  - Does the removal of the temporary pacer wire for BAV and TAVR really simplify the
      procedure?

PMID- 28342253
TI  - Ipsilateral vs. contralateral vs. no collateral (antegrade only) chronic total
      occlusion percutaneous coronary interventions: What is the right choice for your
      practice?

PMID- 28342252
TI  - The arm has it: Adventures in right heart and radial approaches.

PMID- 28342254
TI  - Women and men, the same and different.

PMID- 28342255
TI  - Low rate fluoroscopy in cardiac catheterization: Toward a new standard?

PMID- 28342256
TI  - Patent ductus arteriosus and pulmonary arterial hypertension: Is it closer to
      closure?

PMID- 28342257
TI  - Transcatheter aortic valve replacement by a minimalist approach: A breath of
      fresh air for patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

PMID- 28342258
TI  - Non-cardiac surgery after PCI: Watch out for complex lesions.

PMID- 28342260
TI  - Neural decoding of visual stimuli varies with fluctuations in global network
      efficiency.
AB  - Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) studies have shown that neural
      activity fluctuates spontaneously between different states of global
      synchronization over a timescale of several seconds. Such fluctuations generate
      transient states of high and low correlation across distributed cortical areas.
      It has been hypothesized that such fluctuations in global efficiency might alter
      patterns of activity in local neuronal populations elicited by changes in
      incoming sensory stimuli. To test this prediction, we used a linear decoder to
      discriminate patterns of neural activity elicited by face and motion stimuli
      presented periodically while participants underwent time-resolved fMRI. As
      predicted, decoding was reliably higher during states of high global efficiency
      than during states of low efficiency, and this difference was evident across both
      visual and nonvisual cortical regions. The results indicate that slow
      fluctuations in global network efficiency are associated with variations in the
      pattern of activity across widespread cortical regions responsible for
      representing distinct categories of visual stimulus. More broadly, the findings
      highlight the importance of understanding the impact of global fluctuations in
      functional connectivity on specialized, stimulus driven neural processes. Hum
      Brain Mapp 38:3069-3080, 2017. (c) 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

PMID- 28342261
TI  - Diagnostic performance of confocal laser endomicroscopy for atrophy and gastric
      intestinal metaplasia: A meta-analysis.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: To systematically evaluate the diagnostic efficacy of confocal laser
      endomicroscopy (CLE) for gastric atrophy (GA) and gastric intestinal metaplasia
      (GIM). METHODS: Literature search was performed in PubMed and the Cochrane
      Library for CLE, GA and GIM. The sensitivity, specificity and diagnostic odds
      ratio (DOR) in diagnosing GA and GIM were pooled for analysis. A summary receiver
      operating curve (SROC) was documented and the area under the curve was
      calculated. RESULTS: Of the 10 studies included in this current analysis, the
      pooled sensitivity, specificity and DOR of CLE to diagnose GA and GIM were found
      to be 88%, 98% and 330.85, and 93%, 98% and 439.97, respectively. The area under
      the SROC were 0.9491 and 0.9812 for the diagnosis of GA and GIM, respectively.
      Higher sensitivity and specificity of this technique in diagnosing GA and GIM
      were found in patients without representative disease spectrum and those received
      pCLE by subgroup analysis. CONCLUSION: CLE is of great value and may be
      considered an alternative modality for the early diagnosis of GA and GIM.

PMID- 28342262
TI  - Migration time shift of analytes in micellar electrokinetic chromatography
      induced by stacking.
AB  - A significant shift of migration time of nonretained compounds (ascorbic acid and
      cysteine) in micellar electrokinetic chromatography was observed under variation
      of sample matrix composition. The shift was affected by borate buffer
      concentration in sample matrix, sample injection time, and pH of BGE (80 mM SDS,
      Tris/HCl). Surprisingly, longer migration time of analyte was recorded at higher
      pH of separation buffer. These observations were linked to transient
      isotachophoresis process. Computer simulation with Simul5 software was conducted
      to support this hypothesis. The manuscript documents rarely reported in the
      literature phenomenon of isotachophoresis in micellar electrokinetic
      chromatography. The analytical potential of described observations was also
      discussed.

PMID- 28342259
TI  - Rodent age-related impairments in discriminating perceptually similar objects
      parallel those observed in humans.
AB  - The ability to accurately remember distinct episodes is supported by high-level
      sensory discrimination. Performance on mnemonic similarity tasks, which test high
      level discrimination, declines with advancing age in humans and these deficits
      have been linked to altered activity in hippocampal CA3 and dentate gyrus. Lesion
      studies in animal models, however, point to the perirhinal cortex as a brain
      region critical for sensory discriminations that serve memory. Reconciliation of
      the contributions of different regions within the cortical-hippocampal circuit
      requires the development of a discrimination paradigm comparable to the human
      mnemonic similarity task that can be used in rodents. In the present experiments,
      young and aged rats were cross-characterized on a spatial water maze task and two
      variants of an object discrimination task: one in which rats incrementally
      learned which object of a pair was rewarded and different pairs varied in their
      similarity (Experiment 1), and a second in which rats were tested on their
      ability to discriminate a learned target object from multiple lure objects with
      an increasing degree of feature overlap (Experiment 2). In Experiment 1, aged
      rats required more training than young to correctly discriminate between similar
      objects. Comparably, in Experiment 2, aged rats were impaired in discriminating a
      target object from lures when the pair shared more features. Discrimination
      deficits across experiments were correlated within individual aged rats, though,
      for the cohort tested, aged rats were not impaired overall in spatial learning
      and memory. This could suggest discrimination deficits emerging with age precede
      declines in spatial or episodic memory, an observation that has been made in
      humans. Findings of robust impairments in object discrimination abilities in the
      aged rats parallel results from human studies, supporting use of the developed
      tasks for mechanistic investigation of cortical-hippocampal circuit dysfunction
      in aging and disease.

PMID- 28342264
TI  - PDGFRA mRNA is overexpressed in oral cancer patients as compared to normal
      subjects with a significant trend of overexpression among tobacco users.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Platelet-derived growth factors alpha (PDGFA) is a tyrosine kinase
      receptor activator which is known to be amplified in the malignancies, and their
      expression levels are correlated to tumor progression and reduced overall
      survival. The expression of PDGFRA is different among the tumors and normal
      tissues; furthermore, their expression level is site specific. Under a
      physiological condition, PDGFRA and its ligand are expressed in distinct cell
      populations and activated in a paracrine manner. Nevertheless, heterodimer
      characteristic of PDGFRA allows it to be trans-activated by non-specific ligands
      or via autocrine manner. The future of cancer therapy can be based on PDGFRA
      receptor blockade and therefore warrants further investigation to determine the
      differing expression of PDGFRA between controls and patients with oral squamous
      cell carcinoma (OSCC). METHODS: We performed a case-control study of 111 patients
      with newly diagnosed tongue squamous cell carcinoma and 111 control subjects
      without a cancer diagnosis, matched for age and gender, to evaluate the
      association between PDGFRA expression levels in oral mucosa. We then performed
      smoking stratification in each cohort. Independent t test analysis was applied
      for case-control comparisons. RESULTS: Mean value of PDGFRA mRNA level (-DeltaCt)
      for normal cohort is -30.242, whereas mean value of PDGFRA mRNA level for
      patients with OSCC is -11.516. PDGFRA mRNA level (-DeltaCt) was significantly
      higher in oral cancer cohort, P<.001. Smokers have a significantly higher PDGFRA
      mRNA expression in comparison with non-smokers (P=.002) among the non-cancer
      group. Likewise, this trend is observed in cancer cohort too, P=.044. CONCLUSION:
      PDGFRA expression is significantly higher in oral cancer cohort with or without
      the establishment of tobacco risk factor.

PMID- 28342263
TI  - Surgical pitfalls of jejunal vein anatomy in pancreaticoduodenectomy.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Pancreaticoduodenectomy (PD) is the standard surgical procedure for
      treating pancreatic head cancers. Considerable knowledge of proximal jejunal and
      pancreatic vein anatomy is a prerequisite for performing PD surgery safely, yet
      there appear to be no detailed descriptions of first and second jejunal vein
      (J1V, J2V) anatomy available in the literature. STUDY DESIGN: Adults with
      hepatobiliary-pancreatic disease underwent multidetector-row computed tomography
      with intravenous contrast (n = 155), and SYNAPSE 3D (Fujifilm Medical, Tokyo,
      Japan) was used to generate 3D-CT images. RESULTS: In 84% of patients, J1V and
      J2V formed a common trunk (FJT). There were three patterns of branches, related
      to the presence or absence of FJT formation and the anatomical relationships
      between the superior mesenteric artery (SMA) and the jejunal veins, as follows:
      Type 1 (n = 98, 63%) characterized by an FJT located dorsal to SMA; Type 2 (n =
      32, 21%), where the FJT was located ventral to the SMA; and Type 3 (n = 25, 16%),
      where J1V and J2V each drained separately into the SMV. CONCLUSIONS: J1V and J2V
      usually formed an FJT, and separate J1V and J2V drainage into the SMV was
      uncommon. Preoperative information on individual patient venous anatomy would
      increase the safety of the PD procedure.

PMID- 28342265
TI  - Efficacy and safety of edoxaban for treatment of portal vein thrombosis following
      danaparoid sodium in patients with liver cirrhosis.
AB  - AIM: To compare the efficacy and safety of edoxaban and warfarin for treatment of
      portal vein thrombosis (PVT) following danaparoid sodium in patients with liver
      cirrhosis. METHODS: Fifty cirrhotic patients with PVT treated initially for 2
      weeks with danaparoid sodium were enrolled in this retrospective cohort study.
      Treatment was later switched to either edoxaban (n = 20) or warfarin (n = 30). We
      compared the efficacy and safety of edoxaban and warfarin for up to 6 months. The
      PVT volume was measured by dynamic computed tomography before treatment, at 2
      weeks, and at 1, 3, and 6 months. RESULTS: There were no significant differences
      in the clinical characteristics of patients in the two groups. Treatment with
      edoxaban reduced the volume of PVT from 1.42 cm3 at 2 weeks to 0.42 cm3 at 6
      months, and prevented exacerbation of PVT at 6 months after treatment with
      danaparoid sodium (P = 0.016). In contrast, treatment with warfarin resulted in
      increased PVT volume from 1.73 cm3 at 2 weeks to 2.85 cm3 at 6 months, despite
      the control of the international normalized ratio in 57% of the patients (P =
      0.005). Multivariate regression analysis identified edoxaban therapy as the
      single significant and independent determinant of PVT reduction at 6 months (P =
      0.0014, hazard ratio 6.400). Clinically significant gastrointestinal bleeding was
      encountered in 3 of 20 (15%) patients of the edoxaban group and 2 of 30 (7%) of
      the warfarin group (P = 0.335). CONCLUSION: Edoxaban following danaparoid sodium
      is an effective anticoagulant and could be potentially considered as one of the
      treatment options for PVT in cirrhotic patients.

PMID- 28342266
TI  - Increased number of mast cells in the dermis in actinic keratosis lesions
      effectively treated with imiquimod.
AB  - Actinic keratosis (AK) is a cutaneous cancer in situ which develops as a result
      of excessive exposure to ultraviolet (UV). Toll-like receptor (TLR)7 agonist
      imiquimod is a topical immune response modifier and is effective for the
      treatment of non-melanoma skin cancers. Recently, the diagnostic role of the
      dermatoscope has been reported in the course of treatment of AK. In addition,
      mast cells are now considered to contribute to both the innate and adaptive
      immune systems in topical imiquimod therapy. We assessed the effect of imiquimod
      treatment by dermatoscopic and immunohistochemical findings in 14 patients with a
      total of 21 AK lesions. With the dermatoscope, though the mean erythema score was
      not significantly different between the cured lesions and the unresponsive
      lesions, the erythema/red pseudo-network ("strawberry") pattern was decreased
      significantly in the cured lesions. By immunohistochemistry, the number of Ki-67
      positive proliferative cells in the epidermis was decreased and that of CD117
      positive mast cells in the dermis was increased in the responding lesions. To the
      best of our knowledge, this is the first study demonstrating that the number of
      mast cells in the dermis was increased in AK lesions effectively treated with
      imiquimod. Our present result suggests that mast cells may contribute an
      antitumor effect in human skin treated with topical imiquimod.

PMID- 28342267
TI  - The chaperone toolbox at the single-molecule level: From clamping to confining.
AB  - Protein folding is well known to be supervised by a dedicated class of proteins
      called chaperones. However, the core mode of action of these molecular machines
      has remained elusive due to several reasons including the promiscuous nature of
      the interactions between chaperones and their many clients, as well as the
      dynamics and heterogeneity of chaperone conformations and the folding process
      itself. While troublesome for traditional bulk techniques, these properties make
      an excellent case for the use of single-molecule approaches. In this review, we
      will discuss how force spectroscopy, fluorescence microscopy, FCS, and FRET
      methods are starting to zoom in on this intriguing and diverse molecular toolbox
      that is of direct importance for protein quality control in cells, as well as
      numerous degenerative conditions that depend on it.

PMID- 28342269
TI  - Acral lentiginous melanoma versus other melanoma: A single-center analysis in
      Japan.
AB  - We summarize herein our 14-year experience of conventional treatment outcomes
      before the era of molecular-targeted therapy and immunotherapy. Specifically, we
      conducted a retrospective review of our 252 patients with primary cutaneous
      melanoma (acral lentiginous melanoma [ALM], n = 121; non-acral lentiginous
      melanoma [non-ALM], n = 131), and compared the prognostic factors between ALM and
      non-ALM. Melanoma-specific survival and disease-free survival were estimated
      using the Kaplan-Meier method. Regarding the results, all patients were Japanese
      (106 male and 146 female), with a mean age of 60.1 years. Among ALM patients, age
      was elder and primary tumor size was larger than non-ALM. As for tumor thickness,
      in situ lesions were more frequently observed in ALM. There was no significant
      difference in the distribution of tumor thickness between the two groups when
      excluding the in situ lesions. For treatment of the primary melanoma, 248
      patients (98.4%) had undergone curative surgical excision and 120 patients with
      more than 1 mm or ulcerated melanoma had undergone sentinel lymph node biopsy.
      Patients with systemic metastasis primarily underwent dacarbazine-based
      chemotherapy. The Kaplan-Meier survival curves revealed no significant difference
      in melanoma-specific survival and disease-free survival between those with ALM
      and non-ALM. The results also showed that both ALM and non-ALM, when they
      initially metastasize, first affect the regional lymph nodes. Incisional biopsy
      was not an adverse prognostic factor. These results suggest that ALM does not
      differ in its biological behavior from non-ALM, so we can consider ALM as being
      equivalent to non-ALM. The initial treatment for ALM and non-ALM can involve the
      same strategy.

PMID- 28342268
TI  - The susceptible HLA class II alleles and their presenting epitope(s) in
      Goodpasture's disease.
AB  - Goodpasture's disease is closely associated with HLA, particularly DRB1*1501.
      Other susceptible or protective HLA alleles are not clearly elucidated. The
      presentation models of epitopes by susceptible HLA alleles are also unclear. We
      genotyped 140 Chinese patients and 599 controls for four-digit HLA II genes, and
      extracted the encoding sequences from the IMGT/HLA database. T-cell epitopes of
      alpha3(IV)NC1 were predicted and the structures of DR molecule-peptide-T-cell
      receptor were constructed. We confirmed DRB1*1501 (OR = 4.6, P = 5.7 * 10-28 ) to
      be a risk allele for Goodpasture's disease. Arginine at position 13 (ARG13) (OR =
      4.0, P = 1.0 * 10-17 ) and proline at position 11 (PRO11) (OR = 4.0, P = 2.0 * 10
      17 ) on DRbeta1, encoded by DRB1*1501, were associated with disease
      susceptibility. alpha134-148 (HGWISLWKGFSFIMF) was predicted as a T-cell epitope
      presented by DRB1*1501. Isoleucine137 , tryptophan140 , glycine142 ,
      phenylalanine143 and phenylalanine145 , were presented in peptide-binding pockets
      1, 4, 6, 7 and 9 of DR2b, respectively. ARG13 in pocket 4 interacts with
      tryptophan140 and forms a hydrogen bond. In conclusion, we propose a mechanism
      for DRB1*1501 susceptibility for Goodpasture's disease through encoding ARG13 and
      PRO11 on MHC-DRbeta1 chain and presenting T-cell epitope, alpha134-148 , with
      five critical residues.

PMID- 28342270
TI  - Marital adjustment in the context of female breast cancer: A systematic review.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: Breast cancer (BC) diagnosis and subsequent treatments present
      significant challenges and distress for both patients and their partners. This
      can lead to difficulties in marital relationships and, consequently, decreases in
      marital adjustment and psychosocial adaptation to BC for both partners. Our
      objective was to systematically review studies assessing marital adjustment in
      the context of female BC to understand which factors are associated with marital
      adjustment in both patients and partners and characterize the measures used to
      assess marital adjustment within these studies. METHODS: This systematic review
      was conducted in accordance with Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews
      and Meta-Analyses guidelines. English, peer-reviewed articles exploring factors
      associated with marital adjustment in the context of female BC were considered
      for inclusion. RESULTS: Fourteen studies were included. Results evidenced that
      psychosocial variables play an important role on marital adjustment.
      Specifically, open and constructive communication, more social support, and
      supportive dyadic coping were found to be associated with higher levels of
      marital adjustment. Other variables such as self-efficacy, sexual functioning,
      and psychological adjustment were also positively associated with marital
      adjustment. CONCLUSIONS: Most studies evidenced an association between
      psychosocial variables and marital adjustment for both women and their partners.
      Some important dimensions such as communication patterns, coping strategies, and
      social support dynamics were identified as potential targets for psychological
      interventions. Some variables, however, were explored only in a few studies,
      which limit our conclusions. Future studies should explore the role these
      variables and other relational and emotional variables play in promoting marital
      adjustment after BC.

PMID- 28342271
TI  - More bark than bite: Comparative studies are needed to determine the importance
      of canine zoonoses in Aboriginal communities. A critical review of published
      research.
AB  - The objective of this review was to identify and critique over forty years of
      peer-reviewed literature concerned with the transmission of canine zoonoses to
      Aboriginal people and determine the zoonotic organisms documented in dogs in
      Australian Aboriginal communities. A systematic literature search of public
      health, medical and veterinary databases identified 19 articles suitable for
      critical appraisal. Thirteen articles documented the occurrence of recognized
      zoonotic organisms in dogs in Aboriginal communities, including Toxocara canis,
      Dirofilaria immitis, Streptococcus dysgalactiae, Rickettsia felis, Sarcoptes
      scabiei and Giardia. Currently, there is definitive evidence indicating that dogs
      act as a reservoir for human scabies in Aboriginal communities. However, there is
      a need for large-scale, high-quality, comparative studies of dogs and humans from
      the same household to assess the occurrence and importance of transmission of S.
      scabiei and other diseases between dogs and humans. These studies should use
      current genetic and molecular techniques along with traditional techniques to
      identify and type organisms in order to better understand their epidemiology.
      This review has revealed that there is a lack of high-quality comparative studies
      to determine whether dogs are contributing to human disease by transmitting
      zoonoses. Our recommendations differ significantly from current public health
      policy and may have substantial implications for human and dog health.

PMID- 28342272
TI  - MACRA May or May Not: The Information Bare Necessities for Clinicians.

PMID- 28342273
TI  - Characteristics of compatible pair participants in kidney paired donation at a
      single center.
AB  - Compatible pairs of living kidney donors and their intended recipients can enter
      into kidney paired donation (KPD) and facilitate additional living donor kidney
      transplants (LDKTs). We examined 11 compatible pairs (the intended recipients and
      their intended, compatible donors) who participated in KPD, along with the
      recipients' 11 matched, exchange donors. The 11 pairs participated in 10 separate
      exchanges (three were multicenter exchanges) that included 33 total LDKTs (22
      additional LDKTs). All the intended donors were blood group O and female, with a
      mean living kidney donor profile index (LKDPI) of 27.6 (SD 16.8). The matched
      donors had a mean LKDPI of 9.4 (SD 31.7). Compatible pairs entered KPD for
      altruistic reasons (N=2) or due to mismatch of age (N=7) or body/kidney size
      (N=2) between the recipient and intended donor. In four cases, retrospective
      calculation of the LKDPI revealed that the matched donor had a higher LKDPI than
      the intended donor. Of the 22 recipients of LDKTs enabled by the compatible
      pairs, three were highly sensitized, with PRA >80%. In conclusion, most
      compatible pairs entered into KPD so that the recipient could receive a LDKT
      transplant from a donor whose age or body/kidney size were more favorable to post
      transplant outcomes.

PMID- 28342275
TI  - Use of liquid chromatography hybrid triple-quadrupole mass spectrometry for the
      detection of emodin metabolites in rat bile and urine.
AB  - Emodin is the representative form of rhubarb, which is widely used in traditional
      Chinese medicine for the treatment of purgative, anti-inflammatory, antioxidative
      and antiviral, etc. Previous reports demonstrated that emodin glucuronide was the
      major metabolite in plasma. Owing to the extensive conjugation reactions of
      polyphenols, the aim of this study was to identify the metabolites of emodin in
      rat bile and urine. Neutral loss and precursor ion scan methods of triple
      quadrupole mass spectrometer revealed 13 conjugated metabolites in rat bile and
      22 metabolites in rat urine, which included four phase I and 18 phase II
      metabolites. The major metabolites in rat biosamples were emodin
      glucuronoconjugates. Moreover, rhein monoglucuronide, chrysophanol
      monoglucuronide and rhein sulfate were proposed for the first time after oral
      administration of emodin. Overall, liquid chromatography hybrid triple-quadrupole
      mass spectrometry analysis leads to the discovery of several novel emodin
      metabolites in rat bile and urine and underscores that conjugated with glucuronic
      acid is the main metabolic pathway.

PMID- 28342274
TI  - A feasibility study for enrichment of highly aggressive cancer subpopulations by
      their biophysical properties via dielectrophoresis enhanced with synergistic
      fluid flow.
AB  - A common problem with cancer treatment is the development of treatment resistance
      and tumor recurrence that result from treatments that kill most tumor cells yet
      leave behind aggressive cells to repopulate. Presented here is a microfluidic
      device that can be used to isolate tumor subpopulations to optimize treatment
      selection. Dielectrophoresis (DEP) is a phenomenon where particles are polarized
      by an electric field and move along the electric field gradient. Different cell
      subpopulations have different DEP responses depending on their bioelectrical
      phenotype, which, we hypothesize, correlate with aggressiveness. We have designed
      a microfluidic device in which a region containing posts locally distorts the
      electric field created by an AC voltage and forces cells toward the posts through
      DEP. This force is balanced with a simultaneous drag force from fluid motion that
      pulls cells away from the posts. We have shown that by adjusting the drag force,
      cells with aggressive phenotypes are influenced more by the DEP force and trap on
      posts while others flow through the chip unaffected. Utilizing single-cell
      trapping via cell-sized posts coupled with a drag-DEP force balance, we show that
      separation of similar cell subpopulations may be achieved, a result that was
      previously impossible with DEP alone. Separated subpopulations maintain high
      viability downstream, and remain in a native state, without fluorescent labeling.
      These cells can then be cultured to help select a therapy that kills aggressive
      subpopulations equally or better than the bulk of the tumor, mitigating
      resistance and recurrence.

PMID- 28342276
TI  - Primary cutaneous anaplastic large cell lymphoma.
AB  - Primary cutaneous anaplastic large cell lymphoma (PC-ALCL) is a CD30+
      lymphoproliferative disorder (LPD) of the skin with a relatively good prognosis
      in the absence of high-stage disease. CD30+ LPDs comprise approximately 25%-30%
      of primary cutaneous lymphomas and as a group represent the second most common
      clonal T-cell neoplasm of the skin behind mycosis fungoides. Diagnosis of PC-ALCL
      relies strongly on clinicopathologic correlation given the potential morphologic,
      clinical and molecular overlap with the other cutaneous CD30+ LPD, lymphomatoid
      papulosis, and more aggressive hematolymphoid neoplasms.

PMID- 28342277
TI  - Climatic variation modulates the indirect effects of large herbivores on small
      mammal habitat use.
AB  - Large mammalian herbivores (LMH) strongly shape the composition and architecture
      of plant communities. A growing literature shows that negative direct effects of
      LMH on vegetation frequently propagate to suppress the abundance of smaller
      consumers. Indirect effects of LMH on the behaviour of these consumers, however,
      have received comparatively little attention despite their potential ecological
      significance. We sought to understand (i) how LMH indirectly shape small-mammal
      habitat use by altering the density and distribution of understorey plants; (ii)
      how these effects vary with climatic context (here, seasonality in rainfall); and
      (iii) the extent to which behavioural responses of small mammals are contingent
      upon small-mammal density. We tested the effects of a diverse LMH community on
      small-mammal habitat use using 4 years of spatially explicit small-mammal
      trapping and vegetation data from the UHURU Experiment, a replicated set of LMH
      exclosures in semi-arid Kenyan savanna. Small-mammal habitat use was positively
      associated with tree density and negatively associated with bare (unvegetated)
      patches in all plots and seasons. In the presence of LMH, and especially during
      the dry season, small mammals consistently selected tree cover and avoided bare
      patches. In contrast, when LMH were excluded, small mammals were weakly
      associated with tree cover and did not avoid bare patches as strongly. These
      behavioural responses of small mammals were largely unaffected by changes in
      small-mammal density associated with LMH exclusion. Our results show that LMH
      indirectly affect small-mammal behaviour, and that these effects are influenced
      by climate and can arise via density-independent mechanisms. This raises the
      possibility that anthropogenic LMH declines might interact with changing patterns
      of rainfall to alter small-mammal distribution and behaviour, independent of
      numerical responses by small mammals to these perturbations. For example,
      increased rainfall in East Africa (as predicted in many recent climate-model
      simulations) may relax constraints on small-mammal distribution where LMH are
      rare or absent, whereas increased aridity and/or drought frequency may tighten
      them.

PMID- 28342278
TI  - Simultaneous pancreas and kidney transplantation: Incidence and risk factors for
      amputation after 10-year follow-up.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: The incidence of amputation after simultaneous pancreas and kidney
      (SPK) transplantation ranges from 9.5% to 23% after 5 years of follow-up. The
      objective of this study was to investigate the incidence and risk factors for
      amputation in SPK transplant patients compared to kidney transplantation alone
      (KTA) after a minimum follow-up of 10 years. METHODS: An analysis was performed
      on a prospectively maintained database of 81 SPK transplants and 43 KTA
      consecutively performed in one center for insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus
      between December 1992 and January 2006. Primary outcome variables were incidence
      of amputation per patient, total number of amputations, and type of amputation
      performed. Data are presented as a mean +/- standard deviation. RESULTS: Seven
      patients (9%) in the SPK cohort and one patient (2%) in the KTA cohort underwent
      amputation (P<.001). One amputee had pancreas allograft failure prior to
      amputation. Fifteen amputations were performed in total and four patients
      required >=2 amputations. The latency period between transplantation and
      amputation was 133.57+/-49.43 months in the SPK cohort and 168 months in the KTA
      group. CONCLUSIONS: The incidence of amputation after SPK transplantation is
      approximately 9% after 10-year follow-up. Patients are at a significantly greater
      risk of amputation after SPK transplantation compared to KTA for type 1 diabetes
      despite insulin independence.

PMID- 28342279
TI  - Learning effect on perinatal post-mortem magnetic resonance imaging reporting:
      single reporter diagnostic accuracy of 200 cases.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: The objective of the study is to compare diagnostic accuracy of
      perinatal post-mortem magnetic resonance (PMMR) imaging against conventional
      autopsy, when reported by a single-blinded observer for all organ systems
      following a period of initial experience. METHODS: We compared pre-autopsy PMMR
      with conventional autopsy for the detection of (1) major pathological
      abnormalities related to the cause of death and (2) all diagnostic findings in
      five different body organ systems. PMMR was reported blinded to autopsy findings.
      RESULTS: In 201 cases, 123/146 (84.2%) of major abnormalities were identified by
      PMMR. Overall diagnostic accuracy of PMMR was 89.6% [95% confidence interval
      (CI): 84.3, 93.2%] across all cases, with high concordance 91.8% (95% CI: 89.9,
      93.4%) across most organ systems. Our study showed higher concordance than single
      reporter statistics previously reported in neurological [92.2% vs 73.8%; diff
      18.4% (95% CI: 11.0, 25.4%) p < 0.01] and thoracic systems [93.7% vs 81.2%; diff
      12.5% (95% CI: 6.3, 18.4%) p < 0.01] and slightly better overall [91.8% vs 87.1%;
      diff 4.7% (95% CI: 2.1, 7.3%) p < 0.01]. CONCLUSION: The PMMR examinations can be
      reliably reported by a single radiologist, following a period of experience and
      training with this specific modality, with high-diagnostic accuracy for all organ
      systems. (c) 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

PMID- 28342280
TI  - Clinical and histopathological features of cutaneous manifestations of adult
      onset Still disease.
AB  - Adult-onset Still disease (AOSD) is a rare autoinflammatory syndrome
      characterized by recurring fevers, arthralgia, and consistent laboratory
      abnormalities that include leukocytosis and hyperferritinemia. Skin findings
      accompany the disease in nearly 90% of the cases. Early reports described
      evanescent, pruritic, salmon-pink or urticarial lesions, referred to as the
      typical eruption of AOSD. Histopathologic findings consist of superficial
      perivascular dermatitis with varying number of interstitial neutrophils. Later
      reports described a more persistent rash that tended to be photodistributed,
      hyperpigmented, often in a linear configuration, sometimes in a rippled pattern,
      referred to as the atypical eruption of AOSD. The presence of individual necrotic
      keratinocytes in the upper spinous layer has been the consistent histopathologic
      finding. The persistent rash may not represent an atypical presentation of AOSD
      as recent reports indicate a high prevalence of the rash. Emerging data also
      suggest that patients with persistent eruption have a worse prognosis. The
      recognition of the clinical and histopathological findings of skin eruptions of
      AOSD may facilitate an earlier diagnosis, potentially improving disease outcome.
      Herein, clinical and histopathological features of cutaneous manifestation of
      AOSD in 2 Asian women are highlighted accompanied by a relevant review of the
      disease.

PMID- 28342281
TI  - Incorporating in situ habitat patchiness in site selection models reveals that
      site fidelity is not always a consequence of animal choice.
AB  - Understanding site fidelity is important in animal ecology, but evidence is
      lacking that this behaviour is due to an animal choosing a specific location. To
      discern site selection behaviour, it is necessary to consider the spatial
      distribution of habitats that animals can occupy within a landscape. Tracking
      animals and defining clear habitat boundaries, however, is often difficult. We
      use in situ habitat distribution data and animal movement simulations to
      investigate behavioural choice in site fidelity patterns. We resolved the
      difficulty of gathering data by working with intertidal rock pool systems, which
      are of manageable size and where boundaries are easy to define. Movements of the
      intertidal starfish Parvulastra exigua were quantified to test the hypotheses
      that (1) this species displays fidelity to a particular rock pool and that (2)
      rock pool fidelity is due to site selection behaviour. Observed patterns of
      individuals (n = 10 starfish) returning to a previously occupied rock pool (n = 5
      pools per location) were tested against an expected null distribution generated
      through simulations of random movements within their natural patchy environment.
      Starfish exhibited site selection behaviour at only one location even though site
      fidelity was high (av. 7.4 starfish out of 10 found in test pools) in two of the
      three locations. The random chance of a starfish returning to a pool increased
      67% for each metre further a rock pool was from the original pool, and 120% for
      each square metre increase in surface area of an original pool. The decision of
      returning to an original rock pool was influenced by food availability. When
      microalgal cover was >60%, there was a c. 50% chance of animals staying faithful
      to that pool. Our results show the importance to consider spatial distribution of
      habitats in understanding patterns of animal movement associated with animal
      choices and site fidelity. Returning to a particular place does not necessarily
      mean that an animal is homing; it may be the only place to go.

PMID- 28342282
TI  - Pharmacokinetic and pharmacogenetic analysis of immunosuppressive agents after
      laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Severe obesity has been shown to limit access to renal
      transplantation in patients with end-stage renal disease (ESRD). Laparoscopic
      sleeve gastrectomy (LSG) has been performed in the ESRD population to assist in
      achieving waitlist and transplant eligibility. Little is known about how LSG
      impacts the bioequivalence of tacrolimus products and immunosuppression
      pharmacokinetics. METHODS: This was a prospective, open-label, single-dose,
      crossover, two-period pharmacokinetic (PK) study. The purpose of this study was
      to assess single-dose PK of immediate-release tacrolimus (IR-TAC), extended
      release tacrolimus (ER-TAC), and mycophenolic acid (MPA) in adult ESRD patients
      post-LSG. RESULTS: Twenty-three subjects were included in the 24-hour PK
      assessments. The ratio of geometric means between ER-TAC and IR-TAC was 103.5%
      (90% CI; 89.6%-119.6%) for AUC0-24 and 92.5% (90% CI; 80.4%-106.4%) for Cmax . PK
      parameters were similar between ER-TAC and IR-TAC, except for Cmin (P=.004) and
      Cmax (P=.04). MPA AUC0-24 was similar when given with either ER-TAC or IR-TAC
      (P=.32). Patients expressing CYP3A5*1 genotypes had lower tacrolimus AUC0-24
      values vs those with CYP3A5*3/*3 (IR-TACP<.001; ER-TACP=.008). Genotype did not
      impact MPA PK. CONCLUSION: Dose modification of immunosuppressants post-LSG may
      not be necessary aside from standard therapeutic drug monitoring.

PMID- 28342283
TI  - Effects of predatory ants within and across ecosystems in bromeliad food webs.
AB  - Predation is one of the most fundamental ecological processes affecting biotic
      communities. Terrestrial predators that live at ecosystem boundaries may alter
      the diversity of terrestrial organisms, but they may also have cross-ecosystem
      cascading effects when they feed on organisms with complex life cycles (i.e.
      organisms that shift from aquatic juvenile stages to terrestrial adult stages) or
      inhibit female oviposition in the aquatic environment. The predatory ant
      Odontomachus hastatus establishes its colonies among roots of Vriesea procera, an
      epiphytic bromeliad species with water-filled tanks that shelters many
      terrestrial and aquatic organisms. Ants may impact terrestrial communities and
      deter adult insects from ovipositing in the water of bromeliads via consumptive
      and non-consumptive effects. Ants do not forage within the aquatic environment;
      thus, they may be more efficient predators on terrestrial organisms. Therefore,
      we predict that ants will have stronger effects on terrestrial than aquatic food
      webs. However, such effects may also be site contingent and depend on the local
      composition of food webs. To test our hypothesis, we surveyed bromeliads with and
      without O. hastatus colonies from three different coastal field sites in the
      Atlantic Forest of southeast Brazil, and quantified the effect of this predatory
      ant on the composition, density and richness of aquatic and terrestrial metazoans
      found in these bromeliads. We found that ants changed the composition and reduced
      the overall density of aquatic and terrestrial metazoans in bromeliad ecosystems.
      However, effects of ants on species diversity were contingent on site. In general
      terms, the effects of the ant on aquatic and terrestrial metazoan communities
      were similar in strength and magnitude. Ants reduced the density of virtually all
      aquatic functional groups, especially detritivore insects as well as metazoans
      that reach bromeliads through phoresy on the skin of terrestrial animals (i.e.
      Ostracoda and Helobdella sp.). Our results suggest that the cross-ecosystem
      effect of this terrestrial predator on the aquatic metazoans was at least as
      strong as its within-ecosystem effect on the terrestrial ecosystem, and
      demonstrates that the same predator can simultaneously initiate cascades in
      multiple ecosystems.

PMID- 28342284
TI  - Survey of body donation programs in the US concerning the use of donor personal
      information with medical students.
AB  - Body donor programs need to balance ethical concerns and educational needs. Among
      donor programs in the US, there is variability in the amount of donor personal
      information that is provided to medical students. This study assesses this
      variability and investigates the reasons for the variability among donor
      programs. Telephone interviews and email surveys were used to collect information
      concerning the provision and use of donor personal information with medical
      students. One hundred fifty-one donor programs in the US were contacted via email
      or telephone interview or both. Fifty-three donor programs responded to the
      survey or participated in the telephone interview. The survey results show
      variation, not only in the amount of donor personal information provided to
      medical students, but also in the attitudes and beliefs of the donor program
      personnel concerning donor personal information. This research documents the
      variability of the educational use of donor personal information. It is hoped
      that this description of the various approaches to using donor information will
      encourage the ethical use of donor information within the context of medical
      education. Clin. Anat. 30:445-449, 2017. (c) 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

PMID- 28342285
TI  - Development of a human cadaver model for training in laparoscopic donor
      nephrectomy.
AB  - BACKGROUND: The organ procurement network recommends a surgeon record 15 cases as
      surgeon or assistant for laparoscopic donor nephrectomies (LDN) prior to
      independent practice. The literature suggests that the learning curve for
      improved perioperative and patient outcomes is closer to 35 cases. In this
      article, we describe our development of a model utilizing fresh tissue and
      objective, quantifiable endpoints to document surgical progress, and efficiency
      in each of the major steps involved in LDN. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Phase I of
      model development focused on the modifications necessary to maintain
      visualization for laparoscopic surgery in a human cadaver. Phase II tested
      proposed learner-based metrics of procedural competency for multiport LDN by
      timing procedural steps of LDN in a novice learner. RESULTS: Phases I and II
      required 12 and nine cadavers, with a total of 35 kidneys utilized. The following
      metrics improved with trial number for multiport LDN: time taken for dissection
      of the gonadal vein, ureter, renal hilum, adrenal and lumbrical veins, simulated
      warm ischemic time (WIT), and operative time. CONCLUSION: Human cadavers can be
      used for training in LDN as evidenced by improvements in timed learner-based
      metrics. This simulation-based model fills a gap in available training options
      for surgeons.

PMID- 28342286
TI  - Switching Aurora-A kinase on and off at an allosteric site.
AB  - Protein kinases are central players in the regulation of cell cycle and
      signalling pathways. Their catalytic activities are strictly regulated through
      post-translational modifications and protein-protein interactions that control
      switching between inactive and active states. These states have been studied
      extensively using protein crystallography, although the dynamic nature of protein
      kinases makes it difficult to capture all relevant states. Here, we describe two
      recent structures of Aurora-A kinase that trap its active and inactive states. In
      both cases, Aurora-A is trapped through interaction with a synthetic protein,
      either a single-domain antibody that inhibits the kinase or a hydrocarbon-stapled
      peptide that activates the kinase. These structures show how the distinct
      synthetic proteins target the same allosteric pocket with opposing effects on
      activity. These studies pave the way for the development of tools to probe these
      allosteric mechanisms in cells.

PMID- 28342287
TI  - Longitudinal evaluation of perfusion changes in acute and chronic renal allograft
      rejection using arterial spin labeling in translational mouse models.
AB  - PURPOSE: To examine the longitudinal changes of renal perfusion due to acute and
      chronic renal allograft rejection by using arterial spin labeling (ASL) MRI in
      translational mouse models of isogenic and allogenic kidney transplantation
      (ktx). MATERIALS AND METHODS: Acute rejection was induced by allogenic ktx of
      C57BL/6 (B6)-kidney grafts to BALB/c-recipients with prolonged cold ischemia
      (CIT) of 60 minutes (n = 13). To induce chronic rejection BALB/c-kidneys were
      transplanted into B6-recipients with short CIT of 30 minutes (n = 22). Isogenic
      grafts without rejection (n = 14 with prolonged, n = 9 with short CIT) and normal
      kidneys (n = 22) were used for comparison. Perfusion was measured on a 7T small
      animal magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scanner using flow-sensitive alternating
      inversion recovery (FAIR) ASL-sequences at day 1 and 6 (acute) or at week 3 and 6
      (chronic) after surgery. Histological analyses of grafts included inflammation,
      vascular changes, and fibrosis. RESULTS: In the acute ktx model, ASL showed
      perfusion impairment in isogenic and allogenic kidney grafts. Perfusion of
      allografts further decreased until day 6 and remained stable in isografts without
      rejection (allogenic ktx 62 +/- 21 vs. isogenic ktx 181 +/- 39 ml/min/100g, P <
      0.01). In the chronic ktx model, perfusion in isografts was similar to normal
      kidneys over the entire observation period. Perfusion was severely reduced in
      allografts compared to isografts (week 3: 28 +/- 7 vs. 310 +/- 46 ml/min/100g, P
      < 0.001, week 6: 32 +/- 5 vs. 367 +/- 72 ml/min/100g, P < 0.001). Histological
      analysis revealed severe inflammation, vascular occlusion, and rejection in
      allografts. Chronic rejection grafts showed endothelialitis, peritubular
      capillaritis, interstitial fibrosis, and tubular atrophy. CONCLUSION: ASL allows
      longitudinal assessment of renal perfusion impairment due to acute and chronic
      renal allograft rejection in translational mouse models. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: 2
      Technical Efficacy: Stage 2 J. Magn. Reson. Imaging 2017;46:1664-1672.

PMID- 28342288
TI  - The role of acute and chronic respiratory colonization and infections in the
      pathogenesis of COPD.
AB  - COPD is a major global concern, increasingly so in the context of ageing
      populations. The role of infections in disease pathogenesis and progression is
      known to be important, yet the mechanisms involved remain to be fully elucidated.
      While COPD pathogens such as Haemophilus influenzae, Moraxella catarrhalis and
      Streptococcus pneumoniae are strongly associated with acute exacerbations of COPD
      (AECOPD), the clinical relevance of these pathogens in stable COPD patients
      remains unclear. Immune responses in stable and colonized COPD patients are
      comparable to those detected in AECOPD, supporting a role for chronic
      colonization in COPD pathogenesis through perpetuation of deleterious immune
      responses. Advances in molecular diagnostics and metagenomics now allow the
      assessment of microbe-COPD interactions with unprecedented personalization and
      precision, revealing changes in microbiota associated with the COPD disease
      state. As microbial changes associated with AECOPD, disease severity and
      therapeutic intervention become apparent, a renewed focus has been placed on the
      microbiology of COPD and the characterization of the lung microbiome in both its
      acute and chronic states. Characterization of bacterial, viral and fungal
      microbiota as part of the lung microbiome has the potential to reveal previously
      unrecognized prognostic markers of COPD that predict disease outcome or infection
      susceptibility. Addressing such knowledge gaps will ultimately lead to a more
      complete understanding of the microbe-host interplay in COPD. This will permit
      clearer distinctions between acute and chronic infections and more granular
      patient stratification that will enable better management of these features and
      of COPD.

PMID- 28342290
TI  - Verapamil treatment induces cytoprotective autophagy by modulating cellular
      metabolism.
AB  - Verapamil, an L-type calcium channel blocker, has been used successfully to treat
      cardiovascular diseases. Interestingly, we have recently shown that treatment of
      cancer cells with verapamil causes an effect on autophagy. As autophagy is known
      to modulate chemotherapy responses, this prompted us to explore the impact of
      verapamil on autophagy and cell viability in greater detail. We report here that
      verapamil causes an induction of autophagic flux in a number or tumor cells and
      immortalized normal cells. Moreover, we found that inhibition of autophagy in
      COLO 205 cells, via treatment with the chloroquine (CQ) or by CRISPR/Cas9
      mediated disruption of the autophagy genes Atg7 and Atg5, causes an upregulation
      of apoptotic markers in response to verapamil. In search of a mechanism for this
      effect and because autophagy can often mitigate metabolic stress, we examined the
      impact of verapamil on cellular metabolism. This revealed that in normal prostate
      cells, verapamil diminishes glucose and glycolytic intermediate levels leading to
      adenosine 5'-triphosphate (ATP) depletion. In contrast, in COLO 205 cells it
      enhances aerobic glycolysis and maintains ATP. Importantly, we found that the
      autophagic response in these cells is related to the activity of l-lactate
      dehydrogenase A (LDHA, EC 1.1.1.27), as inhibition of LDHA reduces both basal and
      verapamil-induced autophagy and consequently decreases cell viability. In
      summary, these findings not only identify a novel mechanism of cytoprotective
      autophagy induction but they also highlight the potential of using verapamil
      together with inhibitors of autophagy for the treatment of malignant disease.
      ENZYMES: l-lactate dehydrogenase (LDHA, EC 1.1.1.27).

PMID- 28342291
TI  - Advances in MRI around metal.
AB  - : The prevalence of orthopedic metal implants is continuously rising in the aging
      society. Particularly the number of joint replacements is increasing. Although
      satisfying long-term results are encountered, patients may suffer from complaints
      or complications during follow-up, and often undergo magnetic resonance imaging
      (MRI). Yet metal implants cause severe artifacts on MRI, resulting in signal
      loss, signal-pileup, geometric distortion, and failure of fat suppression. In
      order to allow for adequate treatment decisions, metal artifact reduction
      sequences (MARS) are essential for proper radiological evaluation of
      postoperative findings in these patients. During recent years, developments of
      musculoskeletal imaging have addressed this particular technical challenge of
      postoperative MRI around metal. Besides implant material composition,
      configuration and location, selection of appropriate MRI hardware, sequences, and
      parameters influence artifact genesis and reduction. Application of dedicated
      metal artifact reduction techniques including high bandwidth optimization, view
      angle tilting (VAT), and the multispectral imaging techniques multiacquisition
      variable-resonance image combination (MAVRIC) and slice-encoding for metal
      artifact correction (SEMAC) may significantly reduce metal-induced artifacts,
      although at the expense of signal-to-noise ratio and/or acquisition time. Adding
      advanced image acquisition techniques such as parallel imaging, partial Fourier
      transformation, and advanced reconstruction techniques such as compressed sensing
      further improves MARS imaging in a clinically feasible scan time. This review
      focuses on current clinically applicable MARS techniques. Understanding of the
      main principles and techniques including their limitations allows a considerate
      application of these techniques in clinical practice. Essential orthopedic metal
      implants and postoperative MR findings around metal are presented and highlighted
      with clinical examples. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: 4 Technical Efficacy: Stage 3 J. Magn.
      Reson. Imaging 2017;46:972-991.

PMID- 28342289
TI  - TGFbeta-TAZ/SRF signalling regulates vascular smooth muscle cell differentiation.
AB  - Vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs) do not terminally differentiate; they
      modulate their phenotype between proliferative and differentiated states, which
      is a major factor contributing to vascular diseases. TGFbeta signalling has been
      implicated in inducing VSMC differentiation, although the exact mechanism remains
      largely unknown. Our goal was to assess the network of transcription factors
      involved in the induction of VSMC differentiation, and to determine the role of
      TAZ in promoting the quiescent VSMC phenotype. TGFbeta robustly induces VSMC
      marker genes in 10T1/2 mouse embryonic fibroblast cells and the potent
      transcriptional regulator TAZ has been shown to retain Smad complexes on DNA.
      Thus, the role of TAZ in regulation of VSMC differentiation was studied. Using
      primary aortic VSMCs coupled with siRNA-mediated gene silencing, our studies
      reveal that TAZ is required for TGFbeta induction of smooth muscle genes and is
      also required for the differentiated VSMC phenotype; synergy between TAZ and SRF,
      and TAZ and Myocardin (MyoC856), in regulating smooth muscle gene activation was
      observed. These data provide evidence of components of a novel signalling pathway
      that links TGFbeta signalling to induction of smooth muscle genes through a
      mechanism involving regulation of TAZ and SRF proteins. In addition, we report a
      physical interaction of TAZ and MyoC856. These observations elucidate a novel
      level of control of VSMC induction which may have implications for vascular
      diseases and congenital vascular malformations.

PMID- 28342292
TI  - Ultra-fast liquid chromatography with tandem mass spectrometry determination of
      eight bioactive components of Kai-Xin-San in rat plasma and its application to a
      comparative pharmacokinetic study in normal and Alzheimer's disease rats.
AB  - A method of ultra-fast liquid chromatography with tandem mass spectrometry was
      developed and validated for the simultaneous quantitation of eight bioactive
      components, including polygalaxanthone III, sibiricaxanthone B, tenuifolin,
      sibiricose A5, sibiricose A6, tenuifoliside A, ginsenoside Re and ginsenoside Rb1
      in rat plasma after oral administration of Kai-Xin-San. The plasma samples were
      extracted by liquid-liquid extraction using digoxin as an internal standard.
      Chromatographic separation was performed on a Venusil MP C18 column (100 mm * 2.1
      mm, 3 MUm) with methanol and 0.05% acetic acid in water as mobile phase. The
      tandem mass spectrometric detection was performed in the multiple reaction
      monitoring with turbo ion spray source in the negative ionization. Validation
      parameters were within acceptable ranges. The established method has been
      successfully applied to compare the pharmacokinetic profiles of the analytes
      between normal and Alzheimer's disease rats. The results indicated that there
      were significant differences in pharmacokinetic parameters of some components
      between two groups, which may be due to the mechanisms of Alzheimer's disease and
      pharmacological effects of the analytes. The pharmacokinetic research in the
      pathological state might provide more useful information to guide the clinical
      usage of herbal medicine.

PMID- 28342294
TI  - Benzylphenylpyrrolizinones with Anti-amyloid and Radical Scavenging Effects,
      Potentially Useful in Alzheimer's Disease Treatment.
AB  - Herein we describe the drug design steps developed to increase the radical
      scavenging and beta-amyloid aggregation inhibitory activities of a previously
      described series of benzylidenephenylpyrrolizinones. Among the newly synthesized
      derivatives, some benzylphenylpyrrolizinones exhibited interesting results in
      regard to those activities. Initial druggability parameters were measured, and
      suggest these compounds as a suitable starting point for potential alternatives
      in treating Alzheimer's disease.

PMID- 28342293
TI  - Ribosomal protein L7/L12 is required for GTPase translation factors EF-G, RF3,
      and IF2 to bind in their GTP state to 70S ribosomes.
AB  - Ribosomal protein L7/L12 is associated with translation initiation, elongation,
      and termination by the 70S ribosome. The guanosine 5' triphosphate hydrolase
      (GTPase) activity of elongation factor G (EF-G) requires the presence of L7/L12,
      which is critical for ribosomal translocation. Here, we have developed new
      methods for the complete depletion of L7/L12 from Escherichia coli 70S ribosomes
      to analyze the effect of L7/L12 on the activities of the GTPase factors EF-G,
      RF3, IF2, and LepA. Upon removal of L7/L12 from ribosomes, the GTPase activities
      of EF-G, RF3, and IF2 decreased to basal levels, while the activity of LepA
      decreased marginally. Upon reconstitution of ribosomes with recombinant L12, the
      GTPase activities of all GTPases returned to full activity. Moreover, ribosome
      binding assays indicated that EF-G, RF3, and IF2 require L7/L12 for stable
      binding in the GTP state, and LepA retained > 50% binding. Lastly, an EF-G?G'
      truncation mutant possessed ribosome-dependent GTPase activity, which was
      insensitive to L7/L12. Our results indicate that L7/L12 is required for stable
      binding of ribosome-dependent GTPases that harbor direct interactions to the
      L7/L12 C-terminal domains, either through a G' domain (EF-G, RF3) or a unique N
      terminal domain (IF2). Furthermore, we hypothesize this interaction is
      concomitant with counterclockwise ribosomal intersubunit rotation, which is
      required for translocation, initiation, and post-termination.

PMID- 28342296
TI  - Control of osmotic pressure to improve cell viability in cell-laden tissue
      engineering constructs.
AB  - Design of tissue engineering strategies deals with the need to balance both
      biomaterials characteristics and techniques specificities, often resulting in
      cell-compromising processing conditions. One important factor often disregarded
      is the osmotic pressure to which cells are exposed. An in-house microfluidic
      system was used to prove that addition of an osmotic regulator significantly
      benefits the generation of viable cell-laden hydrogels under harsh processing
      conditions. Human adipose-derived stem cells were resuspended in 1.5% alginate
      and 1% gellan gum (GG; w/v) solutions containing different concentrations (0.12
      m, 0.25 m and 1.5 m) of sucrose as osmotic regulator. GG (in water) and alginate
      (in water or phosphate-buffered saline) solutions were used to vary the
      conditions under which cells were kept prior processing. Independently of the
      polymer, addition of sucrose did not affect the processing conditions or the
      viscosity of the solutions, except at 1.5 m. The obtained results clearly
      demonstrate that inclusion of 0.25 m sucrose during processing of the cell-laden
      hydrogels allowed to keep cell viability around 80%, in opposition to the 20%
      observed in its absence, both for GG and alginate-derived hydrogels prepared in
      water. Impressively, the level of cell viability observed with the inclusion of
      0.25 m sucrose, 76% for GG and 86% for alginate, was similar to that obtained
      with the standard alginate solution prepared in phosphate-buffered saline (82%).
      The beneficial effect of sucrose was observed within the first 5 min of
      processing and was maintained for prolonged experimental setups with viability
      values above 50%, even after a 2-h time-frame and independently of the material.

PMID- 28342297
TI  - High-performance liquid chromatographic determination of multi-mycotoxin in
      cereals and bean foodstuffs using interference-removal solid-phase extraction
      combined with optimized dispersive liquid-liquid microextraction.
AB  - A novel pre-treatment was proposed for the simultaneous determination of
      aflatoxins, ochratoxin A and zearalenone in foodstuffs using high-performance
      liquid chromatography with fluorescence detection. The analytical procedure was
      based on a first step using a quick, easy, cheap, effective, rugged, and safe
      based extraction procedure, followed by salting out and purification with a C18
      solid-phase extraction column as interference removal clean-up. Subsequently,
      collected supernatant was subjected to dispersive liquid-liquid microextraction.
      Response surface methodology based on central composite design was employed to
      optimize conditions in the microextraction procedure. Under the optimum
      conditions, satisfactory analytical performance with recoveries ranging from
      63.22 to 107.6% were achieved in different types of cereals and beans, as well as
      desirable precisions (0.81-8.13%). Limits of detections and quantifications for
      these six mycotoxins ranging from 0.03 to 13 MUg/kg and 0.22 to 44 MUg/kg,
      respectively, were obtained. Finally, the established method was successfully
      validated by four certified reference materials (P = 0.897 > 0.05) and applied to
      79 samples from local markets.

PMID- 28342298
TI  - Low-frequency vibrational spectroscopy of proteins with different secondary
      structures.
AB  - Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) and Raman spectra of proteins with
      significantly different structures are measured in a spectral interval of 50 to
      500 ?? cm ? 1 and noticeable spectral differences are revealed. Intensities of
      several spectral bands correlate with contents of secondary structure elements.
      FTIR spectra of superhelical proteins exhibit developed spectral features that
      are absent in the spectra of globular proteins. Significant differences of the
      Raman spectra of proteins that are not directly related to the difference of the
      secondary structures can be due to differences of tertiary and/or quaternary
      structure of protein molecules.

PMID- 28342299
TI  - Plasma MicroRNA signature predicting weight gain among Mexican-American women.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: There is growing evidence that circulating microRNAs (miRNAs) play an
      important role in obesity. However, whether they can contribute to adult weight
      gain is still unclear. METHODS: In the training set with 40 nonsmoking, healthy
      women identified from the Mano-A-Mano Mexican American Cohort study, global
      circulating miRNA profiles in plasma samples were assessed. Cox proportional
      hazard regression was used to assess the effects of plasma miRNAs on significant
      weight gain during a 5-year follow-up. Plasma miRNAs associated with significant
      weight gain were further validated in two testing sets (N = 160 and 100,
      respectively). RESULTS: A total of 23 significant plasma miRNAs were identified
      in the training set. Among them, eight were validated in two testing sets. They
      were miR-142, miR-122, miR-125b, miR-15b, miR-130b, miR222, miR-519d, and miR-31.
      Using those eight miRNAs, a risk score for significant weight gain was created.
      Study participants with a high risk score had 3.01-fold increased risk of having
      significant weight gain in the whole study population (hazard ratio: 3.01, 95%
      confidence interval: 1.70-5.47). CONCLUSIONS: The findings provide evidence that
      circulating miRNAs play important roles in obesity and weight gain and suggest
      new targets for understanding the mechanisms of weight gain and developing weight
      loss intervention strategies.

PMID- 28342300
TI  - Hypofractionated re-irradiation to the brainstem in children with recurrent brain
      tumors.
AB  - To characterize radiation necrosis following hypofractionated brainstem re
      irradiation in pediatric patients, we reviewed 23 cases with 28 tumors invading
      or abutting brainstem and treated with hypofractionated re-irradiation from 2004
      to 2014. Re-irradiation delivered total doses of 16-30 Gy in two to five
      fractions. The most commons regimens used were 24 Gy in three fractions and 25 Gy
      in five fractions. At median follow-up of 12.8 months, median overall survival
      was 14.7 months and eight in-field recurrences were detected (median time 10.5
      months). Five patients experienced symptomatic brainstem necrosis, and all having
      received 24 Gy in three fractions. Hypofractionated brainstem re-irradiation may
      be safer in five fractions.

PMID- 28342301
TI  - Retraction Statement: "Overexpression of miR-708 and its targets in the childhood
      common precursor B-cell ALL" by Xue Li, MMed, Dong Li, PhD, Yong Zhuang, MMed,
      Qing Shi, BSc, Wei Wei, MMed, and Xiuli Ju, MD, PhD.
AB  - The above article, published online 23 August 2013 in Pediatric Blood and Cancer,
      Volume 60, Issue 12, December 2013, Pages 2060-2067, has been retracted by
      agreement among the authors, the journal's Editor-in-Chief, Peter E. Newburger,
      M.D., and Wiley Periodicals, Inc. The decision to retract was agreed upon
      following notification that the paper substantially duplicates a prior study
      already published in Chinese https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23611221. The
      authors were not aware that publication in another language would constitute a
      duplicate publication and, upon being informed of this fact, have agreed to
      withdraw the paper from Pediatric Blood and Cancer. Reference Li X, Li D, Zhuang
      Y, Shi Q, Wei W and Ju X. Overexpression of miR-708 and its targets in the
      childhood common precursor B-cell ALL. Pediatr Blood Cancer. 2013; 60: 2060-2067.
      doi:10.1002/pbc.24583.

PMID- 28342295
TI  - Intraflagellar transport: mechanisms of motor action, cooperation, and cargo
      delivery.
AB  - Intraflagellar transport (IFT) is a form of motor-dependent cargo transport that
      is essential for the assembly, maintenance, and length control of cilia, which
      play critical roles in motility, sensory reception, and signal transduction in
      virtually all eukaryotic cells. During IFT, anterograde kinesin-2 and retrograde
      IFT dynein motors drive the bidirectional transport of IFT trains that deliver
      cargo, for example, axoneme precursors such as tubulins as well as molecules of
      the signal transduction machinery, to their site of assembly within the cilium.
      Following its discovery in Chlamydomonas, IFT has emerged as a powerful model
      system for studying general principles of motor-dependent cargo transport and we
      now appreciate the diversity that exists in the mechanism of IFT within cilia of
      different cell types. The absence of heterotrimeric kinesin-2 function, for
      example, causes a complete loss of both IFT and cilia in Chlamydomonas, but
      following its loss in Caenorhabditis elegans, where its primary function is
      loading the IFT machinery into cilia, homodimeric kinesin-2-driven IFT persists
      and assembles a full-length cilium. Generally, heterotrimeric kinesin-2 and IFT
      dynein motors are thought to play widespread roles as core IFT motors, whereas
      homodimeric kinesin-2 motors are accessory motors that mediate different
      functions in a broad range of cilia, in some cases contributing to axoneme
      assembly or the delivery of signaling molecules but in many other cases their
      ciliary functions, if any, remain unknown. In this review, we focus on mechanisms
      of motor action, motor cooperation, and motor-dependent cargo delivery during
      IFT.

PMID- 28342302
TI  - Reply to iManage: A novel self-management app for sickle cell disease.

PMID- 28342303
TI  - Cell adaptation upon stress: the emerging role of membrane-less compartments.
AB  - Cells under stress transition from a growth to a quiescent state. The
      conventional thinking is that this is achieved through transcriptional programs,
      translational regulation, protein degradation, and post-translational
      modifications. However, there is an increasing realization that stress adaptation
      also goes along with dramatic changes in the architecture and organization of
      cells. In particular, it seems to involve the formation of membrane-less
      compartments and macromolecular assemblies. We propose that cells make widespread
      use of this ability to change macromolecular organization to adapt to stress
      conditions and protect themselves. Here, we address what triggers the formation
      of these assemblies under stress conditions. We present examples illustrating
      that in some cases, sophisticated signaling pathways transmit environmental
      fluctuations from the outside to the inside and in others, that external
      fluctuations directly affect the internal conditions in cells. We further argue
      that changes in the organization of the cytoplasm and the formation of membrane
      less compartments have many advantages over other ways of altering protein
      function, such as protein degradation, translation or transcription. Furthermore,
      membrane-less compartments may act as protective devices for key cellular
      components.

PMID- 28342304
TI  - Rapid profiling and pharmacokinetic studies of major compounds in crude extract
      from Polygonum multiflorum by UHPLC-Q-TOF-MS and UPLC-MS/MS.
AB  - A reliable, rapid analytical method was established for characterization of
      constituents in the ethanol extract of Polygonum multiflorum by combining an
      ultra-high performance liquid chromatography with quadrupole time-of-flight mass
      spectrometry (UHPLC-Q-TOF-MS). 131 constituents which including phenolic acids,
      stilbenes, flavones, anthraquinones, naphthalenes and their derivatives were
      identified or tentatively identified by using characteristic diagnostic fragment
      ions and references. The established method was further applied to analyze blood
      samples, and successfully identified 41 compounds which were absorbed through the
      gastrointestine in rats after administration the extract of P. multiflorum.
      Moreover, the pharmacokinetic studies of some major compounds in blood were
      investigated by using ultra performance liquid chromatography with tandem mass
      spectrometry (UPLC-MS/MS) method. This study showed a comprehensive research of
      P. multiflorum, which could provide a meaningful basis for further quality
      control, pharmacological as well as toxicological researches.

PMID- 28342305
TI  - Metabolic profiling of nuciferine in rat urine, plasma, bile and feces after oral
      administration using ultra-high performance liquid chromatography-diode array
      detection-quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry.
AB  - Nuciferine, a major alkaloid found in Nelumbinis Folium, exhibits a broad
      spectrum of bioactivities, such as antiobesity, anti-diabetes and anti
      inflammatory. However, many research regarding nuciferine focused on the
      extraction, isolation and biological activity, the metabolism is not
      comprehensively explained in vivo. Thence, the present of this paper is to
      establish a simple method for speculating metabolites of nuciferine. A total of
      15 metabolites were detected and tentatively identified through ultra high
      performance liquid chromatography-diode array detection-quadrupole time-of-flight
      mass spectrometry (UHPLC-DAD-QTOF-MS), including 7 new metabolites. Among them,
      we also discovered a previously unmentioned metabolically active site at the C1
      OCH3 position. These metabolites suggested that demethylation, oxidation,
      glucuronidation and sulfation were major metabolic pathways. This study provided
      significant experiment basis for its safety estimate and valuable information
      about the metabolism of nuciferine, which will be advantageous for new drug
      development.

PMID- 28342306
TI  - Rotigotine may control drooling in patients with Parkinson's Disease: Preliminary
      findings.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the efficacy of rotigotine in controlling the drooling of
      Parkinson's Disease (PD) patients. PATIENTS AND METHODS: We assessed 7 PD
      patients (Hoehn and Yahr scale >2.5) with three different clinical scores
      (Drooling Severity and Frequency Scale - DSFS, Drooling Rating Scale - DRS and
      Sialorrhea Clinical Scale for PD - SCS) before and after 4 weeks of therapy.
      Statistical differences were analyzed with Wilcoxon signed-rank test. RESULTS: We
      observed that rotigotine significantly improves drooling as measured by the
      lowering of the three scores (p<0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Among non-motor symptoms of
      PD, drooling is one of the most embarrassing and disabling for patients. Current
      treatments are unsatisfactory and novel approaches are thus desirable. In this
      open-label pilot study we demonstrated on a small sample of patients that up to
      4mg/24h of rotigotine, a non-ergolinic dopamine agonist with continuous
      transdermal delivery, may be helpful in the management of drooling in advanced
      PD.

PMID- 28342307
TI  - Simple fabrication of pineapple root-like palladium-gold catalysts as the high
      efficiency cathode in direct peroxide-peroxide fuel cells.
AB  - Pd-Au/TiC electrodes with various three-dimensional structures are obtained by
      the pulsed potential electro-deposition in PdCl2/HAuCl4 electrolytes. The
      morphologies of Pd-Au/TiC composite catalysts are significantly dependent on the
      component of deposited solutions. The surface appearance of Pd-Au catalysts
      changes from rime-shaped structure, to feather-like construction, then to
      pineapple root-like structure and finally to flower-like configuration with the
      increase of PdCl2 content in electrolytes. These particular three-dimensional
      structures may be very suitable for H2O2 electro-reduction, which assures a high
      utilization of Pd-Au catalysts and provides a large specific surface area. The
      electro-catalytic activities of H2O2 reduction on the Pd-Au/TiC electrodes
      improve as increasing the Pd content in Pd-Au alloy catalysts. The pineapple root
      like Pd5Au1/TiC electrode reveals remarkably excellent electrochemical property
      and desirable stability for catalyzing H2O2 reduction in acid media. The direct
      peroxide-peroxide fuel cells with a 10 cm3 min-1 flow rate display the open
      circuit voltage (OCV) of 0.85V and the peak power density of 56.5mWcm-2 at
      155mAcm-2 with desirable cell stability, which is much higher than those
      previously reported.

PMID- 28342308
TI  - Shape-selective catalysis and surface enhanced Raman scattering studies using Ag
      nanocubes, nanospheres and aggregated anisotropic nanostructures.
AB  - Three morphologies of silver nanoparticles (Ag NPs) such as nanocubes, aggregated
      anisotropic Ag NPs, and nanospheres were prepared using polystyrene sulfonate
      (PSS) and citrate as stabilizing agents utilizing a simple wet-chemical and
      microwave heating route respectively. Ag nanocubes were prepared within one min
      through microwave heating whereas anisotropic Ag NPs and spherical Ag NPs via 5
      and 30min of normal stirring at room temperature (RT) respectively. The shape
      effect of three different morphologies of Ag NPs were examined in catalysis
      reaction and in surface enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) studies. For catalysis
      experiments, reduction of various nitroaromatics was done taking excess NaBH4 in
      presence of those morphologically different Ag NPs as catalyst and the
      corresponding catalytic activity is ordered as: Ag nanospheres>aggregated
      anisotropic Ag NPs>Ag nanocubes. The highest catalytic rate of ~1.34*10-1min-1
      was observed with citrate capped Ag nanospheres. SERS study was done taking
      methylene blue (MB) as the Raman probe where a highest enhancement factor (EF) of
      ~1.05*107 was observed with Ag nanospheres and the order of EF values is as
      follows: Ag nanospheres>Ag nanocubes>aggregated anisotropic Ag NPs. The highest
      catalytic and SERS activity of citrate stabilized spherical Ag NPs are attributed
      due to the fast electron transfer in catalysis and creation of more number of
      surface active 'hot spots' in SERS studies. In future, the overall process we
      highlighted here might found potential application for the preparation of other
      varieties of nanomaterials applicable to catalysis reaction and in SERS-based
      trace analysis of various biologically important molecules and fine chemicals.

PMID- 28342309
TI  - Hierarchical assembly of In2O3 nanoparticles on ZnO hollow nanotubes using carbon
      fibers as templates: Enhanced photocatalytic and gas-sensing properties.
AB  - A novel hollow hierarchical nano-heterostructure consisting of ZnO nanorods
      coated with In2O3 nanoparticles was prepared using a hydrothermal method combined
      with an annealing treatment via carbon fiber (CF) templates. Experimental results
      reveal that the In2O3/ZnO hierarchical composite has a tubular structure with an
      average diameter of ~6MUm and In2O3 nanoparticles distribute uniformly on the ZnO
      nanorods. Significantly, the obtained heterostructure shows enhanced visible
      light photoactivity to methyl orange (MO) degradation and good selectivity and
      response toward ethanol even at a low detection limit (1ppm). This outstanding
      performance is a result of the one-dimensional tubular structure and the
      heterostructure formation between In2O3 and ZnO, advantageous for the adsorption
      and diffusion and the separation of electrons and holes. In addition, the
      excellent performance is greatly improved by virtue of the evenly decorated In2O3
      nanoparticles on the ZnO nanorod surfaces, which provide more active sites for
      pollutants and gases.

PMID- 28342310
TI  - Silver nanoparticles synthesized and coated with pectin: An ideal compromise for
      anti-bacterial and anti-biofilm action combined with wound-healing properties.
AB  - The synthesis of Ag nanoparticles from Ag+ has been investigated, with pectin
      acting both as reductant and coating.~100% Ag+ to Ag(0) one-pot conversion was
      obtained, yielding p-AgNP, i.e. an aqueous solution of pectin-coated spherical Ag
      nanoparticles (d=8.0+/-2.6nm), with a<1ppm concentration of free Ag+ cation.
      Despite the low free Ag+ concentration and low Ag+ release with time, the nature
      of the coating allows p-AgNP to exert excellent antibacterial and antibiofilm
      actions, comparable to those of ionic silver, tested on E. coli (Gram-) and S.
      epidermidis (Gram+) both on planctonic cells and on pre- and post-biofilm
      formation conditions. Moreover, p-AgNP were tested on fibroblasts: not only p
      AgNP were found to be cytocompatible but also revealed capable of promoting
      fibroblasts proliferation and to be effective for wound healing on model
      cultures. The antibacterial activity and the wound healing ability of silver
      nanoparticles are two apparently irreconcilable properties, as the former usually
      requires a high sustained Ag+ release while the latter requires low Ag+
      concentration. p-AgNP represents an excellent compromise between opposite
      requirements, candidating as an efficient medication for repairing wounds and/or
      to treat vulnerable surgical site tissues, including the pre-treatment of
      implants as an effective prophylaxis in implant surgery.

PMID- 28342311
TI  - Lengthy one-dimensional magnetite (Fe3O4) sub-microfibers with excellent
      electrochemical performance.
AB  - One dimensional Fe3O4 sub-microfibers with an average diameter of about 920nm and
      length of about 25MUm were prepared by hydrothermal synthesis in the presence of
      sodium citrate (Na3cit). The physicochemical properties were characterized by X
      ray powder diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR),
      transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and scanning electron microscopy (SEM).
      It was found that Fe3O4 crystal nuclei were generated from different Fe2+-citrate
      complexes under hydrothermal conditions and Na3cit as a capping agent promoted
      the formation of Fe3O4 microfibers. The Fe3O4 nanocrystals grew along the (110)
      axis on the exposed (111) facet, and then further formed microfibers via an
      oriented attachment mechanism during the collisions. Polyvinylpyrrolidine (PVP)
      was more conducive to microfibers growth in comparison to polyethyleneglycol 4000
      (PEG-4000), cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB) and sodium dodecyl sulfate
      (SDS). The electrochemical measurements show that the Fe3O4 sub-microfibers had a
      specific capacitance of 117.6Fg-1 with good cycling performance.

PMID- 28342312
TI  - ZnO nanorods array based field-effect transistor biosensor for phosphate
      detection.
AB  - A promising field-effect transistor (FET) biosensor has been fabricated based on
      pyruvate oxidase (PyO) functionalized ZnO nanorods (ZnO NRs) array grown on
      seeded SiO2/Si substrate. The direct and vertically grown ZnO NRs on the seeded
      SiO2/Si substrate offers high surface area for enhanced PyO immobilization, which
      further helps to detect phosphate with higher specificity. Under optimum
      conditions, the fabricated FET biosensor provided a convenient method for
      phosphate detection with high sensitivity (80.57MUAmM-1cm-2) in a wide-linear
      range (0.1uM-7.0mM). Additionally, it also showed very low effect of
      electroactive species, stability and good reproducibility. Encouraging results
      suggest that this approach presents a promising method to be used for field
      measurements to detect phosphate.

PMID- 28342313
TI  - The glyoxylate pathway contributes to enhanced extracellular electron transfer in
      yeast-based biofuel cell.
AB  - This study provides a new insight into our understanding of yeast response to
      starvation conditions (sole acetate as carbon source) and applied polarization
      and offers important information about the role of the glyoxylate cycle in the
      carbohydrate synthesis and extracellular charge transfer processes in biofuel
      cells. The biosynthetic capabilities of yeast C. melibiosica 2491 and the up/down
      regulation of the glyoxylate cycle are evaluated by modifying the cellular
      metabolism by feedback inhibition or carbohydrate presence and establishing the
      malate dehydrogenase activity and carbohydrate content together with the electric
      charge passed through bioelectrochemical system. 10mM malate leads to a decrease
      of the produced quantity of electricity with ca. 55%. At the same time, 24-times
      lower intracellular malate dehydrogenase activity is established. At polarization
      conditions the glyoxylate pathway is up-regulated and huge amount of malate is
      intra-converted into oxaloacetate. The yeasts are able to synthesize
      carbohydrates from acetate and a part of them is used for the electricity
      generation. It is recognized that the enhanced charge transfer in acetate fed
      yeast-based biofuel cell is implemented by secreted endogenous mediator and
      changes in the cellular surface redox activity depending on the addition of
      carbohydrate in the medium.

PMID- 28342314
TI  - Electrochemical DNA sandwich biosensor based on enzyme amplified microRNA-21
      detection and gold nanoparticles.
AB  - In this work, a novel electrochemical biosensor for miRNA-21 determination,
      involving a sandwich hybridization assay onto gold nanoparticles modified pencil
      graphite electrode (PGE) and enzyme signal amplification was reported. The thiol
      terminated capture probe 1 (SH-P1) was immobilized on the electrode through AuS
      interaction. In the presence of target miRNA-21, SH-P1 hybridized with the first
      part of the target, however, the second part hybridizes with a biotinylated probe
      P2 (B-P2). Then, a streptavidin-conjugated alkaline phosphatase was immobilized
      by a specific binding of avidin-B-P2. The enzyme catalyzed the electro-inactive
      alpha-naphtyl phosphate to an electro-active alpha-naphtol. The miRNA-21
      detection was achieved through the changes of alpha-naphtol oxidation signals
      observed at +0.12V vs Ag/AgCl with Differential Pulse Voltammetry. Under the
      optimal detection conditions, the biosensor exhibited selective and sensitive
      detection with a linear range from 200pM to 388nM and the detection limit was
      100pM (10fmol in 100MUL).

PMID- 28342315
TI  - Inclusions or bystanders? CMV PCR sensitivity and specificity in tissue samples.

PMID- 28342316
TI  - Comparison of cytomegalovirus (CMV)-specific neutralization capacity of
      hyperimmunoglobulin (HIG) versus standard intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG)
      preparations: Impact of CMV IgG normalization.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Based on a non-randomized study of Nigro et al. (2005) the
      intravenous administration of hyperimmunoglobulins (HIGs) is applied frequently
      to women with primary CMV-infection as "off-label use" in Germany. OBJECTIVES: In
      order to describe their CMV-specific neutralization-capacity in vitro, we
      analyzed the HIG preparations Cytotect(r), and Cytogam(r) as well as the standard
      intravenous immunoglobulins (IVIG) Octagam(r), Gamunex(r), Kiovig(r). STUDY
      DESIGN: We performed short-term cell-free CMV neutralization assays (CFNT) and
      long-term cell-adapted neutralization-plaque-reduction assays (PRANT). Human
      retinal epithelial cells (ARPE-19) were used as target cells. A clinical CMV
      primary-isolate from amnion fluid propagated in epithelial cells without any
      initial fibroblast adaption was used. For calibration we previously generated
      serum-pools (N=100) from two cohorts of mothers at birth: seronegative and
      latently CMV-infected mothers. Biochemical analysis included total protein,
      albumin, Ig-class, and IgG-subclasses. Additionally, CMV antibody-reactivity was
      checked using recombinant immunoblotting. RESULTS: HIG and IVIG preparations
      showed differences in levels and patterns of protein, Ig-class and CMV-specific
      antibody concentrations. All IgG-preparations showed high in vitro NT-capacity
      and high IgG-avidity. The NT90-values for HIGs and IVIGs and our seropositive
      reference-pool showed similar NT-capacity at a dilution of (1:100) which
      corresponded well to 4.1 PEI-Units/ml. CONCLUSION: All HIG- and IVIG-preparations
      showed similar NT-capacity following CMV IgG-normalization. Our in vitro results
      are in strong contrast to former findings suggesting higher functional CMV NT
      titers in IVIG-preparations compared to HIGs.

PMID- 28342317
TI  - High Androgen Receptor mRNA Expression Is Independently Associated with Prolonged
      Cancer-Specific and Recurrence-Free Survival in Stage T1 Bladder Cancer.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: High-risk non-muscle-invasive bladder cancer (NMIBC) remains
      challenging given the high probability of progression. Given that the androgen
      receptor (AR) has been discussed as a possible factor in the development and
      progression of bladder cancer, we investigated the predictive value of AR in
      stage pT1 NMIBC. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We retrospectively analyzed the clinical
      data and AR mRNA expression in 296 patients with stage pT1 NMIBC who underwent a
      transurethral resection of the bladder. The mRNA expression of the AR transcript
      variants 1 (AR1) and 2 (AR2) was measured by reverse transcription quantitative
      real-time polymerase chain reaction. AR expression was also correlated to KRT5
      and KRT20 mRNA expression. RESULTS: Kaplan-Meier analysis indicated that high AR1
      mRNA expression >=35.47 is associated with statistically significant better
      recurrence-free survival (RFS) (P=.0007), progression-free survival (PFS)
      (P=.0420), and cancer-specific survival (CSS) (P=.0050). Multivariate Cox
      regression analysis revealed that high AR1 mRNA expression is an independent
      prognostic marker for RFS (P=.0029) and CSS (P=.0119). Spearman rank correlation
      revealed a significant positive association between mRNA expression of AR1 and
      KRT5 (rs: 0.3171, P<.0001) as well as a negative association with multifocal
      tumors (rs: 0.1478, P<.0109). No association was noted between AR1 expression and
      tumor grade, concomitant CIS, gender, tumor size, and KRT20 in patients with
      stage T1 NMIBC. CONCLUSIONS: AR mRNA expression can predict RFS and CSS in
      patients with stage T1 NMIBC. Further studies are necessary to refine the
      relevance of AR mRNA expression compared with immunohistochemically detectable AR
      expression.

PMID- 28342318
TI  - Distinct Patterns of Stromal and Tumor Expression of ROR1 and ROR2 in
      Histological Subtypes of Epithelial Ovarian Cancer.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: The ROR1 and ROR2 receptor tyrosine kinases have both been implicated
      in ovarian cancer progression and have been shown to drive migration and
      invasion. There is an increasing importance of the role of stroma in ovarian
      cancer metastasis; however, neither ROR1 nor ROR2 expression in tumor or stromal
      cells has been analyzed in the same clinical cohort. AIM: To determine ROR1 and
      ROR2 expression in ovarian cancer and surrounding microenvironment and examine
      associations with clinicopathological characteristics. METHODS:
      Immunohistochemistry for ROR1 and ROR2 was used to assess receptor expression in
      a cohort of epithelial ovarian cancer patients (n=178). Results were analyzed in
      relation to clinical and histopathological characteristics and survival. Matched
      patient sample case studies of normal, primary, and metastatic lesions were used
      to examine ROR expression in relation to ovarian cancer progression. RESULTS:
      ROR1 and ROR2 are abnormally expressed in malignant ovarian epithelium and
      stroma. Higher ROR2 tumor expression was found in early-stage, low-grade
      endometrioid carcinomas. ROR2 stromal expression was highest in the serous
      subtype. In matched patient case studies, metastatic samples had higher
      expression of ROR2 in the stroma, and a recurrent sample had the highest
      expression of ROR2 in both tumor and stroma. CONCLUSION: ROR1 and ROR2 are
      expressed in tumor-associated stroma in all histological subtypes of ovarian
      cancer and hold potential as therapeutic targets which may disrupt tumor and
      stroma interactions.

PMID- 28342319
TI  - Absolute spike frequency as a predictor of surgical outcome in temporal lobe
      epilepsy.
AB  - PURPOSE: Frequent interictal epileptiform abnormalities may correlate with poor
      prognosis after temporal lobe resection for refractory epilepsy. To date, studies
      have focused on limited resections such as selective amygdalohippocampectomy and
      apical temporal lobectomy without hippocampectomy. However, it is unclear whether
      the frequency of spikes predicts outcome after standard anterior temporal
      lobectomy. METHOD: Preoperative scalp video-EEG monitoring data from patients who
      subsequently underwent anterior temporal lobectomy over a three year period and
      were followed for at least one year were reviewed for the frequency of interictal
      epileptiform abnormalities. Surgical outcome for those patients with frequent
      spikes (>60/h) was compared with those with less frequent spikes. Additionally,
      spike frequency was evaluated as a continuous variable and correlated with
      outcome to determine if increased spike frequency correlated with worse outcome,
      as assessed by modified Engel Class outcome. RESULTS: Forty-seven patients (18
      men, 29 women; mean age 40 years at surgery) were included. Forty-six patients
      had standard anterior temporal lobectomy (24 right, 22 left) and one had a
      modified left temporal lobectomy. There was no significant difference in seizure
      outcome between those with frequent (57% Class I) vs. those with less frequent
      (58% Class I) spikes. Increased spike frequency did not correlate with worse
      outcome. Greater than 20 complex partial seizures/month and generalized tonic
      clonic seizures within one year of surgery correlated with worse outcome.
      CONCLUSIONS: This study suggests that absolute spike frequency does not predict
      seizure outcome after anterior temporal lobectomy unlike in selective procedures,
      and should not be used as a prognostic factor in this population.

PMID- 28342322
TI  - Ultrasonic field modeling in anisotropic materials by distributed point source
      method.
AB  - DPSM (distributed point source method) is a modeling technique which is based on
      the concept of Green's function. First, a collection of source and target points
      are distributed over the solution domain based on the problem description and
      solution requirements. Then, the effects from all source points are superimposed
      at the location of every individual target point. Therefore, a successful
      implementation of DPSM entails an effective evaluation of Green's function
      between many pairs of source and target points. For homogeneous and isotropic
      media, the Green's function is available as a closed-form analytical expression.
      But for anisotropic solids, the evaluation of Green's function is more
      complicated and needs to be done numerically. Nevertheless, important
      applications such as defect detection in composite materials require anisotropic
      analysis. In this paper, the DPSM is used for ultrasonic field modeling in
      anisotropic materials. Considering the prohibitive computational cost of
      evaluating Green's function numerically for a large number of points, a technique
      called "windowing" is suggested which employs the repetitive pattern of points in
      DPSM in order to considerably reduce the number of evaluations of Green's
      function. In addition, different resolutions of numerical integration are used
      for computing Green's function corresponding to different distances in order to
      achieve a good balance between time and accuracy. The developed anisotropic DPSM
      model equipped with windowing technique and multi-resolution numerical
      integration is then applied to the problem of ultrasonic wave modeling in a plate
      immersed in a fluid. The transducers are placed in the fluid on both sides of the
      plate. First an isotropic plate is considered for the sake of verification and
      rough calibration of numerical integration. Then a composite plate is considered
      to demonstrate applicability and effectiveness of the developed model for
      simulating ultrasonic wave propagation in anisotropic media.

PMID- 28342321
TI  - Improvement of paracellular transport in the Caco-2 drug screening model using
      protein-engineered substrates.
AB  - The Caco-2 assay has achieved wide popularity among pharmaceutical companies in
      the past two decades as an in vitro method for estimation of in vivo oral
      bioavailability of pharmaceutical compounds during preclinical characterization.
      Despite its popularity, this assay suffers from a severe underprediction of the
      transport of drugs which are absorbed paracellularly, that is, which pass through
      the cell-cell tight junctions of the absorptive cells of the small intestine.
      Here, we propose that simply replacing the collagen I matrix employed in the
      standard Caco-2 assay with an engineered matrix, we can control cell morphology
      and hence regulate the cell-cell junctions that dictate paracellular transport.
      Specifically, we use a biomimetic engineered extracellular matrix (eECM) that
      contains modular protein domains derived from two ECM proteins found in the small
      intestine, fibronectin and elastin. This eECM allows us to independently tune the
      density of cell-adhesive RGD ligands presented to Caco-2 cells as well as the
      mechanical stiffness of the eECM. We observe that lower amounts of RGD ligand
      presentation as well as decreased matrix stiffness results in Caco-2 morphologies
      that more closely resemble primary small intestinal epithelial cells than Caco-2
      cells cultured on collagen. Additionally, these matrices result in Caco-2
      monolayers with decreased recruitment of actin to the apical junctional complex
      and increased expression of claudin-2, a tight junction protein associated with
      higher paracellular permeability that is highly expressed throughout the small
      intestine. Consistent with these morphological differences, drugs known to be
      paracellularly transported in vivo exhibited significantly improved transport
      rates in this modified Caco-2 model. As expected, permeability of transcellularly
      transported drugs remained unaffected. Thus, we have demonstrated a method of
      improving the physiological accuracy of the Caco-2 assay that could be readily
      adopted by pharmaceutical companies without major changes to their current
      testing protocols.

PMID- 28342320
TI  - Mitigating hypoxic stress on pancreatic islets via in situ oxygen generating
      biomaterial.
AB  - A major obstacle in the survival and efficacy of tissue engineered transplants is
      inadequate oxygenation, whereby unsupportive oxygen tensions result in
      significant cellular dysfunction and death within the implant. In a previous
      report, we developed an innovative oxygen generating biomaterial, termed OxySite,
      to provide supportive in situ oxygenation to cells and prevent hypoxia-induced
      damage. Herein, we explored the capacity of this biomaterial to mitigate hypoxic
      stress in both rat and nonhuman primate pancreatic islets by decreasing cell
      death, supporting metabolic activity, sustaining aerobic metabolism, preserving
      glucose responsiveness, and decreasing the generation of inflammatory cytokines.
      Further, the impact of supplemental oxygenation on in vivo cell function was
      explored by the transplantation of islets previously co-cultured with OxySite
      into a diabetic rat model. Transplant outcomes revealed significant improvement
      in graft efficacy for OxySite-treated islets, when transplanted within an
      extrahepatic site. These results demonstrate the potency of the OxySite material
      to mitigate activation of detrimental hypoxia-induced pathways in islets during
      culture and highlights the importance of in situ oxygenation on resulting islet
      transplant outcomes.

PMID- 28342323
TI  - Computer-aided tumor diagnosis using shear wave breast elastography.
AB  - The shear wave elastography (SWE) uses the acoustic radiation force to measure
      the stiffness of tissues and is less operator dependent in data acquisition
      compared to strain elastography. However, the reproducibility of the result is
      still interpreter dependent. The purpose of this study is to develop a computer
      aided diagnosis (CAD) method to differentiate benign from malignant breast tumors
      using SWE images. After applying the level set method to automatically segment
      the tumor contour and hue-saturation-value color transformation, SWE features
      including average tissue elasticity, sectional stiffness ratio, and normalized
      minimum distance for grouped stiffer pixels are calculated. Finally, the
      performance of CAD based on SWE features are compared with those based on B-mode
      ultrasound (morphologic and textural) features, and a combination of both feature
      sets to differentiate benign from malignant tumors. In this study, we use 109
      biopsy-proved breast tumors composed of 57 benign and 52 malignant cases. The
      experimental results show that the sensitivity, specificity, accuracy and the
      area under the receiver operating characteristic ROC curve (Az value) of CAD are
      86.5%, 93.0%, 89.9%, and 0.905 for SWE features whereas they are 86.5%, 80.7%,
      83.5% and 0.893 for B-mode features and 90.4%, 94.7%, 92.3% and 0.961 for the
      combined features. The Az value of combined feature set is significantly higher
      compared to the B-mode and SWE feature sets (p=0.0296 and p=0.0204,
      respectively). Our results suggest that the CAD based on SWE features has the
      potential to improve the performance of classifying breast tumors with US.

PMID- 28342324
TI  - Short bursts of cyclic mechanical compression modulate tissue formation in a 3D
      hybrid scaffold.
AB  - Among the cues affecting cells behaviour, mechanical stimuli are known to have a
      key role in tissue formation and mineralization of bone cells. While soft
      scaffolds are better at mimicking the extracellular environment, they cannot
      withstand the high loads required to be efficient substitutes for bone in vivo.
      We propose a 3D hybrid scaffold combining the load-bearing capabilities of
      polycaprolactone (PCL) and the ECM-like chemistry of collagen gel to support the
      dynamic mechanical differentiation of human embryonic mesodermal progenitor cells
      (hES-MPs). In this study, hES-MPs were cultured in vitro and a BOSE Bioreactor
      was employed to induce cells differentiation by mechanical stimulation. From day
      6, samples were compressed by applying a 5% strain ramp followed by peak-to-peak
      1% strain sinewaves at 1Hz for 15min. Three different conditions were tested:
      unloaded (U), loaded from day 6 to day 10 (L1) and loaded as L1 and from day 16
      to day 20 (L2). Cell viability, DNA content and osteocalcin expression were
      tested. Samples were further stained with 1% osmium tetroxide in order to
      investigate tissue growth and mineral deposition by micro-computed tomography
      (uCT). Tissue growth involved volumes either inside or outside samples at day 21
      for L1, suggesting cyclic stimulation is a trigger for delayed proliferative
      response of cells. Cyclic load also had a role in the mineralization process
      preventing mineral deposition when applied at the early stage of culture.
      Conversely, cyclic load during the late stage of culture on pre-compressed
      samples induced mineral formation. This study shows that short bursts of
      compression applied at different stages of culture have contrasting effects on
      the ability of hES-MPs to induce tissue formation and mineral deposition. The
      results pave the way for a new approach using mechanical stimulation in the
      development of engineered in vitro tissue as replacement for large bone
      fractures.

PMID- 28342325
TI  - Development of a rapid matrix digestion technique for ultrastructural analysis of
      elastic fibers in the intervertebral disc.
AB  - Collagen and elastic fibers are two major fibrous constituents of the annulus
      fibrosus (AF) in the disc that contribute to its mechanical and viscoelastic
      properties. It was thought that elastic fibers play no substantial role in the
      function and properties of the disc as these fibers were irregularly distributed.
      Studies that have revealed highly organized elastic fibers with different
      regional orientation and distribution, while being strongly crosslinked with
      matrix, suggesting their contribution to disc structure-function properties.
      These studies that were performed by light microscopic analysis of histologically
      prepared samples, have not been able to reveal the fine-scale architectural
      details of the elastic fiber network. Since elastic fibers are intermingled with
      other fibrous components of the disc and mostly obscured by the extracellular
      matrix, it is difficult to demonstrate their ultra-structural organization using
      scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Therefore the aim of this study was to
      develop a rapid matrix digestion technique for ultrastructural analysis of the
      disc elastic fibers. This study provides a new method for fundamental
      visualization of elastic fibers and their architecture in the disc. Through the
      ultra-structural analysis, the relationship between structure and function, as
      well as the role of elastic fibers on AF mechanical properties can be studied.
      This method may be used to develop a three-dimensional map of elastic fibers
      distribution within the disc, which would provide valuable information for
      designing tissue engineered scaffolds for AF repair and replacement.

PMID- 28342326
TI  - Sex dependent mechanical properties of the human mandibular condyle.
AB  - The mandibular condyle consists of articular cartilage and subchondral bone that
      play an important role in bearing loads at the temporomandibular joint (TMJ)
      during static occlusion and dynamic mastication. The objective of the current
      study was to examine effects of sex and cartilage on 1) static and dynamic
      mechanical analysis (DMA) based dynamic energy storage and dissipation for the
      cartilage-subchondral bone construct of the human mandibular condyle, and 2)
      their correlations with the tissue mineral density and trabecular morphological
      parameters of subchondral bone. Cartilage-subchondral bone constructs were
      obtained from 16 individual human cadavers (9 males, 7 females, 79.00+/-13.10
      years). After scanning with micro-computed tomography, the specimens were
      subjected to a non-destructive compressive static loading up to 7N and DMA using
      a cyclic loading profile (-5+/-2N at 2Hz). After removing the cartilage from the
      same specimen, the series of loading experiments were repeated. Static stiffness
      (K) and energy dissipation (W), and dynamic storage (K'), loss (K'') stiffness,
      and energy dissipation (tan delta) were assessed. Gray values, which are
      proportional to degree of bone mineralization, and trabecular morphological
      parameters of the subchondral bone were also measured. After removal of the
      cartilage, static energy dissipation significantly decreased (p<0.009) but
      dynamic energy dissipation was not influenced (p>0.064). Many subchondral bone
      properties were significantly correlated with the overall mechanical behavior of
      the cartilage-subchondral bone constructs for males (p<0.047) but not females
      (p>0.054). However, after removal of cartilage from the constructs, all of the
      significant correlations were no longer found (p>0.057). The current findings
      indicate that the subchondral bone is responsible for bearing static and dynamic
      loading in males but not in females. This result indicates that the female
      condyle may have a mechanically disadvantageous TMJ loading environment.

PMID- 28342327
TI  - Influence of terrestrial radionuclides on environmental gamma exposure in a
      uranium deposit in Paraiba, Brazil.
AB  - One of the main natural uranium deposits in Brazil is located in the municipality
      of Espinharas, in the State of Paraiba. This area may present high levels of
      natural radioactivity due to the presence of these radionuclides. Since this is a
      populated area, there is need for a radioecological dosimetry assessment to
      investigate the possible risks to the population. Based on this problem, the
      objective of this study was to estimate the environmental effective dose outdoors
      in inhabited areas influenced by the uranium deposit, using the specific
      activities of equivalent uranium, equivalent thorium and 40K and conversion
      factors. The environmental assessment was carried using gamma spectroscopy in
      sixty-two points within the municipality, with a high-resolution gamma
      spectrometer with HPGe semiconductor detector and Be window. The results obtained
      ranged from 0.01 to 19.11 mSv y-1, with an average of 2.64 mSv y-1. These levels
      are, on average, 23 times higher than UNSCEAR reference levels and up to 273
      times the reference value of the earth's crust for primordial radionuclides.
      Therefore, given the high radioactivity levels found, we conclude that there is
      need for further investigation to evaluate the levels of radioactivity in indoor
      environments, which will reflect more closely the risks of the local population.

PMID- 28342328
TI  - Reproductive toxicity of beta-diketone antibiotic mixtures to zebrafish (Danio
      rerio).
AB  - So far, few data are available on the reproductive toxicological assessment of
      beta-diketone antibiotics (DKAs), a class of ubiquitous pseudo-persistent
      pollutant, in zebrafish (Danio rerio). Herein, we reported the reproductive
      effects of DKAs by means of transcriptome analysis (F1-zebrafish), changes in a
      series of reproductive indices (F0-zebrafish) and histopathological observations.
      A total of 1170, 983 and 1399 genes were found to be differentially expressed
      when compared control vs. 6.25mg/L, control vs. 12.5mg/L and 6.25 vs. 12.5mg/L
      DKA-exposure treatments, respectively. Among three comparison groups, 670, 569
      and 821 genes were respectively assigned for GO analyses based on matches with
      sequences of known functions. In 149 KEGG-noted metabolic pathways, the
      preferential one was the MAPK (mitogen-activated protein kinase) signaling
      pathway, followed by oxidative phosphorylation, neuroactive ligand-receptor
      interaction and so on. By qPCR verification, 6 genes (c6ast4, igfbp1b, mrpl42,
      tnnc2, emc4 and ddit4) showed consistent gene expression with those identified by
      transcriptome sequencing. Due to DKA-exposure, the concentrations of plasma
      estradiol and testosterone, and the gonado-somatic index were significantly dose
      dependently declined. Also, DKA-exposure led to declining in zebrafish
      reproductive capacity, reflecting in fertilization, hatchability and egg
      production. Histopathological observations demonstrated that zebrafish ovary and
      testis suffered serious damage after DKA-exposure. The 4-oxo-TEMP signals
      increased obviously with increasing DKA-exposed concentrations, implying
      disruption of balance between generation and clearance of 1O2. In summary, DKAs
      not only produce reproductive toxicological effects on F0-zebrafish, but also
      result in adverse consequences for growth and development of F1-zebrafish.

PMID- 28342329
TI  - Cheese powder as an ingredient in emulsion sausages: Effect on sensory properties
      and volatile compounds.
AB  - Different types of cheese powder were added to meat emulsion sausages in order to
      address its influence on chemical composition, volatile compounds profile and
      sensory properties, and its potential to reduce salt content through boosting
      saltiness. Addition of cheese powder to emulsion sausages modified their profile
      of volatile compounds. Blue cheese increased some ketones, alcohols, and esters,
      while brown cheese brought typical Maillard reaction compounds. Overall, addition
      of cheese powders to sausages enhanced the intensity of flavour traits. A mixture
      of hard and blue cheese powder showed the highest effect on boosting saltiness,
      while brown cheese powder showed the strongest umami and meat flavour boosting
      effect, and sausages with added blue cheese powder showed a more intense
      aftertaste. Hardness significantly increased due to the addition of blue cheese
      powder. Addition of cheese powder to emulsion sausages might be an interesting
      tool to boost flavour and reduce salt content in cooked sausages with no negative
      effect on saltiness or overall flavour.

PMID- 28342330
TI  - Probing the magnocellular and parvocellular visual pathways in facial emotion
      perception in schizophrenia.
AB  - Schizophrenia patients have well-established deficits in facial emotion
      perception, which contribute to their poor social functioning. A number of
      studies have related these deficits to a differential dysfunction in the
      magnocellular (M) versus parvocellular (P) visual pathway. We assessed 35
      schizophrenia patients and 35 healthy individuals on an emotion identification
      task, in which facial stimuli were either unaltered (broad spatial frequency,
      BSF) or manipulated to contain only high (HSF) or low (LSF) spatial frequencies,
      thereby respectively biasing the visual system toward the P- or M- pathways. As
      expected, patients were less accurate and slower in recognizing emotions across
      all conditions, relative to controls. Performance was best in the BSF condition
      followed by the HSF and finally the LSF condition, in both groups. A significant
      group by spatial frequency interaction reflected a smaller magnitude of
      impairment in the HSF condition, compared to the other two conditions that
      preferentially engage the M-system. These findings are consistent with studies
      showing a differential M-pathway abnormality in schizophrenia with a less
      pronounced impairment in P-function. The current study suggests that patients
      have less difficulty extracting emotional content from faces when LSFs are
      attenuated and supports the need to remediate basic visual processing deficits in
      schizophrenia.

PMID- 28342331
TI  - Drought stress obliterates the preference for ammonium as an N source in the C4
      plant Spartina alterniflora.
AB  - The C4 grass Spartina alterniflora is known for its unique salt tolerance and
      strong preference for ammonium (NH4+) as a nitrogen (N) source. We here examined
      whether Spartina's unique preference for NH4+ results in improved performance
      under drought stress. Manipulative greenhouse experiments were carried out to
      measure the effects of variable water availability and inorganic N sources on
      plant performance (growth, photosynthesis, antioxidant, and N metabolism).
      Drought strongly reduced leaf number and area, plant fresh and dry weight, and
      photosynthetic activity on all N sources, but the reduction was most pronounced
      on NH4+. Indeed, the growth advantage seen on NH4+ in the absence of drought,
      producing nearly double the biomass compared to growth on NO3-, was entirely
      obliterated under both intermediate and severe drought conditions (50 and 25%
      field capacity, respectively). Both fresh and dry weight became indistinguishable
      among N sources under drought. Major markers of the antioxidant capacity of the
      plant, the activities of the enzymes superoxide dismutase, catalase, ascorbate
      peroxidase, and glutathione reductase, showed higher constitutive levels on NH4+.
      Catalase and glutathione reductase were specifically upregulated in NH4+-fed
      plants with increasing drought stress. This upregulation, however, failed to
      protect the plants from drought stress. Nitrogen metabolism was characterized by
      lower constitutive levels of glutamine synthetase in NH4+-fed plants, and a rise
      in glutamate dehydrogenase (GDH) activity under drought, accompanied by elevated
      proline levels in leaves. Our results support postulates on the important role of
      GDH induction, and its involvement in the synthesis of compatible solutes, under
      abiotic stress. We show that, despite this metabolic shift, S. alterniflora's
      sensitivity to drought does not benefit from growth on NH4+ and that the
      imposition of drought stress equalizes all N-source-related growth differences
      observed under non-drought conditions.

PMID- 28342332
TI  - Steady state and dynamic behaviors of a methane biofilter under periodic addition
      of ethanol vapors.
AB  - Ethanol was added to a methane (CH4) biofilter with inorganic packing materials
      over three cycles based on increasing the gas flow rates from 3 to 6 and finally
      to 12 L min-1 corresponding to empty bed residence times (EBRT) of 6, 3 and 1.5
      min. The steady state performance of the CH4 biofilter was studied for CH4 inlet
      loads (ILs) of 33, 66 and 132 gCH4 m-3 h-1 prior and after each ethanol cycle. In
      addition, the steady state removal of a mixture of CH4 and ethanol for a
      CH4/ethanol mass ratio of around 7.5 gCH4 g -1ethanol was evaluated over three
      cycles (EBRTs of 6, 3 and 1.5 min). In the absence of ethanol, the CH4 removal
      efficiency (RE) dropped from 35 to 7% due to an EBRT decrease from 6 to 1.5 min.
      In addition, the presence of ethanol resulted in a CH4 RE reduction at a constant
      EBRT in every cycle. The CH4 REs dropped from 35 to 29%, 17 to 13% and 7 to 0%
      for corresponding ethanol ILs of 4.5, 9 and 18 gethanol m-3 h-1 over the cycles.
      Moreover, the periodic presence of ethanol in the CH4 biofilter allowed the study
      of transient behaviors of the biofilter during ethanol addition and the biofilter
      recovery after each cycle. The CH4 RE reduction as a result of ethanol addition
      in each cycle was instantaneous. However, the CH4 RE recovery after completion of
      ethanol addition took 10, 14 and 25 days for ethanol ILs of 4.5, 9 and 18
      gethanol m-3 h-1 respectively. The recovery time was related to the ethanol
      concentration in the leachate which were 1100 +/- 200, 1100 +/- 350 and 2500 +/-
      400 gethanol m-3leachate for corresponding ethanol ILs of 4.5, 9 and 18 gethanol
      m-3 h-1, respectively. Based on steady state and dynamic process conditions of
      the biofilter, the lowest gas flow rate of 3 L min-1 (EBRT of 6 min) produced the
      best performance when both pollutants were present (CH4 IL of 33 gCH4 m-3 h-1 and
      ethanol IL of 4.5 gethanol m-3 h-1).

PMID- 28342333
TI  - Evidence for the involvement of heme oxygenase-1 in the antidepressant-like
      effect of zinc.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Considering that heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1) and the brain-derived
      neurotrophic factor (BDNF)-mediated pathway are involved in the pathophysiology
      of depression and that zinc has been shown to exert beneficial effects in the
      management of depression, this study investigated the influence of these targets
      on the antidepressant-like effect of zinc. METHODS: Mice were treated with sub
      effective or effective doses of zinc chloride (ZnCl2, 10mg/kg, po), and 45min
      later, they received intracerebroventricular (icv) injections of sub-effective
      doses of either zinc protoporphyrin IX (ZnPP, 10MUg/mouse, HO-1 inhibitor),
      cobalt protoporphyrin IX (CoPP, 0.01MUg/mouse, HO-1 inducer) or K-252a
      (1MUg/mouse, TrkB receptor antagonist). Immobility time and locomotor activity
      were evaluated through the tail suspension test (TST) and open-field test (OFT),
      respectively. HO-1 immunocontents were evaluated in the prefrontal cortex and
      hippocampus 60min after ZnCl2 (10mg/kg, po) treatment. RESULTS: The
      antidepressant-like effect of ZnCl2 was prevented by the treatment with ZnPP and
      K-252a. Furthermore, sub-effective doses of CoPP and ZnCl2 produced a synergistic
      antidepressant-like effect in the TST. None of the treatments altered locomotor
      activity. ZnCl2 administration increased HO-1 immunocontents only in the
      prefrontal cortex. CONCLUSIONS: The results indicate that the antidepressant-like
      effect of ZnCl2 in the TST may depend on the induction of HO-1, and activation of
      TrkB receptor.

PMID- 28342335
TI  - Enhanced antimicrobial efficacy of thermal-reduced silver nanoparticles supported
      by titanium dioxide.
AB  - The antimicrobial efficacy of silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) is influenced by many
      factors, including the particle size, AgNP oxidation state and support materials.
      In this study, AgNPs are synthesized and supported by two types of TiO2 powders
      (P25 and Merck TiO2) using two heat-treatment temperatures (120 and 200 degrees
      C). The formation of well-dispersed AgNPs with diameters ranging from 3.2 to
      5.7nm was confirmed using transmission electron microscopy. X-ray photoelectron
      spectroscopy and X-ray diffraction indicated that the majority of the AgNPs were
      reduced from Ag+ to Ag0 at 200 degrees C. The AgNP antimicrobial activity was
      determined by the zone of inhibition against three fungi, A. niger, P. spinulosum
      and S. chartarum, and two bacteria, E. coli (Gram-negative) and S. epidermidis
      (Gram-positive). The antimicrobial activity of metallic AgNPs was more pronounced
      than that of silver nitrate and some antimicrobial drugs. The AgNPs exhibited
      optimal antimicrobial efficacy when the AgNP dispersion on the surface of TiO2
      was in the region between 0.2 and 0.7MUg-Ag/m2. The minimum (critical) AgNP
      concentrations needed to inhibit the growth of bacteria (E. coli) and fungi (A.
      niger) were 13.48 and 25.4MUg/mL, respectively. The results indicate that
      AgNPs/TiO2 nanocomposites are a promising disinfectant against both bacteria and
      fungi.

PMID- 28342334
TI  - Oncogene addiction in non-small cell lung cancer: Focus on ROS1 inhibition.
AB  - Detection of molecular aberrations driving the biology and the clinical behavior
      of advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) allows the adoption of specific
      therapeutic strategies dramatically impacting disease courses. Among these, ROS1
      rearrangements are present in 1-2% of lung adenocarcinomas. Thanks to
      similarities between ALK and ROS1 oncogenes, lessons inferred from ALK can be
      applied to ROS1-positive NSCLC; nevertheless, disparities exist between diseases
      mastered by these two fusion genes. In the absence of more common genetic
      alterations detected in NSCLC (e.g. EGFR and KRAS mutations, ALK gene fusions),
      seeking for ROS1 rearrangements is crucial. Dedicated molecular diagnostics
      should be standardized, hopefully relying upon practical and efficient
      algorithms, comprehending immunohistochemistry and fluorescence in situ
      hybridisation. The major clinical impact exerted by crizotinib represents the
      main reason for which not even a sole ROS1-positive tumor should be undetected.
      The recent approval of the inhibitor by both American and European health
      agencies would hopefully boost the widespread testing for ROS1, eventually
      increasing the absolute number of positive cases, potential further source of
      information regarding molecular and clinical resistance. In vitro and clinical
      evidence have already been generated concerning crizotinib resistance and
      strategies to maintain patients under specific driver-inhibition are being
      successfully developed. Gathering data concerning diagnostics, preclinical
      evidence, clinical practice and ongoing studies, the present review depicts the
      current scenario of ROS1 inhibition in NSCLC.

PMID- 28342336
TI  - Clinical implications of acute pelvicaliceal hematoma formation during
      percutaneous catheter nephrostomy insertion.
AB  - PURPOSE: To determine the clinical implications of acute pelvicaliceal hematoma
      formation during percutaneous catheter nephrostomy (PCN) insertion. METHODS:
      Collecting system hematoma burden was retrospectively assessed for 694 PCN
      insertions in 502 patients. RESULTS: Pelvicaliceal hematoma formation occurred in
      146 kidneys (21%) in 136 patients. Clinically significant blood loss occurred in
      3 patients with hematomas within one week compared to 4 patients without
      hematomas (p=0.39). Twenty-four patients with hematomas underwent catheter
      exchange within one week, compared to 55 patients without hematomas (p=0.49).
      CONCLUSION: Pelvicaliceal hematoma formation after PCN insertion is not uncommon
      and is associated with very rare clinical sequelae.

PMID- 28342337
TI  - Nice guys: Homozygocity for the TPH2 -703G/T (rs4570625) minor allele promotes
      low aggressiveness and low anxiety.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Tryptophan hydroxylase (TPH) is the rate-limiting enzyme in the
      synthesis of serotonin. We examined whether the TPH2 polymorphism -703G/T
      (rs4570625) is associated with aggressiveness and impulsivity, and the prevalence
      of psychiatric disorders, in a population-representative sample. METHODS: We used
      self and proxy reports on aggressive behaviour in the younger birth cohort of the
      longitudinal Estonian Children Personality, Behaviour and Health Study collected
      at age 25, and earlier collected impulsivity and related data of both ECPBHS
      cohorts. RESULTS: The TT homozygous males reported less aggressive behaviour in
      the Life History of Aggression interview at age 25. They also had significantly
      lower scores in Illinois Bully Scale peer reports, and less ADHD symptoms rated
      by teachers both at ages 9 and 15. The TT homozygotes of both sexes had the
      lowest Maladaptive Impulsivity at ages 18 and 25, and the highest Adaptive
      Impulsivity at age 25. The TT homozygotes also had low depressiveness and trait
      anxiety by age 25, and the odds ratio for the prevalence of anxiety disorders was
      9.38 for the G-allele carriers. LIMITATIONS: The main limitation of the study is
      the naturally occurring low number of subjects with the TT genotype. CONCLUSIONS:
      Subjects with the TPH2 rs4570625 TT genotype, especially males, exhibit less
      aggression and a favourable impulsivity profile, and develop anxiety disorders by
      young adulthood less often.

PMID- 28342338
TI  - Antidepressants and risk of cataract development: A population-based, nested case
      control study.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Previous studies demonstrated increased risk of cataract development
      among users of selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs). However, it
      remains unknown whether this risk also prevails with the use of other types of
      antidepressants. The aim of this study was to investigate whether use of
      antidepressants is associated with an increased risk of cataract development.
      Moreover, the relationship between binding affinities of serotonin transporter
      (SERT) of antidepressant and the risk of cataracts is examined. METHODS: We
      conducted a nested case-control study using National Health Insurance Research
      Database in Taiwan. A total of 14,288 patients were included; 7651 in the
      cataract group and 6637 in the control group. Antidepressant exposure was
      categorized by type, duration of use, and binding affinities of SERT. The
      association between antidepressant exposure and cataract development was assessed
      using conditional logistic regression analysis. RESULTS: The adjusted odds ratios
      (AORs) for developing cataracts among continuous users of SSRIs, serotonin
      norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors (SNRIs), and other antidepressants were 1.26
      (95% confidence interval (CI): 1.12-1.41, p<0.001), 1.21 (95% CI: 1.02-1.43,
      p=0.027), and 1.18 (95% CI: 1.04-1.34, p=0.009) respectively. Specifically,
      continuous uses of fluoxetine (AOR: 1.21; 95% CI: 1.01-1.46, p=0.042),
      fluvoxamine (AOR: 1.47; 95% CI: 1.01-2.12, p=0.043), venlafaxine (AOR: 1.44; 95%
      CI: 1.19-1.74, p<0.001) significantly increased the risk of cataract development.
      Moreover, continuous users of antidepressants with intermediate SERT binding
      affinities (AOR: 1.68; 95% CI: 1.10-2.56, p=0.017) were significantly associated
      with increased risks of cataract development. LIMITATIONS: Several confounding
      factors such as obesity, multiple drug users, family history of cataracts,
      substance use, and environmental factors (such as sunlight or radiation exposure)
      were acquired. CONCLUSIONS: We found increased risk of cataract development in
      patients continuously using antidepressants. Regular ocular evaluations in these
      patients are warranted.

PMID- 28342339
TI  - A novel hybrid strategy for PM2.5 concentration analysis and prediction.
AB  - The analysis and prediction of air pollutants are of great significance in
      environmental research today since airborne pollution is a substantial threat,
      especially in urban agglomerations of China. To develop more effective warning
      systems and management advice, the authorities and city dwellers need more
      accurate forecasts of the air pollution. Most previous analysis systems were
      based on costly observation apparatus at fixed sites, forecasting models were
      usually built on observations within a certain range, and some observations
      contained biases. In this paper, a novel and effective framework, termed HML
      AFNN, was successfully developed to analyse and forecast the concentration of
      particular matter (PM2.5) for a selected number of forward time steps. In a
      simulation of the trajectory of air pollutants, the high-dimension association
      rules (HDAR) approach considered the tempo-spatial relations, as well as the
      meteorological and geographical factors of the ambient regions, as parameters. In
      addition, the learning vector quantization (LVQ) network was adopted to select
      the appropriate inputs to improve the efficiency of the training process.
      Moreover, an adaptive fuzzy neural network (AFNN), a combination of neural and
      fuzzy logic, was utilized to analyse and predict the PM2.5 concentration. The
      experiment results of our study on two major urban agglomerations of China, the
      Jing-Jin-Ji area and Pearl River Delta, over a period of more than one year
      demonstrated that the developed hybrid HML-AFNN model outperforms a plain AFNN,
      an HM-AFNN model without LVQ and the least squares support vector machines (LS
      SVM); this superior performance can be determined from the values of several
      error indexes, including MAE, MAPE and band errors. This hybrid model, which has
      robust and accurate results, shows the potential to be a political and
      administrative method to issue effective early warnings and to design suitable
      abatement strategies.

PMID- 28342341
TI  - Evaluation of heavy crude oil from a water-oil model system as starting material
      for the preparation of adsorbents type NaY zeolite-templated carbon.
AB  - In this work, NaY zeolite is explored as a possible "template" to obtain porous
      materials type ZTC from the adsorption of heavy crude oil in a water-oil model
      system (emulsion). In order to produce the adsorbents, a cationic surfactant is
      selected to facilitate the adsorption of the crude oil into the pores of the
      zeolite and to get the composite, which was activated with controlled thermal
      treatments (T: 700-800  degrees C and t: 0.5-1 h) in inert conditions (N2
      gaseous). The starting materials, composite and porous carbons were characterized
      using structural/surface analysis techniques (API Gravity, SARA, IR, XRD, XRF,
      TGA, Langmuir isotherms, BET and SEM). The results showed that four types of
      mesoporous carbons were produced with specific surface areas between 70 +/- 1
      m2/g and 220 +/- 3 m2/g, average pore volumes between 0.144 cm3/g and 0.40 cm3/g
      and average pore widths between 4.9 nm and 8.3 nm. The activation conditions of
      800  degrees C and 1 h allowed to make the carbonaceous material with the best
      surface characteristics (220 +/- 3 m2/g, 0.27 cm3/g, and 4.9 nm). Therefore, it
      is concluded that under assay conditions employed, the heavy crude oil, as a
      mixed model (water-oil), from an aqueous environment is a starting material
      suitable for preparation of "mesoporous" carbons.

PMID- 28342340
TI  - Cellulose decomposition and larval biomass production from the co-digestion of
      dairy manure and chicken manure by mini-livestock (Hermetia illucens L.).
AB  - World trends toward the modern dairies intensification on large production units
      cause massive animal manure production and accumulation. Improper handling of
      manure produced by industrial farm operation greatly deteriorates the major
      environmental media including air, water and soil. The black soldier fly utilizes
      organic waste and converts it into larvae biomass to be used as livestock feed
      and into residues to be used as bio-fertilizer. However, due to the high ratio of
      cellulose, hemicellulose and lignin in dairy manure, this conversion is
      difficult. Therefore, dairy manure treated with chicken manure was digested by
      Hermetia illucens. In this paper, we found that the co-digestion process
      significantly enhanced the larval production, waste mass reduction, rate of
      larvae conversion, feed conversion ratio, nutrient reduction and fibers
      utilization. Whereas 40% dairy manure and 60% chicken manure group show better
      results than other manure mixtures and had a significantly increased the
      cellulose consumption by 61.19%, hemicellulose consumption by 53.22% and lignin
      consumption by 42.23% compared with 49.89%, 49.77% and 31.95%, respectively, in
      the dairy-only manure group. Finally, scanning electron microscopy was used to
      analyze the structural changes of dairy manure, chicken manure and their co
      digestion mixtures. The scan electron microscopy showed the deterioration in the
      structure of dairy and chicken manure fibers by Hermetia illucens. Moreover, the
      carbon-nitrogen ratio was decreased in all end products of post vermicomposting.
      The results suggest that the co-digestion of 40% dairy manure with 60% chicken
      manure is an appropriate proportion for dairy manure management with the black
      soldier fly.

PMID- 28342342
TI  - Radon concentration distributions in shallow and deep groundwater around the
      Tachikawa fault zone.
AB  - Groundwater radon concentrations around the Tachikawa fault zone were surveyed.
      The radon concentrations in shallow groundwater samples around the Tachikawa
      fault segment are comparable to previous studies. The characteristics of the
      radon concentrations on both sides of the segment are considered to have changed
      in response to the decrease in groundwater recharge caused by urbanization on the
      eastern side of the segment. The radon concentrations in deep groundwater samples
      collected around the Naguri and the Tachikawa fault segments are the same as
      those of shallow groundwater samples. However, the radon concentrations in deep
      groundwater samples collected from the bedrock beside the Naguri and Tachikawa
      fault segments are markedly higher than the radon concentrations expected from
      the geology on the Kanto plane. This disparity can be explained by the
      development of fracture zones spreading on both sides of the two segments. The
      radon concentration distribution for deep groundwater samples from the Naguri and
      the Tachikawa fault segments suggests that a fault exists even at the southern
      part of the Tachikawa fault line.

PMID- 28342343
TI  - Plant uptake of 238U, 235U, 232Th, 226Ra, 210Pb and 40K from a coal ash and slag
      disposal site and control soil under field conditions: A preliminary study.
AB  - The aim of this study was to investigate the uptake of 238U, 235U, 232Th, 226Ra,
      210Pb and 40K by plants that grow on a coal ash and slag disposal site known for
      its higher content of naturally occurring radionuclides. Plant species that were
      sampled are common for the Mediterranean flora and can be divided as follows:
      grasses & herbs, shrubs and trees. To compare the activity concentrations and the
      resultant concentration ratios of the disposal site with those in natural
      conditions, we used control data specific for the research area, obtained for
      plants growing on untreated natural soil. Radionuclide activity concentrations
      were determined by high resolution gamma-ray spectrometry. Media parameters (pH,
      electrical conductivity and organic matter content) were also analysed. We
      confirmed significantly higher activity concentrations of 238U, 235U, 226Ra and
      210Pb in ash and slag compared to control soil. However, a significant increase
      in the radionuclide activity concentration in the disposal site's vegetation was
      observed only for 226Ra. On the contrary, a significantly smaller activity
      concentration of 40K in ash and slag had no impact on its activity concentration
      in plant samples. The calculated plant uptake of 238U, 235U, 226Ra and 210Pb is
      significantly smaller in comparison with the uptake at the control site, while it
      is vice versa for 40K. No significant difference was observed between the
      disposal site and the control site's plant uptake of 232Th. These results can be
      the foundation for further radioecological assessment of this disposal site but
      also, globally, they can contribute to a better understanding of nature and long
      term management of such disposal sites.

PMID- 28342344
TI  - Water hardness determines 226Ra uptake in the tropical freshwater mussel.
AB  - Chemical data for freshwater mussels (Velesunio spp.) and water from 15 sampling
      sites in the Alligator Rivers Region and Rum Jungle uranium provinces in tropical
      Northern Australia were analysed to develop a predictive model of radium-226
      (226Ra) bioaccumulation for variable water calcium (Ca) and magnesium (Mg)
      concentrations. Application of the model as a 226Ra screening approach for
      freshwater mussels in tropical waterbodies potentially impacted by operational or
      remediated uranium mine sites is discussed in relation to Mudginberri Billabong,
      located approximately 12 km downstream of Ranger uranium mine in the Alligator
      Rivers Region.

PMID- 28342345
TI  - Use of exhaled air as an improved biomonitoring method to assess
      perchloroethylene short-term exposure.
AB  - This paper shows the use of exhaled air as a biomonitoring method to assess
      perchloroethylene (PERC) environmental and occupational exposure. A sensitive,
      fast, and solvent free analytical method was developed to determine PERC in
      ambient and exhaled air of individuals occupationally exposed. The developed
      method used cold fiber solid phase microextraction (CF-SPME) as the sampling
      technique, and a standard permeation method to simulation of air matrix. The
      analysis were conducted by gas chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry
      (GC/MS). The methods were validated and were found to be precise, linear and
      sensitive for environmental and biological monitoring. The developed methods were
      applied to twenty-seven sampling points spread across Belo Horizonte city,
      Brazil, twenty four dry cleaners, an electroplating industry, a research
      laboratory, and an automotive paint preparation shop. The results of ambient air
      analyses ranging from 14.0 to 3205.0ugm-3 with median concentration of 599.0ugm
      3. Furthermore, sampling of exhaled air of individuals occupationally exposed
      presented results ranging from 6.0 to 2635.0ugm-3 with median concentration of
      325.0ugm-3. The strong correlation observed between ambient and exhaled air (r
      =0.930) demonstrates that exhaled air is a suitable biomarker for evaluating
      occupational exposure to PERC.

PMID- 28342346
TI  - Can wastewater-based epidemiology be used to evaluate the health impact of
      temperature? - An exploratory study in an Australian population.
AB  - Ambient temperature is known to have impact on population health but assessing
      its impact by the traditional cohort approach is resource intensive. Wastewater
      based epidemiology (WBE) could be an alternative for the traditional approach.
      This study was to provide the first evaluation to see if WBE can be used to
      assess the impact of temperature exposure to a population in South East
      Queensland, Australia using selected pharmaceuticals and personal care products
      (PPCPs) as biomarkers. Daily loads of eight PPCPs in wastewater collected from a
      wastewater treatment plant were measured from February 2011 to June 2012.
      Corresponding daily weather data were obtained from the closest weather station.
      Missing data of PPCPs were handled using the multiple imputation (MI) method,
      then we used a one-way between-groups analysis of variance to examine the
      seasonal effect on daily variation of PPCPs by seasons. Finally, an MI estimate
      was performed to evaluate the continuous relationship between daily average
      temperature and each multiply-imputed PPCP using time-series regression analysis.
      The results indicated that an increase of 1 degrees C in average temperature
      associated with decrease at 1.3g/d (95% CI: -2.2 to (-0.4), p<0.05) for atenolol,
      increase at 36.5g/d (95% CI: 25.2-47.8, p<0.01) for acesulfame, and increase at
      0.8g/d (95% CI: 0.02-1.55, p=0.05) for naproxen. No significant association was
      observed between temperature and the remaining PPCPs, comprising: caffeine,
      carbamazepine, codeine, hydrochlorothiazide, and salicylic acid. The findings
      suggested that consumption of sweetened drinks, risk of worsening cardiovascular
      conditions and pains are associated with variation in ambient temperature. WBE
      can thus be used as a complementary method to traditional cohort studies in
      epidemiological evaluation of the association between environmental factors and
      health outcomes provided that specific biomarkers of such health outcomes can be
      identified.

PMID- 28342347
TI  - Assumed non-persistent environmental chemicals in human adipose tissue; matrix
      stability and correlation with levels measured in urine and serum.
AB  - The aim of this study was to (1) optimize a method for the measurement of
      parabens and phenols in adipose tissue, (2) evaluate the stability of chemical
      residues in adipose tissue samples, and (3) study correlations of these compounds
      in urine, serum, and adipose tissue. Samples were obtained from adults undergoing
      trauma surgery. Nine phenols and seven parabens were determined by isotope
      diluted TurboFlow-LC-MS/MS. The analytical method showed good accuracy and
      precision. Limits of detection (LOD) for parabens and phenols ranged from 0.05 to
      1.83ng/g tissue. Good recovery rates were found, even when biological samples
      remained defrosted up to 24h. Benzophenone-3 (BP-3; range of values: <LOD
      1.48ng/g tissue) and methylparaben (MeP; <LOD-1.78ng/g tissue) were detected in
      >70% of adipose tissue samples, while bisphenol-A (BPA; <LOD-3.28ng/g tissue) and
      2-phenylphenol (2-PP; <LOD-0.78ng/g tissue) were detected in >40% of adipose
      tissue samples. In general, levels were similar between adipose tissue and serum,
      while a correlation between adipose tissue and urine was only found for BP-3. In
      conclusion, adipose tissue samples in this study were found to contain
      environmental chemicals considered to be non-persistent, whose levels were weakly
      or not at all correlated with the urine burden. Therefore, adipose tissue may
      potentially provide additional information to that obtained from other biological
      matrices. Further investigations are warranted to explore whether adipose tissue
      might be a suitable matrix for assessment of the consequences for human health of
      mid/long-term exposure to these chemicals.

PMID- 28342348
TI  - Circulating thyroid hormones and associated metabolites in white whales
      (Delphinapterus leucas) determined using isotope-dilution mass spectrometry.
AB  - Blood was sampled from nine free-ranging white whales (beluga whale,
      Delphinapterus leucas) from Svalbard, Norway during the summers of 2013 and 2014.
      Total concentrations of eleven thyroid hormones and metabolites were measured in
      serum using a novel liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry analytical
      method. Measurements of these compounds in plasma gave the same results as in
      serum. The three hormones found in highest concentrations were 3,3',5
      triiodothyronine (T3), 3,3',5'-triiodothyronine (rT3) and thyroxine (T4). Traces
      of associated metabolites were also found.

PMID- 28342350
TI  - Challenges for tree officers to enhance the provision of regulating ecosystem
      services from urban forests.
AB  - Urbanisation and a changing climate are leading to more frequent and severe
      flood, heat and air pollution episodes in Britain's cities. Interest in nature
      based solutions to these urban problems is growing, with urban forests
      potentially able to provide a range of regulating ecosystem services such as
      stormwater attenuation, heat amelioration and air purification. The extent to
      which these benefits are realized is largely dependent on urban forest management
      objectives, the availability of funding, and the understanding of ecosystem
      service concepts within local governments, the primary delivery agents of urban
      forests. This study aims to establish the extent to which British local
      authorities actively manage their urban forests for regulating ecosystem
      services, and identify which resources local authorities most need in order to
      enhance provision of ecosystem services by Britain's urban forests. Interviews
      were carried out with staff responsible for tree management decisions in fifteen
      major local authorities from across Britain, selected on the basis of their urban
      nature and high population density. Local authorities have a reactive approach to
      urban forest management, driven by human health and safety concerns and
      complaints about tree disservices. There is relatively little focus on ensuring
      provision of regulating ecosystem services, despite awareness by tree officers of
      the key role that urban forests can play in alleviating chronic air pollution,
      flood risk and urban heat anomalies. However, this is expected to become a
      greater focus in future provided that existing constraints - lack of
      understanding of ecosystem services amongst key stakeholders, limited political
      support, funding constraints - can be overcome. Our findings suggest that the
      adoption of a proactive urban forest strategy, underpinned by quantified and
      valued urban forest-based ecosystem services provision data, and innovative
      private sector funding mechanisms, can facilitate a change to a proactive,
      ecosystem services approach to urban forest management.

PMID- 28342351
TI  - The impact of well-field configuration and permeability heterogeneity on
      contaminant mass removal and plume persistence.
AB  - The purpose of this study is to investigate the effects of well-field hydraulics
      and permeability heterogeneity on mass-removal efficiency for systems comprising
      large groundwater contaminant plumes. A three-dimensional (3D) numerical model
      was used to simulate the impact of different well-field configurations on pump
      and-treat mass removal for heterogeneous domains. The relationship between
      reduction in contaminant mass discharge (CMDR) and mass removal (MR) was used as
      the metric to examine remediation efficiency. The impacts of well-field
      configuration on mass removal behavior are attributed to mass-transfer
      constraints related to regions of low flow associated with the well field, which
      can be muted by the influence of permeability heterogeneity. These impacts are
      reflected in the associated CMDR-MR profiles. Systems whose CDMR-MR profiles are
      below the 1:1 relationship line are associated with more efficient well-field
      configurations. The impact of domain heterogeneity on mass-removal effectiveness
      was investigated in terms of both variance and correlation scale of the random
      permeability distributions and indexed by the CMDR-MR relationship. Data
      collected from pump-and-treat operations conducted in a section of the Tucson
      International Airport Area (TIAA) federal Superfund site were used as a case
      study. The comparison between simulated and measured site data supports the
      general validity of the numerical model, and results from the case study are
      consistent with the conclusions of the theoretical study. These results
      illustrate that the CMDR-MR relationship can be an effective way to quantify the
      impacts of different factors on mass-removal efficiency.

PMID- 28342352
TI  - Mechanochemical mechanism of rapid dechlorination of hexachlorobenzene.
AB  - Recent researches indicate that mechanochemical treatment (MCT) is a promising
      method to degrade the environmental hazards, especially in the area of persistent
      organic pollutants (POPs) disposal. However, the mechanochemical dechlorination
      mechanism of POPs still needs to be further verified. In this mechanochemical
      process, hexachlorobenzene (HCB) was chosen as a model pollutant with aluminum
      and alumina (Al+Al2O3) powders as the co-milling regents. Both of the
      intermediate analysis and quantum chemical calculations were adopted to elucidate
      the free radical dechlorination mechanism of HCB. The solid residues were
      characterized by electron spin-resonance (ESR) spectroscopy, Fourier transform
      infrared (FTIR) spectra and X-ray photoelectron (XPS) spectra, which proposed
      that the radicals formed in the mechanochemical process were chlorinated phenoxyl
      radicals (CB-O). Four quantum chemical descriptors were selected in predicting
      the intermediates and reaction pathway: (i) atomic charge, (ii) electrostatic
      potential (ESP), (iii) frontier molecular orbitals (FMO) theory and (iv) dual
      descriptor. Then, a stepwise dechlorination mechanism based on CB-O was proposed.
      It was found that the intermediates and radical-related reactions in the
      mechanochemical dechlorination of HCB are quite different from that happen in a
      typical photocatalytic dechlorination process. Impacts of different radical
      reactions on the dechlorination of HCB were also compared at last.

PMID- 28342349
TI  - Evaluation of individual and area-level factors as modifiers of the association
      between warm-season temperature and pediatric asthma morbidity in Atlanta, GA.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: Previous studies have found associations between respiratory
      morbidity and high temperatures; however, few studies have explored associations
      in potentially sensitive sub-populations. METHODS: We evaluated individual and
      area-level factors as modifiers of the association between warm-season (May
      Sept.) temperature and pediatric respiratory morbidity in Atlanta. Emergency
      department (ED) visit data were obtained for children, 5-18 years old, with
      primary diagnoses of asthma or respiratory disease (diagnoses of upper
      respiratory infections, bronchiolitis, pneumonia, chronic obstructive pulmonary
      disease, asthma, or wheeze) in 20-county Atlanta during 1993-2012. Daily maximum
      temperature (Tmax) was acquired from the automated surface observing station at
      Atlanta Hartsfield International Airport. Poisson generalized linear models were
      used to estimate rate ratios (RR) between daily Tmax and asthma or respiratory
      disease ED visits, controlling for time and meteorology. Tmax effects were
      estimated for single-day lags of 0-6 days, for 3-, 5-, and 7-day moving averages
      and modeled with cubic terms to allow for non-linear relationships. Effect
      modification by individual factors (sex, race, insurance status) and area-level
      socioeconomic status (SES; ZIP code levels of poverty, education, and the
      neighborhood deprivation index) was examined via stratification. RESULTS:
      Estimated RRs for Tmax and pediatric asthma ED visits were positive and
      significant for lag days 1-5, with the strongest single day association observed
      on lag day 2 (RR=1.06, 95% CI: 1.03, 1.09) for a change in Tmax from 27 degrees C
      to 32 degrees C (25th to 75th percentile). For the moving average exposure
      periods, associations increased as moving average periods increased. We observed
      stronger RRs between Tmax and asthma among males compared to females, non-white
      children compared to white children, children with private insurance compared to
      children with Medicaid, and among children living in high compared to low SES
      areas. Associations between Tmax and respiratory disease ED visits were weak and
      non-significant (p-value>0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Results suggest socio-demographic
      factors (race/ethnicity, insurance status, and area-level SES) may confer
      vulnerability to temperature-related pediatric asthma morbidity. Our findings of
      weaker associations among children with Medicaid compared to other health
      insurance types and among children living in low compared to high SES areas run
      counter to our belief that children from disadvantaged households or ZIP codes
      would be more vulnerable to the respiratory effects of temperature. The potential
      reasons for these unexpected results are explored in the discussion.

PMID- 28342353
TI  - Preparation of a surface-grafted imprinted ceramic membrane for selective
      separation of molybdate anion from water solutions.
AB  - A surface-grafted imprinted ceramic membrane (IIP-PVI/CM) for recognizing
      molybdate (Mo(VI)) anion was prepared by surface-initiated graft-polymerization.
      Firstly, raw alumina ceramic membrane (CM) was deposited with SiO2 active layer
      by situ hydrolysis deposition method. Subsequently, gamma-methacryloxy propyl
      trimethoxyl silane (MPS) was used as a coupling agent to introduce double bonds
      onto the SiO2 layer (MPS-CM). Then, 1-vinylimidazole (VI) was employed as a
      functional monomer to graft-polymerization onto the MPS-CM (PVI-CM). During the
      graft-polymerization, the influence factors of grafting degree of PVI were
      investigated in detail. Under optimum conditions (monomer concentration 20wt%,
      temperature 70 degrees C, initiator amount 1.1wt% and reaction time 8h), the
      grafting degree of 20.39g/100g was obtained. Further, Mo(VI) anion was used as a
      template to imprint in the PVI-CM by employing 1,6-dibromohexane as a cross
      linking agent, and then Mo(VI) was removed, obtaining the IIP-PVI/CM with many
      imprinted cavities for Mo(VI). Thereafter, static adsorption and dynamic
      separation properties of IIP-PVI/CM for Mo(VI) were studied. Results indicate
      that IIP-PVI/CM shows a specific selectivity for Mo(VI) with the adsorption
      capacity of 0.69mmol/100g, and the selectivity coefficient of IIP-PVI/CM is 7.48
      for molybdate to tungstate anions. During the dynamic separation, IIP-PVI/CM has
      also good selectivity for separation of Mo(VI) and W(VI) anions.

PMID- 28342354
TI  - Integrated ion imprinted polymers-paper composites for selective and sensitive
      detection of Cd(II) ions.
AB  - Paper-based sensor is a new alternative technology to develop a portable, low
      cost, and rapid analysis system in environmental chemistry. In this study, ion
      imprinted polymers (IIPs) using cadmium ions as the template were directly
      grafted on the surface of low-cost print paper based on the reversible addition
      fragmentation chain transfer polymerization. It can be applied as a recognition
      element to selectively capture the target ions in the complex samples. The
      maximum adsorption capacity of IIPs composites was 155.2mgg-1 and the imprinted
      factor was more than 3.0. Then, IIPs-paper platform could be also applied as a
      detection element for highly selective and sensitive detection of Cd(II) ions
      without complex sample pretreatment and expensive instrument, due to the
      selective recognition, formation of dithizone-cadmium complexes and light
      transmission ability. Under the optimized condition, the linear range was changed
      from 1 to 100ngmL-1 and the limit of detection was 0.4ngmL-1. The results were in
      good agreement with the classic ICP-MS method. Furthermore, the proposed method
      can also be developed for detection of other heavy metals by designing of new
      IIPs.

PMID- 28342355
TI  - Pd nanospheres decorated reduced graphene oxide with multi-functions: Highly
      efficient catalytic reduction and ultrasensitive sensing of hazardous 4
      nitrophenol pollutant.
AB  - We illustrate a facile approach for in situ synthesis of Pd-gum arabic/reduced
      graphene oxide (Pd-GA/RGO) using GA as the reducing agent, which favors the
      instantaneous reduction of both Pd ions and GO into Pd nanoparticles (NPs) and
      RGO. From the morphological analysis of Pd-GA/RGO, we observed highly dispersed
      spherical 5nm Pd NPs decorated over RGO. The as-synthesized Pd-GA/RGO composite
      was employed for the catalytic reduction and the electrochemical detection of 4
      nitrophenol (4-NP), respectively. The catalytic reduction of 4-NP was highly
      pronounced for Pd-GA/RGO (5min) when compared to Pd NPs (140min) and Pd/RGO
      (36min). This enhanced catalytic activity was attributed to the synergistic
      effect of Pd NPs and the presence of various functional groups of GA.
      Significantly, the fabricated sensor offered a low detection limit (9fM) with a
      wider linear range (2-80 pM) and long-term stability. The simple construction
      technique, high sensitivity, and long-term stability with acceptable accuracy in
      wastewater samples were the main advantages of the developed sensor. The results
      indicated that the as-prepared Pd-GA/RGO exhibited better sensing ability than
      the other graphene-based modified electrodes. Therefore, the proposed sensor can
      be employed as a more convenient sensing platform for environmental and
      industrial pollutants.

PMID- 28342356
TI  - Heterogeneous oxidative desulfurization of diesel fuel catalyzed by mesoporous
      polyoxometallate-based polymeric hybrid.
AB  - In this work, the simple preparation of novel polymer supported polyoxometallates
      (POMs) catalysts has been reported. Soluble task-specific cross-linked poly
      (ionic liquid) (PIL) was prepared with N,N-dimethyl-dodecyl-(4-vinylbenzyl)
      ammonium chloride and divinylbenzene as co-monomers. The as-prepared cationic
      PILs were assembled with different commercial POMs to form the interlinked
      mesoporous catalysts, and the formation mechanism was provided. The catalytic
      oxidation activities of the catalysts were closely related to the formation
      pathway of their corresponding peroxide active species. The catalyst with
      H2W12O4210- as counterion, which exhibited the best activity in the oxidation of
      benzothiophene (BT) and dibenzothiophene (DBT) to sulfones in model oil with
      hydrogen peroxide (H2O2, 30wt%) as oxidant, was characterized by different
      techniques and systematically studied for its sulfur removal performance. As for
      the oxidative desulfurization of a real diesel, it was observed that almost all
      of the original sulfur compounds could be completely converted, and the catalyst
      could be reused for at least eight cycles without noticeable changes in both
      catalytic activity and chemical structure. In the end, a catalytic mechanism was
      put forward with the assistant of Raman analysis.

PMID- 28342357
TI  - Potential impact of methyl isobutyl ketone (MIBK) on phenols degradation in an
      UASB reactor and its degradation properties.
AB  - Methyl isobutyl ketone (MIBK) as a solvent is extensively used for the phenols
      extraction from the wastewater, so it is unavoidable to expose in the effluent
      due to the solubility and leakage problem. The present study evaluated the impact
      of MIBK on phenols degradation in an UASB reactor and analyzed its degradation
      properties. The results indicated that the continuous dosing (0.1gL-1) and impact
      (10gL-1) of MIBK had limited effect on phenols removal (1-2% reduction) in the
      UASB reactor, but the specific methanogenic activity (SMA) values of sludge
      decreased by 45-75% after MIBK exposure. Anaerobic degradation rate of MIBK
      fitted well to a pseudo-first-order kinetic equation with respect to the initial
      concentration of 35mgL-1 (k=0.0115h-1, R2=0.9664). Furthermore, the relative
      methane generation rate constants of MIBK were 0.00816, 0.00613, 0.00273, and
      0.00207d-1 at the initial concentrations of 0.1, 0.5, 5, and 10gL-1,
      respectively. MIBK showed higher inhibitory effect on the methanogenesis than on
      phenols degradation. This study pointed out that the industrial installations
      should consider the influence of solvent on anaerobic treatment of phenolic
      wastewater.

PMID- 28342358
TI  - Insight into highly efficient co-removal of p-nitrophenol and lead by nitrogen
      functionalized magnetic ordered mesoporous carbon: Performance and modelling.
AB  - Highly efficient simultaneous removal of Pb(II) and p-nitrophenol (PNP)
      contamination from water was accomplished by nitrogen-functionalized magnetic
      ordered mesoporous carbon (N-Fe/OMC). The mutual effects and inner mechanisms of
      their adsorption onto N-Fe/OMC were systematically investigated by sole and
      binary systems, and thermodynamic, sorption isotherm and adsorption kinetics
      models. The liquid-film diffusion step might be the rate-limiting step for PNP
      and Pb(II). The fitting of experimental data with Temkin model indicates that the
      adsorption process of PNP and Pb(II) involve physisorption and chemisorption.
      There exist site competition and enhancement of PNP and Pb(II) on the sorption to
      N-Fe/OMC. Moreover, N-Fe/OMC could be regenerated effectively and recycled by
      using dilute NaOH and acetone. These demonstrated superior properties of N-Fe/OMC
      indicate that it could be applied to treatment of wastewaters containing both
      lead and PNP.

PMID- 28342359
TI  - Synergetic effect between adsorption and photodegradation on nanostructured
      TiO2/activated carbon fiber felt porous composites for toluene removal.
AB  - The low quantum efficiency and limited adsorption efficiency of TiO2 makes it
      only fit for the removal of VOCs with low concentrations. Herein, we for the
      first time fabricated nanostructured TiO2/activated carbon fiber felt (TiO2/ACFF)
      porous composites by the in situ deposition of TiO2 microspheres on the carbon
      fibers in ACFF. Interestingly, the TiO2 microspheres exhibit hierarchical
      nanostructures constructed by nanocrystals as building blocks. The TiO2/ACFF
      porous composites possess excellent adsorption and photodegradation properties
      for toluene because of the synergetic effects between the nanostructured TiO2 and
      ACFF. The adsorption efficiencies of the TiO2/ACFF porous composites reach
      approximately 98% at the toluene concentration (<1150ppm) and approximately 77%
      even at the high concentration of 6900ppm. Moreover, the ACFF in the TiO2/ACFF
      porous composites significantly enhances photocatalytic property for toluene by
      hindering the recombination of electron-hole pairs, reducing the TiO2 band gap
      energy (Eg) to 2.95eV and accelerating toluene adsorption. At the toluene
      concentrations of 230ppm and 460ppm, the photocatalytic oxidation efficiency of
      toluene into CO2 arrives at 100% and 81.5%, respectively. Therefore, the
      TiO2/ACFF porous composites with synergetic adsorption and photocatalytic
      activities have great potentials for toluene removal.

PMID- 28342360
TI  - Ensemble-based release estimation for accidental river pollution with known
      source position.
AB  - Dispersion model is an important tool for decision makers to accurately assess
      risks and effectively plan countermeasures during river pollution accidents, but
      their applications suffer from significant modeling uncertainties, primarily due
      to the scarce information of the source. A fully sequential inverse estimation
      method is proposed to reconstruct the temporal release for accidental river
      pollution. The method is based on a one-dimensional advection-dispersion model in
      conjunction with the augmented ensemble Kalman filter method. Detailed analysis
      of the ensemble background error covariance (BEC) matrix is conducted to
      elucidate the "flow-dependent" mechanism, which enables the inversion method to
      simultaneously take into account the uncertainties in the hydrological parameters
      (mean flow velocity and longitudinal dispersion coefficient). The method is
      evaluated with six field tracer experiments with various mean flow velocities,
      ranging from 0.085 to 0.889ms-1, and also compared with the commonly used
      Tikhonov regularization inverse estimation method to demonstrate its performance
      improvement. The results indicate that it successfully reconstructs the temporal
      release and reduces the relative errors of the total release estimation by about
      12.4% on average compared with the Tikhonov method, since the errors caused by
      the uncertainties in mean flow velocity and longitudinal dispersion coefficient
      are effectively alleviated.

PMID- 28342362
TI  - The only thing that is constant is change: The 2016 revision to the World Health
      Organisation classification of myelodysplastic syndrome.

PMID- 28342361
TI  - Giant leiomyosarcoma of the rectum with lymph node metastasis: A case report and
      review of the literature.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: Leiomyosarcoma of the gastrointestinal tract is very rare, with a
      reported frequency of less than 0.1% of all malignancies of the colorectum. It is
      important to diagnose leiomyosarcoma definitively by immunohistochemical
      profiling of smooth muscle actin, desmin, and CD34. True leiomyosarcoma of the
      colorectum diagnosed by immunnohistochemical profiling is extremely rare that
      only 13 reports have been published in reviews of resected gastrointestinal
      mesenchymal tumors after 1998. In addition, lymph node involvement is rare in
      patients with leiomyosarcoma. Herein we report an aggressive case of LMS in a
      rectosigmoid lesion with lymph node metastasis. CASE PRESENTATION: A 76-year-old
      woman visited our hospital complaining of intermittent anal bleeding that had
      lasted 5 months. Image studies aiming at examining the cause of her anal bleeding
      revealed a tumor located between the right ovary, uterus, and the rectosigmoid.
      Histopathology of biopsied materials from the colonoscopy suggested a malignant
      tumor of mesenchymal origin. Surgical resection was performed with curative
      intent. The tumor was diagnosed as leiomyosarcoma by pathological examination.
      Moreover, one of the 31 regional lymph nodes retrieved was metastasized by
      leiomyosarcoma. Eight months later, follow-up CT scans revealed multiple
      recurrent lesions in the liver and peritoneum. Despite systematic chemotherapy,
      she deceased 12 months after the surgery. CONCLUSION: It is crucial to diagnose
      leioyosarcoma precisely based on immunohistochemistry, and thereby distinguish it
      from GIST. Although lymph node metastasis is rare, lymphadenectomy appears to be
      important for high-risk LMSs to perform R0 resection. Further investigation on
      leiomyosarcoma cases so far is required to establish standard treatment
      strategies.

PMID- 28342363
TI  - War during childhood: The long run effects of warfare on health.
AB  - This paper estimates the causal long-term consequences of an exposure to war in
      utero and during childhood on the risk of obesity and the probability of having a
      chronic health condition in adulthood. Using the plausibly exogenous city-by
      cohort variation in the intensity of WWII destruction as a unique quasi
      experiment, I find that individuals who were exposed to WWII destruction during
      the prenatal and early postnatal periods have higher BMIs and are more likely to
      be obese as adults. I also find an elevated incidence of chronic health
      conditions such as stroke, hypertension, diabetes, and cardiovascular disorder in
      adulthood among these wartime children.

PMID- 28342364
TI  - Therapeutic effect of quercetin in collagen-induced arthritis.
AB  - Quercetin, a bioactive flavonoid with anti-inflammatory, immunosuppressive, and
      protective properties, is a potential agent for the treatment of rheumatoid
      arthritis (RA). Collagen-induced arthritis (CIA) is the most commonly used animal
      model for studying the pathogenesis of RA. This study analysed the therapeutic
      role of quercetin in collagen-induced arthritis in C57BL/6 mice. The animals were
      allocated into five groups that were subjected to the following treatments:
      negative (untreated) control, positive control (arthritis-induced),
      arthritis+methotrexate, arthritis+quercetin, and
      arthritis+methotrexate+quercetin. Assessments of weight, oedema, joint damage,
      and cytokine production were used to determine the therapeutic effect of
      quercetin. This study demonstrated for the first time the anti-inflammatory and
      protective effects of quercetin in vivo in CIA. The results also showed that the
      concurrent administration of quercetin and methotrexate did not offer greater
      protection than the administration of a single agent. The use of quercetin as a
      monotherapeutic agent resulted in the lowest degree of joint inflammation and the
      highest protection. The reduced severity of the disease in animals treated with
      quercetin was associated with decreased levels of TNF-alpha, IL-1beta, IL-17, and
      MCP-1. In conclusion, this study determined that quercetin, which was non-toxic,
      produced better results than methotrexate for the protection of joints from
      arthritic inflammation in mice. Quercetin may be an alternative treatment for RA
      because it modulates the main pathogenic pathways of RA.

PMID- 28342365
TI  - The effects of propofol on the growth behavior of hepatoma xenografts in Balb/c
      mice.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: Studies on the effects of propofol on the growth of hepatoma
      xenografts in Balb/c mice. METHODS: In an effort to establish a hepatoma
      xenograft model of BALB/C mice, human hepatocellular carcinoma cells SMMC-7721
      were inoculated subcutaneously into BALB/C mice. Forty mice were randomly divided
      into five different groups (n=8): control group (C group), Intralipid group (Y
      group), low dose (50mg/kg) propofol group (P1 group), medium dose (100mg/kg)
      propofol group (P2 group) and high dose (150mg/kg) propofol group (P3 group). The
      tumor volume was measured before treatment and every 3days after treatment (T0d
      T18d, T0 represents time point before treatment, T3d-T18d represent time points
      every 3days after treatment for a total of 18 days). All mice were sacrificed
      19days after drug withdrawal. The tumor masses were extracted, weighed, and the
      tumor inhibition rate of propofol was calculated. The protein levels of matrix
      metalloproteinase-2 (MMP-2) and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) in the
      xenografted tumors were analyzed by immunohistochemistry staining. RESULTS: No
      statistical significance in the tumor volume at T0d (before treatment), T3d
      (3days after treatment), and T6d (6days after treatment) among the five groups
      (P>0.05) could be determined. Compared to group C, the tumor volumes in the P1,
      P2, and P3 groups were found to be significantly decreased in size upon
      increasing the propofol dosages (P<0.05). There was no statistical significance
      at time points T9d-T18d in group Y compared to group C (P>0.05). The tumor
      weights in the P1, P2, and P3 groups were found to be significantly lower as the
      propofol dosages increased (P<0.05), with no statistical significance determined
      in group Y (P>0.05). MMP-2 and VEGF protein levels were found to be significantly
      lower in the P1, P2, and P3 groups as the propofol dosages increased (P<0.05),
      with no statistical significance in group Y (P>0.05). CONCLUSION: Within a
      certain range, propofol was found to inhibit tumor growth and expression of MMP-2
      and VEGF proteins in hepatoma xenografts in BALB/C mice in a dose-dependent
      manner.

PMID- 28342367
TI  - Optimization of surface electrodes location for H-reflex recordings in soleus
      muscle.
AB  - The Hoffmann reflex (H reflex) is extensively used to investigate the spinal
      motor neuron excitability in healthy and pathological subjects. Obtaining a
      representative and robust amplitude estimation of the H reflex is of marked
      relevance in clinical as well as in research applications. As for the motor
      responses, this issue is strictly related to the electrode positioning,
      especially for large, pinnate muscles such as the triceps surae. In this study we
      investigated the effect of electrode position on soleus H-reflex amplitude. A
      grid of 96 electrodes was used to identify maximal H reflexes (Hmax) across the
      whole soleus region available for surface recording. The spatial distribution of
      Hmax amplitude detected in monopolar and single-differential derivations was used
      to determine where greatest reflex responses were detected from soleus. For both
      derivations and for all participants, largest Hmax were detected consistently
      over the central soleus region, in correspondence of the muscle superficial
      aponeurosis. Indeed, the amplitude of Hmax provided by conventional electrodes
      (1cm2 area, 2cm apart) located centrally was significantly greater (median: 35%
      for monopolar and 79% for single-differential derivations) than that obtained
      medially, where surface electromyograms are typically recorded from soleus.
      Computer simulations, used to assist in the interpretation of results, suggest
      the soleus pinnate architecture was the key determinant of the medio-lateral
      variability observed for the experimental Hmax. The presented results provide a
      clear indication for electrode positioning, of crucial relevance in applied
      studies aimed at eliciting H reflexes.

PMID- 28342368
TI  - Set up of cutoff thresholds for kinship determination using SNP loci.
AB  - The usefulness of single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) loci for kinship testing
      has been demonstrated in many case works, and suggested as a promising marker for
      relationship identification. For interpreting results based on the calculation of
      the likelihood ratio (LR) in kinship testing, it is important to prepare cutoffs
      for respective relatives which are dependent on genetic relatedness. For this,
      analysis using true pedigree data is significant and reliable as it reflects the
      actual frequencies of markers in the population. In this study, the kinship index
      was explored through 1209 parent-child pairs, 1373 full sibling pairs, and 247
      uncle-nephew pairs using 136 SNP loci. The cutoffs for LR were set up using
      different numbers of SNP loci with accuracy, sensitivity, and specificity. It is
      expected that this study can support the application of SNP loci-based kinship
      testing for various relationships.

PMID- 28342366
TI  - Discovery of new dual PPARgamma-GPR40 agonists with robust antidiabetic activity:
      Design, synthesis and in combo drug evaluation.
AB  - The design of compounds 1 and 2 was based on the similar scaffold of
      pharmacophoric groups for PPARgamma and GPR40 agonists. In order to find new
      compounds with improved biological activity, the current manuscript describes a
      new dual PPARgamma-GPR40 agonist. We synthesized two compounds, which were
      prepared following a multistep synthetic route, and the relative mRNA expression
      levels of PPARgamma, GLUT4, and GPR40 were quantified in cell culture, as well as
      insulin secretion and [Ca2+] intracellular levels. Compound 1 showed a 7-times
      increase in the mRNA expression of PPARgamma, which in turn enhanced the
      expression levels of GLUT4 respect to control and pioglitazone. It also showed an
      increase of 2-fold in the [Ca2+]i level allowing an increment on insulin release,
      being as active as the positive control (glibenclamide), causing also an increase
      of 2-fold in mRNA expression of GPR40. Furthermore, the compound 2 showed lower
      activity than the compound 1. The ester of 1 showed antidiabetic activity at a
      50mg/kg single dose in streptozotocin-nicotinamide-induced diabetic mice model.
      In addition, we achieved a molecular docking study of compound 1 on PPARgamma and
      GPR40 receptors, showing a great affinity for both targets. We observed important
      polar interactions between the carboxylic group and main residues into the
      binding pocket. Therefore, the compound 1 has a potential for the development of
      antidiabetic agents with newfangled dual action.

PMID- 28342369
TI  - Sensing properties of monolayer borophane nanosheet towards alcohol vapors: A
      first-principles study.
AB  - The electronic properties of borophane nanosheet and adsorption behavior of three
      distinct alcohol vapors namely methanol, ethanol and 1-propanol on borophane
      nanosheet is studied using density functional theory method for the first time.
      The state-of-the-art provides insights on to the development of new two
      dimensional materials with the surface passivation on boron nanostructures. The
      density of states spectrum provides a clear perception on charge transfer upon
      adsorption of alcohol vapors on borophane nanosheets. The monolayer of borophane
      band gap widens upon adsorption of alcohol vapors, which can be used for the
      detection for volatile organic vapors. The adsorption properties of alcohol
      vapors on borophane base material are analyzed in terms of natural bond orbital,
      average energy gap variation, adsorption energy and energy gap. The most suitable
      adsorption sites of methanol, ethanol and 1-propanol molecules on borophane
      nanosheet are investigated in atomistic level. The adsorption of alcohol
      molecules on borophane nanosheet is found to be more favorable. The findings
      suggest that the monolayer borophane nanosheet can be utilized to detect the
      presence of alcohol vapors in the atmosphere.

PMID- 28342370
TI  - Fabrication and tribological properties of nanogrids on CVD-grown graphene.
AB  - We have used atomic force microscopy (AFM) combined with an external sourcemeter
      to make patterns on CVD-grown graphene, and regular nanogrids have been
      fabricated on graphene by AFM tip-induced local oxidation. The friction and
      adhesion properties of graphene with the nanogrids have been characterized by the
      lateral mode of AFM and the results show that the friction force on the borders
      of nanogrid is higher than that on the normal area of graphene, yet the adhesion
      force on the nanogrids decrease slightly due to the change of surface roughness.

PMID- 28342371
TI  - Contrast enhancement with uranyl acetate allows quantitative analysis of the
      articular cartilage by microCT: Application to mandibular condyles in the BTX rat
      model of disuse.
AB  - Microcomputed tomography (microCT) is well adapted to quantitative analysis of
      calcified tissues but soft tissues (such as cartilage) are radiolucent and need a
      contrast enhancement procedure for microCT. We developed a "staining" method
      allowing microCT imaging of articular cartilage using uranyl acetate (UA). The
      method was used to see whether adult rats with a botulinum toxin (BTX) injection
      in masticatory muscles present a change at the condylar cartilage of the mandible
      in association with a localized trabecular bone loss. Human femoral head samples
      were used to develop the enhanced contrast method using UA or lanthanides
      (recently proposed as a substitute for UA). The method was then applied to the
      condylar cartilage of rat mandibles. Mature male rats (n=11) were randomized into
      2 groups: control (CTRL; n=4) and BTX group (n=7). Rats of the BTX group received
      a single injection of BTX into the right M. Masseter and M. Temporalis. Rats of
      the CTRL group were similarly injected with saline. Rats were sacrificed 4 weeks
      after injection. Condyles were harvested, fixed in formalin and immersed in UA.
      MicroCT was performed for bone and cartilage measurements. After UA impregnation,
      articular cartilage of human femoral head samples was clearly seen on its full
      thickness whereas lanthanides produced a much less pronounced contrast, with a
      faint labeling at the upper layer. In BTX rats, microCT analysis showed a
      significant bone loss at the right condyles. After UA, the whole thickness of
      articular cartilage was clearly evidenced. Cartilage thickness measurement showed
      no difference when comparing the right with the left sides of the BTX group nor
      between the two sides of the CTRL group. Contrast enhancement with UA is a simple
      technique allowing quantitative analysis of cartilage by microCT.290 words.

PMID- 28342372
TI  - Comparison of three sequential extraction procedures for arsenic fractionation in
      highly polluted sites.
AB  - Three sequential extraction procedures (SEPs) including Tessier, Rauret, and
      Shiowatana SEPs, were compared for arsenic fractionation using highly polluted
      soils. In the definition context of exchangeable, reducible, oxidizable and
      residual fractions, with similar arsenic recovery and reproducibility, Tessier
      and Rauret SEPs were comparable to each other, whereas Shiowatana SEP showed
      higher extraction efficiency in all the first three arsenic fractions, although
      it might overestimate the reducible arsenic. Pot experiment indicated three SEPs
      all could provide an estimation of the most bioavailable arsenic fraction, and
      the application of Shiowatana SEP should be preferred. Accordingly, a case study
      with Shiowatana SEP for a site near a realgar mine area is conducted. The results
      show that although arsenic in this area presents predominantly in the stable
      fractions, the sum of most bioavailable fractions was accounted around 11% of
      total arsenic, and moreover, about another 10% of the total arsenic, the fourth
      fraction in Shiowatana SEP is likely to be transferred into bioavailable species
      under suitable conditions, such as strong acid impact, revealing a real major
      risk source being formed. The study indicated that Shiowatana should be more
      suitable for arsenic fractionation to provide valuable information in the
      framework of risk assessment.

PMID- 28342373
TI  - Using quantum chemical modeling and calculations for evaluation of cellulose
      potential for estrogen micropollutants removal from water effluents.
AB  - This paper is devoted to investigate the suitability of cellulose for estrogens
      micropollutants removal from water effluent. For this purpose, the sorption of
      eight estrogens including Estradiol, Estrone, Testosterone, Progesterone,
      Estriol, Mestranol, Ethinylestradiol and Diethylstilbestrol were investigated.
      The charge density profiles and sorption curves were obtained and discussed using
      quantum chemical calculations where the Accelrys Materials Studio software and
      COSMO-SAC model were employed. The geometry optimization of compound molecule and
      energy minimizations was performed using the Dmol3 Module and density functional
      theory of generalized gradient approximate and Volsko-Wilk-Nusair functional. We
      found that cellulose cannot be a reliable choice of sorbent for removal of
      Estrone and Estradiol, but it is a poor choice of sorbent for removal of Estriol,
      Ethinylestradiol. Cellulose can be used for Diethylstilbestrol, Mestranol,
      Testosterone and Progesterone removal from estrogens containing effluents.

PMID- 28342375
TI  - Nanozyme-based bio-barcode assay for high sensitive and logic-controlled specific
      detection of multiple DNAs.
AB  - Since HCV and HIV share a common transmission path, high sensitive detection of
      HIV and HCV gene is of significant importance to improve diagnosis accuracy and
      cure rate at early stage for HIV virus-infected patients. In our investigation, a
      novel nanozyme-based bio-barcode fluorescence amplified assay is successfully
      developed for simultaneous detection of HIV and HCV DNAs with excellent
      sensitivity in an enzyme-free and label-free condition. Here, bimetallic
      nanoparticles, PtAuNPs, present outstanding peroxidase-like activity and act as
      barcode to catalyze oxidation of nonfluorescent substrate of amplex red (AR) into
      fluorescent resorufin generating stable and sensitive "Turn On" fluorescent
      output signal, which is for the first time to be integrated with bio-barcode
      strategy for fluorescence detection DNA. Furthermore, the provided strategy
      presents excellent specificity and can distinguish single-base mismatched mutant
      from target DNA. What interesting is that cascaded INHIBIT-OR logic gate is
      integrated with biosensors for the first time to distinguish individual target
      DNA from each other under logic function control, which presents great
      application in development of rapid and intelligent detection.

PMID- 28342374
TI  - Accumulation of alpha-hexabromocyclododecane (alpha-HBCDD) in tissues of fast-
      and slow-growing broilers (Gallus domesticus).
AB  - The aim of the current study was to describe the fate of ingested alpha
      hexabromocyclododecane (alpha-HBCDD) in fast-growing (FG) and slow-growing (SG)
      broilers, through an exposure to a dietary concentration of 50 ng alpha-HBCDD g-1
      feed during 42 and 84 days, respectively. Depuration parameters were assessed in
      SG broilers successively exposed during 42 days and depurated during 42 days. At
      market age, SG broilers had ingested 42% more feed than FG broilers, while their
      body weight gain per g of feed ingested was 34% lower. No isomerization of alpha-
      to beta- or gamma-HBCDD forms occurred, while OH-HBCDD was identified as a
      product of alpha-HBCDD metabolism. Irrespective of the strain, abdominal fat
      displayed the highest alpha-HBCDD concentration on a lipid weight basis, followed
      leg muscles and then breast muscle, liver and plasma. The accumulation ratios of
      alpha-HBCDD were slightly higher in SG (6.7, 2.1, 2.6 and 9.9 in leg muscles,
      breast muscle, liver and abdominal fat, respectively) than in FG broilers (5.2,
      2.2, 1.1 and 8.4, respectively). The elimination half-lives in SG broilers were
      20, 12 and 19 d in leg muscles, breast muscle and abdominal fat, respectively, to
      which dilution through growth contributed for around 50%. The overall
      assimilation efficiency of alpha-HBCDD was estimated at 58 and 50% in FG and SG
      broilers, respectively, while 22 and 17% of alpha-HBCDD ingested were estimated
      to be eliminated in excreta as metabolites.

PMID- 28342376
TI  - Label-free silicon nanodots featured ratiometric fluorescent aptasensor for
      lysosomal imaging and pH measurement.
AB  - The homeostasis of lysosomal pH is crucial in cell physiology. Developing small
      fluorescent nanosensors for lysosome imaging and ratiometric measurement of pH is
      highly demanded yet challenging. Herein, a pH-sensitive fluorescein tagged
      aptamer AS1411 has been utilized to covalently modify the label-free fluorescent
      silicon nanodots via a crosslinker for construction of a ratiometric pH
      biosensor. The established aptasensor exhibits the advantages of ultrasmall size,
      hypotoxicity, excellent pH reversibility and good photostability, which favors
      its application in an intracellular environment. Using human breast MCF-7 cancer
      cells and MCF-10A normal cells as the model, this aptasensor shows cell
      specificity for cancer cells and displays a wide pH response range of 4.5-8.0 in
      living cells. The results demonstrate that the pH of MCF-7 cells is 5.1, which is
      the expected value for acidic organelles. Lysosome imaging and accurate
      measurement of pH in MCF-7 cells have been successfully conducted based on this
      nanosensor via fluorescent microscopy and flow cytometry.

PMID- 28342377
TI  - Live cell biosensing platforms using graphene-based hybrid nanomaterials.
AB  - A novel strategy to precisely detect or monitor various biomaterials in living
      cells poses paramount importance in understanding cellular processes. Graphene, a
      newly emerged two-dimensional carbon material, has been widely utilized for
      biosensors owing to its multifarious characteristics including mechanical,
      electrical, and optical properties (e.g. stability, conductivity, fluorescence
      quenching and photoluminescence). In addition, graphene derivatives and their
      innate characteristics, such as biocompatibility low cytotoxicity and water
      solubility have facilitated the use of graphene-based materials for live cell
      biosensing, wherein graphene is utilized as a core material by itself or in
      combination with other functional nanomaterials to load target-specific probes,
      fluorescent dyes, and other signaling molecules. Such graphene-based hybrid
      nanomaterials have been employed to detect various cellular entities in living
      cells, including ions, biomolecules, genetic molecules, proteins, enzymes, and
      even whole cells. The following review will discuss a number of previous studies
      in which graphene-based hybrid constructs were used for live cell biosensing, and
      their potential applications in cancer research and stem cell therapy.

PMID- 28342378
TI  - Elevated triglyceride levels are associated with cognitive impairments among
      patients with major depressive disorder.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Cognitive deficits have been identified as one of core clinical
      symptoms of major depressive disorder (MDD). Accumulating evidence indicated that
      triglycerides (TG) might be associated with MDD and cognitive decline. OBJECTIVE:
      This study examined whether patients with MDD had poorer cognitive functions than
      healthy controls, and further investigate whether TG levels were involved in MDD,
      and its cognitive impairments in a Han Chinese population. METHOD: 115 patients
      with MDD and 119 healthy controls were enrolled. Cognitive functions were
      assessed by the Repeatable Battery for the Assessment of Neuropsychological
      Status (RBANS), and serum TG levels were examined using enzymatic colorimetry.
      RESULTS: TG levels were higher in patients with MDD than healthy controls after
      controlling for the variables. Cognitive test scores were lower in patients with
      MDD than healthy controls except for visuospatial/constructional index after
      controlling for the variables. TG levels were negatively correlated with
      visuospatial/constructional score, delayed memory score and RBANS total score of
      MDD. Further multivariate regression analysis showed that TG levels were
      negatively associated with visuospatial/constructional score, attention score,
      delayed memory score and RBANS total score of MDD. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings
      supported that serum TG levels might be involved in MDD, and play an important
      role in cognitive impairments of MDD, especially in delayed memory. Moreover,
      patients with MDD experienced greater cognitive impairments than healthy controls
      except for visuospatial/constructional index.

PMID- 28342379
TI  - Association of social support and quality of life among people with schizophrenia
      receiving community psychiatric service: A cross-sectional study.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: To understand the needs of patients with schizophrenia for recovery,
      this study examined the type and level of social support and its association with
      quality of life (QOL) among this group of patients in the city of Kuala Lumpur.
      METHOD: A cross-sectional study was conducted on 160 individuals with
      schizophrenia receiving community psychiatric services in Hospital Kuala Lumpur
      (HKL). The WHOQOL-BREF, Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale (BPRS) and
      Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support (MSPSS) were used to assess
      QOL, severity of symptoms and social support, respectively. The study respondents
      were predominantly Malay, aged less than 40, males, single, unmarried, had lower
      education levels and unemployed. RESULTS: About 72% of the respondents had poor
      perceived social support, with support from significant others being the lowest,
      followed by friends and family. From multiple regression analysis, social support
      (total, friend and family) significantly predicted better QOL in all domains;
      [B=0.315 (p<0.001), B=0.670 (p<0.001), B=0.257 (p<0.031)] respectively in
      Physical Domain; [B=0.491 (p<0.001), B=0.735 (p<0.001), B=0.631 (p<0.001)] in
      Psychological Domain; [B=1.065 (p<0.001), B=0.670 (p<0.017), B=2.076 (p<0.001)]
      in Social Domain and; [B=0.652 (p<0.001), B=1.199 (p<0.001), B=0.678 (p<0.001)]
      in Environmental Domain. Being married and having shorter duration of illness,
      lower BPRS (total) scores, female gender and smoking, were also found to
      significantly predict higher QOL. CONCLUSION: Social support is an important
      missing component among people with schizophrenia who are already receiving
      formal psychiatric services in Malaysia.

PMID- 28342380
TI  - Optimization of the Compton camera for measuring prompt gamma rays in boron
      neutron capture therapy.
AB  - Optimization of the Compton camera for measuring prompt gamma rays (0.478MeV)
      emitted during boron neutron capture therapy (BNCT) was performed with Geant4.
      The parameters of the Compton camera were determined as follows: 3cm thick - 10cm
      wide scatter detector (Silicon), 10cm thick - 10cm wide absorber detector
      (Germanium), and 1cm distance between the scatter and absorber detectors. For a
      typical brain tumor treatment, the overall detection efficiency of the optimized
      Compton camera was approximately 0.1425% using the Snyder's head phantom with a
      sphere tumor (4cm diameter and ~1cm depth).

PMID- 28342381
TI  - Dosimetry verification of radioactive seed implantation for malignant tumors
      assisted by 3D printing individual templates and CT guidance.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: We compared the dose distributions of postoperative plans with
      preoperative plans for 3D printing template-assisted radioactive seed
      implantations. METHODS: A total of 14 patients with malignant tumors enrolled in
      the study. The dose parameters included D90, minimum peripheral dose, V100, V150,
      and V200. The statistical method was the paired t-test. RESULTS: There was no
      significant difference in P values between the two groups for all parameters
      except for V100. CONCLUSIONS: The 3D printing guide template can provide good
      accuracy for radioactive seed implantation.

PMID- 28342382
TI  - Words cluster phonetically beyond phonotactic regularities.
AB  - Recent evidence suggests that cognitive pressures associated with language
      acquisition and use could affect the organization of the lexicon. On one hand,
      consistent with noisy channel models of language (e.g., Levy, 2008), the
      phonological distance between wordforms should be maximized to avoid perceptual
      confusability (a pressure for dispersion). On the other hand, a lexicon with high
      phonological regularity would be simpler to learn, remember and produce (e.g.,
      Monaghan et al., 2011) (a pressure for clumpiness). Here we investigate wordform
      similarity in the lexicon, using measures of word distance (e.g., phonological
      neighborhood density) to ask whether there is evidence for dispersion or
      clumpiness of wordforms in the lexicon. We develop a novel method to compare
      lexicons to phonotactically-controlled baselines that provide a null hypothesis
      for how clumpy or sparse wordforms would be as the result of only phonotactics.
      Results for four languages, Dutch, English, German and French, show that the
      space of monomorphemic wordforms is clumpier than what would be expected by the
      best chance model according to a wide variety of measures: minimal pairs, average
      Levenshtein distance and several network properties. This suggests a fundamental
      drive for regularity in the lexicon that conflicts with the pressure for words to
      be as phonologically distinct as possible.

PMID- 28342383
TI  - Own attractiveness and perceived relationship quality shape sensitivity in
      women's memory for other men on the attractiveness dimension.
AB  - Although recent work suggests that opposite-sex facial attractiveness is less
      salient in memory when individuals are in a committed romantic relationship,
      romantic relationship quality can vary over time. In light of this, we tested
      whether activating concerns about romantic relationship quality strengthens
      memory for attractive faces. Partnered women were exposed briefly to faces
      manipulated in shape cues to attractiveness before either being asked to think
      about a moment of emotional closeness or distance in their current relationship.
      We measured sensitivity in memory for faces as the extent to which they
      recognized correct versions of studied faces over versions of the same person
      altered to look either more or less-attractive than their original (i.e.,
      studied) version. Contrary to predictions, high relationship quality strengthened
      hit rate for faces regardless of the sex or attractiveness of the face. In
      general, women's memories were more sensitive to attractiveness in women, but
      were biased toward attractiveness in male faces, both when responding to
      unfamiliar faces and versions of familiar faces that were more attractive than
      the original male identity from the learning phase. However, findings varied
      according to self-rated attractiveness and a psychometric measure of the quality
      of their current relationship. Attractive women were more sensitive to
      attractiveness in men, while their less-attractive peers had a stronger bias to
      remember women as more-attractive and men as less-attractive than their original
      image respectively. Women in better-quality romantic relationships had stronger
      positive biases toward, and false memories for, attractive men. Our findings
      suggest a sophisticated pattern of sensitivity and bias in women's memory for
      facial cues to quality that varies systematically according to factors that may
      alter the costs of female mating competition ('market demand') and relationship
      maintenance.

PMID- 28342384
TI  - Utility and diagnostic accuracy of bedside lung ultrasonography during medical
      emergency team (MET) activations for respiratory deterioration.
AB  - PURPOSE: We investigated the feasibility and diagnostic accuracy of lung
      ultrasonography during medical emergency team (MET) activations for respiratory
      deterioration. MATERIAL AND METHODS: We performed a prospective study of
      inpatients requiring MET evaluation for respiratory decompensation. A blinded
      investigator recorded videos of lung and lower extremity ultrasonography. The
      videos were reviewed by blinded investigators to determine a ultrasonography
      diagnosis. The accuracy of MET diagnosis and ultrasonography diagnosis were
      compared to the final diagnosis determined by retrospective chart review.
      RESULTS: The ultrasound exam was completed in 49/50 (98%) patients enrolled in
      the study with a mean duration of 13+/-4min. When excluding six cases that were
      not amenable to diagnosis by our algorithm, we report a lung ultrasonography
      diagnostic accuracy of 84% (37/44) which is similar to the accuracy of the MET
      clinical diagnosis of 75% (33/44) (p=0.29). Furthermore, we report in 28/37 (76%)
      of cases where the lung ultrasonography diagnosis was correct, patients may have
      received inappropriate therapies. CONCLUSIONS: Lung ultrasonography can be
      rapidly performed in the majority of patients with MET activation for respiratory
      deterioration. As an independent diagnostic test, lung ultrasonography is non
      inferior to the MET clinical assessment and may prevent unnecessary treatments if
      used simultaneously.

PMID- 28342385
TI  - Follow-up at two years of age and early predictors of non-compliance in a cohort
      of very preterm infants.
AB  - AIM: To examine the rates of follow-up at two years of age and perinatal factors
      associated with non-compliance in an observational population-based cohort of
      very preterm children enrolled in a routine follow-up program. METHOD: Data
      review of infants born between 2008 and 2012 in the Observatoire de La Grande
      Prematurite, Reunion Island cohort. All singletons born alive before 33weeks of
      gestational age and resident on the island at two years of age were included.
      Patients were considered compliant if they were timely evaluated between 20
      28months of age, or non-compliant if they were not evaluated or evaluated after
      28months of age. RESULTS: Of the 802 survivors (mean gestational age of 30.3+/
      2.0months, mean birthweight of 1364+/-396g), 468 (58.4%) were examined between 20
      28months, 119 (14.8%) after 28months of age, and 215 (26.8%) were never
      evaluated, respectively. In multivariate analysis, factors associated with non
      compliance were higher parity (>2), past history of preterm delivery, maternal
      diabetes (preexisting or gestational), appropriate for gestational status, and
      centre of birth. CONCLUSION: Sustainable follow-up of vulnerable neonates remains
      a challenge in clinical practice. Early predictors of non-compliance can be used
      to define individualized and local follow-up strategies in these infants at high
      risk for developmental disabilities.

PMID- 28342386
TI  - Association between environmental factors and emergency hospital admissions due
      to Alzheimer's disease in Madrid.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: There are scarce studies of time series that analysed the short
      term association between emergency hospital admissions due to Alzheimer's disease
      (AD) and environmental factors. The objective is to analyse the effect of heat
      waves, noise and air pollutants on urgent hospital admissions due to AD in
      Madrid. METHODS: Longitudinal ecological time series study was performed. The
      dependent variable was the emergency AD hospital admissions occurred in Madrid
      during the period 2001-2009. Independent variables were: Daily mean
      concentrations (MUg/m3) of air pollutants (PM2.5 and PM10; O3 and NO2); maximum
      daily temperature ( degrees C) and daily and night noise levels (dB(A)). Relative
      Risk (RR) for an increment in interquartile range, and Attributable Risk (AR)
      values were calculated through GLM with Poisson link. RESULTS: Our findings
      indicated that only PM2.5 concentrations at lag 2 with a RR: 1.38 (95% CI: 1.15
      1.65); AR 27.5% (95% CI: 13.0-39.4); and heat wave days at lag 3 with a RR: 1.30
      (95% CI: 1.12-1.52); AR 23.1% (95% CI: 10.7-34.2) were associated with AD
      hospital admissions. CONCLUSION: A reduction in AD patients' exposure levels to
      PM2.5 and special care of such patients during heat wave periods could result in
      a decrease in both emergency AD admissions and the related health care costs.

PMID- 28342387
TI  - Isolation and characterization of a novel putative human polyomavirus.
AB  - The small double-stranded DNA polyomaviruses (PyVs) form a family of 73 species,
      whose natural hosts are primarily mammals and birds. So far, 13 PyVs have been
      isolated in humans, and some of them have clearly been associated with several
      diseases, including cancer. In this study, we describe the isolation of a novel
      PyV in human skin using a sensitive degenerate PCR protocol combined with next
      generation sequencing. The new virus, named Lyon IARC PyV (LIPyV), has a circular
      genome of 5269 nucleotides. Phylogenetic analyses showed that LIPyV is related to
      the raccoon PyV identified in neuroglial tumours in free-ranging raccoons.
      Analysis of human specimens from cancer-free individuals showed that 9 skin swabs
      (9/445; 2.0%), 3 oral gargles (3/140; 2.1%), and one eyebrow hair sample (1/439;
      0.2%) tested positive for LIPyV. Future biological and epidemiological studies
      are needed to confirm the human tropism and provide insights into its biological
      properties.

PMID- 28342388
TI  - Insights into the molecular and biological features of the dUTPase-related gene
      of bovine immunodeficiency virus.
AB  - This study was stimulated by our previous research of the dUTPase-related protein
      from bovine immunodeficiency virus (BIV) (Voronin et al., 2014). Despite the lack
      of detectable enzymatic BIV dUTPase activity (both of the recombinant protein and
      in virions), mutating the dUTPase gene was deleterious to viral production.
      However, cDNA synthesis and integration were apparently unaffected. Consequently,
      we have studied here two important issues. First, we showed that in cDNA produced
      by the dUTPase-mutated virions, the incidence of mutations was not higher than
      that found in wild-type BIV-infected cells. Second, single mutations, introduced
      in preserved dUTPase residues Asp48 and Asn57 (in the putative dUTPase active
      site or close to it), have led to abortive BIV infections (except for the
      conservative Asp48Glu mutation). Therefore, we postulate that the BIV dUTPase
      related protein has a critical role in retroviral replication at steps that take
      place after viral cDNA synthesis and integration.

PMID- 28342389
TI  - Pilot randomised controlled trial comparing the risk of neonatal respiratory
      distress in elective caesarean section at 38 weeks' gestation following a course
      of corticosteroids versus caesarean at 39 weeks.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: The objective of this study was to compare neonatal respiratory
      morbidity and rate of emergency caesarean section between elective caesarean
      sections at 38 gestational weeks following a course of corticosteroids and
      planned caesarean sections at 39 gestational weeks. MATERIAL AND METHODS: This
      was a multicentre randomised controlled trial. The study was conducted between
      2007 and 2013 in level 2 and 3 maternity units in France. A total of 208 women
      with an indication for elective caesarean section were enrolled and 200 analysed
      in per-protocol analysis. Women were randomised to either elective caesarean
      section at 38 gestational weeks after a course of corticosteroids (trial group)
      or elective caesarean section at 39 weeks (control group). The primary outcome
      was the rate of admission to the neonatal intensive care unit for respiratory
      distress. RESULTS: Two (2.1%) newborn in the tested group were admitted because
      of respiratory distress versus four (3.8%) in the control group. The relative
      risk was 0.54 in favour of the corticosteroid group (95% CI: 0.10; 2.86). There
      were fewer emergency caesareans in the trial group than in the control group: 12
      (12.69%) versus 28 (26.67%), p=0.01. CONCLUSIONS: Our study suggests that
      planning caesarean sections at 38 gestational weeks after a course of
      corticosteroids would enable a significant reduction in the number of emergency
      caesareans without increasing the risk of neonatal respiratory distress.
      Limitations of this study include difficulties in patient recruitment and the
      small number of subjects.

PMID- 28342390
TI  - Lidocaine gel versus plain lubricating gel for pain reduction during transrectal
      sonography (LIPS): A randomized controlled trial.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: To compare the efficacy and safety of lidocaine gel and plain
      lubricating gel in relieving pain during transrectal sonography (TRS) in patients
      with gynecologic problems. METHODS: A randomized controlled trial was conducted
      in 80 participants who were scheduled to undergo TRS. The participants were
      allocated into the lidocaine gel group and the aqueous gel group at a 1:1 ratio.
      The intensity of pain during TRS based on the visual analogue scale (0-10 points)
      and the adverse events were assessed and compared between the two groups.
      RESULTS: The two groups had similar demographic characteristics. Between the
      lidocaine and aqueous gel groups, there was no significant difference in the pain
      score at probe manipulation (4.04+/-2.14 vs. 4.21+/-2.79; P=0.868), as well as at
      baseline, probe insertion, and 5min after probe removal. The degree of
      acceptability of the sonographer also did not differ between the two groups. No
      acute and delayed adverse events was occurred. CONCLUSION: Intrarectal lidocaine
      gel for TRS provides no analgesic benefit compared with aqueous gel.

PMID- 28342391
TI  - Bartholin gland abscess during pregnancy: Report on 40 patients.
AB  - OBJECTIVE(S): To study the clinical and bacterial characteristic of Bartholin
      gland abscesses during pregnancy and the obstetric and neonatal outcomes. STUDY
      DESIGN: Retrospective cohort study of all patients with surgical treatment of
      Bartholin gland abscesses between 2004 and 2015 in our university center.
      Clinical and bacterial characteristics between pregnant and non-pregnant women
      were compared. RESULTS: During the period study, 156 patients were included (40
      pregnant and 116 non pregnant). The incidence of Bartholin gland abscesses during
      pregnancy was 0.13%. Eight (20%) abscesses occurred in the first, 18 (45%) in the
      second, 11 (47.5%) in the third trimester and 3 (7.5%) in the post-partum course.
      No severe perineal and neonatal infections occurred during pregnancy. One late
      miscarriage and one preterm delivery were observed. We found more multiparity in
      the pregnant woman group than in non-pregnant women (62.5% versus 45%, p<0.05). A
      history of Bartholin gland abscesses were also more frequent in pregnant women
      (55% versus 30.1%, p<0.05). First line antibiotic therapy was more frequent in
      non-pregnant women (20% versus 45%, p<0.05). The rate of positive culture did not
      differ between the two groups (70% versus 55.2%). Among negative pus cultures, no
      patient in the pregnant woman group had received a first line antibiotic therapy,
      in contrast with non-pregnant women (0% versus 25%, p<0.05). E. coli was the most
      common pathogen in the two groups (48.9% of positive cultures and 28.2% of the
      overall population). The distribution of bacterial taxa was not different between
      the two groups. CONCLUSION: Bacterial characteristics did not differ from non
      pregnant women. Pregnancy could increase the occurrence of Bartholin gland
      abscesses in patients with previous surgical treatment of abscesses. When
      appropriate management is applied, maternal and neonatal outcomes are favorable,
      and severe infections are not to be expected.

PMID- 28342392
TI  - Value of the 68Ga-DOTATATE PET-CT in the diagnosis of endometriosis. A pilot
      study.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: The non-invasive diagnosis of endometriosis remains challenging.
      Recent data suggested that somatostatin might be involved in its pathogenesis.
      High sensitive visualization of somatostatin receptors expression is possible
      using PET-CT imaging after the administration of a 68Ga-labeled somatostatin
      analog (DOTATATE) that will bind to the somatostatin receptor sub-types 2 and 5.
      The aim of the present study was to assess the usefulness of 68Ga-DOTATATE PET-CT
      in the diagnosis of endometriosis. STUDY DESIGN: This is a prospective, single
      center pilot study. A pre operative 68Ga-DOTATATE PET-CT was performed in all of
      the patients who presented with suspected endometriosis and who were scheduled
      for a laparoscopy. Surgical endometriosis staging and histopathological analysis,
      including somatostatin receptors SST1, 2 and 5 immunohistochemistry (IHC) of
      removed specimens, were confronted to the results of the 68Ga-DOTATATE PET-CT.
      RESULTS: 12 patients were included in this study. 68Ga-DOTATATE PET-CT performed
      pre operatively showed increased pathologic uptake in four patients with a deep
      infiltrating endometriosis (DIE) recto-vaginal lesion and in another patient with
      an adenomyoma. Expression of SST1, 2 and 5 receptors in surgical specimens was
      confirmed by IHC in these five lesions. Neither superficial peritoneal
      endometriosis, nor ovarian endometrioma were found to show an increased
      pathologic uptake on 68Ga-DOTATATE PET-CT. IHC analysis confirmed that SST1, 2,
      and 5 receptors were not present in these lesions. CONCLUSION: The results
      observed in this small size series of patients seem to confirm expression of
      somatostatin receptors only in recto-vaginal DIE and focal adenomyosis lesions.
      The usefulness of 68Ga-DOTATATE PET-CT in the diagnosis of this entity is
      uncertain. Future research should concentrate on studying the role of
      somatostatin in the pathogenesis of DIE.

PMID- 28342393
TI  - Embryo transfer day does not affect the initial maternal serum beta-hCG levels: A
      retrospective cohort study.
AB  - The aim of this study is to compare the serum beta-hCG values post transfer of a
      cleavage stage embryo versus a blastocyst stage embryo at equal time intervals
      post oocyte retrieval (OR) in clinically pregnant patients, and to ascertain a
      beta-hCG value to predict pregnancy outcomes. This is a retrospective cohort
      study of 560 women with clinical pregnancy who underwent an embryo transfer
      performed at either the cleavage stage or the blastocyst stage of embryo
      development between January 2003 and June 2014 at the Center for Assisted
      Reproduction (CARE), Singapore General Hospital. The serum beta-hCG level was
      measured on day 17 post OR. The beta-hCG values were not significantly different
      in the cleavage stage versus the blastocyst stage embryos (mean+/-SD: 387+/
      486IU/L D3 vs. 352+/-268IU/L D5, p=0.96, median value 297 in both groups). Our
      study suggests that the initial maternal serum beta-hCG values were not affected
      by the day of transfer of the embryos since assessing the beta-hCG at equivalent
      points after transfer should not lead to a significant difference assuming the
      progress and development of the embryos occurred as expected.

PMID- 28342394
TI  - Transvaginal laparoscopy: A minimally invasive approach to obtain brush cytology
      of the Fallopian tube.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: To evaluate in a prospective pilot study the feasibility of
      cytobrushing of the fimbrial end using a transvaginal endoscopic access. STUDY
      DESIGN: Prospective feasibility study. The procedure was performed in a
      consecutive series of 15 infertile women referred for a transvaginal laparoscopy
      as part of their fertility investigation. Tubal cells were collected using a 5Fr
      cytobrush. Cytology and immunocytochemistry was done. RESULTS: In all patients
      enough cell material was obtained for analysis, without traumatizing the fimbrial
      end. Specimens showed the presence of a sufficient amount of cells enabling
      standard cytologic examinations and immunocytochemistry (Ki 67, p53). CONCLUSION:
      Fimbrial cytobrushing using the transvaginal approach is an easy and minimally
      invasive procedure. The easy accessibility of the fimbrial end and the distal
      ampullary part at TVL allows an accurate collection of tubal epithelial cells. In
      view of the recent data reporting the Fallopian tube and more specifically the
      fimbrial end as a possible origin of ovarian carcinoma, further research is
      needed to evaluate the potential of this technique as a possible screening method
      for patients at risk for ovarian cancer.

PMID- 28342395
TI  - Longitudinal progression of fetal short-term variation and average acceleration
      and deceleration capacity after antenatal maternal betamethasone application.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: To analyze the effect of maternal betamethasone given for fetal lung
      maturation on fetal short-term variation (STV) and average acceleration and
      deceleration capacity (AAC/ADC). Both of these factors are calculated by phase
      rectified signal averaging (PRSA) and represent new parameters to assess the
      fetal autonomic nervous system. STUDY DESIGN: A longitudinal prospective study
      including 26 pregnant women at risk for preterm delivery was performed. Two
      injections of 12mg betamethasone were administered intramuscularly at a 24h
      interval for lung maturation. Cardiotocography recordings were performed at
      defined time intervals: day 0 (before the first injection) and days 1, 2, 4 after
      the first corticosteroid administration. AAC/ADC and STV were calculated.
      RESULTS: An increase of all parameters (STV, AAC and ADC) was documented between
      day 0 and day 1. Between day 1 and day 2, all three indices were significantly
      reduced (p<0.05). STV declined by 19.8%, AAC by 10.1% and ADC by 14.8%. A
      normalization of these values was seen after 96h. CONCLUSION: Similar to STV,
      AAC/ADC shows significant changes after maternal betamethasone administration.
      The corticosteroid-induced transient decrease of the levels needs to be taken
      into account in the assessment of the fetal status to avoid misinterpretation of
      these parameters.

PMID- 28342396
TI  - High-resolution cryo-EM: the nuts and bolts.
AB  - Cryogenic electron microscopy (cryo-EM) and single-particle analysis now enables
      the determination of high-resolution structures of macromolecular assemblies that
      have resisted X-ray crystallography and other approaches. Successful high
      resolution structure determination by cryo-EM always depends on the quality of
      the protein sample. While structural heterogeneity remains a key challenge for
      cryo-EM, it also represents a rare opportunity to study the intrinsic
      conformational flexibility of macromolecular assemblies. Here, we review the key
      technological advancements that have made this 'resolution revolution' possible
      and give a concise overview of the technical challenges that needed to be
      overcome to allow high-resolution structure determination.

PMID- 28342397
TI  - Conflict adaptation in positive and negative mood: Applying a success-failure
      manipulation.
AB  - Conflict adaptation is a cognitive mechanism denoting increased cognitive control
      upon detection of conflict. This mechanism can be measured by the congruency
      sequence effect, indicating the reduction of congruency effects after incongruent
      trials (where response conflict occurs) relative to congruent trials (without
      response conflict). Several studies have reported increased conflict adaptation
      under negative, as compared to positive, mood. In these studies, sustained mood
      states were induced by film clips or music combined with imagination techniques;
      these kinds of mood manipulations are highly obvious, possibly distorting the
      actual mood states experienced by the participants. Here, we report two
      experiments where mood states were induced in a less obvious way, and with higher
      ecological validity. Participants received success or failure feedback on their
      performance in a bogus intelligence test, and this mood manipulation proved
      highly effective. We largely replicated previous findings of larger conflict
      adaptation under negative mood than under positive mood, both with a Flanker
      interference paradigm (Experiment 1) and a Stroop-like interference paradigm
      (Experiment 2). Results are discussed with respect to current theories on
      affective influences on cognitive control.

PMID- 28342398
TI  - Novel phosphonate analogs of sulforaphane: Synthesis, in vitro and in vivo
      anticancer activity.
AB  - A library of over forty, novel, structurally diverse phosphonate analogs of
      sulforaphane (P-ITCs) were designed, synthesized and fully characterized. All
      compounds were evaluated for antiproliferative activity in vitro on Lovo and
      LoVo/DX colon cancer cell lines. All compounds exhibited high antiproliferative
      activity, comparable or higher to the activity of naturally occurring benzyl
      isothiocyanate and sulforaphane. Assessment of the mechanisms of action of
      selected compounds revealed their potential as inducers of G2/M cell cycle arrest
      and apoptosis. Further antiproliferative studies for selected compounds with the
      use of a set of selected cell lines derived from colon, lung, mammary gland and
      uterus as well as normal murine fibroblasts were performed. In vivo studies of
      the analyzed phosphonate analogs of sulforaphane showed lower activity in
      comparison with those of benzyl isothiocyanate. Our studies demonstrated that
      newly synthesized P-ITCs can be used for as a starting point for the synthesis of
      novel isothiocyanates with higher anticancer activity in the future.

PMID- 28342399
TI  - Design, synthesis and biological evaluation of PEGylated Xenopus glucagon-like
      peptide-1 derivatives as long-acting hypoglycemic agents.
AB  - In order to develop novel long-acting GLP-1 derivatives, a peptide hybrid (1a)
      from human GLP-1 and Xenopus GLP-1 discovered in our previous research was
      selected as the lead compound. Exendin-4 inspired modification resulted in
      peptide 1b with enhanced glucose-lowering activity. Cysteine mutated 1b
      derivatives with reserved bioactivity were further site-specifically connected
      with mPEG2000-MAL to provide conjugates 3a-h, among which 3d and 3e were found to
      have significantly improved hypoglycemic activity and insulinotropic ability than
      GLP-1. The hypoglycemic durations of 3d and 3e were remarkably prolonged to ~20 h
      in type 2 diabetic db/db mice, compared with the 5.3 h of exendin-4 in the same
      test. Finally, chronic in vivo studies revealed that a once-daily treatment of 3d
      or 3e for five weeks resulted in recovered glucose-controlling ability of type 2
      diabetic db/db mice, along with other benefits, such as reduced body weight
      gains, food intake amounts and HbA1c values. Collectively, our results suggest 3d
      and 3e as potential long-acting glucose-lowering agents for treating type 2
      diabetes.

PMID- 28342400
TI  - Using gene expression database to uncover biology functions of 1,4-disubstituted
      1,2,3-triazole analogues synthesized via a copper (I)-catalyzed reaction.
AB  - We have synthesized bioactive 1,4-disubstituted 1,2,3-triazole analogues
      containing 2H-1,4-benzoxazin-3-(4H)-one derivatives via 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition
      in the presence of CuI. All the reactions proceeded smoothly and afforded its
      desired products in excellent yields. Among these analogues, 3y exhibited a
      better cytotoxic effect on human hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) Hep 3B cells and
      displayed less cytotoxicity on normal human umbilical vein endothelial cells,
      compared with Sorafenib, a targeted therapy for advanced HCC. 3y also induced
      stronger apoptosis and autophagy. Addition of curcumin enhanced 3y-induced
      cytotoxicity by further induction of autophagy. Using gene expression signatures
      of 3y to query Connectivity Map, a glycogen synthase kinase-3 inhibitor (AR
      A014418) was predicted to display similar molecular action of 3y. Experiments
      further demonstrate that AR-A014418 acted like 3y, and vice versa. Overall, our
      data suggest the chemotherapeutic potential of 3y on HCC.

PMID- 28342401
TI  - Sudden gains in exposure therapy for obsessive-compulsive disorder.
AB  - Prior research in the treatment of depression and anxiety has demonstrated that a
      sudden reduction in symptoms between two consecutive sessions (sudden gain) is
      related to lower post-treatment symptom severity (e.g. Hofmann, Schulz, Meuret,
      Moscovitch, & Suvak, 2006; Tang & DeRubeis, 1999). However, only one study has
      examined sudden gains in the treatment of obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD). In
      that study, one-third of the patients with OCD experienced a sudden gain (Aderka
      et al., 2012). Further, patients who had a sudden gain had lower clinician-rated
      OCD symptom severity post-treatment (Aderka et al., 2012). In replication, the
      current study examined the frequency, characteristics, and clinical impact of
      sudden gains in 27 OCD patients during exposure and response prevention (ERP)
      therapy. Fifty two percent of patients experienced a sudden gain. The mean
      magnitude of a sudden gain represented, on average, 61.4% of total symptom
      reduction. Following treatment, individuals who had experienced a sudden gain
      were rated as less severe on the clinical global impression scale, but they did
      not experience a greater reduction in OCD symptoms (pre-to post-treatment) than
      those without a sudden gain. None of the pre-treatment characteristics tested
      were found to significantly predict whether a patient would have a sudden gain.
      Additional research examining predictors of, and patterns of, change in OCD
      symptoms is warranted.

PMID- 28342402
TI  - The effects of mindful learning on pro-environmental behavior: A self-expansion
      perspective.
AB  - This current article explores the differential effects of mindful learning on pro
      environmental behavior from the perspective of self-expansion. A total of 253
      participants were recruited for four experiments. In Study 1, the mindful
      learning group reported greater levels of pro-environmental behavioral intentions
      compared to a randomized control. In Study 2, we utilized different learning
      materials focusing on self, humans, or the biosphere in three sub-experiments.
      Study 2a manipulated mindsets by a self-related focus and revealed participants
      in a mindfulness condition had lower pro-environmental behavioral intentions than
      those in the mindlessness group. Study 2b centered on "humans" and results showed
      that participants in a mindfulness group reported higher levels of pro
      environmental behavioral intentions. Finally, Study 2c induced mindsets with a
      biospheric focus, showing participants in the mindful-learning condition had
      greater pro-environmental behavioral intentions. Combined, the studies provide
      empirical evidence that mindful learning could influence self-reported pro
      environmental behavioral intentions both positively and negatively.

PMID- 28342403
TI  - Fitting MAS NMR spectra in crystals with local disorder: Czjzek's vs. Maurer's
      model for 11B and 71Ga in polycrystalline gallium borate.
AB  - A comparative analysis of the Czjzek's and Maurer's models of the joint
      distribution density of NMR quadrupole parameters has been carried out in view of
      their application to account for spectra broadening induced by local disorder in
      crystals. As an example of such an application, we have considered Magic Angle
      Spinning NMR of 11B and 71Ga isotopes in polycrystalline gallium borate. Computer
      simulations carried out using both models unambiguously show that in the case of
      low local disorder the Maurer's model, in contrast to the Czjzek's model,
      provides satisfactory fits to experimental NMR spectra.

PMID- 28342404
TI  - Cognitive behavioural therapy and mindfulness based stress reduction may be
      equally effective in reducing anxiety and depression in adults with autism
      spectrum disorders.
AB  - Anxiety and depression co-occur in 50-70% of adults with autism spectrum disorder
      (ASD) but treatment methods for these comorbid problems have not been
      systematically studied. Recently, two ASD-tailored protocols were published:
      mindfulness based stress reduction (MBSR) and cognitive behavioural therapy
      (CBT). We wanted to investigate if both methods are equally effective in reducing
      anxiety and depression symptoms among adults with ASD. 59 adults with ASD and
      anxiety or depression scores above 7 on the Hospital Anxiety and Depression
      Scale, gave informed consent to participate; 27 followed the CBT protocol, and 32
      the MBSR treatment protocol. Anxiety and depression scores, autism symptoms,
      rumination, and global mood were registered at the start, at the end of the 13
      week treatment period, and at 3-months follow-up. Irrational beliefs and mindful
      attention awareness were used as process measures during treatment and at follow
      up. Results indicate that both MBSR and CBT are associated with a reduction in
      anxiety and depressive symptoms among adults with ASD, with a sustained effect at
      follow-up, but without a main effect for treatment group. A similar pattern was
      seen for the reduction of autistic symptoms, rumination and the improvement in
      global mood. There are some indications that MBSR may be preferred over CBT with
      respect to the treatment effect on anxiety when the scores on measures of
      irrational beliefs or positive global mood at baseline are high. Mindfulness and
      cognitive behavioral therapies are both promising treatment methods for reducing
      comorbid anxiety and depression in adults with ASD.

PMID- 28342405
TI  - Validation of the baking process as a kill-step for controlling Salmonella in
      muffins.
AB  - This research investigates the potential risk of Salmonella in muffins when
      contamination is introduced via flour, the main ingredient. Flour was inoculated
      with a 3-strain cocktail of Salmonella serovars (Newport, Typhimurium, and
      Senftenberg) and re-dried to achieve a target concentration of ~8logCFU/g. The
      inoculated flour was then used to prepare muffin batter following a standard
      commercial recipe. The survival of Salmonella during and after baking at 190.6
      degrees C for 21min was analyzed by plating samples on selective and injury
      recovery media at regular intervals. The thermal inactivation parameters (D and z
      values) of the 3-strain Salmonella cocktail were determined. A >=5logCFU/g
      reduction in Salmonella population was demonstrated by 17min of baking, and a
      6.1logCFU/g reduction in Salmonella population by 21min of baking. The D-values
      of Salmonella serovar cocktail in muffin batter were 62.2+/-3.0, 40.1+/-0.9 and
      16.5+/-1.7min at 55, 58 and 61 degrees C, respectively; and the z-value was
      10.4+/-0.6 degrees C. The water activity (aw) of the muffin crumb (0.928) after
      baking and 30min of cooling was similar to that of pre-baked muffin batter,
      whereas the aw of the muffin crust decreased to (0.700). This study validates a
      typical commercial muffin baking process utilizing an oven temperature of 190.6
      degrees C for at least 17min as an effective kill-step in reducing a Salmonella
      serovar population by >=5logCFU/g.

PMID- 28342406
TI  - Phase change heat transfer during cryosurgery of lung cancer using hyperbolic
      heat conduction model.
AB  - The paper reports a numerical study of phase change heat transfer process in lung
      cancer undergoing cryosurgery. A two dimensional hyperbolic bio-heat model with
      non-ideal property of tissue, blood perfusion and metabolism is used to analyze
      the problem. The governing equations are solved by finite difference method based
      on enthalpy formulation. Effects of relaxation time of heat flux in hyperbolic
      model on freezing process have been examined. A comparative investigation of two
      different models (hyperbolic and parabolic bio-heat models) is also presented.

PMID- 28342407
TI  - Music and natural sounds in an auditory steady-state response based brain
      computer interface to increase user acceptance.
AB  - Patients with total locked-in syndrome are conscious; however, they cannot
      express themselves because most of their voluntary muscles are paralyzed, and
      many of these patients have lost their eyesight. To improve the quality of life
      of these patients, there is an increasing need for communication-supporting
      technologies that leverage the remaining senses of the patient along with
      physiological signals. The auditory steady-state response (ASSR) is an electro
      physiologic response to auditory stimulation that is amplitude-modulated by a
      specific frequency. By leveraging the phenomenon whereby ASSR is modulated by
      mind concentration, a brain-computer interface paradigm was proposed to classify
      the selective attention of the patient. In this paper, we propose an auditory
      stimulation method to minimize auditory stress by replacing the monotone carrier
      with familiar music and natural sounds for an ergonomic system. Piano and violin
      instrumentals were employed in the music sessions; the sounds of water streaming
      and cicadas singing were used in the natural sound sessions. Six healthy subjects
      participated in the experiment. Electroencephalograms were recorded using four
      electrodes (Cz, Oz, T7 and T8). Seven sessions were performed using different
      stimuli. The spectral power at 38 and 42Hz and their ratio for each electrode
      were extracted as features. Linear discriminant analysis was utilized to classify
      the selections for each subject. In offline analysis, the average classification
      accuracies with a modulation index of 1.0 were 89.67% and 87.67% using music and
      natural sounds, respectively. In online experiments, the average classification
      accuracies were 88.3% and 80.0% using music and natural sounds, respectively.
      Using the proposed method, we obtained significantly higher user-acceptance
      scores, while maintaining a high average classification accuracy.

PMID- 28342408
TI  - Finite element method-based study for effect of adult degenerative scoliosis on
      the spinal vibration characteristics.
AB  - Finite element analysis was used to investigate the responses of five healthy
      subjects and five adult degenerative scoliosis (ADS) subjects to cyclic
      vibration. The dynamic responses of the healthy and scoliotic spines to the
      sinusoidal cyclic vibrations have been investigated in previous studies by
      simulation or experimental approaches. However, no simulation or experimental
      results were available for the ADS subjects. The effect of the ADS on the
      vibrational characteristics of spines remained unknown. The objective of this
      study was to compare differences of the dynamic responses to the cyclic vibration
      input between the healthy subjects and subjects with ADS. Based on the
      simulations results in this study, the scoliotic spines are more sensitive to the
      cyclic vibrations than the healthy spines. More resonant frequencies were
      predicted in the scoliotic spines than the healthy spines. The scoliotic
      deformity in the spine was to make the vibrational response of the spine
      significantly more complex at the apical scoliotic region. This study suggested
      that ADS could severely increase spinal response to the cyclic vibrations, which
      could potentially lead to further scoliotic deformity in the spine.

PMID- 28342409
TI  - Perceived health and alcohol use in individuals with HIV and Hepatitis C who use
      drugs.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Individuals who use illicit drugs are at heightened risk for HIV
      and/or Hepatitis C Virus (HCV). Despite the medical consequences of drinking for
      drug-using individuals with these infections, many do drink. In other studies,
      how individuals perceive their health relates to their engagement in risk
      behaviors such as drinking. However, among drug-using individuals with HIV and
      HCV, whether perceived health relates to drinking is unknown. OBJECTIVE: We
      examine the association between perceived health and drinking among drug-using
      individuals with HIV and/or HCV. METHODS: In a large, cross-sectional study, we
      utilized samples of individuals with HIV (n=476), HCV (n=1145), and HIV/HCV co
      infection (n=180), recruited from drug treatment centers from 2005 to 2013. In
      each sample, we investigated the relationship between perceived health and
      drinking, using ordinal logistic regressions. We present uncontrolled models as
      well as models controlled for demographic characteristics. RESULTS: Among samples
      of drug using individuals with HIV and with HCV, poorer perceived health was
      associated with risky drinking only when demographic characteristics were taken
      into account (Adjusted Odds Ratios: 1.32 [1.05, 1.67] and 1.16 [1.00, 1.34],
      respectively). In the smaller HIV/HCV co-infected sample, the association of
      similar magnitude was not significant (AOR=1.32 [0.90, 1.93]). CONCLUSIONS: Drug
      using patients with HIV or HCV with poor perceived health are more likely to
      drink heavily, which can further damage health. However, when demographics are
      not accounted for, these effects can be masked. Patients' reports of poor health
      should remind providers to assess for health risk behaviors, particularly heavy
      drinking.

PMID- 28342410
TI  - Transition to manual: Comparing simulator with on-road control transitions.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Whilst previous research has explored how driver behaviour in
      simulators may transfer to the open road, there has been relatively little
      research showing the same transfer within the field of driving automation. As a
      consequence, most research into human-automation interaction has primarily been
      carried out in a research laboratory or on closed-circuit test tracks. OBJECTIVE:
      The aim of this study was to assess whether research into non-critical control
      transactions in highly automated vehicles performed in driving simulators
      correlate with road driving conditions. METHOD: Twenty six drivers drove a
      highway scenario using an automated driving mode in the simulator and twelve
      drivers drove on a public motorway in a Tesla Model S with the Autopilot
      activated. Drivers were asked to relinquish, or resume control from the
      automation when prompted by the vehicle interface in both the simulator and on
      road condition. RESULTS: Drivers were generally faster to resume control in the
      on-road driving condition. However, strong positive correlations were found
      between the simulator and on road driving conditions for drivers transferring
      control to and from automation. No significant differences were found with regard
      to workload, perceived usefulness and satisfaction between the simulator and on
      road drives. CONCLUSION: The results indicate high levels of relative validity of
      driving simulators as a research tool for automated driving research.

PMID- 28342411
TI  - A simple reason explains why it is so difficult to assess groundwater ages and
      contamination ages.

PMID- 28342412
TI  - Bacterial community responses during a possible CO2 leaking from sub-seabed
      storage in marine polluted sediments.
AB  - Carbon capture and storage (CCS) is a viable option to reduce high concentrations
      of CO2 and mitigate their negative effects. This option has associated risks such
      as possible CO2 leakage from the storage sites. So far, negative effects deriving
      from a CO2 release have been reported for benthic macrofauna in both polluted and
      nonpolluted sediments. However, bacterial communities has no considered. In this
      work, risk assessment was carried out in order to evaluate the possible effects
      in a contaminated area considering bacterial responses (total number of cells,
      respiring activity, changes in the bacterial community composition and
      diversity). Four microcosms were placed into an integrated CO2 injection system
      with a non-pressurized chamber to simulate four different pH treatments (pH
      control 7.8, 7, 6.5 and 6). Results showed an impact on bacterial communities
      because of the CO2 treatment. Changes in respiring activity, community
      composition groups and diversity were found. This study highlights the use of
      respiring bacteria activity not only as bioindicator for environmental risk
      assessment and monitoring purposes but also as a bioindicador during a CO2
      leakage event or CO2 enrichment process among all the responses studied.

PMID- 28342413
TI  - Efficacies of biochar and biochar-based amendment on vegetable yield and nitrogen
      utilization in four consecutive planting seasons.
AB  - Biochar has been suggested as a potential tailored technology for mediating soil
      conditions and improving crop yields. However, the efficacies of biochar and
      biochar-based amendments (e.g., composted biochar) in agricultural soils under a
      rotation system remain uncertain. In this study, an arable soil was subjected to
      peanut shell biochar (PBC) and biochar-based amendment (PAD) combined with or
      without nitrogen (N) fertilizer to evaluate their effects on vegetable yield, N
      bioavailability, and their relative contribution to vegetable biomass in four
      consecutive planting seasons. PBC alone or in co-application with N fertilizer
      had little effect on vegetable yield, while PAD co-application with N fertilizer
      decreased vegetable biomass because of the inhibition of root morphology by
      excessive nutrient supply. PBC and PAD applications increased rhizosphere soil pH
      due to OH- and HCO3- release and NO3--N uptake. Although the addition of PAD
      increased soil N contents due to its high contents in PAD, it had little effects
      on N utilization efficiency (NUE) in the four seasons. The relative contribution
      of PBC, PAD, and their interaction with N fertilizer to biomass yield was
      maintained at a low level. Our results indicated that a biochar-based amendment
      (e.g., PAD) was a potential alternative to N fertilizer, but the ratio of biochar
      to additives should be managed carefully to generate optimal benefits. Notably,
      the efficacy of PAD on plant growth was closely associated with plant species,
      and further related research on different plants is encouraged.

PMID- 28342414
TI  - Impacts of soil incorporation of pre-incubated silica-rich rice residue on soil
      biogeochemistry and greenhouse gas fluxes under flooding and drying.
AB  - Incorporation of silica-rich rice husk residue into flooded paddy soil decreases
      arsenic uptake by rice. However, the impact of this practice on soil greenhouse
      gas (GHG) emissions and elemental cycling is unresolved particularly as amended
      soils experience recurrent flooding and drying cycles. We evaluated the impact of
      pre-incubated silica-rich rice residue incorporation to soils on pore water
      chemistry and soil GHG fluxes (i.e., CO2, CH4, N2O) over a flooding and drying
      cycle typical of flooded rice cultivation. Soils pre-incubated with rice husk had
      4-fold higher pore water Si than control and 2-fold higher than soils pre
      incubated with rice straw, whereas the pore water As and Fe concentrations in
      soils amended with pre-incubated straw and husk were unexpectedly similar
      (maximum ~0.85MUM and ~450MUM levels, respectively). Pre-incubation of residues
      did not affect Si but did affect the pore water levels of As and Fe compared to
      previous studies using fresh residues where straw amended soils had higher As and
      Fe in pore water. The global warming potential (GWP) of soil GHG emissions
      decreased in the order straw (612+/-76g CO2-eqm-2)>husk (367+/-42gCO2-eqm
      2)>ashed husk=ashed straw (251+/-26 and 278+/-28gCO2-eqm-2)>control (186+/-23gCO2
      eqm-2). The GWP increase due to pre-incubated straw amendment was due to: a)
      larger N2O fluxes during re-flooding; b) smaller contributions from larger CH4
      fluxes during flooded periods; and c) higher CH4 and CO2 fluxes at the onset of
      drainage. In contrast, the GWP of the husk amendment was dominated by CO2 and CH4
      emissions during flooded and drainage periods, while ashed amendments increased
      CO2 emissions particularly during drainage. This experiment shows that ashed
      residues and husk addition minimizes GWP of flooded soils and enhances pore water
      Si compared to straw addition even after pre-incubation.

PMID- 28342415
TI  - Initial report on methane and carbon dioxide emission dynamics from sub-Antarctic
      freshwater ecosystems: A seasonal study of a lake and a reservoir.
AB  - The sub-Antarctic Magellanic ecoregion is a part of the world where ecosystems
      have been understudied and where the CH4 cycling and emissions in lakes has not
      ever been reported. To fill that knowledge gap, a lake and a reservoir located at
      53 degrees S were selected and studied during three campaigns equally distributed
      over one year. Among the parameters measured were CH4 and CO2 emissions, as well
      their dissolved concentrations in the water column, which were determined with
      high spatial resolution. No ebullition was observed and the CH4 flux ranged from
      0.0094 to 4.47mmolm-2d-1 while the CO2 flux ranged from -22.95 to 35.68mmolm-2d
      1. Dissolved CH4 concentrations varied over more than four orders of magnitude
      (0.025-128.75MUmolL-1), and the dissolved carbon dioxide ranged from below the
      detection limit of our method (i.e., 0.15MUmolL-1) to 379.09MUmolL-1. The high
      spatial resolution of the methods used enabled the construction of bathymetric
      maps, surface contour maps of CH4 and CO2 fluxes, and transect contour maps of
      dissolved oxygen, temperature, and dissolved greenhouse gases. Overall, both
      lakes were net greenhouse gas producers and were not significantly different from
      temperate lakes located at a similar northern latitudes (53 degrees N), except
      that ebullition was never observed in the studied sub-Antarctic lakes.

PMID- 28342416
TI  - Joint carbon footprint assessment and data envelopment analysis for the reduction
      of greenhouse gas emissions in agriculture production.
AB  - Operations management tools are critical in the process of evaluating and
      implementing action towards a low carbon production. Currently, a sustainable
      production implies both an efficient resource use and the obligation to meet
      targets for reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. The carbon footprint (CF)
      tool allows estimating the overall amount of GHG emissions associated with a
      product or activity throughout its life cycle. In this paper, we propose a four
      step method for a joint use of CF assessment and Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA).
      Following the eco-efficiency definition, which is the delivery of goods using
      fewer resources and with decreasing environmental impact, we use an output
      oriented DEA model to maximize production and reduce CF, taking into account
      simultaneously the economic and ecological perspectives. In another step, we
      stablish targets for the contributing CF factors in order to achieve CF
      reduction. The proposed method was applied to assess the eco-efficiency of five
      organic blueberry orchards throughout three growing seasons. The results show
      that this method is a practical tool for determining eco-efficiency and reducing
      GHG emissions.

PMID- 28342417
TI  - The protective roles of TiO2 nanoparticles against UV-B toxicity in Daphnia
      magna.
AB  - Aquatic environments are increasingly under environmental stress due to
      ultraviolet (UV) radiation and potential inputs of nanoparticles with intense
      application of nanotechnology. In this study, we investigated the interaction
      between UV-B radiation and titanium nanoparticles (TiO2-NPs) in a model
      freshwater cladoceran Daphnia magna. UV-B toxicity to Daphnia magna was examined
      when the daphnids were exposed to a range of TiO2-NPs concentrations with an
      initial 5 or 10min of 200MUW/cm2 UV-B radiation. In addition, UV-B toxicity was
      also examined in the presence of TiO2-NPs in the body of daphnids. Our results
      demonstrated that the daphnid mortality under UV-B radiation decreased
      significantly in the presence of TiO2-NPs both in the water and in the body,
      indicating that TiO2-NPs had some protective effects on D. magna against UV-B.
      Such protective effect was mainly caused by the blockage of UV-B by TiO2-NPs
      adsorption. UV-B produced reactive oxygen species (ROS) in the water and in the
      daphnids, which was not sufficient to cause mortality of daphnids over short
      periods of radiation. Previous studies focused on the effects of TiO2-NPs on the
      toxicity of total UV radiation, and did not attempt to differentiate the
      potential diverse roles of UV-A and UV-B. Our study indicated that TiO2-NPs may
      conversely protect the UV-B toxicity to daphnids.

PMID- 28342418
TI  - Dynamics of runoff and sediment trapping performance of vegetative filter strips:
      Run-on experiments and modeling.
AB  - Vegetative filter strips (VFSs) are a labor-saving and cost-effective
      agricultural best management practice to trap water runoff and sediment from the
      source areas. They also provide forage and/or fuel and are therefore potentially
      profitable for land owners. VFSs are however a dynamic system: the runoff
      delivery ratio (RDR) and sediment delivery ratio (SDR) vary with growth stage and
      vegetation types. The impacts of vegetation characteristics as well as soil
      physical properties modified by vegetation growth, on the RDR and SDR of VFS were
      evaluated by a flume experiment. Two plant species (cocksfoot (Dactylis glomerata
      L.) and white clover (Trifolium repens L.)) were tested at three stages in the
      growing season of 2016 (May, July, and August). The measured RDR and SDR were
      compared with the simulated results from Vegetative Filter Strip Modeling System
      (VFSMOD). In the early stages of the growing season, the cocksfoot formed a dense
      network of stems with high strip Manning's roughness faster than white clover.
      The runoff and sediment trapping effects of the white clover VFS were greater
      than that of cocksfoot VFS in all the three stages (lower RDR and SDR). This is
      likely attributed to strongly tillering, creeping stem posture and high
      infiltration capacity of the white clover VFS. VFSMOD simulated the RDR and SDR
      reliably except under low vegetation coverage conditions (white clover in May).
      The results suggested that (1) both soil physical properties and vegetation
      characteristics should be considered for the species-specific, temporally
      variable performance of VFS; and (2) when using VFSMOD inform the VFS design,
      modelers should take the dynamics of vegetation, mainly through vertical
      saturated hydraulic conductivity, stem spacing and strip Manning's roughness into
      account, and select parameters that reflect the actual field conditions.

PMID- 28342419
TI  - Incorporating denitrification-decomposition method to estimate field emissions
      for Life Cycle Assessment.
AB  - This study focuses on a detailed Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) for flax cultivation
      in Northern France. Nitrogen related field emissions are derived both from a
      process-oriented DeNitrification-DeComposition (DNDC) method and the generic
      Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) method. Since the IPCC method is
      synthesised from field measurements at sites with various soil types, climate
      conditions, and crops, it contains significant uncertainties. In contrast, the
      outputs from the DNDC method are considered as more site specific as it is built
      according to complex models of soil science. As it is demonstrated in this paper
      the emission factors from the DNDC method and the recommended values from the
      IPCC method exhibit significant variations for the case of flax cultivation. The
      DNDC based emission factor for direct N2O emission, which is a strong greenhouse
      gas, is 0.25-0.5%, significantly lower than the recommend 1% level derived from
      the IPCC method. The DNDC method leads to a reduction of 17% in the impact
      category of climate change per kg retted flax straw production from the level
      obtained from the IPCC method. Much higher reductions are recorded for
      particulate matter formation, terrestrial acidification, and marine
      eutrophication impact categories. Meanwhile, based on the DNDC and IPCC methods,
      a comparative LCA per kg flax straw is presented. For both methods sensitivity
      analysis as well as comparison of uncertainties parameterisation of the N2O
      estimates via Monte-Carlo analysis are performed. The DNDC method incorporates
      more relevant field emissions from the agricultural life cycle phase, which can
      also improve the quality of the Life Cycle Inventory as well as allow more
      precise uncertainty calibration in the LCA inventory.

PMID- 28342420
TI  - Mapping vulnerability of multiple aquifers using multiple models and fuzzy logic
      to objectively derive model structures.
AB  - Driven by contamination risks, mapping Vulnerability Indices (VI) of multiple
      aquifers (both unconfined and confined) is investigated by integrating the basic
      DRASTIC framework with multiple models overarched by Artificial Neural Networks
      (ANN). The DRASTIC framework is a proactive tool to assess VI values using the
      data from the hydrosphere, lithosphere and anthroposphere. However, a research
      case arises for the application of multiple models on the ground of poor
      determination coefficients between the VI values and non-point anthropogenic
      contaminants. The paper formulates SCFL models, which are derived from the
      multiple model philosophy of Supervised Committee (SC) machines and Fuzzy Logic
      (FL) and hence SCFL as their integration. The Fuzzy Logic-based (FL) models
      include: Sugeno Fuzzy Logic (SFL), Mamdani Fuzzy Logic (MFL), Larsen Fuzzy Logic
      (LFL) models. The basic DRASTIC framework uses prescribed rating and weighting
      values based on expert judgment but the four FL-based models (SFL, MFL, LFL and
      SCFL) derive their values as per internal strategy within these models. The paper
      reports that FL and multiple models improve considerably on the correlation
      between the modeled vulnerability indices and observed nitrate-N values and as
      such it provides evidence that the SCFL multiple models can be an alternative to
      the basic framework even for multiple aquifers. The study area with multiple
      aquifers is in Varzeqan plain, East Azerbaijan, northwest Iran.

PMID- 28342421
TI  - Seasonal and soil-type dependent emissions of nitrous oxide from irrigated desert
      soils amended with digested poultry manures.
AB  - Expansion of dryland agriculture requires intensive supplement of organic
      fertilizers to improve the fertility of nutrient-poor desert soils. The
      environmental impact of organic supplements in hot desert climates is not well
      understood. We report on seasonal emissions of nitrous oxide (N2O) from sand and
      loess soils, amended with limed and non-limed anaerobic digestate of poultry
      manure in the Israeli Negev desert. All amended soils had substantially higher
      N2O emissions, particularly during winter applications, compared to unammended
      soils. Winter emissions from amended loess (10-175mgN2Om-2day-1) were markedly
      higher than winter emissions from amended sand (2-7mgN2Om-2day-1). Enumeration of
      marker genes for nitrification and denitrification suggested that both have
      contributed to N2O emissions according to prevailing environmental conditions.
      Lime treatment of digested manure inhibited N2O emissions regardless of season or
      soil type, thus reducing the environmental impact of amending desert soils with
      manure digestate.

PMID- 28342422
TI  - Synergistic desalination of potash brine-impacted groundwater using a dual
      adsorbent.
AB  - The impact of saline mining effluent has been a significant environmental
      concern. Natural and modified clay-mineral adsorbents have been receiving
      increasing attention for salinity reduction of brine-impacted water, especially
      for natural resource extraction sites and surrounding environments. In this
      study, a dual-adsorbent treatment based on the sequential application of calcined
      layered double hydroxide (CLDH) and acid-treated zeolite was developed, evaluated
      and characterized for the desalination of potash brine-impacted groundwater.
      Potash brine produced by conventional potash mining in Saskatchewan (Canada)
      contains a large amount of Na+, K+ and Cl-. The CLDH and acid-treated
      clinoptilolite zeolites were combined to sequentially remove Cl- and Na+. A
      series of batch adsorption experiments were conducted for synthetic saline water
      and potash brine-spiked groundwater using various combinations of adsorbents:
      natural zeolites (NZ) or acid-treated zeolites (AZ) with or without the CLDH
      pretreatment. The experiment revealed that the Na+ removal percentage was
      synergistically increased by the dechlorination pretreatment using CLDH, and
      further improved by AZ. The CLDH-AZ dual adsorbent achieved a Langmuir Na+
      adsorption capacity of 24.4mg/g, a significant improvement over conventional
      approaches to zeolite-based desalination. Using the brine-impacted groundwater
      with a high sodium adsorption ratio (SAR) of 13.3+/-0.1, the CLDH-AZ dual
      adsorbent decreased the concentrations of Na+, K+, and Cl- by 87, 97, and 87%,
      respectively (below drinking water standards). It also exhibited the additional
      advantages of neutralizing the effluent pH and decreasing the hardness, SAR, and
      total dissolved sulfur concentration. This study addresses the removal
      mechanisms, which are associated with the structural memory effect,
      dealumination, protonic exchanges, and zeolite porosity changes. Synchrotron
      based scanning transmission X-ray microscopy analyses provided visual evidence of
      sodium adsorption sites (SiONa and AlONa) associated with dealumination in the
      acid-treated zeolites. This study is the first report that demonstrates the
      synergy of the CLDH-AZ dual adsorbent treatment for potash brine-impacted water.

PMID- 28342423
TI  - A Bioinformatics approach to designing a Zika virus vaccine.
AB  - The Zika virus infections have reached epidemic proportions in the Latin American
      countries causing severe birth defects and neurological disorders. While several
      organizations have begun research into design of prophylactic vaccines and
      therapeutic drugs, computer assisted methods with adequate data resources can be
      expected to assist in these measures to reduce lead times through bioinformatics
      approaches. Using 60 sequences of the Zika virus envelope protein available in
      the GenBank database, our analysis with numerical characterization techniques and
      several web based bioinformatics servers identified four peptide stretches on the
      Zika virus envelope protein that are well conserved and surface exposed and are
      predicted to have reasonable epitope binding efficiency. These peptides can be
      expected to form the basis for a nascent peptide vaccine which, enhanced by
      incorporation of suitable adjuvants, can elicit immune response against the Zika
      virus infections.

PMID- 28342424
TI  - End-of-Life care in a community garden: Findings from a Participatory Action
      Research project in regional Australia.
AB  - This article presents findings from research that explored how a community garden
      might function as a place of end-of-life and bereavement support. Adopting
      Participatory Action Research (PAR) methods, and informed by Third Place theory
      and notions of therapeutic landscape, creative consultations were held in the
      Garden and people's homes. The findings provide insights into the nature of
      informal care as it is played out in the liminal garden space, between home and
      institution. The results illuminate the therapeutic landscape of community
      gardens, and contribute new understandings to the fields of PAR, health geography
      and end-of-life care.

PMID- 28342425
TI  - How Neighborhoods Influence Health: Lessons to be learned from the application of
      political ecology.
AB  - AIM: This paper articulates how political ecology can be a useful tool for asking
      fundamental questions and applying relevant methods to investigate structures
      that impact relationship between neighborhood and health. Through a narrative
      analysis, we identify how political ecology can develop our future agendas for
      neighborhood-health research as it relates to social, political, environmental,
      and economic structures. Political ecology makes clear the connection between
      political economy and neighborhood by highlighting the historical and structural
      processes that produce and maintain social inequality, which affect health and
      well-being. These concepts encourage researchers to examine how people construct
      neighborhood and health in different ways that, in turn, can influence different
      health outcomes and, thus, efforts to address solutions.

PMID- 28342426
TI  - Optical and electrochemical dual channel sensing of Cu2+ using functionalized
      furo[2,3-d]pyrimidines-2,4[1H,3H]-diones.
AB  - Owing to their easy accessibility and high degree of structural and functional
      diversity, many multicomponent reactions (MCRs) have been a rich source of
      conjugate pi-systems, functionalised chromophores (or fluorophore) and redox
      active molecules. Despite their high explorative potential and practical
      benefits, only a few MCR products have been so far investigated for their metal
      sensing abilities. In the present report, two furopyrimidinones (FPys) based
      molecular systems have been synthesized by [4+1] cycloaddition based MCR
      sequence. Designed chemosensors displayed optic (absorption spectra) as well as
      electroanalytical (ion selective electrode) response toward Cu2+ ion in solution
      and membrane phase respectively (dual channel sensing). Different aspects of both
      the sensing phenomena such as selectivity, association constants, detection
      limit, membrane composition etc. were studied in detail using UV-Vis
      spectroscopy, NMR titration and cell assembly. Both the compounds showed
      excellent performance characteristics such as high selectivity, acceptable
      affinity and low detection limits (10-7M) in both sensing assays with potential
      utility in the area of sample monitoring.

PMID- 28342427
TI  - Spectroscopic studies of the interaction mechanisms between mono-caffeoylquinic
      acids and transferrin.
AB  - Transferrin (Tf) is an important protein responsible for circulating and
      transporting iron into cytoplasm. Tf can be taken into cells through endocytosis
      mediated by Tf receptor, which usually overexpresses in cancer cells. The Tf-Tf
      receptor pathway opens a possible avenue for novel targeted cancer therapy by
      utilizing Tf-binding active compounds. Among which, anti-cancer active
      caffeoylquinic acids (CQAs) were recently found to be promising Tf-binders by our
      group. For better understanding the anti-cancer activities of CQAs, it is
      important to unveil the binding mechanisms between CQAs and Tf. In this study,
      the fluorescence quenching, surface plasmon resonance (SPR), circular dichroism
      (CD) and molecular docking were used to investigate the interactions between CQA
      and Tf. The results showed that the calculated apparent association constants of
      interactions between 1-, 3-, 4- and 5-CQA and Tf at 298K were 7.97*105M-1,
      4.36*107M-1, 6.58*105M-1 and 4.42*106M-1, respectively. The thermodynamic
      parameters indicated that the interaction between 1-, 3-, 5-CQA and Tf is due to
      H-bonding, and electrostatic interactions were likely involved in the binding of
      4-CQA and Tf. The CD results indicated that bindings of 1-CQA, 4-CQA and 5-CQA
      with Tf resulted in more stretched beta-turn and random coil translated from beta
      sheet. In contrast, 3-CQA led to more stable a-helix conformation. Molecular
      docking studies of CQAs with Tf further displayed that CQAs were able to interact
      with residues near Fe3+ binding site. The spectroscopic studies revealed the
      action mechanisms, thermodynamics and interacting forces between CQAs and Tf, and
      thus are helpful for future design and discovery of Tf-binders for targeted
      cancer therapy applying Tf-Tf receptor pathway.

PMID- 28342428
TI  - Revealing the influence of glucocorticoid treatment on the excretion of anabolic
      androgenic steroids in horses through in vitro digestive simulations and an in
      vivo case study.
AB  - Anabolic-androgenic steroids (AAS) are strictly forbidden in equine sports
      because of their stimulating effect on muscle growth and performance.
      Nevertheless, low levels of AAS have been found in some horses, untreated with
      AAS. Glucocorticoids (GC), used as an anti-inflammatory therapy and structurally
      related to AAS, might play a role in this phenomenon. In order to unravel this
      possible correlation the influence of glucocorticoid treatment on the excretion
      of AAS was studied both in vivo and in vitro. In vivo effects were investigated
      by analysing urine samples collected from a gelding treated with betamethasone.
      Additionally, multiple in vitro digestion simulations were set up, according to a
      previously validated protocol, to study the possibility of a direct
      biotransformation of glucocorticoids to AAS, by the microbiota of the equine
      hindgut. Urine and in vitro digestion samples were extracted and analysed with
      UHPLC-MS/MS and UHPLC-Orbitrap-HRMS analytical methods. A significant influence
      on the urinary excretion of alpha-testosterone (alphaT), beta-testosterone
      (betaT) and androsta-1,4-diene-3,17-dione (ADD) was seen. alphaT-concentrations
      up to 20ng/mL were detected. ADD was not found before treatment but could be
      detected post-treatment. Cortisone and cortisol also peaked (>30ng/mL) between
      day 37 and 48 post-treatment. The in vitro digestion results however revealed no
      direct biotransformation of glucocorticoids to AAS by the microbiota of the
      equine hindgut. This study shows that a glucocorticoid treatment can disrupt the
      synthesis and excretion of AAS, not by direct biotransformation upon
      gastrointestinal digestion, but more likely by influencing the hypothalamic
      pituitary-adrenal axis.

PMID- 28342429
TI  - Non-parasitic life cycle of the cattle tick Rhipicephalus (Boophilus) microplus
      in Panicum maximum pastures in northern Argentina.
AB  - The aim of this work was to study the non-parasitic phase of the Rhipicephalus
      microplus life cycle in Panicum maximum grasses from northern Argentina, in order
      to provide ecological information for designing methods of tick control. Four
      localities were chosen as replicates. The biological parameters measured were
      proportion of females ovipositing, the pre-oviposition period, the proportion of
      egg clusters hatching, the incubation period of eggs, larval longevity, and the
      total non-parasitic period (time from the exposure of the female to the date of
      death of the last larva) (TNPP)). The following general trends were observed: I)
      a longer TNPP occurred when female ticks were exposed in mid- and late summer and
      early spring; II) the shortest TNPP occurred when female ticks were exposed from
      late winter to late spring; III) larvae that were active in early and mid-summer
      had the shortest longevity; IV) incubation periods of eggs, which originated from
      females exposed in late summer, early autumn and mid-spring, were longer than the
      incubation period of eggs produced by females exposed in late spring and early
      summer; V) eggs did not hatch when the engorged females were exposed in the
      pastures in mid- and late autumn and winter. The spelling period of the P.
      maximum grasses that is needed to ensure total control of R. microplus consists
      of 19-20weeks if the spelling starts in late spring and early summer, and 27
      28weeks if the spelling begins in mid- and late summer or in autumn.

PMID- 28342431
TI  - [Considerations for the Definition of a Interval of Vulnerability/Possibility in
      Adolescence].
AB  - This article explores the hypothesis that while maturation related cognitive
      abilities reaches maturity around the age of fifteen, maturation related social
      skills is delayed until well into the twenties. Our goal is to try to define what
      is the window of opportunity/vulnerability and what is the maturational status of
      the young in this interval. In this context, we argue how the maturational time
      of the closing of adolescence has an impact on the valuation of autonomy in
      decision-making of the person. Particularly, we figure out implications for the
      assessment of the autonomy of youth in health issues, and also criminal
      liability. In the conclusion, we offer some educational criteria that may provide
      guidance for implementing both social policy and educational programs.

PMID- 28342430
TI  - Exposure to a magnetic field or laser radiation ameliorates effects of Pb and Cd
      on physiology and growth of young wheat seedlings.
AB  - Lead (Pb) and cadmium (Cd) contamination of soils pose significant problems for
      successful seed germination and establishment. We compared effects of subjecting
      wheat seeds either to a magnetic field (MF: 0-800 millitesla) or laser radiation
      (LR: 0-8min at 20mW/mm2) on wheat seed germination and on physiology and growth
      of young seedlings exposed to these two heavy metals as seeds and as 2-day-old
      seedlings. Intermediate levels of either MF or LR increased germination. In seeds
      untreated by MF or LR, exposure to Cd and Pb resulted in: significant increases
      in the concentrations of malondialdehyde ([MDA]) and superoxide anion radical
      ([O2-]), and in the conductivity of electrolyte leakage (CEL); significant
      decreases in catalase (CAT), superoxide dismutase (SOD), and glutathione
      reductase (GR) activity; a significant decrease in glutathione concentration
      ([GSH]); and a significant decrease in shoot biomass relative to seeds exposed to
      these heavy metals following MF or LR treatments. Although both MF and LR
      ameliorated physiological effects of Cd and Pb exposure on young seedlings, only
      LR decreased Cd and Pb concentrations in the wheat shoot itself. Our results
      suggest that in agricultural sites contaminated by these two heavy metals, that
      LR could improve production and counter heavy metals accumulation.

PMID- 28342432
TI  - [Ethical Dilemmas in Practice of Medicine Child].
AB  - After reviewing the existing bibliography in the last 20 years, we concluded that
      there is a lack of information regarding the ethical conflicts that affect to
      pediatrics in their daily practice. It produces certain degree of uncertainty in
      these professionals at the time of solving these problems. We made a systematic
      search in the main data bases, finding more than 150 articles related, of which
      80 were considered outstanding. After studying them, we have found 40 ethical
      dilemmas, related to some principle of solution and that we described in this
      article. Through them we can find such important dilemmas as those related to
      physical disability, palliative care or consent from children.

PMID- 28342433
TI  - [Evaluation of the Degree of Patient Information to be Included in the Home-Based
      Palliative Care Program].
AB  - The fact of communicating to a patient his or her diagnosis when it is
      unfavourable, this becomes a really human issue. The bioethics and the
      legislation protect this right of information. The aim of this study is to
      evaluate the degree of information of patients when they are included in the home
      palliative care program. This is a quantitative, descriptive, retrospective and
      transversal study. The year of the study is 2012 in patients diagnosed with
      advanced terminal illnesses processes valued by the Team of Home Palliative
      Attention Support, of the North Welfare Direction of the Community of Madrid. The
      sample size was 184 patients. Analysing the relationship between the degree of
      information and the age, existing differences statistically significant (p
      <0.01)being the group in which there are more patients correctly informed the one
      were the age is <=65 years old with a percentage of 95,3%. The patients with a
      Pfeiffer<4 in the 89,3% of the cases (p <0.01) were more informed. More than half
      the patients had received some information about their illness and within that
      half there is higher proportion of people who received complete information. The
      more frequent were male patients with age between 76 and 85 with oncologic
      pathology, showing a bad functional condition but didn't present cognitive
      deterioration. The information received by the family was more complete that the
      one the own patient knew. The factors related with a better degree of information
      were being younger than 65 and a lack of cognitive deterioration. The predominant
      place of the decease in the monitoring of the patient was the their home.

PMID- 28342435
TI  - [Therapeutic Aggressiveness and Liquid Oncology].
AB  - Aggressiveness criteria proposed in the scientific literature a decade ago
      provide a quality judgment and are a reference in the care of patients with
      advanced cancer, but their use is not generalized in the evaluation of Oncology
      Services. In this paper we analyze the therapeutic aggressiveness, according to
      standard criteria, in 1.001 patients with advanced cancer who died in our
      Institution between 2010 and 2013. The results seem to show that aggressiveness
      at the end of life is present more frequently than experts recommend. About 25%
      of patients fulfill at least one criterion of aggressiveness. This result could
      be explained by a liquid Oncology which does not prioritize the patient as a
      moral subject in the clinical appointment. Medical care is oriented to
      necessities and must be articulated in a model focused on dignity and
      communication. Its implementation through Advanced Care Planning, consideration
      of patient's values and preferences, and Limitation of therapeutic effort are
      ways to reduce aggressiveness and improve clinical practice at the end of life.
      We need to encourage synergic and proactive attitudes, adding the best of cancer
      research with the best clinical care for the benefit of human being, moral
      subject and main goal of Medicine.

PMID- 28342434
TI  - [Mothers Talk. Part Unless Told of Voluntary Abortion].
AB  - The aim of the study was to investigate the experiences linked to the post
      abortion syndrome in mothers who have had a voluntary abortion. A
      phenomenological qualitative approach to collect the experiences of mothers who
      had voluntarily interrupted their pregnancy was used. The research technique was
      the semistructured interviews with women who had contacted different
      association's help of the Murcia region for support after experiencing symptoms
      consistent with post-abortion syndrome. The testimonies show feminist or
      utilitarian arguments to justify the decision to abort, they talk about a system,
      to some extent, mercantilist that has no real intention of giving real life
      choices. Experience shows that far from lived as an act of female freedom is
      experienced traumatically, developed symptoms following the sense of loss. In
      this context, the resource spiritual becomes the best tool to expiate guilt. The
      experience of abortion does not improve the lives of women; far from it is a
      trauma that can be avoided with proper advice to avoid the tragedy of abortion.

PMID- 28342436
TI  - [Vulnerations of Human Dignity At The End of Life].
AB  - Death is constitutive of human nature and therefore it must happen naturally. But
      there are mainly two ways that falsify it: euthanasia and therapeutic obstinacy.
      Two wrong choices that do not accept the human reality of death (the first,
      anticipates death and the second, delays it). From the philosophical and ethical
      point of view, both options are rejected, because they are against human dignity
      at the end of life. Aside from these, this article also rejects the different
      names which are given to refer to euthanasia, that also go against human nature
      at the end of life. On the other hand, do not confuse euthanasia with sedation.
      Both have a common goal to prevent the patient from feeling pain and suffering.
      To achieve this goal, both options administer "drugs" to the patient. But in the
      administration of drugs in euthanasia involves ending patient's life. The
      administration of drugs in sedation aims for the patient's death to occur
      naturally. Finally, we briefly discuss the basic care necessary in these
      situations. The absence of basic care cannot become a covert euthanasia. The
      patient must die from his/her illness, never from a lack of care. All human
      actions (euthanasia, sedation, therapeutic obstinacy and basic care) should be an
      expression and manifestation of what human dignity demands. Such dignity is
      expressed in the actions performed by human beings.

PMID- 28342437
TI  - [The Dignity of the Vulnerable Is Priceless What You Can Do Biolaw To Save Us
      From the Economistic Trap].
AB  - This article proposes a reflection on the exclusion of particularly vulnerable
      human beings as a condition for the success of economistic culture and social
      organization. This fragility can depend on the body side as well as the social
      aspect: the effects of discrimination are identical. To react to a situation of
      injustice less and less tolerable, the biolaw touches -as in general the right,
      if it has a meaning and a specific function, and is not reduced to mere
      legitimization of the balance of forces or interest of the individuals or the
      groups better organized and represented- defend the fragility of all violence in
      the name of equality among human beings which depend on the universal condition
      of vulnerability, held in its positive aspects by philosophers such as MacIntyre
      and Nussbaum and many literary geniuses of all times.

PMID- 28342438
TI  - [Use of the Term "Pre-Embryo" In the Biomedical Literature From Its Origin to the
      Present].
AB  - In this article, we present a review about the use of the term "preembryo" in the
      scientific literature as well as Bioethics from its origin, back in June 1979, to
      the end of the year 2014. We analyze their evolution along the time comparing
      with other terms commonly used in embryology. Also, we show the relevant journals
      in which this term appears, (offering the impact index within their specific
      field), and the authors who use it the most. The term "preembryo" arose in the
      scientific literature in 1979, remaining for about 6 years without reappearing in
      the scientific literature. Then, after an increase of articles, that covers the
      90's decade, began to decrease its use without having disappeared altogether. Our
      study also shows that the use of the word "preembryo" has not increased with the
      passage of time; on the contrary, it is becoming less used in the biomedical
      literature. This does not occur with other terms that name the embryo before
      implantation, which have not ceased to increase during these years, both
      referring to the human species and other animal species. Finally, the term "pre
      embryo" appears very little in journals related to the reproduction biology area,
      but it does so in obstetrics and gynecology, where many articles on assisted
      reproduction are published. Our findings suggest that, instead of replacing
      classical embryological terms, the word "preembryo" does not seem to affect the
      use of them. Likewise, this word has a hypertrophied use in humans without an
      apparent reason, which would support the artificial nature of this term. Finally,
      the term "pre-embryo" appears very little in journals of reproduction biology
      area, but it does so in obstetrics and gynecology, where many articles on
      assisted reproduction are published. In conclusion, instead of substituting
      classical embryological terms, the word "pre-embryo" does not seem to affect the
      use of them and in the current discussions about the human condition of the
      embryo this term is no longer used.

PMID- 28342440
TI  - [Commentary on the Case: Second Opinion, Compassionate Use, and Clinical Trial].

PMID- 28342439
TI  - [Second Opinion, Compassionate Use, and Clinical Trial].

PMID- 28342441
TI  - Building a community of practice in rural medical education: growing our own
      together.
AB  - CONTEXT: This article chronicles the rise, decline, and recent resurgence of
      rural training track residency programs (RTTs) in the USA over the past 30 years
      and the emergence of a healthy community of practice in rural medical education.
      This has occurred during a time in the USA when federal and state funding of
      graduate medical education has been relatively stagnant and the rules around
      finance and accreditation of rural programs have been challenging. ISSUE: Many of
      the early family residency programs developed in the 1970s included a curricular
      focus on rural practice. However, by the 1980s, these programs were not yet
      producing the desired numbers of rural physicians. In response, in 1986, Maudlin
      and others at the family medicine residency in Spokane developed the first 1-2
      RTT in Colville, Washington. In the 1990s, and by 2000, early news of success led
      to a peak of 35 active programs. However, over the next decade these programs
      experienced significant hardship due to a lack of funding and a general decline
      in student interest in family medicine. By 2010, only 25 programs remained.<b>
      </b>In 2010, in an effort to sustain the 1-2 RTT as a national strategy in
      training physicians for rural practice, a federally funded consortium of
      individuals and programs established the RTT Technical Assistance program (RTT
      TA). Building on the pattern of peer support and collaboration set by earlier
      groups, the RTT TA consortium expanded the existing community of practice in
      rural medical education in support of RTTs. In-person meetings, peer consultation
      and visitation, coordinated efforts at student recruitment, and collaborative
      rural medical education research were all elements of the consortium's strategy.
      Rather than anchoring its efforts in medical schools or hospitals, this
      consortium engaged as partners a wider variety of stakeholders. This included
      physician educators still living and practicing in rural communities ('local
      experts'), rural medical educator peers, program directors, professional groups,
      academic units, governmental entities such as state offices of rural health, and
      national associations with a stake in rural medical education. The consortium has
      succeeded in (1) supporting established and new RTTs, (2) increasing medical
      student interest in these programs, and (3) demonstrating the effectiveness of
      this strategy through a minimum dataset and registry of RTT trainees. From a low
      of 21 programs in 2012, the number has grown to 32, accounting for a total of 68
      positions in each year of training. The RTT Collaborative, the non-profit that
      has emerged as the sustainable product of that federal funding, is now supported
      by a national cooperative of participating rural programs and continues the work.
      LESSONS LEARNED: Growing a community of practice in this fashion requires the
      organic building of relationships over time. The RTT TA consortium, and now the
      RTT Collaborative as a sustainable successor, have laid a strong foundation for
      community-engaged rural health professions education into the future - from each
      growing their own, to 'growing our own ... together.

PMID- 28342442
TI  - Comparison of qSOFA and SIRS for predicting adverse outcomes of patients with
      suspicion of sepsis outside the intensive care unit.
AB  - BACKGROUND: The Third International Consensus Definitions for Sepsis and Septic
      Shock (Sepsis-3) Task Force recently introduced a new clinical score termed quick
      Sequential (Sepsis-related) Organ Failure Assessment (qSOFA) for identification
      of patients at risk of sepsis outside the intensive care unit (ICU). We attempted
      to compare the discriminatory capacity of the qSOFA versus the Systemic
      Inflammatory Response Syndrome (SIRS) score for predicting mortality, ICU-free
      days, and organ dysfunction-free days in patients with suspicion of infection
      outside the ICU. METHODS: The Weill Cornell Medicine Registry and Biobank of
      Critically Ill Patients is an ongoing cohort of critically ill patients, for whom
      biological samples and clinical information (including vital signs before and
      during ICU hospitalization) are prospectively collected. Using such information,
      qSOFA and SIRS scores outside the ICU (specifically, within 8 hours before ICU
      admission) were calculated. This study population was therefore comprised of
      patients in the emergency department or the hospital wards who had suspected
      infection, were subsequently admitted to the medical ICU and were included in the
      Registry and Biobank. RESULTS: One hundred fifty-two patients (67% from the
      emergency department) were included in this study. Sixty-seven percent had
      positive cultures and 19% died in the hospital. Discrimination of in-hospital
      mortality using qSOFA [area under the receiver operating characteristic curve
      (AUC), 0.74; 95% confidence intervals (CI), 0.66-0.81] was significantly greater
      compared with SIRS criteria (AUC, 0.59; 95% CI, 0.51-0.67; p = 0.03). The qSOFA
      performed better than SIRS regarding discrimination for ICU-free days (p = 0.04),
      but not for ventilator-free days (p = 0.19), any organ dysfunction-free days (p =
      0.13), or renal dysfunction-free days (p = 0.17). CONCLUSIONS: In patients with
      suspected infection who eventually required admission to the ICU, qSOFA
      calculated before their ICU admission had greater accuracy than SIRS for
      predicting mortality and ICU-free days. However, it may be less clear whether
      qSOFA is also better than SIRS criteria for predicting ventilator free-days and
      organ dysfunction-free days. These findings may help clinicians gain further
      insight into the usefulness of qSOFA.

PMID- 28342443
TI  - Incidental metastatic mediastinal atypical carcinoid in a patient with
      parathyroid adenoma: a case report.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Atypical carcinoid arising from the mediastinal tissue is a rare
      neuroendocrine tumor and an association with parathyroid adenoma is very unusual.
      We report an unusual case of atypical carcinoid of mediastinum with metastasis in
      a patient presenting with parathyroid adenoma, which is the first case to be
      reported from Pakistan. CASE PRESENTATION: A 51-year-old Pakistani man was seen
      in postoperative intensive care after right parathyroidectomy and mediastinal
      mass resection for the management of postoperative hypocalcaemia. He had a
      background history of dyspnea. Examination was unremarkable. Preoperative
      laboratory evaluation revealed a calcium level of 12.7 mg/dl, phosphate of 1.9
      mg/dl, serum albumin of 4.8 g/dl, alkaline phosphate of 94 U/L, and serum intact
      parathyroid hormone level 413.8 pg/ml. A technetium-99m sestamibi parathyroid
      scan showed right parathyroid increased tracer uptake. Further workup revealed a
      large mediastinal mass which was diagnosed as atypical carcinoid after Tru-Cut
      biopsy. He underwent right-sided parathyroidectomy and resection of the
      mediastinal mass. The histopathology confirmed it to be a parathyroid adenoma and
      atypical carcinoid tumor of his mediastinum with metastasis in his lymph node and
      parathyroid gland. Somatostatin receptor scintigraphy revealed a well-defined
      focus in his left hypochondriac region consistent with a somatostatin receptor
      scintigraphy-avid tumor. He was started on everolimus and planned for octreotide
      therapy. CONCLUSIONS: We describe an incidental finding of atypical carcinoid of
      the mediastinum in a patient diagnosed as having parathyroid adenoma. Clinical
      manifestations of neuroendocrine syndromes are challenging. Some tumors cluster
      in a non-classic description with other common neoplasms. They rarely present in
      isolation, remain clinically silent, and need aggressive workup with the aid of
      imaging and histopathology.

PMID- 28342446
TI  - Corrections.

PMID- 28342445
TI  - Corrections.

PMID- 28342447
TI  - Corrections.

PMID- 28342444
TI  - Acid Ceramidase Deficiency in Mice Results in a Broad Range of Central Nervous
      System Abnormalities.
AB  - Farber disease is a rare autosomal recessive disorder caused by acid ceramidase
      deficiency that usually presents as early-onset progressive visceral and
      neurologic disease. To understand the neurologic abnormality, we investigated
      behavioral, biochemical, and cellular abnormalities in the central nervous system
      of Asah1P361R/P361R mice, which serve as a model of Farber disease. Behaviorally,
      the mutant mice had reduced voluntary locomotion and exploration, increased
      thigmotaxis, abnormal spectra of basic behavioral activities, impaired muscle
      grip strength, and defects in motor coordination. A few mutant mice developed
      hydrocephalus. Mass spectrometry revealed elevations of ceramides, hydroxy
      ceramides, dihydroceramides, sphingosine, dihexosylceramides, and
      monosialodihexosylganglioside in the brain. The highest accumulation was in
      hydroxy-ceramides. Storage compound distribution was analyzed by mass
      spectrometry imaging and morphologic analyses and revealed involvement of a wide
      range of central nervous system cell types (eg, neurons, endothelial cells, and
      choroid plexus cells), most notably microglia and/or macrophages. Coalescing and
      mostly perivascular granuloma-like accumulations of storage-laden CD68+ microglia
      and/or macrophages were seen as early as 3 weeks of age and located
      preferentially in white matter, periventricular zones, and meninges.
      Neurodegeneration was also evident in specific cerebral areas in late disease.
      Overall, our central nervous system studies in Asah1P361R/P361R mice
      substantially extend the understanding of human Farber disease and suggest that
      this model can be used to advance therapeutic approaches for this currently
      untreatable disorder.

PMID- 28342448
TI  - Editorial for the special issue on "Golgi-related human disorders".

PMID- 28342449
TI  - A systematic review and meta-analysis of the association between long non-coding
      RNA polymorphisms and cancer risk.
AB  - It has been suggested that long non-coding RNA (lncRNA) gene polymorphisms are
      associated with cancer risk. In this article, we conducted a systematic review
      related to studies on the association between lncRNA single-nucleotide
      polymorphisms (SNPs) and the overall risk of cancer. A total 17 SNPs in four
      common lncRNA genes were included in the meta-analysis. In the lncRNA H19, the
      rs2735971 A/G, rs2839698C/T, and rs3024270 G/C polymorphisms, but not
      rs217727C/T, were correlated with overall cancer risk. The results also suggested
      that other SNPs were correlated with overall cancer risk, namely, two in HOTAIR
      (HOX transcript antisense RNA: rs920778C/T and rs7958904 G/C) and two in PRNCR1
      (rs1016343C/T and rs16901946 A/G). No association was found between the three
      ZNRD1-AS1 (ZNRD1 antisense RNA 1) SNPs and the risk of cancer. In summary, our
      findings suggest that quite a few studied lncRNA SNPs are associated with overall
      cancer risk; therefore, they are potential predictive biomarkers for the risk of
      cancer. Moreover, other lncRNA SNPs investigated were also relevant to cancer but
      studies on them are limited, and they were also briefly reviewed as candidate
      cancer markers.

PMID- 28342450
TI  - Scientific feuds, polemics, and ad hominem arguments in basic and special
      interest genetics.
AB  - Scientific disputes are commonly presented and settled in journal publications.
      Most are resolved by a weighing of evidence and new findings. In some cases the
      arguments are personal and in the form of ad hominem attacks on the personality
      or integrity of an author of a journal article. Many famous scientists (e.g.,
      Galileo, Newton, and Hooke) used ad hominem arguments in responding to their
      critics. William Bateson, W.F.R. Weldon, William Castle, and H.J. Muller used ad
      hominem arguments in their publications until the end of World War I, when
      editorial policy of journals changed. Motivating some of the attacks are
      philosophic differences (such as holistic or reductionist approaches to science),
      ideological differences (such as Marxist or Capitalist outlooks), politics (such
      as Cold War depictions by East and West on fallout from nuclear testing), or
      conflicts of interest (which can be professional or financial such as the debates
      over nontraditional and orthodox medicine or over tobacco smoking and health).
      Most of the time, the disputes are motivated by honest disagreements over the
      interpretation of the data. A recent surge (2009-2016) of ad hominem attacks by
      Edward Calabrese has appeared disparaging H. J. Muller, E. B. Lewis, other
      twentieth-century contributors to radiation genetics, and the National Academy of
      Sciences. They address the mutational effects of low-dose radiation exposure.
      Calabrese's attacks have led to responses by geneticists in the field of
      mutagenesis, by agencies criticized by Calabrese, and by students and colleagues
      of those who have been accused of deception by Calabrese. This article reviews
      some of the history of ad hominem arguments in science and the background to the
      attacks by Calabrese. I argue that Calabrese's characterization of Muller and his
      supporters is unjust, misleading, and hurtful. I also propose some methods for
      dealing with or preventing ad hominem attacks in professional journals.

PMID- 28342451
TI  - TERT promoter mutations in telomere biology.
AB  - Telomere repeats at chromosomal ends, critical to genome integrity, are
      maintained through an elaborate network of proteins and pathways. Shelterin
      complex proteins shield telomeres from induction of DNA damage response to
      overcome end protection problem. A specialized ribonucleic protein, telomerase,
      maintains telomere homeostasis through repeat addition to counter intrinsic
      shortcomings of DNA replication that leads to gradual sequence shortening in
      successive mitoses. The biogenesis and recruitment of telomerase composed of
      telomerase reverse transcriptase (TERT) subunit and an RNA component, takes place
      through the intricate machinery that involves an elaborate number of molecules.
      The synthesis of telomeres remains a controlled and limited process. Inherited
      mutations in the molecules involved in the process directly or indirectly cause
      telomeropathies. Telomerase, while present in stem cells, is deactivated due to
      epigenetic silencing of the rate-limiting TERT upon differentiation in most of
      somatic cells with a few exceptions. However, in most of the cancer cells
      telomerase reactivation remains a ubiquitous process and constitutes one of the
      major hallmarks. Discovery of mutations within the core promoter of the TERT gene
      that create de novo binding sites for E-twenty-six (ETS) transcription factors
      provided a mechanism for cancer-specific telomerase reactivation. The TERT
      promoter mutations occur mainly in tumors from tissues with low rates of self
      renewal. In melanoma, glioma, hepatocellular carcinoma, urothelial carcinoma and
      others, the promoter mutations have been shown to define subsets of patients with
      adverse disease outcomes, associate with increased transcription of TERT,
      telomerase reactivation and affect telomere length; in stem cells the mutations
      inhibit TERT silencing following differentiation into adult cells. The TERT
      promoter mutations cause an epigenetic switch on the mutant allele along with
      recruitment of pol II following the binding of GABPA/B1 complex that leads to
      mono-allelic expression. Thus, the TERT promoter mutations hold potential as
      biomarkers as well as future therapeutic targets.

PMID- 28342452
TI  - Contribution of genetic factors to platinum-based chemotherapy sensitivity and
      prognosis of non-small cell lung cancer.
AB  - Although platinum-based chemotherapy remains the standard treatment for advanced
      NSCLC patients, clinical outcomes are poor and most patients develop high-grade
      toxicities. Genetic factors, such as single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs)
      involved in platinum pharmacodynamics, metabolism and mechanism of action, may
      account for inter-individual differences shown in effectiveness and toxicity.
      Polymorphisms in genes involved in DNA repair and others such as PI3K/PTEN/AKT
      and TGF-beta pathways have been demonstrated to be associated with response,
      survival and toxicity in advanced NSCLC patients treated with platinum-based
      chemotherapy. Other cellular processes, like DNA methylation and proliferation
      have been connected with clinical outcome for platinum-based chemotherapy
      regimens through folate metabolism and cytokine signaling. The influence of gene
      polymorphisms in the NER pathway on clinical outcome has been extensively
      investigated in advanced NSCLC patients treated with platinum-based chemotherapy
      but contradictory results have been reported. The most recent and thorough meta
      analyses have failed to show an association between ERCC1 C118T/C8092A and ERCC5
      rs1047768 polymorphisms and response to platinum based chemotherapy. However,
      other polymorphisms in ERCC2 (Lys751Gln and Asp312Asn) and ERCC5 (rs2094258 and
      rs2296147) and have been related with overall survival (OS) and progression-free
      survival (PFS), respectively. The Arg194Trp and Gln399Arg polymorphisms in XRCC1,
      have also been extensively investigated. Their effects seem to be dependent on
      ethnicity, and recent meta-analyses have confirmed an association with response
      in Asian but not in Caucasian patients. The influence on overall response rate
      (ORR) of the rs861539 polymorphism in XRCC3, part of (DSB) repair pathway, has
      also been confirmed in a meta-analysis. Finally, SNPs in genes coding proteins of
      the p53, PI3K, TGF-beta, membrane transporters, gluthatione metabolism enzymes
      and cytokine pathways have been less extensively investigated. Some polymorphisms
      have been reported to be associated with toxicity or clinical outcome, but data
      generally come from a limited number of studies and need to be confirmed.

PMID- 28342453
TI  - Ionizing radiation biomarkers in epidemiological studies - An update.
AB  - Recent epidemiology studies highlighted the detrimental health effects of
      exposure to low dose and low dose rate ionizing radiation (IR): nuclear industry
      workers studies have shown increased leukaemia and solid tumour risks following
      cumulative doses of <100mSv and dose rates of <10mGy per year; paediatric
      patients studies have reported increased leukaemia and brain tumours risks after
      doses of 30-60mGy from computed tomography scans. Questions arise, however, about
      the impact of even lower doses and dose rates where classical epidemiological
      studies have limited power but where subsets within the large cohorts are
      expected to have an increased risk. Further progress requires integration of
      biomarkers or bioassays of individual exposure, effects and susceptibility to IR.
      The European DoReMi (Low Dose Research towards Multidisciplinary Integration)
      consortium previously reviewed biomarkers for potential use in IR epidemiological
      studies. Given the increased mechanistic understanding of responses to low dose
      radiation the current review provides an update covering technical advances and
      recent studies. A key issue identified is deciding which biomarkers to progress.
      A roadmap is provided for biomarker development from discovery to implementation
      and used to summarise the current status of proposed biomarkers for
      epidemiological studies. Most potential biomarkers remain at the discovery stage
      and for some there is sufficient evidence that further development is not
      warranted. One biomarker identified in the final stages of development and as a
      priority for further research is radiation specific mRNA transcript profiles.

PMID- 28342454
TI  - Fate of micronuclei and micronucleated cells.
AB  - The present review describes available evidence about the fate of micronuclei and
      micronucleated cells. Micronuclei are small, extranuclear chromatin bodies
      surrounded by a nuclear envelope. The mechanisms underlying the formation of
      micronuclei are well understood but not much is known about the potential fate of
      micronuclei and micronucleated cells. Many studies with different experimental
      approaches addressed the various aspects of the post-mitotic fate of micronuclei
      and micronucleated cells. These studies are reviewed here considering four basic
      possibilities for potential fates of micronuclei: degradation of the micronucleus
      or the micronucleated cell, reincorporation into the main nucleus, extrusion from
      the cell, and persistence in the cytoplasm. Two additional fates need to be
      considered: premature chromosome condensation/chromothripsis and the elimination
      of micronucleated cells by apoptosis, yielding six potential fates for
      micronuclei and/or micronucleated cells. The available data is still limited, but
      it can be concluded that degradation and extrusion of micronuclei might occur in
      rare cases under specific conditions, reincorporation during the next mitosis
      occurs more frequently, and the majority of the micronuclei persist without
      alteration at least until the next mitosis, possibly much longer. Overall, the
      consequences of micronucleus formation on the cellular level are still far from
      clear, but they should be investigated further because micronucleus formation may
      contribute to the initial and later steps of malignant cell transformation, by
      causing gain or loss of genetic material in the daughter cells and by the
      possibility of massive chromosome rearrangement in chromosomes entrapped within a
      micronucleus by the mechanisms of chromothripsis and chromoanagenesis.

PMID- 28342455
TI  - Repair of oxidatively induced DNA damage by DNA glycosylases: Mechanisms of
      action, substrate specificities and excision kinetics.
AB  - Endogenous and exogenous reactive species cause oxidatively induced DNA damage in
      living organisms by a variety of mechanisms. As a result, a plethora of mutagenic
      and/or cytotoxic products are formed in cellular DNA. This type of DNA damage is
      repaired by base excision repair, although nucleotide excision repair also plays
      a limited role. DNA glycosylases remove modified DNA bases from DNA by
      hydrolyzing the glycosidic bond leaving behind an apurinic/apyrimidinic (AP)
      site. Some of them also possess an accompanying AP-lyase activity that cleaves
      the sugar-phosphate chain of DNA. Since the first discovery of a DNA glycosylase,
      many studies have elucidated the mechanisms of action, substrate specificities
      and excision kinetics of these enzymes present in all living organisms. For this
      purpose, most studies used single- or double-stranded oligodeoxynucleotides with
      a single DNA lesion embedded at a defined position. High-molecular weight DNA
      with multiple base lesions has been used in other studies with the advantage of
      the simultaneous investigation of many DNA base lesions as substrates.
      Differences between the substrate specificities and excision kinetics of DNA
      glycosylases have been found when these two different substrates were used. Some
      DNA glycosylases possess varying substrate specificities for either purine
      derived lesions or pyrimidine-derived lesions, whereas others exhibit cross
      activity for both types of lesions. Laboratory animals with knockouts of the
      genes of DNA glycosylases have also been used to provide unequivocal evidence for
      the substrates, which had previously been found in in vitro studies, to be the
      actual substrates in vivo as well. On the basis of the knowledge gained from the
      past studies, efforts are being made to discover small molecule inhibitors of DNA
      glycosylases that may be used as potential drugs in cancer therapy.

PMID- 28342457
TI  - Response to the letter to the Editor.

PMID- 28342456
TI  - Letter to the Editor: Rejuvenate eggs or regenerate ovary?

PMID- 28342458
TI  - Novelties in the therapeutic scene of rheumatoid arthritis.

PMID- 28342459
TI  - ?

PMID- 28342460
TI  - [A personalised support programme for patients with diabetes].
AB  - On the initiative of the Federation francaise des diabetiques, a personalised
      support project has been set up for people with diabetes. They are invited to
      talks and to take part in individual interviews led by specially trained
      volunteer expert patients. The aim is to give them an opportunity to talk with
      peers and to learn how to live with the disease.

PMID- 28342461
TI  - [The infection risk assessment visit in haemodialysis, a new tool].
AB  - Haemodialysis is a speciality with a high risk of infection, due in part to the
      frailty of the patients (immunosuppressed, high prevalence of carriers of multi
      drug resistant bacteria), as well as to the invasive procedures carried out
      (inserting central venous catheters, using these catheters and arteriovenous
      fistulas). The infection risk assessment visit in haemodialysis is a tool which
      contributes to the safety of care.

PMID- 28342462
TI  - ?

PMID- 28342463
TI  - [Simulation in health care, an overview and framework for development].
AB  - Following the example of Anglo-Saxon countries, which have been using it for some
      thirty years, simulation in health care is growing rapidly in France. The
      development of this challenging pedagogical method is guided by several documents
      published by the French National Health Authority.

PMID- 28342464
TI  - [Training through simulation in multi-professional groups].
AB  - The effective management of an emergency situation requires optimal collaboration
      between the different players present. Training through simulation in multi
      professional groups is an apposite way of developing collaborative competencies.

PMID- 28342465
TI  - [Simulation in health care, a partnership between a training institute and a
      health care facility].
AB  - A system of collaboration around simulation, between a health care facility and a
      training institute, has been put in place. It has enabled the challenges for both
      institutions to be identified, thereby confirming the need to continue this
      project. In this context, interprofessionalality and intergenerationality are key
      elements.

PMID- 28342466
TI  - [Challenges, benefits and limits of high-fidelity simulation in emergency
      medicine].
AB  - Combining in-situ behaviour and reflexive practice during the debriefing,
      simulation is a powerful pedagogical tool. It enables a team to co-construct
      shared knowledge in a context of experiential learning and in a safe and
      reassuring environment.

PMID- 28342467
TI  - [Design and creation of a simulation centre].
AB  - The design of a simulation centre must be based on a well thought out pedagogical
      project which meets the training needs of health professionals. Beyond the
      architectural design, the organisational and financial aspects of the centre are
      fundamental elements to be taken into consideration.

PMID- 28342468
TI  - [Simulation of approaching with a family of a deceased patient concerning organ
      donation].
AB  - The simulation of approaching relating to organ donation consists in reproducing
      such an interview in conditions similar to those encountered in the intensive
      care unit. It includes the preparation of the discussion, the way the family is
      approached, the announcement of the death of their relative, the dialogue with
      them concerning the donation. Simulation is one of the best ways of training
      hospital organ donation coordinators in this approach.

PMID- 28342469
TI  - [Simulation for the announcement of health care-associated harm].
AB  - A participative pedagogical tool, simulation aids the transfer of competencies in
      relation to the complex situation of announcing health care-associated harm. The
      aim is to reinforce patient safety and to improve the quality of communication
      with patients and between health professionals.

PMID- 28342470
TI  - [Simulation in health care and inter-professionality in initial training].
AB  - In a context aiming to improve risk management through effective team
      communication, the development of inter-professional pedagogical sessions is a
      lever to be developed in order to construct collective competency during initial
      training.

PMID- 28342471
TI  - [Teaching simulation to trainers].
AB  - Many trainers wish to integrate simulation into their teaching. Aside from the
      learning difficulties associated with some simulators, this practice requires the
      trainer to receive specific training, in order to avoid any risk of a negative or
      even harmful, learning experience.

PMID- 28342472
TI  - [The room of errors, a fun learning tool].
AB  - Simulation in health care, a source of innovative pedagogical developments, is
      particularly well-suited to the training of nursing teams. It enables them to
      acquire or reinforce their knowledge, without any risk for the patients, in a
      calm and reassuring environment. In psychiatry in particular, the use of a room
      of errors constitutes a useful learning tool for professionals.

PMID- 28342474
TI  - ?

PMID- 28342473
TI  - [Ethics and medical simulation].
AB  - Simulation in health care helps to raise health professionals' awareness of
      medical ethics and to understand the mechanisms involved in a difficult
      situation. They can thereby adopt a suitable form of behaviour and communication.

PMID- 28342475
TI  - ?

PMID- 28342476
TI  - Long-term Clinical Outcome of Teeth Obturated with Resilon.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: Although Resilon has been in clinical use as an endodontic
      obturation material for more than a decade, there is a lack of long-term clinical
      outcome studies. The purpose of this retrospective case-control study was to
      compare long-term clinical outcomes in teeth obturated with Resilon/RealSeal SE
      (RS) and GP/AH Plus (GP). METHODS: One hundred teeth treated at Texas A&M
      University College of Dentistry between 2007 and 2012 were included; 50 teeth
      were obturated with RS and 50 with GP. All cases were initial treatments without
      preoperative periapical radiolucencies. Success and failure were assessed on the
      basis of clinical signs and symptoms and/or the presence of periapical
      radiolucency. Chi-square test and odds ratio were used to determine the
      association between the obturation material and outcome. Potential prognostic
      factors were evaluated including age, sex, tooth location, preoperative
      diagnosis, and one versus multiple visits. RESULTS: The average recall time for
      RS was 5.8 years and 6.6 years for GP. Fifty-six percent of RS-obturated teeth
      were classified as successful at recall compared with 88% of GP-obturated teeth.
      RS had 5.7 times greater odds of failure compared with GP (P < .001). When
      periapical radiolucencies were present, they tended to be larger and involve
      multiple roots in the RS group compared with GP group. None of the prognostic
      factors examined were found to have any significant effect on outcome.
      CONCLUSIONS: Within the limitations of this study, teeth obturated with RS had
      5.7 times greater chance of failure compared with teeth obturated with GP.

PMID- 28342477
TI  - Effect of Different Irrigation Systems on Sealer Penetration into Dentinal
      Tubules.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: Different irrigation systems have been developed to improve the
      efficacy and distribution of the irrigants. The aim of this study was to compare
      the effect of conventional endodontic needle irrigation with other irrigant
      delivery and/or agitation systems on sealer penetration into dentinal tubules.
      METHODS: Fifty single-rooted teeth with round-shaped root canals were distributed
      in 5 homogeneous groups characterized by the different cleansing system used:
      conventional endodontic needle irrigation, EndoActivator, Irrisafe, Self
      Adjusting File, and EndoVac. After instrumentation, all teeth were filled by
      Thermafil obturators and rhodamine B dye labeled TopSeal sealer. Teeth were
      transversally sectioned at 2-, 5-, and 7-mm levels from the apex and observed
      under confocal laser scanning microscope. Maximum, mean, and percentage of sealer
      penetration inside tubules around the root canal were measured. Moreover, the
      integrity of the sealer layer perimeter was evaluated. RESULTS: No significant
      differences both in mean (p > .05) and in maximum penetration depth (p > .05)
      were observed among groups, whereas both parameters showed an increased trend
      within each group from the 2- to the 7-mm level from apex. Similarly, the
      percentage of penetration around the root canal wall did not differ among groups
      (p > .05) and showed an increasing trend within each group from the apical to the
      coronal portion of the canal. CONCLUSIONS: Sealer penetration into dentinal
      tubules is not affected by the irrigant delivery and/or agitation systems
      studied. Thermafil with TopSeal technique achieves complete sealer perimeter
      integrity in all groups.

PMID- 28342478
TI  - Interactions between the Tetrasodium Salts of EDTA and 1-Hydroxyethane 1,1
      Diphosphonic Acid with Sodium Hypochlorite Irrigants.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: A clinically useful all-in-one endodontic irrigant with combined
      proteolytic and decalcifying properties is still elusive. In this study, the
      chemical effects of dissolving the tetrasodium salts of 1-hydroxyethane 1,1
      diphosphonic acid (Na4HEDP) or Na4EDTA directly in sodium hypochlorite (NaOCl)
      irrigants in polypropylene syringes were assessed during the course of 1 hour.
      METHODS: The solubility of the salts in water was determined. Their compatibility
      with 1% and 5% NaOCl was measured by iodometric titration and in a calcium
      complexation experiment by using a Ca2+-selective electrode. RESULTS: The salts
      dissolved within 1 minute. The dissolution maximum of Na4HEDP in water (wt/total
      wt) was 44.6% +/- 1.6%. The corresponding dissolution maximum of Na4EDTA was
      38.2% +/- 0.8%. Na4HEDP at 18% in 5% NaOCl caused a mere loss of 16% of the
      initially available chlorine during 1 hour. In contrast, a corresponding mixture
      between NaOCl and the Na4EDTA salt caused 95% reduction in available chlorine
      after 1 minute. Mixtures of 3% Na4EDTA with 1% NaOCl were more stable, but only
      for 30 minutes. Na4HEDP lost 24% of its calcium complexation capacity after 60
      minutes. The corresponding loss for Na4EDTA was 34%. CONCLUSIONS: The
      compatibility and solubility of particulate Na4HEDP with/in NaOCl solutions are
      such that these components can be mixed and used for up to 1 hour. In contrast,
      short-term compatibility of the Na4EDTA salt with NaOCl solutions was
      considerably lower, decreasing at higher concentrations of either compound.
      Especially for Na4HEDP but also for Na4EDTA, the NaOCl had little effect on
      calcium complexation.

PMID- 28342479
TI  - Corrigendum.

PMID- 28342480
TI  - Corrigendum.

PMID- 28342481
TI  - Preface to the special issue.

PMID- 28342483
TI  - Erratum.

PMID- 28342482
TI  - Treatment outcomes in veterans with HPV-positive head and neck cancer.
AB  - OBJECTIVES: Head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) caused by the human
      papilloma virus (HPV) has an improved prognosis relative to HPV-negative tumors.
      Patients with HPV-positive disease may benefit from different treatment
      modalities in order to optimize survival and quality of life. We sought to
      investigate HPV-positive HNSCC within the military veteran population, and
      analyze the role of treatment modality in outcomes of patients with HPV-positive
      and HPV-negative tumors. METHODS: Patients diagnosed with HNSCC between January
      1, 2010 and December 31, 2014 at one regional veterans health center were
      retrospectively examined. Pathologic specimens underwent testing for HPV subtype
      and p16 expression. Demographic and clinical factors, including treatment
      modality, were analyzed for their impact on the primary outcome of overall
      survival. RESULTS: There were 209 patients with primary tumor sites including
      larynx (25.4%), oral tongue (19.6%), oral cavity (13.4%), oropharynx (17.2%),
      tonsil (17.2%), unknown primary (2.9%), nasopharynx (1.9%), and multiple sites
      (2.4%). Patients had HPV-positive (n=82, 39.2%), HPV-negative (n=89, 42.6%) or
      unknown HPV status (n=38, 18.2%). Primary treatment modalities were
      chemoradiation (n=124, 59.3%), surgery (n=39, 18.7%), radiation therapy (n=37,
      17.7%), or no treatment (n=9, 4.3%). Survival analysis with Cox proportional
      hazards model demonstrated significant associations with T classification (T4
      3.61, P=0.005), N classification (N3 3.52, P=0.0159), M classification (M1 2.8,
      P=0.0209), and HPV status (HPV-positive 0.43, P=0.0185), but no relation with
      primary treatment modality (primary surgery vs. primary chemoradiation 1.01,
      P=0.9718). CONCLUSION: HPV-positive HNSCC in the veteran population has a
      significantly improved prognosis relative to similarly staged patients with HPV
      negative disease. This study demonstrates that the primary treatment modality -
      chemoradiation, radiation therapy, or surgery - does not impact overall survival
      among veterans with HPV-positive HNSCC.

PMID- 28342484
TI  - Biventricular endomyocardial biopsy in patients with suspected myocarditis:
      Methodological issue on diagnostic value to avoid misinterpretation.

PMID- 28342485
TI  - Biventricular endomyocardial biopsy in patients with suspected myocarditis.

PMID- 28342486
TI  - Antithrombotic therapy and vascular access site: A choice not mutually exclusive.

PMID- 28342487
TI  - Reply: Anthithrombotic therapy and vascular access site: A choice not mutually
      exclusive.

PMID- 28342488
TI  - Prognostic factors in the heart failure with reduced ejection fraction.

PMID- 28342489
TI  - Answer to Dr. Eyuboglu.

PMID- 28342490
TI  - Renal denervation in patients with chronic kidney disease.

PMID- 28342491
TI  - Response to Letter to the Editor by Drs. Yang and Yu entitled: Renal denervation
      in patients with chronic kidney disease.

PMID- 28342492
TI  - Circadian variation in acute myocardial infarction size: Likely involvement of
      the melatonin and suprachiasmatic nuclei.

PMID- 28342493
TI  - Reply to "Circadian variation in acute myocardial infarction size: Likely
      involvement of the melatonin and suprachiasmatic nuclei".

PMID- 28342494
TI  - Elevated fibroblast growth factor-23 and risk for cardiovascular disease or
      mortality in the general population: A meta-analysis.

PMID- 28342495
TI  - Reply to letter to the editor: Elevated fibroblast growth factor-23 and risk for
      cardiovascular disease or mortality in the general population.

PMID- 28342496
TI  - Ivabradine in acute decompensated systolic heart failure.

PMID- 28342497
TI  - Ivabradine in acute decompensated systolic heart failure.

PMID- 28342498
TI  - Vitamin K and direct oral anticoagulants in patients with major bleeding: Risk
      assessment.

PMID- 28342499
TI  - Risk of death in patients with major bleedings while on treatment with oral
      anticoagulants.

PMID- 28342500
TI  - Is hybrid subcutaneous implantable cardioverter-defibrillator and leadless
      pacemaker the future of device therapy?

PMID- 28342501
TI  - Reply to the letter to Editor "Is hybrid subcutaneous implantable cardioverter
      defibrillator and leadless pacemaker the future of device therapy?"

PMID- 28342502
TI  - Utility of the Controlling Nutritional Status (CONUT) score in patients admitted
      due to acute heart failure.

PMID- 28342503
TI  - Letter to editor in response to Formiga et al. "Utility of the Controlling
      Nutritional Status (CONUT) score in patients admitted due to acute heart
      failure".

PMID- 28342504
TI  - Retraction notice to "Long-Term Trends (1986-2003)in the Use of Coronary
      Reperfusion Strategies in Patients Hospitalized With Acute Myocardial Infarction
      in Central Massachusetts" [Int. J Cardiol. 131 (2008) (83-89)].
AB  - This article has been retracted: please see Elsevier Policy on Article Withdrawal
      (http://www.elsevier.com/locate/withdrawalpolicy). This article has been
      retracted at the request of the Editor-in-Chief and Author. This article is a
      duplicate of a paper that has already been published in the Journal of Thrombosis
      and Thrombolysis, 23 (2007) 163-71. http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s11239-006-9029-0.
      One of the conditions of submission of a paper for publication is that authors
      declare explicitly that the paper is not under consideration for publication
      elsewhere. As such this article represents a severe abuse of the scientific
      publishing system. The scientific community takes a very strong view on this
      matter and apologies are offered to readers of the journal that this was not
      detected during the submission process.

PMID- 28342505
TI  - Erratum to "Traditional acupuncture and myocardial ischemia" [Int. J. Cardiol.
      189 (2015) 281].

PMID- 28342506
TI  - Invited commentary.

PMID- 28342507
TI  - Invited commentary.

PMID- 28342508
TI  - Gender, smoking, body size, and aneurysm geometry influence the biomechanical
      rupture risk of abdominal aortic aneurysms as estimated by finite element
      analysis.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: Finite element analysis (FEA) has been suggested to be superior to
      maximal diameter measurements in predicting rupture of abdominal aortic aneurysms
      (AAAs). Our objective was to investigate to what extent previously described
      rupture risk factors were associated with FEA-estimated rupture risk. METHODS:
      One hundred forty-six patients with an asymptomatic AAA of a 40- to 60-mm
      diameter were retrospectively identified and consecutively included. The
      patients' computed tomography angiograms were analyzed by FEA without (neutral)
      and with (specific) input of patient-specific mean arterial pressure (MAP),
      gender, family history, and age. The maximal wall stress/wall strength ratio was
      described as a rupture risk equivalent diameter (RRED), which translated this
      ratio into an average aneurysm diameter of corresponding rupture risk. RESULTS:
      In multivariate linear regression, RREDneutral increased with female gender (3.7
      mm; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.13-7.3) and correlated with patient height
      (0.27 mm/cm; 95% CI, 0.11-0.43) and body surface area (BSA, 16 mm/m2; 95% CI, 8.3
      24) and inversely with body mass index (BMI, -0.40 mm/kg m-2; 95% CI, -0.75 to 
      0.054) in a wall stress-dependent manner. Wall stress-adjusted RREDneutral was
      raised if the patient was currently smoking (1.1 mm; 95% CI, 0.21-1.9). Age, MAP,
      family history, and patient weight were unrelated to RREDneutral. In specific
      FEA, RREDspecific increased with female gender, MAP, family history positive for
      AAA, height, and BSA, whereas it was inversely related to BMI. All results were
      independent of aneurysm diameter. Peak wall stress and RRED correlated with
      aneurysm diameter and lumen volume. CONCLUSIONS: Female gender, current smoking,
      increased patient height and BSA, and low BMI were found to increase the
      mechanical rupture risk of AAAs. Previously described rupture risk factors may in
      part be explained by patient characteristic-dependent variations in aneurysm
      biomechanics.

PMID- 28342509
TI  - Invited commentary.

PMID- 28342510
TI  - Arterial protocol including prophylactic distal perfusion catheter decreases limb
      ischemia complications in patients undergoing extracorporeal membrane
      oxygenation.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: Venoarterial extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) is a salvage
      therapy in patients with severe cardiopulmonary failure. Owing to the large size
      of the cannulas inserted via the femoral vessels (<=24-F) required for adequate
      oxygenation, this procedure could result in significant limb ischemic
      complications (10%-70%). This study evaluates the results of a distal limb
      perfusion arterial protocol designed to reduce associated complications. METHODS:
      We conducted a retrospective institutional review board-approved review of
      consecutive patients requiring ECMO via femoral cannulation (July 2010-January
      2015). To prevent arterial ischemia, a distal perfusion catheter (DPC) was placed
      antegrade into the superficial femoral artery and connected to the ECMO circuit.
      Limb perfusion was monitored via near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) placed on both
      calves. Decannulation involved open repair, patch angioplasty, and femoral
      thrombectomy as needed. RESULTS: A total of 91 patients were placed on ECMO via
      femoral arterial cannula (16-F to 24-F) for a mean duration of 9 days (range, 1
      40 days). A percutaneous DPC was inserted prophylactically at the time of
      cannulation in 55 of 91 patients, without subsequent ischemia. Of the remaining
      36 patients without initial DPC placement, 12 (33% without DPC) developed
      ipsilateral limb ischemia related to arterial insufficiency, as detected by NIRS
      and clinical findings. In these patients, the placement of a DPC (n = 7) with or
      without a fasciotomy, or with a fasciotomy alone (n = 4), resulted in limb
      salvage; only one patient required subsequent amputation. After decannulation (n
      = 7), no patients had further evidence of limb ischemia. Risk factors for the
      development of limb ischemia identified by categorical analysis included lack of
      DPC at time of cannulation and ECMO cannula size of less than 20-Fr. There was a
      trend toward younger patient age. Overall ECMO survival rate was 42%, whereas
      survival in patients with limb ischemia was only 25%. CONCLUSIONS: Limb ischemia
      complications from ECMO may be decreased by prophylactic placement of an
      antegrade DPC. Without DPC, continuous monitoring using NIRS may identify limb
      ischemia, which can be treated subsequently with DPC and or fasciotomy.

PMID- 28342511
TI  - Invited commentary.

PMID- 28342512
TI  - Invited commentary.

PMID- 28342513
TI  - Mycotic aortic pseudoaneurysms in a patient with active Mycobacterium kansasii
      infection.

PMID- 28342514
TI  - Angiosome-directed revascularization in patients with critical limb ischemia.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: Direct revascularization (DR), according to the angiosome concept,
      provides direct blood flow to the site of tissue loss in patients with critical
      limb ischemia (CLI). DR may lead to improved outcomes; however, evidence for this
      is controversial. This systematic review and meta-analysis investigated the
      outcomes of surgical and endovascular DR compared with indirect revascularization
      (IR) in patients with CLI. METHODS: A systematic review was undertaken using the
      Cochrane Collaboration specified tool, and a meta-analysis was done according to
      the MOOSE (Meta-analysis of Observational Studies in Epidemiology) criteria. The
      electronic databases of MEDLINE, Embase, and the Cochrane Central Register of
      Controlled Trials were systematically searched for studies of DR compared with IR
      in patients with CLI with tissue loss. All articles were critically assessed for
      relevance, validity, and availability of data regarding patient and lesion
      characteristics and outcomes. When possible, data were systematically pooled, and
      a meta-analysis was performed for wound healing, major amputation, amputation
      free survival, and overall survival. RESULTS: Of 306 screened abstracts, 19
      cohort studies with 3932 patients were included. Nine scored 7 or higher on the
      Newcastle-Ottawa score. DR significantly improved wound healing (risk ratio [RR],
      0.60; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.51-0.71), major amputation (RR, 0.56; 95%
      CI, 0.47-0.67), and amputation-free survival rates (RR, 0.83; 95% CI, 0.69-1.00)
      compared with IR. This significance was lost in major amputation on sensitivity
      analysis for bypass studies. No significant difference was found in overall
      survival. In studies stratifying for collaterals, no differences between DR and
      IR were found in wound healing or major amputations in the presence of
      collaterals. CONCLUSIONS: DR significantly improves wound healing and major
      amputation rates after endovascular treatment in patients with CLI, supporting
      the angiosome theory. In the presence of collaterals, outcomes after IR are
      similar to outcomes after DR. Alternatively, patients without collaterals may
      benefit even more from DR as a primary treatment strategy. The angiosome theory
      is less applicable in bypass surgery, because bypasses are generally anastomosed
      to the least affected artery, with runoff passing the ankle to maintain bypass
      patency.

PMID- 28342515
TI  - Transluminal balloon angioplasty bundling for 2017.

PMID- 28342516
TI  - Medicare's new quality payment program for physicians: An overview.

PMID- 28342517
TI  - Regarding "Incidence of and risk factors for bowel ischemia after abdominal
      aortic aneurysm repair".

PMID- 28342518
TI  - Regarding "Effectiveness and outcome of endovascular therapy for late-onset
      postpancreatectomy hemorrhage using covered stents and embolization".

PMID- 28342519
TI  - Evidence of use of multilayer flow modulator stents in treatment of
      thoracoabdominal aortic aneurysms and dissections.

PMID- 28342520
TI  - Duplex velocity criteria for carotid endarterectomy.

PMID- 28342522
TI  - Invited commentary.

PMID- 28342521
TI  - Endovascular management of chronic symptomatic aortic dissection with the
      Streamliner Multilayer Flow Modulator: Twelve-month outcomes from the global
      registry.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: Reported are initial 12-month outcomes of patients with chronic
      symptomatic aortic dissection managed by the Streamliner Multilayer Flow
      Modulator (SMFM; Cardiatis, Isnes, Belgium). Primary end points were freedom from
      rupture- and aortic-related death, and reduction in false lumen index. Secondary
      end points were patency of great vessels and visceral branches, and freedom of
      stroke, paraplegia, and renal failure. METHODS: Out of 876 SMFM implanted
      globally, we have knowledge of 542. To date, 312 patients are maintained in the
      global registry, of which 38 patients were identified as having an aortic
      dissection (12.2%). Indications included 35 Stanford type B dissections, two
      Stanford type A and B dissections, and one mycotic Stanford type B dissection.
      RESULTS: There were no reported ruptures or aortic-related deaths. All cause
      survival was 85.3% Twelve-month freedom from neurologic events was 100%, and
      there were no incidences of end-organ ischemia, paraplegia or renal insult.
      Morphologic analysis exhibited dissection remodeling by a reduction in
      longitudinal length of the dissected aorta, and false lumen volume. A
      statistically significant reduction in false lumen index (P = .016) at 12 months,
      and a borderline significant increase in true lumen volume (P = .053) confirmed
      dissection remodeling. CONCLUSIONS: The SMFM is an option in management of
      complex pan-aortic dissection. Results highlight SMFM implantation leads to
      dissection stabilization with no further aneurysm progression, and no retrograde
      type A dissection. Thoracic endovascular aneurysm repair by SMFM ensued in
      freedom from aortic rupture, neurologic stroke, paraplegia and renal failure.
      Further analysis of the global registry data will inform long-term outcomes.

PMID- 28342523
TI  - Early experience with a modified preloaded system for fenestrated endovascular
      aortic repair.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: Preloaded endovascular delivery systems expand the anatomic
      eligibility for complex aortic repair by requiring only one iliac access vessel
      and providing a stable platform for guiding sheaths into challenging target
      vessels. This article reports the lessons learned and early clinical outcomes
      using a modified preloaded delivery system for fenestrated endovascular aneurysm
      repair (FEVAR) in three aortic centers in Europe. METHODS: From October 2015 to
      March 2016, consecutive patients presenting with extensive aortic aneurysm
      treated with a modified preloaded FEVAR were prospectively enrolled from three
      high volume European aortic centers. The new design is a modification of previous
      designs of preloaded fenestrated stent grafts and of the p-branch device
      platform. The technical details of implantation are described and perioperative
      outcomes, including the learning curve, are collected and reported. RESULTS: All
      patients (30 patients; 80% men; 70.2 years old) presented for nonurgent repair of
      either a type Ia endoleak (3/30; 10%), a type I-II-III thoracoabdominal (8/30;
      27%), or a type IV thoracoabdominal or pararenal (19/30; 63.%) aneurysm repair of
      a mean size of 64 +/- 13 mm using a custom made device. Primary technical success
      was achieved in 28 of 30 patients (93%) and assisted primary technical success in
      29 of 30 patients (97%). The two technical failures included open conversion to
      repair a ruptured iliac artery and restenting of a dissected superior mesenteric
      artery which was recognized hours after the index procedure had finished. The
      mean procedure time was 277 +/- 153 minutes, fluoroscopy time 79 +/- 36 minutes,
      dose area product 112 +/- 90 Gy cm2, and contrast volume 87 +/- 46 mL. All renal
      fenestrations were successfully stented without type III endoleak on completion
      angiogram; the preloaded guiding sheaths were used for 53 of 58 renal arteries
      (91%). Challenges related to learning to the use of the modified preloaded system
      were experienced early and had no clinical consequences. Major complications
      occurred in seven cases (23%), including two perioperative deaths because of
      stroke and sepsis following primary conversion attributable to iliac rupture.
      There were no target vessel occlusions or type I/III endoleaks found on
      postoperative imaging. CONCLUSIONS: Based on early experience, the modified
      preloaded system can be safely and effectively used during FEVAR, with good
      technical result and a short period of learning. This device expands treatment to
      patients with compromised iliac access, thus, additional patients and more follow
      up will be required to determine unique risks of operating in this patient
      population.

PMID- 28342524
TI  - Short-Communication: Revisiting conclusions of the report titled, "The impact of
      psychological factors on self-reported sleep disturbance among people living in
      the vicinity of wind turbines," by Leila Jalali, Mohammad-Reza Nezhad-Ahmadi,
      Mahmood Gohari, Philip Bigelow, & Stephen McColl, published in environmental
      research, volume 148, July 2016, 401-410.
AB  - The research report concluded, "It appears that self-reported sleep reported of
      participants may be associated to the indirect effects of visual and attitudinal
      cue and concern about property devaluation rather than distance to the nearest
      WT's or noise as itself." Careful reading of the report shows that the
      conclusions presented are not supported by the data provided in the report.

PMID- 28342525
TI  - [Cardiac hydatid cyst. Which imaging modality for an accurate diagnosis?]
AB  - Cardiac echinococcosis is rare. Its spontaneous course is serious because of the
      risk of rupture. Its clinical manifestations are variable, often latent and
      misleading. The diagnosis is sometimes referred to by chest radiography. It is
      much facilitated by non-invasive imaging techniques in particular transesophageal
      and transthoracic echocardiography, CT scan and magnetic resonance imaging. The
      latter through a morphological and topographical analysis accurate diagnosis of
      hydatid cyst and its relationship to cardiac muscle and surrounding tissue.
      Through functional analysis in cine cyst movements relative to the heart wall, it
      confirms its free or fixed character in the heart chambers, determines its
      insertion area, its deformability, the risk of rupture and its impact on
      myocardial contraction. Our case illustrates the relative contribution of these
      different imaging techniques and their respective contributions to the
      identification of hydatid cyst of its wall, its contents, its relationship with
      the various tunics and heart chambers and its relations with the lungs and
      mediastinum.

PMID- 28342526
TI  - Use of the cumulative sum method (CUSUM) to assess the learning curves of
      ultrasound-guided continuous femoral nerve block.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Although ultrasound is a basic competence for anaesthesia residents
      (AR) there is few data available on the learning process. This prospective
      observational study aims to assess the learning process of ultrasound-guided
      continuous femoral nerve block and to determine the number of procedures that a
      resident would need to perform in order to reach proficiency using the cumulative
      sum (CUSUM) method. METHODS: We recruited 19 AR without previous experience.
      Learning curves were constructed using the CUSUM method for ultrasound-guided
      continuous femoral nerve block considering 2 success criteria: a decrease of pain
      score>2 in a [0-10] scale after 15minutes, and time required to perform it.
      RESULTS: We analyse data from 17 AR for a total of 237 ultrasound-guided
      continuous femoral nerve blocks. 8/17 AR became proficient for pain relief,
      however all the AR who did more than 12 blocks (8/8) became proficient. As for
      time of performance 5/17 of AR achieved the objective of 12minutes, however all
      the AR who did more than 20 blocks (4/4) achieved it. CONCLUSIONS: The number of
      procedures needed to achieve proficiency seems to be 12, however it takes more
      procedures to reduce performance time. The CUSUM methodology could be useful in
      training programs to allow early interventions in case of repeated failures, and
      develop competence-based curriculum.

PMID- 28342527
TI  - Development of a decentralized multi-axis synchronous control approach for real
      time networks.
AB  - The message scheduling and the network-induced delays of real-time networks,
      together with the different inertias and disturbances in different axes, make the
      synchronous control of the real-time network-based systems quite challenging. To
      address this challenge, a decentralized multi-axis synchronous control approach
      is developed in this paper. Due to the limitations of message scheduling and
      network bandwidth, error of the position synchronization is firstly defined in
      the proposed control approach as a subset of preceding-axis pairs. Then, a motion
      message estimator is designed to reduce the effect of network delays. It is
      proven that position and synchronization errors asymptotically converge to zero
      in the proposed controller with the delay compensation. Finally, simulation and
      experimental results show that the developed control approach can achieve the
      good position synchronization performance for the multi-axis motion over the real
      time network.

PMID- 28342528
TI  - "Recredicinal" Marijuana.

PMID- 28342529
TI  - Reply.

PMID- 28342530
TI  - Reply.

PMID- 28342531
TI  - Sensitivity of medial and lateral knee contact force predictions to frontal plane
      alignment and contact locations.
AB  - Musculoskeletal models are increasingly used to estimate medial and lateral knee
      contact forces, which are difficult to measure in vivo. The sensitivity of
      contact force predictions to modeling parameters is important to the
      interpretation and implication of results generated by the model. The purpose of
      this study was to quantify the sensitivity of knee contact force predictions to
      simultaneous errors in frontal plane knee alignment and contact locations under
      different dynamic conditions. We scaled a generic musculoskeletal model for N=23
      subjects' stature and radiographic knee alignment, then perturbed frontal plane
      alignment and mediolateral contact locations within experimentally-possible
      ranges of 10 degrees  to -10 degrees  and 10 to -10mm, respectively. The
      sensitivity of first peak, second peak, and mean medial and lateral knee contact
      forces to knee adduction angle and contact locations was modeled using linear
      regression. Medial loads increased, and lateral loads decreased, by between 3%
      and 6% bodyweight for each degree of varus perturbation. Shifting the medial
      contact point medially increased medial loads and decreased lateral loads by
      between 1% and 4% bodyweight per millimeter. This study demonstrates that
      realistic measurement errors of 5mm (contact distance) or 5 degrees  (frontal
      plane alignment) could result in a combined 50% BW error in subject specific
      contact force estimates. We also show that model sensitivity varies between
      subjects as a result of differences in gait dynamics. These results demonstrate
      that predicted knee joint contact forces should be considered as a range of
      possible values determined by model uncertainty.

PMID- 28342532
TI  - Shear-scaling-based approach for irreversible energy loss estimation in stenotic
      aortic flow - An in vitro study.
AB  - Today, the functional and risk assessment of stenosed arteries is mostly based on
      ultrasound Doppler blood flow velocity measurements or catheter pressure
      measurements, which rely on several assumptions. Alternatively, blood velocity
      including turbulent kinetic energy (TKE) may be measured using MRI. The aim of
      the present study is to validate a TKE-based approach that relies on the fact
      that turbulence production is dominated by the flow's shear to determine the
      total irreversible energy loss from MRI scans. Three-dimensional particle
      tracking velocimetry (3D-PTV) and phase-contrast magnetic resonance imaging (PC
      MRI) simulations were performed in an anatomically accurate, compliant, silicon
      aortic phantom. We found that measuring only the laminar viscous losses does not
      reflect the true losses of stenotic flows since the contribution of the turbulent
      losses to the total loss become more dominant for more severe stenosis types (for
      example, the laminar loss is 0.0094+/-0.0015W and the turbulent loss is 0.0361+/
      0.0015W for the Remax=13,800 case, where Remax is the Reynolds number based on
      the velocity in the vena-contracta). We show that the commonly used simplified
      and modified Bernoulli's approaches overestimate the total loss, while the new
      TKE-based method proposed here, referred to as "shear scaling" approach, results
      in a good agreement between 3D-PTV and simulated PC-MRI (mean error is around
      10%). In addition, we validated the shear scaling approach on a geometry with
      post-stenotic dilatation using numerical data by Casas et al. (2016). The shear
      scaling-based method may hence be an interesting alternative for irreversible
      energy loss estimation to replace traditional approaches for clinical use. We
      expect that our results will evoke further research, in particular patient
      studies for clinical implementation of the new method.

PMID- 28342533
TI  - Eosinophilic Dermatosis of Hematologic Malignancy.
AB  - Dermatosis characterized by tissue eosinophilia arising in the context of
      hematologic disease is known as eosinophilic dermatosis of hematologic
      malignancy. The most commonly associated malignancy is chronic lymphocytic
      leukemia. Eosinophilic dermatosis of hematologic malignancy is a rare condition
      with a wide variety of clinical presentations, ranging from papules, erythematous
      nodules, or blisters that simulate arthropod bites, to the formation of true
      plaques of differing sizes. Histology reveals the presence of abundant
      eosinophils. We present 4 new cases seen in Hospital Arnau de Vilanova, Valencia,
      during the past 7 years. Three of these cases were associated with chronic
      lymphocytic leukemia and 1 with mycosis fungoides. It is important to recognize
      this dermatosis as it can indicate progression of the underlying disease, as was
      the case in 3 of our patients.

PMID- 28342536
TI  - Pop! Goes the weasel.

PMID- 28342535
TI  - [Professional stressors and common mental health disorders: Causal links?]
AB  - : According to the World Health Organization, depression has become the leading
      cause of disability in the world, contributing significantly to the burden of
      health issues especially in the industrialized countries. This is a major public
      health problem, with potential impact on work climates, productivity at work and
      the continued existence of the organizations. Some recent studies have examined
      potential links between professional factors and common mental health disorders,
      but none have demonstrated a direct causal link. OBJECTIVE: In the present study,
      we explored possible links between work-related stressors and common mental
      health disorders, with the objective of determining priority mental health
      prevention axes. METHOD: The study used a life trajectory method. We compared
      professional stressors and difficulties present in other spheres of life in the
      last five years between two groups: a group of 29 participants with common mental
      health disorders during the last five years (depression, anxiety disorders,
      eating disorders, substance use disorders, pathological gambling), and a group of
      29 participants who have not experienced a mental health disorder in the last
      five years. Data were collected from semi-structured interviews with the
      participants using a life course analysis method. Each participant was
      interviewed during two or three meetings of two to three hour duration. Questions
      regarding difficulties in different spheres of life and mental health were asked.
      More precisely, data were collected with regards to the presence or absence of
      mental health disorders in the last five years and the nature of mental health
      disorders and difficulties. Moreover, we collected data pertaining to the most
      important positive and negative events in different spheres of life that were
      present in the last five years, including family life, romantic relationships,
      social life, academic difficulties, losses and separations, episodes of personal
      difficulties, financial difficulties as well as protective factors. Regarding
      professional difficulties present in the last five years, data were collected on
      different kinds of adversities such as difficulties in finding a job, periods of
      unemployment, frequent job changes, difficult working conditions, discrimination,
      difficult working relationships with colleagues and with employers, moral
      harassment and family-work conflicts. RESULTS: Participants with common mental
      health disorders are more concerned about having general professional
      difficulties at work and about having difficult working relationships with
      employers. However, difficulties related to other spheres of life do not
      differentiate the two groups. CONCLUSION: It is possible that the work
      environment is linked to common mental health disorders. In particular, having
      general professional stressors at the work place and having difficult
      relationships with employers can impact the occurrence of common mental health
      disorders. Inversely, these stressors at work can be the consequence of a common
      mental health disorder. Complementary studies are of interest. Professional
      stressors can constitute an essential part in the occurrence of common mental
      health disorders. Thus, the workplace seems a priority environment for deploying
      effective mental health prevention strategies. Moreover, this can be a strategy
      for organizations to improve the work climate and to increase productivity.

PMID- 28342537
TI  - Nonsyndromic proximal aortic aneurysms: What size matters?

PMID- 28342534
TI  - Comparison of ixekizumab with etanercept or placebo in moderate-to-severe
      psoriasis: Subgroup analysis of Latin American patients in the phase 3 randomized
      UNCOVER-3 study.
AB  - BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Ixekizumab demonstrated greater efficacy than placebo
      and etanercept in UNCOVER-3. Subgroup analysis of Latin American patients was
      performed. We report 12-week and 60-week data. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Analysis
      included 102 Latin American patients randomized to receive placebo (n=14),
      etanercept 50mg twice weekly (n=30), or ixekizumab 160-mg starting dose followed
      by 80mg every 2 weeks (Q2W; n=29) or every 4 weeks (Q4W; n=29). At week 12,
      patients maintaining efficacy response and adequate overall safety were assigned,
      at the discretion of the investigator, to long-term extension with ixekizumab
      Q4W. RESULTS: At week 12, Psoriasis Area and Severity Index (PASI) 100 scores
      were 0%, 20.0% (p=0.075 vs placebo), 62.1% (p<0.001 vs placebo; p=0.001 vs
      etanercept), and 48.3% (p=0.002 vs placebo; p=0.023 vs etanercept) for placebo,
      etanercept, ixekizumab Q2W, and ixekizumab Q4W, respectively. Among patients who
      continued therapy up to week 60 (n=97), PASI 100 scores were 71.4%, 60.0%, 77.8%,
      and 57.7% for patients who received induction placebo, etanercept, ixekizumab
      Q2W, and ixekizumab Q4W, respectively (non-responder imputation). By week 60, >=1
      serious adverse event was experienced by 7.1% (n=1/14), 3.3% (n=1/30), 14.8%
      (n=4/27), and 0% (n=0/26) of patients who received induction placebo, etanercept,
      ixekizumab Q2W, and ixekizumab Q4W, respectively. There were no cases of active
      tuberculosis with ixekizumab treatment through 60 weeks. CONCLUSIONS: In Latin
      American patients, both ixekizumab dosing regimens demonstrated greater efficacy
      than etanercept for treating psoriasis over 12 weeks. The safety profile of
      ixekizumab through 60 weeks was well tolerated and consistent with the overall
      profile.

PMID- 28342538
TI  - The value of a challenge.

PMID- 28342539
TI  - Beyond public reporting.

PMID- 28342540
TI  - Corrigendum to "The neuroscience of depression: Implications for assessment and
      intervention" [Behav. Res. Ther. 62 (2014) 60-73].

PMID- 28342541
TI  - Continuous gradient temperature Raman spectroscopy and differential scanning
      calorimetry of N-3DPA and DHA from -100 to 10 degrees C.
AB  - Docosahexaenoic acid (DHA, 22:6n-3) is exclusively utilized in fast signal
      processing tissues such as retinal, neural and cardiac. N-3 docosapentaenoic acid
      (n-3DPA, 22:5n-3), with just one less double bond, is also found in the marine
      food chain yet cannot substitute for DHA. Gradient temperature Raman spectroscopy
      (GTRS) applies the temperature gradients utilized in differential scanning
      calorimetry (DSC) to Raman spectroscopy, providing a straightforward technique to
      identify molecular rearrangements that occur near and at phase transitions.
      Herein we apply GTRS and both conventional and modulated DSC to n-3DPA and DHA
      from -100 to 20 degrees C. Three-dimensional data arrays with 0.2 degrees C
      increments and first derivatives allowed complete assignment of solid, liquid and
      transition state vibrational modes. Melting temperatures n-3DPA (-45 degrees C)
      and DHA (-46 degrees C) are similar and show evidence for solid-state phase
      transitions not seen in n-6DPA (-27 degrees C melt). The C6H2 site is an elastic
      marker for temperature perturbation of all three lipids, each of which has a
      distinct three dimensional structure. N-3 DPA shows the spectroscopic signature
      of saturated fatty acids from C1 to C6. DHA does not have three aliphatic carbons
      in sequence; n-6DPA does but they occur at the methyl end, and do not yield the
      characteristic signal. DHA appears to have uniform twisting from C6H2 to C12H2 to
      C18H2 whereas n-6DPA bends from C12 to C18, centered at C15H2. For n-3DPA,
      twisting is centered at C6H2 adjacent to the C2-C3-C4-C5 aliphatic moiety. These
      molecular sites are the most elastic in the solid phase and during premelting.

PMID- 28342542
TI  - Determinants of Late Tricuspid Regurgitation After Aortic-Mitral Double Valve
      Replacement.
AB  - The aims of this study are to evaluate the long-term outcomes of double valve
      replacement (aortic and mitral valves) and to investigate the determinants of
      late tricuspid regurgitation (TR). A total of 239 consecutive patients who
      underwent double valve replacement were enrolled. Valve pathology was rheumatic
      in 86.6% (207/239) and degenerative in 13.4% (32/239) of patients. Among these
      patients, 116 patients underwent concomitant tricuspid annuloplasty, and follow
      up was completed for all 239 patients (mean = 7.3 +/- 4.1, maximum = 15.9 years).
      We used propensity score matching to match 67 patients without tricuspid
      annuloplasty to the 114 patients who underwent annuloplasty. There was 1 in
      hospital death and 9.7% (23/238) of patients experienced late cardiac-related
      mortality. Analysis of aortic valves indicated that the transprosthetic mean
      pressure gradient increased with time (13.4 +/- 5.2 vs 15.4 +/- 9.0 mm Hg, p =
      0.002). Aortic transprosthetic mean pressure gradient increased more notably in
      woman and was associated with late TR (odds ratio 1.1, p = 0.010). In patients
      with mild TR, those who underwent tricuspid valve repair were less likely to
      experience a cardiac-related death within 10 years of surgery (hazards ratio 6.1,
      p = 0.036).

PMID- 28342543
TI  - Overview of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Nurse Faculty Scholars program: A
      Commentary.

PMID- 28342544
TI  - Mentees on mentoring: A commentary on mentor relationships and paying it forward.

PMID- 28342545
TI  - Distal tibial nonunion using a contralateral anterior L-shaped locking
      compression plate through a posterior-lateral approach: A retrospective case
      series.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Distal tibial nonunion is usually due to severe open distal tibial
      fractures with high energy injury. The best surgical treatment is not well
      established because of the poor soft tissue condition. We retrospectively
      analyzed a series of patients with distal tibial nonunion after severe open
      distal tibial fractures; our purpose was to introduce a treatment using a
      contralateral anterior L-shaped locking compression plate through a posterior
      lateral approach with Iliac crest bone graft and evaluate the outcomes of
      patients. METHODS: All patients with distal tibial nonunion who received a
      contralateral anterior L-shaped locking compression plate fixation through the
      posterior-lateral approach with Iliac crest bone graft by a single surgeon from
      2014 to 2016 were reviewed. 9 patients met the criteria. Five of nine patients
      had varus deformities (range, 9-40 degrees ) and 4 patients had valgus
      deformities (range, 5-30 degrees ). Postoperative radiographs, Postoperative
      complications, limb alignment and limb functional outcome information of AOFAS
      ankle-hindfoot score were recorded. RESULTS: All patients were followed up for at
      least 8 months (range, 8-16 months). Union was achieved in all patients after the
      index surgery without postoperative wound complications while one patient came up
      with checkrein deformity. Average time to radiographic union was 16 weeks (range,
      12-24 weeks). All patients had correction to neutral alignment in both coronal
      and sagittal planes. The average AOFAS ankle-hindfoot score was 90 (range, 77
      100) at the last follow-up of patients. CONCLUSIONS: Using a contralateral
      anterior L-shaped locking compression plate fixation through a posterior-lateral
      approach with Iliac crest bone graft to reconstruct the distal tibial nonunion is
      a safe and reliable method that can successfully treat patients with poor soft
      tissue condition of anterior portion of leg because of its adequate exposure,
      both tibia and fibula rigid fixation and plenty of bone graft. We believe the
      application of this method resulting in a high union and low complication rate.

PMID- 28342546
TI  - tDCS reactivation of dormant adaptation circuits.

PMID- 28342547
TI  - Corrigendum to "Altered functional connectivity of interoception in illness
      anxiety disorder" [Cortex 86 (2017) 22-32].

PMID- 28342548
TI  - In situ reactive zone with modified Mg(OH)2 for remediation of heavy metal
      polluted groundwater: Immobilization and interaction of Cr(III), Pb(II) and
      Cd(II).
AB  - Mg(OH)2 dissolves slowly and can provide a long-term source of alkalinity, thus a
      promising alternative reagent for the in situ remediation of heavy metal polluted
      groundwater. However, the application of Mg(OH)2 on in situ reactive zone (IRZ)
      for heavy metal polluted groundwater has never been investigated. In this study,
      the behaviors of heavy metals in a Mg(OH)2 IRZ were monitored for 45d. The heavy
      metals show a sequential precipitation by modified Mg(OH)2 due to the difference
      of Ksp. Column tests were conducted to investigate the temporal and spatial
      distribution of heavy metals in Mg(OH)2 IRZ and evaluate the stabilization effect
      for multi-heavy metal polluted groundwater. Experimental results indicate that
      there exist interactions between different heavy metals, and their zoning
      distribution is attributed either to the competitive adsorption onto porous media
      (control column) or to the sequential precipitation of heavy metal ions (IRZ
      column). In contrast with the control column, heavy metal contaminated area in
      Mg(OH)2 IRZ significantly shrinks. According to the chemical speciation analysis,
      when water containing Pb(II), Cd(II) and Cr(III) flows through Mg(OH)2 IRZ,
      exchangeable fraction of total concentration significantly reduce and the
      proportion of carbonate and Fe/Mn oxides fraction increase, indicating the
      decrease of their mobility and toxicity.

PMID- 28342549
TI  - Stream-aquifer and in-stream processes affecting nitrogen along a major river and
      contributing tributary.
AB  - This study assesses the spatio-temporal patterns of water and nutrient mass
      exchange in a stream-riparian system of a major river and a contributing
      tributary in an irrigated semi-arid region. Field monitoring is performed along
      reaches of the Arkansas River (4.7km) and Timpas Creek (2.0km) in southeastern
      Colorado during the 2014 growing season, with water quantity and water quality
      data collected using a network of in-stream sampling sites and groundwater
      monitoring wells. Mass balance approaches were used to identify temporal and
      spatial trends in flow, nitrogen (N), and salinity in stream-aquifer exchange. In
      the Arkansas River, percent decrease of N concentration along the study reach
      averaged 36% over the period, with results from a stochastic mass balance
      simulation indicating a 90% probability that 44% to 50% of NO3-N mass in the
      study reach (109-124kg/day/km) was removed by in-stream processes between 1
      September and 8 November. Results suggest that contact with organic-rich river
      bed sediments has a strong impact on N removal. A greater decrease in
      concentrations of NO3-N along the reach during the low flow period suggests the
      effect of both in-stream processes and dilution by inflowing groundwater that
      undergoes denitrification as it flows through the riparian and hyporheic zones
      into the river. In contrast, N concentration decreases in the smaller Timpas
      Creek were negligible. Results for the Arkansas River also are in contrast with
      other large agriculturally-influenced rivers, which have not exhibited capacity
      to remove N at significant rates. Results provide important insights across
      spatial and temporal scales and point to the need for investigating nutrient
      dynamics in large streams draining agriculturally-dominated watersheds.

PMID- 28342550
TI  - The effects of endothelin-1 on satellite glial cells in peripheral ganglia.
AB  - Endothelins (ET) are a family of highly active neuropeptides with manifold
      influences via ET receptors (ETR) in both the peripheral and central nervous
      systems. We have shown previously that satellite glial cells (SGCs) in mouse
      trigeminal ganglia (TG) are extremely sensitive to ET-1 in evoking [Ca2+]in
      increase, apparently via ETBR activation, but there is no functional information
      on ETR in SGCs of other peripheral ganglia. Here we tested the effects of ET-1 on
      SGCs in nodose ganglia (NG), which is sensory, and superior cervical ganglia (Sup
      CG), which is part of the sympathetic nervous system, and further investigated
      the influence of ET-1 on SGCs in TG. Using calcium imaging we found that SGCs in
      intact, freshly isolated NG and Sup-CG are highly sensitive to ET-1, with
      threshold concentration at 0.1nM. Our results showed that [Ca2+]in elevation in
      response to ET-1 was partially due to Ca2+ influx from the extracellular space
      and partially to Ca2+ release from intracellular stores. Using receptor selective
      ETR agonists and antagonists, we found that the responses were mediated by mixed
      ETAR/ETBR in SGCs of NG and predominantly by ETBR in SGCs of Sup-CG. By employing
      intracellular dye injection we examined coupling among SGCs around different
      neurons in the presence of 5nM ET-1 and observed coupling inhibition in all the
      three ganglion types. In summary, our work showed that SGCs in mouse sensory and
      sympathetic ganglia are highly sensitive to ET-1 and that this peptide markedly
      reduces SGCs coupling. We conclude that ET-1, which may participate in neuron
      glia communications, has similar functions in wide range of peripheral ganglia.

PMID- 28342551
TI  - Bilateral haemorrhagic papilloedema secondary to carboplatin use.

PMID- 28342552
TI  - "Code stroke" activation in a patient with an external ventricular assist device.

PMID- 28342553
TI  - Myelin changes in Alexander disease.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: Alexander disease (AxD) is a type of leukodystrophy. Its
      pathological basis, along with myelin loss, is the appearance of Rosenthal
      bodies, which are cytoplasmic inclusions in astrocytes. Mutations in the gene
      coding for GFAP have been identified as a genetic basis for AxD. However, the
      mechanism by which these variants produce the disease is not understood.
      DEVELOPMENT: The most widespread hypothesis is that AxD develops when a gain of
      function mutation causes an increase in GFAP. However, this mechanism does not
      explain myelin loss, given that experimental models in which GFAP expression is
      normal or mutated do not exhibit myelin disorders. This review analyses other
      possibilities that may explain this alteration, such as epigenetic or
      inflammatory alterations, presence of NG2 (+) - GFAP (+) cells, or post
      translational modifications in GFAP that are unrelated to increased expression.
      CONCLUSIONS: The different hypotheses analysed here may explain the myelin
      alteration affecting these patients, and multiple mechanisms may coexist. These
      theories raise the possibility of designing therapies based on these mechanisms.

PMID- 28342554
TI  - Ischaemic stroke as the predecessor event of an episode of thrombotic
      thrombocytopenic purpura.

PMID- 28342555
TI  - Use of Thudichum nasal speculum for retraction during insertion of dental
      implants.

PMID- 28342556
TI  - On constraints and affordances in motor development and learning - The case of
      DCD. A commentary on Wade & Kazeck (2017).
AB  - This commentary to the recent article by Wade & Kazeck discusses the role of
      constraints as a key concept in the understanding of the limitations in DCD. The
      concept of constraints is linked to affordances and is useful in the
      understanding of changes due to development and learning and the limitations of
      DCD, irrespective of theoretical point of view.

PMID- 28342557
TI  - [Cataract induced by hypoparathyroidism: A case report].

PMID- 28342558
TI  - High intensity focused ultrasound as first line treatment in patients with
      chronic angle closure glaucoma at risk for malignant glaucoma.
AB  - PURPOSE: Evaluation of high intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU) transscleral
      cyclocoagulation as an alternative to trabeculectomy in the treatment of
      refractory chronic angle closure glaucoma (CACG). METHODS: This prospective one
      armed single center pilot study was conducted on patients with medically
      uncontrolled CACG who underwent high intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU)
      cyclocoagulation as first line surgical treatment, using the Eye-OP1 HIFU device
      (Eyetechcare-Rillieux-la-Pape, France) driven by ultrasound biomicroscopic (UBM)
      ciliary body localization. All patients had documented progression of their
      glaucoma despite conventional medical and laser therapy. The primary efficacy
      outcome was intraocular pressure (IOP) reduction; secondary outcomes included
      changes in number of glaucoma medications and complications after
      cyclocoagulation. RESULTS: The study involved 8 eyes of 7 patients between May
      2013 and September 2014. The average follow-up was 5.6+/-2.1 months. The mean IOP
      was reduced from 18.4+/-3.5mmHg preoperatively to 14.8+/-4.1mmHg 6 months
      postoperatively. The average number of glaucoma medications decreased from 3.4+/
      1.1 at baseline to 3.3+/-0.7 after 6 months. Visual acuity remained stable
      (median 0.17 log MAR preoperatively and 0.19 log MAR at last follow-up visit). No
      significant side effect occurred during the 6 months follow-up period.
      CONCLUSIONS: HIFU cyclocoagulation appears to be a safe and reliable alternative
      to filtering surgery in the management of chronic angle closure glaucoma among
      patients with a high risk of malignant glaucoma.

PMID- 28342560
TI  - Evaluation of the influence of surfactants in the bioaccumulation kinetics of
      sulfamethoxazole and oxazepam in benthic invertebrates.
AB  - The potential ecotoxicological effects of mixtures of contaminants in the aquatic
      environment are generating a global concern. Benthic invertebrates, such as the
      crustacean Gammarus fossarum, are key in the functioning of aquatic ecosystems,
      and are frequently used as sentinel species of water quality status. The aim of
      this work was to study the effects of a mixture of the most frequently detected
      surfactants in the bioconcentration kinetics of two pharmaceuticals in G.
      fossarum, evaluating their potential enhancing or suppressing effects. Laboratory
      exposure experiments for both pharmaceuticals and surfactants (concentration
      ratio 1:25) were set up for two individual compounds, the anxiolytic oxazepam and
      the antibiotic sulfamethoxazole. Gammarid samples were processed using
      microQuEChERS (Quick, Easy, Cheap, Effective, Rugged, and Safe) extraction.
      Pharmaceuticals concentration in the organisms was followed-up by means of
      nanoliquid chromatography coupled to tandem mass spectrometry (nanoLC-MS/MS).
      Results indicated a similar mode of action of the surfactants in the
      bioconcentration kinetics of both drugs, decreasing the accumulation rate in the
      organism. Oxazepam showed a higher accumulation potential than sulfamethoxazole
      in all cases. Depuration experiments for oxazepam also demonstrated the high
      depurative capacity of gammarids, eliminating >50% of the concentration of
      oxazepam in <6h.

PMID- 28342559
TI  - [Senegalese experience with acute viral conjunctivitis].
AB  - PURPOSE: To study the epidemiological and clinical aspects of acute enteroviral
      and adenoviral conjunctivitis. PATIENTS AND METHODS: A prospective study was
      conducted between January 1st and October 31st, 2015, jointly between two
      Ophthalmology services and a virology laboratory, which identified 51 patients.
      Were included all patients who presented a painful red eye without loss of visual
      acuity associated with secretions,evolving for less than 4weeks RESULTS: The mean
      age was 32 years, and the sex ratio 1:1. Over half of our patients (61%) came
      from populous districts. A history of the virus "going around" was reported by 30
      patients (59% of cases). Virological testing was positive in 35 patients (68.7%
      of cases). Over 90% of samples collected during the first week of clinical signs
      were positive. CONCLUSION: Viral conjunctivitis is a contagious condition, the
      spread of which is favored by promiscuity. Adenovirus and enterovirus are the
      main causative agents. They are present on an endemic scale in Senegal; thus, the
      need for better epidemiological surveillance in order to limit spread.

PMID- 28342561
TI  - A strategic document as a tool for implementing change. Lessons from the merger
      creating the South-East Health region in Norway.
AB  - In 2007, the Norwegian Parliament decided to merge the two largest health regions
      in the country: the South and East Health Regions became the South-East Health
      Region (SEHR). In its resolution, the Parliament formulated strong expectations
      for the merger: these included more effective hospital services in the Oslo
      metropolitan area, freeing personnel to work in other parts of the country, and
      making treatment of patients more coherent. The Parliamentary resolution provided
      no specific instructions regarding how this should be achieved. In order to
      fulfil these expectations, the new health region decided to develop a strategy as
      its tool for change; a change "agent". SINTEF was engaged to evaluate the process
      and its results. We studied the strategy design, the tools that emerged from the
      process, and which changes were induced by the strategy. The evaluation adopted a
      multimethod approach that combined interviews, document analysis and (re)analysis
      of existing data. The latter included economic data, performance data, and work
      environment data collected by the South-East Health Region itself. SINTEF found
      almost no effects, whether positive or negative. This article describes how the
      strategy was developed and discusses why it failed to meet the expectations
      formulated in the Parliamentary resolution.

PMID- 28342562
TI  - Tackling racism as a "wicked" public health problem: Enabling allies in anti
      racism praxis.
AB  - Racism is a "wicked" public health problem that fuels systemic health inequities
      between population groups in New Zealand, the United States and elsewhere. While
      literature has examined racism and its effects on health, the work describing how
      to intervene to address racism in public health is less developed. While the
      notion of raising awareness of racism through socio-political education is not
      new, given the way racism has morphed into new narratives in health institutional
      settings, it has become critical to support allies to make informing efforts to
      address racism as a fundamental cause of health inequities. In this paper, we
      make the case for anti-racism praxis as a tool to address inequities in public
      health, and focus on describing an anti-racism praxis framework to inform the
      training and support of allies. The limited work on anti-racism rarely
      articulates the unique challenges or needs of allies or targets of racism, but we
      seek to help fill that gap. Our anti-racism praxis for allies includes five core
      elements: reflexive relational praxis, structural power analysis, socio-political
      education, monitoring and evaluation and systems change approaches. We recognize
      that racism is a modifiable determinant of health and racial inequities can be
      eliminated with the necessary political will and a planned system change
      approach. Anti-racism praxis provides the tools to examine the interconnection
      and interdependence of cultural and institutional factors as a foundation for
      examining where and how to intervene to address racism.

PMID- 28342563
TI  - Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus Treatment Patterns Across Europe: A Population-based
      Multi-database Study.
AB  - PURPOSE: The aim of this study was to determine the similarities and differences
      of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) treatment patterns in daily practice in 5
      European countries and whether these reflect differences in guidelines. METHODS:
      Prescriptions for drugs used in diabetes treatment during a 5-year study period
      were obtained from electronic databases. Patients initiating T2DM treatment
      during the study period were included. An SAS analysis tool was developed to
      create episodes of use of drug classes, which resulted in treatment patterns.
      FINDINGS: A total of 253,530 patients initiating T2DM treatment during the study
      period were included; 52% to 55% were male, and the mean age ranged from 62 to 67
      years. Metformin was the most common initial treatment in all countries. After
      initial therapy, most patients in the Netherlands, Spain, and the United Kingdom
      switched to a combination of metformin + a sulfonylurea derivative (SU). In
      Italy, metformin in combination with an SU was outnumbered by "other treatment,"
      mainly because of repaglinide use. In France, treatments including dipeptidyl
      peptidase-4 inhibitors were most frequent as second- and fourth-line treatment.
      Metformin monotherapy was again most commonly observed as the third line of
      treatment in all countries. Fourth treatment was a combination of metformin + an
      SU in the Netherlands and Spain; in the United Kingdom and France, dipeptidyl
      peptidase-4 inhibitors were the most frequently used fourth line of treatment.
      IMPLICATIONS: This study provides a comprehensive overview of T2DM treatment
      patterns among patients initiating T2DM treatment in 5 European countries. There
      were differences, especially regarding the uptake of newer incretin-based
      treatments, which are usually prescribed as a second and/or third treatment in
      agreement with local guidelines. These variations reflect the differences between
      the national guidelines of these countries.

PMID- 28342565
TI  - Mini review: New pathogen profiles: Elizabethkingia anophelis.
AB  - Within a little more than 5 years since its taxonomic description in 2011, from
      the midgut of mosquitoes, Elizabethkingia anophelis has emerged as an important
      causes of sepsis in adults and children and in cases of neonatal meningitis. At
      least 3 moderate- to large-scale outbreaks of disease have been caused by this
      bacterium, the largest 2 occurring in the Midwest United States in 2015-2016.
      Several studies suggest that E. anophelis, and not E. meningoseptica, is the
      predominant human pathogen of this genus; identification to species is difficult.
      Little is presently known regarding its epidemiology, modes of transmission, and
      pathogenicity as it relates to virulence-associated factors.

PMID- 28342564
TI  - Implementation of a violence risk assessment tool on a safety-net inpatient
      psychiatry unit.

PMID- 28342566
TI  - Mechanical and Biological Effects of Ultrasound: A Review of Present Knowledge.
AB  - Ultrasound is widely used for medical diagnosis and increasingly for therapeutic
      purposes. An understanding of the bio-effects of sonography is important for
      clinicians and scientists working in the field because permanent damage to
      biological tissues can occur at high levels of exposure. Here the underlying
      principles of thermal mechanisms and the physical interactions of ultrasound with
      biological tissues are reviewed. Adverse health effects derived from cellular
      studies, animal studies and clinical reports are reviewed to provide insight into
      the in vitro and in vivo bio-effects of ultrasound.

PMID- 28342567
TI  - Ocular ultrasound in a patient with vitreous haemorrhage caused by a retinal
      tear.

PMID- 28342568
TI  - Erratum to: "Availability of resources for patients with wet age-related macular
      degeneration. Optimal study" [Arch Soc Esp Oftalmol 88 (8) (2013) 307-312].

PMID- 28342569
TI  - Corrigendum to "An emerging evidence base for the management of neonatal
      hypoglycemia" [Early Hum. Dev. 2017; 104: 51-56].

PMID- 28342570
TI  - Body Mass Index Is Associated With Differential Rates of Coronary
      Revascularization After Cardiac Catheterization.
AB  - BACKGROUND: The association of obesity with coronary revascularization procedures
      is not clear. We examined rates of coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) and
      percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) associated with obesity while accounting
      for the severity of coronary disease and diabetes status. METHODS: Patients who
      underwent cardiac catheterization were stratified according to coronary anatomy
      risks and diabetes status. Within each stratum, using normal body mass index
      (BMI) (18.5-24.9 kg/m2) as a reference, the associations of overweight (25.0-29.9
      kg/m2), obese class I (30.0-34.9 kg/m2), obese class II (35.0-39.9 kg/m2), and
      obese class III (>= 40.0 kg/m2) with the likelihood of receiving CABG and PCI
      were assessed while adjusting for clinical covariates. RESULTS: Of 56,722
      patients analyzed, overall use of revascularization was higher in the overweight,
      obese class I, and obese class II groups (overweight: adjusted hazard ratio
      [aHR], 1.10; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.06-1.13; obese class I: aHR, 1.08;
      95% CI, 1.05-1.12; obese class II: aHR,1.05; 95% CI, 1.01-1.10), whereas it was
      lower in the obese class III group (aHR, 0.91; 95% CI, 0.85-0.97) compared with
      normal BMI. In the subgroup with high-risk coronary anatomy and diabetes, all
      obese classes had higher rates of PCI (obese class I: aHR,1.24; 95% CI, 1.08
      1.42; obese class II: aHR,1.27; 95% CI, 1.07-1.49, obese class III: aHR,1.37; 95%
      CI, 1.12-1.67) than the normal BMI group. CONCLUSIONS: Our results showed that
      BMI is associated with differential rates of coronary revascularization. In
      patients with high-risk coronary anatomy and diabetes, clinical appropriateness
      of higher rates of PCI associated with obesity warrants further investigation.

PMID- 28342571
TI  - Identification of gastric outlet obstruction using point-of-care ultrasound.

PMID- 28342572
TI  - Exploring the atomic structure of 1.8nm monolayer-protected gold clusters with
      aberration-corrected STEM.
AB  - Monolayer-protected (MP) Au clusters present attractive quantum systems with a
      range of potential applications e.g. in catalysis. Knowledge of the atomic
      structure is needed to obtain a full understanding of their intriguing physical
      and chemical properties. Here we employed aberration-corrected scanning
      transmission electron microscopy (ac-STEM), combined with multislice simulations,
      to make a round-robin investigation of the atomic structure of chemically
      synthesised clusters with nominal composition Au144(SCH2CH2Ph)60 provided by two
      different research groups. The MP Au clusters were "weighed" by the atom counting
      method, based on their integrated intensities in the high angle annular dark
      field (HAADF) regime and calibrated exponent of the Z dependence. For atomic
      structure analysis, we compared experimental images of hundreds of clusters, with
      atomic resolution, against a variety of structural models. Across the size range
      123-151 atoms, only 3% of clusters matched the theoretically predicted
      Au144(SR)60 structure, while a large proportion of the clusters were amorphous
      (i.e. did not match any model structure). However, a distinct ring-dot feature,
      characteristic of local icosahedral symmetry, was observed in about 20% of the
      clusters.

PMID- 28342573
TI  - Capnography-Assisted Nasotracheal Intubation Using Cuff Inflation and Gum-Elastic
      Bougie.

PMID- 28342574
TI  - Ultrasound Findings in Tension Pneumothorax: A Case Report.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Delayed recognition of tension pneumothorax can lead to a mortality
      of 31% to 91%. However, the classic physical examination findings of tracheal
      deviation and distended neck veins are poorly sensitive in the diagnosis of
      tension pneumothorax. Point-of-care ultrasound is accurate in identifying the
      presence of pneumothorax, but sonographic findings of tension pneumothorax are
      less well described. CASE REPORT: We report the case of a 21-year-old man with
      sudden-onset left-sided chest pain. He was clinically stable without hypoxia or
      hypotension, and the initial chest x-ray study showed a large pneumothorax
      without mediastinal shift. While the patient was awaiting tube thoracostomy, a
      point-of-care ultrasound demonstrated findings of mediastinal shift and a dilated
      inferior vena cava (IVC) concerning for tension physiology, even though the
      patient remained hemodynamically stable. WHY SHOULD AN EMERGENCY PHYSICIAN BE
      AWARE OF THIS?: This case demonstrates a unique clinical scenario of ultrasound
      evidence of tension physiology in a clinically stable patient. Although this
      patient was well appearing without hypotension, respiratory distress, tracheal
      deviation, or distended neck veins, point-of-care ultrasound revealed mediastinal
      shift and a plethoric IVC. Given that the classic clinical signs of tension
      pneumothorax are not uniformly present, this case shows how point-of-care
      ultrasound may diagnose tension pneumothorax before clinical decompensation.

PMID- 28342575
TI  - Performance of a novel baffled osmotic membrane bioreactor-microfiltration hybrid
      system under continuous operation for simultaneous nutrient removal and
      mitigation of brine discharge.
AB  - The present study investigated the performance of an integrated osmotic and
      microfiltration membrane bioreactor system for wastewater treatment employing
      baffles in the reactor. Thus, this reactor design enables both aerobic and anoxic
      processes in an attempt to reduce the process footprint and energy costs
      associated with continuous aeration. The process performance was evaluated in
      terms of water flux, salinity build up in the bioreactor, organic and nutrient
      removal and microbial activity using synthetic reverse osmosis (RO) brine as draw
      solution (DS). The incorporation of MF membrane was effective in maintaining a
      reasonable salinity level (612-1434mg/L) in the reactor which resulted in a much
      lower flux decline (i.e. 11.48-6.98LMH) as compared to previous studies. The
      stable operation of the osmotic membrane bioreactor-forward osmosis (OMBR-FO)
      process resulted in an effective removal of both organic matter (97.84%) and
      nutrient (phosphate 87.36% and total nitrogen 94.28%), respectively.

PMID- 28342576
TI  - Biological CO2 mitigation from coal power plant by Chlorella fusca and Spirulina
      sp.
AB  - CO2 biofixation by microalgae and cyanobacteria is an environmentally sustainable
      way to mitigate coal burn gas emissions. In this work the microalga Chlorella
      fusca LEB 111 and the cyanobacteria Spirulina sp. LEB 18 were cultivated using
      CO2 from coal flue gas as a carbon source. The intermittent flue gas injection in
      the cultures enable the cells growth and CO2 biofixation by these microorganisms.
      The Chlorella fusca isolated from a coal power plant could fix 2.6 times more CO2
      than Spirulina sp. The maximum daily CO2 from coal flue gas biofixation was
      obtained with Chlorella fusca (360.12+/-0.27mgL-1d-1), showing a specific growth
      rate of 0.17+/-<0.01d-1. The results demonstrated the Chlorella fusca LEB 111 and
      Spirulina sp. LEB 18 potential to fix CO2 from coal flue gas, and sequential
      biomass production with different biotechnological destinations.

PMID- 28342577
TI  - Corrigendum to 'Nutrient recycle from defatted microalgae (Aurantiochytrium) with
      hydrothermal treatment for microalgae cultivation' [Bioresour. Technol. 228
      (2017) 186-192].

PMID- 28342578
TI  - Efficacy and safety of aripiprazole lauroxil in schizophrenic patients presenting
      with severe psychotic symptoms during an acute exacerbation.
AB  - Aripiprazole lauroxil (AL), a new long-acting injectable antipsychotic,
      demonstrated safety and efficacy in treating acute exacerbation symptoms of
      schizophrenia in a 12-week placebo-controlled trial of two doses of AL (441mg and
      882mg) administered every 4weeks. We performed a post hoc analysis of this trial
      to evaluate the efficacy of AL in the subgroup of patients with severe psychotic
      symptoms, defined as those with baseline Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale
      (PANSS) Total score above the median score of 92 (n=309). Change from baseline to
      Day 85 in PANSS Total score; Positive, Negative, and General Psychopathology
      subscale scores; and overall response rate were assessed. Statistically
      significant and clinically meaningful improvements in PANSS Total score were
      demonstrated with AL 441mg and AL 882mg, with placebo-adjusted differences of 
      14.7 (p<0.0001) and -16.6 (p<0.0001), respectively. Significant and clinically
      meaningful findings with both doses of AL were also demonstrated for the PANSS
      subscales and responder rates. Overall responder rates at Day 85 were
      significantly greater for AL 441mg (49%; p<0.001) and 882 mg (61%; p<0.001)
      groups vs. placebo (18%). Common adverse events (>5%) were schizophrenia,
      akathisia, headache, insomnia, and anxiety. AL demonstrated robust efficacy in
      treatment of the subgroup of patients experiencing severe psychotic symptoms.
      Both doses (441mg and 882mg) were effective, with numerically greater improvement
      in symptoms and proportion of responders favoring the higher dose arm. Both doses
      had a side effect profile consistent with the known safety profile of
      aripiprazole.

PMID- 28342579
TI  - Magnetic Mini-Mover Procedure for pectus excavatum IV: FDA sponsored multicenter
      trial.
AB  - PURPOSE: The Magnetic Mini-Mover Procedure (3MP) is a minimally invasive
      treatment for prepubertal patients with pectus excavatum. This multicenter trial
      sought to supplement safety and efficacy data from an earlier pilot trial.
      METHODS: Fifteen patients with pectus excavatum had a titanium-enclosed magnet
      implanted on the sternum. Externally, patients wore a custom-fitted magnetic
      brace. Patients were monitored closely for safety. Efficacy was determined by the
      Haller Index (HI) and satisfaction surveys. After 2 years, the implant was
      removed. RESULTS: Mean patient age was 12 years (range 8-14), and mean
      pretreatment HI was 4.7 (range 3.6-7.4). The device was successfully implanted in
      all patients. Mean treatment duration was 25 months (range 18-33). Posttreatment
      chest imaging in 13 patients indicated that HI decreased in 5, remained stable in
      2, and increased in 6. Seven out of 15 patients had breakage of the implant's
      titanium cables because of fatigue fracture. Eight out of 13 patients were
      satisfied with their chest after treatment. CONCLUSION: The 3MP is a safe,
      minimally invasive, outpatient treatment for prepubertal patients with pectus
      excavatum. However, the magnetic implant design led to frequent device breakage,
      confounding analysis. The HI indicated mixed efficacy, although surveys indicated
      most patients perceived a benefit. STUDY TYPE/LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Case series,
      treatment study. Level IV.

PMID- 28342580
TI  - Evidence-based management of chylothorax in infants.
AB  - PURPOSE: Management guidelines for infants with chylothorax lack substantial
      evidence. We sought to identify variables that impact outcomes in these patients
      in order to develop an evidence-based management algorithm. METHODS: We
      retrospectively reviewed the medical records of all infants diagnosed with
      chylothorax from June 2005 to December 2014 at our institution. Data collected
      included demographics, chest tube output (CTO), medical and dietary
      interventions, surgical procedures, and absolute lymphocyte count (ALC). Outcomes
      analyzed included death, sepsis, necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC), requiring
      surgery, and success of therapy, defined as CTO decrease by >50% within 7days.
      RESULTS: Of 178 neonates with chylothorax, initial therapy was high medium chain
      triglyceride (MCT) feedings in 106 patients, nothing by mouth (NPO), total
      parenteral nutrition (TPN) in 21, and NPO/TPN plus octreotide in 45. Octreotide
      use in addition to NPO/TPN revealed no significant differences in any outcome
      including success (47% vs. 43%, p=0.77). Initial CTO and ALC correlated with
      needing surgery (p=0.002 and p=0.006, respectively), and with death (p=0.028 and
      p=0.043, respectively). ALC also correlated with sepsis (p<0.001). CONCLUSIONS:
      Octreotide has no advantage over NPO/TPN alone in infants with chylothorax. CTO
      and ALC predict requiring surgery. We propose a management guideline based on CTO
      and ALC without a role for octreotide. TYPE OF STUDY: Retrospective case-control
      study. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: 3.

PMID- 28342581
TI  - Neurodevelopmental outcomes in infants undergoing general anesthesia.
AB  - PURPOSE: Preclinical data strongly suggest that all agents used for general
      anesthesia (GA) have detrimental effects on the developing brain. However,
      clinical data are unclear. The purpose of this study was to use a cohort of
      infants who underwent GA and understand their neurodevelopmental outcomes.
      METHODS: A cohort of infants who underwent GA was selected between 2010 and 2011,
      and a control group was created. Data regarding GA, procedures, and outcomes were
      collected in 2015. The cohort was divided into controls, GA without surgery, GA
      and surgery once, and multiple general anesthetics. Both univariate and
      multivariate analysis were performed, and a p value of less than 0.05 was
      considered significant. RESULTS: 457 patients, 121 controls, and 336 cases were
      included. Median follow-up was 5.1years. While developmental delay and the need
      for speech therapy were higher with GA, this did not correlate with the duration
      of GA. Patients having GA for MRI had the poorest outcomes. Multivariate analysis
      using combined binary outcome measures for psychiatric and neurologic outcomes
      did not show any significant difference for duration of anesthesia, age at
      anesthesia, or induction and maintenance agents. CONCLUSIONS: These data suggest
      that GA during the first year of life may have few significant neurodevelopmental
      effects compared to controls. Additionally, the duration of GA did not correlate
      with neurodevelopmental outcomes. TYPE OF STUDY: Retrospective Case Control
      Cohort Study. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: 3 b (according to Oxford Center for EBM Levels
      of Evidence, March 2009, http://www.cebm.net/oxford-centre-evidence-based
      medicine-levels-evidence-march-2009/).

PMID- 28342582
TI  - Simultaneous determination of nitrated and oligomerized proteins by size
      exclusion high-performance liquid chromatography coupled to photodiode array
      detection.
AB  - Chemical modifications such as nitration and cross-linking may enhance the
      allergenic potential of proteins. The kinetics and mechanisms of the underlying
      chemical processes, however, are not yet well understood. Here, we present a size
      exclusion chromatography/spectrophotometry method (SEC-HPLC-DAD) that allows a
      simultaneous detection of mono-, di-, tri-, and higher protein oligomers, as well
      as their individual nitration degrees (NDs). The ND results of proteins from this
      new method agree well with the results from an alternative well-established
      method, for the analysis of tetranitromethane (TNM)- and nitrogen dioxide and
      ozone (NO2/O3)-nitrated protein samples. Importantly, the NDs for individual
      oligomer fractions can be obtained from the new method, and also, we provide a
      proof of principle for the calculation of the concentrations for individual
      protein oligomer fractions by their determined NDs, which will facilitate the
      investigation of the kinetics and mechanism for protein tyrosine nitration and
      cross-linking.

PMID- 28342583
TI  - Affinity chromatographic methodologies based on immobilized voltage dependent
      anion channel isoform 1 and application in protein-ligand interaction analysis
      and bioactive compounds screening from traditional medicine.
AB  - Voltage dependent anion channel isoform 1 (VDAC-1) serves as an attractive target
      of anti-cancer drugs by mediating the entry and exit of metabolites between
      cytoplasm and mitochondria. This work reports on the preparation of a VDAC-1
      based bioaffinity chromatographic stationary phase by linking the protein on
      lecithin modified microspheres. An assay of chromatographic methods including
      frontal analysis, zonal elution, injection dependent analysis and nonlinear
      chromatography were utilized to investigate the bindings of ATP, NADH and NADPH
      to VDAC-1. Electrostatic interactions were found to be main forces during these
      bindings. The calculated association constants of the three ligands to VDAC-1
      showed good agreements between diverse chromatographic methods. Validated
      application of the stationary phase was performed by screening anti-cancer
      compounds of Rheum officinale Baill. using high performance affinity
      chromatography coupled with electrospray ionization-quadrupole time of flight
      mass spectrometry. Chrysophanol, emodin, rhein, aloe-emodin and catechin were
      identified as the bioactive components of the herb. These compounds targeted VDAC
      1 through Thr207 and the N-terminal region of the protein. Taken together, the
      current stationary phase was possible to become a promising tool for protein
      ligand interaction analysis and anti-cancer drug screening from complex matrices.

PMID- 28342584
TI  - Dispersive liquid-liquid microextraction and injection-port derivatization for
      the determination of free lipophilic compounds in fruit juices by gas
      chromatography-mass spectrometry.
AB  - A method consisting of dispersive liquid-liquid microextraction (DLLME) followed
      by injection-port derivatization and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS)
      for the analysis of free lipophilic compounds in fruit juices is described. The
      method allows the analysis of several classes of lipophilic compounds, such as
      fatty acids, fatty alcohols, phytosterols and triterpenes. The chromatographic
      separation of the compounds was achieved in a chromatographic run of 25.5min. The
      best conditions for the dispersive liquid-liquid microextraction were 100MUL of
      CHCl3 in 1mL of acetone. For the injection-port derivatization, the best
      conditions were at 280 degrees C, 1min purge-off, and a 1:1 sample:derivatization
      reagent ratio (v/v) using N-methyl-N-(trimethylsilyl)trifluoroacetamide
      (MSTFA):pyridine (1:1) as reagent. Quality parameters were assessed for the
      target compounds, giving a limits of detection (LODs) ranging from 1.1 to
      5.7ng/mL and limits of quantification (LOQs) from 3.4 to 18.7ng/mL for linoleic
      and stearic acid, respectively. Repeatability (%RSD, n=5) was below 11.51% in all
      cases. In addition, the method linearity presented an r2 >=0.990 for all ranges
      applied. Finally, the method was used to test the lipophilic fraction of various
      samples of commercial fruit juice.

PMID- 28342585
TI  - Response to "obesity paradox in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease: A result
      of airflow obstruction over-grading?"

PMID- 28342586
TI  - Biomechanical analysis of the fixation systems for anterior column and posterior
      hemi-transverse acetabular fractures.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to evaluate the biomechanical properties of
      common fixation systems for complex acetabular fractures. METHODS: A finite
      element (FE) pelvic model with anterior column and posterior hemi-transverse
      acetabular fractures was created. Three common fixation systems were used to fix
      the posterior wall acetabular fractures: 1. Anterior column plate combined with
      posterior column screws (group I), 2. Anterior column plate combined with
      quadrilateral area screws (group II) and 3. Double-column plates (group III). And
      600 N, representing the body weight, was loaded on the upper surface of the
      sacrum to simulate the double-limb stance. The amounts of total and relative
      displacements were compared between the groups. RESULTS: The total amount of
      displacement was 2.76 mm in group II, 2.81 mm in group III, and 2.83 mm in group
      I. The amount of relative displacement was 0.0078 mm in group II, 0.0093 mm in
      group III and 0.014 mm in group I. CONCLUSION: Our results suggested that all
      fixation systems enhance biomechanical stability significantly. Anterior column
      plate combined with quadrilateral area screws has quite comparable results to
      double column plates, they were superior to anterior column plate combined with
      posterior screws.

PMID- 28342587
TI  - Highly oxygenated antiausterity agents from the leaves of Uvaria dac.
AB  - From the chloroform extract of the leaves of Uvaria dac, four new highly
      oxygenated cyclohexene derivatives named uvaridacols I-L (1-4) were isolated
      together with nine previously reported compounds (5-13). Their structures were
      determined based on the extensive NMR spectroscopic data and circular dichroism
      spectroscopic analysis. Among the new compounds, uvaridacol L (4) displayed
      strong preferential cytotoxicity in the nutrient deprived medium against five
      different tested pancreatic cancer cell lines, PANC-1 (PC50, 20.1MUM), PSN-1
      (PC50, 9.7MUM), MIA PaCa-2 (PC50, 29.1MUM), Capan-1 (73.0MUM) and KLM-1
      (25.9MUM).

PMID- 28342588
TI  - Corrigendum to "Fluorescent molecularly imprinted nanogels for the detection of
      anticancer drugs in human plasma" [Biosens. Bioelectron. 86 (2016) 913-919].

PMID- 28342589
TI  - Energy consumption by forward osmosis treatment of landfill leachate for water
      recovery.
AB  - Forward osmosis (FO) is an alternative approach for treating landfill leachate
      with potential advantages of reducing leachate volume and recovering high quality
      water for direct discharge or reuse. However, energy consumption by FO treatment
      of leachate has not been examined before. Herein, the operational factors such as
      recirculation rates and draw concentrations were studied for their effects on the
      quantified energy consumption by an FO system treating actual leachate collected
      from two different landfills. It was found that the energy consumption increased
      with a higher recirculation rate and decreased with a higher draw concentration,
      and higher water recovery tended to reduce energy consumption. The highest energy
      consumption was 0.276+/-0.033kWhm-3 with the recirculation rate of 110mLmin-1 and
      1-M draw concentration, while the lowest of 0.005+/-0.000kWhm-3 was obtained with
      30mLmin-1 recirculation and 3-M draw concentration. The leachate with lower
      concentrations of the contaminants had a much lower requirement for energy,
      benefited from its higher water recovery. Osmotic backwashing appeared to be more
      effective for removing foulants, but precise understanding of membrane fouling
      and its controlling methods will need a long-term study. The results of this work
      have implied that FO treatment of leachate could be energy efficient, especially
      with the use of a suitable draw solute that can be regenerated in an energy
      efficient way and/or through combination with other treatment technologies that
      can reduce contaminant concentrations before FO treatment, which warrants further
      investigation.

PMID- 28342590
TI  - A life cycle assessment of distributed energy production from organic waste: Two
      case studies in Europe.
AB  - By means of the life cycle assessment methodology, the purpose of this study is
      to assess the environmental impact when biomethane from organic waste produced at
      residential level is used to supply energy to a group of dwellings in the
      distributed generation paradigm. Three different Combined Heat and Power systems,
      such as fuel cells, Stirling engine and micro gas turbine, installed at household
      level are assessed in two different settings: one in Northern Europe (UK) and one
      in Southern Europe (Italy). Different operating strategies are investigated for
      each technology. Moreover, marginal electricity production technologies are
      analysed to assess their influence on the results. This study has demonstrated
      that the type of bio-methane fed micro-CHP technology employed has a
      significantly different environmental impact: fuel cells are the most
      environmentally friendly solution in every category analysed; Stirling engines,
      although can supply heat to the largest number of dwellings are the least
      environmentally friendly technology. However, key factors investigated in the
      model presented in this paper influence the decision making on the type of
      technology adopted and the operating strategy to be implemented.

PMID- 28342591
TI  - Anaphylaxis During Intracardiac and Endovascular Implantations: A Multifactorial
      Problem Involving Kounis Syndrome.

PMID- 28342592
TI  - Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and organochlorine pesticides (OCPs) in
      sediments from an urban- and industrial-impacted subtropical estuary (Babitonga
      Bay, Brazil).
AB  - Babitonga Bay is a large estuary, which has been under pressure from
      anthropogenic activities coexisting with a natural area of Atlantic rainforest
      and mangrove systems. The concentration of persistent organic pollutants (POPs),
      such as polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and organochlorine pesticides (OCPs) was
      determined to evaluate the contamination status and the determine possible
      pollution sources in the estuary. The ?DDT (sum of DDT, DDE and DDD
      concentrations) was the predominant OCP group, with concentrations ranging from
      <DL (below detection limit) to 122ng g-1. The exceptionally high concentration of
      p,p'-DDT (80%) found near Sao Francisco harbour exceeded SQG limits indicating
      highly toxic conditions in the area that may be attributed to a recent
      contamination from some local input. In contrast, other sites in the estuary
      presented higher concentration of the metabolite p,p'-DDE (34%). The results
      suggest strongly anthropogenic impact in specific sites of this estuary, which
      need further investigation.

PMID- 28342593
TI  - Taxocoenosis of epibenthic dinoflagellates in the coastal waters of the northern
      Yucatan Peninsula before and after the harmful algal bloom event in 2011-2012.
AB  - Eutrophication causes the major impact in the coastal waters of the state of
      Yucatan. In general, loss of water quality and biological communities and massive
      development of toxic microorganisms are some of the consequences of this
      phenomenon. To reveal changes in species composition and cell abundance of the
      taxocoenosis of epibenthic dinoflagellates before and after a harmful algal bloom
      event in the water column that lasted about 150days (August-December 2011) in the
      Dzilam - San Crisanto area (northern Yucatan Peninsula, southeastern Gulf of
      Mexico) were the main objectives of the present study. In August 2011 and
      September 2012, sampling along 20 transects perpendicular to the coastline along
      the entire northern Yucatan coast, starting from 20 sampling sites from El Cuyo
      in the east to Celestun in the west, at a distance of 50, 150 and 250m from the
      coast, was carried out. Physicochemical characteristics measured before and after
      the bloom were within the ranges previously reported in the study area. Salinity
      was the most stable characteristic, with mean values of 36.25 and 36.42 in 2011
      and 2012, respectively. Phosphates were the only parameter that showed a wide
      range with higher values before the bloom (0.03-0.54MUM/l). A total of 168
      macrophyte (seaweeds and seagrasses), sponge and sediment samples (105 in 2011
      and 63 in 2012) that included associated microphytobenthos were taken by
      snorkeling from 0.7 to 5m depth. Six substrate types were distinguished:
      Chlorophyta, Phaeophyceae, Rhodophyta, Angiospermae (seagrasses), Demospongiae
      (sponges) and sediment. Chlorophytes dominated the collected samples: 38 samples
      in 2011 and 23 in 2012. Avrainvillea longicaulis f. laxa predominated before the
      bloom and Udotea flabellum after it. In total, 25 epibenthic dinoflagellate
      species from 11 genera were found. The genus Prorocentrum was the most
      representative in terms of the number of species. The highest total
      dinoflagellate cell abundances were observed in the sites with different types of
      macrophytes (up to 2441cells/g substrate wet weight in 2011 and up to 1068cells/g
      in 2012). The lowest cell densities were observed in the areas with scarce or no
      macrophytes on sandy seafloor. Before the bloom, Prorocentrum rhathymum (up to
      4995cells/g) and P. cf. sipadanensis (up to 5275cells/g) were the most abundant,
      and after the bloom the latter was dominant (up to 3559cells/g); in 2012, both
      variety of substrates and dinoflagellate cell abundance diminished. A canonical
      correspondence analysis revealed significant relationships between the
      physicochemical variables and epiphytic/benthic dinoflagellate species either
      before or after the bloom. The pelagic bloom resulted in the loss of substrate
      for epiphytic dinoflagellates, which caused replacement of the dominant species
      and a decrease in cell abundance of the whole taxocoenosis.

PMID- 28342594
TI  - Assessment of natural radioactivity and gamma-ray dose in monazite rich black
      Sand Beach of Penang Island, Malaysia.
AB  - Activity concentrations of primordial radionuclides in sand samples collected
      from the coastal beaches surrounding Penang Island have been measured using
      conventional gamma-ray spectrometry, while in-situ gamma-ray doses have been
      measured through use of a portable radiation survey meter. The mean activity
      concentrations for 226Ra, 232Th and 40K at different locations were found to be
      less than the world average values, while the Miami Bay values for 226Ra and
      232Th were found to be greater, at 1023+/-47 and 2086+/-96Bqkg 1 respectively.
      The main contributor to radionuclide enrichment in Miami Bay is the presence of
      monazite-rich black sands. The measured data were compared against literature
      values and also recommended limits set by the relevant international bodies. With
      the exception of Miami Bay, considered an elevated background radiation area that
      would benefit from regular monitoring, Penang island beach sands typically pose
      no significant radiological risk to the local populace and tourists visiting the
      leisure beaches.

PMID- 28342595
TI  - Taiwan's organ donation and transplantation: Observation from national registry
      point of view.

PMID- 28342596
TI  - The practical application of scintillation dosimetry in small-field photon-beam
      radiotherapy.
AB  - Plastic scintillation detectors are a new instrument of stereotactic photon-beam
      dosimetry. The clinical application of the plastic scintillation detector Exradin
      W1 at the Siemens Artiste and Elekta Synergy accelerators is a matter of current
      interest. In order to reduce the measurement uncertainty, precautions have to be
      taken with regard to the geometrical arrangement of the scintillator, the light
      guide fiber and the photodiode in the radiation field. To determine the "Cerenkov
      light ratio" CLR with a type A uncertainty below 1%, the Cerenkov calibration
      procedure for small-field measurements based on the two-channel spectral method
      was used. Output factors were correctly measured with the W1 for field sizes down
      to 0.5*0.5cm2 with a type A uncertainty of 1.8%. Measurements of small field dose
      profiles and percentage depth dose curves were carried out with the W1 using
      automated water phantom profile scans, and a type A uncertainty for dose maxima
      of 1.4% was achieved. The agreement with a synthetic diamond detector
      (microDiamond, PTW Freiburg) and a plane parallel ionization chamber (Roos
      chamber, PTW Freiburg) in relative dose measurements was excellent. In oversight
      of all results, the suitability of the plastic scintillation detector Exradin W1
      for clinical dosimetry under stereotactic conditions, in particular the tried and
      tested procedures for CLR determination, output factor measurement and automated
      dose profile scans in water phantoms, have been confirmed.

PMID- 28342597
TI  - Bacteria-Bacteriophage Coevolution in the Human Gut: Implications for Microbial
      Diversity and Functionality.
AB  - Antagonistic coevolution (AC) between bacteria and bacteriophages plays a key
      role in driving and maintaining microbial diversity. Consequently, AC is
      predicted to affect all levels of biological organisation, from the individual to
      ecosystem scales. Nonetheless, we know nothing about bacteria-bacteriophage AC in
      perhaps the most important and clinically relevant microbial ecosystem known to
      humankind - the human gut microbiome. In this opinion piece I review current
      research on bacteria-phage AC in in vitro and natural populations of microbes. I
      then examine the evidence and discuss the potential role of AC in driving
      observed patterns of intra- and interindividual variation in the gut microbiome
      together with detailing the potential functional consequences of such AC-driven
      microbial variation for human health and disease.

PMID- 28342598
TI  - Effect of undigested neutral detergent fiber content of alfalfa hay on lactating
      dairy cows: Feeding behavior, fiber digestibility, and lactation performance.
AB  - The objective of this study was to investigate the effects of 2 alfalfa hays
      differing in undigested neutral detergent fiber content and digestibility used as
      the main forage source in diets fed to high producing cows for Parmigiano
      Reggiano cheese production. Diets were designed to have 2 different amounts of
      undigestible NDF [high (Hu) and low (Lu)], as determined by 240-h in vitro
      analysis (uNDF240). Alfalfa hay in vitro digestibility [% of amylase- and sodium
      sulfite-treated NDF with ash correction (aNDFom)] at 24 and 240 h was 40.2 and
      31.2% and 53.6 and 45.7% for low- (LD) and high-digestibility (HD) hays,
      respectively. The 4 experimental diets (Hu-HD, Lu-HD, Hu-LD, and Lu-LD) contained
      46.8, 36.8, 38.8, and 30.1% of alfalfa hay, respectively, 8.6% wheat straw, and
      35.3% corn (50% flake and 50% meal; DM basis). Soy hulls and soybean meal were
      used to replace hay to balance protein and energy among diets. Eight multiparous
      Holstein cows (average milk production = 46.0 +/- 5.2 kg/d, 101 +/- 38 d in milk,
      and 662 +/- 42 kg of average body weight) were assigned to a 4 * 4 Latin square
      design, with 2 wk of adaptation and a 1-wk collection period. Dry matter and
      water intake, rumination time, ruminal pH, and milk production and composition
      were measured. Diets and feces were analyzed for NDF on an organic matter basis
      (aNDFom), acid detergent fiber, acid detergent lignin, and uNDF240 to estimate
      total-tract fiber digestibility. Dry matter intake and rumination times were
      higher in HD diets compared with LD diets, regardless of forage amount.
      Rumination time was constant per unit of dry matter intake but differed when
      expressed as a function of uNDF240, aNDFom, or physically effective NDF intake.
      No differences were found among treatments on average ruminal pH, but the amount
      of time with pH <5.8 was lower in Hu-HD diets. Milk production and components
      were not different among diets. Total-tract aNDFom and potentially digestible
      neutral detergent fiber fraction digestibility was higher for the LD diets (88.3
      versus 85.8% aNDFom in HD), for which lower feed intakes were also observed. The
      Hu-HD diet allowed greater dry matter intake, longer rumination time, and higher
      ruminal pH, suggesting that the limiting factor for dry matter intake is neutral
      detergent fiber digestibility and its relative rumen retention time.

PMID- 28342599
TI  - Concentrate supplementation of a diet based on medium-quality grass silage for 4
      weeks prepartum: Effects on cow performance, health, metabolic status, and immune
      function.
AB  - Because negative energy balance (EB) contributes to transition-period immune
      dysfunction in dairy cows, dietary management strategies should aim to minimize
      negative EB during this time. Prepartum diets that oversupply energy may
      exacerbate negative EB in early lactation, with detrimental effects on immune
      function. However, with lower body condition score (BCS) cows, it has been shown
      that offering concentrates in addition to a grass silage-based diet when confined
      during an 8-wk dry period resulted in increased neutrophil function in early
      lactation. The aim of this study was to examine if similar benefits occur when
      concentrate feeding was restricted to a 4-wk period prepartum. Twenty-six
      multiparous and 22 primiparous Holstein-Friesian cows were offered ad libitum
      access to medium-quality grass silage until 28 d before their predicted calving
      dates (actual mean of 32 d prepartum; standard deviation = 6.4). At this time
      multiparous cows had a mean BCS of 2.9 (standard deviation = 0.12) and
      primiparous cows a mean BCS of 3.0 (standard deviation = 0.14) on a 1 to 5 scale.
      Cows were then allocated in a balanced manner to 1 of 2 treatments (13
      multiparous cows and 11 primiparous cows on each treatment): silage only (SO) or
      silage plus concentrates (S+C) until calving. Cows on SO were offered the same
      grass silage ad libitum. Cows on S+C were offered an ad libitum mixed ration of
      the same grass silage and additional concentrates in a 60:40 dry matter (DM)
      ratio, which provided a mean concentrate DM intake (DMI) of 4.5 kg/cow per d.
      After calving, all cows were offered a common mixed ration (grass silage and
      concentrates, 40:60 DM ratio) for 70 d postpartum. Offering concentrates in
      addition to grass silage during the 4 wk prepartum increased prepartum DMI (12.0
      versus 10.1 kg/cow per d), EB (+40.0 versus +10.6 MJ/cow per d), and body weight
      (BW; 640 versus 628 kg), and tended to increase BCS (3.02 versus 2.97). However,
      postpartum DMI, milk yield, milk composition, BW change, BCS change, serum
      nonesterified fatty acid, and beta-hydroxybutryrate concentrations, health, and
      corpus luteum measures were unaffected by treatment. The in vitro assays of
      neutrophil phagocytosis, neutrophil oxidative burst, and interferon gamma
      production, conducted on blood samples obtained at d 14 prepartum and d 3, 7, 14,
      and 21 postpartum, were unaffected by treatment. Primiparous cows had higher
      phagocytic fluorescence intensity at d 14 prepartum and d 3 and 7 postpartum; a
      higher percentage of neutrophils undergoing oxidative burst at d 3, 7, and 21
      postpartum; and a higher oxidative burst fluorescence intensity at d 14 prepartum
      and d 7, 14, and 21 postpartum compared with multiparous cows. This suggests that
      neutrophil function of primiparous cows was less sensitive to the changes
      occurring during the transition period than that of multiparous cows. In
      conclusion, offering concentrates during the 4-wk period prepartum had no effect
      on postpartum DMI, milk yield, body tissue mobilization, EB, measures of
      neutrophil or lymphocyte function, health, or corpus luteum activity.

PMID- 28342600
TI  - Temporal changes in milk fatty acid distribution due to feeding different levels
      of rolled safflower seeds to lactating Holstein cows.
AB  - The objective of this experiment was to follow the time-course changes of the
      milk fatty acids (FA) and particularly conjugated linoleic acid (CLA), n-3, and n
      6 FA in response to feeding whole rolled safflower seed (SS). Eighteen cows were
      blocked by milk production, days in milk, and parity, and randomly assigned to 1
      of 3 diets by replacing whole cottonseed with SS. The control diet contained no
      SS (SS0), whereas the other diets contained 3% of dry matter as SS (SS3) or 6% SS
      (SS6). The study was conducted for 8 wk. Cows fed SS produced more milk than SS0,
      with SS3 producing more milk than SS6, but without a change in milk fat yield or
      milk fat %. Except for C8:0 FA, changes in milk FA were not observed until the
      third week of SS feeding. The C8:0 began decreasing during wk 1 of SS feeding and
      continued to decline to wk 8. Short-chain FA (C6:0 to C11:0) and medium-chain FA
      (C12:0 to C16:1) concentrations decreased in milk when cows were fed SS, whereas
      long-chain FA (C18:0 and higher) increased after wk 3. The milk long-chain FA
      increased from wk 3 until wk 5 and then reached a plateau with little difference
      between SS3 and SS6, whereas the short-chain FA decreased more in milk from cows
      fed SS6 than SS3. Total CLA increased slightly less than 5* in milk from cows fed
      SS compared with SS0. Over the same time frame, n-3 FA declined and n-6 FA
      increased in the milk from cows fed SS, with no difference between SS3 and SS6.
      This study indicated that SS fed at 3 and 6% of DM had the potential to increase
      milk production and the CLA in milk, but with a corresponding increase in n-6 FA.

PMID- 28342601
TI  - Ultra-performance liquid chromatography-quadrupole-time of flight mass
      spectrometry MSE-based untargeted milk metabolomics in dairy cows with
      subclinical or clinical mastitis.
AB  - In this study, a novel metabolomics technique based on ultra-performance liquid
      chromatography-quadrupole-time of flight mass spectrometry in the MSE mode was
      used to investigate the milk metabolomics of healthy, subclinical, and clinical
      mastitis cows, which were classified based on somatic cell count and presentation
      of clinical symptoms. Meanwhile, univariate and multivariate statistical analyses
      were performed to identify the significant differences across the 3 groups.
      Compared with healthy milk samples, less glucose, d-glycerol-1-phosphate, 4
      hydroxyphenyllactate, l-carnitine, sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine, citrate, and
      hippurate were detected in the clinical mastitic milk samples, whereas less d
      glycerol-1-phosphate, benzoic acid, l-carnitine, and cis-aconitate were found in
      the subclinical mastitic milk samples. Meanwhile, the milk concentration of
      arginine and Leu-Leu increased in both the clinical and subclinical mastitis
      groups. Besides, less 4-hydroxyphenyllactate, cis-aconitate, lactose, and
      oxoglutarate were detected in the clinical than the subclinical mastitic milk
      samples, whereas the abundance of some oligopeptides (Leu-Ala, Phe-Pro-Ile, Asn
      Arg-Ala-Ile, and Val-Phe-Val-Tyr) increased by over 7.95-fold. Our results
      suggest that significant variations exist across healthy and mastitis cows. The
      current metabolomics approach will help in better understanding the pathobiology
      of mastitis, although clinical validation will be required before field
      application.

PMID- 28342602
TI  - Sex effects on net protein and energy requirements for growth of Saanen goats.
AB  - Requirements for growth in the different sexes remain poorly quantified in goats.
      The objective of this study was to develop equations for estimating net protein
      (NPG) and net energy (NEG) for growth in Saanen goats of different sexes from 5
      to 45 kg of body weight (BW). A data set from 7 comparative slaughter studies
      (238 individual records) of Saanen goats was used. Allometric equations were
      developed to determine body protein and energy contents in the empty BW (EBW) as
      dependent variables and EBW as the allometric predictor. Parameter estimates were
      obtained using a linearized (log-transformation) expression of the allometric
      equations using the MIXED procedure in SAS software (SAS Institute Inc., Cary,
      NC). The model included the random effect of the study and the fixed effects of
      sex (intact male, castrated male, and female; n = 94, 73, and 71, respectively),
      EBW, and their interactions. Net requirements for growth were estimated as the
      first partial derivative of the allometric equations with respect to EBW.
      Additionally, net requirements for growth were evaluated based on the degree of
      maturity. Monte Carlo techniques were used to estimate the uncertainty of the
      calculated net requirement values. Sex affected allometric relationships for
      protein and energy in Saanen goats. The allometric equation for protein content
      in the EBW of intact and castrated males was log10 protein (g) = 2.221 (+/
      0.0224) + 1.015 (+/-0.0165) * log10 EBW (kg). For females, the relationship was
      log10 protein (g) = 2.277 (+/-0.0288) + 0.958 (+/-0.0218) * log10 EBW (kg).
      Therefore, NPG for males was greater than for females. The allometric equation
      for the energy content in the EBW of intact males was log10 energy (kcal) = 2.988
      (+/-0.0323) + 1.240 (+/-0.0238) * log10 EBW (kg); of castrated males, log10
      energy (kcal) = 2.873 (+/-0.0377) + 1.359 (+/-0.0283) * log10 EBW (kg); and of
      females, log10 energy (kcal) = 2.820 (+/-0.0377) + 1.442 (+/-0.0281) * log10 EBW
      (kg). The NEG of castrated males was greater than that of intact males and lower
      than that of females. Using degree of maturity for estimating NPG and NEG, we
      could remove the differences between sexes. These results indicate that NPG and
      NEG differ among sexes in growing Saanen goats, and this difference should be
      accounted for by feeding systems. Including the degree of maturity as predictor
      cancels out those differences across sexes in protein and energy requirements.

PMID- 28342603
TI  - Invited review: The anti-inflammatory properties of dairy lipids.
AB  - Dairy product consumption is often associated with negative effects because of
      its naturally high levels of saturated fatty acids. However, recent research has
      shown that dairy lipids possess putative bioactivity against chronic
      inflammation. Inflammation triggers the onset of several chronic diseases,
      including cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes mellitus, obesity, and cancer.
      This review discusses the anti-inflammatory properties of dairy lipids found in
      milk, yogurt, and cheese, and it examines them in relation to their implications
      for human health: their protective effects and their role in pathology. We also
      consider the effect of lipid profile alteration in dairy products-by using
      ruminant dietary strategies to enrich the milk, or by lipid fortification in the
      products. We critically review the in vivo, in vitro, ex vivo, and
      epidemiological studies associated with these dairy lipids and their role in
      various inflammatory conditions. Finally, we discuss some suggestions for future
      research in the study of bioactive lipids and dairy products, with reference to
      the novel field of metabolomics and epidemiological studies.

PMID- 28342604
TI  - Economic considerations of breeding for polled dairy cows versus dehorning in the
      United States.
AB  - This paper examines the costs and benefits of selecting for polled dairy heifers
      versus traditional dehorning practices. Stochastic budgets were developed to
      analyze the expected costs (EC) associated with polled dairy genetics. The
      economic assessment was expanded beyond on-farm cash costs by incorporating cost
      and benefit estimates to generate industry-wide discussion, and preliminary
      economic evaluations, surrounding the public acceptance and attitude toward
      polled genetics versus dehorning calves. Triangular distributions, commonly used
      to represent distributions with limited data, were used to represent labor costs
      for dehorning, the likelihood of treatment of calf, and the cost of veterinary
      treatment. In total, 10,000 iterations were run using @Risk v 6.0 (Palisade
      Corp., Newfield, NY). The EC of the 4 traditional dehorning methods evaluated in
      this study ranged from $6 to $25/head, with a mean EC around $12 to $13/head. The
      EC of incorporating polled genetics into a breeding program ranged from $0 to
      $26/head depending on the additional cost, or premium, associated with polled
      relative to horned genetics. Estimated breakeven premiums associated with polled
      genetics indicate that, on average, producers could spend up to $5.95/head and
      $11.90/head more for heterozygous and homozygous polled genetics, respectively,
      compared with conventional horned genetics (or $2.08 and $4.17/straw of semen at
      an assumed average conception rate of 35%). Given the parameters outlined,
      sensitivity to individual farm semen and dehorning costs are likely to swamp
      these differences. Beyond on-farm costs, industry-wide discussion may be
      warranted surrounding the public's acceptance and attitude toward polled genetics
      versus dehorning or disbudding of calves. The value of avoiding dehorning may be
      larger for the industry, and perhaps some individual farms, than initially
      suggested if additional value is put on calf comfort and possible worker aversion
      to dehorning. If public perception of dehorning influences market access, the EC
      of dehorning may be large but that cost is unknown at present.

PMID- 28342605
TI  - Relationship between mozzarella yield and milk composition, processing factors,
      and recovery of whey constituents.
AB  - Our aim was to identify the relationship between mozzarella cheese yield and
      buffalo milk composition, processing factors, and recovery of whey constituents.
      A production of 30 batches of mozzarella cheese at a dairy industry in northeast
      Brazil (Rio Grande do Norte) was monitored between March and November 2015.
      Mozzarella yield and 32 other variables were observed for each batch, and divided
      into 3 groups: milk composition variables (12); variables involved in the
      cheesemaking process (14); and variables for recovery of whey constituents (6).
      Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, Pearson correlation, and
      principal component analysis. Most of the correlations between milk composition
      variables and between the variables of the manufacturing processes were not
      significant. Significant correlations were mostly observed between variables for
      recovery of whey constituents. Yield only showed significant correlation with
      time elapsed between curd cuttings and age of the starter culture, and it showed
      greater association with age of the starter culture, time elapsed between curd
      cuttings, and during stretching, as well as with milk pH and density. Thus,
      processing factors and milk characteristics are closely related to dairy
      efficiency in mozzarella manufacturing.

PMID- 28342606
TI  - Increased anaplerosis of the tricarboxylic acid cycle decreased meal size and
      energy intake of cows in the postpartum period.
AB  - The objective of this study was to determine the effects of anaplerosis of the
      tricarboxylic acid cycle on feeding behavior and energy intake of cows in the
      postpartum period. We infused propionic acid (PA) and glycerol (GL) continuously
      into the abomasum and hypothesized that PA will decrease meal size and energy
      intake compared with GL because PA enters the tricarboxylic acid cycle, likely
      stimulating oxidation of acetyl CoA and satiety compared with GL. Three
      experiments (Exp.) were conducted using 20 Holstein cows between 3 and 22 d
      postpartum (8 cows in Exp. 1 and 6 cows each for Exp. 2 and 3). Treatments were
      compared using isoenergetic (Exp. 1, 193 kcal/h) and isomolar (Exp. 2, ~0.5
      mol/h) continuous infusions of PA (99.5%) and GL (99.7%) to the abomasum using a
      double crossover design with four 2-d infusion periods each, and 2 mol of PA or
      GL pulse-dosed to the abomasum using a crossover design (Exp. 3). Treatment
      sequences were assigned alternately to cows based upon date of parturition.
      Feeding behavior was recorded by a computerized data acquisition system for Exp.
      1 and 2. Propionic acid decreased dry matter intake (DMI) compared with GL 16.7
      and 23.4% in Exp. 1 and 2, respectively. The decrease in DMI was because PA
      decreased meal size compared with GL by 12.6 and 15.3% in Exp. 1 and 2,
      respectively. Propionic acid decreased total metabolizable energy intake (diet
      plus treatment infusions) compared with GL for both experiments. Compared with
      PA, GL increased plasma glucose and insulin concentrations for Exp. 2 only. In
      Exp. 3, PA decreased hepatic acetyl CoA content 34%, whereas GL increased hepatic
      acetyl CoA content 32%, resulting in lower hepatic acetyl CoA content for PA
      compared with GL at 30 min (18.0 vs. 36.9 nmol/g), which persisted at 60 min
      after dosing (21.9 vs. 32.8 nmol/g). Consistent with our hypothesis, the
      obligatory anaplerotic metabolite PA decreased meal size, DMI, and total
      metabolizable energy intake compared with GL, likely because of differences in
      their hepatic metabolism.

PMID- 28342607
TI  - Meta-analysis of effects of inoculation with homofermentative and facultative
      heterofermentative lactic acid bacteria on silage fermentation, aerobic
      stability, and the performance of dairy cows.
AB  - Forages are usually inoculated with homofermentative and facultative
      heterofermentative lactic acid bacteria (LAB) to enhance lactic acid fermentation
      of forages, but effects of such inoculants on silage quality and the performance
      of dairy cows are unclear. Therefore, we conducted a meta-analysis to examine the
      effects of LAB inoculation on silage quality and preservation and the performance
      of dairy cows. A second objective was to examine the factors affecting the
      response to silage inoculation with LAB. The studies that met the selection
      criteria included 130 articles that examined the effects of LAB inoculation on
      silage quality and 31 articles that investigated dairy cow performance responses.
      The magnitude of the effect (effect size) was evaluated using raw mean
      differences (RMD) between inoculated and uninoculated treatments. Heterogeneity
      was explored by meta-regression and subgroup analysis using forage type, LAB
      species, LAB application rate, and silo scale (laboratory or farm-scale) as
      covariates for the silage quality response and forage type, LAB species, diet
      type [total mixed ration (TMR) or non-TMR], and the level of milk yield of the
      control cows as covariates for the performance responses. Inoculation with LAB
      (>=105 cfu/g as fed) markedly increased silage fermentation and dry matter
      recovery in temperate and tropical grasses, alfalfa, and other legumes. However,
      inoculation did not improve the fermentation of corn, sorghum, or sugarcane
      silages. Inoculation with LAB reduced clostridia and mold growth, butyric acid
      production, and ammonia-nitrogen in all silages, but it had no effect on aerobic
      stability. Silage inoculation (>=105 cfu/g as fed) increased milk yield and the
      response had low heterogeneity. However, inoculation had no effect on diet
      digestibility and feed efficiency. Inoculation with LAB improved the fermentation
      of grass and legume silages and the performance of dairy cows but did not affect
      the fermentation of corn, sorghum, and sugar cane silages or the aerobic
      stability of any silage. Further research is needed to elucidate how silage
      inoculated with homofermentative and facultative heterofermentative LAB improves
      the performance of dairy cows.

PMID- 28342608
TI  - Production of reuterin in a fermented milk product by Lactobacillus reuteri:
      Inhibition of pathogens, spoilage microorganisms, and lactic acid bacteria.
AB  - We assessed the antimicrobial activity of reuterin produced in vitro in glycerol
      aqueous solutions in situ by Lactobacillus reuteri ATCC 53608 as part of a
      fermented milk product against starter (Lactobacillus delbrueckii ssp. bulgaricus
      and Streptococcus thermophilus), spoilage (Penicillium expansum), pathogenic
      (Staphylococcus aureus Salmonella enterica ssp. enterica, and Listeria
      monocytogenes), and pathogen surrogate (Escherichia coli DH5alpha)
      microorganisms. We also assayed the influence of cold storage (28 d at 4 degrees
      C) and reuterin on the color and rheology of the fermented milk product. We
      obtained maximum reuterin concentrations of 107.5 and 33.97 mM in glycerol
      aqueous solution and fermented milk product, respectively. Reuterin was stable
      throughout its refrigerated shelf life. Gram-positive microorganisms were more
      resistant to reuterin than gram-negative microorganisms. Penicillium expansum and
      Lactobacillus reuteri ATCC 53608 survived at concentrations up to 10 and 8.5 mM,
      respectively. Escherichia coli DH5alpha was the most sensitive to reuterin (0.9
      mM). The presence of reuterin did not cause relevant changes in the quality
      parameters of the fermented milk product, including pH, acidity, soluble solids,
      color, and rheological aspects (storage and loss moduli and viscosity). This
      study demonstrated the viability of using Lactobacillus reuteri ATCC 53608 as a
      biopreservative in a fermented milk product through reuterin synthesis, without
      drastically modifying its quality parameters.

PMID- 28342609
TI  - Randomized, blinded, controlled clinical trial shows no benefit of homeopathic
      mastitis treatment in dairy cows.
AB  - Mastitis is one of the most common diseases in dairy production, and homeopathic
      remedies have been used increasingly in recent years to treat it. Clinical trials
      evaluating homeopathy have often been criticized for their inadequate scientific
      approach. The objective of this triple-blind, randomized controlled trial was to
      assess the efficacy of homeopathic treatment in bovine clinical mastitis. The
      study was conducted on a conventionally managed dairy farm between June 2013 and
      May 2014. Dairy cows with acute mastitis were randomly allocated to homeopathy (n
      = 70) or placebo (n = 92), for a total of 162 animals. The homeopathic treatment
      was selected based on clinical symptoms but most commonly consisted of a
      combination of nosodes with Streptococcinum, Staphylococcinum, Pyrogenium, and
      Escherichia coli at a potency of 200c. Treatment was administered to cows in the
      homeopathy group at least once per day for an average of 5 d. The cows in the
      placebo group were treated similarly, using a placebo preparation instead
      (lactose globules without active ingredients). If necessary, we also used
      allopathic drugs (e.g., antibiotics, udder creams, and anti-inflammatory drugs)
      in both groups. We recorded data relating to the clinical signs of mastitis,
      treatment, time to recovery, milk yield, somatic cell count at first milk
      recording after mastitis, and culling. We observed cows for up to 200 d after
      clinical recovery. Base-level data did not differ between the homeopathy and
      placebo groups. Mastitis lasted for an average of 6 d in both groups. We observed
      no significant differences in time to recovery, somatic cell count, risk of
      clinical cure within 14 d after disease occurrence, mastitis recurrence risk, or
      culling risk. The results indicated no additional effect of homeopathic treatment
      compared with placebo. The advantages or disadvantages of homeopathy should be
      carefully assessed for individual farms.

PMID- 28342610
TI  - Intentionally induced intestinal barrier dysfunction causes inflammation, affects
      metabolism, and reduces productivity in lactating Holstein cows.
AB  - Study objectives were to evaluate the effects of intentionally reduced intestinal
      barrier function on productivity, metabolism, and inflammatory indices in
      otherwise healthy dairy cows. Fourteen lactating Holstein cows (parity 2.6 +/-
      0.3; 117 +/- 18 d in milk) were enrolled in 2 experimental periods. Period 1 (5
      d) served as the baseline for period 2 (7 d), during which cows received 1 of 2
      i.v. treatments twice per day: sterile saline or a gamma-secretase inhibitor
      (GSI; 1.5 mg/kg of body weight). Gamma-secretase inhibitors reduce intestinal
      barrier function by inhibiting crypt cell differentiation into absorptive
      enterocytes. During period 2, control cows receiving sterile saline were pair-fed
      (PF) to the GSI-treated cows, and all cows were killed at the end of period 2.
      Administering GSI increased goblet cell area 218, 70, and 28% in jejunum, ileum,
      and colon, respectively. In the jejunum, GSI-treated cows had increased crypt
      depth and reduced villus height, villus height-to-crypt depth ratio, cell
      proliferation, and mucosal surface area. Plasma lipopolysaccharide binding
      protein increased with time, and tended to be increased 42% in GSI-treated cows
      relative to PF controls on d 5 to 7. Circulating haptoglobin and serum amyloid A
      concentrations increased (585- and 4.4-fold, respectively) similarly in both
      treatments. Administering GSI progressively reduced dry matter intake (66%) and,
      by design, the pattern and magnitude of decreased nutrient intake was similar in
      PF controls. A similar progressive decrease (42%) in milk yield occurred in both
      treatments, but we observed no treatment effects on milk components. Cows treated
      with GSI tended to have increased plasma insulin (68%) and decreased circulating
      nonesterified fatty acids (29%) compared with PF cows. For both treatments,
      plasma glucose decreased with time while beta-hydroxybutyrate progressively
      increased. Liver triglycerides increased 221% from period 1 to sacrifice in both
      treatments. No differences were detected in liver weight, liver moisture, or body
      weight change. Intentionally compromising intestinal barrier function caused
      inflammation, altered metabolism, and markedly reduced feed intake and milk
      yield. Further, we demonstrated that progressive feed reduction appeared to cause
      leaky gut and inflammation.

PMID- 28342611
TI  - Short communication: Identification of Corynebacterium bovis by MALDI-mass
      spectrometry.
AB  - Corynebacterium bovis is a mastitis-causing microorganism responsible for
      economic losses related to decrease in milk production. The aim of the study was
      identify Corynebacterium spp. strains recovered from milk samples of subclinical
      mastitis by using matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization mass spectrometry
      (MALDI-MS). Samples were collected during a 10-mo mastitis-monitoring program in
      a high-production dairy farm. In this study, 80 strains were analyzed; from these
      54 (67.5%) were identified at species level as Corynebacterium bovis, 24 (31.2%)
      isolates were identified at the genus level as Corynebacterium spp., and only 1
      (1.35%) isolated had unreliable identification. Results demonstrated that MALDI
      MS could be an important technique for the identification of Corynebacterium spp.
      in milk.

PMID- 28342612
TI  - Can by-products replace conventional ingredients in concentrate of dairy goat
      diet?
AB  - Intensive dairy goat production in the Mediterranean basin is based on imported
      conventional ingredients to be included in concentrates. Fourteen Murciano
      Granadina goats in the middle of the third lactation were allocated into 2 groups
      of 7 animals each fed, respectively, a control diet based on alfalfa hay and
      concentrate in a 40:60 ratio, and a diet in which the concentrate included tomato
      fruits, citrus pulp, brewer's grain and brewer's yeast (T100CBY) to study the
      effect of diet on nutrient utilization, ruminal fermentation, purine derivatives
      excretion in urine, milk yield and composition, and methane emissions. No effect
      of the diet on total dry matter intake was observed. Digestibility of neutral
      detergent fiber and acid detergent fiber were higher for T100CBY compared with
      the control diet. The N in feces and urine was lower and balance and retained N
      were higher in animals fed T100CBY than the control diet. Milk protein N and
      energy were similar for both diets. Metabolizable energy per energy intake and
      metabolizable energy per digestible energy were higher and energy in methane was
      lower with diet T100CBY than with the control. Milk yield and composition were
      not affected by diet, with the exception of protein, casein, and total solids,
      which were higher for diet T100CBY than the control. Diet T100CBY promoted less
      saturated fatty acids and higher mono- and polyunsaturated fatty acids in milk
      than the control diet. Diet T100CBY produced less methane and NH3 concentration
      in the rumen, higher propionate, and a lower acetate-to-propionate ratio without
      an effect on the volatile fatty acid concentration. The concentrate with by
      products did not affect urinary excretion of total purine derivatives, reduced
      feeding costs, and increased profit margin by 14 and 16% compared with the
      control. The mixture of tomato fruits, citrus pulp, brewer's grain, and brewer's
      yeast could replace 47% of conventional ingredients (corn, wheat bran, sunflower
      meal, and soy flour) in the concentrate of the dairy goat diet, reducing feeding
      cost and methane production, leading to a healthier fatty acids profile in milk
      without compromising nutrient utilization or milk yield.

PMID- 28342613
TI  - Amino acid supplementation of calf milk replacers containing plasma protein.
AB  - We determined the effects of calf milk replacers containing 0, 5, or 10% bovine
      plasma protein (PP), either without or with the supplemental amino acids (AA) Ile
      and Thr, on growth and health of male Holstein calves (n = 104) for 56 d. Milk
      replacers were formulated to contain 22% crude protein (CP), 20% fat, and 2.0%
      Lys. Milk replacers (12.5% solids) were fed at a rate of 1.5% of body weight (BW)
      on a dry matter basis during wk 1 and 1.75% of BW beginning on d 8. Starter was
      introduced on d 36 so that effects of PP and AA balance in milk replacers could
      be isolated. Intake, respiratory scores, and fecal scores were measured daily.
      Body weight and stature were measured weekly and blood serum samples were
      obtained during wk 4. Treatments had no effects on intakes of dry matter, CP, or
      metabolizable energy. During wk 6 and 8, BW was less as PP inclusion increased
      without AA supplementation compared with the other treatments. In wk 7, calves
      fed the higher level of PP without AA had lower BW than calves fed either the
      lower level of PP without supplemented AA or the higher inclusion of PP with
      supplemented AA. Average daily gain and gain:feed were lowest for calves fed the
      higher inclusion of PP without supplemented AA; heart girth in wk 7 was smallest
      for those calves. During the first 21 d, occurrence of scours was greater in
      calves fed the control milk replacer than in calves fed milk replacers containing
      the higher inclusion of PP either without or with supplemental AA. Occurrence of
      scours was also greater for the lower inclusion of PP compared with the higher
      inclusion of PP when AA were supplemented. Throughout the 56-d experiment, the
      chance of antibiotic treatment was greater for calves fed the control milk
      replacer than for all other treatments except the higher inclusion of PP without
      supplemental AA. Additionally, chance of antibiotic treatment was greater for the
      higher inclusion of PP without supplemental AA than for other milk replacers with
      PP. Calves fed treatments with the higher inclusion of PP had fewer days of
      scours than the controls. All milk replacers with PP, except the milk replacer
      containing higher PP without supplemental AA, had fewer days of treatment with
      antibiotics compared to the all-milk control. Inclusion of PP provided similar
      performance and improved health as long as milk replacers were balanced for Ile
      and Thr.

PMID- 28342614
TI  - Genetic analysis of groups of mid-infrared predicted fatty acids in milk.
AB  - The objective of this study was to investigate genetic variability of mid
      infrared predicted fatty acid groups in Canadian Holstein cattle. Genetic
      parameters were estimated for 5 groups of fatty acids: short-chain (4 to 10
      carbons), medium-chain (11 to 16 carbons), long-chain (17 to 22 carbons),
      saturated, and unsaturated fatty acids. The data set included 49,127 test-day
      records from 10,029 first-lactation Holstein cows in 810 herds. The random
      regression animal test-day model included days in milk, herd-test date, and age
      season of calving (polynomial regression) as fixed effects, herd-year of calving,
      animal additive genetic effect, and permanent environment effects as random
      polynomial regressions, and random residual effect. Legendre polynomials of the
      third degree were selected for the fixed regression for age-season of calving
      effect and Legendre polynomials of the fourth degree were selected for the random
      regression for animal additive genetic, permanent environment, and herd-year
      effect. The average daily heritability over the lactation for the medium-chain
      fatty acid group (0.32) was higher than for the short-chain (0.24) and long-chain
      (0.23) fatty acid groups. The average daily heritability for the saturated fatty
      acid group (0.33) was greater than for the unsaturated fatty acid group (0.21).
      Estimated average daily genetic correlations were positive among all fatty acid
      groups and ranged from moderate to high (0.63-0.96). The genetic correlations
      illustrated similarities and differences in their origin and the makeup of the
      groupings based on chain length and saturation. These results provide evidence
      for the existence of genetic variation in mid-infrared predicted fatty acid
      groups, and the possibility of improving milk fatty acid profile through genetic
      selection in Canadian dairy cattle.

PMID- 28342615
TI  - Effect of increasing body condition on oxidative stress and mitochondrial
      biogenesis in subcutaneous adipose tissue depot of nonlactating dairy cows.
AB  - With the onset of lactation, dairy cows with a body condition score >3.5 are
      sensitive to oxidative stress and metabolic disorders. Adipose tissue (AT) can
      adapt to varying metabolic demands and energy requirements by the plasticity of
      its size during lactation. In AT, angiogenesis is necessary to guarantee
      sufficient oxygen and nutrient supply for adipocytes. Cellular energy metabolism
      is reflected mainly by mitochondria, which can be quantified by the mitochondrial
      DNA copy number per cell. In the present study, we aimed to investigate the
      effect of overconditioning on angiogenesis and mitochondrial biogenesis in AT of
      nonlactating cows, irrespective of the physiological influences of lactation and
      pregnancy. Eight nonpregnant, nonlactating cows received a ration of increasing
      energy density for 15 wk, during which body weight and body condition increased
      substantially. Subcutaneous AT was biopsied every 8 wk, and blood was sampled
      monthly. The blood concentrations of indicators of oxidative stress increased
      continuously throughout the experimental period, possibly damaging mitochondrial
      DNA. Concomitantly, HIF-1alpha, a major marker for hypoxia, increased until wk 8,
      indicating insufficient angiogenesis in the rapidly expanding AT. Based on the
      observation that the number of apoptotic cells decreased with increasing hypoxia,
      the increasing mitochondrial DNA copy numbers might compensate for the hypoxia,
      reinforcing the production of oxidative stressors. Key transcription factors of
      mitochondrial biogenesis were largely unaffected. Thus, increased oxidative
      stress does not impair mitochondrial DNA.

PMID- 28342616
TI  - Performance of leading artifact removal algorithms assessed across microwave
      breast imaging prototype scan configurations.
AB  - Microwave imaging is a promising imaging modality for the detection of early
      stage breast cancer. One of the most important signal processing components of
      microwave radar-based breast imaging is early-stage artifact removal. Several
      artifact removal algorithms have been reported in the literature. However, the
      neighbourhood-based skin subtraction and hybrid artifact removal algorithms have
      shown particularly promising results in different realistic 3D breast phantoms.
      For the first time in this paper, both algorithms have been evaluated and
      compared using the scan approaches of the most common microwave breast imaging
      prototype systems. The tests include 3D numerical as well as experimental breast
      phantoms scanned with hemispherical, cylindrical and adaptive scanning patterns.
      The efficacy of both algorithms has been evaluated across a range of appropriate
      performance metrics.

PMID- 28342617
TI  - A study of stigma among Iranian family caregivers of patients with multiple
      sclerosis: A descriptive explorative qualitative study.
AB  - AIM: This study was done to investigate the experiences of family caregivers of
      people with multiple sclerosis (MS) about stigmatization in Iranian health care
      context. BACKGROUND: Stigmatization has been observed obviously among patients
      with MS but few studies have been conducted on stigma among the family caregivers
      of these patients. METHODS: This qualitative study with thematic analysis was
      done to explore this issue. Fourteen family caregivers of patients with MS were
      selected by purposive sampling. The data were collected through in-depth and
      unstructured interviews. RESULTS: Four main subthemes emerged from the analysis
      of the transcripts: "feeling shame", "fear of being ridiculed by others",
      "ignored by family" and "concealing disease to be secure against the perceptions
      of disease". CONCLUSIONS: Healthcare professionals should be encouraged to inform
      caregivers about social engagement strategies and to train them on the management
      of stigma as an important factor for the reduction of their social problems.

PMID- 28342619
TI  - Depressive symptoms in 9th graders: Stress and physiological contributors.

PMID- 28342618
TI  - A realist synthesis of social connectivity interventions during transition to
      parenthood: The value of relationships.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Social connections are important during the transition to parenthood.
      A wide body of literature suggests that these connections enhance health and
      contribute to wellbeing. In the case of parents and families, social connections
      can influence child development. Nurses and public health agencies are in a
      unique position to advocate for resources and approaches to enhance social
      connectivity for parents during this important life transition. OBJECTIVES: The
      aim of this review was to identify the universal social connectivity
      interventions that work, and the conditions that foster social connections for
      parents and enhance child development. The review was undertaken as part of a
      larger research project to inform the question: What are the population-level
      interventions that public health can implement to promote social, emotional and
      cognitive development from the prenatal period to the end of the first year of
      life? Social connectivity is one of three domains that were explored in the full
      study. DESIGN: Realist synthesis. DATA SOURCES: Medline, CINAHL, ERIC, SocAbs,
      PsychINFO, grey literature. REVIEW METHODS: A literature search was conducted
      using relevant key words and MeSH headings. Nearly 2000 papers were reviewed by
      title and sorted based on inclusion and exclusion criteria. Data extraction aided
      quality appraisal and analysis and informed the development of an explanatory
      mechanism. RESULTS: Twenty-seven papers were included in the synthesis, with
      findings described in four theme areas: (a) connections in the community, (b)
      internet connections, (c) prenatal connections, and (d) connections for fathers.
      The literature available to answer the research question is scant and of varying
      quality. Community development, family-systems intervention practices, principles
      of father inclusive practice and group prenatal care models have been
      demonstrated to foster social connectivity for parents. Online social networking
      provides valuable informational support. CONCLUSIONS: Changing social structures
      and technology have influenced the way in which new parents access support.
      Social connections fostered in the parenting environment have the potential to
      enhance wellbeing for parents and thus contribute to children's positive
      development. Nurses are in a position to advocate for the use of evidence
      informed approaches when planning programs and services for parents.

PMID- 28342620
TI  - Parent decision factors, safety strategies, and fears about infant sleep
      locations.
AB  - : Infant sleep safety is a primary concern of parents. Infant sleep locations
      vary around the world. PURPOSE: This pilot study investigated the decision
      factors, fears, and safety strategies reported by parents internationally.
      METHODS: participants (n=49) recruited online from 10 countries completed an
      anonymous Internet survey in English and submitted a picture of the infant's
      primary nighttime sleep location. Pictures were coded into 'shared' (29%) or
      'separate' (71%) sleep surfaces. RESULTS: primary decision factors about infant
      sleep location were safety, comfort, family sleep quality, and overall ease.
      Parents maximized safety by providing a clear sleep surface, no blankets, no
      toys, sleep sack use, and a firm mattress. Different worries and fears emerged
      depending on the sleep surface. CONCLUSION: differences in the specific worries
      and strategies used by parents when deciding whether to share or not share a
      sleep surface with an infant may be used to tailor future interventions.

PMID- 28342621
TI  - How nurse-led practices perceive implementation of the patient-centered medical
      home.
AB  - PURPOSE: The Affordable Care Act (ACA) promotes the Patient-Centered Medical Home
      (PCMH) model as a way to improve healthcare quality, the patient experience, and
      has identified nurse-led primary care as a mechanism meeting the increasing
      demand for quality primary care. The purpose of this study was to investigate the
      implementation of a PCMH model in nurse-led primary care practices and to
      identify facilitators and barriers to the implementation of this model. METHODS:
      Data were collected through in-depth interviews with providers and staff in nurse
      led practices. RESULTS: These data suggest two categories of processes that
      facilitate the integration of PCMH in the nurse-led practice setting: patient
      oriented facilitators and organizational facilitators. In addition, a number of
      barriers were identified to implementing the PCMH model. Overall, these practices
      creatively engaged in the transformation process by structuring themselves as a
      complex adaptive system and building upon the core principles of nurse-led care.
      CONCLUSION: Since the core principles of nurse-led care map onto many of the same
      principles of the PCMH model, this study discusses the possibility that nurse-led
      practices may experience fewer barriers when transitioning into PCMHs.

PMID- 28342622
TI  - An analysis of the relationship between burnout, socio-demographic and workplace
      factors and job satisfaction among emergency department health professionals.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: Burnout among emergency medical practitioners and personnel
      negatively affects career satisfaction and job performance and can lead to mental
      health issues, including anxiety, depression, and suicide. PURPOSE: This study
      investigated the relationship between the perceptions of burnout and job
      satisfaction of those working in two different hospital's emergency departments
      assessing the effect of burnout dimensions and additional factors (age, position,
      marital status, annual income, employment type, gender, patient encounters, and
      household economic well-being) on job satisfaction. This study addresses a gap in
      the literature of the relationships between a) burnout and job satisfaction of
      emergency department's health care personnel (physicians, nurses, technicians)
      and b) the factors that are associated with emergency department employees' job
      satisfaction. METHOD: A cross-sectional survey of two hundred and fifty
      participants was interviewed, using validated instruments (the Maslach Burnout
      Scale and the Minnesota Satisfaction Questionnaire). Participants include 38
      physicians, 89 nurses, and 84 medical technicians, and 39 information
      technicians. The Maslach Burnout Inventory Scale, which assesses emotional
      exhaustion (EE), depersonalization (DP) and personal accomplishment (PA), and the
      Minnesota Satisfaction Questionnaire (MSQ), which assesses intrinsic satisfaction
      (IS), extrinsic satisfaction (ES) and overall satisfaction (OS), were used for
      data collection. RESULTS: Study findings indicate that significant relationship
      exists between burnout and job satisfaction; annual income and household economic
      well-being had a positive association with job satisfaction, whereas gender, age,
      education, marital status had no significant effect on any form of satisfaction.
      Moreover, this study reveals that emotional exhaustion (EE) is a significant
      predictor of all three dimensions of job satisfaction while depersonalization
      (DP) had no significant showing. CONCLUSION: Results of this study suggest that
      it is not yet clear which factors are salient contributors in demonstrating the
      relationship between burnout and job satisfaction. This study may draw attention
      to a better understanding of this relationship will help enable health care
      administrators to design and implement tools to help increase job satisfaction
      and decrease burnout as a combined goal rather than treat each issue separately.

PMID- 28342623
TI  - Mother-newborn health indicators in possible victims of gender-based violence
      during pregnancy.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Pregnancy increases the risk of gender-based violence, considered an
      underdiagnosed public health problem. OBJECTIVE: To determine the association
      between the situation of possible gender-based violence in the pregnant woman and
      variables related to pregnancy, labor, puerperium, and newborn health. DESIGN: An
      observational multicenter study. SETTINGS: Three Spanish hospitals during 2015.
      PARTICIPANTS: 141 pregnant women in which information is collected
      sociodemographic variables and data related to pregnancy, labor, and puerperium
      were gathered by interview and from clinical records. Comparisons of means and
      logistic regression analyses were performed, calculating crude and adjusted odds
      ratios. RESULTS: The study included 141 women; 44 in a situation of possible
      abuse required more medication during labor (p=0.018), had less early skin
      contact with their newborn (p=0.021) and more non-reassuring cardiotocography
      traces (p=0.012), and reported greater pain during labor (p=0.013). The children
      of the mothers in this situation had a lower mean Apgar score (p?0.059), less
      frequently began breastfeeding early (p=0.008), and had higher risk of low birth
      weight (p?0.001). CONCLUSION: The situation of possible abuse in pregnant women
      may negatively affect their pregnancy, their pain and need for medication during
      labor, and other newborn health indicators, among other health parameters.

PMID- 28342624
TI  - The level of anxiety, depression and quality of life among patients with heart
      failure in Greece.
AB  - PURPOSE: The assessment of the level of anxiety, depression and quality of life
      among patients with heart failure. METHODS: It was an observational study. The
      populations were 231 patients with heart failure who were hospitalized in
      cardiology departments of 2 general hospitals in Athens, from September 1, 2010
      through January 31, 2012. We used the "Minnesota Living with Heart Failure
      Questionnaire - MLHFQ" to evaluate patients' quality of life and the " State
      Trait Anxiety Inventory - STAI" and the "Maastricht Questionnaire - MQ" to
      evaluate the level of stress and depression, respectively. RESULTS: The mean age
      of patients was 66.1+/-10.1years. The quality of life was poor, since the average
      score in MLHFQ was 65.4+/-20.6. Also, patients revealed high levels of both trait
      and state anxiety (mean score in STAI was 54.5+/-9.4 and 52.8+/-8.5 respectively)
      and depression (mean score in MQ was 34.3+/-8.4). Factors associated with poor
      quality of life and high levels of anxiety and depression were older age, low
      level of education, unemployment, poor economic situation, multiple
      hospitalizations (> 4 times) and heart failure stages III and IV in NYHA (p<0.001
      in all cases). CONCLUSION: Patients with heart failure present severe symptoms of
      anxiety and depression and poor quality of life. Assessing those patients for
      these symptoms and providing holistic health care by a multidisciplinary team,
      will lead to the prevention and early treatment not only of physical but also of
      the psychosocial manifestations of the disease.

PMID- 28342625
TI  - Development of a theory-guided storytelling narrative intervention to improve HPV
      vaccination behavior: Save our daughters from cervical cancer.

PMID- 28342626
TI  - Understanding the health care utilization of children who require medical
      technology: A descriptive study of children who require tracheostomies.
AB  - Children who require medical technology have complex chronic illnesses. This
      medical technology, including ventilators, oximeters, tracheostomy tubes, and
      feeding tubes, allows children and their families to live at home; however, the
      management of the children's care by informal caregivers is complex with the need
      for intensive, specialized care. The purpose of this study was to examine the
      sociodemographic and clinical characteristics that affect health care utilization
      in a population of children who require medical technology. A retrospective
      electronic health record (EHR) review was completed on the EHR records on 171
      children who require medical technology, specifically tracheostomies, at an
      outpatient technology dependent pulmonary clinic over a three year period
      (January 2010-December 2012). Descriptive statistics were used to analyze
      sociodemographic and clinical characteristics, including medical diagnoses, and
      emergency department (ED) visits and hospitalizations. Of the 171 children
      requiring medical technology studied, there were numerous medical diagnoses
      (n=791), 99% had chronic illnesses affecting two or more body systems, and 88%
      required two or more technologies, including a tracheostomy and a feeding tube.
      In addition, 91% of the children had at least one ED visit or hospitalization and
      were treated in the ED approximately three times over the three year period. The
      findings from this study noted an increased utilization of health care by these
      children, and identified common symptoms and medical technologies for which
      caregivers may need interventions, focusing on education in managing symptoms and
      medical technology prior to presentation to the ED or hospital.

PMID- 28342627
TI  - Applicability of calf subcutaneous tissue to subcutaneous injection in young
      adults.
AB  - AIM: The aim of the study is to provide usage of subcutaneous tissue of lateral
      calf area (region of M. Gastrocnemius) in addition to the existing injection
      regions and to compare tissue thicknesses of the lateral upper arm, anterior and
      lateral thigh, anterior abdomen regions and calf regions. BACKGROUND:
      Subcutaneous injection (SC) is an application of 0.5cc drug with an injection
      (No. 25 and 8-15-18mm long) to the connective tissue under the skin. Individuals
      to which SC injection is frequently applied, should rotate the injection areas.
      METHODS: This research uses the descriptive method. One hundred and sixty-one
      students (aged; 20.09+/-2.268) were used as test subjects. Demographic data was
      obtained from the students who agreed to participate in the research. Body Mass
      Index (BMI) was calculated. Skin thickness measured using the Holtain Skinfold
      Caliper. SPSS 20 package software was used for statistical analysis of the data.
      For comparison of the tissue thicknesses between genders, the t-test was used for
      independent groups. In order to determine the interactions between anthropometric
      measurements within each other and other numerical measurements (age, length.
      BMI, etc.). Pearson Correlation coefficient and related P value was performed.
      Statistical P value is taken as 0.05. RESULTS: Consideration of subcutaneous
      injection applicability of the calf region depended on the injector lengths: 8mm,
      15mm and 18mm, 86.3%, 59.6% and 47.8% of the population, respectively were found
      applicable for this region. CONCLUSIONS: The calf region could be recommended as
      SC injection region with an 8mm injector. According to the findings it can be
      said that the calf region of female genders is more applicable than male genders
      for SC injection. Calf region could be proposed as anticoagulation treatment.

PMID- 28342628
TI  - Poor sleep quality, depression and hope before breast cancer surgery.
AB  - AIM: This study aims to identify the predictors of poor sleep quality and the
      associations between depression, hope and sleep in a sample of 156 women with
      breast cancer prior to surgery. BACKGROUND: The care and treatment of breast
      cancer is among the most important scientific challenges in public health. Sleep
      disturbances and depression are the important complaint of cancer patients.
      However, they are often neglected. Patients diagnosed with breast cancer also
      experience prejudice, fear of death, suffering, mutilation, fear of lymphedema,
      as well as feelings of social devaluation leading to hopelessness Several studies
      point to hope as an effective strategy to help patients cope with difficulties
      and achieve their goals, especially patients with cancer. METHODS: This is a
      report of baseline data extracted from a longitudinal study. DATA COLLECTION
      TOOLS: Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index, Beck Depression Inventory, and the Herth
      Hope Index. Data were analyzed with the Spearman's Rank Correlation test and
      Multiple Logistic Regression analysis. RESULTS: The majority of women had tumors
      in initial stages (78.7%), reported poor sleep quality (58.9%), and had moderate
      to severe or severe depression (27.2%). Significant correlations were found
      between hope and depression (Spearman r=-0.4341), and between sleep quality and
      depression (Spearman r=0.3938). Significant associations were found between poor
      sleep quality and pain, symptoms of menopause and depression. Depression and
      symptoms of menopause were independent predictors of poor sleep quality.
      CONCLUSION: The evaluation of sleep quality, depression and hope should be
      implemented in clinical practice. Increased hope lessens depression and may
      positively affect sleep quality, all of which improves quality of life for women
      with breast cancer.

PMID- 28342629
TI  - Nursing Leadership and Research on Patient Outcomes: Moving the Profession
      Forward toward Better Understanding of Our Nursing Work.

PMID- 28342630
TI  - Statins attenuate but do not eliminate the reverse epidemiology of total serum
      cholesterol in patients with non-ischemic chronic heart failure.
AB  - BACKGROUND: In patients with chronic heart failure (CHF) increasing levels of
      total serum cholesterol are associated with improved survival - while statin
      usage is not. The impact of statin treatment on the "reverse epidemiology" of
      cholesterol is unclear. METHODS: 2992 consecutive patients with non-ischemic CHF
      due to left ventricular systolic dysfunction from the Norwegian CHF Registry and
      the CHF Registries of the Universities of Hull, UK, and Heidelberg, Germany, were
      studied. 1736 patients were individually double-matched on both cholesterol
      levels and the individual propensity scores for statin treatment. All-cause
      mortality was analyzed as a function of baseline cholesterol and statin use in
      both the general and the matched sample. RESULTS: 1209 patients (40.4%) received
      a statin. During a follow-up of 13,740 patient-years, 360 statin users (29.8%)
      and 573 (32.1%) statin non-users died. When grouped according to total
      cholesterol levels as low (<=3.6mmol/L), moderate (3.7-4.9mmol/L), high (4.8
      6.2mmol/L), and very high (>6.2mmol/L), we found improved survival with very high
      as compared with low cholesterol levels. This association was present in statin
      users and non-users in both the general and matched sample (p<0.05 for each group
      comparison). The negative association of total cholesterol and mortality
      persisted when cholesterol was treated as a continuous variable (HR 0.83, 95%CI
      0.77-0.90, p<0.001 for matched patients), but it was less pronounced in statin
      users than in non-users (F-test p<0.001). CONCLUSIONS: Statins attenuate but do
      not eliminate the reverse epidemiological association between increasing total
      serum cholesterol and improved survival in patients with non-ischemic CHF.

PMID- 28342631
TI  - Systematic review: Impact of the new task force criteria in the diagnosis of
      arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy (ARVC) is an
      inherited disorder of cardiac desmosomes associated with ventricular arrhythmias
      and sudden cardiac death. The clinical diagnosis is problematic and relies on a
      complex criteria composed of clinical and non-clinical parameters. In 2010, the
      original 1994 Task Force Criteria (TFC) was revised with particular attention
      given to the imaging parameters. METHODS: Five retrospective studies compared the
      diagnostic concordance between the 1994 and 2010 TFC. Three studies used cardiac
      magnetic resonance (CMR) and compared major and minor CMR criteria and three
      studies compared definite ARVC cases; one study assessed both. RESULTS: Three
      studies with 1435 patients compared the 1994 imaging and the 2010 CMR criteria.
      Using the 1994 criteria, 123 (8.6%) and 419 (29.2%) patients satisfied major and
      minor criteria compared to only 52 (3.6%) and 28 (1.9%) using the 2010 criteria;
      57.7% and 94.3% reduction in major and minor criteria (p value, 0.0001 and
      0.0001). Three studies with 611 patients assessed for definite ARVC. Using the
      1994 and 2010 criteria, 207 (33.9%) and 243 (39.8%) patients satisfied the
      parameters respectively. This resulted in a statistically significant 17.4% (p
      value, 0.0379) increase in ARVC cases driven largely by two sub-groups.
      CONCLUSIONS: The 2010 revised TFC have resulted in a significant reduction in the
      number of patients that satisfy CMR criteria particularly those that satisfied
      minor imaging abnormalities using the 1994 criteria. In addition, in certain
      groups the revised criteria have significantly increased the number of patients
      diagnosed with definite ARVC.

PMID- 28342632
TI  - The pharmacodynamics of low and standard doses of ticagrelor in patients with end
      stage renal disease on hemodialysis.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Patients with end-stage renal disease (ESRD) on maintenance
      hemodialysis (HD) respond poorly to clopidogrel. We assessed the utility of low
      dose ticagrelor in ESRD patients on maintenance HD. METHODS: In this single
      center, prospective, randomized pharmacodynamic study, 52 ESRD patients on HD
      were prescribed clopidogrel (300mg loading dose [LD], then 75mg daily), standard
      dose ticagrelor (180mg LD, then 90mg twice daily), or low-dose ticagrelor (90mg
      LD, then 90mg daily) for 14days. Platelet function was evaluated before and after
      therapy via light transmittance aggregometry and the VerifyNowTM P2Y12 assay.
      RESULTS: The adenosine diphosphate (ADP)-induced maximal extent of platelet
      aggregation differed significantly between the low-dose ticagrelor and
      clopidogrel groups (ANCOVA, p=0.04 after stimulation with 5MUmol/L ADP; p<0.01
      after stimulation with 20MUmol/L ADP). Inhibition of platelet aggregation
      increased significantly in the order of clopidogrel, low-dose ticagrelor, and
      standard-dose ticagrelor, as revealed by adjusted intergroup comparison analysis
      (ANCOVA, p=0.04 after stimulation with 5MUmol/L ADP; p=0.005 after stimulation
      with 20MUmol/L ADP). The rates of onset of the antiplatelet effect curves from 0
      to 5h after administration of the LDs were greater in the standard- and low-dose
      ticagrelor groups than in the clopidogrel group. Significant sequential
      reductions in P2Y12 reaction units were noted, in the following order:
      clopidogrel, low-dose ticagrelor, and standard-dose ticagrelor (ANCOVA, p<0.001).
      No bleeding occurred in the low-dose ticagrelor group. CONCLUSIONS: Low-dose
      ticagrelor afforded greater platelet inhibition than did clopidogrel in ESRD
      patients on HD.

PMID- 28342633
TI  - PCA3 as a second-line biomarker in a prospective controlled randomized
      opportunistic prostate cancer screening programme.
AB  - OBJECTIVES: PCA3 performance as a single second line biomarker is compared to the
      European Randomised Study of Screening for Prostate Cancer risk calculator model
      3 (ERSPC RC-3) in an opportunistic screening in prostate cancer (PCa). MATERIAL
      AND METHODS: 5,199 men, aged 40-75y, underwent prostate-specific antigen (PSA)
      screening and digital rectal examination (DRE). Men with a normal DRE and PSA
      >=3ng/ml had a PCA3 test done. All men with PCA3 >=35 underwent an initial biopsy
      (IBx) -12 cores-. Men with PCA3 <35 were randomized 1:1 to either IBx or
      observation. We compared them to those obtained with ERSPC RC-3. RESULTS: PCA3
      test was performed on 838 men (16.1%). In PCA3(+) and PCA3(-) groups, global PCa
      detection rates were 40.9% and 14.7% with a median follow-up (FU) of 21.7 months
      (P<.001). In the PCA3(+) arm (n=301, 35.9%), PCa was identified in 115 men at IBx
      (38.2%). In the randomized arm, 256 underwent IBx and PCa was found in 46 (18.0%)
      (P<.001). The biopsy-sparing potential would have been 64.1% as opposed to 76.6%
      if we had used ERSPC RC-3. However, the estimated false negative cases for HGPCa
      would have been reduced by 37.1% (89 to 56 patients). Moreover, if we had applied
      PCA3-35 to avoid IBx, 14.7% PCa and 9.1% of clinical significant PCa patients
      would not have been diagnosed during this FU. CONCLUSIONS: When PCA3-35 is used
      as a second-line biomarker when PSA >=3ng/ml and DRE is normal, IBx could be
      avoided in 12.5% less than if ERSPC RC-3 is used and would reduce the false
      negative cases by 36.2%. At a FU of 21.7 months, this dual protocol would miss
      9.1% of clinically significant PCa, so strict FU is mandatory with established
      biopsy criteria based on PSA and DRE in cases with PCA3 <35.

PMID- 28342634
TI  - [Prevalence trends of high risk of mental disorders in the Spanish adult
      population: 2006-2012].
AB  - OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the prevalence of high risk of psychiatric morbidity in
      the Spanish adult population and its changes between 2006 and 2012. METHODS: Data
      from 47,905 participants obtained from the National Health Surveys in 2006 and
      2012 were used. Mental health status was assessed with the General Health
      Questionnaire score. Adjusted logistic regression models were fitted. RESULTS:
      The prevalence of high risk of psychiatric morbidity was 20.5% in 2012 and 21.3%
      in 2006. Using 2006 as the reference, the odds ratio (OR) for these problems in
      2012 was 0.84 (0.79-0.89) in women and 1.10 (1.02-1.18) in men. In women, it
      decreased for all ages. In men, these ORs were 1.15 (1.04-1.27) in the aged 16-44
      group, 1.23 (1.08-1.40) in the aged 45-64 group and 0.81 (0.68-0.96) in the aged
      >= 65 group. CONCLUSIONS: The prevalence of high risk of psychiatric morbidity
      decreased except in males <65 years of age, who are more sensitive to the
      economic crisis.

PMID- 28342635
TI  - 'Nature Knows No Boundaries': The Role of Nature Conservation in Peacebuilding.
AB  - Humanity is facing a biodiversity crisis. To solve environmental problems, we
      bring people from Israel, Jordan, and the Palestinian Authority to the same
      table. Conservation efforts are beneficial for all communities and facilitate
      constructive dialog across divides in conflict zones. This pleads for the
      integration of nature conservation into peacebuilding interventions.

PMID- 28342636
TI  - Rituximab as first-line treatment of pemphigus.

PMID- 28342637
TI  - First-line rituximab combined with short-term prednisone versus prednisone alone
      for the treatment of pemphigus (Ritux 3): a prospective, multicentre, parallel
      group, open-label randomised trial.
AB  - BACKGROUND: High doses of corticosteroids are considered the standard treatment
      for pemphigus. Because long-term corticosteroid treatment can cause severe and
      even life-threatening side-effects in patients with this disease, we assessed
      whether first-line use of rituximab as adjuvant therapy could improve the
      proportion of patients achieving complete remission off-therapy, compared with
      corticosteroid treatment alone, while decreasing treatment side-effects of
      corticosteroids. METHODS: We did a prospective, multicentre, parallel-group, open
      label, randomised trial in 25 dermatology hospital departments in France (Ritux
      3). Eligible participants were patients with newly diagnosed pemphigus aged 18-80
      years being treated for the first time (not at the time of a relapse). We
      randomly assigned participants (1:1) to receive either oral prednisone alone, 1.0
      or 1.5 mg/kg per day tapered over 12 or 18 months (prednisone alone group), or
      1000 mg of intravenous rituximab on days 0 and 14, and 500 mg at months 12 and
      18, combined with a short-term prednisone regimen, 0.5 or 1.0 mg/kg per day
      tapered over 3 or 6 months (rituximab plus short-term prednisone group). Follow
      up was for 3 years (study visits were scheduled weekly during the first month of
      the study, then monthly until month 24, then an additional visit at month 36).
      Treatment was assigned through central computer-generated randomisation, with
      stratification according to disease-severity (severe or moderate, based on
      Harman's criteria). The primary endpoint was the proportion of patients who
      achieved complete remission off-therapy at month 24 (intention-to-treat
      analysis). This study is registered with ClinicalTrials.gov, number NCT00784589.
      FINDINGS: Between May 10, 2010, and Dec 7, 2012, we enrolled 91 patients and
      randomly assigned 90 to treatment (90 were analysed; 1 patient withdrew consent
      before the random assignment). At month 24, 41 (89%) of 46 patients assigned to
      rituximab plus short-term prednisone were in complete remission off-therapy
      versus 15 (34%) of 44 assigned to prednisone alone (absolute difference 55
      percentage points, 95% CI 38.4-71.7; p<0.0001. This difference corresponded to a
      relative risk of success of 2.61 (95% CI 1.71-3.99, p<0.0001), corresponding to
      1.82 patients (95% CI 1.39-2.60) who would need to be treated with rituximab plus
      prednisone (rather than prednisone alone) for one additional success. No patient
      died during the study. More severe adverse events of grade 3-4 were reported in
      the prednisone-alone group (53 events in 29 patients; mean 1.20 [SD 1.25]) than
      in the rituximab plus prednisone group (27 events in 16 patients; mean 0.59
      [1.15]; p=0.0021). The most common of these events in both groups were diabetes
      and endocrine disorder (11 [21%] with prednisone alone vs six [22%] with
      rituximab plus prednisone), myopathy (ten [19%] vs three [11%]), and bone
      disorders (five [9%] vs five [19%]). INTERPRETATION: Data from our trial suggest
      that first-line use of rituximab plus short-term prednisone for patients with
      pemphigus is more effective than using prednisone alone, with fewer adverse
      events. FUNDING: French Ministry of Health, French Society of Dermatology, Roche.

PMID- 28342638
TI  - [Rationale and complications of the anterior-lateral extrapleural retroperitoneal
      approach for unstable thoracolumbar fractures: Experience in 86 consecutive
      patients].
AB  - OBJECTIVES: To describe the rationale, pros and cons, and complications of the
      anterior-lateral extrapleural retroperitoneal approach for unstable (TLICS>4)
      thoracolumbar fractures. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Clinical and radiological data and
      outcomes from a cohort treated surgically via said approach were retrospectively
      reviewed. All patients were operated on exclusively by 5 neurosurgeons trained in
      spine surgery. RESULTS: Between June 1999 and December 2015, 86 patients
      underwent surgery (median age 42years, most common level: L1). Approximately
      32.5% presented with a preoperative neurological defect. After surgery (mean
      duration: 275minutes), 75.6% presented with no neurological sequelae and only one
      third required blood transfusion. Median postoperative stay was 7days. Correction
      of kyphosis was considered adequate and suboptimal but acceptable in 91% and 9%
      of the patients, respectively. Complications occurred in 36 patients, the
      majority being transient. We observed failure of the construct in 2 cases
      (collapse of an expandable cage and extrusion of a locking screw). No infections,
      vascular or visceral lesions, permanent neurological worsening or mortality
      occurred during hospitalisation. One patient ultimately needed additional
      posterior fixation due to persistence of pain. Median follow-up was 252days
      (27.9% was lost to follow-up). CONCLUSIONS: The extrapleural extraperitoneal
      approach provides solid anterior reconstruction, allows wide decompression of the
      spinal canal, and permits adequate and long-lasting correction of kyphosis. The
      rates of infection, construct failure, need for reoperation and vascular or
      visceral lesions are minimal.

PMID- 28342640
TI  - Systematic Review Links the Prevalence of Intraductal Carcinoma of the Prostate
      to Prostate Cancer Risk Categories.
AB  - : Intraductal carcinoma of the prostate (IDC-P) is associated with poor
      prognosis. While it is often regarded as a rare pathology, the prevalence of IDC
      P remains unclear, with variable reports from small and disparate patient
      populations. To determine how common IDC-P is across the spectrum of prostate
      cancer, we conducted a systematic review correlating IDC-P prevalence with
      prostate cancer risk. Electronic searches of the OVID Medline, PubMed, and Scopus
      literature databases identified 38 patient cohorts in 24 articles, which were
      divided between four prostate cancer risk categories (low, moderate, high, and
      recurrent or metastatic disease). This review, which included radical
      prostatectomy and prostate biopsy specimens from >7000 patients, revealed an
      unexpectedly high rate of IDC-P. The IDC-P prevalence increased from 2.1% in low
      risk patient cohorts to 23.1%, 36.7%, and 56.0% in moderate-risk, high-risk, and
      metastatic or recurrent disease risk categories, respectively (p<0.0001). IDC-P
      was also highly prevalent in tumours following androgen deprivation therapy or
      chemotherapy (60%). Contrary to common perceptions, this study demonstrates a
      strong association between IDC-P prevalence and aggressive prostate cancer, with
      a significantly higher frequency in high-risk disease. Greater recognition and
      systematic reporting of IDC-P may improve patient risk stratification. PATIENT
      SUMMARY: Prostate cancer can grow within ducts of the prostate, as well as in
      prostate tissue. By reviewing all reports describing prostate cancer growing
      within ducts, we found that it occurs more commonly than many scientists and
      clinicians appreciate, especially in aggressive prostate cancers. We conclude
      that there should be more awareness of this pattern of prostate cancer.

PMID- 28342639
TI  - Sendai Virus Mucosal Vaccination Establishes Lung-Resident Memory CD8 T Cell
      Immunity and Boosts BCG-Primed Protection against TB in Mice.
AB  - Accumulating evidence has shown the protective role of CD8+ T cells in vaccine
      induced immunity against Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb) despite controversy
      over their role in natural immunity. However, the current vaccine BCG is unable
      to induce sufficient CD8+ T cell responses, especially in the lung. Sendai virus,
      a respiratory RNA virus, is here engineered firstly as a novel recombinant anti
      TB vaccine (SeV85AB) that encodes Mtb immuno-dominant antigens, Ag85A and Ag85B.
      A single mucosal vaccination elicited potent antigen-specific T cell responses
      and a degree of protection against Mtb challenge similar to the effect of BCG in
      mice. Depletion of CD8+ T cells abrogated the protective immunity afforded by
      SeV85AB vaccination. Interestingly, only SeV85AB vaccination induced high levels
      of lung-resident memory CD8+ T (TRM) cells, and this led to a rapid and strong
      recall of antigen-specific CD8+ T cell responses against Mtb challenge infection.
      Furthermore, when used in a BCG prime-SeV85AB boost strategy, SeV85AB vaccine
      significantly enhanced protection above that seen after BCG vaccination alone.
      Our findings suggest that CD8+ TRM cells that arise in lungs responding to this
      mucosal vaccination might help to protect against TB, and SeV85AB holds notable
      promise to improve BCG's protective efficacy in a prime-boost immunization
      regimen.

PMID- 28342641
TI  - Procedure-specific Risks of Thrombosis and Bleeding in Urological Cancer Surgery:
      Systematic Review and Meta-analysis.
AB  - CONTEXT: Pharmacological thromboprophylaxis involves balancing a lower risk of
      venous thromboembolism (VTE) against a higher risk of bleeding, a trade-off that
      critically depends on the risks of VTE and bleeding in the absence of prophylaxis
      (baseline risk). OBJECTIVE: To provide estimates of the baseline risk of
      symptomatic VTE and bleeding requiring reoperation in urological cancer surgery.
      EVIDENCE ACQUISITION: We identified contemporary observational studies reporting
      symptomatic VTE or bleeding after urological procedures. We used studies with the
      lowest risk of bias and accounted for use of thromboprophylaxis and length of
      follow-up to derive best estimates of the baseline risks within 4 wk of surgery.
      We used the GRADE approach to assess the quality of the evidence. EVIDENCE
      SYNTHESIS: We included 71 studies reporting on 14 urological cancer procedures.
      The quality of the evidence was generally moderate for prostatectomy and
      cystectomy, and low or very low for other procedures. The duration of
      thromboprophylaxis was highly variable. The risk of VTE in cystectomies was high
      (2.6-11.6% across risk groups) whereas the risk of bleeding was low (0.3%). The
      risk of VTE in prostatectomies varied by procedure, from 0.2-0.9% in robotic
      prostatectomy without pelvic lymph node dissection (PLND) to 3.9-15.7% in open
      prostatectomy with extended PLND. The risk of bleeding was 0.1-1.0%. The risk of
      VTE following renal procedures was 0.7-2.9% for low-risk patients and 2.6-11.6%
      for high-risk patients; the risk of bleeding was 0.1-2.0%. CONCLUSIONS: Extended
      thromboprophylaxis is warranted in some procedures (eg, open and robotic
      cystectomy) but not others (eg, robotic prostatectomy without PLND in low-risk
      patients). For "close call" procedures, decisions will depend on values and
      preferences with regard to VTE and bleeding. PATIENT SUMMARY: Clinicians often
      give blood thinners to patients to prevent blood clots after surgery for
      urological cancer. Unfortunately, blood thinners also increase bleeding. This
      study provides information on the risk of clots and bleeding that is crucial in
      deciding for or against giving blood thinners.

PMID- 28342642
TI  - Performance comparison of new generation HCV core antigen test versus HCV RNA
      test in management of hepatitis C virus infection.
AB  - The study has evaluated the performance of HCV core antigen (Cag) test by
      comparing HCV RNA PCR assay which is considered the gold standard for management
      of HCV infection. Totally, 132 samples sent for HCV RNA (real-time PCR) test were
      included in the study. Anti-HCV antibody test and HCV Cag test were performed by
      chemiluminescent enzyme immunoassay (CMEI). Anti-HCV test was positive in all
      samples. HCV RNA was detected in 112/132 (84.8%) samples, and HCV Cag in 105/132
      (79.5%). The most common HCV genotype was genotype 1 (86%). Considering the HCV
      RNA test as gold standard; the sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive
      value, negative predictive value and accuracy of Cag test were found to be
      93.75%, 100%, 100%, 74.07% and 94.69%, respectively, and paired test results were
      detected as highly concordant. A high level of correlation was seen between HCV
      RNA and Cag tests, however, the concordance between the two tests appeared to be
      disrupted at viral loads lower than 103IU/mL. On the contrary, the correlation
      reached significance for the values higher than 103IU/mL. Viral loads were in the
      17-2500IU/mL range for the negative results for Cag test. Pearson's correlation
      coefficient revealed a considerably high correlation. The concordance between HCV
      RNA and Cag tests was disrupted under a viral load lower than 103IU/mL.
      Therefore, it would be appropriate to consider cost effectiveness, advantages and
      limitations of the HCV RNA and Cag tests during the decision on which method to
      use for patient management.

PMID- 28342643
TI  - The Influence of Pre-Left Ventricular Assist Device (LVAD) Implantation
      Glomerular Filtration Rate on Long-Term LVAD Outcomes.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is a known predictor for adverse
      outcomes in patients with advanced heart failure requiring left ventricular
      assist devices (LVADs). The effect of pre-LVAD glomerular filtration rate (GFR)
      on post-LVAD outcomes in CKD patients is not completely understood. Additionally,
      a subset of patients improve their GFR after LVAD placement. In this study we
      sought to determine the effects of pre-LVAD GFR on post-LVAD outcomes. METHODS:
      Two hundred and seventy consecutive patients with LVADs were enrolled. Patients
      were stratified based on a GFR cut-off of 60mL/min/1.73m2. Patients with
      preoperative GFR <60 were further divided into two subgroups based post-LVAD
      discharge GFR of 60. Post-LVAD major adverse effects were analysed. RESULTS:
      Patients with pre-implant GFR <60 had higher all cause mortality than patients
      with pre-implant GFR >=60 (45% vs. 27%, p=0.006). These patients also had higher
      incidence of early right ventricular failure and congestive heart failure
      hospitalisations. Kaplan-Meier survival analysis confirmed poor survival in this
      group. When the subgroup analysis of patients in the GFR <60 cohort was
      performed, the above findings were heavily weighted towards patients who did not
      improve their GFR to >=60 post-LVAD. CONCLUSION: Pre-implant GFR is an important
      prognostic marker in LVAD patients. Patients with pre-implant GFR <60 are at
      higher risk of cardiovascular morbidity and mortality. Our findings suggest that
      the patients who do not improve their GFR post-LVAD are at the highest risk.

PMID- 28342644
TI  - Steeper Slope of Age-Related Changes in White Matter Microstructure and
      Processing Speed in Bipolar Disorder.
AB  - OBJECTIVES: Bipolar disorder (BD) is associated with compromised white matter
      (WM) integrity and deficits in processing speed (PS). Few studies, however, have
      investigated age relationships with WM structure and cognition to understand
      possible changes in brain health over the lifespan. This investigation explored
      whether BD and healthy counterpart (HC) participants exhibited differential age
      related associations with WM and cognition, which may be suggestive of
      accelerated brain and cognitive aging. DESIGN: Cross-sectional study. SETTING:
      University of California San Diego and the Veterans Administration San Diego
      Healthcare System. PARTICIPANTS: 33 euthymic BD and 38 HC participants.
      MEASUREMENTS: Diffusion tensor imaging was acquired as a measure of WM integrity,
      and tract-specific fractional anisotropy (FA) was extracted utilizing the Johns
      Hopkins University probability atlas. PS was assessed with the Number and Letter
      Sequencing conditions of the Delis-Kaplan Executive Function System Trail Making
      Test. RESULTS: BD participants demonstrated slower PS compared with the HC group,
      but no group differences were found in FA across tracts. Multiple linear
      regressions revealed a significant group-by-age interaction for the right
      uncinate fasciculus, the left hippocampal portion of the cingulum, and for PS,
      such that older age was associated with lower FA values and slower PS in the BD
      group only. The relationship between age and PS did not significantly change
      after accounting for uncinate FA, suggesting that the observed age associations
      occur independently. CONCLUSIONS: Results provide support for future study of the
      accelerated aging hypothesis by identifying markers of brain health that
      demonstrate a differential age association in BD.

PMID- 28342646
TI  - [Postoperative pneumonia after cardiac surgery: Really, can it be under our
      control?]

PMID- 28342645
TI  - The expression and activation of the AIM2 inflammasome correlates with
      inflammation and disease severity in patients with acute pancreatitis.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Acute pancreatitis is an inflammatory disorder of the pancreas that
      is responsible for significant morbidity and mortality. The inflammasome pathway
      has acquired significant relevance in the pathogenesis of many inflammatory
      disorders, but its role in patients with acute pancreatitis still awaits
      clarification. METHODS: We performed a prospective study in which 27 patients
      with acute pancreatitis and 16 healthy controls were included. We isolated
      peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) and we assessed the expression and
      activation of different inflammasomes as well as their association with the
      clinical course of the disease. RESULTS: Our results show that PBMCs from
      patients with acute pancreatitis have elevated expression of several components
      of the inflammasome complex, including the inflammasome-forming receptor absent
      in melanoma 2 (AIM2), early during the onset of the disease. Activation of the
      AIM2 or NLRP3 inflammasomes in PBMCs from patients with acute pancreatitis
      results in exacerbated IL-1beta and IL-18 production compared with PBMCs from
      healthy controls. Furthermore, both AIM2 mRNA expression and AIM2-mediated
      production of IL-1beta by PBMCs correlated with increased systemic inflammation
      in these patients. Last, AIM2 expression was further increased in those patients
      that developed transient or persistent organ failure (moderate or severe acute
      pancreatitis). CONCLUSIONS: Our data demonstrates that AIM2 inflammasome
      expression and activation is increased early during the course of acute
      pancreatitis, and suggests that AIM2 activation may affect systemic inflammation
      and organ failure in these patients.

PMID- 28342647
TI  - Recurrence patterns after a decreased dose of 40Gy to the elective treated neck
      in head and neck cancer.
AB  - PURPOSE: To investigate the patterns of regional recurrences with emphasis on
      recurrences in the electively irradiated lymph node regions after dose de
      escalation to 40Gy (EQD2Gy) in head and neck cancer. METHODS AND MATERIALS: Two
      hundred thirty-three patients treated with radio(chemo)therapy using 40Gy
      (EQD2Gy) to the elective lymph node regions were included. All regional
      recurrences were reconstructed and projected on the initial radiotherapy planning
      Computed Tomography studies to identify the localization of recurrence.
      Furthermore, patient and treatment characteristics were correlated with the
      regional recurrences to identify risk factors. RESULTS: The median follow-up in
      our study was 26months. Overall- and disease-specific survival at 2years were
      71.2% (95% CI 65.3-77.1) and 64.2% (95% CI 59.2-69.3), respectively. Local,
      regional and distant control at 2years was 84.1% (95% CI 79.1-89.2), 89.2% (95%
      CI 84.3-94.1) and 83.2% (95% CI 76.3-90.1), respectively. Twenty-eight patients
      experienced a regional recurrence. Fourteen of these patients had a recurrence
      within the high dose volume (14 of 28). Nine had a recurrence in the electively
      irradiated lymph node regions (9 of 28) and 5 recurrences occurred outside the
      target volume. The actuarial rate of recurrence in the electively irradiated
      lymph node regions was 3.9% (95% CI 1.8-6.0) at 2years. No significant
      associations could be observed between recurrence in electively irradiated lymph
      node regions and age, gender, tumor site, stage, or the presence of human
      papillomavirus in oropharyngeal cancers. CONCLUSIONS: The actuarial rate of
      recurrence in the electively irradiated lymph node regions was 3.9% (95% CI 1.8
      6.0) at 2years. This incidence is comparable to recurrence rates after standard
      dose of 50Gy, suggesting that lower doses to the elective neck do not result in
      higher regional recurrences.

PMID- 28342648
TI  - The first clinical implementation of a real-time six degree of freedom target
      tracking system during radiation therapy based on Kilovoltage Intrafraction
      Monitoring (KIM).
AB  - PURPOSE: We present the first clinical implementation of a real-time six-degree
      of freedom (6DoF) Kilovoltage Intrafraction Monitoring (KIM) system which tracks
      the cancer target translational and rotational motions during treatment. The
      method was applied to measure and correct for target motion during stereotactic
      body radiotherapy (SBRT) for prostate cancer. METHODS: Patient: A patient with
      prostate adenocarcinoma undergoing SBRT with 36.25Gy, delivered in 5 fractions
      was enrolled in the study. 6DoF KIM technology: 2D positions of three implanted
      gold markers in each of the kV images (125kV, 10mA at 11Hz) were acquired
      continuously during treatment. The 2D->3D target position estimation was based on
      a probability distribution function. The 3D->6DoF target rotation was calculated
      using an iterative closest point algorithm. The accuracy and precision of the KIM
      method was measured by comparing the real-time results with kV-MV triangulation.
      RESULTS: Of the five treatment fractions, KIM was utilised successfully in four
      fractions. The intrafraction prostate motion resulted in three couch shifts in
      two fractions when the prostate motion exceeded the pre-set action threshold of
      2mm for more than 5s. KIM translational accuracy and precision were 0.3+/-0.6mm, 
      0.2+/-0.3mm and 0.2+/-0.7mm in the Left-Right (LR), Superior-Inferior (SI) and
      Anterior-Posterior (AP) directions, respectively. The KIM rotational accuracy and
      precision were 0.8 degrees +/-2.0 degrees , -0.5 degrees +/-3.3 degrees  and 0.3
      degrees +/-1.6 degrees  in the roll, pitch and yaw directions, respectively.
      CONCLUSION: This treatment represents, to the best of our knowledge, the first
      time a cancer patient's tumour position and rotation have been monitored in real
      time during treatment. The 6 DoF KIM system has sub-millimetre accuracy and
      precision in all three translational axes, and less than 1 degrees  accuracy and
      4 degrees  precision in all three rotational axes.

PMID- 28342649
TI  - The prognosis of dementia with Lewy bodies.
AB  - Dementia with Lewy bodies is the second most common form of neurodegenerative
      dementia, yet scarce evidence is available about its prognosis and natural
      history, which are crucial to inform clinical practice and research. Patients
      with dementia with Lewy bodies might have a less favourable prognosis, with
      accelerated cognitive decline, shorter lifespan, and increased admission to
      residential care than patients with Alzheimer's disease. Health-care costs and,
      importantly, caregiver burden, are also reported to be higher in dementia with
      Lewy bodies than in Alzheimer's disease. It is probable that causative factors
      for this less favourable prognosis are the increased prevalence and early
      emergence of neuropsychiatric symptoms in patients with dementia with Lewy
      bodies, and the challenge of accurate diagnosis. Evidence concerning quality of
      life and hospital admission rates is limited, despite their clinical and economic
      relevance.

PMID- 28342650
TI  - Subtotal cholecystectomy for the hostile gallbladder: failure to control the
      cystic duct results in significant morbidity.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Outcomes following the inability to control the cystic duct due to a
      hostile triangle of Calot during cholecystectomy remain unknown. The purpose of
      this study was to analyze the safety and efficacy of subtotal cholecystectomy,
      with attention to the necessity for secondary interventions. METHODS: Sixteen
      thousand five hundred ninety six cholecystectomies from January 2002 to August
      2014 were reviewed, identifying patients managed with subtotal cholecystectomy,
      defined as the inability to isolate/transect the cystic duct. After propensity
      matching, we investigated surgical indications, perioperative outcomes, and the
      necessity for secondary ERCP, percutaneous drainage, and completion
      cholecystectomy. RESULTS: 65 (0.39%) patients underwent subtotal cholecystectomy;
      54 (83.1%) began laparoscopically, of which 30 (55.6%) required conversion to
      laparotomy. Subtotal cholecystectomy, performed more frequently for acute
      cholecystitis (70.8% vs 34.6%), was associated with extended hospitalizations (4
      d vs 2 d) and frequent surgical site infections (20% vs 4.6%). 25 (38.5%)
      subtotal cholecystectomy patients required >=1 secondary intervention, and
      compared to standard cholecystectomy, underwent higher rates postoperative ERCP
      (30.8% vs 5.4%), percutaneous drainage (9.2% vs 1.5%), and completion
      cholecystectomy (6.2% vs 0%) [all P < 0.05]. DISCUSSION: Subtotal cholecystectomy
      fails to control the cystic duct, resulting in significant morbidity. Most do not
      require completion cholecystectomy; however, patients demand close observation
      and, frequently, secondary interventions.

PMID- 28342651
TI  - From classical to nonparametric growth models: Towards comprehensive modelling of
      mussel growth patterns.
AB  - Understanding biological processes, such as growth, is crucial to development
      management and sustainability plans for bivalve populations. Von Bertalanffy and
      Gompertz models have been commonly used to fit bivalve growth. These models
      assume that individual growth is only determined by size, overlooking the effects
      of environmental and intrinsic conditions on growth patterns. The comparison
      between classical models and nonparametric GAM (generalized additive models) fits
      conducted in this work shows that the latter provide a more realistic approach of
      mussel growth measured in terms of shell length, and dry weight of hard and soft
      tissues. GAM fits detected a reduction in growth during the cold season, under
      unfavourable nutritional conditions. These fits also captured the decoupling
      between hard and soft tissue growth, widely addressed in the literature but not
      incorporated in growth models. In addition a GAM fit of condition index allowed
      us to explain annual changes in resources allocation, identifying the asymptotic
      growth of shell and the effects of the reproductive cycle on soft tissue
      fluctuations.

PMID- 28342652
TI  - Effective Hospital-Wide Education in Hemorrhage Control.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Uncontrolled hemorrhage is the leading cause of potentially
      preventable traumatic death. Bleeding victims must receive immediate medical
      attention to save lives, and the first opportunity to control bleeding after
      trauma often comes from bystanders. Educating the general public is important for
      improving outcomes for hemorrhaging victims, and it is imperative for all people,
      including those with no clinical training, to have the knowledge to respond until
      trained medical specialists arrive. STUDY DESIGN: An 8-minute educational module
      was deployed to all hospital employees and included information on the location
      and contents of hemorrhage control bags in the hospital and how to use the
      materials in the bags to respond to uncontrolled hemorrhage. A pre-post
      questionnaire was administered with the module to evaluate effectiveness. McNemar
      tests were used to compare the responses and evaluate effectiveness of the
      education. RESULTS: Eighty-four percent of eligible employees (n = 4,845)
      completed the module and all items on the questionnaires. Three-quarters of
      respondents provided direct or ancillary care to patients, and one-quarter worked
      in nonclinical roles. On average, 57% of questions were answered correctly in the
      pre-questionnaire and 98% were answered correctly in the post-questionnaire. The
      module was effective for all employees regardless of clinical training.
      CONCLUSIONS: There is currently no succinct hemorrhage control education
      available that can be deployed across a large workplace environment. Results
      demonstrate that the brief learning module was effective in educating all
      employees in the basics of hemorrhage control. The module could be deployed in
      clinical and nonclinical settings.

PMID- 28342653
TI  - Antibiotic stewardship: Revisiting quinolone antibiotics.

PMID- 28342654
TI  - The Role of the Signal Intensity Ratio on Fluid-Attenuated Inversion Recovery in
      Stroke Patients Achieving Successful Recanalization with Endovascular Treatment.
AB  - BACKGROUND: This study aimed to investigate whether fluid-attenuated inversion
      recovery (FLAIR) imaging hyperintensity can be used as a surrogate marker for the
      severity of ischemic insult and predict lesion growth. METHODS: Based on a
      prospective stroke registry database, we identified patients with ischemic stroke
      who were treated with endovascular treatment (EVT) within 8 hours of onset and
      achieved successful recanalization (modified thrombolysis in cerebral infarction
      >=2B). FLAIR hyperintensity was measured using the signal intensity ratio (SIR),
      defined as the mean SIR of diffusion-restricted lesions to the corresponding
      areas in the contralateral hemisphere. Lesion growth was defined as the ratio of
      final infarct volume on follow-up FLAIR to initial infarct volume on diffusion
      weighted imaging. RESULTS: For 69 patients meeting the eligibility criteria, the
      median FLAIR SIR was 1.17 (interquartile range, 1.08-1.23) and the median lesion
      growth ratio was 1.70 (interquartile range, 1.35-2.79) (Pearson's r = -.146, P =
      .231). In multiple linear regression models, the FLAIR SIR was not significantly
      correlated with the lesion growth ratio. Interestingly, the time interval from
      initial magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to successful recanalization was
      independently correlated with the lesion growth ratio (beta = .072, P < .001).
      With respect to clinical outcomes, the FLAIR SIR was not associated with either
      discharge modified Rankin scale score <=2 (beta = -3.41, P = .30) or symptomatic
      hemorrhagic transformation (beta = 2.75; P = .63). CONCLUSIONS: Contrary to our
      hypothesis, FLAIR hyperintensity on initial MRI before EVT was not associated
      with lesion growth in patients who were recanalized successfully with EVT.
      Instead, our results suggest that time interval from MRI acquisition to
      recanalization is an independent predictor of lesion growth.

PMID- 28342656
TI  - Nurses Are as Specific and Are Earlier in Calling In-Hospital Stroke Alerts
      Compared to Physicians.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: In-hospital stroke alerts are typically activated by nurses or
      physicians when a patient's neurological status acutely changes from baseline. It
      is unclear if knowledge of stroke symptoms translates to accurate activation of
      the acute stroke team. We hypothesized that nurses who activate the stroke alert
      system would correctly identify as great a proportion of acute strokes as
      physicians. We also investigated the time to activation of these in-hospital
      stroke alerts. METHODS: We retrospectively reviewed consecutive inpatient stroke
      team calls over a 12-month period at a single, tertiary care center. Calls and
      exact times were identified from the acute stroke pager log. The type of provider
      who called the stroke alert, patient characteristics, last known well time, and
      acute stroke symptoms was prospectively collected and retrospectively verified
      through electronic medical record review. Patients with definite stroke then were
      retrospectively identified by World Health Organization Monitoring of Trends and
      Determinants in Cardiovascular Disease (WHO MONICA) criterion. RESULTS: A total
      of 93 calls were analyzed. Nurses and physicians/midlevel providers activated the
      in-hospital stroke alert with a similar percentage of correct stroke diagnosis
      (62.7% versus 58.8%, P = .82). Nurses activated stroke alerts significantly
      earlier than physicians/midlevel providers (median 2 hours [IQR .5-6 hours]
      versus 4.9 hours [IQR 1.3-21.3 hours], P = .0096) from last known well time.
      CONCLUSIONS: Nurses identify in-hospital ischemic events with a similar
      percentage as physicians, and they activate the stroke alerts significantly
      earlier. The median nursing activation time fell within a 3-hour window for
      potential systemic thrombolytic or early endovascular therapy. An intensive,
      focused, collaborative education of nursing staff may further improve inpatient
      stroke outcomes.

PMID- 28342655
TI  - Tacrolimus-Induced Reversible Cerebral Vasoconstriction Syndrome with Delayed
      Multi-Segmental Vasoconstriction.
AB  - Reversible cerebral vasoconstriction syndrome (RCVS) is a cerebrovascular
      syndrome characterized by multi-segmental constrictions of the cerebral arteries
      that resolves spontaneously within 3 months. Although RCVS is considered to be
      due to transient dysregulation of vascular tone, the exact pathomechanism remains
      unclear. We describe the case of a 15-year-old girl with RCVS induced by
      tacrolimus, who developed generalized seizure during the postoperative course of
      orthotropic heart transplantation. Magnetic resonance imaging at symptom onset
      showed a few vasoconstrictions accompanying brain edema and convexity
      subarachnoid hemorrhage. Although her neurological conditions rapidly improved
      after discontinuing tacrolimus, a repeat magnetic resonance angiogram
      demonstrated delayed progression of the multi-segmental vasoconstrictions
      followed by subsequent resolution. Our case demonstrates that cautious
      observation of the cerebral arteries using magnetic resonance angiography and
      careful management of vasoconstrictions with vasodilators are necessary for
      delayed vasoconstrictions even when the clinical symptoms improve.

PMID- 28342657
TI  - Targeting BAP1: a new paradigm for mesothelioma.
AB  - New treatment strategies for malignant pleural mesothelioma (MPM) are important.
      BAP1 mutations are present in 47-67% of the MPM tumors, making this a good target
      for treatment. Multiple functions of BAP1 are investigated in the preclinical
      situation. Due to many functions of BAP1, the phenotypic effect of BAP1 is
      diverse. Preclinical data on inhibitors reversing these phenotypic effects are
      promising. However, the mechanism of BAP1 is not fully elucidated yet and further
      research about the mechanism and possible inhibitors is necessary.

PMID- 28342658
TI  - Educational needs of adolescents with congenital heart disease: Impact of a
      transition intervention programme.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Adolescents and young adults with congenital heart disease (CHD) have
      complex health needs and require lifelong follow-up. Interventions to facilitate
      the paediatric-to-adult healthcare transition are recommended, but outcomes
      remain largely under-investigated. AIMS: To identify the educational needs and
      the impact of a transition intervention on knowledge and self-management skills
      in adolescents and young adults with CHD. METHODS: From September 2014 to May
      2015, 115 adolescents and young adults with CHD (mean age 17+/-2 years; 47 girls)
      were consecutively enrolled. Among these, 22 had participated in a structured
      educational programme in the previous 11+/-4 months (education group) and 93 had
      not (comparison group). Knowledge about their health status was assessed using a
      targeted CHD questionnaire. RESULTS: The mean overall health knowledge score
      (maximum of 20) in the education group was significantly higher than in the
      comparison group (11.7+/-3.5 vs. 8.6+/-3.2; P<0.001). We observed significant
      gaps in knowledge in the comparison group: e.g. 61.3% vs. 90.0% knew their
      condition name (P=0.01), 21.5% vs. 63.6% were aware of recommended follow-up
      (P=0.004), and 12.8% vs. 75.0% of girls knew to check their heart condition
      before pregnancy (P<0.01). In multivariable analysis, after adjustment for age,
      structured CHD education and higher academic attainment were significant
      determinants of health-related knowledge (P<0.01). CONCLUSION: Education during
      adolescent-to-adult transition has a significant impact on health knowledge.
      Structured CHD educational programmes could improve understanding and prevent
      potential future complications.

PMID- 28342659
TI  - Urologic Oncologic SurveyRobotic level III inferior vena cava tumor thrombectomy:
      Initial series. Gill IS, Metcalfe C, Abreu A, Duddalwar V, Chopra S, Cunningham
      M, Thangathurai D, Ukimura O, Satkunasivam R, Hung A, Papalia R, Aron M, Desai M,
      Gallucci M. J Urol. 2015 Oct;194(4):929-938. [Epub 2015 Apr 6]. doi:
      10.1016/j.juro.2015.03.119.
AB  - PURPOSE: Level III inferior vena cava tumor thrombectomy for renal cancer is one
      of the most challenging open urologic surgeries. We present the initial series of
      completely intracorporeal robotic level III inferior vena cava tumor
      thrombectomy. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Nine patients underwent robotic level III
      inferior vena cava thrombectomy and 7 patients underwent level II thrombectomy.
      The entire operation (high intrahepatic inferior vena cava control, caval
      exclusion, tumor thrombectomy, inferior vena cava repair, radical nephrectomy,
      and retroperitoneal lymphadenectomy) was performed exclusively robotically. To
      minimize the chances of intraoperative inferior vena cava thrombus embolization,
      an "inferior vena cava-first, kidney-last" robotic technique was developed. Data
      were accrued prospectively. RESULTS: All 16 robotic procedures were successful,
      without open conversion or mortality. For level III cases (9), median primary
      kidney (right 6, left 3) cancer size was 8.5cm (range: 5.3-10.8) and inferior
      vena cava thrombus length was 5.7cm (range: 4-7). Median operative time was 4.9
      hours (range: 4.5-6.3), estimated blood loss was 375ml (range: 200-7,000), and
      hospital stay was 4.5 days. All surgical margins were negative. There were no
      intraoperative complications and 1 postoperative complication (Clavien 3b). At a
      median 7 months of follow-up (range: 1-18) all patients are alive. Compared to
      level II thrombi the level III cohort trended toward greater inferior vena cava
      thrombus length (3.3 vs 5.7cm), operative time (4.5 vs 4.9h) and blood loss (290
      vs 375ml). CONCLUSIONS: With appropriate patient selection, surgical planning and
      robotic experience, completely intracorporeal robotic level III inferior vena
      cava thrombectomy is feasible and can be performed efficiently. Larger
      experience, longer follow-up and comparison with open surgery are needed to
      confirm these initial outcomes.

PMID- 28342660
TI  - Caveolin-1 as prognostic factor of disease recurrence and survival in patients
      treated with radical cystectomy for bladder cancer.
AB  - PURPOSE: Overexpression of Caveolin-1 has been associated with cancer growth,
      migration, and metastases in several malignancies, but only few data are
      available on its role in bladder cancer (BCa). The aim of this study is to
      validate Caveolin-1 as a prognosticator of recurrence-free survival (RFS),
      overall survival (OS) and cancer-specific survival (CSS) in a large cohort of
      patients treated with radical cystectomy (RC) for BCa. METHODS: Caveolin-1
      expression was evaluated by immunochemistry on a tissue microarray from 424
      patients treated with RC for UCB at a single institution. Caveolin-1 was
      considered overexpressed when at least 50% of the tumor cells stained positively.
      Univariable and multivariable Cox proportional hazards regression models were
      used to assess the association of Caveolin-1 expression with RFS, OS, and CSS.
      RESULTS: Overexpression of Caveolin-1 was observed in 116 (27.4%) patients and
      was associated with lymph node metastasis (P = 0.003). Median follow-up for
      patients alive at last follow-up was 129 months (interquartile range [IQR]: 82
      178). Patients with overexpression of Caveolin-1 had significant worse RFS, OS,
      and CSS compared to those with normal expression (log-rank test, P = 0.008, P =
      0.001, and P = 0.005, respectively). At multivariable analyses that adjusted for
      the effects of standard clinicopathologic features, Caveolin-1 remained
      associated with OS (hazard ratio = 1.47, P = 0.002) and CSS (hazard ratio = 1.42,
      P = 0.03). Conversely, no association with RFS was found (P = 0.1). Addition of
      Caveolin-1 in a model for prediction of survival did not improve the accuracy of
      the prognostic model. Actually, C-index did not differ among models with or
      without Caveolin-1 (0.72 for a model predicting RFS, 0.65 for OS, and 0.71 for
      CSS). CONCLUSIONS: Caveolin-1 is overexpressed in one-third of patients with BCa
      treated with RC. Overexpression of Caveolin-1 is significantly associated with OS
      and CSS, but not with RFS, in patients with BCa treated with RC. However, it is
      not clinically useful as it does not improve upon the predictive accuracy of
      survival achieved by pathologic variables alone.

PMID- 28342661
TI  - Climate change and human infectious diseases: A synthesis of research findings
      from global and spatio-temporal perspectives.
AB  - The life cycles and transmission of most infectious agents are inextricably
      linked with climate. In spite of a growing level of interest and progress in
      determining climate change effects on infectious disease, the debate on the
      potential health outcomes remains polarizing, which is partly attributable to the
      varying effects of climate change, different types of pathogen-host systems, and
      spatio-temporal scales. We summarize the published evidence and show that over
      the past few decades, the reported negative or uncertain responses of infectious
      diseases to climate change has been growing. A feature of the research tendency
      is the focus on temperature and insect-borne diseases at the local and decadal
      scale. Geographically, regions experiencing higher temperature anomalies have
      been given more research attention; unfortunately, the Earth's most vulnerable
      regions to climate variability and extreme events have been less studied. From
      local to global scales, agreements on the response of infectious diseases to
      climate change tend to converge. So far, an abundance of findings have been based
      on statistical methods, with the number of mechanistic studies slowly growing.
      Research gaps and trends identified in this study should be addressed in the
      future.

PMID- 28342663
TI  - Intramural coronary hematoma, a complex three-dimensional entity: Multimodality
      assessment.
AB  - A 62-year-old woman was admitted with chest pain of two hours' duration, ECG
      changes in the precordial leads and left ventricular ejection fraction of 30% on
      the echocardiogram. Emergent catheterization demonstrated severe flow disturbance
      in the left coronary artery. An intra-aortic balloon pump and a drug-eluting
      stent were implanted. However, the flow disturbance persisted. Optical coherence
      tomography followed by intravascular ultrasound provided crucial data on the
      mechanism and helped to optimize treatment in this critical patient.

PMID- 28342662
TI  - Use of BRCA Mutation Test in the U.S., 2004-2014.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: BRCA mutation testing has been used for screening women at high
      risk of breast and ovarian cancer and for selecting the best treatment for those
      with breast cancer. To optimize the infrastructure and medical resources
      allocation for genetic testing, it is important to understand the use of BRCA
      mutation testing in the U.S. health system. METHODS: This retrospective cohort
      study included 53,254 adult women with insurance claims for BRCA mutation testing
      between 2004 and 2014 from ClinformaticsTM Data Mart Database. Data analysis was
      performed in 2016. This study assessed trends in the use of BRCA mutation testing
      in women with previously diagnosed breast or ovarian cancer and those without
      (unaffected women). RESULTS: Between 2004 and 2014, of those receiving BRCA
      testing, the proportion of BRCA tests performed in unaffected women increased
      significantly (p<0.001), from 24.3% in 2004 to 61.5% in 2014. An increase in the
      proportion of BRCA tests used in unaffected women was found in each
      characteristic subgroup. In 2014, most subgroups had a proportion surpassing 50%,
      except for those aged 51-65 years and those without a family history of breast
      cancer. There was a much lower proportion of those aged 20-40 years among tested
      women with previously diagnosed breast or ovarian cancer than in unaffected women
      (17.6% vs 41.7%, p<0.001). CONCLUSIONS: During the past decade, the role of BRCA
      testing has gradually shifted from being used primarily in cancer patients to
      being used in unaffected women in the U.S.

PMID- 28342664
TI  - A novel live attenuated anthrax spore vaccine based on an acapsular Bacillus
      anthracis Sterne strain with mutations in the htrA, lef and cya genes.
AB  - We recently reported the development of a novel, next-generation, live attenuated
      anthrax spore vaccine based on disruption of the htrA (High Temperature
      Requirement A) gene in the Bacillus anthracis Sterne veterinary vaccine strain.
      This vaccine exhibited a highly significant decrease in virulence in murine,
      guinea pig and rabbit animal models yet preserved the protective value of the
      parental Sterne strain. Here, we report the evaluation of additional mutations in
      the lef and cya genes, encoding for the toxin components lethal factor (LF) and
      edema factor (EF), to further attenuate the SterneDeltahtrA strain and improve
      its compatibility for human use. Accordingly, we constructed seven B. anthracis
      Sterne-derived strains exhibiting different combinations of mutations in the
      htrA, cya and lef genes. The various strains were indistinguishable in growth in
      vitro and in their ability to synthesise the protective antigen (PA, necessary
      for the elicitation of protection). In the sensitive murine model, we observed a
      gradual increase
      (DeltahtrA<DeltahtrADeltacya<DeltahtrADeltalef<DeltahtrADeltalefDeltacya) in
      attenuation - up to 108-fold relative to the parental Sterne vaccine strain. Most
      importantly, all various SterneDeltahtrA derivative strains did not differ in
      their ability to elicit protective immunity in guinea pigs. Immunisation of
      guinea pigs with a single dose (109 spores) or double doses (>107spores) of the
      most attenuated triple mutant strain SterneDeltahtrAlefMUTDeltacya induced a
      robust immune response, providing complete protection against a subsequent
      respiratory lethal challenge. Partial protection was observed in animals
      vaccinated with a double dose of as few as 105spores. Furthermore, protective
      immune status was maintained in all vaccinated guinea pigs and rabbits for at
      least 40 and 30weeks, respectively.

PMID- 28342666
TI  - Stabilization study of inactivated foot and mouth disease virus vaccine by size
      exclusion HPLC and differential scanning calorimetry.
AB  - The inactivated foot and mouth disease virus (FMDV), which has a sedimentation
      coefficient of 146S, is crucial to the efficacy of vaccine preparations, but
      extremely unstable in vitro. It is prone to dissociate into smaller particles
      referred to as 12S with a concomitant decrease in immunogenicity; therefore, it
      is of great importance to find the best condition for stabilizing the FMDV. In
      the present work, the effects of solution pH and temperature on the dissociation
      of 146S was investigated and potential stabilizers were screened, with aid of
      high-performance size-exclusion chromatography (HPSEC) for rapid and quantitative
      determination of 146S, together with differential scanning calorimetry (DSC)
      technology for thermal stability analysis. The most stable pH was found between
      7.5 and 8.0. Among excipients tested, sucrose and glycerol provided the best
      protection, such that the half-life of 146S in solution at 45 degrees C could be
      prolonged from less than 30min to more than 3days by adding 20% sucrose. The
      stabilization mechanism was confirmed using DSC analysis, which showed that the
      transition temperature related to 146S dissociation was increased by 5.4 degrees
      C in the presence of 20% sucrose. The physical stabilization effects afforded by
      these stabilizers would allow for the retaining of effective 146S antigens during
      transportation and storage under relative harsh condition.

PMID- 28342665
TI  - Recombinant Newcastle disease virus expressing the infectious bronchitis virus S1
      gene protects chickens against Newcastle disease virus and infectious bronchitis
      virus challenge.
AB  - The recombinant LaSota strain expressing a chimeric IBV S1 gene (rLaSota-S1) was
      constructed with the S1 gene of the LX4 type IBV ck/CH/LDL/091022. The expression
      of the S1 protein was detected by an indirect immunofluorescence assay and
      Western blotting. The rLaSota-S1 strain was slightly attenuated, and its growth
      dynamics were similar to that of the parental LaSota strain. Vaccination of
      specific pathogen-free chickens with the rLaSota-S1 strain induced NDV
      hemagglutination inhibition antibodies, and it protected chickens from challenge
      with virulent NDV. In addition, vaccination with the rLaSota-S1 strain induced
      IBV-specific IgG antibodies and cellular immunity; however, a single vaccination
      provided partial protection with reduced virus shedding. Better protection
      efficiency was observed after a booster vaccination, which resulted in higher
      antibody titers, significantly fewer disease symptoms, and reduced virus
      replication and shedding. Our results suggest that the rLaSota-S1 strain is a
      bivalent vaccine candidate against both NDV and IBV.

PMID- 28342667
TI  - A fast and efficient purification platform for cell-based influenza viruses by
      flow-through chromatography.
AB  - Since newly emerging influenza viruses with pandemic potentials occurred in
      recent years, the demand for producing pandemic influenza vaccines for human use
      is high. For the development of a quick and efficient vaccine production, we
      proposed an efficient purification platform from the harvest to the purified bulk
      for the cell-based influenza vaccine production. This platform based on flow
      through chromatography and filtration steps and the process only involves a few
      purification steps, including depth filtration, inactivation by formaldehyde,
      microfiltration, ultrafiltration, anion-exchange and ligand-core chromatography
      and sterile filtration. In addition, in the proposed chromatography steps, no
      virus capture steps were employed, and the purification results were not affected
      by the virus strain variation, host cells and culturing systems. The results from
      different virus strains which produced by Vero or MDCK cells in different
      culturing systems also obtained 33-46% HA recovery yields by this platform. The
      overall removal rates of the protein and DNA concentration in the purified bulk
      were over 96.1% and 99.7%, respectively. The low residual cellular DNA
      concentrations were obtained ranged from 30 to 130pg per human dose (15ug/dose).
      All influenza H5N1 purified bulks met the regulatory requirements for human
      vaccine use.

PMID- 28342668
TI  - The herd effects of infant PCV7/PCV13 sequential implementation on adult invasive
      pneumococcal disease, six years post implementation; a nationwide study in
      Israel.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Introduction of pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (PCV) has nearly
      eliminated vaccine-type (VT) invasive pneumococcal disease (IPD) in children, yet
      the reported resulting reduction of adult IPD is variable. We present the
      indirect impact of sequential PCV7/PCV13 implementation in Israel on adult IPD.
      METHODS: An ongoing nationwide active surveillance was initiated on July 2009
      when PCV7 was implemented (with Catch-up). PCV7 was gradually replaced by PCV13
      since November 2010. Comorbidity and outcome data were collected from medical
      files. Incidence rates were calculated for overall and vaccine-type IPD. RESULTS:
      A total of 2579 IPD cases were diagnosed among a population of 5.0-5.5 million
      adults >18y (2009-2015). Incidence rates were 9.15/100,000 and 10.16/100,000 in
      the first and second study years, respectively. However, after PCV13
      implementation, the rates decreased to 7.19 within four years, and remained
      stable in the two following years. Within 6years, PCV7-VT-IPD incidence decreased
      from 2.52 to 0.52 (79%) and PCV13-VT-IPD from 6.15 to 1.81 (71%). Concurrently,
      non-VT13 incidence increased from 2.99 to 5.25. Approximately 50% of all patients
      were adults >=65y, in whom the decrease in PCV13-VT-IPD incidence was smaller and
      slower (65% vs. >80% decrease in adults <50y). CONCLUSIONS: Despite continued
      reduction in PCV13-VT-IPD, overall IPD was stable during the last two years due
      to serotype replacement. Yet, the significant decrease in adult IPD, six years
      post-PCV7/13 implementation emphasizes the importance of indirect protection in
      achieving overall population impact and should be considered when discussing the
      potential additional benefits of direct adult PCV vaccination.

PMID- 28342669
TI  - Extended protection capabilities of an immature dendritic-cell targeting malaria
      sporozoite vaccine.
AB  - Mouse studies evaluating candidate malaria vaccines have typically examined
      protective efficacy over the relatively short time frames of several weeks after
      the final of multiple immunizations. The current study examines the protective
      ability in a mouse model system of a novel protein vaccine construct in which the
      adjuvant polyinosinic polycytidilic acid (poly(I:C)) is used in combination with
      a vaccine in which the immature dendritic cell targeting chemokine, macrophage
      inflammatory protein 3 alpha (MIP3alpha), is fused to the circumsporozoite
      protein (CSP) of Plasmodium falciparum (P. falciparum). Two vaccinations, three
      weeks apart, elicited extraordinarily high, MIP3alpha-dependent antibody
      responses. MIP3alpha was able to target the vaccine to the CCR6 receptor found
      predominantly on immature dendritic cells and significantly enhanced the cellular
      influx at the vaccination site. At three and 23 weeks after the final of two
      immunizations, mice were challenged by intravenous injection of 5*103 transgenic
      Plasmodium berghei sporozoites expressing P. falciparum CSP, a challenge dose
      approximately one order of magnitude greater than that which is encountered after
      mosquito bite in the clinical setting. A ninety-seven percent reduction in liver
      sporozoite load was observed at both time points, 23 weeks being the last time
      point tested.

PMID- 28342670
TI  - Chemical composition and acaricide activity of an essential oil from a rare
      chemotype of Cinnamomum verum Presl on Rhipicephalus microplus (Acari: Ixodidae).
AB  - The Essential Oils (EOs) from the leaves of species Cinnamomum verum J. Presl are
      used in the pharmaceutical industry for their numerous biological activities.
      Currently, the main compound of C. verum EO is eugenol which has acaricidal
      activity; however, a rare chemotype with benzyl benzoate as the main component
      can be found. Benzyl benzoate is recognized as an acaricide; however, studies of
      the C. verum EOs benzyl benzoate chemotype on Rhipicephalus microplus were not
      reported. The aim of this study was to evaluate the acaricide activity of an EO
      from a rare chemotype of C. verum, as well as purified benzyl benzoate, against
      larvae and engorged females of R. microplus resistant to amidines and
      pyrethroids. The EO was extracted from C. verum leaves and the compounds present
      were identified using a gas phase chromatograph coupled to a mass spectrometer.
      Efficacy against R. microplus was assessed by the larval packet and the engorged
      female immersion tests. A rare chemotype of C. verum was found to produce EOs
      with benzyl benzoate (65.4%) as the main compound. The C. verum essential oil was
      3.3 times more efficient on the R. microplus larvae than was benzyl benzoate.
      However, no differences were found on the R. microplus engorged females. This is
      the first report regarding the acaricidal activity of C. verum with chemotype
      benzyl benzoate, and this compound showed acaricidal activity on R. microplus
      larvae.

PMID- 28342671
TI  - Apoptosis of peritoneal leucocytes during early stages of Fasciola hepatica
      infections in sheep.
AB  - Several immunomodulatory properties have been described in Fasciola hepatica
      infections. Apoptosis has been shown to be an effective mechanism to avoid the
      immune response in helminth infections. The aim of the present work was to study
      apoptosis in peritoneal leucocytes of sheep experimentally infected with F.
      hepatica during the early stages of infection. Five groups (n=5) of sheep were
      used. Groups 2-5 were orally infected with 200 metacercariae (mc) and sacrificed
      at 1, 3, 9 and 18days post-infection (dpi), respectively. Group 1 was used as the
      uninfected control (UC). Apoptosis was detected using three different methods 1)
      immunocytochemistry (ICC) with a polyclonal antibody anti-active caspase-3; 2) an
      annexin V flow cytometry assay using the Annexin V-FITC/propidium iodide (PI);
      and 3) transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The differential leucocyte count
      revealed that the majority of peritoneal granulocytes were eosinophils, which
      increased significantly at 9 and 18 dpi with respect to the uninfected controls.
      The ICC study revealed that the percentage of caspase-3+ apoptotic peritoneal
      leucocytes increased significantly from 3 dpi onwards with respect to the
      uninfected controls. The flow cytometry annexin V assay detected a very
      significant (P<0.001) increase of apoptotic peritoneal macrophages, lymphocytes
      and granulocytes, which remained higher than in the UC until 18 dpi. Transmission
      electron microscopy studies also confirmed the presence of apoptosis in
      peritoneal eosinophils at 18 dpi. This is the first report of apoptosis induced
      by F. hepatica in the peritoneal leucocytes of sheep in vivo. The results of this
      work suggest the importance of apoptosis induction for the survival of the
      juvenile parasites in the peritoneal migratory stages of infection.

PMID- 28342672
TI  - An in vitro larval migration assay for assessing anthelmintic activity of
      different drug classes against Ascaris suum.
AB  - In vitro methods have been developed for the detection of anthelmintic resistance
      in a range of nematode species. However, the life cycle of Ascaris suum renders
      the commonly used egg hatch assay and larval development assay unusable. In this
      study we developed a combined multi-well culture and agar gel larval migration
      assay to test the effect of benzimidazole and tetrahydropyrimidin/imidazothiazole
      anthelmintics against nine isolates of A. suum collected from locations in China
      and Denmark. Drugs tested were thiabendazole, fenbendazole, mebendazole,
      levamisole, and pyrantel. The percentages of larvae that migrated to the surface
      of each treated and control well were used to calculate the drug concentration
      which inhibits 50% of the larvae migration (EC50). The values of EC50 of
      thiabendazole, fenbendazole, mebendazole, levamisole, and pyrantel against A.
      suum isolates ranged 74-150, 4.9-13.9, 2.3-4.3, 358-1150 and 1100-4000nM,
      respectively. This combined multi-well culture and agar gel larval migration
      assay was a sensitive bioassay for anthelmintic activity and could serve as an in
      vitro method to detect for lowered drug efficacy against A. suum or possibly to
      screen for anthelmintic drug candidates.

PMID- 28342673
TI  - Therapeutic use of Bacillus thuringiensis in the treatment of psoroptic mange in
      naturally infested New Zealand rabbits.
AB  - Bacillus thuringiensis is a bacteria known for its bioinsecticidal toxins and it
      has been proposed as an alternative in the treatment of several parasites that
      infect domestic animals (helminths, ticks, mites). In this work, we evaluated the
      clinical efficiency of the Bacillus thuringiensis GP532 strain in the treatment
      of six rabbits naturally infested with the P. cuniculi mite. GP532 extract
      (10mg/ml) was applied by aspersion in both pinna, with a second application after
      seven days, and the therapeutic effect was measured in both qualitative and
      quantitative manner. GP532 application resulted in a decreased infestation rate,
      which was observed as early as 3days post-treatment. At day 14, a decrease from
      4.66+/-0.61 to 0.50+/-0.10 in the left pinna and from 1.66+/-0.21 to 0.66+/-0.16
      (P<0.05) in the right pinna was observed. This response was comparable to the
      commercial drug Ivermectin, which induced a decreased infestation rate from
      4.00+/-0.51 to 0.16+/-0.10 in the left pinna and from 4.66+/-0.80 to 0.25+/-0.11
      in the right pinna (P<0.05). At day 30 post-treatment, GP532 decreased the total
      infested area by 76.80+/-16.06%, whereas Ivermectin resulted in a 97.41+/-0.99%
      decrease. Neither treatment produced irritation or macroscopic lesions. Our
      results show that the B. thuringiensis GP532 strain has a therapeutic potential
      in the treatment of psoroptic mange in rabbits.

PMID- 28342674
TI  - Mindfulness predicts student nurses' communication self-efficacy: A cross
      national comparative study.
AB  - OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study was to compare student nurses' communication
      self-efficacy, empathy, and mindfulness across two countries, and to analyse the
      relationship between these qualities. METHODS: The study had a cross-sectional
      design. Data was collected from final year student nurses in Norway and Sweden.
      Communication self-efficacy, empathy, and mindfulness were reported by
      questionnaires; Clear-cut communication with patients, Jefferson Scale of
      Empathy, and Langer 14 items mindfulness scale. RESULTS: The study included 156
      student nurses, 94 (60%) were Swedish. The mean communication self-efficacy score
      was 119 (95% CI 116-122), empathy score 115 (95% CI 113-117) and mindfulness
      score 79 (95% CI 78-81). A Mann-Whitney test showed that Swedish students scored
      significantly higher on communication self-efficacy, empathy, and mindfulness
      than Norwegian students did. When adjusted for age, gender, and country in a
      multiple linear regression, mindfulness was the only independent predictor of
      communication self-efficacy. CONCLUSION: The Swedish student nurses in this study
      scored higher on communication self-efficacy, empathy, and mindfulness than
      Norwegian students did. Student nurses scoring high on mindfulness rated their
      communication self-efficacy higher. PRACTICE IMPLICATIONS: A mindful learning
      approach may improve communication self-efficacy and possibly the effect of
      communication skills training.

PMID- 28342675
TI  - The Digital Heart Manual: A pilot study of an innovative cardiac rehabilitation
      programme developed for and with users.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: Patients are seeking greater choice and flexibility in how they engage
      with self-management programmes. While digital innovations offer opportunities to
      deliver supportive interventions to patients undergoing cardiac rehabilitation
      little is known about how accessible, useful and acceptable they are for this
      group. This project developed a digital version of a leading evidenced cardiac
      rehabilitation programme, the Heart Manual (HM). The prototype was developed and
      evaluated iteratively in collaboration with end users. METHODS: Using a mixed
      methods design 28 participants provided feedback using semi-structured
      questionnaires and telephone interviews. RESULTS: Rich data revealed the
      perceived user-friendliness of the HM digital format and its effectiveness at
      communicating the programme's key messages. It flagged areas requiring
      development, such as more flexible and intuitive navigation pathways. These
      suggestions informed the refinement of the resource. CONCLUSION: This evaluation
      offers support for the new Digital Heart Manual and confirms the value of
      employing a user-centred approach when developing and improving online
      interventions. The system is now in use and recommendations from the evaluation
      are being translated into quality improvements. PRACTICE IMPLICATIONS: The
      Digital Heart Manual is user friendly and accessible to patients and health
      professionals, regardless of age, presenting a suitable alternative to the paper
      version.

PMID- 28342676
TI  - [Role of nuclear medicine in the differential diagnosis of bone infarction and
      osteomyelitis in drepanocytosis].

PMID- 28342677
TI  - Prevalence of Voice Disorders in Singers: Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: The study aimed to review the prevalence of self-reported voice
      disorders in singers. STUDY DESIGN: The study is a systematic review and meta
      analysis. METHODS: A systematic review of five major scientific databases was
      conducted. An extensive search strategy was used considering the rules of each
      database. Original articles were included only if they had data related to self
      perception of dysphonia in the past. Furthermore, heterogeneity and its relative
      significance were assessed. RESULTS: There were 2371 articles identified;
      duplicates were deleted, screenings were conducted, and inclusion and exclusion
      criteria were applied. The final analysis was conducted on 11 studies. The most
      implemented instruments for the study were customized questionnaires. The
      findings about singing styles, voice use, and age were found to be different
      among subjects. The overall prevalence of self-reported dysphonia in singers was
      46.09% (95% confidence interval: 38.16-54.12). The heterogeneity was considerable
      among the studied samples (I2 = 90.59%). Four groups were then established
      students, teachers, classical, and nonclassical-and compared regarding overall
      prevalence (21.76% in students, and significantly higher and nondifferent in the
      other three groups, 55.15%, 40.53%, and 46.96%, respectively) and heterogeneity
      (low only for the students' studies). CONCLUSION: Although with low homogeneity,
      singers present a high prevalence of self-perceived dysphonia over their careers.
      Singing students were the group with a lower prevalence. On the other hand,
      traditional and popular music singers, as well as singing teachers, revealed
      significantly higher prevalence of self-perceived dysphonia. Overall, singers are
      likely to report voice disorders, no matter their singing style or skills. This
      highlights the need of a preventive approach to address voice disorders in
      traditional and untrained singers.

PMID- 28342678
TI  - Spontaneous coronary artery intramural hematoma in a patient with vascular Ehlers
      Danlos syndrome: Serial findings in coronary computed tomographic angiography.

PMID- 28342679
TI  - Pharmacogenomic aspects of bipolar disorder: An update.
AB  - The hopes for readily implementable precision medicine are high. For many complex
      disorders, such as bipolar disorder, these hopes critically hinge on tangible
      successes in pharmacogenetics of treatment response or susceptibility to adverse
      events. In this article, we review the current state of pharmacogenomics of
      bipolar disorder including latest results from candidate genes and genome-wide
      association studies. The majority of studies focus on response to lithium
      treatment. Although a host of genes has been studied, hardly any replicated
      findings have emerged so far. Very small samples sizes and heterogeneous
      phenotype definition may be considered the major impediments to success in this
      field. Drawing from current experiences and successes in studies on diagnostic
      psychiatric phenotypes, we suggest several approaches for our way forward.

PMID- 28342681
TI  - Understanding the usefulness of prognostic models in clinical decision-making.

PMID- 28342680
TI  - Late gastrobronchial fistula postsleeve gastrectomy.

PMID- 28342682
TI  - A home program of strength training, movement strategy training and education did
      not prevent falls in people with Parkinson's disease: a randomised trial.
AB  - QUESTIONS: For people with idiopathic Parkinson's disease, does a 6-week,
      comprehensive, home exercise program reduce falls and disability and improve
      health-related quality of life? Is the program cost-effective? DESIGN:
      Randomised, controlled trial with concealed allocation and assessor blinding.
      PARTICIPANTS: One hundred and thirty-three community-dwelling adults with
      Parkinson's disease. INTERVENTION: The experimental group completed a 6-week home
      program comprising progressive resistance strength training, movement strategy
      training and falls education. The control group completed 6 weeks of non-specific
      life skills training. Participants in both groups received weekly therapist
      guided sessions for 6 consecutive weeks and a weekly self-directed home program.
      OUTCOME MEASURES: The primary outcome was the rate of falls, documented for the
      12-month period immediately after therapy. Secondary outcomes were disability and
      health-related quality of life, assessed before and after intervention and at a
      12-month follow-up. RESULTS: A total of 2255 falls were reported by the 12-month
      follow-up. The proportion of fallers in the experimental and control groups was
      61 and 72%, respectively, which was not statistically significantly different
      (RR=0.85, 95% CI 0.66 to 1.09). There was no significant between-group difference
      in the rate of falls (incidence rate ratio=1.58, 95% CI 0.73 to 3.43). A survival
      analysis of participant time to first fall did not show a significant between
      group difference (log-rank test chi2=0.79, p=0.37). No significant between-group
      differences occurred for mobility, disability or quality of life. The mean cost
      of delivering the experimental intervention was AUD1596. CONCLUSION: A home
      program of strength and movement strategy training and falls education does not
      prevent falls when applied at the dose used in this study. Arguably, the dosage
      of therapy was insufficient. Future trials need to explore further therapy
      content, repetitions and duration, in order to optimise outcomes and cost
      effectiveness. [Morris ME, Taylor NF, Watts JJ, Evans A, Horne M, Kempster P,
      Danoudis M, McGinley J, Martin C, Menz HB (2017) A home program of strength
      training, movement strategy training and education did not prevent falls in
      people with Parkinson's disease: a randomised trial. Journal of Physiotherapy 63:
      94-100].

PMID- 28342683
TI  - White Grape Juice Elicits a Lower Breath Hydrogen Response Compared with Apple
      Juice in Healthy Human Subjects: A Randomized Controlled Trial.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Diets low in fermentable oligosaccharides, disaccharides,
      monosaccharides, and polyols (FODMAPS) are used to manage symptoms in individuals
      with irritable bowel syndrome. Although effective at reducing symptoms, the diet
      can be complex and restrictive. In addition, there are still large gaps in the
      literature and many foods with unclear effects in the gastrointestinal (GI)
      tract, like fruit juice. Although many fruits are allowable on a low-FODMAP diet,
      consumption of all fruit juice is generally cautioned due to the large fructose
      load contained in juice, regardless of the glucose concentration. Very little
      research exists regarding the importance of limiting fructose load during a low
      FODMAP diet; therefore, individuals following a low-FODMAP diet may be
      unnecessarily restricting their diets. OBJECTIVE: To determine whether there is a
      difference in GI tolerance between juice from a high-FODMAP fruit (apple juice)
      and juice from a low-FODMAP fruit (white grape juice) in healthy human subjects.
      The goal is to provide insight into the role of juice in a low-FODMAP diet.
      METHODS: A double-blind, randomized, controlled crossover study was conducted
      with 40 healthy adults. Fasted subjects consumed 12 oz of either apple juice or
      white grape juice. Breath hydrogen measures were taken at baseline, 1, 2, and 3
      hours. Subjective GI tolerance surveys were completed at the same time intervals
      and at 12 and 24 hours. Breath hydrogen and GI symptoms were assessed with area
      under the curve analysis. Significance was determined with a two-sided t test
      with a P value <0.05. RESULTS: Consumption of apple juice resulted in a greater
      mean breath hydrogen area under the curve at 23.3 ppm/hour (95% CI 13.0 to 33.6)
      compared with white grape juice at 5.8 ppm/hour (95% CI -4.6 to 16.1) (P<0.001).
      No differences in reported GI symptoms were seen between treatments. CONCLUSIONS:
      Both juices were well tolerated and neither produced any severe symptoms in
      healthy adults. White grape juice consumption resulted in only a small rise in
      breath hydrogen, which may suggest excluding foods only because of the high
      fructose load could be unnecessarily restrictive. The results of this study
      suggest that the fructose-to-glucose ratio is likely more important than the
      total fructose load of the food when considering the acceptability of a food on a
      low-FODMAP diet. More research is needed in individuals with irritable bowel
      syndrome to determine whether white grape juice and other juices from low-FODMAP
      fruits could be additional beverage options for individuals following a low
      FODMAP diet.

PMID- 28342684
TI  - Persistent pulmonary hypertension of the newborn.
AB  - Failure of the normal circulatory adaptation to extrauterine life results in
      persistent pulmonary hypertension of the newborn (PPHN). Although this condition
      is most often secondary to parenchymal lung disease or lung hypoplasia, it may
      also be idiopathic. PPHN is characterized by elevated pulmonary vascular
      resistance with resultant right-to-left shunting of blood and hypoxemia. Although
      the preliminary diagnosis of PPHN is often based on differential cyanosis and
      labile hypoxemia, the diagnosis is confirmed by echocardiography. Management
      strategies include optimal lung recruitment and use of surfactant in patients
      with parenchymal lung disease, maintaining optimal oxygenation and stable blood
      pressures, avoidance of respiratory and metabolic acidosis and alkalosis, and
      pulmonary vasodilator therapy. Extracorporeal membrane oxygenation is considered
      when medical management fails. Although mortality associated with PPHN has
      decreased significantly with improvements in medical care, there remains the
      potential risk for neurodevelopmental disability which warrants close follow-up
      of affected infants after discharge.

PMID- 28342685
TI  - Hiding in Plain Sight.

PMID- 28342687
TI  - Analysis of the best available techniques for wastewaters from a denim
      manufacturing textile mill.
AB  - The present study was undertaken as the first plant scale application and
      evaluation of Best Available Techniques (BAT) within the context of the
      Integrated Pollution Prevention and Control/Industrial Emissions Directive to a
      textile mill in Turkey. A "best practice example" was developed for the textile
      sector; and within this context, BAT requirements for one of the World's leading
      denim manufacturing textile mills were determined. In order to achieve a
      sustainable wastewater management; firstly, a detailed wastewater
      characterization study was conducted and the possible candidate wastewaters to be
      reused within the mill were identified. A wastewater management strategy was
      adopted to investigate the possible reuse opportunities for the dyeing and
      finishing process wastewaters along with the composite mill effluent. In line
      with this strategy, production processes were analysed in depth in accordance
      with the BAT Reference Document not only to treat the generated wastewaters for
      their possible reuse, but also to reduce the amount of water consumed and
      wastewater generated. As a result, several applicable BAT options and strategies
      were determined such as reuse of dyeing wastewaters after treatment, recovery of
      caustic from alkaline finishing wastewaters, reuse of biologically treated
      composite mill effluent after membrane processes, minimization of wash water
      consumption in the water softening plant, reuse of concentrate stream from
      reverse osmosis plant, reducing water consumption by adoption of counter-current
      washing in the dyeing and finishing processes. The adoption of the selected in
      process BAT options for the minimization of water use provided a 30% reduction in
      the total specific water consumption of the mill. The treatability studies
      adopted for both segregated and composite wastewaters indicated that
      nanofiltration is satisfactory in meeting the reuse criteria for all the
      wastewater streams considered.

PMID- 28342686
TI  - Taiji (Tai Chi) For Fall Prevention in the Elderly: Training the Trainers
      Evaluation Project.
AB  - Falls in the elderly are common and a major, costly health problem. Taiji
      addresses many issues related to fall risk. We determined whether intensive
      weekend training can sufficiently train persons who have baseline familiarity
      with Taiji to model and teach fundamentals of Taiji to the elderly. Prior to
      training, registrants received a manual, video and online links for review and
      practice. Assessments were completed pre-/post-training. Training occurred in
      four cities of one state. 34 adults completed training, two did not complete
      evaluations (ns = 12, 13, 4, and 5 at the four sites). Each training course
      consisted of two 9-hour days that educated prospective instructors on issues
      pertinent to the elderly, evaluation techniques, warm-up and cool-down movements
      and seated and standing Taiji postures. Assessments included pre-/post-knowledge
      test, Timed Up, and Go and Functional Reach Assessment. Nearly all participants
      with pre-/post-assessments (30/32, 94%) demonstrated adequate skills post
      training. Knowledge of Taiji increased significantly from pre- to post-training
      (P < .01). Brief, intensive weekend training can increase the available workforce
      to train the elderly in fundamentals of Taiji for fall prevention.

PMID- 28342688
TI  - In-hospital mortality, 30-day readmission, and length of hospital stay after
      surgery for primary colorectal cancer: A national population-based study.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: The simultaneous assessment of multiple indicators for quality of
      care is essential for comparisons of performance between hospitals and health
      care systems. The aim of this study was to assess the rates of in-hospital
      mortality and 30-day readmission and length of hospital stay (LOS) in patients
      who underwent surgical procedures for colorectal cancer between 2005 and 2014 in
      Italy. METHODS: All patients in the National Italian Hospital Discharge Dataset
      who underwent a surgical procedure for colorectal cancer during the study period
      were included. The adjusted odd ratios for risk factors for in-hospital
      mortality, 30-day readmission, and LOS were calculated using multilevel
      multivariable logistic regression. RESULTS: Among the 353 941 patients, rates of
      in-hospital mortality and 30-day readmission were 2.5% and 6%, respectively, and
      the median LOS was 13 days. High comorbidity, emergent/urgent admission, male
      gender, creation of a stoma, and an open approach increased the risks of all the
      outcomes at multivariable analysis. Age, hospital volume, hospital geographic
      location, and discharge to home/non-home produced different effects depending on
      the outcome considered. The most frequent causes of readmission were infection
      (19%) and bowel obstruction (14.6%). CONCLUSIONS: We assessed national averages
      for mortality, LOS and readmission and related trends over a 10-year time.
      Laparoscopic surgery was the only one that could be modified by improving
      surgical education. Higher hospital volume was associated with a LOS reduction,
      but our findings only partially support a policy of centralization for colorectal
      cancer procedures. Surgical site infection was identified as the most preventable
      cause of readmission.

PMID- 28342689
TI  - Induction of out-of-season egg laying by artificial photoperiod in Yangzhou geese
      and the associated endocrine and molecular regulation mechanisms.
AB  - This study was carried out to induce out-of-season breeding, in the summer, and
      to achieve high reproductive performance using artificial photoperiod
      manipulation in the long-day breeding Yangzhou goose. Young geese were subject to
      a two-phase short-to-long (group A) or a three-phase (long-short-long; group B)
      photoperiod program February through October. Egg-laying was induced to start
      similarly in both groups in May, increased to a peak level in July, and then
      decreased gradually through to October. The peak and post-peak laying rates were
      higher with the three-phase than with the two-phase program. Plasma progesterone
      concentrations changed similarly in the two groups, increasing from low levels
      during the pre-lay periods until the peak laying stage, then decreasing with
      decline in the egg-laying rate. Plasma T3 concentrations increased from the
      beginning of the experiment to form the first peak under a short photoperiod,
      declined to a trough at peak lay and then progressively increased to high levels
      towards the end of the experiment. Plasma T4 concentrations increased throughout
      the experiment, showing little response to changes in photoperiod. GnIH mRNA
      expression level in the hypothalamus steadily decreased from high levels under
      the short photoperiod to a nadir at peak of lay, but was abruptly up-regulated by
      over a thousand-fold thereafter. This mRNA expression pattern was also shared by
      GnIHR, VIPR, TRHR, TSH, and PRL genes in the pituitary gland, and to lesser
      extent, by GnRH, VIP, and TRH genes in the hypothalamus. Pituitary GnRHR mRNA
      expression levels changed in a similar manner to that of reproductive activities
      of geese in both groups. FSH beta subunits mRNA expression levels increased to
      high levels after day 11 of the long photoperiod, and were higher in group B than
      in group A at peak laying. LH beta gene expression level was similarly
      upregulated by photoperiod and was higher in group B than in group A when used
      the multivariable and two-way analyses of variance. Taken together, photoperiod,
      through regulation of expression of an array of genes in the hypothalamus and
      pituitary gland, synchronized stimulation and refractoriness of the reproductive
      system in Yangzhou geese. The higher out-of-season egg laying performance
      following the three-phase photo-program treatment was mediated by higher FSH beta
      and LH beta subunit mRNA expression levels.

PMID- 28342690
TI  - Correlation, Causation and Confounding-What Is the True Risk of Lung Cancer
      following Breast Cancer Radiotherapy?

PMID- 28342691
TI  - Indenocinnoline derivatives as G-quadruplex binders, topoisomerase IIalpha
      inhibitors and antiproliferative agents.
AB  - DNA intercalating agents are a consolidated therapeutic option in the treatment
      of tumor diseases. Starting from previous findings in the antiproliferative
      efficacy of a series of indeno[1,2-c]cinnoline-11-one derivatives, we performed a
      suitable decoration of this scaffold by means of a simple and straightforward
      chemistry, aiming to a) enlarge the planar core to a pentacyclic
      benzo[h]indeno[1,2-c]cinnoline-13-one and b) introduce a basic head tethered
      through a simple polymethylene chain. In fluorescence melting and fluorescence
      intercalator displacement assays, these new compounds displayed fair to very good
      intercalating properties on different nucleic acid strands, with preference for G
      quadruplex sequences. Inhibition of human topoisomerase IIalpha and
      antiproliferative assays on HeLa and MCF7 tumor cell lines outlined a multitarget
      antiproliferative profile for tetracyclic 6 and pentacyclic derivative 20, both
      bearing a N,N-dimethylamine as the protonatable moiety. Particularly, compound 6
      displayed a very potent inhibition of tumor cell proliferation, while 20 returned
      the highest thermal stabilization in melting experiments. In summary, these
      results outlined a potential of such highly planar scaffolds for nucleic acid
      binding and antiproliferative effects.

PMID- 28342693
TI  - The Road to Leadership in SPN.

PMID- 28342692
TI  - Novel pyrazolo[1,5-a]pyridines as orally active EP1 receptor antagonists:
      Synthesis, structure-activity relationship studies, and biological evaluation.
AB  - Novel pyrazolo[1,5-a]pyridine derivatives were designed, synthesized and
      evaluated as orally active EP1 antagonists for the treatment of overactive
      bladder. Matched molecular pair analysis (MMPA) allowed the design of a new
      series of pyrazolo[1,5-a]pyridine derivatives 4-6. Structure-activity
      relationships (SAR) studies of 4-6 were performed, leading to identification of
      the nanomolar-level EP1 antagonist 4c, which exhibited good pharmacological
      effect through intraduodenal (id) administration in a 17-phenyltrinor
      prostaglandin E2-induced bladder contraction model in rats.

PMID- 28342694
TI  - Nursing-led Home Visits Post-hospitalization for Children with Medical
      Complexity.
AB  - PURPOSE: Hospital discharge for children with medical complexity (CMC) can be
      challenging for families. Home visits could potentially benefit CMC and their
      families after leaving the hospital. We assessed the utility of post-discharge
      home visits to identify and address health problems for recently hospitalized
      CMC. DESIGN AND METHODS: A prospective study of 36 CMC admitted to a children's
      hospital from 4/15/2015 to 4/14/2016 identified with a possible high risk of
      hospital readmission and offered a post-discharge home visit within 72h of
      discharge. The visit was staffed by a hospital nurse familiar with the child's
      admission. The home visit goals were to reinforce education of the discharge
      plan, assess the child's home environment, and identify and address any problems
      or issues that emerged post-discharge. RESULTS: The children's median age was
      6years [interquartile range (IQR) 2-18]. The median distance from hospital to
      their home was 38miles (IQR 8-78). All (n=36) children had multiple chronic
      conditions; 89% (n=32) were assisted with medical technology. The nurse
      identified and helped with a post-discharge problem during every (n=36) visit. Of
      the 147 problems identified, 26.5% (n=39) pertained to social/family issues
      (e.g., financial instability), 23.8% (n=35) medications (e.g., wrong dose), 20.4%
      (n=30) durable medical equipment (e.g., insufficient supply or faulty function),
      20.4% (n=30) child's home environment (e.g., unsafe sleeping arrangement), and
      8.8% (n=13) child's health (e.g., unresolved health problem). CONCLUSIONS: Home
      visits helped identify and address post-discharge issues that occurred for
      discharged CMC. PRACTICAL IMPLICATIONS: Hospitals should consider home visits
      when optimizing discharge care for CMC.

PMID- 28342695
TI  - In vivo serum concentration of vancomycin in antibiotic-loaded acrylic cement for
      the treatment and prevention of periprosthetic hip infection.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Although antibiotic-loaded acrylic cement (ALAC) is used to prevent
      and treat periprosthetic hip infection, it is unknown how much antibiotic is
      deposited in the body in vivo, how high the serum concentration rises, or how
      long its effects last. The aim of this study was firstly to determine the amount
      of vancomycin (VCM) deposited as ALAC in the body, and secondly to assess the
      safety and drug elution profile of VCM in ALAC. METHODS: We administered VCM to
      prevent infection after total hip arthroplasty (THA) or to treat patients with
      methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus. Patients were classified into two
      groups: a low-dose group (21 hips) that received primary THA for high-risk cases,
      revision THA without infection, or one-staged revision THA for infection; and a
      high-dose group (6 hips) that received cement beads during a two-staged revision
      THA. The amount of VCM placed as ALAC into the hip was calculated using the
      remaining ALAC. The serum concentrations of VCM and creatinine were evaluated at
      postoperative days 1, 4, 7, 14, and 28, and at 3 and 6 months. RESULTS: The mean
      amount of VCM placed as ALAC into the hip was 0.9 g and 3.4 g for cemented THA
      and cement beads, respectively (P < 0.0001). The mean serum concentration of VCM
      from ALAC in the high-dose group was significantly increased compared with that
      in the low-dose group on postoperative days 1, 4, 7, 14, and 28 (P < 0.0001), but
      it remained within a clinically safe range. No significant differences were
      observed between the preoperative and postoperative serum creatinine levels of
      either group. CONCLUSION: The average serum concentrations of VCM from ALAC were
      always less than the effective blood concentration, and were detectable until 6
      months after surgery.

PMID- 28342696
TI  - Measurement of change on medial and lateral joint gaps by navigation system in
      multi-radius PS TKA.
AB  - BACKGROUND: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the joint gap kinematics in
      posterior-stabilized total knee arthroplasty (PS TKA). METHODS: Between January
      2010 and April 2011, 44 consecutive patients (55 knees) who underwent primary PS
      TKA using the navigation system were assessed. There were 37 women and 7 men with
      a mean age at operation of 63 years (range; 58-73 years). After fixation of all
      components with cement and insertion of polyethylene trial insert, medial and
      lateral joint gap measurements were carried out without distraction force and
      separately using a navigation system on each flexion angles. The joint gaps were
      measured before and after deflation of tourniquet, first with patella everted and
      then reduced. RESULTS: Deflation of tourniquet did not effect on gap. In
      patellofemoral joint reduction situation, the medial gap relatively maintained
      throughout the range of knee motion, but the lateral gap is gradually decreasing
      with knee flexion from 30 degrees  to 120 degrees  flexion. However, in patellar
      eversion situation, the medial gap showed a significant increase and also
      statistically significantly increased compared with patellar reduced position
      over 90 degrees  knee flexion status, but the lateral gaps are decreased compared
      with patellofemoral reduction situation throughout the range of knee motion
      except full flexion status. In more physiologic status that is patella reduced
      and tourniquet deflated status, the average medial joint gap change was 2.30 +/-
      1.64 mm and the average lateral joint gap change was 2.90 +/- 1.53 mm throughout
      the range of motion. CONCLUSIONS: Medial and lateral joint gaps showed different
      patterns with patellar eversion and patellofemoral joint reduction. However, such
      changes occurred within 3 mm in average throughout whole range of knee motion
      even with multi-radius femoral component.

PMID- 28342697
TI  - Recent publications from the Alzheimer's Disease Neuroimaging Initiative:
      Reviewing progress toward improved AD clinical trials.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: The Alzheimer's Disease Neuroimaging Initiative (ADNI) has
      continued development and standardization of methodologies for biomarkers and has
      provided an increased depth and breadth of data available to qualified
      researchers. This review summarizes the over 400 publications using ADNI data
      during 2014 and 2015. METHODS: We used standard searches to find publications
      using ADNI data. RESULTS: (1) Structural and functional changes, including subtle
      changes to hippocampal shape and texture, atrophy in areas outside of
      hippocampus, and disruption to functional networks, are detectable in
      presymptomatic subjects before hippocampal atrophy; (2) In subjects with abnormal
      beta-amyloid deposition (Abeta+), biomarkers become abnormal in the order
      predicted by the amyloid cascade hypothesis; (3) Cognitive decline is more
      closely linked to tau than Abeta deposition; (4) Cerebrovascular risk factors may
      interact with Abeta to increase white-matter (WM) abnormalities which may
      accelerate Alzheimer's disease (AD) progression in conjunction with tau
      abnormalities; (5) Different patterns of atrophy are associated with impairment
      of memory and executive function and may underlie psychiatric symptoms; (6)
      Structural, functional, and metabolic network connectivities are disrupted as AD
      progresses. Models of prion-like spreading of Abeta pathology along WM tracts
      predict known patterns of cortical Abeta deposition and declines in glucose
      metabolism; (7) New AD risk and protective gene loci have been identified using
      biologically informed approaches; (8) Cognitively normal and mild cognitive
      impairment (MCI) subjects are heterogeneous and include groups typified not only
      by "classic" AD pathology but also by normal biomarkers, accelerated decline, and
      suspected non-Alzheimer's pathology; (9) Selection of subjects at risk of
      imminent decline on the basis of one or more pathologies improves the power of
      clinical trials; (10) Sensitivity of cognitive outcome measures to early changes
      in cognition has been improved and surrogate outcome measures using longitudinal
      structural magnetic resonance imaging may further reduce clinical trial cost and
      duration; (11) Advances in machine learning techniques such as neural networks
      have improved diagnostic and prognostic accuracy especially in challenges
      involving MCI subjects; and (12) Network connectivity measures and genetic
      variants show promise in multimodal classification and some classifiers using
      single modalities are rivaling multimodal classifiers. DISCUSSION: Taken
      together, these studies fundamentally deepen our understanding of AD progression
      and its underlying genetic basis, which in turn informs and improves clinical
      trial design.

PMID- 28342699
TI  - This Month in AJP.

PMID- 28342698
TI  - Targeted exome sequencing and chromosomal microarray for the molecular diagnosis
      of nevoid basal cell carcinoma syndrome.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Nevoid basal cell carcinoma syndrome (NBCCS) is an autosomal dominant
      disorder mainly caused by heterozygous mutations of PTCH1. In addition to
      characteristic clinical features, detection of a mutation in causative genes is
      reliable for the diagnosis of NBCCS; however, no mutations have been identified
      in some patients using conventional methods. OBJECTIVE: To improve the method for
      the molecular diagnosis of NBCCS. METHODS: We performed targeted exome sequencing
      (TES) analysis using a multi-gene panel, including PTCH1, PTCH2, SUFU, and other
      sonic hedgehog signaling pathway-related genes, based on next-generation
      sequencing (NGS) technology in 8 cases in whom possible causative mutations were
      not detected by previously performed conventional analysis and 2 recent cases of
      NBCCS. Subsequent analysis of gross deletion within or around PTCH1 detected by
      TES was performed using chromosomal microarray (CMA). RESULTS: Through TES
      analysis, specific single nucleotide variants or small indels of PTCH1 causing
      inferred amino acid changes were identified in 2 novel cases and 2 undiagnosed
      cases, whereas gross deletions within or around PTCH1, which are validated by
      CMA, were found in 3 undiagnosed cases. However, no mutations were detected even
      by TES in 3 cases. Among 3 cases with gross deletions of PTCH1, deletions
      containing the entire PTCH1 and additional neighboring genes were detected in 2
      cases, one of which exhibited atypical clinical features, such as severe mental
      retardation, likely associated with genes located within the 4.3Mb deleted
      region, especially. CONCLUSION: TES-based simultaneous evaluation of sequences
      and copy number status in all targeted coding exons by NGS is likely to be more
      useful for the molecular diagnosis of NBCCS than conventional methods. CMA is
      recommended as a subsequent analysis for validation and detailed mapping of
      deleted regions, which may explain the atypical clinical features of NBCCS cases.

PMID- 28342700
TI  - Nicotine replacement therapy in patients with aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage:
      Systematic review of the literature, and survey of Canadian practice.
AB  - Tobacco smoke increases the risk of aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH), as
      well as complications such as vasospasm. Most patients presenting with aneurysmal
      SAH smoke, and many survivors continue to smoke after discharge. Neurosurgeons
      often hesitate to use nicotine replacement therapy (NRT) during hospitalization
      of patients with SAH due to concerns of inducing vasospasm. We aimed to evaluate
      the safety and efficacy, and patterns of use of NRT in smokers hospitalized for
      SAH. We performed a systematic review of MEDLINE, CENTRAL, Embase, and
      unpublished sources of literature to October 2016 for randomized and
      observational studies comparing exposure to non-exposure of smoking cessation
      products in the acute phase of aneurysmal SAH. Additionally, we surveyed 50
      Canadian vascular neurosurgeons to evaluate patterns of NRT use in SAH. Four
      cohort studies (n=1210) met our eligibility criteria. Three studies enrolled
      patients with aneurysmal SAH, and one study enrolled all neurocritically ill
      patients. We rated the quality of evidence as very low using the GRADE approach.
      We could not meta-analyze studies due to methodological heterogeneity. Individual
      studies reported beneficial or neutral effects of NRT on functional outcome,
      death, and clinical or radiographic vasospasm. None of the studies assessed long
      term abstinence from tobacco. Of the 14 vascular neurosurgeons responding to our
      survey, most never used NRT in patients hospitalized with SAH, often citing
      training or standard of practice as the reason. Current evidence suggests that
      NRT does not induce vasospasm, and is associated with improved outcomes in
      smokers hospitalized for SAH. Protocol registered in PROSPERO, available at:
      http://www.crd.york.ac.uk/PROSPERO/display_record.asp?ID=CRD42016037200.

PMID- 28342701
TI  - Predictive (subtle or overlooked) initial head CT findings in patients who
      develop delayed chronic subdural hematoma.
AB  - With the aging population, the incidence of chronic subdural hematoma (CSDH) is
      expected to rise. Once symptomatic the morbidity from CSDH is not insignificant.
      We studied patients who had a minor head injury and CT brain scan prior to
      developing CSDH to determine if there were any predictors on these scans for
      subsequent development of a CSDH. A retrospective review was performed on all
      patients operated for CSDH over a 3-year period and a review performed on those
      who had imaging studies at the time of a preceding minor head injury. Seven of 37
      patients had CT scans prior to developing CSDH. All had evidence of small
      increases in CSF intensity on the side or sides of the subsequent CSDH. In
      conclusion, in those patients with a history of minor head injury prior to
      developing a CSDH, CT brain demonstrated small increases in cerebral spinal fluid
      (CSF) intensity on the side or sides of the subsequent CSDH. Recognizing this
      finding may be helpful in monitoring these patients or initiating medical
      therapy.

PMID- 28342702
TI  - Apigenin attenuates oxidative stress and neuronal apoptosis in early brain injury
      following subarachnoid hemorrhage.
AB  - Apigenin (API) is a naturally occurring plant flavone that exhibits powerful
      antioxidant and antiapoptosis. Oxidative stress plays an important role in the
      pathogenesis of early brain injury (EBI) following subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH).
      The potential anti-oxidative and anti-apoptosis effects of API on EBI following
      SAH, however, have not been elucidated. The aim of this study was to assess
      whether API alleviates EBI after SAH via its anti-oxidative and anti-apoptotic
      effects. The endovascular puncture model was used to induce SAH and all the rats
      were subsequently sacrificed at 24h after SAH. Our data demonstrated that
      administration of API could significantly alleviate EBI (including neurological
      deficiency, brain edema, blood-brain barrier permeability, and cortical cell
      apoptosis) after SAH in rats. Meanwhile, API treatment reduced the reactive
      oxygen species (ROS) level and the concentration of malondialdehyde (MDA) and
      myeloperoxidase (MPO), elevated the ratio of glutathione (GSH) and oxidized
      glutathione (GSSG), and increased the amount of super-oxide dismutase (SOD) and
      hydrogen peroxide in brain cortex at 24h following SAH. Moreover, API treatment
      inhibited SAH-induced the expression of Bax and caspase-3, significantly reduced
      neuronal apoptosis. Collectively, API exerts its neuroprotective effect likely
      through the dual activities of anti-oxidation and anti-apoptosis, at least
      partly. These data provide a basic platform to consider API may be safely used as
      a potential drug for treatment of SAH.

PMID- 28342703
TI  - Intracranial white epidermoid cyst with dystrophic calcification - A case report
      and literature review.
AB  - White epidermoids are a rare variant of an intracranial epidermoid cyst that do
      not exhibit typical 'near- cerebrospinal fluid (CSF)' CT density or MRI
      intensity. Here, the authors present the case of a 58year old man with an acute
      onset of aphasia and altered consciousness, due to a large heterogeneous cranial
      mass in the left frontal region with unusual signal intensity. Subsequent
      histopathological analysis identified the lesion as an epidermoid cyst.

PMID- 28342704
TI  - Trends in the presentation, surgical treatment, and outcomes of tethered cord
      syndrome: A nationwide study from 2001 to 2010.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: This is a nationwide query into surgical management techniques for
      tethered cord syndrome, focusing on patient demographic, hospital
      characteristics, and treatment outcomes. Our hypothesis is that detethering vs.
      fusion for TCS results in different in-hospital complications. MATERIALS AND
      METHODS: Retrospective review of the Nationwide Inpatient Sample 2001-2010.
      Inclusion: TCS discharges undergoing detethering or fusion. Sub-analysis compared
      TCS cases by age (pediatric [<=9years] vs. adolescent [10-18year]). Independent t
      tests identified differences between fusion and detethering for hospital-related
      and surgical factors; multivariate analysis investigated procedure as a risk
      factor for complications/mortality. RESULTS: 6457 TCS discharges: 5844
      detetherings, 613 fusions. Fusion TCS had higher baseline Deyo Index (0.16 vs.
      0.06), procedure-related complications (21.3% vs. 7.63%), and mortality (0.33%
      vs. 0.09%) than detethering, all p<0.001. Detethering for TCS was a significant
      factor for reducing mortality (OR 0.195, p<0.001), cardiac (OR 0.27, p<0.001),
      respiratory (OR 0.26, p<0.001), digestive system (OR 0.32, p<0.001), puncture
      nerve/vessel (OR 0.56, p=0.009), wound (OR 0.25, p<0.001), infection (OR 0.29,
      p<0.001), posthemorrhagic anemia (OR 0.04, p=0.002), ARDS (OR 0.13, p<0.001), and
      venous thrombotic (OR 0.53, p=0.043) complications. Detethering increased nervous
      system (OR 1.34, p=0.049) and urinary (OR 2.60, p<0.001) complications.
      Adolescent TCS had higher Deyo score (0.08 vs. 0.03, p<0.001), LOS (5.77 vs.
      4.13days, p<0.001), and charges ($54,592.28 vs. $33,043.83, p<0.001), but similar
      mortality. Adolescent TCS discharges had increased prevalence of all procedure
      related complications, and higher overall complication rate (11.10% vs. 5.08%,
      p<0.001) than pediatric. CONCLUSIONS: With fusion identified as a significant
      risk factor for mortality and multiple procedure-related complications in TCS
      surgical patients, this study could aid surgeons in counseling TCS patients to
      optimize outcomes.

PMID- 28342705
TI  - Comparison of 20% mannitol and 3% hypertonic saline on intracranial pressure and
      systemic hemodynamics.
AB  - Mannitol and hypertonic saline (HS) are most commonly used hyperosmotic agents
      for intraoperative brain relaxation. We compared the changes in ICP and systemic
      hemodynamics after infusion of equiosmolar solutions of both agents in patients
      undergoing craniotomy for supratentorial tumors. Forty enrolled adults underwent
      a standard anesthetic induction. Apart from routine monitoring parameters,
      subdural ICP with Codmann catheter and cardiac indices by Vigileo monitor, were
      recorded. The patients were randomized to receive equiosmolar solutions of either
      20% mannitol (5ml/kg) or 3% HS (5.35ml/kg) for brain relaxation. The time of
      placement of ICP catheter was marked as T0 and baseline ICP and systemic
      hemodynamic variables were noted; it was followed by recording of the same
      parameters every 5min till 45min (Study Period). After the completion of study
      period, brain relaxation score as assessed by the neurosurgeon was recorded.
      Arterial blood gas (ABG) was analysed every 30min starting from T0 upto one and
      half hours (T90), and values of various parameters were recorded. Data was
      analysed using appropriate statistical methods. Both mannitol and HS
      significantly reduced the ICP; the values were comparable in between the two
      groups at most of the times. The brain relaxation score was comparable in both
      the groups. Urine output was significantly higher with mannitol. The
      perioperative complications, overall hospital stay, and Glasgow outcome score at
      discharge were comparable in between the two groups. To conclude, both mannitol
      and hypertonic saline in equiosmolar concentrations produced comparable effects
      on ICP reduction, brain relaxation, and systemic hemodynamics.

PMID- 28342706
TI  - Emotional and behavioral influence of headache in Pediatric rheumatic diseases.

PMID- 28342707
TI  - Clinical characteristics, microbiology and outcomes of external ventricular
      drainage-associated infections: The importance of active treatment.
AB  - Data concerning clinical characteristics, microbiology, treatment and outcomes of
      external ventricular drainage-associated infections (EVDAI) are limited. All
      hospitalized patients with EVDAI in a University Hospital between January 2009
      and December 2015 were retrospective recorded. Only the first episode per patient
      was included. An antibiotic was considered "active" when its pharmacokinetic
      properties were appropriate for EVDAI and the implicated microorganism was in
      vitro susceptible. During the 7-year study period, 36 EVDAI were identified.
      Median patient age was 53years and 23 (63.9%) were male. Catheter types were
      intraventricular (70.6%) and lumbar (29.4%). Median catheterization duration
      before infection was 14days. Gram-negative bacteria (GNB) predominated (57.9%),
      followed by gram-positives (36.8%) and fungi (5.3%). Administered antibiotics
      were considered "active" in 69.4% of empirical and in 86.1% of definitive
      treatment regimens. In 10 infections, intraventricular/intrathecal (IVT)
      antibiotics were administered. Eleven patients died (30.6%) during
      hospitalization. Patients who died had higher rates of EVDAI by GNB (p=0.011) and
      higher rates of treatment with intravenous colistin (p=0.019 for empirical and
      p=0.006 for definitive colistin). Compared to EVDAI by other pathogens, patients
      with EVDAI by GNB had longer catheter-days before infection (p<0.001) and higher
      mortality (p=0.011). In our study, GNB were a frequent cause of EVDAI, and were
      related with high rates of inactive treatment and mortality. Intravenous colistin
      alone is not effective and treatment should include IVT antibiotics and
      intravenous antibiotics that achieve adequate CSF levels.

PMID- 28342708
TI  - Hemodynamic phenotyping based on exercise catheterization predicts outcome in
      patients with heart failure and reduced ejection fraction.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Exercise right heart catheterization (RHC) unmasks different
      phenotypes based on hemodynamic response to exertion in patients with heart
      failure. The prognostic relevance of this approach in patients with heart failure
      and reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF) is uncertain. METHODS: We analyzed 167
      patients with HFrEF from the Kerckhoff-Klinik Heart Failure Registry who
      underwent supine exercise RHC with constant external workload between September
      2009 and August 2014. The primary outcome was heart transplant/assist device-free
      survival. Hemodynamic parameters that significantly predicted outcome were
      identified by multivariate Cox regression analysis and assessed further by Kaplan
      Meier analysis after dichotomization using cutoffs derived from receiver
      operating characteristic analysis. Hemodynamic phenotypes were defined based on a
      dichotomized flow response (exercise-induced change in cardiac output [?CO])
      combined with a dichotomized pressure response (exercise-induced change in
      systolic [?sPAP] or mean pulmonary arterial pressures). RESULTS: ?CO
      independently predicted transplant/assist device-free survival (multivariate
      hazard ratio [HR] 1.67; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.09-2.58; p = 0.02).
      Patients with ?CO >=1.15 liter/min had significantly better 5-year
      transplant/assist device-free survival than patients with lower ?CO (72.9% vs
      22.5%; log-rank p < 0.001 [Kaplan-Meier analysis]). The hemodynamic phenotype of
      ?CO <1.15 liter/min combined with ?sPAP <17.5 mm Hg was associated with worse
      transplant/assist device-free survival than ?CO >=1.15 liter/min combined with
      ?sPAP >=17.5 mm Hg (multivariate HR 7.39; 95% CI, 2.27-24.05; p = 0.001).
      CONCLUSIONS: Exercise RHC parameters are important prognostic indices in HFrEF.
      Hemodynamic phenotyping using ?CO and ?sPAP allows enhanced risk stratification.

PMID- 28342709
TI  - Transitioning from pediatric to adult care after thoracic transplantation.
AB  - With improving outcomes after thoracic transplantation, more children are
      surviving to adulthood and requiring specialized adult care. A systematic and
      effective program is essential to transition these patients from a pediatric to
      adult health care setting. In this review, we discuss the concept of transition
      and the factors leading to an effective transfer to an adult care provider,
      including administrative support, patient/provider preparation, and the
      navigation of potential barriers. Notably, there is a paucity of data for many
      details of transition, making this a significant opportunity for future research.

PMID- 28342711
TI  - Epidemiological profile and vaccination coverage in splenectomy patients in a
      health area of Murcia (1993-2012).
AB  - OBJECTIVE: Splenectomy patients have a high risk of suffering severe infections,
      many of them preventable by vaccination. The aim of the study was to analyse the
      clinical epidemiological characteristics and vaccine coverage of these patients
      in Health Area III of the Region of Murcia. METHOD: A cross-sectional study was
      conducted on a population of patients that were splenectomised during the period
      1993-2012, according to the Register of the Basic Minimum Data Set. Patients were
      classified on the basis of splenectomy (neoplasm, haematological diseases,
      trauma, and others), vaccination, and vital status, using official records of
      health data. Statistical analysis was performed using SPSS 21.0 statistics
      program. RESULTS: The sample consisted of 196 patients, of which 68.4% (n=134)
      were male. The mean age at which they underwent splenectomy was 50.1 years (SD:
      22.2). The most common reason for removal of the spleen was neoplasia in 39.1%
      (n=59). Splenectomy due to trauma reasons was associated with lower patient age
      (p<.001) and male gender (p=.03). Vaccination coverage for Streptococcus
      pneumoniae was 23.8%, 5.7% for Neisseria meningitidis C, and 8.6% for Haemophilus
      influenzae B. Only 2.9% of patients were correctly vaccinated for all three.
      CONCLUSIONS: Vaccination coverage was insufficient for this fragile patient
      profile. It should be taken into account in the early detection and counselling
      in this group so susceptible to disease, with nurses being a decisive part in the
      process.

PMID- 28342712
TI  - Therapeutic targets in the selective killing of cancer cells by nanomaterials.
AB  - Cancer is the result of numerous defects in key regulatory proteins and pathways,
      and targeting them with anticancer agents is associated with severe systemic
      toxicity. Increased levels of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and compensatory
      antioxidant levels in cancer cells have emerged as broad spectrum targets for
      therapeutic interventions. The biochemical features of cancer provide multiple
      but overlapping opportunities that could be efficiently exploited by the
      optimally engineered particulate characteristics of nanomaterials (NMs). Altered
      potentials in membranes of cancer cells as well as in key organelles favor more
      stable electrochemical interactions with NMs that have an optimum size and
      surface charge. This preferential interaction of NMs with cancer cell membranes
      over normal cell membranes could lead to the greater internalization of NMs in
      cancer cells. Moreover, the low pH in cytoplasmic fluids and organelles of cancer
      cells could cause the internalized NMs to dissolve differently than they would in
      normal cells. In addition to differential dissolution, internalized NMs can
      induce cell death in cancer cells by activating all possible cell death pathways
      (apoptosis, necroptosis or autophagy) either alone or in a synergistic manner.
      With their inherent ability to generate ROS and deplete cellular antioxidants,
      NMs with optimal physicochemical properties might provide fertile ground in the
      field of anticancer research.

PMID- 28342713
TI  - A laboratory score at presentation to rule-out serious cardiac outcomes or death
      in patients presenting with symptoms suggestive of acute coronary syndrome.
AB  - BACKGROUND: We evaluated whether a low high-sensitivity cardiac troponin (hs-cTn)
      cutoff combined with glucose, red cell distribution width (RDW), and the
      estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) can be used to rule-out a serious
      cardiac outcome or death in patients presenting with symptoms suggestive of acute
      coronary syndrome (ACS). METHODS: This was a prospective observational emergency
      department (ED) study enrolling consecutive patients presenting with symptoms
      suggestive of ACS (ClinicalTrials.gov: NCT01994577). The primary outcome was a 7
      day composite of myocardial infarction, unstable angina, decompensated congestive
      heart failure, serious ventricular cardiac arrhythmia, or death. A laboratory
      score combining glucose, RDW, eGFR with hs-cTnT (Roche) or hs-cTnI (Abbott) was
      compared to hs-cTn alone using the limit of detection (LoD; hs-cTnT<5ng/l/hs
      cTnI<2ng/l) as the cutoff. A benchmark of >99% sensitivity was used to assess the
      laboratory panel with hs-cTn versus the LoD alone to identify low-risk patients
      suitable for discharge. RESULTS: A total of 1095 patients (n=267 composite
      outcomes) had measurements of glucose, RDW, eGFR, hs-cTnT, and hs-cTnI at
      presentation. Applying the hs-cTn LoD alone as the cutoff missed 5 composite
      outcomes (sensitivity=98.1%), however the addition of the laboratory panel to the
      hs-cTn LoD increased the sensitivity to >99% with approximately 10% of the
      population identified as low-risk. The percentage of low-risk patients was
      increased to 15% (1 composite-outcome missed) when employing a low measurable hs
      cTnI cutoff with the laboratory panel (laboratory score<2 points). CONCLUSION: A
      laboratory score with hs-cTn may identify low-risk patients suitable for ED
      discharge at presentation.

PMID- 28342714
TI  - Higher uric acid serum levels are associated with better muscle function in the
      oldest old: Results from the Mugello Study.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Sarcopenia is the progressive loss of muscle mass and strength that
      occurs with advancing age and plays a pivotal role in the causal pathway leading
      to frailty, disability and, eventually, to death among older persons. As
      oxidative damage of muscle proteins has been shown to be a relevant contributory
      factor, in this study we hypothesized that uric acid (UA), a powerful endogenous
      antioxidant, might exert a protective effect on muscle function in the oldest old
      and we tested our hypothesis in a group of nonagenarians who participated in the
      Mugello Study. METHODS: 239 subjects, 73 men and 166 women, mean age 92.8years+/
      SD 3.1, underwent the assessment of UA serum level and isometric handgrip
      strength, a widely used clinical measure of sarcopenia. RESULTS: Mean UA serum
      level was 5.69mg/dL+/-SD 1.70 and mean handgrip strength was 15.0kg+/-SD 6.9.
      After adjusting for relevant confounders, higher UA serum levels remained
      independent positive predictors of isometric handgrip strength (beta 1.24+/
      SE(beta) 0.43, p=0.005). CONCLUSION: Our results show that higher UA serum levels
      are associated with better muscle function in the oldest old and, accordingly,
      might slow down the progression of sarcopenia.

PMID- 28342710
TI  - Emerging role of chemoprotective agents in the dynamic shaping of plasma membrane
      organization.
AB  - In the context of an organism, epithelial cells by nature are designed to be the
      defining barrier between self and the outside world. This is especially true for
      the epithelial cells that form the lining of the digestive tract, which absorb
      nutrients and serve as a barrier against harmful substances. These cells are
      constantly bathed by a complex mixture of endogenous (bile acids, mucus,
      microbial metabolites) and exogenous (food, nutrients, drugs) bioactive
      compounds. From a cell biology perspective, this type of exposure would directly
      impact the plasma membrane, which consists of a myriad of complex lipids and
      proteins. The plasma membrane not only functions as a barrier but also as the
      medium in which cellular signaling complexes form and function. This property is
      mediated by the organization of the plasma membrane, which is exquisitely
      temporally (nanoseconds to minutes) and spatially (nanometers to micrometers)
      regulated. Since numerous bioactive compounds found in the intestinal lumen can
      directly interact with lipid membranes, we hypothesize that the dynamic reshaping
      of plasma membrane organization underlies the chemoprotective effect of select
      membrane targeted dietary bioactives (MTDBs). This article is part of a Special
      Issue entitled: Membrane Lipid Therapy: Drugs Targeting Biomembranes edited by
      Pablo V. Escriba.

PMID- 28342716
TI  - Immediate postpartum intrauterine device and implant program outcomes: a
      prospective analysis.
AB  - BACKGROUND: In-hospital placement of intrauterine devices and contraceptive
      implants following vaginal and cesarean delivery is increasingly popular and
      responds to maternal motivation for highly effective postpartum contraception.
      Immediate postpartum intrauterine device insertion is associated with higher
      expulsion than interval placement, but emerging evidence suggests that the
      levonorgestrel intrauterine device may have a higher expulsion rate than the
      copper intrauterine device. OBJECTIVE: This study evaluated in-hospital
      provision, expulsion, and 6-month continuation of immediate postpartum copper
      T380 intrauterine devices, levonorgestrel intrauterine devices, and contraceptive
      implants. STUDY DESIGN: We offered enrollment in this prospective observational
      trial to women presenting to the University of Utah labor and delivery unit from
      October 2013 through February 2016 who requested an intrauterine device or
      implant for postpartum contraception during prenatal care or hospitalization at
      the time of delivery. Following informed consent, participants completed
      questionnaires prior to hospital discharge and at 3 and 6 months postpartum. Data
      on expulsions at 6 months were validated by chart abstraction. RESULTS: During
      the study period, 639 patients requested a postpartum intrauterine device or
      implant and 350 patients enrolled in prospective follow-up prior to discharge
      from the hospital. Among enrollees, 325 (93%) received their preferred
      contraceptive device prior to hospital discharge: 88 (27%) copper intrauterine
      device users, 123 (38%) levonorgestrel intrauterine device users, and 114 (35%)
      implant users. Participants predominantly were Hispanic (90%), were multiparous
      (87%), reported a household income <$24,000 per year (87%), and underwent a
      vaginal delivery (77%). At 6 months postpartum, 289 of 325 device recipients
      (89%) completed follow-up. Among levonorgestrel intrauterine device users 17%
      reported expulsions relative to 4% of copper intrauterine device users. The
      adjusted hazard ratio for expulsion was 5.8 (confidence interval, 1.3-26.4).
      There was no statistically significant difference in expulsions by delivery type
      or continuation by device type. Among the 21 women who experienced intrauterine
      device expulsions, 14 (67%) requested a replacement long-acting reversible
      contraception device for contraception. The 6-month device continuation was >=80%
      for all device types. CONCLUSION: An immediate postpartum long-acting reversible
      contraception program effectively provides women who desire highly effective
      reversible contraceptive devices with their method of choice prior to hospital
      discharge. Immediate postplacental levonorgestrel intrauterine device users have
      higher expulsion rates than copper intrauterine device users, but >8 of 10 women
      initiating an intrauterine device or implant continue use at 6 months postpartum.

PMID- 28342718
TI  - Noisy Response to Antibiotic Stress Predicts Subsequent Single-Cell Survival in
      an Acidic Environment.
AB  - Antibiotics elicit drastic changes in microbial gene expression, including the
      induction of stress response genes. While certain stress responses are known to
      "cross-protect" bacteria from other stressors, it is unclear whether cellular
      responses to antibiotics have a similar protective role. By measuring the genome
      wide transcriptional response dynamics of Escherichia coli to four antibiotics,
      we found that trimethoprim induces a rapid acid stress response that protects
      bacteria from subsequent exposure to acid. Combining microfluidics with time
      lapse imaging to monitor survival and acid stress response in single cells
      revealed that the noisy expression of the acid resistance operon gadBC correlates
      with single-cell survival. Cells with higher gadBC expression following
      trimethoprim maintain higher intracellular pH and survive the acid stress longer.
      The seemingly random single-cell survival under acid stress can therefore be
      predicted from gadBC expression and rationalized in terms of GadB/C molecular
      function. Overall, we provide a roadmap for identifying the molecular mechanisms
      of single-cell cross-protection between antibiotics and other stressors.

PMID- 28342717
TI  - Slow Chromatin Dynamics Allow Polycomb Target Genes to Filter Fluctuations in
      Transcription Factor Activity.
AB  - Genes targeted by Polycomb repressive complex 2 (PRC2) are regulated in cis by
      chromatin modifications and also in trans by diffusible regulators such as
      transcription factors. Here, we introduce a mathematical model in which
      transcription directly antagonizes Polycomb silencing, thereby linking these cis-
      and trans-regulatory inputs to gene expression. The model is parameterized by
      recent experimental data showing that PRC2-mediated repressive chromatin
      modifications accumulate extremely slowly. The model generates self-perpetuating,
      bistable active and repressed chromatin states that persist through DNA
      replication, thereby ensuring high-fidelity transmission of the current chromatin
      state. However, sufficiently strong, persistent activation or repression of
      transcription promotes switching between active and repressed chromatin states.
      We observe that when chromatin modification dynamics are slow, transient pulses
      of transcriptional activation or repression are effectively filtered, such that
      epigenetic memory is retained. Noise filtering thus depends on slow chromatin
      dynamics and may represent an important function of PRC2-based regulation.

PMID- 28342715
TI  - Prediction of neonatal respiratory morbidity by quantitative ultrasound lung
      texture analysis: a multicenter study.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Prediction of neonatal respiratory morbidity may be useful to plan
      delivery in complicated pregnancies. The limited predictive performance of the
      current diagnostic tests together with the risks of an invasive procedure
      restricts the use of fetal lung maturity assessment. OBJECTIVE: The objective of
      the study was to evaluate the performance of quantitative ultrasound texture
      analysis of the fetal lung (quantusFLM) to predict neonatal respiratory morbidity
      in preterm and early-term (<39.0 weeks) deliveries. STUDY DESIGN: This was a
      prospective multicenter study conducted in 20 centers worldwide. Fetal lung
      ultrasound images were obtained at 25.0-38.6 weeks of gestation within 48 hours
      of delivery, stored in Digital Imaging and Communication in Medicine format, and
      analyzed with quantusFLM. Physicians were blinded to the analysis. At delivery,
      perinatal outcomes and the occurrence of neonatal respiratory morbidity, defined
      as either respiratory distress syndrome or transient tachypnea of the newborn,
      were registered. The performance of the ultrasound texture analysis test to
      predict neonatal respiratory morbidity was evaluated. RESULTS: A total of 883
      images were collected, but 17.3% were discarded because of poor image quality or
      exclusion criteria, leaving 730 observations for the final analysis. The
      prevalence of neonatal respiratory morbidity was 13.8% (101 of 730). The
      quantusFLM predicted neonatal respiratory morbidity with a sensitivity,
      specificity, positive and negative predictive values of 74.3% (75 of 101), 88.6%
      (557 of 629), 51.0% (75 of 147), and 95.5% (557 of 583), respectively. Accuracy
      was 86.5% (632 of 730) and positive and negative likelihood ratios were 6.5 and
      0.3, respectively. CONCLUSION: The quantusFLM predicted neonatal respiratory
      morbidity with an accuracy similar to that previously reported for other tests
      with the advantage of being a noninvasive technique.

PMID- 28342720
TI  - Rebubbling in Descemet Membrane Endothelial Keratoplasty: Influence of Pressure
      and Duration of the Intracameral Air Tamponade.
AB  - PURPOSE: To explore the impact of intracameral air tamponade pressure and
      duration on graft attachment and rebubbling rates. DESIGN: A prospective,
      interventional, nonrandomized study. METHODS: setting: Department of
      Ophthalmology, Charite - Universitatsmedizin Berlin. STUDY POPULATION: One
      hundred seventeen patients who underwent Descemet membrane endothelial
      keratoplasty (DMEK). OBSERVATION: Intraocular pressure (IOP) at the end of the
      surgery, immediately after filling the anterior chamber with air, categorized
      into low (<10 mm Hg), normal (10-20 mm Hg), and high (>20 mm Hg), and the time
      until partial removal of the air. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Rebubbling rates and
      endothelial cell density over a 3-month follow-up period analyzed by a
      multivariable Cox regression model and an analysis of covariance model. RESULTS:
      Thirty-two patients required a rebubbling (27% [95% CI 19%-35%]). Nine patients
      required more than 1 rebubbling (7% [95% CI 3%-12%]). Compared with normal IOP,
      lower (HR 8.98 [95% CI 1.07-75.41]) and higher IOP (HR 10.63 [95% CI 1.44-78.27])
      increased the risk of requiring a rebubbling (P = .006). Independent of the IOP,
      an air tamponade duration beyond 2 hours reduced the risk of rebubbling (HR 0.36
      [95% CI 0.18-0.71, P = .003]). One month after surgery, the mean endothelial cell
      loss was 13% (95% CI 2%-25%) and 23% (95% CI 17%-29%) in the group with air
      tamponade duration of below and above 2 hours, respectively (P = .126). At 3
      months after surgery, it was 31% (95% CI 17%-42%) and 42% (95% CI 32%-52%) in the
      respective groups (P = .229). CONCLUSIONS: A postsurgical air tamponade of at
      least 2 hours with an IOP within the physiological range could help to reduce
      rebubbling rates.

PMID- 28342719
TI  - Association of Structural and Functional Measures With Contrast Sensitivity in
      Glaucoma.
AB  - PURPOSE: To test the hypothesis that structural and functional measures predict
      contrast sensitivity (CS) outcomes in glaucomatous eyes. DESIGN: Cross-sectional
      prospective study. METHODS: One hundred five eyes of 65 patients who underwent
      macular spectral-domain optical coherence tomography imaging, 24-2 standard
      achromatic visual fields (VF), and CS measurement on the same day were enrolled.
      Association of CS at 4 spatial frequencies (3, 6, 12, and 18 cycles per degree,
      cpd) with structural and functional outcomes was explored with correlation and
      regression analyses. RESULTS: The median (IQR) 24-2 visual field mean deviation
      was -7.6 (-11.1 to -3.0). Significant correlations were found between CS at 6 cpd
      and ganglion cell/inner plexiform layer thickness at inferotemporal and
      inferonasal macular sectors (rho = 0.222, P = .023 and rho = 0.209, P = .032,
      respectively). CS at 6 cpd demonstrated higher correlations with full macular
      thickness measurements, the strongest of which was with the central macular
      thickness in the superior 6 * 3-degree region (rho = 0.311, P = .001). Contrast
      sensitivity at 6 cpd also had the strongest correlation with mean deviation of
      the 4 central VF points (rho = -0.420; P < .001). There was a significant
      correlation between logMAR visual acuity and contrast sensitivity at 6, 12, and
      18 cpd (rho = -0.306, rho = -0.348 and rho = -0.241, P < .013, respectively).
      CONCLUSIONS: Structural and functional measures showed a fair relationship with
      contrast sensitivity. This association was most prominent between full-thickness
      macular measures or central VF parameters and CS at 6 cpd. Contrast sensitivity
      was not a reliable surrogate for glaucoma severity in this cross-sectional study.

PMID- 28342721
TI  - Four-year Follow-up of the Changes in Anterior Segment After Phakic Collamer Lens
      Implantation.
AB  - PURPOSE: To assess the changes and relationship in central vaulting, flare
      intensity, and crystalline lens thickness during a follow-up period of 4 years
      after implantable collamer lens (ICL) implantation in eyes with high myopia.
      DESIGN: Retrospective observational study. METHODS: Ninety-eight eyes of 50
      patients were followed up with routine measurements of central vaulting,
      crystalline lens thickness, endothelial cell density, and aqueous flare
      postoperatively. Data were analyzed by repeated-measures analysis of variance.
      The relationship between the annual change in crystal lens thickness after
      surgery and age was evaluated by Pearson correlation coefficient and linear
      regression. RESULTS: There was a continuous reduction in central vaulting and
      endothelial cell density as well as an increase in crystalline lens thickness in
      ICL eyes from 1 month onward to 5 years postoperatively (P < .001). Although the
      trend of variation during the individual visit period was accentuated, the
      variation turned out to be smaller between 12 and 36 months or 60 months
      postoperatively (P = .42, P = .65). Aqueous flare intensity increased
      significantly after surgery and returned to normal 1 year later. Additionally, a
      positive correlation between patient age and crystalline lens thickness (r =
      0.617, P < .0001) was observed in eyes with ICL implantation. CONCLUSIONS: The
      changes in central vaulting, endothelial cell density, and crystalline lens
      thickness are more prominent during the first year after ICL implantation,
      tending to be relatively stable afterwards. The anterior inflammation during the
      early postoperative period synchronizes with the sharp progression of crystalline
      lens changes within the first year.

PMID- 28342722
TI  - The effects of graft size and insertion site location during anterior cruciate
      ligament reconstruction on intercondylar notch impingement.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Intercondylar notch impingement is detrimental to the anterior
      cruciate ligament (ACL). Notchplasty is a preventative remodeling procedure
      performed on the intercondylar notch during ACL reconstruction (ACLR). This study
      investigates how ACL graft geometry and both tibial and femoral insertion site
      location may affect ACL-intercondylar notch interactions post ACLR. A range of
      ACL graft sizes are reported during ACLR, from six millimeters to 11mm in
      diameter. Variability of three millimeters in ACL insertion site location is
      reported during ACLR. This study aims to determine the post-operative effects of
      minor variations in graft size and insertion location on intercondylar notch
      impingement. METHODS: Several 3D finite element knee joint models were
      constructed using three ACL graft sizes and polar arrays of tibial and femoral
      insertion locations. Each model was subjected to flexion, tibial external
      rotation, and valgus motion. Impingement force and contact area between the ACL
      and intercondylar notch compared well with experimental cadaver data from
      literature. RESULTS: A three millimeter anterior-lateral tibial insertion site
      shift of the maximum size ACL increased impingement force by 242.9%. A three
      millimeter anterior-proximal femoral insertion site shift of the maximum size ACL
      increased impingement by 346.2%. Simulated notchplasty of five millimeters
      eliminated all impingement for the simulation with the greatest impingement. For
      the kinematics applied, small differences in graft size and insertion site
      location led to large increases in impingement force and contact area.
      CONCLUSIONS: Minor surgical variations may increase ACL impingement. The results
      indicate that notchplasty reduces impingement during ACLR. Notchplasty may help
      to improve ACLR success rates.

PMID- 28342723
TI  - Effects of eccentric overload training on patellar tendon and vastus lateralis in
      three days of consecutive running.
AB  - BACKGROUND: The analysis of structural changes in patellar tendon and muscle of
      healthy subjects in response to mechanical loads provides useful insight into the
      mechanism underlying overuse injuries. METHODS: Changes produced in tendon and
      muscles structures after eccentric overload training and three consecutive
      running days were examined. Twenty healthy subjects were recruited and divided
      into two groups. One group (ECC) performed eccentric overload squat training (six
      weeks). After such training, the ECC group performed three running sessions on
      consecutive days, as did the control group (CONT). The structure of their
      patellar tendons and vastus lateralis muscles was quantified using ultrasound and
      Doppler imaging. Images were obtained before and after eccentric training for the
      ECC group and on every day of running performance for both groups. RESULTS: After
      eccentric training, the ECC group experienced an increase in cross-sectional area
      (CSA) of patellar tendon (P=0.012). After every day of running, the ECC group
      experienced a decrease in CSA (P=0.027). In the CONT group, after one day of
      running a significant increase was observed in anteroposterior width of their
      patellar tendon (P=0.028), as well as a decrease in pennation angle of vastus
      lateralis muscle (P=0.028) within three days of running sessions. CONCLUSIONS:
      Eccentric overload training brought about changes in the patellar tendon
      consistent with an improvement in the quality of the tissue. The ECC group in our
      study showed a more normalised pattern than the CONT group in the running
      performance, in agreement with previous research. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Level 3,
      controlled trial.

PMID- 28342724
TI  - A Hypergraph and Arithmetic Residue-based Probabilistic Neural Network for
      classification in Intrusion Detection Systems.
AB  - Over the past few decades, the design of an intelligent Intrusion Detection
      System (IDS) remains an open challenge to the research community. Continuous
      efforts by the researchers have resulted in the development of several learning
      models based on Artificial Neural Network (ANN) to improve the performance of the
      IDSs. However, there exists a tradeoff with respect to the stability of ANN
      architecture and the detection rate for less frequent attacks. This paper
      presents a novel approach based on Helly property of Hypergraph and Arithmetic
      Residue-based Probabilistic Neural Network (HG AR-PNN) to address the
      classification problem in IDS. The Helly property of Hypergraph was exploited for
      the identification of the optimal feature subset and the arithmetic residue of
      the optimal feature subset was used to train the PNN. The performance of HG AR
      PNN was evaluated using KDD CUP 1999 intrusion dataset. Experimental results
      prove the dominance of HG AR-PNN classifier over the existing classifiers with
      respect to the stability and improved detection rate for less frequent attacks.

PMID- 28342725
TI  - Editorial overview: Biofortification of crops: achievements, future challenges,
      socio-economic, health and ethical aspects.

PMID- 28342726
TI  - Noninvasive prenatal testing for fetal aneuploidy and single gene disorders.
AB  - Our concept of nucleic acid biology has advanced dramatically over the past two
      decades, with a growing appreciation that cell-free DNA (cfDNA) fragments are
      present in all body fluids including plasma. In no other field has plasma DNA
      been as rapidly translated into clinical practice as in noninvasive prenatal
      testing (NIPT) for fetal chromosome abnormalities. NIPT is a screening test that
      requires confirmation with diagnostic testing, but other applications of cfDNA
      provide diagnostic information and do not require invasive testing. These
      applications are referred to as noninvasive prenatal diagnosis (NIPD) and include
      determination of fetal sex, blood group and some single gene disorders. As
      technology advances, noninvasive tests based on cell-free nucleic acids will
      continue to expand. This review will outline the technical and clinical aspects
      of NIPT and NIPD relevant to the daily practice of maternity carers.

PMID- 28342727
TI  - Pancreatic hematoma due to ruptured splenic pseudoaneurysm mimicking pancreatic
      malignancy.

PMID- 28342728
TI  - Comparative Analysis for Diagnostic Yield of Small Cell Lung Cancer by Cytology
      and Histology During the Same Bronchoscopic Procedure.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Biopsy, brushing, and transbronchial needle aspiration (TBNA) are the
      most common methods used for the diagnosis of small cell lung cancer during the
      same diagnostic bronchoscopic procedure. However, it is not clear which method
      provides better results. PATIENTS AND METHODS: A retrospective analysis was
      performed of 140 patients who had undergone video bronchoscopy for diagnostic
      purposes. Bronchial brushings were obtained from all subjects. Biopsy specimens
      were also obtained from all subjects, except for 6 cases that could not be
      sampled; the TBNA method was used for some special lesions. The results were
      analyzed separately by histology and cytology. RESULTS: The diagnostic yield of
      cytology was significantly greater than that of histology (P < .01) and that of
      conventional smear preparations in cytology was obviously greater than that of
      hematoxylin and eosin stains in histology (P < .01). The false-negative results
      were significantly lower with cytology than with histology (P < .01). Also, the
      cases of sampling site restriction with cytology were distinctly less than those
      with histology (P < .05). Stretch deformation of the tissue structure and cell
      morphology was the main reason for the false-negative results in the histologic
      diagnosis. The use of TBNA resolved all 4 cases of hilar adenopathy and 2 cases
      of lesions outside the bronchus. Multiple brushings of the tissue adjacent to
      cancer tissue and liquid-based preparations of cancerous necrotic tissue can
      significantly reduce the false-negative results from biopsy. CONCLUSIONS: The
      diagnostic yield of cytologic examination of brushings and TBNA for small cell
      lung cancer was superior to that of histologic examination of hematoxylin and
      eosin stains and immunohistochemistry.

PMID- 28342729
TI  - Repeatability and agreement of Scheimpflug-based and swept-source optical
      biometry measurements.
AB  - PURPOSE: To evaluate the repeatability and comparability of biometry parameters
      between a Scheimpflug-based topography with axial length measurement (Pentacam
      AXL, Oculus, Wetzlar, Germany) and a swept-source optical biometry (IOLMaster
      700, Carl Zeiss Meditec AG, Jena, Germany). METHODS: A total of 50 eyes from 50
      adult subjects had biometry measurements in one session three times using the
      Pentacam AXL and the IOLMaster 700. Keratometry, anterior chamber depth (ACD) and
      axial length (AL) values were obtained by both devices. Mean keratometry (Kmean)
      was calculated and the corneal spherocylinder was converted into power vectors
      (J0, J45). Repeatability was assessed based on intraclass correlation coefficient
      (ICC). Agreement was evaluated by linear regression analysis and Bland-Altman
      analysis by calculating the mean difference and 95% limits of agreement (LoA).
      RESULTS: Assessment of intraoperator repeatability by means of ICC showed
      excellent reproducibility of measurements for both devices and all parameters
      examined ranging from 0.994 to 1.0. IOLMaster 700 exhibited significantly higher
      Kmean (p<0.001) and AL (p<0.001) values than the Pentacam AXL. Pentacam AXL
      showed significantly higher ACD (p<0.001) measurements than IOLMaster 700. There
      was no statistically significant difference of J0 (p=0.115) and J45 (p=0.255)
      values between Pentacam AXL and IOLMaster 700. CONCLUSIONS: Both devices provide
      high reproducible values for all parameters investigated. J0 and J45 values are
      statistically and clinically interchangeable between Pentacam AXL and IOLMaster
      700. All other parameters are statistically different. In clinical practice, the
      differences for ACD and AL are to small and the values can be used
      interchangeable. However, Kmean values are clinically and statistically different
      and cannot be used interchangeable between the two devices.

PMID- 28342730
TI  - The association of dietary inflammatory potential with depression and mental well
      being among U.S. adults.
AB  - Current treatment for depression is not considered effective among all cases and,
      thus far, nutritional protocols are minimal within depression treatment
      guidelines. Recently, there has been increasing interest in a possible protective
      and modifiable role of diet in common mental disorders, including depression, due
      to pro- and anti-inflammatory properties of nutrients. This study aims to
      investigate whether the Dietary Inflammatory Index (DII), designed to estimate
      the inflammatory potential of diet, is associated with depression and other
      measures of mental health. In a representative sample of U.S. adults (>=20years
      of age, N=11,592), the distribution of DII score is assessed. Multivariate
      logistic regression models determine the association between DII quintile and
      depression. Associations of DII quintile with frequent distress and frequent
      anxiety are also evaluated. In fully adjusted models, higher DII score is
      associated with over a two-fold higher odds of depression (OR (95% CI)=2.26
      (1.60, 3.20) for highest vs. lowest quintile, Type III p-value<=0.0001). DII
      score is also associated with higher odds of frequent distress (OR (95% CI)=1.81
      (1.20, 2.71) for highest vs. lowest quintile, Type III p-value=0.0167). This
      association was not significant for frequent anxiety (Type III p-value=0.12).
      Results of this study indicate that dietary inflammatory potential is associated
      with depression. These results are consistent with existing hypotheses that
      inflammatory pathways play a role in the etiology of depression. Further research
      examining the underlying biological and cellular mechanisms of depression is
      warranted.

PMID- 28342732
TI  - Hydrogen bond strength in membrane proteins probed by time-resolved 1H-detected
      solid-state NMR and MD simulations.
AB  - 1H-detected solid-state NMR in combination with 1H/2D exchange steps allows for
      the direct identification of very strong hydrogen bonds in membrane proteins. On
      the example of the membrane-embedded potassium channel KcsA, we quantify the
      longevity of such very strong hydrogen bonds by combining time-resolved 1H
      detected solid-state NMR experiments and molecular dynamics simulations. In
      particular, we show that the carboxyl-side chain of the highly conserved residue
      Glu51 is involved in ultra-strong hydrogen bonds, which are fully-water-exposed
      and yet stable for weeks. The astonishing stability of these hydrogen bonds is
      important for the structural integrity of potassium channels, which we further
      corroborate by computational studies.

PMID- 28342731
TI  - Preferred Management of Primary Deep Arm Vein Thrombosis.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: Given its rarity, the management of primary upper extremity deep vein
      thrombosis is controversial. Although anticoagulation alone is commonly advocated
      for its treatment, it is unclear if this will reduce the risk of developing post
      thrombotic syndrome (PTS). The aim of this "Evidence Driven" Clinical Scenario is
      to evaluate whether more aggressive treatments (including catheter directed
      thrombolysis or surgery) might help reduce the risk of PTS or recurrent venous
      thromboembolism in patients with primary upper extremity deep vein thrombosis
      (DVT). METHODS: An electronic systematic review of Ovid MEDLINE and Embase was
      conducted. Randomised controlled trials and observational studies were eligible.
      The primary outcome was PTS. RESULTS: The initial search identified 146 articles,
      and 36 more were identified during a secondary search. In total, 25 studies,
      reporting the outcome of 1271 patients, were included. None of the studies
      included was a randomised controlled trial and the large majority of studies were
      retrospective cohorts. The use of anticoagulation alone was associated with a
      significant risk of PTS. In patients treated with surgery with or without
      thrombolysis the incidence of PTS was significantly reduced. CONCLUSION: Current
      evidence, albeit with some methodological limitations, suggests that
      anticoagulation may not be sufficient to prevent PTS in patients with primary
      upper extremity DVT and that surgery with or without thrombolysis to repair the
      anatomical defects is needed.

PMID- 28342733
TI  - Probing intermolecular interactions in a diethylcarbamazine citrate salt by fast
      MAS 1H solid-state NMR spectroscopy and GIPAW calculations.
AB  - Fast magic-angle spinning (MAS) NMR is used to probe intermolecular interactions
      in a diethylcarbamazine salt, that is widely used as a treatment against adult
      worms of Wuchereria bancrofti which cause a common disease in tropical countries
      named filariasis. Specifically, a dihydrogen citrate salt that has improved
      thermal stability and solubility as compared to the free form is studied. One
      dimensional 1H, 13C and 15N and two-dimensional 1H-13C and 14N-1H heteronuclear
      correlation NMR experiments under moderate and fast MAS together with GIPAW
      (CASTEP) calculations enable the assignment of the 1H, 13C and 14N/15N
      resonances. A two-dimensional 1H-1H double-quantum (DQ) -single-quantum (SQ) MAS
      spectrum recorded with BaBa recoupling at 60kHz MAS identifies specific proton
      proton proximities associated with citrate-citrate and citrate-diethylcarbamazine
      intermolecular interactions.

PMID- 28342734
TI  - Integration of microbiome and epigenome to decipher the pathogenesis of
      autoimmune diseases.
AB  - The interaction between genetic predisposition and environmental factors are of
      great significance in the pathogenesis and development of autoimmune diseases
      (AIDs). The human mucosa is the most frequent site that interacts with the
      exterior environment, and commensal microbiota at the gut and other human mucosal
      cavities play a crucial role in the regulation of immune system. Growing evidence
      has shown that the compositional and functional changes of mucosal microbiota are
      closely related to AIDs. Gut dysbiosis not only influence the expression level of
      Toll-like receptors (TLRs) of antigen presenting cells, but also contribute to
      Th17/Treg imbalance. Epigenetic modifications triggered by environmental factors
      is an important mechanism that leads to altered gene expression. Researches
      addressing the role of DNA methylation, histone modification and non-coding RNA
      in AIDs have been increasing in recent years. Furthermore, studies showed that
      human microbiota and their metabolites can regulate immune cells and cytokines
      via epigenomic modifications. For example, short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs)
      produced by gut microbiota promote the differentiation of naive T cell into Treg
      by suppressing histone deacetylases (HDACs). Therefore, we propose that dysbiosis
      and resulting metabolites may cause aberrant immune responses via epigenetic
      modifications, and lead to AIDs. With the development of high-throughput
      sequencing, metagenome analysis has been applied to investigate the dysbiosis in
      AIDs patients. We have tested the fecal, dental and salivary samples from
      treatment-naive rheumatoid arthritis (RA) individuals by metagenomic shotgun
      sequencing and a metagenome-wide association study. Dysbiosis was detected in the
      gut and oral microbiomes of RA patients, but it was partially restored after
      treatment. We also found functional changes of microbiota and molecular mimicry
      of human antigens in RA individuals. By integrating the analysis of multi-omics
      of microbiome and epigenome, we could explore the interaction between human
      immune system and microbiota, and thereby unmasking specific and more sensitive
      biomarkers as well as potential therapeutic targets. Future studies aiming at the
      crosstalk between human dysbiosis and epigenetic modifications and their
      influences on AIDs will facilitate our understanding and better managing of these
      debilitating AIDs.

PMID- 28342736
TI  - Amyloidogenicity at a Distance: How Distal Protein Regions Modulate Aggregation
      in Disease.
AB  - The misfolding of proteins to form amyloid is a key pathological feature of
      several progressive, and currently incurable, diseases. A mechanistic
      understanding of the pathway from soluble, native protein to insoluble amyloid is
      crucial for therapeutic design, and recent efforts have helped to elucidate the
      key molecular events that trigger protein misfolding. Generally, either global or
      local structural perturbations occur early in amyloidogenesis to expose
      aggregation-prone regions of the protein that can then self-associate to form
      toxic oligomers. Surprisingly, these initiating structural changes are often
      caused or influenced by protein regions distal to the classically amyloidogenic
      sequences. Understanding the importance of these distal regions in the pathogenic
      process has highlighted many remaining knowledge gaps regarding the precise
      molecular events that occur in classic aggregation pathways. In this review, we
      discuss how these distal regions can influence aggregation in disease and the
      recent technical and conceptual advances that have allowed this insight.

PMID- 28342735
TI  - Inhibition of effector antigen-specific T cells by intradermal administration of
      heme oxygenase-1 inducers.
AB  - Developing protocols aimed at inhibiting effector T cells would be key for the
      treatment of T cell-dependent autoimmune diseases including type 1 autoimmune
      diabetes (T1D) and multiple sclerosis (MS). While heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1)
      inducers are clinically approved drugs for non-immune-related diseases, they do
      have immunosuppressive properties when administered systemically in rodents. Here
      we show that HO-1 inducers inhibit antigen-specific effector T cells when
      injected intradermally together with the T cell cognate antigens in mice. This
      phenomenon was observed in both a CD8+ T cell-mediated model of T1D and in a CD4+
      T cell-dependent MS model. Intradermal injection of HO-1 inducers induced the
      recruitment of HO-1+ monocyte-derived dendritic cell (MoDCs) exclusively to the
      lymph nodes (LN) draining the site of intradermal injection. After encountering
      HO-1+MoDCs, effector T-cells exhibited a lower velocity and a reduced ability to
      migrate towards chemokine gradients resulting in impaired accumulation to the
      inflamed organ. Intradermal co-injection of a clinically approved HO-1 inducer
      and a specific antigen to non-human primates also induced HO-1+ MoDCs to
      accumulate in dermal draining LN and to suppress delayed-type hypersensitivity.
      Therefore, in both mice and non-human primates, HO-1 inducers delivered locally
      inhibited effector T-cells in an antigen-specific manner, paving the way for
      repositioning these drugs for the treatment of immune-mediated diseases.

PMID- 28342737
TI  - Are lower urinary tract symptoms in children associated with urinary symptoms in
      their mothers?
AB  - BACKGROUND: The association between parents who suffered daytime incontinence as
      children and children who are incontinence has been reported. However, the
      association of lower urinary tract (LUT) dysfunction in children and urinary
      symptoms in mothers has not been studied. OBJECTIVE: To test the hypothesis that
      the children of mothers with lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS) are more likely
      to have urinary symptoms. STUDY DESIGN: A cross-sectional multicenter study was
      conducted in two cities in Brazil. Children/adolescents of 5-17 years of age and
      their mothers were interviewed. Children with neurological problems, previously
      detected urinary tract abnormalities or who refused to sign the informed consent
      or assent form were excluded. The DVSS questionnaire was used to evaluate the
      presence of LUTS in the children and the ICIQ-OAB questionnaire was used to
      evaluate their mothers. Constipation in the children was investigated using the
      ROME III criteria. RESULTS: A total of 827 mother-child pairs were included, with
      414 of the children (50.06%) being male. Mean age was 9.1 +/- 2.9 years for the
      children and 35.9 +/- 6.5 years for the mothers. Urinary symptoms (occurring at
      least once or twice a week) were present in 315 children (38.1%), incontinence in
      114 (13.8%) and urinary urgency in 141 (17%). Of the mothers, 378 (45.7%) had at
      least one LUTS, with 103 (12.5%) having incontinence and 153 (18.5%) urgency.
      According to the DVSS, the overall prevalence of LUT dysfunction was 9.1%. The
      children's DVSS scores were significantly associated with the mothers' ICIQ-OAB
      scores (p < 0.0010). Mothers with urinary symptoms were 2.5 times more likely to
      have a child with LUT dysfunction (95%CI: 1.52-4.17; p < 0.001), while mothers
      with overactive bladder were 2.8 times more likely to have a child with an
      overactive bladder (95%CI: 1.63-4.86; p < 0.001). In the multivariate analysis,
      these same characteristics were confirmed as independent predictive factors of
      the presence of LUT dysfunction in the child. Children of mothers with
      incontinence and urinary urgency were also more likely to have incontinence and
      urgency. CONCLUSION: Mothers with typical symptoms of overactive bladder are more
      likely to have a child with LUT dysfunction. This correlation is also positive
      for the isolated symptoms of urinary urgency and incontinence. Independent
      predictive factors of the presence of LUT dysfunction in children were: being
      female, enuresis, constipation, and having a mother with LUTS.

PMID- 28342739
TI  - Supervised physical therapy vs home exercise program for patients with distal
      radius fracture: A single-blind randomized clinical study.
AB  - STUDY DESIGN: Randomized clinical study. INTRODUCTION: Supervised physical
      therapy (PT) and home exercise programs (HEPs) are frequently used in the
      rehabilitation of patients with distal radius fracture (DRF). However, there is
      no consensus as to whether unsupervised HEP provides comparable benefits to those
      achieved by supervised PT. PURPOSE OF THE STUDY: To compare the improvements in
      pain and functional status between a supervised PT program and unsupervised HEP
      in DRF patients older than 60 years. METHODS: A total of 74 patients were
      randomized into 2 groups. One group received 12 sessions of supervised PT (n =
      37), and the other group followed an exercise program at home (n = 37). Three
      evaluations were performed, before the initiation of treatment, at 6-week, and 6
      month follow-up. The study conducted a statistical power analysis to detect an
      intergroup difference score of 15 points on the Patient-Rated Wrist Evaluation
      (PRWE). The t-test or Mann-Whitney test was used, and it was set with a
      significance level of .05. RESULTS: The supervised PT group showed clinically
      significant differences in the total PRWE score at 6 weeks (17.67 points, P =
      .000) in the PRWE function score (15.2 points, P = .000) and in the PRWE pain
      score (5.6 points, P = .039). There was also a significant difference in the
      total PRWE score at 6-month follow-up (17.05 points, P = .000) in the PRWE
      function score (14.5 points, P = .000) and in the PRWE pain score (2.5 points, P
      = .35). CONCLUSIONS: A supervised PT program is more effective for improving
      function in the short- and medium-term when compared with HEP in patients older
      than 60 years with DRF extraarticular without immediate complications. LEVEL OF
      EVIDENCE: 1b.

PMID- 28342738
TI  - American Brachytherapy Society consensus statement for soft tissue sarcoma
      brachytherapy.
AB  - PURPOSE: Radiation therapy represents an essential treatment option in the
      management of soft tissue sarcomas (STS). Brachytherapy represents an important
      subset of radiation therapy techniques used for STS, with evolving indications
      and applications. Therefore, the purpose of this guideline was to update
      clinicians regarding the data surrounding brachytherapy (BT) and provide
      recommendations for the utilization of BT in patients with STS. METHODS AND
      MATERIALS: Members of the American Brachytherapy Society with expertise in STS,
      and STS BT in particular, created an updated guideline for the use of BT in STS
      based on a literature review and clinical experience. RESULTS: Guidelines are
      presented with respect to dose and fractionation and technical features to
      improve outcomes and potentially reduce the risk of toxicity. Brachytherapy as
      monotherapy can be considered in low-risk cases or in situations where re
      irradiation is being considered. Brachytherapy boost can be considered in cases
      at higher risk of recurrence or where BT alone cannot adequately cover the target
      volume. To limit wound complications, the start of BT delivery should be delayed
      until final wound closure, or if after immediate reconstruction, started after
      postoperative Day 5. CONCLUSIONS: The current guidelines have been created to
      provide clinicians with a review of the data supporting BT in the management of
      STS as well as providing indications and technique guidelines to ensure optimal
      patient selection and clinical outcomes.

PMID- 28342740
TI  - The development of a real-time reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction
      (rRT-PCR) assay using TaqMan technology for the pan detection of bluetongue virus
      (BTV).
AB  - Bluetongue virus (BTV) is an infectious, non-contagious viral disease of domestic
      and wild ruminants that is transmitted by adult females of certain Culicoides
      species. Since 2006, several serotypes including BTV-1, 2, 4, 6, 8, 9 and 16,
      have spread from the Mediterranean basin into Northern Europe for the first time.
      BTV-8 in particular, caused a major epidemic in northern Europe. As a result, it
      is evident that most European countries are at risk of BTV infection. The
      objective of this study was to develop and validate a real-time reverse
      transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (rRT-PCR) assay based on TaqMan
      technology for the detection of representative strains of all BTV serotypes.
      Primers and probes were based on genome segment 10 of the virus, the NS3 gene.
      The assay was tested for sensitivity, and specificity. The analytical sensitivity
      of the rRT-PCR assay was 200 copies of RNA per reaction. The assay did not
      amplify the closely related orbivirus epizootic hemorrhagic disease virus (EHDV)
      but successfully detected all BTV reference strains including clinical samples
      from animals experimentally infected with BTV-8. This real time RT-PCR assay
      offers a sensitive, specific and rapid alternative assay for the pan detection of
      BTV that could be used as part of a panel of diagnostic assays for the detection
      of all serotypes of BTV.

PMID- 28342741
TI  - Treatment of Secondary Vestibulodynia with Conjugated Estrogen Cream: A Pilot,
      Double-Blind, Randomized Placebo-Controlled Trial.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: To assess the efficacy of conjugated equine estrogen cream in reducing
      dyspareunia associated with secondary provoked vestibulodynia. METHODS: We
      conducted a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial that included
      women with secondary provoked vestibulodynia. Participants were randomly
      allocated to daily application of conjugated equine estrogen cream on the vulvar
      vestibule (estrogen group) or daily application of a similar placebo cream
      (placebo group). All patients were evaluated before and after eight weeks of
      treatment, using a visual analogue scale for superficial dyspareunia (primary
      outcome), the McGill Pain Questionnaire for superficial dyspareunia, the Female
      Sexual Function Index for sexual satisfaction, and vulvoscopy for vestibular
      erythema. RESULTS: The targeted recruitment for this study was 44 women, but
      because of funding shortfalls recruitment was limited to 20 women. These 20
      participants were randomly assigned to two groups of 10. Improvement of
      superficial dyspareunia on the visual analogue scale was not significantly
      different between the two groups (estrogen group: 27% improvement vs. placebo
      group: 3% improvement, P = 0.29). However, the use of conjugated equine estrogen
      cream was associated with a significant post-treatment improvement in superficial
      dyspareunia and in all three secondary outcomes (P < 0.05), whereas this was not
      the case with the use of placebo. CONCLUSION: Daily application of conjugated
      equine estrogen cream to the vulvar vestibule could potentially reduce
      superficial dyspareunia in women with secondary provoked vestibulodynia, but a
      randomized trial with adequate statistical power will be required to demonstrate
      this.

PMID- 28342742
TI  - Should HPV Vaccination Be Offered to Mid-adult Women?

PMID- 28342743
TI  - Measurement of ion fluxes across epithelia.
AB  - Epithelial tissues line all wet surfaces of vertebrate bodies. Their major
      function is directional transport of ions and water. Cells forming an epithelial
      layer are bound together by a tight junction that forms a barrier to ion flux.
      Ions and water are transported via specialized molecules. The presence of a
      defect in a single ion channel molecule leads to cystic fibrosis - the most
      common, fatal, human genetic disease. The paper describes ion transport data
      obtained by means of different experimental techniques. Special attention is
      given to radiochemical tracers, transepithelial resistance determination, open
      circuit potential and short circuit current measurements, the nasal potential
      difference in healthy and cystic fibrosis patients, the use of ion selective
      electrodes, and electrochemical mapping of the cell membrane surface. The effect
      of different activators and blockers of ion transport molecules on measured
      parameters are also discussed.

PMID- 28342744
TI  - Synthesis and anti-cancer activity of chiral tetrahydropyrazolo[1,5-a]pyridine
      fused steroids.
AB  - Regio- and stereoselective synthesis of novel chiral 4,5,6,7
      tetrahydropyrazolo[1,5-a]pyridine-fused steroids via [8pi+2pi] cycloaddition of
      diazafulvenium methides with steroidal scaffolds is reported. The biological
      evaluation of the new family of hexacyclic steroids as anti-cancer agents was
      also carried out. Hexacyclic steroids bearing a benzyl group at C-22, derived
      from 16-dehydropregnenolone and 16-dehydroprogesterone, show considerable
      cytotoxicity against EL4 (murine T-lymphoma) in contrast with the corresponding C
      22-unsubstituted derivatives showing low cytotoxicity. Thus, results indicate
      that the presence of the benzyl group is important to ensure cytotoxicity.

PMID- 28342745
TI  - Culture of non-typeable Haemophilus influenzae from the nasopharynx: Not all
      media are equal.
AB  - The efficacy of chocolate agar, versus bacitracin, vancomycin, clindamycin,
      chocolate agar (BVCCA) for the isolation of non-typeable Haemophilus influenzae
      (NTHi) from nasopharyngeal swabs was determined. BVCCA cultured NTHi from 97.3%
      of NTHi-positive swabs, compared to 87.1% for chocolate agar. To maximise culture
      sensitivity, the use of both media is recommended.

PMID- 28342746
TI  - Diagnosing acute HIV infection: The performance of quantitative HIV-1 RNA testing
      (viral load) in the 2014 laboratory testing algorithm.
AB  - New recommendations for laboratory diagnosis of HIV infection in the United
      States were published in 2014. The updated testing algorithm includes a
      qualitative HIV-1 RNA assay to resolve discordant immunoassay results and to
      identify acute HIV-1 infection (AHI). The qualitative HIV-1 RNA assay is not
      widely available; therefore, we evaluated the performance of a more widely
      available quantitative HIV-1 RNA assay, viral load, for diagnosing AHI. We
      determined that quantitative viral loads consistently distinguished AHI from a
      false-positive immunoassay result. Among 100 study participants with AHI and a
      viral load result, the estimated geometric mean viral load was
      1,377,793copies/mL.

PMID- 28342748
TI  - RNAi of arcRNA hsromega affects sub-cellular localization of Drosophila FUS to
      drive neurodiseases.
AB  - Defective RNA metabolism is common pathogenic mechanisms involved in neurological
      disorders. Indeed, a conspicuous feature of some neurodegenerative diseases is
      the loss of nuclear activities of RNA-binding proteins (RBPs) like Fused in
      sarcoma (FUS) and eventually, their accumulation in cytoplasmic proteinaceous
      inclusions. Long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) are emerging as important regulators
      of tissue physiology and disease processes, including neurological disorders. A
      subset of these lncRNAs is the core of nuclear bodies (NBs), which are the sites
      of RNA processing and sequestration of specific ribonucleoproteins (RNPs)
      complexes. In Drosophila melanogaster the lncRNA hsromega is the architectural
      RNA (arcRNA) of the NB omega speckles (omega-speckles). Here, we show that the
      neuron-specific and motor neuron-specific knockdown of hsromega impairs
      locomotion in larval and adult flies and induces anatomical defects in
      presynaptic terminals of motor neurons, suggesting a novel role of arcRNA
      hsromega in development of neuromuscular junctions. Since RBPs are recognized as
      important regulators of neuronal activities, to examine the molecular mechanism
      of such neurodegeneration, we analysed interaction between hsromega and
      Drosophila orthologue of human FUS (dFUS). Strictly, we found that dFUS
      genetically and physically interacts with the arcRNA hsromega. Moreover, we
      revealed that a fine regulation of gene expression occurs between hsromega and
      dFUS and surprisingly, we uncover that depletion of hsromega affects the sub
      cellular compartmentalization of dFUS thus, enhancing its cytoplasmic
      localization and inducing its loss of nuclear function. The model we propose
      shows the role of arcRNA in diseases affecting the nervous system and in
      particular it elucidates the molecular mechanism underlying the loss of dFUS
      nuclear function in the absence of its mutations. Our new findings could provide
      new insights into the pathogenesis of neurodegenerative disease dependent on mis
      function or mis-localization of aggregation prone RNA binding proteins like FUS
      in Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis.

PMID- 28342747
TI  - Subthalamic nucleus beta and gamma activity is modulated depending on the level
      of imagined grip force.
AB  - Motor imagery involves cortical networks similar to those activated by real
      movements, but the extent to which the basal ganglia are recruited is not yet
      clear. Gamma and beta oscillations in the subthalamic nucleus (STN) vary with the
      effort of sustained muscle activity. We recorded local field potentials in
      Parkinson's disease patients and investigated if similar changes can be observed
      during imagined gripping at three different 'forces'. We found that beta activity
      decreased significantly only for imagined grips at the two stronger force levels.
      Additionally, gamma power significantly scaled with increasing imagined force.
      Thus, in combination, these two spectral features can provide information about
      the intended force of an imaginary grip even in the absence of sensory feedback.
      Modulations in the two frequency bands during imaginary movement may explain the
      rehabilitating benefit of motor imagery to improve motor performance. The results
      also suggest that STN LFPs may provide useful information for brain-machine
      interfaces.

PMID- 28342749
TI  - Characterizing the differential roles of striatal 5-HT1A auto- and hetero
      receptors in the reduction of l-DOPA-induced dyskinesia.
AB  - l-DOPA remains the benchmark treatment for Parkinson's disease (PD) motor
      symptoms, but chronic use leads to l-DOPA-induced dyskinesia (LID). The serotonin
      (5-HT) system has been established as a key modulator of LID and 5-HT1A receptors
      (5-HT1AR) stimulation has been shown to convey anti-dyskinetic effects. However,
      5-HT1AR agonists often compromise clinical efficacy or display intrinsic side
      effects and their site(s) of actions remain debatable. Recently, highly selective
      G-protein biased 5-HT1AR agonists, F13714 and F15599, were shown to potently
      target 5-HT1A auto- or hetero-receptors, respectively. The current investigation
      sought to identify the signaling mechanisms and neuroanatomical substrates by
      which 5-HT1AR produce behavioral effects. In experiment 1, hemi-parkinsonian, l
      DOPA-primed rats received systemic injections of vehicle, F13714 (0.01 or
      0.02mg/kg), or F15599 (0.06 or 0.12mg/kg) 5min prior to l-DOPA (6mg/kg), after
      which LID, motor performance and 5-HT syndrome were rated. Both compounds
      significantly reduced LID, without affecting motor performance, however, acute
      administration of F13714 significantly induced 5-HT syndrome at anti-dyskinetic
      doses. In experiment 2, we elucidated the role of striatal 5-HT1AR in the effects
      of F13714 and F15599. Hemi-parkinsonian, l-DOPA-primed rats received bilateral
      intra-striatal microinjections of either F13714 (0, 2 or 10MUg/side) or F15599
      (0, 10 or 30MUg/side) 5min prior to systemic l-DOPA (6mg/kg). Intra-striatal
      effects mimicked systemic effects, suggesting that striatal 5-HT1AR sub
      populations play an important role in the anti-LID and pro-5-HT syndrome profiles
      of F13714 and F15599. Finally, in experiment 3, we examined the effects of F13714
      and F15599 on D1 receptor (D1R) agonist-induced dyskinesia by administering
      either compound 5min prior to SKF 38393 (2mg/kg). While F13714 resulted in a mild
      delay in D1R-mediated dyskinesia, F15599 had no effect. Collectively these data
      suggest that the F-series compounds articulate their anti-LID effects through
      activation of a diverse set of striatal 5-HT1A hetero-receptor populations.

PMID- 28342751
TI  - Reproducibility of four frequently used local heating protocols to assess
      cutaneous microvascular function.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Skin microvascular responses to local heating are frequently used to
      assess microvascular function. Several local heating protocols have been
      developed, all varying slightly in execution. The aim of this study was to
      determine the inter-day reproducibility of the four most commonly used local
      heating protocols in healthy young subjects. METHODS: Fifteen, healthy males
      (28+/-5yrs, BMI 25+/-2kg/m2) attended two experimental trials 2-7days apart.
      During each trial, baseline and maximal thermally stimulated forearm skin
      responses were examined simultaneously at four sites on the dominant forearm
      using laser Doppler flowmetry (LDF). The following heating protocols were
      adopted: 1. Rapid 39 degrees C (0.5 degrees C/5s), 2. Rapid 42 degrees C (0.5
      degrees C/5s) 3. Gradual 42 degrees C (0.5 degrees C/2min 30s) and 4. Slow 42
      degrees C (0.5 degrees C/5min). The coefficient of variation (CV) was calculated
      for absolute flux, cutaneous vascular conductance (CVC; flux/mean arterial
      pressure, MAP) and CVC expressed as a percentage of maximal CVC at 44 degrees C
      (%CVCmax) at three different time points; baseline (33 degrees C), plateau (39/42
      degrees C) and maximal (44 degrees C). RESULTS: Reproducibility of baseline flux,
      CVC and %CVCmax was 17-29% across all protocols. During the plateau, Rapid,
      Gradual and Slow 42 degrees C demonstrated a reproducibility of 13-18% for flux
      and CVC and 5-11% for %CVCmax. However, Rapid 39 degrees C demonstrated a lower
      reproducibility for flux, CVC and %CVCmax (all 21%). Reproducibility at 44
      degrees C was 12-15% for flux and CVC across all protocols. CONCLUSION: This is
      the first study examining inter-day reproducibility across four local heating
      protocols. The good-to-moderate reproducibility of the Rapid, Gradual and Slow 42
      degrees C protocols support their (simultaneous) use to assess microvascular
      function. Using Rapid 39 degrees C may require a greater number of subjects to
      detect differences within subjects.

PMID- 28342752
TI  - Chitosan-doped-hybrid/TiO2 nanocomposite based sol-gel coating for the corrosion
      resistance of aluminum metal in 3.5% NaCl medium.
AB  - The study outlines the role of chitosan, a biopolymer on corrosion behavior of
      Hy/nano-TiO2 based sol-gel coating over aluminum metal. In this study organic
      inorganic hybrid sols were synthesized through hydrolysis and condensation of 3
      glycidoxypropyltrimethoxy silane (GPTMS), tetraethoxysilane (TEOS) and titanium
      (IV) isopropoxide (TIP) in acidic solution. Chitosan was doped into sol-gel
      matrix and self-assembled over aluminum substrate. The resultant chitosan-doped
      Hy/nano-TiO2 sol-gel coating was characterized by Fourier Transform Infrared (FT
      IR) spectra, Raman spectroscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), Scanning
      Electron Microscopy (SEM), Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM) and Energy-Dispersive X
      ray Spectroscopy (EDX) analyses. The as-tailored aluminum substrate was evaluated
      for corrosion resistance in neutral medium. The protection ability of these
      coatings was evaluated by electrochemical impedance studies (EIS) and
      potentiodynamic polarization (PP) measurements in 3.5% NaCl medium. The EIS and
      PP results showed that chitosan-doped- Hy/nano-TiO2 sol-gel coating exhibited
      better protection from corrosion than the undoped Hy/TiO2 nanocomposite coating.

PMID- 28342750
TI  - Mutation of the caspase-3 cleavage site in the astroglial glutamate transporter
      EAAT2 delays disease progression and extends lifespan in the SOD1-G93A mouse
      model of ALS.
AB  - Downregulation in the astroglial glutamate transporter EAAT2 in amyotrophic
      lateral sclerosis (ALS) patients and mutant SOD1 mouse models of ALS is believed
      to contribute to the death of motor neurons by excitotoxicity. We previously
      reported that caspase-3 cleaves EAAT2 at a unique cleavage consensus site located
      in its c-terminus domain, a proteolytic cleavage that also occurs in vivo in the
      mutant SOD1 mouse model of ALS and leads to accumulation of a sumoylated EAAT2 C
      terminus fragment (CTE-SUMO1) beginning around onset of disease. CTE-SUMO1
      accumulates in PML nuclear bodies of astrocytes and causes them to alter their
      mature phenotypes and secrete factors toxic to motor neurons. Here, we report
      that mutating the caspase-3 consensus site in the EAAT2 sequence with an
      aspartate to asparagine mutation (D504N), thereby inhibiting caspase-3 cleavage
      of EAAT2, confers protection to the SOD1-G93A mouse. EAAT2-D504N knock-in mutant
      mice were generated and crossed with SOD1-G93A mice to assess the in vivo
      pathogenic relevance for ALS symptoms of EAAT2 cleavage. The mutation did not
      affect normal EAAT2 function nor non-ALS mice. In agreement with the timing of
      CTE-SUMO1 accumulation, while onset of disease was not affected, the mutation
      caused an extension in progression time, a delay in the development of hindlimb
      and forelimb muscle weakness, and a significant increase in the lifespan of SOD1
      G93A mice.

PMID- 28342753
TI  - Evaluation of chitosan as a wall material for microencapsulation of squalene by
      spray drying: Characterization and oxidative stability studies.
AB  - The present study was aimed at investigating the efficacy of chitosan as a wall
      material for microencapsulation of squalene by spray drying for functional food
      applications. Based on different core to wall material ratio (1:1, 0.5:1 and
      0.3:1 on w/w basis), emulsions were prepared and evaluated in terms of emulsion
      stability, particle size, zeta potential, polydispersity Index (PDI), rheology
      and microstructure. The optimized emulsion combination was spray dried and
      characterized, physically and chemically. The encapsulation efficiency of the
      powder was found to be 26+/-0.6% whereas other properties such as particle size,
      zeta potential, water activity, hygroscopicity, Carr Index, Hausner ratio have
      shown satisfactory results. SEM analysis showed that the squalene microcapsules
      were smooth spherical particles free from dents and fissures. FTIR data further
      confirmed the encapsulation of squalene with chitosan. However, TGA, oxidative
      stability and accelerated Rancimat results showed that chitosan was not able to
      protect squalene from oxidation during storage. The results suggest that chitosan
      is not an appropriate wall material for microencapsulation of squalene and hence
      a combination of wall materials could be attempted for the encapsulation of
      squalene.

PMID- 28342754
TI  - Dietary supplementation of thiamine and pyridoxine-loaded vanillic acid-grafted
      chitosan microspheres enhances growth performance, metabolic and immune responses
      in experimental rats.
AB  - In the present investigation, the effect of dietary supplementation of thiamine
      and pyridoxine loaded vanillic acid-grafted chitosan microspheres (TPVGC) on
      growth, metabolic and immune responses in Wistar strain albino rats was studied.
      Eight experimental groups, namely four groups each for male and female rats were
      fed with 0, 0.4, 0.8 and 1.6% of TPVGC in the diet. At the end of 45days feeding
      trials, both male and female rats supplemented with TPVGC had higher weight gain%
      and specific growth rate than the control groups. Significantly (p<0.05) lower
      blood glucose level and higher respiratory burst activity were recorded in the
      treatment groups than the control groups of both male and female rats. Activity
      of metabolic enzymes (aspartate amino transferase, alanine aminotransferase,
      alkaline phosphatase and acid phosphatase) and antioxidant enzymes (superoxide
      dismutase, catalase and glutathione S-transferase) were significantly higher
      (p<0.05) in the control groups and a decreasing trend in the same was observed
      with a gradual increase in the inclusion level of TPVGC in the diet of the
      treatment groups. However, a reverse trend was observed for acetylcholine
      esterase. It was inferred that dietary supplementation of thiamine and pyridoxine
      loaded vanillic acid-grafted chitosan enhanced the growth performance, metabolic
      and immune responses in the animal-model.

PMID- 28342755
TI  - Mutation analysis of the interactions between Mycobacterium tuberculosis
      caseinolytic protease C1 (ClpC1) and ecumicin.
AB  - Ecumicin is a well-known and potent inhibitor of Mycobacterium tuberculosis.
      Although the target of ecumicin is caseinolytic protease C1 (ClpC1), the exact
      mechanism by which ecumicin inhibits ClpC1 has not been identified. To analyze
      ecumicin's action on ClpC1, site-directed mutagenesis was performed on its
      binding site. The estimated binding residues within ClpC1 to ecumicin were
      selected via in silico analysis using molecular docking. The selected residues
      were mutated by site-directed mutagenesis and the effects on ecumicin binding
      were analyzed. Mutation at the R83 residue, especially the R83A mutation, in
      ClpC1 resulted in strong resistance to ATPase activation and inhibition of
      proteolytic activity. In addition, binding of ecumicin to the R83A ClpC1 N
      terminal domain (residues 1-145) was not observed in native gel analysis. These
      results reveal that the R83 residue plays an important role in the binding of
      ecumicin. This result provides a basis for the development of an anti
      tuberculosis agent based on ecumicin derivatives.

PMID- 28342756
TI  - Photocatalytic and antimicrobial activities of chitosan-TiO2 nanocomposite.
AB  - Chitosan, a natural polysaccharide widely used for various biological
      applications due to their potential benefits. Incorporation of biomaterials with
      semiconductor has been exploited for waste water treatment and biological
      applications due to their nanometric sizes and biocompatibility of chitosan.
      Chitosan-Titanium dioxide (CS-TiO2) nanocomposite was synthesized and their
      optical, structural, spectral, thermal, morphological and elemental analyses were
      carried out by several techniques. The particle size of the synthesized CS-TiO2
      nanocomposite was around 90nm and has a crystalline structure with anatase phase
      of TiO2. The prepared nanocomposite acts as a photocatalyst for the removal of
      rhodamine B (RhB) and congo red (CR) dyes under visible light irradiation. The
      pseudo first order kinetics was derived according to Langmuir-Hinshelwood (L-H)
      model. The nanocomposite also proved to be an excellent antimicrobial agent
      against Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria; and also show activity against
      fungus. The antimicrobial activity of the CS-TiO2 nanocomposites exhibits a zone
      of inhibition ranged between 10.333+/-0.5773 and 25.667+/-1.5275 (mm).

PMID- 28342757
TI  - Role of enzymatic free radical scavengers in management of oxidative stress in
      autoimmune disorders.
AB  - Autoimmune disorders are distinct with over production and accumulation of free
      radicals due to its undisclosed genesis. The cause of numerous disorders as
      cancer, arthritis, psoriasis, diabetes, alzheimer's, cardiovascular disease,
      Parkinson's, respiratory distress syndrome, colitis, crohn's, pulmonary fibrosis,
      obesity and ageing have been associated with immune dysfunction and oxidative
      stress. In an oxidative stress, reactive oxygen species generally provoke the
      series of oxidation at cellular level. The buildup of free radicals in turn
      triggers various inflammatory cells causing release of various inflammatory
      interleukins, cytokines, chemokines, and tumor necrosis factors which mediate
      signal transduction and transcription pathways as nuclear factor- kappa B (NF
      kappaB), signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3), hypoxia
      inducible factor-1 (HIF-1alpha) and nuclear factor-erythroid 2-related factor
      (Nrf2). The imbalance could only be combat by supplementing natural defensive
      antioxidant enzymes such as superoxide dismutase and catalase. The efficiency of
      these enzymes is enhanced by use of colloidal carriers which include cellular
      carriers, vesicular and particulate systems like erythrocytes, leukocytes,
      platelets, liposomes, transferosomes, solid lipid nanoparticles, microspheres,
      emulsions. Thus this review provides a platform for understanding importance of
      antioxidant enzymes and its therapeutic applications in treatment of various
      autoimmune disorders.

PMID- 28342758
TI  - Effects of low-frequency ultrasound on heterogenous deacetylation of chitin.
AB  - The effects of low frequency ultrasound to the heterogeneous deacetylation of
      chitin from the shell of white shrimp (Penaeus vannamei) were examined. The
      deacetylation process was carried out in the range of NaOH concentrations from
      35% to 65% (w/w) with and without the ultrasound in the frequency of 37kHz,
      RMS=300W. The chitosan obtained was characterized in the degree of deacetylation,
      solubility, FT-IR and X-ray diffraction. The results showed that the behaviors of
      the deacetylation in two cases, with and without ultrasound, were similar but the
      ultrasound enhanced the deacetylation rate and therefore reduced the time of the
      reaction to get the same degree of deacetylation. The role of ultrasound in the
      process showed more clearly in the low concentration of sodium hydroxide, below
      45% (w/w). At the higher concentration of sodium hydroxide, the influence of
      ultrasound on facilitating deacetylation decreased significantly, however,
      ultrasound was still keeping on its improving effect on the solubility of the
      chitosan obtained. The data from FT-IR and X-ray diffraction did not show any
      considerable change in structure of both kinds of chitosan. This study showed the
      potential of using low frequency ultrasound in enhancing the deacetylation of
      chitin for reducing the chemical consumption.

PMID- 28342760
TI  - Correction of Hirschsprung-Associated Mutations in Human Induced Pluripotent Stem
      Cells Via Clustered Regularly Interspaced Short Palindromic Repeats/Cas9,
      Restores Neural Crest Cell Function.
AB  - BACKGROUND & AIMS: Hirschsprung disease is caused by failure of enteric neural
      crest cells (ENCCs) to fully colonize the bowel, leading to bowel obstruction and
      megacolon. Heterozygous mutations in the coding region of the RET gene cause a
      severe form of Hirschsprung disease (total colonic aganglionosis). However, 80%
      of HSCR patients have short-segment Hirschsprung disease (S-HSCR), which has not
      been associated with genetic factors. We sought to identify mutations associated
      with S-HSCR, and used the clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic
      repeats (CRISPR)/Cas9 gene editing system to determine how mutations affect ENCC
      function. METHODS: We created induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC) lines from 1
      patient with total colonic aganglionosis (with the G731del mutation in RET) and
      from 2 patients with S-HSCR (without a RET mutation), as well as RET+/- and RET-/
      iPSCs. IMR90-iPSC cells were used as the control cell line. Migration and
      differentiation capacities of iPSC-derived ENCCs were analyzed in differentiation
      and migration assays. We searched for mutation(s) associated with S-HSCR by
      combining genetic and transcriptome data from patient blood- and iPSC-derived
      ENCCs, respectively. Mutations in the iPSCs were corrected using the CRISPR/Cas9
      system. RESULTS: ENCCs derived from all iPSC lines, but not control iPSCs, had
      defects in migration and neuronal lineage differentiation. RET mutations were
      associated with differentiation and migration defects of ENCCs in vitro. Genetic
      and transcriptome analyses associated a mutation in the vinculin gene (VCL M209L)
      with S-HSCR. CRISPR/Cas9 correction of the RET G731del and VCL M209L mutations in
      iPSCs restored the differentiation and migration capacities of ENCCs.
      CONCLUSIONS: We identified mutations in VCL associated with S-HSCR. Correction of
      this mutation in iPSC using CRISPR/Cas9 editing, as well as the RET G731del
      mutation that causes Hirschsprung disease with total colonic aganglionosis,
      restored ENCC function. Our study demonstrates how human iPSCs can be used to
      identify disease-associated mutations and determine how they affect cell
      functions and contribute to pathogenesis.

PMID- 28342759
TI  - Activation of Epithelial Signal Transducer and Activator of Transcription 1 by
      Interleukin 28 Controls Mucosal Healing in Mice With Colitis and Is Increased in
      Mucosa of Patients With Inflammatory Bowel Disease.
AB  - BACKGROUND & AIMS: We investigated the roles of interleukin 28A (also called
      IL28A or interferon lambda2) in intestinal epithelial cell (IEC) activation,
      studying its effects in mouse models of inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD) and
      intestinal mucosal healing. METHODS: Colitis was induced in C57BL/6JCrl mice
      (controls), mice with IEC-specific disruption of Stat1 (Stat1IEC-KO), mice with
      disruption of the interferon lambda receptor 1 gene (Il28ra-/-), and mice with
      disruption of the interferon regulatory factor 3 gene (Irf3-/-), with or without
      disruption of Irf7 (Irf7-/-). We used high-resolution mini-endoscopy and in vivo
      imaging methods to assess colitis progression. We used 3-dimensional small
      intestine and colon organoids, along with RNA-Seq and gene ontology methods, to
      characterize the effects of IL28 on primary IECs. We studied the effects of IL28
      on the human intestinal cancer cell line Caco-2 in a wound-healing assay, and in
      mice colon wounds. Colonic biopsies and resected tissue from patients with IBD (n
      = 62) and patients without colon inflammation (controls, n = 23) were analyzed by
      quantitative polymerase chain rection to measure expression of IL28A, IL28RA, and
      other related cytokines; biopsy samples were also analyzed by immunofluorescence
      to identify sources of IL28 production. IECs were isolated from patient tissues
      and incubated with IL28; signal transducer and activator of transcription 1
      (STAT1) phosphorylation was measured by immunoblots and confocal imaging.
      RESULTS: Lamina propria cells in colon tissues of patients with IBD, and mice
      with colitis, had increased expression of IL28 compared with controls; levels of
      IL28R were increased in the colonic epithelium of patients with IBD and mice with
      colitis. Administration of IL28 induced phosphorylation of STAT1 in primary human
      and mouse IECs, increasing with dose. Il28ra-/-, Irf3-/-, Irf3-/-Irf7-/-, as well
      as Stat1IEC-KO mice, developed more severe colitis after administration of
      dextran sulfate sodium than control mice, with reduced epithelial restitution.
      Il28ra-/- and Stat1IEC-KO mice also developed more severe colitis in response to
      oxazolone than control mice. We found IL28 to induce phosphorylation (activation)
      of STAT1 in epithelial cells, leading to their proliferation in organoid culture.
      Administration of IL28 to mice with induced colonic wounds promoted mucosal
      healing. CONCLUSIONS: IL28 controls proliferation of IECs in mice with colitis
      and accelerates mucosal healing by activating STAT1. IL28 might be developed as a
      therapeutic agent for patients with IBD.

PMID- 28342761
TI  - Cardiovascular tolerance of intravenous bupivacaine in broiler chickens (Gallus
      gallus domesticus) anesthetized with isoflurane.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: To determine the median effective dose (ED50) of intravenous (IV)
      bupivacaine associated with a 50% probability of causing clinically relevant
      cardiovascular effects [defined as 30% change in heart rate (HR) or mean arterial
      pressure (MAP)] in chickens anesthetized with isoflurane. STUDY DESIGN:
      Randomized up-and-down study. ANIMALS: A total of 14 Ross-708 broiler chickens
      (Gallus gallus domesticus) weighing 1.70-2.75 kg. METHODS: Anesthesia was induced
      and maintained with isoflurane. Monitoring included the electrocardiogram and
      invasive arterial pressures. Chickens were administered bupivacaine IV over 2
      minutes using a dose based on the response of the previous animal. Dose was
      decreased when HR and/or MAP in the previous animal increased or decreased >=30%
      after bupivacaine administration, or increased when HR or MAP changed <30%. The
      ED50 was defined as the dose resulting in >=30% variation in HR or MAP in 50% of
      the population studied. RESULTS: The IV ED50 of bupivacaine was 1.94 mg kg-1
      using Dixon's up-and-down method and 1.96 mg kg-1 by logistic regression.
      CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE: These results suggest that 1.33 and 1.96 mg
      kg-1 of IV bupivacaine are associated with a respective 1 or 50% probability of a
      clinically significant change in MAP in isoflurane-anesthetized chickens.
      Identification of the cardiovascular changes associated with different doses of
      bupivacaine can be used as the basis for studies of therapeutic applications in
      the domestic chicken. Further studies are required to determine interspecies
      variation.

PMID- 28342762
TI  - Male accessory gland proteins affect differentially female sexual receptivity and
      remating in closely related Drosophila species.
AB  - In sexual species, mating success depends on the male's capacity to find sexual
      partners and on female receptivity to mating. Mating is under evolutionary
      constraints to prevent interspecific mating and to maximize the reproductive
      success of both sexes. In Drosophila melanogaster, female receptivity to mating
      is mainly controlled by Sex peptide (SP, i.e. Acp70A) produced by the male
      accessory glands with other proteins (Acps). The transfer of SP during copulation
      dramatically reduces female receptivity to mating and prevents remating with
      other males. To date, female postmating responses are well-known in D.
      melanogaster but have been barely investigated in closely-related species or
      strains exhibiting different mating systems (monoandrous versus polyandrous).
      Here, we describe the diversity of mating systems in two strains of D.
      melanogaster and the three species of the yakuba complex. Remating delay and
      sexual receptivity were measured in cross-experiments following SP orthologs or
      Acp injections within females. Interestingly, we discovered strong differences
      between the two strains of D. melanogaster as well as among the three species of
      the yakuba complex. These results suggest that reproductive behavior is under the
      control of complex sexual interactions between the sexes and evolves rapidly,
      even among closely-related species.

PMID- 28342763
TI  - Serotonin and neuroplasticity - Links between molecular, functional and
      structural pathophysiology in depression.
AB  - Serotonin modulates neuroplasticity, especially during early life, and
      dysfunctions in both systems likewise contribute to pathophysiology of
      depression. Recent findings demonstrate that serotonin reuptake inhibitors
      trigger reactivation of juvenile-like neuroplasticity. How these findings
      translate to clinical antidepressant treatment in major depressive disorder
      remains unclear. With this review, we link preclinical with clinical work on
      serotonin and neuroplasticity to bring two pathophysiologic models in clinical
      depression closer together. Dysfunctional developmental plasticity impacts on
      later-life cognitive and emotional functions, changes of synaptic serotonin
      levels and receptor levels are coupled with altered synaptic plasticity and
      neurogenesis. Structural magnetic resonance imaging in patients reveals disease
      state-specific reductions of gray matter, a marker of neuroplasticity, and
      reversibility upon selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor treatment.
      Translational evidence from magnetic resonance imaging in animals support that
      reduced densities and sizes of neurons and reduced hippocampal volumes in
      depressive patients could be attributable to changes of serotonergic
      neuroplasticity. Since ketamine, physical exercise or learning enhance
      neuroplasticity, combinatory paradigms with selective serotonin reuptake
      inhibitors could enhance clinical treatment of depression.

PMID- 28342764
TI  - Ketamine as a rapid-acting agent for suicidal ideation: A meta-analysis.
AB  - The current systematic review and meta-analysis aimed at exploring acute effects
      of intravenous (IV) ketamine, an antagonist of N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA), in
      subjects with current suicidal ideation. We included clinical trials testing a
      single IV dose of ketamine and assessing changes in suicidal ideation within 4h
      after treatment. Meta-analyses based on random-effects models, were carried out
      generating pooled standardized mean differences (SMDs) between endpoint and
      baseline scores. Heterogeneity among studies was estimated using the I2 index. We
      searched main Electronic Databases, identifying five studies that met our
      inclusion criteria. The trials included 99 subjects treated with IV ketamine
      bolus or infusion. Data showed a large (SMD=-0.92; 95%CI: -1.40 to -0.44;
      p<0.001) and consistent (I2=21.6%) decrease of suicidal ideation, with effects
      comparable between IV bolus and infusion ketamine. Additional analyses confirmed
      the efficacy of ketamine across different time points. However, relevant,
      emerging evidence should be considered as 'very low' so far. Randomized,
      controlled and adequately powered trials are needed.

PMID- 28342765
TI  - Hippocampal insulin resistance and altered food decision-making as players on
      obesity risk.
AB  - There are increasing evidences that hippocampus can modulate the decision of
      what, when and how much to eat, in addition to its already recognized role in
      learning and memory processes. Insulin also has been linked to brain functions
      such as feeding behavior and the imbalance of its mechanism of action on
      hippocampus is being related to cognitive dysfunction. The discussion here is
      whether changes in insulin action could contribute to intake dysregulation and
      obesogenic behavior as a primary consequence of impairing hippocampal
      functioning, aside from the role of this hormone on obesity development through
      peripheral metabolic pathways. Excess intake of high-fat and high-sugar diets
      leads to insulin resistance, which disrupts hippocampal function. Hippocampal
      physiology is sensitive to signals of hunger and satiety, inhibiting the ability
      of food cues to evoke appetite and eating, therefore alterations in hippocampal
      integrity could affect food inhibitory control leading to increased intake and
      obesity.

PMID- 28342766
TI  - Antisocial behaviour and psychopathy: Uncovering the externalizing link in the P3
      modulation.
AB  - In 2009, Gao and Raine's meta-analysis analysed P3 modulation over the antisocial
      spectrum. However, some questions remained open regarding the P3 modulation
      patterns across impulsive and violent manifestations of antisocial behaviour,
      phenotypic components of psychopathy, and P3 components. A systematic review of
      36 studies was conducted (N=3514) to extend previous results and to address these
      unresolved questions. A clear link between decreased P3 amplitude and antisocial
      behaviour was found. In psychopathy, dimensional approaches become more
      informative than taxonomic models. Distinct etiological pathways of psychopathy
      were evidenced in cognitive tasks: impulsive-antisocial psychopathic traits
      mainly predicted blunted P3 amplitude, while interpersonal-affective psychopathic
      traits explained enhanced P3 amplitude. Supporting the low fear hypothesis, the
      interpersonal-affective traits were associated with reduced P3 amplitude in
      emotional-affective learning tasks. From the accumulated knowledge we propose a
      framework of P3 amplitude modulation that uncovers the externalizing link between
      psychopathy and antisocial behaviour. However, the main hypotheses are
      exploratory and call for more data before stablishing robust conclusions.

PMID- 28342767
TI  - Developing Cognitive Task Analysis-based Educational Videos for Basic Surgical
      Skills in Plastic Surgery.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: To describe the development of cognitive task analysis (CTA)-based
      multimedia educational videos for surgical trainees in plastic surgery. DESIGN: A
      needs assessment survey was used to identify 5 plastic surgery skills on which to
      focus the educational videos. Three plastic surgeons were video-recorded
      performing each skill while describing the procedure, and were interviewed with
      probing questions. Three medical student reviewers coded transcripts and
      categorized each step into "action," "decision," or "assessment," and created a
      cognitive demands table (CDT) for each skill. The CDTs were combined into 1 table
      that was reviewed by the surgeons performing each skill to ensure accuracy. The
      final CDTs were compared against each surgeon's original transcripts. The total
      number of steps identified, percentage of steps shared, and the average
      percentage of steps omitted were calculated. SETTING: Sunnybrook Health Sciences
      Centre, Toronto, Ontario, Canada, an urban tertiary care teaching center.
      PARTICIPANTS: Canadian junior plastic surgery residents (n = 78) were sent a
      needs assessment survey. Four plastic surgeons and 1 orthopedic surgeon performed
      the skills. RESULTS: Twenty-eight residents responded to the survey (36%).
      Subcuticular suturing, horizontal and vertical mattress suturing, hand splinting,
      digital nerve block, and excisional biopsy had the most number of residents
      (>80%) rank the skills as being skills that students should be able to perform
      before entering residency. The number of steps identified through CTA ranged from
      12 to 29. Percentage of steps shared by all 3 surgeons for each skill ranged from
      30% to 48%, while the average percentage of steps that were omitted by each
      surgeon ranged from 27% to 40%. CONCLUSIONS: Instructional videos for basic
      surgical skills may be generated using CTA to help experts provide comprehensive
      descriptions of a procedure. A CTA-based educational tool may give trainees
      access to a broader, objective body of knowledge, allowing them to learn decision
      making processes before entering the operating room.

PMID- 28342768
TI  - Role of the lateral preoptic area in cardiovascular and neuroendocrine responses
      to acute restraint stress in rats.
AB  - The lateral preoptic area (LPO) is connected with limbic structures involved in
      physiological and behavioral responses to stress. Accordingly, exposure to
      stressors stimuli activates neurons within the LPO. In spite of these evidence,
      an involvement of the LPO on cardiovascular and neuroendocrine adjustments during
      aversive threats has not yet been investigated. Therefore, in the present study
      we tested the hypothesis that the LPO is involved in the control of
      cardiovascular and neuroendocrine responses to acute restraint stress in rats.
      Bilateral microinjection of the nonselective synaptic blocker CoCl2
      (0.1nmol/100nl) into the LPO did not affect basal values of either arterial
      pressure, heart rate, tail skin temperature, or plasma corticosterone
      concentration. However, LPO treatment with CoCl2 enhanced the tachycardiac
      response and the increase in plasma corticosterone concentration caused by
      restraint stress. Conversely, LPO synaptic blockade decreased restraint-evoked
      pressor response. Sympathetic-mediated cutaneous vasoconstriction during
      restraint stress was not affected by LPO pharmacological treatment. These
      findings indicate an inhibitory influence of LPO on tachycardiac and plasma
      corticosterone responses evoked during aversive threats. Additionally, data
      suggest that LPO plays a facilitatory influence on stress-evoked pressor
      response.

PMID- 28342769
TI  - A laboratory study on attentional bias as an underlying mechanism affecting the
      link between cortisol and performance, leading to a discussion on the nature of
      the stressor (artificial vs. psychosocial).
AB  - Although cortisol is assumed to influence performance by affecting cognition
      during stressful and competitive situations, to date this assumption has not been
      tested empirically. Therefore, the aim of this study was to investigate whether
      the influence of cortisol on performance is mediated by attentional processing of
      emotional information. Forty-six male golfers were tested in a mixed design. The
      cold pressor task (CPT) was used to artificially increase cortisol levels in the
      experimental group relative to the control group, who had to put their forearm in
      warm water. Before and after water immersion the golfers performed one-armed 1.5
      m puts and completed the Sport Emotional Stroop Task. Cortisol was significantly
      increased in the experimental group (CPT). Further, a significant decrease in
      attentional bias toward negative sport words was detected in the CPT group.
      However, no changes in putting performance due to an increase in cortisol were
      observed in the CPT group. Regarding the cortisol-performance relationship, the
      nature of the stressor (i.e., artificial vs. psychosocial) seems to play a role,
      as no connection was found in this study using an artificial stressor, whereas
      previous research using a psychosocial stressor (e.g., an actual competition) did
      find a connection. On the basis of these results I cautiously conclude that the
      subjective appraisal of a stressor, which is arguably higher for a psychosocial
      stressor, is more relevant for sport performance than just a change in cortisol
      level. However, as the stress response is psychophysiological in nature, future
      research should continue to investigate the role of cortisol.

PMID- 28342770
TI  - High risk no gain-metabolic performance of hatchery reared Atlantic salmon
      smolts, effects of nest emergence time, hypoxia avoidance behaviour and size.
AB  - When animals are reared for conservational releases it is paramount to avoid
      reducing genetic and phenotypic variation over time. This requires an
      understanding of how diverging behavioural and physiological traits affect
      performance both in captivity and after release. In Atlantic salmon, emergence
      time from the spawning gravel has been linked to certain behavioural and
      physiological characteristics and to the concept of stress coping styles. Early
      emerging fry has for example been shown to be bolder and more aggressive and to
      have higher standard metabolic rates compared to late emerging fry. The first aim
      was therefore to examine if emergence latency affect the behavioural stress
      coping response also beyond the fry and parr stage. This was done using a hypoxia
      avoidance test, where an active behavioural avoidance response can be related to
      higher risk taking. No behavioural differences were found between the two
      emergence fractions either at the parr or pre-smolt stage, instead smaller
      individuals were more prone to express an "active" hypoxia avoidance response.
      Further, an individual expressing a "passive" response as parr were also more
      prone to express this behaviour at the pre-smolt stage. While there are some
      previous studies showing that early emerging individuals with a bolder
      personality may be favored within a hatchery setting it is not known to what
      extent these early differences persist to affect performance after release. The
      second aim was therefore to compare the physiological performance at the time of
      release as smolts using the two subgroups; 1) early emerging fish showing active
      hypoxia avoidance (Early+Bold) and 2) late emerging fish showing a passive
      hypoxia response (Late+Shy). The Early+Bold group showed a higher red blood cell
      swelling, suggesting a higher adrenergic output during stress, whereas there was
      no difference in post-stress plasma cortisol or physiological smolt status. While
      there was no difference in standard metabolic rate between the groups, the
      Early+Bold group exhibited a lower maximum metabolic rate and aerobic scope
      following strenuous swimming. In captivity this may have no clear negative
      effects, but in the wild, a more risk prone behavioural profile linked to a lower
      aerobic capacity to escape from e.g. a predator attack, could clearly be
      disadvantageous.

PMID- 28342771
TI  - The area postrema (AP) and the parabrachial nucleus (PBN) are important sites for
      salmon calcitonin (sCT) to decrease evoked phasic dopamine release in the nucleus
      accumbens (NAc).
AB  - The pancreatic hormone amylin and its agonist salmon calcitonin (sCT) act via the
      area postrema (AP) and the lateral parabrachial nucleus (PBN) to reduce food
      intake. Investigations of amylin and sCT signaling in the ventral tegmental area
      (VTA) and nucleus accumbens (NAc) suggest that the eating inhibitory effect of
      amylin is, in part, mediated through the mesolimbic 'reward' pathway. Indeed,
      administration of the sCT directly to the VTA decreased phasic dopamine release
      (DA) in the NAc. However, it is not known if peripheral amylin modulates the
      mesolimbic system directly or whether this occurs via the AP and PBN. To
      determine whether and how peripheral amylin or sCT affect mesolimbic reward
      circuitry we utilized fast scan cyclic voltammetry under anesthesia to measure
      phasic DA release in the NAc evoked by electrical stimulation of the VTA in
      intact, AP lesioned and bilaterally PBN lesioned rats. Amylin (50MUg/kg i.p.) did
      not change phasic DA responses compared to saline control rats. However, sCT
      (50MUg/kg i.p.) decreased evoked DA release to VTA-stimulation over 1h compared
      to saline treated control rats. Further investigations determined that AP and
      bilateral PBN lesions abolished the ability of sCT to suppress evoked phasic DA
      responses to VTA-stimulation. These findings implicate the AP and the PBN as
      important sites for peripheral sCT to decrease evoked DA release in the NAc and
      suggest that these nuclei may influence hedonic and motivational processes to
      modulate food intake.

PMID- 28342772
TI  - Elucidating the structural organization of a novel low-density lipoprotein
      nanoparticle reconstituted with docosahexaenoic acid.
AB  - Low-density lipoprotein nanoparticles reconstituted with unesterified
      docosahexaenoic acid (LDL-DHA) is promising nanomedicine with enhanced
      physicochemical stability and selective anticancer cytotoxic activity. The unique
      functionality of LDL-DHA ultimately relates to the structure of this
      nanoparticle. To date, however, little is known about the structural organization
      of this nanoparticle. In this study chemical, spectroscopic and electron
      microscopy analyses were undertaken to elucidate the structural and molecular
      organization of LDL-DHA nanoparticles. Unesterified DHA preferentially
      incorporates into the outer surface layer of LDL, where in this orientation the
      anionic carboxyl end of DHA is exposed to the LDL surface and imparts an
      electronegative charge to the nanoparticles surface. This negative surface charge
      promotes the monodisperse and homogeneous distribution of LDL-DHA nanoparticles
      in solution. Further structural analyses with cryo-electron microscopy revealed
      that the LDL-DHA nanostructure consist of a phospholipid bilayer surrounding an
      aqueous core, which is distinctly different from the phospholipid
      monolayer/apolar core organization of plasma LDL. Lastly, apolipoprotein B-100
      remains strongly associated with this complex and maintains a discrete size and
      shape of the LDL-DHA nanoparticles similar to plasma LDL. This preliminary
      structural assessment of LDL-DHA now affords the opportunity to understand the
      important structure-function relationships of this novel nanoparticle.

PMID- 28342773
TI  - Generation of enhanced definitive endoderm from human embryonic stem cells under
      an albumin/insulin-free and chemically defined condition.
AB  - AIM: To enhance survival and generation of definitive endoderm cells from human
      embryonic stem cells in a simple and reproducible system. MAIN METHODS:
      Definitive endoderm (DE) differentiation from human embryonic stem cells (hESCs)
      was induced under a chemical-defined condition withdrawn insulin supplement and
      serum albumin. We dissected influence of "alternative growth factors", WNT3A,
      BMP4 and bFGF in activin A-driven differentiation by detection of DE-associated
      genes expression and cell viability. Expression of DE-associated SOX17 and FOXA2
      genes was analyzed by real time reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction
      (RT-PCR) and Western blot assays. Quantitative evaluation of DE efficiency was
      performed by flow cytometry analysis of CXCR4-expressed cell population. Cell
      viability during DE differentiation was analyzed by an Annexin V/PI double
      staining test. KEY FINDINGS: Supplementation with WNT3A, BMP4 or bFGF promoted DE
      generation in a dose- and time-dependent manner. Cell apoptosis elicited by
      activin A was significantly ameliorated by a cocktail with WNT3A, BMP4 and bFGF.
      This allowed for sustained cell viability without insulin-containing supplements,
      thereby indirectly improving the efficiency of DE generation. Therefore, the
      cocktail containing is optimal for efficient DE generation in the presence of
      activin A and an insulin/albumin-free condition. SIGNIFICANCE: This optimal
      condition facilitates the balance between the productivity and the viability
      maintenance, and could be valuable for mass production of DE with minimal
      variation.

PMID- 28342774
TI  - Hypercapnia-induced brain acidosis: Effects and putative mechanisms on acute
      kainate induced seizures.
AB  - AIMS: This study investigated the mechanism of the anticonvulsant effects of
      carbogen containing 5% CO2 in a kainic acid (KA) rat model. MAIN METHODS: Four
      week-old Sprague-Dawley rats were divided into four groups: control, carbogen,
      KA+air, and KA+carbogen. Carbogen containing 5% CO2 was applied immediately after
      KA injection, and cortical pH was recorded. High-performance liquid
      chromatography was used to detect the release of gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA)
      and glutamate. We used electrophysiology to measure cortical and hippocampal
      activities. KEY FINDINGS: Carbogen increased the onset latency of seizure (KA+air
      group, 26.12+/-2.11min; KA+carbogen group 43.65+/-2.78min, P<0.001) and reduced
      the frequency of seizures (KA+air group, 12.50+/-1.77; KA+carbogen group, 5.63+/
      1.59, P<0.001). Carbogen inhalation could reduce cortical pH (KA+air group,
      7.04+/-0.04; KA+carbogen group, 6.82+/-0.03, P<0.001). After carbogen inhalation,
      the levels of excitatory amino acid glutamate decreased (595.90+/-7.51 in KA+air
      group vs. 467.95+/-4.82 in KA+carbogen s group, P<0.001), whereas GABA increased
      significantly (158.30+/-5.05 in KA+air group vs. 216.62+/-5.59 in KA+carbogen,
      P<0.05). Carbogen reduced both electrohippocampalogram (119.57+/-2.83 in KA+air
      group vs. 107.48+/-2.95 in KA+carbogen group, P<0.01) and electrocorticogram
      (130.74+/-2.48 in KA+air group vs. 115.35+/-2.11 in KA+carbogen group, P<0.01).
      SIGNIFICANCE: Carbogen containing 5% CO2 decreased seizures by reducing cortical
      pH, by increasing GABA release, and by affecting electrical activity of the
      brain.

PMID- 28342775
TI  - The Cash and Counseling model of self-directed long-term care: Effectiveness with
      young adults with disabilities.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Young adults with disabilities face numerous barriers to independence
      and achieving markers of adulthood. Qualitative evidence suggests that flexible,
      self-directed budgets for purchasing home and community-based services might help
      fill an identified service gap and help improve the transition to adulthood for
      this group. OBJECTIVE: Our aim was to evaluate the effectiveness of the Cash and
      Counseling model of self-directed budgets for young adults with long-term care
      disabilities by analyzing secondary data from the Cash and Counseling
      Demonstration and Evaluation randomized control trial. METHODS: We compared nine
      month community involvement, satisfaction rating, health status rating compared
      to peers, and unmet needs outcomes using bivariate and multivariate logistic
      regression. Our sample included 456 participants aged 18 to 30 randomized to
      treatment groups with the opportunity to receive Cash and Counseling (n = 207) or
      control groups eligible for agency-based care (n = 249), whether self-reported (n
      = 128) or by proxy (n = 328). RESULTS: Multivariate logistic regression models
      showed that compared to controls at nine-month follow-up, treatment group members
      had significantly greater odds of being very satisfied with life, when care was
      received, the care arrangement, transportation, help around the house and
      community, personal care, and getting along with paid attendants, and
      significantly lower odds of unmet needs with medication and routine health care
      at home and with transportation. CONCLUSIONS: Cash and Counseling performed
      better than or comparable with agency-based care for young adults with long-term
      care disabilities, suggesting its viability as a service option for this
      population.

PMID- 28342776
TI  - Effect of Needle Size in Ultrasound-guided Core Needle Breast Biopsy: Comparison
      of 14-, 16-, and 18-Gauge Needles.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: The aim of the present study was to assess the diagnostic accuracy
      of ultrasound-guided core needle biopsy (US-CNB) of breast lesions, comparing
      smaller needles (16- and 18-gauge) with the 14-gauge needle, and to analyze the
      lesion characteristics influencing US-CNB diagnostic performance. PATIENTS AND
      METHODS: All the patients provided informed consent before the biopsy procedure.
      The data from breast lesions that had undergone US-CNB in our institution from
      January 2011 to January 2015 were retrospectively reviewed. The inclusion
      criterion was the surgical histopathologic examination findings of the entire
      lesion or radiologic follow-up data for >= 24 months. The exclusion criterion was
      the use of preoperative neoadjuvant therapy. The US-CNB results were compared
      with the surgical pathologic results or with the follow-up findings in the 3
      needle size groups (14-, 16-, and 18-gauge). The needle size- and lesion
      characteristic-specific diagnostic accuracy parameters were evaluated.
      Statistical analysis was performed using a dedicated software program, and P <=
      .01 was considered significant. RESULTS: A total of 1118 US-CNB cases (1042
      patients) were included. Of the 1118 cases, 630 (56.3%) were in the 14-gauge
      group, 136 (12.2%) in the 16-gauge, and 352 (31.5%) in the 18-gauge needle group.
      Surgery was performed on 800 lesions (71.6%). Of these, 619 were malignant, 77
      were high risk, and 104 were benign. The remaining 318 lesions (28.4%) underwent
      follow-up imaging studies. All the lesions were stable and, therefore, were
      considered benign. No differences were observed in the diagnostic accuracy
      parameters among the 3 needle size groups (P > .01). The false-negative rate was
      greater for lesions < 10 mm (7.2%) (P < .01) but without statistically
      significant differences among the 3 gauges (P > .01). CONCLUSION: US-CNB
      performed with small needles (16 and 18 gauge) had the same diagnostic accuracy
      as that performed with 14-gauge needles, regardless of the lesion
      characteristics.

PMID- 28342777
TI  - Teaching and Assessing Professionalism in Radiology Resident Education.
AB  - Radiologists in teaching hospitals and in practices with residents rotating
      through are involved in the education of their residents. The Accreditation
      Council for Graduate Medical Education requires evidence that trainees are taught
      and demonstrate competency not only in medical knowledge and in patient care-the
      historic focus of radiology education-but also in the so-called non
      interpretative core competencies, which include professionalism and interpersonal
      skills. In addition to accreditation agencies, the prominent assessment practices
      represented by the American Board of Radiology core and certifying examinations
      for trainees, as well as Maintenance of Certification for practitioners, are
      planning to feature more non-interpretative competency assessment, including
      professionalism to a greater extent. Because professionalism was incorporated as
      a required competency in medical education as a whole, more clarity about the
      justification and expected content for teaching about competence in
      professionalism, as well as greater understanding and evidence about appropriate
      and effective teaching and assessment methods, have emerged. This article
      summarizes justifications and expectations for teaching and assessing
      professionalism in radiology residents and best practices on how to teach and
      evaluate professionalism that can be used by busy radiology faculty in their
      everyday practice supervising radiology residents.

PMID- 28342778
TI  - [The burden of fungal infections in Algeria].
AB  - In Algeria, superficial mycoses are very commonly diagnosed. Deep fungal
      infections are less often observed. Few data from Algeria are found in the
      literature. We report for the first time the main causes of these diseases in our
      country and provide burden estimates. We searched for existing data and estimated
      the incidence and prevalence of fungal diseases based on the population at risk
      and available epidemiological data. Demographic data were derived from the
      Service (Office) of the Statistics (ONES), World Health Organization (WHO), The
      Joint Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) and national published reports. When
      no data existed, risk populations were used to estimate frequencies of fungal
      infections, using previously described methodology. Algeria has 40.4 million
      inhabitants and probably at least 568,900 (1.41 %) of Algerians have a serious
      fungal infection each year. Recurrent vulvovaginal candidiasis (485,000) and
      fungal asthma (72,000) are probably the commonest problems as there are over 1
      million adult asthmatics. Candidaemia is estimated in 2020, invasive
      aspergillosis in 2865, intra-abdominal candidiasis in 303 people and are the most
      common life-threatening problems. AIDS is uncommon, but cancer is not (45,000 new
      cases of cancer among including 1500 in children) and nor is COPD (an estimated
      317,762 patients of whom 20.3 % are admitted to hospital each year). A focus on
      improving the diagnosis and epidemiological data related to fungal infection is
      necessary in Algeria.

PMID- 28342780
TI  - A neural basis for the visual sense of number and its development: A steady-state
      visual evoked potential study in children and adults.
AB  - While recent studies in adults have demonstrated the existence of a neural
      mechanism for a visual sense of number, little is known about its development and
      whether such a mechanism exists at young ages. In the current study, I introduce
      a novel steady-state visual evoked potential (SSVEP) technique to objectively
      quantify early visual cortical sensitivity to numerical and non-numerical
      magnitudes of a dot array. I then examine this neural sensitivity to numerical
      magnitude in children between three and ten years of age and in college students.
      Children overall exhibit strong SSVEP sensitivity to numerical magnitude in the
      right occipital sites with negligible SSVEP sensitivity to non-numerical
      magnitudes, the pattern similar to what is observed in adults. However, a closer
      examination of age differences reveals that this selective neural sensitivity to
      numerical magnitude, which is close to absent in three-year-olds, increases
      steadily as a function of age, while there is virtually no neural sensitivity to
      other non-numerical magnitudes across these ages. These results demonstrate the
      emergence of a neural mechanism underlying direct perception of numerosity across
      early and middle childhood and provide a potential neural mechanistic explanation
      for the development of humans' primitive, non-verbal ability to comprehend
      number.

PMID- 28342781
TI  - Modulation of neuroinflammation: Role and therapeutic potential of TRPV1 in the
      neuro-immune axis.
AB  - Transient receptor potential vanilloid type 1 channel (TRPV1), as a ligand-gated
      non-selective cation channel, has recently been demonstrated to have wide
      expression in the neuro-immune axis, where its multiple functions occur through
      regulation of both neuronal and non-neuronal activities. Growing evidence has
      suggested that TRPV1 is functionally expressed in glial cells, especially in the
      microglia and astrocytes. Glial cells perform immunological functions in response
      to pathophysiological challenges through pro-inflammatory or anti-inflammatory
      cytokines and chemokines in which TRPV1 is involved. Sustaining inflammation
      might mediate a positive feedback loop of neuroinflammation and exacerbate
      neurological disorders. Accumulating evidence has suggested that TRPV1 is closely
      related to immune responses and might be recognized as a molecular switch in the
      neuroinflammation of a majority of seizures and neurodegenerative diseases. In
      this review, we evidenced that inflammation modulates the expression and activity
      of TRPV1 in the central nervous system (CNS) and TRPV1 exerts reciprocal actions
      over neuroinflammatory processes. Together, the literature supports the
      hypothesis that TRPV1 may represent potential therapeutic targets in the neuro
      immune axis.

PMID- 28342779
TI  - Suppression of calpain expression by NSAIDs is associated with inhibition of cell
      migration in rat duodenum.
AB  - Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) are widely used for the
      alleviation of pain and inflammation, but these drugs are also associated with a
      suite of negative side effects. Gastrointestinal (GI) toxicity is particularly
      concerning since it affects an estimated 70% of individuals taking NSAIDs
      routinely, and evidence suggests the majority of toxicity is occurring in the
      small intestine. Traditionally, NSAID-induced GI toxicity has been associated
      with indiscriminate inhibition of cyclooxygenase isoforms, but other mechanisms,
      including inhibition of cell migration, intestinal restitution, and wound
      healing, are likely to contribute to toxicity. Previous efforts demonstrated that
      treatment of cultured intestinal epithelial cells (IEC) with NSAIDs inhibits
      expression and activity of calpain proteases, but the effects of specific
      inhibition of calpain expression in vitro or the effects of NSAIDs on intestinal
      cell migration in vivo remain to be determined. Accordingly, we examined the
      effect of suppression of calpain protease expression with siRNA on cell migration
      in cultured IECs and evaluated the effects of NSAID treatment on epithelial cell
      migration and calpain protease expression in rat duodenum. Our results show that
      calpain siRNA inhibits protease expression and slows migration in cultured IECs.
      Additionally, NSAID treatment of rats slowed migration up the villus axis and
      suppressed calpain expression in duodenal epithelial cells. Our results are
      supportive of the hypothesis that suppression of calpain expression leading to
      slowing of cell migration is a potential mechanism through which NSAIDs cause GI
      toxicity.

PMID- 28342782
TI  - The modified Glasgow prognostic score in patients undergoing surgery for bone and
      soft tissue sarcoma.
AB  - BACKGROUND: The prognostic significance of markers of the systemic inflammatory
      response in patients with soft tissue and bone sarcomas remains unclear.
      Therefore, the present study aimed to compare the prognostic value of markers of
      the systemic inflammatory response in patients undergoing surgery for primary
      soft tissue and bone sarcoma. METHOD: Patients who underwent resection of primary
      soft tissue/bone sarcoma between 2008 and 2012 and had pre-operative measurements
      of the systemic inflammatory response [C-reactive protein, albumin, white cell,
      neutrophil, lymphocyte and platelet counts, and the combination of C-reactive
      protein and albumin (mGPS)] were included in the study (n = 111). RESULTS: The
      majority of the patients were <=50 years old (84%), were female (63%), had soft
      tissue sarcoma (62%), and had tumours >10 cm (52%), mostly of high grade (85%).
      The median follow-up of survivors was 50 months (range 34-78); 24 (21%) developed
      local recurrence, 35 (31%) developed distant metastases and 30 (30%) died of
      their cancer. On univariate analysis, tumour size (P < 0.001), tumour grade (P <
      0.001), C-reactive protein level (P < 0.001), albumin level (P < 0.001) and mGPS
      (P < 0.001) were significantly associated with distant recurrence-free survival.
      On a multivariate analysis, only tumour size [hazard ratios (HR) 2.57, 95%
      confidence intervals (CI) 1.14-5.32, P < 0.05], tumour grade (HR 7.01, 95% CI
      0.94-52.17, P < 0.10) and mGPS (HR 1.92, 95% CI 1.31-2.83, P < 0.01) were
      independently associated with distant recurrence-free survival. On a multivariate
      analysis, only tumour size (HR 2.85, 95% CI 1.10-7.39, P < 0.05) and the mGPS (HR
      2.03, 95% CI 1.31-3.16, P < 0.01) were independently associated with cancer
      specific survival. CONCLUSION: The systemic inflammatory response, as evidenced
      by the mGPS, was an important independent predictor of recurrence-free survival
      and cancer-specific survival in patients undergoing surgery for bone and soft
      tissue sarcoma.

PMID- 28342783
TI  - Effect of storage on the physical stability of thin polymethacrylate-perphenazine
      films.
AB  - We evaluated the physical stability of thin polymethacrylate-drug films under
      three different storage conditions by X-ray powder diffraction, differential
      scanning calorimetry, scanning electron microscopy, polarized light microscopy,
      and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. Mechanical properties i.e.
      elongation, mechanical strength, and in vitro drug release from the thin films
      were also determined during storage. The films consisted of ammonium methacrylate
      copolymer (RLPO)/dimethylaminoethyl methacrylate copolymer (EPO),
      polyvinylpyrroline (PVP)/polyvinyl caprolactam-polyvinyl acetate-polyethylene
      glycol graft copolymer (Soluplus) and perphenazine (PPZ). PPZ remained fully
      amorphous in all RLPO- and EPO -films for up to 12months' storage at 4 degrees C
      in dry conditions. Instead, in EPO+PVP+PPZ 15% -films, higher temperature induced
      recrystallization of PPZ within three months and higher humidity also at six
      months. Crystallization was also observed in EPO+Soluplus+PPZ 10% -films at high
      temperature at 12months. The amount of PPZ released was significantly lower from
      recrystallized PPZ films than from stable amorphous films. The better stability
      of RLPO -films was attributed to PPZ being molecularly dispersed and also because
      of strong drug-polymer interactions in the films, while increasing storage
      temperatures weakened the hydrogen bonding interactions in the EPO -films. In
      addition, the presence of hygroscopic PVP facilitated PPZ recrystallization in
      the EPO -films if they were stored in a highly humid environment.

PMID- 28342785
TI  - Predatory Publishing: A Growing Threat to HIV Nursing?

PMID- 28342784
TI  - Inositol phosphate multikinase dependent transcriptional control.
AB  - Production of lipid-derived inositol phosphates including IP4 and IP5 is an
      evolutionarily conserved process essential for cellular adaptive responses that
      is dependent on both phospholipase C and the inositol phosphate multikinase Ipk2
      (also known as Arg82 and IPMK). Studies of Ipk2, along with Arg82 prior to
      demonstrating its IP kinase activity, have provided an important link between
      control of gene expression and IP metabolism as both kinase dependent and
      independent functions are required for proper transcriptional complex function
      that enables cellular adaptation in response to extracellular queues such as
      nutrient availability. Here we define a promoter sequence cis-element, 5'
      CCCTAAAAGG-3', that mediates both kinase-dependent and independent functions of
      Ipk2. Using a synthetic biological strategy, we show that proper gene expression
      in cells lacking Ipk2 may be restored through add-back of two components: IP4/IP5
      production and overproduction of the MADS box DNA binding protein, Mcm1. Our
      results are consistent with a mechanism by which Ipk2 harbors a dual
      functionality that stabilizes transcription factor levels and enzymatically
      produces a small molecule code, which together coordinate control of biological
      processes and gene expression.

PMID- 28342786
TI  - Pharmaceutical solvates, hydrates and amorphous forms: A special emphasis on
      cocrystals.
AB  - Active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) may exist in various solid forms, which
      can lead to differences in the intermolecular interactions, affecting the
      internal energy and enthalpy, and the degree of disorder, affecting the entropy.
      Differences in solid forms often lead to differences in thermodynamic parameters
      and physicochemical properties for example solubility, dissolution rate,
      stability and mechanical properties of APIs and excipients. Hence, solid forms of
      APIs play a vital role in drug discovery and development in the context of
      optimization of bioavailability, filing intellectual property rights and
      developing suitable manufacturing methods. In this review, the fundamental
      characteristics and trends observed for pharmaceutical hydrates, solvates and
      amorphous forms are presented, with special emphasis, due to their relative
      abundance, on pharmaceutical hydrates with single and two-component (i.e.
      cocrystal) host molecules.

PMID- 28342787
TI  - Forecasting Ebola with a regression transmission model.
AB  - We describe a relatively simple stochastic model of Ebola transmission that was
      used to produce forecasts with the lowest mean absolute error among Ebola
      Forecasting Challenge participants. The model enabled prediction of peak
      incidence, the timing of this peak, and final size of the outbreak. The
      underlying discrete-time compartmental model used a time-varying reproductive
      rate modeled as a multiplicative random walk driven by the number of infectious
      individuals. This structure generalizes traditional Susceptible-Infected
      Recovered (SIR) disease modeling approaches and allows for the flexible
      consideration of outbreaks with complex trajectories of disease dynamics.

PMID- 28342788
TI  - Analytical ultracentrifugation for analysis of doxorubicin loaded liposomes.
AB  - Analytical ultracentrifugation (AUC) is a powerful tool for the study of particle
      size distributions and interactions with high accuracy and resolution. In this
      work, we show how the analysis of sedimentation velocity data from the AUC can be
      used to characterize nanocarrier drug delivery systems used in nanomedicine.
      Nanocarrier size distribution and the ratio of free versus nanoparticle
      encapsulated drug in a commercially available liposomal doxorubicin formulation
      are determined using interference and absorbance based AUC measurements and
      compared with results generated with conventional techniques. Additionally, the
      potential of AUC in measuring particle density and the detection of nanocarrier
      sub-populations is discussed as well. The unique capability of AUC in providing
      reliable data for size and composition in a single measurement and without
      complex sample preparation makes this characterization technique a promising tool
      both in nanomedicine product development and quality control.

PMID- 28342789
TI  - Enhanced gastric stability of esomeprazole by molecular interaction and
      modulation of microenvironmental pH with alkalizers in solid dispersion.
AB  - Due to the instability of esomeprazole magnesium dihydrate (EPM), a proton pump
      inhibitor, in gastric fluid, enteric-coated dosage form is commonly used for
      therapeutic application. In this study, we prepared new gastric fluid resistant
      solid dispersions (SDs) containing alkalizers. Then, new mechanistic evidence
      regarding the effects of pharmaceutical alkalizers on the aqueous stability of
      EPM in simulated gastric fluid was investigated. The alkalizer-loaded SD were
      prepared by dissolving or dispersing EPM, hydroxypropyl methylcellulose (HPMC) 6
      cps, and an alkalizer, in ethanol 50% (v/v) followed by spray drying. Nine
      different alkalizers were assessed for in vitro stability in two media, simulated
      gastric fluid (pH 1.2 buffer) and simulated intestinal fluid (pH 6.8 buffer). The
      microenvironmental pH (pHM) was measured to evaluate the effect of the alkalizer
      on the pHM of SDs. Drug crystallinity and morphology of the SDs were also
      examined by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), powder X-ray diffraction
      (PXRD), and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The interactions among EPM, the
      polymer, and the alkalizer were elucidated by Fourier transform infrared (FTIR)
      spectroscopy. The in vivo absorption studies of the optimized alkalizer
      containing SD and the enteric-coated reference tablet Nexium(r) were then
      conducted in beagle dogs. Among alkalizers, MgO loaded in SDs proved to be the
      best alkalizer to stabilize EPM in simulated gastric fluid. pHM values of the
      alkalizer-containing SDs were significantly higher than that of the SD without
      alkalizer. The pHM values decreased in the following order: MgO, Na2CO3, Ca(OH)2,
      and no alkalizer. DSC and PXRD data exhibited a change in the drug crystallinity
      of the SDs from crystalline to amorphous form. SEM data showed a relatively
      spherical shape of the MgO-loaded SD compared to the less-defined shape of pure
      drug. FTIR indicated a strong molecular interaction among EPM, alkalizer and
      polymer; in particular, MgO showed the strongest interaction with EPM. It was
      evident that alkalizer interacts with benzimidazole ring and/or sulfonyl group of
      EPM for enhancing EPM stability in gastric fluid. Regarding the in vivo
      absorption studies in beagle dogs, the optimized SD (C16) was bioequivalent to
      the reference Nexium(r) and had a considerable greater absorption at the early
      stages. The current alkalizer-containing SD could provide a promising approach
      for aqueous stabilization of acid-labile drugs without using enteric coating
      method.

PMID- 28342790
TI  - Lipocalin-2 and iron trafficking in the tumor microenvironment.
AB  - Iron is an essential element for virtually all organisms. It facilitates cell
      proliferation and growth but also contributes to major hallmarks of cancer such
      as tumor initiation, growth, and metastasis. Often, iron handling of tumor cells
      is disturbed, with altered iron acquisition, efflux, and storage. Targeting
      perturbed iron metabolic pathways might open opportunities towards novel
      approaches in cancer treatment. It is becoming clear that cells of the tumor
      microenvironment such as macrophages contribute to tumor progression. Since
      macrophages evolved a multitude of mechanisms to sequester, transport, store, and
      release iron it can be speculated that tumor cells educate them to supply iron to
      support tumor growth. Recent evidence supports the existence of transferrin
      independent iron transport mechanisms in the tumor microenvironment, which points
      to local iron transport proteins such as lipocalin-2 and/or low molecular weight
      iron-trafficking substances such as siderophores. We hypothesize that tumor cells
      educate immune cells, i.e. macrophages in their neighborhood to make them
      delivering iron for the benefit of cancer progression. In particular, we pay
      attention to recent developments, pointing to lipocalin-2 and siderophores as
      alternative iron transport molecules in the tumor microenvironment.

PMID- 28342791
TI  - Endocardial Pacing in Infants and Young Children Weighing Less Than 10 Kilograms.

PMID- 28342792
TI  - Relaxin Concentrations in Acute Heart Failure Patients. Response.

PMID- 28342793
TI  - About the Specialty Treating Patients With Heart Failure.

PMID- 28342794
TI  - Stented Bovine Jugular Vein Graft (Melody Valve) in Mitral Position. Could Be an
      Alternative for Mechanical Valve Replacement in the Pediatric Population?

PMID- 28342795
TI  - Genetic variation of 17 autosomal STR loci in the Zhuang ethnic minority from
      Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region in the south of China.

PMID- 28342796
TI  - Making progress in education: The EUROFORGEN master degree pilot project in
      forensic genetics.

PMID- 28342797
TI  - Forensic evaluation of the 20 STR loci in the population of Croatia.

PMID- 28342798
TI  - Allele frequencies and other forensic parameters of the HID-Ion AmpliSeqTM
      Identity Panel markers in Basques using the Ion Torrent PGMTM platform.
AB  - The HID-Ion AmpliSeqTM Identity Panel amplifies 90 autosomal SNPs and 34 Y- SNPs
      with massively parallel sequencing (MPS) using the Ion Torrent PGMTM platform. In
      the present study, 105 Basques were analyzed to assess this panel. All loci were
      in Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium and no association between them was detected.
      Forensic parameters were calculated as 5.74*10-36 for combined match probability
      and 99.99998% for combined power of exclusion. In conclusion, the HID Identity
      panel and the use of this new MPS technology are very promising tools for
      paternity testing and human identification in routine casework in the forensic
      field.

PMID- 28342799
TI  - Lost in processing? Perceived healthfulness, taste and caloric content of whole
      and processed organic food.
AB  - The "organic" claim explicitly informs consumers about the food production
      method. Yet, based on this claim, people often infer unrelated food attributes.
      The current research examined whether the perceived advantage of organic over
      conventional food generalizes across different organic food types. Compared to
      whole organic foods, processed organic foods are less available, familiar and
      prototypical of the organic food category. In two studies (combined N = 258) we
      investigated how both organic foods types were perceived in healthfulness, taste
      and caloric content when compared to their conventional alternatives.
      Participants evaluated images of both whole (e.g., lettuce) and processed organic
      food exemplars (e.g., pizza), and reported general evaluations of these food
      types. The association of these evaluations with individual difference variables 
      self-reported knowledge and consumption of organic food, and environmental
      concerns - was also examined. Results showed that organically produced whole
      foods were perceived as more healthful, tastier and less caloric than those
      produced conventionally, thus replicating the well-established halo effect of the
      organic claim in food evaluation. The organic advantage was more pronounced among
      individuals who reported being more knowledgeable about organic food, consumed it
      more frequently, and were more environmentally concerned. The advantage of the
      organic claim for processed foods was less clear. Overall, processed organic (vs.
      conventional) foods were perceived as tastier, more healthful (Study 1) or
      equally healthful (Study 2), but also as more caloric. We argue that the features
      of processed food may modulate the impact of the organic claim, and outline
      possible research directions to test this assumption. Uncovering the specific
      conditions in which food claims bias consumer's perceptions and behavior may have
      important implications for marketing, health and public-policy related fields.

PMID- 28342800
TI  - Development of an isothermal recombinase polymerase amplification assay for rapid
      detection of pseudorabies virus.
AB  - Recombinase polymerase amplification assays using real-time fluorescent detection
      (real-time RPA assay) and lateral flow dipstick (RPA LFD assay) were developed
      targeting the gD gene of pseudorabies virus (PRV). Both assays were performed at
      39  degrees C within 20 min. The sensitivity of the real-time RPA assay and the
      RPA LFD assay was 100 copies per reaction and 160 copies per reaction,
      respectively. Both assays did not detect DNAs from other virus or PRV negative
      samples. Therefore, the developed RPA assays provide a rapid, simple, sensitive
      and specific alternative tool for detection of PRV.

PMID- 28342801
TI  - Geographic disparities in pneumonia-specific under-five mortality rates in
      Mainland China from 1996 to 2015: a population-based study.
AB  - OBJECTIVES: This study aimed to investigate the disparities in pneumonia-specific
      under-five mortality rates (U5MRs) among and within three geographic regions in
      Mainland China from 1996 to 2015. METHODS: Data were obtained from the national
      Under-Five Child Mortality Surveillance System and grouped into 2-year periods.
      The Cochran-Armitage trend test and Cochran-Mantel-Haenszel test were used to
      assess trends and differences in the pneumonia-specific U5MRs among and within
      geographic regions. Relative risks (RRs) and 95% confidence intervals (95% CIs)
      were calculated. RESULTS: The pneumonia-specific U5MR decreased by 90.6%, 89.0%,
      and 83.5% in East, Middle, and West China, respectively, with a larger decrease
      in rural areas. The pneumonia-specific U5MR was highest in West China, and was
      7.2 (95% CI 5.9-8.7) times higher than that in East China in 2014-2015. In 2014
      2015, the RRs were 1.7 (95% CI 1.2-2.5), 1.6 (95% CI 1.1-2.1), and 3.4 (95% CI
      2.8-4.0) between rural and urban areas in East, Middle, and West China,
      respectively. CONCLUSIONS: Pneumonia-specific U5MRs decreased from 1996 to 2015
      across China, particularly in rural areas. However, disparities remained among
      and within geographic regions. Additional strategies and interventions should be
      introduced in West China, especially the rural areas, to further reduce the
      pneumonia-specific U5MR.

PMID- 28342802
TI  - Adjuvant interferon-gamma immunotherapy in a patient with progressive cerebral
      Nocardia abscesses.
AB  - Despite advances in medical care, mortality due to cerebral Nocardia abscesses
      remains unacceptably high. The case of a typical immunocompromised patient, who
      deteriorated clinically despite optimal antimicrobial treatment, is reported
      here. Adjuvant immunotherapy with interferon-gamma resulted in partial
      restoration of the immune response and a corresponding clinical and radiographic
      recovery.

PMID- 28342803
TI  - Antigen-specific CTLs: to produce autologous cells product for adoptive cellular
      therapy.
AB  - : As antiretroviral therapy provides long term viral suppression but no cure,
      alternative therapies such as adoptive cellular therapy have thus been
      investigated in the anti-AIDS field. OBJECTIVE: This study sought to establish a
      HLA-A02 specific CTL cell culture method with comparison of the effects of
      different cytokines used in CTL cultivation to decide the best cultivation
      environment. In order to produce CTLs with targeted HLA-A02 restricted antigen
      specificity for adoptive cellular therapy, we evaluated autologous PBMC
      cultivation in different cytokine environment to select a better expansion
      condition to produce qualified CTL production. METHODS: We co-cultivated PBMC and
      peptides of these patients with HLA-A02 allele with different cytokines. After
      cultivation, multiple parameters were tested. RESULTS: 1) Cytokines IL-2 alone
      can effectively amplify HLA-A02 specific CTL cells, and the count of CTLs was
      >85% all through the process. 2) The HLA-A02 specific cells at the end of the
      cultivation were mainly CD3+CD8+ cells. 3) The interferon stimulation test had
      shown that the expanded CTLs secreted more IFN-gamma than before cultivation
      (0.9% -11.70%). CONCLUSION: This model of CTL cultivation is successful in
      redirecting the specificity of antigen recognition and safely for HLA-A02+
      patients cell adoptive therapy.

PMID- 28342804
TI  - Easy-to-use equations for the estimation of urine relative saturation in the
      assessment of risk of recurrence in urinary stones formers.
AB  - It is a fact that recurrence of urinary stones is a common medical problem. One
      of the key factors used in determining the risk of urinary stone-formation is the
      urine relative saturation in the major constituents of lithiasis. Nomograms were
      developed in the 1970's to estimate the relative saturation of urine. We present
      here easy-to-use mathematical equations derived from these nomograms. These
      equations can be integrated directly in the LIS of any laboratories, and can be
      used as a tool in the treatment and prevention of recurrent stone-formation.

PMID- 28342805
TI  - Phosphoethanolamine addition to the Heptose I of the Lipopolysaccharide modifies
      the inner core structure and has an impact on the binding of Polymyxin B to the
      Escherichia coli outer membrane.
AB  - Phosphoethanolamine (pEtN) decoration of E. coli Lipopolysaccharide (LPS)
      provides resistance to the antimicrobial Polymyxin B (PolB). While EptA and EptB
      enzymes catalyze the addition of pEtN to the Lipid A and Kdo (pEtN-Kdo-Lipid A),
      EptC catalyzes the pEtN addition to the Heptose I (pEtN-HeptI). In this study, we
      investigated the contribution of pEtN-HeptI to PolB resistance using eptA/eptB
      and eptC deficient E. coli K12 and its wild-type parent strains. These mutations
      were shown to decrease the antimicrobial activity of PolB on cells grown under
      pEtN-addition inducing conditions. Furthermore, the 1-N-phenylnapthylamine uptake
      assay revealed that in vivo PolB has a reduced OM-permeabilizing activity on the
      DeltaeptA/eptB strain compared with the DeltaeptC strain. In vitro, the changes
      in size and zeta potential of LPS-vesicles indicate that pEtN-HeptI reduce the
      PolB binding, but in a minor extent than pEtN-Kdo-Lipid A. Molecular dynamics
      analysis revealed the structural basis of the PolB resistance promoted by pEtN
      HeptI, which generate a new hydrogen-bonding networks and a denser inner core
      region. Altogether, the experimental and theoretical assays shown herein indicate
      that pEtN-HeptI addition promote an LPS conformational rearrangement, that could
      act as a shield by hindering the accession of PolB to inner LPS-targets moieties.

PMID- 28342806
TI  - Molecular regulation of mitochondrial dynamics in cardiac disease.
AB  - Mitochondrial homeostasis is critical for keeping functional heart in response to
      metabolic or environmental stresses. Mitochondrial fission and fusion
      (mitochondrial dynamics) play essential roles in maintaining mitochondrial
      homeostasis, defects in mitochondrial dynamics lead to cardiac diseases such as
      ischemia-reperfusion injury (IRI), heart failure and diabetic cardiomyopathy.
      Mitochondrial dynamics is determined by mitochondrial fission and fusion
      proteins, including OPA1, mitofusins and Drp1. These proteins are tightly
      regulated by a series of signaling pathways through different aspects such as
      transcription, post translation modifications (PTMs) and proteasome-dependent
      protein degradation. By modulating these mitochondrial fission and fusion
      proteins, mitochondria fine-tune their metabolic status to meet the energy
      demands of the heart. Moreover, these mitochondrial fission and fusion proteins
      are essential for mediating mitochondrial autophagy (mitophagy), leading to
      clearance of damaged mitochondria to maintain a healthy population of
      mitochondria in heart under stressed conditions. Mitochondrial dynamics dependent
      improvement in mitochondrial metabolism and quality could partially reverse the
      pathological conditions of heart. This review describes an overview of mechanisms
      on mitochondrial dynamics regulation and provides potential therapeutic targets
      for treating cardiovascular diseases.

PMID- 28342807
TI  - Myocardin inhibited the gap protein connexin 43 via promoted miR-206 to regulate
      vascular smooth muscle cell phenotypic switch.
AB  - Myocardin is regarded as a key mediator for the change of smooth muscle
      phenotype. The gap junction protein connexin 43 (Cx43) has been shown to be
      involved in vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs) proliferation and the
      development of atherosclerosis. However, the role of myocardin on gap junction of
      cell communication and the relation between myocardin and Cx43 in VSMC phenotypic
      switch has not been investigated. The goal of the present study is to investigate
      the molecular mechanism by which myocardin affects Cx43-regulated VSMC
      proliferation. Data presented in this study demonstrated that inhibition of the
      Cx43 activation process impaired VSMC proliferation. On the other hand,
      overexpression miR-206 inhibited VSMC proliferation. In additon, miR-206 silences
      the expression of Cx43 via targeting Cx43 3' Untranslated Regions. Importantly,
      myocardin can significantly promote the expression of miR-206. Cx43 regulates
      VSMCs' proliferation and metastasis through miR-206, which could be promoted by
      myocardin and used as a marker for diagnosis and a target for therapeutic
      intervention. Thus myocardin affected the gap junction by inhibited Cx43 and
      myocardin-miR-206-Cx43 formed a loop to regulate VSMC phenotypic switch.

PMID- 28342808
TI  - Role of mTORC1-S6K1 signaling pathway in regulation of hematopoietic stem cell
      and acute myeloid leukemia.
AB  - Dysregulation of the mechanistic target of rapamycin complex 1 (mTORC1)-p70
      ribosomal protein kinase 1 (S6K1) signaling pathway occurs frequently in acute
      myeloid leukemia (AML) patients. This pathway also plays a critical role in
      maintaining normal cellular processes. Given the importance of leukemia stem
      cells (LSCs) in the development of minimal residual disease, it is critical to
      use therapeutic interventions that target the LSC population to prevent disease
      relapse. The mTORC1-S6K1 pathway has been identified as an important regulator of
      hematopoietic stem cell (HSC) and LSC functions. Both HSC and LSC functions
      require regulation of key cellular processes including proliferation, metabolism,
      and autophagy, which are regulated by mTORC1 pathway. Despite the mTORC1-S6K1
      pathway being a critical regulator of AML initiation and progression, inhibitors
      of this pathway alone have yielded mixed results in clinical studies. Recent
      studies have identified strategies to develop new mTORC1-S6K1 inhibitors such as
      RapaLink-1, which could circumvent the drug resistance observed in AML cells and
      in LSCs. Here, we review recent advances made in identifying the role of
      different components of this pathway in the regulation of HSCs and LSCs and
      discuss possible therapeutic approaches.

PMID- 28342811
TI  - Myeloid Sarcoma: Presentation, Diagnosis, and Treatment.
AB  - Myeloid sarcoma is an extramedullary tumor of immature granulocytic cells. It is
      a rare condition, most often associated with acute myeloid leukemia (AML),
      although in some rare cases it may present in nonleukemic patients. It should
      therefore be considered as a differential diagnosis of any atypical cellular
      infiltrate. It may occur at any site, leading to very varied clinical
      presentations. Diagnosis is challenging and relies on a high index of suspicion
      as well as radiology, histology, immunophenotyping, and molecular analyses, which
      also are essential for risk stratification and treatment planning. Systemic
      chemotherapy using AML-like regimens should be commenced early, even in
      nonleukemic disease. Surgery and/or radiotherapy may be indicated for symptomatic
      lesions or tumors causing local organ dysfunction or obstruction. Allogeneic
      hematopoietic stem cell transplantation has demonstrated promising results,
      particularly in patients who achieved complete remission with AML-induction
      protocols, and recent advances in genetic profiling may enable the development of
      novel targeted therapies. Prospective multicenter controlled trials are required
      to further refine management decisions and investigate the role of novel targeted
      therapies.

PMID- 28342810
TI  - Expression and putative role of mitochondrial transport proteins in cancer.
AB  - Cancer cells undergo major changes in energy and biosynthetic metabolism. One of
      them is the Warburg effect, in which pyruvate is used for fermentation rather for
      oxidative phosphorylation. Another major one is their increased reliance on
      glutamine, which helps to replenish the pool of Krebs cycle metabolites used for
      other purposes, such as amino acid or lipid biosynthesis. Mitochondria are
      central to these alterations, as the biochemical pathways linking these processes
      run through these organelles. Two membranes, an outer and inner membrane,
      surround mitochondria, the latter being impermeable to most organic compounds.
      Therefore, a large number of transport proteins are needed to link the
      biochemical pathways of the cytosol and mitochondrial matrix. Since the transport
      steps are relatively slow, it is expected that many of these transport steps are
      altered when cells become cancerous. In this review, changes in expression and
      regulation of these transport proteins are discussed as well as the role of the
      transported substrates. This article is part of a Special Issue entitled
      Mitochondria in Cancer, edited by Giuseppe Gasparre, Rodrigue Rossignol and
      Pierre Sonveaux.

PMID- 28342812
TI  - A Laparoendoscopic Single-site Surgical Approach to Laparoscopic Salpingectomy.
AB  - STUDY OBJECTIVE: To demonstrate a laparoendoscopic single-site (LESS) surgical
      approach to salpingectomy. DESIGN: A technical video showing step-by-step a LESS
      surgical approach to salpingectomy (Canadian Task Force classification level
      III). Institutional review board approval was not required for this study.
      SETTING: Of all gynecologic cancer types, ovarian cancer has the highest
      mortality rate and is the fifth leading cause of cancer deaths among women [1,2].
      The leading theory of epithelial ovarian carcinogenesis indicates that serous,
      endometrioid, and clear cell ovarian carcinomas originated from the fallopian
      tube and endometrium and not directly from the ovary itself [1-10]. This has led
      to the use of prophylactic salpingectomy as a theoretical form of ovarian cancer
      risk reduction at the time of hysterectomy or as a means of tubal sterilization.
      Prophylactic salpingectomy does not appear to increase the risk of complications
      and appears to be safe [2]. Ovarian function does not seem to be compromised by
      salpingectomy based on serum markers or response rates with in vitro
      fertilization [11-16]. A LESS approach may reduce the morbidity associated with
      the placement of multiple ports and can improve cosmetic outcomes. Prophylactic
      LESS bilateral salpingo-oohorectomy was shown to be feasible and safe for high
      risk patients for ovarian cancer [17]. INTERVENTIONS: Laparoscopic salpingectomy
      at the time of hysterectomy or as a means of tubal sterilization using the LESS
      technique. CONCLUSION: This is a simple and reproducible technique for preventing
      major complications associated with LESS salpingectomy. This approach permits
      easier specimen retrieval because of the large solitary incision that is made.
      There is a significant improvement in cosmetic satisfaction when compared with a
      traditional laparoscopic approach in the setting of prophylactic risk reduction
      surgery [18].

PMID- 28342809
TI  - Identity and function of a cardiac mitochondrial small conductance Ca2+-activated
      K+ channel splice variant.
AB  - We provide evidence for location and function of a small conductance, Ca2+
      activated K+ (SKCa) channel isoform 3 (SK3) in mitochondria (m) of guinea pig,
      rat and human ventricular myocytes. SKCa agonists protected isolated hearts and
      mitochondria against ischemia/reperfusion (IR) injury; SKCa antagonists worsened
      IR injury. Intravenous infusion of a SKCa channel agonist/antagonist,
      respectively, in intact rats was effective in reducing/enhancing regional infarct
      size induced by coronary artery occlusion. Localization of SK3 in mitochondria
      was evidenced by Western blot of inner mitochondrial membrane, immunocytochemical
      staining of cardiomyocytes, and immunogold labeling of isolated mitochondria. We
      identified a SK3 splice variant in guinea pig (SK3.1, aka SK3a) and human
      ventricular cells (SK3.2) by amplifying mRNA, and show mitochondrial expression
      in mouse atrial tumor cells (HL-1) by transfection with full length and truncated
      SK3.1 protein. We found that the N-terminus is not required for mitochondrial
      trafficking but the C-terminus beyond the Ca2+ calmodulin binding domain is
      required for Ca2+ sensing to induce mK+ influx and/or promote mitochondrial
      localization. In isolated guinea pig mitochondria and in SK3 overexpressed HL-1
      cells, mK+ influx was driven by adding CaCl2. Moreover, there was a greater fall
      in membrane potential (DeltaPsim), and enhanced cell death with simulated cell
      injury after silencing SK3.1 with siRNA. Although SKCa channel opening protects
      the heart and mitochondria against IR injury, the mechanism for favorable
      bioenergetics effects resulting from SKCa channel opening remains unclear. SKCa
      channels could play an essential role in restraining cardiac mitochondria from
      inducing oxidative stress-induced injury resulting from mCa2+ overload.

PMID- 28342813
TI  - Anxiety can be reduced by music during colonoscopy examination, but the effect
      may be varied by musical styles.

PMID- 28342814
TI  - Tear cytokine profile of glaucoma patients treated with preservative-free or
      preserved latanoprost.
AB  - PURPOSE: To determine variations in cytokine levels of glaucoma patients treated
      either with preservative-free latanoprost or preserved latanoprost, relative to
      healthy individuals. METHODS: Tear samples were collected from 39 healthy
      subjects, 20 glaucoma patients treated with preserved latanoprost, and 20
      patients treated with preservative-free latanoprost. A set of 27 inflammatory
      cytokines was analyzed in each group, including interleukin (IL)-1beta, IL-1ra,
      IL-2, IL-4, IL-5, IL-6, IL-7, IL-8, IL9, IL-10, IL-12 (p70), IL-13, IL-15, IL-17,
      eotaxin, fibroblast growth factor (FGF) basic, granulocyte colony stimulating
      factor (G-CSF), granulocyte monocyte colony stimulating factor (GM-CSF),
      interferon (IFN)-gamma, interferon gamma-induced protein (IP)-10, monocyte chemo
      attractant protein (MCP)-1MCAF, macrophage inflammatory protein (MIP)-1alpha, MIP
      1beta, platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF)-BB, regulated on activation, normal
      T cell expressed and secreted (RANTES), tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-alpha and
      vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF). Cytokine concentrations were obtained
      by the Bio-Plex Human Cytokine Immunoassay. Non-invasive tear breakup time (NI
      TBUT), tear meniscus height, corneal fluorescein staining, conjunctival hyperemia
      and ocular surface disease index (OSDI) were assessed in patients treated with
      preservative-free and preserved latanoprost. RESULTS: The levels of IL-2, IL-5,
      IL-10, IL-12 (p70), IL-13, IL-15, IL-17, FGF basic, PDGF-BB, and TNF-alpha were
      significantly higher in patients receiving preserved latanoprost, compared to
      normal controls (p < 0.05). The expression of all the cytokines studied remained
      statistically invariable in patients receiving preservative-free latanoprost,
      compared to healthy subjects (p > 0.05). Ocular surface parameters were not
      significantly different in both glaucoma groups, and no correlation between these
      clinical parameters and cytokine levels was observed. CONCLUSIONS: Treatment with
      preserved latanoprost has a direct impact on tear cytokine levels, whereas this
      effect is not observed upon preservative-free latanoprost instillation.

PMID- 28342815
TI  - Heart Failure in Women: Risk Across a Woman's Adult Life.

PMID- 28342816
TI  - Antineutrophil Cytoplasmic Antibody-Associated Rapid Progressive
      Glomerulonephritis after Pembrolizumab Treatment in Thymic Epithelial Tumor: A
      Case Report.

PMID- 28342817
TI  - Complete genome sequence of Streptomyces griseochromogenes ATCC 14511T, a
      producer of nucleoside compounds and diverse secondary metabolites.
AB  - ATCC 14511T (=DSM 40499, =NBRC 13413) is a type strain of Streptomyces
      griseochromogenes. It is known as a producer of nucleoside antibiotic,
      blasticidin S. In this report we present the complete genome sequence of S.
      griseochromogenes ATCC 14511T, which consists of 10,764,674bp with a linear
      chromosome, 9822 protein-coding genes, 6 rRNA operons, 74 tRNA and 3 sRNA. The
      genomic analysis revealed that 52 putative gene clusters are involved in the
      biosynthesis of secondary metabolites, including four gene clusters of nucleoside
      antibiotics. These gene clusters provide a beneficial source for production of
      bioactive natural compounds.

PMID- 28342818
TI  - Intraneural microcystic lymphatic malformation of the ulnar nerve at the Guyon
      canal: Unusual cause of ulnar pain in a child.
AB  - We present a case of an unusual cause of ulnar pain on a 9-year-old patient. The
      patient had pain on the ulnar side of the wrist after a fall. MRI showed a poorly
      defined lesion on the ulnar nerve at Guyon's canal. The initial diagnosis was
      traumatic neuropathy. Following conservative treatment of symptoms for one year,
      the pain started again. Therefore, a new MRI was performed where progression of
      the lesion was observed. Excision of the lesion was performed and the specimen
      sent for pathologic analysis. The diagnosis was of microcystic lymphatic
      malformation. The patient had a satisfactory evolution, with complete resolution.
      This is the first description of a microcystic lymphatic malformation in an
      intraneuronal location.

PMID- 28342819
TI  - Ankylosis of the knee after septic arthritis following anterior cruciate ligament
      reconstruction in a 13-year-old male.
AB  - We present the case of an adolescent male developing an ankylosis of the knee
      after septic arthritis following anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction
      (ACLR). The patient was shifted to our institution with postoperative septic
      arthritis associated with a systemic septic condition. Before, repeated
      arthroscopic surgery had been conducted without any improvement. MRI showed a
      concomitant osteomyelitis. The infection (Gachter IV, Staphylococcus aureus) was
      controlled by an open surgical approach and graft removal. An increasing joint
      stiffness was documented. X-rays showed an ankylosis at 30 degrees  of flexion
      and early closure of growth plates. Functional knee scores showed significantly
      worse results. Early diagnosis and a stage-adapted treatment in septic arthritis
      following ACLR are mandatory. In advanced stages or concomitant osteomyelitis an
      open approach and graft removal may be appropriate. The antibiotic treatment
      should be adapted consistently.

PMID- 28342820
TI  - Injury of the obturator nerve in the modified Stoppa approach for acetabular
      fractures.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: The modified Stoppa approach for acetabular fractures has become
      popular. However, the possibility of injury to the obturator nerve with this
      approach has not been sufficiently considered. We have experienced a case of
      nerve entrapment in severely displaced fractures. Therefore, we performed a
      retrospective study to: (1) evaluate the incidence of obturator nerve injury in
      the modified Stoppa approach for acetabular fractures; (2) analyze the
      relationship between the extent of displacement of the quadrilateral plate and
      injury to the obturator nerve. HYPOTHESIS: We hypothesized that obturator nerve
      injury would be related to a marked medial displacement of the quadrilateral
      plate. PATIENTS AND METHODS: We conducted a retrospective cohort study of 22
      patients with acetabular fractures that were surgically treated with the modified
      Stoppa approach. The medial displacement of the quadrilateral plate was measured
      on a three-dimensional reconstruction image with the inlet view. Postoperative
      electrodiagnostic tests were performed based on clinical suspicion of
      neurological injury. Nerve injuries were divided into initial trauma or
      postoperative complication, and recovery of nerve function was evaluated. We
      identified the incidence of obturator nerve injury and analyzed the relationship
      between obturator nerve injury and medial displacement of the quadrilateral
      plate. RESULTS: The incidence of obturator nerve injury was 2/22 (9.1%), and all
      injuries resulted from the initial trauma. The average displacement of the
      quadrilateral plate was 15.9+/-13.4mm. Patients were divided into two groups,
      using a displacement of 24mm as a cutoff point, identified using a receiver
      operating characteristic curve analysis. There were 16 patients in group 1
      (<24mm) and 6 patients in group 2 (>=24mm). The incidence of obturator nerve
      injury from trauma was 0/16 (0%) in group 1 and 2/6 (33.3%) in group 2 (P=0.018).
      CONCLUSIONS: No cases of postoperative obturator nerve injury were identified.
      Preoperative obturator nerve injury was more common in patients with a
      displacement of the quadrilateral plate>=24mm. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: IV,
      retrospective study.

PMID- 28342821
TI  - Correction of axial deformity during lengthening in fibular hypoplasia: Hexapodal
      versus monorail external fixation.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: Childhood fibular hypoplasia is a rare pathology which may or may
      not involve limb-length discrepancy and axial deformity in one or more
      dimensions. The objective of the present study was to compare the quality of the
      axial correction achieved in lengthening procedures by hexapodal versus monorail
      external fixators. The hypothesis was that the hexapodal fixator provides more
      precise correction. MATERIAL AND METHODS: A retrospective multicenter study
      included 52 children with fibular hypoplasia. Seventy-two tibias were analyzed,
      in 2 groups: 52 using a hexapodal fixator, and 20 using a monorail fixator. Mean
      age was 10.2 years. Mean lengthening was 5.7cm. Deformities were analyzed and
      measured in 3 dimensions and classified in 4 preoperative types and 4 post
      lengthening types according to residual deformity. RESULTS: Complete correction
      was achieved in 26 tibias in the hexapodal group (50%) and 2 tibias in the
      monorail group (10%). Mean post-correction mechanical axis deviation was smaller
      in the hexapodal group: 12.83mm, versus 14.29mm in the monorail group. Mean post
      correction mechanical lateral distal femoral angle was 87.5 degrees  in the
      hexapodal group, versus 84.3 degrees  in the monorail group (P=0.002), and mean
      mechanical medial proximal tibial angle 86.9 degrees  versus 89.5 degrees ,
      respectively (P=0.015). DISCUSSION: No previous studies focused on this
      congenital pathology in lengthening and axial correction programs for childhood
      lower-limb deformity. The present study found the hexapodal fixator to be more
      effective in conserving or restoring mechanical axes during progressive bone
      lengthening for fibular hypoplasia. CONCLUSION: The hexapodal fixator met the
      requirements of limb-length equalization in childhood congenital lower-limb
      hypoplasia, providing better axial correction than the monorail fixator. LEVEL OF
      EVIDENCE: IV.

PMID- 28342822
TI  - Antiplatelet activity of drugs used in hypertension, dyslipidemia and diabetes:
      Additional benefit in cardiovascular diseases prevention.
AB  - Beyond its function in hemostasis, platelets activation has an important role in
      cardiovascular diseases (CVD) development. There are different clinical
      conditions that can mediate abnormal platelet activation and favors pathological
      thrombosis and CVD. These include Hypertension, diabetes and dyslipidemia, all
      risks factors from CVD development. Different drugs employed in the handled of
      these conditions have showed decreases platelet activation and related markers.
      This effect is in part by improved the base condition; however someone of these
      drugs can modulate platelet targets. We discuss about underlying mechanisms and
      the possible implications in the treatment of CVD.

PMID- 28342823
TI  - Evidence that increased Kcnj6 gene dose is necessary for deficits in behavior and
      dentate gyrus synaptic plasticity in the Ts65Dn mouse model of Down syndrome.
AB  - Down syndrome (DS), trisomy 21, is caused by increased dose of genes present on
      human chromosome 21 (HSA21). The gene-dose hypothesis argues that a change in the
      dose of individual genes or regulatory sequences on HSA21 is necessary for
      creating DS-related phenotypes, including cognitive impairment. We focused on a
      possible role for Kcnj6, the gene encoding Kir3.2 (Girk2) subunits of a G-protein
      coupled inwardly-rectifying potassium channel. This gene resides on a segment of
      mouse Chromosome 16 that is present in one extra copy in the genome of the Ts65Dn
      mouse, a well-studied genetic model of DS. Kir3.2 subunit-containing potassium
      channels serve as effectors for a number of postsynaptic metabotropic receptors
      including GABAB receptors. Several studies raise the possibility that increased
      Kcnj6 dose contributes to synaptic and cognitive abnormalities in DS. To assess
      directly a role for Kcnj6 gene dose in cognitive deficits in DS, we produced
      Ts65Dn mice that harbor only 2 copies of Kcnj6 (Ts65Dn:Kcnj6++- mice). The
      reduction in Kcnj6 gene dose restored to normal the hippocampal level of Kir3.2.
      Long-term memory, examined in the novel object recognition test with the
      retention period of 24h, was improved to the level observed in the normosomic
      littermate control mice (2N:Kcnj6++). Significantly, both short-term and long
      term potentiation (STP and LTP) was improved to control levels in the dentate
      gyrus (DG) of the Ts65Dn:Kcnj6++- mouse. In view of the ability of fluoxetine to
      suppress Kir3.2 channels, we asked if fluoxetine-treated DG slices of
      Ts65Dn:Kcnj6+++ mice would rescue synaptic plasticity. Fluoxetine increased STP
      and LTP to control levels. These results are evidence that increased Kcnj6 gene
      dose is necessary for synaptic and cognitive dysfunction in the Ts65Dn mouse
      model of DS. Strategies aimed at pharmacologically reducing channel function
      should be explored for enhancing cognition in DS.

PMID- 28342825
TI  - Association between parasitic infections and tuberculin skin test results in
      refugees.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Parasitic infections are known to modulate the immune response
      necessary for controlling Mycobacterium tuberculosis infection. We sought to
      investigate species-specific effects of parasite infection on M. tuberculosis
      infection. METHODS: As part of the Refugee Health Assessment Program, stool
      examinations and tuberculin skin testing were performed on refugees seen at
      Boston Medical Center between 1995 and 2012. Tuberculin skin test (TST) and stool
      examination data were collected for 6669 refugees; 3349 (50.2%) were TST positive
      (>=10 mm). RESULTS: Among TST-positive subjects, 176 (5.3%) had helminth
      infections and 1149 (34.3%) protozoa. After adjusting for sex, age, and country
      of origin, helminth and protozoan infections were not associated with TST
      positivity. When species-specific effects were examined, subjects infected with
      Trichuris trichiura and Giardia lamblia had reduced odds of TST-positivity
      (adjusted OR [aOR] 0.65 [95%CI 0.44-0.96; p = 0.03] and aOR 0.79 [95%CI 0.65
      0.95, p = 0.01], respectively). CONCLUSIONS: Our findings suggest that T.
      trichiura and G. lamblia may provide protection against M. tuberculosis
      infection. This study adds to a growing body of literature suggesting that immune
      response modulation and susceptibility to M. tuberculosis infection is parasite
      species-dependent.

PMID- 28342826
TI  - New trends of the microcephaly and Zika virus outbreak in Brazil, July 2016
      December 2016.

PMID- 28342824
TI  - Development of CAR T cells designed to improve antitumor efficacy and safety.
AB  - Chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T cell therapy has shown promising efficacy
      against hematologic malignancies. Antitumor activity of CAR T cells, however,
      needs to be improved to increase therapeutic efficacy in both hematologic and
      solid cancers. Limitations to overcome are 'on-target, off-tumor' toxicity,
      antigen escape, short CAR T cell persistence, little expansion, trafficking to
      the tumor and inhibition of T cell activity by an inhibitory tumor
      microenvironment. Here we will discuss how optimizing the design of CAR T cells
      through genetic engineering addresses these limitations and improves the
      antitumor efficacy of CAR T cell therapy in pre-clinical models.

PMID- 28342827
TI  - Foreign citizen mortality in Iceland January 2006 - December 2016.
AB  - BACKGROUND: In recent years, tourism has become the number one account for
      foreign exchange income in Iceland, overtaking the fisheries industry and
      aluminium production. The rise of tourism has strongly affected Icelandic society
      in various sectors. With the increase of tourists visiting Iceland, the number of
      foreign citizens that died and were autopsied also rose. METHOD: Data were
      collected from the Department of Forensic Pathology at Landspitali University
      Hospital in Reykjavik for the period January 2006 - December 2016. RESULT: During
      this time there were 109 autopsies performed on foreign citizens of which 58 died
      from natural causes, 49 were injury deaths and in 2 cases no certain cause of
      death could be determined. Most represented were citizens from North America,
      United Kingdom and Germany (each 11%). The main causes of death were
      cardiovascular events (41%) followed by unintentional injuries (34%). CONCLUSION:
      The research at hand shows the significant influence of tourism on Forensic
      Medicine and provides an update on deaths of overseas travellers. Furthermore
      this study points out variable risks of travel-related injuries and deaths in
      Iceland.

PMID- 28342828
TI  - Resistance Training for Muscle Weakness in Multiple Sclerosis: Direct Versus
      Contralateral Approach in Individuals With Ankle Dorsiflexors' Disparity in
      Strength.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: To compare effects of contralateral strength training (CST) and direct
      strength training of the more affected ankle dorsiflexors on muscle performance
      and clinical functional outcomes in people with multiple sclerosis (MS)
      exhibiting interlimb strength asymmetry. DESIGN: Randomized controlled trial.
      SETTING: University hospital. PARTICIPANTS: Individuals with relapsing-remitting
      MS (N=30) and mild-to-moderate disability (Expanded Disability Status Scale score
      <=6) presenting with ankle dorsiflexors' strength disparity. INTERVENTIONS:
      Participants were randomly assigned to a CST (n=15) or direct strength training
      (n=15) group performing 6 weeks of maximal intensity strength training of the
      less or more affected dorsiflexors, respectively. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Maximal
      strength, endurance to fatigue, and mobility outcomes were assessed before, at
      the intervention end, and at 12-week follow-up. Strength and fatigue parameters
      were measured after 3 weeks of training (midintervention). RESULTS: In the more
      affected limb of both groups, pre- to postintervention significant increases in
      maximal strength (P<=.006) and fatigue endurance (P<=.04) were detected along
      with consistent retention of these improvements at follow-up (P<=.04). At
      midintervention, the direct strength training group showed significant
      improvements (P<=.002), with no further increase at postintervention, despite
      training continuation. Conversely, the CST group showed nonsignificant strength
      gains, increasing to significance at postintervention (P<=.003). In both groups,
      significant pre- to postintervention improvements in mobility outcomes (P<=.03),
      not retained at follow-up, were observed. CONCLUSIONS: After 6 weeks of training,
      CST proved as effective as direct strength training in enhancing performance of
      the more affected limb with a different time course, which may have practical
      implications in management of severely weakened limbs where direct strength
      training is not initially possible.

PMID- 28342829
TI  - Effects of Peer Mentoring on Self-Efficacy and Hospital Readmission After
      Inpatient Rehabilitation of Individuals With Spinal Cord Injury: A Randomized
      Controlled Trial.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: To investigate the effect of intensive peer mentoring on patient
      reported outcomes of self-efficacy and unplanned hospital readmissions for
      persons with spinal cord injury/disease (SCI/D) within the first 6 months after
      discharge from inpatient rehabilitation. DESIGN: Randomized controlled trial.
      SETTING: Nonprofit inpatient rehabilitation hospital specializing in care of
      persons with SCI/D and brain injury. PARTICIPANTS: Patients (N=158) admitted to
      the SCI/D rehabilitation program whose discharge location was a community
      setting. Participants (51% with paraplegia and 49% with tetraplegia) were 73%
      white and 77% men, with a mean age of 38 years. INTERVENTIONS: Participants in
      the experimental group received initial consult/introduction with a peer support
      program liaison and were assigned a peer mentor, who met with the participant
      weekly throughout the inpatient stay and made weekly contact by phone, e-mail, or
      in person for 90 days postdischarge. Participants also were encouraged to
      participate in regularly scheduled peer support activities. Nonexperimental group
      participants were introduced to peer support and provided services only on
      request. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: General Self-efficacy Scale (adapted to SCI/D),
      project-developed community integration self-efficacy scale, and patient-reported
      unplanned rehospitalizations. RESULTS: Growth rate for self-efficacy in the first
      6 months postdischarge was significantly higher for experimental group
      participants than nonexperimental group participants. Experimental group
      participants also had significantly fewer unplanned hospital days. CONCLUSIONS:
      This study provides evidence that individuals receiving intensive peer mentoring
      during and after rehabilitation for SCI/D demonstrate greater gains in self
      efficacy over time and have fewer days of unplanned rehospitalization in the
      first 180 days postdischarge. More research is needed to examine the long-term
      effects of this intervention on health care utilization and the relation between
      improved health and patient-reported quality of life outcomes.

PMID- 28342830
TI  - Patients Taking Amoxicillin-Clavulanic Can Become Simultaneously Sensitized to
      Both Drugs.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Patients can react to amoxicillin (AX) and clavulanic acid (CLV)
      taken in combination because of selective reactions to either drug. However,
      scant information exists concerning patients who react simultaneously to both
      compounds. OBJECTIVE: To analyze the mechanisms involved in 4 patients who
      developed allergic reactions to AX-CLV administration (3 with immediate IgE
      mediated reaction and 1 with nonimmediate T-cell-mediated reaction) and who
      responded specifically to both AX and CLV. METHODS: Skin tests with
      benzylpenicillin (BP), AX, and CLV were done and, if necessary, drug provocation
      tests with BP/penicillin V, AX, and AX-CLV were carried out. In immediate
      reactors, serum specific IgE to benzylpenicilloyl and amoxicilloyl was determined
      by using the CAP-FEIA system (Pharmacia Diagnostics, Uppsala, Sweden), and
      basophil activation test to BP, AX, CLV, and AX-CLV was done. In nonimmediate
      reactors, immunohistochemistry of skin biopsy and analysis of dendritic cell
      maturation and T-cell-specific response to BP, AX, CLV, and AX-CLV at both acute
      and resolution phases of the reaction were conducted. RESULTS: All patients with
      immediate reactions (N = 3) had good tolerance to BP and penicillin V. Two cases
      also had specific IgE to AX and all had a basophil activation test positive to
      AX, CLV, and AX-CLV. The patient with a nonimmediate reaction exhibited dendritic
      cell and T-lymphocyte responses specific to both AX and CLV. Finally, the
      analysis of the cells infiltrating the skin and peripheral blood during the acute
      phase indicated a TH1 pattern response. CONCLUSIONS: Our study provides evidence
      that reactions to both AX and CLV can appear in the same patient.

PMID- 28342831
TI  - Inference of direct and multistep effective connectivities from functional
      connectivity of the brain and of relationships to cortical geometry.
AB  - BACKGROUND: The problem of inferring effective brain connectivity from functional
      connectivity is under active investigation, and connectivity via multistep paths
      is poorly understood. NEW METHOD: A method is presented to calculate the direct
      effective connection matrix (deCM), which embodies direct connection strengths
      between brain regions, from functional CMs (fCMs) by minimizing the difference
      between an experimental fCM and one calculated via neural field theory from an
      ansatz deCM based on an experimental anatomical CM. RESULTS: The best match
      between fCMs occurs close to a critical point, consistent with independent
      published stability estimates. Residual mismatch between fCMs is identified to be
      largely due to interhemispheric connections that are poorly estimated in an
      initial ansatz deCM due to experimental limitations; improved ansatzes
      substantially reduce the mismatch and enable interhemispheric connections to be
      estimated. Various levels of significant multistep connections are then imaged
      via the neural field theory (NFT) result that these correspond to powers of the
      deCM; these are shown to be predictable from geometric distances between regions.
      COMPARISON WITH EXISTING METHODS: This method gives insight into direct and
      multistep effective connectivity from fCMs and relating to physiology and brain
      geometry. This contrasts with other methods, which progressively adjust
      connections without an overarching physiologically based framework to deal with
      multistep or poorly estimated connections. CONCLUSIONS: deCMs can be usefully
      estimated using this method and the results enable multistep connections to be
      investigated systematically.

PMID- 28342832
TI  - Optimized CLARITY technique detects reduced parvalbumin density in a genetic
      model of schizophrenia.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Novel tissue clearing technologies have, for the first time, made it
      possible to study intact tissue samples. This approach provides a tool for
      further clarifying findings from animal models of schizophrenia by studying
      parvalbumin-positive (PV+) interneuron density from a 3D perspective. NEW METHOD:
      This study has developed an optimised CLARITY protocol, including an improved
      electrophoretic tissue clearing (ETC) chamber, an evaluation of antibody
      diffusion into cleared tissue slices, and a computational method for detecting
      PV+ interneurons in 3D. RESULTS: A reduced PV+ interneuron density was found in
      both prelimbic and motor cortex regions of the Df(h15q13)/+ mice, while no
      changes were observed in the Df(h22q11)/+ mice. COMPARISON WITH EXISTING METHOD:
      The developed ETC chamber enables tissue clearing of variable tissue sizes while
      minimizing the resistance. It was found that a high concentration of primary and
      secondary antibodies were necessary for sufficient antibody staining of PV+
      interneurons. Additionally, the developed computational method showed improved
      detection rates of interneurons compared to non-processed image stacks.
      CONCLUSION: Our optimization of the CLARITY technology and automated 3D counting
      of cells were found to be useful for quantification of PV+ interneuron density.
      The results may provide insight into understanding the pathophysiology underlying
      the phenotype observed in Df(h15q13)/+ mice.

PMID- 28342833
TI  - A high density CHO-S transient transfection system: Comparison of ExpiCHO and
      Expi293.
AB  - Chinese Hamster Ovary (CHO) cells are the principal mammalian host used for
      stable cell line generation and biotherapeutic protein production. Until
      recently, production of milligrams to grams of protein in CHO transient systems
      was challenging. As such, Human Embryonic Kidney (HEK293) cells are the most
      common mammalian cell type used for transient transfection. The post
      translational modifications (PTMs) of a protein are dictated in part by the cell
      line used for expression, and changes in PTMs have been shown to affect both the
      activity and biophysical properties of proteins. Therefore, it is potentially
      advantageous to keep the host cell type consistent throughout drug discovery and
      development. To this end, we compared the ExpiCHO system, a high density CHO-S
      transient transfection system, to the Expi293 and FreeStyle MAX CHO transient
      systems. Fourteen proteins were expressed in both the Expi293 and ExpiCHO
      systems. For a majority of proteins tested, the protein titers observed with the
      ExpiCHO system were higher than those seen with both the FreeStyle MAX CHO and
      Expi293 systems. Antibodies expressed using the ExpiCHO system had glycosylation
      patterns more similar to antibodies produced in stable CHO cell lines than
      Expi293-derived antibodies. However, culture duration and temperature were found
      to affect protein titer, monodispersity, enzyme activity, and PTMs and should be
      carefully selected when using the ExpiCHO system. The ExpiCHO transient
      transfection systems allows for facile production of milligrams to grams of
      protein in CHO cells and de-risks the transition from transient to stable
      material during drug development.

PMID- 28342834
TI  - ACEs and Child Health Policy: The Enduring Case for EPSDT.

PMID- 28342835
TI  - Lipids in exosomes: Current knowledge and the way forward.
AB  - Lipids are essential components of exosomal membranes, and it is well-known that
      specific lipids are enriched in exosomes compared to their parent cells. In this
      review we discuss current knowledge about the lipid composition of exosomes. We
      compare published data for different lipid classes in exosomes, and what is known
      about their lipid species, i.e. lipid molecules with different fatty acyl groups.
      Moreover, we elaborate on the hypothesis about hand-shaking between the very-long
      chain sphingolipids in the outer leaflet and PS 18:0/18:1 in the inner leaflet,
      and we propose this to be an important mechanism in membrane biology, not only
      for exosomes. The similarity between the lipid composition of exosomes, HIV
      particles, and detergent resistant membranes, used as lipid rafts models, is also
      discussed. Furthermore, we summarize knowledge about the role of specific lipids
      and lipid metabolizing enzymes on the formation and release of exosomes. Finally,
      the use of exosomal lipids as biomarkers and how the lipid composition of
      exosomes may be of importance for researchers aiming to use exosomes as drug
      delivery vehicles is discussed. In conclusion, we have summarized what is
      presently known about lipids in exosomes and identified issues that should be
      taken into consideration in future studies.

PMID- 28342837
TI  - [Malignant cutaneous adnexal neoplasms of the face and scalp: Diagnostic and
      therapeutic update].
AB  - INTRODUCTION: Malignant cutaneous adnexal neoplasms are rare and have been
      characterized only recently. They can occur at any age but preferentially in
      elderly. There are 3 of them: trichoblastic carcinoma, trichilemmal carcinoma and
      malignant pilomatricoma. The aim of our study was to make a diagnostic and
      therapeutic update about these tumors when located at the face or at the scalp.
      MATERIALS AND METHODS: A bibliographic research was made on PubMed using
      following keywords: appendage skin carcinoma AND pathology AND/OR therapeutic.
      Articles published before 2000 were considered outdated and were excluded.
      RESULTS: Twenty-five articles met the inclusion criteria. Clinical presentation
      was non-specific. Histological examination only allowed for diagnosis. Lesions
      were locally or loco-regionally aggressive. Lymphatic or hematogenous metastasis
      were reported. No consensus about treatment was found. When surgery was used, it
      consisted in resection with safety margins ranging from 0.5 to 3cm depending on
      the teams. In case of metastasis, treatment consisted in chemo- and/or
      radiotherapy. A quarterly medical monitoring was recommended. DISCUSSION:
      Malignant cutaneous adnexal tumors are rare. There is nowadays no treatment
      consensus. An initial staging by mean of a head and neck, chest, abdominal and
      pelvic CT-scan is mandatory. Treatment has to be decided in a multidisciplinary
      cancer committee. In the absence of metastasis, the reference treatment is
      surgical resection, possibly by Mohs micrographic technique, with large safety
      margins. In case of metastasis or if the loco-regional extension does not allow
      for a complete excision, chemotherapy and/or radiotherapy may be proposed. A
      close monitoring is essential.

PMID- 28342836
TI  - Membrane fatty acid composition as a determinant of Listeria monocytogenes
      sensitivity to trans-cinnamaldehyde.
AB  - trans-Cinnamaldehyde, the major compound of cinnamon essential oil, is a
      potentially interesting natural antimicrobial food preservative. Although a
      number of studies have addressed its mode of action, the factors that determine
      bacterial sensitivity or tolerance to trans-cinnamaldehyde are poorly understood.
      We report the detailed characterization of a Listeria monocytogenes Scott A trans
      cinnamaldehyde hypersensitive mutant defective in IlvE, which catalyzes the
      reversible transamination of branched-chain amino acids to the corresponding
      short-chain alpha-ketoacids. This mutant showed an 8.4 fold extended lag phase
      during growth in sublethal concentrations (4 mM), and faster inactivation in
      lethal concentrations of trans-cinnamaldehyde (6 mM). trans-Cinnamaldehyde
      hypersensitivity could be corrected by genetic complementation with the ilvE gene
      and supplementation with branched-chain alpha-ketoacids. Whole-cell fatty acid
      analyses revealed an almost complete loss of anteiso branched-chain fatty acids
      (BCFAs), which was compensated by elevated levels of unbranched saturated fatty
      acids and iso-BCFAs. Sub-inhibitory concentrations of trans-cinnamaldehyde
      induced membrane fatty acid adaptations predicted to reduce membrane fluidity,
      possibly as a response to counteract the membrane fluidizing effect of trans
      cinnamaldehyde. These results demonstrate the role of IlvE in BCFA production and
      the role of membrane composition as an important determinant of trans
      cinnamaldehyde sensitivity in L. monocytogenes.

PMID- 28342838
TI  - The effect of the packaging system and storage time on myofibrillar protein
      degradation and oxidation process in relation to beef tenderness.
AB  - This study investigated the impact of packaging systems on the degradation and
      oxidation of beef proteins regarding beef tenderness of longissimus lumborum (LL)
      and biceps femoris (BF) muscles stored in vacuum skin packaging (VSP), a modified
      atmosphere with high oxygen concentration (MAP), and combined of these two
      methods (VSP+MAP). A significant decrease in the Warner-Bratzler shear force
      (WBSF) in VSP at D14 and D28 for LL was observed compared to BF. A significant
      effect of packaging system on troponin-T (Tn-T) and desmin degradation was shown
      (p<=0.001). A high concentration of oxygen in MAP and VSP+MAP affected protein
      oxidation, which was reflected in myosin oxidative cross-linking. An increase of
      WBSF values detected in steaks packed in VSP and VSP+MAP systems could be caused
      by the intensification of protein oxidation. Furthermore, BF was more susceptible
      to oxidation compared to LL. The VSP+MAP packaging system has resulted in the
      maintenance of a bright, red color, however has not improved the beef tenderness.

PMID- 28342839
TI  - A case of severely calcified neoatherosclerosis after paclitaxel eluting stent
      implantation.
AB  - A 79-year-old male who had a history of coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG)
      and percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) received coronary angiography (CAG),
      because of angina pectoris. CAG showed in-stent restenosis of the paclitaxel
      eluting stent (PES). Since the devices could not pass the lesion, we performed
      rotational atherectomy. Although we could not identify the calcified lesion by
      the optical frequency domain imaging (OFDI) findings because of strong
      attenuation, the intravascular ultrasound (IVUS) image showed the superficial
      calcification. On the other hand, strong attenuation in OFDI suggested the
      presence of foamy macrophage, which was essential for the diagnosis of
      neoatherosclerosis. We could obtain a favorable result by deploying another drug
      eluting stent. While an earlier report showed the calcified neoatherosclerosis
      following bare-metal stent implantation, we clearly showed the calcified
      neoatherosclerosis following PES implantation.

PMID- 28342840
TI  - The ratio of contrast volume to glomerular filtration rate predicts acute kidney
      injury and mortality after transcatheter aortic valve implantation.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to assess the impact of the ratio of volume
      of contrast medium to the glomerular filtration rate (V/GFR) on acute kidney
      injury (AKI) after transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) and its impact
      on long-term mortality. METHODS: We retrospectively calculated V/GFR in 397
      patients undergoing TAVI. AKI was defined as VARC-modified Risk, Injury, Failure,
      Loss and End-stage (RIFLE) kidney disease score>=2. RESULTS: The incidence of AKI
      was 17.9%. The mean V/GFR ratio was 3.0+/-2.7 in patients without AKI and 7.8+/
      8.8 in patients with AKI (p<0.001). The receiver-operator characteristic curve
      analysis showed fair discrimination between patients with and without AKI (C
      statistic 0.85) at a V/GFR ratio of 3.2. Multivariable regression analysis
      indicated that V/GFR>3.2 was an independent predictor of both AKI (OR 3.4, 95% CI
      1.0-6.1, p<0.001) and long-term mortality (OR 3.3, 95% CI 2.0-5.2, p<0.001).
      CONCLUSIONS: A V/GFR > 3.2 was found to be correlated with a higher incidence of
      AKI and mortality after TAVI. Therefore, this ratio could potentially be used to
      calculate the maximum volume of contrast medium that can be administered without
      significantly increasing the risk of AKI and mortality. Further larger studies
      are needed to validate these findings.

PMID- 28342841
TI  - Use of a parallel stiff wire to facilitate percutaneous Impella RP ventricular
      assist device positioning.
AB  - Despite optimal medical management, some patients with severe right ventricular
      failure fail to respond and may benefit from additional support with the
      implantation of a RV assist device. Experience to date with Impella RP is
      limited. We report a case of percutaneous Impella RP implantation, using a
      parallel stiff wire to reduce anatomical tortuosity by acting as a buddy-wire to
      facilitate device implantation and reduce the risk of tricuspid ring damage in a
      patient recently treated with tricuspid ring annuloplasty.

PMID- 28342842
TI  - Protectin DX suppresses hepatic gluconeogenesis through AMPK-HO-1-mediated
      inhibition of ER stress.
AB  - Several studies have shown that protectins, which are omega-3 fatty acid-derived
      proresolution mediators, may improve insulin resistance. Recently, protectin DX
      (PDX) was documented to attenuate insulin resistance by stimulating IL-6
      expression in skeletal muscle, thereby regulating hepatic gluconeogenesis. These
      findings made us investigate the direct effects of PDX on hepatic glucose
      metabolism in the context of diabetes. In the current study, we show that PDX
      regulates hepatic gluconeogenesis in a manner distinct from its indirect
      glucoregulatory activity via IL-6. We found that PDX stimulated AMP-activated
      protein kinase (AMPK) phosphorylation, thereby inducing heme oxygenase 1 (HO-1)
      expression. This induction blocked hepatic gluconeogenesis by suppressing
      endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress in hepatocytes under hyperlipidemic conditions.
      These effects were significantly dampened by silencing AMPK or HO-1 expression
      with small interfering RNA (siRNA). We also demonstrated that administration of
      PDX to high fat diet (HFD)-fed mice resulted in increased hepatic AMPK
      phosphorylation and HO-1 expression, whereas hepatic ER stress was substantially
      attenuated. Furthermore, PDX treatment suppressed the expression of gluconeogenic
      genes, thereby decreasing blood glucose levels in HFD-fed mice. In conclusion,
      our findings suggest that PDX inhibits hepatic gluconeogenesis via AMPK-HO-1
      dependent suppression of ER stress. Thus, PDX may be an effective therapeutic
      target for the treatment of insulin resistance and type 2 diabetes through the
      regulation of hepatic gluconeogenesis.

PMID- 28342844
TI  - A system dynamics modelling approach to assess the impact of launching a new
      nicotine product on population health outcomes.
AB  - In 2012 the US FDA suggested the use of mathematical models to assess the impact
      of releasing new nicotine or tobacco products on population health outcomes. A
      model based on system dynamics methodology was developed to project the potential
      effects of a new nicotine product at a population level. A model representing
      traditional smoking populations (never, current and former smokers) and
      calibrated using historical data was extended to a two-product model by including
      electronic cigarettes use statuses. Smoking mechanisms, such as product
      initiation, switching, transition to dual use, and cessation, were represented as
      flows between smoking statuses (stocks) and the potential effect of smoking
      renormalisation through a feedback system. Mortality over a 50-year period (2000
      2050) was the health outcome of interest, and was compared between two scenarios,
      with and without e-cigarettes being introduced. The results suggest that by 2050,
      smoking prevalence in adults was 12.4% in the core model and 9.7% (including dual
      users) in the counterfactual. Smoking-related mortality was 8.4% and 8.1%,
      respectively. The results suggested an overall beneficial effect from launching e
      cigarettes and that system dynamics could be a useful approach to assess the
      potential population health effects of nicotine products when epidemiological
      data are not available.

PMID- 28342843
TI  - The stress-response molecule NR4A1 resists ROS-induced pancreatic beta-cells
      apoptosis via WT1.
AB  - Pancreatic beta-cells often face endoplasmic reticulum stress and/or ROS
      associated oxidative stress under adverse conditions. Our previous work has
      verified that NR4A1 protects pancreatic beta-cells from ER-stress induced
      apoptosis. However, It remains unknown whether NR4A1 is able to protect
      pancreatic beta-cells against ROS-associated oxidative stress. In the present
      study, our data showed that NR4A1 protein expression rapidly increased in MIN6
      cells upon H2O2 treatment, and overexpression of NR4A1 in MIN6 cells conferred
      resistance to cell apoptosis induced by H2O2. These results were further
      substantiated in isolated islets from mice infected with an adenovirus
      overexpressing NR4A1. 8-hydroxy-2'-deoxyguanosine (8-OHdG) was used as a
      biomarker for oxidative stress or a marker for ROS damage. We found that the 8
      OHdG level in the islets from NR4A1 knockout mice fed with high-fat diet was much
      higher than that in the islets from parental control mice; and higher apoptotic
      rate was observed in the islets from NR4A1 KO mice compared to control mice.
      Further investigation of underlying mechanisms of NR4A1's protective effects
      showed that NR4A1 overexpression in MIN6 cells reduced Caspase 3 activation
      caused by H2O2, and increased expression of WT1 and SOD1. There is a putative
      NR4A1 binding site (-1118bp to -1111bp) in WT1 promoter; our data demonstrated
      that NR4A1 protein physically associates with the WT1 promoter, and enhanced WT1
      promoter transactivation and knockdown of WT1 in MIN6 cells induced apoptosis.
      These findings suggest that NR4A1 protects pancreatic beta-cells against H2O2
      mediated apoptosis by up-regulating WT1 expression.

PMID- 28342845
TI  - Genotoxic and cytotoxic evaluation of Jatropha dioica Sesse ex Cerv. by the
      micronucleus test in mouse peripheral blood.
AB  - Jatropha dioica Sesse ex Cerv. is a medicinal plant credited with low
      cytotoxicity in vitro. Thus, the objective of this work was to evaluate the
      possible genotoxic and cytotoxic effect in vivo of the J. dioica aqueous extract
      by means of micronucleus assay in mouse peripheral blood. Four different J.
      dioica aqueous extract dose-units were evaluated (30, 60, 100, and 300 mg/kg).
      The extract was administered orally to male Balb-C-strain mice every 24 h during
      5 days. Blood samples were taken at 0, 24, 48, 72, 96, and 120 h from the mouse's
      tail and were performed in duplicate extensions. The number of Polychromatic
      Erythrocytes (PCE), Polychromatic Micronucleus Erythrocytes (PCEMN), and
      Micronucleus Erythrocytes (MNE) was determined at the different sampling times in
      the different study groups. Our results showed that the group that received 60
      mg/kg of cyclophosphamide (positive control) presented a significant decrease in
      the PCE (p = 0.044) proportion and a significant increase in MNE (p = 0.032, p =
      0.0001). The groups that received the different J. dioica aqueous extract doses
      did not present either a PCE decrease or an increase in PCEMN and MNE. J. dioica
      exerts neither a genotoxic nor a cytotoxic effect on mouse peripheral blood at
      high doses.

PMID- 28342846
TI  - New studies on the in vitro genotoxicity of sodium molybdate and their impact on
      the overall assessment of the genotoxicity of molybdenum substances.
AB  - The potential of molybdenum substances to cause genotoxic effects has been
      studied previously. However, a review of existing in vitro data, including an
      assessment of relevance and reliability, has shown that inconsistent results have
      been observed in the past. To resolve the inconsistencies, new studies were
      performed with the highly soluble sodium molybdate dihydrate according to OECD
      test guidelines. In a bacterial reverse mutation assay sodium molybdate dihydrate
      did not induce reverse mutations in five strains of Salmonella typhimurium. No
      mutagenic or clastogenic effect was observed at the tk locus of L5178Y mouse
      lymphoma cells. In a micronucleus test in cultured human peripheral blood
      lymphocytes no clastogenic or aneugenic effects were seen. These results can be
      read across to other inorganic molybdenum substances, that all release the
      molybdate ion [MoO4]2- under physiological conditions as the only toxicologically
      relevant species. In summary, a weight of evidence assessment of all available in
      vitro data shows no evidence of genotoxicity of molybdenum substances.

PMID- 28342847
TI  - Na+/K+-ATPase interaction with methylglyoxal as reactive metabolic side product.
AB  - Proteins are subject to oxidative modification and the formation of adducts with
      a broad spectrum of reactive species via enzymatic and non-enzymatic mechanisms.
      Here we report that in vitro non-enzymatic methylglyoxal (MGO) binding causes the
      inhibition and formation of MGO advanced glycation end-products (MAGEs) in Na+/K+
      ATPase (NKA). Concretely, MGO adducts with NKA amino acid residues (mainly Arg)
      and Nepsilon-(carboxymethyl)lysine (CML) formation were found. MGO is not only an
      inhibitor for solubilized NKA (IC50=91+/-16MUM), but also for reconstituted NKA
      in the lipid bilayer environment, which was clearly demonstrated using a
      DPPC/DPPE liposome model in the presence or absence of the NKA-selective
      inhibitor ouabain. High-resolution mass spectrometric analysis of a tryptic
      digest of NKA isolated from pig (Sus scrofa) kidney indicates that the
      intracellular alpha-subunit is naturally (post-translationally) modified by MGO
      in vivo. In contrast to this, the beta-subunit could only be modified by MGO
      artificially, and the transmembrane part of the protein did not undergo MGO
      binding under the experimental setup used. As with bovine serum albumin, serving
      as the water-soluble model, we also demonstrated a high binding capacity of MGO
      to water-poorly soluble NKA using a multi-spectral methodology based on
      electroanalytical, immunochemical and fluorimetric tools. In addition, a partial
      suppression of the MGO-mediated inhibitory effect could be observed in the
      presence of aminoguanidine (pimagedine), a glycation suppressor and MGO
      scavenger. All the results here were obtained with the X-ray structure of NKA in
      the E1 conformation (3WGV) and could be used in the further interpretation of the
      functionality of this key enzyme in the presence of highly-reactive metabolic
      side-products, glycation agents and generally under oxidative stress conditions.

PMID- 28342848
TI  - Ultraviolet A-induced oxidation in cornea: Characterization of the early
      oxidation-related events.
AB  - Exposure to sunlight ultraviolet-A (UVA), the main component of solar UV reaching
      the eyes, is suspected to play an important part in the onset of ocular
      pathologies. UVA primary biological deleterious effects arise from the photo
      induction of oxidative stress in cells. However, the molecular bases linking UVA
      induced oxidation to UVA toxicity in eyes remain poorly understood, especially
      with regards to the cornea. To shed some light on this issue, we have
      investigated the susceptibility and response potential of the different corneal
      cellular layers (epithelium, stroma and endothelium) to UVA-induced oxidation. We
      have monitored UVA-induced immediate effects on cellular redox balance, on
      mitochondrial membrane potential, on 8-Hydroxy-2'-deoxyguanosine (8-OHdG)
      accumulation in cellular DNA and on S-glutathionylated proteins (PSSG) levels
      along whole rabbit corneas. Higher redox imbalance was observed in the posterior
      part of the cornea following irradiation. Conversely, UVA-altered mitochondrial
      membrane potentials were observed only in anterior portions of the cornea. UVA
      induced 8-OHdG were found in nuclear DNA of epithelia, while they were found in
      both nuclear and mitochondrial DNA in stromal and endothelial cells. Finally,
      significantly higher levels of cytosolic PSSG were measured in epithelia and
      endothelia immediately after UVA exposure, but not in stromas. Taken together,
      our findings indicate that while corneal epithelial cells are subjected to
      important modifications in response to UVA exposure, they efficiently limit the
      early manifestations of UVA-induced toxicity. On the other hand, the corneal
      endothelium is more susceptible to UVA-induced oxidation-related toxicity.

PMID- 28342849
TI  - Comparative effects of EtOH consumption and thiamine deficiency on cognitive
      impairment, oxidative damage, and beta-amyloid peptide overproduction in the
      brain.
AB  - The effects of chronic EtOH consumption, associated or not with thiamine
      deficiency (TD), on cognitive impairment, oxidative damage, and beta-amyloid
      (Abeta) peptide accumulation in the brain were investigated in male C57BL/6 mice.
      We established an alcoholic mouse model by feeding an EtOH liquid diet, a TD
      mouse model by feeding a thiamine-depleted liquid diet, and an EtOH treatment
      associated with TD mouse model by feeding a thiamine-depleted EtOH liquid diet
      for 7 weeks. The learning and memory functions of the mice were detected through
      the Y-maze test. Biochemical parameters were measured using corresponding
      commercial kits. The Abeta expression in the hippocampus was observed by
      immunohistochemical staining. Several results were obtained. First, EtOH
      significantly reduced cognitive function by significantly decreasing the Glu
      content in the hippocampus; increasing the AChE activity in the cortex; and
      reducing the thiamine level, and superoxide dismutase (SOD), glutathione
      peroxidase (GPx), and choline acetyltransferase (ChAT) activities in both the
      hippocampus and cortex. The treatment also increased the levels of
      malondialdehyde (MDA), protein carbonyl, 8-hydroxydeoxyguanosine (8-OHdG), and
      nitric oxide (NO) and the activities of total nitric oxide synthase (tNOS),
      inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS), and monoamine oxidase B (MAO-B).
      Furthermore, EtOH enhanced the expression levels of Abeta1-42 and Abeta1-40 in
      the hippocampus. Second, TD induced the same dysfunctions caused by EtOH in the
      biochemical parameters, except for learning ability, 8-OHdG content, and GPx,
      tNOS, and AChE activities in the cortex. Third, the modification of MDA, protein
      carbonyl and NO levels, and GPx, iNOS, ChAT, and MAO-B activities in the brain
      induced by chronic EtOH treatment associated with TD was greater than that
      induced by EtOH or TD alone. The synergistic effects of EtOH and TD on Abeta1-40
      and Glu release, as well as on SOD activity, depended on their actions on the
      hippocampus or cortex. These findings suggest that chronic EtOH consumption can
      induce TD, cognitive impairment, Abeta accumulation, oxidative stress injury, and
      neurotransmitter metabolic abnormalities. Furthermore, the association of chronic
      EtOH consumption with TD causes dramatic brain dysfunctions with a severe effect
      on the brain.

PMID- 28342850
TI  - Structural basis for differential activities of enantiomeric PPARgamma agonists:
      Binding of S35 to the alternate site.
AB  - Peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma (PPARgamma) is a member of the
      nuclear receptor superfamily. It functions as a ligand-activated transcription
      factor and plays important roles in the regulation of adipocyte differentiation,
      type 2 diabetes mellitus, and inflammation. Many PPARgamma agonists bind to the
      canonical ligand-binding pocket near the activation function-2 (AF-2) helix
      (i.e., helix H12) of the ligand-binding domain (LBD). More recently, an alternate
      ligand-binding site was identified in PPARgamma LBD; it is located beside the
      Omega loop between the helices H2' and H3. We reported previously that the
      chirality of two optimized enantiomeric PPARgamma ligands (S35 and R35)
      differentiates their PPARgamma transcriptional activity, binding affinity, and
      inhibitory activity toward Cdk5 (cyclin-dependent kinase 5)-mediated
      phosphorylation of PPARgamma at Ser245 (in PPARgamma1 numbering; Ser273 in
      PPARgamma2 numbering). S35 is a PPARgamma phosphorylation inhibitor with
      promising glucose uptake potential, whereas R35 behaves as a potent conventional
      PPARgamma agonist. To provide a structural basis for understanding the
      differential activities of these enantiomeric ligands, we have determined crystal
      structures of the PPARgamma LBD in complex with either S35 or R35. S35 and R35
      bind to the PPARgamma LBD in significantly different manners. The partial agonist
      S35 occupies the alternate site near the Omega loop, whereas the full agonist R35
      binds entirely to the canonical LBP. Alternate site binding of S35 affects the
      PPARgamma transactivation and the inhibitory effect on PPARgamma Ser245
      phosphorylation. This study provides a useful platform for the development of a
      new generation of PPARgamma ligands as anti-diabetic drug candidates.

PMID- 28342852
TI  - Effects of sub-culturing on genetic and physiological parameters in different
      Beauveria bassiana isolates.
AB  - Beauveria bassiana is a fungus which is widely used as a biological insecticide
      to control a number of economically important insect pests. Knowledge of the
      genetic diversity of the isolates, understanding the underlying nature of these
      evolutionary phenomena and finding appropriate and simple screening tools play an
      important role in developing effective biocontrol agents. Here, we monitored
      changes of electrophoretic karyotype of small molecules of extrachromosomal DNAs,
      presumably mitochondrial DNA or plasmids in several individual isolates of B.
      bassiana during the forced in vitro evolution by continual subculture on
      artificial media and then we evaluated these changes on the virulence of the
      isolates. Through agarose gel electrophoresis of the small extrachromosomal DNAs
      molecules, we found that mutations accumulate quickly and obvious changes take
      place in extrachromosomal DNAs of some isolates, although this did not always
      occur. This plasticity in response to culturing pressure suggests that buffering
      capacity of fungal genome against mutations is isolate dependent. Following the
      forced evolution by sub-culturing, five discriminable electrophoretic karyotype
      of extrachromosomal DNAs was observed among isolates. The results showed that
      some isolates are prone to deep mutations, but during enforced sub-culturing some
      others have efficiently conserved genome. These differences are influensive in
      screening appropriate isolates for mass production as a keystone in biocontrol
      program. To determine the effects of these changes on isolate traits, virulence,
      germination rate and spore-bound Pr1 activity were assessed parallel to sub
      culturing. The results clearly revealed that parallel to sub-culturing and in
      correlation with karyotypic changes, isolates significantly suffered from
      virulence, germination rate and spore-bound Pr1 activity deficiencies.

PMID- 28342851
TI  - Site-specific photocoupling of pBpa mutated scFv antibodies for use in affinity
      proteomics.
AB  - Recombinant antibody libraries can provide a source of renewable and high
      performing binders tailored for use in affinity proteomics. In this context, the
      process of generating site-specific 1:1 tagging/functionalization and/or
      orientated surface immobilization of antibodies has, however, proved to be
      challenging. Hence, novel ways of generating such engineered antibodies for use
      in affinity proteomics could have a major impact on array performance. In this
      study, we have further tailored the design of human recombinant scFv antibodies
      for site-specific photocoupling through the use of an unnatural amino acid (UAA)
      and the Dock'n'Flash technology. In more detail, we have generated the 2nd
      generation of scFvs carrying the photoreactive UAA p-benzoyl-l-phenylalanine
      (pBpa). Based on key properties, such as expression levels, activity, and
      affinity, a preferred choice of site for pBpa, located in the beginning of the C
      terminal affinity-tag, was for the first time pin-pointed. Further, the results
      showed that pBpa mutated antibody could be site-specifically photocoupled to free
      and surface immobilized beta-cyclodextrin (an affinity ligand to pBpa). This
      paves the way for use of scFv antibodies, engineered for site-specific
      photochemical-based tagging, functionalization, and orientated surface
      immobilization, in affinity proteomics.

PMID- 28342853
TI  - Thyroid hormone promotes differentiation of colon cancer stem cells.
AB  - Tumor formation and maintenance depend on a small fraction of cancer stem cells
      (CSCs) that can self-renew and generate a wide variety of differentiated cells.
      CSCs are resistant to chemotherapy and radiation, and can represent a reservoir
      of cancer cells that often cause relapse after treatment. Evidence suggests that
      CSCs also give rise to metastases. Thyroid hormone (TH) controls a variety of
      biological processes including the development and functioning of most adult
      tissues. Recent years has seen the emergence of an intimate link between TH and
      multiple steps of tumorigenesis. Thyroid hormone controls the balance between the
      proliferation and differentiation of CSCs, and may thus be a druggable anti
      cancer agent. Here, we review current understanding of the effects of TH on
      colorectal CSCs, including the cross regulatory loops between TH and regulators
      of CSC stemness. Targeting TH in the tumor microenvironment may improve treatment
      strategies.

PMID- 28342854
TI  - Evolution of ligands, receptors and metabolizing enzymes of thyroid signaling.
AB  - Thyroid hormones (THs) play important roles in vertebrates such as the control of
      the metabolism, development and seasonality. Given the pleiotropic effects of
      thyroid disorders (developmental delay, mood disorder, tachycardia, etc), THs
      signaling is highly investigated, specially using mammalian models. In addition,
      the critical role of TH in controlling frog metamorphosis has led to the use of
      Xenopus as another prominent model to study THs action. Nevertheless, animals
      regarded as non-model species can also improve our understanding of THs
      signaling. For instance, studies in amphioxus highlighted the role of Triac as a
      bona fide thyroid hormone receptor (TR) ligand. In this review, we discuss our
      current understanding of the THs signaling in the different taxa forming the
      metazoans (multicellular animals) group. We mainly focus on three actors of the
      THs signaling: the ligand, the receptor and the deiodinases, enzymes playing a
      critical role in THs metabolism. By doing so, we also pinpoint many key questions
      that remain unanswered. How can THs accelerate metamorphosis in tunicates and
      echinoderms while their TRs have not been yet demonstrated as functional THs
      receptors in these species? Do THs have a biological effect in insects and
      cnidarians even though they do not have any TR? What is the basic function of THs
      in invertebrate protostomia? These questions can appear disconnected from
      pharmacological issues and human applications, but the investigation of THs
      signaling at the metazoans scale can greatly improve our understanding of this
      major endocrinological pathway.

PMID- 28342855
TI  - Regulation of reproduction via tight control of gonadotropin hormone levels.
AB  - Mammalian reproduction is controlled by the hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal axis.
      GnRH from the hypothalamus regulates synthesis and secretion of gonadotropins, LH
      and FSH, which then control steroidogenesis and gametogenesis. In females, serum
      LH and FSH levels exhibit rhythmic changes throughout the menstrual or estrous
      cycle that are correlated with pulse frequency of GnRH. Lack of gonadotropins
      leads to infertility or amenorrhea. Dysfunctions in the tightly controlled ratio
      due to levels slightly outside the normal range occur in a larger number of women
      and are correlated with polycystic ovaries and premature ovarian failure. Since
      the etiology of these disorders is largely unknown, studies in cell and mouse
      models may provide novel candidates for investigations in human population.
      Hence, understanding the mechanisms whereby GnRH regulates gonadotropin hormone
      levels will provide insight into the physiology and pathophysiology of the
      reproductive system. This review discusses recent advances in our understanding
      of GnRH regulation of gonadotropin synthesis.

PMID- 28342856
TI  - Reproductive endocrinology of vitamin D.
AB  - Vitamin D is a versatile hormone with several functions beyond its well
      established role in maintenance of skeletal health and calcium homeostasis. The
      effects of vitamin D are mediated by the vitamin D receptor, which is expressed
      together with the vitamin D metabolizing enzymes in the reproductive tissues. The
      reproductive organs are therefore responsive to and able to metabolize vitamin D
      locally. The exact role remains to be clarified but several studies have
      suggested a link between vitamin D and production/release of reproductive
      hormones into circulation, which will be the main focus of this review. Current
      evidence is primarily based on small human association studies and rodent models.
      This highlights the need for randomized clinical trials, but also functional
      animal and human in vitro studies, and larger, prospective cohort studies are
      warranted. Given the high number of men and women suffering from reproductive
      problems and abnormal endocrinology research addressing the role of vitamin D in
      reproductive endocrinology may be of clinical importance.

PMID- 28342857
TI  - Antinociceptive and anti-inflammatory effects of the methanolic stem bark extract
      of Antrocaryon klaineanum Pierre (Anacardiaceae) in mice and rat.
AB  - ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE: Antrocaryon klaineanum is used by traditional
      healers to treat many disorders including pain and inflammatory diseases. This
      study aimed to evaluate the analgesic and antiinflammatory activities of methanol
      extract of A. klaineanum in mice and rats. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Reverse phase
      high-performance liquid chromatography (RP-HPLC) was performed to establish the
      chromatographic fingerprint and to identify various chemical components of the
      plant extract. The anti-nociceptive activity of methanol extract of A. klaineanum
      was assessed using the acetic acid-induced abdominal constriction model, formalin
      test, capsaicin and cinnamaldehyde induced-neurogenic pain and hot plate test.
      Anti-inflammatory activity was assessed on carrageenan-induced inflammation.
      Extract was administrated orally at 200, 400 and 600mg/kg. RESULTS: Phytochemical
      analysis indicated the presence of proanthocyanidins, phenolic acids and
      flavonoids. The results of anti-nociceptive and anti-inflammatory activities
      showed that methanol extract significantly (p<0.01) reduced the pain induced by
      acetic acid with an inhibition percentage of 45.49% (600mg/kg). In the formalin
      test, the extract also significantly (p<0.01) reduced linking time in both phase
      (neurogenic and inflammatory) of the test with inhibition percentage of 56.28%
      and 60.73% respectively at the dose of 600mg/kg. The methanol extract of A.
      klaineanum significantly (P<0.001) reduced neurogenic pain linking time induced
      by capsaicin and cinnamaldehyde by 82.54% and 75.94% at the highest dose
      (600mg/kg) respectively. More over the extract significantly increase the
      reaction time in hot plate test. In the inflammatory test, the plant extract
      significantly reduced the carrageen induced rat paw oedema from 30min to 6h with
      a maximum percentage inhibition of 89.88% (6h) at the dose of 600mg/kg.
      CONCLUSION: These results demonstrate that the methanol extract of A. klaineanum
      may possess analgesic and anti-inflammatory effects and provide support of the
      traditional use of this plant in the treatment of different pain and inflammatory
      conditions. Further investigation could reveal metabolites of the extract
      responsible for the observed effects.

PMID- 28342858
TI  - Aqueous extract from leaf of Artocarpus altilis provides cardio-protection from
      isoproterenol induced myocardial damage in rats: Negative chronotropic and
      inotropic effects.
AB  - ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE: The leaves of Artocarpus altilis (Parkinson ex
      F.A.Zorn, Fosberg) (Moraceae) are used in the management of hypertension; this
      study assessed the cardio-protective effects of the leaf extract on isoproterenol
      (ISO) induced myocardial damage in rats. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Twenty (20) adult
      male Sprague-Dawley rats (175-230g) were divided into 5 groups. Group 1
      (Control), 2 (AA) received 50mg/Kg Artocarpus altilis (AA) only; 3 (ISO) received
      85mg/Kg ISO only; 4 (ISO+AA/50) and 5 (ISO+AA/100) received 50 and 100mg/Kg AA
      respectively for 6 days, after induced with ISO twice (85mg/Kg) at a 24-h period.
      Blood pressure readings were taken before and after the administering of ISO
      using the tail cuff method. ECG was performed on anaesthetized rats. Cardiac
      contractility was measured in isolated right atrial muscles. Assessment of
      myocardial infarct (MI) size, heart/body weight ratio, biochemical, hematological
      and histo-morphological parameters were conducted at the end of seven days. An
      aqueous extract from leaves of A. altilis was analyzed for organic compounds
      using UHPLC mass spectrometry. RESULTS: ISO induced myocardial damage through an
      elevation of the heart rate (HR), infarct size and ECG distortions. Treatment
      with AA significantly (p?0.05) reduced heart/body weight ratio (49%), MI (96%),
      HR (27%), sympathovagal imbalance (36%) and serum cardiac biomarkers (AST, LDH,
      HDL, triglycerides and CCK) caused by ISO. AA decreased the beat frequency of
      isolated right atrium (11%) cause by ISO, an action similar to propranolol (beta
      adrenergic antagonist; 20%), but showed no significant changes in the QTc
      intervals of the ECG (suggesting no cardio-toxic drug-herb interactions), Thirty
      nine compounds were detected using high resolution LC-MS analysis (HPLC-Orbitrap
      APCI-MS) in the extract. Pure compounds, as gallic acid and rutin, presented a
      higher negative chronotropic effect, similar to propranolol. CONCLUSION: Oral
      administration of aqueous extract of Artocarpus artilis has cardio-protective
      functions in myocardial injury, in part, by decreasing the HR, reduced
      contractility and infarct size. These findings may explain the cardio-protective
      use of A. altilis in traditional medicine.

PMID- 28342859
TI  - Hydroethanolic extract from Echinodorus scaber Rataj leaves inhibits inflammation
      in ovalbumin-induced allergic asthma.
AB  - ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE: Echinodorus scaber, Alismataceae, is popularly
      known in Brazil as "chapeu-de-couro". The plant leaves are used by the population
      as decoction, infusion, or maceration in bottled spirits, to treat inflammatory
      respiratory diseases. AIM OF THE STUDY: To investigate the anti-inflammatory
      mechanism of the hydroethanolic extract of leaves of Echinodorus scaber (HEEs) in
      allergic asthma. A phytochemical analysis of the extract was performed as well.
      MATERIALS AND METHODS: The leaves of Echinodorus scaber were prepared by
      maceration in 75% ethanol. Preliminary phytochemical analysis was carried out
      using basic classical methods, and the secondary metabolites detected in HEEs
      were analyzed and confirmed by high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). The
      in vivo anti-inflammatory activity of HEEs was evaluated in Swiss male albino
      mice sensitized and challenged by OVA. The HEEs (1, 5 and 30mg/kg, p.o.) was
      administered to mice twice a day, 1h before the challenge, from days 19 through
      24. The mechanism of action of HEEs was studied by evaluating the levels of TH2
      cytokines (IL-4, IL-5 and IL-13) in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) and IgE
      production in blood plasma. Histopathological changes triggered by OVA
      sensitization/challenge in the lung tissue were also investigated. RESULTS: HEEs
      reduced total leukocyte, eosinophil, neutrophil, and mononuclear cell counts at
      all doses tested, with maximum effect at 30mg/kg (73.9%, 75.9%, 75.5%, and 65.2%
      reduction, p<0.001, respectively). Increases in TH2 cytokine secretion (IL-4, IL
      5 and IL-13) and in IgE levels were also attenuated by HEEs. Preliminary
      phytochemical screening seems to indicated the presence of phenolic compounds,
      flavonoids and alkaloids. HPLC analyses evidenced the presence of phenolic
      compounds, such as gallic acid, rutin and vitexin. CONCLUSION: Our findings
      provided pharmacological preclinical evidence for the popular use of the leaves
      of Echinodorus scaber in allergic inflammation. Its anti-inflammatory effect was
      dependent on the decrease in migratory inflammatory cells, and both TH2 cytokines
      and IgE levels. It is suggested that vitexin, gallic acid and rutin, known anti
      inflammatory compounds, may participate in the anti-asthamtic effect of the HEEs,
      by acting jointly along with other components present in the extract.

PMID- 28342860
TI  - Functional characterization of lysophosphatidic acid receptor 1 mutants
      identified in rat cancer tissues.
AB  - Lysophosphatidic acid (LPA), an extracellular lipid mediator, exerts various
      cellular effects through activation of LPA receptors, LPA1-LPA6, in many types of
      cells including cancer cells. We recently found several missense mutations of
      Lpar1 in rat cancer tissues. One of these mutations is located at the
      extracellular tip of the seventh transmembrane domain of LPA1, and another three
      mutations are found within the NPXXY motif in the seventh transmembrane domain.
      These mutants are designated F295S LPA1 and P308S, I310T, and Y311H LPA1,
      respectively. Here, we examined the functions of these LPA1 mutants. Compared
      with wild-type (WT) LPA1, F295S, P308S, and I310T LPA1 showed decreased maximal
      responses in inhibition of cAMP formation, Ca2+ mobilization, and cytoskeletal
      changes. Y311H LPA1 failed to show LPA-induced cellular responses. However, these
      LPA1 mutants were internalized in response to LPA exposure. Finally, while WT and
      F295S LPA1 showed a similar, broad distribution throughout the cell, P308S,
      I310T, and Y311H LPA1 displayed a restricted cellular distribution and co
      localized with the endoplasmic reticulum. These data suggest that the LPA1
      mutants perturb LPA signaling in cancer tissues.

PMID- 28342862
TI  - miR-29a suppresses growth and migration of hepatocellular carcinoma by regulating
      CLDN1.
AB  - CLDN1 (claudin1) is essential for intercellular junctions and has been reported
      to be involving in cell migration and metastasis, making it as an oncogene in
      various cancer types. However, the biological function roles and regulatory
      mechanisms of CLDN1 in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) are still not clarified. In
      this study, we found down-regulation of miR-29a and up-regulation of CLDN1 in HCC
      tissues and cell lines. Further found an inverse relation between the expressions
      of miR-29a and CLDN1 in HCC. Dual-luciferase reporter assay indicated that miR
      29a regulated the expression of CLDN1 by binding to its 3' untranslated region
      (3'UTR). Knockdown of CLDN1 led to decrease in tumor cell growth and migration
      capacities in vitro and in vivo. While overexpression of miR-29a suppressed tumor
      growth and migration, these effects could be reversed by re-expressing CLDN1.
      Taken together, out data suggested that miR-29a may regulate tumor growth and
      migration by targeting CLDN1, providing promising therapeutic targets for HCC.

PMID- 28342861
TI  - MicroRNA-548j inhibits type I interferon production by targeting ZBTB11 in
      patients with chronic hepatitis B.
AB  - Type I IFNs play crucial roles in antiviral immune responses. By inducing
      cellular resistance to viral infection and apoptosis of virus-infected cells,
      they impair virus replication and eliminate the invading pathogens. However, in
      CHB patients, generation of type I IFN was significantly impaired and the
      underlying mechanisms have not been fully understood. MicroRNA-548 family has
      been implicated in regulating antiviral response upon various infections. Here we
      explored the potential role of miR-548j in modulating type I IFN production in
      CHB. We found that miR-548j expression increased in MoDCs from CHB patients than
      that from healthy volunteers and transient transfection of miR-548j mimic led to
      a marked decrease of IFN-alpha/beta production in MoDCs from healthy volunteers
      while blockade of miR-548j by anti-miR-548j significantly restored IFN-alpha/beta
      secretion in MoDCs from CHB patients. In addition, Zinc finger and BTB domain
      containing 11 (ZBTB11) was predicted and finally confirmed to be a target of miR
      548j. Forced expression of ZBTB11 also restored IFN-alpha/beta secretion in MoDCs
      from CHB patients. These results indicate the involvement of miR-548j in aberrant
      production of type I IFN in CHB patients, and provide a potential target for
      developing anti-HBV therapies.

PMID- 28342863
TI  - Disturbed tryptophan metabolism correlating to progression and metastasis of
      esophageal squamous cell carcinoma.
AB  - Esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) is one of the most frequent
      malignancies worldwide. Lymph node metastasis is the leading cause of death in
      ESCC patients. To identify early diagnostic and prognostic biomarkers of ESCC and
      elucidate underlying pathogenesis of the disease, a targeted metabolomics
      strategy based on liquid chromatography combined with tandem mass spectrometry
      was applied to explore tryptophan metabolism between ESCC patients, metastatic
      ESCC patients (mESCC), and healthy controls. Statistical analysis on metabolite
      expression abundance and compound concentration ratio was conducted to
      discriminate patients from healthy controls. The concentration ratio of
      kynurenine, 5-hydroxytryptophan, 5-hydroxyindole-3-acetic acid, 5
      hydroxytryptamine to their precursor tryptophan were identified as potential
      biomarkers, presenting high diagnostic capacity for distinguishing ESCC and mESCC
      patients from healthy controls. Moreover, a prognostic prediction model was also
      built on these ratios to distinguish metastasis patients from non-metastasis
      patients successfully. The high performance of ESCC prediction models suggest
      that concentration ratios of compounds may be used as biomarkers for early
      diagnosis and prognosis of the disease. In addition, concentration ratios of
      compounds show a progressively increased trend from non-metastasis to metastasis
      patients compared with healthy controls, which is in accordance with process of
      malignant transformation of ESCC. This interested finding suggests that disturbed
      tryptophan metabolism is correlated to progression and metastasis of ESCC since
      concentration ratios of compounds reflect activity of enzymes involved in
      tryptophan metabolism. This study reveals the impact of tryptophan metabolism to
      tumorigenesis and metastasis of ESCC, which help biologists investigate mechanism
      of the disease.

PMID- 28342864
TI  - OsLBD37 and OsLBD38, two class II type LBD proteins, are involved in the
      regulation of heading date by controlling the expression of Ehd1 in rice.
AB  - LATERAL ORGAN BOUNDARIES DOMAIN (LBD) proteins are plant-specific transcription
      factors which are involved in many biological process of plant development,
      including lateral organ development, photomorphogenesis, pathogen response,
      pollen development and plant regeneration. Here, we report new functions of LBD
      proteins that participate in the regulation of heading date and yield in rice.
      OsLBD37 and OsLBD38 are two class II type LBD proteins, function as
      transcriptional activators. Overexpression of OsLBD37 and OsLBD38 separately
      causes delayed heading date and increased yield. Both OsLBD37 and OsLBD38 are
      expressed in rhythmic pattern, and their proteins are localized in the nucleus.
      Further analysis revealed that OsLBD37 and OsLBD38 delayed heading date by down
      regulating the expression of the florigen genes Hd3a and RFT1 through key
      regulator of heading date Ehd1. These data indicates that OsLBD37 and OsLBD38,
      may function as novel regulators of heading date and crop yield in rice.

PMID- 28342865
TI  - KSHV-encoded viral interferon regulatory factor 4 (vIRF4) interacts with IRF7 and
      inhibits interferon alpha production.
AB  - Before an infection can be completely established, the host immediately turns on
      the innate immune system through activating the interferon (IFN)-mediated
      antiviral pathway. Kaposi's sarcoma-associated herpesvirus (KSHV) utilizes a
      unique antagonistic mechanism of type I IFN-mediated host antiviral immunity by
      incorporating four viral interferon regulatory factors (vIRF1-4). Herein, we
      characterized novel immune evasion strategies of vIRF4 to inhibit the IRF7
      mediated IFN-alpha production. KSHV vIRF4 specifically interacts with IRF7,
      resulting in inhibition of IRF7 dimerization and ultimately suppresses IRF7
      mediated activation of type I IFN. These results suggest that each of the KSHV
      vIRFs, including vIRF4, subvert IFN-mediated anti-viral response via different
      mechanisms. Therefore, it is indicated that KSHV vIRFs are indeed a crucial
      immunomodulatory component of their life cycles.

PMID- 28342866
TI  - The T47D cell line is an ideal experimental model to elucidate the progesterone
      specific effects of a luminal A subtype of breast cancer.
AB  - Cell lines are often used as in vitro tools to mimic certain types of in vivo
      system; several cell lines, including MCF-7 and T47D, have been widely used in
      breast cancer studies without investigating the cell lines' characteristics. In
      this study, we compared the genome-wide binding profiles of ERalpha, PR, and
      P300, and the gene expression changes between MCF-7 and T47D cell lines that
      represent the luminal A subtype of breast cancer. Surprisingly, several thousand
      genes were differentially expressed under estrogenic condition. In addition,
      ERalpha, PR, and P300 binding to regulatory elements showed distinct genomic
      landscapes between MCF-7 and T47D cell lines in the same hormonal states. In
      particular, the T47D cell line was markedly susceptible to progesterone, whereas
      the MCF-7 cell line did not respond to progesterone in the presence of estrogen.
      Consistently, changes in the expression level of the PR-target gene, STAT5A, were
      only observed in the T47D cell line, not the MCF-7 cell line, when treated with
      progesterone. Overall, the results highlight the importance of selecting
      appropriate cell lines for breast cancer studies and suggest that T47D cell lines
      can be an ideal experimental model to elucidate the progesterone-specific effects
      of a luminal A subtype of breast cancer.

PMID- 28342867
TI  - GSK3beta attenuates TGF-beta1 induced epithelial-mesenchymal transition and
      metabolic alterations in ARPE-19 cells.
AB  - While TGF-beta1 is known to induce epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT), a
      major factor in the pathogenesis of proliferative vitreoretinopathy (PVR), in
      ARPE-19 cells. The molecular pathways involved in EMT formation have not yet to
      be fully characterized. In this study, we have found that TGF-beta1-mediated
      induction of EMT in ARPE-19 cells varied in a dose- and time-dependent manner.
      Specifically, TGF-beta1 inhibited GSK-3beta by accelerating phosphorylation at
      ser9. GSK-3beta inhibitor or knockdown of GSK-3beta resulted in enhanced TGF
      beta1-mediated EMT, migration and collagen contraction in ARPE-19 cells, which
      were then abrogated by GSK-3beta overexpression and PI3K/AKT inhibitor.
      Importantly, GSK-3beta also mediated metabolic reprogramming in TGF-beta1-treated
      cells. Our results indicate that GSK-3beta plays a pivotal role in TGF-beta1
      mediated EMT in ARPE-19 cells.

PMID- 28342868
TI  - Increased interleukin-1beta and basic fibroblast growth factor levels in the
      cerebrospinal fluid during human herpesvirus-6B (HHV-6B) encephalitis.
AB  - Human herpesvirus 6B (HHV-6B) causes exanthema subitum in infants and is known to
      be mildly pathogenic. However, HHV-6B infection can induce febrile seizures in a
      high percentage of patients, and in rare cases, result in encephalitis. We
      detected higher levels of interleukin (IL)-1beta and basic fibroblast growth
      factor (bFGF) in the cerebrospinal fluid (CFS) of patients with HHV-6B
      encephalitis when compared to those in patients with non-HHV-6B-induced febrile
      seizures. In vitro, IL-1beta and bFGF enhanced HHV-6B gene expression in infected
      U373 astrocytes during the initial and maintenance phases of infection,
      respectively. These findings indicated that IL-1beta and bFGF contribute to HHV
      6B growth and the onset of encephalitis.

PMID- 28342869
TI  - MicroRNA-448 promotes multiple sclerosis development through induction of Th17
      response through targeting protein tyrosine phosphatase non-receptor type 2
      (PTPN2).
AB  - Multiple sclerosis (MS) is an immune-mediated demyelinating disease of the
      central nervous system, and its pathogenesis remains largely unclear. Much
      attention has been paid to the role of microRNAs (miRs) in regulation of
      autoimmune disease. Here, we found, for the first time, that miR-448 expression
      was significantly increased in periphery blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) and
      cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) of patients with MS, and its expression positively
      correlated with the disease severity. We further demonstrated that CD4+ T cells,
      especially the Th17 lineage, were the major source of miR-448 expression. Using
      gain- and loss-of-function approaches, we further verified that miR-448 could
      enhance Th17 differentiation, characterized by up-regulated expression levels of
      IL-17A and RORgammat. Interleukin (IL)-1beta as a potent driver of pathogenic
      Th17 cells was able to strongly induce miR-448 expression in CD4+ T cells through
      activating NF-kappaB pathway. Additionally, we identified that miR-448 directly
      targeted protein tyrosine phosphatase non-receptor type 2 (PTPN2), which has been
      known as an anti-inflammatory player with capacity to suppress Th17
      differentiation. We also observed markedly decreased expression of PTPN2 in PBMC
      and CSF of MS patients. Our results suggest that miR-448 might promote Th17
      differentiation in MS and thus aggravate the disease through inhibiting PTPN2.

PMID- 28342870
TI  - The RAB GTPase RAB18 modulates macroautophagy and proteostasis.
AB  - Macroautophagy is a conserved degradative pathway and its deterioration is linked
      to disturbances in cellular proteostasis and multiple diseases. Here, we show
      that the RAB GTPase RAB18 modulates autophagy in primary human fibroblasts. The
      knockdown of RAB18 results in a decreased autophagic activity, while its
      overexpression enhances the degradative pathway. Importantly, this function of
      RAB18 is dependent on RAB3GAP1 and RAB3GAP2, which might act as RAB GEFs and
      stimulate the activity of the RAB GTPase. Moreover, the knockdown of RAB18
      deteriorates proteostasis and results in the intracellular accumulation of
      ubiquitinated degradation-prone proteins. Thus, the RAB GTPase RAB18 is a
      positive modulator of autophagy and is relevant for the maintenance of cellular
      proteostasis.

PMID- 28342871
TI  - Oxidative damage induces apoptosis and promotes calcification in disc cartilage
      endplate cell through ROS/MAPK/NF-kappaB pathway: Implications for disc
      degeneration.
AB  - Cartilage endplate (CEP) cell calcification and apoptosis play a vital role in
      the intervertebral disc degeneration (IVDD). Oxidative stress is a key factor in
      inducing programmed cell death and cartilage calcification. However, the cell
      death and calcification of cartilage endplate cells under oxidative stress have
      never been described. The present study investigated the apoptosis and
      calcification in the cartilage endplate cell under oxidative stress induced by
      H2O2 to understand the underlying mechanism of IVDD. The cartilage endplate cells
      isolated from human lumbar discs were subjected to different concentrations of
      H2O2 for various time periods. The cell viability was determined by CCK-8 assay,
      whereas Western blot, immunofluorescence, and Alcian blue, Alizarin red, and Von
      Kossa staining evaluated the apoptosis and calcification. The level of
      mitochondria-specific reactive oxygen species (ROS) was quantified with an oxygen
      radical-sensitive probe-MitoSOX. The potential signaling pathways were
      investigated by Western blot after the addition of N-acetyl-l-cysteine (NAC). We
      found that the oxidative stress induced by H2O2 increased the apoptosis and
      subsequently the calcification in the cartilage endplate cells through the
      ROS/p38/ERK/p65 pathway. The apoptosis and the calcification of the cartilage
      endplate cells induced by H2O2 can be abolished by NAC. These results suggested
      that regulating the apoptosis and the calcification in the cartilage endplate
      cells under oxidative stress should be advantageous for the survival of cells and
      might delay the process of disc degeneration.

PMID- 28342872
TI  - Covalent conjugation of the equine infectious anemia virus Gag with SUMO.
AB  - The conjugation of small ubiquitin-like modifier (SUMO) to the target protein,
      namely, SUMOylation, is involved in the regulation of many important biological
      events including host-pathogen interaction. Some viruses have evolved to exploit
      the host SUMOylation machinery to modify their own protein. Retroviral Gag
      protein plays critical roles in the viral life cycle. The HIV-1 p6 and the
      Moloney murine leukemia virus CA have been reported to be conjugated with SUMO.
      In this study, we report for the first time, to our knowledge, the covalent
      conjugation of equine infectious anemia virus (EIAV) Gag with SUMO. The C
      terminal p9 domain of Gag is a main target for SUMOylation and SUMO is attached
      to multiple sites of p9, including K30 whose mutation abolished p9 SUMOylation
      completely. The SUMOylation of p9, but not the p9-K30 mutant, was also detected
      in equine fibroblastic cells ATCC(r) CCL-57TM. Ubc9 and its C93 residue are
      indispensable for the SUMOylation of p9. Using confocal microscopy, it is found
      that EIAV Gag localizes primarily, if not exclusively, in the cytoplasm of the
      cell and the co-localization of EIAV Gag with Ubc9 was observed. Our findings
      that EIAV Gag is SUMOylated at p9-K30, together with previous findings on the
      defects of p9-K30 mutant in viral DNA translocation from cytoplasm to the
      nucleus, suggests that SUMOylation of Gag may be involved in such functions.

PMID- 28342873
TI  - Relationships of BRAF mutation and HMGB1 to papillary thyroid carcinoma.
AB  - A poor papillary thyroid cancer (PTC) prognosis is strongly associated with the
      BRAF V600E mutation. During tumor progression, levels of the high mobility group
      box 1 (HMGB1) protein are often dysregulated. Results herein demonstrate that
      HMGB1 protein levels differ between tumor and adjacent non-tumor tissue and that
      HMGB1 mRNA levels were higher in wild-type BRAF PTC tissues than in BRAF V600E
      PTC tissues (2-?Ct 0.31 +/- 0.25 vs. 0.16 +/- 0.12; P < 0.05). HMGB1 protein
      levels also differed in the same manner (wild-type BRAF PTC tissues 0.11 +/- 0.04
      vs. BRAF V600E PTC tissues 0.03 +/- 0.03; P < 0.001). Although not detected in
      peripheral blood, low levels of HMGB1 were significantly related to PTC cell
      lymph node metastasis and extra-glandular infiltration (P = 0.045 and P = 0.002).
      Experimental results at the cellular level were consistent with tissues and
      further verified the relationship of BRAF V600E and HMGB1. These findings
      demonstrate that the BRAF V600E mutation down-regulates levels of HMGB1, likely
      through activation of the mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) signaling
      pathways.

PMID- 28342875
TI  - The nociception genes painless and Piezo are required for the cellular immune
      response of Drosophila larvae to wasp parasitization.
AB  - In vertebrates, interaction between the nervous system and immune system is
      important to protect a challenged host from stress inputs from external sources.
      In this study, we demonstrate that sensory neurons are involved in the cellular
      immune response elicited by wasp infestation of Drosophila larvae. Multidendritic
      class IV neurons sense contacts from external stimuli and induce avoidance
      behaviors for host defense. Our findings show that inactivation of these sensory
      neurons impairs the cellular response against wasp parasitization. We also
      demonstrate that the nociception genes encoding the mechanosensory receptors
      Painless and Piezo, both expressed in class IV neurons, are essential for the
      normal cellular immune response to parasite challenge.

PMID- 28342874
TI  - Activation of PPARgamma inhibits pro-inflammatory cytokines production by
      upregulation of miR-124 in vitro and in vivo.
AB  - Peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma (PPARgamma) and miR-124 have
      been reported to play important roles in regulation of inflammation. However, the
      underlying anti-inflammatory mechanisms remain not well understood. In the
      present study, we demonstrated that the expression level of PPARgamma is
      positively correlated with that of miR-124 in patients with sepsis. Activation of
      PPARgamma upregulates miR-124 and in turn inhibits miR-124 target gene. PPARgamma
      bound directly to PPRE in the miR-124 promoter region, and enhanced the promoter
      transcriptional activity. PPARgamma-induced miR-124 is involved in the
      suppression of pro-inflammatory cytokine in vitro and in vivo. These results
      suggest that PPARgamma-induced miR-124 inhibits the production of pro
      inflammatory cytokines is a novel PPARgamma anti-inflammatory mechanism and also
      indicate that miR-124 may be a potential therapeutic target for the treatment of
      inflammatory diseases.

PMID- 28342876
TI  - Increased activity of unlinked Zika virus NS2B/NS3 protease compared to linked
      Zika virus protease.
AB  - Zika virus (ZIKV) is a flavivirus spread by daytime-active Aedes spp. mosquitoes
      such as A. aegypti and A. albopictus. Previously thought to be a mild infection,
      the latest ZIKV outbreak in the Americas is causally associated with more severe
      symptoms as well as severe birth defects, such as microcephaly. Currently no
      vaccine or antiviral exists. However, recent progress has demonstrated the viral
      NS2B/NS3 protease may be a suitable target for the development of small-molecule
      antiviral agents. To better understand the ZIKV protease, we expressed, purified,
      and characterized unlinked and linked NS2B/NS3 protease corresponding to an
      isolate from the recent outbreak in Puerto Rico. Unlinked ZIKV protease is more
      active and binds substrate with greater affinity than linked ZIKV protease.
      Therefore, we propose that unlinked ZIKV protease be used when evaluating or
      designing ZIKV protease inhibitors. Additionally, potent inhibitors of related
      viral proteases, like West Nile Virus and Dengue virus, may serve as advanced
      starting points to identify and develop ZIKV protease inhibitors.

PMID- 28342877
TI  - Quantitative visualization of synchronized insulin secretion from 3D-cultured
      cells.
AB  - Quantitative visualization of synchronized insulin secretion was performed in an
      isolated rat pancreatic islet and a spheroid of rat pancreatic beta cell line
      using a method of video-rate bioluminescence imaging. Video-rate images of
      insulin secretion from 3D-cultured cells were obtained by expressing the fusion
      protein of insulin and Gaussia luciferase (Insulin-GLase). A subclonal rat INS-1E
      cell line stably expressing Insulin-GLase, named iGL, was established and a
      cluster of iGL cells showed oscillatory insulin secretion that was completely
      synchronized in response to high glucose. Furthermore, we demonstrated the effect
      of an antidiabetic drug, glibenclamide, on synchronized insulin secretion from 2D
      and 3D-cultured iGL cells. The amount of secreted Insulin-GLase from iGL cells
      was also determined by a luminometer. Thus, our bioluminescence imaging method
      could generally be used for investigating protein secretion from living 3D
      cultured cells. In addition, iGL cell line would be valuable for evaluating
      antidiabetic drugs.

PMID- 28342878
TI  - 3D printing for the design and fabrication of polymer-based gradient scaffolds.
AB  - : To accurately mimic the native tissue environment, tissue engineered scaffolds
      often need to have a highly controlled and varied display of three-dimensional
      (3D) architecture and geometrical cues. Additive manufacturing in tissue
      engineering has made possible the development of complex scaffolds that mimic the
      native tissue architectures. As such, architectural details that were previously
      unattainable or irreproducible can now be incorporated in an ordered and
      organized approach, further advancing the structural and chemical cues delivered
      to cells interacting with the scaffold. This control over the environment has
      given engineers the ability to unlock cellular machinery that is highly dependent
      upon the intricate heterogeneous environment of native tissue. Recent research
      into the incorporation of physical and chemical gradients within scaffolds
      indicates that integrating these features improves the function of a tissue
      engineered construct. This review covers recent advances on techniques to
      incorporate gradients into polymer scaffolds through additive manufacturing and
      evaluate the success of these techniques. As covered here, to best replicate
      different tissue types, one must be cognizant of the vastly different types of
      manufacturing techniques available to create these gradient scaffolds. We review
      the various types of additive manufacturing techniques that can be leveraged to
      fabricate scaffolds with heterogeneous properties and discuss methods to
      successfully characterize them. STATEMENT OF SIGNIFICANCE: Additive manufacturing
      techniques have given tissue engineers the ability to precisely recapitulate the
      native architecture present within tissue. In addition, these techniques can be
      leveraged to create scaffolds with both physical and chemical gradients. This
      work offers insight into several techniques that can be used to generate graded
      scaffolds, depending on the desired gradient. Furthermore, it outlines methods to
      determine if the designed gradient was achieved. This review will help to
      condense the abundance of information that has been published on the creation and
      characterization of gradient scaffolds and to provide a single review discussing
      both methods for manufacturing gradient scaffolds and evaluating the
      establishment of a gradient.

PMID- 28342879
TI  - Stable subcutaneous cartilage regeneration of bone marrow stromal cells directed
      by chondrocyte sheet.
AB  - : In vivo niche plays an important role in regulating differentiation fate of
      stem cells. Due to lack of proper chondrogenic niche, stable cartilage
      regeneration of bone marrow stromal cells (BMSCs) in subcutaneous environments is
      always a great challenge. This study explored the feasibility that chondrocyte
      sheet created chondrogenic niche retained chondrogenic phenotype of BMSC
      engineered cartilage (BEC) in subcutaneous environments. Porcine BMSCs were
      seeded into biodegradable scaffolds followed by 4weeks of chondrogenic induction
      in vitro to form BEC, which were wrapped with chondrocyte sheets (Sheet group),
      acellular small intestinal submucosa (SIS, SIS group), or nothing (Blank group)
      respectively and then implanted subcutaneously into nude mice to trace the
      maintenance of chondrogenic phenotype. The results showed that all the constructs
      in Sheet group displayed typical cartilaginous features with abundant lacunae and
      cartilage specific matrices deposition. These samples became more mature with
      prolonged in vivo implantation, and few signs of ossification were observed at
      all time points except for one sample that had not been wrapped completely. Cell
      labeling results in Sheet group further revealed that the implanted BEC directly
      participated in cartilage formation. Samples in both SIS and Blank groups mainly
      showed ossified tissue at all time points with partial fibrogenesis in a few
      samples. These results suggested that chondrocyte sheet could create a
      chondrogenic niche for retaining chondrogenic phenotype of BEC in subcutaneous
      environment and thus provide a novel research model for stable ectopic cartilage
      regeneration based on stem cells. STATEMENT OF SIGNIFICANCE: In vivo niche plays
      an important role in directing differentiation fate of stem cells. Due to lack of
      proper chondrogenic niche, stable cartilage regeneration of bone marrow stromal
      cells (BMSCs) in subcutaneous environments is always a great challenge. The
      current study demonstrated that chondrocyte sheet generated by high-density
      culture of chondrocytes in vitro could cearte a chondrogenic niche in
      subcutaneous environment and efficiently retain the chondrogenic phenotype of in
      vitro BMSC engineered cartilage (vitro-BEC). Furthermore, cell tracing results
      revealed that the regenerated cartilage mainly derived from the implanted vitro
      BEC. The current study not only proposes a novel research model for
      microenvironment simulation but also provides a useful strategy for stable
      ectopic cartilage regeneration of stem cells.

PMID- 28342880
TI  - [For a targeted use of aspirin].
AB  - The use of low-dose aspirin in pregnancy should remain a highly targeted
      indication since its long-term safety has not been established and should be
      restricted to women at high risk of vascular complications. Indications for which
      the benefit of aspirin has been shown are women with a history of preeclampsia
      responsible for a premature birth before 34 weeks, those having at least two
      history of preeclampsia, those with an antiphospholipid syndrome and those with
      lupus associated with positive antiphospholipid antibodies or renal failure. In
      all other cases, the level of evidence of the benefit of aspirin is insufficient
      to recommend its routine prescription.

PMID- 28342881
TI  - Pericardial patch graft repair of severe localized scleral thinning encountered
      during strabismus surgery.
AB  - This article presents a surgical technique using a pericardial patch for the
      permanent repair of severe scleral thinning encountered during strabismus
      surgery. In the present case scleral thinning resulted from buckle removal.
      Familiarity with this technique may prove important for the strabismus surgeon
      treating patients with a history of surface ocular hardware or disease-induced
      scleral thinning. This video article may be viewed atjaapos.org.

PMID- 28342882
TI  - Functional neuroimaging findings in healthy middle-aged adults at risk of
      Alzheimer's disease.
AB  - It is well established that the neurodegenerative process of Alzheimer's disease
      (AD) begins many years before symptom onset. This preclinical phase provides a
      crucial time-window for therapeutic intervention, though this requires biomarkers
      that could evaluate the efficacy of future disease-modification treatments in
      asymptomatic individuals. The last decade has witnessed a proliferation of
      studies characterizing the temporal sequence of the earliest functional and
      structural brain imaging changes in AD. These efforts have focused on studying
      individuals who are highly vulnerable to develop AD, such as those with familial
      genetic mutations, susceptibility genes (i.e. apolipoprotein epsilon-4 allele),
      and/or a positive family history of AD. In this paper, we review the rapidly
      growing literature of functional imaging changes in cognitively intact
      individuals who are middle-aged: positron emission tomography (PET) studies of
      amyloid deposition, glucose metabolism, as well as arterial spin labeling (ASL),
      task-dependent, resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) and
      magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS) studies. The prevailing evidence points to
      early brain functional changes in the relative absence of cognitive impairment
      and structural atrophy, although there is marked variability in the
      directionality of the changes, which could, in turn, be related to antagonistic
      pleiotropy early in life. A common theme across studies relates to the spatial
      extent of these changes, most of which overlap with brain regions that are
      implicated in established AD. Notwithstanding several methodological caveats,
      functional imaging techniques could be preferentially sensitive to the earliest
      events of AD pathology prior to macroscopic grey matter loss and clinical
      manifestations of AD. We conclude that while these techniques have great
      potential to serve as biomarkers to identify at-risk individuals, more
      longitudinal studies with greater sample size and robust correction for multiple
      comparisons are still warranted to establish their utility.

PMID- 28342883
TI  - Kinetic and Mechanistic Study of the pH-Dependent Activation (Epoxidation) of
      Prodrug Treosulfan Including the Reaction Inhibition in a Borate Buffer.
AB  - A prodrug treosulfan (T) undergoes a pH-dependent activation to epoxide
      derivatives. The process seems to involve an intramolecular Williamson reaction
      (IWR) but clear kinetic evidence is lacking. Moreover, a cis-diol system present
      in the T structure is expected to promote complexation with boric acid. As a
      result, the prodrug epoxidation would be inhibited; however, this phenomenon has
      not been investigated. In this article, the effect of pH on the kinetics of T
      conversion to its monoepoxide was studied from a mechanistic point of view. Also,
      the influence of boric acid on the reaction kinetics was examined. The rate
      constants observed for the activation of T (kobs) in acetate, phosphate, and
      carbonate buffers satisfied the equation logkobs = -7.48 + 0.96 pH. The reaction
      was inhibited in the excess of boric acid over T, and the kobs decreased with
      increasing borate buffer concentration. The experimental results were consistent
      with the inhibition model that included the formation of a tetrahedral, anionic T
      boric acid monoester. To conclude, in nonborate buffers, the T activation to
      (2S,3S)-1,2-epoxybutane-3,4-diol 4-methanesulfonate follows IWR mechanism. A
      borate buffer changes the reaction kinetics and complicates kinetic analysis.

PMID- 28342885
TI  - High-throughput identification of miRNAs of Taenia ovis, a cestode threatening
      sheep industry.
AB  - Taenia ovis is a tapeworm that is mainly transmitted between dogs and sheep or
      goats and has an adverse effect on sheep industry. miRNAs are short regulatory
      non-coding RNAs, involved in parasite development and growth as well as parasite
      infection. The miRNA profile of T. ovis remains to be established. Herein, 33
      known miRNAs belonging to 23 different families were identified in T. ovis
      metacestodes using deep sequencing approach. Of them, expression of some miRNAs
      such as tov-miR-10 and -let-7 was absolutely predominant. Moreover, comparative
      analysis revealed the presence of a miR-71/2b/2c cluster in T. ovis, which was
      also completely conserved in other 6 cestodes. The study provides rich data for
      further understandings of T. ovis biology.

PMID- 28342884
TI  - Oral Cancer Reconstruction Using the Supraclavicular Artery Island Flap:
      Comparison to Free Radial Forearm Flap.
AB  - PURPOSE: To evaluate whether the pedicled supraclavicular artery island flap
      (SCAIF) is a sufficient alternative to the fasciocutaneous radial forearm free
      flap (RFFF) for oral reconstruction in cancer surgery. PATIENTS AND METHODS: The
      authors designed and implemented a retrospective cohort study composed of all
      consecutive patients who underwent head and neck reconstruction after cancer
      surgery at their tertiary university hospital from 2013 to 2016. Demographics and
      peri- and postoperative information were recorded and statistically analyzed.
      RESULTS: Of 83 patients who underwent head and neck reconstruction after cancer,
      50 were identified as having stage III or IV squamous cell carcinoma of the oral
      cavity and oropharynx and underwent surgery and reconstruction with the SCAIF (n
      = 25) or the RFFF (n = 25). Total surgery time (411.0 vs 576.4 minutes; P <
      .001), flap elevation time (39.00 vs 93.78 minutes; P < .001), need for intensive
      care observation (32 vs 96%; P < .05), and rate of tracheotomy (64 vs 88%; P <
      .05) were significantly lower in the SCAIF group. There was no statistical
      difference in the postoperative complication rate or postoperative functional
      swallowing ability between the 2 groups. Total perioperative costs were
      significantly lower in patients who underwent reconstruction with the SCAIF
      (2,621.15 vs 4,453.77?; P < .01). CONCLUSION: The results of this study suggest
      that the SCAIF is a straightforward and reliable flap with shorter operative
      times and comparable outcomes compared with the RFFF.

PMID- 28342886
TI  - Using genetic data to improve species distribution models.
AB  - Tsetse flies (Diptera, Glossinidae) transmit human and animal trypanosomoses in
      Africa, respectively a neglected human disease (sleeping sickness) and the most
      important constraint to cattle production in infested countries (nagana). We
      recently developed a methodology to map landscape friction (i.e. resistance to
      movement) for tsetse in West Africa. The goal was to identify natural barriers to
      tsetse dispersal, and potentially isolated tsetse populations for targeting
      elimination programmes. Most species distribution models neglect landscape
      functional connectivity whereas environmental factors affecting suitability or
      abundance are not necessarily the same as those influencing gene flows.
      Geographic distributions of a given species can be seen as the intersection
      between biotic (B), abiotic (A) and movement (M) factors (BAM diagram). Here we
      show that the suitable habitat for Glossina palpalis gambiensis as modelled by
      Maxent can be corrected by landscape functional connectivity (M) extracted from
      our friction analysis. This procedure did not degrade the specificity of the
      distribution model (P=0.751) whereas the predicted distribution area was reduced.
      The added value of this approach is that it reveals unconnected habitat patches.
      The approach we developed on tsetse to inform landscape connectivity (M) is
      reproducible and does not rely on expert knowledge. It can be applied to any
      species: we call for a generalization of the use of M to improve distribution
      models.

PMID- 28342887
TI  - Genetic detection and characterization of goose parvovirus: Implications for
      epidemiology and pathogenicity in Cherry Valley Pekin ducks.

PMID- 28342888
TI  - Effect of exogenous TGF-beta1 on the cadmium-induced nephrotoxicity by inhibiting
      apoptosis of proximal tubular cells through PI3K-AKT-mTOR signaling pathway.
AB  - Heavy metal polluted soils have been a serious problem for the global ecological
      balance and people's health. Cadmium (Cd), one of the heavy metals, could induce
      apoptosis of proximal tubular cells in many experimental models and lead to
      damage the human kidney. Here, we reported a potent chemokine TGF-beta1 which
      could ameliorate cadmium-induced nephrotoxicity. Interestingly, western blotting
      and TUNEL staining assays indicated that PI3K-AKT-mTOR signaling pathway was
      involved in the protective mechanism of TGF-beta1 in vitro and in vivo. Moreover,
      TGF-beta1 could alleviate Cd-induced nephrotoxicity by inhibiting apoptosis of
      proximal tubular cells through detecting the level of caspase 3, 8 and 9.
      Therefore, up-regulation of exogenous TGF-beta1 may be a potential strategy to
      reverse cadumium-induced nephrotoxicity.

PMID- 28342889
TI  - Heteromeric complexes of aldo-keto reductase auxiliary KVbeta subunits (AKR6A)
      regulate sarcolemmal localization of KV1.5 in coronary arterial myocytes.
AB  - Redox-sensitive potassium channels consisting of the voltage-gated K+ (KV)
      channel pore subunit KV1.5 regulate resting membrane potential and thereby
      contractility of vascular smooth muscle cells. Members of the KV1 family
      associate with cytosolic auxiliary beta subunits, which are members of the aldo
      keto reductase (AKR) superfamily (AKR6A subfamily). The Kvbeta subunits have been
      proposed to regulate Kv1 gating via pyridine nucleotide cofactor binding.
      However, the molecular identity of KVbeta subunits that associate with native
      KV1.5 channels in the vasculature is unknown. Here, we examined mRNA and protein
      expression of KVbeta subunits and tested whether KVbeta isoforms interact with
      KV1.5 channels in murine coronary arteries. We detected KVbeta1 (AKR6A3), KVbeta2
      (AKR6A5) and KVbeta3 (AKR6A9) transcripts and KVbeta1 and KVbeta2 protein in left
      anterior descending coronary arteries by real time quantitative PCR and Western
      blot, respectively. In situ proximity ligation assays indicated abundant protein
      protein interactions between KV1.5/KVbeta1, KV1.5/KVbeta2 and KVbeta1/beta2 in
      coronary arterial myocytes. Confocal microscopy and membrane fractionation
      analyses suggest that arterial myocytes from KVbeta2-null mice have reduced
      abundance of sarcolemmal KV1.5. Together, data suggest that in coronary arterial
      myocytes, KV1.5 channels predominantly associate with KVbeta1 and KVbeta2
      proteins and that KVbeta2 performs a chaperone function for KV1.5 channels in
      arterial myocytes, thereby facilitating Kv1alpha trafficking and membrane
      localization.

PMID- 28342890
TI  - Vasodilatory effect of nitroglycerin in Japanese subjects with different aldehyde
      dehydrogenase 2 (ALDH2) genotypes.
AB  - The functional genetic polymorphism of aldehyde dehydrogenase 2 (ALDH2)
      influences the enzymatic activities of its wild type (Glu504 encoded by ALDH2*1)
      and mutant type (Lys504 encoded by ALDH2*2) proteins. The enzymatic activities of
      mutant-type ALDH2 are limited compared with those of the wild type. ALDH2 has
      been suggested as a critical factor for nitroglycerin-mediated vasodilation by
      some human studies and in vitro studies. Currently, there is no research on
      direct observations of the vasodilatory effect of nitroglycerin sublingual
      tablets, which is the generally used dosage form. In the present study, the
      contribution of ALDH2 to the vasodilatory effect of nitroglycerin sublingual
      tablets was investigated among three genotype groups (ALDH2*1/*1, ALDH2*1/*2, and
      ALDH2*2/*2) in Japanese. The results by direct assessments of in vivo
      nitroglycerin-mediated dilation showed no apparent difference in vasodilation
      among all genotypes of ALDH2. Furthermore, to analyze the effect of other factors
      (age and flow-mediated dilation), multiple regression analysis and Pearson's
      correlation coefficient analysis were carried out. These analyses also indicated
      that the genotypes of ALDH2 were not related to the degree of vasodilation. These
      results suggest the existence of other predominant pathway(s) for nitroglycerin
      biotransformation, at least with regard to clinical nitroglycerin (e.g., a
      sublingual tablet) in Japanese subjects.

PMID- 28342891
TI  - Cost-Utility of Group Acceptance and Commitment Therapy for Fibromyalgia Versus
      Recommended Drugs: An Economic Analysis Alongside a 6-Month Randomized Controlled
      Trial Conducted in Spain (EFFIGACT Study).
AB  - : The aim of this study was to analyze the cost utility of a group-based form of
      acceptance and commitment therapy (GACT) in patients with fibromyalgia (FM)
      compared with patients receiving recommended pharmacological treatment (RPT) or
      on a waiting list (WL). The data were derived from a previously published study,
      a randomized controlled trial that focused on clinical outcomes. Health economic
      outcomes included health-related quality of life and health care use at baseline
      and at 6-month follow-up using the EuroQoL and the Client Service Receipt
      Inventory, respectively. Analyses included quality-adjusted life years, direct
      and indirect cost differences, and incremental cost effectiveness ratios. A total
      of 156 FM patients were randomized (51 GACT, 52 RPT, 53 WL). GACT was related to
      significantly less direct costs over the 6-month study period compared with both
      control arms (GACT ?824.2 +/- 1,062.7 vs RPT ?1,730.7 +/- 1,656.8 vs WL ?2,462.7
      +/- 2,822.0). Lower direct costs for GACT compared with RPT were due to lower
      costs from primary care visits and FM-related medications. The incremental cost
      effectiveness ratios were dominant in the completers' analysis and remained
      robust in the sensitivity analyses. In conclusion, acceptance and commitment
      therapy appears to be a cost-effective treatment compared with RPT in patients
      with FM. PERSPECTIVE: Decision-makers have to prioritize their budget on the
      treatment option that is the most cost effective for the management of a specific
      patient group. From government as well as health care perspectives, this study
      shows that a GACT is more cost effective than pharmacological treatment in
      management of FM.

PMID- 28342893
TI  - A rare cause of recurrent acute pancreatitis: duodenum intussusception by a
      fenestrated duodenal web.

PMID- 28342894
TI  - Endoscopic treatment of cervical esophageal transluminal bridge.

PMID- 28342895
TI  - A welcome diagnosis for painless biliary dilatation (with video).

PMID- 28342892
TI  - Comparison of three cell-based drug screening platforms for HSV-1 infection.
AB  - Acyclovir (ACV) and its derivatives have been highly effective for treating
      recurrent, lytic infections with Herpes Simplex Virus, type 1 (HSV-1), but
      searches for additional antiviral drugs are motivated by recent reports of
      resistance to ACV, particularly among immunocompromised patients. In addition,
      the relative neurotoxicity of ACV and its inability to prevent neurological
      sequelae among HSV-1 encephalitis survivors compel searches for new drugs to
      treat HSV-1 infections of the central nervous system (CNS). Primary drug screens
      for neurotropic viruses like HSV-1 typically utilize non-neuronal cell lines, but
      they may miss drugs that have neuron specific antiviral effects. Therefore, we
      compared the effects of a panel of conventional and novel anti-herpetic compounds
      in monkey epithelial (Vero) cells, human induced pluripotent stem cells (hiPSCs)
      derived neural progenitor cells (NPCs) and hiPSC-derived neurons (N = 73 drugs).
      While the profiles of activity for the majority of the drugs were similar in all
      three tissues, Vero cells were less likely than NPCs to identify drugs with
      substantial inhibitory activity in hiPSC-derived neurons. We discuss the relative
      merits of each cell type for antiviral drug screens against neuronal infections
      with HSV-1.

PMID- 28342896
TI  - Neuroprotective and axonal outgrowth-promoting effects of tetramethylpyrazine
      nitrone in chronic cerebral hypoperfusion rats and primary hippocampal neurons
      exposed to hypoxia.
AB  - Chronic cerebral hypoperfusion is an important risk factor for vascular dementia
      and other brain dysfunctions, for which there are currently no effective
      medications available. We investigated the neuroprotective and axonal outgrowth
      promoting effects of tetramethylpyrazine nitrone (TBN) in a permanent bilateral
      occlusion of the common carotid arteries (2VO) rat model and in primary
      hippocampal neurons exposed to oxygen glucose deprivation (OGD). At 6th week
      after 2VO, TBN increased the time spent in novel arms in the Y-maze test and
      improved the discrimination ratio in object reorganization task. TBN attenuated
      axonal damage, and reduced oxidative DNA injury and lipid peroxidation in white
      matter. TBN also attenuated the neuronal apoptosis and ameliorated accumulation
      of astrocytes in parietal cortex and CA1 region of hippocampus. Western blot
      analyses indicated that TBN increased Bcl-2 expression, decreased Bax and Caspase
      3 expressions, and upregulated the phosphorylation levels of high-molecular
      weight neurofilament (p-NFH), Akt (p-Akt) and glycogen synthase kinase-3beta (p
      GSK3beta) in hippocampus at 6th week after chronic hypoperfusion. In vitro, TBN
      rescued hippocampal neuronal viability and axonal elongation from OGD damage. The
      p-Akt and p-GSK3beta upregulation by TBN was abolished by a specific
      phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3K) inhibitor LY294002, resulting in suppression of
      axonal outgrowth. Collectively, the results showed that TBN alleviated white
      matter lesion and impairment of cortex and hippocampus, attenuated oxidative
      damage and enhanced axonal outgrowth through the regulation of PI3K/Akt/GSK3beta
      signaling pathway, leading to improved cognitive deficit in a rat chronic
      hypoperfusion model.

PMID- 28342897
TI  - Dose-response effect of acute phencyclidine on functional connectivity and
      dopamine levels, and their association with schizophrenia-like symptom classes in
      rat.
AB  - Current drug treatments for schizophrenia (SCZ) can alleviate positive symptoms,
      but have little effect on the negative symptoms and cognitive deficits that are
      difficult to translate into preclinical models for drug development. Therefore,
      we aimed to determine the dose-response effects of acute phencyclidine (PCP, 1.0
      5.0 mg/kg) on rat brain connectivity and detect markers for different SCZ-like
      symptoms. Pharmacological functional magnetic resonance imaging (phMRI) and
      microdialysis were used to investigate PCP-induced effects on functional
      connectivity (FC) and dopamine levels, respectively. Next, we evaluated the
      association between PCP-induced changes in imaging parameters and behavior. PCP
      at doses of 3.0-5.0 mg/kg induced fMRI signal changes in several brain regions
      associated with SCZ. Additionally, the FC was globally disturbed, dopamine levels
      increased, and locomotor activity increased, reflecting the manifestation of SCZ
      like positive symptoms. A distinct pattern in the measures was observed at lower
      PCP doses (1.0-2.0 mg/kg); PCP induced fMRI signal changes in the fronto-cortical
      regions, and increased dopamine levels in the medial prefrontal cortex. In
      addition to the dysconnectivity of these regions, the hippocampal FC was
      disrupted. These observations are consistent with the induction of SCZ-like
      cognitive deficits and negative symptoms, which were observed as impaired novel
      object recognition and decreased social interaction. No indicators for positive
      symptoms were observed at lower PCP doses. We conclude that acute PCP induces SCZ
      like symptom classes in a dose-dependent manner; PCP doses of 1.0-2.0 mg/kg are
      more suitable for modeling SCZ-like negative symptoms and cognitive deficits,
      while SCZ-like positive symptoms dominate at doses of 3.0-5.0 mg/kg.

PMID- 28342898
TI  - Temperature induces significant changes in both glycolytic reserve and
      mitochondrial spare respiratory capacity in colorectal cancer cell lines.
AB  - Thermotherapy, as a method of treating cancer, has recently attracted
      considerable attention from basic and clinical investigators. A number of studies
      and clinical trials have shown that thermotherapy can be successfully used as a
      therapeutic approach for various cancers. However, the effects of temperature on
      cancer bioenergetics have not been studied in detail with a real time, microplate
      based, label-free detection approach. This study investigates how changes in
      temperature affect the bioenergetics characteristics (mitochondrial function and
      glycolysis) of three colorectal cancer (CRC) cell lines utilizing the Seahorse
      XF96 technology. Experiments were performed at 32 degrees C, 37 degrees C and 42
      degrees C using assay medium conditions and equipment settings adjusted to
      produce equal oxygen and pH levels ubiquitously at the beginning of all
      experiments. The results suggest that temperature significantly changes multiple
      components of glycolytic and mitochondrial function of all cell lines tested.
      Under hypothermia conditions (32 degrees C), the extracellular acidification
      rates (ECAR) of CRC cells were significantly lower compared to the same basal
      ECAR levels measured at 37 degrees C. Mitochondrial stress test for SW480 cells
      at 37 degrees C vs 42 degrees C demonstrated increased proton leak while all
      other OCR components remained unchanged (similar results were detected also for
      the patient-derived xenograft cells Pt.93). Interestingly, the FCCP dose response
      at 37 degrees C vs 42 degrees C show significant shifts in profiles, suggesting
      that single dose FCCP experiments might not be sufficient to characterize the
      mitochondrial metabolic potential when comparing groups, conditions or
      treatments. These findings provide valuable insights for the metabolic and
      bioenergetic changes of CRC cells under hypo- and hyperthermia conditions that
      could potentially lead to development of better targeted and personalized
      strategies for patients undergoing combined thermotherapy with chemotherapy.

PMID- 28342899
TI  - Contributions of intestinal epithelial barriers to health and disease.
AB  - A core function of epithelia is to form barriers that separate tissue
      compartments within complex organisms. These barriers also separate the internal
      milieu from the external environment and are, therefore, an essential component
      of host defense. However, in many cases, a perfect barrier would be improbable
      with life itself. Examples include the air spaces within the lungs, the renal
      tubules, and the intestines. Here, we focus on the mechanisms by which barriers
      are assembled, maintained, and regulated in the context of health and disease.
      Because of its unique challenges and extensive study, we focus on the
      gastrointestinal tract as an organ-specific example of the essential
      contributions of the paracellular barrier to life.

PMID- 28342901
TI  - The sympathetic neuro-adipose connection and the control of body weight.
AB  - In recent decades, obesity has become a global public health crisis irrespective
      of age or gender [20]. But according to historic records, concerns over
      appropriate maintenance of body size have been long established. For more than to
      2 millennia, the main therapeutic approach to curb excess weight has been to
      recommend dietary restrictions and regular exercise (Haslam, 2016). Nevertheless,
      more contemporary studies indicate that the employment of such approaches in the
      treatment of severely obese patients causes metabolic adaptions which impair
      their long-term success in weight management [8]. These evidences highlight thus,
      the urgency in the search for a more comprehensive knowledge of the mechanisms
      that underlie the control of body weight, which would be essential for the
      development of effective strategies for the treatment of obesity and its
      comorbidities. Importantly, the discovery of the hormone leptin [33]and the use
      of novel techniques in targeted transgenesis [32] have enabled progress in
      defining some of the key players and the molecular mechanisms that are involved
      in the processes that control body size homeostasis and energy balance, and how
      obesity may disrupt leptin's feedback loop and lead to the pathology of metabolic
      syndrome. On the light of such findings, here we review how the sympathetic
      nervous system modulates adipose tissue metabolism downstream of leptin's action
      on the CNS, with particular focus on how this system may be disrupted in the
      context of excess adiposity, plus highlight the potential clinical implications
      arising from a better understanding of the physiologic control of the sympathetic
      neuro-adipose connection.

PMID- 28342900
TI  - Critical roles of CTP synthase N-terminal in cytoophidium assembly.
AB  - Several metabolic enzymes assemble into distinct intracellular structures in
      prokaryotes and eukaryotes suggesting an important functional role in cell
      physiology. The CTP-generating enzyme CTP synthase forms long filamentous
      structures termed cytoophidia in bacteria, yeast, fruit flies and human cells
      independent of its catalytic activity. However, the amino acid determinants for
      protein-protein interaction necessary for polymerisation remained unknown. In
      this study, we systematically analysed the role of the conserved N-terminal of
      Drosophila CTP synthase in cytoophidium assembly. Our mutational analyses
      identified three key amino acid residues within this region that play an
      instructive role in organisation of CTP synthase into a filamentous structure. Co
      transfection assays demonstrated formation of heteromeric CTP synthase filaments
      which is disrupted by protein carrying a mutated N-terminal alanine residue thus
      revealing a dominant-negative activity. Interestingly, the dominant-negative
      activity is supressed by the CTP synthase inhibitor DON. Furthermore, we found
      that the amino acids at the corresponding position in the human protein exhibit
      similar properties suggesting conservation of their function through evolution.
      Our data suggest that cytoophidium assembly is a multi-step process involving N
      terminal-dependent sequential interactions between correctly folded structural
      units and provide insights into the assembly of these enigmatic structures.

PMID- 28342902
TI  - Spearman-Brown prophecy formula and Cronbach's alpha: different faces of
      reliability and opportunities for new applications.
AB  - OBJECTIVES: There are similarities between the different forms of reliability,
      such as internal consistency (internal reliability) and interrater and intrarater
      reliability. Reliability coefficients that are based on classical test theory can
      be expressed as intraclass correlation coefficients (ICCs), such as Cronbach's
      alpha. The Spearman-Brown prophecy formula (SB formula) is used to calculate the
      reliability when the number of items in a questionnaire is changed. This paper
      aims to increase insight into reliability studies by pointing to the assumptions
      of reliability coefficients, similarities between various coefficients, and the
      subsequent new applications of reliability coefficients. DESIGN, SETTINGS AND
      RESULTS: The origin and assumptions of Cronbach's alpha and the SB formula are
      discussed. Cronbach's alpha is written as an ICC formula, using the well-known
      property that taking the average value of a number of ratings increases the
      reliability of a measurement. We illustrate with an example that the ICC formulas
      for average measurements of multiple raters and the SB formula give similar
      results. This implies that the SB formula can be used to decide on the number of
      measurements to be averaged and thus on the number of raters required, for
      obtaining measurements with acceptable reliability, even if the variance
      components of the ICC formula are not known. Using the same example, we
      illustrate the principle of "Cronbach's alpha if item deleted" to decide on the
      poorest performing raters in a set of raters. CONCLUSION: These applications have
      different assumptions: the principle of "Cronbach's alpha if item deleted" is
      based on the assumption of a fixed set of items/raters and the SB formula is
      based on the assumption of random raters. The example also emphasizes the need
      for more raters in the design of the reliability study to obtain a robust
      estimation of reliability.

PMID- 28342903
TI  - Structural equation modeling-based effect-size indices were used to evaluate and
      interpret the impact of response shift effects.
AB  - OBJECTIVES: The investigation of response shift in patient-reported outcomes
      (PROs) is important in both clinical practice and research. Insight into the
      presence and strength of response shift effects is necessary for a valid
      interpretation of change. STUDY DESIGN AND SETTING: When response shift is
      investigated through structural equation modeling (SEM), observed change can be
      decomposed into change because of recalibration response shift, change because of
      reprioritization and/or reconceptualization response shift, and change because of
      change in the construct of interest. Subsequently, calculating effect-size
      indices of change enables evaluation and interpretation of the clinical
      significance of these different types of change. RESULTS: Change was investigated
      in health-related quality of life data from 170 cancer patients, assessed before
      surgery and 3 months after surgery. Results indicated that patients deteriorated
      on general physical health and general fitness and improved on general mental
      health. The decomposition of change showed that the impact of response shift on
      the assessment of change was small. CONCLUSION: SEM can be used to enable the
      evaluation and interpretation of the impact of response shift effects on the
      assessment of change, particularly through calculation of effect-size indices.
      Insight into the occurrence and clinical significance of possible response shift
      effects will help to better understand changes in PROs.

PMID- 28342904
TI  - Sham surgical procedures for pain intervention result in significant improvements
      in pain: systematic-review and meta-analysis: Clinical heterogeneity and risk of
      bias on the placebo effect associated with sham surgeries.

PMID- 28342905
TI  - When is a null finding in register-based epidemiology convincing?

PMID- 28342906
TI  - Citation analysis did not provide a reliable assessment of core outcome set
      uptake.
AB  - OBJECTIVES: The aim of the study was to evaluate citation analysis as an approach
      to measuring core outcome set (COS) uptake, by assessing whether the number of
      citations for a COS report could be used as a surrogate measure of uptake of the
      COS by clinical trialists. STUDY DESIGN AND SETTING: Citation data were obtained
      for COS reports published before 2010 in five disease areas (systemic sclerosis,
      rheumatoid arthritis, eczema, sepsis and critical care, and female sexual
      dysfunction). Those publications identified as a report of a clinical trial were
      examined to identify whether or not all outcomes in the COS were measured in the
      trial. RESULTS: Clinical trials measuring the relevant COS made up a small
      proportion of the total number of citations for COS reports. Not all trials
      citing a COS report measured all the recommended outcomes. Some trials cited the
      COS reports for other reasons, including the definition of a condition or other
      trial design issues addressed by the COS report. CONCLUSION: Although citation
      data can be readily accessed, it should not be assumed that the citing of a COS
      report indicates that a trial has measured the recommended COS. Alternative
      methods for assessing COS uptake are needed.

PMID- 28342907
TI  - Active placebo control groups of pharmacological interventions were rarely used
      but merited serious consideration: a methodological overview.
AB  - OBJECTIVES: Active placebos are control interventions that mimic the side effects
      of the experimental interventions in randomized trials and are sometimes used to
      reduce the risk of unblinding. We wanted to assess how often randomized clinical
      drug trials use active placebo control groups; to provide a catalog, and a
      characterization, of such trials; and to analyze methodological arguments for and
      against the use of active placebo. STUDY DESIGN AND SETTING: An overview
      consisting of three thematically linked substudies. In an observational substudy,
      we assessed the prevalence of active placebo groups based on a random sample of
      200 PubMed indexed placebo-controlled randomized drug trials published in October
      2013. In a systematic review, we identified and characterized trials with active
      placebo control groups irrespective of publication time. In a third substudy, we
      reviewed publications with substantial methodological comments on active placebo
      groups (searches in PubMed, The Cochrane Library, Google Scholar, and
      HighWirePress). RESULTS: The prevalence of trials with active placebo groups
      published in 2013 was 1 out of 200 (95% confidence interval: 0-2), 0.5% (0-1%).
      We identified and characterized 89 randomized trials (published 1961-2014) using
      active placebos, for example, antihistamines, anticholinergic drugs, and
      sedatives. Such trials typically involved a crossover design, the experimental
      intervention had noticeable side effects, and the outcomes were patient-reported.
      The use of active placebos was clustered in specific research settings and did
      not appear to reflect consistently the side effect profile of the experimental
      intervention, for example, selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors were compared
      with active placebos in pain trials but not in depression trials. We identified
      and analyzed 25 methods publications with substantial comments. The main argument
      for active placebo was to reduce risk of unblinding; the main argument against
      was the risk of unintended therapeutic effect. CONCLUSION: Pharmacological active
      placebo control interventions are rarely used in randomized clinical trials, but
      they constitute a methodological tool which merits serious consideration. We
      suggest that active placebos are used more often in trials of drugs with
      noticeable side effects, especially in situations where the expected therapeutic
      effects are modest and the risk of bias due to unblinding is high.

PMID- 28342908
TI  - Intestinal dendritic cell licensing through Toll-like receptor 4 is required for
      oral tolerance in allergic contact dermatitis.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Induction of oral tolerance to haptens is an efficient way to prevent
      allergic contact dermatitis (ACD) in mice. Toll-like receptor (TLR)-mediated
      sensing of the microbiota contributes to gut homeostasis, yet whether it
      contributes to induction of oral tolerance has not been documented. OBJECTIVE: We
      examined whether oral tolerance to the contact sensitizer 2,4-dinitro
      fluorobenzene (DNFB) depends on microbiota/TLRs and evaluated the role of TLR4 on
      the tolerogenic function of intestinal dendritic cells (DCs). METHODS: Oral
      tolerance was induced by DNFB gavage in germ-free and mice deficient in several
      TLRs. Tolerance was assessed by means of suppression of contact hypersensitivity
      and hapten-specific IFN-gamma-producing effector T cells. The tolerogenic
      function of intestinal DCs was tested by adoptive transfer experiments, ex vivo
      hapten presentation, and forkhead box p3 regulatory T-cell conversion. RESULTS:
      Oral tolerance induced by DNFB gavage was impaired in germ-free mice and TLR4
      deficient mice. Bone marrow chimeras revealed that TLR4 expression on
      hematopoietic cells was necessary for oral tolerance induction. TLR4 appeared to
      be essential for the ability of intestinal dendritic cells from DNFB-fed mice to
      inhibit ACD on adoptive transfer. Indeed, TLR4 conditioned the in vivo
      mobilization to mesenteric lymph nodes of intestinal migratory CD103+ DCs
      carrying oral DNFB, especially the CD103+CD11b+ DC subset expressing the vitamin
      A-converting enzyme retinaldehyde dehydrogenase and specialized in forkhead box
      p3-positive regulatory T-cell conversion. CONCLUSIONS: Our data demonstrate that
      TLR4 conditions induction of oral tolerance to DNFB through licensing tolerogenic
      gut DCs. Oral biotherapy with TLR4 ligands might be useful to potentiate oral
      tolerance to haptens and alleviate ACD in human subjects.

PMID- 28342909
TI  - The cellular immune system comes of age.

PMID- 28342910
TI  - Receptor-interacting protein kinase 3 controls keratinocyte activation in a
      necroptosis-independent manner and promotes psoriatic dermatitis in mice.

PMID- 28342913
TI  - Thunderstorm-related asthma attacks.

PMID- 28342911
TI  - Basophils, high-affinity IgE receptors, and CCL2 in human anaphylaxis.
AB  - BACKGROUND: The role of basophils in anaphylaxis is unclear. OBJECTIVE: We sought
      to investigate whether basophils have an important role in human anaphylaxis.
      METHODS: In an emergency department study we recruited 31 patients with acute
      anaphylaxis, predominantly to Hymenoptera venom. We measured expression of
      basophil activation markers (CD63 and CD203c); the absolute number of circulating
      basophils; whole-blood FCER1A, carboxypeptidase A3 (CPA3), and L-histidine
      decarboxylase (HDC) gene expression; and serum markers (CCL2, CCL5, CCL11, IL-3,
      and thymic stromal lymphopoietin) at 3 time points (ie, during the anaphylactic
      episode and in convalescent samples 7 and 30 days later). We recruited 134
      patients with Hymenoptera allergy and 76 healthy control subjects for comparison.
      We then investigated whether the changes observed during venom-related
      anaphylaxis also occur during allergic reactions to food in 22 patients with
      peanut allergy undergoing double-blind, placebo-controlled food challenge to
      peanut. RESULTS: The number of circulating basophils was significantly lower
      during anaphylaxis (median, 3.5 cells/MUL) than 7 and 30 days later (17.5 and
      24.7 cells/MUL, P < .0001) and compared with those in patients with venom allergy
      and healthy control subjects (21 and 23.4 cells/MUL, P < .0001). FCER1A
      expression during anaphylaxis was also significantly lower than in convalescent
      samples (P <= .002) and control subjects with venom allergy (P < .0001). CCL2
      levels (but not those of other serum markers) were significantly higher during
      anaphylaxis (median, 658 pg/mL) than in convalescent samples (314 and 311 pg/mL
      at 7 and 30 days, P < .001). Peanut-induced allergic reactions resulted in a
      significant decrease in circulating basophil counts compared with those in
      prechallenge samples (P = .016), a decrease in FCER1A expression (P = .007), and
      an increase in CCL2 levels (P = .003). CONCLUSIONS: Our findings imply an
      important and specific role for basophils in the pathophysiology of human
      anaphylaxis.

PMID- 28342912
TI  - Peanut oleosins associated with severe peanut allergy-importance of lipophilic
      allergens for comprehensive allergy diagnostics.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Peanut allergy is one of the most common and most severe food
      allergies in Western countries and its accurate diagnosis to prevent potential
      life-threatening allergic reactions is crucial. However, aqueous extracts used
      for routine diagnostic measurements are devoid of lipophilic allergens such as
      oleosins. We have recently succeeded in the isolation and purification of these
      unique proteins, and the present study evaluates their allergenic potential and
      clinical relevance. OBJECTIVE: We sought to assess allergenicity and
      sensitization prevalence of oleosins obtained from both raw and in-shell roasted
      peanuts. In addition, we tested the utilization of natural and recombinant
      oleosins for allergy diagnostic purposes. METHODS: Oleosin sensitization,
      prevalence, and impact of thermal processing were analyzed by immunoblot with
      sera from 52 peanut-allergic individuals displaying different clinical
      phenotypes. The application of natural and recombinant oleosins for allergy
      diagnostics was investigated by basophil activation test (BAT). IgE-binding
      epitopes were identified by oligopeptide microarray. RESULTS: Sensitization to
      oleosins was observed exclusively in peanut-allergic subjects suffering from
      severe systemic reactions. IgE-binding capacity of oleosins derived from in-shell
      roasted peanuts was increased as shown by immunoblot analysis and BAT. Both
      natural and recombinant molecules can be used to identify oleosin-sensitized
      patients by BAT. A linear epitope of Ara h 15 was determined that displays high
      similarity to other seed-derived oleosins. CONCLUSIONS: Oleosins are clinically
      relevant peanut allergens and most likely associated with severe allergic
      symptoms. In-shell roasting increases their allergenicity, which is consistent
      with the observation that most allergic reactions are in connection with roasted
      peanuts.

PMID- 28342914
TI  - Blood eosinophils predict therapeutic effects of a GATA3-specific DNAzyme in
      asthma patients.

PMID- 28342916
TI  - Granulocyte transfusions in patients with chronic granulomatous disease and
      refractory infections: The NIH experience.

PMID- 28342915
TI  - Regulated in development and DNA damage responses 1 (REDD1) links stress with IL
      1beta-mediated familial Mediterranean fever attack through autophagy-driven
      neutrophil extracellular traps.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Familial Mediterranean fever (FMF) is an IL-1beta-dependent
      autoinflammatory disease caused by mutations of Mediterranean fever (MEFV)
      encoding pyrin and characterized by inflammatory attacks induced by physical or
      psychological stress. OBJECTIVE: We investigated the underlying mechanism that
      links stress-induced inflammatory attacks with neutrophil activation and release
      of IL-1beta-bearing neutrophil extracellular traps (NETs) in patients with FMF.
      METHODS: RNA sequencing was performed in peripheral neutrophils from 3 patients
      with FMF isolated both during attacks and remission, 8 patients in remission, and
      8 healthy subjects. NET formation and proteins were analyzed by using confocal
      immunofluorescence microscopy, immunoblotting, myeloperoxidase-DNA complex ELISA,
      and flow cytometry. Samples from patients with Still's disease and bacterial
      infections were used also. RESULTS: The stress-related protein regulated in
      development and DNA damage responses 1 (REDD1) is significantly overexpressed
      during FMF attacks. Neutrophils from patients with FMF during remission are
      resistant to autophagy-mediated NET release, which can be overcome through REDD1
      induction. Stress-related mediators (eg, epinephrine) decrease this threshold,
      leading to autophagy-driven NET release, whereas the synchronous inflammatory
      environment of FMF attack leads to intracellular production of IL-1beta and its
      release through NETs. REDD1 in autolysosomes colocalizes with pyrin and
      nucleotide-binding domain, leucine-rich repeat/pyrin domain-containing 3. Mutated
      pyrin prohibits this colocalization, leading to higher IL-1beta levels on NETs.
      CONCLUSIONS: This study provides a link between stress and initiation of
      inflammatory attacks in patients with FMF. REDD1 emerges as a regulator of
      neutrophil function upstream to pyrin, is involved in NET release and regulation
      of IL-1beta, and might constitute an important piece in the IL-1beta-mediated
      inflammation puzzle.

PMID- 28342917
TI  - Science of health care delivery as a first step to advance undergraduate medical
      education: A multi-institutional collaboration.
AB  - Physicians must possess knowledge and skills to address the gaps facing the US
      health care system. Educators advocate for reform in undergraduate medical
      education (UME) to align competencies with the Triple Aim. In 2014, five medical
      schools and one state university began collaborating on these curricular gaps.
      The authors report a framework for the Science of Health Care Delivery (SHCD)
      using six domains and highlight curricular examples from each school. They
      describe three challenges and strategies for success in implementing SHCD
      curricula. This collaboration highlights the importance of multi-institutional
      partnerships to accelerate innovation and adaptation of curricula.

PMID- 28342918
TI  - Evidence of the impact of visuo-spatial processing on magnitude representation in
      22q11.2 microdeletion syndrome.
AB  - The influence of visuo-spatial skills on numerical magnitude processing is the
      subject of a long-standing debate. As most of the numerical and non-numerical
      magnitude abilities underpinning mathematical development are visual by nature,
      they are often assessed in the visual modality, thereby confusing visuo-spatial
      and numerical processing. In order to assess the influence of visuo-spatial
      processing on numerical magnitude representation, we examined magnitude
      processing in patients with 22q11.2 deletion syndrome (22q11DS), a genetic
      condition characterized by a cognitive profile with a relative weakness in visuo
      spatial abilities but with preserved verbal abilities. Twenty-seven participants
      with 22q11DS were compared to two control groups (one matched on verbal
      intelligence and the other on visuo-spatial abilities) on several magnitude
      comparison tasks each with different visuo-spatial processing requirements. Our
      results showed that participants with 22q11DS present a consistent pattern of
      impairment in magnitude comparison tasks requiring the processing of visuo
      spatial dimensions: comparison of lengths and collections. In contrast, their
      performance did not differ from the control groups in a visual task with no
      spatial processing requirement (i.e. numerical comparison of flashed dot
      sequences) or in auditory tasks (i.e., duration comparison and numerical
      comparison of sound sequences). Finally, a specific deficit of enumeration
      processes was observed in the subitizing range. Taken together, these results
      show that deficits in magnitude can occur as a consequence of a visuo-spatial
      deficit. This highlights the influence of the nature of the tasks selected to
      assess magnitude representation.

PMID- 28342919
TI  - Radiation Exposure to the Surgeon During Ultrasound-Assisted Transforaminal
      Percutaneous Endoscopic Lumbar Discectomy: A Prospective Study.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: To determine the radiation dose to the surgeon during ultrasound
      assisted transforaminal percutaneous endoscopic lumbar discectomy (PELD) for
      lumbar disc herniation, and to investigate whether the usage of ultrasonography
      could reduce the radiation exposure to the surgeon. METHODS: The stages of needle
      insertion and foraminal plasty for transforaminal PELD were performed under
      ultrasound guidance and confirmed by fluoroscopy according to the standard
      technique by 2 spinal surgeons separately in 25 transforaminal PELDs (25 levels).
      The radiation exposure dose of the surgeons' chest above and below the shielding
      and the fluoroscopy time were recorded. The effective dose and number of possible
      levels per year within the yearly occupational exposure limit (OEL) were
      calculated. The radiation dose per level and fluoroscopy time between ultrasound
      assisted PELD and fluoroscopy-assisted PELD were compared. RESULTS: The mean
      operation time and fluoroscopy time were 67.6 +/- 14.6 minutes and 2.9 +/- 0.7
      seconds, respectively. The mean effective dose to the surgeons per level was 1.3
      +/- 0.6 MUSv. One surgeon could perform PELDs at 38,462 levels per year without
      exceeding the OEL for whole-body radiation wearing a lead apron, and 1938 levels
      per year without using any shielding devices. Ultrasound-assisted PELD had
      significantly less radiation dose per level at the chest below and above apron,
      effective dose per level, and fluoroscopy time, compared with fluoroscopy
      assisted PELD (all P < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: The method of ultrasound-assisted
      needle insertion and foraminal plasty in transforaminal PELD can reduce radiation
      exposure to the surgeons compared with fluoroscopy-assisted PELD.

PMID- 28342920
TI  - What Is the More Appropriate Proximal Fusion Level for Adult Lumbar Degenerative
      Flat Back?
AB  - OBJECTIVE: To determine the optimal proximal fusion level after long instrumented
      fusion to the sacrum for lumbar degenerative flat back. METHODS: Data from 70
      patients with lumbar degenerative flat back were reviewed retrospectively. Three
      groups were designated according to the upper instrumented vertebrae (UIV): group
      1 (UIV = T10 or above), group 2 (UIV = T11-12), and group 3 (UIV = L1 or below).
      Pre- and postoperative pelvic parameters, degree of correction, and prevalence of
      proximal junctional kyphosis (PJK) and its risk factors were evaluated. RESULTS:
      The prevalence of PJK was 27.1% (average 35.5 months of follow-up). Preoperative
      pelvic incidence (PI) and sacral slope (SS) in group 1 were higher in the PJK
      group than in the non-PJK group (P = 0.03 and P = 0.001, respectively).
      Preoperative thoracolumbar (TL) in group 3 was higher in the PJK group than in
      the non-PJK group (P = 0.01). Postoperative pelvic tilt (PT) was lower (<20
      degrees ) in the non-PJK group than in the PJK group (P = 0.025 in group 3).
      Postoperative TL in group 3 was lower than in the non-PJK group (P = 0.024).
      CONCLUSIONS: If the PI is >=50 degrees , TL kyphosis is >=5 degrees , and SS is
      >=20 degrees , the UIV should be raised above T10 up to the midthoracic level. If
      the PI is >=50 degrees , SS is <=20 degrees , and thoracic kyphosis (TK) is
      normal despite TL kyphosis, the UIV should be at T10. Even if the PI is >=50
      degrees , TK is normal, and there is no TL kyphosis, the UIV should be set at L1
      or below. Regardless of the UIV, the postoperative PT should be <=20 degrees .

PMID- 28342921
TI  - Intensive Reduction of Systolic Blood Pressure in Acute Intracerebral Hemorrhage:
      Is There a Benefit?

PMID- 28342922
TI  - Smartphones and Programmable Shunts: Are These Indispensable Phones Safe and
      Smart?
AB  - OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to determine whether smartphones affect programmable
      shunts. METHODS: iPhone 5S (Apple Inc., Cupertino, CA, USA) and Samsung Galaxy S5
      (Samsung Electronics, Gumi, South Korea) smartphones were chosen for this study.
      For both phones, magnetic field mapping was performed with 3-dimensional magnetic
      scanning systems constructed with high-precision motorized stages, and a Hall
      effect sensor was used to measure the flux density on the smartphone surface. The
      distance (h) between the distal outlet of the reservoir and the rugby ball of the
      Strata valve (Medtronic Inc., Minneapolis, MN, USA) was measured using highly
      sensitive microanalysis optical method. During optical microanalysis, while
      keeping a 3-cm distance between the valve and the magnetic generator, the h value
      (MUm) was recorded for different magnetic flux densities (MFDs). Then, direct x
      ray radiography was performed for radiologic assessment after each process under
      different magnetic fields. For analysis of the Codman Certas valve (Codman Neuro,
      Raynham, MA, USA), the magnet orientation and the angle between the magnet with
      the tantalum ball were measured with the same optical analysis. RESULTS: Maximum
      MFDs found 62 G for iPhone 5S and 61 G for Samsung Galaxy S5. When the magnetic
      generator formed a current at 0, 30, 60, and 90 G, the h values of the Strata
      valve adjusted to 100 mm H2O opening pressure were 320, 280, 190, and 175 MUm,
      respectively. When the magnetic generator was removed from the environment, the h
      value returned to 320 MUm. In direct graphs taken after each optical analysis at
      different Gauss values, substitution was not observed at the indicator. The angle
      in the Codman Certas valve was 123.9 degrees , 112.5 degrees , and 103.6 degrees 
      at the magnetic flux densities of 0, 60, and 90 G, respectively. When the
      magnetic field was removed (0 G), the angle was still 103.6 degrees , suggesting
      an irreversible effect in the shunt construct. CONCLUSIONS: Smartphones exert
      reversible effects on Strata programmable valves without producing remarkable
      radiologic findings and irreversible effects on Codman Certas valves.

PMID- 28342923
TI  - Giant Intracranial Aneurysms: Surgical Treatment and Analysis of Risk Factors.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: To study clinical outcome of giant intracranial aneurysms (diameter
      >=25 mm) treated with different surgical modalities and to analyze factors
      affecting prognosis. METHODS: A retrospective analysis was performed of 204
      consecutive patients with giant intracranial aneurysms who underwent surgical
      treatment in our department from 1995 to 2008. Clinical outcome was evaluated
      with the Glasgow Outcome Scale. RESULTS: Surgical modalities included direct
      aneurysm neck clipping in 102 patients (50.0%), parent artery reconstruction in
      51 patients (25.0%), proximal artery ligation in 23 patients (11.3%; 4 patients
      combined with revascularization), trapping in 26 patients (12.7%), and wrapping
      in 2 patients (1.0%). Follow-up data were available for 181 patients (88.7%),
      with a mean follow-up period of 62 months (range, 12-164 months). A good outcome
      (Glasgow Outcome Scale score 5) was observed in 114 patients (63.0%), and a poor
      outcome (Glasgow Outcome Scale score 1-4) was observed in 67 patients (37.0%).
      Independent factors that affected prognosis were age and location of aneurysm.
      Older age (>=50 years) and location of aneurysm in posterior circulation were
      associated with poor outcome. In 85 patients with preoperative subarachnoid
      hemorrhage, patients with a higher Hunt and Hess grade (>=3) had a worse outcome
      compared with patients with a low Hunt and Hess grade (1 or 2). Surgical
      modalities and other factors were not significantly associated with clinical
      outcome. CONCLUSIONS: Giant intracranial aneurysms are effectively treated with
      craniotomy and surgical treatment. Older age, aneurysm location in posterior
      circulation, and higher Hunt and Hess grade are risk factors affecting prognosis.

PMID- 28342924
TI  - Effect of an Anterior Cingulotomy on Pain, Cognition, and Sensory Pathways.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Anterior cingulotomy (AC) was originally used to treat patients with
      a psychiatric disorder, but it is also useful for treating patients with chronic
      intractable pain. We reviewed 24 patients at our hospital who underwent AC for
      chronic intractable pain to determine whether surgery influenced patient
      cognition and the pain circuit. METHODS: A visual analog scale (VAS) was used to
      evaluate patients' pain scale preoperatively, at 1 month and 3-6 months
      postoperatively, and at the final follow-up. Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE)
      and Cognitive Abilities Screening Instrument (CASI) were used to evaluate
      postoperative cognitive function. The latencies of peaks P20 and P37 of the
      somatosensory evoked potential (SSEP) conductive time were used to evaluate the
      intactness of the thalamocortical tract after AC. RESULTS: The median
      preoperative VAS score was 8, MMSE score was 27, and CASI score was 86.8. Six
      patients underwent a reoperation because of recurrent pain. Pain was
      significantly reduced after AC, and the median VAS score at the last follow-up
      was 5. There was no significant pain improvement in patients who underwent a
      reoperation. There were no significant changes in MMSE and CASI scores or SSEP
      after cingulotomy. There were no operation-related complications in the patients.
      CONCLUSIONS: A stereotactic AC was safe and effective in resolving chronic
      refractory pain. It did not affect patient cognition or the sensory conductive
      pathway. However, patients who had recurrent intractable pain after a cingulotomy
      did not respond well to the reoperation.

PMID- 28342925
TI  - Epidemiology and Characteristics of Neurosurgical Conditions at Mbarara Regional
      Referral Hospital.
AB  - BACKGROUND: The unmet surgical need, specifically neurosurgical need, in Uganda
      is significant, yet only 2 public hospitals currently perform neurosurgery in the
      country. This study examines the epidemiology and outcomes of neurosurgical
      conditions presenting to 1 of 12 regional referral hospitals in Uganda, in an
      effort to understand the neurosurgical needs of this population. METHODS: The
      study was conducted at Mbarara Regional Referral Hospital (MRRH), in southwestern
      Uganda. Demographics, clinical characteristics, and outcomes were retrospectively
      collected for all patients who presented to MRRH with a neurosurgical condition
      between January 2012 and September 2015. RESULTS: During the study period, 1854
      patients presented to MRRH with a neurosurgical condition. More than half of the
      patients were between 19 and 40 years old, and the majority were males (76.1%).
      The overall median length of stay was 5 days (interquartile range: 2.5-10). The
      majority of admissions were due to trauma (87%), with almost 60% due to road
      traffic incidents. The overall mortality rate was 12.8%. A multivariable Cox
      proportional hazards model revealed that age, closed head injury, and admission
      Glasgow Coma Scale have a strong positive correlation with mortality while
      getting a diagnostic image and neurosurgical procedure were negatively correlated
      with mortality. CONCLUSION: Traumatic brain injury represented the majority of
      neurosurgical admissions at MRRH, disproportionately affecting young males. Age,
      closed head injury, admission Glasgow Coma Scale, getting a diagnostic image, and
      neurosurgical procedure were all independent predictors of mortality. Resource
      appropriate interventions throughout the health system are needed to meet the
      demand and improve outcomes.

PMID- 28342926
TI  - Causes and Clinical Features of Infertile Men With Nonobstructive Azoospermia and
      Histopathologic Diagnosis of Hypospermatogenesis.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: To analyze the causes and the clinical features of infertile men with
      nonobstructive azoospermia and hypospermatogenesis (HS). MATERIALS AND METHODS:
      This retrospective cohort study included 100 patients with nonobstructive
      azoospermia and HS and 8 patients with obstructive azoospermia and normal
      spermatogenesis. The severity of HS was subdivided into 3 groups (mild, moderate,
      and severe) based on spermatogenic score. Data of history, physical findings,
      serum hormone profiles, genetic studies, and sperm retrieval rate were collected.
      Whole genome DNA methylation analysis and microarray mRNA expression analysis
      were used to identify the candidate genes of methylation dysregulation in HS.
      RESULTS: Thirty-two (32%) patients had at least 1 prior/current testicular
      insults and 13 (13%) patients had genetic anomalies. Fifty-five (55%) patients
      were categorized as idiopathic HS. Patients with mild HS had a higher frequency
      of testicular insults, and patients with severe HS had a significantly higher
      frequency of genetic anomalies. Sperm retrieval rate was 100%, 100%, and 88.4%
      for patients with mild, moderate, and severe HS, respectively. Four sterility
      related genes, including BOLL, DDX4, HORMAD1, and MAEL, were found to have
      increased methylation at CpGs of the promoter regions and decreased mRNA
      expressions in HS testis. CONCLUSION: The causes of HS are complex and
      multifactorial. The main causes of HS were prior or current testicular insults
      and chromosomal or genetic anomalies. More than half of the patients were
      categorized as idiopathic HS. With high throughput analysis, methylation
      dysregulations of BOLL, DDX4, HORMAD1, and MAEL are believed to be associated
      with HS.

PMID- 28342927
TI  - Re: Cai et al.: Is Preoperative Assessment and Treatment of Asymptomatic
      Bacteriuria Necessary for Reducing the Risk of Postoperative Symptomatic Urinary
      Tract Infections After Urologic Surgical Procedures? (Urology 2017;99:100-105).

PMID- 28342928
TI  - Does Implementing an Enhanced Recovery After Surgery Protocol Increase Hospital
      Charges? Comparisons From a Radical Cystectomy Program at a Specialty Cancer
      Center.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: To compare perioperative charges induced at the initial phase of a
      standardized enhanced recovery after surgery (ERAS) program from a tertiary
      referral center. METHODS: A multidisciplinary ERAS protocol was implemented in
      our department on July 2015. During the subsequent year, all patients were
      treated according to this protocol (ERAS group). The patients were compared in
      terms of real in-hospital charges per surgical episode with a control group
      consisting of consecutive patients before the start of ERAS. Individual charges
      were analyzed per sample population and compared with the Wilcoxon rank-sum test
      or t test. Additionally, cost variances for each group were evaluated. RESULTS: A
      total of 257 consecutive patients were evaluated of which the last 112 were ERAS
      patients. The median length of stay for each group was 6 days (P = .748). ERAS
      patients incurred higher medication charges ($1939 vs $1729, P = .036). Control
      patients incurred higher supplies ($861 vs $692), treatment ($90 vs $72), and
      miscellaneous charges ($537 vs $388) (all, P < .001). The median total charges
      per patient were $59,539 for the control group and $60,655 for the ERAS group (P
      = .175). ERAS adoption significantly reduced variance in billed charges (P <
      .001). CONCLUSION: ERAS implementation did not significantly increase expenditure
      for cystectomy patients. ERAS showed decreased variance in charges likely due to
      standardization of care while eliciting savings in supplies, treatment, and
      miscellaneous costs.

PMID- 28342929
TI  - Commentary on: Radiation With or Without Antiandrogen Therapy in Recurrent
      Prostate Cancer.

PMID- 28342930
TI  - Commentary on: Padeliporfin Vascular-targeted Photodynamic Therapy Versus Active
      Surveillance in Men With Low-risk Prostate Cancer (CLIN1001 PCM301): An Open
      label, Phase 3, Randomized Controlled Trial.

PMID- 28342931
TI  - Clear Cell Renal Cell Carcinoma With Extensive Osseous Metaplasia: Report of a
      Rare Case.
AB  - A 48-year-old Chinese woman presenting with continuing dull pain in the right
      lower back and abdomen was found to have a tumor with extensive osseous
      metaplasia in the upper-middle pole of the right kidney. The excised neoplasm
      specimen revealed a 29 * 26 mm hard tumor with dense ossification.
      Histopathological examination of the tumor showed that it contained lamellar bone
      forming trabeculae intermingled and spherical or polygonal epithelial cells that
      contained slightly irregular nuclei with small nucleoli and abundant pink to
      clear cytoplasm. Clear cell renal cell carcinoma with extensive osseous
      metaplasia is a very rare occurrence.

PMID- 28342933
TI  - Regulation of airway inflammation and remodeling in asthmatic mice by TLR3/TRIF
      signal pathway.
AB  - This paper aims to investigate the effect of Toll-like receptors 3 (TLR3)/TIR
      domain-containing adapter-inducing interferon-beta (TRIF) signal pathway on the
      airway inflammation and remodeling in asthmatic mice. C57BL/6 and TLR3-/- mice
      were randomly divided into three groups (10 mice per group), including Control
      group (mice inhaled phosphate buffer saline (PBS)), Asthma group (mice inhaled
      ovalbumin (OVA)) and polyriboinosinic-ribocytidylic acid (poly (I: C)) group
      (asthmatic mice were injected intraperitoneally with TLR3 agonist poly (I: C)).
      Hematoxylin-eosin (HE) staining, Wright-Giemsa staining, Enzyme-linked
      immunosorbent assay (ELISA), Immunohistochemistry, Hydroxyproline assay,
      quantitative real time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) and Western blot were
      used to assess for the indices of airway inflammation and remodeling. In terms of
      WT mice, all asthma groups with or without the addition of poly (I: C) showed
      exaggerated inflammation and remodeling in the airways as compared to Control
      group, which were more seriously in poly (I: C) group than Asthma group.
      Furthermore, we observed the significant inhibition of airway inflammation and
      remodeling in the TLR3-/- mice in both Asthma no matter with or without addition
      of poly (I: C) than the WT mice. TLR3 knockout could obviously relieve the airway
      inflammation and remodeling in asthma through inhibiting TLR3/TRIF signaling
      pathway.

PMID- 28342932
TI  - Changes in HbA2 and HbF in alpha thalassemia carriers with KLF1 mutation.
AB  - alpha-thalassemia carriers are common in Mediterranean regions, particularly in
      the Sardinian population. Their haematological phenotype is characterized by
      reduced MCV and/or MCH with normal or slightly reduced HbA2 levels and normal
      HbF. Kruppel-like factor 1 (KLF1) is a pleiotropic erythroid transcription factor
      that is essential for haematopoiesis. Mutations in the KLF1 gene trigger a series
      of benign human red blood phenotypes, such as an increase in HbA2 and HBF.
      Recently, it has been found that KLF1 mutations were a frequent cause of
      borderline HbA2 levels in a group of Sardinian subjects. Here, we found that KLF1
      mutations modulate the phenotype in a cohort of alpha-thalassemia carriers.

PMID- 28342934
TI  - Mitochondrial transplantation: From animal models to clinical use in humans.
AB  - Mitochondrial transplantation is a novel therapeutic intervention to treat
      ischemia/reperfusion related disorders. The method for mitochondrial
      transplantation is simple and rapid and can be delivered to the end organ either
      by direct injection or vascular infusion. In this review, we provide mechanistic
      and histological studies in large animal models and present data to show clinical
      efficacy in human patients.

PMID- 28342935
TI  - Interpreting Patient Reported Urinary and Sexual Function Outcomes across
      Multiple Validated Instruments.
AB  - PURPOSE: Comparing patient reported outcomes such as urinary and erectile
      function across institutions is critical for prostate cancer research and quality
      assurance. Such comparisons are complicated due to the use of different
      questionnaires. We aimed to develop a method to convert scores among 4 commonly
      used instruments. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Patient reported data on urinary and
      sexual function were collected on 1,284 men with localized prostate cancer using
      the EPIC-26 (Expanded Prostate Index Composite), PCI (UCLA Prostate Cancer
      Index), SHIM (Sexual Health Inventory for Men) and I-PSS (International Prostate
      Symptom Scale) questionnaires. We investigated several methods to convert scores
      among questionnaires. RESULTS: Conversion between EPIC and PCI urinary and sexual
      function subscales was best achieved using only the subset of questions asked on
      both questionnaires. For the conversion between EPIC or PCI erectile function
      scores and SHIM scores, we defined thresholds of poor, intermediate and good
      function as EPIC/PCI 0 to 40 and SHIM 1 to 7, EPIC/PCI 41 to 59 and SHIM 8 to 16,
      and EPIC/PCI 60 to 100 and SHIM 17 to 25, respectively. Urinary continence scores
      highly correlated for PCI and EPIC (r = 0.94). No comparison was possible for I
      PSS with EPIC and PCI due to differences in the domains addressed by these
      questionnaires. CONCLUSIONS: We have introduced methods to convert scores among
      the EPIC, PCI and SHIM questionnaires. While these conversion methods may
      introduce minor imprecision, to our knowledge they represent the best available
      tools to combine and compare patient reported outcomes that are assessed using
      different instruments in men undergoing radical prostatectomy or active
      surveillance.

PMID- 28342937
TI  - Molecular epidemiology of Staphylococcus aureus nasal colonization among patients
      and their parents /guardian in an Iranian referral hospital.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: Carriage of Staphylococcus aureus in the nose appears to play a key
      role in the epidemiology and pathogenesis of infection. It is important to
      investigate the genetic relatedness of S. aureus and MRSA clones in different
      geographic regions. The aim of this study was to assess the nasal carriage rate
      of S. aureus, including MRSA strains in both hospitalized children and general
      adult population (parents/guardian). In addition, antibiotic susceptibility
      pattern and molecular diversity of S. aureus in both population was evaluated in
      an Iranian referral pediatrics Hospital. MATERIAL AND METHODS: All samples were
      obtained through nasal screening of patients and general adult population at
      admission and discharge day. The prevalence, resistance, and molecular diversity
      of all S. aureus isolates were examined. RESULTS: In the current study, nasal
      carriage of S. aureus and Staphylococcus non aureus was identified in 384 (26%)
      and 1004 (68%) of the study population. The prevalence of MRSA nasal carriage in
      children and adults was 6.6% (29 out of 438) and 2.8% (29 out of 1046),
      respectively. Among S. aureus strains isolated obtained from patients and general
      adult population at admission day, high sensitivity to most of the antibiotics
      such as vancomycin (100%), rifampin (95%), linezolid (94%),
      quinupristin/dalfopristin (94%), minocycline (94%), chloramphenicol (89%),
      gentamycin (87%), amikacin (87%), clindamycin (86%) and moxifloxacin (83%) was
      seen. The most resistance antibiotics were penicillin (96-98%) and methicillin
      (44-47%). The susceptibility patterns of nasal S. aureus strains isolated at
      discharge day was not statistically different from S. aureus isolates obtained at
      admission day. Admission S. aureus isolated strains of 77 patients (64%) were
      similar to the isolated S. aureus strains of discharge, while S. aureus isolated
      strains of 43 patients (36%) was not similar to the strain of discharge (had
      similarity of less than 70%). CONCLUSION: High prevalence of nasal carriage of S.
      aureus and MRSA indicates the urgent need to improve strategies for management of
      S. aureus infections. Our findings are useful for understanding of S. aureus
      nasal colonization dynamics within the patients and general population.
      Surveillance for S. aureus in community settings can provide data on circulating
      strains and might help developing control measures for reducing of infection
      spread in hospitals.

PMID- 28342936
TI  - Clinical Outcomes in Patients with Panurothelial Carcinoma Treated with Radical
      Nephroureterectomy Following Cystectomy for Metachronous Recurrence.
AB  - PURPOSE: We report pathological, functional and oncologic outcomes in patients
      treated with radical nephroureterectomy following radical cystectomy. MATERIALS
      AND METHODS: We identified patients who underwent radical cystectomy and then
      radical nephroureterectomy for metachronous urothelial recurrence at our
      institution between January 1995 and December 2014. Univariable Cox regression
      was used to assess the association between overall survival and age, grade,
      stage, lymph node metastasis and radiographic findings. RESULTS: Of the 3,173
      patients treated with radical cystectomy 64 underwent subsequent radical
      nephroureterectomy for metachronous urothelial recurrence. Median age at radical
      cystectomy was 66 years (IQR 61-74). In the 64 patients who underwent radical
      nephroureterectomy median time from radical cystectomy to radical
      nephroureterectomy was 2.7 years (IQR 1.4-4.6). Among 37 patients who underwent
      ureteroscopy prior to radical nephroureterectomy 29 (78%) had a positive biopsy.
      Radical nephroureterectomy pathology findings revealed locally advanced disease
      (pT3/pT4) in 39% of cases and positive node status in 11% compared with locally
      advanced disease in 17% and positive node status in 6% on radical cystectomy
      pathology findings. The post-radical nephroureterectomy estimated glomerular
      filtration rate was less than 60 and less than 30 ml/minute/1.73 m2 in 96% and
      40% of patients, respectively. Median overall survival after radical
      nephroureterectomy was 3.1 years (95% CI 2.4-4.3). Only lymph node involvement at
      radical nephroureterectomy was significantly associated with worse overall
      mortality (HR 2.73, 95% CI 1.04-7.15, p = 0.041). CONCLUSIONS: The prognosis is
      poor in patients with panurothelial carcinoma treated with nephroureterectomy
      following cystectomy with locally advanced disease in a large proportion. Renal
      function after these procedures diminished and almost all patients were
      ineligible for cisplatin based chemotherapy.

PMID- 28342938
TI  - The impact of neoadjuvant therapy on the histopathological features of pancreatic
      ductal adenocarcinoma - A systematic review and meta-analysis.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Due to increased rates of curative tumor resections exceeding 60%
      after FOLFIRINOX-treatment, neoadjuvant therapy/NTx is increasingly recognized as
      an effective therapy option for downstaging borderline or locally advanced
      pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma/PDAC. Yet, the effects of NTx on the common
      histopathological features of PDAC have not been systematically analysed.
      Therefore, the aim of the current study was to assess the impact of NTx on
      relevant histopathological features of PDAC. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Biomedical
      databases were systematically screened for predefined searching terms related to
      NTx and PDAC. The Preferred-Reporting-Items-for-Systematic-review-and-Meta
      Analysis/PRISMA-guidelines were used to perform a systematic review and meta
      analysis. Articles meeting the predefined criteria were analysed on relevance,
      and a meta-analysis was performed. RESULTS: A total of 9031 studies could be
      identified that analysed the effect of NTx on PDAC. Only 35 studies presented
      comparative data on the histological features of neoadjuvantly treated vs.
      upfront resected PDAC patients. In meta-analyses, the beneficial effect of NTx
      was reflected by reduced tumor size (T1/2: RR 2.87, 95%-CI: 1.52-5.42, P=0.001,
      T3/4: RR 0.78, 95%-CI: 0.69-0.89, P=0.0002), lower N-Stage (N0: RR 2.14, 95%-CI:
      1.85-2.46, P<0.00001, N1: RR 0.59, 95%-CI: 0.53-0.65, P<0.00001), higher R0-rates
      (R0: RR 1.13, 95%-CI: 1.08-1.18, P<0.00001, R1: RR 0.66, 95%-CI: 0.58-0.76,
      P<0.00001), less perineural invasion (Pn1: RR 0.78, 95%-CI: 0.73-0.83,
      P<0.00001), less lymphatic vessel invasion (RR: 0.50, 95%-CI: 0.36-0.70,
      P<0.0001) and fewer G3-tumors (RR 0.82, 95%-CI: 0.71-0.94, P=0.005). CONCLUSIONS:
      NTx in PDAC seems to exert its beneficial effect in borderline or locally
      advanced PDAC over genuine tumor downstaging. Thus, although at least 40% of all
      NTx treated patients remain unresectable even with modern NTx regimes,
      neoadjuvantly treated PDAC showed not only increasing resectability rates
      especially after FOLFIRINOX, but even reach a lower tumor stage than primarily
      resected PDAC.

PMID- 28342939
TI  - Recent synthetic and medicinal perspectives of dihydropyrimidinones: A review.
AB  - Dihydropyrimidines are the most important heterocyclic ring systems which play an
      important role in the synthesis of DNA and RNA. Synthetically they were
      synthesized using Multi-component reactions like Biginelli reaction and
      Hantzschdihydropyridine. In the past decades, such Biginelli type
      dihydropyrimidones have received a considerable amount of attention due to the
      interesting pharmacological properties associated with this heterocyclic
      scaffold. In this review, we highlight recent developments in this area, with a
      focus on the DHPMs, recently developed as anti-inflammatory, anti-HIV, anti
      tubercular, antifungal anticancer, antibacterial, antifilarial,
      antihyperglycemic, antihypertensive, analgesic, anti-convulsant, antioxidant,
      anti-TRPA1, anti-SARS, and anti-cancer activity and alpha1a binding affinity.

PMID- 28342940
TI  - High test-retest-reliability of pain-related evoked potentials (PREP) in healthy
      subjects.
AB  - Pain-related evoked potentials (PREP) is an established electrophysiological
      method to evaluate the signal transmission of electrically stimulated A-delta
      fibres. Although prerequisite for its clinical use, test-retest-reliability and
      side-to-side differences of bilateral stimulation in healthy subjects have not
      been examined yet. We performed PREP twice within 3-14days in 33 healthy subjects
      bilaterally by stimulating the dorsal hand. Detection (DT) and pain thresholds
      (PT) after electrical stimulation, the corresponding pain ratings, latencies of
      P0, N1, P1 and N2 components and the corresponding amplitudes were assessed.
      Impact of electrically induced pain intensity, age, sex, and arm length on PREP
      was analysed. MANOVA, t-Test, interclass correlation coefficient (ICC), standard
      error of measurement (SEM), smallest real difference (SRD), Bland-Altmann
      Analysis as well as ANCOVA were used for statistical analysis. Measurement from
      both sides on both days resulted in mean N1-latencies from 142.39+/-18.12ms to
      144.03+/-16.62ms and in mean N1P1-amplitudes from 39.04+/-12.26MUV to 40.53+/
      12.9MUV. Analysis of a side-to-side effect showed for the N1-latency a F-value of
      0.038 and for the N1P1-amplitude of 0.004 (p>0.8). We found intraclass
      correlation coefficients (ICC) from 0.88 to 0.93 and a standard error of
      measurement (SEM)<10% of mean values for all measurements concerning the N1
      Latency and N1P1-amplitude. Intraclass correlation coefficients, standard error
      of measurement and Bland-Altman-Analyses revealed excellent test-retest
      reliability for N1-latency and N1P1-amplitude without systematic error and there
      was no side-to-side effect on PREP. N1-latency (r=0.35, p<0.05) and N1P1
      amplitude (r=-0.45, p<0.05) correlated with age and additionally N1-latency
      correlated with arm length (r=0.45, p<0.001). In contrast, pain intensity during
      the stimulation had no effect on both N1-latency and N1P1-amplitude. In summary,
      PREP showed high test-retest-reliability and negligible side-to-side differences
      concerning the commonly used parameters N1-latency and N1P1-amplitude.

PMID- 28342941
TI  - Is there any crosstalk between the chemotaxis and virulence induction signaling
      in Agrobacterium tumefaciens?
AB  - Agrobacterium tumefaciens, a soil-born phytopathogenic bacterium, is well known
      as a nature's engineer due to its ability to genetically transform the host by
      transferring a DNA fragment (called T-DNA) from its Ti plasmid to host-cell
      genome. To combat the harsh soil environment and seek the appropriate host, A.
      tumefaciens can sense and be attracted by a large number of chemical compounds
      released by wounded host. As a member of alpha-proteobacterium, A. tumefaciens
      has a chemotaxis system different from that found in Escherichia coli, since many
      chemoattractants for A. tumefaciens chemotaxis are virulence (vir) inducers.
      However, advances in the study of the chemotaxis paradigm, E. coli chemotaxis
      system, have provided enough information to analyze the A. tumefaciens
      chemotaxis. At low concentration, chemoattractants elicit A. tumefaciens
      chemotaxis and attract the species to the wound sites of the host. At high
      concentration, chemoattractants induce the expression of virulence genes and
      trigger T-DNA transfer. Recent studies on the VirA and ChvE of the vir-induction
      system provide some evidences to support the crosstalk between chemotaxis and vir
      induction. This review compares the core components of chemotaxis signaling
      system of A. tumefaciens with those observed in other species, discusses the
      connection between chemotaxis and vir-induction in A. tumefaciens, and proposes a
      model depicting the signaling crosstalk between chemotaxis and vir-induction.

PMID- 28342942
TI  - The nature of early astroglial protection-Fast activation and signaling.
AB  - Our present review is focusing on the uniqueness of balanced astroglial
      signaling. The balance of excitatory and inhibitory signaling within the CNS is
      mainly determined by sharp synaptic transients of excitatory glutamate (Glu) and
      inhibitory gamma-aminobutyrate (GABA) acting on the sub-second timescale.
      Astroglia is involved in excitatory chemical transmission by taking up i) Glu
      through neurotransmitter-sodium transporters, ii) K+ released due to presynaptic
      action potential generation, and iii) water keeping osmotic pressure. Glu uptake
      coupled Na+ influx may either ignite long-range astroglial Ca2+ transients or
      locally counteract over-excitation via astroglial GABA release and increased
      tonic inhibition. Imbalance of excitatory and inhibitory drives is associated
      with a number of disease conditions, including prevalent traumatic and ischaemic
      injuries or the emergence of epilepsy. Therefore, when addressing the potential
      of early therapeutic intervention, astroglial signaling functions combating
      progress of Glu excitotoxicity is of critical importance. We suggest, that
      excitotoxicity is linked primarily to over-excitation induced by the impairment
      of astroglial Glu uptake and/or GABA release. Within this framework, we discuss
      the acute alterations of Glu-cycling and metabolism and conjecture the
      therapeutic promise of regulation. We also confer the role played by key carrier
      proteins and enzymes as well as their interplay at the molecular, cellular, and
      organ levels. Moreover, based on our former studies, we offer potential prospect
      on the emerging theme of astroglial succinate sensing in course of Glu
      excitotoxicity.

PMID- 28342943
TI  - Would I take antipsychotics, if I had psychotic symptoms? Examining determinants
      of the decision to take antipsychotics.
AB  - Poor adherence to treatment in schizophrenia is mainly associated to patients
      related factors. However, social negative representations of schizophrenia and
      its treatment may also contribute to patients' decision to take or not to take
      antipsychotics. A web-based study on 1,807 participants was conducted during
      which participants imagined that they had a particular chronic illness based on
      clinical vignettes (mental illnesses: schizophrenia, depression; somatic
      illnesses: multiple sclerosis, rheumatoid arthritis). Participants rated their
      subjective distress and perceived social stigma associated with each illness.
      They also rated the perceived treatability of the illness, their belief in the
      effectiveness of treatment, and their treatment preference regarding medication.
      Results show that schizophrenia was considered more distressful, less treatable
      and associated with higher social stigma than somatic illnesses. Medication was
      less preferred for treating schizophrenia compared to somatic illnesses.
      Perceived treatability of illness and belief in the effectiveness of
      pharmacological treatment were the factors driving preference for medication in
      schizophrenia and depression, respectively; these factors had weaker influence on
      preference for medication in somatic illnesses. Our study points out more severe
      negative representations of mental illnesses in general, and their treatment,
      particularly schizophrenia. These attitudes are not confined to patients, and may
      influence patients' decisions to take psychotropic drugs.

PMID- 28342944
TI  - The anti-inflammatory mechanism of antidepressants - SSRIs, SNRIs.
AB  - The cytokine theory of depression no longer brings about any doubts. Experiments
      and research studies conducted in the last ten years have confirmed that both
      physical and psychological (emotional) stress increases the likelihood of
      occurrence of mental disorders (including depressive disorders) owing to the
      action of a series of hormonal and biochemical mechanisms. Selective serotonin
      reuptake inhibitors (SSRI) as well as serotonin and norepinephrine reuptake
      inhibitors (SNRIs) are some of the most commonly applied drugs in the world
      during pharmacotherapy of recurrent depressive disorder. The underestimated anti
      inflammatory and anti-oxidative effect may be one of the potential mechanisms of
      action of the preparations mentioned above. The detailed specificity of action of
      this mechanism still remains unknown. The aim of our work will be to perform a
      review of contemporary literature in order to present the latest scientific
      reports regarding the anti-inflammatory effects of SSRIs and SNRIs. The mechanism
      of anti-inflammatory action may serve as a possible explanation for the efficacy
      of antidepressants from the groups of SSRIs and SNRIs.

PMID- 28342945
TI  - Cognitive impairment in first-episode drug-naive patients with schizophrenia:
      Relationships with serum concentrations of brain-derived neurotrophic factor and
      glial cell line-derived neurotrophic factor.
AB  - OBJECTIVES: Evidence suggests that brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) and
      glial cell line -derived neurotrophic factor (GDNF) are important in the
      regulation of synaptic plasticity, which plays a key role in the cognitive
      processes in psychiatric disorders. Our work aimed at exploring the associations
      between serum BDNF and GDNF levels and cognitive functions in first-episode drug
      naive (FEDN) patients with schizophrenia. METHODS: The BDNF and GDNF levels of 58
      FEDN patients and 55 age- and sex-matched healthy controls were measured and test
      subjects were examined using several neurocognitive tests including the verbal
      fluency test (VFT), the trail making test (TMT), the digit span test (DST), and
      the Stroop test. RESULTS: Patients performed significantly worse than controls in
      nearly all neurocognitive performances except the forward subscale part of the
      DST. BDNF levels were inversely correlated to TMT-part B scores and positively
      correlated to VFT-action in the FEDN group. GDNF levels showed a positive
      correlation with VFT-action scores and a negative correlation with TMT-part B
      scores of these patients. CONCLUSION: Current data suggests that cognitive
      dysfunction widely exists in the early stages of schizophrenia. BDNF and GDNF may
      be jointly contributed to the pathological mechanisms involved in cognitive
      impairment in FEDN patients with schizophrenia.

PMID- 28342946
TI  - NegAIT: A new parser for medical text simplification using morphological,
      sentential and double negation.
AB  - Many different text features influence text readability and content
      comprehension. Negation is commonly suggested as one such feature, but few
      general-purpose tools exist to discover negation and studies of the impact of
      negation on text readability are rare. In this paper, we introduce a new negation
      parser (NegAIT) for detecting morphological, sentential, and double negation. We
      evaluated the parser using a human annotated gold standard containing 500
      Wikipedia sentences and achieved 95%, 89% and 67% precision with 100%, 80%, and
      67% recall, respectively. We also investigate two applications of this new
      negation parser. First, we performed a corpus statistics study to demonstrate
      different negation usage in easy and difficult text. Negation usage was compared
      in six corpora: patient blogs (4K sentences), Cochrane reviews (91K sentences),
      PubMed abstracts (20K sentences), clinical trial texts (48K sentences), and
      English and Simple English Wikipedia articles for different medical topics (60K
      and 6K sentences). The most difficult text contained the least negation. However,
      when comparing negation types, difficult texts (i.e., Cochrane, PubMed, English
      Wikipedia and clinical trials) contained significantly (p<0.01) more
      morphological negations. Second, we conducted a predictive analytics study to
      show the importance of negation in distinguishing between easy and difficulty
      text. Five binary classifiers (Naive Bayes, SVM, decision tree, logistic
      regression and linear regression) were trained using only negation information.
      All classifiers achieved better performance than the majority baseline. The Naive
      Bayes' classifier achieved the highest accuracy at 77% (9% higher than the
      majority baseline).

PMID- 28342948
TI  - Waist/Hip Ratio Better Predicts Development of Severe Liver Disease Within 20
      Years Than Body Mass Index: A Population-based Cohort Study.
AB  - BACKGROUND & AIMS: Obesity, commonly assessed based on body mass index (BMI), is
      associated with an increased risk for severe liver disease. It is not known if
      other measures of body composition are better determinants of risk for severe
      liver disease, and/or if these differ between women and men. We investigated the
      body composition measures that best predict the development of severe liver
      disease. METHODS: We collected data from the Malmo Diet and Cancer study in
      Sweden, comprising 16,784 women and 10,833 (mean age, 58.1 years at baseline),
      and followed patients for a median 19.8 years. We analyzed data on measures of
      body composition including BMI, waist/hip ratio, and others. We determined
      whether subjects were diagnosed with severe liver disease, or died from severe
      liver disease, until the end of 2014 using Swedish national registers.
      Associations between body composition measures and severe liver disease were
      assessed using Cox regression models, stratified by sex and adjusted for age,
      alcohol consumption, smoking, education, and physical activity. RESULTS: All
      studied measures of body composition were significantly associated with severe
      liver disease. Waist/hip ratio was the best predictor of severe liver disease in
      women (hazard ratio [HR] per standard deviation increment, 1.30; 95% confidence
      interval [CI], 1.16-1.46) and men (HR, 1.46; 95% CI, 1.31-1.63). BMI had the
      lowest HR in women (HR, 1.12; 95% CI, 1.00-1.27) and men (HR, 1.26; 95% CI, 1.12
      1.42). The association between waist/hip ratio and development of liver disease
      was independent of BMI. CONCLUSIONS: In a Swedish population-based cohort study,
      we associated all measures of body composition with risk of severe liver disease.
      However, measures of abdominal obesity were best at predicting development of
      severe liver disease.

PMID- 28342947
TI  - What good are positive emotions for treatment? Trait positive emotionality
      predicts response to Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for anxiety.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) is empirically supported for the
      treatment of anxiety disorders; however, not all individuals achieve recovery
      following CBT. Positive emotions serve a number of functions that theoretically
      should facilitate response to CBT - they promote flexible patterns of information
      processing and assimilation of new information, encourage approach-oriented
      behavior, and speed physiological recovery from negative emotions. We conducted a
      secondary analysis of an existing clinical trial dataset to test the a priori
      hypothesis that individual differences in trait positive emotions would predict
      CBT response for anxiety. METHOD: Participants meeting diagnostic criteria for
      panic disorder (n = 28) or generalized anxiety disorder (n = 31) completed 10
      weekly individual CBT sessions. Trait positive emotionality was assessed at pre
      treatment, and severity of anxiety symptoms and associated impairment was
      assessed throughout treatment. RESULTS: Participants who reported a greater
      propensity to experience positive emotions at pre-treatment displayed the largest
      reduction in anxiety symptoms as well as fewer symptoms following treatment.
      Positive emotions remained a robust predictor of change in symptoms when
      controlling for baseline depression severity. CONCLUSIONS: Initial evidence
      supports the predictive value of trait positive emotions as a prognostic
      indicator for CBT outcome in a GAD and PD sample.

PMID- 28342949
TI  - Use of Thiopurines During Conception and Pregnancy Is Not Associated With Adverse
      Pregnancy Outcomes or Health of Infants at One Year in a Prospective Study.
AB  - BACKGROUND & AIMS: Most data on the safety of thiopurine therapy for inflammatory
      bowel disease (IBD) during pregnancy come from retrospective studies, which makes
      it difficult to adjust for confounding factors. We performed a prospective cohort
      study to determine whether thiopurine use affects pregnancy outcomes or health
      outcomes of children. METHODS: We performed a prospective study of all women who
      visited the IBD preconception outpatient clinic at our tertiary health center in
      The Netherlands from December 2008 through May 2016. Patients were counseled
      before pregnancy and seen bimonthly during pregnancy. We collected and analyzed
      data on medication use, as well as lifestyle and clinical factors, during
      conception and pregnancy. Pregnancy outcomes (live birth, spontaneous abortion,
      elective abortion, and stillbirth), birth outcomes (gestational age, birth
      weight, and congenital abnormalities), and health outcomes of infants 1 year
      after birth were compared between women who did and did not use a thiopurine
      during conception and pregnancy. In addition, health outcomes of infants 1 year
      after birth were compared with infants born to mothers without IBD from the same
      geographic region. RESULTS: Our study comprised 309 women with confirmed IBD (216
      with Crohn's disease, 85 with ulcerative colitis, and 8 with IBD unclassified).
      During the study period, 311 pregnancies of 232 women resulted in a live birth; a
      thiopurine was used during 108 pregnancies (35%). After correction for diagnosis,
      fertility treatment, and disease activity, there was no association between
      thiopurine use and spontaneous abortions. Birth outcomes were similar between
      women who did and did not use a thiopurine. Among infants 1 year of age, there
      were no differences in median growth, number of infections, allergies, adverse
      reactions to vaccinations, or chronic diseases between those born to women who
      did and did not use a thiopurine or between women with and without IBD.
      CONCLUSIONS: In this prospective cohort study, we found no association between
      maternal thiopurine use during pregnancy and increased spontaneous abortions,
      adverse birth outcomes, or adverse health outcomes of infants 1 year after birth.

PMID- 28342950
TI  - Progression of Unresected Intraductal Papillary Mucinous Neoplasms of the
      Pancreas to Cancer: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis.
AB  - BACKGROUND & AIMS: It is not clear how best to manage patients with low-risk
      intraductal papillary mucinous neoplasms (IPMNs) of the pancreas because little
      is known about IPMN progression to cancer. We sought to determine the cumulative
      incidence of development of pancreatic cancer in persons with unresected IPMNs
      (particularly low-risk IPMNs). METHODS: We performed a systematic search of the
      MEDLINE and Embase databases through November 30, 2016 for studies reporting the
      cumulative incidence of pancreatic cancer in patients with unresected IPMNs or
      studies that provided data in sufficient detail for us to calculate cumulative
      incidence values. We categorized patient series as studies on low-risk IPMNs
      (lesions without main pancreatic duct involvement or mural nodules) or non-low
      risk IPMNs. We calculated meta-analytic cumulative incidence values for
      pancreatic cancer at 1, 3, 5, and 10 years of follow-up by using the inverse
      variance method and random-effects model. RESULTS: Among 1514 articles screened,
      we identified 10 studies of low-risk IPMNs (n = 2411) and 9 studies of non-low
      risk IPMNs (n = 825). In studies of low-risk IPMNs, the meta-analytic cumulative
      incidence values for pancreatic cancer were 0.02% at 1 year (95% confidence
      interval [CI], 0.0%-0.23%; I2= 0.0%), 1.40% at 3 years (95% CI, 0.58%-2.48%; I2 =
      58.5%), 3.12% at 5 years (95% CI, 1.12%-5.90%; I2 = 88.0%), and 7.77% at 10 years
      (95% CI, 4.09%-12.39%; I2 = 79.8%). These values were much higher in studies of
      non-low-risk IPMNs; cumulative incidence values for pancreatic cancer were 1.95%
      at 1 year (95% CI, 0.0%-5.99%; I2 = 84.2%), 5.69% at 3 years (95% CI, 1.10%
      12.77%; I2 = 89.9%), 9.77% at 5 years (95% CI, 3.04%-19.27%; I2 = 92.0%), and
      24.68% at 10 years (95% CI, 14.87%-35.90%; I2 = 74.3%). The pooled cumulative
      incidence steadily increased linearly as the follow-up duration increased.
      CONCLUSIONS: In a systematic review and meta-analysis, we found that low-risk
      IPMNs have almost 8% chance of progressing to pancreatic cancer within 10 years,
      and higher-risk IPMNs have almost 25% chance of progressing to cancer in 10
      years; incidence values increase linearly with time. Continued long-term
      surveillance is therefore vital for patients with low-risk IPMNs.

PMID- 28342952
TI  - An Unusual Flat Anorectal Lesion Mimicking a Laterally Spreading Tumor.

PMID- 28342951
TI  - A Model To Identify Individuals at High Risk for Esophageal Squamous Cell
      Carcinoma and Precancerous Lesions in Regions of High Prevalence in China.
AB  - BACKGROUND & AIMS: We aimed to develop a population-based model to identify
      individuals at high risk for esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) in regions
      of China with a high prevalence of this cancer. METHODS: We collected findings
      from 15,073 permanent residents (45-69 years old) of 334 randomly selected
      villages in Hua County, Henan Province, China who underwent endoscopic screening
      (with iodine staining) for ESCC from January 2012 through September 2015. The
      entire esophagus and stomach were examined; biopsies were collected from all
      focal lesions (or from standard sites in the esophagus if no abnormalities were
      found) and analyzed histologically. Squamous dysplasia, carcinoma in situ, and
      ESCC were independently confirmed by 2 pathologists. Before endoscopy, subjects
      completed a questionnaire on ESCC risk factors. Variables were evaluated with
      unconditional univariate logistic regression analysis; variables found to be
      significantly associated with ESCC were then analyzed by multivariate logistic
      regression modeling. We used the Akaike information criterion to develop our
      final model structure and the coding form of variables with multiple measures. We
      developed 2 groups of models, separately defining severe dysplasia and above
      (SDA) (lesions including severe dysplasia and higher-grade lesions) and moderate
      dysplasia and above (lesions including moderate dysplasia and higher-grade
      lesions) as outcome events. Age-stratified and whole-age models were developed;
      their discriminative ability in the full multivariate model and the simple age
      model was compared. We performed area under the receiver operating characteristic
      curve (AUC) and the DeLong test to evaluate model performance. RESULTS: Our age
      stratified prediction models identified individuals 60 years of age or younger
      with SDA with an AUC value of 0.795 (95% confidence interval, 0.736-0.854) and
      individuals older than 60 years with SDA with an AUC value of 0.681 (95%
      confidence interval, 0.618-0.743). Factors associated with SDA in individuals 60
      years or younger included age closer to 60 years, use of coal or wood as a main
      source of cooking fuel, body mass index of 22 kg/m2 or less, unexplained
      epigastric pain, and rapid ingestion of meals. In subjects older than 60 years,
      SDA associated with age, family history of ESCC, cigarette smoking, body mass
      index of 22 kg/m2 or less, pesticide exposure, irregular eating habits, intake of
      high temperature foods, rapid ingestion of meals, and ingestion of leftover food
      in summer months. Use of our model in screening could have allowed 27% of
      subjects 60 years or younger and 9% of subjects older than 60 years to avoid
      endoscopy without missing SDAs. This means that approximately 2500 of endoscopies
      in total (16.6%) could have been avoided. CONCLUSIONS: We developed a low-cost,
      easy-to-use model to identify individuals at risk for severe dysplasia or cancer
      of the esophagus living in a region of China with a high risk of ESCC. This model
      might be used to select individuals and groups of persons who should undergo
      endoscopy analysis for esophageal cancer.

PMID- 28342953
TI  - Upper Gastrointestinal Bleeding Caused by Hereditary Hemorrhagic Telangectasia.

PMID- 28342954
TI  - Colonic Schwannoma Diagnosed by Endoscopic Ultrasound With Fine-Needle
      Aspiration.

PMID- 28342955
TI  - White Paper AGA: Drug Development for Eosinophilic Esophagitis.
AB  - Since first characterized in 2 small case series in the early 1990s, eosinophilic
      esophagitis (EoE) has emerged as a commonly identified cause of esophageal
      symptoms in children and adults.1,2 Although several highly effectively dietary,
      pharmacologic, and endoscopic therapies have been reported, none is currently
      approved by either the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) or European
      regulatory authorities. Evolving diagnostic criteria have challenged drug
      development, in particular the recognition of complex interactions with the most
      prevalent esophageal disorder, gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD).
      Heterogeneity in the clinical presentations of affected children and adults has
      created difficulties with uniform inclusion criteria and the development of
      disease-specific, patient-reported outcome (PRO) instruments. Furthermore,
      controversies regarding the appropriate therapeutic endpoints of EoE have impeded
      the design of clinical trials. Despite these obstacles, collaborative efforts by
      investigators, industry, the FDA, and patient advocacy groups have resulted in
      substantial progress in drug development in EoE over the past 2 decades.3 The
      purpose of this article is to summarize discussions on EoE based on the 2016 Drug
      Development Conference sponsored by the Center for Diagnostics and Therapeutics
      of the American Gastroenterological Association.

PMID- 28342957
TI  - Letter by Chen et al. regarding article "Effect of prehospital advanced airway
      management for pediatric out-of-hospital cardiac arrest".

PMID- 28342956
TI  - Disparities in telephone CPR access and timing during out-of-hospital cardiac
      arrest.
AB  - AIM: Spanish-only speaking residents in the United States face barriers to
      receiving potentially life-saving 911 interventions such as Telephone 
      cardiopulmonary resuscitation (TCPR) instructions. Since 2015, 911 dispatchers
      have placed an increased emphasis on rapid identification of potential cardiac
      arrest. The purpose of this study was to describe the utilization and timing of
      the 911 system during suspected out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) by Spanish
      speaking callers in Metropolitan Phoenix, Arizona. METHODS: The dataset consisted
      of suspected OHCA from 911 centers from October 10, 2010 through December 31,
      2013. Review of audio TCPR process data included whether the need for CPR was
      recognized by telecommunicators, whether CPR instructions were provided, and the
      time elements from call receipt to initiation of compressions. RESULTS: A total
      of 3398 calls were made to 911 for suspected OHCA where CPR was indicated. A
      total of 39 (1.2%) were determined to have a Spanish language barrier. This
      averages to 18 calls per year with a Spanish language barrier during the study
      period, compared with 286 OHCAs expected per year among this population. The
      average time until telecommunicators recognized CPR need was 87.4s for the no
      language barrier group compared to 160.6s for the Spanish-language barrier group
      (p<0.001).Time to CPR instructions started was significantly different between
      these groups (144.4s vs 231.3s, respectively) (p<0.001), as was time to first
      compression, (174.4s vs. 290.9s, respectively) (p<0.001). CONCLUSIONS: Our study
      suggests that Hispanic callers under-utilize the 911 system, and when they do
      call 911, there are significant delays in initiating CPR.

PMID- 28342958
TI  - Where do I take my patient post ROSC in the absence of ST elevation on the ECG?

PMID- 28342960
TI  - Geophagy during pregnancy: Is there a health risk for infants?
AB  - Prenatal lead exposure is a public health concern. Geophagy, the practice of soil
      eating, is documented for pregnant women of sub-Saharan Africa to treat pregnancy
      related malaise. The soils however can contain substantial amounts of lead. In an
      exploratory study on 48 mother-child pairs in the Democratic Republic of Congo,
      we found striking site-specific differences in prenatal lead exposure, i.e.,
      higher lead levels at Kisangani than at Isiro. Kisangani women consumed 1/ more
      often soil during the first trimester of pregnancy as well as 2/ a different type
      of soil compared to Isiro women (P<0.05). We conclude geophagy may be a potential
      source of prenatal lead exposure.

PMID- 28342959
TI  - Early Lance-Adams syndrome after cardiac arrest: Prevalence, time to return to
      awareness, and outcome in a large cohort.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: Early myoclonus after cardiac arrest (CA) is traditionally viewed
      as a poor prognostic sign (status myoclonus). However, some patients may present
      early Lance-Adams syndrome (LAS): under appropriate treatment, they can reach a
      satisfactory functional outcome. Our aim was to describe their profile, focusing
      on pharmacologic management in the ICU, time to return of awareness, and long
      term prognosis. METHODS: Adults with early LAS (defined as generalized myoclonus
      within 96h, with epileptiform EEG within 48h after CA) were retrospectively
      identified in our CA registry between 2006 and 2016. Functional outcome was
      assessed through cerebral performance categories (CPC) at 3 months, CPC 1-2
      defined good outcome. RESULTS: Among 458 consecutive patients, 7 (1.5%) developed
      early LAS (4 women, median age 59 years). Within 72h after CA, in normothemia and
      off sedation, all showed preserved brainstem reflexes and localized pain. All
      patients were initially treated with valproate, levetiracetam and clonazepam;
      additional agents, including propofol and midazolam, were prescribed in the
      majority. First signs of awareness occurred after 3-23 days (median 11.8); 3/7
      reached a good outcome at 3 months. CONCLUSION: Early after CA, myoclonus
      together with a reactive, epileptiform EEG, preserved evoked potentials and
      brainstem reflexes suggests LAS. This condition was managed with a combination of
      highly dosed, large spectrum antiepileptic agents including propofol and
      midazolam. Even if awakening was at times delayed, good outcome occurred in a
      substantial proportion of patients.

PMID- 28342961
TI  - Particulate metal bioaccessibility in physiological fluids and cell culture
      media: Toxicological perspectives.
AB  - According to the literature, tiny amounts of transition metals in airborne fine
      particles (PM2.5) may induce proinflammatory cell response through reactive
      oxygen species production. The solubility of particle-bound metals in
      physiological fluids, i.e. the metal bioaccessibility is driven by factors such
      as the solution chemical composition, the contact time with the particles, and
      the solid-to-liquid phase ratio (S/L). In this work, PM2.5-bound metal
      bioaccessibility was assessed in various physiological-like solutions including
      cell culture media in order to evidence the potential impact on normal human
      bronchial epithelial cells (NHBE) when studying the cytotoxicity and inflammatory
      responses of PM2.5 towards the target bronchial compartment. Different fluids
      (H2O, PBS, LHC-9 culture medium, Gamble and human respiratory mucus collected
      from COPD patients), various S/L conditions (from 1/6000 to 1/100,000) and
      exposure times (6, 24 and 72h) were tested on urban PM2.5 samples. In addition,
      metals' total, soluble and insoluble fractions from PM2.5 in LHC-9 were deposited
      on NHBE cells (BEAS-2B) to measure their cytotoxicity and inflammatory potential
      (i.e., G6PDH activity, secretion of IL-6 and IL-8). The bioaccessibility is
      solution-dependent. A higher salinity or organic content may increase or inhibit
      the bioaccessibiliy according to the element, as observed in the complex mucus
      matrix. Decreasing the S/L ratio also affect the bioaccessibility depending on
      the solution tested while the exposure time appears less critical. The LHC-9
      culture medium appears to be a good physiological proxy as it induces metal
      bioaccessibilities close to the mucus values and is little affected by S/L ratios
      or exposure time. Only the insoluble fraction can be linked to the PM2.5-induced
      cytotoxicity. By contrast, both soluble and insoluble fractions can be related to
      the secretion of cytokines. The metal bioaccessibility in LHC-9 of the total,
      soluble, and insoluble fractions of the PM2.5 under study did not explain alone,
      the cytotoxicity nor the inflammatory response observed in BEAS-2B cells. These
      findings confirm the urgent need to perform further toxicological studies to
      better evaluate the synergistic effect of both bioaccessible particle-bound
      metals and organic species.

PMID- 28342962
TI  - Intellectual evaluation of children exposed to phthalate-tainted products after
      the 2011 Taiwan phthalate episode.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: Phthalate exposure may reduce intellectual development in young
      children. In 2011, numerous Taiwanese children had been reported to have consumed
      phthalate-tainted products. We investigated the effects of phthalate exposure on
      the intellectual development of these children after the 2011 Taiwan di-2
      ethylhexyl phthalate (DEHP) episode. METHODS: We recruited 204 children, aged 3
      12 y, from 3 hospitals in Taiwan between 2012 and 2013. First-morning urine
      samples were collected for analyzing 5 phthalate metabolites. We applied a
      Bayesian model to estimate the past DEHP exposure (estDEHPADD) of each
      participant before the 2011 DEHP episode. Demographic information, consumption of
      phthalate-tainted products, and maternal education, of each participant were
      obtained using a questionnaire. We used the Wechsler intelligence evaluation
      tools for assessing the children's and maternal intelligence quotient. RESULTS
      AND DISCUSSION: The median levels of mono-2-ethylhexyl phthalate, mono(2-ethyl-5
      hydroxyhexyl) phthalate, mono(2-ethyl-5-oxohexyl) phthalate (MEOHP), mono-n-butyl
      phthalate, and mono-iso-butyl phthalate in the children were 9.97, 45.8, 32.2,
      46.2, and 24.3MUg/g creatinine, respectively. Using the aforementioned urinary
      phthalate metabolites, we found that the children's verbal comprehension index (N
      =98) was significantly negatively associated with urinary log10 MEOHP (beta, 
      11.92; SE, 5.33; 95%CI, -22.52~ -1.33; P=0.028) and log10 SigmaDBP metabolites
      (beta, -10.95; SE, 4.93; 95%CI, -20.74~ -1.16; P=0.029) after adjustment for age,
      gender, maternal IQ and education, passive smoking, estDEHPADD, active and
      passive smoking during pregnancy. Through a tolerable daily intake-based
      approach, we only found a significant negative association between past estimate
      DEHPADD and VIQ>=3-<6 in preschool children whereas no correlation was observed
      between current DEHP exposure and IQ>=3-<6 score with/ without estimate DEHPADD
      adjustment. It revealed that the effect of past high-DEHP exposure on verbal
      related neurodevelopment of younger child are more sensitive. CONCLUSION: Our
      results are consistent with the hypothesis that exposure to DEHP and DnBP affects
      intellectual development in preschool and school-aged children, particularly
      their language learning or expression ability.

PMID- 28342963
TI  - New insights into cellular cholesterol acquisition: promoter analysis of human
      HMGCR and SQLE, two key control enzymes in cholesterol synthesis.
AB  - BACKGROUND: The two control points of cholesterol synthesis, 3-hydroxy-3
      methylglutaryl-coenzyme A reductase (HMGCR) and squalene monooxygenase (SQLE) are
      known targets of the transcription factor sterol-regulatory element binding
      protein-2 (SREBP-2). Yet the location of the sterol-regulatory elements (SREs)
      and cofactor binding sites, nuclear factor-Y (NF-Y) and specificity protein 1
      (Sp1), have not been satisfactorily mapped in the human SQLE promoter, or at all
      in the human HMGCR promoter. METHODS: We used luciferase reporter assays to
      screen the sterol-responsiveness of a library of predicted SRE, Sp1 and NF-Y site
      mutants and hence identify bone fide binding sites. We confirmed SREs via an
      electrophoretic mobility shift assay (EMSA) and ChIP-PCR. RESULTS: We identified
      two SREs in close proximity in both the human HMGCR and SQLE promoters, as well
      as one NF-Y site in HMGCR and two in SQLE. In addition, we found that HMGCR
      expression is highly activated only when SREBP-2 levels are very high, in
      contrast to the low density lipoprotein receptor (LDLR), a result reflected in
      mouse models used in other studies. CONCLUSIONS: Both HMGCR and SQLE promoters
      have two SREs that may act as a homing region to attract a single SREBP-2
      homodimer, with HMGCR being activated only when there is absolute need for
      cholesterol synthesis. This ensures preferential uptake of exogenous cholesterol
      via LDLR, thereby conserving energy. GENERAL SIGNIFICANCE: We provide the first
      comprehensive investigation of SREs and NF-Ys in the human HMGCR and SQLE
      promoters, increasing our fundamental understanding of the transcriptional
      regulation of cholesterol synthesis.

PMID- 28342964
TI  - Establishing a novel biosynthetic pathway for the production of 3,4
      dihydroxybutyric acid from xylose in Escherichia coli.
AB  - 3-Hydroxy-gamma-butyrolactone (3HBL) is an attractive building block owing to its
      broad applications in pharmaceutical industry. Currently, 3HBL is commercially
      produced by chemical routes using petro-derived carbohydrates, which involves
      hazardous materials and harsh processing conditions. Only one biosynthetic
      pathway has been reported for synthesis of 3HBL and its hydrolyzed form 3,4
      dihydroxybutyric acid (3,4-DHBA) using glucose and glycolic acid as the
      substrates and coenzyme A as the activator, which involves multiple steps (>10
      steps) and suffers from low productivity and yield. Here we established a novel
      five-step biosynthetic pathway for 3,4-DHBA generation from D-xylose based on the
      non-phosphorylative D-xylose metabolism, which led to efficient production of 3,4
      DHBA in Escherichia coli. Pathway optimization by incorporation of efficient
      enzymes for each step and host strain engineering by knocking out competing
      pathways enabled 1.27g/L 3,4-DHBA produced in shake flasks, which is the highest
      titer reported so far. The novel pathway established in engineered E. coli strain
      demonstrates a new route for 3,4-DHBA biosynthesis from xylose, and this
      engineered pathway has great potential for industrial biomanufacturing of 3,4
      DHBA and 3HBL.

PMID- 28342965
TI  - Effects of I2-imidazoline receptor (IR) alkylating BU99006 in the mouse brain:
      Upregulation of nischarin/I1-IR and MU-opioid receptor proteins and modulation of
      associated signalling pathways.
AB  - 5-isothiocyanato-2-benzofuranyl-2-imidazoline (BU99006) was shown to selectively
      and irreversibly bind to I2-imidazoline receptors (IRs) in vitro and in vivo, but
      cell signalling consequences of I2-IR alkylation have not been reported
      previously. This study assessed by Western blot the effects of BU99006 on
      nischarin (candidate I1-IR), MU-OR (regulated by nischarin) and associated
      signalling mediators in the mouse brain. Acute treatment with BU99006 (20 mg/kg,
      i.p., 1-3 h) led to fast (peak at 1 h) and shortlasting (decline up to 3 h)
      upregulation of nischarin and MU-OR contents in the hippocampus (less or non
      significant effects in cortex) and altered the expression of cytoskeletal beta
      actin (reduced contents at 3 h). In the same hippocampal samples of BU99006
      treated mice, an inhibition of the MAPK species MEK, ERK and JNK was detected at
      1 and/or 2 h after drug administration, which was paralleled by enhanced calpain
      activity (increased contents of p25 and spectrin breakdown products). Correlation
      analysis indicated the involvement of cdk5/p25 in MEK/ERK inhibition. These
      neurochemical effects of I2-alkylating BU99006 show a close relation between I1-
      and I2-IRs expressed in the mouse brain and between these receptors and the MU
      OR, accompanied by cytoskeletal alterations and differential effects on
      multifunctional MAPK and cdk5 signalling pathways.

PMID- 28342967
TI  - The effects of omega-3 fatty acids and vitamin E co-supplementation on clinical
      and metabolic status in patients with Parkinson's disease: A randomized, double
      blind, placebo-controlled trial.
AB  - The current research was performed to evaluate the effects of omega-3 fatty acids
      and vitamin E co-supplementation on clinical signs and metabolic status in people
      with Parkinson's disease (PD). This randomized double-blind placebo-controlled
      clinical trial was conducted in 60 patients with PD. Participants were randomly
      assigned into two groups to receive either 1000 mg omega-3 fatty acids from
      flaxseed oil plus 400 IU vitamin E supplements (n = 30) or placebo (n = 30) for
      12 weeks. Unified Parkinson's disease rating stage (UPDRS) were recorded at
      baseline and the after 3-month intervention. After 12 weeks' intervention,
      compared with the placebo, omega-3 fatty acids and vitamin E co-supplementation
      led to a significant improve in UPDRS (-3.3 +/- 10.0 vs. +4.4 +/- 14.9, P =
      0.02). Furthermore, co-supplementation decreased high-sensitivity C-reactive
      protein (hs-CRP) (-0.3 +/- 0.6 vs. +0.3 +/- 0.3 MUg/mL, P < 0.001), and increased
      total antioxidant capacity (TAC) (+65.2 +/- 68.7 vs. +16 +/- 52.4 MUmol/L, P =
      0.003) and glutathione (GSH) concentrations (+41.4 +/- 80.6 vs. -19.6 +/- 55.9
      MUmol/L, P = 0.001) compared with the placebo. Additionally, co-supplementation
      meaningfully decreased insulin (-2.1 +/- 4.9 vs. +1.4 +/- 6.2 MUIU/mL, P = 0.01),
      homeostasis model of assessment-estimated insulin resistance (-0.7 +/- 1.8
      vs.+0.3 +/- 1.6, P = 0.02) and Beta cell function (-5.9 +/- 13.9 vs. +5.7 +/-
      25.5, P = 0.03), and increased quantitative insulin sensitivity check index
      (+0.009 +/- 0.02 vs. -0.006 +/- 0.03, P = 0.03) compared with the placebo.
      Overall, our study demonstrated that omega-3 fatty acids and vitamin E co
      supplementation in people with PD had favorable effects on UPDRS, hs-CRP, TAC,
      GSH and markers of insulin metabolism.

PMID- 28342966
TI  - Time courses of post-injury mitochondrial oxidative damage and respiratory
      dysfunction and neuronal cytoskeletal degradation in a rat model of focal
      traumatic brain injury.
AB  - Traumatic brain injury (TBI) results in rapid reactive oxygen species (ROS)
      production and oxidative damage to essential brain cellular components leading to
      neuronal dysfunction and cell death. It is increasingly appreciated that a major
      player in TBI-induced oxidative damage is the reactive nitrogen species (RNS)
      peroxynitrite (PN) which is produced in large part in injured brain mitochondria.
      Once formed, PN decomposes into highly reactive free radicals that trigger
      membrane lipid peroxidation (LP) of polyunsaturated fatty acids (e.g. arachidonic
      acid) and protein nitration (3-nitrotyrosine, 3-NT) in mitochondria and other
      cellular membranes causing various functional impairments to mitochondrial
      oxidative phosphorylation and calcium (Ca2+) buffering capacity. The LP also
      results in the formation of neurotoxic reactive aldehyde byproducts including 4
      hydroxynonenal (4-HNE) and propenal (acrolein) which exacerbates ROS/RNS
      production and oxidative protein damage in the injured brain. Ultimately, this
      results in intracellular Ca2+ overload that activates proteolytic degradation of
      alpha-spectrin, a neuronal cytoskeletal protein. Therefore, the aim of this study
      was to establish the temporal evolution of mitochondrial dysfunction, oxidative
      damage and cytoskeletal degradation in the brain following a severe controlled
      cortical impact (CCI) TBI in young male adult rats. In mitochondria isolated from
      an 8 mm diameter cortical punch including the 5 mm wide impact site and their
      respiratory function studied ex vivo, we observed an initial decrease in complex
      I and II mitochondrial bioenergetics within 3 h (h). For complex I bioenergetics,
      this partially recovered by 12-16 h, whereas for complex II respiration the
      recovery was complete by 12 h. During the first 24 h, there was no evidence of an
      injury-induced increase in LP or protein nitration in mitochondrial or cellular
      homogenates. However, beginning at 24 h, there was a gradual secondary decline in
      complex I and II respiration that peaked at 72 h. post-TBI that coincided with
      progressive peroxidation of mitochondrial and cellular lipids, protein nitration
      and protein modification by 4-HNE and acrolein. The oxidative damage and
      respiratory failure paralleled an increase in Ca2+-induced proteolytic
      degradation of the neuronal cytoskeletal protein alpha-spectrin indicating a
      failure of intracellular Ca2+ homeostasis. These findings of a surprisingly
      delayed peak in secondary injury, suggest that the therapeutic window and needed
      treatment duration for certain antioxidant treatment strategies following CCI-TBI
      in rodents may be longer than previously believed.

PMID- 28342968
TI  - Heterologous expression, purification and characterization of three novel
      esterases secreted by the lignocellulolytic fungus Penicillium purpurogenum when
      grown on sugar beet pulp.
AB  - The lignocellulolytic fungus, Penicillium purpurogenum, grows on a variety of
      natural carbon sources, among them sugar beet pulp. Culture supernatants of P.
      purpurogenum grown on sugar beet pulp were partially purified and the fractions
      obtained analyzed for esterase activity by zymograms. The bands with activity on
      methyl umbelliferyl acetate were subjected to mass spectrometry to identify
      peptides. The peptides obtained were probed against the proteins deduced from the
      genome sequence of P. purpurogenum. Eight putative esterases thus identified were
      chosen for future work. Their cDNAs were expressed in Pichia pastoris. The
      supernatants of the recombinant clones were assayed for esterase activity, and
      five of the proteins were active against one or more substrates: methyl
      umbelliferyl acetate, indoxyl acetate, methyl esterified pectin and fluorescein
      diacetate. Three of those enzymes were purified, further characterized and
      subjected to a BLAST search. Based on their amino acid sequence and properties,
      they were identified as follows: RAE1, pectin acetyl esterase (CAZy family CE
      12); FAEA, feruloyl esterase (could not be assigned to a CAZy family) and EAN,
      acetyl esterase (former CAZy family CE 10).

PMID- 28342969
TI  - Structural and genetic characterization of the O-antigen of Enterobacter cloacae
      C5529 related to the O-antigen of E. cloacae G3054.
AB  - On mild acid degradation of the lipopolysaccharide of Enterobacter cloacae C5529,
      the O-polysaccharide chain was cleaved at the linkages of 5,7-diacetamido-3,5,7,9
      tetradeoxy-l-glycero-l-manno-non-2-ulosonic acid (di-N-acetylpseudaminic acid,
      Psep5Ac7Ac). The resultant oligosaccharide and an alkali-treated
      lipopolysaccharide were studied by sugar analysis along with 1H and 13C NMR
      spectroscopy, and the following structure of the tetrasaccharide repeating unit
      of the O-polysaccharide was established: ->4)-beta-Psep5Ac7Ac-(2 -> 3)-beta-d
      Galp-(1 -> 6)-beta-d-Galf-(1 -> 3)-alpha-d-Galp-(1-> It differs from a
      structurally related O-polysaccharide of E. cloacae G3045 studied early
      (Perepelov, A. V.; Wang, M.; Filatov, A. V.; Guo, X.; Shashkov, A. S.; Wang, L.;
      Knirel, Y. A. Carbohydr. Res. 2015; 407:59-62) in positions of substitution of
      beta-Psep5Ac7Ac (O-4 vs. O-8) and beta-Galp (O-3 vs. O-6) and the absence of a
      side-chain alpha-Galp residue. The O-antigen gene clusters of E. cloacae C5529
      and G3045 are organized identically and include genes with the same putative
      functions in the O-polysaccharide synthesis. Based on these and serological data,
      it is suggested to combine E. cloacae C5529 and G3054 in one O-serogroup as two
      subgroups.

PMID- 28342970
TI  - Not in one metric: Neuroticism modulates different resting state metrics within
      distinctive brain regions.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: Neuroticism is a complex personality trait encompassing diverse
      aspects. Notably, high levels of neuroticism are related to the onset of
      psychiatric conditions, including anxiety and mood disorders. Personality traits
      are stable individual features; therefore, they can be expected to be associated
      with stable neurobiological features, including the Brain Resting State (RS)
      activity as measured by fMRI. Several metrics have been used to describe RS
      properties, yielding rather inconsistent results. This inconsistency could be due
      to the fact that different metrics portray different RS signal properties and
      that these properties may be differently affected by neuroticism. To explore the
      distinct effects of neuroticism, we assessed several distinct metrics portraying
      different RS properties within the same population. METHOD: Neuroticism was
      measured in 31 healthy subjects using the Zuckerman-Kuhlman Personality
      Questionnaire; RS was acquired by high-resolution fMRI. Using linear regression,
      we examined the modulatory effects of neuroticism on RS activity, as quantified
      by the Amplitude of low frequency fluctuations (ALFF, fALFF), regional
      homogeneity (REHO), Hurst Exponent (H), global connectivity (GC) and amygdalae
      functional connectivity. RESULTS: Neuroticism modulated the different metrics
      across a wide network of brain regions, including emotional regulatory, default
      mode and visual networks. Except for some similarities in key brain regions for
      emotional expression and regulation, neuroticism affected different metrics in
      different ways. DISCUSSION: Metrics more related to the measurement of regional
      intrinsic brain activity (fALFF, ALFF and REHO), or that provide a parsimonious
      index of integrated and segregated brain activity (HE), were more broadly
      modulated in regions related to emotions and their regulation. Metrics related to
      connectivity were modulated across a wider network of areas. Overall, these
      results show that neuroticism affects distinct aspects of brain resting state
      activity. More in general, these findings indicate that a multiparametric
      approach may be required to obtain a more detailed characterization of the neural
      underpinnings of a given psychological trait.

PMID- 28342971
TI  - A novel dual GLP-1/GIP receptor agonist alleviates cognitive decline by re
      sensitizing insulin signaling in the Alzheimer icv. STZ rat model.
AB  - Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a progressive neurodegenerative disorder, accompanied
      by memory loss and cognitive impairments, and there is no effective treatment for
      it at present. Since type 2 diabetes (T2DM) has been identified as a risk factor
      for AD, the incretins glucagon-like peptide 1 (GLP-1) and glucose dependent
      insulinotropic polypeptide (GIP), promising antidiabetic agents for the treatment
      of type 2 diabetes, have been tested in models of neurodegenerative disease
      including AD and achieved good results. Here we show for the first time the
      potential neuroprotective effect of a novel dual GLP-1/GIP receptor agonist (DA
      JC4) in the icv. streptozotocin (STZ)-induced AD rat model. Treatment with DA-JC4
      (10nmol/kg ip.) once-daily for 14days after STZ intracerebroventricular (ICV)
      administration significantly prevented spatial learning deficits in a Y- maze
      test and Morris water maze tests, and decreased phosphorylated tau levels in the
      rat cerebral cortex and hippocampus. DA-JC4 also alleviated the chronic
      inflammation response in the brain (GFAP-positive astrocytes, IBA1-positive
      microglia). Apoptosis was reduced as shown in the reduced ratio of pro-apoptotic
      BAX to anti- apoptotic Bcl-2 levels. Importantly, insulin signaling was re
      sensitized as evidenced by a reduction of phospho-IRS1Ser1101 levels and phospho
      AktSer473 up-regulation. In conclusion, the novel dual agonist DA-JC4 shows
      promise as a novel treatment for sporadic AD, and reactivating insulin signaling
      pathways may be a key mechanism that prevents disease progression in AD.

PMID- 28342972
TI  - Remodeling the Th1 polarized systemic environment contributes to neurogenesis and
      cognitive function via the Wnt7a pathway in neonatal mice.
AB  - Neonatal Bacillus Calmette-Guerin (BCG) vaccination results in a positive effect
      on hippocampal neurogenesis and cognition. Serum cytokines are considered to be
      the chief culprit. In this study, serum from BCG-treated mice was identified as
      Th1 polarized serum. The serum showed an increased ratio of IFN-gamma to IL-4 and
      decreased levels of TNF-alpha and IL-6. After Th1 polarized serum was injected
      intraperitoneally into postnatal mice, the levels of cytokines and ratio of IFN
      gamma to IL-4 in the serum and hippocampus of postnatal mice showed a similar
      alteration as those in Th1 polarized serum. This result indicated that the immune
      homeostatic milieu in postnatal mice was broken and the Th1 polarized systemic
      environment in the BCG-serum group was remodeled. The BCG-serum group displayed
      more BrdU+/DCX+ cells, BrdU+/NeuN+ cells, Nestin+ cells and better cognitive
      abilities. In neural stem cells, the Wnt7a/beta-catenin signaling pathway was
      activated and exposure to the Wnt7a antagonist Dickkopf-1 inhibited BCG-serum
      induced Wnt7a/beta-catenin signaling, neurogenesis and cognitive function.
      Additionally, BCG-serum was associated with elevations in hippocampal brain
      derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) levels, and BDNF expression in the BCG-serum
      group was offset by Dickkopf-1 treatment. By rebalancing the Th1 polarized
      systemic environment in neonatal mice, it is possible that treatment with BCG
      serum promotes hippocampal neurogenesis and improves cognitive functions, which
      are associated with Wnt7a/beta-catenin-BDNF signaling.

PMID- 28342973
TI  - Effects of a sustained release formulation of 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3-glycosides
      for milk fever prevention on serum 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3, calcium and
      phosphorus in dairy cows.
AB  - Milk fever (MF) is a metabolic disease in dairy cows around parturition. The
      clinical lead sign is muscular paresis leading in severe cases to paralysis of
      the affected animal. Multiparturient animals of high performing dairy breeds are
      most likely to be affected and have a high probability of recurrence. An acute
      drop in blood calcium levels causes the disease when the demand for calcium at
      the onset of lactation exceeds the ability to replete blood calcium levels
      through mobilization from bone and intestinal uptake. With the understanding of
      the underlying mechanism, calcium supply management and vitamin D supplementation
      became prime candidates for MF prevention and therapy. Several strategies have
      been developed for MF prevention. Application of the active form of Vitamin D,
      1,25(OH)2D3, was found to prevent MF effectively. In order to prevent a delayed
      hypocalcemia, which was occasionally seen after stopping the treatment with
      1,25(OH)2D3, a new approach was chosen by applying Solanum glaucophyllum extract
      (SGE), which contains 1,25(OH)2D3-glycosides, as instant-release (irSGE) in
      combination with slow-release (srSGE) tablets. In a first study, non-lactating
      cows were treated with a single bolus of either synthetic 1,25(OH)2D3, irSGE, or
      srSGE and the results were compared to a control group without treatment. Blood
      serum levels of 1,25(OH)2D3 (1,25D), calcium (Ca), phosphate (P) and magnesium
      (Mg) were followed for 11days and the area under the curve (AUC) was calculated.
      Calcium and phosphate excretion in urine were determined during 15days. While
      serum concentration of 1,25(OH)2D3 was back to pre-treatment level in the irSGE,
      srSGE and 1,25(OH)2D3 treated group within 3days, calcium and phosphate levels
      remained elevated for up to 9days. AUC of serum 1,25(OH)2D3 was 2.89 (1,25D),
      3.13 (irSGE) and 4.21 (srSGE) times higher than control. Serum calcium levels
      were 1.07* (for 1.25D); 1.08* (for irSGE) and 1.12* (for srSGE) times higher than
      control. Serum phosphate levels were 1.20* (for 1,25D); 1.30* (for irSGE) and
      1.41* (for srSGE) times higher than control, with * p<0.05. In a second field
      study calving cows treated with one bolus containing ir- and sr- tablets of SGE
      were compared to an untreated control group and to a group treated with 4 boli of
      commercial calcium salts. As a result, calcium serum levels increased (+19%
      compared to baseline) around calving after treatment with the single bolus of
      SGE. The single bolus of SGE lead also to an increase of serum phosphate (+31%
      compared to baseline). These calcium and phosphate increases were statistically
      significant (p<0.001) 0-24h after calving compared to the control group and to
      the group treated with calcium salts. The sample size of the study was too small
      to draw a conclusion on the effect on MF prevention. In conclusion, application
      of a single bolus of a SGE extract lead to an increase of serum calcium and
      phosphate for up to 9days and may thus have the potential to prevent a
      hypocalcemia and -phosphatemia, an important cause for clinical milk fever.

PMID- 28342974
TI  - After total knee replacement younger patients demonstrate superior balance
      control compared to older patients when recovering from a forward fall.
AB  - BACKGROUND: National joint replacement registries have reported a substantial
      growth in younger knee osteoarthritic patients (<55years old) undergoing total
      knee replacement, however this younger population is generally understudied.
      Importantly, studies examining experimentally controlled perturbation have shown
      age-related differences between younger and older healthy adults, whether similar
      age-related differences exist among total knee replacement patients is unknown.
      METHODS: A total of 59 participants, including 29 unilateral total knee
      replacement patients (six-months post-surgery) made up the four experimental
      groups: 1) younger patient (54.3 (SD 7.9) years), 2) younger control (55.2 (SD
      4.0) years), 3) older patient (76.9 (SD 4.7) years), and 4) older control (77.7
      (SD 4.1) years). Using a tether-release method to perturb balance and simulate a
      forward fall, center of mass and stepping characteristics were analyzed.
      FINDINGS: Younger patients recovered following the perturbation with a
      significantly smaller center of mass displacement compared to the older patients
      (14.85 (SD 0.01) v. 18.13 (SD 0.02) %ht, p=0.02); utilizing a longer (0.43 (SD
      0.02) v. 0.39 (SD 0.03) m, p<0.001) and higher velocity (2.01 (SD 0.2) v. 1.59
      (SD 0.2) m/s, p=0.001) recovery step. Importantly, younger patients did not
      differ significantly from the younger controls in center of mass displacement or
      recovery step characteristics (p>0.05). INTERPRETATION: The younger patients
      demonstrated superior center of mass control in response to a forward
      perturbation, suggesting that younger patients would be at a reduced risk of
      falling when recovering from a forward-directed postural perturbation compared to
      older patients.

PMID- 28342975
TI  - Biomechanical testing of a PEEK-based dynamic instrumentation device in a lumbar
      spine model.
AB  - BACKGROUND: The purpose of this study was to investigate the range-of-motion
      after posterior polyetheretherketone-based rod stabilisation combined with a
      dynamic silicone hinge in order to compare it with titanium rigid stabilisation.
      METHODS: Five human cadaveric lumbar spines with four vertebra each (L2 to L5)
      were tested in a temperature adjustable spine-testing set-up in four trials: (1)
      native measurement; (2) kinematics after rigid monosegmental titanium rod
      instrumentation with anterior intervertebral bracing of the segment L4/5; (3)
      kinematics after hybrid posterior polyetheretherketone rod instrumentation
      combined with a silicone hinge within the adjacent level (L3/4) and (4)
      kinematics after additional decompression with laminectomy of L4 and bilateral
      resection of the inferior articular processes (L3). During all steps, the
      specimens were loaded quasi-statically with 1 degrees /s with pure moment up to
      7.5Nm in flexion/extension, lateral bending and axial rotation. FINDINGS: In
      comparison to the native cadaveric spine, both the titanium device and
      polyetheretherketone-based device reduce the range-of-motion within the level
      L4/5 significantly (flexion/extension: reduction of 77%, p<0.001; lateral
      bending: reduction of 62%, p<0.001; axial rotation: reduction of 71%, p<0.001).
      There was a clear stabilisation effect after hybrid-instrumentation within the
      level L3/4, especially in flexion/extension (64%, p<0.001) and lateral bending
      (62%, p<0.001) but without any effect on the axial rotation. Any temperature
      dependency has not been observed. INTERPRETATION: Surprisingly, the hybrid device
      compensates for laminectomy L4 and destabilising procedure within the level L3/4
      in comparison to other implants. Further studies must be performed to show its
      effectiveness regarding the adjacent segment instability.

PMID- 28342976
TI  - Translating the microRNA signature of microvesicles derived from human coronary
      artery smooth muscle cells in patients with familial hypercholesterolemia and
      coronary artery disease.
AB  - AIMS: To analyze the impact of atherogenic lipoproteins on the miRNA signature of
      microvesicles derived from human coronary artery smooth muscle cells (CASMC) and
      to translate these results to familial hypercholesterolemia (FH) and coronary
      artery disease (CAD) patients. METHODS: Conditioned media was collected after
      exposure of CASMC to atherogenic lipoproteins. Plasma samples were collected from
      two independent populations of diagnosed FH patients and matched
      normocholesterolemic controls (Study population 1, N=50; Study population 2,
      N=24) and a population of patients with suspected CAD (Study population 3, N=50).
      Extracellular vesicles were isolated and characterized using standard techniques.
      A panel of 30 miRNAs related to vascular smooth muscle cell (VSMC) (patho
      )physiology was analyzed using RT-qPCR. RESULTS: Atherogenic lipoproteins
      significantly reduced levels of miR-15b-5p, -24-3p, -29b-3p, -130a-3p, -143-3p, 
      146a-3p, -222-3p, -663a levels (P<0.050) in microvesicles (0.1MUm-1MUm in
      diameter) released by CASMC. Two of these miRNAs, miR-24-3p and miR-130a-3p, were
      reduced in circulating microvesicles from FH patients compared with
      normocholesterolemic controls in a pilot study (Study population 1) and in
      different validation studies (Study populations 1 and 2) (P<0.050). Supporting
      these results, plasma levels of miR-24-3p and miR-130a-3p were also downregulated
      in FH patients compared to controls (P<0.050). In addition, plasma levels of miR
      130a-3p were inversely associated with coronary atherosclerosis in a cohort of
      suspected CAD patients (Study population 3) (P<0.050). CONCLUSIONS: Exposure to
      atherogenic lipoproteins modifies the miRNA profile of CASMC-derived
      microvesicles and these alterations are reflected in patients with FH.
      Circulating miR-130a-3p emerges as a potential biomarker for coronary
      atherosclerosis.

PMID- 28342978
TI  - A new benzenediamine derivative modulates Toll-like receptors-induced myeloid
      dendritic cells activation and ameliorates lupus-like syndrome in MRLlpr/lpr
      mice.
AB  - Modulators of the over-activation of myeloid dendritic cells (mDCs) by Toll-like
      receptors (TLRs) have an advantage in the treatment of systemic lupus
      erythematosus (SLE). This study was designed to evaluate the effects of FC-99, a
      novel benzenediamine derivative, on TLR-induced activation of mDCs, and to assess
      the efficacy of FC-99 in a murine model of SLE. In vitro, FC-99 inhibited the
      phenotypic (CD40 and MHC-II) and functional activation (IL-12 and CXCL10) of mDCs
      induced by TLR ligands. In vivo, MRLlpr/lpr mice displayed renal diseases
      associated with increased levels of proteinuria and immunoglobulin, which were
      ameliorated by FC-99. Enhanced accumulation and activation of mDCs in lymphoid
      organs was also impaired by FC-99. Additionally, FC-99 inhibited the activation
      of IkappaB-alpha and upregulated the expression of TNFalpha-induced protein 3
      (TNFAIP3) in vitro and in vivo. These results indicate that FC-99 modulates TLR
      induced activation of mDCs and ameliorates lupus-like syndrome in MRLlpr/lpr
      mice. This effect is closely associated with the inhibition of IkappaB-alpha and
      upregulation of TNFAIP3.

PMID- 28342977
TI  - The role of miR-2~13~71 cluster in resistance to deltamethrin in Culex pipiens
      pallens.
AB  - Excessive and continuous application of deltamethrin has resulted in the
      development of deltamethrin resistance among mosquitoes, which becomes a major
      obstacle for mosquito control. In a previous study, differentially expressed
      miRNAs between deltamethrin-susceptible (DS) strain and deltamethrin-resistant
      (DR) strain using illumina sequencing in Culex pipiens pallens were identified.
      In this study, we applied RNAi and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
      (CDC) bottle bioassay to investigate the relationship between miR-2~13~71 cluster
      (miR-2, miR-13 and miR-71) and deltamethrin resistance. We used quantitative real
      time PCR (qRT-PCR) to measure expression levels of miR-2~13~71 clusters. MiR
      2~13~71 cluster was down regulated in adult female mosquitoes from the DR strain
      and played important roles in deltamethrin resistance through regulating target
      genes, CYP9J35 and CYP325BG3. Knocking down CYP9J35 and CYP325BG3 resulted in
      decreased mortality of DR mosquitoes. This study provides the first evidence that
      miRNA clusters are associated with deltamethrin resistance in mosquitoes.
      Moreover, we investigated the regulatory networks formed between miR-2~13~71
      cluster and its target genes, which provide a better understanding of the
      mechanism involved in deltamethrin resistance.

PMID- 28342979
TI  - Guggulsterone sensitized drug-resistant human hepatocarcinoma cells to
      doxorubicin through a Cox-2/P-gp dependent pathway.
AB  - Previous researches indicated that cyclooxygenase-2 (Cox-2) might be involved in
      P-glycoprotein (P-gp)-mediated multidrug resistance in hepatocellular carcinoma
      cells. Doxorubicin-resistant hepatocellular carcinoma PLC/PRF/5 cells
      (PLC/PRF/5R) and HepG2 (HepG2R) cells were developed in the present study. The
      modulatory effect of guggulsterone on Cox-2 and P-gp in PLC/PRF/5R and HepG2R
      cells was investigated. Cells proliferation, Cox-2 and P-gp expression, and
      prostaglandin E2 release were examined using MTT, flow cytometry, western blot
      and ELISA assays. Small interfering RNA (siRNA) targeted against Cox-2 and
      multidrug resistance protein (Mdr-1) was used to regulate the expression of Cox-2
      and P-gp. The results showed that co-administration of guggulsterone resulted in
      a significant increase in chemo-sensitivity of PLC/PRF/5R cells to doxorubicin,
      as compared with doxorubicin treatment alone. When doxorubicin (10uM) was
      combined with guggulsterone (50uM), the mean apoptotic population of PLC/PRF/5R
      cells was 20.16%. It was increased by 1.5 times, as compared with doxorubicin
      (10uM) treatment alone. Furthermore, guggulsterone had significantly inhibitory
      effect on the levels of Cox-2, P-gp and prostaglandin E2. However, guggulsterone
      did not show significantly inhibitory effect on the expression of prostaglandin E
      receptors. In addition, Cox-2 siRNA simultaneously reduced the expression of Cox
      2 and P-gp in PLC/PRF/5R cells. Mdr-1 siRNA had no influence on Cox-2, but
      inhibited P-gp expression. The present study suggested that guggulsterone might
      enhance the cytotoxic effect of doxorubicin to PLC/PRF/5R cells through a Cox-2/P
      gp dependent pathway.

PMID- 28342980
TI  - Muscarinic receptor mediated signaling pathways in hepatocytes from CCL4 -
      induced liver fibrotic rat.
AB  - The pathological changes of parasympathetic nerves are considered as an
      independent prognostic factor of the survival rate for patients with chronic
      liver disease. The non-selective muscarinic acetylcholine receptors (mAchR)
      agonists and antagonists can affect the proliferation of hepatocytes, but little
      is known about the role of mAChR in hepatocytes and hepatic fibrosis and the
      signaling pathway of this receptor in regulation of hepatocytes remains elusive.
      Here, 3ml/kg 40% carbon tetrachloride (CCL4) was given to induce hepatic fibrosis
      in rats and the hepatocytes were isolated to investigate the expression of mAchR
      and the cell signaling pathways which were involved in. Compared with the normal
      state, the expression levels of m1, 3, 5 in fibrotic hepatocytes (FHC) and the
      cells treated with 10MUM pilocarpine (Pi) were obviously increased, while
      decreased in m2,4. Pi could increase the value of alanine aminotransferase (ALT),
      hydroxyproline (Hyp), decrease albumin (ALB) and cell viability, while atropine
      could ameliorate fibrotic hepatocytes fuction. The p-AKT, p-ERK, p- JNK and p-P38
      increased in Pi group or FHC group, but the inhibitors of PI3K, MAPK and PKC
      could reverse the Pi action and improve the FHC fuction. In this study we found
      that mAchR played an important role in the regulation of hepatic fibrosis process
      and the PKC, ERK, P38 and PI3K/AKT signaling pathways involved in the
      parasympathetic excitation mediated by mAchR.

PMID- 28342981
TI  - Mechanisms of in vivo release of triamcinolone acetonide from PLGA microspheres.
AB  - Little is known about the underlying effects controlling in vitro-in vivo
      correlations (IVIVCs) for biodegradable controlled release microspheres. Most
      reports of IVIVCs that exist are empirical in nature, typically based on a
      mathematical relationship between in vitro and in vivo drug release, with the
      latter often estimated by deconvolution of pharmacokinetic data. In order to
      improve the ability of in vitro release tests to predict microsphere behavior in
      vivo and develop more meaningful IVIVCs, the in vivo release mechanisms need to
      be characterized. Here, two poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid) (PLGA) microsphere
      formulations encapsulating the model steroid triamcinolone acetonide (Tr-A) were
      implanted subcutaneously in rats by using a validated cage model, allowing for
      free fluid and cellular exchange and microsphere retrieval during release.
      Release kinetics, as well as mechanistic indicators of release such as hydrolysis
      and mass loss, was measured by direct analysis of the recovered microspheres.
      Release of Tr-A from both formulations was greatly accelerated in vivo compared
      to in vitro using agitated phosphate buffered saline +0.02% Tween 80 pH7.4,
      including rate of PLGA hydrolysis, mass loss and water uptake. Both microsphere
      formulations exhibited erosion-controlled release in vitro, indicated by similar
      polymer mass loss kinetics, but only one of the formulations (low molecular
      weight, free acid terminated) exhibited the same mechanism in vivo. The in vivo
      release of Tr-A from microspheres made of a higher molecular weight, ester end
      capped PLGA displayed an osmotically induced/pore diffusion mechanism based on
      confocal micrographs of percolating pores in the polymer, not previously observed
      in vitro. This research indicates the need to fully understand the in vivo
      environment and how it causes drug release from biodegradable microspheres. This
      understanding can then be applied to develop in vitro release tests which better
      mimic this environment and cause drug release by the relevant mechanistic
      processes, ultimately leading to the development of mechanism based IVIVCs.

PMID- 28342982
TI  - Mastocarcinoma therapy synergistically promoted by lysosome dependent apoptosis
      specifically evoked by 5-Fu@nanogel system with passive targeting and pH
      activatable dual function.
AB  - This manuscript describes a synergistic therapy for mastocarcinoma by pH and
      temperature dual-sensitive nanogel, and effects of microstructure, composition
      and properties of nanogel on the cellular response mechanism. The extracellular
      internalization of nanogels was obviously enhanced, due to the passive targeting
      function at T>VPTT. Interestingly, the increased cytotoxicity was further
      synergistically enhanced by an unexpected apoptosis as evoked by the 5
      fluorouracil loaded nanogel (FLNG). The systemically evaluation of the effectors
      generated from different sub-cellular organelles including endosome, lysosome,
      autophagosome confirmed that it was a lysomal dependent apoptosis. Such specific
      apoptosis was mainly attributed to its activatable protonated PEI at low pH,
      which caused lysosomal membrane destruction and lysosomal enzyme cathepsin B (Cat
      B) leakage. This Cat B was then translocated to the mitochondria resulting in
      mitochondrial membrane permeability increase and mitochondrial membrane potential
      (MMP) decrease, followed by cytochrome c (Cyt C) release. Cyt C was the main
      molecule that evoked apoptosis as reflected by overexpression of caspase 9.
      Additionally, such lysosome dependent, apoptosis was further enhanced by the
      passive cellular targeting at T>VPTT. Thus, the tumor growth inhibition was
      synergistically enhanced by the extracellular temperature dependent passive
      targeting and intracellular pH activatable lysosomal dependent apoptosis.

PMID- 28342984
TI  - HDAC4 and HDAC6 sustain DNA double strand break repair and stem-like phenotype by
      promoting radioresistance in glioblastoma cells.
AB  - The role of histone deacetylase (HDAC) 4 and 6 in glioblastoma (GBM)
      radioresistance was investigated. We found that tumor samples from 31 GBM
      patients, who underwent temozolomide and radiotherapy combined treatment, showed
      HDAC4 and HDAC6 expression in 93.5% and 96.7% of cases, respectively.
      Retrospective clinical data analysis demonstrated that high-intensity HDAC4
      and/or HDAC6 immunostaining was predictive of poor clinical outcome. In vitro
      experiments revealed that short hairpin RNA-mediated silencing of HDAC4 or HDAC6
      radiosensitized U87MG and U251MG GBM cell lines by promoting DNA double-strand
      break (DSBs) accumulation and by affecting DSBs repair molecular machinery. We
      found that HDAC6 knock-down predisposes to radiation therapy-induced U251MG
      apoptosis- and U87MG autophagy-mediated cell death. HDAC4 silencing promoted
      radiation therapy-induced senescence, independently by the cellular context.
      Finally, we showed that p53WT expression contributed to the radiotherapy lethal
      effects and that HDAC4 or HDAC6 sustained GBM stem-like radioresistant phenotype.
      Altogether, these observations suggest that HDAC4 and HDAC6 are guardians of
      irradiation-induced DNA damages and stemness, thus promoting radioresistance, and
      may represent potential prognostic markers and therapeutic targets in GBM.

PMID- 28342985
TI  - Mast cells are directly activated by contact with cancer cells by a mechanism
      involving autocrine formation of adenosine and autocrine/paracrine signaling of
      the adenosine A3 receptor.
AB  - Mast cells (MCs) constitute an important part of the tumor microenvironment
      (TME). However, their underlying mechanisms of activation within the TME remain
      poorly understood. Here we show that recapitulating cell-to-cell contact
      interactions by exposing MCs to membranes derived from a number of cancer cell
      types, results in MC activation, evident by the increased phosphorylation of the
      ERK1/2 MAP kinases and Akt, in a phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase dependent fashion.
      Activation is unidirectional since MC derived membranes do not activate cancer
      cells. Stimulated ERK1/2 phosphorylation is strictly dependent on the ecto enzyme
      CD73 that mediates autocrine formation of adenosine, and is inhibited by
      knockdown of the A3 adenosine receptor (A3R) as well as by an A3R antagonist or
      by agonist-stimulated down-regulation of the A3R. We also show that cancer cell
      mediated triggering upregulates expression and stimulates secretion of
      interleukin 8 from the activated MCs. These findings provide evidence for a novel
      mode of unidirectional crosstalk between MCs and cancer cells implicating direct
      activation by cancer cells in MC reprogramming into a pro tumorigenic profile.

PMID- 28342983
TI  - Lipid quantification by Raman microspectroscopy as a potential biomarker in
      prostate cancer.
AB  - Metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer (mCRPC) remains incurable and is
      one of the leading causes of cancer-related death among American men. Therefore,
      detection of prostate cancer (PCa) at early stages may reduce PCa-related
      mortality in men. We show that lipid quantification by vibrational Raman
      Microspectroscopy and Biomolecular Component Analysis may serve as a potential
      biomarker in PCa. Transcript levels of lipogenic genes including sterol
      regulatory element-binding protein-1 (SREBP-1) and its downstream effector fatty
      acid synthase (FASN), and rate-limiting enzyme acetyl CoA carboxylase (ACACA)
      were upregulated corresponding to both Gleason score and pathologic T stage in
      the PRAD TCGA cohort. Increased lipid accumulation in late-stage transgenic
      adenocarcinoma of mouse prostate (TRAMP) tumors compared to early-stage TRAMP and
      normal prostate tissues were observed. FASN along with other lipogenesis enzymes,
      and SREBP-1 proteins were upregulated in TRAMP tumors compared to wild-type
      prostatic tissues. Genetic alterations of key lipogenic genes predicted the
      overall patient survival using TCGA PRAD cohort. Correlation between lipid
      accumulation and tumor stage provides quantitative marker for PCa diagnosis.
      Thus, Raman spectroscopy-based lipid quantification could be a sensitive and
      reliable tool for PCa diagnosis and staging.

PMID- 28342986
TI  - Oncogenic roles of DNA hypomethylation through the activation of cancer-germline
      genes.
AB  - Global loss of DNA methylation is frequently observed in the genome of human
      tumors. Although this epigenetic alteration is clearly associated with cancer
      progression, the way it exerts its pro-tumoral effect remains incompletely
      understood. A remarkable consequence of DNA hypomethylation in tumors is the
      aberrant activation of "cancer-germline" genes (also known as "cancer-testis"
      genes), which comprise a diverse group of germline-specific genes that use DNA
      methylation as a primary mechanism for repression in normal somatic tissues. Here
      we review the evidence that such cancer-germline genes contribute to key
      processes of tumor development. Notably, several cancer-germline genes were found
      to stimulate oncogenic pathways involved in cell proliferation (SSX, DDX43, MAEL,
      PIWIL1), angiogenesis (DDX53), immortality (BORIS/CTCFL), and metastasis (CT
      GABRA3). Others appear to inhibit tumor suppressor pathways, including those
      controlling growth inhibition signals (MAGEA11, MAGEB2), apoptosis (MAGEA2,
      MAGEC2), and genome integrity (HORMAD1, NXF2). Cancer-germline genes were also
      implicated in the regulation of tumor metabolism (MAGEA3/MAGEA6). Together, our
      survey substantiates the concept that DNA hypomethylation promotes tumorigenesis
      via transcriptional activation of oncogenes. Importantly, considering their
      highly restricted pattern of expression, cancer-germline genes may represent
      valuable targets for the development of anti-cancer therapies with limited side
      effects.

PMID- 28342987
TI  - Circular RNAs and cancer.
AB  - Circular RNAs (circRNAs) are a type of non-coding RNA molecules that lack a 5'
      terminal cap and 3'-terminal poly A tail. A large number of circRNAs have been
      identified through biological experiments, computational methods and high
      throughput sequencing. CircRNA sequence composition determines if a given circRNA
      is exonic, intronic or retained-intronic. CircRNAs are more abundant and stable
      than linear mRNAs, and their expression is both step- and location-specific.
      CircRNAs mediate transcriptional and post-transcriptional regulation of gene and
      protein expression. CircRNAs regulate cancer development via multiple mechanisms,
      including miRNA sponges, modulating Wnt signaling pathway and epithelial
      mesenchymal transition. An in-depth study of circRNA will provide a better
      understanding of carcinogenesis and assist in developing clinical diagnostic and
      therapeutic strategies.

PMID- 28342988
TI  - An anti-inflammatory dietary intervention to reduce breast cancer recurrence
      risk: Study design and baseline data.
AB  - U.S. breast cancer survivors (BCSs) are expected to increase to 4 million in the
      next 5-10years. Cancer recurrence risk is highest among obese survivors.
      Inflammatory (Pro-I) biomarkers including C-reactive protein (CRP), Interleukins 
      3, -6, and -8 (IL-3, IL-6, IL-8), and Tumor Necrosis Factor (TNF)-alpha have been
      associated with cancer recurrence risk. Nutritional interventions aimed at
      reducing inflammation (INF) may contribute to reduced cancer recurrence risk, but
      studies have been limited to animal models. The goals of this one-year, culinary
      based, pilot intervention were to: 1) decrease Pro-I biomarkers and increase anti
      inflammatory (AI) cytokine, IL-10, by promoting AI food incorporation into BCS
      diets; and 2) examine intervention effects on cancer risk factors including body
      mass index (BMI) and circulating adipose stromal cells (ASCs). A total of 153
      BCSs were recruited. Overweight and obese women aged 18 or older were randomized
      into Intervention (IG; n=76) and Control (CG; n=77) groups. CG received monthly
      nutritional brochures from the American Institute for Cancer Research. IG
      attended 6 monthly workshops (lectures on AI topics and chef-prepared food
      demonstrations), and received monthly newsletters and telephone calls
      incorporating Motivational Interviewing. At baseline, 6- and 12-month
      assessments, fasting serum was assayed for Pro-I/AI marker and ASC levels. Using
      R and Stata version 14 (Stata Corp, 2015), no significant differences were found
      between groups on baseline demographic variables. Correlations between serum
      cytokine levels, BMI, % body fat, ASCs, and self-reported variables are
      discussed.

PMID- 28342991
TI  - Transformation of 17alpha-ethinylestradiol by simultaneous photo-enzymatic
      process in Humic water.
AB  - The fate of estrogens in surface water is mainly dependent on two processes, i.e.
      photodegradation and biotransformation. Each of the separate process is
      invariably of interest, but research on the combination of the two processes has
      rarely been explored. In the present work, the transformation of 17alpha
      ethinylestradiol (EE2) by simultaneous photochemical and enzymatic process in
      water was systematically investigated. The combined transformation rate of EE2
      (0.057 h-1) in the presence of natural organic matter (NOM) and horseradish
      peroxidase (HRP) under simulated sunlight irradiation was markedly faster than
      that in the presence of NOM only (0.032 h-1). Similar pattern was also observed
      in real water matrix sampled from Taihu Lake. Further study revealed that the
      photodegradation and enzymatic transformation of EE2 were dramatically affected
      by NOM concentrations ranging from 0 to 20 mgC L-1. NOM was found to invariably
      accelerate the photodegradation of EE2 with increasing concentration. On the
      contrary, the transformation rate of EE2 mediated by HRP was decreased along with
      the increase of NOM concentration. The reason may be that HRP was prone to be
      inactivated in solution with high NOM concentration. The transformation
      experiment of EE2 at ambient level under sunlight confirmed the significant
      contribution of HRP to the degradation of EE2 in the presence of NOM. The results
      indicated that oxidation mediated by HRP was an essential fate of EE2 and other
      congener contaminants in aquatic environment.

PMID- 28342990
TI  - Telephone-adapted Mindfulness-based Stress Reduction (tMBSR) for patients
      awaiting kidney transplantation.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Patients with progressive kidney disease experience increasing
      physiologic and psychosocial stressors and declining health-related quality of
      life (HRQOL). METHODS: We conducted a randomized, active-controlled, open-label
      trial to test whether a Mindfulness-based Stress Reduction (MBSR) program
      delivered in a novel workshop-teleconference format would reduce symptoms and
      improve HRQOL in patients awaiting kidney transplantation. Sixty-three transplant
      candidates were randomized to one of two arms: i) telephone-adapted MBSR (tMBSR,
      an 8-week program of meditation and yoga); or ii) a telephone-based support group
      (tSupport). Participants completed self-report questionnaires at baseline, post
      intervention, and after 6-months. Anxiety, measured by the State-Trait Anxiety
      Inventory (STAI) post-intervention served as the primary outcome. Secondary
      outcomes included: depression, sleep quality, pain, fatigue, and HRQOL assessed
      by SF-12 Physical and Mental Component Summaries (PCS, MCS). RESULTS: 55 patients
      (age 54+/-12yrs) attended their assigned program (tMBSR, n=27; tSupport, n=28).
      49% of patients had elevated anxiety at baseline. Changes in anxiety were small
      and did not differ by treatment group post-intervention or at follow-up. However,
      tMBSR significantly improved mental HRQOL at follow-up: +6.2 points on the MCS -
      twice the minimum clinically important difference (95% CI: 1.66 to 10.8, P=0.01).
      A large percentage of tMBSR participants (>=90%) practiced mindfulness and
      reported it helpful for stress management. CONCLUSIONS: Neither mindfulness
      training nor a support group resulted in clinically meaningful reductions in
      anxiety. In contrast, finding that tMBSR was more effective than tSupport for
      bolstering mental HRQOL during the wait for a kidney transplant is encouraging
      and warrants further investigation. ClinicalTrials.govNCT01254214.

PMID- 28342992
TI  - Estimating removals of contaminants of emerging concern from wastewater treatment
      plants: The critical role of wastewater hydrodynamics.
AB  - Accurate data is needed to evaluate the capacity of wastewater treatments plants
      (WWTPs) to remove contaminants of emerging concern (CECs). The variability of CEC
      removals reported in the literature has raised questions about the methods used
      to estimate removals. In this study, we used the recently proposed "fractionated
      approach" to account for the influence of hydrodynamics in WWTPs and applied this
      method for estimating the removal of 23 target CECs. Data on the conductivity and
      temperature of wastewater at two WWTPs were used to determine the hydraulic model
      that best described the flow regime of treatment units. Composite samples (24-h)
      were collected at different stages of treatment over successive days. The
      concentrations of the target compounds in wastewater were determined by liquid
      chromatography with mass spectrometry. Different hydraulic models were necessary
      to define the hydrodynamics at the two WWTPs, resulting in different load
      fractions to be used in the calculation of removals. For WWTP A, that has a
      primary clarifier, all target CECs, except triclosan, were poorly removed during
      this step at efficiencies <30%. On the other hand, the activated sludge treatment
      unit at both WWTPs removed most target CECs at >70%. This study expanded the
      application of the fractionated approach to compare the hydraulics of two
      treatment trains of different configurations, including primary and secondary
      treatment. It demonstrated the sensitivity of the method to account for
      variations between the different treatment units. Reliable removals of an
      extended list of CECs in primary and secondary treatment were also provided in
      this study.

PMID- 28342989
TI  - Patient engagement and study design of PROP UP: A multi-site patient-centered
      prospective observational study of patients undergoing hepatitis C treatment.
AB  - BACKGROUND: New highly efficacious direct-acting antiviral (DAA) therapies are
      available to treat chronic hepatitis C viral (HCV) infection. Real-world, patient
      centered data on harms and benefits associated with these therapies are needed.
      METHODS: PROP UP is a multi-center prospective observational study that plans to
      enroll 1600 patients starting treatment with recently-approved DAA regimens.
      Informed by extensive input from a HCV patient engagement group who prioritized
      outcomes most important to them, patient-reported outcomes will be characterized
      using surveys at five time points: Baseline (T1), treatment week 4 (T2), end of
      treatment (T3), 12weeks post-treatment (T4), 12months post-treatment (T5).
      OUTCOMES: (1) Changes in side effects, functioning, pre-existing conditions, and
      out-of-pocket costs during therapy (T1 vs T2/T3); (2) Medication adherence in
      relation to a history of mental health/substance abuse, treatment regimens, pill
      burden, reasons for missed doses, and cure rates; (3) Short term impact of cure
      on functioning and amelioration of symptoms (T1 vs T4); (4) Long-term treatment
      harms or benefits of cure on symptoms, side effects, pre-existing conditions, and
      functioning (T1 vs T5). Similarities between regimens will be examined where
      comparisons are appropriate and meaningful. CONCLUSION: PROP UP complements
      previous clinical trials by focusing on patient-reported outcomes in a
      representative sample of patients treated in clinical practice, by collaborating
      with a patient engagement group, by characterizing the experiences of vulnerable
      subgroups, and by investigating long-term harms and benefits of treatments. PROP
      UP is designed to provide novel and detailed information to support informed
      decision-making for patients and providers contemplating HCV treatment (PCORI CER
      1408-20,660; NCT02601820).

PMID- 28342993
TI  - Teratogenic responses of zebrafish embryos to decabromodiphenyl ether (BDE-209)
      in the presence of nano-SiO2 particles.
AB  - This study investigated the influence of nano-SiO2 particles (nSiO2) on the
      teratogenic responses of zebrafish embryos to decabromodiphenyl ether (BDE-209).
      Zebrafish embryos were exposed to BDE-209 in the absence and presence of nSiO2
      for 96 h post fertilization (hpf). Results showed that formation of nSiO2-BDE-209
      associates promoted both extracellular and intracellular uptake of BDE-209 by
      zebrafish embryos, thereby increasing the bioconcentration of BDE-209 on the
      chorion surface and the embryos. Results also showed embryos delay hatching
      temporarily when co-exposure to BDE-209 and nSiO2 at 60 hpf. Furthermore, there
      was heartbeat decline (28.3 beats/10s) and increase in irregular heartbeat
      (45.8%) in zebrafish larvae at 96 hpf, compared to the sole exposure to BDE-209
      (32.7 beats/10s and 0%). Malformation in terms of spinal curvature (SC),
      pericardial edema (PE) and yolk sac edema (YSE) were observed on zebrafish larvae
      at 33.9, 23.4, and 18%, respectively. Overall, abnormal development of zebrafish
      was apparent when co-exposure to BDE-209 and nSiO2. All relevant evidence
      considered, nSiO2 could facilitate the transport of BDE-209 towards zebrafish
      embryos and negatively impact the development of zebrafish.

PMID- 28342994
TI  - Persistent organic pollutants (POPs) in the atmosphere of coastal areas of the
      Ross Sea, Antarctica: Indications for long-term downward trends.
AB  - Passive air samplers were used to evaluate long-term trends and spatial
      distribution of trace organic compounds in Antarctica. Duplicate PUF disk
      samplers were deployed at six automatic weather stations in the coastal area of
      the Ross sea (East Antarctica), between December 2010 and January 2011, during
      the XXVI Italian Scientific Research Expedition. Among the investigated
      persistent organic compounds, Hexachlorobenzene was the most abundant, with air
      concentrations ranging from 0.8 to 50 pg m-3. In general, the following
      decreasing concentration order was found for the air samples analyzed: HCB > PeCB
      > PCBs > DDTs > HCHs. While HCB concentrations were in the same range as those
      reported in the atmosphere of other Antarctic sampling areas and did not show a
      decline, HCHs and DDTs levels were lower or similar to those determined one or
      two decades ago. In general, the very low concentrations reflected the pristine
      state of the East Antarctica air. Backward trajectories indicated the prevalence
      of air masses coming from the Antarctic continent. Local contamination and
      volatilization from ice were suggested as potential sources for the presence of
      persistent organic pollutants in the atmosphere.

PMID- 28342995
TI  - Mechanisms of metal sorption by biochars: Biochar characteristics and
      modifications.
AB  - Biochar produced by thermal decomposition of biomass under oxygen-limited
      conditions has received increasing attention as a cost-effective sorbent to treat
      metal-contaminated waters. However, there is a lack of information on the roles
      of different sorption mechanisms for different metals and recent development of
      biochar modification to enhance metal sorption capacity, which is critical for
      biochar field application. This review summarizes the characteristics of biochar
      (e.g., surface area, porosity, pH, surface charge, functional groups, and mineral
      components) and main mechanisms governing sorption of As, Cr, Cd, Pb, and Hg by
      biochar. Biochar properties vary considerably with feedstock material and
      pyrolysis temperature, with high temperature producing biochars with higher
      surface area, porosity, pH, and mineral contents, but less functional groups.
      Different mechanisms dominate sorption of As (complexation and electrostatic
      interactions), Cr (electrostatic interactions, reduction, and complexation), Cd
      and Pb (complexation, cation exchange, and precipitation), and Hg (complexation
      and reduction). Besides sorption mechanisms, recent advance in modifying biochar
      by loading with minerals, reductants, organic functional groups, and
      nanoparticles, and activation with alkali solution to enhance metal sorption
      capacity is discussed. Future research needs for field application of biochar
      include competitive sorption mechanisms of co-existing metals, biochar reuse, and
      cost reduction of biochar production.

PMID- 28342997
TI  - The author's reply to N.R. Haddaway.
AB  - In this reply we respond to the commentary of Dr. Haddaway addressed in searching
      for pitfalls in our systematic mapping exercise "Collating science-based evidence
      to inform public opinion on the environmental effects of marine drilling
      platforms in the Mediterranean Sea" recently published in Journal of
      Environmental Management (Mangano, M.C. and Sara, G. 2017. Journal of
      Environmental Management 188: 195-202). We discussed each so called "pitfalls"
      and, in our opinion, the main cornerstones of systematic map - SM (repeatability,
      comprehensiveness, transparency, traceability, quality, generalizability) are
      safe guaranteeing the "gold standard" required by this technique. Where needed we
      explain our position in doing a "tailoring" of some steps, and we stressed the
      differences among our approach and a SM protocol. We also stressed the importance
      of our main message, to select the most rigorous approach (evidence-based), to
      create a credible, salient and effective knowledge baseline to inform end users
      and guarantee the creation of a solid science-policy nexus (here specifically we
      provided a final review product, an easy to follow up graphical evidence).

PMID- 28342996
TI  - Induction of Neuroendocrine Differentiation in Prostate Cancer Cells by Dovitinib
      (TKI-258) and its Therapeutic Implications.
AB  - Prostate cancer (PCa) remains the second-leading cause of cancer-related deaths
      in American men with an estimated mortality of more than 26,000 in 2016 alone.
      Aggressive and metastatic tumors are treated with androgen deprivation therapies
      (ADT); however, the tumors acquire resistance and develop into lethal castration
      resistant prostate cancer (CRPC). With the advent of better therapeutics, the
      incidences of a more aggressive neuroendocrine prostate cancer (NEPC) variant
      continue to emerge. Although de novo occurrences of NEPC are rare, more than 25%
      of the therapy-resistant patients on highly potent new-generation anti-androgen
      therapies end up with NEPC. This, along with previous observations of an increase
      in the number of such NE cells in aggressive tumors, has been suggested as a
      mechanism of resistance development during prostate cancer progression. Dovitinib
      (TKI-258/CHIR-258) is a pan receptor tyrosine kinase (RTK) inhibitor that targets
      VEGFR, FGFR, PDGFR, and KIT. It has shown efficacy in mouse-model of PCa bone
      metastasis, and is presently in clinical trials for several cancers. We observed
      that both androgen receptor (AR) positive and AR-negative PCa cells differentiate
      into a NE phenotype upon treatment with Dovitinib. The NE differentiation was
      also observed when mice harboring PC3-xenografted tumors were systemically
      treated with Dovitinib. The mechanistic underpinnings of this differentiation are
      unclear, but seem to be supported through MAPK-, PI3K-, and Wnt-signaling
      pathways. Further elucidation of the differentiation process will enable the
      identification of alternative salvage or combination therapies to overcome the
      potential resistance development.

PMID- 28342998
TI  - Field evaluation of Cucurbit yellow stunting disorder virus transmission by
      Bemisia tabaci.
AB  - Cucurbit yellow stunting disorder virus (CYSDV) is a whitefly-transmitted
      Crinivirus (Closteroviridae) that impacts melon production in many parts of the
      world including the USA. It has been responsible for melon crop loss in the
      southwestern U.S. since 2006 when it was first identified. Control strategies
      have revolved mainly around chemical control, but research to identify suitable
      products and approaches to implementing them have lagged. The current study
      investigated the performance of four systemic insecticides in the field while
      concurrently tracking CYSDV disease progression after controlled and natural
      whitefly inoculation of young melon plants. Assessments of virus incidence were
      made using two different visual observation methods in concert with ELISA
      analyses of leaf disks samples collected biweekly. Infection rates were
      consistently lowest in plots treated with the butenolide insecticide
      flupyradifurone while dinotefuran was second in efficacy measures.
      Flupyradifurone also held whitefly densities to their lowest numbers relative to
      the other treatments. Two other insecticides, imidacloprid and cyantraniliprole,
      exacerbated virus incidence in multiple trials. Further investigation into the
      anomalous finding of increased virus incidence due to insecticide application is
      ongoing.

PMID- 28342999
TI  - Hippocampal CA3-dentate gyrus volume uniquely linked to improvement in
      associative memory from childhood to adulthood.
AB  - Associative memory develops into adulthood and critically depends on the
      hippocampus. The hippocampus is a complex structure composed of subfields that
      are functionally-distinct, and anterior-posterior divisions along the length of
      the hippocampal horizontal axis that may also differ by cognitive correlates.
      Although each of these aspects has been considered independently, here we
      evaluate their relative contributions as correlates of age-related improvement in
      memory. Volumes of hippocampal subfields (subiculum, CA1-2, CA3-dentate gyrus)
      and anterior-posterior divisions (hippocampal head, body, tail) were manually
      segmented from high-resolution images in a sample of healthy participants (age 8
      25 years). Adults had smaller CA3-dentate gyrus volume as compared to children,
      which accounted for 67% of the indirect effect of age predicting better
      associative memory via hippocampal volumes. Whereas hippocampal body volume
      demonstrated non-linear age differences, larger hippocampal body volume was
      weakly related to better associative memory only when accounting for the mutual
      correlation with subfields measured within that region. Thus, typical development
      of associative memory was largely explained by age-related differences in CA3
      dentate gyrus.

PMID- 28343000
TI  - Evidence for similar patterns of neural activity elicited by picture- and word
      based representations of natural scenes.
AB  - A long-standing core question in cognitive science is whether different
      modalities and representation types (pictures, words, sounds, etc.) access a
      common store of semantic information. Although different input types have been
      shown to activate a shared network of brain regions, this does not necessitate
      that there is a common representation, as the neurons in these regions could
      still differentially process the different modalities. However, multi-voxel
      pattern analysis can be used to assess whether, e.g., pictures and words evoke a
      similar pattern of activity, such that the patterns that separate categories in
      one modality transfer to the other. Prior work using this method has found
      support for a common code, but has two limitations: they have either only
      examined disparate categories (e.g. animals vs. tools) that are known to activate
      different brain regions, raising the possibility that the pattern separation and
      inferred similarity reflects only large scale differences between the categories
      or they have been limited to individual object representations. By using natural
      scene categories, we not only extend the current literature on cross-modal
      representations beyond objects, but also, because natural scene categories
      activate a common set of brain regions, we identify a more fine-grained (i.e.
      higher spatial resolution) common representation. Specifically, we studied
      picture- and word-based representations of natural scene stimuli from four
      different categories: beaches, cities, highways, and mountains. Participants
      passively viewed blocks of either phrases (e.g. "sandy beach") describing scenes
      or photographs from those same scene categories. To determine whether the phrases
      and pictures evoke a common code, we asked whether a classifier trained on one
      stimulus type (e.g. phrase stimuli) would transfer (i.e. cross-decode) to the
      other stimulus type (e.g. picture stimuli). The analysis revealed cross-decoding
      in the occipitotemporal, posterior parietal and frontal cortices. This similarity
      of neural activity patterns across the two input types, for categories that co
      activate local brain regions, provides strong evidence of a common semantic code
      for pictures and words in the brain.

PMID- 28343001
TI  - Comprehensive functional analysis of large lists of genes and proteins.
AB  - The interpretation of high dimensional datasets resulting from genomic and
      proteomic experiments in a timely and efficient manner is challenging. ClueGO
      software is a Cytoscape App that extracts representative functional biological
      information for large lists of genes or proteins. The functional enrichment
      analysis is based on the latest publicly available data from multiple annotation
      and ontology resources that can be automatically accessed through ClueGO.
      Predefined settings for the selection of the terms are provided to facilitate the
      analysis. Results are visualized as networks in which Gene Ontology (GO) terms
      and pathways are grouped based on their biological role. Many species are now
      supported by ClueGO and additional organisms are added on demand. ClueGO can be
      used together with the CluePedia App to enable the visualization of protein
      protein interactions within or between pathways.

PMID- 28343002
TI  - Pulmonary metastatic angiosarcoma from scalp with fatal complication: A case
      report.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: Angiosarcoma is a rare malignant neoplasm with poor prognosis.
      Angiosarcoma of the scalp is frequently recurs locally, and metastasizes early
      despite various treatments. The common sites of metastatic are lung, liver, and
      lymph nodes. Pulmonary metastasis with hemoptysis and pneumothorax is rare but
      threatening. PRESENTATION OF CASE: A 77-year-old male had recurrent angiosarcoma
      of the scalp even with post operation radiotherapy. At the same time, recurrent
      pneumothorax was noted, thus he underwent wedge resection of the right upper lobe
      of the lung plus pleural biopsy. The final pathologic report of cystic lesions
      showed metastatic Angiosarcoma. He received intravenous paclitaxel and the lung
      lesions dramatically diminished subsequently. DISCUSSION: Pulmonary metastasis
      from soft tissue sarcoma had fatal complications and poor prognosis. Metastases
      of AS to the lung have a well-described morphology on CT scan, but appear to be
      hypometabolic on PET scan and are easily misinterpreted as benign cysts.
      CONCLUSION: Angiosarcoma is a rare but highly vascular invasive endothelial tumor
      that generally metastasizes to the lung. It could cause repeated hemoptysis
      pneumothorax and pleural effusion. Preoperative chest CT may be recommended
      routinely. Aggressive treatment resulted in not only symptoms control but also
      good prognosis.

PMID- 28343004
TI  - Actively controlled release of Dexamethasone from neural microelectrodes in a
      chronic in vivo study.
AB  - Stable interconnection to neurons in vivo over long time-periods is critical for
      the success of future advanced neuroelectronic applications. The inevitable
      foreign body reaction towards implanted materials challenges the stability and an
      active intervention strategy would be desirable to treat inflammation locally.
      Here, we investigate whether controlled release of the anti-inflammatory drug
      Dexamethasone from flexible neural microelectrodes in the rat hippocampus has an
      impact on probe-tissue integration over 12 weeks of implantation. The drug was
      stored in a conducting polymer coating (PEDOT/Dex), selectively deposited on the
      electrode sites of neural probes, and released on weekly basis by applying a
      cyclic voltammetry signal in three electrode configuration in fully awake
      animals. Dex-functionalized probes provided stable recordings and impedance
      characteristics over the entire chronic study. Histological evaluation after 12
      weeks of implantation revealed an overall low degree of inflammation around all
      flexible probes whereas electrodes exposed to active drug release protocols did
      have neurons closer to the electrode sites compared to controls. The combination
      of flexible probe technology with anti-inflammatory coatings accordingly offers a
      promising approach for enabling long-term stable neural interfaces.

PMID- 28343003
TI  - Essential design considerations for the resazurin reduction assay to
      noninvasively quantify cell expansion within perfused extracellular matrix
      scaffolds.
AB  - Precise measurement of cellularity within bioartificial tissues and extracellular
      matrix (ECM) scaffolds is necessary to augment rigorous characterization of
      cellular behavior, as accurate benchmarking of tissue function to cell number
      allows for comparison of data across experiments and between laboratories.
      Resazurin, a soluble dye that is reduced to highly fluorescent resorufin in
      proportion to the metabolic activity of a cell population, is a valuable,
      noninvasive tool to measure cell number. We investigated experimental conditions
      in which resazurin reduction is a reliable indicator of cellularity within three
      dimensional (3D) ECM scaffolds. Using three renal cell populations, we
      demonstrate that correlation of viable cell numbers with the rate of resorufin
      generation may deviate from linearity at higher cell densities, lower resazurin
      working volumes, or longer incubation times that all contribute to depleting the
      pool of resazurin. In conclusion, while the resazurin reduction assay provides a
      powerful, noninvasive readout of metrics enumerating cellularity and growth
      within ECM scaffolds, assay conditions may strongly influence its applicability
      for accurate quantification of cell number. The approach and methodological
      recommendations presented herein may be used as a guide for application-specific
      optimization of this assay to obtain rigorous and accurate measurement of
      cellular content in bioengineered tissues.

PMID- 28343005
TI  - Development of a UV crosslinked biodegradable hydrogel containing adipose derived
      stem cells to promote vascularization for skin wounds and tissue engineering.
AB  - The aim of this study was to design a dermal substitute containing adipose
      derived stem cells (ADSC) that can be used to improve the regeneration of skin on
      difficult wound beds by stimulating rapid neovascularization. This was achieved
      by first synthesizing methacrylated gelatin (GelMA) and methacrylated hyaluronic
      acid (HAMA) precursors which could be stored at -80 oC after lyophilisation.
      Polymer precursors were then dissolved in media (in 15:1 ratio), ADSCs added
      together with the photoinitiator and crosslinked with 40 s of UV. Hydrogels
      degraded by 50% over 3 weeks in an in vitro environment. ADSC loaded hydrogels
      could be easily handled with forceps (compressive modulus was 6 kPa).
      Transparency of the gel would allow a full field-of-view of a wound site. The
      hydrogels provided a suitable microenvironment for ADSC proliferation as shown by
      the filopodia observed in confocal micrographs. In vivo studies demonstrated that
      stem cell loaded hydrogels increased vascularization by up to 3 fold compared to
      their cell free counterparts. In conclusion, GelMA/HAMA hydrogels loaded with
      ADSC showed the desired proliferative and angiogenic properties essential to
      promote angiogenesis for wound healing and improving survival of tissue
      engineered skin.

PMID- 28343006
TI  - Trouble on takeoff: Crude oil on feathers reduces escape performance of
      shorebirds.
AB  - The ability to takeoff quickly and accelerate away from predators is crucial to
      bird survival. Crude oil can disrupt the fine structure and function of feathers,
      and here we tested for the first time how small amounts of oil on the trailing
      edges of the wings and tail of Western sandpipers (Calidris mauri) affected
      takeoff flight performance. In oiled birds, the distance travelled during the
      first 0.4s after takeoff was reduced by 29%, and takeoff angle was decreased by
      10 degrees  compared to unoiled birds. Three-axis accelerometry indicated that
      oiled sandpipers produced less mechanical power output per wingbeat during the
      initial phase of flight. Slower and lower takeoff would make oiled birds more
      likely to be targeted and captured by predators, reducing survival and
      facilitating the exposure of predators to oil. Whereas the direct mortality of
      heavily-oiled birds is often obvious and can be quantified, our results show that
      there are significant sub-lethal effects of small amounts crude oil on feathers,
      which must be considered in natural resource injury assessments for birds.

PMID- 28343007
TI  - Bioconcentration and multi-biomarkers of organic UV filters (BM-DBM and OD-PABA)
      in crucian carp.
AB  - Organic UV filters (OUV-Fs) are increasingly used in sunscreens and personal care
      products. In the present work, the bioconcentration and multi-biomarker effects
      of butyl methoxydibenzoylmethane (BM-DBM) and ethylhexyl dimethyl p-aminobenzoate
      (OD-PABA) were investigated in crucian carp (Carassius auratus). The fish were
      exposed to various concentrations of BM-DBM (3.88, 35.61, 181.85 and
      337.15MUg/L), OD-PABA (4.66, 53.83, 264.22 and 459.32MUg/L) and their mixture
      (2.31+2.79, 23.69+26.18, 97.37+134.81 and 193.93+246.08MUg/L) for 28 days. The
      maximal concentrations of two OUV-Fs were detected in the fish liver, followed by
      the brain, kidney, gill and muscle in most cases. The maximal BCF values of OD
      PABA calculated in various exposure concentrations were 0.37 - 101.21 in single
      exposure groups and 0.11 - 31.09 in mixed exposure groups. Acetylcholinesterase
      (AChE) activity was significantly inhibited by BM-DBM as well as the mixtures at
      all of the exposure concentrations and by OD-PABA at higher concentrations
      (>=264.22MUg/L) during 28 days of exposure. The maximal inhibition rates of AChE
      activity reached 64.04% for BM-DBM, 41.05% for OD-PABA and 61.50% for the
      mixtures at the highest concentration, which indicated that these two OUV-Fs
      might damage the central nervous system. Concerning oxidative stress status, BM
      DBM and the mixtures significantly increased superoxide dismutase (SOD) and
      glutathione reductase (GR) activities and inhibited catalase (CAT) activity,
      while OD-PABA caused a significant increase of GR and CAT activities. AChE and GR
      activities seemed to be more sensitive biomarkers for BM-DBM and OD-PABA.

PMID- 28343008
TI  - Electroclinical features of epilepsy in patients with InvDup(15).
AB  - PURPOSE: InvDup(15) syndrome is one of the most common chromosomal abnormalities
      associated with epilepsy. Here we review the seizure types described in
      InvDup(15) patients and the main electroclinical, therapeutic, and prognostic
      aspects of the syndrome. METHODS: A literature search of PubMed, MEDLINE, and
      EMBASE was performed to identify papers examining InvDup(15) syndrome and
      epilepsy. RESULTS: About 65% of the InvDup(15) patients described in the
      literature had multiple seizure types with a predominance (40.4%) of tonic-clonic
      seizures. Age at seizure onset was before 10 years in more than half of them.
      Patients suffered from a variety of EEG abnormalities, generalized spike activity
      being the most frequent. Brain MRI was unremarkable in the majority of patients.
      Treatment was with several anticonvulsant drugs used as mono- or polytherapy.
      Valproic acid was the most common treatment against generalized seizures and was
      often effective, although drug resistance was a major concern in a large number
      of cases. Finally, more than 30% of the children suffered from infantile spasms,
      and status epilepticus was described in nearly 20% of patients, occasionally
      resulting in death. CONCLUSION: Seizures are very common in InvDup(15) patients,
      who suffer from a variety of seizure types. Information about EEG and brain MRI
      findings, seizure treatment, and prognosis is often poor. The overall prognosis
      is fair. Prospective studies of larger samples are needed, to gain further
      insights into the natural history of InvDup(15) syndrome.

PMID- 28343009
TI  - Prognostic analysis for short- and long-term outcomes of newly diagnosed
      epilepsy.
AB  - PURPOSE: To explore predictors for short- and long-term prognosis of newly
      diagnosed epilepsy. METHODS: 549 consecutive patients with newly diagnosed
      epilepsy were reviewed, 336 were enrolled in the study. Two-year remission in the
      short term (5 years) and five-year remission in the long term (>5, up to 8 years)
      were assessed as the outcomes. Logistic regression was used to identify
      independent predictors for unfavorable outcomes. chi2 test was used to compare
      the retention rates of old and new antiepileptic drugs (AEDs). RESULTS: 185
      patients (55%) attained two-year remission in the short term, 163 (48.5%)
      attained terminal remission in the long term. The time interval between index
      seizure and AED start >12 months implied an unfavorable outcome in the short term
      (OR=1.9, p=0.03). Two or more seizures in the first year after AED start showed
      the strongest negative prognostic impact in the both short- and long-term
      outcomes (OR=2.3, p=0.02; OR=1.9, p=0.03). As the seizure frequency rose, the
      possibility for unfavorable outcome increased. The terminal retention rates of
      traditional and new AEDs were not significantly different (p=0.07). CONCLUSIONS:
      For patients with newly diagnosed epilepsy, the time interval between index
      seizure and AED start only influences the short-term outcome. Number of seizures
      in the first year after AED start is associated with both short- and long-term
      outcomes. It's imperative to initiate adequate, tolerated and appropriately
      chosen AED schedules after the definitive diagnosis of epilepsy.

PMID- 28343010
TI  - Structural and dynamics studies of the TetR family protein, CprB from
      Streptomyces coelicolor in complex with its biological operator sequence.
AB  - In Streptomycetes, tetracycline repressor family of transcription regulators
      (TetR-FTRs) controls various biological processes including antibiotic
      biosynthesis, cellular morphology and innate resistance. Here, we focus on
      understanding the structural basis of transcription regulation by CprB, a member
      of TetR-FTRs from S. coelicolor. CprB is implicated as a receptor of gamma
      butyrolactones, a class of quorum sensing molecules, responsible for initiating
      secondary metabolic pathways. In order to understand the molecular mechanism of
      DNA recognition, the X-ray structure of CprB in complex with its biological
      relevant operator sequence was solved to a resolution of 3.95A. Furthermore, to
      refine and compliment the results, atomistic molecular dynamics simulations were
      carried out using the X-ray structure as the template. The studies reveal that
      CprB binds to DNA as dimer of dimers with this mode of interaction results in
      minimal distortion in the DNA, enabling these proteins to recognize multiple
      sequences with varying affinity. Another crucial finding from our simulation
      results was that the positively charged N-terminal arm of CprB brings extra
      stability to the protein-DNA complex by interacting with the minor-groove of the
      DNA and anchoring itself to the phosphate backbone. Corroborating electrophoretic
      mobility shift assay and fluorescence anisotropy experiments showed that the
      mutant DeltaN6-CprB exhibited about 7-8 fold reduced DNA binding. Comparison with
      other TetR-FTRs reveals that this strategy is also employed by over 25% of TetR
      FTRs, where N-terminal anchoring mechanism is used to enhance selectivity for a
      particular DNA sequence.

PMID- 28343011
TI  - Ultrasound characterization of ankle involvement in Lofgren syndrome.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Bilateral ankle arthritis is a classic diagnostic criterion for
      Lofgren syndrome. The objective of this study was to use ultrasonography to
      characterize the articular and periarticular involvement of the ankles in
      patients with Lofgren syndrome. METHODS: Multicenter descriptive cohort study of
      patients with Lofgren syndrome who underwent ultrasonography of the ankles. We
      collected clinical data, imaging study findings, blood test results, and joint
      fluid properties in patients who underwent joint aspiration. RESULTS: Findings
      from ultrasonography of the ankles in 40 patients were analyzed. The most common
      B-mode abnormality was subcutaneous edema (26/40), followed by tenosynovitis
      (22/40), with no differences in frequency across compartments. Joint involvement
      manifested as synovitis in 7 patients and effusion in 10 patients. Synovitis with
      increased vascularity by power Doppler was found in 3 patients. No statistically
      significant associations were found linking synovitis or tenosynovitis to
      clinical features (age and gender), laboratory tests, or imaging study findings.
      CONCLUSION: Contrary to the classical view, our results indicate that ankle
      involvement in Lofgren syndrome is more often abarticular than articular. The
      inclusion of bilateral ankle arthritis among the diagnostic criteria for Lofgren
      syndrome deserves reappraisal.

PMID- 28343012
TI  - Occurrence of rheumatic symptoms in celiac disease: A meta-analysis: Comment on
      the article "Osteoarticular manifestations of celiac disease and non-celiac
      gluten hypersensitivity" by Dos Santos and Liote. Joint Bone Spine 2016,
      doi:10.1016/j.jbspin.2016.09.007.

PMID- 28343013
TI  - Inflammatory myopathies: A new landscape.
AB  - Greater accuracy in clinical descriptions combined with advances in muscle
      histology and immunology have established that inflammatory myopathies (IMs),
      similarly to inflammatory rheumatic diseases, constitute a highly heterogeneous
      group of conditions. The topographic distribution, severity, and tempo of onset
      of the myopathy vary widely, and the histological findings distinguish at least
      five different profiles, which may reflect different pathophysiological
      processes. Most IMs are connective tissue diseases that can affect multiple
      organs, among which the most common targets are the skin, joints, and lungs. The
      extramuscular manifestations may antedate the muscular involvement and should
      therefore suggest a diagnosis of IM even in the absence of obvious muscle
      disease. About 20 different autoantibodies have been identified in patients with
      IM. Some are mutually exclusive and associated with specific combinations of
      clinical manifestations. Following the model of antisynthetase syndrome, about 10
      syndromes associated with autoantibodies specific of IM have been identified.
      Thus, polymyositis is now emerging as a rare entity that is often mistaken for
      more recently described patterns of IM. No consensus exists to date about the
      classification of IMs. Nevertheless, the clinical manifestations, autoantibody
      profile, and muscle histology can be used to distinguish patient subgroups with
      fairly homogeneous patterns of complications, treatment responses, and outcomes.
      These subgroups are also characterized by specific genetic and environmental
      factors. The advances made in the nosology of IMs have benefited the diagnosis,
      personalization of treatment strategies, and understanding of pathophysiological
      mechanisms. They can be expected to assist in the development of specific
      treatments.

PMID- 28343014
TI  - Natural lipids enriched self-nano-emulsifying systems for effective co-delivery
      of tamoxifen and naringenin: Systematic approach for improved breast cancer
      therapeutics.
AB  - The nano-miceller drug delivery carriers of tamoxifen (TMX) having natural
      ingredients like polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFA) with self-nano-emulsifying
      properties was developed with naringenin (NG) in a synergistic manner i.e. TMX-NG
      SNEDDS. The optimized nano-formulation revealed complete drug release in 30 min
      and >80% permeation in 45 min. Superior cellular uptake potential (4.6-6.5-fold)
      of the TMX-NG-SNEDDS using Caco-2 cells while cytotoxicity study on MCF-7 cells
      indicated significant results (P<0.05) of TMX-NG-SNEDDS. The in vivo
      pharmacokinetic study also construed remarkable improvement (7.3 and 11.4-fold
      increase in Cmax and AUC) in rate of drug absorption and 2-fold reduction in Tmax
      by optimized TMX-NG-SNEDDS. In vivo DMBA model construed superior efficacy of the
      formulation by reducing tumor size, and improved survival rate of the animals
      justifies its safety aspect as well.

PMID- 28343015
TI  - Systemic delivery of the tumor necrosis factor gene to tumors by a novel dual DNA
      nanocomplex in a nanoparticle system.
AB  - Many cancers fail to respond to immunotherapy as a result of immune suppression
      by the tumor microenvironment. The exogenous expression of immune cytokines to
      reprogram the tumor microenvironment represents an approach to circumvent this
      suppression. The present studies describe the development of a novel dual
      nanoparticle (DNP) system for driving DNA expression vectors encoding
      inflammatory cytokines in tumor cells. The DNP system consists of a DNA
      expression vector-cationic peptide nanocomplex (NC) surrounded by a diblock
      polymeric NP. Tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF) was selected as the prototype
      cytokine for this system, based on its pleotropic inflammatory and anti-cancer
      activities. Our results demonstrate that the DNP system is highly effective in
      driving expression of TNF in tumor cells. We also demonstrate that the DNPs are
      effective in inducing apoptosis and anti-tumor activity. These findings support a
      novel immunotherapeutic approach for the intratumoral delivery of DNA vectors
      that express inflammatory cytokines.

PMID- 28343017
TI  - beta-Lactoglobulin: An efficient nanocarrier for advanced delivery systems.
AB  - Thanks to the progress of nanotechnology there are several agent-delivery systems
      that can be selected to achieve rapid and specific delivery of a wide variety of
      biologically active agents. Consequently, the manipulation and engineering of
      biopolymers has become one of the most exciting subjects for those who study
      delivery systems on the nanoscale. In this regard, both nanoparticle formation
      and a carrier role have been observed in the case of the globular milk whey
      protein, beta-lactoglobulin (beta-LG), setting it apart from many other proteins.
      To date, many efforts adopting different approaches have created beta-LG
      nanoparticles useful in forming delivery systems for various agents with specific
      targets. In this review, the potential of beta-LG to play the role of an
      efficient and diverse carrier protein, as well as its ability to form a well
      targeted nano-scale delivery system is discussed.

PMID- 28343016
TI  - Evaluation of antitumor activity and cardiac toxicity of a bone-targeted ph
      sensitive liposomal formulation in a bone metastasis tumor model in mice.
AB  - Chemotherapy for bone tumors is a major challenge because of the inability of
      therapeutics to penetrate dense bone mineral. We hypothesize that a
      nanostructured formulation with high affinity for bone could deliver drug to the
      tumor while minimizing off-target toxicity. Here, we evaluated the efficacy and
      toxicity of a novel bone-targeted, pH-sensitive liposomal formulation containing
      doxorubicin in an animal model of bone metastasis. Biodistribution studies with
      the liposome showed good uptake in tumor, but low accumulation of doxorubicin in
      the heart. Mice treated with the bone-targeted liposome formulation showed a 70%
      reduction in tumor volume, compared to 35% reduction for free doxorubicin at the
      same dose. Both cardiac toxicity and overall mortality were significantly lower
      for animals treated with the bone-targeted liposomes compared to free drug. Bone
      targeted, pH-sensitive, doxorubicin containing liposomes represent a promising
      approach to selectively delivering doxorubicin to bone tumors while minimizing
      cardiac toxicity.

PMID- 28343019
TI  - A new opportunity for nanomedicines: Micellar cytochrome P450 inhibitors to
      improve drug efficacy in a cancer therapy model.
AB  - Nanomedicines are mainly used as drug delivery systems; here we evaluate a new
      application - to inhibit a drug's metabolism thereby enhancing its effective
      dose. Micelles containing the natural furanocoumarin 6',7'-dihydroxybergamottin
      (DHB), a known CYP450 inhibitor, were developed to transiently block hepatic
      CYP450-mediated drug metabolism and increase the bioavailability of the oncology
      drug docetaxel. Administered in mice 24h prior to the drug, DHB-micelles enhanced
      antitumor efficacy in the tumor xenograft models HT-29 and MDA-MB-231, when
      compared to the drug alone. These DHB-micelles have similar composition to
      marketed docetaxel-micelles for human use. Despite not being optimized in terms
      of targeting hepatocytes, they do represent the first injectable example of
      nanosized metabolism-blocking agents and open the way for further work on such
      nanomedicines in man.

PMID- 28343018
TI  - CuS as a gatekeeper of mesoporous upconversion nanoparticles-based drug
      controlled release system for tumor-targeted multimodal imaging and synergetic
      chemo-thermotherapy.
AB  - In this work, a tumor-targeted multifunctional mesoporous upconversion
      nanoparticle-based drug controlled release system was developed for UCL/MRI/PAT
      guided synergetic chemo-thermotherapy. Herein, the core-shell mesoporous
      upconversion nanoparticles served as drug carrier exhibiting higher upconversion
      luminescence emission intensity, with CuS as a gatekeeper through a cleavable
      disulfide bond under the influence of glutathione. CuS could not only prevent
      drug from early release during the delivery but also improve the delivery system
      function with the ability of photothermal therapy and photoacoustic tomography.
      Hyaluronic acid grafted on the surface of mesoporous upconversion nanoparticles
      could interact with CD44 receptors over-expressed in tumor cells, facilitating
      the drug delivery system to accumulate in tumor tissues. The synergy between
      chemotherapy and photothermal therapy was studied in vitro and in vivo, showing
      powerful anti-tumor effect. In cooperation with the multi-mode imaging, the size,
      site and morphology of tumor were clearly observed throughout the disease's
      progression.

PMID- 28343020
TI  - Selenium speciation influences bioaccumulation in Limnodynastes peronii tadpoles.
AB  - Despite being essential for animal health and fitness, Se has a relatively narrow
      range between deficiency and toxicity, and excess Se can cause a variety of
      adverse effects in aquatic organisms. Amphibians are particularly vulnerable to
      contaminants during larval aquatic life stage, because they can accumulate toxic
      ions through various routes including skin, gills, lungs and digestive tract. Few
      attempts have been made to understand the tissue-specific accumulation of trace
      elements, including the impacts of chemical speciation in developing amphibian
      larvae. We used radiolabelled 75Se to explore the biokinetics and tissue
      distributions of the two dominant forms occurring in surface waters, selenite
      (SeIV) and selenate (SeVI). Tadpoles of the native Australian frog Limnodynastes
      peronii were exposed to Se in both forms, and live-animal gamma spectroscopy was
      used to track accumulation and retention over time. Tissue biodistributions were
      also quantified at the end of the uptake and depuration phases. Results showed
      the bioconcentration of SeIV to be 3 times greater compared to SeVI, but rates of
      elimination were similar for both forms. This suggests a change of Se speciation
      within the organism prior to excretion. Depuration kinetics were best described
      by a one-phase exponential decay model, and tadpoles retained approximately 19%
      of the accumulated Se after 12 days of depuration in clean water. Selenium
      bioaccumulation was greatest in digestive and excretory organs, as well as the
      eye, which may directly relate to previously reported Se-induced impairments.
      Results demonstrate how the use of radiotracing techniques can significantly
      improve our understanding of trace element toxicokinetics and tissue
      distributions in developing amphibians. From an environmental monitoring
      perspective, the findings highlight the importance of considering chemical
      speciation as this could influence the accuracy of risk assessment.

PMID- 28343021
TI  - Application of mixed-methods design in community-engaged research: Lessons
      learned from an evidence-based intervention for Latinos with chronic illness and
      minor depression.
AB  - The purpose of this paper is to share lessons learned from a collaborative,
      community-informed mixed-methods approach to adapting an evidence-based
      intervention to meet the needs of Latinos with chronic disease and minor
      depression and their family members. Mixed-methods informed by community-based
      participatory research (CBPR) were employed to triangulate multiple stakeholders'
      perceptions of facilitators and barriers of implementing the adapted intervention
      in community settings. Community partners provided an insider perspective to
      overcome methodological challenges. The study's community informed mixed-methods:
      research approach offered advantages to a single research methodology by
      expanding or confirming research findings and engaging multiple stakeholders in
      data collection. This approach also allowed community partners to collaborate
      with academic partners in key research decisions.

PMID- 28343022
TI  - Stakeholder evaluation of an online program to promote physical activity and
      workplace safety for individuals with disability.
AB  - Individuals with disabilities face increasing health and employment disparities,
      including increased risk of morbidity and mortality and decreased earnings,
      occupational roles, and greater risk of injury at work. Thus, there is a need to
      improve workplace safety and health promotion efforts for people with disability.
      The purpose of this study was to obtain stakeholder feedback about an online
      program, Be Active, Work Safe, which was developed to increase the physical
      activity and workplace safety practices of individuals with disability. Eight
      stakeholders (content experts and individuals with disability) evaluated the 8
      week online program and provided feedback on accessibility, usability, and
      content using quantitative and qualitative approaches. Stakeholders suggested
      changes to the organization, layout and accessibility, and content. This included
      making a stronger connection between the physical activity and workplace safety
      components of the program, broadening content to apply to individuals in
      different vocational fields, and reducing the number of participant assessments.
      Engaging stakeholders in the development of health promotion programs is critical
      to ensure the unique issues of the population are addressed and facilitate
      engagement in the program. Feedback provided by stakeholders improved the program
      and provided insight on barriers for adoption of the program.

PMID- 28343023
TI  - Classification of footwear outsole patterns using Fourier transform and local
      interest points.
AB  - Successful classification of questioned footwear has tremendous evidentiary
      value; the result can minimize the potential suspect pool and link a suspect to a
      victim, a crime scene, or even multiple crime scenes to each other. With this in
      mind, several different automated and semi-automated classification models have
      been applied to the forensic footwear recognition problem, with superior
      performance commonly associated with two different approaches: correlation of
      image power (magnitude) or phase, and the use of local interest points
      transformed using the Scale Invariant Feature Transform (SIFT) and compared using
      Random Sample Consensus (RANSAC). Despite the distinction associated with each of
      these methods, all three have not been cross-compared using a single dataset, of
      limited quality (i.e., characteristic of crime scene-like imagery), and created
      using a wide combination of image inputs. To address this question, the research
      presented here examines the classification performance of the Fourier-Mellin
      transform (FMT), phase-only correlation (POC), and local interest points
      (transformed using SIFT and compared using RANSAC), as a function of inputs that
      include mixed media (blood and dust), transfer mechanisms (gel lifters),
      enhancement techniques (digital and chemical) and variations in print substrate
      (ceramic tiles, vinyl tiles and paper). Results indicate that POC outperforms
      both FMT and SIFT+RANSAC, regardless of image input (type, quality and totality),
      and that the difference in stochastic dominance detected for POC is significant
      across all image comparison scenarios evaluated in this study.

PMID- 28343024
TI  - Sex estimation with the total area of the proximal femur: A densitometric
      approach.
AB  - The estimation of sex is a central step to establish the biological profile of an
      anonymous skeletal individual. Imaging techniques, including bone densitometry,
      have been used to evaluate sex in remains incompletely skeletonized. In this
      paper, we present a technique for sex estimation using the total area (TA) of the
      proximal femur, a two-dimensional areal measurement determined through
      densitometry. TA was acquired from a training sample (112 females; 112 males)
      from the Coimbra Identified Skeletal Collection (University of Coimbra,
      Portugal). Logistic regression (LR), linear discriminant analysis (LDA), reduce
      error pruning trees (REPTree), and classification and regression trees (CART)
      were employed in order to obtain models that could predict sex in unidentified
      skeletal remains. Under cross-validation, the proposed models correctly estimated
      sex in 90.2-92.0% of cases (bias ranging from 1.8% to 4.5%). The models were
      evaluated in an independent test sample (30 females; 30 males) from the 21st
      Century Identified Skeletal Collection (University of Coimbra, Portugal), with a
      sex allocation accuracy ranging from 90.0% to 91.7% (bias from 3.3% to 10.0%).
      Overall, data mining classifiers, especially the REPTree, performed better than
      the traditional classifiers (LR and LDA), maximizing overall accuracy and
      minimizing bias. This study emphasizes the significant value of bone densitometry
      to estimate sex in cadaveric remains in diverse states of preservation and
      completeness, even human remains with soft tissues.

PMID- 28343025
TI  - Recording skeletal completeness: A standardised approach.
AB  - Recording the preservation of human skeletal remains is the foundation of
      osteological analyses for forensic and archaeological skeletal material. Methods
      for recording the skeletal completeness, one of the components of skeletal
      preservation documentation, are however currently non-standardised and
      subjective. To provide practitioners with a scientific means to accurately
      quantify skeletal completeness in an adult skeleton, percentage values for each
      skeletal element have been established. Using computed tomography (CT) volume
      rendering applications and post-mortem CT skeletal data for one adult individual,
      the percentage value for each bone relative to the complete skeleton was
      calculated based on volume. Percentage values for skeletal elements ranged from
      0.01% (select hand and foot bones) to 8.43% (femur). Visual and written mediums
      detailing individual skeletal percentages have been provided as user-friendly
      reference sources. Calculating the percentage of skeletal remains available for
      analysis provides practitioners with a means to scientifically and objectively
      record skeletal completeness.

PMID- 28343026
TI  - Comparison of unilateral versus bilateral pedicle screw fixation at the level of
      fracture using posterior short-segment pedicle instrumentation in the treatment
      of severe thoracolumbar burst fractures.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Thoracolumbar burst fractures (TBFs) are often followed by bilateral
      pedicle screw fixation (BPSF) at the level of fracture using posterior short
      segment pedicle instrumentation (SSPI). There has been increasing support for
      unilateral pedicle screw fixation (UPSF) in an attempt to reduce complications
      and costs. The aim of this study was to compare the clinical and radiologic
      results of UPSF versus BPSF at the level of fracture using SSPI in the treatment
      of severe TBFs. METHODS: The records of 42 consecutive patients with severe TBFs
      who underwent SSPI were divided into 2 groups according to the number of screws
      in the fracture level, including 20 patients (five screws) in UPSF group and 22
      patients (six screws) in BPSF. Different clinical and radiological parameters
      were recorded before surgery, after surgery, and 1.5 years after operation. The
      patients'clinical outcomes were assessed using visual analog scale (VAS), and
      Oswestry Disability Index (ODI). For radiological evaluation, changes in local
      kyphosis angle (LKA), vertebral wedge angle (VWA), and anterior vertebral height
      (AVH) were investigated using plain radiographs. RESULTS: Mean follow-up was 18.3
      months for UPSF group and 19.0 months for BPSF group (P > 0.05). There were no
      significant differences in the age, gender, fracture type and site in both
      groups. Radiologically, no statistically difference was observed between the two
      groups in corrected rate of LKA, VWA, or AVH(all P > 0.05). With respect to
      clinical variants including VAS and ODI scores, there were also no significant
      differences. However, the UPSF group seemed to have advantages over BPSF group in
      operative time, blood loss, postoperative drainage, hospitalization time (P >
      0.05). Especially, implant cost for the BPSF group was 22% greater than the UPSF
      group. No serious complications occurred in our study. In all cases, fusions
      healed well and no revision surgery was performed for loss of correction or
      failure of instrumentation during follow-up. CONCLUSIONS: The present study is
      the first to demonstrate that patients undergoing SSPI with UPSF as compared with
      BPSF for the treatment of severe TBFs had similar clinical and radiologic
      outcomes.

PMID- 28343027
TI  - Outpatient placement of perforated setons prior to treatment of sealants for
      perianal fistula: A Technical Note.

PMID- 28343028
TI  - Epidemiology of penetrating injuries in the United Kingdom: A systematic review.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: Penetrating injuries account for a significant number of deaths in
      the United Kingdom (UK) annually. Numerous articles have examined the
      epidemiology of penetrating trauma in various areas of the UK. This article aimed
      to systematically review the current literature and evaluate the incidence and
      mortality of penetrating injury according to region in the UK. METHODS: A
      systematic literature search was performed using MEDLINE(r) (1946 to June 2016),
      EMBASE(r) (1974 to June 2016), and PsycINFO(r) (1806 to June 2016) databases. The
      following keywords were used in combination with Boolean operators:
      "epidemiology", "incidence", "frequency", "pattern", "distribution";
      "penetrating"; "injuries", "injury", "trauma"; "United Kingdom", "UK", "England",
      "Scotland", "Wales", "London". RESULTS: Eleven relevant studies were identified
      across five regions of the UK. Study periods ranged from 3 months to 16 years and
      encompassed between 343 and 127,191 patients. Relative incidence within
      individual studies ranged from 0.3% (Midlands) to 21.0% (London) and mortality
      ranged from 0.5% (London) to 15.4% (Midlands). The majority of patients were
      young males. DISCUSSION: An extensive range of incidence and mortality rates were
      observed between studies in all regions. This was largely dependent on the study
      population under review. London was found to have the highest incidence of
      penetrating injuries, however these studies tended to focus on populations of
      trauma patients. The high proportion of male victims may reflect the risk of
      becoming involved in gangs and violence. CONCLUSIONS: Our ambiguous results
      indicate the need for further work directed towards the epidemiology of
      penetrating injuries within regional trauma networks.

PMID- 28343029
TI  - Meta-analysis of Transhiatal Esophagectomy in carcinoma of esophagogastric
      junction, does it have an advantage?
AB  - PURPOSE: Compare the clinical outcome of Transhiatal Esophagectomy (THE) approach
      and open Thoracic Esophagectomy (TTE) approach in the carcinoma of
      esophagogastric junction (CEGJ). METHODS: Relevant literature published until
      2016 from PubMed, Cochrane Library, Ovid (Medline) and EMBASE were retrieved.
      Meta-analysis was achieved by using the Stata12 software. RESULTS: A total of 18
      studies and 2202 cases of patients were involved in this meta-analysis. THE
      showed to decrease the hospital stay, hospital mortality, surgical time, and
      blood loss in the operation. However, fewer lymph nodes would be yielded by this
      surgical option. A 5-year survival advantage of THE was only observed in North
      America subgroup. CONCLUSIONS: Except the above operative related advantages,
      there was no clear evidence that THE has a further advantage in CEGJ.

PMID- 28343030
TI  - Diagnostic and therapeutic role of endoscopic retrograde pancreatography in the
      management of traumatic pancreatic duct injury patients: Single center experience
      for 34 years.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Traumatic pancreatic injuries are rare and present diagnostic and
      therapeutic difficulties. We evaluated the usefulness of endoscopic retrograde
      pancreatography and transpapillary pancreatic stent in the diagnosis and
      treatment of pancreatic trauma patients. METHODS: We reviewed medical records of
      83 pancreas trauma patients who underwent endoscopic retrograde pancreatography
      for the suspicion of pancreas duct injury between January 1983 and December 2016.
      Patient notes, radiologic findings, laboratory investigations, operative records,
      and endoscopic retrograde pancreatography reports were reviewed. RESULTS: Pre
      endoscopic retrograde pancreatography abdominal computed tomography was performed
      in 52 patients. Twenty-seven patients of them were diagnosed with a major
      pancreatic duct injury by subsequent endoscopic retrograde pancreatography.
      Eleven major pancreatic duct injuries (40.7%) were missed by the pre-endoscopic
      retrograde pancreatography abdominal CT. Major pancreatic duct injury was
      confirmed by endoscopic retrograde pancreatography in 43 patients. These 43 major
      pancreatic duct injury patients were classified into the Operative (n = 21),
      Stent (n = 15), and Conservative (n = 7) groups according to the first treatment
      modality which was chosen by attending surgeon. Age, initial white blood cell
      count, initial serum amylase, associated injury, and major pancreatic duct injury
      site were similar among groups, while the rate of parenchymal leakage (Dye
      leakage confined to pancreatic capsule) on endoscopic retrograde pancreatography
      findings differed. Parenchymal leakage was most common in the Conservative group.
      Pancreas related mortality occurred in 1 (4.76%) Operative group, 2 (13.33%)
      Stent group, and 0 (0%) Conservative group. Pancreas related complication
      occurred in 16 (76.19%) Operative group, 10 (66.67%), Stent group and 5 (71.43%)
      Conservative group. There were no statistically significant differences in the
      occurrence rate of pancreas related complications and mortalities among three
      groups. CONCLUSION: Endoscopic retrograde pancreatography helps clinicians choose
      a treatment modality for major pancreatic duct injury since it provides
      information about the precise condition of the major pancreatic duct injury.
      Endoscopic retrograde pancreatography with transpapillary pancreatic stenting
      also shows promise as a substitute for laparotomy or pancreatic resection in
      selected patients.

PMID- 28343031
TI  - Assessing the genotoxic effects of two lipid peroxidation products (4-oxo-2
      nonenal and 4-hydroxy-hexenal) in haemocytes and midgut cells of Drosophila
      melanogaster larvae.
AB  - Lipid peroxidation products can induce tissue damage and are implicated in
      diverse pathological conditions, including aging, atherosclerosis, brain
      disorders, cancer, lung and various liver disorders. Since in vivo studies
      produce relevant information, we have selected Drosophila melanogaster as a
      suitable in vivo model to characterise the potential risks associated to two
      lipid peroxidation products namely 4-oxo-2-nonenal (4-ONE) and 4-hydroxy-hexenal
      (4-HHE). Toxicity, intracellular reactive oxygen species production, and
      genotoxicity were the end-points evaluated. Haemocytes and midgut cells were the
      evaluated targets. Results showed that both compounds penetrate the intestine of
      the larvae, affecting midgut cells, and reaching haemocytes. Significant
      genotoxic effects, as determined by the comet assay, were observed in both
      selected cell targets in a concentration/time dependent manner. This study
      highlights the importance of D. melanogaster as a model organism in the study of
      the different biological effects caused by lipid peroxidation products entering
      via ingestion. This is the first study reporting genotoxicity data in haemocytes
      and midgut cells of D. melanogaster larvae for the two selected compounds.

PMID- 28343032
TI  - Tissue depletion study of enrofloxacin and its metabolite ciprofloxacin in
      broiler chickens after oral administration of a new veterinary pharmaceutical
      formulation containing enrofloxacin.

PMID- 28343033
TI  - Quinocetone induces mitochondrial apoptosis in HepG2 cells through ROS-dependent
      promotion of VDAC1 oligomerization and suppression of Wnt1/beta-catenin signaling
      pathway.
AB  - Quinocetone (QCT) has been used as an animal feed additive in China since 2003.
      However, investigations indicate that QCT has potential toxicity due to the fact
      that it shows cytotoxicity, genotoxicity, hepatotoxicity, nephrotoxicity and
      immunotoxicity in vitro and animal models. Although QCT-induced mitochondrial
      apoptosis has been established, the molecular mechanism remains unclear. This
      study was aimed to investigate the role of voltage-dependent anion channel 1
      (VDAC1) oligomerization and Wnt/beta-catenin pathway in QCT-induced mitochondrial
      apoptosis. The results showed VDAC inhibitor 4, 4-diisothiocyano stilbene-2, 2
      disulfonic acid (DIDS) partly compromised QCT-induced cell viability decrease
      (from 34.1% to 68.5%) and mitochondrial apoptosis accompanied by abating VDAC1
      oligomerization, cytochrome c (Cyt c) release and the expression levels of
      cleaved caspase-9, -3 and poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP). Meanwhile,
      overexpression VDAC1 exacerbated QCT-induced VDAC1 oligomerization and Cyt c
      release. In addition, lithium chloride (LiCl), an activator of Wnt/beta-catenin
      pathway, markedly attenuated QCT-induced mitochondrial apoptosis by partly
      restoring the expression levels of Wnt1 and beta-catenin. Finally, reactive
      oxygen species (ROS) scavenger N-acetyl-l-cysteine (NAC) obviously blocked QCT
      induced VDAC1 oligomerization and the inhibition of Wnt1/beta-catenin pathway.
      Taken together, our results reveal that QCT induces mitochondrial apoptosis by
      ROS-dependent promotion of VDAC1 oligomerization and suppression of Wnt1/beta
      catenin pathway.

PMID- 28343034
TI  - Bioactivities of Achillea phrygia and Bupleurum croceum based on the composition
      of phenolic compounds: In vitro and in silico approaches.
AB  - This study presents the effects of the Achillea phrygia Boiss. et Bal. and
      Bupleurum croceum Fenzl. extracts obtained by different solvents (ethyl acetate,
      methanol and water) on selected enzyme inhibitory effects and antioxidant ability
      with screening bioactive compounds. Total and individual bioactive compounds were
      detected by spectrophotometric and HPLC-DAD techniques. Antioxidant abilities
      were evaluated by different methods including free radical scavenging (ABTS and
      DPPH), reducing power (CUPRAC and FRAP), phosphomolybdenum and metal chelating.
      Enzyme inhibitory effects were tested against cholinesterases, tyrosinase,
      amylase, glucosidase and lipase. Total phenolic contents were ranged from 20.52
      mgGAE/g extract (B. croceum methanol extract) to 41.13 mgGAE/g extract (A.
      phrygia methanol extract). Generally, methanol and water extracts showed the
      strongest antioxidant abilities, while the ethyl acetate extracts had the most
      promising enzyme inhibitory effects. HPLC analysis revealed the abundance of some
      phenolics including rutin, quercetin, sinapic acid and chlorogenic acid,
      respectively. These components were also assessed using molecular modelling with
      the aim to study their docking properties on a set of six enzymes used in this
      study. Overall, these species could be suggested as valuable sources of natural
      bioactive agents for developing new functional, pharmacological and health
      promoting ingredients.

PMID- 28343035
TI  - Evaluation of 4-methylcyclohexanemethanol (MCHM) in a combined irritancy and
      Local Lymph Node Assay (LLNA) in mice.
AB  - 4-Methylcyclohexanemethanol (MCHM) is a flotation reagent used in fine coal
      beneficiation. On January 9, 2014, crude MCHM, a mixture containing predominantly
      MCHM, was inadvertently released into the Elk River, a municipal water source
      that serves about 300,000 people in the Charleston, WV area, resulting in
      temporary contamination of 15 percent of the state's tap water and causing
      significant dermal exposure. The current studies were undertaken to determine
      whether crude MCHM or MCHM has the potential to produce dermal irritancy and/or
      sensitization. BALB/c female mice were treated daily for 3 consecutive days by
      direct epicutaneous application of 25 MUL of various concentrations of crude MCHM
      or MCHM to the dorsum of each ear. A mouse ear-swelling test was used to
      determine irritancy potential and was undertaken in combination with the
      standardized Local Lymph Node Assay (LLNA) to determine skin sensitizing
      potential. MCHM was found to produce skin irritation at concentrations above 20%
      and did not produce sensitization. Crude MCHM also produced irritation, although
      weaker, and in addition was found to be a weak to moderate skin sensitizer. The
      results are discussed in terms of potential human health hazard.

PMID- 28343036
TI  - Behaviour of 137Cs in forest humus detected across the territory of the Czech
      Republic.
AB  - The activity concentration of 137Cs in samples of coniferous forest humus
      collected across the territory of the Czech Republic in 1995 and 2005 was
      analysed, and it was found significantly correlated with the surface deposition
      caused by the Chernobyl accident. The effective (12.8 y) and environmental (22.3
      y) half-lives of radiocaesium in humus were calculated and compared with those in
      spruce bark. The impact of important forest stand factors, that is,
      precipitation, content of organic matter, age of trees and pH, on the behaviour
      of 137Cs in humus was studied. It was observed that humus samples with a higher
      proportion of organic matter, higher pH(H2O) and pH(CaCl2) contained higher
      amounts of 137Cs. Conversely, with the age of trees, the activity concentration
      of 137Cs in humus is decreasing. Higher precipitation and humus acidity decrease
      the reduction rate of the 137Cs in humus. These stand factors increase
      bioavailability of 137Cs in humus. The transfer and retention of available 137Cs
      in biomass of organisms living in humus for a long time can satisfactorily
      explain the longer residence time of 137Cs in humus affected by the studied
      factors.

PMID- 28343037
TI  - Concentration and sources of atmospheric nitrous acid (HONO) at an urban site in
      Western China.
AB  - Highly time-resolved measurements of nitrous acid (HONO) were carried out with a
      highly sensitive long path absorption photometer (LOPAP) at an urban site of
      Xi'an in Western China from 24 July to 6 August 2015 to investigate the
      atmospheric variations, sources, and formation pathways of HONO. The
      concentrations of HONO vary from 0.02 to 4.3ppbv with an average of 1.12ppbv for
      the entire measurement period. The variation trends of HONO and NO2 are very
      similar and positively correlated which, together with the similar diurnal
      profiles of HONO/NO2 ratio and HONO, suggest the importance of heterogeneous
      conversion of HONO from NO2. The nocturnal HONO level is governed by
      heterogeneous formation from NO2, followed by homogeneous formation of NO with OH
      and then by direct emissions. Further, it is found that the heterogeneous
      formation of HONO is largely affected by relative humidity and aerosol surface.
      Daytime HONO budget analysis indicates that an additional unknown source with
      HONO production rate of 0.75ppbvh-1 is required to explain the observed HONO
      concentration, which contributes 60.8% of the observed daytime HONO.

PMID- 28343038
TI  - Physicochemical characterization of ambient PM2.5 in Tehran air and its potential
      cytotoxicity in human lung epithelial cells (A549).
AB  - As air pollution is a major problem in Tehran, this study aimed to investigate
      the physicochemical characterization of the water-soluble and organic contents of
      ambient PM2.5 in Tehran and determine its in vitro toxicological impact on human
      lung epithelial cells (A549). A total of 11 sampling stations were selected,
      including three categories: traffic, urban, and suburban. All sampling was
      carried out in the spring and summer of 2015. Ion chromatography (IC),
      inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectroscopy (ICP-AES), and GC-MS were
      used to analyze ionic compounds, heavy metals, and polycyclic aromatic
      hydrocarbons (PAHs), respectively, and an ELISA reader was used for cytotoxicity
      analysis. The most prevalent ionic species found for all three categories was
      SO42-. PAH concentrations were 43.45+/-32.71, 50.51+/-37.27, and 29.13+/
      33.29ng/m3 for traffic, urban, and suburban stations, respectively. For all
      sampling stations, Al and Fe had the highest values among the investigated heavy
      metals. Cell viability measurements, carried out using the MTT assay, showed that
      all three categories of samples cause cytotoxicity, although the urban station
      samples showed higher cytotoxicity than those from the other stations (p?0.05).
      Based on the results of the present study, organic compounds and insoluble
      particles could be the main causes of cytotoxicity.

PMID- 28343039
TI  - Study of trace metal imbalances in the blood, scalp hair and nails of oral cancer
      patients from Pakistan.
AB  - Oral cancer is an important cause of cancer morbidity and mortality globally and
      exposure to trace metals alongside tobacco, alcohol and HPV are the important
      etiological factors in its development. Selected essential and toxic trace metals
      (Cd, Cr, Cu, Fe, Mn, Ni, Pb and Zn) were measured in the blood, scalp hair and
      nails of oral cancer patients and counterpart controls by atomic absorption
      spectrometry. Mean concentrations of Cd, Ni and Pb were found to be significantly
      higher (p<0.05) and those of Cu, Fe and Zn were considerably lower in the blood,
      scalp hair and nails of the patients than the controls. Most of the metal
      concentrations exhibited higher dispersion and asymmetry in the blood, scalp hair
      and nails of the patients compared with the controls. The correlation study
      revealed significantly diverse relationships among the metals in blood, scalp
      hair and nails of both donor groups. Variations in the metal levels were also
      noted for various stages (I, II, III & IV) as well as the types (adenocarcinoma
      and squamous cell carcinoma) of oral cancer. Multivariate cluster analysis of the
      metal levels in the patients were also significantly dissimilar than the
      controls. The study evidenced considerably divergent variations in the metal
      levels in oral cancer patients in comparison with the controls.

PMID- 28343040
TI  - The influence of lead content in drinking water, household dust, soil, and paint
      on blood lead levels of children in Flin Flon, Manitoba and Creighton,
      Saskatchewan.
AB  - Lead exposure continues to be an important health issue despite the general
      removal of lead sources in commercial and industrial applications. Low levels of
      lead exposure have been found to produce adverse neurodevelopmental effects in
      children with no evidence that a threshold exists for this critical endpoint.
      Blood lead levels (BLLs) were measured in children (n=118) under the age of
      7years in the northern Canadian smelter community of Flin Flon, Manitoba and
      Creighton, Saskatchewan. An environmental sampling component was included to
      examine the relationship between lead content in outdoor soil, household dust,
      tap water, and paint within a given household and the corresponding BLLs in
      participating children. The geometric mean (GM) BLL for study participants was
      1.41MUg/dL. Blood lead levels varied slightly by age category with the lowest
      levels found among the children under age 2 (GM=1.11MUg/dL) and the highest
      levels found among children between 2 and 3years of age (GM=1.98MUg/dL). Results
      from the multivariate modeling indicated that BLLs had a significant positive
      association with the age of housing (p<0.05), with children living in households
      constructed prior to 1945 being more likely to have higher levels (p=0.034).
      Outdoor soil (GM=74.7MUg/g), household dust from kitchen floors (GM=1.34MUg/ft2),
      and maximum household lead paint were found to be significantly correlated
      (p<0.05) to BLLs. Although a statistically significant association between
      concentrations of lead in these household media and the corresponding BLLs
      exists, the variability in BLLs was poorly explained by these factors alone
      (r2=0.07, 0.12 and 0.06 for soil, household dust, and paint, respectively). Lead
      concentrations in flushed (GM=0.89MUg/L) and stagnant (GM=2.07MUg/L and
      1.18MUg/L) tap water samples were not significantly correlated (p>0.05) to BLLs.

PMID- 28343041
TI  - Characterization of regional cold-hydrothermal inflows enriched in arsenic and
      associated trace-elements in the southern part of the Duero Basin (Spain), by
      multivariate statistical analysis.
AB  - Naturally occurring arsenic in groundwater exceeding the limit for potability has
      been reported along the southern edge of the Cenozoic Duero Basin (CDB) near its
      contact with the Spanish Central System (SCS). In this area, spatial variability
      of arsenic is high, peaking at 241MUg/L. Forty-seven percent of samples collected
      contained arsenic above the maximum allowable concentration for drinking water
      (10MUg/L). Correlations of As with other hydrochemical variables were
      investigated using multivariate statistical analysis (Hierarchical Cluster
      Analysis, HCA and Principal Component Analysis, PCA). It was found that As, V, Cr
      and pH are closely related and that there were also close correlations with
      temperature and Na+. The highest concentrations of arsenic and other associated
      Potentially Toxic Geogenic Trace Elements (PTGTE) are linked to alkaline NaHCO3
      waters (pH~9), moderate oxic conditions and temperatures of around 18 degrees C
      19 degrees C. The most plausible hypothesis to explain the high arsenic
      concentrations is the contribution of deeper regional flows with a significant
      hydrothermal component (cold-hydrothermal waters), flowing through faults in the
      basement rock. Water mixing and water-rock interactions occur both in the
      fissured aquifer media (igneous and metasedimentary bedrock) and in the
      sedimentary environment of the CDB, where agricultural pollution phenomena are
      also active. A combination of multivariate statistical tools and hydrochemical
      analysis enabled the distribution pattern of dissolved As and other PTGTE in
      groundwaters in the study area to be interpreted, and their most likely origin to
      be established. This methodology could be applied to other sedimentary areas with
      similar characteristics and problems.

PMID- 28343042
TI  - In situ determination of trace elements in Fucus spp. by field-portable-XRF.
AB  - Fresh and freeze-dried sample sections of the coastal macroalgae, Fucus serratus
      and F. vesiculosus, and the brackish water macroalga, F. ceranoides, have been
      analysed for trace elements by field-portable-X-ray fluorescence (FP-XRF)
      spectrometry using a Niton XL3t in a low density mode with thickness correction.
      When analysed fresh in a laboratory accessory stand for a period of 200 seconds,
      As, Br, Fe and Zn were registered in the apex, mid-frond and lower stipe of all
      species, with detection limits of a few MUg g-1 (As) or a few tens of MUg g-1
      (Br, Fe, Zn); when analysed dry under the same conditions, concentrations
      returned were systematically higher and Cu and Pb were detected in a number of F.
      ceranoides sections. Concentrations arising from both approaches on a dry weight
      basis were highly correlated, with deviations from unit slope attributed to the
      absorption of fluorescent X-rays by internal and surficial water when analysed
      fresh. With algorithms correcting for the effects of water on mass and X-ray
      absorption, sections of F. vesiculosus and F. ceranoides were analysed in situ
      with the XRF connected to a mobile stand and laptop. Dry weight concentrations
      returned for As and Zn were significantly correlated with respective
      concentrations subsequently determined by ICP-MS following acid digestion and
      with a slope close to unity; lower concentrations of Fe returned by ICP were
      attributed to the incomplete acid digestion of silt particles that evaded an
      initial cleaning step, while Br concentrations could not be verified
      independently because of loss of volatile forms during digestion. The in situ
      determination of trace elements in fucoids by FP-XRF provides a rapid and non
      destructive means of monitoring environmental quality and identifying hot-spots
      of contamination, and enables a research strategy to be developed iteratively
      that is informed by immediate results.

PMID- 28343043
TI  - Clonal integration increases tolerance of a phalanx clonal plant to defoliation.
AB  - Defoliation by herbivores commonly imposes negative effects on plants, and
      physiological integration (resource sharing) can enhance the ability of guerilla
      clonal plants to tolerate stresses. Here we examined whether physiological
      integration can increase the ability of phalanx clonal plants to withstand
      defoliation. On a high mountain grassland in southwestern China, we subjected the
      phalanx clonal plant Iris delavayi within 10cm*10cm plots to three levels of
      defoliation intensity, i.e., control (no defoliation), moderate (50% shoot
      removal to simulate moderate herbivory) and heavy defoliation (100% shoot removal
      to simulate heavy herbivory), and kept rhizomes at the plot edges connected
      (allowing physiological integration) or disconnected (preventing integration)
      with intact ramets outside the plots. Defoliation significantly reduced leaf
      biomass, root biomass and ramet number of I. delavayi. Clonal integration did not
      affect the growth of I. delavayi under control, but significantly increased total
      biomass, rhizome and root biomass under heavy defoliation, and leaf biomass and
      ramet number under moderate defoliation. We conclude that clonal integration
      associated with resource reallocation plays an important role in maintaining the
      productivity of the alpine and subalpine grassland ecosystems in SW China where
      clonal plants are a dominant component of the grasslands and are commonly
      extensively managed with moderate grazing intensity. Our results also help to
      better understand the adaption and tolerance of phalanx clonal plants subjected
      to long-term grazing in the high mountain environment.

PMID- 28343044
TI  - A system of containment to prevent oil spills from sunken tankers.
AB  - Worldwide tank spills represent 10% of the average annual input of oil in the
      sea. When such spills arise from wrecks at depth, neutralisation of environmental
      impacts is difficult to achieve. Extracting oil from sunken tankers is expensive,
      and, unfortunately, all of the oil cannot be extracted, as the Prestige case
      demonstrates. We propose an environmentally appropriate, cost-effective and
      proactive method to stop the long-term problem of leaks from sunken tankers
      similar to the Prestige. This method confines the wreck with a "sediment" capping
      of sepiolite mineral that emulates a natural sediment. A set of experiments and
      simulations shows that sepiolite has the characteristics necessary to accomplish
      the confinement of any current or future sunken tanker with minimal environmental
      perturbation.

PMID- 28343045
TI  - Cervical disc arthroplasty: do conflicts of interest influence the outcome of
      clinical studies?
AB  - BACKGROUND CONTEXT: Cervical disc arthroplasty (CDA) is an emerging technique for
      the treatment of cervical degenerative disease. Multiple studies have
      investigated the outcomes of CDA, particularly in comparison with cervical
      arthrodesis techniques such as anterior cervical discectomy and fusion (ACDF). As
      many entities have financial interests in CDA implants, it is imperative to
      consider the influence of conflicts of interest on the results of studies
      investigating the efficacy of CDA. PURPOSE: This study aimed to determine if
      there is an association between the presence of conflicts of interest among study
      authors and the reported outcome of studies involving CDA. STUDY DESIGN: This is
      a systematic review of clinical CDA publications until October 2016. OUTCOME
      MEASURE: The outcome measures are presence of conflicts of interest, level of
      evidence, and outcome for all included studies. METHODS: PubMed and MEDLINE
      databases were searched for articles presenting clinical, radiographic, and cost
      outcomes of CDA. Data extracted from each article included title, authors,
      publication year, level of evidence, prosthesis type, number of operative levels,
      presence of conflicts of interest, and outcome. Conflicts of interest were
      determined by the presence of any conflicts for any author within manuscript
      disclosure sections or through Open Payments reporting. Outcomes of each study
      were graded as either favorable, unfavorable, or equivocal. The presence of
      conflicts of interest was tested for an association with the level of evidence
      and study outcome using Pearson chi-square analysis, Fisher exact test, or
      logistic regression for categorical variables. The authors report no conflicts of
      interest directly related to this work, and have not received any funds in
      support of this work. RESULTS: A total of 98 articles were included in this
      analysis. In total, 44.9% (44) of articles had the presence of a conflict of
      interest, whereas 55.1% (54) of articles did not. Conflicted studies were more
      likely to present level I evidence and less likely to present level IV evidence
      than non-conflicted studies (p<.001). Furthermore, conflicted studies were more
      likely to report favorable outcomes after CDA than non-conflicted studies (90.9%
      vs. 74.1%, p=.040). CONCLUSIONS: The results of this study suggest that the
      majority of conflicted and non-conflicted studies report favorable results in
      patients undergoing CDA. However, conflicted studies were also more likely to
      report favorable outcomes compared with non-conflicted studies. Individual
      clinicians must critically review published studies for potential conflicts of
      interest before incorporating CDA into their practice.

PMID- 28343046
TI  - Perioperative hemoglobin A1c as a predictor of deep infection following single
      level lumbar decompression in patients with diabetes.
AB  - BACKGROUND CONTEXT: Although multiple studies have cited that diabetes mellitus
      as a risk factor decreased functional outcomes, increased infectious
      complications, and overall increased reoperation rate following degenerative
      lumbar spinal surgery, few have investigated how perioperative glycemic control
      influences such complications. PURPOSE: The primary goal of the present study was
      to use a national database to evaluate the association of perioperative glycemic
      control as demonstrated by hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) levels in patients with
      diabetes undergoing primary, single-level decompression without concomitant
      fusion with the incidence of deep postoperative infection requiring operative
      irrigation and debridement. Our secondary objective was to calculate a threshold
      level of HbA1c above which the risk of postoperative infection after lumbar
      decompression increases significantly in patients with diabetes. STUDY
      DESIGN/SETTING: This is a retrospective case control database study, with Level
      III evidence. PATIENT SAMPLE: This study comprised private-payer patients with
      diabetes mellitus undergoing single-level lumbar decompression with an HbA1c
      laboratory value recorded in the database within 3 months of surgery. OUTCOME
      MEASURES: The outcome examined in this study was deep infection following
      primary, single-level lumbar decompression requiring surgical intervention.
      Postoperative infection within 1 year of the index primary, single-level lumbar
      decompression was assessed using Current Procedural Terminology (CPT) procedure
      codes and the International Classification of Diseases, 9th Revision (ICD-9)
      diagnostic codes. METHODS: The Humana private-payer dataset from the PearlDiver
      database was used for this study. The database was queried for patients with
      diabetes mellitus undergoing primary, single-level lumbar decompression surgery
      using CPT codes. Patients with a diagnosis of diabetes mellitus who had an HbA1c
      level drawn within 3 months before or after their surgical date were then
      selected to form the study group using the ICD-9 diagnostic codes. Patients were
      then divided into groups based on their HbA1c level by increments of 0.5 mg/dL.
      The incidence of deep infection requiring operative intervention within 1 year
      for each HbA1c group was then identified using CPT and ICD-9 codes. A receiver
      operating characteristic (ROC) and area under the curve (AUC) analysis was
      performed to determine an optimal threshold value of the HbA1c above which the
      risk of postoperativeinfection was significantly increased. The threshold value
      was tested using a multivariable binomial logistic regression analysis. RESULTS:
      A total of 5,194 patients who underwent primary, single-level lumbar
      decompression with diabetes and a perioperative HbA1c recorded within 3 months of
      surgery were included in the study. The rate of infection ranged from a low of
      0.5% up to 3.5% for patients with an HbA1c level >11.0 mg/dL (p=.012). The
      inflection point of the ROC curve corresponded to an HbA1c level above 7.5 mg/dL
      (p=.01, AUC=0.71, specificity=70%, sensitivity=53%). After controlling for
      patient demographics and medical comorbidities, patients with an HbA1c level of
      7.5 mg/dL or above had a significantly higher risk for deep infection compared
      with patients below this threshold (odds ratio: 2.9, 95% confidence interval: 1.8
      4.9, p<.0001). CONCLUSIONS: The risk of deep postoperative infection requiring
      surgical intervention following single-level lumbar decompression in patients
      with diabetes mellitus increases as the perioperative HbA1c increases. The ROC
      and multivariable regression analyses determined that a perioperative HbA1c above
      7.5 mg/dL could serve as a threshold for a significantly increased risk of deep
      postoperative infection following lumbar decompression.

PMID- 28343047
TI  - The odyssey of sagittal pelvic morphology during human evolution: a perspective
      on different Hominoidae.

PMID- 28343048
TI  - Protective effect of CDDO-ethyl amide against high-glucose-induced oxidative
      injury via the Nrf2/HO-1 pathway.
AB  - BACKGROUND CONTEXT: Intervertebral disc degeneration (IDD) is the main cause of
      low back pain, and nucleus pulposus (NP) cell apoptosis is an important risk
      factor of IDD. However, the molecular mechanism of this disease remains unknown.
      PURPOSE: To assess the potential protective effect of CDDO-ethyl amide (EA)
      against high-glucose-induced oxidative stress injury in NP cells and to
      investigate the mechanism of antioxidative effects and apoptotic inhibition.
      STUDY DESIGN/SETTING: To find new molecule to inhibit intervertebral disc
      degeneration. METHODS: Viability, reactive oxygen species (ROS) levels, and
      apoptosis were examined in NP cells. The protein expression levels of HO-1 and
      Nrf2 were measured through Western blot RESULTS: CDDO-EA elicited cytoprotective
      effects against NP cell apoptosis and ROS accumulation induced by high glucose.
      CDDO-EA treatment increased the HO-1 and Nrf2 expression abrogated by HO-1, Nrf2,
      and mitogen-activated protein kinase inhibitors. CONCLUSIONS: The phosphorylation
      and nuclear translocation of Nrf2 are crucial for HO-1 overexpression induced by
      CDDO-EA, which is essential for the cytoprotection against high-glucose-induced
      oxidative stress in NP cells.

PMID- 28343049
TI  - Stabilisation of spent mushroom substrate for application as a plant growth
      promoting organic amendment.
AB  - Over three million tonnes of spent mushroom substrate (SMS) are produced in
      Europe every year as a by-product of the cultivation of Agaricus bisporus. The
      management of SMS has become an increasing challenge for the mushroom production
      industry, and finding environmentally and economically sustainable solutions for
      this organic residue is, therefore, highly desirable. Due to its physical
      properties and nutrient content, SMS has great potential to be employed in
      agricultural and horticultural sectors, and further contribute to reduce the use
      of non-renewable resources, such as peat. However, SMS is often regarded as not
      being stable and/or mature, which hampers its wide use for crop production. Here,
      we demonstrate the stabilisation of SMS and its subsequent use as organic
      fertiliser and partial peat replacement in horticulture. The stabilisation was
      performed in a laboratory-scale composting system, with controlled temperature
      and aeration. Physical and chemical parameters were monitored during composting
      and provided information on the progress of the process. Water soluble
      carbohydrates (WSC) content was found to be the most reliable parameter to
      predict SMS stability. In situ oxygen consumption indicated the main composting
      phases, reflecting major changes in microbial activity. The structure of the
      bacterial community was also found to be a potential predictor of stability, as
      the compositional changes followed the composting progress. By contrast, the
      fungal community did not present clear successional process along the experiment.
      Maturity and quality of the stabilised SMS were assessed in a horticultural
      growing trial. When used as the sole fertiliser source, SMS was able to support
      Lolium multiflorum (Italian ryegrass) growth and significantly improved grass
      yield with a concentration-dependent response, increasing grass biomass up to
      300%, when compared to the untreated control. In summary, the results indicated
      that the method employed was efficient in generating a stable and mature product,
      which has a great potential to be applied in horticulture. This study represents
      a step forward in the management of SMS residue, and also provides an alternative
      to reduce the use of peat in horticulture, alleviating environmental impacts to
      peatland ecosystems.

PMID- 28343050
TI  - Photocatalytic efficiency of Fe2O3/TiO2 for the degradation of typical dyes in
      textile industries: Effects of calcination temperature and UV-assisted thermal
      synthesis.
AB  - The inadequate management practices in industrial textile effluents have a
      considerable negative impact on the environment and human health due to the
      indiscriminate release of dyes. Photocatalysis is one of the diverse advance
      oxidation processes (AOPs) and titanium dioxide (TiO2) is recognized for its high
      oxidation and reduction power. A composite photocatalyst of Fe2O3/TiO2 is
      synthesized using different mass ratios of Fe:TiO2 to improve its photoactivity.
      The composite photocatalyst is calcined at 300-900  degrees C. Their
      photocatalytic activity for the degradation of Congo red (CR) and methyl orange
      (MO) is investigated by total organic carbon (TOC) analysis. The formation and
      characterization of the as-prepared composite are studied by scanning electron
      microscopy (SEM) coupled with energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS). The
      effect of calcination temperature on the composite Fe2O3/TiO2 photocatalyst is
      investigated using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). The
      photocatalytic activity and the phase conversion are studied by X-ray diffraction
      (XRD). The specific surface area of photocatalysts at different calcination
      temperatures is investigated based on Brunauer-Emmett-Teller (BET) surface area
      analysis. Results show that at an optimum calcination temperature of 300  degrees
      C for the photocatalyst preparation, the specific surface area is maximum and the
      photocatalyst has the highest photoactivity. Thus, the degradation of organic
      materials reaches 62.0% for MO and 46.8% for CR in the presence of Fe2O3/TiO2
      (0.01 w:w Fe:TiO2) calcined at 300  degrees C with the highest specific surface
      area (98.73 m2/g). The transformation of TiO2 from anatase to rutile is
      facilitated by high temperature and high concentration of iron while high
      crystallization and particle size increase occur. An optimum calcination
      temperature of 300  degrees C is found at which the degradation of typical dyes
      in textile industries is maximum.

PMID- 28343051
TI  - Tolerability of cariprazine in the treatment of acute bipolar I mania: A pooled
      post hoc analysis of 3 phase II/III studies.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Atypical antipsychotics have broad-spectrum efficacy against core
      symptoms of acute mania/mixed states in bipolar disorder; however, they are
      associated with clinically significant adverse effects (AEs). METHODS: This post
      hoc analysis evaluated the safety and tolerability of the atypical antipsychotic
      cariprazine in the treatment of adult patients with acute manic/mixed episodes of
      bipolar I disorder. Data were taken from three 3-week randomized, double-blind,
      placebo-controlled, flexible-dose trials of cariprazine 3-12mg/d. Patient
      subgroups categorized by modal daily dose (3-6mg/d; 9-12mg/d) were used to assess
      dose response. RESULTS: The pooled safety population comprised 1065 patients
      (placebo=442; cariprazine 3-6mg/d=263; cariprazine 9-12mg/d=360). More
      cariprazine- than placebo-treated patients reported double-blind treatment
      emergent AEs; the overall AE incidence was similar among cariprazine-dose groups.
      AEs reported in >=5% of cariprazine patients overall with at least twice the
      incidence of placebo were akathisia, extrapyramidal symptoms, restlessness, and
      vomiting. The incidence of SAEs was low and similar between the placebo- and
      cariprazine-treatment groups. Metabolic parameter changes were small and
      generally similar between cariprazine and placebo groups; mean increases in
      fasting glucose levels were greater with cariprazine (3-6mg/d=6.6mg/dL; 9
      12mg/d=7.2mg/dL) than placebo (1.7mg/dL). Mean weight change was 0.54kg and
      0.17kg for cariprazine and placebo, respectively; weight increase >=7% was <3% in
      all treatment groups. Cariprazine was not associated with clinically meaningful
      changes in electrocardiogram parameters. LIMITATIONS: Post hoc analysis, flexible
      dose design, short trial duration. CONCLUSION: Cariprazine was generally safe and
      well-tolerated in patients with manic/mixed episodes associated with bipolar I
      disorder.

PMID- 28343053
TI  - Self-Reported Graphic Personal and Social Performance Scale (SRG-PSP) for
      measuring functionality in patients with bipolar disorder.
AB  - OBJECTIVES: The self-reported graphic version of the Personal and Social
      Performance Scale (SRG-PSP) is the first graphic, self-reported rating scale that
      assesses functioning, and its reliability and validity have been documented in
      patients with schizophrenia. This study investigated the validity of SRG-PSP in
      patients with bipolar disorder (BD). METHODS: Patients with BD were recruited
      from psychiatric outpatient clinics, and assessed with the Young Mania Rating
      Scale (YMRS), the Montgomery-Asberg Depression Rating Scale (MADRS), the Clinical
      Global Impression Scale (CGI)-Bipolar and CGI-Depression, the Positive and
      Negative Symptom Scale (PANSS), the Global assessment of function (GAF), and the
      PSP. All participants completed the self-rating questionnaires: the SRG-PSP, the
      36-Item Short-Form Health Survey (SF-36), and the Sheehan disability Scale (SDS).
      RESULTS: In total, 114 patients with BD were enrolled. The criterion-related
      validities between the SRG-PSP and the PSP were all significantly correlated with
      their counterparts. The global score of the SRG-PSP was significantly correlated
      with the scores of the YMRS, MADRS, PANSS, CGI-Depression, GAF, SF-36, and SDS.
      Three SRG-PSP domains (socially useful activities, personal and social
      relationships, and self-care) were negatively correlated with the scores of the
      MADRS, PANSS, CGI-depression, and SDS; and were positively correlated with the
      GAF, SF-36 scores. The disturbing and aggressive behavior domain was positively
      correlated with the scores of the YMRS, MADRS, PANSS, CGI-Bipolar, CGI
      Depression, and SDS; and was negatively correlated with the GAF, SF-36 scores
      (all p<0.01). CONCLUSION: The SRG-PSP is a validated self-reported scale for
      assessing functionality in patients with BD.

PMID- 28343052
TI  - Season of treatment initiation with antidepressants and suicidal behavior: A
      population-based cohort study in Sweden.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Decreased binding capacity of SERT in the prefrontal cortex has been
      observed in both suicide victims and suicide attempters. Moreover, some studies
      have shown that SERT has a seasonal variation with lower binding capacity in the
      spring and summer, which coincides with a seasonal peak of suicides. Our aim was
      to explore whether the season of treatment initiation with antidepressants is
      associated with suicide or suicide attempt and compare it with the underlying
      suicide seasonality in the general population. METHODS: Using Swedish registers,
      patients who initiated treatment with an antidepressant were followed up to three
      months for suicidal behavior. Cox regression analyses were used. Results were
      compared with the underlying seasonal pattern by calculating standardized
      mortality ratios (SMRs) for suicides and standardized incidence ratios (SIRs) for
      suicide attempts. RESULTS: Patients aged >=65 years had higher risk for suicide
      when initiating antidepressant treatment in the summer, and also a higher risk
      for suicide attempt when initiating treatment in the spring and summer. Young
      patients (0-24 years) presented a higher risk for suicide attempt when initiating
      treatment in the autumn. Patients with previous suicide attempt had a seasonal
      pattern, with a higher risk to carry out a suicide attempt in the summer and
      autumn. Results from the SMR and SIR calculations numerically support these
      findings. LIMITATIONS: We used information of filling an antidepressant
      prescription as a proxy of actual antidepressant treatment. Patients with
      combination, augmentation therapy or those switching antidepressant during follow
      up were excluded. Thus, our results refer to less complicated psychopathology.
      CONCLUSIONS: Our results indicate an interaction between biological and health
      care-related factors for the observed seasonal pattern of suicidal behavior in
      the elderly, whereas psychological and societal factors may be more important for
      the seasonality observed in the younger patients.

PMID- 28343054
TI  - "Role of cardiovascular magnetic resonance in assessing patients with chest pain,
      increased troponin levels and normal coronary arteries".

PMID- 28343055
TI  - Effects of porous carrier size on biofilm development, microbial distribution and
      nitrogen removal in microaerobic bioreactors.
AB  - In this study, effects of porous carrier's size (polyurethane-based) on microbial
      characteristics were systematically investigated in addition to nitrogen removal
      performance in six microaerobic bioreactors. Among different sized carriers (50,
      30, 20, 15,10, 5mm), 15mm carrier showed highest nitrogen removal (98%) due to
      optimal micro-environments created for aerobic nitrifiers in outer layer (0-7mm),
      nitrifiers and denitrifiers in middle layer (7-10mm) and anaerobic denitrifiers
      in inner layer (10-15mm). Candidatus brocadia, a dominant anammox bacteria, was
      solely concentrated close to centroid (0-70MUm) and strongly co-aggregated with
      other bacterial communities in the middle layer of the carrier. Contrarily,
      carriers with a smaller (<15mm) or larger size (>15mm) either destroy the
      effective zone for anaerobic denitrifiers or damage the microaerobic environments
      due to poor mass transfer. This study is of particular use for optimal design of
      carriers in enhancing simultaneous nitrification-denitrification in microaerobic
      wastewater treatment processes.

PMID- 28343056
TI  - Preliminary investigation of the microwave pyrolysis mechanism of sludge based on
      high frequency structure simulator simulation of the electromagnetic field
      distribution.
AB  - Under microwave irradiation, raw sludge was pyrolyzed mainly by evaporation of
      water, with a weight loss ratio of 84.8% and a maximum temperature not exceeding
      200 degrees C. High-temperature pyrolysis of SiC sludge could be realized, with a
      weight loss ratio of 93.4% and a final pyrolysis temperature of 1131.7 degrees C.
      Variations between the electric field intensity distribution are the main reason
      for the differences of pyrolysis efficiencies. HFSS simulation showed that the
      electric field intensity of the raw sludge gradually decreased from 2.94*104V/m
      to 0.88*104V/m when pyrolysis ends, while that of SiC sludge decreased from
      3.73*104V/m at the beginning to 1.28*104V/m, then increased to 4.03*104V/m. The
      electromagnetic effect is the main factor (r>=0.91) influencing the temperature
      increase and weight loss of raw sludge. Both the electromagnetic effect and heat
      conduction effect influenced temperature rise and weight loss of SiC sludge, but
      the former's influence was comparatively larger.

PMID- 28343057
TI  - Effects of side-stream ratio on sludge reduction and microbial structures of
      anaerobic side-stream reactor coupled membrane bioreactors.
AB  - An anoxic/oxic membrane bioreactor (AO-MBR) and three anaerobic side-stream
      reactor (ASSR) coupled MBRs (ASSR-MBR) were operated to investigate effects of
      side-stream ratio (SR) on sludge reduction and microbial community structure of
      ASSR-MBRs. The ASSR-MBR achieved efficient COD and ammonium nitrogen removal. SR
      increased from 0.2 to 1.0 favored nitrogen removal, and increased sludge
      reduction from 6.0% to 49.7%. The total released COD in the ASSR increased with
      the rising SR and was inversely proportional to sludge yield of ASSR-MBR.
      Pyrosequencing analysis showed that phyla Chloroflexi and Armatimonadetes
      surviving in anaerobic conditions were enriched in the ASSR, while Nitrospirae
      was dominant in the MBR. Comparison at the genus level revealed that higher SR
      favored the growth of slow growers, while lower SR enriched hydrolytic and
      predatory bacteria. The results suggested that SR has a profound effect on
      nitrogen removal, sludge reduction and microbial community structure in the ASSR
      MBR.

PMID- 28343058
TI  - Butyric acid production from lignocellulosic biomass hydrolysates by engineered
      Clostridium tyrobutyricum overexpressing xylose catabolism genes for glucose and
      xylose co-utilization.
AB  - Clostridium tyrobutyricum can utilize glucose and xylose as carbon source for
      butyric acid production. However, xylose catabolism is inhibited by glucose,
      hampering butyric acid production from lignocellulosic biomass hydrolysates
      containing both glucose and xylose. In this study, an engineered strain of C.
      tyrobutyricum Ct-pTBA overexpressing heterologous xylose catabolism genes (xylT,
      xylA, and xylB) was investigated for co-utilizing glucose and xylose present in
      hydrolysates of plant biomass, including soybean hull, corn fiber, wheat straw,
      rice straw, and sugarcane bagasse. Compared to the wild-type strain, Ct-pTBA
      showed higher xylose utilization without significant glucose catabolite
      repression, achieving near 100% utilization of glucose and xylose present in
      lignocellulosic biomass hydrolysates in bioreactor at pH 6. About 42.6g/L
      butyrate at a productivity of 0.56g/L.h and yield of 0.36g/g was obtained in
      batch fermentation, demonstrating the potential of C. tyrobutyricum Ct-pTBA for
      butyric acid production from lignocellulosic biomass hydrolysates.

PMID- 28343059
TI  - Internal cycling, not external loading, decides the nutrient limitation in
      eutrophic lake: A dynamic model with temporal Bayesian hierarchical inference.
AB  - Lake eutrophication is associated with excessive anthropogenic nutrients (mainly
      nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P)) and unobserved internal nutrient cycling.
      Despite the advances in understanding the role of external loadings, the
      contribution of internal nutrient cycling is still an open question. A dynamic
      mass-balance model was developed to simulate and measure the contributions of
      internal cycling and external loading. It was based on the temporal Bayesian
      Hierarchical Framework (BHM), where we explored the seasonal patterns in the
      dynamics of nutrient cycling processes and the limitation of N and P on
      phytoplankton growth in hyper-eutrophic Lake Dianchi, China. The dynamic patterns
      of the five state variables (Chla, TP, ammonia, nitrate and organic N) were
      simulated based on the model. Five parameters (algae growth rate, sediment
      exchange rate of N and P, nitrification rate and denitrification rate) were
      estimated based on BHM. The model provided a good fit to observations. Our model
      results highlighted the role of internal cycling of N and P in Lake Dianchi. The
      internal cycling processes contributed more than external loading to the N and P
      changes in the water column. Further insights into the nutrient limitation
      analysis indicated that the sediment exchange of P determined the P limitation.
      Allowing for the contribution of denitrification to N removal, N was the more
      limiting nutrient in most of the time, however, P was the more important nutrient
      for eutrophication management. For Lake Dianchi, it would not be possible to
      recover solely by reducing the external watershed nutrient load; the mechanisms
      of internal cycling should also be considered as an approach to inhibit the
      release of sediments and to enhance denitrification.

PMID- 28343060
TI  - UV/chlorine treatment of carbamazepine: Transformation products and their
      formation kinetics.
AB  - Carbamazepine (CBZ) is one of the pharmaceuticals most frequently detected in the
      aqueous environment. This study investigated the transformation products when CBZ
      is degraded by chlorine under ultraviolet (UV) irradiation (the UV/chlorine
      process). Detailed pathways for the degradation of CBZ were elucidated using
      ultra-high performance liquid chromatography (UHPLC)-quadrupole time-of-flight
      mass spectrometry (QTOF-MS). CBZ is readily degraded by hydroxyl radicals (HO)
      and chlorine radicals (Cl) in the UV/chlorine process, and 24 transformation
      products were identified. The products indicate that the 10,11-double bond and
      aromatic ring in CBZ are the sites most susceptible to attack by HO and Cl.
      Subsequent reaction produces hydroxylated and chlorinated aromatic ring products.
      Four specific products were quantified and their evolution was related with the
      chlorine dose, pH, and natural organic matter concentration. Their yields showed
      an increase followed by a decreasing trend with prolonged reaction time. CBZ
      10,11-epoxide (I), the main quantified transformation product from HO oxidation,
      was observed with a peak transformation yield of 3-32% depending on the
      conditions. The more toxic acridine (IV) was formed involving both HO and Cl with
      peak transformation yields of 0.4-1%. All four quantified products together
      amounted to a peak transformation yield of 34.5%. The potential toxicity of the
      transformation products was assayed by evaluating their inhibition of the
      bioluminescence of the bacterium Vibrio Fischeri. The inhibition increased at
      first and the decreased at longer reaction times, which was in parallel with the
      evolution of transformation products.

PMID- 28343061
TI  - Automated diabetic macular edema (DME) grading system using DWT, DCT Features and
      maculopathy index.
AB  - The cause of diabetic macular edema (DME) is due to prolonged and uncontrolled
      diabetes mellitus (DM) which affects the vision of diabetic subjects. DME is
      graded based on the exudate location from the macula. It is clinically diagnosed
      using fundus images which is tedious and time-consuming. Regular eye screening
      and subsequent treatment may prevent the vision loss. Hence, in this work, a
      hybrid system based on Radon transform (RT), discrete wavelet transform (DWT) and
      discrete cosine transform (DCT) are proposed for an automated detection of DME.
      The fundus images are subjected to RT to obtain sinograms and DWT is applied on
      these sinograms to extract wavelet coefficients (approximate, horizontal,
      vertical and diagonal). DCT is applied on approximate coefficients to obtain 2D
      DCT coefficients. Further, these coefficients are converted into 1D vector by
      arranging the coefficients in zig-zag manner. This 1D signal is subjected to
      locality sensitive discriminant analysis (LSDA). Finally, various supervised
      classifiers are used to classify the three classes using significant features.
      Our proposed technique yielded a classification accuracy of 100% and 97.01% using
      two and seven significant features for private and public (MESSIDOR) databases
      respectively. Also, a maculopathy index is formulated with two significant
      parameters to discriminate the three groups distinctly using a single integer.
      Hence, our obtained results suggest that this system can be used as an eye
      screening tool for diabetic subjects for DME.

PMID- 28343062
TI  - The material, moral, and affective worlds of dealing and crime among young men
      entrenched in an inner city drug scene.
AB  - A large body of previous research has elucidated how involvement in drug dealing
      and crime among marginalized urban youth who use drugs is shaped by the
      imperatives of addiction and survival in the context of poverty. However, a
      growing body of research has examined how youth's involvement in these activities
      is shaped by more expansive desires and moralities. In this paper, we examine the
      material, moral, and affective worlds of loosely gang affiliated, street level
      dealing and crime among one group of young men in Vancouver, Canada. Drawing on
      longitudinal interviews with 44 young men from 2008 to 2016, and ethnographic
      fieldwork with a group of approximately 15 of those young men over the same time
      period, we argue that for these youth, dealing and crime were not solely about
      economic survival, or even the accrual of highly meaningful forms of "street
      capital" in the margins. Rather, as "regimes of living," dealing and crime also
      opened up new value systems, moral logics, and affects in relation to the
      tremendous risks, potential rewards, and crushing boredom of life in the margins.
      These activities were also understood as a way into deeply desired forms of
      social spatial belonging in the city, which had previously only been imagined.
      However, across time dealing and crime "embedded" young men in cycles of
      incarceration, destitution, addictions, and mental health crises that ultimately
      reinforced their exclusion-from legal employment, but also within the world of
      crime. The findings of this study underscore the importance of adopting a life
      course perspective in order to meaningfully address the harms associated with
      involvement in dealing and crime among youth in our setting.

PMID- 28343063
TI  - Motives for illicit prescription drug use among university students: A systematic
      review and meta-analysis.
AB  - BACKGROUND: There is a growing body of research on the motives for prescription
      drug misuse (PDM) among university students. However, the overall findings of
      this research are hard to decipher. Studies use different methods, they examine
      different drug types, the motives are phrased in various ways, and the results
      differ widely. In order to make sense of this body of knowledge, it is necessary
      to synthesise the results across studies and draw out conclusions. METHODS: The
      research comprises a systematic review and meta-analysis of studies on the
      motives of university students for illicit use of four different types of
      prescription medication (stimulants, analgesics, tranquillisers and sedatives).
      The search for studies was conducted on six bibliographic databases with stated
      criteria governing search eligibility and inclusion in the final review. RESULTS:
      Overall, the most prevalent motives for PDM among university students cover some
      kind of personal enhancement to the user in terms of performance (in relation to
      sports, and academic outcomes), mental health (ability sleep, to reduce anxiety),
      or physical health (manage pre-existing illnesses). Fewer than half of users said
      that they were involved in PDM for pleasure purposes (to party, to get high, or
      to experiment). CONCLUSION: PDM among students might be viewed as a means of self
      improvement when other means of achieving desired objectives are unavailable or
      restricted. A more thorough understanding of motives for PDM, especially in
      relation to their influence on behaviour, might help in devising university-based
      treatment and prevention programmes.

PMID- 28343064
TI  - A barley homolog of yeast ATG6 is involved in multiple abiotic stress responses
      and stress resistance regulation.
AB  - Autophagy is a highly conserved degradation pathway among eukaryote cells, which
      can recycle damaged or unwanted cell materials upon encountering stress
      conditions. As a key component of the Class III PI3K kinase complex, ATG6/Beclin
      1 is essential for autophagosome formation. In this study, we isolated a putative
      HvATG6 gene in barley genome. The protein encoded by HvATG6 shares high sequence
      identity to ATG6 orthologs in rice and wheat, and has a typical autophagy
      specific domain containing segments of repeated beta-sheet-alpha-helix. The
      expression of HvATG6 protein restored the appearance of autophagosomes in yeast
      atg6 mutant, indicating that HvATG6 complements the deficiency of yeast ATG6
      protein in autophagy. Punctate florescence signals, considered as the PAS for
      autophagosome initiation, were observed in the cytoplasm of cells when HvATG6-GFP
      fusion construct was transformed into barley protoplast. Furthermore, the
      expression of HvATG6 was upregulated by various abiotic stresses including dark,
      H2O2 treatment, nitrogen deficiency, high salinity, drought, low temperature and
      toxic aluminum. Knockdown of HvATG6 in barley leaves through barley strip mosaic
      virus (BSMV)-induced gene silencing led to accelerated yellowing under dark and
      H2O2 treatments. Based on the above findings, we propose that barley ATG6 plays
      the similar role as other plant ATG6 orthologs, and might be involved in stress
      induced autophagy process.

PMID- 28343065
TI  - Interaction of a chelating agent, 5-hydroxy-2-(hydroxymethyl)pyridin-4(1H)-one,
      with Al(III), Cu(II) and Zn(II) ions.
AB  - 5-Hydroxy-2-(hydroxymethyl)pyridin-4(1H)-one ligand, an iron chelator, was
      evaluated for its coordination ability toward Al(III), Cu(II) and Zn(II) ions by
      using potentiometric, NMR, EPR and UV-Vis techniques. The behavior of the ligand
      with the non-essential Al(III) ion has been examined, as well as its potential
      influence on the homeostatic equilibria of the essential Cu(II) and Zn(II) ions.
      Structural information on the complex formation equilibria have been obtained
      from 1D and 2D NMR study. The donor atoms involved in the coordination of
      Al(III), Cu(II) and Zn(II) ions are (O, O) the same as for Fe(III) at
      physiological pH value, even if from the complexation competition study the
      ligand appears to be more selective toward Fe(III) ions supporting that it can be
      used as an iron chelating agent. The involvement of N-donor atoms at high pH in
      Cu(II) coordination has been determined by using EPR and UV-Vis techniques.

PMID- 28343067
TI  - Reading problems and major mental disorders - co-occurrences and familial
      overlaps in a Swedish nationwide cohort.
AB  - Reading problems often co-occur with ADHD and conduct disorder. However, the
      patterns of co-occurrence and familial overlap between reading problems and other
      psychiatric disorders have not been systematically explored. We conducted a
      register-based cohort study including 8719 individuals with reading problems and
      their siblings, along with matched comparison individuals. Conditional logistic
      regressions estimated risks for ADHD, autism, obsessive-compulsive disorder,
      anorexia nervosa, schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, depression, substance use
      disorder, and violent/non-violent criminality in individuals with reading
      problems and their siblings. Diagnoses of psychiatric disorders were physician
      assigned and ascertained from the Swedish National Patient Register, and crime
      convictions from the Swedish National Crime Register. We found that individuals
      with reading problems had excess risks for all psychiatric disorders (except
      anorexia nervosa) and criminality, with risk ratios between 1.34 and 4.91.
      Siblings of individuals with reading problems showed excess risks for ADHD,
      autism, schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, depression, substance use disorder, and
      non-violent criminality, with risk ratios between 1.14 and 1.70. In summary,
      individuals with reading problems had increased risks of virtually all
      psychiatric disorders, and criminality. The origin of most of these overlaps was
      familial, in that siblings of individuals with reading problems also had elevated
      risks of ADHD, autism, schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, depression, substance use
      disorder, and non-violent criminality. These findings have implications for gene
      searching efforts, and suggest that health care practitioners should be alert for
      signs of psychiatric disorders in families where reading problems exist.

PMID- 28343066
TI  - Calcium triggers reversal of calmodulin on nested anti-parallel sites in the IQ
      motif of the neuronal voltage-dependent sodium channel NaV1.2.
AB  - Several members of the voltage-gated sodium channel family are regulated by
      calmodulin (CaM) and ionic calcium. The neuronal voltage-gated sodium channel
      NaV1.2 contains binding sites for both apo (calcium-depleted) and calcium
      saturated CaM. We have determined equilibrium dissociation constants for rat
      NaV1.2 IQ motif [IQRAYRRYLLK] binding to apo CaM (~3nM) and (Ca2+)4-CaM (~85nM),
      showing that apo CaM binding is favored by 30-fold. For both apo and (Ca2+)4-CaM,
      NMR demonstrated that NaV1.2 IQ motif peptide (NaV1.2IQp) exclusively made
      contacts with C-domain residues of CaM (CaMC). To understand how calcium triggers
      conformational change at the CaM-IQ interface, we determined a solution structure
      (2M5E.pdb) of (Ca2+)2-CaMC bound to NaV1.2IQp. The polarity of (Ca2+)2-CaMC
      relative to the IQ motif was opposite to that seen in apo CaMC-Nav1.2IQp (2KXW),
      revealing that CaMC recognizes nested, anti-parallel sites in Nav1.2IQp. Reversal
      of CaM may require transient release from the IQ motif during calcium binding,
      and facilitate a re-orientation of CaMN allowing interactions with non-IQ NaV1.2
      residues or auxiliary regulatory proteins interacting in the vicinity of the IQ
      motif.

PMID- 28343069
TI  - Linc00152 promotes cancer progression in hepatitis B virus-associated
      hepatocellular carcinoma.
AB  - BACKGROUND: The X protein (HBx) plays as a key role in hepatocarcinogenesis
      associated with hepatitis B virus (HBV) infections. The study aimed to figure out
      the role of Linc00152 in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and the association
      between the expression levels of Linc00152 and HBx. METHODS: QRT-PCR assays were
      applied to analyzed the expression levels of Linc00152 and HBx. Kaplan-Meier
      survival curve was performed to identify the association between LINC00152 and
      the over survival time (OS) in HCC patients. Cell growth and invasion ability was
      evaluated by CCK8 cell proliferation and transwell invasion assays. Western-blot
      analysis was detected the protein expression. RNA immunoprecipitation (RIP), RNA
      pull down and chromatin Immunoprecipitation (ChIP) assays was also been carried
      out. RESULTS: We demonstrated that LINC00152 expression in hepatocellular
      carcinoma (HCC) patients was significantly higher compared with adjacent non
      tumour tissues and positively correlated with tumor size, HBV infection (HBsAg)
      and tumor number. Patient with hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection HCC was higher
      expression than that without HBV. Furthermore, the expression levels of Linc00152
      were positively correlated with HBx expression in HCC tissues and higher
      Linc00152 expression levels were correlated with poor prognosis of HCC patients.
      In vitro, Linc00152 was up-regulated in Huh-7 and SM7721 cells after
      overexpression of HBx and down-regulated after silencing HBx. Furthermore,
      silencing Linc00152 suppressed the cell proliferation and invasion. Moreover, we
      found that Linc00152 inhibited the E-cadherin expression via interacting with
      EZH2 and promoted the Epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) phenomenon in HCC
      cells. CONCLUSIONS: These results suggested that HBx enhanced LINC00152
      expression and inhibition of LINC00152 could provide a therapeutic target for
      HCC.

PMID- 28343068
TI  - The role of TRAIL in fatigue induced by repeated stress from radiotherapy.
AB  - Fatigue is one of the most common and debilitating side effects of cancer and
      cancer treatment, and yet its etiology remains elusive. The goal of this study is
      to understand the role of chronic inflammation in fatigue following repeated
      stress from radiotherapy. Fatigue and non-fatigue categories were assessed using
      >= 3-point change in Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy-Fatigue
      questionnaire (FACT-F) administered to participants at baseline/before
      radiotherapy and one year post-radiotherapy. Whole genome microarray and cytokine
      multiplex panel were used to examine fatigue-related transcriptome and serum
      cytokine changes, respectively. The study included 86 subjects (discovery phase n
      = 40, validation phase n = 46). The sample in the discovery phase included men
      with prostate cancer scheduled to receive external-beam radiotherapy. A panel of
      48 cytokines were measured and the significantly changed cytokine found in the
      discovery phase was validated using sera from a separate cohort of men two years
      after completing radiotherapy for prostate cancer at a different institution.
      Effects of the significantly changed cytokine on cell viability was quantified
      using the MTT assay. During the discovery phase, tumor necrosis factor-related
      apoptosis-inducing ligand (TRAIL) and TRAIL decoy receptor, TNFRSF10C (TRAIL-R3),
      were significantly upregulated in fatigued (>=3-point decrease from baseline to
      1yr-post radiotherapy) subjects (n = 15). In the validation phase, TRAIL
      correlated with fatigue scores 2yrs post-radiotherapy. TRAIL caused selective
      cytotoxicity in neuronal cells, but not in microglial and muscle cells, in vitro.
      Late-onset inflammation directed by TRAIL may play a role in fatigue pathogenesis
      post-repeated stress from irradiation.

PMID- 28343070
TI  - The activation of Akt/mTOR pathway by bleomycin in Epithelial-to-mesenchymal
      transition of human submandibular gland cells: A treatment mechanism of bleomycin
      for mucoceles of the salivary glands.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: Bleomycin (BLM) has been found safe and highly effective in the
      treatment of the mucoceles by intralesional injection in our previous study. The
      present research was designed to investigate whether epithelial-to-mesenchymal
      transition (EMT) contributes to the therapeutic effects of BLM for mucoceles of
      the salivary glands. MATERIAL AND METHODS: The cell proliferation and apoptosis
      of human submandibular gland cells (HSG cells) were examined by Cell Counting Kit
      8 assay and Annexin V binding assay respectively. Epithelial and mesenchymal
      markers of HSG cells were measured by real-time quantitative PCR and Western blot
      analysis. Acinar differentiation and cell migration assays were performed to
      evaluate HSG cells function. RESULTS: High-dose BLM (>=0.5MUg/mL) significantly
      inhibited the cell proliferation and induced the cell apoptosis, while the
      treatment with low-dose BLM (0.05 and 0.1MUg/mL) for 48h induced EMT in HSG
      cells. Furthermore, Akt/mTOR pathway, rather than MAPK pathway, was activated
      through treated with 0.05 and 0.1MUg/mL BLM, as well as activation of the
      transcription factor Slug and Zeb 1. The migration of HSG cells was also enhanced
      through 0.05 and 0.1MUg/mL BLM, but the ability of acinar differentiation was
      diminished. CONCLUSION: Our results indicated that an EMT process was involved in
      the BLM-induced therapeutic effects on the HSG cells through the Akt/mTOR
      pathway. Importantly, the results indicated the potential role of this process in
      the BLM sclerotherapy of mucoceles of the salivary glands.

PMID- 28343071
TI  - Analgesia effect of baicalein against NTG-induced migraine in rats.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Migraine is a complex nervous system disease characterized by typical
      throbbing and unilateral headache, which causes severe healthy and social issues
      worldwide. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of baicalein
      (BAI) on the treatment of migraine. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Twenty-four rats were
      randomly divided equally into four groups, including a blank group, model group,
      positive group (ibuprofen tablets 82mg/kg), and BAI group (60mg/kg). All rats
      were intragastrically treated with the corresponding treatment for 10 consecutive
      days, and they were subcutaneously injected with NTG (10mg/kg) 1h after the last
      treatment, except in the blank group. After model establishment, the behaviors of
      all rats, including scratching head and shaking body were observed continuously
      for 100min. Four hours after NTG treatment, all rats were anaesthetized and the
      blood was collected. Thereafter, nitric oxide (NO) in plasma was determined by
      colorimetric method, the level of calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP) and
      endothelin (ET) were detected by radioimmunoassay method. In addition,
      immunohistochemistry was applied to detect c-Fos neuronal activity in trigeminal
      nucleus caudalis (TNC). RESULTS: Behavioral research showed that BAI
      administration alleviated the hyperalgesia in migraine rats. Compared with the
      model group, the levels of NO and CGRP in BAI administration groups were markedly
      decreased (p<0.01), and the levels of ET was significantly increased (p<0.01).
      Meanwhile, immunohistochemistry results showed that NTG treatment significantly
      activated c-Fos neurons while BAI treatment inhibited the expression of c-Fos.
      CONCLUSIONS: BAI could alleviate the migraine-like headache induced by NTG, which
      is related to the regulation of vasoactive substances. These findings may
      contribute to the further study of BAI as a potential drug for migraine
      pharmacotherapy.

PMID- 28343073
TI  - Breviscapine confers a neuroprotective efficacy against transient focal cerebral
      ischemia by attenuating neuronal and astrocytic autophagy in the penumbra.
AB  - Breviscapine is a flavonoid derived from a traditional Chinese herb Erigerin
      breviscapus (Vant.) Hand-Mazz, and has been extensively used in clinical
      treatment for cerebral stroke in China, but the underlying pharmacological
      mechanisms are still unclear. In present study, we investigated whether
      breviscapine could confer a neuroprotection against cerebral ischemia injury by
      targeting autophagy mechanisms. A cerebral stroke model in Sprague-Dawley rats
      was prepared by middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO), rats were then randomly
      divided into 5 groups: MCAO+Bre group, rats were treated with breviscapine;
      MCAO+Tat-Beclin-1 group, animals were administrated with specific autophagy
      inducer Tat-Beclin-1; MCAO+Bre+Tat-Beclin-1 group, rats were treated with both
      breviscapine and Tat-Beclin-1, MCAO+saline group, rats received the same volume
      of physiological saline, and Sham surgery group. The autophagy levels in infarct
      penumbra were evaluated by western blotting, real-time PCR and immunofluorescence
      7days after the insult. Meanwhile, infarct volume, brain water content and
      neurological deficit score were assessed. The results illustrated that the
      infarct volume, brain water content and neurofunctional deficiency were
      significantly reduced by 7days of breviscapine treatment in MCAO+Bre group,
      compared with those in MCAO+saline group. Meanwhile, the western blotting,
      quantitative PCR and immunofluorescence showed that the autophagy in both neurons
      and astrocytes at the penumbra were markedly attenuated by breviscapine
      admininstration. Moreover, these pharmacological effects of breviscapine could be
      counteracted by autophagy inducer Tat-Beclin-1. Our study suggests that
      breviscapine can provide a neuroprotection against transient focal cerebral
      ischemia, and this biological function is associated with attenuating autophagy
      in both neurons and astrocytes.

PMID- 28343072
TI  - Ribonuclease attenuates hepatic ischemia reperfusion induced cognitive impairment
      through the inhibition of inflammatory cytokines in aged mice.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Elderly patients undergoing major surgery often develop cognitive
      dysfunction, and no optimum treatment exists for this postoperative complication.
      Ribonuclease, the counterpart of ribonucleic acid, has mostly been reported in
      terms of its use as a potential modality in anticancer therapy, and recent
      studies have demonstrated that ribonuclease can exert organ-protective effects in
      several pathological conditions. Our study also demonstrated that ribonuclease
      protects the liver against ischemia reperfusion injury. Nevertheless, it is
      unknown whether ribonuclease can attenuate the cognitive dysfunction that is
      induced by liver ischemia reperfusion. In this study, we aimed to evaluate the
      effect of ribonuclease on cognitive function after liver ischemia reperfusion.
      METHODS: Aged mice underwent sham surgery or 60min of hepatic ischemia
      reperfusion, vehicle or ribonuclease, which were administered subcutaneously. The
      primary observation endpoint was the Morris water maze; following 24h, 3days, and
      7days of reperfusion, the levels of serum and hippocampus proinflammatory
      cytokines were measured to reveal the underlying mechanism. RESULTS: A probe test
      was conducted on day 3 and a reversal probe test was conducted on day 7 after
      surgery; the results demonstrated a reduction in cognitive function after liver
      ischemia reperfusion and that ribonuclease treatment attenuated cognitive
      impairment. The levels of serum and hippocampus proinflammatory cytokines
      (interleukin-6 and interleukin-1beta) and extracellular ribonucleic acid were
      significantly increased at 24h after reperfusion, but ribonuclease treatment
      markedly reduced the proinflammatory cytokine increase. CONCLUSION: The results
      of the study suggested that hepatic ischemia reperfusion leads to cognitive
      impairment in aged mice and an increase in inflammatory cytokine expression in
      both serum and the hippocampus; more importantly, ribonuclease showed protective
      effects against cognitive impairment through inhibiting the release of
      inflammatory cytokines.

PMID- 28343074
TI  - Cratoxy formosum leaf extract inhibits proliferation and migration of human
      breast cancer MCF-7 cells.
AB  - In this study we investigated how Cratoxy formosum (CF) leaf extract affects the
      viability and migration of human breast cancer cells including the mechanism(s)
      responsible. Our results showed that CF leaf extract strongly induced MCF-7 cell
      death in a concentration- and time-dependent manner, with IC50 values of 85.70+/
      4.52MUg/mL and 53.74+/-3.02MUg/mL at 24h and 48h, respectively. Additionally, CF
      leaf extract potentiated the activity of 4 anticancer drugs with the greatest
      synergy occurring between CF and 5-FU. CF leaf extract also caused a dose
      dependent decrease in colony forming ability with IC50 values of 36.37+1.80
      MUg/mL and cell migration, with IC50 values of 43.68+/-0.86MUg/mL. Moreover, CF
      significantly induced ROS formation, increased caspase 3 activities, and reduced
      the mitochondrial membrane potential, leading to cancer cell apoptosis and cell
      death. In addition, the extract inhibited cancer cell migration at 25MUg/mL by
      reducing MMP 2 and MMP 9 protein expression. Moreover, CF leaf extracts strongly
      decreased expression of the cell cycle regulatory protein Rac1 and downstream
      protein, cdk6. CF leaf extract significantly stimulated p21 and this correlated
      with a reduction in cyclin D1 protein levels. In summary, CF leaf extract can
      inhibit cell proliferation, induce cell apoptosis, and reduce cell migration in
      the MCF-7 cell line. It could also be beneficial for enhancing the activity of
      anticancer drugs used to treat breast cancer.

PMID- 28343075
TI  - An update on application of nanotechnology and stem cells in spinal cord injury
      regeneration.
AB  - Spinal cord injury (SCI) is damage to the spinal cord that leads to sudden loss
      of motor and autonomic function and sensory under the level of the injury. The
      pathophysiological advancement of SCI is divided into two categories: primary
      injury and secondary injury. Due to the loss of motor, sensory, or cognitive
      function, a patient's quality of life is likely reduced and places a great burden
      on society in order to supply health care costs. Therefore, it is important to
      develop suitable therapeutic strategies for SCI therapy. Nano biomedical systems
      and stem cell based therapy have the potential to provide new therapeutic
      availability and efficacy over conventional medicine. Due to their unique
      properties, nanomaterials and mesenchymal stem cells can be used to offer
      efficient treatments. Nanoparticles have a potential to deliver therapeutic
      molecules to the target tissue of interest, reducing side effects of untargeted
      therapies in unwanted areas. Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) can reduce activating
      inflammation responses that lead to cell death and promote functional recovery
      and cell growth. We review recent uses of nanomaterials and stem cells in
      regeneration of SCI.

PMID- 28343076
TI  - Repression of DOK7 mediated by DNMT3A promotes the proliferation and invasion of
      KYSE410 and TE-12 ESCC cells.
AB  - Increasing evidence shows that aberrant epigenetic regulation of tumor suppressor
      genes is a contributing factor to their altered expression in esophageal squamous
      cell carcinoma (ESCC). In the current study, we investigate the role of DOK7 in
      ESCC cells. We found that enforced expression of DOK7 inhibited the proliferation
      and invasion of ESCC cells. We also found that treatment of ESCC cells with the
      DNA methylation inhibitor, 5-aza-2-deoxycytidine (5-azadC), induced the
      demethylation of DOK7 in promoter and DOK7 expression. Moreover, silencing DNMT3A
      decreased methylation of DOK7 and increased DOK7 expression, followed by
      repressing the proliferation and invasion of ESCC cells. Collectively, our data
      indicated that silencing DNMT3A inhibits proliferation and invasion in ESCC cells
      by inducing demethylation of DOK7.

PMID- 28343077
TI  - Separation and characterization of unknown impurities and isomers in flomoxef
      sodium by LC-IT-TOF MS and study of their negative-ion fragmentation
      regularities.
AB  - Thirteen unknown impurities in flomoxef sodium were separated and characterized
      by liquid chromatography coupled with high resolution ion trap/time-of-flight
      mass spectrometry (LC-IT-TOF MS)with positive and negative modes of electrospray
      ionization method for further improvement of official monographs in
      pharmacopoeias. The fragmentation patterns of impurities in flomoxef in the
      negative ion mode were studied in detail, and new negative-ion fragmentation
      regularities were discovered. Chromatographic separation was performed on a
      Kromasil C18 column (250mm*4.6mm, 5MUm). The mobile phase consisted of (A)
      ammonium formate aqueous solution (10mM)-methanol (84:16, v/v) and (B) ammonium
      formate aqueous solution (10mM)-methanol (47:53, v/v). In order to determine the
      m/z values of the molecular ions and formulas of all detected impurities, full
      scan LC-MS in both positive and negative ion modes was firstly executed to obtain
      the m/z value of the molecules. Then LC-MS2 and LC-MS3 were carried out on target
      compounds to obtain as much structural information as possible. Complete
      fragmentation patterns of impurities were studied and used to obtain information
      about the structures of these impurities. Structures of thirteen unknown
      degradation products in flomoxef sodium were deduced based on the high resolution
      MSn data with both positive and negative modes. The forming mechanisms of
      degradation products in flomoxef sodium were also studied.

PMID- 28343078
TI  - Development and validation of liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry
      method quantitative determination of polymyxin B1, polymyxin B2, polymyxin B3 and
      isoleucine-polymyxin B1 in human plasma and its application in clinical studies.
AB  - Polymyxin B (PB) is an antibiotic consisting of a cyclic heptapeptide and a
      tripeptide side chain used in treatment of infections caused by Gram-negative
      bacteria. Commercial formulations of PB contain multiple structurally related
      components with major constituents of PB1, PB2, PB3 and ile-PB1. To understand
      the pharmacokinetics of these major components, we have developed and validated a
      LC-MS/MS method to quantify PB1, PB2, PB3 and ile-PB1 in human plasma. PB was
      extracted from plasma by protein precipitation using trichloroacetic acid
      followed by chromatographic separation on Zorbax Bonus-RP column (100mm*2.1mm,
      1.8MUm) using stepwise gradient elution of water containing 0.1% of formic acid
      and 0.1% of trichloroacetic acid (mobile phase A) and 90% acetonitrile with 0.1%
      formic acid (mobile phase B). Despite of structural similarities, these PBs were
      completely resolved in the analytical run time of 6.5min. Detection and
      quantification of PBs were performed by selected reaction monitoring (SRM) under
      positive ionization mode in the mass spectrometer. Separation of PB1 and ile-PB1,
      as well as PB2 and PB3, before quantification is crucial because they are
      structural isomers detected based the same SRM. Excellent linearity was achieved
      (r2>0.99) in the calibration curves of PB. The developed method was accurate
      (95.3-111.7%) and precise (CV<5.1%). Recovery of PB from the plasma extraction
      was between 53 and 76% and reproducible (CV<4.5%). Matrix effect was not observed
      by post-column infusion of PB in the mass spectrometer. This methodology has been
      successfully applied to clinical study of patients dosed with intravenous
      infusions of PB.

PMID- 28343079
TI  - Population model of bladder motion and deformation based on dominant eigenmodes
      and mixed-effects models in prostate cancer radiotherapy.
AB  - In radiotherapy for prostate cancer irradiation of neighboring organs at risk may
      lead to undesirable side-effects. Given this setting, the bladder presents the
      largest inter-fraction shape variations hampering the computation of the actual
      delivered dose vs. planned dose. This paper proposes a population model, based on
      longitudinal data, able to estimate the probability of bladder presence during
      treatment, using only the planning computed tomography (CT) scan as input
      information. As in previously-proposed principal component analysis (PCA)
      population-based models, we have used the data to obtain the dominant eigenmodes
      that describe bladder geometric variations between fractions. However, we have
      used a longitudinal analysis along each mode in order to properly characterize
      patient's variance from the total population variance. We have proposed is a
      mixed-effects (ME) model in order to separate intra- and inter-patient
      variability, in an effort to control confounding cohort effects. Other than using
      PCA, bladder shapes are represented by using spherical harmonics (SPHARM) that
      additionally enables data compression without information lost. Based on training
      data from repeated CT scans, the ME model was thus implemented following
      dimensionality reduction by means of SPHARM and PCA. We have evaluated the model
      in a leave-one-out cross validation framework on the training data but also using
      independent data. Probability maps (PMs) were thus generated with several draws
      from the learnt model as predicted regions where the bladder will likely move and
      deform. These PMs were compared with the actual regions using metrics based on
      mutual information distance and misestimated voxels. The prediction was also
      compared with two previous population PCA-based models. The proposed model was
      able to reduce the uncertainties in the estimation of the probable region of
      bladder motion and deformation. This model can thus be used for tailoring
      radiotherapy treatments.

PMID- 28343080
TI  - Ring artifact correction in gamma-ray process tomography imaging.
AB  - Ring artifacts have been studied for X-ray based Computed Tomography (CT) systems
      but not on gamma-ray based in-situ applications. This paper discusses application
      of recently proposed automatic ring artifact reduction method (Yoon et al., 2016)
      on previously obtained experimental projection data from a gamma-ray based
      Industrial Process Tomography (IPT) system for a prototype catalytic column.
      Studies include qualitative and quantitative evaluation of the method. It is
      observed that ring artifacts are suppressed without loss of significant
      information in gamma-ray PT images.

PMID- 28343081
TI  - Simultaneous determination of 226Ra, 228Ra and 210Pb in drinking water using 3M
      EmporeTM RAD disk by LSC-PLS.
AB  - A procedure for the rapid and simultaneous determination of 226Ra, 228Ra and
      210Pb in drinking water by means of extraction with a 3M EmporeTM Radium RAD disk
      and liquid scintillation spectrometry is described. The selective elution of
      210Pb from the RAD disk and a multivariate calibration using partial least
      squares regression (PLS) are tested as methods to avoid overlap in the spectra
      between 228Ra and 210Pb. The validated procedure was tested with mixtures of
      radionuclides and interlaboratory materials; finally, it was applied to natural
      waters.

PMID- 28343082
TI  - Lateralizing language function with pre-operative functional magnetic resonance
      imaging in early proficient bilingual patients.
AB  - Research on bilinguals with brain lesions is complicated by high patient
      variability, making it difficult to find well-matched controls. We benefitted
      from a database of over 700 patients and conducted an analysis of pre-operative
      functional magnetic resonance imaging data to assess language dominance in 25
      early, highly proficient Spanish-English bilinguals, and 25 carefully matched
      monolingual controls. Our results showed that early bilingualism is associated
      with greater bilateral hemispheric involvement, and monolingualism is associated
      with stronger left hemisphere lateralization (p=0.009). The bilinguals showed
      more pronounced right hemisphere activation (p=0.008). Although language
      dominance values were concordant in the bilingual group, there were a few (12%)
      atypical cases with different lateralization patterns in L1 and L2. Finally, we
      found distinct areas of activity in first and second language within the language
      network, in addition to regions of convergence. These data underscore the need to
      map all languages proficiently spoken by surgical candidates.

PMID- 28343083
TI  - Life satisfaction and perceived stress among young offenders in a residential
      therapeutic community: Latent change score analysis.
AB  - Recent rehabilitation frameworks underscore the importance of strength-based
      interventions for young offenders who may lack internal and external resources to
      manage their stress and plan for their life. This multi-wave longitudinal study
      investigated the dynamic relationship between perceived stress and life
      satisfaction among a group of young ex-offenders in a residential therapeutic
      community. Four waves of data were collected from 117 Hong Kong youths (24.0%
      female, mean age = 17.7) over one year. Latent change score analysis was employed
      to examine the univairate and bivariate changes of their perceived stress and
      life satisfaction. Results suggest a positive growth trajectory in life
      satisfaction over time. The results of perceived stress were less conclusive.
      Bivariate models indicated that the previous level of life satisfaction was
      negatively linked to the subsequent perceived stress level but not vice versa.
      The findings suggest that improvement in life satisfaction may reduce perceived
      stress in young ex-offenders.

PMID- 28343084
TI  - Role of pterostilbene in attenuating immune mediated devastation of pancreatic
      beta cells via Nrf2 signaling cascade.
AB  - Nrf2 (nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor-2) is a transcription factor that
      regulates oxidative/xenobiotic stress response and also suppress inflammation.
      Nrf2 signaling is associated with an increased susceptibility to various kinds of
      stress. Nrf2 has been shown as a promising therapeutic target in various human
      diseases including diabetes. Our earlier studies showed Pterostilbene (PTS) as a
      potent Nrf2 activator, and it protects the pancreatic beta-cells against
      oxidative stress. In this study, we investigated PTS confer protection against
      cytokine-induced beta-cell apoptosis and its role on insulin secretion in
      streptozotocin (STZ)-induced diabetic mice. The Nrf2 activation potential of PTS
      was assessed by dissociation of the Nrf2-Keap1 complex and by expression of ARE
      driven downstream target genes in MIN6 cells. Further, the nuclear Nrf2
      translocation and blockage of apoptotic signaling as demonstrated by the
      reduction of BAX/Bcl-2 ratio, Annexin-V positive cells and caspase-3 activity
      conferred the cyto-protection of PTS against cytokine-induced cellular damage. In
      addition, PTS treatment markedly improved glucose homeostasis and abated
      inflammatory response evidenced by the reduction of proinflammatory cytokines in
      diabetic mice. The inhibition of beta-cell apoptosis by PTS as assessed by
      BAX/Bcl-2 ratio and caspase-3 activity in the pancreas was associated with the
      activation of Nrf2 and the expression of its downstream target genes. PTS also
      inhibited the activation of iNOS and decreased nitric oxide (NO) formation in the
      pancreas of diabetic animals. The results obtained from both in vitro and in vivo
      experiments showed that PTS improves beta-cell function and survival against
      cytokine stress and also prevents STZ-induced diabetes.

PMID- 28343086
TI  - Modeling the influence of acute changes in bladder elasticity on pressure and
      wall tension during filling.
AB  - Tension-sensitive nerves in the bladder wall are responsible for providing
      bladder sensation. Bladder wall tension, and therefore nerve output, is a
      function of bladder pressure, volume, geometry and material properties. The
      elastic modulus of the bladder is acutely adjustable, and this material property
      is responsible for adjustable preload tension exhibited in human and rabbit
      detrusor muscle strips and dynamic elasticity revealed during comparative-fill
      urodynamics in humans. A finite deformation model of the bladder was previously
      used to predict filling pressure and wall tension using uniaxial tension test
      data and the results showed that wall tension can increase significantly during
      filling with relatively little pressure change. In the present study, published
      uniaxial rabbit detrusor data were used to quantify regulated changes in the
      elastic modulus, and the finite deformation model was expanded to illustrate the
      potential effects of elasticity changes on pressure and wall tension during
      filling. The model demonstrates a shift between relatively flat pressure-volume
      filling curves, which is consistent with a recent human urodynamics study, and
      also predicts that dynamic elasticity would produce significant changes in wall
      tension during filling. The model results support the conclusion that acute
      regulation of bladder elasticity could contribute to significant changes in wall
      tension for a given volume that could lead to urgency, and that a single
      urodynamic fill may be insufficient to characterize bladder biomechanics. The
      model illustrates the potential value of quantifying wall tension in addition to
      pressure during urodynamics.

PMID- 28343087
TI  - CAD/CAM machining Vs pre-sintering in-lab fabrication techniques of Y-TZP ceramic
      specimens: Effects on their mechanical fatigue behavior.
AB  - This study evaluated the effects of different pre-sintering fabrication
      processing techniques of Y-TZP ceramic (CAD/CAM Vs. in-lab), considering surface
      characteristics and mechanical performance outcomes. Pre-sintered discs of Y-TZP
      ceramic (IPS e.max ZirCAD, Ivoclar Vivadent) were produced using different pre
      sintering fabrication processing techniques: Machined- milling with a CAD/CAM
      system; Polished- fabrication using a cutting device followed by polishing (600
      and 1200 SiC papers); Xfine- fabrication using a cutting machine followed by
      grinding with extra-fine diamond bur (grit size 30 MUm); Fine- fabrication using
      a cutting machine followed by grinding with fine diamond bur (grit size 46 MUm);
      SiC- fabrication using a cutting machine followed by grinding with 220 SiC paper.
      Afterwards, the discs were sintered and submitted to roughness (n=35), surface
      topography (n=2), phase transformation (n=2), biaxial flexural strength (n=20),
      and biaxial flexural fatigue strength (fatigue limit) (n=15) analyses. No
      monoclinic-phase content was observed in all processing techniques. It can be
      observed that obtaining a surface with similar characteristics to CAD/CAM milling
      is essential for the observation of similar mechanical performance. On this
      sense, grinding with fine diamond bur before sintering (Fine group) was the best
      mimic protocol in comparison to the CAD/CAM milling.

PMID- 28343085
TI  - Guava fruit extract and its triterpene constituents have osteoanabolic effect:
      Stimulation of osteoblast differentiation by activation of mitochondrial
      respiration via the Wnt/beta-catenin signaling.
AB  - The aim of this study was to evaluate the skeletal effect of guava triterpene
      enriched extract (GE) in rats and identify osteogenic compounds thereof, and
      determine their modes of action. In growing female rats, GE at 250 mg/kg dose
      increased parameters of peak bone mass including femur length, bone mineral
      density (BMD) and biomechanical strength, suggesting that GE promoted modeling
      directed bone growth. GE also stimulated bone regeneration at the site of bone
      injury. In adult osteopenic rats (osteopenia induced by ovariectomy, OVX) GE
      completely restored the lost bones at both axial and appendicular sites,
      suggesting a strong osteoanabolic effect. Serum metabolomics studies showed
      changes in several metabolites (some of which are related to bone metabolism) in
      OVX compared with ovary-intact control and GE treatment to OVX rats reversed
      those. Out of six abundantly present triterpenes in GE, ursolic acid (UA) and
      2alpha-hydroxy ursolic acid (2alpha-UA) induced osteogenic differentiation in
      vitro as did GE by activating Wnt/beta-catenin pathway assessed by
      phosphorylation of GSK-3beta. Over-expressing of constitutively active GSK-3beta
      (caGSK-3beta) in osteoblasts abolished the differentiation-promoting effect of
      GE, UA and 2alpha-UA. All three increased both glycolysis and mitochondrial
      respiration but only rotenone (inhibitor of mitochondrial electron transfer) and
      not 2-deoxyglucose (to block glycolysis) inhibited osteoblast differentiation. In
      addition, caGSK-3beta over-expression attenuated the enhanced mitochondrial
      respiration caused by GE, UA and 2alpha-UA. We conclude that GE has osteoanabolic
      effect which is contributed by UA and 2alpha-UA, and involve activation of
      canonical Wnt signaling which in turn modulates cellular energy metabolism
      leading to osteoblast differentiation.

PMID- 28343088
TI  - Pathway of protection: Ethnic identity, self-esteem, and substance use among
      multiracial youth.
AB  - Fifty percent of adolescents have tried an illicit drug and 70% have tried
      alcohol by the end of high school, with even higher rates among multiracial
      youth. Ethnic identity is a protective factor against substance use for minority
      groups. However, little is known about the mechanisms that facilitate its
      protective effects, and even less is known about this relationship for
      multiracial youth. The purpose of the present study was to examine the protective
      effect of ethnic identity on substance use and to determine whether this
      relationship operated indirectly through self-esteem, a strong predictor of
      substance use for among adolescent populations. Participants included 468
      multiracial youth in grades six through 12 (53% female). The results found that
      ethnic identity was indeed related to substance use, partially through changes in
      self-esteem. Findings from this study contribute to our understanding and
      development of models of risk and protection for an understudied population.

PMID- 28343089
TI  - Cortisol and physical performance in older populations: Findings from the
      international mobility in aging study (IMIAS).
AB  - OBJECTIVE: To compare diurnal cortisol profiles across samples of older adults
      from diverse populations and to examine if differences in circadian cortisol
      secretion are associated with poor physical performance (SPPB<9). METHODS: Data
      were collected during the baseline survey of the International Mobility in Aging
      Study conducted in 2012 in Kingston (Canada), Saint-Hyacinthe (Canada), Tirana
      (Albania) and Manizales (Colombia). Salivary cortisol was collected from a
      subsample of 309 participants instructed to collect saliva on two consecutive
      days, and 5 different intervals each day: upon awakening (M1), 30min (M2) and
      60min after awakening, at 15:00h and before bedtime (E). Cortisol was analyzed
      using enzyme immunoassay kits. Physical performance was measured by the Short
      Physical Performance Battery (SPPB). Mixed linear models were fit to assess the
      associations between cortisol diurnal output and physical performance, adjusting
      for potential confounders. RESULTS: Kingston, Saint-Hyacinthe and Tirana
      residents had significantly higher cortisol values than their Manizales
      counterparts, with the population from Tirana showing the highest levels.
      Attenuated morning cortisol peak (M2) (p=0.025), higher cortisol bed time (E)
      (p=0.005), and lower M2/E ratio (p<0.001) were found among those with SPPB<9
      compared with those with good physical performance (SPPB>=9). These results were
      not altered after adjustment by potential confounders. CONCLUSION: Cortisol
      profiles varied across four diverse populations of older adults. Circadian
      cortisol secretion is associated with physical performance as an attenuated
      morning response and higher bed time values were observed in older adults with
      SPPB<9.

PMID- 28343090
TI  - Developmental systems of plasticity and trans-generational epigenetic inheritance
      in nematodes.
AB  - Several decades of research provided detailed insight into how genes control
      development and evolution, whereas recent studies have expanded this purely
      genetic perspective by presenting strong evidence for environmental and
      epigenetic influences. We summarize examples of phenotypic plasticity and trans
      generational epigenetic inheritance in the nematode model organisms Pristionchus
      pacificus and Caenorhabditis elegans, which indicate that the response of
      developmental systems to environmental influences is hardwired into the organisms
      genome. We argue that genetic programs regulating these organismal-environmental
      interactions are themselves subject to natural selection. Indeed, macro
      evolutionary studies of nematode feeding structures indicate evolutionary
      trajectories in which plasticity followed by genetic assimilation results in
      extreme diversity highlighting the role of plasticity as major facilitator of
      phenotypic diversification.

PMID- 28343091
TI  - Rapid detection and ruling out of neonatal sepsis by PCR coupled with
      Electrospray Ionization Mass Spectrometry (PCR/ESI-MS).
AB  - BACKGROUND: Sepsis is an important cause of morbidity and mortality in neonates
      and clinicians are typically required to administer empiric antibiotics while
      waiting for blood culture results. However, prolonged and inappropriate use of
      antibiotics is associated with various complications and adverse events. Better
      tools to rapidly rule out bacterial infections are therefore needed. AIMS: We
      aimed to assess the negative predictive value of PCR coupled with Electrospray
      Ionization Mass Spectrometry (PCR/ESI-MS) compared to conventional blood cultures
      in neonatal sepsis. STUDY DESIGN: Prospective observational study. SUBJECTS: All
      consecutive neonates (<28days old) with clinical suspicion of sepsis. Samples for
      PCR/ESI-MS analysis were collected at the same time as samples for the blood
      culture, before the initiation of antibiotics. OUTCOME MEASURES: Our primary
      objective was to evaluate the negative predictive value of PCR/ESI-MS for the
      detection of bacteria in the bloodstream of newborns with suspected sepsis. Our
      secondary objective was the evaluation of the sensitivity, specificity and
      positive predictive value of the PCR/ESI-MS in such a neonatal population.
      RESULTS: We analysed 114 samples over 14months. The median age and weight were
      32weeks+3days and 1840g, respectively. Two patients had negative PCR/ESI-MS
      results, but positive blood cultures. Overall, the negative predictive value was
      98% (95%CI: 92% to 100%). CONCLUSIONS: Based on these results, PCR/ESI-MS
      analysis of blood samples of neonates with suspected sepsis appears to have a
      very good negative predictive value when compared to blood cultures as gold
      standard. This novel test might allow for early reassessment of the need for
      antibiotics.

PMID- 28343092
TI  - The impact of cumulative pain/stress on neurobehavioral development of preterm
      infants in the NICU.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Vulnerable preterm infants experience repeated and prolonged
      pain/stress stimulation during a critical period in their development while in
      the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU). The contribution of cumulative
      pain/stressors to altered neurodevelopment remains unclear. The study purpose was
      to investigate the impact of early life painful/stressful experiences on
      neurobehavioral outcomes of preterm infants in the NICU. METHODS: A prospective
      exploratory study was conducted with fifty preterm infants (28 0/7-32 6/7weeks
      gestational age) recruited at birth and followed for four weeks. Cumulative
      pain/stressors (NICU Infant Stressor Scale) were measured daily and
      neurodevelopmental outcomes (NICU Network Neurobehavioral Scale) were examined at
      36-37weeks post-menstrual age. Data analyses were conducted on the distribution
      of pain/stressors experienced over time and the linkages among pain/stressors and
      neurobehavioral outcomes. RESULTS: Preterm infants experienced a high degree of
      pain/stressors in the NICU, both in numbers of daily acute events (22.97+/-2.30
      procedures) and cumulative times of chronic/stressful exposure (42.59+/-15.02h).
      Both acute and chronic pain/stress experienced during early life significantly
      contributed to the neurobehavioral outcomes, particularly in stress/abstinence
      (p<0.05) and habituation responses (p<0.01), meanwhile, direct breastfeeding and
      skin-to-skin holding were also significantly associated with habituation (p<0.01
      0.05). CONCLUSION: Understanding mechanisms by which early life experience alters
      neurodevelopment will assist clinicians in developing targeted neuroprotective
      strategies and individualized interventions to improve infant developmental
      outcomes.

PMID- 28343093
TI  - Influence of genetic variants of CYP2D6, CYP2C9, CYP2C19 and CYP3A4 on
      antiepileptic drug metabolism in pediatric patients with refractory epilepsy.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Identified the polymorphisms of CYP2D6, CYP2C9, CYP2C19 and CYP3A4,
      within a rigorously selected population of pediatric patients with drug-resistant
      epilepsy. METHOD: The genomic DNA of 23 drug-resistant epilepsy patients and 7
      patients with good responses were analyzed. Ten exons in these four genes were
      genotyped, and the drug concentrations in saliva and plasma were determined.
      RESULTS: The relevant SNPs with pharmacogenomics relations were CYP2D6*2
      (rs16947) decreased your activity and CYP2D6*4 (rs1065852), CYP2C19*2 (rs4244285)
      and CYP3A4*1B (rs2740574) by association with poor metabolizer. The strongest
      risk factors were found in the AA genotype and allele of SNP rs3892097 from the
      CYP2D6 gene, followed by the alleles A and T of SNPs rs2740574 and rs2687116,
      respectively from CYP3A4. The most important concomitance was between homozygous
      genotype AA of rs3892097 and genotype AA of rs2740574 with 78.3% in drug
      resistant epilepsy patients as compared to 14.3% in control patients. CONCLUSION:
      The results demonstrated the important role of the CYP 3A4*1B allelic variant as
      risk factor for developing drug resistance and CYP2D6, CYP2C19 SNPs and
      haplotypes may affect the response to antiepileptic drugs.

PMID- 28343094
TI  - Effects of posted point-of-sale warnings on alcohol consumption during pregnancy
      and on birth outcomes.
AB  - In 23 states and Washington D.C., alcohol retailers are required by law to post
      alcohol warning signs (AWS) that warn against the risks of drinking during
      pregnancy. Using the variation in the adoption of these laws across states and
      within states over time, I find a statistically significant reduction in prenatal
      alcohol use associated with AWS. I then use this plausibly exogenous change in
      drinking behavior to establish a causal link between prenatal alcohol exposure
      and birth outcomes. I find that AWS laws are associated with decreases in the
      odds of very low birth weight and very pre-term birth.

PMID- 28343095
TI  - Ion mobility-mass spectrometry and orthogonal gas-phase techniques to study
      amyloid formation and inhibition.
AB  - Amyloidogenic peptide oligomers are responsible for a variety of
      neurodegenerative disorders such as Alzheimer's and Parkinson's disease. Due to
      their dynamic, polydisperse, and polymorphic nature, these oligomers are very
      challenging to characterize using traditional condensed-phase methods. In the
      last decade, ion mobility-mass spectrometry (IM-MS) and related gas-phase
      techniques have emerged as a powerful alternative to disentangle the structure
      and assembly characteristics of amyloid forming systems. This review highlights
      recent advances in which IM-MS was used to characterize amyloid oligomers and
      their underlying assembly pathway. In addition, we summarize recent studies in
      which IM-MS was used to size- and mass-select species for a further spectroscopic
      investigation and outline the potential of IM-MS as a tool for the screening of
      amyloid inhibitors.

PMID- 28343096
TI  - SD-SEM: sparse-dense correspondence for 3D reconstruction of microscopic samples.
AB  - Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) imaging has been a principal component of many
      studies in biomedical, mechanical, and materials sciences since its emergence.
      Despite the high resolution of captured images, they remain two-dimensional (2D).
      In this work, a novel framework using sparse-dense correspondence is introduced
      and investigated for 3D reconstruction of stereo SEM images. SEM micrographs from
      microscopic samples are captured by tilting the specimen stage by a known angle.
      The pair of SEM micrographs is then rectified using sparse scale invariant
      feature transform (SIFT) features/descriptors and a contrario RANSAC for matching
      outlier removal to ensure a gross horizontal displacement between corresponding
      points. This is followed by dense correspondence estimation using dense SIFT
      descriptors and employing a factor graph representation of the energy
      minimization functional and loopy belief propagation (LBP) as means of
      optimization. Given the pixel-by-pixel correspondence and the tilt angle of the
      specimen stage during the acquisition of micrographs, depth can be recovered.
      Extensive tests reveal the strength of the proposed method for high-quality
      reconstruction of microscopic samples.

PMID- 28343097
TI  - STRait Razor v2s: Advancing sequence-based STR allele reporting and beyond to
      other marker systems.
AB  - STRait Razor has provided the forensic community a free-to-use, open-source tool
      for short tandem repeat (STR) analysis of massively parallel sequencing (MPS)
      data. STRait Razor v2s (SRv2s) allows users to capture physically phased
      haplotypes within the full amplicon of both commercial (ForenSeq) and "early
      access" panels (PowerSeq, Mixture ID). STRait Razor v2s may be run in batch mode
      to facilitate population-level analysis and is supported by all Unix
      distributions (including MAC OS). Data are reported in tables in string
      (haplotype), length-based (e.g., vWA allele 14), and International Society of
      Forensic Genetics (ISFG)-recommended (vWA [CE 14]-GRCh38-chr12:5983950-5984049
      (TAGA)10 (CAGA)3 TAGA) formats. STRait Razor v2s currently contains a database of
      ~2500 unique sequences. This database is used by SRv2s to match strings to the
      appropriate allele in ISFG-recommended format. In addition to STRs, SRv2s has
      configuration files necessary to capture and report haplotypes from all marker
      types included in these multiplexes (e.g., SNPs, InDels, and microhaplotypes). To
      facilitate mixture interpretation, data may be displayed from all markers in a
      format similar to that of electropherograms displayed by traditional forensic
      software. The download package for SRv2s may be found at
      https://www.unthsc.edu/graduate-school-of-biomedical-sciences/molecular-and
      medical-genetics/laboratory-faculty-and-staff/strait-razor.

PMID- 28343098
TI  - Developmental validation of QIAGEN Investigator(r) 24plex QS Kit and
      Investigator(r) 24plex GO! Kit: Two 6-dye multiplex assays for the extended CODIS
      core loci.
AB  - The original CODIS database based on 13 core STR loci has been overwhelmingly
      successful for matching suspects with evidence. In order to increase the power of
      discrimination, reduce the possibility of adventitious matches, and expand global
      data sharing, the CODIS Core Loci Working Group determined the expansion of the
      CODIS core loci to 20 STR plus three additional "highly recommended" loci (SE33,
      DY391, Amelogenin) Hares, 2015, 2012 [1,2]. The QIAGEN Investigator 24plex QS and
      Investigator 24plex GO! Kits are 6-dye multiplex assays that contain all markers
      of the expanded 23 CODIS core loci along with a unique internal performance
      control that is co-amplified with the STR markers. The "Quality Sensor" generates
      additional information for quality control and performance checks. Investigator
      24plex QS is designed for purified DNA from casework and reference samples,
      whereas 24plex GO! is dedicated to direct amplification of reference samples,
      like blood or buccal cells on FTA or swabs. A developmental validation study was
      performed on both assays. Here, we report the results of this study which
      followed the recommendations of the European Network of Forensic Science
      Institutes (ENFSI) [3] and the Revised Validation Guidelines of the Scientific
      Working Group on DNA Analysis Methods (SWGDAM) [4]. Data included are for PCR
      based procedures e.g. reaction conditions, effects of PCR annealing temperature
      variations, amplification cycles or cyclers, sensitivity (also in the context of
      the Quality Sensor), performance with simulated inhibition, stability and
      efficiency, precision, reproducibility, mixture study, concordance, stutter,
      species specificity, and case-type samples. The validation results demonstrate
      that the Investigator 24plex QS and Investigator 24plex GO! Kits are robust and
      reliable identification assays as required for forensic DNA typing in forensic
      casework analysis and databasing.

PMID- 28343099
TI  - Source apportionments of ambient fine particulate matter in Israeli, Jordanian,
      and Palestinian cities.
AB  - This manuscript evaluates spatial and temporal variations of source contributions
      to ambient fine particulate matter (PM2.5) in Israeli, Jordanian, and Palestinian
      cities. Twenty-four hour integrated PM2.5 samples were collected every six days
      over a 1-year period (January to December 2007) in four cities in Israel (West
      Jerusalem, Eilat, Tel Aviv, and Haifa), four cities in Jordan (Amman, Aqaba,
      Rahma, and Zarka), and three cities in Palestine (Nablus, East Jerusalem, and
      Hebron). The PM2.5 samples were analyzed for major chemical components, including
      organic carbon and elemental carbon, ions, and metals, and the results were used
      in a positive matrix factorization (PMF) model to estimate source contributions
      to PM2.5 mass. Nine sources, including secondary sulfate, secondary nitrate,
      mobile, industrial lead sources, dust, construction dust, biomass burning, fuel
      oil combustion and sea salt, were identified across the sampling sites. Secondary
      sulfate was the dominant source, contributing 35% of the total PM2.5 mass, and it
      showed relatively homogeneous temporal trends of daily source contribution in the
      study area. Mobile sources were found to be the second greatest contributor to
      PM2.5 mass in the large metropolitan cities, such as Tel Aviv, Hebron, and West
      and East Jerusalem. Other sources (i.e. industrial lead sources, construction
      dust, and fuel oil combustion) were closely related to local emissions within
      individual cities. This study demonstrates how international cooperation can
      facilitate air pollution studies that address regional air pollution issues and
      the incremental differences across cities in a common airshed. It also provides a
      model to study air pollution in regions with limited air quality monitoring
      capacity that have persistent and emerging air quality problems, such as Africa,
      South Asia and Central America.

PMID- 28343100
TI  - The potential of L. scoparium, K. robusta and P. radiata to mitigate N-losses in
      silvopastural systems.
AB  - Silvopastoral systems aim to enhance economic, cultural and social principles by
      sustainably combining forest management with agriculture. In these typically high
      nitrogen (N) environments, plant species selection can profoundly influence N
      fluxes. For grazed pastures, plants may be exposed to urine patches that have
      received the equivalent of up to 1000 kg N ha-1. We aimed to determine the growth
      and N fluxes in three potential trees that may be used in silvopastoral systems:
      L. scoparium, K. robusta and P. radiata. Plants were grown in a greenhouse
      lysimeter experiment, with controlled irrigation and temperature and exposed to N
      at rates of 200 kg ha-1 equiv. for 15 weeks, followed by the addition of 800 kg
      ha-1 N equiv, to simulate a urine patch. Urea produced a positive growth response
      of all plant species. Treatments containing L. scoparium and K. robusta leached
      lower amounts of nitrate (NO3-) (2 kg ha-1 NO3-) compared to P. radiata (53 kg ha
      1). Measurements of N2O over 20 days after the application of 800 kg N ha-1
      indicated an inhibitory effect of L. scoparium and K. robusta on denitrification,
      hence loss of N via N2O. Both L. scoparium and K. robusta demonstrated that they
      have potential to reduce N-losses in silvopastural systems, while producing
      valuable biomass.

PMID- 28343101
TI  - The influence of odd-even car trial on fine and coarse particles in Delhi.
AB  - The odd-even car trial scheme, which reduced car traffic between 08.00 and 20.00
      h daily, was applied from 1 to 15 January 2016 (winter scheme, WS) and 15-30
      April 2016 (summer scheme, SS). The daily average PM2.5 and PM10 exceeded
      national standards, with highest concentrations (313 MUg m-3 and 639 MUg m-3,
      respectively) during winter and lowest (53 MUg m-3 and 130 MUg m-3) during the
      monsoon (June-August). PM concentrations during the trials can be interpreted
      either as reduced or increased, depending on the periods used for comparison
      purposes. For example, hourly average net PM2.5 and PM10 (after subtracting the
      baseline concentrations) reduced by up to 74% during the majority (after 1100 h)
      of trial hours compared with the corresponding hours during the previous year.
      Conversely, daily average PM2.5 and PM10 were higher by up to 3-times during the
      trial periods when compared with the pre-trial days. A careful analysis of the
      data shows that the trials generated cleaner air for certain hours of the day but
      the persistence of overnight emissions from heavy goods vehicles into the morning
      odd-even hours (0800-1100 h) made them probably ineffective at this time. Any
      further trial will need to be planned very carefully if an effect due to traffic
      alone is to be differentiated from the larger effect caused by changes in
      meteorology and especially wind direction.

PMID- 28343102
TI  - Acoustic and hybrid 3D-printed electrochemical biosensors for the real-time
      immunodetection of liver cancer cells (HepG2).
AB  - This study presents an efficient acoustic and hybrid three-dimensional (3D)
      printed electrochemical biosensors for the detection of liver cancer cells. The
      biosensors function by recognizing the highly expressed tumor marker CD133, which
      is located on the surface of liver cancer cells. Detection was achieved by
      recrystallizing a recombinant S-layer fusion protein (rSbpA/ZZ) on the surface of
      the sensors. The fused ZZ-domain enables immobilization of the anti-CD133
      antibody in a defined manner. These highly accessible anti-CD133 antibodies were
      employed as a sensing layer, thereby enabling the efficient detection of liver
      cancer cells (HepG2). The recognition of HepG2 cells was investigated in situ
      using a quartz crystal microbalance with dissipation monitoring (QCM-D), which
      enabled the label-free, real-time detection of living cells on the modified
      sensor surface under controlled conditions. Furthermore, the hybrid 3D additive
      printing strategy for biosensors facilitates both rapid development and small
      scale manufacturing. The hybrid strategy of combining 3D-printed parts and more
      traditionally fabricated parts enables the use of optimal materials: a ceramic
      substrate with noble metals for the sensing element and 3D-printed capillary
      channels to guide and constrain the clinical sample. Cyclic voltammetry (CV)
      measurements confirmed the efficiency of the fabricated sensors. Most
      importantly, these sensors offer low-cost and disposable detection platforms for
      real-world applications. Thus, as demonstrated in this study, both fabricated
      acoustic and electrochemical sensing platforms can detect cancer cells and
      therefore may have further potential in other clinical applications and drug
      screening studies.

PMID- 28343103
TI  - Pd-Au@carbon dots nanocomposite: Facile synthesis and application as an
      ultrasensitive electrochemical biosensor for determination of colitoxin DNA in
      human serum.
AB  - In this study, a green and fast method was developed to synthesize high-yield
      carbon dots (CDs) via one-pot microwave treatment of banana peels without using
      any other surface passivation agents. Then the as-prepared CDs was used as the
      reducing agent and stabilizer to synthesize a Pd-Au@CDs nanocomposite by a simple
      sequential reduction strategy. Finally, Pd-Au@CDs nanocomposite modified glassy
      carbon electrode (Pd-Au@CDs/GCE) was obtained as a biosensor for target DNA after
      being immobilized a single-stranded probe DNA by a carboxyl ammonia condensation
      reaction. Under the optimal conditions, the sensor could detect target DNA
      concentrations in the range from 5.0*10-16 to 1.0*10-1 degrees molL-1. The
      detection limit (LD) was estimated to be 1.82*10-17molL-1, which showed higher
      sensitivity than other electrochemical biosensors reported. In addition, the DNA
      sensor was also successfully applied to detect colitoxin DNA in human serum.

PMID- 28343104
TI  - Localized surface plasmon resonance-mediated fluorescence signals in plasmonic
      nanoparticle-quantum dot hybrids for ultrasensitive Zika virus RNA detection via
      hairpin hybridization assays.
AB  - The current epidemic caused by the Zika virus (ZIKV) and the devastating effects
      of this virus on fetal development, which result in an increased incidence of
      congenital microcephaly symptoms, have prompted the World Health Organization
      (WHO) to declare the ZIKV a public health issue of global concern. Efficient
      probes that offer high detection sensitivity and specificity are urgently
      required to aid in the point-of-care treatment of the virus. In this study, we
      show that localized surface plasmon resonance (LSPR) signals from plasmonic
      nanoparticles (NPs) can be used to mediate the fluorescence signal from
      semiconductor quantum dot (Qdot) nanocrystals in a molecular beacon (MB)
      biosensor probe for ZIKV RNA detection. Four different plasmonic NPs
      functionalized with 3-mercaptopropionic acid (MPA), namely MPA-AgNPs, MPA-AuNPs,
      core/shell (CS) Au/AgNPs, and alloyed AuAgNPs, were synthesized and conjugated to
      L-glutathione-capped CdSeS alloyed Qdots to form the respective LSPR-mediated
      fluorescence nanohybrid. The concept of the plasmonic NP-Qdot-MB biosensor
      involves using LSPR from the plasmonic NPs to mediate a fluorescence signal to
      the Qdots, triggered by the hybridization of the target ZIKV RNA with the DNA
      loop sequence of the MB. The extent of the fluorescence enhancement based on ZIKV
      RNA detection was proportional to the LSPR-mediated fluorescence signal. The
      limits of detection (LODs) of the nanohybrids were as follows: alloyed AuAgNP
      Qdot646-MB (1.7 copies/mL)) > CS Au/AgNP-Qdot646-MB (LOD =2.4 copies/mL) > AuNP
      Qdot646-MB (LOD =2.9 copies/mL) > AgNP-Qdot646-MB (LOD =7.6 copies/mL). The LSPR
      mediated fluorescence signal was stronger for the bimetallic plasmonic NP-Qdots
      than the single metallic plasmonic NP-Qdots. The plasmonic NP-Qdot-MB biosensor
      probes exhibited excellent selectivity toward ZIKV RNA and could serve as
      potential diagnostic probes for the point-of care detection of the virus.

PMID- 28343105
TI  - Photoluminescence light-up detection of zinc ion and imaging in living cells
      based on the aggregation induced emission enhancement of glutathione-capped
      copper nanoclusters.
AB  - In this work, we prepared glutathione (GSH)-capped copper nanoclusters (Cu NCs)
      with red emission by simply adjusting the pH of GSH/Cu2+ mixture at room
      temperature. A photoluminescence light-up method for detecting Zn2+ was then
      developed based on the aggregation induced emission enhancement of GSH-capped Cu
      NCs. Zn2+ could trigger the aggregation of Cu NCs, inducing the enhancement of
      luminescence and the increase of absolute quantum yield from 1.3% to 6.2%. GSH
      capped Cu NCs and the formed aggregates were characterized, and the possible
      mechanism was also discussed. The prepared GSH-capped Cu NCs exhibited a fast
      response towards Zn2+ and a wider detection range from 4.68 to 2240MUM. The
      detection limit (1.17MUM) is much lower than that of the World Health
      Organization permitted in drinking water. Furthermore, taking advantages of the
      low cytotoxicity, large Stokes shift, red emission and light-up detection mode,
      we explored the use of the prepared GSH-capped Cu NCs in the imaging of Zn2+ in
      living cells. The developed luminescence light-up nanoprobe may hold the
      potentials for Zn2+-related drinking water safety and biological applications.

PMID- 28343106
TI  - A structure based plasma protein pre-fractionation using conjoint immobilized
      metal/chelate affinity (IMA) system.
AB  - The potential of immobilized metal/chelate affinity (IMA) in a continuous
      fashion, referred as conjoint approach, to pre-fractionate plasma proteins (in
      their native state) prior to LC-MS analysis was investigated in this study. Four
      transition metal-ions (Co (II), Zn (II), Ni (II) and Cu (II)) were individually
      chelated with IDA (iminodiacetic acid) coated CIM (Convective Interaction Media)
      disks and placed in a single housing in the following sequential order: IDA-Co
      (II)->IDA-Zn (II)->IDA-Ni (II)->IDA-Cu (II). The rationale behind this order is
      to retain proteins based on their specific requirement for surface exposed
      histidine topography. This structural pre-fractionation hypothesis was
      successfully proven using four human plasma proteins (fibrinogen, IgG,
      transferrin, and albumin) with varying histidine topographies. This conjoint IMA
      pre-fractionation strategy not only fractionated proteins (from plasma) based on
      their native surface histidine topography, but also identified 157 proteins from
      human plasma. The advantage of our conjoint IMA is its ability to fractionate
      proteins in their native state and reduce plasma complexity in a single step by
      employing single buffer system.

PMID- 28343107
TI  - Phosphorylated-tyrosine based pseudobioaffinity adsorbent for the purification of
      immunoglobulin G.
AB  - The present study evaluated the phosphorylated-tyrosine (P-Tyr) based
      pseudobioaffinity adsorbent for the purification of human immunoglobulin G (IgG).
      P-Tyr was selected as a ligand to mimic the natural interactions that occur
      between the immunoreceptor tyrosine-based activation motif and the IgG. The
      ligand was coupled to bisoxirane-activated agarose gel and the effect of buffer
      system, pH, and conductivity was performed to elucidate the nature of IgG-P-Tyr
      interactions. P-Tyr-agarose was able to purify IgG from human plasma solution in
      HEPES buffer at pH 7.0 exhibiting a purification factor of 9.1 with IgG purity of
      91% (based on ELISA analysis of albumin, transferrin, and immunoglobulins A, G,
      and M). The evaluation of different functional groups of P-Tyr on the adsorption
      of human IgG indicated the predominance of electrostatic interactions with
      phosphate groups, although the contributions of aromatic and carboxylic groups
      also play a role. The thermodynamic parameters (DeltaH degrees , DeltaS degrees ,
      DeltaG degrees ) for IgG adsorption onto P-Tyr-agarose were determined from the
      temperature dependence. The maximum IgG binding capacity at 20 degrees C was
      273.51+/-12.63mgg-1 and the dissociation constant value of the complex IgG-P-Tyr
      was in the order of 10-5molL-1 indicating low-affinity.

PMID- 28343108
TI  - The effects of modified versus unmodified wheat gluten administration in patients
      with celiac disease.
AB  - Celiac disease (CD) treatment requires a gluten-free diet (GFD), although
      alternative approaches have been proposed. Modification of gliadin peptides using
      microbial transglutaminase (mTG) inhibits their ability to induce immune response
      in vitro. Our aim was to evaluate the safety of mTG-modified wheat flour
      ingestion in CD patients. Twenty-one CD patients in remission were randomized to
      receive mTG-modified (n=11) or unmodified (n=10) wheat flour rusks, in double
      blind fashion. Monthly, patients completed a symptom questionnaire. Serum anti
      tTG, EMA and creatinine levels were monitored. At baseline and after 90days,
      serum anti-actin antibodies (AAA) were measured and upper endoscopy was
      performed. Data were analyzed by non-parametric tests. 7/11 patients eating
      modified rusks and 7/10 patients receiving unmodified rusks completed the study.
      At baseline, all patients showed negative serum anti-tTG and EMA results. At the
      end, 2/7 (28.6%) patients ingesting modified and 4/7 (57.1%) patients taking
      unmodified rusks presented positive serum anti-tTG and EMA results. Creatinine
      results were unmodified. Moreover, 1/7 (14.3%) patients ingesting modified and
      4/7 (57.1%) patients taking unmodified rusks presented villous atrophy. In
      patients who received unmodified rusks, the AAA levels increased significantly
      and duodenal anti-tTG levels appeared higher than those measured in patients who
      ate modified rusks. Abdominal swelling, bloating and nausea were more severe in
      patients ingesting unmodified rusks than those taking modified rusks. Our results
      may support larger clinical trials to confirm the enzymatic treatment of wheat
      flour as an alternative to GFD. Clinicaltrials.gov registration no: NCT02472119.

PMID- 28343109
TI  - A visual analysis of gender bias in contemporary anatomy textbooks.
AB  - Empirical research has linked gender bias in medical education with negative
      attitudes and behaviors in healthcare providers. Yet it has been more than 20
      years since research has considered the degree to which women and men are equally
      represented in anatomy textbooks. Furthermore, previous research has not explored
      beyond quantity of representation to also examine visual gender stereotypes and,
      in light of theoretical advancements in the area of intersectional research, the
      relationship between representations of gender and representations of ethnicity,
      body type, health, and age. This study aimed to determine the existence and
      representation of gender bias in the major anatomy textbooks used at Australian
      Medical Schools. A systematic visual content analysis was conducted on 6044
      images in which sex/gender could be identified, sourced from 17 major anatomy
      textbooks published from 2008 to 2013. Further content analysis was performed on
      the 521 narrative images, which represent an unfolding story, found within the
      same textbooks. Results indicate that the representation of gender in images from
      anatomy textbooks remain predominantly male except within sex-specific sections.
      Further, other forms of bias were found to exist in: the visualization of
      stereotypical gendered emotions, roles and settings; the lack of ethnic, age, and
      body type diversity; and in the almost complete adherence to a sex/gender binary.
      Despite increased attention to gender issues in medicine, the visual
      representation of gender in medical curricula continues to be biased. The biased
      construction of gender in anatomy textbooks designed for medical education
      provides future healthcare providers with inadequate and unrealistic information
      about patients.

PMID- 28343110
TI  - The harder they fall? Sex and race/ethnic specific suicide rates in the U.S.
      foreclosure crisis.
AB  - Previous work shows suicide rates increase during economic recessions, but little
      research has examined the extent to which the foreclosure crisis-a unique aspect
      of the Great Recession-has contributed to disparities in rising suicide rates by
      race and sex. We develop and test two competing hypotheses regarding the
      association between foreclosures and race by sex specific suicide rates. We link
      foreclosure data (RealtyTrac) and suicide data (CDC) from 174 metropolitan areas
      from 2005 to 2010 (1044 MSA-year observations) and find that-net of time
      invariant unobserved between-metro area differences, national time trends, and
      time-varying confounders-a rise in the foreclosure rate is associated with a
      marginal increase in suicide, but this main effect masks considerable
      heterogeneity across groups. The association is particularly strong for white
      males, and weaker or non-existent for other race by sex groups.

PMID- 28343111
TI  - The intimate relationship as a site of social protection: Partnerships between
      people who inject drugs.
AB  - Public health research treats intimate partnerships as sites of risk management,
      including in the management of HIV and hepatitis C transmission. This risk
      infused biomedical approach tends to undermine appreciation of the emotional and
      socially situated meanings of care in intimate partnerships. In this article we
      explore qualitative interview accounts of the care enacted in partnerships
      between people who inject drugs, drawing on a 2014 study of 34 couples and 12
      individuals living in two locations of Australia. A thematic analysis highlights
      'best friend relationships', 'doing everything together', 'co-dependency', and
      'doing normalcy' as core to narratives of care. As we will argue, the accounts
      position the care undertaken by couples as at once shaped by day-to-day practices
      of drug use and by social situation, with the partnership enacting care as a form
      of social protection, including protection from stigma and other environmental
      hostilities. The intimacy of doing everything together offers insulation against
      stigma, yet also reproduces its isolating effects. While the care produced in
      drug-using partnerships is presented as double-edged, we note how interview
      accounts are used to deflect the charge that these relationships represent
      harmful co-dependency. Taken together, the interview accounts negotiate a
      'counter-care' in relation to normalcy, presenting the intimate partnership
      between people who use drugs as a legitimate embodiment of care.

PMID- 28343112
TI  - The impact of Australian legislative changes on synthetic cannabinoid exposures
      reported to the New South Wales Poisons Information Centre.
AB  - BACKGROUND: The emergence of new psychoactive substances (NPS), including
      synthetic cannabinoid receptor agonists (SCRAs) poses novel challenges for drug
      regulation and public health. Misconceptions of safety and legality, coupled with
      the fact that NPS are undetectable on routine drugs screens contributes to their
      popularity. Concerns over the unpredictable toxicity and abuse potential of NPS
      has led to a variety of legislative responses worldwide. We wish to describe
      Australian trends in SCRA use, examining the effects of legislative changes on
      calls to Australia's largest poisons centre. METHODS: A retrospective review of
      calls to the New South Wales Poisons Information Centre (NSWPIC). Cases occurring
      between 1 January 2010 and 30 June 2015 with documented use of SCRAs were
      included. RESULTS: There were 146 exposures to SCRAs recorded in the NSWPIC
      database. Federal bans of specific SCRA compounds in 2011/2012 had little impact
      on call volumes. State-based legislation introduced in 2013 banning specific
      brand names of SCRA products was followed by a dramatic, sustained decrease in
      exposures. The most common symptoms reported with SCRA use were tachycardia,
      vomiting, drowsiness, anxiety/panic, decreased level of consciousness, chest
      pain, agitation, hallucinations, confusion, seizures and hypertension.
      CONCLUSION: Banning of specific brand names of SCRA (timed with raids and social
      media campaigns) appears effective at reducing SCRA exposures. We postulate that
      this raised awareness within the community of the illegality of these substances
      while also reducing supply through bricks-and-mortar shops. These results could
      help inform future legislative responses.

PMID- 28343113
TI  - How four U.S. states are regulating recreational marijuana edibles.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Sales of edible marijuana products have been strong in Colorado and
      Washington State since the legalization of recreational marijuana. Initially,
      these states did not have comprehensive labelling or packaging requirements in
      place. In response to increases in marijuana-related emergency room visits and
      poison control centre calls, additional regulations were implemented. Currently,
      Alaska, Colorado, Oregon, and Washington each have passed into law various
      labelling and packaging requirements for edibles. METHODS: This article presents
      the primary legal research findings of relevant statutes and regulations for
      edibles in Alaska, Colorado, Oregon, and Washington. These laws were identified
      by using Boolean terms and connectors searches in these states' legal databases
      in LexisNexis. RESULTS: Alaska, Colorado, Oregon, and Washington vary greatly in
      how they regulate labelling and packaging. Colorado, Oregon and Washington
      require a Universal Symbol to be affixed to edibles, but only Oregon and
      Washington require that the use of pesticides be disclosed on the label. Only
      Colorado and Oregon require that the packaging for edibles bear a Nutrition Facts
      Panel on the label. Delta9-Tetrahydracannabinol (THC) in a single serving or
      single edible product as Alaska and Oregon. All four states prohibit the
      manufacture or packaging of edibles that appeal to youth. CONCLUSION: State laws
      governing recreational marijuana edibles have evolved since the first
      recreational edible products were available for sale. Alaska, Colorado, Oregon,
      and Washington now require edible product labels to disclose a variety of product
      information, including risk factors associated with consumption. However, there
      still remain concerns about the regulatory gaps that exist in each of these
      states, inherent difficulties in enforcing laws around the labelling, packaging,
      and manufacturing of edibles, and the outstanding question of whether these
      edible laws are actually informing consumers and keeping the public safe.

PMID- 28343114
TI  - Seeing through the public health smoke-screen in drug policy.
AB  - In deliberations on drug policy in United Nations fora, a consensus has emerged
      that drug use and drug dependence should be treated primarily as public health
      concerns rather than as crimes. But what some member states mean by "public
      health approach" merits scrutiny. Some governments that espouse treating people
      who use drugs as "patients, not criminals" still subject them to prison-like
      detention in the name of drug-dependence treatment or otherwise do not take
      measures to provide scientifically sound treatment and humane social support to
      those who need them. Even drug treatment courts, which the U.S. and other
      countries hold up as examples of a public health approach to drug dependence, can
      serve rather to tighten the hold of the criminal justice sector on concerns that
      should be addressed in the health sector. The political popularity of
      demonisation of drugs and visibly repressive approaches is an obvious challenge
      to leadership for truly health-oriented drug control. This commentary offers some
      thoughts for judging whether a public health approach is worthy of the name and
      cautions drug policy reformers not to rely on facile commitments to health
      approaches that are largely rhetorical or that mask policies and activities not
      in keeping with good public health practise.

PMID- 28343115
TI  - Patterns of drinking and driving offenses among nightclub patrons in Brazil.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Brazil has a strict drinking and driving law known as the Brazilian
      "Dry Law". The aim of the present study was to investigate characteristics
      associated with the breaking of the Brazilian traffic law, on drinking and
      driving, at nightclub exit among a representative sample of nightclub patrons in
      the city of Sao Paulo, Brazil. METHODS: Portal survey realized with a two-stage
      cluster sampling survey design to collect data from 2422 patrons at the entrance
      and 1822 patrons at the exit of 31 nightclubs in the city of Sao Paulo, Brazil.
      Patrons' breath alcohol concentrations (BrACs) at the entrance and exit of the
      nightclubs were categorized according to the law as either a "traffic offense" or
      a "traffic offense and crime". Weighted multinomial logistic regression was used
      to analyze factors associated with different patterns of drinking and driving
      offenses. RESULTS: Of the subjects, 16.5% (n=369) were identified as driving
      patrons at the entrance and exit of the nightclubs. At entry, 80.1% of the
      patrons had a zero BrAC, 14.9% had a BrAC meeting the traffic offense criteria
      and 5.0% had a BrAC meeting the traffic offense and crime criteria. Women were
      less likely to have BrACs meeting the traffic offense criteria. At nightclub
      exit, 63.4% of patrons had maintained a zero BrAC, 24.7% had a BrAC that had
      increased and now met the traffic offense and crime criteria, and 11.9% had a
      decreased or stable BrAC. An increased BrAC was more frequently identified in
      patrons who were men, were single, and had used illicit drugs inside the
      nightclub. CONCLUSION: Despite the existence of a strict law regarding drinking
      and driving, a significant proportion of nightclub patrons in the city of Sao
      Paulo had violated this law, suggesting a perception of impunity and need for law
      enforcement.

PMID- 28343116
TI  - Health and weight - gender-specific linkages under heterogeneity, interdependence
      and resilience factors.
AB  - Many studies have shown that obesity is a serious health problem for our society.
      Empirical analyses often neglect a number of methodological issues and relevant
      influences on health. This paper investigates empirically whether neglecting
      these items leads to systematically different estimates. Based on data from the
      German Socio-Economic Panel, this study derives the following results. (1) Many
      combinations of weight and height lead to the same health status. (2) The
      relationship between health and body mass index is nonlinear. (3) Underweight
      strengthens individual health and severe obesity has a clear negative impact on
      health status. Underweight women are more affected than men but obese men are hit
      harder than women. (4) The hypothesis has to be rejected that weight has an
      exogenous influence on health. (5) A worse health status is linked with weight
      fluctuations and deviations between desired and actual working hours. (6) A
      healthy diet and long but not too long sleeping contribute to a good health
      status. Moreover, a good parental education and a high parental social status act
      favorably on health as does personal high income. (7) Four of the big five
      components of personality, namely openness, extraversion, conscientiousness and
      agreeableness, contribute to resilience against health problems.

PMID- 28343117
TI  - Power assertion in everyday mother-infant interactions.
AB  - Mothers' power assertion was assessed following everyday infant transgressions.
      Power assertiveness showed limited stability, increased with age, and was higher
      when infants were harming others and when the physical danger was more severe.
      Naturalistic research is key to understanding how power assertion influences
      social development.

PMID- 28343118
TI  - Real-time formation of salivary films onto polymeric materials for dental
      applications: Differences between unstimulated and stimulated saliva.
AB  - The formation of salivary films onto oral prostheses materials is of central
      importance for understanding their performance and interaction with oral tissue
      and flora. The aim of this work was to study and compare the salivary films
      formed from unstimulated and stimulated whole saliva on two common polymeric
      materials, polycarbonate and poly(methyl methacrylate). Irradiating these
      materials with UV light is a simple way to modify their wettability, roughness
      and zeta-potential. Therefore, the effect of UV exposure of polycarbonate and
      poly(methyl methacrylate) on saliva adsorption was also investigated. For this
      purpose a quartz crystal microbalance with dissipation and SDS-PAGE have been
      combined in order to associate the thicknesses and viscoelastic properties of the
      salivary films with their protein composition. SDS-PAGE results suggest that a
      larger diversity of proteins is involved in the formation of stimulated saliva
      pellicles. Furthermore, according to QCM-D, pellicles formed from stimulated
      saliva are thinner and stiffer than the ones formed from unstimulated saliva if
      the polymeric materials have not been exposed to UV light although both types of
      saliva form a biphasic layer. For UV-treated materials, the same is applied to
      polycarbonate but not to poly(methyl methacrylate) where stimulated saliva yields
      thicker and softer films than unstimulated saliva being the adsorption process of
      a multiphasic nature. These results highlight the importance of choosing the
      appropriate sample depending on the type of study to be performed.

PMID- 28343119
TI  - Synergistically enhanced stability of laccase immobilized on synthesized silver
      nanoparticles with water-soluble polymers.
AB  - Silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) were synthesized by citrate reduction method in the
      presence of polymers, poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG), poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA) and
      chitosan, used as stabilizing agents, and an oxidoreductase enzyme, laccase
      (Lac), with the goal of expanding the NPs antimicrobial action. AgNPs were
      characterized by UV-vis spectrometry, dynamic light scattering and transmission
      electron microscopy. As protecting agents, PEG and PVA promoted the formation of
      spherical uniformly-shaped, small-sized, monodispersed AgNPs (~20nm). High Mw
      polymers were established as most effective in producing small-sized NPs.
      Chitosan's viscosity led to the formation of aggregates. Despite the decrease in
      Lac activity registered for the hybrid formulation, AgNPs-polymer-Lac, a
      significant augment in stability over time (up to 13days, at 50 degrees C) was
      observed. This novel formulation displays improved synergistic performance over
      AgNPs-Lac or polymer-Lac conjugates, since in the former the Lac activity becomes
      residual at the end of 3days. By enabling many ionic interactions, chitosan
      restricted the mass transfer between Lac and substrate and, thus, inhibited the
      enzymatic activity. These hybrid nanocomposites made up of inorganic NPs, organic
      polymers and immobilized antimicrobial oxidoreductive enzymes represent a new
      class of materials with improved synergistic performance. Moreover, the Lac and
      the AgNPs different antimicrobial action, both in time and mechanism, may also
      constitute a new alternative to reduce the probability of developing resistance
      associated mutations.

PMID- 28343120
TI  - Nanoemulgel using a bicephalous heterolipid as a novel approach to enhance
      transdermal permeation of tenofovir.
AB  - Improvements in permeation enhancement strategies, such as nanoemulsions (NEs)
      and nanoemulgels (NEGs), have led to a renewed interest in transdermal drug
      delivery (TDD). This study aimed to investigate the potential of LLA1E, a novel
      dendritic permeation enhancer, as an oily phase in the development of a NEG for
      the TDD of tenofovir (TNF). TNF loaded NEs (TNEs) were prepared and analysed for
      mean globule diameter (MGD), polydispersity index (PDI), zeta potential (ZP) and
      morphology. NEGs of the TNEs (TNEGs) were prepared and evaluated for ex vivo
      transdermal permeation efficacy. The skin integrity before and after the
      experiments was assessed using histology and transepithelial electrical
      resistance (TEER). TNEs had a MGD of 129.06+/-3.35nm, a PDI of 0.192+/-0.038 and
      a ZP of 20.9+/-2.02mV, with an incorporation efficiency of 91.94+/-0.84%. There
      was no significant change is these properties after incorporating the TNEs into
      the hydrogel, as MGD, PDI and ZP of TNEGs were found to be 136.13+/-5.21nm,
      0.182+/-0.020 and -20.9+/-2.08mV respectively. Ex vivo permeation studies showed
      that the TNEG significantly enhanced the TNF permeation by 39.65-fold, with a
      cumulative amount of 1866.54+/-108.62MUgcm-2. Histological and TEER assessments
      showed no permanent effects on the skin by TNEG, indicating that this novel TNEG
      nanosystem has the potential to translate into clinical trials as treatment
      alternatives for HIV/AIDs patients.

PMID- 28343121
TI  - Phylogeny and Systematics of Leptomyxid Amoebae (Amoebozoa, Tubulinea,
      Leptomyxida).
AB  - We describe four new species of Flabellula, Leptomyxa and Rhizamoeba and publish
      new SSU rRNA gene and actin gene sequences of leptomyxids. Using these data we
      provide the most comprehensive SSU phylogeny of leptomyxids to date. Based on the
      analyses of morphological data and results of the SSU rRNA gene phylogeny we
      suggest changes in the systematics of the order Leptomyxida (Amoebozoa: Lobosa:
      Tubulinea). We propose to merge the genera Flabellula and Paraflabellula (the
      genus Flabellula remains valid by priority rule). The genus Rhizamoeba is
      evidently polyphyletic in all phylogenetic trees; we suggest retaining the
      generic name Rhizamoeba for the group unifying R. saxonica, R.matisi n. sp. and
      R. polyura, the latter remains the type species of the genus Rhizamoeba. Based on
      molecular and morphological evidence we move all remaining Rhizamoeba species to
      the genus Leptomyxa. New family Rhizamoebidae is established here in order to
      avoid paraphyly of the family Leptomyxidae. With the suggested changes both
      molecular and morphological systems of the order Leptomyxida are now fully
      congruent to each other.

PMID- 28343123
TI  - Estimation of red-light running frequency using high-resolution traffic and
      signal data.
AB  - Red-light-running (RLR) emerges as a major cause that may lead to intersection
      related crashes and endanger intersection safety. To reduce RLR violations, it's
      critical to identify the influential factors associated with RLR and estimate RLR
      frequency. Without resorting to video camera recordings, this study investigates
      this important issue by utilizing high-resolution traffic and signal event data
      collected from loop detectors at five intersections on Trunk Highway 55,
      Minneapolis, MN. First, a simple method is proposed to identify RLR by fully
      utilizing the information obtained from stop bar detectors, downstream entrance
      detectors and advance detectors. Using 12 months of event data, a total of 6550
      RLR cases were identified. According to a definition of RLR frequency as the
      conditional probability of RLR on a certain traffic or signal condition
      (veh/1000veh), the relationships between RLR frequency and some influential
      factors including arriving time at advance detector, approaching speed, headway,
      gap to the preceding vehicle on adjacent lane, cycle length, geometric
      characteristics and even snowing weather were empirically investigated.
      Statistical analysis shows good agreement with the traffic engineering practice,
      e.g., RLR is most likely to occur on weekdays during peak periods under large
      traffic demands and longer signal cycles, and a total of 95.24% RLR events
      occurred within the first 1.5s after the onset of red phase. The findings
      confirmed that vehicles tend to run the red light when they are close to
      intersection during phase transition, and the vehicles following the leading
      vehicle with short headways also likely run the red light. Last, a simplified
      nonlinear regression model is proposed to estimate RLR frequency based on the
      data from advance detector. The study is expected to helpbetter understand RLR
      occurrence and further contribute to the future improvement of intersection
      safety.

PMID- 28343122
TI  - Genetic and epigenetic variation of transposable elements in Arabidopsis.
AB  - Transposable elements are mobile genetic elements that are prevalent in plant
      genomes and are silenced by epigenetic modification. Different epigenetic
      modification pathways play distinct roles in the control of transposable element
      transcription, replication and recombination. The Arabidopsis genome contains
      families of all of the major transposable element classes, which are
      differentially enriched in particular genomic regions. Whole genome sequencing
      and DNA methylation profiling of hundreds of natural Arabidopsis accessions has
      revealed that transposable elements exhibit significant intraspecific genetic and
      epigenetic variation, and that genetic variation often underlies epigenetic
      variation. Together, epigenetic modification and the forces of selection define
      the scope within which transposable elements can contribute to, and control,
      genome evolution.

PMID- 28343124
TI  - Effects of acute alcohol consumption on measures of simulated driving: A
      systematic review and meta-analysis.
AB  - Driving simulators are used in a wide range of research settings to help develop
      an understanding of driver behavior in complex environments. Acute alcohol
      impairment is an important research topic for traffic safety and a large number
      of studies have indicated levels of simulated driving impairment imposed by
      alcohol across a range of performance outcome variables. The aim of the present
      study was to examine the impact of acute alcohol consumption on simulated driving
      performance by conducting a systematic review and meta-analysis of the available
      evidence. The online databases PubMed (MEDLINE), Web of Science (via Thomas
      Reuters) and Scopus were searched to identify studies that measured simulated car
      driving performance under control ('no alcohol' or 'placebo alcohol' ingestion)
      and intervention (acute alcohol ingestion) conditions, using repeated-measures
      experimental designs. Primary research outcomes were standard deviation of lane
      position (SDLP) and standard deviation of speed (SDSP); (total number of lane
      crossings (LC) and average speed (Speed) were secondary research outcomes). Meta
      analytic procedures were used to quantify the effect of acute alcohol consumption
      on vehicle control, and to determine the influence of methodological variables
      (i.e. the duration of the simulated driving task, the limb of the BAC curve
      (ascending vs. descending) and the type of driving simulator employed (i.e. car
      vs. PC-based)) on the magnitude of the performance change due to alcohol
      consumption. 423 records were screened, and 50 repeated-measures trials (n=962
      participants, 62% male) derived from 17 original publications were reviewed. 37
      trials (n=721 participants) used a 'placebo alcohol' comparator to determine the
      effect of alcohol consumption on SDLP (32/37) and SDSP (22/37). Alcohol
      consumption significantly increased SDLP by 4.0+/-0.5cm (95% CI: 3.0, 5.1) and
      SDSP by 0.38+/-0.10km?h-1 (95% CI: 0.19, 0.57). Regression analyses indicate BAC
      (p=0.004) and driving simulator platform (p<0.001) influence the magnitude of the
      SDLP change, such that higher BAC levels and the use of PC-based driving
      simulators were associated with larger performance decrements (R2=0.80). The limb
      of the BAC curve and the duration of the driving task did not significantly alter
      the magnitude of the performance change. Eleven trials (n=205 participants) used
      a 'no alcohol' comparator to measure the effect of alcohol consumption on SDLP
      (10/11); few trials assessed SDSP (3/11). Alcohol consumption resulted in a small
      significant increase in SDLP under these conditions (standardized difference in
      means=0.23, 95% CI: 0.06, 0.39). These results demonstrate that lateral (SDLP and
      LC) and longitudinal (SDSP) vehicle control measures in a driving simulator are
      impaired with acute alcohol consumption. However, SDLP appears to be a more
      sensitive indicator of driving impairment than other driving performance
      variables and the results of the present study support its use as a performance
      outcome when examining alcohol-induced simulated driving impairment.

PMID- 28343125
TI  - Structural modeling of human organic cation transporters.
AB  - Human organic cation transporters (hOCTs) belong to solute carriers (SLC) 22
      family of membrane proteins that play a central role in transportation of
      chemotherapeutic drugs for several clinical and pathological conditions,
      including cancer and diabetes. These transporters mediate drug transport;
      however, the precise mechanism of drug-binding and transport by them is not fully
      uncovered yet, partly due to unavailability of any crystal structure record. In
      this work, we performed a multi-phasic approach to compute the 3D structural
      models of seven human organic cation transporters (hOCTs) starting from primary
      protein sequence. Our structure modeling approach included 1) I-TASSER based
      comparative sequence alignment, threading and ab-initio protein modeling; 2)
      models comparison with PSIPRED secondary structure prediction; 3) loop modeling
      for incongruent secondary structure in Chimera 1.10.1; 4) high resolution
      structure simulation, refinement, energy minimization using ModRefiner, and 5)
      validation of the structure models using PROCHECK at SAVEs. From structural
      point, the computed 3D structures of hOCTs consist of a typical major facilitator
      superfamily (MFS) fold of twelve alpha-transmembrane helix domains arranged in a
      manner rendering hOCTs a barrel shaped structure with a large cleft that opens in
      cytoplasm. The modeled 3D structure of all hOCTs closely resemble to human SLC2A3
      (GLUT3) transporter (PDB ID: 5c65) and displayed an outward-open confirmation and
      putative cyclic C1 protein symmetry. In addition, hOCTs has a large (>100 amino
      acids) unique extracellular loop between TMH1 and TMH2 having potential
      glycosylation sites (Asn-Xaa-Ser/Thr) and cysteine residues, both features
      indicative of putative role in drug binding and uptake. There is an intracellular
      three/four-helix loop between TMH6 and TMH7 containing putative phosphorylation
      sites for precise regulation of hOCTs function as drug transporters. There are
      nine loops of 4 to 11 amino acids length that protrude from membrane, both
      intracellularly and extracellularly, and connect adjacent TMHs. The 2D structure
      prediction showed Nin-Cin topology of all hOCTs. In the unavailability of the
      crystal structures of hOCTs, the 3D structural models computed in-silico and
      presented herein can be used for studying the mechanism of drug binding and
      transport by hOCTs.

PMID- 28343127
TI  - Direct immobilization of manganese chelates on silica nanospheres for MRI
      applications.
AB  - The development of tissue specific magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) contrast
      agents (CAs) is very desirable to achieve high contrast ratio combined with
      excellent anatomical details. To this end, we introduce a highly effective
      manganese(II) containing silica material, with the aim to shorten the
      longitudinal (T1) relaxation time. The microporous silica nanospheres (MSNSs)
      with enlarged porosity and specific surface area were prepared by a surfactant
      assisted aqueous method. Subsequently, the surface silanol groups were amino
      functionalized, reacted with diethylenetriaminepentaacetic (DTPA) dianhydride and
      finally deposited with Mn2+. After comprehensive characterization, the MRI
      properties of functionalized MSNSs were investigated. The resulting nanospheres
      demonstrated substantial contrast enhancement during the in vitro MRI
      investigations, which was also evidenced by significant contrast enhancement on
      T1-weighted MR images in vivo. Moreover, in vitro cytotoxicity assay of
      functionalized MSNSs on hepatocyte mono- and hepatocyte-Kuppfer cell co-cultures
      showed no significant decrease in cell viability. Our findings confirmed our
      hypothesis, that Mn2+-chelating MSNSs are appropriate candidates for liver
      specific T1-weighted MRI CAs with high relaxivities (r1=7.18mM-1s-1).

PMID- 28343128
TI  - Peroxy-Titanium Complex-based inks for low temperature compliant anatase thin
      films.
AB  - Stable highly crystalline titanium dioxide colloids are of paramount importance
      for the establishment of a solution-processable library of materials that could
      help in bringing the advantages of digital printing to the world of
      photocatalysis and solar energy conversion. Nano-sized titanium dioxide in the
      anatase phase was synthesized by means of hydrothermal methods and treated with
      hydrogen peroxide to form Peroxy-Titanium Complexes (PTCs). The influence of
      hydrogen peroxide on the structural, optical and rheological properties of
      titanium dioxide and its colloidal solutions were assessed and a practical
      demonstration of a low temperature compliant digitally printed anatase thin film
      given.

PMID- 28343129
TI  - Nano-sized molecularly imprinted polymer for selective ultrasound-assisted
      microextraction of pesticide Carbaryl from water samples: Spectrophotometric
      determination.
AB  - Ultrasound-assisted dispersive solid phase microextraction followed by UV-Vis
      spectrophotometry (UA-DSPME UV-Vis) was designed for the extraction and
      preconcentration of Carbaryl using nano-sized molecularly-imprinted polymer (MIP
      NP). Nano-sized Carbaryl-imprinted polymer was characterized by scanning electron
      microscopy. A preliminary Plackett-Burman design was applied for screening.
      Subsequently, central composite design under response surface methodology was
      used to investigate and model the Carbaryl adsorption as response as well as to
      optimize this response versus variables such as Carbaryl MIP-NP mass, sonication
      time, temperature, eluent volume, pH and vortex time. At optimum experimental
      conditions, UAMSPE-UV-Vis exhibited a linear range of 0.1-1.2mgL-1. The
      enhancement and preconcentration factors were obtained to be 30.6 and 25.0,
      respectively, for the extraction of Carbaryl by MIP-NP. In addition, the values
      of 0.033 and 0.11mgL-1 were obtained for limit of detection and limit of
      quantification, respectively. The value of 4.3% determined for relative standard
      deviation for the separation and preconcentration of Carbaryl after 5 repetitions
      shows the acceptable repeatability of the process. Finally, the developed method
      was successfully applied for the determination of Carbaryl in water samples.

PMID- 28343130
TI  - Computational study of ibuprofen removal from water by adsorption in realistic
      activated carbons.
AB  - Molecular simulations using the Grand Canonical Monte Carlo (GCMC) method have
      been performed in order to obtain physical insights on how the interaction
      between ibuprofen (IBP) and activated carbons (ACs) in aqueous mixtures affects
      IBP removal from water by ACs. A nanoporous carbon model based on units of
      polyaromatic molecules with different number of rings, defects and polar
      oxygenated sites is described. Individual effects of factors such as porous
      features and chemical heterogeneities in the adsorbents are investigated and
      quantified. Results are in good agreement with experimental adsorption data,
      highlightening the ability of GCMC simulation to describe the macroscopic
      adsorption performance in drug removal applications, while also providing
      additional insights into the IBP/water adsorption mechanism. The simulation
      results allow finding the optimal type of activated carbon material for
      separating this pollutant in water treatment.

PMID- 28343126
TI  - PI3K signaling in cancer: beyond AKT.
AB  - The phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3K) signaling pathway is one of the most
      frequently altered pathways in human cancer and has a critical role in driving
      tumor initiation and progression. Although PI3K and its lipid product
      phosphatidylinositol-3,4,5-trisphosphate (PIP3) have been shown to activate
      multiple downstream signaling proteins, the vast majority of studies have focused
      on the protein kinase AKT as the dominant effector of PI3K signaling. However,
      recent studies have demonstrated many contexts under which other PIP3-dependent
      signaling proteins critically contribute to cancer progression, illustrating the
      importance of understanding AKT-independent signaling downstream of PI3K. Here,
      we highlight three PI3K-dependent, but AKT-independent, signaling branches that
      have recently been shown to have important roles in promoting phenotypes
      associated with malignancy. First, the PDK1-mTORC2-SGK axis can substitute for
      AKT in survival, migration, and growth signaling and has emerged as a major
      mechanism of resistance to PI3K and AKT inhibitors. Second, Rac signaling
      mediates the reorganization of the actin cytoskeleton to regulate cancer cell
      migration, invasion, and metabolism. Finally, the TEC family kinase BTK has a
      critical role in B cell function and malignancy and represents a recent example
      of an effective therapeutic target in cancer. These mechanisms highlight how
      understanding PI3K-dependent, but AKT-independent, signaling mechanisms that
      drive cancer progression will be crucial for the development of novel and more
      effective approaches for targeting the PI3K pathway for therapeutic benefit in
      cancer.

PMID- 28343131
TI  - Synthesis of mesoporous poly(melamine-formaldehyde) particles by inverse emulsion
      polymerization.
AB  - Mesoporous poly(melamine-formaldehyde) (MF) particles with surface areas of up to
      200m2g-1 were synthesized by an inverse emulsion polymerization using dodecane
      and Span80(r) as continuous phase. The finer details of the shape control (using
      emulsion techniques) and the porosity control (using silica nanoparticles as hard
      template) are discussed. The impact of phase-separation processes on the
      observable porosity of the 20-200um sized spherical particles is analysed by gas
      sorption methods and electron microscopy. The high density of amine and triazine
      functional groups in the porous MF particles make the material a promising
      adsorber for heavy metal ions and methylene blue. In a preliminary column
      experiment, the synthesized material exhibited a total capacity of 2.54mmol/g (?
      812.4mg/g) for the adsorption of methylene blue.

PMID- 28343132
TI  - Probing polarity of flame retardants and correlating with interaction between
      flame retardants and PET fiber.
AB  - The empirical polarity parameter ET(30) was determined for polyethylene
      terephthalate (PET) fiber and five phosphorus flame retardants by UV-Vis
      absorption spectrum of solvatochromic probe. To investigate the interaction
      between flame retardant and PET fiber during the finishing process, the partition
      coefficients K of these flame retardants between water and PET fiber were
      determined and an interesting linear relationship between lnK and ET(30) of the
      flame retardants was obtained, suggesting ET(30) is definitely an excellent
      estimation of the interaction of flame retardants with PET. Additionally, the
      thermodynamic criterion of this finishing process, standard Gibbs free energy of
      transfer of the flame retardants from water to PET fiber, DeltaGt0(FR,H2O->PET),
      was found to linearly correlate with ET(30) of the flame retardants as well,
      DeltaGt0(FR,H2O->PET)=0.3664*ET(30)(FR) -18.60 (R2=0.9168), demonstrating
      polarity of flame retardant is an important and determining factor for its
      fixation on PET fiber. This work may provide theoretical guidance for choosing
      flame retardant finishing agent more compatible with PET fabric.

PMID- 28343133
TI  - Single-crystal Cr2O3 nanoplates with differing crystalinities, derived from
      trinuclear complexes and embedded in a carbon matrix, as an electrode material
      for supercapacitors.
AB  - As one kind of important p-type semiconductors, Cr2O3 has been widely used for
      optical and electronic devices due to its high electrical conductivity and
      special optoelectronic characteristics, as well as high chemical and thermal
      stability. In this paper, single-crystalline Cr2O3 nanoplates embedded in carbon
      matrix were successfully synthesized through direct thermal decomposition of a
      trinuclear cluster complex of [Cr3O(CH3CO2)6(H2O)3]NO3.CH3COOH ([Cr3O]) in Ar
      atmosphere. The synergetic effect of the plate-like structure and embedding in
      carbon matrix contributes to the enhanced electrochemical performance of the
      Cr2O3-C nanoplates. Owing to different crystallinity and composition, the
      obtained products at 400, 500, 600, and 700 degrees C with different carbon
      content of 12.52, 8.26, 5.35 and 3.27% exhibited enhanced battery-type electrode
      materials in three-electrode system with high specific capacitance (823.11,
      781.65, 720.72, and 696.73Fg-1 at 1Ag-1) and remarkable cycling stability (about
      0.3, 2.7, 4.5 and 5.6% loss of its initial capacitance after 5000 charge
      discharge cycles at a current density of 5Ag-1). Furthermore, an assembled
      asymmetric device (Cr2O3-C nanoplates (positive electrode)//activated carbon (AC,
      negative one)) with an extended operating voltage window of 1.8V achieves a
      specific capacitance of 58.06Fg-1 at the current density of 1Ag-1 and an energy
      density of 26.125Whkg-1 at power density of 0.9kWkg-1, as well as superior
      cycling stability with 91.4% capacitance retention after 10,000 cycles. The
      results indicate that the Cr2O3 nanoplates embedded in carbon matrix show
      promising potential to construct high-performance energy storage devices.

PMID- 28343134
TI  - Exfoliated graphene nanosheets: pH-sensitive drug carrier and anti-cancer
      activity.
AB  - A straightforward and facile method for the exfoliation of graphene sheets using
      poly(vinylpyrrolidone) nanoparticles of an average size of 42nm was developed and
      their dual role as pH-sensitive drug carrier and anti-cancer agent was evaluated.
      The cytotoxic impact of the exfoliated nanosheets (GRP-PVP-NP) was examined on
      various cells (HCT-116, HeLa, SCC-9, NIH-3T3 and HEK-293cells) by a series of
      assays. Their cytotoxic nature was attributed to affecting the mitochondrial
      enzyme activity, proliferation capability, and the formation of tight junctions
      in cancer cells. The endocytosis was found to be internalization mechanism for
      the cellular uptake of nanosheets. The generation of reactive oxygen species and
      elicitation of caspase-3 activity which was undoubtedly associated with
      triggering of oxidative stress speculated to be the dominant cause of the
      cytotoxic pattern of nanosheets against cancer cells. Additionally, the results
      also showed the role of the nanosheets as a pH-sensitive drug carrier through
      drug loading by supramolecular interaction. The efficient release of doxorubicin
      was seen at low pH and in an environment with a low oxygen concentration, thus
      under conditions mimicking the typical tumor microenvironment. Therefore, these
      findings provide the first evidence for a dual function of exfoliated graphene
      sheets and also elucidate the cytotoxic mechanism responsible for the cancer cell
      death.

PMID- 28343135
TI  - Monodisperse Ag/Pd core/shell nanoparticles assembled on reduced graphene oxide
      as highly efficient catalysts for the transfer hydrogenation of nitroarenes.
AB  - Addressed herein is a facile seed-mediated synthesis of Ag/Pd core/shell
      nanoparticles (NPs) and their assembly on reduced graphene oxide (rGO) to
      catalyze the transfer hydrogenation of nitroarenes to anilines using ammonia
      borane (AB) as a hydrogen donor under ambient conditions. Monodisperse Ag/Pd
      core/shell NPs with controllable Pd shell-thickness were synthesized by the means
      of thermal decomposition of palladium(II) bromide over as-prepared Ag NPs in the
      mixture of oleylamine and oleic acid at 220 degrees C. As-synthesized Ag/Pd
      core/shell NPs were characterized by TEM, HR-TEM, XRD, XPS, UV-Vis spectroscopy
      and ICP-MS and then they were assembled on reduced graphene oxide (rGO). Next,
      rGO@Ag/Pd catalysts were tested in the transfer hydrogenation of nitroarenes in
      which ammonia borane (AB) was used as a hydrogen donor at room temperature. It
      was demonstrated that the thickness of the Pd shell has a significant effect on
      the catalytic activity of rGO@Ag/Pd catalysts and the 1.75nm Pd shell provided
      the highest performance in the transfer hydrogenation reactions. The rGO@Ag/Pd
      catalyzed transfer hydrogenation reactions were tested over a variety of
      nitroarenes (total 16 examples) and they were all converted to the corresponding
      aniline derivatives with high yields in 5-15min under ambient conditions.

PMID- 28343136
TI  - Facile microfluidic production of composite polymer core-shell microcapsules and
      crescent-shaped microparticles.
AB  - HYPOTHESIS: Core-shell microcapsules and crescent-shaped microparticles can be
      used as picolitre bioreactors for cell culture and microwells for cell
      trapping/immobilisation, respectively. RESULTS: Monodisperse polylactic acid
      (PLA) core-shell microcapsules with a diameter above 200MUm, a shell thickness of
      10MUm, and 96% water entrapment efficiency were produced by solvent evaporation
      from microfluidically generated W/O/W emulsion drops with core-shell structure,
      and used to encapsulate Saccharomyces cerevisiae yeast cells in their aqueous
      cores. The morphological changes of the capsules stained with Nile red were
      studied over 14days under different osmotic pressure and pH gradients. FINDINGS:
      The shell retained its integrity under isotonic conditions, but buckling and
      particle crumbling occurred in a hypertonic solution. When the capsules
      containing 5wt% aqueous Eudragit(r) S 100 solution in the core were incubated in
      10-4M HCl solution, H+ diffused through the PLA film into the core causing an
      ionic gelation of the inner phase and its phase separation into polymer-rich and
      water-rich regions, due to the transition of Eudragit from a hydrophilic to
      hydrophobic state. Crescent-shaped composite microparticles with Eudragit cores
      and PLA shells were fabricated by drying core-shell microcapsules with gelled
      cores, due to the collapse of PLA shells encompassing water-rich crescent
      regions.

PMID- 28343137
TI  - Synthesis of novel muramic acid derivatives and their interaction with lysozyme:
      Action of lysozyme revisited.
AB  - HYPOTHESIS: The interaction of lysozyme with the N-acetylmuramic acid (NAM) and N
      acetylglucosamine (NAG) unit of peptidoglycan (PGN) polymer of the bacterial cell
      wall is of immense importance to understand the mechanism of lysozyme on PGN.
      EXPERIMENTS: The synthesis of three novel NAM derivatives containing fused
      oxazinone ring to the NAM moiety has been achieved. The synthesized compounds
      were evaluated for their potential as a glycomimetic acceptor of lysozyme using
      different biophysical and computational methods such as 1H NMR, STD NMR, DOSY and
      Molecular docking. FINDINGS: Novel modified muramic acid derivatives have been
      synthesized in excellent yield containing fused cyclooxazine ring embedded on the
      muramic acid moiety using a newly developed hydrazinolysis reaction condition.
      From various biophysical studies, it has been established that the compound
      containing endo modified muramic acid moiety (compound 1) shows significant
      binding property for the lysozyme while the other isomer (compound 2) did not
      bind to the lysozyme. The catalytic residues Glu35 and Asp52 were found to be in
      the close proximity for the active molecule which justifies the selectivity of
      this molecule in conjunction to lysozyme enzymatic activity.

PMID- 28343138
TI  - Revisiting the impact of OXTR rs53576 on empathy: A population-based study and a
      meta-analysis.
AB  - Oxytocin in the brain is related to empathy, which refers to the ability to
      understand and share others' internal states or responses. Previous studies have
      investigated the impact of OXTR rs53576, the most intensively examined
      polymorphism in the oxytocin receptor (OXTR) gene, on individual differences in
      empathy. However, these studies produced inconsistent results. In the current
      study, we reexamined the association of OXTR rs53576 with empathy in a relatively
      large population (N=1830) and also evaluated the association by a comprehensive
      meta-analysis (N=6631, 13 independent samples). The replication study indicated
      that OXTR rs53576 was indeed associated with individual differences in empathy.
      Individuals with a greater number of G alleles showed better empathic ability,
      particularly in fantasizing other's feelings and actions. The meta-analysis not
      only confirmed this association, but also indicated that the impact of this
      polymorphism was significant in both Europeans and Asians. These findings provide
      convincing evidence for the impact of OXTR rs53576 on empathy, highlighting the
      importance of OXTR gene in individuals' social cognition.

PMID- 28343140
TI  - Sequence-encoded material properties dictate the structure and function of
      nuclear bodies.
AB  - Concomitant with packaging the genome, the cell nucleus must also spatially
      organize the nucleoplasm. This complex mixture of proteins and nucleic acids
      partitions into a variety of phase-separated, membraneless organelles called
      nuclear bodies. Significant progress has been made in understanding the
      relationship between the material properties of nuclear bodies and their
      structural and functional consequences. Furthermore, the molecular basis of these
      condensed phases is beginning to emerge. Here, I review the latest work in this
      exciting field, highlighting recent advances and new challenges.

PMID- 28343139
TI  - Oxytocin in corticosterone-induced chronic stress model: Focus on adrenal gland
      function.
AB  - Chronic stress conditions can lead to considerable and extensible changes in
      physiological and psychological performances, and in emergence of risk for
      various somatic diseases. On the other hand, the neuropeptide oxytocin is
      reported to increase the resistance of the organism to stress and modulate
      activity of autonomic nervous system. Chronic corticosterone administration is
      used as a rat model for a state observed in terms of chronic stress exposure,
      when negative feedback mechanism of hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal axis activity
      is disrupted. In our study, we aimed to investigate whether chronic
      administration of oxytocin (10 IU/400MUL/day for 14days, s.c.) influenced adrenal
      gland morphology and activity in adult male Wistar rats during long-term
      corticosterone administration via drinking water (100mg/L for 21days). We
      examined the influence of treatments on the levels of adrenal gland hormones,
      corticosterone, adrenaline and noradrenaline, as well as their response to an
      acute stress challenge evoked by 15-min forced swimming. In addition, the
      expression of two main monoamine transporters, the noradrenaline transporter
      (NAT) and vesicular monoamine transporter 2 (VMAT2) in adrenal medulla was
      measured in the rats exposed to acute stress. Our results showed that oxytocin
      treatment prevented corticosterone-induced decrease in body weight gain,
      attenuated adrenal gland atrophy by increasing glandular weight, and the area of
      the zona fasciculate and reticularis. Chronic corticosterone intake blunted the
      response of all measured hormones to acute stress, whereas concomitant oxytocin
      treatment reversed adrenaline and noradrenaline response to acute stress.
      Furthermore, in adrenal medulla, oxytocin produced significant vasodilatation and
      stimulated expression of both catecholamine transporters detected both on mRNA
      and protein level. Our data suggest that oxytocin, by reducing atrophy of adrenal
      gland, and by increasing catecholamine storage capacity, may be beneficial in
      conditions accompanied with high glucocorticoid levels, such as chronic stress
      exposure.

PMID- 28343141
TI  - Survival outcomes in iron chelated and non-chelated patients with lower-risk
      myelodysplastic syndromes: Review and pooled analysis of observational studies.

PMID- 28343142
TI  - Circuit mechanisms of sleepiness and cataplexy in narcolepsy.
AB  - Narcolepsy is a debilitating sleep disorder caused by loss of orexin neurons in
      the lateral hypothalamus. Excessive daytime sleepiness and cataplexy are the
      major complaints in narcolepsy, and are associated with impaired quality of life.
      Although it is unclear how orexin loss causes sleepiness and cataplexy, animal
      models have been instrumental in identifying the neurobiological underpinnings of
      narcolepsy because they reliably recapitulate disease symptoms. Current evidence
      indicates that orexin cell loss causes sleepiness and cataplexy by destabilizing
      the ability of the circuits that initiate and sustain normal levels of arousal
      and motor activity. This review highlights the latest research concerning the
      normal function of the orexin system and how its dysfunction causes narcolepsy
      symptoms.

PMID- 28343143
TI  - Impact of rivaroxaban on point-of-care assays.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Point-of-care testing (POCT) is regularly used to assess haemostasis
      in various clinical settings. The impact of rivaroxaban on those POCT is still
      elusive. We aimed to study the effects of rivaroxaban on most commonly used POCT
      assays. METHODS: Blood samples were taken before, 3h, and 24h after
      administration of 20mg rivaroxaban to 20 healthy volunteers as part of a
      prospective, multicenter validation study (clinicaltrials.govNCT01710267). Blood
      samples were analysed with thromboelastometry (ROTEM(r)), two platelet function
      assays (INNOVANCE(r) PFA-200 and Multiplate(r)), and the CoaguChek(r) XS.
      Rivaroxaban plasma levels were determined using liquid chromatography-mass
      spectrometry. RESULTS: Rivaroxaban significantly modified some thromboelastometry
      parameters (CT INTEM: mean difference 56.1s, 95% CI: 41.8, 70.3; CT EXTEM: 47.5s,
      95% CI: 37.8, 57.1; CT HEPTEM: 50.1s, 95% CI: 34.7, 65.6), and CoaguChek(r) XS
      parameters (prothrombin time: mean difference 3.8s, 95% CI: 3.3, 4.2; INR: 0.32,
      95% CI: 0.27, 0.38; prothrombin ratio: -36.1%, 95% CI: -32.3, -39.9). CT EXTEM
      and INR showed a moderate correlation with rivaroxaban plasma levels (r=0.83; 95%
      CI 0.69, 0.9 and r=0.83; 95% CI 0.70, 0.91, respectively) and a high sensitivity
      to detect rivaroxaban treatment at peak levels (0.95; 95% CI: 0.76, 1.0 and 0.90,
      95% CI 0.70, 0.99, respectively). CONCLUSIONS: Rivaroxaban 20mg treatment
      significantly alters ROTEM(r) and CoaguChek(r) XS parameters. Even though POCT do
      not allow precise quantification of rivaroxaban plasma concentration, CT EXTEM
      and CoaguChek XS detect the presence of rivaroxaban at peak level with a high
      sensitivity.

PMID- 28343145
TI  - Effects of tiletamine on the adenosine monophosphate-activated protein kinase
      signaling pathway in the rat central nervous system.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: The dissociative anesthetic tiletamine, which acts on the central
      nervous system (CNS), is widely used in veterinary medicine and animal
      experiments. Recent studies indicate that adenosine 5'-monophosphate activated
      protein kinase (AMPK) plays a key role in the analgesic action of tiletamine. In
      the present study, the effects of tiletamine on the AMPK signaling pathway in
      rats were investigated. METHODS: Sprague-Dawley rats were injected
      intraperitoneally with tiletamine and executed at 10, 20, 40 and 60min post
      injection. The cerebral cortex, hippocampus, thalamus, cerebellum and brainstem
      were immediately taken out to evaluate the mRNA and protein phosphorylation
      levels of liver kinase B1 (LKB1), AMPKalpha and eIF4E-binding protein 1 (4EBP1)
      using quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction and western blot analysis.
      RESULTS: Tiletamine increased AMPK mRNA expression in the rat brain (P<0.01).
      Increased mRNA expression of AMPK was accompanied by an increase in
      phosphorylation of LKB1, resulting in significant decreases in the
      phosphorylation levels of 4EBP1 in the corresponding brain regions (P<0.01).
      CONCLUSION: In summary, the findings indicate that tiletamine regulates the mRNA
      expression and protein phosphorylation levels of LKB1, AMPK and 4EBP1 in the CNS,
      suggesting that the analgesic effect of the anesthetic is mediated, at least in
      part, by the AMPK signaling pathway.

PMID- 28343144
TI  - Gene and protein expressions and metabolomics exhibit activated redox signaling
      and wnt/beta-catenin pathway are associated with metabolite dysfunction in
      patients with chronic kidney disease.
AB  - Changes in plasma concentration of small organic metabolites could be due to
      their altered production or urinary excretion and changes in their urine
      concentration may be due to the changes in their filtered load, tubular
      reabsorption, and/or altered urine volume. Therefore, these factors should be
      considered in interpretation of the changes observed in plasma or urine of the
      target metabolite(s). Fasting plasma and urine samples from 180 CKD patients and
      120 age-matched healthy controls were determined by UPLC-HDMS-metabolomics and
      quantitative real-time RT-PCR techniques. Compared with healthy controls,
      patients with CKD showed activation of NF-kappaB and up-regulation of pro
      inflammatory and pro-oxidant mRNA and protein expression as well as down
      regulation of Nrf2-associated anti-oxidant gene mRNA and protein expression,
      accompanied by activated canonical Wnt/beta-catenin signaling. 124 plasma and 128
      urine metabolites were identified and 40 metabolites were significantly altered
      in both plasma and urine. Plasma concentration and urine excretion of 25
      metabolites were distinctly different between CKD and controls. They were related
      to amino acid, methylamine, purine and lipid metabolisms. Logistic regression
      identified four plasma and five urine metabolites. Parts of them were good
      correlated with eGFR or serum creatinine. 5-Methoxytryptophan and homocystine and
      citrulline were good correlated with both eGFR and creatinine. Clinical factors
      were incorporated to establish predictive models. The enhanced metabolite model
      showed 5-methoxytryptophan, homocystine and citrulline have satisfactory
      accuracy, sensitivity and specificity for predictive CKD. The dysregulation of
      CKD was related to amino acid, methylamine, purine and lipid metabolisms. 5
      methoxytryptophan, homocystine and citrulline could be considered as additional
      GFR-associated biomarker candidates and for indicating advanced renal injury. CKD
      caused dysregulation of the plasma and urine metabolome, activation of
      inflammatory/oxidative pathway and Wnt/beta-catenin signaling and suppression of
      antioxidant pathway.

PMID- 28343146
TI  - Antimicrobial effect of the Biotronic(r) Top3 supplement and efficacy in
      protecting rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) from infection by Aeromonas
      salmonicida subsp. salmonicida.
AB  - Demand for more environmentally friendly practices have led to the adoption of
      several feed supplements by the fish farming industry. In the present study, we
      investigated a commercially available formula that includes a mixture of three
      compounds: organic acids, a phytochemical and Biomin(r) Permeabilizing Complex.
      This mixture demonstrated antimicrobial properties in vitro and was able to
      inhibit growth of multiple species of aquatic bacterial pathogens, including
      Aeromonas salmonicida. Bacterial challenge was performed using A. salmonicida and
      three exposure routes: intra-peritoneal injection, immersion, and cohabitation.
      Mortality rates following infection by injection were significantly decreased in
      the fish that had received the supplemented feed. Fish infected through the other
      routes did not show a significant difference in mortality. In term of farming
      performance, while the fish that had received the feed supplement showed an
      improvement in weight gain and final weight, these changes were not found to be
      statistically significant. Similarly, no significant difference was observed in
      the feed conversion ratio. The results of this study suggest that this feed
      supplement may be effective at protecting rainbow trout from fish furunculosis.

PMID- 28343147
TI  - Ethical perspectives and ramifications of the Paolo Macchiarini case.
AB  - The Paolo Macchiarini case has several ethical ramifications. Professor
      Macchiarini, formerly of the Karolinska Institutet (KI), became famous for the
      tracheal surgeries he conducted between 2008 and 2014. His rapid rise to fame was
      followed by an almost equally rapid fall from grace as official reports, articles
      in newspapers and television programmes revealed several aspects related to
      misconduct in his curriculum vitae, professional practices and publishing-related
      activity. Formal misconduct reports issued by four KI co-workers in late 2014,
      then again in 2016, coupled with social scandals, including the tricking of a
      famous US television newscaster into a false marriage, a previous arrest in Italy
      for apparent bribery, and acute narcissism, all tainted Macchiarini's legend. In
      the short space of just two years, Macchiarini was no longer remembered for the
      revolutionary changes he had claimed to have brought about in stem cell research
      and regenerative medicine. Instead, at least seven dead patients later,
      Macchiarini faces potential aggravated manslaughter charges and an uphill battle
      to save his published research, now shrouded in scandal and scientific doubt,
      from being retracted and scratched out from the list of verified medical science.
      This paper examines some of the possible ethical ramifications of the Macchiarini
      case.

PMID- 28343148
TI  - De novo mutations in CBL causing early-onset paediatric moyamoya angiopathy.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Moyamoya angiopathy (MMA) is characterised by a progressive stenosis
      of the terminal part of the internal carotid arteries and the development of
      abnormal collateral deep vessels. Its pathophysiology is unknown. MMA can be the
      sole manifestation of the disease (moyamoya disease) or be associated with
      various conditions (moyamoya syndrome) including some Mendelian diseases. We
      aimed to investigate the genetic basis of moyamoya using a whole exome sequencing
      (WES) approach conducted in sporadic cases without any overt symptom suggestive
      of a known Mendelian moyamoya syndrome. METHODS: A WES was performed in four
      unrelated early-onset moyamoya sporadic cases and their parents (trios). Exome
      data were analysed under dominant de novo, autosomal recessive and X-linked
      hypotheses. A panel of 17 additional sporadic cases with early-onset moyamoya was
      available for mutation recurrence analysis. RESULTS: We identified two germline
      de novo mutations in CBL in two out of the four trio probands, two girls
      presenting with an infancy-onset severe MMA. Both mutations were predicted to
      alter the ubiquitin ligase activity of the CBL protein that acts as a negative
      regulator of the RAS pathway. These two germline CBL mutations have previously
      been described in association with a developmental Noonan-like syndrome and
      susceptibility to juvenile myelomonocytic leukaemia (JMML). Notably, the two
      mutated girls never developed JMML and presented only subtle signs of RASopathy
      that did not lead to evoke this diagnosis during follow-up. CONCLUSIONS: These
      data suggest that CBL gene screening should be considered in early-onset
      moyamoya, even in the absence of obvious signs of RASopathy.

PMID- 28343150
TI  - Combined intramedullary and intradural extramedullary spinal metastases in
      malignant melanoma.

PMID- 28343149
TI  - beta-Adrenergic Stimulation Induces Histone Deacetylase 5 (HDAC5) Nuclear
      Accumulation in Cardiomyocytes by B55alpha-PP2A-Mediated Dephosphorylation.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Class IIa histone deacetylase (HDAC) isoforms such as HDAC5 are
      critical signal-responsive repressors of maladaptive cardiomyocyte hypertrophy,
      through nuclear interactions with transcription factors including myocyte
      enhancer factor-2. beta-Adrenoceptor (beta-AR) stimulation, a signal of
      fundamental importance in regulating cardiac function, has been proposed to
      induce both phosphorylation-independent nuclear export and phosphorylation
      dependent nuclear accumulation of cardiomyocyte HDAC5. The relative importance of
      phosphorylation at Ser259/Ser498 versus Ser279 in HDAC5 regulation is also
      controversial. We aimed to determine the impact of beta-AR stimulation on the
      phosphorylation, localization, and function of cardiomyocyte HDAC5 and delineate
      underlying molecular mechanisms. METHODS AND RESULTS: A novel 3-dimensional
      confocal microscopy method that objectively quantifies the whole-cell
      nuclear/cytoplasmic distribution of green fluorescent protein tagged HDAC5
      revealed the beta-AR agonist isoproterenol to induce beta1-AR-mediated and
      protein kinase A-dependent HDAC5 nuclear accumulation in adult rat
      cardiomyocytes, which was accompanied by dephosphorylation at Ser259/279/498.
      Mutation of Ser259/Ser498 to Ala promoted HDAC5 nuclear accumulation and myocyte
      enhancer factor-2 inhibition, whereas Ser279 ablation had no such effect and did
      not block isoproterenol-induced nuclear accumulation. Inhibition of the Ser/Thr
      phosphatase PP2A blocked isoproterenol-induced HDAC5 dephosphorylation. Co
      immunoprecipitation revealed a specific interaction of HDAC5 with the PP2A
      targeting subunit B55alpha, as well as catalytic and scaffolding subunits, which
      increased >3-fold with isoproterenol. Knockdown of B55alpha in neonatal
      cardiomyocytes attenuated isoproterenol-induced HDAC5 dephosphorylation.
      CONCLUSIONS: beta-AR stimulation induces HDAC5 nuclear accumulation in
      cardiomyocytes by a mechanism that is protein kinase A-dependent but requires
      B55alpha-PP2A-mediated dephosphorylation of Ser259/Ser498 rather than protein
      kinase A-mediated phosphorylation of Ser279.

PMID- 28343151
TI  - Gastric outlet obstruction: an unusual case of primary duodenal tuberculosis.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Tuberculosis is a major health problem worldwide. Gastrointestinal
      tuberculosis presenting as isolated involvement of the duodenum is a rare case.
      CASE PRESENTATION: A 13 year male, presented with features of gastric outlet
      obstruction. CT enterography scan showed circumferential mural thickening in
      first and second part of duodenal junction causing luminal narrowing. Upper GI
      endoscopy confirmed the narrowing of D1-D2 junction. Duodenal biopsy showed
      duodenitis with negative result for AFB stain, Helicobacter Pylori. Patient
      underwent roux-en-y gastro-jejunostomy. Histo-pathological findings were
      consistent with tuberculosis. Patient was started on AKT and discharged. At 3
      months follow up; patient asymptomatic. CONCLUSION: The unusual location of
      gastrointestinal tuberculosis, lack of specific signs and symptoms, radiological
      studies and endoscopy findings makes diagnosis a challenge. The treatment of
      duodenal tuberculosis is still medical and surgery should be reserved for
      emergency like gastric outlet obstruction causing nutritional compromise.

PMID- 28343152
TI  - The answer is blowing in the wind: an uncommon cause for severe ARDS accompanied
      by circulatory insufficiency requiring extracorporeal membrane oxygenation.
AB  - We report a rare complication in an immunosuppressed patient with IgA nephropathy
      who suffered from severe acute respiratory distress syndrome, severe capillary
      leakage and shock after placement of a double lumen central venous catheter. He
      could be successfully treated by extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) and
      therapeutic plasma exchange. This report highlights the severity of late-onset
      complications of catheter placements and shows the potential of ECMO treatment
      for the management of acute illnesses with bridge to recovery.

PMID- 28343153
TI  - De Garengeot's hernia: an unusual case on call.
AB  - De Garengeot's hernia is defined as a femoral hernia that contains the appendix.
      Owing to the extreme rarity of de Garengeot's hernia, it could represent a
      diagnostic challenge; however, it should remain in the differential diagnosis,
      particularly in this patient demographic. A female patient aged 96 years, who
      presented as an emergency with acute right iliac fossa pain, was found to have de
      Garengeot's hernia. The diagnosis was made intraoperatively, where she was
      treated with an appendicectomy and repair of the hernia defect. The incidence of
      de Garengeot's hernia is 0.5-5% and the incidence of appendicitis within a
      femoral hernia is extremely rare. Preoperative diagnosis is challenging to the
      treating surgeon, which requires a high index of suspicion and is usually made
      intraoperatively. There is no standard treatment; however, simple appendicectomy
      and hernia repair seems to be an accepted management.

PMID- 28343154
TI  - Silent uterine rupture in scarred uterus.
AB  - : Uterine rupture in pregnancy is a rare and catastrophic complication with a
      high incidence of fetal and maternal morbidity. Very few cases have been reported
      in the literature. CASE PRESENTATION: A 28-year-old fifth gravid woman with a
      history of one caesarean section presented to our department at 39 weeks and 6
      days gestation with complaints of headache, epigastric pain and nausea. Her blood
      pressure was elevated and there was proteinuria. Emergency caesarean section was
      performed in view of symptoms. Uterine rupture was found during the surgery. A
      live male infant was delivered in good condition. Postnatal recovery was
      unremarkable and the woman discharged on postoperative day 5. CONCLUSION: Rupture
      of the uterus can present in third trimester even before labour with minimal or
      no symptoms.

PMID- 28343155
TI  - More than just muscle spasms: a rare presentation of aortic dissection.
AB  - Acute aortic dissection is associated with significant morbidity and mortality,
      often from complications including aortic regurgitation, cardiac tamponade and
      myocardial infarction. Typical clinical presentation includes a sudden onset of
      severe chest pain, although this is not always consistent. Clinical signs and
      symptoms are diverse with an estimated 38% of cases being missed on initial
      evaluation. Primary neurological symptoms at presentation are rare but have been
      reported often to coexist with chest pain. We present a case of acute aortic
      dissection in which the initial presenting symptoms were predominantly
      neurological. Stanford type A dissection is a surgical emergency with a high
      burden of cardiovascular death; thus, aggressive identification and management is
      paramount. Our case re-emphasises the importance of having a higher index of
      suspicion and a keen clinical eye for atypical presentations of acute aortic
      dissection.

PMID- 28343156
TI  - Ectopic ACTH-producing large cell neuroendocrine Pancoast tumour presenting as
      Horner syndrome.
AB  - We present an interesting case where a patient is presented with a droopy left
      eyelid (as part of Horner syndrome) and Cushingoid features which were a result
      of a Pancoast tumour (apical lung tumour in superior pulmonary sulcus) involving
      the left lung. This tumour was secreting ectopic adrenocorticotropic hormone
      (ACTH), a paraneoplastic endocrine phenomenon, which resulted in Cushing syndrome
      symptomatology. Though most ectopic ACTH-producing lung cancers are either small
      cell or carcinoid tumours, this was in fact a large cell neuroendocrine cancer
      (LCNEC). Patient underwent surgical resection and adjuvant/neoadjuvant
      chemotherapy with radiation; however, he succumbed to LCNEC given aggressive
      nature of the disease.

PMID- 28343157
TI  - Isolated unilateral upper alveolar numbness in silent sinus syndrome.
AB  - We present a case of a 59-year-old man with left upper alveolar numbness of 2
      years' duration in the absence of sinonasal symptoms. On physical examination, he
      demonstrated mild left facial asymmetry and diminished sensation of his left
      upper alveolus from the left second upper incisor to first canine. CT imaging
      revealed chronic sinusitis changes of the left maxillary sinus, with reduced
      volume and depressed anterior wall. The patient underwent functional endoscopic
      sinus surgery to re-establish maxillary sinus ventilation. He was noted to have
      some improvement of his upper alveolar paraesthesia postoperatively. Silent sinus
      syndrome is part of the spectrum of chronic maxillary atelectasis. In the
      presented case, chronic osteitic bony sclerosis, as opposed to osteopenic change
      of the maxillary sinus, was seen. We postulate that bony encasement of the
      anterior superior alveolar nerve resulted in chronic nerve compression and the
      patient's unusual symptom of upper alveolar paraesthesia.

PMID- 28343158
TI  - Ethmoiditis with subperiosteal and retro-ocular abscesses due to Aeromonas sobria
      in a 16-year-old boy exposed to the Ardeche river.

PMID- 28343159
TI  - Half-and-half nails in a patient on antituberculosis treatment.

PMID- 28343160
TI  - An injury prevention pyramid for elite sports teams.

PMID- 28343161
TI  - Fulminant invasive meningococcal disease due to serogroup Y infection: a highly
      unusual case reflecting worrying increases in carriage and incidence.
AB  - A young man presented to accident and emergency with a short history of diarrhoea
      and vomiting, with no medical history. He deteriorated rapidly during triage and
      never regained consciousness. He was pronounced dead after hours of attempted
      resuscitation. He was found to have organisms suggestive of diplococci on his
      blood film and subsequently had MenY found via PCR testing. This case illustrates
      a highly unusual presentation of invasive meningococcal disease caused by MenY
      which is quietly and dangerously increasing in incidence in the UK, particularly
      in young healthy patients. All clinicians are reminded to be vigilant in order to
      diagnose and treat this often fatal disease as well as to promote uptake of the
      quadrivalent MenACWY vaccine.

PMID- 28343163
TI  - S100A6 - focus on recent developments.
AB  - The Ca2+-binding protein, S100A6, belongs to the S100 family. Binding of Ca2+
      induces a conformational change, which causes an increase in the overall S100A6
      hydrophobicity and allows it to interact with many targets. S100A6 is expressed
      in different normal tissues and in many tumors. Up to now it has been shown that
      S100A6 is involved in cell proliferation, cytoskeletal dynamics and
      tumorigenesis, and that it might have some extracellular functions. In this
      review, we summarize novel discoveries concerning S100A6 targets, its involvement
      in cellular signaling pathways, and presence in stem/progenitor cells,
      extracellular matrix and body fluids of diseased patients.

PMID- 28343162
TI  - Mesothelin promoter variants are associated with increased soluble mesothelin
      related peptide levels in asbestos-exposed individuals.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Soluble mesothelin-related peptide (SMRP) is a promising diagnostic
      biomarker for malignant pleural mesothelioma (MPM), but various confounders
      hinder its usefulness in surveillance programmes. We previously showed that a
      single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) within the 3'untranslated region (3'UTR) of
      the mesothelin (MSLN) gene could affect the levels of SMRP. OBJECTIVES: To focus
      on SNPs located within MSLN promoter as possible critical genetic variables in
      determining SMRP levels. METHODS: The association between SMRP and SNPs was
      tested in 689 non-MPM subjects and 70 patients with MPM. Reporter plasmids
      carrying the four most common haplotypes were compared in a dual luciferase
      assay, and in silico analyses were performed to investigate the putative
      biological role of the SNPs. RESULTS: We found a strong association between serum
      SMRP and variant alleles of rs3764247, rs3764246 (in strong linkage
      disequilibrium with rs2235504) and rs2235503 in non-MPM subjects. Inclusion of
      the genotype information led to an increase in SMRP specificity from 79.9% to
      85.5%. Although not statistically significant, the group with MPM showed the same
      trend of association. According to the in vitro luciferase study, rs3764247
      itself had a functional role. In silico approaches showed that the binding sites
      for transcription factors such as Staf and ZNF143 could be affected by this SNP.
      The other SNPs were shown to interact with each other in a more complex way.
      CONCLUSIONS: These data support the suggestion that SMRP performance is affected
      by individual (ie, genetic) variables and that MSLN expression is influenced by
      SNPs located within the promoter regulatory region.

PMID- 28343164
TI  - A Quantitative Concordance Measure for Comparing and Combining Treatment
      Selection Markers.
AB  - Motivated by an HIV example, we consider how to compare and combine treatment
      selection markers, which are essential to the notion of precision medicine. The
      current literature on precision medicine is focused on evaluating and optimizing
      treatment regimes, which can be obtained by dichotomizing treatment selection
      markers. In practice, treatment decisions are based not only on efficacy but also
      on safety, cost and individual preference, making it difficult to choose a single
      cutoff value for all patients in all settings. It is therefore desirable to have
      a statistical framework for comparing and combining treatment selection markers
      without dichotomization. We provide such a framework based on a quantitative
      concordance measure, which quantifies the extent to which higher marker values
      are predictive of larger treatment effects. For a given marker, the proposed
      concordance measure can be estimated from clinical trial data using a U
      statistic, which can incorporate auxiliary covariate information through an
      augmentation term. For combining multiple markers, we propose to maximize the
      estimated concordance measure among a specified family of combination markers. A
      cross-validation procedure can be used to remove any re-substitution bias in
      assessing the quality of an optimized combination marker. The proposed
      methodology is applied to the HIV example and evaluated in simulation studies.

PMID- 28343165
TI  - Student-Directed Video Validation of Psychomotor Skills Performance: A Strategy
      to Facilitate Deliberate Practice, Peer Review, and Team Skill Sets.
AB  - Background Essential nursing skills for safe practice are not limited to
      technical skills, but include abilities for determining salience among clinical
      data within dynamic practice environments, demonstrating clinical judgment and
      reasoning, problem-solving abilities, and teamwork competence. Effective
      instructional methods are needed to prepare new nurses for entry-to-practice in
      contemporary healthcare settings. Method This mixed-methods descriptive study
      explored self-reported perceptions of a process to self-record videos for
      psychomotor skill performance evaluation in a convenience sample of 102 pre
      licensure students. Results Students reported gains in confidence and skill
      acquisition using team skills to record individual videos of skill performance,
      and described the importance of teamwork, peer support, and deliberate practice.
      Conclusion Although time consuming, the production of student-directed video
      validations of psychomotor skill performance is an authentic task with meaningful
      accountabilities that is well-received by students as an effective, satisfying
      learner experience to increase confidence and competence in performing
      psychomotor skills.

PMID- 28343166
TI  - Development and validation of a yoga module for Parkinson disease.
AB  - Background Parkinson's disease (PD), a progressive neurodegenerative disease,
      affects motor and nonmotor functions, leading to severe debility and poor quality
      of life. Studies have reported the beneficial role of yoga in alleviating the
      symptoms of PD; however, a validated yoga module for PD is unavailable. This
      study developed and validated an integrated yoga module(IYM) for PD. Methods The
      IYM was prepared after a thorough review of classical yoga texts and previous
      findings. Twenty experienced yoga experts, who fulfilled the inclusion criteria,
      were selected validating the content of the IYM. A total of 28 practices were
      included in the IYM, and each practice was discussed and rated as (i) not
      essential, (ii) useful but not essential, and (iii) essential; the content
      validity ratio (CVR) was calculated using Lawshe's formula. Results Data analysis
      revealed that of the 28 IYM practices, 21 exhibited significant content validity
      (cut-off value: 0.42, as calculated by applying Lawshe's formula for the CVR).
      Conclusions The IYM is valid for PD, with good content validity. However, future
      studies must determine the feasibility and efficacy of the developed module.

PMID- 28343167
TI  - The unappreciated roles of the cholecystokinin receptor CCK(1) in brain
      functioning.
AB  - The CCK(1) receptor is a G-protein-coupled receptor activated by the sulfated
      forms of cholecystokinin (CCK), a gastrin-like peptide released in the
      gastrointestinal tract and mammal brain. A substantial body of research supports
      the hypothesis that CCK(1)r stimulates gallbladder contraction and pancreatic
      secretion in the gut, as well as satiety in brain. However, this receptor may
      also fulfill relevant roles in behavior, thanks to its widespread distribution in
      the brain. The strategic location of CCK(1)r in mesolimbic structures and
      specific hypothalamic and brainstem nuclei lead to complex interactions with
      neurotransmitters like dopamine, serotonin, and glutamate, as well as
      hypothalamic hormones and neuropeptides. The activity of CCK(1)r maintains
      adequate levels of dopamine and regulates the activity of serotonin neurons of
      raphe nuclei, which makes CCK(1)r an interesting therapeutic target for the
      development of adjuvant treatments for schizophrenia, drug addiction, and mood
      disorders. Unexplored functions of CCK(1)r, like the transmission of
      interoceptive sensitivity in addition to the regulation of hypothalamic hormones
      and neurotransmitters affecting emotional states, well-being, and attachment
      behaviors, may open exciting roads of research. The absence of specific ligands
      for the CCK(1) receptor has complicated the study of its distribution in brain so
      that research about its impact on behavior has been published sporadically over
      the last 30 years. The present review reunites all this body of evidence in a
      comprehensive way to summarize our knowledge about the actual role of CCK in the
      neurobiology of mental illness.

PMID- 28343168
TI  - Potential skin involvement in ALS: revisiting Charcot's observation - a review of
      skin abnormalities in ALS.
AB  - Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a neurodegenerative disease affecting
      motor neurons of the brain and spinal cord, leading to progressive paralysis and
      death. Interestingly, many skin changes have been reported in ALS patients, but
      never as yet fully explained. These observations could be due to the common
      embryonic origin of the skin and neural tissue known as the ectodermal germ
      layer. Following the first observation in ALS patients' skin by Dr Charcot in the
      19th century, in the absence of bedsores unlike other bedridden patients, other
      morphological and molecular changes have been observed. Thus, the skin could be
      of interest in the study of ALS and other neurodegenerative diseases. This review
      summarizes skin changes reported in the literature over the years and discusses
      about a novel in vitro ALS tissue-engineered skin model, derived from patients,
      for the study of ALS.

PMID- 28343169
TI  - A Bayesian semiparametric factor analysis model for subtype identification.
AB  - Disease subtype identification (clustering) is an important problem in biomedical
      research. Gene expression profiles are commonly utilized to infer disease
      subtypes, which often lead to biologically meaningful insights into disease.
      Despite many successes, existing clustering methods may not perform well when
      genes are highly correlated and many uninformative genes are included for
      clustering due to the high dimensionality. In this article, we introduce a novel
      subtype identification method in the Bayesian setting based on gene expression
      profiles. This method, called BCSub, adopts an innovative semiparametric Bayesian
      factor analysis model to reduce the dimension of the data to a few factor scores
      for clustering. Specifically, the factor scores are assumed to follow the
      Dirichlet process mixture model in order to induce clustering. Through extensive
      simulation studies, we show that BCSub has improved performance over commonly
      used clustering methods. When applied to two gene expression datasets, our model
      is able to identify subtypes that are clinically more relevant than those
      identified from the existing methods.

PMID- 28343170
TI  - miRNAs, single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) and age-related macular
      degeneration (AMD).
AB  - Advanced age-related macular degeneration (AAMD) is a complex sight-threating
      disease of public health significance. Micro RNAs (miRNAs) have been proposed as
      biomarkers for AAMD. The presence of certain single nucleotide polymorphisms
      (SNPs) may influence the explanatory value of these biomarkers. Here we present
      findings from an integrated approach used to determine whether AAMD-associated
      SNPs have the capacity to influence miRNA-mRNA pairing and, if so, to what extent
      such pairing may be manifested in a discrete AAMD transcriptome. Using a panel of
      8854 SNPs associated with AAMD at p-values <=5.0E-7 from a cohort of >30,000
      elderly people, we identified SNPs in miRNA target-encoding constituents of: (1)
      regulator of complement activation (RCA) genes (rs390679, CFHR1, p<=2.14E-214 |
      rs12140421, CFHR3, p<=4.63E-29); (2) genes of major histocompatibility complex
      (MHC) loci (rs4151672, CFB, p<=8.91E-41 | rs115404146, HLA-C, p<=6.32E-12 |
      rs1055821, HLA-B, p<=1.93E-9 | rs1063355, HLA-DQB1, p<=6.82E-14); and (3) genes
      of the 10q26 AAMD locus (rs1045216, PLEKHA1, p<=4.17E-142 | rs2672603, ARMS2,
      p<=7.14E-46). We used these findings with existing data on AAMD-related retinal
      miRNA and transcript profiles for the purpose of making inferences on SNP-mRNA
      miRNA-AAMD relationships. Four of 12 miRNAs significantly elevated in AAMD retina
      (hsa-miR-155-5p, hsa-let-7a-5p, hsa-let-7b-5p hsa-let-7d-5p) also showed strong
      pairing capacity (TarBase 7.1 context++ score <-0.2, miRanda 3.3 pairing score
      >150) with miRNA target transcripts encoded by AAMD-associated SNPs resident in
      HLA-DQB1 (rs1063355, hsa-miR-155-5p) and TGFBR1 (rs868, hsa-let-7). Three of the
      12 miRNAs overexpressed in AAMD retina are inducible by NFkB and have high
      affinity targets in the complement factor H (CFH) mRNA 3' UTR. We used ENSEMBL to
      identify polymorphic regions in the CFH mRNA 3' UTR with the capacity to disrupt
      miRNA-mRNA pairing. Two variants (rs766666504 and rs459598) existed in DNA
      sequence encoding the seed region of hsa-miR-146a-5p in the CFH mRNA 3' UTR - as
      this miRNA is also elevated in both vitreous and serum of people with AAMD, it
      shows great value as a biomarker. Our findings suggest that knowledge on the
      nature of DNA sequence variation may increase the explanatory power of miRNA
      biomarkers in genetically diverse populations, while yielding information with
      which to develop: (1) mechanistic tests on processes implicated in AMD
      pathogenesis; and, (2) site-specific small molecules (synthetic mimetics or anti
      miRNAs) with preventive or therapeutic efficacy for AAMD.

PMID- 28343171
TI  - Circulating free light chain measurement in the diagnosis, prognostic assessment
      and evaluation of response of AL amyloidosis: comparison of Freelite and N latex
      FLC assays.
AB  - BACKGROUND: The measurement of circulating free light chain (FLC) is essential in
      the diagnosis, prognostic stratification and evaluation of response to therapy in
      light chain (AL) amyloidosis. For more than 10 years, this has been done with an
      immunonephelometric assay based on polyclonal antibodies (Freelite), and cutoffs
      for staging and response assessment have been validated with this method.
      Recently, a new assay based on monoclonal antibodies (N latex FLC) has been
      marketed in Europe. METHODS: We evaluated and compared the clinical performance
      of the two assays in 426 patients with newly diagnosed AL amyloidosis. RESULTS:
      We found suboptimal agreement between the two methods, with differences between
      values obtained with the Freelite and N latex FLC assays increasing with the
      concentration of clonal FLC. The diagnostic sensitivity of the Freelite (82%) and
      N latex FLC (84%) assays was similar, and both improved to 98% in combination
      with serum and urine immunofixation. The concentration of FLC measured with both
      methods had prognostic significance. Less pronounced decreases in FLC best
      predicted improved survival with the N latex FLC assay (33% vs. 50%), and there
      was poor concordance (84%) in discrimination of responders. CONCLUSIONS: The two
      assays have similar diagnostic and prognostic performance. However, they are not
      interchangeable, and follow-up should be done with either one. New response
      criteria are needed for the N latex FLC assay.

PMID- 28343172
TI  - Novel immunoassays for detection of CUZD1 autoantibodies in serum of patients
      with inflammatory bowel diseases.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Pancreatic autoantibodies (PABs) are detected in patients with
      inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). Their prevalence is higher in Crohn's disease
      (CrD) than in ulcerative colitis (UC). Glycoprotein 2 (GP2) and, more recently,
      CUB and zona pellucida-like domain-containing protein 1 (CUZD1) have been
      identified as target autoantigens of PAB. The clinical utility of CUZD1
      autoantibodies has only recently been assessed by indirect immunofluorescence
      (IIF) assays. In this study, we developed and validated novel immunoassays for
      the detection of CUZD1 autoantibodies. METHODS: Recombinant CUZD1 protein was
      utilized as a solid-phase antigen for the development of two immunoassays for the
      detection of IgG and IgA CUZD1 autoantibodies. Serum samples from 100 patients
      with CrD, 100 patients with UC, 129 patients assessed for various autoimmune
      diseases (vADs) and 50 control individuals were analyzed. RESULTS: Two
      immunofluorometric assays for the detection of IgG and IgA CUZD1-specific
      antibodies were developed. CUZD1 autoantibodies were detected in 12.5% (25/200)
      IBD patients, including 16% of patients with CrD and in 9% of patients with UC
      (CrD vs. UC, p<0.05), compared with 3.1% (4/129) patients suspected of having
      vADs (CrD vs. ADs, p<0.05; UC vs. ADs, p=0.08). CUZD1 autoantibody positivity was
      not found to be related to disease location, age of disease onset or disease
      phenotype. CONCLUSIONS: This is the first study to describe novel IgA and IgG
      CUZD1 autoantibody enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. These immunoassays agree
      well with standard IIF techniques and can be utilized in multicenter studies to
      investigate the diagnostic and clinical utility of CUZD1 autoantibodies.

PMID- 28343173
TI  - Fast track protocols using highly sensitive troponin assays for ruling out and
      ruling in non-ST elevation acute coronary syndrome.
AB  - The introduction of "highly sensitive" cardiac troponin assays (hsTn) has
      reinforced the evidence that only serial testing incorporated in running
      algorithms allows a more accurate diagnosis of acute myocardial infarction. In
      this report, we consider the available evidence supporting the use of fast track
      protocols for ruling out and ruling in non-ST elevation myocardial infarction
      (NSTEMI) and compare it with the content of recently released guideline by the
      European Society of Cardiology, noting some uncomfortable aspects that need
      urgent clarification and/or revision. Firstly, the guideline drafters have to
      reconsider the available evidence that does not permit to assign the same class
      and level of evidence to the very well-validated 0-3 h algorithm and to the 0-1 h
      algorithm. In agreement with the validity of available data, the limitations of
      fast track protocols, in particular of the 0-1 h algorithm for NSTEMI rule-in,
      calls for caution. Secondly, as the current diagnostics guidance by the UK
      National Institute for Health and Care Excellence recommends, rapid diagnostic
      protocols should be performed only using well-validated hsTn; recommending the
      use of an assay before being commercially available is not fair and
      scientifically sound.

PMID- 28343174
TI  - miRNA analysis in pancreatic cancer: the Dartmouth experience.
AB  - Pancreatic cancer is considered one of the most lethal cancers being the fourth
      leading cause of cancer deaths in adults in the United States because of the lack
      of early signs and symptoms and the lack of early detection. Pancreatic ductal
      adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is the most common histological type among pancreatic
      cancers, representing 80%-90% of all solid tumors of the pancreas. The majority
      of PDAC develops from three precursor lesions: pancreatic intraepithelial
      neoplasia, intraductual papillary mucinous neoplasm and mucinous cystic neoplasm.
      Although histologic tissue evaluation remains the gold standard for diagnosis,
      endoscopic ultrasound-guided fine needle aspiration has become the preferred
      modality for obtaining pathologic confirmation. At Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical
      Center (DHMC),we have developed and validated a microRNA (miRNA) panel for
      patients with pancreatic diseases that can be used in association with the gold
      standard method for diagnosis. miRNAs have an important role in biological
      processes, such as apoptosis, metabolism, cell growth and differentiation. In
      cancer, miRNAs can be classified as either oncogenic or tumor suppressor
      according to their function in the carcinogenic process. In this study, we
      describe the expression of many miRNA in benign and malignant pancreatic tissues
      as well as their clinical significance. For this reason, miRNAs have been
      considered potential biomarkers of pancreatic diseases that could potentially
      contribute to an early diagnosis, predict disease progression, accurately monitor
      disease, contribute to better treatment strategies and reduce mortality by
      improving disease management.

PMID- 28343175
TI  - Not all good things come in big packages.

PMID- 28343176
TI  - Proactive approach at the limits of viability improves the short-term outcome of
      neonates born after 23 weeks' gestation.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: The aim of this single-center study was to identify factors that
      affect the short-term outcome of newborns delivered around the limits of
      viability. METHODS: A group of 137 pregnant women who gave birth between 22+0/7
      and 25+6/7 weeks of gestation was retrospectively studied. The center supports a
      proactive approach to infants around the limits of viability. Perinatal and
      neonatal characteristics were obtained and statistically evaluated. RESULTS: A
      total of 166 live-born infants were enrolled during a 6-year period; 162 (97.6%)
      of them were admitted to the neonatal intensive care unit (ICU) and 119 (73.5%)
      survived until discharge. The decrease in neonatal mortality was associated with
      an advanced gestational age (P<0.001) and a completed course of corticosteroids
      (P=0.002). Neonatal morbidities were common among infants of all gestational
      ages. The incidence of severe intraventricular hemorrhage significantly depended
      on gestational age (P<0.001) and a completed course of corticosteroids (P=0.002).
      Survival without severe neonatal morbidities was 39.5% and occurred mostly after
      24+0/7 weeks of gestation. CONCLUSION: The short-term outcome of newborns
      delivered around the limits of viability is mostly affected by gestational age
      and antenatal corticosteroid treatment. A consistently proactive approach
      improves the survival of infants at the limits of viability. This is most
      pronounced in cases where the delivery is delayed beyond 24 completed gestational
      weeks.

PMID- 28343177
TI  - Gaps in obstetric care processes - we can only improve what is being measured.
AB  - A multifaceted intervention at all six obstetric units in the Stockholm Health
      Region was performed in 2008-2011 in order to increase safety for the newborn
      infants. Case-controlled criterion-based reviews of care processes during labor
      and delivery have been used to assess factors associated with suboptimal care
      during labor and delivery. Categories of increased risk of adverse outcome during
      labor and delivery were defined. Cases with low Apgar scores and healthy controls
      were scrutinized and compared to data from a study with an identical design
      performed before the intervention. The risk of suboptimal care increased twice
      among controls and three times among cases when reviewing specific criteria after
      a multifaceted intervention. There are still gaps in care processes that need
      attention. Improving guidelines is important but not enough alone, and the
      management of fetal surveillance needs further improvement. The complexity of
      reviewing care processes using criterion-based research methodology is
      highlighted.

PMID- 28343178
TI  - Fetal cardiac tumors: clinical features, management and prognosis.
AB  - Fetal cardiac tumors are rare and usually benign. While echocardiography is a
      reliable technique for diagnosing fetal cardiac tumors, their definitive
      diagnosis relies on pathological examination. The strategies used to manage fetal
      cardiac tumors are challenging. A good clinical result is their complete
      regression during pregnancy or shortly after birth, as often occurs with cardiac
      rhabdomyomas. Moreover, the fetal prognosis depends on the nature of the tumors,
      namely, their location, size, number and associated complications. The active
      treatment options for symptomatic fetuses depend on the fetal status and may
      include fetal open surgery, postnatal tumor resection with or without the bridge
      of intrauterine pericardiocentesis, and thoracoamniotic shunting. The ex utero
      intrapartum treatment procedure provides an alternative technique for performing
      fetal open surgery and has shown promising preliminary results in selected cases,
      but is invasive for both the mother and fetus.

PMID- 28343179
TI  - Nulliparous teenagers and preterm birth in California.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Young maternal age is one of the numerous risk factors for delivery
      before 37 weeks of gestation, yet the mechanisms are unclear. The purpose of the
      current study was to investigate the association between teenagers and the risk
      of preterm birth (PTB) in a large and recent cohort study. METHODS: We conducted
      a population-based retrospective cohort study using 2007-2011 California birth
      certificate records linked with hospital discharge indices and United States
      census data for nulliparous 13-20 year olds who gave birth to singletons.
      Maternal age was examined categorically at 1 year intervals. PTB was defined as
      delivery at <37 weeks of gestation with further distinction between <32 and 32-36
      weeks, and between spontaneous and medically indicated deliveries. Adjusted
      multivariable logistic regression was used to estimate odds ratios (OR) for PTB.
      RESULTS: The prevalence of PTB was highest among the youngest (13 year olds,
      14.5%) and lowest among the oldest (20 year olds, 6.7%). After adjusting for
      maternal and paternal race/ethnicity, paternal age, initiation of prenatal care,
      source of payment, pre-pregnancy body-mass-index (BMI), height, smoking, and
      poverty; young mothers of ages 13, 14, 15, and 16 years had increased odds for
      spontaneous PTB at <32 weeks [OR (CI): 3.76 (1.83-7.75), 1.65 (1.10-2.48), 1.55
      (1.24-1.93), 1.19 (1.00-1.42), respectively] compared to 20 year olds. All
      teenagers, excluding 19 year olds, had elevated odds of spontaneous PTB at 32-36
      weeks. CONCLUSIONS: Nulliparous teenagers were at increased risk for spontaneous
      PTB, especially those 16 years or younger. Medically indicated PTB was not
      associated with young age.

PMID- 28343180
TI  - Oxygen saturation trends in normal healthy term newborns: normal vaginal delivery
      vs. elective cesarean section.
AB  - OBJECTIVES: To study the normal oxygen saturation trends and fetomaternal
      correlates in healthy term newborns within 30 min of life born by normal vaginal
      delivery (NVD) and elective cesarean section (CS). MATERIALS AND METHODS: A cross
      sectional study was conducted on 200 healthy term newborns born by NVD and
      elective CS at a tertiary care centre. Routine care as per the Neonatal
      Resuscitation Program (NRP) 2015 (Wyckoff MH, Aziz K, Escobedo MB, Kapadia VS,
      Kattwinkel J, Perlman JM, et al. Part 13: neonatal resuscitation: 2015 American
      Heart Association guidelines update for cardiopulmonary resuscitation and
      emergency cardiovascular care. Circulation. 2015;132:S543-60) protocol was given
      and pre-ductal arterial oxygen saturation was assessed by pulse oximetry at
      different intervals after birth. RESULTS: The mean peripheral oxygen saturation
      (SpO2) was 85.4%, 90.8%, 94.1%, 95.7%, 96.7% and 97.4% at 5, 10, 15, 20, 25 and
      30 min, respectively, after birth. Higher mean SpO2 was observed in NVD compared
      to elective CS (P<0.005). The mean time for SpO2 to reach >90% was 9.13 min in
      NVD and 12.31 min in elective CS (P<0.001). Maternal hemoglobin (Hb) (r=-0.15;
      P<0.01), birth weight (r=-0.125; P<0.05) and Apgar at 10 min (r=0.33; P<0.001)
      were significantly correlated with SpO2 of newborns at 10 min of life.
      CONCLUSION: Our study defines normal SpO2 levels in healthy term newborns in the
      first 30 min of life born by NVD and elective CS. Babies born by NVD had
      significantly higher SpO2 levels and attained SpO2 >90% faster than those born by
      elective CS. Maternal Hb, birth weight and Apgar at 10 min were significant
      factors affecting SpO2 levels of newborns at 10 min of life.

PMID- 28343181
TI  - A non-invasive method to rule out transient tachypnea of the newborn (TTN): fetal
      pulmonary artery acceleration to ejection time ratio.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: To investigate whether fetal pulmonary artery acceleration to ejection
      time (PATET) ratio can predict or rule out subsequent diagnosis of transient
      tachypnea of the newborn (TTN). METHODS: This prospective cohort study included
      105 pregnant women in labor, who met the inclusion criteria. Eighteen of these
      women were removed from the study cohort, because of an inability to acquire
      sufficient Doppler waveforms and a longer duration of deliveries. According to
      subsequent diagnosis of TTN in the neonate, the two groups were constituted, TTN+
      and TTN-. RESULTS: There were no statistically significant differences between
      the groups regarding maternal obstetric and demographic features. The neonatal
      intensive care unit (NICU) submission rate was significantly higher in the TTN+
      group (100%, 17%, P<0.0001, respectively). Regarding the fetal pulmonary artery
      Doppler findings, PATET ratio in the TTN+ group was significantly lower than the
      TTN- group (0.307 vs. 0.389, P<0.0001, respectively). The PATET ratio and
      diagnosis of TTN were inversely correlated (r=-0.41, P<0.001), even if adjusted
      for birth weight, gestational age and fetal gender (r=0.42, P=0.0021). The cut
      off value of 0.319 provided 82.7% specificity, 83.3% sensitivity, 96% negative
      predictive value and 41.6% positive predictive value. Additionally intraobserver
      ICC for PATET was found to be 0.86. CONCLUSION: The fetal PATET ratio seems to
      serve as a promising tool to rule out subsequent diagnosis of TTN.

PMID- 28343182
TI  - 3D/4D Sonography.

PMID- 28343183
TI  - Intrapartum care.

PMID- 28343184
TI  - Regulatory role of NGFs in neurocognitive functions.
AB  - Nerve growth factors (NGFs), especially the prototype NGF and brain-derived
      neurotrophic factor (BDNF), have a diverse array of functions in the central
      nervous system through their peculiar set of receptors and intricate signaling.
      They are implicated not only in the development of the nervous system but also in
      regulation of neurocognitive functions like learning, memory, synaptic
      transmission, and plasticity. Evidence even suggests their role in continued
      neurogenesis and experience-dependent neural network remodeling in adult brain.
      They have also been associated extensively with brain disorders characterized by
      neurocognitive dysfunction. In the present article, we aimed to make an
      exhaustive review of literature to get a comprehensive view on the role of NGFs
      in neurocognitive functions in health and disease. Starting with historical
      perspective, distribution in adult brain, implied molecular mechanisms, and
      developmental basis, this article further provides a detailed account of NGFs'
      role in specified neurocognitive functions. Furthermore, it discusses plausible
      NGF-based homeostatic and adaptation mechanisms operating in the pathogenesis of
      neurocognitive disorders and has presents a survey of such disorders. Finally, it
      elaborates on current evidence and future possibilities in therapeutic
      applications of NGFs with an emphasis on recent research updates in drug delivery
      mechanisms. Conclusive remarks of the article make a strong case for plausible
      role of NGFs in comprehensive regulation of the neurocognitive functions and
      pathogenesis of related disorders and advocate that future research should be
      directed to explore use of NGF-based mechanisms in the prevention of implicated
      diseases as well as to target these molecules pharmacologically.

PMID- 28343185
TI  - Frameworking memory and serotonergic markers.
AB  - The evidence for neural markers and memory is continuously being revised, and as
      evidence continues to accumulate, herein, we frame earlier and new evidence.
      Hence, in this work, the aim is to provide an appropriate conceptual framework of
      serotonergic markers associated with neural activity and memory. Serotonin (5
      hydroxytryptamine [5-HT]) has multiple pharmacological tools, well-characterized
      downstream signaling in mammals' species, and established 5-HT neural markers
      showing new insights about memory functions and dysfunctions, including receptors
      (5-HT1A/1B/1D, 5-HT2A/2B/2C, and 5-HT3-7), transporter (serotonin transporter
      [SERT]) and volume transmission present in brain areas involved in memory.
      Bidirectional influence occurs between 5-HT markers and memory/amnesia. A growing
      number of researchers report that memory, amnesia, or forgetting modifies neural
      markers. Diverse approaches support the translatability of using neural markers
      and cerebral functions/dysfunctions, including memory formation and amnesia. At
      least, 5-HT1A, 5-HT4, 5-HT6, and 5-HT7 receptors and SERT seem to be useful
      neural markers and therapeutic targets. Hence, several mechanisms cooperate to
      achieve synaptic plasticity or memory, including changes in the expression of
      neurotransmitter receptors and transporters.

PMID- 28343186
TI  - [Profile of adults suffering from COPD in Poland].
AB  - INTRODUCTION: Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is one of the most
      common chronic diseases in adults. It is estimated, that in Poland around two
      million people suffer from COPD. THE AIM: The aim of this study, was to
      characterize population of patients with COPD in Poland. MATERIAL AND METHODS:
      The study, established and coordinated by the Polish Respiratory Society,
      included a representative sample of 500 GPs where were asked to fill
      questionnaires on diagnosis and treatment of their COPD patients. The questions
      dealt with disease history and clinical presentation, COPD severity stage,
      diagnostic and therapeutic procedures. RESULTS: Altogether 298 physicians (59.6%
      of invited) provided information about 2756 COPD patients aged 61.6 +/- 11.1
      years (36.3% were women). According to GOLD recommendations 16.6% of patients had
      mild, 57.0% moderate, 18.6% severe and 2.1% very severe COPD. Smoking history was
      declared by 97.8% of respondents. 51.4% of COPD patients had continued smoking.
      Over the last year Ambulance Service intervened in 19.7% of patients and 29.1% of
      respondents required hospital treatment of COPD. Among more than 80% of patients,
      doctor diagnosed limitation in exercise tolerance, and shortness of breath at
      rest, and in approximately 60% of the respondents were presented productive
      cough, weakened vesicular murmur and prolonged phase of exhalation. CONCLUSIONS:
      Despite the diagnosis, more than half of men and women had continued smoking. The
      number of hospitalizations and emergency intervention positively correlated with
      the severity of the disease. The survey results emphasize the urgent need for
      health education in patients with COPD.

PMID- 28343187
TI  - [Hormonal contraception use in social and psychological context].
AB  - INTRODUCTION: The purpose of this article is to consider, form psychological
      point of view, hormonal contraception and its effects on women's body and health.
      Beliefs and decisions of young women in this area are the main plane of these
      analyzes. This study reflects on their motivations to use or not to use hormonal
      contraception and rate its influence on their body. It was also verified, if
      there is any difference in self-esteem between women who use and who do not use
      hormonal contraception. MATERIAL AND METHODS: The study was conducted amongst 95
      women aged form 18 to 35. Two instruments were used in this study: Body Esteem
      Scale (BES) and questionnaire on hormonal contraception. RESULTS: The results
      show, that hormonal contraception is used only by 1/3 of the women. The main
      reason, why women use this method is contraception. Women regard, this method is
      inoffensive for them. Women do not use hormonal contraception mainly, because of
      their ideological views, religious beliefs and fears for their own health. Women,
      who use hormonal contraception acquire higher self-esteem in this aspects of
      their body, which can be control with diet or physical exercises. CONCLUSIONS:
      Women choose hormonal contraception because of its: high efficiency, extra health
      benefits and no difficulties in use. This contrasts with low popularity of this
      method amongst young women in the study. Verification, why women are anxious
      about their health and fertility, is believed to be an important issue. Moreover,
      it seems valuable to check, how important for women is a partner's role in terms
      of contraception.

PMID- 28343188
TI  - Multimodal evoked potentials in patients with multiple sclerosis in assessment of
      the course of the disease.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a chronic inflammatory, demyelinating
      disease of the central nervous system with a multifocal damage. THE AIM: The
      assessment of the MS course by multimodal evoked potentials (EP). MATERIAL AND
      METHODS: We evaluated 95 patients (63 female, 32 male) with relapsing-remitting
      MS in the average age of 36.4+/-10.4. The average disease duration was 4.6+/-7.4
      year. Among them, 48 patients (50.5%) were treated with immunomodulatory drugs.
      All patients underwent neurological examination and EP testing: VEP (visual
      evoked potentials), SEP (somatosensory evoked potentials), endogenous potential
      P300. The latencies of following waves were evaluated: P100 (VEP), N4 , N9 , N13,
      N20, P22 (SEP) and P300, with the reference values of the Neurophysiological
      Research Laboratory of the Department of Neurology in Zabrze. RESULTS: Abnormal
      VEP(I) was found in 80 patients (84.2%), SEP(I) in 9 patients (9.5%), P300(I) in
      15 patients (15.8%). Abnormal result of the control research VEP (II) was found
      in 23 patients (82.1%), SEP(II) in 1 patient (3.6%), P300(II) in 4 patients
      (14.3%). The average values of the waves latencies in the control study were
      higher, however the statistical significance was not found. The correlation was
      observed between EDSS, and N20 and P22. No relationship was found between EP and
      age, disease duration, number of relapses and treatment. CONCLUSIONS: In the era
      of neuroimaging, usage of EP in the diagnosis and assessment of MS is limited.
      Electrophysiological studies may be used in addition to the clinical examination
      to confirm the multifocal damage.

PMID- 28343189
TI  - Study of motivational factors in doctors in respect of healthcare quality
      improvement.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: The article presents the results of a survey among doctors with
      different certification categories and experience who work at inpatient and
      outpatient departments of Sumy healthcare institutions, in respect of the main
      factors that motivate them to provide quality healthcare. The aim of the study is
      to identify the factors that may be used as motivators to improve healthcare
      quality in terms of medical staff in order to ensure system construction of
      motivational component of healthcare quality management ("incentive picture").
      MATERIALS AND METHODS: We conducted a survey among physicians working at
      inpatient and outpatient departments. A total of 167 respondents were
      interviewed. The obtained results were processed using OCA-program. CONCLUSIONS:
      We have found an association between the salary level and certification category
      of a physician. Despite heavy workload, most doctors were willing to work harder
      and better for some additional payment. Even though financial satisfaction was
      low, most doctors did not agree to change their profession for a more payable
      one. The study revealed that, in doctors' opinion, the introduction of incentive
      system in healthcare institutions was necessary to provide quality healthcare.
      Regardless of length of service and workplace, two of the main motivational
      factors for doctors were moral satisfaction from work and respect of people.

PMID- 28343190
TI  - [Analysis of the cellular composition and of the inflammatory response activity
      in the lymph nodes of patients with sarcoidosis at different stages of the
      clinical course and treatment with systemic glucocorticosteroids].
AB  - Vstup: Vivchennyu dinamiki zeapal?nix zemin v limfatichnix vuzelax xvorix
      sarkoidozeom na foni likuvannya glyukokoritkosteroidami (GKS) ta beze nix
      pridilyaet?sya nedostatnya uvaga, shcho i obumovlyue aktual?nist? naukovix
      poshukiv u danomu napryamku. Meta: Dosliditi osoblivosti klitinnogo skladu ta
      aktivnosti zeapal?noi reaktsii u limfatichnix vuzelax xvorix sarkoidozeom na
      rizenix etapax perebigu ta likuvannya GKS ze uraxuvannyam chasu vstanovlennya
      diagnozeu i stupenya aktivnosti patologii. Materiali ta metodi: Do analizeu bulo
      zealucheno rezeul?tati morfologichnogo doslidzhennya biopsiinogo materialu,
      otrimanogo ize urazhenix limfatichnix vuzeliv xvorix na sarkoidoze. ZE metoyu
      vstanovlennya klitinnogo skladu ta otsinki aktivnosti zeapal?noi reaktsii nami
      buli dodatkovo zeastosovani spetsifichni imunogistoximichni (IGX) markeri CD68,
      CD20, CD3 ta Collagen IV. Rezeul?tati: Prizenachennya terapii sistemnimi GKS u
      xvorix ze aktivnim sarkoidozeom spriyae zemenshennyu intensivnosti ekspresii IGX
      markeriv CD68, CD20, CD3, Collagen IV v oseredkax produktivnogo zeapalennya. ZEa
      vidsutnosti likuvannya GKS v oseredkax produktivnogo zeapalennya u xvorix na
      sarkoidoze zerostae kil?kist? sudin, shcho ekspresuyut? Collagen IV ze
      pidtrimkoyu imunnogo zeapalennya v tsentral?nii ta periferichnii chastini
      granul?omi, shcho skladaet?sya perevazhno ze aktivnix form makrofagiv (CD68) ta T
      limfotsitiv (CD 3). Visnovki: ZEastosuvannya GKS dlya likuvannya aktivnogo
      sarkoidozeu dozevolyae zenizeiti intensivnist? zeapal?noi reaktsii ta poperediti
      poshirennya protsesiv fibrozeuvannya v ushkodzhenix limfatichnix vuzelax
      patsientiv.

PMID- 28343191
TI  - The impact of cigarette smoking, alcohol drinking and physical inactivity on the
      risk of urolithiasis occurrence and recurrence.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: Prevention of urolithiasis occurrence and recurrence is important
      issue, due to one affects mainly people of the working age and often leads to
      disability. AIM: To study the impact of harmful habits like smoking, alcohol
      drinking, and hypodynamics on the risk of urolithiasis occurrence and recurrence.
      MATERIALS AND METHODS: It was conducted a retrospective epidemiological study of
      a representative sample of 443 patients with urolithiasis (basic group, 403 - of
      them without recurrences and 40 - with recurrences) and 203 patients without
      urolithiasis - control group, at discharge them from urologic in-patient
      departments of health care facilities of Ivano-Frankivsk region. RESULTS: It was
      established widespread of smoking and alcohol consumption among male respondents
      (31.8% smoke and 42.1% smoked, 43.4% used alcohol weekly or more) and generally
      low physical activity (53.6% among both sexes). The Odds Ratio was at: smoking -
      0.90 (95% CI = 0.64-1.26; p>0.05) for occurrence and 1.43 (0.74-2.74; p>0.05) for
      recurrence; alcohol drinking - 0.81 (0.56-1.16; p>0.05) and 0.92 (0.43-1.94;
      p>0.05) respectively; low physical activity - 1.44 (0.81-2.56; p>0.05) and 3.52
      (0.47-26.44; p>0.05). CONCLUSION: It was received no credible evidence that
      cigarette smoking, alcohol drinking and hypodynamics influence the occurrence and
      recurrence of urolithiasis. The research in this approach should continue.

PMID- 28343192
TI  - Post-stroke fatigue and its dimensions within first 3 months after stroke.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: Post-stroke fatigue (PSF) is a common stroke complication with long
      term negative consequences. AIM: Assess the qualitative and quantitative PSF
      characteristics during 3 month post-stroke period. MATERIALS AND METHODS: There
      were examined 141 patients with acute ischemic or hemorrhagic strokes at hospital
      stay, in 1, 2 and 3 months after stroke. PSF was measured by fatigue assessment
      scale (FAS), multidimensional fatigue inventory-20 (MFI-20) and fatigue severity
      scale (FSS). RESULTS: 116 (82.3%) patients had ischemic strokes, 25 (17.7%) had
      hemorrhagic strokes. According to FAS and MFI-20 "global fatigue" sub-scale, PSF
      was present, respectively, in 22.0% and 25.5% cases at hospital stay, in 38.3%
      and 35.5% cases in 3 month after stroke. The growing prevalence of PSF was based
      on significantly increasing the rates of PSD physical domain (from 28.4% to
      41.1%) and the rates of PSF mental domain (from 19.1% to 31.9%). On the other
      hand, the rates of PSF activity-related component had been significantly reduced
      from 36.2% to 17.0% within observation period. Moreover, according to MFI-20, it
      had been revealed significant increasing of PSF intensities in global, physical
      and mental domains during first 3 post-stroke months. According to FSS value
      ranks, proportions of patients with "no PSF" had been decreased in 1.5 times due
      to simultaneously rising rates of "moderate" as well as "severe" PSF impacts on
      daily life. CONCLUSION: The PSF spreading is significantly increased during the
      first 3 post-stroke months due to increasing of rates and intensities of physical
      and mental PSF domains.

PMID- 28343193
TI  - Role of genetic mutations in development of immunological and clinical disorders
      in children with chronic pyelonephritis.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: At the present time, the study of mechanisms of recognition of
      foreign agents, which is realized by means of Toll-like receptors (TLR) of the
      innate immune system, has become one of the main tasks of clinical immunology.
      The aim of our study was to investigate the prevalence of polymorphism of Toll
      like receptor 4 (Asp299Gly, Gly299Gly) among children with chronic pyelonephritis
      (CP) and determine the association of this TLR4 polymorphism with phenotypic
      features of chronic pyelonephritis and level of interleukin-6 (IL-6). MATERIALS
      AND METHODS: The clinical and laboratory examination of 60 children with chronic
      pyelonephritis during the stage of exacerbation, who were under inpatient
      treatment at the pediatric department of Children's Regional Clinical Hospital in
      Poltava, was performed. The group of healthy patients included 95 people, living
      in the Poltava region. RESULTS: Significantly higher frequency of the mutant
      allele 299Gly among children with CP was revealed. Significant correlation
      between the presence of 299Gly TLR4, association of U. urealyticum and M. hominis
      in lower sections of urinary tract and highest levels of IL-6 concentration was
      reflected. Sick children with polymorphous locus of TLR4 gene had higher risk of
      CP early manifestation and formation of its recurrent course with protracted
      urinary syndrome and unstable remission in comparison with the carriers of "wild"
      genotype. CONCLUSIONS: Obtained results prove the important role of TLR4 in the
      realization of innate immune response in children with CP and allow considering
      the TLR4 polymorphism as an additional prognostic indicator in this category of
      patients.

PMID- 28343194
TI  - Lipid metabolism and feeding habits of indigenous peoples of the sakha republic
      (yakutia) in today's socio-economic development.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: By results of a single-step epidemiological research indicators of
      a lipid range at 355 Evenks of the Olenyoksky District of the Republic of Sakha
      (Yakutia) are estimated. The aim of this research was assessment of lipid
      exchange and character of a delivery of Evenks of the item of Zhilinda. MATERIAL
      AND METHODS: 355 evenks aged over 20 years (170 men, women-185). Total
      cholesterol (OCHS), cholesterol (low-density lipoproteins (LDL-CHOLESTEROL),
      highdensity lipoprotein cholesterol ((XC-LVNP), triglycerides (TG), the
      calculated coefficient of haemoglobin (Ka). The measurement is taken at
      biochemical autoanalyzer Architest 80000 model Systems, firm Abbot (United
      States) generally accepted method. Food has been studied using questionnaire
      CYNDI. Results of the Lipid profile compared to the Evenks of Yakut and Russian
      population of the Republic's population has a high concentration of CS LPHD, low
      content of TG and haemoglobin index. Food Evenks is characterized by significant
      disbalance-1/4 surveyed every day consume meat and fish every day consumes but
      1/5 surveyed. the shortage of basic products is replaced with bread, pasta and
      sweets. CONCLUSION: The identified indicators of lipid range Evenks have more
      healthy than the Yakut. Nutrition Evenks departs from the traditional protein
      lipid in carbohydrate-protein.

PMID- 28343195
TI  - Research of the protection actions of derived 2-oxoindole in acute stress.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: Correction of pathological anxiety and stress level of frustration
      leads to the development of new anxiolytics, notably including derivatives of 2
      oksoyndolyn- 3-hlyoksylic acid. The aim of work - to study the effect of 2
      oksyindolin-3-hlyoksylic acid on emotional and behavioral reactions of rats
      subjected to behavioral stress tests of different averiability. MATERIALS AND
      METHODS: In experiments on 150 white mature male rats Wistar investigated the
      effects of 2-oksoindolin (2-hydroxy-N-naphthalene-1-yl-2-(2-hydroxy-1,2- dihydro
      indole-3-ylidene)-acetamide) with laboratory codes 18 when intraperitoneally
      administered to acute immobilization stress on Sel'ye on emotional and behavioral
      responses of animals to test "open field", "a raised cross maze" and test
      "conflict behavior" (option Vogel). RESULTS: Established that the prophylactic
      use of the compound 18 in a test of "open field" warned the stress changes in the
      latent period of the first movement, likely increased the number of exits to the
      center installation, warned breach vertical and horizontal motor activity and
      significantly increased the number of acts of grooming and reduced the number of
      boluses compared with stress without correction. Revealed changes suggest that
      the substance 18 prevents anxiety disorders conduct stress genesis. In the test
      "a raised cross maze" of 2-oksoindolin significantly increased the number of
      outputs rats in open arms maze and reduced the number of fecal balls compared
      with those in the control disorders. In the study antyconflict action found that
      the compound increased the number of approaches to the drinkers, but the activity
      in this test yielded diazepam. CONCLUSION: Installed conservation action
      anksyolityc 2-hydroxy-N-naphthalene-1-yl-2-(2-hydroxy-1,2-dihydro-indole-3
      ylidene)-atsetamidu acute stress may be associated with indirect stimulation of
      GABA - benzdiazepin receptor complex, by strengthening endogenous GABA affinity
      to the receptors and/or indirect stimulation of GABA receptors by other
      neurotransmitter systems, including serotonergic, which makes compounds for
      further study the possibility of post stress with anxiety disorders.

PMID- 28343196
TI  - [Hope as psychological resource for nurturant professionals (medicine case
      study)].
AB  - INTRODUCTION: In the article, the issues concerning hope, which is one of the
      most important resources for specialists of many nurturant professions, are
      observed. The theoretical analysis of hope and its categorization from the
      perspective of subjective and resource-based view is given. The special
      scientific and practical interest to human subjective and personal resources is
      determined by their unique role not only in human life support, but also in
      overcoming hard situations and extreme obstacles, including crisis situations in
      professional activity, with the example of the profession of a doctor. The aim of
      the empirical research is studying the correlation between hope and such
      manifestations of subjective regulations medical practice as inner subjective
      control and failure avoidance motivation. MATERIALS AND METHODS: 120 doctors (60
      men and 60 women) working in St. Petersburg hospitals took part in the research.
      Several research methods were used, such as 'Resource map' application form, R.
      Snyder's hope scale adapted by K. Muzdybayev, 'Subjective control level' method
      by E. Bazhin, E. Golynkina and L. Etkind, 'Failure avoidance motivation' method
      by T. Ehlers. RESULTS: Doctors think that Hope and Optimism are among important
      components of their professional practice, together with willing features helping
      them to reach their goals (such as persistence, patience, eagerness, insistence
      and endurance) and such personal qualities as self-assuredness, motion control in
      different situations, ability to solve hard problems. According the data of
      correlation and regression analyses, the anticipation that hope is determined by
      high level of inner control locus and low failure avoidance motivation
      (responsibility for patients' lives) within medical practice. CONCLUSIONS: Most
      doctors have average or high level of hope, which lets determine this personal
      disposition quality as one of the important ones for this profession. Being the
      positive result of professional practice and not depending on the doctors' sex
      and specialization, hope is linked to achievement drive and most rates of inner
      locus control. Obtained results can be used for psychodiagnostics and development
      of such psychological results as faith, hope and optimism, helping to keep
      nurturant professionals' mental health.

PMID- 28343197
TI  - [Skin cancers in kidney transplant recipients].
AB  - Kidney transplantation is the best treatment for end-stage renal failure. It
      prolongs the patient's life, improves quality of life and reduces costs
      associated with renal replacement therapy. Increasingly, newer immunosuppressive
      regimens allow for the proper functioning of the transplanted organ for many
      years. The progress in transplantation, qualification patients in older age for
      the procedure and longer survival of kidney graft lead to an increase in the
      number of patients receiving immunosuppressive drugs. They are exposed to various
      side effects associated with long-term suppression of the immune system,
      including an increased risk of cancer development. The most common malignancies
      (40- 50%) diagnosed in renal transplant recipients are skin cancers. Squamous
      cell carcinoma (SCC) and basal cell carcinoma (BCC) are the most common types of
      tumors occurring in this population. The use of immunosuppression resulted in the
      increase of the incidence of tumors that in the general population are relatively
      rare such as melanoma, Merkel cell cancer, Kaposi's sarcoma, anogenital cancer as
      well as sebaceous carcinoma.

PMID- 28343198
TI  - [Why ovarian cancer cells escape from immune surveillance?]
AB  - Ovarian cancer is a malignancy of high mortality rates. In respect of the number
      of deaths caused by cancers it occupies the fourth place among women in Poland.
      Recent studies are focusing on the role of immune system in ovarian cancer
      pathogenesis. It has been reported that immune response against ovarian cancer
      cells may be inhibited by a number of immunosuppressive mechanisms active in
      cancer microenvironment. It causes difficulties in recognizing and destroying
      cancer cells by immune system which leads to the development of immune tolerance
      and is associated with a low efficacy of standard therapeutic strategies. In the
      presented paper we have described selected, new immunosuppressive mechanisms in
      ovarian cancer patients. They may be a novel, additional and relevant criterion
      that should be considered whilst developing new therapeutic strategies. Possibly,
      modulation of immunosuppressive mechanisms could contribute to modifying standard
      therapies and in consequence improve treatment outcome in ovarian cancer
      patients.

PMID- 28343199
TI  - [Hypogonadism in patients with testicular tumors and prostate cancer].
AB  - Hypogonadism is defined as an array of symptoms arising from a deficiency of
      androgens. It is caused by a hormonal and spermatogenic dysfunction of the
      testes. It results in impaired fertility and has a negative impact on the
      functions of multiple organs and systems, physical well-being, sexual functions
      and also mental state. Particularly patients with a history of cancer have a high
      risk of developing hypogonadism as a result of not only the nature of the
      disease, but mainly its treatment. While leaving the patient with cancer without
      treatment does not fall within the concept of the art of medicine and the ethical
      canon of a physician, the symptoms of hypogonadism are often ignored and left
      untreated. Among urological patients special attention should be given to those
      with testicular tumors and prostate cancer.

PMID- 28343200
TI  - Sentinel lymph node (sln) in breast cancer. Review of current identification
      methods.
AB  - The subject of the paper is the review of the current methods for identifying the
      sentinel lymph node in breast cancer treatment, taking into account the latest
      techniques and based on the up-to-date analyses of many years of experience in
      using this method.

PMID- 28343202
TI  - European experience of regulating distance selling of medicines for Ukraine.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: Some countries have already tried and tested mechanisms of
      regulating distance sales as form of distribution of medicines that have been
      used more or less effectively for a fairly long time. Herewith, so far, the
      approach of the competent authorities of some countries including Ukraine can be
      called prevailing in quantitative terms under which the official prohibition on
      distance sales of medicines is set. AIM: The aim of this study is a detailed
      examination of the nature of the prohibition of the medicines distance selling in
      Ukraine, namely the an analysis of advantages and disadvantages of this form of
      distribution of medicines and identification of appropriate ways for gradual
      repeal of the prohibition in terms of regulatory reform in Ukraine in the sphere
      of circulation of medicines due to the process of adaptation of statutory
      regulation in this area to the EU legislation. MATERIAL AND METHODS: This study
      is based on Ukrainian regulation acts, Council Directives 97/7/EC, 2000/31/EC,
      2001/83/EC, scientific works and opinions of progressiveminded people in this
      sphere. Such methods as dialectical, comparative, analytic, synthetic and
      comprehensive have been used in the article. CONCLUSION: Reception of the
      described experience of regulation in EU will allow a further review of the
      principles of regulation in Ukraine in the sphere of medicines with a shift in
      the main emphasis in the direction of ensuring adequate consumer rights in this
      area and preventing the risks of patients' and public health.

PMID- 28343201
TI  - [Ibrutinib - new tool in hematologist hand, new challenges for internist].
AB  - Chronic lymphocytic leukemia is the most common cancer of the lymphatic tissue in
      adults. The peak incidence falls on the 65-70 year old. Therefore, the majority
      of patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) has at least one coexisting
      disease. Successful oncological and supportive treatment, that is common in
      recent years, significantly prolongs the survival. This paper presents ibrutinib 
      a new drug used to treat CLL. The aim of this paper is, to show an example of
      this drug, meaning and benefits of modern methods of pharmacotherapy in the
      treatment of oncology.

PMID- 28343203
TI  - Developing the professional competence of future doctors in the instructional
      setting of higher medical educational institutions.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: The main objectives of higher medical education is the continuous
      professional improvement of physicians to meet the needs dictated by the modern
      world both at undergraduate and postgraduate levels. In this respect, the system
      of higher medical education has undergone certain changes - from determining the
      range of professional competences to the adoption of new standards of education
      in medicine. AIM: The article aims to analyze the parameters of doctor's
      professionalism in the context of competence-based approach and to develop
      practical recommendations for the improvement of instruction techniques.
      MATERIALS AND METHODS: The authors reviewed the psycho-pedagogical materials and
      summarized the acquired experience of teachers at higher medical institutions as
      to the development of instruction techniques in the modern educational process.
      The study is based on the results of testing via the technique developed by T.I.
      Ilyina. Analytical and biblio-semantic methods were used in the paper. RESULTS:
      It has been found that the training process at medical educational institution
      should be focused on the learning outcomes. The authors defined the quality
      parameters of doctors' training and suggested the model for developing the
      professional competence of medical students. This model explains the cause-and
      effect relationships between the forms of instruction, teaching techniques and
      specific components of professional competence in future doctors. CONCLUSIONS:
      The paper provides practical recommendations on developing the core competencies
      which a qualified doctor should master. The analysis of existing interactive
      media in Ukraine and abroad has been performed. It has been found that teaching
      the core disciplines with the use of latest technologies and interactive means
      keeps abreast of the times, while teaching social studies and humanities to
      medical students still involves certain difficulties.

PMID- 28343204
TI  - [Risk management of hospital infections as a supporting tool for the improvement
      of hospital quality - some European examples].
AB  - Prevention and control of nosocomial infections is one of the main pillars of
      security in each medical facility. This affects the quality of services and helps
      to minimize the economic losses incurred as a result of such infections.
      (Prolonged hospitalization, expensive antibiotic therapies, court costs of
      damages). Nosocomial infections occur in every medical facility in the hospitals
      in terms of risk of infection compared to other medicinal entities are at greater
      risk of environmental (number of hospitalizations for one bed, the amount of
      disinfectants, etc.). The number and diverse category of employment of medical
      and auxiliary, which should meet certain standards for the prevention of hospital
      infections, has an impact on the incidence of infection. It is impossible to
      eliminate hospital-acquired infections, but can be limited by appropriate
      measures, ranging from monitoring through the use of risk management methods,
      which are one of the elements supporting the improvement of the quality of
      medical entities. Hospital infection is a threat not only for patients but also
      for workers exposed to the risk of so-called occupational exposure. A
      comprehensive approach including elements of active surveillance and effective
      monitoring can help to minimize the risk of nosocomial infections.

PMID- 28343205
TI  - [Biliary atresia - signs and symptoms, diagnosis, clinical management].
AB  - Biliary atresia is a chronic cholangiopathy leading to progressive fibrosis of
      both intra- and extrahepatic bile ducts. The cause of the condition is unknown.
      Fundamental management of biliary atresia is surgical intervention and the
      outcomes of the treatment depend on the child's age with best results when
      performed within the first 2 months of life. Thus, the main role of pediatric
      healthcare is an urgent differential diagnosis and prompt qualification for the
      surgery, optimal postoperative management and early qualification for the liver
      transplantation in patients with persistent cholestasis. The authors discuss the
      clinical presentation, diagnosis and management of biliary atresia.

PMID- 28343206
TI  - [Euthanasia - an attempt to organize issue].
AB  - This article is an attempt to complete and holistically discuss problem of
      euthanasia, especially its ethical and legal aspects, comparing to Polish law.
      The subject of euthanasia arouse interest of the society because it touches one
      of the most important aspects of life, which is the death. Even bigger emotions
      are aroused amongst physicians. They are forced to put on the line the life as
      biggest value on the one side and autonomy of human being on the other. It also
      touches the empathy for suffering. The euthanasia was divided into three forms:
      active euthanasia, passive euthanasia and assisted suicide. Any form of
      euthanasia is illegal in Poland according to both the Penal Code and Code of
      Medical Ethics. Range of possible penal consequences perpetrator is very wide
      from waiver of punishment to life imprisonment and it comes from different penal
      qualification of the euthanasia. Qualification of the euthanasia is based on
      terms of intent of perpetrator's act, request of patient, strong empathy for
      suffering if the patient and decision based on up-to-date medical knowledge. It
      is valuable to mention "do-not-resuscitate" DNR procedure, which in case of
      medical futility is legally accepted in Poland, but in other form may be
      qualified as passive euthanasia.

PMID- 28343207
TI  - [Liability for damages resulting from hospital falls].
AB  - The aim of the work is to analyze the conditions for liability of medical
      institutions for damages resulting from hospital fails. The study identifies
      achievements of polish jurisprudence. The authors also pointed to factors
      specific for claims of this type. The paper discusses: legal consequences of
      failure to provide security of patient stay and the responsibilities of hospitals
      in relation to patients especially vulnerable to falls. It also analyzes the
      problems faced by patients claiming compensation for damages resulting from such
      events: constraints of the evidence in establishing the conditions for liability,
      the argument unpredictability of event and the detrimental impact of the actions
      taken in the hospital to reduce the risk of falling.

PMID- 28343208
TI  - Legal features of the drug advertising.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: In the article discribed current trends of advertising in the
      pharmaceutical market and foreign experience of legal regulation of these
      relations. As for the advertising of medicines identified it's symptoms, types,
      basic rules and prohibitions. Modern pharmaceutical companies can not
      successfully carry out economic activities without advertising. Besides we can
      mention some fundamental changes in society (information overload, universal
      access to internet, social media, freedom of movement of goods, labor and
      finance), also self-medication becomes more popular. At the same time, the number
      of deaths after improper and uncontrolled use of drugs ranks fifth in the world
      among the causes of death. AIM: Investigate current trends of advertising on the
      pharmaceutical market, find advertising signs, basic restrictions and
      prohibitions on advertising of medicines, as well as foreign experience of legal
      regulation of these relations. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Despite the fact that
      pharmaceutical advertising were studied by such scholars as M. Abraham, L.
      Bradley, C. Dunn, J. Donoh'yu, D. Castro, M. Lipski, K. Taylor and others, number
      of issues related features of drug advertising, remained without proper
      theoretical studies. RESULTS: Based on the analysis can come to the conclusion
      that advertising of medicinal products are the subject of special attention from
      the state. Drugs, unlike other products, are a group of specialized consumer
      products. Risks increase when patients under the influence of "aggressive"
      advertising resort to self-medication. If a complete ban on advertising of
      medicines is inappropriate, you should set stricter requirements for the content
      of advertising and product placement rules. That is, in the national legislation
      to implement regulatory requirements of Directive 2001/83 / EC. CONCLUSIONS:
      Legal regulation of drug advertising can be improved by such legal means: -
      should provide for a mechanism of public control over the observance of ethical
      standards in the advertising of medicinal products; - Prohibit the advertising of
      medicines for children, as well as drugs for the treatment of infectious,
      parasitic diseases and pathogens of these diseases, chronic insomnia,
      cardiovascular diseases, and those costs are reimbursed by government programs or
      trade names may lead to mix with prescription drugs; - Adopt ethical standards
      (codes) promotion of drugs for pharmaceutical companies; - Advertising to the
      public shall not contain any reference to cost or pricing features for medicines.

PMID- 28343209
TI  - Terminological collocations in medical latin and english: a comparative study.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: The present paper examines the linguistic status of terminological
      collocations in medical Latin and English, discusses the most productive term
      formation models and ways of Latin-English translation. AIM: The authors aim to
      provide the comparative analysis of Latin and English terminological collocations
      and suggest their classification in terms of the idiomaticity level and semantic
      valency. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The research is based on the corpus of
      terminological collocations in Latin and English medical discourse using
      structural, etymological, typological, comparative methods, as well as the method
      of semantic analysis and conceptual metaphor theory. RESULTS: The research has
      resulted in the delineation of the following groups of terminological
      collocations in medical Latin and English: (1) terminological collocations with
      lower degree of idiomaticity - analytical units whose semantics correlates with
      the amount of free meanings of the components; (2) terminological collocations
      with semantic cohesion of the components due to metaphorical nature of the
      terminological element with active / passive valency; (3) clinical idioms -
      terminological collocations with higher degree of idiomaticity. Within the latter
      group, we suggest to discern eponymic, toponymic, zoomorphic, botanic and
      mythonimic subtypes of terminological collocations. CONCLUSIONS: A promising area
      of future research is the development of bilingual explanatory dictionaries with
      Latin and English equivalents of terminological collocations, as well as the
      information about the semantics of their components.

PMID- 28343210
TI  - Periodic fever, aphthous stomatitis, pharyngitis and cervical adenitis (pfapa)
      syndrome in children.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: Periodic fever, aphthous stomatitis, pharyngitis and cervical
      adenitis (PFAPA) syndrome refers to a group of primary immunodeficiencies, namely
      autoinflammatory diseases. Most pediatricians and otolaryngologists do not
      suspect PFAPA syndrome when treating recurrent pharyngitis (according to
      Ukrainian classification - tonsillitis) and stomatitis. Therefore, patients with
      a given syndrome receive unnecessary treatment (antibiotic therapy or antiviral
      drugs) and the diagnosis is made late. The aim of the research was to provide
      pediatricians, family physicians and otolaryngologists with information on the
      importance of early diagnosis of PFAPA syndrome. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The
      analysis of the prevalence and diagnosis of PFAPA syndrome in Ukraine and
      worldwide has been made as well as a late diagnosis of PFAPA syndrome in a child
      living in Ivano-Frankivsk, Ukraine has been described (case report). RESULTS: The
      Sase report 7-year-old boy, who grows and develops normally. The symptoms of
      pharyngitis including high body temperature (>40 o S), sore throat and white
      spots on the tonsils appeared for the first time at the age of two years. The boy
      received antibacterial drugs about 10 times a year. During a four-year period of
      recurrent episodes of the disease antimicrobial susceptibility testing to
      determine susceptibility of the oropharyngeal flora to the antibiotics were
      continuously performed, different blood tests for herpes viruses, Epstein-Barr
      virus infection and cytomegalovirus in particular were made using the enzyme
      immunoassay (EIA) and polymerase chain reaction (PCR) in addition to long-term
      treatment. CONCLUSIONS: An example of late diagnosing PFAPA syndrome (four years
      after the onset of first symptoms) resulting in regular examinations, medical
      manoeuvres, outpatient and inpatient treatment, use of antibiotic therapy
      including intravenous injections on a monthly basis has been studied.

PMID- 28343211
TI  - [Rare case of slowly progressing lung cancer with colon metastases].
AB  - Lung cancer is one of the most frequent cancers in the world and the fist cause
      of death of neoplastic origin. In half of patients at the time of diagnosis
      distant metastases are determined. Most frequent localizations are bones, liver,
      brain and adrenal glands. In described case there was documented slow, long-term
      development of lung adenocarcinoma. After initial diagnosis the patient remained
      without treatment for three years. Aside from slow progression of the disease the
      fact of asymptomatic metastases to the colon as a very rare localization should
      draw attention. Due to a fast diagnosis of metastases and introduction of a
      proper treatment 3 year patient survival was achieved.

PMID- 28343212
TI  - Suicide case with multiple injuries with sharp objects.
AB  - The work of forensic - medical expert examination of the corpse at the place of
      its discovery and further research in the morgue often there are certain
      difficulties associated with the solution of a number of issues, including the
      establishment of a kind of death. Bringing the case demonstrates that, during the
      initial examination of the corpse to the place of its discovery the presence of
      multiple injuries on the body of a different nature, as a rule, initially suggest
      investigators to suspect that the murder occurred. But further questioning around
      him lately those studying survey data and scene study results allowed the corpse
      to make objective conclusions.

PMID- 28343213
TI  - Gross Hematuria Is More Common in Male and Older Patients with Renal Tuberculosis
      in China: A Single-Center 15-Year Clinical Experience.
AB  - OBJECTIVES: This study aimed to investigate the clinical features of renal
      tuberculosis and identify the age- and gender-related differences. METHODS: A
      total of 419 patients at the Peking University First Hospital from January 2000
      to July 2015 were retrospectively reviewed. Data on demographic characteristics,
      clinical presentation, complications, laboratory results, radiologic imaging,
      surgical procedures, and pathology features were collected and compared between
      genders and 3 different age groups (under 40 years, 41-60, years and over 60
      years). RESULTS: The most common local presentations were lower urinary tract
      symptoms (65.2%), flank pain (37.9%), and gross hematuria (26.3%). Constitutional
      symptoms were also observed in 38.9% of the patients. Gross hematuria was more
      common in male patients (32.2%) and older patients (45.5%). Flank pain was more
      common in female patients (43.6%). Patients younger than 40 years of age had
      lower frequencies of calcification of the urinary tract (22.2%) and kidney
      atrophy (4.2%) in CT. In the postoperative pathological reports, atrophy (35.9%)
      and fibrosis (38.5%) were found to be significantly more common in older
      patients. CONCLUSIONS: While gross hematuria is more prevalent in older patients
      and male patients, flank pain is more common in female patients. Radiological and
      pathological features including calcification of the urinary tract, fibrosis, and
      kidney atrophy are more common in older patients.

PMID- 28343214
TI  - Moderate-Grade Germinal Matrix Haemorrhage Activates Cell Division in the
      Neonatal Mouse Subventricular Zone.
AB  - Precise temporal and spatial control of the neural stem/progenitor cells within
      the subventricular zone (SVZ) germinal matrix of the brain is important for
      normal development in the third trimester and the early postnatal period. The
      high metabolic demands of proliferating germinal matrix precursors, coupled with
      the flimsy structure of the germinal matrix cerebral vasculature, are thought to
      account for the high rates of haemorrhage in extremely- and very-low-birth-weight
      preterm infants. Germinal matrix haemorrhage can commonly extend to
      intraventricular haemorrhage (IVH). Because neural stem/progenitor cells are
      sensitive to microenvironmental cues from the ventricular, intermediate, and
      basal domains within the germinal matrix, haemorrhage has been postulated to
      impact neurological outcomes through aberration of normal neural stem/progenitor
      cell behaviour. We developed an animal model of neonatal germinal matrix
      haemorrhage using stereotactic injection of autologous blood into the mouse
      neonatal germinal matrix. Pathological analysis at 4 days postinjury showed high
      rates of intraventricular extension and ventricular dilatation but low rates of
      parenchymal disruption outside the germinal zone, recapitulating key features of
      human "Papile grade III" IVH. At 4 days postinjury we observed proliferation in
      the wall of the lateral ventricle with significantly increased numbers of
      transient amplifying cells within the SVZ and the corpus callosum. Analysis at 21
      days postinjury revealed that cortical development was also affected, with
      increased neuronal and concomitant reduced oligodendroglial differentiation. At
      the molecular level, we showed downregulation of the expression of the
      transmembrane receptor Notch2 in CD133+ve cells of the SVZ, raising the
      possibility that the burst of precocious proliferation seen in our experimental
      mouse model and the skewed differentiation could be mediated by downregulation of
      the Notch pathway within the proximal/ventricular domain. These findings raise
      the possibility that Notch regulation plays a critical role in mediating the
      response of the neonatal SVZ to ischaemic and haemorrhagic insults.

PMID- 28343215
TI  - A Study of Biological Rhythm Disturbances in Polish Remitted Bipolar Patients
      using the BRIAN, CSM, and SWPAQ Scales.
AB  - BACKGROUND/AIMS: The Biological Rhythms Interview of Assessment in
      Neuropsychiatry (BRIAN) is a novel tool allowing for a complex assessment of
      biological rhythms. We compared patients with bipolar disorder (BD) and healthy
      control subjects (HC) using the Polish version of the BRIAN scale. METHOD: Fifty
      four remitted BD patients (17 males and 37 females aged 52 +/- 13 years) and 54
      healthy control subjects (25 males and 29 females aged 42 +/- 14 years) were
      studied. In addition to the BRIAN scale, the Composite Scale of Morningness (CSM)
      and the Sleep-Wake Pattern Assessment Questionnaire (SWPAQ) were employed.
      RESULTS: The Polish version of the BRIAN scale displayed high feasibility and
      consistency, showing that the patients had greater biological rhythm disturbances
      than the controls. After regression analysis, significant differences were
      obtained for the BRIAN subscales activity and predominant chronotype, and for the
      SWPAQ items quality of night-time sleep and ability to stay awake. We obtained
      positive correlations between higher BRIAN scores and morningness and
      eveningness, but the correlations with vigilance and the ability to stay awake
      (on the SWPAQ) were negative. CONCLUSIONS: Using the BRIAN scale, we confirmed
      the greater disturbances of biological rhythm in Polish remitted bipolar
      patients, compared with healthy controls. The differences between these 2 groups
      in sleep-awake patterns were also demonstrated by the SWPAQ scores. In contrast
      to other studies, we were unable to confirm an evening chronotype as a
      discriminating factor between remitted bipolar patients and healthy subjects.
      This can be explained by the older age and the use of lithium by a significant
      proportion of the patients.

PMID- 28343217
TI  - Contribution of Hyoid and Tonsillar Procedures to Outcome in Multilevel Surgery
      for Obstructive Sleep Apnea Syndrome.
AB  - BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVE: In multilevel surgery for obstructive sleep apnea (OSA),
      the contribution of distinct operative steps is still unclear. The aim of the
      present study is to retrospectively compare different combinations of multilevel
      surgeries in order to estimate the contribution of hyoid and tonsillar procedures
      to the outcome. METHODS: A total of 45 patients were selected in a
      retrospectively matched case-control study from a database of patients who
      underwent surgery for OSA at our institution: group A (n = 15) had hyoid
      suspension, tonsillectomy, and radiofrequency-assisted uvulopalatoplasty (RAUP);
      group B (n = 15) had hyoid pharyngoplasty with resection of the hyoid body and
      preepiglottic fat tissue, tonsillectomy, and RAUP; and group C (n = 15) had hyoid
      suspension and RAUP but no tonsillectomy, because the tonsils had already been
      removed. The apnea-hypopnea index (AHI) was defined as the primary outcome
      measure. RESULTS: The postoperative AHI significantly improved in groups A and B,
      in which all patients had a tonsillectomy. However, the improvement in the
      patients of group C, who had no tonsillectomy, was not significant (p = 0.08).
      CONCLUSION: The patients having undergone multilevel surgery without
      tonsillectomy showed significantly poorer postoperative results, suggesting that
      the effectiveness of hyoid procedures at the level of the hypopharynx may be
      limited. However, removal of the tonsils is a major predictive factor for
      postoperative success.

PMID- 28343216
TI  - Susceptibility-Weighted Imaging Identifies Iron-Oxide-Labeled Human Neural Stem
      Cells: Automated Computational Detection.
AB  - Neonatal hypoxic-ischemic brain injury (HII) can lead to devastating neurological
      outcomes such as cerebral palsy, epilepsy, and mental retardation. Human neural
      stem cell (hNSC) therapy provides new hope for the treatment of neonatal HII.
      These multipotent cells can aid in HII recovery by activating multiple reparative
      mechanisms including secretion of neurotrophic factors that enhance brain repair
      and plasticity. For clinical use of implanted hNSCs, methods are required to
      identify, quantify, track, and visualize migration and replication in an
      automated and reproducible fashion. In the current study, we used a model of
      unilateral HII in 10-day-old rat pups that were implanted with 250,000 Feridex
      labeled hNSCs into the contralateral ventricle 3 days after HII. In addition to
      standard noninvasively acquired serial magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) sequences
      (11.7 and 4.7 T) that included diffusion-weighted imaging and T2-weighted
      imaging, we also acquired susceptibility-weighted imaging (SWI) 1-90 days after
      hNSC implantation. SWI is an advanced MRI method that enhances the visualization
      of iron-oxide-labeled hNSCs within affected regions of the injured neonatal
      brain. hNSC contrast was further enhanced by creating minimal intensity
      projections from the raw SWI magnitude images combined with phase information.
      Automated computational analysis using hierarchical region splitting (HRS) was
      applied for semiautomatic detection of hNSCs from SWI images. We found hNSCs in
      the ipsilateral HII lesion within the striatum and cortex adjacent to the lesion
      that corresponded to histological staining for iron. Quantitative phase values
      (radians) obtained from SWI revealed temporally evolving increased phase which
      reflects a decreased iron oxide content that is possibly related to cell division
      and the replicative capacity of the implanted hNSCs. SWI images also revealed
      hNSC migration from the contralateral injection site towards the ipsilateral HII
      lesion. Our results demonstrate that MRI-based SWI can monitor iron-labeled hNSCs
      in a clinically relevant manner and that automated computational methods such as
      HRS can rapidly identify iron-oxide-labeled hNSCs.

PMID- 28343218
TI  - Effect of L-Carnitine Supplementation on Reverse Remodeling in Patients with
      Ischemic Heart Disease Undergoing Coronary Artery Bypass Grafting: A Randomized,
      Placebo-Controlled Trial.
AB  - During cardiac failure, cardiomyocytes have difficulty in using the substrates to
      produce energy. L-carnitine is a necessary nutrient for the transport of fatty
      acids that are required for generating energy. Coronary artery graft surgery
      reduces the plasma levels of L-carnitine and increases the oxidative stress. This
      study demonstrates the effect of L-carnitine supplementation on the reverse
      remodeling of patients undergoing coronary artery bypass graft. Patients with
      ischemic heart failure who underwent coronary graft surgery were randomized to
      group A - supplemented with L-carnitine or group B controls. Left ventricular
      ejection fraction, left ventricular systolic and diastolic diameters were
      assessed preoperatively, 60 and 180 days after surgery. Our study included 28
      patients (26 [93.0%] males) with a mean age +/- SD of 58.1 +/- 10.5 years. The
      parameters for the evaluation of reverse remodeling did not improve after 60 and
      180 days of coronary artery bypass grafting in comparison between groups (p >
      0.05). Evaluation within the L-carnitine group showed a 37.1% increase in left
      ventricle ejection fraction (p = 0.002) and 14.3% (p = 0.006) and 3.3% (p > 0.05)
      reduction in systolic and diastolic diameters, respectively. L-carnitine
      supplementation at a dose of 50 mg/kg combined with artery bypass surgery did not
      demonstrate any additional benefit in reverse remodeling. However, evaluation
      within the L-carnitine group may indicate a clinical benefit of L-carnitine
      supplementation.

PMID- 28343219
TI  - Simulation-Based Training in Flexible Bronchoscopy and Endobronchial Ultrasound
      Guided Transbronchial Needle Aspiration (EBUS-TBNA): A Systematic Review.
AB  - BACKGROUND: The use of simulators in a training programme for technically
      challenging procedures has the advantages of lowering the risk of patient
      complications while helping the trainees with the initial part of their learning
      curve. OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study was to perform a systematic review of
      simulation-based training in flexible bronchoscopy and endobronchial ultrasound
      (EBUS). METHODS: We identified 1,006 publications in the PubMed database and
      included publications on flexible bronchoscopy below the carina and EBUS
      involving hands-on simulation-based training. Publications were excluded if they
      were written in languages other than English, if paediatric airways were involved
      or if they were not journal articles. The screening process was performed by 2
      individuals, and a third reviewer made the final decision in case of
      disagreement. RESULTS: We included 30 publications. The studies included
      participants of varying experience and most commonly used a virtual reality
      simulator as a training modality. Assessment of the participants' skills was
      based on simulator metrics or on an assessment tool. Some studies included
      performance on patients for assessment of the operator after training on a
      simulator. CONCLUSIONS: Simulation-based training was demonstrated to be more
      efficient than the traditional apprenticeship model. Physical models and virtual
      reality simulators complement each other. Simulation-based education should be
      based on a mastery learning approach and structured as directed self-regulated
      learning in a distributed training programme.

PMID- 28343220
TI  - Hemorrhagic Transformations after Thrombectomy: Risk Factors and Clinical
      Relevance.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Hemorrhagic transformation (HT) is a major complication of acute
      ischemic stroke, potentially associated with clinical deterioration. We attempted
      to identify risk factors and evaluated clinical relevance of minor and major HTs
      following endovascular thrombectomy (ET) in isolated middle cerebral artery (MCA)
      occlusions. METHODS: This is a retrospective single-center analysis of 409
      patients with isolated MCA occlusion treated with ET. Patients' and procedural
      characteristics, severity of HT according to the European Cooperative Acute
      Stroke Study criteria, and clinical outcomes were analyzed. Multivariate logistic
      regression models with standard retention criteria (p < 0.1) were used to
      determine risk factors and clinical relevance of HT. Results are shown as
      adjusted OR (aOR) and respective 95% CIs. Good neurologic short-term outcome was
      defined as National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS) score <5 at the day
      of discharge. RESULTS: Of 299 patients included, hemorrhagic infarction (HI) was
      detected in 87 patients, while 13 patients developed parenchymal hematoma (PH).
      Higher age (aOR 0.970, 95% CI 0.947-0.993, p = 0.012), eligibility for
      intravenous recombinant tissue plasminogen activator (IV rtPA; aOR 0.512, 95% CI
      0.267-0.982, p = 0.044), and complete recanalization (TICI 3, aOR 0.408, 95% CI
      0.210-0.789, p = 0.008) were associated with a lower risk of HI. Risk factors for
      HI included higher admission NIHSS score (aOR 1.080, 95% CI 1.010-1.153, p =
      0.024) and higher admission glucose levels (aOR 1.493, 95% CI 1.170-1.904, p =
      0.001). Further, female sex tended to be associated with a lower risk of HI (aOR
      0.601, 95% CI 0.316-1.143, p = 0.121), while a statistical trend was observable
      for proximal MCA occlusion (aOR 1.856, 95% CI 0.945-3.646, p = 0.073) and a
      history of hypertension (aOR 2.176, 95% CI 0.932-5.080, p = 0.072) to increase
      risk of HI. Longer intervals from symptom onset to first digital subtraction
      angiography runs (aOR 1.013, 95% CI 1.003-1.022, p = 0.009), lower
      preinterventional Alberta Stroke Program Early CT score (aOR 0.536, 95% CI 0.307
      0.936, p = 0.028) and wake-up stroke (aOR 18.540, 95% CI 1.352-254.276, p =
      0.029) were associated with PH. Both, PH and HI were independently associated
      with lower rates of good neurologic outcome (aOR 0.086, 95% CI 0.008-0.902, p =
      0.041 and aOR 0.282, 95% CI 0.131-0.606, p = 0.001). CONCLUSION: Risk of HI
      following MCA occlusion and subsequent ET is mainly determined by factors
      influencing infarct severity. Good recanalization results seem to be protective
      against subsequent HI. Our results support the notion that occurrence of PH after
      ET is time dependent and risk increases with more extensive early ischemic
      damage. Both, HI and PH do not seem to be facilitated by bridging therapy with IV
      rtPA or the use of oral anticoagulants, but were independently associated with
      more severe neurologic disability. These results support the notion that HI is
      not a "benign" imaging sign.

PMID- 28343222
TI  - Oral Health Education in the Medical Curriculum.

PMID- 28343221
TI  - Abandoning Prophylactic Abdominal Drainage after Hepatic Surgery: 10 Years of No
      Drain Policy in an Enhanced Recovery after Surgery Environment.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Routine prophylactic abdominal drainage after hepatic surgery is
      still being debated, as it may be unnecessary, possibly harmful, and
      uncomfortable for patients. This study evaluated the safety of a no-drain policy
      after liver resection within an Enhanced Recovery after Surgery (ERAS) programme.
      METHODS: All hepatectomies performed without prophylactic drainage during 2005
      2014 were included. Primary end points were resection-surface-related (RSR)
      morbidity, defined as the presence of postoperative biloma, hemorrhage or
      abscess, and reinterventions. Secondary end points were length of stay, total
      postoperative morbidity, the composite end point of liver surgery-specific
      complications, readmissions, and 90-day mortality. Uni- and multivariate analyses
      were performed to identify independent risk factors for RSR morbidity. A
      systematic search was performed to compare the results of this study to
      literature. RESULTS: A total of 538 resections were included in the study. The
      RSR complication and reintervention rate was 15 and 12%, respectively. Major
      liver resection (>=3 segments) was an independent risk factor for the development
      of RSR morbidity (OR 3.01, 95% CI 1.61-5.62; p = 0.001) and need for RSR
      reintervention (OR 3.02, 95% CI 1.59-5.73; p = 0.001). CONCLUSION: RSR morbidity,
      mortality, and reintervention rates after liver surgery without prophylactic
      drainage in patients, treated within an ERAS programme, were comparable to
      previously published data. A no-drain policy after partial hepatectomy seems safe
      and feasible.

PMID- 28343223
TI  - Sildenafil Enhances Quantity of Immature Neurons and Promotes Functional Recovery
      in the Developing Ischemic Mouse Brain.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Hypoxic-ischemic (HI) injury to the developing brain occurs in 1 out
      of 1,000 live births and remains a major cause of significant morbidity and
      mortality. A large number of survivors suffer from long-term sequelae including
      seizures and neurological deficits. However, the pathophysiological mechanisms of
      recovery after HI insult are not clearly understood, and preventive measures or
      clinical treatments are nonexistent or not sufficiently effective in the clinical
      setting. Sildenafil as a specific phosphodiesterase 5 inhibitor leads to
      increased levels of the second messenger cyclic guanosine monophosphate (cGMP)
      and promotes functional recovery and neurogenesis after ischemic injury to the
      adult brain. OBJECTIVE: Here, we investigated the effect of sildenafil treatment
      on activation of intracellular signaling pathways, histological and neurogenic
      response including functional recovery after an ischemic insult to the developing
      brain. DESIGN/METHODS: Nine-day-old C57BL/6 mice were subjected either to sham
      operation or underwent ligation of the right common carotid artery followed by
      hypoxia (8%) for 60 min. Animals were either administered sildenafil (10 mg/kg,
      i.p.) or vehicle 2 h after hypoxia. A subgroup of animals received multiple
      injections of 10 mg/kg daily on 5 consecutive days. Pups were either perfusion
      fixed at postnatal days 14 or 47 for immunohistochemical analysis, or brains were
      dissected 2, 6, 12, and 24 h after the end of hypoxia and analyzed for cGMP,
      pAkt, pGSK-3beta, and beta-catenin by means of ELISA or immunoblotting. In
      addition, behavioral studies using the wire hang test and elevated plus maze were
      conducted 21 and 38 days after HI injury. RESULTS: Based on cresyl violet
      staining, single or multiple sildenafil injections did not reveal any differences
      in injury scoring compared to sham animals. However, cerebral levels of cGMP were
      altered after sildenafil therapy. Treatment significantly increased numbers of
      immature neurons, as indicated by doublecortin immunoreactivity in the
      ipsilateral subventricular zone and striatum. In addition, animals treated with
      sildenafil after HI insult demonstrated improved functional recovery. pAkt, pGSK
      3beta, and beta-catenin levels vary after HI injury but additional sildenafil
      treatment had no impact on protein expression compared to the level of sham
      controls. CONCLUSIONS: Here, we report that treatment with sildenafil after HI
      insult did not improve histological brain injury scores. Nevertheless, our
      results suggest involvement of the cGMP and PI3K/Akt/GSK-3beta signaling pathway
      with promotion of a neurogenic response and reduction of neurological deficits.
      In summary, sildenafil may have a role in promoting recovery from HI injury in
      the developing brain.

PMID- 28343224
TI  - The Evidence of Acute Kidney Injury in the Community and for Primary Care
      Interventions.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Almost two-thirds of patients with acute kidney injury (AKI) damage
      their kidneys whilst in the community. This paper aims to review existing data on
      incidence, mortality, and morbidity of AKI within the community and explore the
      evidence base for primary care strategies aimed at reducing incidence and
      improving early detection and management of AKI. METHODS: A literature search was
      carried out using PubMed; key words including AKI, primary care, community
      acquired, and electronic alerts (e-alerts) were used to capture relevant data.
      RESULTS: Incidence of AKI developing in the community is variable between studies
      due to differences in AKI definition. Community-acquired AKI (CA-AKI) but
      identified in hospital (CAH-AKI) is more prevalent than hospital-acquired AKI and
      increases short- and long-term mortality and length of stay in hospital. CA-AKI
      identified in primary care is less severe than CAH-AKI but is associated with
      increased mortality. The use of e-alerts has good diagnostic accuracy for
      detecting AKI but their impact on outcomes in secondary care remains uncertain;
      it is likely that they should be complemented with other interventions to improve
      management. Evidence has not yet emerged regarding the effects of e-alerts on
      outcomes in primary care. CONCLUSION: Given the significance of developing AKI in
      the community, strategies to aid early detection and promote prevention are
      warranted. A multifaceted approach combining e-alerts, educational programs, and
      care bundles across the interface between primary and secondary care has the
      potential to improve outcomes in the future.

PMID- 28343225
TI  - Clinical Trial of Vadadustat in Patients with Anemia Secondary to Stage 3 or 4
      Chronic Kidney Disease.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Therapeutic options for the treatment of anemia secondary to chronic
      kidney disease (CKD) remain limited. Vadadustat (AKB-6548) is an oral hypoxia
      inducible factor prolyl-hydroxylase domain (HIF-PHD) inhibitor that is being
      investigated for the treatment of anemia secondary to CKD. METHODS: A phase 2a,
      multicenter, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, dose-ranging trial
      (NCT01381094) was undertaken in adults with anemia secondary to CKD stage 3 or 4.
      Eligible subjects were evenly randomized to 5 groups: 240, 370, 500, or 630 mg of
      once-daily oral vadadustat or placebo for 6 weeks. All subjects received low-dose
      supplemental oral iron (50 mg daily). The primary endpoint was the mean absolute
      change in hemoglobin (Hb) from baseline to the end of treatment. Secondary
      endpoints included iron indices, safety, and tolerability. RESULTS: Ninety-three
      subjects were randomized. Compared with placebo, vadadustat significantly
      increased Hb after 6 weeks in a dose-dependent manner (analysis of variance; p <
      0.0001). Vadadustat increased the total iron-binding capacity and decreased
      concentrations of ferritin and hepcidin. The proportion of subjects with at least
      1 treatment-emergent adverse event was similar between vadadustat- and placebo
      treated groups. No significant changes in blood pressure, vascular endothelial
      growth factor, C-reactive protein, or total cholesterol were observed.
      Limitations of this study included its small sample size and short treatment
      duration. CONCLUSIONS: Vadadustat increased Hb levels and improved biomarkers of
      iron mobilization and utilization in patients with anemia secondary to stage 3 or
      4 CKD. Global multicenter, randomized phase 3 trials are ongoing in non-dialysis
      dependent and dialysis-dependent patients.

PMID- 28343226
TI  - The Effect of Ineffective Esophageal Motility on Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease.
AB  - BACKGROUND/AIMS: Ineffective esophageal motility (IEM) is the most common
      gastrointestinal motility disorder. Studies have reported that IEM is related to
      gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD). However, the relationship between IEM and
      GERD remains uncertain. This study aims to clarify this relationship
      retrospectively. METHODS: We analyzed 195 subjects who underwent high-resolution
      manometry between January 2011 and September 2016. Of these subjects, 72 had
      normal esophageal motility (NEM) and 26 had IEM. We investigated differences in
      the clinical characteristics, severity and duration of GERD symptoms, and
      comorbid extra-esophageal symptoms of the subjects. Comorbid extra-esophageal
      symptoms were assessed with the Gastrointestinal Symptom Rating Scale
      questionnaire. Investigation-defined GERD was diagnosed when erosive esophagitis
      or abnormal multichannel intraluminal impedance was present. RESULTS: We found no
      significant difference in the prevalence of IEM between patients with and without
      GERD (37.5 and 21.1%, respectively; p = 0.174). There were no differences in age,
      gender, body mass index, presence of hiatal hernia, or duration of GERD between
      the groups. Compared to patients with NEM, those with IEM were significantly less
      likely to have comorbid extra-esophageal symptoms (p < 0.05). CONCLUSION: There
      is no association between IEM and GERD.

PMID- 28343227
TI  - What Is the Key to Improving Renal Transplant Recipients' Awareness of Skin
      Cancer Risk?
AB  - BACKGROUND: Previous studies have shown poor compliance rates regarding sun
      protection among organ transplant recipients. OBJECTIVE: The main objective of
      the present study was to assess the awareness among renal transplant recipients
      (RTRs) of their risk of non-melanoma skin cancer (NMSC) development and their
      sunscreen use. The influence of several potentially relevant variables was also
      assessed in order to identify possible weak points on which to concentrate
      efforts in this respect. METHODS: A total of 132 RTRs (92 males and 40 females)
      were included. The following information was collected and elaborated: (a)
      demographics; (b) skin phototype; (c) educational level; (d) time elapsed since
      transplantation; (e) immunosuppressive treatments; (f) previous dermatological
      visits; (g) patients' awareness of their NMSC risk; (h) use of sunscreen; and (i)
      previous documented NMSCs or NMSCs found during the study visit. RESULTS:
      Overall, 65 patients (49.2%) expressed awareness of their susceptibility to skin
      cancers. A high educational level was the main factor associated with patients'
      awareness. Thirty-six RTRs (27.3%) reported using sunscreen regularly. High
      educational level and awareness of personal susceptibility to NMSC development
      were the most relevant factors associated with sun protection habits. CONCLUSION:
      The present study showed the low level of sunscreen use among RTRs and their
      scanty awareness of personal skin cancer risk. Since educational level has been
      found to be highly related to both awareness of cancer risk and adequate use of
      sunscreen among RTRs, it is necessary to improve the way education is delivered
      by dermatologists and nephrologists, especially to subjects with a low
      educational level.

PMID- 28343230
TI  - Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis in Switzerland: Diagnosis and Treatment.
AB  - Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) is a severe progressive and irreversible lung
      disease. Novel antifibrotic drugs that slow disease progression are now
      available. However, many issues regarding patient management remain unanswered,
      such as the choice between available drugs, their use in particular subgroups and
      clinical situations, time of treatment onset, termination, combination or switch,
      or nonpharmacologic management. To guide Swiss respiratory physicians in this
      evolving field still characterized by numerous areas of uncertainty, the Swiss
      Working Group for interstitial and rare lung diseases of the Swiss Respiratory
      Society provides a position paper on the diagnosis and treatment of IPF.

PMID- 28343229
TI  - Cytological Findings of Ascitic Fluid with a Malignant Ovarian Steroid Cell
      Tumor: A Case Report and Literature Review.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Ovarian steroid cell tumors (SCTs) are rare and usually benign,
      although 25-43% are reportedly malignant. The cytologic findings of these rare
      ovarian tumors have almost never been reported. CASE: We report a rare case of a
      malignant ovarian SCT with peritoneal dissemination and malignant ascites in a 40
      year-old woman. Her tumor was classified as stage IIB (pT2bNoM0) according to the
      FIGO (International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics) classification
      system, and she was treated with adjuvant chemotherapy following staging
      laparotomy. Cytology of the ascitic fluid revealed large, polygonal-to-round
      cells and multinucleated cells with atypia, appearing in clusters with slight
      overlapping or as isolated tumor cells. Numerous tumor cells had small central
      round or eccentric nuclei with conspicuous nucleoli, and a moderate-to-abundant
      amount of cytoplasm, varying from granular and eosinophilic to pale and
      multivacuolated (foamy), with cannibalism formations. The nuclear chromatin was
      fine and granular, with irregular distribution and nuclear-membrane thickening.
      CONCLUSION: These may be the first reported cytology results for ascites with a
      malignant SCT. Our patient's cytological ascitic findings, rather than the
      histopathologic features of the original and disseminated tumors, represent the
      malignant features of the tumor.

PMID- 28343231
TI  - Segmental Testicular Infarction: Case Series and Literature Review of a Rare
      Diagnosis in Men with Acute Testicular Pain.
AB  - The incidence of segmental testicular infarction (STI) is very low. Such a
      disorder most often affects young men. The most common symptom is sudden
      testicular pain. We report 6 cases of men diagnosed with STI. Clinical
      examination, blood test, urine analysis, and ultrasound examination with colour
      Doppler were performed. Furthermore, tissue sonoelastography or MRI was performed
      in selected patients. All men underwent surgical exploration. In all but one man,
      the affected testis was preserved. Although STI is a rare condition, it should be
      taken into account if testicular pain prior to suspicious ultrasound imaging
      occurs. To be aware of this benign testicular pathology and its clinical and
      imaging features is important to avoid unnecessary orchiectomies in young
      patients.

PMID- 28343228
TI  - Focal Brain Injury Associated with a Model of Severe Hypoxic-Ischemic
      Encephalopathy in Nonhuman Primates.
AB  - Worldwide, hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy (HIE) is a major cause of neonatal
      mortality and morbidity. To better understand the mechanisms contributing to
      brain injury and improve outcomes in neonates with HIE, better preclinical animal
      models that mimic the clinical situation following birth asphyxia in term
      newborns are needed. In an effort to achieve this goal, we modified our nonhuman
      primate model of HIE induced by in utero umbilical cord occlusion (UCO) to
      include postnatal hypoxic episodes, in order to simulate apneic events in human
      neonates with HIE. We describe a cohort of 4 near-term fetal Macaca nemestrina
      that underwent 18 min of in utero UCO, followed by cesarean section delivery,
      resuscitation, and subsequent postnatal mechanical ventilation, with exposure to
      intermittent daily hypoxia (3 min, 8% O2 3-8 times daily for 3 days). After
      delivery, all animals demonstrated severe metabolic acidosis (pH 7 +/- 0.12; mean
      +/- SD) and low APGAR scores (<5 at 10 min of age). Three of 4 animals had both
      electrographic and clinical seizures. Serial blood samples were collected and
      plasma metabolites were determined by 2-dimensional gas chromatography coupled
      with time-of-flight mass spectrometry (GC * GC-TOFMS). The 4 UCO animals and a
      single nonasphyxiated animal (delivered by cesarean section but without exposure
      to UCO or prolonged sedation) underwent brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) on
      day 8 of life. Thalamic injury was present on MRI in 3 UCO animals, but not in
      the control animal. Following necropsy on day 8, brain histopathology revealed
      neuronal injury/loss and gliosis in portions of the ventrolateral thalamus in all
      4 UCO, with 2 animals also demonstrating putamen/globus pallidus involvement. In
      addition, all 4 UCO animals demonstrated brain stem gliosis, with neuronal loss
      present in the midbrain, pons, and lateral medulla in 3 of 4 animals.
      Transmission electron microscopy imaging of the brain tissues was performed,
      which demonstrated ultrastructural white matter abnormalities, characterized by
      perinuclear vacuolation and axonal dilation, in 3 of 4 animals. Immunolabeling of
      Nogo-A, a negative regulator of neuronal growth, was not increased in the injured
      brains compared to 2 control animals. Using GC * GC-TOFMS, we identified
      metabolites previously recognized as potential biomarkers of perinatal asphyxia.
      The basal ganglia-thalamus-brain stem injury produced by UCO is consistent with
      the deep nuclear/brainstem injury pattern seen in human neonates after severe,
      abrupt hypoxic-ischemic insults. The UCO model permits timely detection of
      biomarkers associated with specific patterns of neonatal brain injury, and it may
      ultimately be useful for validating therapeutic strategies to treat neonatal HIE.

PMID- 28343232
TI  - Genetic Polymorphisms in DEFB1 and miRNA202 Are Involved in Salivary Human beta
      Defensin 1 Levels and Caries Experience in Children.
AB  - The antimicrobial peptides human beta-defensins (hBDs) are encoded by beta
      defensin genes (DEFBs) and are possibly involved in caries susceptibility. In
      this study we aimed (1) to investigate the relationship between salivary hBDs and
      caries and (2) to evaluate the association of genetic polymorphisms in DEFB1 and
      microRNA202 (miRNA202) with salivary levels of hBDs and caries experience. Two
      data sets were available for this study, totalizing 678 Brazilian children.
      Dental examination and saliva collection were performed in all included children.
      The salivary level for hDB1, hBD2, and hBD4 was assessed by ELISA sandwich
      technique in 168 children. The DNA was extracted from saliva, and polymorphisms
      in DEFB1 and miRNA202 were analyzed by real-time PCR. Statistical analysis was
      performed to investigate the associations between caries experience, hBD salivary
      level, genotype, and allele distribution, with an alpha of 0.05. The hBD1 level
      was significantly higher in caries-free children (p < 0.0001). The miRNA202 was
      associated with a lower level of salivary hBD1 (p < 0.05). Also, the polymorphic
      distribution of miRNA202 was associated with caries (p = 0.006). The
      polymorphisms in DEFB1 were not associated with hBD salivary level and caries
      experience (p > 0.05). In conclusion, our results indicate that genetic
      polymorphism in miRNA202 is involved in hBD1 salivary level as well as caries
      experience in children.

PMID- 28343233
TI  - Incidence of and Factors Influencing Femoral Neck Shortening in Elderly Patients
      After Fracture Fixation with Multiple Cancellous Screws.
AB  - BACKGROUND To study the incidence of and factors influencing "neck shortening" in
      elderly patients treated for femoral neck fractures using multiple cancellous
      screws. MATERIAL AND METHODS Of the 197 femoral neck fracture cases treated via
      closed reduction and cancellous screws fixation from January 2006 to February
      2010, 110 were followed up. Patient age, gender, operative time, implantation
      method, reduction quality, fracture type, bone mineral density, loading time,
      length of hospital stay, and Harris hip score 12 months after operation were
      recorded. The patients were divided into two groups (shortening and non
      shortening) based on their X-ray performance during follow-up. The healing rates
      and Harris hip scores of the two groups were compared, and the influencing
      factors of femoral neck shortening were analyzed. RESULTS Of the 110 cases
      followed up, 94.5% (104/110) were healed and neck shortening occurred in 41.8%
      (46/110) within 12.5 months (mean) after treatment. The Harris hip score of the
      shortening group was lower than that of the non-shortening group (78+/-17 vs.
      86+/-23, p=0.048). The fracture healing rates of the two groups were not
      significantly different (p=0.068). The factors influencing neck shortening were
      significantly correlated with bone mineral density, patient age, gender, and type
      of fracture. CONCLUSIONS The incidence of neck shortening in elderly patients
      treated for femoral neck fracture using cancellous screws was high. Bone mineral
      density, patient age, gender, and type of fracture were the influencing factors
      of neck shortening.

PMID- 28343234
TI  - Serum Endocan as a Predictive Marker for Decreased Urine Volume in Peritoneal
      Dialysis Patients.
AB  - BACKGROUND Endocan is expressed in vascular endothelial cells, and its expression
      is enhanced following endothelial injury via inflammatory cytokines.
      Subsequently, endocan is secreted into the circulation. Thus, serum endocan
      levels are considered a marker of endothelial injury. However, to the best of our
      knowledge, no data on the serum endocan levels in peritoneal dialysis (PD)
      patients are available. MATERIAL AND METHODS This study included 21 PD patients
      who underwent peritoneal equilibration test (PET) more than once between 2011 and
      2015. Serum samples were collected from each patient, and the 24-h urine volume
      was measured at the time of PET. Serum endocan levels were measured using enzyme
      linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) at the time of the first PET, and their
      relationship with clinical data or the extent of urine volume decline (mL/year)
      was analyzed retrospectively. RESULTS Serum endocan levels were positively
      correlated with proteinuria level, serum creatinine level, serum tumor necrosis
      factor (TNF)-alpha level, beta2-microglobulin level, and PD drainage volume, but
      not with urine volume at baseline. The extent of decline in urine volume was
      significantly associated with serum endocan level, proteinuria level, serum
      creatinine level, and serum TNF-alpha level at baseline in a simple linear
      regression analysis. Moreover, multiple linear regression analysis showed that
      the serum endocan level and proteinuria level at baseline were independent
      predictors for the extent of decline in urine volume. CONCLUSIONS The results of
      this study indicate that serum endocan level and proteinuria level may be useful
      predictive markers for decreased urine volume in PD patients.

PMID- 28343235
TI  - Transcription-dependent radial distribution of TCF7L2 regulated genes in
      chromosome territories.
AB  - Human chromosomes occupy distinct territories in the interphase nucleus. Such
      chromosome territories (CTs) are positioned according to gene density. Gene-rich
      CTs are generally located in the center of the nucleus, while gene-poor CTs are
      positioned more towards the nuclear periphery. However, the association between
      gene expression levels and the radial positioning of genes within the CT is still
      under debate. In the present study, we performed three-dimensional fluorescence
      in situ hybridization experiments in the colorectal cancer cell lines DLD-1 and
      LoVo using whole chromosome painting probes for chromosomes 8 and 11 and BAC
      clones targeting four genes with different expression levels assessed by gene
      expression arrays and RT-PCR. Our results confirmed that the two over-expressed
      genes, MYC on chromosome 8 and CCND1 on chromosome 11, are located significantly
      further away from the center of the CT compared to under-expressed genes on the
      same chromosomes, i.e., DLC1 and SCN3B. When CCND1 expression was reduced after
      silencing the major transcription factor of the WNT/beta-catenin signaling
      pathway, TCF7L2, the gene was repositioned and mostly detected in the interior of
      the CT. Thus, we suggest a non-random distribution in which over-expressed genes
      are located more towards the periphery of the respective CTs.

PMID- 28343236
TI  - Effects of restricting perioperative use of intravenous chloride on kidney injury
      in patients undergoing cardiac surgery: the LICRA pragmatic controlled clinical
      trial.
AB  - PURPOSE: The administration of chloride-rich intravenous (IV) fluid and
      hyperchloraemia have been associated with perioperative renal injury. The aim of
      this study was to determine whether a comprehensive perioperative protocol for
      the administration of chloride-limited IV fluid would reduce perioperative renal
      injury in adults undergoing cardiac surgery. METHODS: From February 2014 through
      to December 2015, all adult patients undergoing cardiac surgery within a single
      academic medical center received IV fluid according to the study protocol. The
      perioperative protocol governed all fluid administration from commencement of
      anesthesia through to discharge from the intensive care unit and varied over four
      sequential periods, each lasting 5 months. In periods 1 and 4 a chloride-rich
      strategy, consisting of 0.9% saline and 4% albumin, was adopted; in periods 2 and
      3, a chloride-limited strategy, consisting of a buffered salt solution and 20%
      albumin, was used. Co-primary outcomes were peak delta serum creatinine (?SCr)
      within 5 days after the operation and KDIGO-defined stage 2 or stage 3 acute
      kidney injury (AKI) within 5 days after the operation. RESULTS: We enrolled and
      analysed data from 1136 patients, with 569 patients assigned to a chloride-rich
      fluid strategy and 567 to a chloride-limited one. Compared with a chloride
      limited strategy and adjusted for prespecified covariates, there was no
      association between a chloride-rich perioperative fluid strategy and either peak
      ?S Cr, transformed to satisfy the assumptions of multivariable linear regression
      [regression coefficient 0.03, 95% confidence interval (CI) -0.03 to 0.08); p =
      0.39], or stage 2 or 3 AKI (adjusted odds ratio 0.97, 95% CI 0.65-1.47; p =
      0.90]. CONCLUSIONS: A perioperative fluid strategy to restrict IV chloride
      administration was not associated with an altered incidence of AKI or other
      metrics of renal injury in adult patients undergoing cardiac surgery. TRIAL
      REGISTRATION: Clinicaltrials.gov Identifier: NCT02020538.

PMID- 28343237
TI  - Actogram analysis of free-flying migratory birds: new perspectives based on
      acceleration logging.
AB  - The use of accelerometers has become an important part of biologging techniques
      for large-sized birds with accelerometer data providing information about flight
      mode, wing-beat pattern, behaviour and energy expenditure. Such data show that
      birds using much energy-saving soaring/gliding flight like frigatebirds and
      swifts can stay airborne without landing for several months. Successful
      accelerometer studies have recently been conducted also for free-flying small
      songbirds during their entire annual cycle. Here we review the principles and
      possibilities for accelerometer studies in bird migration. We use the first
      annual actograms (for red-backed shrike Lanius collurio) to explore new analyses
      and insights that become possible with accelerometer data. Actogram data allow
      precise estimates of numbers of flights, flight durations as well as
      departure/landing times during the annual cycle. Annual and diurnal rhythms of
      migratory flights, as well as prolonged nocturnal flights across desert barriers
      are illustrated. The shifting balance between flight, rest and different
      intensities of activity throughout the year as revealed by actogram data can be
      used to analyse exertion levels during different phases of the life cycle.
      Accelerometer recording of the annual activity patterns of individual birds will
      open up a new dimension in bird migration research.

PMID- 28343238
TI  - Visualization of endothelial barrier damage prior to formation of atherosclerotic
      plaques.
AB  - En-face fat staining is frequently used to visualize atherosclerotic lesions.
      This method, however, is not suitable to visualize endothelial barrier damage
      prior to microscopically detectable morphological alterations of the arterial
      wall such as sub-endothelial lipid deposition. To enable the investigation of
      early endothelial barrier damage and in particular the initial steps of
      atherosclerosis, a new method has to fulfill three requirements: (i) easy and
      fast to perform, (ii) low cost of applicability without requirement for highly
      sophisticated technical equipment, and (iii) reliable reproducibility of valid
      results. To this end, we used intracardial Evans blue dye injection after washout
      of blood and measured dye deposition within the aortic wall as a parameter of
      endothelial barrier leakiness, which is recognized as one of the earliest signs
      of atherosclerotic plaque formation. These analyses were performed in ApoE -/-,
      LDL receptor -/- and Cc1 -/- mouse models which have been reported to develop
      aortic plaques with or without high cholesterol diet. Our data show that sub
      endothelial dye deposition is a reliable and reproducible readout parameter to
      assess endothelial barrier damage. Along these lines, measurements of aortic
      intima areas with Evans blue deposition in relation to total intima circumference
      enabled quantitative assessments of the results. Our technique enables the
      imaging of endothelial barrier damage prior to detectable aortic lipid deposition
      and plaque development. Thus, it will facilitate the detection of the initial
      vascular pathogenetic processes that lead to cardiovascular diseases. It will
      also enable the testing of new drugs and therapeutic procedures to prevent these
      disorders.

PMID- 28343240
TI  - Childhood angular kyphosis: a plea for involvement of the pediatric neurosurgeon.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: Childhood angular kyphosis is rare, as most children are affected
      by a mixed kyphotic and scoliotic deformity. Published series involving a mix of
      kyphosis and kyphoscoliosis, pediatric and adult, congenital and acquired cases
      are almost exclusively authored by orthopedic surgeons, suggesting that
      (pediatric) neurosurgeons are not involved. CASE SERIES: We present five cases
      that illustrate the spectrum of angular kyphosis, and these were treated by a
      multidisciplinary team including child neurologist, orthopedic surgeon, and
      pediatric neurosurgeon as complementary partners. DISCUSSION: Angular kyphosis is
      a cosmetic problem but above all a serious threat to the spinal cord and as such
      to the child's ambulatory, sphincter, and genito-urinary functions. Spinal cord
      stretch over the internal kyphosis may cause pain and/or neurological deficit,
      often accompanied by myelomalacia or even segmental cord atrophy. Spinal cord
      function may be additionally affected by associated disorders such as
      syringomyelia or tethered cord, an orthopedic surgeon may be less familiar with.
      The decision when and how to proceed surgically should be made by a
      multidisciplinary team, including a pediatric neurosurgeon who actively
      participates in the operation and helps to safely achieve adequate spinal cord
      decompression and stabilization. CONCLUSION: Childhood angular kyphosis is a
      complex, heterogeneous disorder that should be managed by a multidisciplinary
      team in specialized pediatric spine centers. While every case is truly unique,
      the spinal cord is always at risk, especially during decompression,
      stabilization, and eventual correction of deformity. Pediatric neurosurgeons have
      an important role to play in preoperative work-up, actual operation, and follow
      up.

PMID- 28343241
TI  - In vitro activity of alpha-mangostin in killing and eradicating Staphylococcus
      epidermidis RP62A biofilms.
AB  - Alpha-mangostin (alpha-MG) has been reported to be an effective antibacterial
      agent against planktonic cells of many Gram-positive bacteria. However, the
      antibiofilm potency of alpha-MG remains unexplored till date. In this study, the
      antibiofilm and mature biofilm eradication ability of alpha-MG against
      Staphylococcus epidermidis RP62A (ATCC 35984) biofilms were evaluated. The
      minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) and minimum bactericidal concentration
      (MBC) of alpha-MG against S. epidermidis RP62A were found to be 1.25 and 5
      MUg/mL, respectively. alpha-MG exhibited a phenomenal concentration dependent
      rapid bactericidal activity (>4-log reduction within 5 min). In a multi-passage
      resistance analysis using S. epidermidis, no development of resistance to alpha
      MG as well as antibiotics was observed in its habituation. alpha-MG at its 1/2
      MIC effectively inhibited the initial biofilm formation of S. epidermidis, which
      was further confirmed through scanning electron microscopic (SEM) analysis that
      portrayed a lucid reduction in the aggregation and the spread of biofilm. The
      crystal violet staining and viable cell quantification results confirmed the
      eradication of preformed immature and mature biofilms of S. epidermidis by alpha
      MG in a concentration dependent manner. Besides, the biofilm eradication ability
      was also confirmed through SEM and live/dead BacLight staining using confocal
      laser scanning microscopy (CLSM). Thus, the present study exemplifies that alpha
      MG could plausibly assist to eliminate biofilm infections associated with
      multidrug-resistance staphylococci.

PMID- 28343239
TI  - Improved full-length killer cell immunoglobulin-like receptor transcript
      discovery in Mauritian cynomolgus macaques.
AB  - Killer cell immunoglobulin-like receptors (KIRs) modulate disease progression of
      pathogens including HIV, malaria, and hepatitis C. Cynomolgus and rhesus macaques
      are widely used as nonhuman primate models to study human pathogens, and so,
      considerable effort has been put into characterizing their KIR genetics. However,
      previous studies have relied on cDNA cloning and Sanger sequencing that lack the
      throughput of current sequencing platforms. In this study, we present a high
      throughput, full-length allele discovery method utilizing Pacific Biosciences
      circular consensus sequencing (CCS). We also describe a new approach to Macaque
      Exome Sequencing (MES) and the development of the Rhexome1.0, an adapted target
      capture reagent that includes macaque-specific capture probe sets. By using
      sequence reads generated by whole genome sequencing (WGS) and MES to inform
      primer design, we were able to increase the sensitivity of KIR allele discovery.
      We demonstrate this increased sensitivity by defining nine novel alleles within a
      cohort of Mauritian cynomolgus macaques (MCM), a geographically isolated
      population with restricted KIR genetics that was thought to be completely
      characterized. Finally, we describe an approach to genotyping KIRs directly from
      sequence reads generated using WGS/MES reads. The findings presented here expand
      our understanding of KIR genetics in MCM by associating new genes with all eight
      KIR haplotypes and demonstrating the existence of at least one KIR3DS gene
      associated with every haplotype.

PMID- 28343242
TI  - Identification of a polysaccharide produced by the pyruvate overproducer Candida
      glabrata CCTCC M202019.
AB  - Candida glabrata has great potential for the accumulation of pyruvate as a
      preferred strain in pyruvate production by fermentation. However, its substrate
      conversion rate is relatively low. In this study, a novel polysaccharide
      containing alpha-1,4-glucosidic bonds was observed accidentally in screening a
      high-titer pyruvate strain by atmospheric and room temperature plasma mutagenesis
      of C. glabrata. Chemical analysis of the partially purified polysaccharide S4-C10
      showed the main components were 1.2% (w/w) protein and 94.2% (w/w) total sugar.
      Fourier transform infrared and molecular mass distribution analysis indicated
      that the main component (PSG-2) of S4-C10 was a small molecular homogeneous
      protein-bound polysaccharide. Monosaccharide analysis of PSG-2 showed it
      consisted of glucose, mannose, and fructose. By optimizing the vitamin mix
      content, 77.6 g L-1 S4-C10 polysaccharide could be obtained after 72 h
      fermentation at 30  degrees C in 500-mL flasks. RT-qPCR analysis showed that
      transcriptional level of some key genes related to polysaccharide biosynthesis
      was upregulated compared to that of wild-type strain. By knocking out two most
      significantly upregulated genes, CAGL0H02695g and CAGL0K10626g, in the wild-type
      strain, the pyruvate consumption rate was significantly reduced in late pyruvate
      fermentation phase, while the titer of polysaccharides was reduced by 18.0%.
      Besides the potential applications of the novel identified polysaccharide, this
      study provided clues for increasing the conversion ratio of glucose to pyruvate
      in C. glabrata by further decreasing the accumulation of polysaccharides.

PMID- 28343243
TI  - Fusarium species-a promising tool box for industrial biotechnology.
AB  - Global demand for biotechnological products has increased steadily over the
      years. Thus, need for optimized processes and reduced costs appear as a key
      factor in the success of this market. A process tool of high importance is the
      direct or indirect use of enzymes to catalyze the generation of various
      substances. Also, obtaining aromas and pigments from natural sources has becoming
      priority in cosmetic and food industries in order to supply the demand from
      consumers to substitute synthetic compounds, especially when by-products can be
      used as starting material for this purpose. Species from Fusarium genera are
      recognized as promising sources of several enzymes for industrial application as
      well as biocatalysts in the production of aromas, pigments and second generation
      biofuels, among others. In addition, secondary metabolites from these strains can
      present important biological activities for medical field. In this approach, this
      review brings focus on the use of Fusarium sp. strains in biotechnological
      production of compounds of industrial interest, showing the most recent
      researches in this area, results obtained and the best process conditions for
      each case.

PMID- 28343244
TI  - A New Reactive 1,8-Naphthalimide Derivative for Highly Selective and Sensitive
      Detection of Hg2.
AB  - A 1,8-naphthalimide derivative with a reactive aliphatic hydroxyl was designed
      and synthesized as a fluorescent probe. Its structure was characterized by IR, 1H
      NMR, 13C NMR, LC-MS and HPLC. The probe showed high selectivity and sensitivity
      to Hg2+ over other metal ions such as Pb2+, Na+, K+, Cd2+, Cr3+, Zn2+, Cu2+,
      Ni2+, Ca2+, Fe3+, Fe2+, Co2+, Mn2+ and Mg2+ in MeCN/H2O (15/85, v/v). The
      increase in fluorescence intensity was linearly proportional to the concentration
      of Hg2+ in the range of 18-40 MUM with a detection limit of 1.38 * 10-7 mol/L.
      The probe could work in a pH span of 4.3-9.0 and respond to Hg2+ quickly with
      strong anti-interference ability. Job's plot suggested a 1:2 complex of the probe
      and Hg2+.

PMID- 28343245
TI  - An Acid-Inert Fluorescent Probe for the Detection of Nitrite.
AB  - The fluorescent detection of nitrite ions has been challenging owing to the poor
      acid-stability of typical fluorescent probes. Herein, an acid-inert rhodamine
      based fluorescent probe has been developed for the fast detection of trace amount
      of nitrite ions with turn-on mode. The detection limit of nitrite ions was
      determined to be 9.4 nM (S/N = 3) and the linear range with high linear
      correlation was observed between 0.025 to 2.5 MUM. A test paper method was
      developed for rapid visual detection of nitrite ions. Quantitative analysis of
      two real water samples also confirmed the reliability and sensitivity of the
      developed fluorescent method.

PMID- 28343246
TI  - Sex Differences and Predictors of Changes in Body Weight and Noncommunicable
      Diseases in a Random, Newly-Arrived Group of Refugees Followed for Two Years.
AB  - We have reported that none of the psychological/mental variables examined
      predicted the increase in BMI and non-communicable diseases (NCDs) in Iraqi
      refugees after 1 year resettlement in Michigan. We continuously followed the same
      cohort of refugees for 2 years (Y2 FU) to further determine the gender difference
      in predicting of increased BMI and NCDs. Only 20% of the BMI variability could be
      accounted for by the factors examined. Number of dependent children and
      depression were positively and stress negatively associated with BMI in male
      refugees but not in females. Number of dependent children was negatively
      associated with changes in BMI and in males only. Two-third of the NCD
      variability was accounted for by gender, BMI, employment status, depression,
      posttraumatic stress disorders and coping skills. Unmarried, unemployed and with
      high PTSD scores at Y2 in males were positively and number of dependent children
      was negatively associated with NCD changes in females. Factors such as dietary
      patterns and lifestyle may have contributed to the increased BMI and NCDs in
      these refugees at 2 years post-settlement.

PMID- 28343247
TI  - Development of a QTL-environment-based predictive model for node addition rate in
      common bean.
AB  - KEY MESSAGE: This work reports the effects of the genetic makeup, the environment
      and the genotype by environment interactions for node addition rate in an RIL
      population of common bean. This information was used to build a predictive model
      for node addition rate. To select a plant genotype that will thrive in targeted
      environments it is critical to understand the genotype by environment interaction
      (GEI). In this study, multi-environment QTL analysis was used to characterize
      node addition rate (NAR, node day- 1) on the main stem of the common bean
      (Phaseolus vulgaris L). This analysis was carried out with field data of 171
      recombinant inbred lines that were grown at five sites (Florida, Puerto Rico, 2
      sites in Colombia, and North Dakota). Four QTLs (Nar1, Nar2, Nar3 and Nar4) were
      identified, one of which had significant QTL by environment interactions (QEI),
      that is, Nar2 with temperature. Temperature was identified as the main
      environmental factor affecting NAR while day length and solar radiation played a
      minor role. Integration of sites as covariates into a QTL mixed site-effect
      model, and further replacing the site component with explanatory environmental
      covariates (i.e., temperature, day length and solar radiation) yielded a model
      that explained 73% of the phenotypic variation for NAR with root mean square
      error of 16.25% of the mean. The QTL consistency and stability was examined
      through a tenfold cross validation with different sets of genotypes and these
      four QTLs were always detected with 50-90% probability. The final model was
      evaluated using leave-one-site-out method to assess the influence of site on node
      addition rate. These analyses provided a quantitative measure of the effects on
      NAR of common beans exerted by the genetic makeup, the environment and their
      interactions.

PMID- 28343248
TI  - Uncovering specific changes in network wiring underlying the primate cerebrotype.
AB  - Regular scaling of brain networks during evolution has been proposed to be the
      major process leading to enlarged brains. Alternative views, however, suggest
      that deviations from regular scaling were crucial to the evolution of the primate
      brain and the emergence of different cerebrotypes. Here, we examined the scaling
      within the major link between the cerebellum and the cerebral cortex by studying
      the deep cerebellar nuclei (DCN). We compared the major axonal and dendritic
      wiring in the DCN of rodents and monkeys in search of regular scaling. We were
      able to confirm regular scaling within the density of neurons, the general
      dendritic length per neuron and the Purkinje cell axon length. However, we also
      observed specific modification of the scaling rules within the primates' largest
      and phylogenetically newest DCN, the dentate nucleus (LN/dentate). Our analysis
      shows a deviation from regular scaling in the predicted dendritic length per
      neuron in the LN/dentate. This reduction in the dendritic length is also
      associated with a smaller dendritic region-of-influence of these neurons. We also
      detected specific changes in the dendritic diameter distribution, supporting the
      theory that there is a shift in the neuronal population of the LN/dentate towards
      neurons that exhibit spatially restricted, clustered branching trees. The smaller
      dendritic fields would enable a larger number of network modules to be
      accommodated in the primate LN/dentate and would provide an explanation for the
      unique folded structure of the primate LN/dentate. Our results show that, in some
      brain regions, connectivity maximization (i.e., an increase of dendritic fields)
      is not the sole optimum and that increases in the number of network modules may
      be important for the emergence of a divergent primate cerebrotype.

PMID- 28343249
TI  - Intraobserver and interobserver variability in CT angiography and MR angiography
      measurements of the size of cerebral aneurysms.
AB  - PURPOSE: Accurate and reliable measurement of aneurysm size is important for
      treatment planning. The purpose of this study was to determine intraobserver and
      interobserver variability of CTA and MRA for measurement of the size of cerebral
      aneurysms. METHODS: Thirty patients with 33 unruptured cerebral aneurysms
      (saccular, >3 mm in their maximal dimension, with no daughter sacs or
      lobulations) who underwent 256-row multislice CTA, 3-D TOF MRA at 3.0T, and 3D
      rotational angiography (3DRA) were retrospectively analyzed. Three independent
      observers measured the neck, height, and width of the aneurysms using the CTA and
      MRA images. Intraobserver and interobserver variability of CTA and MRA
      measurements was evaluated using the standardized difference and intraclass
      correlation coefficient, with 3DRA measurements as the reference standard. In
      addition, the mean values of the measurements using CTA and MRA were compared
      with those using 3DRA. RESULTS: The overall intraobserver and interobserver
      standardized differences in CTA/MRA were 12.83-15.92%/13.48-17.45% and 14.08
      17.00%/12.08-17.67%, respectively. The overall intraobserver and interobserver
      intraclass correlation coefficients of CTA/MRA were 0.88-0.98/0.84-0.96 and 0.86
      0.98/0.85-0.95, respectively. Compared to the height and width measurements,
      measurements of the neck dimensions showed higher intraobserver and interobserver
      variability. The sizes of the cerebral aneurysms measured by CTA and MRA were
      1.13-9.26 and 5.20-9.67% larger than those measured by 3DRA, respectively;
      however, these differences were not statistically significant. CONCLUSION: There
      were no noticeable differences between intraobserver and interobserver
      variability for both CTA- and MRA-based measurements of the size of cerebral
      aneurysms.

PMID- 28343250
TI  - Apparent diffusion coefficient changes predict survival after intra-arterial
      bevacizumab treatment in recurrent glioblastoma.
AB  - PURPOSE: Superselective intra-arterial cerebral infusion (SIACI) of bevacizumab
      (BV) has emerged as a novel therapy in the treatment of recurrent glioblastoma
      (GB). This study assessed the use of apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) in
      predicting length of survival after SIACI BV and overall survival in patients
      with recurrent GB. METHODS: Sixty-five patients from a cohort enrolled in a phase
      I/II trial of SIACI BV for treatment of recurrent GB were retrospectively
      included in this analysis. MR imaging with a diffusion-weighted (DWI) sequence
      was performed before and after treatment. ROIs were manually delineated on ADC
      maps corresponding to the enhancing and non-enhancing portions of the tumor. Cox
      and logistic regression analyses were performed to determine which ADC values
      best predicted survival. RESULTS: The change in minimum ADC in the enhancing
      portion of the tumor after SIACI BV therapy was associated with an increased risk
      of death (hazard ratio = 2.0, 95% confidence interval(CI) [1.04-3.79], p =
      0.038), adjusting for age, tumor size, BV dose, and prior IV BV treatments.
      Similarly, the change in ADC after SIACI BV therapy was associated with greater
      likelihood of surviving less than 1 year after therapy (odds ratio = 7.0, 95% CI
      [1.08-45.7], p = 0.04). Having previously received IV BV was associated with
      increased risk of death (OR 18, 95% CI [1.8-180.0], p = 0.014). CONCLUSION: In
      patients with recurrent GB treated with SIACI BV, the change in ADC value after
      treatment is predictive of overall survival.

PMID- 28343251
TI  - Neurological aspects of chemical and biological terrorism: guidelines for
      neurologists.
AB  - This statement paper deals with the key role an neurologist plays in the
      management of victims of chemical warfare/terrorist attacks. Because terrorist
      factions have expanded the war zone creating a worldwide risk of terrorist
      attacks, not only limited to some conflict zones in the Middle East, neurologists
      in all countries/regions have to be prepared for disaster response. The scope of
      this paper is to provide guidelines for the neurological management of victims of
      chemical and biological terrorist attacks.

PMID- 28343252
TI  - Erratum to: Managing Cardiovascular Risk in Lysosomal Acid Lipase Deficiency.

PMID- 28343253
TI  - A pulsatile pharyngeal wall: case report and clinical relevance.

PMID- 28343255
TI  - Giving voice to African thought in medical research ethics.
AB  - In this article, I consider the virtual absence of an African voice and
      perspective in global discourses of medical research ethics against the backdrop
      of the high burden of diseases and epidemics on the continent and the fact that
      the continent is actually the scene of numerous and sundry medical research
      studies. I consider some reasons for this state of affairs as well as how the
      situation might be redressed. Using examples from the HIV/AIDS and Ebola
      epidemics, I attempt to show that the marginalization of Africa in medical
      research and medical research ethics is deliberate rather than accidental. It is
      causally related, in general terms, to a Eurocentric hegemony derived from
      colonialism and colonial indoctrination cum proselytization. I end by proposing
      seven theses for the critical reflection and appraisal of the reader.

PMID- 28343254
TI  - Dynamic measurements of cervical neural foramina during neck movements in
      asymptomatic young volunteers.
AB  - PURPOSE: Neural foraminal dimensions are considered important in nerve root
      compression and development of cervical radiculopathy, but baseline data
      regarding their range during normal motion are not available. An in vivo study of
      cervical foraminal motion was conducted to characterize normal 3D dynamic
      foraminal dimensions during physiological neck motion and compare between
      different tasks and intervertebral segments. METHODS: Biplane X-ray imaging and
      computed tomography-based markerless tracking were used to measure foraminal
      height (FH) and width (FW) from five asymptomatic subjects during neck axial
      rotation and extension. FH and FW were quantified as the minimum (SI.Min and
      AP.Min), range (SI.Range and AP.Range), and median (SI.Med and AP.Med) of
      superoinferior (SI) and anteroposterior (AP) dimensions for each trial and as the
      coefficient of variation of these variables from three trials (SI.Med.CV and
      AP.Med.CV, SI.Range.CV and AP.Range.CV) at C3-4 through C6-7 levels for each
      subject. Differences were analyzed using mixed model ANOVA. RESULTS: AP.Range and
      AP.Med.CV were greater (P < 0.0001) while AP.Min and AP.Range.CV were smaller (P
      < 0.0006 and P < 0.0005) during neck extension than rotation. SI.Range and
      SI.Med.CV were greater for extension than rotation at C5-6 (P < 0.002 and P <
      0.03), whereas SI.Med.CV was greater for rotation than extension at C3-4 (P <
      0.03). AP.Range (P < 0.02), AP.Med.CV (P < 0.05), SI.Range (P < 0.0004), and
      SI.Med.CV (P < 0.02) were different between cervical levels, the latter two being
      during extension only. CONCLUSIONS: Patterns of FH and FW during normal motion
      are different between tasks and cervical levels. These findings are expected to
      provide a basis for future studies of spinal degeneration and surgical efficacy.

PMID- 28343256
TI  - Spatiotemporal deep imaging of syncytium induced by the soybean cyst nematode
      Heterodera glycines.
AB  - Parasite infections cause dramatic anatomical and ultrastructural changes in host
      plants. Cyst nematodes are parasites that invade host roots and induce a specific
      feeding structure called a syncytium. A syncytium is a large multinucleate cell
      formed by cell wall dissolution-mediated cell fusion. The soybean cyst nematode
      (SCN), Heterodera glycines, is a major soybean pathogen. To investigate SCN
      infection and the syncytium structure, we established an in planta deep imaging
      system using a clearing solution ClearSee and two-photon excitation microscopy
      (2PEM). Using this system, we found that several cells were incorporated into the
      syncytium; the nuclei increased in size and the cell wall openings began to be
      visible at 2 days after inoculation (DAI). Moreover, at 14 DAI, in the syncytium
      developed in the cortex, there were thickened concave cell wall pillars that
      resembled "Parthenon pillars." In contrast, there were many thick board-like cell
      walls and rarely Parthenon pillars in the syncytium developed in the stele. We
      revealed that the syncytia were classified into two types based on the pattern of
      the cell wall structures, which appeared to be determined by the position of the
      syncytium inside roots. Our results provide new insights into the developmental
      process of syncytium induced by cyst nematode and a better understanding of the
      three-dimensional structure of the syncytium in host roots.

PMID- 28343257
TI  - Leaf ontogeny of Schinus molle L. plants under cadmium contamination: the
      meristematic origin of leaf structural changes.
AB  - Previous works show the development of thicker leaves on tolerant plants growing
      under cadmium (Cd2+) contamination. The aim of this study was to evaluate the
      Cd2+ effects on the leaf meristems of the tolerant species Schinus molle. Plants
      were grown in nutrient solution containing 0, 10, and 50 MUM of Cd2+. Anatomical
      analysis was performed on leaf primordia sampled at regular time intervals. Under
      the lowest Cd2+ level (10 MUM), increased ground meristem thickness, diameter of
      the cells, cell elongation rate, and leaf dry mass were found. However, 50 MUM of
      Cd2+ reduced all these variables. In addition, the ground meristem cells became
      larger when exposed to any Cd2+ level. The epidermis, palisade parenchyma, and
      vascular tissues developed earlier in Cd2+-exposed leaves. The modifications
      found on the ground meristem may be related to the development of thicker leaves
      on S. molle plants exposed to low Cd2+ levels. Furthermore, older leaves showed
      higher Cd2+ content when compared to the younger ones, preventing the Cd2+
      toxicity to these leaves. Thus, low Cd2+ concentrations change the ground
      meristem structure and function reflecting on the development of thicker and
      enhanced leaves.

PMID- 28343258
TI  - Variation of antibiotic consumption and its correlated factors in Turkey.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Presentation of antibiotic utilization data by reliable and
      comparable analyses constitutes an important way of ensuring rational use of
      antibiotics. This study aimed to evaluate antibiotic consumption (AC) of Turkey
      by each city/region and to investigate any association of such consumption with
      socio-economic factors. METHOD: For 81 provinces and 12 regions in Turkey, AC
      data from IMS (Intercontinental Medical Statistics) in 2011 was analyzed in
      accordance with "ATC/DDD, DID" (Anatomical Therapeutic Chemical/Defined Daily
      Doses, DID = DDD/1000 inhabitants/day) methodology supported by World Health
      Organization. Association between provincial AC rates and socio-economic
      development index (SEDI)-2011 and between regional AC rates and some health
      indicators were analyzed. RESULTS: While provincial AC data of Turkey was
      detected to vary between 17.2 and 55.2 DID (Hakkari and Usak, respectively),
      regional AC ranged from 28.4 to 48.9 DID (Middle Eastern Anatolia and Western
      Anatolia, respectively). Mostly consumed antibiotic group among all regions were
      beta-lactamase inhibitor/penicillin combinations (range: 9.9-17.6 DID). SEDI and
      AC of each city showed positive correlation (rho = 0.683, p < 0.001). While
      regional AC was positively associated with percentage of 14-year-old population
      (p = 0.002) and pharmacist density (p < 0.001), it was negatively associated with
      physician density (p = 0.038). CONCLUSION: It is remarkable that Turkey, at both
      provincial and regional levels, exhibits important variations in AC, which is
      proportional to socio-economic status. Besides, the consumption is found to be
      closely associated with recognized critical factors of access to healthcare.
      These findings are expected to provide important insights to the activities
      promoting rational use of antibiotics.

PMID- 28343259
TI  - Numerical and experimental analysis of the transitional flow across a real
      stenosis.
AB  - In this paper, we present a numerical study of the pulsatile transitional flow
      crossing a severe real stenosis located right in front of the bifurcation between
      the right subclavian and right common carotid arteries. The simulation allows one
      to determine relevant features of this subject-specific flow, such as the
      pressure waves in the right subclavian and right common carotid arteries. We
      explain the subclavian steal syndrome suffered by the patient in terms of the
      drastic pressure drop in the right subclavian artery. This pressure drop is
      caused by both the diverging part of the analyzed stenosis and the reverse flow
      in the bifurcation induced by another stenosis in the right internal carotid
      artery.

PMID- 28343260
TI  - Urethral lumen occlusion by artificial sphincteric devices: a computational
      biomechanics approach.
AB  - The action induced by artificial sphincteric devices to provide urinary
      continence is related to the problem of evaluating the interaction between the
      occlusive cuff and the urethral duct. The intensity and distribution of the force
      induced within the region of application determine a different occlusion process
      and potential degradation of the urethral tissue, mostly at the borders of the
      cuff. This problem is generally considered in the light of clinical and surgical
      operational experience, while a valid cooperation is established with
      biomechanical competences by means of experimental and numerical investigation. A
      three-dimensional model of the urethra is proposed aiming at a representation of
      the phases of the urethral occlusion through artificial sphincters. Different
      conformations of the cuff are considered, mimicking different loading conditions
      in terms of force intensity and distribution and consequent deformation caused in
      soft tissues. The action induced in the healthy urethra is investigated, as basis
      for an evaluation of the efficacy and reliability of the sphincteric devices. The
      problem is characterized by coupled nonlinear geometric and material problem and
      entails a complex constitutive formulation. A heavy computational procedure is
      developed by means of analyses that operate within an explicit finite element
      formulation. Results reported outline the overall response of the urethral duct
      during lumen occlusion, leading to an accurate description of the phenomenon in
      the different phases.

PMID- 28343261
TI  - Stress Processes Linking Parent-Child Disconnection to Disease Risk in Young
      Adulthood: Amplification by Genotype.
AB  - Previous studies have documented that early stressful family relationships
      influence subsequent stressful life circumstances and health outcomes over the
      life course. Less is known, however, about whether stressful parent-child
      relationships increase the influence of proximal stressors on youth health
      operating as a stress-sensitizing life context, and individual genetic variations
      have effects on these developmental processes. Informed by life course stress
      process theory, which focuses on the proliferation, accumulation, and
      interactions of stressors over the life course as health risks, we examined
      whether (a) parent-child disconnection influences the occurrence of stressful
      life events in young adulthood, (b) parent-child disconnection potentiates the
      impact of stressful life events on young adults' health, or (c) potential health
      impact is intensified further by individual genotype. Using longitudinal data
      from a nationally representative sample of 11,290 adolescents (Mean age 15.5
      years, 53% female) over a period of 13 years, we found parent-child disconnection
      influenced young adults' stressful life events and amplified the impact of
      stressful life events on cardio-metabolic disease risk. We also found the
      association between stressful life events and cardio-metabolic disease risk was
      further intensified by the 5-HTTLPR polymorphism. Our findings demonstrate that
      stressful family relationships not only initiate stress processes over the early
      life course, but also sensitize youth to stressors, and that 5-HTTLPR
      polymorphism interacts with stressful life experiences to predict heightened
      disease risk.

PMID- 28343262
TI  - Cavin-1 deficiency modifies myocardial and coronary function, stretch responses
      and ischaemic tolerance: roles of NOS over-activity.
AB  - Caveolae and associated cavin and caveolins may govern myocardial function,
      together with responses to mechanical and ischaemic stresses. Abnormalities in
      these proteins are also implicated in different cardiovascular disorders.
      However, specific roles of the cavin-1 protein in cardiac and coronary responses
      to mechanical/metabolic perturbation remain unclear. We characterised
      cardiovascular impacts of cavin-1 deficiency, comparing myocardial and coronary
      phenotypes and responses to stretch and ischaemia-reperfusion in hearts from
      cavin-1 +/+ and cavin-1 -/- mice. Caveolae and caveolins 1 and 3 were depleted in
      cavin-1 -/- hearts. Cardiac ejection properties in situ were modestly reduced in
      cavin-1 -/- mice. While peak contractile performance in ex vivo myocardium from
      cavin-1 -/- and cavin-1 +/+ mice was comparable, intrinsic beating rate,
      diastolic stiffness and Frank-Starling behaviour (stretch-dependent diastolic and
      systolic forces) were exaggerated in cavin-1 -/- hearts. Increases in stretch
      dependent forces were countered by NOS inhibition (100 uM L-NAME), which exposed
      negative inotropy in cavin-1 -/- hearts, and were mimicked by 100 uM
      nitroprusside. In contrast, chronotropic differences appeared largely NOS
      independent. Cavin-1 deletion also induced NOS-dependent coronary dilatation, >=3
      fold prolongation of reactive hyperaemic responses, and exaggerated pressure
      dependence of coronary flow. Stretch-dependent efflux of lactate dehydrogenase
      and cardiac troponin I was increased and induction of brain natriuretic peptide
      and c-Fos inhibited in cavin-1 -/- hearts, while ERK1/2 phospho-activation was
      preserved. Post-ischaemic dysfunction and damage was also exaggerated in cavin-1 
      /- hearts. Diverse effects of cavin-1 deletion reveal important roles in both NOS
      dependent and -independent control of cardiac and coronary functions, together
      with governing sarcolemmal fragility and myocardial responses to stretch and
      ischaemia.

PMID- 28343263
TI  - Genotypic and pathogenic characterization of genotype VII Newcastle disease
      viruses isolated from commercial farms in Egypt and evaluation of heterologous
      antibody responses.
AB  - Newcastle disease viruses (NDV) represent a major threat to poultry production
      worldwide. Recently in Egypt NDV circulated extensively, even in vaccinated
      farms. In the present study samples were collected from sixteen vaccinated
      broiler farms in animals exhibiting the typical gross lesions of NDV. Virus
      isolation and pathogenicity studies for positive samples were carried out in
      accordance to reference procedures and phylogenetic analysis was carried out
      based on partial sequences of the Fusion gene. Furthermore, in vivo investigation
      of the ability of heterologous antibody, induced by commercially available
      lentogenic strain-based vaccines, to efficiently reduce viral shedding was
      examined. Results revealed that all the sixteen farms were positive for the
      presence of NDV. Out of these fifteen were confirmed to due to velogenic viruses,
      based on a main death time (MDT) <= 48 hours and partial sequencing of the F gene
      that showed the presence of a polybasic amino acid motif. However, three patterns
      in the cleavage site of these velogenic viruses were identified in the present
      study. Phylogenetic analysis revealed that all fifteen isolates were clustered
      with class II genotype VIIb while the remaining isolate (B81) was class II
      genotype II. Results of the in vivo study revealed that adequate heterologous
      antibody levels, induced by the proposed vaccination program, sufficiently
      protected birds from morbidity and mortality. However, virus shedding was
      quantitatively affected in relation to the time of challenge after vaccination.
      Altogether, with an absence of vaccines able to induce homologous antibody to the
      presently circulating viruses, higher antibody levels, which depend on efficient
      and timely implementation of the vaccination program, are considered as highly
      important in relation to the reduction of virus shedding.

PMID- 28343264
TI  - Modulating the pH Activity Profiles of Phenylalanine Ammonia Lyase from Anabaena
      variabilis by Modification of Center-Near Surface Residues.
AB  - Phenylalanine ammonia lyase from Anabaena variabilis (Av-PAL) is a candidate for
      the treatment of phenylketonuria (PKU). However, Av-PAL shows its optimal pH at
      8.5 and maintains only 70% of its highest activity when pH decreases to 7.3-7.4
      (the condition of human plasma). The objective of the study was to shift its
      optimal pH by mutating surface amino acid residues which interact with the
      general base Tyr78. Based on the crystal structure and the online program
      GETAREA, we selected five sites: Asn69, Glu72, Glu75, Asn89, and Val90. Removing
      negative charges or introducing positive charges near the general base Tyr78 by
      mutation, the pH optima were successfully shifted to more acidic range.
      Especially, the pH optima of E75A, E75L, and E75Q were shifted to 7.5 with 35,
      30, and 24% higher specific activities than that of the wild, respectively. Half
      lives of E75L and E75Q at 70  degrees C prolonged to 190 and 180 min from 130 min
      of the wild, respectively. In addition, the higher resistance to a low pH of 3.5
      and protease made E75L a candidate for oral medicine of PKU. This work would
      improve the therapeutic prospect of Av-PAL and provide guidance in modulating
      optimal pH of enzymes.

PMID- 28343265
TI  - Effect of 10% cerium chloride on artificial caries lesions of human enamel
      evaluated using quantitative light-induced fluorescence: an in vitro study.
AB  - AIM: To evaluate the effect of 10% cerium chloride intervention on pre
      demineralised human enamel subjected to cycles of de- and remineralisation.
      METHODS: This was an in vitro, comparative type study of 60 human enamel samples
      that were randomly divided into control and test groups. The samples were then
      subjected to a cycle of demineralisation followed by intervention with respective
      treatment solutions (control group: placebo solution; test: 10% cerium chloride)
      for 30 s under constant agitation and then to a 2nd cycle of demineralisation
      followed by remineralisation using artificial saliva. After the first and second
      cycles of demineralisation (4th and 8th day) and a cycle of remineralisation
      (22nd day), the samples were evaluated for fluorescence values using a
      quantitative light-induced fluorescence camera. The data was analysed using
      paired t test and ANOVA. RESULTS: Comparing the fluorescence values and mean
      difference of lesion area between the first cycle of demineralisation to the
      cycle of remineralisation and the second cycle of demineralisation to the cycle
      of remineralisation, the test group showed a statistically significant reduction
      in loss of fluorescence values and lesion area compared to the control group (p <
      0.001). Mean fluorescence values and lesion area comparison between cycles of de-
      and remineralisation for control and test groups (inter-group comparison) showed
      a statistically significant difference (p < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: Cerium chloride
      alone reduced demineralisation and improved remineralisation of artificial caries
      lesions in human enamel when subjected to pH cycling in vitro.

PMID- 28343266
TI  - The influence of general health on the need for dental general anaesthesia in
      children.
AB  - AIM: To analyse the occurrence and causes of dental general anaesthesia (DGA) in
      healthy and medically compromised children, and to investigate if there are
      differences between those groups considering factors associated with DGA and DGA
      procedures. METHODS: The data was collected from medical records of children
      under 7 years of age treated under DGA in the years 2009 and 2010 at the Oulu
      University Hospital, Finland. The children were divided into two groups: 0-35
      month-olds and >=36-month olds. Background information (year, age, gender, dental
      diagnosis, health) and the procedures performed were registered. The procedures
      were analysed considering the child's age and tooth types. RESULTS: The number of
      children treated under DGA increased between 2009 (58) and 2010 (82),
      particularly in the group of healthy children. The two main diagnoses leading to
      DGA were dental caries and dental fear. Dental caries as the first dental
      diagnosis leading to DGA was more common among the medically compromised children
      (61.5%) compared to the healthy children (38.6%). The procedures performed were
      similar among the two groups. However, they varied between the age groups and
      tooth types and even between upper and lower teeth. The medically compromised
      children had been treated more frequently under DGA in the past. CONCLUSIONS: The
      threshold for treating medically compromised children under DGA seems to be lower
      than for healthy children. However, the occurrence of DGA among healthy children
      has increased recently. To avoid unnecessary DGA, the control of caries should be
      carried out according to individual needs and independent of whether the child is
      healthy or has a chronic disease.

PMID- 28343267
TI  - Tumor-Associated Macrophages and Regulatory T Cells Infiltration and the Clinical
      Outcome in Colorectal Cancer.
AB  - The aim of the study is the assessment of the intensity of the infiltration of
      tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs) CD68+/iNOS- and Tregs CD8+/FoxP3+ in
      colorectal cancer (CRC) patients as prognostic factors with respect to disease
      free survival (DFS) and overall survival (OS). In this retrospective study,
      tissue samples were obtained from 89 patients undergoing resection for CRC (stage
      IIA, pT3N0M0 and stages IIIB and IIIC, pT3N1-2M0). Recurrence was observed in 45
      patients at the time of the follow-up (10 local recurrences, 35 distant
      metastases). In patients with recurrence the following were present: a tendency
      to an older average age at the time of diagnosis (p = 0.07), higher nodal
      involvement (p = 0.002) and more advanced clinical disease (p = 0.01). The
      analysis of the clinical data and immunohistochemical studies were performed with
      the methodology of identification of TAM and Treg subsets in histological
      sections, with the aim to use it in routine clinical management. Both DSF and OS
      were the clinical parameters assessed in the study. The presence of intense
      infiltration of TAMs in the tumor stroma was related to shorter DFS (p = 0.005)
      and OS (p = 0.006). The opposite tendency was observed in the tumor front (p =
      0.061). The relative risks of recurrence and cancer-related death were more than
      twice higher in the group of patients with intense infiltration of TAMs in the
      tumor stroma (RR 2.05, 95% CI 1.33-3.14; p = 0.001 and RR 2.08, 95% CI 1.28-3.39;
      p = 0.003, respectively). Intense infiltration of Tregs in the tumor stroma was
      related to shorter DFS and OS (p < 0.0001). The relative risks of recurrence and
      death in a group of patients with intense infiltration of Tregs in the tumor
      stroma were more than 12 times higher than in patients with less intense
      infiltration (RR 12.3, 95% CI 5.44-27.9; p < 0.0001 and RR 12.5, 95% CI 4.9-32.4;
      p < 0.0001, respectively). Infiltration of TAMs CD68+/iNOS- and Tregs CD8+/FoxP3+
      in the tumor stroma are negative prognostic factors with a positive correlation
      between them. Tregs may constitute an independent prognostic factor in patients
      with CRC.

PMID- 28343269
TI  - Neophobia is negatively related to reversal learning ability in females of a
      generalist bird of prey, the Chimango Caracara, Milvago chimango.
AB  - In an ever-changing environment, the ability to adapt choices to new conditions
      is essential for daily living and ultimately, for survival. Behavioural
      flexibility allows animals to maximise survival and reproduction in novel
      settings by adjusting their behaviour based on specific information and feedback
      acquired in their current environments. However, a growing body of evidence
      indicates that an individual's personality type can limit the extent to which the
      individual might behave flexibly, by influencing the way an individual pays
      attention to novelty and how much information it collects and stores, which in
      turn affects the individual's decision-making and learning process. In this
      study, the behavioural flexibility of a generalist predator, the Chimango
      Caracara, Milvago chimango, was analysed using the reversal learning paradigm,
      focusing on the comparison between age classes, and the relation of learning
      flexibility with a personality trait, the level of neophobia. Due to the low
      number of male individuals captured, this study was carried out only with female
      birds. The results showed that age had no significant effect either on the
      acquisition of a stimulus-reward association, or on the capacity of reversing
      this previously learned association. Reversal of the response was a harder task
      for these birds in comparison with the initial acquisition process. The
      individual's performances in the learning tasks seemed to be uncorrelated with
      each other, suggesting that they involve different neural mechanisms. Contrary to
      the general pattern observed in the majority of previous work on personality and
      cognition in non-human animals, the level of neophobia did not correlate with the
      initial associative learning performance in both adults and juveniles, yet it
      showed a significant negative relationship with reversal learning ability, mainly
      in the regressive phase of this task, for the two age classes. Our results
      suggest that the predatory and generalist lifestyle of female individuals of M.
      chimango along with the selective pressures of the environment of the individuals
      studied might play a critical role in the degree and direction of the linkage
      between novelty response and learning flexibility observed in this study.

PMID- 28343270
TI  - Magnetic field discrimination, learning, and memory in the yellow stingray
      (Urobatis jamaicensis).
AB  - Elasmobranch fishes (sharks, skates, and rays) have been hypothesized to use the
      geomagnetic field as a cue for orienting and navigating across a wide range of
      spatial scales. Magnetoreception has been demonstrated in many invertebrate and
      vertebrate taxa, including elasmobranchs, but this sensory modality and the
      cognitive abilities of cartilaginous fishes are poorly studied. Wild caught
      yellow stingrays, Urobatis jamaicensis (N = 8), underwent conditioning to
      associate a magnetic stimulus with a food reward in order to elicit foraging
      behaviors. Behavioral conditioning consisted of burying magnets and non-magnetic
      controls at random locations within a test arena and feeding stingrays as they
      passed over the hidden magnets. The location of the magnets and controls was
      changed for each trial, and all confounding sensory cues were eliminated. The
      stingrays learned to discriminate the magnetic stimuli within a mean of 12.6 +/-
      0.7 SE training sessions of four trials per session. Memory probes were conducted
      at intervals between 90 and 180 days post-learning criterion, and six of eight
      stingrays completed the probes with a >=75% success rate and minimum latency to
      complete the task. These results show the fastest rate of learning and longest
      memory window for any batoid (skate or ray) to date. This study demonstrates that
      yellow stingrays, and possibly other elasmobranchs, can use a magnetic stimulus
      as a geographic marker for the location of resources and is an important step
      toward understanding whether these fishes use geomagnetic cues during spatial
      navigation tasks in the natural environment.

PMID- 28343268
TI  - Cytogenetic comparison of heteromorphic and homomorphic sex chromosomes in
      Coccinia (Cucurbitaceae) points to sex chromosome turnover.
AB  - Our understanding of the evolution of plant sex chromosomes is increasing rapidly
      due to high-throughput sequencing data and phylogenetic and molecular-cytogenetic
      approaches that make it possible to infer the evolutionary direction and steps
      leading from homomorphic to heteromorphic sex chromosomes. Here, we focus on four
      species of Coccinia, a genus of 25 dioecious species, including Coccinia grandis,
      the species with the largest known plant Y chromosome. Based on a phylogeny for
      the genus, we selected three species close to C. grandis to test the distribution
      of eight repetitive elements including two satellites, and several plastid and
      mitochondrial probes, that we had previously found to have distinct accumulation
      patterns in the C. grandis genome. Additionally, we determined C-values and
      performed immunostaining experiments with (peri-)centromere-specific antibodies
      on two species (for comparison with C. grandis). In spite of no microscopic
      chromosomal heteromorphism, single pairs of chromosomes in male cells of all
      three species accumulate some of the very same repeats that are enriched on the
      C. grandis Y chromosome, pointing to either old (previous) sex chromosomes or
      incipient (newly arising) ones, that is, to sex chromosome turnover. A 144-bp
      centromeric satellite repeat (CgCent) that characterizes all C. grandis
      chromosomes except the Y is highly abundant in all centromeric regions of the
      other species, indicating that the centromeric sequence of the Y chromosome
      diverged very recently.

PMID- 28343271
TI  - Protein degradation systems in the skeletal muscles of parr and smolt Atlantic
      salmon Salmo salar L. and brown trout Salmo trutta L.
AB  - Although protein degradation limits the rate of muscle growth in fish, the role
      of proteolytic systems responsible for degrading myofibrillar proteins in
      skeletal muscle is not well defined. The study herein aims to evaluate the role
      of calpains (calcium-activated proteases) and proteasomes (ATP-dependent
      proteases) in mediating muscle protein turnover at different life stages in wild
      salmonids. Protease activities were estimated in Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar L.)
      and brown trout (Salmo trutta L.) parr and smolts from the Indera River (Kola
      Peninsula, Russia). Calpain and proteasome activities in Atlantic salmon skeletal
      muscles were lower in smolts as compared with parr. Reduced muscle protein
      degradation accompanying Atlantic salmon parr-smolt transformation appeared to
      provide intense muscle growth essential for a minimum threshold size achievement
      that is required for smoltification. Calpain and proteasome activities in brown
      trout parr and smolts at age 3+ did not significantly differ. However, calpain
      activity was higher in smolts brown trout 4+ as compared with parr, while
      proteasome activity was lower. Results suggest that brown trout smoltification
      does not correspond with intense muscle growth and is more facultative and
      plastic in comparison with Atlantic salmon smoltification. Obtained data on
      muscle protein degradation capacity as well as length-weight parameters of fish
      reflect differences between salmon and trout in growth and smoltification
      strategies.

PMID- 28343273
TI  - Pharmacokinetic comparison of cyclosporin A and tacrolimus in graft-versus-host
      disease prophylaxis.
AB  - A number of studies were published with contradictory results comparing
      tacrolimus (Tac) and cyclosporine A (CsA) for graft-versus-host disease (GVHD)
      prophylaxis, but there are only few that accounted for pharmacokinetic (PK)
      parameters. In this study, we created a model based on median concentrations,
      variability of concentrations, and failures to maintain target levels that
      distinguished patients with low, intermediate, and high risks of acute GVHD
      (hazard ratios (HR) 1.77, 95%CI 1.36-2.32, p < 0.0001). This model was used to
      compare 95 patients with CsA and 239 with Tac GVHD prophylaxis. In the
      multivariate analysis, incorporating PK risk, no differences were observed for
      grade II-IV acute GVHD (HR 0.73, 95%CI 0.48-1.10, p = 0.13), but grade III-IV
      acute GVHD was lower in the Tac group (HR 0.47, 95%CI 0.28-0.78, p = 0.004). The
      observed difference was due to patients with high PK risk (HR 0.377, 95%CI 0.19
      0.75, p = 0.005), but not with low and intermediate PK risk (p > 0.05). Patients
      in the Tac group had better GVHD relapse-free survival (HR = 0.659, p = 0.01) and
      comparable overall survival (p > 0.05). In conclusion, PK risk should be
      accounted for in comparisons of GVHD prophylaxis regimens with calcineurin
      inhibitors, and Tac was superior to CsA in patients with high, but not
      intermediate and low PK risk.

PMID- 28343272
TI  - Effect of ATRA and ATO on the expression of tissue factor in NB4 acute
      promyelocytic leukemia cells and regulatory function of the inflammatory
      cytokines TNF and IL-1beta.
AB  - The characteristic hemorrhages of acute promyelocytic leukemia (APL) are caused
      in part by the high expression of tissue factor (TF) on leukemic cells, which
      also produce TNF and IL-1beta, proinflammatory cytokines known to increase TF in
      various cell types. Exposure of NB4 cells, an APL cell line, to all-trans
      retinoic acid (ATRA) or arsenic trioxide (ATO) rapidly and strongly reduced TF
      mRNA. Both drugs also reduced TNF mRNA, but later, and moreover increased IL
      1beta mRNA. The effect on procoagulant activity of cells and microparticles, as
      measured with calibrated automated thrombography, was delayed and only partial at
      24 h. TNF and IL-1beta inhibition reduced TF mRNA and activity only partially.
      Inhibition of the inflammatory signaling intermediate p38 reduced TF mRNA by one
      third but increased TNF and IL-1beta mRNA. NF-kappaB inhibition reduced, within 1
      h, TF and TNF mRNA but did not change IL-1beta mRNA, and rapidly and markedly
      reduced cell survival, with procoagulant properties still being present. In
      conclusion, although we provide evidence that TNF, IL-1beta, and their signaling
      intermediates have a regulatory function on TF expression by NB4 APL cells, the
      effect of ATRA and ATO on TF can only partially be accounted for by their impact
      on these cytokines.

PMID- 28343274
TI  - Predictive score of haematological toxicity in patients treated with linezolid.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: The aims of our study were to determine the factors associated with
      developing haematological toxicity (HT) in patients taking linezolid (LZD), to
      develop a predictive model of HT in these patients, and to evaluate factors
      associated with 30-day mortality. METHODS: This was an observational
      retrospective cohort study of patients treated for at least 5 days with LDZ in
      2015. Demographic, clinical and analytical data were collected. Development of HT
      was defined as a 25% platelet count decrease between the basal count and the 1
      week lab test. RESULTS: Five hundred forty-nine patients were finally included,
      mean age was 73.3 (SD 15.4) years, and 303 (55.2%) were men. One hundred seventy
      five (30.1%) patients achieved HT criteria during treatment with LZD and 41
      (7.5%) died. The final model included the presence of cerebrovascular disease (2
      points), moderate or severe liver disease (2 points), renal failure (2 points)
      and basal platelet count less than 90,000/mm3 (8 points). This new model showed
      an AUC of 0.711 (IC 95% 0.664-0.757; p < 0.001) to predict the development of HT.
      The probability of HT based on this classification was 6.2, 29.9 and 76.5% for
      low (0-4 points), intermediate (5-10 points) and high risk (>10 points),
      respectively. The independent variables associated with 30-day mortality were
      metastatic solid tumor, lymphoma, age >75 years and HT. CONCLUSION: This score
      could help in the identification of patients with high risk for HT and assess the
      use of an antibiotic other than LZD, an important issue considering its relation
      with 30-day mortality observed in our study.

PMID- 28343275
TI  - Potential toxic elements in stream sediments, soils and waters in an abandoned
      radium mine (central Portugal).
AB  - The Alto da Varzea radium mine (AV) exploited ore and U-bearing minerals, such as
      autunite and torbernite. The mine was exploited underground from 1911 to 1922,
      closed in 1946 without restoration, and actually a commercial area is deployed.
      Stream sediments, soils and water samples were collected between 2008 and 2009.
      Stream sediments are mainly contaminated in As, Th, U and W, which is related to
      the AV radium mine. The PTEs, As, Co, Cr, Sr, Th, U, W, Zn, and electrical
      conductivity reached the highest values in soils collected inside the mine
      influence. Soils are contaminated with As and U and must not be used for any
      purpose. Most waters have pH values ranging from 4.3 to 6.8 and are poorly
      mineralized (EC = 41-186 uS/cm; TDS = 33-172 mg/L). Groundwater contains the
      highest Cu, Cr and Pb contents. Arsenic occurs predominantly as H2(AsO4)- and
      H(AsO4)2-. Waters are saturated in goethite, haematite and some of them also in
      lepidocrocite and ferrihydrite, which adsorbs As (V). Lead is divalent in waters
      collected during the warm season, being mobile in these waters. Thorium occurs
      mainly as Th(OH)3(CO3)-, Th(OH)2(CO3) and Th(OH)2(CO3) 22- , which increase water
      Th contents. Uranium occurs predominantly as UO2CO3, but CaUO2(CO3) 32- and
      CaUO2(CO3)3 also occur, decreasing its mobility in water. The waters are
      contaminated in NO2-, Mn, Cu, As, Pb and U and must not be used for human
      consumption and in agricultural activities. The water contamination is mainly
      associated with the old radium mine and human activities. A restoration of the
      mining area with PTE monitoring is necessary to avoid a public hazard.

PMID- 28343276
TI  - An updated review of cardiac devices in heart failure.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Heart failure has the highest rates of adult hospitalisations, the
      highest mortality rates and significant costs associated with its care. The cost
      of heart failure is expected continue to grow on a global scale, with $108
      billion spent on heart failure in 2012. Mortality rates are high, with incident
      cases of heart failure resulting in 30% 1-year mortality, and in hospital
      mortality of acute heart failure, 28%. METHODS AND RESULTS: This article reviews
      the devices currently in use for the treatment of heart failure, as well as those
      that are under investigation. A review of the mechanism of action of devices, the
      literature supporting their application as therapy, and the cost effectiveness
      associated with their use are discussed. Conventional techniques discussed herein
      include the guideline-supported therapies of mechanical circulatory support (MCS)
      and cardiac resynchronisation therapy (CRT). Novel devices that are discussed
      include invasive physiological monitoring, neuromodulation, percutaneous
      ventricular assist devices (VADs) and cardiac contractility modulation (CCM).
      There has been advancement in mechanical circulatory support devices for the
      treatment of both acute and chronic heart failure. In addition to MCS, only CRT
      has resulted in reduced mortality. CONCLUSION: Due to the clinical and economic
      arguments, treatment of heart failure is said to be the biggest unmet need in
      cardiology today. The data reviewed herein support this statement.

PMID- 28343278
TI  - The Berlin Declaration: building upon St Vincent.

PMID- 28343277
TI  - Pancreatic alpha cell-selective deletion of Tcf7l2 impairs glucagon secretion and
      counter-regulatory responses to hypoglycaemia in mice.
AB  - AIMS/HYPOTHESIS: Transcription factor 7-like 2 (TCF7L2) is a high mobility group
      (HMG) box-containing transcription factor and downstream effector of the Wnt
      signalling pathway. SNPs in the TCF7L2 gene have previously been associated with
      an increased risk of type 2 diabetes in genome-wide association studies. In
      animal studies, loss of Tcf7l2 function is associated with defective islet beta
      cell function and survival. Here, we explore the role of TCF7L2 in the control of
      the counter-regulatory response to hypoglycaemia by generating mice with
      selective deletion of the Tcf7l2 gene in pancreatic alpha cells. METHODS: Alpha
      cell-selective deletion of Tcf7l2 was achieved by crossing mice with floxed
      Tcf7l2 alleles to mice bearing a Cre recombinase transgene driven by the
      preproglucagon promoter (PPGCre), resulting in Tcf7l2AKO mice. Glucose
      homeostasis and hormone secretion in vivo and in vitro, and islet cell mass were
      measured using standard techniques. RESULTS: While glucose tolerance was
      unaffected in Tcf7l2AKO mice, glucose infusion rates were increased (AUC for
      glucose during the first 60 min period of hyperinsulinaemic-hypoglycaemic clamp
      test was increased by 1.98 +/- 0.26-fold [p < 0.05; n = 6] in Tcf7l2AKO mice vs
      wild-type mice) and glucagon secretion tended to be lower (plasma glucagon: 0.40
      +/- 0.03-fold vs wild-type littermate controls [p < 0.01; n = 6]). Tcf7l2AKO mice
      displayed reduced fasted plasma glucose concentration. Glucagon release at low
      glucose was impaired in islets isolated from Tcf7l2AKO mice (0.37 +/- 0.02-fold
      vs islets from wild-type littermate control mice [p < 0.01; n = 6). Alpha cell
      mass was also reduced (72.3 +/- 20.3% [p < 0.05; n = 7) in Tcf7l2AKO mice
      compared with wild-type mice. CONCLUSIONS/INTERPRETATION: The present findings
      demonstrate an alpha cell-autonomous role for Tcf7l2 in the control of pancreatic
      glucagon secretion and the maintenance of alpha cell mass and function.

PMID- 28343279
TI  - The independent influences of heat strain and dehydration upon cognition.
AB  - PURPOSE: Many researchers have addressed the potential effects of hyperthermia
      and dehydration on cognition, often revealing contradictory outcomes. A possible
      reason for this inconsistency is that experiments may have been inadequately
      designed for such effects. In this study, the impact of hyperthermia, dehydration
      and their combination on cognition were evaluated in eight young males, after
      accounting for a range of experimental limitations. METHODS: Passive heating and
      thermal clamping at two mean body temperatures (36.5, 38.5  degrees C) were
      performed under three hydration states (euhydrated, 3 and 5% dehydrated) to
      assess their effects on difficulty-matched working memory and visual perception
      tasks, and on a difficulty manipulated perceptual task. Data were analysed
      according to signal detection theory to isolate changes in response sensitivity,
      bias and speed. RESULTS: Neither moderate hyperthermia (P = 0.141) nor
      dehydration (P > 0.604) modified response sensitivity, nor did they significantly
      interact (P > 0.698). Therefore, the ability to distinguish correct from
      incorrect responses was unaffected. Nevertheless, hyperthermia, but not
      dehydration (P = 0.301), reduced the response bias (-0.08 versus 2.2
      [normothermia]; P = 0.010) and reaction time (mean reduction 49 ms; P < 0.001),
      eliciting more liberal and faster responses (P = 0.010). Response bias was
      reduced for the memory relative to the perceptual task (P = 0.037), and this
      effect was enhanced during hyperthermia (P = 0.031). CONCLUSIONS: These
      observations imply that, once potentially confounding influences were controlled,
      moderate hyperthermia, significant dehydration and their combined effects had
      insufficient impact to impair cognition within the memory and perceptual domains
      tested. Nonetheless, moderate hyperthermia elicited more liberal and rapid
      responses.

PMID- 28343280
TI  - Relationships between work-related factors and musculoskeletal health with
      current and future work ability among male workers.
AB  - PURPOSE: The purpose was to increase job-specific knowledge about individual and
      work-related factors and their relationship with current and future work ability
      (WA). We studied cross-sectional relationships between mental demands, physical
      exertion during work, grip strength, musculoskeletal pain in the upper
      extremities and WA and the relationships between these variables and WA 11 years
      later. METHODS: We used a dataset of a prospective cohort study (1997-2008) among
      employees of an engineering plant (n = 157). The cohort was surveyed by means of
      tests and written questions on work demands, musculoskeletal health, WA score
      (WAS; 0-10), and mental and physical WA. Spearman correlation coefficients and
      logistic regression analysis were used. RESULTS: Among manual workers, we found
      weak correlations between grip strength and current and future physical WA. We
      did not find predictors for future poor WA among the manual workers. Among the
      office workers, we found that musculoskeletal pain was moderately and negatively
      related to current WAS and physical WA. More handgrip strength related to better
      future WAS and physical WA. Musculoskeletal pain (OR 1.67 p < 0.01) and lower
      handgrip strength (OR 0.91 p < 0.05) predicted future poor WA among office
      workers. CONCLUSIONS: Our results showed cross-sectional and longitudinal
      relationships between musculoskeletal health and work ability depending on
      occupation. However, the present implies that predicting work ability in the far
      future based on health surveillance data is rather difficult. Testing the
      musculoskeletal system (grip strength) and asking workers' about their
      musculoskeletal health seems relevant when monitoring work ability.

PMID- 28343282
TI  - Effective chemotherapy of heterogeneous and drug-resistant early colon cancers by
      intermittent dose schedules: a computer simulation study.
AB  - PURPOSE: The effectiveness of cancer chemotherapy is limited by intra-tumor
      heterogeneity, the emergence of spontaneous and induced drug-resistant mutant
      subclones, and the maximum dose to which normal tissues can be exposed without
      adverse side effects. The goal of this project was to determine if intermittent
      schedules of the maximum dose that allows colon crypt maintenance could overcome
      these limitations, specifically by eliminating mixtures of drug-resistant mutants
      from heterogeneous early colon adenomas while maintaining colon crypt function.
      METHODS: A computer model of cell dynamics in human colon crypts was calibrated
      with measurements of human biopsy specimens. The model allowed simulation of
      continuous and intermittent dose schedules of a cytotoxic chemotherapeutic drug,
      as well as the drug's effect on the elimination of mutant cells and the
      maintenance of crypt function. RESULTS: Colon crypts can tolerate a tenfold
      greater intermittent dose than constant dose. This allows elimination of a
      mixture of relatively drug-sensitive and drug-resistant mutant subclones from
      heterogeneous colon crypts. Mutants can be eliminated whether they arise
      spontaneously or are induced by the cytotoxic drug. CONCLUSIONS: An intermittent
      dose, at the maximum that allows colon crypt maintenance, can be effective in
      eliminating a heterogeneous mixture of mutant subclones before they fill the
      crypt and form an adenoma.

PMID- 28343281
TI  - Using Patterns of Genetic Association to Elucidate Shared Genetic Etiologies
      Across Psychiatric Disorders.
AB  - Twin studies indicate that latent genetic factors overlap across comorbid
      psychiatric disorders. In this study, we used a novel approach to elucidate
      shared genetic factors across psychiatric outcomes by clustering single
      nucleotide polymorphisms based on their genome-wide association patterns. We
      applied latent profile analysis (LPA) to p-values resulting from genome-wide
      association studies across three phenotypes: symptom counts of alcohol dependence
      (AD), antisocial personality disorder (ASP), and major depression (MD), using the
      European-American case-control genome-wide association study subsample of the
      collaborative study on the genetics of alcoholism (N = 1399). In the 3-class
      model, classes were characterized by overall low associations (85.6% of SNPs),
      relatively stronger association only with MD (6.8%), and stronger associations
      with AD and ASP but not with MD (7.6%), respectively. These results parallel the
      genetic factor structure identified in twin studies. The findings suggest that
      applying LPA to association results across multiple disorders may be a promising
      approach to identify the specific genetic etiologies underlying shared genetic
      variance.

PMID- 28343283
TI  - The Types of Trust Involved in American Muslim Healthcare Decisions: An
      Exploratory Qualitative Study.
AB  - Trust in physicians and the healthcare system underlies some disparities noted
      among minority populations, yet a descriptive typology of different types of
      trust informing healthcare decisions among minority populations is limited. Using
      data from 13 focus groups with 102 American Muslims, we identified the types and
      influence of trust in healthcare decision-making. Participants conveyed four
      types of trust implicating their health-seeking behaviors-(I) trust in allopathic
      medicine, (II) trust in God, (III) trust in personal relationships, and (IV)
      trust in self. Healthcare disparity research can benefit from assessing how these
      types of trust are associated with health outcomes among minority populations so
      as to inform intervention programs that seek to enhance trust as a means to
      improve community health.

PMID- 28343284
TI  - The Relationship of Religious Comfort and Struggle with Anxiety and Satisfaction
      with Life in Roman Catholic Polish Men: The Moderating Effect of Sexual
      Orientation.
AB  - The aim of the research was to analyze the relationships of religious comfort and
      struggle with state anxiety and satisfaction with life in homosexual and
      heterosexual samples of men. A hundred and eight men aged between 18 and 43
      participated in the research in total, 54 declared themselves as homosexual and
      54 as heterosexual. The Religious Comfort and Strain Scale, the State-Trait
      Anxiety Inventory and the Satisfaction with Life Scale were applied to the
      research. The results of hierarchical multiple regression analyses revealed that
      sexual orientation moderated the relationships of religious comfort and struggle
      with state anxiety and satisfaction with life. The highest state anxiety was
      observed in homosexual participants with high negative social interactions
      surrounding religion scores. Negative religious social interactions with fellow
      congregants and religious leaders, including disapproval and criticism, create
      anxiety among homosexual people. It seems that homosexual participants are
      engaged in a trade-off between valued and necessary religious engagement and the
      harassment and persecution they may be forced to endure in order to access that
      engagement.

PMID- 28343285
TI  - The Prevalence and Antecedents of Religious Beliefs About Health Control in the
      US Population: Variations by Race and Religious Background.
AB  - The ways in which religious beliefs influence beliefs about health have important
      implications for motivation to engage in positive health behaviors and comply
      with medical treatment. This study examines the prevalence of two health-related
      religious beliefs: belief in healing miracles and deferral of responsibility for
      health outcomes to God. Data came from a representative nationwide US survey of
      religion and health (N = 3010). Full-factorial ANOVA indicated that there were
      significant differences in both dimensions of belief by race, by religious
      background, and by the interaction between the two. Black people believed
      religion played the largest role in health regardless of religious background.
      Among White and Hispanic groups, Evangelical Protestants placed more
      responsibility for their health on God in comparison with other religious groups.
      ANCOVA controlling for background factors socioeconomic status, health, and
      religious involvement partially explained these group differences.

PMID- 28343286
TI  - A mimic of sexually-motivated homicide: insect stings and heat exhaustion in a
      forest.
AB  - We report the case a woman who was found dead in a forest. The body was nude and
      the position of the body suggested a sexually motivated homicide. We concluded
      that death was not related to homicide, but was related to the conjunction of
      environmental factors, including insect stings, and acute psychosis. A
      medicolegal death investigation with postmortem examination was undertaken to
      determine cause of death. At the scene, the body was supine with legs spread
      apart and the knees flexed, exposing the external genitalia. There were multiple
      apparent bruises on the body and neck. At autopsy, based on macroscopic and
      microscopic examination, the apparent bruises were found to be hemorrhagic insect
      bites. No significant injuries were present and no semen was found. Death
      appeared to be related to heat exhaustion and innumerable insect stings.
      Investigation of the medical history revealed longstanding schizoaffective
      disorder with episodic psychotic decompensations. In the past, during an acute
      psychotic episode the decedent removed her clothing and ran wildly in a forest,
      until she was rescued in a state of exhaustion and marked agitation, and taken to
      hospital for treatment. We concluded that the same circumstances had been
      repeated but with a fatal outcome. This case is an example of a mimic of sexually
      motivated homicide and is a reminder to forensic pathologists to avoid tunnel
      vision. We need to be skeptical of the allure of common sense based on first
      impressions of the scene and the body. Forensic pathologists must be unafraid to
      scientifically explore improbable, but true, alternate explanations.

PMID- 28343287
TI  - Catabolic effects of FGF-1 on chondrocytes and its possible role in
      osteoarthritis.
AB  - Fibroblast growth factor 1 (FGF-1) is a classical member of the FGF family and is
      produced by chondrocytes cultured from osteoarthritic patients. Also, this growth
      factor was shown to bind to CCN family protein 2 (CCN2), which regenerates
      damaged articular cartilage and counteracts osteoarthritis (OA) in an animal
      model. However, the pathophysiological role of FGF-1 in cartilage has not been
      well investigated. In this study, we evaluated the effects of FGF-1 in vitro and
      its production in vivo by use of an OA model. Treatment of human chondrocytic
      cells with FGF-1 resulted in marked repression of genes for cartilaginous
      extracellular matrix components, whereas it strongly induced matrix
      metalloproteinase 13 (MMP-13), representing its catabolic effects on cartilage.
      Interestingly, expression of the CCN2 gene was dramatically repressed by FGF-1,
      which repression eventually caused the reduced production of CCN2 protein from
      the chondrocytic cells. The results of a reporter gene assay revealed that this
      repression could be ascribed, at least in part, to transcriptional regulation. In
      contrast, the gene expression of FGF-1 was enhanced by exogenous FGF-1,
      indicating a positive feedback system in these cells. Of note, induction of FGF-1
      was observed in the articular cartilage of a rat OA model. These results
      collectively indicate a pathological role of FGF-1 in OA development, which
      includes an insufficient cartilage regeneration response caused by CCN2 down
      regulation.

PMID- 28343289
TI  - The effect of mucin, fibrinogen and IgG on the corrosion behaviour of Ni-Ti alloy
      and stainless steel.
AB  - In this study, Ni-Ti alloy and stainless steal were exposed to artificial saliva
      containing fibrinogen, IgG or mucin, and the resultant corrosion behavior was
      studied. The purpose was to determine the mechanisms by which different types of
      protein contribute to corrosion. The effect of different proteins on the
      electrochemical resistance of Ni-Ti and SS was tested by potentiodynamic
      polarization, and the repair capacity of passivation film was tested by cyclic
      polarization measurements. The dissolved corrosion products were determined by
      ICP-OES, and the surface was analyzed by SEM and AFM. The results showed
      fibrinogen, IgG or mucin could have different influences on the susceptibility to
      corrosion of the same alloy. Adding protein lead to the decrease of corrosion
      resistance of SS, whereas protein could slow down the corrosion process of Ni-Ti.
      For Ni-Ti, adding mucin could enhance the corrosion stability and repair capacity
      of passivation film. The susceptibility to pitting corrosion of Ni-Ti and
      stainless steal in fibrinogen AS is not as high as mucin and IgG AS. There are
      different patterns of deposition formation on the metal surface by different
      types of protein, which is associated with their effects on the corrosion process
      of the alloys.

PMID- 28343288
TI  - Associations Between Household Secondhand Smoke Exposure and Health Problems
      Among Non-Smoking Adolescents in the Republic of Korea.
AB  - This study examined the association between household secondhand smoke exposure
      (HSHSE) and health status among non-smoking adolescents in Korea using two
      subsamples obtained from nationally representative cross-sectional secondary
      data: males (n = 25,653) and females (n = 31,187). Two self-reported HSHSE
      measures included exposure to household secondhand smoke during the week before
      the survey (yes or no) and number of days of HSHSE (1-7 days); and five self
      reported health problems included asthma, perceived stress, depression, suicidal
      ideation, and self-rated health. For each subsample, this study performed (1)
      multivariate logistic regressions to examine HSHSE effects on asthma, depression,
      and suicidal ideation; and (2) multiple linear regressions to examine HSHSE
      effects on perceived stress and self-rated health. The rate and number of days of
      HSHSE were significantly higher among females (30.1% and 3.4 days) than among
      males (25.9% and 3.1 days). In both subsamples, HSHSE was associated with all
      five health problems (ORs 1.15-1.32; betas: 0.04-0.14). An increase in the number
      of days of HSHSE was positively associated with (1) greater perceived stress and
      poorer self-rated health in both subsamples (betas: 0.01-0.04), and (2) greater
      odds of asthma, depression, and suicidal ideation in the female subsample (ORs
      1.03-1.12). Given the findings related to the strong associations (1) between
      HSHSE and physical, mental, and general health problems; and (2) between days of
      HSHSE and a greater number of health problems in females, health professionals
      should actively implement interventions that encourage adult smokers to stop
      smoking in their homes.

PMID- 28343290
TI  - Muscle Injury After Intramuscular Administration of Diclofenac: A Case Report
      Supported by Magnetic Resonance Imaging.
AB  - Intramuscular injection of diclofenac is still frequently practiced, although
      there is ample evidence that the risk of local tissue intolerability is highly
      underestimated. The aim of this study was to evaluate local toxicity in a patient
      using magnetic resonance imaging. A patient who gave written informed consent
      received a medically indicated intramuscular administration of diclofenac 75 mg/2
      mL. Simultaneously with magnetic resonance imaging of the depot, a clinical
      chemical evaluation and quantification of diclofenac in plasma was performed. A
      manifold enhancement of the T2-weighted magnetic resonance signal was observed in
      a muscle area of approximately 60 mL volume, with maximum signal intensity 30 min
      after injection, the time of maximum diclofenac plasma exposure. Plasma creatine
      kinase activity was elevated approximately sixfold within 8 h and normalized
      within 1 week, whereas the magnetic resonance enhancement disappeared within 5
      weeks. Interestingly, the patient did not complain about any clinical symptoms at
      the injection site. Asymptomatic tissue injury after intramuscular injection of
      diclofenac, caused by intramuscular dosing, can be reliably evaluated by magnetic
      resonance imaging and should be applied early during the development of
      parenteral dosage forms. Clinical Trials Registration Number: BB130/16 (Ethics
      Committee of the University Medicine Greifswald).

PMID- 28343291
TI  - Intercalary frozen autograft for reconstruction of malignant bone and soft tissue
      tumours.
AB  - PURPOSE: In 1999, we developed a technique using frozen autografts-tumour
      containing bone treated with liquid nitrogen-for the reconstruction of malignant
      bone tumours. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the functional and
      oncological outcomes of frozen autografts for intercalary reconstruction of
      malignant bones and soft tissue tumours. METHODS: This retrospective study was
      designed to assess 34 patients of mean age 35 (range, 6-79) years. The mean
      follow-up period was 62 (24-214) months. The median length of the frozen
      autografts was 138.4 +/- 60.39 (50-290) mm. RESULTS: Postsurgically, 20 patients
      remained disease-free, seven patients survived with no evidence of disease, five
      patients were alive with disease, and two patients died of disease. The five- and
      ten-year survival rates of the frozen autografts were 91.2% and the mean
      International Society of Limb Salvage score was 90%. Complete bony union was
      achieved in 97% of the patients. There were five cases of nonunion, six cases of
      fracture, two cases of deep infection and four cases of local recurrence.
      CONCLUSION: Utilizing intercalary frozen autografts for patients with a
      nonosteolytic primary or secondary bone tumour without involvement of the
      subchondral bone is a good alternative treatment, because it is a straightforward
      biological technique and can provide excellent limb function.

PMID- 28343292
TI  - Psychometric Validation of the Heart Failure Caregiver Questionnaire (HF-CQ(r)).
AB  - BACKGROUND: The Heart Failure Caregiver Questionnaire (HF-CQ(r)) was developed to
      assess subjective outcomes of heart failure caregivers. The HF-CQ(r) comprises 21
      questions on three domains, namely physical, emotional/psychological and
      lifestyle. The objective of this study was to evaluate the psychometric
      properties of the HF-CQ(r). METHODS: Patients (n = 150) with heart failure and
      their primary caregivers (n = 150) were recruited from 11 sites in USA.
      Caregivers completed the HF-CQ(r) and additional questionnaires, namely Caregiver
      Reaction Assessment, Work Productivity and Activity Impairment questionnaire,
      EuroQol-5 domain, and the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale. Patient
      completed Global Impression of Severity, construct validity, concurrent validity,
      reliability and responsiveness of the HF-CQ(r) were also assessed. RESULTS: In
      the physical and lifestyle domains, all items showed acceptable validity. No high
      correlations between HF-CQ(r) scores and other caregiver-completed instruments,
      including the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale, Work Productivity and
      Activity Impairment questionnaire, EuroQol-5 domain or Caregiver Reaction
      Assessment, were reported. The intra-class correlation coefficient exceeded the
      threshold for reliability (>0.7) across the physical well-being (0.785),
      emotional/psychological (0.797), lifestyle (0.787) and total scores (0.850),
      indicating acceptable reliability. Internal consistency results using Cronbach's
      alpha showed the total aggregate score of 0.942 to be reliable. In the
      responsiveness analyses, each of the three scales and the total score showed
      responsiveness to changes defined by the Caregiver Global Impression of Severity.
      The overall caregiver burden score increased with increased severity of illness
      in the cared-for patients. CONCLUSIONS: The study provides initial evidence for
      the acceptable validity of the HF-CQ(r) as an instrument to measure heart failure
      caregiver burden.

PMID- 28343293
TI  - Pharmacokinetic and Pharmacodynamic Considerations in the Treatment of Chronic
      Lymphocytic Leukemia: Ibrutinib, Idelalisib, and Venetoclax.
AB  - Management of chronic lymphocytic leukemia has changed markedly over the last
      several years with the emergence of several novel oral agents targeting B-cell
      receptor and Bcl-2 signaling pathways. For patients requiring treatment,
      ibrutinib, idelalisib, and venetoclax offer unique clinical benefits with a
      different set of therapeutic considerations compared with traditional parenteral
      therapy. Despite the conveniences afforded by oral therapy, these agents also
      carry unique logistical obstacles. Drug interactions with agents that are
      metabolized via the cytochrome P450 3A4 pathway are possible with all three
      agents. Unique treatment-related adverse events including bleeding and atrial
      fibrillation with ibrutinib, hepatotoxicity with idelalisib, and tumor lysis
      syndrome with venetoclax can be severe and dose limiting. Furthermore, dose
      adjustments for organ dysfunction may also be warranted. Here, we review the
      available literature on the pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic properties of
      these novel agents to guide the reader in the appropriate use of ibrutinib,
      idelalisib, and venetoclax.

PMID- 28343294
TI  - Neuroprotective Role of Exogenous Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor in Hypoxia
      Hypoglycemia-Induced Hippocampal Neuron Injury via Regulating Trkb/MiR134
      Signaling.
AB  - Hypoxic-ischemic brain injury is an important cause of neonatal mortality and
      morbidity. Brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) has been reported to play a
      neuroprotective role in hypoxic-ischemic brain injury; however, the specific
      effects and mechanism of BDNF on hypoxic-hypoglycemic hippocampal neuron injury
      remains unknown. The current study investigated the action of BDNF in regulating
      cerebral hypoxic-ischemic injury by simulating hippocampal neuron ischemia and
      hypoxia. We found that BDNF, p-Trkb, and miR-134 expression levels decreased, and
      that exogenous BDNF increased survival and reduced apoptosis in hypoxic
      hypoglycemic hippocampal neurons. The results also show that BDNF inhibits MiR
      134 expression by activating the TrkB pathway. Transfection with TrkB siRNA and
      pre-miR-134 abrogated the neuroprotective role of BDNF in hypoxic-hypoglycemic
      hippocampal neurons. Our results suggest that exogenous BDNF alleviates hypoxic
      ischemic brain injury through the Trkb/MiR-134 pathway. These findings may help
      to identify a potential therapeutic agent for the treatment of hypoxic-ischemic
      brain injury.

PMID- 28343295
TI  - Identification of Sphingosine 1-Phosphate Receptor Subtype 1 (S1P1) as a
      Pathogenic Factor in Transient Focal Cerebral Ischemia.
AB  - Medically relevant roles of receptor-mediated sphingosine 1-phosphate (S1P)
      signaling have become a successful or promising target for multiple sclerosis or
      cerebral ischemia. Animal-based proof-of-concept validation for the latter is
      particularly through the neuroprotective efficacy of FTY720, a non-selective S1P
      receptor modulator, presumably via activation of S1P1. In spite of a clear link
      between S1P signaling and cerebral ischemia, it remains unknown whether the role
      of S1P1 is pathogenic or neuroprotective. Here, we investigated the involvement
      of S1P1 along with its role in cerebral ischemia using a transient middle
      cerebral artery occlusion ("tMCAO") model. Brain damage following tMCAO, as
      assessed by brain infarction, neurological deficit score, and neural cell death,
      was reduced by oral administration of AUY954, a selective S1P1 modulator as a
      functional antagonist, in a therapeutic paradigm, indicating that S1P1 is a
      pathogenic mediator rather than a neuroprotective mediator. This pathogenic role
      of S1P1 in cerebral ischemia was reaffirmed because tMCAO-induced brain damage
      was reduced by genetic knockdown with an intracerebroventricular microinjection
      of S1P1 shRNA lentivirus into the brain. Genetic knockdown of S1P1 or AUY954
      exposure reduced microglial activation, as assessed by reduction in the number of
      activated microglia and reversed morphology from amoeboid to ramified, and
      microglial proliferation in ischemic brain. Its role in microglial activation was
      recapitulated in lipopolysaccharide-stimulated primary mouse microglia, in which
      the mRNA expression level of TNF-alpha and IL-1beta, well-known markers for
      microglial activation, was reduced in microglia transfected with S1P1 siRNA.
      These data suggest that the pathogenic role of S1P1 is associated with microglial
      activation in ischemic brain. Additionally, the pathogenic role of S1P1 in
      cerebral ischemia appears to be associated with the blood-brain barrier
      disruption and brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) downregulation. Overall,
      findings from the current study clearly identify S1P1 signaling as a pathogenic
      factor in transient focal cerebral ischemia, further implicating S1P1 antagonists
      including functional antagonists as plausible therapeutic agents for human
      stroke.

PMID- 28343296
TI  - Ibuprofen Protects from Cypermethrin-Induced Changes in the Striatal Dendritic
      Length and Spine Density.
AB  - Microgliosis and inflammation are major wrongdoers in cypermethrin-induced
      Parkinsonism along with oxidative stress, mitochondrial dysfunction and alpha
      synuclein aggregation. Dopamine depletion could alter dendritic morphology,
      length and spine number in the striatum. Present study investigated the effect of
      ibuprofen on the dendritic morphology, length and spine density in cypermethrin
      PD model. Male pups were treated intraperitoneally with cypermethrin during
      postnatal days followed by adulthood to induce Parkinsonism using standard
      procedure along with controls. Subsets of animals were pre-treated with ibuprofen
      2 h prior to cypermethrin treatment during adulthood. Standard methods were used
      to confirm Parkinsonism/neuroprotection. Striatal dendritic morphology, length,
      spine number and expression of synaptophysin and postsynaptic density protein-95
      (PSD-95) along with the nigrostriatal pro-inflammatory and apoptotic proteins
      were measured. Cypermethrin induced Parkinsonian traits and attenuated the
      dendritic length, spine number and expression of synaptophysin and PSD-95. While
      cypermethrin increased the expression of interleukin-1beta, interleukin-4,
      interferon-gamma, inducible nitric oxide synthase, caspase-3, caspase-9 and B
      cell lymphoma (Bcl)-xl proteins, it attenuated Bcl-2 expression. Ibuprofen
      normalized the changes in dendritic morphology, length, spine number and
      expression of synaptophysin, PSD-95, and pro-inflammatory and apoptotic proteins.
      Results demonstrate that cypermethrin induces inflammation and alters dendritic
      morphology, length and spine number, which are encountered by ibuprofen.

PMID- 28343297
TI  - Association of the CX3CR1-V249I Variant with Neurofibrillary Pathology
      Progression in Late-Onset Alzheimer's Disease.
AB  - Neuroinflammation and microglial dysfunction have a prominent role in the
      pathogenesis of late-onset Alzheimer's disease (LOAD). CX3CR1 is a microglia
      specific gene involved in microglia-neuron crosstalk and neuroinflammation.
      Numerous evidence show the involvement of CX3CR1 in AD. The aim of this study was
      to investigate if some functional genetic variants of this gene could influence
      on LOAD's outcome, in a neuropathologically confirmed Spanish cohort. We designed
      an open, pragmatic, case-control retrospective study including a total of 475
      subjects (205 pathologically confirmed AD cases and 270 controls). We analyzed
      the association of the two CX3CR1 functional variants (V249I, rs3732379; and
      T280M, rs3732378) with neurofibrillary pathology progression rate according to
      Braak's staging system, age at onset (AAO), survival time, and risk of suffering
      LOAD. We found that individuals heterozygous for CX3CR1-V249I presented a lower
      neurofibrillary pathology stage at death (OR = 0.42, 95%CI [0.23, 0.74], p =
      0.003, adj-p = 0.013) than the other genotypes. Eighty percent of the subjects
      homozygous for 249I had higher neurofibrillary pathology progression (Braak's
      stage VI). Moreover, homozygosis for 280M and 249I could be associated with a
      higher AAO in the subgroups of AD with Lewy bodies and without Lewy bodies. These
      CX3CR1 genetic variants could represent new modifying factors of pathology
      progression and age at onset in LOAD. These results provide further evidence of
      the involvement of CX3CR1 pathway and microglia/macrophages in the pathogenesis
      of LOAD.

PMID- 28343298
TI  - Thiazide increases serum calcium in anuric patients: the role of parathyroid
      hormone.
AB  - : We evaluated the effect of hydrochlorothiazide in a sample of anuric patients
      on hemodialysis and found an increase in serum calcium, which occurred only in
      those with parathyroid hormone >300 pg/ml. This finding highlights the extra
      renal effect of this diuretic and a possible role of parathyroid hormone in the
      mechanism. PURPOSE: Thiazide diuretics are commonly used in patients with chronic
      kidney disease to treat hypertension. Their effects on calcium and bone
      metabolism are not well established, once calciuria may not fully explain levels
      of calcium and parathyroid hormone (PTH) in this population. A previous study has
      suggested that thiazides require the presence of PTH as a permissive condition
      for its renal action. In anuric patients, however, the role of PTH, if any, in
      the thiazide effect is unknown. METHODS: To assess thiazide extra renal effect on
      serum calcium and whether such an effect is reliant on PTH, hydrochlorothiazide
      (HCTZ) 100 mg was given orally once a day to a sample of 19 anuric patients on
      hemodialysis for 2 weeks. Laboratories' analyses were obtained in three phases:
      baseline, after diuretic use, and after a 2-week washout phase. RESULTS: We
      demonstrated that serum calcium (Ca) increased in ten patients (52.6%) after HCTZ
      use, returning to previous levels after the washout period. Out of the 19
      patients, ten presented PTH >= 300 pg/ml, and Ca has increased in eight of them,
      whereas in the other nine patients with PTH < 300 pg/ml, serum Ca has increased
      only in two individuals (RR risk of increase Ca 3.9; p = 0.012). CONCLUSIONS:
      HCTZ was capable of increasing serum Ca in a sample of anuric patients on
      hemodialysis and seems this effect is highly dependent on PTH levels. Caution is
      required while interpreting this result, as the small sample size might implicate
      in a finding caused by chance.

PMID- 28343300
TI  - Conversion rates of abstracts presented at the Canadian Rheumatology Association
      Annual Meetings into full-text journal articles.
AB  - Dissemination of research studies is important for research ideas to be
      transformed from initial abstracts to full publications. Analyses of the
      scientific impact and publication record of the Canadian Rheumatology Association
      (CRA) Annual meeting have not been previously described. This study determines
      the publication rate of abstracts presented at the CRA Annual Meetings 2005-2013
      to full-text journal articles and the factors associated with publication.
      Program records of previous CRA meetings from 2005 to 2013 were obtained.
      Abstracts were searched for corresponding full-text publication in Google Scholar
      and PubMed using a search algorithm. Abstracts and subsequent published articles
      were evaluated for type of abstract, time to publication, study type, publishing
      journal, and journal impact factor. A total of 1401 abstracts were included in
      the study, 567 of which were converted to full publications. The average time to
      publication was 19.7 months, with 89% of abstracts published within 3 years of
      being presented. Eighty-three percent of abstracts were clinical in nature, and
      58% of published studies were observational in design. Articles were published in
      a wide range of journals, with the top publisher being the Journal of
      Rheumatology (31%). Average time to publication was 19.7 months. Eighty-six
      percent of articles had a Journal Impact Factor > 2. Overall, 40.5% of abstracts
      presented at the CRA Annual Meetings 2005-2013 were published. Further research
      is needed to determine barriers and reasons for abstracts not being published as
      full-text articles.

PMID- 28343299
TI  - The role of LINE-1 methylation in predicting survival among colorectal cancer
      patients: a meta-analysis.
AB  - BACKGROUND: The prognostic value of long interspersed nucleotide element-1 (LINE
      1) methylation in patients with colorectal cancer (CRC) remains uncertain. We
      have therefore performed a meta-analysis to elucidate this issue. METHODS: The
      PubMed and Web of Science databases were searched for studies published up to 30
      June 2016 which reported on an association between LINE-1 methylation and overall
      survival (OS), disease-free survival (DFS), or cancer-specific survival (CSS)
      among CRC patients. The reference lists of the identified studies were also
      analyzed to identify additional eligible studies. Hazard ratios (HRs) with 95%
      confidence intervals (CIs) were pooled using the fixed-effects or the random
      effects model. Stratification analysis and meta-regression analysis were
      performed to detect the source of heterogeneity. Analyses of sensitivity and
      publication bias were also carried out. RESULTS: Thirteen independent studies
      involving 3620 CRC patients were recruited to the meta-analysis. LINE-1
      hypomethylation was found to be significantly associated with shorter OS (HR
      2.92, 95% CI 2.20-3.88, p < 0.001) and DFS (HR 2.18, 95% CI 1.46-3.27, p <
      0.001), as well as unfavorable CSS (HR 1.96, 95% CI 1.35-2.85, p < 0.001). No
      heterogeneity was found among the studies evaluating the associations between
      LINE-1 hypomethylation and OS or DFS, with the exception being CSS. Moreover,
      meta-regression analysis suggested that one of the contributors to between-study
      heterogeneity on the association between LINE-1 methylation and CSS was
      statistical methodology. The subgroup analysis suggested that the association in
      studies using the Cox model statistical method (HR 2.76, 95% CI 1.90-4.01, p <
      0.001) was stronger than that in studies using the Log-rank test (HR 1.41, 95% CI
      1.07-1.87, p = 0.015). CONCLUSIONS: The results of this meta-analysis suggest
      that LINE-1 methylation is significantly associated with the survival of CRC
      patients and that it could be a predictive factor for CRC prognosis.

PMID- 28343301
TI  - Comparison of optical see-through head-mounted displays for surgical
      interventions with object-anchored 2D-display.
AB  - PURPOSE: Optical see-through head-mounted displays (OST-HMD) feature an
      unhindered and instantaneous view of the surgery site and can enable a mixed
      reality experience for surgeons during procedures. In this paper, we present a
      systematic approach to identify the criteria for evaluation of OST-HMD
      technologies for specific clinical scenarios, which benefit from using an object
      anchored 2D-display visualizing medical information. METHODS: Criteria for
      evaluating the performance of OST-HMDs for visualization of medical information
      and its usage are identified and proposed. These include text readability,
      contrast perception, task load, frame rate, and system lag. We choose to compare
      three commercially available OST-HMDs, which are representatives of currently
      available head-mounted display technologies. A multi-user study and an offline
      experiment are conducted to evaluate their performance. RESULTS: Statistical
      analysis demonstrates that Microsoft HoloLens performs best among the three
      tested OST-HMDs, in terms of contrast perception, task load, and frame rate,
      while ODG R-7 offers similar text readability. The integration of indoor
      localization and fiducial tracking on the HoloLens provides significantly less
      system lag in a relatively motionless scenario. CONCLUSIONS: With ever more OST
      HMDs appearing on the market, the proposed criteria could be used in the
      evaluation of their suitability for mixed reality surgical intervention.
      Currently, Microsoft HoloLens may be more suitable than ODG R-7 and Epson Moverio
      BT-200 for clinical usability in terms of the evaluated criteria. To the best of
      our knowledge, this is the first paper that presents a methodology and conducts
      experiments to evaluate and compare OST-HMDs for their use as object-anchored 2D
      display during interventions.

PMID- 28343302
TI  - Force-assisted ultrasound imaging system through dual force sensing and
      admittance robot control.
AB  - PURPOSE: Ultrasound imaging has been a gold standard for clinical diagnoses due
      to its unique advantages compared to other imaging modalities including: low
      cost, noninvasiveness, and safeness to the human body. However, the ultrasound
      scanning process requires applying a large force over extended periods of time,
      often in uncomfortable postures in order to maintain the desired orientation.
      This physical requirement over sonographers' careers often leads to
      musculoskeletal pain and strain injuries. METHODS: To address this problem, we
      propose a cooperatively controlled robotic ultrasound system to reduce the force
      sonographers apply. The proposed system consists of two key components: a six
      axis robotic arm that holds and actuates the ultrasound probe, and a dual force
      sensor setup that enables cooperative control and adaptive force assistance. With
      the admittance force control, the robotic arm complies with the motion of the
      operator, while assisting with force during the scanning. RESULTS: We validated
      the system through a user study involving expert sonographers and lay people and
      demonstrated 32-73% reduction in human applied force and 8- 18% improvement in
      image stability. CONCLUSION: These results indicate that the system has the
      potential to not only reduce the burden on the sonographer, but also provide more
      stable ultrasound scanning.

PMID- 28343303
TI  - Can real-time RGBD enhance intraoperative Cone-Beam CT?
AB  - PURPOSE: Cone-Beam Computed Tomography (CBCT) is an important 3D imaging
      technology for orthopedic, trauma, radiotherapy guidance, angiography, and dental
      applications. The major limitation of CBCT is the poor image quality due to
      scattered radiation, truncation, and patient movement. In this work, we propose
      to incorporate information from a co-registered Red-Green-Blue-Depth (RGBD)
      sensor attached near the detector plane of the C-arm to improve the
      reconstruction quality, as well as correcting for undesired rigid patient
      movement. METHODS: Calibration of the RGBD and C-arm imaging devices is performed
      in two steps: (i) calibration of the RGBD sensor and the X-ray source using a
      multimodal checkerboard pattern, and (ii) calibration of the RGBD surface
      reconstruction to the CBCT volume. The patient surface is acquired during the
      CBCT scan and then used as prior information for the reconstruction using Maximum
      Likelihood Expectation-Maximization. An RGBD-based simultaneous localization and
      mapping method is utilized to estimate the rigid patient movement during
      scanning. RESULTS: Performance is quantified and demonstrated using artificial
      data and bone phantoms with and without metal implants. Finally, we present
      movement-corrected CBCT reconstructions based on RGBD data on an animal specimen,
      where the average voxel intensity difference reduces from 0.157 without
      correction to 0.022 with correction. CONCLUSION: This work investigated the
      advantages of a C-arm X-ray imaging system used with an attached RGBD sensor. The
      experiments show the benefits of the opto/X-ray imaging system in: (i) improving
      the quality of reconstruction by incorporating the surface information of the
      patient, reducing the streak artifacts as well as the number of required
      projections, and (ii) recovering the scanning trajectory for the reconstruction
      in the presence of undesired patient rigid movement.

PMID- 28343304
TI  - Geometry calibration between X-ray source and detector for tomosynthesis with a
      portable X-ray system.
AB  - PURPOSE: Tomosynthesis is attracting attention as a low-dose tomography
      technology compared with X-ray CT. However, conventional tomosynthesis imaging
      devices are large and stationary. Furthermore, there is a limitation in the
      working range of the X-ray source during image acquisition. We have previously
      proposed the use of a portable X-ray device for tomosynthesis that can be used
      for ward rounds and emergency medicine. The weight of this device can be reduced
      by using a flat panel detector (FPD), and flexibility is realized by the free
      placement of the X-ray source and FPD. Tomosynthesis using a portable X-ray
      device requires calibration of the geometry between the X-ray source and detector
      at each image acquisition. We propose a method for geometry calibration and
      demonstrate tomosynthesis image reconstruction by this method. METHODS: An image
      processing-based calibration method using an asymmetric and multilayered
      calibration object (AMCO) is presented. Since the AMCO is always attached to the
      X-ray source housing for geometry calibration, the additional setting of a
      calibration object or marker around or on the patients is not required. The
      AMCO's multilayer structure improves the calibration accuracy, especially in the
      out-of-plane direction. RESULTS: Two experiments were conducted. The first was
      performed to evaluate the calibration accuracy using an XY positioning stage and
      a gonio stage. As a result, an accuracy of approximately 1 mm was achieved both
      in the in-plane and out-of-plane directions. An angular accuracy of approximately
      [Formula: see text] was confirmed. The second experiment was conducted to
      evaluate the reconstructed image using a foot model phantom. Only the sagittal
      plane could be clearly observed with the proposed method. CONCLUSION: We proposed
      a tomosynthesis imaging system using a portable X-ray device. From the
      experimental results, the proposed method could provide sufficient calibration
      accuracy and a clear sagittal plane of the reconstructed tomosynthesis image.

PMID- 28343305
TI  - Clinicopathologic and genetic features of primary bronchopulmonary mucoepidermoid
      carcinoma: the MD Anderson Cancer Center experience and comprehensive review of
      the literature.
AB  - Primary bronchopulmonary mucoepidermoid carcinoma (BPMEC) is a rare tumor. The
      fusion protein MECT1-MAML2 has been implicated as a causative genetic event in
      salivary and BPMECs. Several studies have shown the impact of MECT1-MAML2 on the
      diagnosis and prognosis of salivary gland mucoepidermoid carcinoma; however, few
      studies have been published regarding MECT1-MAML2 in the context of primary
      BPMEC. We describe the clinicopathologic, genetic, and outcome data of 16
      patients with BPMEC. Clinicopathologic features were recorded from the electronic
      medical records. All tumors were reviewed by two expert pulmonary pathologists
      and graded according to previously established criteria. The presence of MECT1
      MAML2 was evaluated with reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction using
      RNA extracted from formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded tumor tissue. Patients
      included 9 women and 7 men with a median age of 50 years (range, 7 to 82 years).
      Tumors exhibited low (n = 14, 88%), and high (n = 2, 12%) grade histologic
      features. Eight of nine tested tumors (89%) were positive for MECT1-MAML2. The
      median follow-up time was 40.8 months (range, 1.8-120). Median overall survival
      for patients with high-grade tumors was 12 months, which was significantly (p =
      0.002) shorter than that for patients with low-grade tumors (survival undefined).
      We also provide a comprehensive review of literature of cases of primary
      bronchopulmonary mucoepidermoid carcinoma and summarize our findings in this
      context. MECT1-MAML2 fusion transcript is a driver genetic event in the
      pathogenesis of primary BPMEC. Histologic grade continues to play a pivotal role
      in the survival of patients with primary bronchopulmonary mucoepidermoid
      carcinoma.

PMID- 28343306
TI  - The ins and outs of molecular pathology reporting.
AB  - The raid evolution in molecular pathology resulting in an increasing complexity
      requires careful reporting. The need for standardisation is clearer than ever.
      While synoptic reporting was first used for reporting hereditary genetic
      diseases, it is becoming more frequent in pathology, especially molecular
      pathology reports too. The narrative approach is no longer feasible with the
      growing amount of essential data present on the report, although narrative
      components are still necessary for interpretation in molecular pathology. On the
      way towards standardisation of reports, guidelines can be a helpful tool. There
      are several guidelines that focus on reporting in the field of hereditary
      diseases, but it is not always feasible to extrapolate these to the reporting of
      somatic variants in molecular pathology. The rise of multi-gene testing causes
      challenges for the laboratories. In order to provide a continuous optimisation of
      the laboratory testing process, including reporting, external quality assessment
      is essential and has already proven to improve the quality of reports. In
      general, a clear and concise report for molecular pathology can be created by
      including elements deemed important by different guidelines, adapting the report
      to the process flows of the laboratory and integrating the report with the
      laboratory information management system and the patient record.

PMID- 28343307
TI  - Modular organization of muscle activity patterns in the leading and trailing
      limbs during obstacle clearance in healthy adults.
AB  - Human locomotor patterns require precise adjustments to successfully navigate
      complex environments. Studies suggest that the central nervous system may control
      such adjustments through supraspinal signals modifying a basic locomotor pattern
      at the spinal level. To explore this proposed control mechanism in the leading
      and trailing limbs during obstructed walking, healthy young adults stepped over
      obstacles measuring 0.1 and 0.2 m in height. Unobstructed walking with no
      obstacle present was also performed as a baseline. Full body three-dimensional
      kinematic data were recorded and electromyography (EMG) was collected from 14
      lower limb muscles on each side of the body. EMG data were analyzed using two
      techniques: by mapping the EMG data to the approximate location of the motor
      neuron pools on the lumbosacral enlargement of the spinal cord and by applying a
      nonnegative matrix factorization algorithm to unilateral and bilateral muscle
      activations separately. Results showed that obstacle clearance may be achieved
      not only with the addition of a new activation pattern in the leading limb, but
      with a temporal shift of a pattern present during unobstructed walking in both
      the leading and trailing limbs. An investigation of the inter-limb coordination
      of these patterns suggested a strong bilateral linkage between lower limbs. These
      results highlight the modular organization of muscle activation in the leading
      and trailing limbs, as well as provide a mechanism of control when implementing a
      locomotor adjustment when stepping over an obstacle.

PMID- 28343308
TI  - The nociceptive withdrawal response of the foot in the spinalized rat exhibits
      limited dependence on stimulus location.
AB  - The nociceptive withdrawal response (NWR) of the limb is a protective, multi
      joint movement in response to noxious stimulation of the homonymous limb.
      Previous studies in animal models differed as to the dependence of the response
      direction and magnitude on stimulus location. The specific aim of our research
      was to use three-dimensional high-speed video to determine whether movement of
      the foot in response to heat stimuli delivered to the foot and lower leg depended
      on the location of the stimulus. In particular, we sought to determine whether
      the movement strategy was categorical or continuous. In spinalized rats,
      localized, presumably nociceptive heat stimuli were delivered along three
      dimensions-circumferentially around the lower leg, circumferentially around the
      foot and along the plantar surface of the foot. Our results demonstrate that in
      spite of a wide range of stimulus locations over the hind foot and leg, response
      directions were restricted to two-rostral/medial/dorsal and caudal/medial/dorsal
      directions, consistent with a categorical strategy. Further, the preference for
      these two directions was also reflected in the distance of the movement, which
      was greatest for stimuli directly opposite the preferred response directions.
      However, significant but weak dependencies of response direction and distance on
      stimulus location were found for all three dimensions of stimulus application,
      supporting a continuous strategy. Together, our results demonstrate, based on
      movement analysis, that the NWR employs a hybrid categorical-continuous strategy
      that may minimize the harmful consequences of noxious stimuli.

PMID- 28343309
TI  - Breast cancer detection and tumor characteristics in BRCA1 and BRCA2 mutation
      carriers.
AB  - PURPOSE: To describe imaging findings, detection rates, and tumor characteristics
      of breast cancers in a large series of patients with BRCA1 and BRCA2 mutations to
      potentially streamline screening strategies. METHODS: An IRB-approved, HIPAA
      compliant retrospective analysis of 496 BRCA mutation carriers diagnosed with
      breast carcinoma from 1999 to 2013 was performed. Institutional database and
      electronic medical records were reviewed for mammography and MRI imaging. Patient
      and tumor characteristics including age at diagnosis, tumor histology, grade,
      receptor, and nodal status were recorded. RESULTS: Tumors in BRCA1 mutation
      carriers were associated exhibited significantly higher nuclear and histological
      grade compared to BRCA2 (p < 0.001). Triple-negative tumors were more frequent in
      BRCA1 mutation carriers, whereas hormone receptor-positive tumors were more
      frequent in BRCA2 mutation carriers (p < 0.001). BRCA2 mutation carriers more
      frequently presented with ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS) alone 14% (35/246) and
      cancers more frequently exhibiting calcifications (p < 0.001). Mammography
      detected fewer cancers in BRCA1 mutation carriers compared to BRCA2 (p = 0.04):
      81% (186/231) BRCA1 versus 89% (212/237) BRCA2. MRI detected 99% cancers in each
      group. Mammography detected cancer in two patients with false-negative MRI (1
      invasive cancer, 1 DCIS). Detection rates on both mammography and MRI did not
      significantly differ for women over 40 years and women below 40 years.
      CONCLUSIONS: Breast cancers in BRCA1 mutation carriers are associated with more
      aggressive tumor characteristics compared to BRCA2 and are less well seen on
      mammography. Mammography rarely identified cancers not visible on MRI. Thus, the
      omission of mammography in BRCA1 mutation carriers screened with MRI can be
      considered.

PMID- 28343310
TI  - Steroidogenic genes expressions are repressed by high levels of leptin and the
      JAK/STAT signaling pathway in MA-10 Leydig cells.
AB  - The adipose tissue is an important endocrine organ secreting numerous peptide
      hormones, including leptin. Increased circulating levels of leptin, as a result
      of hormonal resistance in obese individuals, may contribute to lower androgen
      production in obese males. However, the molecular mechanisms involved need to be
      better defined. Androgens are mainly produced by Leydig cells within the testis.
      In male rodents, activation of the leptin receptor modulates a cascade of
      intracellular signal transduction pathways which may lead to regulation of
      transcription factors having influences on steroidogenesis in Leydig cells. Thus,
      as a result of high leptin levels interacting with its receptor and modulating
      the activity of the JAK/STAT signaling pathway, the activity of transcription
      factors important for steroidogenic genes expressions may be inhibited in Leydig
      cells. Here we show that Lepr is increasingly expressed within Leydig cells
      according to postnatal development. Although high levels of leptin (corresponding
      to obesity condition) alone had no effect on Leydig cells' steroidogenic genes
      expression, it downregulated cAMP-dependent activations of the cholesterol
      transporter Star and of the rate-limiting steroidogenic enzyme Cyp11a1. Our
      results suggest that STAT transcriptional activity is downregulated by high
      levels of leptin, leading to reduced cAMP-dependent steroidogenic genes (Star and
      Cyp11a1) expressions in MA-10 Leydig cells. However, other transcription factors
      such as members of the SMAD and NFAT families may be involved and need further
      investigation to better define how leptin regulates their activities and their
      relevance for Leydig cells function.

PMID- 28343311
TI  - Mechanistic insight of platelet apoptosis leading to non-surgical bleeding among
      heart failure patients supported by continuous-flow left ventricular assist
      devices.
AB  - Non-surgical bleeding (NSB) is the most common clinical complication in heart
      failure (HF) patients supported by continuous-flow left ventricular assist
      devices (CF-LVADs). In this study, oxidative stress and alteration of signal
      pathways leading to platelet apoptosis were investigated. Thirty-one HF patients
      supported by CF-LVADs were divided into bleeder (n = 12) and non-bleeder (n = 19)
      groups. Multiple blood samples were collected at pre-implant (baseline) and
      weekly up to 1-month post-implant. A single blood sample was collected from
      healthy subjects (reference). Production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) in
      platelets, total antioxidant capacity (TAC), oxidized low-density lipoproteins
      (oxLDL), expression of Bcl-2 and Bcl-xL, Bax and release of cytochrome c (Cyt.c),
      platelet mitochondrial membrane potential (Deltapsi m), activation of caspases,
      gelsolin cleavage and platelet apoptosis were examined. Significantly elevated
      ROS, oxLDL and depleted TAC were evident in the bleeder group compared to non
      bleeder group (p < 0.05). Platelet pro-survival proteins (Bcl-2, Bcl-xL) were
      significantly reduced in the bleeder group in comparison to the non-bleeder group
      (p < 0.05). Translocation of Bax into platelet mitochondria membrane and
      subsequent release of Cyt.c were more prevalent in the bleeder group. Platelet
      mitochondrial damage, activation of caspases, gelsolin cleavage, and ultimate
      platelet apoptosis in the bleeder group were observed. Oxidative stress and
      activation of both intrinsic and extrinsic pathways of platelet apoptosis may be
      linked to NSB in CF-LVAD patients. Additionally, biomarkers of oxidative stress,
      examination of pro-survivals and pro-apoptotic proteins in platelets,
      mitochondrial damage, caspase activation, and platelet apoptosis may be used to
      help identify HF patients at high risk of NSB post-implant.

PMID- 28343312
TI  - Role of Acid-Base Homeostasis in Diabetic Kidney Disease.
AB  - PURPOSE OF REVIEW: Acid-base homeostasis is impaired in chronic kidney disease
      (CKD) and may contribute to disease progression. Diabetes, a major cause of CKD
      worldwide, may exacerbate acidosis further due to differences in acid production
      and excretion. Here, we review the role of abnormal acid-base homeostasis in the
      pathogenesis and progression of diabetes and diabetic kidney disease. RECENT
      FINDINGS: Acidosis and dietary acid loading may contribute to the development and
      worsening of insulin resistance and hypertension, thereby promoting diabetes and
      diabetic CKD. However, although metabolic acidosis associates with progression of
      CKD generally, the results in diabetic CKD are mixed. Data suggests that
      metabolic acid production in diabetes may be higher than would be predicted based
      on dietary intake alone, and new observational data suggests that this higher
      diet-independent acid production could potentially be protective. The role of
      acid-base homeostasis in diabetic CKD progression is complex and must consider
      differences in endogenous acid production and excretion in diabetes. Ongoing
      observational and interventional studies in this field should consider the unique
      physiology of diabetes.

PMID- 28343313
TI  - Spontaneous cervical intradural disc herniation presenting with Brown-Sequard and
      Horner's syndrome: lesson learned from a very unique case.
AB  - PURPOSE: Cervical spontaneous intradural disc herniation (IDH) is an extremely
      rare condition. We describe a unique case of a patient presenting with a Brown
      Sequard syndrome (BSS) and Horner's syndrome (HS). This study aimed to report an
      unusual case of spontaneous cervical intradural disc herniation that presented
      with Horner's and Brown-Sequard syndrome (BSS) and discuss difficulties in
      preoperative diagnosis and treatment difficulties of intradural cervical disc.
      METHODS: Notes and images review, and analysis of the relevant literature.
      RESULTS: A 45-year old female presented with acute Horner's syndrome and Brown
      Sequard syndrome. The magnetic resonance imaging of cervical spine revealed C4-5
      disc extrusion with cord compression. The patient underwent urgent decompression
      through an anterior cervical corpectomy and fusion. Patient fully recovered 6
      months after disease onset. CONCLUSION: We would like to emphasize that prompt
      and anterior cervical decompression is the treatment of choice, as it directly
      address the problem and allows dura repair in spontaneous cervical disc
      herniation.

PMID- 28343315
TI  - Expanding the 'Digital Protologue' database (DPD) to 'Archives of Microbiology':
      an offer to scientists and science.

PMID- 28343314
TI  - Rectus abdominis atrophy after ventral abdominal incisions: midline versus
      chevron.
AB  - PURPOSE: Although many outcomes have been compared between a midline and chevron
      incision, this is the first study to examine rectus abdominis atrophy after these
      two types of incisions. METHODS: Patients undergoing open pancreaticobiliary
      surgery between 2007 and 2011 at our single institution were included in this
      study. Rectus abdominis muscle thickness was measured on both preoperative and
      follow-up computed tomography (CT) scans to calculate percent atrophy of the
      muscle after surgery. RESULTS: At average follow-up of 24.5 and 19.0 months,
      respectively, rectus abdominis atrophy was 18.9% greater in the chevron (n = 30)
      than in the midline (n = 180) group (21.8 vs. 2.9%, p < 0.0001). Half the
      patients with a chevron incision had >20% atrophy at follow-up compared with 10%
      with a midline incision [odds ratio (OR) 9.0, p < 0.0001]. No significant
      difference was observed in incisional hernia rates or wound infections between
      groups. CONCLUSION: In this study, chevron incisions resulted in seven times more
      atrophy of the rectus abdominis compared with midline incisions. The long-term
      effects of transecting the rectus abdominis and disrupting its innervation
      creates challenging abdominal wall pathology. Atrophy of the abdominal wall can
      not be readily fixed with an operation, and this significant side effect of a
      transverse incision should be factored into the surgeon's decision-making process
      when choosing a transverse over a midline incision.

PMID- 28343316
TI  - Translation and validation of ICIQ-FLUTS for Tamil-speaking women.
AB  - AIMS: Research in to lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS) in women in South Asia
      is hampered by lack of validated tools. Our aim was to validate the International
      Consultation on Incontinence Modular Questionnaire on Female Lower Urinary Tract
      Symptoms (ICIQ-FLUTS) from English to Tamil. METHOD: After translation to Tamil,
      a validation study was carried out among women attending the gynecology clinic at
      District General Hospital-Mannar. RESULTS: Content validity assessed by the level
      of missing data was <2%. Construct validity was assessed by the ability of the
      questionnaire to identify patients with incontinence (n = 45) from controls (n =
      93) using the incontinence score [patients = 7.7 standard deviation (SD) = 4.7,
      controls = 1.4 SD = 2.2, p < 0.001] and those with symptomatic anterior wall
      prolapse (n = 16) from controls (n = 93) using voiding symptoms score (patients =
      4.8 SD = 2.3, controls = 0.3 SD = 0.8, p < 0.001). Internal consistency was
      assessed using Cronbach's coefficient alpha score [0.80 (0.77-0.81)]. Test-retest
      reliability assessed by weighted kappa (kappa) ranged from 0.73 to 0.87. Patients
      with incontinence (n = 30, pretreatment incontinence score = 7.9, SD = 4.9 versus
      posttreatment incontinence score = 3.3, SD = 3.1) and symptomatic anterior wall
      prolapse (n = 14, preoperative voiding symptoms score = 4.9 SD = 2.5 versus
      postoperative voiding symptoms score = 0.9 SD = 1.5) showed an improvement with
      treatment (Wilcoxon matched--pairs signed-rank test p < 0.001 and p < 0.01,
      respectively). An incontinence score >= 3 (sensitivity = 86.7%, specificity =
      78.4%) and a voiding symptoms score >= 3 (sensitivity = 87.5%, specificity =
      96.2%) detected any form of incontinence and symptomatic anterior wall prolapse,
      respectively. CONCLUSION: Tamil translation of ICIQ-FLUTS retained the
      psychometric properties of the original English questionnaire and will be an
      invaluable tool to detect LUTS among Tamil-speaking women.

PMID- 28343317
TI  - Do glucocorticoids induce addiction in humans?

PMID- 28343318
TI  - Prevalence of thyroid dysfunction and its impact on cognition in older mexican
      adults: (SADEM study).
AB  - INTRODUCTION: Subclinical thyroid dysfunction is a possible risk factor for
      cognitive impairment in old age, but results are inconsistent. Aim of the present
      study was to evaluate the prevalence of thyroid dysfunction among older community
      dwelling adults and to see whether thyroid function impacts the cognitive status
      of the elderly. METHODS: We included 1750 participants from the Study on Aging
      and Dementia in Mexico (SADEM). All subjects were evaluated clinically via
      specific interviews. TSH levels were analyzed by chemiluminescent immunometry
      assay. We classified participants into five thyroid state groups: (1) normal TSH
      levels (0.40-4.0 IU/L) were considered euthyroid; (2) Overt hyperthyroidism: TSH
      <0.3 IU/l and FT4 >23 pmol/l; (3) Overt hypothyroidism: TSH >4.8 IU/l, FT4 <13
      pmol/l; (4) Subclinical hyperthyroidism: TSH <0.3 IU/l, FT4: 13-23 pmol/l; (5)
      Subclinical hypothyroidism: TSH >4.8 IU/l, FT4: 13-23 pmol/l. RESULTS: The
      overall estimated prevalence of thyroid dysfunction in Mexican population was
      23.7% (95% CI, 22.66-26.77). Of these, 15.4% older adults were classified as
      subclinical hypothyroidism, 7.2% overt hypothyroidism, 0.5% subclinical
      hyperthyroidism, and 0.6% overt hyperthyroidism. The association of thyroid
      dysfunction with cognitive impairment was most evident in overt hypothyroidism OR
      = 1.261 (1.185-1.343). CONCLUSIONS: The present study demonstrated a high
      prevalence of thyroid dysfunction in Mexican elderly people living in the
      community. A relationship between cognitive impairment and the presence of
      hypothyroidism was also shown, and to a lesser degree in hyperthyroidism.

PMID- 28343319
TI  - Robotic resection of an obturator schwannoma with preservation of normal nerve
      fascicles and function.
AB  - An asymptomatic pelvic tumor was incidentally found in a 27-year-old man. A CT
      guided needle biopsy with a pathologic examination confirmed the diagnosis of a
      benign schwannoma. We describe the complete robotic resection with the
      conservation of normal fascicles. The postoperative course was uneventful. No
      neurological deficit occurred, and the electromyogram was normal 6 weeks and 7
      months later.

PMID- 28343320
TI  - Allergic airway inflammation induces migration of mast cell populations into the
      mouse airway.
AB  - Mast cells (MCs) and airway nerves play an important role in allergic asthma.
      However, little is known about the MCs and their interaction with airway nerves
      during allergic airway inflammation. This study aims to investigate the
      distribution and proliferation of MC populations in different lung compartments,
      along with the association of mast cells with nerve endings, using a house dust
      mite (HDM) model for allergic airway inflammation. BALB/c mice were exposed to
      HDM extract intranasally (25 MUg/50 MUl) for 5 consecutive days a week over 7
      weeks. Immunofluorescence and Edu stains were used to examine the colocalisation
      of MCs and nerves and the proliferation of MCs, respectively. HDM treatment
      caused an increased migration of MCs into bronchi, alveolar parenchyma and airway
      vessels. The proportions of tryptase-chymase expressing MC (MCTC) increased
      significantly in the bronchi and the alveolar parenchyma but not in the vascular
      tissues, by allergic airway inflammation. The association of MCs with nerves was
      found only in the bronchi and there were no changes in comparison of controls to
      HDM-treated animals. The present study shows a strong migration of tryptase
      expressing MC (MCT) and MCTC into the bronchi and the alveolar parenchyma, as
      well as of MCT in the vascular compartment under HDM treatment. This supports the
      hypothesis that these mast cell populations may contribute to allergic airway
      inflammation.

PMID- 28343321
TI  - A risk score based on admission characteristics to predict progressive
      hemorrhagic injury from traumatic brain injury in children.
AB  - : Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is one of the leading causes of death and
      disability in children, and progressive hemorrhagic injury (PHI) post TBI is
      associated with poor outcomes. Therefore, the objective of this study was to
      develop and validate a prognostic model that uses the information available at
      admission to determine the likelihood of PHI occurrence after TBI in children.
      The identified demographic data, cause of injury, clinical predictors on
      admission, computed tomography scan characteristics, and routine laboratory
      parameters were collected and used to develop a PHI prognostic model with
      logistic regression analysis, and the prediction model was validated in 68
      children. Eight independent prognostic factors were identified: lower Glasgow
      coma scale score (3 ~ 8) (6 points), intra-axial bleeding/brain contusion (4
      points), midline shift >=5 mm (9 points), platelets <100 * 109/L (11 points),
      prothrombin time >14 s (6 points), international normalized ratio >1.25 (7
      points), D-dimer >=5 mg/L (14 points), and glucose ?10 mmol/L (11 points). We
      calculated risk scores for each child and defined three risk groups: low risk (0
      16 points), intermediate risk (17-36 points), and high risk (37-68 points). In
      the development cohort, the PHI rates after TBI for the low-, intermediate-, and
      high-risk groups were 10.1, 47.9, and 84.2%, respectively. In the validation
      cohort, the corresponding PHI rates were 10.9, 47.5, and 85.4%, respectively. The
      C-statistic for the point system was 0.873 (p = 0.586 by the Hosmer-Lemeshow
      test) in the development cohort and 0.877 (p = 0.524 by the Hosmer-Lemeshow test)
      in the validation cohort. CONCLUSION: Using admission predictors, we developed a
      relatively simple risk score that accurately predicted the risk of PHI after TBI
      in children. What is Known: * TBI is one of the leading causes of death and
      disability in children, and PHI post TBI is associated with poor outcomes.
      *Prediction of patients at low risk of PHI could help reduce treatment costs,
      whereas identification of patients at high risk of PHI could direct early medical
      intervention to improve outcomes. What is New: * This study firstly developed a
      risk score system by assessing the admission information that could provide an
      earlier prediction of the occurrence of PHI after acute TBI in children.

PMID- 28343322
TI  - Coulrophobia: how irrational is fear of clowns?

PMID- 28343324
TI  - A new species of Neocosmocercella Baker & Vaucher, 1983 (Nematoda:
      Cosmocercidae), a parasite of Phyllomedusa vaillantii Boulenger (Anura:
      Phyllomedusidae) in the Caxiuana National Forest, eastern Amazon, Brazil.
AB  - Neocosmocercella bakeri n. sp. is described from the large intestine of
      Phyllomedusa vaillantii Boulenger collected in the Caxiuana National Forest in
      the Eastern Brazilian Amazon. The new species is easily distinguished from the
      type-species of the genus, Neocosmocercella paraguayensis Baker & Vaucher, 1983
      in possessing a triangular mouth opening with three simple lips (vs three bi
      lobed lips and hexagonal mouth opening) and somatic papillae, which are absent in
      N. paraguayensis. The males of the new species are distinguished by the
      distribution of the sessile cloacal papillae and the dimensions of the
      gubernaculum, whereas the females are distinguished by their smaller size and
      opisthodelphic uterus. This study expands the diagnostic characters of
      Neocosmocercella Baker & Vaucher, 1983, reports the first species parasitising
      anurans of the Brazilian Amazon, a new host record for the genus, and the
      description of the second species of the genus.

PMID- 28343323
TI  - Post-Traumatic Sleep-Wake Disorders.
AB  - All living organisms that face a traumatic life event are susceptible to sleep
      wake disturbances. Stress, which can result in trauma, evokes a high level of
      physiological arousal associated with sympathetic nervous system activation,
      during both sleep and wakefulness. Heredity, sex hormones, early losses,
      developmental factors and intra- and interpersonal conflicts, contribute to the
      level of baseline physiological arousal, producing either subclinical, clinical
      or complex clinical traits, acutely and at any time after exposure to a traumatic
      event. The risk of acute sleep-wake disturbances becoming disorders and syndromes
      depends on the type of traumatic event and all of the aforementioned factors.
      Taken together, with consideration for behavioural and environmental
      heterogeneity, in research, will aid identification and understanding of
      susceptibility factors in long-term sleep and wakefulness pathology after
      exposure to traumatic events.

PMID- 28343325
TI  - MRI can accurately detect meniscal ramp lesions of the knee.
AB  - PURPOSE: Posterior horn meniscal tears are commonly found in conjunction with
      anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury. Some believe tears in the posterior
      meniscocapsular zone, coined ramp lesions, are important to knee stability. The
      purpose of this study was to determine whether pre-operative MRI evaluation was
      able to accurately and reproducibly identify ramp lesions. METHODS: Three blinded
      reviewers assessed MRIs twice for the presence of ramp lesions in patients
      undergoing ACL reconstruction. Sensitivity, specificity, negative predictive
      value, and positive predictive value for MRI were calculated based on
      arthroscopic diagnosis of a ramp lesion. Intra-class correlation coefficient was
      calculated to assess intra- and interobserver reliability of the MRI assessment
      between the three examiners. Significance was set at p < 0.05. RESULTS: Ninety
      patients met inclusion criteria (45 males, 45 females, mean age 28.0 years).
      Thirteen of these patients had arthroscopy-confirmed ramp lesions, while the
      other 77 had other meniscal pathology. Sensitivity of detecting a ramp lesion on
      MRI ranged from 53.9 to 84.6%, while specificity was 92.3-98.7%. Negative
      predictive value was 91.1-97.4%, while positive predictive value was 50.0-90.0%.
      Inter-rater reliability between three reviewers was moderate at 0.56. The
      observers had excellent intra-rater reliability ranging from 0.75 to 0.81.
      CONCLUSIONS: This study demonstrates high sensitivity and excellent specificity
      in detecting meniscal ramp lesions on MRI. Ramp lesions are likely more common
      and may have greater clinical implications than previously appreciated; the
      outcomes of untreated lesions must be investigated. Pre-operative identification
      of ramp lesions may aid clinicians in surgical planning and patient education to
      improve outcomes by addressing pathology which may have otherwise been missed.
      LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: III.

PMID- 28343326
TI  - Segmental ureterectomy is not inferior to radical nephroureterectomy for either
      middle or distal ureter urothelial cell carcinomas within 3.5 cm.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: To evaluate oncologic outcomes of segmental ureterectomy (SU) compared
      with radical nephroureterectomy (RNU) for urothelial carcinoma of ureter. To
      evaluate whether tumor position is a factor to influence outcomes of different
      surgical procedures. METHODS: From November 2003 to June 2016, 131 patients with
      urothelial carcinoma of ureter underwent SU or RNU at our department. We used
      survival analysis and Cox regression models to compare oncologic outcomes after
      SU and RNU. Covariates included surgical type, tumor stage, cancer grade, lesion
      position, presence of preoperative hydronephrosis and histories of bladder
      cancer. Patients were divided according to lesion sites for further comparison.
      RESULTS: The mean length of follow-up was 55.3 and 50.9 months for the RNU and SU
      group, respectively. The bladder recurrences, local recurrences, distant
      metastasis, cancer-specific survival and overall survival rates showed no
      significant differences between RNU and SU (p = 0.596, p = 0.636, p = 0.740, p =
      0.809, p = 0.553, respectively). For mid-ureter or distal ureter lesions, no
      significant difference of oncologic outcomes between SU and RUN was observed.
      CONCLUSIONS: Our study suggested SU is not inferior to RNU for either middle or
      distal ureter urothelial cell carcinomas.

PMID- 28343327
TI  - Osteolytic-variant POEMS syndrome: an uncommon presentation of "osteosclerotic"
      myeloma.
AB  - Polyneuropathy, organomegaly, endocrinopathy, M protein, and skin changes (POEMS)
      syndrome, a form of osteosclerotic myeloma, is a multisystem disease related to a
      monoclonal plasma cell proliferative disorder. Osseous lesions are most commonly
      sclerotic on radiographs and computed tomography (CT), demonstrate low T1 and T2
      signal intensity on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), and have variable degrees
      of avidity on positon emission tomography (PET) imaging using 18
      fluorodeoxyglucose (18F-FDG). We present three cases of POEMS syndrome
      manifesting as osteolytic lesions with indolent features, including well-defined
      thin sclerotic rims, no cortical disruption or periosteal reaction, no associated
      soft-tissue mass, and a periarticular location, all features that could lead to
      misinterpretation as benign bone lesions. We also report increased T1 signal and
      diffuse solid enhancement of these lesions on MRI, features previously
      unreported. POEMS syndrome should not be discounted as a diagnostic consideration
      in the setting of osteolytic lesions with non-aggressive imaging characteristics
      on radiographs or CT, especially in the presence of other supportive clinical
      features.

PMID- 28343328
TI  - Skeletal development of the hand and wrist: digital bone age companion-a suitable
      alternative to the Greulich and Pyle atlas for bone age assessment?
AB  - PURPOSE: To assess reader performance and subjective workflow experience when
      reporting bone age studies with a digital bone age reference as compared to the
      Greulich and Pyle atlas (G&P). We hypothesized that pediatric radiologists would
      achieve equivalent results with each method while digital workflow would improve
      speed, experience, and reporting quality. MATERIALS AND METHODS: IRB approval was
      obtained for this HIPAA-compliant study. Two pediatric radiologists performed
      research interpretations of bone age studies randomized to either the digital
      (Digital Bone Age Companion, Oxford University Press) or G&P method, generating
      reports to mimic clinical workflow. Bone age standard selection, interpretation
      reporting time, and user preferences were recorded. Reports were reviewed for
      typographical or speech recognition errors. Comparisons of agreement were
      conducted by way of Fisher's exact tests. Interpretation-reporting times were
      analyzed on the natural logarithmic scale via a linear mixed model and
      transformed to the geometric mean. Subjective workflow experience was compared
      with an exact binomial test. Report errors were compared via a paired random
      permutation test. RESULTS: There was no difference in bone age determination
      between atlases (p = 0.495). The interpretation-reporting time (p < 0.001) was
      significantly faster with the digital method. The faculty indicated preference
      for the digital atlas (p < 0.001). Signed reports had fewer errors with the
      digital atlas (p < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: Bone age study interpretations performed
      with the digital method were similar to those performed with the Greulich and
      Pyle atlas. The digital atlas saved time, improved workflow experience, and
      reduced reporting errors relative to the Greulich and Pyle atlas when integrated
      into electronic workflow.

PMID- 28343329
TI  - Stress fractures of the foot and ankle, part 2: site-specific etiology, imaging,
      and treatment, and differential diagnosis.
AB  - Stress fractures of the foot and ankle are a commonly encountered problem among
      athletes and individuals participating in a wide range of activities. This
      illustrated review, the second of two parts, discusses site-specific etiological
      factors, imaging appearances, treatment options, and differential considerations
      of stress fractures of the foot and ankle. The imaging and clinical management of
      stress fractures of the foot and ankle are highly dependent on the specific
      location of the fracture, mechanical forces acting upon the injured site,
      vascular supply of the injured bone, and the proportion of trabecular to cortical
      bone at the site of injury. The most common stress fractures of the foot and
      ankle are low risk and include the posteromedial tibia, the calcaneus, and the
      second and third metatarsals. The distal fibula is a less common location, and
      stress fractures of the cuboid and cuneiforms are very rare, but are also
      considered low risk. In contrast, high-risk stress fractures are more prone to
      delayed union or nonunion and include the anterior tibial cortex, medial
      malleolus, navicular, base of the second metatarsal, proximal fifth metatarsal,
      hallux sesamoids, and the talus. Of these high-risk types, stress fractures of
      the anterior tibial cortex, the navicular, and the proximal tibial cortex may be
      predisposed to poor healing because of the watershed blood supply in these
      locations. The radiographic differential diagnosis of stress fracture includes
      osteoid osteoma, malignancy, and chronic osteomyelitis.

PMID- 28343330
TI  - Human papilloma virus (HPV) infection leads to the development of head and neck
      lesions but offers better prognosis in malignant Indian patients.
AB  - Head and neck cancers constitute a multifactorial global disease burden and are
      associated with human papilloma virus (HPV) as a possible risk factor. The aim of
      the study is to understand the relationship between HPV and the development of
      head and neck lesions in Indian patients. To this end, frequency of HPV was
      assessed in relation to different demographic and etiological features and
      correlated with patient survival. The prevalence of HPV significantly increased
      from mild dysplastic lesions (43.6%) to head and neck squamous cell carcinoma
      (HNSCC) stage IV (68.5%) with HPV 16 being pre-dominant in both dysplasia (43.8%)
      and HNSCC (61.5%). Similar trend was observed in increasing grades of the tumour.
      In invasive lesions, patients aged below the median age of onset showed
      significantly higher occurrence of HPV than those above it. Patients harbouring
      HPV showed a significantly better survival irrespective of age of onset.
      Likewise, better survival was observed in tobacco habit negative/HPV-positive
      patients, and as reflected in both univariate and multivariate analysis. Majority
      of the HPV 16-positive samples showed moderate/high nuclear expression of HPV E6
      and E7 proteins in tumours and respective basal layer of adjacent normal tissues.
      Thus, our data indicate that frequent HPV infection, along with tobacco habit, is
      a pre-requisite factor for the development of HNSCC of Indian patients but offers
      a better survival even during tobacco usage, implicating its diagnostic and
      prognostic importance.

PMID- 28343331
TI  - Economic and public health consequences of delayed access to medical care for
      migrants living with HIV in France.
AB  - In 2013, migrants accounted for 46% of newly diagnosed cases of HIV (human
      immunodeficiency virus) infection in France. These populations meet with specific
      obstacles leading to late diagnosis and access to medical care. Delayed access to
      care (ATC) for HIV-infected migrants reduces their life expectancy and quality of
      life. Given the reduction of infectivity under antiretroviral (ARV) treatment,
      delayed ATC for HIV-infected migrants may also hinder the control of the HIV
      epidemic. The objective of this study is to measure the public health and
      economic consequences of delayed ATC for migrants living with HIV in France.
      Using a healthcare payer perspective, our model compares the lifetime averted
      infections and costs of early vs. late ATC for migrants living with HIV in
      France. Early and late ATC are defined by an entry into care with a CD4 cell
      count of 350 and 100/mm3, respectively. Our results show that an early ATC is
      dominant, even in the worst-case scenario. In the most favorable scenario, early
      ATC generates an average net saving of ?198,000 per patient, and prevents 0.542
      secondary infection. In the worst-case scenario, early ATC generates an average
      net saving of ?32,000 per patient, and prevents 0.299 secondary infection. These
      results are robust to various adverse changes in key parameters and to a
      definition of late ATC as an access to care at a CD4 level of 200/mm3. In
      addition to individual health benefits, improving ATC for migrants living with
      HIV proves efficient in terms of public health and economics. These results
      stress the benefit of ensuring early ATC for all individuals living with HIV in
      France.

PMID- 28343332
TI  - Posterior elements disruption with hybrid constructs in AIS patients: is there an
      impact on proximal junctional kyphosis?
AB  - PURPOSE: Proximal junctional kyphosis (PJK) is a frequent proximal adjacent
      segment disease following spinal fusion in adolescent idiopathic scoliosis (AIS)
      and its rate has been estimated to 28% in the literature. The etiology is
      multifactorial, and risk factors associated with PJK are controversial. The aim
      of this study was to demonstrate that the disruption of muscular and bony tissue
      above the upper instrumented vertebra (UIV) during surgery does not increase the
      rate of PJK in patients undergoing posterior fusion for adolescent idiopathic
      scoliosis. MATERIAL AND METHOD: 50 patients with AIS operated between June 2014
      and January 2016 were included. Every patient underwent a long posterior spine
      arthrodesis with a hybrid construct (proximal lamino-laminar claw, thoracic
      sublaminar bands and lumbar screws). The dissection of posterior elements above
      the UIV was necessary for the placement of proximal anchors. Radiographic
      analysis including proximal junctional angle, spino-pelvic parameters (cervical
      lordosis, thoracic kyphosis TK, lumbar lordosis, pelvic incidence, pelvic tilt,
      sacral slope) and sagittal vertical axis were collected preoperatively and
      postoperatively at the last control. The numbers of fused levels, locations of
      upper instrumented vertebra, locations of lower instrumented vertebra, length of
      fusion segments were also recorded. Multiple odd ratios and other statistical
      analysis were performed to evaluate the relation between PJK and the potential
      risk factors. RESULTS: There were 43 females and 7 males with a mean age of 14.8
      years at surgery. PJK occurred in 5 out of 50 cases with an incidence of 10%. The
      mean follow-up was 18 months. There was no significant difference in gender (OR
      1.36, p = 0.8), decrease of TK (OR 1.63, p = 0 0.69), location of UIV (OR 2.25, p
      = 0.4), LIV (OR 2, p = 0.55), and SVA change (OR 1.63, p = 0.46). CONCLUSIONS:
      The disruption of ligamentous and bony tissue proximal to the UIV during the
      surgery does not increase the rate of PJK. Level of evidence IV.

PMID- 28343333
TI  - Use of phase-locking value in sensorimotor rhythm-based brain-computer interface:
      zero-phase coupling and effects of spatial filters.
AB  - Phase-locking value (PLV) is a potentially useful feature in sensorimotor rhythm
      based brain-computer interface (BCI). However, volume conduction may cause
      spurious zero-phase coupling between two EEG signals and it is not clear whether
      PLV effects are independent of spectral amplitude. Volume conduction might be
      reduced by spatial filtering, but it is uncertain what impact this might have on
      PLV. Therefore, the goal of this study was to explore whether zero-phase PLV is
      meaningful and how it is affected by spatial filtering. Both amplitude and PLV
      feature were extracted in the frequency band of 10-15 Hz by classical methods
      using archival EEG data of 18 subjects trained on a two-target BCI task. The
      results show that with right ear-referenced data, there is meaningful long-range
      zero-phase synchronization likely involving the primary motor area and the
      supplementary motor area that cannot be explained by volume conduction. Another
      novel finding is that the large Laplacian spatial filter enhances the amplitude
      feature but eliminates most of the phase information seen in ear-referenced data.
      A bipolar channel using phase-coupled areas also includes both phase and
      amplitude information and has a significant practical advantage since fewer
      channels required.

PMID- 28343334
TI  - Design and test of a Microsoft Kinect-based system for delivering adaptive visual
      feedback to stroke patients during training of upper limb movement.
AB  - The present paper describes the design and test of a low-cost Microsoft Kinect
      based system for delivering adaptive visual feedback to stroke patients during
      the execution of an upper limb exercise. Eleven sub-acute stroke patients with
      varying degrees of upper limb function were recruited. Each subject participated
      in a control session (repeated twice) and a feedback session (repeated twice). In
      each session, the subjects were presented with a rectangular pattern displayed on
      a vertical mounted monitor embedded in the table in front of the patient. The
      subjects were asked to move a marker inside the rectangular pattern by using
      their most affected hand. During the feedback session, the thickness of the
      rectangular pattern was changed according to the performance of the subject, and
      the color of the marker changed according to its position, thereby guiding the
      subject's movements. In the control session, the thickness of the rectangular
      pattern and the color of the marker did not change. The results showed that the
      movement similarity and smoothness was higher in the feedback session than in the
      control session while the duration of the movement was longer. The present study
      showed that adaptive visual feedback delivered by use of the Kinect sensor can
      increase the similarity and smoothness of upper limb movement in stroke patients.

PMID- 28343335
TI  - A new infant hybrid respiratory simulator: preliminary evaluation based on
      clinical data.
AB  - A new hybrid (numerical-physical) simulator of the respiratory system, designed
      to simulate spontaneous and artificial/assisted ventilation of preterm and full
      term infants underwent preliminary evaluation. A numerical, seven-compartmental
      model of the respiratory system mechanics allows the operator to simulate global
      and peripheral obstruction and restriction of the lungs. The physical part of the
      simulator is a piston-based construction of impedance transformer. LabVIEW real
      time software coordinates the work of both parts of the simulator and its
      interaction with a ventilator. Using clinical data, five groups of "artificial
      infants" were examined: healthy full-term infants, very low-birth-weight preterm
      infants successfully (VLBW) and unsuccessfully extubated (VLBWun) and extremely
      low-birth-weight preterm infants without (ELBW) and with bronchopulmonary
      dysplasia (ELBW_BPD). Pressure-controlled ventilation was simulated to measure
      peak inspiratory pressure, mean airway pressure, total (patient + endotracheal
      tube) airway resistance (R), total dynamic compliance of the respiratory system
      (C), and total work of breathing by the ventilator (WOB). The differences between
      simulation and clinical parameters were not significant. High correlation
      coefficients between both types of data were obtained for R, C, and WOB (gamma R 
      = 0.99, P < 0.0005; gamma C  = 0.85, P < 0.005; gammaWOB = 0.96, P < 0.05,
      respectively). Thus, the simulator accurately reproduces infant respiratory
      system mechanics.

PMID- 28343336
TI  - Sunitinib-induced hypothyroidism predicts progression-free survival in metastatic
      renal cell carcinoma patients.
AB  - Sunitinib is a tyrosine kinase inhibitor (TKI) used in treatment of metastatic
      renal cell carcinoma (mRCC), gastrointestinal stromal tumors and pancreatic
      neuroendocrine tumors. One of the most common side effects related to sunitinib
      is hypothyroidism. Recent trials suggest correlation between the incidence of
      hypothyroidism and treatment outcome in patients treated with TKI. This study
      evaluates whether development of hypothyroidism is a predictive marker of
      progression-free survival (PFS) in patients with mRCC treated with sunitinib.
      Twenty-seven patients diagnosed with clear cell mRCC, after nephrectomy and in
      'good' or 'intermediate' MSKCC risk prognostic group, were included in the study.
      All patients received sunitinib as a first-line treatment on a standard schedule
      (initial dose 50 mg/day, 4 weeks on, 2 weeks off). The thyroid-stimulating
      hormone serum levels were obtained at the baseline and every 12 weeks of
      treatment. In statistic analyses, we used Kaplan-Meier method for assessment of
      progression-free survival; for comparison of survival, we used log-rank test. In
      our study, the incidence of hypothyroidism was 44%. The patients who had
      developed hypothyroidism had better median PFS to patients with normal thyroid
      function 28,3 months [95% (CI) 20.4-36.2 months] versus 9.8 months (6.4-13.1
      months). In survival analysis, we perceive that thyroid dysfunction is a
      predictive factor of a progression-free survival (PFS). In the unified group of
      patients, the development of hypothyroidism during treatment with sunitinib is a
      positive marker for PFS. During that treatment, thyroid function should be
      evaluated regularly.

PMID- 28343337
TI  - Trismus following different treatment modalities for head and neck cancer: a
      systematic review of subjective measures.
AB  - The aim of this review was to compare systematically the subjective measure of
      trismus between different interventions to treat head and neck cancer,
      particularly those of the oropharynx. Using The Preferred Reporting Items for
      Systematic Review and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) Guidelines, Six databases were
      searched for the text using various terms which include "oropharyngeal/head and
      neck cancer", "trismus/mouth opening" and the various treatment modalities.
      Included in the review were clinical studies (> or =10 patients). Three observers
      independently assessed the papers identified. Among the six studies reviewed,
      five showed a significantly worst outcome with regard to the quality-of-life
      questionnaire scores for a radiotherapy or surgery and radiotherapy (RT) +/-
      chemotherapy or chemoradiotherapy when compared to surgery alone. Only one study
      showed no significant difference between surgery alone and other treatment
      modalities. Subjective quality-of-life measures are a concurrent part of modern
      surgical practice. Although subjective measures were utilised to measure post
      operative trismus successfully, there was no consensus as to which treatment
      modality had overall better outcomes, with conflicting studies in keeping with
      the current debate in this field. Larger and higher quality studies are needed to
      compare all three treatment modalities.

PMID- 28343339
TI  - Bound PAHs in Sediment and Related Environmental Significance.
AB  - Extractable polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (EPAHs) and bound PAHs (BPAHs) were
      measured in a sediment core using conventional Soxhlet extraction and a more
      astringent extraction method, with the objectives of determining the influence of
      BPAHs on the historical reconstruction of PAHs and exploring the formation of
      BPAHs and long-term behaviors of PAHs in sediment. The results indicated that the
      formation of BPAHs was clearly sediment-depth and molecular-size dependent. BPAHs
      represents an important portion of PAHs in sediment and cannot be extracted by
      conventional Soxhlet extraction. This suggests that the previously developed
      vertical profile of PAHs is not the real chronology of PAHs and the plausible
      interpretation derived from the sedimentary records of PAHs needs reexamination.
      Based on the previous findings, a biphase model was proposed and the formation of
      BPAHs was predicted. Due to the different nature of geosorbents in sediment,
      redistribution of PAHs among these geosorbents logically leads to the formation
      of BPAHs and is kinetically favorable for smaller molecular PAHs. This is
      consistent with the obtained results. Many factors may influence the formation of
      BPAHs, such as the physicochemical structure of sediment and environmental
      conditions. There is still a long way to reveal the thermodynamical
      characteristics in action during the formation of BPAHs.

PMID- 28343338
TI  - Expression of typical osteoclast markers by PBMCs after PEG-induced fusion as a
      model for studying osteoclast differentiation.
AB  - Bone is a metabolically active organ subjected to continuous remodeling process
      that involves resorption by osteoclast and subsequent formation by osteoblasts.
      Osteoclast involvement in this physiological event is regulated by macrophage
      colony-stimulating factor (M-CSF) and receptor activator of nuclear factor kappaB
      ligand (RANKL). Fusion of mono-nuclear pre-osteoclasts is a critical event for
      osteoclast differentiation and for bone resorption. Here we show that PBMCs can
      be successfully fused with polyethylenglicol (PEG) in order to generated viable
      osteoclast-like cells that exhibit tartrate-resistant acid phosphatase (TRAP) and
      bone resorptive activities. PEG-fused PBMCs expressed additional markers
      compatible with osteoclastogenic differentiation such as carbonic anhydrase II
      (CAII), calcitonin receptor (CR), cathepsin K (Cat K), vacuolar ATPase (V-ATPase)
      subunit C1 (V-ATPase), integrin beta3, RANK and cell surface aminopeptidase
      N/CD13. Actin redistribution in PEG-fused cells was found to be affected by cell
      cycle synchronization at G0/G1 or G2/M phases. PEG-induced fusion also led to
      expression of tyrosine kinases c-Src and Syk in their phosphorylated state.
      Scanning electron microscopy images showed morphological features typical of
      osteoclast-like cells. The results here shown allow concluding that PEG-induced
      fusion of PBMCs provides a suitable model system for understanding the mechanisms
      involved in osteoclastogenesis and for assaying new therapeutic strategies.

PMID- 28343340
TI  - A lake-centric geospatial database to guide research and inform management
      decisions in an Arctic watershed in northern Alaska experiencing climate and land
      use changes.
AB  - Lakes are dominant and diverse landscape features in the Arctic, but conventional
      land cover classification schemes typically map them as a single uniform class.
      Here, we present a detailed lake-centric geospatial database for an Arctic
      watershed in northern Alaska. We developed a GIS dataset consisting of 4362 lakes
      that provides information on lake morphometry, hydrologic connectivity, surface
      area dynamics, surrounding terrestrial ecotypes, and other important conditions
      describing Arctic lakes. Analyzing the geospatial database relative to fish and
      bird survey data shows relations to lake depth and hydrologic connectivity, which
      are being used to guide research and aid in the management of aquatic resources
      in the National Petroleum Reserve in Alaska. Further development of similar
      geospatial databases is needed to better understand and plan for the impacts of
      ongoing climate and land-use changes occurring across lake-rich landscapes in the
      Arctic.

PMID- 28343341
TI  - Public availability of research data in dentistry journals indexed in Journal
      Citation Reports.
AB  - OBJECTIVES: Dentistry is a medical discipline with an increasing scientific
      production in the last years. Due to the importance of data sharing in science,
      this study aims at analyzing the availability of raw data in articles from
      scientific journals indexed in the Dentistry category of the 2014 edition of the
      Journal Citation Reports. MATERIAL AND METHODS: A review of the 88 websites of
      journals from the Dentistry category was conducted to determine the data-sharing
      editorial policies. Furthermore, a search in the PubMed Central repository to
      collect information about the characteristics of the supplementary material of
      articles from those journals was carried out. RESULTS: The possibility of
      publishing a supplementary material was higher in the first quartile journals. A
      percentage of 7.6% of the articles registered in PubMed Central contained a
      supplementary material, especially text documents, but the presence of
      spreadsheets was scarce. CONCLUSIONS: There is a relationship between openness
      policies and the impact of the journals according to their quartile or position
      ranking by the impact factor in the JCR, but the willingness of sharing raw data
      in spreadsheets format is still limited. CLINICAL RELEVANCE: This study will
      reveal the resources of raw data which will improve quality of research and
      clinical practice.

PMID- 28343342
TI  - Caregiver-Teacher Concordance of Challenging Behaviors in Children with Autism
      Spectrum Disorder Served in Community Mental Health Settings.
AB  - Children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) exhibit high rates of challenging
      behaviors that impair functioning and represent the primary presenting problem in
      mental health (MH) services. Obtaining symptom reports from multiple informants
      is critical for treatment planning. This study evaluated caregiver-teacher
      concordance of ratings of the intensity of challenging behaviors in children with
      ASD receiving MH services, and identified child clinical factors associated with
      concordance. This sample included 141 children (M = 9.07 years), their
      caregivers, and teachers. Caregiver-teacher concordance of challenging behaviors
      was low and impacted by the degree and type of child psychiatric comorbidity.
      Findings support need for increased attention to the range of psychiatric
      problems children with ASD present to tailor treatment recommendations and
      service delivery.

PMID- 28343343
TI  - Child and Adult Factors Related to Quality of Life in Adults with Autism.
AB  - The WHO Quality of Life-Brief questionnaire was used to assess quality of life
      (QoL) among 52 adults with autism (mean age 49 years) followed-up since
      childhood. Overall, assessments of QOL were more positive than measures of
      objective social outcome (jobs, independence, relationships etc.) but
      correlations between caregiver and self-reports were low. Informant ratings
      indicated few correlations between current QoL and any child or adult factors. On
      self-report ratings, QoL was significantly negatively correlated with severity of
      repetitive behaviours in childhood; higher QoL was positively associated with
      better adult social outcomes. However, only a minority of adults (n = 22) could
      provide self-report data and findings highlight the need to develop valid
      measures for assessing the well-being of adults with autism.

PMID- 28343344
TI  - Simultaneous detection of chlorinated polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons with
      polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry.
AB  - Chlorinated polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (ClPAHs), including polychlorinated
      naphthalenes (PCNs), are hazardous and widespread in the environment, but studies
      of these substances in the wastewater environment are lacking. In this study,
      five typical PCNs and five typical ClPAHs (other than PCNs) were simultaneously
      detected along with their parent polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in wastewater
      samples. All these compounds could be analyzed by gas chromatography- electron
      ionization mass spectrometry in selected ion monitoring mode and separated on a
      DB-17ms column. Calibration curves were created both in pure solvent and in
      wastewater matrix samples. The coefficients of determination for most compounds
      were greater than 0.99, indicating a satisfactory degree of linearity in the
      complex matrix samples. The influence of the matrix on the true concentrations of
      the environmental samples was corrected by use of the matrix calibration curve.
      The recoveries of all compounds were between 58% and 127%, with standard
      deviations lower than 20%. The method detection and quantification limits were
      less than 27.6 ng/L and less than 91.9 ng/L respectively in the aqueous phase,
      and less than 0.18 ng/L and less than 0.61 ng/L respectively in the solid phase
      of 4-L wastewater samples. This analytical method was successfully used to detect
      PCNs and ClPAHs in the water from a river receiving effluent from a wastewater
      treatment plant. The concentrations of each compound ranged from 3.1 to 29.6
      ng/L. This method could also be used for detection of other polycyclic aromatic
      hydrocarbon derivatives with similar physical and chemical properties in
      different matrix samples. Graphical Abstract ?.

PMID- 28343345
TI  - Assessment of nucleosides as putative tumor biomarkers in prostate cancer
      screening by CE-UV.
AB  - Cancer is responsible for millions of deaths worldwide, but most base diseases
      may be cured if detected early. Screening tests may be used to identify early
      stage malignant neoplasms. However, the major screening tool for prostate cancer,
      the prostate-specific antigen test, has unsuitable sensitivity. Since cancer
      cells may affect the pattern of consumption and excretion of nucleosides, such
      biomolecules are putative biomarkers that can be used for diagnosis and treatment
      evaluation. Using a previously validated method for the analysis of nucleosides
      in blood serum by capillary electrophoresis with UV-vis spectroscopy detection,
      we investigated 60 samples from healthy individuals and 42 samples from prostate
      cancer patients. The concentrations of nucleosides in both groups were compared
      and a multivariate partial least squares-discriminant analysis classification
      model was optimized for prediction of prostate cancer. The validation of the
      model with an independent sample set resulted in the correct classification of
      82.4% of the samples, with sensitivity of 90.5% and specificity of 76.7%. A
      significant downregulation of 5-methyluridine and inosine was observed, which can
      be indicative of the carcinogenic process. Therefore, such analytes are potential
      candidates for prostate cancer screening. Graphical Abstract Separation of the
      studied nucleosides and the internal standard 8-Bromoguanosine by CE-UV (a);
      classification of the external validation samples (30 from healthy volunteers and
      21 from prostate cancer patients) by the developed Partial Least Square -
      Discriminant Analysis (PLS-DA) model with accuracy of 82.4% (b); Receiver
      Operating Characteristics (ROC) curve (c); and Variable Importance in the
      Projection (VIP) values for the studied nucleosides (d). A significant down
      regulation of 5- methyluridine (5mU) and inosine (I) was observed, which can be
      indicative of the presence of prostate tumors.

PMID- 28343346
TI  - Molecularly imprinted polymer prepared with polyhedral oligomeric silsesquioxane
      through reversible addition-fragmentation chain transfer polymerization.
AB  - Polyhedral oligomeric silsesquioxane (POSS) was utilized to prepare imprinted
      polymer through reversible addition-fragmentation chain transfer polymerization
      (RAFT) successfully. The imprinted polymer was made with a mixture of RAFT agent,
      4-vinylpyridine (4-VP), POSS monomer [PSS-(1-propylmethacrylate)-heptaisobutyl
      substituted, MA 0702], and ethylene glycol dimethacrylate (EDMA), with ketoprofen
      (KET) as template. The influence of polymerization variables, the amount of RAFT
      agent and POSS monomer, the ratio of KET to 4-VP, and the ratio of 4-VP to EDMA,
      were investigated on the retention factor and imprinting effect. The greatest
      imprinting factor of the RAFT agent-based POSS MIP was 15.2, about 1.5 times
      higher than the RAFT agent-free agent POSS MIP. The permeability, surface
      morphology, as well as pore size distribution of POSS MIP monoliths made with
      RAFT agent and without RAFT agent were also studied. The optimal MIP was applied
      to solid phase extraction for KET from commercial tablets. The mean recoveries of
      KET for RAFT-based POSS MIP was 85.2% with a relative standard deviation of 2.6%.

PMID- 28343347
TI  - Bioanalysis of farnesyl pyrophosphate in human plasma by high-performance liquid
      chromatography coupled to triple quadrupole tandem mass spectrometry and hybrid
      quadrupole Orbitrap high-resolution mass spectrometry.
AB  - The isoprenoids farnesyl pyrophosphate (FPP) and geranylgeranyl pyrophosphate
      (GGPP) are pivotal intermediates for cholesterol homeostasis and cell signaling
      in the mevalonate pathway. We developed a sensitive and selective high
      performance liquid chromatography tandem triple quadrupole mass spectrometry (LC
      QQQ-MS) method for FPP in human plasma without the need for a derivatization
      process. We optimized the sample preparation procedure to extract FPP and 13C5
      FPP (as internal standard) from sample fluids using methanol. Phosphate-buffered
      saline was used as the surrogate matrix for the preparation of calibration curves
      and quality control samples. Using an XBridge C18 column (3.5 MUm, 2.1 * 100-mm
      ID) with gradient elution composed of 10 mmol/L ammonium carbonate/ammonium
      hydroxide (1000:5, v/v) and acetonitrile/ammonium hydroxide (1000:5, v/v)
      provided the sharp peaks of FPP and 13C5-FPP in human plasma. The calibration
      curve ranged from 0.2 to 20 ng/mL in human plasma with acceptable intra-day and
      inter-day precision and accuracy. The sensitivity of this bioanalytical method
      was sufficient for clinical analysis. The endogenous FPP plasma concentrations in
      40 human healthy volunteers ascertained by LC-QQQ-MS and high-performance liquid
      chromatography tandem hybrid quadrupole Orbitrap high-resolution mass
      spectrometry (LC-Q-Orbi-MS) were comparable. Furthermore, the endogenous GGPP in
      human plasma was selectively detected for the first time by LC-Q-Orbi-MS. In
      conclusion, a sensitive bioanalytical method for FPP in human plasma by means of
      LC-QQQ-MS and LC-Q-Orbi-MS was developed in this study. Taking into account the
      versatility of LC-Q-Orbi-MS, the simultaneous detection of FPP and GGPP may be
      feasible in clinical practice.

PMID- 28343348
TI  - Process analytical techniques for hot-melt extrusion and their application to
      amorphous solid dispersions.
AB  - Newly developed active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) are often poorly soluble
      in water. As a result the bioavailability of the API in the human body is
      reduced. One approach to overcome this restriction is the formulation of
      amorphous solid dispersions (ASDs), e.g., by hot-melt extrusion (HME). Thus, the
      poorly soluble crystalline form of the API is transferred into a more soluble
      amorphous form. To reach this aim in HME, the APIs are embedded in a polymer
      matrix. The resulting amorphous solid dispersions may contain small amounts of
      residual crystallinity and have the tendency to recrystallize. For the controlled
      release of the API in the final drug product the amount of crystallinity has to
      be known. This review assesses the available analytical methods that have been
      recently used for the characterization of ASDs and the quantification of
      crystalline API content. Well-established techniques like near- and mid-infrared
      spectroscopy (NIR and MIR, respectively), Raman spectroscopy, and emerging ones
      like UV/VIS, terahertz, and ultrasonic spectroscopy are considered in detail.
      Furthermore, their advantages and limitations are discussed with regard to
      general practical applicability as process analytical technology (PAT) tools in
      industrial manufacturing. The review focuses on spectroscopic methods which have
      been proven as most suitable for in-line and on-line process analytics. Further
      aspects are spectroscopic techniques that have been or could be integrated into
      an extruder.

PMID- 28343350
TI  - An exploration of differences between Japan and two European countries in the
      self-reporting and valuation of pain and discomfort on the EQ-5D.
AB  - PURPOSE: To investigate the systematic differences in the self-reporting and
      valuation of overall health and, in particular, pain/discomfort between three
      countries (England/UK, Japan, and Spain) on the EQ-5D. METHODS: Existing datasets
      were used to explore differences in responses on the EQ-5D descriptive system
      between Japan (3L and 5L), the UK (3L), England (5L), and Spain (5L),
      particularly on the dimension of pain/discomfort. The role of different EQ
      dimensions in determining self-reported overall health scores for the EuroQol
      visual analog scale (EQ-VAS) was investigated using ordinary least squares
      regression. Time trade-off (TTO) results from Japanese and UK respondents for the
      EQ-5D-3L as well as Japanese and English respondents for the EQ-5D-5L were
      compared using t tests. RESULTS: For the EQ-5D-3L, a higher percentage of
      respondents in Japan than in the UK reported 'no pain/discomfort' (81.6 vs 67.0%,
      respectively); for the EQ-5D-5L, the proportions were 79.2% in Spain, 73.2% in
      Japan, and 63-64% in England, after adjusting for age differences in samples. The
      'pain/discomfort' dimension had the largest impact on respondents' self-reported
      EQ-VAS only for EQ-5D-3L in Japan. Using the EQ-5D-3L, Japanese respondents were
      considerably less willing to trade off time to avoid pain/discomfort than the UK
      respondents; for example, moving from health state, 11121 (some problems with
      pain/discomfort) to 11131 (extreme pain/discomfort) represented a decrement of
      0.65 on the observed TTO value in the UK compared with 0.15 in Japan. Using the
      EQ-5D-5L, Japanese respondents were also less willing to trade off time to avoid
      pain/discomfort than respondents in England; however, the difference in values
      was much smaller than that observed using EQ-5D-3L data. CONCLUSIONS: This study
      provides evidence of between-country differences in the self-reporting and
      valuation of health, including pain/discomfort, when using EQ-5D in general
      population samples. The results suggest a need for caution when comparing or
      aggregating EQ-5D self-reported data in multi-country studies.

PMID- 28343349
TI  - Modernizing quality of life assessment: development of a multidimensional
      computerized adaptive questionnaire for patients with schizophrenia.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: Quality of life (QoL) is still assessed using paper-based and fixed
      length questionnaires, which is one reason why QoL measurements have not been
      routinely implemented in clinical practice. Providing new QoL measures that
      combine computer technology with modern measurement theory may enhance their
      clinical use. The aim of this study was to develop a QoL multidimensional
      computerized adaptive test (MCAT), the SQoL-MCAT, from the fixed-length SQoL
      questionnaire for patients with schizophrenia. METHODS: In this multicentre cross
      sectional study, we collected sociodemographic information, clinical
      characteristics (i.e., duration of illness, the PANSS, and the Calgary Depression
      Scale), and quality of life (i.e., SQoL). The development of the SQoL-CAT was
      divided into three stages: (1) multidimensional item response theory (MIRT)
      analysis, (2) multidimensional computerized adaptive test (MCAT) simulations with
      analyses of accuracy and precision, and (3) external validity. RESULTS: Five
      hundred and seventeen patients participated in this study. The MIRT analysis
      found that all items displayed good fit with the multidimensional graded response
      model, with satisfactory reliability for each dimension. The SQoL-MCAT was 39%
      shorter than the fixed-length SQoL questionnaire and had satisfactory accuracy
      (levels of correlation >0.9) and precision (standard error of measurement <0.55
      and root mean square error <0.3). External validity was confirmed via
      correlations between the SQoL-MCAT dimension scores and symptomatology scores.
      CONCLUSION: The SQoL-MCAT is the first computerized adaptive QoL questionnaire
      for patients with schizophrenia. Tailored for patient characteristics and
      significantly shorter than the paper-based version, the SQoL-MCAT may improve the
      feasibility of assessing QoL in clinical practice.

PMID- 28343351
TI  - Health-related quality of life (HRQoL) and its correlates among community
      recruited children living with HIV and uninfected children born to HIV-infected
      parents in West Bengal, India.
AB  - PURPOSE: Helping children living with HIV (CLH) to attain an optimum quality of
      life is an important goal for HIV programs around the world. Our principal
      objectives were to determine the association of HIV infection with different
      domains of health-related quality of life (HRQoL) among 8- to 15-year-old CLH in
      India and to compare the HRQoL parameters between CLH and HIV-negative children
      born to HIV-infected parents ("HIV-affected"). We also assessed whether
      antiretroviral therapy (ART) and CD4 lymphocyte counts were associated with HRQoL
      among CLH. METHODS: Using the "Quality of Life (health-related) of Children
      Living with HIV/AIDS in India" instrument, we interviewed 199 CLH and 194 HIV
      affected children from three districts of West Bengal, India. Participants were
      asked to quantify the difficulties faced by them in six HRQoL domains: physical,
      emotional, social, school functioning, symptoms, and discrimination. RESULTS: The
      mean age of the participants was 11.6 (SD +/- 2.5) years. CLH, compared to HIV
      affected children, had poorer scores on all HRQoL domains except
      'discrimination.' Among CLH, there were no significant differences in HRQoL
      domain scores (except in the 'discrimination' domain) between ART-treated and 
      untreated groups. CD4 lymphocyte count was found to be a significant positive
      predictor of the 'symptom' scale score. CONCLUSIONS: In India, interventions for
      CLH mostly focus on biological disease. However, the current study revealed that
      HRQoL among CLH was much poorer than that of a socio-demographically comparable
      group. Culturally and developmentally appropriate psychosocial support measures
      for Indian CLH are urgently needed.

PMID- 28343352
TI  - The Role of Hypofractionated Radiotherapy in Prostate Cancer.
AB  - PURPOSE OF REVIEW: It is now accepted that prostate cancer has a low alpha/beta
      ratio, establishing a strong basis for hypofractionation of prostate
      radiotherapy. This review focuses on the rationale for hypofractionation and
      presents the evidence base for establishing moderate hypofractionation for
      localised disease as the new standard of care. The emerging evidence for extreme
      hypofractionation in managing localized and oligometastatic prostate cancer is
      reviewed. RECENT FINDINGS: The 5-year efficacy and toxicity outcomes from four
      phase III studies have been published within the last 12 months. These studies
      randomizing over 6000 patients to conventional fractionation (1.8-2.0 Gy per
      fraction) or moderate hypofractionation (3.0-3.4 Gy per fraction). They
      demonstrate hypofractionation to be non-inferior to conventional fractionation.
      Moderate hypofractionation for localized prostate cancer is safe and effective.
      There is a growing body of evidence in support of extreme hypofractionation for
      localized prostate cancer. Extreme hypofractionation may have a role in managing
      prostate oligometastases, but further studies are needed.

PMID- 28343353
TI  - Development, Reproduction, Survival, and Demographic Patterns of Tuta absoluta
      (Meyrick) (Lepidoptera: Gelechiidae) on Different Commercial Tomato Cultivars.
AB  - The increase in the production of tomato, Solanum lycopersicon Mill.
      (Solanaceae), has favored the proliferation of pests, especially Tuta absoluta
      (Meyrick) (Lepidoptera: Gelechiidae). In this study, the development,
      reproduction, survival, and demographic parameters of T. absoluta reared on six
      commercial tomato cultivars (Cherry, Cordilheira, Giuliana, Nemoneta, Paron, and
      Santa Clara) were evaluated. Tuta absoluta completed its development in all
      tomato cultivars. Development from newly hatched caterpillar to newly emerged
      adult varied between 24.8 and 28.2 days. Female fecundity ranged from 126.3 to
      166.9 eggs, with fertility from 54.2 to 84.1%. Mortality during egg-adult
      development varied between 21.4 and 46.4% for insects reared on cultivars Cherry
      and Giuliana, respectively. The cultivars Cordilheira, Giuliana, and Santa Clara
      are promising options to tomato producers in order to decrease the attack and
      proliferation of T. absoluta. However, the development and population growth of
      T. absoluta is faster on the tomato cultivar Cherry.

PMID- 28343354
TI  - Unusual severe case of hemolytic uremic syndrome due to Shiga toxin 2d-producing
      E. coli O80:H2.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS) is one of the most common causes of
      acute renal failure in children, with the majority of cases caused by an
      infection with Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC). Whereas O157 is
      still the predominant STEC serotype, non-O157 serotypes are increasingly
      associated with STEC-HUS. However, little is known about this emerging and highly
      diverse group of non-O157 serotypes. With supportive therapy, STEC-HUS is often
      self-limiting, with occurrence of chronic sequelae in just a small proportion of
      patients. CASE DIAGNOSIS/TREATMENT: In this case report, we describe a 16-month
      old boy with a highly severe and atypical presentation of STEC-HUS. Despite the
      presentation with multi-organ failure and extensive involvement of central
      nervous system due to extensive thrombotic microangiopathy (suggestive of
      atypical HUS), fecal diagnostics revealed an infection with the rare serotype:
      shiga toxin 2d-producing STEC O80:H2. CONCLUSIONS: This report underlines the
      importance of STEC diagnostic tests in all children with HUS, including those
      with an atypical presentation, and emphasizes the importance of molecular and
      serotyping assays to estimate the virulence of an STEC strain.

PMID- 28343355
TI  - Anti-C1q autoantibodies as markers of renal involvement in childhood-onset
      systemic lupus erythematosus.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Childhood-onset systemic lupus erythematosus (cSLE) is rare, and
      considered more severe than its adult-onset counterpart. Lupus nephritis (LN)
      occurs more frequently in children, accounting for higher long-term morbidity and
      mortality compared with adults. Thus, reliable biological markers are needed to
      predict disease course. This study aimed to investigate the capacity of anti-C1q
      autoantibodies (Abs) to predict renal flare and global disease activity in cSLE
      patients, and association with disease activity and kidney involvement. METHODS:
      Twenty-eight patients with cSLE including 19 patients (68%) with a history of LN
      were included retrospectively. Anti-C1q Abs were analysed by ELISA at renal flare
      up or in the quiescent phase of disease and compared with Farr dsDNA assay.
      RESULTS: Thirty-one flares occurred during follow-up: anti-C1q Abs were positive
      in 26 (84%), strongly associated with active disease status (p < 0.0001), and
      correlated with global disease activity score (p < 0.0001) and anti-dsDNA Abs
      presence (p < 0.0001). The specificity of anti-C1q Abs was higher than anti-dsDNA
      (73% vs 19%) in discriminating LN patients, whereas the receiver operating
      characteristic curves were not statistically different (0.83 +/- 0.06 vs 0.78 +/-
      0.08 respectively), similar to C3 dosage. The presence of anti-C1q Abs at
      diagnosis was not predictive for global or renal flare. Introduction of a
      modified SLEDAI score excluding dsDNA Abs, demonstrated a stronger correlation of
      anti-C1q Abs titres with SLEDAI score in comparison with the Farr test.
      CONCLUSION: Anti-C1q Abs seem very specific to flares, including LN in children,
      and their role in daily practice compared with the Farr dsDNA assay needs to be
      defined.

PMID- 28343356
TI  - Development of a novel strategy to target CD39 antithrombotic activity to the
      endothelial-platelet microenvironment in kidney ischemia-reperfusion injury.
AB  - Kidney ischemia-reperfusion injury (IRI) is common during transplantation. IRI is
      characterised by inflammation and thrombosis and associated with acute and
      chronic graft dysfunction. P-selectin and its ligand PSGL-1 are cell adhesion
      molecules that control leukocyte-endothelial and leukocyte-platelet interactions
      under inflammatory conditions. CD39 is the dominant vascular nucleotidase that
      facilitates adenosine generation via extracellular ATP/ADP-phosphohydrolysis.
      Adenosine signalling is protective in renal IRI, but CD39 catalytic activity is
      lost with exposure to oxidant stress. We designed a P-selectin targeted CD39
      molecule (rsol.CD39-PSGL-1) consisting of recombinant soluble CD39 that
      incorporates 20 residues of PSGL-1 that bind P-selectin. We hypothesised that
      rsol.CD39-PSGL-1 would maintain endothelial integrity by focusing the
      ectonucleotidase platelet-inhibitory activity and reducing leukocyte adhesion at
      the injury site. The rsol.CD39-PSGL-1 displayed ADPase activity and inhibited
      platelet aggregation ex vivo, as well as bound with high specificity to soluble P
      selectin and platelet surface P-selectin. Importantly, mice injected with
      rsol.CD39-PSGL-1 and subjected to renal IRI showed significantly less kidney
      damage both biochemically and histologically, compared to those injected with
      solCD39. Furthermore, the equivalent dose of rsol.CD39-PSGL-1 had no effect on
      tail template bleeding times. Hence, targeting recombinant CD39 to the injured
      vessel wall via PSGL-1 binding resulted in substantial preservation of renal
      function and morphology after IRI without toxicity. These studies indicate
      potential translational importance to clinical transplantation and nephrology.

PMID- 28343357
TI  - Gut Microbiome in Chronic Kidney Disease.
AB  - With over 100 trillion microbial cells, the gut microbiome plays important roles
      in both the maintenance of health and the pathogenesis of disease. Gut microbiome
      dysbiosis, resulted from alteration of composition and function of the gut
      microbiome and disruption of gut barrier function, is commonly seen in patients
      with chronic kidney disease (CKD). The dysbiotic gut microbiome generates
      excessive amounts of uremic toxins, and the impaired intestinal barrier permits
      translocation of these toxins into the systemic circulation. Many of these uremic
      toxins have been implicated in the progression of CKD and increased
      cardiovascular risk. Various therapeutic interventions have been proposed that
      aim to restore gut microbiome symbiosis. If proven effective, these interventions
      will have a significant impact on the management of CKD patients. In this review,
      we discuss the consequences of gut microbiome dysbiosis in the context of CKD,
      discuss the consequences of gut dysbiosis, and highlight some of the recent
      interventions targeting the gut microbiome for therapeutic purposes.

PMID- 28343358
TI  - Expression of the cyanobacterial enzyme cyanase increases cyanate metabolism and
      cyanate tolerance in Arabidopsis.
AB  - Cyanate and its derivatives are considered as environmental hazardous materials.
      Cyanate is released to the environment through many chemical industries and
      mining wastewater. Cyanase enzyme converts cyanate into CO2 and NH3 in a
      bicarbonate-dependent reaction. At low cyanate concentrations, the endogenous
      plant cyanases play a vital role in cyanate detoxification. However, such cyanate
      biodegradation system is probably insufficient due to the excess cyanate
      concentrations at contaminated sites. In this study, we have transferred the
      activity of the cyanobacterial cyanase into Arabidopsis thaliana plants in order
      to enhance plant resistance against cyanate toxicity. The enzyme was shown to be
      active in planta. Transgenic plants exposed to cyanate, either applied by foliar
      spray or supplemented in growth medium, showed less reduction in pigment
      contents, antioxidant enzymes, carbohydrate contents, and reduced levels of plant
      growth retardation. Plant growth assays under cyanate stress showed enhanced
      growth and biomass accumulation in cyanase overexpressors compared to control
      plants. Results of this study provide evidence for developing novel eco-friendly
      phytoremediation systems for cyanate detoxification.

PMID- 28343359
TI  - Characterization of PM2.5 chemical composition at the Demokritos suburban
      station, in Athens Greece. The influence of Saharan dust.
AB  - The aim of this work is to study the atmospheric concentrations of selected major
      and trace elements and ions found in PM2.5, at a suburban site in Athens, Greece,
      and discuss on the impact of the different sources. Special focus is given to the
      influence of Saharan dust episodes. The seasonal variability in the metal and ion
      concentrations is also examined. The results show that PM2.5 mass concentrations
      are significantly influenced by Saharan dust events; it is observed that when the
      PM2.5 concentration is higher than 25 MUg/m3, five out of six times, the air mass
      crossed North Africa at an altitude within the boundary layer. Fe is found to be
      the element with the more significant seasonal variability, displaying much
      higher concentrations during cold period. The frequent Saharan dust intrusions in
      the cold period of this dataset may explain this result. Mineral dust and
      secondary aerosol are the main PM2.5 components (29 and 34%, respectively).
      During Saharan dust events, the concentration of mineral dust is increased by 35%
      compared to the days without dust intrusions, while an increase of 68% of the sea
      salt is also observed. During event days, PM2.5 concentrations are also increased
      by 14%. Anthropogenic components do not decrease during those days, while sulfate
      displays even a slight increase, suggesting enrichment of mineral dust with
      secondary sulfates. The results indicate that African dust intrusions add a
      rather significant PM pollution load even in the PM2.5 fraction, with implication
      to population exposure and human health.

PMID- 28343360
TI  - Tsunami run-up and inundation along the coast of Sabah and Sarawak, Malaysia due
      to a potential Brunei submarine mass failure.
AB  - Submarine landslides, also known as submarine mass failures (SMFs), are major
      natural marine disasters that could critically damage coastal facilities such as
      nuclear power plants and oil and gas platforms. It is therefore essential to
      investigate submarine landslides for potential tsunami hazard assessment. Three
      dimensional seismic data from offshore Brunei have revealed a giant seabed mass
      deposited by a previous SMF. The submarine mass extends over 120 km from the
      continental slope of the Baram Canyon at 200 m water depth to the deep basin
      floor of the Northwest Borneo Trough. A suite of in-house two-dimensional depth
      averaged tsunami simulation model TUNA (Tsunami-tracking Utilities and
      Application) is developed to assess the vulnerability of coastal communities in
      Sabah and Sarawak subject to potential SMF tsunami. The submarine slide is
      modeled as a rigid body moving along a planar slope with the center of mass
      motion parallel to the planar slope and subject to external forces due to added
      mass, gravity, and dissipation. The nonlinear shallow water equations are
      utilized to simulate tsunami propagation from deepwater up to the shallow
      offshore areas. A wetting-drying algorithm is used when a tsunami wave reaches
      the shoreline to compute run up of tsunami along the shoreline. Run-up wave
      height and inundation maps are provided for seven densely populated locations in
      Sabah and Sarawak to highlight potential risks at each location, subject to two
      scenarios of slide slopes: 2 degrees  and 4 degrees . The first wave may arrive
      at Kudat as early as 0.4 h after the SMF, giving local communities little time to
      evacuate. Over a small area, maximum inundated depths reaching 20.3 m at Kudat,
      26.1 m at Kota Kinabalu, and 15.5 m at Miri are projected, while the maximum
      inundation distance of 4.86 km is expected at Miri due to its low-lying coast. In
      view of the vulnerability of some locations to the SMF tsunami, it is important
      to develop and implement community resilience program to reduce the potential
      damage that could be inflicted by SMF tsunamis.

PMID- 28343361
TI  - Genetic dissociation of morphine analgesia from hyperalgesia in mice.
AB  - RATIONALE: Morphine is the prototypic mu opioid, producing its analgesic actions
      through traditional 7 transmembrane domain (7TM) G-protein-coupled receptors
      generated by the mu opioid receptor gene (Oprm1). However, the Oprm1 gene
      undergoes extensive alternative splicing to yield three structurally distinct
      sets of splice variants. In addition to the full-length 7TM receptors, it
      produces a set of truncated variants comprised of only 6 transmembrane domains
      (6TM). OBJECTIVES: This study explored the relative contributions of 7TM and 6TM
      variants in a range of morphine actions. METHODS: Groups of male and mixed-gender
      wild-type and exon 11 Oprm1 knockout mice were examined in a series of behavioral
      assays measuring analgesia, hyperalgesia, respiration, and reward in conditioned
      place preference assays. RESULTS: Loss of the 6TM variants in an exon 11 knockout
      (E11 KO) mouse did not affect morphine analgesia, reward, or respiratory
      depression. However, E11 KO mice lacking 6TM variants failed to show morphine
      induced hyperalgesia, developed tolerance more slowly than wild-type mice, and
      did not display hyperlocomotion. CONCLUSIONS: Together, our findings confirm the
      established role of 7TM mu receptor variants in morphine analgesia, reward, and
      respiratory depression, but reveal an unexpected obligatory role for 6TM variants
      in morphine-induced hyperalgesia and a modulatory role in morphine tolerance and
      dependence.

PMID- 28343362
TI  - Climate controls over ecosystem metabolism: insights from a fifteen-year
      inductive artificial neural network synthesis for a subalpine forest.
AB  - Eddy covariance (EC) datasets have provided insight into climate determinants of
      net ecosystem productivity (NEP) and evapotranspiration (ET) in natural
      ecosystems for decades, but most EC studies were published in serial fashion such
      that one study's result became the following study's hypothesis. This approach
      reflects the hypothetico-deductive process by focusing on previously derived
      hypotheses. A synthesis of this type of sequential inference reiterates
      subjective biases and may amplify past assumptions about the role, and relative
      importance, of controls over ecosystem metabolism. Long-term EC datasets
      facilitate an alternative approach to synthesis: the use of inductive data-based
      analyses to re-examine past deductive studies of the same ecosystem. Here we
      examined the seasonal climate determinants of NEP and ET by analyzing a 15-year
      EC time-series from a subalpine forest using an ensemble of Artificial Neural
      Networks (ANNs) at the half-day (daytime/nighttime) time-step. We extracted
      relative rankings of climate drivers and driver-response relationships directly
      from the dataset with minimal a priori assumptions. The ANN analysis revealed
      temperature variables as primary climate drivers of NEP and daytime ET, when all
      seasons are considered, consistent with the assembly of past studies. New
      relations uncovered by the ANN approach include the role of soil moisture in
      driving daytime NEP during the snowmelt period, the nonlinear response of NEP to
      temperature across seasons, and the low relevance of summer rainfall for NEP or
      ET at the same daytime/nighttime time step. These new results offer a more
      complete perspective of climate-ecosystem interactions at this site than
      traditional deductive analyses alone.

PMID- 28343363
TI  - Sample pooling for real-time PCR detection and virulence determination of the
      footrot pathogen Dichelobacter nodosus.
AB  - Dichelobacter nodosus is the principal cause of ovine footrot and strain
      virulence is an important factor in disease severity. Therefore, detection and
      virulence determination of D. nodosus is important for proper diagnosis of the
      disease. Today this is possible by real-time PCR analysis. Analysis of large
      numbers of samples is costly and laborious; therefore, pooling of individual
      samples is common in surveillance programs. However, pooling can reduce the
      sensitivity of the method. The aim of this study was to develop a pooling method
      for real-time PCR analysis that would allow sensitive detection and simultaneous
      virulence determination of D. nodosus. A total of 225 sheep from 17 flocks were
      sampled using ESwabs within the Swedish Footrot Control Program in 2014. Samples
      were first analysed individually and then in pools of five by real-time PCR
      assays targeting the 16S rRNA and aprV2/B2 genes of D. nodosus. Each pool
      consisted of four negative and one positive D. nodosus samples with varying
      amounts of the bacterium. In the individual analysis, 61 (27.1%) samples were
      positive in the 16S rRNA and the aprV2/B2 PCR assays and 164 (72.9%) samples were
      negative. All samples positive in the aprV2/B2 PCR-assay were of aprB2 variant.
      The pooled analysis showed that all 41 pools were also positive for D. nodosus
      16S rRNA and the aprB2 variant. The diagnostic sensitivity for pooled and
      individual samples was therefore similar. Our method includes concentration of
      the bacteria before DNA-extraction. This may account for the maintenance of
      diagnostic sensitivity. Diagnostic sensitivity in the real-time PCR assays of the
      pooled samples were comparable to the sensitivity obtained for individually
      analysed samples. Even sub-clinical infections were able to be detected in the
      pooled PCR samples which is important for control of the disease. This method may
      therefore be implemented in footrot control programs where it can replace
      analysis of individual samples.

PMID- 28343364
TI  - Comparison between the effect of 6 weeks of morning or evening aerobic exercise
      on appetite and anthropometric indices: a randomized controlled trial.
AB  - Several studies have shown that exercise is directly related to creating negative
      energy balance and changes in appetite. However, few studies have examined the
      effect of exercise time during the day on these factors. The aim of the present
      study was to demonstrate the effect of 6 weeks of morning and evening aerobic
      exercise on appetite and anthropometric indices. A total of 48 overweight females
      were recruited to this clinical trial. By the time of exercise, they were divided
      into two groups (morning or evening) and performed 6 weeks of exercise with a
      target heart rate on the ventilatory threshold. Appetite change, calorie intake
      and anthropometric indices were assessed. Consistent changes in appetite scores
      were not found during the 6 weeks (P > 0.05). Calorie consumption of the morning
      group decreased significantly more than that of the evening group (P = 0.02)
      during the 6 weeks. In addition, significant changes in body weight, body mass
      index, abdominal skin fold thickness and abdominal circumference were seen in the
      morning group. It appears that moderate- to high-intensity aerobic exercise in
      the morning could be considered a more effective programme than evening exercise
      on appetite control, calorie intake and weight loss in inactive overweight women.
      However, the limitations of the study, such as short-term duration, should be
      noticed.

PMID- 28343365
TI  - SOX10 immunohistochemistry in sweat ductal/glandular neoplasms.
AB  - BACKGROUND: SOX10 is a newer Schwannian and melanocytic marker that has generated
      great interest for its relative sensitivity and specificity in the diagnosis of
      neural crest-derived tumors. Previous studies with SOX10 have shown positive
      immunohistochemical expression in cutaneous eccrine glands and negative
      expression in eccrine ducts, apocrine glands and hair follicles. Thus, we
      hypothesized that some sweat gland tumors of presumed eccrine origin would be
      positive for SOX10, whereas apocrine-derived sweat gland tumors would not.
      METHODS: A mouse monoclonal anti-SOX10 (clone BC34: Biocare Medical; Concord,
      California) immunohistochemical antibody was performed on various sweat gland
      tumors and basal cell carcinoma. RESULTS: SOX10 showed positivity in spiradenomas
      (13/13), cylindromas (9/10), hidradenoma papilliferum (10/10), syringocystadenoma
      papilliferum (8/10), apocrine adenomas (8/10), and negativity in poromas (0/12),
      syringomas (0/10), and basal cell carcinomas (0/13). There was mixed staining of
      hidradenomas (6/15). CONCLUSIONS: SOX10 immunohistochemistry may be of utility in
      distinguishing some of the varying adnexal tumors from each other, and from basal
      cell carcinoma (BCC), but given the staining of both apocrine and eccrine tumors,
      does not seem to provide information as to their origins as either eccrine or
      apocrine tumors.

PMID- 28343367
TI  - Magnetic resonance imaging features of leukoaraiosis in elderly dogs.
AB  - Leukoaraiosis is a descriptive term used to designate bilateral, symmetrical,
      white matter lesions identified in brains of elderly human patients. These
      lesions are isointense to normal in magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) T1-weighted
      pulse sequences, non-contrast enhancing, and hyperintense in T2-weighted and
      FLAIR pulse sequences. Pathophysiologic mechanisms for leukoaraiosis remain
      incompletely understood; however, an ischemic origin is currently being favored.
      Age-related changes, such as brain atrophy, ventricular enlargement, and well
      demarcated sulci, have also been previously described in dogs over 9 years of
      age. Objectives of this retrospective case series study were to describe MRI
      features of leukoaraiosis and brain atrophy in a group of elderly dogs. The Dick
      White Referrals MRI database between October 2009 and April 2016 was reviewed.
      Dogs with bilaterally symmetrical periventricular areas of T2 and FLAIR
      hyperintensity compatible with leukoaraiosis, and older than 9 years, were
      included. Fourteen dogs met the inclusion criteria, with a total of 18 MRI
      studies available for review. Median age for sampled dogs was 13 years. Ten dogs
      had MRI signs of concurrent brain atrophy; one of them had signs of brain atrophy
      before leukoaraiotic changes could be identified. In those cases where serial
      MRIs were available, progressive reduction of interthalamic adhesion thickness
      was observed. The current study introduces leukoaraiosis as a descriptive term
      for the MRI sign of bilaterally symmetrical, periventricular T2, and FLAIR
      hyperintensities in brains of elderly dogs. Future studies are needed to
      determine pathophysiologic mechanisms for this MRI sign.

PMID- 28343368
TI  - A focus on Rome III criteria for the assessment of constipation in Parkinson's
      disease.

PMID- 28343369
TI  - Heavier birth weight associated with taller height but not age at menarche in US
      women born 1991-1998.
AB  - OBJECTIVES: Heavier birth weight predicts taller adult height, but it remains
      unknown the extent to which this additional height increment results from a
      faster average growth rate versus an extension of the growth period. Aiming to
      distinguish these effects, this study examined associations between birth weight
      (BW), age at menarche (an established proxy for growth duration), and near-adult
      height in a cohort of US young women born in the 1990s. METHODS: Multiple
      regression evaluated age-adjusted height as an outcome of BW, age at menarche,
      indicators of family socioeconomic status, and other potential confounders in a
      sample of US teens who participated in the National Health and Nutrition
      Examination Survey between 2007 and 2012 (N = 342). Relevant interactions were
      also evaluated. RESULTS: Mean +/- SD was 11.9 +/- 1.2 years and 3262 +/- 592 g
      for age at menarche and BW, respectively. BW did not predict age at menarche
      (beta = -.01, p = .838). Girls were 1.3 cm taller per year delay in menarche (p <
      .001) and 2.9 cm taller per 1 kg increase in BW (p < .001). Additionally, the
      greatest gain in height associated with delayed menarche was observed among the
      heaviest BW quartile. CONCLUSIONS: Girls born heavier were taller but experienced
      menarche at similar ages to girls born lighter. To the extent that age at
      menarche reflected growth duration, these results demonstrate faster average
      growth among heavier-born girls. Consistent with fetal programming of average
      growth rate, these results held after adjustment for confounders of postnatal
      growth like family socioeconomic status.

PMID- 28343370
TI  - The Esthetic and Psychologic Benefits of an Intraoperative Provisional
      Restoration.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: When multiple visible teeth are prepared, the prolonged treatment time
      may lead to patients needing a break that requires them to leave the operatory.
      Such a situation allows the patient to view their prepared teeth, a process that
      can be disconcerting to some patients. CLINICAL CONSIDERATIONS: An intraoperative
      provisional restoration can be made by using a thermoplastic vacuum-formed matrix
      of the patient's teeth that is filled with white-colored impression material and
      then placed over the prepared teeth to form a provisional restoration.
      CONCLUSIONS: The use of an intraoperative provisional restoration can be
      effectively used to cover prepared teeth while providing normal tooth morphology
      and facial appearance after preparation of visible teeth. CLINICAL SIGNIFICANCE:
      When visible teeth are prepared, an intraoperative provisional restoration can be
      used to cover the prepared teeth and prevent concerned patients from viewing
      their prepared teeth. (J Esthet Restor Dent 29:189-192, 2017).

PMID- 28343366
TI  - Motor learning in animal models of Parkinson's disease: Aberrant synaptic
      plasticity in the motor cortex.
AB  - In Parkinson's disease (PD), dopamine depletion causes major changes in the
      brain, resulting in the typical cardinal motor features of the disease. PD
      neuropathology has been restricted to postmortem examinations, which are limited
      to only a single time of PD progression. Models of PD in which dopamine tone in
      the brain is chemically or physically disrupted are valuable tools in
      understanding the mechanisms of the disease. The basal ganglia have been well
      studied in the context of PD, and circuit changes in response to dopamine loss
      have been linked to the motor dysfunctions in PD. However, the etiology of the
      cognitive dysfunctions that are comorbid in PD patients has remained unclear
      until now. In this article, we review recent studies exploring how dopamine
      depletion affects the motor cortex at the synaptic level. In particular, we
      highlight our recent findings on abnormal spine dynamics in the motor cortex of
      PD mouse models through in vivo time-lapse imaging and motor skill behavior
      assays. In combination with previous studies, a role of the motor cortex in skill
      learning and the impairment of this ability with the loss of dopamine are
      becoming more apparent. Taken together, we conclude with a discussion on the
      potential role for the motor cortex in PD, with the possibility of targeting the
      motor cortex for future PD therapeutics. (c) 2017 International Parkinson and
      Movement Disorder Society.

PMID- 28343371
TI  - Response to Expression of Programmed Cell Death-1 and Its Ligand B7 Homolog 1 in
      Peripheral Blood Lymphocytes From Patients With Peripartum Cardiomyopathy.

PMID- 28343372
TI  - East of the Andes: The genetic profile of the Peruvian Amazon populations.
AB  - OBJECTIVES: Assuming that the differences between the Andes and the Amazon
      rainforest at environmental and historical levels have influenced the
      distribution patterns of genes, languages, and cultures, the maternal and
      paternal genetic reconstruction of the Peruvian Amazon populations was used to
      test the relationships within and between these two extreme environments.
      MATERIALS AND METHODS: We analyzed four Peruvian Amazon communities (Ashaninka,
      Huambisa, Cashibo, and Shipibo) for both Y chromosome (17 STRs and 8 SNPs) and
      mtDNA data (control region sequences, two diagnostic sites of the coding region,
      and one INDEL), and we studied their variability against the rest of South
      America. RESULTS: We detected a high degree of genetic diversity in the Peruvian
      Amazon people, both for mtDNA than for Y chromosome, excepting for Cashibo
      people, who seem to have had no exchanges with their neighbors, in contrast with
      the others communities. The genetic structure follows the divide between the
      Andes and the Amazon, but we found a certain degree of gene flow between these
      two environments, as particularly emerged with the Y chromosome descent cluster's
      (DCs) analysis. DISCUSSION: The Peruvian Amazon is home to an array of
      populations with differential rates of genetic exchanges with their neighbors and
      with the Andean people, depending on their peculiar demographic histories. We
      highlighted some successful Y chromosome lineages expansions originated in Peru
      during the pre-Columbian history which involved both Andeans and Amazon Arawak
      people, showing that at least a part of the Amazon rainforest did not remain
      isolated from those exchanges.

PMID- 28343374
TI  - Article update.

PMID- 28343373
TI  - Weighted win loss approach for analyzing prioritized outcomes.
AB  - To analyze prioritized outcomes, Buyse (2010) and Pocock et al. (2012) proposed
      the win loss approach. In this paper, we first study the relationship between the
      win loss approach and the traditional survival analysis on the time to the first
      event. We then propose the weighted win loss statistics to improve the efficiency
      of the unweighted methods. A closed-form variance estimator of the weighted win
      loss statistics is derived to facilitate hypothesis testing and study design. We
      also calculated the contribution index to better interpret the results of the
      weighted win loss approach. Simulation studies and real data analysis
      demonstrated the characteristics of the proposed statistics. Copyright (c) 2017
      John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

PMID- 28343375
TI  - FOXO1 Suppression is a Determinant of Acquired Lapatinib-Resistance in HER2
      Positive Gastric Cancer Cells Through MET Upregulation.
AB  - PURPOSE: Lapatinib is a candidate drug for treatment of trastuzumab-resistant,
      human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2)-positive gastric cancer (GC).
      Unfortunately, lapatinib resistance renders this drug ineffective. The present
      study investigated the implication of forkhead box O1 (FOXO1) signaling in the
      acquired lapatinib resistance in HER2-positive GC cells. MATERIALS AND METHODS:
      Lapatinib-resistant GC cell lines (SNU-216 LR2-8) were generated in vitro by
      chronic exposure of lapatinib-sensitive, HER2-positive SNU-216 cells to
      lapatinib. SNU-216 LR cells with FOXO1 overexpression were generated by stable
      transfection of a constitutively active FOXO1 mutant (FOXO1A3). HER2 and MET in
      SNU-216 LR cells were downregulated using RNA interference. The sensitivity of GC
      cells to lapatinib and/or cisplatin was determined by crystal violet assay. In
      addition, Western blot analysis, luciferase reporter assay and reverse
      transcription-polymerase chain reaction were performed. RESULTS: SNU-216 LR cells
      showed upregulations of HER2 and MET, but downregulation of FOXO1 compared to
      parental SNU-216 cells. FOXO1 overexpression in SNU-216 LR cells significantly
      suppressed resistance to lapatinib and/or cisplatin. In addition, FOXO1
      negatively controlled HER2 and MET at the transcriptional level and was
      negatively controlled by these molecules at the post-transcriptional level. A
      positive crosstalk was shown between HER2 and MET, each of which increased
      resistance to lapatinib and/or cisplatin. CONCLUSION: FOXO1 serves as an
      important linker between HER2 and MET signaling pathways through negative
      crosstalks and is a key regulator of the acquired lapatinib resistance in HER2
      positive GC cells. These findings provide a rationale for establishing a novel
      treatment strategy to overcome lapatinib resistance in a subtype of GC patients.

PMID- 28343376
TI  - Ruthenium-106 Brachytherapy with or without Additional Local Therapy Shows
      Favorable Outcome for Variable-Sized Choroidal Melanomas in Korean Patients.
AB  - PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to report clinical outcomes of ruthenium
      106 (106Ru) brachytherapy with or without additional local therapy for choroidal
      melanomas in Korean patients. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A total of 88 patients
      diagnosed with choroidal melanomas were treated with 106Ru brachytherapy between
      2006 and 2012. Patients were divided into two groups according to their tumor
      height: a large group (>= 6 mm, n=50) and a small group (< 6 mm, n=38). Most
      patients in the large group received combined therapy with local excision and/or
      transpupillary thermotherapy. In general, 85-95 Gy was administered to the apex
      of the tumor, while 100 Gy was administered to the point 2-6 mm from the outer
      surface of the sclera for patients undergoing combined therapy. RESULTS: The
      median follow-up duration was 30 months. The 3-year local control rate was
      significantly higher in the small group than in the large group (94% vs. 70%,
      p=0.047). The free from distant metastasis (FFDM) rate and the overall survival
      (OS) rate were also higher in patients in the small group (3-year FFDM, 97% vs.
      76%; p=0.031 and 3-year OS, 97% vs. 72%; p=0.036). A total of 13 patients
      underwent enucleation. The eye-preservation rate was also higher in the small
      group (3-year eye-preservation rate, 94% vs. 70%; p=0.050), and tumor height was
      a significant prognostic factor for eye-preservation. CONCLUSION: 106Ru
      brachytherapy showed favorable outcomes in small choroidal melanomas in Korean
      patients. Although additional local treatment could improve eye-preservation rate
      for large tumors, other strategies should be considered for disease control.

PMID- 28343377
TI  - Protein Kinase C Mediates the Corticosterone-induced Sensitization of Dorsal Root
      Ganglion Neurons Innervating the Rat Stomach.
AB  - Background/Aims: Gastric hypersensitivity contributes to abdominal pain in
      patients with functional dyspepsia. Recent studies showed that hormones induced
      by stress are correlated with visceral hypersensitivity. However, the precise
      mechanisms underlying gastric hypersensitivity remain largely unknown. The aim of
      the present study was designed to investigate the roles of corticosterone (CORT)
      on excitability of dorsal root ganglion (DRG) neurons innervating the stomach.
      Methods: DRG neurons innervating the stomach were labeled by DiI injection into
      the stomach wall. Patch clamp recordings were employed to examine neural
      excitability and voltage-gated sodium channel currents. Electromyograph technique
      was used to determine the responses of neck muscles to gastric distension.
      Results: Incubation of acutely isolated DRG neurons with CORT significantly
      depolarized action potential threshold and enhanced the number of action
      potentials induced by current stimulation of the neuron. Under voltage-clamp
      mode, incubation of CORT enhanced voltage-gated sodium current density of the
      recorded neurons. Pre-incubation of GF109203X, an inhibitor of protein kinase C,
      blocked the CORT-induced hyperexcitability and potentiation of sodium currents.
      However, pre-incubation of H-89, an inhibitor of protein kinase A, did not alter
      the sodium current density. More importantly, intraperitoneal injection of CORT
      produced gastric hypersensitivity of healthy rats, which was blocked by pre
      administration of GF109203X but not H-89. Conclusions: Our data strongly suggest
      that CORT rapidly enhanced neuronal excitability and sodium channel functions,
      which is most likely mediated by protein kinase C but not protein kinase A
      signaling pathway in DRG neurons innervating the stomach, thus underlying the
      gastric hypersensitivity induced by CORT injection.

PMID- 28343378
TI  - Adipose-Derived Stem Cells Suppress Inflammation Induced by IL-1beta through Down
      Regulation of P2X7R Mediated by miR-373 in Chondrocytes of Osteoarthritis.
AB  - Adipose-derived stem cells (ADSCs) were previously considered to have an anti
      inflammatory effect, and Interleukin-1beta (IL-1beta) was found to be a pro
      inflammatory factor in chondrocytes, but the mechanism underlying ADSCs and IL
      1beta is unclear. In this study, we investigate whether P2X7 receptor (P2X7R)
      signalling, regulated by microRNA 373 (miR-373), was involved in the ADSCs and IL
      1beta mediated inflammation in osteoarthritis (OA). Chondrocytes were collected
      from 20 OA patients and 20 control participants, and ADSCs were collected from
      patients who had undergone abdominal surgery. The typical surface molecules of
      ASDCs were detected by flow cytometry. The level of nitric oxide (NO) was
      determined by Griess reagent. Concentrations of prostaglandin E2 (PGE2),
      interleukin 6 (IL-6), matrix metallopeptidase 3 (MMP-3) were detected by enzyme
      linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). The expressions of IL-6, MMP-3, miR-373 and
      P2X7R were determined by real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR), and Western
      blot was used to detect the protein expression of P2X7R. The typical potential
      characters of ADSCs were verified. In chondrocytes or OA tissues, the miR-373
      expression level was decreased, but the P2X7R expression was increased. IL-1beta
      stimulation increased the level of inflammatory factors in OA chondrocytes, and
      ADSCs co-cultured with IL-1beta-stimulated chondrocytes decreased the
      inflammation. OA chondrocytes transfected with the miR-373 inhibitor increased
      the inflammation level. The miR-373 mimic suppressed the inflammation by
      targeting P2X7R and regulated its expression, while its effect was reversed by
      overexpression of P2X7R. IL-1beta induced inflammation in OA chondrocytes, while
      ADSCs seemed to inhibit the expression of P2X7R that was regulated by miR-373 and
      involved in the anti-inflammatory process in OA.

PMID- 28343380
TI  - Ratiometric Visualization of NO/H2S Cross-Talk in Living Cells and Tissues Using
      a Nitroxyl-Responsive Two-Photon Fluorescence Probe.
AB  - It is of scientific significance to explore the intricate relationship between
      two crucial gasotransmitters nitric oxide (NO) and hydrogen sulfide (H2S) because
      they exert similar and interdependent biological actions within the living
      organisms. Nevertheless, visualization of the NO/H2S crosstalk using effective
      molecular imaging tools remains challenging. To address this issue, and given
      that nitroxyl (HNO) has been implicated as the interdependent production of NO
      and H2S via a network of cascading chemical reactions, we herein design a
      ratiometric two-photon fluorescent probe for HNO, termed TP-Rho-HNO, which
      consists of benzo[h]chromene-rhodol scaffold as two-photon energy transfer
      cassette with phosphine moiety as specific HNO recognition unit. The newly
      proposed probe has been successfully applied in ratiometric two-photon bioimaging
      of endogenous HNO derived from NO and H2S interaction in the human umbilical vein
      cells (HUVECs) and as well as in rat brain tissues. Intriguingly, the imaging
      results consistently demonstrate that the mutually dependent upgeneration of H2S
      and NO are present in living biosystems, indicating that this molecular probe
      would provide a powerful approach to elucidate the chemical foundation for the
      anfractuous cross-talk between the NO and H2S signaling pathways in biology.

PMID- 28343379
TI  - Hepatitis C Virus Nonstructural 5A Protein (HCV-NS5A) Inhibits Hepatocyte
      Apoptosis through the NF-kappab/miR-503/bcl-2 Pathway.
AB  - The nonstructural protein 5A (NS5A) encoded by the human hepatitis C virus (HCV)
      RNA genome is a multifunctional phosphoprotein. To analyse the influence of NS5A
      on apoptosis, we established an Hep-NS5A cell line (HepG2 cells that stably
      express NS5A) and induced apoptosis using tumour necrosis factor (TNF)-alpha. We
      utilised the MTT assay to detect cell viability, real-time quantitative
      polymerase chain reaction and Western blot to analyse gene and protein
      expression, and a luciferase reporter gene experiment to investigate the targeted
      regulatory relationship. Chromatin immunoprecipitation was used to identify the
      combination of NF-kappaB and miR-503. We found that overexpression of NS5A
      inhibited TNF-alphainduced hepatocellular apoptosis via regulating miR-503
      expression. The cell viability of the TNF-alpha induced Hep-mock cells was
      significantly less than the viability of the TNF-alpha induced Hep-NS5A cells,
      which demonstrates that NS5A inhibited TNF-alpha-induced HepG2 cell apoptosis.
      Under TNF-alpha treatment, miR-503 expression was decreased and cell viability
      and B-cell lymphoma 2 (bcl-2) expression were increased in the Hep-NS5A cells.
      Moreover, the luciferase reporter gene experiment verified that bcl-2 was a
      direct target of miR-503, NS5A inhibited TNF-alpha-induced NF-kappaB activation
      and NF-kappaB regulated miR-503 transcription by combining with the miR-503
      promoter. After the Hep-NS5A cells were transfected with miR-503 mimics, the data
      indicated that the mimics could reverse TNF-alpha-induced cell apoptosis and blc
      2 expression. Collectively, our findings suggest a possible molecular mechanism
      that may contribute to HCV treatment in which NS5A inhibits NF-kappaB activation
      to decrease miR-503 expression and increase bcl-2 expression, which leads to a
      decrease in hepatocellular apoptosis.

PMID- 28343382
TI  - Associations among Protein Biomarkers and pH and Color Traits in Longissimus
      thoracis and Rectus abdominis Muscles in Protected Designation of Origin Maine
      Anjou Cull Cows.
AB  - This study investigated the relationships among a list of 23 protein biomarkers
      with CIE-L*a*b* meat color traits and ultimate pH on Longissimus thoracis (LT)
      and Rectus abdominis (RA) muscles of 48 protected designation of origin Maine
      Anjou cows. The technological parameters were correlated with several biomarkers
      and were in some cases muscle-dependent. More biomarkers were related to pHu in
      LT than in RA muscle. Some consistencies were found, by the common correlation of
      pHu with MyHC-IIa and MyHC-IIx. The pHu of the LT muscle was also correlated with
      other cytoskeletal entities and proteins belonging to metabolism and cellular
      stress. In contrast to the relationships found between biomarkers and LT pHu,
      more proteins were related to the instrumental color coordinates in RA than in LT
      muscle. The regression equations were parameter- and muscle-dependent. Certain of
      the retained proteins explained more than one color coordinate. Hsp70-Grp75 was
      positive in the models of L*, a*, b*, and C* of LT and of b* in the RA muscle.
      Further heat shock proteins were strongly related with the meat color coordinates
      in both muscles. The involvement of metabolic enzymes and myofibrillar proteins
      in the meat color development was also verified in this experiment. This study
      confirmed once again the importance of numerous biological pathways in beef
      color.

PMID- 28343381
TI  - Rerouting the Pathway for the Biosynthesis of the Side Ring System of
      Nosiheptide: The Roles of NosI, NosJ, and NosK.
AB  - Nosiheptide (NOS) is a highly modified thiopeptide antibiotic that displays
      formidable in vitro activity against a variety of Gram-positive bacteria. In
      addition to a central hydroxypyridine ring, NOS contains several other
      modifications, including multiple thiazole rings, dehydro-amino acids, and a 3,4
      dimethylindolic acid (DMIA) moiety. The DMIA moiety is required for NOS efficacy
      and is synthesized from l-tryptophan in a series of reactions that have not been
      fully elucidated. Herein, we describe the role of NosJ, the product of an
      unannotated gene in the biosynthetic operon for NOS, as an acyl carrier protein
      that delivers 3-methylindolic acid (MIA) to NosK. We also reassign the role of
      NosI as the enzyme responsible for catalyzing the ATP-dependent activation of MIA
      and MIA's attachment to the phosphopantetheine moiety of NosJ. Lastly, NosK
      catalyzes the transfer of the MIA group from NosJ-MIA to a conserved serine
      residue (Ser102) on NosK. The X-ray crystal structure of NosK, solved to 2.3 A
      resolution, reveals that the protein is an alpha/beta-fold hydrolase. Ser102
      interacts with Glu210 and His234 to form a catalytic triad located at the bottom
      of an open cleft that is large enough to accommodate the thiopeptide framework.

PMID- 28343383
TI  - New Nematotoxic Indoloditerpenoid Produced by Gymnoascus reessii za-130.
AB  - Chemical investigation of the fungal strain Gymnoascus reessii za-130, which was
      previously isolated from the rhizosphere of tomato plants infected by the root
      knot nematode Meloidogyne incognita, led to the isolation and identification of a
      new indoloditerpenoid metabolite designated gymnoascole acetate. Its structure
      was established by spectroscopic methods including 1D- and 2D-NMR and MS
      analyses. Gymnoascole acetate demonstrated strong adverse effects on M. incognita
      second-stage juvenile (J2) viability; exposure to 36 MUg/mL for 24 h induced 100%
      paralysis of J2 (EC50 = 47.5 MUg/mL). Gymnoascole acetate suppressed M. incognita
      egg hatch relative to controls by >90% at 133 MUg/mL after 7 days of exposure.
      The numbers of root galls and J2 in both soil and roots were significantly
      reduced (p = 0.05) by treatment with 2-200 MUg/mL gymnoascole acetate/kg soil,
      compared to untreated control plants; nematode suppression increased with
      gymnoascole acetate concentration. This study demonstrated the nematotoxicity of
      gymnoascole acetate and indicates that it might be a potential biobased component
      in integrated management of M. incognita.

PMID- 28343385
TI  - Development of a Rapid LC-MS/MS Method for the Quantification of Cannabidiol,
      Cannabidivarin, Delta9-Tetrahydrocannabivarin, and Cannabigerol in Mouse
      Peripheral Tissues.
AB  - Cannabis has been known as a medicine for several thousand years across many
      cultures and its beneficial effects are mostly due to the presence of
      cannabinoids, unique natural products, whose pharmacology is going to gain
      increasing interest in the scientific community. The discovery of the main
      psychoactive constituent of Cannabis sativa L., Delta9-tetrahydrocannabinol
      (Delta9-THC), led to the identification of at least 100 additional
      phytocannabinoids, including cannabidiol (CBD), cannabidivarin (CBDV), Delta9
      tetrahydrocannabivarin (Delta9-THCV), and cannabigerol (CBG). These molecules are
      gaining growing interest for their medical properties; however, further research
      is needed to assess the differences in their pharmacokinetic and pharmacodymanic
      profiles. The aim of this study was to set up a rapid and accurate method, by
      using the LC-MS-IT-TOF technology, to detect and quantify CBD, CBDV, Delta9-THCV,
      and CBG in biological matrices. Data show that the method developed here is
      linear in the calibration range; recoveries from mouse tissues were in the 50-60%
      range and sensitivity was 2 ng/mL for CBDV, 4 ng/mL for CBG and THCV, and 7 ng/mL
      for CBD. The method is rapid, precise and accurate, and it will represent a
      fundamental tool to evaluate the pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic properties
      of selected phytocannabinoids in tissues from different animal models, and
      develop new cannabinoid-based medicine.

PMID- 28343386
TI  - Characterization of the Potent Odorants Contributing to the Characteristic Aroma
      of Matcha by Gas Chromatography-Olfactometry Techniques.
AB  - The odorants contributing to the characteristic aroma of matcha were investigated
      by analysis of the headspace samples and the volatile fractions prepared by a
      combination of solvent extraction and the SAFE techniques using three matcha
      powders of different grades (high, medium, and low). Gas chromatography
      olfactometry of the headspace samples (GCO-H) and aroma extract dilution analysis
      (AEDA) applied to the volatile fractions revealed 16 (FD factor >=1) and 39 (FD
      factor >=43) odor-active peaks, respectively. Among them, 14 and 37 of the
      odorants, most of which were newly detected in matcha, were identified or
      tentatively identified by GC-MS and GC-O, respectively. By comparing the
      perceived odorants of three matcha powders, it was revealed that eight compounds
      with sweet, green, metallic, and floral notes showed high flavor dilution (FD)
      factors irrespective of the grades. In addition, some odorants were suggested to
      influence the characteristic aroma of each grade. Furthermore, trans-4,5-epoxy
      (E)-2-decenal, one of the potent odorants of matcha, was revealed to exist as a
      racemic mixture in matcha. This result suggested that trans-4,5-epoxy-(E)-2
      decenal is formed by a nonenzymatic reaction in matcha, different from that in
      black tea, and that the unique manufacturing process of matcha has a close
      connection with its formation.

PMID- 28343384
TI  - N6', N6''', and O4' Modifications to Neomycin Affect Ribosomal Selectivity
      without Compromising Antibacterial Activity.
AB  - The synthesis of a series of neomycin derivatives carrying the 2-hydroxyethyl
      substituent on N6' and/or N6''' both alone and in combination with a 4'-O-ethyl
      group is described. By means of cell-free translation assays with wild-type
      bacterial ribosomes and their hybrids with eukaryotic decoding A sites, we
      investigate how individual substituents and their combinations affect activity
      and selectivity at the target level. In principle, and as shown by cell-free
      translation assays, modifications of the N6' and N6''' positions allow
      enhancement of target selectivity without compromising antibacterial activity. As
      with the 6'OH aminoglycoside paromomycin, the 4'-O-ethyl modification affects the
      ribosomal activity, selectivity, and antibacterial profile of neomycin and its 6'
      N-(2-hydroxyethyl) derivatives. The modified aminoglycosides show good
      antibacterial activity against model Gram-positive and Gram-negative microbes
      including the ESKAPE pathogens Staphylococcus aureus, Klebsiella pneumoniae,
      Enterobacter cloacae, and Acinetobacter baumannii.

PMID- 28343387
TI  - Hydroxyl and Methoxyl Derivatives of Benzylglucosinolate in Lepidium densiflorum
      with Hydrolysis to Isothiocyanates and non-Isothiocyanate Products: Substitution
      Governs Product Type and Mass Spectral Fragmentation.
AB  - A system of benzylic glucosinolates was found and characterized in common
      pepperweed, Lepidium densiflorum Schrad. The major glucosinolate was the novel 4
      hydroxy-3,5-dimethoxybenzylglucosinolate (3,5-dimethoxysinalbin), present at high
      levels in seeds, leaves, and roots. Medium-level glucosinolates were 3,4
      dimethoxybenzylglucosinolate and 3,4,5-trimethoxybenzylglucosinolate. Minor
      glucosinolates included benzylglucosinolate, 3-hydroxy- and 3
      methoxybenzylglucosinolate, 4-hydroxybenzylglucosinolate (sinalbin), the novel 4
      hydroxy-3-methoxybenzylglucosinolate (3-methoxysinalbin), and indole-type
      glucosinolates. A biosynthetic connection is suggested. NMR, UV, and ion trap
      MS/MS spectral data are reported, showing contrasting MS fragmentation of p
      hydroxyls and p-methoxyls. Additional investigations by GC-MS focused on
      glucosinolate hydrolysis products. Whereas glucosinolates generally yielded
      isothiocyanates, the dominating 3,5-dimethoxysinalbin with a free p-hydroxyl
      group produced the corresponding alcohol and syringaldehyde (4-hydroxy-3,5
      dimethoxybenzaldehyde). After thermal deactivation of the endogenous myrosinase
      enzyme, massive accumulation of the corresponding nitrile was detected. This case
      study points out how non-isothiocyanate glucosinolate hydrolysis products are
      prevalent in nature and of interest in both plant-pathogen interactions and human
      health.

PMID- 28343388
TI  - Development and Validation of an Enzymatic Method To Determine Stevioside Content
      from Stevia rebaudiana.
AB  - An enzymatic method for specific determination of stevioside content was
      established. Recombinant beta-glucosidase BT_3567 (rBT_3567) from Bacteroides
      thetaiotaomicron HB-13 exhibited selective hydrolysis of stevioside at beta-1,2
      glycosidic bond to yield rubusoside and glucose. Coupling of this enzyme with
      glucose oxidase and peroxidase allowed for quantitation of stevioside content in
      Stevia samples by using a colorimetric-based approach. The series of reactions
      for stevioside determination can be completed within 1 h at 37  degrees C.
      Stevioside determination using the enzymatic assay strongly correlated with
      results obtained from HPLC quantitation (r2 = 0.9629, n = 16). The percentages of
      coefficient variation (CV) of within day (n = 12) and between days (n = 12)
      assays were lower than 5%, and accuracy ranges were 95-105%. This analysis
      demonstrates that the enzymatic method developed in this study is specific, easy
      to perform, accurate, and yields reproducible results.

PMID- 28343389
TI  - Mechanical Properties of Organic Semiconductors for Stretchable, Highly Flexible,
      and Mechanically Robust Electronics.
AB  - Mechanical deformability underpins many of the advantages of organic
      semiconductors. The mechanical properties of these materials are, however,
      diverse, and the molecular characteristics that permit charge transport can
      render the materials stiff and brittle. This review is a comprehensive
      description of the molecular and morphological parameters that govern the
      mechanical properties of organic semiconductors. Particular attention is paid to
      ways in which mechanical deformability and electronic performance can coexist.
      The review begins with a discussion of flexible and stretchable devices of all
      types, and in particular the unique characteristics of organic semiconductors. It
      then discusses the mechanical properties most relevant to deformable devices. In
      particular, it describes how low modulus, good adhesion, and absolute
      extensibility prior to fracture enable robust performance, along with mechanical
      "imperceptibility" if worn on the skin. A description of techniques of metrology
      precedes a discussion of the mechanical properties of three classes of organic
      semiconductors: pi-conjugated polymers, small molecules, and composites. The
      discussion of each class of materials focuses on molecular structure and how this
      structure (and postdeposition processing) influences the solid-state packing
      structure and thus the mechanical properties. The review concludes with
      applications of organic semiconductor devices in which every component is
      intrinsically stretchable or highly flexible.

PMID- 28343390
TI  - High-Performance Rh2P Electrocatalyst for Efficient Water Splitting.
AB  - The search for active, stable, and cost-efficient electrocatalysts for hydrogen
      production via water splitting could make a substantial impact on energy
      technologies that do not rely on fossil fuels. Here we report the synthesis of
      rhodium phosphide electrocatalyst with low metal loading in the form of nanocubes
      (NCs) dispersed in high-surface-area carbon (Rh2P/C) by a facile solvo-thermal
      approach. The Rh2P/C NCs exhibit remarkable performance for hydrogen evolution
      reaction and oxygen evolution reaction compared to Rh/C and Pt/C catalysts. The
      atomic structure of the Rh2P NCs was directly observed by annular dark-field
      scanning transmission electron microscopy, which revealed a phosphorus-rich
      outermost atomic layer. Combined experimental and computational studies suggest
      that surface phosphorus plays a crucial role in determining the robust catalyst
      properties.

PMID- 28343391
TI  - Single-Molecule Peptide-Lipid Affinity Assay Reveals Interplay between Solution
      Structure and Partitioning.
AB  - Interactions between short protein segments and phospholipid bilayers dictate
      fundamental aspects of cellular activity and have important applications in
      biotechnology. Yet, the lack of a suitable methodology for directly probing these
      interactions has hindered the mechanistic understanding. We developed a precision
      atomic force microscopy-based single-molecule force spectroscopy assay and probed
      partitioning into lipid bilayers by measuring the mechanical force experienced by
      a peptide. Protein segments were constructed from the peripheral membrane protein
      SecA, a key ATPase in bacterial secretion. We focused on the first 10 amino
      terminal residues of SecA (SecA2-11) that are lipophilic. In addition to the core
      SecA2-11 sequence, constructs with nearly identical chemical composition but with
      differing geometry were used: two copies of SecA2-11 linked in series and two
      copies SecA2-11 linked in parallel. Lipid bilayer partitioning interactions of
      peptides with differing structures were distinguished. To model the energetic
      landscape, a theory of diffusive barrier crossing was extended to incorporate a
      superposition of potential barriers with variable weights. Analysis revealed two
      dissociation pathways for the core SecA2-11 sequence with well-separated
      intrinsic dissociation rates. Molecular dynamics simulations showed that the
      three peptides had significant conformational differences in solution that
      correlated well with the measured variations in the propensity to partition into
      the bilayer. The methodology is generalizable and can be applied to other peptide
      and lipid species.

PMID- 28343393
TI  - Selenium Bioaccessibility and Speciation in Selenium-Enriched Lettuce:
      Investigation of the Selenocompounds Liberated after in Vitro Simulated Human
      Digestion Using Two-Dimensional HPLC-ICP-MS.
AB  - The evaluation of selenium-enriched vegetables as potential dietary sources of
      selenium, an essential element for humans, requires an assessment of the plant's
      accumulation ability as well as of the bioaccessibility and speciation of the
      accumulated selenium, which influence its biological effects in humans. Lettuce
      hydroponically grown at three selenite (SeVI)/selenate (SeIV) amendment levels
      was characterized accordingly. Selenium accumulation in lettuce leaves was
      greatest with Se(VI) amendment, whereas bioaccessibility was 70% on average in
      both cases. Selenium speciation in gastrointestinal hydrolysates, characterized
      by anion and cation exchange HPLC-ICP-MS, showed that Se(IV) was largely
      biotransformed into organoselenium metabolites, with selenomethionine accounting
      for 1/3 of the total detected species, whereas Se(VI) was incorporated as such in
      the edible portion of the plant, with only a small fraction (~20%) converted into
      organic species. Taking into account both nutritional quality and safety, the
      Se(IV)-enriched lettuce appeared more favorable as a potential selenium source
      for human consumption.

PMID- 28343392
TI  - Pharmacokinetic and Biodistribution Studies of HPMA Copolymer Conjugates in an
      Aseptic Implant Loosening Mouse Model.
AB  - N-(2-Hydroxypropyl) methacrylamide (HPMA) copolymers were previously found to
      represent a versatile delivery platform for the early detection and intervention
      of orthopedic implant loosening. In this article, we evaluated the impact of
      different structural parameters of the HPMA copolymeric system (e.g., molecular
      weight (MW), drug content) to its pharmacokinetics and biodistribution (PK/BD)
      profile. Using 125I, Alexa Fluor 488, and IRDye 800 CW-labeled HPMA copolymer
      dexamethasone (P-Dex) conjugates with different MW and dexamethasone (Dex)
      contents, we found the MW to be the predominant impact factor on the PK/BD
      profiles of P-Dex, with Dex content as a secondary impact factor. In gamma
      counter-based PK/BD studies, increased MW of P-Dex reduced elimination, leading
      to lower clearance, longer half-life, and higher systemic exposure (AUC and MRT).
      In the semiquantitative live animal optical imaging evaluation, the distribution
      of P-Dex to the peri-implant inflammatory lesion increased when MW was increased.
      This result was further confirmed by FACS analyses of cells isolated from peri
      implant regions after systemic administration of Alexa Fluor 488-labeled P-Dex.
      Since the in vitro cell culture study suggested that the internalization of P-Dex
      by macrophages is generally independent of P-Dex's MW and Dex content, the impact
      of the MW and Dex content on its PK/BD profile was most likely exerted at
      physiological and pathophysiological levels rather than at the cellular level. In
      both gamma counter-based PK/BD analyses and semiquantitative optical imaging
      analyses, P-Dex with 6 wt % Dex content showed fast clearance. Dynamic light
      scattering analyses unexpectedly revealed significant molecular aggregation of P
      Dex at this Dex content level. The underlining mechanisms of the aggregation and
      fast in vivo clearance of the P-Dex warrant further investigation.

PMID- 28343395
TI  - Investigation of the Spectroscopic Information on Functional Groups Related to
      Carbohydrates in Different Morphological Fractions of Corn Stover and Their
      Relationship to Nutrient Supply and Biodegradation Characteristics.
AB  - The objectives of this study were to investigate (1) nutritive values and
      biodegradation characteristics and (2) mid-IR spectroscopic features within the
      regions associated with carbohydrate functional groups (including cellulosic
      component (CELC), structural carbohydrate (STCHO), and total carbohydrate (CHO))
      in different morphological fractions of corn stover. Furthermore, correlation and
      regression analyses were also applied to determine the relationship between
      nutritional values and spectroscopic parameters. The results showed that
      different morphological sections of corn stover had different nutrient supplies,
      in situ biodegradation characteristics, and spectral structural features within
      carbohydrate regions. The stem rind and ear husk were both high in fibrous
      content, which led to the lowest effective degradabilities (ED) among these stalk
      fractions. The ED values of NDF were ranked ear husk > stem pith > leaf blade >
      leaf sheath > whole plant > stem rind. Intensities of peak height and area within
      carbohydrate regions were relatively more stable compared with spectral ratio
      profiles. Significant difference was found only in peak area intensity of CELC,
      which was at the highest level for stem rind, followed by stem pith, leaf sheath,
      whole plant, leaf blade, and ear husk. Correlation results showed that changes in
      some carbohydrate spectral ratios were highly associated with carbohydrate
      chemical profiles and in situ rumen degradation kinetics. Among the various
      carbohydrate molecular spectral parameters that were tested in multiple
      regression analysis, CHO height ratios, and area ratios of CELC:CHO and
      CELC:STCHO as well as CELC area were mostly sensitive to nutrient supply and
      biodegradation characteristics in different morphological fractions of corn
      stover.

PMID- 28343394
TI  - Metal-Organic Nanosheets Formed via Defect-Mediated Transformation of a Hafnium
      Metal-Organic Framework.
AB  - We report a hafnium-containing MOF, hcp UiO-67(Hf), which is a ligand-deficient
      layered analogue of the face-centered cubic fcu UiO-67(Hf). hcp UiO-67
      accommodates its lower ligand:metal ratio compared to fcu UiO-67 through a new
      structural mechanism: the formation of a condensed "double cluster"
      (Hf12O8(OH)14), analogous to the condensation of coordination polyhedra in oxide
      frameworks. In oxide frameworks, variable stoichiometry can lead to more complex
      defect structures, e.g., crystallographic shear planes or modules with differing
      compositions, which can be the source of further chemical reactivity; likewise,
      the layered hcp UiO-67 can react further to reversibly form a two-dimensional
      metal-organic framework, hxl UiO-67. Both three-dimensional hcp UiO-67 and two
      dimensional hxl UiO-67 can be delaminated to form metal-organic nanosheets.
      Delamination of hcp UiO-67 occurs through the cleavage of strong hafnium
      carboxylate bonds and is effected under mild conditions, suggesting that defect
      ordered MOFs could be a productive route to porous two-dimensional materials.

PMID- 28343396
TI  - Insight into the Mechanism of Reversible Ring-Opening of 1,3-Benzoxazine with
      Thiols.
AB  - The reversible ring-opening addition and fragmentation reaction of p-cresol-based
      N-phenylbenzoxazine with aliphatic and aromatic thiols was investigated in
      solvent-mediated and solvent-free reactions. Independently of the used thiol, N
      phenylbenzoxazine and the thiols reacted to equilibrium with comparable amounts
      of reactants and products in aprotic solvent, whereas in protic solvent almost
      full conversions were reached. In contrast, thiol reactivity was a crucial factor
      in solvent-free reactions yielding fast and complete conversions for a more
      acidic thiol and balanced equilibrium concentrations in case of thiols with high
      pKa values. The strong influence of thiols with low pKa values emphasizes the
      relevance of the protonation step in the ring-opening reactions of 1,3
      benzoxazines with thiols in absence of solvents where acidity predominates
      nucleophilicity. The reverse reactions, namely adduct dissociation and
      benzoxazine recovery, were successfully conducted at elevated temperatures and
      reduced pressure facilitated by the removal of the formed thiols yielding up to
      95% recovered 1,3-benzoxazine. These results provide deeper understanding of the
      reversible ring-opening reaction mechanism of 1,3-benzoxazine with thiols.

PMID- 28343397
TI  - Interfacial Activity of Starch-Based Nanoparticles at the Oil-Water Interface.
AB  - Understanding the interfacial activity of polysaccharide nanoparticles adsorbed
      at oil-water interfaces is essential and important for the application of these
      nanoparticles as Pickering stabilizers. The interfacial properties of starch
      based nanospheres (SNPs) at the interface of an n-hexane-water system were
      investigated by monitoring the interfacial tension at different bulk
      concentrations. The three-phase contact angle (theta) and the adsorption energy
      (DeltaE) increased with increasing size and degree of substitution with octenyl
      succinic groups (OSA) in the particles. Compared with the OSA-modified starch
      (OSA-S) macromolecule, the SNPs effectively reduced the interfacial tension of
      the n-hexane-water system at a relatively higher concentration. These results and
      the method reported herein are useful for selecting and preparing polysaccharide
      nanoparticles as Pickering stabilizers for oil-water emulsions.

PMID- 28343398
TI  - An Anti-Programmed Death-1 Antibody (alphaPD-1) Fusion Protein That Self
      Assembles into a Multivalent and Functional alphaPD-1 Nanoparticle.
AB  - Cancer immune checkpoint therapy has achieved remarkable clinical successes in
      various cancers. However, current immune checkpoint inhibitors block the
      checkpoint of not only the immune cells that are important to cancer therapy but
      also the immune cells that are irrelevant to the therapy. Such an indiscriminate
      blockade limits the efficacy and causes the autoimmune toxicity of the therapy.
      It might be beneficial to use a carrier to target immune checkpoint inhibitors to
      cancer-reactive immune cells. Here, we explore a method to load the inhibitors
      into carriers. We used the anti-programmed death-1 antibody (alphaPD-1) as a
      model immune checkpoint inhibitor. First, we generated a recombinant single-chain
      variable fragment (scFv) of alphaPD-1. Then, we designed and generated a fusion
      protein consisting of the scFv and an amphiphilic immune-tolerant elastin-like
      polypeptide (iTEP). Because of the amphiphilic iTEP, the fusion was able to self
      assemble into a nanoparticle (NP). The NP was proved to block the PD-1 immune
      checkpoint in vitro and in vivo. Particularly, the NP exacerbated diabetes
      development in nonobese diabetic mice as effectively as natural, intact alphaPD
      1. In summary, we successfully expressed alphaPD-1 as a recombinant protein and
      linked alphaPD-1 to a NP, which lays a foundation to develop a delivery system to
      target alphaPD-1 to a subpopulation of immune cells.

PMID- 28343399
TI  - Analysis of postoperative ultrasonography surveillance after total thyroidectomy
      in patients with papillary thyroid carcinoma: a multicenter study.
AB  - Background In papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC) patients, postoperative
      ultrasonography (US) surveillance is recommended at intervals of six or 12 months
      even though evidence is weak. Purpose To determine the optimal interval of
      postoperative US surveillance in patients after total thyroidectomy for the
      treatment of PTC using multicenter data. Material and Methods A total of 1400
      patients from seven tertiary hospitals who underwent total thyroidectomy for
      treatment of PTC were included. Based on a retrospective review of clinical and
      pathologic results, multiple factors were analyzed according to
      recurrence/persistence or no recurrence/persistence. In recurrence/persistence
      group, the interval and number of follow-up US sessions in the initial detection
      of recurrence/persistence were investigated. Results Of the 1400 patients, 115
      (8.2%) showed tumor recurrence/persistence on follow-up US. Of 115
      recurrence/persistence cases, 89 (77.4%) were initially detected on US: nodal
      recurrence/persistence (n = 92), non-nodal recurrence/persistence (n = 22), and
      both (n = 1). Among the clinical and pathologic factors, only tumor size and N
      stage were significant predictors for recurrence/persistence. In the
      recurrence/persistence group, the mean interval and number of follow-up US
      sessions in the initial detection of recurrence/persistence was 22.3 +/- 16.8
      months and 2.2 +/- 1.9, respectively. Approximately two-thirds of
      recurrence/persistence cases (76/115, 66.1%) were detected in follow-up US within
      two years after total thyroidectomy. Conclusion In PTC patients after total
      thyroidectomy, the optimal interval of the first US follow-up may be one to two
      years after thyroid surgery, and the appropriate number of postoperative US
      surveillance sessions within the first five years may be only one or two.

PMID- 28343400
TI  - Lifestyles and Mortality in Taiwan: An 11-Year Follow-up Study.
AB  - The associations of modifiable lifestyle-related factors with cardiovascular and
      all-cause mortality were examined in a population-based sample of older Taiwanese
      people. A total of 4176 individuals aged 50 years and older, with 11 years of
      follow-up, were analyzed. Current and former smokers had a higher risk of all
      cause mortality compared with never smokers ([HR = 1.33; 95% CI = 1.12, 1.58],
      [HR = 1.39; 95% CI = 1.16, 1.68]). Low intake of vegetables and fruits was
      associated with a significantly higher risk of 1.43 (95% CI = 1.13, 1.81) for
      cardiovascular mortality and 1.22 (95% CI = 1.09, 1.38) for all-cause mortality.
      The low physical activity group at baseline who became part of the low, moderate,
      and high physical activity groups during follow-up had the following risks of
      cardiovascular mortality: ([HR = 2.89; 95% CI = 1.91, 4.36], [HR = 2.17; 95% CI =
      1.29, 3.63], [HR = 1.59; 95% CI = 0.90, 2.82]). Similarly, the moderate physical
      activity group at baseline who became part of the low, moderate, and high
      physical activity groups during follow-up had the following risks of
      cardiovascular mortality: ([HR = 3.52; 95% CI = 2.14, 5.80], [HR = 2.25; 95% CI =
      1.34, 3.80], [HR = 1.44; 95% CI = 0.78, 2.66]). The same tendencies were found in
      all-cause mortality. Smoking, diet, and physical activity were significantly
      modifiable lifestyle-related factors for mortality.Besides, individuals who
      decreased their physical activity had a significantly higher risk, whereas those
      who increased their physical activity had a significantly lower risk.

PMID- 28343401
TI  - Effect of probiotic on innate inflammatory response and viral shedding in
      experimental rhinovirus infection - a randomised controlled trial.
AB  - Ingestion of probiotics appears to have modest effects on the incidence of viral
      respiratory infection. The mechanism of these effects is not clear; however,
      there is evidence from animal models that the probiotic may have an effect on
      innate immune responses to pathogens. The purpose of this randomised, placebo
      controlled study was to determine the effect of administration of Bifidobacterium
      animalis subspecies lactis Bl-04 on innate and adaptive host responses to
      experimental rhinovirus challenge. The effect on the response of chemokine (C-X-C
      motif) ligand 8 (CXCL8) to rhinovirus infection was defined as the primary
      endpoint for the study. 152 seronegative volunteers who had been supplemented for
      28 days, 73 with probiotic and 79 with placebo, were challenged with RV-A39.
      Supplement or placebo administration was then continued for five days during
      collection of specimens for assessment of host response, infection, and symptoms.
      58 probiotic and 57 placebo-supplemented volunteers met protocol-defined criteria
      for analysis. Probiotic resulted in higher nasal lavage CXCL8 on day 0 prior to
      virus challenge (90 vs 58 pg/ml, respectively, P=0.04, ANCOVA). The CXCL8
      response to rhinovirus infection in nasal lavage was significantly reduced in the
      probiotic treated group (P=0.03, ANCOVA). Probiotic was also associated with a
      reduction in nasal lavage virus titre and the proportion of subjects shedding
      virus in nasal secretions (76% in the probiotic group, 91% in the placebo group,
      P=0.04, Fisher Exact test). The administration of probiotic did not influence
      lower respiratory inflammation (assessed by exhaled nitric oxide), subjective
      symptom scores, or infection rate. This study demonstrates that ingestion of Bl
      04 may have an effect on the baseline state of innate immunity in the nose and on
      the subsequent response of the human host to rhinovirus infection.
      Clinicaltrials.gov registry number: NCT01669603.

PMID- 28343402
TI  - Probiotic administration improves sperm quality in asthenozoospermic human
      donors.
AB  - The objective of this study is to analyse the effect of the ingestion of two
      selected antioxidant probiotics strains (Lactobacillus rhamnosus CECT8361 and
      Bifidobacterium longum CECT7347) on sperm quality parameters in asthenozoospermic
      males after three and six weeks of administration. Nine asthenozoospermic men
      without any medical treatment under similar diet conditions participated in the
      study. The quality of individual sperm samples was evaluated before (previous to
      ingestion), during (after 3 and 6 weeks of ingestion) and after probiotic
      administration (3 and 6 weeks after finishing the treatment). Sperm motility was
      evaluated by computer-assisted sperm analysis system, DNA fragmentation by sperm
      chromatin structure assay, cell viability by flow cytometry and measurement of
      intracellular H2O2 (reactive oxygen species; ROS) by flow cytometry using
      dichloro-dihydrofluorescein diacetate. Sperm motility was drastically improved
      after the treatment (approximately 6 fold change), DNA fragmentation was
      statistically reduced after probiotic administration from (approximately 1.2 fold
      change) and intracellular H2O2 level was decreased (approximately 3.5 fold
      change). Cell viability was not affected by the treatment. The significant
      improvement in sperm motility and the decrease in DNA fragmentation reported in
      this study provide preliminary evidence that probiotics could be administrated to
      improve motility and decrease DNA fragmentation and ROS levels in
      asthenozoospermic human males.

PMID- 28343403
TI  - Meaning in life, resilience, and psychological well-being among children affected
      by parental HIV.
AB  - Meaning in life has been posited to improve psychological well-being. People
      facing adversities can reduce psychological distress through pursuing a sense of
      purpose in life. However, the effectiveness of meaning in life in promoting
      psychological well-being has been found varied, and what factors may affect the
      function of meaning in life remain unclear. In this paper, the authors suggest
      that resilience, the positive adaptation during or following significant
      adversity, can strengthen the protective effects of meaning in life on
      psychological well-being. To test this hypothesis, we analyzed data from a sample
      of 518 vulnerable children of parents living with HIV about their meaning in
      life, resilience, depression, and loneliness. Results showed that resilience
      moderated the relationship between meaning in life and depression, and between
      meaning in life and loneliness. Meaning in life was associated with lower levels
      of depression and loneliness among children high in resilience, in comparison to
      children low in resilience. Future interventions targeting meaning in life and
      well-being should consider children's resilience, which can allow for better
      individualization of the treatment.

PMID- 28343404
TI  - Emerging from the database shadows: characterizing undocumented immigrants in a
      large cohort of HIV-infected persons.
AB  - Little is known about how HIV affects undocumented immigrants despite social and
      structural factors that may place them at risk of poor HIV outcomes. Our
      understanding of the clinical epidemiology of HIV-infected undocumented
      immigrants is limited by the challenges of determining undocumented immigration
      status in large data sets. We developed an algorithm to predict undocumented
      status using social security number (SSN) and insurance data. We retrospectively
      applied this algorithm to a cohort of HIV-infected adults receiving care at a
      large urban healthcare system who attended at least one HIV-related outpatient
      visit from 1997 to 2013, classifying patients as "screened undocumented" or
      "documented". We then reviewed the medical records of screened undocumented
      patients, classifying those whose records contained evidence of undocumented
      status as "undocumented per medical chart" (charted undocumented). Bivariate
      measures of association were used to identify demographic and clinical
      characteristics associated with undocumented immigrant status. Of 7593 patients,
      205 (2.7%) were classified as undocumented by the algorithm. Compared to
      documented patients, undocumented patients were younger at entry to care (mean
      38.5 years vs. 40.6 years, p < 0.05), less likely to be female (33.2% vs. 43.1%,
      p < 0.01), less likely to report injection drug use as their primary HIV risk
      factor (3.4% vs. 18.0%, p < 0.001), and had lower median CD4 count at entry to
      care (288 vs. 339 cells/mm3, p < 0.01). After medical record review, we re
      classified 104 patients (50.7%) as charted undocumented. Demographic and clinical
      characteristics of charted undocumented did not differ substantially from
      screened undocumented. Our algorithm allowed us to identify and clinically
      characterize undocumented immigrants within an HIV-infected population, though it
      overestimated the prevalence of patients who were undocumented.

PMID- 28343406
TI  - Corrigendum.

PMID- 28343405
TI  - Human T-Lymphotropic Virus Type-1-Associated Myelopathy/Tropical Spastic
      Paraparesis: The First Case Report in Southeast Asia.
AB  - Human T-lymphotropic virus type-1 (HTLV-1) infection was diagnosed in a Thai
      patient with chronic progressive myelopathy. The phylogenetic tree of the ltr
      sequencing of HTLV-1 indicated that the virus belongs to the transcontinental
      genotype of the cosmopolitan subtype A. This is the first case report of HTLV-1
      associated myelopathy in Southeast Asia. Awareness of HTLV-1 and related
      condition should be encouraged in this region and routine screening should be
      applied to blood donors.

PMID- 28343407
TI  - What are the complications and emerging strategies for preventing depression
      following traumatic brain injury?
AB  - INTRODUCTION: Depression is a common and disabling complication of traumatic
      brain injury (TBI). The high rates of post-TBI depression (PTBID) make this
      condition an important candidate for selective preventive interventions. Areas
      covered: The authors recently reported on the efficacy of sertraline, a selective
      serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI), for the prevention of new cases of
      depression in the first six months after TBI. The authors review this and other
      studies on preventive strategies in PTBID as ascertained from a PubMed and
      citation search. The potential complications and barriers to the implementation
      of pharmacological prevention in patients with TBI are also discussed. Expert
      commentary: The prevention of depression in patients with TBI has received little
      attention relative to other medical conditions. Future studies are needed to
      confirm the benefit of SSRIs and investigate other pharmacological and non
      pharmacological interventions, including in special groups of patients at greater
      risk of developing PTBID.

PMID- 28343408
TI  - Safety of oral direct acting antiviral regimens for chronic hepatitis C in real
      life conditions.
AB  - OBJECTIVES: Direct acting antivirals (DAA) are extremely effective to treat
      chronic hepatitis C. The aim of this study was to evaluate, by using objective
      variables, the safety of DAA combinations under clinical practice conditions.
      METHODS: A retrospective study was carried out in mono-infected patients with
      chronic hepatitis C treated with DAA between January and December 2015 in our
      centre. Discontinuations, treatment modifications, deaths and laboratory
      parameters were studied (liver function tests, hemoglobin, creatinine and lipid
      profile at baseline, weeks 4, 8 and post 12). Temporal variation of laboratory
      parameters was analyzed by t-test for paired data, and comparison between groups
      was made by t-test for independent samples and ANOVA. RESULTS: 227 patients were
      included (40.5% cirrhotic). Sustained virological response (SVR) was achieved in
      97.3% of patients. In only one case was the antiviral medication suspended due to
      toxicity, and there were no voluntary treatment discontinuations. The use of
      ribavirin (RBV) was associated with mild transient hyperbilirubinemia (41.2%) and
      anemia (32.6%, with RBV dose reduction in 7.9% of cases). There was an elevation
      in total cholesterol and LDL-cholesterol (LDL-C) during and after treatment: mean
      increase of 23 mg/dL (0.59 mmol/L) and 22 mg/dL (0.57 mmol/L), respectively in
      post 12 (p < .0001). An increment of 20% of patients with cholesterol levels over
      optimal figures was observed after DAA completion. CONCLUSION: DAA have an
      optimum safety profile in real life conditions, with infrequent discontinuation
      and minor laboratory alterations.

PMID- 28343409
TI  - Development of a Prediction Model for Post-Concussive Symptoms following Mild
      Traumatic Brain Injury: A TRACK-TBI Pilot Study.
AB  - Post-concussive symptoms occur frequently after mild traumatic brain injury
      (mTBI) and may be categorized as cognitive, somatic, or emotional. We aimed to:
      1) assess whether patient demographics and clinical variables predict development
      of each of these three symptom categories, and 2) develop a prediction model for
      six-month post-concussive symptoms. MTBI patients (Glasgow Coma Scale score 13
      15) from the prospective multicenter Transforming Research and Clinical Knowledge
      in Traumatic Brain Injury (TRACK-TBI) Pilot study (2010-2012) who completed the
      Rivermead Post-Concussion Symptoms Questionnaire (RPQ) at six-months post-injury
      were included. Linear regression was utilized to determine the predictive value
      of candidate predictors for cognitive, somatic, and emotional subscales
      individually as well as the overall RPQ. The final prediction model was developed
      using Lasso shrinkage and bootstrap validation. We included 277 mTBI patients
      (70% male, median age 42y). No major differences in the predictive value of our
      set of predictors existed for the cognitive, somatic, and emotional subscales,
      and therefore one prediction model for the RPQ total scale was developed. Years
      of education, pre-injury psychiatric disorders and prior TBI were the strongest
      predictors of six-month post-concussive symptoms. The total set of predictors
      explained 21% of the variance, which decreased to 14% after bootstrap validation.
      Demographic and clinical variables at baseline are predictive of six-month post
      concussive symptoms following mTBI, however these variables explain less than one
      fifth of the total variance in outcome. Model refinement with larger datasets,
      more granular variables, and objective biomarkers are needed before
      implementation in clinical practice.

PMID- 28343410
TI  - Change in subjective social status following HIV diagnosis and associated effects
      on mental and physical health among HIV-positive gay men in Australia.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: This study investigates the impact of HIV diagnosis on subjective
      social status and if changes are linked to health outcomes. DESIGN: Two measures
      of subjective social status, socio-economic and standing in the community were
      examined in 342 Australian HIV-positive gay men in 2014. Participants recalled
      ratings at diagnosis were compared with current ratings. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES:
      Self-reported mental (psychological distress, self-esteem, positive mental health
      and satisfaction with life) and physical health (self-rated health, CD4 count,
      viral load). RESULTS: Half of the participants reported improvements in
      subjective socio-economic status (59%) or standing in the community (52%) since
      diagnosis, yet one quarter reported socio-economic status (25%) or standing in
      the community had decreased (23%). Increases in either measure of subjective
      social status were linked to higher self-esteem, positive mental health,
      satisfaction with life and better self-rated health. Decreases in subjective
      social status, however, were strongly linked to poorer outcomes on all mental
      health measures. Decreases in standing in the community were also associated with
      poorer physical self-rated health. CONCLUSION: Most participants reported their
      subjective social status were the same or better since diagnosis. Changes in
      subjective social status following diagnosis were strongly linked to mental
      health outcomes. Those who reported a decrease in subjective social status were
      particularly vulnerable to mental health problems.

PMID- 28343411
TI  - Three-Dimensional Liver Surgery Simulation: Computer-Assisted Surgical Planning
      with Three-Dimensional Simulation Software and Three-Dimensional Printing<sup/>.
AB  - To perform accurate hepatectomy without injury, it is necessary to understand the
      anatomical relationship among the branches of Glisson's sheath, hepatic veins,
      and tumor. In Japan, three-dimensional (3D) preoperative simulation for liver
      surgery is becoming increasingly common, and liver 3D modeling and 3D hepatectomy
      simulation by 3D analysis software for liver surgery have been covered by
      universal healthcare insurance since 2012. Herein, we review the history of
      virtual hepatectomy using computer-assisted surgery (CAS) and our research to
      date, and we discuss the future prospects of CAS. We have used the SYNAPSE
      VINCENT medical imaging system (Fujifilm Medical, Tokyo, Japan) for 3D
      visualization and virtual resection of the liver since 2010. We developed a novel
      fusion imaging technique combining 3D computed tomography (CT) with magnetic
      resonance imaging (MRI). The fusion image enables us to easily visualize anatomic
      relationships among the hepatic arteries, portal veins, bile duct, and tumor in
      the hepatic hilum. In 2013, we developed an original software, called Liversim,
      which enables real-time deformation of the liver using physical simulation, and a
      randomized control trial has recently been conducted to evaluate the use of
      Liversim and SYNAPSE VINCENT for preoperative simulation and planning.
      Furthermore, we developed a novel hollow 3D-printed liver model whose surface is
      covered with frames. This model is useful for safe liver resection, has better
      visibility, and the production cost is reduced to one-third of a previous model.
      Preoperative simulation and navigation with CAS in liver resection are expected
      to help planning and conducting a surgery and surgical education. Thus, a novel
      CAS system will contribute to not only the performance of reliable hepatectomy
      but also to surgical education.

PMID- 28343412
TI  - Yttrium-90 microsphere radioembolization in unresectable intrahepatic
      cholangiocarcinoma.
AB  - Intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma is increasing in frequency worldwide, but radical
      surgical treatment is practicable in 30-40% of cases. The median survival without
      therapy is about 8 months, increased to 12 months in combination with systemic
      chemotherapy. Therefore, locoregional therapies, such as, radiofrequency ablation
      or transarterial chemoembolization have been employed. Radioembolization with
      yttrium-90 microspheres (90Y-TARE) is a novel intrarterial treatment which could
      be included in the armamentarium of treatment options, having shown higher median
      survival (up to 22 months) and low complication rates. Evidence-based algorithms
      for staging and allocation to treatment should be defined in the future, after
      robust results obtained through randomized controlled trials, thus establishing
      the exact role and timing of 90Y-TARE in the treatment protocol of unresectable
      intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma.

PMID- 28343414
TI  - Zika virus and pregnant women: A psychological approach.
AB  - Zika virus presents risk of physical harm to pregnant women, but the fear of
      infection is also affecting women around the world. There is a gap in the
      research on Zika virus in the areas involving the impact on the psychosocial well
      being of pregnant women. Therefore, this study is aimed at the investigation of
      the psychosocial adjustment of pregnant women to the risks of Zika virus
      infection during pregnancy. We investigated 14 pregnant women who were classified
      in three different groups: six in the first trimester, five in the second
      trimester and three in the third trimester, aged from 28 to 40 years (33.43 +/-
      3.76 years). Content analysis was used to interpret data. Our results show that
      the psychosocial adjustment of participants was significantly negative and
      included five aspects: (1) negative feelings, (2) changes in family planning, (3)
      adopting new customs (avoiding places of risk, use of specific clothes and use of
      repellent), (4) changed attitudes regarding body image and (5) feeling of
      external demand regarding prevention. The fear of Zika virus infection and all
      its associated risks have a negative biopsychosocial impact on the pregnant women
      in this study.

PMID- 28343413
TI  - Development and Implementation: B'More Healthy Communities for Kid's Store and
      Wholesaler Intervention.
AB  - Higher rates of obesity and obesity-related chronic disease are prevalent in
      communities where there is limited access to affordable, healthy food. The B'More
      Healthy Communities for Kids (BHCK) trial worked at multiple levels of the food
      environment including food wholesalers and corner stores to improve the
      surrounding community's access to healthy food. The objective of this article is
      to describe the development and implementation of BHCK's corner store and
      wholesaler interventions through formal process evaluation. Researchers evaluated
      each level of the intervention to assess reach, dose delivered, and fidelity.
      Corner store and wholesaler reach, dose delivered, and fidelity were measured by
      number of interactions, promotional materials distributed, and maintenance of
      study materials, respectively. Overall, the corner store implementation showed
      moderate reach, dose delivered, and high fidelity. The wholesaler intervention
      was implemented with high reach, dose, and fidelity. The program held 355 corner
      store interactive sessions and had 9,347 community member interactions, 21% of
      which were with children between the ages of 10 and 14 years. There was a 15%
      increase in corner store promoted food stocking during Wave 1 and a 17% increase
      during Wave 2. These findings demonstrate a successfully implemented food
      retailer intervention in a low-income urban setting.

PMID- 28343415
TI  - Is Therapeutic Hypothermia for Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome the Future?
AB  - INTRODUCTION: Severe acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) has a high
      mortality, and there is limited knowledge about management of severe ARDS
      refractory to standard therapy. Early evidence suggests that therapeutic
      hypothermia (TH) could be a viable treatment for acute respiratory failure. We
      present 2 cases where TH was successfully used to manage refractory ARDS on
      extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) and a review of the literature around
      TH and acute respiratory failure. RESULTS: We present 2 cases of ARDS secondary
      to H1N1 influenza and human metapneumovirus. Both patients were treated with the
      current evidence-based therapy for ARDS. Venovenous ECMO was used in both
      patients for refractory hypoxemia. Therapeutic hypothermia was applied for 24
      hours with improved oxygenation. We did a review of the literature summarizing 38
      patients in 10 publications where TH was successfully utilized in the treatment
      of acute respiratory failure. CONCLUSION: Therapeutic hypothermia may be a viable
      salvage therapy for ARDS refractory to the current evidence-based therapy but
      needs further evaluation.

PMID- 28343417
TI  - Erratum.

PMID- 28343416
TI  - Cuff Leak Test for the Diagnosis of Post-Extubation Stridor.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Cuff leak test was developed to predict the occurrence of post
      extubation stridor (PES). This study evaluated the diagnostic performance of this
      test in unselected critically ill patients. METHODS: Multicenter prospective
      study including unselected ventilated patients at the time of their first planned
      extubation. The diagnostic performance of 4 different cuff leak tests was
      assessed. RESULTS: Post-extubation stridor occurred in 34 (9.4%) of 362 included
      patients. Compared to patients without PES, patients with PES required more
      frequently reintubation (6 [17.6%] vs 26 [7.9%], P = .041), prolonged duration of
      ventilation (6 [3-13] vs 5 [2-9] days, P = .029), and longer intensive care unit
      (ICU) stay (12 [6-17.5] vs 7.5 [4-13] days, P = .018). However, ICU mortality was
      similar in both groups (1 [2.9%] vs 23 [7.0%], P = .61). The 4 cuff leak tests
      display poor diagnostic accuracy: sensitivities ranging from 27% to 46%,
      specificities from 70% to 88%, positive predictive values from 14% to 19%, and
      negative predictive values from 92% to 93%. CONCLUSION: Post-extubation stridor
      occurs in less than 10% of unselected critically ill patients. The several cuff
      leak tests display limited diagnostic performance for the detection of PES. Given
      the high rate of false positives, routine cuff leak test may expose to undue
      prolonged mechanical ventilation.

PMID- 28343418
TI  - Epigenetic factors as drivers of fibrosis in systemic sclerosis.
AB  - Prolonged activation of fibroblasts is a central hallmark of fibrosing disorders
      such as systemic sclerosis (SSc). Fibroblasts are the key effector cells. They
      differentiate into an activated myofibroblast phenotype. In contrast to normal
      wound healing with transient activation, myofibroblasts persist in fibrosing
      disorders. Current hypothesis suggests that profibrotic cytokines might trigger
      epigenetic changes which contribute to the persistently activated fibroblast
      phenotype. In the last years, several epigenetic alterations have been described
      in SSc and have been linked to different pathogenic aspects of the disease, in
      particular to aberrant fibroblast activation and tissue fibrosis, but also to
      vascular manifestations and inflammation. The focus of this review is the current
      knowledge on epigenetic changes in fibroblast activation in SSc.

PMID- 28343420
TI  - Portable devices and mobile instruments for infectious diseases point-of-care
      testing.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: Rapidity, simplicity, and portability are highly desirable
      characteristics of tests and devices designed for performing diagnostics at the
      point of care (POC), either near patients managed in healthcare facilities or to
      offer bioanalytical alternatives in external settings. By reducing the turnaround
      time of the diagnostic cycle, POC diagnostics can reduce the dissemination,
      morbidity, and mortality of infectious diseases and provide tools to control the
      global threat of antimicrobial resistance. Areas covered: A literature search of
      PubMed and Google Scholar, and extensive mining of specialized publications,
      Internet resources, and manufacturers' websites have been used to organize and
      write this overview of the challenges and requirements associated with the
      development of portable sample-to-answer diagnostics, and showcase relevant
      examples of handheld devices, portable instruments, and less mobile systems which
      may or could be operated at POC. Expert commentary: Rapid (<1 h) diagnostics can
      contribute to control infectious diseases and antimicrobial resistant pathogens.
      Portable devices or instruments enabling sample-to-answer bioanalysis can provide
      rapid, robust, and reproducible testing at the POC or close from it. Beyond
      testing, to realize some promises of personalized/precision medicine, it will be
      critical to connect instruments to healthcare data management systems, to
      efficiently link decentralized testing results to the electronic medical record
      of patients.

PMID- 28343419
TI  - Clinical features, long-term clinical outcomes, and prognostic factors of
      tuberculous meningitis in West China: a multivariate analysis of 154 adults.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Tuberculosis is prevalent in China, which is the second greatest
      contributor to the global tuberculosis burden. Tuberculosis meningitis (TBM) is
      the most severe disease form but few reports describe long-term clinical outcomes
      and prognostic factors. Thus, we studied these features in Chinese TBM patients.
      METHODS: A retrospective follow-up study was used to collect clinical features
      and outcomes of adult TB meningitis at the First Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing
      Medical University from June 2012 to August 2015. Univariate analysis and
      multivariate analysis were used to identify predictive factors associated with
      outcomes at discharge and follow-up. RESULTS: TBM patients (N = 154) were a
      median age of 41 years (range: 16-82 years). Median time to follow-up was 26.4
      months (range: 9.3-46.5 months) and 31% had poor outcomes at follow-up and limb
      weakness (p = 0.016), lower GCS scores (p < 0.001), cranial-nerve palsy (p =
      0.024), and hydrocephalus (p = 0.009) were closely associated with these poor
      outcomes. Furthermore, a high neutrophil to lymphocytes ratio, high D-dimer, a
      low albumin to globulin ratio and slow background of EEG associated with poor
      outcomes as well. CONCLUSIONS: Mortality and disability associated with TBM are
      high in China. Limb weakness, GCS scores, cranial-nerve palsy and hydrocephalus
      were independent predictors of poor outcomes, and AGR, NLR, D-dimer, and EEG
      abnormalities may be prognostic factors of TBM.

PMID- 28343422
TI  - Challenges for epigenetic research in inflammatory bowel diseases.
AB  - The human epigenome may link environmental exposures and commensal microbiota
      changes to host pathology in respect to the developmental origins of inflammatory
      bowel diseases (ulcerative colitis [UC] and Crohn's disease [more appropriately
      Crohn disease, CD]). Genetic predisposition - prenatal, perinatal and pediatric
      environmental influences - microbiome aberration (dysbiosis) and immune
      dysregulation appear to be important elements in disease development, progression
      and maintenance. The prevalence of combined genetic and epigenetic susceptibility
      toward UC and CD is calculated herein to be as high as 2%, and approximately 1%
      for UC and CD in highly developed countries, respectively. This review emphasizes
      the significant challenges for epigenetic research in inflammatory bowel
      diseases. Overcoming these challenges, however, could reveal unique opportunities
      for disease prevention, treatment and possible cure.

PMID- 28343421
TI  - In vitro and in vivo fitness costs associated with Mycobacterium tuberculosis
      RpoB mutation H526D.
AB  - AIM: There is controversy regarding the potential fitness costs of rifampicin
      (RIF) resistance-conferring mutations in the Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb)
      rpoB gene. We characterized the pathogenicity of an Mtb RpoB H526D mutant.
      MATERIALS & METHODS: A mutant containing the RpoB H526D mutation was isolated
      from wild-type Mtb grown on RIF-containing plates and complemented for
      determination of in vitro and in vivo fitness costs. RESULTS: The RpoB H526D
      mutant showed reduced survival relative to control strains during progressive
      hypoxia and delayed growth following resuscitation from nutrient starvation (p <
      0.05), which was associated with reduced expression of the resuscitation
      promoting factor genes rpfB, rpfC and rpfE. Relative to the isogenic wild-type
      strain, the mutant showed significantly attenuated growth and long-term survival
      as well as reduced inflammation in mouse lungs. Conclusion & future perspective:
      Our data suggest that RpoB H526D mutation confers a fitness cost during growth
      limiting conditions in vitro and in mouse lungs.

PMID- 28343423
TI  - Management of precipitated opiate withdrawal syndrome induced by nalmefene
      mistakenly prescribed in opiate-dependent patients: a review for clinicians.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: Nalmefene, a long-acting u-opioid antagonist approved to treat
      alcohol use disorder, is occasionally mistakenly prescribed to opiate-dependent
      or opioid-treated patients. We review recent literature on drug-drug interactions
      between nalmefene and opioids that lead to precipitated opioid withdrawal, and
      focus on its management and planning for care at discharge. Areas covered: This
      article provides a brief and comprehensive review of management of precipitated
      opioid withdrawal syndrome when nalmefene is associated with an opioid, whether
      misused or legally prescribed. Expert opinion: When treating an opiate-dependent
      patient with co-occurring alcohol use disorder, both conditions need to be a
      focus of clinical attention. New drugs for alcohol use disorder have been
      approved, but must be given cautiously and with a full understanding of their
      potential drug-drug interactions with opioid medications. Opiate-dependent
      patients should be intensively monitored for risk factors of alcohol use disorder
      and should be continuously motivated for treatment maintenance. When nalmefene is
      administered to opiate-dependent patients, acute opioid withdrawal syndrome may
      occur. Management of precipitated acute opioid withdrawal may include short or
      long-acting u-opioid agonists during hospitalization, in addition to supportive
      treatment. The best management of polydrug abusers is based on a
      multidisciplinary approach, which should be pursued and improved through
      continuing medical education.

PMID- 28343424
TI  - Biosimilar biologic drugs: a new frontier in medical care.
AB  - Physicians in training are expected to be aware of the newest developments in
      patient care. Biologic therapies have changed treatment of many diseases by
      specifically targeting key disease mediators, but patient access to these
      therapies can be limited. As patents for the first biologic therapies are
      expiring, the development and approval of products known as biosimilars is
      rapidly gaining momentum. A biosimilar is a biologic product that is highly
      similar to a reference product (a licensed biologic product), notwithstanding
      minor differences in clinically inactive components. Biosimilars undergo a
      thorough evaluation compared with the licensed biologic and need to demonstrate
      comparable clinical pharmacokinetics, efficacy, and safety including
      immunogenicity. Understanding the processes for new drug approvals, the rigorous
      evaluation of biosimilars, and considerations about their selection and use can
      help recently trained physicians to make informed treatment decisions and improve
      patient outcomes.

PMID- 28343425
TI  - PPAR-alpha agonists are still on the rise: an update on clinical and experimental
      findings.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: Non-fasting plasma triglyceride (TG) and remnant cholesterol
      levels, cholesterol content of triglyceride-rich lipoproteins, have been
      suggested to be an additional cause of cardiovascular diseases; thus,
      pharmacological TG-lowering with fibrates, activators of PPAR-alpha system, has
      been linked to risk reduction. Areas covered: This manuscript reviews available
      evidence on clinical trials involving highly selective PPAR-alpha agonists (i.e.,
      pemafibrate) and drugs used in the pre-clinical and experimental setting (e.g.,
      WY14,643). Original publications in English were selected, as well as Abstracts
      of international meetings' presentations. Clinical trials were identified using
      the clinicaltrial.gov database and the EU Clinical Trials Register
      (clinicaltrialsregister.eu). Expert opinion: In addition to the aim of improving
      lipid profile with fibrates, the interest in new PPAR-alpha activators stems from
      the need to overcome some of the clinical problems encountered with dose
      dependent adverse events; a rise of plasma creatinine, gallstone formation, drug
      drug interactions (i.e. gemfibrozil), and myopathy. New PPAR-alpha agonists
      improved TG and HDL-C levels as well as other parameters related to TG metabolism
      (remnant cholesterol and apoB), without raising liver enzymes. Although the use
      of fibrates is rated 'second choice' by many clinicians, new PPAR-alpha agonists
      may offer a more accessible route to the management of hypertriglyceridemia, a
      frequent clinical condition.

PMID- 28343426
TI  - Suicide hurts people.

PMID- 28343427
TI  - Optimisation of adherence and discontinuation practices for maintenance
      antidepressant therapy.

PMID- 28343428
TI  - Poor physical health in mental health: Finding a way forward.

PMID- 28343429
TI  - An Erudite Encounter with: Patrick McGorry, AO.

PMID- 28343430
TI  - Does training of cognitive functions help affective remediation?

PMID- 28343431
TI  - Contributions to dementia research by Australian Psychiatry.

PMID- 28343432
TI  - Cognitive and affective remediation training for mood disorders.

PMID- 28343434
TI  - Putting the CART before the horse?

PMID- 28343433
TI  - Interactions between police and people with mental illness.

PMID- 28343435
TI  - Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Psychiatrists expert consensus
      statement for the treatment, management and monitoring of the physical health of
      people with an enduring psychotic illness.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: To use expert consensus to inform the development of policy and
      guidelines for the treatment, management and monitoring of the physical health of
      people with an enduring psychotic illness. METHOD: The Delphi method was used. A
      systematic search of websites, books and journal articles was conducted to
      develop a 416-item survey containing strategies that health professionals should
      use to treat, manage and monitor the physical health of people with an enduring
      psychotic illness. Three panels of Australian experts (55 clinicians, 21 carers
      and 20 consumers) were recruited and independently rated the items over three
      rounds, with strategies reaching consensus on a priori-defined levels of
      importance written into the expert consensus statement. RESULTS: The
      participation rate for the clinicians across all three rounds was 65%, with
      consumers and carers only completing one round due to high endorsement rates.
      Finally, 386 strategies were endorsed as essential or important by one or all
      panels. The endorsed strategies provided information on engagement and
      collaborative partnerships; clinical governance; risk factors, morbidity and
      mortality in people with enduring psychotic illness; assessment, including
      initial and follow-up assessments; barriers to care; strategies to improve care
      of people with enduring psychotic illness; education and training; treatment
      recommendations; medication side effects; and the role of health professionals.
      CONCLUSION: The consensus statement is intended to be used by health
      professionals, people with an enduring psychotic illness and their families and
      carers. The next step needed is an implementation strategy by the Royal
      Australian and New Zealand College of Psychiatrists and other stakeholders.

PMID- 28343436
TI  - Ethos.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Ethics in nursing care are traditionally discussed in terms of moral
      norms or principles. When taking an ontological approach to ethics, ethics is
      about ethos. Ethos involves both an internal and an external side of ethics.
      Considering ethics and health from an ontological perspective can provide a
      different understanding of ethics and health in caring and nursing. Aim and
      research question: The aim of this study is to deepen the ontological
      understanding of ethics and health in caring and nursing. The research question
      is as follows: What is the ontology of health and ethics in caring and nursing?
      RESEARCH DESIGN: The study follows a hermeneutical design inspired by Gadamer.
      Participants and research context: essays about ethics and health were gathered
      from PhD students in nursing and caring sciences. Ethical considerations: The
      research follows Responsible conduct of research guidelines provided by the
      Finnish Advisory Board on Research Integrity. FINDINGS: An ethos with the values
      of freedom and responsibility seem to ontologically be important for ethics and
      health. These values allow a movement between the internal and the external sides
      of ethics that is important for health. DISCUSSION: The ethos of freedom and
      responsibility that is essential for ethics and health can provide the current
      ethical debate a new starting point that previous research asks for. CONCLUSION:
      Ontologically, an ethos of freedom and responsibility is essential for ethics and
      health in nursing and caring.

PMID- 28343437
TI  - Organs-on-chips: Progress, challenges, and future directions.
AB  - The National Institutes of Health Microphysiological Systems (MPS) program, led
      by the National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences, is part of a joint
      effort on MPS development with the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency and
      with regulatory guidance from FDA, is now in its final year of funding. The
      program has produced many tangible outcomes in tissue chip development in terms
      of stem cell differentiation, microfluidic engineering, platform development, and
      single and multi-organ systems-and continues to help facilitate the acceptance
      and use of tissue chips by the wider community. As the first iteration of the
      program draws to a close, this Commentary will highlight some of the goals met,
      and lay out some of the challenges uncovered that will remain to be addressed as
      the field progresses. The future of the program will also be outlined. Impact
      statement This work is important to the field as it outlines the progress and
      challenges faced by the NIH Microphysiological Systems program to date, and the
      future of the program. This is useful information for the field to be aware of,
      both for current program stakeholders and future awardees and partners.

PMID- 28343438
TI  - Hsa-miR-27b is up-regulated in cytomegalovirus-infected human glioma cells,
      targets engrailed-2 and inhibits its expression.
AB  - Human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) dormant infection can alter the expression of the
      hosts' microRNAs (miRNAs) and impact on the regulation of target genes. To
      investigate the differentially expressed miRNAs induced by HCMV in human glioma
      U251 cells, a comprehensive miRNA screen was performed. As a result, 19 up
      regulated and 14 down-regulated miRNAs were determined. Of these, hsa-miR-27b
      (miR-27b) attracted our attention. MiR-27b levels in U251 cells increased 7.70
      fold, 8.64-fold, and 4.78-fold, respectively, post 24 h, 48 h, and 72 h HCMV
      infection, compared to those in the mimic-infected cells, and this up-regulation
      was further confirmed by quantitative RT-PCR. The bioinformatic analyses show
      that miR-27b targets engrailed-2 (EN2) gene; however, the effect of miR-27b on
      EN2 is rarely encountered. In this study, we initially conducted dual luciferase
      assay to validate the target function of miR-27b on EN2. The results manifested
      that EN2 is a novel target of miR-27b, which could directly target the 3'
      untranslated region (3'-UTR) of the gene. We further found that the miR-27b
      transfected glioma U251 cells exhibited longer cell bodies with more synapses and
      multiple-angle shapes; moreover, Western blot detection revealed that the EN2
      protein levels in these cells were significantly low. In conclusion, our study
      originally reports the up-regulation of miR-27b in HCMV-infected glioma cells.
      Our study also provides the first experimental evidence that miR-27b could affect
      glioma cells' growth, target EN2 and inhibit its expression in glioma cells. Our
      data indicate that miR-27b may be related to the development of neurological
      disorders with HCMV infection. The newly identified miR-27b/EN2 signal pathway
      may provide new insights into the glioma pathogenesis and a novel target for
      glioma therapy. Impact statement Our study is the first to demonstrate that the
      HCMV infection could alter the expression of cellular microRNAs of the host
      glioma cells, which may develop an understanding of the pathogenesis of the HCMV
      infection in the microRNA level. Recently, HCMV infection and engrailed-2 have
      been reported to be related to the autism spectrum disorder (ASD). In this study,
      we confirmed that engrailed-2 is the target of hsa-miR-27b. As far as we know,
      our findings of the hsa-miR-27b up-regulation in the HCMV-infected glioma cells,
      targeting engrailed-2 and inhibiting its expression have never been reported or
      documented. Our data indicate that miR-27b may be related to the development of
      neurological disorders with the HCMV infection. The newly identified miR-27b/EN2
      signal pathway may provide new insights into the glioma pathogenesis and a novel
      target for glioma therapy.

PMID- 28343440
TI  - Early interventions to promote work participation in people with regional
      musculoskeletal pain: a systematic review and meta-analysis.
AB  - OBJECTIVES: To determine the effectiveness of early multidisciplinary
      interventions in promoting work participation and reducing work absence in adults
      with regional musculoskeletal pain. DATA SOURCES: Seven databases (CENTRAL,
      CINAHL, EMBASE, MEDLINE, Scopus, OT Seeker, PEDro; 1990 to December 2016) were
      searched for eligible studies. REVIEW METHODS: Trials were included if they
      reported on work-based outcomes for participants experiencing difficulties at
      work or <= three months' sick leave. Interventions had to include two or more
      elements of the biopsychosocial model delivered as a coordinated programme.
      Quality was assessed using the GRADE criteria. Results were analysed by hazard
      ratios for return to work data; continuous outcomes were analysed as standardised
      mean difference with 95% confidence intervals. RESULTS: A total of 20 randomized
      controlled trials, with 16,319 participants were included; the interventions were
      grouped according to their main components for meta-analyses. At 12-months follow
      up, moderate quality evidence suggests that programmes involving a stepped care
      approach (four studies) were more effective than the comparisons in promoting
      return to work (hazard ratio (HR) 1.29 (95% confidence interval (CI) 1.03 to
      1.61), p = 0.03), whereas case management (two studies) was not (HR 0.92 (95% CI
      0.69 to 1.24), p = 0.59). Analyses suggested limited effectiveness in reducing
      sickness absences, in pain reduction or functional improvement across the
      intervention categories. CONCLUSION: There is uncertainty as to the effectiveness
      of early multicomponent interventions owing to the clinical heterogeneity and
      varying health and social insurance systems across the trials.

PMID- 28343441
TI  - An investigation of the psychometric properties of the Chinese (Cantonese)
      version of Subjective Index of Physical and Social Outcome (SIPSO).
AB  - OBJECTIVE: The objectives of this study were 1) to translate and make cultural
      adaptations to the English version of the SIPSO questionnaire to create a Chinese
      (Cantonese) version, 2) evaluate the internal consistency, test-retest
      reliability the C-SIPSO questionnaire, and 3) compare the SIPSO-C scores of
      stroke survivors with different demographic characteristics to establish the
      discriminant validity of the questionnaire Design: Translation of questionnaire,
      cross sectional study. SETTING: University-based clinical research laboratory.
      Subjects Community-dwelling chronic stroke survivors. INTERVENTIONS: Not
      applicable. MAIN MEASURES: Subjective Index of Physical and Social Outcome,
      Geriatric Depression Scale, 10-metre Walk test. RESULTS: Two bilingual
      professional translators translated the SIPSO questionnaire independently. An
      expert panel comprising five registered physiotherapists verified the content
      validity of the final version (C-SIPSO). C-SIPSO demonstrated good internal
      consistency (Cronbach's alpha = 0.83) and excellent test-retest reliability
      (ICC3,1 = 0.866) in ninety-two community dwelling chronic stroke survivors.
      Stroke survivors scored higher than 10 in the Geriatric Depression Scale ( U =
      555.0, P < 0.001) and with the comfortable walking speed lower than 0.8ms-1 ( U =
      726.5; P = 0.012) scored significantly lower on SIPSO-C. CONCLUSION: SIPSO-C is a
      reliable instrument that can be used to measure the level of community
      integration in community-dwelling stroke survivors in Hong Kong and southern
      China. Stroke survivors who were at high risk of minor depression and with
      limited community ambulation ability demonstrated a lower level of community
      integration as measured with SIPSO-C.

PMID- 28343442
TI  - Effectiveness of neuromuscular electrical stimulation for management of shoulder
      subluxation post-stroke: a systematic review with meta-analysis.
AB  - OBJECTIVES: To examine the effectiveness of neuromuscular electrical stimulation
      (NMES) for the management of shoulder subluxation after stroke including
      assessment of short (1 hour or less) and long (more than one hour) daily
      treatment duration. DATA SOURCES: MEDLINE, CENTRAL, CINAHL, WOS, KoreaMed, RISS
      and reference lists from inception to January 2017 Review methods: We considered
      randomized controlled trials that reported neuromuscular electrical stimulation
      for the treatment of shoulder subluxation post-stroke. Two reviewers
      independently selected trials for inclusion, assessed trial quality, and
      extracted data. RESULTS: Eleven studies were included (432 participants); seven
      studies were good quality, four were fair. There was a significant treatment
      effect of neuromuscular electrical stimulation for reduction of subluxation for
      persons with acute and subacute stroke (SMD:-1.11; 95% CI:-1.53, -0.68) with
      either short (SMD:-0.91; 95% CI:-1.43, -0.40) or long (SMD:-1.49; 95% CI:-2.31, 
      0.67) daily treatment duration. The effect for patients with chronic stroke was
      not significant (SMD:-1.25; 95% CI:-2.60, 0.11). There was no significant effect
      of neuromuscular electrical stimulation on arm function or shoulder pain.
      CONCLUSION: This meta-analysis suggests a beneficial effect of neuromuscular
      electrical stimulation, with either short or long daily treatment duration, for
      reducing shoulder subluxation in persons with acute and subacute stroke. No
      significant benefits were observed for persons with chronic stroke or for
      improving arm function or reducing shoulder pain.

PMID- 28343439
TI  - Toward improved myocardial maturity in an organ-on-chip platform with immature
      cardiac myocytes.
AB  - In vitro studies of cardiac physiology and drug response have traditionally been
      performed on individual isolated cardiomyocytes or isotropic monolayers of cells
      that may not mimic desired physiological traits of the laminar adult myocardium.
      Recent studies have reported a number of advances to Heart-on-a-Chip platforms
      for the fabrication of more sophisticated engineered myocardium, but
      cardiomyocyte immaturity remains a challenge. In the anisotropic musculature of
      the heart, interactions between cardiac myocytes, the extracellular matrix (ECM),
      and neighboring cells give rise to changes in cell shape and tissue architecture
      that have been implicated in both development and disease. We hypothesized that
      engineered myocardium fabricated from cardiac myocytes cultured in vitro could
      mimic the physiological characteristics and gene expression profile of adult
      heart muscle. To test this hypothesis, we fabricated engineered myocardium
      comprised of neonatal rat ventricular myocytes with laminar architectures
      reminiscent of that observed in the mature heart and compared their sarcomere
      organization, contractile performance characteristics, and cardiac gene
      expression profile to that of isolated adult rat ventricular muscle strips. We
      found that anisotropic engineered myocardium demonstrated a similar degree of
      global sarcomere alignment, contractile stress output, and inotropic
      concentration-response to the beta-adrenergic agonist isoproterenol. Moreover,
      the anisotropic engineered myocardium exhibited comparable myofibril related gene
      expression to muscle strips isolated from adult rat ventricular tissue. These
      results suggest that tissue architecture serves an important developmental cue
      for building in vitro model systems of the myocardium that could potentially
      recapitulate the physiological characteristics of the adult heart. Impact
      statement With the recent focus on developing in vitro Organ-on-Chip platforms
      that recapitulate tissue and organ-level physiology using immature cells derived
      from stem cell sources, there is a strong need to assess the ability of these
      engineered tissues to adopt a mature phenotype. In the present study, we compared
      and contrasted engineered tissues fabricated from neonatal rat ventricular
      myocytes in a Heart-on-a-Chip platform to ventricular muscle strips isolated from
      adult rats. The results of this study support the notion that engineered tissues
      fabricated from immature cells have the potential to mimic mature tissues in an
      Organ-on-Chip platform.

PMID- 28343443
TI  - Lacosamide-Induced Recurrent Ventricular Tachycardia in the Acute Care Setting.
AB  - Lacosamide is a new-generation antiepileptic drug (AED) most commonly used
      adjunctively in the setting of partial-onset seizures refractory to traditional
      therapy. We describe the first case report, to our knowledge, of a patient who
      developed recurrent, sustained ventricular tachycardia with multiple
      administrations of lacosamide in an acute setting. A 70-year-old woman with a
      history significant for valvular heart disease was admitted to the inpatient
      cardiology service for worsening heart failure. On hospital day 7, she received a
      bioprosthetic aortic valve. Prior to surgery and immediately after, the patient's
      electrocardiogram (ECG) was normal. After developing multiple generalized tonic
      clonic seizures refractory to levetiracetam, fosphenytoin, and valproic acid, the
      decision was made to initiate lacosamide. Two hours following the second
      lacosamide dose, the patient developed a wide complex QRS that transitioned into
      sustained ventricular tachycardia requiring electrical cardioversion. Sustained
      ventricular tachycardia occurred again, just hours after the third dose of
      lacosamide was given. Following cessation of lacosamide, the patient's QRS
      interval normalized and has since had no documented episodes of ventricular
      tachycardia. Clinicians should be aware of the potential for life-threatening
      rhythmic disturbances in patients initiated on lacosamide and the need for
      vigilant ECG, electrolyte, and drug-drug monitoring.

PMID- 28343445
TI  - A Case of Anagrelide-Induced Nonischemic Cardiomyopathy in a Patient With
      Essential Thrombocythemia.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Anagrelide is an established treatment option for essential
      thrombocythemia (ET). Cardiovascular adverse events can occur with its use
      including heart failure and cardiomyopathy. CASE REPORT: A 52-year-old African
      American male with ET presented with chest pain, shortness of breath, and dyspnea
      on exertion. His ET was managed with hydroxyurea 1500 mg by mouth twice a day and
      anagrelide 1 mg by mouth 3 times a day. The patient was receiving anagrelide for
      approximately 2 years prior to presentation. The patient's platelet count was
      2.07 * 105 cells/mm3. Transthoracic echocardiography revealed decreased left
      systolic dysfunction. Also, cardiac magnetic resonance imaging showed an
      increased left ventricle cavity size with severely depressed systolic dysfunction
      and an ejection fraction (EF) of 18%. Anagrelide therapy was discontinued and the
      patient was maintained on hydroxyurea for ET. Three months later, following
      treatment by a heart failure clinic, the patient's EF was 55%. Five months after
      discontinuation, the patient improved from New York Heart Association (NYHA)
      class II to NYHA class I. CONCLUSION: A 52-year-old man with ET presented with an
      EF of 18% after 2 years of anagrelide therapy. His EF increased from 18% to 55% 3
      months after discontinuation of anagrelide.

PMID- 28343444
TI  - A Pilot Study for Antimicrobial Stewardship Post-Discharge: Avoiding Pitfalls at
      the Transitions of Care.
AB  - PURPOSE: Lack of patient follow-up is a major concern during care transitions,
      and the role of an antimicrobial stewardship program (ASP) in assessing
      antimicrobial regimens after hospital discharge is not well described. We
      implemented an expanded ASP to include patients recently discharged from the
      hospital and measured its impact on inappropriate antimicrobial therapy 72 hours
      after inpatient culture data were finalized. METHODS: A prospective cohort study
      was conducted at a 583-bed tertiary care center in the Upper Midwest of America.
      All patients discharged from our facility on antimicrobial therapy with pending
      culture results between February 3, 2016, and March 2, 2016, were included for
      review. If a pathogen nonsusceptible to all prescribed antimicrobials was
      identified post-discharge, a recommendation for therapy modification was
      communicated to the prescriber. RESULTS: Thirty-eight patients discharged from
      our hospital on antimicrobial therapy with pending culture results were evaluated
      for intervention. When final culture susceptibilities were considered, 5 of 38
      patients had been prescribed an inappropriate antimicrobial agent. An ASP
      pharmacist intervened on 4 of 5 patients, resulting in 3 of 5 patients
      transitioning to appropriate antimicrobial therapy. When compared to a historical
      cohort, our transitions-of-care ASP yielded a 3.6-fold increase in antimicrobial
      related interventions among discharged patients while reducing inappropriate
      outpatient antimicrobial therapy by 39%. CONCLUSION: We believe this is the first
      pharmacist-driven ASP represented in the medical literature which evaluated all
      available inpatient culture data to serve patients discharged from the hospital.
      Antimicrobial stewardship for patients in care transitions may provide an
      opportunity to increase ASP interventions and reduce inappropriate antimicrobial
      therapy.

PMID- 28343446
TI  - Responding to aggression and reactive behaviours in the home.
AB  - Behaviours such as hitting, spitting, swearing and kicking can be a common
      response to personal, social and environmental challenges experienced by people
      with dementia. Little attention, however, has been given to how partners in care
      experience and respond to these behaviours in the home. This paper examines the
      emerging theme of 'aggression,' in seven interviews with nine former partners in
      care of people with dementia in Ontario, Canada. We explore how partners in care
      talk about, interpret and respond to these behaviours drawing on recent
      conceptualizations of structural and interpersonal violence in health and social
      geography and contributing to the growing body of research on relational care. We
      discuss the responses to, and implications of, these behaviours at a range of
      spatial scales and identify important considerations for future research.

PMID- 28343447
TI  - The undifferentiated carcinoma that became a melanoma: Re-biopsy of a cancer of
      an unknown primary site: a case report.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Cancer of unknown primary site is still a demanding condition as it
      is per definition metastatic, with heterogeneous biological behavior, and it is
      often resistant to therapy. Cancer of unknown primary site accounts for
      approximately 1 to 5 % of all cancers, but is currently among the top six causes
      of cancer deaths in Western countries. To correctly identify the biological
      origin of the tumor, a large spectrum of differential diagnoses must be
      considered and scrutinized. At progression, re-biopsy might be necessary to
      reveal the true origin of the tumor or actionable targets. CASE PRESENTATION: A
      62-year-old Norwegian woman, with a fast growing lump in her left groin, was
      primarily diagnosed as having undifferentiated carcinoma that was BRAF V600
      positive. There was complete response with paclitaxel-carboplatin and she was
      recurrence-free for 18 months. She had recurrence in both lungs and
      subcutaneously in her left groin and thigh; a re-biopsy revealed transformation
      to a malignant melanoma. She was resistant to BRAF inhibitors, then treated with
      ipilimumab and is currently a long-term survivor of 4 years and 4 months since
      the first diagnosis, with no clinical or radiological evidence of recurrence.
      CONCLUSIONS: A biopsy from patients with metastasis of unknown primary should be
      analyzed thoroughly to identify organ of origin, molecular make-up, and possible
      molecular targets. Re-biopsy of cancer of unknown primary site at progression can
      reveal the true cellular origin of the tumor as well as provide novel therapeutic
      opportunities, including immunotherapy.

PMID- 28343448
TI  - Hemoadsorption by CytoSorb in septic patients: a case series.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Septic shock, defined as life-threatening organ dysfunction caused by
      a dysregulated host response to infection, is a highly lethal condition that
      causes substantial morbidity and mortality among critically ill patients. One of
      the hallmarks of sepsis is the excessive release of cytokines and other
      inflammatory mediators causing refractory hypotension, tissue damage, metabolic
      acidosis and ultimately multiple organ failure. In this context, cytokine
      reduction by hemoadsorption represents a new concept for blood purification,
      developed to attenuate the overwhelming systemic levels of pro-inflammatory and
      anti-inflammatory mediators released in the early phase of sepsis. METHODS: In
      the present case series, we evaluated the impact of a new hemoadsorption device
      (CytoSorb) used as adjunctive therapy, on hemodynamics and clinically relevant
      outcome parameters in 26 critically ill patients with septic shock and in need of
      renal replacement therapy. RESULTS: We found that treatment of these patients
      with septic shock was associated with hemodynamic stabilization and a reduction
      in blood lactate levels. Actual mortality in the overall patient population was
      lower than mortality predicted by acute physiology and chronic health evaluation
      II (APACHE II). These effects seem to be more pronounced in patients in whom
      therapy started within 24 h of sepsis diagnosis, whereas a delay in the start of
      therapy was associated with a poor response to therapy in terms of reduction of
      catecholamine demand and survival. Moreover, from our patient population, medical
      patients seemed to benefit more than post-surgical patients in terms of survival.
      Treatment using the CytoSorb device was safe and well-tolerated with no device
      related adverse events during or after the treatment sessions. CONCLUSION:
      Hemoadsorption using CytoSorb resulted in rapid hemodynamic stabilization and
      increased survival, particularly in patients in whom therapy was started early.
      Given the positive clinical experience of this case series, randomized controlled
      trials are urgently needed to define the potential benefits of this new treatment
      option.

PMID- 28343450
TI  - Spinal pain in Danish school children - how often and how long? The CHAMPS Study
      DK.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Spinal pain in children and adolescents is a common condition,
      usually transitory, but the picture of spinal pain still needs elucidation,
      mainly due to variation in measurement methods. The aim of this study was to
      describe the occurrence of spinal pain in 8-15 year-old Danish school children,
      over a 3-year period. Specifically determining the characteristics of spinal pain
      in terms of frequency and duration. METHODS: The study was a 3-year prospective
      longitudinal cohort study including 1400 school children. The outcomes were based
      on weekly text messages (SMS) to the parents inquiring about the child's
      musculoskeletal pain, and on clinical data from examinations of the children.
      RESULTS: The 3-year prevalence was 55%. The prevalence was 29%, 33% and 31% for
      each of the three study years respectively, and increased statistically
      significantly with age, especially for lumbopelvic pain. Most children had few
      and short-lasting episodes with spinal pain, but more than one out of five
      children had three or more episodes during a study year and 17% of all episodes
      lasted for more than 4 weeks. CONCLUSION: This study demonstrates that spinal
      pain is a substantial problem. Most episodes are brief, but there are a vast
      number of children with frequent and long-lasting episodes of spinal pain
      indicating a need for action regarding evidence-based prevention and management.

PMID- 28343449
TI  - Post-mortem study of the association between cardiac iron and fibrosis in
      transfusion dependent anaemia.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Heart failure related to cardiac siderosis remains a major cause of
      death in transfusion dependent anaemias. Replacement fibrosis has been reported
      as causative of heart failure in siderotic cardiomyopathy in historical reports,
      but these findings do not accord with the reversible nature of siderotic heart
      failure achievable with intensive iron chelation. METHODS: Ten whole human hearts
      (9 beta-thalassemia major, 1 sideroblastic anaemia) were examined for iron
      loading and fibrosis (replacement and interstitial). Five had died from heart
      failure, 4 had cardiac transplantation for heart failure, and 1 had no heart
      failure (death from a stroke). Heart samples iron content was measured using
      atomic emission spectroscopy. Interstitial fibrosis was quantified by computer
      using picrosirius red (PSR) staining and expressed as collagen volume fraction
      (CVF) with normal value for left ventricle <3%. RESULTS: The 9 hearts affected by
      heart failure had severe iron loading with very low T2* of 5.0 +/- 2.0 ms (iron
      concentration 8.5 +/- 7.0 mg/g dw) and diffuse granular myocardial iron
      deposition. In none of the 10 hearts was significant macroscopic replacement
      fibrosis present. In only 2 hearts was interstitial fibrosis present, but with
      low CVF: in one patient with no cardiac siderosis (death by stroke, CVF 5.9%) and
      in a heart failure patient (CVF 2%). In the remaining 8 patients, no interstitial
      fibrosis was seen despite all having severe cardiac siderosis and heart failure
      (CVF 1.86% +/-0.87%). CONCLUSION: Replacement cardiac fibrosis was not seen in
      the 9 post-mortem hearts from patients with severe cardiac siderosis and heart
      failure leading to death or transplantation, which contrasts markedly to
      historical reports. Minor interstitial fibrosis was also unusual and very limited
      in extent. These findings accord with the potential for reversibility of heart
      failure seen in iron overload cardiomyopathy. TRIAL REGISTRATION:
      ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT00520559.

PMID- 28343452
TI  - SYSTEMATIC REVIEWS OF ECONOMIC EVALUATIONS: HOW EXTENSIVE ARE THEIR SEARCHES?
AB  - OBJECTIVES: Economic evaluation (EE) is an accepted element of decision making
      and priority setting in healthcare. As the number of published EEs grows, so does
      the number of systematic reviews (SRs) of EEs. Although search methodology makes
      an important contribution to SR quality, search methods in reviews of EEs have
      not been evaluated in detail. We investigated the resources used to identify
      studies in recent, published SRs of EEs, and assessed whether the resources
      reflected recommendations. METHODS: We searched MEDLINE for SRs of EEs published
      since January 2013 and extracted the following from eligible reviews: databases
      searched, health technology assessment (HTA) sources searched, supplementary
      search techniques used. Results were compared against the minimum search
      resources recommended by National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE)
      (MEDLINE, Embase, NHS EED, EconLit) for economic evidence for single technology
      appraisals, and resource types suggested in the summary of current best evidence
      from SuRe Info (economic databases, general databases, HTA databases, HTA agency
      Web pages, gray literature). RESULTS: Sixty-five SRs met the inclusion criteria;
      data were extracted from forty-two. Five reviews (12 percent) met or exceeded the
      NICE recommended resources. Nine reviews (21 percent) searched at least four of
      the five types of resource recommended by SuRe Info. Five reviews (12 percent)
      searched all five. Twenty-three reviews (55 percent) did not meet the NICE
      recommendations or four of five of the SuRe Info recommended resource types.
      Search reporting was frequently unclear or incorrect. CONCLUSIONS: Searches
      conducted for the majority of recently published SRs of EEs do not meet two
      published approaches.

PMID- 28343451
TI  - The association between the day of the week of milestones in the care pathway of
      patients with hip fracture and 30-day mortality: findings from a prospective
      national registry - The National Hip Fracture Database of England and Wales.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Recent publications indicate increased mortality in patients admitted
      to hospital at the weekend, but these findings may be subject to inadequate
      adjustment for case-mix and the complexities of resource provision. Hip fractures
      generally occur in a frail comorbid population with a consistent diagnosis
      precipitating admission as an emergency. We therefore aimed to examine the
      association between the day of the week of milestones in the care pathway and 30
      day mortality in this population. METHODS: Using data from a prospective national
      database of hip fractures, we investigated the association between day of the
      week of admission, surgery, inpatient stay, and discharge (care pathway
      milestones) and 30-day mortality using generalised linear models. Data was
      collected between January 1, 2011, and December 31, 2014, on 241,446 patients. An
      incremental case-mix adjustment strategy was performed using patient
      characteristics, non-surgical interventions, surgical interventions and discharge
      characteristics. RESULTS: The day of admission was not associated with 30-day
      mortality. Sunday surgery (OR, 1.094; 95% CI, 1.043-1.148; P < 0.0001) and a
      delay to surgery of more than 24-hours (OR, 1.094; 95% CI, 1.059, 1.130; P <
      0.0001) were both associated with a 9.4% increase in 30-day mortality. Discharge
      from the hospital on a Sunday (OR, 1.515; 95% CI, 1.224, 1.844; P < 0.0001) or
      out-of-hours discharge (OR, 1.174; 95% CI, 1.081, 1.276; P < 0.0001) were
      associated with a 51.5% and 17.4% increase in 30-day mortality, respectively.
      Mortality during the inpatient stay was 5.6% lower (IRR, 0.944; 95% CI, 0.909,
      0.980; P = 0.003) at the weekend compared to weekdays. CONCLUSIONS: There is
      limited evidence of a generalised weekend effect in patients admitted to hospital
      for hip fracture. Optimising resource utilisation is an essential element of
      planning and delivering healthcare services. Interventions that lead to surgery
      within 24-hours of admission are justified. Factors such as Sunday operations,
      discharge and out-of-hours discharge require further investigation.

PMID- 28343454
TI  - ADHD patients fail to maintain task goals in face of subliminally and consciously
      induced cognitive conflicts.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) patients have been
      reported to display deficits in action control processes. While it is known that
      subliminally and consciously induced conflicts interact and conjointly modulate
      action control in healthy subjects, this has never been investigated for ADHD.
      METHOD: We investigated the (potential) interaction of subliminally and
      consciously triggered response conflicts in children with ADHD and matched
      healthy controls using neuropsychological methods (event-related potentials;
      ERPs) to identify the involved cognitive sub-processes. RESULTS: Unlike healthy
      controls, ADHD patients showed no interaction of subliminally and consciously
      triggered response conflicts. Instead, they only showed additive effects as their
      behavioural performance (accuracy) was equally impaired by each conflict and they
      showed no signs of task-goal shielding even in cases of low conflict load. Of
      note, this difference between ADHD and controls was not rooted in early bottom-up
      attentional stimulus processing as reflected by the P1 and N1 ERPs. Instead, ADHD
      showed either no or reversed modulations of conflict-related processes and
      response selection as reflected by the N2 and P3 ERPs. CONCLUSION: There are
      fundamental differences in the architecture of cognitive control which might be
      of use for future diagnostic procedures. Unlike healthy controls, ADHD patients
      do not seem to be endowed with a threshold which allows them to maintain high
      behavioural performance in the face of low conflict load. ADHD patients seem to
      lack sufficient top-down attentional resources to maintain correct response
      selection in the face of conflicts by shielding the response selection process
      from response tendencies evoked by any kind of distractor.

PMID- 28343456
TI  - Implementation of Neurocritical Care Is Associated With Improved Outcomes in
      Traumatic Brain Injury.
AB  - : Background Traditionally, the delivery of dedicated neurocritical care (NCC)
      occurs in distinct NCC units and is associated with improved outcomes.
      Institution-specific logistical challenges pose barriers to the development of
      distinct NCC units; therefore, we developed a consultancy NCC service coupled
      with the implementation of invasive multimodal neuromonitoring, within a medical
      surgical intensive care unit. Our objective was to evaluate the effect of a
      consultancy NCC program on neurologic outcomes in severe traumatic brain injury
      patients. METHODS: We conducted a single-center quasi-experimental uncontrolled
      pre- and post-NCC study in severe traumatic brain injury patients (Glasgow Coma
      Scale <=8). The NCC program includes consultation with a neurointensivist and
      neurosurgeon and multimodal neuromonitoring. Demographic, injury severity
      metrics, neurophysiologic data, and therapeutic interventions were collected.
      Glasgow Outcome Scale (GOS) at 6 months was the primary outcome. Multivariable
      ordinal logistic regression was used to model the association between NCC
      implementation and GOS at 6 months. RESULTS: A total of 113 patients were
      identified: 76 pre-NCC and 37 post-NCC. Mean age was 39 years (standard deviation
      [SD], 2) and 87 of 113 (77%) patients were male. Median admission motor score was
      3 (interquartile ratio, 1-4). Daily mean arterial pressure was higher (95 mmHg
      [SD, 10]) versus (88 mmHg [SD, 10], p<0.001) and daily mean core body temperature
      was lower (36.6 degrees C [SD, 0.90]) versus (37.2 degrees C [SD, 1.0], p=0.001)
      post-NCC compared with pre-NCC, respectively. Multivariable regression modelling
      revealed the NCC program was associated with a 2.5 increased odds (odds ratios,
      2.5; 95% confidence interval, 1.1-5.3; p=0.022) of improved 6-month GOS.
      CONCLUSIONS: Implementation of a NCC program is associated with improved 6 month
      GOS in severe TBI patients.

PMID- 28343455
TI  - Reducing Clostridium difficile in the Inpatient Setting: A Systematic Review of
      the Adherence to and Effectiveness of C. difficile Prevention Bundles.
AB  - BACKGROUND Clostridium difficile infection (CDI) is the most common infectious
      cause of nosocomial diarrhea, and its prevention is an urgent public health
      priority. However, reduction of CDI is challenging because of its complex
      pathogenesis, large reservoirs of colonized patients, and the persistence of
      infectious spores. The literature lacks high-quality evidence for evaluating
      interventions, and many hospitals have implemented bundled interventions to
      reduce CDI with variable results. Thus, we conducted a systematic review to
      examine the components of CDI bundles, their implementation processes, and their
      impact on CDI rates. METHODS We conducted a comprehensive literature search of
      multiple computerized databases from their date of inception through April 30,
      2016. The protocol was registered in PROSPERO, an international prospective
      register of systematic reviews. Bundle effectiveness, adherence, and study
      quality were assessed for each study meeting our criteria for inclusion. RESULTS
      In the 26 studies that met the inclusion criteria for this review, implementation
      and adherence factors to interventions were variably and incompletely reported,
      making study reproducibility and replicability challenging. Despite contextual
      differences and the variety of bundle components utilized, all 26 studies
      reported an improvement in CDI rates. However, given the lack of randomized
      controlled trials in the literature, assessing a causal relationship between
      bundled interventions and CDI rates is currently impossible. CONCLUSION Cluster
      randomized trials that include a rigorous assessment of the implementation of
      bundled interventions are urgently needed to causally test the effect of
      intervention bundles on CDI rates. Infect Control Hosp Epidemiol 2017;38:639-650.

PMID- 28343457
TI  - Development of a model to quantify the accessibility of a Canadian trauma system.
AB  - OBJECTIVES: Trauma systems have been widely implemented across Canada, but access
      to trauma care remains a challenge for much of the population. This study aims to
      develop and validate a model to quantify the accessibility of definitive care
      within one provincial trauma system and identify populations with poor access to
      trauma care. METHODS: A geographic information system (GIS) was used to generate
      models of pre-scene and post-scene intervals, respectively. Models were validated
      using a population-based trauma registry containing data on prehospital time
      intervals and injury locations for Nova Scotia (NS). Validated models were then
      applied to describe the population-level accessibility of trauma care for the NS
      population as well as a cohort of patients injured in motor vehicle collisions
      (MVCs). RESULTS: Predicted post-scene intervals were found to be highly
      correlated with documented post-scene intervals (beta 1.05, p<0.001). Using the
      model, it was found that 88.1% and 42.7% of the population had access to Level
      III and Level I trauma care within 60 minutes of prehospital time from their
      residence, respectively. Access for victims of MVCs was lower, with 84.3% and
      29.7% of the cohort having access to Level III and Level I trauma care within 60
      minutes of the location of injury, respectively. CONCLUSION: GIS models can be
      used to identify populations with poor access to care and inform service planning
      in Canada. Although only 43% of the provincial population has access to Level I
      care within 60 minutes, the majority of the population of NS has access to Level
      III trauma care.

PMID- 28343453
TI  - A trans-diagnostic perspective on obsessive-compulsive disorder.
AB  - Progress in understanding the underlying neurobiology of obsessive-compulsive
      disorder (OCD) has stalled in part because of the considerable problem of
      heterogeneity within this diagnostic category, and homogeneity across other
      putatively discrete, diagnostic categories. As psychiatry begins to recognize the
      shortcomings of a purely symptom-based psychiatric nosology, new data-driven
      approaches have begun to be utilized with the goal of solving these problems:
      specifically, identifying trans-diagnostic aspects of clinical phenomenology
      based on their association with neurobiological processes. In this review, we
      describe key methodological approaches to understanding OCD from this perspective
      and highlight the candidate traits that have already been identified as a result
      of these early endeavours. We discuss how important inferences can be made from
      pre-existing case-control studies as well as showcasing newer methods that rely
      on large general population datasets to refine and validate psychiatric
      phenotypes. As exemplars, we take 'compulsivity' and 'anxiety', putatively trans
      diagnostic symptom dimensions that are linked to well-defined neurobiological
      mechanisms, goal-directed learning and error-related negativity, respectively. We
      argue that the identification of biologically valid, more homogeneous, dimensions
      such as these provides renewed optimism for identifying reliable genetic
      contributions to OCD and other disorders, improving animal models and critically,
      provides a path towards a future of more targeted psychiatric treatments.

PMID- 28343458
TI  - Association between urinary metabolic profile and the intestinal effects of cocoa
      in rats.
AB  - The aim of this study was to elucidate the relationship between the urinary
      metabolic fingerprint and the effects of cocoa and cocoa fibre on body weight,
      hormone metabolism, intestinal immunity and microbiota composition. To this
      effect, Wistar rats were fed, for 3 weeks, a diet containing 10 % cocoa (C10) or
      two other diets with same the proportion of fibres: one based on cocoa fibre (CF)
      and another containing inulin as a reference (REF) diet. The rats' 24 h urine
      samples were analysed by an untargeted 1H NMR spectroscopy-based metabonomic
      approach. Concentrations of faecal IgA and plasma metabolic hormones were also
      quantified. The C10 diet decreased the intestinal IgA, plasma glucagon-like
      peptide-1 and glucagon concentrations and increased ghrelin levels compared with
      those in the REF group. Clear differences were observed between the metabolic
      profiles from the C10 group and those from the CF group. Urine metabolites
      derived from cocoa correlated with the cocoa effects on body weight, immunity and
      the gut microbiota. Overall, cocoa intake alters the host and bacterial
      metabolism concerning energy and amino acid pathways, leading to a metabolic
      signature that can be used as a marker for consumption. This metabolic profile
      correlates with body weight, metabolic hormones, intestinal immunity and
      microbiota composition.

PMID- 28343459
TI  - A retrospective analysis of a societal experiment among the Danish population
      suggests that exposure to extra doses of vitamin A during fetal development may
      lower type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) risk later in life.
AB  - Vitamin A deficiency has been associated with impaired fetal pancreatic
      development and increased risk of developing type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). In
      1962, mandatory margarine fortification with vitamin A was increased by 25 % in
      Denmark. We aimed to determine whether offspring of mothers who had been exposed
      to the extra vitamin A from fortification during pregnancy had a lower risk of
      developing T2DM in adult life, compared with offspring of mothers exposed to less
      vitamin A. Individuals from birth cohorts with the higher prenatal vitamin A
      exposure (born 1 December 1962-31 March 1964) and those with lower prenatal
      exposure (born 1 September 1959-31 December 1960) were followed up with regard to
      development of T2DM before 31 December 2012 in the Danish National Diabetes
      Registry and National Patient Register. Logistic and Cox regression analyses were
      performed to determine the risk of T2DM by vitamin A exposure level. A total of
      193 803 individuals were followed up until midlife. Our results showed that
      individuals exposed prenatally to extra vitamin A from fortified margarine had a
      lower risk of developing T2DM than those exposed to lower levels: OR 0.88; 95 %
      CI 0.81, 0.95, P=0.001, after adjustment for sex. Fetal exposure to small, extra
      amounts of vitamin A from food fortification may reduce the risk of T2DM. These
      results may have public health relevance, as they demonstrate that one of the
      most costly chronic diseases may be prevented by food fortification - a simple
      and affordable public health nutrition intervention.

PMID- 28343460
TI  - New Methods of Morphometric Analyses on Scyphozoan Jellyfish Statoliths Including
      the first Direct Evidence for Statolith Growth Using Calcein as a Fluorescent
      Marker.
AB  - Statoliths are the only hard structures in the gelatinous bell of most scyphozoan
      medusae and investigations on these structures could promote investigations of
      the understudied population dynamics and phylogeny of jellyfish. We examined the
      statoliths of Aurelia aurita jellyfish of different ages by light microscopic and
      microtomographic measurements supplemented by scanning electron microscopy. The
      morphometric analyses confirmed that statolith numbers and sizes increase during
      jellyfish development and revealed that newly-formed statoliths had similar
      shapes that may change during statolith growth. Nevertheless, most statoliths had
      a typical compact rod shape with an aspect ratio of 1-2.5 at all ages and we
      suggest that the composition of statolith shapes may be taxa specific. We
      developed a new approach allowing exact measurements of statolith growth for the
      first time. The application of calcein as a fluorescent marker resulted in clear
      fluorescent lines within the statoliths, allowing calculations of the statolith
      side face growth increments (0.1 um/day; n=252). A single-crystal analysis
      revealed that the calcein incubation did not affect the statolith crystal
      structure. In conclusion, calcein labeling is an excellent method to follow the
      growth of bassanite statoliths.

PMID- 28343461
TI  - The impact of maternal obesity on inflammatory processes and consequences for
      later offspring health outcomes.
AB  - Obesity is a global epidemic, affecting both developed and developing countries.
      The related metabolic consequences that arise from being overweight or obese are
      a paramount global health concern, and represent a significant burden on
      healthcare systems. Furthermore, being overweight or obese during pregnancy
      increases the risk of offspring developing obesity and other related metabolic
      complications in later life, which can therefore perpetuate a transgenerational
      cycle of obesity. Obesity is associated with a chronic state of low-grade
      metabolic inflammation. However, the role of maternal obesity-mediated
      alterations in inflammatory processes as a mechanism underpinning developmental
      programming in offspring is less understood. Further, the use of anti
      inflammatory agents as an intervention strategy to ameliorate or reverse the
      impact of adverse developmental programming in the setting of maternal obesity
      has not been well studied. This review will discuss the impact of maternal
      obesity on key inflammatory pathways, impact on pregnancy and offspring outcomes,
      potential mechanisms and avenues for intervention.

PMID- 28343462
TI  - Exploring the neuroanatomical bases of psychotic features in bipolar disorder.
AB  - Although bipolar disorder (BD) is traditionally conceptualised as one diagnostic
      entity, the heterogeneity of pathophysiological manifestations in BD suggests the
      need to classify the subtypes of the illness based on neural markers.
      Specifically, the presence of psychotic symptoms seems to be relevant for the
      clinical outcome and may have specific neuroanatomical bases. The main objective
      of the present review was to assess whether the distinction between psychotic BD
      (PBD) and non-psychotic BD (NPBD) can improve the identification of the
      neurobiological markers of this complex illness. To this end, we summarised the
      findings from the magnetic resonance imaging studies that explored the cerebral
      correlates of psychosis in BD in terms of grey matter volume (GMV). Overall, the
      results suggest the presence of peculiar GMV differences between PBD and NPBD.
      Specifically, psychosis in BD seems to be associated with cortical GMV deficits
      compared with both healthy controls and NPBD, mainly in the frontal region.
      Conversely, NPBD patients showed GMV deficits in selective regions of the basal
      ganglia when compared with the other groups. Taken together, this evidence
      confirms the importance to classify BD based on the psychotic dimension, which
      may have a specific neurobiological architecture that partially overlaps across
      multiple psychotic disorders.

PMID- 28343463
TI  - Prospective, Head-to-Head Study of Three Computerized Neurocognitive Assessment
      Tools Part 2: Utility for Assessment of Mild Traumatic Brain Injury in Emergency
      Department Patients.
AB  - OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study was to evaluate the reliability and validity of
      three computerized neurocognitive assessment tools (CNTs; i.e., ANAM, DANA, and
      ImPACT) for assessing mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI) in patients recruited
      through a level I trauma center emergency department (ED). METHODS: mTBI (n=94)
      and matched trauma control (n=80) subjects recruited from a level I trauma center
      emergency department completed symptom and neurocognitive assessments within 72
      hr of injury and at 15 and 45 days post-injury. Concussion symptoms were also
      assessed via phone at 8 days post-injury. RESULTS: CNTs did not differentiate
      between groups at any time point (e.g., M 72-hr Cohen's d=-.16, .02, and .00 for
      ANAM, DANA, and ImPACT, respectively; negative values reflect greater impairment
      in the mTBI group). Roughly a quarter of stability coefficients were over .70
      across measures and test-retest intervals in controls. In contrast, concussion
      symptom score differentiated mTBI vs. control groups acutely), with this effect
      size diminished over time (72-hr and day 8, 15, and 45 Cohen's d=-.78, -.60, 
      .49, and -.35, respectively). CONCLUSIONS: The CNTs evaluated, developed and
      widely used to assess sport-related concussion, did not yield significant
      differences between patients with mTBI versus other injuries. Symptom scores
      better differentiated groups than CNTs, with effect sizes weaker than those
      reported in sport-related concussion studies. Nonspecific injury factors, and
      other characteristics common in ED settings, likely affect CNT performance across
      trauma patients as a whole and thereby diminish the validity of CNTs for
      assessing mTBI in this patient population. (JINS, 2017, 23, 293-303).

PMID- 28343464
TI  - Life, lifestyle and location: examining the complexities of psychological
      distress in young adult Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians.
AB  - Mental health is fundamental to an individual's health and well-being. Mental
      health disorders affect a substantial portion of the Australian population, with
      the most vulnerable time in adolescence and young adulthood. Indigenous
      Australians fare worse than other Australians on almost every measure of physical
      and mental health. Cross-sectional data from young adults (21-27 years)
      participating in the Life Course Program, Northern Territory, Australia, is
      presented. Rates of psychological distress were high in remote and urban residing
      Indigenous and urban non-Indigenous young adults. This rate was more pronounced
      in young women, particularly in Indigenous remote and urban residing women. Young
      adults with high psychological distress also had lower levels of positive well
      being, higher perceived stress levels, experienced a higher number of major life
      events and were at an increased risk of suicidal ideation and/or self-harm. This
      study supports the need for a continued focus on early screening and treatment at
      this vulnerable age. The significant association seen between psychological
      distress and other markers of emotional well-being, particularly risk of suicidal
      ideation and/or self-harm, highlights the need for a holistic approach to mental
      health assessment and treatment. A concerted focus on improving the environs of
      young adults by lowering levels of stress, improving access to adequate housing,
      educational and employment opportunity, will assist in improving the emotional
      health of young adults.

PMID- 28343465
TI  - Academic Outcomes in Individuals With Childhood-Onset Epilepsy: Mediating Effects
      of Working Memory.
AB  - OBJECTIVES: Academic difficulties are common in children with epilepsy, although
      little is known about the effect of various seizure-related and cognitive
      variables. Given that persistent seizures may negatively impact academics, and
      that working memory is predictive of academic abilities, we examined the effects
      of recent seizures and working memory on word reading, spelling, and arithmetic
      in pediatric epilepsy. We hypothesized that persistent seizures would be
      associated with lower working memory ability, which would in turn result in
      poorer academic performance. METHODS: Our sample consisted of 91 children with
      epilepsy being treated at the Hospital for Sick Children in Toronto, Canada, who
      underwent neuropsychological testing between 2002 and 2009 to help determine
      surgical candidacy. Four to 11 years later, follow-up testing was conducted on
      both surgical (n=61) and non-surgical (n=30) patients. Seizure status was defined
      by the presence or absence of seizures within the preceding 12 months. RESULTS:
      5000 bias-corrected bootstrap resamples with replacement were used to calculate
      the 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for the indirect effect of seizure status on
      academics through working memory, controlling for baseline academic functioning.
      Persistent seizures were associated with reduced working memory, which was in
      turn associated with lower reading (B=-4.64, 95% CI [-10.21, -1.30]), spelling
      (B=-7.09, 95% CI [-13.97, -2.56], and arithmetic scores (B=-8.04, 95% CI [-13.66,
      -3.58] at follow-up. CONCLUSIONS: For children with intractable epilepsy, working
      memory deficits present a significant barrier to the development of academic
      skills. Working memory interventions may be a helpful adjunct to academic
      remediation in this population to facilitate academic progress. (JINS, 2017, 23,
      594-604).

PMID- 28343466
TI  - Treatment of gambling disorder patients with comorbid depression.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: This study was conducted to investigate and clinically assess comorbid
      depression and its relevance in individuals suffering from gambling disorders.
      The DSM-V defines the condition of gambling disorder as a persistent and
      recurrent problematic gambling behaviour leading to clinically significant
      impairment or distress. METHOD: A total of 61 subjects with gambling disorders
      were assessed using the Structured Clinical Interview for the DSM-IV (SCID-I),
      the South Oaks Gambling Screen (SOGS) and the Major Depression inventory (MDI).
      RESULTS: Two-way analysis of variance showed highly significant treatment
      outcomes associated with reductions in SOGS, F(1,60)=84.79, p<0.0001, MDI,
      F(1,60)=38.13, p<0.0001, craving, F(1,60)=29.59, p<0.0001, and gambling control,
      47.65, p<0.0001. There was also a highly significant outcome associated with
      comorbidity in MDI, F(1,60)=9.17, p<0.0001. Finally, there was a significant
      interaction effect between treatment outcome and comorbidity, F(1,60)=3.90,
      p<0.005, suggesting that both treatment and comorbidity contributed to reductions
      in depressive symptoms. CONCLUSION: These results suggest and highlights the
      importance and benefits of integrated treatment of gambling disorders and its
      comorbidity, but also stresses the importance of adequate screening and detection
      of these two variables.

PMID- 28343467
TI  - Successful chimera production in the Hungarian goose (Anser anser domestica) by
      intracardiac injection of blastodermal cells in 3-day-old embryos.
AB  - The conservation of genetic resources of avian species has become increasingly
      important over the past decade. The aim of the present study was to develop a
      genome preservation technique for the Hungarian goose Anser anser domestica. To
      this end, we developed a novel approach combining the simplicity of isolating a
      blastodermal cell suspension, which includes forming primordial germ cells
      (PGCs), with the efficiency of targeting future gonads by injecting these cells
      into the cardiac vein of the developing host embryo. First, we determined that
      the migratory period of PGCs in goose embryos was between 69 and 84h of
      development. Then, we injected the blastodermal cell suspension into the
      bloodstream of recipient embryos at this stage of development and monitored donor
      cell transmission into the genital tract. In all, 249 embryos were injected;
      three were found to be chimeras in gonadal tissues, whereas only one was a
      chimera in other tissues. Based on these results, it is concluded that this
      method is suitable for producing chimeras in the domestic goose. The optimal time
      of cell injection was found to be between 74 and 76h. The present study is the
      first report of the generation of chimeras in the domestic goose using
      intracardiac transplantation of embryonic cells.

PMID- 28343469
TI  - Introduction to "Extra-Renal Complications of Cystinosis".

PMID- 28343468
TI  - Glutamine protects rabbit spermatozoa against oxidative stress via glutathione
      synthesis during cryopreservation.
AB  - Mammalian spermatozoa are extremely susceptible to high doses of reactive oxygen
      species (ROS). The aim of the present study was to investigate the potential role
      of glutamine in protecting rabbit spermatozoa against ROS stress during
      cryopreservation and post-thaw incubation. Freshly ejaculated semen was diluted
      with Tris-citrate-glucose extender supplemented with glutamine. The addition of
      20mM glutamine significantly improved sperm motility, acrosome integrity,
      membrane integrity and mitochondrial activity. Meanwhile, 20mM glutamine addition
      decreased lipid peroxidation and DNA damage in frozen-thawed spermatozoa.
      Interestingly, supplementation with 20mM glutamine led to increases in
      glutathione content and gamma-glutamyl cysteine synthetase and glutathione
      peroxidase activity, with concomitant decreases in ROS levels during
      cryopreservation and post-thaw incubation. In conclusion, the addition of
      glutamine to extender solutions protects rabbit spermatozoa from ROS attack by
      enhancing glutathione synthesis.

PMID- 28343470
TI  - Neurocognitive Complications of Cystinosis.

PMID- 28343471
TI  - Ocular Complications of Infantile Nephropathic Cystinosis.

PMID- 28343472
TI  - Bone Complications of Cystinosis.

PMID- 28343473
TI  - Myopathy and Less Frequent Complications of Cystinosis.

PMID- 28343474
TI  - Conclusions to the Supplement, "Extra-Renal Complications of Cystinosis".

PMID- 28343475
TI  - Endocrine Complications of Cystinosis.

PMID- 28343476
TI  - Pulmonary Complications of Cystinosis.

PMID- 28343478
TI  - Correction.

PMID- 28343477
TI  - Rehabilitation Research at the National Institutes of Health: Moving the Field
      Forward (Executive Summary).

PMID- 28343480
TI  - Past, Present, Future.

PMID- 28343479
TI  - National Institutes of Health Research Plan on Rehabilitation.
AB  - One in five Americans experiences disability that affects their daily function
      because of impairments in mobility, cognitive function, sensory impairment, or
      communication impairment. The need for rehabilitation strategies to optimize
      function and reduce disability is a clear priority for research to address this
      public health challenge. The National Institutes of Health (NIH) recently
      published a Research Plan on Rehabilitation that provides a set of priorities to
      guide the field over the next 5 years. The plan was developed with input from
      multiple Institutes and Centers within the NIH, the National Advisory Board for
      Medical Rehabilitation Research, and the public. This article provides an
      overview of the need for this research plan, an outline of its development, and a
      listing of six priority areas for research. The NIH is committed to working with
      all stakeholder communities engaged in rehabilitation research to track progress
      made on these priorities and to work to advance the science of medical
      rehabilitation.

PMID- 28343481
TI  - ISSWSH Special Report on the US Food and Drug Administration Draft Guidance on
      Low Sexual Desire and Arousal: A New Hope or Old Habits Die Hard?

PMID- 28343482
TI  - Presentation of the Special Issue: Quality and Clinica Safety. The nurse as the
      cornerstone for improving the quality and safety of healthcare services.

PMID- 28343483
TI  - Nursing guaranteeing healthcare quality for people and families in public health
      services: A view from Latin America.

PMID- 28343484
TI  - Culture of healthcare safety and quality: challenges for nursing Practice.

PMID- 28343485
TI  - Discussion.

PMID- 28343486
TI  - Discussion.

PMID- 28343487
TI  - Discussion.

PMID- 28343488
TI  - Discussion.

PMID- 28343489
TI  - Discussion.

PMID- 28343490
TI  - Discussion.

PMID- 28343492
TI  - Discussion.

PMID- 28343491
TI  - Discussion.

PMID- 28343493
TI  - Discussion.

PMID- 28343494
TI  - Discussion.

PMID- 28343495
TI  - Discussion.

PMID- 28343496
TI  - Discussion.

PMID- 28343497
TI  - Discussion.

PMID- 28343498
TI  - Discussion.

PMID- 28343499
TI  - Discussion.

PMID- 28343500
TI  - Discussion.

PMID- 28343501
TI  - Discussion.

PMID- 28343502
TI  - Discussion.

PMID- 28343503
TI  - Discussion.

PMID- 28343504
TI  - Discussion.

PMID- 28343505
TI  - Discussion.

PMID- 28343506
TI  - Discussion.

PMID- 28343507
TI  - Discussion.

PMID- 28343508
TI  - Discussion.

PMID- 28343509
TI  - Discussion.

PMID- 28343510
TI  - Discussion.

PMID- 28343511
TI  - Discussion.

PMID- 28343512
TI  - Discussion.

PMID- 28343513
TI  - Discussion.

PMID- 28343514
TI  - Discussion.

PMID- 28343515
TI  - Discussion.

PMID- 28343516
TI  - Discussion.

PMID- 28343517
TI  - Discussion.

PMID- 28343518
TI  - Discussion.

PMID- 28343520
TI  - RDNs of the Future: Building Bridges with Technology.

PMID- 28343521
TI  - 2017 Academy Member Benefits Update.

PMID- 28343522
TI  - Healthy Eating Index-Beyond the Score.

PMID- 28343523
TI  - Promoting Food Pantry Environments that Encourage Nutritious Eating Behaviors.

PMID- 28343524
TI  - Clearing Up Copyright Confusion and Social Media Use: What Nutrition and
      Dietetics Practitioners Need to Know.

PMID- 28343525
TI  - Report on the Academy/Commission on Dietetic Registration 2016 Needs Satisfaction
      Survey.

PMID- 28343526
TI  - What Is the International Dysphagia Diet Standardisation Initiative?

PMID- 28343527
TI  - Should infants be screened for the risk for future obesity?

PMID- 28343528
TI  - Nutrition and brain development: it's complicated.

PMID- 28343529
TI  - 50 Years Ago in The Journal of Pediatrics: Systemic Infection with Haemophilus
      Influenzae in Very Young Infants.

PMID- 28343530
TI  - 50 Years Ago in The Journal of Pediatrics: The Relationship of Erythrocyte
      Glucose-6-Phosphate Dehydrogenase Deficiency to Hyperbilirubinemia in Negro
      Premature Infants.

PMID- 28343531
TI  - 50 Years Ago in The Journal of Pediatrics: Sequential Therapy of Acute Leukemia
      in Childhood.

PMID- 28343533
TI  - Is preventing BPD the target, or should we strive for something else?

PMID- 28343532
TI  - How to identify children with familial hypercholesterolemia.

PMID- 28343534
TI  - Neonatal jaundice: more than a number.

PMID- 28343535
TI  - 50 Years Ago in The Journal of Pediatrics: Bacterial Interference in the
      Treatment of Recurrent Staphylococcal Infections in a Family.

PMID- 28343536
TI  - Underimmunization drives community outbreaks of pertussis.

PMID- 28343537
TI  - 50 Years Ago in The Journal of Pediatrics: Pneumomediastinum, a Silent Lesion in
      the Newborn.

PMID- 28343538
TI  - Accelerated hypofractionated adjuvant whole breast radiation with simultaneous
      integrated boost using volumetric modulated arc therapy for early breast cancer:
      A phase I/II dosimetric and clinical feasibility study from a tertiary cancer
      care centre of India.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Hypofractionation has become standard of care after Breast Conserving
      Therapy (BCT) in many European and few others western countries. Though still
      debatable, tumor cavity boost is routinely practised in our centre.
      Hypofractionation is not yet the current standard of practice in Asian countries.
      Employing hypofractionation and simultaneous integrated boost to lumpectomy
      cavity with conformal technique is not the current practice in this region. Hence
      the study was performed to see whether accelerated hypofractionation and
      simultaneous boost can be combined using volumetric modulated arc therapy (VMAT)
      in treating early breast cancer (EBC) patients. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Female
      patients with EBC treated by whole breast radiation and boost were treated
      simultaneously to a dose of 40.5Gy and 48Gy in fifteen fractions over three weeks
      to entire breast and tumor cavity respectively with VMAT. Dosimetry including
      target coverage, OAR (organ at risk) sparing and acute radiation toxicity were
      evaluated. RESULTS: Ten consecutive patients were treated. Planning target volume
      (PTV) coverage and OAR sparing were mostly satisfactory. Mean volume of PTVWB and
      PTVBoost were 786.18cm3 and 228.9cm3 respectively. Mean Dmean to PTVWB and
      PTVBOOST were 41.9Gy and 49.1Gy respectively. Dmax to PTVWB and PTVBOOST were
      127.56% and 110.67% respectively. Ipsilateral lung mean dose and V20 were 13.92Gy
      and 21.53% respectively. V40 and V25 of heart were 0.17% and 2.25% respectively.
      All patients are disease free after a median follow up of two years. Most acute
      toxicities were Grade1. Only two patients out of ten developed Grade 2 skin
      reaction during radiation. Early cosmesis using Harvard cosmesis scale is good to
      excellent. CONCLUSIONS: Accelerated hypofractionated RT using SIB-VMAT is a
      clinically feasible technique with acceptable initial result. Initial results are
      encouraging. MINI ABSTRACT: Simultaneous integrated boost with accelerated
      hypofractionated whole breast radiotherapy using Volumetric Modulated Arc Therapy
      is a novel approach. Patient selection and technical considerations are of
      paramount importance. The present study describes successful implementation of
      this approach.

PMID- 28343539
TI  - Charles M. LeMaistre (1924-2017): Former M. D. Anderson President Dr. Charles A.
      LeMaistre Passes Away at 92.

PMID- 28343540
TI  - Histone Code Aberrancies in Small Cell Lung Cancer.

PMID- 28343541
TI  - Predicting Clinical Outcomes Using Proteomics in Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer-The
      Past, Present, and Future.

PMID- 28343542
TI  - Is Mesothelioma in China Rare or Misdiagnosed?

PMID- 28343543
TI  - Single-Fraction Carbon Ion Radiotherapy for Early-Stage NSCLC-The Future Is Now.

PMID- 28343544
TI  - Sequential Immunologic Reactions after Suspension of Nivolumab Treatment in Lung
      Adenocarcinoma Patient.

PMID- 28343545
TI  - Compound Uncommon EGFR Mutations in a Patient with Advanced NSCLC and Durable
      Response to Sequential EGFR Targeted Therapies.

PMID- 28343546
TI  - Laparoscopy for Differential Diagnosis and Treatment of a Rarely Remembered Cause
      of Acute Inflammatory Abdomen in Women: Urachal Cyst Abscess.

PMID- 28343547
TI  - Le recours a la laparoscopie dans l'etablissement d'un diagnostic differentiel et
      dans le traitement d'une cause souvent oubliee de l'abdomen aigu chez la femme :
      l'infection d'un kyste de l'ouraque.

PMID- 28343548
TI  - All about Connection: A Message from JOGC's New Managing Editor.

PMID- 28343549
TI  - Une question de communication : message de la nouvelle directrice de la redaction
      du JOCG.

PMID- 28343551
TI  - Extraits de la litterature medicale mondiale.

PMID- 28343550
TI  - Excerpts from the World Medical Literature.

PMID- 28343552
TI  - Testosterone in Women: Measurement and Therapeutic Use.
AB  - Androgens, both in excessive and depleted states, have been implicated in female
      reproductive health disorders. As such, serum testosterone measurements are
      frequently ordered by physicians in cases of sexual dysfunction and in women
      presenting with hirsutism. Commercially available androgen assays have
      significant limitations in the female population. Furthermore, the measurements
      themselves are not always informative in patient diagnosis, treatment, or
      prognosis. This article reviews the limitations of serum androgen measurements in
      women suspected to have elevated or reduced androgen action. Finally, we consider
      when therapeutic use of androgen replacement may be appropriate for women with
      sexual interest/arousal disorders.

PMID- 28343553
TI  - Alpha Lipoic Acid Plus Omega-3 Fatty Acids for Vestibulodynia Associated With
      Painful Bladder Syndrome.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: This study assessed the effectiveness of alpha lipoic acid (ALA) plus
      omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (n-3 PUFAs) in combination with amitriptyline
      therapy in patients with vestibulodynia/painful bladder syndrome (VBD/PBS).
      METHODS: Women with VBD/PBS were randomly assigned to receive amitriptyline or
      amitriptyline plus a commercially available preparation (ALAnerv Age; Alfa
      Wassermann, Bologna, Italy) containing, in 2 capsules, ALA 600 mg plus
      docosahexaenoic acid 250 mg and eicosapentaenoic acid 16.67 mg. Symptoms of
      burning and pain were assessed using a 10-cm visual analog scale and the short
      form of the McGill-Melzack Pain Questionnaire. RESULTS: Among 84 women who were
      randomized, the mean +/- standard deviation dose of amitriptyline was 21.7 +/-
      6.6 mg/day, without statistical difference between the two groups. Pain, as
      assessed using both the pain rating index of the visual analog scale and the
      short-form McGill Pain Questionnaire, decreased significantly in both trial
      groups, with a greater effect seen with the addition of ALA and n-3 PUFAs. The
      addition of ALA/n-3 PUFAs to amitriptyline treatment was also associated with
      improvements in dyspareunia and pelvic floor muscle tone. The overall incidence
      of adverse events was low, and none led to treatment discontinuation.
      CONCLUSIONS: The addition of ALA/n-3 PUFAs to amitriptyline treatment in patients
      with VBD/PBS appears to improve outcomes and may allow for a lower dosage of
      amitriptyline, which may lead to fewer adverse effects.

PMID- 28343554
TI  - Prioritization of Patients for Publicly Funded IVF in Ontario: A Survey of
      Fertility Centres.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: On December 21, 2015, Ontario began funding one cycle of IVF for any
      Ontarian under age 43, with a program cap of 5000 cycles per year, which is below
      expected demand. Our objective was to determine how fertility clinics are
      prioritizing patients for limited-funded IVF cycles. METHODS: An electronic
      survey was emailed to medical directors of all 25 fertility clinics providing
      funded IVF in Ontario. RESULTS: From January to March 2016, 22 (88%) of the
      clinics responded. All reported providing access to funded IVF, and 100% already
      had a wait list. Eight clinics prioritized patients on a first-come, first-served
      basis; two used a lottery; 11 reported using multiple patient factors to
      determine priority for funding; and one declined to answer. Of the clinics
      reporting multiple factors, the five most common factors were first-come, first
      served (90.9%); older aged patients (81.8%); patients about to lose their funding
      eligibility (63.6%); duration of infertility (36.3%); and duration at current
      clinic (36.3%). CONCLUSIONS: There is variation in how patients are prioritized
      for publicly funded IVF in Ontario. Some clinics have chosen to prioritize
      patients in a first-come, first-served manner, whereas others have chosen to
      prioritize patients based on multiple factors that would favour older patients.
      This is the first study providing the public and government insight on how the
      new fertility program has been implemented by individual clinics. This
      information is important for patients to understand their own chances of
      receiving a funded IVF cycle because this may vary depending on individual
      clinics.

PMID- 28343555
TI  - Provoked Vestibulodynia: Diagnosis, Self-Reported Pain, and Presentation During
      Gynaecological Examinations.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: To explore factors associated with the diagnosis of provoked
      vestibulodynia (PVD) through (1) self-reported pain characteristics and (2)
      Friedrich's criteria (vestibular pain during sexual activity/gynaecological
      examination). We also identified cases in which incorrect diagnoses were assigned
      and explored group differences in gynaecological examination presentation and
      associations with self-reported pain. METHODS: Data were extracted from nine
      studies conducted in our research laboratory. Information obtained during a
      telephone interview and a standardized gynaecological examination was compiled
      for 106 participants with vulvar pain and 106 pain-free control participants,
      matched for age, hormonal contraceptive use, and parity. RESULTS: Cohen's kappa
      (0.78) indicated substantial agreement (87.3%) between the telephone interview
      group categorization and diagnosis after the gynaecological examination. A
      discriminant function analysis yielded one significant function: Friedrich's
      first two criteria correctly classified 84.2% of cases, accounting for 76.0% of
      group membership variance. Of note, those in the other genital pain group were
      most likely to have received an incorrect diagnosis following the telephone
      interview (P < 0.001). Paired-samples t tests showed that those with pain
      reported lower pain intensity during the gynaecological examination than during
      intercourse (P < 0.001) and that intercourse pain was not necessarily related to
      pain during the examination. However, many participants (72.8%) indicated that
      the pain elicited during the cotton swab test was similar to the pain they felt
      with intercourse. CONCLUSION: These results support the use of a targeted
      clinical interview and the evaluation of vestibular pain during sexual activity
      and the gynaecological examination for diagnosing PVD. Caution should be
      exercised when a patient presents with genital pain symptoms other than those
      typically observed in PVD. Furthermore, the cotton swab test may underestimate
      the degree of pain regularly experienced.

PMID- 28343556
TI  - Reporting Caesarean Delivery in Quebec Using the Robson Classification System.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: The increasing rates of Caesarean sections throughout the world is
      preoccupant, and a good understanding of which groups of women contribute the
      most to the CS rate represents an important question in public health. Therefore,
      we sought to report the CS rate according to the Robson's classification system
      in the Quebec population. METHOD: We performed a secondary analysis of the
      QUARISMA database, including all deliveries after 24 weeks' gestation from 32
      maternity wards in the province of Quebec between 2008 and 2011 (n = 184 952
      deliveries). CS rates were reported according to the modified Robson criteria
      from The Society of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists of Canada with the relative
      contribution to the total number of CSs. RESULTS: We observed a global CS rate of
      22.9%. Women with previous CS and a fetus in cephalic presentation at term
      accounted for 35% of all Caesarean deliveries. Nulliparous women with cephalic
      presentation at term accounted for 30% of all CSs. Among nulliparous women with
      cephalic presentation, women with spontaneous labour contributed to 12% of all
      CSs, whereas women with an induction of labour contributed to 16% of all CSs. Non
      cephalic fetal presentation accounted for 19% of all CSs. Other indications
      accounted for the remaining 16% of CSs. CONCLUSION: Most CSs are performed for
      multiparous women with previous CS; nulliparous women with a cephalic
      presentation at term, especially those undergoing labour induction; and non
      cephalic fetal presentation.

PMID- 28343557
TI  - Infants Born to Opioid-Dependent Women in Ontario, 2002-2014.
AB  - BACKGROUND: There is a paucity of data characterizing mother-infant pairs with
      prenatal opioid dependence in Canada. We therefore conducted a study of relevant
      births in Ontario from 2002 to 2014. METHODS: We used data from the Institute for
      Clinical Evaluative Sciences, the linked databases of coded population-based
      Ontario health services records. Differences in characteristics of opioid
      dependent mother-neonate pairs and infant hospital costs by year were assessed
      using linear regression, and we calculated rates of preterm birth, low birth
      weight, birth defects, mortality, and neonatal abstinence syndrome. RESULTS: The
      number of infants born to opioid-dependent women in Ontario rose from 46 in 2002
      to almost 800 in 2014. Methadone was most frequently used for prenatal opioid
      dependence; there was little buprenorphine or buprenorphine + naloxone use. Rates
      of preterm birth and low birth weight were high. The proportion of neonates with
      neonatal abstinence syndrome (58%) was stable over the study period. The mean
      length of neonatal hospital stay was 13.96 days. Infant hospital costs increased
      from $724 774 in 2003 to $10 539 988 in 2013, and the mean cost per infant grew
      from $9928 to $12 917. Birth defect prevalence was 75.84/1000 live births (95% CI
      68.12/1000 to 84.10/1000). The stillbirth rate was 11.39/1000 births (95% CI
      8.47/1000 to 14.99/1000), and the infant mortality rate was 12.21/1000 live
      births (95% CI 9.16/1000 to 15.95/1000). CONCLUSION: We observed a 16-fold
      increase in the number of mother-infant pairs affected by opioid dependence in
      Ontario over the past decade. Adverse birth outcome rates were high. Expanded
      services for opioid-dependent women and their children are needed.

PMID- 28343558
TI  - Simulator Based Obstetric Ultrasound Training: A Prospective, Randomized Single
      Blinded Study.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: To compare the use of simulator-based and patient-based obstetric
      ultrasound training. METHODS: This was a prospective, randomized, single-blinded
      trial. Eighteen consenting obstetric trainees with minimal previous ultrasound
      exposure were recruited. Enrolled patients were also fully consenting. Mid
      trimester fetal brain anatomy in the standard planes (i.e., biparietal diameter
      and head circumference, cavum septum pellucidum, posterior fossa, and lateral
      ventricle) was chosen as a surrogate for all fetal anatomy ultrasound training.
      Trainees were randomized into two groups according to training method: simulator
      group (n = 9) or patient group (n = 9). All participating trainees went through
      the following sequence: a didactic session regarding the required planes; a
      "real" patient 15-minute pretest; a 45-minute training session with a dedicated
      ultrasound educator, using either a simulator or a "real" patient (according to
      the randomized group assignment); and a 15-minute post-test to obtain and label
      the standard four planes on a "real" patient. All images were stored and then
      scored by two blinded Maternal Fetal Medicine staff, according to 3 set criteria:
      image quality, landmarks, and measurements. Each criterion was scored 0 to 15 for
      a total score of 0 to 60. RESULTS: Pretest competence was similar between the two
      groups. For each of the two groups there was a significant score improvement
      following training: real patient (mean score pretest 13.3 vs. post-test 24.6; P <
      0.04) and simulator group (mean score pretest 15.9 vs. post-test 28.9; P < 0.05).
      All trainees demonstrated significant overall score improvements (mean score
      pretest 14.6 vs. post-test 26.6; P < 0.04) regardless of training method.
      Trainees were further divided by their initial level of confidence (pretest score
      <=5: very unconfident; pretest >5: unconfident). The improvement was similar for
      both groups, but "very unconfident" trainees' performance improved more in the
      simulator group (mean pretest vs. post-test score 3.5 to 35) compared with the
      patient group (mean pretest vs. post-test score 2.3 to 25.6) CONCLUSION:
      Simulator-based obstetric ultrasound training performed as well as real patient
      training and was found to be especially beneficial for beginner trainees.
      Simulator-based ultrasound training has a high rate of acceptance by trainees,
      does not require investment of patient or clinic resources, and warrants
      consideration as an educational tool for the safe and effective teaching of
      obstetric ultrasound.

PMID- 28343559
TI  - Hospital-associated Costs of Chronic Pelvic Pain in Canada: A Population-based
      Descriptive Study.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: To determine the hospital-related costs incurred by women requiring
      surgery or inpatient admission for chronic pelvic pain in Canada. METHODS: We
      conducted a population-based, cross-sectional study, focusing on women ages 15-59
      with a most responsible International Classification of Diseases diagnosis of
      pelvic and perineal pain, dysmenorrhea, or dyspareunia who had surgery or
      inpatient admission with a discharge date between April 1, 2008 and March 31,
      2012. This study was based on the Canadian Institute for Health Information
      Discharge Abstract database and the National Ambulatory Care Reporting System.
      Clinical diagnoses and interventions and resource intensity weights (RIW) were
      extracted. Hospital costs were estimated by multiplying cost per weighted case
      (CPWC) calculated at the national level with respective RIWs. RESULTS: Over four
      years, there were 34 346 cases of surgery or inpatient admission for chronic
      pelvic pain amounting to $100.5 million with an average cost of $25 million per
      year. Pelvic and perineal pain accounted for 61.5% (n = 21 127) of the cases,
      while dysmenorrhea accounted for 31.8% (n = 10 936), and dyspareunia accounted
      for 6.6% (n = 2283). The vast majority of the cases (92.9%, n = 31 923) were
      associated with surgical interventions, with the most common surgeries being
      hysterectomy (47.1%, n = 16 189), followed by laparoscopy (25.8%, n = 8850),
      adnexal surgery (6.8%, n = 2349), and other procedures (11.6%, n = 3968).
      CONCLUSION: While these estimates do not take into account non-hospital related
      costs, such as outpatient treatment, loss of productivity, and impact on quality
      of life, this study demonstrates that chronic pelvic pain represents a
      considerable economic burden to Canada's health care system.

PMID- 28343560
TI  - Acoustic levitation of liquid drops: Dynamics, manipulation and phase
      transitions.
AB  - The technique of acoustic levitation normally produces a standing wave and the
      potential well of the sound field can be used to trap small objects. Since no
      solid surface is involved it has been widely applied for the study of fluid
      physics, nucleation, bio/chemical processes, and various forms of soft matter. In
      this article, we survey the works on drop dynamics in acoustic levitation, focus
      on how the dynamic behavior is related to the rheological properties and discuss
      the possibility to develop a novel rheometer based on this technique. We review
      the methods and applications of acoustic levitation for the manipulation of both
      liquid and solid samples and emphasize the important progress made in the study
      of phase transitions and bio-chemical analysis. We also highlight the possible
      open areas for future research.

PMID- 28343561
TI  - Locomotor and energetic consequences of behavioral thermoregulation in the
      sanguivorous leech Hirudo verbana.
AB  - Medicinal leeches (Hirudo verbana) thermoregulate with respect to their
      sanguivorous feeding behavior. Immediate postprandial preferences are for warmer
      than their initial acclimation temperature (Ta, 21 degrees C, Petersen et al.
      2011), while unfed leeches have a lower preferred temperature (Tpref, 12.5
      degrees C). This may reduce energy expenditure and defer starvation if feeding
      opportunities are limited. Energetic benefits may have an associated cost if low
      temperatures reduce mobility and the ability to locate further hosts. These costs
      could be limited if mobility is unimpaired at low temperatures, or if acclimation
      can restore locomotor performance to the levels at Ta. The transition from Ta to
      the unfed Tpref significantly reduced speed and propulsive cycle frequency during
      swimming, and extension and retraction rates during crawling. Aerobic metabolic
      rate was also reduced from 0.20+/-0.03Wkg-1 at Ta to 0.10+/-0.03Wkg-1 at Tpref.
      The Q10 values of 1.7-2.9 for energetic and swimming parameters indicate a
      substantial temperature effect, although part of the decline in swimming
      performance can be attributed to temperature-related changes in water viscosity.
      6 weeks at Ta resulted in no detectable acclimation in locomotor performance or
      aerobic metabolism. The energetic savings associated with a lower Tpref in unfed
      leeches effectively doubled the estimated time until depletion of energy
      reserves. Given that some mobility is still retained at Tpref, and that
      acclimation is in itself costly, the energetic benefits of selecting cooler
      temperatures between feedings may outweigh the costs associated with reduced
      locomotor performance.

PMID- 28343562
TI  - Prenatal exposure to diurnal temperature variation and early childhood pneumonia.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Childhood pneumonia is one of the leading single causes of mortality
      and morbidity in children worldwide, but its etiology still remains unclear.
      OBJECTIVE: We investigate the association between childhood pneumonia and
      exposure to diurnal temperature variation (DTV) in different timing windows.
      METHODS: We conducted a prospective cohort study of 2,598 children aged 3-6 years
      in Changsha, China. The lifetime prevalence of pneumonia was assessed by a
      questionnaire administered by the parents. Individual exposure to DTV during both
      prenatal and postnatal periods was estimated. Logic regression models was used to
      examine the association between childhood pneumonia and DTV exposure in terms of
      odds ratios (OR) and 95% confidence interval (CI). RESULTS: Lifetime prevalence
      of childhood pneumonia in preschool children in Changsha was high up to 38.6%. We
      found that childhood pneumonia was significantly associated with prenatal DTV
      exposure, with adjusted OR (95%CI) =1.19 (1.02-1.38), particularly during the
      second trimester. However, childhood pneumonia not associated with postnatal DTV
      exposure. Sensitivity analysis indicated that boys are more susceptible to the
      pneumonia risk of diurnal temperature variation than girls. We further observed
      that the prevalence of childhood pneumonia was decreased in recent years as DTV
      shrinked. CONCLUSIONS: Early childhood pneumonia was associated with prenatal
      exposure to the diurnal temperature variation (DTV) during pregnancy,
      particularly in the second trimester, which suggests fetal origin of childhood
      pneumonia.

PMID- 28343563
TI  - Effect of thermal exposure on physiological adaptability and seminal attributes
      of rams under semi-arid environment.
AB  - Thermal stress in hot semi-arid environment is a major limitation of sheep
      production in tropical and sub-tropical climatic condition. The animals tend to
      maintain homeostasis through physiological adjustments in a hot environment
      (maximum temperature reaches up to 47.5 degrees C). Therefore, the present study
      was carried out to assess the effect of thermal exposure on physiological
      adaptability and seminal attributes of rams under semi-arid environment. The
      experiment was conducted for eight weeks involving sixteen Malpura crossbred rams
      (GMM: Garole X Malpura X Malpura). The rams were divided equally into two groups,
      designated as G1 and G2, respectively. The rams in G1 (Control) group were kept
      in a sheep shed under naturally prevailing environment without artificial
      manipulation of ambient temperature (Temperature 30.48+/-0.38 degrees C; Relative
      Humidity 28.59+/-1.15%). The rams of G2 group were exposed to different
      temperature at different hours of the day (38 degrees C at 1000-1100h; 40 degrees
      C at 1100-1200h; 42 degrees C at 12:00-1300h; 43 degrees C at 1300-1400h; 44
      degrees C at 1400-1500h and 42 degrees C at 1500-1600h) in a climatic chamber for
      thermal exposure. Physiological responses, blood biochemical profile, blood
      endocrine profile, sexual behavior and seminal attributes were measured for both
      the groups. Thermal exposure significantly (P<0.05) increased the water intake;
      respiration rate, rectal temperature and skin temperature at afternoon in rams.
      Exposure of rams to thermal stress (G2) significantly (P<0.05) increased cortisol
      level and decreased tri-ido-thyronine level. The latency period after the first
      ejaculation, decreased significantly (P<0.05) in G2. The percentage of rapid
      motile sperm, linearity and average path velocity of sperm were also altered
      significantly (P<0.05) in thermal exposed rams as compared to control. However,
      comparable feed intake, body weight, and major blood biochemical parameters, as
      well as acceptable semen quality attributes of all the rams indicated that the
      Fec B gene introgressed Malpura cross rams adapted to the thermal exposure under
      semi-arid tropical climate.

PMID- 28343564
TI  - Embryos of non-native anoles are robust to urban thermal environments.
AB  - The transformation of natural habitats into urban landscapes dramatically alters
      thermal environments, which in turn, can impact local biota. Ectothermic
      organisms that are oviparous are particularly sensitive to these altered
      environments because their embryos cannot behaviorally thermoregulate and the
      surrounding environment determines the temperature experienced during
      development. We studied the effects of urban and forested thermal environments on
      embryo development and hatchling phenotypes in two non-native lizards (Anolis
      sagrei and A. cristatellus) in metropolitan Miami, Florida. To determine if
      embryos from urban and forested sites are adapted to their respective thermal
      environments, we incubated eggs from each site using temperatures that simulate
      likely nest conditions in both urban and forested environments. For both species,
      urban thermal environments accelerated embryonic development, but had no impact
      on egg survival or any of the phenotypic traits that were measured (e.g., body
      size, running performance, and locomotor behavior). Our results provide no
      evidence that embryos from urban and forested sites are adapted to their
      respective thermal environments. Instead, the lack of any major effects suggest
      that embryos of both species are physiologically robust with respect to novel
      environments, which could have facilitated their success in establishing in non
      native ranges and in human-modified landscapes.

PMID- 28343565
TI  - Thermal tolerance and preferred temperature range of juvenile meagre acclimated
      to four temperatures.
AB  - The present study reports the temperature tolerance, estimated using dynamic and
      static methodologies, and preferred temperature range, based on oxygen
      consumption rate (OCR), of juvenile meagre (Argyrosomus regius) (Asso, 1801)
      (3.4+/-0.9g) after 30 days of acclimation at 18, 22, 26 and 30 degrees C. Meagre
      has dynamic and static thermal tolerance zones of 551 degrees C2 and 460 degrees
      C2, respectively and is a low resistance fish species, with a resistance zone
      area of 87 degrees C2. The OCR of juvenile meagre at the above acclimation
      temperatures was 370, 410, 618 and 642mgh-1kg-1, respectively, and is
      significantly different (P<0.0001, n=20). The fact that OCR increases by rising
      temperatures and gradually decreases after 26 degrees C indicates that the
      preferred temperature range of juvenile meagre is between 26 and 30 degrees C.
      Our study suggests that meagre is unable to respond to low and high temperature
      variation in aquaculture facilities or its natural habitats.

PMID- 28343566
TI  - Living in sympatry: The effect of habitat partitioning on the thermoregulation of
      three Mediterranean lizards.
AB  - The ability for effective, accurate and precise thermoregulation is of paramount
      importance for ectotherms. Sympatric lizards often partition their niche and
      select different microhabitats. These microhabitats, however, usually differ in
      their thermal conditions and lizards have to adapt their thermoregulation
      behavior accordingly. Here, we evaluated the impact of habitat partitioning on
      the thermal biology of three syntopic, congeneric lacertids (Podarcis
      peloponnesiacus, P. tauricus and P. muralis) from central Peloponnese, Greece. We
      assessed thermoregulation effectiveness (E) using the three standard thermal
      parameters: body (Tb), operative (Te) and preferred (Tpref) temperatures. We
      hypothesized that the microhabitats used by each species would differ in thermal
      quality. We also predicted that all species would effectively thermoregulate, as
      they inhabit a thermally challenging mountain habitat. As expected, the partition
      of the habitat had an effect on the thermoregulation of lizards since
      microhabitats had different thermal qualities. All three species were effective
      and accurate thermoregulators but one of them achieved smaller E values as a
      result of the lower Tb in the field. This discrepancy could be attributed to the
      cooler (but more benign) thermal microhabitats that this species occupies.

PMID- 28343567
TI  - Validation of a new whole-body cryotherapy chamber based on forced convection.
AB  - Whole-body cryotherapy (WBC) and partial-body cryotherapy (PBC) are two methods
      of cold exposure (from -110 to -195 degrees C according to the manufacturers).
      However, temperature measurement in the cold chamber during a PBC exposure
      revealed temperatures ranging from -25 to -50 degrees C next to the skin of the
      subjects (using isolating layer placed between the sensor and the skin). This
      discrepancy is due to the human body heat transfer. Moreover, on the surface of
      the body, an air layer called the boundary layer is created during the exposure
      and limits heat transfer from the body to the cabin air. Incorporating forced
      convection in a chamber with a participant inside could reduce this boundary
      layer. The aim of this study was to explore the use of a new WBC technology based
      on forced convection (frontal unilateral wind) through the measurement of skin
      temperature. Fifteen individuals performed a 3-min WBC exposure at -40 degrees C
      with an average wind speed of 2.3ms-1. The subjects wore a headband, a surgical
      mask, underwear, gloves and slippers. The skin temperature of the participants
      was measured with a thermal camera just before exposure, just after exposure and
      at 1, 3, 5, 10, 15 and 20min after exposure. Mean skin temperature significantly
      dropped by 11 degrees C just after exposure (p<0.001) and then significantly
      increased during the 20-min post exposure period (p<0.001). No critically low
      skin temperature was observed at the end of the cold exposure. This decrease was
      greater than the mean decreases in all the cryosauna devices with reported
      exposures between -140 degrees C and -160 degrees C and those in two other WBC
      devices with reported exposures between -60 degrees C and -110 degrees C. The use
      of this new technology provides the ability to reach decreases in skin
      temperature similar to other technologies. The new chamber is suitable and
      relevant for use as a WBC device.

PMID- 28343568
TI  - Thermogenic and psychogenic recruitment of human eccrine sweat glands: Variations
      between glabrous and non-glabrous skin surfaces.
AB  - Human eccrine sweat-gland recruitment and secretion rates were investigated from
      the glabrous (volar) and non-glabrous hand surfaces during psychogenic (mental
      arithmetic) and thermogenic stimuli (mild hyperthermia). It was hypothesised that
      these treatments would activate glands from both skin surfaces, with the non
      thermal stimulus increasing secretion rates primarily by recruiting more sweat
      glands. Ten healthy men participated in two seated, resting trials in temperate
      conditions (25-26 degrees C). Trials commenced under normothermic conditions
      during which the first psychogenic stress was applied. That was followed by
      passive heating (0.5 degrees C mean body temperature elevation) and thermal
      clamping, with a second cognitive challenge then applied. Sudomotor activity was
      evaluated from both hands, with colourimetry used to identify activated sweat
      glands, skin conductance to determine the onset of precursor sweating and
      ventilated sweat capsules to measure rates of discharged sweating. From glandular
      activation and sweat rate data, sweat-gland outputs were derived. These
      psychogenic and thermogenic stimuli activated sweat glands from both the glabrous
      and non-glabrous skin surfaces, with the former dominating at the glabrous skin
      and the latter at the non-glabrous surface. Indeed, those stimuli individually
      accounted for ~90% of the site-specific maximal number of activated sweat glands
      observed when both stimuli were simultaneously applied. During the normothermic
      psychological stimulation, sweating from the glabrous surface was elevated via a
      185% increase in the number of activated glands within the first 60s. The
      hypothetical mechanism for this response may involve the serial activation of
      additional eccrine sweat glands during the progressive evolution of psychogenic
      sweating.

PMID- 28343569
TI  - A 3D thermal model to analyze the temperature changes of digits during cold
      stress and predict the danger of frostbite in human fingers.
AB  - The existing computational models of frostbite injury are limited to one and two
      dimensional schemes. In this study, a coupled thermo-fluid model is applied to
      simulate a finger exposed to cold weather. The spatial variability of finger-tip
      temperature is compared to experimental ones to validate the model. A semi
      realistic 3D model for tissue and blood vessels is used to analyze the transient
      heat transfer through the finger. The effect of heat conduction, metabolic heat
      generation, heat transport by blood perfusion, heat exchange between tissues and
      large vessels are considered in energy balance equations. The current model was
      then tested in different temperatures and air speeds to predict the danger of
      frostbite in humans for different gloves. Two prevalent gloves which are commonly
      used in cold climate are considered for investigation. The endurance time and the
      fraction of necrotic tissues are two main factors suggested for obtaining the
      response of digit tissues to different environmental conditions.

PMID- 28343570
TI  - Supplemental intermittent-day heat training and the lactate threshold.
AB  - Heat acclimation over consecutive days has been shown to improve aerobic-based
      performance. Recently, it has been suggested that heat training can improve
      performance in a temperate environment. However, due to the multifactorial
      training demands of athletes, consecutive-day heat training may not be suitable.
      The current study aimed to investigate the effect of brief (8*30min) intermittent
      (every 3-4 days) supplemental heat training on the second lactate threshold point
      (LT2) in temperate and hot conditions. 21 participants undertook eight
      intermittent-day mixed-intensity treadmill exercise training sessions in hot (30
      degrees C; 50% relative humidity [RH]) or temperate (18 degrees C; 30% RH)
      conditions. A pre- and post-incremental exercise test occurred in temperate (18
      degrees C; 30% RH) and hot conditions (30 degrees C; 50% RH) to determine the
      change in LT2. The heat training protocol did not improve LT2 in temperate
      (Effect Size [ES]+/-90 confidence interval=0.10+/-0.16) or hot (ES=0.26+/-0.26)
      conditions. The primary finding was that although the intervention group had a
      change greater than the SWC, no statistically significant improvements were
      observed following an intermittent eight day supplemental heat training protocol
      comparable to a control group training only in temperate conditions. This is
      likely due to the brief length of each heat training session and/or the long
      duration between each heat exposure.

PMID- 28343571
TI  - A method to transform a variable thermal regime to a physiologically equivalent
      effective temperature.
AB  - We present a method to characterize variable thermal regimes in terms of an
      equivalent or effective temperature. Our method is based on a first order
      exponential transformation of a time series of temperatures to yield an
      exponentially-weighted mean temperature characteristic of the regime and
      independent of any particular species or end point. The resulting effective
      temperature or exponential mean, Te-, offers an improved method for summarizing
      mean temperature where biological response scales exponentially to temperature.
      The exponential mean allows growth under varying thermal regimes to be predicted
      using constant temperature models and offers a compact descriptor communicating
      the growth capacity of variable thermal regimes. The method combines mathematical
      simplicity with translatability to different Q10 values without recourse to the
      underlining time series data. It also provides a quantitative baseline that
      improves on mean temperature by incorporating the effect of Jensen's inequality
      and it remains applicable at near zero temperatures where thermal sums lack
      accuracy.

PMID- 28343572
TI  - Effect of the timing of ice slurry ingestion for precooling on endurance exercise
      capacity in a warm environment.
AB  - It has been demonstrated that precooling with ice slurry ingestion enhances
      endurance exercise capacity in the heat. However, no studies have yet evaluated
      the optimal timing of ice slurry ingestion for precooling. This study aimed to
      investigate the effects of varying the timing of ice slurry ingestion for
      precooling on endurance exercise capacity in a warm environment. Ten active male
      participants completed 3 experimental cycling trials to exhaustion at 55% peak
      power output (PPO) after 15min of warm-up at 30% PPO at 30 degrees C and 80%
      relative humidity. Three experimental conditions were set: no ice slurry
      ingestion (CON), pre-warm-up ice slurry ingestion (-1 degrees C; 7.5gkg-1) (PRE),
      and post-warm-up ice slurry ingestion (POST). Rectal and mean skin temperatures
      at the beginning of exercise in the POST condition (37.1+/-0.2 degrees C, 33.8+/
      0.9 degrees C, respectively) were lower than those in the CON (37.5+/-0.3 degrees
      C; P<0.001, 34.8+/-0.8 degrees C; P<0.01, respectively) and PRE (37.4+/-0.2
      degrees C; P<0.01, 34.6+/-0.7 degrees C; P<0.01, respectively) conditions. These
      reductions increased heat storage capacity and resulted in improved exercise
      capacity in the POST condition (60.2+/-8.7min) compared to that in the CON
      (52.0+/-11.9min; effect size [ES]=0.78) and PRE (56.9+/-10.4min; ES=0.34)
      conditions. Ice slurry ingestion after warm-up effectively reduced both rectal
      and skin temperatures and increased cycling time to exhaustion in a warm
      environment. Timing ice slurry ingestion to occur after warm-up may be effective
      for precooling in a warm environment.

PMID- 28343573
TI  - Metabolic and cellular stress responses of catfish, Horabagrus brachysoma
      (Gunther) acclimated to increasing temperatures.
AB  - We investigated the metabolic and cellular stress responses in an endemic catfish
      Horabagrus brachysoma acclimated to ambient (26 degrees C), 31, 33 and 36 degrees
      C for 30 days. After acclimation, fish were sampled to investigate changes in the
      levels of blood glucose, tissue glycogen and ascorbic acid, activities of enzymes
      involved in glycolysis (LDH), citric acid cycle (MDH), gluconeogenesis (FBPase
      and G6Pase), pentose phosphate pathway (G6PDH), protein metabolism (AST and ALT),
      phosphate metabolism (ACP and ALP) and energy metabolism (ATPase), and HSP70
      levels in various tissues. Acclimation to higher temperatures (33 and 36 degrees
      C) significantly increased activities of LDH, MDH, ALP, ACP, AST, ALT and ATPase
      and blood glucose levels, whereas decreased the G6PDH enzyme activity and, tissue
      glycogen and ascorbic acid. Results indicated an overall increase in the
      carbohydrate, protein and lipid metabolism implying increased metabolic demands
      for maintaining homeostasis in fish acclimated to higher temperatures (33 and 36
      degrees C). We observed tissue specific response of HSP70 in H. brachysoma, with
      significant increase in gill and liver at 33 and 36 degrees C, and in brain and
      muscle at 36 degrees C, enabling cellular protection at higher acclimation
      temperatures. In conclusion, H. brachysoma adjusted metabolic and cellular
      responses to withstand increased temperatures, however, these responses suggest
      that the fish was under stress at 33 degrees C or higher temperature.

PMID- 28343574
TI  - Individualising the exposure of -110 degrees C whole body cryotherapy: The
      effects of sex and body composition.
AB  - The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of whole body
      cryotherapy (WBC) on a range of thermoregulatory measures. We also sought to
      examine the influence of sex and body composition. A convenience sample of 18
      healthy participants (10 males and 8 females) (27+/-6yr) volunteered for this
      study. Temperature (core, tympanic, skin and mean body), heart rate, blood
      pressure, and thermal comfort and sensation were recorded pre- and post-
      (immediately and every 5min until 35min post) exposure to a single bout of WBC
      (30s at -60 degrees C, 150s at 110 degrees C). Anthropometric data (height,
      weight, body surface area, body mass index, fat mass and fat free mass) were also
      recorded. No significant differences in temperature (core, tympanic, skin and
      mean body), heart rate, blood pressure, or thermal comfort / sensation were
      observed between male and females at baseline. Immediately post WBC mean body
      (male:31.9+/-0.8 degrees C; female:31.0+/-0.9 degrees C; ? mean body
      temperature:0.9+/-0.1 degrees C; P<=0.05, d=0.64) and mean skin (male:22.1+/-2.2
      degrees C; female:19.6+/-2.8 degrees C; ? mean skin temperature:-2.5+/-0.6
      degrees C; d=0.99, P<=0.05) temperature was significantly different between
      sexes. Sex differences were also observed in regional skin temperature (male
      thigh, 20.8+/-1.1 degrees C; female thigh, 16.7+/-1.1 degrees C, ? mean thigh
      skin temperature:-4.1 degrees C; d=3.72; male calf, 20.5+/-1.1 degrees C; female
      calf, 18.2+/-1 degrees C, ? mean calf skin temperature:-2.3+/-0.1 degrees C;
      d=3.61; male arm, 21.7+/-1 degrees C; female arm, 19+/-0.4 degrees C, ? mean arm
      skin temperature: -2.7+/-0.3 degrees C; d=3.54; P<=0.05). Mean arterial pressure
      was significantly different over time (P<=0.001) and between sexes (male
      0mins:94+/-10mmHg; female 0mins:85+/-7mmHg; male 35mins:88+/-7mmHg; female
      35mins:80+/-6mmHg; P<=0.05). Combined data set indicated a strong negative
      relationship between skin temperature and body fat percentage 35min' post WBC (r=
      0.749, P<=0.001) and for core temperature and body mass index in males only
      (r=0.726, P<=0.05) immediately after WBC. There were no significant differences
      between sexes in any other variables (heart rate, tympanic and perceptual
      variables). We observed sex differences in mean skin and mean body temperature
      following exposure to whole body cryotherapy. In an attempt to optimise
      treatment, these differences should be taken into account if whole body
      cryotherapy is prescribed.

PMID- 28343575
TI  - Expression analysis of Toll like receptors and interleukins in Tharparkar cattle
      during acclimation to heat stress exposure.
AB  - Six male Tharparkar cattle of 2-3 years old were selected for the study. After 15
      days acclimation at thermo neutral zone (TNZ) in psychrometric chamber, animals
      were exposed at 42 degrees C for 6h up to 23 days followed by 12 days of recovery
      period. Blood samples were collected during control period at TNZ (day 1, 5 and
      12), after heat stress exposure (day 1-10, Short Term Heat Stress Acclimation -
      STHSA; day 15-23, Long Term Heat Stress Acclimation - LTHSA) and recovery period
      (day 7 and 12) and peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) were isolated for
      RNA and protein extraction. Serum cortisol concentration was assessed by RIA. The
      mRNA and protein expression in PBMCs were determined by qPCR and western blot
      respectively. Samples at TNZ were taken as control. Serum cortisol concentration
      was increased (P<0.05) during STHSA and gradually declined during LTHSA. Toll
      like receptor 2 (TLR 2) expression was up regulated (P<0.05) during STHSA and
      declined to basal level during LTHSA and recovery phase. However, toll like
      receptor 4 (TLR 4) expression was up regulated (P<0.05) during STHSA and LTHSA
      while declined in recovery phase. Interleukin 2 (IL2) and interleukin 6 (IL 6)
      were up regulated (P<0.05) during STHSA and reduced to basal level during LTHSA.
      PBMCs culture study was conducted to study transcriptional abundance of TLR2/4
      and IL2/6 at different temperature-time combinations. The present findings
      indicate that TLR 2/4 and IL 2/6 could possibly play a vital role in thermo
      tolerance in Tharparkar cattle during short term and long term heat stress
      exposure.

PMID- 28343576
TI  - The metabolic response in fish to mildly elevated water temperature relates to
      species-dependent muscular concentrations of imidazole compounds and free amino
      acids.
AB  - Fish species show distinct differences in their muscular concentrations of
      imidazoles and free amino acids (FAA). This study was conducted to investigate
      whether metabolic response to mildly elevated water temperature (MEWT) relates to
      species-dependent muscular concentrations of imidazoles and FAA. Thirteen carp
      and 17 Nile tilapia, housed one per aquarium, were randomly assigned to either
      acclimation (25 degrees C) or MEWT (30 degrees C) for 14 days. Main muscular
      concentrations were histidine (HIS; P<0.001) in carp versus N-alpha
      acetylhistidine (NAH; P<0.001) and taurine (TAU; P=0.001) in tilapia. Although
      the sum of imidazole (HIS+NAH) and TAU in muscle remained constant over species
      and temperatures (P>0.05), (NAH+HIS)/TAU ratio was markedly higher in carp versus
      tilapia, and decreased with MEWT only in carp (P<0.05). Many of the muscular FAA
      concentrations were higher in carp than in tilapia (P<0.05). Plasma acylcarnitine
      profile suggested a higher use of AA and fatty acids in carp metabolism (P<0.05).
      On the contrary, the concentration of 3-hydroxyisovalerylcarnitine, a sink of
      leucine catabolism, (P=0.009) pointed to avoidance of leucine use in tilapia
      metabolism. Despite a further increase of plasma longer-chain acylcarnitines in
      tilapia at MEWT (P=0.009), their corresponding beta-oxidation products (3-hydroxy
      longer-chain acylcarnitines) remained constant. Together with higher plasma non
      esterified fatty acids (NEFA) in carp (P=0.001), the latter shows that carp,
      being a fatter fish, more readily mobilises fat than tilapia at MEWT, which
      coincides with more intensive muscular mobilization of imidazoles. This study
      demonstrates that fish species differ in their metabolic response to MEWT, which
      is associated with species-dependent changes in muscle imidazole to taurine
      ratio.

PMID- 28343577
TI  - Effects of pregnancy on body temperature and locomotor performance of velvet
      geckos.
AB  - Pregnancy is a challenging period for egg laying squamates. Carrying eggs can
      encumber females and decrease their locomotor performance, potentially increasing
      their risk of predation. Pregnant females can potentially reduce this handicap by
      selecting higher temperatures to increase their sprint speed and ability to
      escape from predators, or to speed up embryonic development and reduce the period
      during which they are burdened with eggs ('selfish mother' hypothesis).
      Alternatively, females might select more stable body temperatures during
      pregnancy to enhance offspring fitness ('maternal manipulation hypothesis'), even
      if the maintenance of such temperatures compromises a female's locomotor
      performance. We investigated whether pregnancy affects the preferred body
      temperatures and locomotor performance of female velvet geckos Amalosia
      lesueurii. We measured running speed of females during late pregnancy, and one
      week after they laid eggs at four temperatures (20 degrees , 25 degrees , 30
      degrees  and 35 degrees C). Preferred body temperatures of females were measured
      in a cost-free thermal gradient during late pregnancy and one week after egg
      laying. Females selected higher and more stable set-point temperatures when they
      were pregnant (mean =29.0 degrees C, Tset =27.8-30.5 degrees C) than when they
      were non-pregnant (mean =26.2 degrees C, Tset =23.7-28.7 degrees C). Pregnancy
      was also associated with impaired performance; females sprinted more slowly at
      all four test temperatures when burdened with eggs. Although females selected
      higher body temperatures during late pregnancy, this increase in temperature did
      not compensate for their impaired running performance. Hence, our results suggest
      that females select higher temperatures during pregnancy to speed up
      embryogenesis and reduce the period during which they have reduced performance.
      This strategy may decrease a female's probability of encountering predatory
      snakes that use the same microhabitats for thermoregulation. Selection of stable
      temperatures by pregnant females may also benefit embryos, but manipulative
      experiments are necessary to test this hypothesis.

PMID- 28343578
TI  - Untranslated regions (UTRs) orchestrate translation reprogramming in cellular
      stress responses.
AB  - Stress is the result of an organism's interaction with environmental challenges.
      Regulations of gene expression including translation modulations are critical for
      adaptation and survival under stress. Untranslated regions (UTRs) of the
      transcripts play significant roles in translation regulation and continue to
      raise many intriguing questions in our understanding of cellular stress
      physiology. IRES (Internal ribosome entry site) and uORF (upstream open reading
      frame) mediated alternative translation initiations are emerging as unique
      mechanisms. Recent studies have revealed novel means of mRNAs stabilization in
      stress granules and their reversible modifications. Differential regulation of
      select transcripts is possible by the interplay between the adenine/uridine-rich
      elements (AREs) in 3'UTR with their binding proteins (AUBP) and by microRNA
      mediated effects. Coordination of these various mechanisms control translation
      and thereby enables appropriate responses to environmental stress. In this
      review, we focus on the role of sequence signatures both at 5' and 3'UTRs in
      translation reprogramming during cellular stress responses.

PMID- 28343579
TI  - Combined effects of temperature and interspecific competition on the mortality of
      the invasive garden ant, Lasius neglectus: A laboratory study.
AB  - The invasive garden ant, Lasius neglectus, is a dominant species due to its
      capacity to form large supercolonies. This species was assumed to possess a wide
      thermal niche since it is able to adapt to cold climates, which is a factor that
      boosted its rapid expansion from south to many central-northern European
      Countries. However, the effect of variations in environmental temperatures on its
      competitive ability against other species has still not been investigated. In
      this paper, we analyzed the change in survival ability of Lasius neglectus during
      encounters with two Mediterranean dominant ants (Crematogaster scutellaris and
      Tapinoma nigerrimum) at four different temperatures (15, 20, 25 and 30 degrees
      C). Firstly, control tests were performed to provide the baseline survival
      ability of the three species at different temperatures. Secondly, competition
      tests were carried out at the same temperatures. Lasius neglectus survival was
      negatively affected by high temperature (30 degrees C) in control tests, and this
      impairment was much more pronounced in competition tests. On the contrary, the
      two opponent species were only marginally affected by temperatures in control
      tests. Crematogaster scutellaris was a better competitor than L. neglectus,
      particularly at high temperatures. Tapinoma nigerrimum was a weaker competitor
      and was always outcompeted by L. neglectus, particularly at low temperatures.
      This result could suggest that L. neglectus is at a disadvantage during
      interspecific encounters when temperatures are high and that the predicted future
      increase in environmental temperatures may potentially enhance this handicap.

PMID- 28343580
TI  - Behavioral thermal tolerances of free-ranging rattlesnakes (Crotalus oreganus)
      during the summer foraging season.
AB  - Increasing temperature due to climate change is one of the greatest challenges
      for wildlife worldwide. Behavioral data on free-ranging individuals is necessary
      to determine at what temperatures animals modify activity as this would determine
      their capacity to continue to move, forage, and mate under altered thermal
      regimes. In particular, high temperatures could limit available surface activity
      time and time spent on fitness-related activities. Conversely, performance, such
      as feeding rate, can increase with temperature potentially having positive
      fitness effects. Here, we examine how the hunting behaviors of free-ranging
      Northern Pacific Rattlesnakes (Crotalus oreganus) associate with air temperature
      and body temperature. We continuously recorded snakes in the field using
      videography, capturing behaviors rarely considered in past studies such as
      movements in and out of refuge and strikes on prey. We found that as mean daily
      air temperature increased, hunting activity and the likelihood of hunting at
      night decreased, while the number of movements and distance moved per day
      increased. Snakes typically retreated to refuge before body temperatures reached
      31 degrees C. Body temperatures of snakes hunting on the surface were lower
      compared to temperatures of non-hunting snakes in refuge in the morning, while
      this relationship was inverted in the afternoon. Snake body size influenced the
      disparity of these temperatures. Finally, strike initiation and success occurred
      across a wide range of body temperatures, indicating hunting performance may not
      be strongly constrained by temperature. These results on the temperatures at
      which free-ranging rattlesnakes exhibit fitness-related behaviors could be
      valuable for understanding their vulnerabilities to future climates.

PMID- 28343581
TI  - Proteomic analysis of physiological function response to hot summer in liver from
      lactating dairy cows.
AB  - Lactation performance of dairy cattle is susceptible to heat stress. The liver is
      one of the most crucial organs affected by high temperature in dairy cows.
      However, the physiological adaption by the liver to hot summer conditions has not
      been well elucidated in lactating dairy cows. In the present study, proteomic
      analysis of the liver in dairy cows in spring and hot summer was performed using
      a label-free method. In total, 127 differentially expressed proteins were
      identified; most of the upregulated proteins were involved in protein metabolic
      processes and responses to stimuli, whereas most of the downregulated proteins
      were related to oxidation-reduction. Pathway analysis indicated that 3
      upregulated heat stress proteins (HSP90alpha, HSP90beta, and endoplasmin) were
      enriched in the NOD-like receptor signaling pathway, whereas several
      downregulated NADH dehydrogenase proteins were involved in the oxidative
      phosphorylation pathway. The protein-protein interaction network indicated that
      several upregulated HSPs (HSP90alpha, HSP90beta, and GRP78) were involved in more
      interactions than other proteins and were thus considered as central hub nodes.
      Our findings provide novel insights into the physiological adaption of liver
      function in lactating dairy cows to natural high temperature.

PMID- 28343582
TI  - The effect of local skin cooling before a sustained, submaximal isometric
      contraction on fatigue and isometric quadriceps femoris performance: A randomized
      controlled trial.
AB  - The central- and peripheral mechanisms by which heat strain limits physical
      performance are not fully elucidated. Nevertheless, pre-cooling is often used in
      an attempt to improve subsequent performance. This study compared the effects of
      pre-cooling vs. a pre-thermoneutral application on central- and peripheral
      fatigue during 60% of isometric maximum voluntary contraction (MVC) of the right
      quadriceps femoris muscle. Furthermore, the effects between a pre-cooling and a
      pre-thermoneutral application on isometric MVC of the right quadriceps femoris
      muscle and subjective ratings of perceived exertion (RPE) were investigated. In
      this randomized controlled trial, 18 healthy adults voluntarily participated. The
      participants received either a cold (experimental) application (+8 degrees C) or
      a thermoneutral (control) application (+32 degrees C) for 20min on their right
      thigh (one cuff). After the application, central (fractal dimension - FD) and
      peripheral (muscle fiber conduction velocity - CV) fatigue was estimated using
      sEMG parameters during 60% of isometric MVC. Surface EMG signals were detected
      from the vastus medialis and lateralis using bidimensional arrays. Immediately
      after the submaximal contraction, isometric MVC and RPE were assessed.
      Participants receiving the cold application were able to maintain a 60% isometric
      MVC significantly longer when compared to the thermoneutral group (mean time: 78
      vs. 46s; p=0.04). The thermoneutral application had no significant impact on
      central fatigue (p>0.05) compared to the cold application (p=0.03). However,
      signs of peripheral fatigue were significantly higher in the cold group compared
      to the thermoneutral group (p=0.008). Pre-cooling had no effect on isometric MVC
      of the right quadriceps muscle and ratings of perceived exertion. Pre-cooling
      attenuated central fatigue and led to significantly longer submaximal contraction
      times compared to the pre-thermoneutral application. These findings support the
      use of pre-cooling procedures prior to submaximal exercises of the quadriceps
      muscle compared to pre-thermoneutral applications.

PMID- 28343583
TI  - Indirect hand and forearm vasomotion: Regional variations in cutaneous
      thermosensitivity during normothermia and mild hyperthermia.
AB  - In this experiment, hand and forearm vasomotor activity was investigated during
      localised, but stable heating and cooling of the face, hand and thigh, under open
      loop (clamped) conditions. It was hypothesised that facial stimulation would
      provoke the most potent vascular changes. Nine individuals participated in two
      normothermic trials (mean body temperature clamp: 36.6 degrees C; water-perfused
      suit and climate chamber) and two mildly hyperthermic trials (37.9 degrees C).
      Localised heating (+5 degrees C) and cooling (-5 degrees C) stimuli were applied
      to equal surface areas of the face, hand and thigh (perfusion patches: 15min),
      while contralateral forearm or hand blood flows (venous-occlusion
      plethysmography) were measured (separate trials). Thermal sensation and
      discomfort votes were recorded before and during each thermal stimulation. When
      hyperthermic, local heating induced more sensitive vascular responses, with the
      combined thermosensitivity of both limb segments averaging 0.011mL.100mL-1.min
      1.mmHg-1. degrees C-1, and 0.005mL.100mL-1.min-1.mmHg-1. degrees C-1 during
      localised cooling (P<0.05). Inter-site comparisons among the stimulated sites
      yielded minimal evidence of variations in local thermal sensation, and no
      differences were observed for vascular conductance (P>0.05). Therefore, regional
      differences in vasomotor and sensory sensitivity appeared not to exist. When
      combined with previous observations of sudomotor sensitivity, it seems that,
      during mild heating and cooling, regional representations within the
      somatosensory cortex may not translate into meaningful differences in thermal
      sensation or the central integration of thermoafferent signals. It was concluded
      that inter-site variations in the cutaneous thermosensitivity of these
      thermolytic effectors have minimal physiological significance over the ranges
      investigated thus far.

PMID- 28343584
TI  - Percutaneous Cryoablation of the Horseshoe Kidney: An Initial Experience.
AB  - Between June 2006 and January 2016, 6 renal cryoablation procedures were
      performed in 5 patients with horseshoe kidneys. Renal cell carcinoma (RCC)
      accounted for 5 of the tumors, and the sixth was a carcinoid tumor. All 6
      procedures were technically successful. The patient with the carcinoid tumor
      developed local tumor progression 38 months after ablation. Technique
      effectiveness was achieved in all 5 patients with RCC. Two complications
      occurred: obstructive hematuria and transient inguinal neuralgia after ablation.
      In this small initial experience, percutaneous cryoablation appears feasible in
      treatment of primary tumors in horseshoe kidneys.

PMID- 28343585
TI  - Embolization of Three Bronchial Artery Aneurysms.

PMID- 28343586
TI  - Addressing Confounders in Retrospective Studies.

PMID- 28343587
TI  - Hybrid Snorkel Endovascular Repair of a Ruptured Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm
      Related to a Type IA Endoleak Utilizing an Axillary Conduit.

PMID- 28343588
TI  - Preoperative Biliary Drainage in Patients with Resectable Perihilar
      Cholangiocarcinoma: Is Percutaneous Transhepatic Biliary Drainage Safer and More
      Effective than Endoscopic Biliary Drainage? A Meta-Analysis.
AB  - PURPOSE: To determine the best initial procedure for performing preoperative
      biliary drainage in patients with resectable perihilar cholangiocarcinoma (PHCC).
      MATERIALS AND METHODS: MEDLINE/PubMed and the Cochrane database were searched for
      all studies published until June 2016 comparing endoscopic biliary drainage (EBD)
      and percutaneous transhepatic biliary drainage (PTBD) for preoperative biliary
      drainage. Meta-analysis was performed by using Review Manager 5.3 software.
      RESULTS: Four retrospective studies were identified that met the criteria. The
      analysis was performed on 433 patients who underwent preoperative biliary
      drainage for resectable PHCC. Of those, 275 (63.5%) had EBD and 158 (36.5%) had
      PTBD as the initial procedure. The overall procedure-related morbidity rate was
      significantly lower in the PTBD group than in the EBD group (39 of 147 [26.5%] vs
      82 of 185 [44.3%]; odds ratio [OR], 2.23; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.39
      3.57; P = .0009). The rate of conversion from one procedure to the other was
      significantly lower in the PTBD group than in the EBD group (8 of 158 [5.0%] vs
      73 of 275 [26.5%]; odds ratio, 4.76; 95% CI, 2.71-8.36; P < .00001). Pancreatitis
      occurred only in the EBD group (25 of 275 [9.0%] vs 0 of 158; OR, 7.46; 95% CI,
      3.02-18.44; P < .0001). The cholangitis rate was significantly lower in the PTBD
      group than in the EBD group (12 of 158 [7.6%] vs 93 of 275 [33.8%]; OR, 5.41; 95%
      CI, 2.75-10.63; P < .00001). CONCLUSIONS: This meta-analysis shows that PTBD has
      a lower rate of complications than EBD as the initial procedure to perform
      preoperative biliary drainage in resectable PHCC. PTBD is associated with less
      conversion and lower rates of pancreatitis and cholangitis.

PMID- 28343589
TI  - CT-Guided Cryoablation of a Substernal Mediastinal Ectopic Parathyroid Adenoma.

PMID- 28343590
TI  - Balloon-Occluded Retrograde Abdominal Lymphangiography and Embolization for
      Opacification and Treatment of Abdominal Chylous Leakage.

PMID- 28343591
TI  - Iatrogenic Common Iliac Artery Rupture from Resuscitative Endovascular Balloon
      Occlusion of the Aorta.

PMID- 28343592
TI  - Percutaneous Pulmonary Embolectomy Using the FlowTriever Retrieval/Aspiration
      System.

PMID- 28343593
TI  - Venous Neovascularization in a Recipient of a Pediatric Kidney Transplant.

PMID- 28343594
TI  - Do Radiopaque Polyvinyl Alcohol Beads Cause Artifact on Postcontrast MR Imaging?

PMID- 28343595
TI  - Re: Hashimoto M, Ohuchi Y, Ogawa T, Iwamoto A, Noguchi N. Percutaneous
      Transhepatic Holmium:YAG Laser Choledochojejunostomy for the Recanalization of
      Obstructed Surgical Anastomosis. (J Vasc Interv Radiol 2017; 28:310-312).

PMID- 28343596
TI  - No additional benefit of using a calcium hydroxide liner during stepwise caries
      removal: A randomized clinical trial.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Clinicians often use calcium hydroxide liners during stepwise
      treatment of advanced caries. In this randomized clinical trial, the authors
      compared the short-term outcome of stepwise caries removal with and without use
      of a calcium hydroxide liner in conjunction with provisional resin-modified glass
      ionomer (RMGI) restorations. METHODS: The authors included in the trial 98
      patients aged 15 to 30 years who had a deep carious lesion in a posterior tooth.
      The authors measured the dentin thickness radiographically and recorded its
      color, consistency, and moisture, as well as the bacterial count of the lesions.
      After partial caries removal, the authors assigned patients randomly to have
      their caries provisionally restored using RMGI with (control group) or without
      (test group) a calcium hydroxide liner. The primary outcome measure was tooth
      vitality after 90 days. Secondary outcomes included changes in dentinal,
      radiographic, and microbiological characteristics of the lesions. RESULTS: The
      authors found no statistically significant difference between the test and
      control groups in tooth vitality after 90 days. Irrespective of calcium hydroxide
      liner use, the authors observed darker, harder, drier, and less contaminated
      dentin after the provisional restorations, but dentin thickness remained
      unchanged. CONCLUSIONS: On the basis of this 3-month clinical trial's results,
      the use of a calcium hydroxide liner during stepwise caries excavation and
      provisional restoration did not provide any additional benefit. PRACTICAL
      IMPLICATIONS: After 3 months, using a calcium hydroxide liner does not appear to
      offer any additional benefit when clinicians use RMGI provisional restorations
      during stepwise caries removal. Longer studies are needed to confirm these
      results.

PMID- 28343597
TI  - National Trends and In-Hospital Outcomes in Pregnant Women With Heart Disease in
      the United States.
AB  - Investigation of trends and outcomes in heart disease (HD) and pregnancy has been
      limited. We chose to identify the prevalence, trends, and outcomes of pregnant
      women with different forms of HD in the United States. Healthcare Cost and
      Utilization Project's National Inpatient Sample was screened for hospital
      admissions for delivery in pregnant women with HD from 2003 to 2012. Maternal
      clinical characteristics and outcomes were identified in women with and without
      HD, and in HD subtypes: congenital (CHD), valvular HD, cardiomyopathy, and
      pulmonary hypertension (PH). Primary outcomes of interest were prevalence,
      trends, and major adverse cardiac events (MACEs), a composite of in-hospital
      death, acute myocardial infarction, heart failure, arrhythmia, cerebrovascular
      event, embolic events, or cardiac complications of anesthesia. We studied 81,295
      patients with HD and 39,894,032 without. CHD was the most frequent type (41.8%,
      33,982 of 81,295 patients), followed by valvular HD (30.9%, 25,138 of 81,295
      patients), cardiomyopathy (20.8%, 16,926 of 81,295 patients), and PH (6.5%, 5,250
      of 81,295 patients). MACE was highest among women with cardiomyopathy and lowest
      among women with CHD (44.0%, 7,449 of 16,926 vs 6.2%, 2,102 of 33,982; p
      <0.0001). PH patients had the highest in-hospital death, followed by
      cardiomyopathy patients (1.0%, 51 of 5,250 and 0.7%, 124 of 16,926,
      respectively). Pregnant women with HD significantly increased by 24.7%, related
      to increases in cardiomyopathy, CHD, and PH from 2003 to 2012. MACE significantly
      increased by 18.8%. In conclusion, pregnancy in women with HD is increasing,
      particularly for high risk conditions such as cardiomyopathy and PH. There is a
      significant and gradual increase in MACE for women with HD.

PMID- 28343598
TI  - Incremental Prognostic Value of Global Longitudinal Strain and 18F
      Fludeoxyglucose Positron Emission Tomography in Patients With Systemic
      Sarcoidosis.
AB  - In independent studies, abnormal global longitudinal strain (GLS) and myocardial
      inflammation or scar detected by 18F-fludeoxyglucose positron emission tomography
      (FDG-PET) are associated with poor prognosis among patients with high likelihood
      for cardiac sarcoidosis. However, commonly used imaging modalities have not been
      evaluated in the same population. Our goals were to examine the relation between
      GLS and FDG-PET, and to evaluate the incremental prognostic value of these
      imaging techniques for predicting major adverse cardiac events (MACE) in patients
      suspected to have cardiac sarcoidosis. We identified patients with systemic
      sarcoidosis who underwent an echocardiogram and FDG-PET within 60 days. Regional
      strain (average of base, mid, and apical segmental strains from each of 6 wall
      regions) was calculated and compared with regional FDG-PET findings. The
      associations among GLS, FDG-PET findings, and MACE (defined as death, ventricular
      tachycardia, heart failure hospitalization, or transplantation) were evaluated
      using a Cox model. Of 84 patients, 51 had abnormal FDG-PET. GLS was impaired in
      patients with abnormal versus normal FDG-PET (-14.2 +/- 4.7% vs -17.9 +/- 3.5%, p
      <0.01). After adjusting for clinical risk factors, both GLS and the number of
      segments with abnormal perfusion and metabolism on FDG-PET were associated with
      adverse cardiac events (p <0.01 for both). In conclusion, GLS and regional LS are
      impaired in patients with abnormal perfusion and metabolism detected using FDG
      PET. Additionally, both GLS and abnormal FDG-PET have incremental prognostic
      value for predicting MACE in patients with systemic sarcoidosis.

PMID- 28343599
TI  - Presence, Characteristics, and Volumes of Coronary Plaque Determined by Computed
      Tomography Angiography in Young Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus.
AB  - Prevention and management of coronary artery disease (CAD) is of great concern in
      patients with diabetes mellitus. Although the impact of coronary atherosclerosis
      is described well for subjects older than 40 years, the prevalence and types of
      coronary atherosclerosis in young patients are not well known. The aim of this
      study was to evaluate the prevalence, extent, severity, and volumes of coronary
      plaque in type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) population younger than of 40 years.
      This prospective study enrolled 181 subjects (25-40 year old) undergoing coronary
      computed tomography angiography, with 86 T2DM and 95 nondiabetic age/gender
      matched subjects. Coronary artery calcium (CAC), plaque assessment including
      total segment stenosis (sum of individual segmental stenosis), total plaque
      scores (sum of semiquantitative segmental plaque burden), segment involvement
      scores (number of segments with plaque) were evaluated. In addition, we
      quantitatively measured plaque volumes in total, fibrous, fibrous fatty, dense
      calcified, and low-attenuation plaque using novel plaque software. Compared with
      nondiabetic patients, the prevalence of CAD, calcified, and noncalcified plaques
      was higher in patients with T2DM (19% vs 58%; p <0.001). In patients with a zero
      CAC, T2DM had a higher prevalence (46%) of noncalcified plaque (p <0.0001). In
      multivariate linear regression models after adjusting for traditional
      cardiovascular risk factors, increased total segmental stenosis, total plaque
      scores, and segment involvement scores were associated with T2DM. Regarding
      quantitative plaque assessment, all volumes in noncalcified plaque type were
      approximately threefold higher in patients with T2DM. In conclusion, young
      patients with T2DM are susceptible to premature CAD with more calcified and
      noncalcified plaques. Early prevention program using computed tomography
      angiography might be helpful in identifying young diabetic patients with
      subclinical atherosclerosis.

PMID- 28343600
TI  - Comparison of Late Mortality Among Twins Versus Singletons With Congenital Heart
      Defects.
AB  - In 2014, in the United States, nearly 7% of newborns were twins. Congenital heart
      defects (CHDs) are more frequent in both monozygotic and dizygotic twins than in
      singletons. Still, the longer-term prognosis for CHD twins is unknown. Here we
      assess the mortality pattern for CHD twins up to age 36 years and compare it with
      that for non-CHD twins, non-CHD co-twins, and CHD singletons. We identified all
      twins and a 5% random sample of all singletons born in Denmark from 1977 to 2009
      by linking Danish national population and health registers. CHD cases were
      defined as subjects having a primary inpatient diagnosis of CHD (excluding
      preterm ductus) within the first year of life, and mortality was assessed through
      2013. Among 63,362 live-born twin individuals, a total of 373 twins (0.59%) had a
      CHD diagnosis, whereas the corresponding numbers for singletons were 383 of
      98,647 (0.39%). During the follow-up, 82 (22.0%) CHD twins died compared with 91
      (23.8%) CHD singletons (p = 0.56). Despite a 5 times higher proportion of
      prematurity, CHD twins had a tendency toward only a moderately increased neonatal
      mortality compared with CHD singletons (hazard ratio 1.5, 95% confidence interval
      0.94 to 2.5), and after the neonatal period up to age 36 the tendency was
      reversed (hazard ratio 0.8, 95% confidence interval 0.5 to 1.2). A potential
      underlying mechanism for this mortality pattern is selective intrauterine and
      neonatal mortality of twins with the most severe CHD. In conclusion, the study
      indicates that the overall survival prognosis for CHD twins is similar to that of
      CHD singletons.

PMID- 28343601
TI  - Effects of RG7652, a Monoclonal Antibody Against PCSK9, on LDL-C, LDL-C
      Subfractions, and Inflammatory Biomarkers in Patients at High Risk of or With
      Established Coronary Heart Disease (from the Phase 2 EQUATOR Study).
AB  - RG7652 (MPSK3169A), a fully human immunoglobulin G1 (IgG1) monoclonal antibody
      directed against proprotein convertase subtilisin/kexin type 9 (PCSK9), blocks
      the interaction between PCSK9 and low-density lipoprotein (LDL) receptor. EQUATOR
      (ClinicalTrials.govNCT01609140), a randomized, double-blind, and dose-ranging
      phase 2 study, evaluated RG7652 in patients (1) at high risk for or (2) with
      coronary heart disease (CHD). The primary end point was change in LDL cholesterol
      (LDL-C) from baseline to day 169. Patients (n = 248; median age, 64 years; 57%
      men; 52% with established CHD; 82% on statins) with baseline LDL-C levels of 90
      to 250 mg/dl (mean, 126 mg/dl) continuing on standard-of-care therapy were
      randomized to receive 1 of 5 RG7652 doses or placebo, subcutaneously every 4, 8,
      or 12 weeks for 24 weeks. Significant dose-dependent reductions in LDL-C levels
      from baseline to nadir (56 to 74 mg/dl [48% to 60%]) were observed in all RG7652
      dosed patients; effects persisted to day 169 with the highest doses (reduction vs
      placebo up to 62 mg/dl [51%]) with no unexpected safety signals. RG7652 reduced
      apolipoprotein B and lipoprotein(a) levels. LDL-C subfraction analysis by nuclear
      magnetic resonance spectroscopy revealed a prominent decrease in large LDL-C and
      some decrease in small LDL particles. There was significant reduction in mean
      particle size of LDL-C on day 169 but no significant reductions in systemic
      markers of inflammation (high-sensitivity C-reactive protein, interleukin-6, and
      tumor necrosis factor-alpha). RG7652 reduced LDL-C levels and was well tolerated
      in patients at high risk for or with CHD on standard-of-care therapy. In
      conclusion, RG7562 treatment affected large LDL-C and, to a lesser extent, small
      LDL-C particles; RG7562 did not affect systemic circulating pro-inflammatory
      cytokines or high-sensitivity C-reactive protein.

PMID- 28343602
TI  - Intracellular enzymes of the retinal pigment epithelial cells for controlled drug
      delivery.

PMID- 28343603
TI  - Cardioversion for Atrial Fibrillation Improves Quality of Life: It's Obvious (or
      Isn't It?).

PMID- 28343604
TI  - Tracking Syncope in Canada Using Administrative Data: What Lessons Can We Learn?
      Where Do We Need to Be?

PMID- 28343605
TI  - Treatment for Patients With Chronic Thromboembolic Pulmonary Hypertension: Where
      Does Balloon Pulmonary Angioplasty Sit in the Treatment Algorithm?

PMID- 28343606
TI  - Respiratory Muscles and Chemoreflex Sensitivity in Heart Failure: A Breath of
      Fresh Air.

PMID- 28343607
TI  - Bioresorbable Vascular Scaffold During ST-Elevation Myocardial Infarction: A
      Systematic Review.
AB  - BACKGROUND: The bioresorbable vascular scaffold (BVS) represents a novel
      technology designed to overcome the long-term limitations of metallic coronary
      stent implantation in percutaneous coronary intervention. In this context,
      primary percutaneous coronary intervention in ST-elevation myocardial infarction
      (STEMI) could be a preferred scenario for BVS implantation. Nevertheless, data on
      efficacy and safety are lacking in this specific subset of patients. METHODS: We
      conducted a systematic review to examine the safety and efficacy of BVS use in
      STEMI patients. We searched PubMed, EMBASE, and the Cochrane Library through June
      2016 for studies that included outcome data for BVS implantation in STEMI
      patients. Outcomes of interest included cardiac death, myocardial infarction,
      scaffold thrombosis, target lesion revascularization, restenosis, and composite
      end points. RESULTS: We identified 9 eligible articles, which included 1
      randomized controlled trial and 8 cohort studies (5 controlled), for a total of
      846 patients. These studies varied in size (11-290) and follow-up duration (1-24
      months). The incidence of major cardiac events ranged from 1.1% to 13%, with no
      statistically significant difference between BVS and control groups in studies
      that included a comparison group. Although there was a trend toward an increase
      in scaffold thrombosis in the largest controlled registries, no statistically
      significant increase was found. CONCLUSIONS: Current clinical data are scarce,
      but suggest that BVS might represent a reasonable alternative to drug-eluting
      stents in STEMI patients. The lack of large randomized controlled trials with
      extended follow-up periods and the scaffold thrombosis signal are limiting
      factors for widespread use before additional large-scale trials are available.

PMID- 28343608
TI  - Management of Bilateral Axillary Aneurysms, Threatened Limb, and Diffuse
      Vasculopathy in a Patient With ACTA2 Mutation.
AB  - We describe the case of a 36-year-old man with bilateral axillary artery
      aneurysms and a threatened upper limb. We postulate that his aneurysms and
      diffuse vasculopathy resulted from a missense mutation identified in his ACTA2
      gene known to be highly pathogenic. The risk factors and sequelae of axillary
      aneurysms are reviewed, with a focus on their surgical management and the effect
      of ACTA2 mutations on the cardiorespiratory system.

PMID- 28343609
TI  - Very Late-Onset Dabigatran-Induced Esophageal Injury.
AB  - An 87-year-old man with persistent atrial fibrillation experienced heartburn and
      dysphagia at 2 years 9 months after initiation of dabigatran. An
      esophagogastroduodenoscopy demonstrated multiple longitudinal white plaques with
      ulcers in the narrowed midesophagus compressed between the left atrium and the
      tortuous aorta. We speculate that the esophageal stenosis contributed to stasis
      of dabigatran within the esophagus, resulting in prolonged mucosal contact with
      the caustic contents of the drug. Progressive enlargement of the left atrium may
      have led to the late onset of the potentially serious complication.

PMID- 28343610
TI  - What's New in GOLD 2017?

PMID- 28343611
TI  - Hospital esophagectomy volume and postoperative length of stay: A systematic
      review and meta-analysis.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Much attention in the volume-outcomes literature has focused on the
      empirical impact of surgical caseload on outcomes. However, relevant studies on
      the association between surgical volume and variables that potentially contribute
      to healthcare costs are limited. The objective of this study was to
      systematically elucidate a contemporary analysis of the empirical relationship
      between hospital esophagectomy volume and postoperative length of stay, a cost
      related outcome. DATA SOURCES: OvidSP, PubMed, EMBASE, Cochrane Central Register
      of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL), ISI Web of Science and OpenGrey were searched for
      relevant articles published from 2000 to 2016. RESULTS: High hospital
      esophagectomy volume was associated with reduced postoperative length of stay
      (mean: 3 days; 95%CI: 2.8, 3.2) and risk of prolonged length of stay (RR: 0.80,
      95%CI: 0.74, 0.87) in a dose-response fashion. CONCLUSIONS: Complex surgeries
      performed at high surgical volume centers may be associated with overall decrease
      in postoperative length of stay, a cost-related outcome.

PMID- 28343612
TI  - Single-incision laparoscopy versus standard laparoscopy for colorectal surgery: A
      systematic review and meta-analysis.
AB  - The aim of this meta-analysis was to evaluate if the advantages of single
      incision laparoscopic surgery (SILS) to perform a colorectal resection justify a
      broad application of this approach. A total of 32 studies including 3863
      patients, comparing colorectal procedures performed with SILS or multi-port
      laparoscopy (LCS) were analyzed after a systematic review. Colorectal SILS had
      comparable outcomes to multi-port LCS in terms of operating time (P = 0.44),
      conversion rate (2.0% vs 3.0%; P = 0.52), reoperations (1.1% vs 1.7%; P = 0.26),
      postoperative complications (14.4% vs 13.6%; P = 0.10) and mortality (0.24% vs
      0.68%; P = 0.46). Mean hospital stay was significantly shorter in CSILS group,
      (MD = -0.88 [-1.33, -0,42], 95% CI, P = 0.0001), but heterogeneity was found (I2
      = 65%; P < 0.0001). The oncological results of SILS for colorectal cancer were
      satisfactory, as demonstrated by similar average lymph node retrieval (P = 0.72)
      and adequate resection margins (negative in all cases) compared to those obtained
      with LCS. Nevertheless, there are currently no available long-term follow-up data
      comparing the survival rates and local recurrence between both approaches.
      Insufficient data were available for evaluating long-term incisional hernia
      rates, and other potential benefits associated with colorectal SILS (cosmesis,
      postoperative pain) remain to be objectively proved. To date there is
      insufficient evidence to recommend widespread use of SILS instead of LCS for
      colorectal surgery.

PMID- 28343613
TI  - Effects of the use of growth hormone in children and adolescents with juvenile
      idiopathic arthritis: a systematic review.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: Children with juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA) often have
      impaired growth and short stature. There is evidence that the therapeutic use of
      growth hormone (GH) is useful and safe in these patients. OBJECTIVE: To analyze
      the effects of GH use in patients with JIA. METHOD: A systematic review of the
      literature over the last 18 years in Medline and Embase databases. The criteria
      were analyzed independently by the researchers. We used the following keywords:
      "growth hormone", "arthritis, juvenile", "arthritis, rheumatoid", "child" and
      "adolescent". RESULTS: Among the 192 identified articles, 20 corresponded to the
      inclusion criteria. Seventeen longitudinal studies and 3 case reports were found.
      Most studies analyzed observed increased growth, muscle mass and bone mass using
      GH. Adverse effects observed were glucose intolerance, diabetes, bone
      deformities, osteonecrosis, reactivation of the disease and low final height.
      CONCLUSION: The majority of studies reported positive effects after the
      therapeutic use of GH, but some variability in response to treatment was
      observed. The combination of growth hormone with other drugs seems to be a good
      option.

PMID- 28343614
TI  - Incidence and prevalence of systemic sclerosis in Campo Grande, State of Mato
      Grosso do Sul, Brazil.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: Systemic sclerosis is an autoimmune disease which shows extreme
      heterogeneity in its clinical presentation and that follows a variable and
      unpredictable course. Although some discrepancies in the incidence and prevalence
      rates between geographical regions may reflect methodological differences in the
      definition and verification of cases, they may also reflect true local
      differences. OBJECTIVES: To determine the prevalence and incidence of systemic
      sclerosis in the city of Campo Grande, state capital of Mato Grosso do Sul (MS),
      Brazil, during the period from January to December 2014. METHODS: All health care
      services of the city of Campo Grande - MS with attending in the specialty of
      Rheumatology were invited to participate in the study through a standardized form
      of clinical and socio-demographic assessment. Physicians of any specialty could
      report a suspected case of systemic sclerosis, but necessarily the definitive
      diagnosis should be established by a rheumatologist, in order to warrant the
      standardization of diagnostic criteria and exclusion of other diseases resembling
      systemic sclerosis. At the end of the study, 15 rheumatologists reported that
      they attended patients with systemic sclerosis and sent the completed forms
      containing epidemiological data of patients. RESULTS: The incidence rate of
      systemic sclerosis in Campo Grande for the year 2014 was 11.9 per million
      inhabitants and the prevalence rate was 105.6 per million inhabitants. Systemic
      sclerosis patients were mostly women, white, with a mean age of 50.58 years,
      showing the limited form of the disease with a mean duration of the disease of
      8.19 years. Regarding laboratory tests, 94.4% were positive for antinuclear
      antibody, 41.6% for anti-centromere antibody and 19.1% for anti-Scl70; anti-RNA
      Polymerase III was performed in 37 patients, with 16.2% positive. CONCLUSIONS:
      The city of Campo Grande, the state capital of MS, presented a lower
      incidence/prevalence of systemic sclerosis in comparison with those numbers found
      in US studies and close to European studies' data.

PMID- 28343615
TI  - Intra-articular injection with triamcinolone hexacetonide in patients with
      rheumatoid arthritis: prospective assessment of goniometry and joint inflammation
      parameters.
AB  - OBJECTIVES: To evaluate local joint variables after intra-articular injection
      with triamcinolone hexacetonide in rheumatoid arthritis patients. METHODS: We
      blindly and prospectively (baseline, 1, 4, 12 and 24 weeks) evaluated
      metacarpophalangeal, wrist, elbow, shoulder, knee and ankle joints after
      triamcinolone hexacetonide intra-articular injection by the following outcome
      measures: visual analogue scale 0-10cm (VAS) for rest pain (VASR); VAS for
      movement pain (VASM); VAS for joint swelling (VASSw); flexion (FlexG) and
      extension (ExtG). RESULTS: 289 patients (635 joints) were studied. VASSw
      (p<0.001) and VASR (0.001<p<0.016) improved from T0 to T4, T12 and T24 for all
      joints. VASM improved from T0 to T4 (p<0.021) for all joints; T0 to T12 (p<0.023)
      for MCF and knee; T0 to T24 (p<0.019) only for MCF and knee. FlexG improved from
      T0 to T4 (p<0.001) for all joints; T0 to T12 (p<0.001) and T0 to T24 (p<0.02)
      only for MCF and knee. ExtG improved from T0 to T4 (p<0.001) for all joints
      except for elbow; T0 to T12 (p=0.003) for wrist, metacarpophalangeal and knee;
      and T0 to T24 (p=0.014) for MCF and knee. CONCLUSION: VASSw responded better at
      short and medium term after IAI with triamcinolone hexacetonide in our sample of
      RA patients.

PMID- 28343616
TI  - Has the median nerve involvement in rheumatoid arthritis been overemphasized?
AB  - Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a well and widely recognized cause of carpal tunnel
      syndrome (CTS). In the rheumatoid wrist, synovial expansion, joint erosions and
      ligamentous laxity result in compression of the median nerve due to increased
      intracarpal pressure. We evaluated the published studies to determine the
      prevalence of CTS and the characteristics of the median nerve in RA and its
      association with clinical parameters such as disease activity, disease duration
      and seropositivity. A total of 13 studies met the eligibility criteria. Pooled
      data from 8 studies with random selection of RA patients revealed that 86 out of
      1561 (5.5%) subjects had CTS. Subclinical CTS, on the other hand, had a pooled
      prevalence of 14.0% (30/215). The cross sectional area of the median nerve of the
      RA patients without CTS were similar to the healthy controls. The vast majority
      of the studies (8/13) disclosed no significant relationship between the median
      nerve findings and the clinical or laboratory parameters in RA. The link between
      RA and the median nerve abnormalities has been overemphasized throughout the
      literature. The prevalence of CTS in RA is similar to the general population
      without any correlation between the median nerve characteristics and the clinical
      parameters of RA.

PMID- 28343617
TI  - EpiFibro (Brazilian Fibromyalgia Registry): data on the ACR classification and
      diagnostic preliminary criteria fulfillment and the follow-up evaluation.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: EpiFibro (Brazilian Epidemiological Study of Fibromyalgia) was
      created to study Fibromyalgia patients. Patients were included since 2011
      according to the 1990 American College of Rheumatology Classification Criteria
      for Fibromyalgia (ACR1990). OBJECTIVES: To determine how many patients still
      fulfill the ACR1990 and the ACR2010 criteria in 2014; to determine the
      correlation between the impact of FM and to describe data on the follow-up
      evaluation. METHODS: This is a cross sectional study in a multicenter cohort of
      patients. The data was collected between 2013 and 2015. Physician included
      patients that fulfilled the ACR1990 criteria on the date of entry. The follow-up
      data were considered only for patients with at least two evaluations. A minimally
      significant change was considered to be a 30% variation of parameters scores.
      RESULTS: 810 patients' data were analyzed. Patients presented a mean age of
      51.8+/-11.5 years old. There were 786 female. Most patients met both criteria.
      There was a greater fulfilling of the ACR2010. There was a moderate correlation
      between Polysymptomatic Distress Scale and Fibromyalgia Impact Questionnaire.
      Three hundred fourteen patients with more than one assessment were found, but 88
      patients were excluded. Thus, 226 patients with one follow-up monitoring
      parameter were considered (Fibromyalgia Impact Questionnaire: 222;
      Polysymptomatic Distress Scale: 199; both: 195). The mean follow-up time was
      9.1+/-7.5 months (1-44). Most patients became stable. CONCLUSION: InEpiFibro,
      most patients fulfill simultaneously the ACR1990 and ACR2010. A larger number of
      patients fulfill the ACR2010 at the time of the evaluation. There was a moderate
      correlation between the Polysymptomatic Distress Scale and the Fibromyalgia
      Impact Questionnaire. Most patients remained stable over time.

PMID- 28343618
TI  - Analysis of sexual function of patients with dermatomyositis and polymyositis
      through self-administered questionnaires: a cross-sectional study.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: To date, there are no descriptions in the literature on gynecologic
      and sexual function evaluation in female patients with dermatomyositis (DM) and
      polymyositis (PM). OBJECTIVE: To assess sexual function in female patients with
      DM/PM. PATIENTS AND METHODS: This is a monocentric, cross-sectional study in
      which 23 patients (16 DM and 7 PM), with ages between 18 and 40 years, were
      compared to 23 healthy women of the same age group. Characteristics on sexual
      function were obtained by applying the questionnaires Female Sexual Quotient
      (FSQ) and Female Sexual Function Index (FSFI) validated for the Brazilian
      Portuguese language. RESULTS: The mean age of patients was comparable to controls
      (32.7+/-5.3 vs. 31.7+/-6.7 years), as well as the distribution of ethnicity and
      socioeconomic class. As for gynecological characteristics, patients and healthy
      controls did not differ with respect to age at menarche and percentages of
      dysmenorrhea, menorrhagia, premenstrual syndrome, pain at mid-cycle, mucocervical
      secretion, and vaginal discharge. The FSQ score, as well as all domains of the
      FSFI questionnaire (desire, arousal, lubrication, orgasm and satisfaction), were
      significantly decreased in patients vs. controls, with 60.9% of patients showing
      some degree of sexual dysfunction. CONCLUSIONS: This was the first study to
      identify sexual dysfunction in patients with DM/PM. Therefore, a
      multidisciplinary approach is essential for patients with idiopathic inflammatory
      myopathies, in order to provide prevention and care for their sexual life,
      providing a better quality of life, both for patients and their partners.

PMID- 28343619
TI  - Translation and validation of Neck Bournemouth Questionnaire to Brazilian
      Portuguese.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: To translate the Neck Bournemouth Questionnaire to Brazilian
      Portuguese, cross-culturally adapt, and to verify its validity and its
      reliability. METHODS: The development of the Brazilian version of Neck
      Bournemouth Questionnaire (Brazil-NBQ) was based on the guideline proposed by
      Guillemin. The applied process consisted of translation, back-translation,
      committee review and pre-test. Sixty-one volunteers presenting neck pain
      participated in this study. Thirty-five of them participated during pre-testing
      phase to verify the instrument comprehension, and the remaining 26 took part
      during psychometric analysis. Psychometric evaluation included interrater and
      intrarater reliability and construct validity (correlation among Brazil-NBQ, SF
      36, Numerical rating score and Neck Disability Index). RESULTS: Some terms and
      expressions were changed to obtain cultural equivalence for Brazil-NBQ during the
      translation phase. The NBQ showed an intrarater ICC of 0.96 and interrater ICC of
      0.87. Construct validity analysis showed moderate correlations with SF-36 and
      strong correlation with Numerical rating score and Neck Disability Index.
      CONCLUSION: Neck Bournemouth Questionnaire was translated and culturally adapted
      to Portuguese language, and it demonstrated to be valid and reliable to evaluate
      patients' neck pain.

PMID- 28343620
TI  - Vascular endothelial growth factor G1612A (rs10434) gene polymorphism and
      neuropsychiatric manifestations in systemic lupus erythematosus patients.
AB  - AIM: To investigate the relation between vascular endothelial growth factor
      (VEGF) gene polymorphism in systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) patients and lupus
      related neuropsychiatric manifestations. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Sixty adult SLE
      patients recruited from the Rheumatology and Neurology departments of Cairo
      University hospitals were classified into two groups; Group A: 30 patients with
      neuropsychiatric manifestations (NPSLE) and Group B: 30 patients without. For
      both groups the SNP G1612A (rs10434) of the VEGF gene was genotyped by real time
      polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). RESULTS: Statistically significant difference
      was found in genotype and allele frequencies between both groups (AA [70% vs
      13.3%, p<0.001] and GG [10% vs 66.7%, p<0.001]). CONCLUSION: Polymorphism in the
      gene coding for VEGF may be associated with increased incidence of
      neuropsychiatric lupus in SLE patients.

PMID- 28343621
TI  - Fixed-flexion knee radiography using a new positioning device produced highly
      repeatable measurements of joint space width: ELSA-Brasil Musculoskeletal Study
      (ELSA-Brasil MSK).
AB  - OBJECTIVE: To describe the performance of a non-fluoroscopic fixed-flexion PA
      radiographic protocol with a new positioning device, developed for the assessment
      of knee osteoarthritis (OA) in Brazilian Longitudinal Study of Adult Health
      Musculoskeletal Study (ELSA-Brasil MSK). MATERIAL AND METHODS: A test-retest
      design including 19 adults (38 knee images) was conducted. Feasibility of the
      radiographic protocol was assessed by image quality parameters and presence of
      radioanatomic alignment according to intermargin distance (IMD) values.
      Repeatability was assessed for IMD and joint space width (JSW) measured at three
      different locations. RESULTS: Approximately 90% of knee images presented
      excellent quality. Frequencies of nearly perfect radioanatomic alignment (IMD
      <=1mm) ranged from 29% to 50%, and satisfactory alignment was found in up to 71%
      and 76% of the images (IMD <=1.5mm and <=1.7mm, respectively). Repeatability
      analyses yielded the following results: IMD [SD of mean difference=1.08;
      coefficient of variation (%CV)=54.68%; intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC)
      (95%CI)=0.59 (0.34-0.77)]; JSW [SD of mean difference=0.34-0.61; %CV=4.48%-9.80%;
      ICC (95%CI)=0.74 (0.55-0.85)-0.94 (0.87-0.97)]. Adequately reproducible
      measurements of IMD and JSW were found in 68% and 87% of the images,
      respectively. CONCLUSIONS: Despite the difficulty in achieving consistent
      radioanatomic alignment between subsequent radiographs in terms of IMD, the
      protocol produced highly repeatable JSW measurements when these were taken at
      midpoint and 10mm from the medial extremity of the medial tibial plateau.
      Therefore, measurements of JSW at these locations can be considered adequate for
      the assessment of knee OA in ELSA-Brasil MSK.

PMID- 28343622
TI  - Role of HIF-1alpha signaling pathway in osteoarthritis: a systematic review.
AB  - Osteoarthritis (OA) is the most common form of arthritis and is frequently
      diagnosed and managed in primary care; it is characterized by loss of articular
      hyaline cartilage, which is a unique connective tissue that physiologically lacks
      blood vessels. Articular cartilage survives in a microenvironment devoid of
      oxygen, which is regulated by hypoxia inducible factor (HIF-1alpha). HIF-1alpha
      is considered the main transcriptional regulator of cellular and developmental
      response to hypoxia. To date, the relevance of HIF-1alpha in the assessment of
      cartilage has increased since its participation is essential in the homeostasis
      of this tissue. Taking into account the new emerging insights of HIF-1alpha in
      the scientific literature in the last years, we focused the present review on the
      potential role of HIF-1alpha signaling pathway in OA development, especially in
      how some genetic factors may influence the maintenance or breakdown of articular
      cartilage.

PMID- 28343623
TI  - Biological therapy and development of neoplastic disease in patients with
      juvenile rheumatic disease: a systematic review.
AB  - Juvenile rheumatic diseases affect the musculoskeletal system and begin before
      the age of 18. These conditions have varied, identifiable or unknown etiologies,
      but those of an autoimmune inflammatory nature have been associated with an
      increased risk of development of cancer, regardless of treatment. This study aims
      to assess, through a systematic review of the literature according to Prisma
      (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses) quality
      criteria, the risk of cancer in patients with juvenile rheumatic disease, and its
      association with biological agents. The criteria described by the Strengthening
      the Reporting of Observational Studies in Epidemiology initiative were used in
      order to assess the methodological quality of those individual items selected in
      this study. We analyzed nine publications, from a total of 251 papers initially
      selected. There was an increase in cancer risk in the population with juvenile
      rheumatic disease versus the general population. Most specified cancers were of a
      lymphoproliferative nature. Seven studies did not specify the treatment or not
      defined an association between treatment and cancer risk. Only one study has
      suggested this association; in it, their authors observed high risk in patients
      diagnosed in the last 20 years, a period of the advent of new therapies. One
      study found an increased risk in a population not treated with biological agents,
      suggesting a disease in its natural course, and not an adverse effect of therapy.
      Studies have shown an increased risk of malignancy associated with juvenile
      rheumatic disease, and this may be related to disease activity and not
      specifically to the treatment with biological agents.

PMID- 28343624
TI  - Salivary beta2-microglobulin positively correlates with ESSPRI in patients with
      primary Sjogren's syndrome.

PMID- 28343625
TI  - The effectiveness of Kinesio Taping on pain and disability in cervical myofascial
      pain syndrome.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to investigate the effectiveness of Kinesio
      Taping and sham Kinesio Taping on pain, pressure pain threshold, cervical range
      of motion, and disability in cervical myofascial pain syndrome patients (MPS).
      METHODS: This study was designed as a randomized, double-blind placebo controlled
      study. Sixty-one patients with MPS were randomly assigned into two groups. Group
      1 (n=31) was treated with Kinesio Taping and group 2 (n=30) was treated sham
      taping five times by intervals of 3 days for 15 days. Additionally, all patients
      were given neck exercise program. Patients were evaluated according to pain,
      pressure pain threshold, cervical range of motion and disability. Pain was
      assessed by using Visual Analog Scale, pressure pain threshold was measured by
      using an algometer, and active cervical range of motion was measured by using
      goniometry. Disability was assessed with the neck pain disability index
      disability. Measurements were taken before and after the treatment. RESULTS: At
      the end of the therapy, there were statistically significant improvements on
      pain, pressure pain threshold, cervical range of motion, and disability (p<0.05)
      in both groups. Also there was a statistical difference between the groups
      regarding pain, pressure pain threshold, cervical flexion-extension (p<0.05);
      except cervical rotation, cervical lateral flexion and disability (p>0.05).
      CONCLUSION: This study shows that Kinesio Taping leads to improvements on pain,
      pressure pain threshold and cervical range of motion, but not disability in short
      time. Therefore, Kinesio Taping can be used as an alternative therapy method in
      the treatment of patients with MPS.

PMID- 28343626
TI  - The rat-a-gorical imperative: Moral intuition and the limits of affective
      learning.
AB  - Decades of psychological research have demonstrated that intuitive judgments are
      often unreliable, thanks to their inflexible reliance on limited information
      (Kahneman, 2003, 2011). Research on the computational underpinnings of learning,
      however, indicates that intuitions may be acquired by sophisticated learning
      mechanisms that are highly sensitive and integrative. With this in mind, Railton
      (2014) urges a more optimistic view of moral intuition. Is such optimism
      warranted? Elsewhere (Greene, 2013) I've argued that moral intuitions offer
      reasonably good advice concerning the give-and-take of everyday social life,
      addressing the basic problem of cooperation within a "tribe" ("Me vs. Us"), but
      that moral intuitions offer unreliable advice concerning disagreements between
      tribes with competing interests and values ("Us vs. Them"). Here I argue that a
      computational perspective on moral learning underscores these conclusions. The
      acquisition of good moral intuitions requires both good (representative) data and
      good (value-aligned) training. In the case of inter-tribal disagreement (public
      moral controversy), the problem of bad training looms large, as training
      processes may simply reinforce tribal differences. With respect to moral
      philosophy and the paradoxical problems it addresses, the problem of bad data
      looms large, as theorists seek principles that minimize counter-intuitive
      implications, not only in typical real-world cases, but in unusual, often
      hypothetical, cases such as some trolley dilemmas. In such cases the prevailing
      real-world relationships between actions and consequences are severed or
      reversed, yielding intuitions that give the right answers to the wrong questions.
      Such intuitions-which we may experience as the voice of duty or virtue-may simply
      reflect the computational limitations inherent in affective learning. I conclude,
      in optimistic agreement with Railton, that progress in moral philosophy depends
      on our having a better understanding of the mechanisms behind our moral
      intuitions.

PMID- 28343627
TI  - Invited review: Milk phospholipid vesicles, their colloidal properties, and
      potential as delivery vehicles for bioactive molecules.
AB  - The milk fat globule membrane (MFGM) is a unique colloidal assembly of
      phospholipids and proteins, with numerous potential applications as functional
      ingredient. The phospholipid components of the MFGM are gaining interest as they
      are a useful matrix for use as a constituent of delivery systems such as
      liposomes. Liposomes formulated with milk phospholipids are becoming an
      alternative to other sources of phospholipids such as soybean or egg yolk.
      However, incorporation of phospholipids fractionated from the milk fat globule
      membrane in dairy products requires an in-depth understanding of the functional
      properties of phospholipids. In particular, it is critical to understand which
      factors play a role in their stability and bioefficacy as delivery systems.
      Moreover, chemical and physical modifications of phospholipid liposomes occurring
      during digestion and the fate of the encapsulated compounds are very important to
      understand. This review discusses recent findings on the structure and
      functionality of MFGM, the bioactivity of the phospholipids fraction, their
      utilization as delivery systems, and their stability through gastrointestinal
      transit.

PMID- 28343628
TI  - Functional Architectures of Local and Distal Regulation of Gene Expression in
      Multiple Human Tissues.
AB  - Genetic variants that modulate gene expression levels play an important role in
      the etiology of human diseases and complex traits. Although large-scale eQTL
      mapping studies routinely identify many local eQTLs, the molecular mechanisms by
      which genetic variants regulate expression remain unclear, particularly for
      distal eQTLs, which these studies are not well powered to detect. Here, we
      leveraged all variants (not just those that pass stringent significance
      thresholds) to analyze the functional architecture of local and distal regulation
      of gene expression in 15 human tissues by employing an extension of stratified LD
      score regression that produces robust results in simulations. The top enriched
      functional categories in local regulation of peripheral-blood gene expression
      included coding regions (11.41*), conserved regions (4.67*), and four histone
      marks (p < 5 * 10-5 for all enrichments); local enrichments were similar across
      the 15 tissues. We also observed substantial enrichments for distal regulation of
      peripheral-blood gene expression: coding regions (4.47*), conserved regions
      (4.51*), and two histone marks (p < 3 * 10-7 for all enrichments). Analyses of
      the genetic correlation of gene expression across tissues confirmed that local
      regulation of gene expression is largely shared across tissues but that distal
      regulation is highly tissue specific. Our results elucidate the functional
      components of the genetic architecture of local and distal regulation of gene
      expression.

PMID- 28343631
TI  - A baseline record of trace elements concentration along the beach placer mining
      areas of Kanyakumari coast, South India.
AB  - Trace element concentration in the beach placer mining areas of Kanyakumari
      coast, South India was assessed. Sewage and contaminated sediments from mining
      sites has contaminated the surface sediments. Enrichment factor indicates
      moderately severe enrichment for Pb, minor enrichment for Mn, Zn, Ni, Fe and no
      enrichment for Cr and Cu. The Igeo values show higher concentration of Pb ranging
      in the scale of 3-4, which shows strong contamination due to high anthropogenic
      activity such as mining and terrestrial influences into the coastal regions.
      Correlation coefficient shows that most of the elements are associated with each
      other except Ni and Pb. Factor analysis reveals that Mn, Zn, Fe, Cr, Pb and Cu
      are having a significant loading and it indicates that these elements are mainly
      derived from similar origin. The cluster analysis clearly indicated that the
      mining areas are grouped under cluster 2 and non-mining areas are clustered under
      group 1.

PMID- 28343632
TI  - Metal pollution in Al-Khobar seawater, Arabian Gulf, Saudi Arabia.
AB  - In order to assess heavy metals pollution along the Al-Khobar coastline, 30
      seawater samples and 15 sediment ones were collected for Al, V, Cr, Mn, Fe, Co,
      Ni, Cu, Zn, As, Se, Sr, Mo, Cd, Hg and Pb analysis by Inductively Coupled Plasma
      Mass Spectrometer (ICP-MS). The analysis indicated a southward decreasing pattern
      in most heavy metal concentrations and the average values of Zn, Fe, Mn, Cu, As
      and Cr were higher than the ones reported from some worldwide seas and gulfs.
      Most of the highest levels were recorded within the bays and were related with in
      situ under sediments especially that composed of clays and very fine sands, and
      in localities characterized with anthropogenic activities like landfilling,
      desalination plants, fishing boats, oil spills and solid rubbish. The results of
      the present study provide useful background for further marine investigation and
      management in the Arabian Gulf region.

PMID- 28343630
TI  - De Novo Truncating Mutations in the Last and Penultimate Exons of PPM1D Cause an
      Intellectual Disability Syndrome.
AB  - Intellectual disability (ID) is a highly heterogeneous disorder involving at
      least 600 genes, yet a genetic diagnosis remains elusive in ~35%-40% of
      individuals with moderate to severe ID. Recent meta-analyses statistically
      analyzing de novo mutations in >7,000 individuals with neurodevelopmental
      disorders highlighted mutations in PPM1D as a possible cause of ID. PPM1D is a
      type 2C phosphatase that functions as a negative regulator of cellular stress
      response pathways by mediating a feedback loop of p38-p53 signaling, thereby
      contributing to growth inhibition and suppression of stress-induced apoptosis. We
      identified 14 individuals with mild to severe ID and/or developmental delay and
      de novo truncating PPM1D mutations. Additionally, deep phenotyping revealed
      overlapping behavioral problems (ASD, ADHD, and anxiety disorders), hypotonia,
      broad-based gait, facial dysmorphisms, and periods of fever and vomiting. PPM1D
      is expressed during fetal brain development and in the adult brain. All mutations
      were located in the last or penultimate exon, suggesting escape from nonsense
      mediated mRNA decay. Both PPM1D expression analysis and cDNA sequencing in EBV
      LCLs of individuals support the presence of a stable truncated transcript,
      consistent with this hypothesis. Exposure of cells derived from individuals with
      PPM1D truncating mutations to ionizing radiation resulted in normal p53
      activation, suggesting that p53 signaling is unaffected. However, a cell-growth
      disadvantage was observed, suggesting a possible effect on the stress-response
      pathway. Thus, we show that de novo truncating PPM1D mutations in the last and
      penultimate exons cause syndromic ID, which provides additional insight into the
      role of cell-cycle checkpoint genes in neurodevelopmental disorders.

PMID- 28343629
TI  - Biallelic Variants in OTUD6B Cause an Intellectual Disability Syndrome Associated
      with Seizures and Dysmorphic Features.
AB  - Ubiquitination is a posttranslational modification that regulates many cellular
      processes including protein degradation, intracellular trafficking, cell
      signaling, and protein-protein interactions. Deubiquitinating enzymes (DUBs),
      which reverse the process of ubiquitination, are important regulators of the
      ubiquitin system. OTUD6B encodes a member of the ovarian tumor domain (OTU)
      containing subfamily of deubiquitinating enzymes. Herein, we report biallelic
      pathogenic variants in OTUD6B in 12 individuals from 6 independent families with
      an intellectual disability syndrome associated with seizures and dysmorphic
      features. In subjects with predicted loss-of-function alleles, additional
      features include global developmental delay, microcephaly, absent speech,
      hypotonia, growth retardation with prenatal onset, feeding difficulties,
      structural brain abnormalities, congenital malformations including congenital
      heart disease, and musculoskeletal features. Homozygous Otud6b knockout mice were
      subviable, smaller in size, and had congenital heart defects, consistent with the
      severity of loss-of-function variants in humans. Analysis of peripheral blood
      mononuclear cells from an affected subject showed reduced incorporation of 19S
      subunits into 26S proteasomes, decreased chymotrypsin-like activity, and
      accumulation of ubiquitin-protein conjugates. Our findings suggest a role for
      OTUD6B in proteasome function, establish that defective OTUD6B function underlies
      a multisystemic human disorder, and provide additional evidence for the emerging
      relationship between the ubiquitin system and human disease.

PMID- 28343633
TI  - Seasonal dynamics of marine litter along the Bulgarian Black Sea coast.
AB  - In this study marine litter (ML) surveys were conducted in 8 beaches along the
      Bulgarian Black Sea coastline within 4 seasons for 2015-2016. The monitoring
      applied OSPAR guideline, classifying ML in eight categories and 167 types. The
      results exhibited predominance of artificial polymer materials - 84.3%. ML
      densities ranged from 0.0587+/-0.005 to 0.1343+/-0.008 n/m2, highest on the urban
      beaches. The seasonal dynamics of most top 10 ML showed highest quantities in
      summer than the other seasons, as the differences are of high statistical
      significance (0.001<=P<=0.05). Top 1 ML item for most of the beaches was
      cigarette butts and filters reaching 1008+/-10.58 nos. in summer and from 19+/
      3.41 to 89+/-7.81 nos. during the rest of the seasons (P<0.001). For the
      pronounced seasonality contributed the recreational activities, increased tourist
      flow and the wild camping. The investigation will enrich data scarcity for
      Descriptor 10 "Marine litter".

PMID- 28343634
TI  - Identification of heavy metal pollutant tolerance-associated genes in Avicennia
      marina (Forsk.) by suppression subtractive hybridization.
AB  - The halophytic Avicennia marina (Forsk.) is one of the pioneer mangroves along
      the south coast of China. It is an appropriate material for understanding
      molecular mechanisms of heavy metal tolerance in mangrove plants. A forward and a
      reverse cDNA library was constructed by PCR-based suppressive subtractive
      hybridization (SSH) to isolate these tolerance-associated genes from A. marina
      leaves. A total of 99 ESTs obtained from the forward and reverse libraries showed
      significant differential expressions. Twenty-nine genes selected by SSH were
      studied by real-time PCR in order to analyze their expression level. Most of
      these genes' expression increased in leaves under Cd stress, which suggests that
      these genes contribute to the heavy metal tolerance in A. marina. The diversity
      of these genes indicated that heavy metal stress resulted in a complex response
      in mangrove plants. This could prove a useful approach for further exploring the
      molecular mechanisms behind such heavy metal tolerance.

PMID- 28343635
TI  - Swedish-Registered Nurse Anesthetists' Evaluation of Their Professional Self.
AB  - PURPOSE: This study aimed to explore how the nurse anesthetist values their
      professional self, compared with their peers, and also to explore whether
      professional self is affected by age, work experience, and/or gender. DESIGN: An
      explorative and prospective cross-sectional design. METHODS: During April 2011, a
      total of 108 registered nurse anesthetists from three different hospitals were
      surveyed using the Professional Self-Description Form with questions covering 21
      items. FINDINGS: A total of 87 (80%) responded: 21 men and 66 women with a mean
      age of 45 years (range, 28 to 64 years) and mean professional experience of 12
      years (range, 1 to 41 years). Four factors were found: professionalism, trait of
      character, scientific knowledge, and empathy, with Cronbach alpha of 0.96
      overall. Analysis showed that perceived professional self depends on age and
      amount of work experience, but not on gender. CONCLUSIONS: The Professional Self
      Description Form exhibits satisfactory internal consistency. Work experience and
      age influenced the development of professional self of nurse anesthetists.

PMID- 28343636
TI  - Interruptions in Preanesthesia Nursing Workflow: A Pilot Study of Pediatric
      Patient Safety.
AB  - PURPOSE: Preanesthesia care is a high-risk system where interruptions during the
      preanesthesia assessment may jeopardize the quality of information obtained. The
      objective of this study was to (1) identify the number and nature of
      interruptions occurring during the nursing preanesthesia assessment, (2) evaluate
      effectiveness of a no interruption zone (NIZ) on the number and nature of
      interruptions experienced, and (3) determine the frequency with which nurses
      returned to their original task after interruption. DESIGN: A pre-post, quasi
      experimental pilot study design was used. METHODS: Study included observational
      methodology to compare the number and nature of interruptions which occurred
      during the preanesthesia assessment before and after implementation of a NIZ.
      FINDINGS: There was a statistically significant decrease in interruptions per
      observation after implementation of a NIZ with physical and verbal interruptions
      being the most common. Nurses returned to the original task more often after the
      implementation of the NIZ. CONCLUSION: Findings suggest use of a NIZ decreased
      interruptions experienced by nurses and thereby decreases the potential for
      workflow fragmentation.

PMID- 28343637
TI  - Investigation of Preoperative Fasting Times in Children.
AB  - PURPOSE: The aim of this study was to investigate preoperative fasting times of
      children. DESIGN: A prospective and descriptive design was used. METHODS: The
      study was carried out in the pediatric surgery departments of a University
      Faculty of Medicine Hospital, between January 1 and May 31, 2012. The sample
      included 332 pediatric patients having surgery with general anesthesia and their
      family. Data were collected via patient and family interview using a 28-item
      questionnaire developed by the researchers. FINDINGS: 29.2% of the sample was
      between the age of 1 and 3 years, of which 68.1% were male. 82.5% had day
      surgery. 94.9% of families were informed about the operation and 97.6% about
      nutrition before the operation. The children were fed an average of 10.51 hours
      before the operation (n = 203) with clear liquids, 6.27 hours (n = 52) with
      breast milk, 9.9 hours (n = 107) with baby food or cow's milk, 11.22 hours (n =
      100) with toast and other, and 12.25 hours (n = 106) with daily food. About 65.6%
      of children between the years 0 and 3 (n = 151) declared being hungry when they
      were going to surgery, and 58.9% said that they were thirsty. Of the children
      older than 3 years (n = 181), 55.2% were hungry and 58.0% were thirsty.
      CONCLUSIONS: Results indicate that patients' preoperative fasting times were
      longer than recommended by current guidelines.

PMID- 28343638
TI  - Patient Care Handoff in the Postanesthesia Care Unit: A Quality Improvement
      Project.
AB  - PURPOSE: The goal of this project was to improve the process of transferring
      patient information between certified registered nurse anesthetists and
      postanesthesia care unit registered nurses using an evidence-based handoff
      checklist and evaluate completeness and accuracy of transferred information.
      DESIGN: A convenience sample of 14 certified registered nurse anesthetists and 7
      registered nurses working at a single regional health system was recruited.
      METHODS: The Handoff Accuracy Scoring Tool was developed to include a pre
      /postinterventional design to compare scores of verbal handoffs conducted in the
      preintervention phase without checklist (n = 20) and postintervention phase with
      checklist (n = 20). FINDING: An unpaired sample t test revealed that differences
      in scores between the preintervention phase (mean = 9.50, standard deviation =
      3.36) and postintervention phase (mean = 20.9, standard deviation = 1.74) were
      statistically significant (t[19] = 13.21; P = .0001; 95% confidence interval =
      [9.59, 13.21]). CONCLUSIONS: A department-specific handoff checklist can reduce
      the number of omission errors that may occur during patient handoff.

PMID- 28343640
TI  - Alcohol Withdrawal Syndrome.

PMID- 28343639
TI  - The Benefits of a Preoperative MRSA Swabbing Protocol.
AB  - Infection control practices pose a challenge to nursing care in general, but can
      have a huge negative impact on the perioperative process. Prior to July of 2012,
      our institution did not perform routine methacillin resistant staphylococcus
      aureus (MRSA) screening on preoperative patients with a prior history of MRSA.
      This resulted in patients remaining in isolation throughout their entire
      perioperative course. Screening for MRSA was delayed until the patient arrived in
      the medical surgical unit. Many of these patients were later found to have
      negative nasal swabs. The delay in screening often resulted in the unnecessary
      use of supplies (increased cost), delayed post anesthesia care unit (PACU) bay
      turnover and decreased staff satisfaction. Meetings with Hospital Infection
      Control, lab personnel and PACU staff resulted in the development of a
      preoperative MRSA swabbing protocol. In July of 2012 a preoperative MRSA swabbing
      protocol was implemented. Since implementation, the PACU has experienced a cost
      savings between $7,200- $11,800, a minimum of 40 minutes on PACU bay turnover and
      an increase in staff satisfaction.

PMID- 28343641
TI  - Does Your Leadership Team Work?

PMID- 28343642
TI  - New Evidence on Drug Interactions: Improving Patient Safety.

PMID- 28343643
TI  - Intravenous Acetaminophen.

PMID- 28343644
TI  - 2017-2018 Perianesthesia Standards.

PMID- 28343645
TI  - Protecting Children From Perioperative Infection: Understanding the Risks.

PMID- 28343646
TI  - Joy in the Morning.

PMID- 28343647
TI  - JoPAN and The Publishing Process.

PMID- 28343648
TI  - Women's Experiences of Undergoing Total Knee Joint Replacement Surgery.
AB  - PURPOSE: The purpose of the study was to describe women's experiences of
      undergoing total knee joint replacement surgery. DESIGN: A qualitative approach
      was used. METHOD: A content analysis of the text from interviews with five women
      was conducted. FINDINGS: The time before surgery was marked by the experience of
      constant pain, which affected the women negatively in their everyday lives.
      During surgery, the information provided by the staff gave each woman a sense of
      security; the women handed over responsibility to the staff and experienced a
      sensation of relief. The postoperative period was characterized by a feeling of
      joy when the surgery was over, although a rough and tedious rehabilitation phase
      then began. Challenges in everyday life were a factor for motivation and
      confidence, although postoperative pain was experienced as discouraging.
      CONCLUSION: Support from health care staff is an important factor for coping with
      everyday life during the preoperative, perioperative and postoperative phases of
      undergoing knee joint replacement.

PMID- 28343649
TI  - Increasing Access to Auricular Acupuncture for Postoperative Nausea and Vomiting.
AB  - PURPOSE: Postoperative nausea and vomiting (PONV) affects more than 30% of
      surgical patients. Auricular acupuncture (AA) has been shown to decrease the
      incidence of PONV in select populations. DESIGN: An evidence-based quality
      improvement project made AA available to all adult surgical patients, and the
      results were recorded in a database. A retrospective between-groups analysis of
      210 database entries was conducted, of those 25 receiving AA. FINDINGS: More risk
      factors for PONV were present in the AA group (P < .001). Both groups experienced
      a less-than-expected rate of PONV. Similar rates were shown between groups for
      PONV, postanesthesia care unit length of stay, and opioid consumption. Patient
      satisfaction was 96% with AA. The AA group was treated with less antiemetic
      medication (P < .001), yet PONV rates remained similar. CONCLUSIONS: A multimodal
      approach treating patients at risk for PONV is recommended. Administration of
      multiple antiemetics may result in unnecessary cost or unfavorable side effects
      when effective and less costly alternatives exist. AA is a viable treatment for
      PONV, considering cost and patient satisfaction.

PMID- 28343650
TI  - [Surveillance system on drug abuse: Interest of the French national OPPIDUM
      program of French addictovigilance network].
AB  - It is important to assess drug abuse liability in 'real life' using different
      surveillance systems. OPPIDUM ('Observation of illegal drugs and misuse of
      psychotropic medications') surveillance system anonymously collects information
      on drug abuse and dependence observed in patients recruited in specialized care
      centers dedicated to drug dependence. The aim of this article is to demonstrate
      the utility of OPPIDUM system using 2015 data. OPPIDUM is a cross-sectional
      survey repeated each year since 1995. In 2015, 5003 patients described the
      modality of use of 10,159 psychoactive drugs. Among them, 77% received an opiate
      maintenance treatment: 68% methadone (half of them consumed capsule form) and 27%
      buprenorphine (39% consumed generic form). Brand-name buprenorphine is more often
      injected than generic buprenorphine (10% vs. 2%) and among methadone consumers 7%
      of methadone capsule consumers have illegally obtained methadone (vs. 9% for
      syrup form). The proportion of medications among psychoactive drugs injected is
      important (42%), with morphine representing 21% of the total psychoactive drugs
      injected and buprenorphine, 16%. OPPIDUM highlighted emergent behaviors of abuse
      with some analgesic opioids (like tramadol, oxycodone or fentanyl), pregabalin,
      or quetiapine. OPPIDUM highlighted variations of drugs use regarding geographic
      approaches or by drug dependence care centers (like in harm reduction centers).
      OPPIDUM clearly demonstrated that collection of valid and useful data on drug
      abuse is possible, these data have an interest at regional, national and
      international levels.

PMID- 28343651
TI  - Reconstruction of large cranial defects with poly-methyl-methacrylate (PMMA)
      using a rapid prototyping model and a new technique for intraoperative implant
      modeling.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Reconstruction of large cranial defects after craniectomy can be
      accomplished by free-hand poly-methyl-methacrylate (PMMA) or industrially
      manufactured implants. The free-hand technique often does not achieve
      satisfactory cosmetic results but is inexpensive. In an attempt to combine the
      accuracy of specifically manufactured implants with low cost of PMMA. METHODS:
      Forty-six consecutive patients with large skull defects after trauma or infection
      were retrospectively analyzed. The defects were reconstructed using computer
      aided design/computer-aided manufacturing (CAD/CAM) techniques. The computer file
      was imported into a rapid prototyping (RP) machine to produce an acrylonitrile
      butadiene-styrene model (ABS) of the patient's bony head. The gas-sterilized
      model was used as a template for the intraoperative modeling of the PMMA
      cranioplasty. Thus, not the PMMA implant was generated by CAD/CAM technique but
      the model of the patients head to easily form a well-fitting implant. Cosmetic
      outcome was rated on a six-tiered scale by the patients after a minimum follow-up
      of three months. RESULTS: The mean size of the defect was 74.36cm2. The implants
      fitted well in all patients. Seven patients had a postoperative complication and
      underwent reoperation. Mean follow-up period was 41 months (range 2-91 months).
      Results were excellent in 42, good in three and not satisfactory in one patient.
      Costs per implant were approximately 550 Euros. CONCLUSION: PMMA implants
      fabricated in-house by direct molding using a bio-model of the patients bony head
      are easily produced, fit properly and are inexpensive compared to cranial
      implants fabricated with other RP or milling techniques.

PMID- 28343652
TI  - Predictors of non-return to work 2 years post-injury in road traffic crash
      survivors: Results from the UQ SuPPORT study.
AB  - PURPOSE: Individuals who have sustained an injury from a road traffic crash (RTC)
      are at increased risk for long lasting health problems and non-return to work
      (NRTW). Determining the predictors of NRTW is necessary to develop screening
      tools to identify at-risk individuals and to provide early targeted intervention
      for successful return to work (RTW). The aim of this study was to identify
      factors that can predict which individuals will not RTW following minor or
      moderate injuries sustained from a RTC. METHOD: Participants were 194 claimants
      (63.4% female) within a common-law "fault-based" system from the UQ SuPPORT
      cohort who were working prior to their RTC. Participants were assessed at 6
      months on a variety of physical and mental health measures and RTW status was
      determined at 2 years post-RTC. RTW rate was 78.4%. RESULTS: Univariate
      predictors of NRTW included being the driver or passenger, having a prior
      psychiatric diagnosis, high disability level, low mental or physical quality of
      life, predicted non-recovery, high pain, low function, high expectations of pain
      persistency, low expectations about RTW, having a psychiatric diagnosis, elevated
      depression or anxiety. The final multivariable logistic regression model included
      only two variables: disability level and expectations about RTW. Seventy-five
      percent of individuals who will not RTW by 2 years can be identified accurately
      at an early stage, using only these two predictors. CONCLUSION: The results are
      promising, because they suggest that having information about two factors, which
      are easily obtainable, can predict with accuracy those who will require
      additional support to facilitate RTW.

PMID- 28343653
TI  - Swallow-induced syncope and carotid sinus hypersensitivity: Coincident or
      associated conditions?
AB  - Swallow induced syncope is a rare clinical condition which is thought to result
      from an abnormal vagal reflex leading to bradycardia and cerebral hypoperfusion.
      It mostly occurs in patients with organic or functional disorders of the
      esophagus, and often requires permanent pacemaker implantation, along with
      treatment of the underlying esophageal pathology. In the following case, we
      report of a 71-year-old male with achalasia post per oral endoscopic myectomy,
      who presented with syncope and documented AV-block while eating solid food. In
      addition, long sinus pauses were noted during carotid sinus massage, suggesting
      that the two distinct entities may be associated, and further supporting the
      mechanism of neurally mediated syncope in the pathophysiology of swallow-induced
      syncope.

PMID- 28343654
TI  - Negative concordant T waves during paced ventricular rhythm: An honest enemy is
      better than a false friend.
AB  - The ECG diagnosis of myocardial infarction and ischemia in pacemaker patients is
      often challenging. The three criteria, proposed by Sgarbossa et al. in 1996,
      useful to suspect myocardial ischaemia in patient with left bundle branch block
      were demonstrated to be valid also in pacemaker patients. In the last years,
      concordant negative T waves in patients with ventricular paced rhythm were linked
      to various expressions of acute myocardial injury. If available, comparison with
      previous ECG is crucial. Partial persistence of cardiac memory during fusion
      beats created an anomalous concordance between negative T waves and QRS axis and
      could induce erroneous suspicions. AV delay modification could help to unmask
      this situation.

PMID- 28343656
TI  - Reply.

PMID- 28343655
TI  - Who to Refer for Speech Therapy at 4 Years of Age Versus Who to "Watch and Wait"?
AB  - OBJECTIVE: To examine predictors of speech disorder resolution versus persistence
      at age 7 years in children with speech errors at age 4 years. STUDY DESIGN:
      Participants were drawn from a longitudinal, community cohort. Assessment at age
      4 years (N?=?1494) identified children with speech errors. Reassessment at age 7
      years allowed categorization into resolved or persistent categories. Logistic
      regression examined predictors of speech outcome, including family history, sex,
      socioeconomic status, nonverbal intelligence, and speech error type (delay vs
      disorder). RESULTS: At age 7 years, persistent errors were seen in over 40% of
      children who had errors at age 4 years. Speech symptomatology was the only
      significant predictor of outcome (P?=?.02). Children with disordered errors at
      age 4 years were twice as likely to have poor speech outcomes at age 7 years
      compared with those with delayed errors. CONCLUSIONS: Children with speech delay
      at age 4 years seem more likely to resolve, and this might justify a "watch and
      wait" approach. In contrast, those with speech disorder at age 4 years appear to
      be at greater risk for persistent difficulties, and could be prioritized for
      therapy to offset long-term impacts.

PMID- 28343657
TI  - Bradycardia Associated with Prednisolone in Children with Severe Kawasaki
      Disease.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: To identify the prevalence of bradycardia associated with use of
      prednisolone in patients with Kawasaki disease and analyze the association
      between bradycardia and responsiveness to intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG).
      STUDY DESIGN: We performed a retrospective cohort study of 176 patients with
      severe Kawasaki disease admitted to the Tokyo Metropolitan Children's Medical
      Center between March 2010 and December 2015. The group treated with IVIG plus
      prednisolone therapy from February 2012 was compared with the control group who
      received IVIG monotherapy before this date. The primary outcome was the
      prevalence of bradycardia, defined as heart rate less than the first percentile
      for normal children. Next, we determined whether bradycardia was associated with
      the clinical course in the patient subgroup treated with IVIG plus prednisolone
      therapy. RESULTS: The prevalence of bradycardia was significantly higher in the
      IVIG plus prednisolone subgroup than in the IVIG group (79.1% vs 7.1%; P?<?.001).
      The median time to bradycardia onset was 63.0 hours (2.6 days). Prednisolone
      decreased the heart rate by 15.1 beats/minute (95% CI 10.2-20.0; P?<?.001) on
      average from day 2 to 7 after the initial therapy. Logistic regression analysis
      revealed that bradycardia was associated with responsiveness to initial IVIG plus
      prednisolone therapy (OR 7.2; 95% CI 2.3-23.0; P?<?.001). CONCLUSION: Bradycardia
      frequently occurred during IVIG plus prednisolone therapy in patients with
      Kawasaki disease, and was associated with responsiveness to IVIG.

PMID- 28343658
TI  - Text Message Intervention (TEACH) Improves Quality of Life and Patient Activation
      in Celiac Disease: A Randomized Clinical Trial.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: To determine the impact of the Text Message Educational Automated
      Compliance Help (TEACH) text message intervention as a pragmatic approach for
      patient engagement among adolescents with celiac disease (CD) as measured by
      gluten-free diet (GFD) adherence, patient activation, and quality of life (QOL).
      STUDY DESIGN: Randomized controlled trial with patient recruitment at a
      pediatric, university-based hospital and through social media; 61 participants
      ages 12-24 years with CD diagnosed at least 1 year were enrolled. The TEACH
      intervention cohort received 45 unique text messages over a 3-month study period
      while the control group received standard of care treatment. Primary outcome
      measures included objective markers of GFD adherence included serum tissue
      transglutaminase IgA and deamidated gliadin peptide IgA levels. Secondary patient
      reported outcomes collected via online survey included the Celiac Dietary
      Adherence Test, National Institutes of Health (NIH) Patient-Reported Outcomes
      Measurement Information System (PROMIS) Global Short Form measure of QOL, Celiac
      Symptom Index, and Patient Activation Measure. All measures were assessed at
      enrollment and after the 3-month study period. Statistical analysis performed
      using the 2-tailed paired Student t test. RESULTS: Among the TEACH intervention
      group, there was significant improvement comparing enrollment scores with 3-month
      follow-up scores in patient activation (Patient Activation Measure score 63.1 vs
      72.5, P?=?.01) and QOL (NIH PROMIS Global Mental Health 50.8 vs 53.3, P?=?.01 and
      NIH PROMIS Global Physical Health 50.8 vs 57.7, P?=?.03). There was no
      statistically significant difference in patient-reported or objectively measured
      GFD adherence. CONCLUSIONS: TEACH is an effective intervention among patients
      with CD to improve patient activation and QOL, even among a cohort with GFD
      adherence at baseline. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ClinicalTrials.gov: NCT02458898.

PMID- 28343659
TI  - Iron and Zinc Supplementation Does Not Impact Urinary Arsenic Excretion in
      Mexican School Children.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: To examine the role of iron and zinc in arsenic excretion and
      metabolism in children. STUDY DESIGN: An analysis of urinary arsenic (UAs)
      concentrations from a double-blind randomized trial originally testing the
      efficacy of iron and zinc for lowering blood lead levels in children. A 2 * 2
      factorial design was used, with children randomized individually, stratified by
      sex and classroom, to receive 30?mg ferrous fumarate (n?=?148), 30?mg zinc oxide
      (n?=?144), iron and zinc together (n?=?148), or placebo (n?=?151). Of the 602
      children enrolled, 527 completed the 6-month treatment, and 485 had both baseline
      and final UAs values. The baseline total UAs concentration ranged from 3.2 to
      215.9?ug/L. RESULTS: At baseline, children in the highest tertile of serum
      ferritin concentration had higher excretion of dimethylarsinic acid (DMA; 1.93?+/
      ?0.86%; P?<?.05), but lower excretion of monomethylarsonic acid (-0.91?+/-?0.39%;
      P?<?.05), compared with children in the lowest tertile. In an intention-to-treat
      analysis, iron had no effect on arsenic methylation or UAs excretion, but
      children receiving zinc had lower %DMA in urine (-1.7?+/-?0.8; P?<?.05).
      CONCLUSIONS: Iron and zinc status are not related to arsenic metabolism in
      children, and supplementation with these minerals has limited application in
      lowering arsenic concentrations. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ClinicalTrials.gov:
      NCT02346188.

PMID- 28343660
TI  - A pilot study of ultrasound elastography as a non-invasive method to monitor
      liver disease in children with short bowel syndrome.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Our objective was to evaluate the accuracy of acoustic radiation
      force impulse (ARFI) elastography in determining extent of liver fibrosis in
      pediatric patients with short bowel syndrome (SBS). METHODS: This prospective
      cohort study included pediatric patients with SBS who underwent ultrasound with
      ARFI measurements of shear wave speed (SWS) and liver biopsy within 30days of
      each other between 12/2014-9/2015. The mean and median SWS were compared to the
      stage of fibrosis. Receiver operating characteristic curves (ROC) were also
      generated to assess the classification accuracy of SWS measurements for mild (F0
      F1) versus moderate/severe fibrosis (F2-F4). RESULTS: Twelve patients were
      included with median age 1.4years and median weight 11.3kg. The median direct
      bilirubin level was 0.3mg/dL at the time of biopsy. On liver biopsy, 6 patients
      had mild fibrosis (F1), 3 had septal fibrosis (F3), and 3 had cirrhosis (F4). The
      area under the ROC curve for elastography to differentiate moderate/severe liver
      fibrosis from mild disease was 0.83 (95CI 0.58-1.00) and 0.86 (95CI 0.63-1.00)
      for the median SWS and mean SWS, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: These early results
      suggest that ARFI ultrasound elastography may be a reliable non-invasive method
      to monitor liver fibrosis in pediatric patients with SBS. TYPE OF STUDY:
      Prospective observational cohort. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: 3.

PMID- 28343661
TI  - Variability in surgical management of benign ovarian neoplasms in children.
AB  - BACKGROUND/PURPOSE: Although most pediatric ovarian neoplasms are benign and may
      be treated with ovary-sparing surgery (OSS), consensus is lacking on the optimal
      surgical approach. We aimed to determine the proportion of pediatric benign
      ovarian neoplasms managed with OSS and to assess variability in management across
      hospitals and specialties. METHODS: Using the Pediatric Health Information
      System, we studied patients aged 6-21 years treated in 2006-2014 for a benign
      ovarian neoplasm with oophorectomy or OSS. Inter-hospital variability and
      predictors of the type of surgery were determined using logistic mixed effects
      models with random hospital effects. RESULTS: Of 1164 patients with benign
      ovarian neoplasms, 646 underwent oophorectomy, and 518 underwent OSS. Across
      hospitals, there was significant variability in the proportion of OSS (range:
      21.7-76.6%). In multivariable analysis, patients managed by pediatric surgeons
      (vs. pediatric and adolescent gynecologists) (OR: 0.27, 95%CI: 0.17-0.43,
      p<0.001), younger patients (OR: 0.94 per year, 95%CI: 0.90-0.98, p=0.007), and
      those admitted through the emergency department (OR: 0.76, 95%CI: 0.58-0.99,
      p=0.04) were less likely to undergo OSS. Inter-hospital variability remained
      significant after adjusting for relevant patient and hospital characteristics
      (p<0.001). CONCLUSIONS: Significant variability exists in management of benign
      ovarian neoplasms across hospitals and specialties. Collaborative efforts between
      treating specialists may improve implementation of evidence-based guidelines for
      OSS. TYPE OF STUDY: retrospective study LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: III.

PMID- 28343662
TI  - Epithelial IGF1R is dispensable for IGF2 mediated enhanced intestinal adaptation
      in retinoblastoma-deficient mice.
AB  - PURPOSE: Previously, we demonstrated enhanced adaptation after small bowel
      resection (SBR) in intestinal-specific retinoblastoma (Rb)-deficient mice along
      with elevated levels of insulin-like growth factor 2 (IGF2) expression within the
      villi. The purpose of this study was to verify that the insulin-like growth
      factor 1 receptor (IGF1R) plays a role in this phenomenon. METHODS: Inducible and
      intestinal specific Rb and IGF1R double knockout mice (iRb/IGF1R-IKO) (n=4) and
      Rb single knockout mice (iRb-IKO) (n=5) underwent 50% mid SBR. On post-operative
      day 28, mice were harvested, and structural adaptation was measured as changes in
      crypt depth and villus height. Rates of enterocyte proliferation were recorded.
      IGF2 expression within the remnant villi was measured via RT-PCR. RESULTS: Both
      iRb-IKO and iRb/IGF1R-IKO mice demonstrated enhanced adaptation with at least a
      45% increase in both crypt depth and villus height in the proximal and distal
      remnant bowel. Both groups showed elevation of IGF2 expression in the remnant
      villi, but there were no differences between the two groups. CONCLUSION:
      Epithelial IGF1R is dispensable for IGF2-mediated enhanced intestinal adaptation
      in retinoblastoma-deficient mice. Our findings suggest that IGF2 signals for
      enhanced adaptation in cells outside of the epithelium. Further investigation is
      needed to study the IGF2/IGF1R signaling interaction within the mesenchyme. LEVEL
      OF EVIDENCE: Animal study - not clinical.

PMID- 28343663
TI  - Development of a novel technique for bilateral rectus sheath nerve blocks under
      laparoscopic-guidance.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Bilateral rectus sheath blocks have proven to be superior to local
      anesthetic infiltration for umbilical incisions and have been gaining popularity
      for the treatment of perioperative pain in children. We aim to develop a
      technique of surgeon performed rectus sheath blocks under laparoscopic-guidance
      alone. METHODS: In phase I, we observed the laparoscopic appearance of a rectus
      sheath block. The pain management team performed an ultrasound-guided rectus
      sheath nerve block as we visualized the posterior rectus sheath with the
      laparoscope. In phase II, after completion of the laparoscopic procedure, we
      performed a rectus sheath nerve block. Ultrasound was used to identify where the
      local anesthetic had been injected. RESULTS: Nineteen patients were included in
      this study, accounting for 38 rectus sheath blocks. In phase I, we observed with
      the laparoscope the delivery of ten ultrasound-guided rectus sheath blocks. In
      phase II, 28 laparoscopic-guided rectus sheath blocks were completed with
      immediate ultrasound confirmation of correct placement. CONCLUSIONS: We have
      demonstrated that the rectus sheath nerve block can be performed reliably under
      laparoscopic-guidance alone. The efficacy of the laparoscopic-guided nerve block
      compared to the ultrasound-guided approach will need further study in a
      prospective, randomized trial. TYPE OF STUDY: Retrospective review. LEVEL OF
      EVIDENCE: 3.

PMID- 28343664
TI  - Insurance status, mortality, and hospital use among pediatric trauma patients
      over three decades.
AB  - BACKGROUND: We investigated the association between lack of insurance and
      mortality, resource use, and medical comorbidities among pediatric trauma
      patients. METHODS: Our trauma database was queried for patients <18 years old
      from 1989 through 2013. Data collected included demographics, injury severity
      score (ISS), and insurance status. Dependent variables included major medical
      comorbidities, hospital and ICU lengths of stay (LOS), and mortality. Logistic
      regression and tests of equivalence were used to analyze the data. RESULTS: A
      total of 3120 patients were included. The mortality among patients with insurance
      was 3.6% compared to 8.4% among those without insurance (p=0.0001, OR =2.42, 95%
      CI=1.53-3.82). This relationship remained statistically significant with
      adjustment via multivariable logistic regression (p=0.0001, OR =2.83, 95% CI:
      1.64-4.74). Hospital and ICU LOS were significantly greater among insured
      patients in severely and moderately injured samples, respectively. There was no
      correlation between insurance and medical comorbidities. The uninsured mortality
      rate was 12.9% from 1989 to 1997 compared to 3.9% in 2006-2013. CONCLUSION: Lack
      of insurance was associated with mortality but not preexisting comorbidity. This
      relationship persisted over time despite an overall decline in mortality.
      Additionally, lack of insurance was associated with decreased hospital stay and
      ICU utilization. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Treatment Study, Level III.

PMID- 28343665
TI  - Defining the association between operative time and outcomes in children's
      surgery.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: Prolonged operative time (OT) is considered a reflection of
      procedural complexity and may be associated with poor outcomes. Our purpose was
      to explore the association between prolonged OT and complications in children's
      surgery. METHODS: 182,857 cases from the 2012-2014 NSQIP-Pediatric were organized
      into 33 groups. OT for each group was analyzed by quartile, and regression models
      were used to determine the relationship between prolonged OT and complications.
      RESULTS: Variations in OT existed for both short and long procedures. Cases in
      the longest quartile had twice the odds of postoperative complications after
      adjusting for age, sex and BMI (OR 1.85; 95% CI 1.78-1.91). Procedure-specific
      prolonged OT was associated with postoperative complications for the majority
      (85%) of procedural groupings. Prolonged OT was associated with minor
      complications in gynecologic (OR 4.17; 95% CI 2.19-7.96), urologic (OR 2.88; 95%
      CI 2.40-3.44), and appendix procedures (OR 2.88; 95% CI 2.49-3.34). There were
      increased odds of major complications in foregut (OR 6.56; 95% CI 4.99-8.64),
      gynecologic (OR 3.07; 95% CI 1.84-5.13), and spine procedures (OR 2.99; 95% CI
      2.57-3.28). CONCLUSIONS: Prolonged OT is associated with increased odds of
      postoperative complications across a spectrum of children's surgical procedures.
      Factors contributing to prolonged OT merit further investigation and may serve as
      a target for future quality improvement. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Level III.

PMID- 28343666
TI  - Removable partial dentures: The clinical need for innovation.
AB  - STATEMENT OF PROBLEM: The number of partially dentate adults is increasing, and
      many patients will require replacement of missing teeth. Although current
      treatment options also include fixed partial dentures and implants, removable
      partial dentures (RPDs) can have advantages and are widely used in clinical
      practice. However, a significant need exists to advance materials and fabrication
      technologies because of the unwanted health consequences associated with current
      RPDs. PURPOSE: The purpose of this review was to assess the current state of and
      future need for prosthetics such as RPDs for patients with partial edentulism,
      highlight areas of weakness, and outline possible solutions to issues that affect
      patient satisfaction and the use of RPDs. MATERIAL AND METHODS: The data on
      treatment for partial edentulism were reviewed and summarized with a focus on
      currently available and future RPD designs, materials, means of production, and
      impact on oral health. Data on patient satisfaction and compliance with RPD
      treatment were also reviewed to assess patient-centered care. RESULTS: Design,
      materials, ease of repair, patient education, and follow-up for RPD treatment all
      had a significant impact on treatment success. Almost 40% of patients no longer
      use their RPD within 5 years because of factors such as sociodemographics, pain,
      and esthetics. Research on RPD-based treatment for partial edentulism for both
      disease-oriented and patient-centered outcomes is lacking. CONCLUSIONS: Future
      trials should evaluate new RPD materials and design technologies and include both
      long-term follow-up and health-related and patient-reported outcomes. Advances in
      materials and digital design/production along with patient education promise to
      further the application of RPDs and improve the quality of life for patients
      requiring RPDs.

PMID- 28343667
TI  - Comparison of maxillary anterior tooth width and facial dimensions of 3
      ethnicities.
AB  - STATEMENT OF PROBLEM: As the cosmetic demands of patients increase, determining
      the appropriate dimensions of the maxillary anterior teeth has become
      increasingly relevant. The relationship between facial measurements and tooth
      size provide guidance for maxillary anterior tooth size selection. However, most
      publications on this topic have focused on the white population, and more data
      for tooth sizes and their proportions in other ethnicities are needed. PURPOSE:
      The purpose of this observational study was to investigate the relationship
      between the mesiodistal dimensions of the 6 maxillary anterior teeth and the
      bizygomatic width, interpupillary distance, intercanthal distance, interalar
      width, and intercommissural width of individuals of Asian, African-American, and
      white ethnicities. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Standardized digital images of 360
      participants (120 Asian, 120 African-American, and 120 white) were used to
      measure facial segments. Individual dimensions of the 6 maxillary anterior teeth
      were measured using stone casts with digital sliding caliper. The combined width
      of the 6 maxillary anterior teeth on a straight line corresponded to the sum of
      the anterior tooth width. The means and standard deviations from descriptive
      measurements were calculated and analyzed for face and maxillary anterior tooth
      ratios and correlations. Statistical analysis was done using the Kruskal-Wallis
      procedure to compare facial and tooth parameters among the 3 ethnicities.
      Appropriate post hoc comparisons that adjusted for multiple testing were
      conducted when warranted (alpha=.05). The Spearman rho correlation, a
      nonparametric correlate of the Pearson correlation, was used to associate the
      facial and tooth parameters within the strata of sex and ethnicity. RESULTS: No
      consistent ratios were found among the examined facial dimensions and the
      mesiodistal dimensions of the 6 maxillary anterior teeth among the 3 ethnicities,
      except for the central incisor width-to-bizygomatic width ratio. No correlations
      were found between the facial dimensions and mesiodistal dimensions of the 6
      maxillary anterior teeth among the 3 ethnicities except in Asian women. For Asian
      women, the intercommissural width correlated with the width of the central
      incisor (P=.001), the width of 2 central incisors (P=.001), the width of 4
      incisors (P=.003), and the width of 6 maxillary anterior teeth (P=.005).
      CONCLUSIONS: No facial proportions by which the exact width of maxillary anterior
      teeth could be predicted were found in Asian, African-American, or white
      populations.

PMID- 28343668
TI  - Clinician-generated torque on abutment screws using different hand screwdrivers.
AB  - STATEMENT OF PROBLEM: Many clinicians use hand screwdrivers to tighten prosthetic
      and abutment screws. The impact of the screwdriver type, the location of the
      implant, and the sex of the practitioner on the generated torque is not well
      understood. PURPOSE: The purpose of this in vitro study was to compare the torque
      generated by different hand screwdrivers when used in the anterior and posterior
      regions and to evaluate the correlation between the applied torque and the sex
      and body mass index (BMI) of the practitioner. MATERIAL AND METHODS: A mandibular
      typodont with anterior and posterior implants was mounted in a mannequin head.
      Fifty clinicians (6 prosthodontists, 8 graduate prosthodontic students, and 36
      dental students) used their maximum force to tighten the abutment screws in the
      anterior and posterior regions, using 3 different hand screwdrivers, with handles
      of different shapes and sizes (small, medium, and large). The torque values
      generated were measured using torque meters connected to the implants. The
      generated torque, sex, age, height, and weight were also recorded for each
      clinician. A generalized linear model was used to find correlations between the
      different factors and the generated torque (alpha=.05). RESULTS: Significant
      differences were observed among the applied torque values when different
      screwdrivers were used (P<.001). Higher torque values were generated in the
      anterior region than in the posterior region (P<.001). The interaction of the sex
      and BMI of the participants significantly affected the generated torque values
      (P=.044). CONCLUSIONS: The type of screwdriver and location of the implant
      affected the generated torque. Torque values generated by the large screwdriver
      were higher than those of small and medium screwdrivers. Higher torque was
      applied in the anterior region.

PMID- 28343669
TI  - Anterior indexing technique for orbital prostheses.
AB  - This article describes a straightforward technique for indexing the ocular part
      of an orbital prosthesis from the anterior aspect. The iris of the ocular portion
      remains unaffected while using this technique. There is no damage to the moulage
      as indexing is done from the anterior aspect. This technique provides stability,
      prevents rotation of the ocular portion, and allows the moulage to be used
      multiple times. It is cost effective and requires minimal manipulation during
      processing.

PMID- 28343670
TI  - Comparison of porcelain bond strength of different metal frameworks prepared by
      using conventional and recently introduced fabrication methods.
AB  - STATEMENT OF PROBLEM: Most studies evaluating dental laser sintering systems have
      focused on the marginal accuracy of the restorations. However, the bond strength
      at the metal-ceramic interface is another important factor that affects the
      survival of restorations, and currently, few studies focus on this aspect.
      PURPOSE: The purpose of this in vitro study was to compare the porcelain bond
      strength of cobalt-chromium (Co-Cr) metal frameworks prepared by using the
      conventional lost-wax technique, milling, direct metal laser sintering (DMLS),
      and laser cusing, a direct process powder-bed system. MATERIAL AND METHODS: A
      total of 96 metal frameworks (n=24 in each group) were prepared by using
      conventional lost-wax (group C), milling (group M), DMLS (group LS), and direct
      process powder-bed (group LC) methods according to International Organization for
      Standardization standard ISO 9693-1. After porcelain application, a 3-point bend
      test was applied to each specimen by using a universal testing machine. Data were
      statistically analyzed using 1-way ANOVA and Tukey honest significant difference
      tests (alpha=.05). Failure types at the metal-ceramic interfaces were examined
      using stereomicroscopy. Additionally, 1 specimen from each group was prepared for
      scanning electron microscopy analysis to evaluate the surface topography of metal
      frameworks. RESULTS: The mean bond strength was 38.08 +/-3.82 MPa for group C,
      39.29 +/-3.51 MPa for group M, 40.73 +/-3.58 MPa for group LS, and 41.24 +/-3.75
      MPa for group LC. Statistically significant differences were observed among the 4
      groups (P=.016). All groups, except for LS, exhibited adhesive and mixed type
      bond failure. CONCLUSIONS: Both of the laser sintering methods were found to be
      successful in terms of metal-ceramic bond strength.

PMID- 28343671
TI  - Cytotoxicity and proinflammatory cytokine expression induced by interim resin
      materials in primary cultured human dental pulp cells.
AB  - STATEMENT OF PROBLEM: Acrylic resin materials for interim restoration may
      adversely affect pulp tissue during the polymerization phase. PURPOSE: The
      purpose of this in vitro study was to determine the cytotoxic and proinflammatory
      cytokine production effects induced by interim resin materials in primary
      cultured human dental pulp cells (hDPCs). MATERIAL AND METHODS: Five interim
      resin materials were evaluated: 3 types of chemically activated products, 1 light
      activated product, and 1 computer-aided design and computer-aided manufacturing
      (CAD-CAM) product. After obtaining eluates from interim resin materials that
      either were in the process of polymerizing or were already polymerized, these
      extracts were cocultured with hDPCs under serially diluted conditions (50%, 25%,
      12.5%, 6.25%, and 3.125%) for 24 hours with positive (1% phenol) and negative
      (distilled water) controls. A cell viability assay with tetrazolium was used to
      evaluate toxic effects on the cells, and images of both live and dead cells were
      captured using confocal microscopy. Proinflammatory cytokine levels were measured
      using cytokine antibody arrays. All experiments were independently repeated 3
      times, and data were analyzed using 1-way ANOVA and post hoc Tukey honest
      significant differences test (alpha=.05). RESULTS: Cell viabilities less than 70%
      were observed from the eluates of the 3 chemically activated products under the
      50% conditions. Among the chemically activated products, the adverse effects were
      significantly greater with eluates derived from the polymerizing phase compared
      than those that had already polymerized, as shown by confocal microscopy images
      of live and dead cells. However, the light-activated and CAD-CAM-fabricated
      products did not adversely affect the hDPCs. Significantly increased levels of
      proinflammatory cytokines were not detected in 12.5% of extract from polymerizing
      compared with distilled water control. CONCLUSIONS: The 50% eluates derived from
      chemically activated interim resin during the polymerizing phase were cytotoxic
      to hDPCs and may adversely affect pulp tissue. Recommendations such as excess
      washing are necessary during fabrication.

PMID- 28343672
TI  - Effect of titanium and zirconia dental implant abutments on a cultivable
      polymicrobial saliva community.
AB  - STATEMENT OF PROBLEM: Peri-implantitis is considered the most important
      biological complication responsible for late implant failure. The physical
      chemical properties intrinsic to each material can affect the first step to
      biofilm development and is an important precursor to the adaptive behavior of
      pathogenic bacteria species. PURPOSE: The purpose of this in vitro study was to
      evaluate the effect of 2 commercially available implant abutment materials on the
      adhesion phase and biofilm formation. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Disks (8 mm in
      diameter, 2 mm thick) of machined pure titanium (Ti) and yttrium-stabilized
      zirconia (ZrO2) materials were used to mimic implant abutments. The physical
      chemical surface properties were investigated using different approaches. Initial
      adherent bacteria and biofilm formation were evaluated after 16 and 48 hours by
      incubating the disks in a rich medium containing representative saliva-derived
      oral microbial community. Unpaired t test, 2 tailed, was used to compare the
      groups. RESULTS: Ti presented lower hydrophobicity and surface free energy values
      than the ZrO2, and 6.1-fold fewer bacteria adhered to the Ti. After 48 hours,
      detailed quantitative analysis showed that biofilm biomass and biofilm density
      were lower on the Ti disks than on ZrO2. The quantity of phylotypes on the Ti and
      ZrO2 surfaces was relatively similar during the attachment and early biofilm
      formation periods. CONCLUSIONS: Although no difference in the bacteria profile
      was observed between both materials independent of the time point, the highest
      level of colonization was on ZrO2.

PMID- 28343673
TI  - Digital technique for in vivo assessment of internal and marginal fit of fixed
      dental prostheses.
AB  - Digital approaches to assess the misfit of fixed dental prostheses have been
      limited to in vitro evaluation. The present article describes a fully digital
      technique for the in vivo assessment of the fit of fixed dental prostheses by
      means of a chairside optical scanner and software for 3-dimensional (3D)
      analysis. The 3D digital capture is performed in 3 steps: an extraoral scan of
      the restoration, an intraoral scan of the abutment tooth, and an intraoral
      registration scan of the restoration positioned on the abutment tooth.

PMID- 28343674
TI  - Two-stage implant placement technique for the management of irradiated jaws: An
      animal study.
AB  - STATEMENT OF PROBLEM: Radiotherapy results in diminished bone remodeling capacity
      and an elevated risk of osteoradionecrosis, which can negatively influence the
      survival rate of dental implants. Patients receiving radiotherapy are advised not
      to receive dental implants during or soon after completing their radiotherapy.
      PURPOSE: The purpose of this animal study was to investigate a 2-stage implant
      placement technique designed to diminish applied trauma on irradiated bone.
      MATERIAL AND METHODS: Two groups of white New Zealand rabbits received
      radiotherapy in ascending doses (2, 4, 8 Gy), while a nonirradiated group served
      as control. Three weeks after completion of the last radiotherapy session, one of
      the irradiated groups and the control group received titanium dental implants
      bilaterally in the femur head. For the second irradiated group, an osteotomy was
      performed, and the surgical wound was left to heal for 2 weeks before implant
      placement. All animals were sacrificed 4 weeks after implant placement, and
      histomorphometric analysis was used to study bone-implant contact (n=14,
      alpha=.05). RESULTS: Statistical analysis revealed significantly higher (F=159,
      P<.001) bone-implant contact in the 2-stage (40.2 +/-1.9) implant placement
      technique than in the immediately placed implants (21.2 +/-2.3) in irradiated
      bone. Both of the groups had a significantly lower bone-to-implant contact ratio
      than the non-irradiated control (64.2 +/-3.8). CONCLUSIONS: Within the
      limitations of this animal study, the 2-stage implant placement technique could
      be used to reduce trauma in irradiated bone and to improve wound healing around
      dental implants.

PMID- 28343675
TI  - Influence of surface finishing on fracture load and failure mode of glass ceramic
      crowns.
AB  - STATEMENT OF PROBLEM: Ceramic restorations often require adjustments using
      diamond rotary instruments, which damage the glazed surface. The effect of these
      adjustments on the fracture behavior of these restorations is unclear. PURPOSE:
      The purpose of this in vitro study was to evaluate the influence of induced
      surface defects on the fracture load and mode of failure of lithium disilicate
      based (LDS) glass ceramic restorations. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Premolar crowns
      were obtained from LDS computer-aided design and computer-aided manufacturing
      blocks (n=60) and glazed. The crowns were bonded to dentin analog dies and
      divided into 5 groups (n=12), as follows: glaze; abrasion (diamond rotary
      instrument 2135); abrasion and reglaze; abrasion and polishing (diamond rotary
      instrument 2135F, 2135 FF, and polishing devices); and polishing. The topography
      of the crowns was examined by scanning electron microscopy, and roughness was
      measured. A compressive load (0.5 mm/min) was applied by a piston to the center
      of the lingual cusp until fracture. The fracture load was recorded and data were
      statistically analyzed by ANOVA and the Tukey HSD test (alpha=.05). Fractured
      crowns were examined to determine the fracture origin. RESULTS: Polishing and/or
      reglazing resulted in lower roughness than for the abraded group (P<.05), which
      did not affect the fracture loads (P=.696). Catastrophic fracture with origin at
      the intaglio surface was the mode of failure for all the crowns. CONCLUSIONS: The
      experiment design successfully submitted the crowns to a clinical stress state,
      resulting in a clinically relevant failure. Reglazing or polishing were effective
      in reducing surface defects. Surface treatments had no effect on the immediate
      catastrophic failure of LDS crowns.

PMID- 28343676
TI  - Influence of different forms and materials (zirconia or titanium) of abutments in
      peri-implant soft-tissue healing using matrix metalloproteinase-8: A randomized
      pilot study.
AB  - STATEMENT OF PROBLEM: It is unclear how pathogenic bacteria adhere to different
      implant materials and whether biomarker matrix metalloproteinase-8 (MMP-8) level
      provides a reliable method of evaluating the connective tissue status of peri
      implant tissues. PURPOSE: The purpose of this pilot clinical study was to
      evaluate peri-implant connective tissue response by assessing the MMP-8 levels in
      peri-implant crevicular fluid around titanium and zirconia abutments. MATERIAL
      AND METHODS: The study was designed as a prospective, within-subject comparison
      with left-right randomization low. Twelve participants with partial edentulism
      were selected according to inclusion and exclusion criteria. Peri-implant sulcal
      fluid sampling and pocket probing depths were assessed at 1, 3, and 12 months
      after placing the abutments. The MMP-8 protein level of the peri-implant sulcal
      fluid was determined by MMP-8-specific sandwich enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay
      system. The independent t test or Wilcoxon test was used to compare MMP-8 levels
      and probing depth assessment between the zirconia and titanium groups at
      different time points (1, 3, and 12 months). Repeated measures ANOVA was used for
      within-group comparison of the MMP-8 levels at 3 time points (alpha=.05).
      RESULTS: At 1 and 3 months, the titanium abutments showed significantly higher
      MMP-8 levels and probing depths than the zirconia abutments (P<.05), but no
      significant differences were found at 12 months for either variable (P>.05).
      CONCLUSIONS: This study suggests the presence of more remodeling and/or
      inflammatory phenomena around titanium implant abutments than around zirconia
      abutments of a different design during the early stages but not at 1 year.

PMID- 28343677
TI  - Influence of adhesive cementation systems on the bond strength of relined fiber
      posts to root dentin.
AB  - STATEMENT OF PROBLEM: Glass fiber post cementation procedures have undergone
      significant development. Relining the post with composite resin is a technique
      that aims to reduce resin cement thickness and consequently problems inherent to
      polymerization. Evidence is sparse regarding the efficacy of bonding procedures
      at increasing depths (from cervical to apical) using different adhesive
      cementation techniques. PURPOSE: The purpose of this in vitro study was to
      evaluate the push-out bond strength (PBS) of composite resin relined glass fiber
      posts cemented to bovine root dentin using different adhesive cementation
      protocols. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Eighteen bovine teeth (n=6) were embedded in
      polystyrene resin blocks, and the crowns were sectioned leaving a root portion of
      20 mm in length. Root canals were prepared using rotary instruments provided by
      the post manufacturer (Whitepost DC #1), resulting in a uniform root canal
      preparation. The root canals were lubricated with a water-soluble glycerin gel.
      Silane (Prosil) was applied and the posts relined with a microhybrid composite
      resin (Filtek Z100) to conform to the root canal anatomy. Three adhesive
      cementation protocols were evaluated: a 3-step etch-and-rinse adhesive system
      (Adper Scotchbond Multi Purpose) in combination with a dual polymerizing resin
      cement (RelyX ARC); a universal adhesive system (Scotchbond Universal) associated
      with a dual polymerizing resin cement (RelyX Ultimate); and a self-adhesive dual
      polymerizing resin cement (RelyX Unicem 2). The roots were sectioned, resulting
      in four 2-mm segments at 4 different depths (cervical to apical) and evaluated by
      the PBS test, using a universal testing machine (Instron 4411) at 0.5 mm/min,
      until failure. Interfaces were evaluated by scanning electron microscopy, and
      failures were classified as cohesive failure in composite resin, cohesive failure
      in cement, cohesive failure in root dentin, adhesive failure, or mixed. Data were
      analyzed by 2-way split-plot ANOVA and the Tukey post hoc test (alpha=.05).
      RESULTS: No statistical differences were found for PBS when different cementation
      systems were compared (P=.253). Increased depths resulted in reduced PBS values
      for all cementation protocols evaluated (P<.001). CONCLUSIONS: Regardless the
      cementation system used, the lowest PBS values were at the apical region of resin
      relined glass fiber posts bonded to root dentin. Furthermore, the highest PBS is
      observed at the cervical portion of root dentin.

PMID- 28343678
TI  - Maxillofacial prosthetics training and practice profiles in the United States.
AB  - STATEMENT OF PROBLEM: The motivation of maxillofacial prosthodontists to go into
      fellowship training and specific procedures in maxillofacial prosthetics practice
      once they have completed training has not been previously evaluated. PURPOSE: The
      purpose of this study was to survey maxillofacial prosthodontists in the United
      States to investigate their reasons for pursuing maxillofacial prosthetic
      training and their practice profiles. MATERIAL AND METHODS: In June 2015, a
      survey was sent to all US maxillofacial prosthodontists asking for descriptive
      demographics, their reasoning as to what prompted entrance into a maxillofacial
      prosthetic program, and their practice pattern. Frequencies, percentages, means,
      and standard deviations were calculated and reported. RESULTS: The survey
      response rate was 60.4%. The main reason for pursuing maxillofacial training was
      primarily personal satisfaction, prosthodontic residency exposure, and mentorship
      rather than media exposure and compensation. The time spent in prosthodontic
      practice varied among practitioners, with the majority of practice time spent
      accomplishing standard prosthodontic procedures (65.59%) versus maxillofacial
      (25.53%) or surgical procedures (9.67%). Of 12 clinical maxillofacial procedures
      inquired about, the most prevalent were obturators, dental oncology, and
      mandibular resections. CONCLUSIONS: This study reveals that personal
      satisfaction, mentorship, and prosthodontic residency exposure were the reasons
      most prosthodontists pursued an additional year of maxillofacial prosthetic
      fellowship. Most were very satisfied with their training and chosen career path
      and would recommend an additional year of training. The majority of maxillofacial
      prosthodontists provided maxillofacial prosthetic treatment for approximately one
      fourth of their practice time. The most common procedures performed were
      obturators, dental oncology, and mandibular resections.

PMID- 28343679
TI  - Postoperative agitation on emergence of general anesthesia revealing former post
      traumatic stress disorder.

PMID- 28343680
TI  - The medical itineraries of Blaise Cendrars. Neuropsychiatry marks life and
      literature.
AB  - Neuropsychiatry had a profound impact on the life and work of one of the most
      influential French writers of the 20th century, Frederic Sauser, better known by
      his pen name Blaise Cendrars (1887-1961). Cendrars, whose right writing hand was
      amputated after a battlefield wound in 1915, described with acuity his stump pain
      and phantom limb syndrome. He became a left-handed writer. Between 1956 and his
      death in 1961, he also suffered two strokes that progressively paralyzed his left
      side and greatly diminished his ability to speak. Cendrars had started medical
      school in his youth and found that his ideas about the genesis of mental
      disorders conflicted with the generally accepted psychiatric conceptions of
      hysteria or psychoanalysis. His theories were greatly enriched by his
      observations of fellow World War I soldiers, victims of neuropsychiatric
      disorders. In his novels, many of his characters had borderline conditions,
      including two spectacularly mad serial killers, Moravagine and Febronio. The case
      of Moravagine, fashioned after a patient with a brain tumor, allowed Cendrars to
      examine the nebulous frontier between neurological and psychiatric diseases.

PMID- 28343681
TI  - Ultrasound evaluation of diaphragm function and its application in critical
      patients, mechanical ventilation and brachial plexus block.
AB  - Before diaphragm ultrasonography, assessment of diaphragm function was very
      difficult due to the complex nature of its exploration. The use of this new
      technique has shed light on diagnostic problems and treatment with an improvement
      in final outcomes for critically ill patients, in whom the incidence of diaphragm
      weakness or dysfunction has been underestimated. Better knowledge of diaphragm
      function enables us earlier diagnosis by quantification of diaphragm contractile
      activity or evaluation of functional status after delivery of plexus block
      anaesthesia, facilitating therapeutic decisions. It is also being used as a guide
      in the process of weaning from mechanical ventilation or as the safest approach
      for braquial plexus block. In this review we present how to perform a systematic
      exploration of diaphragm function and its clinical implications.

PMID- 28343683
TI  - Preliminary results of polymyxin B hemoperfusion in abdominal septic shock.

PMID- 28343682
TI  - Fluid therapy recommendations for major abdominal surgery. Via RICA
      recommendations revisited. Part III: Goal directed hemodynamic therapy. Rationale
      for maintaining vascular tone and contractility.

PMID- 28343684
TI  - Fluid therapy recommendations for major abdominal surgery. Via RICA
      recommendations revisited. Part II: Goal directed hemodynamic therapy. Rationale
      for optimising intravascular volume.

PMID- 28343685
TI  - Evaluation of sources of irreproducibility of retention indices under programmed
      temperature gas chromatography conditions.
AB  - Retention index under the programmed temperature gas chromatography (PTGC)
      conditions (IT) is widely accepted despite of its unsatisfactory reproducibility.
      Effects of heating rate (rT), stationary liquid film thickness (df), inlet
      pressure (pi), initial temperature (To) and polarity of stationary phase (sp) on
      IT reproducibility were studied in the present work. We found that excellent
      reproducibility and regularity of IT values are obtainable at conditions of
      relatively low To and relatively high rT and pi, as well as use of quality thick
      film column under an operation in a single-retention behavior region (i.e., cubic
      equation model region). Most solutes were eluted in the dual-retention behavior
      region under the commonly used conditions described in the literature (i.e.,
      relatively high To and relatively low rT for thin-film columns). The IT
      reproducibility under the optimum condition was approximately 37 times better
      than that under the commonly used conditions. The present work further validated
      the concept about dual- and single-retention behaviors of solutes in PTGC and
      proposed a principle to improve IT reproducibility.

PMID- 28343686
TI  - Analysis of essential oils and fragrances with a new generation of highly inert
      gas chromatographic columns coated with ionic liquids.
AB  - In the fields of essential oils and fragrances, samples often consist of mixtures
      of compounds with similar structural and physical characteristics (e.g. mono- and
      sesquiterpenoids), whose correct identification closely depends on the synergic
      combination of chromatographic and mass spectral data. This sample complexity
      means that new GC stationary phases with different selectivities are continually
      being investigated. Ionic liquids (ILs) are of great interest as GC stationary
      phases in this field because of their selectivity (significantly different than
      that of currently phases) and their high temperature stability. A first
      generation of IL GC columns was found to be competitive when applied to these
      field, in terms of selectivity and efficiency, compared to conventional columns
      (polydimethylsiloxane, (e.g. OV-1), methyl-polysiloxane 5%-phenyl (e.g. SE-52),
      7%-cyanopropyl, 7%-phenyl polysiloxane (e.g. OV-1701), and polyethylen glycol
      (e.g. PEG-20M). However, these columns showed significant activity towards polar
      or active analytes, which primarily affected their quantitative performance. A
      new generation of highly-inactive columns coated with three of the most widely
      used ionic liquid GC stationary phases has recently been introduced; these phases
      are SLB-IL60i (1,12-di(tripropylphosphonium) dodecane
      bis(trifluoromethylsulfonyl) imide [NTf2], SLB-IL76i (tri-(tripropylphosphonium
      hexanamido)-triethylamine [NTf2]), and SLB-IL111i (1,5-di (2,3
      dimethyllimidazolium) pentane [NTf2]). This study carefully tested the new inert
      IL columns, in view of their routine application in the fragrance and essential
      oil fields. They were found to have unusually high selectivity, comparable to
      that of first-generation IL columns, while their inertness and efficiency were
      competitive with those of currently-used conventional columns. The IL column
      performance of first and second generations was compared, through the quali
      quantitative analysis of components in a group of different complexity samples;
      these included the Grob test, a standard mixture of "suspected" skin allergens,
      and the essential oils of chamomile and sandalwood.

PMID- 28343687
TI  - Multiple, simultaneous, independent gradients for a versatile multidimensional
      liquid chromatography. Part II: Application 2: Computer controlled pH gradients
      in the presence of urea provide improved separation of proteins: Stability
      influenced anion and cation exchange chromatography.
AB  - This paper details the use of a method of creating controlled pH gradients
      (pISep) to improve the separation of protein isoforms on ion exchange (IEX)
      stationary phases in the presence of various isocratic levels of urea. The pISep
      technology enables the development of computer controlled pH gradients on both
      cationic (CEX) and anionic (AEX) IEX stationary phases over the very wide pH
      range from 2 to 12. In pISep, titration curves generated by proportional mixing
      of the acidic and basic pISep working buffers alone, or in the presence of non
      buffering solutes such as the neutral salt NaCl (0-1M), polar organics such as
      urea (0-8M) or acetonitrile (0-80 Vol%), can be fitted with high fidelity using
      high order polynomials which, in turn allows construction of a mathematical
      manifold %A (% acidic pISep buffer) vs. pH vs. [non-buffering solute], permitting
      precise computer control of pH and the non-buffering solute concentration
      allowing formation of dual uncoupled liquid chromatographic (LC) gradients of
      arbitrary shape (Hirsh and Tsonev, 2012 [1]). The separation of protein isoforms
      examined in this paper by use of such pH gradients in the presence of urea
      demonstrates the fractionation power of a true single step two dimensional liquid
      chromatography which we denote as Stability-Influenced Ion Exchange
      Chromatography (SIIEX). We present evidence that SIIEX is capable of increasing
      the resolution of protein isoforms difficult to separate by ordinary pH gradient
      IEX, and potentially simplifying the development of laboratory and production
      purification strategies involving on-column simultaneous pH and urea unfolding or
      refolding of targeted proteins. We model some of the physics implied by the
      dynamics of the observed protein fractionations as a function of both urea
      concentration and pH assuming that urea-induced native state unfolding competes
      with native state electrostatic interaction binding to an IEX stationary phase.
      Implications for in vivo protein-membrane interactions are discussed.

PMID- 28343688
TI  - Who's afraid of the big bad wolf?

PMID- 28343689
TI  - Localizing small nodules: Is it time for a randomized trial?

PMID- 28343690
TI  - A Toddler With Severe Anemia, Pica, and Extremity Swelling.

PMID- 28343691
TI  - Improving the Quality of Nasal Specimen Collection for Influenza A and B
      Screening.
AB  - CONTRIBUTION TO EMERGENCY NURSING PRACTICE: PROBLEM: Rapid diagnosis of seasonal
      influenza leads to optimized clinical care and reduces the spread of infection.
      The collection of adequate cellular material can be facilitated by the presence
      of moisture in the nares. The specific aim of this project was to determine if
      the installation of sterile saline into the nares prior to specimen collection
      would improve the quality of the specimen. METHODS: This quasi-experimental
      single group design tested an initial "dry swab" specimen against a second swab
      after instillation of sterile saline solution using a nasal atomizer, a "wet
      swab." RESULTS: A total of 80 paired specimens were collected and analyzed
      between December 7, 2015, and April 21, 2016, with an 11.25% infection rate in
      those tested. Of 9 positive tests, 6 subjects tested positive for influenza A or
      B for both the dry swab and the wet swab. Three subjects tested positive for
      influenza A or B for only the wet swab, and these subjects had experienced their
      symptoms longer than did subjects who tested positive for both methods (mean
      symptom onset of 72 hours vs 66 hours). We found an important inconsistency
      between manufacturers' recommendations and typical hospital practice.
      IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTICE: The results appear somewhat equivocal. Because viral
      shedding declines after the first 48 to 72 hours in adults, the wet swab method
      may be clinically superior for detecting influenza in adults presenting later in
      the course of their illness. Hospital policy was revised for consistency in using
      the gel medium before sampling in accordance with manufacturer recommendations.

PMID- 28343692
TI  - Quality survey of natural mineral water and spring water sold in France:
      Monitoring of hormones, pharmaceuticals, pesticides, perfluoroalkyl substances,
      phthalates, and alkylphenols at the ultra-trace level.
AB  - The aim of the present study, one of the most complete ever performed in France,
      was to carry out an extensive survey on the potential presence of a large amount
      of emerging contaminants in 40 French bottled waters, including parent compounds
      and metabolites. The studied samples represented 70% of the French bottled water
      market in volume. Six classes of compounds were investigated, most of them being
      unregulated in bottled waters: pesticides and their transformation products
      (118), pharmaceutical substances (172), hormones (11), alkylphenols (APs) (8),
      phthalates (11) and perfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) (10). One of the objectives
      of this work was to achieve low and reliable limits of quantification (LOQs) (87%
      of the LOQs were below 10ng/L) using advanced analytical technologies and
      reliable sample preparation methodologies, including stringent quality controls.
      Among the 14,000 analyses performed, 99.7% of the results were below the LOQs.
      None of the hormones, pharmaceutical substances and phthalates were quantified.
      Nineteen compounds out of the 330 investigated were quantified in 11 samples.
      Eleven were pesticides including 7 metabolites, 6 were PFAS and 2 were APs. As
      regards pesticides, their sum was at least twice lower than the quality standards
      applicable for bottled waters in France. The presence of a majority of pesticide
      metabolites suggested a former use in the recharge areas of the exploited
      aquifers. The quantification of a few unregulated emerging compounds at the nano
      trace level, such as PFAS, raised the issue of their potential sources, including
      long-range atmospheric transport and deposition. This study confirmed that the
      groundwater aquifers exploited for bottling were well-preserved from chemicals,
      as compared to less geologically protected groundwaters, and also underlined the
      need to pursue the protection policies implemented in recharge areas in order to
      limit the anthropogenic pressure.

PMID- 28343693
TI  - Utility of radiation therapy for early-stage uterine papillary serous carcinoma.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: Early-stage uterine papillary serous carcinoma (UPSC) has a poor
      prognosis and high recurrence rate. While adjuvant chemotherapy is generally
      recommended, the role of radiation is uncertain. We examined the association
      between vaginal brachytherapy and whole pelvic radiation and survival in women
      treated with and without adjuvant chemotherapy. METHODS: The National Cancer Data
      Base was used to identify women with stage I-II UPSC treated between 1998 and
      2012. Trends in use of chemotherapy, brachytherapy, and external beam radiation
      over time were examined. The association between these treatments and mortality
      were examined using multivariable Cox proportional hazards models. RESULTS: A
      total of 7325 patients were identified. Overall, 2779 (37.9%) received
      chemotherapy. The use of vaginal brachytherapy increased from 7.2% in 1998 to
      29.1% in 2012 (P<0.0001), while use of external beam radiation decreased from
      18.2% to 11.7% over the same period (P<0.0001). Use of chemotherapy was
      associated with a 22% reduction in mortality (HR=0.78; 95% CI, 0.69-0.88). While
      brachytherapy was associated with decreased mortality (HR=0.67; 95% CI, 0.57
      0.78), use of external beam radiation was not associated with survival (HR=1.03;
      95% CI, 0.92-1.17). Stratified by stage, use of chemotherapy was associated with
      decreased mortality for women with stage IB and II tumors, but not for stage IA
      neoplasms. Vaginal brachytherapy was associated with reduced mortality for stage
      IA and II neoplasms. CONCLUSION: For women with early-stage UPSC, chemotherapy is
      associated with improved survival. Vaginal brachytherapy was also associated with
      improved survival, however, there was little benefit to use of external beam
      radiation.

PMID- 28343694
TI  - Open versus endovascular abdominal aortic aneurysm repair in Medicare
      beneficiaries.
AB  - Abdominal aortic aneurysms are relatively common and often life-threatening, with
      especially high mortality after aneurysm rupture. The introduction of
      endovascular aneurysm repair, a minimally invasive alternative to traditional
      open repair, led to decreased mortality and morbidity in randomized controlled
      trials, but these trials were conducted in highly selected patients and providers
      and were underpowered to detect differences in rare adverse events throughout
      follow-up. With observational studies of Medicare beneficiaries, we demonstrate
      that the randomized trial results are generalizable to the majority of patients
      undergoing abdominal aortic aneurysm repair in the United States. Additionally,
      with a larger cohort, comparative analyses evaluating rare, previously unstudied
      late outcomes such as laparotomy-related complications, late reinterventions,
      mortality with reinterventions, and late rupture could be conducted. Furthermore,
      trends in management over time and relationships between surgeon and hospital
      volume and outcomes can be studied. The goal of this review was to summarize the
      existing literature regarding abdominal aortic aneurysms among Medicare
      beneficiaries and to evaluate the benefits and limitations of administrative
      claims data in comparative effectiveness research.

PMID- 28343695
TI  - Treatment with milk fat globule epidermal growth factor-factor 8 (MFG-E8) reduces
      inflammation and lung injury in neonatal sepsis.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Sepsis remains one of the leading causes of infant death worldwide.
      It is characterized by uncontrolled inflammatory responses due to proven
      bacterial infection. Despite improvement in supportive care and the availability
      of effective antibiotics, no specific therapy targeting the dysregulated
      inflammatory response is available for neonatal sepsis. Milk fat globule
      epidermal growth factor-factor 8 (MFG-E8) is a secretory glycoprotein abundantly
      present in human milk. MFG-E8 suppresses the systemic inflammatory responses in
      adult murine injury models by improving the clearance of dying cells. We
      hypothesized that exogenous administration of recombinant mouse MFG-E8 could
      inhibit the exaggerated inflammatory response and lung injury in a murine model
      of neonatal sepsis. METHODS: Neonatal sepsis was induced in 5- to 7-day-old male
      and female C57BL6 mice using an intraperitoneal injection of cecal slurry. At 1
      hour after sepsis induction, a single dose of 40 MUg/kg recombinant mouse MFG-E8
      or vehicle was administered via retro-orbital injection. All neonates were
      returned to their mothers as a group. At 10 hours after cecal slurry injection,
      pups were killed and blood and lung tissues were collected. Control mice
      underwent a similar procedure with the exception of cecal slurry intraperitoneal
      injection. RESULTS: Serum lactate dehydrogenase, IL-1beta, and IL-6 were
      significantly increased 10 hours after cecal slurry injection. Treatment with
      recombinant mouse MFG-E8 decreased these levels by 30%, 56%, and 37%,
      respectively. Lung morphology was significantly compromised in the vehicle group
      after cecal slurry injection, whereas the recombinant mouse MFG-E8-treated groups
      demonstrated a 48% improvement in the lung injury score. Lung IL-6 and MIP-2
      protein levels were significantly reduced with recombinant mouse MFG-E8
      treatment. Lung neutrophil infiltration as observed by Gr-1 staining and, TUNEL
      positive cells were also significantly reduced with recombinant mouse MFG-E8
      treatment. CONCLUSION: Treatment with recombinant mouse MFG-E8 attenuated
      inflammation and lung injury in murine neonatal sepsis. Thus, MFG-E8 could be
      developed as a possible therapy for neonatal sepsis.

PMID- 28343696
TI  - Hypothermic perfusion with retrograde outflow during right hepatectomy is safe
      and feasible.
AB  - BACKGROUND: In situ hypothermic perfusion during liver resection performed under
      vascular inflow occlusion decreases hepatic ischemia-reperfusion injury, but
      technical limitations have restricted its widespread use. In situ hypothermic
      perfusion with retrograde outflow circumvents these impediments and thus could
      extend the applicability of in situ hypothermic perfusion. The safety and
      feasibility of in situ hypothermic perfusion with retrograde outflow were
      analyzed in selected patients undergoing right (extended) hepatectomy and
      compared to intermittent vascular inflow occlusion, the gold standard method, in
      this randomized pilot study. METHODS: Patients were first screened for
      parenchymal liver disease (exclusion criteria: steatosis >=30%, cirrhosis, or
      cholestasis). Study participants were randomized intraoperatively to undergo in
      situ hypothermic perfusion with retrograde outflow (n = 9) or intermittent
      vascular inflow occlusion (n = 9). The target liver core temperature during in
      situ hypothermic perfusion with retrograde outflow was 28 degrees C. The primary
      end point was ischemia-reperfusion injury (expressed by peak postoperative
      transaminase levels). Secondary outcomes included functional liver regeneration
      (assessed by hepatobiliary scintigraphy) and clinical outcomes. RESULTS: Peak
      transaminase levels, total bilirubin, and the international normalized ratio were
      similar between both groups, although a trend toward more rapid normalization of
      bilirubin levels was noted for the in situ hypothermic perfusion with retrograde
      outflow group. Functional liver regeneration as evaluated by hepatobiliary
      scintigraphy was improved on postoperative day 3 fafter in situ hypothermic
      perfusion with retrograde outflow but not after intermittent vascular inflow
      occlusion. Furthermore, in situ hypothermic perfusion with retrograde outflow
      (requiring continuous ischemia) was comparable to intermittent vascular inflow
      occlusion for all clinical outcomes, including postoperative complications and
      hospital stay. CONCLUSION: The use of in situ hypothermic perfusion with
      retrograde outflow appears to be safe and feasible in selected patients with
      healthy liver parenchyma and may benefit early functional liver regeneration.
      Future applications of in situ hypothermic perfusion with retrograde outflow
      include patients with damaged liver parenchyma who would require major hepatic
      resection with a prolonged vascular inflow occlusion duration.

PMID- 28343698
TI  - My most valuable learning experience: Starting a business.
AB  - Alexander is a preliminary medicine resident at State University of New York
      Upstate Medical University and a recent graduate of Harvard Medical School. While
      in medical school, he cofounded Wizdy Games, a company developing mobile games
      that teach children to manage various health conditions, and PreMed Insiders, an
      advisory service for those considering or applying to medical school.

PMID- 28343697
TI  - Modeling Avoidance in Mood and Anxiety Disorders Using Reinforcement Learning.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Serious and debilitating symptoms of anxiety are the most common
      mental health problem worldwide, accounting for around 5% of all adult years
      lived with disability in the developed world. Avoidance behavior-avoiding social
      situations for fear of embarrassment, for instance-is a core feature of such
      anxiety. However, as for many other psychiatric symptoms the biological
      mechanisms underlying avoidance remain unclear. METHODS: Reinforcement learning
      models provide formal and testable characterizations of the mechanisms of
      decision making; here, we examine avoidance in these terms. A total of 101
      healthy participants and individuals with mood and anxiety disorders completed an
      approach-avoidance go/no-go task under stress induced by threat of unpredictable
      shock. RESULTS: We show an increased reliance in the mood and anxiety group on a
      parameter of our reinforcement learning model that characterizes a prepotent
      (pavlovian) bias to withhold responding in the face of negative outcomes. This
      was particularly the case when the mood and anxiety group was under stress.
      CONCLUSIONS: This formal description of avoidance within the reinforcement
      learning framework provides a new means of linking clinical symptoms with
      biophysically plausible models of neural circuitry and, as such, takes us closer
      to a mechanistic understanding of mood and anxiety disorders.

PMID- 28343699
TI  - Operative innovation and device development: A trainee's perspective.
AB  - Farokh R. Demehri, MD, is a chief resident in general surgery and Pediatric
      Innovation Fellow at the University of Michigan. As a trainee, he has worked on
      device development in pediatric enteral access with James D. Geiger, MD, and
      device solutions for short bowel syndrome under the mentorship of Daniel H.
      Teitelbaum, MD.

PMID- 28343700
TI  - Fostering a culture of innovation in academic surgery.
AB  - Dr McCarthy is a fellow in cardiothoracic surgery at the University of
      Washington. During his general surgery training at Northwestern University, he
      completed a research fellowship in surgical innovation and obtained masters'
      degrees with a focus on health enterprise management, entrepreneurship, and
      innovation.

PMID- 28343702
TI  - Yellow fever outbreaks and Twitter: Rumors and misinformation.

PMID- 28343703
TI  - Knowledge, attitudes, and practices regarding environmental cleaning among
      environmental service workers in Chinese hospitals.
AB  - We conducted a study using a face-to-face survey to assess knowledge, attitudes,
      and practices of environmental service workers (ESWs) concerning routine cleaning
      and disinfection at 3 tertiary hospitals in China. There were 115 (89.1%)
      respondents who agreed that environmental cleaning can contribute to keep
      patients safe, whereas 63 (48.8%) reported they were very willing to make
      cleaning practices better. Only 15 (11.6%) ESWs agreed they were in risk of
      nosocomial infections during daily cleaning. Our findings suggest that the level
      of ESWs' knowledge regarding cleaning practices was passable, but the awareness
      of occupational safety and health was weak. There is a need to introduce
      sustained education and training aimed at ESWs.

PMID- 28343704
TI  - Correlation between the function of regenerating liver parenchyma and the small
      for size syndrome.

PMID- 28343701
TI  - Toll-like receptor 8 agonist nanoparticles mimic immunomodulating effects of the
      live BCG vaccine and enhance neonatal innate and adaptive immune responses.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Newborns display distinct immune responses, leaving them vulnerable
      to infections and impairing immunization. Targeting newborn dendritic cells
      (DCs), which integrate vaccine signals into adaptive immune responses, might
      enable development of age-specific vaccine formulations to overcome suboptimal
      immunization. OBJECTIVE: Small-molecule imidazoquinoline Toll-like receptor (TLR)
      8 agonists robustly activate newborn DCs but can result in reactogenicity when
      delivered in soluble form. We used rational engineering and age- and species
      specific modeling to construct and characterize polymer nanocarriers
      encapsulating a TLR8 agonist, allowing direct intracellular release after
      selective uptake by DCs. METHODS: Chemically similar but morphologically distinct
      nanocarriers comprised of amphiphilic block copolymers were engineered for
      targeted uptake by murine DCs in vivo, and a range of TLR8 agonist-encapsulating
      polymersome formulations were then synthesized. Novel 96-well in vitro assays
      using neonatal human monocyte-derived DCs and humanized TLR8 mouse bone marrow
      derived DCs enabled benchmarking of the TLR8 agonist-encapsulating polymersome
      formulations against conventional adjuvants and licensed vaccines, including live
      attenuated BCG vaccine. Immunogenicity of the TLR8 agonist adjuvanted antigen 85B
      (Ag85B)/peptide 25-loaded BCG-mimicking nanoparticle formulation was evaluated in
      vivo by using humanized TLR8 neonatal mice. RESULTS: Although alum-adjuvanted
      vaccines induced modest costimulatory molecule expression, limited TH-polarizing
      cytokine production, and significant cell death, BCG induced a robust adult-like
      maturation profile of neonatal DCs. Remarkably, TLR8 agonist polymersomes induced
      not only newborn DC maturation profiles similar to those induced by BCG but also
      stronger IL-12p70 production. On subcutaneous injection to neonatal mice, the
      TLR8 agonist-adjuvanted Ag85B peptide 25 formulation was comparable with BCG in
      inducing Ag85B-specific CD4+ T-cell numbers. CONCLUSION: TLR8 agonist
      encapsulating polymersomes hold substantial potential for early-life immunization
      against intracellular pathogens. Overall, our study represents a novel approach
      for rational design of early-life vaccines.

PMID- 28343705
TI  - Relevance of the porcine model of hepatectomy for studying portal inflow
      modulation by splenectomy.

PMID- 28343706
TI  - The crucial role of portal flow after major liver resection: the "small-for-flow"
      syndrome may solve the mystery.

PMID- 28343708
TI  - A new case of Pitt-Hopkins-like syndrome 2?

PMID- 28343707
TI  - Fibrin scaffold enhances function of insulin producing cells differentiated from
      human umbilical cord matrix-derived stem cells.
AB  - Tissue engineering is a new strategy which proposed to treat numerous human
      diseases nowadays. Three dimensional (3D) scaffolds fill the gap between two
      dimensional cell culture (2D) and animal tissues through mimicking the
      environmental behaviors surrounding the cells. In this study, hUCMs into insulin
      producing cells in fibrin scaffold were differentiated compare to conventional
      culture condition. Differentiation rate was estimated by real time PCR,
      immunocytochemistry (ICC) and the chemiluminesence (CLIA) and enzyme immunoassay
      (EIA). Real time PCR's results showed an increasing expression in NKX2.2, PDX1
      and INS (producing the hormone insulin) genes in fibrin scaffold. Furthermore ICC
      analysis exhibited that insulin and pro-insulin proteins were more in fibrin
      scaffolds. CLIA and EIA on insulin and C peptide secretion indicated that both of
      groups were sensitive to the glucose challenge test but significant higher
      response was observed in fibrin scaffold (6.5 fold in 3D, 1.8 fold in 2D
      culture). It could be concluded that differentiation of hUCM cells into insulin
      producing cells in fibrin scaffold 3D culture system is much more efficient than
      2D conventional culture system.

PMID- 28343709
TI  - A distributed model predictive control based load frequency control scheme for
      multi-area interconnected power system using discrete-time Laguerre functions.
AB  - This paper proposes a distributed model predictive control based load frequency
      control (MPC-LFC) scheme to improve control performances in the frequency
      regulation of power system. In order to reduce the computational burden in the
      rolling optimization with a sufficiently large prediction horizon, the
      orthonormal Laguerre functions are utilized to approximate the predicted control
      trajectory. The closed-loop stability of the proposed MPC scheme is achieved by
      adding a terminal equality constraint to the online quadratic optimization and
      taking the cost function as the Lyapunov function. Furthermore, the treatments of
      some typical constraints in load frequency control have been studied based on the
      specific Laguerre-based formulations. Simulations have been conducted in two
      different interconnected power systems to validate the effectiveness of the
      proposed distributed MPC-LFC as well as its superiority over the comparative
      methods.

PMID- 28343710
TI  - A new computing approach for power signal modeling using fractional adaptive
      algorithms.
AB  - Estimating the harmonic parameters is fundamental requirement for signal
      modelling in a power supply system. In this study, exploration and exploitation
      in fractional adaptive signal processing (FrASP) is carried out for
      identification of parameters in power signals. We design FrASP algorithms based
      on recently introduced variants of generalized least mean square (LMS) adaptive
      strategies for parameter estimation of the model. The performance of the proposed
      fractional adaptive schemes is evaluated for number of scenarios based on step
      size and noise variations. Results of the simulated system for sufficient large
      number of independent runs validated the reliability and effectiveness of the
      given methods through different performance measures in terms of mean square
      error, variance account for, and Nash Sutcliffe efficiency.

PMID- 28343712
TI  - Nurses on health care governing boards: An integrative review.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Nurses are key change agents in health care; yet, nurses have not
      been sufficiently engaged on boards to shape decision making. Without an equal
      voice in the boardroom, nurses cannot fulfill their professional obligation to
      society. PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to understand the progression in
      research focus and recommendations over time about nurses on boards (NOB),
      identify research gaps, and make research/practice recommendations. METHODS: An
      integrative review was conducted using the Preferred Reporting Items for
      Systematic Reviews and Meta-analyses (PRISMA) guidelines (2009) for data
      evaluation and analysis. Eleven studies (six quantitative, three qualitative, and
      two quasi-mixed methods) were included in the review. FINDINGS: The
      focus/recommendations of research about NOB have changed from passive observation
      to action-oriented inquiry that considers nurse expertise and value but lacks a
      coordinated approach to advance board appointments for nurses. CONCLUSION: A
      systematic approach to the research is needed to advance NOB as key agents in
      health care transformation and social justice.

PMID- 28343711
TI  - Overview of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Nurse Faculty Scholars program.
AB  - BACKGROUND: The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Nurse Faculty Scholars program was
      created to address the nursing faculty shortage and thereby decrease the nursing
      shortage. PURPOSE: The purpose of the study was to describe the program
      development, implementation, and ongoing outcome evaluation. METHODS: Data on
      scholarly productivity, impact of research, research funding, and leadership
      positions were compiled, including an h-index (impact of publications) comparison
      with a comparison group of other interdisciplinary faculty at the same
      institutions of the 90 current and alumni scholars. DISCUSSION: There is evidence
      of the achievements of the individual scholars; however, the effect of the
      synergy of the multiple components of the program is difficult to capture in
      traditional evaluation strategies. CONCLUSIONS: The sense of possibility and
      responsibility (to the profession, to improving the health of all Americans, and
      to one's school of nursing and university) was a significant outcome of the
      program. Lessons learned from the program are important for the leadership
      development and retention of nursing faculty.

PMID- 28343713
TI  - Workplace violence against women nurses working in two public sector hospitals of
      Lahore, Pakistan.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Cultural and structural forces help sustain workplace violence (WPV)
      against feminized professions like nursing in Pakistan. PURPOSE: The purpose of
      this study was to identify the prevalence and patterns of workplace violence
      (WPV) against women nurses (more than 95% of entire nursing population) in two
      hospitals of Pakistan. METHODS: A standardized international survey developed by
      the World Health Organization was used to collect cross-sectional data.
      Descriptive statistics, chi-square tests, and multivariate regression were used
      for data analysis. A total of 309 nurse respondents were sampled from two public
      sector tertiary care hospitals of Lahore. RESULTS: Findings show that 73.1% of
      nurses reported experiencing some sort of violence in the last 12 months; with
      53.4% suffering from physical violence, 57.3% from verbal violence, and 26.9%
      from sexual violence. The main perpetrators were reported to be male coworkers,
      patients, and attendants. Higher risk for WPV includes single status, non-Punjabi
      provincial belonging, Islamic faith, staff and student nurse designations,
      temporary government contract, and working additional hours in the evening and
      night. The primary response to violence included not doing anything and remaining
      silent. It was also reported that nurse victims experienced moderate levels of
      emotional grievances after facing violence. CONCLUSION: The results of this study
      suggest that public sector hospitals in the region need to improve their policy
      for the protection and monitoring of WPV against female nurses. Reporting and
      counseling bodies need to be installed to encourage both complaints and the
      seeking of medical attention after victimization.

PMID- 28343714
TI  - Sensitivity of eastern oyster (Crassostrea virginica) spermatozoa and oocytes to
      dispersed oil: Cellular responses and impacts on fertilization and embryogenesis.
AB  - The 2010 Deepwater Horizon (DWH) oil spill released millions of barrels of oil
      and dispersant into the Gulf of Mexico. The timing of the spill coincided with
      the spawning season of Crassostrea virginica. Consequently, gametes released in
      the water were likely exposed to oil and dispersant. This study aimed to (i)
      evaluate the cellular effects of acute exposure of spermatozoa and oocytes to
      surface slick oil, dispersed mechanically (HEWAF) and chemically (CEWAF), using
      flow-cytometric (FCM) analyses, and (ii) determine whether the observed cellular
      effects relate to impairments of fertilization and embryogenesis of gametes
      exposed to the same concentrations of CEWAF and HEWAF. Following a 30-min
      exposure, the number of spermatozoa and their viability were reduced due to a
      physical action of oil droplets (HEWAF) and a toxic action of CEWAF respectively.
      Additionally, reactive oxygen species (ROS) production in exposed oocytes tended
      to increase with increasing oil concentrations suggesting that exposure to
      dispersed oil resulted in an oxidative stress. The decrease in fertilization
      success (1-h), larval survival (24-h) and increase in abnormalities (6-h and 24
      h) may be partly related to altered cellular characteristics. FCM assays are a
      good predictor of sublethal effects especially on fertilization success. These
      data suggest that oil/dispersant are cytotoxic to gametes, which may affect
      negatively the reproduction success and early development of oysters.

PMID- 28343715
TI  - Occurrence, profiles, and toxic equivalents of chlorinated and brominated
      polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in E-waste open burning soils.
AB  - We conducted this study to assess the occurrence, profiles, and toxicity of
      chlorinated polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (Cl-PAHs) and brominated polycyclic
      aromatic hydrocarbons (Br-PAHs) in e-waste open burning soils (EOBS). In this
      study, concentrations of 15 PAHs, 26 Cl-PAHs and 14 Br-PAHs were analyzed in EOBS
      samples. We found that e-waste open burning is an important emission source of Cl
      PAHs and Br-PAHs as well as PAHs. Concentrations of total Cl-PAHs and Br-PAHs in
      e-waste open burning soil samples ranged from 21 to 2800 ng/g and from 5.8 to 520
      ng/g, respectively. Compared with previous studies, the mean of total Cl-PAH
      concentrations of the EOBS samples in this study was higher than that of
      electronic shredder waste, that of bottom ash, and comparable to fly ash from
      waste incinerators in Korea and Japan. The mean of total Br-PAH concentrations of
      the EOBS samples was generally three to four orders of magnitude higher than
      those in incinerator bottom ash and comparable to incinerator fly ash, although
      the number of Br-PAH congeners measured differed among studies. We also found
      that the Cl-PAH and Br-PAH profiles were similar among all e-waste open burning
      soil samples but differed from those in waste incinerator fly ash. The profiles
      and principal component analysis results suggested a unique mechanism of Cl-PAH
      and Br-PAH formation in EOBS. In addition, the Cl-PAHs and Br-PAHs showed high
      toxicities equivalent to PCDD/Fs measured in same EOBS samples when calculated
      based on their relative potencies to benzo[a]pyrene. Along with chlorinated and
      brominated dioxins and PAHs, Cl-PAHs and Br-PAHs are important environmental
      pollutants to investigate in EOBS.

PMID- 28343716
TI  - Transformation of zinc-concentrate in surface and subsurface environments:
      Implications for assessing zinc mobility/toxicity and choosing an optimal
      remediation strategy.
AB  - Zinc contamination in near- and sub-surface environments is a serious threat to
      many ecosystems and to public health. Sufficient understanding of Zn speciation
      and transport mechanisms is therefore critical to evaluating its risk to the
      environment and to developing remediation strategies. The geochemical and
      mineralogical characteristics of contaminated soils in the vicinity of a Zn ore
      transportation route were thoroughly investigated using a variety of analytical
      techniques (sequential extraction, XRF, XRD, SEM, and XAFS). Imported Zn
      concentrate (ZnS) was deposited in a receiving facility and dispersed over time
      to the surrounding roadside areas and rice-paddy soils. Subsequent physical and
      chemical weathering resulted in dispersal into the subsurface. The species
      identified in the contaminated areas included Zn-sulfide, Zn-carbonate, other O
      coordinated Zn-minerals, and Zn species bound to Fe/Mn oxides or clays, as
      confirmed by XAFS spectroscopy and sequential extraction. The observed
      transformation from S-coordinated Zn to O-coordinated Zn associated with minerals
      suggests that this contaminant can change into more soluble and labile forms as a
      result of weathering. For the purpose of developing a soil washing remediation
      process, the contaminated samples were extracted with dilute acids. The
      extraction efficiency increased with the increase of O-coordinated Zn relative to
      S-coordinated Zn in the sediment. This study demonstrates that improved
      understanding of Zn speciation in contaminated soils is essential for well
      informed decision making regarding metal mobility and toxicity, as well as for
      choosing an appropriate remediation strategy using soil washing.

PMID- 28343717
TI  - [Associated tripe palms and clubbed fingers revealing pulmonary adenocarcinoma].

PMID- 28343718
TI  - [Comparative evaluation of dermoscopy and capillaroscopy in Raynaud's
      phenomenon].
AB  - OBJECTIVE: Raynaud's phenomenon (RP) is a common cause for consultation.
      Capillaroscopy is a well-established technique to detect capillary abnormalities
      suggestive of a connective tissue disease, but it is sometimes unavailable. The
      aim of this study was to compare dermoscopy and capillaroscopy in the assessment
      of RP. METHODS: This was a prospective single-centre observational study in adult
      patients consulting for RP at the Hopital Nord Franche-Comte between January 2014
      and June 2015. Dermoscopy was performed at dermatological consultations and
      capillaroscopy was prescribed. For each capillaroscopy and dermoscopy, the
      following parameters were examined: normal appearance, giant capillaries,
      avascular areas, dystrophic capillaries or tortuosity and haemorrhages. Kappa
      coefficients were calculated. RESULTS: Twenty-six patients participated in this
      study. The kappa coefficient was 0.76 for "normal" status, 0.78 for tortuosity,
      0.70 for giant capillaries, 0.48 for haemorrhage and 0.62 for avascular areas.
      The global kappa coefficient was 0.33. Detection of these abnormalities with
      capillaroscopy was significantly associated with abnormal dermoscopic status
      (P<0.05). The sensitivity of dermoscopy for the detection of "abnormal"
      capillaroscopic status was 0.87. CONCLUSION: The correlation coefficients were
      good. Despite poor global concordance, 80% of patients had the same status,
      normal or abnormal, for both capillaroscopy and dermoscopy, which resulted in the
      same clinical management. Dermoscopy is thus a valuable tool screening for
      periungual anomalies and provides support for clinical examination by the
      dermatologist, although the reference method continues to be capillaroscopy.

PMID- 28343719
TI  - Thromboprophylaxis after Knee Arthroscopy: Out of the Maze?
AB  - The use of thromboprophylaxis after knee arthroplasty is heterogeneous among
      orthopedic surgeons. Two recent studies showed that low molecular weight heparin
      is not effective for preventing venous thromboembolism, whereas thrombotic
      episodes may be significantly reduced using direct oral anticoagulants, thus
      opening an interesting perspective for periprocedural management of knee
      arthroscopy.

PMID- 28343721
TI  - Is Robotic Kidney Transplant the Near Future?

PMID- 28343720
TI  - Hydroxy-fipronil is a new urinary biomarker of exposure to fipronil.
AB  - Occupational medical surveillance is highly desirable in manufacturing facilities
      where exposure to chemicals is significant. The insecticide fipronil is generally
      considered safe for humans but with increasing use, exposure to fipronil is of
      concern. Identification of urinary metabolites of fipronil may allow development
      of affordable, cheap and rapid procedures for human exposure evaluation. In this
      study we developed a fast and easy approach for synthesis of hydroxy-fipronil, a
      potential urinary metabolite of fipronil. This standard was used to develop a
      sensitive analytical LC-MS/MS method with a limit of quantification (LOQ) of
      0.4ng/mL. Fipronil sulfone, a known metabolite, and hydroxy-fipronil were
      quantified in urine samples from rats treated with a fipronil containing diet.
      Fipronil sulfone concentration centered around 20ng/mL, while the concentration
      of hydroxy-fipronil was dose-dependent ranging in 10-10,000ng/mL and thus being a
      more sensitive marker of fipronil exposure. A fipronil immunoassay with cross
      reactivity to hydroxy-fipronil showed a good correlation in signal intensity with
      LC-MS data. It was also used to demonstrate the applicability of the method for
      sample screening in the evaluation of exposure levels.

PMID- 28343722
TI  - A newborn saved by embolisation and surgery of a giant teratoma of the orbit.

PMID- 28343723
TI  - [The search for electrophysiological predictors of visual comfort after
      presbyopia correction with contact lenses].
AB  - Starting at 40 years of age, prespyopia affects a quarter of the world
      population. Many techniques of presbyopia surgery have emerged in recent years.
      The purpose of this study was to compare monovision and multifocality and to
      identify clinical and electrophysiological predictive markers of visual comfort
      for each correction available in clinical practice. Ten presbyopic patients
      participated in this study. Patients received monovision and multifocal
      correction using contact lenses for three weeks each in a random order. A
      clinical evaluation (visual acuity, TNO test, binocular contrast sensitivity and
      quality of vision questionnaires) and an electrophysiological evaluation
      (monocular and binocular pattern VEP with multiple spatial frequencies: 60, 30
      and 15') were performed before and after each correction modality. The P100 was
      significantly wider and slightly earlier after binocular compared to monocular
      stimulation at T0. The TNO stereopsis score decreased significantly after
      correction. No other significant differences, either on clinical or
      electrophysiological criteria, were found between the two modes of correction.
      Several significant correlations were found between the stereoacuity difference
      depending upon correction and evoked potentials by binocular pattern at T0. The
      larger the stereoacuity difference (better stereoacuity with multifocal
      compensation), the longer the latency of the P100 using 60' checks (R=0.82;
      P=0.004) and the greater the amplitude of the N75 using 30' (R=0.652; P=0.04).
      Our study found no differences between the 2 types of correction, but it
      highlights a benefit of VEP used in current practice and measurement of the P100
      wave, the best indicator of stereopsis and the most consistent, to predict visual
      comfort after compensation presbyopia.

PMID- 28343724
TI  - Expulsive total iridodialysis through microincision phacoemulsification wound.

PMID- 28343725
TI  - Newly developed method for mouse olfactory behavior tests using an automatic
      video tracking system.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: The mouse is the most popular animal model in olfactory research.
      Behavior tests with odorants are essential for determining olfactory phenotype.
      To the best of our knowledge, the mouse olfactory behavior test has not been
      standardized, making the results vulnerable to inter-observer variation. We
      sought to develop a new mouse olfactory behavior test assessed by an automatic
      video tracking system with minimal inter-observer variation. METHODS: A video
      tracking system was used to automatically track mouse behavior in standard
      breeding cages with C57BL/6N mice. We tested two odorants (peanut butter for the
      preference test, 2MB acid for the avoidance test) and distilled water (for a
      control). Mouse behavior was recorded for 3min and analyzed. For the preference
      test, investigation time was measured. For the avoidance test, time spent in
      sectors away from the odorant zone was measured. To confirm our experimental
      settings, we also evaluated an anosmia mouse model prepared with intranasal
      administration of ZnSO4. RESULTS: All strains of mice showed reproducible
      behavior patterns of preference or avoidance for the odorants. The anosmia mouse
      model, as expected, failed to show an olfactory ability for preference or
      avoidance, and this was well-matched by histologic changes caused by the ZnSO4
      treatment. The automatic video tracking system successfully tracked and
      automatically calculated mouse behavior with good reproducibility. CONCLUSION:
      Our olfactory behavior test offers a simple and accurate method to evaluate
      olfactory function in mice. This test can be utilized as a possible standard
      method to search for features of olfactory phenotypes in mice.

PMID- 28343726
TI  - Rapid measurement of low-order aberrations using Fourier transforms of
      crystalline Ronchigrams.
AB  - The aberrations of the objective lens should be measured and adjusted to realize
      high spatial resolution in scanning transmission electron microscopy (STEM). Here
      we report a method of measuring low-order aberrations using the Fourier
      transforms of Ronchigrams of an arbitrary crystal such as a specimen of interest.
      We have applied this technique to measure first- and second-order geometrical
      aberrations using typical standard specimens. Focus and twofold astigmatism are
      measured using two Ronchigrams obtained under different foci. Axial coma and
      threefold astigmatism are evaluated using the Fourier transforms of small
      subareas of a Ronchigram. The time dependences of focus and twofold astigmatism
      are examined using this technique for an aberration-corrected microscope.

PMID- 28343727
TI  - Carbapenemase-producing Acinetobacter baumannii: An outbreak report with special
      highlights on economic burden.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: We aimed to describe the management of a carbapenemase-producing
      Acinetobacter baumannii (CP-AB) outbreak using the Outbreak Reports and
      Intervention Studies of Nosocomial Infection (ORION) statement. We also aimed to
      evaluate the cost of the outbreak and simulate costs if a dedicated unit to
      manage such outbreak had been set-up. METHODS: We performed a prospective
      epidemiological study. Multiple interventions were implemented including
      cohorting measures and limitation of admissions. Cost estimation was performed
      using administrative local data. RESULTS: Five patients were colonized with CP-AB
      and hospitalized in the neurosurgery ward. The index case was a patient who had
      been previously hospitalized in Portugal. Four secondary colonized patients were
      further observed within the unit. The strains of A. baumannii were shown to
      belong to the same clone and all of them produced an OXA-23 carbapenemase. The
      closure of the ward associated with the discharge of the five patients in a
      cohorting area of the Infectious Diseases Unit with dedicated staff put a stop to
      the outbreak. The estimated cost of this 17-week outbreak was $474,474. If
      patients had been managed in a dedicated unit - including specific area for
      cohorting of patients and dedicated staff - at the beginning of the outbreak, the
      estimated cost would have been $189,046. CONCLUSION: Controlling hospital
      outbreaks involving multidrug-resistant bacteria requires a rapid cohorting of
      patients. Using simulation, we highlighted cost gain when using a dedicated
      cohorting unit strategy for such an outbreak.

PMID- 28343728
TI  - Can Apparent Diffusion Coefficient Predict the Clinical Outcome in Drowned
      Children?
AB  - INTRODUCTION: Pediatric cerebral hypoxic-ischemic injury frequently results in
      severe neurological outcome. Imaging with diffusion-weighted magnetic resonance
      imaging (DWi) demonstrates that the acute cerebral injury and apparent diffusion
      coefficient (ADC) allow the assessment of the severity of brain damage. The main
      objective was to examine if spatial distribution of reductions in ADC values is
      associated with clinical outcome in drowned children. METHODS: This is a
      retrospective study of 7 children (7 examinations) suffering from a hypoxic
      ischemic event who underwent DWi. Seven subjects with normal DWi served as
      controls. The mean patient age was 4.88 +/- 2.93 years and the male-to-female
      ratio was 5:2. The neurological outcome was divided into 2 categories: 4 children
      with Apallic syndrome and 3 deaths. We analysed the differences between the
      drowned children and the control group regarding clinical data, DWi
      abnormalities, and ADC values. RESULTS: The ADC values in the occipital and
      parietal grey matter were significantly different between the drowned children
      (765.14 +/- 65.47 vs 920.95 +/- 69.62; P = .003) and the control group (670.82 +/
      233.99 vs 900.66 +/- 92.72; P = .005). The ADC showed low values in the
      precentral area also (P = .044). CONCLUSION: The ADC reduction may be useful to
      predict the poor outcome in drowned children and can be a valuable tool for
      clinical assessment.

PMID- 28343729
TI  - The ambiguities of performance-based governance reforms in Italy: Reviving the
      fortunes of evaluation and performance measurement.
AB  - Over the past two decades, Italy's administrative reforms have institutionalized
      evaluation to improve program effectiveness, staff productivity, and results
      driven accountability against waste and corruption. Across ministries, regional
      governments, universities, schools and environmental protection agencies,
      seemingly unexpected consequences have emerged out of the implementation of
      performance measurement and evaluation regimes within public organizations.
      Formal compliance to legally binding evaluation procedures, judicially-sanctioned
      managerial accountability and lack of cross-agency coordination coupled with long
      standing cultural separations among evaluators are some of the ambiguities
      associated with a performance-based governance system within Italian public
      administration. Building upon the 'new governane theory,' and qualitative
      fieldwork, I explore the political consequences of evaluation and performance
      measurement for possible improvements. From a normative perspective, greater
      integration between program evaluation and performance measurement can support
      organizational learning and democratic accountability both at the central and
      local level.

PMID- 28343730
TI  - Targeted therapy in small cell lung cancer: A new era?

PMID- 28343731
TI  - Endoplasmic Reticulum Aminopeptidase 2, a common immunological link to adverse
      pregnancy outcomes and cancer clearance?
AB  - Endoplasmic Reticulum Aminopeptidase 2 (ERAP2) trims HLA class I-binding
      peptides, determining the peptide repertoire presented for immune recognition.
      Variation in the ERAP2 amino acid sequence could affect the ability of some
      fetuses and tumors to achieve immune evasion. For example, homozygosity for an
      ERAP2 variant that has increased trimming efficiency for hydrophobic molecules
      has never been detected in mothers and fetuses. Thus, it is possible that this
      single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) in the ERAP2 gene has been selected against
      in order to prevent alteration of the immune privileged uterine environment, and
      to allow tumors to escape immune recognition. Currently, there are no
      immunological treatments or prophylactic approaches to ensure a healthy pregnancy
      outcome, and the success of cancer immunotherapies is variable. Understanding the
      role of ERAP2 in immune evasion mechanisms in pregnancy and cancer may improve
      fetal survival and tumor clearance. This review summarizes current knowledge
      about ERAP2 and its N392 variant, and their relationship to pregnancy outcomes
      and cancer immune evasion/recognition.

PMID- 28343732
TI  - Ethical issues in non-intervention trials for thyroid cancer.
AB  - In recent years, the increasing numbers of small, apparently indolent thyroid
      cancers diagnosed in the world have encouraged investigators to consider non
      intervention as an alternative to surgical management. In the following pages,
      the prospect of a non-intervention trial for thyroid cancer is considered with
      attention to the ethical issues that such a trial might raise. Such a non
      intervention trial is analyzed relative to 7 ethical considerations: the social
      or scientific value of the research, the scientific validity of the trial, the
      necessity of fair selection of participants, a favorable risk-benefit ratio for
      trial participants, independent review of the trial, informed consent, and
      allowing the study participants to withdraw from the trial. A non-intervention
      trial for thyroid cancer is also considered relative to the central concept of
      equipoise.

PMID- 28343733
TI  - Low-risk papillary microcarcinoma of the thyroid: A review of active surveillance
      trials.
AB  - Papillary microcarcinoma (PMC) of the thyroid is defined as papillary thyroid
      carcinoma (PTC) measuring <=1 cm. Many autopsy studies on subjects who died of
      non-thyroidal diseases reported latent small thyroid carcinoma in up to 5.2% of
      the subjects. A mass screening study for thyroid cancer in Japanese adult women
      detected small thyroid cancer in 3.5% of the examinees. This incidence was close
      to the incidence of latent thyroid cancer and more than 1000 times the prevalence
      of clinical thyroid cancer in Japanese women reported at that time. The question
      of whether it was correct to treat such PMCs surgically then arose. In 1993,
      according to Dr. Miyauchi's proposal, Kuma Hospital initiated an active
      surveillance trial for low-risk PMC as defined in the text. In 1995, Cancer
      Institute Hospital in Tokyo, Japan, started a similar observation trial. The
      accumulated data from the trials at these two institutions strongly suggest that
      active surveillance (i.e., observation without immediate surgery) can be the
      first-line management for low-risk PMC. Although our data showed that young age
      and pregnancy might be risk factors of disease progression, we think that these
      patients can also be candidates for active surveillance, because all of the
      patients who showed progression signs were treated successfully with a rescue
      surgery, and none of them died of PTC. In this review, we summarize the data
      regarding the active surveillance of low-risk PMC as support for physicians and
      institutions that are considering adopting this strategy.

PMID- 28343734
TI  - Challenging hierarchy in healthcare teams - ways to flatten gradients to improve
      teamwork and patient care.
AB  - In healthcare, mistakes that are potentially harmful or fatal to patients are
      often the result of poor communication between members of a team. This is
      particularly important in high-risk areas such as operating theatres or during
      any intervention, and the ability to challenge colleagues who are in authority
      when something does not seem right or is clearly wrong, is crucial. Colleagues in
      oral and maxillofacial surgery recognised the importance of this as early as
      2004, and it is now well known that failure or reluctance to challenge others who
      might be wrong can severely compromise a patient's safety. The Royal College of
      Surgeons of Edinburgh runs popular regular courses (Non-technical Skills for
      Surgeons, NOTSS) that teach how to ensure safety through good communication and
      teamwork. In this paper we introduce the concept of hierarchical challenge, and
      discuss models and approaches to address situations when problems arise within a
      team.

PMID- 28343735
TI  - Safer alternative for extraction of impacted supernumerary teeth of a patient in
      the mixed dentition stage with the aid of an image-guided operating system.

PMID- 28343736
TI  - Three-dimensional facial changes correlated with sagittal jaw movements in
      patients with class III skeletal deformities.
AB  - The aim of this prospective study was to correlate the postoperative 3
      dimensional facial changes in skeletal class III deformity with sagittal jaw
      movements in 84 patients who had been treated by one piece Le Fort I maxillary
      advancement only (n=18), mandibular setback only (n=38), or both procedures
      (n=28). At the times of evaluation before and six months after operation all
      patients had fixed orthodontic appliances. Soft tissue changes were evaluated on
      optical 3-dimensional scans, while lateral cephalograms were superimposed to
      assess sagittal jaw movements. Three-dimensional surface facial scans were
      divided into 11 regions. We modelled soft tissue changes in each region by linear
      regression with maxillary (point A) and mandibular (point B) sagittal movements
      as predictors, and adjusted for sex, age, body mass index, type of operation, and
      interincisal angle. We found the highest values of regression coefficients
      (around 0.5) for the sagittal movements of the variables points A and B within
      the regions of the upper and lower lips. This meant that for each mm of maxillary
      advancement and mandibular setback, the soft tissue moved 0.5mm. In the sides of
      the face the regression coefficients were between 0.1 and 0.3, as were those
      within regions indirectly affected by the operations.

PMID- 28343737
TI  - Recurrent Mixed Cryoglobulinemia Despite Sustained Virologic Response to
      Treatment: A Case Report.
AB  - Cryoglobulinemia is a manifestation of hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection.
      Treatment of HCV is the mainstay of therapy for mixed cryoglobulinemia syndrome,
      and newer HCV therapies with direct-acting antiviral agents have achieved great
      success in treating HCV infection compared with pegylated interferon alfa and
      ribavirin. Recurrence of mixed cryoglobulinemia syndrome following successful
      treatment with direct-acting antiviral agents is uncommon, and when it occurs, it
      is most often due to relapse of HCV viremia. We report a case of recurrent mixed
      cryoglobulinemia syndrome following HCV treatment with a new direct-acting
      antiviral agent (sofosbuvir) and ribavirin, in which HCV RNA was undetectable in
      serum, but detectable in the cryoprecipitate.

PMID- 28343738
TI  - Short-term association between road traffic noise and healthcare demand generated
      by Parkinson's disease in Madrid, Spain.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: To analyse whether there is a short-term association between road
      traffic noise in the city of Madrid and Parkinson's disease (PD)-related demand
      for healthcare. METHODS: Time-series analysis (2008-2009) using variables of
      analysis linked to emergency and daily PD-related demand for healthcare (ICD-10:
      G20-G21), namely, PD-hospital admissions (HAs), PD-outpatient visits (OVs) and PD
      emergency medical calls in Madrid. The noise pollution measurements used were
      Leqd, equivalent sound level for the daytime hours (from 8 a.m. to 10 p.m.), and
      Leqn, equivalent sound level for night time hours (from 10 p.m. to 8 a.m.) in
      dB(A). We controlled for temperature, pollution, trends and seasons, and used the
      Poisson regression model to calculate relative risk (RR). RESULTS: The
      association between Leqd and HAs was found to be linear. Leqd and Leqn at lag 0.1
      and temperature at lags 1 and 5 were the only environmental variables associated
      with increased PD-related healthcare demand. The RR (lag 0) for Leqd and HA was
      1.07 (1.04-1.09), the RR (lag 0) for Leqd and OV was 1.28 (1.12-1.45), and the RR
      (lags 0.1) for Leqn and emergency medical calls was 1.46 (1.06-2.01). CONCLUSION:
      The above results indicate that road traffic noise is a risk factor for PD
      exacerbation. Measures to reduce noise-exposure levels could result in a lower PD
      related healthcare demand.

PMID- 28343739
TI  - [Applicability and perceived utility of the European Quality Instrument for
      Health Promotion (EQUIHP) in a health promotion programme].
AB  - OBJECTIVE: To describe the results of applying the European Quality Instrument
      for Health Promotion (EQUIHP) tool in the MIHsalud programme and to discuss its
      perceived utility by the programme's team members. METHOD: Evaluation study
      applying EQUIHP to a health promotion programme. A total of ten MIHsalud staff
      (eight women and two men) completed the EQUIHP and participated in two group
      interviews to discuss its perceived utility. RESULTS: The programme obtained a
      total score of 6.5 points out of 10 in quality. The use of EQUIHP enabled the
      programme's weaknesses to be identified, such as lack of a communication plan,
      evaluability and sustainability; as well as its strengths, such as the inclusion
      of health promotion principles. The MIHsalud team believes that the EQUIHP is a
      useful tool which can facilitate a comprehensive evaluation of the programme in
      terms of a health promotion initiative. CONCLUSION: The use of the EQUIHP has
      made it possible to evaluate the quality of the programme and to make
      recommendations for its improvement, and it could be applied to other programmes
      and activities.

PMID- 28343740
TI  - Pediatric oncology enters an era of precision medicine.
AB  - With the use of high-throughput molecular profiling technologies, precision
      medicine trials are ongoing for adults with cancer. Similarly, there is an
      interest in how these techniques can be applied to tumors in children and
      adolescents to expand our understanding of the biology of pediatric cancers and
      evaluate the clinical implications of genomic testing for these patients. This
      article reviews the early studies in pediatric oncology showing the feasibility
      of this approach, describe the future plans to evaluate the clinical implications
      in a multicenter clinical trial and identify the challenges of applying genomics
      in this patient population.

PMID- 28343741
TI  - Time as context: The influence of hierarchical patterning on sensory inference.
AB  - Time, or more specifically temporal structure, is a critical variable in
      understanding how the auditory system uses acoustic patterns to predict input,
      and to filter events based on their relevance. A key index of this filtering
      process is the auditory evoked potential component known as mismatch negativity
      or MMN. In this paper we review findings of smaller MMN in schizophrenia through
      the lens of time as an influential contextual variable. More specifically, we
      review studies that show how MMN to a locally rare pattern-deviation is modulated
      by the longer-term context in which it occurs. Empirical data is presented from a
      non-clinical sample confirming that the absence of a stable higher-order
      structure to sound sequences alters the way MMN amplitude changes over time. This
      result is discussed in relation to how hierarchical pattern learning might enrich
      our understanding of how and why MMN amplitude modulation is disrupted in
      schizophrenia.

PMID- 28343742
TI  - Automatic matching of surgeries to predict surgeons' next actions.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: More than half a million surgeries are performed every day worldwide,
      which makes surgery one of the most important component of global health care. In
      this context, the objective of this paper is to introduce a new method for the
      prediction of the possible next task that a surgeon is going to perform during
      surgery. MATERIAL AND METHOD: We formulate the problem as finding the optimal
      registration of a partial sequence to a complete reference sequence of surgical
      activities. We propose an efficient algorithm to find the optimal partial
      alignment and a prediction system using maximum a posteriori probability
      estimation and filtering. We also introduce a weighting scheme allowing to
      improve the predictions by taking into account the relative similarity between
      the current surgery and a set of pre-recorded surgeries. RESULTS: Our method is
      evaluated on two types of neurosurgical procedures: lumbar disc herniation
      removal and anterior cervical discectomy. Results show that our method
      outperformed the state of the art by predicting the next task that the surgeon
      will perform with 95% accuracy. CONCLUSIONS: This work shows that, even from the
      low-level description of surgeries and without other sources of information, it
      is often possible to predict the next surgical task when the conditions are
      consistent with the previously recorded surgeries. We also showed that our method
      is able to assess when there is actually a large divergence between the
      predictions and decide that it is not reasonable to make a prediction.

PMID- 28343743
TI  - Controversies in Fibrosis and Emphysema.

PMID- 28343744
TI  - New technology for recovering residual metals from nonmetallic fractions of waste
      printed circuit boards.
AB  - Recycling of waste printed circuit boards is important for environmental
      protection and sustainable resource utilization. Corona electrostatic separation
      has been widely used to recycle metals from waste printed circuit boards, but it
      has poor separation efficiency for finer sized fractions. In this study, a new
      process of vibrated gas-solid fluidized bed was used to recycle residual metals
      from nonmetallic fractions, which were treated using the corona electrostatic
      separation technology. The effects of three main parameters, i.e., vibration
      frequency, superficial air flow velocity, and fluidizing time on gravity
      segregation, were investigated using a vibrating gas-solid fluidized bed. Each
      size fraction had its own optimum parameters. Corresponding to their optimal
      segregation performance, the products from each experiment were analyzed using an
      X-ray fluorescence (XRF) and a scanning electron microscope (SEM) equipped with
      an energy dispersive spectrometer (EDS). From the results, it can be seen that
      the metal recoveries of -1+0.5mm, -0.5+0.25mm, and -0.25mm size fractions were
      86.39%, 82.22% and 76.63%, respectively. After separation, each metal content in
      the -1+0.5 or -0.5+0.25mm size fraction reduced to 1% or less, while the Fe and
      Cu contents are up to 2.57% and 1.50%, respectively, in the -0.25mm size
      fraction. Images of the nonmetallic fractions with a size of -0.25mm indicated
      that a considerable amount of clavate glass fibers existed in these nonmetallic
      fractions, which may explain why fine particles had the poorest segregation
      performance.

PMID- 28343745
TI  - Feasibility of sulfate-calcined eggshells for removing pathogenic bacteria and
      antibiotic resistance genes from landfill leachates.
AB  - High abundance of human pathogen and antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) in
      landfill leachate has become an emerging threat against human health. Therefore,
      sulfate- and calcination-modified eggshells as green agricultural bioresource
      were applied to test the feasibility of removing pathogenic bacteria and ARGs
      from leachate. The highest removal of Escherichia coli (E. coil) and gentamycin
      resistant gene (gmrA) from artificial contaminated landfill leachate was achieved
      by the application of eggshell with combined treatment of sulfate and
      calcination. The 16S and gmrA gene copies of E. coil declined significantly from
      1.78E8+/-8.7E6 and 4.12E8+/-5.9E6 copies mL-1 to 1.32E7+/-2.6E6 and 2.69E7+/
      7.2E6 copies mL-1, respectively, within 24h dynamic adsorption equilibrium
      process (p<0.05). Moreover, according to the Langmuir kinetic model, the greatest
      adsorption amount (1.56*109 CFU E. coil per gram of modified eggshells) could be
      obtained at neutral pH of 7.5. The optimal adsorption eggshells were then
      screened to the further application in three typical landfill leachates in
      Nanjing, eastern China. Significant decrease in species and abundance of
      pathogenic bacteria and ARGs (tet, sul, erm, qnr, and ampC) indicated its great
      efficiency to purify landfill leachates. This study demonstrated that sulfate
      calcined eggshells can be an environmentally-friendly and highly efficient
      bioadsorbent to the management of reducing dissemination risk of pathogen and
      ARGs in landfill leachate.

PMID- 28343746
TI  - Preliminary development of an advanced modular pressure relief cushion: Testing
      and user evaluation.
AB  - STUDY AIM: Effective pressure relief cushions are identified as a core assistive
      technology need by the World Health Organization Global Cooperation on Assistive
      Technology. High quality affordable wheelchair cushions could provide effective
      pressure relief for many individuals with limited access to advanced assistive
      technology. MATERIALS: Value driven engineering (VdE) principles were employed to
      develop a prototype modular cushion. Low cost dynamically responsive gel balls
      were arranged in a close packed array and seated in bilayer foam for containment
      and support. Two modular cushions, one with high compliance balls and one with
      moderate compliance balls were compared with High Profile and Low Profile Roho(r)
      and Jay(r) Medical 2 cushions. METHODS: ISO 16480-2 biomechanical standardized
      tests were applied to assess cushion performance. A preliminary materials cost
      analysis was carried out. A prototype modular cushion was evaluated by 12
      participants who reported satisfaction using a questionnaire based on the Quebec
      User Evaluation of Satisfaction with Assistive Technology (QUEST 2.0) instrument.
      RESULTS: Overall the modular cushions performed better than, or on par with, the
      most widely prescribed commercially available cushions under ISO 16480-2 testing.
      Users rated the modular cushion highly for overall appearance, size and
      dimensions, comfort, safety, stability, ease of adjustment and general ease of
      use. Cost-analysis indicated that every modular cushion component a could be
      replaced several times and still maintain cost-efficacy over the complete cushion
      lifecycle. CONCLUSION: A VdE modular cushion has the potential provide effective
      pressure relief for many users at a low lifetime cost.

PMID- 28343747
TI  - Unilateral uveitis associated with IgA nephropathy.
AB  - CASE REPORT: The case is presented of a 42 year-old man with episodes of
      unilateral uveitis in his right eye. Ophthalmic examination showed a
      granulomatous anterior uveitis with vitritis. Systemic investigations revealed
      non-nephrotic proteinuria and microhaematuria. A renal biopsy showed IgA
      nephropathy. DISCUSSION: Uveitis and glomerulonephritis may have common
      immunological pathogenesis. IgA nephropathy should be a differential diagnosis in
      patients with uveitis and nephropathy.

PMID- 28343749
TI  - Manual calf massage and passive ankle motion reduce the incidence of deep vein
      thromboembolism after total hip arthroplasty.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Venous thromboembolism is one of the general complications following
      total hip arthroplasty, wherein various preventive treatments have been
      recommended. Several studies reported that venous thromboembolism incidence after
      total hip arthroplasty was similar in patients who were administered prophylaxis
      with a conventional mechanical procedure alone, and those who were administered
      pharmacological anticoagulation therapy. Therefore, the optimum methods of
      prophylaxis are still controversial. The purpose of this study was to investigate
      whether manual calf massage and passive ankle motion could lower the risk for
      venous thromboembolism after total hip arthroplasty. METHODS: We retrospectively
      reviewed the data of 126 consecutive patients undergoing elective primary
      unilateral total hip arthroplasty wherein manual calf massage and passive ankle
      motion were performed after the surgery at our hospitals between January and
      October 2014. The 138 patients of the control group underwent total hip
      arthroplasty using the same surgical approach and pre- and postoperative
      protocols without this mechanical prophylaxis between January and December 2013.
      This mechanical prophylaxis was performed simultaneously 30 times during
      approximately 10 s; these procedures were repeated thrice immediately after total
      hip arthroplasty. Duplex ultrasonography was performed to observe the veins of
      both legs in all the patients on postoperative day 7. RESULTS: The incidence of
      deep vein thrombosis was 6.52% and 0.79% in the control and manual calf massage
      and passive ankle motion groups, respectively. The odds ratio for the manual calf
      massage and passive ankle motion groups was 8.72. Performing this mechanical
      prophylaxis reduced the incidence of venous thromboembolism after total hip
      arthroplasty. This mechanical prophylaxis is not only simple and easy, but is
      also safe and inexpensive. CONCLUSIONS: We therefore recommend that manual calf
      massage and passive ankle motion be performed in patients who will undergo total
      hip arthroplasty, if deep vein thrombosis does not exist before the surgery.

PMID- 28343750
TI  - Academic Remediation: Why Early Identification and Intervention Matters.
AB  - At our institution, we have developed a remediation team of strong, focused
      experts who help us with struggling learners in making the diagnosis and then
      coaching on their milestone deficits. It is key for all program directors to
      recognize struggling residents because early recognition and intervention gives
      the resident the best chance of success.

PMID- 28343748
TI  - B cells expressing the IgA receptor FcRL4 participate in the autoimmune response
      in patients with rheumatoid arthritis.
AB  - The clinical efficacy of B cell targeting therapies highlights the pathogenic
      potential of B cells in inflammatory diseases. Expression of Fc Receptor like 4
      (FcRL4) identifies a memory B cell subset, which is enriched in the joints of
      patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and in mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue.
      The high level of RANKL production by this B cell subset indicates a unique
      pathogenic role. In addition, recent work has identified a role for FcRL4 as an
      IgA receptor, suggesting a potential function in mucosal immunity. Here, the
      contribution of FcRL4+ B cells to the specific autoimmune response in the joints
      of patients with RA was investigated. Single FcRL4+ and FcRL4- B cells were
      sorted from synovial fluid and tissue from RA patients and their immunoglobulin
      genes characterized. Levels of hypermutation in the variable regions in both
      populations were largely consistent with memory B cells selected by an antigen-
      and T cell-dependent process. Recombinant antibodies were generated based on the
      IgH and IgL variable region sequences and investigated for antigen specificity. A
      significantly larger proportion of the recombinant antibodies generated from
      individual synovial FcRL4+ B cells showed reactivity towards citrullinated
      autoantigens. Furthermore, both in analyses based on heavy chain sequences and
      flow cytometric detection, FcRL4+ B cells have significantly increased usage of
      the IgA isotype. Their low level of expression of immunoglobulin and plasma cell
      differentiation genes does not suggest current antibody secretion. We conclude
      that these activated B cells are a component of the local autoimmune response,
      and through their RANKL expression, can contribute to joint destruction.
      Furthermore, their expression of FcRL4 and their enrichment in the IgA isotype
      points towards a potential role for these cells in the link between mucosal and
      joint inflammation.

PMID- 28343751
TI  - Presbyopic and non-presbyopic contact lens opinions and vision correction
      preferences.
AB  - PURPOSE: To compare vision correction preferences, refractive error, and gender
      of non-presbyopes and presbyopes. METHODS: Adults who wear spectacles or contact
      lenses completed a survey about refractive correction opinions and refractive
      error was measured. RESULTS: Of the 304 subjects, 38.2% were presbyopic (>=40
      years) and 59.2% were female. Spectacles were the primary vision correction for
      78.0% of subjects. Compared to contact lens wearers, the proportion of presbyopes
      was higher (p=0.006) in spectacle wearers. There was no difference in the
      proportion of presbyopes and non-presbyopes who have tried contact lenses (p=0.2)
      or who would prefer to wear contact lenses (p=0.2). In contact lens wearers,
      there was no difference in the proportion of presbyopes and non-presbyopes with a
      history of temporary discontinuation (p=0.9). Within the contact lens wearing
      group, there was no refractive error difference between presbyopes and non
      presbyopes (spherical equivalent p=0.6; power vector J0 p=0.5; power vector J45
      p=0.4; anisometropia p=0.2). Overall, contact lens wearers were more likely to be
      female (p=0.004). There was no difference in gender in presbyopic and non
      presbyopic contact lens wearers (p=0.5). CONCLUSIONS: Presbyopes and non
      presbyopes have similar opinions about spectacles and contact lenses. Presbyopes
      of all refractive errors prefer contact lens correction when good vision and
      comfort can be achieved. Eye care providers should not assume that presbyopia,
      refractive error, or gender are factors that preclude a patient from being
      interested in contact lens wear.

PMID- 28343752
TI  - Efficacy of tedizolid against methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus and
      Peptostreptococcus anaerobius in thigh mixed-infection mouse model.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study is to compare the antimicrobial activity of
      human simulated exposures of tedizolid 200 mg daily, and linezolid 600 mg every
      12 h for the treatment of complicated skin and skin structure infection (cSSSI)
      caused by MRSA and Peptostreptococcus anaerobius in both the neutropenic mice
      thigh mixed-infection models. MATERIAL AND METHOD: Tedizolid phosphate and
      linezolid were used for all in vivo testing. A total of one MRSA and two P.
      anaerobius isolates were utilized. Antimicrobial efficacy was calculated for each
      isolate as the change in bacterial numbers (Deltalog10 CFU/ml) obtained in the
      treated mice after 24 h compared with the numbers in the starting control animals
      (0 h). RESULTS: The tedizolid and linezolid MICs for MRSA was 0.25 and 2 MUg/ml.
      Tedizolid MIC for P. anaerobius was 0.12 MUg/ml, and linezolid MICs for two P.
      anaerobius isolates were 0.5 and 1 MUg/ml. In mixed infection model, tedizolid
      therapy showed similar antimicrobial activities for one MRSA and two P.
      anaerobius isolates evaluated, compared with linezolid therapy. Additionally,
      when comparing the activity of tedizolid and linezolid monotherapy between single
      infection and mixed infection model, antimicrobial activities of both
      antimicrobials were attenuated when mixed infection model was used. CONCLUSION:
      In the neutropenic murine thigh infection model, human simulated exposures of
      tedizolid and linezolid resulted in similar efficacies against MRSA, even though
      single and mixed infection models were used. These data support the clinical
      utility of tedizolid for use against MRSA and P. anaerobius in the treatment of
      cSSSI.

PMID- 28343754
TI  - Feeding a cancer patient: Much more than supportive care.

PMID- 28343753
TI  - Limnothrix sp. KO05: A newly characterized cyanobacterial biosorbent for cadmium
      removal: the enzymatic and non-enzymatic antioxidant reactions to cadmium
      toxicity.
AB  - In this study, we isolated five indigenous cyanobacterial strains from different
      aqueous environments, with heavy metals contamination, in East Azerbaijan
      Province (northwest portion of Iran). A strain was identified by morphological
      and 16S rRNA sequence analysis as Limnothrix sp. KO05 and selected for further
      studies as having the greatest potential for cadmium uptake. Scanning electron
      microscopy (SEM) demonstrated cyanobacterium Limnothrix sp. KO05 forms
      filamentous structures and is straight or curved to some extent. The utmost
      biosorption capacity was found to be 82.18+/-1.22mgg-1 at a Cd (II) concentration
      level of 150mgL-1. Langmuir adsorption isotherm indicated a better fit to the
      experimental data. Response surface methodology (RSM) on the basis of four
      independent variables and the predicted maximum biosorption efficiency was 98.7%
      under the optimum condition. FT-IR spectroscopy profile of the Cd treated sample
      as demonstrated in confirmation of the benefits of various functional groups of
      proteins and polysaccharides of cyanobacterial biomass, involved in surface
      binding of Cd. The determination of catalase (CAT) activity in strain KO05
      exposed to Cd (II) concentrations of 2, 5 and 10mgL-1 showed an increase in
      enzyme activity after 24h exposure compared to unexposed cells. Correspondingly,
      CAT activity showed a significant decrease after 48h of treatment with Cd (II)
      concentrations of 5 and 10mgL-1. CAT activity was decreased significantly at all
      concentrations within 72h after exposure to Cd. On the contrary, while ascorbate
      peroxidase (APX) gave the expected lower activity compared to the CAT within 24h
      after Cd treatment, its activity lasted up to 72h. Limnothrix sp. KO05 cells
      treated with 5 and 10mgL-1 Cd (II) over 72h exposure showed a reduction in
      chlorophyll a contents compared to the controls. However, following exposure to
      Cd, chlorophyll a and carotenoid contents is reduced and after overcoming stress
      and deployment of an adaptation mechanism, the amounts of these pigments is
      gradually increased in the cells. The reduction was slower for chlorophyll a
      pigment compared to carotenoids that may be an indication of the physiological
      importance of chlorophyll pigment for the phtosynthetic cells. Results related to
      lipid peroxidation in Limnothrix sp. KO05 represent a significant increase of MDA
      in the first 24h after exposure to the different concentrations of Cd (2, 5 and
      10mgL-1). However, the MDA levels were decreased over time and no significant
      difference attained after 72h exposure to Cd concentrations of 2 and 10mgL-1
      compared to control.

PMID- 28343756
TI  - Inhibition of Malassezia globosa carbonic anhydrase with phenols.
AB  - A panel of 22 phenols was investigated as inhibitors of the beta-class carbonic
      anhydrase (CAs, EC 4.2.1.1) from the fungal parasite Malassezia globosa (MgCA), a
      validated anti-dandruff drug target. The displayed inhibitory activities were
      compared to the ones previously reported against the off-target widely
      distributed human (h) isoforms hCA I and II. All tested phenols possessed a
      better efficacy in inhibiting MgCA than the clinically used sulfonamide
      acetazolamide, with KIs in the range of 2.5 and 65.0MUM. A homology-built model
      of MgCA was also used for understanding the binding mode of phenols to the fungal
      enzyme. Indeed, a wide network of hydrogen bonds and hydrophobic interactions
      between the phenol and active site residues were evidenced. The OH moiety of the
      inhibitor was observed anchored to the zinc-coordinated water, also making
      hydrogen bonds with Ser48 and Asp49. The diverse substituents at the phenolic
      scaffold were observed to interact with different portions of the hydrophobic
      pocket according to their nature and position. Considering the effective MgCA
      inhibitory properties of phenols, beside to the rather low inhibition against the
      off-target hCA I and II, this class of compounds might be of considerable
      interest in the cosmetics field as potential anti-dandruff drugs.

PMID- 28343755
TI  - Covalently linked kanamycin - Ciprofloxacin hybrid antibiotics as a tool to fight
      bacterial resistance.
AB  - To address the growing problem of antibiotic resistance, a set of 12 hybrid
      compounds that covalently link fluoroquinolone (ciprofloxacin) and aminoglycoside
      (kanamycin A) antibiotics were synthesized, and their activity was determined
      against both Gram-negative and Gram-positive bacteria, including resistant
      strains. The hybrids were antagonistic relative to the ciprofloxacin, but were
      substantially more potent than the parent kanamycin against Gram-negative
      bacteria, and overcame most dominant resistance mechanisms to aminoglycosides.
      Selected hybrids were 42-640 fold poorer inhibitors of bacterial protein
      synthesis than the parent kanamycin, while they displayed similar inhibitory
      activity to that of ciprofloxacin against DNA gyrase and topoisomerase IV
      enzymes. The hybrids showed significant delay of resistance development in both
      E. coli and B. subtilis in comparison to that of component drugs alone or their
      1:1 mixture. More generally, the data suggest that an antagonistic combination of
      aminoglycoside-fluoroquinolone hybrids can lead to new compounds that
      slowdown/prevent the emergence of resistance.

PMID- 28343757
TI  - Clinical utility of newly developed highly purified human menopausal
      gonadotrophins: a randomized controlled trial.
AB  - The aim of this study was to evaluate the safety and efficacy of IVF-M HP, a
      newly developed highly purified human menopausal gonadotrophin preparation, for
      ovarian stimulation in women with infertility undergoing IVF, intracytoplasmic
      sperm injection (IVF-ICSI) and embryo transfer using a GnRH antagonist protocol.
      This was a multicentre, randomized, active-controlled, parallel design, open
      label, non-inferiority clinical study. Of the 112 patients randomized for
      treatment using the GnRH antagonist protocol, 111 were treated. No significant
      difference was found in the number of oocytes retrieved from the IVF-M HP and
      Menopur groups (13.1 +/- 7.6 versus 10.3 +/- 6.7, respectively). The lower limit
      of the one-sided 97.5% confidence interval for the difference between the groups
      was -0.25, i.e., greater than the pre-defined non-inferiority margin (-5).
      Therefore, the IVF-M HP treatment was considered non-inferior to Menopur.
      Furthermore, no significant difference was observed between the groups in the
      number of good-quality oocytes, leading follicles, good-quality embryos, or in
      fertilization, implantation, positive beta-HCG and clinical pregnancy rates. The
      safety analysis revealed that 40.4% and 35.2% in the IVF-M HP and Menopur groups,
      respectively, reported adverse events. In conclusion, IVF-M HP had comparable
      clinical efficacy and safety profiles to Menopur.

PMID- 28343758
TI  - Synergistic Expression of Histone Deacetylase 9 and Matrix Metalloproteinase 12
      in M4 Macrophages in Advanced Carotid Plaques.
AB  - OBJECTIVE/BACKGROUND: Expression patterns and association with cell specific gene
      expression signatures of the epigenetic regulator histone deacetylase 9 (HDAC9)
      and matrix metalloproteinase 12 (MMP12) in human plaque are not known. METHODS:
      This was a prospective cohort study. Genome wide expression analysis was
      performed in carotid, femoral, aortic plaques (n = 68) and left internal thoracic
      (LITA) controls (n = 28) and plaque histological severity assessed. Correlation
      and hierarchical cluster analysis was utilised. RESULTS: HDAC9 was associated
      with MMP12 expression in carotid plaques (r = .46, p = .012) and controls (r = 
      .44, p = .034). HDAC9 and MMP12 clustered with inflammatory macrophage markers
      but not with smooth muscle cell (SMC) rich markers. In plaques from all arterial
      sites, MMP12 but not HDAC9 showed positive correlation (p < .05) with M2 and M4
      polarized macrophage markers, and negative correlation with SMC rich signatures.
      In the carotid plaques, all M4 macrophage markers associated with MMP12 and
      HDAC9. The negative association of MMP12 with SMC rich signatures was pronounced
      in the carotid plaques. Neither HDAC9 nor MMP12 associated consistently with
      plaque stabilisation or thrombosis related genes. Immunohistochemistry further
      supported the association between HDAC9 and MMP12 in atherosclerotic plaques.
      CONCLUSION: M4 macrophages are a possible source for HDAC9 and MMP12 expression
      in advanced human plaques.

PMID- 28343760
TI  - Perceptual Decision-Making: Picking the Low-Hanging Fruit?
AB  - How do we decide what we perceive? Obviously, we base our decisions on sensory
      evidence. However, a new and surprising study by Hagura et al. shows that our
      perceptual decisions are also biased by the action costs that are associated with
      our decisions.

PMID- 28343759
TI  - Incidence of Postsuppression Virologic Rebound in Perinatally HIV-Infected Asian
      Adolescents on Stable Combination Antiretroviral Therapy.
AB  - PURPOSE: To assess the incidence and predictors of postsuppression virologic
      rebound (VR) among adolescents on stable combination antiretroviral therapy in
      Asia. METHODS: Perinatally HIV-infected Asian adolescents (10-19 years) with
      documented virologic suppression (two consecutive viral loads [VLs] <400
      copies/mL >=6 months apart) were included. Baseline was the date of the first VL
      <400 copies/mL at age >=10 years or the 10th birthday for those with prior
      suppression. Cox proportional hazards models were used to identify predictors of
      postsuppression VR (VL >1,000 copies/mL). RESULTS: Of 1,379 eligible adolescents,
      47% were males. At baseline, 22% were receiving protease inhibitor-containing
      regimens; median CD4 cell count (interquartile range [IQR]) was 685 (448-937)
      cells/mm3; 2% had preadolescent virologic failure (VF) before subsequent
      suppression. During adolescence, 180 individuals (13%) experienced
      postsuppression VR at a rate of 3.4 (95% confidence interval: 2.9-3.9) per 100
      person-years, which was consistent over time. Median time to VR during
      adolescence (IQR) was 3.3 (2.1-4.8) years. Wasting (weight-for-age z-score <
      2.5), being raised by grandparents, receiving second-line protease inhibitor
      based regimens, starting combination antiretroviral therapy after 2005, and
      having preadolescent VF were independent predictors of adolescent VR. At VR,
      median age, CD4 cell count, and VL (IQR) were 14.8 (13.2-16.4) years, 507 (325
      723) cells/mm3, and 4.1 (3.5-4.7) log10 copies/mL, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: A
      modest and consistent incidence of postsuppression VR was documented during
      adolescence in our cohort. Having poor weight, receiving second-line regimens,
      and prior VF were associated with an increased VR rate. Adolescents at higher
      risk of VR may benefit from more intensive VL monitoring to enhance adherence
      management.

PMID- 28343761
TI  - Isolated diastolic hypertension and incident heart failure in community-dwelling
      older adults: Insights from the Cardiovascular Health Study.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Isolated systolic hypertension and isolated diastolic hypotension are
      common in older adults and associated with a higher risk of incident heart
      failure (HF). However, little is known about the prevalence and impact of
      isolated diastolic hypertension in this population. METHODS: In the
      Cardiovascular Health Study (CHS), of the 5776 community-dwelling older adults
      >=65years who had data on baseline systolic and diastolic blood pressure (SBP and
      DBP), 28 had isolated diastolic hypertension (DBP >=90mmHg and SBP <140mmHg).
      From the 5748 without isolated diastolic hypertension, we excluded those with SBP
      >=120mmHg (n=4451), DBP 80-89mmHg (n=20), DBP <60mmHg (n=425), normal BP taking
      anti-hypertensive medications (n=311), normal BP taking no anti-hypertensive
      medications but with history of hypertension (n=38), and baseline HF (n=5). The
      final cohort of 524 participants included 27 with isolated diastolic
      hypertension. RESULTS: Patients (n=524) had a mean (+/-SD) age of 71 (+/-5)
      years, 58% were women and 9% African American. There were no significant between
      group age or sex differences; 37% of those with isolated diastolic hypertension
      (versus 7% without) were African American. Incident HF occurred in 19% and 7% of
      participants with and without isolated diastolic hypertension, respectively
      (multivariable-adjusted hazard ratio {HR}, 4.65; 95% confidence interval {CI},
      1.09-19.90; p=0.038). There was a trend toward higher cardiovascular mortality
      (HR, 4.59; 95% CI, 0.92-23.88; p=0.063). CONCLUSION: Among community-dwelling
      older adults, isolated diastolic hypertension is rare and is associated with
      higher risk for incident HF and cardiovascular mortality.

PMID- 28343762
TI  - Clozapine and incidence of myocarditis and sudden death - Long term Australian
      experience.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Clozapine is the cornerstone of therapy for refractory schizophrenia;
      however, the potential for cardiotoxicity is an important limitation in its use.
      In the current analysis we sought to evaluate the long term cardiac outcomes of
      clozapine therapy. METHODS: All-cause mortality, incidence of sudden death and
      time to myocarditis were assessed in a cohort of patients maintained on clozapine
      between January 2009 and December 2015. All patients had regular
      electrocardiograms, complete blood count, clozapine levels and echocardiography
      as part of a formal protocol. RESULTS: A total of 503 patients with treatment
      resistant schizophrenia were maintained on clozapine during the study period of
      which 93 patients (18%) discontinued therapy with 29 (6%) deaths. The incidence
      of sudden death and myocarditis were 2% (n=10) and 3% (n=14) respectively.
      Amongst patients with sudden death, 7 out of 10 (70%) were documented to have
      used illicit drugs prior to death, with a tendency to weight gain also noted. The
      mean time to myocarditis post clozapine commencement was 15+/-7days. The
      reduction in left ventricular ejection fraction in those with myocarditis was
      11+/-2%. CONCLUSION: Myocarditis and sudden cardiac death are uncommon but
      clinically important complications in a cohort of patients followed while
      maintained on clozapine undergoing regular cardiac assessment. Further studies
      are required to document the role of preventive measures for left ventricular
      dysfunction and sudden cardiac death in this population.

PMID- 28343763
TI  - Identifying high-risk post-infarction patients by autonomic testing - Below the
      tip of the iceberg.
AB  - Despite major advances in medical therapies late mortality after myocardial
      infarction (MI) is still high. A substantial proportion of post-MI patients die
      from sudden cardiac death. Prophylactic implantable-cardioverter defibrillator
      (ICD) therapy has been established for post-MI patients with reduced left
      ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF <=35%). However, most patients who die after
      MI have an LVEF >35%. For this large group of patients, no specific prophylactic
      strategies exist. There is strong evidence that measures of cardiac autonomic
      dysfunction after MI provide important prognostic information in post-MI patients
      with preserved LVEF. Combinations of autonomic markers can identify high-risk
      patients after MI with LVEF >35% whose prognosis is equally worse than that of
      patients with LVEF <=35%. The ongoing REFINE-ICD (NCT00673842) and SMART-MI
      trials (NCT02594488) test different preventive strategies in high-risk post-MI
      patients with cardiac autonomic dysfunction and LVEF 36-50%. While REFINE-ICD
      follows the traditional concept of ICD-implantation, SMART-MI uses implantable
      cardiac monitors with remote monitoring capabilities to sensitively detect
      asymptomatic, but prognostically relevant arrhythmias that could trigger specific
      diagnostic and therapeutic interventions.

PMID- 28343764
TI  - Channelopathies, genetic testing and risk stratification.
AB  - The cardiac channelopathies are a group of diseases with (disease-) specific
      electrocardiographic (ECG) characteristics and a disease-specific risk of sudden
      cardiac death (SCD). This group includes the Long QT Syndromes (LQTS),
      Catecholaminergic Polymorphic Ventricular Tachycardia (CPVT), Brugada Syndrome
      (BrS), Short QT Syndromes (SQTS), and Early Repolarization Syndrome (ERS). In the
      past 2 decades the genetic basis for these disease entities has largely been
      unraveled and that, together with the identification of the genetic basis of the
      cardiomyopathies, has paved the way for the complete new field of Cardiogenetics.
      By virtue of the identification of the genetic underpinning of a given disease,
      presymptomatic carriers of the genetic aberrancy can be identified and timely
      treatment can be installed. In addition, it has become clear that the
      pathophysiological substrate of some diseases previously considered to be one
      disease is not identical, and this has led to gene-specific treatment in some and
      complete new treatment, based on the newly developed insight, in others. Finally,
      the genetic information proved to be important in the prediction of risk on
      lethal ventricular arrhythmias of affected individuals and that is the topic of
      this brief review.

PMID- 28343765
TI  - Human cardiac progenitor cells with regenerative potential can be isolated and
      characterized from 3D-electro-anatomic guided endomyocardial biopsies.
AB  - AIMS: In the present study, we aimed to develop a percutaneous approach and a
      reproducible methodology for the isolation and expansion of Cardiac Progenitor
      Cells (CPCs) from EndoMyocardial Biopsies (EMB) in vivo. Moreover, in an animal
      model of non-ischemic heart failure (HF), we would like to test whether CPCs
      obtained by this methodology may engraft the myocardium and differentiate.
      METHODS AND RESULTS: EMB were obtained using a preformed sheath and a disposable
      bioptome, advanced via right femoral vein in 12 healthy mini pigs, to the right
      ventricle. EMB were enzymatically dissociated, cells were expanded and sorted for
      c-kit. We used 3D-Electro-Anatomic Mapping (3D-EAM) to obtain CPCs from 32
      patients affected by non-ischemic cardiomyopathy. The in vivo regenerative
      potential of CPCs was tested in a rodent model of drug-induced non-ischemic
      cardiomyopathy. c-kit positive CPCs replicative capacity was assessed in 30
      patients. Telomere length averaged 7.4+/-0.4kbp and telomerase activity was
      present in all preparations (1.7*105 copies). The in situ hybridization
      experiments showed that injected human CPCs may acquire a neonatal myocyte
      phenotype given the expression of the alpha-sarcomeric actin together with the
      presence of the Alu probe, suggesting a beneficial impact on LV performance.
      CONCLUSIONS: The success in obtaining CPCs characterized by high regenerative
      potential, in vitro and in vivo, from EMB indicates that harvesting without
      thoracotomy in patients affected by either ischemic or non-ischemic
      cardiomyopathy is feasible. These initial results may potentially expand the
      future application of CPCs to all patients affected by HF not undergoing surgical
      procedures.

PMID- 28343766
TI  - Prediction of high on-treatment platelet reactivity in clopidogrel-treated
      patients with acute coronary syndromes.
AB  - BACKGROUND: About 40% of clopidogrel-treated patients display high platelet
      reactivity (HPR). Alternative treatments of HPR patients, identified by platelet
      function tests, failed to improve their clinical outcomes in large randomized
      clinical trials. A more appealing alternative would be to identify HPR patients a
      priori, based on the presence/absence of demographic, clinical and genetic
      factors that affect PR. Due to the complexity and multiplicity of these factors,
      traditional statistical methods (TSMs) fail to identify a priori HPR patients
      accurately. The objective was to test whether Artificial Neural Networks (ANNs)
      or other Machine Learning Systems (MLSs), which use algorithms to extract model
      like 'structure' information from a given set of data, accurately predict
      platelet reactivity (PR) in clopidogrel-treated patients. METHODS: A complete set
      of fifty-nine demographic, clinical, genetic data was available of 603 patients
      with acute coronary syndromes enrolled in the prospective GEPRESS study, which
      showed that HPR after 1month of clopidogrel treatment independently predicted
      adverse cardiovascular events in patients with Syntax Score >14. Data were
      analysed by MLSs and TSMs. ANNs identified more variables associated PR at
      1month, compared to TSMs. RESULTS: ANNs overall accuracy in predicting PR,
      although superior to other MLSs was 63% (95% CI 59-66). PR phenotype changed in
      both directions in 35% of patients across the 3 time points tested (before PCI,
      at hospital discharge and at 1month). CONCLUSIONS: Despite their ability to
      analyse very complex non-linear phenomena, ANNs or MLS were unable to predict PR
      accurately, likely because PR is a highly unstable phenotype.

PMID- 28343767
TI  - Neural cell adhesion molecule expression in dilated cardiomyopathy is associated
      with intramyocardial inflammation and hypertrophy.
AB  - Chronic intramyocardial inflammation (inflammatory cardiomyopathy/DCMi) is linked
      to the pathogenesis of dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM). Neural cell adhesion
      molecule (NCAM) is involved in orchestrating cardiac muscle morphogenesis, but is
      down-regulated after embryogenesis. We investigated NCAM expression in adult DCM
      hearts, its possible association with DCMi-parameters, and with cardiomyocyte
      hypertrophy (CMH). Endomyocardial biopsies (EMBs) from DCM patients (n=85; n=37
      females; age: 48+/-19years; LVEF <40%) and controls from non-cardiac deaths were
      immunostained for DCMi markers and for NCAM expression, and quantified by digital
      image analysis (DIA). NCAM expression on the intercalated discs and the
      sarcolemma was confirmed in n=46 (54%) of the DCM-EMBs. In the 17 controls, NCAM
      expression was confined to scattered intramyocardial nerves, but was absent on
      cardiomyocytes. DIA-quantified area fraction (AF) of NCAM was significantly
      (p=0.0001) higher in the DCM hearts (0.0044+/-0.017) compared with the controls
      (0.0006+/-0.0004). Multivariate analysis of DIA-quantified NCAM-AF revealed
      significant associations with infiltrates (CD18+, CD11a/LFA-1+, CD11b/Mac-1+,
      TNFalpha+, CD3+) and with endothelial cell adhesion molecules (CAM; CD54/ICAM-1
      and CD29; p<0.05). The mean cardiomyocyte diameter (MCD) correlated highly
      significantly (p<0.01) with NCAM-AF, ICAM-1-AF, CD29-AF, CD18+ and TNFa+
      infiltrates, and was associated less significantly (p<0.05) with CD3+, CD11a/LFA
      1+, and CD11b/Mac-1+ infiltrates. In conclusion, NCAM-expression in ca. 50% of
      adult DCM hearts is associated with CMH, and may be induced by inflammatory
      pathways.

PMID- 28343768
TI  - Successful Spontaneous Conception and Live Birth in a Woman with an Extremely Low
      Level of Anti-Mullerian Hormone Who Received Korean Herbal Medicine (Bogungsamul
      tang): A Case Report.
AB  - Conventional treatments do not appreciably improve fecundity in women with
      extremely low-serum levels of anti-Mullerian hormone (AMH). In Korea, herbal
      medicine is widely used to treat female infertility. We report a case in which an
      infertile woman with a very low AMH level naturally conceived after two months of
      herbal treatment (Bogungsamul-tang), ultimately giving birth to a full-term baby.
      Although AMH levels were not measured immediately before and after treatment, our
      study suggests that Korean herbal remedies are a viable option for infertile
      women with negligible AMH levels. Further studies should be performed to fully
      assess the clinical effects of Bogungsamul-tang in such women.

PMID- 28343769
TI  - Response to "Collating science-based evidence to inform public opinion on the
      environmental effects of marine drilling platforms in the Mediterranean Sea".
AB  - In their recent review article, Mangano and Sera (Journal of Environmental
      Management, 188:195-202) collate and describe the evidence base relating to the
      impacts of marine drilling platforms in the Mediterranean. The authors claim to
      have undertaken a systematic map using the Guidelines for Systematic Review in
      Environmental Management produced by the Collaboration for Environmental Evidence
      (CEE) as a basis for their methods. Here, I highlight major problems with their
      methods and the reporting of their activities. I demonstrate that a higher level
      of rigour and transparency is necessary for a true systematic map. Whilst their
      work is not without merit and may prove useful for decision-makers, their review
      could have been conducted and reported to a greater level of reliability. I
      stress the importance of transparency, comprehensiveness, and repeatability in
      ensuring that reviews are reliable and fit-for-purpose. I highlight the pitfalls
      of the authors' approach in terms of: question framing; searching for evidence;
      the definition of grey literature; key outputs from systematic maps; and the
      dangers of vote-counting.

PMID- 28343770
TI  - Epidemiology of varicella in Haidian district, Beijing, China-2007-2015.
AB  - BACKGROUND: 1-Dose varicella vaccination was recommended for children in Beijing
      before November 2012. To further control school-based outbreaks and decrease
      incidence, a 2-dose vaccination was implemented in 2013. We described the
      varicella epidemiology and assessed impact of the 2-dose vaccination in Haidian
      district, Beijing, 2007-2015. METHODS: We examined the estimated incidence and
      disease characteristics of varicella during 2007-2015 and obtained the 1-dose
      vaccination coverage for children born during 2005-2013. Number of vaccine doses
      given was used to indirectly reflect the second-dose vaccination coverage.
      Overall and age-specific estimated incidences were compared between 2007-2012 and
      2013-2015. RESULTS: A total of 23,497 cases were reported during 2007-2015. Of
      the 23,497 cases, 13,440 (57.20%) were male, and 68.40% were <20years of age and
      70.02% were students and children in kindergarten. The estimated incidence
      increased from 82 cases per 100,000 population in 2007 to 104 in 2011, before
      substantially decreasing from 86 in 2012 to 56 in 2015. The median age increased
      from 14years in 2007 to 18years in 2015. The 1-dose varicella coverage for
      children at >=2years of age gradually increased from 74.21% in 2007 to 90.06% in
      2015. Compared with 2007-2012, two-fold average vaccine doses were given during
      2013-2015, and the overall estimated incidence declined by 34.4%, particularly in
      children aged 5-9years, with a significantly declined trend in children aged 1
      9years and older adolescents aged 15-19years and non-significantly declined trend
      in adults aged >=20years, but a significant increasing trend in infants.
      CONCLUSIONS: The overall incidence of varicella has decreased substantially in
      Haidian district since 2013, with largest decline in children aged 5-9years. The
      2-dose varicella vaccination might not lead to increase in incidence in adults.
      Long-term surveillance is needed to fully evaluate the long-term impact of the 2
      dose varicella vaccination.

PMID- 28343771
TI  - Characterization of human monoclonal antibodies that neutralize multiple
      poliovirus serotypes.
AB  - Following the eradication of wild poliovirus (PV), achieving and maintaining a
      polio-free status will require eliminating potentially pathogenic PV strains
      derived from the oral attenuated vaccine. For this purpose, a combination of non
      cross-resistant drugs, such as small molecules and neutralizing monoclonal
      antibodies (mAbs), may be ideal. We previously isolated chimpanzee and human mAbs
      capable of neutralizing multiple PV types (cross-neutralization). Here, we
      describe three additional human mAbs that neutralize types 1 and 2 PV and one mAb
      that neutralizes all three types. Most bind conformational epitopes and have
      unusually long heavy chain complementarity determining 3 domains (HC CDR3). We
      assessed the ability of the mAbs to neutralize A12 escape mutant PV strains, and
      found that the neutralizing activities of the mAbs were disrupted by different
      amino acid substitutions. Competitive binding studies further suggested that the
      specific mAb:PV interactions that enable cross-neutralization differ among mAbs
      and serotypes. All of the cloned mAbs bind PV in the vicinity of the "canyon", a
      circular depression around the 5-fold axis of symmetry through which PV
      recognizes its cellular receptor. We were unable to generate escape mutants to
      two of the mAbs, suggesting that their epitopes are important for the PV life
      cycle. These data indicate that PV cross-neutralization involves binding to
      highly conserved structures within the canyon that binds to the cellular
      receptor. These may be facilitated by the long HC CDR3 domains, which may adopt
      alternative binding configurations. We propose that the human and chimpanzee mAbs
      described here could have potential as anti-PV therapeutics.

PMID- 28343772
TI  - Report of the WHO technical consultation on the effect of maternal influenza and
      influenza vaccination on the developing fetus: Montreal, Canada, September 30
      October 1, 2015.
AB  - In 2012, the World Health Organization (WHO) released a position paper on
      influenza vaccination recommending that pregnant women have the highest priority
      for seasonal vaccination in countries where the initiation or expansion of
      influenza immunization programs is under consideration. Although the primary goal
      of the WHO recommendation is to prevent influenza illness in pregnant women, the
      potential benefits of maternal immunization in protecting young infants are also
      recognized. The extent to which maternal influenza vaccination may prevent
      adverse birth outcomes such as preterm birth or small-for-gestational-age birth,
      however, is unclear as available studies are in disagreement. To inform WHO about
      the empirical evidence relating to possible benefits of influenza vaccination on
      birth outcomes, a consultation of experts was held in Montreal, Canada, September
      30-October 1, 2015. Presentations and discussions covered a broad range of
      issues, including influenza virus infection during pregnancy and its effect on
      the health of the mother and the fetus, possible biological mechanisms for
      adverse birth outcomes following maternal influenza illness, evidence on birth
      outcomes following influenza illness during pregnancy, evidence from both
      observational studies and randomized controlled trials on birth outcomes
      following influenza vaccination of pregnant women, and methodological issues.
      This report provides an overview of the presentations, discussions and
      conclusions.

PMID- 28343773
TI  - Enhancing heterologous protection in pigs vaccinated with chimeric porcine
      reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus containing the full-length sequences
      of shuffled structural genes of multiple heterologous strains.
AB  - Porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus (PRRSV) is the causative
      agent of arguably the most economically important global swine disease. The
      extensive genetic variation of PRRSV strains is a major obstacle for heterologous
      protection of current vaccines. Previously, we constructed a panel of chimeric
      viruses containing only the ectodomain sequences of DNA-shuffled structural genes
      of different PRRSV strains in the backbone of a commercial vaccine, and found
      that one chimeric virus had an improved cross-protection efficacy. In this
      present study, to further enhance the cross-protective efficacy against
      heterologous strains, we constructed a novel chimeric virus VR2385-S3456
      containing the full-length sequences of shuffled structural genes (ORFs 3-6) from
      6 heterologous PRRSV strains in the backbone of PRRSV strain VR2385. We showed
      that the chimeric virus VR2385-S3456 induced a high level of neutralizing
      antibodies in pigs against two heterologous strains. A subsequent vaccination and
      challenge study in 48 pigs revealed that the chimeric virus VR2385-S3456
      conferred an enhanced cross-protection when challenged with heterologous virus
      strain NADC20 or a contemporary heterologous strain RFLP 1-7-4. The results
      suggest that the chimera VR2385-S3456 may be a good PRRSV vaccine candidate for
      further development to confer heterologous protection.

PMID- 28343774
TI  - Immunogenicity and safety of a high-dose hepatitis B vaccine among patients
      receiving methadone maintenance treatment: A randomized, double-blinded, parallel
      controlled trial.
AB  - BACKGROUND AND AIMS: To explore whether the immunization with high-dose (60MUg)
      hepatitis B vaccines in patients receiving methadone maintenance treatment (MMT)
      could yield a superior protection against hepatitis B infection than did the
      standard dose (20MUg). METHODS: We conducted a randomized, double-blinded,
      parallel-controlled trial in MMT patients. Patients with serologically negative
      hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) and hepatitis B surface antibody (anti-HBs)
      were randomized in a ratio of 1:1 to receive three intramuscular injections of
      20MUg or 60MUg recombinant hepatitis B vaccine at months 0, 1, and 6. Serum HBsAg
      and anti-HBs were measured at months 7 and 12 post-vaccination to assess the
      immunogenicity. RESULTS: A total of 196 MMT patients were randomized and 195
      received at least one injection (98 and 97 in 20 and 60MUg vaccine groups,
      respectively). The 60MUg vaccine group showed a seroconversion of anti-HBs of
      87.3%, high-level response rate of 56.3%, and GMC of 742.9mIU/mL at month 7.
      While these results were numerically higher than the 20MUg group, a statistical
      difference was not found. HIV infection and concomitant drug abuse were
      negatively associated with the robust immune responses. 7.7% of MMT patients
      receiving at least one dose of vaccine reported solicited adverse reactions
      within 7days after vaccination, 2.6% reported unsolicited adverse reactions
      within 28days after vaccination. None of the MMT patients reported serious
      adverse events or became HBsAg positive during the follow-up. CONCLUSIONS: The
      three-dose regimen of 60MUg recombinant hepatitis B vaccine at months 0, 1, and 6
      can yield a similar immunogenicity among MMT patients as compared to the 20MUg
      vaccine. ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT02991599.

PMID- 28343775
TI  - Lower vaccine uptake amongst older individuals living alone: A systematic review
      and meta-analysis of social determinants of vaccine uptake.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: Vaccination is a key intervention to reduce infectious disease
      mortality and morbidity amongst older individuals. Identifying social factors for
      vaccine uptake enables targeted interventions to reduce health inequalities.
      OBJECTIVE: To systematically appraise and quantify social factors associated with
      vaccine uptake amongst individuals aged >=60years from Europe. METHODS: We
      searched Medline and Embase from inception to 24/02/2016. The association of
      vaccine uptake was examined for social factors relevant at an individual level,
      to provide insight into individuals' environment and enable development of
      targeted interventions by healthcare providers to deliver equitable healthcare.
      Factors included: living alone, marital status, education, income, vaccination
      costs, area-level deprivation, social class, urban versus rural residence,
      immigration status and religion. Between-study heterogeneity for each factor was
      identified using I2-statistics and Q-statistics, and investigated by
      stratification and meta-regression analysis. Meta-analysis was conducted, when
      appropriate, using fixed- or random-effects models. RESULTS: From 11,754 titles,
      35 eligible studies were identified (uptake of: seasonal influenza vaccine (SIV)
      only (n=27) or including pneumococcal vaccine (PV) (n=5); herpes zoster vaccine
      (n=1); pandemic influenza vaccine (n=1); PV only (n=1)). Higher SIV uptake was
      reported for individuals not living alone (summary odds ratios (OR)=1.39 (95%
      confidence interval (CI): 1.16-1.68). Lower SIV uptake was observed in immigrants
      and in more deprived areas: summary OR=0.57 (95%CI: 0.47-0.68) and risk
      ratio=0.93 (95%CI: 0.92-0.94) respectively. Higher SIV uptake was associated with
      higher income (OR=1.26 (95%CI: 1.08-1.47)) and higher education (OR=1.05 (95%CI:
      1-1.11)) in adequately adjusted studies. Between-study heterogeneity did not
      appear to result from variation in categorisation of social factors, but for
      education was partly explained by varying vaccination costs (meta-regression
      analysis p=<0.0001); individuals with higher education had higher vaccine uptake
      in countries without free vaccination. CONCLUSIONS: Quantification of
      associations between social factors and lower vaccine uptake, and notably living
      alone (an overlooked factor in vaccination programmes), should enable health
      professionals target specific social groups to tackle vaccine-related
      inequalities.

PMID- 28343776
TI  - A effective DNA vaccine against diverse genotype J infectious hematopoietic
      necrosis virus strains prevalent in China.
AB  - Infectious hematopoietic necrosis virus (IHNV) is the most important pathogen
      threatening the aquaculture of salmonid fish in China. In this study, a DNA
      vaccine, designated pIHNch-G, was constructed with the glycoprotein (G) gene of a
      Chinese IHNV isolate SD-12 (also called Sn1203) of genotype J. The minimal dose
      of vaccine required, the expression of the Mx-1 gene in the muscle (vaccine
      delivery site) and anterior kidney, and the titers of the neutralizing antibodies
      produced were used to evaluate the vaccine efficacy. To assess the potential
      utility of the vaccine in controlling IHNV throughout China, the cross protective
      efficacy of the vaccine was determined by challenging fish with a broad range of
      IHNV strains from different geographic locations in China. A single 100ng dose of
      the vaccine conferred almost full protection to rainbow trout fry (3g) against
      waterborne or intraperitoneal injection challenge with IHNV strain SD-12 as early
      as 4days post-vaccination (d.p.v.), and significant protection was still observed
      at 180d.p.v. Intragenogroup challenges showed that the DNA vaccine provided
      similar protection to the fish against all the Chinese IHNV isolates tested,
      suggesting that the vaccine can be widely used in China. Mx-1 gene expression was
      significantly upregulated in the muscle tissue (vaccine delivery site) and
      anterior kidney in the vaccinated rainbow trout at both 4 and 7d.p.v. Similar
      levels of neutralizing antibodies were determined with each of the Chinese IHNV
      strains at 60 and 180d.p.v. This DNA vaccine should play an important role in the
      control of IHN in China.

PMID- 28343777
TI  - Neisseria meningitidis nasopharyngeal carriage during the Hajj: A cohort study
      evaluating the need for ciprofloxacin prophylaxis.
AB  - BACKGROUND: The annual Muslim pilgrimage has the potential of increase risk for
      acquisition of Neisseria meningitidis. Here, we evaluate the Hajj impact on the
      prevalence of N. meningitidis carriage in a paired and non-paired cohort of
      pilgrims. Secondary objectives were to calculate the compliance with recommended
      vaccination. METHODS: This is a prospective paired (arriving and departing), non
      paired arriving and non-paired departing cohort study with the collection of
      nasopharyngeal samples at the start and the end of the Hajj. RESULTS: The study
      included unpaired arriving pilgrims at King Abdul Aziz International Airport
      (N=1055), unpaired departing cohort (N=373), and a paired cohort (N=628) who were
      tested on arrival and departure. Meningococcal vaccination was received by all
      pilgrims, 98.2% received quadrivalent polysaccharide vaccine (ACWY), and 1.8%
      received meningococcal quadrivalent conjugate vaccine (MCV4). Only 1.61% and
      23.03% received pneumococcal and influenza vaccines, respectively. Of the 1055
      arriving unpaired pilgrim, 36 (3.4%) tested positive for nasopharyngeal carriage
      of N. meningitidis, and 24 (66.7%) of these were serogroup B, the remainder were
      non-groupable. Haemophilus influenza was detected among 45 (4.3%), and 11 (1%)
      carriers were positive for both N. meningitidis and H. influenzae. Out of 373 in
      the unpaired departing cohort, 6 (1.61%) tested positive for N. meningitidis, and
      34 (9.1%) were positive for H. influenzae. Of the 628 paired cohort pilgrims, 36
      (5.7%) pilgrims were positive for N. meningitidis at arrival and 16 (2.5%)
      pilgrims were positive after the hajj. CONCLUSION: This the largest study of the
      epidemiology of N. meningitidis among pilgrims. The study showed a significant
      difference in the carriage between pilgrims from high endemicity and other
      pilgrims with a predominance of serogroup B. The continued use of ciprofloxacin
      as prophylactic antibiotics should be reconsidered as well as the consideration
      to add serogroup B as a required vaccination.

PMID- 28343778
TI  - Rabies: Still a silent killer targeting the poor.

PMID- 28343779
TI  - Antigenic and immunogenic spectrum of foot-and-mouth disease vaccine strain O1
      Campos against representative viruses of topotypes that circulated in Asia over
      the past decade.
AB  - Identifying vaccine strains to control outbreaks of foot-and-mouth disease virus
      that could spread to new regions is essential for contingency plans. This is the
      first report on the antigenic/immunogenic relationships of the South American
      O1/Campos vaccine strain with representative isolates of the three currently
      active Asian type O topotypes. Virus neutralization tests using O1/Campos post
      vaccination sera derived from cattle and pigs predicted for both species
      acceptable cross-protection, even after single vaccination, established by r1
      values and by expectancy of protection using monovalent or polyvalent vaccines.
      The results indicate that effective oil vaccines containing the O1/Campos strain
      can be used against Asian isolates, expanding the scope of O1/Campos strain
      included in vaccine banks to control emergencies caused by Asian viruses, even on
      single-dose vaccination, and to cover the need of effective vaccines in Asia
      during systematic vaccination.

PMID- 28343780
TI  - Propagation of Brazilian Zika virus strains in static and suspension cultures
      using Vero and BHK cells.
AB  - The recent spread of Zika virus (ZIKV) in the Americas and the Pacific has
      reached alarming levels in more than 60 countries. However, relatively little is
      known about the disease on a virological and epidemiological level and its
      consequences for humans. Accordingly, a large demand for in vitro derived
      Brazilian ZIKV material to support in vitro and in vivo studies has arisen.
      However, a prompt supply of ZIKV and ZIKV antigens cannot be guaranteed as the
      production of this virus typically using Vero or C6/36 cell lines remains
      challenging. Here we present a production platform based on BHK-21 suspension
      (BHK-21SUS) cells to propagate Brazilian ZIKV at larger quantities in perfusion
      bioreactors. Scouting experiments performed in tissue culture flasks using
      adherent BHK-21 and Vero cells have demonstrated similar permissivity and virus
      yields for four different Brazilian ZIKV isolates. The cell-specific yield of
      infectious virus particles varied between respective virus strains (1
      48PFU/cell), and the ZIKV isolate from the Brazilian state Pernambuco (ZIKVPE)
      showed to be a best performing isolate for both cell lines. However, infection
      studies of BHK-21SUS cells with ZIKVPE in shake flasks resulted in poor virus
      replication, with a maximum titer of 8.9*103PFU/mL. Additional RT-qPCR
      measurements of intracellular and extracellular viral RNA levels revealed high
      viral copy numbers within the cell, but poor virus release. Subsequent
      cultivation in a perfusion bioreactor using an alternating tangential flow
      filtration system (ATF) under controlled process conditions enabled cell
      concentrations of about 1.2*107cells/mL, and virus titers of 3.9*107PFU/mL.
      However, while the total number of infectious virus particles was increased, the
      cell-specific yield (3.3PFU/cell) remained lower than determined in adherent cell
      lines. Nevertheless, the established perfusion process allows to provide large
      amounts of ZIKV material for research and is a first step towards process
      development for manufacturing inactivated or live-attenuated ZIKV vaccines.

PMID- 28343782
TI  - Lifestyle, socioeconomic characteristics, and medical history of elderly persons
      who receive seasonal influenza vaccination in a tax-supported healthcare system.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Observational studies on effectiveness of influenza vaccination in
      the elderly are thought to be biased by healthier lifestyles and higher
      socioeconomic status among vaccinated vs. unvaccinated persons. We examined this
      hypothesis in a uniform tax-supported health care system with free-of-charge
      influenza vaccination to the elderly. METHODS: We conducted a cross-sectional
      study among Danes aged 65-79years participating in a survey. We compared elderly
      persons with and without a recent (within six months) influenza vaccination in
      terms of (i) lifestyle and socioeconomic characteristics obtained from the survey
      and (ii) health factors including medical history provided by Danish registries.
      We compared the prevalence of study variables among vaccinated and unvaccinated
      persons using age- and sex-adjusted prevalence ratios (aPRs) with 95% confidence
      intervals (CIs). RESULTS: Among the 4237 elderly persons completing the survey,
      1718 (41%) had received an influenza vaccination. Vaccinated persons had more
      comorbidity than unvaccinated persons (aPR for high comorbidity level: 1.51 95%
      CI 1.24-1.84), were less likely to never have smoked (aPR: 0.88, 95% CI 0.80
      0.97), and had a higher prevalence of physical inactivity (aPR: 1.08, 95% CI 1.03
      1.13). Levels of education and income were similar in the two groups. Vaccinated
      persons had a higher prevalence of major physical limitations (aPR: 1.40, 95% CI
      1.17-1.66) and need for assistance with activities of daily living (aPR: 1.29,
      95% CI 1.13-1.47). CONCLUSION: Elderly influenza vaccinated persons were not
      healthier in terms of lifestyle and burden of disease, did not have a higher
      socioeconomic status, and were more frail than unvaccinated persons.

PMID- 28343781
TI  - Sublingual targeting of STING with 3'3'-cGAMP promotes systemic and mucosal
      immunity against anthrax toxins.
AB  - Anthrax is caused by Bacillus anthracis, a zoonotic bacterial pathogen affecting
      humans and livestock worldwide. The current human anthrax vaccine, anthrax
      vaccine adsorbed (AVA), is an injected vaccine with a cumbersome administration
      schedule and fails to promote mucosal immunity. Bacterial enterotoxins, which
      stimulate production of the cyclic nucleotide cAMP are effective experimental
      mucosal vaccine adjuvants, but their inherent toxicity has precluded their use in
      humans. We investigated whether cyclic dinucleotides that target Stimulator of
      Interferon Gamma Genes (STING) in mammalian cells could represent an alternative
      to bacterial enterotoxins as adjuvant for sublingual immunization and promotion
      of mucosal immunity and secretory IgA responses in addition to systemic immunity.
      We found that sublingual immunization of mice with Bacillus anthracis protective
      antigen (PA) and the STING ligand 3'3'-cGAMP promotes PA-specific serum IgG Ab
      responses of the same magnitude as those induced after immunization with PA and
      the experimental adjuvant cholera toxin (CT). Interestingly, this STING ligand
      also promoted serum anti-PA IgA and IgA-producing cells in the bone marrow.
      Furthermore, the saliva of mice immunized with the STING ligand exhibited similar
      levels of PA-specific IgA Abs as groups immunized with CT as adjuvant. The
      adjuvant activity of 3'3'-cGAMP was associated with mixed Th1, Th2, and Th17
      responses. This STING ligand also induced rapid IFN-beta and IL-10 responses in
      sublingual tissues and cervical lymph nodes, and TGF-beta responses in the
      cervical lymph nodes, which could contribute to promoting IgA responses after
      sublingual immunization.

PMID- 28343783
TI  - How reliable is the vomer flap in early hard palate repair?
AB  - Hard palate closure with a vomer flap at the time of lip repair has been widely
      adopted. A recent study by Deshpande et al. showed a high rate of failure of the
      vomer flap and led the authors to abandon the technique. We conducted a
      retrospective study of vomer flap healing in a consecutive series of cases
      performed by the senior author (D.O.). The case records of 71 patients who
      underwent repair of unilateral cleft lip and palate with a vomer flap at the time
      of lip repair were studied. Vomer flap healing was assessed and documented by the
      senior author at the time of definitive palate closure, and this was recorded.
      Adequate records were available for 66 cases. Twelve patients (18%) had
      associated syndromes and were included in the analysis. The median age at the
      time of lip and vomer flap repair was 3.5 months, and that at the time of palate
      repair was 8 months. At definitive palatoplasty, the vomer flap was intact in 62
      patients (94%). Four patients (6%) had partial or complete failure of the vomer
      flap. All failures occurred in cases where the vomer flap was sutured directly to
      the nasal mucosa, a technique since abandoned in favour of double-breasting the
      flap to the raw surface of the oral mucosa. Five patients had incomplete healing
      of the palate following definitive palatoplasty, two of whom had a previous vomer
      flap failure. Contrary to Deshpande et al., we found the vomer flap to be highly
      reliable in closing the hard palate at the time of primary lip repair.

PMID- 28343784
TI  - A modified intraoral and extraoral approach osteotomy for the prominent
      mandibular angle.
AB  - BACKGROUND: A prominent mandibular angle (PMA) is a relatively common condition
      in Asians, and surgeons typically use the intraoral approach to treat it.
      However, the approach can have many drawbacks due to the limited operative field
      and view. The procedures of osteotomy are not easily manipulated, and an exact
      resection is difficult. In addition, some major complications can easily occur.
      This article presents a modified osteotomy method for the PMA that avoids these
      disadvantages and makes the procedure easier to execute. METHODS: Four
      modifications of the procedures have been made: 1. The addition of a small
      extraoral incision in the auriculocephalic sulcus behind the earlobe; 2. A modest
      reduction in both the intraoral incision length and excessive mouth traction; 3.
      The use of a reciprocating saw through the extraoral incision tunnel to simplify
      the operative procedure; and 4. Extraction of sustained-suction drains from the
      extraoral incision. Postoperatively, all patients were followed up and
      administered the validated satisfaction questionnaire and the Patient Scar
      Assessment Questionnaire. RESULTS: From June 2010 to June 2015, 46 patients with
      a PMA underwent surgery using this method. All patients were satisfied with the
      esthetic results. The majority of patients could not feel an objectionable jaw
      line or bony step (86.9%), visible deformity (97.8%) or bony regrowth (95.6%).
      All patients noted a positive psychosocial influence. All patients perceived the
      overall appearance of their extraoral scar to be "good" or "excellent." Forty
      five (97.8%) were "not at all" self-conscious of their scar. The overall
      complication rate was 6.5%, and no major complication was seen. CONCLUSION: The
      described method for the surgical treatment of PMA is a simple and safe procedure
      with fewer complications. The procedure is easy to perform, consumes less time,
      and can help resect the PMA accurately and easily.

PMID- 28343785
TI  - Pericardial mesothelioma presenting as a suspected ST-elevation myocardial
      infarction.
AB  - Primary cardiac and pericardial tumors are rare entities with an autopsy
      frequency of 0.001-0.03%. Metastases to the heart and pericardium are much more
      common than primary tumors. Malignant pericardial mesotheliomas account for up to
      50% of primary pericardial tumors. We report the case of a 75-year-old woman with
      hypertension, dyslipidemia and atrial fibrillation who went to the emergency
      department due to nonspecific thoracic discomfort of over six hours duration
      associated with syncope. Physical examination revealed a low-amplitude arrhythmic
      pulse, no heart murmurs and no signs of pulmonary congestion. The ECG revealed
      atrial fibrillation with ST-segment elevation in V2-V6, I and aVL. The patient
      was transferred for emergent coronary angiography, which revealed a long stenosis
      in the mid-distal portion of the left anterior descending artery. The
      echocardiogram showed a large pericardial effusion with diffuse thickening of the
      myocardium. Due to worsening hemodynamics, cardiac rupture was suspected and the
      patient underwent urgent sternotomy and pericardiotomy with drainage of a large
      quantity of hematic fluid. The surgeons then identified a large, unresectable
      tumor occupying the distal half of the anterior portion of the heart. This is, to
      our knowledge, the first case report of primary pericardial mesothelioma
      presenting with suspected ST-elevation myocardial infarction. In this case,
      direct observation of the tumor led to biopsy and the final diagnosis. These are
      highly malignant tumors and when diagnosed are usually already at an advanced
      stage.

PMID- 28343786
TI  - Cardiac resynchronization therapy: Femoral approach.
AB  - We describe the case of a 62-year-old female patient with bilateral subclavian
      vein occlusion, in whom a cardiac resynchronization system was implanted via a
      femoral vein.

PMID- 28343787
TI  - Relationship between rotors and complex fractionated electrograms in atrial
      fibrillation using a novel computational analysis.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: Rotors and complex fractionated atrial electrograms (CFAEs) have
      been suggested as possible therapeutic targets in ablation of atrial fibrillation
      (AF). The aim of this study was to assess the relationship between rotors and
      CFAEs in patients with AF. METHODS: We studied 18 patients with AF (mean age 69+/
      8 years, 33% female) who underwent rotor ablation and pulmonary vein isolation.
      Endocardial mapping was performed with a basket catheter to identify the
      presence, number and location of rotors and CFAEs. The FIRMTM (Abbott) and
      CARTOTM (Biosense) systems were used with overlapping of frames from continuous
      30-s recordings. CFAEs were classified as stable if present in >15 frames,
      moderately stable if present in 10-15 frames and unstable if present in 5-9
      frames. RESULTS: A total of 44 rotors and 60 CFAEs (39 of them stable) were
      identified. The mean number of rotors and stable CFAEs per patient was 2.6+/-1.4
      and 2.2+/-1.5, respectively. In 27 of the 44 identified rotors, CFAEs were found
      in the same location. Conversely, in 20 of the 39 stable CFAEs identified, a
      focal rotor was found in the same location. The majority of CFAEs found at the
      same location as a focal rotor were stable (63% vs. 37%, p=0.001). CONCLUSION:
      Rotors and CFAEs are frequently found in the same location within the atria,
      particularly when only stable CFAEs are considered. This relationship may have
      implications in the selection of substrate targets for ablation.

PMID- 28343788
TI  - Reply to the Letter to the Editor "Methodology, as well as physiological and
      pathological conditions, can affect analysis of the lymphocyte-to-monocyte
      ratio".

PMID- 28343789
TI  - Methodology, as well as physiological and pathological conditions, can affect
      analysis of the lymphocyte-to-monocyte ratio.

PMID- 28343790
TI  - Ablation of stable complex fractionated atrial electrogram defined by dynamic
      overlaid mapping in persistent atrial fibrillation.

PMID- 28343791
TI  - Androgen receptor-deficient islet beta-cells exhibit alteration in genetic
      markers of insulin secretion and inflammation. A transcriptome analysis in the
      male mouse.
AB  - AIMS: Testosterone action is mediated via the androgen receptor (AR). We have
      reported that male mice lacking AR selectively in beta-cells (betaARKO-/y)
      develop decreased glucose-stimulated insulin secretion (GSIS), producing glucose
      intolerance. We showed that testosterone action on AR in beta-cells amplifies the
      insulinotropic action of GLP-1 on its receptor via a cAMP-dependent protein
      kinase-A pathway. METHODS: To investigate AR-dependent gene networks in beta
      cells, we performed a high throughput whole transcriptome sequencing (RNA-Seq) in
      islets from male betaARKO-/y and control mice. RESULTS: We identified 214
      differentially expressed genes (DEGs) (158 up- and 56 down-regulated) with a
      false discovery rate (FDR) < 0.05 and a fold change (FC) > 2. Our analysis of
      individual transcripts revealed alterations in beta-cell genes involved in
      cellular inflammation/stress and insulin secretion. Based on 312 DEGs with an FDR
      < 0.05, the pathway analysis revealed 23 significantly enriched pathways,
      including cytokine-cytokine receptor interaction, Jak-STAT signaling, insulin
      signaling, MAPK signaling, type 2 diabetes (T2D) and pancreatic secretion. The
      gene ontology analysis confirmed the results of the individual DEGs and the
      pathway analysis in showing enriched biological processes encompassing
      inflammation, ion transport, exocytosis and insulin secretion. CONCLUSIONS: AR
      deficient islets exhibit altered expression of genes involved in inflammation and
      insulin secretion demonstrating the importance of androgen action in beta-cell
      health in the male with implications for T2D development in men.

PMID- 28343792
TI  - Liberating A1C goals in older adults may not protect against the risk of
      hypoglycemia.
AB  - AIMS: Hemoglobin A1C is universally used as a marker for glycemic control and to
      establish glycemic goals in patients with diabetes. In the older population,
      experts recommend liberating A1C goals to decrease the risk of hypoglycemia.
      However, it's not clear which A1C level is optimal for this purpose. This study's
      aim was to understand the relationship between A1C levels and risk of
      hypoglycemia. METHODS: In a prospective study, we performed continuous glucose
      monitoring (CGM) on older adults on insulin. Hypoglycemia duration and A1C were
      measured at baseline while patients were on multiple insulin injections, and
      again after de-intensification to once-a-day basal insulin with non-insulin
      agents. RESULTS: We assessed 65 patients; mean age76+/-6years with on average
      3.7+/-1.3 insulin injections/day. At baseline, 26% of the patients had A1C<7%
      (53mmol/mol), 42% between 7.1% and 8% (54-64mmol/mol), 21% between 8.1% and 9%
      (65-75mmol/mol), and 11% >9% (76mmol/mol). The duration of hypoglycemia
      (<70mg/dl, <60mg/dl, <50mg/dl) was not different between the A1c groups,
      regardless of treatment intensity (multiple insulin injections or once-a-day
      basal insulin with non-insulin agents). CONCLUSIONS: A1C levels are not
      associated with hypoglycemia risk in older population with type-2 diabetes on
      insulin therapy. Higher A1C goals do not protect against hypoglycemia.

PMID- 28343793
TI  - Critical analysis and review of the literature on healthcare privatization and
      its association with access to medical care in Saudi Arabia.
AB  - This paper is a review of the literature on hospitals privatization to assess the
      influence of privatization on access to medical care. The results are used to
      complete further analysis on the situation in Saudi Arabia. Over 979 references
      were initially identified through a database search, and an additional 237 were
      included from other sources. From these sources, only 11 articles were considered
      for review after excluding the ineligible articles, such as those that did not
      meet the hospitals privatization's definition or other exclusion criteria. There
      is weak evidence and low scientific validity supporting the argument that
      privatization could increase access to medical care. Prior to privatization,
      Saudi Arabia has to consider reforming its healthcare financing, including
      auditing and efficiency. After privatization, a policy has to be developed to
      ensure that the most vulnerable groups have access to good-quality healthcare
      while controlling costs for care providers.

PMID- 28343794
TI  - Sickness presenteeism among health care providers in an academic tertiary care
      center in Riyadh.
AB  - The term sickness presenteeism (SP) has been described as the act of going to
      work despite having a state of health that may be regarded as poor enough to
      justify sick leave. SP has been observed to be prevalent among three-quarters of
      health care providers (HCPs). Working while sick not only puts patients at risk
      but also decreases productivity and increases the probability of medical errors.
      Moreover, SP has been identified as a risk factor for many negative health
      outcomes among the HCPs themselves, such as depression, burnout, and serious
      cardiac events. The aim of this study was to identify the reasons for and
      prevalence of SP and perceptions of the impact of this practice on patient safety
      among HCPs. A cross-sectional study was conducted, including 279 purposively
      selected healthcare professionals (doctors, nurses, dentists, pharmacists and
      other health care professionals) working at the Ministry of National Guard Health
      Affairs-King Abdulaziz Medical City (MNGHA-KAMC). While nearly all of the
      participants (91%) believed that working while sick exposed patients to risk, the
      rate of SP during the past year was reported as 74%, and one fourth of
      respondents reported working while sick 3-4 times during the past year. More than
      half of the participants were not aware of the existence of a departmental policy
      regarding sick leave. The most common reasons reported for working while sick
      were not wanting to burden co-workers (71%), feelings of duty toward patients
      (67%), and avoiding an increased future workload caused by absence (59%). A lack
      of awareness regarding the existing rules and polices related to sick leave was
      reported by more than half of the participants. Several predisposing and enabling
      factors were reported as determinants influencing SP, e.g., observation of the
      practice of SP by peers and feelings of sympathy towards coworkers, including not
      wanting to overburden them, were reported to be determinants informing the
      decision of whether to work while sick.

PMID- 28343795
TI  - Use of magnetic resonance imaging in low-dose-rate and high-dose-rate prostate
      brachytherapy from diagnosis to treatment assessment: Defining the knowledge
      gaps, technical challenges, and barriers to implementation.
AB  - MRI is rapidly evolving as an imaging tool in both low-dose-rate and high-dose
      rate brachytherapy for prostate cancer. The ability of MRI to identify
      intraprostatic tumors and reduce uncertainties in the workflow process should
      enable a more accurate and precise radiation delivery approach while
      simultaneously improving the quality assurance process. The ability to identify
      functional anatomic structures adjacent to the prostate cancer could reduce or
      eliminate some of the more common side effects of the treatment. However, MRI is
      complex, and collaborative efforts and future research are required to address
      the current knowledge gaps, technical challenges, and barriers to widespread the
      implementation of MRI-assisted and MRI-guided prostate brachytherapy.

PMID- 28343796
TI  - Dabigatran: Important Considerations in the Elderly.

PMID- 28343797
TI  - Early Brain Edema is a Predictor of In-Hospital Mortality in Traumatic Brain
      Injury.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Identifying patients who may progress to a poor clinical outcome will
      encourage earlier appropriate therapeutic interventions. Brain edema may
      contribute to secondary injury in traumatic brain injury (TBI) and thus, may be a
      useful prognostic indicator. OBJECTIVE: We determined whether the presence of
      brain edema on the initial computed tomography (CT) scan of TBI patients would
      predict poor in-hospital outcome. METHODS: We performed a retrospective review of
      all trauma patients with nonpenetrating head trauma at a Level I Trauma Center.
      International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision codes indicated the
      presence of brain edema and we evaluated the validity of this pragmatic
      assessment quantitatively in a random subset of patients. In-hospital mortality
      was the primary outcome variable. Univariate analysis and logistic regression
      identified predictors of mortality in all TBI patients and those with mild TBI.
      RESULTS: Over 7200 patients were included in the study, including 6225 with mild
      TBI. Measurements of gray and white matter CT density verified radiological
      assessments of brain edema. Patients with documented brain edema had a mortality
      rate over 10 times that of the entire study population. With logistic regression
      accounting for Injury Severity Score, Glasgow Coma Scale score, other CT
      findings, and clinical variables, brain edema predicted an eightfold greater
      mortality rate in all patients (odds ratio 8.0, 95% confidence interval 4.6-14.0)
      and fivefold greater mortality rate for mild TBI patients (odds ratio 4.9, 95%
      confidence interval 2.0-11.7). CONCLUSIONS: Brain edema is an independent
      prognostic variable across all categories of TBI severity. By alerting emergency
      physicians to patients with poor predicted clinical outcomes, this finding will
      drive better resource allocation, earlier intervention, and reduced patient
      mortality.

PMID- 28343798
TI  - Assessment of a novel transdermal selective beta1-blocker, the bisoprolol patch,
      for treating frequent premature ventricular contractions in patients without
      structural heart disease.
AB  - BACKGROUND: The autonomic nervous system involves the genesis of premature
      ventricular contractions (PVCs). Previous studies demonstrated that heart rate
      (HR) dependency of idiopathic PVCs has different autonomic mechanisms. Recently,
      the bisoprolol patch, a novel transdermal beta1-blocker formulation containing
      bisoprolol, became clinically available. We examined the efficacy of the
      bisoprolol patch for treating frequent PVCs in patients without structural heart
      disease (SHD) regarding the HR dependency of PVCs. METHODS: This prospective
      study included 44 consecutive patients without SHD (25 men, mean age, 63.6+/-12.3
      years) with PVC counts>=3000 beats as measured by 24-hour Holter
      electrocardiograms (ECGs). PVCs were divided into positive HR-dependent PVCs (P
      PVCs) and non-positive HR-dependent PVCs (NP-PVCs) based on the relationship
      between the hourly PVC density and hourly mean HR. A bisoprolol patch was
      administered once daily at a dose of 4mg. The 24-hour Holter ECGs were performed
      before and 1 month after the initiation of the therapy. RESULTS: In 44 patients,
      there were 24 P-PVCs and 20 NP-PVCs. The bisoprolol patch reduced the PVC count
      significantly (from 16,563+/-10,056 to 7892+/-8817 beats/24hours, p<0.001) in the
      P-PVC group, while the PVC count did not change significantly (from 16,409+/-9571
      to 13,476+/-12,191beats/24hours, p=0.34) in the NP-PVC group. Moreover, in the P
      PVC group, the patients with mean HRs >=80 beats/minute had a significantly
      higher percent improvement in the PVC count than those with mean HRs <80
      beats/minute (p=0.0080). The bisoprolol patch resulted in a significant reduction
      in the PVC count from baseline during each time period for the changes within a
      24-hour period in the P-PVC group. CONCLUSIONS: The transdermal bisoprolol patch
      was effective for a PVC reduction in patients with P-PVCs, particularly in those
      with faster mean HRs. Furthermore, it demonstrated a stable PVC-reducing effect
      during the 24-hour period in the P-PVC group.

PMID- 28343799
TI  - Characterization of deficits across the spectrum of motor abilities in dialysis
      patients and the impact of sarcopenic overweight and obesity.
AB  - BACKGROUND & AIMS: Physical performance deficits in kidney failure predict
      mortality and quality of life. We aimed to quantify deficits in multiple motor
      abilities, investigate associations of lean and fat tissue content with test
      results and analyzed performance of sarcopenic individuals with adipose tissue
      excess. METHODS: Ninety hemodialysis patients and 140 healthy controls performed
      6-minute walk test, gait speed measurement, sit-to-stand and time up and go
      tests, upper extremity handgrip and tapping tests, Stork balance and forward bend
      flexibility tests. Human Activity Profile questionnaire was used to assess
      habitual activity. Body composition was measured by bioimpedance analysis.
      RESULTS: Relative performance deficit of dialysis patients in age, sex, height
      and comorbidity adjusted estimated marginal means was largest for balance and
      flexibility (-52 and -33%), followed by lower extremity deficits in sit-to-stand,
      time up and go and 6-minute walk tests (-29, -19 and -15%, respectively), p <
      0.05 for all comparisons. Upper extremity performance was less affected. Lean
      tissue index associated significantly positively with five and fat tissue index
      associated significantly negatively with two out of nine tests. Sarcopenic
      overweight and obese individuals exhibited significant deficits mainly in lower
      extremity tests with worse composite lower extremity score when compared to other
      categories of body composition. CONCLUSIONS: Patients with hemodialysis treated
      kidney failure have largest functional deficits in balance, flexibility and lower
      extremity functions. Lean and fat mass associate oppositely with physical
      performance measures and individuals at unfavorable extremes of these indices
      express significantly impaired lower extremity functions.

PMID- 28343800
TI  - Understanding mitochondrial diseases.

PMID- 28343801
TI  - Impact of therapeutic food compared to oral nutritional supplements on
      nutritional outcomes in mildly underweight healthy children in a low-medium
      income society.
AB  - BACKGROUND & AIMS: Therapeutic foods (RUTF) are used to treat severe acute
      malnutrition in children 5 years and under in low and middle income countries
      (LMI), while liquid nutritional supplements (ONS) are used in affluent societies.
      With globalisation and economic growth in LMI, there will be an inclination to
      move towards practices applied in affluent countries. This study compared the
      effect of supplementation with a RUTF and an ONS, on nutritional outcomes in
      mildly underweight children. METHODS: 68 Pakistani (5-10 y), mildly underweight
      (weight Z-score: -2 to -1) children randomly received either RUTF or ONS (500
      kcal/day), in addition to their habitual diet for four weeks. Weight, height,
      skinfolds and their changes during intervention, were compared between the two
      groups and at follow up, post-supplementation. RESULTS: All nutritional outcomes
      and height improved with both supplements, but net weight gain (kg) and changes
      from baseline for weight, height, triceps and sub-scapular thickness Z-scores did
      not differ between the two supplements [mean (SD), RUTF vs ONS; weight gain (kg),
      0.59 (0.30) vs 0.65 (0.42), p = 0.483; weight Z-score, 0.12 (0.09) vs 0.15
      (0.13), p = 0.347; height Z-score, 0.04 (0.08) vs 0.04 (0.08), p = 0.908; triceps
      Z-score, 0.29 (0.24) vs 0.31 (0.23), p = 0.796; subscapular Z-score, 0.37 (0.29)
      vs 0.31 (0.25), p = 0.385]. Weight gain (0.6 kg) for both groups was lower than
      anticipated (2 kg). Post-supplementation, there was a tendency for weight and
      height Z-score to return to baseline. CONCLUSIONS: RUTF and ONS are equivalently
      effective in improving nutritional outcomes in children 5 to 10 y at risk of
      malnutrition but the observed benefit is less than expected and not sustainable.
      TRIAL REGISTRATION: This trial was registered at www.controlled-trials.com
      reference: ISRCTN51555749. RCT REGISTRATION: This trial was registered at
      www.controlled-trials.com reference: ISRCTN51555749.

PMID- 28343802
TI  - [The effect of methylphenidate on appetite and weight].
AB  - OBJECTIVES: To better delineate in the medical literature the effect of
      methylphenidate on weight and appetite. METHODS: A search on PubMed was carried
      out for articles published with no restrictions on language or year of
      publication using the terms: "methylphenidate"; "weight"; "appetite". RESULTS:
      Methylphenidate increases dopamine and noradrenaline in synapses because of its
      blockage of the transporters of these monoamines in the frontal cortex and
      insular lobe. The intracerebral activity of methylphenidate is incriminated in
      the dysregulation of appetite due to its probable effect stimulating the disgust
      sensation generated after the activation of the insular lobe by the drug. The
      anorexigenic effect of methylphenidate has been demonstrated in preclinical
      studies although the dosage and the administration routes differ in animals from
      those used for human beings. In clinical studies, methylphenidate decreases the
      weight of children and adolescents during the first 3 to 6 months after its
      initiation due to the appetite reduction effect that it generates with a tendency
      of weight curves to rejoin the curves of subjects who did not receive the
      treatment a few years after its initiation. CONCLUSION: The anorexigenic effect
      of methylphenidate does not persist over the long-term in children and
      adolescents who receive it.

PMID- 28343803
TI  - [Man, woman? Make your choice].

PMID- 28343804
TI  - Evaluation of the Grafted Fascia in the Vocal Fold of Dogs: A Histologic Study.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: There is no consensus on the ideal graft for medialization surgery
      of the vocal folds in the literature. One of the most favorable proposals is the
      use of autologous fascia, which seems limited by the lack of information
      regarding the integration of grafted tissue. Our study aims to evaluate the
      degree of fully engrafted fascia integration in the vocal fold lamina propria of
      dogs. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Fourteen adult mongrel dogs that underwent
      intravenous general anesthesia were selected and kept under spontaneous
      ventilation. A fascia lata fragment of 4 cm2 was obtained from the right leg of
      each dog. The dogs underwent laryngoscopy; a 3 mm incision was made in the vocal
      process, next to the vestibular process, and the fascia was grafted into the
      right vocal fold. The left vocal fold was used as a control. The animals were
      divided into two groups: group A, evaluated after 2 months of the procedure, and
      group B, evaluated after 6 months of the procedure. Histologic analysis was made
      semiquantitatively regarding the presence of inflammatory reaction, fibrosis, and
      neovascularization. RESULTS: Our final studied group comprised 12 dogs.
      Microscopic examination of the larynx revealed the absence of any detectable
      inflammation in the incision site. The lamina propria of the grafted vocal fold
      showed identifiable compact, thick, and eosinophilic collagen bands. The
      surrounding tissue showed thin collagen bands with some organization, similar to
      the contralateral vocal fold. CONCLUSION: The grafted fascia integrates into the
      vocal fold lamina propria and seems not to cause inflammatory reaction response.

PMID- 28343805
TI  - The Reported Incidence and Nature of Voice Disorders in the Private Healthcare
      Context of Gauteng.
AB  - OBJECTIVES: The study aimed to determine the incidence and nature of voice
      disorders, as reported by ear, nose, and throat specialists (ENTs), in the
      Gauteng private healthcare context. STUDY DESIGN: This is a cross-sectional
      survey design. METHODS: The respondents had to be certified ENTs working in the
      private healthcare context in Gauteng. The survey was sent out electronically to
      all 94 ENTs, registered with the ENT Society, working in the private healthcare
      context; thus, no additional requirements had to be met. The survey inquired
      about the total number of referrals from January 2015 to January 2016, the total
      number of referrals who were diagnosed with a voice disorder, as well as
      information regarding the patients such as the nature of the voice disorders.
      RESULTS: Of the 94 surveys sent out, 24 of them were completed (25.5%). The
      incidence of voice disorders reported was 5.2%. The most commonly diagnosed voice
      disorder is acute laryngitis (32%). The majority of ENTs (75%) received referrals
      from general practitioners and referred to speech-language pathologists if the
      patient presented with a voice disorder. CONCLUSIONS: The results from this study
      may enable healthcare professionals to adequately plan service delivery resource
      allocations to provide appropriate services. Additional studies are required to
      examine the incidence of voice disorders in the public healthcare context as well
      as the prevalence of voice disorders in Gauteng.

PMID- 28343806
TI  - Ultrasonographic Evaluation of Anterolateral Ligament Injuries: Correlation With
      Magnetic Resonance Imaging and Pivot-Shift Testing.
AB  - PURPOSE: (1) To compare the diagnostic ability of ultrasonography (US) and
      magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to detect anterolateral ligament (ALL) injuries
      in anterior cruciate ligament (ACL)-deficient patients, and (2) to evaluate the
      correlation between ALL injury status (as determined by US and MRI) and the
      knee's rotational stability. METHODS: Thirty patients with an isolated ACL injury
      were included prospectively over a 3-month period. The condition of the ALL was
      evaluated by 2 experienced radiologists using both US and MRI. Rotational
      stability was evaluated by 2 surgeons with the pivot-shift test with patients
      under general anesthesia. It was classified as either negative (grades 0 and I)
      or positive (grades II and III). The radiologists were blinded to the knee's
      rotational stability, and the surgeons were blinded to the ALL's status based on
      the US images. The correlation between the ALL's injury status (US and MRI) and
      the pivot shift was determined with the Pearson chi2 test. To evaluate the
      reproducibility of the results, the agreement between observers was determined
      with the Cohen kappa coefficient. RESULTS: On US, the ALL was identified and
      visible over its entire length in 100% of patients (30 of 30, kappa = 1). The ALL
      was injured in 63% of patients (19 of 30, kappa = 0.93). On MRI, the ALL was
      identified in 96% of patients (29 of 30, kappa = 0.91). The ALL appeared injured
      in 53% of cases (16 of 30, kappa = 0.93). An ALL that appeared injured on US was
      more often associated with a positive pivot shift than was an uninjured ALL (75%
      vs 39%, chi2 = 13.7, P < .05). The interobserver agreement was high for both US
      (kappa = 0.91-1) and MRI (kappa = 0.76-1). CONCLUSIONS: US is a reproducible
      examination for the diagnosis of ALL injury. An ALL injury is most often
      associated with a high pivot-shift grade. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Level II,
      prospective comparative study.

PMID- 28343807
TI  - Dial Test: Unrecognized Predictor of Anterior Cruciate Ligament Deficiency.
AB  - PURPOSE: To evaluate the effect of isolated anterior cruciate ligament (ACL)
      injury on tibial external rotation as measured by the dial test. METHODS: Twenty
      seven consecutive patients scheduled to undergo a primary ACL reconstruction were
      prospectively evaluated. Physical examination and magnetic resonance imaging
      findings were analyzed to exclude multiligamentous injury. The dial test was
      performed with the patient under anesthesia with a goniometer on both the
      affected and unaffected knees at 30 degrees  and 90 degrees . Intraoperatively,
      the arthroscopic posterolateral corner gaps before reconstruction and after
      reconstruction were documented. Postoperatively, the dial test was again
      performed on both knees at 30 degrees  and 90 degrees . RESULTS: At 30 degrees ,
      there was a significantly larger dial test result in the affected knee before ACL
      reconstruction compared with after ACL reconstruction (27.6 degrees  vs 21.0
      degrees , P < .0001) and compared with the unaffected knee (27.6 degrees  vs 20.5
      degrees , P < .0001), but this difference was eliminated after reconstruction
      (21.0 degrees  vs 20.5 degrees , P = .5089). At 90 degrees , there was a
      significantly larger dial test result in the affected knee before ACL
      reconstruction compared with after ACL reconstruction (27.6 degrees  vs 21.1
      degrees , P < .0001) and compared with the unaffected knee (27.6 degrees  vs 20.9
      degrees , P < .0001), with this difference was eliminated after reconstruction
      (21.1 degrees  vs 20.9 degrees , P = .7831). CONCLUSIONS: Incompetence of the ACL
      accounts for nearly 7 degrees  of tibial external rotation found by the dial
      test. During examination of an injured knee, if the dial test is positive, an
      isolated ACL injury should not be excluded. Findings of the dial test should thus
      be interpreted with caution in the setting of ACL injury. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE:
      Level II, prospective comparative study.

PMID- 28343808
TI  - An Anatomic Evaluation of Arthroscopic Access to the Radial Head.
AB  - PURPOSE: To determine the area of the radial head accessible for visualization
      and screw placement from the standard anteromedial and anterolateral portals used
      in elbow arthroscopy. METHODS: Five cadaveric elbows were arthroscopically
      evaluated using standard anteromedial and anterolateral portals. Markers (pins)
      were placed into the accessible portions of the radial head at maximal pronation
      and supination. Specimens were then evaluated by computed tomography, and the arc
      of the radial head accessible from each portal was determined. RESULTS: A
      continuous 220.04 degrees  +/- 37.58 degrees  arc of the radial head was
      accessible from the combination of the anterolateral and anteromedial portals.
      From the anteromedial portal, the arc obtained measured 147.96 degrees  +/- 21.81
      degrees , and from the anterolateral portal, the arc obtained measured 156.02
      degrees  +/- 33.32 degrees . Using the radial styloid as a marker for 0 degrees ,
      the mean total arc ranged from 92.3 degrees  +/- 34.06 degrees  dorsal to 127.74
      degrees  +/- 23.65 degrees  volar relative to the radial styloid. CONCLUSIONS:
      Standard anteromedial and anterolateral portals used for elbow arthroscopy allow
      access to an average 220 degrees  area of the radial head. CLINICAL RELEVANCE:
      This study defines the area of the radial head that can be contacted using
      commonly used, safe, and simple portals.

PMID- 28343810
TI  - Policy objective of generic medicines from the investment perspective: The case
      of clopidogrel.
AB  - The objective of generic drug policies in most countries is defined from a
      disinvestment perspective: reduction in expenditures without compromising health
      outcomes. However, in countries with restricted access of patients to original
      patented drugs, the objective of generic drug policies can also be defined from
      an investment perspective: health gain by improved patient access without need
      for additional health budget. This study examines the investment aspect of
      generic medicines by analyzing clopidogrel utilization in European countries
      between 2004 and 2014 using multilevel panel data models. We find that
      clopidogrel consumption was strongly affected by affordability constraints before
      the generic entry around 2009, but this effect decayed by 2014. After controlling
      for other variables, utilization had a substantially larger trend increase in
      lower-income European countries than in the higher-income ones. Generic entry
      increased clopidogrel consumption only in lower- and average-income countries but
      not in the highest-income ones. An earlier generic entry was associated with a
      larger effect. The case of clopidogrel indicates that the entrance of generics
      may increase patient access to effective medicines, most notably in lower-income
      countries, thereby reducing inequalities between European patients. Policymakers
      should also consider this investment aspect of generic medicines when designing
      pharmaceutical policies.

PMID- 28343809
TI  - In Vivo Analysis of Dynamic Graft Bending Angle in Anterior Cruciate Ligament
      Reconstructed Knees During Downward Running and Level Walking: Comparison of
      Flexible and Rigid Drills for Transportal Technique.
AB  - PURPOSE: To determine the in vivo dynamic graft bending angle (GBA) in anterior
      cruciate ligament (ACL)-reconstructed knees, correlate the angle to tunnel
      positions and tunnel widening, and evaluate the effects of 2 femoral tunnel
      drilling techniques on GBA. METHODS: Patients with an isolated ACL injury
      undergoing reconstruction from 2011 to 2012 were included. Transportal techniques
      were used to create femoral tunnels. Tunnel locations were determined by 3
      dimensional computed tomography. Tibiofemoral kinematics during treadmill walking
      and running were assessed by dynamic stereo x-ray analysis 6 months and 2 years
      postoperatively. The GBA was calculated from the 3-dimensional angle between the
      graft and femoral tunnel vectors on each motion frame. The cross-sectional areas
      of femoral tunnels were measured at 6 months and compared with the initial size
      to assess tunnel widening. RESULTS: A total of 54 patients were included. Use of
      flexible drills resulted in significantly higher GBAs during walking (80.6
      degrees  +/- 7.8 degrees , P < .001) and running (80.5 degrees  +/- 9.0 degrees ,
      P = .025) than rigid drills (walking, 67.5 degrees  +/- 9.3 degrees ; running,
      74.1 degrees  +/- 9.6 degrees ). Their use led to greater tunnel widening of
      113.9% +/- 17.6%, as compared with 97.7% +/- 17.5% for rigid drills (P = .003).
      The femoral and tibial apertures were located in similar anatomic positions in
      both groups, but the femoral tunnel exits were located more anteriorly (P < .001)
      in the flexible drill group. A higher GBA was highly correlated with anterior
      location of femoral exits (r = 0.63, P < .001) and moderately correlated with
      greater tunnel widening (r = 0.48, P < .001). CONCLUSIONS: High GBAs were
      identified during dynamic activities after anatomic ACL reconstruction with a
      transportal femoral tunnel drilling technique. The GBA was greater when flexible
      drills were used. The high bending angle resulted from the more anterior location
      of the femoral tunnel exits, and it correlated with early bone tunnel widening at
      6 months. These results suggest that a high GBA may increase stress at the bone
      graft interface and contribute to greater tunnel widening after anatomic ACL
      reconstruction, although the clinical impact should be further investigated.
      LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Level III, retrospective comparative study.

PMID- 28343811
TI  - Brexit and the NHS: Challenges, uncertainties and opportunities.

PMID- 28343812
TI  - Stature estimation in a contemporary Japanese population based on clavicular
      measurements using multidetector computed tomography.
AB  - The aims of this study was to assess the correlation between stature and
      clavicular measurements in a contemporary Japanese population using three
      dimensional (3D) computed tomographic (CT) images, and to establish regression
      equations for predicting stature. A total of 249 cadavers (131 males, 118
      females) underwent postmortem CT scanning and subsequent forensic autopsy between
      October 2011 and May 2016 in our department. Four clavicular variables (linear
      distances between the superior margins of the left and right sternal facets to
      the anterior points of the left and right acromial ends and between the superior
      margins of the left and right sternal facets to the left and right conoid
      tubercles) were measured using 3D CT reconstructed images that extracted only
      bone data. The correlations between stature and each of the clavicular
      measurements were assessed with Pearson product-moment correlation coefficients.
      These clavicular measurements correlated significantly with stature in both
      sexes. The lowest standard error of estimation value in all, male, and female
      subjects was 3.62cm (r2=0.836), 3.55cm (r2=0.566), and 3.43cm (r2=0.663),
      respectively. In conclusion, clavicular measurements obtained from 3D CT images
      may be useful for stature estimation of Japanese individuals, particularly in
      cases where better predictors, such as long bones, are not available.

PMID- 28343813
TI  - Radiological assessment of the compression depth: A hospital based trauma
      database quantitative analysis from China.

PMID- 28343814
TI  - Authors respond to Both qSOFA score and bedside plasma lactate are the predictors
      of mortality for patients with infections in ED.

PMID- 28343816
TI  - The risk of unintentional out-of-network encounters with hospital-based
      physicians at in-network hospitals.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: When hospital-based specialists including emergency physicians,
      anesthesiologists, pathologists and radiologists are not included in the same
      insurance networks as their parent hospitals, it creates confusion and leads to
      unexpected costs for patients. This study explored the frequency with which
      hospital-based physicians at academic medical centers are not included in the
      network directories for the same insurance networks as their parent teaching
      hospitals. METHODS: We studied teaching hospitals with residency programs in all
      four hospital-based specialties. Using insurance plan provider directories, we
      determined whether each teaching hospital was in-network for randomly selected
      locally available insurance plans offered through the federal and state
      marketplace exchanges. For each established hospital-network relationship, we
      then determined whether hospital-based specialists were included in the provider
      network directory by searching for the name of each specialty's residency program
      director and the name of the physician practice group. RESULTS: We identified 79
      teaching hospitals participating in 144 locally available insurance plan
      networks. Hospital-based specialist inclusion in these hospital-network
      relationships was: emergency physicians: 50.0% (CI: 40%-59%); anesthesiologists:
      50.0% (CI: 42%-58%); pathologists: 45.4% (CI: 37%-54%); and radiologists: 55.1%
      (46%-64%). Inclusion of all four hospital-based specialties occurred in only
      45.0% (CI: 36%-54%) of the hospital-network relationships. CONCLUSION: For
      insurance plans offered through the federal and state marketplace exchanges,
      hospital-based specialists frequently are not included in the directories for the
      insurance networks in which their parent teaching hospitals participate. Further
      research is needed to explore this issue at non-academic hospitals and for off
      exchange insurance products, and to determine effective policy solutions.

PMID- 28343815
TI  - Soft tissue oxygen saturation to predict admission from the emergency department:
      A prospective observational study.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: We evaluated a soft tissue oxygen saturation (Sto2) measurement at
      triage for predicting admission to the hospital in adults presenting to the
      emergency department (ED) in addition to data routinely gathered at triage.
      METHODS: This was a prospective, observational, single center study of adults
      presenting to the ED for evaluation. Research assistants obtained thenar eminence
      Sto2 measurements on subjects in ED triage. ED providers not involved in the
      study then made all management and disposition decisions. We prospectively
      collected data on each subject's final ED disposition (admission versus
      discharge). We identified the optimal Sto2 cutoff value for predicting admission.
      We then used logistic regression modeling to describe the added predictive value
      of Sto2 beyond routinely collected triage data including Emergency Severity Index
      level, age, and vital signs. RESULTS: We analyzed 2588 adult (>17years) subjects
      with 743 subjects (28.7%) admitted to the hospital. Sto2<76% was the optimal
      diagnostic cutoff for predicting admission. Of subjects with Sto2<76%, 158 of 384
      (41.1%) underwent admission versus 585 of 2204 (26.5%) subjects with Sto2>=76.
      After controlling for age, vital signs, and ESI level in the logistic regression
      analysis, Sto2<76% had an odds ratio of 1.54 (95% confidence interval (CI), 1.19
      to 1.98) for predicting admission. CONCLUSIONS: Sto2 may provide additional
      prognostic data to routine triage assessment regarding the disposition for
      undifferentiated adult patients presenting to the ED.

PMID- 28343817
TI  - Conventional vs  invert-grayscale X-ray for diagnosis of pneumothorax in the
      emergency setting.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: Pneumothorax is a pathologic condition in which air is accumulated
      between the visceral and parietal pleura. After clinical suspicion, in order to
      diagnose the severity of the condition, imaging is necessary. By using the help
      of Picture Archiving and Communication Systems (PACS) direct conventional X-rays
      are converted to gray-scale and this has become a preferred method among many
      physicians. METHODS: Our study design was a case-control study with cross-over
      design study. Posterior-anterior chest X-rays of patients were evaluated for
      pneumothorax by 10 expert physicians with at least 3years of experience and who
      have used inverted gray-scale posterior anterior chest X-ray for diagnosing
      pneumothorax. RESULTS: The study included posterior anterior chest X-ray images
      of 268 patients of which 106 were diagnosed with spontaneous pneumothorax and 162
      patients used as a control group. The sensitivity of Digital-conventional X-rays
      was found to be higher than that of inverted gray-scale images (95% CI (2,08
      5,04), p<0,01). There was no statistically significant difference between the
      gold standard and digital-conventional images (95% CI (0,45-2,17), p=0,20), while
      the evaluations of the gray-scale images were found to be less sensitive for
      diagnosis (95% CI (3,16-5,67) p<0,01). CONCLUSION: Inverted gray-scale imaging is
      not a superior imaging modality over digital-conventional X-ray for the diagnosis
      of pneumothorax. Prospective studies should be performed where diagnostic potency
      of inverted gray-scale radiograms is tested against gold standard chest CT.
      Further research should compare inverted grayscale to lung ultrasound to assess
      them as alternatives prior to CT.

PMID- 28343818
TI  - Comparative performances of serologic and molecular assays for detecting human T
      lymphotropic virus type 1 and type 2 (HTLV-1 and HTLV-2) in patients infected
      with human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1).
AB  - The present study evaluated several techniques currently available (commercial
      kits and in-house assays) for diagnosing human T lymphotropic viruses types 1 and
      2 in two groups of patients enrolled at HIV/AIDS specialized care services in Sao
      Paulo: Group 1 (G1), n=1608, 1237 male/371 female, median age 44.3 years old,
      majority using highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART); G2, n=1383, 930
      male/453 female, median age of 35.6 years old, majority HAART naive. Enzyme
      immunoassays [(EIA) Murex and Gold ELISA] were employed for human T lymphotropic
      viruses types 1 and 2 screening; Western blotting (WB), INNO-LIA (LIA), real-time
      PCR pol (qPCR), and nested-PCR-RFLP (tax) were used to confirm infection. Samples
      were considered human T lymphotropic viruses types 1 and 2 positive when there
      was reactivity using at least one of the four confirmatory assays. By serological
      screening, 127/2991 samples were positive or borderline, and human T lymphotropic
      virus infection was confirmed in 108 samples (three EIA-borderline): 56 human T
      lymphotropic virus type 1 [G1 (27)+G2 (29)]; 45 human T lymphotropic virus type 2
      [G1 (21)+G2 (24)]; one human T lymphotropic virus type 1+human T lymphotropic
      virus type 2 (G2); six human T lymphotropic virus [G1 (2)+G2 (4)]. Although there
      were differences in group characteristics, human T lymphotropic viruses types 1
      and 2 prevalence was similar [3.1% (G1) and 4.2% (G2), p=0.113]. The overall
      sensitivities of LIA, WB, qPCR, and PCR-RFLP were 97.2%, 82.4%, 68.9%, and 68.4%,
      respectively, with some differences among groups, likely due to the stage of
      human T lymphotropic virus infection and/or HAART duration. Indeterminate
      immunoblotting results were detected in G2, possibly due to the seroconversion
      period. Negative results in molecular assays could be explained by the use of
      HAART, the occurrence of defective provirus and/or the low circulating proviral
      load. In conclusion, when determining the human T lymphotropic virus infection,
      the findings highlight that there is a need to consider the blood samples with
      borderline results in screening assays. Of all the tested assays, LIA was the
      assay of choice for detecting human T lymphotropic virus type 1 and human T
      lymphotropic virus type 2 in human immunodeficiency virus type 1-infected
      patients.

PMID- 28343819
TI  - Meropenem-induced low valproate levels in a cerebral palsy child.

PMID- 28343821
TI  - Use of Chronic Methadone Before Total Knee Arthroplasty.
AB  - BACKGROUND: A subset of patients who undergo total knee arthroplasty (TKA) are on
      methadone maintenance. They require more and often unpredictable quantities of
      opioids to function as effective painkillers. This study aims to compare the
      opioid requirements and the immediate postoperative course for patients on
      methadone maintenance with those who are not, after a TKA. METHODS: A
      retrospective, case-control study was performed. From 2005 to 2010, 36 patients,
      who underwent a unilateral TKA, on chronic methadone maintenance were identified.
      A control group matched for age, gender, and body mass index comprised patients
      from the same period, who did not self-report taking methadone. Chart review and
      analysis of patient demographics, type of anesthesia used, preoperative methadone
      use, inpatient opioid use (converted to oral morphine equivalent doses), need for
      in-house pain management consult, length of hospital stay, and need for
      reoperation were performed. RESULTS: Patients on chronic methadone maintenance
      used significantly more opioids than patients not on methadone during their
      entire inpatient stay (P < .001). This was demonstrated by a higher median daily
      usage of opioids and higher patient-controlled analgesia usage. Patients on
      methadone maintenance had a significantly longer postoperative inpatient
      hospitalization (P < .001). Finally, these patients required significantly more
      inpatient pain management referrals (P = .025). CONCLUSION: There is a
      significantly higher opioid requirement, length of stay, and pain management
      consults in patients on methadone maintenance compared with those who are not
      after a TKA. These patients may benefit from a nonroutine approach to
      perioperative care in TKA.

PMID- 28343822
TI  - The New Surgical Technique for Improving Total Knee and Hip Arthroplasty
      Outcomes: Patient Selection.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Inclusion of patient satisfaction scores in setting reimbursements
      has been suggested by health care policy makers to contain cost and improve
      outcomes. The Short Form 36 Health Survey (SF-36) score provides a health-related
      quality of life (HRQoL) measure of arthroplasty outcome. Although previous work
      identified factors that influence this score for hip and knee arthroplasty
      patients, they did not focus on how a surgeon might use this information in a
      clinical setting. The present study examined whether relatively simple criteria
      might identify patients more likely to experience minimal HRQoL improvement.
      METHODS: "Improvements" in SF-36 composite physical scores and subscales were
      calculated from the difference between initial (preoperative) and SF-36 scores at
      1 year. The rates of achieving a clinically significant improvement were compared
      between patient groups. RESULTS: After knee arthroplasty, women and younger
      patients achieved a clinically significant improvement in physical function more
      frequently than men and older patients (P = .04 and .02, respectively). The
      largest differences in improvement occurred between the diabetic and nondiabetic
      groups (P = .001), where the diabetic patients with >=2 additional comorbidities
      demonstrated the lowest rate of achieving a clinically significant improvement in
      physical function and bodily pain. In comparison, in hip patients only age had
      significant influence on gains in physical function, but this did not alter the
      rate at which patients achieved a clinically significant improvement. CONCLUSION:
      These data indicate simple screening criteria can identify patients where
      arthroplasty might provide marginal HRQoL improvement. They suggest HRQoL-based
      reimbursement incentives will favor practices with younger, healthier patient
      populations.

PMID- 28343820
TI  - Commensal Microbes and Hair Follicle Morphogenesis Coordinately Drive Treg
      Migration into Neonatal Skin.
AB  - Regulatory T cells (Tregs) are required to establish immune tolerance to
      commensal microbes. Tregs accumulate abruptly in the skin during a defined window
      of postnatal tissue development. However, the mechanisms mediating Treg migration
      to neonatal skin are unknown. Here we show that hair follicle (HF) development
      facilitates the accumulation of Tregs in neonatal skin and that upon skin entry
      these cells localize to HFs, a primary reservoir for skin commensals. Further,
      germ-free neonates had reduced skin Tregs indicating that commensal microbes
      augment Treg accumulation. We identified Ccl20 as a HF-derived, microbiota
      dependent chemokine and found its receptor, Ccr6, to be preferentially expressed
      by Tregs in neonatal skin. The Ccl20-Ccr6 pathway mediated Treg migration in
      vitro and in vivo. Thus, HF morphogenesis, commensal microbe colonization, and
      local chemokine production work in concert to recruit Tregs into neonatal skin,
      thereby establishing this tissue Treg niche early in life.

PMID- 28343823
TI  - Process Improvement Project Using Tranexamic Acid Is Cost-Effective in Reducing
      Blood Loss and Transfusions After Total Hip and Total Knee Arthroplasty.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Tranexamic acid (TXA) has been associated with decreased blood loss
      and transfusion after total hip arthroplasty (THA) and total knee arthroplasty
      (TKA). The purpose of this study was to examine both transfusion utilization and
      the economic impact of a Process Improvement Project implementing TXA for THA and
      TKA. METHODS: After standardization of TXA administration in THA and TKA
      patients, retrospective data were compared from 12 consecutive months before
      (group A, n = 336 procedures) and after (group B, n = 436 procedures) project
      initiation. RESULTS: TXA administration increased with project implementation
      (group A = 3.57%, group B = 86.01%) and was associated with reductions in
      perioperative hemoglobin decrement (20.2%), patients transfused (45%), and number
      of units transfused per patient (61.9%). Cost savings were notable per patient
      ($128) and annually program wide ($55,884) with the primary THA subgroup
      contributing the most to the savings. No increase in adverse effects was
      observed. CONCLUSION: Standardized administration of TXA is an effective and
      economically favorable blood-reduction strategy for patients undergoing elective
      THA or TKA. Although reduction in transfusions with TXA may be greater after TKA,
      the economic and clinical impact of transfusion reduction is more substantial in
      THA patients.

PMID- 28343824
TI  - Assessment of Corrosion, Fretting, and Material Loss of Retrieved Modular Total
      Knee Arthroplasties.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Modular junctions in total hip arthroplasties have been associated
      with fretting, corrosion, and debris release. The purpose of this study is to
      analyze damage severity in total knee arthroplasties of a single design by
      qualitative visual assessment and quantitative material loss measurements to
      evaluate implant performance and patient impact via material loss. METHODS:
      Twenty-two modular knee retrievals of the same manufacturer were identified from
      an institutional review board-approved database. Junction designs included tapers
      with an axial screw and tapers with a radial screw. Constructs consisted of 2
      metal alloys: CoCr and Ti6Al4V. Components were qualitatively scored and
      quantitatively measured for corrosion and fretting. Negative values represent
      adhered material. Statistical differences were analyzed using sign tests.
      Correlations were tested with a Spearman rank order test (P < .05). RESULTS: The
      median volumetric material loss and the maximum linear depth for the total
      population were -0.23 mm3 and 5.84 MUm, respectively. CoCr components in mixed
      metal junctions had higher maximum linear depth (P = .007) than corresponding Ti
      components. Fretting scores of Ti6Al4V alloy components in mixed metal junctions
      were statistically higher than the remaining groups. Taper angle did not
      correlate with material loss. CONCLUSION: Results suggest that CoCr components in
      mixed metal junctions are more vulnerable to corrosion than other components,
      suggesting preferential corrosion when interfacing with Ti6Al4V. Overall,
      although corrosion was noted in this series, material loss was low, and none were
      revised for clinical metal-related reaction. This suggests the clinical impact
      from corrosion in total knee arthroplasty is low.

PMID- 28343825
TI  - Silver-Coated Megaprosthesis of the Proximal Tibia in Patients With Sarcoma.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Proximal tibia arthroplasty is associated with high rates of
      infection. This study is the largest one that has compared the infection rates
      with titanium vs silver-coated megaprostheses in patients treated for sarcomas.
      METHODS: The infection rate in 98 patients with sarcoma or giant-cell tumor in
      the proximal tibia who underwent placement of a titanium (n = 42) or silver
      coated (n = 56) megaprosthesis (MUTARS) was assessed, along with the treatments
      administered for any infection. RESULTS: As the primary end point of the study,
      the rates of infection were 16.7% in the titanium group and 8.9% in the silver
      group, resulting in 5-year prosthesis survival rates of 90% in the silver and 84%
      in the titanium group. Whereas in the titanium group 37.5% of patients ultimately
      had to undergo amputation in the present study, these mutilating surgical
      procedures were only necessary in the silver group in one patient (14.3%).
      CONCLUSION: The use of silver-coated prosthesis reduced the infection rate in a
      relatively large and homogeneous group of patients. In addition, less-aggressive
      treatment of infection was possible in the group with silver-coated prosthesis.

PMID- 28343826
TI  - Diagnosis of Periprosthetic Joint Infection-An Algorithm-Based Approach.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Periprosthetic joint infection (PJI) remains one of the most
      challenging and devastating modes of failure after total hip and knee
      arthroplasties. Despite the profound urgency and impact of PJI on an individual
      and societal basis, historically, there have not been standardized definitions of
      and diagnostic algorithms for infection after total joint arthroplasty. METHODS:
      In a recent symposium, the American Academy of Hip and Knee Surgeons put forth a
      standardized approach to the prevention, diagnosis, and management of the patient
      with a suspected PJI. RESULTS: This review article summarizes these findings, and
      reviews the algorithmic approach to the diagnosis of PJI. CONCLUSION: The
      diagnosis of PJI is easily made in our experience in 90% of patients by getting
      an erythrocyte sedimentation rate and C-reactive protein followed by selective
      aspiration of the joint if these values are elevated or if the clinical suspicion
      is high. Synovial fluid obtained should be sent for a synovial fluid white blood
      cell count, differential, and cultures.

PMID- 28343827
TI  - Diabetes Mellitus and Hyperglycemia and the Risk of Aseptic Loosening in Total
      Joint Arthroplasty.
AB  - BACKGROUND: It is unknown to what extent diabetes mellitus modifies the long-term
      risk of aseptic loosening in total hip arthroplasty (THA) and total knee
      arthroplasty (TKA). We examined the association between diabetes mellitus,
      perioperative hyperglycemia, and the likelihood of revisions for aseptic
      loosening. METHODS: We studied 16,085 primary THA and TKA procedures performed at
      a large tertiary care hospital between 2002 and 2009. All blood glucose values
      around the time of surgery (within 1 week) were retrieved. Subsequent revision
      surgeries and the reasons for revision were ascertained through the institutional
      joint registry. Multivariate Cox models were used to estimate the hazard ratios
      (HRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for aseptic loosening associated with
      diabetes mellitus and hyperglycemia adjusting for age, gender, body mass index,
      and surgery type. RESULTS: A total of 2911 (18%) surgeries had a diagnosis of
      diabetes mellitus at the time of surgery. Glucose testing was performed at least
      once in 7055 (44%) procedures within +/-1 week of surgery. Although diabetic
      patients did not experience a higher risk of revision for aseptic loosening (HR,
      0.87; 95% CI, 0.55-1.38), higher preoperative glucose values on the day before
      surgery were significantly associated with both the overall risk of revisions
      (HR, 2.80; 95% CI, 1.00-7.85) and revisions for aseptic loosening (HR, 4.95; 95%
      CI, 1.26-19.54). CONCLUSION: High preoperative hyperglycemia is a potential risk
      factor for aseptic loosening in THA and TKA.

PMID- 28343829
TI  - Corrigendum to "Metal on Metal or Ceramic on Ceramic for Cementless Total Hip
      Arthroplasty: A Meta-Analysis" [The Journal of Arthroplasty 31 (2016) 2637-2645].

PMID- 28343828
TI  - The Morscher Press-Fit Acetabular Component: An Independent Long-Term Review at
      18-22 Years.
AB  - BACKGROUND: There are relatively few 20-year results of uncemented acetabular
      components, and most of these are modular designs. This study reports the 20-year
      results of a monoblock press-fit acetabular component. METHODS: A total of 122
      total hip arthroplasties (111 patients) using the Morscher cup were reviewed at a
      mean of 19.7 years. The average age at implantation was 57.3 years (range, 36-74
      years), and 81 (66%) were men. RESULTS: Twenty-two patients (25 hips) had died.
      Seven hips were revised, including 5 acetabular revisions. Six patients (6 hips)
      declined to participate but were known not to have been revised. The mean Oxford
      hip score was 41.1 (range, 22-48), and the mean reduced Western Ontario and
      McMaster Universities Osteoarthritis Index score was 5.7/48 (range, 0-24).
      Eccentric wear was seen in 13 (15.7%) and major osteolysis in 14 (17%) of 82
      surviving hips with radiographs. The all-cause revision rate was 0.32 per 100
      observed component years (95% confidence interval [CI], 0.13-0.66). The 20-year
      Kaplan-Meier survival was 93.4% (CI, 86.6-96.8) for all-cause revisions, 95.5%
      (CI, 89.4-98.1) for any acetabular revision, and 97.1% (CI, 91.2-99.1) for
      acetabular aseptic loosening, wear, or osteolysis. CONCLUSION: The Morscher
      acetabular component has continued to perform well at 20 years despite using
      conventional polyethylene with results that match or surpass other cementless
      acetabulae.

PMID- 28343830
TI  - Fall Risk Score at the Time of Discharge Predicts Readmission Following Total
      Joint Arthroplasty.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Readmission among Medicare recipients is a leading driver of
      healthcare expenditure. To date, most predictive tools are too coarse for direct
      clinical application. Our objective in this study is to determine if a pre
      existing tool to identify patients at increased risk for inpatient falls, the
      Hendrich Fall Risk Score, could be used to accurately identify Medicare patients
      at increased risk for readmission following arthroplasty, regardless of whether
      the readmission was due to a fall. METHODS: This study is a retrospective cohort
      study. We identified 2437 Medicare patients who underwent a primary elective
      total joint arthroplasty (TJA) of the hip or knee for osteoarthritis between 2011
      and 2014. The Hendrich Fall Risk score was recorded for each patient
      preoperatively and postoperatively. Our main outcome measure was hospital
      readmission within 30 days of discharge. RESULTS: Of 2437 eligible TJA
      recipients, there were 226 (9.3%) patients who had a score >=6. These patients
      were more likely to have an unplanned readmission (unadjusted odds ratio 2.84,
      95% confidence interval 1.70-4.76, P < .0001), were more likely to have a length
      of stay >3 days (49.6% vs 36.6%, P = .0001), and were less likely to be sent home
      after discharge (20.8% vs 35.8%, P < .0001). The effect of a score >=6 on
      readmission remained significant (adjusted odds ratio 2.44, 95% confidence
      interval 1.44-4.13, P = .0009) after controlling for age, paralysis, and the
      presence of a major psychiatric disorder. CONCLUSION: Increased Hendrich fall
      risk score after TJA is strongly associated with unplanned readmission.
      Application of this tool will allow hospitals to identify these patients and plan
      their discharge.

PMID- 28343831
TI  - Stepping Toward Objective Outcomes: A Prospective Analysis of Step Count After
      Total Joint Arthroplasty.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Functional recovery monitoring after total hip arthroplasty (THA) and
      total knee arthroplasty (TKA) is often limited to surgeon-based assessment and
      patient self-reporting rather than objective measures. However, traditional
      outcomes may not reliably gauge return of function. The goal of this study was to
      evaluate and compare an objective measure of postoperative recovery, daily step
      count, with patient self-reported outcomes. METHODS: Prospectively, 589 patients
      used a mobile step-tracking application to record daily steps. Steps were
      recorded for 4 weeks before surgery and 12 weeks, thereafter. Patient-reported
      lower extremity functional scale (LEFS) scores were recorded at 1, 6, and 12
      weeks, postoperatively. LEFS scores were correlated to weekly median daily steps
      using the Spearman rank correlation coefficient. RESULTS: Preoperative median
      daily steps were 2682 and 1988 for patients undergoing THA and TKA, respectively.
      Steps for weeks 1, 6, and 12 were 214, 3,170, and 3884 after THA and 153, 1772,
      and 2311 after TKA, respectively. Step-count demonstrated a weakly positive
      correlation with LEFS scores. For week 1, the correlation was 0.27 and 0.29 for
      THA and TKA patients, respectively. For week 6, the correlation was 0.18 and 0.29
      for THA and TKA patients, respectively. CONCLUSION: Physical function improved
      over the first 12 weeks as measured by both steps and patient-reported
      assessments. Postoperative steps weakly correlated with LEFS scores, suggesting
      patient-reported outcomes may provide only part of the story. Incorporating
      objective measures may be a valuable addition to the surgeon's armamentarium for
      monitoring patient recovery.

PMID- 28343832
TI  - Transpalatal wiring for the management of sagittal fracture of the
      maxilla/palate.

PMID- 28343833
TI  - [Consequences of impacted wisdom teeth extraction on the periodontal environment
      of second molars. A pilot study].
AB  - INTRODUCTION: Wisdom teeth extraction is a common procedure, generally considered
      as safe by patients. However, complications are possible, especially periodontal
      ones. The aim of this study was to evaluate the frequency and the consequences of
      periodontal complications at the level the 2nd molars after extraction of the
      wisdom teeth. MATERIAL AND METHODS: A single-center retrospective observational
      multi-operator study was conducted at the university hospital of Besancon -
      France. The files of all the adult patients who underwent extraction of four
      impacted wisdom teeth by mean of a standardized surgical technique between
      November 2012 and November 2014 and who could be followed 1 year postoperatively
      at least and that precisely mentioned the periodontal status of the surgical
      sites were included. Postoperative complications, gingival and plaque indexes
      according to Loe and Silness, periodontal attachment level and periodontal second
      molar probing were recorded. The main judgment criterion was the occurrence of a
      periodontal complication in the second molar areas. RESULTS: The files of 20
      patients (15 women - 5 men), operated on by five different surgeons, met the
      inclusion criteria. Two patients suffered from dry socket at one of the avulsion
      sites. No patient had a gingival or plaque index greater than 2. No gingival
      recession or periodontal pocket over 4mm was found. DISCUSSION: Extraction of
      impacted third molars in young healthy adults didn't have any impact on the
      second molars periodontal environment in our study. Literature suggests that
      surgical technique greatly influences the occurrence and the extent of
      periodontal sequelae.

PMID- 28343834
TI  - Evaluating the impact of obesity on safety and efficacy of weight-based
      norepinephrine dosing in septic shock: A single-center, retrospective study.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: Norepinephrine is the first-line vasopressor recommended for patients
      in septic shock. Weight-based dosing may increase drug exposure and the risk of
      adverse effects in obese patients. The objective was to evaluate the safety and
      efficacy of weight-based norepinephrine dosing using actual body weight in the
      morbidly obese compared with normal weight patients. METHODS: This was a single
      centre, retrospective study of adult patients admitted with septic shock
      requiring norepinephrine for at least 12hours. The primary endpoint was the
      incidence of tachycardia within 48hours after norepinephrine initiation.
      Secondary endpoints included timing and dosing of norepinephrine when adjunctive
      agents were added. RESULTS: The incidence of tachycardia was similar between
      groups. Total norepinephrine exposure was significantly greater in obese patients
      on day 1 (p=0.02). Obese patients were more likely to be started on vasopressin
      (p<0.001) and steroids at a lower weight-based norepinephrine dose (p=0.016).
      CONCLUSIONS: Weight-based norepinephrine dosing using actual body weight did not
      result in more tachycardia in the morbidly obese compared to normal weight
      patients, despite greater total exposure. These results were limited by the low
      doses used and a small cohort. However, use of actual body weight in morbidly
      obese patients appears to be safe.

PMID- 28343836
TI  - Cervical Cancer: Prevention and Early Detection.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: To review effective methods of prevention that can be used to control
      the incidence of cervical cancer and detection strategies that can identify the
      precancerous lesions before they become true cancer. DATA SOURCES: Current
      medical, scientific and nursing literature, and national and international
      guidelines of cervical cancer. CONCLUSION: Nearly all cervical cancers are caused
      by specific types of human papillomavirus (HPV). Prophylactic vaccination for HPV
      provides the most effective method of primary prevention against HPV-related
      diseases. The use of the Pap test and HPV test, according to published
      guidelines, provides the most effective means of screening for cervical cancer.
      IMPLICATIONS FOR NURSING PRACTICE: Nurses are in a key position to provide health
      education with the goal of supporting vaccine uptake and screening guidelines.

PMID- 28343835
TI  - Cancer Screening and Early Detection in the 21st Century.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: To review the trends in and principles of cancer screening and early
      detection. DATA SOURCES: Journal articles, United States Preventive Services Task
      Force (USPSTF) publications, professional organization position statements, and
      evidence-based summaries. CONCLUSION: Cancer screening has contributed to
      decreasing the morbidity and mortality of cancer. Efforts to improve the
      selection of candidates for cancer screening, to understand the biological basis
      of carcinogenesis, and the development of new technologies for cancer screening
      will allow for improvements in cancer screening over time. IMPLICATIONS FOR
      NURSING PRACTICE: Nurses are well-positioned to lead the implementation of cancer
      screening recommendations in the 21st century through their practice, research,
      educational efforts, and advocacy.

PMID- 28343837
TI  - Gastrointestinal Cancers: Screening and Early Detection.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: To present an overview of current practices in the screening and early
      detection of gastrointestinal cancers. DATA SOURCES: Literature reviews.
      CONCLUSION: Screening for gastrointestinal cancers is less than desirable,
      particularly in underserved populations. There are inadequate methods of
      screening for early detection of esophageal and gastric cancers. IMPLICATIONS FOR
      NURSING PRACTICE: Education of patients is needed to reinforce the importance of
      screening for gastrointestinal cancers.

PMID- 28343838
TI  - Cancer Screening and Early Detection in Older People: Considerations for Nursing
      Practice.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: To synthesize relevant issues in cancer screening for older people for
      nursing practice. DATA SOURCES: Published scientific literature, clinical
      literature, and published cancer screening guidelines from the United States and
      Canada. CONCLUSION: Nurses are caring for increasing numbers of older patients
      and, with this demographic shift, face increasing demands to address cancer
      screening and detection in both primary and specialty practice. IMPLICATIONS FOR
      NURSING PRACTICE: Ageism, self-stereotyping, cancer fear and fatalism, and cancer
      survivorship experiences influence cancer screening and generate the need for
      improved awareness of these issues to advance nursing practice.

PMID- 28343839
TI  - Introduction.

PMID- 28343840
TI  - Prostate Cancer Screening.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: To review the current state of prostate cancer screening and future
      directions. DATA SOURCES: Nursing, medical and scientific literature related to
      prostate cancer screening, and national and international professional
      recommendations. CONCLUSION: Prostate cancer screening has been a topic of robust
      discussion for a number of years. Research continues to examine novel options for
      prostate cancer screening to either replace or compliment the prostate specific
      antigen test, but require additional validation before they will be widely
      accepted into clinical practice. IMPLICATIONS FOR NURSING PRACTICE: As new data
      emerges and professional organizations update their recommendations, it is
      important for oncology nurses to keep abreast of the latest developments to
      educate patients.

PMID- 28343841
TI  - Baroflex Activation Therapy for Refractory Congestive Heart Failure: Anesthetic
      Implications.

PMID- 28343842
TI  - Cranial nerve palsy following central neuraxial block in obstetrics - a review of
      the literature and analysis of 43 case reports.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Cranial nerve palsy is a rarely reported complication of central
      neuraxial block in obstetrics. The aetiology is diverse and includes both
      decreased and increased intracranial pressure. METHODS: Medline, CINAHL, and
      EMBASE databases were searched to identify cases of cranial nerve palsy following
      obstetric central neuraxial block. Possible aetiology, clinical symptoms and
      signs, treatment, and time to resolution were assessed. RESULTS: Forty-one
      articles containing 43 case reports of cranial nerve palsy following obstetric
      central neuraxial block were identified. Four cranial nerve palsies were
      bilateral; the remainder being unilateral. The cranial nerves most commonly
      affected were the abducens (17 case reports) and facial (12 case reports) nerves.
      Epidural block was implicated in 25 cases. Classical post-dural puncture headache
      preceded cranial nerve palsy in 27 cases. Subdural haematomas were reported in
      six cases and cortical venous or transverse sinus thrombosis in one case.
      Epidural blood patch was administered for treatment of cranial nerve palsy in 17
      cases. Thirty-five patients had complete resolution of symptoms but in eight the
      cranial nerve palsy was permanent. No case reports of olfactory, oculomotor,
      glossopharyngeal, accessory or hypoglossal nerve palsy were identified.
      CONCLUSION: Intracranial hypotension is the most common aetiology of cranial
      nerve palsy after central neuraxial block in obstetrics. Neuroimaging is
      recommended in every case, to exclude other neurological causes. Epidural blood
      patch was the most utilised treatment for post-dural puncture cranial nerve
      palsy, but outcomes were variable. The majority of cranial nerve palsies resolved
      over the subsequent weeks and months.

PMID- 28343843
TI  - alphaS1-Casein elucidate major T-cell responses in cow's milk allergy.

PMID- 28343844
TI  - Inflammatory and autoimmune manifestations in X-linked carriers of chronic
      granulomatous disease in the United Kingdom.

PMID- 28343845
TI  - Curcumin inhibits Zika and chikungunya virus infection by inhibiting cell
      binding.
AB  - Several compounds extracted from spices and herbs exhibit antiviral effects in
      vitro, suggesting potential pharmacological uses. Curcumin, a component of
      turmeric, has been used as a food additive and herbal supplement due to its
      potential medicinal properties. Previously, curcumin exhibited antiviral
      properties against several viruses, including dengue virus and hepatitis C virus,
      among others. Here, we describe the antiviral effect of curcumin on Zika and
      chikungunya viruses, two mosquito-borne outbreak viruses. Both viruses responded
      to treatment of cells with up to 5 MUM curumin without impacting cellular
      viability. We observed that direct treatment of virus with curcumin reduced
      infectivity of virus in a dose- and time-dependent manner for these enveloped
      viruses, as well as vesicular stomatitis virus. In contrast, we found no change
      in infectivity for Coxsackievirus B3, a non-enveloped virus. Derivatives of
      curcumin also exhibited antiviral activity against enveloped viruses. Further
      examination revealed that curcumin interfered with the binding of the enveloped
      viruses to cells in a dose-dependent manner, though the integrity of the viral
      RNA was maintained. Together, these results expand the family of viruses
      sensitive to curcumin and provide a mechanism of action for curcumin's effect on
      these enveloped viruses.

PMID- 28343847
TI  - Global developmental delay and intellectual disability associated with a de novo
      TOP2B mutation.
AB  - BACKGROUND: More than 100 genes had been identified for autism spectrum disorder
      (ASD). With the advancement of whole-exome/genome sequencing (WES/WGS), disease
      causing gene in ASD can be identified in a holistic and unbiased approach. The
      identification of new ASD genes can further explore the molecular basis of ASD.
      METHODS: We report a 15yo girl with developmental delay, intellectual disability,
      hypotonia, microcephaly and autistic feature. She first presented at 6months old
      with primitive response to noise. Physical examination showed the patient was
      hypotonic despite normal muscle power and reflexes. She also had progressive
      microcephaly. Developmental assessment at 6y showed the patient had a
      corresponding functional age of 1y. The patient also had autistic feature.
      RESULTS: The patient had no abnormal biochemical or radiological findings. To
      investigate the molecular basis of the clinical presentation, we applied clinical
      whole-exome sequencing (WES) for the proband and the family, and we identified a
      novel de novo heterozygous missense pathogenic variant, TOP2B:
      NM_001068.2:c.172C>T; NP_001059.2:p.His58Tyr. TOP2B encodes for the enzyme,
      topoisomerase II isoenzyme beta which is abundant in both developing and adult
      brain. Defect of topoisomerase is also known to cause ASD. CONCLUSIONS: Using
      clinical WES, we were able to identify the disease-causing gene for this patient
      in a holistic approach and end the diagnostic odyssey with a therapeutic impact.

PMID- 28343846
TI  - Higher levels of IL-6, CD4 turnover and Treg frequency are already present before
      cART in HIV-infected subjects with later low CD4 recovery.
AB  - Immunological characterization of HIV-infected subjects with low CD4-recovery (LR
      subjects) has been extensively performed after a variable period of combined
      antiretroviral therapy (cART). We now explore immunological alterations present
      before the cART onset. In a case-control study, we selected pre-cART samples of
      HIV-subjects with and without low CD4-recovery after cART (n = 21 per group). CD4
      T-cell activation, senescence and exhaustion related markers were not found
      specifically altered before cART initiation. On the other hand, we found that LR
      subjects before cART already showed increased levels of IL6 (p = 0.009) and
      increased frequencies of Ki67+CD4+ T-cells (p = 0.026), CD45RA-CD27+CD4+ T-cells
      (p = 0.008) and Treg (p = 0.001), as well as increased expression of CD95 and
      CD127 on CD4 T-cells (p = 0.016; p = 0.032, respectively). These parameters
      characterize the immunological damage in LR-subjects before the cART onset and
      could be associated to the mechanisms hindering the subsequent CD4 recovery.

PMID- 28343848
TI  - Capillary dysfunction is associated with symptom severity and neurodegeneration
      in Alzheimer's disease.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: We examined whether cortical microvascular blood volume and
      hemodynamics in Alzheimer's disease (AD) are consistent with tissue hypoxia and
      whether they correlate with cognitive performance and the degree of cortical
      thinning. METHODS: Thirty-two AD patients underwent cognitive testing, structural
      magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), and perfusion MRI at baseline and after 6
      months. We measured cortical thickness, microvascular cerebral blood volume
      (CBV), cerebral blood flow (CBF), mean transit time (MTT), and capillary transit
      time heterogeneity (CTH) and estimated tissue oxygen tension (PtO2). RESULTS: At
      baseline, poor cognitive performance and regional cortical thinning correlated
      with lower CBF and CBV, with higher MTT and CTH and with low PtO2 across the
      cortex. Cognitive decline over time was associated with increasing whole brain
      relative transit time heterogeneity (RTH = CTH/MTT). DISCUSSION: Our results
      confirm the importance of microvascular pathology in AD. Deteriorating
      microvascular hemodynamics may cause hypoxia, which is known to precipitate
      amyloid retention.

PMID- 28343849
TI  - Oral anticoagulant therapy for older patients with atrial fibrillation: a review
      of current evidence.
AB  - Atrial fibrillation is more frequent in older patients, who have a higher risk of
      cardioembolic stroke and thromboembolism. Oral anticoagulant therapy is the
      standard of treatment for stroke prevention; however, under-prescription is still
      very common in older patients. The reasons underlying this phenomenon have not
      been systematically investigated, and true contraindications only partially
      account for it. An intimate skepticism on the real benefit-risk balance of oral
      anticoagulant therapy in the oldest patients seems to derive from the fact that
      most studies supporting it were conducted decades ago and included younger
      patients, with overall better functional and clinical status. In this review we
      will focus on the main barriers to anticoagulant therapy prescription in older
      patients and summarize the available evidences on the efficacy and safety of
      vitamin K antagonists and direct oral anticoagulants in this population. The
      encouraging evidence of a higher net clinical benefit of direct oral
      anticoagulants compared with warfarin should hopefully widen the treatment
      options also for frail individuals, thereby allowing a greater number of patients
      to be treated according to current international guidelines.

PMID- 28343850
TI  - Homeopathy provided by a national health service: Only in Italy?

PMID- 28343851
TI  - Somatosensory rehabilitation for allodynia in complex regional pain syndrome of
      the upper limb: A retrospective cohort study.
AB  - STUDY DESIGN: Retrospective cohort study. INTRODUCTION: Somatosensory
      rehabilitation is a standardized method of evaluation and conservative treatment
      of painful disorders of vibrotactile sensation, including the mechanical
      allodynia and burning pain of complex regional pain syndrome (CRPS). PURPOSE OF
      THE STUDY: The purpose of this study was to examine the effectiveness of
      somatosensory rehabilitation for reducing allodynia in persons with CRPS of 1
      upper limb in a retrospective consecutive cohort of patients. METHODS: An
      independent chart review of all client records (May 2004-August 2015) in the
      Somatosensory Rehabilitation Centre (Fribourg, Switzerland) identified 48 persons
      meeting the Budapest criteria for CRPS of 1 limb who had undergone assessment and
      treatment. Outcomes of interest were the French version of the McGill Pain
      Questionnaire (Questionnaire de la Douleur St-Antoine [QDSA]), total area of
      allodynia as recorded by mapping the area of skin where a 15-g monofilament was
      perceived as painful, and the allodynia threshold (minimum pressure required to
      elicit pain within the allodynic territory). RESULTS: This cohort was primarily
      women (70%), with a mean age of 45 years (range: 18-74). Mean duration of burning
      pain was 31 months (range: 1 week-27.5 years), and baseline QDSA core was 48. The
      average primary area of allodynia was 66 cm2 (range: 2.6-320), and the most
      common allodynia threshold was 4.0 g. The average duration of treatment was 81
      days. At cessation of treatment, the average QDSA score was 20 (effect size
      Cohen's d = 1.64). Allodynia completely resolved in 27 persons (56% of the total
      sample where only 58% completed treatment). DISCUSSION: This uncontrolled
      retrospective study suggests that somatosensory rehabilitation may be an
      effective treatment with a large effect size for reducing the allodynia and
      painful sensations associated with CRPS of the upper limb. More work is in
      progress to provide estimates of reliability and validity for the measurement
      tools for allodynia employed by this method. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: 2c.

PMID- 28343852
TI  - Hand grip strength and dexterity function in children aged 6-12 years: A cross
      sectional study.
AB  - STUDY DESIGN: Cross-sectional and clinical measurement. INTRODUCTION: Assessment
      of hand function considers an essential part in clinical practice. PURPOSE OF THE
      STUDY: To develop normative values of hand grip strength and dexterity function
      for 6-12-year-old children in Saudi Arabia. METHODS: Grip strength and dexterity
      function was measured in 525 children using Grip Track hand dynamometer (JTECH
      Medical, Midvale, UT, USA) and 9-hole pegboard test respectively. RESULTS: The
      grip strength and dexterity function was improved as age progressed regardless of
      gender. Across all age groups, the hand grip strength of boys was significantly
      higher than girls for dominant hand (31.75 +/- 10.33 vs 28.24 +/- 9.35; P < .001)
      and nondominant hand (31.01 +/- 10.27 vs 27.27 +/- 9.30; P < .001). The girls
      performed slightly faster than boys for dominant hand (19.70 vs 20.68; P < .05)
      and nondominant hand (21.79 vs 23.46; P < .05). In general, girls completed a 9
      HPT faster than boys in the 2 of 7 age groups: 11 years (9-HPT scores = 2.10
      seconds; P < .01) and 12 years (9-HPT scores = 1.93 seconds; P < .01).
      DISCUSSION: The overall patterns of hand grip strength and dexterity function
      observed in the present study are similar to the previous studies that
      established acceleration of grip strength with advanced age, and faster
      performance scores in older children than younger children in both genders.
      CONCLUSIONS: Norms of hand grip strength and dexterity enable therapists to
      identify some developmental characteristics of hand function among Saudi
      children, determine the presence of impairment, and compare scores from children
      in different clinical settings. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Not applicable.

PMID- 28343853
TI  - Factors influencing functional outcome of proximal interphalangeal joint
      collateral ligament injury when treated with buddy strapping and exercise.
AB  - STUDY DESIGN: Prospective cohort. INTRODUCTION AND PURPOSE: This study evaluates
      the factors influencing treatment outcomes of proximal interphalangeal (PIP)
      joint collateral ligament injuries when treated with buddy strapping. METHODS:
      Sixty-seven patients treated with buddy strapping for a PIP joint injury were
      enrolled. The finger range of motion (ROM), grip strength, and a Quick Disability
      of the Arm, Shoulder, and Hand (QuickDASH) score were assessed at 3 and 6 months
      after the initial injury. The factors that were assessed for their influence on
      the functional outcomes included age, sex, hand dominance, affected finger, type
      of injury, injury severity, time to treatment, the duration of buddy strapping,
      and exercise training. RESULTS: Buddy strapping for PIP joint injuries led to
      satisfactory results with 77% recovery of grip strength, 84% recovery in ROM, and
      mean QuickDASH scores of 14 at 6 months. A decrease in grip strength was
      associated with an increase in age and injury severity at 6 months, and these 2
      factors accounted for 22% of the variance in the grip strength. A decrease in ROM
      was associated with the delayed treatment, which accounted for 18% of the
      variance in ROM at 6 months. An increased disability was associated with delayed
      treatment, female gender, and radial digit injury at 3 months, and these 3
      factors accounted for 37% of the variance in disability. At 6 months, only the
      delayed treatment remained an associated factor, which accounted for 20% variance
      in disability. DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSIONS: PIP collateral ligament injuries had
      very good outcomes with buddy strapping. However, delayed treatment was
      significantly associated with poor functional outcomes in terms of the ROM and
      disability. An increase in age and injury severity were associated with lower
      grip strength up to 6 months, whereas a female gender and radial digit injury
      were associated with an increased disability up to 3 months. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE:
      2.

PMID- 28343855
TI  - Outbreak of group A streptococcal pharyngitis at a national sports competition in
      Montevideo, Uruguay.

PMID- 28343854
TI  - Effect of Maryland's 2011 Alcohol Sales Tax Increase on Alcohol-Positive Driving.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: The 2011 Maryland alcohol sales tax increase from 6% to 9% provided
      an opportunity to evaluate the impact on rates of alcohol-positive drivers
      involved in injury crashes. METHODS: Maryland police crash reports from 2001 to
      2013 were analyzed using an interrupted time series design and a multivariable
      analysis employing generalized estimating equations models with a negative
      binomial distribution. Data were analyzed in 2014-2015. RESULTS: There was a
      significant gradual annual reduction of 6% in the population-based rate of all
      alcohol-positive drivers (p<0.03), and a 12% reduction for drivers aged 15-20
      years (p<0.007), and 21-34 years (p<0.001) following the alcohol sales tax
      increase. There were no significant changes in rates of alcohol-positive drivers
      aged 35-54 years (rate ratio, 0.98; 95% CI=0.89, 1.09). Drivers aged >=55 years
      had a significant immediate 10% increase in the rate of alcohol-positive drivers
      (rate ratio, 1.10; 95% CI=1.04, 1.16) and a gradual increase of 4.8% per year
      after the intervention. Models using different denominators and controlling for
      multiple factors including a proxy for unmeasured factors found similar results
      overall. CONCLUSIONS: The 2011 Maryland alcohol sales tax increase led to a
      significant reduction in the rate of all alcohol-positive drivers involved in
      injury crashes especially among drivers aged 15-34 years. This is the first study
      to examine the impact of alcohol sales taxes on crashes; previous research
      focused on excise tax. Increasing alcohol taxes is an important but often
      neglected intervention to reduce alcohol-impaired driving.

PMID- 28343856
TI  - Contribution to the knowledge of pathogenic fungi of spiders in Argentina.
      Southernmost record in the world.
AB  - The aim of this study was to identify entomopathogenic fungi infecting spiders
      (Araneae) in a protected area of Buenos Aires province, Argentina. The Araneae
      species identified was Stenoterommata platensis. The pathogens identified were
      Lecanicillium aphanocladii Zare & W. Gams, Purpureocillium lilacinum (Thom)
      Luangsa-ard, Houbraken, Hywel Jones & Samson and Ophiocordyceps caloceroides
      (Berk & M.A. Curtis). This study constitutes the southernmost records in the
      world and contributes to expanding the knowledge of the biodiversity of
      pathogenic fungi of spiders in Argentina.

PMID- 28343857
TI  - Staphylococcus aureus nasal carriage in health care workers: First report from a
      major public hospital in Argentina.
AB  - Staphylococcus aureus causes numerous mild to severe infections in humans, both
      in health facilities and in the community. Patients and health care workers
      (HCWs) may disseminate strains during regular medical examinations or
      hospitalization. The aim of this study was to determine the nasal carriage rate
      of methicillin-susceptible and methicillin-resistant S. aureus among health care
      workers at Hospital Provincial del Centenario, a public general hospital in
      Rosario, Argentina. A transversal study was conducted on 320 health care workers.
      Nasal swabs were taken and presumptive S. aureus colonies were isolated.
      Bacterial identity and methicillin resistance status were confirmed by
      amplification of the nuc and mec genes. Chi square test and Fisher exact test
      were used for statistical analysis. Of 320 HCWs, 96 (30%) were nasal carriers of
      S. aureus, 20 of whom (6.3%) carried methicillin-resistant S. aureus (MRSA) and
      76 (23.7%) methicillin-susceptible S. aureus (MSSA). Carriage was within
      thepublished values for physicians (30%) and higher for technicians (57%).
      Accompanying resistance (62/96, 64.6%) was detected, including resistance to
      fluoroquinolones (23/96, 24%), aminoglucosides (13/96, 13.5%) or to macrolides
      (33/96, 34.4%). All the strains were susceptible to vancomycin whereas only 3.1%
      (3/96), all of them on MSSA strains, were resistant to mupirocin. This study is
      the first one of its kind in Argentina and one of the few performed in South
      America, to highlight the relevance of nasal carriage of MRSA and MSSA in health
      care personnel and brings to light the need for consensus recommendations for
      regular S. aureus carriage screening as well as for decolonization strategies.

PMID- 28343858
TI  - [Inhibitory capacity of Lactobacillus spp. against pathogens involved in
      foodborne diseases].
AB  - The genus Lactobacillus daily generates a growing interest among microbiologists
      and technologists, who try to discover new biotechnological applications and
      probiotic properties. The main goal of this study was to evaluate the inhibitory
      capacity of Lactobacillus spp. against pathogens (Escherichia coli O157:H7,
      Salmonella spp., Staphylococcus aureus) involved in foodborne diseases. For this
      purpose, samples were collected at different stages of the pork production chain.
      Seventy eight bacterial strains were isolated. Twenty seven (27) of these strains
      (37.18%) had genotypic and phenotypic characteristics corresponding to
      Lactobacillus spp. whereas 85.18% of them showed inhibitory capacity. These data
      showed that the studied strains represent a potential alternative to inactivate
      foodborne pathogens and thus provide safe food to consumers.

PMID- 28343859
TI  - [Azospirillum brasilense Az39 labeled with GFP in Arabidopsis thaliana roots].

PMID- 28343860
TI  - Mesophilic continuous fermentative hydrogen production from acid pretreated de
      oiled jatropha waste hydrolysate using immobilized microorganisms.
AB  - Mesophilic hydrogen production from acid pretreated hydrolysate (biomass
      concentration of 100g/L and 2% hydrochloric acid) of de-oiled jatropha waste was
      carried out in continuous system using immobilized microorganisms at various
      hydraulic retention times (HRTs) ranging from 48 to 12h. The experimental results
      of the reusability of immobilized microorganisms showed their stability up to 10
      cycles with an average cumulative hydrogen production of 770mL/L. The peak
      hydrogen production rate and hydrogen yield were 0.9L/L*d and 86mL/greducing
      sugars added, respectively at 16h HRT, with butyrate as the predominant volatile
      fatty acid. The microbial community analysis revealed that majority of the PCR
      DGGE bands were assigned to genus Clostridium and were perhaps the key drivers of
      the higher hydrogen production.

PMID- 28343861
TI  - Oxidative biodegradation of 4-chlorophenol by using recombinant monooxygenase
      cloned and overexpressed from Arthrobacter chlorophenolicus A6.
AB  - In this study, cphC-I and cphB, encoding a putative two-component flavin
      diffusible monooxygenase (TC-FDM) complex, were cloned from Arthrobacter
      chlorophenolicus A6. The corresponding enzymes were overexpressed to assess the
      feasibility of their utilization for the oxidative decomposition of 4
      chlorophenol (4-CP). Soluble CphC-I was produced at a high level (~50%), and
      subsequently purified. Since CphB was expressed in an insoluble form, a flavin
      reductase, Fre, cloned from Escherichia coli was used as an alternative
      reductase. CphC-I utilized cofactor FADH2, which was reduced by Fre for the
      hydroxylation of 4-CP. This recombinant enzyme complex exhibited a higher
      specific activity for the oxidation of 4-CP (45.34U/mg-protein) than that
      exhibited by CphC-I contained in cells (0.18U/mg-protein). The Michaelis-Menten
      kinetic parameters were determined as: vmax=223.3MUM.min-1, KM=249.4MUM, and
      kcat/KM=0.052min-1.MUM-1. These results could be useful for the development of a
      new biochemical remediation technique based on enzymatic agents catalyzing the
      degradation of phenolic contaminants.

PMID- 28343862
TI  - Phosphorus and short-chain fatty acids recovery from waste activated sludge by
      anaerobic fermentation: Effect of acid or alkali pretreatment.
AB  - Waste activated sludge (WAS) was pretreated by acid or alkali to enhance the
      anaerobic fermentation (AF) for phosphorus (P) and short-chain fatty acids
      (SCFAs) release into the liquid simultaneously. With acid pretreatment, the
      released total P concentration achieved 120mg/L, which was 71.4% higher than that
      with alkali pretreatment. In addition, alkali pretreatment enhanced organic P
      release with about 35.3% of organic P in the solid being converted to inorganic
      P, while little had changed with acid pretreatment. The results also showed that
      acid and alkali pretreatment enhanced SCFAs production by 15.3 and 12.5times,
      respectively. Acid pretreatment could be preferred for simultaneous recovery of P
      and SCFAs by AF.

PMID- 28343863
TI  - Emerging role of Geographical Information System (GIS), Life Cycle Assessment
      (LCA) and spatial LCA (GIS-LCA) in sustainable bioenergy planning.
AB  - Sustainability of a bioenergy project depends on precise assessment of biomass
      resource, planning of cost-effective logistics and evaluation of possible
      environmental implications. In this context, this paper reviews the role and
      applications of geo-spatial tool such as Geographical Information System (GIS)
      for precise agro-residue resource assessment, biomass logistic and power plant
      design. Further, application of Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) in understanding the
      potential impact of agro-residue bioenergy generation on different ecosystem
      services has also been reviewed and limitations associated with LCA variability
      and uncertainty were discussed. Usefulness of integration of GIS into LCA (i.e.
      spatial LCA) to overcome the limitations of conventional LCA and to produce a
      holistic evaluation of the environmental benefits and concerns of bioenergy is
      also reviewed. Application of GIS, LCA and spatial LCA can help alleviate the
      challenges faced by ambitious bioenergy projects by addressing both economics and
      environmental goals.

PMID- 28343864
TI  - Diazepam Binding Inhibitor Promotes Stem Cell Expansion Controlling Environment
      Dependent Neurogenesis.
AB  - Plasticity of adult neurogenesis supports adaptation to environmental changes.
      The identification of molecular mediators that signal these changes to neural
      progenitors in the niche has remained elusive. Here we report that diazepam
      binding inhibitor (DBI) is crucial in supporting an adaptive mechanism in
      response to changes in the environment. We provide evidence that DBI is expressed
      in stem cells in all neurogenic niches of the postnatal brain. Focusing on the
      hippocampal subgranular zone (SGZ) and employing multiple genetic manipulations
      in vivo, we demonstrate that DBI regulates the balance between preserving the
      stem cell pool and neurogenesis. Specifically, DBI dampens GABA activity in stem
      cells, thereby sustaining the proproliferative effect of physical exercise and
      enriched environment. Our data lend credence to the notion that the modulatory
      effect of DBI constitutes a general mechanism that regulates postnatal
      neurogenesis.

PMID- 28343866
TI  - Selective Entrainment of Theta Oscillations in the Dorsal Stream Causally
      Enhances Auditory Working Memory Performance.
AB  - The implication of the dorsal stream in manipulating auditory information in
      working memory has been recently established. However, the oscillatory dynamics
      within this network and its causal relationship with behavior remain undefined.
      Using simultaneous MEG/EEG, we show that theta oscillations in the dorsal stream
      predict participants' manipulation abilities during memory retention in a task
      requiring the comparison of two patterns differing in temporal order. We
      investigated the causal relationship between brain oscillations and behavior by
      applying theta-rhythmic TMS combined with EEG over the MEG-identified target
      (left intraparietal sulcus) during the silent interval between the two stimuli.
      Rhythmic TMS entrained theta oscillation and boosted participants' accuracy. TMS
      induced oscillatory entrainment scaled with behavioral enhancement, and both
      gains varied with participants' baseline abilities. These effects were not seen
      for a melody-comparison control task and were not observed for arrhythmic TMS.
      These data establish theta activity in the dorsal stream as causally related to
      memory manipulation. VIDEO ABSTRACT.

PMID- 28343865
TI  - Regulatory Role of RNA Chaperone TDP-43 for RNA Misfolding and Repeat-Associated
      Translation in SCA31.
AB  - Microsatellite expansion disorders are pathologically characterized by RNA foci
      formation and repeat-associated non-AUG (RAN) translation. However, their
      underlying pathomechanisms and regulation of RAN translation remain unknown. We
      report that expression of expanded UGGAA (UGGAAexp) repeats, responsible for
      spinocerebellar ataxia type 31 (SCA31) in Drosophila, causes neurodegeneration
      accompanied by accumulation of UGGAAexp RNA foci and translation of repeat
      associated pentapeptide repeat (PPR) proteins, consistent with observations in
      SCA31 patient brains. We revealed that motor-neuron disease (MND)-linked RNA
      binding proteins (RBPs), TDP-43, FUS, and hnRNPA2B1, bind to and induce
      structural alteration of UGGAAexp. These RBPs suppress UGGAAexp-mediated toxicity
      in Drosophila by functioning as RNA chaperones for proper UGGAAexp folding and
      regulation of PPR translation. Furthermore, nontoxic short UGGAA repeat RNA
      suppressed mutated RBP aggregation and toxicity in MND Drosophila models. Thus,
      functional crosstalk of the RNA/RBP network regulates their own quality and
      balance, suggesting convergence of pathomechanisms in microsatellite expansion
      disorders and RBP proteinopathies.

PMID- 28343867
TI  - Grid and Nongrid Cells in Medial Entorhinal Cortex Represent Spatial Location and
      Environmental Features with Complementary Coding Schemes.
AB  - The medial entorhinal cortex (mEC) has been identified as a hub for spatial
      information processing by the discovery of grid, border, and head-direction
      cells. Here we find that in addition to these well-characterized classes, nearly
      all of the remaining two-thirds of mEC cells can be categorized as spatially
      selective. We refer to these cells as nongrid spatial cells and confirmed that
      their spatial firing patterns were unrelated to running speed and highly
      reproducible within the same environment. However, in response to manipulations
      of environmental features, such as box shape or box color, nongrid spatial cells
      completely reorganized their spatial firing patterns. At the same time, grid
      cells retained their spatial alignment and predominantly responded with
      redistributed firing rates across their grid fields. Thus, mEC contains a joint
      representation of both spatial and environmental feature content, with
      specialized cell types showing different types of integrated coding of multimodal
      information.

PMID- 28343868
TI  - Medial Prefrontal Cortex Reduces Memory Interference by Modifying Hippocampal
      Encoding.
AB  - The prefrontal cortex (PFC) is crucial for accurate memory performance when prior
      knowledge interferes with new learning, but the mechanisms that minimize
      proactive interference are unknown. To investigate these, we assessed the
      influence of medial PFC (mPFC) activity on spatial learning and hippocampal
      coding in a plus maze task that requires both structures. mPFC inactivation did
      not impair spatial learning or retrieval per se, but impaired the ability to
      follow changing spatial rules. mPFC and CA1 ensembles recorded simultaneously
      predicted goal choices and tracked changing rules; inactivating mPFC attenuated
      CA1 prospective coding. mPFC activity modified CA1 codes during learning, which
      in turn predicted how quickly rats adapted to subsequent rule changes. The
      results suggest that task rules signaled by the mPFC become incorporated into
      hippocampal representations and support prospective coding. By this mechanism,
      mPFC activity prevents interference by "teaching" the hippocampus to retrieve
      distinct representations of similar circumstances.

PMID- 28343869
TI  - Spatiotemporal Regulation of Synaptic Vesicle Fusion Sites in Central Synapses.
AB  - The number and availability of vesicle release sites at the synaptic active zone
      (AZ) are critical factors governing neurotransmitter release; yet, these
      fundamental synaptic parameters have remained undetermined. Moreover, how neural
      activity regulates the spatiotemporal properties of the release sites within
      individual central synapses is unknown. Here, we combined a nanoscale imaging
      approach with advanced image analysis to detect individual vesicle fusion events
      with ~27 nm localization precision at single hippocampal synapses under
      physiological conditions. Our results revealed the presence of multiple distinct
      release sites within individual hippocampal synapses. Release sites were
      distributed throughout the AZ and underwent repeated reuse. Furthermore, the
      spatiotemporal properties of the release sites were activity dependent with a
      reduction in reuse frequency and a shift in location toward the AZ periphery
      during high-frequency stimulation. These findings have revealed fundamental
      spatiotemporal properties of individual release sites in small central synapses
      and their activity-dependent modulation.

PMID- 28343870
TI  - CD15 focus score: Infection diagnosis and stratification into low-virulence and
      high-virulence microbial pathogens in periprosthetic joint infection.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: The aim of the work was to validate the CD15 focus score for the
      infection pathology of periprosthetic joint infection in a large group and to
      clarify whether a stratification into low-virulence and high-virulence microbial
      pathogens is possible by means of the CD15 focus score (quantification of CD15
      positive granulocytes). METHODS: The histopathology of 275 synovial tissue
      samples taken intraoperatively during revision operations (n=127 hip, n=141 knee,
      n=2 shoulder, n=5 ankle) was evaluated according to the SLIM consensus
      classification (SLIM=synovial-like interface membrane). Neutrophilic granulocytes
      (NG) were quantified by the CD15 focus score on the basis of the principle of
      focal maximum infiltration (focus) with evaluation of one field of vision (about
      0.3mm2). The quantification values were compared with the microbiological
      diagnoses taking into consideration the virulence groups of low-virulence and
      high-virulence microbial pathogens and mixed infection. RESULTS: The patients
      with positive microbiological findings (n=160) had significantly (p<0.001, Mann
      Whitney U test) higher CD15 focus score values than patients with negative
      microbiological findings (n=115), the cut-off value being 39 cells per high power
      field (HPF). The CD15 focus score values of low-virulence microbial pathogens
      (n=94) were significantly lower (p<0.001, Mann-Whitney U test) than the values of
      high-virulence microbial pathogens (n=55), the cut-off value being 106 cells per
      HPF. Based on the microbiological diagnosis the sensitivity with respect to a
      microbial infection is 0.91, the specificity 0.92 (PPV=0.94; NPV=0.88; accuracy:
      0.92; AUC=0.95). Based on the differentiation of the CD15 focus score values
      between low-virulence and high-virulence microbes the sensitivity is 0.70 and the
      specificity 0.77 (PPV=0.63; NPV=0.81; accuracy=0.74; AUC=0.74). CONCLUSION: As a
      result of the high sensitivity and specificity, the easy to use CD15 focus score
      is a diagnostically valid score for microbial periprosthetic infection. A
      differentiation between low-virulence and high-virulence microorganism of
      sufficiently high diagnostic quality is additionally possible as a result of the
      defined quantification of CD15 positive granulocytes (the CD15 focus score)
      histopathological diagnosis of microbial infections is possible, which on the one
      hand supports the microbiological diagnosis and on the other hand by the
      stratification into low-virulence and high-virulence microbial pathogens could
      represent an additional basis for a pathogen-specific antibiotic treatment in the
      event of unclear constellations of findings.

PMID- 28343871
TI  - Over-expression of CircRNA_100876 in non-small cell lung cancer and its
      prognostic value.
AB  - Circular RNAs (circRNAs) are a novel type of endogenous RNAs featuring stable
      structure and high tissue-specific expression. Recently, accumulating evidence
      has revealed that aberrant circRNAs expression plays important roles in
      carcinogenesis and tumor progression. However, the expression pattern and
      biological function of circRNAs in non small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) remain
      largely unknown. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to clarify the possible
      role of one of typical circRNAs, circRNA_100876 in NSCLC and to define its
      prognostic value in NSCLC. Quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT
      PCR) was used to detect the expression of circRNA_100876 in tumor tissues and
      their adjacent nontumorous tissues in 101 patients with NSCLC. We found that the
      expression level of circRNA_100876 was significantly elevated in NSCLC tissues
      when compared with their adjacent nontumorous tissues (P=0.000). Moreover, there
      was a close correlation between the circRNA_100876 up-regulation expression and
      lymph node metastasis (P=0.001) and tumor staging (P=0.001) in NSCLC. In
      addition, Kaplan-Meier survival analysis demonstrated that the overall survival
      time of NSCLC patients with high circRNA_100876 expression was significantly
      shorter than those patients with low circRNA_100876 expression (P=0.000). In
      conclusion, our findings indicate that circRNA_100876 is closely related to the
      carcinogenesis of NSCLC and it might be served as a potential prognostic
      biomarker and therapeutic target for NSCLC.

PMID- 28343872
TI  - Orbital decompression for thyroid eye disease.
AB  - The literature regarding orbital decompression for thyroid eye disease is vast,
      spanning multiple specialty areas including neurosurgery, head and neck,
      maxillofacial, and ophthalmic plastic surgery. Although techniques have advanced
      considerably over the more than 100 years during which this procedure has been
      performed, the 4 major approaches remain: transorbital, transcranial,
      transantral, and transnasal. The explosion in literature related to orbital
      decompression has mostly involved minor technical variations on broader surgical
      themes. The purpose of this review is to organize the major approaches in terms
      of bony anatomy and to contextualize variation in transdisciplinary techniques
      within a common conceptualization.

PMID- 28343873
TI  - Transport of bacteria in porous media and its enhancement by surfactants for
      bioaugmentation: A review.
AB  - The success of bioaugmentation processes for groundwater bioremediation requires
      efficient transport of bacteria in the subsurface environment. In this paper, the
      factors that influence transport of bacterial cells in porous media are reviewed
      and the effects of surfactants on the transport are discussed. Movement of
      bacterial cells in porous media is a process driven by advection and hydrodynamic
      dispersion forces of fluids. Immobilization of bacterial cells takes place due to
      processes such as adsorption and straining. Blocking and ripening along with
      bacterial migration process decrease and increase the retention of cells in
      porous media, respectively. Physicochemical properties of the porous media,
      groundwater chemistry, and properties of the bacterial cells affect the transport
      behavior. Surfactants have the potential to modify bacterial surface properties
      for both bacterial cells and medium solids, and thus enhance bacterial transport.

PMID- 28343874
TI  - Synthesis and in vitro investigation of potential antiproliferative
      monosaccharide-d-secoestrone bioconjugates.
AB  - The syntheses of monosaccharide-d-secoestrone conjugates are reported. They were
      prepared from 3-(prop-2-inyloxy)-d-secoestrone alcohol or oxime and
      monosaccharide azides via Cu(I)-catalyzed azide-alkyne cycloaddition reactions
      (CuAAC). The antiproliferative activities of the conjugates were investigated in
      vitro against a panel of human adherent cancer cell lines (HeLa, A2780 and MCF-7)
      by means of MTT assays. The protected d-glucose-containing d-secoestrone oxime
      bioconjugate (24b) proved to be the most effective with an IC50 value in the low
      micromolar range against A2780 cell line.

PMID- 28343875
TI  - Discovery and structure-activity relationship studies of N-substituted indole
      derivatives as novel Mcl-1 inhibitors.
AB  - Myeloid cell leukemia-1 (Mcl-1) is an important antiapoptotic protein functioning
      through protein-protein interactions. We discovered LSL-A6 (2-((2-carbamoyl-1-(3
      (4-methoxyphenoxy)propyl)-1H-indol-6-yl)oxy)acetic acid) with a novel N
      substituted indole scaffold to interfere Mcl-1 binding as a novel Mcl-1
      inhibitor. Molecular modeling indicated that this compound binds with Mcl-1 by
      interaction with P2 and R263 hot-spots. Structure modification focused on several
      moieties including indole core, hydrophobic tail and acidic chain were conducted
      and structure-activity relationship was analyzed. The most potent compound 24d
      which exhibited Ki value of 110nM for interfering Mcl-1 binding was obtained
      after hit-to-lead modification.

PMID- 28343876
TI  - Constituents with potent alpha-glucosidase inhibitory activity from Pueraria
      lobata (Willd.) ohwi.
AB  - One new flavone hydrate named lobatflavate (1), one new chromone named
      lobatchrosin (2), and one new isoflavone named 3S,4R-tuberosin (3), along with
      four known isoflavone analogues (4-7), were isolated from the traditional Chinese
      medicinal plant of Pueraria lobata (Willd.) ohwi. Their structures were
      elucidated by extensive spectroscopic methods of IR, UV, HR-ESI-MS, 1D and 2D
      NMR. The absolute configuration of 3 was determined by CD spectrum associated
      with TD-DFT calculation analysis. All compounds except for 2 were assayed the
      inhibitory activity against alpha-glucosidase. Every tested compound was proved
      to be more active than positive control of acarbose. Of which 1 and 4 showed
      significant activity with IC50 value of 1.79MUM and 23.01MUM (IC50 of acarbose
      was 1998.79MUM). Enzyme kinetic experiments revealed that 1 was irreversible
      whereas 4 was reversible and non-competitive alpha-glucosidase inhibitors.
      Moreover, structure-activity relationship was discussed and the docking studies
      of 1, 3 and 4 were also carried out.

PMID- 28343877
TI  - What Are Nursing Facilities Doing to Reduce Potentially Avoidable
      Hospitalizations?
AB  - OBJECTIVES: Hospitalizations among nursing facility residents are frequent and
      often potentially avoidable. A number of initiatives and interventions have been
      developed to reduce excessive hospitalizations; however, little is known about
      the specific approaches nursing facilities use to address this issue. The
      objective of this study is to better understand which types of interventions
      nursing facilities have introduced to reduce potentially avoidable
      hospitalizations of long-stay nursing facility residents. DESIGN: Cross-sectional
      survey. SETTING: 236 nursing facilities from 7 states. PARTICIPANTS: Nursing
      facility administrators. MEASUREMENTS: Web-based survey to measure whether
      facilities introduced any policies or procedures designed specifically to reduce
      potentially avoidable hospitalizations of long-stay nursing facility residents
      between 2011 and 2015. We surveyed facilities about seven types of interventions
      and quality improvement activities related to reducing avoidable
      hospitalizations, including use of Interventions to Reduce Acute Care Transfers
      (INTERACT) and American Medical Directors Association tools. RESULTS: Ninety-five
      percent of responding nursing facilities reported having introduced at least one
      new policy or procedure to reduce nursing facility resident hospitalizations
      since January 2011. The most common practice reported was hospitalization rate
      tracking or review, followed by standardized communication tools, such as
      Situation, Background, Assessment, Recommendation (SBAR). We found some variation
      in the extent and types of these reported interventions. CONCLUSIONS: Nearly all
      facilities surveyed reported having introduced a variety of initiatives to reduce
      potentially avoidable hospitalizations, likely driven by federal, state, and
      corporate initiatives to decrease hospital admissions and readmissions.

PMID- 28343878
TI  - Ingested Intra-Abdominal Christmas Foreign Body in an Elderly Patient.

PMID- 28343879
TI  - Anorexia of Aging and Avoidant/Restrictive Food Intake Disorder.

PMID- 28343880
TI  - [Acute respiratory distress syndrome in childhood: Changing definition and news
      from the Pediatric Consensus Conference].
AB  - Acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) is a rapidly progressive hypoxemic
      respiratory insufficiency induced by alveolar filling mainly caused by
      alveolocapillary wall disruption, following direct or indirect pulmonary injury.
      Much less frequent in children than in adults, pediatric intensivists had long
      applied adult guidelines to their daily practice. In 2015, experts from the
      Pediatric Acute Lung Injury Consensus Conference (PALICC) published the first
      international guidelines specifically dedicated to pediatric ARDS. After a short
      summary of the history of the ARDS definition since its first report in 1967, we
      describe the main diagnostic and therapeutic guidelines for PALICC.

PMID- 28343881
TI  - Musculoskeletal pain in children, when hypermobility is the problem.

PMID- 28343882
TI  - A contemporary description of French newborns' growth using the Efemeris cohort.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Overweight and obesity in childhood are a major concern in developed
      countries. Reference growth curves are used in current practice to identify
      children at risk, especially at risk of overweight or obesity. National reference
      growth curves were published 35 years ago from children born in the 1950s to
      study growth from birth to adulthood. Additionally, more recent national curves
      exist to study birth weight and height according to gestational age. The primary
      objective was to describe anthropometric measurements of French children born in
      the 2000s and to compare them with the French references. The secondary objective
      was to describe overweight indicators during infancy. METHODS: A total of 77,315
      singletons live-born from 1 July 2004 to 31 December 2013 recorded in the
      Efemeris (a French cohort of women and their children) were included. The z-score
      means based on the French references for weight, height, and body mass index
      (BMI) at birth, 9 months, and 24 months were calculated. RESULTS: At birth, the
      weight and height of the cohort did not deviate from the recent French references
      taking into account gestational age. At 9 and 24 months, the cohort was between
      0.12 and 0.39 standard deviations (SD) heavier and between 0.70 and 0.97 SD
      taller than the old French reference population. Between 0 and 2 years, 28.6% of
      the children underwent a rapid weight gain (change in SD scores>0.67). The
      prevalence of overweight at 2 years was between 5 and 6% using the International
      obesity task force (IOTF) references. CONCLUSION: The distributions of the
      height, weight, and BMI during early childhood differ from those of children in
      the national growth references. Contemporary children at 2 years are taller and
      heavier than children born in the 1950s. Approximately one in 20 children is
      overweight at 2 years.

PMID- 28343883
TI  - [Disseminated actinomycosis treated with clindamycin].
AB  - Actinomycosis is a rare bacterial disease caused by Actinomyces spp., an
      anaerobic bacteria from the oropharynx, digestive, and female genital tracts.
      Initial clinical presentation often mimics malignancy, which can lead to a delay
      in diagnosis. Cervico-facial, genitourinary, digestive, and respiratory features
      are the most frequent. Few cases are reported in children and risk factors are
      not well known in this population. We report on the case of an 8-year-old boy
      with disseminated actinomycosis with cervico-facial, pulmonary, and bone
      involvement caused by Actinomyces israelii. The infiltrative appearance initially
      suggested malignancy and the patient was started on chemotherapy for presumed
      histiocytosis. Evaluation of subsequent tissue samples demonstrated the presence
      of filamentous structures consistent with fungal or filamentous bacterial
      infection. Prolonged culture yielded the correct diagnosis. The patient had a
      severe allergic reaction to piperacillin/tazobactam and was therefore
      transitioned to clindamycin to complete a 9-month course. This treatment, which
      has not been reported in children, led to a favorable clinical, biological, and
      radiological response, with a good clinical tolerance.

PMID- 28343884
TI  - Short-term desensitization of fast escape behavior associated with suppression of
      Mauthner cell activity in larval zebrafish.
AB  - Escape is among the simplest animal behaviors employed to study the neural
      mechanisms underlying learning. Teleost fishes exhibit behavioral learning of
      fast escape initiated with a C-shaped body bend (C-start). C-starts are
      subdivided into short-latency (SLC) and long-latency (LLC) types in larval
      zebrafish. Whether these two can be separately modified, and the neural
      correlates of this modification, however, remains undetermined. We thus performed
      Ca2+ imaging of Mauthner (M-) cells, a pair of giant hindbrain neurons
      constituting a core element of SLC circuit, during behavioral learning in larval
      zebrafish. The Ca2+ response corresponding to a single spiking of the M-cells was
      coupled with SLCs but not LLCs. Conditioning with a repeated weak sound at
      subthreshold intensity to elicit C-starts selectively suppressed SLC occurrence
      for 10min without affecting LLC responsiveness. The short-term desensitization of
      SLC was associated with the suppression of M-cell activity, suggesting that
      changes in single neuron responsiveness mediate behavioral learning. The
      conditioning did not affect the acoustically evoked mechanotransduction of inner
      ear hair cells, further suggesting plastic change in transmission efficacy within
      the auditory input circuit between the hair cells and the M-cell.

PMID- 28343886
TI  - Cyclic seizures - A clue to seizure termination?

PMID- 28343887
TI  - Corrigendum to "Magnetoencephalography signals are influenced by skull defects"
      [Clin. Neurophysiol. 125 (2014) 1653-1662].

PMID- 28343885
TI  - Carpal tunnel syndrome impairs index finger responses to unpredictable
      perturbations.
AB  - The fine-tuning of digit forces to object properties can be disrupted by carpal
      tunnel syndrome (CTS). CTS' effects on hand function have mainly been
      investigated using predictable manipulation tasks; however, unpredictable
      perturbations are commonly encountered during manual tasks, presenting situations
      which may be more challenging to CTS patients given their hand impairments. The
      purpose of this study was to investigate muscle and force responses of the index
      finger to unpredictable perturbations in patients with CTS. Nine CTS patients and
      nine asymptomatic controls were instructed to stop the movement of a sliding
      plate by increasing index finger force following an unexpected perturbation. The
      electrical activity of the first dorsal interosseous muscle and forces exerted by
      the index finger were recorded. CTS patients demonstrated 20.9% greater muscle
      response latency and 12.0% greater force response latency compared to controls
      (p<0.05). The duration of plate sliding was significantly different between
      groups (p<0.05); the CTS group's duration was 142.2+/-5.8ms compared to the
      control group's duration of 133.1+/-8.4ms. Although CTS patients had increased
      muscle and force response durations comparatively, these differences were not
      statistically significant. Findings from this study suggest CTS-induced
      sensorimotor deficits interfere with accurate detection, processing and response
      to unpredictable perturbations. These deficits could be accounted for at multiple
      levels of the peripheral and central nervous systems. Delayed and decreased
      responses may indicate inefficient object manipulation by CTS patients and may
      help to explain why CTS patients tend to drop objects.

PMID- 28343888
TI  - A muscle ultrasound score in the diagnosis of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: The aims of this study are to elucidate the frequencies and
      distribution of fasciculations using muscle ultrasound in patients with
      amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and those with other conditions mimicking
      ALS, and subsequently to develop a novel fasciculation score for the diagnosis of
      ALS. METHODS: Ultrasound of 21 muscles was performed to detect fasciculations in
      36 consecutive patients suspected of having ALS. We developed a fasciculation
      ultrasound score that indicated the number of muscles with fasciculations in
      statistically selected muscles. RESULTS: A total of 525 muscles in 25 ALS
      patients and 231 in 11 non-ALS patients were analysed. Using relative operating
      characteristic and multivariate logistic regression analysis, we selected the
      trapezius, deltoid, biceps brachii, abductor pollicis brevis, abdominal, vastus
      lateralis, vastus medialis, biceps femoris, and gastrocnemius muscles for the
      fasciculation ultrasound score. The mean scores were higher in the ALS group than
      those in the non-ALS group (5.3+/-0.5vs. 0.3+/-0.7) (mean+/-SD); p<0.001.
      CONCLUSIONS: Two or more of the fasciculation ultrasound scores showed high
      sensitivity and specificity in differentiating ALS patients from non-ALS
      patients. SIGNIFICANCE: The fasciculation ultrasound score can be a simple and
      useful diagnostic marker of ALS.

PMID- 28343889
TI  - Feasibility, safety and efficacy of two-stage hepatectomy for bilobar liver
      metastases of colorectal cancer: a LiverMetSurvey analysis.
AB  - BACKGROUND: The combination of liver resection and chemotherapy has become the
      standard of care for colorectal liver metastases (LM). The objective of the
      present study was to evaluate the impact of two-stage hepatectomy (TSH) on the
      long-term survival of patients with bilobar LM. METHODS: We included adult (over
      18) patients from the LiverMetSurvey registry with confirmed multiple colorectal
      LM and having undergone either one-stage hepatectomy or TSH with curative intent.
      The "TSH (2/2)" group (n = 625) comprised patients having completed both stages
      of TSH; the "TSH (1/2)" group (n = 244) comprised patients having undergone only
      the first stage of TSH; the "hepatectomy" group. The primary outcome criterion
      was the overall survival (OS). The secondary outcomes were the morbidity and
      mortality rates. RESULTS: The 30- and 90-day mortality rates were respectively
      3.8% and 9.3% in the TSH (2/2) group, 9.4% and 16.4% in the TSH (1/2) group, and
      5.4% and 9.1% in the "hepatectomy" group. The three-year OS rate was 45% in the
      TSH (2/2) group, 30% in the TSH (1/2) group and 50.7% in the hepatectomy group.
      CONCLUSION: The LiverMetSurvey registry's data indicate that TSH is associated
      with rather good long-term survival and acceptable morbidity and mortality rates.

PMID- 28343890
TI  - Glycine receptor subunits expression in the developing rat retina.
AB  - BACKGROUND AND METHODS: Glycine receptor (GlyR) consists of two alpha (1-4) and
      three beta subunits. Considerable evidence indicates that the adult retina
      expresses the four types of alpha subunits; however, the proportion of these
      subunits in adult and immature retina is almost unknown. In this report we have
      studied mRNA and the protein expression of GlyR subunits in the retina during
      postnatal rat development by Real-Time qRT-PCR and western blot. RESULTS: mRNA
      and protein expression indicated a gradual increase of the alpha1, alpha3, alpha4
      and beta GlyR subunits during postnatal ages tested. The mRNA beta subunit showed
      higher expression levels (~3 fold) than those observed for the alpha1 and alpha3
      subunits. Very interestingly, the alpha2 GlyR subunit had the highest expression
      in the retina, even in the adult. CONCLUSIONS: These results revealed the
      expression of GlyR at early postnatal ages, supporting its role in retina
      development. In addition, our results indicated that the adult retina expressed a
      high proportion of the alpha2 subunit, suggesting the expression of monomeric
      and/or heteromeric receptors. A variety of studies are needed to further
      characterize the role of the specific subunits in both adult and immature retina.

PMID- 28343891
TI  - An investigation on the effects of the angles between the mitral and aortic
      orifice during diastolic period using FSI.
AB  - BACKGROUND: It was well documented that the changes in the physiological
      structure of the heart can alter the hemodynamic behaviour of the human left
      ventricle. Although there were various imaging tools that can stipulate the blood
      flow characteristics inside the ventricle, but the effect of the variation in the
      angles between the mitral and aortic orifices were yet to be determined. Hence
      the primary focus of this paper was to use Fluid-Structure Interaction scheme
      throughout the diastolic phase to examine and determine the hemodynamic behaviour
      inside the cavity under various angles between the mitral and aortic orifices (50
      degrees , 55 degrees  and 60 degrees ). METHODS: The incompressible Newtonian
      liquid (time dependent), linear viscous liquid and stress tensor equations were
      combined together with the Navier-Stoke's equations and Arbitrary Lagrangian
      Eulerian and for the elasticity of the structure. RESULTS: During diastasis, the
      position of the vortex was seen to be slightly upwards (55 degrees ) compared to
      50 degrees  and 60 degrees . Also, the influence of the wall shear stress was
      primarily observed to be much higher with the rise in the inlet velocity but the
      effect was seen reduced when the inlet velocity was minimal. Moreover, at the end
      of the filling phase maximum intraventricular pressure was obtained to be at the
      tip of LV for 50 degrees  compared to 55 degrees  and 60 degrees . CONCLUSION:
      These findings provide significant insights on hemodynamic conditions and
      structural displacement, which from a clinical point of view would be useful in
      determining different conditions of cardiac diseases.

PMID- 28343892
TI  - How to Succeed in Academic Radiology: A Primer for Young Faculty Members.

PMID- 28343893
TI  - Local hemostatic matrix for endoscope-assisted removal of intracerebral
      hemorrhage is safe and effective.
AB  - BACKGROUND/PURPOSE: Minimally invasive endoscope-assisted (MIE) evacuation of
      spontaneous intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH) is simple and effective, but the
      limited working space may hinder meticulous hemostasis and might lead to
      rebleeding. Management of intraoperative hemorrhage is therefore a critical issue
      of this study. This study presents experience in the treatment of patients with
      various types of ICH by MIE evacuation followed by direct local injection of
      FloSeal Hemostatic Matrix (Baxter Healthcare Corp, Fremont, CA, USA) for
      hemostasis. METHODS: The retrospective nonrandomized clinical and radiology-based
      analysis enrolled 42 patients treated with MIE evacuation of ICH followed by
      direct local injection of FloSeal Hemostatic Matrix. Rebleeding, morbidity, and
      mortality were the primary endpoints. The percentage of hematoma evacuated was
      calculated from the pre- and postoperative brain computed tomography (CT) scans.
      Extended Glasgow Outcome Scale (GOSE) was evaluated at 6 months postoperatively.
      RESULTS: Forty-two ICH patients were included in this study, among these, 23
      patients were putaminal hemorrhage, 16 were thalamic ICH, and the other three
      were subcortical type. Surgery-related mortality was 2.4%. The average percentage
      of hematoma evacuated was 80.8%, and the rebleeding rate was 4.8%. The mean
      operative time was 102.7 minutes and the average blood loss was 84.9 mL. The mean
      postoperative GOSE score was 4.55 at 6-months' follow-up. CONCLUSION: This study
      shows that local application of FloSeal Hemostatic Matrix is safe and effective
      for hemostasis during MIE evacuation of ICH. In our experience, this shortens the
      operation time, especially in cases with intraoperative bleeding. A large,
      prospective, randomized trial is needed to confirm the findings.

PMID- 28343894
TI  - [1-9-NalphaC]-crourorb A1 isolated from Croton urucurana latex induces G2/M cell
      cycle arrest and apoptosis in human hepatocarcinoma cells.
AB  - [1-9-NalphaC]-crourorb A1 is a cyclic peptide isolated from Croton urucurana
      Baillon latex, found in midwestern Brazil, that has been shown to exert cytotoxic
      effects against a panel of cancer cell lines. However, the underlying mechanisms
      responsible for the crourorb A1-induced cytotoxicity in cancer cells remain
      unknown. In this study, the effects of crourorb A1 on the viability, apoptosis,
      cell cycle and migration of Huh-7 (human hepatocarcinoma) cells were
      investigated. We evaluated the viability of Huh-7 cells treated with crourorb A1
      in 2D and 3D collagen cultures and found that cells in 3D culture exhibited
      increased resistance to crourorb A1 compared to cells in 2D culture (IC50:
      62MUg/ml versus 35.75MUg/ml). Crourorb A1 treatment decreases the viability of
      Huh-7 cells in a dose- and time-dependent manner and is associated with the
      induction of apoptosis, in the absence of necrotic cells, through the activation
      of caspase-3/7 and increased expression of the pro-apoptotic proteins Bak, Bid,
      Bax, Puma, Bim, and Bad. The effects of crourorb A1 are also associated with G2/M
      phase cell cycle arrest and increases in cyclin-dependent kinase (CDK1) and
      cyclin B1 expression. A significant reduction in Huh-7 cell migration induced by
      crourorb A1 was also observed in the presence of mitomycin C. Finally, we showed
      that the JNK/MAP pathway, but not ERK signaling, is involved in crourorb A1
      induced hepatocarcinoma cell mortality.

PMID- 28343895
TI  - Pharmacokinetic profile of promising acetylcholinesterase reactivators K027 and
      K203 in experimental pigs.
AB  - Standard treatment of organophosphorus compounds (OPs) poisoning includes
      administration of an anti-muscarinic (atropine), anticonvulsive (diazepam) and
      acetylcholinesterase reactivator (oxime). From a wide group of newly synthesized
      oximes, oxime K027 and oxime K203 seem to be perspective compounds in some
      specific OPs intoxication. The available in vitro and in vivo preclinical data
      indicate that both oximes may be considered for potential human use. The main aim
      of this study was to establish plasmatic concentration curves of both oximes
      after intramuscular (i.m.) and intragastric (i.g.) application with subsequent
      pharmacokinetic analysis and study distribution after (i.m.) application on a non
      rodent animal model (experimental pigs; 1500mg/animal). According to the results,
      both oximes had similar Cmax (K027: 106+/-19MUg/mL and K203: 111+/-8MUg/mL) in
      Tmax 19+/-5min, respectively, in 22+/-3min. Bioavailability of oxime K027
      calculated as AUCtotal (8389+/-1024minMUg/mL) was halved compared to oxime K203
      (16938+/-795minMUg/mL). The highest concentration from peripheral tissues was
      found in the kidney and lung, but the brain concentrations stay very low, the
      plasma/brain ratio being approximately 1%. The applied doses were derived from
      the recommendation where it is possible to use three autoinjectors to save human
      life. The results provide us with knowledge about the pharmacokinetics and
      distribution of these new oximes and may help us to better estimate the human
      pharmacokinetic profile.

PMID- 28343896
TI  - Assessment of hepatic function decline after stereotactic body radiation therapy
      for primary liver cancer.
AB  - PURPOSE: This study aims to determine how the albumin-bilirubin (ALBI) score
      compares with the Child-Pugh (CP) score for assessing liver function following
      stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT). METHODS AND MATERIALS: In total, 60
      patients, 40 with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and 20 with cholangiocarcinoma
      (CCA), were treated with SBRT. Liver function panels were obtained before and at
      1, 3, 6, and 12 months after SBRT. Laboratory values were censored after
      locoregional recurrence, further liver-directed therapies, or liver transplant.
      RESULTS: A significant decline in hepatic function occurred after SBRT for HCC
      patients only (P = .001 by ALBI score; P < .0001 by CP score). By converting
      radiation doses to biologically equivalent doses by using a standard linear
      quadratic model using alpha/beta of 10, the strongest dosimetric predictor of
      liver function decline for HCC was the volume of normal liver irradiated by a
      dose of 40 Gy when assessing liver function by the ALBI score (P = .07), and the
      volume of normal liver irradiated by a dose of 20 Gy by using the CP score (P=
      .0009). For CCA patients, the volume of normal liver irradiated by a dose of 40
      Gy remained the strongest dosimetric predictor when using the ALBI score (P =
      .002), but no dosimetric predictor was significant using the CP score. Hepatic
      function decline correlated with worse overall survival for HCC (by ALBI, P =
      .0005; by CP, P < .0001) and for CCA (by ALBI, P = NS; by CP, P = .008).
      CONCLUSIONS: ALBI score was similarly able to predict hepatic function decline
      compared with CP score, and both systems correlated with survival.

PMID- 28343897
TI  - PepperHub, an Informatics Hub for the Chili Pepper Research Community.

PMID- 28343898
TI  - Comparison of human mesenchymal stromal cells from four neonatal tissues:
      Amniotic membrane, chorionic membrane, placental decidua and umbilical cord.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs) are being investigated as a
      potential alternative for cellular therapy. This study was designed to compare
      the biological characteristics of MSCs isolated from amniotic membrane (A-MSCs),
      chorionic membrane (C-MSCs), placental decidua (D-MSCs) and umbilical cord (UC
      MSCs) to ascertain whether any one of these sources is superior to the others for
      cellular therapy purposes. METHODS: MSCs were isolated from amniotic membrane,
      chorionic membrane, umbilical cord and placental decidua. Immunophenotype,
      differentiation ability, cell size, cell complexity, polarity index and growth
      kinetics of MSCs isolated from these four sources were analyzed. RESULTS: MSCs
      were successfully isolated from all four sources. Surface marker profile and
      differentiation ability were consistent with human MSCs. C-MSCs in suspension
      were the smallest cells, whereas UC-MSCs presented the greatest length and least
      width. A-MSCs had the lowest polarity index and UC-MSCs, as more elongated cells,
      the highest. C-MSCs, D-MSCs and UC-MSCs exhibited similar growth capacity until
      passage 8 (P8); C-MSCs presented better lifespan, whereas insignificant
      proliferation was observed in A-MSCs. DISCUSSION: Neonatal and maternal tissues
      can serve as sources of multipotent stem cells. Some characteristics of MSCs
      obtained from four neonatal tissues were compared and differences were observed.
      Amniotic membrane was the least useful source of MSCs, whereas chorionic membrane
      and umbilical cord were considered good options for future use in cell therapy
      because of the known advantages of immature cells.

PMID- 28343899
TI  - Predictive Value of the SYNTAX Score in Culprit and Nonculprit Vessel Disease.
      Response.

PMID- 28343900
TI  - [Choroidal metastasis from a lung adenocarcinoma treated by intravitreal
      injection of anti-VEGF and external beam radiotherapy: A case report].
AB  - Choroidal metastases of lung cancer are very uncommon. This localization should
      be suspected on blurred vision and confirmed with an ophthalmological
      examination. Its treatment is not entirely codified. We report a case of blurred
      vision secondary to bilateral choroidal metastasis in a patient with choroidal
      metastases from a lung adenocarcinoma, treated by intravitreal anti-vascular
      endothelial growth factor (VEGF) injection and external beam radiotherapy.
      According to a literature review, we analyzed the place of the targeted
      treatments used alone or combined with the radiotherapy.

PMID- 28343901
TI  - GPER blockers as Nox downregulators: A new drug class to target chronic non
      communicable diseases.
AB  - Oxidative stress is a hallmark of chronic non-communicable diseases such as
      arterial hypertension, coronary artery disease, diabetes, and chronic renal
      disease. Cardiovascular diseases are characterized by increased production of
      reactive oxygen species (ROS) by NAPDH oxidase 1 (Nox1) and additional Nox
      isoforms among other sources. Activation of the G protein-coupled estrogen
      receptor (GPER) can mediate multiple salutary effects on the cardiovascular
      system. However, GPER also has constitutive activity, e.g. in the absence of
      specific agonists, that was recently shown to promote hypertension and aging
      induced tissue damage by promoting Nox1-derived production of ROS. Furthermore,
      the small molecule GPER blocker (GRB) G36 reduces blood pressure and vascular ROS
      production by selectively down-regulating Nox1 expression. These unexpected
      findings revealed GRBs as first in class Nox downregulators capable to
      selectively reduce the increased expression and activity of Nox1 in disease
      conditions. Here, we will discuss the paradigm shift from selective GPER
      activation to ligand-independent, constitutive GPER signaling as a key regulator
      of Nox-derived oxidative stress, and the surprising identification of GRBs as the
      first Nox downregulators for the treatment of chronic non-communicable diseases.

PMID- 28343902
TI  - Stepwise strategies to successfully recruit diabetes patients in a large research
      study in Mexican population.
AB  - AIMS: Describe stepwise strategies (electronic chart review, patient
      preselection, call-center, personnel dedicated to recruitment) for the successful
      recruitment of >5000 type 2 diabetes patients in four months. METHODS: Twenty
      five family medicine clinics from Mexico City and the State of Mexico
      participated: 13 usual care, 6 specialized diabetes care and 6 chronic disease
      care. Appointments were scheduled from 11/3/2015 to 3/31/2016. Phone calls were
      generated automatically from an electronic database. A telephone questionnaire
      verified inclusion criteria, and scheduled an appointment, with a daily report of
      appointments, patient attendance, acceptance rate, and questionnaire
      completeness. Another recruitment log reviewed samples collected. Absolute number
      (percentage) of patients are reported. Means and standard deviations were
      estimated for continuous variables, chi2 test and independent "t" tests were
      used. OR and 95% CI were estimated. RESULTS: 14,358 appointments were scheduled,
      9146 (63.7%) attended their appointment: 5710 (62.4%) fulfilled inclusion
      criteria and 5244 agreed to participate (91.8% acceptance). Those accepting
      participation were more likely women, younger and with longer disease duration
      (p<0.05). The cost of the call-center service was $3,010,000.00 Mexican pesos
      (~$31.70 USD per recruited patient). CONCLUSIONS: Stepwise strategies recruit a
      high number of patients in a short time. Call centers offer a low cost per
      patient.

PMID- 28343903
TI  - [Spinal cord injuries resulting from diving accidents in the Canary Islands].
AB  - OBJECTIVE: Diving accidents is one of the leading causes of spinal cord injury
      after falls and car accidents. The objective of this study was to determine the
      epidemiological and clinical characteristics of these patients in our setting to
      better prevent these injuries. MATERIAL AND METHODS: We performed a
      retrospective, descriptive study of patients who have suffered from a traumatic
      spinal cord injury after a diving accident in the Canary Islands, Spain from 2000
      to 2014. These patients were admitted to the Spinal Cord Unit of Hospital
      Universitario Insular de Gran Canaria. RESULTS: Of the 264 patients admitted to
      our unit for acute traumatic spinal cord injury, 23 (8.7%) cases were due to
      diving. Grouping the patients into 5years periods, 56% of the injuries occurred
      in 2000-2005, 17% in 2006-2010 and 26% in 2011-2014. All patients were male, with
      a mean age of 29years. Approximately 65% were under 30years. A total of 22/23
      patients had a fracture and injury most commonly occurred to the C5 vertebra.
      Burst fractures were the most common. A total of 86% of cases underwent surgery.
      All the spinal cord injuries were cervical, with C6 being the neurological level
      most often affected. A total of 65% of spinal cord injuries were complete
      injuries. CONCLUSIONS: Spinal cord injury secondary to diving accidents is the
      third leading cause of traumatic spinal cord injury in our setting. It affects
      young males and the most common clinical presentation is a complete cervical
      spinal cord injury. Given the irreversible nature of the injury, prevention,
      aimed mainly at young people, is of great importance.

PMID- 28343905
TI  - The Dana Farber Consortium Protocol for the Treatment of Adolescents and Young
      Adults With Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia: A Single Institution Experience in
      Saudi Arabia.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Recent retrospective analyses and phase II trials have shown
      differential outcomes in adolescents and young adults when treated with pediatric
      compared with adult protocols. The aim of this study was to evaluate the efficacy
      and toxicity of the Dana Farber Consortium Protocol (DFCP) in Saudi young adults
      diagnosed with de novo acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL). PATIENTS AND METHODS:
      In this retrospective study we included 38 patients with de novo ALL who
      presented to King Abdulla Medical City in the period from June 2010 to March 2015
      and received the DFCP (Princess Margret modified version). RESULTS: A total of 38
      patients were included with a median age of 19 years. Two patients died during
      induction treatment, and 35 of 38 patients achieved complete remission (92.1%).
      With a median follow-up period of 22 months, at 1 and 3 years, leukemia-free
      survival was 80% and 68%, respectively, and overall survival was 88% and 72%,
      respectively. Age younger than 21 years showed a significant association with
      longer survival. Toxicities included febrile neutropenia in all patients during
      induction, typhilitis in 8/38 (21%), pneumonia in 10/38 (26%), and pancreatitis
      in 5/38 patients (13%), 3/38 (7.8%) during induction and 2/38 (5.2%) during
      intensification. Osteonecrosis affected 3/38 patients (7.8%), and was detected
      during screening in 2/38 (5.2%) of these patients. There were no fractures or
      surgical interventions, and no venous thromboembolism was recorded. CONCLUSION:
      Although it might be feasible to use pediatric-inspired protocols in this age
      group, toxicity cannot be overlooked, and the application of these protocols
      might require modification of drug doses or schedules relative to those used for
      younger children. Moreover, additional surveillance and supportive measures
      should be implemented to maximize benefits while minimizing toxicity.

PMID- 28343904
TI  - Clinical and Serologic Responses After a Two-dose Series of High-dose Influenza
      Vaccine in Plasma Cell Disorders: A Prospective, Single-arm Trial.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Patients with multiple myeloma (MM) and other plasma cell disorders
      are highly susceptible to influenza infections, which are major causes of
      morbidity in this population, despite the routine administration of a seasonal
      influenza vaccination. Existing data are limited by small and retrospective
      studies, which suggest poor seroprotection rates of < 20% after standard
      influenza vaccination in patients with MM. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Patients with
      plasma cell dyscrasia (n = 51) were treated with a 2-dose series of high-dose
      inactivated trivalent influenza vaccine during the 2014 to 2015 influenza season.
      Laboratory-confirmed influenza infections were identified through seasonal
      surveillance, sera were collected for influenza hemagglutination antibody
      inhibition (HAI) titer assays, and logistic regression models were used to
      identify the clinical correlates to the HAI serologic responses. RESULTS:
      Influenza vaccine was well tolerated, without any vaccine-related grade >= 2
      adverse events. Only 3 patients (6%) experienced laboratory-confirmed influenza.
      The rates of HAI seroprotection against all 3 vaccine strains
      (A/California/7/2009 [H1N1] pdm09-like virus; A/Texas/50/2012 [H3N2]-like virus;
      and a B/Massachusetts/2/2012-like virus) increased from 4% at baseline to 49% and
      65% after 1 and 2 doses, respectively. The risk factors associated with a lower
      likelihood of HAI serologic response included plasma cell disorder requiring
      therapy, less than a partial response found on disease response assessment, and
      active conventional chemotherapy. Alternatively, active therapy with an
      immunomodulatory drug alone or with a proteasome inhibitor was associated with a
      greater likelihood of an HAI serologic response. CONCLUSION: These data have
      demonstrated that, in contrast to the historically poor results with standard
      influenza vaccination, this novel high-dose booster vaccination strategy leads to
      high rates of seroprotection. Randomized controlled studies are needed to compare
      this novel strategy to the standard vaccination strategy.

PMID- 28343906
TI  - Comparative analysis of iterative reconstruction algorithms with resolution
      recovery and new solid state cameras dedicated to myocardial perfusion imaging.
AB  - New technologies are available in myocardial perfusion imaging. They include new
      software that recovers image resolution and limits image noise, multifocal
      collimators and dedicated cardiac cameras in which solid-state detectors are used
      and all available detectors are constrained to imaging just the cardiac field of
      view. These innovations resulted in shortened study times or reduced administered
      activity to patients, while preserving image quality. Many single center and some
      multicenter studies have been published during the introduction of these
      innovations in the clinical practice. Most of these studies were lead in the
      framework of "agreement studies" between different methods of clinical
      measurement. They aimed to demonstrate that these new software/hardware solutions
      allow the acquisition of images with reduced acquisition time or administered
      activity with comparable results (as for image quality, image interpretation,
      perfusion defect quantification, left ventricular volumes and ejection fraction)
      to the standard-time or standard-dose SPECT acquired with a conventional gamma
      camera and reconstructed with the traditional FBP method, considered as the gold
      standard. The purpose of this review is to provide the reader with a
      comprehensive understanding of the pro and cons of the different approaches
      summarizing the achievements reached so far and the issues that need further
      investigations.

PMID- 28343908
TI  - [Fetal MRI practices in a university prenatal center].
AB  - OBJECTIVES: Fetal MRI is a third intention examination to prenatal diagnosis. If
      its diagnostic value is well known in many pathologies, its place in the
      management of pregnancies remains unclear. METHODS: We collected retrospectively
      demographical, radiological (fetal MRI indications, fetal anatomical region and
      diagnostic information provided by fetal MRI) and obstetrical data of pregnant
      patients in university prenatal center during a 5 years' period. RESULTS: Among
      2439 patients of the prenatal center, 196 (8%) patients with fetal MRI were
      included. The main anatomical regions studied were the brain (n=132, 67%), the
      thorax (n=31, 16%) and the abdomen (n=25, 13%). No cardiac fetal MRI was
      performed. Ninety-five percent of fetal MRI was consecutively of an ultrasound
      sign. Fetal brain MRI was abnormal in 65% of cases, the thoracic and
      abdominopelvic MRI in 81.5%. The ultrasound diagnosis was unchanged in 42%,
      completed in 50% and redirected in 8% of cases. A termination of pregnancy was
      deemed admissible in 31% of patients with MRI versus 21% in patients without MRI
      (P=0.001). CONCLUSION: Fetal MRI requires selective indications and provides
      additional diagnostic information with important implications for the future of
      the pregnancy, particularly in case of severe and incurable pathologies. Our
      results could be useful as a reference basis for the comparison with others
      prenatal center practices.

PMID- 28343907
TI  - [Intra-uterine insemination at either 24 or 48hours after ovulation induction:
      Pregnancy and birth rates].
AB  - OBJECTIVE: Comparing rates of pregnancy and childbirth between IUI at either 24
      or 48hours after injection of HCG. METHODS: This is a single-center retrospective
      study of couples who underwent intrauterine insemination between January 2013 and
      December 2014 at Medical-Surgical Obstetrical Centre of Schiltigheim. Stimulation
      of ovulation was done by FSH or HMG, and ovulation induction by 250MUg of
      recombinant HCG. The insemination was performed after 2 days (group D2) or the
      day after (group D1). RESULTS: Among the 1092 intrauterine insemination cycles
      included in our study, 62 were done the day after ovulation induction by HCG
      (D1), and 1030 the day after (D2). Our study showed no significant difference in
      the rate of biological pregnancy, defined by a rate of BHCG>15IU/L, between the
      group D1 (19.35%) and the group D2 (18.12%), P=0.94, and no difference in live
      birth rate: respectively 14,50% and 11.75%, P=0.18. CONCLUSION: Our study
      reported similar rates of pregnancy and childbirth in the group who underwent IUI
      at D1 and D2 of ovulation induction, suggesting the possibility of IUI on day 1
      when the organization of the service needs it, without loss of opportunity for
      pregnancy.

PMID- 28343909
TI  - Pneumonia.
AB  - Neonatal pneumonia may occur in isolation or as one component of a larger
      infectious process. Bacteria, viruses, fungi, and parasites are all potential
      causes of neonatal pneumonia, and may be transmitted vertically from the mother
      or acquired from the postnatal environment. The patient's age at the time of
      disease onset may help narrow the differential diagnosis, as different pathogens
      are associated with congenital, early-onset, and late-onset pneumonia. Supportive
      care and rationally selected antimicrobial therapy are the mainstays of treatment
      for neonatal pneumonia. The challenges involved in microbiological testing of the
      lower airways may prevent definitive identification of a causative organism. In
      this case, secondary data must guide selection of empiric therapy, and the
      response to treatment must be closely monitored.

PMID- 28343910
TI  - Anti-skin-aging effect of epigallocatechin gallate by regulating epidermal growth
      factor receptor pathway on aging mouse model induced by d-Galactose.
AB  - Epigallocatechin gallate(EGCG) is a monomer separated from tea catechins, as an
      well-known antioxidant, which helps fight wrinkles and rejuvenate skin cells. In
      this study, we investigated the anti-aging effect of EGCG, and to clarify
      underlying mechanism of skin aging in a d-galactose-induced aging mouse model.
      Forty-five male mice were divided into 5 groups and treated with different dose
      of EGCG, Vitamin C (VitC) to mice as a positive control. All groups except
      vehicle were established aging model induced by d-galactose (200mg/kg/day) that
      was subcutaneously injected to mice for 8 weeks. Two weeks after injection of d
      galactose, EGCG and Vit C groups were simultaneously administered once a day by
      subcutaneously inject after 5h for injecting d-galactose. The results show that
      EGCG can be absorbed by the skin. Overall, the conditions of the skin of EGCG
      treatment groups were improved, the whole structure of skin were better than
      control groups, and the levels of oxidative stress and the expression of relate
      with EGFR proteins were significantly higher than control group after EGCG
      treatment. All these findings suggest that EGCG can resist skin senility
      effectively. And the EGFR with relate of downstream proteins are implicated in
      the skin aging.

PMID- 28343911
TI  - Cardiac implantable electronic device infections: From recognizing risk to
      prevention.

PMID- 28343912
TI  - The right timing for the left lead: Now or later?

PMID- 28343913
TI  - SUMOylation Inhibition Mediated by Disruption of SUMO E1-E2 Interactions Confers
      Plant Susceptibility to Necrotrophic Fungal Pathogens.
AB  - Protein modification by SUMO modulates essential biological processes in
      eukaryotes. SUMOylation is facilitated by sequential action of the E1-activating,
      E2-conjugating, and E3-ligase enzymes. In plants, SUMO regulates plant
      development and stress responses, which are key determinants in agricultural
      productivity. To generate additional tools for advancing our knowledge about the
      SUMO biology, we have developed a strategy for inhibiting in vivo SUMO
      conjugation based on disruption of SUMO E1-E2 interactions through expression of
      E1 SAE2UFDCt domain. Targeted mutagenesis and phylogenetic analyses revealed that
      this inhibition involves a short motif in SAE2UFDCt highly divergent across
      kingdoms. Transgenic plants expressing the SAE2UFDCt domain displayed dose
      dependent inhibition of SUMO conjugation, and have revealed the existence of a
      post-transcriptional mechanism that regulates SUMO E2 conjugating enzyme levels.
      Interestingly, these transgenic plants displayed increased susceptibility to
      necrotrophic fungal infections by Botrytis cinerea and Plectosphaerella
      cucumerina. Early after fungal inoculation, host SUMO conjugation was post
      transcriptionally downregulated, suggesting that targeting SUMOylation machinery
      could constitute a novel mechanism for fungal pathogenicity. These findings
      support the role of SUMOylation as a mechanism involved in plant protection from
      environmental stresses. In addition, the strategy for inhibiting SUMO conjugation
      in vivo described in this study might be applicable in important crop plants and
      other non-plant organisms regardless of their genetic complexity.

PMID- 28343914
TI  - Falls and fear of falling predict future falls and related injuries in ambulatory
      individuals with spinal cord injury: a longitudinal observational study.
AB  - QUESTIONS: What is the 1-year incidence of falls and injurious falls in a
      representative cohort of community-dwelling ambulatory individuals with chronic
      spinal cord injury? What are the predictors of recurrent falls (more than
      two/year) and injurious falls in this population? DESIGN: One-year longitudinal
      observational multi-centre study. PARTICIPANTS: A representative sample of 68 (of
      73 included) community-dwelling ambulatory individuals with traumatic SCI
      attending regular follow-up programs at rehabilitation centres. OUTCOME MEASURES:
      Primary outcome measures were incidence and predictors of recurrent falls (more
      than two/year) and injurious falls reported every 2 weeks for 1year. RESULTS: A
      total of 48% of participants reported recurrent falls. Of the 272 reported falls,
      41% were injurious. Serious injuries were experienced by 4% of participants, all
      of whom were women. Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that
      recurrent falls in the previous year (OR=111, 95% CI=8.6 to 1425), fear of
      falling (OR=6.1, 95% CI=1.43 to 26) and longer time taken to walk 10m (OR=1.3,
      95% CI=1.0 to 1.7) were predictors of recurrent falls. Fear of falling (OR=4.3,
      95% CI=1.3 to 14) and recurrent falls in the previous year (OR=4.2, 95% CI=1.2 to
      14) were predictors of injurious falls. CONCLUSION: Ambulatory individuals have a
      high risk of falling and of fall-related injuries. Fall history, fear of falling
      and walking speed could predict recurrent falls and injurious falls. Further
      studies with larger samples are needed to validate these findings. [Jorgensen V,
      Butler Forslund E, Opheim A, Franzen E, Wahman K, Hultling C, Seiger A, Stahle A,
      Stanghelle JK, Roaldsen KS (2017) Falls and fear of falling predict future falls
      and related injuries in ambulatory individuals with spinal cord injury: a
      longitudinal observational study. Journal of Physiotherapy 63: 108-113].

PMID- 28343915
TI  - Nerve ultrasound in carpal tunnel syndrome. Usefulness of an evaluation along a
      long tract.

PMID- 28343916
TI  - Epidemiologic trend of adult bacterial meningitis in southern Taiwan (2006-2015).
AB  - The purpose of this study is to analyze recent epidemiologic trend of adult
      bacterial meningitis (ABM) in Taiwan. The clinical features, laboratory data and
      therapeutic outcomes of 157 patients with ABM from 2006-2015 were analyzed. The
      results were compared with those of our previous two epidemiologic studies of ABM
      (1st study: 202 cases, January 1986-June 1999; 2nd study: 181 cases, July 1999
      December 2005). Of the 157 patients with ABM, 96 were men and 61 women, and 68.2%
      (107/157) of them had a postneurosurgical state as the underlying condition.
      Monomicrobial infections and mixed infections were found in 92.4% (145/157) and
      7.6% (12/145) of the cases, respectively. Of the implicated pathogens of
      monomicrobial infections, staphylococcal species were the most common, accounting
      for 27.6% (40/145) of them and Klebsiella species were the second common
      accounting for 13.8% (20/145) of them. The other common Gram-negative pathogens
      were Pseudomonas species and Acinetobacter species, accounting for 10.3% (15/145)
      and 7.6% (11/145), respectively. The overall mortality rate was 25.5% (40/157),
      and septic shock and liver cirrhosis were significant prognostic factors. This
      study revealed a change in the epidemiologic trend of ABM and the study results
      may offer important information for clinicians managing patients with ABM.

PMID- 28343917
TI  - A curious case of neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder co-existing with
      idiopathic intracranial hypertension.

PMID- 28343918
TI  - Primary lung metastasis of glioblastoma multiforme with epidural spinal
      metastasis: Case report.
AB  - Extracranial metastasis of glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) is rare, but has
      recently been reported with increasing frequency. GBM metastases typically
      present after a biopsy or resection of the primary tumor. An otherwise healthy
      54year-old woman presented with recurring pleural effusions originally believed
      to be from a primary lung malignancy. The patient subsequently experienced a
      generalized tonic clonic seizure and a right temporal brain mass was discovered.
      The patient later developed weakness and radiculopathy, and an extramedullary
      extradural mass spreading from C7 to T6 was discovered. She underwent resection
      of both central nervous system lesions as well as a lung biopsy, and all
      pathologic specimens were consistent with GBM. The case presented is unique in
      that the patient's initial symptoms were related to her metastasis. Furthermore,
      a purely epidural spread of GBM that respects the leptomeninges and
      intramedullary parenchyma is highly unusual.

PMID- 28343919
TI  - Medulloblastoma with tri-vergent melanocytic, myogenic and cartiligious elements.

PMID- 28343920
TI  - Impact of insurance status and race on receipt of treatment for acoustic neuroma:
      A national cancer database analysis.
AB  - Acoustic neuroma (AN) management involves surgery, radiation, or observation.
      Previous studies have demonstrated that patient race and insurance status impact
      in-hospital morbidity/mortality following surgery; however the nationwide impact
      of these demographics on the receipt of each treatment modality has not been
      examined. The National Cancer Data Base (NCDB) from 2004 to 2013 identified AN
      patients. Multivariate analysis adjusted for several variables within each
      treatment modality, including patient age, race, sex, income, primary payer for
      care, tumor size, and medical comorbidities. Patients who were African-American
      (OR=0.7; 95%CI=0.5-0.9; p=0.01), elderly (minimum age 65) (OR=0.4; 95%CI=0.4-0.6;
      p<0.0001), on Medicare (OR=0.6; 95% CI=0.4-0.7; p=0.0005), or treated at a
      community hospital (OR=0.4; 95%CI=0.2-0.7; p=0.007) were less likely to receive
      surgery. Patients on Medicaid (OR=1.2; 95%CI=0.8-1.8; p=0.04) or treated at an
      integrated network (OR=1.2; 95%CI=0.9-1.6; p=0.0004) were more likely to receive
      surgery. Patients who were elderly (OR=2.2; 95%CI=1.7-2.9; p<0.0001) or treated
      in a comprehensive cancer center (OR=1.5; 95%CI=1.3-1.9; p=0.02) were more likely
      and Medicaid patients (OR=0.8; 95%CI=0.5-1.2; p=0.04) were less likely to receive
      radiation. Patients who were elderly (OR=2.2; 95%CI=1.7-2.7; p<0.0001), African
      American (OR=1.5; 95%CI=1.1-2.0; p=0.01), on Medicare (OR=1.8; 95%CI=1.4-2.3;
      p=0.0003), or treated in a community hospital (OR=3.0; 95%CI=1.6-5.6; p=0.0007)
      were more likely to receive observation. Patients on Medicaid (OR=0.8; 95%CI=0.5
      1.2; p=0.04) or treated in an integrated network (OR=0.8; 95%CI=0.6-1.0;
      p=0.0001) were less likely to receive observation. African-American race, elderly
      age, and community hospital treatment triaged towards observation/away from
      surgery; age also triaged towards radiation. Conversely, integrated networks
      triaged towards surgery/away from observation; comprehensive cancer centers
      triaged towards radiation. Medicaid insurance triaged towards surgery/away from
      radiation/observation; this may be detrimental since lack of private insurance is
      a known risk factor for increased in-hospital postoperative morbidity.

PMID- 28343921
TI  - Cell growth of immortalized arachnoid cells in the presence of fibroblasts and
      blood products.
AB  - OBJECT: The pathophysiology of non-obstructive hydrocephalus involves alteration
      in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) pathways. The exact mechanism is unknown, but as
      arachnoid CSF egress is a major route of CSF removal, damage or alteration to the
      growth of arachnoid cells may influence the rate of CSF absorption. We
      investigated the effect of soluble factors secreted by fibroblasts and the
      presence of blood products on arachnoid cell growth. METHODS: An immortalized
      arachnoid cell line was developed and cells were grown on semipermeable membranes
      in a culture chamber. Arachnoid cells were plated in Transwells(r), with
      fibroblasts separated from the arachnoid cells. Cell phenotype was analyzed and
      cell growth rates were determined by manual counts. Similar experiments were
      conducted with biliverdin, bilirubin, as well as fibroblast challenge. DNA
      content in the cell cultures was then determined as corroborative data. Cell
      counts for the additional arachnoid cell lines were calculated at each day and
      represented the controls. RESULTS: Cell counts increased with each time point.
      Arachnoid cells in the three experimental conditions showed a statistically
      significant decrease in cell counts for each day when compared to the control
      group. Post hoc analysis showed differences between the control and experimental
      conditions but no significant difference between groups. The DNA content for each
      experimental condition was reduced at all time points when compared to the
      control arachnoid cells, but only became statistically significant at day 7.
      CONCLUSION: Inflammation and hemorrhage are two common conditions associated with
      the development of hydrocephalus. The arachnoid membrane is exposed to
      fibroblasts and blood products (bilirubin, biliverdin) in these conditions, and
      their effect on arachnoid cell growth was studied. We have shown that arachnoid
      cell growth decreases in the presence of fibroblasts, bilirubin, and biliverdin.
      Given its intimate relationship with CSF, it is possible that the decreased
      growth of arachnoid cells may affect absorption and thus contribute to the
      development of hydrocephalus.

PMID- 28343922
TI  - Correlation of matrix metalloproteinase (MMP)-1, -2, -3, and -9 expressions with
      demographic and radiological features in primary lumbar intervertebral disc
      disease.
AB  - Degeneration of IVD is a progressive and irreversible process and can be
      evaluated with immunohistochemical examination or radiological grading. MMPs are
      a family of proteolytic enzymes and involved in the degradation of the matrix
      components of the IVD. We aimed to compare MMP-1, -2, -3, and -9 expressions with
      demographic features, visual analogue scale (VAS), Oswestry Disability Index
      (ODI) and radiological (MRI) grades. The study involved 60 participants. We
      recorded data about age, complaint, radiological imaging, expression levels of
      MMP-1, -2, -3, and -9, ODI and VAS for back pain retrospectively. Intervertebral
      disc degeneration was graded on a 0-5 scale according to the Pfirrmann
      classification. As a result of the study, the median age was 52.09+/-12.74years.
      There were statistical significances between age and MMP-1, and MMP-2. There was
      a close correlation between grade and MMP-9. We found correlation between the VAS
      and the MMP-9 expression. In addition, there was relationship between expression
      of MMP-2 and MMP-1, MMP-3, MMP-9. In conclusion, the expressions of MMP-1 and -2
      are increased with aging. There was no relationship between radiological
      evaluation of IVDD and aging. Increased expression of MMPs affected IVDD
      positively. The relationship with MMPs is not explained. This study adds to our
      understanding of the interaction between MMPs and IVDD.

PMID- 28343923
TI  - First characterization of an archaeal amino acid racemase with broad substrate
      specificity from the hyperthermophile Pyrococcus horikoshii OT-3.
AB  - A novel amino acid racemase with broad substrate specificity (BAR) was recently
      isolated from the hyperthermophilic archaeon Pyrococcus horikoshii OT-3.
      Characterization of this enzyme has been difficult, however, because the
      recombinant enzyme is produced mainly as an inclusion body in Escherichia coli.
      In this study, expression of the recombinant protein into the soluble fraction
      was markedly improved by co-expression with chaperone molecules. The purified
      enzyme retained its full activity after incubation at 80 degrees C for at least 2
      h in buffer (pH 7-10), making this enzyme the most thermostable amino acid
      racemase so far known. Besides the nine amino acids containing hydrophobic and
      aromatic amino acids previously reported (Kawakami et al., Amino Acids, 47, 1579
      1587, 2015), the enzyme exhibited substantial activity toward Thr (about 42% of
      relative activity toward Phe) and showed no activity toward Arg, His, Gln, and
      Asn. The substrate specificity of this enzyme thus differs markedly from those of
      other known amino acid racemases. In particular, the high reaction rate with Trp
      and Tyr, in addition to Leu, Met and Phe as substrates is a noteworthy feature of
      this enzyme. The high reactivity toward Trp and Tyr, as well as extremely high
      thermostability, is likely a major advantage of using BAR for biochemical
      conversion of these aromatic amino acids.

PMID- 28343924
TI  - Properties of discontinuous S2-glass fiber-particulate-reinforced resin
      composites with two different fiber length distributions.
AB  - PURPOSE: To investigate the reinforcing efficiency and light curing properties of
      discontinuous S2-glass fiber-particulate reinforced resin composite and to
      examine length distribution of discontinuous S2-glass fibers after a mixing
      process into resin composite. METHODS: Experimental S2-glass fiber-particulate
      reinforced resin composites were prepared by mixing 10wt% of discontinuous S2
      glass fibers, which had been manually cut into two different lengths (1.5 and
      3.0mm), with various weight ratios of dimethacrylate based resin matrix and
      silaned BaAlSiO2 filler particulates. The resin composite made with 25wt% of
      UDMA/SR833s resin system and 75wt% of silaned BaAlSiO2 filler particulates was
      used as control composite which had similar composition as the commonly used
      resin composites. Flexural strength (FS), flexural modulus (FM) and work of
      fracture (WOF) were measured. Fractured specimens were observed by scanning
      electron microscopy. Double bond conversion (DC) and fiber length distribution
      were also studied. RESULTS: Reinforcement of resin composites with discontinuous
      S2-glass fibers can significantly increase the FS, FM and WOF of resin composites
      over the control. The fibers from the mixed resin composites showed great
      variation in final fiber length. The mean aspect ratio of experimental composites
      containing 62.5wt% of particulate fillers and 10wt% of 1.5 or 3.0mm cutting S2
      glass fibers was 70 and 132, respectively. No difference was found in DC between
      resin composites containing S2-glass fibers with two different cutting lengths.
      CONCLUSION: Discontinuous S2-glass fibers can effectively reinforce the
      particulate-filled resin composite and thus may be potential to manufacture resin
      composites for high-stress bearing application.

PMID- 28343925
TI  - Influence of Alveolar Bone Loss and Cement Layer Thickness on the Biomechanical
      Behavior of Endodontically Treated Maxillary Incisors: A 3-dimensional Finite
      Element Analysis.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: In order to understand the mechanical behavior of a weakened
      incisor, this study aimed to evaluate the stress distribution caused by different
      alveolar bone heights and cement layer thickness. METHODS: A finite element
      analysis was conducted for this investigation. An intact maxillary central
      incisor was initially modeled, and the bone of the models was modified in order
      to simulate 4 levels of bone height: BL0 (no bone loss), BL1 (1/3 bone loss), BL2
      (1/2 bone loss), and BL3 (2/3 bone loss). These teeth models were remodeled with
      a fiber post at 2 different cement thicknesses and restored with a ceramic crown;
      "A" refers to the well-adapted fiber post (0.3 mm) and "B" to the nonadapted
      fiber post (1 mm), resulting in 12 models. RelyX ARC (3M ESPE, St Paul, MN)
      cement was simulated for the cementation of the crowns and fiber posts for all
      groups. Numeric models received a load of 100 N on the lingual surface. All
      materials and structures were considered linear elastic, homogeneous, and
      isotropic. Numeric models were plotted and meshed with isoparametric elements,
      and results were expressed in maximum principal stress. RESULTS: For fiberglass
      posts, cement, and dentin, the highest stress concentration occurred in the
      groups with increased bone loss. For cortical bone, the highest values were for
      the groups with 1/3 bone loss. A greater thickness of cement layer concentrates
      more stress. CONCLUSIONS: More bone loss and greater CLT were the influential
      factors in concentrating the stress.

PMID- 28343926
TI  - Cobalt Chloride Enhances the Stemness of Human Dental Pulp Cells.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: Hypoxia is a factor in controlling stem cell stemness. We
      investigated if cobalt chloride (CoCl2), a chemical agent that mimics hypoxia in
      vitro, affected human dental pulp cell (hDPC) stemness by examining cell
      proliferation, stem cell marker expression, and osteogenic differentiation.
      METHODS: hDPCs were cultured with or without 25 or 50 MUmol/L CoCl2. The 3-(4,5
      dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide assay was used to determine
      cell proliferation. The number of STRO-1+ cells was determined by flow cytometry.
      The messenger RNA expression of the stem cell markers REX1, OCT4, SOX2, and NANOG
      and the osteogenic-associated genes ALP, COLI, and RUNX2 were evaluated using
      reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction or real-time polymerase chain
      reaction. Osteogenic differentiation was assessed by alkaline phosphatase (ALP)
      activity and mineralization assays. RESULTS: Although 25 and 50 MUmol/L CoCl2
      suppressed hDPC proliferation, 50 MUmol/L CoCl2 increased the number of STRO-1+
      cells. Moreover, CoCl2 dose dependently induced stem cell marker expression.
      Additionally, CoCl2 treatment suppressed osteogenic-associated gene expression,
      ALP activity, and calcium deposition. The addition of apigenin, a hypoxia
      inducible factor 1-alpha inhibitor, reversed the inhibitory effect of CoCl2 on
      ALP activity. CONCLUSIONS: This study indicated that CoCl2 may enhance hDPC
      stemness.

PMID- 28343927
TI  - Palatal Radicular Groove Morphology of the Maxillary Incisors: A Case Series
      Report.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: Teeth with a palatal radicular groove are challenging to diagnose,
      treat, and save. We classified this condition using cone-beam computed
      tomographic (CBCT) cross-sectional configurations combined with radiographic and
      morphologic observations during an intentional replantation procedure to identify
      and analyze the characteristics of palatal radicular grooves comprehensively as a
      reference for diagnosis, treatment planning, and prognosis evaluation of this
      condition. METHODS: Eight cases with palatal radicular grooves present in
      permanent maxillary incisors were investigated by radiography and CBCT imaging
      before intentional replantation. RESULTS: The palatal radicular grooves were
      classified into 3 types based on groove depth and cross-sectional shape on CBCT
      images: type I, with a shallow groove depth, corresponding to a normal, simple,
      and single root canal; type II, with a medium groove depth, corresponding to a C
      shaped canal system; and type III, with a deep groove depth, almost bisecting the
      root of the tooth, simultaneously present with 2 independent root canals and an
      apex with normal shape, corresponding to a labial groove connecting with a
      palatal groove. The extracted teeth and their radiographic images showed
      corresponding characteristics. CONCLUSIONS: The CBCT cross-sectional images
      allowed the best visualization of the depth of the grooves and highlighted the
      difficulties entailed in treating such teeth. Intentional replantation is an
      effective therapeutic decision for this type of deformity and can provide better
      prognosis estimation, especially in teeth with type II and III grooves.

PMID- 28343928
TI  - Endodontics, Endodontic Retreatment, and Apical Surgery Versus Tooth Extraction
      and Implant Placement: A Systematic Review.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: The aim of this systematic review was to answer the following
      clinical question: Which is the best treatment option for a pulpally involved
      tooth? METHODS: An electronic search was conducted in the Cochrane, PubMed
      (MEDLINE), and ScienceDirect databases between December 2015 and February 2016. A
      manual search was also performed. The inclusion criteria were randomized clinical
      trials, prospective or retrospective cohort studies, and cross-sectional studies
      performed on humans with at least 1 year of follow-up and published within the
      last 10 years. Two researchers independently screened the title and abstract of
      every article identified in the search in order to establish its eligibility. The
      selected articles were classified into different levels of evidence by means of
      the Strength of Recommendation Taxonomy criteria. RESULTS: Sixty articles met the
      inclusion criteria for this systematic review. The survival rate of single-tooth
      implants was greater than the success rate of the distinct conservative
      treatments. However, among comparative studies, no important differences between
      both treatments were observed until at least 8 years later. CONCLUSIONS: The
      endodontic treatment and the implant placement are both valid and complementary
      options for planning oral rehabilitation. Although a level B recommendation can
      be stated, these results come from retrospective comparative studies because
      there is a lack of randomized clinical studies comparing both types of
      therapeutic options.

PMID- 28343929
TI  - Cytotoxicity of GuttaFlow Bioseal, GuttaFlow2, MTA Fillapex, and AH Plus on Human
      Periodontal Ligament Stem Cells.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: The aim of the present study was to evaluate the in vitro
      cytotoxicity of endodontic sealers (GuttaFlow Bioseal, GuttaFlow2, and MTA
      Fillapex) on human periodontal ligament stem cells (hPDLSCs). As a reference, AH
      Plus was compared with the more recent endodontic sealers regarding cell
      viability and cell attachment. METHODS: Biological testing was carried out in
      vitro on hPDLSCs. Cell viability assay was performed by using eluates from each
      endodontic sealer. To assess cell morphology and attachment to the different
      sealers, the hPDLSCs were directly seeded onto the material surfaces and analyzed
      by scanning electron microscopy. Chemical composition of the sealers was
      determined by energy-dispersive x-ray, and eluates were analyzed by inductively
      coupled plasma mass spectrometry. Statistical differences were assessed by
      analysis of variance and Tukey test (P < .05). RESULTS: Cell viability was
      evident after 24 hours in the presence of GuttaFlow Bioseal and GuttaFlow 2 but
      not in the case of AH Plus or MTA Fillapex. At 168 hours, GuttaFlow Bioseal and
      GuttaFlow 2 exhibited high and moderate cell viability, respectively, whereas AH
      Plus and MTA Fillapex revealed low rates of cell cell viability (P < .001).
      Finally, scanning electron microscopy studies revealed a high degree of
      proliferation, cell spreading, and attachment, especially when using GuttaFlow
      Bioseal disks. CONCLUSIONS: GuttaFlow Bioseal and GuttaFlow2 showed lower
      cytotoxicity than MTA Fillapex and AH plus. Further in vitro and in vivo
      investigations are required to confirm the suitability of GuttaFlow Bioseal for
      clinical application.

PMID- 28343930
TI  - Cost-effectiveness of Different Post-retained Restorations.
AB  - OBJECTIVES: Dentists can choose between metal and fiber post systems to provide
      post-retained restorations. The risk of tooth loss and other complications
      differs between different post systems, as do the initial treatment costs. We
      aimed to assess the cost-effectiveness of (1) cast metal (MC), (2) preformed
      metal (MP), (3) glass fiber (GF), and (4) carbon fiber (CF) post-retained
      restorations. METHODS: A mixed public-private payer's perspective within German
      healthcare was taken. Risks of complications were extracted from systematic
      reviews. Costs were estimated by using fee items and 2016 material costs. A
      Markov model was constructed to follow up an endodontically treated molar
      receiving a post-retained crown in an initially 50-year-old patient during his
      lifetime. Monte Carlo microsimulations were performed to assess lifetime costs
      and tooth retention time. RESULTS: MPs were least costly (?692?), retaining teeth
      for 26.7 years. GFs were more costly (?745?), retaining teeth for 27.6 years. MCs
      were minimally more effective but also more costly than GFs (?774?). CFs were
      less effective and most expensive (?825?, 26.7 years). For payers willing to
      invest more than ?60? per tooth retention year, GF was cost-effective. Payers
      willing to invest an additional ?670? found MC to be cost-effective. These
      findings were found robust in sensitivity analyses. CONCLUSIONS: For payers not
      willing to invest additional money for longer tooth retention, MP seemed most
      suitable to retain restorations. For payers with additional willingness to pay,
      GF seemed suitable, retaining teeth for longer. MC was only cost-effective under
      very high willingness to pay. CF is not recommendable on the basis of their cost
      effectiveness.

PMID- 28343931
TI  - Coronal and Intraradicular Appearances Affect Radiographic Perception of the
      Periapical Region.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: The influence of the radiographic appearances of the coronal and
      intraradicular areas on periapical radiographic interpretation has been minimally
      evaluated in dentistry and endodontics. The purpose of this study was to evaluate
      the effects that the coronal and intraradicular radiographic appearance has on
      endodontists' radiographic interpretations of periapical areas. METHODS: In a
      split-group study design using an online survey format, 2 pairs of digital
      periapical radiographic images were evaluated by 2 groups (A and B) of
      endodontist readers for the presence of a periapical finding. The images in each
      pair were identical except that 1 image of each image pairs had coronal
      restorations and/or root canal fillings altered using Adobe Photoshop software
      (Adobe Systems, San Jose, CA). The periapical areas were not altered. Using a 5
      point Likert scale, the endodontist readers were asked to "Please evaluate the
      periapical area(s)." A Mann-Whitney U test was used to statistically evaluate the
      difference between the groups. Significance was set at P < .01. RESULTS: There
      were 417 readers in group A and 442 readers in group B. The Mann-Whitney U test
      showed a significant difference in the responses between the groups for both
      image pairs (P < .01). CONCLUSIONS: Because the periapical areas of the image
      pairs were unaltered, the differing coronal and intraradicular areas of the
      radiographs appear to have influenced endodontists' interpretations of the
      periapical areas. This finding has implications for all radiographic outcome
      assessments.

PMID- 28343932
TI  - Fracture Incidence of WaveOne and Reciproc Files during Root Canal Preparation of
      up to 3 Posterior Teeth: A Prospective Clinical Study.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: Reciprocating instruments were developed to improve and simplify
      the preparation of the root canal system by allowing greater centralization of
      the canal and requiring a shorter learning curve. Despite the risk of instrument
      separation, using a reciprocating instrument in more than 1 case is a relatively
      common clinical practice. The aim of this study was to evaluate the fracture
      resistance of Reciproc (R25; VDW, Munich, Germany) and WaveOne (Primary; Dentsply
      Maillefer, Ballaigues, Switzerland) instruments according to the number of uses
      during the preparation of root canals in up to 3 posterior teeth. METHODS: A
      prospective clinical study was conducted by 3 experienced specialists who
      performed treatment of 358 posterior teeth (1130 canals) over a period of 12
      months using 120 reciprocating instruments, 60 of which were Reciproc R25 and 60
      were WaveOne Primary. The motion used during instrumentation followed the
      recommendations of the respective manufacturers. After each use, the instruments
      were observed under a dental operating microscope at 8* magnification. In the
      case of fracture or deformation, the instrument was discarded. RESULTS: None of
      the instruments showed any signs of deformation, but 3 instruments fractured
      (0.26% of the number of canals and 0.84% of the number of teeth). All fractures
      occurred in mandibular molars (1 WaveOne Primary file during the third use and 2
      Reciproc R25 files, 1 during the first use and the other during the third use).
      CONCLUSIONS: There was a low incidence of fracture when reciprocating files were
      used in up to 3 cases of endodontic treatment in posterior teeth.

PMID- 28343933
TI  - Testing the immunocompetence handicap hypothesis: Testosterone manipulation does
      not affect wound healing in male salamanders.
AB  - In vertebrates, a bidirectional relationship exists between the immune system and
      the hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal axis. In addition, sexual dimorphism in
      immunity has been documented in many vertebrates as well as some invertebrates,
      and males are generally less immunocompetent than their female counterparts. A
      possible explanation for this is described by the immunocompetence handicap
      hypothesis (ICHH), which proposes that elevated testosterone (T) levels direct
      resources towards the promotion of secondary sexual characteristics at a cost to
      immune function. To further test the ICHH, we examined the effects of T on
      cutaneous wound healing, an integrative measure of immunity, using male Allegheny
      Mountain dusky salamanders; a species that has sexually dimorphic courtship
      glands and testosterone-dependent mating behavior. We did this via two methods:
      surgical manipulation and transdermal delivery of T. In both experiments,
      elevated plasma T did not delay wound healing. Interestingly, intact animals
      healed more slowly than animals that had undergone prior invasive surgery,
      suggesting that the prior surgery had an immune-priming effect that enhanced
      healing of a second wound.

PMID- 28343934
TI  - Hitchhiker's guide to the red cell storage galaxy: Omics technologies and the
      quality issue.
AB  - Red blood cell storage in the blood bank makes millions of units of available for
      transfusion to civilian and military recipients every year. From glass bottles to
      plastic bags, from anticoagulants to complex additives, from whole blood to
      leukocyte filtered packed red blood cells: huge strides have been made in the
      field of blood component processing and storage in the blood bank during the last
      century. Still, refrigerated preservation of packed red blood cells under blood
      bank conditions results in the progressive accumulation of a wide series of
      biochemical and morphological changes to the stored erythrocytes, collectively
      referred to as the storage lesion(s). Approximately ten years ago, retrospective
      clinical evidence had suggested that such lesion(s) may be clinically relevant
      and mediate some of the untoward transfusion-related effects observed especially
      in some categories of recipients at risk (e.g. massively or chronically
      transfused recipients). Since then, randomized clinical trials have failed to
      prospectively detect any signal related to red cell storage duration and
      increased morbidity and mortality in several categories of recipients, at the
      limits of the statistical power of these studies. While a good part of the
      transfusion community has immediately adopted the take-home message "if it isn't
      broken, don't fix it" (i.e. no change to the standard of practice should be
      pursued), decision makers have been further questioning whether there may be room
      for further improvements in this field. Provocatively, we argue that consensus
      has yet to be unanimously reached on what makes a good quality marker of the red
      cell storage lesion and transfusion safety/efficacy. In other words, if it is
      true that "you can't manage what you can't measure", then future advancements in
      the field of transfusion medicine will necessarily rely on state of the art
      analytical omics technologies of well-defined quality parameters. Heavily
      borrowing from Douglas Adam's imaginary repertoire from the world famous
      "Hitchhiker's guide to the galaxy", we briefly summarize how some of the
      principles for intergalactic hitchhikers may indeed apply to inform navigation
      through the complex universe of red cell storage quality, safety and efficacy.

PMID- 28343935
TI  - Blood derived products in pediatrics: New laboratory tools for optimizing potency
      assignment and reducing side effects.
AB  - Neonates and children can develop rare bleeding disorders due to
      congenital/acquired coagulation Factor deficiencies, or allo-immune/autoimmune
      complications, or can undergo surgeries at high haemorrhagic risk. They then need
      specialized transfusion of blood components/products, or purified blood extracted
      products or recombinant proteins. Blood-derived therapies conventionally used for
      management of affected infants with genetic/acquired deficiencies, bleeding
      problems (coagulation Factor reduced or missing) or thrombotic disorders (reduced
      or missing anticoagulant proteins) pose some additional risks. These remedial
      therapies can cause tolerance when used very early in life and, sometimes needed,
      repeatedly. The introduction of recombinant proteins has allowed manufacturers to
      produce large amounts of the proteins usually present at very low concentration
      in blood. This has also changed the risk pattern of plasma-extracted products,
      especially in terms of continual reduction of viral transmission. Many efforts
      have been made over these past decades to reduce the risks associated with the
      use of all these products in terms of viral and bacterial safety, as well as
      immune disorders but they are not the objective of this article. Other associated
      side effects are the presence of undesired activities in blood products, which
      can produce thrombotic events or adverse reactions. The progressive introduction
      of blood derived products has greatly improved the prognosis and quality of life
      of affected patients. This concerns whole blood, but also blood cell
      concentrates, mainly platelets and red blood cells, plasma, while the blood
      extracted products are increasingly replaced by recombinant proteins. All these
      therapeutic products, i.e. blood extracted drugs, improve health and quality of
      life for hemophiliac's A or B, or patients with auto/allo-immune
      thrombocytopenias or with rare bleeding disorders, and those with thrombotic
      events occurring in childhood, which are mainly due to Protein C or Protein S
      deficiencies (congenital or acquired). Progress in analytical methods and
      biotechnology allow better control of the manufacturing processes for all blood
      derived or plasma extracted products and recombinant proteins, and contribute to
      improved manufacturing processes to minimize the occurrence of side effects.
      These adverse events can be due to the aging of the blood cell concentrate with
      release of their granule content, and generation of EVs, which can produce
      anaphylactic reactions and risk of thrombosis, but also to the presence of
      activated coagulation Factors in purified products, such as Factor Xia as
      recently identified in immunoglobulin concentrates. Characterization and
      measurement of contaminant products is of special usefulness during product
      preparation and for optimization of manufacturing processes for purified
      extracted products, but also for recombinant proteins. The pharmaceutical
      industry introduces these new methods for validating manufacturing processes, or
      for quality control assessments. The objective is first to warrant the full
      quality and safety of the lots produced, and assure the highest efficacy with the
      lowest risks when used in patients. For cell concentrates and fresh blood,
      storage conditions are critical and measurement of analytes such as EVs or
      Annexin V allows evaluation of quality of each individual transfused pouch. In
      addition to all the rules around viral and bacterial transmission risk, and
      immune tolerance, our available laboratory methods contribute to reducing the
      side effects of blood cell concentrates and derived plasma products, as well as
      those of the therapeutic recombinant proteins.

PMID- 28343936
TI  - Hemolysis in six week-old autologous red blood cell components questioned: Worth
      addressing the issue of homologous components as well?

PMID- 28343937
TI  - Co-infection of blood borne viruses in blood donors: A cross-sectional study from
      North India.
AB  - BACKGROUND: There are several studies on prevalence of individual infectious
      disease markers (mono-infection) in donors but none on prevalence of coinfection.
      Co-infection is significant as it leads to accelerated disease progression. We,
      therefore, evaluated the prevalence of co-infection among blood donors. MATERIALS
      AND METHODS: The cross-sectional analysis was conducted in blood donors. All
      donors were tested for anti-HIV I and II, HBsAg, anti-HBC IgM, anti-HCV, Malaria
      and syphilis by chemiluminescence and ID-NAT assay. All reactive donor samples
      were confirmed by using confirmatory assays. Donors were grouped as mono-infected
      and co-infected. The student t-test was used for comparison. RESULTS: During the
      study period, a total of 106,238 blood donors were tested. Mean age of donors was
      34.2 years and 94.2% of blood donors were males. 1776 (1.67%) donor samples were
      confirmed serologically reactive. 1714 (1.61%) samples were reactive for single
      marker (mono-infected) while 62 (0.05%) donors' samples exhibited co-infection.
      18 donors were positive for HBV+HCV followed by HIV +syphilis (14). CONCLUSION:
      We report for the first time the prevalence of different co-infection patterns in
      blood donors. Co-infection influence the disease progression; it would be
      important to investigate the co-infection prevalence in larger sample size.

PMID- 28343938
TI  - Testosterone influences volitional, but not reflexive orienting of attention in
      human males.
AB  - The impact of testosterone (T) on the exogenous (Experiment 1) and endogenous
      (Experiment 2) orienting of visual attention in males was examined. Sixteen male
      participants completed both an exogenous and an endogenous cuing task on two
      separate days. About 2-3h prior to testing, either a placebo or a dose of T was
      administered. The inhibition of return (IOR) phenomenon was observed during the
      exogenous cuing task, but IOR was not influenced by T. During the endogenous
      task, participants demonstrated the expected cuing effects on both days. However,
      longer reaction time to invalid target locations was observed following T
      administration. The manipulation of T-levels in males provides converging
      evidence of dissociation between reflexive and volitional orienting of attention.

PMID- 28343939
TI  - A tale of gastric layering and sieving: Gastric emptying of a liquid meal with
      water blended in or consumed separately.
AB  - BACKGROUND: The process of gastric emptying determines how fast gastric content
      is delivered to the small intestine. It has been shown that solids empty slower
      than liquids and that a blended soup empties slower than the same soup as broth
      and chunks, due to the liquid fraction emptying more quickly. This process of
      'gastric sieving' has not been investigated for liquid foods. OBJECTIVE: To
      determine whether gastric sieving of water can also occur for liquid foods.
      METHOD: Two groups of men participated in a parallel design (n=15, age 22.6+/
      2.4y, BMI 22.6+/-1.8kg/m2, and n=19, age 22.2+/-2.5y, BMI 21.8+/-1.5kg/m2) and
      consumed an isocaloric shake (2093kJ, CARBOHYDRATES: 71g, FAT: 18g, PROTEIN:
      34g), either in a 500-mL version (MIXED) or as a 150-mL shake followed by 350mL
      water (SEPARATE). Participants provided appetite ratings and were scanned using
      MRI to determine gastric emptying rate and volume at three time-points within
      35min post ingestion. RESULTS: Gastric emptying the percentage emptied in 35min
      was significantly smaller for MIXED (29+/-19%) than for SEPARATE (57+/-11%,
      p<0.001). CONCLUSION: In the present study we show that gastric sieving can occur
      for liquid foods; water is able to drain from the stomach while a layer of
      nutrient rich liquid is retained. In indirect gastric emptying measurements, the
      behavior of labelling agents may be affected by the layering and confound
      emptying measurements.

PMID- 28343941
TI  - Characterization of culturable bacteria isolated from hot springs for plant
      growth promoting traits and effect on tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum) seedling.
AB  - To elucidate the functional diversity of hot spring bacteria, 123 bacteria were
      isolated and screened for evaluating their multifunctional plant growth promoting
      (PGP) properties. The antagonistic activity against different phytopathogens
      showed the presence of a high amount of biocontrol bacteria in the hot springs.
      During screening for PGP properties, 61.0% isolates showed production of indole
      acetic acid and 23.6% showed inorganic phosphate solubilization qualitatively.
      For production of extracellular enzymes, it was found that 61.0% isolates
      produced lipase, 56.9% produced protease, and 43.9% produced cellulase. In
      extreme properties, half of the isolates showed tolerance to 5% NaCl (w/v) and
      48.8% isolates survived heat shock at 70 degrees C. The identification of 12
      multipotential bacteria based on 16S rRNA gene sequencing revealed that the
      bacteria belonged to Aneurinibacillus aneurinilyticus and Bacillus spp.
      Bacterization of tomato seeds showed that the hot spring bacteria promoted shoot
      height, fresh shoot weight, root length, and fresh root weight of tomato
      seedlings, with values ranging from 3.12% to 74.37%, 33.33% to 350.0%, 16.06% to
      130.41%, and 36.36% to 318.18%, respectively, over the control. This research
      shows that multifunctional bacteria could be isolated from the hot springs. The
      outcome of this research may have a potential effect on crop production
      methodologies used in saline and arid environments.

PMID- 28343942
TI  - Current Resources for Evidence-Based Practice, May/June 2017.

PMID- 28343940
TI  - Lithocholic Acid Hydroxyamide Destabilizes Cyclin D1 and Induces G0/G1 Arrest by
      Inhibiting Deubiquitinase USP2a.
AB  - USP2a is a deubiquitinase responsible for stabilization of cyclin D1, a crucial
      regulator of cell-cycle progression and a proto-oncoprotein overexpressed in
      numerous cancer types. Here we report that lithocholic acid (LCA) derivatives are
      inhibitors of USP proteins, including USP2a. The most potent LCA derivative, LCA
      hydroxyamide (LCAHA), inhibits USP2a, leading to a significant Akt/GSK3beta
      independent destabilization of cyclin D1, but does not change the expression of
      p27. This leads to the defects in cell-cycle progression. As a result, LCAHA
      inhibits the growth of cyclin D1-expressing, but not cyclin D1-negative cells,
      independently of the p53 status. We show that LCA derivatives may be considered
      as future therapeutics for the treatment of cyclin D1-addicted p53-expressing and
      p53-defective cancer types.

PMID- 28343943
TI  - Insomnia Treatment Preferences During Pregnancy.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: To determine pregnant women's preferences for the treatment of
      insomnia: cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT-I), pharmacotherapy, or acupuncture.
      DESIGN: A cross-sectional survey of pregnant women. SETTING: We recruited
      participants in person at a low-risk maternity clinic and a pregnancy and infant
      trade show and invited them to complete an online questionnaire. PARTICIPANTS:
      The sample (N = 187) was primarily White (70%), married or common-law married
      (96%), and on average 31 years of age; the mean gestational age was 28 weeks.
      METHODS: Participants read expert-validated descriptions of CBT-I,
      pharmacotherapy, and acupuncture and then indicated their preferences and
      perceptions of each approach. RESULTS: Participants indicated that if they
      experienced insomnia, they preferred CBT-I to other approaches, chi2(2) = 38.10,
      p < .001. They rated CBT-I as the most credible treatment (eta2partial = .22, p <
      .001) and had stronger positive reactions to it than to the other two approaches
      (eta2partial = .37, p < .001). CONCLUSION: Participants preferred CBT-I for
      insomnia during pregnancy. This preference is similar to previously reported
      preferences for psychotherapy for treatment of depression and anxiety during
      pregnancy. It is important for clinicians to consider women's preferences when
      discussing possible treatment for insomnia.

PMID- 28343945
TI  - As human lung microvascular endothelia achieve confluence, src family kinases are
      activated, and tyrosine-phosphorylated p120 catenin physically couples NEU1
      sialidase to CD31.
AB  - In postconfluent human pulmonary microvascular endothelial cell (HPMEC)s, NEU1
      sialidase associates with and desialylates the src family kinase (SFK) substrate,
      CD31, and disrupts angiogenesis. We asked whether the NEU1-CD31 interaction might
      be SFK-driven. We found that normalized phospho-SFK (PY416) signal is increased
      in postconfluent HPMECs compared to subconfluent cells and prior SFK inhibition
      with PP2 or SU6656 completely blocked NEU1 association with and desialylation of
      CD31. Prior silencing of each of the four SFKs expressed in HPMECs, as well as
      CD31, dramatically reduced confluence-induced SFK activation. No increases in
      tyrosine phosphorylation of NEU1 or CD31 were detected. However, in postconfluent
      cells, we found increased tyrosine phosphorylation of a 120 kDa protein that was
      identified as p120 catenin (p120ctn). Prior silencing of c-src, fyn, or yes each
      reduced p120ctn phosphorylation. Prior knockdown of p120ctn prevented NEU1-CD31
      association in both co-immunoprecipitation and pull-down assays. In these same
      assays, p120ctn associated with each of the four HPMEC-expressed SFKs as well as
      CD31 and NEU1. The CD31-p120ctn interaction was SFK-dependent whereas the NEU1
      p120ctn interaction was not. Using purified recombinant binding partners in a
      cell-free system, direct protein-protein interactions between NEU1, CD31, and
      p120ctn were detected. Our combined data indicate that as HPMECs achieve
      confluence and CD31 ectodomains become homophilically engaged, multiple SFKs are
      activated to increase tyrosine phosphorylation of p120ctn, which in turn,
      functions as a cross-bridging adaptor molecule that physically couples NEU1 to
      CD31, permitting NEU1-mediated desialylation of CD31. These findings establish a
      SFK-driven, p120ctn-dependent mechanism for NEU1 recruitment to CD31.

PMID- 28343944
TI  - RACK1 cooperates with NRASQ61K to promote melanoma in vivo.
AB  - Melanoma is the deadliest skin cancer. RACK1 (Receptor for activated protein
      kinase C) protein was proposed as a biological marker of melanoma in human and
      domestic animal species harboring spontaneous melanomas. As a scaffold protein,
      RACK1 is able to coordinate the interaction of key signaling molecules implicated
      in both physiological cellular functions and tumorigenesis. A role for RACK1 in
      rewiring ERK and JNK signaling pathways in melanoma cell lines had been proposed.
      Here, we used a genetic approach to test this hypothesis in vivo in the mouse. We
      show that Rack1 knock-down in the mouse melanoma cell line B16 reduces
      invasiveness and induces cell differentiation. We have developed the first mouse
      model for RACK1 gain of function, Tyr::Rack1-HA transgenic mice, targeting RACK1
      to melanocytes in vivo. RACK1 overexpression was not sufficient to initiate
      melanomas despite activated ERK and AKT. However, in a context of melanoma
      predisposition, RACK1 overexpression reduced latency and increased incidence and
      metastatic rate. In primary melanoma cells from Tyr::Rack1-HA, Tyr::NRasQ61K
      mice, activated JNK (c-Jun N-terminal kinase) and activated STAT3 (signal
      transducer and activator of transcription 3) acted as RACK1 oncogenic partners in
      tumoral progression. A sequential and coordinated activation of ERK, JNK and
      STAT3 with RACK1 is shown to accelerate aggressive melanoma development in vivo.

PMID- 28343946
TI  - Double-stranded RNA induces cathelicidin expression in the intestinal epithelial
      cells through phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase-protein kinase Czeta-Sp1 pathway and
      ameliorates shigellosis in mice.
AB  - Cathelicidin antimicrobial peptide is a key component of the host innate immune
      system. It is constitutively expressed by the intestinal epithelial cells, but
      induced at further higher levels by different host-derived and microbial stimuli,
      including the ligands for Toll-like receptors (TLRs). While the underlying
      mechanisms of cathelicidin expression remain incompletely understood, altered
      expression may be associated with gastro-intestinal infections and inflammatory
      diseases. We demonstrate here that viral double-stranded RNA and its synthetic
      analog poly(I:C) are potent and tissue-specific inducers of cathelicidin mRNA and
      protein expression in the mouse as well as human intestinal epithelial cells.
      Reporter assays showed that poly(I:C) transcriptionally regulates murine
      cathelicidin-related antimicrobial peptide (mCRAMP) by recruiting Sp1
      transcription factor to the GC-box cis-regulatory element at -71bp of the mCRAMP
      putative promoter. Sp1 recruitment to the endogenous mCRAMP promoter was
      confirmed by chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP) assays. Immunoblotting, qPCR,
      ChIP and siRNA-mediated gene knockdown studies revealed that the activation of
      phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase/protein kinase Czeta pathways in poly(I:C)
      stimulated cells underlies Sp1 phosphorylation and recruitment to the mCRAMP
      promoter, leading to enhanced transcription. We further showed that intra-rectal
      poly(I:C) administration in mice reduces intestinal bacterial load and mucosal
      inflammation following Shigella flexneri 2a infection by inducing mCRAMP
      expression in the colonic epithelial cells. This study reports novel regulatory
      mechanisms of cathelicidin expression that may be targeted to treat gastro
      intestinal infections.

PMID- 28343947
TI  - TAVI or Not TAVI-in Low Risk Patients? That Is the Question.

PMID- 28343948
TI  - Left Ventricular Non-Compaction: A Cardiomyopathy With Acceptable Prognosis in
      Children.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Data on children with left ventricular non-compaction (LVNC) is
      sparse. The purpose of this study was to evaluate its clinical profiles in a
      population of Chinese children. METHODS: From January 2010 to March 2016,
      consecutive Chinese children (aged <18 years) with LVNC diagnosed by
      cardiovascular magnetic resonance (CMR) were prospectively recruited at Fuwai
      Hospital. RESULTS: A total of 41 Chinese children (male: 28%; mean age: 14+/
      4years) were included in this study. Left ventricular non-compaction was not
      detected in 13 (32%) patients at initial echocardiographic evaluation. Congenital
      heart disease (CHD) was found in 11 (27%) patients. Four (10%) patients had Wolff
      Parkinson-White (WPW) syndrome. Mean left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF)
      was 41+/-15%. Late gadolinium enhancement (LGE) was detected in eight (20%)
      subjects. During a mean follow-up of 2.9 years, four (9%) patients died or
      received heart transplantation. These patients had lower systolic blood pressure
      (91+/-10 vs. 108+/-14mmHg; p=0.02), diastolic blood pressure (57+/-7 vs. 68+/
      8mmHg; p=0.007) and LVEF (19+/-7 vs. 44+/-12%; p=0.002) than the survivors. In
      addition, advanced heart failure (100% vs. 16%; p=0.002) and LGE (50% vs. 5%;
      p=0.04) were detected more in these subjects. CONCLUSIONS: Left ventricular non
      compaction is easily overlooked at echocardiographic assessment. Congenital heart
      disease and WPW syndrome were relatively common in LVNC children. The prognosis
      of children with LVNC seemed to be better than previous studies reported, and its
      long-term prognosis needs to be further investigated.

PMID- 28343949
TI  - Lactate and Echocardiography Before Veno-Venous Extracorporeal Membrane
      Oxygenation Support.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Lactate has been recognised as a prognostic factor in several
      critical conditions. Veno-Venous Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation (VV-ECMO) is
      a well-established therapy in patients with Acute Respiratory Disease Syndrome
      (ARDS) unresponsive to conventional therapy and echocardiography pre ECMO
      initiation has been recently reported to help in risk stratifying these patients.
      METHODS: We assessed whether the detection of hyperlactataemia could be
      associated with the presence of left ventricle (LV) or right ventricle (RV)
      dysfunction in 121 consecutive patients with refractory ARDS. RESULTS: The
      mortality rate was 42.9% (52/121). Higher dosages of norepinephrine and
      dobutamine were administered to non survivors (p=0.023 and p=0.047, respectively)
      who showed significantly higher levels of lactate (p=0.002). At echocardiography,
      non survivors showed higher values of systolic pulmonary artery pressure (sPAP)
      (p=0.05) and a higher incidence of RV dysfunction (as indicated by lower
      Tricuspid Annular Plane Excursion (TAPSE)) and RV dilatation (p=0.001). At
      multivariate logistic regression analysis, the following variables were
      independent predictors of death: body mass index (BMI) (OR: 0.914, 95%CI 0.857
      0.975, p=0.006), RV dilatation (OR: 0.239, 95%CI 0.101-0.561, p=0.001) and
      lactate (OR: 1.292, 95%CI 1.015-1.645, p=0.038). Lactate values were directly
      correlated with the simplified acute physiology score (SAPS) II (r=0.38,
      p<0.001), while they showed an indirect correlation with left ventricular
      ejection fraction (LVEF) (r=-0.24, p=0.009) and TAPSE (r=-0.21, p=0.024).
      CONCLUSIONS: In refractory ARDS, hyperlactataemia before VVV-ECMO identified a
      subset of patients at higher risk of death, being an independent predictor of in
      Intensive Care Unit (ICU) mortality. Lactate values are mainly related to disease
      severity (as indicated by SAPS II) and haemodynamic impairment (as inferred by
      LVEF) and RV failure, as (indicated by TAPSE).

PMID- 28343950
TI  - Spontaneous Haemothorax Secondary to Rib Exostosis.

PMID- 28343951
TI  - Orthopedic In-Training Examination: A Performance Review Based on Program- and
      Resident-Specific Characteristics.
AB  - OBJECTIVES: The orthopedic in-training examination (OITE) is the most common and
      objective method used to assess resident knowledge in the United States. As such,
      residents and programs use a number of strategies to maximize OITE performance.
      The purpose of this work was to better understand what strategies were being
      implemented and to determine which program-specific and resident-specific
      characteristics best correlate with improved scores. DESIGN: A national survey of
      orthopedic residents and program directors (PDs) was performed to better
      understand OITE performance and correlate scores with various test preparation
      strategies. SETTING: Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN. PARTICIPANTS: The survey was
      completed by 33 of 48 (68.8%) PDs and 341 of 878 (38.8%) eligible residents.
      RESULTS: The most commonly used program-wide strategies were as follows: negative
      consequences for poor performance (72.7%), formal OITE prep program (54.5%), and
      purchase of OITE test prep material for residents (51.5%). The program-specific
      characteristics that had the strongest correlation with increased scores were
      negative consequences for poor performance (p < 0.001), high value placed on the
      OITE by PD and residents (p < 0.001), excusing residents from clinical duties the
      evening prior (p < 0.001), having residents take the examination on different
      days (p = 0.012), and allowing residents to lead a review course (p = 0.047). The
      resident-specific characteristics that correlated most with score were increased
      study time leading up to the test (p = 0.031) and attendance at their program's
      OITE prep program (p = 0.062). CONCLUSIONS: Although programs and residents
      looking to improve knowledge acquisition and OITE scores use a number of
      techniques, a few distinct strategies correlate with the greatest increases in
      OITE performance. These may be appropriate methods to consider for those looking
      to improve their performance in coming years.

PMID- 28343952
TI  - Program Director Perceptions of the General Surgery Milestones Project.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: As a result of the Milestones Project, all Accreditation Council for
      Graduate Medical Education accredited training programs now use an evaluation
      framework based on outcomes in 6 core competencies. Despite their widespread use,
      the Milestones have not been broadly evaluated. This study sought to examine
      program director (PD) perceptions of the Milestones Project. DESIGN, SETTING, AND
      PARTICIPANTS: A national survey of general surgery PDs distributed between
      January and March of 2016. RESULTS: A total of 132 surgical PDs responded to the
      survey (60% response rate). Positive perceptions included value for education
      (55%) and evaluation of resident performance (58%), as well as ability of
      Milestones to provide unbiased feedback (55%) and to identify areas of resident
      deficiency (58%). Meanwhile, time input and the ability of Milestones to
      discriminate underperforming programs were less likely to be rated positively
      (25% and 21%, respectively). Half of PDs felt that the Milestones were an
      improvement over their previous evaluation system (55%). CONCLUSIONS: Using the
      Milestones as competency-based, developmental outcomes measures, surgical PDs
      reported perceived benefits for education and objectivity in the evaluation of
      resident performance. The overall response to the Milestones was generally
      favorable, and most PDs would not return to their previous evaluation systems. To
      improve future iterations of the Milestones, many PDs expressed a desire for
      customization of the Milestones' content and structure to allow for programmatic
      differences.

PMID- 28343953
TI  - Development and Validation of a Novel and Cost-Effective Animal Tissue Model for
      Training Transurethral Resection of the Prostate.
AB  - OBJECTIVES: To develop and validate a new and cost-effective animal tissue
      training model for practicing resection skills of transurethral resection of the
      prostate (TURP). METHODS AND MATERIALS: A porcine kidney was prepared and
      restructured to simulate the relevant anatomy of the human prostate. The
      restructured prostate was connected to an artificial urethra and bladder. Face,
      content, and construct validity of the model was carried out using a 5-point
      Likert scale questionnaire, and comparison in task performance between
      participants and experts was made using observational clinical human reliability
      analysis. RESULTS: A total of 24 participants and 11 experts who practiced TURP
      skills on this model from October 2014 to December 2015 were recruited. The mean
      score on specific feature of the anatomy and color, sensation of texture and
      feeling of resection, conductibility of current, and efficacy and safety of the
      model were 4.34 +/- 0.37, 4.51 +/- 0.63, 4.13 +/- 0.53, and 4.35 +/- 0.71,
      respectively, by participants whereas they were 4.22 +/- 0.23, 4.30 +/- 0.48,
      4.11 +/- 0.62, and 4.56 +/- 0.77, respectively, by the experts on a scale of 1
      (unrealistic) to 5 (very realistic). Participants committed more technical errors
      than the experts (11 vs 7, p < 0.001), produced more movements of the instruments
      (51 vs 33, p < 0.001), and required longer operating time (11.4 vs 6.2min, p <
      0.001). CONCLUSIONS: A newly developed restructured animal tissue model for
      training TURP was reported. Validation study on the model demonstrates that this
      is a very realistic and effective model for skills training of TURP. Trainees
      committed more technical errors, more unproductive movements, and required longer
      operating time.

PMID- 28343954
TI  - A new whole mitochondrial genome qPCR (WMG-qPCR) with SYBR Green(r) to identify
      phlebotomine sand fly blood meals.
AB  - Phlebotomine sand flies are blood-feeding insects of marked medical and
      veterinary significance. Investigations on the biology of these insects hold
      great importance for both ecological and epidemiological purposes. The present
      work describes a new approach for real-time PCR (qPCR) with SYBR Green(r), named
      WMG-qPCR, to identify phlebotomine blood meals. The novelty of the assay was to
      design primers based on the Whole Mitochondrial Genome (WMG) of the potential
      hosts (human, dog, cat, brown rat and chicken) aiming to amplify through qPCR the
      regions of mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) which are less conserved among all species.
      Initially, the best method for mtDNA extraction to be applied in WMG-qPCR was
      determined. Afterwards, amplification specificities were accessed by cross
      reaction assays with mtDNA samples from all animal species, besides phlebotomine
      DNA. Finally, the selected primers were also tested for their limit of DNA
      detection through standard curves constructed by serial dilution of blood DNA
      obtained for each target animal species. The WMG-qPCR was able to detect as low
      as 10pL of blood, equivalent to 26, 84, 130, and 320fg DNA of cat, human, dog and
      rat, respectively. The assay was also capable to amplify as low as 5pL of chicken
      blood (5pg DNA). In conclusion, WMG-qPCR seems to be a promising tool to identify
      phlebotomine blood meals, with high species-specificity and sensitivity.
      Furthermore, as no supplementary techniques are required, this new approach
      presents minimized costs and simplified technical-training requirements for
      execution.

PMID- 28343955
TI  - Comparison of commercial ELISA tests for the detection of Toxoplasma antibodies
      in the meat juice of naturally infected pigs.
AB  - Toxoplasmosis is a globally distributed protozoal zoonosis. Pigs are considered
      an important reservoir of Toxoplasma gondii and pork a major infection source of
      human toxoplasmosis. ELISA methods are commonly used diagnostic tools for
      detecting Toxoplasma infections. They are also used for slaughterhouse-based
      serological monitoring of toxoplasmosis in pigs to identify positive farms. The
      methods used are non-standardised with varying sensitivity and specificity. In
      our study, four commercial ELISA tests for the detection of Toxoplasma antibodies
      in the meat juice of slaughter pigs were compared with a modified agglutination
      test (MAT) as a reference. The cut-off values of the ELISA tests provided by the
      manufacturer varied between 0.20 and 0.50, and clearly influenced prevalence. The
      sensitivity of tests I, II and III varied between 96.4 and 78.6. Sensitivity was
      unacceptably low (3.6) for test IV (cut-off=0.30). Tests I, II and III had the
      highest accuracy and the best agreement with the reference test when a cut-off of
      0.30 was used. Test II and III showed very good agreement (K=0.92 and 0.84,
      respectively) with the MAT. A very strong correlation (Pearson correlation >0.89)
      was observed between the S/P values of tests I, II and III. Our results
      demonstrate that the test and cut-off value used influence the results of the
      apparent seroprevalence studies.

PMID- 28343956
TI  - Effect of Cd2+ and Cd2+/auxin mixtures on lipid monolayers - Model membrane
      studies on the role of auxins in phytoremediation of metal ions from contaminated
      environment.
AB  - In this work Langmuir monolayer experiments were performed to analyze the effect
      of Cd2+ ions and their mixtures with synthetic auxin (1-naphthaleneacetic acid -
      NAA) on lipid films. These investigations were motivated by the fact that auxins
      act effectively as the agents improving the removal of metal ions from
      contaminated water and soil by plants (phytoextraction), and although their
      mechanism of action in this area is still unclear, it was suggested that it can
      be membrane-related. The experiments were done for one component (1,2-dipalmitoyl
      sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine - DPPC; 1,2-dioleoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine -
      DOPC; 1,2-dipalmitoyl-sn-glycero-3-phospho-(1'-rac-glycerol) (sodium salt) -
      DPPG) monolayers and mixed (DPPG/DOPC and DPPG/DPPC) films treated as model of
      plant leaves membranes. The monolayer properties were analyzed based on the
      surface pressure-area isotherms obtained during film compression, stability
      measurements and Brewster angle microcopy studies. The collected results together
      with the data presented in literature evidenced that both metal ions and auxins
      modify lipid system properties and by using them in a combination it is possible
      to weaken the influence of sole metal ions on membrane organization. This seems
      to be in agreement with the hypothesis that the role of plant growth regulators
      in increasing phytoextraction effectiveness may be membrane-related. However,
      further experiments are required to find possible correlations between the type
      and concentration of metal ion, composition of membrane or structural elements in
      auxin molecule and observed alterations in membrane properties.

PMID- 28343957
TI  - Adult out-of-hospital cardiac arrest in philadelphia from 2008-2012: An
      epidemiological study.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Wide variation in out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) survival has
      been reported, with low survival in urban settings. We sought to describe the
      epidemiology of OHCA in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, the fifth largest U.S. city,
      and identify potential areas for targeted interventions to improve survival.
      METHODS AND RESULTS: Retrospective chart review of adult, non-traumatic, OHCA
      occurring in Philadelphia between 2008 and 2012. We determined incidence and
      epidemiological factors including: demographics, initial cardiac rhythm,
      bystander cardiopulmonary resuscitation, automated external defibrillator use,
      return of spontaneous circulation and 30-day survival. 5198 cases of adult, non
      traumatic OHCA were identified. The incidence was 81.5/100,000. The majority of
      cases occurred in a residence (76.2%); 30.4% were witnessed events; the initial
      cardiac rhythm was pulseless ventricular tachycardia or ventricular fibrillation
      in 6.2% of cases, pulseless electrical activity in 21.0%, asystole in 38.3% and
      was unknown or undocumented in the remaining 34.5%. Multivariate logistic
      regression analysis demonstrated increased 30-day survival with younger age,
      shockable cardiac rhythms, and daytime arrest. 30-day survival was 8.1% for EMS
      assessed patients and 8.6% for EMS-transported patients. CONCLUSIONS:
      Philadelphia's reported incidence is consistent with urban settings although the
      survival rate is higher than other urban centers.

PMID- 28343958
TI  - Simultanagnosia does not affect processes of auditory Gestalt perception.
AB  - Simultanagnosia is a neuropsychological deficit of higher visual processes caused
      by temporo-parietal brain damage. It is characterized by a specific failure of
      recognition of a global visual Gestalt, like a visual scene or complex objects,
      consisting of local elements. In this study we investigated to what extend this
      deficit should be understood as a deficit related to specifically the visual
      domain or whether it should be seen as defective Gestalt processing per se. To
      examine if simultanagnosia occurs across sensory domains, we designed several
      auditory experiments sharing typical characteristics of visual tasks that are
      known to be particularly demanding for patients suffering from simultanagnosia.
      We also included control tasks for auditory working memory deficits and for
      auditory extinction. We tested four simultanagnosia patients who suffered from
      severe symptoms in the visual domain. Two of them indeed showed significant
      impairments in recognition of simultaneously presented sounds. However, the same
      two patients also suffered from severe auditory working memory deficits and from
      symptoms comparable to auditory extinction, both sufficiently explaining the
      impairments in simultaneous auditory perception. We thus conclude that deficits
      in auditory Gestalt perception do not appear to be characteristic for
      simultanagnosia and that the human brain obviously uses independent mechanisms
      for visual and for auditory Gestalt perception.

PMID- 28343959
TI  - The neural basis of language learning: Brief introduction to the special issue.

PMID- 28343960
TI  - Reduced specificity in emotion judgment in people with autism spectrum disorder.
AB  - There is a conflicting literature on facial emotion processing in autism spectrum
      disorder (ASD): both typical and atypical performance have been reported, and
      inconsistencies in the literature may stem from different processes examined
      (emotion judgment, face perception, fixations) as well as differences in
      participant populations. Here we conducted a detailed investigation of the
      ability to discriminate graded emotions shown in morphs of fear-happy faces, in a
      well-characterized high-functioning sample of participants with ASD and matched
      controls. Signal detection approaches were used in the analyses, and concurrent
      high-resolution eye-tracking was collected. Although people with ASD had typical
      thresholds for categorical fear and confidence judgments, their psychometric
      specificity to detect emotions across the entire range of intensities was
      reduced. However, fixation patterns onto the stimuli were typical and could not
      account for the reduced specificity of emotion judgment. Together, our results
      argue for a subtle and specific deficit in emotion perception in ASD that, from a
      signal detection perspective, is best understood as a reduced specificity due to
      increased noise in central processing of the face stimuli.

PMID- 28343961
TI  - Protein depletion using the arabinose promoter in Xanthomonas citri subsp. citri.
AB  - Xanthomonas citri subsp. citri (X. citri) is a plant pathogen and the etiological
      agent of citrus canker, a severe disease that affects all the commercially
      important citrus varieties, and has worldwide distribution. Citrus canker cannot
      be healed, and the best method known to control the spread of X. citri in the
      orchards is the eradication of symptomatic and asymptomatic plants in the field.
      However, in the state of Sao Paulo, Brazil, the main orange producing area in the
      world, control is evolving to an integrated management system (IMS) in which
      growers have to use less susceptible plants, windshields to prevent bacterial
      spread out and sprays of cupric bactericidal formulations. Our group has recently
      proposed alternative methods to control citrus canker, which are based on the use
      of chemical compounds able to disrupt vital cellular processes of X. citri. An
      important step in this approach is the genetic and biochemical characterization
      of genes/proteins that are the possible targets to be perturbed, a task not
      always simple when the gene/protein under investigation is essential for the
      organism. Here, we describe vectors carrying the arabinose promoter that enable
      controllable protein expression in X. citri. These vectors were used as
      complementation tools for the clean deletion of parB in X. citri, a widespread
      and conserved gene involved in the essential process of bacterial chromosome
      segregation. Overexpression or depletion of ParB led to increased cell size,
      which is probably a resultant of delayed chromosome segregation with subsequent
      retard of cell division. However, ParB is not essential in X. citri, and in its
      absence the bacterium was fully competent to colonize the host citrus and cause
      disease. The arabinose expression vectors described here are valuable tools for
      protein expression, and especially, to assist in the deletion of essential genes
      in X. citri.

PMID- 28343963
TI  - Maternally Inherited Stable Intronic Sequence RNA Triggers a Self-Reinforcing
      Feedback Loop during Development.
AB  - Maternally inherited noncoding RNAs (ncRNAs) can regulate zygotic gene expression
      across generations [1-4]. Recently, many stable intronic sequence RNAs (sisRNAs),
      which are byproducts of pre-mRNA splicing, were found to be maternally deposited
      and persist till zygotic transcription in Xenopus and Drosophila [5-7]. In
      various organisms, sisRNAs can be in linear or circular conformations, and they
      have been suggested to regulate host gene expression [5-10]. It is unknown
      whether maternally deposited sisRNAs can regulate zygotic gene expression in the
      embryos. Here, we show that a maternally inherited sisRNA (sisR-4) from the
      deadpan locus is important for embryonic development in Drosophila. Mothers, but
      not fathers, mutant for sisR-4 produce embryos that fail to hatch. During
      embryogenesis, sisR-4 promotes transcription of its host gene (deadpan), which is
      essential for development. Interestingly, sisR-4 functions by activating an
      enhancer present in the intron where sisR-4 is encoded. We propose that a
      maternal sisRNA triggers expression of its host gene via a positive feedback loop
      during embryogenesis.

PMID- 28343962
TI  - Contextually Mediated Spontaneous Retrieval Is Specific to the Hippocampus.
AB  - Although it is now well established that the hippocampus supports memory encoding
      [1, 2], little is known about hippocampal activity during spontaneous memory
      retrieval. Recent intracranial electroencephalographic (iEEG) work has shown that
      hippocampal activity during encoding predicts subsequent temporal organization of
      memories [3], supporting a role in contextual binding. It is an open question,
      however, whether the hippocampus similarly supports contextually mediated
      processes during retrieval. Here, we analyzed iEEG recordings obtained from 215
      epilepsy patients as they performed a free recall task. To identify neural
      activity specifically associated with contextual retrieval, we compared correct
      recalls, intrusions (incorrect recall of either items from prior lists or items
      not previously studied), and deliberations (matched periods during recall when no
      items came to mind). Neural signals that differentiate correct recalls from both
      other retrieval classes reflect contextual retrieval, as correct recalls alone
      arise from the correct context. We found that in the hippocampus, high-frequency
      activity (HFA, 44-100 Hz), a proxy for neural activation [4], was greater prior
      to correct recalls relative to the other retrieval classes, with no
      differentiation between intrusions and deliberations. This pattern was not
      observed in other memory-related cortical regions, including DLPFC, thus
      supporting a specific hippocampal contribution to contextually mediated memory
      retrieval.

PMID- 28343964
TI  - The Temporal Tuning of the Drosophila Motion Detectors Is Determined by the
      Dynamics of Their Input Elements.
AB  - Detecting the direction of motion contained in the visual scene is crucial for
      many behaviors. However, because single photoreceptors only signal local
      luminance changes, motion detection requires a comparison of signals from
      neighboring photoreceptors across time in downstream neuronal circuits. For
      signals to coincide on readout neurons that thus become motion and direction
      selective, different input lines need to be delayed with respect to each other.
      Classical models of motion detection rely on non-linear interactions between two
      inputs after different temporal filtering. However, recent studies have suggested
      the requirement for at least three, not only two, input signals. Here, we
      comprehensively characterize the spatiotemporal response properties of all
      columnar input elements to the elementary motion detectors in the fruit fly, T4
      and T5 cells, via two-photon calcium imaging. Between these input neurons, we
      find large differences in temporal dynamics. Based on this, computer simulations
      show that only a small subset of possible arrangements of these input elements
      maps onto a recently proposed algorithmic three-input model in a way that
      generates a highly direction-selective motion detector, suggesting plausible
      network architectures. Moreover, modulating the motion detection system by
      octopamine-receptor activation, we find the temporal tuning of T4 and T5 cells to
      be shifted toward higher frequencies, and this shift can be fully explained by
      the concomitant speeding of the input elements.

PMID- 28343965
TI  - The N-Terminal Non-Kinase-Domain-Mediated Binding of Haspin to Pds5B Protects
      Centromeric Cohesion in Mitosis.
AB  - Sister-chromatid cohesion, mediated by the multi-subunit cohesin complex, must be
      precisely regulated to prevent chromosome mis-segregation. In prophase and
      prometaphase, whereas the bulk of cohesin on chromosome arms is removed by its
      antagonist Wapl, cohesin at centromeres is retained to ensure chromosome
      biorientation until anaphase onset. It remains incompletely understood how
      centromeric cohesin is protected against Wapl in mitosis. Here we show that the
      mitotic histone kinase Haspin binds to the cohesin regulatory subunit Pds5B
      through a conserved YGA/R motif in its non-catalytic N terminus, which is similar
      to the recently reported YSR-motif-dependent binding of Wapl to Pds5B. Knockout
      of Haspin or disruption of Haspin-Pds5B interaction causes weakened centromeric
      cohesion and premature chromatid separation, which can be reverted by centromeric
      targeting of a N-terminal short fragment of Haspin containing the Pds5B-binding
      motif or by prevention of Wapl-dependent cohesin removal. Conversely, excessive
      Haspin capable of binding Pds5B displaces Wapl from Pds5B and suppresses Wapl
      activity, and it largely bypasses the Wapl antagonist Sgo1 for cohesion
      protection. Taken together, these data indicate that the Haspin-Pds5B interaction
      is required to ensure proper sister-chromatid cohesion, most likely through
      antagonizing Wapl-mediated cohesin release from mitotic centromeres.

PMID- 28343966
TI  - Astrocytes Regulate Daily Rhythms in the Suprachiasmatic Nucleus and Behavior.
AB  - Astrocytes are active partners in neural information processing [1, 2]. However,
      the roles of astrocytes in regulating behavior remain unclear [3, 4]. Because
      astrocytes have persistent circadian clock gene expression and ATP release in
      vitro [5-8], we hypothesized that they regulate daily rhythms in neurons and
      behavior. Here, we demonstrated that daily rhythms in astrocytes within the
      mammalian master circadian pacemaker, the suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN),
      determine the period of wheel-running activity. Ablating the essential clock gene
      Bmal1 specifically in SCN astrocytes lengthened the circadian period of clock
      gene expression in the SCN and in locomotor behavior. Similarly, excision of the
      short-period CK1epsilon tau mutation specifically from SCN astrocytes resulted in
      lengthened rhythms in the SCN and behavior. These results indicate that
      astrocytes within the SCN communicate to neurons to determine circadian rhythms
      in physiology and in rest activity.

PMID- 28343967
TI  - Evolutionary History of the Hymenoptera.
AB  - Hymenoptera (sawflies, wasps, ants, and bees) are one of four mega-diverse insect
      orders, comprising more than 153,000 described and possibly up to one million
      undescribed extant species [1, 2]. As parasitoids, predators, and pollinators,
      Hymenoptera play a fundamental role in virtually all terrestrial ecosystems and
      are of substantial economic importance [1, 3]. To understand the diversification
      and key evolutionary transitions of Hymenoptera, most notably from phytophagy to
      parasitoidism and predation (and vice versa) and from solitary to eusocial life,
      we inferred the phylogeny and divergence times of all major lineages of
      Hymenoptera by analyzing 3,256 protein-coding genes in 173 insect species. Our
      analyses suggest that extant Hymenoptera started to diversify around 281 million
      years ago (mya). The primarily ectophytophagous sawflies are found to be
      monophyletic. The species-rich lineages of parasitoid wasps constitute a
      monophyletic group as well. The little-known, species-poor Trigonaloidea are
      identified as the sister group of the stinging wasps (Aculeata). Finally, we
      located the evolutionary root of bees within the apoid wasp family "Crabronidae."
      Our results reveal that the extant sawfly diversity is largely the result of a
      previously unrecognized major radiation of phytophagous Hymenoptera that did not
      lead to wood-dwelling and parasitoidism. They also confirm that all primarily
      parasitoid wasps are descendants of a single endophytic parasitoid ancestor that
      lived around 247 mya. Our findings provide the basis for a natural classification
      of Hymenoptera and allow for future comparative analyses of Hymenoptera,
      including their genomes, morphology, venoms, and parasitoid and eusocial life
      styles.

PMID- 28343969
TI  - Pds5 Regulates Sister-Chromatid Cohesion and Chromosome Bi-orientation through a
      Conserved Protein Interaction Module.
AB  - Sister-chromatid cohesion is established by the cohesin complex in S phase and
      persists until metaphase, when sister chromatids are captured by microtubules
      emanating from opposite poles [1]. The Aurora-B-containing chromosome passenger
      complex (CPC) plays a crucial role in achieving chromosome bi-orientation by
      correcting erroneous microtubule attachment [2]. The centromeric localization of
      the CPC relies largely on histone H3-T3 phosphorylation (H3-pT3), which is
      mediated by the mitotic histone kinase Haspin/Hrk1 [3-5]. Hrk1 localization to
      centromeres depends largely on the cohesin subunit Pds5 in fission yeast [5];
      however, it is unknown how Pds5 regulates Hrk1 localization. Here we identify a
      conserved Hrk1-interacting motif (HIM) in Pds5 and a Pds5-interacting motif (PIM)
      in Hrk1 in fission yeast. Mutations in either motif result in the displacement of
      Hrk1 from centromeres. We also show that the mechanism of Pds5-dependent Hrk1
      recruitment is conserved in human cells. Notably, the PIM in Haspin/Hrk1 is
      reminiscent of the YSR motif found in the mammalian cohesin destabilizer Wapl and
      stabilizer Sororin, both of which bind PDS5 [6-12]. Similarly, and through the
      same motifs, fission yeast Pds5 binds to Wpl1/Wapl and acetyltransferase
      Eso1/Eco1, in addition to Hrk1. Thus, we have identified a protein-protein
      interaction module in Pds5 that serves as a chromatin platform for regulating
      sister-chromatid cohesion and chromosome bi-orientation.

PMID- 28343968
TI  - MET-2-Dependent H3K9 Methylation Suppresses Transgenerational Small RNA
      Inheritance.
AB  - In C. elegans, alterations to chromatin produce transgenerational effects, such
      as inherited increase in lifespan and gradual loss of fertility. Inheritance of
      histone modifications can be induced by double-stranded RNA-derived heritable
      small RNAs. Here, we show that the mortal germline phenotype, which is typical of
      met-2 mutants, defective in H3K9 methylation, depends on HRDE-1, an argonaute
      that carries small RNAs across generations, and is accompanied by accumulated
      transgenerational misexpression of heritable small RNAs. We discovered that MET-2
      inhibits small RNA inheritance, and, as a consequence, induction of RNAi in met-2
      mutants leads to permanent RNAi responses that do not terminate even after more
      than 30 generations. We found that potentiation of heritable RNAi in met-2
      animals results from global hyperactivation of the small RNA inheritance
      machinery. Thus, changes in histone modifications can give rise to drastic
      transgenerational epigenetic effects, by controlling the overall potency of small
      RNA inheritance.

PMID- 28343971
TI  - Clarithromycin resistance in Helicobacter pylori and its molecular determinants
      in Northern Spain, 2013-2015.
AB  - OBJECTIVES: Clarithromycin resistance (CLR-R) is the main reason for failure of
      Helicobacter pylori infection treatment, which is frequently empirically
      prescribed due to the erroneous belief that culture for susceptibility testing is
      difficult. The aim of this study was to determine CLR-R in a region of southern
      Europe and to evaluate the utility of a PCR sequencing assay applied on
      gastroduodenal biopsies in detecting H. pylori and clarithromycin (CLR)
      susceptibility. METHODS: The susceptibility of all H. pylori isolates obtained by
      culture during 2013-2015 was determined by Etest. During 2014-2015, H. pylori
      detection and CLR susceptibility were also studied by PCR followed by sequencing
      performed on gastroduodenal biopsies. Point mutations in the 23S rRNA gene were
      studied in all CLR-resistant isolates in 2014. RESULTS: Of 1986 H. pylori
      isolates obtained by culture (63 from children and 1923 from adults), 349 (17.6%)
      were CLR-resistant [21/63 (33.3%) in children and 328/1923 (17.1%) in adults;
      P<0.001], of which 31.5% were also resistant to levofloxacin. The main mutations
      detected were A2147G (79.8%), A2146G (17.2%) and A2146C (2%). Concordance between
      the PCR sequencing assay on biopsies and CLR susceptibility by Etest after
      culture was 89.8%. CONCLUSIONS: CLR-R was high in Gipuzkoa, northern Spain. The
      molecular PCR method performed directly on biopsies was a good alternative to the
      traditional Etest susceptibility method and was an aid when culture was non
      viable.

PMID- 28343970
TI  - Phenylmethimazole and a thiazole derivative of phenylmethimazole inhibit IL-6
      expression by triple negative breast cancer cells.
AB  - Inhibition of interleukin-6 (IL-6) holds significant promise as a therapeutic
      approach for triple negative breast cancer (TNBC). We previously reported that
      phenylmethimazole (C10) reduces IL-6 expression in several cancer cell lines. We
      have identified a more potent derivative of C10 termed COB-141. In the present
      work, we tested the hypothesis that C10 and COB-141 inhibit TNBC cell expressed
      IL-6 and investigated the potential for classical IL-6 pathway induced signaling
      within TNBC cells. A panel of TNBC cell lines (MDA-MB-231, Hs578T, MDA-MB-468)
      was used. Enzyme linked immunosorbent assays (ELISA) revealed that C10 and COB
      141 inhibit MDA-MB-231 cell IL-6 secretion, with COB-141 being ~6.5 times more
      potent than C10. Therefore, the remainder of the study focused on COB-141 which
      inhibited IL-6 secretion, and was found, via quantitative real time polymerase
      chain reaction (QRT-PCR), to inhibit IL-6 mRNA in the TNBC panel. COB-141 had
      little, if any, effect on metabolic activity indicating that the IL-6 inhibition
      is not via a toxic effect. Flow cytometric analysis and QRT-PCR revealed that the
      TNBC cell lines do not express the IL-6 receptor (IL-6Ralpha). Trans-AM assays
      suggested that COB-141 exerts its inhibitory effect, at least in part, by
      reducing NF-kappaB (p65/p50) DNA binding. In summary, COB-141 is a potent
      inhibitor of TNBC cell expressed IL-6 and the inhibition does not appear to be
      due to non-specific toxicity. The TNBC cell lines do not have an intact classical
      IL-6 signaling pathway. COB-141's inhibitory effect may be due, at least in part,
      to reducing NF-kappaB (p65/p50) DNA binding.

PMID- 28343972
TI  - Time to reconsider prophylactic cranial irradiation in extensive-stage small-cell
      lung cancer?

PMID- 28343973
TI  - New NICE criteria for drug access.

PMID- 28343974
TI  - Monoclonal antibody YS110 for refractory solid tumours.

PMID- 28343975
TI  - Trastuzumab emtansine versus taxane use for previously treated HER2-positive
      locally advanced or metastatic gastric or gastro-oesophageal junction
      adenocarcinoma (GATSBY): an international randomised, open-label, adaptive, phase
      2/3 study.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Although trastuzumab plus chemotherapy is the standard of care for
      first-line treatment of HER2-positive advanced gastric cancer, there is no
      established therapy in the second-line setting. In GATSBY, we examined the
      efficacy and tolerability of trastuzumab emtansine in patients previously treated
      for HER2-positive advanced gastric cancer (unresectable, locally advanced, or
      metastatic gastric cancer, including adenocarcinoma of the gastro-oesophageal
      junction). METHODS: This is the final analysis from GATSBY, a randomised, open
      label, adaptive, phase 2/3 study, done at 107 centres (28 countries worldwide).
      Eligible patients had HER2-positive advanced gastric cancer and progressed during
      or after first-line therapy. In stage one of the trial, patients were randomly
      assigned to treatment groups (2:2:1) to receive intravenous trastuzumab emtansine
      (3.6 mg/kg every 3 weeks or 2.4 mg/kg weekly) or physician's choice of a taxane
      (intravenous docetaxel 75 mg/m2 every 3 weeks or intravenous paclitaxel 80 mg/m2
      weekly). In stage two, patients were randomly assigned to treatment groups (2:1)
      to receive the independent data monitoring committee (IDMC)-selected dose of
      trastuzumab emtansine (2.4 mg/kg weekly) or a taxane (same regimen as above). We
      used permuted block randomisation, stratified by world region, previous HER2
      targeted therapy, and previous gastrectomy. The primary endpoint (overall
      survival) was assessed in the intention-to-treat population. This study is
      registered with ClinicalTrials.gov, number NCT01641939. FINDINGS: Between Sept 3,
      2012, and Oct 14, 2013, 70 patients were assigned to receive trastuzumab
      emtansine 3.6 mg/kg every 3 weeks, 75 to receive trastuzumab emtansine 2.4 mg/kg
      weekly, and 37 to receive a taxane in the stage 1 part of the trial. At the pre
      planned interim analysis (Oct 14, 2013), the IDMC selected trastuzumab emtansine
      2.4 mg/kg weekly as the dose to proceed to stage 2. By Feb 9, 2015, a further 153
      patients had been randomly assigned to receive trastuzumab emtansine 2.4 mg/kg
      weekly and a further 80 to receive a taxane. At data cutoff, median follow-up was
      17.5 months (IQR 12.1-23.0) for the trastuzumab emtansine 2.4 mg/kg weekly group
      and 15.4 months (9.2-18.1) in the taxane group. Median overall survival was 7.9
      months (95% CI 6.7-9.5) with trastuzumab emtansine 2.4 mg/kg weekly and 8.6
      months (7.1-11.2) with taxane treatment (hazard ratio 1.15, 95% CI 0.87-1.51, one
      sided p=0.86). The trastuzumab emtansine 2.4 mg/kg group had lower incidences of
      grade 3 or more adverse events (134 [60%] of 224 patients treated with
      trastuzumab emtansine vs 78 [70%] of 111 patients treated with a taxane), and
      similar incidences of adverse events leading to death (eight [4%] vs four [4%]),
      serious adverse events (65 [29%] vs 31 [28%]), and adverse events leading to
      treatment discontinuation (31 [14%] vs 15 [14%]) than did taxane treatment. The
      most common grade 3 or more adverse events in the trastuzumab emtansine 2.4 mg/kg
      weekly group were anaemia (59 [26%]) and thrombocytopenia (25 [11%]) compared
      with neutropenia (43 [39%]), and anaemia (20 [18%]), in the taxane group. The
      most common serious adverse events were anaemia (eight [4%]), upper
      gastrointestinal haemorrhage (eight [4%]), pneumonia (seven [3%]), gastric
      haemorrhage (six [3%]), and gastrointestinal haemorrhage (five [2%]) in the
      trastuzumab emtansine 2.4 mg/kg weekly group compared with pneumonia (four [4%]),
      febrile neutropenia (four [4%]), anaemia (three [3%]), and neutropenia (three
      [3%]) in the taxane group. INTERPRETATION: Trastuzumab emtansine was not superior
      to taxane in patients with previously treated, HER2-positive advanced gastric
      cancer. There is still an unmet need in this patient group and therapeutic
      options remain limited. FUNDING: F Hoffmann-La Roche.

PMID- 28343977
TI  - Sacituzumab govitecan activity in advanced breast cancer.

PMID- 28343978
TI  - Targeting HER2 beyond progression in gastroesophageal cancer.

PMID- 28343976
TI  - Prophylactic cranial irradiation versus observation in patients with extensive
      disease small-cell lung cancer: a multicentre, randomised, open-label, phase 3
      trial.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Results from a previous phase 3 study suggested that prophylactic
      cranial irradiation reduces the incidence of symptomatic brain metastases and
      prolongs overall survival compared with no prophylactic cranial irradiation in
      patients with extensive-disease small-cell lung cancer. However, because of the
      absence of brain imaging before enrolment and variations in chemotherapeutic
      regimens and irradiation doses, concerns have been raised about these findings.
      We did a phase 3 trial to reassess the efficacy of prophylactic cranial
      irradiation in the treatment of extensive-disease small-cell lung cancer.
      METHODS: We did this randomised, open-label, phase 3 study at 47 institutions in
      Japan. Patients with extensive-disease small-cell lung cancer who had any
      response to platinum-based doublet chemotherapy and no brain metastases on MRI
      were randomly assigned (1:1) to receive prophylactic cranial irradiation (25 Gy
      in ten daily fractions of 2.5 Gy) or observation. All patients were required to
      have brain MRI at 3-month intervals up to 12 months and at 18 and 24 months after
      enrolment. Randomisation was done by computer-generated allocation sequence, with
      age as a stratification factor and minimisation by institution, Eastern
      Cooperative Oncology Group performance status, and response to initial
      chemotherapy. The primary endpoint was overall survival, analysed in the
      intention-to-treat population. This trial is registered with the UMIN Clinical
      Trials Registry, number UMIN000001755, and is closed to new participants.
      FINDINGS: Between April 3, 2009, and July 17, 2013, 224 patients were enrolled
      and randomly assigned (113 to prophylactic cranial irradiation and 111 to
      observation). In the planned interim analysis on June 18, 2013, of the first 163
      enrolled patients, Bayesian predictive probability of prophylactic cranial
      irradiation being superior to observation was 0.011%, resulting in early
      termination of the study because of futility. In the final analysis, median
      overall survival was 11.6 months (95% CI 9.5-13.3) in the prophylactic cranial
      irradiation group and 13.7 months (10.2-16.4) in the observation group (hazard
      ratio 1.27, 95% CI 0.96-1.68; p=0.094). The most frequent grade 3 or worse
      adverse events at 3 months were anorexia (six [6%] of 106 in the prophylactic
      cranial irradiation group vs two [2%] of 111 in the observation group), malaise
      (three [3%] vs one [<1%]), and muscle weakness in a lower limb (one [<1%] vs six
      [5%]). No treatment-related deaths occurred in either group. INTERPRETATION: In
      this Japanese trial, prophylactic cranial irradiation did not result in longer
      overall survival compared with observation in patients with extensive-disease
      small-cell lung cancer. Prophylactic cranial irradiation is therefore not
      essential for patients with extensive-disease small-cell lung cancer with any
      response to initial chemotherapy and a confirmed absence of brain metastases when
      patients receive periodic MRI examination during follow-up. FUNDING: The Ministry
      of Health, Labour and Welfare of Japan.

PMID- 28343979
TI  - Proposed US Government budget cuts would 'devastate' cancer research.

PMID- 28343980
TI  - Nerve Damage From Bone Allografts and Xenografts-A Case Series.
AB  - The concept of socket preservation by placing a particulate bone allograft or
      xenograft into a tooth socket or on the alveolar ridge after tooth removal
      remains a somewhat controversial topic. The concept is that it will preserve the
      ridge from resorption and such that subsequent implant insertion will be easier,
      with fewer complications. However, one particular issue is that these materials,
      although not directly neurotoxic, appear to be an irritant to the nerves if they
      come in contact with them. We present a case series demonstrating this
      complication.

PMID- 28343981
TI  - Global epidemiology of HCV subtypes and resistance-associated substitutions
      evaluated by sequencing-based subtype analyses.
AB  - BACKGROUND & AIMS: HCV genotype, subtype, and presence of resistance-associated
      substitutions (RASs) are key determinants for the selection of direct-acting
      antiviral (DAA) treatment regimens. However, current HCV genotyping assays have
      limitations in differentiating between HCV subtypes, and RAS prevalence is
      largely undefined. The aim of this study was to investigate HCV epidemiology in
      12,615 patient samples from 28 different countries across five geographic
      regions. METHODS: We compared HCV genotype and subtypes using INNO-LiPA 2.0 vs.
      amplicon sequencing among 8,945 patients from phase II/III clinical trials of
      DAAs. Global HCV molecular epidemiology in 12,615 patients was investigated.
      Subtype RAS prevalence was determined by population or deep sequencing, and
      phylogenetic analyses investigating subtype diversity were performed. RESULTS:
      Although there was high concordance between INNO-LiPA and sequencing for genotype
      determination, INNO-LiPA was insufficient for subtype determination for genotype
      2, 3, 4, and 6. Sequencing provided subtype refinement for 42%, 10%, 81%, and 78%
      of genotype 2, 3, 4, and six patients, respectively. Genotype discordance
      (genotype 2-genotype 1) was observed in 28 of 950 (3%) genotype 2 patients,
      consistent with inter-genotype recombinants. Sequencing-based analyses
      demonstrated variations in regional subtype prevalence, notably within genotype
      2, 4 and 6. RAS prevalence varied by subtype, with the clinically relevant NS3
      RAS Q80K found in genotype 1a, 5a and 6a and the NS5A RAS Y93H in genotype 1b,
      3a, 4b, 4r and 7. CONCLUSIONS: Together, these analyses provide an understanding
      of subtyping accuracy and RAS distribution that are crucial for the
      implementation of global HCV treatment strategies. LAY SUMMARY: Hepatitis C virus
      (HCV) is highly variable, with seven genotypes and 67 subtypes characterized to
      date. The aim of this study was to i) compare two different methods of
      discriminating between genotypes; ii) investigate the prevalence of HCV subtypes
      for each genotype around the world; iii) find the prevalence of resistance
      associated substitutions (RASs) in different subtypes. We found that both methods
      showed high concordance in genotype discrimination, but specific subtypes were
      not always identified accurately. Sequencing-based analyses demonstrated
      variations in regional subtype prevalence for some genotypes, notably within GT2,
      4 and 6. RAS prevalence also varied by subtype. These variations could determine
      how successful different drugs are for treating HCV.

PMID- 28343982
TI  - Single-Cell 5-Formylcytosine Landscapes of Mammalian Early Embryos and ESCs at
      Single-Base Resolution.
AB  - Active DNA demethylation in mammals involves ten-eleven translocation (TET)
      family protein-mediated oxidation of 5-methylcytosine (5mC). However, base
      resolution landscapes of 5-formylcytosine (5fC) (an oxidized derivative of 5mC)
      at the single-cell level remain unexplored. Here, we present "CLEVER-seq"
      (chemical-labeling-enabled C-to-T conversion sequencing), which is a single-cell,
      single-base resolution 5fC-sequencing technology, based on biocompatible,
      selective chemical labeling of 5fC and subsequent C-to-T conversion during
      amplification and sequencing. CLEVER-seq shows intrinsic 5fC heterogeneity in
      mouse early embryos, Epi stem cells (EpiSCs), and embryonic stem cells (ESCs).
      CLEVER-seq of mouse early embryos also reveals the highly patterned genomic
      distribution and parental-specific dynamics of 5fC during mouse early pre
      implantation development. Integrated analysis demonstrates that promoter 5fC
      production precedes the expression upregulation of a clear set of developmentally
      and metabolically critical genes. Collectively, our work reveals the dynamics of
      active DNA demethylation during mouse pre-implantation development and provides
      an important resource for further functional studies of epigenetic reprogramming
      in single cells.

PMID- 28343983
TI  - Comprehensive Cell Surface Protein Profiling Identifies Specific Markers of Human
      Naive and Primed Pluripotent States.
AB  - Human pluripotent stem cells (PSCs) exist in naive and primed states and provide
      important models to investigate the earliest stages of human development. Naive
      cells can be obtained through primed-to-naive resetting, but there are no
      reliable methods to prospectively isolate unmodified naive cells during this
      process. Here we report comprehensive profiling of cell surface proteins by flow
      cytometry in naive and primed human PSCs. Several naive-specific, but not primed
      specific, proteins were also expressed by pluripotent cells in the human
      preimplantation embryo. The upregulation of naive-specific cell surface proteins
      during primed-to-naive resetting enabled the isolation and characterization of
      live naive cells and intermediate cell populations. This analysis revealed
      distinct transcriptional and X chromosome inactivation changes associated with
      the early and late stages of naive cell formation. Thus, identification of state
      specific proteins provides a robust set of molecular markers to define the human
      PSC state and allows new insights into the molecular events leading to naive cell
      resetting.

PMID- 28343985
TI  - Functional connectivity dynamically evolves on multiple time-scales over a static
      structural connectome: Models and mechanisms.
AB  - Over the last decade, we have observed a revolution in brain structural and
      functional Connectomics. On one hand, we have an ever-more detailed
      characterization of the brain's white matter structural connectome. On the other,
      we have a repertoire of consistent functional networks that form and dissipate
      over time during rest. Despite the evident spatial similarities between
      structural and functional connectivity, understanding how different time-evolving
      functional networks spontaneously emerge from a single structural network
      requires analyzing the problem from the perspective of complex network dynamics
      and dynamical system's theory. In that direction, bottom-up computational models
      are useful tools to test theoretical scenarios and depict the mechanisms at the
      genesis of resting-state activity. Here, we provide an overview of the different
      mechanistic scenarios proposed over the last decade via computational models.
      Importantly, we highlight the need of incorporating additional model constraints
      considering the properties observed at finer temporal scales with MEG and the
      dynamical properties of FC in order to refresh the list of candidate scenarios.

PMID- 28343986
TI  - The hemodynamic signal as a first-order low-pass temporal filter: Evidence and
      implications for neuroimaging studies.
AB  - Neuronal activation triggers local changes in blood flow and hemoglobin
      oxygenation. These hemodynamic signals can be recorded through functional
      magnetic resonance imaging or intrinsic optical imaging, and allows inferring
      neural activity in response to stimuli. These techniques are widely used to
      uncover functional brain architectures. However, their accuracy suffers from
      distortions inherent to hemodynamic responses and noise. The analysis of these
      signals currently relies on models of impulse hemodynamic responses to brief
      stimuli. Here, in order to infer precise functional architectures, we focused on
      integrated signals associated to the dynamic response of functional maps. To this
      end, we recorded orientation and direction maps in cat primary visual cortex and
      compared two protocols: the conventional episodic stimulation technique and a
      continuous, periodic stimulation paradigm. Conventional methods show that the
      dynamics of activation and deactivation of the functional maps follows a linear
      first-order differential equation representing a low-pass filter. Comparison with
      the periodic stimulation methods confirmed this observation: the phase shifts and
      magnitude attenuations extracted at various frequencies were consistent with a
      low-pass filter with a 5s time constant. This dynamics presumably reflects the
      variations in deoxyhemoglobin mediated by arterial dilations. This dynamics open
      new avenues in the analysis of neuroimaging data that differs from common methods
      based on the hemodynamic response function. In particular, we demonstrate that
      inverting this first-order low-pass filter minimized the distortions of the
      signal and enabled a much faster and accurate reconstruction of functional maps.

PMID- 28343987
TI  - Age-related reduction of hemispheric lateralisation for spatial attention: An EEG
      study.
AB  - A group-level visuospatial attention bias towards the left side of space
      (pseudoneglect) is consistently observed in young adults, which is likely to be a
      consequence of right parieto-occipital dominance for spatial attention.
      Conversely, healthy older adults demonstrate a rightward shift of this
      behavioural bias, hinting that an age-related reduction of lateralised neural
      activity may occur within visuospatial attention networks. We compared young
      (aged 18-25) and older (aged 60-80) adults on a computerised line bisection
      (landmark) task whilst recording event-related potentials (ERPs). Full-scalp
      cluster mass permutation tests identified a larger right parieto-occipital
      response for long lines compared to short in young adults (confirming Benwell et
      al., 2014a) which was not present in the older group. To specifically investigate
      age-related differences in hemispheric lateralisation, cluster mass permutation
      tests were then performed on a lateralised EEG dataset (RH-LH electrodes). A
      period of right lateralisation was identified in response to long lines in young
      adults, which was not present for short lines. No lateralised clusters were
      present for either long or short lines in older adults. Additionally, a reduced
      P300 component amplitude was observed for older adults relative to young. We
      therefore report here, for the first time, an age-related and stimulus-driven
      reduction of right hemispheric control of spatial attention in older adults.
      Future studies will need to determine whether this is representative of the
      normal aging process or an early indicator of neurodegeneration.

PMID- 28343984
TI  - Amitosis of Polyploid Cells Regenerates Functional Stem Cells in the Drosophila
      Intestine.
AB  - Organ fitness depends on appropriate maintenance of stem cell populations, and
      aberrations in functional stem cell numbers are associated with malignancies and
      aging. Symmetrical division is the best characterized mechanism of stem cell
      replacement, but other mechanisms could also be deployed, particularly in
      situations of high stress. Here, we show that after severe depletion, intestinal
      stem cells (ISCs) in the Drosophila midgut are replaced by spindle-independent
      ploidy reduction of cells in the enterocyte lineage through a process known as
      amitosis. Amitosis is also induced by the functional loss of ISCs coupled with
      tissue demand and in aging flies, underscoring the generality of this mechanism.
      However, we also found that random homologous chromosome segregation during
      ploidy reduction can expose deleterious mutations through loss of heterozygosity.
      Together, our results highlight amitosis as an unappreciated mechanism for
      restoring stem cell homeostasis, but one with some associated risk in animals
      carrying mutations.

PMID- 28343988
TI  - Sampling maternal care behaviour in domestic dogs: What's the best approach?
AB  - Our understanding of the frequency and duration of maternal care behaviours in
      the domestic dog during the first two postnatal weeks is limited, largely due to
      the inconsistencies in the sampling methodologies that have been employed. In
      order to develop a more concise picture of maternal care behaviour during this
      period, and to help establish the sampling method that represents these
      behaviours best, we compared a variety of time sampling methods Six litters were
      continuously observed for a total of 96h over postnatal days 3, 6, 9 and 12 (24h
      per day). Frequent (dam presence, nursing duration, contact duration) and
      infrequent maternal behaviours (anogenital licking duration and frequency) were
      coded using five different time sampling methods that included: 12-h night (1800
      0600h), 12-h day (0600-1800h), one hour period during the night (1800-0600h), one
      hour period during the day (0600-1800h) and a one hour period anytime. Each of
      the one hour time sampling method consisted of four randomly chosen 15-min
      periods. Two random sets of four 15-min period were also analysed to ensure
      reliability. We then determined which of the time sampling methods averaged over
      the three 24-h periods best represented the frequency and duration of behaviours.
      As might be expected, frequently occurring behaviours were adequately represented
      by short (oneh) sampling periods, however this was not the case with the
      infrequent behaviour. Thus, we argue that the time sampling methodology employed
      must match the behaviour of interest. This caution applies to maternal behaviour
      in altricial species, such as canids, as well as all systematic behavioural
      observations utilising time sampling methodology.

PMID- 28343989
TI  - Social interaction, food, scent or toys? A formal assessment of domestic pet and
      shelter cat (Felis silvestris catus) preferences.
AB  - Domestic cats (Felis silvestris catus) engage in a variety of relationships with
      humans and can be conditioned to engage in numerous behaviors using Pavlovian and
      operant methods Increasingly cat cognition research is providing evidence of
      their complex socio-cognitive and problem solving abilities. Nonetheless, it is
      still common belief that cats are not especially sociable or trainable. This
      disconnect may be due, in part, to a lack of knowledge of what stimuli cats
      prefer, and thus may be most motivated to work for. The current study
      investigated domestic cat preferences at the individual and population level
      using a free operant preference assessment. Adult cats from two populations (pet
      and shelter) were presented with three stimuli within each of the following four
      categories: human social interaction, food, toy, and scent. Proportion of time
      interacting with each stimulus was recorded. The single most-preferred stimulus
      from each of the four categories were simultaneously presented in a final session
      to determine each cat's most-preferred stimulus overall. Although there was clear
      individual variability in cat preference, social interaction with humans was the
      most-preferred stimulus category for the majority of cats, followed by food. This
      was true for cats in both the pet and shelter population. Future research can
      examine the use of preferred stimuli as enrichment in applied settings and assess
      individual cats' motivation to work for their most-preferred stimulus as a
      measure of reinforcer efficacy.

PMID- 28343990
TI  - Impact of Freeze/Thaw Process on Drug Substance Storage of Therapeutics.
AB  - The storage of drug substance at subzero temperatures mitigates potential risks
      associated with liquid storage, such as degradation and shipping stress, making
      it the best solution for long-term storage. However, slower (generally
      uncontrolled) rates of freezing and thawing of drug substance in conventional
      large storage containers (>2L) can lead to greater cryoconcentration (exclusion
      of solute molecules) resulting in zones of higher protein and excipient
      concentrations and changes to the desired formulation pH and excipient
      concentration. These conditions can negatively impact product quality, thus
      changing the target product profile. Freeze/thaw studies can provide valuable
      knowledge on the molecule even when performed from an early formulation image.
      This study attempts to provide guidance and strategy for planning of drug
      substance freeze and thaw studies in early development using a scale-down model,
      evaluating the impact of the (1) freeze/thaw rate, (2) mode of freezing, (3) drug
      substance container, (4) drug substance concentration, and (5) formulation on the
      drug substance product quality. Data presented in this study showed no impact on
      drug substance product quality after undergoing the typical one freeze/thaw cycle
      process for the variables evaluated. These findings suggest that a qualified
      scale-down model is not required for early phases of process development and that
      existing small-scale models can be used for drug substance storage development
      studies. Based on our experience, a workflow is suggested with minimal
      experimental design to reduce the material requirement by >70% at early stages of
      product development to reduce constraints.

PMID- 28343991
TI  - Transdermal Iontophoretic Delivery of Lysine-Proline-Valine (KPV) Peptide Across
      Microporated Human Skin.
AB  - Lysine-proline-valine (KPV) is a C-terminal peptide fragment of alpha-melanocyte
      stimulating hormone with potent anti-inflammatory properties. Present study
      investigates various transdermal enhancement strategies such as iontophoresis
      (ITP), microneedles (MN), and their combination (ITP + MN) on KPV delivery across
      dermatomed human skin. KPV attains a positive charge at pH less than 7.0, thus
      anodal ITP was used. The influence of current strength, KPV concentration, and
      duration of current application on the KPV delivery was investigated. At defined
      ITP parameters, the influence of MN on KPV delivery (ITP + MN) across skin was
      also determined. KPV permeation was less than detectable levels (limit of
      detection, 0.01 MUg/mL) by simple passive diffusion. However, KPV permeation was
      increased to 4.4 MUg/cm2/h by MN treatment. Furthermore, ITP and ITP + MN
      increased the permeation rate by 8 and 35 fold, respectively, as compared to MN
      alone. The skin retention levels of KPV by MN, ITP, and ITP + MN were increased
      by 5, 10, and 10 fold, respectively, as compared to passive diffusion. Confocal
      studies indicate that fluorescein isothiocyanate-labeled KPV migrated through the
      stratum corneum, along the microchannels and into the lower epidermal tissue
      because the fluorescence was observed beyond the depth of 100 MUm.

PMID- 28343992
TI  - Letter to the editor: A late response from a female scientist to Hoy, 'gender
      imbalance at brain stimulation conferences: We have a problem and it is
      Everyone's problem'.

PMID- 28343993
TI  - Discovering key residues of dengue virus NS2b-NS3-protease: New binding sites for
      antiviral inhibitors design.
AB  - The NS2B-NS3 protease is essential for the Dengue Virus (DENV) replication
      process. This complex constitutes a target for efficient antiviral discovery
      because a drug could inhibit the viral polyprotein processing. Furthermore, since
      the protease is highly conserved between the four Dengue virus serotypes, it is
      probable that a drug would be equally effective against all of them. In this
      article, a strategy is reported that allowed us to identify influential residues
      on the function of the Dengue NS2b-NS3 Protease. Moreover, this is a strategy
      that could be applied to virtually any protein for the search of alternative
      influential residues, and for non-competitive inhibitor development. First, we
      incorporated several features derived from computational alanine scanning
      mutagenesis, sequence, structure conservation, and other structure-based
      characteristics. Second, these features were used as variables to obtain a
      multilayer perceptron model to identify defined groups (clusters) of key residues
      as possible candidate pockets for binding sites of new leads on the DENV
      protease. The identified residues included: i) amino acids close to the beta
      sheet-loop-beta sheet known to be important in its closed conformation for NS2b
      ii) residues close to the active site, iii) several residues evenly spread on the
      NS2b-NS3 contact surface, and iv) some inner residues most likely related to the
      overall stability of the protease. In addition, we found concordance on our list
      of residues with previously identified amino acids part of a highly conserved
      peptide studied for vaccine development.

PMID- 28343994
TI  - Revelation of the dynamic progression of hypoxia-reoxygenation injury by
      visualization of the lysosomal hydrogen peroxide.
AB  - Hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) plays an important role in pathological conditions, such
      as cerebral ischemia-reperfusion (I-R) injury. Fluorescent probes may serve as
      valuable tools to detect the amount, temporal and spatial distribution of H2O2 in
      living cells. To investigate the role of lysosomal H2O2 involved in cerebral I-R
      injury, we designed and synthesized a lysosome-targetable two-photon fluorescent
      probe ztl-4, through expansion and substitution of the original pyridazinone
      scaffold, conjugation of electronic-donating aromatic ring and precise terminal
      modification of the alkyl linker. The probe ztl-4 exhibited fast, sensitive and
      highly selective response toward H2O2. ztl-4 could image exogenous H2O2 in SH
      SY5Y cells and brain slices. In addition, ztl-4 was located in lysosomes with
      high colocalization coefficient compared with LysoTracker. ztl-4 was further
      applied for detecting the endogenous generation of H2O2 in SH-SY5Y cells
      subjected to oxygen and glucose deprivation (OGD) or OGD/reoxygenation (OGD/R)
      injury. Both OGD- and OGD/R-induced cell injury caused a time-dependent increase
      of H2O2 production within lysosomes. Moreover, OGD/R-treated cells showed much
      more amount of H2O2 than OGD-treated cells, indicating that reoxygenation will
      promote H2O2 accumulation in lysosomes of post-hypoxia cells. Therefore, the
      probe is suitable for monitoring the dynamic changes of lysosomal H2O2 in cells.

PMID- 28343995
TI  - Urolithin A alleviates myocardial ischemia/reperfusion injury via PI3K/Akt
      pathway.
AB  - Ischemia/reperfusion (I/R) induces additional damage to the restoration of blood
      flow to ischemic myocardium. This study examined the effects of urolithin A (UA)
      on myocardial injury of ischemia/reperfusion in vivo and vitro and explored its
      underlying mechanisms. Mice were subjected to myocardial ischemia followed by
      reperfusion. Cells were subjected to hypoxia followed by reoxygenation. UA
      alleviated hypoxia/reoxygenation (H/R) injury in myocardial cells, reduced
      myocardial infarct size and cell death in mice after ischemia/reperfusion.
      Meanwhile, UA enhanced antioxidant capacity in cardiomyocytes following
      hypoxia/reoxygenation. UA reduced myocardial apoptosis following
      ischemia/reperfusion. The protection of UA was abolished by LY294002, a PI3K/Akt
      inhibitor. These results demonstrated that UA alleviates myocardial
      ischemia/reperfusion injury probably through PI3K/Akt pathway.

PMID- 28343997
TI  - DNA double-strand breaks and Aurora B mislocalization induced by exposure of
      early mitotic cells to H2O2 appear to increase chromatin bridges and resultant
      cytokinesis failure.
AB  - Aneuploidy, an abnormal number of chromosomes that is a hallmark of cancer cells,
      can arise from tetraploid/binucleated cells through a failure of cytokinesis.
      Reactive oxygen species (ROS) have been implicated in various diseases, including
      cancer. However, the nature and role of ROS in cytokinesis progression and
      related mechanisms has not been clearly elucidated. Here, using time-lapse
      analysis of asynchronously growing cells and immunocytochemical analyses of
      synchronized cells, we found that hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) treatment at early
      mitosis (primarily prometaphase) significantly induced cytokinesis failure.
      Cytokinesis failure and the resultant formation of binucleated cells containing
      nucleoplasmic bridges (NPBs) seemed to be caused by increases in DNA double
      strand breaks (DSBs) and subsequent unresolved chromatin bridges. We further
      found that H2O2 induced mislocalization of Aurora B during mitosis. All of these
      effects were attenuated by pretreatment with N-acetyl-L-cysteine (NAC) or
      overexpression of Catalase. Surprisingly, the PARP inhibitor PJ34 also reduced
      H2O2-induced Aurora B mislocalization and binucleated cell formation. Results of
      parallel experiments with etoposide, a topoisomerase IIalpha inhibitor that
      triggers DNA DSBs, suggested that both DNA DSBs and Aurora B mislocalization
      contribute to chromatin bridge formation. Aurora B mislocalization also appeared
      to weaken the "abscission checkpoint". Finally, we showed that KRAS-induced
      binucleated cell formation appeared to be also H2O2-dependent. In conclusion, we
      propose that a ROS, mainly H2O2 increases binucleation through unresolved
      chromatin bridges caused by DNA damage and mislocalization of Aurora B, the
      latter of which appears to augment the effect of DNA damage on chromatin bridge
      formation.

PMID- 28343996
TI  - Optimization of overexpression of a chaperone protein of steroid C25
      dehydrogenase for biochemical and biophysical characterization.
AB  - Molybdenum is an essential nutrient for metabolism in plant, bacteria, and
      animals. Molybdoenzymes are involved in nitrogen assimilation and oxidoreductive
      detoxification, and bioconversion reactions of environmental, industrial, and
      pharmaceutical interest. Molybdoenzymes contain a molybdenum cofactor (Moco),
      which is a pyranopterin heterocyclic compound that binds a molybdenum atom via a
      dithiolene group. Because Moco is a large and complex compound deeply buried
      within the protein, molybdoenzymes are accompanied by private chaperone proteins
      responsible for the cofactor's insertion into the enzyme and the enzyme's
      maturation. An efficient recombinant expression and purification of both Moco
      free and Moco-containing molybdoenzymes and their chaperones is of paramount
      importance for fundamental and applied research related to molybdoenzymes. In
      this work, we focused on a D1 protein annotated as a chaperone of steroid C25
      dehydrogenase (S25DH) from Sterolibacterium denitrificans Chol-1S. The D1 protein
      is presumably involved in the maturation of S25DH engaged in oxygen-independent
      oxidation of sterols. As this chaperone is thought to be a crucial element that
      ensures the insertion of Moco into the enzyme and consequently, proper folding of
      S25DH optimization of the chaperon's expression is the first step toward the
      development of recombinant expression and purification methods for S25DH. We have
      identified common E. coli strains and conditions for both expression and
      purification that allow us to selectively produce Moco-containing and Moco-free
      chaperones. We have also characterized the Moco-containing chaperone by EXAFS and
      HPLC analysis and identified conditions that stabilize both forms of the protein.
      The protocols presented here are efficient and result in protein quantities
      sufficient for biochemical studies.

PMID- 28343998
TI  - Carnosic acid (CA) attenuates collagen-induced arthritis in db/db mice via
      inflammation suppression by regulating ROS-dependent p38 pathway.
AB  - Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a multifactorial autoimmune disease, characterized
      by inflammation of synovial joints. Carnosic acid (CA) is a phenolic diterpene
      isolated from Rosmarinus officinailis, playing a central role in cytoprotective
      responses to oxidative stress and inflammation response. Our study aimed to
      investigate the effects of CA on RA progression in diabetic animals. Carnosic
      acid (CA) was used to treat collagen-induced arthritis (CIA)-induced db/db mice.
      Blood glucose, oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT) and insulin tolerance test
      (ITT) were investigated to explore insulin resistance. CA significantly down
      regulated fasting blood glucose, glucose level in OGTT and ITT, ameliorated CIA
      induced bone loss, and reduced pro-inflammatory cytokines and reactive oxygen
      species (ROS) in db/db mice with arthritis induced by CIA. In vitro, CA
      suppressed Receptor Activator for Nuclear Factor-kappa B Ligand (RANKL)- and
      Macrophage colony-stimulating factor (M-CSF)-induced osteoclastogenesis. The
      osteoclastic specific markers were inhibited by CA. Signal transduction studies
      showed that CA significantly decreased the expression of molecules contributing
      to ROS and increased anti-oxidants. Additionally, CA inactivated the RANKL- and M
      CSF-induced p38 mitogen activated protein kinases (MAPK), inhibited NF-kappaB
      phosphorylation, causing pro-inflammatory cytokines down-regulation. Together, CA
      ameliorated osteoclast formation and CIA-induced bone loss in db/db mice through
      inflammation suppression by regulating ROS-dependent p38 pathway.

PMID- 28343999
TI  - A Genome-wide Analysis of Human Pluripotent Stem Cell-Derived Endothelial Cells
      in 2D or 3D Culture.
AB  - A defined protocol for efficiently deriving endothelial cells from human
      pluripotent stem cells was established and vascular morphogenesis was used as a
      model system to understand how synthetic hydrogels influence global biological
      function compared with common 2D and 3D culture platforms. RNA sequencing
      demonstrated that gene expression profiles were similar for endothelial cells and
      pericytes cocultured in polyethylene glycol (PEG) hydrogels or Matrigel, while
      monoculture comparisons identified distinct vascular signatures for each cell
      type. Endothelial cells cultured on tissue-culture polystyrene adopted a
      proliferative phenotype compared with cells cultured on or encapsulated in PEG
      hydrogels. The proliferative phenotype correlated to increased FAK-ERK activity,
      and knockdown or inhibition of ERK signaling reduced proliferation and expression
      for cell-cycle genes while increasing expression for "3D-like" vasculature
      development genes. Our results provide insight into the influence of 2D and 3D
      culture formats on global biological processes that regulate cell function.

PMID- 28344000
TI  - Long-Term Adult Feline Liver Organoid Cultures for Disease Modeling of Hepatic
      Steatosis.
AB  - Hepatic steatosis is a highly prevalent liver disease, yet research is hampered
      by the lack of tractable cellular and animal models. Steatosis also occurs in
      cats, where it can cause severe hepatic failure. Previous studies demonstrate the
      potential of liver organoids for modeling genetic diseases. To examine the
      possibility of using organoids to model steatosis, we established a long-term
      feline liver organoid culture with adult liver stem cell characteristics and
      differentiation potential toward hepatocyte-like cells. Next, organoids from
      mouse, human, dog, and cat liver were provided with fatty acids. Lipid
      accumulation was observed in all organoids and interestingly, feline liver
      organoids accumulated more lipid droplets than human organoids. Finally, we
      demonstrate effects of interference with beta-oxidation on lipid accumulation in
      feline liver organoids. In conclusion, feline liver organoids can be successfully
      cultured and display a predisposition for lipid accumulation, making them an
      interesting model in hepatic steatosis research.

PMID- 28344001
TI  - Inducible and Deterministic Forward Programming of Human Pluripotent Stem Cells
      into Neurons, Skeletal Myocytes, and Oligodendrocytes.
AB  - The isolation or in vitro derivation of many human cell types remains challenging
      and inefficient. Direct conversion of human pluripotent stem cells (hPSCs) by
      forced expression of transcription factors provides a potential alternative.
      However, deficient inducible gene expression in hPSCs has compromised
      efficiencies of forward programming approaches. We have systematically optimized
      inducible gene expression in hPSCs using a dual genomic safe harbor gene
      targeting strategy. This approach provides a powerful platform for the generation
      of human cell types by forward programming. We report robust and deterministic
      reprogramming of hPSCs into neurons and functional skeletal myocytes. Finally, we
      present a forward programming strategy for rapid and highly efficient generation
      of human oligodendrocytes.

PMID- 28344002
TI  - Establishment of a Human Blood-Brain Barrier Co-culture Model Mimicking the
      Neurovascular Unit Using Induced Pluri- and Multipotent Stem Cells.
AB  - In vitro models of the human blood-brain barrier (BBB) are highly desirable for
      drug development. This study aims to analyze a set of ten different BBB culture
      models based on primary cells, human induced pluripotent stem cells (hiPSCs), and
      multipotent fetal neural stem cells (fNSCs). We systematically investigated the
      impact of astrocytes, pericytes, and NSCs on hiPSC-derived BBB endothelial cell
      function and gene expression. The quadruple culture models, based on these four
      cell types, achieved BBB characteristics including transendothelial electrical
      resistance (TEER) up to 2,500 Omega cm2 and distinct upregulation of typical BBB
      genes. A complex in vivo-like tight junction (TJ) network was detected by freeze
      fracture and transmission electron microscopy. Treatment with claudin-specific TJ
      modulators caused TEER decrease, confirming the relevant role of claudin subtypes
      for paracellular tightness. Drug permeability tests with reference substances
      were performed and confirmed the suitability of the models for drug transport
      studies.

PMID- 28344003
TI  - Abnormal Neural Progenitor Cells Differentiated from Induced Pluripotent Stem
      Cells Partially Mimicked Development of TSC2 Neurological Abnormalities.
AB  - Tuberous sclerosis complex (TSC) is a disease featuring devastating and
      therapeutically challenging neurological abnormalities. However, there is a lack
      of specific neural progenitor cell models for TSC. Here, the pathology of TSC was
      studied using primitive neural stem cells (pNSCs) from a patient presenting a
      c.1444-2A>C mutation in TSC2. We found that TSC2 pNSCs had higher proliferative
      activity and increased PAX6 expression compared with those of control pNSCs.
      Neurons differentiated from TSC2 pNSCs showed enlargement of the soma, perturbed
      neurite outgrowth, and abnormal connections among cells. TSC2 astrocytes had
      increased saturation density and higher proliferative activity. Moreover, the
      activity of the mTOR pathway was enhanced in pNSCs and induced in neurons and
      astrocytes. Thus, our results suggested that TSC2 heterozygosity caused
      neurological malformations in pNSCs, indicating that its heterozygosity might be
      sufficient for the development of neurological abnormalities in patients.

PMID- 28344004
TI  - Identification of Three Early Phases of Cell-Fate Determination during Osteogenic
      and Adipogenic Differentiation by Transcription Factor Dynamics.
AB  - Age-related skeletal degeneration in patients with osteoporosis is characterized
      by decreased bone mass and occurs concomitant with an increase in bone marrow
      adipocytes. Using microarray expression profiling with high temporal resolution,
      we identified gene regulatory events in early stages of osteogenic and adipogenic
      lineage commitment of human mesenchymal stromal cells (hMSCs). Data analysis
      revealed three distinct phases when cells adopt a committed expression phenotype:
      initiation of differentiation (0-3 hr, phase I), lineage acquisition (6-24 hr,
      phase II), and early lineage progression (48-96 hr, phase III). Upstream
      regulator analysis identified 34 transcription factors (TFs) in phase I with a
      role in hMSC differentiation. Interestingly, expression levels of identified TFs
      did not always change and indicate additional post-transcriptional regulatory
      mechanisms. Functional analysis revealed that forced expression of IRF2 enhances
      osteogenic differentiation. Thus, IRF2 and other early-responder TFs may control
      osteogenic cell fate of MSCs and should be considered in mechanistic models that
      clarify bone-anabolic changes during clinical progression of osteoporosis.

PMID- 28344006
TI  - Drug-resistant tuberculosis in 2017: at a crossroads.

PMID- 28344005
TI  - miR-342-5p Regulates Neural Stem Cell Proliferation and Differentiation
      Downstream to Notch Signaling in Mice.
AB  - Notch signaling is critically involved in neural development, but the downstream
      effectors remain incompletely understood. In this study, we cultured neurospheres
      from Nestin-Cre-mediated conditional Rbp-j knockout (Rbp-j cKO) and control
      embryos and compared their miRNA expression profiles using microarray. Among
      differentially expressed miRNAs, miR-342-5p showed upregulated expression as
      Notch signaling was genetically or pharmaceutically interrupted. Consistently,
      the promoter of the miR-342-5p host gene, the Ena-vasodilator stimulated
      phosphoprotein-like (Evl), was negatively regulated by Notch signaling, probably
      through HES5. Transfection of miR-342-5p promoted the differentiation of neural
      stem cells (NSCs) into intermediate neural progenitors (INPs) in vitro and
      reduced the stemness of NSCs in vivo. Furthermore, miR-342-5p inhibited the
      differentiation of neural stem/intermediate progenitor cells into astrocytes,
      likely mediated by targeting GFAP directly. Our results indicated that miR-342-5p
      could function as a downstream effector of Notch signaling to regulate the
      differentiation of NSCs into INPs and astrocytes commitment.

PMID- 28344007
TI  - The war on tuberculosis must continue.

PMID- 28344008
TI  - The time has come: sparing injectables in paediatric MDR-TB.

PMID- 28344009
TI  - The uphill battle to find new TB treatments.

PMID- 28344010
TI  - Will we ever eliminate tuberculosis, the voiceless disease?

PMID- 28344012
TI  - Signaling pathways involved in metal-based nanomaterial toxicity towards aquatic
      organisms.
AB  - Environmental risk assessment of engineered nanomaterials (ENMs) is an emergent
      field since nanotechnology industry is rapidly growing due to the interesting
      physicochemical properties of nanomaterials. Metal-based nanomaterials are among
      the most rapidly commercialized materials and their toxicity towards aquatic
      animals has been investigated at different levels of the biological organization.
      The objective of this synthesis review is to give an overview of the signaling
      molecules that have a key role in metal-based NM mediated cytotoxicity in both
      marine and freshwater organisms. Since toxicity of metal-based NMs could be
      (partly) due to metal dissolution, this review only highlights studies that
      showed a specific nano-effect. From this bibliographic study, three mechanisms
      (detoxification, immunomodulation and genotoxicity) have been selected as they
      represent the major cell defense mechanisms and the most studied ones following
      ENM exposure. This better understanding of NM-mediated cytotoxicity may provide a
      sound basis for designing environmentally safer nanomaterials.

PMID- 28344013
TI  - A self-adherent, bullet-shaped microneedle patch for controlled transdermal
      delivery of insulin.
AB  - Proteins are important biologic therapeutics used for the treatment of various
      diseases. However, owing to low bioavailability and poor skin permeability,
      transdermal delivery of protein therapeutics poses a significant challenge. Here,
      we present a new approach for transdermal protein delivery using bullet-shaped
      double-layered microneedle (MN) arrays with water-swellable tips. This design
      enabled the MNs to mechanically interlock with soft tissues by selective distal
      swelling after skin insertion. Additionally, prolonged release of loaded proteins
      by passive diffusion through the swollen tips was obtained. The bullet-shaped MNs
      provided an optimal geometry for mechanical interlocking, thereby achieving
      significant adhesion strength (~1.6Ncm-2) with rat skin. By harnessing the MN's
      reversible swelling/deswelling property, insulin, a model protein drug, was
      loaded in the swellable tips using a mild drop/dry procedure. The insulin-loaded
      MN patch released 60% of insulin when immersed in saline over the course of 12h
      and approximately 70% of the released insulin appeared to have preserved
      structural integrity. An in vivo pilot study showed a prolonged release of
      insulin from swellable MN patches, leading to a gradual decrease in blood glucose
      levels. This self-adherent transdermal MN platform can be applied to a variety of
      protein drugs requiring sustained release kinetics.

PMID- 28344011
TI  - The epidemiology, pathogenesis, transmission, diagnosis, and management of
      multidrug-resistant, extensively drug-resistant, and incurable tuberculosis.
AB  - Global tuberculosis incidence has declined marginally over the past decade, and
      tuberculosis remains out of control in several parts of the world including
      Africa and Asia. Although tuberculosis control has been effective in some regions
      of the world, these gains are threatened by the increasing burden of multidrug
      resistant (MDR) and extensively drug-resistant (XDR) tuberculosis. XDR
      tuberculosis has evolved in several tuberculosis-endemic countries to drug
      incurable or programmatically incurable tuberculosis (totally drug-resistant
      tuberculosis). This poses several challenges similar to those encountered in the
      pre-chemotherapy era, including the inability to cure tuberculosis, high
      mortality, and the need for alternative methods to prevent disease transmission.
      This phenomenon mirrors the worldwide increase in antimicrobial resistance and
      the emergence of other MDR pathogens, such as malaria, HIV, and Gram-negative
      bacteria. MDR and XDR tuberculosis are associated with high morbidity and
      substantial mortality, are a threat to health-care workers, prohibitively
      expensive to treat, and are therefore a serious public health problem. In this
      Commission, we examine several aspects of drug-resistant tuberculosis. The
      traditional view that acquired resistance to antituberculous drugs is driven by
      poor compliance and programmatic failure is now being questioned, and several
      lines of evidence suggest that alternative mechanisms-including pharmacokinetic
      variability, induction of efflux pumps that transport the drug out of cells, and
      suboptimal drug penetration into tuberculosis lesions-are likely crucial to the
      pathogenesis of drug-resistant tuberculosis. These factors have implications for
      the design of new interventions, drug delivery and dosing mechanisms, and public
      health policy. We discuss epidemiology and transmission dynamics, including new
      insights into the fundamental biology of transmission, and we review the utility
      of newer diagnostic tools, including molecular tests and next-generation whole
      genome sequencing, and their potential for clinical effectiveness. Relevant
      research priorities are highlighted, including optimal medical and surgical
      management, the role of newer and repurposed drugs (including bedaquiline,
      delamanid, and linezolid), pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic considerations,
      preventive strategies (such as prophylaxis in MDR and XDR contacts), palliative
      and patient-orientated care aspects, and medicolegal and ethical issues.

PMID- 28344014
TI  - Fabrication of coated polymer microneedles for transdermal drug delivery.
AB  - As an alternative to hypodermic needles, coated polymer microneedles (MNs) are
      able to deliver drugs to subcutaneous tissues after being inserted into the skin.
      The dip-coating process is a versatile, rapid fabricating method that can form
      coated MNs in a short time. However, it is still a challenge to fabricate coated
      MNs with homogeneous and precise drug doses in the dip-coating process. In this
      study, to fabricate coated polymer microneedles with controlled drug loading, an
      adjustable apparatus that can be lifted and lowered was designed to immerse a
      polylactic acid (PLA) MN patch in the coating solutions. Using the coating
      solution containing 0.5% (w/w) sulforhodamine B, the drug loadings were up to
      12ng, 14ng, and 18ng per needle for the MNs with heights of 550MUm, 650MUm, and
      750MUm, respectively. Moreover, for the MNs with a 650-MUm height, when
      increasing the viscosity of the coating solutions from 150mPa.s to 1360mPa.s,
      2850mPa.s, and 8200mPa.s, the drug loading increased from 2.5ng to 5ng, 14ng, and
      22ng per needle, respectively. Meanwhile, the drug delivery efficiencies of these
      MNs were approximately 90%. In the insertion experiments, the MNs could
      successfully penetrate the skin and deliver the coated drug with approximately
      90% efficiency when the MN tips were exposed to the outer environment. In vivo
      studies in mice indicated that the coated polymer MNs continuously delivered
      drugs, and the skin recovered without any injuries. These results demonstrated
      that the coated polymer MN was a safe and effective method for transdermal drug
      delivery.

PMID- 28344015
TI  - Transdermal delivery of atorvastatin calcium from novel nanovesicular systems
      using polyethylene glycol fatty acid esters: Ameliorated effect without liver
      toxicity in poloxamer 407-induced hyperlipidemic rats.
AB  - CONTEXT: Atorvastatin calcium (ATV), a cholesterol-lowering agent, suffers from
      poor systemic availability (14%) after oral administration in addition to other
      side effects on the gastrointestinal tract, liver and muscle. OBJECTIVE: The goal
      of the present investigation was to improve ATV bioavailability and overcome
      complications attendant with peroral administration by developing a new
      nanovesicular system encapsulating ATV for its delivery via the transdermal
      route. METHODS: The vesicular systems were prepared by incorporating different
      polyethylene glycol fatty acid esters such as Labrasol, Cremophor EL, Gelucire
      44/14 and Tween 80 as edge activators (EAs) in the lipid bilayer. The effect of
      the phosphatidylcholine (PC):EA molar ratio on the physicochemical properties of
      the vesicles was investigated. The pharmacokinetic studies of the optimized
      formulation were evaluated in rats. The optimized formulation was tested in
      poloxamer 407-induced hyperlipidemic rats. The plasma lipid profile, activity of
      liver enzymes, and oxidative stress parameters were measured using commercially
      available kits. RESULTS: The results revealed high ATV entrapment efficiency
      (EE%) ranging from 55.62 to 83.91%. The formulations that contained Labrasol
      showed the highest EE%. The mean diameter of the vesicles was in the range of 186
      583nm. T8 containing Gelucire 44/14 as an EA in the molar ratio of 15:1 (PC:EA)
      gave the smallest size and exhibited the best permeation parameters across the
      skin. The pharmacokinetic studies revealed that about three times statistically
      significant (p<0.05) improvement in bioavailability, after transdermal
      administration of nanotransfersomal ATV gel compared to oral ATV suspension. The
      transdermal vesicular system exhibited a significant decrease in plasma total
      cholesterol, triglycerides and LDL cholesterol comparable to oral ATV.
      Additionally, it lowered the malondialdehyde levels in plasma and abolished the
      increase in liver enzyme activity. CONCLUSION: The results obtained suggest that
      the proposed transdermal vesicular system can serve as a promising alternative
      means for delivery of ATV.

PMID- 28344016
TI  - GRP78 enabled micelle-based glioma targeted drug delivery.
AB  - GRP78, a specific cancer cell-surface marker, is implicated in cancer cells
      proliferation, apoptosis resistance, metastasis and drug resistance. l-VAP
      (SNTRVAP) is a tumor homing peptide exhibiting high binding affinity in vitro to
      GRP78 protein overexpressed on glioma, glioma stem cells, vasculogenic mimicry
      and neovasculature. Even though short peptides are often non-immunogenic and
      demonstrate high affinity to tumor cells, their targeting efficacy is always
      undermined by rapid blood clearance and enzymatic degradation. In the present
      study, two d peptides RI-VAP (retro inverso isomer of l-VAP) and d-VAP (retro
      isomer of l-VAP) were developed by structure-guided peptide design and retro
      inverso isomerization technique for glioma targeting. RI-VAP and d-VAP were
      predicted to bind their receptor GRP78 protein with similar binding affinity,
      which was experimentally confirmed. The results of in vivo imaging demonstrated
      that RI-VAP and d-VAP had remarkably advantage over l-VAP for tumor accumulation.
      In addition, RI-VAP and d-VAP modified paclitaxel-loaded polymeric micelle had
      better anti-tumor efficacy in comparison to taxol, paclitaxel-loaded plain
      micelles and l-VAP modified micelles. Overall, the VAP modified micelles
      suggested in the present study could effectively achieve glioma-targeted drug
      delivery, validating the potential of the stable VAP peptides in improving the
      therapeutic efficacy of paclitaxel for glioma.

PMID- 28344018
TI  - Enhanced topical penetration, system exposure and anti-psoriasis activity of two
      particle-sized, curcumin-loaded PLGA nanoparticles in hydrogel.
AB  - Psoriasis is an immune-mediated skin disorder, which is triggered by the aberrant
      activation of dendritic cells in skin. This activation is followed by the complex
      interaction between the immune cells in the skin and keratinocyte in the
      epidermis. To improve the conditions of poor aqueous solubility and chemical
      stability, overcome skin barriers, and enhance in vivo anti-psoriatic activity,
      curcumin (Cur) loaded poly (lactic-co-glycolic acid) (PLGA) nanoparticles (NPs)
      were fabricated and administered by topical route to treat imiquimod (IMQ)
      induced psoriasis-like mouse model. Spherical Cur-NPs with the mean particle
      sizes of 50nm and 150nm, respectively, were fabricated using a multi-inlet vortex
      mixer system, with both exhibiting significantly stronger anti-proliferation
      effect than Cur solution on HaCaT cells in vitro. Psoriatic skin was utilized in
      the in vitro skin penetration studies, and the results demonstrated that more
      drugs penetrated through or accumulated in the skin when administered as the Cur
      NPs-loaded hydrogel compared to the drug suspension loaded hydrogel. To compare
      the nanosizing effect of these Cur-NPs, the mice with IMQ-induced psoriasis-like
      skin disease were treated with blank gel, Cur gel, 50nm sized NPs gel, 150nm
      sized NPs gel or tracrolimus cream (positive control), respectively. The results
      indicated that Cur-NPs hydrogel has a superior performance to Cur hydrogel on the
      IMQ-induced psoriasis-like mouse model in terms of morphological evaluation,
      biomarkers at mRNA, and protein levels. In conclusion, encapsulation of Cur into
      PLGA NPs, particularly for NPs of 50nm, could facilitate lipophilic Cur's
      dispersion, sustained-release, accumulation, and penetration across the skin and
      into the blood circulation, which significantly improves anti-psoriasis activity
      in mice.

PMID- 28344017
TI  - Intranasal delivery of N-terminal modified leptin-pluronic conjugate for
      treatment of obesity.
AB  - Leptin is an adipocyte-secreted hormone that is delivered via a specific
      transport system across the blood-brain barrier (BBB) to the brain where it acts
      on the hypothalamus receptors to control appetite and thermogenesis. Peripheral
      resistance to leptin due to its impaired brain delivery prevents therapeutic use
      of leptin in overweight and moderately obese patients. To address this problem,
      we modified the N-terminal amine of leptin with Pluronic P85 (LepNP85) and
      administered this conjugate intranasally using the nose-to-brain (INB) route to
      bypass the BBB. We compared this conjugate with the native leptin, the N-terminal
      leptin conjugate with poly(ethylene glycol) (LepNPEG5K), and two conjugates of
      leptin with Pluronic P85 attached randomly to the lysine amino groups of the
      hormone. Compared to the random conjugates of leptin with P85, LepNP85 has shown
      higher affinity upon binding with the leptin receptor, and similarly to native
      hormone activated hypothalamus receptors after direct injection into brain. After
      INB delivery, LepNP85 conjugate was transported to the brain and accumulated in
      the hypothalamus and hippocampus to a greater extent than the native leptin and
      LepNPEG5K and activated leptin receptors in hypothalamus at lower dose than
      native leptin. Our work suggests that LepNP85 can access the brain directly after
      INB delivery and confirms our hypothesis that the improvement in brain
      accumulation of this conjugate is due to its enhanced brain absorption. In
      conclusion, the LepNP85 with optimized conjugation chemistry is a promising
      candidate for treatment of obesity.

PMID- 28344019
TI  - Open versus minimally invasive surgical approaches in pediatric urology: Trends
      in utilization and complications.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: Minimally invasive surgery (MIS) techniques are anecdotally reported
      to be increasingly used, but little objective data supports this. Our objective
      was to assess trends in MIS utilization across various procedures in pediatric
      urology and to compare postoperative complication rates between MIS and open
      procedures. METHODS: We analyzed the 1998-2012 Nationwide Inpatient Sample. We
      identified children (<18 years old) undergoing open and MIS inpatient procedures
      and any in-hospital post-operative complications that occurred during that
      postoperative hospitalization. We utilized propensity score matching and
      multivariable logistic regression to adjust for confounding factors. RESULTS: We
      identified 163,838 weighted encounters in the "overall cohort," 70,273 of which
      were at centers performing more than five MIS procedures over the years studied.
      Use of MIS techniques increased significantly over time for several procedures,
      most prominently for nephrectomy (Fig.). The overall rate of complications was
      lower in patients undergoing MIS compared with open surgery (6% vs. 11%, p <
      0.001). Specialized centers had a significantly lower overall rate of
      complications than unspecialized centers (9% vs. 12%, p < 0.001). Within
      specialized centers, MIS had lower complication rates than open procedures (7%
      vs. 9%, p < 0.001); this finding was consistent even after adjusting for other
      factors (OR 0.71, p = 0.02). DISCUSSION: Limitations include that these data may
      not be generalizable to encounters not in the sample pool. As a large,
      retrospective, administrative database, NIS may be affected by miscoding bias -
      rendering our analysis sensitive to the accuracy of procedure coding in NIS.
      Although the accuracy level of NIS is high for an administrative database, it is
      possible at least some portion of our cohort may be incorrectly coded. Further,
      the NSQIP complications we identified may represent associated comorbidities and
      not true postoperative complications, as NIS does not provide temporal
      relationships between different diagnosis codes. Despite these limitations, we
      note that the NIS database is rigorously monitored and audited for coding
      accuracy and, therefore, represents a reasonably reliable panorama of the
      characteristics of an inpatient surgical cohort. However, it is important to note
      that the choice of operative modality is, undoubtedly, multifactorial and
      patient/setting-specific. CONCLUSIONS: There is increasing use of MIS for
      pediatric urology procedures, although utilization rates vary among procedures.
      MIS was associated with a lower postoperative complication rate than for open
      procedures. Higher-volume MIS centers have a lower complication rate than lower
      volume centers.

PMID- 28344020
TI  - The incidence of isolated penile torsion in North India: A study of 5,018 male
      neonates.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: Congenital penile torsion is a three-dimensional deformity with
      helical rotation of the distal corporal bodies with the penile crurae remaining
      fixed to the pubic rami. The first case of congenital penile torsion
      (hypospadias) was described in 1857. Isolated penile torsion is an under-reported
      anomaly. The reported incidence of isolated penile torsion is 1.7-27% and severe
      torsion is 0.7%. There are no studies available from Indian subcontinent on the
      incidence of isolated penile torque. The objective of this study was to determine
      the overall incidence of isolated penile torque in a north Indian population.
      MATERIALS AND METHODS: A prospective study of deliveries of male children was
      conducted at our institute between April 2014 and June 2015. Penile torsion was
      measured using a small protractor either by the deviation of the median raphae or
      the direction of the meatus. Data were collected on the incidence of congenital
      isolated penile torsion, including the degree and direction (left or right) of
      torsion. Torsion was classified as mild (<450), moderate (450-900), and severe
      (>900). Statistical analysis was done using the chi-square test with variables of
      age and parity of the mother and weight of the child. RESULTS: There were 99
      cases of isolated penile torque among 5018 male neonates assessed for penile
      torque. The incidence of isolated penile torque was 19.7 per 1000 births. The
      degree of torsion varied from 30 to 110 degrees  (average 51.46 degrees ).
      Seventy-nine percent (79%) of them had left side and 21% had right side torque
      (4:1). The degree of torsion was mild in 30%, with 20% having left side torque
      and 10% having right side torque (2:1). A moderate degree of torsion was seen in
      69%: 84% of them had left torque and only 16% had right sided torque (5:1). Only
      one patient had severe left torque. The incidence of isolated congenital penile
      torsion was highest in the maternal age group of >30 years followed by the 26-30
      year age group, and was lowest in 21-25 year age group. In multiparous women, the
      incidence of isolated congenital penile torsion was highest (2.54%), and it was
      lowest in primiparous women (1.36%). CONCLUSION: The incidence of isolated penile
      torsion was 1.97% and the left-to-right ratio was 3:1, but for moderate torque it
      was 5:1. There was a strong association between incidence of penile torque with
      the age of the mother (p = 0.012) and parity (p = 0.008) but not with the weight
      of the baby (p = 0.415).

PMID- 28344021
TI  - Pharmaceutical cocrystals, salts and multicomponent systems; intermolecular
      interactions and property based design.
AB  - As small molecule drugs become harder to develop and less cost effective for
      patient use, efficient strategies for their property improvement become
      increasingly important to global health initiatives. Improvements in the physical
      properties of Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients (APIs), without changes in the
      covalent chemistry, have long been possible through the application of binary
      component solids. This was first achieved through the use of pharmaceutical
      salts, within the last 10-15years with cocrystals and more recently coamorphous
      systems have also been consciously applied to this problem. In order to
      rationally discover the best multicomponent phase for drug development,
      intermolecular interactions need to be considered at all stages of the process.
      This review highlights the current thinking in this area and the state of the art
      in: pharmaceutical multicomponent phase design, the intermolecular interactions
      in these phases, the implications of these interactions on the material
      properties and the pharmacokinetics in a patient.

PMID- 28344022
TI  - American Gastroenterological Association Institute Clinical Practice Update
      Expert Review: Care of Patients Who Have Achieved a Sustained Virologic Response
      After Antiviral Therapy for Chronic Hepatitis C Infection.
AB  - Chronic hepatitis C virus infection is well-recognized as a common blood-borne
      infection with global public health impact affecting 3 to 5 million persons in
      the United States and more than 170 million persons worldwide. Chronic hepatitis
      C virus infection is associated with significant morbidity and mortality due to
      complications of liver cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma. Current therapies
      with all-oral direct-acting antiviral agents are associated with high rates of
      sustained virologic response (SVR), generally exceeding 90%. SVR is associated
      with a reduced risk of liver cirrhosis, hepatic decompensation, need for liver
      transplantation, and both liver-related and all-cause mortality. However, a
      subset of patients who achieve SVR will remain at long-term risk for progression
      to cirrhosis, liver failure, hepatocellular carcinoma, and liver-related
      mortality. Limited evidence is available to guide clinicians on which post-SVR
      patients should be monitored vs discharged, how to monitor and with which tests,
      how frequently should monitoring occur, and for how long. In this clinical
      practice update, available evidence and expert opinion are used to generate best
      practice recommendations on the care of patients with chronic hepatitis C virus
      who have achieved SVR.

PMID- 28344023
TI  - Cardiac vagal control in a knock-in mouse model of dilated cardiomyopathy with a
      troponin mutation.
AB  - The aim of this study was to evaluate cardiac vagal nerve activity and identify
      the abnormality of cardiac vagal control in heart failure caused by dilated
      cardiomyopathy (DCM) using a knock-in mouse model with a DeltaK210 mutation in
      the cardiac troponin T gene. The effects of electrical stimulation of the
      cervical vagal nerve at 5 and 10Hz (peripheral vagal control) and alpha2
      adrennoceptor stimulation by intravenous medetomidine at 0.1mg/kg (central vagal
      control) were examined in wild-type (WT) mice and DCM mice. Microdialysis
      technique was applied to the left ventricular myocardium of anesthetized mice and
      myocardial interstitial acetylcholine (ACh) levels were measured by HPLC as an
      index of ACh release from cardiac vagal nerve endings. Electrical vagal nerve
      stimulation increased cardiac interval and myocardial interstitial ACh level in
      both WT and DCM mice, and these responses did not differ between WT and DCM mice.
      In contrast, intravenous medetomidine increased cardiac interval and myocardial
      interstitial ACh level in both WT and DCM mice, but the responses of cardiac
      interval and myocardial interstitial ACh level were significantly suppressed in
      DCM mice compared to WT mice. Medetomidine did not affect the myocardial
      interstitial ACh response induced by vagal nerve stimulation in WT mice. In this
      mouse model of DCM, peripheral vagal control including ACh release from vagal
      nerve endings and the postsynaptic response of pacemaker cells was preserved, but
      central vagal control through alpha2-adrenoceptors was impaired.

PMID- 28344024
TI  - Putative model based on iTRAQ proteomics for Spirulina morphogenesis mechanisms.
AB  - The morphology of Spirulina during cultivation is susceptible to external
      interferences, but the morphogenesis mechanism is still unclear. Here the
      proteomic changes of linear Spirulina and spiral Spirulina were comparatively
      investigated via isobaric tag for relative and absolute quantitation (iTRAQ).
      Totally 165 and 167 differences in proteins expression were screened out from the
      TJSD2/TJSD3 and TJBC4-1/TJBC4-2 groups, respectively. Gene ontology and metabolic
      pathway analysis of differences in proteins expression uncovered the metabolic
      pathways (photosynthesis, carbon fixation, sugar metabolism) that were
      significantly enriched with the proteins correlated with Spirulina morphogenesis.
      The results of differences in proteins expression in metabolic pathway were
      verified by quantitative real-time PCR. We also built a putative model of
      Spirulina morphogenesis mechanism and thought multiple metabolic pathways
      interact and take part in Spirulina morphogenesis.

PMID- 28344025
TI  - Any action? Reflections on the Australian Midwifery Action Project.
AB  - BACKGROUND: In 1997 a group of midwifery academics, researchers and practitioners
      met to discuss issues of concern related to the midwifery profession in
      Australia. It became clear from this discussion that midwifery in Australia was
      lagging behind similarly developed countries and that urgent action was required.
      From this meeting, a plan was developed to seek funding for a major national
      study into midwifery education and practice standards and as such, the Australian
      Midwifery Action Project (AMAP) was born. DISCUSSION: This discussion paper
      presents an overview of a number of midwifery education and regulation changes
      within the framework of the recommendations from the Australian Midwifery Action
      Project. A key question arising from this discussion is whether our current
      midwifery education and regulation standards provide a fit-for-purpose workforce
      that ensures all women and their families receive best practice midwifery care.
      Over the past 20 years the Midwifery profession in Australia has undergone
      significant changes and developments and these changes have had, and continue to
      have, significant impact on midwifery education and therefore on the quality of
      midwifery practice in Australia. CONCLUSION: Many changes have been implemented
      in the nearly 20 years since AMAP was first conceived. However, many of the
      issues that provided the impetus for a project such as AMAP remain and are still
      to be resolved. The midwifery profession continues to be subsumed with nursing,
      it is not possible to gain accurate midwifery workforce data and, despite the
      development of national standards for midwifery education, wide variations in
      courses still exist across Australia.

PMID- 28344026
TI  - The impact of various scaffold components on vascularized bone constructs.
AB  - Bone tissue engineering is gaining more interest in the field of craniofacial
      surgery where continuous efforts are being made to improve the outcomes via
      modulation of the scaffold components. In an in vitro three dimensional (3D)
      culture, the effect of bone morphogenic protein 2 (BMP2, 60 MUg/ml) and the
      effect of different cell seeding densities (0.25, 0.5, and 1 * 104) of rat
      mesenchymal stem cells seeded on nanocrystalline hydroxyapatite in silica gel
      matrix (Nanobone(r)) on the cell viability and differentiation were studied.
      Alkaline phosphatase and viability assays were performed at day 7, day 14, and
      day 21 to assess the differentiation and the relative fraction of viable cells in
      the 3D cell cultures. In a subsequent in vivo study, we examined the effect of
      axial vascularization, the scaffold's particle size and the nature of the matrix
      (collagen type I vs. diluted fibrin) on vascularization and tissue generation in
      vascularized bone construct in rats. Regarding vascularization, we compared
      constructs vascularized randomly by extrinsic vascularization from the periphery
      of the implanted construct with others vascularized axially via an implanted
      arteriovenous loop (AVL). Regarding the particle size, we compared constructs
      having a scaffold particle size of 0.2 mm (powder) with other constructs having a
      particle size of 2 * 0.6 mm (granules). Regarding the matrix we compared
      constructs having a collagen matrix with others having a fibrin matrix. Various
      groups were compared regarding the amount of tissue generation, vascularization,
      and cellular proliferation. The initial seeding density had a temporary and
      minimal effect on the overall osteogenic differentiation of the cells. On the
      contrary, adding BMP2 in a concentration of 60 MUg/ml over one week led to an
      overall enhanced osteogenic differentiation despite depressed cell viability.
      Axial vascularization was mandatory for efficient tissue formation and
      vascularization of the bone construct. Collagen matrix and a smaller particle
      size provided more favorable results in terms of vascularization and tissue
      formation than diluted fibrin and larger Nanobone particles.

PMID- 28344027
TI  - Differences in interpalpebral fissure measurement in patients with unilateral
      enophthalmos resulting from orbital wall fractures.
AB  - PURPOSE: To determine the correlation between the degree of enophthalmos and
      interpalpebral fissure (IPF) measurements in a group of patients with unilateral
      orbital wall fractures. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The medical charts of 45 patients
      diagnosed with unilateral enophthalmos resulting from an orbital wall fracture
      were reviewed. Demographic characteristics were investigated, including patient
      age, sex, medical history, and type of orbital wall fracture. The correlation
      between the degree of enophthalmos and IPF was determined, adjusting for
      confounding demographic factors. RESULTS: In the group with orbital wall
      fractures, the correlation between the degree of enophthalmos and the IPF
      measurements was positive and significant (R = 0.299, p = 0.046, Pearson's
      correlation). The correlation coefficient increased after adjusting for age, sex,
      medical history, and type of orbital wall fracture (R = 0.316, p = 0.044).
      CONCLUSION: The patient group with more severe enophthalmos tended to have lower
      IPF values.

PMID- 28344028
TI  - Fracture patterns after bilateral sagittal split osteotomy of the mandibular
      ramus according to the Obwegeser/Dal Pont and Hunsuck/Epker modifications.
AB  - The aim of this study was to compare the fracture patterns after sagittal split
      osteotomy according to Obwegeser/Dal Pont (ODP) and Hunsuck/Epker (HE), as well
      as to investigate the relationship between lateral bone cut ending or angle and
      the incidence of unfavorable/bad splits. Postoperative cone-beam computed
      tomograms of 124 splits according to ODP and 60 according to HE were analyzed.
      ODP led to 75.8% and HE led to 60% lingual fractures with mandibular foramen
      contact. Horizontal fractures were found in 9.7% and 6.7%, respectively, and
      unfavorable/bad splits were found in 11.3% and 10%, respectively. The lateral
      osteotomy angle was 106.22 degrees  (SD 12.03) degrees  for bad splits and 106.6
      degrees  (SD 13.12) degrees  for favorable splits. Correlations were found
      between favorable fracture patterns and split modifications and between buccal
      ending of the lateral bone cut and bad splits (p < 0.001). No relationship was
      observed between split modifications (p = 0.792) or the osteotomy angle (p =
      0.937) and the incidence of unfavorable/bad splits. Split modifications had no
      influence on the incidence of unfavorable/bad splits, but the buccal ending of
      the lateral bone cut did have an influence. More lingual fractures with
      mandibular foramen contact are expected with the ODP modification. The osteotomy
      angle did not differ between favorable and bad splits.

PMID- 28344029
TI  - Herbal remedies for urinary stones used in India and China: A review.
AB  - ETHANOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE: The process of formation or appearance of a
      urinary stone anywhere in the renal tract is known as urolithiasis. It is a
      longstanding health problem, known to exist since early age of civilization.
      Records about symptoms, signs and treatment strategies of urinary stones diseases
      are found in the several ancient texts of traditional medicines such as Ayurveda,
      Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), Siddha and Unani. In Ayurveda, urolithiasis
      has been considered as one of the eight most troublesome diseases. Ayurvedic
      management and cure of urinary stone involves herbal formulas, alkaline liquids
      and surgical procedures. Whereas, TCM recommends polyherbal drugs, acupuncture
      and mexibustion for treatment of the urinary stones. Among these therapies,
      herbal remedies are in practice till today for the treatment and cure urinary
      stone diseases. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A comprehensive review of the scientific
      literature about pathophysiology of urinary stones and antiurolithiatic plants
      was undertaken using the following bibliographic databases: MEDLINE/PubMed,
      Scopus, Web of Knowledge and Google Scholar. The search was conducted from
      publications from all years until Dec., 2015 by combination of the search terms
      and Boolean operators; 'urinary stone' OR 'kidney stone' AND 'plant' OR
      'medicine' OR 'antiurolithiatic plants'. Outputs were restricted to those
      completed studies only published in English. In this review, literatures about
      plants which are used as diuretic and/or in treatment urinary tract infections
      have not also been considered. The Plant List and Royal Botanical Garden, Kew
      databases were used to authenticate botanical names of plants. Books and
      monographs published in English were used to collect information about historical
      records of antiurolithiatic plants. RESULTS: Recent pharmacological interventions
      accredited ancient antiurolithiatic claims to several plants and their
      formulations. The majority of antiurolithiatic plants were found to either
      dissolve the stones or inhibit the process of urinary stone formation. Plants
      such as Phyllanthus niruri L. and Elymus repens (L.) Gould, as well as herbal
      products including 'Wu-Ling-San' formula, 'Cystone' and 'Herbmed' have been
      proved their utility as promising antiurolithiatic medicines in the different
      phases of clinical trials. In addition, some of the isolated phytochemicals such
      as berberine, lupeol, khelin, visnagin, 7-hydroxy-2',4',5'-trimethoxyisoflavone
      and 7-hydroxy-4'-methoxyisoflavone were reported to have potent antiurolithiatic
      activity. CONCLUSION: In ancient medicinal texts, antiurolithiatic potential has
      been ascribed to several plants and their formulations. Present scientific
      studies provide scientific evidences for few of these claims however, they are
      insufficient to establish many of these plants and herbal formulations as
      therapeutic remedies for the treatment and management of urinary stones.
      Conversely, findings of pre-clinical and clinical studies about some plants and
      herbal formulations are promising, which underlines the utility of herbal
      remedies as alternative medicines for the treatment and management of urinary
      stones in the future.

PMID- 28344030
TI  - Antibacterial activity of medicinal plants from The Physicians of Myddvai, a 14th
      century Welsh medical manuscript.
AB  - ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE: Antimicrobial drug resistance is a growing threat
      to global public health. Historical records and herbal texts relating to
      traditional Celtic medicine indicate an extensive pharmacopeia of plants for
      treating infections likely caused by microbes. However, a major barrier for
      successful integration of these remedies into mainstream practice is the current
      lack of accurate interpretation and scientific validation. MATERIALS AND METHODS:
      We investigated the flora of the Isle of Arran, Scotland, via in situ targeted
      screening of 83 out of 138 plants identified in Meddygion Myddvai (a 14th century
      Welsh manuscript) to treat conditions related to microbial infections, and an
      additional 18 plants from modern ethnobotanical knowledge on the island (Scottish
      School of Herbal Medicine). In a follow-up proof-of-concept study, bioassay
      guided fractionation was performed to identify bioactive constituents from two
      high scoring hits that inhibited Staphylococcus aureus (Gram-positive) and
      Escherichia coli (Gram-negative) bacterial growth. RESULTS: 67 historical plants
      (80.7%) and 14 modern plants (77.8%) were found to have detectable levels of
      antimicrobial activity when tested using Mobile Discovery kits, with human saliva
      as a source of bacteria for screening. Sabinene, a natural bicyclic monoterpene
      from juniper "berries" (Juniperus communis L.) and alliin, a natural sulfoxide
      from garlic cloves (Allium sativum L.), were isolated and confirmed as primary
      antibacterial leads. CONCLUSION: Using historical medical sources such as those
      associated with traditional Celtic medicine to guide rigorous, evidence-based
      scientific investigation, provides additional leads for new and alternative
      bioactive molecules for combating bacterial diseases.

PMID- 28344031
TI  - Culture-Bound Syndromes of a Brazilian Amazon Riverine population: Tentative
      correspondence between traditional and conventional medicine terms and possible
      ethnopharmacological implications.
AB  - ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE: It is not always possible to correlate the "emic"
      terms to the "etic" ones during ethnopharmacological surveys, especially
      regarding those related to Culture-Bound Syndromes (CBS). Nevertheless, it is the
      role of ethnopharmacology to address these correlations, since they are the basis
      for the understanding of potential bioactives. AIM AND OBJECTIVES: This study
      reports the clinical manifestations and therapeutic resources used for the
      treatment of CBS among some riverine inhabitants of Brazilian Amazonia. An effort
      was made to establish a correspondence between the local "emic" terms of
      traditional medicine and the symptoms or diseases known by conventional medicine
      ("etic" terms). The ultimate goal was to gain insights to suggest further
      pharmacological studies with the local resources. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Fieldwork
      was guided by methods of anthropology, botany and zoology-with the assistance of
      a doctor-among the traditional healing experts in Jau National Park (during 199
      days in 1995) and Unini River Extractive Reserve (210 days from 2008 to 2012).
      RESULTS: Fifty-nine healers of different kinds were interviewed: a prayer-maker,
      medium, natural resource expert, massage therapist, midwife and snakebite healer.
      The clinical manifestations and healing resources of the following CBS were
      collected: "mau olhado" (evil eye), "quebrante" (chipping); "espante" (fright or
      susto); "doenca do ar" (air diseases); "vento caido" (fallen wind); "derrame"
      (leakage); "mae do corpo" (mother of the body) and "panema" (unlucky). The first
      three seem to be local variations of other CBSs already described in Latin
      America. "doenca do ar", "vento caido", "derrame" and "mae do corpo" seem to be
      folk terms for known conventional medical disorders, while "panema" is a yet
      undescribed Brazilian CBS that is possibly related to dysthymic disorder or
      depression and deserves further investigation. Treatments included prayer
      rituals, fumigation, baths and oral remedies using 25 plants and 10 animals.
      CONCLUSION: It was possible to establish hypothetical correlations between CBS as
      described by the riverine population studied and some "etic" terms. The main
      importance of this is to help the proposition of target-oriented pharmacological
      studies of the natural resources used by these communities. Accordingly, the
      following plants are suggested to be submitted to further studies for
      antidepressant and anxiolytic activities: Siparuna guianensis, Mansoa alliacea,
      Leucas martinicensis, Petiveria alliacea, Annona montana and Alpinia nutans; for
      anti-seizure activity: Protium amazonicum, Protium aracouchini and Protium
      heptaphyllum; finally for antispasmodic activity: Leucas martinicensis.

PMID- 28344032
TI  - Editorial Comment.

PMID- 28344033
TI  - Editorial Comment.

PMID- 28344034
TI  - Editorial Comment.

PMID- 28344035
TI  - Larvae of Ixodiphagus wasps (Hymenoptera: Encyrtidae) in Rhipicephalus sanguineus
      sensu lato ticks (Acari: Ixodidae) from Brazil.
AB  - The biological control of ticks represents an alternative method to the chemical
      control, given its ecological-friendly approach. Amongst the alternatives, the
      use of parasitoids of the genus Ixodiphagus (Hymenoptera: Encyrtidae) has been
      largely investigated. The aim of this study was to document and molecularly
      characterize Ixodiphagus wasps in ticks from a tropical region of Brazil. From
      October 2015 to March 2016, Rhipicephalus sanguineus sensu lato ticks (n=1814)
      were collected from naturally infested dogs and Ixodiphagus larvae were detected
      by microscopic examination. In addition, adult wasps were obtained in the
      laboratory. Larvae and adults were molecularly identified as Ixodiphagus hookeri.
      These findings suggest that this type of parasitism deserves to be studied in
      local tick populations, in order to elucidate the role of these wasps as a
      potential alternative to chemical tick control.

PMID- 28344036
TI  - Focus: The interface between data collection and data processing in cryo-EM.
AB  - We present a new software package called Focus that interfaces cryo-transmission
      electron microscopy (cryo-EM) data collection with computer image processing.
      Focus creates a user-friendly environment to import and manage data recorded by
      direct electron detectors and perform elemental image processing tasks in a high
      throughput manner while new data is being acquired at the microscope. It provides
      the functionality required to remotely monitor the progress of data collection
      and data processing, which is essential now that automation in cryo-EM allows a
      steady flow of images of single particles, two-dimensional crystals, or electron
      tomography data to be recorded in overnight sessions. The rapid detection of any
      errors that may occur greatly increases the productivity of recording sessions at
      the electron microscope.

PMID- 28344037
TI  - Methods for decoding Cas9 protospacer adjacent motif (PAM) sequences: A brief
      overview.
AB  - Recently the Cas9, an RNA guided DNA endonuclease, emerged as a powerful tool for
      targeted genome manipulations. Cas9 protein can be reprogrammed to cleave, bind
      or nick any DNA target by simply changing crRNA sequence, however a short
      nucleotide sequence, termed PAM, is required to initiate crRNA hybridization to
      the DNA target. PAM sequence is recognized by Cas9 protein and must be determined
      experimentally for each Cas9 variant. Exploration of Cas9 orthologs could offer a
      diversity of PAM sequences and novel biochemical properties that may be
      beneficial for genome editing applications. Here we briefly review and compare
      Cas9 PAM identification assays that can be adopted for other PAM-dependent CRISPR
      Cas systems.

PMID- 28344038
TI  - Structural insights into the substrate recognition and reaction specificity of
      the PLP-dependent fold-type I isoleucine 2-epimerase from Lactobacillus buchneri.
AB  - The isoleucine 2-epimerase from Lactobacillus buchneri has been previously
      identified and characterized to catalyze the pyridoxal 5'-phosphate (PLP)
      dependent racemization and epimerization of a broad spectrum of nonpolar amino
      acids from L- to D-form and vice versa, in particular isoleucine. In this study,
      crystal structures of both native and PLP-complex forms of this racemase are
      presented at 2.6 and 2.15 A resolution, respectively. Both structures show that
      the protein belongs to the fold-type I subgroup of PLP-dependent enzymes and is
      very close to aminobutyrate aminotransferases family, as it has been suspected
      because of their sequence homology. The extensive structural comparison with fold
      type I enzymes with known amino acid racemization activities, including the alpha
      amino-epsilon-caprolactam racemase from Achromobacter obae and the cystathionine
      beta-lyase from Escherichia coli, allows us to identify the active site residues
      responsible for its nonpolar amino acid recognition and reactivity specificity.
      Our observations also suggest that the racemization reaction by the fold-type I
      racemases may generally occur thanks to a revised two-base mechanism. Lastly,
      both structures reveal details on the conformational changes provoked by PLP
      binding that suggest an induced fit of the active site "entrance door", necessary
      to accommodate PLP and substrate molecules.

PMID- 28344041
TI  - STAT5 signaling in kisspeptin cells regulates the timing of puberty.
AB  - Previous studies have shown that kisspeptin neurons are important mediators of
      prolactin's effects on reproduction. However, the cellular mechanisms recruited
      by prolactin to affect kisspeptin neurons remain unknown. Using whole-cell patch
      clamp recordings of brain slices from kisspeptin reporter mice, we observed that
      20% of kisspeptin neurons in the anteroventral periventricular nucleus was
      indirectly depolarized by prolactin via an unknown population of prolactin
      responsive neurons. This effect required the phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase
      signaling pathway. No effects on the activity of arcuate kisspeptin neurons were
      observed, despite a high percentage (70%) of arcuate neurons expressing prolactin
      induced STAT5 phosphorylation. To determine whether STAT5 expression in
      kisspeptin cells regulates reproduction, mice carrying Stat5a/b inactivation
      specifically in kisspeptin cells were generated. These mutants exhibited an early
      onset of estrous cyclicity, indicating that STAT5 transcription factors exert an
      inhibitory effect on the timing of puberty.

PMID- 28344043
TI  - Renewed awareness of motor symptoms in psychiatric assessment.

PMID- 28344040
TI  - m6A Demethylase ALKBH5 Maintains Tumorigenicity of Glioblastoma Stem-like Cells
      by Sustaining FOXM1 Expression and Cell Proliferation Program.
AB  - The dynamic and reversible N6-methyladenosine (m6A) RNA modification installed
      and erased by N6-methyltransferases and demethylases regulates gene expression
      and cell fate. We show that the m6A demethylase ALKBH5 is highly expressed in
      glioblastoma stem-like cells (GSCs). Silencing ALKBH5 suppresses the
      proliferation of patient-derived GSCs. Integrated transcriptome and m6A-seq
      analyses revealed altered expression of certain ALKBH5 target genes, including
      the transcription factor FOXM1. ALKBH5 demethylates FOXM1 nascent transcripts,
      leading to enhanced FOXM1 expression. Furthermore, a long non-coding RNA
      antisense to FOXM1 (FOXM1-AS) promotes the interaction of ALKBH5 with FOXM1
      nascent transcripts. Depleting ALKBH5 and FOXM1-AS disrupted GSC tumorigenesis
      through the FOXM1 axis. Our work uncovers a critical function for ALKBH5 and
      provides insight into critical roles of m6A methylation in glioblastoma.

PMID- 28344044
TI  - Impairments of motor function among children with a familial risk of
      schizophrenia or bipolar disorder at 7 years old in Denmark: an observational
      cohort study.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Owing to the genetic overlap between schizophrenia and bipolar
      disorder, we aimed to assess domain-specific motor aberrations and disorder
      specificity among 7-year-old children with a familial risk of schizophrenia or
      bipolar disorder by comparing children in familial risk groups with each other
      and with children not in these risk groups. METHODS: In the Danish High Risk and
      Resilience Study, we established a cohort of 7-year-old children with no, one, or
      two parents with schizophrenia or bipolar disorder in Denmark between Jan 1,
      2013, and Jan 31, 2016. We matched children of parents diagnosed with
      schizophrenia to children of parents without schizophrenia on the basis of their
      home address, age, and sex. Even though we did not match children of parents with
      bipolar disorder directly to controls because of resource constraints, we only
      recruited children into the three groups who did not differ in terms of age, sex,
      and urbanicity. We investigated motor function in children using the Movement
      Assessment Battery for Children-Second Edition. Motor function raters were masked
      to participants' clinical risk status during assessments. We assessed the effects
      of familial risk group in a mixed-model analysis with repeated measures with an
      unstructured variance component matrix. FINDINGS: We studied 514 children (198
      [39%] children of parents with schizophrenia, 119 [23%] of parents with bipolar
      disorder, and 197 [38%] of parents without schizophrenia or bipolar disorder).
      Children of parents with schizophrenia showed impaired motor performance compared
      with those of parents without in the subdomains of manual dexterity (mean
      difference -1.42 [95% CI -2.08 to -0.77]; p<0.0001) and balance (-1.38 [-2.03 to 
      0.72]; p<0.0001), but not of aiming and catching (-0.39 [-0.97 to 0.19]; p=0.18).
      Children of parents with bipolar disorder did not show any significant difference
      in motor performance to children of parents without in the subdomains of manual
      dexterity (-0.69 [-1.44 to 0.07]; p=0.08), balance (-0.68 [-1.44 to 0.08];
      p=0.08), and aiming and catching (-0.36 [-1.03 to 0.31]; p=0.29). Comparison of
      familial risk groups of mental disorders revealed no significant differences in
      the subdomains of manual dexterity (-0.74 [-1.49 to 0.02]; p=0.06), balance (
      0.70 [-1.46 to 0.06]; p=0.07), or aiming and catching (-0.03 [-0.70 to 0.63];
      p=0.92). INTERPRETATION: Motor abnormalities in children with a familial risk of
      schizophrenia are specific at 7 years of age with respect to fine motor function
      and balance, but non-specific with respect to familial risk of bipolar disorder.
      Clinicians should be aware of motor symptoms and refer children with definite
      motor problems (below the fifth percentile) to a child physiotherapist. FUNDING:
      Mental Health Services of the Capital Region of Denmark, Aarhus University, and
      the Lundbeck Foundation Initiative for Integrative Psychiatric Research.

PMID- 28344042
TI  - Exercise differentially affects metabolic functions and white adipose tissue in
      female letrozole- and dihydrotestosterone-induced mouse models of polycystic
      ovary syndrome.
AB  - Here we hypothesized that exercise in dihydrotestosterone (DHT) or letrozole
      (LET)-induced polycystic ovary syndrome mouse models improves impaired insulin
      and glucose metabolism, adipose tissue morphology, and expression of genes
      related to adipogenesis, lipid metabolism, Notch pathway and browning in inguinal
      and mesenteric fat. DHT-exposed mice had increased body weight, increased number
      of large mesenteric adipocytes. LET-exposed mice displayed increased body weight
      and fat mass, decreased insulin sensitivity, increased frequency of small
      adipocytes and increased expression of genes related to lipolysis in mesenteric
      fat. In both models, exercise decreased fat mass and inguinal and mesenteric
      adipose tissue expression of Notch pathway genes, and restored altered mesenteric
      adipocytes morphology. In conclusion, exercise restored mesenteric adipocytes
      morphology in DHT- and LET-exposed mice, and insulin sensitivity and mesenteric
      expression of lipolysis-related genes in LET-exposed mice. Benefits could be
      explained by downregulation of Notch, and modulation of browning and lipolysis
      pathways in the adipose tissue.

PMID- 28344039
TI  - Development of Peptidomimetic Inhibitors of the ERG Gene Fusion Product in
      Prostate Cancer.
AB  - Transcription factors play a key role in the development of diverse cancers, and
      therapeutically targeting them has remained a challenge. In prostate cancer, the
      gene encoding the transcription factor ERG is recurrently rearranged and plays a
      critical role in prostate oncogenesis. Here, we identified a series of peptides
      that interact specifically with the DNA binding domain of ERG. ERG inhibitory
      peptides (EIPs) and derived peptidomimetics bound ERG with high affinity and
      specificity, leading to proteolytic degradation of the ERG protein. The EIPs
      attenuated ERG-mediated transcription, chromatin recruitment, protein-protein
      interactions, cell invasion and proliferation, and tumor growth. Thus,
      peptidomimetic targeting of transcription factor fusion products may provide a
      promising therapeutic strategy for prostate cancer as well as other malignancies.

PMID- 28344045
TI  - EZH2-mediated alpha-actin methylation needs lncRNA TUG1, and promotes the cortex
      cytoskeleton formation in VSMCs.
AB  - Recent studies have revealed that long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) participate in
      vascular homeostasis and pathophysiological conditions development. But still
      very few literatures elucidate the regulatory mechanism of non-coding RNAs in
      this biological process. Here we identified lncRNA taurine up-regulated gene 1
      (TUG1) in rat vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs), and got 4612bp nucleotide
      sequence. The expression level of TUG1 RNA was increased in synthetic VSMCs by
      real-time PCR analysis. Meanwhile, the expression of enhancer of zeste homolog 2
      (EZH2) (TUG1 binding protein) increased in cytoplasm of VSMCs under the same
      conditions. Immunofluoresce analysis displayed the colocalization of EZH2 with
      alpha-actin in cytoplasm and F-actin in cell edge ruffles. This leads us to
      hypothesize the existence of cytoplasmic TUG1/EZH2/alpha-actin complex. Using RNA
      pull down assay, we found that TUG1 interacted with both EZH2 and alpha-actin.
      Disruption of TUG1 abolished the interaction of EZH2 with alpha-actin, and
      accelerated depolymerization of F-actin in VSMCs. Based on EZH2 methyltransferase
      activity and the potential methylation sites in alpha-actin structure, we
      revealed that alpha-actin was lysine-methylated. Furthermore, the methylation of
      alpha-actin was inhibited by knockdown of TUG1. In conclusion, these findings
      partly suggested that EZH2-mediated methylation of alpha-actin may be dependent
      on TUG1, and thereby promotes cortex F-actin polymerization in synthetic VSMCs.

PMID- 28344046
TI  - Long-term Outcomes of Induction Carboplatin and Gemcitabine Followed by
      Concurrent Radiotherapy With Low-dose Paclitaxel and Gemcitabine for Stage III
      Non-small-cell Lung Cancer.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Standard treatment for unresectable stage III non-small-cell lung
      cancer (NSCLC) is concurrent chemo-radiation (CRT). A regimen of induction
      carboplatin and gemcitabine followed by CRT was developed at the McGill
      University Health Centre to prevent delays in treatment initiation. We report the
      long-term outcomes with this regimen based on a pooled analysis of both protocol
      patients from a phase II study and nonprotocol patients. METHODS AND MATERIALS:
      Outcomes and toxicity data were retrieved for 142 patients with stage III NSCLC:
      43 patients treated on protocol between January 2003 and November 2004, and 101
      patients treated off-protocol between December 2004 and August 2013. Patients
      received 2 cycles of carboplatin with an area under the curve of 5 intravenously
      (IV) on day 1 and gemcitabine 1000 mg/m2 IV on days 1 and 8 every 3 weeks,
      followed on day 50 by CRT, 60 Gy/30 over 6 weeks, concomitantly with 2 cycles of
      paclitaxel 50 mg/m2 IV and gemcitabine 100 mg/m2 IV on days 1 and 8 every 3
      weeks. RESULTS: The median overall survival was 23.2 months. With a median follow
      up of 23.8 months, the 3-, 4-, and 5-year overall survival was 38%, 30%, and 26%,
      respectively. The median and 5-year progression-free survival rates were 12.5
      months and 25%, respectively. Rates of grade >= 3 hematologic, esophageal, and
      respiratory toxicity were 20%, 10%, and 10%, respectively. Forty-eight patients
      received further lines of chemotherapy. CONCLUSION: The present analysis affirms
      the favorable toxicity profile of this novel induction chemotherapy, without
      apparent compromise in clinical outcomes, when compared with regimens using
      immediate concurrent CRT.

PMID- 28344047
TI  - Sub-additive effects of photodynamic therapy combined with erlotinib for the
      treatment of epidermoid carcinoma: An in vitro study.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Photodynamic therapy (PDT) is an antitumour treatment that employs
      the combination of a photosensitive compound, oxygen and visible light. To
      improve the antitumour activity of PDT, the present study used the strategy of
      combining PDT with erlotinib (ERL), a drug frequently used in the treatment of
      epidermoid carcinoma. METHODS: An MTT cell viability assay was used to evaluate
      the cytotoxicity of PDT combined with ERL on A431 epidermoid carcinoma cells in
      vitro. This study evaluated the cytotoxicity of the following treatments: red
      laser irradiation (660nm) at different power densities (1.25-180J/cm2), the
      photosensitizer methylene blue (MB) at concentrations of 0.39-100MUM, PDT
      (12.5MUM MB and laser power densities from 1.25 to 180J/cm2), and PDT (12.5MUM MB
      and a laser density of 120J/cm2) plus ERL (1MUM). RESULTS: The laser power
      densities that were tested showed no cytotoxicity in A431 cells. MB showed a dose
      dependent cytotoxicity. In PDT, an increase in the dose of light resulted in an
      increase in the cytotoxicity of MB. In addition, there was a sub-additive effect
      between PDT and ERL compared to the effect of each therapy alone. CONCLUSIONS:
      The sub-additive effect between PDT and ERL suggests that their combination may
      be an important strategy in the treatment of epidermoid carcinoma.

PMID- 28344049
TI  - [Serum potassium levels and long-term mortality in the elderly with
      hypertension].
AB  - : There is increasing evidence that small variations within the normal range (3.5
      5mEq/L) of potassium are associated with mortality. OBJECTIVE: To determine
      whether there is an association between serum potassium level (sK) and mortality
      in a cohort of elderly hypertensive patients. PATIENTS AND METHODS: A
      retrospective, observational study was conducted on patients who had sK levels
      available in a period of clinical stability during their recruitment between
      January and April 2006 and followed-up for 10 years. The study obtained a total
      of 62 stable patients, with a mean age of 82.19+/-6 years (range 69-97), with
      74.2% women, 33.9% diabetics, 20.3% with a history of heart failure, Ischaemic
      heart disease was observed in 19.4% and 44.3% received Angiotensin Converting
      Enzyme (ACE) inhibitors. An analysis was performed on the mortality rate during
      the 10 year period. The statistics were performed using the SPSS15.0 package.
      RESULTS: There were 49 deaths. The sK had a normal distribution. Baseline mean sK
      levels and median were 4.45+/-0.5mEq/L (range 3.1-5.5 mEq/L). Baseline sK levels
      were significantly higher in diabetic patients and patients on ACE inhibitors.
      The patients that died had higher sK levels (4.53+/-0.49mEq/L versus 4.14+/
      0.40mEq/L, P=.011). Survival estimated using Kaplan Meier showed that patients
      with sK levels higher than the median and P75 had higher mortality. CONCLUSIONS:
      In our study, sK levels greater than 4.45mEq/L were associated with mortality.
      When selecting antihypertensive treatment in hypertensive elderly patients,, the
      use of ACE inhibitors should be assessed individually, with close monitoring at
      sK levels and try to keep them in the lower limit of the normal range (<4.45
      mEq/L).

PMID- 28344048
TI  - CD24+ tumor-initiating cells from oral squamous cell carcinoma induce initial
      angiogenesis in vivo.
AB  - BACKGROUND: In oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC), a minor subset of cancer stem
      cells has been identified using the surface marker CD24. The CD24+ cell
      population is involved in initiating, maintaining, and expanding tumor growth,
      but has not been reported to be involved in angiogenesis to date. METHODS:
      NOD/SCID mice were equipped with dorsal skinfold chambers and gelatin sponges
      seeded with CD24+, CD24-, and unsorted cancer cells suspended in Matrigel(r) were
      implanted. Following intravital fluorescence microscopy, specimens were examined
      by immunohistology. RESULTS: Sponges seeded with CD24+ cells showed a
      significantly higher functional capillary density than those seeded with CD24-
      cells. The presence of endothelial cells was confirmed by immunohistochemistry
      for CD31. CONCLUSION: For the first time, CD24+ tumorigenic cells with angiogenic
      potential, which were isolated from OSCC, were characterized. Our findings
      provide a promising in vivo model to facilitate the development of therapeutic
      agents against cancer stem cells and their angiogenic pathways.

PMID- 28344050
TI  - Liver Double-Tightened Maneuver: Optimal Outflow Control During Liver Parenchymal
      Transection of the Right and Left Hepatectomies.

PMID- 28344051
TI  - Massive Biliary Dilation after Roux-en-Y Gastric Bypass: Is it Ampullary
      Achalasia?
AB  - BACKGROUND: This series of patients with a history of Roux-en-Y gastric bypass
      (RYGB) and cholecystectomy presented with symptoms consistent with obstructive
      biliary disease and massive biliary dilation of >=15 mm, suggesting a structural
      cause. Findings from laparoscopic-assisted transgastric (TG) ERCP were a normal
      appearing ampulla without structural lesions or stones, suggesting a functional
      cause instead. STUDY DESIGN: Patients who underwent TGERCP from January 2008 to
      October 2016 and had a surgical history of RYGB and cholecystectomy were
      identified from an institutional database. Inclusion criteria was biliary
      dilation >=15 mm, age 18 years or older, and no explanatory obstructive
      pathology. RESULTS: Nine female patients met the inclusion criteria. At time of
      TGERCP, their mean age was 53.9 years, mean BMI was 32.5 kg/m2, mean bile duct
      diameter was 18.1 mm, and all patients experienced abdominal pain. Six patients
      (66.7%) presented with abnormal liver enzymes, 5 (55.6%) with nausea and/or
      vomiting, and 4 (44.4%) with earlier episode(s) of acute pancreatitis. Each
      patient had a normal-appearing papilla of Vater without stones or strictures at
      the time of TGERCP, with 8 (88.9%) patients experiencing cessation of abdominal
      pain after biliary sphincterotomy. CONCLUSIONS: This cohort of patients with a
      history of RYGB and cholecystectomy presented with massively dilated biliary
      trees lacking an obstructive disease process and experienced immediate symptom
      improvement after sphincterotomy. Their surgical history predisposed them to
      vagal nerve injury, leading to denervation of the sphincter of Oddi, and
      resulting in tonic contraction of the ampulla, that is, ampullary achalasia.

PMID- 28344052
TI  - Keeping fat on time: Circadian control of adipose tissue.
AB  - Circadian clocks harmonize processes ranging from intracellular biochemistry to
      whole-body physiology in accordance with the Earth's 24h rotation. These
      intrinsic oscillators are based on an interlocked transcriptional-translational
      feedback loop comprised from a set of core clock factors. In addition to
      maintaining rhythmicity in nearly every cell of the body, these clock factors
      also mediate tissue specific metabolic functions. In this review, we will explore
      how the molecular clock shapes the unique features of different adipose depots.

PMID- 28344054
TI  - The role of cardiac energy metabolism in cardiac hypertrophy and failure.
AB  - In mammalian heart, incessant production of cellular energy is vital for
      maintaining continuous mechanical pumping function providing the body for oxygen
      and nutrients. To ensure this essential function, cardiac muscle adapt to
      increased energy demand or compromised energy supply by reprogramming the network
      of genes whose products are necessary to match the production of energy to
      consumption. Failure in this regulation leads to severe cardiac dysfunction and
      has been associated with cardiac pathogenesis including cardiac hypertrophy,
      failure and diabetes. Metabolic adaptations are induced by network of
      transcriptional pathways that are activated by a variety of factors such as
      hormones, nutrients, second messengers and oxygen. The metabolic phenotype of the
      heart is maintained by pathways controlling transcriptional regulators, which
      include peroxisome proliferator-activated receptors, estrogen-related receptors
      and nuclear respiratory factors, as well as their common coactivator protein
      peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma coactivator 1. These central
      regulators of gene expression are complemented with factors such as hypoxia
      inducible factor 1, which is activated in insufficient oxygenation of the tissue.
      Here, we discuss how these pathways relate to the cardiac metabolism and how they
      interact with pathways controlling the contractile phenotype of the heart.

PMID- 28344053
TI  - Reduced cancer mortality at high altitude: The role of glucose, lipids, iron and
      physical activity.
AB  - Residency at high altitude (HA) demands adaptation to challenging environmental
      conditions with hypobaric hypoxia being the most important one. Epidemiological
      and experimental data suggest that chronic exposure to HA reduces cancer
      mortality and lowers prevalence of metabolic disorders like diabetes and obesity
      implying that adaption to HA modifies a broad spectrum of physiological,
      metabolic and cellular programs with a generally beneficial outcome for humans.
      However, the complexity of multiple, potentially tumor-suppressive pathways at HA
      impedes the understanding of mechanisms leading to reduced cancer mortality. Many
      adaptive processes at HA are tightly interconnected and thus it cannot be ruled
      out that the entirety or at least some of the HA-related alterations act in
      concert to reduce cancer mortality. In this review we discuss tumor formation as
      a concept of competition between healthy and cancer cells with improved fitness -
      and therefore higher competitiveness - of healthy cells at high altitude. We
      discuss HA-related changes in glucose, lipid and iron metabolism that may have an
      impact on tumorigenesis. Additionally, we discuss two parameters with a strong
      impact on tumorigenesis, namely drug metabolism and physical activity, to
      underpin their potential contribution to HA-dependent reduced cancer mortality.
      Future studies are needed to unravel why cancer mortality is reduced at HA and
      how this knowledge might be used to prevent and to treat cancer patients.

PMID- 28344055
TI  - Role of skeletal muscle glucocorticoid receptor in systemic energy homeostasis.
AB  - Glucocorticoids (GCs) affect nearly every organ and tissue in the body,
      regulating diverse physiologic processes including energy homeostasis. The
      metabolic mission of GCs is to supply enough glucose into the circulation to fuel
      the brain and ensure survival of the organism under conditions of acute stress or
      starvation. Recent studies have revealed that GCs, via orchestration between
      multiple organs, physiologically elicit fine tuning of systemic energy
      metabolism.

PMID- 28344056
TI  - Chronic cutaneous mycobacterial ulcers due to Mycobacterium ulcerans (Buruli
      ulcer): the first indigenous case report from Jordan and a literature review.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Buruli ulcer is the third most common mycobacterial infection
      worldwide. It is endemic in tropical, subtropical, and temperate climates. It
      causes devastating disease with morbidity and mortality. The treatment duration
      is long and the regimens considered are limited. Chronic cutaneous ulcers of
      mycobacterial etiology have been reported previously in Amman, but these were not
      associated with Mycobacterium ulcerans infection. METHODS: The case patient's
      initial diagnosis was based on chronological and morphological features, combined
      with appropriate diagnostic tests. The skin features were assessed
      histopathologically. Skin testing was positive for acid-fast bacilli (AFB), and
      M. ulcerans was identified by DNA strip test (GenoType Mycobacterium CM/AS, Hain
      Lifescience), which is based on a PCR technique targeting a 23S rRNA gene region,
      followed by reverse hybridization and a line probe technology. RESULTS: The skin
      mycobacterial infection was evaluated and verified as having a Mycobacterium
      marinum-M. ulcerans pattern in the GenoType CM assay. It was then counted as a
      pattern representing individual species and was resolved with the GenoType AS
      assay as having an M. ulcerans pattern. M. ulcerans DNA was isolated and
      amplified by PCR, and then detected against reverse hybridization probes in the
      strip assay. CONCLUSIONS: An indigenous case of M. ulcerans (Buruli ulcer) is
      reported for the first time from Jordan and the surrounding region.

PMID- 28344057
TI  - Ruxolitinib as Salvage Therapy in Steroid-Refractory Acute Graft-versus-Host
      Disease in Pediatric Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplant Patients.
AB  - We describe our retrospective clinical experience with ruxolitinib for steroid
      refractory acute graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) in pediatric allogeneic
      hematopoietic stem cell transplant (HSCT) patients. Ruxolitinib was administered
      orally at 5 mg twice daily for children >= 25 kg or 2.5 mg twice daily if <25 kg.
      We excluded patients who received new immune suppressive agents within 2 weeks
      before initiation of ruxolitinib from response analysis. Patients were called a
      treatment failure if ruxolitinib was stopped before completion of 4 weeks of
      therapy because of adverse effects and not because of progression of acute GVHD.
      Thirteen patients received ruxolitinib, and 11 patients were assessable for
      response. One patient achieved a complete response, 4 had a partial response, and
      2 had no response at 4 weeks after the first ruxolitinib dose. Four patients were
      treatment failures. Overall response rate was 45%. Adverse effects (n = 13)
      included grades 3 to 4 elevated alanine transaminase (n = 7), grades 3 to 4
      neutropenia (n = 5), and grade 4 thrombocytopenia (n = 3). Infectious
      complications in patients included for response analysis (n = 11) were Epstein
      Barr viremia (n = 2), adenovirus (n = 2), BK (n = 3), bacterial infections (n =
      6), and fungal infections (n = 1). Seven of 13 patients were alive at a median
      follow-up of 401 days (range, 219 to 969) after HSCT. We observed a high rate of
      reversible adverse effects in children with steroid-refractory acute GVHD and a
      fair overall response of ruxolitinib as a salvage therapeutic agent. Further
      pharmacokinetic studies are needed to determine the best-tolerated dose of
      ruxolitinib that will achieve efficacy without significant adverse effects.

PMID- 28344058
TI  - Possible Impact of Cytomegalovirus-Specific CD8+ T Cells on Immune Reconstitution
      and Conversion to Complete Donor Chimerism after Allogeneic Stem Cell
      Transplantation.
AB  - Complete donor chimerism is strongly associated with complete remission after
      allogeneic stem cell transplantation (allo-SCT) in patients with hematologic
      malignancies. Donor-derived allo-immune responses eliminate the residual host
      hematopoiesis and thereby mediate the conversion to complete donor chimerism.
      Recently, cytomegalovirus (CMV) reactivation was described to enhance overall T
      cell reconstitution, to increase graft-versus-host disease incidence, and to
      reduce the leukemia relapse risk. However, the link between CMV and allo-immune
      responses is still unclear. Here, we studied the relationship between CMV
      specific immunity, overall T cell reconstitution, and residual host chimerism in
      106 CMV-seropositive patients transplanted after reduced-intensity conditioning
      including antithymocyte globulin. In accordance with previous reports, the
      recovery of CMV-specific cytotoxic T cells (CMV-CTLs) was more frequent in CMV
      seropositive recipients (R) transplanted from CMV-seropositive than from
      seronegative donors (D). However, once CMV-CTLs were detectable, the
      reconstitution of CMV-specific CTLs was comparable in CMV R+/D- and R+/D+
      patients. CD3+ and CD8+ T cell reconstitution was significantly faster in
      patients with CMV-CTLs than in patients without CMV-CTLs both in the CMV R+/D-
      and R+/D+ setting. Moreover, CMV-CTL numbers correlated with CD3+ and CD8+ T cell
      numbers in both settings. Finally, presence of CMV-CTLs was associated with low
      host chimerism levels 3 months after allo-SCT. In conclusion, our data provide a
      first indication that CMV-CTLs in CMV-seropositive patients might trigger the
      reconstitution of T cells and allo-immune responses reflected by the conversion
      to complete donor chimerism.

PMID- 28344059
TI  - Gastrointestinal Toxicity, Systemic Inflammation, and Liver Biochemistry in
      Allogeneic Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation.
AB  - Liver toxicity is frequently seen in relation to allogeneic hematopoietic stem
      cell transplantation (HSCT), but pathogenesis and the risk factors are poorly
      understood. The purpose of this study was to investigate associations between
      liver toxicity, gastrointestinal toxicity, and levels of immune-regulating
      cytokines during the early post-transplantation period. We prospectively included
      81 children and adults undergoing HSCT after myeloablative conditioning. Alanine
      aminotransferase (ALT), total bilirubin levels, and international normalized
      ratio were measured longitudinally until 3 months after the transplantation and
      related to levels of inflammatory markers (C-reactive protein [CRP], IL-6, and IL
      10) and to plasma citrulline as a marker of intestinal toxicity during the first
      3 weeks after HSCT. The majority of patients experienced ALT levels above the
      normal range (45 U/L) with significant increases at 3 months after HSCT.
      Increased levels of total bilirubin were observed in 26% during the 3-month
      period. Citrulline levels decreased significantly to a nadir at day 7 (B = .23;
      95% confidence interval [CI], .12 to .35; P < .0001), but citrulline levels at
      nadir were not associated with parameters of liver toxicity. However, a faster
      reconstitution of mucosa with higher citrulline levels at day +21 correlated with
      lower bilirubin levels 3 months after HSCT (r = -.26, P = .034) and increased
      overall survival (hazard ratio, .88; 95% CI, .79 to .97; P = .008) . Increased
      levels of CRP and IL-6 at day 7 after HSCT correlated positively with ALT and
      bilirubin, and in the multivariate analysis, IL-6 at day 7 appeared to be the
      only predicting risk factor for increased mean bilirubin during the early post
      transplantation phase (B = .01; 95% CI, .01 to .02; P = .001) as well as maximum
      levels of bilirubin (B = .3; 95% CI, .12 to .48; P= .001) and occurrence of
      sinusoidal obstruction syndrome during the first 3 months after HSCT (odds ratio,
      1.003; 95% CI, 1.001 to 1.005; P = .002). The results of this study indicate
      that liver toxicity after HSCT is associated with an increased inflammatory
      response mounted during the phase of maximal gastrointestinal toxicity in the
      early phase after transplantation.

PMID- 28344060
TI  - Basal CD34+ Cell Count Predicts Peripheral Blood Stem Cell Mobilization in
      Healthy Donors after Administration of Granulocyte Colony-Stimulating Factor: A
      Longitudinal, Prospective, Observational, Single-Center, Cohort Study.
AB  - A longitudinal, prospective, observational, single-center, cohort study on
      healthy donors (HDs) was designed to identify predictors of CD34+ cells on day 5
      with emphasis on the predictive value of the basal CD34+ cell count. As potential
      predictors of mobilization, age, sex, body weight, height, blood volume as well
      as white blood cell count, peripheral blood (PB) mononuclear cells, platelet
      count, hematocrit, and hemoglobin levels were considered. Two different
      evaluations of CD34+ cell counts were determined for each donor: baseline (before
      granulocyte colony-stimulating factor [G-CSF] administration) and in PB after G
      CSF administration on the morning of the fifth day (day 5). A total of 128
      consecutive HDs (66 males) with a median age of 43 years were enrolled. CD34+
      levels on day 5 displayed a non-normal distribution, with a median value of 75.5
      cells/uL. To account for the non-normal distribution of the dependent variable, a
      quantile regression analysis to predict CD34+ on day 5 using the baseline value
      of CD34+ as the key predictor was performed. On crude analysis, a baseline value
      of CD34+ ranging from .5 cells/uL to 1 cells/uL predicts a median value of 50
      cells/uL on day 5; a value of 2 cells/uL predicts a median value of 70.7
      cells/uL; a value of 3 cells/uL to 4 cells/uL predicts a median value of 91.3
      cells/uL, and a value >= 5 predicts a median value of 112 cells/uL. In
      conclusion, the baseline PB CD34+ cell count correlates with the effectiveness of
      allogeneic PB stem cell mobilization and could be useful to plan the collection.

PMID- 28344062
TI  - IL-21 May Promote Granzyme B-Dependent NK/Plasmacytoid Dendritic Cell Functional
      Interaction in Cutaneous Lupus Erythematosus.
AB  - Autoimmune skin lesions are characterized by a complex cytokine milieu and by the
      accumulation of plasmacytoid dendritic cells (pDCs). Granzyme B (GrB) transcript
      is abundant in activated pDCs, though its mechanisms of regulation and biological
      role are largely unknown. Here we report that IL-21 was the only T helper 1/T
      helper 17 cytokine able to induce the expression and secretion of GrB by pDCs and
      that this action was counteracted by the autocrine production of type I IFNs. In
      lupus erythematosus skin lesions, the percentage of GrB+ pDCs directly correlated
      with the IL-21/MxA ratio, indicating that the interplay between these two
      cytokines finely tunes the levels of pDC-dependent GrB also in vivo. In lupus
      erythematosus, pDCs colocalized with professional cytotoxic cells at sites of
      epithelial damage, suggesting a role in keratinocyte killing. Accordingly, we
      demonstrate that supernatants of IL-21-activated pDCs promoted autologous
      keratinocyte killing by natural killer cells and this action was dependent on
      GrB. These results propose a GrB-dependent functional interaction between pDCs
      and natural killer cells and highlight a negative feedback regulation by type I
      IFNs in vitro and in vivo that may function to limit excessive tissue damage.

PMID- 28344061
TI  - Compartmentation of Mitochondrial and Oxidative Metabolism in Growing Hair
      Follicles: A Ring of Fire.
AB  - Little is known about the energetics of growing hair follicles, particularly in
      the mitochondrially abundant bulb. Here, mitochondrial and oxidative metabolism
      was visualized by multiphoton and light sheet microscopy in cultured bovine hair
      follicles and plucked human hairs. Mitochondrial membrane potential (DeltaPsi),
      cell viability, reactive oxygen species (ROS), and secretory granules were
      assessed with parameter-indicating fluorophores. In growing follicles, lower bulb
      epithelial cells had high viability, and mitochondria were polarized. Most
      epithelially generated ROS co-localized with polarized mitochondria. As the
      imaging plane captured more central and distal cells, DeltaPsi disappeared
      abruptly at a transition to a nonfluorescent core continuous with the hair shaft.
      Approaching the transition, DeltaPsi and ROS increased, and secretory granules
      disappeared. ROS and DeltaPsi were strongest in a circumferential paraxial ring
      at putative sites for formation of the outer cortex/cuticle of the hair shaft. By
      contrast, polarized mitochondria in dermal papillar fibroblasts produced minimal
      ROS. Plucked hairs showed a similar abrupt transition of
      degranulation/depolarization near sites of keratin deposition, as well as an ROS
      generating paraxial ring of fire. Hair movement out of the follicle appeared to
      occur independently of follicular bulb bioenergetics by a tractor mechanism
      involving the inner and outer root sheaths.

PMID- 28344064
TI  - White Paper AGA: Optimal Strategies to Define and Diagnose Gastroesophageal
      Reflux Disease.

PMID- 28344063
TI  - Asthma Is Associated With Subsequent Development of Inflammatory Bowel Disease: A
      Population-based Case-Control Study.
AB  - BACKGROUND & AIMS: Asthma and the inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD) each arise
      through complex interactions between genetic and environmental factors, and share
      many environmental risk factors. We examined the association between asthma and
      Crohn's disease or ulcerative colitis. METHODS: We performed a population-based
      case-control study using health administrative data from the province of Alberta,
      Canada. The odds of a diagnosis of asthma preceding the diagnosis of either
      Crohn's disease (N = 3087) or ulcerative colitis (N = 2377) were compared with
      the odds of diagnosis of asthma among persons without IBD (N = 402,800) using
      logistic regression. Effect measure modification by age at diagnosis of IBD (16
      years or less, 17-40 years, or older than 40 years) was tested using a likelihood
      ratio test. RESULTS: A diagnosis of asthma was associated with increased odds of
      incident Crohn's disease (adjusted odds ratio [OR], 1.45; 95% confidence interval
      [CI], 1.31-1.60). No effect measure modification was observed for age at
      diagnosis for Crohn's disease (P = .42). However, we observed effect measure
      modification by age at diagnosis for ulcerative colitis (P = .0103), with an
      adjusted OR of 1.49 (95% CI, 1.08-2.07) among individuals diagnosed at an age of
      16 years or less (OR) and an adjusted OR of 1.57 (95% CI, 1.31-1.89) among
      individuals diagnosed at an age older than 40 years. However, there was no
      association between asthma and ulcerative colitis among individuals diagnosed
      between ages 17 and 40 (adjusted OR, 1.05; 95% CI, 0.86-1.26). CONCLUSIONS: In a
      population-based case-control study, we associated asthma with Crohn's disease,
      and with early and late-onset ulcerative colitis.

PMID- 28344065
TI  - Lifestyle and Clinical Correlates of Hepatocellular Carcinoma in South Texas: A
      Matched Case-control Study.

PMID- 28344066
TI  - Old Farts - Fact or Fiction? Results From a Population-Based Survey of 16,000
      Americans Examining the Association Between Age and Flatus.

PMID- 28344067
TI  - Upregulation of orexin/hypocretin expression in aged rats: Effects on feeding
      latency and neurotransmission in the insular cortex.
AB  - Aging is associated with changes in numerous homeostatic functions, such as food
      intake, that are thought to be mediated by the hypothalamus. Orexin/hypocretin
      neurons of the hypothalamus regulate several physiological functions, including
      feeding, sleep and wakefulness. Evidence from both clinical and animal studies
      supports the notion that aging is associated with loss or dysregulation of the
      orexin system. Here, we used virus-mediated gene transfer to manipulate
      expression of orexin peptides in young and aged rats and examined behavioral and
      neurochemical correlates of food intake in these animals. Aged rats showed slower
      feeding latencies when presented with palatable food compared to young control
      rats, and these deficits were ameliorated by upregulation of orexin expression.
      Similarly, young animals treated with a virus designed to decrease preproorexin
      expression showed longer feeding latencies reminiscent of aged control rats.
      Feeding was also associated with increased acetylcholine, glutamate and GABA
      efflux in insular cortex of young control animals. Orexin upregulation did not
      restore deficits in feeding-elicited release of these neurotransmitters in aged
      rats, but did enhance basal neurotransmitter levels which may have contributed to
      the behavioral correlates of these genetic manipulations. These studies
      demonstrate that age-related deficits in behavioral and neurochemical measures of
      feeding are likely to be mediated, in part, by the orexin system. Because these
      same neurotransmitter systems have been shown to underlie orexin effects on
      cognition, treatments which increase orexin function may have potential for
      improving both physiological and cognitive manifestations of certain age-related
      disorders.

PMID- 28344068
TI  - Interlimb differences in coordination of unsupported reaching movements.
AB  - Previous research suggests that interlimb differences in coordination associated
      with handedness might result from specialized control mechanisms that are
      subserved by different cerebral hemispheres. Based largely on the results of
      horizontal plane reaching studies, we have proposed that the hemisphere
      contralateral to the dominant arm is specialized for predictive control of limb
      dynamics, while the non-dominant hemisphere is specialized for controlling limb
      impedance. The current study explores interlimb differences in control of 3-D
      unsupported reaching movements. While the task was presented in the horizontal
      plane, participant's arms were unsupported and free to move within a range of the
      vertical axis, which was redundant to the task plane. Results indicated
      significant dominant arm advantages for both initial direction accuracy and final
      position accuracy. The dominant arm showed greater excursion along a redundant
      axis that was perpendicular to the task, and parallel to gravitational forces. In
      contrast, the non-dominant arm better impeded motion out of the task-plane.
      Nevertheless, non-dominant arm task errors varied substantially more with
      shoulder rotation excursion than did dominant arm task errors. These findings
      suggest that the dominant arm controller was able to take advantage of the
      redundant degrees of freedom of the task, while non-dominant task errors appeared
      enslaved to motion along the redundant axis. These findings are consistent with a
      dominant controller that is specialized for intersegmental coordination, and a
      non-dominant controller that is specialized for impedance control. However, the
      findings are inconsistent with previously documented conclusions from planar
      tasks, in which non-dominant control leads to greater final position accuracy.

PMID- 28344069
TI  - Selective post-training time window for memory consolidation interference of
      cannabidiol into the prefrontal cortex: Reduced dopaminergic modulation and
      immediate gene expression in limbic circuits.
AB  - The prefrontal cortex (PFC), amygdala and hippocampus display a coordinated
      activity during acquisition of associative fear memories. Evidence indicates that
      PFC engagement in aversive memory formation does not progress linearly as
      previously thought. Instead, it seems to be recruited at specific time windows
      after memory acquisition, which has implications for the treatment of post
      traumatic stress disorders. Cannabidiol (CBD), the major non-psychotomimetic
      phytocannabinoid of the Cannabis sativa plant, is known to modulate contextual
      fear memory acquisition in rodents. However, it is still not clear how CBD
      interferes with PFC-dependent processes during post-training memory
      consolidation. Here, we tested whether intra-PFC infusions of CBD immediately
      after or 5h following contextual fear conditioning was able to interfere with
      memory consolidation. Neurochemical and cellular correlates of the CBD treatment
      were evaluated by the quantification of extracellular levels of dopamine (DA),
      serotonin, and their metabolites in the PFC and by measuring the cellular
      expression of activity-dependent transcription factors in cortical and limbic
      regions. Our results indicate that bilateral intra-PFC CBD infusion impaired
      contextual fear memory consolidation when applied 5h after conditioning, but had
      no effect when applied immediately after it. This effect was associated with a
      reduction in DA turnover in the PFC following retrieval 5days after training. We
      also observed that post-conditioning infusion of CBD reduced c-fos and zif-268
      protein expression in the hippocampus, PFC, and thalamus. Our findings support
      that CBD interferes with contextual fear memory consolidation by reducing PFC
      influence on cortico-limbic circuits.

PMID- 28344070
TI  - Unintentional force changes in cyclical tasks performed by an abundant system:
      Empirical observations and a dynamical model.
AB  - The study explored unintentional force changes elicited by removing visual
      feedback during cyclical, two-finger isometric force production tasks. Subjects
      performed two types of tasks at 1Hz, paced by an auditory metronome. One - Force
      task - required cyclical changes in total force while maintaining the sharing,
      defined as relative contribution of a finger to total force. The other task -
      Share task - required cyclical changes in sharing while keeping total force
      unchanged. Each trial started under full visual feedback on both force and
      sharing; subsequently, feedback on the variable that was instructed to stay
      constant was frozen, and finally feedback on the other variable was also removed.
      In both tasks, turning off visual feedback on total force elicited a drop in the
      mid-point of the force cycle and an increase in the peak-to-peak force amplitude.
      Turning off visual feedback on sharing led to a drift of mean share toward 50:50
      across both tasks. Without visual feedback there was consistent deviation of the
      two force time series from the in-phase pattern (typical of the Force task) and
      from the out-of-phase pattern (typical of the Share task). This finding is in
      contrast to most earlier studies that demonstrated only two stable patterns, in
      phase and out-of-phase. We interpret the results as consequences of drifts of
      parameters in a dynamical system leading in particular to drifts in the referent
      finger coordinates toward their actual coordinates. The relative phase
      desynchronization is caused by the right-left differences in the hypothesized
      drift processes, consistent with the dynamic dominance hypothesis.

PMID- 28344071
TI  - Exposure to diphtheria toxin during the juvenile period impairs both inner and
      outer hair cells in C57BL/6 mice.
AB  - Diphtheria toxin (DT) administration into transgenic mice that express the DT
      receptor (DTR) under control of specific promoters is often used for cell
      ablation studies in vivo. Because DTR is not expressed in mice, DT injection has
      been assumed to be nontoxic to cells in vivo. In this study, we demonstrated that
      DT application during the juvenile stage leads to hearing loss in wild-type mice.
      Auditory brainstem response measurement showed severe hearing loss in C57BL/6
      mice administered DT during the juvenile period, and the hearing loss persisted
      into adulthood. However, ototoxicity did not occur when DT was applied on
      postnatal day 28 or later. Histological studies demonstrated that hearing loss
      was accompanied by significant degeneration of inner and outer hair cells (HCs),
      as well as spiral ganglion neurons. Scanning electron microscopy showed quick
      degeneration of inner HCs within 3days and gradual degeneration of outer HCs
      within 1week. These results demonstrated that DT has ototoxic action on C57BL/6
      mice during the juvenile period, but not thereafter, and the hearing loss was due
      to degeneration of inner and outer HCs by unknown DT-related mechanisms.

PMID- 28344072
TI  - Osteopontin-metallothionein I/II interactions in experimental autoimmune
      encephalomyelitis.
AB  - Osteopontin (OPN), an extracellular matrix (ECM) glyco-phosphoprotein, plays an
      important role in autoimmune-mediated demyelinating diseases, including multiple
      sclerosis and experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE). As an integrin and
      CD44 binding protein it participates in bidirectional communication between the
      ECM and target cells and affects transduction pathways that maintain neuronal and
      immune cell homeostasis. Its biological activity is also heavily influenced by
      microenvironment, which stimulates the cleavage of OPN and changes its functions.
      In this study we estimated the expression profile of OPN in neural tissues of DA
      rats during the first relapse of chronic relapsing EAE and investigated the
      relationship of OPN to metallothionein I+II (MTs), which play pivotal role in
      zinc-related cell homeostasis and in protection of CNS against cytokine-induced
      injury. The data showed that in EAE rats OPN mRNA and protein levels increased
      concurrently with the transcription of MTs and that within the spinal cord (SC)
      lysates EAE-afflicted rats had a higher content of OPN fragments of low molecular
      weight than untreated and CFA-treated rats. The expression of OPN and MTs was
      upregulated on ependymal, lymphoid and astroglial cells and on multiple
      alphavbeta3+ neurons in SC and in the brain (cortex, white matter, hippocampus,
      and cerebellum). Besides, multiple cells co-expressed OPN and MTs. Granular OPN
      signals were detected in secretory vesicles of Golgy (alphavbeta3 neurons) and in
      patches adjacent to the plasma membrane (subventricular zone). The findings imply
      that in demyelinating lesions are generated proteolytic OPN fragments and that
      OPN/MT interactions contribute to tissue remodeling during an autoimmune attack.

PMID- 28344073
TI  - Role of thrombin-PAR1-PKCtheta/delta axis in brain pericytes in thrombin-induced
      MMP-9 production and blood-brain barrier dysfunction in vitro.
AB  - Thrombin, an essential component in the coagulation cascade, participates in the
      pathogenesis of brain diseases, such as ischemic stroke, intracerebral
      hemorrhage, Alzheimer's disease and Parkinson's disease through blood-brain
      barrier (BBB) dysfunction. It is thought that the thrombin-matrix
      metalloproteinase (MMP)-9 axis is an important process in the pathogenesis of
      neurovascular disease, such as BBB dysfunction. We recently reported that brain
      pericytes are the most MMP-9-releasing cells in response to thrombin stimulation
      among the BBB-constituting cells. This thrombin-induced MMP-9 release is
      partially due to protease-activated receptor (PAR1), one of the specific thrombin
      receptors. Then, we evaluated the intracellular signaling pathways involved in
      MMP-9 release and the contribution of thrombin-reactive brain pericytes to BBB
      dysfunction. PKC activator evoked MMP-9 release from brain pericytes. The
      thrombin-induced MMP-9 release was inhibited by U0126, LY294002, Go6976, and
      Go6983. However, Go6976 decreased phosphorylation levels of PKCtheta and Akt, and
      Go6983 decreased phosphorylation levels of PKCdelta and extracellular signal
      regulated kinase (ERK). Additionally, treatment of pericytes with thrombin or
      PAR1-activating peptide stimulated PKCdelta/theta signaling. These substances
      impaired brain endothelial barrier function in the presence of brain pericytes.
      Brain pericytes function through two independent downstream signaling pathways
      via PAR1 activation to release MMP-9 in response to thrombin - the PKCtheta-Akt
      pathway and the PKCdelta-ERK1/2 pathway. These pathways participate in PAR1
      mediated MMP-9 release from pericytes, which leads to BBB dysfunction. Brain
      pericytes and their specific signaling pathways could provide novel therapeutic
      targets for thrombin-induced neurovascular diseases.

PMID- 28344074
TI  - Aberrant distributions of nuclear pore complex proteins in ALS mice and ALS
      patients.
AB  - Nuclear pore complexes (NPCs) play important roles in traffic of molecules
      between the nucleus and cytoplasm, aberrant distributions of components of NPCs
      were demonstrated in C9orf72 amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (C9-ALS) patients, but
      it is elusive whether such abnormities are also the case with other cause of ALS
      disease. In the present study, we investigated the spatiotemporal distributions
      of RanGAP1 and 4 representative nucleoporins (GP210, NUP205, NUP107 and NUP50) of
      NPCs in human Cu/Zn superoxide dismutase-1 mutation transgenic (SOD1-Tg) mice and
      sporadic ALS patients. Compared with wild type (WT), these proteins displayed age
      dependent and progressive nuclear precipitations, and cytoplasmic aberrant
      expressions in motor neurons of lumbar cord in SOD1-Tg mice from 10 to 18weeks
      (W). Double immunofluorescent analysis showed abnormal nuclear retention and
      apparent co-localizations of RanGAPl with NUP205 and NUP205 with NUPl07,
      meanwhile, GP210 with NUP205 mainly co-localized in the nuclear envelope (NE) of
      motor neurons. Furthermore, RanGAP1, GP210 and NUP50 showed similarly abnormal
      nuclear precipitations and cytoplasmic upregulations in SOD1-Tg mice and ALS
      patients, moreover, aberrant co-localizations of RanGAP1 with TDP-43 and NUP205
      with TDP-43 were also observed in motor neurons. The present study indicated that
      the mislocalization of these proteins of NPCs may underlie the pathogenesis of
      ALS both in SOD1-Tg mice and human sporadic ALS patients, and these dysfunctions
      may be a fundamental pathway for ALS that is not specific only in C9-ALS but also
      in SOD1-ALS, which may be amenable to pharmacotherapeutic intervention.

PMID- 28344076
TI  - Inhibition of human CYP3A4 and CYP3A5 enzymes by gomisin C and gomisin G, two
      lignan analogs derived from Schisandra chinensis.
AB  - Gomisin C (GC) and gomisin G (GG) are two lignan analogs isolated from the
      Traditional Chinese Medicine Schisandra chinensis which possesses multiple
      pharmacological activities. However, the potential herb-drug interactions (HDI)
      between these lignans and other drugs through inhibiting human cytochrome P450
      3A4 (CYP3A4) and CYP3A5 remains unclear. In the present study, the inhibitory
      action of GC and GG on CYP3A4 and CYP3A5 were investigated. The results
      demonstrated that both GC and GG strongly inhibited CYP3A-mediated midazolam 1'
      hydroxylation, nifedipine oxidation and testosterone 6beta-hydroxylation.
      Notably, the inhibitory intensity of GC towards CYP3A4 was stronger than CYP3A5
      when using midazolam and nifedipine as substrates. While inhibition of GC towards
      CYP3A5 was weaker than CYP3A4 when using testosterone as substrate. In contrast,
      GG showed a stronger inhibitory activity on CYP3A5 than CYP3A4 without substrate
      dependent behavior. In addition, docking simulations indicated that the pi-pi
      interaction between CYP3A4 and GC, and hydrogen-bond interaction between CYP3A5
      and GG might result in their different inhibitory actions. Furthermore, the AUC
      of drugs metabolized by CYP3A was estimated to increase by 8%-321% and 2%-3190%
      in the presence of GC and GG, respectively. These findings strongly suggested
      that GC and GG showed high HDI potentials, and the position of methylenedioxy
      group determined their different inhibitory effect towards CYP3A4 and CYP3A5,
      which are of significance for the application of Schisandra chinensis-containing
      herbs.

PMID- 28344077
TI  - Erythematous plaques on the auditory canal.

PMID- 28344075
TI  - Functional reorganization in obstructive sleep apnoea and insomnia: A systematic
      review of the resting-state fMRI.
AB  - Functional neuroimaging techniques have accelerated progress in the study of
      sleep disorders. Considering the striking prevalence of these disorders in the
      general population, however, as well as their strong bidirectional relationship
      with major neuropsychiatric disorders, including major depressive disorder, their
      numbers are still surprisingly low. This review examines the contribution of
      resting state functional MRI to current understanding of two major sleep
      disorders, insomnia disorder and obstructive sleep apnoea. An attempt is made to
      learn from parallels of previous resting state functional neuroimaging findings
      in major depressive disorder. Moreover, shared connectivity biomarkers are
      suggested for each of the sleep disorders. Taken together, despite some
      inconsistencies, the synthesis of findings to date highlights the importance of
      the salience network in hyperarousal and affective symptoms in insomnia.
      Conversely, dysfunctional connectivity of the posterior default mode network
      appears to underlie cognitive and depressive symptoms of obstructive sleep
      apnoea.

PMID- 28344078
TI  - Laryngeal leishmaniasis, a rare manifestation of an emerging disease.

PMID- 28344079
TI  - Nasal foreign bodies in children in a pediatric hospital in Senegal: A three-year
      assessment.
AB  - OBJECTIVES: Nasal foreign bodies (NFB) constitute a common domestic accident in
      children. The objectives of the present study were to report the particularities
      of NFBs in children presenting at a pediatric hospital in Senegal, and to
      describe our therapeutic attitude. MATERIAL AND METHODS: A retrospective
      descriptive study included all under-15 year-olds presenting with NFB in the ENT
      department of the National Children's Hospital Center of Diamniadio, Senegal,
      between January 1, 2013 and December 31, 2015. Study variables comprised: age,
      gender, provenance, presenting symptoms, time to consultation, type of NFB,
      extraction method, and complications. RESULTS: 58 NFB cases were retrieved. Mean
      age was 3years 4months; 93% of patients were under 5 years old. There was female
      predominance of 53.45%: i.e., sex-ratio, 0.87. Location was in the right cavity
      in 43 patients (74.1%). The presenting symptom was purulent rhinorrhea in 51.7%
      of cases. Time to consultation was within 24hours in 17.24% of cases. NFB type
      was firstly foam rubber (29.3%), followed by grain (20.7%). Extraction was
      performed in consultation in 84.5% of cases and in the operating room in 15.5%.
      Morbidity was 22.41%: 17.24% epistaxis and 5.17% nasal infection. CONCLUSION:
      NFBs constitute a common domestic accident in under-5 year-olds. The rural
      Senegalese context shows delay in consultation.

PMID- 28344080
TI  - Translation of CircRNAs.
AB  - Circular RNAs (circRNAs) are abundant and evolutionarily conserved RNAs of
      largely unknown function. Here, we show that a subset of circRNAs is translated
      in vivo. By performing ribosome footprinting from fly heads, we demonstrate that
      a group of circRNAs is associated with translating ribosomes. Many of these ribo
      circRNAs use the start codon of the hosting mRNA, are bound by membrane
      associated ribosomes, and have evolutionarily conserved termination codons. In
      addition, we found that a circRNA generated from the muscleblind locus encodes a
      protein, which we detected in fly head extracts by mass spectrometry. Next, by
      performing in vivo and in vitro translation assays, we show that UTRs of ribo
      circRNAs (cUTRs) allow cap-independent translation. Moreover, we found that
      starvation and FOXO likely regulate the translation of a circMbl isoform.
      Altogether, our study provides strong evidence for translation of circRNAs,
      revealing the existence of an unexplored layer of gene activity.

PMID- 28344081
TI  - Plasma Membrane CRPK1-Mediated Phosphorylation of 14-3-3 Proteins Induces Their
      Nuclear Import to Fine-Tune CBF Signaling during Cold Response.
AB  - In plant cells, changes in fluidity of the plasma membrane may serve as the
      primary sensor of cold stress; however, the precise mechanism and how the cell
      transduces and fine-tunes cold signals remain elusive. Here we show that the cold
      activated plasma membrane protein cold-responsive protein kinase 1 (CRPK1)
      phosphorylates 14-3-3 proteins. The phosphorylated 14-3-3 proteins shuttle from
      the cytosol to the nucleus, where they interact with and destabilize the key cold
      responsive C-repeat-binding factor (CBF) proteins. Consistent with this, the
      crpk1 and 14-3-3kappalambda mutants show enhanced freezing tolerance, and
      transgenic plants overexpressing 14-3-3lambda show reduced freezing tolerance.
      Further study shows that CRPK1 is essential for the nuclear translocation of 14-3
      3 proteins and for 14-3-3 function in freezing tolerance. Thus, our study reveals
      that the CRPK1-14-3-3 module transduces the cold signal from the plasma membrane
      to the nucleus to modulate CBF stability, which ensures a faithfully adjusted
      response to cold stress of plants.

PMID- 28344082
TI  - Circ-ZNF609 Is a Circular RNA that Can Be Translated and Functions in Myogenesis.
AB  - Circular RNAs (circRNAs) constitute a family of transcripts with unique
      structures and still largely unknown functions. Their biogenesis, which proceeds
      via a back-splicing reaction, is fairly well characterized, whereas their role in
      the modulation of physiologically relevant processes is still unclear. Here we
      performed expression profiling of circRNAs during in vitro differentiation of
      murine and human myoblasts, and we identified conserved species regulated in
      myogenesis and altered in Duchenne muscular dystrophy. A high-content functional
      genomic screen allowed the study of their functional role in muscle
      differentiation. One of them, circ-ZNF609, resulted in specifically controlling
      myoblast proliferation. Circ-ZNF609 contains an open reading frame spanning from
      the start codon, in common with the linear transcript, and terminating at an in
      frame STOP codon, created upon circularization. Circ-ZNF609 is associated with
      heavy polysomes, and it is translated into a protein in a splicing-dependent and
      cap-independent manner, providing an example of a protein-coding circRNA in
      eukaryotes.

PMID- 28344084
TI  - A rapid procedure for the in situ assay of periplasmic, PQQ-dependent methanol
      dehydrogenase in intact single bacterial colonies.
AB  - Mechanistic details of methanol oxidation catalyzed by the periplasmically
      located pyrroloquinoline quinone-dependent methanol dehydrogenase of
      methylotrophs can be elucidated using site-directed mutants. Here, we present an
      in situ colony assay of methanol dehydrogenase, which allows robotic screening of
      large populations of intact small colonies, and regrowth of colonies for
      subsequent analysis.

PMID- 28344083
TI  - Cholesterol Modification of Smoothened Is Required for Hedgehog Signaling.
AB  - Hedgehog (Hh) has been known as the only cholesterol-modified morphogen playing
      pivotal roles in development and tumorigenesis. A major unsolved question is how
      Hh signaling regulates the activity of Smoothened (SMO). Here, we performed an
      unbiased biochemical screen and identified that SMO was covalently modified by
      cholesterol on the Asp95 (D95) residue through an ester bond. This modification
      was inhibited by Patched-1 (Ptch1) but enhanced by Hh. The SMO(D95N) mutation,
      which could not be cholesterol modified, was refractory to Hh-stimulated ciliary
      localization and failed to activate downstream signaling. Furthermore, homozygous
      SmoD99N/D99N (the equivalent residue in mouse) knockin mice were embryonic lethal
      with severe cardiac defects, phenocopying the Smo-/- mice. Together, the results
      of our study suggest that Hh signaling transduces to SMO through modulating its
      cholesterylation and provides a therapeutic opportunity to treat Hh-pathway
      related cancers by targeting SMO cholesterylation.

PMID- 28344085
TI  - Protection of polyphenols in blueberry juice by vacuum-assisted block freeze
      concentration.
AB  - Block freeze concentration allows produces high-quality cryoconcentrates with
      important protection of valuable components from fresh fruit juices. The aim of
      this study was to investigate the use of vacuum-assisted block freeze
      concentration under different experimental conditions to protect polyphenols in
      the elaboration of concentrated blueberry juice. Fresh blueberry juice was radial
      or unidirectional frozen at -20 and -80  degrees C for 12 h and vacuum process
      was performed at 80 kPa during 120 min. Results showed a significant solute
      increased in the concentrated fraction in all treatments, and the best treatment
      was - 20  degrees C/unidirectional with a value of ~63  degrees Brix, equivalent
      to an increase of 3.8 times in the total polyphenol content (76% of retention).
      The color of concentrated samples was darker than the initial sample, with
      DeltaE* values of >25 CIELab units in all treatments. The vacuum-assisted block
      freeze concentrations was an effective technology for protecting polyphenols and
      obtain a concentrated with a higher concentration of solids from blueberry juice,
      as well as interesting values of process parameters.

PMID- 28344086
TI  - RIFM fragrance ingredient safety assessment, isoamyl hexanoate, CAS Registry
      Number 2198-61-0.

PMID- 28344087
TI  - Subacute alcohol and/or disulfiram intake affects bioelements and redox status in
      rat testes.
AB  - The aim of the study was to investigate if alcohol and disulfiram (DSF)
      individually and in combination affect bioelements' and red-ox homeostasis in
      testes of the exposed rats. The animals were divided into groups according to the
      duration of treatments (21 and/or 42 days): C21/C42 groups (controls); OL21 and
      OL22-42 groups (0.5 mL olive oil intake); A1-21 groups (3 mL 20% ethanol intake);
      DSF1-21 groups (178.5 mg DSF/kg/day intake); and A21+DSF22-42 groups (the DSF
      ingestion followed previous 21 days' treatment with alcohol). The measured
      parameters in testes included metals: zinc (Zn), copper (Cu), iron (Fe),
      magnesium (Mg) and selenium (Se); as well as oxidative stress (OS) parameters:
      superoxide anion radical (O2*-), glutathione reduced (GSH) and oxidized (GSSG),
      malondialdehyde (MDA), hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) decomposition and activities of
      total superoxide dismutase (tSOD), glutathione-S-transferase (GST) and
      glutathione reductase (GR). Metal status was changed in all experimental groups
      (Fe rose, Zn fell, while Cu increased in A21+DSF24-32 groups). Development of OS
      was demonstrated in A1-21 groups, but not in DSF1-21 groups. In A21+DSF22-42
      groups, OS was partially reduced compared to A groups (A1-21>MDA>C; A1-21<GSH<C).
      High metal-binding affinity of DSF/DDTC changes red-ox homeostasis in rat testes.

PMID- 28344088
TI  - Development of a robust and validated 2D-QSPR model for sweetness potency of
      diverse functional organic molecules.
AB  - In the present report, we have developed a predictive QSPR model using only
      easily computable two-dimensional (2D) descriptors from diverse classes of
      sweetening agents to find out the key structural properties which regulate their
      sweet potency. The available data set was curated to remove salts, mixtures and
      compounds without having a definite structure. A k-fold double cross validation
      technique was employed for variable selection prior to development of the final
      model. The final model was developed using partial least squares (PLS) regression
      analysis and selected based on a mean absolute error (MAE) based criteria for the
      validation sets. The model was validated extensively using different internal and
      external validation strategies in accordance with the Organization for Economic
      Co-operation and Development (OECD) guidelines. This work presented development
      of a validated quantitative structure-property relationship (QSPR) model obtained
      from k-fold double cross-validation technique in order to find out the key
      structural information required to enhance the sweet potency of the molecules.
      Finally, we have designed and proposed 13 new molecules based on the insights
      obtained from the QSPR model. The designed compounds showed good in silico
      predicted sweetness potency with acceptable ADMET profile.

PMID- 28344089
TI  - Effects of macromolecular crowding on alkaline phosphatase unfolding,
      conformation and stability.
AB  - The interior of the cell is tightly packed with various biological
      macromolecules, which affects physiological processes, especially protein folding
      process. To explore how macromolecular crowding may influence protein folding
      process, alkaline phosphatase (ALP) was chosen as a model protein, and the
      unfolding process of ALP induced by GdnHCl was studied in the presence of
      crowding agents such as PEG 4000, Dextran 70 and Ficoll 70. The effect of
      macromolecular crowding on the denatured state of ALP was directly probed by
      measuring enzyme activities, fluorescence spectroscopy and circular dichroism.
      From the results of circular dichroism, GdnHCl induced a biphasic change,
      suggesting that a three-state unfolding mechanism was involved in the
      denaturation process irrespective of the absence or presence of crowding agents.
      It was also found that crowding agents had a little impact on the unfolding
      process of ALP. The results of phase diagrams also demonstrated that the
      unfolding process of ALP induced by GdnHCl was three-state mechanism. Moreover,
      the results of fluorescence spectra demonstrated that with the increase of GdnHCl
      concentration, the structure of protein had changed, but existence of crowding
      agents can make protein structure more stable. Our results can provide valuable
      information for understanding the protein folding in vivo.

PMID- 28344090
TI  - Isolation, characterization and bioactivities of the polysaccharides from
      Dicliptera chinensis (L.) Juss.
AB  - The polysaccharides of Dicliptera chinensis (L.) Juss. (DCP-1 and DCP-2) were
      extracted and isolated using the methods of water extract-ethanol precipitate and
      sephadex column chromatography and characterized by gel permeation chromatography
      (GPC), Fourier transform infrared spectrometry (FT-IR) and gas chromatography
      (GC), respectively. The antioxidant activity of DCPs was evaluated by scavenging
      activity of DPPH, hydroxyl, superoxide anion and ABTS radical. Moreover, the anti
      aging activity of DCP-2 was investigated using an aging model-induced by D
      galactose (D-gal) in mice. The results show that the weight average molecular
      weight (Mw) of DCP-2 was 2 273Da with a narrow polydispersity index of 1.01, and
      it was a heteropolysaccharide and consisted of glucose, galactose, arabinose,
      rhamnose and mannose with a molar ratio of 3.20:2.54:1.69:1.58:1.00. DCP-2 had
      stronger antioxidant activity against DPPH, hydroxyl, superoxide anion and ABTS
      radical, while DCP-1 had hardly any antioxidant activity and DCP had weaker
      antioxidant activity. Furthermore, DCP-2 can enhance antioxidant capacity and had
      anti-aging activity against D-gal induced aging mice. These results proposed that
      DCP-2 might be developed as a potential functional food with the activity of anti
      aging.

PMID- 28344091
TI  - Determination of structural and thermodynamic parameters of bovine alpha-trypsin
      isoform in aqueous-organic media.
AB  - The alpha-trypsin isoform is a globular protein that belongs to serine-protease
      family and has a polypeptide chain of 223 amino acid residues, six disulfide
      bridges and two domains with similar structures. The effects of aqueous-organic
      solvent (ethanol) in different concentration on the alpha-trypsin structure have
      been investigated by spectroscopic techniques and thermodynamic data analysis.
      The results from spectroscopic measurements, including far-UV Circular Dichroism,
      UV-vis absorption spectroscopy, intrinsic tryptophan fluorescence and dynamic
      light scattering (DLS) suggest the formation of partially folded states, instead
      of aggregate states, at high ethanol concentration (>60% v/v ethanol), with
      little loss of secondary structure, but with significant tertiary structure
      changes. The thermodynamic data (Tm and DeltaH) suggest a loosening of
      intramolecular weak interactions, which reflects in a flexibility increase such
      that the catalytic capacity can be increased or decreased according to the
      ethanol concentration into the system. Overall results we suggest that in range
      of 0-60% v/v ethanol/buffer, alpha-trypsin undergoes reversible multimerization
      phenomena with catalytic activity. However from 60% v/v ethanol/buffer,
      population of folded partially states with less catalytic activity are
      predominant.

PMID- 28344092
TI  - The over expression of long non-coding RNA ANRIL promotes epithelial-mesenchymal
      transition by activating the ATM-E2F1 signaling pathway in pancreatic cancer: An
      in vivo and in vitro study.
AB  - This study aims to investigate the roles of lncRNA ANRIL in epithelial
      mesenchymal transition (EMT) by regulating the ATM-E2F1 signaling pathway in
      pancreatic cancer (PC). PC rat models were established and ANRIL overexpression
      and interference plasmids were transfected. The expression of ANRIL, EMT markers
      (E-cadherin, N-cadherin and Vimentin) and ATM-E2F1 signaling pathway-related
      proteins (ATM, E2F1, INK4A, INK4B and ARF) were detected. Small molecule drugs
      were applied to activate and inhibit the ATM-E2F1 signaling pathway. Transwell
      assay and the scratch test were adopted to detect cell invasion and migration
      abilities. ANRIL expression in the PC cells was higher than in normal pancreatic
      duct epithelial cells. In the PC rat models and PC cells, ANRIL interference
      promoted the expressions of INK4B, INK4A, ARF and E-cadherin, while reduced N
      cadherin and Vimentin expression. Over-expressed ANRIL decreased the expression
      of INK4B, INK4A, ARF and E-cadherin, but raised N-cadherin and Vimentin
      expressions. By inhibiting the ATM-E2F1 signaling pathway in PC cells, E-cadherin
      expression increased but N-cadherin and Vimentin expressions decreased. After
      ANRIL was silenced or the ATM-E2F1 signaling pathway inhibited, PC cell migration
      and invasion abilities were decreased. In conclusion, over-expression of lncRNA
      ANRIL can promote EMT of PC cells by activating the ATM-E2F1 signaling pathway.

PMID- 28344093
TI  - Synthesis and characterization of a novel cationic hydrogel base on salecan-g
      PMAPTAC.
AB  - Salecan is a biological macromolecular and biocompatible polysaccharide that has
      been investigated for recent years. Herein, we report a novel cationic hydrogel
      fabricated by graft-polymerizing 3-(methacryloylamino)propyl-trimethylammonium
      chloride (MAPTAC) onto salecan chains. The obtained hydrogels were transparent,
      solid-elastic, macro-porous, ion-sensitive, and non-cytotoxic. The swelling
      ratios increased with salecan content, while mechanical strength does the
      opposite. Moreover, drug delivery test was studied as a potential application.
      Diclofenac sodium (DS) and insulin were selected as model drugs. Interestingly,
      in drug loading process, DS molecules exhibited highly affinity to these cationic
      hydrogels. Almost all the DS molecules in loading solution were absorbed and
      spread into the hydrogel. For drug release profiles, insulin-loaded hydrogel
      showed an initial rapid release and a sustained release. As a comparison, DS
      loaded hydrogel exhibited a more sustained release profile. Results suggested
      salecan-g-PMAPTAC hydrogel could be a good candidate for anionic drug loading and
      delivery.

PMID- 28344094
TI  - Controlled release of antibiotic amoxicillin drug using carboxymethyl cellulose
      cl-poly(lactic acid-co-itaconic acid) hydrogel.
AB  - In this paper, microwave assisted preparation of carboxymethyl cellulose-cl
      poly(lactic acid-co-itaconic acid) (CMC-cl-P(LA-co-IA)) hydrogel was reported via
      facile graft copolymerization using N,N1-methylene-bis-acrylamide (MBA) and
      potassium persulphate as cross linker and initiator. Different reaction
      parameters were optimized to achieve good yield. The formation of hydrogel was
      confirmed by characterization techniques such as Fourier transform infrared
      spectroscopy, field emission scanning electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction,
      thermo gravimetric analysis, transmission electron microscopy etc. The
      antimicrobial activities of the hydrogel were studied against Staphylococcus
      aureus and Escherichia coli. About 95% killing of bacteria was recorded after
      24h. The controlled release of amoxicillin drug from hydrogel was evaluated as a
      function of pH and time. Maximum drug release of 98% was recorded at 2.2 pH after
      7h. The kinetic studies showed non-Fickian diffusion of the drug.

PMID- 28344095
TI  - Early detection, clinical diagnosis, and management of lung disease from exposure
      to diacetyl.
AB  - Inhalation of diacetyl-containing products is associated with risk for
      occupational bronchiolitis obliterans (BO) and fixed airways obstruction,
      particularly in workers exposed to heated liquids and powdered formulations. This
      review describes the occupational settings in which diacetyl-related lung disease
      has been reported and the clinical presentation of disease, along with an
      approach to diagnosis and management. The importance of early disease
      recognition, appropriate removal from exposure, and medical monitoring to
      optimize prognosis is reviewed. The roles of public health follow-up and medical
      surveillance for primary and secondary prevention are discussed.

PMID- 28344096
TI  - Dissociable effects of systemic and orbitofrontal administration of adrenoceptor
      antagonists on yohimbine-induced motor impulsivity.
AB  - The alpha2-adrenoceptor antagonist, yohimbine, is commonly used as a
      pharmacological stressor. Its behavioural effects are typically attributed to
      elevated noradrenaline release via blockade of central, inhibitory autoreceptors.
      We have previously reported that yohimbine increases motor impulsivity in rats on
      the five-choice serial reaction time task (5CSRTT), a cognitive behavioural
      assessment which measures motor impulsivity and visuospatial attention.
      Furthermore, this effect depended on cyclic adenomonophosphate (cAMP) signalling
      via cAMP response element binding (CREB) protein in the orbitofrontal cortex
      (OFC). However, the role of specific adrenoceptors in this effect is not well
      characterised. We therefore investigated whether the pro-impulsive effects of
      systemic yohimbine could be reproduced by direct administration into the OFC, or
      attenuated by intra-OFC or systemic administration of prazosin and propranolol
      antagonists at the alpha1- and beta-adrenoceptor, respectively. Male Long-Evans
      rats were trained on the 5CSRTT and implanted with guide cannulae aimed at the
      OFC. Systemically administered alpha1- or beta-adrenoceptor antagonists
      attenuated yohimbine-induced increases in premature responding. In contrast,
      local infusion of yohimbine into the OFC reduced such impulsive responding, while
      blockade of alpha1- or beta-adrenoceptors within the OFC had no effect on either
      basal or yohimbine-stimulated motor impulsivity. Direct administration of
      selective antagonists at the alpha1-, alpha2- or beta-adrenoceptor into the OFC
      therefore produce clearly dissociable effects from systemic administration.
      Collectively, these data suggest that the pro-impulsivity effect of yohimbine can
      be modulated by adrenergic signalling in brain areas outside of the OFC, in
      addition to non-adrenergic signalling pathways within the OFC.

PMID- 28344097
TI  - Whence river blindness? The domestication of mammals and host-parasite co
      evolution in the nematode genus Onchocerca.
AB  - The genus Onchocerca includes 34 described species and represents one of the
      largest genera of the filarial nematodes within the family Onchocercidae.
      Representative members of this genus are mainly parasites of ungulates, with some
      exceptions such as Onchocerca lupi and Onchocerca volvulus, infecting carnivores
      and/or humans. For a long time, the evolutionary relationships amongst
      onchocercids remained poorly studied, as the systematics of this genus was
      impaired by the high morphological variability of species included in the taxon.
      Although some molecular phylogenies were developed, these studies were mainly
      focused on bovine Onchocerca spp. and O. volvulus, including assessments of
      Wolbachia endosymbionts. In the present study, we analysed 13 Onchocerca spp.
      from a larger host spectrum using a panel of seven different genes. Analysis of
      the coxI marker supports its usefulness for the identification of species within
      the genus. The evolutionary history of the genus has been herein revised by multi
      gene phylogenies, presenting three strongly supported clades of Onchocerca spp.
      Analyses of co-evolutionary scenarios between Onchocerca and their vertebrate
      hosts underline the effect of domestication on Onchocerca speciation. Our study
      indicates that a host switch event occurred between Bovidae, Canidae and humans.
      Cophylogenetic analyses between Onchocerca and the endosymbiotic bacterium
      Wolbachia indicate the strongest co-evolutionary pattern ever registered within
      the filarial nematodes. Finally, this dataset indicates that the clade composed
      by O. lupi, Onchocerca gutturosa, Onchocerca lienalis, Onchocerca ochengi and O.
      volvulus derived from recent speciation.

PMID- 28344098
TI  - Human leukocyte antigen class I deficiencies.

PMID- 28344099
TI  - Mechanisms of resistance to selective estrogen receptor down-regulator in
      metastatic breast cancer.
AB  - Based on the prominent role estrogen receptor (ER) plays in breast cancer,
      endocrine therapy has been developed to block the ER pathway and has shown great
      effectiveness. Fulvestrant, the first selective ER down-regulator (SERD), was
      demonstrated to completely suppress ERalpha and notably efficient. However,
      resistance to fulvestrant occurs, either intrinsic or acquired during the
      treatment. Several potential mechanisms inducing fulvestrant resistance have been
      proposed, composed of activated ERalpha-independent compensatory growth factor
      signaling, stimulated downstream kinases, altered cell cycle mediators, etcetera.
      Experimentally, combinations of fulvestrant with targeted treatments were
      reported to eliminate the resistance and improve the effect of fulvestrant.
      Meanwhile, some clinical trials associated with the targeted combination
      therapies are in progress. This review focuses on the underlying mechanisms that
      contribute to fulvestrant resistance in ER-positive breast cancer and provides an
      overview of combined fulvestrant with targeted agents to shed light on optimal
      therapies for patients with ER-positive breast cancer.

PMID- 28344100
TI  - Facilitated Pronociceptive Pain Mechanisms in Radiating Back Pain Compared With
      Localized Back Pain.
AB  - : Facilitated pain mechanisms and impaired pain inhibition are often found in
      chronic pain patients. This study compared clinical pain profiles, pain
      sensitivity, as well as pronociceptive and antinociceptive mechanisms in patients
      with localized low back pain (n = 18), localized neck pain (n = 17), low back and
      radiating leg pain (n = 18), or neck and radiating arm pain (n = 17). It was
      hypothesized that patients with radiating pain had facilitated pain mechanisms
      and impaired pain inhibition compared with localized pain patients. Cuff
      algometry was performed on the nonpainful lower leg to assess pressure pain
      threshold, tolerance, temporal summation of pain (increase in pain scores to 10
      repeated stimulations at pressure pain tolerance intensity), and conditioning
      pain modulation (increase in pressure pain threshold during pain conditioning on
      the contralateral leg). Heat detection and heat pain threshold at the nonpainful
      hand were also assessed. Clinical pain intensity, psychological distress, and
      disability were assessed with questionnaires. Temporal summation of pain was
      increased in patients with radiating back pain compared with localized back pain
      (P < .03). Patients with radiating arm pain or localized low back pain
      demonstrated hyperalgesia to heat and pressure in nonpainful body areas (P <
      .05), as well as well as a facilitated clinical pain profile compared with
      patients with localized neck pain (P = .03). Patients with radiating pain
      patterns demonstrated facilitated temporal summation suggesting differences in
      the underlying pain mechanisms between patients with localized back pain and
      radiating pain. PERSPECTIVE: These findings have clinical implications because
      the underlying mechanisms in different back pain conditions may require different
      treatment strategies.

PMID- 28344101
TI  - Predictors of Acute Postsurgical Pain After Inguinal Hernioplasty.
AB  - : Acute postsurgical pain (APSP) is a common and anticipated problem after
      surgery with detrimental consequences if not appropriately managed. This study
      examined the independent and joint contribution of presurgical demographic,
      clinical, and psychological variables as predictors of APSP intensity, evaluated
      using an 11-point numeric rating scale, after inguinal hernioplasty, one of the
      most performed surgeries worldwide. In a prospective observational cohort study,
      a consecutive sample of 135 men undergoing hernioplasty was assessed before and
      48 hours after surgery. When adjusted for depression, helplessness, and
      magnification scores, a multiple hierarchical regression analysis revealed that
      younger age (beta = -.247, P < .005), previous chronic pain (beta = .175, P <
      .05), presurgical anxiety (beta = .235, P < .05), and the rumination component of
      pain catastrophizing (beta = .222, P < .05) were significant predictors of APSP
      intensity. The integrative predictive model found in this study revealed the
      simultaneous influence that demographic, clinical, and psychological factors have
      on APSP after inguinal hernioplasty. Therefore, these results improve knowledge
      on APSP predictors after inguinal hernioplasty and highlight potential modifiable
      intervention targets, such as anxiety and pain catastrophizing (rumination), for
      the design of interventions focused on APSP prevention and management. Hence,
      taken together, these findings lend support for the inclusion of presurgical
      screening and psychological interventions among surgical patients at risk for
      higher APSP intensity. PERSPECTIVE: This study found that, when adjusted for
      depression, helplessness, and magnification scores, the variables younger age,
      previous chronic pain, presurgical anxiety, and the rumination component of pain
      catastrophizing are significant predictors of APSP intensity after inguinal
      hernioplasty. These findings improve knowledge on APSP and highlight potential
      modifiable intervention targets for the design of interventions focused on APSP
      prevention and management.

PMID- 28344103
TI  - Evaluation of geranylgeranylacetone against cisplatin-induced ototoxicity by
      auditory brainstem response, heat shock proteins and oxidative levels in guinea
      pigs.
AB  - This study aims to assess whether geranylgeranylacetone (GGA) could reduce
      ototoxicity induced by cisplatin through upregulation of not only heat shock
      protein(HSP)-70, but also HSP-27 and HSP-40, and to study if GGA would reduce
      cisplatin-induced increase in oxidative stress. 48 guinea pigs were used in this
      study and treated with the following regimen: 0.5% CMC (sodium carboxymethyl
      cellulose) control for 7days, GGA (600mg/kg/d) for 7days, a combination of GGA
      (600mg/kg) for 7days and then one dose of 10mg/kg cisplatin (GGA+Cis), and a
      combination of CMC for 7days and then 10mg/kg cisplatin (cisplatin group).
      Auditory brainstem response (ABR) measurement was performed in each animal at
      time before treatment and 7days after the last dose. Additionally, HSPs, nitric
      oxide (NO), and lipid peroxidation (LPO) levels in cochlear membranous tissues
      were assessed. The mean ABR thresholds in the cisplatin group were significantly
      (p<0.05) increased when compared to the other three groups. In guinea pigs
      receiving both GGA and cisplatin, the mean threshold shift (TS) were smaller
      (p<0.05) than those of the cisplatin group, but larger (p<0.05) than those of the
      CMC control or GGA only group with statistical significance. Compared to the GGA
      only group or the group treated with GGA+Cis, the cisplatin group had the highest
      (p<0.05) oxidative stress (NO and LPO levels), and the lowest (p<0.05) mean HSPs
      expression levels. It can be concluded that GGA attenuate ototoxicity induced by
      cisplatin through upregulation of HSP-27, -40, and -70. Moreover, increased
      oxidative stress induced by cisplatin in the cochlea membranous tissue could be
      reduced by pre-treatment of GGA.

PMID- 28344102
TI  - Effect of Visceral Disease Site on Outcomes in Patients With Metastatic
      Castration-resistant Prostate Cancer Treated With Enzalutamide in the PREVAIL
      Trial.
AB  - BACKGROUND: The Multinational Phase 3, Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo
      Controlled Efficacy and Safety Study of Oral MDV3100 in Chemotherapy-Naive
      Patients With Progressive Metastatic Prostate Cancer Who Have Failed Androgen
      Deprivation Therapy (PREVAIL) trial was unique as it included patients with
      visceral disease. This analysis was designed to describe outcomes for the
      subgroup of men from PREVAIL with specific sites of visceral disease to help
      clinicians understand how these patients responded to enzalutamide prior to
      chemotherapy. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Prespecified analyses examined the coprimary
      endpoints of radiographic progression-free survival (rPFS) and overall survival
      (OS) only. All other efficacy analyses were post hoc. The visceral subgroup was
      divided into liver or lung subsets. Patients with both liver and lung metastases
      were included in the liver subset. RESULTS: Of the 1717 patients in PREVAIL, 204
      (12%) had visceral metastases at screening (liver only or liver/lung metastases,
      n = 74; lung only metastases, n = 130). In patients with liver metastases,
      enzalutamide was associated with an improvement in rPFS (hazard ratio [HR], 0.44;
      95% confidence interval [CI], 0.22-0.90) but not OS (HR, 1.04; 95% CI, 0.57
      1.87). In patients with lung metastases only, the HR for rPFS (0.14; 95% CI, 0.06
      0.36) and the HR for OS (0.59; 95% CI, 0.33-1.06) favored enzalutamide over
      placebo. Patients with liver metastases had worse outcomes than those with lung
      metastases, regardless of treatment. Enzalutamide was well tolerated in patients
      with visceral disease. CONCLUSIONS: Enzalutamide is an active first-line
      treatment option for men with asymptomatic or mildly symptomatic chemotherapy
      naive metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer and visceral disease.
      Patients with lung-only disease fared better than patients with liver disease,
      regardless of treatment.

PMID- 28344104
TI  - Antimicrobial medium- and long-chain free fatty acids prevent PrfA-dependent
      activation of virulence genes in Listeria monocytogenes.
AB  - The foodborne pathogen Listeria monocytogenes is the causative agent of the
      invasive disease listeriosis. Infection by L. monocytogenes involves bacterial
      crossing of the intestinal barrier and intracellular replication in a variety of
      host cells. The PrfA protein is the master regulator of virulence factors
      required for bacterial entry, intracellular replication and cell-to-cell spread.
      PrfA-dependent activation of virulence genes occurs primarily in the blood and
      during intracellular infection. In contrast, PrfA does not play a significant
      role in regulation of virulence gene expression in the intestinal environment. In
      the gastrointestinal phase of infection, the bacterium encounters a variety of
      antimicrobial agents, including medium- and long-chain free fatty acids that are
      commonly found in our diet and as active components of bile. Here we show that
      subinhibitory concentrations of specific antimicrobial free fatty acids act to
      downregulate transcription of PrfA-activated virulence genes. Interestingly, the
      inhibitory effect is also evident in cells encoding a constitutively active
      variant of PrfA. Collectively, our data suggest that antimicrobial medium- and
      long-chain free fatty acids may act as signals to prevent PrfA-mediated
      activation of virulence genes in environments where PrfA activation is not
      required, such as in food and the gastrointestinal tract.

PMID- 28344105
TI  - A new reconstructed human epidermis for in vitro skin irritation testing.
AB  - Different models of reconstructed human epidermis (RHE) are currently validated
      to assess skin irritation in vitro and ultimately to the animal replacement of
      the Draize test. The development of a new RHE model is a challenge for many
      laboratories, representing a potential gain of autonomy and improvement of
      technological knowledge. The Organization for Economic Co-operation and
      Development (OECD) encourages the development of new models and, for this
      purpose, offers a thorough guideline on quality control parameters (OECD TG 439
      performance standards). This work aimed to develop an RHE model (i.e. USP-RHE)
      for in vitro skin irritation assays, following the OECD TG 439. The developed
      model presents a well-differentiated epidermis similar to the Validated Reference
      Methods (VRM) and to native human epidermis. Quality parameters, i.e. optical
      density of negative control, tissue integrity and barrier function, were similar
      to VRM and in accordance with OECD TG 439. Moreover, the USP-RHE model was shown
      to have 85,7% of specificity (6/7), 100% of sensitivity (6/6) and 92,3% of
      accuracy (12/13) when compared to in vivo UN GHS classification. The within
      laboratory reproducibility was 92.3% (12/13). Thus, we demonstrated that USP-RHE
      model attends to all OECD TG 439 performance standards and is ready to be used by
      private and public laboratories and companies for future validation studies.

PMID- 28344106
TI  - Molecular phylogenetic relationships reveal contrasting evolutionary patterns in
      Gorgoniidae (Octocorallia) in the Eastern Pacific.
AB  - The description and delimitation of species in an evolutionary framework is
      essential for understanding patterns of biodiversity and distribution, and in the
      assessment of conservation strategies for natural resources. This study seeks to
      clarify the evolutionary history and genetic variation within and between closely
      related octocoral species that are fundamental to benthic marine ecosystems for
      harbouring a high diversity of associated fauna. For our study system, we focused
      on members of the Gorgoniidae family in the Eastern Pacific, particularly of the
      Ecuadorian littoral, a less studied marine ecosystem. According to our results,
      the diagnosis of the genus Pacifigorgia is here amended to include species
      previously considered in the genus Leptogorgia. The genera Leptogorgia and
      Eugorgia are included within a single clade, and neither are recovered as
      monophyletic. In this case, according to the priority rule of the International
      Code of Zoological Nomenclature (ICZN), our proposal is to include the species
      considered in these two genera in Leptogorgia. In addition, we found evidence of
      interesting speciation patterns: morphological differentiation with no apparent
      genetic differentiation (in Pacifigorgia), and inconsistencies between
      mitochondrial and nuclear data that suggest a hybridisation phenomenon (in
      Leptogorgia). In the first case, recent radiation, ancient hybridisation,
      sympatric speciation, and in the second, reticulate evolution may have
      contributed to the evolutionary history of the studied taxa. Therefore,
      incongruences observed between morphological and molecular evidences in these
      octocorals, and in corals in general, may reveal the types of events/patterns
      that have influenced their evolution.

PMID- 28344108
TI  - The Inescapable Heterogeneity of Heart Failure.

PMID- 28344107
TI  - Molecular phylogenetics and historical biogeography of Sorbus sensu stricto
      (Rosaceae).
AB  - Explaining how plants from eastern Asia migrated to other Northern Hemisphere
      regions is still challenging. The genus Sorbus sensu stricto (including c. 88
      species) is considered as a good example to illuminate this scenario, due to the
      wide distribution in the temperate zone and high diversity in the Himalayas and
      Hengduan Mountains. Based on four nuclear markers (LEAFY-2, GBSSI-1, SBEI and WD)
      and one chloroplast marker (rps16-trnK), we reconstructed the phylogenetic
      relationship of Sorbus using 54 taxa (60% of the genus representing all
      subgenera, sections, or series and geographical areas in the previous
      classifications), and estimated divergence time and historical biogeography of
      the genus. Phylogenetic analyses supported that the subgenera Sorbus and Albo
      carmesinae, as defined by traditional morphological characters (such as fruit
      color), are suitable. However, five clades defined by phylogenetic analysis of
      the genus are not consistent with traditionally defined sections or series.
      Molecular dating and biogeographic reconstruction showed that the age of the most
      recent common ancestor was estimated at 41mya (95% HPD: 49-35mya) in eastern
      Asia. Four dispersal events are assumed to explain the wide distribution of
      Sorbus in the temperate zone and diversification in the edges of Qinghai-Tibet
      Plateau (QTP). Species dispersed from eastern Asia to the Tianshan Mountains,
      North America and Europe during the Oligocene and Miocene period. We found that
      polyploidization occurred multiple times in the subgenus Albo-carmesinae, in the
      Tianshan Mountains, Himalayas, and H-D Mountains. Finally, we suggest that
      apomixis, polyploidization, and hybridization may have combined with the
      multistage uplifting of Himalayas and H-D Mountains (and the subsequent increases
      in geologic, ecological and climatic heterogeneity) to drive the striking species
      diversity of Sorbus in this region.

PMID- 28344109
TI  - Phylogenomic proximity and metabolic discrepancy of Methanosarcina mazei Go1
      across methanosarcinal genomes.
AB  - Methanosarcina mazei Go1 is a heterotrophic methanogenic archaean contributing a
      significant role in global methane cycling and biomethanation process.
      Phylogenomic relatedness and metabolic discrepancy of this genome were described
      herein by comparing its whole genome sequence, intergenomic distance, genome
      function, synteny homologs and origin of replication, and marker genes with very
      closely related genomes, Methanosarcina acetivorans and Methanosarcina barkeri.
      Phylogenomic analysis of this study revealed that genome functional feature and
      metabolic core of M. mazei and M. barkeri could be originated from M.
      acetivorans. The metabolic core of these genomes shares a common evolutionary
      origin to perform the metabolic activity at different environmental niches.
      Genome expansion, dynamics and gene collinearity were constrained and restrained
      the conservation of the metabolic core genes by duplication events occurring
      across methanosarcinal genomes. The Darwinian positive selection was an
      evolutionary constraint to purify the function of core metabolic genes. Using
      genome-wide metabolic survey, we found the existence of four novel putative
      metabolic pathways such as complete methanogenesis from acetate, indole-3-acetate
      biosynthesis V, 4-aminobutyrate degradation III, galactosamine biosynthesis I and
      siroheme biosynthesis. Overall, the present study would provide a stand point to
      revisit its phylogenomic status in order to understand the origin and evolution
      history of this organism.

PMID- 28344111
TI  - No sight, no smell? - Brain anatomy of two amphipod crustaceans with different
      lifestyles.
AB  - The brain anatomy of Niphargus puteanus and Orchestia cavimana, two amphipod
      species with different lifestyles, has been studied using a variety of recent
      techniques. The general aspects of the brain anatomy of both species correspond
      to those of other malacostracans. However, both species lack hemiellipsoid
      bodies. Furthermore, related to their lifestyle certain differences have been
      observed. The aquatic subterranean species N. puteanus lacks eye structures, the
      optic nerve, and the two outer optic neuropils lamina and medulla. Only partial
      remains of the lobula have been detected. In contrast to this, the central
      complex in the protocerebrum and the olfactory glomeruli in the deutocerebrum are
      well differentiated. The terrestrial species Orchestia cavimana shows a reduced
      first antenna, the absence of olfactory neuropils in the deutocerebrum, and a
      reduction of the olfactory globular tract. The characteristics in defining the
      hemiellipsoid bodies are critically discussed. Contradictions about presence or
      absence of this neuropil are due to different conceptualizations. A comparison
      with other crustaceans that live in dark environments reveal similar patterns of
      optic system reduction, but to different degrees following a centripetal pattern.
      Retaining the olfactory system seems a general problem of terrestrialization in
      crustaceans with the notable exception of terrestrial hermit crabs.

PMID- 28344110
TI  - Toward a systematic exploration of nano-bio interactions.
AB  - Many studies of nanomaterials make non-systematic alterations of nanoparticle
      physicochemical properties. Given the immense size of the property space for
      nanomaterials, such approaches are not very useful in elucidating fundamental
      relationships between inherent physicochemical properties of these materials and
      their interactions with, and effects on, biological systems. Data driven
      artificial intelligence methods such as machine learning algorithms have proven
      highly effective in generating models with good predictivity and some degree of
      interpretability. They can provide a viable method of reducing or eliminating
      animal testing. However, careful experimental design with the modelling of the
      results in mind is a proven and efficient way of exploring large materials
      spaces. This approach, coupled with high speed automated experimental synthesis
      and characterization technologies now appearing, is the fastest route to
      developing models that regulatory bodies may find useful. We advocate greatly
      increased focus on systematic modification of physicochemical properties of
      nanoparticles combined with comprehensive biological evaluation and computational
      analysis. This is essential to obtain better mechanistic understanding of nano
      bio interactions, and to derive quantitatively predictive and robust models for
      the properties of nanomaterials that have useful domains of applicability.

PMID- 28344112
TI  - Efficacy and safety of once-weekly semaglutide versus once-daily insulin glargine
      as add-on to metformin (with or without sulfonylureas) in insulin-naive patients
      with type 2 diabetes (SUSTAIN 4): a randomised, open-label, parallel-group,
      multicentre, multinational, phase 3a trial.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Several pharmacological treatment options are available for type 2
      diabetes; however, many patients do not achieve optimum glycaemic control and
      therefore new therapies are necessary. We assessed the efficacy and safety of
      semaglutide, a glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) analogue in clinical development,
      compared with insulin glargine in patients with type 2 diabetes who were
      inadequately controlled with metformin (with or without sulfonylureas). METHODS:
      We did a randomised, open-label, non-inferiority, parallel-group, multicentre,
      multinational, phase 3a trial (SUSTAIN 4) at 196 sites in 14 countries. Eligible
      participants were insulin-naive patients with type 2 diabetes, aged 18 years and
      older, who had insufficient glycaemic control with metformin either alone or in
      combination with a sulfonylurea. We randomly assigned participants (1:1:1) to
      either subcutaneous once-weekly 0.5 mg or 1.0 mg semaglutide (doses reached after
      following a fixed dose-escalation regimen) or once-daily insulin glargine
      (starting dose 10 IU per day, then titrated weekly to a pre-breakfast self
      measured plasma glucose target of 4.0-5.5 mmol/L [72-99 mg/dL]) for 30 weeks. In
      all treatment groups, previous background metformin and sulfonylurea treatment
      was continued throughout the trial. We did the randomisation using an interactive
      voice or web response system. The primary endpoint was change in mean HbA1c from
      baseline to week 30 and the confirmatory secondary endpoint was the change in
      mean bodyweight from baseline to week 30. We assessed efficacy and safety in the
      modified intention-to-treat population (mITT; all randomly assigned participants
      who were exposed to at least one dose of study drug) and used a margin of 0.3% to
      establish non-inferiority in HbA1c reduction. This trial is registered with
      ClinicalTrials.gov, number NCT02128932. FINDINGS: Between Aug 4, 2014, and Sept
      3, 2015, we randomly assigned 1089 participants to treatment; the mITT population
      consisted of 362 participants assigned to 0.5 mg semaglutide, 360 to 1.0 mg
      semaglutide, and 360 to insulin glargine. 49 (14%) participants assigned to 0.5
      mg semaglutide discontinued treatment prematurely, compared with 55 (15%)
      assigned to 1.0 mg semaglutide, and 26 (7%) assigned to insulin glargine. Most
      discontinuations were due to adverse events-mostly gastrointestinal with
      semaglutide, and others such as skin and subcutaneous tissue disorders (eg, rash,
      pruritus, and urticaria) with insulin glargine. From a mean baseline HbA1c of
      8.17% (SD 0.89), at week 30, 0.5 and 1.0 mg semaglutide achieved reductions of
      1.21% (95% CI 1.10-1.31) and 1.64% (1.54-1.74), respectively, versus 0.83% (0.73
      0.93) with insulin glargine; estimated treatment difference versus insulin
      glargine -0.38% (95% CI -0.52 to -0.24) with 0.5 mg semaglutide and -0.81% (-0.96
      to -0.67) with 1.0 mg semaglutide (both p<0.0001). Mean bodyweight at baseline
      was 93.45 kg (SD 21.79); at week 30, 0.5 and 1.0 mg semaglutide achieved weight
      losses of 3.47 kg (95% CI 3.00-3.93) and 5.17 kg (4.71-5.66), respectively,
      versus a weight gain of 1.15 kg (0.70-1.61) with insulin glargine; estimated
      treatment difference versus insulin glargine -4.62 kg (95% CI -5.27 to -3.96)
      with 0.5 mg semaglutide and -6.33 kg (-6.99 to -5.67) with 1.0 mg semaglutide
      (both p<0.0001). Severe or blood glucose-confirmed hypoglycaemia was reported by
      16 (4%) participants with 0.5 mg semaglutide and 20 (6%) with 1.0 mg semaglutide
      versus 38 (11%) with insulin glargine (p=0.0021 and p=0.0202 for 0.5 mg and 1.0
      mg semaglutide vs insulin glargine, respectively). Severe hypoglycaemia was
      reported by two (<1%) participants with 0.5 mg semaglutide, five (1%) with 1.0 mg
      semaglutide, and five (1%) with insulin glargine. Six deaths were reported: four
      (1%) in the 0.5 mg semaglutide group (three cardiovascular deaths, one pancreatic
      carcinoma, which was assessed as being possibly related to study medication) and
      two (<1%) in the insulin glargine group (both cardiovascular death). The most
      frequently reported adverse events were nausea with semaglutide, reported in 77
      (21%) patients with 0.5 mg and in 80 (22%) with 1.0 mg, and nasopharyngitis
      reported in 44 (12%) patients with insulin glargine. INTERPRETATION: Compared
      with insulin glargine, semaglutide resulted in greater reductions in HbA1c and
      weight, with fewer hypoglycaemic episodes, and was well tolerated, with a safety
      profile similar to that of other GLP-1 receptor agonists. FUNDING: Novo Nordisk
      A/S.

PMID- 28344113
TI  - Clinical features of patients with Zika and dengue virus co-infection in
      Singapore.

PMID- 28344114
TI  - Avian influenza A in poultry stalls of Lahore District, Pakistan in 2009-2010.

PMID- 28344115
TI  - A series of Zika virus cases imported into the UK 2016: Comparative
      epidemiological and clinical features.

PMID- 28344117
TI  - Learning the skills needed to perform shoulder arthroscopy by simulation.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: Simulation for arthroscopy helps surgical trainees develop their
      surgery skills in a safe environment. This teaching technique has become more
      widespread in recent years because of the need to provide surgeons in training
      with an alternative to the current methods. We hypothesized that a resident in
      surgery could acquire the skills needed to perform arthroscopic shoulder surgery
      by working on a simulator. MATERIAL AND METHODS: The study was conducted over a 4
      month period from June to September 2016. All the surgeons and residents in our
      department participated in the study. We recorded each participant's age, sex,
      dominant hand, and video gaming experience. We used the Arthro MentorTM simulator
      from Simbionix (now 3D Systems). Testing was carried out at the start and end of
      training to evaluate the participant's skills and their progression. The changes
      were evaluated statistically. RESULTS: Fourteen surgeons were included in the
      study. They were split into two groups: controls and residents. There was a
      statistically significant improvement in the intern group between the overall pre
      test score and the overall post-test score. There was no significant improvement
      in the overall score of the control group between the pre-test and post-test.
      DISCUSSION: For surgeons in training, shoulder arthroscopy simulation helps them
      acquire the skills needed to perform arthroscopy such as hand-eye coordination,
      triangulation and the ability to work in three-dimensions based on two
      dimensional visual information. We believe that the benefit of simulation resides
      in learning the skills needed to perform a surgical procedure, not in learning
      the procedure itself. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: III-case-control study.

PMID- 28344116
TI  - Asymptomatic group A Streptococcal throat carriage in Royal Marines recruits and
      Young Officers.
AB  - AIMS: A prospective observational study was conducted in Royal Marines (RM)
      recruits to investigate throat carriage of group A Streptococcus (GAS) and
      incidence of soft tissue infections. METHODS: 1012 RM recruits were followed
      through a 32-week training programme, with throat swabs being obtained in weeks
      1, 6, 15, and 32. Alongside a separate cohort of 46 RM Young Officers (YO)
      undergoing training were sampled in parallel. RESULTS: Carriage of group A
      Streptococcus was detected in only 5/1012 (0.49%) recruits at the beginning of
      training and remained low throughout training. There was no association between
      GAS carriage and development of soft tissue infection. There was no carriage of
      GAS in the smaller YO cohort at the start of training, (0/46). At week 6, a surge
      in GAS carriage was detected in 8/46 (17%) YO, that could be ascribed to a
      cluster of GAS genotype emm83. CONCLUSIONS: Asymptomatic GAS carriage is very
      infrequent among young adults in England and this should be borne in mind when
      considering the relevance of a positive throat swab result in symptomatic
      patients or outbreaks. Despite low prevalence, there is however potential for GAS
      to rapidly and transiently disseminate among adults during outbreaks.

PMID- 28344118
TI  - Geographic variation in the relationship between body mass index and the built
      environment.
AB  - Studies examining associations between weight status and neighborhood built
      environment (BE) have shown inconsistent results and have generally focused on
      urban settings. However, many Americans do not live in metropolitan areas and BE
      impacts may be different outside of metropolitan areas. We sought to examine
      whether the relationship between body mass index (BMI) and neighborhood BE exists
      and varies by geographic region across small towns in the United States. We
      conducted telephone surveys with 2156 adults and geographic information systems
      data in nine towns located within three geographic regions (Northeast, Texas,
      Washington) in 2011 and 2012. Multiple regression models examined the
      relationship between individual BMI and BE measures. Most physical activity
      variables were significantly associated with lower BMI in all geographic regions.
      We saw variation across geographic region in the relationship between
      characteristics of the BE variables and BMI. Some perceived and objectively
      measured characteristics of the BE were significantly associated with adult BMI,
      but significant relationships varied by geographic region. For example, in the
      Northeast, perceived attractiveness of the neighborhood as a reason for why they
      chose to live there was associated with lower BMI; in Texas, the perceived
      presence of a fast food restaurant was negatively associated with BMI; in
      Washington, perceived presence of trees along the streets was associated with
      lower BMI. Our findings suggest that regional variation plays a role in the
      relationship between adult BMI and BE characteristics in small towns. Regardless
      of geographic location, interventions should encourage utilitarian walking and
      other forms of physical activity.

PMID- 28344119
TI  - Acculturation and weight change in Asian-American children: Evidence from the
      ECLS-K:2011.
AB  - Despite relatively low rates of overweight and obesity among Asian-American
      children, disparities exist based on acculturation, socioeconomic status, and
      Asian ethnicity. The purpose of this study was to examine the association between
      acculturation and weight change in Asian-American children. Secondary aims were
      to compare changes by Asian ethnic group and acculturation x socioeconomic
      status. Participants included 1200 Asian-American children from the Early
      Childhood Longitudinal Study, Kindergarten Class of 2010-11, a longitudinal study
      of U.S. children attending kindergarten in 2010-2011. Multinomial logistic
      regressions were conducted to predict weight change based on body mass indices in
      kindergarten (spring 2011) and second grade (spring 2013): consistently healthy
      weight, consistently overweight/obese, healthy weight change, and unhealthy
      weight change. Models included demographic, household, socioeconomic status, and
      acculturation measures, specifically mother's English proficiency and percentage
      of life spent in the U.S. Overall, 72.3% of children were at healthy weights in
      kindergarten and second grade. Of all Asian ethnic groups, Filipino children had
      the highest rate of being consistently overweight/obese (24.8%) and the lowest
      rate of being consistently healthy weight (62.9%). In addition, mother's English
      proficiency predicted unhealthy weight change (OR: 0.83; 95% CI: 0.75-0.92) and
      healthy weight change (OR: 0.75; 95% CI: 0.65-0.86), relative to "consistently
      healthy weight." English proficiency also predicted being consistently
      overweight/obese for children with less educated mothers. Findings enhance our
      understanding of obesity disparities within Asian Americans and highlight the
      need to disaggregate the population. Obesity interventions are needed for
      Filipino children and families with low socioeconomic status but high English
      proficiency.

PMID- 28344121
TI  - Brevibacillus laterosporus pathogenesis and local immune response regulation in
      the house fly midgut.
AB  - The insect midgut represents the primary site of action of the entompathogenic
      bacterium Brevibacillus laterosporus. While most studies on this microorganism
      focus on the identification and characterization of possible virulence factors
      and toxins, little is known about the insect immune defense mechanisms that are
      activated against this pathogen. In this study we have investigated the local
      immune response of different house fly stages to B. laterosporus at the
      transcriptional level, and we tested the hypothesis that an improvement in
      entomopathogenicity can be achieved by impairing host innate immunity. Gene
      expression analyses showed that immediately after spore ingestion (6-12h) both
      larvae and adults increased the transcription rate of immune related genes in the
      midgut tissues, with special regard to those encoding for the main house fly
      antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) (i.e., attacin, cecropin, defensin, diptericin,
      domesticin, muscin) and for prophenoloxydase that is normally involved in the
      cascade of events leading to the generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and
      other factors with antibacterial properties. In experiments evaluating the use of
      an immunosuppressive agent to enhance the virulence of B. laterosporus against
      adult house flies, a significant downregulation of the same genes was observed 12
      24h after the administration of sub-lethal doses of the botanical compound
      azadirachtin. Consequently, a significant increase in B. laterosporus
      entomopathogenic action was observed when flies were preliminarily or
      simultaneously exposed to a sub-lethal dose of azadirachtin. These results
      provide an important contribution to the prospect of employing immune-impairing
      tools to implement pest management strategies.

PMID- 28344120
TI  - A systematic review of lifestyle counseling for diverse patients in primary care.
AB  - Prior research and systematic reviews have examined strategies related to weight
      management, less is known about lifestyle and behavioral counseling interventions
      optimally suited for implementation in primary care practices generally, and
      among racial and ethnic patient populations. Primary care practitioners may find
      it difficult to access and use available research findings on effective
      behavioral and lifestyle counseling strategies and to assess their effects on
      health behaviors among their patients. This systematic review compiled existing
      evidence from randomized trials to inform primary care providers about which
      lifestyle and behavioral change interventions are shown to be effective for
      changing patients' diet, physical activity and weight outcomes. Searches
      identified 444 abstracts from all sources (01/01/2004-05/15/2014). Duplicate
      abstracts were removed, selection criteria applied and dual abstractions
      conducted for 106 full text articles. As of June 12, 2015, 29 articles were
      retained for inclusion in the body of evidence. Randomized trials tested
      heterogeneous multi-component behavioral interventions for an equally wide array
      of outcomes in three population groups: diverse patient populations (23 studies),
      African American patients only (4 studies), and Hispanic/Mexican American/Latino
      patients only (2 studies). Significant and consistent findings among diverse
      populations showed that weight and physical activity related outcomes were more
      amenable to change via lifestyle and behavioral counseling interventions than
      those associated with diet modification. Evidence to support specific
      interventions for racial and ethnic minorities was promising, but insufficient
      based on the small number of studies.

PMID- 28344122
TI  - Three-dimensional evidence network plot system: covariate imbalances and effects
      in network meta-analysis explored using a new software tool.
AB  - OBJECTIVES: The aim of the study was to develop the three-dimensional (3D)
      evidence network plot system-a novel web-based interactive 3D tool to facilitate
      the visualization and exploration of covariate distributions and imbalances
      across evidence networks for network meta-analysis (NMA). STUDY DESIGN AND
      SETTING: We developed the 3D evidence network plot system within an AngularJS
      environment using a third party JavaScript library (Three.js) to create the 3D
      element of the application. Data used to enable the creation of the 3D element
      for a particular topic are inputted via a Microsoft Excel template spreadsheet
      that has been specifically formatted to hold these data. We display and discuss
      the findings of applying the tool to two NMA examples considering multiple
      covariates. These two examples have been previously identified as having
      potentially important covariate effects and allow us to document the various
      features of the tool while illustrating how it can be used. RESULTS: The 3D
      evidence network plot system provides an immediate, intuitive, and accessible way
      to assess the similarity and differences between the values of covariates for
      individual studies within and between each treatment contrast in an evidence
      network. In this way, differences between the studies, which may invalidate the
      usual assumptions of an NMA, can be identified for further scrutiny. Hence, the
      tool facilitates NMA feasibility/validity assessments and aids in the
      interpretation of NMA results. CONCLUSION: The 3D evidence network plot system is
      the first tool designed specifically to visualize covariate distributions and
      imbalances across evidence networks in 3D. This will be of primary interest to
      systematic review and meta-analysis researchers and, more generally, those
      assessing the validity and robustness of an NMA to inform reimbursement
      decisions.

PMID- 28344123
TI  - Effects of Campylobacter jejuni lipopolysaccharide on axonal injury in the spinal
      cord in rats.
AB  - To explore the effects of Campylobacter jejuni lipopolysaccharide (Cj-LPS) on
      axonal injury in the spinal cord. Wistar rats were divided into the control (NC)
      group, model group (Cj-LPS), and LPS antibody group (Anti-LPS). Rats in the NC
      group were injected with a mixture of normal saline and complete Freund's
      adjuvant (CFA) while those in Cj-LPS group were injected with Cj-LPS, composed of
      LPS, CFA, and saline. Rats were sacrificed at 4th week and 6th week after
      injection, and hematoxylin and eosin (HE) staining was performed on the spinal
      cord sections. Real time-reverse transcription(RT-PCR) was used to detect mRNA
      expression of the axonal nutrition factor neurotrophin-3 (NT-3) with its receptor
      tropomyosin receptor kinase C (TrkC) and axon inhibitory factor of NogoA/NgR
      (Nogo receptor). The results indicated that Cj-LPS induce axonal injury in the
      rat spinal cord, decreased the mRNA expression of the axonal nutrition factor NT
      3/TrkC, and increased the mRNA expression of the inhibitory factor NogoA/NgR.
      However, anti-LPS ameliorated axonal injury in the rat spinal cord induced by Cj
      LPS.

PMID- 28344124
TI  - Comparative genomics of transport proteins in probiotic and pathogenic
      Escherichia coli and Salmonella enterica strains.
AB  - Escherichia coli is a genetically diverse species that can be pathogenic,
      probiotic, commensal, or a harmless laboratory strain. Pathogenic strains of E.
      coli cause urinary tract infections, diarrhea, hemorrhagic colitis, and
      pyelonephritis, while the two known probiotic E. coli strains combat inflammatory
      bowel disease and play a role in immunomodulation. Salmonella enterica, a close
      relative of E. coli, includes two important pathogenic serovars, Typhi and
      Typhimurium, causing typhoid fever and enterocolitis in humans, respectively,
      with the latter strain also causing a lethal typhoid fever-like disease in mice.
      In this study, we identify the transport systems and their substrates within
      seven E. coli strains: two probiotic strains, two extracellular pathogens, two
      intracellular pathogens, and K-12, as well as the two intracellular pathogenic S.
      enterica strains noted above. Transport systems characteristic of each probiotic
      or pathogenic species were thus identified, and the tabulated results obtained
      with all of these strains were compared. We found that the probiotic and
      pathogenic strains generally contain more iron-siderophore and sugar transporters
      than E. coli K-12. Pathogens have increased numbers of pore-forming toxins,
      protein secretion systems, decarboxylation-driven Na+ exporters, electron flow
      driven monovalent cation exporters, and putative transporters of unknown function
      compared to the probiotic strains. Both pathogens and probiotic strains encode
      metabolite transporters that reflect their intracellular versus extracellular
      environments. The results indicate that the probiotic strains live
      extracellularly. It seems that relatively few virulence factors can convert a
      beneficial or commensal microorganism into a pathogen. Taken together, the
      results reveal the distinguishing features of these strains and provide a
      starting point for future engineering of beneficial enteric bacteria.

PMID- 28344125
TI  - Capadenoson, a clinically trialed partial adenosine A1 receptor agonist, can
      stimulate adenosine A2B receptor biased agonism.
AB  - The adenosine A2B receptor (A2BAR) has been identified as an important
      therapeutic target in cardiovascular disease, however in vitro and in vivo
      targeting has been limited by the paucity of pharmacological tools, particularly
      potent agonists. Interestingly, 2-((6-amino-3,5-dicyano-4-(4
      (cyclopropylmethoxy)phenyl)-2-pyridinyl)thio)acetamide (BAY60-6583), a potent and
      subtype-selective A2BAR agonist, has the same core structure as 2-amino-6-[[2-(4
      chlorophenyl)-1,3-thiazol-4-yl]methylsulfanyl]-4-[4-(2
      hydroxyethoxy)phenyl]pyridine-3,5-dicarbonitril (capadenoson). Capadenoson,
      currently classified as an adenosine A1 receptor (A1AR) partial agonist, has
      undergone two Phase IIa clinical trials, initially in patients with atrial
      fibrillation and subsequently in patients with stable angina. Capadenoson has
      also been shown to decrease cardiac remodeling in an animal model of advanced
      heart failure and a capadenoson derivative, neladenoson bialanate, recently
      entered clinical development for the treatment of chronic heart failure. The
      therapeutic effects of capadenoson are currently thought to be mediated through
      the A1AR. However, the ability of capadenoson to stimulate additional adenosine
      receptor subtypes, in particular the A2BAR, has not been rigorously assessed. In
      this study, we demonstrate that capadenoson does indeed have significant A2BAR
      activity in physiologically relevant cells, cardiac fibroblasts and
      cardiomyocytes, which endogenously express the A2BAR. Relative to the non
      selective adenosine receptor agonist NECA, capadenoson was a biased A2BAR agonist
      with a preference for cAMP signal transduction over other downstream mediators in
      cells with recombinant and endogenous A2BAR expression. These findings suggest
      the reclassification of capadenoson as a dual A1AR/A2BAR agonist. Furthermore, a
      potential A2BAR contribution should be an important consideration for the future
      clinical development of capadenoson-like therapeutics, as the A2BAR can promote
      cardioprotection and modulate cardiac fibrosis in heart disease.

PMID- 28344126
TI  - Regulation of the nitric oxide oxidase activity of myeloperoxidase by
      pharmacological agents.
AB  - The leukocyte-derived heme enzyme myeloperoxidase (MPO) is released
      extracellularly during inflammation and impairs nitric oxide (NO) bioavailability
      by directly oxidizing NO or producing NO-consuming substrate radicals. Here,
      structurally diverse pharmacological agents with activities as MPO
      substrates/inhibitors or antioxidants were screened for their effects on MPO NO
      oxidase activity in human plasma and physiological model systems containing
      endogenous MPO substrates/antioxidants (tyrosine, urate, ascorbate). Hydrazide
      based irreversible/reversible MPO inhibitors (4-ABAH, isoniazid) or the sickle
      cell anaemia drug, hydroxyurea, all promoted MPO NO oxidase activity. This
      involved the capacity of NO to antagonize MPO inhibition by hydrazide-derived
      radicals and/or the ability of drug-derived radicals to stimulate MPO turnover
      thereby increasing NO consumption by MPO redox intermediates or NO-consuming
      radicals. In contrast, the mechanism-based irreversible MPO inhibitor 2
      thioxanthine, potently inhibited MPO turnover and NO consumption. Although the
      phenolics acetaminophen and resveratrol initially increased MPO turnover and NO
      consumption, they limited the overall extent of NO loss by rapidly depleting H2O2
      and promoting the formation of ascorbyl radicals, which inefficiently consume NO.
      The vitamin E analogue trolox inhibited MPO NO oxidase activity in ascorbate
      depleted fluids by scavenging NO-consuming tyrosyl and urate radicals. Tempol and
      related nitroxides decreased NO consumption in ascorbate-replete fluids by
      scavenging MPO-derived ascorbyl radicals. Indoles or apocynin yielded marginal
      effects. Kinetic analyses rationalized differences in drug activities and
      identified criteria for the improved inhibition of MPO NO oxidase activity. This
      study reveals that widely used agents have important implications for MPO NO
      oxidase activity under physiological conditions, highlighting new pharmacological
      strategies for preserving NO bioavailability during inflammation.

PMID- 28344127
TI  - Replicated association between the European GWAS locus rs10503253 at CSMD1 and
      schizophrenia in Asian population.
AB  - Schizophrenia is one of the most severe mental disorders with significant
      heritability. Recent genetic association studies including genome-wide
      association studies (GWAS) have identified multiple common variants conferring
      risk of schizophrenia. An intronic SNP within CSMD1, rs10503253, is one of the
      top risk SNPs for schizophrenia in Europeans discovered through large GWAS.
      However, whether rs10503253 is also a risk SNP for schizophrenia in other
      populations, such as Asians, is still unknown. To answer this question, we
      examined the association of rs10503253 with schizophrenia in a total of 7514
      schizophrenia patients, 9058 healthy controls and 1115 nuclear families
      originated from Asia using a meta-analytic approach. In the meta-analysis of all
      the samples, we confirmed the association of rs10503253 A-allele with
      schizophrenia in Asian population (P-value=0.0093, odds ratio=1.062, 95%
      confidence interval=1.015-1.111), and no genetic heterogeneity between individual
      samples (P=0.810) was observed. Using the "Leave-one-out" sensitivity analysis,
      we further confirmed the association between rs10503253 and schizophrenia. These
      data show that rs10503253 is likely a common schizophrenia risk variant in
      multiple ethnic groups, and further studies regarding the underlying molecular
      mechanisms are needed.

PMID- 28344128
TI  - High-sucrose-induced maternal obesity disrupts ovarian function and decreases
      fertility in Drosophila melanogaster.
AB  - As the obesity epidemic worsens, the prevalence of maternal obesity is expected
      to rise. Both high-fat and high-sucrose diets are known to promote maternal
      obesity and several studies have elucidated the molecular influence of high-fat
      feeding on female reproduction. However, to date, the molecular impact of a high
      sucrose diet on maternal obesity remains to be investigated. Using our previously
      reported Drosophila high-sucrose maternal obesity model, we sought to determine
      how excess dietary sucrose impacted the ovary. High-sucrose diet (HSD) fed adult
      females developed systemic insulin resistance and exhibited an ovarian phenotype
      characterized by excess accumulation of lipids and cholesterol in the ovary,
      decreased ovary size, and impaired egg maturation. We also observed decreased
      expression of antioxidant genes and increased protein carbonylation in the
      ovaries of HSD females. HSD females laid fewer eggs; however, the overall
      survival of offspring was unchanged relative to lean control females. Ovaries of
      HSD females had increased mitochondrial DNA copy number and decreased expression
      of key mitochondrial regulators, suggestive of an ineffective compensatory
      response to mitochondrial dysfunction. Mitochondrial alterations were also
      observed in male offspring of obese females. This study demonstrates that high
      sucrose-induced maternal obesity promotes insulin resistance, while disrupting
      ovarian metabolism and function.

PMID- 28344130
TI  - Aquaporin-3 deletion in mice results in renal collecting duct abnormalities and
      worsens ischemia-reperfusion injury.
AB  - Aquaporin-3 (AQP3), a transporter of water, glycerol and H2O2, is expressed in
      basolateral membranes of principal cells in kidney collecting duct. Here, we
      report that AQP3 deletion in mice affects renal function and modulates renal
      injury. We found collecting duct hyperplasia and cell swelling in kidneys of
      adult AQP3 null mice. After mild renal ischemia-reperfusion (IR), AQP3 null mice
      had significantly greater blood urea nitrogen (57mg/dl) and creatinine (136MUM)
      than wild-type mice (35mg/dl and 48MUM, respectively), and showed renal
      morphological changes, including tubular dilatation, erythrocyte diapedesis and
      collecting duct incompletion. MPO, MDA and SOD following IR in AQP3 null mice
      were significantly different from that in wild-type mice (1.7U/g vs 0.8U/g,
      3.9MUM/g vs 2.4MUM/g, 6.4U/mg vs 11U/mg, respectively). Following IR, AQP3
      deletion inhibited activation of mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK)
      signaling and produced an increase in the ratios of Bax/Bcl-2, cleaved caspase
      3/caspase-3 and p-p53/p53. Studies in transfected MDCK cells showed that AQP3
      expression attenuated reduced cell viability following hypoxia-reoxygenation,
      with reduced apoptosis and increased MAPK signaling. Our results support a novel
      role for AQP3 in modulating renal injury and suggest the mechanisms involved in
      protection against hypoxic injury.

PMID- 28344131
TI  - Specific patterns of spinal metabolites underlying alpha-Me-5-HT-evoked pruritus
      compared with histamine and capsaicin assessed by proton nuclear magnetic
      resonance spectroscopy.
AB  - The mechanism behind itching is not well understood. Proton nuclear magnetic
      resonance (1H-NMR) spectroscopic analysis of spinal cord extracts provides a
      quick modality for evaluating the specific metabolic activity of alpha-Me-5-HT
      evoked pruritus mice. In the current study, four groups of young adult male
      C57Bl/6 mice were investigated; one group treated with saline, while the other
      groups intradermally injected with alpha-Me-5-HT (histamine independent
      pruritogen), histamine (histamine dependent pruritogen) and capsaicin (algogenic
      substance), respectively. The intradermal microinjection of alpha-Me-5-HT and
      histamine resulted in a dramatic increase in the itch behavior. Furthermore, the
      results of NMR studies of the spinal cord extracts revealed that the metabolites
      show very different patterns for these different drugs, especially when comparing
      alpha-Me-5-HT and capsaicin. All the animals in the groups of alpha-Me-5-HT and
      capsaicin were completely separated using the metabolite parameters and principal
      component analysis. For alpha-Me-5-HT, the concentrations of glutamate, GABA,
      glycine and aspartate increased significantly, especially for GABA (increased
      17.2%, p=0.008). Furthermore, the concentration of NAA increased, but there was
      no significant difference (increased 11.3%, p=0.191) compared to capsaicin
      (decreased 29.1%, p=0.002). Thus the application of magnetic resonance
      spectroscopy technique, coupled with statistical analysis, could further explain
      the mechanism behind itching evoked by alpha-Me-5-HT or other drugs. It can thus
      improve our understanding of itch pathophysiology and pharmacological therapies
      which may contribute to itch relief.

PMID- 28344129
TI  - Role of microRNA in diabetic cardiomyopathy: From mechanism to intervention.
AB  - Diabetic cardiomyopathy is a chronic and irreversible heart complication in
      diabetic patients, and is characterized by complex pathophysiologic events
      including early diastolic dysfunction, cardiac hypertrophy, ventricular dilation
      and systolic dysfunction, eventually resulting in heart failure. Despite these
      characteristics, the underlying mechanisms leading to diabetic cardiomyopathy are
      still elusive. Recent studies have implicated microRNA, a small and highly
      conserved non-coding RNA molecule, in the etiology of diabetes and its
      complications, suggesting a potentially novel approach for the diagnosis and
      treatment of diabetic cardiomyopathy. This brief review aims at capturing recent
      studies related to the role of microRNA in diabetic cardiomyopathy. This article
      is part of a Special Issue entitled: Genetic and epigenetic control of heart
      failure - edited by Jun Ren & Megan Yingmei Zhang.

PMID- 28344132
TI  - Management of Anticoagulants and Antiplatelet Agents During Colonoscopy.
AB  - Colonoscopy frequently is performed for patients who are taking aspirin,
      nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, antiplatelet agents, and other
      anticoagulants. These colonoscopies often involve polypectomy, which can be
      complicated by bleeding. The risks of precipitating thromboembolic complications
      if anticoagulants are stopped must be weighed against the risk of postpolypectomy
      bleeding if these agents are continued. This article systematically reviews the
      management of anticoagulation during elective and emergency colonoscopy. For
      patients undergoing colonoscopic polypectomy, the overall risk of postpolypectomy
      bleeding is <0.5%. Risk factors for postpolypectomy bleeding include large polyp
      size and anticoagulant use, especially warfarin and thienopyridines. For patients
      who do not stop aspirin or other nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs prior to
      colonoscopy, the rate of postpolypectomy bleeding is not significantly different
      from that for patients who do not take those medications. For patients who
      continue thienopyridines and undergo polypectomy, the risk of delayed
      postpolypectomy bleeding is approximately 2.4%. Even for patients who interrupt
      warfarin, the risk of postpolypectomy bleeding is increased. The direct oral
      anticoagulants (direct thrombin inhibitors and factor Xa inhibitors) have a rapid
      onset and offset of action, and periprocedural bridging generally is not
      necessary. For the thienopyridines, warfarin, and the direct oral anticoagulants,
      the decision to interrupt or continue these agents for endoscopy will involve
      considerable exercise of clinical judgment.

PMID- 28344133
TI  - Associated Risk of Malignancy in Patients with Cardiovascular Disease: Evidence
      and Possible Mechanism.
AB  - Cardiovascular disease and malignancy are leading causes of morbidity and
      mortality. Increased risk of malignancy was identified in patients with
      cardiovascular disease, including patients with heart failure, heart failure
      after myocardial infarction, patients undergoing cardiac intervention, and
      patients after a thrombotic event. Common risk factors and biological pathways
      can explain this association and are explored in this review. Further research is
      needed to establish the causes of malignancy in this population and direct
      possible intervention.

PMID- 28344134
TI  - Cytomegalovirus-Associated Hemophagocytic Syndrome in a 59-Year-Old Woman with
      Ulcerative Colitis.

PMID- 28344135
TI  - Not Just Skin Deep: Distant Metastases from Cutaneous Squamous Cell Carcinoma.

PMID- 28344137
TI  - Non-Classic Cystic Fibrosis: The Value in Family History.

PMID- 28344136
TI  - Prognostic Value of Soluble ST2 After Myocardial Infarction: A Community
      Perspective.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Soluble ST2 (sST2) is a marker of cardiac mechanical strain
      hypothesized to adversely impact short-term prognosis after myocardial
      infarction. We examined the association of sST2 with longer-term outcomes after
      myocardial infarction in a geographically defined community. METHODS: Olmsted
      County, Minnesota residents who experienced an incident (first-ever) myocardial
      infarction between November 1, 2002 and December 31, 2012 were prospectively
      enrolled; sST2 levels were measured. Patients were followed for heart failure and
      death. RESULTS: We studied 1401 patients with incident myocardial infarction
      (mean age 67 years; 61% men; 79% non-ST-elevation myocardial infarction). Median
      sST2 (ng/mL) was 48.7 (25th-75th percentile 32.5-103.3). Soluble ST2 was elevated
      in 51% of patients. Higher values of sST2 were associated with increased age,
      female sex, and comorbidities. During 5 years of follow-up, 388 persons died and
      360 developed heart failure. After adjustment for age, sex, comorbidities, Killip
      class, and troponin T, the hazard ratios for death were 1.73 (95% confidence
      interval [CI], 1.22-2.45) and 3.57 (95% CI, 2.57-4.96) for sST2 tertiles 2 and 3,
      respectively (Ptrend <.001). For heart failure, the hazard ratios were 1.67 (95%
      CI, 1.18-2.37) and 2.88 (95% CI, 2.05-4.05), respectively (Ptrend <.001). Results
      were similar among 30-day survivors. CONCLUSIONS: In the community, sST2
      elevation is present in half of myocardial infarctions. Higher values of sST2 are
      associated with a large excess risk of death and heart failure independently of
      other prognostic indicators. Measurement of sST2 should be considered for risk
      stratification after myocardial infarction.

PMID- 28344138
TI  - Black Pump Independence.

PMID- 28344139
TI  - Post-Discharge Worsening Renal Function in Patients with Type 2 Diabetes and
      Recent Acute Coronary Syndrome.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Worsening renal function during hospitalization for an acute coronary
      syndrome is strongly predictive of in-hospital and long-term outcome. However,
      the role of post-discharge worsening renal function has never been investigated
      in this setting. METHODS: We considered the placebo cohort of the AleCardio trial
      comparing aleglitazar with standard medical therapy among patients with type 2
      diabetes mellitus and a recent acute coronary syndrome. Patients who had died or
      had been admitted to hospital for heart failure before the 6-month follow-up, as
      well as patients without complete renal function data, were excluded, leaving
      2776 patients for the analysis. Worsening renal function was defined as a >20%
      reduction in estimated glomerular filtration rate from discharge to 6 months, or
      progression to macroalbuminuria. The Cox regression analysis was used to
      determine the prognostic impact of 6-month renal deterioration on the composite
      of all-cause death and hospitalization for heart failure. RESULTS: Worsening
      renal function occurred in 204 patients (7.34%). At a median follow-up of 2 years
      the estimated rates of death and hospitalization for heart failure per 100 person
      years were 3.45 (95% confidence interval [CI], 2.46-6.36) for those with
      worsening renal function, versus 1.43 (95% CI, 1.14-1.79) for patients with
      stable renal function. At the adjusted analysis worsening renal function was
      associated with the composite endpoint (hazard ratio 2.65; 95% CI, 1.57-4.49; P
      <.001). CONCLUSIONS: Post-discharge worsening renal function is not infrequent
      among patients with type 2 diabetes and acute coronary syndromes with normal or
      mildly depressed renal function, and is a strong predictor of adverse
      cardiovascular events.

PMID- 28344140
TI  - High-Value, Cost-Conscious Care: Iterative Systems-Based Interventions to Reduce
      Unnecessary Laboratory Testing.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Inappropriate testing contributes to soaring healthcare costs within
      the United States, and teaching hospitals are vulnerable to providing care
      largely for academic development. Via its "Choosing Wisely" campaign, the
      American Board of Internal Medicine recommends avoiding repetitive testing for
      stable inpatients. We designed systems-based interventions to reduce laboratory
      orders for patients admitted to the wards at an academic facility. METHODS: We
      identified the computer-based order entry system as an appropriate target for
      sustainable intervention. The admission order set had allowed multiple routine
      tests to be ordered repetitively each day. Our iterative study included
      interventions on the automated order set and cost displays at order entry. The
      primary outcome was number of routine tests controlled for inpatient days
      compared with the preceding year. Secondary outcomes included cost savings,
      delays in care, and adverse events. RESULTS: Data were collected over a 2-month
      period following interventions in sequential years and compared with the year
      prior. The first intervention led to 0.97 fewer laboratory tests per inpatient
      day (19.4%). The second intervention led to sustained reduction, although by less
      of a margin than order set modifications alone (15.3%). When extrapolating the
      results utilizing fees from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, there
      was a cost savings of $290,000 over 2 years. Qualitative survey data did not
      suggest an increase in care delays or near-miss events. CONCLUSIONS: This series
      of interventions targeting unnecessary testing demonstrated a sustained reduction
      in the number of routine tests ordered, without adverse effects on clinical care.

PMID- 28344141
TI  - Single High-Sensitivity Cardiac Troponin I to Rule Out Acute Myocardial
      Infarction.
AB  - BACKGROUND: This study examined the performance of single high-sensitivity
      cardiac troponin I (hs-cTnI) measurement strategies to rule out acute myocardial
      infarction. METHODS: This was a prospective, observational study of consecutive
      patients presenting to the emergency department (n = 1631) in whom cTnI
      measurements were obtained using an investigational hs-cTnI assay. The goals of
      the study were to determine 1) negative predictive value (NPV) and sensitivity
      for the diagnosis of acute myocardial infarction, type 1 myocardial infarction,
      and type 2 myocardial infarction; and 2) safety outcome of acute myocardial
      infarction or cardiac death at 30 days using hs-cTnI less than the limit of
      detection (LoD) (<1.9 ng/L) or the High-STEACS threshold (<5 ng/L) alone and in
      combination with normal electrocardiogram (ECG). RESULTS: Acute myocardial
      infarction occurred in 170 patients (10.4%), including 68 (4.2%) type 1
      myocardial infarction and 102 (6.3%) type 2 myocardial infarction. For hs
      cTnI<LoD (27%), the NPV and sensitivity for acute myocardial infarction were
      99.6% (95% confidence interval 98.9%-100%) and 98.8 (97.2%-100%). For hs-cTnI<5
      ng/L (50%), the NPV and sensitivity for acute myocardial infarction were 98.9%
      (98.2%-99.6%) and 94.7% (91.3%-98.1%). In combination with a normal ECG, 1) hs
      cTnI<LoD had an NPV of 99.6% (98.9%-100%) and sensitivity of 99.4% (98.3%-100%);
      and 2) hs-cTnI<5 ng/L had an NPV of 99.5% (98.8%-100%) and sensitivity of 98.8%
      (97.2%-100%). The NPV and sensitivity for the safety outcome were excellent for
      hs-cTnI<LoD alone or in combination with a normal ECG, and for hs-cTnI<5 ng/L in
      combination with a normal ECG. CONCLUSION: Strategies using a single hs-cTnI
      alone or in combination with a normal ECG allow the immediate identification of
      patients unlikely to have acute myocardial infarction and who are at very low
      risk for adverse events at 30 days.

PMID- 28344142
TI  - Viewpoint: Stroke Prevention in Recent Guidelines for the Management of Patients
      with Atrial Fibrillation: An Appraisal.
AB  - Formal guidelines play an important role in disseminating the best available
      evidence knowledge and are expected to provide simple and practical
      recommendations for the most optimal management of patients with various
      conditions. Such guidelines have important implications for many disease states,
      which thereby could be more professionally managed in everyday clinical practice
      by clinicians with divergent educational backgrounds, and also more easily
      implemented in wards or outpatient clinics, eliminating inequalities in health
      care management. In this brief Viewpoint we provide an appraisal on the
      recommendations pertinent to the prevention of atrial fibrillation-related stroke
      or systemic thromboembolism, as provided in recently published guidelines for the
      management of this arrhythmia.

PMID- 28344143
TI  - Case of Reversible Complete Heart Block.

PMID- 28344144
TI  - Patient-Specific Tailored Intervention Improves INR Time in Therapeutic Range and
      INR Variability in Heart Failure Patients.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Many patients with heart failure need anticoagulants, including
      warfarin. Good control is particularly challenging in heart failure patients,
      with <60% of international normalized ratio (INR) measurements in the therapeutic
      range, thereby increasing the risk of complications. This study aimed to evaluate
      the effect of a patient-specific tailored intervention on anticoagulation control
      in patients with heart failure. METHODS: Patients with heart failure taking
      warfarin therapy (n = 145) were randomized to either standard care or a 1-time
      intervention assessing potential risk factors for lability of INR, in which they
      received patient-specific instructions. Time in therapeutic range (TTR) using
      Rosendaal's linear model was assessed 3 months before and after the intervention.
      RESULTS: The patient-tailored intervention significantly increased
      anticoagulation control. The median TTR levels before intervention were
      suboptimal in the interventional and control groups (53% vs 45%, P = .14). After
      intervention the median TTR increased significantly in the interventional group
      compared with the control group (80% [interquartile range, 62%-93%] vs 44% [29%
      61%], P <.0001). The intervention resulted in a significant improvement in the
      interventional group before versus after intervention (53% vs 80%, P <.0001) but
      not in the control group (45% vs 44%, P = .95). The percentage of patients with a
      TTR >=60%, considered therapeutic, was substantially higher in the interventional
      group: 79% versus 25% (P <.0001). The INR variability (standard deviation of each
      patient's INR measurements) decreased significantly in the interventional group,
      from 0.53 to 0.32 (P <.0001) after intervention but not in the control group.
      CONCLUSIONS: Patient-specific tailored intervention significantly improves
      anticoagulation therapy in patients with heart failure.

PMID- 28344145
TI  - How the USPSTF's Mammographic Screening Guidelines Should Be Interpreted.

PMID- 28344146
TI  - Arterial Thromboses Heralding Cholangiocarcinoma.

PMID- 28344147
TI  - Evaluation of Deprescribing Amiodarone After New-Onset Atrial Fibrillation in
      Critical Illness.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Recent studies have shed light on the continued prescription of
      inpatient medications upon hospital discharge, despite the original intent of
      short-term inpatient therapy. Amiodarone, an antiarrhythmic associated with
      significant adverse effects with long-term use, is commonly used for new-onset
      atrial fibrillation in critical illness (NAFCI). Although it is often preferred
      in this setting of hemodynamic instability, a prescription for long-term use
      should be carefully considered, preferably by a cardiologist. This study was
      conducted to evaluate the incidence of patients discharged on amiodarone without
      a cardiology consult or referral after being initiated on amiodarone for NAFCI.
      METHODS: We conducted a retrospective review of all patients newly prescribed
      amiodarone for NAFCI over a 2-year period. The primary outcome was the percentage
      of patients who were continued on amiodarone upon hospital discharge without
      review by or outpatient referral to a cardiologist. RESULTS: Of the 100 patients
      who met inclusion criteria, 59 patients were prescribed amiodarone upon hospital
      discharge. Of these, 48 patients (81.4%) had converted to normal sinus rhythm
      with the resolution of critical illness. Of 100 patients, 23 received
      prescriptions for amiodarone upon discharge without a cardiology consult or
      referral. CONCLUSION: Amiodarone was frequently continued upon discharge without
      referral to a cardiologist in patients initiated on this therapy for NAFCI. This
      may contribute to unnecessary long-term therapy, thereby increasing the risk for
      significant side effects, drug interactions, and increased healthcare costs. This
      study suggests that careful medication reconciliation through all transitions of
      care, including discharge, is essential.

PMID- 28344148
TI  - Hemidiaphragmatic Hernia and Volvulus in a 94-Year-Old Woman.

PMID- 28344149
TI  - Life with One Kidney: Primary Care and the Living Kidney Donor.

PMID- 28344150
TI  - Cardiorespiratory Fitness Change and Mortality Risk Among Black and White
      Patients: Henry Ford Exercise Testing (FIT) Project.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Little is known about the relationship of change in cardiorespiratory
      fitness and mortality risk in Black patients. This study assessed change in
      cardiorespiratory fitness and its association with all-cause mortality risk in
      Black and White patients. METHODS: This is a retrospective, longitudinal,
      observational cohort study of 13,345 patients (age = 55 +/- 11 years; 39% women;
      26% black) who completed 2 exercise tests, at least 12 months apart at Henry Ford
      Hospital, Detroit, Mich. All-cause mortality was identified through April 2013.
      Data were analyzed in 2015-2016 using Cox regression to calculate hazard ratios
      (HR) for risk of mortality associated with change in sex-specific
      cardiorespiratory fitness. RESULTS: Mean time between the tests was 3.4 years
      (interquartile range 1.9-5.6 years). During 9.1 years (interquartile range 6.3
      11.6 years) of follow-up, there were 1931 (14%) deaths (16.5% black, 13.7%
      white). For both races, change in fitness from Low to the Intermediate/High
      category resulted in a significant reduction of death risk (HR 0.65 [95%
      confidence interval (CI), 0.49-0.87] for Black; HR 0.41 [95% CI, 0.34-0.51] for
      White). Each 1-metabolic-equivalent-of-task increase was associated with a
      reduced mortality risk in black (HR 0.84 [95% CI, 0.81-0.89]) and white (HR 0.87
      [95% CI, 0.82-0.86]) patients. There was no interaction by race. CONCLUSIONS:
      Among black and white patients, change in cardiorespiratory fitness from Low to
      Intermediate/High fitness was associated with a 35% and 59% lower risk of all
      cause mortality, respectively.

PMID- 28344152
TI  - Trait-based food-cravings are encoded by regional homogeneity in the
      parahippocampal gyrus.
AB  - Food cravings can reflect an intense trait-like emotional-motivational desire to
      eat palatable food, often resulting in the failure of weight loss efforts.
      Studies have linked trait-based food-cravings to increased risk of overeating.
      However, little is known about resting-state neural mechanisms that underlie food
      cravings. We investigated this issue using resting-state functional magnetic
      resonance imaging (fMRI) to test the extent to which spontaneous neural activity
      occurs in regions implicated in emotional memory and reward motivation associated
      with food cravings. Spontaneous regional activity patterns correlating to food
      cravings were assessed among 65 young healthy women using regional homogeneity
      analysis to assess temporal synchronization of spontaneous activity. Analyses
      indicated that women with higher scores on the Food Cravings Questionnaire
      displayed increased local functional homogeneity in brain regions involved in
      emotional memory and visual attention processing (i.e., parahippocampal gyrus and
      fusiform gyrus) but not reward. In view of parahippocampal gyrus involvement in
      hedonic learning and incentive memory encoding, this study suggests that trait
      based food cravings are encoded by emotional memory circuits.

PMID- 28344151
TI  - Enhancing oligodendrocyte differentiation by transient transcription activation
      via DNA nanoparticle-mediated transfection.
AB  - : Current approaches to derive oligodendrocytes from human pluripotent stem cells
      (hPSCs) need extended exposure of hPSCs to growth factors and small molecules,
      which limits their clinical application because of the lengthy culture time
      required and low generation efficiency of myelinating oligodendrocytes. Compared
      to extrinsic growth factors and molecules, oligodendrocyte differentiation and
      maturation can be more effectively modulated by regulation of the cell
      transcription network. In the developing central nervous system (CNS), two basic
      helix-loop-helix transcription factors, Olig1 and Olig2, are decisive in
      oligodendrocyte differentiation and maturation. Olig2 plays a critical role in
      the specification of oligodendrocytes and Olig1 is crucial in promoting
      oligodendrocyte maturation. Recently viral vectors have been used to overexpress
      Olig2 and Olig1 in neural stem/progenitor cells (NSCs) to induce the maturation
      of oligodendrocytes and enhance the remyelination activity in vivo. Because of
      the safety issues with viral vectors, including the insertional mutagenesis and
      potential tumor formation, non-viral transfection methods are preferred for
      clinical translation. Here we report a poly(beta-amino ester) (PBAE)-based
      nanoparticle transfection method to deliver Olig1 and Olig2 into human fetal
      tissue-derived NSCs and demonstrate efficient oligodendrocyte differentiation
      following transgene expression of Olig1 and Olig2. This approach is potentially
      translatable for engineering stem cells to treat injured or diseased CNS tissues.
      STATEMENT OF SIGNIFICANCE: Current protocols to derive oligodendrocytes from
      human pluripotent stem cells (hPSCs) require lengthy culture time with low
      generation efficiencies of mature oligodendrocytes. We described a new approach
      to enhance oligodendrocyte differentiation through nanoparticle-mediated
      transcription modulation. We tested an effective transfection method using cell
      compatible poly (beta-amino ester) (PBAE)/DNA nanoparticles as gene carrier to
      deliver transcription factor Olig1 and Olig2 into human fetal tissue-derived
      neural stem/progenitor cells, and showed efficient oligodendrocyte
      differentiation following transgene expression of Olig1 and Olig2. We believe
      that this translatable approach can be applied to many other cell-based
      regenerative therapies as well.

PMID- 28344153
TI  - Plant hormone cytokinins control cell cycle progression and plastid replication
      in apicomplexan parasites.
AB  - Cytokinins are plant hormones that are involved in regulation of cell
      proliferation, cell cycle progression, and cell and plastid development. Here, we
      show that the apicomplexan parasites Toxoplasma gondii and Plasmodium berghei, an
      opportunistic human pathogen and a rodent malaria agent, respectively, produce
      cytokinins via a biosynthetic pathway similar to that in plants. Cytokinins
      regulate the growth and cell cycle progression of T. gondii by mediating
      expression of the cyclin gene TgCYC4. A natural form of cytokinin, trans-zeatin
      (t-zeatin), upregulated expression of this cyclin, while a synthetic cytokinin,
      thidiazuron, downregulated its expression. Immunofluorescence microscopy and
      quantitative PCR analysis showed that t-zeatin increased the genome-copy number
      of apicoplast, which are non-photosynthetic plastid, in the parasite, while
      thidiazuron led to their disappearance. Thidiazuron inhibited growth of T. gondii
      and Plasmodium falciparum, a human malaria parasite, suggesting that thidiazuron
      has therapeutic potential as an inhibitor of apicomplexan parasites.

PMID- 28344154
TI  - Characterization of Toxoplasma gondii isolates from herds of sheep in southern
      Brazil reveals the archetypal type II genotype and new non-archetypal genotypes.
AB  - Recent studies have demonstrated that, in Brazil and South America, strains of
      Toxoplasma gondii are often genotypically and biologically different from those
      found in countries on other continents. The objective of this study was to
      genotypically characterize T. gondii isolates from naturally infected sheep in
      herds in the southern region of the state of Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil, by means
      of the polymerase chain reaction with restriction fragment length polymorphism
      (PCR-RFLP). Five T. gondii isolates obtained from sheep in five municipalities in
      the state of Rio Grande do Sul were used. Application of multilocus PCR-RFLP
      multilocus using 12 genetic markers (SAG1, 5'3' SAG2, alt. SAG2, SAG3, BTUB, c22
      8, c29-2, GRA6, L358, PK1, APICO and CS3) revealed four different genotypes in
      the five isolates studied: clonal type II (TgOvBrRS4), type BrIV (TgOvBrRS2 and
      TgOvBrRS3) and two new non-archetypal genotypes, ToxoDB-RFLP#270 and #271
      (TgOvBrRS1 and TgOvBrRS5, respectively). The genotype structure found in the T.
      gondii isolates from naturally infected sheep in the southern region of Brazil
      was revealed to have high diversity. This study confirms the presence of rare
      circulation of the clonal type II genotype in Brazil.

PMID- 28344155
TI  - Enzymatic incorporation of caffeoyl into castor oil to prepare the novel castor
      oil-based caffeoyl structured lipids.
AB  - In this work, a novel castor oil-based caffeoyl structured lipids was
      successfully prepared by the enzymatic transesterification using castor oil (CO)
      as caffeoyl acceptor. During the structured lipids preparation, two competitive
      reactions, the hydrolysis of CO to form hydrophilic caffeoyl glycerols
      (CG)+dicaffeoyl glycerols (DCG) and the transesterification of CO with ethyl
      caffeate (EC) to form lipophilic caffeoyl mono- and di-acylglycerols (CMAG and
      CDAG), were found. Reaction progress was monitored using HPLC-ESI-MS and HPLC-UV.
      The effects of by-product ethanol removal and reaction variables on the
      transesterification and reaction selectivity were evaluated. Results showed that,
      the activation energies for the transesterification and for the selective
      formations of CMAG+CDAG and CG+DCG were 57.60kJ/mol, 58.86kJ/mol, and
      60.53kJ/mol, respectively. Under the optimal reaction conditions (enzyme load
      23%, 90 degrees C, 1:3 molar ratio of EC to CO, and 46.5h), EC conversion and the
      yield of CMAG+CDAG were 93.68+/-2.52% and 78.11+/-1.35%, respectively.

PMID- 28344156
TI  - Enhancing fructooligosaccharides production by genetic improvement of the
      industrial fungus Aspergillus niger ATCC 20611.
AB  - Aspergillus niger ATCC20611 is one of the most potent filamentous fungi used
      commercially for production of fructooligosaccharides (FOS), which are
      prospective components of functional food by stimulating probiotic bacteria in
      the human gut. However, current strategies for improving FOS yield still rely on
      production process development. The genetic engineering approach hasn't been
      applied in industrial strains to increase FOS production level. Here, an
      optimized polyethylene glycol (PEG)-mediated protoplast transformation system was
      established in A. niger ATCC 20611 and used for further strain improvement. The
      pyrithiamine resistance gene (ptrA) was selected as a dominant marker and
      protoplasts were prepared with high concentration (up to 108g-1 wet weight
      mycelium) by using mixed cell wall-lysing enzymes. The transformation frequency
      with ptrA can reach 30-50 transformants per MUg of DNA. In addition, the
      efficiency of co-transformation with the EGFP reporter gene (egfp) was high
      (approx. 82%). Furthermore, an activity-improved variant of beta
      fructofuranosidase, FopA(A178P), was successfully overexpressed in A. niger ATCC
      20611 by using the transformation system. The transformant, CM6, exhibited a 58%
      increase in specific beta-fructofuranosidase activity (up to 507U/g), compared to
      the parental strain (320U/g), and effectively reduced the time needed for
      completion of FOS synthesis. These results illustrate the feasibility of strain
      improvement through genetic engineering for further enhancement of FOS production
      level.

PMID- 28344157
TI  - Surgical procedures in liver transplant patients: A monocentric retrospective
      cohort study.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Pre-existing chronic liver diseases and the complexity of the
      transplant surgery procedures lead to a greater risk of further surgery in
      transplanted patients compared to the general population. The aim of this
      monocentric retrospective cohort study was to assess the epidemiology of surgical
      complications in liver transplanted patients who require further surgical
      procedures and to characterize their post-operative risk of complications to
      enhance their medical care. PATIENTS AND METHODS: From January 1997 to December
      2011, 1211 patients underwent orthotropic liver transplantation in our center. A
      retrospective analysis of prospectively collected data was performed considering
      patients who underwent surgical procedures more than three months after
      transplantation. We recorded liver transplantation technique, type of surgery,
      post-operative complications, time since the liver transplant and
      immunosuppressive regimens. RESULTS: Among these, 161 patients (15%) underwent a
      further 183 surgical procedures for conditions both related and unrelated to the
      transplant. The most common surgical procedure was for an incisional hernia
      repair (n = 101), followed by bilioenteric anastomosis (n = 44), intestinal
      surgery (n = 23), liver surgery (n = 8) and other surgical procedures (n = 7).
      Emergency surgery was required in 19 procedures (10%), while 162 procedures (90%)
      were performed electively. Post-operative mortality and morbidity were 1% and
      30%, respectively. According to the Dindo-Clavien classification, the most common
      grade of morbidity was grade III (46%), followed by grade II (40%). CONCLUSION:
      Surgical procedures on liver transplanted patients are associated with a
      significantly high risk of complications, irrespective of the time elapsed since
      transplantation.

PMID- 28344158
TI  - Laparoscopic vs open approach for transverse colon cancer. A systematic review
      and meta-analysis of short and long term outcomes.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Transverse colon malignancies have been excluded from all randomized
      controlled trials comparing laparoscopic against open colectomies, potentially
      due to the advanced laparoscopic skills required for dissecting around the middle
      colic vessels and the associated morbidity. Concerns have been expressed that the
      laparoscopic approach may compromise the oncological clearance in transverse
      colon cancer. This study aimed to comprehensively compare the laparoscopic (LPA)
      to the open (OPA) approach by performing a meta-analysis of long and short term
      outcomes. METHODS: Medline, Embase, Cochrane library, Scopus and Web of Knowledge
      databases were interrogated. Selected studies were critically appraised and the
      short-term morbidity and long term oncological outcomes were meta-analyzed.
      Sensitivity analysis according to the quality of the study, type of procedure
      (laparoscopic vs laparoscopically assisted) and level of lymphadenectomy was
      performed. Statistical heterogeneity and publication bias were also investigated.
      RESULTS: Eleven case control trials (1415 patients) were included in the study.
      There was no difference between the LPA and the OPA in overall survival [Hazard
      Ratio (HR) = 0.83 (0.56, 1.22); P = 0.34], disease free survival (p = 0.20),
      local recurrence (p = 0.81) or distant metastases (p = 0.24). LPA was found to
      have longer operative time [Weighted mean difference (WMD) = 45.00 (29.48,
      60.52); P < 0.00001] with earlier establishment of oral intake [WMD = -1.68 (
      1.84, -1.53); P < 0.00001] and shorter hospital stay [WMD = -2.94 (-4.27, -1.62);
      P = 0.0001]. No difference was found in relation to anastomotic leakage (p =
      0.39), intra-abdominal abscess (p = 0.25), lymph nodes harvested (p = 0.17).
      CONCLUSIONS: LPA seems to be safe with equivalent oncological outcomes to OPA and
      better short term outcomes in selected patient populations. High quality
      Randomized control trials are required to further investigate the role of
      laparoscopy in transverse colon cancer.

PMID- 28344159
TI  - Significance of preoperative planning software for puncture and channel
      establishment in percutaneous endoscopic lumbar DISCECTOMY: A study of 40 cases.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Preoperative planning software has been widely used in many other
      minimally invasive surgeries, but there is a lack of information describing the
      clinical benefits of existing software applied in percutaneous endoscopic lumbar
      discectomy (PELD). This study aimed to compare the clinical efficacy of
      preoperative planning software in puncture and channel establishment of PELD with
      routine methods in treating lumbar disc herniation (LDH). MATERIAL AND METHODS:
      From June 2016 to October 2016, 40 patients who had single L4/5 or L5/S1 disc
      herniation were divided into two groups. Group A adopted planning software for
      preoperative puncture simulation while Group B took routine cases discussion for
      making puncture plans. The channel establishment time, operative time,
      fluoroscopic times and complications were compared between the two groups. The
      surgical efficacy was evaluated according to the Visual Analogue Scale (VAS),
      Oswestry Disability Index (ODI) and modified Macnab's criteria. RESULTS: The mean
      channel establishment time was 25.1 +/- 4.2 min and 34.6 +/- 5.4 min in Group A
      and B, respectively (P < 0.05). The mean operative time was 80.8 +/- 8.4 min and
      92.1 +/- 7.3 min in Group A and B, respectively (P < 0.05). The fluoroscopic
      times were 21.5 +/- 5.2 in Group A and 29.3 +/- 5.5 in Group B (P < 0.05). There
      were no significant differences in VAS and ODI scorings between the two groups
      either preoperatively or postoperatively (P > 0.05). The findings of modified
      Macnab's criteria at each follow-up also showed no significant differences (P >
      0.05). CONCLUSION: The application of preoperative planning software in puncture
      and cannula insertion planning in PELD was easy and reliable, and could reduce
      the channel establishment time, operative time and fluoroscopic times of PELD
      significantly.

PMID- 28344160
TI  - Pre-operative predictors of poor outcomes in patients undergoing surgical lower
      extremity revascularisation - Retrospective cohort study.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Surgical lower extremity revascularisation (LER) can lead to poor
      outcomes that include delayed hospital discharge, in-hospital mortality, major
      amputations and readmissions. The aim of this study was to identify pre-operative
      predictors associated with these poor clinical outcomes. MATERIALS AND METHODS:
      All patients (n = 635; mean age 69; male 67.4%) who underwent surgical LER over a
      5 year period in a single tertiary vascular institution were identified. Patients
      considered to have suffered a poor outcome (Group A) included all in-hospital
      mortality and major amputations, delayed discharges with a length of stay (LOS)
      over one standard deviation above the mean or any readmission under any specialty
      within 12 months. Group A included 247 patients (38.9%) and the good outcome
      group included the remaining 388 patients (61.1%) from which a sample of 99
      patients were selected as controls (Group B). RESULTS: Mean LOS for the entire
      study group was 14.4 +/- 17.5 days, 12 month readmission rate was 29.1% and in
      hospital mortality and major amputation rate was 2.7% and 1.4%, respectively. Pre
      admission residence other than own home (OR 9.0; 95% CI 1.2-70.1; P = 0.036),
      atherosclerotic disease burden (OR 2.2; 95% CI 1.3-3.8; P = 0.003) and tissue
      loss (OR 3.0; 95% CI 1.6-5.3; P < 0.001) were identified as independent,
      statistically significant pre-operative predictors of poor outcome. Following
      discharge, group B patients had a significantly higher rate of amputation free
      survival and graft infection free survival (P < 0.001) compared to group A.
      CONCLUSION: Recognition of pre-operative predictors of poor outcome should inform
      case selection and identify high risk patients requiring intensive perioperative
      optimisation and post discharge follow up.

PMID- 28344161
TI  - Cross-resistance to human cationic antimicrobial peptides and to polymyxins
      mediated by the plasmid-encoded MCR-1?
AB  - OBJECTIVES: To evaluate whether acquired resistance to cationic antimicrobial
      peptide (CAMP) group molecules, being normal components of the human immune
      system, may select co-resistance to antibiotic peptides such as polymyxins,
      considering they share the same mechanism of action. We aimed to evaluate strains
      producing the recently identified plasmid-encoded polymyxin resistance
      determinant MCR-1, which is a phosphoethanolamine transferase that modifies the
      lipopolysaccharide structure of Gram-negative bacteria. METHODS: In vitro
      susceptibility studies were performed using human CAMPs, namely cathelicidin LL
      37, alpha-defensin 5 (HD5), and beta-defensin 3 (HDB3), towards MCR-1-producing
      and colistin-resistant Escherichia coli or Klebsiella pneumoniae. RESULTS: Cross
      resistance to CAMPs and colistin mediated by MCR-1 or chromosomal mechanisms was
      neither observed in E. coli nor in K. pneumoniae. CONCLUSION: Future therapeutic
      development of human CAMPs is not likely to be impeded by the spread of MCR-1
      plasmid-mediated resistance to polymyxins, at least in E. coli.

PMID- 28344162
TI  - Identification of genetic markers of resistance to echinocandins, azoles and 5
      fluorocytosine in Candida glabrata by next-generation sequencing: a feasibility
      study.
AB  - OBJECTIVES: Multi-antifungal drug resistance in Candida glabrata is increasing.
      We examined the feasibility of next-generation sequencing (NGS) to investigate
      the presence of antifungal drug resistance markers in C. glabrata. METHODS: The
      antifungal susceptibility of 12 clinical isolates and one ATCC strain of C.
      glabrata was determined using the Sensititre YeastOne(r) YO10 assay. These
      included three isolate pairs where the second isolate of each pair had developed
      a rise in drug MICs. Single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in genes known to be
      linked to echinocandin, azole and 5-fluorocytosine resistance were analysed in
      all isolates through NGS. RESULTS: High-quality non-synonymous SNPs in antifungal
      resistance genes such as FKS1, FKS2, CgCDR1, CgPDR1 and FCY2 were identified. For
      two of three isolate pairs, there was a >60-fold rise in MICs to all
      echinocandins in the second isolate from each pair; one echinocandin-resistant
      isolate harboured a mutation in FKS1 (S629P) and the other in FKS2 (S663P). Of
      the third pair, both the 5-fluorocytosine-susceptible, and resistant isolates had
      a mutation in FCY2 (A237T). SNPs in CgPDR1 were found in pan-azole-resistant
      isolates. SNPs in other genes linked to azole resistance (CgCDR1, ERG9 and
      CgFLR1) were present in both azole-susceptible and azole-resistant isolates. SNPs
      were also identified in Candida adhesin genes EPA1, EPA6, PWP2 and PWP5 but their
      presence was not associated with higher drug MICs. CONCLUSIONS: Genome-wide
      analysis of antifungal resistance markers was feasible and simultaneously
      revealed mutation patterns of genes implicated in resistance to different
      antifungal drug classes.

PMID- 28344163
TI  - Characterization of antibody response in neuroinvasive infection caused by
      Toscana virus.
AB  - OBJECTIVES: Among sandfly-borne pathogens, Toscana virus (TOSV) is a prominent
      cause of summer meningitis in Mediterranean Europe. Here, we assessed the
      kinetics of anti-TOSV antibodies over time in 41 patients diagnosed with TOSV
      meningitis or meningoencephalitis in northeastern Italy. METHODS: Acute and
      follow-up serum samples were collected up to 20 months after diagnosis of TOSV
      infection and tested for the presence of specific antibody using immunoenzymatic
      and indirect immunofluorescence assays. In addition, maturation of anti-TOSV IgG
      over time was evaluated as well as production of neutralizing antibodies.
      RESULTS: Specific IgM and IgG response was present at diagnosis in 100% of
      patients; TOSV-specific IgM and IgG were detected in patients' sera up to 6 and
      20 months after diagnosis, respectively. The avidity index (AI) increased over
      the first month after infection in 100% of patients and most cases exceeded 60%
      by Day 30 post infection. The AI subsequently plateaued then declined at 20
      months after diagnosis. Finally, neutralization assay to TOSV was performed in
      217 sera collected from 41 patients; 69.6% of tested samples resulted in reactive
      and moderate levels of neutralizing antibodies observed during all phases of
      infection despite high titres of total anti-TOSV IgG. CONCLUSIONS: Specific
      antibody response develops rapidly and is long-lasting for neuroinvasive TOSV
      infection. Serodiagnosis of neuroinvasive TOSV requires simultaneous detection of
      specific IgM and IgG. Moderate levels of neutralizing antibodies were maintained
      over the study period, while the protective role of antibodies lacking
      neutralizing activity is unclear and requires further evaluation.

PMID- 28344164
TI  - Outbreak of brainstem encephalitis associated with enterovirus-A71 in Catalonia,
      Spain (2016): a clinical observational study in a children's reference centre in
      Catalonia.
AB  - OBJECTIVES: To describe the characteristics of an outbreak of brainstem
      encephalitis and encephalomyelitis related to enterovirus (EV) infection in
      Catalonia (Spain), a setting in which these manifestations were uncommon.
      METHODS: Clinical and microbiological data were analysed from patients with
      neurological symptoms associated with EV detection admitted to a reference
      paediatric hospital between April and June 2016. RESULTS: Fifty-seven patients
      were included. Median age was 27.7 months (p25-p75 17.1-37.6). Forty-one (72%)
      were diagnosed with brainstem encephalitis, seven (12%) with aseptic meningitis,
      six (11%) with encephalitis, and three (5%) with encephalomyelitis (two out of
      three with cardiopulmonary failure). Fever, lethargy, and myoclonic jerks were
      the most common symptoms. Age younger than 12 months, higher white-blood-cell
      count, and higher procalcitonin levels were associated with cardiopulmonary
      failure. Using a PAN-EV real-time PCR, EV was detected in faeces and/or
      nasopharyngeal aspirate in all the patients, but it was found in cerebrospinal
      fluid only in patients with aseptic meningitis. EV was genotyped in 47 out of 57
      and EV-A71 was identified in 40 out of 47, being the only EV type found in
      patients with brainstem symptoms. Most of the detected EV-A71 strains were
      subgenogroup C1. Intravenous immunoglobulins were used in 34 patients. Eight
      cases (14%) were admitted to the intensive care unit. All the patients but three,
      those with encephalomyelitis, showed a good clinical course and had no
      significant sequelae. No deaths occurred. CONCLUSIONS: The 2016 outbreak of
      brainstem encephalitis in Catalonia was associated with EV-A71 subgenogroup C1.
      Despite the clinical manifestations of serious disease, a favourable outcome was
      observed in the majority of patients.

PMID- 28344165
TI  - Mechanisms governing metastatic dormancy in breast cancer.
AB  - Breast cancer is a systemic disease characterized by early dissemination of tumor
      cells to distant organs. In this foreign environment, tumor cells may stay in a
      dormant state as single cells or as micrometastases for many years before growing
      out into a macrometastatic lesion. As metastasis is the primary cause for breast
      cancer-related death, it is important to understand the mechanisms underlying the
      maintenance of dormancy and dormancy escape to find druggable targets to
      eradicate metastatic tumor cells. Metastatic dormancy is regulated by complex
      interactions between tumor cells and the local microenvironment. In addition,
      cancer-directed immunity and systemic instigation play a crucial role.

PMID- 28344166
TI  - microRNAs as players and signals in the metastatic cascade: Implications for the
      development of novel anti-metastatic therapies.
AB  - microRNAs (miRNAs) are small non-coding RNAs that negatively regulate gene
      expression at the post-transcriptional level. Increasing evidence emerging from
      human tumor preclinical models clearly indicates that specific miRNAs,
      collectively termed "metastamirs," play a functional role in different steps of
      the metastatic cascade, by exerting either pro- or anti-metastatic functions, and
      behave as signaling mediators to enable tumor cell to colonize a specific organ.
      miRNAs also actively participate in the proficient interaction of cancer cells
      with tumor microenvironment, either at the primary or at the metastatic site.
      Circulating miRNAs, released by multiple cell types, following binding to
      proteins or encapsulation in extracellular vesicles, play a main role in this
      cross-talk by acting as transferrable messages. The documented involvement of
      specific miRNAs in the dissemination process has aroused interest in the
      development of miRNA-based strategies for the treatment of metastasis.
      Preclinical research carried out in tumor experimental models, using both miRNA
      replacement and miRNA inhibitory approaches, is encouraging towards translating
      miRNA-based strategies into human cancer therapy, based on the observed
      therapeutic activity in the absence of main toxicity. However, to accelerate
      their adoption in the clinic, further improvements in terms of efficacy and
      targeted delivery to the tumor are still necessary.

PMID- 28344167
TI  - Protection and antibody reactivity following vaccination of lumpfish (Cyclopterus
      lumpus L.) against atypical Aeromonas salmonicida.
AB  - Atypical Aeromonas salmonicida is frequently associated with disease and
      mortality in farmed lumpfish (Cyclopterus lumpus L). Challenge experiments using
      different modes of exposure identified both high and low pathogenic isolates.
      Intraperitoneal vaccination induced production of high levels of specific
      antibodies particularly in fish given multiple injections. The immune sera
      contained antibodies cross reactive with both high and low pathogenic isolates.
      SDS-PAGE and LC/MSMS analyses showed that the highly virulent isolate expressed
      the virulence array protein (A-layer) while the less virulent isolate did not.
      Vaccines, containing the highly virulent isolate, formulated as a monovalent or
      as a trivalent vaccine, provided 73 and 60 relative percent survival (RPS)
      respectively, following intraperitoneal challenge. The detection of high levels
      of specific antibodies in immune sera and the protection provided by the test
      vaccines strongly indicate that it is possible to vaccinate lumpfish against
      atypical A. salmonicida and most probably also against other infectious bacterial
      diseases.

PMID- 28344168
TI  - Molecular characterization, expression and antimicrobial activities of two c-type
      lysozymes from manila clam Venerupis philippinarum.
AB  - Lysozymes play an important role in the innate immune responses with which
      mollusks respond to bacterial invasion through its lytic activity. In the present
      study, two c-type lysozymes (designed as VpCLYZ-1 and VpCLYZ-2, respectively)
      were identified and characterized from the manila clam Venerupis philippinarum.
      The full-length cDNA of VpCLYZ-1 and VpCLYZ-2 was of 629 and 736 bp, encoding a
      polypeptide of 156 and153 amino acid residues, respectively. The deduced amino
      acid sequences of VpCLYZs showed high similarity to other known invertebrate c
      type lysozymes. Multiple alignments and phylogenetic relationship strongly
      suggested that VpCLYZ-1 and VpCLYZ-2 belonged to the c-type lysozyme family. Both
      VpCLYZ-1 and VpCLYZ-2 transcripts were constitutively expressed in a wide range
      of tissues with different levels. The VpCLYZ-1 transcript was dominantly
      expressed in hepatopancreas and hemocytes, while VpCLYZ-2 transcript was mainly
      expressed in the tissues of hepatopancreas and gills. Both the mRNA expression of
      VpCLYZ-1 and VpCLYZ-2 was significantly up-regulated at 12 h post Vibrio
      anguillarum challenge. The recombinant VpCLYZ-1 and VpCLYZ-2 (designed as rVpCLYZ
      1 and rVpCLYZ-2) exhibited lytic activity against all tested bacteria, and
      rVpCLYZ-1 showed higher activities than rVpCLYZ-2 in killing Micrococcus luteus
      and V. anguillarum. Overall, our results suggested that VpCLYZ-1 and VpCLYZ-2
      belonged to the c-type lysozyme family, and played important roles in the immune
      responses of manila clam, especially in the elimination of pathogens.

PMID- 28344169
TI  - The identification, characterization, and function of two TREMs genes in Chinese
      Yangzhou goose (Anas cygnoides).
AB  - Triggering receptor expressed on myeloid cells (TREM) is a cell-surface receptor
      primarily expressed on macrophages. Here, two novel TREM genes, AcTREM1 and
      AcTREM2, were identified from Anas cygnoides. AcTREM1 cDNA contained a putative
      signal peptide, two IG domains, and a transmembrane domain. The deduced AcTREM2
      sequence also contained a signal peptide, an IG domain, and a transmembrane
      domain. qRT-PCR, fluorescence in situ hybridization, and immunofluorescence
      experiments showed that AcTREM1 and AcTREM2 were mainly expressed in the liver
      and spleen, and both genes and proteins were mainly distributed in cytoplasm.
      AcTREM1 expression in the liver and spleen was significantly upregulated
      following lipopolysaccharide (LPS) challenge at an early stage of infection and
      then decreased at a later stage. Changes in AcTREM2 expression were reciprocal to
      those of AcTREM1 in the liver and spleen after LPS challenge. Our results
      indicate that AcTREM1 and AcTREM2 participate in the antibacterial immunity of A.
      cygnoides.

PMID- 28344170
TI  - Chronic hyperosmotic stress inhibits renal Toll-Like Receptors expression in
      striped catfish (Pangasianodon hypophthalmus, Sauvage) exposed or not to
      bacterial infection.
AB  - Toll-like Receptors (TLRs) are the first innate receptors in recognizing pathogen
      associated molecular patterns. In fish, upregulation of toll-like receptors
      during infection has been largely demonstrated while the effects of abiotic
      stressors on their expression remain poorly investigated. In this study, striped
      catfish were submitted during 20 days to three salinity profiles (freshwater, low
      saline water, saline water), followed by injection of a bacterial strain of
      Edwardsiella ictaluri. The expression of TLRs 1, 3, 4, 5, 7, 9, 19, 21, and 22
      was measured in kidney at different time points in non infected and infected
      striped catfish. Infection induced overexpression of TLRs 1, 3, 4, 5, 7, 21 and
      22. With elevated salinity, the expression of all TLRs, except TLR5, was severely
      decreased, particularly after bacterial infection. The TLRs responsiveness of
      striped catfish facing bacterial disease and salinity stress and possible
      consequences on striped catfish immune response's efficiency are discussed.

PMID- 28344172
TI  - Physicochemical attributes and dissolution testing of ophthalmic ointments.
AB  - The investigation of semisolid ophthalmic ointments is challenging due to their
      complex physicochemical properties and the unique anatomy of the human eye. Using
      Lotemax(r) as a model ophthalmic ointment, three different manufacturing
      processes and two excipient sources (Fisher(r) (OWP) and Fougera(r) (NWP)) were
      used to prepare loteprednol etabonate ointments that were qualitatively and
      quantitatively the same across the manufactured formulations. Physicochemical
      properties including drug content and uniformity, particle size and distribution,
      as well as rheological parameters (onset point, crossover modulus, storage
      modulus and Power law consistency index) were investigated. In addition, USP
      apparatus 2 with enhancer cells was utilized to study the in vitro drug release
      characteristics of the ophthalmic ointments. Both manufacturing processes and
      excipient sources had a significant influence on the physicochemical attributes
      and the in vitro drug release profiles of the prepared ointments. Ointments
      prepared via the hot melt processes exhibited higher rheological parameters and
      lower drug release rates compared to ointments prepared without hot melting.
      Ointments prepared with OWP demonstrated higher rheological parameters and lower
      in vitro drug release rates compared to ointments prepared with NWP. A strong
      correlation between the rheological parameters and in vitro drug release rate was
      shown using logarithmic linear regression. This correlation may be useful in
      predicting in vitro drug release from measured physicochemical properties, and
      identifying the critical quality attributes during the development of ointment
      formulations.

PMID- 28344171
TI  - Lipopolysaccharide induced Interleukin-6 production is mediated through
      activation of ERK 1/2, p38 MAPK, MEK, and NFkappaB in chicken thrombocytes.
AB  - Thrombocytes express Toll-like receptor 4 and apparently use both mitogen
      activated protein kinase (MAPK) and nuclear factor kappa-light-chain-enhancer of
      activated B cells (NFKB) pathways for nuclear signaling. However, it is not well
      known if the same enzyme systems found in mammalian cells are fully functional in
      chickens. Therefore, kinase inhibitors were used with thrombocytes to block
      kinases in lipopolysaccharide (LPS) stimulated cells to determine if interleukin
      (IL)-6 expression and production would be diminished. Results demonstrated that
      extracellular-signal-regulated kinase (ERK)1/2 and p38 MAPK pathways influence
      gene expression of IL-6 through treatment with either ERK or p38 MAPK inhibitor.
      In addition, thrombocyte lysates from cells treated with ERK, p38, mitogen
      activated protein kinase kinase (MEK)1/2 and inhibitor of nuclear factor kappa-B
      kinase (IKK) inhibitor showed different levels of the phosphorylated form of
      ERK1/2, p38 and NFkappaB. Furthermore, IL-6 gene expression and production were
      significantly upregulated in LPS stimulated thrombocytes relative to all
      inhibitor-treated cells.

PMID- 28344173
TI  - Exploring the structure-permeation relationship of topical tricyclic
      antidepressants used for skin analgesia.
AB  - The purpose of this study was to evaluate the skin permeation of tricyclic
      antidepressants (TCAs) with propamine moiety to select candidates for the
      development of topical analgesics to treat cutaneous pain. We sought to establish
      the structure-permeation relationship (SPR) of topical TCAs. The lipophilicity,
      melting point, and aqueous solubility were determined to develop the
      physicochemical characterization. The TCA permeation into pig and nude mouse
      skins was estimated using Franz diffusion cell. TCAs and lidocaine were
      comparatively examined for cutaneous analgesia by pinprick assay. Cutaneous
      tolerance to TCAs was assessed using nude mouse skin. The skin deposition
      increased following the increase of lipophilicity after excluding the effect of
      solubility, with clomipramine exhibiting the highest skin retention. A contrary
      result was observed for TCA penetration into the receptor. Of the permeants
      tested, clomipramine demonstrated the best skin-targeting ability. Nortriptyline
      and clomipramine demonstrated selective uptake into the hair follicles,
      exhibiting a 2.5-fold higher follicular accumulation than desipramine.
      Replacement of nitrogen with carbon in the seven-member ring increased skin
      absorption. The tertiary amine TCAs demonstrated higher absorption than the
      secondary amine TCAs. The position of the double bond also affected skin
      transport. Topical clomipramine had a longer duration of analgesic action than
      lidocaine (240min versus 60min). Exploring the SPR revealed that clomipramine
      could be an analgesic candidate drug for future development.

PMID- 28344174
TI  - Core/shell poly(ethylene oxide)/Eudragit fibers for site-specific release.
AB  - Electrospinning was used to prepare core/shell fibers containing the active
      pharmaceutical ingredients indomethacin (IMC) or mebeverine hydrochloride (MB
      HCl). The shell of the fibers was fabricated from the pH sensitive Eudragit S100
      polymer, while the drug-loaded core was based on the mucoadhesive poly(ethylene
      oxide) (PEO). Three different drug loadings (from 9 to 23% (w/w) of the core
      mass) were prepared, and for MB-HCl two different molecular weights of PEO were
      explored. The resultant fibers generally comprise smooth cylinders, although in
      some cases defects such as surface particles or flattened or merged fibers were
      visible. Transmission electron microscopy showed all the systems to have clear
      core and shell compartments. The drugs are present in the amorphous physical form
      in the fibers. Dissolution tests found that the fibers can effectively prevent
      release in acidic conditions representative of the stomach, particularly for the
      acidic indomethacin. After transfer to a pH 7.4 medium, sustained release over
      between 6 and 22h is observed. Given the mucoadhesive nature of the PEO core,
      after dissolution of the shell the fibers will be able to adhere to the walls of
      the intestinal tract and give sustained local drug release. This renders them
      promising for the treatment of conditions such as irritable bowel disease and
      colon cancer.

PMID- 28344175
TI  - Transforming Growth Factor Beta Family in the Pathogenesis of Meningiomas.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Meningiomas account for 36% of primary brain tumors. The pathogenesis
      of these tumors is not completely established, hindering development of effective
      chemotherapy. Numerous studies have identified alterations in several growth
      factors and receptor kinases that regulate meningioma growth. These may be
      targets for new therapies. One of these, sometimes overlooked, is the
      transforming growth factor beta (TGF-beta) family of proteins. Its receptors and
      signaling pathways play a critical role in development or progression of many
      forms of neoplasia. METHODS: Evidence suggesting a potential role for TGF-beta,
      bone morphogenetic protein, and their mediators is reviewed. RESULTS: TGF-beta
      inhibition of growth in normal leptomeninges may be lost in neoplasia. Moreover,
      loss of TGF-beta and bone morphogenetic protein signaling components and TGF-beta
      type III receptor likely contribute to the development and/or progression of
      higher grade meningiomas. CONCLUSIONS: Accumulating evidence suggests that
      derangement of TGF-beta family signaling contributes to development and
      progression of meningiomas. The TGF-beta family may represent new targets for
      chemotherapy and could include inhibitors of kinases activated by TGF-beta.

PMID- 28344176
TI  - Stereotactic Radiosurgery for ARUBA (A Randomized Trial of Unruptured Brain
      Arteriovenous Malformations)-Eligible Spetzler-Martin Grade I and II
      Arteriovenous Malformations: A Multicenter Study.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: ARUBA (A Randomized Trial of Unruptured Brain Arteriovenous
      Malformations) found better short-term outcomes after conservative management
      compared with intervention for unruptured arteriovenous malformations (AVMs).
      However, because Spetzler-Martin (SM) grade I-II AVMs have the lowest treatment
      morbidity, sufficient follow-up of these lesions may show a long-term benefit
      from intervention. The aim of this multicenter, retrospective cohort study is to
      assess the outcomes after stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS) for ARUBA-eligible SM
      grade I-II AVMs. METHODS: We pooled SRS data for patients with AVM from 7
      institutions and selected ARUBA-eligible SM grade I-II AVMs with >=12 months
      follow-up for analysis. Favorable outcome was defined as AVM obliteration, no
      post-SRS hemorrhage, and no permanently symptomatic radiation-induced changes.
      RESULTS: The ARUBA-eligible SM grade I-II AVM cohort comprised 232 patients (mean
      age, 42 years). The mean nidus volume, SRS margin dose, and follow-up duration
      were 2.1 cm3, 22.5 Gy, and 90.5 months, respectively. The actuarial obliteration
      rates at 5 and 10 years were 72% and 87%, respectively; annual post-SRS
      hemorrhage rate was 1.0%; symptomatic and permanent radiation-induced changes
      occurred in 8% and 1%, respectively; and favorable outcome was achieved in 76%.
      Favorable outcome was significantly more likely in patients treated with a margin
      dose >20 Gy (83%) versus <=20 Gy (62%; P < 0.001). Stroke or death occurred in
      10% after SRS. CONCLUSIONS: For ARUBA-eligible SM grade I-II AVMs, long-term SRS
      outcomes compare favorably with the natural history. SRS should be considered for
      adult patients harboring unruptured, previously untreated low-grade AVMs with a
      minimum life expectancy of a decade.

PMID- 28344177
TI  - Multimodality, Multidirectional Resection of Craniopharyngioma: Versatility in
      Alternating the Principal and Auxiliary Surgical Corridors and Visualization
      Modalities.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Large tumors of the skull base may require multiple approaches for
      safe removal, as unidirectional approaches may require excessive brain
      retraction. METHODS: Two patients underwent simultaneous, endoscopic and
      microscopic resection of tumors using 2 anatomic corridors. The corridor used for
      most of the tumor dissection was designated as "principal," whereas the secondary
      corridor used for assisting the main operation was designated "auxiliary." The
      endoscope and microscope were used interchangeably in the 2 corridors. RESULTS:
      For the first patient, the principal corridor was transventricular, and the
      auxiliary corridor was orbitofrontal. The endoscope was used exclusively in the
      latter and yielded visual information of the undersurface of the tumor, used for
      protection of the optic chiasm. For the second case, the corridors were reversed.
      Tumor resection was performed using the microscope and endoscope in alternating
      fashion. The endoscope, when used in the auxiliary ventricular corridor, was
      useful in delivering tumor components into the principal operative field.
      CONCLUSIONS: Multidirectional approaches to large tumors can be considered less
      invasive if the surgical corridors are combined in a way to minimize traction
      forces on both brain and tumor and maximize visualization and protection of
      critical structures. These combination approaches can be made simpler with the
      seamless integration of the endoscope and microscope. The choice between the
      principal and auxiliary corridors should alternate just as smoothly as the visual
      modality and must be dictated by the anatomy and minute-to-minute tactical
      situation during the operation.

PMID- 28344178
TI  - Systemic and Cerebral Concentration of Nimodipine During Established and
      Experimental Vasospasm Treatment.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Oral nimodipine is an established prophylactic agent for cerebral
      vasospasm after subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH). In highly selected cases, intra
      arterial (IA) or intravenous (IV) application of nimodipine may be considered;
      however, the optimum dosage and modality of application remain a matter of
      debate. The purpose of this investigation is analysis of nimodipine concentration
      in serum, cerebrospinal fluid, and cerebral microdialysate in the context of
      currently effective dose and route of application (oral, IA, IV). METHODS: We
      prospectively collected 156 samples from 37 patients treated for aneurysmal SAH
      from May 2014 to July 2015. Treatment groups were stratified according to
      modality of application and low-dose or high-dose treatment. At time of sampling,
      current dose and modality of application effectively sustained cerebral perfusion
      as documented by common diagnostics. Samples were analyzed for nimodipine
      concentration via high-performance liquid chromatography and tandem mass
      spectrometry. RESULTS: In most cases (94.3%), nimodipine remained below the limit
      of quantification (0.5 ng/mL) within the brain (microdialysis, cerebrospinal
      fluid), even during targeted, local application (IA nimodipine). The median serum
      concentration for all treatment groups was 17.3 ng/mL. Modality of application
      (oral, IA, IV) was not associated with significant differences in serum
      concentrations (P = 0.712), even after stratification for dosage (P = 0.371),
      implying a comparable systemic distribution, if not efficacy. CONCLUSIONS:
      Nimodipine does not accumulate sufficiently within the target organ for treatment
      monitoring. Comparable systemic concentrations can be observed irrespective of
      application modality and dosing. Future studies will clarify the role of efficacy
      driven treatment algorithms, in which lowest dose and least invasive mode of
      application still effective should be identified.

PMID- 28344179
TI  - First Gross Anatomic Findings of an Os Odontoideum.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Os odontoideum is an uncommon abnormality of the craniovertebral
      junction where the tip of the odontoid process lacks continuity with the body of
      C2. The clinical presentation is variable, but severe neurologic impairment can
      result. CASE DESCRIPTION: We report the gross and radiologic findings of a
      cadaver found to harbor an os odontoideum. CONCLUSIONS: To our knowledge, there
      are no cadaveric reports in the literature regarding an os odontoideum. Such a
      case allows a rare window into the anatomy and relationships of this pathologic
      structure.

PMID- 28344180
TI  - Benefit and Complications of Frame-Based Stereotactic Biopsy in Old and Very Old
      Patients.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: Stereotactic biopsy is an everyday procedure implemented in numerous
      neurosurgical departments. The procedure is performed to obtain tumor tissue of
      unclear diagnosis. Going in hand with low complication rates and high diagnostic
      yield, stereotactic biopsies can be performed in adults and children likewise for
      histopathologic evaluation of lesions in eloquent localizations. However, little
      is known about whether aged patients do benefit from stereotactic biopsy or
      rather the therapy that is derived from histopathologic results. In this study,
      we therefore focused on old (80-84 years) and very old patients (85 years and
      older) to evaluate whether stereotactic biopsy should be performed leading to
      further therapy. We also assessed the complication rates of the procedure in this
      aged population. METHODS: We performed a retrospective analysis of our database
      and included all patients older than 80 years who underwent stereotactic biopsy
      at our department from October 2005 until May 2016. Forty-seven patients were
      included in this study. These patients were divided into 2 subgroups: group 1
      consisted of patients from 80 to 84 years old and group 2 of patients aged 85
      years and older. All patients underwent stereotactic biopsy to establish
      histopathologic diagnosis. We excluded patients who underwent cyst puncture or
      puncture of a hemorrhage because the procedure was not performed for diagnostic
      purposes. We assessed gender, neuroradiologic diagnosis, Karnofsky Performance
      Score (KPS), number of tissue samples taken, histopathologic diagnosis,
      localization, postoperative hemorrhage, modality of anesthesia anticoagulation,
      and further therapy. RESULTS: Group 1 consisted of 34 patients and group 2 of 13
      patients. KPS was 80 and 70, respectively. A histopathologic diagnosis was
      possible in all but 1 patient. In group 1, 61.8% of the patients agreed to
      further postoperative therapy (radiation, 35.3%; chemotherapy, 11.8%; combined
      radiochemotherapy, 11.8%; complication that prevented therapy, 2.9%), as did
      53.8% of the patients in group 2 (resection, 7.7%; radiation, 15.4%; combined
      radiochemotherapy, 30.7%). In group 1, 38.2% declined further therapy, as did
      64.1% in group 2. CONCLUSIONS: Also in old and very old patients, a final
      histopathologic diagnosis should be established to provide adequate therapy. Our
      data show that most of these aged patients want to be treated.

PMID- 28344181
TI  - Stereotactic Radiosurgery for Pediatric High-Grade Brain Arteriovenous
      Malformations: Our Experience and Review of Literature.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: Although high-grade AVMs pose a particularly high lifetime
      hemorrhage risk to pediatric patients (age <18 years), little is known about the
      treatment outcomes. Therefore, the aim of this retrospective cohort study was to
      evaluate the outcomes after single-session stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS) for
      pediatric high-grade AVMs. METHODS: We reviewed baseline and treatment outcomes
      data from pediatric patients aged less than 18 years with Spetzler-Martin grade
      IV AVMs treated with SRS in a single session at our institution. The study cohort
      comprised 28 pediatric patients with Spetzler-Martin grade IV AVMs, with a mean
      age of 12.1 years. Statistical analyses were performed to determine predictors of
      obliteration and compare the outcomes of patients with versus without previous
      AVM hemorrhage. RESULTS: The mean nidus volume, radiosurgical margin dose, and
      follow-up duration were 5.9 cm3, 19.4 Gy, and 116 months, respectively. The
      actuarial obliteration rates at 3, 5, 7, and 10 years were 11%, 19%, 29%, and
      35%, respectively. Older age was significantly associated with obliteration in
      the univariate Cox proportional regression analysis (P = 0.01). During the
      latency period before obliteration, the annual post-SRS hemorrhage rate was 3.2%.
      Symptomatic and permanent radiation-induced changes were detected in 7.1% and
      3.5%, respectively. A favorable outcome was achieved in 35.7%, and it was more
      frequently achieved for those with ruptured AVMs (P = 0.0484). CONCLUSIONS: The
      efficacy of single-session SRS for the treatment of high-grade AVMs in the
      pediatric population is limited, particularly for those with unruptured nidi.
      Multimodal therapies should be considered in the management of selected pediatric
      high-grade AVMs. However, further prospective analyses are warranted to define
      the optimal management strategy for these challenging vascular malformations.

PMID- 28344182
TI  - Repair of Frontoethmoidal Encephalocele in the Philippines: An Account of 30
      Cases Between 2008-2013.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Frontoethmoidal encephalocele is a congenital abnormality of the
      anterior skull base involving herniation of cranial contents through a midline
      skull defect. Patency of the foramen cecum, along with other multifactorial
      variables, contributes to the development of frontoethmoidal encephaloceles.
      Because of limited resources, financial constraints, and lack of surgical
      expertise, repair of frontoethmoidal encephaloceles is limited in developing
      countries. METHODS: Between 2008 and 2013 an interdisciplinary team composed of
      neurosurgeons, craniofacial surgeons, otolaryngologists, plastic surgeons, and
      nursing personnel, conducted surgical mission trips to Davao City in Mindanao,
      Philippines. All patients underwent a combined extracranial/intracranial surgical
      approach, performed in tandem by a neurosurgeon and a craniofacial surgeon, to
      detach and remove the encephalocele. This procedure was followed by
      reconstruction of the craniofacial defects. RESULTS: A total of 30 cases of
      frontoethmoidal encephalocele were repaired between 2008 and 2013 (20 male; 10
      female). The average age at operation was 8.7 years, with 7 patients older than
      17 years. Of the 3 subtypes, the following breakdown was observed in patients: 18
      nasoethmoidal; 9 nasofrontal; and 3 naso-orbital. Several patients showed
      concurrent including enlarged ventricles, arachnoid cysts (both unilateral and
      bilateral), and gliotic changes, as well as orbit and bulbus oculi (globe)
      deformities. There were no operative-associated mortalities or neurologic
      deficits, infections, or hydrocephalus on follow-up during subsequent trips.
      CONCLUSIONS: Despite the limitations of performing advanced surgery in a
      developing country, the combined interdisciplinary surgical approach has offered
      effective treatment to improve physical appearance and psychological well-being
      in afflicted patients.

PMID- 28344183
TI  - TEEN HEED: Design of a clinical-community youth diabetes prevention intervention.

PMID- 28344184
TI  - Arteriovenous Hybrid Graft with Outflow in the Proximal Axillary Vein.
AB  - BACKGROUND: The patency of long-term hemodialysis access in end-stage renal
      disease patients remains a significant challenge. Often these patients are
      affected with limited venous outflow options, requiring limb abandonment, and
      creation of new access in the contralateral arm. Vascular surgeons are familiar
      with the exposure of the proximal axillary artery via an infraclavicular
      incision. The axillary vein is easily exposed through this technique. The use of
      the hybrid Gore graft can make the venous anastomosis easier. A hybrid graft with
      its venous outflow placed in the proximal axillary vein can extend the options of
      upper extremity access procedures. We reviewed our early experience with this
      technique. METHODS: A review of dialysis procedures at the Loma Linda VA was
      performed. All patients undergoing placement of arteriovenous grafts utilizing
      the Gore hybrid placed into the proximal axillary vein for outflow were
      identified. Outcomes in terms of primary and secondary patency rates were
      determined. RESULTS: Eight patients had placement of an arteriovenous hybrid
      graft in the proximal axillary vein via an infraclavicular incision. All patients
      had exhausted other options for hemodialysis access in the ipsilateral upper
      extremity. All grafts were used successfully for dialysis. The mean primary and
      secondary patency rates at 6 months were 37.5% and 62.5%, respectively. One
      patient developed steal syndrome, requiring proximalization of the graft. Seven
      out of the 8 patients required secondary procedures including thrombectomy (n =
      16) and angioplasty (n = 17). CONCLUSIONS: Placement of a hybrid graft in the
      proximal axillary vein is an effective and suitable option for patients who have
      exhausted arteriovenous access sites in the arm. This procedure can easily be
      performed in an outpatient setting with a low complication rate and allowing for
      preservation of the contralateral upper extremity for future use.

PMID- 28344185
TI  - Arthrogryposis as neonatal presentation of Loeys-Dietz syndrome due to a novel
      TGFBR2 mutation.
AB  - Loeys-Dietz syndrome (LDS) is an autosomal dominant connective tissue disorder
      characterized mainly by cardiovascular, craniofacial and skeletal features. We
      report on a patient with LDS, whose prenatal examination was compatible with the
      diagnosis of arthrogryposis multiplex congenita. Neonatal assessment showed
      craniofacial and cardiovascular findings suggestive of LDS whose diagnosis was
      confirmed by the detection of a novel mutation (HGVN: NM_003242.5 (TGFBR2):
      c.1381T > C (p.(Cys461Arg))) in the TGFBR2 gene. Few prenatal and neonatal cases
      of LDS have been reported in the literature. We reviewed all cases reported to
      date with perinatal onset to delineate the clinical manifestations that allow us
      to prompt diagnosis of this syndrome at an early stage to prevent fatal
      cardiovascular complications. Furthermore we discuss the multidisciplinary follow
      up required in these patients.

PMID- 28344186
TI  - Omission of predilation in balloon-expandable transcatheter aortic valve
      implantation: retrospective analysis in a large-volume centre.
AB  - AIMS: We aimed to evaluate the effect of omitting predilation on feasibility,
      procedural results and safety in balloon-expandable TAVI. METHODS AND RESULTS: We
      performed an analysis of all 680 patients scheduled for a balloon-expandable TAVI
      prosthesis between January 2011 and August 2016. Patients treated with or without
      predilation were compared. Procedure times decreased from 85.6+/-42.9 to 56.7+/
      26.1 minutes (p<0.001), fluoroscopy times from 9.5+/-5.7 to 6.2+/-3.9 minutes
      (p<0.001) and contrast volume from 131.9+/-60.8 to 85.4+/-37.4 ml (p<0.001)
      without predilation. Intraprocedural CPR was significantly more frequent in the
      predilation group (5.3% vs. 1.4%, p=0.01). Stroke rate was low at 1.5% and with
      no detectable difference. Applying VARC-2 definitions, the combined endpoints
      device success (88.3% vs. 92.4%, p=0.07) and clinical efficacy (88.7% vs. 92.4%,
      p=0.11) were comparable with or without prior valvuloplasty, while early safety
      was less frequent with predilation (85.2% vs. 90.2%, p=0.04). At 30 days, all
      cause mortality and cardiovascular mortality were 6.8% with predilation vs. 2.9%
      without predilation (p=0.03) and 5.3% vs. 1.4% (p=0.01). CONCLUSIONS: TAVI
      without prior valvuloplasty is feasible without apparent adverse impact in
      patients receiving a balloon-expandable TAVI prosthesis. The omission of
      predilation is associated with shorter procedure time, less radiation exposure
      and lower rates of intraprocedural resuscitation.

PMID- 28344187
TI  - Iatrogenic coronary artery dissection induced during invasive absolute coronary
      blood flow measurement: optical coherence tomography findings.

PMID- 28344188
TI  - Acute myocardial infarction in a young endurance athlete caused by probable
      plaque erosion.

PMID- 28344189
TI  - Diffusivity of the double negatively charged mono-vacancy in silicon.
AB  - Lightly-doped silicon (Si) samples of n-type conductivity have been irradiated
      with 2.0 MeV [Formula: see text] ions at a temperature of 30 K and characterized
      in situ by deep level transient spectroscopy (DLTS) measurements using an on-line
      setup. Migration of the Si mono-vacancy in its double negative charge state (V 2
      ) starts to occur at temperatures above  ~70 K and is monitored via trapping of V
      2- by interstitial oxygen impurity atoms ([Formula: see text]), leading to the
      growth of the prominent vacancy-oxygen ([Formula: see text]) center. The
      [Formula: see text] center gives rise to an acceptor level located at  ~0.17 eV
      below the conduction band edge (E c ) and is readily detected by DLTS
      measurements. Post-irradiation isothermal anneals at temperatures in the range of
      70 to 90 K reveal first-order kinetics for the reaction [Formula: see text] in
      both Czochralski-grown and Float-zone samples subjected to low fluences of
      [Formula: see text] ions, i.e. the irradiation-induced V concentration is dilute
      ([Formula: see text]1013 cm-3). On the basis of these kinetics data and the
      content of [Formula: see text], the diffusivity of V 2- can be determined
      quantitatively and is found to exhibit an activation energy for migration of 
      ~0.18 eV with a pre-exponential factor of  ~[Formula: see text] cm2 s-1. The
      latter value evidences a simple jump process without any entropy effects for the
      motion of V 2-. No deep level in the bandgap to be associated with V 2- is
      observed but the results suggest that the level is situated deeper than  ~0.19 eV
      below E c , corroborating results reported previously in the literature.

PMID- 28344190
TI  - An artificial intelligence approach fit for tRNA gene studies in the era of big
      sequence data.
AB  - Unsupervised data mining capable of extracting a wide range of knowledge from big
      data without prior knowledge or particular models is a timely application in the
      era of big sequence data accumulation in genome research. By handling
      oligonucleotide compositions as high-dimensional data, we have previously
      modified the conventional self-organizing map (SOM) for genome informatics and
      established BLSOM, which can analyze more than ten million sequences
      simultaneously. Here, we develop BLSOM specialized for tRNA genes (tDNAs) that
      can cluster (self-organize) more than one million microbial tDNAs according to
      their cognate amino acid solely depending on tetra- and pentanucleotide
      compositions. This unsupervised clustering can reveal combinatorial
      oligonucleotide motifs that are responsible for the amino acid-dependent
      clustering, as well as other functionally and structurally important consensus
      motifs, which have been evolutionarily conserved. BLSOM is also useful for
      identifying tDNAs as phylogenetic markers for special phylotypes. When we
      constructed BLSOM with 'species-unknown' tDNAs from metagenomic sequences plus
      'species-known' microbial tDNAs, a large portion of metagenomic tDNAs self
      organized with species-known tDNAs, yielding information on microbial communities
      in environmental samples. BLSOM can also enhance accuracy in the tDNA database
      obtained from big sequence data. This unsupervised data mining should become
      important for studying numerous functionally unclear RNAs obtained from a wide
      range of organisms.

PMID- 28344191
TI  - Transposition of insertion sequence IS256Bsu1 in Bacillus subtilis 168 is
      strictly dependent on recA.
AB  - We developed an insertion sequence transposition detection system called the
      "jumping cat assay" and applied it to the Bacillus subtilis chromosome using
      IS256Bsu1 derived from B. subtilis natto. The high frequency of transposition
      enabled us to explore host factors; combining the assay and genetic analyses
      revealed that recA is essential for the transposition of IS256Bsu1. Detailed
      analyses using various domain mutants of recA demonstrated that this essentiality
      is not related to the function of recA in homologous recombination. Instead, the
      ATP binding and hydrolysis function seemed to be crucial for IS transposition. To
      elucidate the role of recA, we focused on the muB gene of the enterobacteriophage
      Mu. Based on information from the NCBI Conserved Domain Database, both MuB and
      RecA belong to the P-loop dNTPase superfamily. Further experiments revealed that
      muB complements the transposition-defective phenotype of a recA deletant,
      although it could not rescue UV sensitivity. These results suggest that recA
      shares a common function with muB that helps the transposition of IS256Bsu1 in B.
      subtilis.

PMID- 28344192
TI  - Effect of investigational kisspeptin/metastin analog, TAK-683, on luteinizing
      hormone secretion at different stages of the luteal phase in goats.
AB  - This study aimed to examine the response of luteinizing hormone (LH) secretion
      and ovarian steroid profile to TAK-683, an investigational metastin/kisspeptin
      analog, through treatment during different stages of the luteal phase in goats.
      Nine cycling Shiba goats (4.4 +/- 2.3 years old) were assigned to early luteal
      phase (ELP, n = 4), mid-luteal phase (MLP, n = 4), and control (n = 5) groups.
      The ELP and MLP groups were administered 50 ug of TAK-683 intravenously on either
      day 5 or between days 7-14 after ovulation, respectively. The control group
      received vehicle between days 7-14 after ovulation. Blood samples were collected
      at 10-min (2-6 h), 2-h (6-24 h), and 24-h (24-96 h) intervals after treatment.
      Significant increases in plasma LH concentration were detected during the periods
      of 3 to 5 h and 2 to 5 h in the ELP and MLP groups, respectively. Estradiol
      concentrations continuously increased with the rise of basal LH secretion after
      TAK-683 treatment in two goats of the ELP group with a surge-like release of LH,
      but not in the goats without LH surge, i.e. the MLP and control group ones.
      Plasma progesterone concentration and the lengths of estrous cycle in all groups
      did not change significantly from the time before and after treatment. Present
      findings indicate that the responses of LH and ovarian steroids to treatment with
      TAK-683 depend on the stage of the luteal phase of the estrous cycle. We suggest
      that the stimulatory effects of TAK-683 on LH secretion are reduced in the
      process leading to the mid-luteal phase in cycling goats.

PMID- 28344193
TI  - Polyphasic insights into the microbiomes of the Takamatsuzuka Tumulus and Kitora
      Tumulus.
AB  - Microbial outbreaks and related biodeterioration problems have affected the 1300
      year-old multicolor (polychrome) mural paintings of the special historic sites
      Takamatsuzuka Tumulus (TT) and Kitora Tumulus (KT). Those of TT are designated as
      a national treasure. The microbiomes of these tumuli, both located in Asuka
      village, Nara, Japan, are critically reviewed as the central subject of this
      report. Using culture-dependent methods (conventional isolation and cultivation),
      we conducted polyphasic studies of the these microbial communities and identified
      the major microbial colonizers (Fusarium spp., Trichoderma spp., Penicillium
      spp., dark Acremonium spp., novel Candida yeast spp., Bacillus spp., Ochrobactrum
      spp., Stenotrophomonas tumulicola, and a few actinobacterial genera) and
      noteworthy microbial members (Kendrickiella phycomyces, Cephalotrichum
      verrucisporum (=Doratomyces verrucisporus), Sagenomella striatispora, Sagenomella
      griseoviridis, two novel Cladophialophora spp., Burgoa anomala, one novel species
      Prototheca tumulicola, five novel Gluconacetobacter spp., three novel Bordetella
      spp., and one novel genus and species Krasilnikoviella muralis) involved in the
      biodeterioration of mural paintings, plaster walls, and stone chamber interiors.
      In addition, we generated microbial community data from TT and KT samples using
      culture-independent methods (molecular biological methods, including PCR-DGGE,
      clone libraries, and pyrosequence analysis). These data are comprehensively
      presented, in contrast to those derived from culture-dependent methods.
      Furthermore, the microbial communities detected using both methods are
      analytically compared, and, as a result, the complementary roles of these methods
      and approaches are highlighted. In related contexts, knowledge of similar
      biodeterioration problems affecting other prehistoric cave paintings, mainly at
      Lascaux in France and Altamira in Spain, are referred to and commented upon.
      Based on substrate preferences (or ecological grouping) and mapping (plotting
      detection sites of isolates), we speculate on the possible origins and invasion
      routes whereby the major microbial colonizers invaded the TT stone chamber
      interior. Finally, concluding remarks, lessons, and future perspectives based on
      our microbiological surveys of these ancient tumuli, and similar treasures
      outside of Japan, are briefly presented. A list of the microbial taxa that have
      been identified and fully or briefly described by us as known and novel taxa for
      TT and KT isolates since 2008 is presented in Supplementary Materials.

PMID- 28344194
TI  - An administration of TAK-683 at a minimally effective dose for luteinizing
      hormone stimulation under the absence of the ovary induces luteinizing hormone
      surge in ovary-intact goats.
AB  - The present study aimed to evaluate hormonal responses and their association with
      the TAK-683 blood concentrations in goats administered TAK-683 at a low dose,
      which had been previously determined as the minimally effective dose for
      luteinizing hormone (LH) stimulation in ovariectomized goats. In Experiment 1, 5
      ug of TAK-683 treatment had no significant stimulatory effect on LH secretion in
      ovariectomized Shiba goats (n = 4). In Experiment 2, cycling goats received the
      treatment of prostaglandin F2alpha and progesterone-releasing controlled internal
      drug releasing (CIDR) to induce the follicular phase, then they were treated with
      5 ug of TAK-683 (hour 0) intravenously (n = 4, IV) or subcutaneously (n = 3, SC)
      or with vehicle intravenously (n = 4, control) at 12 h after CIDR removal. Blood
      samples were collected at 10-min (-2-6 h), 2-h (6-24 h), or 6-h (24-48 h)
      intervals. Ovarian ultrasonographic images were assessed daily to confirm
      ovulation after the treatment. A surge-like release of LH was immediately
      observed after injection in all animals in the IV (peak time: 4.2 +/- 0.6 h, peak
      concentration: 73.3 +/- 27.5 ng/ml) and SC (peak time: 4.6 +/- 0.4 h, peak
      concentration: 62.6 +/- 23.2 ng/ml) groups, but not in the control group.
      Ovulation was detected within 3 days after TAK-683 injection in all animals in
      the IV and SC groups, and the interval period from TAK-683 administration to
      ovulation in the IV group was significantly (P < 0.05) shorter than that of the
      control group. No significant changes were observed between the IV and SC groups
      in terms of luteal diameter and blood progesterone levels after ovulation. The
      present findings suggest that the involvement of one or more ovarian factor(s) is
      indispensable for a TAK-683-induced LH surge leading to ovulation in goats.

PMID- 28344195
TI  - Significance of Serum Polyunsaturated Fatty Acid Level Imbalance in Patients with
      Acute Venous Thromboembolism.
AB  - AIM: Polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) take part in various biological events
      linked to the pathogenesis of venous thromboembolism (VTE), including
      inflammation, endothelial dysfunction, and hypercoagulability. Several studies
      have demonstrated the association between PUFAs and the occurrence of VTE.
      However, the role of PUFAs in the pathogenesis of VTE remains unclear. METHODS:
      We enrolled 45 patients with acute VTE and 37 age-, gender-, and body mass index
      matched healthy volunteers to examine their PUFA levels. Serum omega 3
      (eicosapentaenoic acid: EPA and docosahexaenoic acid: DHA) and omega 6
      (dihomogammalinolenic acid: DGLA and arachidonic acid: AA) fatty acids levels
      were measured within 24 h of admission. RESULTS: Patients with VTE showed
      significantly higher AA and lower EPA levels, and lower EPA/AA ratios than the
      controls. Multivariate analysis revealed that AA was an independent marker for
      VTE. In addition, we divided the patients based on their median age (58 years
      old). The younger patients with VTE showed significantly lower EPA/AA levels than
      their age-matched controls, whereas older patients with VTE showed a
      significantly higher AA/DGLA levels than the older controls. CONCLUSIONS: High
      serum AA levels and low EPA levels are associated with the development of acute
      VTE, suggesting that the imbalance of PUFAs may be a potential therapeutic target
      for preventing acute VTE.

PMID- 28344196
TI  - Design of the Familial Hypercholesterolaemia Australasia Network Registry:
      Creating Opportunities for Greater International Collaboration.
AB  - Familial Hypercholesterolemia (FH) is the most common and serious monogenic
      disorder of lipoprotein metabolism that leads to premature coronary heart
      disease. There are over 65,000 people estimated to have FH in Australia, but many
      remain undiagnosed. Patients with FH are often under-treated, but with early
      detection, cascade family testing and adequate treatment, patient outcomes can
      improve. Patient registries are key tools for providing new information on FH and
      enhancing care worldwide. The development and design of the FH Australasia
      Network Registry is a crucial component in the comprehensive model of care for
      FH, which aims to provide a standardized, high-quality and cost-effective system
      of care that is likely to have the highest impact on patient outcomes. Informed
      by stakeholder engagement, the FH Australasia Network Registry was
      collaboratively developed by government, patient and clinical networks and
      research groups. The open-source, web-based Rare Disease Registry Framework was
      the architecture chosen for this registry owing to its open-source standards,
      modular design, interoperability, scalability and security features; all these
      are key components required to meet the ever changing clinical demands across
      regions. This paper provides a high level blueprint for other countries and
      jurisdictions to help inform and map out the critical features of an FH registry
      to meet their particular health system needs.

PMID- 28344197
TI  - Effects of Food on the Pharmacokinetics of Omega-3-Carboxylic Acids in Healthy
      Japanese Male Subjects: A Phase I, Randomized, Open-label, Three-period,
      Crossover Trial.
AB  - AIMS: Omega-3-carboxylic acids (OM3-CA) contain omega-3 free fatty acids, such as
      eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), as carboxylic acids.
      Food intake is known to affect the bioavailability of ethyl ester fatty acid
      formulations. We conducted a phase I study to investigate the effects of the
      timing of OM3-CA administration relative to food intake on the pharmacokinetics
      of EPA and DHA. METHODS: In this randomized, open-label, three-period crossover
      study, Japanese healthy male subjects were administered 4*1 g OM3-CA capsules
      with continued fasting, before a meal, or after a meal. All subjects fasted for
      >=10 h prior to drug/meal administration. The primary objective was to examine
      the effect of meal timing on the pharmacokinetics of EPA and DHA after OM3-CA
      administration. The secondary objectives were to examine the safety and
      tolerability of OM3-CA. RESULTS: A total of 42 Japanese subjects was enrolled in
      the study. The baseline-adjusted maximum concentration and area under the
      concentration-time curve from 0 to 72 h for EPA, DHA, and EPA +DHA were lower in
      the fasting and before meal conditions than in the after meal condition. The
      maximum total EPA, total DHA, and total EPA+DHA concentrations were reached later
      when administered in fasting conditions than in fed conditions, indicating slower
      absorption in fasting conditions. Diarrhea was reported by five, six, and no
      subjects in the fasting, before meal, and after meal conditions, respectively.
      CONCLUSIONS: The timing of OM3-CA administration relative to food intake
      influences the systemic bioavailability of EPA and DHA in healthy Japanese male
      subjects. TRIAL REGISTRATION: NCT02372344.

PMID- 28344198
TI  - Radiosensitizing Effect of P2X7 Receptor Antagonist on Melanoma in Vitro and in
      Vivo.
AB  - Melanoma is highly malignant, and generally exhibits radioresistance, responding
      poorly to radiation therapy. We previously reported that activation of P2X7,
      P2Y6, and P2Y12 receptors is involved in the DNA damage response after gamma
      irradiation of human lung adenocarcinoma A549 cells. However, it is not clear
      whether these receptors are also involved in the case of melanoma cells, although
      P2X7 receptor is highly expressed in various cancers, including melanoma. Here,
      we show that P2X7 receptor antagonist enhances radiation-induced cytotoxicity in
      B16 melanoma cells in vitro and in vivo. We confirmed that these cells express
      P2X7 receptor mRNA and exhibit P2X7 receptor-mediated activities, such as ATP
      induced pore formation and cytotoxicity. We further examined the radiosensitizing
      effect of P2X7 receptor antagonist Brilliant Blue G (BBG) in vitro by colony
      formation assay of B16 cells. gamma-Irradiation dose-dependently reduced cell
      survival, and pretreatment with BBG enhanced the radiation-induced cytotoxicity.
      BBG pretreatment also decreased the number of DNA repair foci in nuclei,
      supporting involvement of P2X7 receptor in the DNA damage response. Finally, we
      investigated the radiosensitizing effect of BBG on B16 melanoma cells inoculated
      into the hind footpad of C57BL/6 mice. Neither 1 Gy gamma-irradiation alone nor
      BBG alone suppressed the increase of tumor volume, but the combination of
      irradiation and BBG significantly suppressed tumor growth. Our results suggest
      that P2X7 receptor antagonist BBG has a radiosensitizing effect in melanoma in
      vitro and in vivo. BBG, which is used as a food coloring agent, appears to be a
      promising candidate as a radiosensitizer.

PMID- 28344200
TI  - New-Onset Diabetes Mellitus After Heart Transplantation - Incidence, Risk Factors
      and Impact on Clinical Outcome.
AB  - BACKGROUND: New-onset diabetes mellitus (DM) can occur as a serious complication
      after heart transplantation, but the comparative data on its clinical impact on
      survival and on transplant-related adverse events are limited.Methods and
      Results:We reviewed a total of consecutive 391 patients aged >=17 years
      undergoing isolated orthotopic heart transplantation at the present institution
      from 1992 to 2013. The entire cohort was divided into 3 groups: (1) no diabetes
      (n=257); (2) pre-existing DM (n=46); and (3) new-onset DM (n=88). Early and long
      term clinical outcomes were compared across the 3 groups. Early death occurred in
      8 patients (2.0%). Of the 345 non-diabetic patients before transplantation, 88
      (25.5%) developed new-onset DM postoperatively. During follow-up, 83 (21.2%)
      died. On time-varying Cox analysis, new-onset DM was associated with increased
      risk for overall death (HR, 2.11; 95% CI: 1.26-3.55) and tended to have a greater
      risk for severe chronic kidney disease (HR, 1.77; 95% CI: 0.94-3.44). Compared
      with the no-diabetes group, the new-onset DM group had a worse survival rate
      (P=0.035), but a similar survival rate to that of the pre-existing DM group
      (P=0.364). CONCLUSIONS: New-onset DM has a negative effect on long-term survival
      and kidney function after heart transplantation. Further studies are warranted to
      evaluate the relevance of early diagnosis and timely control of new-onset DM to
      improve long-term survival.

PMID- 28344199
TI  - Association of Toll-Like Receptor 4 on Human Monocyte Subsets and Vulnerability
      Characteristics of Coronary Plaque as Assessed by 64-Slice Multidetector Computed
      Tomography.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Although Toll-like receptor 4 (TLR-4) is involved in monocyte
      activation in patients with accelerated forms of atherosclerosis, the
      relationship between the expression of TLR-4 on circulating monocytes and
      coronary plaque vulnerability has not previously been evaluated. We investigated
      this relationship using 64-slice multidetector computed tomography (MDCT) in
      patients with stable angina pectoris (SAP).Methods and Results:We enrolled 65
      patients with SAP who underwent MDCT. Three monocyte subsets (CD14++CD16-,
      CD14++CD16+, and CD14+CD16+) and expression of TLR-4 were measured by flow
      cytometry. Intracoronary plaques were assessed by 64-slice MDCT. We defined
      vulnerability of intracoronary plaques according to the presence of positive
      remodeling (remodeling index >1.05) and/or low CT attenuation (<35 HU). The
      circulating CD14++CD16+monocytes more frequently expressed TLR-4 than CD14++CD16
      and CD14+CD16+monocytes (P<0.001). The relative proportion of the expression of
      TLR-4 on CD14++CD16+monocytes was significantly greater in patients with
      vulnerable plaque compared with those without (10.4 [4.1-14.5] % vs. 4.5 [2.8
      7.8] %, P=0.012). In addition, the relative proportion of TLR-4 expression on
      CD14++CD16+monocytes positively correlated with the remodeling index (r=0.28,
      P=0.025) and negatively correlated with CT attenuation value (r=-0.31, P=0.013).
      CONCLUSIONS: Upregulation of TLR-4 on CD14++CD16+monocytes might be associated
      with coronary plaque vulnerability in patients with SAP.

PMID- 28344201
TI  - Stenotic Bicuspid and Tricuspid Aortic Valves - Micro-Computed Tomography and
      Biological Indices of Calcification.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Valve calcification is well estimated by ex-vivo micro-computed
      tomography (micro-CT). The objective of this study was to investigate the
      associations between micro-CT findings and biological indices of calcification in
      aortic stenosis (AS), as well as differences between bicuspid aortic valve (BAV)
      and tricuspid aortic valve (TAV).Methods and Results:Aortic valves and plasma
      were obtained from patients undergoing valve surgery. Valves were dissected and
      underwent micro-CT, genetic analyses, and calcium content assessment. Plasma
      levels of calcification markers were measured. Forty-two patients with isolated
      severe AS, including 22 with BAV, were studied. BAV patients had a lower median
      CT value (140.0 [130.0-152.0] vs. 157.0 [147.0-176.0], P=0.002) and high-density
      calcification (HDC) fraction (9.3 [5.7-23.3] % vs. 21.3 [14.3-31.2] %, P=0.01),
      as compared with TAV. Calcification fraction (CF) correlated with AS severity
      (measured as maximal transvalvular pressure gradient [r=0.34, P=0.03], maximal
      flow velocity [r=0.38, P=0.02], and indexed aortic valve area [r=-0.37, P=0.02]).
      For TAV patients only, mRNA expression of integrin-binding sialoprotein
      correlated with CF (r=0.45, P=0.048), and the receptor activator of the nuclear
      factor kappa-B ligand transcript correlated with HDC corrugation (r=0.54,
      P=0.01). CONCLUSIONS: TAV patients with AS present more mineralized
      calcifications in micro-CT than BAV subjects. The relative volume of
      calcifications increases with the AS severity. In TAV patients, upregulated
      expression of genes involved in osteoblastogenesis in AS correlates with leaflet
      mineralization in micro-CT.

PMID- 28344202
TI  - Three-Year Clinical Outcome After 2nd-Generation Cryoballoon-Based Pulmonary Vein
      Isolation for the Treatment of Paroxysmal and Persistent Atrial Fibrillation - A
      2-Center Experience.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Pulmonary vein isolation (PVI) using the 2nd-generation cryoballoon
      (CB2) for the treatment of atrial fibrillation (AF) has demonstrated encouraging
      acute and mid-term results. However, follow-up data on outcomes beyond 1 year are
      sparse. We investigated the 3-year outcome after PVI using the CB2.Methods and
      Results:100 patients with paroxysmal (PAF, 70/100 [70%] patients) or persistent
      AF (pAF, 30/100 [30%] patients) underwent CB2-based PVI in 2 experienced centers
      in Germany. Freeze-cycle duration was 240 s. After successful PVI a bonus freeze
      cycle of the same duration was applied in the first 71 patients but was omitted
      in the following 29 patients. Phrenic nerve palsy occurred in 3 patients (3%); 2
      patients were lost to follow-up. After a median follow-up of 38 (29-50) months,
      59/98 (60.2%) patients remained in stable sinus rhythm (PAF: 48/70 (69%), pAF:
      11/28 (39%) P=0.0084). In 32/39 (77%) patients with arrhythmia recurrence, a
      second ablation procedure using radiofrequency energy was conducted. Persistent
      PVI was noted in 76/125 (61%) PVs. After a mean of 1.37+/-0.6 procedures and a
      median follow-up of 35 (25-39) months, 77/98 (78.6%) patients remained in stable
      sinus rhythm (PAF: 56/70 (80%), pAF: 20/28 (71%), P=0.0276). CONCLUSIONS: CB2
      based PVI resulted in a 60.2% single-procedure and a 78.6% multiple-procedure
      success rate after 3 years. Repeat procedures demonstrated a high rate of durable
      PVI.

PMID- 28344203
TI  - Myocardial Edema in Takotsubo Syndrome - Serial Cardiovascular Magnetic Resonance
      Imaging of the Natural Course.

PMID- 28344204
TI  - Atrial Septum Hematoma - Another Way to Die in Acute Aortic Dissection.

PMID- 28344206
TI  - Infective Endocarditis of a Completely Endothelialized CardioSEAL Patent Foramen
      Ovale Closure Device - Extremely Rare Entity.

PMID- 28344205
TI  - Decreased Serum Albumin Predicts Bleeding Events in Patients on Antiplatelet
      Therapy After Percutaneous Coronary Intervention.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Antiplatelet therapy (APT) after percutaneous coronary intervention
      (PCI) prevents ischemic events with increased risk of bleeding. Little is known
      about the relationship between hypoalbuminemia and bleeding risk in patients
      receiving APT after PCI. This study investigated the association between serum
      albumin level and bleeding events in this population.Methods and Results:We
      enrolled 438 consecutive patients who were prescribed dual APT (DAPT; aspirin and
      thienopyridine) beyond 1 month after successful PCI without adverse events. The
      patients were divided into 3 groups according to serum albumin tertile: tertile
      1, <=3.7 g/dL; tertile 2, 3.8-4.1 g/dL; and tertile 3, >=4.2 g/dL. Adverse
      bleeding events were defined as Bleeding Academic Research Consortium criteria
      types 2, 3, and 5. During the median follow-up of 29.5 months, a total of 30
      adverse bleeding events were observed. Median duration of DAPT was 14 months. The
      tertile 1 group had the highest risk of adverse bleeding events (event-free rate,
      83.1%, 94.3% and 95.8%, respectively; P<0.001). On Cox proportional hazards
      modeling, serum albumin independently predicted adverse bleeding events (HR,
      0.10, 95% CI: 0.027-0.39, P=0.001, for tertile 3 vs. tertile 1). CONCLUSIONS:
      Decreased serum albumin predicted bleeding events in patients with APT after PCI.

PMID- 28344207
TI  - Dipeptidyl Peptidase-IV Inhibition for the Treatment of Cardiovascular Disease -
      Recent Insights Focusing on Angiogenesis and Neovascularization.
AB  - Dipeptidyl peptidase IV (DPP-IV) is a complex enzyme that acts as a membrane
      anchored cell surface exopeptidase and transmits intracellular signals through a
      small intracellular tail. DPP-IV exists in human blood in a soluble form, and
      truncates a large number of peptide hormones, chemokines, cytokines, and growth
      factors in vitro and in vivo. DPP-IV has gained considerable interest as a
      therapeutic target, and a variety of DPP-IV inhibitors that prolong the
      insulinotropic effects of glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) are widely used in
      clinical settings as antidiabetic drugs. Indeed, DPP-IV is upregulated in
      proinflammatory states, including obesity and cardiovascular disease with and
      without diabetes mellitus. Consistent with this maladaptive role, DPP-IV
      inhibitors seem to exert a protective role in cardiovascular disease. In addition
      to their GLP-1-dependent vascular protective actions, DPP-IV inhibitors exhibit
      GLP-1-independent beneficial effects on angiogenesis/neovascularization via
      several signaling pathways (e.g., stromal cell-derived factor-1alpha/C-X-C
      chemokine receptor type-4, vascular endothelial growth factor-A/endothelial
      nitric oxide synthase, etc.). This review focuses on recent findings in this
      field, highlighting the role of DPP-IV in therapeutic
      angiogenesis/neovascularization in ischemic heart disease and peripheral artery
      disease.

PMID- 28344208
TI  - Clinical Outcomes of Repetition of Drug-Coated Balloon for Femoropopliteal
      Restenosis After Drug-Coated Balloon Treatment.
AB  - BACKGROUND: To compare the clinical outcomes of patients undergoing repeated drug
      coated balloon (DCB) treatment for femoropopliteal (FP) DCB restenosis with those
      of patients without repetition-DCB.Methods and Results:From March 2013 to
      September 2014, 102 patients (118 affected legs) underwent DCB for symptomatic FP
      disease; 47 patients had restenosis, and 37 underwent reintervention over a 45
      month follow-up. We compared the outcomes of repetition-DCB for DCB restenosis
      with those of patients without repetition. The baseline patient and lesion
      characteristics were similar between groups. The mean lesion length was 200.8+/
      113.1 and 195.2+/-134.6 mm, P=0.894, respectively. In addition, the procedural
      and follow-up outcomes were not different. The rates of freedom from binary
      restenosis (70% vs. 14%, P=0.001) and clinically driven target lesion
      revascularization (CD-TLR) (78% vs. 38%, P=0.026) at 1 year were statistically
      different between groups. Cox regression analysis showed that repetition of DCB
      was the only predictor for freedom from binary restenosis (hazard ratio [HR]:
      6.15, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.60 to 23.6, P=0.008) and CD-TLR (HR: 5.37,
      95% CI 1.32-22.0, P=0.019). CONCLUSIONS: For FP DCB restenosis, repetition of DCB
      can potentially improve vessel patency and significantly reduce the need for
      reintervention compared with conventional treatment. However, these observations
      require further confirmation in larger scale studies.

PMID- 28344209
TI  - CORRIGENDUM: Circulating miR-122-5p/miR-133b Ratio Is a Specific Early Prognostic
      Biomarker in Acute Myocardial Infarction.

PMID- 28344212
TI  - Age-Dependent Effects of Prenatal Dexamethasone Exposure on Immune Responses in
      Male Rats.
AB  - Prenatal glucocorticoid therapy is indicated in preterm delivery to prevent
      respiratory distress. This study was designed to evaluate the age-dependent
      effects of prenatal dexamethasone (DEX) therapy on the immune system using a rat
      model. Pregnant Sprague-Dawley rats received an intraperitoneal injection of DEX
      (0.1 mg/kg/day) or saline (VEH) over gestational days 14-20. Male offspring were
      sacrificed at postnatal day 7 (D7; infant stage), D120 (young adult stage), and
      D180 (adult stage) for evaluation of leukocyte subsets and isolation of
      splenocytes. The production of innate and adaptive immune cytokines was assessed
      from the culture supernatants of splenocytes, stimulated with lipopolysaccharide
      and concanavalin A, respectively. For innate cytokines, the levels of interferon
      gamma inducible protein 10 were significantly higher, but those of tumor necrosis
      factor-alpha were significantly lower, in the culture medium of splenocytes
      prepared from the DEX group at D120 than those in the VEH group. For adaptive
      cytokines, the levels of interleukin-4 (IL-4) were significantly higher at D7 and
      those of IL-10 were significantly higher at D120 after prenatal exposure to DEX.
      We also showed that the expression level of IL-4 mRNA was significantly higher in
      splenocytes prepared from the DEX group at D7, compared with the VEH group.
      Importantly, the mRNA expression level of T-bet, a key transcription factor for
      immune cells, was greatly decreased in the spleen of the DEX group at D7,
      compared with the VEH group. In conclusion, prenatal dexamethasone exposure shows
      the greater impact on immune responses of their male offspring in early life.

PMID- 28344213
TI  - Over-Expression of TBL1XR1 Indicates Poor Prognosis of Serous Epithelial Ovarian
      Cancer.
AB  - Transducin (beta)-like 1 X-linked receptor 1 (TBL1XR1) is a core component of the
      NCoR/SMRT transcription co-repressor complex, and its role in regulating cancer
      progression has been reported. Serous epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC) is the most
      common histological type of EOC. Here we explored the significance of TBL1XR1
      expression in predicting outcomes of patients with serous EOC. Real-time
      quantitative PCR analysis showed that the expression level of TBL1XR1 mRNA was
      significantly higher in EOC tissues compared with adjacent non-tumorous tissues.
      The protein levels of TBL1XR1 in EOC tissues were assessed by
      immunohistochemistry, and the patients were classified into low-expression group
      (n = 62) and high-expression group (n = 54) according to the immunoreactivity.
      Prognostic significance of TBL1XR1 was evaluated by univariate and multivariate
      analyses, showing that over-expression of TBL1XR1 was correlated with poor
      prognosis. In addition, TBL1XR1 was positively associated with the lymph node
      metastasis of EOC. Because vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF)-C is known
      as a critical mediator of lymph node metastasis, we measured the expression level
      of VEGF-C mRNA in EOC tissues and thus identified a positive correlation between
      TBL1XR1 and VEGF-C mRNA levels. Subsequently, using human EOC cell lines, we
      showed that silencing of TBL1XR1 decreased VEGF-C expression, suggesting that
      TBL1XR1 may function as an upstream regulator of VEGF-C in EOC. Furthermore, the
      proliferation and invasion of EOC cells were inhibited by TBL1XR1 silencing. In
      conclusion, TBL1XR1 overexpression may be an unfavorable prognostic factor for
      EOC. We also suggest that the TBL1XR1-VEGF-C axis may determine the EOC
      progression.

PMID- 28344214
TI  - The outcomes of intravascular ultrasound-guided drug-eluting stent implantation
      among patients with complex coronary lesions: a comprehensive meta-analysis of 15
      clinical trials and 8,084 patients.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: The effects of intravascular ultrasound (IVUS)-guided drug-eluting
      stent (DES) implantation in patients with complex coronary artery lesions remains
      to be controversial. This study sought to evaluate the outcomes of IVUS guidance
      in these patients. METHODS: The EMBASE, Medline, and other internet sources were
      searched for relevant articles. The primary endpoint was major adverse cardiac
      events (MACE), including all-cause mortality, myocardial infarction (MI), and
      target-vessel revascularization (TVR). The incidence of definite/probable stent
      thrombosis (ST) was analyzed as the safety endpoint. RESULTS: Fifteen clinical
      trials involving 8.084 patients were analyzed. MACE risk was significantly
      decreased following IVUS-guided DES implantation compared with coronary
      angiography (CAG) guidance (odds ratio [OR] 0.63, 95% confidence intervals [CI]:
      0.53-0.73, p<0.001), which might mainly result from the lower all-cause mortality
      risk (OR 0.52, 95% CI: 0.40-0.67, p<0.001), MI (OR 0.70, 95% CI: 0.56-0.86,
      p=0.001), and TVR (OR 0.53, 95% CI: 0.40-0.70, p<0.001). The subgroup analyses
      indicated better outcomes of IVUS guidance in DES implantation for these patients
      with left main disease or bifurcation lesions. CONCLUSION: IVUS guidance in DES
      implantation is associated with a significant reduction in MACE risk in patients
      with complex lesions, particularly those with left main disease or bifurcation
      lesions. More large and powerful randomized trials are still warranted to guide
      stenting decision making.

PMID- 28344215
TI  - Ethyl acetate fraction of Allium hirtifolium improves functional parameters of
      isolated hearts of diabetic rats.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: Allium hirtifolium (Persian shallot) has a hypoglycemic effect on
      diabetic animals. The aim of this study was to assess the effect of the ethyl
      acetate fraction of Allium hirtifolium on the function of isolated hearts of
      diabetic rats. METHODS: The control and diabetic animals were randomly divided
      into four groups: saline- or extract-treated controls (n=10 and n=6,
      respectively) and saline- or extract-treated diabetic rats (n=8 and n=9,
      respectively), which received normal saline or extract for four weeks by daily
      gavage. The hearts were perfused according to the Langendorff method. Cardiac
      function parameters, including left ventricular developed pressure (LVDP), heart
      rate (HR), rate pressure product (RPP; LVDP*HR), and dp/dt were measured.
      RESULTS: The findings of this study showed that in the extract-treated diabetic
      rats, LVDP (94.5+/-9.1 mm Hg, mean+/-SEM), HR (249+/-15 beats/min), RPP (22732+/
      1246) and +dp/dt (2598+/-230) at the baseline were significantly higher than
      those in the saline-treated diabetic animals, (71.5+/-4.0), (189+/-6), (13923+/
      984), and (1701+/-124), respectively. Furthermore, RPP and HR were also
      significantly higher than the corresponding values obtained in the saline-treated
      diabetic rats after ischemia. CONCLUSION: Besides blood glucose lowering action,
      oral administration of the ethyl acetate fraction of Allium hirtifolium
      significantly improved the baseline and post-ischemic cardiac function parameters
      in streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats.

PMID- 28344216
TI  - Major bleeding events in Jordanian patients undergoing percutaneous coronary
      intervention (PCI): Incidence, associated factors, impact on prognosis, and
      predictability of the CRUSADE bleeding risk score. Results from the First
      Jordanian PCR (PCR1).
AB  - OBJECTIVE: Determine the incidence of major bleeding events, their risk factors,
      and their impact on prognosis in Jordanian patients undergoing percutaneous
      coronary intervention (PCI). Evaluate the ability of the CRUSADE bleeding risk
      score (BRS) to predict major bleeding. METHODS: Major bleeding events were
      defined according to the CRUSADE classification and their incidence was evaluated
      from hospital admission to one year of follow up. The CRUSADE bleeding risk score
      was calculated for each patient during the index admission. Incidence of major
      bleeding events was evaluated in each of the bleeding score quintiles. JoPCR1 is
      a prospective, observational, multicenter registry of consecutive patients who
      underwent PCI at 12 tertiary care centers in Jordan. A case report form was used
      to record data prospectively at hospital admission, at discharge, and at 1 and 12
      months of follow-up. RESULTS: The study included 2426 consecutive patients who
      underwent PCI. During the index hospitalization, major and minor bleeding events
      occurred in 0.95% and 2.6% of patients, respectively. Multivariate analysis
      showed that only two variables were significantly associated with major bleeding:
      female gender (OR=3.7; 95% CI 1.6, 8.5; p=0.002) and past history of
      cardiovascular disease (OR=2.6; 95% CI 1.1, 5.9; p=0.026). Patients who had in
      hospital major bleeding events had higher cardiac mortality during index
      hospitalization (13.0% vs. 0.7%, p<0.005) and at one year of follow up (13.0% vs.
      1.8%, p<0.005) compared to those who had no such events. Receiver operating
      characteristic curve analysis showed that the CRUSADE BRS has a high ability to
      predict major bleeding. CONCLUSION: Major bleeding events were uncommon in this
      ME registry of a contemporary cohort of patients undergoing PCI but were
      associated with a higher mortality rate compared with those who did not have
      major bleeding events. CRUSADE BRS was highly predictive of the incidence of
      major bleeding events.

PMID- 28344217
TI  - Left ventricular twist was decreased in isolated left bundle branch block with
      preserved ejection fraction.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: Left ventricular (LV) rotation and twist play an important role in LV
      contraction and relaxation. Left bundle branch block (LBBB) deteriorates both
      diastolic and systolic functions. We evaluated the LV twist in patients with LBBB
      and preserved ejection fraction (EF) (>50%) to determine twist as a potential
      marker for subtle myocardial dysfunction. METHODS: This observational cross
      sectional study included 34 LBBB patients with preserved EF who were free from
      ischemic and valvular disease (Group 1) and 36 healthy controls (Group 2). All
      patients underwent 2-D Doppler and 2-D speckle tracking echocardiography. LV
      apical, basal rotation, and twist were evaluated in both groups and compared
      accordingly. In addition, subjects were dichotomized considering the median twist
      value of the study population. Binary logistic regression analysis was performed
      to determine the independent variables associated with inframedian twist.
      RESULTS: Baseline clinical characteristics were similar in LBBB patients and
      controls. Mean apical rotation (2.5 degrees +/-1.9 degrees  vs. 4.4 degrees +/
      2.9 degrees ; p=0.002), basal rotation (-2.9 degrees +/-2.3 degrees  vs. -4.1
      degrees +/-2.7 degrees ; p=0.05), and twist (5.4 degrees +/-3 degrees  vs. 8.6
      degrees +/-3.3 degrees ; p<0.001) were decreased in group 1. Parameters related
      to intra- and interventricular mechanical dyssynchrony, such as longitudinal left
      ventricular dyssynchrony index (LVdys) and preejection interval of LV,
      interventricular mechanical delay (IVMD), and left posterior wall contractions
      (SPMWD) were significantly higher in the LBBB group. The median twist value of
      the studied population was 6.65 degrees . Binary logistic regression analysis
      showed that only presence of LBBB was independently associated with inframedian
      twist (OR=6.250; 95% CI: 2.215-17.632; p<0.001). CONCLUSION: The LBBB might have
      induced the reduction of LV twist by diminishing the LV rotation before inducing
      a prominent effect on the left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF). Therefore,
      twist may be considered as a marker for subtle LV dysfunction in LBBB with
      substantially normal EF.

PMID- 28344218
TI  - Electrochemical Synthesis of Mesoporous CoPt Nanowires for Methanol Oxidation.
AB  - A new electrochemical method to synthesize mesoporous nanowires of alloys has
      been developed. Electrochemical deposition in ionic liquid-in-water (IL/W)
      microemulsion has been successful to grow mesoporous CoPt nanowires in the
      interior of polycarbonate membranes. The viscosity of the medium was high, but it
      did not avoid the entrance of the microemulsion in the interior of the membrane's
      channels. The structure of the IL/W microemulsions, with droplets of ionic liquid
      (4 nm average diameter) dispersed in CoPt aqueous solution, defined the structure
      of the nanowires, with pores of a few nanometers, because CoPt alloy deposited
      only from the aqueous component of the microemulsion. The electrodeposition in
      IL/W microemulsion allows obtaining mesoporous structures in which the small
      pores must correspond to the size of the droplets of the electrolytic aqueous
      component of the microemulsion. The IL main phase is like a template for the
      confined electrodeposition. The comparison of the electrocatalytic behaviours
      towards methanol oxidation of mesoporous and compact CoPt nanowires of the same
      composition, demonstrated the porosity of the material. For the same material
      mass, the CoPt mesoporous nanowires present a surface area 16 times greater than
      compact ones, and comparable to that observed for commercial carbon-supported
      platinum nanoparticles.

PMID- 28344219
TI  - Potential Impact of Multi-Walled Carbon Nanotubes Exposure to the Seedling Stage
      of Selected Plant Species.
AB  - Phytotoxicity is a significant consideration in understanding the potential
      environmental impact of nanoparticles. Abundant experimental data have shown that
      multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWNTs) are toxic to plants, but the potential
      impacts of exposure remain unclear. The objective of the present study was to
      evaluate possible phytotoxicity of MWNTs at 0, 20, 200, 1000, and 2000 mg/L with
      red spinach, lettuce, rice, cucumber, chili, lady's finger, and soybean, based on
      root and shoot growth, cell death, and electrolyte leakage at the seedling stage.
      After 15 days of hydroponic culture, the root and shoot lengths of red spinach,
      lettuce, and cucumber were significantly reduced following exposure to 1000 mg/L
      and 2000 mg/L MWNTs. Similar toxic effects occurred regarding cell death and
      electrolyte leakage. Red spinach and lettuce were most sensitive to MWNTs,
      followed by rice and cucumber. Very little or no toxic effects were observed for
      chili, lady's finger, and soybean.

PMID- 28344220
TI  - Recent Advances in the Application of Magnetic Nanoparticles as a Support for
      Homogeneous Catalysts.
AB  - Magnetic nanoparticles are a highly valuable substrate for the attachment of
      homogeneous inorganic and organic containing catalysts. This review deals with
      the very recent main advances in the development of various nanocatalytic systems
      by the immobilisation of homogeneous catalysts onto magnetic nanoparticles. We
      discuss magnetic core shell nanostructures (e.g., silica or polymer coated
      magnetic nanoparticles) as substrates for catalyst immobilisation. Then we
      consider magnetic nanoparticles bound to inorganic catalytic mesoporous
      structures as well as metal organic frameworks. Binding of catalytically active
      small organic molecules and polymers are also reviewed. After that we briefly
      deliberate on the binding of enzymes to magnetic nanocomposites and the
      corresponding enzymatic catalysis. Finally, we draw conclusions and present a
      future outlook for the further development of new catalytic systems which are
      immobilised onto magnetic nanoparticles.

PMID- 28344221
TI  - Evaluation of Superparamagnetic Silica Nanoparticles for Extraction of Triazines
      in Magnetic in-Tube Solid Phase Microextraction Coupled to Capillary Liquid
      Chromatography.
AB  - The use of magnetic nanomaterials for analytical applications has increased in
      the recent years. In particular, magnetic nanomaterials have shown great
      potential as adsorbent phase in several extraction procedures due to the
      significant advantages over the conventional methods. In the present work, the
      influence of magnetic forces over the extraction efficiency of triazines using
      superparamagnetic silica nanoparticles (NPs) in magnetic in tube solid phase
      microextraction (Magnetic-IT-SPME) coupled to CapLC has been evaluated. Atrazine,
      terbutylazine and simazine has been selected as target analytes. The
      superparamagnetic silica nanomaterial (SiO2-Fe3O4) deposited onto the surface of
      a capillary column gave rise to a magnetic extraction phase for IT-SPME that
      provided a enhancemment of the extraction efficiency for triazines. This
      improvement is based on two phenomena, the superparamegnetic behavior of Fe3O4
      NPs and the diamagnetic repulsions that take place in a microfluidic device such
      a capillary column. A systematic study of analytes adsorption and desorption was
      conducted as function of the magnetic field and the relationship with triazines
      magnetic susceptibility. The positive influence of magnetism on the extraction
      procedure was demonstrated. The analytical characteristics of the optimized
      procedure were established and the method was applied to the determination of the
      target analytes in water samples with satisfactory results. When coupling
      Magnetic-IT-SPME with CapLC, improved adsorption efficiencies (60%-63%) were
      achieved compared with conventional adsorption materials (0.8%-3%).

PMID- 28344222
TI  - NiO Nanofibers as a Candidate for a Nanophotocathode.
AB  - p-type NiO nanofibers have been synthesized from a simple electrospinning and
      sintering procedure. For the first time, p-type nanofibers have been electrospun
      onto a conductive fluorine doped tin oxide (FTO) surface. The properties of the
      NiO nanofibers have been directly compared to that of bulk NiO nanopowder. We
      have observed a p-type photocurrent for a NiO photocathode fabricated on an FTO
      substrate.

PMID- 28344223
TI  - Work Function Engineering of Graphene.
AB  - Graphene is a two dimensional one atom thick allotrope of carbon that displays
      unusual crystal structure, electronic characteristics, charge transport behavior,
      optical clarity, physical & mechanical properties, thermal conductivity and much
      more that is yet to be discovered. Consequently, it has generated unprecedented
      excitement in the scientific community; and is of great interest to wide ranging
      industries including semiconductor, optoelectronics and printed electronics.
      Graphene is considered to be a next-generation conducting material with a
      remarkable band-gap structure, and has the potential to replace traditional
      electrode materials in optoelectronic devices. It has also been identified as one
      of the most promising materials for post-silicon electronics. For many such
      applications, modulation of the electrical and optical properties, together with
      tuning the band gap and the resulting work function of zero band gap graphene are
      critical in achieving the desired properties and outcome. In understanding the
      importance, a number of strategies including various functionalization, doping
      and hybridization have recently been identified and explored to successfully
      alter the work function of graphene. In this review we primarily highlight the
      different ways of surface modification, which have been used to specifically
      modify the band gap of graphene and its work function. This article focuses on
      the most recent perspectives, current trends and gives some indication of future
      challenges and possibilities.

PMID- 28344224
TI  - Reproductive Toxicity and Life History Study of Silver Nanoparticle Effect,
      Uptake and Transport in Arabidopsis thaliana.
AB  - Concerns about nanotechnology have prompted studies on how the release of these
      engineered nanoparticles impact our environment. Herein, the impact of 20 nm
      silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) on the life history traits of Arabidopsis thaliana
      was studied in both above- and below-ground parts, at macroscopic and microscopic
      scales. Both gross phenotypes (in contrast to microscopic phenotypes) and routes
      of transport and accumulation were investigated from roots to shoots. Wild type
      Arabidopsis growing in soil, regularly irrigated with 75 MUg/L of AgNPs, did not
      show any obvious morphological change. However, their vegetative development was
      prolonged by two to three days and their reproductive growth shortened by three
      to four days. In addition, the germination rates of offspring decreased
      drastically over three generations. These findings confirmed that AgNPs induce
      abiotic stress and cause reproductive toxicity in Arabidopsis. To trace transport
      of AgNPs, this study also included an Arabidopsis reporter line genetically
      transformed with a green fluorescent protein and grown in an optical transparent
      medium with 75 MUg/L AgNPs. AgNPs followed three routes: (1) At seven days after
      planting (DAP) at S1.0 (stages defined by Boyes et al. 2001 [41]), AgNPs attached
      to the surface of primary roots and then entered their root tips; (2) At 14 DAP
      at S1.04, as primary roots grew longer, AgNPs gradually moved into roots and
      entered new lateral root primordia and root hairs; (3) At 17 DAP at S1.06 when
      the Arabidopsis root system had developed multiple lateral roots, AgNPs were
      present in vascular tissue and throughout the whole plant from root to shoot. In
      some cases, if cotyledons of the Arabidopsis seedlings were immersed in melted
      transparent medium, then AgNPs were taken up by and accumulated in stomatal guard
      cells. These findings in Arabidopsis are the first to document specific routes
      and rates of AgNP uptake in vivo and in situ.

PMID- 28344226
TI  - Synthesis Characterization and Photocatalytic Studies of Cobalt Ferrite-Silica
      Titania Nanocomposites.
AB  - In this work, CoFe2O4@SiO2@TiO2 core-shell magnetic nanostructures have been
      prepared by coating of cobalt ferrite nanoparticles with the double SiO2/TiO2
      layer using metallorganic precursors. The Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM),
      Energy Dispersive X-Ray Analysis (EDX), Vibrational Sample Magnetometer (VSM)
      measurements and Raman spectroscopy results confirm the presence both of the
      silica and very thin TiO2 layers. The core-shell nanoparticles have been sintered
      at 600  degrees C and used as a catalyst in photo-oxidation reactions of
      methylene blue under UV light. Despite the additional non-magnetic coatings
      result in a lower value of the magnetic moment, the particles can still easily be
      retrieved from reaction mixtures by magnetic separation. This retention of
      magnetism was of particular importance allowing magnetic recovery and re-use of
      the catalyst.

PMID- 28344225
TI  - Hyperthermia Using Antibody-Conjugated Magnetic Nanoparticles and Its Enhanced
      Effect with Cryptotanshinone.
AB  - Heat dissipation by magnetic nanoparticles (MNPs) under an alternating magnetic
      field can be used to selectively treat cancer tissues. Antibodies conjugated to
      MNPs can enhance the therapeutic effects of hyperthermia by altering antibody
      antigen interactions. Fe3O4 nanoparticles (primary diameter, 20-30 nm) coated
      with polyethylenimine (PEI) were prepared and conjugated with CH11, an anti-Fas
      monoclonal antibody. HeLa cell growth was then evaluated as a function of
      antibody and MNP/antibody complex doses. HeLa cell growth decreased with
      increased doses of the antibody and complexes. However, MNPs alone did not affect
      cell growth; thus, only the antibody affected cell growth. In hyperthermia
      experiments conducted using an alternating magnetic field frequency of 210 kHz,
      cell viability varied with the intensity of the applied alternating magnetic
      field, because the temperature increase of the culture medium with added
      complexes was dependent on magnetic field intensity. The HeLa cell death rate
      with added complexes was significantly greater as compared with that with MNPs
      alone. Cryptotanshinone, an anti-apoptotic factor blocker, was also added to cell
      cultures, which provided an additional anti-cancer cell effect. Thus, an anti
      cancer cell effect using a combination of magnetic hyperthermia, an anti-Fas
      antibody and cryptotanshinone was established.

PMID- 28344227
TI  - Directed Kinetic Self-Assembly of Mounds on Patterned GaAs (001): Tunable
      Arrangement, Pattern Amplification and Self-Limiting Growth.
AB  - We present results demonstrating directed self-assembly of nanometer-scale mounds
      during molecular beam epitaxial growth on patterned GaAs (001) surfaces. The
      mound arrangement is tunable via the growth temperature, with an inverse spacing
      or spatial frequency which can exceed that of the features of the template. We
      find that the range of film thickness over which particular mound arrangements
      persist is finite, due to an evolution of the shape of the mounds which causes
      their growth to self-limit. A difference in the film thickness at which mounds at
      different sites self-limit provides a means by which different arrangements can
      be produced.

PMID- 28344231
TI  - Assessment of the Aerosol Generation and Toxicity of Carbon Nanotubes.
AB  - Current interest in the pulmonary toxicity of carbon nanotubes (CNTs) has
      resulted in a need for an aerosol generation system that is capable of
      consistently producing a CNT aerosol at a desired concentration level. This two
      part study was designed to: (1) assess the properties of a commercially-available
      aerosol generator when producing an aerosol from a purchased powder supply of
      double-walled carbon nanotubes (DWCNTs); and (2) assess the pulmonary sub-acute
      toxicity of DWCNTs in a murine model during a 5-day (4 h/day) whole-body
      exposure. The aerosol generator, consisting of a novel dustfeed mechanism and
      venturi ejector was determined to be capable of producing a DWCNT consistently
      over a 4 h exposure period at an average level of 10.8 mg/m3. The count median
      diameter was 121 nm with a geometric standard deviation of 2.04. The estimated
      deposited dose was 32 ug/mouse. The total number of cells in bronchoalveolar
      lavage (BAL) fluid was significantly (p < 0.01) increased in exposed mice
      compared to controls. Similarly, macrophages in BAL fluid were significantly
      elevated in exposed mice, but not neutrophils. All animals exposed to CNT and
      euthanized immediately after exposure had changes in the lung tissues showing
      acute inflammation and injury; however these pathological changes resolved two
      weeks after the exposure.

PMID- 28344229
TI  - Emergent Properties and Toxicological Considerations for Nanohybrid Materials in
      Aquatic Systems.
AB  - Conjugation of multiple nanomaterials has become the focus of recent materials
      development. This new material class is commonly known as nanohybrids or "horizon
      nanomaterials". Conjugation of metal/metal oxides with carbonaceous nanomaterials
      and overcoating or doping of one metal with another have been pursued to enhance
      material performance and/or incorporate multifunctionality into nano-enabled
      devices and processes. Nanohybrids are already at use in commercialized energy,
      electronics and medical products, which warrant immediate attention for their
      safety evaluation. These conjugated ensembles likely present a new set of
      physicochemical properties that are unique to their individual component
      attributes, hence increasing uncertainty in their risk evaluation. Established
      toxicological testing strategies and enumerated underlying mechanisms will thus
      need to be re-evaluated for the assessment of these horizon materials. This
      review will present a critical discussion on the altered physicochemical
      properties of nanohybrids and analyze the validity of existing nanotoxicology
      data against these unique properties. The article will also propose strategies to
      evaluate the conjugate materials' safety to help undertake future toxicological
      research on the nanohybrid material class.

PMID- 28344230
TI  - Superparamagnetic Nanoparticles for Atherosclerosis Imaging.
AB  - The production of magnetic nanoparticles of utmost quality for biomedical imaging
      requires several steps, from the synthesis of highly crystalline magnetic cores
      to the attachment of the different molecules on the surface. This last step
      probably plays the key role in the production of clinically useful nanomaterials.
      The attachment of the different biomolecules should be performed in a defined and
      controlled fashion, avoiding the random adsorption of the components that could
      lead to undesirable byproducts and ill-characterized surface composition. In this
      work, we review the process of creating new magnetic nanomaterials for imaging,
      particularly for the detection of atherosclerotic plaque, in vivo. Our focus will
      be in the different biofunctionalization techniques that we and several other
      groups have recently developed. Magnetic nanomaterial functionalization should be
      performed by chemoselective techniques. This approach will facilitate the
      application of these nanomaterials in the clinic, not as an exception, but as any
      other pharmacological compound.

PMID- 28344234
TI  - Magnetic Nanomaterials and Their Applications.
AB  - This Special Issue of Nanomaterials is dedicated to the development of new
      magnetic nanomaterials and their applications in biomedicine, catalysis,
      spintronics and other areas. The publications in this Issue demonstrate that the
      interest in magnetic nanomaterials is continuously growing and their realm is
      expanding rapidly. Some highlights of the publications in this issue are
      discussed below. [...].

PMID- 28344233
TI  - Biological Effects of Clinically Relevant CoCr Nanoparticles in the Dura Mater:
      An Organ Culture Study.
AB  - Medical interventions for the treatment of spinal disc degeneration include total
      disc replacement and fusion devices. There are, however, concerns regarding the
      generation of wear particles by these devices, the majority of which are in the
      nanometre sized range with the potential to cause adverse biological effects in
      the surrounding tissues. The aims of this study were to develop an organ culture
      model of the porcine dura mater and to investigate the biological effects of CoCr
      nanoparticles in this model. A range of histological techniques were used to
      analyse the structure of the tissue in the organ culture. The biological effects
      of the CoCr wear particles and the subsequent structural changes were assessed
      using tissue viability assays, cytokine assays, histology, immunohistochemistry,
      and TEM imaging. The physiological structure of the dura mater remained unchanged
      during the seven days of in vitro culture. There was no significant loss of cell
      viability. After exposure of the organ culture to CoCr nanoparticles, there was
      significant loosening of the epithelial layer, as well as the underlying collagen
      matrix. TEM imaging confirmed these structural alterations. These structural
      alterations were attributed to the production of MMP-1, -3, -9, -13, and TIMP-1.
      ELISA analysis revealed that there was significant release of cytokines including
      IL-8, IL-6, TNF-alpha, ECP and also the matrix protein, tenascin-C. This study
      suggested that CoCr nanoparticles did not cause cytotoxicity in the dura mater
      but they caused significant alterations to its structural integrity that could
      lead to significant secondary effects due to nanoparticle penetration, such as
      inflammation to the local neural tissue.

PMID- 28344232
TI  - Mechanisms Underlying Cytotoxicity Induced by Engineered Nanomaterials: A Review
      of In Vitro Studies.
AB  - Engineered nanomaterials are emerging functional materials with technologically
      interesting properties and a wide range of promising applications, such as drug
      delivery devices, medical imaging and diagnostics, and various other industrial
      products. However, concerns have been expressed about the risks of such materials
      and whether they can cause adverse effects. Studies of the potential hazards of
      nanomaterials have been widely performed using cell models and a range of in
      vitro approaches. In the present review, we provide a comprehensive and critical
      literature overview on current in vitro toxicity test methods that have been
      applied to determine the mechanisms underlying the cytotoxic effects induced by
      the nanostructures. The small size, surface charge, hydrophobicity and high
      adsorption capacity of nanomaterial allow for specific interactions within cell
      membrane and subcellular organelles, which in turn could lead to cytotoxicity
      through a range of different mechanisms. Finally, aggregating the given
      information on the relationships of nanomaterial cytotoxic responses with an
      understanding of its structure and physicochemical properties may promote the
      design of biologically safe nanostructures.

PMID- 28344235
TI  - Accumulation and Toxicity of Copper Oxide Engineered Nanoparticles in a Marine
      Mussel.
AB  - Cu is an essential trace element but can be highly toxic to aquatic organisms at
      elevated concentrations. Greater use of CuO engineered nanoparticles (ENPs) may
      lead to increased concentrations of CuO ENPs in aquatic environments causing
      potential ecological injury. We examined the toxicity of CuO ENPs to marine
      mussels and the influence of mussels on the fate and transport of CuO ENPs. We
      exposed marine mussels to 1, 2, or 3 mg L-1 CuO ENPs for four weeks, and measured
      clearance rate, rejection, excretion and accumulation of Cu, and mussel shell
      growth. Mussel clearance rate was 48% less, and growth was 68% less, in mussels
      exposed to 3 mg L-1 than in control animals. Previous studies show 100% mortality
      at 1 mg Cu L-1, suggesting that CuO ENPs are much less toxic than ionic Cu,
      probably due to the slow dissolution rate of the ENPs. Mussels rejected and
      excreted CuO ENPs in biodeposits containing as much as 110 mg Cu g-1, suggesting
      the potential for magnification in sediments. Mussels exposed to 3 mg L-1 CuO
      ENPs accumulated 79.14 +/- 12.46 ug Cu g-1 dry weight, which was 60 times more Cu
      than in control animals. Our results suggest that mussels have the potential to
      influence the fate and transport of CuO ENPs and potentially cause magnification
      of CuO ENPs in mussel bed communities, creating a significant source of Cu to
      marine benthos.

PMID- 28344237
TI  - Mesoporous Titania Powders: The Role of Precursors, Ligand Addition and
      Calcination Rate on Their Morphology, Crystalline Structure and Photocatalytic
      Activity.
AB  - We evaluate the influence of the use of different titania precursors, calcination
      rate, and ligand addition on the morphology, texture and phase content of
      synthesized mesoporous titania samples, parameters which, in turn, can play a key
      role in titania photocatalytic performances. The powders, obtained through the
      evaporation-induced self-assembly method, are characterized by means of ex situ X
      Ray Powder Diffraction (XRPD) measurements, N2 physisorption isotherms and
      transmission electron microscopy. The precursors are selected basing on two
      different approaches: the acid-base pair, using TiCl4 and Ti(OBu)4, and a more
      classic route with Ti(OiPr)4 and HCl. For both precursors, different specimens
      were prepared by resorting to different calcination rates and with and without
      the addition of acetylacetone, that creates coordinated species with lower
      hydrolysis rates, and with different calcination rates. Each sample was employed
      as photoanode and tested in the water splitting reaction by recording I-V curves
      and comparing the results with commercial P25 powders. The complex data framework
      suggests that a narrow pore size distribution, due to the use of acetylacetone,
      plays a major role in the photoactivity, leading to a current density value
      higher than that of P25.

PMID- 28344238
TI  - Electrochemical Properties of Poly(Anthraquinonyl Sulfide)/Graphene Sheets
      Composites as Electrode Materials for Electrochemical Capacitors.
AB  - Poly(anthraquinonyl sulfide) (PAQS)/graphene sheets (GSs) composite was
      synthesized through in situ polymerization to evaluate its performance as an
      electrode material for electrochemical capacitors. PAQS was successfully
      synthesized in the presence of GSs with uniform distribution. PAQS/GSs showed a
      pair of reversible redox peaks at around 0 V (vs. Ag/AgCl). The specific
      capacitance of PAQS/GSs was 349 F.g-1 (86 mAh.g-1) at a current density of 500
      mA.g-1, and a capacitance of 305 F.g-1 was maintained even at a high current
      density of 5000 mA.g-1. The in situ polymerization of PAQS with GSs facilitated
      their interaction and enabled faster charge transfer and redox reaction,
      resulting in enhanced electrode properties.

PMID- 28344239
TI  - Design of Magnetic Gelatine/Silica Nanocomposites by Nanoemulsification:
      Encapsulation versus in Situ Growth of Iron Oxide Colloids.
AB  - The design of magnetic nanoparticles by incorporation of iron oxide colloids
      within gelatine/silica hybrid nanoparticles has been performed for the first time
      through a nanoemulsion route using the encapsulation of pre-formed magnetite
      nanocrystals and the in situ precipitation of ferrous/ferric ions. The first
      method leads to bi-continuous hybrid nanocomposites containing a limited amount
      of well-dispersed magnetite colloids. In contrast, the second approach allows the
      formation of gelatine-silica core-shell nanostructures incorporating larger
      amounts of agglomerated iron oxide colloids. Both magnetic nanocomposites exhibit
      similar superparamagnetic behaviors. Whereas nanocomposites obtained via an in
      situ approach show a strong tendency to aggregate in solution, the encapsulation
      route allows further surface modification of the magnetic nanocomposites, leading
      to quaternary gold/iron oxide/silica/gelatine nanoparticles. Hence, such a first
      time rational combination of nano-emulsion, nanocrystallization and sol-gel
      chemistry allows the elaboration of multi-component functional nanomaterials.
      This constitutes a step forward in the design of more complex bio-nanoplatforms.

PMID- 28344240
TI  - Templated Synthesis of Magnetic Nanoparticles through the Self-Assembly of
      Polymers and Surfactants.
AB  - The synthesis of superparamagnetic nanoparticles (NPs) for various technological
      applications continues to be an interesting research topic. The successful
      application of superparamagnetic NPs to each specific area typically depends on
      the achievement of high magnetization for the nanocrystals obtained, which is
      determined by their average size and size distribution. The size dispersity of
      magnetic NPs (MNPs) is markedly improved when, during the synthesis, the
      nucleation and growth steps of the reaction are well-separated. Tuning the
      nucleation process with the assistance of a hosting medium that encapsulates the
      precursors (such as self-assembled micelles), dispersing them in discrete
      compartments, improves control over particle formation. These inorganic-organic
      hybrids inherit properties from both the organic and the inorganic materials,
      while the organic component can also bring a specific functionality to the
      particles or prevent their aggregation in water. The general concept of interest
      in this review is that the shape and size of the synthesized MNPs can be
      controlled to some extent by the geometry and the size of the organic templates
      used, which thus can be considered as molds at the nanometer scale, for both
      porous continuous matrices and suspensions.

PMID- 28344236
TI  - Autophagy as a Possible Underlying Mechanism of Nanomaterial Toxicity.
AB  - The rapid development of nanotechnologies is raising safety concerns because of
      the potential effects of engineered nanomaterials on human health, particularly
      at the respiratory level. Since the last decades, many in vivo studies have been
      interested in the pulmonary effects of different classes of nanomaterials. It has
      been shown that some of them can induce toxic effects, essentially depending on
      their physico-chemical characteristics, but other studies did not identify such
      effects. Inflammation and oxidative stress are currently the two main mechanisms
      described to explain the observed toxicity. However, the exact underlying
      mechanism(s) still remain(s) unknown and autophagy could represent an interesting
      candidate. Autophagy is a physiological process in which cytoplasmic components
      are digested via a lysosomal pathway. It has been shown that autophagy is
      involved in the pathogenesis and the progression of human diseases, and is able
      to modulate the oxidative stress and pro-inflammatory responses. A growing amount
      of literature suggests that a link between nanomaterial toxicity and autophagy
      impairment could exist. In this review, we will first summarize what is known
      about the respiratory effects of nanomaterials and we will then discuss the
      possible involvement of autophagy in this toxicity. This review should help
      understand why autophagy impairment could be taken as a promising candidate to
      fully understand nanomaterials toxicity.

PMID- 28344241
TI  - Fabrication of Meso-Porous Sintered Metal Thin Films by Selective Etching of
      Silica Based Sacrificial Template.
AB  - Meso-porous metal materials have enhanced surface energies offering unique
      surface properties with potential applications in chemical catalysis, molecular
      sensing and selective separation. In this paper, commercial 20 nm diameter metal
      nano-particles, including silver and copper were blended with 7 nm silica nano
      particles by shear mixing. The resulted powders were cold-sintered to form dense,
      hybrid thin films. The sacrificial silica template was then removed by selective
      etching in 12 wt% hydrofluoric acid solutions for 15 min to reveal a purely
      metallic meso-porous thin film material. The impact of the initial silica nano
      particle diameter (7-20 nm) as well as the sintering pressure (5-20 ton.m-2) and
      etching conditions on the morphology and properties of the final nano-porous thin
      films were investigated by porometry, pyknometery, gas and liquid permeation and
      electron microscopy. Furthermore, the morphology of the pores and particle
      aggregation during shear mixing were assessed through cross-sectioning by focus
      ion beam milling. It is demonstrated that meso-pores ranging between 50 and 320
      nm in average diameter and porosities up to 47% can be successfully formed for
      the range of materials tested.

PMID- 28344242
TI  - Effect of Porosity and Concentration Polarization on Electrolyte Diffusive
      Transport Parameters through Ceramic Membranes with Similar Nanopore Size.
AB  - Diffusive transport through nanoporous alumina membranes (NPAMs) produced by the
      two-step anodization method, with similar pore size but different porosity, is
      studied by analyzing membrane potential measured with NaCl solutions at different
      concentrations. Donnan exclusion of co-ions at the solution/membrane interface
      seem to exert a certain control on the diffusive transport of ions through NPAMs
      with low porosity, which might be reduced by coating the membrane surface with
      appropriated materials, as it is the case of SiO2. Our results also show the
      effect of concentration polarization at the membrane surface on ionic transport
      numbers (or diffusion coefficients) for low-porosity and high electrolyte
      affinity membranes, which could mask values of those characteristic
      electrochemical parameters.

PMID- 28344243
TI  - High-Temperature Synthesis of Ordered Mesoporous Aluminosilicates from ZSM-5
      Nanoseeds with Improved Acidic Properties.
AB  - Ordered mesoporous SBA-15 analogs with different Si/Al ratios were successfully
      prepared in a two-step process from self-assembly of ZSM-5 nanoseeds at high
      temperature in mildly acidic media (473 K, pH 3.5). The obtained products were
      characterized as SAXS, XRD, N2 sorption, FTIR, TEM, NH3-TPD, AAS and ICP. The
      results show that the initial Si/Al molar ratio of ZSM-5 precursors strongly
      affects the final materials' properties. A highly condensed, well-ordered
      mesoporous SBA-15 analog with improved hydrothermal stability and acidic
      properties can be prepared from low aluminum containing ZSM-5 precursors (Si/Al
      >= 20). Reducing the initial Si/Al molar ratio to 10, however, leads to the
      formation of a disordered mesoporous SBA-15 type material accompanied by degraded
      textural and acidic properties. The gas phase cracking of cumene, carried out as
      probe reaction to evaluate Bronsted acidity, reveals that an increased density of
      Bronsted acid sites has been achieved over the SBA-15 analogs compared to
      conventional Al-SBA-15 due to the preservation of zeolite building units in the
      mesopore walls of the SBA-15 analogs.

PMID- 28344246
TI  - Challenges and Advances in Nanotoxicology.
AB  - This Special Issue of Nanomaterials examines the potential for engineered
      nanomaterials to negatively impact biological systems and highlights some
      advances in evaluating key areas of their hazard potential. Nanomaterial science
      is evolving rapidly with the generation of more complex nanostructures with
      exciting potential applications. Keeping modern toxicology abreast of this
      innovation to the point that it guides a safer nanotechnology presents an equally
      exciting and eminently worthwhile challenge. [...].

PMID- 28344244
TI  - The Use of the Calcitonin Minimal Recognition Module for the Design of DOPA
      Containing Fibrillar Assemblies.
AB  - Amyloid deposits are insoluble fibrous protein aggregates, identified in numerous
      diseases, which self-assemble through molecular recognition. This process is
      facilitated by short amino acid sequences, identified as minimal modules.
      Peptides corresponding to these motifs can be used for the formation of amyloid
      like fibrillar assemblies in vitro. Such assemblies hold broad appeal in
      nanobiotechnology due to their ordered structure and to their ability to be
      functionalized. The catechol functional group, present in the non-coded L-3,4
      dihydroxyphenylalanine (DOPA) amino acid, can take part in diverse chemical
      interactions. Moreover, DOPA-incorporated polymers have demonstrated adhesive
      properties and redox activity. In this work, amyloid-like fibrillar assemblies
      were formed through the self-assembly of a pentapeptide containing DOPA residues,
      Asp-DOPA-Asn-Lys-DOPA. The design of this peptide was based on the minimal
      amyloidogenic recognition motif of the human calcitonin hormone, Asp-Phe-Asn-Lys
      Phe, the first amyloidogenic pentapeptide identified. By substituting
      phenylalanine with DOPA, we obtained DOPA-functionalized amyloid-like assemblies
      in water. Electron microscopy revealed elongated, linear fibril-like nanometric
      assemblies. Secondary structure analysis indicated the presence of amyloid
      characteristic beta-sheet structures as well as random coil structures.
      Deposition of silver on the DOPA-incorporated assemblies suggested redox activity
      and demonstrated the applicative potential of this novel nanobiomaterial.

PMID- 28344245
TI  - Nano-Assemblies of Modified Cyclodextrins and Their Complexes with Guest
      Molecules: Incorporation in Nanostructured Membranes and Amphiphile
      Nanoarchitectonics Design.
AB  - A variety of cyclodextrin-based molecular structures, with substitutions of
      either primary or secondary faces of the natural oligosaccharide macrocycles of
      alpha-, beta-, or gamma-cyclodextrins, have been designed towards innovative
      applications of self-assembled cyclodextrin nanomaterials. Amphiphilic
      cyclodextrins have been obtained by chemical or enzymatic modifications of their
      macrocycles using phospholipidyl, peptidolipidyl, cholesteryl, and oligo(ethylene
      oxide) anchors as well as variable numbers of grafted hydrophobic hydrocarbon or
      fluorinated chains. These novel compounds may self-assemble in an aqueous medium
      into different types of supramolecular nanoassemblies (vesicles, micelles,
      nanorods, nanospheres, and other kinds of nanoparticles and liquid crystalline
      structures). This review discusses the supramolecular nanoarchitectures, which
      can be formed by amphiphilic cyclodextrin derivatives in mixtures with other
      molecules (phospholipids, surfactants, and olygonucleotides). Biomedical
      applications are foreseen for nanoencapsulation of drug molecules in the
      hydrophobic interchain volumes and nanocavities of the amphiphilic cyclodextrins
      (serving as drug carriers or pharmaceutical excipients), anticancer phototherapy,
      gene delivery, as well as for protection of instable active ingredients through
      inclusion complexation in nanostructured media.

PMID- 28344247
TI  - Self-Assembling Organic Micro-/Nano-Pillars on Gold and Glass Surfaces.
AB  - In this work, we report the formation of a family of organic micro-/nano-pillars
      prepared from surface-assisted self-assembly processes and factors controlling
      the growth of the pillars. These acids include cyanuric acid (CA), 1,3,5
      benzenetricarboxylic acid (TMA), 1,2,4,5-benzenetetracarboxylic acid (TA) and
      3,4,9,10-perylenetetracarboxylic acid (PTA). Aqueous solutions mixed with acids
      and melamine (M) can be fine-tuned to prepare ordered micro-/nano-pillars on
      substrates, which can be further optimized for their applications.

PMID- 28344248
TI  - Inclusion of Zinc Oxide Nanoparticles into Virus-Like Peptide Nanocapsules Self
      Assembled from Viral beta-Annulus Peptide.
AB  - A viral beta-annulus peptide connected with a zinc oxide (ZnO)-binding sequence
      (HCVAHR) at its N-terminal was synthesized, and the inclusion behavior of quantum
      sized ZnO nanoparticles into the peptide nanocapsules formed by self-assembly of
      the peptide in water was investigated. Dynamic light scattering (DLS)
      measurements showed that ZnO nanoparticles (approximately 10 nm) in the presence
      of the peptide (0.1 mM) formed assemblies with an average size of 48 +/- 24 nm,
      whereas ZnO nanoparticles in the absence of the peptide formed large aggregates.
      Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) observations of the ZnO nanoparticles in
      the presence of the peptide revealed that ZnO nanoparticles were encapsulated
      into the peptide nanocapsules with a size of approximately 50 nm. Fluorescence
      spectra of a mixture of the peptide and ZnO nanoparticles suggested that the ZnO
      surface and the peptide interact. Template synthesis of ZnO nanoparticles with
      the peptide nanocapsules afforded larger nanoparticles (approximately 40 nm),
      which are not quantum-sized ZnO.

PMID- 28344249
TI  - Self-Assembly in Biosilicification and Biotemplated Silica Materials.
AB  - During evolution, living organisms have learned to design biomolecules exhibiting
      self-assembly properties to build-up materials with complex organizations. This
      is particularly evidenced by the delicate siliceous structures of diatoms and
      sponges. These structures have been considered as inspiration sources for the
      preparation of nanoscale and nanostructured silica-based materials templated by
      the self-assembled natural or biomimetic molecules. These templates range from
      short peptides to large viruses, leading to biohybrid objects with a wide variety
      of dimensions, shapes and organization. A more recent strategy based on the
      integration of biological self-assembly as the driving force of silica
      nanoparticles organization offers new perspectives to elaborate highly-tunable,
      biofunctional nanocomposites.

PMID- 28344250
TI  - Encapsulation of Anti-Tuberculosis Drugs within Mesoporous Silica and
      Intracellular Antibacterial Activities.
AB  - Tuberculosis is a major problem in public health. While new effective treatments
      to combat the disease are currently under development, they tend suffer from poor
      solubility often resulting in low and/or inconsistent oral bioavailability.
      Mesoporous materials are here investigated in an in vitro intracellular assay,
      for the effective delivery of compound PA-824; a poorly soluble bactericidal
      agent being developed against Tuberculosis (TB). Mesoporous materials enhance the
      solubility of PA-824; however, this is not translated into a higher antibacterial
      activity in TB-infected macrophages after 5 days of incubation, where similar
      values are obtained. The lack of improved activity may be due to insufficient
      release of the drug from the mesopores in the context of the cellular
      environment. However, these results show promising data for the use of mesoporous
      particles in the context of oral delivery with expected improvements in
      bioavailability.

PMID- 28344251
TI  - Fungal Hydrophobin Proteins Produce Self-Assembling Protein Films with Diverse
      Structure and Chemical Stability.
AB  - Hydrophobins are small proteins secreted by fungi and which spontaneously
      assemble into amphipathic layers at hydrophilic-hydrophobic interfaces. We have
      examined the self-assembly of the Class I hydrophobins EAS?15 and DewA, the Class
      II hydrophobin NC2 and an engineered chimeric hydrophobin. These Class I
      hydrophobins form layers composed of laterally associated fibrils with an
      underlying amyloid structure. These two Class I hydrophobins, despite showing
      significant conformational differences in solution, self-assemble to form
      fibrillar layers with very similar structures and require a hydrophilic
      hydrophobic interface to trigger self-assembly. Addition of additives that
      influence surface tension can be used to manipulate the fine structure of the
      protein films. The Class II hydrophobin NC2 forms a mesh-like protein network and
      the engineered chimeric hydrophobin displays two multimeric forms, depending on
      assembly conditions. When formed on a graphite surface, the fibrillar EAS?15
      layers are resistant to alcohol, acid and basic washes. In contrast, the NC2
      Class II monolayers are dissociated by alcohol treatment but are relatively
      stable towards acid and base washes. The engineered chimeric Class I/II
      hydrophobin shows increased stability towards alcohol and acid and base washes.
      Self-assembled hydrophobin films may have extensive applications in biotechnology
      where biocompatible; amphipathic coatings facilitate the functionalization of
      nanomaterials.

PMID- 28344252
TI  - A Novel Method to Determine the Thermal Conductivity of Interfacial Layers
      Surrounding the Nanoparticles of a Nanofluid.
AB  - Nanofluids are becoming increasingly popular as heat transfer fluids in a variety
      of industrial applications, due to their enhanced heat transfer characteristics.
      The thermal conductivity of nanofluids is usually found to be much larger than
      that predicted from the classical models, such as the Maxwell model. The key
      mechanism of enhancement of thermal conductivity of dilute nanofluids is the
      solvation of nanoparticles with a layer of matrix liquid. As of now, little is
      known quantitatively about the thermal conductivity of the interfacial layers
      surrounding the nanoparticles. In this article, a novel method is presented to
      determine the thermal conductivity of the interfacial layers of the
      nanoparticles. The proposed method allows the estimation of the thermal
      conductivity of interfacial layers based on the combined measurements of the
      intrinsic viscosity and intrinsic thermal conductivity of a bulk nanofluid. From
      the measured intrinsic viscosity of the nanofluid, the thickness of the
      interfacial layer is estimated. Using the known interfacial layer thickness along
      with the measured intrinsic thermal conductivity of the nanofluid, the thermal
      conductivity of the interfacial layer is estimated. The proposed method is
      validated by simulation and experimental results.

PMID- 28344253
TI  - Impact of the De-Alloying Kinetics and Alloy Microstructure on the Final
      Morphology of De-Alloyed Meso-Porous Metal Films.
AB  - Nano-textured porous metal materials present unique surface properties due to
      their enhanced surface energy with potential applications in sensing, molecular
      separation and catalysis. In this paper, commercial alloy foils, including brass
      (Cu85Zn15 and Cu70Zn30) and white gold (Au50Ag50) foils have been chemically de
      alloyed to form nano-porous thin films. The impact of the initial alloy micro
      structure and number of phases, as well as chemical de-alloying (DA) parameters,
      including etchant concentration, time and solution temperature on the final nano
      porous thin film morphology and properties were investigated by electron
      microscopy (EM). Furthermore, the penetration depth of the pores across the
      alloys were evaluated through the preparation of cross sections by focus ion beam
      (FIB) milling. It is demonstrated that ordered pores ranging between 100 nm and
      600 nm in diameter and 2-5 MUm in depth can be successfully formed for the range
      of materials tested. The microstructure of the foils were obtained by electron
      back-scattered diffraction (EBSD) and linked to development of pits across the
      material thickness and surface during DA. The role of selective etching of both
      noble and sacrificial metal phases of the alloy were discussed in light of the
      competitive surface etching across the range of microstructures and materials
      tested.

PMID- 28344254
TI  - Polymer Coating of Carbon Nanotube Fibers for Electric Microcables.
AB  - Carbon nanotubes (CNTs) are considered the most promising candidates to replace
      Cu and Al in a large number of electrical, mechanical and thermal applications.
      Although most CNT industrial applications require macro and micro size CNT fiber
      assemblies, several techniques to make conducting CNT fibers, threads, yarns and
      ropes have been reported to this day, and improvement of their electrical and
      mechanical conductivity continues. Some electrical applications of these CNT
      conducting fibers require an insulating layer for electrical insulation and
      protection against mechanical tearing. Ideally, a flexible insulator such as
      hydrogenated nitrile butadiene rubber (HNBR) on the CNT fiber can allow
      fabrication of CNT coils that can be assembled into lightweight, corrosion
      resistant electrical motors and transformers. HNBR is a largely used commercial
      polymer that unlike other cable-coating polymers such as polyvinyl chloride
      (PVC), it provides unique continuous and uniform coating on the CNT fibers. The
      polymer coated/insulated CNT fibers have a 26.54 MUm average diameter-which is
      approximately four times the diameter of a red blood cell-is produced by a simple
      dip-coating process. Our results confirm that HNBR in solution creates a few
      microns uniform insulation and mechanical protection over a CNT fiber that is
      used as the electrically conducting core.

PMID- 28344255
TI  - Removal of Radioactive Cesium Using Prussian Blue Magnetic Nanoparticles.
AB  - Radioactive cesium (137Cs) has inevitably become a human concern due to exposure
      from nuclear power plants and nuclear accident releases. Many efforts have been
      focused on removing cesium and the remediation of the contaminated environment.
      In this study, we elucidated the ability of Prussian blue-coated magnetic
      nanoparticles to eliminate cesium from radioactive contaminated waste. Thus, the
      obtained Prussian blue-coated magnetic nanoparticles were then characterized and
      examined for their physical and radioactive cesium adsorption properties. This
      Prussian blue-coated magnetic nanoparticle-based cesium magnetic sorbent can
      offer great potential for use in in situ remediation.

PMID- 28344256
TI  - Ordered Mesoporous Nanomaterials.
AB  - The Special Issue of Nanomaterials "Ordered Mesoporous Nanomaterials" covers
      novel synthetic aspects of mesoporous materials and explores their use in diverse
      areas like drug delivery, photocatalysis, filtration or electrocatalysis. The
      range of materials tackled includes metals and alloys, aluminosilicates, silica,
      alumina and transition metal oxides. The variety of materials, synthetic
      approaches and applications examined is vivid proof of the interest that
      mesoporous materials spark among researchers world-wide.[...].

PMID- 28344257
TI  - Properties of An Oral Nanoformulation of A Molecularly Dispersed Amphotericin B
      Comprising A Composite Matrix of Theobroma Oil and Bee'S Wax.
AB  - An amphotericin B-containing (AmB) solid lipid nanoparticulate drug delivery
      system intended for oral administration, comprised of bee's wax and theobroma oil
      as lipid components was formulated with the aim to ascertain the location of AmB
      within the lipid matrix: (a) a homogenous matrix; (b) a drug-enriched shell; or
      (c) a drug enriched core. Both the drug-loaded and drug-free nanoparticles were
      spherical with AmB contributing to an increase in both the z-average diameter
      (169 +/- 1 to 222 +/- 2 nm) and zeta potential (40.8 +/- 0.9 to 50.3 +/- 1.0 mV)
      of the nanoparticles. A maximum encapsulation efficiency of 21.4% +/- 3.0%,
      corresponding to 10.7 +/- 0.4 mg encapsulated AmB within the lipid matrix was
      observed. Surface analysis and electron microscopic imaging indicated that AmB
      was dispersed uniformly within the lipid matrix (option (a) above) and,
      therefore, this is the most suitable of the three models with regard to modeling
      the propensity for uptake by epithelia and release of AmB in lymph.

PMID- 28344258
TI  - Synthesis and Application of Amine Functionalized Iron Oxide Nanoparticles on
      Menaquinone-7 Fermentation: A Step towards Process Intensification.
AB  - Industrial production of menaquione-7 by Bacillus subtilis natto is associated
      with major drawbacks. To address the current challenges in menaquione-7
      fermentation, studying the effect of magnetic nanoparticles on the bacterial
      cells can open up a new domain for intensified menqainone-7 process. This article
      introduces the new concept of production and application of l-lysine coated iron
      oxide nanoparticles (l-Lys@IONs) as a novel tool for menaquinone-7 biosynthesis.
      l-Lys@IONs with the average size of 7 nm were successfully fabricated and were
      examined in a fermentation process of l-Lys@IONs decorated Bacillus subtilis
      natto. Based on the results, higher menaquinone-7 specific yield was observed for
      l-Lys@IONs decorated bacterial cells as compared to untreated bacteria. In
      addition, more than 92% removal efficacy was achieved by using integrated
      magnetic separation process. The present study demonstrates that l-Lys@IONs can
      be successfully applied during a fermentation of menaquinone-7 without any
      negative consequences on the culture conditions. This study provides a novel
      biotechnological application for IONs and their future role in bioprocess
      intensification.

PMID- 28344259
TI  - Effects of Particle Hydrophobicity, Surface Charge, Media pH Value and
      Complexation with Human Serum Albumin on Drug Release Behavior of Mitoxantrone
      Loaded Pullulan Nanoparticles.
AB  - We prepared two types of cholesterol hydrophobically modified pullulan
      nanoparticles (CHP) and carboxyethyl hydrophobically modified pullulan
      nanoparticles (CHCP) substituted with various degrees of cholesterol, including
      3.11, 6.03, 6.91 and 3.46 per polymer, and named CHP-3.11, CHP-6.03, CHP-6.91 and
      CHCP-3.46. Dynamic laser light scattering (DLS) showed that the pullulan
      nanoparticles were 80-120 nm depending on the degree of cholesterol substitution.
      The mean size of CHCP nanoparticles was about 160 nm, with zeta potential -19.9
      mV, larger than CHP because of the carboxyethyl group. A greater degree of
      cholesterol substitution conferred greater nanoparticle hydrophobicity. Drug
      loading efficiency depended on nanoparticle hydrophobicity, that is,
      nanoparticles with the greatest degree of cholesterol substitution (6.91) showed
      the most drug encapsulation efficiency (90.2%). The amount of drug loading
      increased and that of drug release decreased with enhanced nanoparticle
      hydrophobicity. Nanoparticle surface-negative charge disturbed the amount of drug
      loading and drug release, for an opposite effect relative to nanoparticle
      hydrophobicity. The drug release in pullulan nanoparticles was higher pH 4.0 than
      pH 6.8 media. However, the changed drug release amount was not larger for
      negative-surface nanoparticles than CHP nanoparticles in the acid release media.
      Drug release of pullulan nanoparticles was further slowed with human serum
      albumin complexation and was little affected by nanoparticle hydrophobicity and
      surface negative charge.

PMID- 28344261
TI  - Dense Plasma Focus-Based Nanofabrication of III-V Semiconductors: Unique Features
      and Recent Advances.
AB  - The hot and dense plasma formed in modified dense plasma focus (DPF) device has
      been used worldwide for the nanofabrication of several materials. In this paper,
      we summarize the fabrication of III-V semiconductor nanostructures using the high
      fluence material ions produced by hot, dense and extremely non-equilibrium plasma
      generated in a modified DPF device. In addition, we present the recent results on
      the fabrication of porous nano-gallium arsenide (GaAs). The details of
      morphological, structural and optical properties of the fabricated nano-GaAs are
      provided. The effect of rapid thermal annealing on the above properties of porous
      nano-GaAs is studied. The study reveals that it is possible to tailor the size of
      pores with annealing temperature. The optical properties of these porous nano
      GaAs also confirm the possibility to tailor the pore sizes upon annealing.
      Possible applications of the fabricated and subsequently annealed porous nano
      GaAs in transmission-type photo-cathodes and visible optoelectronic devices are
      discussed. These results suggest that the modified DPF is an effective tool for
      nanofabrication of continuous and porous III-V semiconductor nanomaterials.
      Further opportunities for using the modified DPF device for the fabrication of
      novel nanostructures are discussed as well.

PMID- 28344260
TI  - Receptor-Mediated Drug Delivery Systems Targeting to Glioma.
AB  - Glioma has been considered to be the most frequent primary tumor within the
      central nervous system (CNS). The complexity of glioma, especially the existence
      of the blood-brain barrier (BBB), makes the survival and prognosis of glioma
      remain poor even after a standard treatment based on surgery, radiotherapy, and
      chemotherapy. This provides a rationale for the development of some novel
      therapeutic strategies. Among them, receptor-mediated drug delivery is a specific
      pattern taking advantage of differential expression of receptors between tumors
      and normal tissues. The strategy can actively transport drugs, such as small
      molecular drugs, gene medicines, and therapeutic proteins to glioma while
      minimizing adverse reactions. This review will summarize recent progress on
      receptor-mediated drug delivery systems targeting to glioma, and conclude the
      challenges and prospects of receptor-mediated glioma-targeted therapy for future
      applications.

PMID- 28344263
TI  - Effects of Thickness and Amount of Carbon Nanofiber Coated Carbon Fiber on
      Improving the Mechanical Properties of Nanocomposites.
AB  - In the current study, carbon nanofibers (CNFs) were grown on a carbon fiber (CF)
      surface by using the chemical vapor deposition method (CVD) and the influences of
      some parameters of the CVD method on improving the mechanical properties of a
      polypropylene (PP) composite were investigated. To obtain an optimum surface
      area, thickness, and yield of the CNFs, the parameters of the chemical vapor
      deposition (CVD) method, such as catalyst concentration, reaction temperature,
      reaction time, and hydrocarbon flow rate, were optimized. It was observed that
      the optimal surface area, thickness, and yield of the CNFs caused more adhesion
      of the fibers with the PP matrix, which enhanced the composite properties.
      Besides this, the effectiveness of reinforcement of fillers was fitted with a
      mathematical model obtaining good agreement between the experimental result and
      the theoretical prediction. By applying scanning electronic microscope (SEM),
      transmission electron microscope (TEM), and Raman spectroscopy, the surface
      morphology and structural information of the resultant CF-CNF were analyzed.
      Additionally, SEM images and a mechanical test of the composite with a proper
      layer of CNFs on the CF revealed not only a compactness effect but also the
      thickness and surface area roles of the CNF layers in improving the mechanical
      properties of the composites.

PMID- 28344264
TI  - Determination of Cd2+ and Pb2+ Based on Mesoporous Carbon Nitride/Self-Doped
      Polyaniline Nanofibers and Square Wave Anodic Stripping Voltammetry.
AB  - The fabrication and evaluation of a glassy carbon electrode (GCE) modified with
      self-doped polyaniline nanofibers (SPAN)/mesoporous carbon nitride (MCN) and
      bismuth for simultaneous determination of trace Cd2+ and Pb2+ by square wave
      anodic stripping voltammetry (SWASV) are presented here. The morphology
      properties of SPAN and MCN were characterized by transmission electron microscopy
      (TEM), and the electrochemical properties of the fabricated electrode were
      characterized by cyclic voltammetry (CV). Experimental parameters, such as
      deposition time, pulse potential, step potential, bismuth concentration and NaCl
      concentration, were optimized. Under the optimum conditions, the fabricated
      electrode exhibited linear calibration curves ranging from 5 to 80 nM for Cd2+
      and Pb2+. The limits of detection (LOD) were 0.7 nM for Cd2+ and 0.2 nM for Pb2+
      (S/N = 3). Additionally, the repeatability, reproducibility, anti-interference
      ability and application were also investigated, and the proposed electrode
      exhibited excellent performance. The proposed method could be extended for other
      heavy metal determination.

PMID- 28344262
TI  - Biosensors Incorporating Bimetallic Nanoparticles.
AB  - This article presents a review of electrochemical bio-sensing for target analytes
      based on the use of electrocatalytic bimetallic nanoparticles (NPs), which can
      improve both the sensitivity and selectivity of biosensors. The review moves
      quickly from an introduction to the field of bio-sensing, to the importance of
      biosensors in today's society, the nature of the electrochemical methods employed
      and the attendant problems encountered. The role of electrocatalysts is
      introduced with reference to the three generations of biosensors. The
      contributions made by previous workers using bimetallic constructs, grouped by
      target analyte, are then examined in detail; following which, the synthesis and
      characterization of the catalytic particles is examined prior to a summary of the
      current state of endeavor. Finally, some perspectives for the future of
      bimetallic NPs in biosensors are given.

PMID- 28344265
TI  - Aqueous Dispersions of Silica Stabilized with Oleic Acid Obtained by Green
      Chemistry.
AB  - The present study describes for the first time the synthesis of silica
      nanoparticles starting from sodium silicate and oleic acid (OLA). The
      interactions between OLA and sodium silicate require an optimal OLA/OLANa molar
      ratio able to generate vesicles that can stabilize silica particles obtained by
      the sol-gel process of sodium silicate. The optimal molar ratio of OLA/OLANa can
      be ensured by a proper selection of OLA and respectively of sodium silicate
      concentration. The titration of sodium silicate with OLA revealed a stabilization
      phenomenon of silica/OLA vesicles and the dependence between their average size
      and reagent's molar ratio. Dynamic light scattering (DLS) and scanning electron
      microscopy (SEM) measurements emphasized the successful synthesis of silica
      nanoparticles starting from renewable materials, in mild condition of green
      chemistry. By grafting octadecyltrimethoxysilane on the initial silica particles,
      an increased interaction between silica particles and the OLA/OLANa complex was
      achieved. This interaction between the oleyl and octadecyl chains resulted in the
      formation of stable gel-like aqueous systems. Subsequently, olive oil and an
      oleophylic red dye were solubilized in these stable aqueous systems. This great
      dispersing capacity of oleosoluble compounds opens new perspectives for future
      green chemistry applications. After the removal of water and of the organic
      chains by thermal treatment, mesoporous silica was obtained.

PMID- 28344266
TI  - Targeted Sterically Stabilized Phospholipid siRNA Nanomedicine for Hepatic and
      Renal Fibrosis.
AB  - Since its discovery, small interfering RNA (siRNA) has been considered a potent
      tool for modulating gene expression. It has the ability to specifically target
      proteins via selective degradation of messenger RNA (mRNA) not easily accessed by
      conventional drugs. Hence, RNA interference (RNAi) therapeutics have great
      potential in the treatment of many diseases caused by faulty protein expression
      such as fibrosis and cancer. However, for clinical application siRNA faces a
      number of obstacles, such as poor in vivo stability, and off-target effects. Here
      we developed a unique targeted nanomedicine to tackle current siRNA delivery
      issues by formulating a biocompatible, biodegradable and relatively inexpensive
      nanocarrier of sterically stabilized phospholipid nanoparticles (SSLNPs). This
      nanocarrier is capable of incorporating siRNA in its core through self
      association with a novel cationic lipid composed of naturally occuring
      phospholipids and amino acids. This overall assembly protects and delivers
      sufficient amounts of siRNA to knockdown over-expressed protein in target cells.
      The siRNA used in this study, targets connective tissue growth factor (CTGF), an
      important regulator of fibrosis in both hepatic and renal cells. Furthermore,
      asialoglycoprotein receptors are targeted by attaching the galactosamine ligand
      to the nanocarries which enhances the uptake of nanoparticles by hepatocytes and
      renal tubular epithelial cells, the major producers of CTGF in fibrosis. On
      animals this innovative nanoconstruct, small interfering RNA in sterically
      stabilized phospholipid nanoparticles (siRNA-SSLNP), showed favorable
      pharmacokinetic properties and accumulated mostly in hepatic and renal tissues
      making siRNA-SSLNP a suitable system for targeting liver and kidney fibrotic
      diseases.

PMID- 28344268
TI  - Repair of the Orbital Wall Fractures in Rabbit Animal Model Using Nanostructured
      Hydroxyapatite-Based Implant.
AB  - Cellular uptake and cytotoxicity of nanostructured hydroxyapatite (nanoHAp) are
      dependent on its physical parameters. Therefore, an understanding of both surface
      chemistry and morphology of nanoHAp is needed in order to be able to anticipate
      its in vivo behavior. The aim of this paper is to characterize an engineered
      nanoHAp in terms of physico-chemical properties, biocompatibility, and its
      capability to reconstitute the orbital wall fractures in rabbits. NanoHAp was
      synthesized using a high pressure hydrothermal method and characterized by
      physico-chemical, structural, morphological, and optical techniques. X-ray
      diffraction revealed HAp crystallites of 21 nm, while Scanning Electron
      Microscopy (SEM) images showed spherical shapes of HAp powder. Mean particle size
      of HAp measured by DLS technique was 146.3 nm. Biocompatibility was estimated by
      the effect of HAp powder on the adhesion and proliferation of mesenchymal stem
      cells (MSC) in culture. The results showed that cell proliferation on powder
      coated slides was between 73.4% and 98.3% of control cells (cells grown in normal
      culture conditions). Computed tomography analysis of the preformed nanoHAp
      implanted in orbital wall fractures, performed at one and two months
      postoperative, demonstrated the integration of the implants in the bones. In
      conclusion, our engineered nanoHAp is stable, biocompatible, and may be safely
      considered for reconstruction of orbital wall fractures.

PMID- 28344267
TI  - The Influence of Carbonaceous Matrices and Electrocatalytic MnO2 Nanopowders on
      Lithium-Air Battery Performances.
AB  - Here, we report new gas diffusion electrodes (GDEs) prepared by mixing two
      different pore size carbonaceous matrices and pure and silver-doped manganese
      dioxide nanopowders, used as electrode supports and electrocatalytic materials,
      respectively. MnO2 nanoparticles are finely characterized in terms of structural
      (X-ray powder diffraction (XRPD), energy dispersive X-ray (EDX)), morphological
      (SEM, high-angle annular dark field (HAADF)-scanning transmission electron
      microscopy (STEM)/TEM), surface (Brunauer Emmet Teller (BET)-Barrett Joyner
      Halenda (BJH) method) and electrochemical properties. Two mesoporous carbons,
      showing diverse surface areas and pore volume distributions, have been employed.
      The GDE performances are evaluated by chronopotentiometric measurements to
      highlight the effects induced by the adopted materials. The best combination,
      hollow core mesoporous shell carbon (HCMSC) with 1.0% Ag-doped hydrothermal MnO2
      (M_hydro_1.0%Ag) allows reaching very high specific capacity close to 1400 mAh.g
      1. Considerably high charge retention through cycles is also observed, due to the
      presence of silver as a dopant for the electrocatalytic MnO2 nanoparticles.

PMID- 28344269
TI  - The Coupled Photothermal Reaction and Transport in a Laser Additive Metal
      Nanolayer Simultaneous Synthesis and Pattering for Flexible Electronics.
AB  - The Laser Direct Synthesis and Patterning (LDSP) technology has advantages in
      terms of processing time and cost compared to nanomaterials-based laser additive
      microfabrication processes. In LDSP, a scanning laser on the substrate surface
      induces chemical reactions in the reactive liquid solution and selectively
      deposits target material in a preselected pattern on the substrate. In this
      study, we experimentally investigated the effect of the processing parameters and
      type and concentration of the additive solvent on the properties and growth rate
      of the resulting metal film fabricated by this LDSP technology. It was shown that
      reactive metal ion solutions with substantial viscosity yield metal films with
      superior physical properties. A numerical analysis was also carried out the first
      time to investigate the coupled opto-thermo-fluidic transport phenomena and the
      effects on the metal film growth rate. To complete the simulation, the optical
      properties of the LDSP deposited metal film with a variety of thicknesses were
      measured. The characteristics of the temperature field and the thermally induced
      flow associated with the moving heat source are discussed. It was shown that the
      processing temperature range of the LDSP is from 330 to 390 K. A semi-empirical
      model for estimating the metal film growth rate using this process was developed
      based on these results. From the experimental and numerical results, it is seen
      that, owing to the increased reflectivity of the silver film as its thickness
      increases, the growth rate decreases gradually from about 40 nm at initial to 10
      nm per laser scan after ten scans. This self-controlling effect of LDSP process
      controls the thickness and improves the uniformity of the fabricated metal film.
      The growth rate and resulting thickness of the metal film can also be regulated
      by adjustment of the processing parameters, and thus can be utilized for
      controllable additive nano/microfabrication.

PMID- 28344270
TI  - White Light-Emitting Diodes Based on AgInS2/ZnS Quantum Dots with Improved
      Bandwidth in Visible Light Communication.
AB  - Quantum dot white light-emitting diodes (QD-WLEDs) were fabricated from green-
      and red-emitting AgInS2/ZnS core/shell QDs coated on GaN LEDs. Their
      electroluminescence (EL) spectra were measured at different currents, ranging
      from 50 mA to 400 mA, and showed good color stability. The modulation bandwidth
      of previously prepared QD-WLEDs was confirmed to be much wider than that of
      YAG:Ce phosphor-based WLEDs. These results indicate that the AgInS2/ZnS
      core/shell QDs are good color-converting materials for WLEDs and they are capable
      in visible light communication (VLC).

PMID- 28344272
TI  - Frontiers in Mesoporous Nanomaterials.
AB  - The Special Issue of Nanomaterials "Frontiers in Mesoporous Nanomaterials"
      gathers four reviews, one communication and eight regular papers.

PMID- 28344271
TI  - X-ray Absorption Spectroscopy Characterization of a Li/S Cell.
AB  - The X-ray absorption spectroscopy technique has been applied to study different
      stages of the lithium/sulfur (Li/S) cell life cycle. We have investigated how
      speciation of S in Li/S cathodes changes upon the introduction of CTAB
      (cetyltrimethylammonium bromide, CH3(CH2)15N+(CH3)3Br-) and with charge/discharge
      cycling. The introduction of CTAB changes the synthesis reaction pathway
      dramatically due to the interaction of CTAB with the terminal S atoms of the
      polysulfide ions in the Na2Sx solution. For the cycled Li/S cell, the loss of
      electrochemically active sulfur and the accumulation of a compact blocking
      insulating layer of unexpected sulfur reaction products on the cathode surface
      during the charge/discharge processes make the capacity decay. A modified coin
      cell and a vacuum-compatible three-electrode electro-chemical cell have been
      introduced for further in-situ/in-operando studies.

PMID- 28344273
TI  - Resistive Switching of Plasma-Treated Zinc Oxide Nanowires for Resistive Random
      Access Memory.
AB  - ZnO nanowires (NWs) were grown on Si(100) substrates at 975  degrees C by a vapor
      liquid-solid method with ~2 nm and ~4 nm gold thin films as catalysts, followed
      by an argon plasma treatment for the as-grown ZnO NWs. A single ZnO NW-based
      memory cell with a Ti/ZnO/Ti structure was then fabricated to investigate the
      effects of plasma treatment on the resistive switching. The plasma treatment
      improves the homogeneity and reproducibility of the resistive switching of the
      ZnO NWs, and it also reduces the switching (set and reset) voltages with less
      fluctuations, which would be associated with the increased density of oxygen
      vacancies to facilitate the resistive switching as well as to average out the
      stochastic movement of individual oxygen vacancies. Additionally, a single ZnO NW
      based memory cell with self-rectification could also be obtained, if the
      inhomogeneous plasma treatment is applied to the two Ti/ZnO contacts. The plasma
      induced oxygen vacancy disabling the rectification capability at one of the
      Ti/ZnO contacts is believed to be responsible for the self-rectification in the
      memory cell.

PMID- 28344274
TI  - Excipient Nanoemulsions for Improving Oral Bioavailability of Bioactives.
AB  - The oral bioavailability of many hydrophobic bioactive compounds found in natural
      food products (such as vitamins and nutraceuticals in fruits and vegetables) is
      relatively low due to their low bioaccessibility, chemical instability, or poor
      absorption. Most previous research has therefore focused on the design of
      delivery systems to incorporate isolated bioactive compounds into food products.
      However, a more sustainable and cost-effect approach to enhancing the
      functionality of bioactive compounds is to leave them within their natural
      environment, but specifically design excipient foods that enhance their
      bioavailability. Excipient foods typically do not have functionality themselves
      but they have the capacity to enhance the functionality of nutrients present in
      natural foods by altering their bioaccessibility, absorption, and/or chemical
      transformation. In this review article we present the use of excipient
      nanoemulsions for increasing the bioavailability of bioactive components from
      fruits and vegetables. Nanoemulsions present several advantages over other food
      systems for this application, such as the ability to incorporate hydrophilic,
      amphiphilic, and lipophilic excipient ingredients, high physical stability, and
      rapid gastrointestinal digestibility. The design, fabrication, and application of
      nanoemulsions as excipient foods will therefore be described in this article.

PMID- 28344276
TI  - Synthesis of Nickel Nanowires with Tunable Characteristics.
AB  - A one-step synthesis of magnetic nickel nanowires (NiNWs) with tunable
      characteristics is reported. The method is simple and easy to be conducted,
      leading to high compatibility with scaling-up. It is discovered that the size and
      morphology of NiNWs can be adjusted by tuning the reaction temperature, time
      length, as well as surfactant concentration. It is found that the products have
      shown high purity which remained after being stored for several months. A
      remarkable enhanced saturation magnetization of the product was also observed,
      compared to that of bulk nickel. By providing both practical experimental details
      and in-depth mechanism, the work introduced in this paper may advance the mass
      production and further applications of NiNWs.

PMID- 28344275
TI  - Nitrogen-Doped Banana Peel-Derived Porous Carbon Foam as Binder-Free Electrode
      for Supercapacitors.
AB  - Nitrogen-doped banana peel-derived porous carbon foam (N-BPPCF) successfully
      prepared from banana peels is used as a binder-free electrode for
      supercapacitors. The N-BPPCF exhibits superior performance including high
      specific surface areas of 1357.6 m2/g, large pore volume of 0.77 cm3/g, suitable
      mesopore size distributions around 3.9 nm, and super hydrophilicity with nitrogen
      containing functional groups. It can easily be brought into contact with an
      electrolyte to facilitate electron and ion diffusion. A comparative analysis on
      the electrochemical properties of BPPCF electrodes is also conducted under
      similar conditions. The N-BPPCF electrode offers high specific capacitance of
      185.8 F/g at 5 mV/s and 210.6 F/g at 0.5 A/g in 6 M KOH aqueous electrolyte
      versus 125.5 F/g at 5 mV/s and 173.1 F/g at 0.5 A/g for the BPPCF electrode. The
      results indicate that the N-BPPCF is a binder-free electrode that can be used for
      high performance supercapacitors.

PMID- 28344277
TI  - A Graphene Oxide-Based Fluorescent Platform for Probing of Phosphatase Activity.
AB  - We presented a strategy for fabricating graphene oxide (GO)-based fluorescent
      biosensors to monitor the change of phosphorylation state and detect phosphatase
      activity. By regulating the interaction between the negatively charged phosphate
      group and the positively charged amino residue, we found that GO showed different
      quenching efficiency toward the phosphorylated and dephosphorylated dye-labeled
      peptides. To demonstrate the application of our method, alkaline phosphatase
      (ALP) was tested as a model enzyme with phosphorylated fluorescein isothiocyanate
      (FITC)-labeled short peptide FITC-Gly-Gly-Gly-Tyr(PO32-)-Arg as the probe. When
      the negatively charged phosphate group in the Tyr residue was removed from the
      peptide substrate by enzymatic hydrolysis, the resulting FITC-Gly-Gly-Gly-Tyr-Arg
      was readily adsorbed onto the GO surface through electrostatic interaction. As a
      result, fluorescence quenching was observed. Furthermore, the method was applied
      for the screening of phosphatase inhibitors.

PMID- 28344278
TI  - Investigation of MnO2 and Ordered Mesoporous Carbon Composites as
      Electrocatalysts for Li-O2 Battery Applications.
AB  - The electrocatalytic activities of the MnO2/C composites are examined in Li-O2
      cells as the cathode catalysts. Hierarchically mesoporous carbon-supported
      manganese oxide (MnO2/C) composites are prepared using a combination of soft
      template and hydrothermal methods. The composites are characterized by X-ray
      powder diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron
      microscopy, small angle X-ray scattering, The Brunauer-Emmett-Teller (BET)
      measurements, galvanostatic charge-discharge methods, and rotating ring-disk
      electrode (RRDE) measurements. The electrochemical tests indicate that the MnO2/C
      composites have excellent catalytic activity towards oxygen reduction reactions
      (ORRs) due to the larger surface area of ordered mesoporous carbon and higher
      catalytic activity of MnO2. The O2 solubility, diffusion rates of O2 and O2*-
      coefficients (DO2 and DO-2), the rate constant (kf) for producing O2*-, and the
      propylene carbonate (PC)-electrolyte decomposition rate constant (k) of the
      MnO2/C material were measured by RRDE experiments in the 0.1 M TBAPF6/PC
      electrolyte. The values of kf and k for MnO2/C are 4.29 * 10-2 cm.s-1 and 2.6 s
      1, respectively. The results indicate that the MnO2/C cathode catalyst has higher
      electrocatalytic activity for the first step of ORR to produce O2*- and achieves
      a faster PC-electrolyte decomposition rate.

PMID- 28344279
TI  - Coupling of Nanocrystalline Anatase TiO2 to Porous Nanosized LaFeO3 for Efficient
      Visible-Light Photocatalytic Degradation of Pollutants.
AB  - In this work we have successfully fabricated nanocrystalline anatase
      TiO2/perovskite-type porous nanosized LaFeO3 (T/P-LFO) nanocomposites using a
      simple wet chemical method. It is clearly demonstrated by means of atmosphere
      controlled steady-state surface photovoltage spectroscopy (SPS) responses,
      photoluminescence spectra, and fluorescence spectra related to the formed OH-
      radical amount that the photogenerated charge carriers in the resultant T/P-LFO
      nanocomposites with a proper mole ratio percentage of TiO2 display much higher
      separation in comparison to the P-LFO alone. This is highly responsible for the
      improved visible-light activities of T/P-LFO nanocomposites for photocatalytic
      degradation of gas-phase acetaldehyde and liquid-phase phenol. This work will
      provide a feasible route to synthesize visible-light responsive nano
      photocatalysts for efficient solar energy utilization.

PMID- 28344282
TI  - Composites of Quasi-Colloidal Layered Double Hydroxide Nanoparticles and Agarose
      Hydrogels for Chromate Removal.
AB  - Composite hydrogels were prepared that consisted of quasi-colloidal layered
      double hydroxide (LDH) nanoparticles and agarose via the electrophoretic method,
      starting from three different agarose concentrations of 0.5, 1, and 2 wt/v%. The
      composite hydrogel was identified to have a uniform distribution of LDH
      nanoparticles in agarose matrix. Microscopic studies revealed that the composite
      hydrogel had a homogeneous quasi-colloidal state of LDHs, while the simple
      mixture of LDH powder and agarose hydrogels did not. It was determined that
      agarose concentration of the starting hydrogel did not significantly influence
      the amount of LDH that developed in the composite. The chromate scavenging
      efficiency of the composite hydrogel and corresponding agarose or mixture
      hydrogel was evaluated with respect to time, and chromate concentration. In
      general, the composite hydrogels exhibited much higher chromate removal efficacy
      compared with agarose or mixture hydrogels. Through estimating chromate
      adsorption by LDH moiety in the composite or mixture hydrogel, it was suggested
      that the agarose component facilitated the stability and dispersibility of the
      quasi-colloidal state of LDH nanoparticles in the composite resulting in high
      adsorption efficacy. From Freundlich isotherm adsorption fitting, composites were
      determined to possess beneficial cooperative adsorption behavior with a high
      adsorption coefficient.

PMID- 28344281
TI  - A Nanostructured SERS Switch Based on Molecular Beacon-Controlled Assembly of
      Gold Nanoparticles.
AB  - In this paper, highly purified and stable gold nanoparticle (AuNP) dimers
      connected at the two ends of DNA linkage were prepared by a versatile method. A
      nanostructured, surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) switching sensor system
      was fabricated based on the controlled organization of gold nanoparticles (AuNPs)
      by a DNA nanomachine through the controlled formation/deformation of SERS
      "hotspots". This strategy not only opens opportunities in the precise engineering
      of gap distances in gold-gold nanostructures in a highly controllable and
      reproducible fashion, but also provides a unique ability to research the origin
      of SERS and sequence-specific DNA detection.

PMID- 28344284
TI  - Extended Superspheres for Shape Approximation of Near Polyhedral Nanoparticles
      and a Measure of the Degree of Polyhedrality.
AB  - Crystalline nanoparticles or nanoprecipitates with a cubic structure often have
      near polyhedral shapes composed of low-index planes with {100}, {111} and {110}.
      To consider such near polyhedral shapes, algebraic formulas of extended
      superspheres that can express intermediate shapes between spheres and various
      polyhedra have been presented. Four extended superspheres, (i) {100} regular
      hexahedral; (ii) {111} regular-octahedral (iii) {110} rhombic-dodecahedral and
      (iv) {100}-{111}-{110} rhombicuboctahedral superspheres are treated in this
      study. A measure ? to indicate the degree of polyhedrality is presented to
      discuss shape transitions of the extended superspheres. As an application of ?
      superspherical coherent precipitate is shown.

PMID- 28344283
TI  - Manufacturing Techniques and Surface Engineering of Polymer Based Nanoparticles
      for Targeted Drug Delivery to Cancer.
AB  - The evolution of polymer based nanoparticles as a drug delivery carrier via
      pharmaceutical nano/microencapsulation has greatly promoted the development of
      nano- and micro-medicine in the past few decades. Poly(lactide-co-glycolide)
      (PLGA) and chitosan, which are biodegradable and biocompatible polymers, have
      been approved by both the Food & Drug Administration (FDA) and European Medicine
      Agency (EMA), making them ideal biomaterials that can be advanced from laboratory
      development to clinical oral and parental administrations. PLGA and chitosan
      encapsulated nanoparticles (NPs) have successfully been developed as new oral
      drug delivery systems with demonstrated high efficacy. This review aims to
      provide a comprehensive overview of the fabrication of PLGA and chitosan
      particulate systems using nano/microencapsulation methods, the current progress
      and the future outlooks of the nanoparticulate drug delivery systems. Especially,
      we focus on the formulations and nano/micro-encapsulation techniques using top
      down techniques. It also addresses how the different phases including the organic
      and aqueous ones in the emulsion system interact with each other and subsequently
      influence the properties of the drug delivery system. Besides, surface
      modification strategies which can effectively engineer intrinsic physicochemical
      properties are summarised. Finally, future perspectives and potential directions
      of PLGA and chitosan nano/microencapsulated drug systems are outlined.

PMID- 28344285
TI  - Spectroscopic and Electrochemical Studies of Imogolite and Fe-Modified Imogolite
      Nanotubes.
AB  - Carbon nanotubes and other forms of carbon nanoparticles, as well as metal
      nanoparticles have been widely used in film electrochemistry because they allow
      for the immobilization of larger amounts of catalyst (either biological or
      inorganic) on the top of the modified electrodes. Nevertheless, those
      nanoparticles present high costs of synthesis and of separation and purification
      that hamper their employment. On the other hand, imogolites (Im), with the
      general formula (OH)3Al2O3SiOH, are naturally-occurring nanomaterials, which can
      be obtained from glassy volcanic ash soils and can also be synthesized at mild
      conditions. In this research paper, we characterize through spectroscopic
      techniques (i.e., fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) spectroscopy,
      powder X-ray diffraction (XRD) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM))
      synthetized Im and Fe-modified imogolite (Im(Fe)). Moreover, the Im and Im(Fe)
      were physically adsorbed on the top of a graphite electrode (GE) and were
      characterized electrochemically in the potential region ranging from -0.8 to 0.8
      V vs. the saturated calomel electrode (SCE). When the film of the Im or of the
      Im(Fe) was present on the top of the electrode, the intensity of the
      charging/discharging current increased two-fold, but no redox activity in the
      absence of O2 could be appreciated. To show that Im and Im(Fe) could be used as
      support for catalysts, iron phthalocyanine (FePc) was adsorbed on the top of the
      Im or Im(Fe) film, and the electrocatalytic activity towards the O2 reduction was
      measured. In the presence of the Im, the measured electrocatalytic current for O2
      reduction increased 30%, and the overpotential drastically decreased by almost
      100 mV, proving that the Im can act as a good support for the electrocatalysts.

PMID- 28344286
TI  - Simultaneous Reduction and Functionalization of Graphene Oxide by 4
      Hydrazinobenzenesulfonic Acid for Polymer Nanocomposites.
AB  - Graphene oxide (GO) was functionalized and reduced simultaneously by a new
      reductant, 4-hydrazinobenzenesulfonic acid (HBS), with a one-step and
      environmentally friendly process. The hydrophilic sulfonic acid group in HBS was
      grafted onto the surface of GO through a covalent bond. The successful
      preparation of HBS reduced GO (HBS-rGO) was testified by scanning electron
      microscope (SEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), Raman spectroscopy, Fourier transform
      infrared spectra (FTIR), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopic (XPS) and
      thermogravimetric analysis (TGA). The interlayer space of HBS-rGO was increased
      to 1.478 nm from 0.751 nm for GO, resulting in a subdued Van der Waals' force
      between layers and less possibility to form aggregations. The aqueous
      dispersibility of graphene was improved to 13.49 mg/mL from 0.58 mg/mL after the
      functionalization. The viscosity of the epoxy resin based HBS-rGO composite could
      be regulated by an adjustment of the content of HBS-rGO. This study provides a
      new and applicable approach for the preparation of hydrophilic functionalized
      graphene, and makes it possible for the application of graphene in some
      functional polymer nanocomposites, such as specialty water-based coatings.

PMID- 28344287
TI  - Characterization of Nanoparticle Dispersion in Red Blood Cell Suspension by the
      Lattice Boltzmann-Immersed Boundary Method.
AB  - Nanodrug-carrier delivery in the blood stream is strongly influenced by
      nanoparticle (NP) dispersion. This paper presents a numerical study on NP
      transport and dispersion in red blood cell (RBC) suspensions under shear and
      channel flow conditions, utilizing an immersed boundary fluid-structure
      interaction model with a lattice Boltzmann fluid solver, an elastic cell membrane
      model and a particle motion model driven by both hydrodynamic loading and
      Brownian dynamics. The model can capture the multiphase features of the blood
      flow. Simulations were performed to obtain an empirical formula to predict NP
      dispersion rate for a range of shear rates and cell concentrations. NP dispersion
      rate predictions from the formula were then compared to observations from
      previous experimental and numerical studies. The proposed formula is shown to
      accurately predict the NP dispersion rate. The simulation results also confirm
      previous findings that the NP dispersion rate is strongly influenced by local
      disturbances in the flow due to RBC motion and deformation. The proposed formula
      provides an efficient method for estimating the NP dispersion rate in modeling NP
      transport in large-scale vascular networks without explicit RBC and NP models.

PMID- 28344288
TI  - Effect of NaCl on the Lifetime of Micro- and Nanobubbles.
AB  - Micro- and nanobubbles (MNBs) are potentially useful for industrial applications
      such as the purification of wastewater and the promotion of physiological
      activities of living organisms. To develop such applications, we should
      understand their properties and behavior, such as their lifetime and their number
      density in solution. In the present study, we observed oxygen MNBs distributed in
      an electrolyte (NaCl) solution using a transmission electron microscope to
      analyze samples made with the freeze-fracture replica method. We found that MNBs
      in a 100 mM NaCl solution remain for at least 1 week, but at higher
      concentrations decay more quickly. To better understand their lifetimes, we
      compared measurements of the solution's dissolved oxygen concentration and the
      zeta-potential of the MNBs. Our detailed observations of transmission electron
      microscopy (TEM) images allows us to conclude that low concentrations of NaCl
      stabilize MNBs due to the ion shielding effect. However, higher concentrations
      accelerate their disappearance by reducing the repulsive force between MNBs.

PMID- 28344289
TI  - Energy Transfer between Conjugated Colloidal Ga2O3 and CdSe/CdS Core/Shell
      Nanocrystals for White Light Emitting Applications.
AB  - Developing solid state materials capable of generating homogeneous white light in
      an energy efficient and resource-sustainable way is central to the design of new
      and improved devices for various lighting applications. Most currently-used
      phosphors depend on strategically important rare earth elements, and rely on a
      multicomponent approach, which produces sub-optimal quality white light. Here, we
      report the design and preparation of a colloidal white-light emitting nanocrystal
      conjugate. This conjugate is obtained by linking colloidal Ga2O3 and II-VI
      nanocrystals in the solution phase with a short bifunctional organic molecule
      (thioglycolic acid). The two types of nanocrystals are electronically coupled by
      Forster resonance energy transfer owing to the short separation between Ga2O3
      (energy donor) and core/shell CdSe/CdS (energy acceptor) nanocrystals, and the
      spectral overlap between the photoluminescence of the donor and the absorption of
      the acceptor. Using steady state and time-resolved photoluminescence
      spectroscopies, we quantified the contribution of the energy transfer to the
      photoluminescence spectral power distribution and the corresponding chromaticity
      of this nanocrystal conjugate. Quantitative understanding of this new system
      allows for tuning of the emission color and the design of quasi-single white
      light emitting inorganic phosphors without the use of rare-earth elements.

PMID- 28344290
TI  - EU Regulation of Nanobiocides: Challenges in Implementing the Biocidal Product
      Regulation (BPR).
AB  - The Biocidal Products Regulation (BPR) contains several provisions for
      nanomaterials (NMs) and is the first regulation in the European Union to require
      specific testing and risk assessment for the NM form of a biocidal substance as a
      part of the information requirements. Ecotoxicological data are one of the
      pillars of the information requirements in the BPR, but there are currently no
      standard test guidelines for the ecotoxicity testing of NMs. The overall
      objective of this work was to investigate the implications of the introduction of
      nano-specific testing requirements in the BPR and to explore how these might be
      fulfilled in the case of copper oxide nanoparticles. While there is information
      and data available in the open literature that could be used to fulfill the BPR
      information requirements, most of the studies do not take the Organisation for
      Economic Co-operation and Development's nanospecific test guidelines into
      consideration. This makes it difficult for companies as well as regulators to
      fulfill the BPR information requirements for nanomaterials. In order to enable a
      nanospecific risk assessment, best practices need to be developed regarding stock
      suspension preparation and characterization, exposure suspensions preparation,
      and for conducting ecotoxicological test.

PMID- 28344291
TI  - Degradable Dextran Nanopolymer as a Carrier for Choline Kinase (ChoK) siRNA
      Cancer Therapy.
AB  - Although small interfering RNA (siRNA) therapy has proven to be a specific and
      effective treatment in cells, the delivery of siRNA is a challenge for the
      applications of siRNA therapy. We present a degradable dextran with amine groups
      as an siRNA nano-carrier. In our nano-carrier, the amine groups are conjugated to
      the dextran platform through the acetal bonds, which are acid sensitive.
      Therefore this siRNA carrier is stable in neutral and basic conditions, while the
      amine groups can be cleaved and released from dextran platform under weak acid
      conditions (such as in endosomes). The cleavage and release of amine groups can
      reduce the toxicity of cationic polymer and enhance the transfection efficiency.
      We successfully applied this nano-carrier to deliver choline kinase (ChoK) siRNA
      for ChoK inhibition in cells.

PMID- 28344292
TI  - Influence of Nitrogen Doping on Device Operation for TiO2-Based Solid-State Dye
      Sensitized Solar Cells: Photo-Physics from Materials to Devices.
AB  - Solid-state dye-sensitized solar cells (ssDSSC) constitute a major approach to
      photovoltaic energy conversion with efficiencies over 8% reported thanks to the
      rational design of efficient porous metal oxide electrodes, organic chromophores,
      and hole transporters. Among the various strategies used to push the performance
      ahead, doping of the nanocrystalline titanium dioxide (TiO2) electrode is
      regularly proposed to extend the photo-activity of the materials into the visible
      range. However, although various beneficial effects for device performance have
      been observed in the literature, they remain strongly dependent on the method
      used for the production of the metal oxide, and the influence of nitrogen atoms
      on charge kinetics remains unclear. To shed light on this open question, we
      synthesized a set of N-doped TiO2 nanopowders with various nitrogen contents, and
      exploited them for the fabrication of ssDSSC. Particularly, we carefully analyzed
      the localization of the dopants using X-ray photo-electron spectroscopy (XPS) and
      monitored their influence on the photo-induced charge kinetics probed both at the
      material and device levels. We demonstrate a strong correlation between the
      kinetics of photo-induced charge carriers probed both at the level of the
      nanopowders and at the level of working solar cells, illustrating a direct
      transposition of the photo-physic properties from materials to devices.

PMID- 28344293
TI  - Nano-Welding of Multi-Walled Carbon Nanotubes on Silicon and Silica Surface by
      Laser Irradiation.
AB  - In this study, a continuous fiber laser (1064 nm wavelength, 30 W/cm2) is used to
      irradiate multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) on different substrate surfaces.
      Effects of substrates on nano-welding of MWCNTs are investigated by scanning
      electron microscope (SEM). For MWCNTs on silica, after 3 s irradiation, nanoscale
      welding with good quality can be achieved due to breaking C-C bonds and formation
      of new graphene layers. While welding junctions can be formed until 10 s for the
      MWCNTs on silicon, the difference of irradiation time to achieve welding is
      attributed to the difference of thermal conductivity for silica and silicon. As
      the irradiation time is prolonged up to 12.5 s, most of the MWCNTs are welded to
      a silicon substrate, which leads to their frameworks of tube walls on the silicon
      surface. This is because the accumulation of absorbed energy makes the
      temperature rise. Then chemical reactions among silicon, carbon and nitrogen
      occur. New chemical bonds of Si-N and Si-C achieve the welding between the MWCNTs
      and silicon. Vibration modes of Si3N4 appear at peaks of 363 cm-1 and 663 cm-1.
      There are vibration modes of SiC at peaks of 618 cm-1, 779 cm-1 and 973 cm-1. The
      experimental observation proves chemical reactions and the formation of Si3N4 and
      SiC by laser irradiation.

PMID- 28344294
TI  - Supramolecular Assembly of Gold Nanoparticles on Carbon Nanotubes: Application to
      the Catalytic Oxidation of Hydroxylamines.
AB  - A supramolecular heterogeneous catalyst was developed by assembly and
      stabilization of gold nanoparticles on the surface of carbon nanotubes. A layer
      by-layer assembly strategy was used and the resulting nanohybrid was involved in
      the catalytic oxidation of hydroxylamines under mild conditions. The nanohybrid
      demonstrated high efficiency and selectivity on hydroxylamine substrates.

PMID- 28344295
TI  - Thermal Plasma Synthesis of Crystalline Gallium Nitride Nanopowder from Gallium
      Nitrate Hydrate and Melamine.
AB  - Gallium nitride (GaN) nanopowder used as a blue fluorescent material was
      synthesized by using a direct current (DC) non-transferred arc plasma. Gallium
      nitrate hydrate (Ga(NO3)3?xH2O) was used as a raw material and NH3 gas was used
      as a nitridation source. Additionally, melamine (C3H6N6) powder was injected into
      the plasma flame to prevent the oxidation of gallium to gallium oxide (Ga2O3).
      Argon thermal plasma was applied to synthesize GaN nanopowder. The synthesized
      GaN nanopowder by thermal plasma has low crystallinity and purity. It was
      improved to relatively high crystallinity and purity by annealing. The
      crystallinity is enhanced by the thermal treatment and the purity was increased
      by the elimination of residual C3H6N6. The combined process of thermal plasma and
      annealing was appropriate for synthesizing crystalline GaN nanopowder. The
      annealing process after the plasma synthesis of GaN nanopowder eliminated
      residual contamination and enhanced the crystallinity of GaN nanopowder. As a
      result, crystalline GaN nanopowder which has an average particle size of 30 nm
      was synthesized by the combination of thermal plasma treatment and annealing.

PMID- 28344296
TI  - Developments of the Physical and Electrical Properties of NiCr and NiCrSi Single
      Layer and Bi-Layer Nano-Scale Thin-Film Resistors.
AB  - In this study, commercial-grade NiCr (80 wt % Ni, 20 wt % Cr) and NiCrSi (55 wt %
      Ni, 40 wt % Cr, 5 wt % Si) were used as targets and the sputtering method was
      used to deposit NiCr and NiCrSi thin films on Al2O3 and Si substrates at room
      temperature under different deposition time. X-ray diffraction patterns showed
      that the NiCr and NiCrSi thin films were amorphous phase, and the field-effect
      scanning electronic microscope observations showed that only nano-crystalline
      grains were revealed on the surfaces of the NiCr and NiCrSi thin films. The log
      (resistivity) values of the NiCr and NiCrSi thin-film resistors decreased
      approximately linearly as their thicknesses increased. We found that the value of
      temperature coefficient of resistance (TCR value) of the NiCr thin-film resistors
      was positive and that of the NiCrSi thin-film resistors was negative. To
      investigate these thin-film resistors with a low TCR value, we designed a novel
      bi-layer structure to fabricate the thin-film resistors via two different
      stacking methods. The bi-layer structures were created by depositing NiCr for 10
      min as the upper (or lower) layer and depositing NiCrSi for 10, 30, or 60 min as
      the lower (or upper) layer. We aim to show that the stacking method had no
      apparent effect on the resistivity of the NiCr-NiCrSi bi-layer thin-film
      resistors but had large effect on the TCR value.

PMID- 28344297
TI  - N-doped TiO2 Nanotubes as an Effective Additive to Improve the Catalytic
      Capability of Methanol Oxidation for Pt/Graphene Nanocomposites.
AB  - N-doped TiO2 nanotubes have been prepared as additives to improve the catalytic
      capability of Pt/graphene composites in methanol oxidation reactions.
      Electrochemical experiments show that the catalytic performance of Pt/graphene
      composites has been greatly improved by the introduction of N-doped TiO2
      nanotubes.

PMID- 28344299
TI  - Dielectric Barrier Discharge (DBD) Plasma Assisted Synthesis of Ag2O
      Nanomaterials and Ag2O/RuO2 Nanocomposites.
AB  - Silver oxide, ruthenium oxide nanomaterials and its composites are widely used in
      a variety of applications. Plasma-mediated synthesis is one of the emerging
      technologies to prepare nanomaterials with desired physicochemical properties. In
      this study, dielectric barrier discharge (DBD) plasma was used to synthesize Ag2O
      and Ag2O/RuO2 nanocomposite materials. The prepared materials showed good
      crystallinity. The surface morphology of the Ag2O exhibited "garland-like"
      features, and it changed to "flower-like" and "leaf-like" at different NaOH
      concentrations. The Ag2O/RuO2 composite showed mixed structures of aggregated
      Ag2O and sheet-like RuO2. Mechanisms governing the material's growth under
      atmospheric pressure plasma were proposed. Chemical analysis was performed using
      Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and X-ray photoelectron
      spectroscopy (XPS). Thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) showed the thermal
      decomposition behavior and the oxygen release pattern.

PMID- 28344300
TI  - Effect of Saturation Pressure Difference on Metal-Silicide Nanopowder Formation
      in Thermal Plasma Fabrication.
AB  - A computational investigation using a unique model and a solution algorithm was
      conducted, changing only the saturation pressure of one material artificially
      during nanopowder formation in thermal plasma fabrication, to highlight the
      effects of the saturation pressure difference between a metal and silicon. The
      model can not only express any profile of particle size-composition distribution
      for a metal-silicide nanopowder even with widely ranging sizes from sub
      nanometers to a few hundred nanometers, but it can also simulate the entire
      growth process involving binary homogeneous nucleation, binary heterogeneous co
      condensation, and coagulation among nanoparticles with different compositions.
      Greater differences in saturation pressures cause a greater time lag for co
      condensation of two material vapors during the collective growth of the metal
      silicide nanopowder. The greater time lag for co-condensation results in a wider
      range of composition of the mature nanopowder.

PMID- 28344298
TI  - A Brief Review on Multivalent Intercalation Batteries with Aqueous Electrolytes.
AB  - Rapidly growing global demand for high energy density rechargeable batteries has
      driven the research toward developing new chemistries and battery systems beyond
      Li-ion batteries. Due to the advantages of delivering more than one electron and
      giving more charge capacity, the multivalent systems have gained considerable
      attention. At the same time, affordability, ease of fabrication and safety
      aspects have also directed researchers to focus on aqueous electrolyte based
      multivalent intercalation batteries. There have been a decent number of
      publications disclosing capabilities and challenges of several multivalent
      battery systems in aqueous electrolytes, and while considering an increasing
      interest in this area, here, we present a brief overview of their recent
      progress, including electrode chemistries, functionalities and challenges.

PMID- 28344302
TI  - Formation and Controlled Drug Release Using a Three-Component Supramolecular
      Hydrogel for Anti-Schistosoma Japonicum Cercariae.
AB  - A novel three-component supramolecular hydrogel based on riboflavin, melamine and
      amino acid derivatives were constructed for controlled release of pesticides,
      Niclosamide derivatives. The formation of hydrogel may be attributed to self
      assemble via hydrogen bonding and pi-pi interaction, which have been researched
      via scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR)
      spectra. The rheological experiments showed that the hydrogel materials and drug
      loaded hydrogel all demonstrated good mechanical strength and high stability.
      Further experimental results indicated that the drug-loaded hydrogels show large
      drug loadings, long-term release time and relatively higher efficiency to anti
      cercariae in the water environment.

PMID- 28344303
TI  - High Refractive Organic-Inorganic Hybrid Films Prepared by Low Water Sol-Gel and
      UV-Irradiation Processes.
AB  - Organic-inorganic hybrid sols (Ti-O-Si precursor) were first synthesized by the
      sol-gel method at low addition of water, and were then employed to prepare a
      highly refractive hybrid optical film. This film was obtained by blending the Ti
      O-Si precursor with 2-phenylphenoxyethyl acrylate (OPPEA) to perform photo
      polymerization by ultraviolet (UV) irradiation. Results show that the film
      transparency of poly(Ti-O-Si precursor-co-OPPEA) film is higher than that of a
      pure poly(Ti-O-Si precursor) film, and that this poly(Ti-O-Si precursor-co-OPPEA)
      hybrid film exhibits a high transparency of ~93.7% coupled with a high refractive
      index (n) of 1.83 corresponding to a thickness of 2.59 MUm.

PMID- 28344301
TI  - Atomic Layer Deposition of Pt Nanoparticles within the Cages of MIL-101: A Mild
      and Recyclable Hydrogenation Catalyst.
AB  - We present the in situ synthesis of Pt nanoparticles within MIL-101-Cr (MIL =
      Materials Institute Lavoisier) by means of atomic layer deposition (ALD). The
      obtained Pt@MIL-101 materials were characterized by means of N2 adsorption and X
      ray powder diffraction (XRPD) measurements, showing that the structure of the
      metal organic framework was well preserved during the ALD deposition. X-ray
      fluorescence (XRF) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) analysis confirmed
      the deposition of highly dispersed Pt nanoparticles with sizes determined by the
      MIL-101-Cr pore sizes and with an increased Pt loading for an increasing number
      of ALD cycles. The Pt@MIL-101 material was examined as catalyst in the
      hydrogenation of different linear and cyclic olefins at room temperature, showing
      full conversion for each substrate. Moreover, even under solvent free conditions,
      full conversion of the substrate was observed. A high concentration test has been
      performed showing that the Pt@MIL-101 is stable for a long reaction time without
      loss of activity, crystallinity and with very low Pt leaching.

PMID- 28344304
TI  - Copper Nanowires and Their Applications for Flexible, Transparent Conducting
      Films: A Review.
AB  - Cu nanowires (NWs) are attracting considerable attention as alternatives to Ag
      NWs for next-generation transparent conductors, replacing indium tin oxide (ITO)
      and micro metal grids. Cu NWs hold great promise for low-cost fabrication via a
      solution-processed route and show preponderant optical, electrical, and
      mechanical properties. In this study, we report a summary of recent advances in
      research on Cu NWs, covering the optoelectronic properties, synthesis routes,
      deposition methods to fabricate flexible transparent conducting films, and their
      potential applications. This review also examines the approaches on protecting Cu
      NWs from oxidation in air environments.

PMID- 28344305
TI  - Colloidal Gold-Mediated Delivery of Bleomycin for Improved Outcome in
      Chemotherapy.
AB  - Nanoparticles (NPs) can be used to overcome the side effects of poor distribution
      of anticancer drugs. Among other NPs, colloidal gold nanoparticles (GNPs) offer
      the possibility of transporting major quantities of drugs due to their large
      surface-to-volume ratio. This is while confining these anticancer drugs as
      closely as possible to their biological targets through passive and active
      targeting, thus ensuring limited harmful systemic distribution. In this study, we
      chose to use bleomycin (BLM) as the anticancer drug due to its limited
      therapeutic efficiency (harmful side effects). BLM was conjugated onto GNPs
      through a thiol bond. The effectiveness of the chemotherapeutic drug, BLM, is
      observed by visualizing DNA double strand breaks and by calculating the survival
      fraction. The action of the drug (where the drug takes effect) is known to be in
      the nucleus, and our experiments have shown that some of the GNPs carrying BLM
      were present in the nucleus. The use of GNPs to deliver BLM increased the
      delivery and therapeutic efficacy of the drug. Having a better control over
      delivery of anticancer drugs using GNPs will establish a more successful NP-based
      platform for a combined therapeutic approach. This is due to the fact that GNPs
      can also be used as radiation dose enhancers in cancer research.

PMID- 28344307
TI  - Nanoparticles Composed of Zn and ZnO Inhibit Peronospora tabacina Spore
      Germination in vitro and P. tabacina Infectivity on Tobacco Leaves.
AB  - Manufactured nanoparticles (NPs) are increasingly being used for commercial
      purposes and certain NP types have been shown to have broad spectrum
      antibacterial activity. In contrast, their activities against fungi and fungi
      like oomycetes are less studied. Here, we examined the potential of two types of
      commercially available Zn NPs (Zn NPs and ZnO NPs) to inhibit spore germination
      and infectivity on tobacco leaves resulting from exposure to the fungi-like
      oomycete pathogen Peronospora tabacina (P. tabacina). Both types of NPs, as well
      as ZnCl2 and bulk ZnO control treatments, inhibited spore germination compared to
      a blank control. ZnO ENMs were shown to be a much more powerful suppressor of
      spore germination and infectivity than bulk ZnO. ZnO and Zn NPs significantly
      inhibited leaf infection at 8 and 10 mg.L-1, respectively. Both types of NPs were
      found to provide substantially higher concentration dependent inhibition of spore
      germination and infectivity than could be readily explained by the presence of
      dissolved Zn. These results suggest that both NP types have potential for use as
      economic, low-dose, potentially non-persistent anti-microbial agents against the
      oomycete P. tabacina.

PMID- 28344306
TI  - Toxicity Testing of Pristine and Aged Silver Nanoparticles in Real Wastewaters
      Using Bioluminescent Pseudomonas putida.
AB  - Impact of aging on nanoparticle toxicity in real matrices is scarcely
      investigated due to a lack of suitable methodologies. Herein, the toxicity of
      pristine and aged silver nanoparticles (Ag NPs) to a bioluminescent Pseudomonas
      putida bioreporter was measured in spiked crude and final wastewater samples (CWs
      and FWs, respectively) collected from four wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs).
      Results showed lower toxicity of pristine Ag NPs in CWs than in FWs. The effect
      of the matrix on the eventual Ag NP toxicity was related to multiple physico
      chemical parameters (biological oxygen demand (BOD), chemical oxygen demand
      (COD), total suspended solids (TSS) pH, ammonia, sulfide and chloride) based on a
      multivariate analysis. However, no collection site effect was concluded. Aged Ag
      NPs (up to eight weeks) were found less toxic than pristine Ag NPs in CWs;
      evident increased aggregation and decreased dissolution were associated with
      aging. However, Ag NPs exhibited consistent toxicity in FWs despite aging;
      comparable results were obtained in artificial wastewater (AW) simulating
      effluent. The study demonstrates the potency of performing nanoparticle acute
      toxicity testing in real and complex matrices such as wastewaters using relevant
      bacterial bioreporters.

PMID- 28344309
TI  - Investigating the Effect of Carbon Nanotube Diameter and Wall Number in Carbon
      Nanotube/Silicon Heterojunction Solar Cells.
AB  - Suspensions of single-walled, double-walled and multi-walled carbon nanotubes
      (CNTs) were generated in the same solvent at similar concentrations. Films were
      fabricated from these suspensions and used in carbon nanotube/silicon
      heterojunction solar cells and their properties were compared with reference to
      the number of walls in the nanotube samples. It was found that single-walled
      nanotubes generally produced more favorable results; however, the double and
      multi-walled nanotube films used in this study yielded cells with higher open
      circuit voltages. It was also determined that post fabrication treatments applied
      to the nanotube films have a lesser effect on multi-walled nanotubes than on the
      other two types.

PMID- 28344308
TI  - Porphyrin-Based Nanostructures for Photocatalytic Applications.
AB  - Well-defined organic nanostructures with controllable size and morphology are
      increasingly exploited in optoelectronic devices. As promising building blocks,
      porphyrins have demonstrated great potentials in visible-light photocatalytic
      applications, because of their electrical, optical and catalytic properties. From
      this perspective, we have summarized the recent significant advances on the
      design and photocatalytic applications of porphyrin-based nanostructures. The
      rational strategies, such as texture or crystal modification and interfacial
      heterostructuring, are described. The applications of the porphyrin-based
      nanostructures in photocatalytic pollutant degradation and hydrogen evolution are
      presented. Finally, the ongoing challenges and opportunities for the future
      development of porphyrin nanostructures in high-quality nanodevices are also
      proposed.

PMID- 28344310
TI  - Reduction of Nitroarenes into Aryl Amines and N-Aryl hydroxylamines via
      Activation of NaBH4 and Ammonia-Borane Complexes by Ag/TiO2 Catalyst.
AB  - In this study, we report the fabrication of mesoporous assemblies of silver and
      TiO2 nanoparticles (Ag/MTA) and demonstrate their catalytic efficiency for the
      selective reduction of nitroarenes. The Ag/TiO2 assemblies, which show large
      surface areas (119-128 m2.g-1) and narrow-sized mesopores (ca. 7.1-7.4 nm),
      perform as highly active catalysts for the reduction of nitroarenes, giving the
      corresponding aryl amines and N-aryl hydroxylamines with NaBH4 and ammonia-borane
      (NH3BH3), respectively, in moderate to high yields, even in large scale reactions
      (up to 5 mmol). Kinetic studies indicate that nitroarenes substituted with
      electron-withdrawing groups reduced faster than those with electron-donating
      groups. The measured positive rho values from the formal Hammett-type kinetic
      analysis of X-substituted nitroarenes are consistent with the proposed mechanism
      that include the formation of possible [Ag]-H hybrid species, which are
      responsible for the reduction process. Because of the high observed chemo
      selectivities and the clean reaction processes, the present catalytic systems,
      i.e., Ag/MTA-NaBH4 and Ag/MTA-NH3BH3, show promise for the efficient synthesis of
      aryl amines and N-aryl hydroxylamines at industrial levels.

PMID- 28344311
TI  - Polyelectrolyte Complex Based Interfacial Drug Delivery System with Controlled
      Loading and Improved Release Performance for Bone Therapeutics.
AB  - An improved interfacial drug delivery system (DDS) based on polyelectrolyte
      complex (PEC) coatings with controlled drug loading and improved release
      performance was elaborated. The cationic homopolypeptide poly(l-lysine) (PLL) was
      complexed with a mixture of two cellulose sulfates (CS) of low and high degree of
      substitution, so that the CS and PLL solution have around equal molar charged
      units. As drugs the antibiotic rifampicin (RIF) and the bisphosphonate
      risedronate (RIS) were integrated. As an important advantage over previous PEC
      systems this one can be centrifuged, the supernatant discarded, the dense pellet
      phase (coacervate) separated, and again redispersed in fresh water phase. This
      behavior has three benefits: (i) Access to the loading capacity of the drug,
      since the concentration of the free drug can be measured by spectroscopy; (ii)
      lower initial burst and higher residual amount of drug due to removal of unbound
      drug and (iii) complete adhesive stability due to the removal of polyelectrolytes
      (PEL) excess component. It was found that the pH value and ionic strength
      strongly affected drug content and release of RIS and RIF. At the clinically
      relevant implant material (Ti40Nb) similar PEC adhesive and drug release
      properties compared to the model substrate were found. Unloaded PEC coatings at
      Ti40Nb showed a similar number and morphology of above cultivated human
      mesenchymal stem cells (hMSC) compared to uncoated Ti40Nb and resulted in
      considerable production of bone mineral. RIS loaded PEC coatings showed similar
      effects after 24 h but resulted in reduced number and unhealthy appearance of
      hMSC after 48 h due to cell toxicity of RIS.

PMID- 28344312
TI  - A Case of Anti-Glomerular Basement Membrane Glomerulonephritis Complicated by
      Type 1 Diabetes Mellitus, Mimicking Urinary Tract Infection.
AB  - BACKGROUND Type 1 diabetes mellitus (DM) tends to complicate other autoimmune
      diseases. When considering renal dysfunction in patients with DM, diabetic
      nephropathy is a likely diagnosis. By contrast, anti-glomerular basement membrane
      (GBM) glomerulonephritis, an autoimmune disease, is one cause of rapidly
      progressive glomerulonephritis. CASE REPORT We report the case of a 44-year-old
      woman diagnosed with anti-glomerular basement membrane (GBM) glomerulonephritis.
      The diagnosis was made on the basis of serological test results and pathological
      findings of a renal biopsy. Five years before admission, she was diagnosed with
      type 1 DM. At admission, she presented with a fever, chills, nausea, low back
      pain, and malaise, which were followed by progressive renal dysfunction. The
      initial presentation mimicked a urinary tract infection, which delayed the
      correct diagnosis. CONCLUSIONS Our patient's course strongly suggests that
      rapidly progressive glomerulonephritis should be considered as an early
      differential diagnosis in cases of progressive renal dysfunction, especially when
      accompanied by fever, regardless of the underlying disease.

PMID- 28344313
TI  - Liver Injury and Tumor-Inhibiting Effect of Sequential Transcatheter Arterial
      Chemoembolization and Portal Venous Embolization on Rabbit VX2 Liver Carcinoma.
AB  - BACKGROUND The concepts of sequential transcatheter arterial chemoembolization
      (TACE) and portal venous embolization (PVE) were proposed to prevent the
      detrimental tumor growth-inducing effect of PVE and to facilitate growth of
      further future liver remnant (FLR). This study aimed to investigate the effect of
      sequential TACE and PVE on liver damage and the therapeutic effect in a rabbit
      VX2 liver tumor model. MATERIAL AND METHODS Rabbits bearing VX2 liver tumors were
      randomly divided into TACE+PVE, TACE, PVE, and Sham groups. Plasma levels of
      aspartate aminotransferase (AST), alanine aminotransferase (ALT), total bilirubin
      (TBIL), and alkaline phosphatase (ALP) at 6 h, 24 h, 3 days, and 7 days were
      measured by ELISA assay. Tumor diameter on day 7 was measured and the tumor
      sections with cleaved caspase-3 was stained and observed. RESULTS Plasma ALT,
      AST, and ALP levels were significantly increased at the first hours after the
      interventions. The TACE group had higher increases than the TACE+PVE and PVE
      alone groups. ALT, AST, and ALP levels decreased on day 7 and presented a trend
      to return to the baseline level. The TACE+PVE group showed stronger tumor
      inhibiting effect than the TACE and PVE alone groups and also induced the highest
      level of tumor cell apoptosis. CONCLUSIONS The liver damage caused by TACE+PVE is
      mild and recoverable. TACE+PVE showed stronger tumor-inhibiting effect than in
      the TACE and PVE group and also induced the highest level of tumor cell
      apoptosis.

PMID- 28344314
TI  - Low Dimensional String-like Relaxation Underpins Superionic Conduction in
      Fluorites and Related Structures.
AB  - Among the superionic conductors that show a Faraday transition - the continuous
      increase in the ionic conductivity over a range of temperatures - the fluorite
      structures have enjoyed incisive examinations over the past four decades; yet the
      fundamental nature of superionicity has remained largely inconclusive. Departing
      from the traditional quasi-static defect framework, we provide weighty evidence
      for string-like dynamical structures that govern the fast ion conduction process
      in fluorites. We show that lower temperatures encourage the growth of longer but
      slowly relaxing strings and vice-versa - a direct manifestation of heterogeneous
      dynamics. Remarkably, the ionic conductivity is inversely correlated to the
      lifetime of the ions that participate in the strings and not explicitly to the
      ion population. Our analysis methodology, which resolves a long-standing
      disagreement on defect structures and the mechanism of ionic transport in fcc
      fluorite structures, is well-positioned to describe the dynamics of low
      dimensional conduction in a larger class of superionic conductors.

PMID- 28344315
TI  - Proteomic characterization of human multiple myeloma bone marrow extracellular
      matrix.
AB  - The extracellular matrix (ECM) is a major component of the tumor
      microenvironment, contributing to the regulation of cell survival, proliferation,
      differentiation and metastasis. In multiple myeloma (MM), interactions between MM
      cells and the bone marrow (BM) microenvironment, including the BM ECM, are
      critical to the pathogenesis of the disease and the development of drug
      resistance. Nevertheless, composition of the ECM in MM and its role in supporting
      MM pathogenesis has not been reported. We have applied a novel proteomic-based
      strategy and defined the BM ECM composition in patients with monoclonal
      gammopathy of undetermined significance (MGUS), newly diagnosed and relapsed MM
      compared with healthy donor-derived BM ECM. In this study, we show that the tumor
      ECM is remodeled at the mRNA and protein levels in MGUS and MM to allow
      development of a permissive microenvironment. We further demonstrate that two ECM
      affiliated proteins, ANXA2 and LGALS1, are more abundant in MM and high
      expression is associated with a decreased overall survival. This study points to
      the importance of ECM remodeling in MM and provides a novel proteomic pipeline
      for interrogating the role of the ECM in cancers with BM tropism.

PMID- 28344316
TI  - Gain in the short arm of chromosome 2 (2p+) induces gene overexpression and drug
      resistance in chronic lymphocytic leukemia: analysis of the central role of XPO1.

PMID- 28344317
TI  - Epigenetic loss of the RNA decapping enzyme NUDT16 mediates C-MYC activation in T
      cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia.

PMID- 28344318
TI  - Recurrent MYB rearrangement in blastic plasmacytoid dendritic cell neoplasm.

PMID- 28344319
TI  - PD-L1 is commonly expressed and transcriptionally regulated by STAT3 and MYC in
      ALK-negative anaplastic large-cell lymphoma.

PMID- 28344320
TI  - DPP4 truncated GM-CSF and IL-3 manifest distinct receptor-binding and regulatory
      functions compared with their full-length forms.
AB  - Dipeptidylpeptidase 4 (DPP4/CD26) enzymatically cleaves select penultimate amino
      acids of proteins, including colony-stimulating factors (CSFs), and has been
      implicated in cellular regulation. To better understand the role of DPP4
      regulation of hematopoiesis, we analyzed the activity of DPP4 on the surface of
      immature blood cells and then comparatively assessed the interactions and
      functional effects of full-length (FL) and DPP4 truncated (T) factors (T
      granulocyte-macrophage-CSF (T-GM-CSF)) and T-interleukin-3 (T-IL-3)) on both in
      vitro and in vivo models of normal and leukemic cells. T-GM-CSF and -IL-3 had
      enhanced receptor binding, but decreased CSF activity, compared with their FL
      forms. Importantly, T-GM-CSF and -IL-3 significantly, and reciprocally, blunted
      receptor binding and myeloid progenitor cell proliferation activity of both FL-GM
      CSF and -IL-3 in vitro and in vivo. Similar effects were apparent in vitro using
      cluster-forming cells from patients with acute myeloid leukemia regardless of
      cytogenetic or molecular alterations and in vivo using animal models of leukemia.
      This suggests that DPP4 T-molecules have modified binding and functions compared
      with their FL counterparts and may serve regulatory roles in normal and malignant
      hematopoiesis.

PMID- 28344321
TI  - Broad spectrum antiviral activity for paramyxoviruses is modulated by biophysical
      properties of fusion inhibitory peptides.
AB  - Human paramyxoviruses include global causes of lower respiratory disease like the
      parainfluenza viruses, as well as agents of lethal encephalitis like Nipah virus.
      Infection is initiated by viral glycoprotein-mediated fusion between viral and
      host cell membranes. Paramyxovirus viral fusion proteins (F) insert into the
      target cell membrane, and form a transient intermediate that pulls the viral and
      cell membranes together as two heptad-repeat regions refold to form a six-helix
      bundle structure that can be specifically targeted by fusion-inhibitory peptides.
      Antiviral potency can be improved by sequence modification and lipid conjugation,
      and by adding linkers between the protein and lipid components. We exploit the
      uniquely broad spectrum antiviral activity of a parainfluenza F-derived peptide
      sequence that inhibits both parainfluenza and Nipah viruses, to investigate the
      influence of peptide orientation and intervening linker length on the peptides'
      interaction with transitional states of F, solubility, membrane insertion
      kinetics, and protease sensitivity. We assessed the impact of these features on
      biodistribution and antiviral efficacy in vitro and in vivo. The engineering
      approach based on biophysical parameters resulted in a peptide that is a highly
      effective inhibitor of both paramyxoviruses and a set of criteria to be used for
      engineering broad spectrum antivirals for emerging paramyxoviruses.

PMID- 28344322
TI  - Astragaloside IV attenuates free fatty acid-induced ER stress and lipid
      accumulation in hepatocytes via AMPK activation.
AB  - Although the pathogenesis of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is not
      completely understood, the increased influx of free fatty acids (FFAs) into the
      liver and the FFA-induced hepatic endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress are two
      crucial pathogenic processes in the initiation and development of NAFLD. In this
      study we investigated the effects of astragaloside IV (AS-IV), a bioactive
      compound purified from Astragali Radix, on FFA-induced lipid accumulation in
      hepatocytes and elucidated the underlying mechanisms. Human HepG2 cells and
      primary murine hepatocytes were exposed to FFAs (1 mmol/L, oleate/palmitate, 2:1
      ratio) with or without AS-IV for 24 h. Exposure to FFAs induced marked lipid
      accumulation in hepatocytes, whereas co-treatment with AS-IV (100 MUg/mL)
      significantly attenuated this phenomenon. Notably, AS-IV (50-200 MUg/mL)
      concentration-dependently enhanced the phosphorylation of AMPK, acetyl-CoA
      carboxylase (ACC) and SREBP-1c, inhibited the accumulation and nuclear
      translocation of mature SREBP-1 and subsequently decreased the mRNA levels of
      lipogenic genes including acc1, fas and scd1. AS-IV treatment also concentration
      dependently attenuated FFA-induced hepatic ER stress evidenced by the reduction
      of the key markers, GRP78, CHOP and p-PERK. Pretreated the cells with the AMPK
      inhibitor compound C (20 MUmol/L) greatly diminished these beneficial effects of
      AS-IV. Our results demonstrate that AS-IV attenuates FFA-induced ER stress and
      lipid accumulation in an AMPK-dependent manner in hepatocytes, which supports its
      use as promising therapeutics for hepatic steatosis.

PMID- 28344323
TI  - New knowledge of the mechanisms of sorafenib resistance in liver cancer.
AB  - Sorafenib is an oral multikinase inhibitor that suppresses tumor cell
      proliferation and angiogenesis and promotes tumor cell apoptosis. It was approved
      by the FDA for the treatment of advanced renal cell carcinoma in 2006, and as a
      unique target drug for advanced hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) in 2007. Sorafenib
      can significantly extend the median survival time of patients but only by 3-5
      months. Moreover, it is associated with serious adverse side effects, and drug
      resistance often develops. Therefore, it is of great importance to explore the
      mechanisms underlying sorafenib resistance and to develop individualized
      therapeutic strategies for coping with these problems. Recent studies have
      revealed that in addition to the primary resistance, several mechanisms are
      underlying the acquired resistance to sorafenib, such as crosstalk involving
      PI3K/Akt and JAK-STAT pathways, the activation of hypoxia-inducible pathways, and
      epithelial-mesenchymal transition. Here, we briefly describe the function of
      sorafenib, its clinical application, and the molecular mechanisms for drug
      resistance, especially for HCC patients.

PMID- 28344325
TI  - The giant deep-sea octopus Haliphron atlanticus forages on gelatinous fauna.
AB  - Feeding strategies and predator-prey interactions of many deep-sea pelagic
      organisms are still unknown. This is also true for pelagic cephalopods, some of
      which are very abundant in oceanic ecosystems and which are known for their
      elaborate behaviors and central role in many foodwebs. We report on the first
      observations of the giant deep-sea octopus Haliphron atlanticus with prey. Using
      remotely operated vehicles, we saw these giant octopods holding medusae in their
      arms. One of the medusae could be identified as Phacellophora camtschatica (the
      egg-yolk jelly). Stomach content analysis confirmed predation on cnidarians and
      gelatinous organisms. The relationship between medusae and H. atlanticus is
      discussed, also in comparison with other species of the Argonautoidea, all of
      which have close relationships with gelatinous zooplankton.

PMID- 28344326
TI  - Mutual information model for link prediction in heterogeneous complex networks.
AB  - Recently, a number of meta-path based similarity indices like PathSim, HeteSim,
      and random walk have been proposed for link prediction in heterogeneous complex
      networks. However, these indices suffer from two major drawbacks. Firstly, they
      are primarily dependent on the connectivity degrees of node pairs without
      considering the further information provided by the given meta-path. Secondly,
      most of them are required to use a single and usually symmetric meta-path in
      advance. Hence, employing a set of different meta-paths is not straightforward.
      To tackle with these problems, we propose a mutual information model for link
      prediction in heterogeneous complex networks. The proposed model, called as Meta
      path based Mutual Information Index (MMI), introduces meta-path based link
      entropy to estimate the link likelihood and could be carried on a set of
      available meta-paths. This estimation measures the amount of information through
      the paths instead of measuring the amount of connectivity between the node pairs.
      The experimental results on a Bibliography network show that the MMI obtains high
      prediction accuracy compared with other popular similarity indices.

PMID- 28344324
TI  - Diallyl trisulfide suppresses tumor growth through the attenuation of Nrf2/Akt
      and activation of p38/JNK and potentiates cisplatin efficacy in gastric cancer
      treatment.
AB  - Diallyl trisulfide (DATS), a garlic organosulfide, has shown excellent
      chemopreventive potential. Cisplatin (DDP) is widely used to treat solid
      malignant tumors, but causing serious side effects. In the current study, we
      attempted to elucidate the chemopreventive mechanisms of DATS in human gastric
      cancer BGC-823 cells in vitro, and to investigate whether DATS could enhance the
      anti-tumor efficacy of DDP and improve quality of life in BGC-823 xenograft mice
      in vivo. Treatment with DATS (25-400 MUmol/L) dose-dependently inhibited the
      viability of BGC-823 cells in vitro with an IC50 of 115.2+/-4.3 MUmol/L after 24
      h drug exposure. DATS (50-200 MUmol/L) induced cell cycle arrest at G2/M phase in
      BGC-823 cells, which correlated with significant accumulation of cyclin A2 and
      B1. DATS also induced BGC-823 cell apoptosis, which was accompanied by the
      modulation of Bcl-2 family members and caspase cascade activation. In BGC-823
      xenograft mice, administration of DATS (20-40 mg.kg-1.d-1, ip) dose-dependently
      inhibited tumor growth and markedly reduced the number of Ki-67 positive cells in
      tumors. Interestingly, combined administration of DATS (30 mg.kg-1.d-1, ip) with
      DDP (5 mg/kg, every 5 d, ip) exhibited enhanced anti-tumor activity with fewer
      side effects. We showed that treatment of BGC-823 cells with DATS in vitro and in
      vivo significantly activated kinases such as p38 and JNK/MAPK and attenuated the
      Nrf2/Akt pathway. This study provides evidence that DATS exerts anticancer
      effects and enhances the antitumor efficacy of DDP, making it a novel candidate
      for adjuvant therapy for gastric cancer.

PMID- 28344328
TI  - Renal physiology: HCO3- reclamation in the renal proximal tubule.

PMID- 28344329
TI  - Glomerular disease: mTOR in FSGS.

PMID- 28344330
TI  - Acute kidney injury: Intravenous hydration for the prevention of CIAKI.

PMID- 28344327
TI  - Mevalonate Cascade Inhibition by Simvastatin Induces the Intrinsic Apoptosis
      Pathway via Depletion of Isoprenoids in Tumor Cells.
AB  - The mevalonate (MEV) cascade is responsible for cholesterol biosynthesis and the
      formation of the intermediate metabolites geranylgeranylpyrophosphate (GGPP) and
      farnesylpyrophosphate (FPP) used in the prenylation of proteins. Here we show
      that the MEV cascade inhibitor simvastatin induced significant cell death in a
      wide range of human tumor cell lines, including glioblastoma, astrocytoma,
      neuroblastoma, lung adenocarcinoma, and breast cancer. Simvastatin induced
      apoptotic cell death via the intrinsic apoptotic pathway. In all cancer cell
      types tested, simvastatin-induced cell death was not rescued by cholesterol, but
      was dependent on GGPP- and FPP-depletion. We confirmed that simvastatin caused
      the translocation of the small Rho GTPases RhoA, Cdc42, and Rac1/2/3 from cell
      membranes to the cytosol in U251 (glioblastoma), A549 (lung adenocarcinoma) and
      MDA-MB-231(breast cancer). Simvastatin-induced Rho-GTP loading significantly
      increased in U251 cells which were reversed with MEV, FPP, GGPP. In contrast,
      simvastatin did not change Rho-GTP loading in A549 and MDA-MB-231. Inhibition of
      geranylgeranyltransferase I by GGTi-298, but not farnesyltransferase by FTi-277,
      induced significant cell death in U251, A549, and MDA-MB-231. These results
      indicate that MEV cascade inhibition by simvastatin induced the intrinsic
      apoptosis pathway via inhibition of Rho family prenylation and depletion of GGPP,
      in a variety of different human cancer cell lines.

PMID- 28344331
TI  - Basis-neutral Hilbert-space analyzers.
AB  - Interferometry is one of the central organizing principles of optics. Key to
      interferometry is the concept of optical delay, which facilitates spectral
      analysis in terms of time-harmonics. In contrast, when analyzing a beam in a
      Hilbert space spanned by spatial modes - a critical task for spatial-mode
      multiplexing and quantum communication - basis-specific principles are invoked
      that are altogether distinct from that of 'delay'. Here, we extend the
      traditional concept of temporal delay to the spatial domain, thereby enabling the
      analysis of a beam in an arbitrary spatial-mode basis - exemplified using Hermite
      Gaussian and radial Laguerre-Gaussian modes. Such generalized delays correspond
      to optical implementations of fractional transforms; for example, the fractional
      Hankel transform is the generalized delay associated with the space of Laguerre
      Gaussian modes, and an interferometer incorporating such a 'delay' obtains modal
      weights in the associated Hilbert space. By implementing an inherently stable,
      reconfigurable spatial-light-modulator-based polarization-interferometer, we have
      constructed a 'Hilbert-space analyzer' capable of projecting optical beams onto
      any modal basis.

PMID- 28344333
TI  - Stressor exposure has prolonged effects on colonic microbial community structure
      in Citrobacter rodentium-challenged mice.
AB  - Stressor exposure significantly affects the colonic mucosa-associated microbiota,
      and exacerbates Citrobacter rodentium-induced inflammation, effects that can be
      attenuated with probiotic Lactobacillus reuteri. This study assessed the
      structure of the colonic mucosa-associated microbiota in mice exposed to a social
      stressor (called social disruption), as well as non-stressed control mice, during
      challenge with the colonic pathogen C. rodentium. Mice were exposed to the social
      stressor or home cage control conditions for six consecutive days and all mice
      were challenged with C. rodentium immediately following the first exposure to the
      stressor. In addition, mice received probiotic L. reuteri, or vehicle as a
      control, via oral gavage following each stressor exposure. The stressor-exposed
      mice had significant differences in microbial community composition compared to
      non-stressed control mice. This difference was first evident following the six
      cycle exposure to the stressor, on Day 6 post-C. rodentium challenge, and
      persisted for up to 19 days after stressor termination. Mice exposed to the
      stressor had different microbial community composition regardless of whether they
      were treated with L. reuteri or treated with vehicle as a control. These data
      indicate that stressor exposure affects the colonic microbiota during challenge
      with C. rodentium, and that these effects are long-lasting and not attenuated by
      probiotic L. reuteri.

PMID- 28344332
TI  - Molecular and functional heterogeneity of early postnatal porcine satellite cell
      populations is associated with bioenergetic profile.
AB  - During postnatal development, hyperplastic and hypertrophic processes of skeletal
      muscle growth depend on the activation, proliferation, differentiation, and
      fusion of satellite cells (SC). Therefore, molecular and functional SC
      heterogeneity is an important component of muscle plasticity and will greatly
      affect long-term growth performance and muscle health. However, its regulation by
      cell intrinsic and extrinsic factors is far from clear. In particular, there is
      only minor information on the early postnatal period which is critical for muscle
      maturation and the establishment of adult SC pools. Here, we separated two SC
      subpopulations (P40/50, P50/70) from muscle of 4-day-old piglets. Our results
      characterize P40/50 as homogeneous population of committed (high expression of
      Myf5), fast-proliferating muscle progenitors. P50/70 constituted a slow
      proliferating phenotype and contains high numbers of differentiated SC progeny.
      During culture, P50/70 is transformed to a population with lower differentiation
      potential that contains 40% Pax7-positive cells. A reversible state of low
      mitochondrial activity that results from active down-regulation of ATP-synthase
      is associated with the transition of some of the P50/70 cells to this more
      primitive fate typical for a reserve cell population. We assume that P40/50 and
      P50/70 subpopulations contribute unequally in the processes of myofiber growth
      and maintenance of the SC pool.

PMID- 28344334
TI  - The KIF1A homolog Unc-104 is important for spontaneous release, postsynaptic
      density maturation and perisynaptic scaffold organization.
AB  - The kinesin-3 family member KIF1A has been shown to be important for experience
      dependent neuroplasticity. In Drosophila, amorphic mutations in the KIF1A homolog
      unc-104 disrupt the formation of mature boutons. Disease associated KIF1A
      mutations have been associated with motor and sensory dysfunctions as well as non
      syndromic intellectual disability in humans. A hypomorphic mutation in the
      forkhead-associated domain of Unc-104, unc-104bris, impairs active zone
      maturation resulting in an increased fraction of post-synaptic glutamate receptor
      fields that lack the active zone scaffolding protein Bruchpilot. Here, we show
      that the unc-104brismutation causes defects in synaptic transmission as
      manifested by reduced amplitude of both evoked and miniature excitatory
      junctional potentials. Structural defects observed in the postsynaptic
      compartment of mutant NMJs include reduced glutamate receptor field size, and
      altered glutamate receptor composition. In addition, we observed marked loss of
      postsynaptic scaffolding proteins and reduced complexity of the sub-synaptic
      reticulum, which could be rescued by pre- but not postsynaptic expression of unc
      104. Our results highlight the importance of kinesin-3 based axonal transport in
      synaptic transmission and provide novel insights into the role of Unc-104 in
      synapse maturation.

PMID- 28344336
TI  - Experimental demonstration of a fully inseparable quantum state with
      nonlocalizable entanglement.
AB  - Localizability of entanglement in fully inseparable states is a key ingredient of
      assisted quantum information protocols as well as measurement-based models of
      quantum computing. We investigate the existence of fully inseparable states with
      nonlocalizable entanglement, that is, with entanglement which cannot be localized
      between any pair of subsystems by any measurement on the remaining part of the
      system. It is shown, that the nonlocalizable entanglement occurs already in
      suitable mixtures of a three-qubit GHZ state and white noise. Further, we
      generalize this set of states to a two-parametric family of fully inseparable
      three-qubit states with nonlocalizable entanglement. Finally, we demonstrate
      experimentally the existence of nonlocalizable entanglement by preparing and
      characterizing one state from the family using correlated single photons and
      linear optical circuit.

PMID- 28344335
TI  - Influenza A virus hemagglutinin and neuraminidase act as novel motile machinery.
AB  - Influenza A virus (IAV) membrane proteins hemagglutinin (HA) and neuraminidase
      (NA) are determinants of virus infectivity, transmissibility, pathogenicity, host
      specificity, and major antigenicity. HA binds to a virus receptor, a
      sialoglycoprotein or sialoglycolipid, on the host cell and mediates virus
      attachment to the cell surface. The hydrolytic enzyme NA cleaves sialic acid from
      viral receptors and accelerates the release of progeny virus from host cells. In
      this study, we identified a novel function of HA and NA as machinery for viral
      motility. HAs exchanged binding partner receptors iteratively, generating virus
      movement on a receptor-coated glass surface instead of a cell surface. The virus
      movement was also dependent on NA. Virus movement mediated by HA and NA resulted
      in a three to four-fold increase in virus internalisation by cultured cells. We
      concluded that cooperation of HA and NA moves IAV particles on a cell surface and
      enhances virus infection of host cells.

PMID- 28344337
TI  - Role of oxygen functional groups in reduced graphene oxide for lubrication.
AB  - Functionalized and fully characterized graphene-based lubricant additives are
      potential 2D materials for energy-efficient tribological applications in machine
      elements, especially at macroscopic contacts. Two different reduced graphene
      oxide (rGO) derivatives, terminated by hydroxyl and epoxy-hydroxyl groups, were
      prepared and blended with two different molecular weights of polyethylene glycol
      (PEG) for tribological investigation. Epoxy-hydroxyl-terminated rGO dispersed in
      PEG showed significantly smaller values of the friction coefficient. In this
      condition, PEG chains intercalate between the functionalized graphene sheets, and
      shear can take place between the PEG and rGO sheets. However, the friction
      coefficient was unaffected when hydroxyl-terminated rGO was coupled with PEG.
      This can be explained by the strong coupling between graphene sheets through
      hydroxyl units, causing the interaction of PEG with the rGO to be non- effective
      for lubrication. On the other hand, antiwear properties of hydroxyl-terminated
      rGO were significantly enhanced compared to epoxy-hydroxyl functionalized rGO due
      to the integrity of graphene sheet clusters.

PMID- 28344338
TI  - Monitoring of dynamic changes in Keyhole Limpet Hemocyanin (KLH)-specific B cells
      in KLH-vaccinated cancer patients.
AB  - Keyhole limpet hemocyanin (KLH) is used as an immunogenic neo-antigen for various
      clinical applications and during vaccine development. For advanced monitoring of
      KLH-based interventions, we developed a flow cytometry-based assay for the ex
      vivo detection, phenotyping and isolation of KLH-specific B cells. As proof-of
      principle, we analyzed 10 melanoma patients exposed to KLH during anti-cancer
      dendritic cell vaccination. Our assay demonstrated sensitive and specific
      detection of KLH-specific B cells in peripheral blood and KLH-specific B cell
      frequencies strongly correlated with anti-KLH serum antibody titers. Profiling of
      B cell subsets over the vaccination course revealed that KLH-specific B cells
      matured from naive to class-switched memory B cells, confirming the prototypic B
      cell response to a neo-antigen. We conclude that flow-cytometric detection and in
      depth phenotyping of KLH-specific B cells is specific, sensitive, and scalable.
      Our findings provide novel opportunities to monitor KLH-specific immune responses
      and serve as a blueprint for the development of new flow-cytometric protocols.

PMID- 28344339
TI  - The Evolution and Expression Pattern of Human Overlapping lncRNA and Protein
      coding Gene Pairs.
AB  - Long non-coding RNA overlapping with protein-coding gene (lncRNA-coding pair) is
      a special type of overlapping genes. Protein-coding overlapping genes have been
      well studied and increasing attention has been paid to lncRNAs. By studying
      lncRNA-coding pairs in human genome, we showed that lncRNA-coding pairs were more
      likely to be generated by overprinting and retaining genes in lncRNA-coding pairs
      were given higher priority than non-overlapping genes. Besides, the preference of
      overlapping configurations preserved during evolution was based on the origin of
      lncRNA-coding pairs. Further investigations showed that lncRNAs promoting the
      splicing of their embedded protein-coding partners was a unilateral interaction,
      but the existence of overlapping partners improving the gene expression was
      bidirectional and the effect was decreased with the increased evolutionary age of
      genes. Additionally, the expression of lncRNA-coding pairs showed an overall
      positive correlation and the expression correlation was associated with their
      overlapping configurations, local genomic environment and evolutionary age of
      genes. Comparison of the expression correlation of lncRNA-coding pairs between
      normal and cancer samples found that the lineage-specific pairs including old
      protein-coding genes may play an important role in tumorigenesis. This work
      presents a systematically comprehensive understanding of the evolution and the
      expression pattern of human lncRNA-coding pairs.

PMID- 28344340
TI  - Regulatory elements: A boost to RNA processing.

PMID- 28344342
TI  - Disease genomics: Transitioning from association to causation with eQTLs.

PMID- 28344343
TI  - Genome organization: Zooming in on nuclear organization.

PMID- 28344344
TI  - Detecting truly clonal alterations from multi-region profiling of tumours.
AB  - Modern cancer therapies aim at targeting tumour-specific alterations, such as
      mutations or neo-antigens, and maximal treatment efficacy requires that targeted
      alterations are present in all tumour cells. Currently, treatment decisions are
      based on one or a few samples per tumour, creating uncertainty on whether
      alterations found in those samples are actually present in all tumour cells. The
      probability of classifying clonal versus sub-clonal alterations from multi-region
      profiling of tumours depends on the earliest phylogenetic branching event during
      tumour growth. By analysing 181 samples from 10 renal carcinoma and 11 colorectal
      cancers we demonstrate that the information gain from additional sampling falls
      onto a simple universal curve. We found that in colorectal cancers, 30% of
      alterations identified as clonal with one biopsy proved sub-clonal when 8 samples
      were considered. The probability to overestimate clonal alterations fell below 1%
      in 7/11 patients with 8 samples per tumour. In renal cell carcinoma, 8 samples
      reduced the list of clonal alterations by 40% with respect to a single biopsy.
      The probability to overestimate clonal alterations remained as high as 92% in
      7/10 renal cancer patients. Furthermore, treatment was associated with more
      unbalanced tumour phylogenetic trees, suggesting the need of denser sampling of
      tumours at relapse.

PMID- 28344346
TI  - Choroid plexus aquaporin 1 and intracranial pressure are increased in obese rats:
      towards an idiopathic intracranial hypertension model?
AB  - BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES: Idiopathic intracranial hypertension (IIH) is a condition
      of increased intracranial pressure (ICP) without identifiable cause. The majority
      of IIH patients are obese, which suggests a connection between ICP and obesity.
      The aim of the study was to compare ICP in lean and obese rats. We also aimed to
      clarify if any ICP difference could be attributed to changes in some well-known
      ICP modulators; retinol and arterial partial pressure of CO2 (pCO2). Another
      potential explanation could be differences in water transport across the choroid
      plexus (CP) epithelia, and thus we furthermore investigated expression profiles
      of aquaporin 1 (AQP1) and Na/K ATPase. METHODS: ICP was measured in obese and
      lean Zucker rats over a period of 28 days. Arterial pCO2 and serum retinol were
      measured in serum samples. The CPs were isolated, and target messenger RNA (mRNA)
      and protein were analyzed by quantitative PCR and western blot, respectively.
      RESULTS: Obese rats had elevated ICP compared to lean controls on all recording
      days except day 0 (P<0.001). Serum retinol (P=0.35) and arterial pCO2 (P=0.16)
      did not differ between the two groups. Both AQP1 mRNA and protein levels were
      increased in the CP of the obese rats compared to lean rats (P=0.0422 and
      P=0.0281). There was no difference in Na/K ATPase mRNA or protein levels
      (P=0.2688 and P=0.1304). CONCLUSION: Obese Zucker rats display intracranial
      hypertension and increased AQP1 expression in CP compared to lean controls. The
      mechanisms behind these changes are still unknown, but appear to be unrelated to
      altered pCO2 levels or retinol metabolism. This indicates that the increase in
      ICP might be related to increased AQP1 levels in CP. Although further studies are
      warranted, obese Zucker rats could potentially model some aspects of the IIH
      pathophysiology.

PMID- 28344341
TI  - Functional variomics and network perturbation: connecting genotype to phenotype
      in cancer.
AB  - Proteins interact with other macromolecules in complex cellular networks for
      signal transduction and biological function. In cancer, genetic aberrations have
      been traditionally thought to disrupt the entire gene function. It has been
      increasingly appreciated that each mutation of a gene could have a subtle but
      unique effect on protein function or network rewiring, contributing to diverse
      phenotypic consequences across cancer patient populations. In this Review, we
      discuss the current understanding of cancer genetic variants, including the broad
      spectrum of mutation classes and the wide range of mechanistic effects on gene
      function in the context of signalling networks. We highlight recent advances in
      computational and experimental strategies to study the diverse functional and
      phenotypic consequences of mutations at the base-pair resolution. Such
      information is crucial to understanding the complex pleiotropic effect of cancer
      genes and provides a possible link between genotype and phenotype in cancer.

PMID- 28344345
TI  - Gastric bypass surgery with exercise alters plasma microRNAs that predict
      improvements in cardiometabolic risk.
AB  - BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES: Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (RYGB) surgery improves insulin
      sensitivity (SI) and beta-cell function in obese non-diabetic subjects. Exercise
      also improves SI and may be an effective adjunct therapy to RYGB surgery.
      However, the mechanisms by which exercise or weight loss improve peripheral SI
      after RYGB surgery are unclear. We hypothesized that microRNAs (miRNAs) mediate
      at least some of the regulatory processes driving such mechanisms. Consequently,
      this work aimed at profiling plasma miRNAs in participants of the Physical
      Activity Following Surgery Induced Weight Loss study (clinicaltrials.gov
      identifier: NCT00692367), to assess whether miRNA levels track with improvements
      in SI and cardiometabolic risk factors. SUBJECTS/METHODS: Ninety-four miRNAs
      implicated in metabolism were profiled in plasma samples from 22 severely obese
      subjects who were recruited 1-3 months after RYGB surgery and followed for 6
      months of RYGB surgery-induced weight loss, with (exercise program (EX), N=11) or
      without (CON, N=11) an exercise training intervention. The subjects were
      selected, considering a priori sample size calculations, among the participants
      in the parent study. Mixed-effect modeling for repeated measures and partial
      correlation analysis was implemented in the R environment for statistical
      analysis. RESULTS: Mirroring results in the parent trial, both groups experienced
      significant weight loss and improvements in cardiometabolic risk. In the CON
      group, weight loss significantly altered the pattern of circulating miR-7, miR
      15a, miR-34a, miR-106a, miR-122 and miR-221. In the EX group, a distinct miRNA
      signature was altered: miR-15a, miR-34a, miR-122, miR-135b, miR-144, miR-149 and
      miR-206. Several miRNAs were significantly associated with improvements in acute
      insulin response, SI, and other cardiometabolic risk factors. CONCLUSIONS: These
      findings present novel insights into the RYGB surgery-induced molecular changes
      and the effects of mild exercise to facilitate and/or maintain the benefits of a
      'comprehensive' weight-loss intervention with concomitant improvements in
      cardiometabolic functions. Notably, we show a predictive value for miR-7, miR
      15a, miR-106b and miR-135b.

PMID- 28344347
TI  - Evolve and survive.

PMID- 28344350
TI  - Structural biology: In situ architecture of the type III secretion system.

PMID- 28344351
TI  - Viral evolution: On the origin of capsids.

PMID- 28344349
TI  - Microorganisms maintain crowding homeostasis.
AB  - Macromolecular crowding affects the mobility of biomolecules, protein folding and
      stability, and the association of macromolecules with each other. Local
      differences in crowding that arise as a result of subcellular components and
      supramolecular assemblies contribute to the structural organization of the
      cytoplasm. In this Opinion article we discuss how macromolecular crowding affects
      the physicochemistry of the cytoplasm and how this, in turn, affects microbial
      physiology. We propose that cells maintain the overall concentration of
      macromolecules within a narrow range and discuss possible mechanisms for
      achieving crowding homeostasis. In addition, we propose that the term
      'homeocrowding' is used to describe the process by which cells maintain
      relatively constant levels of macromolecules.

PMID- 28344352
TI  - Bacterial physiology: When things turn sour for Helicobacter.

PMID- 28344353
TI  - Environmental microbiology: Is evidence for ancient microbial life set in stone?

PMID- 28344348
TI  - Metal homeostasis and resistance in bacteria.
AB  - Metal ions are essential for many reactions, but excess metals can be toxic. In
      bacteria, metal limitation activates pathways that are involved in the import and
      mobilization of metals, whereas excess metals induce efflux and storage. In this
      Review, we highlight recent insights into metal homeostasis, including protein
      based and RNA-based sensors that interact directly with metals or metal
      containing cofactors. The resulting transcriptional response to metal stress
      takes place in a stepwise manner and is reinforced by post-transcriptional
      regulatory systems. Metal limitation and intoxication by the host are
      evolutionarily ancient strategies for limiting bacterial growth. The details of
      the resulting growth restriction are beginning to be understood and seem to be
      organism-specific.

PMID- 28344355
TI  - Increased soil nutrition and decreased light intensity drive species loss after
      eight years grassland enclosures.
AB  - Enclosures (fenced, grazing or clipping) within a certain period of years are the
      most common tools for restoration of degraded grasslands in temperate regions.
      Short-term enclosures can improve biodiversity and productivity by effectively
      relieving grazing pressure, while long-term enclosures can reduce species
      diversity. We therefore carried out a field experiment to investigate the
      specific causes of the reduced species diversity in Hulunbeier grassland of
      northern China. After eight years of enclosure, the significantly increased soil
      available nitrogen (AN) and available phosphorus (AvP) in enclosure community
      reduced nitrogen (N) limitation but most vegetation was still N limited. Many
      environmental factors led to decreased species richness, but increased soil AN
      and decreased light intensity at the community bottom were the most significant
      ones. Community density decreased independently of soil nutrition but
      significantly related to decreased species richness. Density of dominant canopy
      species increased, while dominant understory species decreased during assemblage
      level thinning; therefore, the random-loss hypothesis was not supported. The
      dominant understory species responded to lower light availability by increasing
      their height, leaf area, and chlorophyll content. Moreover, our results were
      expected to provide some specific guidance for the restoration mode selection of
      degraded grasslands in northern China.

PMID- 28344354
TI  - HDAC1-3 inhibitor MS-275 enhances IL10 expression in RAW264.7 macrophages and
      reduces cigarette smoke-induced airway inflammation in mice.
AB  - Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) constitutes a major health burden.
      Studying underlying molecular mechanisms could lead to new therapeutic targets.
      Macrophages are orchestrators of COPD, by releasing pro-inflammatory cytokines.
      This process relies on transcription factors such as NF-kappaB, among others. NF
      kappaB is regulated by lysine acetylation; a post-translational modification
      installed by histone acetyltransferases and removed by histone deacetylases
      (HDACs). We hypothesized that small molecule HDAC inhibitors (HDACi) targeting
      class I HDACs members that can regulate NF-kappaB could attenuate inflammatory
      responses in COPD via modulation of the NF-kappaB signaling output. MS-275 is an
      isoform-selective inhibitor of HDAC1-3. In precision-cut lung slices and RAW264.7
      macrophages, MS-275 upregulated the expression of both pro- and anti-inflammatory
      genes, implying mixed effects. Interestingly, anti-inflammatory IL10 expression
      was upregulated in these model systems. In the macrophages, this was associated
      with increased NF-kappaB activity, acetylation, nuclear translocation, and
      binding to the IL10 promoter. Importantly, in an in vivo model of cigarette smoke
      exposed C57Bl/6 mice, MS-275 robustly attenuated inflammatory expression of KC
      and neutrophil influx in the lungs. This study highlights for the first time the
      potential of isoform-selective HDACi for the treatment of inflammatory lung
      diseases like COPD.

PMID- 28344356
TI  - Methylation status as a predictor of intravesical Bacillus Calmette-Guerin (BCG)
      immunotherapy response of high grade non-muscle invasive bladder tumor.
AB  - BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Genetic and epigenetic alterations play an important role in
      urothelial cancer pathogenesis. Deeper understanding of these processes could
      help us achieve better diagnosis and management of this life-threatening disease.
      The aim of this research was to evaluate the methylation status of selected tumor
      suppressor genes for predicting BCG response in patients with high grade non
      muscle-invasive bladder tumor (NMIBC). MATERIALS AND METHODS: We retrospectively
      evaluated 82 patients with high grade non-muscle-invasive bladder tumor (stage
      Ta, T1, CIS) who had undergone BCG instillation therapy. We compared epigenetic
      methylation status in BCG-responsive and BCG-failure groups. We used the MS-MLPA
      (Methylation-Specific Multiplex Ligation-Dependent Probe Amplification probe sets
      ME001 and ME004. The control group was 13 specimens of normal urotel (bladder
      tissue)). RESULTS: Newly identified methylations in high grade NMIBC were found
      in MUS81a, NTRK1 and PCCA. The methylation status of CDKN2B (P=0.00312**) and
      MUS81a (P=0.0191*) is associated with clinical outcomes of BCG instillation
      therapy response. CDKN2B and MUS81a unmethylation was found in BCG failure
      patients. CONCLUSION: The results show that the methylation status of selected
      tumor suppressor genes (TSGs) has the potential for predicting BCG response in
      patients with NMIBC high grade tumors. Tumor suppressor genes such as CDKN2b,
      MUS81a, PFM-1, MSH6 and THBS1 are very promising for future research.

PMID- 28344358
TI  - How Social Preferences Shape Incentives in (Experimental) Markets for Credence
      Goods.
AB  - Credence goods markets suffer from inefficiencies caused by superior information
      of sellers about the surplus-maximising quality. While standard theory predicts
      that equal mark-up prices solve the credence goods problem if customers can
      verify the quality received, experimental evidence indicates the opposite. We
      identify a lack of robustness with respect to heterogeneity in social preferences
      as a possible cause of this and conduct new experiments that allow for
      parsimonious identification of sellers' social preference types. Our results
      confirm the assumed heterogeneity in social preferences and provide strong
      support for our explanation of the failure of verifiability to increase
      efficiency.

PMID- 28344359
TI  - Privacy and Security in Mobile Health: A Research Agenda.
AB  - Mobile health technology has great potential to increase healthcare quality,
      expand access to services, reduce costs, and improve personal wellness and public
      health. However, mHealth also raises significant privacy and security challenges.

PMID- 28344360
TI  - Smoking Trajectories Among Monoracial and Biracial Black Adolescents and Young
      Adults.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: Cigarette smoking trajectories were assessed among monorace Blacks,
      Black-American Indians, Black-Asians, Black-Hispanics, and Black-Whites. METHOD:
      We used a subsample of nationally representative data obtained from the National
      Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health (Add Health). The sample consisted of
      adolescents who were in Grades 7 - 12 in 1994, and followed across four waves of
      data collection into adulthood. Wave 4 data were collected in 2007-2008 when most
      respondents were between 24 and 32 years old. Respondents could report more than
      one race/ethnicity. Poisson regression was used to analyze the data. RESULTS: We
      found distinct smoking trajectories among monorace and biracial/ethnic Blacks,
      with all groups eventually equaling or surpassing trajectories of Whites. The age
      of cross-over varied by gender for some subgroups, with Black-American Indian
      males catching up earlier than Black-American Indian females. Black-White females
      smoked on more days than monorace Black females until age 26 and also smoked more
      than Black-White males between ages 11 and 29 years. Black-Hispanic males smoked
      on more days than Black-Hispanic females from ages 11 to 14. The results of the
      interaction tests also indicated different smoking trajectories across SES levels
      among White, Black, and Black-White respondents. CONCLUSION: Significant
      heterogeneity was observed regarding smoking trajectories between monoracel and
      biracial/ethnic Blacks. Knowledge of cigarette smoking patterns among monorace
      and biracial/ethnic Black youth and young adults extends our understanding of the
      etiology of tobacco use and may inform interventions.

PMID- 28344357
TI  - Quantum Dot Surface Engineering: Toward Inert Fluorophores with Compact Size and
      Bright, Stable Emission.
AB  - The surfaces of colloidal nanocrystals are complex interfaces between solid
      crystals, coordinating ligands, and liquid solutions. For fluorescent quantum
      dots, the properties of the surface vastly influence the efficiency of light
      emission, stability, and physical interactions, and thus determine their
      sensitivity and specificity when they are used to detect and image biological
      molecules. But after more than 30 years of study, the surfaces of quantum dots
      remain poorly understood and continue to be an important subject of both
      experimental and theoretical research. In this article, we review the physics and
      chemistry of quantum dot surfaces and describe approaches to engineer optimal
      fluorescent probes for applications in biomolecular imaging and sensing. We
      describe the structure and electronic properties of crystalline facets, the
      chemistry of ligand coordination, and the impact of ligands on optical
      properties. We further describe recent advances in compact coatings that have
      significantly improved their properties by providing small hydrodynamic size,
      high stability and fluorescence efficiency, and minimal nonspecific interactions
      with cells and biological molecules. While major progress has been made in both
      basic and applied research, many questions remain in the chemistry and physics of
      quantum dot surfaces that have hindered key breakthroughs to fully optimize their
      properties.

PMID- 28344361
TI  - The interaction of fluorescent nanodiamond probes with cellular media.
AB  - Fluorescent nanodiamonds (FNDs) are promising tools to image cells, bioanalytes
      and physical quantities such as temperature, pressure, and electric or magnetic
      fields with nanometer resolution. To exploit their potential for intracellular
      applications, the FNDs have to be brought into contact with cell culture media.
      The interactions between the medium and the diamonds crucially influence
      sensitivity as well as the ability to enter cells. The authors demonstrate that
      certain proteins and salts spontaneously adhere to the FNDs and may cause
      aggregation. This is a first investigation on the fundamental questions on how
      (a) FNDs interact with the medium, and (b) which proteins and salts are being
      attracted. A differentiation between strongly binding and weakly binding proteins
      is made. Not all proteins participate in the formation of FND aggregates.
      Surprisingly, some main components in the medium seem to play no role in
      aggregation. Simple strategies to prevent aggregation are discussed. These
      include adding the proteins, which are naturally present in the cell culture to
      the diamonds first and then inserting them in the full medium. Graphical
      abstractSchematic of the interaction of nanodiamonds with cell culture medium.
      Certain proteins and salts adhere to the diamond surface and lead to aggregation
      or to formation of a protein corona.

PMID- 28344362
TI  - Positive serum ethanol concentration on admission to hospital as the factor
      predictive of treatment outcome in acute methanol poisoning.
AB  - ABSTRACT: Mass methanol poisonings present a serious problem for health systems
      worldwide, with poor outcome associated with delayed treatment. Positive pre
      hospital serum ethanol concentration may have predictive value as the prognostic
      factor of the treatment outcome. We studied the effect of positive serum ethanol
      level on admission to hospital on survival in patients treated during the Czech
      methanol outbreak during 2012-2014. Cross-sectional cohort study was performed in
      100 hospitalized patients with confirmed methanol poisoning. Pre-hospital ethanol
      was administered in 42 patients (by paramedic/medical staff to 30 patients and
      self-administered by 12 patients before admission); 58 patients did not receive
      pre-hospital ethanol. Forty-two patients had detectable serum ethanol
      concentration on admission to hospital [median 18.3 (IQR 6.6-32.2) mmol dm-3].
      Pre-hospital ethanol administration by paramedic/medical staff had a significant
      effect on survival without visual and CNS sequelae when adjusted for arterial
      blood pH on admission (OR 8.73; 95 % CI 3.57-21.34; p < 0.001). No patients
      receiving pre-hospital ethanol died compared with 21 not receiving (p < 0.001).
      Positive serum ethanol concentration on admission to hospital was a predictor for
      survival without health sequelae when adjusted for arterial blood pH (OR 8.10; 95
      % CI 2.85-23.02; p < 0.001). The probability of visual and CNS sequelae in
      survivors reduced with increasing serum ethanol concentration on admission.
      GRAPHICAL ABSTRACT: 

PMID- 28344363
TI  - Electrochemical determination of closantel in the commercial formulation by
      square-wave adsorptive stripping voltammetry.
AB  - ABSTRACT: In this paper, the square-wave adsorptive stripping voltammetric
      (SWAdSV) determination of the veterinary drug closantel using a renewable silver
      amalgam film electrode (Hg(Ag)FE) is presented. As observed in SWAdSV, closantel
      provided one well-shaped reduction peak suitable for analytical purposes at
      potential ca. -1.4 V in the Britton-Robinson (B-R) buffer at pH 7.0. At optimal
      conditions, the SWAdSV response of Hg(Ag)FE for determining closantel was linear
      over two concentration ranges of 5.0 * 10-8 to 2.0 * 10-7 mol dm-3 and 2.0 * 10-7
      to 1.2 * 10-6 mol dm-3 with a detection limit of 1.1 * 10-8 mol dm-3. In
      addition, a relevance of the developed SWAdSV method was successfully verified by
      the quantitative analysis of closantel in the commercial formulation Closamectin
      Pour-On with satisfactory results (RSD = 5.8%, recovery = 101.8%). The results
      showed that the developed procedure can be adequate for screening purposes. Also,
      the electrochemical behavior of closantel was characterized by cyclic
      voltammetry, and it was found that closantel exhibited a quasi-reversible
      behavior with cathodic peak on the forward scan at ca. -1.4 V and anodic peak on
      the reverse scan at ca. -1.35 V vs. Ag/AgCl in B-R buffer, pH 7.0. As the
      obtained results showed that the electrode mechanism of closantel is controlled
      by the adsorption, the effect of adsorption was studied using the electrochemical
      impedance spectroscopy technique. GRAPHICAL ABSTRACT: 

PMID- 28344364
TI  - Improved electroanalytical characteristics for flumetralin determination in the
      presence of surface active compound.
AB  - ABSTRACT: The use of square wave voltammetry (SWV) and square wave adsorptive
      stripping voltammetry (SWAdSV) in conjunction with a cyclic renewable silver
      amalgam film electrode for the determination of flumetralin is presented. Poor
      separation of two overlapped reduction peaks is significantly improved when
      hexadecyltrimethylammonium bromide is used as a component of the supporting
      electrolyte solution (together with BR buffer pH 9.5). The SW technique
      parameters were investigated and found optimal as follows: frequency 50 Hz,
      amplitude 40 mV, and step potential 5 mV. Accumulation time and potential were
      studied to select the optimal conditions in adsorptive voltammetry. The
      analytical curve was linear for the flumetralin concentration range from 1.0 * 10
      6 to 1.0 * 10-5 mol dm-3 and from 5.0 * 10-9 to 1.0 * 10-7 mol dm-3 for SWV and
      SWAdSV, respectively. Detection limit of 6.5 * 10-10 mol dm-3 was calculated for
      accumulation time 60 s at -0.2 V. The repeatability of the method was determined
      at a flumetralin concentration level equal to 5.0 * 10-9 mol dm-3 and expressed
      as %RSD = 5.0% (n = 6). The proposed method was applied and validated
      successfully by studying the recovery of herbicide content in spiked
      environmental samples. GRAPHICAL ABSTRACT: 

PMID- 28344365
TI  - Synthesizing Results From Empirical Research on Computer-Based Scaffolding in
      STEM Education: A Meta-Analysis.
AB  - Computer-based scaffolding assists students as they generate solutions to complex
      problems, goals, or tasks, helping increase and integrate their higher order
      skills in the process. However, despite decades of research on scaffolding in
      STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) education, no existing
      comprehensive meta-analysis has synthesized the results of these studies. This
      review addresses that need by synthesizing the results of 144 experimental
      studies (333 outcomes) on the effects of computer-based scaffolding designed to
      assist the full range of STEM learners (primary through adult education) as they
      navigated ill-structured, problem-centered curricula. Results of our random
      effect meta-analysis (a) indicate that computer-based scaffolding showed a
      consistently positive (g = 0.46) effect on cognitive outcomes across various
      contexts of use, scaffolding characteristics, and levels of assessment and (b)
      shed light on many scaffolding debates, including the roles of customization
      (i.e., fading and adding) and context-specific support. Specifically,
      scaffolding's influence on cognitive outcomes did not vary on the basis of
      context-specificity, presence or absence of scaffolding change, and logic by
      which scaffolding change is implemented. Scaffolding's influence was greatest
      when measured at the principles level and among adult learners. Still
      scaffolding's effect was substantial and significantly greater than zero across
      all age groups and assessment levels. These results suggest that scaffolding is a
      highly effective intervention across levels of different characteristics and can
      largely be designed in many different ways while still being highly effective.

PMID- 28344366
TI  - Mercury in Feathers and Blood of Gulls from the Southern Baltic Coast, Poland.
AB  - Gulls were assessed as sentinels of contamination in the coastal zone of the
      Southern Baltic, research material being obtained from dead birds collected on
      Polish beaches and near fishing ports in 2009-2012. In feathers and blood of four
      gull species: herring gull (Larus argentatus), common gull (Larus canus), black
      headed gull (Chroicocephalus ridibundus), and great black-backed gull (Larus
      marinus), concentration of total mercury (HgT) was assayed, taking into account
      the type of feathers, sex, and age. Stable isotopes (delta15N, delta13C) were
      used as tracers of trophic position in the food web. In the study, feathers and
      blood were compared as non-invasive indicators of alimentary exposure introducing
      mercury into the system. In order to do that, the correlations between mercury
      concentrations in the blood, feathers, and the birds' internal tissues were
      examined. The strongest relations were observed in the liver for each species
      R2Common Gull = 0.94, p = 0.001; R2Black-headed Gull = 0.89, p = 0.001; R2Great
      Black-backed Gull = 0.53, p = 0.001; R2Herring Gull = 0.78, p = 0.001. While no
      correlation was found with feathers, only developing feathers of juvenile herring
      gulls were found to be a good indicator immediate of exposure through food
      (R2muscle = 0.71, p = 0.001; R2kidneys = 0.73, p = 0.001; R2heart = 0.89, p =
      0.001; R2lungs = 0.86, p = 0.001; R2brain = 0.83, p = 0.001). Additionally, based
      on studies of herring gull primary feathers, decrease of mercury concentration in
      the diet of birds over the last two decades is also discussed.

PMID- 28344367
TI  - Cross-Saharan transport of water vapor via recycled cold pool outflows from moist
      convection.
AB  - Very sparse data have previously limited observational studies of meteorological
      processes in the Sahara. We present an observed case of convectively driven water
      vapor transport crossing the Sahara over 2.5 days in June 2012, from the Sahel in
      the south to the Atlas in the north. A daily cycle is observed, with deep
      convection in the evening generating moist cold pools that fed the next day's
      convection; the convection then generated new cold pools, providing a vertical
      recycling of moisture. Trajectories driven by analyses were able to capture the
      direction of the transport but not its full extent, particularly at night when
      cold pools are most active, and analyses missed much of the water content of cold
      pools. The results highlight the importance of cold pools for moisture transport,
      dust and clouds, and demonstrate the need to include these processes in models in
      order to improve the representation of Saharan atmosphere.

PMID- 28344368
TI  - The Decline of Arranged Marriage? Marital Change and Continuity in India.
AB  - This article evaluates whether arranged marriage declined in India from 1970 to
      2012. Specifically, the authors examine trends in spouse choice, the length of
      time spouses knew each other prior to marriage, intercaste marriage, and
      consanguineous marriage at the national level, as well as by region, urban
      residence, and religion/caste. During this period, women were increasingly active
      in choosing their own husbands, spouses meeting on their wedding day decreased,
      intercaste marriage rose, and consanguineous marriage fell. However, many of
      these changes were modest in size and substantial majorities of recent marriages
      still show the hallmarks of arranged marriage. Further, instead of displacing
      parents, young women increasingly worked with parents to choose husbands
      collectively. Rather than unilateral movement towards Western marriage practices,
      as suggested by theories of family change and found in other Asian contexts,
      these trends point to a hybridization of customary Western and Indian practices.

PMID- 28344369
TI  - Approach-avoidance of facial affect is moderated by the presence of an observer
      irrelevant trigger.
AB  - This study examined whether approach-avoidance related behaviour elicited by
      facial affect is moderated by the presence of an observer-irrelevant trigger that
      may influence the observer's attributions of the actor's emotion. Participants
      were shown happy, disgusted, and neutral facial expressions. Half of these were
      presented with a plausible trigger of the expression (a drink). Approach
      avoidance related behaviour was indexed explicitly through a questionnaire
      (measuring intentions) and implicitly through a manikin version of the affective
      Simon task (measuring automatic behavioural tendencies). In the absence of an
      observer-irrelevant trigger, participants expressed the intention to avoid
      disgusted and approach happy facial expressions. Participants also showed a
      stronger approach tendency towards happy than towards disgusted facial
      expressions. The presence of the observer-irrelevant trigger had a moderating
      effect, decreasing the intention to approach happy and to avoid disgusted
      expressions. The trigger had no moderating effect on the approach-avoidance
      tendencies. Thus the influence of an observer-irrelevant trigger appears to
      reflect more of a controlled than automatic process.

PMID- 28344371
TI  - DeepDive: Declarative Knowledge Base Construction.
AB  - The dark data extraction or knowledge base construction (KBC) problem is to
      populate a SQL database with information from unstructured data sources including
      emails, webpages, and pdf reports. KBC is a long-standing problem in industry and
      research that encompasses problems of data extraction, cleaning, and integration.
      We describe DeepDive, a system that combines database and machine learning ideas
      to help develop KBC systems. The key idea in DeepDive is that statistical
      inference and machine learning are key tools to attack classical data problems in
      extraction, cleaning, and integration in a unified and more effective manner.
      DeepDive programs are declarative in that one cannot write probabilistic
      inference algorithms; instead, one interacts by defining features or rules about
      the domain. A key reason for this design choice is to enable domain experts to
      build their own KBC systems. We present the applications, abstractions, and
      techniques of DeepDive employed to accelerate construction of KBC systems.

PMID- 28344370
TI  - Effectiveness of an Intervention for Children with Externalizing Behavior and
      Mild to Borderline Intellectual Disabilities: A Randomized Trial.
AB  - This study evaluated the effectiveness of Standing Strong Together (SST), a
      combined group based parent and child intervention for externalizing behavior in
      9-16 year-old children with mild to borderline intellectual disabilities (MBID).
      Children with externalizing behavior and MBID (IQ from 55 to 85) (N = 169) were
      cluster randomly assigned to SST combined with care as usual or to care as usual
      only. SST led to a significant benefit on teacher reported but not on parent
      reported externalizing behavior. SST had significant effects on parent rated
      positive parenting and the parent-child relationship. The present study shows
      that a multicomponent group based intervention for children with MBID is feasible
      and has the potential to reduce children's externalizing behavior and improve
      both parenting behavior and the parent-child relationship.

PMID- 28344372
TI  - Radicals and molecular products from the gas-phase pyrolysis of lignin model
      compounds. Cinnamyl alcohol.
AB  - The experimental results on detection and identification of intermediate radicals
      and molecular products from gas-phase pyrolysis of cinnamyl alcohol (CnA), the
      simplest non-phenolic lignin model compound, over the temperature range of 400
      800  degrees C are reported. The low temperature matrix isolation - electron
      paramagnetic resonance (LTMI-EPR) experiments along with the theoretical
      calculations, provided evidences on the generation of the intermediate carbon and
      oxygen centered as well as oxygen-linked, conjugated radicals. A mechanistic
      analysis is performed based on density functional theory to explain formation of
      the major products from CnA pyrolysis; cinnamaldehyde, indene, styrene,
      benzaldehyde, 1-propynyl benzene, and 2-propenyl benzene. The evaluated bond
      dissociation patterns and unimolecular decomposition pathways involve
      dehydrogenation, dehydration, 1,3-sigmatropic H-migration, 1,2-hydrogen shift, C
      O and C-C bond cleavage processes.

PMID- 28344373
TI  - Fertility Decline, Gender Composition of Families, and Expectations of Old Age
      Support.
AB  - Recent fertility declines in non-Western countries may have the potential to
      transform gender systems. One pathway for such transformations is the creation of
      substantial proportions of families with children of only one gender. Such
      families, particularly those with only daughters, may facilitate greater symmetry
      between sons and daughters. This article explores whether such shifts may
      influence gendered expectations of old age support. In keeping with patriarchal
      family systems, old age support is customarily provided by sons, but not
      daughters, in India. Using data from the 2005 Indian Human Development Survey, I
      find that women with sons overwhelmingly expect old age support from a son. By
      contrast, women with only daughters largely expect support from a daughter or a
      source besides a child. These findings suggest that fertility decline may place
      demographic pressure on gendered patterns of old age support and the gender
      system more broadly.

PMID- 28344374
TI  - Visibility Equalizer Cutaway Visualization of Mesoscopic Biological Models.
AB  - In scientific illustrations and visualization, cutaway views are often employed
      as an effective technique for occlusion management in densely packed scenes. We
      propose a novel method for authoring cutaway illustrations of mesoscopic
      biological models. In contrast to the existing cutaway algorithms, we take
      advantage of the specific nature of the biological models. These models consist
      of thousands of instances with a comparably smaller number of different types.
      Our method constitutes a two stage process. In the first step, clipping objects
      are placed in the scene, creating a cutaway visualization of the model. During
      this process, a hierarchical list of stacked bars inform the user about the
      instance visibility distribution of each individual molecular type in the scene.
      In the second step, the visibility of each molecular type is fine-tuned through
      these bars, which at this point act as interactive visibility equalizers. An
      evaluation of our technique with domain experts confirmed that our equalizer
      based approach for visibility specification was valuable and effective for both,
      scientific and educational purposes.

PMID- 28344375
TI  - Political liberalism and religious claims: Four blind spots.
AB  - This article gives an overview of 4 important lacunae in political liberalism and
      identifies, in a preliminary fashion, some trends in the literature that can come
      in for support in filling these blind spots, which prevent political liberalism
      from a correct assessment of the diverse nature of religious claims. Political
      liberalism operates with implicit assumptions about religious actors being either
      'liberal' or 'fundamentalist' and ignores a third, in-between group, namely
      traditionalist religious actors and their claims. After having explained what
      makes traditionalist religious actors different from liberal and fundamentalist
      religious actors, the author develops 4 areas in which political liberalism
      should be pushed further theoretically in order to correctly theorize the
      challenge which traditional religious actors pose to liberal democracy. These 4
      areas (blind spots) are: (1) the context of translation; (2) the politics of
      exemptions; (3) the multivocality of theology; and (4) the transnational nature
      of norm-contestation.

PMID- 28344376
TI  - Verification measurements of the IRMM-1027 and the IAEA large-sized dried (LSD)
      spikes.
AB  - In the frame of the accountancy measurements of the fissile materials, reliable
      determinations of the plutonium and uranium content in spent nuclear fuel are
      required to comply with international safeguards agreements. Large-sized dried
      (LSD) spikes of enriched 235U and 239Pu for isotope dilution mass spectrometry
      (IDMS) analysis are routinely applied in reprocessing plants for this purpose. A
      correct characterisation of these elements is a pre-requirement for achieving
      high accuracy in IDMS analyses. This paper will present the results of external
      verification measurements of such LSD spikes performed by the European Commission
      and the International Atomic Energy Agency.

PMID- 28344377
TI  - Effect of nitrogen compounds on transport of ruthenium through the RCS.
AB  - Ruthenium is a fission product that can be released from the fuel in case of a
      severe nuclear accident. In this work the impact of the atmosphere composition,
      including air radiolysis products, on the transport of ruthenium through a
      primary circuit was examined. Experiments were performed at temperatures 1300,
      1500 and 1700 K in a slightly humid air. In the experiments significant effect of
      nitrogen oxides (N2O, NO2) and nitric acid on the ruthenium chemistry in the
      model primary circuit was observed. The obtained results indicate a strong effect
      of air radiolysis products on the quantity partitioning of transported ruthenium
      to gaseous and aerosol compounds.

PMID- 28344379
TI  - "Would You Do That in Your Home?" Making Nursing Homes Home-like in Culture
      Change Implementation.
AB  - Qualitative interviews with nursing home administrators reveal innovative and
      cost-conscious ways to physically modify facilities that help institute culture
      change practices. Telephone interviews were conducted following a national survey
      of nursing home nursing directors and administrators. In this cross-sectional
      snapshot of administrator experiences, motivations for making facilities more
      home-like and less institutional and creative responses to challenges are
      described. State and corporate support and regulator encouragement are noted that
      help their reform efforts. Administrators note that small steps to create a more
      home-like environment can result in a positive impact that minimizes disruption
      to existing care processes. They describe how they respond to challenges, such as
      the physical plant and high costs, and note how comparative shopping, cost
      conscious physical improvements, and continuous involvement of staff and
      residents contribute to successful efforts. Their examples illustrate novel ways
      to humanize long-term care facilities that other nursing homes can emulate.

PMID- 28344378
TI  - The long and the short of it: a global analysis of hawkmoth pollination niches
      and interaction networks.
AB  - 1. Proboscis length has been proposed as a key dimension of plant pollination
      niches, but this niche space has not previously been explored at regional and
      global scales for any pollination system. Hawkmoths are ideal organisms for
      exploring pollinator niches as they are important pollinators in most of the
      biodiverse regions of the earth and vary greatly in proboscis length, with some
      species having the longest proboscides of all insects. 2. Using datasets for nine
      biogeographical regions spanning the Old and New World, we ask whether it is
      possible to identify distinct hawkmoth pollination niches based on the frequency
      distribution of proboscis length, and whether these niches are reflected in the
      depths of flowers that are pollinated by hawkmoths. We also investigate the
      levels of specialization in hawkmoth pollination systems at the regional and
      community level using data from interaction network studies. 3. We found that
      most regional hawkmoth assemblages have bimodal or multimodal distributions of
      proboscis length, and that these are matched by similar distributions of floral
      tube lengths. Hawkmoths, particularly those with longer proboscides, are
      polyphagous and at the network level show foraging specialization equivalent to
      or less than that of bees and hummingbirds. In the case of plants, shorter-tubed
      flowers are usually visited by numerous hawkmoth species, while those that are
      longer-tubed tend to exclude shorter-proboscid hawkmoths and thus become
      ecologically specialized on longer-proboscid hawkmoth species. Longer-tubed
      flowers tend to have greater nectar rewards and this promotes short-term
      constancy by long-proboscid hawkmoths. 4. Our results show that pollinator
      proboscis length is a key niche axis for plants and can account for patterns of
      evolution in functional traits such as floral tube length and nectar volume. We
      also highlight a paradoxical trend for nectar resource niche breadth to increase
      according to proboscis length of pollinators, while pollinator niche breadth
      decreases according to the tube length of flowers.

PMID- 28344380
TI  - Time is money: Rational life cycle inertia and the delegation of investment
      management.
AB  - Many households display inertia in investment management over their life cycles.
      Our calibrated dynamic life cycle portfolio choice model can account for such an
      apparently 'irrational' outcome, by incorporating the fact that investors must
      forgo acquiring job-specific skills when they spend time managing their money,
      and their efficiency in financial decision making varies with age. Resulting
      inertia patterns mesh well with findings from prior studies and our own empirical
      results from Panel Study of Income Dynamics (PSID) data. We also analyze how
      people optimally choose between actively managing their assets versus delegating
      the task to financial advisors. Delegation proves valuable to both the young and
      the old. Our calibrated model quantifies welfare gains from including investment
      time and money costs as well as delegation in a life cycle setting.

PMID- 28344381
TI  - Shame and Guilt-Proneness as Mediators of Associations Between General Causality
      Orientations and Depressive Symptoms.
AB  - The present study examined the roles of shame- and guilt-proneness as mediators
      of associations between general causality orientations and depressive symptoms.
      We expected autonomy would be associated with less depressive symptoms based on
      higher guilt-proneness and lower shame-proneness, whereas control would be
      associated with more depressive symptoms based on lower guilt-proneness and
      higher shame-proneness. Undergraduates (N = 354) completed assessments of general
      causality orientations, shame- and guilt-proneness, and depressive symptoms in
      exchange for extra credit. Results of mediation analyses were generally
      supportive of the framework indicating that shame- and guilt-proneness mediate
      associations between self-determination and depressive symptoms. Autonomy was
      indirectly associated with less depressive symptoms through positive associations
      with guilt-proneness, in spite of unexpected positive associations with shame
      proneness. Control and impersonal orientation were indirectly associated with
      more depressive symptoms through positive associations with shame-proneness.
      Results extend previous research relating self-determination to mental health in
      providing preliminary support suggesting that individual differences in self
      determination facilitate differential tendencies in experiencing guilt and shame.

PMID- 28344382
TI  - An Extended Kalman Filter to Estimate Human Gait Parameters and Walking Distance.
AB  - In this work, we present a novel method to estimate joint angles and distance
      traveled by a human while walking. We model the human leg as a two-link revolute
      robot. Inertial measurement sensors placed on the thigh and shin provide the
      required measurement inputs. The model and inputs are then used to estimate the
      desired state parameters associated with forward motion using an extended Kalman
      filter (EKF). Experimental results with subjects walking in a straight line show
      that distance walked can be measured with accuracy comparable to a state of the
      art motion tracking systems. The EKF had an average RMSE of 7 cm over the trials
      with an average accuracy of greater than 97% for linear displacement.

PMID- 28344383
TI  - Spectroscopic properties of poly(9,9-dioctylfluorene) thin films possessing
      varied fractions of beta-phase chain segments: enhanced photoluminescence
      efficiency via conformation structuring.
AB  - Poly(9,9-dioctylfluorene) (PFO) is a widely studied blue-emitting conjugated
      polymer, the optoelectronic properties of which are strongly affected by the
      presence of a well-defined chain-extended "beta-phase" conformational isomer. In
      this study, optical and Raman spectroscopy are used to systematically investigate
      the properties of PFO thin films featuring a varied fraction of beta-phase chain
      segments. Results show that the photoluminescence quantum efficiency (PLQE) of
      PFO films is highly sensitive to both the beta-phase fraction and the method by
      which it was induced. Notably, a PLQE of ~69% is measured for PFO films
      possessing a ~6% beta-phase fraction induced by immersion in solvent/nonsolvent
      mixtures; this value is substantially higher than the average PLQE of ~55%
      recorded for other beta-phase films. Furthermore, a linear relationship is
      observed between the intensity ratios of selected Raman peaks and the beta-phase
      fraction determined by commonly used absorption calibrations, suggesting that
      Raman spectroscopy can be used as an alternative means to quantify the beta-phase
      fraction. As a specific example, spatial Raman mapping is used to image a mm
      scale beta-phase stripe patterned in a glassy PFO film, with the extracted beta
      phase fraction showing excellent agreement with the results of optical
      spectroscopy. (c) 2016 The Authors. Journal of Polymer Science Part B: Polymer
      Physics Published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Polym. Sci., Part B: Polym. Phys.
      2016, 54, 1995-2006.

PMID- 28344384
TI  - Ferroelectric switching and electrochemistry of pyrrole substituted
      trialkylbenzene-1,3,5-tricarboxamides.
AB  - We explore a new approach to organic ferroelectric diodes using a benzene
      tricarboxamide (BTA) core connected with C10 alkyl chains to pyrrole groups,
      which can be polymerized to provide a semiconducting ferroelectric material. The
      compound possesses a columnar hexagonal liquid crystalline (LC) phase and
      exhibits ferroelectric switching. At low switching frequencies, an additional
      process occurs, which leads to a high hysteretic charge density of up to ~1000
      mC/m2. Based on its slow rate, the formation of gas bubbles, and the emergence of
      characteristic polypyrrole absorption bands in the UV-Vis-NIR, the additional
      process is identified as the oxidative polymerization of pyrrole groups, enabled
      by the presence of amide groups. Polymerization of the pyrrole groups, which is
      essential to obtain semiconductivity, is limited to thin layers at the
      electrodes, amounting to ~17 nm after cycling for 21 h. (c) 2017 Wiley
      Periodicals, Inc. J. Polym. Sci., Part B: Polym. Phys. 2017, 55, 673-683.

PMID- 28344385
TI  - A Dynamical Modeling Approach for Analysis of Longitudinal Clinical Trials in the
      Presence of Missing Endpoints.
AB  - Randomized longitudinal clinical trials are the gold standard to evaluate the
      effectiveness of interventions among different patient treatment groups. However,
      analysis of such clinical trials becomes difficult in the presence of missing
      data, especially in the case where the study endpoints become difficult to
      measure because of subject dropout rates or/and the time to discontinue the
      assigned interventions are different among the patient groups. Here we report on
      using a validated mathematical model combined with an inverse problem approach to
      predict the values for the missing endpoints. A small randomized HIV clinical
      trial where endpoints for most of patients are missing is used to demonstrate
      this approach.

PMID- 28344386
TI  - The sound of cooperation: Musical influences on cooperative behavior.
AB  - Music as an environmental aspect of professional workplaces has been closely
      studied with respect to consumer behavior while sparse attention has been given
      to its relevance for employee behavior. In this article, we focus on the
      influence of music upon cooperative behavior within decision-making groups. Based
      on results from two extended 20-round public goods experiments, we find that
      happy music significantly and positively influences cooperative behavior. We also
      find a significant positive association between mood and cooperative behavior.
      Consequently, while our studies provide partial support for the relevance of
      affect in relation to cooperation within groups, we also show an independently
      important function of happy music that fits with a theory of synchronous and
      rhythmic activity as a social lubricant. More generally, our findings indicate
      that music and perhaps other atmospheric variables that are designed to prime
      consumer behavior might have comparably important effects for employees and
      consequently warrant closer investigation.

PMID- 28344388
TI  - Isolation and purification of all-trans diadinoxanthin and all-trans diatoxanthin
      from diatom Phaeodactylum tricornutum.
AB  - Two diatom-specific carotenoids are engaged in the diadinoxanthin cycle, an
      important mechanism which protects these organisms against photoinhibition caused
      by absorption of excessive light energy. A high-performance and economical
      procedure of isolation and purification of diadinoxanthin and diatoxanthin from
      the marine diatom Phaeodactylum tricornutum using a four-step procedure has been
      developed. It is based on the use of commonly available materials and does not
      require advanced technology. Extraction of pigments, saponification, separation
      by partition and then open column chromatography, which comprise the complete
      experimental procedure, can be performed within 2 days. This method allows HPLC
      grade diadinoxanthin and diatoxanthin of a purity of 99 % or more to be obtained,
      and the efficiency was estimated to be 63 % for diadinoxanthin and 73 % for
      diatoxanthin. Carefully selected diatom culture conditions as well as analytical
      ones ensure highly reproducible performance. A protocol can be used to isolate
      and purify the diadinoxanthin cycle pigments both on analytical and preparative
      scale.

PMID- 28344387
TI  - Coordination chemistry insights into the role of alkali metal promoters in
      dinitrogen reduction.
AB  - The Haber-Bosch process is a major contributor to fixed nitrogen that supports
      the world's nutritional needs and is one of the largest-scale industrial
      processes known. It has also served as a testing ground for chemists'
      understanding of surface chemistry. Thus, it is significant that the most
      thoroughly developed catalysts for N2 reduction use potassium as an electronic
      promoter. In this review, we discuss the literature on alkali metal cations as
      promoters for N2 reduction, in the context of the growing knowledge about
      cooperative interactions between N2, transition metals, and alkali metals in
      coordination compounds. Because the structures and properties are easier to
      characterize in these compounds, they give useful information on alkali metal
      interactions with N2. Here, we review a variety of interactions, with emphasis on
      recent work on iron complexes by the authors. Finally, we draw conclusions about
      the nature of these interactions and areas for future research.

PMID- 28344389
TI  - Reductive activity of free and immobilized cells of cyanobacteria toward
      oxophosphonates-comparative study.
AB  - This report, based on the previous studies, compares the reductive activity of
      different modes of following photobiocatalysts (on laboratory and preparative
      scale): Arthrospira maxima, Nostoc cf. muscorum and Nodularia sphaerocarpa,
      toward diethyl esters of 2-oxopropylphosphonate (1), 2-oxo-2
      phenylethylphosphonate (2), and 2-oxobutylphosphonate (3). It was confirmed that
      immobilization in alginate matrix do not affect the activity and viability of the
      biocatalysts. Corresponding (S)-hydroxyphosphonates (1a-3a) were obtained with
      similar efficiency compared to the free-cell mode with the yield and of the
      optical purity e.e respectively (e.g., N. sphaerocarpa experiments): (1) yield:
      21 %, e.e. 84 %; (2) yield 97 %, e.e. 97; (3) yield 21 %, e.e. 89 %. Scaling up
      the processes for the best biocatalyst, N. sphaerocarpa, indicated that the use
      of free-living cells of cyanobacteria is more effective (640 mg of substrate 2,
      44 % of yield, 91 % of e.e.), compared to the column bioreactor packed with
      immobilized cells of this photobiocatalyst (384 mg of substrate 2, 38 % of yield,
      86 % of e.e). In the case of free and immobilized cells of N. cf. muscorum,
      agitation of the medium was the crucial activity mediator. Shaking culture of
      free cells of N. cf. muscorum converted the diethyl 2-oxo-2
      phenylethylphosphonate (2) with the yield of 43 % (99 % of e.e.) compared to 18 %
      (99 % of e.e., stationary culture). Immobilized cells of this cyanobacterium were
      also more active toward (2) under shaking conditions (28 % of yield, 99 % of
      e.e.) than free ones without agitation.

PMID- 28344390
TI  - Algal cultivation in urban wastewater: an efficient way to reduce pharmaceutical
      pollutants.
AB  - The purpose of this study was to investigate whether pharmaceutical pollutants in
      urban wastewater can be reduced during algal cultivation. A mixed population of
      wild freshwater green algal species was grown on urban wastewater influent in a
      650 L photobioreactor under natural light and with the addition of flue gases.
      Removal efficiencies were very high (>90 %), moderate (50-90 %), low (10-50 %),
      and very low or non-quantifiable (<10 %) for 9, 14, 11, and 18 pharmaceuticals,
      respectively, over a 7-day period. High reduction was found in the following
      pharmaceuticals: the beta-blockers atenolol, bispropol, and metoprolol; the
      antibiotic clarithromycine; the antidepressant bupropion; the muscle relaxant
      atracurium; hypertension drugs diltiazem and terbutaline used to relive the
      symptoms of asthma. Regression analysis did not detect any relationship between
      the reduction in pharmaceutical contents and light intensity reaching the water
      surface of the algal culture. However, the reduction was positively correlated
      with light intensity inside the culture and stronger when data collected during
      the night were excluded. Algae cultivation can remove partially or totally
      pharmaceutical pollutants from urban wastewater, and this opens up new
      possibilities for treating urban wastewater.

PMID- 28344391
TI  - pH-driven solubilization and isoelectric precipitation of proteins from the brown
      seaweed Saccharina latissima-effects of osmotic shock, water volume and
      temperature.
AB  - In the light of the global search for novel and sustainable protein sources,
      macroalgal proteins are becoming an attractive target. To date, mainly red and
      green macroalgae have been investigated in this respect, whereas the brown
      species are less studied, possibly because of the lower content of protein. In a
      biorefinery context, however, the protein content of brown macroalgae can still
      be economically interesting due to fast growth and the possibility to co-extract
      other compounds, such as alginates. The aim of this study was to develop a
      simple, scalable pH shift-based protein isolation technique applicable on wet
      Saccharina latissima biomass. Factors investigated were extraction volume,
      temperature, protein solubilization pH, osmoshock pretreatment and protein
      precipitation pH. Maximum protein solubility was obtained at pH 12, where 34 % of
      the total protein content could be extracted with 5.56 volumes of extraction
      solution (20 volumes on dry weight (dw) basis). Osmoshocking significantly
      increased the yield, and 20, 40 and 60 volumes of water (dw basis) gave 45.1,
      46.8 and 59.5 % yield, respectively. The temperature during osmoshocking did not
      significantly affect the extraction yield, and extended time (16 vs. 1 or 2 h)
      reduced protein yield. Precipitation of solubilized proteins was possible below
      pH 4; the highest precipitation yield, 34.5 %, was obtained at pH 2. After
      combined alkaline extraction and acid precipitation, 16.01 % of the Saccharina
      proteins were recovered, which can be considered acceptable in comparison to
      other studies on algae but leaves some room for improvement when compared to
      protein extraction from, for instance, soy.

PMID- 28344392
TI  - Seasonal population dynamics of Sargassum fusiforme (Fucales, Phaeophyta), Suo
      Oshima Is., Seto Inland Sea, Japan-development processes of a stand characterized
      by high density and productivity.
AB  - Seasonal population dynamics of Sargassum fusiforme, one of the most important
      edible macroalgae in Japan, were studied. Recruits were mainly generated by
      vegetative reproduction at the margins of filamentous holdfasts. They first
      appeared in late spring and peaked in summer as upright thalli of the previous
      generation withered. After producing recruits, holdfasts withered indicating that
      holdfasts were also annual, the same as upright thalli. All recruits produced
      main branches and became new upright thalli in early autumn. During this
      transitional period, the thallus density decreased due to the crowded conditions
      induced by simultaneous growth initiation. After this early mortality, however,
      thallus density remained almost constant over much of the growth season. Thallus
      growth continued during winter and the stand biomass peaked in spring. During
      this biomass accumulation, development of a thallus size hierarchy was moderate
      and no size-dependent mortality was observed. Main branch number per thallus was
      also constant until spring, indicating the main branches also persisted after
      being produced in early autumn. This lack of severe intraspecific competition
      both at a thallus and main branch level is supported by the ambient wave
      condition of the habitat which gives moderate undulation and enables light and
      nutrients to be supplied to each thallus, and allowed the S. fusiforme stand to
      maintain its densely-packed feature with a high productivity.

PMID- 28344393
TI  - Influence of dispatching rules on average production lead time for multi-stage
      production systems.
AB  - In this paper the influence of different dispatching rules on the average
      production lead time is investigated. Two theorems based on covariance between
      processing time and production lead time are formulated and proved theoretically.
      Theorem 1 links the average production lead time to the "processing time weighted
      production lead time" for the multi-stage production systems analytically. The
      influence of different dispatching rules on average lead time, which is well
      known from simulation and empirical studies, can be proved theoretically in
      Theorem 2 for a single stage production system. A simulation study is conducted
      to gain more insight into the influence of dispatching rules on average
      production lead time in a multi-stage production system. We find that the
      "processing time weighted average production lead time" for a multi-stage
      production system is not invariant of the applied dispatching rule and can be
      used as a dispatching rule independent indicator for single-stage production
      systems.

PMID- 28344394
TI  - Seroprevalence of bovine herpesvirus-1 antibodies in bovines in five districts of
      Uttarakhand.
AB  - AIM: This study was conducted to know the status of bovine herpesvirus-1 (BHV-1)
      antibodies in the bovines of the selected area of Uttarakhand. MATERIALS AND
      METHODS: A total of 489 serum samples, 392 of cattle and 97 of buffaloes were
      randomly collected from the unvaccinated bovine population of five districts
      viz., Dehradun, Haridwar, Nainital, Pithoragarh, and Udham Singh Nagar and were
      tested by avidin biotin enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay for BHV-1 antibodies.
      RESULTS: The overall prevalence was observed to be 29.03%. At district level, the
      highest prevalence was recorded in Pithoragarh district (40.00%) while it was
      lowest in district Udham Singh Nagar (16.00%). The prevalence of BHV-1 antibodies
      was found to be higher in unorganized dairy units (31.02%) compared to organized
      farms (26.51%) in Uttarakhand. Buffaloes were found to have greater prevalence
      (38.14%) than cattle (26.78%) while on sex-wise basis; it was found that more
      females (30.08%) were harboring antibodies to the virus than males (16.21%).
      CONCLUSION: The study revealed that the population in the area under study has
      been exposed to BHV-1 and hence prevention and control strategies must be
      implemented.

PMID- 28344395
TI  - Characterization of Salmonella Gallinarum from an outbreak in Raigarh,
      Chhattisgarh.
AB  - AIM: The present investigation was conducted to isolate and characterize
      Salmonella Gallinarum from an outbreak of fowl typhoid in layer birds. MATERIALS
      AND METHODS: Clinically ill and dead layer birds from an outbreak were
      investigated. History, clinical signs, and postmortem lesions were suggestive of
      fowl typhoid. Postmortem samples including heart blood, intestinal contents,
      pieces of ovary, and liver were collected and processed immediately for bacterial
      culture, serotyping and antibiotic sensitivity tests. Isolates were further
      screened for the presence of extended spectrum beta lactamase (ESBL) (blaTEM)
      gene by polymerase chain reaction. RESULTS: On the basis of cultural, staining
      and biochemical characteristics; three bacterial isolates were confirmed as S.
      Gallinarum. On serotyping, somatic antigen O: 9 and 12 with nonflagellated
      antigen were detected in all three isolates. Isolates were intermediate sensitive
      to amoxycillin, amoxyclav, gentamicin and ciprofloxacin and resistant to most of
      the antibiotics including chloramphenicol, ampicillin, ceftazidime, cefexime,
      cefepime, azithromycin, nalidixin, tetracycline, oxytetracycline, and
      streptomycin. Two isolates were found to harbor ESBL (blaTEM) gene. CONCLUSION:
      Beta lactamase producer S. Gallinarum was confirmed as cause of increased
      mortality in layer birds during present investigation. Existence of multi drug
      resistant Salmonella poses serious threat to poultry industry in Chhattisgarh.

PMID- 28344396
TI  - Effect of supplementation of lecithin and carnitine on growth performance and
      nutrient digestibility in pigs fed high-fat diet.
AB  - AIM: To study the effect of dietary supplementation of lecithin and carnitine on
      growth performance and nutrient digestibility in pigs fed high-fat diet.
      MATERIALS AND METHODS: A total of 30 weaned female large white Yorkshire piglets
      of 2 months of age were selected and randomly divided into three groups allotted
      to three dietary treatments, T1 - Control ration as per the National Research
      Council nutrient requirement, T2 - Control ration plus 5% fat, and T3 - T2 plus
      0.5% lecithin plus 150 mg/kg carnitine. The total dry matter (DM) intake,
      fortnightly body weight of each individual animal was recorded. Digestibility
      trial was conducted toward the end of the experiment to determine the
      digestibility coefficient of various nutrients. RESULTS: There was a significant
      improvement (p<0.01) observed for pigs under supplementary groups T2 and T3 than
      that of control group (T1) with regards to growth parameters studied such as
      total DM intake, average final body weight and total weight gain whereas among
      supplementary groups, pigs reared on T3 group had better intake (p<0.01) when
      compared to T2 group. Statistical analysis of data revealed that no differences
      were observed (p>0.05) among the three treatments on average daily gain, feed
      conversion efficiency, and nutrient digestibility during the overall period.
      CONCLUSION: It was concluded that the dietary inclusion of animal fat at 5% level
      or animal fat along with lecithin (0.5%) and carnitine (150 mg/kg) improved the
      growth performance in pigs than non-supplemented group and from the economic
      point of view, dietary incorporation of animal fat at 5% would be beneficial for
      improving growth in pigs without dietary modifiers.

PMID- 28344397
TI  - Comparative study of obstructive urolithiasis and its sequelae in buffalo calves.
AB  - AIM: The present work was designed to study the incidence of obstructive
      urolithiasis and to apply comparative diagnosis to urine retention cases.
      MATERIALS AND METHODS: A total of 78 non-castrated buffalo calves aging 3-11
      months were included in this study, 68 calves were admitted to the Veterinary
      Teaching Hospital, Zagazig University, Egypt, during the study period with a
      history of anuria, and they were classified into three groups; intact bladder
      group (19 calves), uroperitoneum group (45 calves), and ruptured urethra group (4
      calves). 10 apparently healthy calves were used for comparison. On the basis of
      history, clinical, laboratory, and ultrasonographic findings diagnosis was
      achieved. RESULTS: There was a marked increase in the incidence of obstructive
      urolithiasis in winter season, especially in winter months of 2016. Calves within
      the age of 3-4 months and 6-8 months were mostly affected. Inappetence to
      anorexia, restlessness or depression, and abdominal distension were the most
      observed signs in the diseased calves. Laboratory findings revealed
      hemoconcentration and a significant increase in blood urea nitrogen and serum
      creatinine levels in all diseased groups. Hyperproteinemia, hypocalcemia, and
      hyperphosphatemia with electrolytes imbalance were recorded in the uroperitoneum
      group. Ultrasonographically, distended urinary bladder with distal acoustic
      enhancement revealed obstructive urolithiasis with intact bladder while anechoic
      fluid in abdominal cavity indicates uroperitoneum. CONCLUSION: On the basis of
      all findings, calves with intact bladder were in superior condition than those
      with a ruptured urethra and both were better than those with uroperitoneum.

PMID- 28344398
TI  - Evaluation of tissue-engineered bone constructs using rabbit fetal osteoblasts on
      acellular bovine cancellous bone matrix.
AB  - AIM: The aim of this study was to generate composite bone graft and investigate
      the rabbit fetal osteoblasts adhesion, proliferation and penetration on acellular
      matrices of cancellous bone. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Acellular cancellous bone was
      prepared and developed as in the previous study with little modification. These
      matrices were decellularized by rapid freeze and thaw cycle. To remove the cell
      debris, they were then treated with hydrogen peroxide (3%) and ethanol to remove
      antigenic cellular and nuclear materials from the scaffold. Primary osteoblast
      cells were harvested from 20 to 22 days old rabbit fetal long and calvarial bone.
      These cells were cultured and characterized using a specific marker. The third
      passaged fetal osteoblast cells were then seeded on the scaffold and incubated
      for 14 days. The growth pattern of the cells was observed. Scanning electron
      microscope and hematoxylin and eosin staining were used to investigate cells
      proliferation. RESULTS: The cells were found to be growing well on the surface of
      the scaffold and were also present in good numbers with the matrix filopodial
      extensions upto inside of the core of the tissue. CONCLUSION: Thus, a viable
      composite scaffold of bone could be developed which has a great potential in the
      field of bone tissue engineering.

PMID- 28344399
TI  - Extraction of chitosan and its oligomers from shrimp shell waste, their
      characterization and antimicrobial effect.
AB  - AIM: The present study was performed to utilize the shrimp shell waste for chitin
      and chitosan production, characterization by Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR)
      technique and to evaluate the antimicrobial effects of chitosan oligomers
      produced by depolymerization of chitosan by nitrous acid. MATERIALS AND METHODS:
      Chitosan was extracted from the shrimp shell waste by the chemical method and
      characterized by FT-IR. Chitooligomers were produced by depolymerising chitosan
      using nitrous acid, and the chitooligomers were tested for antimicrobial effect
      against four gut pathogenic organisms, i.e., Enterobacter aerogen (National
      Collection of Dairy Culture [NCDC] 106), Enterococcus faecalis (NCDC 119),
      Escherichia coli (NCDC 134), and Staphylococcus aureus (NCDC 109) by well
      diffusion method using Muller-Hinton agar. A pure culture of pathogenic organisms
      was collected from NCDC, ICAR-National Dairy Research Institute, Karnal. RESULTS:
      Extracted chitosan characterized by FT-IR and chitooligomers demonstrated
      antimicrobial effect against four gut pathogenic organisms used in this study.
      Zone of inhibitions (mm) were observed in E. faecalis (13+/-0.20), E. coli
      (11.5+/-0.4), S. aureus (10.7+/-0.2), and E. aerogen (10.7+/-0.3). E. faecalis
      showed larger inhibition zone as compared to all other organisms and inhibitions
      zones of E. aerogen and S. aureus were comparable to each other. CONCLUSION:
      Shrimp waste can be utilized for chitosan production, and the chitooligomers can
      be used as feed additive for gut health enhancement and have potential to replace
      antibiotics from the feed. Along with value addition pollutant load could be
      reduced by waste utilization.

PMID- 28344400
TI  - Sex-related differences in hemato-biochemical indices of adult Vanaraja chickens
      during summer and winter seasons.
AB  - AIM: The objective of this study was to evaluate the changes in hemato
      biochemical indices in male and female Vanaraja chickens under tropical
      environment during summer and winter season. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A total of
      120 day-old sexed Vanaraja chicks were selected as experimental chickens and
      distributed equally in two groups having 60 female and 60 male chickens in each
      group, respectively. The experiment was continued for 8 weeks (56 days) and both
      male and female chickens were slaughtered by cervical dislocation method. All
      parameters were estimated at the end of the experiment in both seasons. RESULTS:
      Male had higher blood glucose, Ca and P level. Blood glucose level significantly
      (p<0.05) reduced in summer. Female had higher total protein, albumin, globulin,
      and albumin/globulin ratio. Alanine aminotransferase and aspartate
      aminotransferase enzyme concentration were significantly (p<0.05) higher in
      summer. Total erythrocyte count, total leukocyte count, hemoglobin (Hb),
      Hb/lymphocyte ratio, and packed cell volume were significantly (p<0.05) higher in
      males. Mean corpuscular volume and mean corpuscular Hb were significantly
      (p<0.05) higher in females. CONCLUSION: Sex of chickens had a significant
      (p<0.05) effect on different parameters whereas season had nonsignificant
      (p>0.05) effect in most of the observed parameters. Hence, Vanaraja chickens are
      adaptable to local tropical climate and can be reared efficiently as backyard
      poultry.

PMID- 28344401
TI  - Profile and artificial insemination practices of technicians and the artificial
      insemination success rates in Leyte, Samar, and Biliran, Philippines (2011-2015).
AB  - BACKGROUND: Artificial insemination (AI) is a reproductive biotechnology that may
      be influenced by several factors, including the profile of the technicians and
      the practices used. Assessing technician's profile and their AI practices can be
      significant in improving AI success rate. AIM: This study aimed to know the
      profile and current practices used by AI technicians (AITs), to determine the
      success rates of AI in water buffaloes in Leyte, Samar, and Biliran from 2011 to
      2015, and to evaluate the possible association between the parameters
      investigated. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A total of 50 AITs from Leyte, Samar and
      Biliran, Philippines, were interviewed using a fixed questionnaire about their
      profile and employed AI practices, and 20,455 AI-related records of the
      Philippine Carabao Center (PCC) at Visayas State University (VSU), Baybay City,
      Leyte, were screened and analyzed. AI success rates were determined by
      retrospective analysis of the gathered data. Statistical analysis was performed
      between the technician profile and practices and the AI success rates. RESULTS:
      Results revealed that most of the technicians were male, around 31-40 years old,
      married, college graduates, working under local government units, had other
      sources of income, and with 1-5 years of continuous AI practice averaging 51-100
      inseminations per year. Most of them attended only one basic training seminar,
      which was conducted more than 3 years ago in PCC in VSU. AI success rates were
      recorded highest in 2011 and lowest in 2015. Statistical analyses showed that
      some technician profile parameters (civil status, average AI per year, and the
      training center) and several practices (checking of soft cervix, rectal
      palpation, thawing temperature method, straw cutting method, and semen
      deposition) might have an influence on the success of AI. CONCLUSION: This study
      documents the first report on AIT's profile and their employed AI practices and
      the AI success rates in Leyte, Samar, and Biliran, Philippines. Selected profile
      parameters and AI practices may influence AI success rates. AITs should perform
      more AI services and revisit the employed practices.

PMID- 28344402
TI  - Preparation of mucosal nanoparticles and polymer-based inactivated vaccine for
      Newcastle disease and H9N2 AI viruses.
AB  - AIM: To develop a mucosal inactivated vaccines for Newcastle disease (ND) and
      H9N2 viruses to protect against these viruses at sites of infections through
      mucosal immunity. MATERIALS AND METHODS: In this study, we prepared two new
      formulations for mucosal bivalent inactivated vaccine formulations for Newcastle
      and Avian Influenza (H9N2) based on the use of nanoparticles and polymer
      adjuvants. The prepared vaccines were delivered via intranasal and spray routes
      of administration in specific pathogen-free chickens. Cell-mediated and humoral
      immune response was measured as well as challenge trial was carried out. In
      addition, ISA71 water in oil was also evaluated. RESULTS: Our results showed that
      the use of spray route as vaccination delivery method of polymer and
      nanoparticles MontanideTM adjuvants revealed that it enhanced the cell mediated
      immune response as indicated by phagocytic activity, gamma interferon and
      interleukin 6 responses and induced protection against challenge with Newcastle
      and Avian Influenza (H9N2) viruses. CONCLUSION: The results of this study
      demonstrate the potentiality of polymer compared to nanoparticles adjuvantes when
      used via spray route. Mass application of such vaccines will add value to improve
      the vaccination strategies against ND virus and Avian influenza viruses.

PMID- 28344404
TI  - A combinatorial model for effective estrus detection in Murrah buffalo.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Buffaloes are silent heat animals and lacunae in their estrus
      detection results a substantial economic loss in developing countries. Many
      advanced tools to aid heat detection have been developed but are neither
      affordable nor easily interpretable by marginal farmers. AIM: The present
      investigation was made to develop a cost-effective estrus detection model by
      combining several known estrus predicting parameters. MATERIALS AND METHODS:
      Various signs of estrus were classified under major parameters such as visual,
      cow behavioral, bull behavioral, biochemical, and gyneco-clinical. Expression of
      those parameters was observed in buffaloes, and the percentage of positive estrus
      detection was calculated for each combination of estrus prediction parameters.
      RESULTS: The present result concludes that the model comprises of five parameters
      group with several signals with twenty-six different combinations. It was
      observed that the expression of individual combinations and their corresponding
      estrus detection efficiency varies significantly, i.e., detection efficiency
      rises as the number of combination increases. CONCLUSION: Combination of three
      parameters would provide an estrus detection efficiency >70% and suggested for an
      easy estrus detection. This would be a cost-effective model for farmers and
      benefits in enhancing buffalo population/reproduction.

PMID- 28344403
TI  - Toxoplasma gondii infection in meat animals from Africa: Systematic review and
      meta-analysis of sero-epidemiological studies.
AB  - AIM: Toxoplasma gondii is an ubiquitous apicomplexan parasite which causes
      toxoplasmosis in humans and animals. Felids especially cats are definitive hosts
      and almost all warm-blooded mammals, including livestock and human can serve as
      intermediate hosts. Food animals can be reservoirs for T. gondii and act as one
      of the sources for parasite transmission to humans. The objective of this study
      is to collect serological data on the prevalence of anti-T. gondii antibody, and
      risk factors for certain food animals from Africa to provide a quantitative
      estimate of T. gondii infection among these species from different African
      countries. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Four databases were used to search
      seroepidemiological data on the prevalence of anti-T. gondii antibody in food
      animals between 1969 and 2016 from African countries. The search focused on data
      obtained by serologic test in food animals and meta-analyses were performed per
      species. RESULTS: A total of 30,742 individual samples from 24 countries,
      described in 68 articles were studied. The overall estimated prevalence for
      toxoplasmosis in chicken, camel, cattle, sheep, goat, pig were 37.4% (29.2
      46.0%), 36% (18-56%), 12% (8-17%), 26.1% (17.0-37.0%), 22.9% (12.3-36.0%), and
      26.0% (20-32.0%), respectively. Moreover, major risk factor of infection was age,
      farming system, and farm location. CONCLUSIONS: A significant variation in the
      seroepidemiological data was observed within each species and country. The
      results can aid in an updated epidemiological analysis but also can be used as an
      important input in quantitative microbial risk assessment models. Further studies
      are required for a better and continual evaluation of the occurrence of this
      zoonotic infection.

PMID- 28344405
TI  - Biochemical components of seminal plasma and their correlation to the fresh
      seminal characteristics in Marwari stallions and Poitou jacks.
AB  - AIM: To investigate various biochemical components of seminal plasma in Marwari
      stallions and Poitou Jacks and to find out their correlation with that of the
      seminal characteristics. MATERIALS AND METHODS: In this study, semen was
      collected from six Marwari stallions and six Poitou jacks aged from 4 to 6 years
      and with known fertility status. The semen collection from the stallions were
      collected during the breeding season, i.e., between the months of April and June.
      From the collected semen ejaculates, we estimated the values of some biochemical
      components, viz., total protein content, total lipid content, and enzymes such as
      glutamic pyruvic transaminase (GPT), glutamic oxaloacetic transaminase (GOT),
      alkaline phosphatase (ALP), acid phosphatase (ACP), and lactate dehydrogenase
      (LDH) as well as concentrations of glucose, cholesterol, total calcium (Ca), and
      phosphorus (P) and correlations among different seminal parameters were
      statistically examined using the Pearson correlation coefficient. RESULTS: In
      this study, we found positive correlations between semen volume as well as sperm
      concentration and GOT, GPT, ALP and ACP for both the group stallions. Significant
      correlation between motility and glucose, GOT and GPT could be an indication for
      their role metabolism and protection against free radicals to the spermatozoa.
      CONCLUSION: Based on the results, it is concluded that there is a positive
      correlation between some biochemical values such as glucose, Ca, ALP, and LDH and
      seminal parameters which play a key role in capacitation and onward movement of
      the spermatozoa.

PMID- 28344406
TI  - Attribution of antibacterial and antioxidant activity of Cassia tora extract
      toward its growth promoting effect in broiler birds.
AB  - AIM: The study was conducted to evaluate the attribution of antibacterial and
      antioxidant activity of methanolic extract of Cassia tora toward its growth
      promoting effect in broiler birds. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A limit test was
      conducted for C. tora extract in Wistar albino rats. Phytochemical screening of
      methanolic extract of leaves of C. tora was carried out. In-vitro antibacterial
      activity was measured by disc diffusion method. 1-day-old Ven Cobb broiler birds
      (n=90) were randomly allocated into three groups consisting of three replicates
      with 10 birds in each group. The birds of group T1 (Control) received basal diet,
      whereas birds of group T2 (Standard) received an antibiotic (Lincomycin at 0.05%
      in feed). The birds of group T3 (Test) received Cassia tora extract (CSE) at 0.4
      g/L in drinking water in addition to basal diet. The treatment was given to birds
      of all the groups for 6 weeks. Antioxidant activity of C. tora was determined in
      blood of broiler birds. Cumulative body weight gain, feed intake, feed conversion
      ratio (FCR), dressing percent, and organ weight factor were evaluated to
      determine growth performance in broiler birds. RESULTS: Phytochemicals in C. tora
      were screened. Sensitivity to Escherichia coli and resistant to Staphylococcus
      aureus and Pseudomonas aeruginosa was observed in in-vitro antibacterial activity
      test. At the end of 6th week, antioxidant activity reflected significantly
      (p<=0.05) lower level of erythrocyte malondialdehyde and higher levels of reduced
      glutathione (GSH) and GSH peroxidase in broiler birds of group T2 and T3 as
      compared to broiler of group T1. Mean cumulative body weight gain of birds of T2
      and T3 were significantly (p<=0.05) higher as compared to T1. Mean FCR of birds
      of group T3 decreased significantly than group T1. CONCLUSION: Supplementation of
      C. tora leaves extract at 0.4 g/L in drinking water improved growth performance
      in broiler birds due to its antimicrobial and antioxidant activity. Therefore, it
      could be used as an alternative to antibiotic growth promoter in poultry ration.

PMID- 28344407
TI  - Effect of various levels of date palm kernel on growth performance of broilers.
AB  - AIM: The aim of this study was the assessment of various levels of date palm
      kernel (DPK) on the growth performance of broilers. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A 250
      day-old broiler chicks were randomly selected and categorized into five groups
      (50 chicks/group) contained A (control), B, C, D and E fed with 0%, 1%, 2%, 3%
      and 4% levels of DPK in balanced ration, respectively, for 6 weeks. Feed and
      water intake were recorded daily in the morning and evening. The data for feed
      intake, water intake, live body weight, and feed conversion ratio (FCR) were
      recorded from all birds regularly. The carcass weight and percentage obtained via
      six slaughtered birds were randomly selected from each group. Finally, economic
      aspects of the rations evaluated. RESULTS: The most feed intakes of broilers were
      recorded in Group A (3915.1 g) that was significantly higher than Groups D and E.
      The highest water intake was in Group E (9067.78 ml) that was significantly
      higher than Group A and control group. Live body weight was highest in Group E
      (979.85 g) than Groups B, C, and control group. The best growth weights were
      determined significantly in Groups D (1921.96 g) and E (1935.95 g). The lowest
      FCRs were indicated significantly in Groups D (1.97 g/g) and E (1.92 g/g) than
      Groups B and A. The highest carcass weights were recorded in Groups D (1214.01 g)
      and E (1230.88 g) that were significantly more than other groups. Dressing
      percentages in Groups D (61.76%) and E (62.17%) were higher than other groups
      (p<0.05). The net profits (Rs.) in Groups A, B, C, D and E were indicated 27.01,
      32.77, 36.78, 43.47 and 44.51 per broiler, respectively. CONCLUSION: It was
      concluded that the high levels of DPK (3-4%) significantly decreased broiler feed
      intake and increased water intake, live body weight, growth weight, carcass
      weight, dressing percentage, net profit per bird and also had positive effects on
      growth of broilers.

PMID- 28344408
TI  - Potential antibacterial activity of some Saudi Arabia honey.
AB  - AIM: The aim of this study was to investigate the potential antibacterial
      activity of some Saudi Arabia honey against selected bacterial strains of medical
      importance. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A total of 10 Saudi Arabia honey used to
      evaluate their antimicrobial activity against some antibiotic-resistant
      pathogenic bacterial strains. The bacterial strains were Staphylococcus aureus,
      Streptococcus pyogenes, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Escherichia coli, and Pseudomonas
      aeruginosa. RESULTS: The antibacterial activity of Saudi honey against five
      bacterial strains showed different levels of inhibition according to the type of
      honey. The overall results showed that the potential activity was differing
      according to the pathogen and honey type. CONCLUSION: It could be concluded that
      the Saudi honey inhibit the growth of bacterial strains and that honey can be
      used as complementary antimicrobial agent against selected pathogenic bacteria.

PMID- 28344409
TI  - Outbreak of foot and mouth disease and peste des petits ruminants in sheep flock
      imported for immediate slaughter in Riyadh.
AB  - AIM: To detect and identify the causative agent or agents of the following
      clinical symptoms which were fever, lack of appetite, salivation, vesiculation,
      erosions of the buccal mucosa, nose, and feet. The signs vary from mild to
      severe. The mortality rate of the disease is high. The morbidity rate reaches up
      to 100%. Sheep also show bloody diarrhea and rapid respiration. Sheep flock
      resident in El-Kharje Governorate. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A total of 50 serum
      samples and 50 buffy coat samples were collected from Marino sheep flock suffered
      from high mortalities, fever, lameness, diarrhea, stomatitis, and respiratory
      distress. PrioCHECK(r) foot and mouth disease virus (FMDV) nonstructural (NS)
      (marketable enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay [ELISA] kit) was used for revealing
      of the NS antibodies and liquid phase blocking enzyme immunoassay (LPBE) for
      identifying the FMD serotype and examined by competitive ELISA (cELISA) for
      detection of peste des petits ruminants (PPR) antibodies. The buffy coat samples
      were examined by immunocapture ELISA (Ic ELISA) for detection of PPR antigen.
      RESULTS: Using PrioCHECK(r) FMDV NS: Commercial ELISA kit: 38/50 (76%) of the
      serum samples were positive for the presence of FMD NS viral proteins. In
      addition, using LPBE the positive samples were identified as FMD serotype O.
      Examination of the serum sample by cELISA for detection of PPR antibodies gave
      positive results in 32/50 (64%). While the Ic ELISA identified 32 (64%) positive
      reactors for PPR antigen. CONCLUSION: This study reflected high susceptibility of
      the imported sheep flocks to the infection with FMD and PPR viruses, which are
      endemic in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA). Hence, the imported flocks that
      prepared for slaughter must be vaccinated with the used vaccine in KSA in the
      quarantine for the control of FMD especially when importation occurs from
      counters that are free from these diseases.

PMID- 28344410
TI  - Identification of single nucleotide polymorphism in protein phosphatase 1
      regulatory subunit 11 gene in Murrah bulls.
AB  - AIM: This study was conducted with the objective to identify single nucleotide
      polymorphism (SNP) in protein phosphatase 1 regulatory subunit 11 (PPP1R11) gene
      in Murrah bulls. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Genomic DNA was isolated by phenol
      chloroform extraction method from the frozen semen samples of 65 Murrah bulls
      maintained at Artificial Breeding Research Centre, ICAR-National Dairy Research
      Institute, Karnal. The quality and concentration of DNA was checked by
      spectrophotometer reading and agarose gel electrophoresis. The target region of
      PPP1R11 gene was amplified using four sets of primer designed based on Bos taurus
      reference sequence. The amplified products were sequenced and aligned using
      Clustal Omega for identification of SNPs. Animals were genotyped by polymerase
      chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP) using EcoNI
      restriction enzyme. RESULTS: The sequences in the NCBI accession number
      NW_005785016.1 for Bubalus bubalis were compared and aligned with the edited
      sequences of Murrah bulls with Clustal Omega software. A total of 10 SNPs were
      found, out of which 1 at 5'UTR, 3 at intron 1, and 6 at intron 2 region. PCR-RFLP
      using restriction enzyme EcoNI revealed only AA genotype indicating monomorphism
      in PPP1R11 gene of all Murrah animals included in the study. CONCLUSION: A total
      of 10 SNPs were found. PCR-RFLP revealed only AA genotype indicating monomorphism
      in PPP1R11 gene of all Murrah animals included in the study, due to which
      association analysis with conception rate was not feasible.

PMID- 28344411
TI  - Effect of ethanolic extract of propolis as an alternative to antibiotics as a
      growth promoter on broiler performance, serum biochemistry, and immune responses.
AB  - AIM: An in vivo experiment was conducted to investigate the effect of different
      levels of ethanolic extract of propolis, on growth performance, carcass traits,
      serum biochemistry, and humoral immune responses of chickens, as compared with
      the antibiotic flavophospholipol. MATERIALS AND METHODS: 312 1-day-old as-hatched
      broiler chicks (Ross 308) were randomly allotted to 6 treatments with 4 replicate
      pens per treatment. The 6 dietary treatments fed for 42 days consisted of a corn
      soybean meal basal diet (control); control plus 4.5 mg/kg flavophospholipol, and
      control plus 50, 100, 200, and 300 mg/kg ethanol extracts of propolis,
      respectively. RESULTS: Neither propolis nor antibiotic affected the performance
      criteria; however, dietary treatments tended to enhance to enhance body weight
      and daily feed intake of broiler chickens compared with control group (p>0.05).
      None of the dietary treatments significantly altered feed: Gain though; broilers
      fed diet supplemented with 200 mg/kg propolis had better feed: gain values
      compared with other groups in starter, and grower phases as well as the whole
      experimental period (p>0.05). Carcass yield and internal organ relative weights
      were not affected by treatments on day 42, except for abdominal fat pad weight
      that decreased in broilers supplemented with antibiotic. None of the treatments
      significantly affected humoral immune function. Dietary treatments failed to
      induce any significant effect on serum biochemistry (p>0.05); though broilers
      receiving 100 mg/kg propolis had greater high-density lipoprotein-cholesterol and
      lower triglyceride concentrations compared with other groups. CONCLUSION: In
      conclusion, the results indicated that addition of ethanolic extract of propolis
      to routine dietary components of broilers, such as corn and soybean, seems not to
      have a positive influence on performance criteria.

PMID- 28344412
TI  - Clinical and hematobiochemical response in canine monocytic ehrlichiosis
      seropositive dogs of Punjab.
AB  - AIM: As in India especially, the Punjab state sero-prevalence and distribution of
      ehrlichiosis in relation to clinico-hematobiochemical response remains largely
      unexplored. Thus, this study was designed to determine the prevalence of vector
      (tick)-borne tropical canine pancytopenia caused by Ehrlichia canis through
      enzyme labeled ImmunoComb(r) (IC) assay in dogs from in and around Ludhiana,
      Punjab. Correlation of prevalence was made with various clinico-hematobiochemical
      parameters. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Seroprevalence study was carried out using
      IC(r) test kit (Biogal, Galed Labs). The study was conducted in 84 dogs presented
      to the Small Animal Clinics, Teaching Veterinary Clinical Complex, Guru Angad Dev
      Veterinary and Animal Sciences University, Ludhiana, Punjab. RESULTS: Out of 84
      suspected dogs for ehrlichiosis, based on peripheral thin blood smear examination
      12 (14.28%) cases were positive for the morulae of E. canis and 73 (86.90%) dogs
      were found positive to E. canis antibodies through IC(r) canine Ehrlichia
      antibody test kit, respectively. Among the different age groups 1-3 years of aged
      group showed highest prevalence (41.09%), followed by the 3-6 years age group
      (32.87%), infection levels were lower in the <1 year of age group dogs (13.69%)
      and more than 6 years age group dogs (12.32%). The highest prevalence was seen in
      Labrador retriever. This study indicates that season plays a very important role
      in the prevalence of ehrlichiosis. The most common findings observed were anemia,
      leukocytosis, neutropenia, lymphopenia, thrombocytopenia, eosinophilia followed
      by hyperbilirubinemia, increased levels of aspartate aminotransferase, alanine
      aminotransferase and alkaline phosphatase, hypoalbuminemia, hyperglobulinaemia,
      decrease in albumin and globulin ratio, increase in blood urea nitrogen and
      creatinine. CONCLUSIONS: Serological techniques like IC(r) are more useful for
      detecting chronic and subclinical infections and are ideally suited to
      epidemiological investigations.

PMID- 28344413
TI  - Evaluation of some heavy metals residues in batteries and deep litter rearing
      systems in Japanese quail meat and offal in Egypt.
AB  - AIM: The main objectives of this study were for comparing the effect of batteries
      and deep litter rearing systems of domesticated Japanese quail, Coturnix coturnix
      japonica, on the concentration levels of cadmium, copper, lead, and zinc from the
      quail meat and offal in Ismailia, Egypt. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A total of 40
      quail meat and their offal samples were randomly collected from two main quail
      rearing systems: Battery (Group I) and deep litter system (Group II) for
      determination of concentration levels of cadmium, copper, lead, and zinc. In
      addition, 80 water and feed samples were randomly collected from water and
      feeders of both systems in the Food Hygiene Laboratory, Faculty of Veterinary
      Medicine, Suez Canal University for heavy metals determination. RESULTS: The mean
      concentration levels of cadmium, copper, lead, and zinc in Group I were 0.010,
      0.027, 1.137, and 0.516 ppm and for Group II were 0.093, 0.832, 0.601, and 1.651
      ppm, respectively. The mean concentration levels of cadmium, copper, lead, and
      zinc in quail feed in Group I were 1.114, 1.606, 5.822, and 35.11 ppm and for
      Group II were 3.010, 2.576, 5.852, and 23.616 ppm, respectively. The mean
      concentration levels of cadmium, copper, lead, and zinc in quail meat for Group I
      were 0.058, 5.902, 10.244, and 290 ppm and for Group II were 0.086, 6.092, 0.136,
      and 1.280 ppm, respectively. The mean concentration levels of cadmium, copper,
      lead, and zinc for liver samples in Group I were 0.15, 8.32, 1.05, and 3.41 ppm
      and for Group II were 0.13, 8.88, 0.95, and 4.21 ppm, respectively. The mean
      concentration levels of cadmium, copper, lead, and zinc in kidney samples for the
      Group I were 0.24, 4.21, 1.96, and 4.03 ppm and for Group II were 0.20, 5.00,
      1.56, and 3.78 ppm, respectively. Kidney had the highest concentration levels of
      heavy metals followed by liver then muscles. The highest concentration levels of
      copper were observed in liver samples. The order of the levels of these trace
      elements obtained from the four different quail organs is Ca > Pb > Zn > Cu. Lead
      and cadmium concentration levels in quail meat samples were exceeded the Egyptian
      standardization limits and suggesting a health threat from lead and cadmium to
      the quail consumers. CONCLUSION: Battery rearing system is more hygienic than
      deep litter system from the point of heavy metals pollution of water and feeds of
      quail. Feed samples from battery system had means concentration levels of lead
      not significantly higher (p>0.05) than those samples from deep litter system.
      Meanwhile, water samples from battery system had means concentration levels of
      cadmium, copper, and zinc significantly higher (p>0.05) than those samples from
      deep litter system. Quail may carry health risks to consumers.

PMID- 28344414
TI  - Three-Dimensional Echocardiography: Current Status and Real-Life Applications.
AB  - The use of cardiac ultrasound is fundamental to the understanding of normal heart
      function and crucial to pathophysiological diagnosis. The growing availability of
      3D echocardiography (3DE) over the last decade has allowed its applications to
      expand from establishing reference values for chamber size and elucidating
      ventricular mechanics, to assessing valvular disease severity and playing pivotal
      roles in interventional procedures. Several important advantages of 3DE include
      eliminating geometric assumptions, quantifying complex geometric shape volumes,
      viewing structures from any perspective, assessing lesion in simultaneous
      multiplanes or multislice mode, all of which are not possible with traditional 2D
      echocardiography (2DE). Real-time 3DE has been shown to be simple, accurate,
      reproducible, and versatile, and generally has superior outcome prognosis
      compared to the 2DE.

PMID- 28344415
TI  - Percutaneous Coronary Intervention versus Coronary Artery Bypass Grafting in
      Patients with Diabetic Nephropathy and Left Main Coronary Artery Disease.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Patients with diabetic nephropathy and unprotected left main (LM)
      coronary artery disease suffer from high cardiovascular morbidity and mortality.
      Although surgical revascularization is currently recommended in this special
      patient population, the optimal revascularization method for this distinct
      patient group has remained unclear. METHODS: We collected 99 consecutive patients
      with unprotected LM disease and diabetic nephropathy, including 46 patients who
      had undergone percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI), and 53 who had coronary
      artery bypass grafting (CABG), with a mean age of 72 +/- 10; with 80.8% male.
      Diabetic nephropathy was defined as overt proteinuria (proteinuria > 500 mg/day)
      and estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) by the modified Modification of
      Diet in Renal Disease (MDRD) equation of less than 60 mL/min/1.73 m2. The
      baseline characteristics, angiographic results and long-term clinical outcomes
      were retrospectively analyzed. RESULTS: The baseline characteristic of all
      patients were similar except for smokers, low density lipoprotein (LDL) level and
      extension of coronary artery disease involvement. The median follow-up period was
      3.8 years. There were 73 patients (74%) considered as high risk with additive
      European System for Cardiac Operative Risk Evaluation (EuroSCORE) >= 6. During
      follow-up period, the long term rate of all-cause death (PCI vs. CABG: 45.7% vs.
      58.5%, p = 0.20) and all-cause death/myocardial infarction (MI)/stroke (PCI vs.
      CABG: 52.2% vs. 60.4%, p = 0.41) were comparable between the PCI and CABG group,
      whereas the repeat revascularization rate was significantly higher in the PCI
      group (PCI vs. CABG: 32.6% vs. 9.4%, p < 0.01). eGFR remained an independent
      predictor for all-cause death [hazard ratio: 0.97, 95% confidence interval: 0.96
      to 0.99; p = 0.002] in multivariate logistic regression. CONCLUSIONS: In the real
      world practice of high-risk patients with unprotected LM disease and diabetic
      nephropathy, we found that PCI was a comparable alternative to CABG in terms of
      long-term risks of all-cause death/MI/stroke, with significantly higher repeat
      revascularization rate. Given the small patient number and retrospective nature,
      our findings should be validated by larger-scale randomized studies.

PMID- 28344417
TI  - Circulating Adiponectin Levels Following Treatment Can Predict Late Clinical
      Outcomes in Chronic Heart Failure.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Circulating adiponectin concentration increases in patients with
      chronic heart failure (HF). We sought to explore the prognostic value of temporal
      changes in adiponectin concentration following treatment for chronic HF. METHODS:
      Serum adiponectin levels were measured at baseline and after a 3-month anti
      failure treatment in 124 patients with symptomatic chronic systolic HF. Major
      adverse cardiac events (MACE) including death, heart transplantation, or
      hospitalization with worsening HF during a median follow-up period of 752 days
      were determined. RESULTS: Univariate and multivariate analysis showed that high
      levels of adiponectin after a 3-month treatment were associated with a 3.8-fold
      increased risk of MACE (p = 0.03), independent of amino-terminal pro-B-type
      natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) levels. Moreover, the combining of circulating
      levels of adiponectin with NT-proBNP provided independent and additional
      prognostic value in identifying high risk patients with MACE during follow-up.
      CONCLUSIONS: Changes in adiponectin and NT-proBNP over time provide prognostic
      information. When adiponectin is used in conjunction with NT-proBNP in chronic
      HF, the prognostic value may be better than if each biomarker is used separately.

PMID- 28344416
TI  - One-Year Outcomes of Acute Decompensated Systolic Heart Failure in Taiwan:
      Lessons from TSOC-HFrEF Registry.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Heart failure (HF) is a global health problem. The Taiwan Society of
      Cardiology-Heart Failure with reduced Ejection Fraction (TSOC-HFrEF) registry was
      a multicenter, observational survey of patients admitted with HFrEF in Taiwan.
      The aim of this study was to report the one-year outcome in this large-cohort of
      hospitalized patients presenting with acute decompensated HFrEF. METHODS:
      Patients hospitalized for acute HFrEF were recruited in 21 hospitals in Taiwan. A
      total of 1509 patients were enrolled into the registry by the end of October
      2014. Clinical status, readmission rates and dispensed medications were collected
      and analyzed 1 year after patient index hospitalization. RESULTS: Our study
      indicated that re-hospitalization rates after HFrEF were 31.9% and 38.5% at 6 and
      12 months after index hospitalization, respectively. Of these patients, 9.7% of
      them were readmitted more than once. At 6 and 12 months after hospital discharge,
      all-cause mortality rates were 9.5% and 15.9%, respectively, and cardiovascular
      mortality rates were 6.8% and 10.5%, respectively. Twenty-three patients (1.5%)
      underwent heart transplantation. During a follow-up period of 1 year, 46.4% of
      patients were free from mortality, HF re-hospitalization, left ventricular assist
      device use and heart transplantation. At the conclusion of follow-up, 57.5% of
      patients were prescribed either with angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors or
      angiotensin receptor blockers; also, 66.3% were prescribed with beta-blockers and
      40.8% were prescribed with mineralocorticoid receptor antagonists. CONCLUSIONS:
      The TSOC-HFrEF registry showed evidence of suboptimal practice of guideline
      directed medical therapy and high HF re-hospitalization rate in Taiwan. The one
      year mortality rate of the TSOC-HFrEF registry remained high. Ultimately, our
      data indicated a need for further improvement in HF care.

PMID- 28344418
TI  - Hyperbaric Oxygen Preconditioning Provides Preliminary Protection Against
      Doxorubicin Cardiotoxicity.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Doxorubicin (DOX) is generally recognized to have important
      cardiotoxic side effects. Studies are contradictory about the interaction between
      hyperbaric oxygen (HBO2) therapy and doxorubicin-induced cardiomyotoxicity.
      Recent data suggests that HBO2 therapy can lead to preconditioning of myocardium
      while generating oxidative stress. Herein we have investigated the effect of HBO2
      therapy in a DOX-induced cardiomyocyte injury animal model. METHODS: Twenty-one
      rats were divided into three equal groups as follows: 1) Group 1 is a control
      group (without any intervention), used for evaluating the basal cardiac
      structures and determining the normal value of cardiacs and serum oxidative
      markers; 2) Group 2 is the doxorubicin group (single dose i.p. 20 mg/kg
      doxorubicin) for detecting the cardiotoxic and systemic effects of doxorubicin;
      3) Group 3 is the doxorubicin and HBO2 group (100% oxygen at 2.5 atmospheric for
      90 minutes, daily), for evaluating the effect of HBO2 in doxorubicin induced
      cardiotoxicity. At the end of the protocols, the hearts were harvested and blood
      samples (2 ml) were obtained. RESULTS: The doxorubicin treated animals (Group 2)
      had increased oxidative stress markers (both cardiac and serum) and severe
      cardiac injury as compared to the basal findings in the control group.
      Nevertheless, the highest cardiac oxidative stress index was detected in Group 3
      (control vs. Group 3, p = 0.01). However, histological examination revealed that
      cardiac structures were well preserved in Group 3 when compared with Group 2.
      CONCLUSIONS: Our results suggest that HBO2 preconditioning appears to be
      protective in the doxorubicin-induced cardiotoxicity model. Future studies are
      required to better elucidate the basis of this preconditioning effect of HBO2.

PMID- 28344419
TI  - Determinants of Treatment Modification in Hypercholesterolemic Patients.
AB  - BACKGROUND: There is a lack of knowledge of those contemporary factors associated
      with modifying subtherapeutic treatments in hypercholesterolemic patients. The
      aim of this study was to assess determinants of treatment modification in
      patients not attaining their low-density lipoprotein cholesterol goals. METHODS:
      The CEntralized Pan-Asian survey on tHE Under-treatment of hypercholeSterolemia
      enrolled patients taking stable lipid-lowering medications. The study physicians
      then determined existing patient treatments, which were to be continued or
      modified when treatments failed. The patient questionnaire surveying patient
      attitudes and perceptions toward their hypercholesterolemia management was
      prospectively collected. The odds ratios (ORs) (95% confidence intervals) were
      calculated. RESULTS: Among the 420 patients included for analysis, 35.7% were
      designated for planned treatment modification. Those patients assigned to
      treatment modification were more likely to have a family history of premature
      coronary heart disease (40% vs. 19%), an indication for secondary prevention (76%
      vs. 61%), elevated triglyceride (60% vs. 48%) and fasting sugar (84% vs. 67%),
      and were less adherent to their medications (29% vs. 12%) than patients assigned
      to treatment continuation. Patient recognition of treatment failure [OR, 1.82
      (1.13-2.94)], the lower frequency of cholesterol checkup [OR, 2.40 (1.41-4.08)],
      patient satisfaction with provided cholesterol information [OR, 2.30 (1.21
      4.39)], and their feelings toward cholesterol management [OR, 0.25 (0.10-0.62)
      and 3.80 (2.28-6.32)] for confusion and no strong feeling, respectively were
      determinants of the treatment modification assignment. CONCLUSIONS: There was a
      large gap between evidence-based goals and modification of subtherapeutic
      treatments, particularly among patients with lower treatment satisfaction and
      better compliance. Our findings have emphasized the need to further reduce
      inertia in implementing hypercholesterolemia management.

PMID- 28344420
TI  - Insomnia and the Risk of Atrial Fibrillation: A Population-Based Cohort Study.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Although advancements in the treatment of atrial fibrillation have
      improved patient prognosis for this persistent condition, interest in atrial
      fibrillation development is growing. Of note is the fact that additional
      attention is being focused on the accompanying effect of insomnia. The aim of the
      study was to investigate the effects of insomnia on the risk of atrial
      fibrillation development. METHODS: This was a nationwide population-based
      retrospective cohort study using data from the Taiwan National health Insurance
      Research Database. We analyzed 64,421 insomnia cases and 128,842 matched controls
      without insomnia from January 1, 2000, to December 31, 2010. A Cox regression
      model was used to estimate the adjusted hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% confidence
      intervals (CI) for atrial fibrillation development. RESULTS: During the follow-up
      period, the incidence of atrial fibrillation development was significantly higher
      in the insomnia cases than in the comparison cohort (2.6% vs. 2.3%, p < 0.001).
      Insomnia was associated with an increased risk of atrial fibrillation (HR = 1.08,
      95% CI: 1.01-1.14). Males, those > 65 years of age, and patients with peripheral
      artery disease who have insomnia had a higher rate of atrial fibrillation
      development. CONCLUSIONS: The findings of this nationwide analysis support the
      hypothesis that insomnia is associated with a significant risk of atrial
      fibrillation development.

PMID- 28344421
TI  - Impact of Physician-Coordinated Intensive Follow-Up on Long-Term Medical Costs in
      Patients with Unstable Angina Undergoing Percutaneous Coronary Intervention.
AB  - BACKGROUND: To investigate the impact of professional physician-coordinated
      intensive follow-up on long-term expenditures after percutaneous coronary
      intervention (PCI) in unstable angina (UA) patients. METHODS: In this study,
      there were 669 UA patients who underwent successful PCI and followed up for 3
      years, then divided into the intensive follow-up group (N = 337), and the usual
      follow-up group (N = 332). Patients were provided with detailed discharge
      information and individualized follow-up schedules. The intensive group received
      the extra follow-up times and medical consultations, and all patients were
      followed up for approximately 3 years. RESULTS: At the 3-year mark after PCI, the
      cumulative major adverse cardiac events (MACE), recurrence of myocardial
      ischemia, cardiac death, all-cause death and revascularization in the intensive
      group were lower than in the usual group. Additionally, the proportion of good
      medication adherence was significantly higher than in the usual group (56.4% vs.
      46.1%, p < 0.001). The hospitalization daytime, total hospitalization cost and
      total medical cost in the intensive group were lower. Multiple linear regression
      showed that diabetes, hypertension, intensive follow-up and good medication
      adherence were associated with emergency and regular clinical cost (p < 0.05),
      the re-hospitalization cost (p < 0.05) and the total medical cost (p < 0.05) of
      patient care. Intensive follow-up and good adherence were negatively correlated
      with the cost of re-hospitalization (standardized coefficients = -0.132, -0.128,
      p < 0.05) and total medical costs (standardized coefficients = -0.072, -0.086, p
      < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Intensive follow-up can reduce MACE, improve medication
      adherence and save long-term total medical costs, just by increasing the
      emergency and regular clinical visits cost in UA patients after PCI.

PMID- 28344422
TI  - Impaired Left Ventricular Diastolic Functions and Thickened Epicardial Adipose
      Tissue in Rheumatoid Arthritis Patients is Correlated with DAS-28 Score.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a chronic inflammatory disease that is
      known to be associated with high cardiovascular (CV) morbidity and mortality. In
      this study, we aimed to demonstrate whether RA disease activity reflected with
      disease activity score-28 (DAS-28) had an impact on left ventricular diastolic
      functions and epicardial adipose tissue (EAT) thickness in RA patients with no
      traditional CV risk factors. METHODS: In this retrospective study, 41 patients
      newly diagnosed with RA were included. In addition to medical history, detailed
      physical examination findings and laboratory tests, left ventricular systolic and
      diastolic functions, chamber dimensions, and EAT thickness were evaluated with
      transthoracic echocardiography in the study population. RESULTS: This study
      included 41 subjects with a median age of 45 years (38.00-55.50), of which 29.27%
      were male. In the binomial logistic regression analysis, DAS-28 score was found
      to be an independent associate of diastolic dysfunction, Additionally, DAS-28 was
      found to be independently associated with EAT thickness. CONCLUSIONS: Patients
      with high DAS-28 score should be evaluated thoroughly for CV disease, and
      patients should undergo advanced diagnostic studies as required and receive
      appropriate treatment.

PMID- 28344423
TI  - Anti-Platelet Factor 4/Heparin Antibody Plays a Significant Role in Progression
      of Arterial Stiffness among Hemodialysis Patients.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Arterial stiffness is a determinant of cardiovascular disease in end
      stage renal disease. Hemodialysis patients may develop anti-platelet factor
      4/heparin antibody (PF4-H Ab) because of heparin treatment in dialysis. We tested
      whether PF4-H Ab was associated with progression of arterial stiffness in a 3
      year follow-up. METHODS: We enrolled 74 hemodialysis patients and studied their
      clinical, biochemical and arterial stiffness measurement with brachial-ankle
      pulse wave velocity (baPWV) over 3 years. Baseline and changes in baPWV after 3
      years (DeltabaPWV) were collected and compared with related clinical and
      biochemical parameters. PF4-H Ab was evaluated by the enzyme-linked immunosorbent
      assay and titer >= 0.4 was defined to have PF4-H Ab. RESULTS: We found a positive
      PF4-H Ab status in 25 of 74 patients. Mean baPWV was 16.1 +/- 3.8 (m/s) at
      baseline and 17.6 +/- 4.0 (m/s) after 3 years. Mean DeltabaPWV was 3.4 +/- 2.2
      (m/s) in the PF4-H Ab positive group, and 0.6 +/- 1.2 (m/s) in the PF4-H Ab
      negative group. Baseline baPWV was only significantly associated with age (beta =
      0.49, p < 0.01). DeltabaPWV was significantly different between the PF4-H Ab
      positive and negative groups (p < 0.01). In multivariate regression analysis,
      only PF4-H Ab was positively associated with DeltabaPWV (beta = 0.71, p < 0.01).
      CONCLUSIONS: Our study concluded that PF4-H Ab was associated with progression of
      arterial stiffness in hemodialysis patients.

PMID- 28344424
TI  - Is Left Atrial Size a Predictor of Mortality after Coronary Artery Bypass
      Surgery? A Single Center Study.
AB  - BACKGROUND: To investigate the left atrial (LA) size as an independent predictor
      of mortality following coronary artery bypass surgery (CABG). METHODS: This
      single center study evaluated determinants of mortality in 1070 patients who
      underwent isolated CABG from 2005-2014. Clinical, laboratory and demographic data
      were obtained from medical records. Collinearity between enlarged LA size
      (diameter >= 4 cm) and covariates was identified. The adjusted effects of
      enlarged LA size on 30-day mortality post CABG were tested using multiple
      logistic regression models. Adjusted odds ratios (OR) and 95% confidence
      intervals (CI) were reported. RESULTS: The mean age was 59 +/- 9.8 years, and 238
      patients were female. Two multivariate logistic regression models were evaluated.
      In Model A, mitral regurgitation (MR), ejection fraction, intensive care unit
      length-of-stay and variables found to be collinear with LA size as predictors of
      mortality were excluded. In model B, the collinear variables were included. By
      multivariate analysis (Model A), the statistically significant independent
      predictors of 30-day mortality after CABG were: enlarged LA size (OR 4.82, 95% CI
      2.16-10.79), emergency CABG (OR 3.54, 95% CI 1.75-7.18), prolonged inotropic
      support (OR 2.79, 95% CI 1.38-5.6), diuretic use >= 1 month (OR 1.29, 95% CI 1.3
      8.42), and use of clopidogrel within a week before surgery (OR 3.27, 95% CI 1.28
      8.36. In Model B, enlarged LA and moderate MR were identified as independent
      predictors of 30-day mortality. CONCLUSIONS: Increased LA size is a strong
      independent predictor of mortality after isolated CABG.

PMID- 28344425
TI  - Surgical Treatment of an Invasive Thymoma with Intracaval and Intracardiac
      Extension.
AB  - A 53-year-old male with an invasive thymoma extending to the superior vena and
      right atrium, presenting as superior vena cava syndrome is herein reported.
      However invasive thymoma with this growth pattern is extremely rare. In this
      case, the tumor was successfully resected via median sternotomy with
      cardiopulmonary bypass. After 17 months of follow-up, the patient was still free
      from any signs and symptoms indicative of superior vena cava syndrome, but
      recurrent tumor in the right pleura was observed on the follow-up chest computed
      tomography.

PMID- 28344427
TI  - Partial reciprocal sums of the Mathieu series.
AB  - It is well known that the Mathieu series has a wide application in mathematics
      science. In this paper, we use the elementary method and construct some new
      inequalities to study the computational problem of the partial reciprocal sums
      related to the Mathieu series and obtain an interesting inequality and a related
      identity.

PMID- 28344426
TI  - Competitive sports participation in high school and subsequent substance use in
      young adulthood: Assessing differences based on level of contact.
AB  - The objective of this analysis is to examine how participation in different types
      of competitive sports (based on level of contact) during high school is
      associated with substance use 1 to 4 years after the 12th grade. The analysis
      uses nationally representative samples of 12th graders from the Monitoring the
      Future Study who were followed 1 to 4 years after the 12th grade. The
      longitudinal sample consisted of 970 12th graders from six recent cohorts (2006
      2011). The analyses found that respondents who participated in at least one
      competitive sport during the 12th grade had greater odds of binge drinking during
      the past two weeks (AOR = 2.04; 95% CI = 1.43, 2.90) 1 to 4 years after the 12th
      grade, when compared to their peers who did not participate in sports during
      their 12th grade year. Moreover, respondents who participated in high-contact
      sports (i.e., football, ice hockey, lacrosse, and wrestling) had greater odds of
      binge drinking (AOR = 1.80; 95% CI = 1.18, 2.72) and engaging in marijuana use
      during the past 30 days (AOR = 1.81; 95% CI = 1.12, 2.93) 1 to 4 years after the
      12th grade when compared to their peers who did not participate in these types of
      sports during their 12th grade year. Accordingly, the findings indicate important
      distinctions in sport participation experiences on long-term substance use risk
      that can help inform potential interventions among young athletes.

PMID- 28344428
TI  - Material girls and Material love: Consuming femininity and the contradictions of
      post-girl power among Kenyan schoolgirls.
AB  - In this paper, I use qualitative data to explore the practices engaged in by
      Kenyan schoolgirls to participate in modern consuming womanhood, as well as the
      contradictory implications of these practices for thinking about globalized
      mediated femininities and their enactment in resource-poor settings. The paper
      examines the centrality of consumption to valued modern femininity among young
      women around the world, as well as the structural reality of gendered access to
      income. I show how the cooptation of the materiality of romantic love and
      normative expectations of male provision in romantic relationships bridge the gap
      between consumption desires and economic realities among Kenyan schoolgirls in
      both powerful and problematic ways. The paper ends with a reflection of the
      implications of these findings for post-girl power, the post-feminist age and the
      re-inscription of patriarchy.

PMID- 28344429
TI  - Scan Order in Gibbs Sampling: Models in Which it Matters and Bounds on How Much.
AB  - Gibbs sampling is a Markov Chain Monte Carlo sampling technique that iteratively
      samples variables from their conditional distributions. There are two common scan
      orders for the variables: random scan and systematic scan. Due to the benefits of
      locality in hardware, systematic scan is commonly used, even though most
      statistical guarantees are only for random scan. While it has been conjectured
      that the mixing times of random scan and systematic scan do not differ by more
      than a logarithmic factor, we show by counterexample that this is not the case,
      and we prove that that the mixing times do not differ by more than a polynomial
      factor under mild conditions. To prove these relative bounds, we introduce a
      method of augmenting the state space to study systematic scan using conductance.

PMID- 28344430
TI  - Don't Assume Deaf Students are Visual Learners.
AB  - In the education of deaf learners, from primary school to postsecondary settings,
      it frequently is suggested that deaf students are visual learners. That
      assumption appears to be based on the visual nature of signed languages-used by
      some but not all deaf individuals-and the fact that with greater hearing losses,
      deaf students will rely relatively more on vision than audition. However, the
      questions of whether individuals with hearing loss are more likely to be visual
      learners than verbal learners or more likely than hearing peers to be visual
      learners have not been empirically explored. Several recent studies, in fact,
      have indicated that hearing learners typically perform as well or better than
      deaf learners on a variety of visual-spatial tasks. The present study used two
      standardized instruments to examine learning styles among college deaf students
      who primarily rely on sign language or spoken language and their hearing peers.
      The visual-verbal dimension was of particular interest. Consistent with recent
      indirect findings, results indicated that deaf students are no more likely than
      hearing students to be visual learners and are no stronger in their visual skills
      and habits than their verbal skills and habits, nor are deaf students' visual
      orientations associated with sign language skills. The results clearly have
      specific implications for the educating of deaf learners.

PMID- 28344431
TI  - Control Engineering Methods for the Design of Robust Behavioral Treatments.
AB  - In this paper, a robust control approach is used to address the problem of
      adaptive behavioral treatment design. Human behavior (e.g., smoking and exercise)
      and reactions to treatment are complex and depend on many unmeasurable external
      stimuli, some of which are unknown. Thus, it is crucial to model human behavior
      over many subject responses. We propose a simple (low order) uncertain affine
      model subject to uncertainties whose response covers the most probable behavioral
      responses. The proposed model contains two different types of uncertainties:
      uncertainty of the dynamics and external perturbations that patients face in
      their daily life. Once the uncertain model is defined, we demonstrate how least
      absolute shrinkage and selection operator (lasso) can be used as an
      identification tool. The lasso algorithm provides a way to directly estimate a
      model subject to sparse perturbations. With this estimated model, a robust
      control algorithm is developed, where one relies on the special structure of the
      uncertainty to develop efficient optimization algorithms. This paper concludes by
      using the proposed algorithm in a numerical experiment that simulates treatment
      for the urge to smoke.

PMID- 28344432
TI  - Quantification of mixing in vesicle suspensions using numerical simulations in
      two dimensions.
AB  - We study mixing in Stokesian vesicle suspensions in two dimensions on a
      cylindrical Couette apparatus using numerical simulations. The vesicle flow
      simulation is done using a boundary integral method, and the advection-diffusion
      equation for the mixing of the solute is solved using a pseudo-spectral scheme.
      We study the effect of the area fraction, the viscosity contrast between the
      inside (the vesicles) and the outside (the bulk) fluid, the initial condition of
      the solute, and the mixing metric. We compare mixing in the suspension with
      mixing in the Couette apparatus without vesicles. On the one hand, the presence
      of vesicles in most cases slightly suppresses mixing. This is because the solute
      can be only diffused across the vesicle interface and not advected. On the other
      hand, there exist spatial distributions of the solute for which the unperturbed
      Couette flow completely fails to mix whereas the presence of vesicles enables
      mixing. We derive a simple condition that relates the velocity and solute and can
      be used to characterize the cases in which the presence of vesicles promotes
      mixing.

PMID- 28344433
TI  - A novel investigation of a micropolar fluid characterized by nonlinear
      constitutive diffusion model in boundary layer flow and heat transfer.
AB  - The rheological and heat-conduction constitutive models of micropolar fluids
      (MFs), which are important non-Newtonian fluids, have been, until now,
      characterized by simple linear expressions, and as a consequence, the non
      Newtonian performance of such fluids could not be effectively captured. Here, we
      establish the novel nonlinear constitutive models of a micropolar fluid and apply
      them to boundary layer flow and heat transfer problems. The nonlinear power law
      function of angular velocity is represented in the new models by employing
      generalized "n-diffusion theory," which has successfully described the
      characteristics of non-Newtonian fluids, such as shear-thinning and shear
      thickening fluids. These novel models may offer a new approach to the theoretical
      understanding of shear-thinning behavior and anomalous heat transfer caused by
      the collective micro-rotation effects in a MF with shear flow according to recent
      experiments. The nonlinear similarity equations with a power law form are derived
      and the approximate analytical solutions are obtained by the homotopy analysis
      method, which is in good agreement with the numerical solutions. The results
      indicate that non-Newtonian behaviors involving a MF depend substantially on the
      power exponent n and the modified material parameter [Formula: see text]
      introduced by us. Furthermore, the relations of the engineering interest
      parameters, including local boundary layer thickness, local skin friction, and
      Nusselt number are found to be fitted by a quadratic polynomial to n with high
      precision, which enables the extraction of the rapid predictions from a complex
      nonlinear boundary-layer transport system.

PMID- 28344434
TI  - Compact Graph based Semi-Supervised Learning for Medical Diagnosis in Alzheimer's
      Disease.
AB  - Dementia is one of the most common neurological disorders among the elderly.
      Identifying those who are of high risk suffering dementia is important for early
      diagnosis in order to slow down the disease progression and help preserve some
      cognitive functions of the brain. To achieve accurate classification, significant
      amount of subject feature information are involved. Hence identification of
      demented subjects can be transformed into a pattern classification problem. In
      this letter, we introduce a graph based semi-supervised learning algorithm for
      Medical Diagnosis by using partly labeled samples and large amount of unlabeled
      samples. The new method is derived by a compact graph that can well grasp the
      manifold structure of medical data. Simulation results show that the proposed
      method can achieve better sensitivities and specificities compared with other
      state-of-art graph based semi-supervised learning methods.

PMID- 28344435
TI  - EXPOSURE TO DOMESTIC VIOLENCE AND CHILDHOOD EMOTIONAL ABUSE: Childhood Domestic
      Violence Exposure among a Community Sample of Adult Perpetrators: What Mediates
      the Connection?
AB  - The association between childhood exposure to domestic violence and later
      intimate partner violence (IPV) perpetration in adulthood has been well
      established in the literature. However, the literature examining the factors of
      exposure that contribute to perpetration in adulthood is fraught with mixed
      findings, with some studies finding a direct link between childhood domestic
      violence exposure and later IPV perpetration and others ruling out a link after
      controlling for other contextual barriers such as community violence and
      socioeconomic status. This study examined 124 non-treatment-seeking and
      unadjudicated adult male IPV perpetrators and found exposure to domestic violence
      in childhood contributes to the normalization of violence, which could predict
      future adult IPV perpetration. Practice implications are discussed, namely
      primary and secondary prevention of intimate partner violence.

PMID- 28344436
TI  - New Insights into the Fractional Order Diffusion Equation Using Entropy and
      Kurtosis.
AB  - Fractional order derivative operators offer a concise description to model multi
      scale, heterogeneous and non-local systems. Specifically, in magnetic resonance
      imaging, there has been recent work to apply fractional order derivatives to
      model the non-Gaussian diffusion signal, which is ubiquitous in the movement of
      water protons within biological tissue. To provide a new perspective for
      establishing the utility of fractional order models, we apply entropy for the
      case of anomalous diffusion governed by a fractional order diffusion equation
      generalized in space and in time. This fractional order representation, in the
      form of the Mittag-Leffler function, gives an entropy minimum for the integer
      case of Gaussian diffusion and greater values of spectral entropy for non-integer
      values of the space and time derivatives. Furthermore, we consider kurtosis,
      defined as the normalized fourth moment, as another probabilistic description of
      the fractional time derivative. Finally, we demonstrate the implementation of
      anomalous diffusion, entropy and kurtosis measurements in diffusion weighted
      magnetic resonance imaging in the brain of a chronic ischemic stroke patient.

PMID- 28344437
TI  - Eplerenone repolarizes muscle membrane through Na,K-ATPase activation by Tyr10
      dephosphorylation.
AB  - Eplerenone, an aldosterone antagonist, repolarizes muscle membrane in-vitro and
      increases strength in-vivo in channelopathies. In Duchenne dystrophy, it is
      administered for cardiomyopathy. We studied its mechanism of action on skeletal
      muscle to test its suitability for increasing strength in Duchenne dystrophy.
      Using membrane potential measurements, quantitative PCR, ELISA, and Western
      blots, we examined the effects of eplerenone on skeletal muscle Na,K-ATPase. The
      repolarizing effect of eplerenone in muscle fibres was counteracted by oubain, an
      ATPase blocker. In our experiment, ATPA1A mRNA and total ATPase protein were not
      elevated. Instead, Tyr10 of the alpha1 subunit was dephosphorylated which would
      agree with ATPase activation. Dephosporylation of the coupled Akt kinase
      corroborated our findings. We conclude that eplerenone repolarizes muscle
      membrane by Na,K-ATPase activation by dephosphorylation at Tyr10. Since ATPase
      protein is known to be compensatorily increased in Duchenne patients without
      activity change, eplerenone treatment may be beneficial.

PMID- 28344438
TI  - Learning disabilities in neuromuscular disorders: a springboard for adult life.
AB  - Although the presence of cognitive deficits in Duchenne muscular dystrophy or
      myotonic dystrophy DM1 is well established in view of brain-specific expression
      of affected muscle proteins, in other neuromuscular disorders, such as congenital
      myopathies and limb-girdle muscular dystrophies, cognitive profiles are poorly
      defined. Also, there are limited characterization of the cognitive profile of
      children with congenital muscular dystrophies, notwithstanding the presence of
      cerebral abnormality in some forms, and in spinal muscular atrophies, with the
      exception of distal spinal muscular atrophy (such as the DYN1CH1- associated
      form). Starting from the Duchenne muscular dystrophy, which may be considered a
      kind of paradigm for the co-occurrence of learning disabilities in the contest of
      a progressive muscular involvement, the findings of neuropsychological (or
      cognitive) dysfunctions in several forms of neuromuscular diseases will be
      examined and reviewed.

PMID- 28344439
TI  - Family context in muscular dystrophies: psychosocial aspects and social
      integration.
AB  - Muscular dystrophies (MDs) are degenerative diseases which may led to marked
      functional impairment and reduced life expectancy. Being caregivers of a loved
      one with MD may be both a rewarding and a demanding experience that may have
      relevant impact on the quality of life of the whole family. In this short review
      we summarize the main findings of the first survey on family context in MD in
      Italy. The study was carried out on 502 key-relatives of patients suffering from
      Duchenne, Becker, or Limb-Girdle MD, aged between 4 and 25 years, and attending
      one of 8 participating Centers, all over 2012. The results revealed that
      practical difficulties were mainly related to relatives' involvement in helping
      the patient in moving and in relative's constraints of leisure activities.
      Furthermore, feelings of loss and perception of patient's condition as having
      negative effects on the family life were the psychological consequences more
      frequently complained. However, despite the difficulties, 88% of the key
      relatives acknowledged the caregiving as a positive experience. In fact 94% of
      the respondents stated they could rely on friends in case of own physical
      illness, and 88% in case of psychological stress. Burden was found higher among
      relatives of patients with lower functional autonomy and longer duration of
      illness, and among relatives with lower professional and social support.
      Conversely, the positive aspects of the caregiving were more frequently
      acknowledged by those who received higher level of professional help and
      psychological social support. These results reveal that the caregiving experience
      has a positive impact on key-relatives quality of life despite the practical
      demands, and that the support of professionals is essential to help families in
      identifying the benefits of this experience without denying its difficulties.

PMID- 28344441
TI  - Successful treatment of periodic paralysis with coenzyme Q10: two case reports.
AB  - Primary periodic paralyses (PPs) are autosomal dominant ion channel disorders
      characterized by episodic flaccid weakness associated with variations in serum
      potassium level. The main prophylactic therapy of choice for PPsis carbonic
      anhydrase inhibitors that are not always effective. In this report, we described
      two PP patients who were successfully treated with coenzyme Q10. They remained
      asymptomatic since initiation of treatment, which may be associated with
      promotion of energy synthesis, anti-oxidant activity, influence of the fiber type
      composition and regulation of the expression of gene. To our knowledge, this is
      the first report of primary periodic paralyses which have been successfully
      treated with CoQ10. More observations need to substantiate this clinical finding
      in PPs.

PMID- 28344440
TI  - Increased heterogeneity of ventricular repolarization in myotonic dystrophy type
      1 population.
AB  - Sudden cardiac death in myotonic dystrophy type I (DM1) patients can be
      attributed to atrioventricular blocks as far as to the development of life
      threatening arrhythmias which occur even in hearts with normal left ventricular
      systolic and diastolic function. Heterogeneity of ventricular repolarization is
      considered to provide an electrophysiological substrate for malignant
      arrhythmias. QTc dispersion (QTc-D), JTc dispersion (JTc-D) and transmural
      dispersion of repolarization (TDR) could reflect the physiological variability of
      regional and transmural ventricular repolarization. Aim of the present study was
      to investigate the heterogeneity of ventricular repolarization in patients with
      DM1 and preserved diastolic and systolic cardiac function. The study enrolled 50
      DM1 patients (mean age 44 +/- 5 years; M:F: 29:21) with preserved systolic and
      diastolic function of left ventricle among 247 DM1 patients followed at
      Cardiomyology and Medical Genetics of Second University of Naples, and 50 sexand
      age-matched healthy controls. The electrocardiographic parameters investigated
      were the following: Heart Rate, QRS duration, maximum and minimum QT and JT
      intervals, QTc- D, JTc-D and TDR. Compared to the controls, the DM1 group
      presented increased values of QTc-D (86.7 +/- 40.1 vs 52.3 +/- 11.9 ms; p =
      0.03), JTc-D (78.6 +/- 31.3 vs 61.3 +/- 10.2 ms; p = 0.001) and TDR (101.6 +/-
      18.06 vs 90.1 +/- 14.3 ms; p = 0.004) suggesting a significant increase in
      regional and transmural heterogeneity of the ventricular repolarization in these
      patients, despite a preserved systolic and diastolic cardiac function.

PMID- 28344443
TI  - Flow-directed PCA for monitoring networks.
AB  - Measurements recorded over monitoring networks often possess spatial and temporal
      correlation inducing redundancies in the information provided. For river water
      quality monitoring in particular, flow-connected sites may likely provide similar
      information. This paper proposes a novel approach to principal components
      analysis to investigate reducing dimensionality for spatiotemporal flow-connected
      network data in order to identify common spatiotemporal patterns. The method is
      illustrated using monthly observations of total oxidized nitrogen for the Trent
      catchment area in England. Common patterns are revealed that are hidden when the
      river network structure and temporal correlation are not accounted for. Such
      patterns provide valuable information for the design of future sampling
      strategies.

PMID- 28344442
TI  - Voltage-directed cavo-tricuspid isthmus ablation using a novel ablation catheter
      mapping technology in a myotonic dystrophy type I patient.
AB  - A successful case of maximum voltage-directed cavo-tricuspid isthmus (CTI)
      ablation using a novel ablation catheter mapping technology in a myotonic
      dystrophy type I (DM1) patient is reported. The patient complained recurrent
      episodes of atrial flutter, revealed by the atrio-ventricular electrograms
      analysis during the routine pacemaker controls.

PMID- 28344444
TI  - Distribution of Platelet-rich Plasma after Ultrasound-Guided Injection for
      Chronic Elbow Tendinopathies.
AB  - Characteristics of the spreads of platelet-rich plasma (PRP) are not widely known
      despite commonly use. This study aims to evaluate whether PRP stays within the
      injected area by using ultrasonography, to improve understanding of the spreads
      of intratendinous injected PRP. Thirty-nine patients (15 males, 24 females; mean
      age, 49.3 years), who had symptoms on their elbows (> 6 months) and diagnosed as
      lateral (25 elbows) or medial (14 elbows) tendinopathies of elbow, were included.
      The severity of tendon pathology was assessed by ultrasonography as tear or no
      tear. Immediately after ultrasound-guided PRP injection, ultrasound images were
      evaluated to assess the area of PRP distribution, which was defined as the
      presence of fluid or microbubbles. Ultrasound revealed that 13 elbows had tendon
      tear and 26 had no tear, respectively. Post-injection ultrasound confirmed the
      injected PRP was within the tendon in all cases. The mean distance of
      distribution from the injection site was 12.6 mm (5.0-26.0 mm). There was no
      difference in the distance of PRP distribution between tendon tear and no tear.
      Injected PRP spread to soft tissue outside the tendon in 20 of 39 cases. Intra
      articular extension of PRP was observed in 5 cases. Although PRP remained
      intratendinous after the injection in all cases, some portion tended to spread
      outside from the injection site in a short space of time. Postinjection
      ultrasonographic imaging has a value for observing the spreading patterns of
      intratendinous PRP injection.

PMID- 28344445
TI  - Effects of Static and Dynamic Stretching on the Isokinetic Peak Torques and
      Electromyographic Activities of the Antagonist Muscles.
AB  - The aim of this study was to investigate if static and dynamic stretching
      exercises of the knee muscles (quadriceps and hamstring muscles) have any effects
      on concentric and eccentric isokinetic peak torques and electromyographic
      amplitudes (EMG) of the antagonist muscles. Twenty healthy male athletes (age
      between 18-30 years) voluntarily participated in this study. All of the subjects
      visited the laboratory to complete the following intervention in a randomized
      order on 5 separate days; (a) non-stretching (control), (b) static stretching of
      the quadriceps muscles, (c) static stretching of the hamstring muscles, (d)
      dynamic stretching of the quadriceps muscles, and (e) dynamic stretching of the
      hamstring muscles. Static stretching exercises either for the quadriceps or the
      hamstring muscles were carried out at the standing and sitting positions.
      Subjects performed four successive repetitions of each stretching exercises for
      30 seconds in both stretching positions. Similar to static stretching exercises
      two different stretching modes were designed for dynamic stretching exercises.
      Concentric and eccentric isokinetic peak torque for the non-stretched antagonist
      quadriceps or hamstring muscles at angular velocities of 60 degrees /sec and 240
      degrees /sec and their concurrent electromyographic (EMG) activities were
      measured before and immediately after the intervention. Isokinetic peak torques
      of the non-stretched agonist hamstring and quadriceps muscles did not represent
      any significant (p > 0.05) differences following static and dynamic stretching of
      the antagonist quadriceps and hamstring muscles, respectively. Similarly, the EMG
      activities of the agonist muscles exhibited no significant alterations (p > 0.05)
      following both stretching exercises of the antagonist muscles. According to the
      results of the present study it is possible to state that antagonist stretching
      exercises either in the static or dynamic modes do not affect the isokinetic peak
      torques and the EMG activities of the non-stretched agonist quadriceps or
      hamstring muscles.

PMID- 28344446
TI  - Prediction of Tennis Performance in Junior Elite Tennis Players.
AB  - Predicting current and future tennis performance can lead to improving the
      development of junior tennis players. The aim of this study is to investigate
      whether age, maturation, or physical fitness in junior elite tennis players in
      U13 can explain current and future tennis performance. The value of current
      tennis performance for future tennis performance is also investigated. A total of
      86 junior elite tennis players (boys, n = 44; girls, n = 42) U13 (aged: 12.5 +/-
      0.3 years), and followed to U16, took part in this study. All players were top-30
      ranked on the Dutch national ranking list at U13, and top-50 at U16. Age,
      maturation, and physical fitness, were measured at U13. A principal component
      analysis was used to extract four physical components from eight tests (medicine
      ball throwing overhead and reverse, ball throwing, SJ, CMJas, Sprint 5 and 10
      meter, and the spider test). The possible relationship of age, maturation, and
      the physical components; "upper body power", "lower body power", "speed", and
      "agility" with tennis performance at U13 and U16 was analyzed. Tennis performance
      was measured by using the ranking position on the Dutch national ranking list at
      U13 and U16. Regression analyses were conducted based on correlations between
      variables and tennis performance for boys and girls, separately. In boys U13,
      positive correlations were found between upper body power and tennis performance
      (R2 is 25%). In girls, positive correlations between maturation and lower body
      power with tennis performance were found at U13. Early maturing players were
      associated with a better tennis performance (R2 is 15%). In girls U16, only
      maturation correlated with tennis performance (R2 is 13%); later-maturing girls
      at U13 had better tennis performances at U16. Measuring junior elite tennis
      players at U13 is important for monitoring their development. These measurements
      did not predict future tennis performance of junior elite tennis players three
      years later. Future research should focus on other aspects in order to predict
      tennis performance better.

PMID- 28344447
TI  - Movement Demands and Running Intensities of Semi-Professional Rugby League
      Players during A 9's Tournament: A Case Study.
AB  - The objective of the study was to describe the movement demands and running
      intensities of semi-professional rugby league players during a rugby league 9's
      (RL9's) tournament. Six semi-professional rugby league players competed in a
      RL9's tournament over a two-day period comprising of six games. Movement demands
      and running intensities were recorded using Global Positioning System (GPS)
      devices providing data on distance and speeds. Data is presented as mean (95%
      Confidence Intervals) with changes (>= 75%) likely to exceed the smallest
      worthwhile change (0.2) considered practically important. Outside backs performed
      significantly (p < 0.05) more relative VHSR (3.9 m [3.5-4.3] vs 2.4 m [2.1-2.8])
      absolute (97.7 m [81.3-114.1] vs 22.6m [15.8-29.3]) and relative (5.0 m.min-1
      [4.2-5.9] vs 1.2 m.min-1 [0.8-1.6]) sprint distance than the forwards. Outside
      backs also performed significantly (p < 0.05) more absolute (97.7 m [81.3-114.1]
      vs 43.9 m [27.2-60.7]) and relative (5.0 m.min-1 [4.2-5.9] vs 2.3 m.min-1 [1.4
      3.2]) sprint distance than the adjustables. Moderate (0.6 - 1.2) to very large (>
      2.0) decreases in performance variables were observed over the two days. The
      biggest magnitude of change over the two days was seen with very large decreases
      in relative HSR (- 2.10) and sprint (- 2.14) distance. Between playing groups,
      the outside backs had the biggest decrease in running intensity with a very large
      (- 2.32) significant (p < 0.05) decrease in VHSR on day 2 (3.3 m.min-1 [2.5 -
      4.1]) compared to day 1 (4.9 m.min-1 [4.4 - 5.4]). Running intensities are
      decreased during an intensified RL9's tournament in semi-professional rugby
      league players. The observed decreases in running performances between playing
      groups are in agreement with previous research and may support the use of
      individualized player monitoring and recovery management during a RL9's
      tournament-style competition.

PMID- 28344448
TI  - Is Empirical Research on Periodization Trustworthy? A Comprehensive Review of
      Conceptual and Methodological Issues.
AB  - Periodization is a core concept in training. Recently, systematic reviews and
      meta-analyses have attempted to provide a comprehensive overview of the topic,
      but theoretical criticisms have arisen with regard to how such research has been
      conducted. The purpose of the study was to review comprehensively the conceptual
      and methodological issues surrounding empirical research on periodization in
      training with human subjects. A search was conducted late in February 2016 on
      Academic Search Complete, CINAHL Plus, MedicLatina, MEDLINE, PsycINFO, PubMed,
      Scielo, Scopus, SPORTDiscus and Web of Science. Forty-two randomized or
      randomized controlled trials were retrieved. Problems emerged in three domains:
      (a) Conceptually, periodization and variation were applied differently in
      research, while no empirical research tested predictions concerning direction,
      timing or magnitude of the adaptations; (b) Study design: More than 95% of papers
      investigated the 'physical' factor (mainly strength). Research on long-term
      effects was absent (no study lasted more than nine months). Controlling for
      confounding factors such as nutrition, supplementation and medication was largely
      ignored; (c) Data analysis was biased as dispersion in responsiveness was ignored
      when discussing the findings. Overall, research on periodization fails to analyze
      the conceptual premises proposed by these approaches.

PMID- 28344449
TI  - The Effects of 3 Weeks of Uphill and Downhill Walking on Blood Lipids and Glucose
      Metabolism in Pre-Diabetic Men: A Pilot Study.
AB  - The prevention of type 2 diabetes in persons at risk for diabetes is of utmost
      importance. Physical activity in general and even exercises at moderate
      intensities such as walking significantly reduce the risk of the development of
      type 2 diabetes. However, it is still a matter of debate whether lipids and
      glucose metabolism are differently affected by regular concentric (e.g., uphill
      walking) and eccentric (e.g., downhill walking) endurance exercise. The aim of
      this study was to investigate the effects of short-term (3 weeks) uphill and
      downhill walking on glucose metabolism and blood lipids in pre-diabetic middle
      aged men in a real world setting. The study was designed as an investigator
      initiated 2 group random selection pre-test post-test trial. Sixteen pre-diabetic
      men (age: 56.9 +/- 5.1 years; BMI: 28.1 +/- 2.3 kg.m-2) performed 9 uphill (n =
      8) or 9 downhill (n = 8) walking sessions within 3 weeks. The primary outcomes
      were the markers of glucose metabolism and blood lipids measured before and after
      the training period. After uphill walking glucose tolerance (area under the curve
      of the oral glucose tolerance test: -43.25 +/- 53.12 mg.dl-1; p = 0.05; effect
      size: 0.81), triglycerides (-48.75 +/- 54.49 mg.dl-1; p = 0.036; effect size:
      0.89), HDL-C (+7.86 +/- 9.54 mg.dl-1; p = 0.05; effect size: 0.82) and total
      cholesterol/HDL-C ratio (-0.58 +/- 0.41; p = 0.012; effect size: 1.39) had
      significantly improved. No significant metabolic adaptations were found after
      downhill walking. However, when adjusted for estimated energy expenditure, uphill
      and downhill walking had equal effects on almost all metabolic parameters.
      Moreover, the magnitude of the baseline impairments of glucose tolerance was
      significantly related to the extent of change in both groups. Depending on the
      fitness level and individual preferences both types of exercise may be useful for
      the prevention of type 2 diabetes and disorders in lipid metabolism.

PMID- 28344450
TI  - Test Re-Test Reliability of Four Versions of the 3-Cone Test in Non-Athletic Men.
AB  - Until recently, measurement and evaluation in sport science, especially agility
      testing, has not always included key elements of proper test construction. Often
      tests are published without reporting reliability and validity analysis for a
      specific population. The purpose of the present study was to examine the test re
      test reliability of four versions of the 3-Cone Test (3CT), and provide guidance
      on proper test construction for testing agility in athletic populations. Forty
      male students enrolled in classes in the Department of Physical Education at a
      mid-Atlantic university participated. On each of test day participants performed
      10 trials. In random order, they performed three trials to the right (3CTR,
      standard test), three to the left (3CTL), and two modified trials (3CTAR and
      3CTAL), which included a reactive component in which a visual cue was given to
      indicate direction. Intra-class correlation coefficients (ICC) indicated a
      moderate to high reliability for the four tests, 3CTR 0.79 (0.64-0.88, 95%CI),
      3CTL 0.73 (0.55-0.85), 3CTAR 0.85(0.74-0.92), and 3CTAL 0.79 (0.64-0.88). Small
      standard error of the measurement (SEM) was found; range 0.09 to 0.10. Pearson
      correlations between tests were high (0.82-0.92) on day one as well as day two
      (0.72-0.85). These results indicate each version of the 3-Cone Test is reliable;
      however, further tests are needed with specific athletic populations. Only the
      3CTAR and 3CTAL are tests of agility due to the inclusion of a reactive
      component. Future studies examining agility testing and training should
      incorporate technological elements, including automated timing systems and motion
      capture analysis. Such instrumentation will allow for optimal design of tests
      that simulate sport-specific game conditions.

PMID- 28344451
TI  - Retrospective Injury Epidemiology and Risk Factors for Injury in CrossFit.
AB  - The objective of the study is to examine injury epidemiology and risk factors for
      injury in CrossFit athletes. A survey was administered to athletes at four owner
      operated facilities in South Florida. Respondents reported number, location of
      injury, and training exposure from the preceding six months and answered
      questions regarding potential risk factors for injury. Fifty out of 191 athletes
      sustained 62 injuries during CrossFit participation in the preceding six months.
      The most frequently injured locations were the shoulder, knee, and lower back.
      Injury incidence was 2.3/1000 athlete training hours. Competitors were more
      likely to be injured (40% v 19%, p = 0.002) and had greater weekly athlete
      training hours (7.3 +/- 7.0 v 4.9 +/- 2.9, p < 0.001) than non-competitors.
      Athletes who reported injury also reported significantly higher values for the
      following risk factors: years of participation (2.7 +/- 1.8 v 1.8 +/- 1.5, p =
      0.001), weekly athlete training hours (7.3 +/- 3.8 v 4.9 +/- 2.1, p = 0.020),
      weekly athlete-exposures (6.4 +/- 3.8 v 4.7 +/- 2.1, p = 0.003), height (1.72 +/-
      0.09 m v 1.68 +/- 0.01 m, p = 0.011), and body mass (78.24 +/- 16.86 kg v 72.91
      +/- 14.77 kg, p = 0.037). Injury rates during CrossFit and location of injuries
      were similar to those previously reported. Injury incidence was similar to
      related sports, including gymnastics and powerlifting. While being a competitor
      was related to injury, increased exposure and length of participation in CrossFit
      likely underlied this association. Specifically, increased exposure to training
      in the form of greater weekly athlete training hours and weekly participations
      may contribute to injury. Increased height and body mass were also related to
      injury which is likely reflective of increased load utilized during training.
      Further research is warranted to determine if biomechanical factors associated
      with greater height and ability to lift greater loads are modifiable factors that
      can be adapted to reduce the increase risk of injury during CrossFit.

PMID- 28344452
TI  - The Effects of a Sports Nutrition Education Intervention on Nutritional Status,
      Sport Nutrition Knowledge, Body Composition, and Performance during Off Season
      Training in NCAA Division I Baseball Players.
AB  - This study investigated the effects of a sport nutrition education intervention
      (SNEI) on dietary intake, knowledge, body composition, and performance in NCAA
      Division I baseball players. Resistance trained NCAA Division I baseball players
      (82.4 +/- 8.2 kg; 1.83 +/- 0.06 m; 13.7 +/- 5 % body fat) participated in the
      study during 12 weeks of off-season training. Fifteen players volunteered for
      SNEI while 15 players matched for position served as controls (C) for body
      composition and performance. The nutrition intervention group (NI) received a 90
      min SNEI encompassing energy intake (Kcal), carbohydrate (CHO), protein (PRO),
      fat, food sources, and hydration. Sport nutrition knowledge questionnaires were
      administered to NI pre and post. Nutritional status was determined by three-day
      dietary logs administered to NI pre and post. Body composition and performance (5
      10-5 shuttle test, vertical jump, broad jump, 1 RM squat) were measured pre and
      post for C and NI. Knowledge increased in NI. Pro and fat, but not CHO intake
      increased in NI. FM decreased pre to post in NI (11.5 +/- 4.8 vs. 10.5 +/- 5.4
      kg) but not C (11.3 +/- 4.7 vs. 11.9 +/- 4.5 kg). FFM increased pre to post with
      no differences between groups. The 5-10-5 shuttle times decreased significantly
      more in NI (4.58 +/- 0.15 vs. 4.43 +/- 0.13 sec) compared to C (4.56 +/- 0.18 vs.
      4.50 +/- 0.16 sec). Jump and squat performance increased pre to post with no
      differences between groups. Our findings indicate that an off season SNEI is
      effective at improving sport nutrition knowledge and some, but not all, nutrient
      intakes and performance measures in Division I baseball players.

PMID- 28344453
TI  - High-Intensity Exercise and Carbohydrate Supplementation do not Alter Plasma
      Visfatin.
AB  - The purpose of the study was to examine the effect of high-intensity exercise and
      carbohydrate supplementation (CHO) on plasma visfatin. On 2 separate days, 10
      sprint-trained males (age = 26.4 +/- 5.3 yr; Ht = 1.77 +/- 0.03 m; Wt = 78.78 +/-
      9.10 kg; BF% = 13.96 +/- 7.28%) completed 4, 3-min bouts of cycling at 50% mean
      anaerobic power, with 6 min of rest between bouts. On CHO day, subjects ingested
      50g of CHO 30 min before exercise. On control day, subjects ingested a sugar-free
      drink (CON) 30 min before exercise. Blood was drawn before supplementation, 15
      min before exercise, before and after each exercise bout, and 15 and 30 min post
      exercise. Visfatin, glucose, and insulin were determined. Truncal fat was
      assessed by dual energy x-ray. Visfatin was not significantly different between
      treatments (CHO vs CON) at any time point (p = 0.163), and was not significantly
      altered by exercise (p = 0.692). Insulin [25.65 vs 8.35 mU/l, CHO vs CON,
      respectively] and glucose [138.57 vs 98.10 mg/dl, CHO vs CON, respectively] were
      significantly elevated after CHO ingestion and remained elevated throughout the
      first half of exercise. Baseline visfatin was significantly correlated with
      truncal fat (r2 = 0.7782, p < 0.05). Visfatin was correlated to truncal fat in
      sprint-trained males, but was not altered by exercise or CHO supplementation.

PMID- 28344454
TI  - The Effect of Intermittent Head Cooling on Aerobic Performance in the Heat.
AB  - Thermoregulation is critical for athletes, particularly those for those who must
      perform in the heat. Most strategies aimed at reducing heat stress have cooled
      participants before or during activity. The objective of this study is to
      investigate whether seven minutes of head cooling applied between bouts of
      aerobic exercise in hot (35 +/- 1.0  degrees C) and dry (14.68 +/-4.29% rh)
      environmental conditions could positively effect participants peak power output
      (PP) on a maximal effort graded exercise test (GXT). Twenty-two recreational
      active men ages 18 to 23 (19.8 +/- 1.6 yrs.) completed three performance trials
      over a 21 day period. During the first trial, participants were familiarized with
      procedures and completed a maximal effort GXT on a cycle ergometer to establish
      maximal baseline performances. The second and third trials, which were
      counterbalanced, consisted of a cooling and placebo condition. During both of
      these trials, participants cycled 40 minutes at 65% of their maximum VO2, in hot
      (35 +/- 1.0  degrees C) and dry (17-20% rh) environmental conditions. Immediately
      after this initial bout of activity, participants were given seven minutes of
      recovery in which head cooling was applied during the cooling condition and
      withheld during the placebo condition. Participants then completed a maximal
      effort GXT. Significant differences (p < 0.001) in participants peak power output
      (W) were measured when cooling was applied compared to the placebo condition
      (304.23(W) +/- 26.19(W) cooling, 291.68(W) +/- 26.04(W) placebo). These results
      suggest that a relatively brief period of intermittent cooling may enhance
      subsequent aerobic performance.

PMID- 28344455
TI  - Running and Metabolic Demands of Elite Rugby Union Assessed Using Traditional,
      Metabolic Power, and Heart Rate Monitoring Methods.
AB  - The aims of this study were (1) to analyze elite rugby union game demands using 3
      different approaches: traditional, metabolic and heart rate-based methods (2) to
      explore the relationship between these methods and (3) to explore positional
      differences between the backs and forwards players. Time motion analysis and game
      demands of fourteen professional players (24.1 +/- 3.4 y), over 5 European
      challenge cup games, were analyzed. Thresholds of 14.4 km.h-1, 20 W.kg-1 and 85%
      of maximal heart rate (HRmax) were set for high-intensity efforts across the
      three methods. The mean % of HRmax was 80.6 +/- 4.3 % while 42.2 +/- 16.5% of
      game time was spent above 85% of HRmax with no significant differences between
      the forwards and the backs. Our findings also show that the backs cover greater
      distances at high-speed than forwards (% difference: +35.2 +/- 6.6%; p<0.01)
      while the forwards cover more distance than the backs (+26.8 +/- 5.7%; p<0.05) in
      moderate-speed zone (10-14.4 km.h-1). However, no significant difference in high
      metabolic power distance was found between the backs and forwards. Indeed, the
      high-metabolic power distances were greater than high-speed running distances of
      24.8 +/- 17.1% for the backs, and 53.4 +/- 16.0% for the forwards with a
      significant difference (+29.6 +/- 6.0% for the forwards; p<0.001) between the two
      groups. Nevertheless, nearly perfect correlations were found between the total
      distance assessed using the traditional approach and the metabolic power approach
      (r = 0.98). Furthermore, there is a strong association (r = 0.93) between the
      high-speed running distance (assessed using the traditional approach) and the
      high-metabolic power distance. The HR monitoring methods demonstrate clearly the
      high physiological demands of professional rugby games. The traditional and the
      metabolic-power approaches shows a close correlation concerning their relative
      values, nevertheless the difference in absolute values especially for the high
      intensity thresholds demonstrates that the metabolic power approach may represent
      an interesting alternative to the traditional approaches used in evaluating the
      high-intensity running efforts required in rugby union games.

PMID- 28344456
TI  - Caffeine Ingestion Improves Repeated Freestyle Sprints in Elite Male Swimmers.
AB  - The purpose of this investigation was to determine the efficacy of a moderate
      dose of caffeine to improve repeat-sprint performance in elite freestyle
      sprinters. Nine highly trained male swimmers performed 6 x 75 m freestyle sprints
      on two occasions 1-h after consuming either 3 mg.kg-1 caffeine (CAF), or placebo,
      in a cross-over manner. Capillary blood samples for the analysis of blood lactate
      concentration and pH were collected after the 1st, 3rd, and 5th sprint, while
      heart rate and perceived exertion (RPE) were collected after every sprint. There
      was a moderate effect for improved mean sprint time in the CAF condition (0.52 s;
      1.3%; d = 0.50). When assessed individually, there was a large effect for
      improved performance in sprints 3 (1.00 s; 2.5%; d = 1.02) and 4 (0.84 s; 2.1%; d
      = 0.84) in CAF compared to placebo, with worthwhile performance improvement found
      for each of the first 5 sprints. There was a significant treatment effect for
      higher blood lactate concentration for CAF (p = 0.029), and a significant
      treatment*time effect for reduced pH in the CAF condition (p = 0.004). Mean heart
      rate (167 +/- 9 bpm vs 169 +/- 7 bpm) and RPE (17 +/- 1 vs 17 +/- 1) were not
      different between placebo and CAF trials, respectively. This investigation is the
      first to demonstrate enhanced repeat-sprint ability in swimmers following acute
      caffeine ingestion. It appears likely that the combination of a moderate dose of
      caffeine (3-6 mg.kg-1) with trained athletes is most likely to enhance repeat
      sprint ability in various athletic populations; however, the exact mechanism(s)
      for an improved repeat-sprint ability following acute caffeine ingestion remain
      unknown.

PMID- 28344457
TI  - Bone Mineralization in Rhythmic Gymnasts Entering Puberty: Associations with
      Jumping Performance and Body Composition Variables.
AB  - This study examined bone mineral density (BMD) accrual in prepubertal rhythmic
      gymnasts entering puberty and their age-matched untrained control girls, and
      associations with baseline jumping performance and body composition over the 3
      year period. Whole body (WB) and femoral neck (FN) BMD, WB fat mass (FM) and fat
      free mass (FFM), countermovement jump (CMJ) and rebound jumps for 15 s (RJ15s)
      were assessed in 25 rhythmic gymnasts and 25 untrained controls at baseline and
      after 3-year period. The changes over this period were calculated (Delta scores).
      Pubertal maturation over the 3-year period was slower in rhythmic gymnasts
      compared to untrained controls, while no difference in bone age development was
      seen. WB BMD increased similarly in both groups, while the increase in FN BMD was
      higher in rhythmic gymnasts compared with untrained controls. In rhythmic
      gymnasts, baseline FFM was the most significant predictor of DeltaWB BMD
      explaining 19.2% of the variability, while baseline RJ15s was the most
      significant predictor of DeltaFN BMD explaining 18.5% of the variability. In
      untrained controls, baseline FM explained 51.8 and 18.9% of the variability in
      DeltaWB BMD and DeltaFN BMD, respectively. In conclusion, mechanical loading of
      high-intensity athletic activity had beneficial effect on BMD accrual in rhythmic
      gymnasts and may have counterbalanced such negative factors on bone development
      as slower pubertal maturation and lower body FM. Baseline FFM and repeated jumps
      test performance were related to BMD accrual in rhythmic gymnasts, while baseline
      FM was related to BMD accrual in untrained controls.

PMID- 28344458
TI  - The Effects of Non-Contingent Feedback on the Incidence of Plateau at VO2max.
AB  - : The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of non-contingent feedback
      in the form of heart rate (HR) on the incidence of plateau at VO2max. Ten
      physically active males (age 24.8 yrs +/- 4.2; mass 81.4 +/- 9.0 kg; stature 1.80
      +/- 0.11 m, VO2max 53.2 +/- 5.8 ml.kg-1.min-1) who were VO2max testing naive but
      were cognisant as to the heart rate responses to exercise completed four
      incremental tests to volitional exhaustion, separated by ~72 h for the
      determination of VO2max and gas exchange threshold. The first trial served as a
      familiarisation with the remaining three being experimental conditions where HR
      was presented in a screen projection as either the actual response (HR-A) or 10
      b.min-1 higher than recorded (HR-H) or 10 b.min-1 lower (HR-L). Throughout all
      trials VO2 was recorded on a breath-by-breath basis with plateau criteria of <=
      50 ml.min-1. RESULTS: A significant difference was observed for Delta VO2 over
      the final two consecutive 30s sampling periods between HR-A, both HR-L and HR-H
      (p = 0.049) and for the incidence of plateau response between condition (p =
      0.021). An additional significant difference was observed for sub-maximal Delta
      VO2 responses between HR-A and HR-H (p = 0.049) and HR-A and HR-L (p = 0.006).
      Non-significant differences were observed for all other criteria. These data
      indicate that when presented with non-contingent feedback in the form of HR, that
      the perceptually orientated pacing schema becomes disrupted promoting a sparing
      of the finite anaerobic capacity to compensate for the imbalance between the
      afferent signal and perception of effort.

PMID- 28344459
TI  - Applied Sports Nutrition Support, Dietary Intake and Body Composition Changes of
      a Female Athlete Completing 26 Marathons in 26 Days: A Case Study.
AB  - The aim of this case study is to describe the nutrition practices of a female
      recreational runner (VO2max 48.9 ml.kg-1.min-1) who completed 26 marathons
      (42.195 km) in 26 consecutive days. Information relating to the nutritional
      intake of female runners during multi-day endurance events is extremely limited,
      yet the number of people participating year-on-year continues to increase. This
      case study reports the nutrition intervention, dietary intake, body composition
      changes and performance in the lead-up and during the 26 days. Prior to
      undertaking the 26 marathon challenge, three consultations were held between the
      athlete and a sports nutrition advisor; planning and tailoring the general diet
      and race-specific strategies to the endurance challenge. During the marathons,
      the mean energy and fluid intake was 1039.7 +/- 207.9 kcal (607.1 - 1453.2) and
      2.39 +/- 0.35 L (1.98 - 3.19). Mean hourly carbohydrate intake was 38.9 g.hr-1.
      11 days following the completion of the 26 marathons, body mass had reduced by
      4.6 kg and lean body mass increasing by 0.53 kg when compared with 20 days prior.
      This case study highlights the importance of providing general and event-specific
      nutrition education when training for such an event. This is particularly prudent
      for multi-day endurance running events.

PMID- 28344460
TI  - Intra- and Inter-Rater Reliability of the Modified Tuck Jump Assessment.
AB  - The Tuck Jump Assessment (TJA) is a clinician-friendly screening tool that was
      designed to support practitioners with identification of neuromuscular deficits
      associated with anterior cruciate ligament injury. This study aimed to evaluate
      the inter- and intra-rater reliability of the modified scoring (0 to 2) TJA to
      add an additional range of objectivity for each criterion. A total of 24 elite
      youth volleyball athletes (12 males and 12 females) were included in this study.
      Each participant's recorded performance of the TJA was scored independently by
      two raters across ten criteria using the modified scale. The two raters then
      scored the same videos one week later. Another investigator who was blind to the
      identity of the raters analyzed the scores from both raters for each participant.
      Kappa coefficient (k) and percentage of exact agreement (PEA) for both intra- and
      inter-rater reliability were analyzed for each item. Intraclass correlation
      coefficients (ICC) were calculated to determine intra- and inter-rater
      reliability of the modified TJA total score. Intra- and inter-rater k was good to
      excellent for most items (0.65-0.91). Average PEA between the two raters and two
      sessions ranged from 83.3 to 100% in all scored items. The ICC for the total
      score was excellent in both inter- and inter-rater correlations (0.94-0.96). This
      research demonstrated that the modified version of the TJA predominantly shows
      good to excellent intra- and inter-rater reliability in all analyzed criteria.

PMID- 28344461
TI  - Within Session Sequence of Balance and Plyometric Exercises Does Not Affect
      Training Adaptations with Youth Soccer Athletes.
AB  - The integration of balance and plyometric training has been shown to provide
      significant improvements in sprint, jump, agility, and other performance measures
      in young athletes. It is not known if a specific within session balance and
      plyometric exercise sequence provides more effective training adaptations. The
      objective of the present study was to investigate the effects of using a sequence
      of alternating pairs of exercises versus a block (series) of all balance
      exercises followed by a block of plyometric exercises on components of physical
      fitness such as muscle strength, power, speed, agility, and balance. Twenty-six
      male adolescent soccer players (13.9 +/- 0.3 years) participated in an 8-week
      training program that either alternated individual balance (e.g., exercises on
      unstable surfaces) and plyometric (e.g., jumps, hops, rebounds) exercises or
      performed a block of balance exercises prior to a block of plyometric exercises
      within each training session. Pre- and post-training measures included proxies of
      strength, power, agility, sprint, and balance such as countermovement jumps,
      isometric back and knee extension strength, standing long jump, 10 and 30-m
      sprints, agility, standing stork, and Y-balance tests. Both groups exhibited
      significant, generally large magnitude (effect sizes) training improvements for
      all measures with mean performance increases of approximately >30%. There were no
      significant differences between the training groups over time. The results
      demonstrate the effectiveness of combining balance and plyometric exercises
      within a training session on components of physical fitness with young
      adolescents. The improved performance outcomes were not significantly influenced
      by the within session exercise sequence.

PMID- 28344462
TI  - Effects of Neuromuscular Training on the Rear-foot Angle Kinematics in Elite
      Women Field Hockey Players with Chronic Ankle Instability.
AB  - The aims of this study were to investigate the ankle position, the changes and
      persistence of ankle kinematics after neuromuscular training in athletes with
      chronic ankle instability (CAI). A total of 21 national women's field hockey
      players participated (CAI = 12, control = 9). Ankle position at heel strike (HS),
      midstance (MS), and toe touch (TT) in the frontal plane during walking, running
      and landing were measured using 3D motion analysis. A 6-week neuromuscular
      training program was undertaken by the CAI group. Measurements of kinematic data
      for both groups were measured at baseline and the changes in kinematic data for
      CAI group were measured at 6 and 24 weeks. The kinematic data at HS during
      walking and running demonstrated that the magnitude of the eversion in the CAI
      group (-5.00 degrees  and -4.21 degrees ) was less than in the control group (
      13.45 degrees and -9.62 degrees ). The kinematic data at MS also exhibited less
      ankle eversion in the CAI group (-9.36 degrees  and -8.18 degrees ) than in the
      control group (-18.52 degrees  and -15.88 degrees ). Ankle positions at TT during
      landing were comparable between groups. Following the 6-week training, the CAI
      participants demonstrated a less everted ankle at HS during walking and running (
      1.77 degrees  and -1.76 degrees ) compared to the previous positions. They also
      showed less ankle eversion at MS (-5.14 degrees  and -4.19 degrees ). Ankle
      orientation at TT changed significantly to an inverted ankle position (from -0.26
      degrees  to 4.11 degrees ). The ankle kinematics were restored back to the
      previous positions at 24 weeks except for landing. It appeared that athletes with
      unstable ankle had a relatively inverted ankle position, and that 6-week
      neuromuscular training had an immediate effect on changing ankle orientation
      toward a less everted direction. The changed ankle kinematics seemed to persist
      during landing but not during walking and running.

PMID- 28344463
TI  - Curcumin and Piperine Supplementation and Recovery Following Exercise Induced
      Muscle Damage: A Randomized Controlled Trial.
AB  - The aim of this study was to analyze the effects of oral consumption of curcumin
      and piperine in combination on the recovery kinetics after exercise-induced
      muscle damage. Forty-eight hours before and following exercise-induced muscle
      damage, ten elite rugby players consumed curcumin and piperine (experimental
      condition) or placebo. A randomized cross-over design was performed. Concentric
      and isometric peak torque for the knee extensors, one leg 6 seconds sprint
      performance on a non-motorized treadmill, counter movement jump performance,
      blood creatine kinase concentration and muscle soreness were assessed immediately
      after exercise, then at 24h, 48h and 72h post-exercise. There were moderate to
      large effects of the exercise on the concentric peak torque for the knee
      extensors (Effect size (ES) = -1.12; Confidence interval at 90% (CI90%): -2.17 to
      -0.06), the one leg 6 seconds sprint performance (ES=-1.65; CI90% = -2.51to 
      0.80) and the counter movement jump performance (ES = -0.56; CI90% = -0.81 to 
      0.32) in the 48h following the exercise. There was also a large effect of the
      exercise on the creatine kinase level 72h after the exercise in the control group
      (ES = 3.61; CI90%: 0.24 to 6.98). This decrease in muscle function and this
      elevation in creatine kinase indicate that the exercise implemented was efficient
      to induce muscle damage. Twenty four hours post-exercise, the reduction (from
      baseline) in sprint mean power output was moderately lower in the experimental
      condition (-1.77 +/- 7.25%; 1277 +/- 153W) in comparison with the placebo
      condition (-13.6 +/- 13.0%; 1130 +/- 241W) (Effect Size = -1.12; Confidence
      Interval 90%=-1.86 to -0.86). However, no other effect was found between the two
      conditions. Curcumin and piperine supplementation before and after exercise can
      attenuate some, but not all, aspects of muscle damage.

PMID- 28344464
TI  - The Biomechanics of Standing Start and Initial Acceleration: Reliability of the
      Key Determining Kinematics.
AB  - The reliability of the key determining kinematic variables associated with short
      sprint performance provide insight into how and why movement may vary between
      individual trials. Currently, literature surrounding these determinants is scarce
      when investigating the first three strides of a sprint. The purpose of this study
      was to investigate the reliability of sprint acceleration and the key kinematic
      determinants involved during the first three steps of the movement. The aim was
      to use a practical method of kinematic analysis to help explain why changes may
      occur in sprint performance via the use of correlative statistics and to provide
      reference values for intervention research to make conclusions about their change
      scores. Ten male volunteers from various team sports attended two separate
      testing sessions, a minimum of 48 hours apart. They performed three maximal
      sprint trials over a 10m distance from a standing start, where researchers
      captured 5m and 10m sprint times alongside high speed camera footage, from which
      the key kinematic variables were measured. Results demonstrated that although 5m
      and 10m sprint times depicted moderate to large levels of similarity between
      sessions, neither of these variables met the criteria to be classified as
      adequately, or highly reliable. Kinematic measures typically produced ICC values
      > 0.70 and CV% < 10%, demonstrating all relevant statistical traits to be
      categorised as reliable measures. Step frequency and flight time during the third
      step showed the largest correlation with performance, exhibiting 'r' values of 
      0.386 and 0.396, respectively. These findings demonstrate that kinematic
      variables may not have an influential role with sprint times; therefore
      suggesting kinetic concepts may in fact be the key determinants of speed. Future
      research is required investigating the interaction of kinetic and kinematic
      variables associated with sprinting and how the variability in these concepts
      effects the reliability of performance.

PMID- 28344466
TI  - An overview of pharmacodynamic modelling, ligand-binding approach and its
      application in clinical practice.
AB  - The study of the magnitude and variation of drug response is defined as
      pharmacodynamics (PDs). PD models examine plasma concentration and effect
      relationship. It can predict the archetypal effect ([Formula: see text]) of a
      drug as a function of the drug concentration ([Formula: see text]) and estimate
      an unknown PD parameter ([Formula: see text]). The PD models have been described
      as fixed, linear, log-linear, [Formula: see text], sigmoid [Formula: see text],
      and indirect PD response. Ligand binding model is an example of a PD model that
      works on the underpinning PD principle of a drug, eliciting its pharmacological
      effect at the receptor site. The pharmacological effect is produced by the drug
      binding to the receptor to either activate or antagonise the receptor. Ligand
      binding models describe a system of interacting components, i.e. the interaction
      of one or more ligands with one or more binding sites. The [Formula: see text]
      model is the central method that provides an empirical justification for the
      concentration/dose-effect relationship. However, for ligand binding models
      justification is provided by theory of receptor occupancy. In essence, for ligand
      binding models, the term [Formula: see text] is best used to describe the
      fraction of receptors occupied at a particular ligand concentration. It is stated
      that the [Formula: see text], which means the effect of a drug should depend on
      the fraction of receptors that are occupied. In the future, network-based systems
      pharmacology models using ligand binding principles could be an effective way of
      understanding drug-related adverse effects. This will facilitate and strengthen
      the development of rational drug therapy in clinical practice.

PMID- 28344467
TI  - Temperature excursion management: A novel approach of quality system in
      pharmaceutical industry.
AB  - Quality of pharmaceutical product largely depends upon the environment controls
      during its storage and handling. Each pharmaceutical product should be handled
      and stored under specified storage condition labelled on product information data
      sheet or product pack. Hence the temperature excursions during receipt of raw
      materials, manufacturing of pharmaceutical products and distribution should be
      managed during entire product life cycle with holistic approach. The research is
      based on primary data and exploratory study through literature review. The
      temperature excursion may be observed during transportation of raw materials
      manufacturing as well as distribution of pharmaceutical products, which have
      potential to deteriorate the product quality. Temperature excursion in
      pharmaceutical industry should be recorded and reported to the manufacturer for
      further investigation and risk analysis. The concept of temperature excursions,
      its reasons, consequences and handling mechanism should be well understood to
      ensure the concerted efforts under the aegis of Quality Management System. Based
      on the reasons and consequences of temperature excursions during pharmaceutical
      operations, a system based quality management has been envisaged through this
      study. The concept and procedure to handle temperature excursion have evolved
      after this study which shall be useful to pharmaceutical industry as well as to
      medicine distributors and consumers.

PMID- 28344468
TI  - High-performance thin layer chromatography based assay and stress study of a rare
      steroidal alkaloid solanopubamine in six species of Solanum grown in Saudi
      Arabia.
AB  - The present study describes a method developed for quantification and stability
      study of a rare steroidal alkaloid solanopubamine (SPN) in aerial parts of six
      different species of genus Solanum extracted with two different solvents. The
      Solanum species selected for investigation include S. schimperianum (SS), S.
      villosum (SV), S. coagulans (SC), S. glabratum (SG), S. incanum (SI) and S.
      nigrum (SN). The estimation of SPN was done by a validated high-performance thin
      layer chromatography method. The developed chromatographic system was found to
      give a sharp spot for solanopubamine at Rf  = 0.39 +/- 0.01. The steroidal
      alkaloid SPN was observed to be present only in extracts of aerial parts of S.
      schimperianum. The sensitivity of developed method produced 40 ng and 115 ng band
      1, respectively as LOD and LOQ values. The percentage yield of SPN in aerial
      parts of S. schimperianum extracted by ethanol (95%) only and a mixture of
      ethanol and ammonium hydroxide (6:4) was found to be 1.03 w/w and 2.09 w/w,
      respectively. Stability studies of SPN exhibited the maximum (100%) degradation
      in an alkaline environment and H2O2 treated samples and 61.4% in acidic
      conditions. The SPN was found to be significantly stable against UV exposure,
      photo-oxidation and at room temperature while 13.83% and 57.88% destruction has
      been observed when exposed to dry heat at 40  degrees C and 60  degrees C,
      respectively.

PMID- 28344465
TI  - The Pharmacological Potential of Rutin.
AB  - The contemporary scientific community has presently recognized flavonoids to be a
      unique class of therapeutic molecules due to their diverse therapeutic
      properties. Of these, rutin, also known as vitamin P or rutoside, has been
      explored for a number of pharmacological effects. Tea leaves, apples, and many
      more possess rutin as one of the active constituents. Today, rutin has been
      observed for its nutraceutical effect. The present review highlights current
      information and health-promoting effects of rutin. Along with this, safety
      pharmacology issues and SAR of the same have also been discussed.

PMID- 28344469
TI  - Acute toxicity profiling of the ethyl acetate fraction of Swietenia macrophylla
      seeds and in-vitro neuroprotection studies.
AB  - Swietenia macrophylla (SM) is a medicinally important plant found in tropical and
      subtropical regions of the world. The ethyl acetate fraction of the seeds of S.
      macrophylla (SMEAF) is reported to exhibit potent anticancer, antitumor, anti
      inflammatory and antifeedant activities. Till date, there have been no studies
      reported on the acute oral toxicity profile of the ethyl acetate fraction of the
      seeds of SM. The objective of the present study was to determine the acute
      toxicity of SMEAF and evaluate the in-vitro neuroprotective activity of SMEAF
      using primary neuronal cell cultures. In acute oral toxicity study, the SMEAF did
      not produce any lethal signs of morbidity and mortality. Histo-pathological
      findings, support the safety of SMEAF, as there were no significant changes
      observed in any of the parameters studied. Based on the results obtained in MTT
      assay, we infer that SMEAF has a significant neuroprotective effect, as it
      increased the cell viability and exhibited protection to the neuronal cells
      against TBHP induced oxidative stress. Thus, SMEAF can be suggested for use in
      the development of herbal drug formulations with neuroprotective potential.

PMID- 28344470
TI  - Prolonged exposure of colon cancer cells to 5-fluorouracil nanoparticles improves
      its anticancer activity.
AB  - In this study, we aimed to improve the anticancer effect of 5-FU on human colon
      cancer cell lines by incorporating in poly(d,l lactic-co-glycolic acid) (PLGA)
      nanoparticles (NPs). The 5-FU-PLGA NPs were prepared by nanoprecipitation
      technique. Prepared NPs were moderately dispersed with an average diameter of 133
      +/- 25.19 nm. Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM) images revealed spherical
      structures with subtle surface irregularity. Free 5-FU dose-response curves were
      constructed (12.5-2000 MUM) using MTT assay on HCT 116 and HT-29 cell lines for
      1, 3, and 5 days. The calculated IC50 on HCT 116 were 185 MUM after 1 day, 11.3
      MUM after 3 days, and 1.48 MUM after 5 days. On HT-29, IC50 was only reached
      after 5 days of 5-FU treatment (11.25 MUM). The HCT 116 viability following
      treatment with 100 MUM 5-FU in free or NPs forms for 3 days was 38.8% and 18.6%,
      respectively. Similarly, when 250 MUM was applied, HCT 116 viability was 17.03%
      and 14.6% after treatment with free and NPs forms of 5-FU, respectively.
      Moreover, HT-29 cell viability after 250 MUM 5-FU treatment in free or NPs forms
      was 55.45% and 34.01%, respectively. We also noticed that HCT 116 cells were more
      sensitive to 5-FU-PLGA NPs as compared to HT-29 cells. Overall, our data indicate
      that 5-FU activity is time dependent and the prolonged effects created by PLGA
      NPs may contribute, at least in part, to the noticed enhancement of the
      anticancer activity of 5-FU drug.

PMID- 28344471
TI  - Synthesis and evaluation of anticancer activity of 6-pyrazolinylcoumarin
      derivatives.
AB  - A series of novel 6-pyrazolinylcoumarins has been synthesized via multi-step
      protocol. The synthetic procedure was based on the acetylation of
      hydroxycoumarins; Fries rearrangement and Claisen-Schmidt condensation; the
      target 6-[5-aryl-4,5-dihydropyrazol-3-yl]-5-hydroxy-7-methylcoumarins (33-49)
      were obtained under reactions of hydrazine and 2-aryl-5-methyl-2,3
      dihydropyrano[2,3-f]chromen-4,8-diones as the last phase of the protocol.
      Anticancer activity screening in NCI60-cell lines assay allowed identification of
      compound 47 with the highest level of antimitotic activity with mean GI50 value
      of 10.20 MUM and certain sensitivity profile toward the Leukemia cell lines CCRF
      CEM and MOLT-4 (GI50/TGI values 1.88/5.06 MUM and 1.92/4.04 MUM respectively).

PMID- 28344473
TI  - d-alpha-tocopherol nanoemulsions: Size properties, rheological behavior, surface
      tension, osmolarity and cytotoxicity.
AB  - The aim of this study was the assessment of the physicochemical stability of d
      alpha-tocopherol formulated in medium chain triglyceride nanoemulsions,
      stabilized with Tween(r)80 and Lipoid(r)S75 as surfactant and co-surfactant,
      respectively. d-alpha-tocopherol was selected as active ingredient because of its
      well-recognized interesting anti-oxidant properties (such as radical scavenger)
      for food and pharmaceutical industries. A series of nanoemulsions of mean droplet
      size below 90 nm (polydispersity index < 0.15) have been produced by high
      pressure homogenization, and their surface electrical charge (zeta potential),
      pH, surface tension, osmolarity, and rheological behavior, were characterized as
      a function of the d-alpha-tocopherol loading. In vitro studies in Caco-2 cell
      lines confirmed the safety profile of the developed nanoemulsions with percentage
      of cell viability above 90% for all formulations.

PMID- 28344472
TI  - Prevalence of UDP-glucuronosyltransferase polymorphisms (UGT1A6*2, 1A7*12, 1A8*3,
      1A9*3, 2B7*2, and 2B15*2) in a Saudi population.
AB  - Glucuronidation is an important phase II pathway responsible for many endogenous
      substances and drug metabolism. The present work evaluated allele frequencies of
      certain UDP-glucuronosyl-transferases (UGT 1A6*2, A7*12, A8*3, A9*3, 2B7*2, and
      2B15*2) in Saudi Arabians that could provide essential ethnic information. Blood
      samples from 192 healthy unrelated Saudi males of various geographic regions were
      collected. Genomic DNA was isolated and genotyping of various UGTs was carried
      out using polymerase chain reaction (PCR) followed by direct sequencing. For
      UGT1A6*2 A/G genotype, the most common variant was the homozygous repeat (AA) and
      the most common allele was (A) with a frequency of 46.5% and 67.3%, respectively.
      Similarly, the most common variant for UGT1A7*12 T/C genotype was the
      heterozygous repeat (TC) with a frequency of 78.7% while the mutant allele (C)
      was present in 60.6% of the study population. Both UGT1A8*3 (G/A) and UGT1A9*3
      (T/C) showed only a wild homozygous pattern in all screened subjects. For
      UGT2B7*2, the heterozygous repeat (TC) was found with a frequency of 57.3% and
      the alleles (A) showed a frequency of 50.8%. In contrast, for UGT2B15*2 (G253T),
      the heterozygous repeat (TG) presented 62.3% of the subjects where the most
      common allele (G) was with a frequency of 66.2%. In conclusion, our data indicate
      that Saudis harbor some important UGT mutations known to affect enzyme activity.
      Additional studies are therefore, warranted to assess the clinical implications
      of these gene polymorphisms in this ethnic group.

PMID- 28344474
TI  - Biologically-guided isolation of leishmanicidal secondary metabolites from
      Euphorbia peplus L.
AB  - Leishmaniasis is a worldwide health problem, highly endemic in developing
      countries. Moreover, the severe side effects and the reported drug resistance
      make it an urgent need to search for effective drugs that can replace or
      supplement those currently used. In a research program designed to investigate
      the antileishmanial activity of plants collected from the Egyptian flora, twenty
      extracts from fifteen plants growing in Egypt have been investigated for in vitro
      leishmanicidal activity against Leishmania donovani promastigotes. Among the
      tested extracts, the methanol extract of Euphorbia peplus aerial parts exhibited
      a significant antileishmanial activity as it produced 100% inhibition of growth
      with activity similar to amphotericin B. The total extract was subjected to
      liquid-liquid fractionation using solvents of different polarities, followed by
      testing the antileishmanial activity of the successive fractions. Phytochemical
      exploration of the active n-hexane fraction (which produced 75% inhibition of
      growth) led to isolation of four compounds: simiarenol (1), 1-hexacosanol (2),
      beta-sitosterol (3), and beta-sitosterol-3-O-glucoside (4) from the biologically
      active sub-fractions. Structure elucidation was aided by 1D and 2D NMR
      techniques. In conclusion, E. peplus plant has many non-polar secondary
      metabolites that can be used as drug leads for treatment of leishmaniasis.

PMID- 28344475
TI  - Antiproliferative and apoptotic effect of Morus nigra extract on human prostate
      cancer cells.
AB  - Background: Morus nigra L. belongs to the family Moraceae and is frequently used
      in traditional medicine. Numerous studies have investigated the antiproliferative
      effects of various extracts of different Morus species, but studies involving the
      in vitro cytotoxic effect of M. nigra extract are very limited. The purpose of
      this study was to evaluate the phenolic composition and antioxidant activity of
      dimethyl sulfoxide extract of M. nigra (DEM) and to investigate, for the first
      time, the probable cytotoxic effect in human prostate adenocarcinoma (PC-3) cells
      together with the mechanism involved. Methods: Total polyphenolic contents (TPC),
      ferric reducing antioxidant power (FRAP) and phenolic compounds of DEM were
      evaluated using spectrophotometric procedures and HPLC. The cytotoxic effect of
      DEM on PC-3 cells was revealed using the MTT assay. Mechanisms involved in the
      cytotoxic effect of DEM on PC-3 cells were then investigated in terms of
      apoptosis, mitochondrial membrane potential and cell cycle using flow cytometry,
      while caspase activity was investigated using luminometric analysis. Results: TPC
      and FRAP values were 20.7 +/- 0.3 mg gallic acid equivalents and 48.8 +/- 1.6 mg
      trolox equivalents per g sample, respectively. Ascorbic acid and chlorogenic acid
      were the major phenolic compounds detected at HPLC analysis. DEM arrested the
      cell cycle of PC-3 cells at the G1 phase, induced apoptosis via increased caspase
      activity and reduced mitochondrial membrane potential. Conclusions: Our results
      indicate that M. nigra may be a novel candidate for the development of new
      natural product based therapeutic agents against prostate cancer.

PMID- 28344476
TI  - Effect of Pelargonidin isolated from Ficus benghalensis L. on phenotypic changes
      in zebrafish (Danio rerio) embryos.
AB  - In the present study, the extraction and isolation of Pelargonidin, an
      anthocyanin compound from stem bark of Ficus benghalensis are described. The
      study also involves evaluation of the effect of Pelargonidin on phenotypic
      variations in zebra fish embryos. Extraction and isolation of Pelargonidin were
      carried out by employing liquid-liquid extraction technique, phytochemical tests,
      column chromatography, UV and FT-IR. In the zebra fish embryo model, Paclitaxel
      was employed as a negative control. A series of phenotypic changes in different
      stages of embryonic development were studied with treatment concentrations of
      Pelargonidin between 3.0 and 20 ppm at 0-72-hour post-fertilization (hpf). The
      results of our studies indicate that, after exposure of zebra fish embryos to 3.3
      20 ppm concentration of Pelargonidin for 72 h, a significant reduction in aortic
      development occurs. At the dose level of 0.5 ppm Paclitaxel and Pelargonidin in
      the dose range between 3.3 and 20 ppm, the zebra fish embryos were found to have
      bent tail, malformed eyes and developmental delays in vasculature. Based on the
      results obtained, we infer that Pelargonidin can exhibit phenotypic anti
      angiogenic variations in embryonic stage of fish embryos and it can be applied in
      future for exploration of its anti-angiogenic potential. Furthermore,
      Pelargonidin could serve as a candidate drug for in vivo inhibition of
      angiogenesis and can be applied for the treatment of neovascular diseases and
      tumor.

PMID- 28344477
TI  - Development and characterization of methoxy poly(ethylene oxide)-block
      poly(epsilon-caprolactone) (PEO-b-PCL) micelles as vehicles for the
      solubilization and delivery of tacrolimus.
AB  - Tacrolimus is a potent immunosuppressant; however, it suffers from several
      problems such as poor water solubility (4-12 MUg/mL), low and variable oral
      bioavailability in patients, and narrow therapeutic window that could not be
      solved by the currently available i.v. formulation (Prograf(r)). Moreover,
      Prograf(r) contains HCO-60 (PEGylated castor oil) as a surfactant, which is
      reported to cause several side effects including hypersensitivity reactions.
      Therefore, the aim of the present study was to investigate the potential of PEO-b
      PCL polymeric micelles as alternative vehicles for the solubilization and
      delivery of tacrolimus. Four PEO-b-PCL block copolymers, with different molecular
      weights of PCL, were synthesized by ring opening polymerization of epsilon
      caprolactone using methoxy polyethylene oxide (5,000 g mol-1) as initiator and
      stannous octoate as catalyst. Synthesized copolymers were characterized for their
      average molecular weights and polydispersity index by 1H NMR and gel permeation
      chromatography (GPC), respectively. Drug-free micelles of PEO-b-PCL were prepared
      through a co-solvent evaporation method using acetone as the organic co-solvent.
      Tacrolimus-loaded micelles were prepared using the same method with different
      initial amounts of drug. Prepared micelles were characterized for their mean
      diameter size and polydispersity of the micellar population by dynamic light
      scattering, and an HPLC assay was used to determine the encapsulation efficiency
      of tacrolimus. The average molecular weights of the synthesized copolymers were
      in the range of 8,400-28,000 with narrow distributions (PDI = 1.06-1.11). The
      copolymers were designated according to the degree of polymerization of epsilon
      caprolactone, namely PEO114-b-PCL30, PEO114-b-PCL60, PEO114-b-PCL120, and PEO114
      b-PCL200. All the prepared micelles were having diameters sizes less than 100 nm
      with narrow distributions. The highest drug solubilization was achieved with
      PEO114-b-PCL120, where the aqueous solubility of tacrolimus exceeded 300 MUg/mL.
      Our results show a potential for PEO-b-PCL micelles as solubilizing vehicles for
      the delivery of tacrolimus.

PMID- 28344478
TI  - Synthesis and antimicrobial properties of 4-acylaminobenzenethiosulfoacid S
      esters.
AB  - A series of esters of 4-acetyl, 4-trifluoroacetyl- and 4-(3
      chloropropionyl)aminobenzenethiosulfoacids (twenty-four compounds) were
      synthesized and characterized by elemental analysis, 1H NMR and IR spectroscopy.
      The antibacterial activity of the novel candidates has been screened using the
      agar diffusion or serial dilution methods against representative Gram-positive
      (Staphylococcus aureus, Bacillus subtilis, Bacillus mesentericus, Mycobacterium
      sp., Mycobacterium luteum), Gram-negative (Aeromonas sp., Burkholderia cepacia,
      Alcaligenes faecalis, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Escherichia coli, Proteus vulgaris)
      bacteria and fungi (Candida albicans, Candida tenuis, Candida glabrata,
      Verticillium dahliae, Trichophyton gypseum, Aspergillus niger, Aspergillus
      fumigatus, Penicillium chrysogenum). Particular potency has been discovered
      against all tested pathogenic bacteria and fungi by compounds 1l and 3l at
      nanomolar concentrations. Some appropriate effect of thiosulfoesters structure
      upon their antimicrobial activity was determined.

PMID- 28344479
TI  - Synthesis of chalcone incorporated quinazoline derivatives as anticancer agents.
AB  - A series of ten novel chalcone incorporated quinazoline derivatives (11a-11j)
      were designed and synthesized. All the synthesized compounds were evaluated for
      their anticancer activities against four human cancer cell lines (A549, HT-29,
      MCF-7 and A375). Among them, four compounds, 11f, 11g, 11i and 11j showed more
      potent anticancer activity than the control drug, Combretastatin - A4.

PMID- 28344480
TI  - Changing paradigms in bioequivalence trials submitted to the EMA for evaluation -
      A clinical and regulatory perspective.
AB  - BACKGROUND: The selection of a robust bioequivalence (BE) study designs for
      registering a generic product remains still a hard task. This task is still
      challenging despite the fact that generic products are much needed by health care
      providers in economical terms. Thus, BE study designs could be a means to allow
      companies to reduce costs and reach the market earlier. We therefore investigated
      whether different approaches in various products assessed by the European
      Medicines Agency during the approval phase resulted in a reduction in resources
      required to show bioequivalence for different medicinal products. METHODS:
      European Public Assessment Reports (EPARs) for off-patent medicinal products
      authorised within the European Union (EU) through the centralised procedure
      during the period 2007-2015 were retrieved and reviewed to identify the clinical
      studies that resulted in fewer number of subjects, the number of centres or trial
      duration versus the two-period crossover design. RESULTS: 7 studies out of 108
      were considered as having benefitted from having a different design. Differences
      noted included having a different dose allocation scheme, having a different
      number of dosing periods, having a different number of treatment arms, and having
      one study evaluating different strengths. Benefits noted included a decrease in
      the number of subjects and centres required, decreases in study duration and a
      reduced number of studies required to demonstrate bioequivalence. CONCLUSION:
      Bioequivalence studies can be designed in a specific manner to require fewer
      resources to carry out. Fewer resources required to register a medicinal product,
      could impart an advantage to companies (such as to be first on the market) or
      could even translate to making medicines more accessible (such as cheaper) to
      patients.

PMID- 28344481
TI  - Stability of erythropoietin repackaging in polypropylene syringes for clinical
      use.
AB  - Introduction: Epoetin alfa (Eprex(r)) is a subcutaneous, injectable formulation
      of short half-life recombinant human erythropoietin (rHuEPO). To current
      knowledge there are no published studies regarding the stability of rHuEPO once
      repackaging occurs (r-EPO) for clinical trial purposes. Materials and methods: We
      assessed EPO concentration in Eprex(r) and r-EPO syringes at 0, 60, 90, and 120
      days after repackaging in polypropylene syringes. R-EPO was administered to 56
      patients taking part in a clinical trial in Friedreich Ataxia. Serum EPO levels
      were measured at baseline and 48 h after r-EPO administration. Results: No
      differences were found between r-EPO and Eprex(r) syringes, but both globally
      decreased in total EPO content during storage at 4  degrees C. Patients receiving
      r-EPO had similar levels in EPO content as expected from previous trials in
      Friedreich Ataxia and from pharmacokinetics studies in healthy volunteers.
      Discussion: We demonstrate that repackaging of EPO does not alter its
      concentration if compared to the original product (Eprex(r)). This is true both
      for repackaging procedures and for the stability in polypropylene tubes. The
      expiration date of r-EPO can be extended from 1 to 4 months after repackaging, in
      accordance with pharmacopeia rules.

PMID- 28344482
TI  - The genetic profiles of CYP1A1, CYP1A2 and CYP2E1 enzymes as susceptibility
      factor in xenobiotic toxicity in Turkish population.
AB  - Evaluation and sequencing of heritable alterations in the human genome and the
      large-scale identification of gene polymorphism for understanding the genetic
      background of individuals in response to potential toxicants are provided by
      toxicogenetics. Cytochrome P450 (CYP) enzymes play role not only phase I
      dependent metabolism of xenobiotics but also metabolism of endogenous compounds.
      CYP1A1, CYP1A2 and CYP2E1 enzymes, which are in phase I enzymes, are responsible
      for metabolic activation and detoxification of several chemical compounds. In the
      present study, it was determined the genotype and allele frequency of CYP1A1*2A,
      CYP1A2*1C, CYP1A2*1F, CYP2E1 and CYP2E1*6, very common and functional single
      nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs), in Turkish healthy volunteers. It is believed
      that the determination of polymorphisms in the enzymes may be beneficial to
      prevent and reduce and adverse effects and death in response to drugs. The allele
      frequencies of these genes were 24%, 9%, 33%, 42%, and 12%, respectively. In the
      present study, the genotype profile of Turkish population was determined about
      critical enzymes for xenobiotic metabolism. It is suggested that the obtained
      results might be beneficial in order to dose adjustment of drugs and prevention
      of adverse reactions, and further investigation about mentioned enzymes and their
      polymorphisms.

PMID- 28344483
TI  - Pharmacovigilance system in Saudi Arabia.
AB  - Pharmacovigilance plays an important role in ensuring that patients are receiving
      safe drugs. In Saudi Arabia, Saudi Food and Drug Authority, health institutions,
      marketing authorization holders and healthcare professional are involved in
      pharmacovigilance activities regardless of the level of the involvement. Although
      pharmacovigilance is well established in developed nations and it is considered a
      new concept in Saudi Arabia. It is a collective effort from various stakeholders
      to make pharmacovigilance successful toward promoting safe and effective use of
      medicines among the population. However, the practice of pharmacovigilance still
      needs more attention especially from marketing authorization holders and
      healthcare professionals. The aim of this review was to describe the current
      situation of pharmacovigilance in Saudi Arabia and the activities that have been
      conducted by the stakeholders.

PMID- 28344484
TI  - The prevalence extent of Complementary and Alternative Medicine (CAM) use among
      Saudis.
AB  - Introduction: There is worldwide interest in the use of CAM. Studying CAM in
      Saudi population is important as it will reflect the influence of psychosocial,
      cultural and religious factors on health beliefs and behaviors. The objective of
      this study was to present an updated review on the use of CAM practices in Saudi
      Arabia including commonly used types, common conditions for which it has been
      used and who uses CAM. Methods: This review used data from national surveys
      conducted in Saudi Arabia and published between 2000 and 2015. The literature
      search was performed considering standards adopted such as Moose guidelines for
      observational studies. Two authors independently reviewed each article. The
      search yielded 73 articles, and a total of 36 articles were included. Further
      careful data extraction was carried out by two independents reviewers. Results:
      Most of the reviewed studies were cross-sectional in design and were published
      between 2014 and 2015, and mostly in Riyadh region. Substantial difference in the
      findings for the patterns of CAM use was revealed. The most commonly employed
      practice was of spiritual type such as prayer and reciting Quran alone or on
      water. Other types include herbs (8-76%), honey (14-73%) and dietary products (6
      82%). Cupping (Alhijamah) was least used (4-45%). Acupuncture was more practiced
      among professionals. Conclusion: The utilization of CAM is widely practiced in
      Saudi Arabia. There is need for efforts to promote research in the field of CAM
      to address each practice individually. Population surveys should be encouraged
      supported by mass media to raise knowledge and awareness about the practice of
      different CAM modalities. The national center of CAM should play a major role in
      these efforts.

PMID- 28344486
TI  - Antibiotic prophylaxis in organophosphorus poisoning: A study of health and
      economic outcomes.
AB  - Objective: Organophosphorus poisoning (OPP) is a major concern for developing
      countries. There are no guidelines for the prophylactic use of antibiotics in the
      management of OPP which in such critical cases might add to the economic burden
      of the patients as well as antibiotic resistance. We compared the health and
      economic outcomes in patients prescribed with prophylactic antibiotics with
      respect to the patients not prescribed with any antibiotics. Methods: A
      retrospective observational study was carried out for two years for patients
      admitted to ICU with OPP. Patients were graded for severity of OPP, and divided
      into two groups based on prophylactic prescription and no prescription of
      antibiotics. The length of stay (LOS), hospitalization cost and outcomes were
      measured and compared between the two groups using statistical tests. Results:
      Out of the 254 patients observed, 108 were prescribed with prophylactic
      antibiotics and 94 were not prescribed with any antibiotic. There was a
      significant difference between LOS, cost of treatment and outcomes in the two
      groups (p < 0.001). When antibiotics were not prescribed, the odds of improvement
      was 1.854 times higher compared to those who received prophylactic antibiotics
      although after adjusting for severity of poisoning, significance was lost. On an
      average, 2-3 antibiotics were prescribed to every patient in the first group.
      Conclusion: OPP is an important health concern where issues of antibiotic misuse
      and overuse are practiced. Our study suggested that systemic antibiotic
      prophylaxis did not offer any advantage over non-use of any antibiotics in
      patients with OPP.

PMID- 28344487
TI  - Synthesis, characterization and biological evaluation of novel 2,5 substituted
      1,3,4 oxadiazole derivatives.
AB  - In the present study, a series of 3-(5-cyclohexyl-1,3,4-oxadiazol-2-yl)-N
      substituted aniline have been synthesized by multistep reaction scheme.
      Benzohydrazide was used as the starting material. The structures of all
      synthesized compounds are characterized and confirmed by FT-IR, 1H and C13 NMR
      and mass spectral studies with the intention of developing the novel biologically
      active compounds. All title synthetic compounds were screened for their
      antidiabetic, anti-inflammatory and anticancer activities.

PMID- 28344488
TI  - Direct and enhanced delivery of nanoliposomes of anti schizophrenic agent to the
      brain through nasal route.
AB  - The problem of inadequate oral bioavailability of Quetiapine Fumarate, a
      lipophilic drug used for schizophrenia, due to hepatic metabolism and repulsion
      by brain barrier was attempted in this study. Combination of two approaches, viz.
      Quetiapine inclusion into the liposomal carrier for better diffusion and
      administration through nasal route to avoid hepatic metabolism and barrier
      elimination was applied. Thin film hydration followed by sonication method was
      employed in liposome preparation and the formulation was optimized using 32 full
      factorial design. The number of sonication cycles (X1) of 2 min and 80% amplitude
      and molar ratio of constructional components such as cholesterol to egg
      phosphatidylcholine (X2) as independent variables and a % of entrapment
      efficiency (Y1) and cumulative in vitro drug release (Y2) at 6 h as dependent
      variables was selected. Batch F7 prepared by 2 cycles of sonication and 1:3 M
      ratio of cholesterol:egg phosphatidylcholine was optimized as a consequence of
      substantial entrapment efficiency of 75.63 +/- 3.77%, and 99.92 +/- 1.88% drug
      release and 32.33 +/- 1.53% drug diffusion, which was optimum among all other
      batches at 6 h. Diffusion study was done for all the batches of liposomal
      formulation by using sheep nasal mucosa and good amount with better diffusion
      rate was measured which proved liposomal dispersion a virtuous delivery system
      for brain drug delivery through nasal route. Results of in vivo, ciliotoxicity
      and gamma scintigraphy studies on mice supported the above inference.

PMID- 28344489
TI  - Utilization of gel electrophoreses for the quantitative estimation of digestive
      enzyme papain.
AB  - SDS-PAGE densitometric method for analysis of papain in pharmaceutical
      formulations was developed and validated for the first time. Standard and samples
      were mixed with SDS sample buffer and denatured at 95  degrees C for 5 min and
      the gel was run at 20 mA and 200 V for 30-40 min in SDS-PAGE buffer. Gels were
      stained in Coomassie blue solution and distained by 5% methanol and 10% acetic
      acid. Destained gels were imaged and analyzed using the ChemiDocTM XRS+ System.
      Bands of papain appeared at Rf value 0.78 +/- 0.03 corresponding to molecular
      weight 23406 Da between proteins with molecular weight 31,000 and 21,500 Da of
      the broad range protein standard. The generated calibration curve was used for
      quantitative estimation of papain in pharmaceutical formulations. The developed
      method was validated for precision, accuracy, specificity and robustness as
      described by the ICH guidelines. The proposed method gives an alternative
      approach for enzymes and protein analysis.

PMID- 28344485
TI  - Biochemical and molecular modulation of CCl4-induced peripheral and central
      damage by Tilia americana var. mexicanaextracts.
AB  - Around the world, species from the genus Tilia are commonly used because of their
      peripheral and central medicinal effects; they are prepared as teas and used as
      tranquilizing, anticonvulsant, and analgesic agents. In this study, we provide
      evidence of the protective effects of organic and aqueous extracts (100 mg/kg,
      i.p.) obtained from the leaves of Tilia americana var. mexicana on CCl4-induced
      liver and brain damage in the rat. Protection was observed in the liver and brain
      (cerebellum, cortex and cerebral hemispheres) by measuring the activity of
      antioxidant enzymes and levels of malondialdehyde (MDA) using spectrophotometric
      methods. Biochemical parameters were also assessed in serum samples from the CCl4
      treated rats. The T. americana var. mexicana leaf extracts provided significant
      protection against CCl4-induced peripheral and central damage by increasing the
      activity of antioxidant enzymes, diminishing lipid peroxidation, and preventing
      alterations in biochemical serum parameters, such as the levels of aspartate
      aminotransferase (AST), alanine aminotransferase (ALT), alkaline phosphatase
      (ALP), gamma-globulin (gamma-GLOB), serum albumin (ALB), total bilirubin (BB),
      creatinine (CREA) and creatine kinase (CK), relative to the control group.
      Additionally, we correlated gene expression with antioxidant activity in the
      experimental groups treated with the organic and aqueous Tilia extracts and
      observed a non-statistically significant positive correlation. Our results
      provide evidence of the underlying biomedical properties of T. americana var.
      mexicana that confer its neuro- and hepatoprotective effects.

PMID- 28344490
TI  - Comparison of physicochemical properties of suppositories containing starch
      hydrolysates.
AB  - The purpose of this work was to determine the effect of starch hydrolysates (SH)
      on the physicochemical properties of suppositories. The study was conducted with
      suppositories with acetaminophen (AAP) a typical antipyretic analgesic, as model
      drug on lipophilic (cocoa butter) and hydrophilic base (polyethylene glycol 1500
      + 400). The suppositories with and without the addition of SH were examined for
      physicochemical tests according to European Pharmacopoeia 8th edition (Ph. Eur.):
      the uniformity of mass of single-dose preparation test, the softening time
      determination of lipophilic suppositories test, the disintegration of
      suppositories test, and dissolution test with flow-through apparatus. The results
      confirm the possibility of using starch hydrolysates as a cheap and safe addition
      to modify physicochemical properties of suppositories.

PMID- 28344491
TI  - Effect of Aster tataricus on production of inflammatory mediators in LPS
      stimulated rat astrocytoma cell line (C6) and THP-1 cells.
AB  - Neuroinflammation is the commonest cause of neurodegenerative diseases such as
      Alzheimer's disease. Present investigation evaluates the inhibitory effect of
      ethanolic root extract of Aster tataricus (AS) on inflammatory mediators
      production in lipopolysaccharide (LPS) stimulated C6 cells. C6 cells were treated
      with AS (20 and 40 mg/kg) and nimesulide (NSL, 1.5 MUg/ml) for 1 day. Thereafter
      various parameters such as production of ROS, release of nitrite, MDA,
      glutathione level and NF-kappaB translocation were estimated in C6 cell lines.
      Effect of AS was estimated on the expressions of tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF
      alpha) of human monocytic leukemia cell line (THP-1). It was observed that AS (20
      and 40 mg/ml) treated group shows significant (p < 0.01) decrease in production
      of ROS, Nitrite release and MDA level in LPS activated C6 cell lines compared to
      negative control group. Moreover, treatment with it decreases glutathione level
      and inhibits the translocation of NF-kappaB in LPS activated C6 cell lines
      compared to negative control group. There were significant (p < 0.01) decreases
      in expression of TNF-alpha in AS treated group compared to negative control group
      in THP-1 cell lines. Present investigation concludes the anti neuroinflammatory
      effect of ethanolic extract of AS root by decreasing oxidative stress and
      attenuates the cytokine.

PMID- 28344492
TI  - CYP2C9, CYPC19 and CYP2D6 gene profiles and gene susceptibility to drug response
      and toxicity in Turkish population.
AB  - Pharmacogenetics is a vast field covering drug discovery research, the genetic
      basis of pharmacokinetics and dynamics, genetic testing and clinical management
      in diseases. Pharmacogenetic approach usually focuses on variations of drug
      transporters, drug targets, drug metabolizing enzymes and other biomarker genes.
      Cytochrome P450 (CYP) enzymes, an essential source of variability in drug
      response, play role in not only phase I-dependent metabolism of xenobiotics but
      also metabolism of endogenous compounds such as steroids, vitamins and fatty
      acids. CYP2C9, CYP2C19 and CYP2D6 enzymes being highly polymorphic are
      responsible for metabolism of a variety of drug groups. In the study, it was
      determined the genotype and allele frequency of CYP2C9*2, CYP2C19*3, CYP2C19*2,
      CYP2C19*3, CYP2C19*17, CYP2D6*9 and CYP2D6*41, very common and functional single
      nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs), in healthy volunteers. The genotype
      distributions were consistent with the Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium in the
      population (p > 0.05). It is believed that the determination of polymorphisms in
      the enzymes may be beneficial in order to prevention or reduction in adverse
      effects and death. The recessive allele frequencies of CYP2C9*2, CYP2C19*3,
      CYP2C19*2, CYP2C19*3, CYP2C19*17, CYP2D6*9 and CYP2D6*41 were 11, 13, 12, 13, 25,
      4 and 15%, respectively. According to the obtained results, the carriers of
      CYP2D6*9 variant allele should be received higher doses of the drugs metabolizing
      with this enzyme in Turkish population, while the carriers of other variant
      alleles do not generally have any requirement of dose regimen.

PMID- 28344493
TI  - Volatile constituents and biological activities of the leaf and root of Echinacea
      species from South Africa.
AB  - Echinacea is used ethnomedicinally for the treatment of various diseases such as
      cough, respiratory infections, and bronchitis among other uses in Eastern Cape
      region of South Africa. This study evaluated the volatile components of the
      essential oil of the plant, its toxicity, anti-inflammatory and analgesic
      activities in rodents. Dried leaf and root of the plant were separately processed
      by hydrodistillation for 4 h and their essential oils (EOs) were collected.
      Extracted oils were subjected to GC/GC-MS analysis. The essential oil was further
      evaluated for acute toxicity, anti-inflammatory and analgesic activities. The
      toxicity profile of the essential oil was evaluated in mice through the oral
      route (p.o.), and anti-inflammatory activity was evaluated on the carrageenan
      induced edema model in rats at the doses of 100-200 mg/kg, while its analgesic
      effect was evaluated on the acetic acid-induced writhings model in mice at doses
      of 100-200 mg/kg. GC/GC-MS analysis of EOs showed that a number of compounds
      identified in the leaf and root oils were 25 and 31 respectively. The chemical
      compositions of the oils varied and the major compounds identified in the oils
      include germacrene D, naphthalene, caryophyllene oxide, alpha-phellandrene and
      alpha-cadinol. The essential root oil did not cause mortality at the highest dose
      of 5000 mg/kg; hence, its LD50 was estimated to be ?5000 mg/kg, p.o. The anti
      inflammatory test results showed that the essential root oil caused significant
      (p < 0.05-0.01) reduction in edema size compared to the negative control group on
      the carrageenan-induced edema and the results for the analgesic test showed that
      the essential root oil caused significant (p < 0.05) reduction in number of
      writhings at 1000 mg/kg compared to the negative control group. It is concluded
      that root and leaf of this Echinacea species contain volatile oils which varied
      in their yield and chemical compositions. The essential root oil is non-toxic
      orally and it demonstrated significant anti-inflammatory and analgesic activities
      in laboratory animals.

PMID- 28344494
TI  - Prophylactic and curative anti-ulcerogenic activity and the possible mechanisms
      of action of some desert plants.
AB  - The present study aimed to evaluate the anti-ulcerogenic activities and the
      possible mechanisms of action of seven desert plants from different families.
      Conyza dioscoridis (L.) Desf. (Asteraceae), Euphorbia hirta L. (Euphorpiaceae),
      Origanum syriacum L., Salvia lanigera L. (Lamiaceae), Sisymbrium irio L., Solanum
      nigrum Linn. (Solanaceae) and Solenostemma arghel (Del.) Hayne. (Asclepiadaceae),
      were tested using prophylactic and curative models of absolute ethanol-induced
      ulcer, at three doses (125, 250 & 500 mg/kg) of each extract. The investigated
      extracts possessed dose dependent anti-ulcerogenic activities in both models,
      with LD50 higher than 5 g/kg. The most effective extracts were C. dioscoridis and
      S. irio with percent protection of control ulcer; 91.1% and 85.4% respectively.
      The antisecretory activity of both C. dioscoridis and S. irio appears to be
      mainly related to the suppression of gastrin release. The in vitro potential
      radical (DPPH) scavenging activities of the investigated extracts were well
      supported with the reduction in gastric MDA (50.6% and 43.3%) and enhancing the
      level of reduced GSH (2.84, 2.59 mg/g tissue) for C. dioscoridis and S. irio
      respectively. In addition, suppression of the inflammatory mediator TNF-alpha may
      be one of the possible mechanisms of action. The alcohol extracts of C.
      dioscoridis and S. irio showed no alteration on liver and kidney functions.
      Phytochemical screening of the investigated extracts revealed the presence of
      flavonoids, tannins and sterols which could be related to the activities.

PMID- 28344495
TI  - Enantioselective analysis of fluoxetine in pharmaceutical formulations by
      capillary zone electrophoresis.
AB  - Fluoxetine is an antidepressant, a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI)
      used primarily in the treatment of major depression, panic disorder and obsessive
      compulsive disorder. Chiral separation of racemic fluoxetine is necessary due to
      its enantioselective metabolism. In order to develop a suitable method for chiral
      separation of fluoxetine, cyclodextrin (CD) modified capillary electrophoresis
      (CE) was employed. A large number of native and derivatized, neutral and ionized
      CD derivatives were screened to find the optimal chiral selector. As a result of
      this process, heptakis(2,3,6-tri-O-methyl)-beta-CD (TRIMEB) was selected for
      enantiomeric discrimination. A factorial analysis study was performed by
      orthogonal experimental design in which several factors are varied at the same
      time to optimize the separation method. The optimized method (50 mM phosphate
      buffer, pH = 5.0, 10 mM TRIMEB, 15  degrees C, + 20 kV, 50 mbar/1 s, detection at
      230 nm) was successful for baseline separation of fluoxetine enantiomers within 5
      min. Our method was validated according to ICH guidelines and proved to be
      sensitive, linear, accurate and precise for the chiral separation of fluoxetine.

PMID- 28344496
TI  - The impact of formulation attributes and process parameters on black seed oil
      loaded liposomes and their performance in animal models of analgesia.
AB  - This study aimed to formulate black seed oil (Nigella sativa) loaded liposomes
      using the ethanol injection method to enhance oral bioavailability and improve
      therapeutic activity in small animal studies of analgesia. The impact of
      formulation attributes and process parameters on the liposomal system was
      evaluated with key quality attributes being particle size, morphology, and
      entrapment efficiency. The particle size and entrapment efficiency of the
      liposome preparation were found to be between the range of 50-900 nm and 34-87%
      respectively. Particle size distribution data suggested that increasing the
      percentage of oil, up to a certain concentration, reduced the size of the
      liposomes significantly from 520 +/- 81.2 nm to 51.48 +/- 1.31 nm. Stirring and
      injection rate were shown to have marked impact on the average particle size of
      liposome. It was observed that entrapment efficiency of liposomes was greatly
      influenced by the amount of cholesterol and type of cryoprotectant used during
      formulation. The stability study indicated that the liposomal preparation was
      stable at ambient conditions for one month. In vivo studies showed that the
      liposomal preparation demonstrated significant analgesic activity in mice.

PMID- 28344497
TI  - Effect of nitazoxanide on albendazole pharmacokinetics in cerebrospinal fluid and
      plasma in rats.
AB  - Background: Although albendazole is the drug-of-choice for the treatment of
      neurocysticercosis, its efficacy is limited due to its low bioavailability. An
      alternative for optimizing pharmacological treatment is through drug
      combinations. In vitro studies have shown that nitazoxanide and tizoxanide (the
      active metabolite of nitazoxanide) exhibit cysticidal activity and that the
      combination of tizoxanide with albendazole sulfoxide (the active metabolite of
      albendazole) produced an additive effect. Objectives: (1) To assess the
      concentration profile of tizoxanide in plasma and in cerebrospinal fluid; and (2)
      to evaluate the influence of nitazoxanide on the pharmacokinetics of albendazole
      in plasma and in cerebrospinal fluid. Methods: Two different studies were
      conducted. In study 1, 10 male Sprague-Dawley rats received a single oral dose of
      7.5 mg/kg of nitazoxanide and serial blood and cerebrospinal fluid samples were
      collected over a period of 4 h. In study 2, 38 healthy male Sprague-Dawley rats
      were randomly divided into two groups: one of these received a single dose of
      albendazole (15 mg/kg) and, in the other group, albendazole (15 mg/kg) was co
      administered with nitazoxanide (7.5 mg/kg). Plasma and cerebrospinal fluid
      samples were collected from 0 to 16 h after administration. Albendazole sulfoxide
      and tizoxanide levels were assayed by using HPLC or LC/MS techniques. Results: In
      study 1, tizoxanide reached a maximum plasma concentration of 244.42 +/- 31.98
      ng/mL at 0.25 h; however, in cerebrospinal fluid, this could be detected only at
      0.5 h, and levels were below the quantification limit (10 ng/mL). These data
      indicate low permeation of tizoxanide into the blood brain barrier. In study 2,
      Cmax, the area under the curve, and the mean residence time of albendazole
      sulfoxide in plasma and cerebrospinal fluid were not affected by co
      administration with nitazoxanide. Conclusion: The results of the present study
      indicate that in rats at the applied doses, tizoxanide does not permeate into the
      cerebrospinal fluid. Furthermore, nitazoxanide does not appear to alter
      significantly the pharmacokinetics of albendazole in plasma or in cerebrospinal
      fluid.

PMID- 28344499
TI  - New microbial source of the antifungal allylamine "Terbinafine".
AB  - The isolated active compound "F12" from the culture media of the Streptomyces sp.
      KH-F12 was identified using different spectroscopic techniques. Both 1D- and 2D
      NMR as well as HRESIMS were utilized to characterize the structure of the
      isolated compound. 'F12" was found to be the known systemic antifungal drug
      terbinafine marketed under the name "Lamisil". Full analysis of the COSY, HSQC
      and HMBC enables the full assignment of proton and carbon atoms. Terbinafine is a
      synthetic allylamine and is reported here for the first time from natural source.

PMID- 28344498
TI  - Investigation of the in vitro performance difference of drug-Soluplus(r) and drug
      PEG 6000 dispersions when prepared using spray drying or lyophilization.
AB  - PURPOSE: To evaluate the physicochemical and in vitro characteristics of solid
      dispersions using BCS II model drugs with Soluplus(r) and one of its component
      homopolymers, PEG 6000. METHODS: Nifedipine (NIF) and sulfamethoxazole (SMX) of
      99.3% and 99.5% purity, respectively, were selected as BCS II model drugs, such
      that an improved dissolution rate and concentration in the gastrointestinal tract
      should increase oral bioavailability. Soluplus(r) is an amorphous, tri-block,
      graft co-polymer with polyvinyl caprolactam, polyvinyl acetate, and polyethylene
      glycol (PCL:PVAc:PEG6000) in the ratio 57:30:13. PEG 6000 (BASF) is a waxy
      material with melting point of about 60  degrees C. Solid dispersions were
      prepared using lyophilization or spray drying techniques. Dissolution study,
      crystallinity content, and analysis for new chemical bond formation have been
      used to evaluate the dispersed materials. RESULTS: Although each polymer improved
      the drug dissolution rate, dissolution from Soluplus(r) was slower. Enhanced
      dissolution rates were observed with NIF solid dispersions, but the dissolution
      profiles were quite different due to the selected technique, polymer, and
      dissolution medium. For SMX, there was similarity across the dissolution profiles
      despite the medium, polymer, or applied technique. Each polymer was able to
      maintain an elevated drug concentration over the three hour duration of the
      dissolution profile, i.e., supersaturation was supported by the polymer. DSC
      thermograms revealed no melting endotherm, suggesting that the drug is amorphous
      or molecularly dispersed. CONCLUSION: NIF and SMX solid dispersions were
      successfully prepared by spray drying and lyophilization using Soluplus(r) or PEG
      6000. Each polymer enhanced the drug dissolution rate; NIF dissolution rate was
      improved to a greater extent. Dispersions with PEG 6000 had a faster dissolution
      rate due to its hydrophilic nature. DSC analysis showed that no crystalline
      material exists in the dispersions.

PMID- 28344500
TI  - Plant growth and diosgenin enhancement effect of silver nanoparticles in
      Fenugreek (Trigonella foenum-graecum L.).
AB  - Various methods have been used to enhance production of chemically diverse
      phytochemicals especially medicinal natural products. With the advancement in
      nanotechnology, nanoparticles have been reported to have varying impact in plant
      growth and inducibility of phytochemical composition. Major objective of the
      study was to study the secondary metabolite modulatory effect of silver
      nanoparticles. In the current study, treatment of fenugreek seedlings with
      biosynthesized silver nanoparticles (Ag-NPs) was found to have significant impact
      on its growth parameters such as leaf number, root length, shoot length and wet
      weight. On HPLC based analysis, Ag-NPs treated seedlings showed an enhancement in
      the production of major phytochemical diosgenin to a level of 214.06 +/- 17.07
      MUg/mL. An untreated control gave an yield of only 164.44 +/- 7.67 MUg/mL of
      diosgenin, and the observed phytochemical enhancement effect induced by Ag-NP was
      very significant. Most remarkably, the Ag-NP used in the study was found to play
      dual role of enhancement of both plant growth and diosgenin synthesis. Hence the
      study is of immense application as it opens up development of new methods based
      on nanoelicitors to enhance the biosynthesis of medicinal natural products in
      plants.

PMID- 28344501
TI  - Effects of Peripheral Eccentricity and Head Orientation on Gaze Discrimination.
AB  - Visual search tasks support a special role for direct gaze in human cognition,
      while classic gaze judgment tasks suggest the congruency between head orientation
      and gaze direction plays a central role in gaze perception. Moreover, whether
      gaze direction can be accurately discriminated in the periphery using covert
      attention is unknown. In the present study, individual faces in frontal and in
      deviated head orientations with a direct or an averted gaze were flashed for 150
      ms across the visual field; participants focused on a centred fixation while
      judging the gaze direction. Gaze discrimination speed and accuracy varied with
      head orientation and eccentricity. The limit of accurate gaze discrimination was
      less than +/-6 degrees  eccentricity. Response times suggested a processing
      facilitation for direct gaze in fovea, irrespective of head orientation, however,
      by +/-3 degrees  eccentricity, head orientation started biasing gaze judgments,
      and this bias increased with eccentricity. Results also suggested a special
      processing of frontal heads with direct gaze in central vision, rather than a
      general congruency effect between eye and head cues. Thus, while both head and
      eye cues contribute to gaze discrimination, their role differs with eccentricity.

PMID- 28344502
TI  - EMOTIONAL MODULATION OF ATTENTION ORIENTING BY GAZE VARIES WITH DYNAMIC CUE
      SEQUENCE.
AB  - Recent gaze cueing studies using dynamic cue sequences have reported increased
      attention orienting by gaze with faces expressing fear, surprise or anger. Here,
      we investigated whether the type of dynamic cue sequence used impacted the
      magnitude of this effect. When the emotion was expressed before or concurrently
      with gaze shift, no modulation of gaze-oriented attention by emotion was seen. In
      contrast, when the face cue averted gaze before expressing an emotion (as if
      reacting to the object after first localizing it), the gaze orienting effect was
      clearly increased for fearful, surprised and angry faces compared to neutral
      faces. Thus, the type of dynamic sequence used, and in particular the order in
      which the gaze shift and the facial expression are presented, modulate gaze
      oriented attention, with maximal modulation seen when the expression of emotion
      follows gaze shift.

PMID- 28344504
TI  - Stereoselective Synthesis of Functionalized Bicyclic Scaffolds by Passerini 3
      Center-2-Component Reactions of Cyclic Ketoacids.
AB  - We report the use of bifunctional starting materials (ketoacids) in a
      diastereoselective Passerini three-center-two-component reaction. Study of the
      reaction scope revealed the required structural features for stereoselectivity in
      the isocyanide addition. In this system, an interesting isomerization of the
      primary Passerini product - the alpha-carboxamido lactone - into an atypical
      product, an alpha-hydroxy imide, was found to occur under acidic conditions.
      Furthermore, enantioenriched Passerini products can be generated from an
      enantioenriched ketoacid obtained by chemoenzymatic synthesis.

PMID- 28344503
TI  - Metal-Catalysed Azidation of Organic Molecules.
AB  - The azide moiety is a desirable functionality in organic molecules, useful in a
      variety of transformations such as olefin aziridination, C-H bond amination,
      isocyanate synthesis, the Staudinger reaction and the formation of azo compounds.
      To harness the versatility of the azide functionality fully it is important that
      these compounds be easy to prepare, in a clean and cost-effective manner.
      Conventional (non-catalysed) methods to synthesise azides generally require quite
      harsh reaction conditions that are often not tolerant of functional groups. In
      the last decade, several metal-catalysed azidations have been developed in
      attempts to circumvent this problem. These methods are generally faster, cleaner
      and more functional-group-tolerant than conventional methods to prepare azides,
      and can sometimes even be conveniently combined with one-pot follow-up
      transformations of the installed azide moiety. This review highlights metal
      catalysed approaches to azide synthesis, with a focus on the substrate scopes and
      mechanisms, as well as on advantages and disadvantages of the methods. Overall,
      metal-catalysed azidation reactions provide shorter routes to a variety of
      potentially useful organic molecules containing the azide moiety.

PMID- 28344505
TI  - Neutron-skin effect in direct-photon and charged-hadron production in Pb+Pb
      collisions at the LHC.
AB  - A well-established observation in nuclear physics is that in neutron-rich
      spherical nuclei the distribution of neutrons extends farther than the
      distribution of protons. In this work, we scrutinize the influence of this so
      called neutron-skin effect on the centrality dependence of high-[Formula: see
      text] direct-photon and charged-hadron production. We find that due to the
      estimated spatial dependence of the nuclear parton distribution functions, it
      will be demanding to unambiguously expose the neutron-skin effect with direct
      photons. However, when taking a ratio between the cross sections for negatively
      and positively charged high-[Formula: see text] hadrons, even centrality
      dependent nuclear-PDF effects cancel, making this observable a better handle on
      the neutron skin. Up to 10% effects can be expected for the most peripheral
      collisions in the measurable region.

PMID- 28344506
TI  - Characteristics of the new phase in CDT.
AB  - The approach of Causal Dynamical Triangulations (CDT), a candidate theory of
      nonperturbative quantum gravity in 4D, turns out to have a rich phase structure.
      We investigate the recently discovered bifurcation phase [Formula: see text] and
      relate some of its characteristics to the presence of singular vertices of very
      high order. The transition lines separating this phase from the "time-collapsed"
      B-phase and the de Sitter phase [Formula: see text] are of great interest when
      searching for physical scaling limits. The work presented here sheds light on the
      mechanisms behind these transitions. First, we study how the B-[Formula: see
      text] transition signal depends on the volume fixing implemented in the
      simulations, and find results compatible with the previously determined second
      order character of the transition. The transition persists in a transfer matrix
      formulation, where the system's time extension is taken to be minimal. Second, we
      relate the new [Formula: see text]-[Formula: see text] transition to the
      appearance of singular vertices, which leads to a direct physical interpretation
      in terms of a breaking of the homogeneity and isotropy observed in the de Sitter
      phase when crossing from [Formula: see text] to the bifurcation phase [Formula:
      see text].

PMID- 28344507
TI  - Patients' experience of using primary care services in the context of Indonesian
      universal health coverage reforms.
AB  - BACKGROUND: The World Health Organization (WHO) recommendation on universal
      coverage has been implemented in Indonesia as Jaminan Kesehatan Nasional (JKN).
      It was designed to provide people with equitable and high-quality health care by
      strengthening primary care as the gate-keeper to hospitals. However, during its
      first year of implementation, recruitment of JKN members was slow, and the
      referral rates from primary to secondary care remained high. Little is known
      about how the public views the introduction of JKN or the factors that influence
      their decision to enroll in JKN. AIM: This research aimed to explore patients'
      views on the implementation of JKN and factors that influence a person's decision
      to enroll in the JKN scheme. METHODS: This study was informed by interpretative
      phenomenological analysis (IPA) methodology to understand patients' views. The
      interview participants were purposively recruited using maximum variation
      criteria. The data were gathered using in-depth interviews and was conducted in
      Yogyakarta from October to December 2014. The interviews were transcribed,
      translated and analyzed using IPA analysis. RESULT: Twenty three participants
      were interviewed from eight primary care clinics. Three superordinate themes:
      access, trust, and separation anxiety were identified which impacted on the
      uptake of JKN. Participants acknowledged that whilst primary care clinics were
      conveniently located, access was often complicated by long waiting times and
      short opening hours. Participants also expressed lower levels of trust with
      primary care doctors compared to hospital and specialist care. They also reported
      a sense of anxiety that the current JKN regulation might limit their ability to
      access the hospital service guaranteed in the past. DISCUSSION: This study
      identified patients' views that could challenge the implementation of the gate
      keeper role of primary care in Indonesia. While the patients valued the
      availability of medical care close to home, their lack of trust in primary care
      doctors and fear that they might lost the hospital care in the future appears to
      have impacted on the uptake of JKN. Unless targeted efforts are made to address
      these views through sustained public education and further capacity building in
      primary care, it is unlikely that the full potential of the JKN scheme in primary
      care will be realized.

PMID- 28344508
TI  - Quantifying spatial distribution of spurious mixing in ocean models.
AB  - Numerical mixing is inevitable for ocean models due to tracer advection schemes.
      Until now, there is no robust way to identify the regions of spurious mixing in
      ocean models. We propose a new method to compute the spatial distribution of the
      spurious diapycnic mixing in an ocean model. This new method is an extension of
      available potential energy density method proposed by Winters and Barkan (2013).
      We test the new method in lock-exchange and baroclinic eddies test cases. We can
      quantify the amount and the location of numerical mixing. We find high-shear
      areas are the main regions which are susceptible to numerical truncation errors.
      We also test the new method to quantify the numerical mixing in different
      horizontal momentum closures. We conclude that Smagorinsky viscosity has less
      numerical mixing than the Leith viscosity using the same non-dimensional
      constant.

PMID- 28344510
TI  - Interventions for preventing silent cerebral infarcts in people with sickle cell
      disease.
AB  - This is the protocol for a review and there is no abstract. The objectives are as
      follows: To assess the effectiveness of red blood transfusions and hydroxyurea
      alone or in combination and HSCT to reduce or prevent SCI in people with SCD.

PMID- 28344512
TI  - Computerised decision support systems to promote appropriate use of blood
      products.
AB  - This is a protocol for a Cochrane Review (Intervention). The objectives are as
      follows: To assess the effect of computerised decision support systems (DSSs) on
      transfusion practice.

PMID- 28344511
TI  - Interventions for chronic kidney disease in people with sickle cell disease.
AB  - This is the protocol for a review and there is no abstract. The objectives are as
      follows: To assess the effectiveness of any intervention in preventing or
      reducing kidney complications or CKD in people with SCD (including red blood cell
      transfusions, hydroxyurea and ACEI (either alone or in combination with each
      other)).

PMID- 28344514
TI  - Australia's first transition to professional practice in primary care program for
      graduate registered nurses: a pilot study.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Increases in ageing, chronic illness and complex co-morbidities in
      the Australian population are adding pressure to the primary care nursing
      workforce. Initiatives to attract and retain nurses are needed to establish a
      sustainable and skilled future primary care nursing workforce. We implemented a
      transition to professional practice program in general practice settings for
      graduate nurses and evaluated graduate nurse competency, the graduate nurse
      experience and program satisfaction. This study aimed to determine whether a
      transition to professional practice program implemented in the general practice
      setting led to competent practice nurses in their first year post-graduation.
      METHODS: A longitudinal, exploratory mixed-methods design was used to assess the
      pilot study. Data were collected at three times points (3, 6, 12 months) with
      complete data sets from graduate nurses (n = 4) and preceptors (n = 7). We
      assessed perceptions of the graduates' nursing competency and confidence,
      satisfaction with the preceptor/graduate relationship, and experiences and
      satisfaction with the program. Graduate nurse competency was assessed using the
      National Competency Standards for Nurses in General Practice. Semi-structured
      interviews with participants at Time 3 sought information about barriers,
      enablers, and the perceived impact of the program. RESULTS: Graduate nurses were
      found to be competent within their first year of clinical practice. Program
      perceptions from graduate nurses and preceptors were positive and the
      relationship between the graduate nurse and preceptor was key to this
      development. CONCLUSIONS: With appropriate support registered nurses can
      transition directly into primary care and are competent in their first year post
      graduation. While wider implementation and research is needed, findings from this
      study demonstrate the potential value of transition to professional practice
      programs within primary care as a nursing workforce development strategy.

PMID- 28344513
TI  - A final-year nursing student survey: rural attitudes, perceived competencies and
      intention to work across five Asian countries.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Shortages and maldistribution of nurses remain significant problems
      in many countries. Having appropriate intervention strategies to retain nurses in
      underserved areas, where they are most needed, are crucial for health system
      strengthening. This study aimed to quantify attitudes to working in rural areas,
      perceived competencies, and intention to work among final-year nursing students,
      and to analyze the associations between those factors and their background
      characteristics across five countries in the Asia-Pacific Network for Health
      Professional Education Reforms (ANHER), namely Bangladesh, China, India,
      Thailand, and Vietnam. METHODS: A descriptive comparative cross-sectional survey
      was conducted between July 2012 and July 2013, using a self-administered
      questionnaire to assess students' attitudes towards working in rural areas, their
      perceived competencies, and their intended job choices. A total of 10,169 final
      year nursing students in five countries were selected. Bivariate models were
      constructed to compare students' characteristics. Statistically significant
      variables were further analyzed using multivariate models. RESULTS: Most nursing
      students in five countries had rural backgrounds. Students in India (67.1%) and
      Thailand (65.1%) held more positive attitudes towards working in rural areas.
      Students in Bangladesh (78.8%) and India (62.6%) believed that their schools
      prepared them well, and inspired them, to work in rural areas. The 'Lifelong
      learning' competency was ranked highest by students in all five countries,
      ranging from 76.2 to 91.7%. Their perceived competencies were significantly
      related to their background of having graduated from rural high schools and being
      admitted to study through rural recruitment. Rural upbringing and rural
      recruitment were significantly associated with more positive attitudes towards
      rural areas (p-value < 0.5). A majority of students in China (83.8%), Thailand
      (67.7%) and Vietnam (86.5%) intended to work in the public sector immediately
      after graduation. CONCLUSIONS: These findings from five Asian countries confirm
      that nursing students with rural upbringing and recruitment had more positive
      attitudes toward rural areas and were more likely to choose working in rural
      areas after graduation. This study provides additional evidence from country
      implementation to support the value of WHO recommendations of effective
      strategies to address issues of rural retention by focusing on the recruitment of
      students with a rural background.

PMID- 28344515
TI  - Burnout among nurses working in social welfare centers for the disabled.
AB  - BACKGROUND: In the healthcare sector, we often come across the burnout syndrome.
      It is an occupational syndrome which causes, physical and emotional exhaustion.
      More information is needed on the dangers of burnout and how often it occurs in
      healthcare. The purpose of this study was to investigate burnout and factors
      associated with the syndrome among nurses working with people that are mentally
      challenged. METHODS: A cross-sectional survey was conducted, among 180 nurses
      working in public health centers for the disabled in multiple regions of Greece.
      A self-administered questionnaire with questions about socio-demographic and work
      related characteristics was used, as well as the Maslach Burnout Inventory (MBI)
      for burnout assessment. Univariate and multivariate analyzes were performed.
      RESULTS: The burnout dimensions of emotional exhaustion (Mean = 31.36) and
      depersonalization (Mean = 11.27) were at high levels while personal
      accomplishment was at low levels (Mean = 44.02). Female nurses had a higher
      personal accomplishment score (Mean = 44.82, p = 0.047) than men (Mean = 42.10, p
      = 0.047). Marital status, daily routine and relationships with supervisors were
      significantly related with emotional exhaustion and personal accomplishment and
      professional experience with higher levels of emotional exhaustion and
      depersonalization. Reason for professional selection was an independent predictor
      for depersonalization and personal accomplishment, with those that have selected
      the nursing profession randomly or because of the fear of unemployment having
      higher scores. Moderate relationships with colleagues was an independent
      predictor for all burnout dimensions. CONCLUSIONS: Nurses working in services for
      people with intellectual disabilities in Greece show increased burnout levels.
      Burnout can be prevented by offering more opportunities for professional
      advancement and education, new ways to provide supervisor support, provide
      incentives for nurses to initiate or participate in innovative programs. Specific
      training on conflict resolution, collaboration, reinforcement and stress coping
      techniques must be implemented.

PMID- 28344516
TI  - Ulinastatin ameliorates tissue damage of severe acute pancreatitis through
      modulating regulatory T cells.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Ulinastatin or urinary trypsin inhibitor (UTI) has been shown to
      ameliorate the inflammatory response induced by experimental severe acute
      pancreatitis (SAP) and hence reduce the mortality, however the mechanism of its
      action remains incompletely understood. We have investigated the effect of
      ulinastatin on regulatory T-cells (Tregs) in an established rat model of SAP.
      METHODS: We established a rat SAP model by injecting 5% Na-taurocholate into the
      pancreatic duct and treated the SAP rats with ulinastatin with different dose
      level (5000, 10000, 30000 U/kg) through intraperitoneal injection at 0, 6 and 12
      h. RESULTS: We showed that the tissue damage of pancreas and the mortality of the
      SAP rats were significantly reduced by ulinastatin. We also showed that in the
      SAP rats the frequencies of CD4+ T cells and Tregs, as well as the expressions of
      TGF-beta1, CTLA-4, and Foxp3 were decreased in the SAP animals while IL-1beta, IL
      10 and TNF-alpha were significantly increased. Treatment with ulinastatin up
      regulated the proportion of Tregs in CD4+ T cells and the expression of IL-10,
      Foxp3 and CTLA-4 in the SAP rats in a dose dependence fashion, while down
      regulating the levels of L-1beta and TNF-alpha, myeloperoxidase (MPO) activity.
      CONCLUSIONS: Our findings suggest that ulinastatin alleviates inflammatory
      response and tissue damage in SAP rats by increasing the proportion of Tregs. Our
      study provides a new mechanism for the beneficial effect of ulinastatin in SAP
      rat model.

PMID- 28344517
TI  - Economic evaluation of participatory learning and action with women's groups
      facilitated by Accredited Social Health Activists to improve birth outcomes in
      rural eastern India.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Neonatal mortality remains unacceptably high in many low and middle
      income countries, including India. A community mobilisation intervention using
      participatory learning and action with women's groups facilitated by Accredited
      Social Health Activists (ASHAs) was conducted to improve maternal and newborn
      health. The intervention was evaluated through a cluster-randomised controlled
      trial conducted in Jharkhand and Odisha, eastern India. This aims to assess the
      cost-effectiveness this intervention. METHODS: Costs were estimated from the
      provider's perspective and calculated separately for the women's group
      intervention and for activities to strengthen Village Health Sanitation and
      Nutrition Committees (VHNSC) conducted in all trial areas. Costs were estimated
      at 2017 prices and converted to US dollar (USD). The incremental cost
      effectiveness ratio (ICER) was calculated with respect to a do-nothing
      alternative and compared with the WHO thresholds for cost-effective
      interventions. ICERs were calculated for cases of neonatal mortality and
      disability-adjusted life years (DALYs) averted. RESULTS: The incremental cost of
      the intervention was USD 83 per averted DALY (USD 99 inclusive of VHSNC
      strengthening costs), and the incremental cost per newborn death averted was USD
      2545 (USD 3046 inclusive of VHSNC strengthening costs). The intervention was
      highly cost-effective according to WHO threshold, as the cost per life year saved
      or DALY averted was less than India's Gross Domestic Product (GDP) per capita.
      The robustness of the findings to assumptions was tested using a series of one
      way sensitivity analyses. The sensitivity analysis does not change the conclusion
      that the intervention is highly cost-effective. CONCLUSION: Participatory
      learning and action with women's groups facilitated by ASHAs was highly cost
      effective to reduce neonatal mortality in rural settings with low literacy levels
      and high neonatal mortality rates. This approach could effectively complement
      facility-based care in India and can be scaled up in comparable high mortality
      settings.

PMID- 28344518
TI  - Hypogonadism in the HIV-Infected Man.
AB  - Low testosterone levels are frequently observed among men with treated and
      untreated HIV infection. However, the interpretations of biochemical measurements
      of testicular function are challenging and need to be considered in the context
      of the clinical presentation and scenario. The distinction between primary and
      secondary hypogonadism and determination of the underlying clinical
      pathophysiology are not always straightforward. Early recognition of clinical
      hypogonadism and appropriate treatment may improve clinical outcomes and quality
      of life for affected individuals. A principal aim of testosterone replacement is
      to maintain serum testosterone concentrations in the normal physiological range
      and should be considered in clinically symptomatic patients.

PMID- 28344519
TI  - Assessment of REPLI-g Multiple Displacement Whole Genome Amplification (WGA)
      Techniques for Metagenomic Applications.
AB  - Amplification of minute quantities of DNA is a fundamental challenge in low
      biomass metagenomic and microbiome studies because of potential biases in
      coverage, guanine-cytosine (GC) content, and altered species abundances. Whole
      genome amplification (WGA), although widely used, is notorious for introducing
      artifact sequences, either by amplifying laboratory contaminants or by nonrandom
      amplification of a sample's DNA. In this study, we investigate the effect of
      REPLI-g multiple displacement amplification (MDA; Qiagen, Valencia, CA, USA) on
      sequencing data quality and species abundance detection in 8 paired metagenomic
      samples and 1 titrated, mixed control sample. We extracted and sequenced genomic
      DNA (gDNA) from 8 environmental samples and compared the quality of the
      sequencing data for the MDA and their corresponding non-MDA samples. The degree
      of REPLI-g MDA bias was evaluated by sequence metrics, species composition, and
      cross-validating observed species abundance and species diversity estimates using
      the One Codex and MetaPhlAn taxonomic classification tools. Here, we provide
      evidence of the overall efficacy of REPLI-g MDA on retaining sequencing data
      quality and species abundance measurements while providing increased yields of
      high-fidelity DNA. We find that species abundance estimates are largely
      consistent across samples, even with REPLI-g amplification, as demonstrated by
      the Spearman's rank order coefficient (R2 > 0.8). However, REPLI-g MDA often
      produced fewer classified reads at the species, genera, and family level,
      resulting in decreased species diversity. We also observed some areas with the
      PCR "jackpot effect," with varying input DNA values for the Metagenomics Research
      Group (MGRG) controls at specific genomic loci. We visualize this effect in whole
      genome coverage plots and with sequence composition analyses and note these
      caveats of the MDA method. Despite overall concordance of species abundance
      between the amplified and unamplified samples, these results demonstrate that
      amplification of DNA using the REPLI-g method has some limitations. These
      concerns could be addressed by future improvements in the enzymes or methods for
      REPLI-g to be considered a >99% robust method for increasing the amount of high
      fidelity DNA from low-biomass samples or at the very least, accounted for during
      computational analysis of MDA samples.

PMID- 28344521
TI  - Timing of Debridement and Infection Rates in Open Fractures of the Hand: A
      Systematic Review.
AB  - Background: Literature on open fracture infections has focused primarily on long
      bones, with limited guidelines available for open hand fractures. In this study,
      we systematically review the available hand surgery literature to determine
      infection rates and the effect of debridement timing and antibiotic
      administration. Methods: Searches of the MEDLINE, EMBASE, and Cochrane
      computerized literature databases and manual bibliography searches were
      performed. Descriptive/quantitative data were extracted, and a meta-analysis of
      different patient cohorts and treatment modalities was performed to compare
      infection rates. Results: The initial search yielded 61 references. Twelve
      articles (4 prospective, 8 retrospective) on open hand fractures were included
      (1669 open fractures). There were 77 total infections (4.6%): 61 (4.4%) of 1391
      patients received preoperative antibiotics and 16 (9.4%) of 171 patients did not
      receive antibiotics. In 7 studies (1106 open fractures), superficial infections
      (requiring oral antibiotics only) accounted for 86%, whereas deep infections
      (requiring operative debridement) accounted for 14%. Debridement within 6 hours
      of injury (2 studies, 188 fractures) resulted in a 4.2% infection rate, whereas
      debridement within 12 hours of injury (1 study, 193 fractures) resulted in a 3.6%
      infection rate. Two studies found no correlation of infection and timing to
      debridement. Conclusions: Overall, the infection rate after open hand fracture
      remains relatively low. Correlation does exist between the administration of
      antibiotics and infection, but the majority of infections can be treated with
      antibiotics alone. Timing of debridement, has not been shown to alter infection
      rates.

PMID- 28344520
TI  - Does the approximate number system serve as a foundation for symbolic
      mathematics?

PMID- 28344523
TI  - Scaphoid Nonunion With Poor Prognostic Factors: The Role of the Free Medial
      Femoral Condyle Vascularized Bone Graft.
AB  - Background: To report on the results of free medial femoral condyle (MFC)
      vascularized bone graft for scaphoid nonunions with 1 or more poor prognostic
      factors. Methods: We have used the free MFC vascularized bone graft for scaphoid
      nonunions that have 1 or more factors associated with a poor prognosis. These
      were, a delay in presentation of over 5 years, a proximal pole nonunion, the
      presence of avascular necrosis (AVN), or previous nonunion surgery. We used this
      technique on 20 patients over a 4.5-year period. Results: Our overall union rate
      was 88.5% (17 of 19 patients), with 1 patient failing to attend for follow-up.
      Our mean union time was 7 months (2-18). All patients had at least 1 poor
      prognostic factor and over half had 2 or more. Of those with AVN with or without
      other factors, the union rate was 85% (11 of 13). There were 2 donor site
      complications that required a further procedure and 2 patients with residual
      wrist pain that required a scapho-trapezio-trapezoid joint fusion and a radial
      styloidectomy, respectively. Both nonunions were offered further surgery, and 1
      elected to undergo successful revision surgery. Conclusions: Overall, this
      technique showed good results, in a subgroup of patients that typically have
      poorer outcomes, with a low incidence of donor site morbidity. Our union rate
      compares favorably with other techniques for this difficult subset of patients
      with 1 or more poor prognostic factors, although results are clearly not as good
      as those of studies using the MFC graft for all scaphoid nonunions. We continue
      to reserve this technique for nonunions with 1 or more poor prognostic factors,
      and we believe that this technique should at least be considered in these
      patients.

PMID- 28344522
TI  - Vascularized Bone Grafting in Scaphoid Nonunion: A Review of Patient-Centered
      Outcomes.
AB  - Background: The radiographic and clinical outcomes following vascularized bone
      grafting (VBG) for scaphoid nonunion have previously been reported in the
      literature; however, few studies report on patient-derived outcomes. The purpose
      of this study was to determine the effect of VBG for scaphoid nonunion on patient
      derived outcomes. Methods: The MEDLINE and PubMed databases were queried for the
      use of VBG in scaphoid nonunion. We included studies that reported on patient
      derived outcomes. We excluded studies with less than 10 patients or less than 6
      months of follow-up. The primary outcomes assessed included functionality,
      percent and time to return to preinjury activity, postoperative pain, and patient
      satisfaction. Results: Twenty-six articles described the outcomes of 520 patients
      with an average of 19.3 patients per study. Functionality was most commonly
      assessed by the Mayo Modified Wrist Score and Disabilities of the Arm, Shoulder
      and Hand scores, which improved by 53.1% and 81.7% postoperatively, respectively.
      Within 16 weeks, 90.3% of patients returned to their previous occupation or
      sporting activity. Pain was most commonly reported using a 0 to 10 visual analog
      scale and improved 4-fold postoperatively. Complete satisfaction was reported by
      92% of patients. The most common complications were superficial infections
      (1.56%), neuropathic pain (1.56%), and complex regional pain syndrome (1.25%).
      Conclusions: VBG for scaphoid nonunion results in the improvement of patient
      derived outcomes, and high rates of return to preinjury activity levels and
      patient satisfaction. Multiple metrics of patient-derived outcomes were utilized
      by the studies in our review without a clear consensus as to which metric is most
      responsive and accurate.

PMID- 28344524
TI  - Complications and Outcomes of One-Bone Forearm Reconstruction.
AB  - Background: The objective of this study was to review the outcomes of patients
      who underwent one-bone forearm (OBF) reconstruction. Methods: A retrospective
      review of patients who underwent OBF surgery between 1994 and 2014 was
      undertaken. Patient demographics, etiology, associated injuries, number of
      surgeries prior to OBF surgery, surgical details, and postoperative information
      were collected. A telephone interview was conducted at final follow-up, including
      a Quick Disabilities of the Arm, Shoulder and Hand (QuickDASH) questionnaire, a
      10-point scoring system used by Peterson et al, and a series of questions
      concerning pain and patient satisfaction. Results: There were 6 males and 2
      females with a mean age of 44 years (range, 20-66 years). All patients had
      traumatic etiology, with 6 having open wounds and 2 having closed wounds. All
      patients had union with a mean follow-up of 83.6 months (range, 16-218 months).
      The mean pain score was 3 (range, 0-8), of which 3 were painless (score 0). The
      mean QuickDASH score was 39 (range, 7-75), and 4 patients had good or excellent
      results according to the 10-point score system used by Peterson et al. All
      patients were satisfied with the result. Five of 8 had complications related to
      soft tissues that were residual from their prior injuries and surgeries. One
      patient had post healing fracture requiring revision fixation and 1 had a
      postoperative infection requiring parenteral antibiotics. Conclusions: OBF
      surgery is an effective salvage procedure for complicated forearm instability,
      particularly after trauma. While union rates are high, complications are
      typically related to pain and soft tissue secondary to the previous injury and
      reconstructive procedures.

PMID- 28344525
TI  - MRI Correlation of Radial Head Fractures and Forearm Injuries.
AB  - Background: Radial head fractures can be associated with soft tissue injuries of
      the forearm and wrist. The Essex-Lopresti injury can lead to significant
      morbidity, especially if the diagnosis is not made acutely. Better identification
      of such injuries is needed to allow optimal surgical treatment and prevent long
      term sequelae. We used magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to correlate the degree
      of soft tissue injuries with radial head fractures. Methods: Sixteen pairs of
      forearms with an associated radial head fracture in 15 patients prospectively
      underwent an MRI within 2 weeks of their injury. MRI findings were correlated
      with fracture type, associated soft tissue injury, and presence of symptomatic
      wrist pain. Results: According to the modified Mason classification, there were 8
      type I, 5 type II, and 3 type III radial head fractures. Wrist pain was reported
      in 8 of 16 extremities, and 2 had associated wrist pathology, including an acute
      scaphoid fracture in 1 patient and a preexisting stage II scapholunate advanced
      collapse (SLAC) wrist in another patient. The MRI findings included an elbow
      effusion in all 16 patients, edema in the proximal third of the radius in 15
      extremities, which extended to the middle third in 3 extremities, edema of the
      interosseous membrane (IOM) in 5 extremities, and edema of the soft tissues
      including the supinator and/or pronator quadratus in 13 extremities. Conclusions:
      Eighty percent of patients with edema of the IOM had associated wrist pain. Soft
      tissue injuries of the forearm did not correlate with the severity of the radial
      head fracture.

PMID- 28344526
TI  - Delayed Repair of Ulnar Artery at the Distal Forearm.
AB  - Background:The purpose of this study was to evaluate the rate of patency after
      delayed repair of the ulnar artery following primary ligation. Methods: Adult
      patients with primary ligation of the injured ulnar artery at the forearm who had
      a delayed repair of the artery were included. Postoperative arterial patency was
      determined by either physical examination or color Doppler ultrasonographic
      imaging. Postoperative complications and Disabilities of the Arm, Shoulder and
      Hand score were recorded. Results: Eight consecutive patients during a 3-year
      period were included. The mean age was 35 years. Four cases were women. The
      surgery was performed at a mean of 5 days after the injury and ligation. At a
      mean follow-up of 22 months, 7 patients had a patent artery. One patient suffered
      a hematoma. Conclusions: A high rate of patency can be obtained after delayed
      repair of the ulnar artery at the forearm.

PMID- 28344527
TI  - Reverse Radial Forearm Flap to Provide Arterial Inflow to a Toe Transfer.
AB  - Background: Toe-to-thumb transfer has become the gold standard for thumb
      reconstruction, but in badly mutilated hands, additional soft tissue coverage may
      be required or a suitable recipient artery may not be available. There are only 3
      case reports describing the successful use of a reverse radial forearm flap for
      coverage of a soft tissue defect around the thumb as well as providing arterial
      inflow for a toe transfer, performed either simultaneously or secondarily.
      Methods: A single surgeon's experience of all toe-to-hand transfers performed in
      conjunction with a reverse radial forearm flap between 1995 and 2014 was
      reviewed, including patient demographics, type of toe transfer and vascular
      pedicle, whether immediate or secondary, follow-up, and complications. Results:
      Eight toe-to-hand transfers were performed in 7 patients-3 children (age range, 3
      15 years) and 4 adults (age range, 19-39 years). Three patients underwent primary
      toe-to-thumb transfer simultaneously with a reverse radial forearm flap, and 5
      patients underwent secondary toe-to-hand transfer between 4 months and 21/2 years
      after an initial reverse radial forearm flap. All toe transfers survived
      completely. Average follow-up was 5.1 years. All patients were satisfied with the
      function and appearance of their reconstructed thumb. Conclusion: The reverse
      radial forearm flap is a very reliable procedure as a "Sister" or "Siamese" flap
      to provide immediate arterial inflow to a simultaneous toe-to-thumb transfer, or
      to provide primary soft tissue coverage on the radial aspect of the hand and
      subsequently provide a recipient arterial inflow for a secondary toe transfer.

PMID- 28344528
TI  - Surgical Approach and Anesthetic Modality for Carpal Tunnel Release: A Nationwide
      Database Study With Health Care Cost Implications.
AB  - Background: Carpal tunnel release (CTR) is commonly performed for carpal tunnel
      syndrome once conservative treatment has failed. Operative technique and
      anesthetic modality vary by surgeon preference and patient factors. However, CTR
      practices and anesthetic trends have, to date, not been described on a nationwide
      scale in the United States. Methods: The PearlDiver Patient Records Database was
      used to search Current Procedural Terminology codes for elective CTR from 2007 to
      2011. Anesthetic modality (eg, general and regional anesthesia vs local
      anesthesia) and surgical approach (eg, endoscopic vs open) were recorded for this
      patient population. Cost analysis, patient demographics, regional variation, and
      annual changes in CTR surgery were evaluated. Results: We identified 86 687
      patients who underwent carpal tunnel surgery during this 5-year time period. In
      this patient sample, 80.5% of CTR procedures were performed using general or
      regional anesthesia, compared with 19.5% of procedures performed using local
      anesthesia; 83.9% of all CTR were performed in an open fashion, and 16.1% were
      performed using an endoscopic technique. Endoscopic surgery was on average $794
      more expensive than open surgery, and general or regional anesthesia was $654
      more costly than local anesthesia. Conclusions: In the United States, open CTR
      under local anesthesia is the most cost-effective way to perform a CTR. However,
      only a small fraction of elective CTR procedures are performed with this
      technique, representing a potential area for significant health care cost
      savings. In addition, regional and age variations exist in procedure and
      anesthetic type utilized.

PMID- 28344529
TI  - Clinical Evaluation After Peripheral Nerve Repair With Caprolactone Neurotube.
AB  - Background: Peripheral nerve injuries with substance loss are challenges to
      surgeons because direct suture repair may result in malfunction due to nerve
      suture tension. Autologous nerve grafts are alternatives for treating those
      lesions; however, harvesting grafts adds morbidity at donor sites. Synthetic
      substitutes are options to bridge the gaps in these situations. The caprolactone
      neurotubes are used to assist nerve regeneration, but the literature lacks
      studies that evaluate their results. Methods: This research was designed to
      clinically evaluate patients undergoing repair of peripheral nerves with that
      conduit. We described results of 12 case series consisting of operations with
      Neurolac(r). All nerves severed were sensory and had small gaps (ie, less than 25
      mm). Subjective and objective clinical evaluations were performed and registered.
      Results: Physical examination by monofilament testing and 2-point discrimination
      showed results rated as good or excellent. However, the patients had complaints
      regarding sensory changes. Conclusions: Synthetic bioabsorbable guides for nerve
      repair are promising. The caprolactone conduits were demonstrated to be a safe
      option treatment and with a simple technique. Although in our study there were
      some operative complications, they were in line with previous descriptions in the
      literature. This case series added information about the treatment prognosis, but
      a higher evidence level study is necessary for decision making.

PMID- 28344530
TI  - Patient Comprehension of Carpal Tunnel Surgery: An Investigation of Health
      Literacy.
AB  - Background: Health literacy is the ability of a patient to understand their
      medical condition. The purpose of this investigation is to determine whether
      patients are able to obtain an elementary understanding of the fundamental
      principles of carpal tunnel release and the postoperative instructions after
      going through the process of informed consent and being provided an additional
      standardized postoperative instruction document. Our hypothesis is that patients
      will lack an understanding of these principles and, therefore, will be at risk
      for being noncompliant in their postoperative care. Methods: Fifty patients with
      a diagnosis of carpal tunnel surgery who elected to undergo carpal tunnel release
      alone were enrolled. A standardized education process was performed. Patients
      completed the questionnaire at their postoperative visit. Results: The average
      percentage of correct answers was 75.8% (8.34 out of 11 correct). Fisher exact
      test analysis demonstrated that patients with a lower education level were less
      likely to know how long it takes for their preoperative symptoms to resolve (P =
      .0071), and they were less likely to correctly choose all of the important
      elements of postoperative care during the first week after surgery (P = .022).
      Conclusions: Although we made efforts to help patients achieve health literacy in
      carpal tunnel surgery, we found that patients continued to lack comprehension of
      pertinent components of carpal tunnel surgery, particularly understanding the
      involved anatomy.

PMID- 28344531
TI  - Hand and Wrist Injuries in Elite Boxing: A Longitudinal Prospective Study (2005
      2012) of the Great Britain Olympic Boxing Squad.
AB  - Background: The purpose of this investigation was to explore prospectively the
      nature and duration of hand and wrist injuries in training and competition in the
      Great Britain (GB) amateur boxing squad between 2005 and 2012. Methods:
      Longitudinal prospective injury surveillance of the GB boxing squad was performed
      from 2005 to 2012. The location, region affected, description, and the duration
      of each injury were recorded by the team doctor and team physiotherapist. We
      recorded whether the injury occurred during competition or training and also
      whether it was a new or a recurrent injury. The injury rate during competition
      was calculated as the number of injuries per 1000 hours. Results: Finger
      carpometacarpal instability and finger metacarpophalangeal joint extensor hood
      and capsule sprain also known as "boxer's knuckle" injuries were significantly
      more common than other injury diagnoses. The number of injuries during training
      or competition was similar, which is remarkable given the far greater number of
      training hours than competition hours performed. Injury rate for hand and wrist
      injuries in competition was 347 injuries per 1000 hours, while the estimated
      injury rate in training was <0.5 injuries per 1000 hours. Conclusion:
      Carpometacarpal instability and boxer's knuckle were more common than any other
      kind of hand and wrist injury in this cohort of elite amateur boxers. The rate of
      hand and wrist injuries was higher in competition than in training. Our study
      highlights the importance of hand and wrist injury prevention in the competition
      environment.

PMID- 28344532
TI  - Atypical Mycobacterial Infections of the Upper Extremity: Becoming More Atypical?
AB  - Background: Atypical mycobacterial infections are uncommon and characterized by a
      chronic, indolent course before diagnosis. Historically, these infections are
      associated with marine-related injury and/or immune dysfunction. Our institution
      has successfully diagnosed and treated an increasing number of these infections.
      The objective of this study is to review our experience with these rare
      infections and verify the developing trends encountered. Methods: A retrospective
      review was performed for patients with positive nontuberculous mycobacterial
      cultures of the upper extremity from 2000 to 2013. Patient demographics, source
      of transmission, symptom duration, mycobacterial species, operative and
      antibiotic treatments, and outcomes were recorded. Results: Thirty-four patients
      were identified. The mean symptomatic period before diagnosis was 9 months
      (range, 1-60 months). Fourteen patients had identifiable causes of immune
      dysfunction while the rest appeared immune competent. Patients were infected by
      Mycobacterium marinum (n = 14), Mycobacterium abscessus (n = 8), Mycobacterium
      fortuitum (n = 7), and other less common species (n = 5). Although most patients
      had unidentifiable causes of infection (n = 15), some could correlate infection
      to marine injury, lacerations, insect bites, animal bites, and tattoos. All
      patients received operative intervention including debridement. Antibiotics were
      given for a mean duration of 5 months. Ninety-seven percent had complete
      resolution of disease. Conclusions: Although M. marinum infections make up the
      majority of infections at our institution, we report a higher total incidence of
      nonmarinum infections. These infections are occurring in seemingly healthy
      individuals with no history of exposure with marine water. Successful treatment
      relies on having a heightened clinical awareness and adequate diagnosis.

PMID- 28344533
TI  - Diagnostic Wrist Arthroscopy for Nonspecific Wrist Pain.
AB  - Background: This study addresses the prevalence of discrete pathophysiology
      accounting for patients' symptoms during diagnostic wrist arthroscopy in
      individuals with wrist pain without a specific preoperative diagnosis.
      Secondarily, we determined the number and type of surgeries subsequent to
      diagnostic wrist arthroscopy. Methods: Between January 2000 and January 2015, 135
      diagnostic wrist arthroscopies were performed by 12 surgeons in 3 urban academic
      hospitals. We recorded the diagnostic findings of diagnostic wrist arthroscopy
      and any subsequent surgeries. Results: One hundred and five patients had
      synovitis or a normal wrist (78%), 17 had likely age-appropriate changes (eg,
      central triangular fibrocartilage complex defects scapholunate changes) (13%), 8
      (6%) were given uncommon diagnoses, and 5 (4%) had osteochondral defects. Sixteen
      patients (12%) had subsequent wrist surgery: 2 were for adverse events, 2 were
      carpal tunnel releases, and 12 were other surgeries. Conclusion: Diagnostic
      arthroscopy performed in the setting of an unclear preoperative diagnosis yielded
      limited diagnostic benefit.

PMID- 28344534
TI  - The Influence of Psychological Factors on the Michigan Hand Questionnaire.
AB  - Background: Psychosocial factors help account for the gap between impairment and
      disability. This study examines the relationship between the Michigan Hand
      Questionnaire (MHQ) and commonly used psychological measures in patients with
      upper extremity illness. Methods: A cohort of 135 new or follow-up patients
      presenting to an urban academic hospital-based hand surgeon were invited to
      complete a web-based version of the MHQ, Abbreviated Pain Catastrophizing Scale
      (PCS), and two Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System (PROMIS)
      based questionnaires: Pain Interference and Depression. Bivariate and
      multivariable analyses measured the correlation of these psychological measures
      with MHQ. Results: Accounting for potential confounding factors in multivariable
      regression, upper extremity disability as rated by the MHQ was independently
      associated with PROMIS Depression, PROMIS Pain Interference, visit type, and
      working status. The model accounted for 37% of the variability in MHQ scores,
      with PROMIS Pain Interference having the most influence. Conclusion: Among the
      non-pathophysiological factors that contribute to patient-to-patient variation in
      MHQ scores, the measure of less effective coping strategies and symptoms of
      depression were most influential. Our data add to the evidence of the pivotal
      role of emotional health in upper extremity symptoms and limitations and the
      importance of psychosocial considerations in the care of hand illness.

PMID- 28344535
TI  - The Correlation Between a Numerical Rating Scale of Patient Satisfaction With
      Current Management of an Upper Extremity Disorder and a General Measure of
      Satisfaction With the Medical Visit.
AB  - Background: Patient satisfaction is used as an indicator of quality of care, but
      the measures currently available are lengthy and cumbersome and may not be
      feasible in orthopedic surgical practices. We set out to assess the relationship
      between the Medical Interview Satisfaction Scale (MISS-21) and a numerical rating
      scale (NRS) of patient satisfaction with current management of an orthopedic
      upper extremity condition. Methods: In this cross-sectional study, 86 patients
      from the practices of 2 hand surgeons were included during an initial or follow
      up visit. Questionnaires assessing demographics, upper extremity specific
      disability, pain during rest and activity, satisfaction with the medical visits
      (MISS-21), and satisfaction with current management of an orthopedic upper
      extremity condition (NRS satisfaction) were completed. Results: Eighty-six
      patients completed all questionnaires. A small correlation of .21 (P = .050) was
      found between the MISS-21 and the NRS satisfaction. In bivariate analysis, NRS
      pain at rest and during activity had small correlations with the MISS-21 (-.29, P
      = .05 and -.23, P = .034) and with NRS satisfaction (-.27, P = .011 and -0.27, P
      = 0.012). Quick Disability of Arm, Shoulder and Hand (QuickDASH) had a small
      correlation with NRS satisfaction (-0.023, P <= 0.001), but did not correlate
      with MISS-21. Conclusions: Although there is small overlap about the 2
      satisfaction measures, a complex patient satisfaction questionnaire consisting of
      multiple facets of patient satisfaction like MISS-21 is not replaceable by 1
      simple NRS patient satisfaction question.

PMID- 28344536
TI  - Capitate Chondroblastoma: A Case Report and Review of the Literature.
AB  - Background: Chondroblastomas are benign tumors that typically occur in the
      epiphysis of long bones. Carpal bone chondroblastomas are very rare and are known
      to have less aggressive behavior with no evidence of recurrence reported.
      Methods: We present a case of a recurrent chondroblastoma in the capitate that
      was treated with repeat curettage, application of phenol, and bone grafting.
      Results: At 3 years post surgery, the patient is disease free with excellent
      functional return. Conclusion: Chondroblastomas are rare within the carpus. We
      present a review of the literature detailing their occurrence and treatment.

PMID- 28344537
TI  - Intravenous Glomus Tumor Masquerading as Lateral Antebrachial Cutaneous Neuroma.
AB  - Background: Intravenous glomus tumors are extremely rare. Methods: We report a
      patient with an intravenous glomus tumor within a venous aneurysm misdiagnosed as
      a neuroma of the lateral antebrachial cutaneous nerve, based on clinical exam,
      electrodiagnostic studies, and findings on a magnetic resonance imaging
      neurogram. Results: After surgical resection, the patient's symptoms, including
      pain and localized hypersensitivity, totally resolved. Conclusions: This case
      illustrates 2 important points. First, unlike extradigital glomus tumors,
      magnetic resonance imaging is not reliable in diagnosing intravenous glomus
      tumors. Second, in the presence of chronic localized neuroma type pain and
      sensitivity in the upper limb without a clear cause, an extradigital cutaneous or
      intravenous glomus tumor must be considered in the differential diagnosis.

PMID- 28344538
TI  - Surgical Excision of Mycosis Fungoides Using Thumb-Sparing Reconstruction.
AB  - Background: The differential for soft tissue tumors of the hand and upper limb is
      broad. Hematologic malignancy remains quite low on the differential for soft
      tissue tumors involving the hand, and there is little in the literature
      describing surgical management of such cutaneous manifestations. When the tumor
      is large or involves the thumb, careful consideration of reconstructive options
      is required. Methods: We present a rare case of an aggressively enlarging mycosis
      fungoides, a cutaneous T-cell lymphoma tumor, involving the thumb. This tumor had
      a history of multiple failed treatment attempts, including radiation and
      chemotherapy. Results: Our surgical plan was a reverse radial forearm
      osteocutaneous flap. Conclusion: A reverse radial osteocutaneous forearm flap was
      successfully used to avoid thumb amputation and preserve thumb function.

PMID- 28344539
TI  - Scaphocapitate Syndrome With Associated Trans-Scaphoid, Trans-Hamate Perilunate
      Dislocation: A Case Report and Description of Surgical Fixation.
AB  - Background: Perilunate fracture dislocations are often associated with fractures
      of the distal pole of the scaphoid or the proximal pole of the capitate. However,
      the combination of perilunate dislocation with multiple carpal fractures and
      associated scaphocapitate syndrome is very rare. Methods: We report a unique case
      of scaphocapitate fracture syndrome with perilunate dislocation and fracture of
      the hamate resulting from a high-energy injury to the wrist during a dirt-bike
      competition. Results: Open reduction and internal fixation of the scaphoid
      fracture with a 3.0-mm headless screw, the head of the capitate with a 1.5-mm lag
      screw, and the hamate fracture with a 1.3-mm lag screw was performed. The
      lunotriquetral dissociation was reduced, with the ligament repaired and the joint
      stabilized using a Kirschner wire. All screw heads are carefully buried under the
      articulate cartilage. Conclusions: Prompt anatomic reduction and stable
      osteosynthesis of all fractures in this patient resulted in successful healing
      and return to activity.

PMID- 28344540
TI  - Tubulointerstitial nephritis antigen-like 1 protein is downregulated in the
      placenta of pre-eclamptic women.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Tubulointerstitial nephritis antigen-like 1 protein (TINAGL1), is a
      matricellular protein, known to play role in cell adhesion and cell receptor
      interaction. Research related to TINAGL1 is limited to cell culture and animal
      models. Demonstration of TINAGL1 as a positive regulator of angiogenesis and its
      expression in the decidua of postimplantation mouse uterus, prompted us to
      validate its expression in human placenta during impaired angiogenesis in pre
      eclamptic condition. METHODS: Placental tissue from normotensive (n = 25) and pre
      eclamptic (n = 25) pregnancies were used to study the differentially expressed
      proteins by two-dimensional gel electrophoresis and TINAGL1 protein was validated
      with Western blotting. RESULTS: A total of 55 protein spots were differentially
      expressed (fold change >1.5, p < 0.05), of which 27 were upregulated and 28 were
      downregulated in the pre-eclamptic placenta. TINAGL1 was found to be
      downregulated in pre-eclamptic compared to normotensive pregnant women.
      CONCLUSION: This is the first study reporting TINAGL1 to be present in human
      placenta and differentially expressed in pre-eclamptic condition. The functional
      role of TINAGL1 in association to human pregnancy needs to be explored further.

PMID- 28344542
TI  - The training of New Jersey emergency service first responders in autism
      awareness.
AB  - This study investigated the extent and adequacy of training among New Jersey
      first responders (e.g., police, firefighters, emergency medical technicians)
      specifically as relates to a 2008 state law mandating that autism and hidden
      disability recognition and response training be conducted. The results show that
      a significant percentage of emergency service personnel have not completed the
      state mandated training. Recommendations for improving the training, such as by
      involving parents, advocates, and field and training personnel as a part of the
      training process, are discussed.

PMID- 28344541
TI  - OLFM4, KNG1 and Sec24C identified by proteomics and immunohistochemistry as
      potential markers of early colorectal cancer stages.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Despite recent advances in colorectal cancer (CRC) diagnosis and
      population screening programs, the identification of patients with preneoplastic
      lesions or with early CRC stages remains challenging and is important for
      reducing CRC incidence and increasing patient's survival. METHODS: We analysed 76
      colorectal tissue samples originated from early CRC stages, normal or inflamed
      mucosa by label-free proteomics. The characterisation of three selected biomarker
      candidates was performed by immunohistochemistry on an independent set of
      precancerous and cancerous lesions harbouring increasing CRC stages. RESULTS: Out
      of 5258 proteins identified, we obtained 561 proteins with a significant
      differential distribution among groups of patients and controls. KNG1, OLFM4 and
      Sec24C distributions were validated in tissues and showed different expression
      levels especially in the two early CRC stages compared to normal and
      preneoplastic tissues. CONCLUSION: We highlighted three proteins that require
      further investigations to better characterise their role in early CRC
      carcinogenesis and their potential as early CRC markers.

PMID- 28344543
TI  - Chinese immigrant men smokers' sources of cigarettes in Canada: A qualitative
      study.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Immigrants often experience economic hardship in their host country
      and tend to belong to economically disadvantaged groups. Individuals of lower
      socioeconomic status tend to be more sensitive to cigarette price changes. This
      study explores the cigarette purchasing patterns among Chinese Canadian male
      immigrants. METHODS: Semi-structured in-depth interviews were conducted with 22
      Chinese Canadian immigrants who were smoking or had quit smoking in the last five
      years. RESULTS: Because of financial pressures experienced by participants, the
      high price of Canadian cigarettes posed a significant challenge to their
      continued smoking. While some immigrants bought fully-taxed cigarettes from
      licensed retailers, more often they sought low-cost cigarettes from a variety of
      sources. The two most important sources were cigarettes imported during travels
      to China and online purchases of Chinese cigarettes. The cigarettes obtained
      through online transactions were imported by smoking or non-smoking Chinese
      immigrants and visitors, suggesting the Chinese community were involved or
      complicit in sustaining this form of purchasing behavior. Other less common
      sources included Canada-USA cross border purchasing, roll your-own pouch tobacco,
      and buying cigarettes available on First Nations reserves. CONCLUSIONS: Chinese
      Canadian immigrant men used various means to obtain cheap cigarettes. Future
      research studies could explore more detailed features of access to expose gaps in
      policy and improve tobacco regulatory frameworks.

PMID- 28344544
TI  - The association between occupational secondhand smoke exposure and life
      satisfaction among adults in the European Union.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Despite existing legislation, a large proportion of the European
      Union (EU) population is exposed to occupational secondhand smoke (SHS). The aim
      of this study was to explore associations between occupational exposure to SHS
      and self-reported life satisfaction. METHODS: We analysed data collected through
      the Eurobarometer survey (wave 82.4) from n = 11,788 individuals working in
      indoor spaces. The sample was representative of the population of the 28 EU
      member states. We fitted a multilevel logistic regression model adjusting for
      smoking, age, gender, occupation, area of residence, education, difficulty paying
      bills, marital status and social class. RESULTS: 27.5% of those working indoors
      reported at least some occupational exposure to SHS. People exposed to
      occupational SHS were less likely to report that they were satisfied with the
      life they lead (adjusted Odds Ratio = 0.72, 95% Confidence Interval: 0.60-0.87).
      The effect of occupational exposure on life satisfaction did not differ by
      smoking status, with all interaction terms between smoking status and
      occupational exposure to SHS not statistically significant. CONCLUSION: Exposure
      to SHS at the workplace does not only have negative consequences on physical
      health, but it can also impact life satisfaction of smokers and non-smokers. Our
      findings highlight the need for stricter enforcement of smokefree environments at
      the workplace in the EU.

PMID- 28344545
TI  - Music Improves Subjective Feelings Leading to Cardiac Autonomic Nervous
      Modulation: A Pilot Study.
AB  - It is widely accepted that listening to music improves subjective feelings and
      reduces fatigue sensations, and different kinds of music lead to different
      activations of these feelings. Recently, cardiac autonomic nervous modulation has
      been proposed as a useful objective indicator of fatigue. However, scientific
      considerations of the relation between feelings of fatigue and cardiac autonomic
      nervous modulation while listening to music are still lacking. In this study, we
      examined which subjective feelings of fatigue are related to participants'
      cardiac autonomic nervous function while they listen to music. We used an album
      of comfortable and relaxing environmental music, with blended sounds from a piano
      and violin as well as natural sound sources. We performed a crossover trial of
      environmental music and silent sessions for 20 healthy subjects, 12 females, and
      8 males, after their daily work shift. We measured changes in eight types of
      subjective feelings, including healing, fatigue, sleepiness, relaxation, and
      refreshment, using the KOKORO scale, a subjective mood measurement system for
      self-reported feelings. Further, we obtained measures of cardiac autonomic
      nervous function on the basis of heart rate variability before and after the
      sessions. During the music session, subjective feelings significantly shifted
      toward healing and a secure/relaxed feeling and these changes were greater than
      those in the silent session. Heart rates (DeltaHR) in the music session
      significantly decreased compared with those in the silent session. Other cardiac
      autonomic parameters such as high-frequency (HF) component and the ratio of low
      frequency (LF) and HF components (LF/HF) were similar in the two sessions. In the
      linear regression analysis of the feelings with DeltaHR and changes in LF/HF
      (DeltaLF/HF), increases and decreases in DeltaHR were correlated to the feeling
      axes of Fatigue-Healing and Anxiety/Tension-Security/Relaxation, whereas those in
      DeltaLF/HF were related to the feeling axes of Sleepiness-Wakefulness and Gloomy
      Refreshed. This indicated that listening to music improved the participants'
      feelings of fatigue and decreased their heart rates. However, it did not reduce
      the cardiac LF/HF, suggesting that cardiac LF/HF might show a delayed response to
      fatigue. Thus, we demonstrated changes in cardiac autonomic nervous functions
      based on feelings of fatigue.

PMID- 28344546
TI  - Choosing MUSE: Validation of a Low-Cost, Portable EEG System for ERP Research.
AB  - In recent years there has been an increase in the number of portable low-cost
      electroencephalographic (EEG) systems available to researchers. However, to date
      the validation of the use of low-cost EEG systems has focused on continuous
      recording of EEG data and/or the replication of large system EEG setups reliant
      on event-markers to afford examination of event-related brain potentials (ERP).
      Here, we demonstrate that it is possible to conduct ERP research without being
      reliant on event markers using a portable MUSE EEG system and a single computer.
      Specifically, we report the results of two experiments using data collected with
      the MUSE EEG system-one using the well-known visual oddball paradigm and the
      other using a standard reward-learning task. Our results demonstrate that we
      could observe and quantify the N200 and P300 ERP components in the visual oddball
      task and the reward positivity (the mirror opposite component to the feedback
      related negativity) in the reward-learning task. Specifically, single sample t
      tests of component existence (all p's < 0.05), computation of Bayesian credible
      intervals, and 95% confidence intervals all statistically verified the existence
      of the N200, P300, and reward positivity in all analyses. We provide with this
      research paper an open source website with all the instructions, methods, and
      software to replicate our findings and to provide researchers with an easy way to
      use the MUSE EEG system for ERP research. Importantly, our work highlights that
      with a single computer and a portable EEG system such as the MUSE one can conduct
      ERP research with ease thus greatly extending the possible use of the ERP
      methodology to a variety of novel contexts.

PMID- 28344548
TI  - GSK-3beta Overexpression Alters the Dendritic Spines of Developmentally Generated
      Granule Neurons in the Mouse Hippocampal Dentate Gyrus.
AB  - The dentate gyrus (DG) plays a crucial role in hippocampal-related memory. The
      most abundant cellular type in the DG, namely granule neurons, are
      developmentally generated around postnatal day P6 in mice. Moreover, a unique
      feature of the DG is the occurrence of adult hippocampal neurogenesis, a process
      that gives rise to newborn granule neurons throughout life. Adult-born and
      developmentally generated granule neurons share some maturational aspects but
      differ in others, such as in their positioning within the granule cell layer.
      Adult hippocampal neurogenesis encompasses a series of plastic changes that
      modify the function of the hippocampal trisynaptic network. In this regard, it is
      known that glycogen synthase kinase 3beta (GSK-3beta) regulates both synaptic
      plasticity and memory. By using a transgenic mouse overexpressing GSK-3beta in
      hippocampal neurons, we previously demonstrated that the overexpression of this
      kinase has deleterious effects on the maturation of newborn granule neurons. In
      the present study, we addressed the effects of GSK-3beta overexpression on the
      morphology and number of dendritic spines of developmentally generated granule
      neurons. To this end, we performed intracellular injections of Lucifer Yellow in
      developmentally generated granule neurons of wild-type and GSK-3beta
      overexpressing mice and analyzed the number and morphologies of dendritic spines
      (namely, stubby, thin and mushroom). GSK-3beta overexpression led to a general
      reduction in the number of dendritic spines. In addition, it caused a slight
      reduction in the percentage, head diameter and length of thin spines, whereas the
      head diameter of mushroom spines was increased.

PMID- 28344549
TI  - Functional Brain Activation in Response to a Clinical Vestibular Test Correlates
      with Balance.
AB  - The current study characterizes brain fMRI activation in response to two modes of
      vestibular stimulation: Skull tap and auditory tone burst. The auditory tone
      burst has been used in previous studies to elicit either a vestibulo-spinal
      reflex [saccular-mediated colic Vestibular Evoked Myogenic Potentials (cVEMP)],
      or an ocular muscle response [utricle-mediated ocular VEMP (oVEMP)]. Research
      suggests that the skull tap elicits both saccular and utricle-mediated VEMPs,
      while being faster and less irritating for subjects than the high decibel tones
      required to elicit VEMPs. However, it is not clear whether the skull tap and
      auditory tone burst elicit the same pattern of brain activity. Previous imaging
      studies have documented activity in the anterior and posterior insula, superior
      temporal gyrus, inferior parietal lobule, inferior frontal gyrus, and the
      anterior cingulate cortex in response to different modes of vestibular
      stimulation. Here we hypothesized that pneumatically powered skull taps would
      elicit a similar pattern of brain activity as shown in previous studies. Our
      results provide the first evidence of using pneumatically powered skull taps to
      elicit vestibular activity inside the MRI scanner. A conjunction analysis
      revealed that skull taps elicit overlapping activation with auditory tone bursts
      in the canonical vestibular cortical regions. Further, our postural control
      assessments revealed that greater amplitude of brain activation in response to
      vestibular stimulation was associated with better balance control for both
      techniques. Additionally, we found that skull taps elicit more robust vestibular
      activity compared to auditory tone bursts, with less reported aversive effects,
      highlighting the utility of this approach for future clinical and basic science
      research.

PMID- 28344550
TI  - Hyperpolarization-Activated Current Induces Period-Doubling Cascades and Chaos in
      a Cold Thermoreceptor Model.
AB  - In this article, we describe and analyze the chaotic behavior of a conductance
      based neuronal bursting model. This is a model with a reduced number of
      variables, yet it retains biophysical plausibility. Inspired by the activity of
      cold thermoreceptors, the model contains a persistent Sodium current, a Calcium
      activated Potassium current and a hyperpolarization-activated current (Ih) that
      drive a slow subthreshold oscillation. Driven by this oscillation, a fast
      subsystem (fast Sodium and Potassium currents) fires action potentials in a
      periodic fashion. Depending on the parameters, this model can generate a variety
      of firing patterns that includes bursting, regular tonic and polymodal firing.
      Here we show that the transitions between different firing patterns are often
      accompanied by a range of chaotic firing, as suggested by an irregular, non
      periodic firing pattern. To confirm this, we measure the maximum Lyapunov
      exponent of the voltage trajectories, and the Lyapunov exponent and Lempel-Ziv's
      complexity of the ISI time series. The four-variable slow system (without
      spiking) also generates chaotic behavior, and bifurcation analysis shows that
      this is often originated by period doubling cascades. Either with or without
      spikes, chaos is no longer generated when the Ih is removed from the system. As
      the model is biologically plausible with biophysically meaningful parameters, we
      propose it as a useful tool to understand chaotic dynamics in neurons.

PMID- 28344547
TI  - APP Function and Lipids: A Bidirectional Link.
AB  - Extracellular neuritic plaques, composed of aggregated amyloid-beta (Abeta)
      peptides, are one of the major histopathological hallmarks of Alzheimer's disease
      (AD), a progressive, irreversible neurodegenerative disorder and the most common
      cause of dementia in the elderly. One of the most prominent risk factor for
      sporadic AD, carrying one or two aberrant copies of the apolipoprotein E (ApoE)
      epsilon4 alleles, closely links AD to lipids. Further, several lipid classes and
      fatty acids have been reported to be changed in the brain of AD-affected
      individuals. Interestingly, the observed lipid changes in the brain seem not only
      to be a consequence of the disease but also modulate Abeta generation. In line
      with these observations, protective lipids being able to decrease Abeta
      generation and also potential negative lipids in respect to AD were identified.
      Mechanistically, Abeta peptides are generated by sequential proteolytic
      processing of the amyloid precursor protein (APP) by beta- and gamma-secretase.
      The alpha-secretase appears to compete with beta-secretase for the initial
      cleavage of APP, preventing Abeta production. All APP-cleaving secretases as well
      as APP are transmembrane proteins, further illustrating the impact of lipids on
      Abeta generation. Beside the pathological impact of Abeta, accumulating evidence
      suggests that Abeta and the APP intracellular domain (AICD) play an important
      role in regulating lipid homeostasis, either by direct effects or by affecting
      gene expression or protein stability of enzymes involved in the de novo synthesis
      of different lipid classes. This review summarizes the current literature
      addressing the complex bidirectional link between lipids and AD and APP
      processing including lipid alterations found in AD post mortem brains, lipids
      that alter APP processing and the physiological functions of Abeta and AICD in
      the regulation of several lipid metabolism pathways.

PMID- 28344554
TI  - Cannabis in Chinese Medicine: Are Some Traditional Indications Referenced in
      Ancient Literature Related to Cannabinoids?
AB  - Cannabis sativa L. (Cannabaceae) has a long history of utilization as a fiber and
      seed crop in China, and its achenes ("seeds") as well as other plant parts have
      been recorded in Chinese medical texts for nearly 2000 years. While the primary
      applications of cannabis in Chinese medicine center around the use of the
      achenes, ancient indications for the female inflorescence, and other plant parts
      include conditions such as pain and mental illness that are the subject of
      current research into cannabinoids such as cannabidiol (CBD) and Delta9
      tetrahydrocannabinol (THC). However, little previous research has been conducted
      to analyze the Chinese medical literature in light of recent advances in the
      pharmacology and taxonomy of cannabis, and most of the relevant Chinese
      historical records have not yet been translated into Western languages to
      facilitate textual research. Furthermore, many key questions remain unresolved in
      the Chinese literature, including how various traditional drug names precisely
      correspond to different plant parts, as well as the implications of long-term
      selection for fiber-rich cultivars on the medical applications of cannabis in
      Chinese medicine. In this article, prominent historical applications of cannabis
      in Chinese medicine are chronologically reviewed, and indications found in
      ancient Chinese literature that may relate to cannabinoids such as CBD and Delta9
      THC are investigated.

PMID- 28344553
TI  - Youthful Processing Speed in Older Adults: Genetic, Biological, and Behavioral
      Predictors of Cognitive Processing Speed Trajectories in Aging.
AB  - Objective: To examine the impact of genetic, inflammatory, cardiovascular,
      lifestyle, and neuroanatomical factors on cognitive processing speed (CPS) change
      over time in functionally intact older adults. Methods: This observational study
      conducted over two time points, included 120 community dwelling cognitively
      normal older adults between the ages of 60 and 80 from the University of
      California San Francisco Memory and Aging Center. Participants were followed with
      composite measures of CPS, calculated based on norms for 20-30 year-olds.
      Variables of interest were AD risk genes (APOE, CR1), markers of inflammation
      (interleukin 6) and cardiovascular health (BMI, LDL, HDL, mean arterial pressure,
      fasting insulin), self-reported physical activity, and corpus callosum (CC)
      volumes. The sample was divided into three groups: 17 "resilient-agers" with fast
      and stable processing speed; 56 "average-agers" with average and stable
      processing speed; and 47 "sub-agers" with average baseline speed who were slower
      at follow-up. Results: Resilient-agers had larger baseline CC volumes than sub
      agers (p < 0.05). Resilient-agers displayed lower levels of interleukin-6 (IL-6)
      and insulin (ps < 0.05) than sub-agers, and reported more physical activity than
      both average- and sub-agers (ps < 0.01). In a multinomial logistic regression,
      physical activity and IL-6 predicted average- and sub-ager groups. Resilient
      agers displayed a higher frequency of APOE e4 and CR1 AA/AG alleles. Conclusion:
      Robust and stable CPS is associated with larger baseline CC volumes, lower levels
      of inflammation and insulin, and greater self-reported physical activity. These
      findings highlight the relevance of neuroanatomical, biological, and lifestyle
      factors in the identification and prediction of heterogeneous cognitive aging
      change over time.

PMID- 28344555
TI  - Drug Repurposing of the Anthelmintic Niclosamide to Treat Multidrug-Resistant
      Leukemia.
AB  - Multidrug resistance, a major problem that leads to failure of anticancer
      chemotherapy, requires the development of new drugs. Repurposing of established
      drugs is a promising approach for overcoming this problem. An example of such
      drugs is niclosamide, a known anthelmintic that is now known to be cytotoxic and
      cytostatic against cancer cells. In this study, niclosamide showed varying
      activity against different cancer cell lines. It revealed better activity against
      hematological cancer cell lines CCRF-CEM, CEM/ADR5000, and RPMI-8226 compared to
      the solid tumor cell lines MDA-MB-231, A549, and HT-29. The multidrug resistant
      CEM/ADR5000 cells were similar sensitive as their sensitive counterpart CCRF-CEM
      (resistance ration: 1.24). Furthermore, niclosamide caused elevations in reactive
      oxygen species and glutathione (GSH) levels in leukemia cells. GSH synthetase
      (GS) was predicted as a target of niclosamide. Molecular docking showed that
      niclosamide probably binds to the ATP-binding site of GS with a binding energy of
      -9.40 kcal/mol. Using microscale thermophoresis, the binding affinity between
      niclosamide and recombinant human GS was measured (binding constant: 5.64 MUM).
      COMPARE analyses of the NCI microarray database for 60 cell lines showed that
      several genes, including those involved in lipid metabolism, correlated with
      cellular responsiveness to niclosamide. Hierarchical cluster analysis showed five
      major branches with significant differences between sensitive and resistant cell
      lines (p = 8.66 * 105). Niclosamide significantly decreased nuclear factor of
      activated T-cells (NFAT) activity as predicted by promoter binding motif
      analysis. In conclusion, niclosamide was more active against hematological
      malignancies compared to solid tumors. The drug was particularly active against
      the multidrug-resistant CEM/ADR5000 leukemia cells. Inhibition of GSH synthesis
      and NFAT signaling were identified as relevant mechanisms for the anticancer
      activity of niclosamide. Gene expression profiling predicted the sensitivity or
      resistance of cancer cells to niclosamide.

PMID- 28344557
TI  - Dissecting Target Toxic Tissue and Tissue Specific Responses of Irinotecan in
      Rats Using Metabolomics Approach.
AB  - As an anticancer agent, irinotecan (CPT-11) has been widely applied in clinical,
      especially in the treatment of colorectal cancer. However, its clinical use has
      long been limited by the side effects and potential tissue toxicity. To
      discriminate the target toxic tissues and dissect the specific response of target
      tissues after CPT-11 administration in rats, untargeted metabolomic study was
      conducted. First, differential metabolites between CPT-11 treated group and
      control group in each tissue were screened out. Then, based on fold changes of
      these differential metabolites, principal component analysis and hierarchical
      cluster analysis were performed to visualize the degree and specificity of the
      influences of CPT-11 on the metabolic profiles of nine tissues. Using this step
      wise method, ileum, jejunum, and liver were finally recognized as target toxic
      tissues. Furthermore, tissue specific responses of liver, ileum, and jejunum to
      CPT-11 were dissected and specific differential metabolites were screened out.
      Perturbations in Krebs cycle, amino acid, purine and bile acid metabolism were
      observed in target toxic tissues. In conclusion, our study put forward a new
      approach to dissect target toxic tissues and tissue specific responses of CPT-11
      using metabolomics.

PMID- 28344556
TI  - The Immunomodulatory Effects of Plant Extracts and Plant Secondary Metabolites on
      Chronic Neuroinflammation and Cognitive Aging: A Mechanistic and Empirical
      Review.
AB  - Advances in healthcare have considerably improved the life expectancy of the
      human population over the last century and this has brought about new challenges.
      As we live longer the capacity for cognitive aging increases. Consequently, it
      has been noted that decline in cognitive performance in the elderly in domains of
      reasoning, problem solving skills, attention, processing speed, working memory
      and episodic memory is a significant societal problem. Despite the enormity of
      this issue there are relatively few interventions for cognitive aging. This may
      be due to our current state of knowledge on biological factors that underpin
      cognitive aging. One of the biological contributors to cognitive aging is chronic
      neuroinflammation. This review will provide an overview of the peripheral and
      central mechanisms involved in chronic neuroinflammation and how
      neuroinflammation may be related to age-associated cognitive decline. Plant based
      extracts including herbal and nutritional supplements with anti-inflammatory
      properties will be examined in relation to their utility in treating age-related
      cognitive decline. Plant based extracts in particular offer interesting
      pharmacological properties that may be quickly utilized to prevent cognitive
      aging.

PMID- 28344559
TI  - Cyclooxygenase-2 Inhibition Limits Angiotensin II-Induced DNA Oxidation and
      Protein Nitration in Humans.
AB  - Compared to other cyclooxygenase-2 inhibitors, celecoxib is associated with a
      lower cardiovascular risk, though the mechanism remains unclear. Angiotensin II
      is an important mediator of oxidative stress in the pathophysiology of vascular
      disease. Cyclooxygenase-2 may modify the effects of angiotensin II though this
      has never been studied in humans. The purpose of the study was to test the
      effects of selective cyclooxygenase-2 inhibition on plasma measures of oxidative
      stress, the vasoconstrictor endothelin-1, and nitric oxide metabolites, both at
      baseline and in respose to Angiotensin II challenge in healthy humans. Measures
      of 8-hydroxydeoxyguanosine, advanced oxidation protein products, nitrotyrosine,
      endothelin-1, and nitric oxide metabolites were assessed from plasma samples
      drawn at baseline and in response to graded angiotensin II infusion (3 ng/kg/min
      * 30 min, 6 ng/kg/min * 30 min) before and after 14 days of cyclooxygenase-2
      inhibition in 14 healthy subjects (eight male, six female) in high salt balance,
      a state of maximal renin angiotensin system suppression. Angiotensin II infusion
      significantly increased plasma oxidative stress compared to baseline (8
      hydroxydeoxyguanosine; +17%; advanced oxidation protein products; +16%),
      nitrotyrosine (+76%). Furthermore, levels of endothelin-1 levels were
      significantly increased (+115%) and nitric oxide metabolites were significantly
      decreased (-20%). Cycloxygenase-2 inhibition significantly limited the increase
      in 8-hydroxydeoxyguanosine, nitrotyrosine and the decrease in nitric oxide
      metabolites induced by angiotensin II infusion, though no changes in advanced
      oxidation protein products and endothelin-1 concentrations were observed.
      Cyclooxygenase-2 inhibition with celecoxib partially limited the angiotensin II
      mediated increases in markers of oxidative stress in humans, offering a potential
      physiological pathway for the improved cardiovascular risk profile of this drug.

PMID- 28344558
TI  - Role of Autonomic Nervous System and Orexinergic System on Adipose Tissue.
AB  - Adipose tissue, defined as white adipose tissue (WAT) and brown adipose tissue
      (BAT), is a biological caloric reservoir; in response to over-nutrition it
      expands and, in response to energy deficit, it releases lipids. The WAT primarily
      stores energy as triglycerides, whereas BAT dissipates chemical energy as heat.
      In mammals, the BAT is a key site for heat production and an attractive target to
      promote weight loss. The autonomic nervous system (ANS) exerts a direct control
      at the cellular and molecular levels in adiposity. The sympathetic nervous system
      (SNS) provides a complex homeostatic control to specifically coordinate function
      and crosstalk of both fat pads, as indicated by the increase of the sympathetic
      outflow to BAT, in response to cold and high-fat diet, but also by the increase
      or decrease of the sympathetic outflow to selected WAT depots, in response to
      different lipolytic requirements of these two conditions. More recently, a role
      has been attributed to the parasympathetic nervous system (PNS) in modulating
      both adipose tissue insulin-mediated glucose uptake and fatty free acid (FFA)
      metabolism in an anabolic way and its endocrine function. The regulation of
      adipose tissue is unlikely to be limited to the autonomic control, since a number
      of signaling cytokines and neuropeptides play an important role, as well. In this
      review, we report some experimental evidences about the role played by both the
      ANS and orexins into different fat pads, related to food intake and energy
      expenditure, with a special emphasis on body weight status and fat mass (FM)
      content.

PMID- 28344560
TI  - Nitric Oxide Has a Concentration-Dependent Effect on the Cell Cycle Acting via
      EIN2 in Arabidopsis thaliana Cultured Cells.
AB  - Ethylene is known to influence the cell cycle (CC) via poorly characterized roles
      whilst nitric oxide (NO) has well-established roles in the animal CC but
      analogous role(s) have not been reported for plants. As NO and ethylene signaling
      events often interact we examined their role in CC in cultured cells derived from
      Arabidopsis thaliana wild-type (Col-0) plants and from ethylene-insensitive
      mutant ein2-1 plants. Both NO and ethylene were produced mainly during the first
      5 days of the sub-cultivation period corresponding to the period of active cell
      division. However, in ein2-1 cells, ethylene generation was significantly reduced
      while NO levels were increased. With application of a range of concentrations of
      the NO donor, sodium nitroprusside (SNP) (between 20 and 500 MUM) ethylene
      production was significantly diminished in Col-0 but unchanged in ein2-1 cells.
      Flow cytometry assays showed that in Col-0 cells treatments with 5 and 10 MUM SNP
      concentrations led to an increase in S-phase cell number indicating the
      stimulation of G1/S transition. However, at >=20 MUM SNP CC progression was
      restrained at G1/S transition. In the mutant ein2-1 strain, the index of S-phase
      cells was not altered at 5-10 MUM SNP but decreased dramatically at higher SNP
      concentrations. Concomitantly, 5 MUM SNP induced transcription of genes encoding
      CDKA;1 and CYCD3;1 in Col-0 cells whereas transcription of CDKs and CYCs were not
      significantly altered in ein2-1 cells at any SNP concentrations examined. Hence,
      it is appears that EIN2 is required for full responses at each SNP concentration.
      In ein2-1 cells, greater amounts of NO, reactive oxygen species, and the tyrosine
      nitrating peroxynitrite radical were detected, possibly indicating NO-dependent
      post-translational protein modifications which could stop CC. Thus, we suggest
      that in Arabidopsis cultured cells NO affects CC progression as a concentration
      dependent modulator with a dependency on EIN2 for both ethylene production and a
      NO/ethylene regulatory function.

PMID- 28344561
TI  - Fetal Growth Restriction Induces Heterogeneous Effects on Vascular Biomechanical
      and Functional Properties in Guinea Pigs (Cavia porcellus).
AB  - Aim: Fetal growth restriction (FGR) is associated with a variety of
      cardiometabolic diseases in adulthood which could involve remodeling processes of
      the vascular walls that could start in the fetal period. However, there is no
      consensus whether this remodeling affects in a similar way the whole vascular
      system. We aimed to determine the effects of FGR on the vasoactive and
      biomechanical properties of umbilical and systemic vessels in fetal guinea pigs.
      Methods: FGR was induced by implanting ameroid occluders at mid-gestation in
      uterine arteries of pregnant guinea pigs, whilst the control group was exposed to
      simulated surgery. At the term of gestation, systemic arteries (aorta, carotid
      and femoral) and umbilical vessels were isolated to determine ex vivo contractile
      and biomechanical responses (stretch-stress until rupture) on a wire myograph, as
      well as opening angle and residual stresses. Histological characteristics in
      tissue samples were measured by van Gieson staining. Results: Aorta and femoral
      arteries from FGR showed an increased in biomechanical markers of stiffness (p <
      0.01), contractile capacity (p < 0.05) and relative media thickness (p < 0.01),
      but a reduced internal diameter (p < 0.001), compared with controls. There were
      no differences in the biomechanical properties of carotid and umbilical from
      control and FGR fetuses, but FGR umbilical arteries had a decreased contractile
      response to KCl (p < 0.05) along with a reduced relative media thickness (p <
      0.05). Conclusion: Altogether, these changes in functional, mechanical and
      morphological properties suggest that FGR is associated with a heterogeneous pro
      constrictive vascular remodeling affecting mainly the lower body fetal arteries.
      These effects would be set during a pathologic pregnancy in order to sustain the
      fetal blood redistribution in the FGR and may persist up to adulthood increasing
      the risk of a cardiovascular disease.

PMID- 28344562
TI  - Attachment Styles and Suicide-Related Behaviors in Adolescence: The Mediating
      Role of Self-Criticism and Dependency.
AB  - Insecure attachment and the personality dimensions of self-criticism and
      dependency have been proposed as risk factors for suicide in adolescents. The
      present study examines whether self-criticism and dependency mediate the
      relationship between insecure attachment styles and suicidality. A sample of 340
      high-school students (73.2% females), ranging in age from 13 to 20 years (M =
      16.47, SD = 1.52), completed the Depressive Experiences Questionnaire for
      Adolescents, the Depressive Experiences Questionnaire for Adolescents, the
      Attachment Style Questionnaire, and the Suicidal Behaviors Questionnaire-Revised.
      The results partially support the expected mediation effects. Self-criticism, but
      not dependency, mediates the link between insecure attachment (anxiety and
      avoidance) and suicide-related behaviors. Implications for suicide risk
      assessment and management are discussed.

PMID- 28344551
TI  - Construction and Analysis of Weighted Brain Networks from SICE for the Study of
      Alzheimer's Disease.
AB  - Alzheimer's Disease (AD) is the most common neurodegenerative disease in elderly
      people, and current drugs, unfortunately, do not represent yet a cure but only
      slow down its progression. This is explained, at least in part, because the
      understanding of the neurodegenerative process is still incomplete, being
      sometimes mistaken, particularly at the first steps of the illness, with the
      natural aging process. A better identification of how the functional activity
      deteriorates is thus crucial to develop new and more effective treatments. Sparse
      inverse covariance estimates (SICE) have been recently employed for deriving
      functional connectivity patterns from Positron Emission Tomography (PET) of
      brains affected by Alzheimer's Disease. SICE, unlike the traditional covariance
      methods, allows to analyze the interdependencies between brain regions factoring
      out the influence of others. To analyze the effects of the illness, connectivity
      patterns of brains affected by AD are compared with those obtained for control
      groups. These comparisons are, however, carried out for binary (undirected and
      unweighted) adjacency matrices with the same number of arcs. Additionally, the
      effect of the number of subjects employed or the validity of the regularization
      parameter used to compute the SICE have been not hitherto analyzed. In this
      paper, we delve into the construction of connectivity patterns from PET using
      SICE. In particular, we describe the effect that the number of subjects employed
      has on the results and identify, based on the reconstruction error of linear
      regression systems, a range of valid values for the regularization parameter. The
      amount of arcs is also proved as a discriminant value, and we show that it is
      possible to pass from unweighted (binary) to weighted adjacency matrices, where
      the weight of a connection corresponding to the existence of a relationship
      between two brain areas can be correlated to the persistence of this relationship
      when computed for different values of the regularization parameter and sets of
      subjects. Finally, network measures are computed for the connectivity patterns
      confirming that SICE may be particularly apt for assessing the efficiency of
      drugs, since it produces reliable brain connectivity models with small sample
      sizes, and that connectivity patterns affected by AD seem much less segregated,
      reducing the small-worldness.

PMID- 28344563
TI  - A Review of Demographic, Medical, and Treatment Variables Associated with Health
      Related Quality of Life (HRQOL) in Survivors of Hematopoietic Stem Cell (HSCT)
      and Bone Marrow Transplantation (BMT) during Childhood.
AB  - Hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) is a standard treatment after
      disease relapse and failure of conventional treatments for cancer in childhood or
      as a first line treatment for some high-risk cancers. Since hematopoietic stem
      cells can be found in the marrow (previously called a bone marrow
      transplantation) or periphery, we refer to HSCT as inclusive of HSCT regardless
      of the origin of the stem cells. HSCT is associated with adverse side effects,
      prolonged hospitalization, and isolation. Previous studies have shown that
      survivors of HSCT are at particularly high risk for developing late effects and
      medical complications, and thus, in addition to survival, quality of life in
      survivors of HSCT is an important outcome. This review summarizes and distills
      findings on the health-related quality of life (HRQOL) of long-term childhood
      cancer survivors of HSCT and examines significant sociodemographic, medical,
      disease and treatment correlates of HRQOL, as well as the methodology of the
      studies (instruments, type of studies, timing of assessment, type of
      transplantation). Because previous reviews covered the studies published before
      2006, this review searched three databases published between January, 2006, and
      August, 2016. The search identified nine studies, including 2 prospective cohort
      studies and 7 cross-sectional studies. All studies reported a follow-up time of
      >5 years. The review found that HRQOL is significantly impacted over time
      following childhood HSCT, with salient correlates of HRQOL found to be presence
      of a severe chronic health or major medical condition, graft vs. host disease
      (GVHD), or pain. Continual evaluation of HRQOL must be integrated into long-term
      follow-up after childhood HSCT, and intervention should be offered for those
      survivors with poor HRQOL. Longitudinal studies should be emphasized in future
      research to allow for predictor models of resilience and poor HRQOL.

PMID- 28344552
TI  - Adding Recognition Discriminability Index to the Delayed Recall Is Useful to
      Predict Conversion from Mild Cognitive Impairment to Alzheimer's Disease in the
      Alzheimer's Disease Neuroimaging Initiative.
AB  - Background: Ongoing research is focusing on the identification of those
      individuals with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) who are most likely to convert
      to Alzheimer's disease (AD). We investigated whether recognition memory tasks in
      combination with delayed recall measure of episodic memory and CSF biomarkers can
      predict MCI to AD conversion at 24-month follow-up. Methods: A total of 397
      amnestic-MCI subjects from Alzheimer's disease Neuroimaging Initiative were
      included. Logistic regression modeling was done to assess the predictive value of
      all RAVLT measures, risk factors such as age, sex, education, APOE genotype, and
      CSF biomarkers for progression to AD. Estimating adjusted odds ratios was used to
      determine which variables would produce an optimal predictive model, and whether
      adding tests of interaction between the RAVLT Delayed Recall and recognition
      measures (traditional score and d-prime) would improve prediction of the
      conversion from a-MCI to AD. Results: 112 (28.2%) subjects developed dementia and
      285 (71.8%) subjects did not. Of the all included variables, CSF Abeta1-42
      levels, RAVLT Delayed Recall, and the combination of RAVLT Delayed Recall and d
      prime were predictive of progression to AD (chi2 = 38.23, df = 14, p < 0.001).
      Conclusions: The combination of RAVLT Delayed Recall and d-prime measures may be
      predictor of conversion from MCI to AD in the ADNI cohort, especially in
      combination with amyloid biomarkers. A predictive model to help identify
      individuals at-risk for dementia should include not only traditional episodic
      memory measures (delayed recall or recognition), but also additional variables (d
      prime) that allow the homogenization of the assessment procedures in the
      diagnosis of MCI.

PMID- 28344564
TI  - Investigating the Grammatical and Pragmatic Origins of Wh-Questions in Children
      with Autism Spectrum Disorders.
AB  - Compared to typically developing children, children with autism (ASD) show
      delayed production of wh-questions. It is currently controversial the degree to
      which such deficits derive from social-pragmatic requirements and/or because
      these are complex grammatical structures. The current study employed the
      intermodal preferential looking (IPL) paradigm, which reduces social-pragmatic
      demands. The IPL paradigm can help distinguish these proposals, as successful
      comprehension promotes the "pragmatics-origins" argument whereas comprehension
      difficulties would implicate a "grammatical-origins" argument. Additionally, we
      tested both the linguistic and social explanations by assessing the contributions
      of children's early grammatical knowledge (i.e., SVO word order) and their social
      pragmatic scores on the Vineland to their later wh-question comprehension.
      Fourteen children with ASD and 17 TD children, matched on language level, were
      visited in their homes at 4-month intervals. Comprehension of wh-questions and
      SVO word order were tested via IPL: the wh-question video showed a costumed horse
      and bird serving as agents or patients of familiar transitive actions. During the
      test trials, they were displayed side by side with directing audios (e.g., "What
      did the horse tickle?", "What hugged the bird?", "Where is the horse/bird?").
      Children's eye movements were coded offline; the DV was their percent looking to
      the named item during test. To show comprehension, children should look longer at
      the named item during a where-question than during a subject-wh or object-wh
      question. Results indicated that TD children comprehended both subject and object
      wh-questions at 32 months of age. Comprehension of object-wh questions emerged
      chronologically later in children with ASD compared to their TD peers, but at
      similar levels of language. Moreover, performance on word order and social
      pragmatic scores independently predicted both groups' later performance on wh
      question comprehension. Our findings indicate that both grammar and social
      pragmatics are implicated in the comprehension of wh-questions. The "grammatical
      origins" argument is supported because the ASD group did not reveal earlier and
      stable comprehension of wh-questions; furthermore, their performance on SVO word
      order predicted their later success in linguistic processing of wh-questions. The
      "pragmatic-origins" argument is also supported because children's earlier
      socialization and communication scores strongly predicted their successful
      performance on wh-question comprehension.

PMID- 28344565
TI  - From Attire to Assault: Clothing, Objectification, and De-humanization - A
      Possible Prelude to Sexual Violence?
AB  - In the context of objectification and violence, little attention has been paid to
      the perception neuroscience of how the human brain perceives bodies and
      objectifies them. Various studies point to how external cues such as appearance
      and attire could play a key role in encouraging objectification, dehumanization
      and the denial of agency. Reviewing new experimental findings across several
      areas of research, it seems that common threads run through issues of clothing,
      sexual objectification, body perception, dehumanization, and assault. Collating
      findings from several different lines of research, this article reviews
      additional evidence from cognitive and neural dynamics of person perception (body
      and face perception processes) that predict downstream social behavior.
      Specifically, new findings demonstrate cognitive processing of sexualized female
      bodies as object-like, a crucial aspect of dehumanized percept devoid of agency
      and personhood. Sexual violence is a consequence of a dehumanized perception of
      female bodies that aggressors acquire through their exposure and interpretation
      of objectified body images. Integrating these findings and identifying triggers
      for sexual violence may help develop remedial measures and inform law enforcement
      processes and policy makers alike.

PMID- 28344566
TI  - The Onset Time of the Ownership Sensation in the Moving Rubber Hand Illusion.
AB  - The rubber hand illusion (RHI) is a perceptual illusion whereby a model hand is
      perceived as part of one's own body. This illusion has been extensively studied,
      but little is known about the temporal evolution of this perceptual phenomenon,
      i.e., how long it takes until participants start to experience ownership over the
      model hand. In the present study, we investigated a version of the rubber hand
      experiment based on finger movements and measured the average onset time in
      active and passive movement conditions. This comparison enabled us to further
      explore the possible role of intentions and motor control processes that are only
      present in the active movement condition. The results from a large group of
      healthy participants (n = 117) showed that the illusion of ownership took
      approximately 23 s to emerge (active: 22.8; passive: 23.2). The 90th percentile
      occurs in both conditions within approximately 50 s (active: 50; passive: 50.6);
      therefore, most participants experience the illusion within the first minute. We
      found indirect evidence of a facilitatory effect of active movements compared to
      passive movements, and we discuss these results in the context of our current
      understanding of the processes underlying the moving RHI.

PMID- 28344568
TI  - Time Is Money: The Decision Making of Smartphone High Users in Gain and Loss
      Intertemporal Choice.
AB  - Nowadays the smartphone plays an important role in our lives. While it brings us
      convenience and efficiency, its overuse can cause problems. Although a great
      number of studies have demonstrated that people affected by substance abuse,
      pathological gambling, and internet addiction disorder have lower self-control
      than average, scarcely any study has investigated the decision making of
      smartphone high users by using a behavioral paradigm. The present study employed
      an intertemporal task, the Smartphone Addiction Inventory (SPAI) and the Barratt
      Impulsiveness Scale 11th version (BIS-11) to explore the decision control of
      smartphone high users in a sample of 125 college students. Participants were
      divided into three groups according to their SPAI scores. The upper third (69 or
      higher), middle third (from 61 to 68) and lower third (60 or lower) of scores
      were defined as high smartphone users, medium users and low users, respectively.
      We compared the percentage of small immediate reward/penalty choices in different
      conditions between the three groups. Relative to the low users group, high users
      and medium users were more inclined to request an immediate monetary reward.
      Moreover, for the two dimensions of time and money in intertemporal choice, high
      users and medium users showed a bias in intertemporal choice task among most of
      the time points and value magnitude compared to low users. These findings
      demonstrated that smartphone overuse was associated with problematic decision
      making, a pattern similar to that seen in persons affected by a variety of
      addictions.

PMID- 28344569
TI  - Eye Contact Judgment Is Influenced by Perceivers' Social Anxiety But Not by Their
      Affective State.
AB  - Fast and accurate judgment of whether another person is making eye contact or not
      is crucial for our social interaction. As affective states have been shown to
      influence social perceptions and judgments, we investigated the influence of
      observers' own affective states and trait anxiety on their eye contact judgments.
      In two experiments, participants were required to judge whether animated faces
      (Experiment 1) and real faces (Experiment 2) with varying gaze angles were
      looking at them or not. Participants performed the task in pleasant, neutral, and
      unpleasant odor conditions. The results from two experiments showed that eye
      contact judgments were not modulated by observers' affective state, yet
      participants with higher levels of social anxiety accepted a wider range of gaze
      deviations from the direct gaze as eye contact. We conclude that gaze direction
      judgments depend on individual differences in affective predispositions, yet they
      are not amenable to situational affective influences.

PMID- 28344567
TI  - Does Hunger Contribute to Socioeconomic Gradients in Behavior?
AB  - Recent research has uncovered many examples of socioeconomic gradients in
      behavior and psychological states. As yet there is no theoretical consensus on
      the nature of the causal processes that produce these gradients. Here, I present
      the hunger hypothesis, namely the claim that part of the reason that people of
      lower socioeconomic position behave and feel as they do is that they are
      relatively often hungry. The hunger hypothesis applies in particular to
      impulsivity-hyperactivity, irritability-aggression, anxiety, and persistent
      narcotic use, all of which have been found to show socioeconomic gradients. I
      review multiple lines of evidence showing that hunger produces strong increases
      in these outcomes. I also review the literatures on food insufficiency and food
      insecurity to show that, within affluent societies, the poor experience a
      substantial burden of hunger, despite obtaining sufficient or excess calories on
      average. This leads to the distinctive prediction that hunger is an important
      mediator of the relationships between socioeconomic variables and the
      behavioral/psychological outcomes. This approach has a number of far-reaching
      implications, not least that some behavioral and psychological differences
      between social groups, though persistent under current economic arrangements, are
      potentially highly reversible with changes to the distribution of financial
      resources and food.

PMID- 28344570
TI  - Tanycytes As Regulators of Seasonal Cycles in Neuroendocrine Function.
AB  - Annual cycles of physiology and behavior are highly prevalent in organisms
      inhabiting temperate and polar regions. Examples in mammals include changes in
      appetite and body fat composition, hibernation and torpor, growth of antlers,
      pelage and horns, and seasonal reproduction. The timing of these seasonal cycles
      reflects an interaction of changing environmental signals, such as daylength, and
      intrinsic rhythmic processes: circannual clocks. As neuroendocrine signals
      underlie these rhythmic processes, the focus of most mechanistic studies has been
      on neuronal systems in the hypothalamus. Recent studies also implicate the
      pituitary stalk (pars tuberalis) and hypothalamic tanycytes as key pathways in
      seasonal timing. The pars tuberalis expresses a high density of melatonin
      receptors, so is highly responsive to changes in the nocturnal secretion of
      melatonin from the pineal gland as photoperiod changes across the year. The pars
      tuberalis in turn regulates tanycyte function in the adjacent hypothalamus via
      paracrine signals. Tanycytes are radial glial cells that persist into adulthood
      and function as a stem cell niche. Their cell soma are embedded in the ependymal
      lining of the third ventricle, and they also send elaborate projections through
      the arcuate nucleus, many of which terminate on capillaries in the median
      eminence. This anatomy underlies their function as sensors of nutrients in the
      circulation, and as regulators of transport of hormones and metabolites into the
      hypothalamus. In situ hybridization studies reveal robust seasonal changes in
      gene expression in tanycytes, for example, those controlling transport and
      metabolism of thyroid hormone and retinoic acid. These hormonal signals play a
      key role in the initial development of the brain, and experimental manipulation
      of thyroid hormone availability in the adult hypothalamus can accelerate or block
      seasonal cyclicity in sheep and Siberian hamsters. We hypothesize that seasonal
      rhythms depends upon reuse of developmental mechanisms in the adult hypothalamus
      and that tanycytes are key orchestrators of these processes.

PMID- 28344571
TI  - Translation Initiation Factor eIF4E and eIFiso4E Are Both Required for Peanut
      stripe virus Infection in Peanut (Arachis hypogaea L.).
AB  - Peanut stripe virus (PStV) belongs to the genus Potyvirus and is the most
      important viral pathogen of cultivated peanut (Arachis hypogaea L.). The
      eukaryotic translation initiation factor, eIF4E, and its isoform, eIF(iso)4E,
      play key roles during virus infection in plants, particularly Potyvirus. In the
      present study, we cloned the eIF4E and eIF(iso)4E homologs in peanut and named
      these as PeaeIF4E and PeaeIF(iso)4E, respectively. Quantitative real-time PCR
      (qRT-PCR) analysis showed that these two genes were expressed during all growth
      periods and in all peanut organs, but were especially abundant in young leaves
      and roots. These also had similar expression levels. Yeast two-hybrid analysis
      showed that PStV multifunctional helper component proteinase (HC-Pro) and viral
      protein genome-linked (VPg) both interacted with PeaeIF4E and PeaeIF(iso)4E.
      Bimolecular fluorescence complementation assay showed that there was an
      interaction between HC-Pro and PeaeIF4E/PeaeIF(iso)4E in the cytoplasm and
      between VPg and PeaeIF4E/PeaeIF(iso)4E in the nucleus. Silencing either PeaeIF4E
      or PeaeIF(iso)4E using a virus-induced gene silencing system did not
      significantly affect PStV accumulation. However, silencing both PeaeIF4E and
      PeaeIF(iso)4E genes significantly weakened PStV accumulation. The findings of the
      present study suggest that PeaeIF4E and PeaeIF(iso)4E play important roles in the
      PStV infection cycle and may potentially contribute to PStV resistance.

PMID- 28344572
TI  - Gut Colonization by Methanogenic Archaea Is Associated with Organic Dairy
      Consumption in Children.
AB  - The gut microbiota represents a complex and diverse ecosystem with a profound
      impact on human health, promoting immune maturation, and host metabolism as well
      as colonization resistance. Important members that have often been disregarded
      are the methanogenic archaea. Methanogenic archaea reduce hydrogen levels via the
      production of methane, thereby stimulating food fermentation by saccharolytic
      bacteria. On the other hand, colonization by archaea has been suggested to
      promote a number of gastrointestinal and metabolic diseases such as colorectal
      cancer, inflammatory bowel disease, and obesity. Archaea have been shown to be
      absent during infancy while omnipresent in school-aged children, suggesting that
      colonization may result from environmental exposure during childhood. The factors
      that determine the acquisition of methanogenic archaea, however, have remained
      undefined. Therefore, we aimed to explore determinants associated with the
      acquisition of the two main gastrointestinal archaeal species, Methanobrevibacter
      smithii and Methanosphaera stadtmanae, in children. Within the context of the
      KOALA Birth Cohort Study, fecal samples from 472 children aged 6-10 years were
      analyzed for the abundance of M. smithii and M. stadtmanae using qPCR.
      Environmental factors such as diet, lifestyle, hygiene, child rearing, and
      medication were recorded by repeated questionnaires. The relationship between
      these determinants and the presence and abundance of archaea was analyzed by
      logistic and linear regression respectively. Three hundred and sixty-nine out of
      the 472 children (78.2%) were colonized by M. smithii, and 39 out of the 472
      children (8.3%) by M. stadtmanae. The consumption of organic yogurt (odds ratio:
      4.25, CI95: 1.51; 11.95) and the consumption of organic milk (odds ratio: 5.58,
      CI95: 1.83; 17.01) were positively associated with the presence of M. smithii. We
      subsequently screened raw milk, processed milk, and yogurt samples for
      methanogens. We identified milk products as possible source for M. smithii, but
      not M. stadtmanae. In conclusion, M. smithii seems present in milk products and
      their consumption may determine archaeal gut colonization in children. For the
      first time, a large variety of determinants have been explored in association
      with gut colonization by methanogenic archaea. Although more information is
      needed to confirm and unravel the mechanisms in detail, it provides new insights
      on microbial colonization processes in early life.

PMID- 28344573
TI  - Submarine Basaltic Glass Colonization by the Heterotrophic Fe(II)-Oxidizing and
      Siderophore-Producing Deep-Sea Bacterium Pseudomonas stutzeri VS-10: The
      Potential Role of Basalt in Enhancing Growth.
AB  - Phylogenetically and metabolically diverse bacterial communities have been found
      in association with submarine basaltic glass surfaces. The driving forces behind
      basalt colonization are for the most part unknown. It remains ambiguous if basalt
      provides ecological advantages beyond representing a substrate for surface
      colonization, such as supplying nutrients and/or energy. Pseudomonas stutzeri VS
      10, a metabolically versatile bacterium isolated from Vailulu'u Seamount, was
      used as a model organism to investigate the physiological responses observed when
      biofilms are established on basaltic glasses. In Fe-limited heterotrophic media,
      P. stutzeri VS-10 exhibited elevated growth in the presence of basaltic glass.
      Diffusion chamber experiments demonstrated that physical attachment or contact of
      soluble metabolites such as siderophores with the basaltic glass plays a pivotal
      role in this process. Electrochemical data indicated that P. stutzeri VS-10 is
      able to use solid substrates (electrodes) as terminal electron donors and
      acceptors. Siderophore production and heterotrophic Fe(II) oxidation are
      discussed as potential mechanisms enhancing growth of P. stutzeri VS-10 on glass
      surfaces. In correlation with that we discuss the possibility that metabolic
      versatility could represent a common and beneficial physiological trait in marine
      microbial communities being subject to oligotrophic and rapidly changing deep-sea
      conditions.

PMID- 28344574
TI  - Health-Associated Niche Inhabitants as Oral Probiotics: The Case of Streptococcus
      dentisani.
AB  - Oral diseases, including dental caries and periodontitis, are among the most
      prevalent diseases worldwide and develop as a consequence of a microbial
      dysbiosis. Several bacterial strains are being tested as potential oral health
      promoting organisms, but usually they are species isolated from niches other than
      the site where they must exert its probiotic action, typically from fecal
      samples. We hypothesize that oral inhabitants associated to health conditions
      will be more effective than traditional, gut-associated probiotic species in key
      aspects such as colonization of the oral site where disease takes place or the
      possession of oral health promoting functions, as well as more practical issues
      like safety and toxicity, and establishing proper doses for administration. As an
      example of these active colonizers, we describe the case of Streptococcus
      dentisani, a new streptococcal species isolated from dental plaque of caries-free
      individuals. We have detected it in 98% of dental plaque samples from healthy
      individuals and, as expected, it does not produce any toxic secondary metabolite
      and does not survive a simulated stomach digestion, preventing potential
      secondary effects. Besides, this species has a double probiotic action, as it
      inhibits the growth of major oral pathogens through the production of
      bacteriocins, and also buffers acidic pH (the primary cause of dental caries)
      through an arginolytic pathway. We propose the use of S. dentisani as a promising
      probiotic against tooth decay.

PMID- 28344575
TI  - Identification of Capsid/Coat Related Protein Folds and Their Utility for Virus
      Classification.
AB  - The viral supergroup includes the entire collection of known and unknown viruses
      that roam our planet and infect life forms. The supergroup is remarkably diverse
      both in its genetics and morphology and has historically remained difficult to
      study and classify. The accumulation of protein structure data in the past few
      years now provides an excellent opportunity to re-examine the classification and
      evolution of viruses. Here we scan completely sequenced viral proteomes from all
      genome types and identify protein folds involved in the formation of viral
      capsids and virion architectures. Viruses encoding similar capsid/coat related
      folds were pooled into lineages, after benchmarking against published literature.
      Remarkably, the in silico exercise reproduced all previously described members of
      known structure-based viral lineages, along with several proposals for new
      additions, suggesting it could be a useful supplement to experimental approaches
      and to aid qualitative assessment of viral diversity in metagenome samples.

PMID- 28344576
TI  - Genomic Characterization of Recent Chicken Anemia Virus Isolates in China.
AB  - Chicken anemia virus (CAV) causes diseases in young chickens, which include
      increased pathogenicity of secondary infectious agents, generalized lymphoid
      depletion, and immunodepression. In the present study, we have identified 22 CAV
      strains isolated from several commercial chicken farms in Northern China during
      2014-2015. In addition, two CAVs were also isolated from stray mouse and dog
      feces, respectively. To our knowledge, this is the first report of identification
      of CAV from mouse and dog feces. Phylogenetic analysis of 121 full-length CAV
      genome sequences showed that all available CAV could be classified into eight
      lineages, supported by phylogenetic trees estimated using different methods.
      Furthermore, the 24 novel CAV sequences scattered across different branches, lack
      of clear spatio-temporal distribution characterization. Analysis of the 450 amino
      acids of VP1 protein identified 33 amino acid substitutions that were specific
      for CAVs from northern China. Putative gene recombination events were also
      detected in the genomes of newly isolated CAVs. In particular, a putative
      recombinant event was detected in the CAV-Dog genome with high statistical
      support. In summary, we established a robust classification system for CAV,
      revealed additional genomic diversity of CAV, and therefore, warranted additional
      efforts to explore CAV genomics and epidemiology.

PMID- 28344577
TI  - Linear Epitopes of Paracoccidioides brasiliensis and Other Fungal Agents of Human
      Systemic Mycoses As Vaccine Candidates.
AB  - Dimorphic fungi are agents of systemic mycoses associated with significant
      morbidity and frequent lethality in the Americas. Among the pathogenic species
      are Paracoccidioides brasiliensis and Paracoccidioides lutzii, which predominate
      in South America; Histoplasma capsulatum, Coccidioides posadasii, and
      Coccidioides immitis, and the Sporothrix spp. complex are other important
      pathogens. Associated with dimorphic fungi other important infections are caused
      by yeast such as Candida spp. and Cryptococcus spp. or mold such as Aspergillus
      spp., which are also fungal agents of deadly infections. Nowadays, the actual
      tendency of therapy is the development of a pan-fungal vaccine. This is, however,
      not easy because of the complexity of eukaryotic cells and the particularities of
      different species and isolates. Albeit there are several experimental vaccines
      being studied, we will focus mainly on peptide vaccines or epitopes of T-cell
      receptors inducing protective fungal responses. These peptides can be carried by
      antibody inducing beta-(1,3)-glucan oligo or polysaccharides, or be mixed with
      them for administration. The present review discusses the efficacy of linear
      peptide epitopes in the context of antifungal immunization and vaccine
      proposition.

PMID- 28344578
TI  - On How Fas Apoptosis-Independent Pathways Drive T Cell Hyperproliferation and
      Lymphadenopathy in lpr Mice.
AB  - Fas induces massive apoptosis in T cells after repeated in vitro T cell receptor
      (TCR) stimulation and is critical for lymphocyte homeostasis in Fas-deficient
      (lpr) mice. Although the in vitro Fas apoptotic mechanism has been defined, there
      is a large conceptual gap between this in vitro phenomenon and the pathway that
      leads to in vivo development of lymphadenopathy and autoimmunity. A striking
      abnormality in lpr mice is the excessive proliferation of CD4+ and CD8+ T cells,
      and more so of the double-negative TCR+CD4-CD8-B220+ T cells. The basis of lpr T
      cell hyperproliferation remains elusive, as it cannot be explained by Fas
      deficient apoptosis. T cell-directed p21 overexpression reduces
      hyperactivation/hyperproliferation of all lpr T cell subtypes and lymphadenopathy
      in lpr mice. p21 controls expansion of repeatedly stimulated T cells without
      affecting apoptosis. These results confirm a direct link between
      hyperactivation/hyperproliferation, autoreactivity, and lymphadenopathy in lpr
      mice and, with earlier studies, suggest that Fas apoptosis-independent pathways
      control lpr T cell hyperproliferation. lpr T cell hyperproliferation could be an
      indirect result of the defective apoptosis of repeatedly stimulated lpr T cells.
      Nonetheless, in this perspective, we argue for an alternative setting, in which
      lack of Fas would directly cause lpr T cell hyperactivation/hyperproliferation in
      vivo. We propose that Fas/Fas ligand (FasL) acts as an activation inhibitor of
      recurrently stimulated T cells, and that its disruption causes overexpansion of T
      cells in lpr mice. Research to define the underlying mechanism of this Fas/FasL
      effect could resolve the phenotype of lpr mice and lead to therapeutics for
      related human syndromes.

PMID- 28344579
TI  - Reslizumab and Eosinophilic Asthma: One Step Closer to Precision Medicine?
AB  - Human eosinophils represent approximately 1% of peripheral blood leukocytes.
      However, these cells have the propensity to leave the blood stream and migrate
      into inflamed tissues. Eosinophilic inflammation is present in a significant
      proportion of patients with severe asthma. Asthma is a chronic inflammatory
      disorder that affects more than 315 million people worldwide, with 10% having
      severe uncontrolled disease. Although the majority of patients can be efficiently
      treated, severe asthmatics continue to be uncontrolled and are at risk of
      exacerbations and even death. Interleukin-5 (IL-5) plays a fundamental role in
      eosinophil differentiation, maturation, activation and inhibition of apoptosis.
      Therefore, targeting IL-5 is an appealing approach to the treatment of patients
      with severe eosinophilic asthma. Reslizumab, a humanized anti-IL-5 monoclonal
      antibody, binds with high affinity to amino acids 89-92 of IL-5 that are critical
      for binding to IL-5 receptor alpha. Two phase III studies have demonstrated that
      reslizumab administration in adult patients with severe asthma and eosinophilia
      (>=400 cells/MUL) improved lung function, asthma control, and symptoms. Thus, the
      use of blood eosinophils as a baseline biomarker could help to select patients
      with severe uncontrolled asthma who are likely to achieve benefits in asthma
      control with reslizumab. In conclusion, targeted therapy with reslizumab
      represents one step closer to precision medicine in patients with severe
      eosinophilic asthma.

PMID- 28344580
TI  - A Perspective on the Development of Plant-Made Vaccines in the Fight against
      Ebola Virus.
AB  - The Ebola virus (EBOV) epidemic indicated a great need for prophylactic and
      therapeutic strategies. The use of plants for the production of
      biopharmaceuticals is a concept being adopted by the pharmaceutical industry,
      with an enzyme for human use currently commercialized since 2012 and some plant
      based vaccines close to being commercialized. Although plant-based antibodies
      against EBOV are under clinical evaluation, the development of plant-based
      vaccines against EBOV essentially remains an unexplored area. The current
      technologies for the production of plant-based vaccines include stable nuclear
      expression, transient expression mediated by viral vectors, and chloroplast
      expression. Specific perspectives on how these technologies can be applied for
      developing anti-EBOV vaccines are provided, including possibilities for the
      design of immunogens as well as the potential of the distinct expression
      modalities to produce the most relevant EBOV antigens in plants considering
      yields, posttranslational modifications, production time, and downstream
      processing.

PMID- 28344583
TI  - RBM25 Mediates Abiotic Responses in Plants.
AB  - Alternative splicing (AS) of pre-mRNAs is one of the most important post
      transcriptional regulations that enable a single gene to code for multiple
      proteins resulting in the biodiversity of proteins in eukaryotes. Recently, we
      have shown that an Arabidopsis thaliana RNA recognition motif-containing protein
      RBM25 is a novel splicing factor to modulate plant response to ABA during seed
      germination and post-germination through regulating HAB1 pre-mRNA AS. Here, we
      show that RBM25 is preferentially expressed in stomata and vascular tissues in
      Arabidopsis and is induced by ABA and abiotic stresses. Loss-of-function mutant
      is highly tolerant to drought and sensitive to salt stress. Bioinformatic
      analysis and expression assays reveal that Arabidopsis RBM25 is induced by
      multiple abiotic stresses, suggesting a crucial role of RBM25 in Arabidopsis
      responses to adverse environmental conditions. Furthermore, we provide a
      comprehensive characterization of the homologous genes of Arabidopsis RBM25 based
      on the latest plant genome sequences and public microarray databases. Fourteen
      homologous genes are identified in different plant species which show similar
      structure in gene and protein. Notably, the promoter analysis reveals that RBM25
      homologs are likely controlled by the regulators involved in multiple plant
      growth and abiotic stresses, such as drought and unfavorable temperature. The
      comparative analysis of general and unique cis regulatory elements of the RBM25
      homologs highlights the conserved and unique molecular processes that modulate
      plant response to abiotic stresses through RBM25-mediated alternative splicing.

PMID- 28344581
TI  - Type I Interferons as Regulators of Lung Inflammation.
AB  - Immune responses to lung infections must be tightly regulated in order to permit
      pathogen eradication while maintaining organ function. Exuberant or dysregulated
      inflammation can impair gas exchange and underlies many instances of lung
      disease. An important driver of inflammation in the lung is the interferon (IFN)
      response. Type I IFNs are antiviral cytokines that induce a large range of
      proteins that impair viral replication in infected cells. This cell-intrinsic
      action plays a crucial role in protecting the lungs from spread of respiratory
      viruses. However, type I IFNs have also recently been found to be central to the
      initiation of lung inflammatory responses, by inducing recruitment and activation
      of immune cells. This helps control virus burden but can cause detrimental
      immunopathology and contribute to disease severity. Furthermore, there is now
      increasing evidence that type I IFNs are not only induced after viral infections
      but also after infection with bacteria and fungi. The pro-inflammatory function
      of type I IFNs in the lung opens up the possibility of immune modulation directed
      against this antiviral cytokine family. In this review, the initiation and
      signaling of type I IFNs as well as their role in driving and maintaining lung
      inflammation will be discussed.

PMID- 28344582
TI  - Involvement of Small RNAs in Phosphorus and Sulfur Sensing, Signaling and Stress:
      Current Update.
AB  - Plants require several essential mineral nutrients for their growth and
      development. These nutrients are required to maintain physiological processes and
      structural integrity in plants. The root architecture has evolved to absorb
      nutrients from soil and transport them to other parts of the plant. Nutrient
      deficiency affects several physiological and biological processes in plants and
      leads to reduction in crop productivity and yield. To compensate this adversity,
      plants have developed adaptive mechanisms to enhance the acquisition,
      conservation, and mobilization of these nutrients under deficient or adverse
      conditions. In addition, plants have evolved an intricate nexus of complex
      signaling cascades, which help in nutrient sensing and uptake as well as to
      maintain nutrient homeostasis. In recent years, small non-coding RNAs such as
      micro RNAs (miRNAs) and endogenous small interfering RNAs have emerged as
      important component in regulating plant stress responses. A set of these small
      RNAs (sRNAs) have been implicated in regulating various processes involved in
      nutrient uptake, assimilation, and deficiency. In response to phosphorus (P) and
      sulphur (S) deficiencies, role of sRNAs, miR395 and miR399, have been identified
      to be instrumental; however, many more miRNAs might be involved in regulating the
      plant response to these nutrient stresses. These sRNAs modulate expression of
      target genes in response to P and S deficiencies and regulate their uptake and
      utilization for proper growth and development of the plant. This review
      summarizes the current understanding of uptake, sensing, and signaling of P and S
      and highlights the regulatory role of sRNAs in adaptive responses to these
      nutrient stresses in plants.

PMID- 28344584
TI  - Lanthanum Affects Bell Pepper Seedling Quality Depending on the Genotype and Time
      of Exposure by Differentially Modifying Plant Height, Stem Diameter and
      Concentrations of Chlorophylls, Sugars, Amino Acids, and Proteins.
AB  - Lanthanum (La) is considered a beneficial element, capable of inducing hormesis.
      Hormesis is a dose-response relationship phenomenon characterized by low-dose
      stimulation and high-dose inhibition. Herein we tested the effect of 0 and 10 MUM
      La on growth and biomolecule concentrations of seedlings of four sweet bell
      pepper (Capsicum annuum L.) varieties, namely Sven, Sympathy, Yolo Wonder, and
      Zidenka. Seedling evaluations were performed 15 and 30 days after treatment
      applications (dat) under hydroponic greenhouse conditions. Seedling height was
      significantly increased by La, growing 20% taller in Yolo Wonder plants, in
      comparison to the control. Similarly, La significantly enhanced shoot diameter,
      with increases of 9 and 9.8% in measurements performed 15 and 30 dat,
      respectively, as compared to the control. Likewise, La-treated seedlings had a
      higher number of flower buds than the control. An increase in the number of
      leaves because of La application was observed in Yolo Wonder seedlings, both 15
      and 30 dat, while leaf area was augmented in this variety only 30 dat.
      Nevertheless, La did not affect dry biomass accumulation. La effects on
      biomolecule concentration were differential over time. In all varieties, La
      stimulated the biosynthesis of chlorophyll a, b and total 15 dat, though 30 dat
      only the varieties Sympathy and Yolo Wonder showed enhanced concentrations of
      these molecules because of La. Total soluble sugars increased in La-treated
      seedlings 30 dat. Interestingly, while most varieties exposed to La showed a
      reduction in amino acid concentration 15 dat, the opposite trend was observed 30
      dat. Importantly, in all varieties evaluated, La stimulated soluble protein
      concentration 30 dat. It is important to note that while chlorophyll
      concentrations increased in all varieties exposed to La, both 15 and 30 dat,
      those of soluble sugars and proteins consistently increased only 30 dat, but not
      15 dat. Our results confirm that La may improve seedling quality by enhancing
      some growth parameters and biomolecule concentrations, depending on the genotype,
      and time of exposure.

PMID- 28344586
TI  - Comparative Transcriptome Reveals Benzenoid Biosynthesis Regulation as Inducer of
      Floral Scent in the Woody Plant Prunus mume.
AB  - Mei (Prunus mume) is a peculiar woody ornamental plant famous for its inviting
      fragrance in winter. However, in this valuable plant, the mechanism behind floral
      volatile development remains poorly defined. Therefore, to explore the floral
      scent formation, a comparative transcriptome was conducted in order to identify
      the global transcripts specifying flower buds and blooming flowers of P. mume.
      Differentially expressed genes were identified between the two different stages
      showing great discrepancy in floral volatile production. Moreover, according to
      the expression specificity among the organs (stem, root, fruit, leaf), we
      summarized one gene cluster regulating the benzenoid floral scent. Significant
      gene changes were observed in accordance with the formation of benzenoid, thus
      pointing the pivotal roles of genes as well as cytochrome-P450s and short chain
      dehydrogenases in the benzenoid biosynthetic process. Further, transcription
      factors like EMISSION OF BENZENOID I and ODORANT I performed the same expression
      pattern suggesting key roles in the management of the downstream genes. Taken
      together, these data provide potential novel anchors for the benzenoid pathway,
      and the insight for the floral scent induction and regulation mechanism in woody
      plants.

PMID- 28344585
TI  - Ectopic Expression of OsSta2 Enhances Salt Stress Tolerance in Rice.
AB  - Salt stress can severely reduce crop yields. To understand how rice (Oryza
      sativa) plants respond to this environmental challenge, we investigated the genes
      involved in conferring salt tolerance by screening T-DNA tagging lines and
      identified OsSta2-D (Oryza sativa Salt tolerance activation 2-Dominant). In that
      line, expression of OsSta2 was enhanced by approximately eightfold when compared
      with the non-transformed wild type (WT). This gene was highly expressed in the
      callus, roots, and panicles. To confirm its role in stress tolerance, we
      generated transgenic rice that over-expresses OsSta2 under a maize ubiquitin
      promoter. The OsSta2-Ox plants were salt-tolerant at the vegetative stage, based
      on our calculations of chlorophyll fluorescence (Fv/Fm), fresh and dry weights,
      chlorophyll concentrations, and survival rates. Under normal paddy field
      conditions, the Ox plants were somewhat shorter than the WT control but had
      improved agronomic traits such as higher total grain yield. They were also more
      tolerant to osmotic stress and hypersensitive to abscisic acid. Based on all of
      these results, we suggest that OsSta2 has important roles in determining yields
      as well as in conferring tolerance to salt stresses.

PMID- 28344588
TI  - AtLSG1-2 Regulates Leaf Growth by Affecting Cell Proliferation and the Onset of
      Endoreduplication and Synergistically Interacts with AtNMD3 during Cell
      Proliferation Process.
AB  - AtLSG1-2 is a circularly permuted GTPase required for ribosome biogenesis and
      recently shown to be involved in early leaf development, although it was unclear
      how AtLSG1-2 affects leaf growth. Here, we found that atlsg1-2 mutants had
      reduced leaf size as a result of decreased cell size and cell number. Leaf
      kinematic analysis and CYCB1;1::GUS expression pattern in atlsg1-2 mutant
      indicated that loss of function of AtLSG1-2 delays the transition from cell
      division to cell expansion. Decreases in ploidy levels and trichome branch number
      suggest that AtLSG1-2 deficiency suppresses endoreduplication. Real-time PCR
      analysis showed that genes specifically expressed in the proliferation stage were
      highly expressed and those involved in endoreduplication were differentially
      regulated. LSG1 is known to mediate the recruitment of nucleocytoplasmic
      shuttling protein NMD3 back to the nucleus in yeast, yet their relationship was
      unclear in plants. Our genetic analysis revealed that the atlsg1 atnmd3 double
      mutant displayed enhanced phenotypes as compared with the respective single
      mutant and that AtLSG1-2 and AtNMD3 synergistically affect the cell proliferation
      process.

PMID- 28344587
TI  - The Chloroplast Genome of Passiflora edulis (Passifloraceae) Assembled from Long
      Sequence Reads: Structural Organization and Phylogenomic Studies in Malpighiales.
AB  - The family Passifloraceae consists of some 700 species classified in around 16
      genera. Almost all its members belong to the genus Passiflora. In Brazil, the
      yellow passion fruit (Passiflora edulis) is of considerable economic importance,
      both for juice production and consumption as fresh fruit. The availability of
      chloroplast genomes (cp genomes) and their sequence comparisons has led to a
      better understanding of the evolutionary relationships within plant taxa. In this
      study, we obtained the complete nucleotide sequence of the P. edulis chloroplast
      genome, the first entirely sequenced in the Passifloraceae family. We determined
      its structure and organization, and also performed phylogenomic studies on the
      order Malpighiales and the Fabids clade. The P. edulis chloroplast genome is
      characterized by the presence of two copies of an inverted repeat sequence (IRA
      and IRB) of 26,154 bp, each separating a small single copy region of 13,378 bp
      and a large single copy (LSC) region of 85,720 bp. The annotation resulted in the
      identification of 105 unique genes, including 30 tRNAs, 4 rRNAs, and 71 protein
      coding genes. Also, 36 repetitive elements and 85 SSRs (microsatellites) were
      identified. The structure of the complete cp genome of P. edulis differs from
      that of other species because of rearrangement events detected by means of a
      comparison based on 22 members of the Malpighiales. The rearrangements were three
      inversions of 46,151, 3,765 and 1,631 bp, located in the LSC region. Phylogenomic
      analysis resulted in strongly supported trees, but this could also be a
      consequence of the limited taxonomic sampling used. Our results have provided a
      better understanding of the evolutionary relationships in the Malpighiales and
      the Fabids, confirming the potential of complete chloroplast genome sequences in
      inferring evolutionary relationships and the utility of long sequence reads for
      generating very accurate biological information.

PMID- 28344589
TI  - Characterization of Genes Encoding Key Enzymes Involved in Anthocyanin Metabolism
      of Kiwifruit during Storage Period.
AB  - 'Hongyang' is a red fleshed kiwifruit with high anthocyanin content. In this
      study, we mainly investigated effects of different temperatures (25 and 0 degrees
      C) on anthocyanin biosynthesis in harvested kiwifruit, and characterized the
      genes encoding key enzymes involved in anthocyanin metabolism, as well as
      evaluated the mode of the action, by which low temperature regulates anthocyanin
      accumulation in 'Hongyang' kiwifruit during storage period. The results showed
      that low temperature could effectively enhance the anthocyanin accumulation of
      kiwifruit in the end of storage period (90 days), which related to the increase
      in mRNA levels of ANS1, ANS2, DRF1, DRF2, and UGFT2. Moreover, the transcript
      abundance of MYBA1-1 and MYB5-1, the genes encoding an important component of MYB
      bHLH-WD40 (MBW) complex, was up-regulated, possibly contributing to the induction
      of specific anthocyanin biosynthesis genes under the low temperature. To further
      investigate the roles of AcMYB5-1/5-2/A1-1 in regulation of anthocyanin
      biosynthesis, genes encoding the three transcription factors were transiently
      transformed in Nicotiana benthamiana leaves. Overexpression of AcMYB5-1/5-2/A1-1
      activated the gene expression of NtANS and NtDFR in tobacco. Our results
      suggested that low temperature storage could stimulate the anthocyanin
      accumulation in harvested kiwifruit via regulating several structural and
      regulatory genes involved in anthocyanin biosynthesis.

PMID- 28344590
TI  - Proteome Profiling of Paulownia Seedlings Infected with Phytoplasma.
AB  - Phytoplasma is an insect-transmitted pathogen that causes witches' broom disease
      in many plants. Paulownia witches' broom is one of the most destructive diseases
      threatening Paulownia production. The molecular mechanisms associated with this
      disease have been investigated by transcriptome sequencing, but changes in
      protein abundance have not been investigated with isobaric tags for relative and
      absolute quantitation. Previous results have shown that methyl methane sulfonate
      (MMS) can help Paulownia seedlings recover from the symptoms of witches' broom
      and reinstate a healthy morphology. In this study, a transcriptomic-assisted
      proteomic technique was used to analyze the protein changes in phytoplasma
      infected Paulownia tomentosa seedlings, phytoplasma-infected seedlings treated
      with 20 and 60 mg.L-1 MMS, and healthy seedlings. A total of 2,051 proteins were
      obtained, 879 of which were found to be differentially abundant in pairwise
      comparisons between the sample groups. Among the differentially abundant
      proteins, 43 were related to Paulownia witches' broom disease and many of them
      were annotated to be involved in photosynthesis, expression of dwarf symptom,
      energy production, and cell signal pathways.

PMID- 28344591
TI  - Studying the Genetics of Resistance to CyHV-3 Disease Using Introgression from
      Feral to Cultured Common Carp Strains.
AB  - Sustainability and further development of aquaculture production are constantly
      challenged by outbreaks of fish diseases, which are difficult to prevent or
      control. Developing fish strains that are genetically resistant to a disease is a
      cost-effective and a sustainable solution to address this challenge. To do so,
      heritable genetic variation in disease resistance should be identified and
      combined together with other desirable production traits. Aquaculture of common
      carp has suffered substantial losses from the infectious disease caused by the
      cyprinid herpes virus type 3 (CyHV-3) virus and the global spread of outbreaks
      indicates that many cultured strains are susceptible. In this research, CyHV-3
      resistance from the feral strain "Amur Sassan" was successfully introgressed into
      two susceptible cultured strains up to the first backcross (BC1) generation.
      Variation in resistance of families from F1 and BC1 generations was significantly
      greater compared to that among families of any of the susceptible parental lines,
      a good starting point for a family selection program. Considerable additive
      genetic variation was found for CyHV-3 resistance. This phenotype was
      transferable between generations with contributions to resistance from both the
      resistant feral and the susceptible cultured strains. Reduced scale coverage
      (mirror phenotype) is desirable and common in cultured strains, but so far,
      cultured mirror carp strains were found to be susceptible. Here, using BC1
      families ranging from susceptible to resistant, no differences in resistance
      levels between fully scaled and mirror full-sib groups were found, indicating
      that CyHV-3 resistance was successfully combined with the desirable mirror
      phenotype. In addition, the CyHV-3 viral load in tissues throughout the infection
      of susceptible and resistant fish was followed. Although resistant fish get
      infected, viral loads in tissues of these fish are significantly lesser than in
      those of susceptible fish, allowing them to survive the disease. Taken together,
      in this study we have laid the foundation for breeding CyHV-3-resistant strains
      and started to address the mechanisms underlying the phenotypic differences in
      resistance to this disease.

PMID- 28344592
TI  - Dysbindin Deficiency Modifies the Expression of GABA Neuron and Ion Permeation
      Transcripts in the Developing Hippocampus.
AB  - The neurodevelopmental factor dysbindin is required for synapse function and GABA
      interneuron development. Dysbindin protein levels are reduced in the hippocampus
      of schizophrenia patients. Mouse dysbindin genetic defects and other mouse models
      of neurodevelopmental disorders share defective GABAergic neurotransmission and,
      in several instances, a loss of parvalbumin-positive interneuron phenotypes. This
      suggests that mechanisms downstream of dysbindin deficiency, such as those
      affecting GABA interneurons, could inform pathways contributing to or
      ameliorating diverse neurodevelopmental disorders. Here we define the
      transcriptome of developing wild type and dysbindin null Bloc1s8sdy/sdy mouse
      hippocampus in order to identify mechanisms downstream dysbindin defects. The
      dysbindin mutant transcriptome revealed previously reported GABA parvalbumin
      interneuron defects. However, the Bloc1s8sdy/sdy transcriptome additionally
      uncovered changes in the expression of molecules controlling cellular
      excitability such as the cation-chloride cotransporters NKCC1, KCC2, and NCKX2 as
      well as the potassium channel subunits Kcne2 and Kcnj13. Our results suggest that
      dysbindin deficiency phenotypes, such as GABAergic defects, are modulated by the
      expression of molecules controlling the magnitude and cadence of neuronal
      excitability.

PMID- 28344593
TI  - Agaricus brasiliensis polysaccharides stimulate human monocytes to capture
      Candida albicans, express toll-like receptors 2 and 4, and produce pro
      inflammatory cytokines.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Agaricus brasiliensis is a medicinal mushroom with immunomodulatory
      and antitumor activities attributed to the beta-glucans presented in the
      polysaccharide fraction of its fruiting body. Since beta-glucans enhance cellular
      immunoresponsiveness, in this study we aimed to evaluate the effect of an acid
      treated polysaccharide-rich fraction (ATF) of A. brasiliensis on the ability of
      human monocytes to adhere/phagocyte C. albicans yeast cells, their expression of
      pattern recognition receptors and their ability to produce cytokines. METHODS:
      Adhesion/phagocytosis of FITC-labeled C. albicans was evaluated by flow
      cytometry. Cells were incubated with specific fluorochrome-labeled antibodies for
      TLR2 and 4, betaGR and MR and also evaluated by flow cytometry. Monocytes were
      cultured with ATF, and culture supernatants were collected for analysis of in
      vitro cytokine production by ELISA (TNF-alpha, IL-1beta, IL-12 and IL-10).
      RESULTS: ATF significantly increased the adherence/phagocytosis of C. albicans by
      monocytes and this was associated with enhanced expression of TLR2 and TLR4,
      while no effect was observed on betaGR or MR. Moreover, expression of TLR4 and
      TLR2 was associated with higher levels of in vitro production of TNF-alpha and IL
      1, respectively. Production of IL-10 was also increased by ATF treatment, but we
      found no association between its production and the expression of Toll-like
      receptors. CONCLUSION: Our results provided us with evidence that A. brasiliensis
      polysaccharides affect human monocytes probably through the modulation of Toll
      like receptors.

PMID- 28344594
TI  - Articular inflammation induced by an enzymatically-inactive Lys49 phospholipase
      A2: activation of endogenous phospholipases contributes to the pronociceptive
      effect.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Arthritis is a set of inflammatory conditions that induce aching,
      stiffness, swelling, pain and may cause functional disability with severe
      consequences to the patient's lives. These are multi-mediated pathologies that
      cannot be effectively protected and/or treated. Therefore, the aim of this study
      was to establish a new model of acute arthritis, using a Lys49-PLA2 (Bothrops
      asper myotoxin II; MT-II) to induce articular inflammation. METHODS: The
      articular inflammation was induced by MT-II (10 MUg/joint) injection into the
      left tibio-tarsal or femoral-tibial-patellar joints. Cellular influx was
      evaluated counting total and differential cells that migrated to the joint. The
      plasma extravasation was determined using Evans blue dye. The edematogenic
      response was evaluated measuring the joint thickness using a caliper. The
      articular hypernociception was determined by a dorsal flexion of the tibio-tarsal
      joint using an electronic pressure-meter test. The mediators involved in the
      articular hypernociception were evaluated using receptor antagonists and
      enzymatic inhibitors. RESULTS: Plasma extravasation in the knee joints was
      observed 5 and 15 min after MT-II (10 MUg/joint) injection. MT-II also induced a
      polymorphonuclear cell influx into the femoral-tibial-patellar joints observed 8
      h after its injection, a period that coincided with the peak of the hyperalgesic
      effect. Hyperalgesia was inhibited by the pretreatment of the animals with
      cyclooxygenase inhibitor indomethacin, with type-2 cyclooxygenase inhibitor
      celecoxib, with AACOCF3 and PACOCF3, inhibitors of cytosolic and Ca2+-independent
      PLA2s, respectively, with bradykinin B2 receptor antagonist HOE 140, with
      antibodies against TNFalpha, IL-1beta, IL-6 and CINC-1 and with selective ET-A
      (BQ-123) and ET-B (BQ-788) endothelin receptors antagonists. The MT-II-induced
      hyperalgesia was not altered by the lipoxygenase inhibitor zileuton, by the
      bradykinin B1 receptor antagonist Lys-(Des-Arg9,Leu8)-bradykinin, by the
      histamine and serotonin antagonists promethazine and methysergide, respectively,
      by the nitric oxide inhibitor LNMMA and by the inhibitor of matrix 1-, 2-, 3-, 8-
      and 9- metalloproteinases GM6001 (Ilomastat). CONCLUSION: These results
      demonstrated the multi-mediated characteristic of the articular inflammation
      induced by MT-II, which demonstrates its relevance as a model for arthritis
      mechanisms and treatment evaluation.

PMID- 28344596
TI  - Deinagkistrodon acutus envenomation: a report of three cases.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Deinagkistrodon acutus envenomation is associated with severe
      hematological and wound complications but is rarely described. CASE PRESENTATION:
      Herein, we report three cases of victims bitten by D. acutus and indicate that
      rapid-onset severe coagulopathy and thrombocytopenia are distinct features of D.
      acutus snakebite, which are not observed in other crotaline snakebites (i.e.,
      Trimeresurus stejnegeri and Protobothrops mucrosquamatus) in Taiwan. The toxic
      effects could occur as early as 2 to 3 h following D. acutus envenomation and
      persist if the administration of specific antivenom is delayed or even not
      commenced. Based on our findings, 2 to 4 vials of specific antivenom as the first
      dose should be administered to victims and repeated at 6 to 8 h intervals if
      coagulopathy or thrombocytopenia persists. Fresh frozen plasma or platelet
      replacement is probably safe as an adjunct therapy for D. acutus bite in the
      presence of venom-induced consumptive coagulopathy. CONCLUSION: Severe
      coagulopathy and thrombocytopenia could occur as early as 2 to 3 h after D.
      acutus envenomation. The current recommendation for antivenom is 2 to 4 vials as
      the first dose and repeated every 6- to 8 h if coagulopathy or thrombocytopenia
      persists. These cases studied may be helpful to first-line medical personnel in
      the early diagnosis and management of D. acutus envenomation among other
      crotaline snakebites in Taiwan.

PMID- 28344595
TI  - Alpha-type phospholipase A2 inhibitors from snake blood.
AB  - It is of popular and scientific knowledge that toxins from snake venom (among
      them the PLA2 and myotoxins) are neutralized by various compounds, such as
      antibodies and proteins purified from animal blood. Venomous and nonvenomous
      snakes have PLA2 inhibitory proteins, called PLIs, in their blood serum. One
      hypothesis that could explain the presence of these PLIs in the serum of venomous
      snakes would be self-protection against the enzymes of their own venom, which
      eventually could reach the circulatory system. However, the presence of PLIs in
      non-venomous snakes suggests that their physiological role might not be
      restricted to protection against PLA2 toxins, but could be extended to other
      functions, as in the innate immune system and local regulation of PLA2s. The
      present study aimed to review the currently available literature on PLA2 and
      myotoxin alpha inhibitors present in snake plasma, thus helping to improve the
      research on these molecules. Furthermore, this review includes current
      information regarding the mechanism of action of these inhibitors in an attempt
      to better understand their application, and proposes the use of these molecules
      as new models in snakebite therapy. These molecules may help in the
      neutralization of different types of phospholipases A2 and myotoxins,
      complementing the conventional serum therapy.

PMID- 28344597
TI  - High biologically effective dose radiation therapy using brachytherapy in
      combination with external beam radiotherapy for high-risk prostate cancer.
AB  - PURPOSE: To evaluate the outcomes of high-risk prostate cancer patients treated
      with biologically effective dose (BED) >= 220 Gy of high-dose radiotherapy, using
      low-dose-rate (LDR) brachytherapy in combination with external beam radiotherapy
      (EBRT) and short-term androgen deprivation therapy (ADT). MATERIAL AND METHODS:
      From 2005 to 2013, a total of 143 patients with high-risk prostate cancer were
      treated by radiotherapy of BED >= 220 Gy with a combination of LDR brachytherapy,
      EBRT, and androgen deprivation therapy (ADT). The high-risk patients in the
      present study included both high-risk and very high-risk prostate cancer. The
      number of high-risk features were: 60 patients with 1 high-risk factor (42%), 61
      patients with 2 high-risk factors (43%), and 22 patients with 3 high-risk factors
      (15%) including five N1 disease. External beam radiotherapy fields included
      prostate and seminal vesicles only or whole pelvis depending on the extension of
      the disease. Biochemical failure was defined by the Phoenix definition. RESULTS:
      Six patients developed biochemical failure, thus providing a 5-year actual
      biochemical failure-free survival (BFFS) rate of 95.2%. Biochemical failure was
      observed exclusively in cases with distant metastasis in the present study. All
      six patients with biochemical relapse had clinical failure due to bone
      metastasis, thus yielding a 5-year freedom from clinical failure (FFCF) rate of
      93.0%. None of the cases with N1 disease experienced biochemical failure. We
      observed four deaths, including one death from prostate cancer, therefore
      yielding a cause-specific survival (CSS) rate of 97.2%, and an overall survival
      (OS) rate of 95.5%. CONCLUSIONS: High-dose (BED >= 220 Gy) radiotherapy by LDR in
      combination with EBRT has shown an excellent outcome on BFFS in high-risk and
      very high-risk cancer, although causal relationship between BED and BFFS remain
      to be explained further.

PMID- 28344598
TI  - Radiation dose to the left anterior descending coronary artery during
      interstitial pulsed-dose-rate brachytherapy used as a boost in breast cancer
      patients undergoing organ-sparing treatment.
AB  - PURPOSE: To assess dose received by the left anterior descending (LAD) coronary
      artery during interstitial pulsed-dose-rate brachytherapy (PDR-BT) boost for left
      sided breast cancer patients undergoing organ-sparing treatment. MATERIAL AND
      METHODS: Thirty consecutive pT1-3N0-1M0 breast cancer patients boosted between
      2014 and 2015 with 10 Gy/10 pulses/hour PDR-BT following a computed tomography
      (CT) simulation with the multi-catheter implant were included. The most common
      localization of primary tumor were upper quadrants. Patients were implanted with
      rigid tubes following breast conserving surgery and whole breast external beam
      irradiation (40 Gy/15 or 50 Gy/25 fractions). Computed tomography scans were
      retrospectively reviewed and LADs were contoured without and with margin of 5 mm
      (LAD5mm). Standard treatment plan encompassed tumor bed determined by the
      surgical clips with margin of 2 cm. Dosimetric parameters were extracted from the
      dose-volume histograms. RESULTS: The mean D90 and V100 were 10.3 Gy (range: 6.6
      13.3), and 42.0 cc (range: 15.3-109.3), respectively. The median dose non
      uniformity ratio (DNR) was 0.50 (range: 0.27-0.82). The mean doses to LAD and
      LAD5mm were 1.0 Gy and 0.96 Gy, and maximal doses were 1.57 Gy and 1.99 Gy,
      respectively. Dose to the 0.1 cc of the LAD and LAD5mm were 1.42 Gy and 1.85 Gy
      (range: 0.01-4.98 Gy and 0.1-6.89 Gy), respectively. CONCLUSIONS: Interstitial
      multi-catheter PDR-BT used as a boost for left-sided breast cancer is generally
      associated with low dose to the LAD. However, higher dose in individual cases may
      require alternative approaches.

PMID- 28344599
TI  - Does ultrasound measurement improve the accuracy of electronic brachytherapy in
      the treatment of superficial non-melanomatous skin cancer?
AB  - PURPOSE: Electronic brachytherapy (eBT) is a form of contact radiation therapy
      used for thin superficial non-melanomatous skin cancers (NMSCs). An accurate
      measurement of diameter and depth is important for eBT treatment planning.
      Therefore, we compared clinical measurements by an experienced physician to
      measurements obtained using ultrasound (US), an objective imaging modality, in
      order to determine if clinical measurements were accurate enough for adequate
      NMSC treatment. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Eighteen patients with 20 biopsy-proven
      NMSCs first had a clinical examination and then an US evaluation prior to
      starting eBT. One physician provided a clinical measurement for diameter and
      depth based on physical examination during radiation oncology consultation. The
      patients then had an US evaluation with a 14 or 18 MHz US unit, to determine both
      the diameter and depth measurements; eBT dose prescription was done using the US
      derived measurements. The clinical measurements and US measurements were compared
      using a t-test. RESULTS: Seventeen lesions were basal cell carcinoma and 3
      lesions were squamous cell carcinoma. The most common location was the nose (10
      lesions). The difference between the clinical and the US derived measurements for
      the second largest diameter was found to be statistically significant (p = 0.03),
      while the difference for the largest diameter of the lesions was not (p = 0.24).
      More importantly, the depth measurements obtained with US were also found to be
      significantly different from the clinical estimates (p = 0.02). All patients have
      had a complete response to therapy with a median follow-up of 24 months.
      CONCLUSIONS: Statistically different measurements were obtained in 2 of 3
      parameters used in choosing applicator size and prescription depth using an US
      assessment. The data presented suggests that US is a more objective modality than
      clinical judgment for determining superficial NMSC diameter and prescription
      depth for personalized eBT planning.

PMID- 28344600
TI  - Staged reconstruction brachytherapy has lower overall cost in recurrent soft
      tissue sarcoma.
AB  - PURPOSE: Adjuvant brachytherapy (AB) with immediate (IR) and staged
      reconstruction (SR) are distinct treatment modalities available for patients with
      recurrent soft tissue sarcoma (STS). Although SR may offer local control and
      toxicity benefit, it requires additional upfront procedures, and there is no
      evidence that it improves overall survival. With the importance of value-based
      care, our goal is to identify which technique is more cost effective. MATERIAL
      AND METHODS: A retrospective review of 22 patients with recurrent extremity STS
      treated with resection followed by AB alone. Hospital charges were used to
      compare the cost between SR and IR at the time of initial treatment, at 6-month
      intervals following surgery, and cumulative cost comparisons at 18 months.
      RESULTS: Median follow-up was 31 months. Staged reconstruction (n = 12) was
      associated with an 18-month local control benefit (85% vs. 42%, p = 0.034),
      compared to IR (n = 10). Staged reconstruction had a longer hospital stay during
      initial treatment (10 vs. 3 days, p = 0.002), but at 18 months, the total
      hospital stay was no longer different (11 vs. 11 days). Initially, there was no
      difference in the cost of SR and IR. With longer follow-up, cost eventually
      favored SR, which was attributed primarily to the costs associated with local
      failure (LF). On multivariate analysis, cost of initial treatment was associated
      with length of hospital stay (~$4.5K per hospital day, p < 0.001), and at 18
      months, the cumulative cost was ~175K lower with SR (p = 0.005) and $58K higher
      with LF (p = 0.02). CONCLUSIONS: In recurrent STS, SR has a longer initial
      hospital stay when compared to IR. At 18 months, SR had lower rates of LF,
      translating to lower total costs for the patient. SR is the more cost-effective
      brachytherapy approach in the treatment of STS, and should be considered as
      healthcare transitions into value-based medicine.

PMID- 28344601
TI  - High-dose-rate intraluminal brachytherapy prior to external radiochemotherapy in
      locally advanced esophageal cancer: preliminary results.
AB  - PURPOSE: Dysphagia is a common initial presentation in locally advanced
      esophageal cancer and negatively impacts patient quality of life and treatment
      compliance. To induce fast relief of dysphagia in patients with potentially
      operable esophageal cancer high-dose-rate (HDR) brachytherapy was applied prior
      to definitive radiochemotherapy. MATERIAL AND METHODS: In this single arm phase
      II clinical trial between 2013 to 2014 twenty patients with locally advanced
      esophageal cancer (17 squamous cell and 3 adenocarcinoma) were treated with
      upfront 10 Gy HDR brachytherapy, followed by 50.4 Gy external beam radiotherapy
      (EBRT) and concurrent chemotherapy with cisplatin/5-fluorouracil. RESULTS: Tumor
      response, as measured by endoscopy and/or computed tomography scan, revealed
      complete remission in 16 and partial response in 4 patients (overall response
      rate 100%). Improvement of dysphagia was induced by brachytherapy within a few
      days and maintained up to the end of treatment in 80% of patients. No differences
      in either response rate or dysphagia resolution were found between squamous cell
      and adenocarcinoma histology. The grade 2 and 3 acute pancytopenia or bicytopenia
      reported in 4 patients, while sub-acute adverse effects with painful ulceration
      was seen in five patients, occurring after a median of 2 months. A perforation
      developed in one patient during the procedure of brachytherapy that resolved
      successfully with immediate surgery. CONCLUSIONS: Brachytherapy before EBRT was a
      safe and effective procedure to induce rapid and durable relief from dysphagia,
      especially when combined with EBRT.

PMID- 28344602
TI  - Safety and outcome of external beam radiation and neutron brachytherapy in
      elderly patients with esophageal squamous cell cancer.
AB  - PURPOSE: The aim of this study was to retrospectively observe and analyze the
      long-term treatment outcomes of 191 elderly patients with esophageal squamous
      cell cancer (ESCC) who were treated with californium-252 (252Cf) neutron
      brachytherapy (NBT) in combination with external beam radiotherapy (EBRT).
      MATERIAL AND METHODS: From January 2002 to November 2012, 191 patients with ESCC
      underwent NBT in combination with EBRT. The total radiation dose to the reference
      point via NBT was 8-25 Gy-eq in two to five fractions with one fraction per week.
      The total dose via EBRT was 50-60 Gy, which was delivered over a period of 5 to 6
      weeks with normal fractionation. RESULTS: The median survival time for the 191
      patients was 23.6 months, and the 5-year rates for overall survival (OS) and
      local-regional control (LRC) were 28.7% and 54.2%, respectively. The patients'
      age was a factor that was significantly associated with OS (p = 0.010), according
      to univariate analysis. The 5-year OS (LRC) was 37.3% (58.6%) for patients aged
      70-74 years and 14.5% (47.9%) for patients aged > 74 years (p = 0.010 and p =
      0.038). In multivariate analysis, age and clinical N stage were associated with
      OS and LRC (p = 0.011 [0.041] and p = 0.005 [0.005]). From the time of treatment
      completion to the development of local-regional recurrence or death, 5 (2.6%)
      patients experienced fistula and 15 (7.9%) experienced massive bleeding. The
      incidence of severe late complications was related to older age (p = 0.027),
      higher NBT dose/fraction (20-25 Gy/5 fractions), and higher total dose (> 66 Gy).
      CONCLUSIONS: The clinical data indicated that NBT in combination with EBRT
      produced favorable local control and long-term survival rates for elderly
      patients with ESCC, and that the side effects were tolerable. Patient's age,
      clinical stage N status, and radiation dose could be used to select the
      appropriate treatment for elderly patients.

PMID- 28344603
TI  - Isobio software: biological dose distribution and biological dose volume
      histogram from physical dose conversion using linear-quadratic-linear model.
AB  - PURPOSE: To develop an in-house software program that is able to calculate and
      generate the biological dose distribution and biological dose volume histogram by
      physical dose conversion using the linear-quadratic-linear (LQL) model. MATERIAL
      AND METHODS: The Isobio software was developed using MATLAB version 2014b to
      calculate and generate the biological dose distribution and biological dose
      volume histograms. The physical dose from each voxel in treatment planning was
      extracted through Computational Environment for Radiotherapy Research (CERR), and
      the accuracy was verified by the differentiation between the dose volume
      histogram from CERR and the treatment planning system. An equivalent dose in 2 Gy
      fraction (EQD2) was calculated using biological effective dose (BED) based on the
      LQL model. The software calculation and the manual calculation were compared for
      EQD2 verification with pair t-test statistical analysis using IBM SPSS Statistics
      version 22 (64-bit). RESULTS: Two and three-dimensional biological dose
      distribution and biological dose volume histogram were displayed correctly by the
      Isobio software. Different physical doses were found between CERR and treatment
      planning system (TPS) in Oncentra, with 3.33% in high-risk clinical target volume
      (HR-CTV) determined by D90%, 0.56% in the bladder, 1.74% in the rectum when
      determined by D2cc, and less than 1% in Pinnacle. The difference in the EQD2
      between the software calculation and the manual calculation was not significantly
      different with 0.00% at p-values 0.820, 0.095, and 0.593 for external beam
      radiation therapy (EBRT) and 0.240, 0.320, and 0.849 for brachytherapy (BT) in HR
      CTV, bladder, and rectum, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: The Isobio software is a
      feasible tool to generate the biological dose distribution and biological dose
      volume histogram for treatment plan evaluation in both EBRT and BT.

PMID- 28344604
TI  - 3D image-based adapted high-dose-rate brachytherapy in cervical cancer with and
      without interstitial needles: measurement of applicator shift between imaging and
      dose delivery.
AB  - PURPOSE: Using 3D image-guided adaptive brachytherapy for cervical cancer
      treatment, it often means that patients are transported and moved during the
      treatment procedure. The purpose of this study was to determine the intra
      fractional longitudinal applicator shift in relation to the high risk clinical
      target volume (HR-CTV) by comparing geometries at imaging and dose delivery for
      patients with and without needles. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Measurements were
      performed in 33 patients (71 fractions), where 25 fractions were without and 46
      were with interstitial needles. Gold markers were placed in the lower part of the
      cervix as a surrogate for HR-CTV, enabling distance measurements between HR-CTV
      and the ring applicator. Shifts of the applicator relative to the markers were
      determined using planning computed tomography (CT) images used for planning, and
      the radiographs obtained at dose delivery. Differences in the physical D90 for HR
      CTV due to applicator shifts were simulated individually in the treatment
      planning system to provide the relative dose variation. RESULTS: The maximum
      distances of the applicator shifts, in relation to the markers, were 3.6 mm
      (caudal), and -2.5 mm (cranial). There was a significant displacement of -0.7 mm
      (SD = 0.9 mm) without needles, while with needles there was no significant shift.
      The relative dose variation showed a significant increase in D90 HR-CTV of 1.6%
      (SD = 2.6%) when not using needles, and no significant dose variation was found
      when using needles. CONCLUSIONS: The results from this study showed that there
      was a small longitudinal displacement of the ring applicator and a significant
      difference in displacement between using interstitial needles or not.

PMID- 28344605
TI  - A method to incorporate interstitial components into the TPS gynecologic rigid
      applicator library.
AB  - PURPOSE: T2 magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is recommended as the imaging
      modality for image-guided brachytherapy. In locally advanced cervical carcinoma,
      combined endocavitary and interstitial applicators are appropriate (Vienna or
      Utrecht). To cover extensive disease, Template Benidorm (TB) was developed.
      Treatment planning system applicator libraries are currently unavailable for the
      Utrecht applicator or the TB. The purpose of this work is to develop an
      applicator library for both applicators. MATERIAL AND METHODS: The library
      developed in this work has been used in the Oncentra Brachytherapy TPS, version
      4.3.0, which has a brachytherapy module that includes a library of rigid
      applicators. To add the needles of the Utrecht applicator and to model the TB, we
      used FreeCAD and MeshLab. The reconstruction process was based on the points that
      the rigid section and the interstitial part have in common. This, together with
      the free length, allowed us to ascertain the position of the tip. RESULTS: In
      case of the Utrecht applicator, one of the sources of uncertainty in the
      reconstruction was determining the distance of the tip of needle from the ovoid.
      In case of the TB, the large number of needles involved made their identification
      time consuming. The developed library resolved both issues. CONCLUSIONS: The
      developed library for the Utrecht and TB is feasible and efficient improving
      accuracy. It allows all the required treatment planning to proceed using just a
      T2 MRI sequence. The additional use of specific free available software
      applications makes it possible to add this information to the already existing
      library of the Oncentra Brachytherapy TPS. Specific details not included on this
      manuscript will be available under request. This library is also currently being
      implemented also into the Sagiplan v 2.0 TPS.

PMID- 28344606
TI  - Edema worsens target coverage in high-dose-rate interstitial brachytherapy of
      mobile tongue cancer: a report of two cases.
AB  - PURPOSE: We report our study on two patients to highlight the risk of underdosage
      of the clinical target volume (CTV) due to edema during high-dose-rate
      interstitial brachytherapy (HDR-ISBT) of mobile tongue cancer. MATERIAL AND
      METHODS: To treat the lateral side of the CTV, flexible applicator tubes were
      implanted on the mouth floor. Two-dimensional planning was performed using X-ray
      images for Case 1, and three-dimensional (3D) planning was performed using
      computed tomography (CT) for Case 2. Prescribed doses for both cases were 54 Gy
      in nine fractions. CASE REPORTS: Case 1 was treated for cancer of the right
      lateral border of the tongue in 2005. Tongue edema occurred after implantation,
      and part of the lateral border of the tongue protruded between the applicator
      tubes. Acute mucosal reaction abated in the protruded area earlier than in the
      other parts of the CTV. In this case, the tumor recurred in this area 5 months
      after the treatment. Case 2 was treated for cancer of the left lateral border of
      the tongue. Because tongue edema occurred in this case also, plastic splints were
      inserted between the applicator tubes to push the edematous region into the
      irradiated area. The mucosal surface of the CTV was covered by the 70% isodose,
      and 100% isodose line for before and after splint insertion. Local control of the
      tumor was achieved 4 years after treatment. DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSIONS: To ensure
      sufficient target coverage, 3D image-based planning using CT should be performed,
      followed by re-planning using repeated CT as needed. Also, the development of
      devices to prevent protrusion of the edematous tissue outside the target area
      will help to ensure the full dosing of CTV.

PMID- 28344607
TI  - Locally advanced adenocarcinoma of the cervix on uterus didelphys: a case report.
AB  - In November 2013, a woman with Herlyn-Werner-Wunderlich (HWW) syndrome was
      diagnosed with a locally advanced left cervical adenocarcinoma. The patient's
      malformation consisted of two uteri with two cervixes, a obstructed vagina, and a
      left renal agenesis. Classification FIGO: stage IIIa because of infiltration of
      the inferior third of the vagina wall. Locoregional management comprised an
      infrarenal lateral aortic lymphadenectomy followed by concomitant radio
      chemotherapy to the pelvic (inguinal, pelvic, and infrarenal para aortic nodes)
      volumes. A total of 50.4 Gy were delivered (1.8 Gy/fraction/day) to the node
      (inguinal, pelvic, and aortic infrarenal) and pelvic volume; a concomitant boost
      to the primary cervical tumor and macroscopic nodes to 59.92 Gy (2.14
      Gy/fraction/day) was performed. 20 Gy were delivered with intracavitary
      brachytherapy boost with mold technique and a pulsed-dose-rate technique due to
      the rarity of this uterine malformation. After 30 months of follow-up, there was
      no evidence of locoregional or distant recurrence.

PMID- 28344608
TI  - A brief look at model-based dose calculation principles, practicalities, and
      promise.
AB  - Model-based dose calculation algorithms (MBDCAs) have recently emerged as
      potential successors to the highly practical, but sometimes inaccurate TG-43
      formalism for brachytherapy treatment planning. So named for their capacity to
      more accurately calculate dose deposition in a patient using information from
      medical images, these approaches to solve the linear Boltzmann radiation
      transport equation include point kernel superposition, the discrete ordinates
      method, and Monte Carlo simulation. In this overview, we describe three MBDCAs
      that are commercially available at the present time, and identify guidance from
      professional societies and the broader peer-reviewed literature intended to
      facilitate their safe and appropriate use. We also highlight several important
      considerations to keep in mind when introducing an MBDCA into clinical practice,
      and look briefly at early applications reported in the literature and selected
      from our own ongoing work. The enhanced dose calculation accuracy offered by a
      MBDCA comes at the additional cost of modelling the geometry and material
      composition of the patient in treatment position (as determined from imaging),
      and the treatment applicator (as characterized by the vendor). The adequacy of
      these inputs and of the radiation source model, which needs to be assessed for
      each treatment site, treatment technique, and radiation source type, determines
      the accuracy of the resultant dose calculations. Although new challenges
      associated with their familiarization, commissioning, clinical implementation,
      and quality assurance exist, MBDCAs clearly afford an opportunity to improve
      brachytherapy practice, particularly for low-energy sources.

PMID- 28344609
TI  - Treatment planning for multicatheter interstitial brachytherapy of breast cancer 
      from Paris system to anatomy-based inverse planning.
AB  - In the last decades, treatment planning for multicatheter interstitial breast
      brachytherapy has evolved considerably from fluoroscopy-based 2D to anatomy-based
      3D planning. To plan the right positions of the catheters, ultrasound or computed
      tomography (CT) imaging can be used, but the treatment plan is always based on
      postimplant CT images. With CT imaging, the 3D target volume can be defined more
      precisely and delineation of the organs at risk volumes is also possible.
      Consequently, parameters calculated from dose-volume histogram can be used for
      quantitative plan evaluation. The catheter reconstruction is also easier and
      faster on CT images compared to X-ray films. In high dose rate brachytherapy,
      using a stepping source, a number of forward dose optimization methods (manual,
      geometrical, on dose points, graphical) are available to shape the dose
      distribution to the target volume, and these influence dose homogeneities to
      different extent. Currently, inverse optimization algorithms offer new
      possibilities to improve dose distributions further considering the requirements
      for dose coverage, dose homogeneity, and dose to organs at risk simultaneously
      and automatically. In this article, the evolvement of treatment planning for
      interstitial breast implants is reviewed, different forward optimization methods
      are discussed, and dose-volume parameters used for quantitative plan evaluation
      are described. Finally, some questions of the inverse optimization method are
      investigated and initial experiences of the authors are presented.

PMID- 28344610
TI  - Left heart decompression in patients supported with extracorporeal membrane
      oxygenation for cardiac disease.

PMID- 28344611
TI  - Percutaneous pulmonary valve implantation - state of the art and Polish
      experience.
AB  - Percutaneous pulmonary valve implantation (PPVI) is a relatively new method of
      treating patients with right ventricular outflow tract (RVOT) dysfunction after
      surgical repair of congenital heart disease. Since its introduction in 2000 by
      Bonhoeffer, more than ten thousand PPVI procedures have been performed worldwide.
      Indications for PPVI have been adapted from those accepted for surgical
      intervention. Two types of valves are being used: Melody Medtronic available in
      diameters 16 mm and 18 mm and the family of Edwards SAPIEN valves 23, 26 and 29.
      The procedure has been shown to be feasible and safe when performed in patients
      with full pulmonary conduit dysfunction and in selected cases of patched RVOT.
      The low complication rate and the reduced number of open-chest re-interventions
      over a patient's lifetime are among the main advantages of the procedure. The
      most important problem responsible for late mortality and reinterventions is
      infective endocarditis. Size restrictions of the currently available valves limit
      deployment in the majority of patients with a wide RVOT. Newer devices are being
      developed to make these patients suitable for PPVI. A literature review, Polish
      experience and results of PPVI performed in 66 patients in the Institute of
      Cardiology in Warsaw are briefly reported.

PMID- 28344612
TI  - The Polish Interventional Cardiology TAVI Survey (PICTS): adoption and practice
      of transcatheter aortic valve implantation in Poland.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: Few studies have assessed the development of transcatheter aortic
      valve implantation (TAVI) in Poland since its introduction in 2008, and data on
      current TAVI activity or practice are missing. AIM: To assess the dynamics of
      TAVI adoption in Poland and to detect differences among Polish centres in TAVI
      practice and decision-making. MATERIAL AND METHODS: The Polish Interventional
      Cardiology TAVI Survey (PICTS) was approved by the Polish Association of
      Cardiovascular Interventions and presented to all 21 national TAVI centres.
      Between 2008 and 2015 the cumulative number of TAVI performed in Poland was 2189.
      The annual number of TAVI rose from 8 in 2008 to 670 in 2015 (0.21 to 17.4
      implants per million inhabitants, respectively). RESULTS: The median TAVI
      experience per centre was 80 procedures (95% CI: 38.1-154.6). In 2015 the TAVI
      penetration rate reached 5.12% of the estimated eligible Polish population.
      Inoperable and high-risk patients are treated with TAVI in all centres, with 52%
      of Heart Teams also qualifying medium-risk patients. The rate of transfemoral
      implantations increased to 83.2% of all procedures in 2015, while transapical
      implantations decreased to 12%. The frequency of subclavian, direct aortic or
      transcarotid routes in 2015 was below 3% each. CONCLUSIONS: The PICTS survey
      observed a positive but slow rate of adoption of TAVI in Poland. When compared to
      Western European countries, our findings highlight a significant treatment gap in
      high or prohibitive surgical risk patients with severe aortic stenosis.
      Remarkable variations in TAVI practices among Polish TAVI centres warrant
      publication of joint national guidelines and recommendations.

PMID- 28344613
TI  - ANP and BNP plasma levels in patients with rheumatic mitral stenosis after
      percutaneous balloon mitral valvuloplasty.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: Atrial (ANP) and B-type (BNP) natriuretic peptides are hormones
      secreted by the heart as a response to volume expansion and pressure overload.
      AIM: To assess the changes of ANP and BNP after percutaneous balloon mitral
      valvuloplasty (PBMV) and to investigate factors associated with endpoints.
      MATERIAL AND METHODS: The study included 96 patients (90.7% females, age 51.6 +/
      12.2 years) with rheumatic mitral valve stenosis (mitral valve area (MVA) 1.18
      (1.01-1.33) cm2, mean mitral gradient (MMG) 8.2 (7.1-9.2) mm Hg, NYHA 2.09 (1.9
      2.5)). Patients were followed up for 29.1 months for the search of endpoints.
      RESULTS: The PBMV was successful in all cases. After the procedure MVA increased
      (1.18-1.78 cm2, p < 0.01) and pulmonary capillary wedge pressure (PCWP) decreased
      (29.8-21.8 mm Hg, p < 0.01). Concentration of ANP significantly rose 30 min after
      the PBMV (79.2 vs. 134.2 pg/ml, p = 0.012) and dropped significantly after 24 h
      (134.2 vs. 70.4 pg/ml, p = 0.01). Furthermore, after 36 months concentration of
      ANP did not differ from the baseline value (p = NS). BNP concentration at day 1
      was lower than at baseline (94.5 vs. 80.2 pg/ml, p = 0.032). Moreover, during the
      follow-up period BNP continued to fall at all time points. In univariate analysis
      parameters associated with endpoint occurrence were baseline PAP (p = 0.023),
      baseline PCWP (p = 0.022), baseline NYHA (p = 0.041) and increase in 6-minute
      walk test (6MWT) (p = 0.043). In multivariate analysis the only factor associated
      with endpoint occurrence was baseline NYHA (HR = 1.52, 95% CI: -1.3-1.91, p =
      0.022). CONCLUSIONS: Patients with MS had increased levels of both BNP and ANP.
      Baseline NYHA class was found to be associated with outcomes after the procedure.

PMID- 28344614
TI  - Do we need invasive confirmation of cardiac magnetic resonance results?
AB  - INTRODUCTION: Coronary artery revascularization is indicated in patients with
      documented significant obstruction of coronary blood flow associated with a large
      area of myocardial ischemia and/or untreatable symptoms. There are a few invasive
      or noninvasive methods that can provide information about the functional results
      of coronary artery narrowing. The application of more than one method of ischemia
      detection in one patient to reevaluate the indications for revascularization is
      used in case of atypical or no symptoms and/or borderline stenosis. AIM: To
      evaluate whether the results of cardiac magnetic resonance need to be reconfirmed
      by the invasive functional method. MATERIAL AND METHODS: The hospital database
      revealed 25 consecutive patients with 29 stenoses who underwent cardiac magnetic
      resonance (CMR) and fractional flow reserve (FFR) between the end of 2010 and the
      end of 2014. The maximal time interval between CMR and FFR was 6 months. None of
      the patients experienced any clinical events or underwent procedures on coronary
      arteries between the studies. RESULTS: According to the analysis, the agreement
      of CMR perfusion with the FFR method was at the level of 89.7%. Assuming that FFR
      is the gold standard in assessing the severity of stenoses, the sensitivity of
      CMR perfusion was 90.9%. The percentage of non-severe lesions which were
      correctly identified in CMR was 88.9%. CONCLUSIONS: The study shows that CMR
      perfusion is a highly sensitive method to detect hemodynamically significant CAD
      and exclude nonsevere lesions. With FFR as the reference standard, the diagnostic
      accuracy of MR perfusion to detect ischemic CAD is high.

PMID- 28344615
TI  - Usefulness of the platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio in predicting long-term
      cardiovascular mortality in patients with peripheral arterial occlusive disease.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: Inflammation and increased platelet activation play a crucial role
      in the initiation and progression of atherosclerosis. Platelet-to-lymphocyte
      ratio (PLR) has recently been reported as a new independent predictor for major
      adverse cardiovascular events in cardiovascular diseases. AIM: To investigate the
      relation between PLR and cardiovascular mortality in patients with intermittent
      claudication or critical limb ischemia (CLI) or both. MATERIAL AND METHODS: In
      our retrospective study, 602 consecutive patients who were admitted to a large
      tertiary hospital with the diagnosis of symptomatic peripheral arterial occlusive
      disease (PAOD) were included. Patients were divided into two groups according to
      their PLR as follows: high PLR (PLR > 142) and low PLR (PLR <= 142) groups.
      RESULTS: During the follow-up period (median: 33.8 months (interquartile range:
      21-45)), 131 deaths occurred out of 602 (21.8%) patients. Cardiovascular
      mortality was found to be significantly higher in the high PLR group compared to
      the low PLR group (31.6% vs. 17.2 %; p < 0.001). Even after adjustment for
      various risk factors, PLR > 142 and age were found to be independent predictors
      of long-term cardiovascular mortality in Cox regression analysis (hazard ratios
      (95% confidence interval): 1.03 (1.01-1.04) and 1.04 (1.02-1.06), p < 0.001 and p
      < 0.001, respectively). CONCLUSIONS: Platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio, which is one
      of the parameters of routine complete blood count, reflects increased
      inflammatory status, platelet activation and aggregation. PLR is a cheap and
      readily available marker that has the ability to improve risk stratification
      provided by conventional risk scores in predicting long-term cardiovascular
      mortality in PAOD.

PMID- 28344616
TI  - The impact of a single episode of remote ischemic preconditioning on myocardial
      injury after elective percutaneous coronary intervention.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: Myocardial injury after percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI)
      occurs in approximately 30% of procedures, and is related to worse prognosis.
      Effects of remote ischemic preconditioning (RIPC) on reperfusion injury have been
      investigated before, yielding conflicting results. AIM: To assess the impact of a
      single episode of RIPC on myocardial injury after elective PCI. MATERIAL AND
      METHODS: One hundred and four patients undergoing elective PCI, with normal
      baseline cardiac troponin-I (cTn-I) values, were randomized to two groups. Two
      patients were excluded due to data loss, and 102 patients were analyzed. Five
      minutes of ischemic preconditioning was delivered just before the intervention to
      the preconditioning group, by inflating the blood pressure cuff up to 200 mm Hg
      on the non-dominant arm. Postprocedural 16th hour cTn-I, DeltacTn-I (difference
      between the 16th h and baseline cTn-I values) and the prevalence of type 4a
      myocardial infarction were compared between the two groups. RESULTS: Median cTn-I
      values after the procedure were compared. 16th hour cTn-I was insignificantly
      lower in the preconditioning arm (0.026 MUg/l vs. 0.045 MUg/l, p = 0.186). The
      incidence of cTn-I elevation 5-fold above the upper reference limit (URL) (>
      0.115 MUg/l) was lower in the preconditioning group, but it was also not
      significant (21.6% vs. 11.8%, p = 0.184). CONCLUSIONS: A single episode of RIPC
      before elective PCI demonstrated less troponin elevation but failed to show a
      significant effect.

PMID- 28344617
TI  - Twelve months follow-up after retrograde recanalization of superficial femoral
      artery chronic total occlusion.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: Fifty percent of cases of peripheral artery disease are caused by
      chronic total occlusion (CTO) of the superficial femoral artery (SFA). Ten
      fifteen percent of percutaneous SFA recanalization procedures are unsuccessful.
      In those cases the retrograde technique can increase the success rate of the
      procedure, but the long-term follow-up of such procedures is still unknown. AIM:
      To assess the efficacy and clinical outcomes during long-term follow-up after
      retrograde recanalization of the SFA. MATERIAL AND METHODS: We included patients
      after at least one unsuccessful percutaneous antegrade recanalization of the SFA.
      Patients were evaluated for the procedural and clinical follow-up of mean time
      13.9 months. RESULTS: The study included 17 patients (7 females, 10 males) who
      underwent percutaneous retrograde recanalization of the SFA from June 2011 to
      June 2015. The mean age of patients was 63 +/-7 years. Retrograde puncture of the
      distal SFA was successful in all cases. A retrograde procedure was performed
      immediately after antegrade failure in 4 (23.5%) patients and after a previously
      failed attempt in 13 (76.5%) patients. The procedure was successful in 15 (88.2%)
      patients, and unsuccessful in 2 (11.8%) patients. Periprocedural complications
      included 1 peripheral distal embolization (successfully treated with aspiration
      thrombectomy), 1 bleeding event from the puncture site and 7 puncture site
      hematomas. During follow-up the all-cause mortality rate was 5.8% (1 patient, non
      cardiac death). The primary patency rate at 12 months was 88.2% and secondary
      patency 100%. CONCLUSIONS: The retrograde SFA puncture seems to be a safe and
      successful technique for CTO recanalization and is associated with a low rate of
      perioperative and long-term follow-up complications.

PMID- 28344618
TI  - Patient- and lesion-tailored algorithm of endovascular treatment for arterial
      occlusive disease of extracranial arteries supplying the brain: safety of the
      treatment at 30-day follow-up.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: Although surgical endarterectomy remains the treatment of choice
      for carotid artery stenosis, stenting plays an important role as an alternative
      treatment modality, especially in high-risk patients. The actual safety profile
      associated with stenting procedures is probably better than that reported by
      randomized controlled trials. AIM: To assess the safety of stent implantations in
      extracranial arteries supplying the brain, and also to identify risk factors
      associated with this procedure. MATERIAL AND METHODS: This was a post hoc
      analysis, with 30-day follow-up. We analyzed the results of treatment of 372
      patients who underwent 408 procedures, 197 such procedures in asymptomatic, and
      211 in symptomatic individuals. Stenting procedures were performed using a
      technique and armamentarium which were tailored to the type and anatomy of
      lesions. RESULTS: There were 6 (1.5%) strokes, including 2 (0.5%) major strokes,
      1 ipsi- and 1 contralateral, and 4 (1.0%) minor strokes. In asymptomatic patients
      there was 1 (0.3%) minor stroke. Transient ischemic attacks occurred in 5 (1.2%)
      patients. There were 2 (0.5%) non-STEMI myocardial infarctions and 2 (0.5%) non
      stroke related fatalities. Risk factors of these adverse events were diabetes
      mellitus, lesions localized in a tortuous segment of the artery, embolic material
      in the filter and bilateral stenoses of carotid arteries. Additional risk factors
      in asymptomatic patients were renal impairment and advanced coronary artery
      disease; and in symptomatic patients, grade 3 arterial hypertension,
      dislipidemia, cigarette smoking and lesions requiring predilatation. CONCLUSIONS:
      Stenting procedures of extracranial arteries supplying the brain, which are
      tailored to the type and anatomy of lesions, seem to be relatively safe.

PMID- 28344619
TI  - The Watchman FLX - a new device for left atrial appendage occlusion - design,
      potential benefits and first clinical experience.

PMID- 28344620
TI  - High-risk percutaneous coronary intervention with Impella CP hemodynamic support.
      A case series and method presentation.

PMID- 28344621
TI  - Transseptal balloon atrial septostomy for decompression of the left atrium during
      extracorporeal membrane oxygenation support as a "bridge to transplantation" in
      dilated cardiomyopathy.

PMID- 28344622
TI  - Transcatheter closure of multi-hole perimembranous ventricular septal defect with
      aneurysm using two occluders.

PMID- 28344623
TI  - Should we implant a permanent pacemaker in patients with left bundle branch block
      and PQ prolongation following transcatheter aortic valve implantation?

PMID- 28344624
TI  - Retrograde recanalization of chronic total occlusion. A novel maneuver of the old
      technique.

PMID- 28344625
TI  - Congenital aortocaval fistula mimicking atrial septal defect on transthoracic
      echocardiography.

PMID- 28344626
TI  - Super-dominant right coronary artery, absent left circumflex artery and left
      anterior descending artery arising from right coronary sinus.

PMID- 28344627
TI  - Intravascular ultrasonography guided 60-mm long drug-eluting tapered stent
      implantation in a long calcified lesion in a patient with stable coronary artery
      disease.

PMID- 28344628
TI  - Neointima development in externally stented saphenous vein grafts. Progress in
      medicine is good for the patient: why not use total arterial revascularization?:
      Response to the Letter to the Editor: Neointima development in externally stented
      saphenous vein grafts. External stents are bad for the patient: why not use an
      undamaged saphenous vein for coronary artery bypass graft?

PMID- 28344629
TI  - Comparison of response patterns in different survey designs: a longitudinal panel
      with mixed-mode and online-only design.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Increasing availability of the Internet allows using only online data
      collection for more epidemiological studies. We compare response patterns in a
      population-based health survey using two survey designs: mixed-mode (choice
      between paper-and-pencil and online questionnaires) and online-only design
      (without choice). METHODS: We used data from a longitudinal panel, the Hygiene
      and Behaviour Infectious Diseases Study (HaBIDS), conducted in 2014/2015 in four
      regions in Lower Saxony, Germany. Individuals were recruited using address-based
      probability sampling. In two regions, individuals could choose between paper-and
      pencil and online questionnaires. In the other two regions, individuals were
      offered online-only participation. We compared sociodemographic characteristics
      of respondents who filled in all panel questionnaires between the mixed-mode
      group (n = 1110) and the online-only group (n = 482). Using 134 items, we
      performed multinomial logistic regression to compare responses between survey
      designs in terms of type (missing, "do not know" or valid response) and ordinal
      regression to compare responses in terms of content. We applied the false
      discovery rates (FDR) to control for multiple testing and investigated effects of
      adjusting for sociodemographic characteristic. For validation of the differential
      response patterns between mixed-mode and online-only, we compared the response
      patterns between paper and online mode among the respondents in the mixed-mode
      group in one region (n = 786). RESULTS: Respondents in the online-only group were
      older than those in the mixed-mode group, but both groups did not differ
      regarding sex or education. Type of response did not differ between the online
      only and the mixed-mode group. Survey design was associated with different
      content of response in 18 of the 134 investigated items; which decreased to 11
      after adjusting for sociodemographic variables. In the validation within the
      mixed-mode, only two of those were among the 11 significantly different items.
      The probability of observing by chance the same two or more significant
      differences in this setting was 22%. CONCLUSIONS: We found similar response
      patterns in both survey designs with only few items being answered differently,
      likely attributable to chance. Our study supports the equivalence of the compared
      survey designs and suggests that, in the studied setting, using online-only
      design does not cause strong distortion of the results.

PMID- 28344631
TI  - A behavioural syndrome, but less evidence for a relationship with cognitive
      traits in a spatial orientation context.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Animals show consistent individual behavioural differences in many
      species. Further, behavioural traits (personality traits) form behavioural
      syndromes, characterised by correlations between different behaviours. Mechanisms
      maintaining these correlations could be constrained due to underlying
      relationships with cognitive traits. There is growing evidence for the non
      independence of animal personality and general cognitive abilities in animals,
      but so far, studies on the direction of the relationship between them revealed
      contradictory results. Still, it is hypothesised that individuals may exhibit
      consistent learning and decision styles. Fast behavioural types (consistently
      bolder and more active individuals) are expected to show faster learning styles.
      Slow behavioural types in contrast are assumed to learn slower but more
      accurately. This can be caused by a speed-accuracy trade-off that individuals
      face during decision making. We measured the repeatability of three personality
      and four spatial cognitive traits in adult Eurasian harvest mice (Micromys
      minutus). We analysed correlations among personality traits (behavioural
      syndrome). We further investigated the relationships between personality and
      spatial cognitive traits as a first step exploring the potential connection
      between personality and cognition in this species. RESULTS: Our results showed
      that exploration, activity and boldness were repeatable in adult mice. Spatial
      recognition measured in a Y Maze was also significantly repeatable, as well as
      spatial learning performance and decision speed. We found no repeatability of
      decision accuracy. Harvest mice showed a behavioural syndrome as we observed
      strong positive correlations between personality traits. The speed-accuracy trade
      off was not apparent within, nor between individuals. Nevertheless, we found weak
      evidence for a relationship between personality and spatial cognitive traits as
      fast behavioural types learned a spatial orientation task faster than slow types,
      and shyer harvest mice made decisions quicker than bolder mice. CONCLUSIONS:
      Given these correlations, our data provided some first insights into the
      relationship between personality and spatial cognitive traits in harvest mice and
      will hopefully stimulate more studies in this field.

PMID- 28344630
TI  - Flexible reaction norms to environmental variables along the migration route and
      the significance of stopover duration for total speed of migration in a songbird
      migrant.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Predicting the consequences of continuing anthropogenic changes in
      the environment for migratory behaviours such as phenology remains a major
      challenge. Predictions remain particularly difficult, because our knowledge is
      based on studies from single-snapshot observations at specific stopover sites
      along birds' migration routes. However, a general understanding on how birds
      react to prevailing environmental conditions, e.g. their 'phenotypic reaction
      norm', throughout the annual cycle and along their entire migration routes is
      required to fully understand how migratory birds respond to rapid environmental
      change. RESULTS: Here, we provide direct evidence that northern wheatears
      (Oenanthe oenanthe) from a breeding population in Alaska adjusted their
      probability to resume migration as well as the distance covered per night, i.e.
      travel speed, to large-scale environmental conditions experienced along their
      15,000 km migratory route on both northwards and southwards migrations. These
      adjustments were found to be flexible in space and time. At the beginning of
      autumn migration, northern wheatears showed high departure probabilities and high
      travel speeds at low surface air temperatures, while far away from Alaska both
      traits decreased with increasing air temperatures. In spring, northern wheatears
      increasingly exploited flow assistance with season, which is likely a behavioural
      adjustment to speed up migration by increasing the distance travelled per night.
      Furthermore, the variation in total stopover duration but not in travel speed had
      a significant effect on the total speed of migration, indicating the prime
      importance of total stopover duration in the overall phenology of bird migration.
      CONCLUSION: Northern wheatears from Alaska provide evidence that the phenotypic
      reaction norm to a set of environmental conditions cannot be generalized to
      universal and persistent behavioural reaction pattern across entire migratory
      pathways. This highlights the importance of full annual-cycle studies on
      migratory birds to better understand their response to the environment.
      Understanding the mechanisms behind phenotypic plasticity during migration is
      particularly important in the assessment of whether birds can keep pace with the
      potentially increasing phenological mismatches observed on the breeding grounds.

PMID- 28344632
TI  - Dynamic and temporal assessment of human dried blood spot MS/MSALL shotgun
      lipidomics analysis.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Real-time and dynamic assessment of an individual's lipid homeostatic
      state in blood is complicated due to the need to collect samples in a clinical
      environment. In the context of precision medicine and population health, tools
      that facilitate sample collection and empower the individual to participate in
      the process are necessary to complement advanced bioanalytical analysis. The
      dried blood spot (DBS) methodology via finger prick or heel prick is a minimally
      invasive sample collection method that allows the relative ease and low cost of
      sample collection as well as transport. However, it has yet to be integrated into
      broad scale personalized lipidomic analysis. Therefore, in this study we report
      the development of a novel DBS high resolution MS/MSALL lipidomics workflow.
      METHODS: In this report we compared lipidomic analysis of four types of blood
      sample collection methods (DBS, venous whole blood, serum, and plasma) across
      several parameters, which include lipidomics coverage of each matrix and the
      effects of temperature and time on the coverage and stability of different lipid
      classes and molecular species. The novel DBS-MS/MSALL lipidomics platform
      developed in this report was then applied to examine postprandial effects on the
      blood lipidome and further to explore the temporal fluctuation of the lipidome
      across hours and days. RESULTS: More than 1,200 lipid molecular species from a
      single DBS sample were identified and quantified. The lipidomics profile of the
      DBS samples is comparable to whole blood matrix. DBS-MS/MSALL lipidomic analysis
      in postprandial experiments revealed significant alterations in triacylglyceride
      species. Temporal analysis of the lipidome at various times in the day and across
      days identified several lipid species that fluctuate as a function of time, and a
      subset of lipid species were identified to be significantly altered across hours
      within a day and within successive days of the week. CONCLUSIONS: A novel DBS
      MS/MSALL lipidomics method has been established for human blood. The feasibility
      and application of this method demonstrate the potential utility for lipidomics
      analysis in both healthy and diverse diseases states. This DBS MS-based
      lipidomics analysis represents a formidable approach for empowering patients and
      individuals in the era of precision medicine to uncover novel biomarkers and to
      monitor lipid homeostasis.

PMID- 28344634
TI  - An image analysis pipeline for automated classification of imaging light
      conditions and for quantification of wheat canopy cover time series in field
      phenotyping.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Robust segmentation of canopy cover (CC) from large amounts of images
      taken under different illumination/light conditions in the field is essential for
      high throughput field phenotyping (HTFP). We attempted to address this challenge
      by evaluating different vegetation indices and segmentation methods for analyzing
      images taken at varying illuminations throughout the early growth phase of wheat
      in the field. 40,000 images taken on 350 wheat genotypes in two consecutive years
      were assessed for this purpose. RESULTS: We proposed an image analysis pipeline
      that allowed for image segmentation using automated thresholding and machine
      learning based classification methods and for global quality control of the
      resulting CC time series. This pipeline enabled accurate classification of
      imaging light conditions into two illumination scenarios, i.e. high light
      contrast (HLC) and low light-contrast (LLC), in a series of continuously
      collected images by employing a support vector machine (SVM) model. Accordingly,
      the scenario-specific pixel-based classification models employing decision tree
      and SVM algorithms were able to outperform the automated thresholding methods, as
      well as improved the segmentation accuracy compared to general models that did
      not discriminate illumination differences. CONCLUSIONS: The three-band vegetation
      difference index (NDI3) was enhanced for segmentation by incorporating the HSV-V
      and the CIE Lab-a color components, i.e. the product images NDI3*V and NDI3*a.
      Field illumination scenarios can be successfully identified by the proposed image
      analysis pipeline, and the illumination-specific image segmentation can improve
      the quantification of CC development. The integrated image analysis pipeline
      proposed in this study provides great potential for automatically delivering
      robust data in HTFP.

PMID- 28344633
TI  - The function of myostatin in the regulation of fat mass in mammals.
AB  - Myostatin (MSTN), also referred to as growth and differentiation factor-8, is a
      protein secreted in muscle tissues. Researchers believe that its primary function
      is in negatively regulating muscle because a mutation in its coding region can
      lead to the famous double muscle trait in cattle. Muscle and adipose tissue
      develop from the same mesenchymal stem cells, and researchers have found that
      MSTN is expressed in fat tissues and plays a key role in adipogenesis.
      Interestingly, MSTN can exert a dual function, either inhibiting or promoting
      adipogenesis, according to the situation. Due to its potential function in
      controlling body fat mass, MSTN has attracted the interest of researchers. In
      this review, we explore its function in regulating adipogenesis in mammals,
      including preadipocytes, multipotent stem cells and fat mass.

PMID- 28344636
TI  - Development of an efficient glucosinolate extraction method.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Glucosinolates, anionic sulfur rich secondary metabolites, have been
      extensively studied because of their occurrence in the agriculturally important
      brassicaceae and their impact on human and animal health. There is also
      increasing interest in the biofumigant properties of toxic glucosinolate
      hydrolysis products as a method to control agricultural pests. Evaluating
      biofumigation potential requires rapid and accurate quantification of
      glucosinolates, but current commonly used methods of extraction prior to analysis
      involve a number of time consuming and hazardous steps; this study aimed to
      develop an improved method for glucosinolate extraction. RESULTS: Three methods
      previously used to extract glucosinolates from brassicaceae tissues, namely
      extraction in cold methanol, extraction in boiling methanol, and extraction in
      boiling water were compared across tissue type (root, stem leaf) and four
      brassicaceae species (B. juncea, S. alba, R. sativus, and E. sativa). Cold
      methanol extraction was shown to perform as well or better than all other tested
      methods for extraction of glucosinolates with the exception of glucoraphasatin in
      R. sativus shoots. It was also demonstrated that lyophilisation methods,
      routinely used during extraction to allow tissue disruption, can reduce final
      glucosinolate concentrations and that extracting from frozen wet tissue samples
      in cold 80% methanol is more effective. CONCLUSIONS: We present a simplified
      method for extracting glucosinolates from plant tissues which does not require
      the use of a freeze drier or boiling methanol, and is therefore less hazardous,
      and more time and cost effective. The presented method has been shown to have
      comparable or improved glucosinolate extraction efficiency relative to the
      commonly used ISO method for major glucosinolates in the Brassicaceae species
      studied: sinigrin and gluconasturtiin in B. juncea; sinalbin, glucotropaeolin,
      and gluconasturtiin in S. alba; glucoraphenin and glucoraphasatin in R. sativus;
      and glucosatavin, glucoerucin and glucoraphanin in E. sativa.

PMID- 28344635
TI  - The combination of gas-phase fluorophore technology and automation to enable high
      throughput analysis of plant respiration.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Mitochondrial respiration in the dark (Rdark) is a critical plant
      physiological process, and hence a reliable, efficient and high-throughput method
      of measuring variation in rates of Rdark is essential for agronomic and
      ecological studies. However, currently methods used to measure Rdark in plant
      tissues are typically low throughput. We assessed a high-throughput automated
      fluorophore system of detecting multiple O2 consumption rates. The fluorophore
      technique was compared with O2-electrodes, infrared gas analysers (IRGA), and
      membrane inlet mass spectrometry, to determine accuracy and speed of detecting
      respiratory fluxes. RESULTS: The high-throughput fluorophore system provided
      stable measurements of Rdark in detached leaf and root tissues over many hours.
      High-throughput potential was evident in that the fluorophore system was 10 to 26
      fold faster per sample measurement than other conventional methods. The
      versatility of the technique was evident in its enabling: (1) rapid screening of
      Rdark in 138 genotypes of wheat; and, (2) quantification of rarely-assessed whole
      plant Rdark through dissection and simultaneous measurements of above- and below
      ground organs. DISCUSSION: Variation in absolute Rdark was observed between
      techniques, likely due to variation in sample conditions (i.e. liquid vs. gas
      phase, open vs. closed systems), indicating that comparisons between studies
      using different measuring apparatus may not be feasible. However, the high
      throughput protocol we present provided similar values of Rdark to the most
      commonly used IRGA instrument currently employed by plant scientists. Together
      with the greater than tenfold increase in sample processing speed, we conclude
      that the high-throughput protocol enables reliable, stable and reproducible
      measurements of Rdark on multiple samples simultaneously, irrespective of plant
      or tissue type.

PMID- 28344637
TI  - Growth curve registration for evaluating salinity tolerance in barley.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Smarthouses capable of non-destructive, high-throughput plant
      phenotyping collect large amounts of data that can be used to understand plant
      growth and productivity in extreme environments. The challenge is to apply the
      statistical tool that best analyzes the data to study plant traits, such as
      salinity tolerance, or plant-growth-related traits. RESULTS: We derive family
      wise salinity sensitivity (FSS) growth curves and use registration techniques to
      summarize growth patterns of HEB-25 barley families and the commercial variety,
      Navigator. We account for the spatial variation in smarthouse microclimates and
      in temporal variation across phenotyping runs using a functional ANOVA model to
      derive corrected FSS curves. From FSS, we derive corrected values for family-wise
      salinity tolerance, which are strongly negatively correlated with Na but not
      significantly with K, indicating that Na content is an important factor affecting
      salinity tolerance in these families, at least for plants of this age and grown
      in these conditions. CONCLUSIONS: Our family-wise methodology is suitable for
      analyzing the growth curves of a large number of plants from multiple families.
      The corrected curves accurately account for the spatial and temporal variations
      among plants that are inherent to high-throughput experiments.

PMID- 28344638
TI  - The feasibility of genome-scale biological network inference using Graphics
      Processing Units.
AB  - Systems research spanning fields from biology to finance involves the
      identification of models to represent the underpinnings of complex systems.
      Formal approaches for data-driven identification of network interactions include
      statistical inference-based approaches and methods to identify dynamical systems
      models that are capable of fitting multivariate data. Availability of large data
      sets and so-called 'big data' applications in biology present great opportunities
      as well as major challenges for systems identification/reverse engineering
      applications. For example, both inverse identification and forward simulations of
      genome-scale gene regulatory network models pose compute-intensive problems. This
      issue is addressed here by combining the processing power of Graphics Processing
      Units (GPUs) and a parallel reverse engineering algorithm for inference of
      regulatory networks. It is shown that, given an appropriate data set, information
      on genome-scale networks (systems of 1000 or more state variables) can be
      inferred using a reverse-engineering algorithm in a matter of days on a small
      scale modern GPU cluster.

PMID- 28344639
TI  - Aflatoxin B1 inhibits the type 1 interferon response pathway via STAT1 suggesting
      another mechanism of hepatocellular carcinoma.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Aflatoxin B1 (AFB1) contamination of food is very high in most sub
      Saharan African countries. AFB1 is known to cause hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC)
      by inducing mutation in the tumour suppressor gene TP53. The number of new HCC
      cases is high in West Africa with an accompanying high mortality. The type I
      interferon (IFN) pathway of the innate immune system limits viral infections and
      exerts its anti-cancer property by up-regulating tumour suppressor activities and
      pro-apoptotic pathways. Indeed, IFN-alpha is reported to show significant
      protective effects against hepatic fibrogenesis and carcinogenesis. However, the
      mechanism behind AFB1 deregulation of the type I interferon (IFN) signalling
      pathway, with consequent HCC is largely unknown. This current study seeks to test
      the hypothesis that AFB1 inhibits the type I IFN response by directly interfering
      with key signalling proteins and thus increase the risk of HCC in humans.
      METHODS: We evaluated the effects of AFB1 on the type I IFN signalling pathway
      using IFN stimulated response element (ISRE)-based luciferase reporter gene
      assay. In addition, the effects of AFB1 on the transcript levels of JAK1, STAT1
      and OAS3 were assessed by real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT
      qPCR) and confirmed by immunoblot assay. RESULTS: Our results indicated that AFB1
      inhibited the type I IFN signalling pathway in human hepatoma cell line HepG2
      cells by suppressing the transcript levels of JAK1, STAT1 and OAS3. AFB1 also
      decreased the accumulation of STAT1 protein. CONCLUSION: The inhibition of the
      type I IFN anti-cancer response pathway by AFB1 suggest a novel mechanism by
      which AFB1 may induce hepatocellular carcinoma in humans.

PMID- 28344640
TI  - The effects of antiviral treatment on breast cancer cell line.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Recent studies have revealed the positive antiproliferative and
      cytotoxic effects of antiviral agents in cancer treatment. The real effect of
      adjuvant antiviral therapy is still controversial due to the lack of studies in
      biochemical mechanisms. Here, we studied the effect of the antiviral agent
      acyclovir on morphometric and migratory features of the MCF7 breast cancer cell
      line. Molecular levels of various proteins have also been examined. METHODS: To
      evaluate and assess the effect of antiviral treatment on morphometric, migratory
      and other cellular characteristics of MCF7 breast cancer cells, the following
      experiments were performed: (i) MTT assay to measure the viability of MCF7 cells;
      (ii) Colony formation ability by soft agar assay; (iii) Morphometric
      characterization by immunofluorescent analysis using confocal microscopy; (iv)
      wound healing and transwell membrane assays to evaluate migration and invasion
      capacity of the cells; (v) ELISA colorimetric assays to assess expression levels
      of caspase-3, E-cadherin and enzymatic activity of aldehyde dehydrogenase (ALDH).
      RESULTS: We demonstrate the suppressive effect of acyclovir on breast cancer
      cells. Acyclovir treatment decreases the growth and the proliferation rate of
      cells and correlates with the upregulated levels of apoptosis associated cytokine
      Caspase-3. Moreover, acyclovir inhibits colony formation ability and cell
      invasion capacity of the cancer cells while enhancing the expression of E
      cadherin protein in MCF7 cells. Breast cancer cells are characterized by high
      ALDH activity and associated with upregulated proliferation and invasion.
      According to this study, acyclovir downregulates ALDH activity in MCF7 cells.
      CONCLUSIONS: These results are encouraging and demonstrate the possibility of
      partial suppression of cancer cell proliferation using an antiviral agent.
      Acyclovir antiviral agents have a great potential as an adjuvant therapy in the
      cancer treatment. However, more research is necessary to identify relevant
      biochemical mechanisms by which acyclovir induces a potent anti-cancer effect.

PMID- 28344642
TI  - Rescue medical activities in the mediterranean migrant crisis.

PMID- 28344641
TI  - LitDB - Keeping Track of Research Papers From Your Institute Made Simple.
AB  - BACKGROUND: In science peer-reviewed publications serve as an important indicator
      of scientific excellence and productivity. Therefore, every scientist and
      institution must carefully maintain and update records of their scientific
      publications. However, in most institutions and universities articles are often
      managed in a redundant file-based and non-central way. Whereas excellent
      reference management software packages such as Zotero, Endnote or Mendeley exist
      to manage bibliographies and references when writing scientific articles, we are
      not aware of any open source database solution keeping track of publication
      records from large scientific groups, entire institutions and/or universities.
      RESULTS: We here describe LitDB, a novel open source literature database solution
      for easy maintenance of publication lists assigned to various topics. In the last
      2 years more than 50 users have been using LitDB at our research institute. The
      LitDB system is accessed via a web browser. Publications can be uploaded through
      direct exports from reference manager libraries or by entering PubMed IDs. Single
      users or user groups can track their citation counts, h-index and impact factor
      statistics and gain insights into the publication records of other users. It
      offers various visualization functions like coauthor networks and provides ways
      to organize publications from dedicated projects and user groups. The latter is
      in particular beneficial to manage publication lists of large research groups and
      research initiatives through a "crowd-sourcing" effort. CONCLUSIONS: Keeping
      track of papers authored and published by a research group, institute or
      university is an important and non-trivial task. By using a centralized web-based
      platform for publication management such as LitDB the compilation of project- and
      group-related publication lists becomes easily manageable and it is less likely
      that papers are forgotten along the way.

PMID- 28344643
TI  - GOLIAH (Gaming Open Library for Intervention in Autism at Home): a 6-month single
      blind matched controlled exploratory study.
AB  - BACKGROUND: To meet the required hours of intensive intervention for treating
      children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), we developed an automated serious
      gaming platform (11 games) to deliver intervention at home (GOLIAH) by mapping
      the imitation and joint attention (JA) subset of age-adapted stimuli from the
      Early Start Denver Model (ESDM) intervention. Here, we report the results of a 6
      month matched controlled exploratory study. METHODS: From two specialized
      clinics, we included 14 children (age range 5-8 years) with ASD and 10 controls
      matched for gender, age, sites, and treatment as usual (TAU). Participants from
      the experimental group received in addition to TAU four 30-min sessions with
      GOLIAH per week at home and one at hospital for 6 months. Statistics were
      performed using Linear Mixed Models. RESULTS: Children and parents participated
      in 40% of the planned sessions. They were able to use the 11 games, and
      participants trained with GOLIAH improved time to perform the task in most JA
      games and imitation scores in most imitation games. GOLIAH intervention did not
      affect Parental Stress Index scores. At end-point, we found in both groups a
      significant improvement for Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule scores,
      Vineland socialization score, Parental Stress Index total score, and Child
      Behavior Checklist internalizing, externalizing and total problems. However, we
      found no significant change for by time * group interaction. CONCLUSIONS: Despite
      the lack of superiority of TAU + GOLIAH versus TAU, the results are interesting
      both in terms of changes by using the gaming platform and lack of parental stress
      increase. A large randomized controlled trial with younger participants (who are
      the core target of ESDM model) is now discussed. This should be facilitated by
      computing GOLIAH for a web platform. Trial registration Clinicaltrials.gov
      NCT02560415.

PMID- 28344644
TI  - Strategies for using nanoprobes to perceive and treat cancer activity: a review.
AB  - Nanomedicine has seen a significant increase in research on stimuli-responsive
      activatable nanoprobes for tumor-specific delivery and diagnosis. The tumor
      microenvironment has particular characteristics that can be exploited to
      implement therapeutic strategies based on disparities between normal tissues and
      tumor tissues, including differences in pH, oxygenation, enzymatic expression,
      gene activation/inactivation, and vasculature. The nanocarriers of activatable
      nanoparticles maintain their structure while circulating in the body and, upon
      reaching the tumor site, are altered by unique tumoral stimuli, leading to the
      release of a drug or other agent. This review demonstrates the latest
      achievements in the use of internal stimuli-responsive, activatable nanoparticles
      with respect to unique design strategies and applications.

PMID- 28344645
TI  - Mimicking lichens: incorporation of yeast strains together with sucrose-secreting
      cyanobacteria improves survival, growth, ROS removal, and lipid production in a
      stable mutualistic co-culture production platform.
AB  - BACKGROUND: The feasibility of heterotrophic-phototrophic symbioses was tested
      via pairing of yeast strains Cryptococcus curvatus, Rhodotorula glutinis, or
      Saccharomyces cerevisiae with a sucrose-secreting cyanobacterium Synechococcus
      elongatus. RESULTS: The phototroph S. elongatus showed no growth in standard BG
      11 medium with yeast extract, but grew well in BG-11 medium alone or supplemented
      with yeast nitrogen base without amino acids (YNB w/o aa). Among three yeast
      species, C. curvatus and R. glutinis adapted well to the BG-11 medium
      supplemented with YNB w/o aa, sucrose, and various concentrations of NaCl needed
      to maintain sucrose secretion from S. elongatus, while growth of S. cerevisiae
      was highly dependent on sucrose levels. R. glutinis and C. curvatus grew
      efficiently and utilized sucrose produced by the partner in co-culture. Co
      cultures of S. elongatus and R. glutinis were sustained over 1 month in both
      batch and in semi-continuous culture, with the final biomass and overall lipid
      yields in the batch co-culture 40 to 60% higher compared to batch mono-cultures
      of S. elongatus. The co-cultures showed enhanced levels of palmitoleic and
      linoleic acids. Furthermore, cyanobacterial growth in co-culture with R. glutinis
      was significantly superior to axenic growth, as S. elongatus was unable to grow
      in the absence of the yeast partner when cultivated at lower densities in liquid
      medium. Accumulated reactive oxygen species was observed to severely inhibit
      axenic growth of cyanobacteria, which was efficiently alleviated through catalase
      supply and even more effectively with co-cultures of R. glutinis. CONCLUSIONS:
      The pairing of a cyanobacterium and eukaryotic heterotroph in the artificial
      lichen of this study demonstrates the importance of mutual interactions between
      phototrophs and heterotrophs, e.g., phototrophs provide a carbon source to
      heterotrophs, and heterotrophs assist phototrophic growth and survival by
      removing/eliminating oxidative stress. Our results establish a potential stable
      production platform that combines the metabolic capability of photoautotrophs to
      capture inorganic carbon with the channeling of the resulting organic carbon
      directly to a robust heterotroph partner for producing biofuel and other chemical
      precursors.

PMID- 28344646
TI  - Comparative insights into the saccharification potentials of a relatively
      unexplored but robust Penicillium funiculosum glycoside hydrolase 7
      cellobiohydrolase.
AB  - BACKGROUND: GH7 cellobiohydrolases (CBH1) are vital for the breakdown of
      cellulose. We had previously observed the enzyme as the most dominant protein in
      the active cellulose-hydrolyzing secretome of the hypercellulolytic ascomycete
      Penicillium funiculosum (NCIM1228). To understand its contributions to cellulosic
      biomass saccharification in comparison with GH7 cellobiohydrolase from the
      industrial workhorse-Trichoderma reesei, we natively purified and functionally
      characterized the only GH7 cellobiohydrolase identified and present in the genome
      of the fungus. RESULTS: There were marginal differences observed in the stability
      of both enzymes, with P. funiculosum (PfCBH1) showing an optimal thermal midpoint
      (Tm) of 68  degrees C at pH 4.4 as against an optimal Tm of 65  degrees C at pH
      4.7 for T. reesei (TrCBH1). Nevertheless, PfCBH1 had an approximate threefold
      lower binding affinity (Km), an 18-fold higher turnover rate (kcat), a sixfold
      higher catalytic efficiency as well as a 26-fold higher enzyme-inhibitor complex
      equilibrium dissociation constant (Ki) than TrCBH1 on p-nitrophenyl-beta-d
      lactopyranoside (pNPL). Although both enzymes hydrolyzed cellooligomers (G2-G6)
      and microcrystalline cellulose, releasing cellobiose and glucose as the major
      products, the propensity was more with PfCBH1. We equally observed this trend
      during the hydrolysis of pretreated wheat straws in tandem with other core
      cellulases under the same conditions. Molecular dynamic simulations conducted on
      a homology model built using the TrCBH1 structure (PDB ID: 8CEL) as a template
      enabled us to directly examine the effects of substrate and products on the
      protein dynamics. While the catalytic triads-EXDXXE motifs-were conserved between
      the two enzymes, subtle variations in regions enclosing the catalytic path were
      observed, and relations to functionality highlighted. CONCLUSION: To the best of
      our knowledge, this is the first report about a comprehensive and comparative
      description of CBH1 from hypercellulolytic ascomycete-P. funiculosum NCIM1228,
      against the backdrop of the same enzyme from the industrial workhorse-T. reesei.
      Our study reveals PfCBH1 as a viable alternative for CBH1 from T. reesei in
      industrial cellulase cocktails.

PMID- 28344647
TI  - Ternary ionic liquid-water pretreatment systems of an agave bagasse and municipal
      solid waste blend.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Pretreatment is necessary to reduce biomass recalcitrance and enhance
      the efficiency of enzymatic saccharification for biofuel production. Ionic liquid
      (IL) pretreatment has gained a significant interest as a pretreatment process
      that can reduce cellulose crystallinity and remove lignin, key factors that
      govern enzyme accessibility. There are several challenges that need to be
      addressed for IL pretreatment to become viable for commercialization, including
      IL cost and recyclability. In addition, it is unclear whether ILs can maintain
      process performance when utilizing low-cost, low-quality biomass feedstocks such
      as the paper fraction of municipal solid waste (MSW), which are readily available
      in high quantities. One approach to potentially reduce IL cost is to use a blend
      of ILs at different concentrations in aqueous mixtures. Herein, we describe 14 IL
      water systems with mixtures of 1-ethyl-3-ethylimidazolium acetate
      ([C2C1Im][OAc]), 1-butyl-3-ethylimidazolium acetate ([C4C1Im][OAc]), and water
      that were used to pretreat MSW blended with agave bagasse (AGB). The detailed
      analysis of IL recycling in terms of sugar yields of pretreated biomass and IL
      stability was examined. RESULTS: Both biomass types (AGB and MSW) were
      efficiently disrupted by IL pretreatment. The pretreatment efficiency of
      [C2C1Im][OAc] and [C4C1Im][OAc] decreased when mixed with water above 40%. The
      AGB/MSW (1:1) blend demonstrated a glucan conversion of 94.1 and 83.0% using IL
      systems with ~10 and ~40% water content, respectively. Chemical structures of
      fresh ILs and recycle ILs presented strong similarities observed by FTIR and 1H
      NMR spectroscopy. The glucan and xylan hydrolysis yields obtained from recycled
      IL exhibited a slight decrease in pretreatment efficiency (less than 10% in terms
      of hydrolysis yields compared to that of fresh IL), and a decrease in cellulose
      crystallinity was observed. CONCLUSIONS: Our results demonstrated that mixing ILs
      such as [C2C1Im][OAc] and [C4C1Im][OAc] and blending the paper fraction of MSW
      with agricultural residues, such as AGB, may contribute to lower the production
      costs while maintaining high sugar yields. Recycled IL-water mixtures provided
      comparable results to that of fresh ILs. Both of these results offer the
      potential of reducing the production costs of sugars and biofuels at
      biorefineries as compared to more conventional IL conversion
      technologies.Graphical abstractSchematic of ionic liquid (IL) pretreatment of
      agave bagasse (AB) and paper-rich fraction of municipal solid waste (MSW).

PMID- 28344648
TI  - Cellulosic ethanol production via consolidated bioprocessing by a novel
      thermophilic anaerobic bacterium isolated from a Himalayan hot spring.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Cellulose-degrading thermophilic anaerobic bacterium as a suitable
      host for consolidated bioprocessing (CBP) has been proposed as an economically
      suited platform for the production of second-generation biofuels. To recognize
      the overall objective of CBP, fermentation using co-culture of different
      cellulolytic and sugar-fermenting thermophilic anaerobic bacteria has been widely
      studied as an approach to achieving improved ethanol production. We assessed
      monoculture and co-culture fermentation of novel thermophilic anaerobic bacterium
      for ethanol production from real substrates under controlled conditions. RESULTS:
      In this study, Clostridium sp. DBT-IOC-C19, a cellulose-degrading thermophilic
      anaerobic bacterium, was isolated from the cellulolytic enrichment cultures
      obtained from a Himalayan hot spring. Strain DBT-IOC-C19 exhibited a broad
      substrate spectrum and presented single-step conversion of various cellulosic and
      hemicellulosic substrates to ethanol, acetate, and lactate with ethanol being the
      major fermentation product. Additionally, the effect of varying cellulose
      concentrations on the fermentation performance of the strain was studied,
      indicating a maximum cellulose utilization ability of 10 g L-1 cellulose. Avicel
      degradation kinetics of the strain DBT-IOC-C19 displayed 94.6% degradation at 5 g
      L-1 and 82.74% degradation at 10 g L-1 avicel concentration within 96 h of
      fermentation. In a comparative study with Clostridium thermocellum DSM 1313, the
      ethanol and total product concentrations were higher by the newly isolated strain
      on pretreated rice straw at an equivalent substrate loading. Three different co
      culture combinations were used on various substrates that presented two-fold
      yield improvement than the monoculture during batch fermentation. CONCLUSIONS:
      This study demonstrated the direct fermentation ability of the novel thermophilic
      anaerobic bacteria on various cellulosic and hemicellulosic substrates into
      ethanol without the aid of any exogenous enzymes, representing CBP-based
      fermentation approach. Here, the broad substrate utilization spectrum of isolated
      cellulolytic thermophilic anaerobic bacterium was shown to be of potential
      utility. We demonstrated that the co-culture strategy involving novel strains is
      efficient in improving ethanol production from real substrate.

PMID- 28344649
TI  - Overexpression of a Domain of Unknown Function 266-containing protein results in
      high cellulose content, reduced recalcitrance, and enhanced plant growth in the
      bioenergy crop Populus.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Domain of Unknown Function 266 (DUF266) is a plant-specific domain.
      DUF266-containing proteins (DUF266 proteins) have been categorized as 'not
      classified glycosyltransferases (GTnc)' due to amino acid similarity with GTs.
      However, little is known about the function of DUF266 proteins. RESULTS:
      Phylogenetic analysis revealed that DUF266 proteins are only present in the land
      plants including moss and lycophyte. We report the functional characterization of
      one member of DUF266 proteins in Populus, PdDUF266A. PdDUF266A was ubiquitously
      expressed with high abundance in the xylem. In Populus transgenic plants
      overexpressing PdDUF266A (OXPdDUF266A), the glucose and cellulose contents were
      significantly higher, while the lignin content was lower than that in the wild
      type. Degree of polymerization of cellulose in OXPdDUF266A transgenic plants was
      also higher, whereas cellulose crystallinity index remained unchanged. Gene
      expression analysis indicated that cellulose biosynthesis-related genes such as
      CESA and SUSY were upregulated in mature leaf and xylem of OXPdDUF266A transgenic
      plants. Moreover, PdDUF266A overexpression resulted in an increase of biomass
      production. Their glucose contents and biomass phenotypes were further validated
      via heterologous expression of PdDUF266A in Arabidopsis. Results from
      saccharification treatment demonstrated that the rate of sugar release was
      increased by approximately 38% in the OXPdDUF266A transgenic plants. CONCLUSIONS:
      These results suggest that the overexpression of PdDUF266A can increase cellulose
      content, reduce recalcitrance, and enhance biomass production, and that PdDUF266A
      is a promising target for genetic manipulation for biofuel production.

PMID- 28344650
TI  - Improving carbohydrate and starch accumulation in Chlorella sp. AE10 by a novel
      two-stage process with cell dilution.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Microalgae are highly efficient cellular factories that capture CO2
      and are also alternative feedstock for biofuel production. Carbohydrates,
      proteins, and lipids are major biochemical components in microalgae.
      Carbohydrates or starch in microalgae are possible substrates in yeast
      fermentation for biofuel production. The carbon partitioning in microalgae could
      be regulated through environmental stresses, such as high concentration of CO2,
      high light intensity, and nitrogen starvation conditions. It is essential to
      obtain carbohydrate-rich microalgae via an optimal bioprocess strategy. RESULTS:
      The carbohydrate accumulation in a CO2 tolerance strain, Chlorella sp. AE10, was
      investigated with a two-stage process. The CO2 concentration, light intensity,
      and initial nitrogen concentration were changed drastically in both stages.
      During the first stage, it was cultivated over 3 days under 1% CO2, a photon flux
      of 100 MUmol m-2 s-1, and 1.5 g L-1 NaNO3. It was cultivated under 10% CO2, 1000
      MUmol m-2 s-1, and 0.375 g L-1 NaNO3 during the second stage. In addition, two
      operation modes were compared. At the beginning of the second stage of mode 2,
      cells were diluted to 0.1 g L-1 and there was no cell dilution in mode 1. The
      total carbohydrate productivity of mode 2 was increased about 42% compared with
      that of mode 1. The highest total carbohydrate content and the highest starch
      content of mode 2 were 77.6% (DW) and 60.3% (DW) at day 5, respectively. The
      starch productivity was 0.311 g L-1 day-1 and the total carbohydrate productivity
      was 0.421 g L-1 day-1 in 6 days. CONCLUSIONS: In this study, a novel two-stage
      process was proposed for improving carbohydrate and starch accumulation in
      Chlorella sp. AE10. Despite cell dilution at the beginning of the second stage,
      environmental stress conditions of high concentration of CO2, high light
      intensity, and limited nitrogen concentration at the second stage were critical
      for carbohydrate and starch accumulation. Although the cells were diluted, the
      growths were not inhibited and the carbohydrate productivity was improved. These
      results were helpful to establish an integrated approach from CO2 capture to
      biofuel production by microalgae.

PMID- 28344651
TI  - Identification of a novel DMD duplication identified by a combination of MLPA and
      targeted exome sequencing.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) is an X-linked recessive muscle
      wasting disease caused by a mutation in the DMD gene. The aim of this study was
      to identify a de novo mutation of the DMD gene in the family of a 9-month-old
      Chinese male patient, as well as to describe the phenotypic characteristics of
      this patient. RESULTS: The patient was suspected to suffer from DMD according to
      physical examination, biochemical analyses, and electromyogram. We identified a
      duplication of exons 4-42 in DMD gene with targeted exome sequencing and
      multiplex ligation-dependent probe amplification (MLPA). In addition, the
      patient's mother was a carrier of the same mutation. CONCLUSIONS: We identified a
      de novo duplication of exons 4-42 in a patient with early stage DMD. The
      discovery of this mutation may provide insights into future investigations.

PMID- 28344652
TI  - Molecular cytogenetic characterisation of a novel de novo ring chromosome 6
      involving a terminal 6p deletion and terminal 6q duplication in the different
      arms of the same chromosome.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Ring chromosome 6 is a rare sporadic chromosomal abnormality,
      associated with extreme variability in clinical phenotypes. Most ring chromosomes
      are known to have deletions on one or both chromosomal arms. Here, we report an
      atypical and unique ring chromosome 6 involving both a distal deletion and a
      distal duplication on the different arms of the same chromosome. CASE
      PRESENTATION: In a patient with intellectual disability, short stature,
      microcephaly, facial dysmorphology, congenital heart defects and renovascular
      disease, a ring chromosome 6 was characterised using array-CGH and dual-colour
      FISH. The de-novo ring chromosome 6 involved a 1.8 Mb terminal deletion in the
      distal short arm and a 2.5 Mb duplication in the distal long arm of the same
      chromosome 6. This results in monosomy for the region 6pter to 6p25.3 and trisomy
      for the region 6q27 to 6qter. Analysis of genes in these chromosomal regions
      suggests that haploinsufficiency for FOXC1 and GMDS genes accounts for the
      cardiac and neurodevelopmental phenotypes in the proband. The ring chromosome 6
      reported here is atypical as it involves a unique duplication of the distal long
      arm. Furthermore, the presence of renovascular disease is also a unique feature
      identified in this patient. CONCLUSION: To the best of our knowledge, a
      comparable ring chromosome 6 involving both a distal deletion and duplication on
      different arms has not been previously reported. The renovascular disease
      identified in this patient may be a direct consequence of the described
      chromosome rearrangement or a late clinical presentation in r(6) cases. This
      clinical finding may further support the implicated role of FOXC1 gene in renal
      pathology.

PMID- 28344653
TI  - Characterization of a de novo sSMC 17 detected in a girl with developmental delay
      and dysmorphic features.
AB  - BACKGROUND: The majority of small supernumerary marker chromosome cases arise de
      novo and their frequency in newborns is 0.04%. We report on a girl with
      developmental delay and dysmorphic features with a non-mosaic de novo sSMC that
      originated from the pericentric region of q arm in chromosome 17. CASE
      PRESENTATION: The girl presented with developmental delay, speech delay, myopia,
      mild muscle hypotonia, hypoplasia of orbicular muscle, poor concentration, and
      hyperactivity. Main dysmorphic features included: round face, microstomia, small
      chin, down-slanting palpebral fissures and small lobules of both ears. At
      present, her developmental abilities are still delayed for her chronological age
      but she is making evident progress with speech. A postnatal array comparative
      genomic hybridization showed a 2.31 Mb genomic gain indicating microduplication
      derived from pericentric regions q11.1 and q11.2 of chromosome 17. Additional
      conventional cytogenetic analysis from peripheral blood characterized the
      karyotype as 47,XX,+mar in a non-mosaic form. The location of microduplication
      was confirmed with fluorescence in situ hybridization. CONCLUSION: The proband's
      microduplication encompassed approximately 40 annotated genes, several of which
      have been associated with phenotypic characteristics of the proband. This is the
      first report of sSMC 17 including this particular chromosomal region in non
      mosaic form.

PMID- 28344654
TI  - Endovascular thrombectomy with or without systemic thrombolysis?
AB  - OBJECTIVES: Current recommendations advocate that pretreatment with intravenous
      thrombolysis (IVT) should first be offered to all eligible patients with emergent
      large vessel occlusion (ELVO) before an endovascular thrombectomy (ET) procedure.
      However, there are observational data that question the safety and efficacy of
      IVT pretreatment in patients with ELVO. METHODS: We performed a meta-analysis of
      the included subgroups from ET randomized controlled trials (RCTs) to evaluate
      the comparative efficacy between direct ET without IVT pretreatment and bridging
      therapy (IVT and ET) in patients with ELVO. RESULTS: We included a total of seven
      RCTs, including 1764 patients with ELVO (52.8% men). Patients receiving bridging
      therapy (IVT followed by ET) had lower rates (p = 0.041) of 90-day death/severe
      dependency (modified Rankin Scale-score of 5-6; 19.0%, 95% CI: 14.1-25.1%)
      compared with patients receiving only ET (31.0%, 95% CI: 21.2-42.9%). Moreover,
      patients receiving IVT and ET had a nonsignificant (p = 0.389) trend towards
      higher 90-day functional independence rates (51.4%, 95% CI: 42.5-60.1%) compared
      with patients undergoing only ET (41.7%, 95% CI: 24.1-61.7%). Finally, shift
      analysis uncovered a nonsignificant trend towards functional improvement at 90
      days for bridging therapy over ET (cOR = 1.28, 95% CI: 0.91-1.89; p = 0.155). It
      should be noted that patients included in the present meta-analysis were not
      randomized to receive IVT, and thus the two groups (bridging therapy versus ET
      monotherapy) may differ in terms of baseline characteristics and, in particular,
      in terms of onset to groin puncture time and thus the risk of confounding bias
      cannot be ruled out. CONCLUSION: Despite the limitations and the risk of
      confounding bias, our findings contradict the recent notion regarding potential
      equality between ET and bridging therapy in ELVO patients and suggest that IVT
      and ET are complementary therapies that should be pursued in a parallel and
      noncompeting fashion.

PMID- 28344655
TI  - Interactions among COX-2, GPIIIa and P2Y1 variants are associated with aspirin
      responsiveness and adverse events in patients with ischemic stroke.
AB  - BACKGROUND: The effect of gene variants and their interactions on response to
      aspirin and clinical adverse outcomes after an acute ischemic stroke (IS) is not
      fully understood. The aim of this study was to investigate the association of
      aspirin-relevant gene variants and their interactions with clinical adverse
      outcomes in IS patients taking aspirin. METHODS: A total of 14 variants from six
      genes encoding COX enzymes (COX-1, COX-2), platelet membrane receptors (TXAS1,
      P2Y1, P2Y12) and glycoprotein receptor (GPIIIa) were examined in 850 acute IS
      patients. Gene-gene interactions were analyzed using generalized multifactor
      dimensionality reduction (GMDR) analysis. All patients were followed up for 1
      year after admission. Primary outcome was a composite of recurrent ischemic
      stroke (RIS), myocardial infarction (MI) and death. RESULTS: The primary outcome
      occurred in 112 (13.5%) patients (81 RIS, 16 MI and 15 deaths). There were no
      significant differences in the frequencies of the genotypes of the 14 variants
      between the patients with and without primary outcome using single-locus
      analytical approach. However, there was significant gene-gene interaction among
      rs20417, rs1371097 and rs2317676. The high-risk interactive genotypes of rs20417,
      rs1371097 and rs2317676 were independently associated with primary adverse
      outcome of RIS, MI, and death after acute IS. CONCLUSION: The three-loci
      interactions are associated with sensitivity of IS patients to aspirin and
      aspirin-induced adverse clinical events. The combinatorial analysis used in this
      study may be helpful to elucidate complex genetic risk of aspirin resistance
      (AR). CLINICAL TRIAL REGISTRATION: The study described here is registered at
      http://www.chictr.org/ (unique identifier: ChiCTR-OCH-14004724).

PMID- 28344656
TI  - Levodopa-carbidopa enteral suspension in advanced Parkinson's disease: clinical
      evidence and experience.
AB  - The duration of action of oral levodopa becomes shorter as Parkinson's disease
      (PD) progresses. Patients with advanced PD may develop potentially disabling
      motor fluctuations and abnormal involuntary movement (dyskinesia), which cannot
      be managed with optimized oral or transdermal PD medications. The progressively
      worsening symptoms can have a substantial impact on the patient quality of life
      (QoL). Levodopa-carbidopa intestinal gel (LCIG) is delivered continuously via a
      percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy with a jejunal extension (PEG-J). LCIG is
      licensed for the treatment of levodopa-responsive advanced PD in individuals
      experiencing severe motor fluctuations and dyskinesia when available combinations
      of antiparkinsonian medications have not given satisfactory results. Initial
      evidence for the efficacy and tolerability of LCIG came from a number of small
      scale studies, but recently, three prospective studies have provided higher
      quality evidence. A 12-week double-blind comparison of LCIG with standard
      levodopa therapy, a 52-week open-label study extension of the double-blind study,
      and a 54-week open-label safety study, demonstrated significant improvements in
      'off' time and 'on' time without troublesome dyskinesia, and QoL measures that
      were maintained in the longer term. There are also observations that LCIG may be
      effective treatment for nonmotor symptoms (NMS) although the evidence is limited.
      There is a need for further research on the efficacy of LCIG in reducing NMS,
      dyskinesia and improving QoL. This review surveys the clinical evidence for the
      effectiveness and tolerability of LCIG in the management of advanced PD and
      highlights some practical considerations to help optimize treatment.

PMID- 28344659
TI  - Comparison of in-hospital glycemic variability and admission blood glucose in
      predicting short-term outcomes in non-diabetes patients with ST elevation
      myocardial infarction underwent percutaneous coronary intervention.
AB  - AIMS: Admission hyperglycemia is associated with increased mortality and major
      adverse cardiac events (MACE) in patients with or without diabetes mellitus after
      acute myocardial infarction (AMI). However, effects of glycemic variability (GV)
      on outcomes of non-diabetes patients with AMI still remains unclear. The aim of
      this study is to compare the prognostic value of in-hospital GV with admission
      blood glucose (ABG) for 3-month MACE in non-diabetes patients with ST elevation
      myocardial infarction (STEMI) who underwent percutaneous coronary intervention
      (PCI). METHODS: We analyzed 256 non-diabetes patients with STEMI in study. The GV
      accessed by mean amplitude of glycemic excursions (MAGE) was calculated from
      blood glucose profiles of continuous glucose monitoring system (CGMS) during
      hospitalization. ABG was measured on admission. Main endpoints were 3-month MACE;
      secondary endpoints were GRACE scores and enzymatic infarct size. Predictive
      effects of MAGE and ABG on the MACE in patients were analyzed. RESULTS: In all
      participants, MAGE level was associated with ABG level (r = 0.242, p < 0.001).
      Both elevated MAGE levels (p = 0.001) and elevated ABG (p = 0.046) were
      associated with incidences of short-term MACE. Patients with a higher MAGE level
      had a significantly higher cardiac mortality (5.8 vs. 0.6%, p = 0.017) and
      incidence of acute heart failure (12.8 vs. 2.4%, p = 0.001) during 3 months
      follow-up. In multivariable analysis, high MAGE level (HR 2.165, p = 0.023) was
      significantly associated with incidence of short-term MACE, but ABG (HR 1.632, p
      = 0.184) was not. The area under the receiver-operating characteristic curve for
      MAGE (0.690, p < 0.001) was superior to that for ABG (0.581, p = 0.076).
      CONCLUSIONS: To compare with ABG, in-hospital GV may be a more important
      predictor of short-term MACE and mortality in non-diabetes patients with STEMI
      treated with PCI.

PMID- 28344658
TI  - Flightless-I governs cell fate by recruiting the SUMO isopeptidase SENP3 to
      distinct HOX genes.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Despite recent studies on the role of ubiquitin-related SUMO modifier
      in cell fate decisions, our understanding on precise molecular mechanisms of
      these processes is limited. Previously, we established that the SUMO isopeptidase
      SENP3 regulates chromatin assembly of the MLL1/2 histone methyltransferase
      complex at distinct HOX genes, including the osteogenic master regulator DLX3. A
      comprehensive mechanism that regulates SENP3 transcriptional function was not
      understood. RESULTS: Here, we identified flightless-I homolog (FLII), a member of
      the gelsolin family of actin-remodeling proteins, as a novel regulator of SENP3.
      We demonstrate that FLII is associated with SENP3 and the MLL1/2 complex. We
      further show that FLII determines SENP3 recruitment and MLL1/2 complex assembly
      on the DLX3 gene. Consequently, FLII is indispensible for H3K4 methylation and
      proper loading of active RNA polymerase II at this gene locus. Most importantly,
      FLII-mediated SENP3 regulation governs osteogenic differentiation of human
      mesenchymal stem cells. CONCLUSION: Altogether, these data reveal a crucial
      functional interconnection of FLII with the sumoylation machinery that converges
      on epigenetic regulation and cell fate determination.

PMID- 28344657
TI  - Well-positioned nucleosomes punctuate polycistronic pol II transcription units
      and flank silent VSG gene arrays in Trypanosoma brucei.
AB  - BACKGROUND: The compaction of DNA in chromatin in eukaryotes allowed the
      expansion of genome size and coincided with significant evolutionary
      diversification. However, chromatin generally represses DNA function, and
      mechanisms coevolved to regulate chromatin structure and its impact on DNA. This
      included the selection of specific nucleosome positions to modulate accessibility
      to the DNA molecule. Trypanosoma brucei, a member of the Excavates supergroup,
      falls in an ancient evolutionary branch of eukaryotes and provides valuable
      insight into the organization of chromatin in early genomes. RESULTS: We have
      mapped nucleosome positions in T. brucei and identified important differences
      compared to other eukaryotes: The RNA polymerase II initiation regions in T.
      brucei do not exhibit pronounced nucleosome depletion, and show little evidence
      for defined -1 and +1 nucleosomes. In contrast, a well-positioned nucleosome is
      present directly on the splice acceptor sites within the polycistronic
      transcription units. The RNA polyadenylation sites were depleted of nucleosomes,
      with a single well-positioned nucleosome present immediately downstream of the
      predicted sites. The regions flanking the silent variant surface glycoprotein
      (VSG) gene cassettes showed extensive arrays of well-positioned nucleosomes,
      which may repress cryptic transcription initiation. The silent VSG genes
      themselves exhibited a less regular nucleosomal pattern in both bloodstream and
      procyclic form trypanosomes. The DNA replication origins, when present within
      silent VSG gene cassettes, displayed a defined nucleosomal organization compared
      with replication origins in other chromosomal core regions. CONCLUSIONS: Our
      results indicate that some organizational features of chromatin are
      evolutionarily ancient, and may already have been present in the last eukaryotic
      common ancestor.

PMID- 28344660
TI  - Predictive biomarkers and effectiveness of MUC1-targeted dendritic-cell-based
      vaccine in patients with refractory non-small cell lung cancer.
AB  - BACKGROUND: The dendritic cell (DC)-based vaccine targeting the highly
      immunogenic tumor antigen, MUC1, has been promising for a cancer immunotherapy;
      however, predictive biomarkers for beneficial clinical responses of the vaccine
      remain to be determined. METHODS: DCs loaded with MUC1-derived peptide were
      subcutaneously administered to patients with MUC1-positive non-small cell lung
      cancer (NSCLC) that was refractory to standard anticancer therapies, every 2
      weeks. The effectiveness and tolerability of the vaccine were evaluated, and
      predictive biomarkers of clinical responses were explored. RESULTS: Between
      August 2005 and May 2015, 40 patients received the vaccines. The median survival
      time (MST) after the initial vaccination was 7.4 months, and the 1-year survival
      rate was 25.0%. The MST for patients who received more than six vaccinations was
      9.5 months, and the 1-year survival rate was 39.3%. In this cohort, patients who
      experienced immune-related adverse events, including skin reactions at the
      vaccination site and fever, had significantly longer survival times compared with
      patients without those immune-related adverse events (12.6 versus 6.7 months, p =
      0.042). Longer survival times were also observed in patients whose peripheral
      white blood cells contained >20.0% lymphocytes (12.6 versus 4.5 months; p =
      0.014). MUC1-specific cytotoxic immune responses were achieved in all of seven
      patients analyzed who received six vaccinations. CONCLUSION: The MUC1-targeted DC
      based vaccine induced an antitumor immune response that promoted prolonged
      survival of patients with refractory NSCLC. The occurrence of immune-related
      adverse events and having a higher percentage of peripheral lymphocytes were
      predictive biomarkers of a beneficial clinical response during cancer
      immunotherapy for NSCLC.

PMID- 28344661
TI  - Liposomal irinotecan in gemcitabine-refractory metastatic pancreatic cancer:
      efficacy, safety and place in therapy.
AB  - Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is a lethal disease. The majority of
      patients are diagnosed with locally advanced or metastatic disease with a
      prognosis of short months. Therapeutic options are limited and until recently,
      there was no standard second-line chemotherapy option. Liposomal constructs have
      been engineered to encapsulate chemotherapy thereby preventing premature
      metabolism, improving distribution and minimizing toxicity. Favourable
      preclinical data on liposomal irinotecan and early phase trials, led to a
      recently published phase III trial of liposomal irinotecan in combination with
      fluorouracil and folinic acid in patients with metastatic PDAC, who progressed
      after gemcitabine-based chemotherapy. As a direct result, the United States Food
      and Drug Administration (FDA) and European Medicines Agency (EMA) have approved
      the use of liposomal irinotecan in this setting. However, first-line treatment
      options for this disease now include the combination regimen, FOLFIRINOX, in
      patients with good performance status, and the role of second-line combination
      treatment with liposomal irinotecan in this setting is unclear. Recent advances
      have changed the therapeutic landscape, as clinicians are now able to choose a
      sequential approach to treatment tailored to the individual patient
      characteristics. This article reviews current treatment options for metastatic
      PDAC and focuses on the efficacy, safety and place in therapy of liposomal
      irinotecan.

PMID- 28344663
TI  - Everolimus treatment for neuroendocrine tumors: latest results and clinical
      potential.
AB  - Neuroendocrine tumors (NETs) are a heterogeneous class of diseases characterized
      by challenging management. Preclinical evidence shows that the PI3K/AKT/mTOR
      signaling pathway plays a central role in the pathogenesis and progression of
      NETs. Everolimus is a direct inhibitor of this pathway, and therefore this
      molecule appears to be a well-grounded strategy for the treatment of NETs,
      capable of changing clinical practice. The efficacy and safety of everolimus was
      demonstrated in the RADIANT trials. In this work, we comment on the results of
      the RADIANT trials, and other recent key evidence from fully published clinical
      trials on everolimus, and we discuss the current role of everolimus in the
      treatment of NETs.

PMID- 28344662
TI  - Nivolumab in renal cell carcinoma: latest evidence and clinical potential.
AB  - Similar to melanoma, renal cell carcinoma (RCC) has been historically considered
      as an immunogenic tumor, with interleukin 2 (IL-2) and interferon alpha (IFN
      alpha) being the first approved treatments in the 1990s. However, these therapies
      were effective in only 10-20% of cases and were not well tolerated. Recently, new
      insights on the interaction between the immune system and tumor have identified
      the programmed death-1/programmed death-ligand-1 (PD-1/PD-L1) pathway to be a key
      player in evading host immune responses. The strategy of immune checkpoint
      blockade is to reduce inhibitory signaling and restore the patient's natural
      tumor-specific T-cell-mediated immune responses. Nivolumab is the first PD-1
      inhibitor to have gained approval for the treatment of patients with metastatic
      melanoma, squamous and nonsquamous non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), Hodgkin
      disease and recently RCC. In this review, we discuss results from studies of
      nivolumab in RCC, clinical experience with this agent, and its future
      development.

PMID- 28344664
TI  - Current understanding and approach to well differentiated lung neuroendocrine
      tumors: an update on classification and management.
AB  - Neuroendocrine tumors (NETs) are rare neoplasms that can arise from any tissue.
      They are classified based on embryonic gut derivative (i.e. foregut, midgut and
      hindgut) with midgut tumors being the most common (e.g. gastrointestinal NET).
      The second most common category of NETs is that which arises from the lung. In
      fact, 25% of primary lung cancers are NETs, including small cell lung cancer
      (SCLC), which comprises 20% of all lung cancers. The remaining 5% are large cell
      neuroendocrine cancer (LCNEC, 3%), typical carcinoids (TCs, 1.8%), and atypical
      carcinoids (ACs, 0.2%). The less common TCs/ACs are well differentiated lung
      NETs. Their incidence has been increasing in more recent years and although these
      tumors are slow growing, advanced disease is associated with poor survival. There
      have been advances in classification of lung NETs that have allowed for more
      appropriate management upfront. They are cured by surgical resection when disease
      is limited. However, advanced and metastatic disease requires medical therapy
      that is ever changing and expanding. In this review, the aim is to summarize the
      current understanding and classification of well differentiated lung NETs (i.e.
      TCs and ACs), and focus on recent updates in medical management of advanced
      disease, along with a brief discussion on potential future discoveries.

PMID- 28344666
TI  - Erratum.
AB  - [This corrects the article DOI: 10.1177/1758834016659825.].

PMID- 28344665
TI  - Treatment choice in epidermal growth factor receptor mutation-positive non-small
      cell lung carcinoma: latest evidence and clinical implications.
AB  - Discovery of sensitizing mutations in epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) and
      the subsequent development of EGFR tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) have
      substantially changed the treatment of lung cancer. First-line treatment with
      EGFR TKIs (gefitinib, erlotinib and afatinib) has demonstrated a superior
      response rate and progression-free survival (PFS) compared with chemotherapy in
      EGFR-mutation positive patients. However, a number of open questions remain, such
      as choice between the three EGFR TKIs licensed, treatment of patients unsuitable
      for chemotherapy due to morbidity or advanced age, management of acquired
      resistance and optimal biological sample to determine EGFR status. Recently the
      first head-to-head trial comparing gefitinib and afatinib (LUX-Lung 7) has been
      reported. Moreover, third-generation EGFR TKIs such as osimertinib, rociletinib,
      olmutinib and ASP8273, with preferential activity against T790M mutant tumours,
      the commonest resistance mechanism to EGFR TKIs, have shown promising results in
      early clinical trials, with osimertinib now licensed. In this review, we
      summarize latest advances in the treatment of EGFR-mutation positive patients
      focusing on controversial areas and emerging challenges to optimally treat these
      patients in the future.

PMID- 28344667
TI  - Muller cells and retinal axons can be primary targets in experimental
      neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder.
AB  - Recent work from our laboratory, using different models of experimental
      neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder (NMOSD), has led to a number of
      observations that might be highly relevant for NMOSD patients. For example: (i)
      in the presence of neuromyelitis optica immunoglobulin G, astrocyte-destructive
      lesions can be initiated by CD4+ T cells when these cells recognize aquaporin 4
      (AQP4), but also when they recognize other antigens of the central nervous
      system. The only important prerequisite is that the T cells have to be activated
      within the central nervous system by "their" specific antigen. Recently activated
      CD4+ T cells with yet unknown antigen specificity are also found in human NMOSD
      lesions. (ii) The normal immune repertoire might contain AQP4-specific T cells,
      which are highly encephalitogenic on activation. (iii) The retina might be a
      primary target of AQP4-specific T cells and neuromyelitis optica immunoglobulin
      G: AQP4-specific T cells alone are sufficient to cause retinitis with low-grade
      axonal pathology in the retinal nerve fiber/ganglionic cell layer. A thinning of
      these layers is also observed in NMOSD patients, where it is thought to be a
      consequence of optic neuritis. Neuromyelitis optica immunoglobulin G might target
      cellular processes of Muller cells and cause their loss of AQP4 reactivity, when
      AQP4-specific T cells open the blood-retina barrier in the outer plexiform layer.
      Patchy loss of AQP4 reactivity on Muller cells of NMOSD patients has been
      recently described. Cumulatively, our findings in experimental NMOSD suggest that
      both CD4+ T cell and antibody responses directed against AQP4 might play an
      important role in the pathogenesis of tissue destruction seen in NMOSD.

PMID- 28344668
TI  - Diabetes and bone health: latest evidence and clinical implications.
AB  - As the prevalence of diabetes is increasing worldwide, research on some of the
      lesser-known effects, including impaired bone health, are gaining a lot of
      attention. The two most common forms of diabetes are type 1 diabetes mellitus
      (T1DM) and type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). These two differ in their physiology,
      with T1DM stemming from an inability to produce insulin, and T2DM involving an
      insufficient response to the insulin that is produced. This review aims to
      highlight the most current information regarding diabetes as it relates to bone
      health. It looks at biochemical changes that characterize diabetic bone; notably
      increased adiposity, altered bone metabolism, and variations in bone mineral
      density (BMD). Then several hypotheses are analyzed, concerning how these changes
      may be detrimental to the highly orchestrated processes that are involved in bone
      formation and turnover, and ultimately result in the distinguishing features of
      diabetic bone. The review proceeds by explaining the effects of antidiabetes
      medications on bone health, then highlighting several ways that diabetes can play
      a part in other clinical treatment outcomes. With diabetes negatively affecting
      bone health and creating other clinical problems, and its treatment options
      potentiating these effects, physicians should consider the use of anti
      osteoporotic drugs to supplement standard anti-diabetes medications in patients
      suffering with diabetic bone loss.

PMID- 28344669
TI  - Belimumab in systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE): evidence-to-date and clinical
      usefulness.
AB  - Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is a complex autoimmune rheumatic disease with
      multiple presentations, whose management presents many challenges. Many disease
      modifying or immunosuppressive drugs have been used with limited success,
      especially in patients with more severe disease activity. Belimumab is the first
      drug to be approved specifically for the treatment of SLE in more than 50 years.
      By blocking the B-cell activating factor, it interferes in B-cell differentiation
      and survival. Here we consider the results of the clinical trials that led to its
      approval, as well as the post-hoc analyses, follow-up studies and the current
      trials.

PMID- 28344670
TI  - Tobacco intervention research in low- and middle-income countries: lessons
      learned and future directions.

PMID- 28344671
TI  - Narrating Refuge.

PMID- 28344672
TI  - The Perceived Benefits of an Arts Project for Health and Wellbeing of Older
      Offenders.
AB  - The increasing ageing prison population is becoming a pressing issue throughout
      the criminal justice system. Alongside the rising population, are a host of
      health and wellbeing issues that contribute to older offenders needs whilst in
      prison. It has been recommended that meaningful activities can have positive
      effects on this population and therefore this paper uniquely reviews older
      offenders accounts of taking part in an arts based project, Good Vibrations,
      whilst imprisoned. The Good Vibrations project engages individuals in Gamelan
      music making with an end of project performance. This study used independent in
      depth interviews to capture the voices of older offenders who took part in an art
      based prison project. The interview data was analysed using thematic analysis,
      which highlighted themes that were consistent with other populations who have
      taken part in a Good Vibrations project, along with specific age relating issues
      of mobility, motivation, identity and wellbeing.

PMID- 28344673
TI  - Is Rumination a Risk and a Protective Factor?
AB  - High trait positive affect (PA) protects against depressive symptoms through
      cognitive responses such as rumination. However, how rumination in response to
      positive emotions (positive rumination) protects against depressive symptoms
      while rumination in response to negative emotions (brooding) predicts depressive
      symptoms is poorly understood. We hypothesized that (a) positive rumination and
      brooding represent a shared cognitive process of affect amplification on distinct
      affective content and (b) less brooding and greater positive rumination would
      distinctly mediate greater trait PA in predicting fewer depressive symptoms. Our
      prospective design among 321 adults first compared three confirmatory factor
      analysis models of the relationship between brooding and positive rumination. We
      then utilized structural equation modeling to examine whether brooding and
      positive rumination mediated the relationship between trait PA and depressive
      symptoms, controlling for baseline depressive symptoms, trait negative affect
      (NA), and the distinct effects of each mediator. Results supported a
      conceptualization of brooding and positive rumination as distinct but related
      constructs, represented as a common process of affect amplification to explain
      how rumination may amplify resilience or risk in predicting depressive symptoms
      (chi = 195.07, Deltachi = 8.78, p < .001, CFI = .91, RMSEA = .07). Furthermore,
      positive rumination and brooding were distinctly predicted by trait PA,
      suggesting that trait PA exerts distinct effects on protective and risk forms of
      rumination. Less brooding mediated the relationship between greater trait PA and
      fewer depressive symptoms (beta = -.04, p = .012), but positive rumination did
      not (beta = .02, p = .517). Rumination may represent a protective and a risk
      factor, which may better enable individuals who brood to redirect their
      rumination on positive content and thereby reduce their risk of depressive
      symptoms.

PMID- 28344674
TI  - Relationships Between Individual Endorsement of Aggressive Behaviors and Thoughts
      With Prejudice Relevant Correlates Among Adolescents.
AB  - The current study explored how individual differences in endorsement of
      aggressive behaviors and thoughts relate to individual levels of tolerance and
      prejudice toward immigrants and established prejudice correlates such as social
      dominance orientation (SDO) and ethnic out-groups ratings among adolescents.
      Participants (N = 141; Age M = 16.08, 68% girls) completed the Readiness for
      Interpersonal Aggression Inventory, the Tolerance and Prejudice Questionnaire,
      and measures of SDO and ethnic out-groups ratings. Results indicated that higher
      individual endorsement of aggression was related to higher prejudice and SDO and
      lower tolerance and ethnic out-groups ratings. Patterns of endorsement of
      aggression related to habitual and socially determined aggressive acts or stable
      needs to hurt others as a source of satisfaction were significantly correlated
      with prejudice. Conversely, the relationship between prejudice and endorsement of
      impulsive actions lacking of emotional control resulted was less marked. The
      results highlight how in the cognitive spectrum of prejudice, individual levels
      of endorsement of aggression may play a significant triggering role during
      adolescence. These findings may have implications for future studies and
      interventions aimed at reducing prejudice already in young ages.

PMID- 28344675
TI  - Believing Is Doing: Emotion Regulation Beliefs Are Associated With Emotion
      Regulation Behavioral Choices and Subjective Well-Being.
AB  - Research in emotion regulation has begun to examine various predictors of emotion
      regulation choices, including individual differences and contextual variables.
      However, scant attention has been paid to the extent to which people's beliefs
      about the specific consequences of emotion regulation strategies for the
      components of an emotional response and long-term well-being predict their
      behavioral regulatory choices and, in turn, their subjective well-being.
      Participants completed measures to assess their beliefs about the consequences of
      functional and dysfunctional strategies, behavioral choices of emotion regulation
      strategies in negative scenarios, and subjective well-being. The model that fit
      the data indicated partial mediation whereby beliefs were associated with
      approximately 9% of the variance in choices. Emotion regulation choices were
      related to subjective well-being, with an additional direct effect between
      beliefs and well-being. This suggests beliefs play a role in people's regulatory
      choices. Future research should explore how beliefs interact with individual
      differences and contextual variables to better understand why people regulate
      their emotions in different ways and, ultimately, to help individuals make
      healthy emotion regulation choices.

PMID- 28344676
TI  - Transmitting Sport Values: The Importance of Parental Involvement in Children's
      Sport Activity.
AB  - The transmission of positive values between parents and children is generally
      considered to be the hallmark of successful socialization. As this issue has been
      widely discussed but surprisingly little researched - especially with reference
      to core sport values - in this study we aimed to: 1) analyze adolescent athletes'
      acceptance of the sport values their parents want to transmit to them (i.e.,
      parental socialization values) and 2) examine the relationship between parental
      involvement in children's sportive activity and adolescents' acceptance of their
      parents' socialization values. One hundred and seventy-two Italian adolescents
      (48.3% male, 51.7% female) who regularly practice team sports were asked to fill
      out a questionnaire which included the Youth Sport Values Questionnaire - 2 and
      the Parental Involvement in Sport Questionnaire. The dyadic correlations revealed
      that young athletes are in general willing to accept their parents' socialization
      values in regards to sport. Moreover, from the relative weight analysis (a
      relatively new data analysis strategy), it emerged that parental involvement
      characterized by praise and understanding is the most important predictor of
      adolescents' willingness to accept their parents' sport values. Implications of
      these results and further expansion of the study are discussed.

PMID- 28344677
TI  - The Mental Health Continuum-Short Form (MHC-SF) in the Argentinean Context:
      Confirmatory Factor Analysis and Measurement Invariance.
AB  - The present research aimed at studying the psychometric properties of the Mental
      Health Continuum-Short Form (MHC-SF; Keyes, 2005) in a sample of 1,300
      Argentinean adults (50% males; 50% females). Their mean age was 40.28 years old
      (SD = 13.59). The MHC-SF is a 14 item test that assesses three components (i.e.,
      emotional, social, and psychological) of well-being. Convergent and divergent
      evidence of construct validity was assessed by conducting confirmatory factor
      analysis, cross-validation, factorial invariance, and correlations with external
      criteria. Internal consistency was studied using Cronbach's alphas. Results
      indicated an adequate fit of a three-dimensional model. This structure was also
      confirmed, and was invariant throughout sex and age. The emotional well-being
      scores converged with life satisfaction and positive affect measures; the
      psychological well-being scale had a positive association with the presence of
      meaning in life; and the social well-being scores showed a positive and strong
      correlation with an external measure of well-being. Also, all scores were
      negatively associated with negative affect, search of meaning in life, and
      presence of depression symptoms. Internal consistency was .89 for the MHC-SF.
      Furthermore, the findings supported the two - continua model of mental health.

PMID- 28344678
TI  - Sentimentality and Nostalgia in Elderly People in Bulgaria and Greece - Cross
      Validity of the Questionnaire SNEP and Cross-Cultural Comparison.
AB  - Sentimentality and nostalgia are two similar psychological constructs, which play
      an important role in the emotional lives of elderly people who are usually
      focused on the past. There are two objectives of this study - making cross
      cultural comparison of sentimentality and nostalgia among Bulgarian and Greek
      elderly people using a questionnaire, and establishing the psychometric
      properties of this questionnaire among Greek elderly people. Sentimentality and
      nostalgia in elderly people in Bulgaria and Greece were studied by means of
      Sentimentality and Nostalgia in Elderly People questionnaire (SNEP), created by
      Gergov and Stoyanova (2013). For the Greek version, one factor structure without
      sub-scales is proposed, while for the Bulgarian version of SNEP the factor
      structure had four sub-scales, besides the total score. Together with some
      similarities (medium level of nostalgia and sentimentality being widespread), the
      elderly people in Bulgaria and Greece differed cross-culturally in their
      sentimentality and nostalgia related to the past in direction of more increased
      sentimentality and nostalgia in the Bulgarian sample. Some gender and age
      differences revealed that the oldest male Bulgarians were the most sentimental.
      The psychometric properties of this questionnaire were examined for the first
      time in a Greek sample of elders and a trend was found for stability of
      sentimentality and nostalgia in elderly people that could be studied further in
      longitudinal studies.

PMID- 28344679
TI  - The Effects of Test Trial and Processing Level on Immediate and Delayed
      Retention.
AB  - The purpose of the present study was to investigate the effects of test trial and
      processing level on immediate and delayed retention. A 2 * 2 * 2 mixed ANOVAs was
      used with two between-subject factors of test trial (single test, repeated test)
      and processing level (shallow, deep), and one within-subject factor of final
      recall (immediate, delayed). Seventy-six college students were randomly assigned
      first to the single test (studied the stimulus words three times and took one
      free-recall test) and the repeated test trials (studied the stimulus words once
      and took three consecutive free-recall tests), and then to the shallow processing
      level (asked whether each stimulus word was presented in capital letter or in
      small letter) and the deep processing level (whether each stimulus word belonged
      to a particular category) to study forty stimulus words. The immediate test was
      administered five minutes after the trials, whereas the delayed test was
      administered one week later. Results showed that single test trial recalled more
      words than repeated test trial in immediate final free-recall test, participants
      in deep processing performed better than those in shallow processing in both
      immediate and delayed retention. However, the dominance of single test trial and
      deep processing did not happen in delayed retention. Additional study trials did
      not further enhance the delayed retention of words encoded in deep processing,
      but did enhance the delayed retention of words encoded in shallow processing.

PMID- 28344680
TI  - Adolescents' and Young Adults' Naive Understandings of the Economic Crisis.
AB  - Over the last decade, Financial Literacy (FL) and interventions aimed at
      improving it, that is Financial Education (FE), have been the focus of increased
      attention from economists, governments, and international organizations such as
      the world Bank and OECD, but much less by scholars in the fields of Learning and
      Instruction. We examined open-ended written answers on the causes of the economic
      crisis that started in 2007-2008, as given by 381 Italian secondary school and
      university students, and 268 Swiss Italian-speaking secondary school students.
      Most Italian students mentioned internal political causes (i.e., corrupt
      politicians or inefficiency of the government), whereas Swiss students mentioned
      banks more often. International factors were rarely mentioned by either group,
      and explanations were generally very poor, listing a few causes without making
      connections between them. These findings indicate the need for economics
      education aimed at making people more knowledgeable of the workings of the
      economic system and the effects of financial systems on the real economy.

PMID- 28344681
TI  - Exploring the Relationship Between Callous-Unemotional Traits, Empathy Processing
      and Affective Valence in a General Population.
AB  - Callous-Unemotional (CU) traits are personality attributes, which are associated
      with a deficit of affective valence and reduced empathetic responding in high CU
      trait clinical populations. The aim of the research was to explore whether a
      similar pattern of empathy and emotional responding correlated with CU trait
      manifestation in the general population. A total of 124 participants completed
      the Inventory of Callous-Unemotional Traits, the Interpersonal Reactivity Index,
      the Empathy Quotient, an expression recognition task, and a measure of affective
      response. Negative correlations with CU trait score were observed for both
      cognitive empathy and emotional empathy. Accuracy in the identification of
      fearful expressions presented a negative association with CU trait score. Self
      rating of affective valence, when viewing both positive and negative images,
      indicated a universal reduction in emotional response associated with increased
      CU trait manifestation.

PMID- 28344682
TI  - Dispositional Mindfulness and Memory Problems: The Role of Perceived Stress and
      Sleep Quality.
AB  - There is a growing body of evidence exploring the beneficial effects of
      mindfulness on stress, sleep quality, and memory, though the mechanisms involved
      are less certain. The present study explored the roles of perceived stress and
      sleep quality as potential mediators between dispositional mindfulness and
      subjective memory problems. Data were from a Boston area subsample of the Midlife
      in the United States study (MIDUS-II) assessed in 2004-2006, and again
      approximately one year later (N=299). As expected, higher dispositional
      mindfulness was associated with lower perceived stress and better sleep quality.
      There was no direct association found between mindfulness and subjective memory
      problems, however, there was a significant indirect effect through perceived
      stress, although not with sleep quality. The present findings suggest that
      perceived stress may play a mediating role between dispositional mindfulness and
      subjective memory problems, in that those with higher mindfulness generally
      report experiencing less stress than those with lower mindfulness, which may be
      protective of memory problems in everyday life.

PMID- 28344683
TI  - Dispositional Mindfulness Predicts Adaptive Affective Responses to Health
      Messages and Increased Exercise Motivation.
AB  - Feelings can shape how people respond to persuasive messages. In health
      communication, adaptive affective responses to potentially threating messages
      constitute one key to intervention success. The current study tested
      dispositional mindfulness, characterized by awareness of the present moment, as a
      predictor of adaptive affective responses to potentially threatening health
      messages and desirable subsequent health outcomes. Both general and discrete
      negative affective states (i.e., shame) were examined in relation to mindfulness
      and intervention success. Individuals (n=67) who reported less than 195 weekly
      minutes of exercise were recruited. At baseline, participants' dispositional
      mindfulness and exercise outcomes were assessed, including self-reported exercise
      motivation and physical activity. A week later, all participants were presented
      with potentially threatening and self-relevant health messages encouraging
      physical activity and discouraging sedentary lifestyle, and their subsequent
      affective response and exercise motivation were assessed. Approximately one month
      later, changes in exercise motivation and physical activity were assessed again.
      In addition, participants' level of daily physical activity was monitored by a
      wrist worn accelerometer throughout the entire duration of the study. Higher
      dispositional mindfulness predicted greater increases in exercise motivation one
      month after the intervention. Importantly, this effect was fully mediated by
      lower negative affect and shame specifically, in response to potentially
      threatening health messages among highly mindful individuals. Baseline
      mindfulness was also associated with increased self-reported vigorous activity,
      but not with daily physical activity as assessed by accelerometers. These
      findings suggest potential benefits of considering mindfulness as an active
      individual difference variable in theories of affective processing and health
      communication.

PMID- 28344684
TI  - Splenic Vein Thrombosis as a Rare Complication of Disseminated Tuberculosis -
      Imaging Diagnosis and Case Report.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Venous thromboembolism is a known but rare complication associated
      with Mycobacterium tuberculosis infection. The reported incidence of venous
      thromboembolism is 1.5-3.4% of infected patients, and it occurs due to a
      hypercoagulable state induced by the associated inflammation. CASE REPORT: A
      young woman with pulmonary tuberculosis was found to have disseminated
      tuberculosis and a clinically unsuspected partial thrombus in the splenic vein on
      imaging. Ultrasound demonstrated hepato-splenomegaly with multiple granulomas as
      well as ascites and a left-sided pleural effusion. An increased calibre of the
      splenic vein with a hyperechogenicity within it raised the suspicion of a
      thrombus, which was confirmed on a contrast-enhanced CT examination. CECT of the
      abdomen also showed a small peripheral splenic infarct, while CECT of the chest
      revealed bilateral miliary lesions in the lungs along with necrotic mediastinal
      lymphadenopathy. The final imaging diagnosis was disseminated tuberculosis
      complicated by splenic vein thrombosis. A timely institution of anti-coagulant
      and anti-tubercular treatment led to a complete resolution of the splenic vein
      thrombosis. CONCLUSIONS: Contrast-enhanced CT serves as a useful imaging tool for
      the detection of venous thrombosis and for the estimation of a complete burden of
      the disease. This condition should be kept in mind by both clinicians and
      radiologists and looked for in order to prevent life-threatening complications.

PMID- 28344685
TI  - Focal Biliary System Obstruction and Atypical Liver Mass: Intrabiliary Ruptured
      Cyst Hydatid Case Report.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Hydatid disease can involve any part of the body, but the liver is
      the most frequently affected organ. Intrabiliary rupture is one of the most
      serious complications of a hepatic hydatid cyst. Radiological findings,
      especially magnetic resonance imaging and magnetic resonance
      cholangiopancreatography (MRI/MRCP), are helpful in the diagnosis of hydatid
      disease. CASE REPORT: We present a 48-year-old female patient with complaints of
      abdominal pain and jaundice. Radiological examination showed a heterogeneous
      lesion that contained cystic-solid components and millimetric calcifications in
      the liver. Adjacent intrahepatic bile ducts were dilated. CONCLUSIONS: In
      geographical areas endemic for hydatid disease, cyst rapture into the bile ducts
      should be included in the differential diagnosis even in seronegative cases,
      although it is not typical for hydatid cyst to be found as a mass lesion in the
      liver on US in patients with right upper quadrant pain and jaundice.Detailed
      imaging by MRI/MRCP should be done.

PMID- 28344686
TI  - Comparison of Image Quality, Diagnostic Accuracy and Radiation Dose Between Flash
      Model and Retrospective ECG-Triggered Protocols in Dual Source Computed
      Tomography (DSCT) in Congenital Heart Diseases.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Dual source computed tomography (DSCT) plays an important role in the
      diagnosis of congenital heart diseases (CHD). However, the issue of radiation
      related side effects constitutes a wide public concern. The aim of the study was
      to explore the differences in diagnostic accuracy, radiation dose and image
      quality between a prospectively ECG - triggered high - pitch spiral acquisition
      (flash model) and a retrospective ECG-gated protocol of DSCT used for the
      detection of CHD. MATERIAL/METHODS: The study included 58 patients with CHD who
      underwent a DSCT examination, including two groups of 29 patients in each
      protocol. Then, both subjective and objective image quality, diagnostic accuracy
      and radiation dose were compared between the two protocols. RESULTS: The image
      quality and the total as well as partial diagnostic accuracy did not differ
      significantly between the protocols. The radiation dose in the flash model was
      obviously lower than that in the retrospective model (P<0.05). CONCLUSIONS:
      Compared to the retrospective protocol, the flash model can significantly reduce
      the dose of radiation, while maintaining both diagnostic accuracy and image
      quality.

PMID- 28344688
TI  - No one is talking about the elephant in the room.

PMID- 28344687
TI  - Disseminated Pancreatic Neuroendocrine Neoplasm (NEN) with an Uncommon
      Localisation in the Central Nervous System. A Case Report.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Neuroendocrine neoplasms (NEN) are rare neoplasms that originate from
      neuroendocrine cells and are characterized by the potential of hormonal activity.
      Approximately 70% of these tumours are located in the gastrointestinal system
      (GI), followed by the bronchi, endocrine glands-like C cells of the thyroid
      (medullary carcinoma), the parasympathetic and sympathetic system
      (paragangliomas, pheochromocytoma) and other very rare locations. The prevalence
      of cerebral metastases in neuroendocrine tumours is estimated by various authors
      to be approximately 1.5-5%. When the primary tumour is located in the pancreas,
      it is associated with a risk of cerebral metastases lower than 2%. CASE REPORT:
      We describe a patient with a disseminated pancreatic NEN that presented with an
      isolated lesion in the brain. We gathered the important data via medical
      history,, observation, analysis of medical records, imaging and others diagnostic
      tests. Despite the fairly rare prevalence of cerebral metastases in NENs, a
      neurological work-up should be performed. This should include neuroimaging of the
      brain, preferably with MR, together with the somatostatin receptor scintigraphy
      (SRS), in each clinically suspicious case. A histopathological examination of the
      CNS tumour can confirm a dedifferentiation of NEN in the direction of a
      neuroendocrine carcinoma (NEC - neuroednocrine carcinoma) with a poor prognosis.
      CONCLUSIONS: Cerebral metastases are diagnosed in 1.5-5% of patients with a
      neuroendocrine neoplasm. In each case suggestive of a dissemination into the
      central nervous system, MRI of the brain should be performed.

PMID- 28344689
TI  - Exploring social media and admissions decision-making - friends or foes?
AB  - BACKGROUND: Despite the ever-increasing use of social media (e.g., Facebook,
      Twitter) little is known about its use in medical school admissions. This
      qualitative study explores whether and how social media (SM) is used in
      undergraduate admissions in Canada, and the attitudes of admissions personnel
      towards such use. METHODS: Phone interviews were conducted with admissions deans
      and nominated admissions personnel. A qualitative descriptive analysis was
      performed using iterative coding and comparing, and grouping data into themes.
      RESULTS: Personnel from 15 of 17 Canadian medical schools participated. A
      sizeable proportion had, at some point, examined social media (SM) profiles to
      acquire information on applicants. Participants did not report using it
      explicitly to screen all applicants (primary use); however, several did admit to
      looking at SM to follow up on preliminary indications of misbehaviour (secondary
      use). Participants articulated concerns, such as validity and equity, about using
      SM in admissions. Despite no schools having existing policy, participants
      expressed openness to future use. CONCLUSIONS: While some of the 15 schools had
      used SM to acquire information on applicants, criteria for formulating judgments
      were obscure, and participants expressed significant apprehension, based on
      concerns for fairness and validity. Findings suggest participant ambivalence and
      ongoing risks associated with "hidden" selection practices.

PMID- 28344690
TI  - Attitudes of Canadian psychiatry residents if mentally ill: awareness, barriers
      to disclosure, and help-seeking preferences.
AB  - BACKGROUND: The medical culture is defined by mental illness stigma, non
      disclosure, and avoidance of professional treatment. Little research has explored
      attitudes and help-seeking behaviors of psychiatry trainees if they were to
      become mentally ill. METHOD: Psychiatry residents (n = 106) from training centres
      across Ontario, Canada completed a postal survey on their attitudes, barriers to
      disclosure, and help-seeking preferences in the context of hypothetically
      becoming mentally ill. RESULTS: Thirty-three percent of respondents reported
      personal history of mental illness and the frequency of mental illness by year of
      training did not significantly differ. The most popular first contact for
      disclosure of mental illness was family and friends (n = 61, 57.5%). Frequent
      barriers to disclosure included career implications (n = 39, 36.8%), stigma (n =
      11, 10.4%), and professional standing (n = 15, 14.2%). Personal history of mental
      illness was the only factor associated with in-patient treatment choice, with
      those with history opting for more formal advice versus informal advice.
      CONCLUSIONS: At the level of residency training, psychiatrists are reporting
      barriers to disclosure and help-seeking if they were to experience mental
      illness. A majority of psychiatry residents would only disclose to informal
      supports. Those with a history of mental illness would prefer formal treatment
      services over informal services.

PMID- 28344691
TI  - Physician recruitment and retention in New Brunswick: a medical student
      perspective.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Physician recruitment and retention is a priority for many Canadian
      provinces. Each province is unique in terms of recruitment strategies and
      packages offered; however, little is known about how medical students evaluate
      these programs. The purpose of the current study was to determine which factors
      matter most to New Brunswick (NB) medical students when considering their
      location of future practice. METHOD: A survey of NB medical students was
      conducted. Descriptive statistics were produced and a linear regression model was
      developed to study factors predictive of a student's expressed willingness to
      practice in NB. RESULTS: 158 medical students completed the online survey, which
      is a response rate of 55%. Job availability and spouse's ability to work in the
      province were ranked as the top factors in deciding where to practice. In the
      final regression model, factors predictive of an expressed desire to practice in
      NB include being female, living in NB prior to medical school, attending medical
      school at Universite de Sherbrooke, participation in the NB Preceptorship
      program, and a desire to practice family medicine. CONCLUSIONS: This study
      provides insight into what medical students consider when deciding where to
      practice. This research may be used to inform physician recruitment efforts and
      guide future research into medical education and policy.

PMID- 28344692
TI  - A landscape analysis of leadership training in postgraduate medical education
      training programs at the University of Ottawa.
AB  - BACKGROUND: There is growing recognition of the importance of physician
      leadership in healthcare. At the same time, becoming an effective leader requires
      significant training. While educational opportunities for practicing physicians
      exist to develop their leadership skills, there is a paucity of leadership
      opportunities for post graduate trainees. In response to this gap, both the Royal
      College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada and the Association of Faculties of
      Medicine of Canada have recommended that leadership training be considered a
      focus in Post Graduate Medical Education (PGME). However, post-graduate
      leadership curricula and opportunities in PGME training programs in Canada are
      not well described. The goal of this study was to determine the motivation for
      PGME leadership training, the opportunities available, and educational barriers
      experienced by PGME programs at the University of Ottawa. METHODS: An electronic
      survey was distributed to all 70 PGME Program Directors (PDs) at the University
      of Ottawa. Two PDs were selected, based on strong leadership programs, for
      individual interviews. RESULTS: The survey response rate was 55.7%. Seventy-seven
      percent of responding PDs reported resident participation in leadership training
      as being "important," while only 37.8% of programs incorporated assessment of
      resident leadership knowledge and/or skills into their PGME program. Similarly,
      only 29.7% of responding residency programs offered chief resident leadership
      training. CONCLUSIONS: While there is strong recognition of the importance of
      training future physician leaders, the nature and design of PGME leadership
      training is highly variable. These data can be used to potentially inform future
      PGME leadership training curricula.

PMID- 28344693
TI  - Point-of-care ultrasound as a competency for general internists: a survey of
      internal medicine training programs in Canada.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Point-of-care ultrasound (POCUS) is increasingly used on General
      Internal Medicine (GIM) inpatient services, creating a need for defined
      competencies and formalized training. We evaluated the extent of training in
      POCUS and the clinical use of POCUS among Canadian GIM residency programs.
      METHOD: Internal Medicine trainees and GIM Faculty at the University of Toronto
      were surveyed on their clinical use of POCUS and the extent of their training. We
      separately surveyed Canadian IM Program Directors and Division Directors on the
      extent of POCUS training in their programs, barriers in the implementation of
      POCUS curricula, and recommendations for POCUS competencies in IM. RESULTS: A
      majority of IM trainees (90/118, 76%) and GIM Faculty (15/29, 52%) used POCUS
      clinically. However, the vast majority of resident (111/117, 95%) and GIM Faculty
      (18/28, 64%) had received limited training. Of the Program Leaders surveyed, half
      (9/17, 53%) reported POCUS clinical use by their trainees; however only one
      quarter (4/16, 25%) reported offering formal curricula. Most respondents agreed
      that POCUS training should be incorporated into IM residency curricula,
      specifically for procedural guidance. CONCLUSIONS: A considerable discrepancy
      exists between the clinical use of POCUS and the extent of formal training among
      Canadian IM residents and GIM Faculty. We propose that formalized POCUS training
      should be incorporated into IM residency programs, GIM fellowships, and Faculty
      development sessions, and identify POCUS skills that could be incorporated into
      future IM curricula.

PMID- 28344694
TI  - Addressing gaps in physician knowledge regarding transgender health and
      healthcare through medical education.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Transgender people (those people whose sex at birth does not "match"
      their felt gender identity) are a priority group for healthcare as they
      experience high rates of discrimination and related illnesses. Despite this,
      there is a trend of poor healthcare access for trans people due, in large part,
      to the denial of care on the part of physicians. A small body of literature is
      beginning to suggest that this denial of care may be due to a lack of physician
      knowledge as well as, in some cases, to transphobia. There is a dearth of
      research in Canada, however, exploring whether and/or how knowledge gaps create
      barriers to quality care, and whether medical education can attend to these gaps
      while and through addressing gender normativity. METHODS: To fill these gaps in
      the literature, we undertook a qualitative study with 30 trans identified people
      and 11 physicians (N=41) in Winnipeg, Manitoba. Methods included semi-structured
      individual interviews and focus groups. Data were transcribed and analyzed with
      NVivo qualitative data software using iterative methods. RESULTS: An overwhelming
      finding of this study was a lack of physician knowledge, as reported both by
      trans people and by physicians, that resulted in a denial of trans-specific care
      and also impacted general care. Transphobia was also identified as a barrier to
      quality care by both trans people and physicians. Physicians were open to
      learning more about trans health and healthcare. CONCLUSIONS: The findings
      suggest a pressing need for better medical education that exposes students to
      basic skills in trans health so that they can become competent in providing care
      to trans people. This learning must take place alongside anti-transphobia
      education. Based on these findings, we suggest key recommendations at the close
      of the paper for providing quality trans health curriculum in medical education.

PMID- 28344696
TI  - Systems 1 and 2 thinking processes and cognitive reflection testing in medical
      students.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Diagnostic decision-making is made through a combination of Systems 1
      (intuition or pattern-recognition) and Systems 2 (analytic) thinking. The purpose
      of this study was to use the Cognitive Reflection Test (CRT) to evaluate and
      compare the level of Systems 1 and 2 thinking among medical students in pre
      clinical and clinical programs. METHODS: The CRT is a three-question test
      designed to measure the ability of respondents to activate metacognitive
      processes and switch to System 2 (analytic) thinking where System 1 (intuitive)
      thinking would lead them astray. Each CRT question has a correct analytical
      (System 2) answer and an incorrect intuitive (System 1) answer. A group of
      medical students in Years 2 & 3 (pre-clinical) and Years 4 (in clinical practice)
      of a 5-year medical degree were studied. RESULTS: Ten percent (13/128) of
      students had the intuitive answers to the three questions (suggesting they
      generally relied on System 1 thinking) while almost half (44%) answered all three
      correctly (indicating full analytical, System 2 thinking). Only 3-13% had
      incorrect answers (i.e. that were neither the analytical nor the intuitive
      responses). Non-native English speaking students (n = 11) had a lower mean number
      of correct answers compared to native English speakers (n = 117: 1.0 s 2.12
      respectfully: p < 0.01). As students progressed through questions 1 to 3, the
      percentage of correct System 2 answers increased and the percentage of intuitive
      answers decreased in both the pre-clinical and clinical students. CONCLUSIONS: Up
      to half of the medical students demonstrated full or partial reliance on System 1
      (intuitive) thinking in response to these analytical questions. While their CRT
      performance has no claims to make as to their future expertise as clinicians, the
      test may be used in helping students to understand the importance of awareness
      and regulation of their thinking processes in clinical practice.

PMID- 28344695
TI  - Are we adequately preparing the next generation of physicians to prescribe
      exercise as prevention and treatment? Residents express the desire for more
      training in exercise prescription.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Physical activity (PA) is a key intervention for chronic disease, yet
      few physicians provide exercise prescription (EP). EP is an important component
      in larger strategies of reducing non-communicable disease (NCD). Our objective
      was to assess Family Medicine Residents (FMR) knowledge, competence, and
      perspectives of EP to help inform future curriculum development. METHODS: A 49
      item cross-sectional survey was administered to 396 University of British
      Columbia FMR. Residents' EP knowledge, competence, attitudes/beliefs, current
      practices, personal physical activity levels, and perspectives of training were
      assessed using, primarily, a 7-point Likert scale. RESULTS: The response rate was
      80.6% (319/396). After eliminating 25 that failed to meet the inclusion criteria,
      294 were included in the final analysis. The majority 95.6% of FMR reported EP as
      important in their future practice, despite having low knowledge of the Canadian
      PA Guidelines (mean score 1.77/4), low self-reported competence prescribing
      exercise as prevention (mean score 13.35/21), and rating themselves "somewhat
      incompetent" prescribing exercise to patients with chronic disease (mean score
      11.26/21). FMR believe PA is integral to their patients' health (98.0%),
      sedentary behaviour is harmful (97.9%), and feel a responsibility to discuss PA
      with patients (99.7%). Few FMR (14.9%) perceived their training in EP as adequate
      and 91.0% desire more. CONCLUSIONS: FMR report EP is important, yet do not
      perceive they are sufficiently prepared to provide EP. In future curricular
      development, medical educators should consider residents' low knowledge,
      competence, perceived program support, and their expressed desire for more
      training in exercise prescription.

PMID- 28344697
TI  - Learning-by-Concordance (LbC): introducing undergraduate students to the
      complexity and uncertainty of clinical practice.
AB  - BACKGROUND: A current challenge in medical education is the steep exposure to the
      complexity and uncertainty of clinical practice in early clerkship. The gap
      between pre-clinical courses and the reality of clinical decision-making can be
      overwhelming for undergraduate students. The Learning-by-Concordance (LbC)
      approach aims to bridge this gap by embedding complexity and uncertainty by
      relying on real-life situations and exposure to expert reasoning processes to
      support learning. LbC provides three forms of support: 1) expert responses that
      students compare with their own, 2) expert explanations and 3) recognized
      scholars' key-messages. METHOD: Three different LbC inspired learning tools were
      used by 900 undergraduate medical students in three courses: Concordance-of
      Reasoning in a 1st-year hematology course; Concordance-of-Perception in a 2nd
      year pulmonary physio-pathology course, and; Concordance-of-Professional-Judgment
      with 3rd-year clerkship students. Thematic analysis was conducted on freely
      volunteered qualitative comments provided by 404 students. RESULTS: Absence of a
      right answer was challenging for 1st year concordance-of-reasoning group; the 2nd
      year visual concordance group found radiology images initially difficult and
      unnerving and the 3rd year concordance-of-judgment group recognized the
      importance of divergent expert opinion. CONCLUSIONS: Expert panel answers and
      explanations constitute an example of "cognitive apprenticeship" that could
      contribute to the development of appropriate professional reasoning processes.

PMID- 28344698
TI  - Supporting clinician educators to achieve "work-work balance".
AB  - Clinician Educators (CE) have numerous responsibilities in different professional
      domains, including clinical, education, research, and administration. Many CEs
      face tensions trying to manage these often competing professional
      responsibilities and achieve "work-work balance." Rich discussions of techniques
      for work-work balance amongst CEs at a medical education conference inspired the
      authors to gather, analyze, and summarize these techniques to share with others.
      In this paper we present the CE's "Four Ps"; these are practice points that
      support both the aspiring and established CE to help improve their performance
      and productivity as CEs, and allow them to approach work-work balance.

PMID- 28344700
TI  - Entitlement and me: problems in Canadian medical education.

PMID- 28344701
TI  - Entitlement in medical education: an ongoing discourse.

PMID- 28344699
TI  - Curricular initiatives that enhance student knowledge and perceptions of sexual
      and gender minority groups: a critical interpretive synthesis.
AB  - BACKGROUND: There is no accepted best practice for optimizing tertiary student
      knowledge, perceptions, and skills to care for sexual and gender diverse groups.
      The objective of this research was to synthesize the relevant literature
      regarding effective curricular initiatives designed to enhance tertiary level
      student knowledge, perceptions, and skills to care for sexual and gender diverse
      populations. METHODS: A modified Critical Interpretive Synthesis using a
      systematic search strategy was conducted in 2015. This method was chosen to
      synthesize the relevant qualitative and quantitative literature as it allows for
      the depth and breadth of information to be captured and new constructs to be
      illuminated. Databases searched include AMED, CINAHL EBM Reviews, ERIC, Ovid
      MEDLINE, Ovid Nursing Database, PsychInfo, and Google Scholar. RESULTS: Thirty
      one articles were included in this review. Curricular initiatives ranging from
      discrete to multimodal approaches have been implemented. Successful initiatives
      included discrete sessions with time for processing, and multi-modal strategies.
      Multi-modal approaches that encouraged awareness of one's lens and privilege in
      conjunction with facilitated communication seemed the most effective.
      CONCLUSIONS: The literature is limited to the evaluation of explicit curricula.
      The wider cultural competence literature offers further insight by highlighting
      the importance of broad and embedded forces including social influences, the
      institutional climate, and the implicit, or hidden, curriculum. A combined
      interpretation of the complementary cultural competence and sexual and gender
      diversity literature provides a novel understanding of the optimal content and
      context for the delivery of a successful curricular initiative.

PMID- 28344702
TI  - Health professions education and globalization: a call for reflexivity.

PMID- 28344703
TI  - Key challenges for implementing a Canadian-based objective structured clinical
      examination (OSCE) in a Middle Eastern context.
AB  - Globalization of medical education is occurring at a rapid pace and many regions
      of the world are adapting curricula, teaching methods, and assessment tools from
      established programs. In the Middle East, the use of Objective Structured
      Clinical Examinations (OSCEs) is rare. The College of Pharmacy at Qatar
      University recently partnered with the University of Toronto and the Supreme
      Council of Health in Qatar to adapt policies and procedures of a Canadian-based
      OSCE as an exit-from-degree assessment for pharmacy students in Qatar. Despite
      many cultural and contextual barriers, the OSCE was implemented successfully and
      is now an integrated component of the pharmacy curriculum. This paper aims to
      provide insight into the adoption and implementation process by identifying four
      major cultural and contextual challenges associated with OSCEs: assessment tools,
      standardized actors, assessor calibration, and standard setting. Proposed
      solutions to the challenges are also given. Findings are relevant to
      international programs attempting to adapt OSCEs into their contexts, as well as
      Canadian programs facing increasing rates of cultural diversity within student
      and assessor populations.

PMID- 28344704
TI  - Decolonization in health professions education: reflections on teaching through a
      transgressive pedagogy.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Canadian health educators travel to the global south to provide
      expertise in health education. Considering the history of relations between the
      north and south, educators and healthcare providers from Canada should critically
      examine their practices and consider non-colonizing ways to relate to their
      Southern colleagues. METHODS: Using her experience as a teacher with the Toronto
      Addis Ababa Academic Collaboration in Nursing, the author explored issues of
      identity and representation as a registered nurse and PhD candidate teaching in
      Ethiopia. Transgressive pedagogy was used to question how her personal,
      professional, and institutional identities impacted her role as a teacher.
      RESULTS: Thinking and acting transgressively can decrease colonizing relations by
      acknowledging boundaries and limitations within present ideas of teaching and
      global health work and help moving beyond them. The act of being transgressive
      begins with a deeper understanding and consciousness of who we are as people and
      as educators. CONCLUSION: Working responsibly in the global south means being
      critical about historical relations and transparent about one's own history and
      desires for teaching abroad.

PMID- 28344705
TI  - The influence of globalization on medical regulation: a descriptive analysis of
      international medical graduates registered through alternative licensure routes
      in Ontario.
AB  - The increasing globalization of the medical profession has influenced health
      policy, health human resource planning, and medical regulation in Canada. Since
      the early 2000s, numerous policy initiatives have been created to facilitate the
      entry of international medical graduates (IMGs) into the Canadian workforce. In
      Ontario, the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Ontario (CPSO) developed
      alternative licensure routes to increase the ability of qualified IMGs to obtain
      licenses to practice. The current study provides demographic and descriptive
      information about the IMGs registered through the CPSO's alternative licensure
      routes between 2000 and 2012. An analysis of the characteristics and career
      trajectories of all IMGs practicing in the province sheds light on broader
      globalization trends and raises questions about the future of health human
      resource planning in Canada. As the medical profession becomes increasingly
      globalized, health policy and regulation will continue to be influenced by trends
      in international migration, concerns about global health equity, and the shifting
      demographics of the Canadian physician workforce. Implications for future policy
      development in the complex landscape of medical education and practice are
      discussed.

PMID- 28344706
TI  - The Voluntariat: A Frieirean framework to understand the nature of undergraduate
      international (medical) experiences.
AB  - Despite literature documenting limited and asymmetrical benefits along with
      ethical issues, short-term international volunteering is increasingly popular
      among North American university students as a perceived advantage when applying
      to professional healthcare schools or the job market. Academic institutions are
      also encouraging students to pursue international experiences in order to
      cultivate values as global citizens. These experiences are most typically limited
      to economically privileged students. Furthermore, international activities in
      developing countries often lack a pedagogy of social justice and may confirm a
      simplistic understanding of development. Brazilian educator Paulo Freire's
      "liberation pedagogy" provides a framework for understanding the limitations of
      international volunteering, whereby the presence of privileged volunteers
      implementing Western models of development may hinder aspects of local movements.
      Regardless, university students face intense competition in accessing
      opportunities, such as medical school, and pay large sums to participate in
      volunteering to strengthen their academic credentials. We propose that these
      students form "the voluntariat." They simultaneously play two roles by, first,
      contributing to the conditions that oppress the very communities in which they
      volunteer and, second, by playing a role as objects of oppression by the liberal
      institutions of learning and employment to which they are attempting to gain
      access.

PMID- 28344707
TI  - Changing perspectives: attempting to de-colonize the gaze of a Canadian medical
      student.

PMID- 28344708
TI  - Support infrastructure available to Canadian residents completing post-graduate
      global health electives: current state and future directions.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Global health electives offer medical trainees the opportunity to
      broaden their clinical horizons. Canadian universities have been encouraged by
      regulatory bodies to offer institutional support to medical students going
      abroad; however, the extent to which such support is available to residents has
      not been extensively studied. METHODS: We conducted a survey study of Canadian
      universities examining the institutional support available to post-graduate
      medical trainees before, during, and after global health electives. RESULTS:
      Responses were received from 8 of 17 (47%) Canadian institutions. Results show
      that trainees are being sent to diverse locations around the world with more
      support than recommended by post-graduate regulatory bodies. However, we found
      that the content of the support infrastructure varies amongst universities and
      that certain components-pre-departure training, best practices, risk management,
      and post-return debriefing-could be more thoroughly addressed. CONCLUSION:
      Canadian universities are encouraged to continue to send their trainees on global
      health electives. To address the gaps in infrastructure reported in this study,
      the authors suggest the development of comprehensive standardized guidelines by
      post-graduate regulatory/advocacy bodies to better ensure patient and participant
      safety. We also encourage the centralization of infrastructure management to the
      universities' global health departments to aid in resource management.

PMID- 28344709
TI  - Capacity building in Nepal.

PMID- 28344710
TI  - Global health education produces healers.

PMID- 28344711
TI  - Systems thinking and structural competence in and for medical education.

PMID- 28344712
TI  - Canadian Medical Education Journal Survey evaluations of University of British
      Columbia residents' education and attitudes regarding palliative care and
      physician assisted death.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Little prior research has been conducted regarding resident
      physicians' opinions on the subject of Physician Assisted Death (PAD), despite
      past surveys ascertaining the attitudes of practicing physicians towards PAD in
      Canada. We solicited British Columbia residents' opinions on the amount of
      education they receive about palliative care and physician assisted death, and
      their attitudes towards the implementation of PAD. METHODS: We conducted a cross
      sectional, anonymous online survey with the resident physicians of British
      Columbia, Canada. Questions included: close-ended questions, graded Likert scale
      questions, and comments. RESULTS: Among the respondents (n=299, response rate
      24%), 44% received >=5 hours of education in palliative care, 40% received
      between zero and four hours of education, and 16% reported zero hours. Of all
      respondents, 75% had received no education about PAD and the majority agreed that
      there should be more education about palliative care (74%) and PAD (85%). Only
      35% of residents felt their program provided them with enough education to make
      an informed decision about PAD, yet 59% would provide a consenting patient with
      PAD. Half of the respondents believed PAD would ultimately be provided by
      palliative care physicians. INTERPRETATION: Residents desire further education
      about palliative care and PAD. Training programs should consider conducting a
      thorough needs assessment and implementing structured education to meet this
      need.

PMID- 28344713
TI  - Exploring the experience of residents during the first six months of family
      medicine residency training.
AB  - BACKGROUND: The shift from undergraduate to postgraduate education signals a new
      phase in a doctor's training. This study explored the resident's perspective of
      how the transition from undergraduate to postgraduate (PGME) training is
      experienced in a Family Medicine program as they first meet the reality of
      feeling and having the responsibility as a doctor. METHODS: Qualitative methods
      explored resident experiences using interpretative inquiry through monthly,
      individual in-depth interviews with five incoming residents during the first six
      months of training. Focus groups were also held with residents at various stages
      of training to gather their reflection about their experience of the first six
      months. Residents were asked to describe their initial concerns, changes that
      occurred and the influences they attributed to those changes. RESULTS: Residents
      do not begin a Family Medicine PGME program knowing what it means to be a Family
      Physician, but learn what it means to fulfill this role. This process involves
      adjusting to significant shifts in responsibility in the areas of Knowledge,
      Practice Management, and Relationships as they become more responsible for care
      outcomes. CONCLUSION: This study illuminated the resident perspective of how the
      transition is experienced. This will assist medical educators to better
      understand the early training experiences of residents, how these experiences
      contribute to consolidating their new professional identity, and how to better
      align teaching strategies with resident learning needs.

PMID- 28344714
TI  - Moral distress and burnout in internal medicine residents.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Residents frequently encounter situations in their workplace that may
      induce moral distress or burnout. The objective of this study was to measure
      overall and rotation-specific moral distress and burnout in medical residents,
      and the relationship between demographics and moral distress and burnout.
      METHODS: The revised Moral Distress Scale and the Maslach Burnout Inventory
      (Human Service version) were administered to Internal Medicine residents in the
      2013-2014 academic year at the University of British Columbia. RESULTS: Of the 88
      residents, 45 completed the surveys. Participants (mean age 30+/-3; 46% male)
      reported a median moral distress score (interquartile range) of 77 (50-96).
      Twenty-six percent of residents had considered quitting because of moral
      distress, 21% had a high level of burnout, and only 5% had a low level of
      burnout. Moral distress scores were highest during Intensive Care Unit (ICU) and
      Clinical Teaching Unit (CTU) rotations, and lowest during elective rotations
      (p<0.0001). Women reported higher emotional exhaustion. Moral distress was
      associated with depersonalization (p=0.01), and both moral distress and burnout
      were associated with intention to leave the job. CONCLUSION: Internal Medicine
      residents report moral distress that is greatest during ICU and CTU rotations,
      and is associated with burnout and intention to leave the job.

PMID- 28344715
TI  - The emotional intelligence of pediatric residents - a descriptive cross-sectional
      study.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Emotional Intelligence (EI) is a type of social intelligence.
      Excellent scores are achieved by displaying high levels of empathy in
      interpersonal relationships, strong skills in managing stressful situations as
      well as other personal competencies. Many of the social competencies that EI
      describes may have a direct impact on patient care. The objective of this study
      was to describe EI of pediatric residents and to identify if there are EI skills
      that should be selected for targeted intervention. METHODS: This was a cross
      sectional study administering the EQ-i 2.0(c) psychometric instrument to
      pediatric residents at the University of Alberta. RESULTS: Thirty-five residents
      completed the EQ-i 2.0(c) (100% response rate). Their overall EI score was not
      significantly different than a normative group of college-educated professionals.
      Residents had relative strengths in the subcategories of Emotional expression,
      Interpersonal Relationships, Empathy, and Impulse Control (all p<0.05). Areas of
      relative weakness were in the subcategories of Stress Tolerance, Assertiveness,
      Independence, and Problem Solving (all p<0.05). CONCLUSION: The EI of pediatric
      residents is consistent with that of other professionals. Educational
      interventions may be useful in the areas of weakness to enhance the physician
      patient relationship.

PMID- 28344716
TI  - An examination of entrance criteria for international medical graduates (IMGs)
      into Canadian psychiatry residency programs.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Although international medical graduates (IMGs) are essential in
      health care service delivery, a gap exists in the literature about how IMGs are
      selected into psychiatry residency programs in Canada. The purpose of this study
      was to identify the relative weight or importance that Canadian program directors
      (PDs) of psychiatry place on certain selection criteria when matching IMGs into
      residency programs. METHODS: We electronically distributed a web-based
      questionnaire to 16 university residency program directors of psychiatry in
      Canada. Program Directors were asked to rate the importance of 43 selection
      criteria using 5-point Likert Scales. Criteria were grouped into six domains:
      academic criteria, extracurricular activities, supporting information,
      behavioural issues of concern, medical school country, and other education. Mean
      total values for each set of criteria were calculated and used to create rank
      orders within each domain. RESULTS: Eight out of 16 program directors responded.
      Our analysis indicated that academics and behavioral issues of concern were the
      most important selection criteria. CONCLUSION: Our findings provide valuable
      insight about the perspectives of Program Directors toward IMGs who apply for
      psychiatry residency programs in Canada. Further studies are needed to better
      understand which criteria contribute to IMGs' performances as psychiatric
      residents.

PMID- 28344717
TI  - A digital peer-to-peer learning platform for clinical skills development.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Due to constraints in time and resources, medical curricula may not
      provide adequate opportunities for pre-clerkship students to practice clinical
      skills. To address this, medical students at the University of Alberta developed
      a digital peer-to-peer learning initiative. The initiative assessed if students
      can learn clinical skills from their peers in co-curricular practice objective
      structured clinical exams (OSCEs). METHODS: A total of 144 first-year medical
      students participated. Students wrote case scenarios that were reviewed by
      physicians. Students enacted the cases in practice OSCEs, acting as the patient,
      physician, and evaluator. Verbal and electronic evaluations were completed. A
      digital platform was used to automate the process. Surveys were disseminated to
      assess student perceptions of their experience. RESULTS: Seventy-five percent of
      participants said they needed opportunities to practice patient histories and
      physical exams in addition to those provided in the medical school curriculum.
      All participants agreed that the co-curricular practice OSCEs met this need. The
      majority of participants also agreed that the digital platform was efficient and
      easy to use. CONCLUSION: Students found the practice OSCEs and digital platform
      effective for learning clinical skills. Thus, peer-to-peer learning and computer
      automation can be useful adjuncts to traditional medical curricula.

PMID- 28344718
TI  - IMAGINE-ing interprofessional education: program evaluation of a novel inner city
      health educational experience.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Poverty is a key determinant of health that leads to poor health
      outcomes. Although most healthcare providers will work with patients experiencing
      poverty, surveys among healthcare students have reported a curriculum gap in this
      area. This study aims to introduce and evaluate a novel, student-run
      interprofessional inner city health educational program that combines both
      practical and didactic educational components. METHODS: Students participating in
      the program answered pre- and post-program surveys. Wilcoxon signed-rank tests
      and descriptive thematic analysis were used for quantitative and qualitative
      data, respectively. RESULTS: A total of 28 out of 35 participants responded
      (response rate: 80%). Student knowledge about issues facing underserved
      populations and resources for underserved populations significantly increased
      after program participation. Student comfort working with underserved populations
      also significantly increased after program participation. Valued program elements
      included workshops, shadowing, and a focus on marginalized populations.
      CONCLUSION: Interprofessional inner city health educational programs are
      beneficial for students to learn about poverty intervention and resources, and
      may represent a strategy to address a gap in the healthcare professional
      curriculum.

PMID- 28344719
TI  - Residents' perceptions of simulation as a clinical learning approach.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Simulation is increasingly being integrated into medical education;
      however, there is little research into trainees' perceptions of this learning
      modality. We elicited trainees' perceptions of simulation-based learning, to
      inform how simulation is developed and applied to support training. METHODS: We
      conducted an instrumental qualitative case study entailing 36 semi-structured one
      hour interviews with 12 residents enrolled in an introductory simulation-based
      course. Trainees were interviewed at three time points: pre-course, post-course,
      and 4-6 weeks later. Interview transcripts were analyzed using a qualitative
      descriptive analytic approach. RESULTS: Residents' perceptions of simulation
      included: 1) simulation serves pragmatic purposes; 2) simulation provides a safe
      space; 3) simulation presents perils and pitfalls; and 4) optimal design for
      simulation: integration and tension. Key findings included residents' markedly
      narrow perception of simulation's capacity to support non-technical skills
      development or its use beyond introductory learning. CONCLUSION: Trainees'
      learning expectations of simulation were restricted. Educators should critically
      attend to the way they present simulation to learners as, based on theories of
      problem-framing, trainees' a priori perceptions may delimit the focus of their
      learning experiences. If they view simulation as merely a replica of real cases
      for the purpose of practicing basic skills, they may fail to benefit from the
      full scope of learning opportunities afforded by simulation.

PMID- 28344720
TI  - Resetting the compass: exploring the implicit messages of orientation to a
      community-engaged medical school.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Although students' transition into medical school is a critical step
      in their professional journey, orientation has been relatively under-researched,
      particularly with regard to its intersections with schools' social missions. This
      paper reports on a study looking at the implicit messages of orientation to the
      Northern Ontario School of Medicine's undergraduate program. METHODS: An extended
      mixed methods study was conducted to look at different aspects of the School's
      Orientation Week. The term "hidden curriculum" was used to shape inquiry, both in
      its broad sense of implicit educational experiences and messages and in its more
      specific sense of the educational messages sent by a medical school's culture and
      activities. Data were collected using participant surveys, focus groups, and
      interviews. Transcripts and free-text survey responses were analyzed to identify
      underlying themes. RESULTS: Orientation Week was generally well received and was
      generally perceived by different stakeholders (such as students, school leaders,
      and community members) as a positive and necessary undertaking. However, there
      were points of contention and confusion that created a hidden curriculum with
      respect to participants' identities, both as students and as future health
      professionals. CONCLUSION: Orientation to undergraduate medical training can be
      successfully linked to a school's social mission, but in doing so it can send
      complex and unintended messages to the participants that may be perceived quite
      differently based on their circumstances and expectations.

PMID- 28344721
TI  - Examining the impact of early longitudinal patient exposure on medical students'
      career choices.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Medical schools include career direction experiences to help students
      make informed career decisions. Most experiences are short, precluding students
      from attaining adequate exposure to long-term encounters within medicine. We
      investigated the impact of the First Patient Program (FPP), which fosters
      longitudinal patient exposure by pairing junior medical students with chronically
      ill patients through their healthcare journey, in instilling career direction.
      METHODS: Medical students who completed at least 6-months in the FPP participated
      in a cross-sectional survey. Students' answers were analyzed with respect to the
      number of FPP appointments attended. Thematic analysis was conducted to explore
      qualitative responses. RESULTS: One hundred and forty-eight students participated
      in the survey. Only 28 (19%) students stated that the FPP informed their career
      decisions. Thirty-nine percent of students who attended four or more appointments
      indicated that the FPP informed their career decisions, compared to 16% of
      students who attended less (p=0.021). Thematic analysis revealed two themes: 1)
      Students focused mainly on patient encounters within FPP; and 2) Students sought
      career directions from other experiences. CONCLUSION: The majority of students
      did not attain career guidance from the FPP, but rather used the program to
      understand the impact of chronic illness from the patient's perspective.

PMID- 28344722
TI  - Assessment of emergency medicine residents: a systematic review.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Competency-based medical education is becoming the new standard for
      residency programs, including Emergency Medicine (EM). To inform programmatic
      restructuring, guide resources and identify gaps in publication, we reviewed the
      published literature on types and frequency of resident assessment. METHODS: We
      searched MEDLINE, EMBASE, PsycInfo and ERIC from Jan 2005 - June 2014. MeSH terms
      included "assessment," "residency," and "emergency medicine." We included studies
      on EM residents reporting either of two primary outcomes: 1) assessment type and
      2) assessment frequency per resident. Two reviewers screened abstracts, reviewed
      full text studies, and abstracted data. Reporting of assessment-related costs was
      a secondary outcome. RESULTS: The search returned 879 articles; 137 articles were
      full-text reviewed; 73 met inclusion criteria. Half of the studies (54.8%) were
      pilot projects and one-quarter (26.0%) described fully implemented assessment
      tools/programs. Assessment tools (n=111) comprised 12 categories, most commonly:
      simulation-based assessments (28.8%), written exams (28.8%), and direct
      observation (26.0%). Median assessment frequency (n=39 studies) was twice per
      month/rotation (range: daily to once in residency). No studies thoroughly
      reported costs. CONCLUSION: EM resident assessment commonly uses simulation or
      direct observation, done once-per-rotation. Implemented assessment systems and
      assessment-associated costs are poorly reported. Moving forward, routine
      publication will facilitate transitioning to competency-based medical education.

PMID- 28344723
TI  - On the value of debate in medical school.

PMID- 28344724
TI  - Functional Fixedness in Creative Thinking Tasks Depends on Stimulus Modality.
AB  - Pictorial examples during creative thinking tasks can lead participants to fixate
      on these examples and reproduce their elements even when yielding suboptimal
      creative products. Semantic memory research may illuminate the cognitive
      processes underlying this effect. Here, we examined whether pictures and words
      differentially influence access to semantic knowledge for object concepts
      depending on whether the task is close- or open-ended. Participants viewed either
      names or pictures of everyday objects, or a combination of the two, and generated
      common, secondary, or ad hoc uses for them. Stimulus modality effects were
      assessed quantitatively through reaction times and qualitatively through a novel
      coding system, which classifies creative output on a continuum from top-down
      driven to bottom-up-driven responses. Both analyses revealed differences across
      tasks. Importantly, for ad hoc uses, participants exposed to pictures generated
      more top-down-driven responses than those exposed to object names. These findings
      have implications for accounts of functional fixedness in creative thinking, as
      well as theories of semantic memory for object concepts.

PMID- 28344725
TI  - Sensitive and predictable separation of microfluidic droplets by size using in
      line passive filter.
AB  - Active manipulation of droplets is crucial in droplet microfluidics. However,
      droplet polydispersity decreases the accuracy of active manipulation. We develop
      a microfluidic "droplet filter" that accurately separates droplets by size. The
      droplet filter has a sharp size cutoff and is capable of distinguishing droplets
      differing in volume by 20%. A simple model explains the behavior of the droplets
      as they pass through the filter. We show application of the filter in improving
      dielectric sorting efficiency.

PMID- 28344726
TI  - Evaluation of disposable microfluidic chip design for automated and fast
      Immunoassays.
AB  - We report here, the design and development of a disposable immunoassay chip for
      protein biomarker detection within ~1 h. The unique design allows for real-time
      dynamic calibration of immunoassay for multiple biomarker detections on the chip.
      The limit of detection achieved for this test chip is 10 pg/ml for IL6, and 50
      pg/ml for GFAP with a detection time of 1 h. The prototype instrument used for
      flowing the reagents through the chip can be easily assembled from off-the-shelf
      components with the final chemiluminescent detection carried out in a commercial
      plate reader. Optimization of different aspects of chip design, fabrication, and
      assay development is discussed in detail.

PMID- 28344728
TI  - Transgender Youth and Suicidal Behaviors: Applying the Interpersonal
      Psychological Theory of Suicide.
AB  - The interpersonal psychological theory of suicide (IPTS) was used to examine
      suicidal thoughts and behaviors among 129 transgender and gender nonconforming
      (TGNC) youth. Youth were categorized according to their gender identities: female
      to-male (FTM), male-to-female (MTF), female-to-different-gender (FTDG), and male
      to-different gender (MTDG). Higher percentages of suicidal ideation were reported
      by FTDG and FTM youth; and higher percentages of suicide attempts by FTDG and
      MTDG youth. Perceived burdensomeness and thwarted belongingness were
      significantly related to suicidal ideation and/or suicide attempts. Experiences
      of painful, provocative and harmful events and acquired capability significantly
      predicted suicide attempts. The findings support IPTS in explaining suicidal
      behaviors among TGNC youth. Implications for prevention and intervention efforts
      are discussed.

PMID- 28344727
TI  - Characterization of vascular permeability using a biomimetic microfluidic blood
      vessel model.
AB  - The inflammatory response in endothelial cells (ECs) leads to an increase in
      vascular permeability through the formation of gaps. However, the dynamic nature
      of vascular permeability and external factors involved is still elusive. In this
      work, we use a biomimetic blood vessel (BBV) microfluidic model to measure in
      real-time the change in permeability of the EC layer under culture in
      physiologically relevant flow conditions. This platform studies the dynamics and
      characterizes vascular permeability when the EC layer is triggered with an
      inflammatory agent using tracer molecules of three different sizes, and the
      results are compared to a transwell insert study. We also apply an analytical
      model to compare the permeability data from the different tracer molecules to
      understand the physiological and bio-transport significance of endothelial
      permeability based on the molecule of interest. A computational model of the BBV
      model is also built to understand the factors influencing transport of molecules
      of different sizes under flow. The endothelial monolayer cultured under flow in
      the BBV model was treated with thrombin, a serine protease that induces a rapid
      and reversible increase in endothelium permeability. On analysis of permeability
      data, it is found that the transport characteristics for fluorescein
      isothiocyanate (FITC) dye and FITC Dextran 4k Da molecules are similar in both
      BBV and transwell models, but FITC Dextran 70k Da molecules show increased
      permeability in the BBV model as convection flow (Peclet number > 1) influences
      the molecule transport in the BBV model. We also calculated from permeability
      data the relative increase in intercellular gap area during thrombin treatment
      for ECs in the BBV and transwell insert models to be between 12% and 15%. This
      relative increase was found to be within range of what we quantified from F-actin
      stained EC layer images. The work highlights the importance of incorporating flow
      in in vitro vascular models, especially in studies involving transport of large
      size objects such as antibodies, proteins, nano/micro particles, and cells.

PMID- 28344729
TI  - Heterotopic Ossification in a Newborn: A Case Report.
AB  - Introduction: Heterotopic ossification is defined as the formation of trabecular
      bone that forms outside the normal sites of the skeletal structure, materializing
      in soft tissue where it does not usually exist. Methods/Case Report: This is a
      case report of a 27-day-old baby with a diagnosis of DiGeorge syndrome who
      developed heterotopic ossification on the dorsum of his right hand. Discussion:
      Heterotopic ossification in the pediatric population is a rare finding. Very few
      cases were published in the literature, and we find it important to increase the
      knowledge on such cases and discuss possible causes with the treatment used with
      our patient. Results: General treatments of heterotopic ossification include
      ruling out superimposed infection, physiotherapy to prevent joint involvement,
      warm compressors during the active phase of development of heterotopic
      ossification. If the swelling persists to the point that it interferes
      significantly with the functional capacity of the patient or becomes a cosmetic
      concern, the only treatment option remaining would be surgery.

PMID- 28344730
TI  - Ensuring Rapid Mixing and Low Bias for Asynchronous Gibbs Sampling.
AB  - Gibbs sampling is a Markov chain Monte Carlo technique commonly used for
      estimating marginal distributions. To speed up Gibbs sampling, there has recently
      been interest in parallelizing it by executing asynchronously. While empirical
      results suggest that many models can be efficiently sampled asynchronously,
      traditional Markov chain analysis does not apply to the asynchronous case, and
      thus asynchronous Gibbs sampling is poorly understood. In this paper, we derive a
      better understanding of the two main challenges of asynchronous Gibbs: bias and
      mixing time. We show experimentally that our theoretical results match practical
      outcomes.

PMID- 28344731
TI  - Review of Physical Activity Benefits and Potential Considerations for Individuals
      with Surgical Fusion of Spine for Scoliosis.
AB  - Evidence-based recommendations for physical activity following spinal fusion
      surgeries for idiopathic scoliosis are limited, specifically in the adolescent
      population. Individuals with scoliosis treated operatively or non-operatively
      have been reported to participate in less than 1-3 days/week of even mildly
      strenuous physical exercises. Over 40% of individuals with scoliosis returned to
      sports at a level lower than pre-operative participation levels or did not return
      at all post spinal fusion. It is particularly important for human movement
      specialists, such as physical therapists, occupational therapists, athletic
      trainers and kinesiologists to assist these individuals effectively transition to
      and maintain engagement in physical activity. This review provides a snapshot of
      common considerations and potential factors influencing individuals with spinal
      fusion for scoliosis to participate in safe physical activity.

PMID- 28344732
TI  - Autonomic Modulation in Older Women: Using Resistance Exercise as a
      Countermeasure.
AB  - It is unclear if resistance training (RT) can be used to alter declines in
      autonomic modulation associated with aging. Young women (YW; range 18-25 yrs) and
      older women (OW; range 50-72 yrs) were compared at baseline. Only OW underwent
      supervised RT 2 days a week for 12-weeks. Baseline and post-training measurements
      included heart rate variability (HRV) and complexity (Sample Entropy) to assess
      autonomic modulation. The 12-weeks of RT consisted of 9 exercises performing 3
      sets of 8-12 repetitions. At baseline, group differences in maximal strength, and
      autonomic modulation were evaluated with a one-way ANOVA with BMI as a covariate.
      In the OW, the effects of RT were evaluated with repeated-measures ANOVA in order
      to compare baseline to after RT. The YW had significantly (p<=0.05) lower
      diastolic, but not systolic blood pressure. The YW also had significantly
      (p<=0.05) greater absolute Ln (natural logarithm) high-frequency (HF) power and
      normalized HF power compared to the OW. In addition, there were significantly
      (p<=0.05) greater levels of normalized low-frequency power (LF) (and the LF/HF
      ratio) in the OW compared to the YW before RT. However, no difference was found
      for Sample Entropy. After RT, OW significantly (p<=0.05) increased the chest
      press (28%) and leg extension (33%). RT had no significant effect on any
      autonomic parameter suggesting that it may not be a sufficient stimulus to alter
      the effects of aging.

PMID- 28344733
TI  - An Acute Bout of a Controlled Breathing Frequency Lowers Sympathetic Neural
      Outflow but not Blood Pressure in Healthy Normotensive Subjects.
AB  - Controlled or paced breathing is often used as a stress reduction technique but
      the impact on blood pressure (BP) and sympathetic outflow have not been
      consistently reported. The purpose of this study was to determine whether a
      controlled breathing (12 breaths/min, CB) rate would be similar to an
      individual's spontaneous breathing (SB) rate. Secondly, would a CB rate of 12
      breaths/min alter heart rate (HR), BP, and indices of muscle sympathetic nerve
      activity (MSNA). Twenty-one subjects (10 women, 11 men) performed two trials: SB,
      where the subject chose a comfortable breathing rate; and CB, where the subject
      breathed at a pace of 12 breaths/min. Each trial was 6 min during which
      respiratory waveforms, HR, BP (systolic, SBP; diastolic, DBP), and MSNA were
      recorded. During CB, the 6 min average breathing frequency (14+/-4 vs 12+/-1
      breaths/min, P<0.05 for SB and CB, respectively), MSNA burst frequency (18+/-12
      vs 14+/-10 bursts/min, P<0.01) and MSNA burst incidence (28+/-19 vs 21+/- 6
      bursts/100 heart beats, P<0.01) were significantly lower than during SB. HR (66+/
      9 vs 67+/-9 beats/min, P<0.05) was higher during CB. SBP (120+/-13 vs 121+/-15
      mmHg, P=0.741), DBP (56+/-8 vs 57+/-9 mmHg, P=0.768), and MSNA total activity
      (166+/-94 vs 145+/-102 a.u./min, P=0.145) were not different between the
      breathing conditions. In conclusion, an acute reduction in breathing frequency
      such as that observed during CB elicited a decrease in indices of MSNA (burst
      frequency and incidence) with no change in BP.

PMID- 28344734
TI  - Aerobic Capacity is Related to Repeated Sprint Ability with Sprint Distances Less
      Than 40 Meters.
AB  - Research is inconclusive regarding the association between aerobic fitness
      (objectively measured VO2max) and repeated sprint performance when the sprints
      are less than 40 meters. Soccer athletes must be able to repeat sprints without
      significant decreases in speed and strength and conditioning coaches need to
      better understand if aerobic fitness is related to repeated sprint ability (RSA).
      Twenty (10 male, 10 female) Division I soccer athletes first completed a graded
      maximal treadmill test to measure VO2max. Then on a separate day, athletes
      completed the RSA test. The RSA test consisted of 10, 30-meter sprints which
      athletes repeated every 30 seconds. There were significant negative correlations
      (r <= -0.69, P < 0.001) between VO2max and all 10-sprint times and average sprint
      time. More aerobically fit Division I soccer athletes were faster at all time
      points during the RSA test. Aerobic fitness is associated with faster sprint
      times during a more anaerobic RSA test when sprint distances are less than 40
      meters.

PMID- 28344735
TI  - Parental Influences and the Relationship to their Children's Physical Activity
      Levels.
AB  - Engaging in a physically active lifestyle relates positively to current health
      and reduces chances of chronic diseases in the future. Given escalating health
      care costs, it is paramount to reduce illnesses associated with a lack of
      physical activity and thus critical to identify factors that influence physical
      activity - especially in children, with the opportunity for a lifetime impact.
      One of these influencing factors may be parents/guardians. The intent of this
      study was to examine the relationship between children's physical activity levels
      and parental factors including parental physical activity, support/encouragement,
      restrictiveness, and self-reported participation. Data was collected from 15
      child-parent pairs with children ranging in age from 7 to 10 years. Daily
      physical activity levels were determined from pedometer data using a Piezo SC
      Step Pedometer. Number of steps and moderate and vigorous physical activity were
      extracted from the pedometers and levels of support/encouragement,
      restrictiveness, and participation were quantified from parents' self-reported
      responses to a questionnaire created for this study. Pearson Product correlation
      analyses were carried out between: the children's and parent steps (r = -0.069; p
      = 0.597); children's steps and parent's self-reported encouragement/support (r =
      0.045, p = 0.563); children's steps and parents' self-reported restrictiveness (r
      = -.0254, p = 0.820); and children's steps and parents' self-reported
      participation (r = -0.002, p = 0.503). The lack of significant relationships
      among these variables implies that more complex interactions occur between
      children and their parents regarding physical activity with children's
      participation influenced by other factors.

PMID- 28344736
TI  - Recovery of Hip and Back Muscle Fatigue Following a Back Extension Endurance
      Test.
AB  - Literature has not shown the minimum time required to recover from muscle fatigue
      after a prolonged trunk isometric contraction. The purpose of this study was to
      determine if the lumbar multifidus (LM) and gluteus maximus (GM) muscles would
      recover from fatigue after three different rest periods following performance of
      a back extension endurance test. Endurance time and electromyographic (EMG)
      activity of bilateral LM and GM muscles were collected from 12 healthy adults
      during a modified Biering-Sorensen test. On three separate visits, each
      participant performed two modified Biering-Sorensen tests, one before and one
      after a rest period (3, 6 or 9 min). For each endurance test, endurance time was
      measured and both mean and median EMG frequency fatigue rates were calculated.
      The results showed a significantly reduced endurance time and normalized mean
      frequency fatigue rates on the second modified Biering-Sorensen endurance test
      regardless of the rest periods (3, 6, and 9 min). This suggests that adequate
      rest should be considered for fatigue recovery when designing a back and hip
      endurance exercise program, and that future studies should investigate a rest
      time longer than 9 minutes for fatigue recovery following a modified Biering
      Sorensen endurance test.

PMID- 28344737
TI  - Non-invasive Measures of Core Temperature versus Ingestible Thermistor during
      Exercise in the Heat.
AB  - The accuracy of core temperature (Tc) thermometry from temporal, tympanic, and
      oral thermometry devices has been variable during exercise in a hot, humid
      environment. The purpose of the present study was to cross-validate temporal, two
      tympanic devices, and oral devices compared to an ingestible thermistor during
      exercise in a hot, humid environment. Fourteen young, active adults (6 women)
      completed a graded exercise test until voluntary exhaustion in an environmental
      chamber (35.5 +/- 0.6  degrees C, 53.9 +/- 5.8 % RH). There was no statistical
      difference in mean temperature between tympanic device 1 and pill-based core
      temperature (PBTc) measurements across all time points and were positively
      correlated (0.357; P<0.001). Temperatures of tympanic device 2 were statistically
      higher than PBTc (37.8 +/- 0.7 oC vs. 37.6 +/- 1.0 oC; respectfully) (P=0.008).
      At all time points, temperatures for the second tympanic device and PBTc were
      positively correlated (0.192; P=0.043). Temporal and PBTc values did not differ
      across time points and were positively correlated (0.262; P=0.005) across all
      time points. Mean oral temperature was significantly less than mean PBTc across
      all time points. (37.0 +/- 0.4 oC vs. 37.6 +/- 1.0 oC, respectively) (P<0.001).
      Across all time points, oral and PBTc were positively correlated (0.262;
      P=0.010). Tympanic and temporal devices can reflect Tc while exercising in a hot,
      humid environment. However, care should be taken when selecting the tympanic or
      temporal measurement device and validation is advised prior to heat illness
      mitigation in the field.

PMID- 28344738
TI  - Adherence to Exercise Prescription and Improvements in the Clinical and Vascular
      Health of African Americans.
AB  - Improvements in indices of vascular health and endothelial function have been
      inversely associated with hypertension, a risk factor for cardiovascular disease
      (e.g., myocardial infarction, stroke, and heart failure), renal failure, and
      mortality. Aerobic exercise training (AEXT) has been positively associated with
      improvements in clinical health values, as well as vascular health biomarkers,
      and endothelial function. The purpose of this study was to evaluate whether
      measures of exercise adherence were related to clinical outcome measures and
      indices of vascular health subsequent to a 6-month AEXT intervention in a middle
      to-older aged African American cohort. Following dietary stabilization,
      sedentary, apparently healthy, African American adults (40 - 71 y/o) underwent
      baseline testing including blood pressure, flow-mediated dilation (FMD) studies,
      fasting blood sampling, and graded exercise testing. Upon completion of a
      supervised 6-month AEXT intervention, participants repeated all baseline tests.
      Exercise adherence was measured three ways: exercise percentage, exercise volume,
      and exercise score. There were no significant correlations between the changes in
      the vascular health biomarkers of the participants and any of the adherence
      measures. In addition, there were no significant correlations between any of the
      adherence measures and the clinical values of the participants that had been
      significantly changed pre-post-AEXT. Participants improved their clinical and
      vascular health and decreased risk factors for hypertension and cardiovascular
      disease regardless of their level of adherence to AEXT. Future studies should
      continue to accurately quantify adherence in order to assess the exercise dose
      for improvements in vascular and clinical health.

PMID- 28344739
TI  - Effect of Caffeine on near Maximal Blood Pressure and Blood Pressure Recovery in
      Physically-Active, College-Aged Females.
AB  - The purpose of this study is to determine how caffeine affects exercise blood
      pressure (BP) and active and passive recovery BP after vigorous intensity
      exercise in physically active college-aged females. Fifteen physically active,
      ACSM stratified low-risk females (age (y): 23.53 +/- 4.07, weight (kg): 60.34 +/-
      3.67, height (cm): 165.14 +/- 7.20, BMI (kg/m2): 22.18 +/- 1.55) participated in
      two Bruce protocol exercise tests. Before each test participants consumed 1) a
      placebo or 2) 3.3 mg.kg-1 of caffeine at least one hour before exercise in a
      counterbalanced double-blinded fashion. After reaching 85% of their age-predicted
      maximum heart rate, BP was taken and participants began an active (i.e. walking)
      recovery phase for 6 minutes followed by a passive (i.e. sitting) recovery phase.
      BP was assessed every two minutes in each phase. Recovery times were assessed
      until active and passive BP equaled 20 mmHg and 10 mmHg above resting,
      respectively. Participants completed each test 1-2 weeks a part. Maximal systolic
      and diastolic blood pressures were not significantly different between the two
      trials. Active recovery, passive recovery, and total recovery times were all
      significantly longer during the caffeine trial than the placebo trial.
      Furthermore, the time to reach age-predicted maximum heart rate was significantly
      shorter in the placebo trial than the caffeine trial. While caffeine consumption
      did not significantly affect maximal blood pressure, it did affect active and
      passive recovery time following vigorous intensity exercise in physically active
      females. Exercise endurance also improved after consuming caffeine in this
      population.

PMID- 28344741
TI  - Comparison of Whole-Body Cooling Techniques for Athletes and Military Personnel.
AB  - The purpose of this study was to evaluate cooling rates of The Polar Life Pod(r),
      a military protocol and cold water immersion. A randomized, repeated measures
      design was used to compare three treatment options. Participants exercised in an
      environmental chamber, where they followed a military march protocol on a
      treadmill, followed by the application of one of three treatments: Cold water
      immersion tub (5 - 10  degrees C), Polar Life Pod(r) (5 - 10  degrees C), Ice
      sheets at onset (5 - 10  degrees C). Mean cooling rate for CWI was 0.072 oC/min,
      0.046oC/min for ice sheets, and 0.040oC/min for The Polar Life Pod(r). There was
      a significant difference between conditions (F2,26=13.564, p=0.001, ES=0.511, 1
      beta=0.969). There was a significant difference in cooling rate among The Polar
      Life Pod(r) and CWI (p = 0.006), and no significant difference among The Polar
      Life Pod(r) and Ice Sheets (p = 0.103). There was a significant difference of
      time to cool among the three conditions F2,26 = 13.564, p = 0.001, ES = 0.401, 1
      beta = 0.950. Our results support multiple organizations that deem CWI as the
      only acceptable treatment, when compared to the cooling rates of The Polar Life
      Pod(r) and ice sheets.

PMID- 28344740
TI  - Orchard Sports Injury Classification System 10.1 Plus: An End-User Study.
AB  - The purpose of this study was to establish the level of ease of use and
      effectiveness of the Orchard Sport Injury Classification System (OSICS) 10.1 Plus
      for recording injuries and interventions. Three hundred and forty-two (males=148,
      females=192, no response=2; age=30.9+/-9.5y; experience=9.1+/-10.5y) athletic
      trainers (ATs) in the United States completed the survey. Participants were
      primarily employed in the secondary school (n=135) or collegiate setting (n=171).
      Participants entered system includes the OSICS 10.1 to catalog injuries and
      Current Procedural Terminology (CPT) codes to document interventions.
      Participants completed an 18-item end-user evaluation to assess the ease of use
      and effectiveness of the OSICS 10.1 Plus (5-point Likert scale). Participants
      indicated that the OSICS 10.1 Plus is overall easy to use (4.1+/-0.7pts), easy to
      enter an injury (4.1+/-0.8pts), and easy to enter the associated interventions
      (3.9+/-0.8pts). Respondents were neutral about whether the OSICS 10.1 Plus
      matched their current injury (3.5+/-1.0pts) or intervention (3.5+/-0.9pts)
      records. A majority of participants indicated that they could find the injury
      (281/342, 82.2%) and interventions (225/342, 65.8%) of interest. A majority of
      respondents (205/342, 60.0%) indicated they would consider using OSICS 10.1 Plus
      for injury surveillance in clinical practice. The OSICS 10.1 Plus could serve as
      an effective and useful mechanism for injury surveillance with minor
      modifications; however, we, as professionals in sports healthcare, need to
      improve regular medical documentation first so that we are better able to conduct
      injury surveillance among our patients.

PMID- 28344742
TI  - Psychophysiological Tracking of a Female Physique Competitor through Competition
      Preparation.
AB  - : Natural physique competitions are based on subjective judgments of how a
      competitor appears on show day. Prior to competition, there is a prolonged
      dieting phase referred to as contest preparation. The primary goal is to reduce
      body fat levels while maintaining skeletal muscle mass. The study tracked the
      physiological and psychological changes for a 24 year old female preparing for a
      physique competition. PURPOSE: The study was conducted to describe the
      physiological and psychological changes of a female physique competitor who
      engages in long-term contest preparation. METHODS: Diet, body composition, blood
      work, energy expenditure, mood, and performance were evaluated through contest
      preparation. RESULTS: The participant lost 10.1kg throughout contest preparation
      in a strong weekly linear pattern (R2=0.97). Body fat was reduced from 30.45% to
      15.85% while fat free mass was maintained. Mood for the participant remained
      stable until month five, when an observed variation occurred, with performance
      maintaining. CONCLUSIONS: Contest preparation was successful in reducing the body
      fat in the participant while having a minimum effect on both performance and fat
      free mass. For athletes looking to lose large amounts of body fat with minimal
      performance decrements a prolonged diet period with moderate exercise and food
      restriction can be an effective solution.

PMID- 28344743
TI  - The Abscopal Effect of Radiation Therapy: What Is It and How Can We Use It in
      Breast Cancer?
AB  - The abscopal effect refers to the ability of localized radiation to trigger
      systemic antitumor effects. Over the past 50 years, reports on the abscopal
      effect arising from conventional radiation have been relatively rare. However,
      with the continued development and use of immunotherapy strategies incorporating
      radiotherapy with targeted immunomodulators and immune checkpoint blockade, the
      abscopal effect is becoming increasingly relevant in less immunogenic tumors such
      as breast cancer. Here, we review the mechanism of the abscopal effect, the
      current preclinical and clinical data, and the application of the abscopal effect
      in designing clinical trials of immunotherapy combined with radiotherapy in
      breast cancer.

PMID- 28344744
TI  - Automation of PacBio SMRTbell NGS library preparation for bacterial genome
      sequencing.
AB  - BACKGROUND: The PacBio RS II provides for single molecule, real-time DNA
      technology to sequence genomes and detect DNA modifications. The starting point
      for high-quality sequence production is high molecular weight genomic DNA. To
      automate the library preparation process, there must be high-throughput methods
      in place to assess the genomic DNA, to ensure the size and amounts of the sheared
      DNA fragments and final library. FINDINGS: The library construction automation
      was accomplished using the Agilent NGS workstation with Bravo accessories for
      heating, shaking, cooling, and magnetic bead manipulations for template
      purification. The quality control methods from gDNA input to final library using
      the Agilent Bioanalyzer System and Agilent TapeStation System were evaluated.
      CONCLUSIONS: Automated protocols of PacBio 10 kb library preparation produced
      libraries with similar technical performance to those generated manually. The
      TapeStation System proved to be a reliable method that could be used in a 96-well
      plate format to QC the DNA equivalent to the standard Bioanalyzer System results.
      The DNA Integrity Number that is calculated in the TapeStation System software
      upon analysis of genomic DNA is quite helpful to assure that the starting genomic
      DNA is not degraded. In this respect, the gDNA assay on the TapeStation System is
      preferable to the DNA 12000 assay on the Bioanalyzer System, which cannot run
      genomic DNA, nor can the Bioanalyzer work directly from the 96-well plates.

PMID- 28344745
TI  - Can molecular biomarkers replace a clinical risk score for resectable colorectal
      liver metastasis?
AB  - In resectable colorectal liver metastasis (CRLM) the role and use of molecular
      biomarkers is still controversial. Several biomarkers have been linked to
      clinical outcomes in CRLM, but none have so far become routine for clinical
      decision making. For several reasons, the clinical risk score appears to no
      longer hold the same predictive value. Some of the reasons include the ever
      expanding indications for liver resection, which now increasingly tend to involve
      extrahepatic disease, such as lung metastases (both resectable and non
      resectable) and the shift in indication from "what is taken out" (e.g., how much
      liver has to be resected) to "what is left behind" (that is, how much functional
      liver tissue the patient has after resection). The latter is amenable to
      modifications by using adjunct techniques of portal vein embolization and the
      associating liver partition and portal vein ligation for staged hepatectomy
      techniques to expand indications for liver resection. Added to this complexity is
      the increasing number of molecular markers, which appear to hold important
      prognostic and predictive information, for which some will be discussed here.
      Beyond characteristics of tissue-based genomic profiles will be liquid biopsies
      derived from circulating tumor cells and cell-free circulating tumor DNA in the
      blood. These markers are present in the peripheral circulation in the majority of
      patients with metastatic cancer disease. Circulating biomarkers may represent
      more readily available methods to monitor, characterize and predict cancer
      biology with future implications for cancer care.

PMID- 28344747
TI  - Gastric peritoneal carcinomatosis - a retrospective review.
AB  - AIM: To characterize patients with gastric peritoneal carcinomatosis (PC) and
      their typical clinical and treatment course with palliative systemic chemotherapy
      as the current standard of care. METHODS: We performed a retrospective electronic
      chart review of all patients with gastric adenocarcinoma with PC diagnosed at
      initial metastatic presentation between January 2010 and December 2014 in a
      single tertiary referral centre. RESULTS: We studied a total of 271 patients with
      a median age of 63.8 years and median follow-up duration of 5.1 mo. The majority
      (n = 217, 80.1%) had the peritoneum as the only site of metastasis at initial
      presentation. Palliative systemic chemotherapy was eventually planned for 175
      (64.6%) of our patients at initial presentation, of which 171 were initiated on
      it. Choice of first-line regime was in accordance with the National Comprehensive
      Cancer Network Guidelines for Gastric Cancer Treatment. These patients underwent
      a median of one line of chemotherapy, completing a median of six cycles in total.
      Chemotherapy disruption due to unplanned hospitalizations occurred in 114
      (66.7%), while cessation of chemotherapy occurred in 157 (91.8%), with 42
      cessations primarily attributable to PC-related complications. Patients who had
      initiation of systemic chemotherapy had a significantly better median overall
      survival than those who did not (10.9 mo vs 1.6 mo, P < 0.001). Of patients who
      had initiation of systemic chemotherapy, those who experienced any disruptions to
      chemotherapy due to unplanned hospitalizations had a significantly worse median
      overall survival compared to those who did not (8.7 mo vs 14.6 mo, P < 0.001).
      CONCLUSION: Gastric PC carries a grim prognosis with a clinical course fraught
      with disease-related complications which may attenuate any survival benefit which
      palliative systemic chemotherapy may have to offer. As such, investigational use
      of regional therapies is warranted and required validation in patients with
      isolated PC to maximize their survival outcomes in the long run.

PMID- 28344746
TI  - CpG island methylator phenotype in adenocarcinomas from the digestive tract:
      Methods, conclusions, and controversies.
AB  - Over the last two decades, cancer-related alterations in DNA methylation that
      regulate transcription have been reported for a variety of tumors of the
      gastrointestinal tract. Due to its relevance for translational research, great
      emphasis has been placed on the analysis and molecular characterization of the
      CpG island methylator phenotype (CIMP), defined as widespread hypermethylation of
      CpG islands in clinically distinct subsets of cancer patients. Here, we present
      an overview of previous work in this field and also explore some open questions
      using cross-platform data for esophageal, gastric, and colorectal adenocarcinomas
      from The Cancer Genome Atlas. We provide a data-driven, pan-gastrointestinal
      stratification of individual samples based on CIMP status and we investigate
      correlations with oncogenic alterations, including somatic mutations and
      epigenetic silencing of tumor suppressor genes. Besides known events in CIMP such
      as BRAF V600E mutation, CDKN2A silencing or MLH1 inactivation, we discuss the
      potential role of emerging actors such as Wnt pathway deregulation through
      truncating mutations in RNF43 and epigenetic silencing of WIF1. Our results
      highlight the existence of molecular similarities that are superimposed over a
      larger backbone of tissue-specific features and can be exploited to reduce
      heterogeneity of response in clinical trials.

PMID- 28344748
TI  - Lung cancer metastasis to the gastrointestinal system: An enigmatic occurrence.
AB  - Adenocarcinoma of the lung infrequently metastasizes to the gastrointestinal
      tract. We report a rare case of a 65-year-old male with no respiratory symptoms
      diagnosed with adenocarcinoma of the lung by histopathological examination of
      metastatic sites which included an ulcer in the gastric body and a mass in the
      rectum. Metastatic disease also involved the liver as well. Patient was treated
      with systemic chemotherapy but unfortunately expired five months after the
      diagnosis was made.

PMID- 28344749
TI  - Heavily calcified gastrointestinal stromal tumors: Pathophysiology and
      implications of a rare clinicopathologic entity.
AB  - Gastrointestinal stromal tumors (GISTs) are the most common mesenchymal neoplasms
      of the gastrointestinal tract, and are characterized by a broad spectrum of
      clinical, histological and molecular features at presentation. Although focal and
      scattered calcifications are not uncommon within the primary tumor mass, heavy
      calcification within a GIST is rarely described in the literature and the
      clinical-biological meaning of this feature remains unclear. Cases with such an
      atypical presentation are challenging and may be associated with diagnostic
      pitfalls. Herein, we report a gastric GIST with the unusual presentation of
      prominent calcifications that was identified incidentally on imaging during a
      post-trauma diagnostic work-up. The patient underwent laparoscopic surgery with a
      radical resection of the mass, which was subsequently characterized by
      histological analysis as spindle-shaped tumor cells, positive for CD117/c-KIT,
      CD34 and DOG1, and with calcified areas. Given the intermediate risk of
      recurrence, no adjuvant therapy was recommended and the patient underwent regular
      follow-up for 22 mo, with no evidence of relapse. Our case can be considered of
      interest because of the rarity of clinical presentation and the uniquely large
      size of the GIST at diagnosis (longest diameter exceeding 9 cm). In closing, we
      discuss the pathophysiology and clinical implications of calcifications in GISTs
      by reviewing the most up-to-date relevant literature.

PMID- 28344750
TI  - The Effectiveness of Policy Interventions for School Bullying: A Systematic
      Review.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: Bullying threatens the mental and educational well-being of students.
      Although anti-bullying policies are prevalent, little is known about their
      effectiveness. This systematic review evaluates the methodological
      characteristics and summarizes substantive findings of studies examining the
      effectiveness of school bullying policies. METHOD: Searches of 11 bibliographic
      databases yielded 489 studies completed since January 1, 1995. Following
      duplicate removal and double-independent screening based on a priori inclusion
      criteria, 21 studies were included for review. RESULTS: Substantially more
      educators perceive anti-bullying policies to be effective rather than
      ineffective. Whereas several studies show that the presence or quality of
      policies is associated with lower rates of bullying among students, other studies
      found no such associations between policy presence or quality and reductions in
      bullying. Consistent across studies, this review found that schools with anti
      bullying policies that enumerated protections based on sexual orientation and
      gender identity were associated with better protection of lesbian, gay, bisexual,
      transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) students. Specifically, LGBTQ students in schools
      with such policies reported less harassment and more frequent and effective
      intervention by school personnel. Findings are mixed regarding the relationship
      between having an anti-bullying policy and educators' responsiveness to general
      bullying. CONCLUSIONS: Anti-bullying policies might be effective at reducing
      bullying if their content is based on evidence and sound theory and if they are
      implemented with a high level of fidelity. More research is needed to improve on
      limitations among extant studies.

PMID- 28344751
TI  - Management of critically ill patients with diabetes.
AB  - Disorders of glucose homeostasis, such as stress-induced hypoglycemia and
      hyperglycemia, are common complications in patients in the intensive care unit.
      Patients with preexisting diabetes mellitus (DM) are more susceptible to
      hyperglycemia, as well as a higher risk from glucose overcorrection, that may
      results in severe hypoglycemia. In critically ill patients with DM, it is
      recommended to maintain a blood glucose range between 140-180 mg/dL. In
      neurological patients and surgical patients, tighter glycemic control (i.e., 110
      140 mg/d) is recommended if hypoglycemia can be properly avoided. There is
      limited evidence that shows that critically ill diabetic patients with a
      glycosylated hemoglobin levels above 7% may benefit from looser glycemic control,
      in order to reduce the risk of hypoglycemia and significant glycemic variability.

PMID- 28344752
TI  - Involvement of Cbl-b-mediated macrophage inactivation in insulin resistance.
AB  - Aging and overnutrition cause obesity in rodents and humans. It is well-known
      that obesity causes various diseases by producing insulin resistance (IR).
      Macrophages infiltrate the adipose tissue (AT) of obese individuals and cause
      chronic low-level inflammation associated with IR. Macrophage infiltration is
      regulated by the chemokines that are released from hypertrophied adipocytes and
      the immune cells in AT. Saturated fatty acids are recognized by toll-like
      receptor 4 (TLR4) and induce inflammatory responses in AT macrophages (ATMs). The
      inflammatory cytokines that are released from activated ATMs promote IR in
      peripheral organs, such as the liver, skeletal muscle and AT. Therefore, ATM
      activation is a therapeutic target for IR in obesity. The ubiquitin ligase
      Casitas b-lineage lymphoma-b (Cbl-b) appears to potently suppress macrophage
      migration and activation. Cbl-b is highly expressed in leukocytes and negatively
      regulates signals associated with migration and activation. Cbl-b deficiency
      enhances ATM accumulation and IR in aging- and diet-induced obese mice. Cbl-b
      inhibits migration-related signals and SFA-induced TLR4 signaling in ATMs. Thus,
      targeting Cbl-b may be a potential therapeutic strategy to reduce the IR induced
      by ATM activation. In this review, we summarize the regulatory functions of Cbl-b
      in ATMs.

PMID- 28344753
TI  - Statin, testosterone and phosphodiesterase 5-inhibitor treatments and age related
      mortality in diabetes.
AB  - AIM: To determine how statins, testosterone (T) replacement therapy (TRT) and
      phosphodiesterase 5-inhibitors (PDE5I) influence age related mortality in
      diabetic men. METHODS: We studied 857 diabetic men screened for the BLAST study,
      stratifying them (mean follow-up = 3.8 years) into: (1) Normal T levels/untreated
      (total T > 12 nmol/L and free T > 0.25 nmol/L), Low T/untreated and Low
      T/treated; (2) PDE5I/untreated and PDE5I/treated; and (3) statin/untreated and
      statin/treated groups. The relationship between age and mortality, alone and with
      T/TRT, statin and PDE5I treatment was studied using logistic regression.
      Mortality probability and 95%CI were calculated from the above models for each
      individual. RESULTS: Age was associated with mortality (logistic regression, OR =
      1.10, 95%CI: 1.08-1.13, P < 0.001). With all factors included, age (OR = 1.08,
      95%CI: 1.06-1.11, P < 0.001), Low T/treated (OR = 0.38, 95%CI: 0.15-0.92, P =
      0.033), PDE5I/treated (OR = 0.17, 95%CI: 0.053-0.56, P = 0.004) and
      statin/treated (OR = 0.59, 95%CI: 0.36-0.97, P = 0.038) were associated with
      lower mortality. Age related mortality was as described by Gompertz, r2 = 0.881
      when Ln (mortality) was plotted against age. The probability of mortality and
      95%CI (from logistic regression) of individuals, treated/untreated with the
      drugs, alone and in combination was plotted against age. Overlap of 95%CI lines
      was evident with statins and TRT. No overlap was evident with PDE5I alone and
      with statins and TRT, this suggesting a change in the relationship between age
      and mortality. CONCLUSION: We show that statins, PDE5I and TRT reduce mortality
      in diabetes. PDE5I, alone and with the other treatments significantly alter age
      related mortality in diabetic men.

PMID- 28344754
TI  - Role of angiotensin converting enzyme and angiotensinogen gene polymorphisms in
      angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitor-mediated antiproteinuric action in type 2
      diabetic nephropathy patients.
AB  - AIM: To investigate the role of genetic variants of angiotensin converting enzyme
      (ACE) and angiotensinogen (AGT) genes in the antiproteinuric efficacy of ACE
      inhibitor therapy in diabetic nephropathy (DN) patients. METHODS: In the present
      study, 270 type 2 diabetes mellitus patients with nephropathy were enrolled and
      treated with ACE inhibitor (ramipril) and followed at 6 mo for renal function and
      albumin excretion by estimating serum creatinine, end stage renal disease, and
      albumin/creatinine ratio (ACR) in urine. Genotyping of ACE I/D and AGT M235T
      polymorphisms were performed by using primer specific polymerase chain reaction
      (PCR) and PCR-RFLP techniques, respectively. RESULTS: Forty-eight percent of DN
      patients (responders) benefited with respect to proteinuria from ACE inhibitor
      therapy at 6 mo follow-up. A significant reduction in ACR was observed after 6 mo
      treatment with ACE inhibitor irrespective of whether DN patients were micro
      albuminuric (>= 30 and < 300 mg/g creatinine) or macro-albuminuric (>= 300 mg/g
      creatinine) at the time of enrollment. However, macro-albuminuric patients (55%)
      showed better response to therapy. A reduction in urinary ACR was found
      independent of genotypes of ACE I/D and AGT M235T polymorphisms although macro
      albuminuric patients having TT genotype showed statistically insignificant
      increased response (72%). CONCLUSION: ACE inhibitor therapy reduced urinary ACR
      by >= 30% in 50% of DN patients and the response is independent of ACE I/D and
      AGT M235T polymorphisms.

PMID- 28344755
TI  - Effect of Topical Application of Nigella Sativa Oil and Oral Acetaminophen on
      Pain in Elderly with Knee Osteoarthritis: A Crossover Clinical Trial.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Limited evidence supports Nigella sativa's role as an effective
      complementary and alternative medicine and the anti-inflammatory effects of
      Nigella sativa on patients with allergic rhinitis. OBJECTIVE: The aim of this
      study was to investigate the effect of topical application of Nigella sativa oil
      and oral acetaminophen on pain in the elderly with knee osteoarthritis residing
      in a parents' home in Sabzevar. METHODS: This study is done as a crossover
      clinical trial. After obtaining written consent of elderly patients with
      osteoarthritis of the knee, they were randomly divided into two groups. In step
      1, in group 1, 1 cc of Nigella sativa oil was applied on the knee joint every 8
      hours for 3 weeks; for the second group, every 8 hours for 3 weeks, patients were
      given 1 tablet of 325 mg acetaminophen. After a period of 1 month without
      medication to wash out each group, in step 2, each treatment group received the
      drug interaction in the same way as above. Pain was determined using a visual
      scale (VAS) before and after the first and second stages. Treatment response was
      defined as a decrease in pain scores over 1.5. Data analysis was performed with
      an R software mixed model. RESULTS: This study was done on 40 elderly patients:
      18 (45%) men and 22 (55%) women. Their mean year and weight were 75.66+/-8.9
      years and 69.67+/-14.33 kg, respectively. Study results showed that topical
      application of Nigella sativa oil and oral acetaminophen reduced pain in elderly
      with knee osteoarthritis; after using Nigella sativa oil, the reduction of pain
      was higher (p=0.01). CONCLUSION: The results of this study showed that topical
      application of Nigella sativa oil was effective in reducing pain in patients with
      knee osteoarthritis; therefore, it is recommended as a safe supplement for these
      elderly. TRIAL REGISTRATION: The trial was registered at TCTR
      (http://www.clinicaltrials.in.th/) with the ID: TCTR20160125003. FUNDING: This
      study was approved and supported by the Sabzevar University of Medical Sciences.

PMID- 28344756
TI  - Measuring Efficiency of Knowledge Production in Health Research Centers Using
      Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA): A Case Study in Iran.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: Efficiency analysis is necessary in order to avoid waste of
      materials, energy, effort, money, and time during scientific research. Therefore,
      analyzing efficiency of knowledge production in health areas is necessary,
      especially for developing and in-transition countries. As the first step in this
      field, the aim of this study was the analysis of selected health research center
      efficiency using data envelopment analysis (DEA). METHODS: This retrospective and
      applied study was conducted in 2015 using input and output data of 16 health
      research centers affiliated with a health sciences university in Iran during 2010
      2014. The technical efficiency of health research centers was evaluated based on
      three basic data envelopment analysis (DEA) models: input-oriented, output
      oriented, and hyperbolic-oriented. The input and output data of each health
      research center for years 2010-2014 were collected from the Iran Ministry of
      Health and Medical Education (MOHE) profile and analyzed by R software. RESULTS:
      The mean efficiency score in input-oriented, output-oriented, and hyperbolic
      oriented models was 0.781, 0.671, and 0.798, respectively. Based on results of
      the study, half of the health research centers are operating below full
      efficiency, and about one-third of them are operating under the average
      efficiency level. There is also a large gap between health research center
      efficiency relative to each other. CONCLUSION: It is necessary for health
      research centers to improve their efficiency in knowledge production through
      better management of available resources. The higher level of efficiency in a
      significant number of health research centers is achievable through more
      efficient management of human resources and capital. Further research is needed
      to measure and follow the efficiency of knowledge production by health research
      centers around the world and over a period of time.

PMID- 28344758
TI  - No evidence of early head circumference enlargements in children later diagnosed
      with autism in Israel.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Large controversy exists regarding the potential existence and
      clinical significance of larger brain volumes in toddlers who later develop
      autism. Assessing this relationship is important for determining the clinical
      utility of early head circumference (HC) measures and for assessing the validity
      of the early overgrowth hypothesis of autism, which suggests that early
      accelerated brain development may be a hallmark of the disorder. METHODS: We
      performed a retrospective comparison of HC, height, and weight measurements
      between 66 toddlers who were later diagnosed with autism and 66 matched controls.
      These toddlers represent an unbiased regional sample from a single health service
      provider in the southern district of Israel. On average, participating toddlers
      had >8 measurements between birth and the age of two, which enabled us to
      characterize individual HC, height, and weight development with high precision
      and fit a negative exponential growth model to the data of each toddler with
      exceptional accuracy. RESULTS: The analyses revealed that HC sizes and growth
      rates were not significantly larger in toddlers with autism even when stratifying
      the autism group based on verbal capabilities at the time of diagnosis. In
      addition, there were no significant correlations between ADOS scores at the time
      of diagnosis and HC at any time-point during the first 2 years of life.
      CONCLUSIONS: These negative results add to accumulating evidence, which suggest
      that brain volume is not necessarily larger in toddlers who develop autism. We
      believe that conflicting results reported in other studies are due to small
      sample sizes, use of misleading population norms, changes in the clinical
      definition of autism over time, and/or inclusion of individuals with syndromic
      autism. While abnormally large brains may be evident in some individuals with
      autism and more clearly visible in MRI scans, converging evidence from this and
      other studies suggests that enlarged HC is not a common etiology of the entire
      autism population. Early HC measures, therefore, offer very limited clinical
      utility for assessment of autism risk in the general population.

PMID- 28344757
TI  - Leveraging blood serotonin as an endophenotype to identify de novo and rare
      variants involved in autism.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is one of the most highly heritable
      neuropsychiatric disorders, but underlying molecular mechanisms are still
      unresolved due to extreme locus heterogeneity. Leveraging meaningful
      endophenotypes or biomarkers may be an effective strategy to reduce heterogeneity
      to identify novel ASD genes. Numerous lines of evidence suggest a link between
      hyperserotonemia, i.e., elevated serotonin (5-hydroxytryptamine or 5-HT) in whole
      blood, and ASD. However, the genetic determinants of blood 5-HT level and their
      relationship to ASD are largely unknown. METHODS: In this study, pursuing the
      hypothesis that de novo variants (DNVs) and rare risk alleles acting in a
      recessive mode may play an important role in predisposition of hyperserotonemia
      in people with ASD, we carried out whole exome sequencing (WES) in 116 ASD parent
      proband trios with most (107) probands having 5-HT measurements. RESULTS:
      Combined with published ASD DNVs, we identified USP15 as having recurrent de novo
      loss of function mutations and discovered evidence supporting two other known
      genes with recurrent DNVs (FOXP1 and KDM5B). Genes harboring functional DNVs
      significantly overlap with functional/disease gene sets known to be involved in
      ASD etiology, including FMRP targets and synaptic formation and transcriptional
      regulation genes. We grouped the probands into High-5HT and Normal-5HT groups
      based on normalized serotonin levels, and used network-based gene set enrichment
      analysis (NGSEA) to identify novel hyperserotonemia-related ASD genes based on
      LoF and missense DNVs. We found enrichment in the High-5HT group for a gene
      network module (DAWN-1) previously implicated in ASD, and this points to the TGF
      beta pathway and cell junction processes. Through analysis of rare recessively
      acting variants (RAVs), we also found that rare compound heterozygotes (CHs) in
      the High-5HT group were enriched for loci in an ASD-associated gene set. Finally,
      we carried out rare variant group-wise transmission disequilibrium tests (gTDT)
      and observed significant association of rare variants in genes encoding a subset
      of the serotonin pathway with ASD. CONCLUSIONS: Our study identified USP15 as a
      novel gene implicated in ASD based on recurrent DNVs. It also demonstrates the
      potential value of 5-HT as an effective endophenotype for gene discovery in ASD,
      and the effectiveness of this strategy needs to be further explored in studies of
      larger sample sizes.

PMID- 28344759
TI  - Susceptibility to Ebbinghaus and Muller-Lyer illusions in autistic children: a
      comparison of three different methods.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Studies reporting altered susceptibility to visual illusions in
      autistic individuals compared to that typically developing individuals have been
      taken to reflect differences in perception (e.g. reduced global processing), but
      could instead reflect differences in higher-level decision-making strategies.
      METHODS: We measured susceptibility to two contextual illusions (Ebbinghaus,
      Muller-Lyer) in autistic children aged 6-14 years and typically developing
      children matched in age and non-verbal ability using three methods. In experiment
      1, we used a new two-alternative-forced-choice method with a roving pedestal
      designed to minimise cognitive biases. Here, children judged which of two
      comparison stimuli was most similar in size to a reference stimulus. In
      experiments 2 and 3, we used methods previously used with autistic populations.
      In experiment 2, children judged whether stimuli were the 'same' or 'different',
      and in experiment 3, we used a method-of-adjustment task. RESULTS: Across all
      tasks, autistic children were equally susceptible to the Ebbinghaus illusion as
      typically developing children. Autistic children showed a heightened
      susceptibility to the Muller-Lyer illusion, but only in the method-of-adjustment
      task. This result may reflect differences in decisional criteria. CONCLUSIONS:
      Our results are inconsistent with theories proposing reduced contextual
      integration in autism and suggest that previous reports of altered susceptibility
      to illusions may arise from differences in decision-making, rather than
      differences in perception per se. Our findings help to elucidate the underlying
      reasons for atypical responses to perceptual illusions in autism and call for the
      use of methods that reduce cognitive bias when measuring illusion susceptibility.

PMID- 28344761
TI  - Acute rectal ischaemia following emergency abdominal aortic aneurysm surgery.
AB  - We present a case of isolated rectal ischaemia, a rare complication after
      emergency surgery for a ruptured abdominal aneurysm. We discuss the possible
      aetiology of this condition and how this rare condition may be missed unless care
      is taken at the time of reoperation.

PMID- 28344762
TI  - Protracted refractory pain post-TEVAR: post-implantation syndrome?
AB  - Aortic dissection is a life-threatening condition and has one of the highest
      mortality rates of cardiovascular diseases. It remains a devastating disease;
      with multiple unanswered questions concerning treatment modalities. The role of
      thoracic endovascular aortic repair (TEVAR) in these patients; especially those
      with uncomplicated acute aortic Type B dissections (AAD-B) is especially
      controversial although it has been shown to have better long-term outcomes
      compared to medical therapy alone. For those who have TEVAR, up to 60% may
      develop an acute, transient systemic inflammatory response syndrome that remains
      vaguely defined. The role of local inflammation in this post-implantation
      syndrome (PIS) has not been highlighted. We present a case of a 57-year-old male
      patient with an uncomplicated AAD-B who developed an 'atypical' PIS post-TEVAR
      with severe refractory abdominal pains; leukocytosis and raised C-reactive
      protein. The role of local inflammation in PIS is highlighted.

PMID- 28344760
TI  - Severe pulmonary hypertension in aging female apolipoprotein E-deficient mice is
      rescued by estrogen replacement therapy.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Apolipoprotein E (ApoE) is a multifunctional protein, and its
      deficiency leads to the development of atherosclerosis in mice. Patients with
      pulmonary hypertension (PH) have reduced expression of ApoE in lung tissue. ApoE
      is known to inhibit endothelial and smooth muscle cell proliferation and has anti
      inflammatory and anti-platelet aggregation properties. Young ApoE-deficient mice
      have been shown to develop PH on high fat diet. The combined role of female sex
      and aging in the development of PH has not been investigated before. Here, we
      investigated the development of PH in young and middle-aged (MA) female ApoE
      deficient mice and explored the role of exogenous estrogen (E2) replacement
      therapy for the aging females. METHODS: Wild type (WT) and ApoE-deficient female
      mice (Young and MA) were injected with a single intraperitoneal dose of
      monocrotaline (MCT, 60 mg/kg). Some ApoE-deficient MA female mice that received
      MCT were also treated with subcutaneous E2 pellets (0.03 mg/kg/day) from day 21
      to 30 after MCT injection. Direct cardiac catheterization was performed
      terminally to record right ventricular systolic pressure (RVSP). Right
      ventricular (RV), left ventricular (LV), and interventricular septum (IVS) were
      dissected and weighed. Lung sections were examined using trichrome and
      immunofluorescence staining. Western blot analyses of lung and RV lysates were
      performed. RESULTS: In WT female mice, the severity of PH was similar between
      young and MA mice as RVSP was not significantly different (RVSP = 38.2 +/- 1.2 in
      young vs. 40.5 +/- 8.3 mmHg in MA, p < 0.05). In ApoE-deficient mice, MA females
      developed significantly severe PH (RVSP = 63 +/- 10 mmHg) compared to young
      females (RVSP; 36 +/- 3 mmHg, p < 0.05 vs. MA female). ApoE-deficient MA females
      also developed more severe RV hypertrophy compared to young females (RV
      hypertrophy index (RV/[LV + IVS]) = 0.53 +/- 0.06 vs. 0.33 +/- 0.01, p < 0.05).
      ApoE-deficient MA female mice manifested increased peripheral pulmonary artery
      muscularization and pulmonary fibrosis. E2 treatment of MA female ApoE-deficient
      mice resulted in a significant decrease in RVSP, reversal of pulmonary vascular
      remodeling, and RV hypertrophy. In MA female ApoE-deficient mice with PH, only
      the expression of ERbeta in the lungs, but not in RV, was significantly
      downregulated, and it was restored by E2 treatment. The expression of ERalpha was
      not affected in either lungs or RV by PH. GPR30 was only detected in the RV, and
      it was not affected by PH in MA female ApoE-deficient mice. CONCLUSIONS: Our
      results suggest that only aging female ApoE-deficient but not WT mice develop
      severe PH compared to younger females. Exogenous estrogen therapy rescued PH and
      RV hypertrophy in aging female ApoE-deficient mice possibly through restoration
      of lung ERbeta.

PMID- 28344763
TI  - Utility of human amniotic membrane allograft in re-epithelialization of the nasal
      tip.
AB  - Variations in skin thickness and contours pose significant challenges to
      reconstruction of the lower third of the nose. Human amniotic membrane allograft
      offers a potential alternative to tissue transfer in reconstruction of the lower
      third of the nose. We reviewed the procedure and photographs of a healthy 56-year
      old male with a 22 * 18 mm lower third nasal defect involving full thickness skin
      and subcutaneous tissue. Following preparation for grafting, dehydrated human
      amniotic membrane was fashioned to the dimensions of the defect and applied. No
      further surgical intervention was provided for 3 months. Complete re
      epithelialization of the nasal and adjacent defects was achieved with minimal
      scar formation. Human amniotic membrane allograft provides an efficacious and
      cosmetically acceptable alternative to local and regional tissue transfer.

PMID- 28344764
TI  - Atypical antipsychotics: recent research findings and applications to clinical
      practice: Proceedings of a symposium presented at the 29th Annual European
      College of Neuropsychopharmacology Congress, 19 September 2016, Vienna, Austria.
AB  - Available evidence suggests that second-generation atypical antipsychotics are
      broadly similar to first-generation agents in terms of their efficacy, but may
      have a more favourable tolerability profile, primarily by being less likely to
      cause extrapyramidal symptoms. However, atypical antipsychotics are variably
      associated with disturbances in the cardiometabolic arena, including increased
      body weight and the development of metabolic syndrome, which may reflect
      differences in their receptor binding profiles. Effective management of
      schizophrenia must ensure that the physical health of patients is addressed
      together with their mental health. This should therefore involve consideration of
      the specific tolerability profiles of available agents and individualization of
      treatment to minimize the likelihood of adverse metabolic sequelae, thereby
      improving long-term adherence and optimizing overall treatment outcomes.
      Alongside this, modifiable risk factors (such as exercise, diet, obesity/body
      weight and smoking status) must be addressed, in order to optimize patients'
      overall health and quality of life (QoL). In addition to antipsychotic-induced
      side effects, the clinical management of early nonresponders and
      psychopharmacological approaches for patients with treatment-resistant
      schizophrenia remain important unmet needs. Evidence suggests that antipsychotic
      response starts early in the course of treatment and that early nonresponse
      accurately predicts nonresponse over the longer term. Early nonresponse therefore
      represents an important modifiable risk factor for poor efficacy and
      effectiveness outcomes, since switching or augmenting antipsychotic treatment in
      patients showing early nonresponse has been shown to improve the likelihood of
      subsequent treatment outcomes. Recent evidence has also demonstrated that
      patients showing early nonresponse to treatment with lurasidone at 2 weeks may
      benefit from an increase in dose at this timepoint without compromising
      tolerability/safety. However, further research is required to determine whether
      these findings are generalizable to other antipsychotic agents.

PMID- 28344765
TI  - New insights on thyroid hormone mediated regulation of herpesvirus infections.
AB  - Thyroid hormone (T3) has been suggested to participate in the regulation of
      herpesvirus replication during reactivation. Clinical observations and in vivo
      experiments suggest that T3 are involved in the suppression of herpes virus
      replication. In vitro, differentiated LNCaP cells, a human neuron-like cells,
      further resisted HSV-1 replication upon addition of T3. Previous studies indicate
      that T3 controlled the expression of several key viral genes via its nuclear
      receptors in differentiated LNCaP cells. Additional observation showed that
      differentiated LNCaP cells have active PI3K signaling and inhibitor LY294002 can
      reverse T3-mediated repression of viral replication. Active PI3K signaling has
      been linked to HSV-1 latency in neurons. The hypothesis is that, in addition to
      repressing viral gene transcription at the nuclear level, T3 may influence PI3K
      signaling to control HSV-1 replication in human neuron-like cells. We review the
      genomic and non-genomic regulatory roles of T3 by examining the phosphoinositide
      3-kinase (PI3K) pathway gene expression profile changes in differentiated LNCaP
      cells under the influence of hormone. The results indicated that 15 genes were
      down-regulated and 22 genes were up-regulated in T3-treated differentiated LNCaP
      cells in comparison to undifferentiated state. Of all these genes, casein kinase
      2 (CK2), a key component to enhance PI3K signaling pathway, was significantly
      increased upon T3 treatment only while the cells were differentiated. Further
      studies revealed that CK2 inhibitors tetrabrominated cinnamic acid (TBCA) and 4,
      5, 6, 7-tetrabromo-2H-benzotriazole (TBB) both reversed the T3-mediated
      repression of viral replication. Together these observations suggested a new
      approach to understanding the roles of T3 in the complicated regulation of HSV-1
      replication during latency and reactivation.

PMID- 28344766
TI  - Phosphorylation of LSD1 by PLK1 promotes its chromatin release during mitosis.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Lysine-specific histone demethylase 1 (LSD1) modulates chromatin
      status through demethylation of H3K4 and H3K9. It has been demonstrated that LSD1
      is hyperphosphorylated and dissociates from chromatin during mitosis. However,
      the molecular mechanism of LSD1 detachment is unknown. RESULTS: In this report,
      we found that polo-like kinase 1 (PLK1) directly interacted with LSD1 and
      phosphorylated LSD1 at Ser-126 . Nocodazole-induced metaphase arrest promoted
      release of LSD1 from chromatin, and the phosphorylation-defective mutant LSD1
      (S126A) failed to dissociate from chromatin upon nocodazole treatment.
      CONCLUSIONS: Taken together, our findings demonstrate that phosphorylation of
      LSD1 at Ser-126 by PLK1 promotes its release from chromatin during mitosis.

PMID- 28344767
TI  - Finding "truth" across different data sources.
AB  - The proliferation of new technology platforms and tools is dramatically advancing
      our ability to capture, integrate and use clinical and other health related data
      for research and care. Another critical and increasingly common source of data
      comes directly from patients - often in the form of Patient Reported Outcomes
      (PRO). As more providers and payers recognize that patient experiences reflect a
      critical dimension of the value proposition, these data are informing broader
      strategies to achieve performance improvement and accountability in health
      systems. Combined with other traditional (e.g., claims) and more recent (e.g.,
      Electronic Health Record) data assets, PROs can help to examine experiences and
      outcomes that convey a more complete picture of both individual and population
      health. One of the areas of research where this is most evident is cancer
      survivorship, including long-term adverse effects, as the population of survivors
      is increasing given advances in detection and treatment. Key questions remain as
      to how and under what conditions these new data resources can be used for
      research, and which are the best "sources of truth" for specific types of
      information. A recent IJHPR validation study by Hamood et al. reflects important
      progress in this regard, and establishes the necessary groundwork for a larger
      planned study. There are some important limitations worth noting, such as a small
      sample size (which does not support adequate subgroup analysis); a relatively
      narrow focus on women with only early stage or regionally advanced breast cancer;
      and a limited focus on outcomes that are primarily clinical and relatively severe
      in nature (e.g., cardiovascular disease). Finally, as use of EHRs becomes
      ubiquitous, as patient perspectives and outcome measures are considered, and as
      more types of data are systematically collected via electronic systems, further
      comparison and validation of non-clinical data elements captured via such tools
      will become increasingly possible and important. This will further enhance the
      capacity of cancer survivorship researchers to address a broader range of
      important questions to many more types of patients.

PMID- 28344768
TI  - An end to lifetime blood donation ban in Israel for MSM would be a major step
      toward a science-based policy that reduces stigma.
AB  - In recent years, countries around the world have revised their blood donation
      policies regarding gay and bisexual men, and other men who have sex with men
      (MSM). The United States lifted the lifetime ban on MSM from donating blood in
      2015, replacing it with a 1 year deferral policy allowing MSM to donate if they
      abstain from sex for 12 months. Other countries followed suit, while Italy and
      Spain have implemented deferral policies based on individual risk assessments
      regardless of sexual orientation. If Israel were to adopt a one year deferral
      policy for MSM, as recommended by Drs. Ginsberg et al. in this issue, the
      increase in risk to the blood supply would be minimal. Moving to a 1 year
      deferral policy would be an important step forward, but it could still be seen as
      stigmatizing to gay and bisexual men. We recommend that Israel consider a
      deferral policy based on individual risk assessment rather than a blanket
      deferral for all MSM. MSM can engage in low- and high-risk sexual behaviors.
      Those who consistently engage in low-risk behaviors, such as using condoms and
      pre-exposure prophylaxis consistently, pose little risk to the blood supply. An
      individual risk assessment policy would screen potential donors of all sexual
      orientations for low-, medium-, and high-risk behaviors. Potential donors
      identified as high-risk, such as injection drug users, would justifiably be
      subject to lengthy or permanent bans. MSM who engage in low-risk sexual behaviors
      would be allowed to donate without deferral. Medium-risk donors, such as men who
      have recently had unprotected anal sex with another man, would be subject to a
      deferral period of 1 month, which is in line with the window period of current
      HIV screening technology. Most fourth generation HIV tests can detect HIV within
      a month, and the nucleic acid test used to screen blood can detect HIV in just 9
      11 days. Various studies have developed questions for ascertaining HIV risk among
      MSM which could be used in blood donor questionnaires. Using tablets or other
      technology that enhances privacy to conduct the blood donor questionnaire could
      improve collection of this sensitive information.

PMID- 28344770
TI  - Aspiration in injections: should we continue or abandon the practice?
AB  - Aspiration during any kind of injection is meant to ensure that the needle tip is
      at the desired location during this blind procedure. While aspiration appears to
      be a simple procedure, it has generated a lot of controversy concerning the
      perceived benefits and indications. Advocates and opponents of aspiration both
      make logically sound claims. However, due to scarcity of available data, there is
      no evidence that this procedure is truly beneficial or unwarranted. Keeping in
      view the huge number of injections given worldwide, it is important that we draw
      attention to key questions regarding aspiration that, up till now, remain
      unanswered. In this review, we have attempted to gather and present literature on
      aspiration both from published and non-published sources in order to provide not
      only an exhaustive review of the subject, but also a starting point for further
      studies on more specific areas requiring clarification. A literature review was
      conducted using the US National Institute of Health's PubMed service (including
      Medline), Google Scholar and Scopus. Guidelines provided by the World Health
      Organization, Safe Injection Global Network, International Council of Nursing,
      Center for Disease Control, US Federal Drug Agency, UK National Health Services,
      British Medical Association, Europe Nursing and Midwifery Council, Public Health
      Agency Canada, Pakistan Medical Association and International Organization of
      Standardization recommendations 7886 parts 1-4 for sterile hypodermics were
      reviewed for relevant information. In addition, curricula of several medical/
      nursing schools from India, Nigeria and Pakistan, the US pharmacopeia Data from
      the WHO Program for International Drug Monitoring network in regard to adverse
      events as a result of not aspirating prior to injection delivery were reviewed.
      Curricula of selected major medical/nursing schools in India, Nigeria and
      Pakistan, national therapeutic formularies, product inserts of most commonly used
      drugs and other possible sources of information regarding aspiration and
      injections were consulted as well.

PMID- 28344769
TI  - Application of antibodies to recombinant heat shock protein 70 in
      immunohistochemical diagnosis of mycobacterium avium subspecies paratuberculosis
      in tissues of naturally infected cattle.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Detection of Mycobacterium avium subspecies paratuberculosis (MAP)
      infection is key to the control of Johne's disease. Immunohistochemistry is one
      of the methods of detection of MAP infection in tissues. However, unavailability
      of commercial antibodies that can detect the organism is a limiting factor for
      the use of immunohistochemistry. This study was aimed at developing an
      immunohistochemistry method to diagnose MAP in infected tissues using antibodies
      against MAP recombinant heat shock protein 70kd. RESULTS: MAP Heat shock protein
      70 gene was amplified and cloned into an expression vector, Champion pET-SUMO,
      then expressed in E coli, purified and used to produce polyclonal rabbit
      antibodies against the Heat shock protein. Immunohistochemistry was performed in
      35 MAP infected tissues with anti-HSP70 polyclonal antibodies. All 35 MAP
      infected tissues were positive for MAP within macrophages, epithelioid cells and
      giant cells either in clumps or singly as individual bacilli. No positive
      staining was seen in the three uninfected normal tissues and in MAP infected
      tissues where primary antibodies were substituted with PBS or pre-immune serum
      from the same rabbit. CONCLUSION: Anti-HSP70 produced in this study offers an
      opportunity for improved diagnosis, screening of MAP in animal tissues and in
      studies on the pathogenesis of MAP.

PMID- 28344771
TI  - Synthesis, characterization and toxicity studies of pyridinecarboxaldehydes and L
      tryptophan derived Schiff bases and corresponding copper (II) complexes.
AB  - Schiff bases and their metal-complexes are versatile compounds exhibiting a broad
      range of biological activities and thus actively used in the drug development
      process. The aim of the present study was the synthesis and characterization of
      new Schiff bases and their copper (II) complexes, derived from L-tryptophan and
      isomeric (2-; 3-; 4-) pyridinecarboxaldehydes, as well as the assessment of their
      toxicity in vitro. The optimal conditions of the Schiff base synthesis resulting
      in up to 75-85% yield of target products were identified. The structure-activity
      relationship analysis indicated that the location of the carboxaldehyde group at
      2-, 3- or 4-position with regard to nitrogen of the pyridine ring in aldehyde
      component of the L-tryptophan derivative Schiff bases and corresponding copper
      complexes essentially change the biological activity of the compounds. The
      carboxaldehyde group at 2- and 4-positions leads to the higher cytotoxic
      activity, than that of at 3-position, and the presence of the copper in the
      complexes increases the cytotoxicity. Based on toxicity classification data, the
      compounds with non-toxic profile were identified, which can be used as new
      entities in the drug development process using Schiff base scaffold.

PMID- 28344772
TI  - Using complex networks for refining survival prognosis in prostate cancer
      patient.
AB  - Complex network theory has been used, during the last decade, to understand the
      structures behind complex biological problems, yielding new knowledge in a large
      number of situations. Nevertheless, such knowledge has remained mostly
      qualitative. In this contribution, I show how information extracted from a
      network representation can be used in a quantitative way, to improve the score of
      a classification task. As a test bed, I consider a dataset corresponding to
      patients suffering from prostate cancer, and the task of successfully prognosing
      their survival. When information from a complex network representation is added
      on top of a simple classification model, the error is reduced from 27.9% to
      23.8%. This confirms that network theory can be used to synthesize information
      that may not readily be accessible by standard data mining algorithms.

PMID- 28344773
TI  - Escherichia coli ST131: a multidrug-resistant clone primed for global domination.
AB  - A single extra-intestinal pathogenic Escherichia coli (ExPEC) clone, named
      sequence type (ST) 131, is responsible for millions of global antimicrobial
      resistant (AMR) infections annually. Population genetics indicate that ST131
      consists of different clades (i.e. A, B, and C); however, clade C is the most
      dominant globally. A ST131 subclade, named C1-M27, is emerging in Japan and has
      been responsible for the recent increase in AMR ExPEC in that country. The
      sequential acquisition of several virulence and AMR genes associated with mobile
      genetic elements during the 1960s to 1980s primed clade C (and its subclades C1
      and C2) for success in the 1990s to 2000s. IncF plasmids with F1:A2:B20 and
      F2:A1:B replicons have shaped the evolution of the C1 and C2 subclades. It is
      possible that ST131 is a host generalist with different accessory gene profiles.
      Compensatory mutations within the core genome of this clone have counterbalanced
      the fitness cost associated with IncF plasmids. ST131 clade C had dramatically
      changed the population structure of ExPEC, but it still remains unclear which
      features of this clade resulted in one of the most unprecedented AMR successes of
      the 2000s.

PMID- 28344774
TI  - The Dockstore: enabling modular, community-focused sharing of Docker-based
      genomics tools and workflows.
AB  - As genomic datasets continue to grow, the feasibility of downloading data to a
      local organization and running analysis on a traditional compute environment is
      becoming increasingly problematic. Current large-scale projects, such as the ICGC
      PanCancer Analysis of Whole Genomes (PCAWG), the Data Platform for the U.S.
      Precision Medicine Initiative, and the NIH Big Data to Knowledge Center for
      Translational Genomics, are using cloud-based infrastructure to both host and
      perform analysis across large data sets. In PCAWG, over 5,800 whole human genomes
      were aligned and variant called across 14 cloud and HPC environments; the
      processed data was then made available on the cloud for further analysis and
      sharing. If run locally, an operation at this scale would have monopolized a
      typical academic data centre for many months, and would have presented major
      challenges for data storage and distribution. However, this scale is increasingly
      typical for genomics projects and necessitates a rethink of how analytical tools
      are packaged and moved to the data. For PCAWG, we embraced the use of highly
      portable Docker images for encapsulating and sharing complex alignment and
      variant calling workflows across highly variable environments. While successful,
      this endeavor revealed a limitation in Docker containers, namely the lack of a
      standardized way to describe and execute the tools encapsulated inside the
      container. As a result, we created the Dockstore ( https://dockstore.org), a
      project that brings together Docker images with standardized, machine-readable
      ways of describing and running the tools contained within. This service greatly
      improves the sharing and reuse of genomics tools and promotes interoperability
      with similar projects through emerging web service standards developed by the
      Global Alliance for Genomics and Health (GA4GH).

PMID- 28344775
TI  - Tertiary lymphoid organs in systemic autoimmune diseases:  pathogenic or
      protective?
AB  - Tertiary lymphoid organs are found at sites of chronic inflammation in autoimmune
      diseases such as systemic lupus erythematosus and rheumatoid arthritis. These
      organized accumulations of T and B cells resemble secondary lymphoid organs and
      generate autoreactive effector cells. However, whether they contribute to disease
      pathogenesis or have protective functions is unclear. Here, we discuss how
      tertiary lymphoid organs can generate potentially pathogenic cells but may also
      limit the extent of the response and damage in autoimmune disease.

PMID- 28344776
TI  - The mechanism of translation.
AB  - Translation of the genetic code on the ribosome into protein is a process of
      extraordinary complexity, and understanding its mechanism has remained one of the
      major challenges even though x-ray structures have been available since 2000. In
      the past two decades, single-particle cryo-electron microscopy has contributed a
      major share of information on structure, binding modes, and conformational
      changes of the ribosome during its work cycle, but the contributions of this
      technique in the translation field have recently skyrocketed after the
      introduction of a new recording medium capable of detecting individual electrons.
      As many examples in the recent literature over the past three years show, the
      impact of this development on the advancement of knowledge in this field has been
      transformative and promises to be lasting.

PMID- 28344777
TI  - Recent advances in the link between physical activity, sedentary behavior,
      physical fitness, and colorectal cancer.
AB  - Physical inactivity is a well-established risk factor for colorectal cancer
      (CRC). Recent studies have characterized physical activity (PA), sedentary
      behavior, and cardiorespiratory fitness as distinct, interrelated constructs that
      influence the risk of CRC and related outcomes. PA levels required to confer
      protection against CRC may be higher than previously thought. Sedentary behavior,
      defined as time spent sitting, increases CRC risk independent of PA and may
      require novel interventions distinct from those targeting PA. Finally,
      cardiorespiratory fitness is inversely associated with CRC risk and mortality and
      may provide a potential tool for risk stratification and intervention.

PMID- 28344779
TI  - Accuracy of the detection of binding events using 3D single particle tracking.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Nanoparticles can be used as markers to track the position of
      biomolecules, such as single proteins, inside living cells. The activity of a
      protein can sometimes be inferred from changes in the mobility of the attached
      particle. Mean Square Displacement analysis is the most common method to obtain
      mobility information from trajectories of tracked particles, such as the
      diffusion coefficient D. However, the precision of D sets a limit to discriminate
      changes in mobility caused by biological events from changes that reflect the
      stochasticity inherent to diffusion. This issue is of particular importance in an
      experiment aiming to quantify dynamic processes. RESULTS: Here, we present
      simulations and 3D tracking experiments with Gold Nanorods freely diffusing in
      glycerol solution to establish the best analysis parameters to extract the
      diffusion coefficient. We applied this knowledge to the detection of a temporary
      change in diffusion, as it can occur due to the transient binding of a particle
      to an immobile structure within the cell, and tested its dependence on the
      magnitude of the change in diffusion and duration of this event. CONCLUSIONS: The
      simulations show that the spatial accuracy of particle tracking generally does
      not limit the detection of short binding events. Careful analysis of the
      magnitude of the change in diffusion and the number of frames per binding event
      is required for accurate quantification of such events.

PMID- 28344778
TI  - Methodological advances in imaging intravital axonal transport.
AB  - Axonal transport is the active process whereby neurons transport cargoes such as
      organelles and proteins anterogradely from the cell body to the axon terminal and
      retrogradely in the opposite direction. Bi-directional transport in axons is
      absolutely essential for the functioning and survival of neurons and appears to
      be negatively impacted by both aging and diseases of the nervous system, such as
      Alzheimer's disease and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. The movement of individual
      cargoes along axons has been studied in vitro in live neurons and tissue explants
      for a number of years; however, it is currently unclear as to whether these
      systems faithfully and consistently replicate the in vivo situation. A number of
      intravital techniques originally developed for studying diverse biological events
      have recently been adapted to monitor axonal transport in real-time in a range of
      live organisms and are providing novel insight into this dynamic process. Here,
      we highlight these methodological advances in intravital imaging of axonal
      transport, outlining key strengths and limitations while discussing findings,
      possible improvements, and outstanding questions.

PMID- 28344781
TI  - Patient-specific three-dimensional explant spheroids derived from human nasal
      airway epithelium: a simple methodological approach for ex vivo studies of
      primary ciliary dyskinesia.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Three-dimensional explant spheroid formation is an ex vivo technique
      previously used in studies of airway epithelial ion and water transport.
      Explanted cells and sheets of nasal epithelium form fully differentiated
      spheroids enclosing a partly fluid-filled lumen with the ciliated apical surface
      facing the outside and accessible for analysis of ciliary function. METHODS: We
      performed a two-group comparison study of ciliary beat pattern and ciliary beat
      frequency in spheroids derived from nasal airway epithelium in patients with
      primary ciliary dyskinesia (PCD) and in healthy controls. Nasal ciliary cells and
      sheets were removed on day 1 by nasal brush biopsy and analyzed with regard to
      ciliary beat pattern-and frequency using high-speed video imaging for standard
      reference values. Three-dimensional explant spheroid formation was initiated in
      the same individual on the same day by incubation of cells and sheets from a
      separate brush biopsy. Harvested spheroids were analyzed earliest possible and
      values of spheroid ciliary beat pattern and frequency were compared to the
      corresponding reference values from day 1. RESULTS: Spheroids formed fast in
      serum-free culture medium. Formation was successful in 15 out of 18 (82%) sampled
      individuals. Thus, formation was successful in seven healthy controls and eight
      PCD patients, while unsuccessful in 3 with PCD due to infection. Median (range)
      number of days in culture before harvesting of spheroids was 4 (1-5) in healthy
      versus 2 (1-5) in PCD. Spheroid ciliary beat pattern and frequency were unchanged
      compared to their corresponding day 1 standard reference values. Spheroid ciliary
      beat frequency discriminated highly significant between healthy controls (9.3 Hz)
      and PCD patients (2.4 Hz) (P < 0.0001). Survival of spheroids was 16 days in a
      single healthy person. CONCLUSION: Patient-specific three-dimensional explant
      spheroid formation from a minimal invasive nasal brush biopsy is a feasible, fast
      and valid ex vivo method to assess ciliary function with potential of aiding the
      diagnosis of PCD. In addition, it may be a useful model in the investigation of
      pathophysiological aspects and drug effects in human nasal airway epithelium.

PMID- 28344780
TI  - Abnormal glycosylation in Joubert syndrome type 10.
AB  - BACKGROUND: The discovery of disease pathogenesis requires systematic agnostic
      screening of multiple homeostatic processes that may become deregulated. We
      illustrate this principle in the evaluation and diagnosis of a 5-year-old boy
      with Joubert syndrome type 10 (JBTS10). He carried the OFD1 mutation
      p.Gln886Lysfs*2 (NM_003611.2: c.2656del) and manifested features of Joubert
      syndrome. METHODS: We integrated exome sequencing, MALDI-TOF mass spectrometry
      analyses of plasma and cultured dermal fibroblasts glycomes, and full clinical
      evaluation of the proband. Analyses of cilia formation and lectin staining were
      performed by immunofluorescence. Measurement of cellular nucleotide sugar levels
      was performed with high-performance anion-exchange chromatography with pulsed
      amperometric detection. Statistical analyses utilized the Student's and Fisher's
      exact t tests. RESULTS: Glycome analyses of plasma and cultured dermal
      fibroblasts identified abnormal N- and O-linked glycosylation profiles. These
      findings replicated in two unrelated males with OFD1 mutations. Cultured
      fibroblasts from affected individuals had a defect in ciliogenesis. The proband's
      fibroblasts also had an abnormally elevated nuclear sialylation signature and
      increased total cellular levels of CMP-sialic acid. Ciliogenesis and each
      glycosylation anomaly were rescued by expression of wild-type OFD1. CONCLUSIONS:
      The rescue of ciliogenesis and glycosylation upon reintroduction of WT OFD1
      suggests that both contribute to the pathogenesis of JBTS10.

PMID- 28344782
TI  - La-related protein 6 controls ciliated cell differentiation.
AB  - BACKGROUND: La-related protein 6 (LARP6) is an evolutionally conserved RNA
      binding protein. Vertebrate LARP6 binds the 5' stem-loop found in mRNAs encoding
      type I collagen to regulate their translation, but other target mRNAs and
      additional functions for LARP6 are unknown. The aim of this study was to
      elucidate an additional function of LARP6 and to evaluate the importance of its
      function during development. METHODS: To uncover the role of LARP6 in
      development, we utilized Morpholino Oligos to deplete LARP6 protein in Xenopus
      embryos. Then, embryonic phenotypes and ciliary structures of LAPR6 morphants
      were examined. To identify the molecular mechanism underlying ciliogenesis
      regulated by LARP6, we tested the expression level of cilia-related genes, which
      play important roles in ciliogenesis, by RT-PCR or whole mount in situ
      hybridization (WISH). RESULTS: We knocked down LARP6 in Xenopus embryos and found
      neural tube closure defects. LARP6 mutant, which compromises the collagen
      synthesis, could rescue these defects. Neural tube closure defects are coincident
      with lack of cilia, antenna-like cellular organelles with motility- or sensory
      related functions, in the neural tube. The absence of cilia at the epidermis was
      also observed in LARP6 morphants, and this defect was due to the absence of basal
      bodies which are formed from centrioles and required for ciliary assembly. In the
      process of multi-ciliated cell (MCC) differentiation, mcidas, which activates the
      transcription of genes required for centriole formation during ciliogenesis,
      could partially restore MCCs in LARP6 morphants. In addition, LARP6 likely
      controls the expression of mcidas in a Notch-independent manner. CONCLUSIONS: La
      related protein 6 is involved in ciliated cell differentiation during development
      by controlling the expression of cilia-related genes including mcidas. This LARP6
      function involves a mechanism that is distinct from its established role in
      binding to collagen mRNAs and regulating their translation.

PMID- 28344783
TI  - Retrospective report of antimicrobial susceptibility observed in bacterial
      pathogens isolated from ocular samples at Mount Sinai Hospital, 2010 to 2015.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Antimicrobial resistance has emerged as a major threat to global
      public health. Thus, the surveillance of changes in antimicrobial resistance in
      local and global settings is a paramount necessity. While many studies have
      tracked antimicrobial resistance, only a small percentage surveyed ocular
      isolates. The purpose of this study was to report the in vitro susceptibility of
      bacterial pathogens isolated from ocular samples in New York, NY from 2010 to
      2015. METHODS: A retrospective review of ocular isolates was conducted. All
      organisms were collected by 25 separate inpatient wards and outpatient clinics,
      and were analyzed by the clinical microbiology laboratory at Mount Sinai
      Hospital. Clinical Laboratory and Standards Institute (CLSI) guidelines were
      followed for susceptibility testing and breakpoint interpretations. RESULTS: A
      total of 549 bacterial organisms were isolated from 1664 cultures (33%) during
      the 6-year study period. Of these, 358 isolates (65.2%) underwent susceptibility
      testing. 182 (50.8%) isolates were Gram-positive. The most common Gram-positive
      bacterium was Staphylococcus aureus (62.1%). Methicillin-resistance decreased in
      S. aureus isolates (31.3% in 2010, 14.1% in 2015) but was without significant
      change (p = 0.25). When analyzing all S. aureus isolates recovered during the
      study period, there were significantly more methicillin-resistant S. aureus
      (MRSA) isolates resistant to fluoroquinolones (p <0.0001), erythromycin (p
      <0.0001), and trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole (TMP/SMZ; p <0.05). Overall,
      Streptococcus pneumoniae isolates showed reduced susceptibility to erythromycin,
      but were otherwise susceptible to the other antimicrobials tested. Haemophilus
      influenzae (26.1%) and Pseudomonas aeruginosa (23.9%) were the most common Gram
      negative bacteria isolated. Resistance to ampicillin and TMP/SMZ was observed in
      several of the H. influenzae isolates. P. aeruginosa isolates did not show high
      resistance overall, however, it was noted that isolates resistant to meropenem
      were also resistant to other antimicrobials (p < 0.01). CONCLUSION: Overall,
      antimicrobial resistance was infrequent for the Gram-negative and Gram-positive
      bacteria analyzed. While the MRSA isolates demonstrated increased resistance to
      multiple antimicrobial classes, this is expected for this pathogen. Due to the
      continued use of broad-spectrum oral and systemic antimicrobials to treat ocular
      infections, findings of this study and other surveillance studies specific to
      ocular isolates should be used as resources in effective decision making in the
      treatment of ocular disease.

PMID- 28344784
TI  - Effects of Tamsulosin and Tolterodine on double J stent-related symptoms: A
      double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled trial.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Ureteral double J stent are routinely applied for urologic patients
      although stent-related symptoms are common. Several attempts have been reported
      to minimize these symptoms. OBJECTIVE: To compare Tolterodine, Tamsulosin, and
      placebo effects on double J stent-related symptoms. MATERIAL AND METHOD: In all,
      125 patients (82 males and 43 females) with double J stent were randomly divided
      into three groups (group 1, n: 42, group2, n: 40 and group 3, n: 43). Each
      patient randomly received one pack of drug in different colors by a nurse unaware
      of the content to take Tamsulosin 0.4 mg before sleep (MODALUSINE), Tolterodine 2
      mg twice a day or placebo once daily (capsules filled with starch): group 1
      received placebo, group 2 Tamsulosin and group 3 Tolterodine for 1 month in a
      double-blind manner. Ureteral stent-related morbidity indices which analyzed
      include urinary symptom, pain, general health, quality of work and sex scores.
      All of indices measured by Ureteral Symptom Score Questionnaire for first and
      fourth weeks after drug consumption and the first week after double J stent
      removal (labeled as w1, w4, and w5, respectively). RESULT: The mean age was 44.8
      years (range: 15-83 years). There was no statistically significant difference in
      background characteristics between groups (p value > 0.05). The most important
      and statistically significant results were Tolterodine-reduced urinary symptom
      score (p value = 0.001) and improved general health score (p value = 0.007) of
      the fourth week. The pain score in groups of Tamsulosin and Tolterodine
      significantly reduced between weeks 4 and 1 and 5 and 1 (both with the p value <
      0.05), but in other indices, there was no significant difference between them.
      CONCLUSION: According to our results, we suggest Tolterodine to minimize stent
      related urinary symptom and improve general health in patients with double J
      stent.

PMID- 28344785
TI  - FITting ADR to colonoscopy indication.

PMID- 28344787
TI  - Allele-specific transcriptional activity of the variable number of tandem repeats
      of the inducible nitric oxide synthase gene is associated with idiopathic
      achalasia.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Polymorphisms of genes involved in the regulation of the immune
      response are risk factors for achalasia, but their contribution to disease
      pathogenesis is unknown. Nitric oxide is involved both in immune function and
      inhibitory neurotransmission. OBJECTIVE: The objective of this article is to
      assess the association and the functional relevance of the CCTTT-inducible nitric
      oxide synthase (NOS2) gene promoter polymorphism in achalasia. METHODS: Genomic
      DNA was isolated from 181 achalasia patients and 220 controls. Genotyping of the
      (CCTTT)n repeats was performed by PCR and capillary electrophoresis, and data
      analyzed by considering the frequency of the different alleles. HT29 cells were
      transfected with iNOS luciferase promoter-reporter plasmids containing different
      (CCTTT)n. RESULTS: The alleles' distribution ranged from 7 to 18, with a peak
      frequency at 12 repeats. Analysis of the allele frequencies revealed that
      individuals carrying 10 and 13 CCTTT repeats were respectively less and more
      frequent in achalasia (OR 0.5, 95% CI 0.3-0.5 and OR 1.6, 95% CI 1-2.4, all p <
      0.05). Long repeats were also significantly associated with an earlier onset of
      the disease (OR 1.69, 95% CI 1.13-2.53, p = 0.01). Transfection experiments
      revealed a similar allele-specific iNOS transcriptional activity. CONCLUSION: The
      functional polymorphism (CCTTT) of NOS2 promoter is associated with achalasia,
      likely by an allele-specific modulation of nitric oxide production.

PMID- 28344788
TI  - Lymphoma development and survival in refractory coeliac disease type II:
      Histological response as prognostic factor.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Refractory coeliac disease type II (RCDII) frequently transforms into
      an enteropathy-associated T-cell lymphoma (EATL) and therefore requires intensive
      treatment. Current evaluated treatment strategies for RCDII include cladribine (2
      CdA) and autologous stem cell transplantation (auSCT). OBJECTIVE: The purpose of
      this study was to evaluate long-term survival and define clear prognostic
      criteria for EATL development comparing two treatment strategies. METHODS: A
      total of 45 patients were retrospectively analysed. All patients received 2-CdA,
      after which they were either closely monitored (monotherapy, n = 30) or a step-up
      approach was used including auSCT (step-up therapy, n = 15). RESULTS: Ten
      patients (22%) ultimately developed EATL; nine of these had received monotherapy.
      Absence of histological remission after monotherapy was associated with EATL
      development (p = 0.010). Overall, 20 patients (44%) died with a median survival
      of 84 months. Overall survival (OS) within the monotherapy group was
      significantly worse in those without histological remission compared to those
      with complete histological remission(p = 0.030). The monotherapy group who
      achieved complete histological remission showed comparable EATL occurrence and OS
      as compared to the step-up therapy group (p = 0.80 and p = 0.14 respectively).
      CONCLUSION: Histological response is an accurate parameter to evaluate the effect
      of 2-CdA therapy and this parameter should be leading in the decisions whether or
      not to perform a step-up treatment approach in RCDII.

PMID- 28344786
TI  - United European Gastroenterology evidence-based guidelines for the diagnosis and
      therapy of chronic pancreatitis (HaPanEU).
AB  - BACKGROUND: There have been substantial improvements in the management of chronic
      pancreatitis, leading to the publication of several national guidelines during
      recent years. In collaboration with United European Gastroenterology, the working
      group on 'Harmonizing diagnosis and treatment of chronic pancreatitis across
      Europe' (HaPanEU) developed these European guidelines using an evidence-based
      approach. METHODS: Twelve multidisciplinary review groups performed systematic
      literature reviews to answer 101 predefined clinical questions. Recommendations
      were graded using the Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development and
      Evaluation system and the answers were assessed by the entire group in a Delphi
      process online. The review groups presented their recommendations during the 2015
      annual meeting of United European Gastroenterology. At this one-day, interactive
      conference, relevant remarks were voiced and overall agreement on each
      recommendation was quantified using plenary voting (Test and Evaluation
      Directorate). After a final round of adjustments based on these comments, a draft
      version was sent out to external reviewers. RESULTS: The 101 recommendations
      covered 12 topics related to the clinical management of chronic pancreatitis:
      aetiology (working party (WP)1), diagnosis of chronic pancreatitis with imaging
      (WP2 and WP3), diagnosis of pancreatic exocrine insufficiency (WP4), surgery in
      chronic pancreatitis (WP5), medical therapy (WP6), endoscopic therapy (WP7),
      treatment of pancreatic pseudocysts (WP8), pancreatic pain (WP9), nutrition and
      malnutrition (WP10), diabetes mellitus (WP11) and the natural course of the
      disease and quality of life (WP12). Using the Grading of Recommendations
      Assessment, Development and Evaluation system, 70 of the 101 (70%)
      recommendations were rated as 'strong' and plenary voting revealed 'strong
      agreement' for 99 (98%) recommendations. CONCLUSIONS: The 2016 HaPanEU/United
      European Gastroenterology guidelines provide evidence-based recommendations
      concerning key aspects of the medical and surgical management of chronic
      pancreatitis based on current available evidence. These recommendations should
      serve as a reference standard for existing management of the disease and as a
      guide for future clinical research.

PMID- 28344789
TI  - A PPAR-gamma agonist protects from radiation-induced intestinal toxicity.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: Because of its anti-inflammatory, anti-fibrotic, anti-apoptotic and
      anti-neoplastic properties, the PPAR-gamma agonist rosiglitazone is an
      interesting drug for investigating for use in the prevention and treatment of
      radiation-induced intestinal damage. We aimed to evaluate the radioprotective
      effect of rosiglitazone in a murine model of acute intestinal damage, assessing
      whether radioprotection is selective for normal tissues or also occurs in tumour
      cells. METHODS: Mice were total-body irradiated (12 Gy), with or without
      rosiglitazone (5 mg/kg/day). After 24 and 72 hours, mice were sacrificed and the
      jejunum was collected. HT-29 human colon cancer cells were irradiated with a
      single dose of 2 (1000 cells), 4 (1500 cells) or 6 (2000 cells) Gy, with or
      without adding rosiglitazone (20 uM) 1 hour before irradiation. HT-29-xenografted
      CD1 mice were irradiated (16 Gy) with or without rosiglitazone; tumour volumes
      were measured for 33 days. RESULTS: Rosiglitazone markedly reduced histological
      signs of altered bowel structures, that is, villi shortening, submucosal
      thickening, necrotic changes in crypts, oedema, apoptosis, and inflammatory
      infiltrate induced by irradiation. Rosiglitazone significantly decreased p-NF-kB
      p65 phosphorylation and TGFbeta protein expression at 24 and 72 hours post
      irradiation and significantly decreased gene expression of Collagen1, Mmp13,
      Tnfalpha and Bax at 24 hours and p53 at 72 hours post-irradiation. Rosiglitazone
      reduced HT-29 clonogenic survival, but only produced a slight reduction of
      xenograft tumour growth. CONCLUSION: Rosiglitazone exerts a protective effect on
      normal tissues and reduces alterations in bowel structures and inflammation in a
      radiation-induced bowel toxicity model, without interfering with the radiation
      effect on HT-29 cancer cells. PPAR-gamma agonists should be further investigated
      for their application in abdominal and pelvic irradiation.

PMID- 28344790
TI  - Prognostic factors of hepatocellular carcinoma survival after radiofrequency
      ablation: A US population-based study.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: To determine the survival outcome and prognostic factors of
      hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) survival in patients who underwent radiofrequency
      ablation (RFA). METHODS: The Surveillance, Epidemiology and End Results (SEER)
      database was queried: There were 2588 HCC patients from 2004 to 2012 who
      underwent RFA. The Kaplan-Meier curves and the multivariate Cox regression
      analysis were used to assess the prognostic factors. RESULTS: With a median
      follow-up of 20 months, the 1-, 3- and 5-year overall survival (OS) rates were:
      83%, 51% and 33%. Patients with a tumor size <=5 cm in diameter had a better 5
      year OS, as compared to patients with a tumor size >5 cm. The 5-year OS was
      significantly higher among patients with a normal level of alpha-fetoprotein
      (AFP), compared with those having elevated AFP. In an adjusted multivariate Cox
      regression analysis, those with >=60 years of age (HR: 1.19; 95% CI 1.05-1.36),
      non-Asian race (HR: 1.53; 95% CI 1.30-1.81), tumor size >5 cm (HR: 1.43; 95% CI
      1.24-1.65), elevated AFP (HR: 1.42; 95% CI 1.22-1.64), American Joint Committee
      on Cancer (AJCC) stages II-III (HR: 1.30; 95% CI 1.14-1.48) and the year of
      diagnosis from 2004-2007 (HR: 1.22; 95% CI 1.07-1.40) were significantly
      associated with a poor prognosis. CONCLUSIONS: Age, race, tumor size, AFP level,
      AJCC stage and year of diagnosis were prognostic factors for OS in HCC patients
      who underwent RFA.

PMID- 28344791
TI  - Differential diagnosis of solid pancreatic masses: contrast-enhanced harmonic
      (CEH-EUS), quantitative-elastography (QE-EUS), or both?
AB  - BACKGROUND: Contrast-enhanced harmonic endoscopic ultrasound (CEH-EUS) and
      quantitative-elastography endoscopic ultrasound (QE-EUS) are considered useful
      tools for the evaluation of solid pancreatic tumors (SPT). The aim of our study
      was to evaluate the diagnostic accuracy of CEH-EUS, QE-EUS, and the combination
      of both for the differential diagnosis of SPT. METHODS: Sixty-two consecutive
      patients (mean age 64.3 years, range 32-89 years, 44 male) who underwent EUS for
      the evaluation of SPT were prospectively included. EUS was performed with a
      linear Pentax-EUS and a Hitachi-Preirus processor. The mass (area A) and a
      reference area B were selected during QE-EUS, and results expressed as B/A
      (strain ratio). A strain histogram of the mass was also evaluated.
      Microvascularization of the tumor was evaluated over 2 min during CEH-EUS after
      intravenous injection of 4.8 mL SonoVue. Final diagnosis was based on
      histopathology of surgical specimens or EUS-guided tissue acquisition and
      clinical follow-up in non-operated cases. Diagnostic accuracy of CEH-EUS, QE-EUS,
      and their combination was calculated. RESULTS: Median size of the masses was 32
      mm (range 12-111). Final diagnosis was pancreatic adenocarcinoma (n = 45),
      neuroendocrine tumor (n = 3), inflammatory mass (n = 10), pancreatic metastasis
      (n = 2), autoimmune pancreatitis (n = 1), and a mucinous cystadenocarcinoma (n =
      1). Overall accuracies for determination of malignancy using QE-EUS, CEH-EUS,
      their combination, and EUS-guided tissue acquisition were 98.4% (95% confidence
      interval (CI): 91.4-99.7), 85.5% (95% CI: 74.7-92.2), 91.9% (95% CI: 82.5-96.5),
      and 91.5% (95% CI: 83.6-99.5), respectively. CONCLUSION: The combination of QE
      EUS and CEH-EUS is a useful tool for the differential diagnosis of SPT, giving
      complementary information. However, this combination does not significantly
      increase the diagnostic accuracy of either of the techniques performed alone.

PMID- 28344792
TI  - Establishment of Over-The-Scope-Clips (OTSC(r)) in daily endoscopic routine.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Alongside the evolution of interventional endoscopy, the need for a
      more sophisticated closure tool tailored to the treatment of new challenging
      indications has been increasing rapidly. METHODS: We here present our collected
      data on 262 Over-The-Scope-Clip (OTSC(r)) placements in a total of 233
      interventions at our institution. Follow-up was focused on clinically lasting
      success with regards to different indications. RESULTS: Immediate success of
      OTSC(r) treatment was observed in 87.1% of all sessions (203/233). The success
      rates per indication were as follows: spontaneous bleeding 84.8% (28/33);
      iatrogenic bleeding 100% (20/20); acute perforation 90.3% (65/72); prophylaxis
      for perforation 100% (24/24); anastomotic leakage 61.1% (11/18); fistulae 80.7%
      (46/57); diameter reduction of the gastrojejunal anastomosis 100% (6/6); and
      stent fixation 100% (3/3). At 30-day follow-up, the overall success rate was
      67.4% (157/233). The success rates per indication were as follows: spontaneous
      bleeding 69.7% (23/33); iatrogenic bleeding 90% (18/20); acute perforation 86.1%
      (62/72); prophylaxis for perforation 100% (24/24); anastomotic leakage 33.3%
      (6/18); fistulae 29.8% (17/57), diameter reduction of the gastrojejunal
      anastomosis 83.3% (5/6); and stent fixation 66% (2/3). CONCLUSIONS: Our cohort
      confirms previous data on the clinical usefulness of the OTSC(r) in daily routine
      practice.

PMID- 28344793
TI  - Correlation between adenoma detection rate in colonoscopy- and fecal
      immunochemical testing-based colorectal cancer screening programs.
AB  - BACKGROUND: The adenoma detection rate (ADR) is the main quality indicator of
      colonoscopy. The ADR recommended in fecal immunochemical testing (FIT)-based
      colorectal cancer screening programs is unknown. METHODS: Using the COLONPREV
      (NCT00906997) study dataset, we performed a post-hoc analysis to determine if
      there was a correlation between the ADR in primary and work-up colonoscopy, and
      the equivalent figure to the minimal 20% ADR recommended. Colonoscopy was
      performed in 5722 individuals: 5059 as primary strategy and 663 after a positive
      FIT result (OC-SensorTM; cut-off level 15 ug/g of feces). We developed a
      predictive model based on a multivariable lineal regression analysis including
      confounding variables. RESULTS: The median ADR was 31% (range, 14%-51%) in the
      colonoscopy group and 55% (range, 21%-83%) in the FIT group. There was a positive
      correlation in the ADR between primary and work-up colonoscopy (Pearson's
      coefficient 0.716; p < 0.001). ADR in the FIT group was independently related to
      ADR in the colonoscopy group: regression coefficient for colonoscopy ADR, 0.71 (p
      = 0.009); sex, 0.09 (p = 0.09); age, 0.3 (p = 0.5); and region 0.00 (p = 0.9).
      The equivalent figure to the 20% ADR was 45% (95% confidence interval, 35%-56%).
      CONCLUSIONS: ADR in primary and work-up colonoscopy of a FIT-positive result are
      positively and significantly correlated.

PMID- 28344794
TI  - Does calprotectin level identify a subgroup among patients suffering from
      irritable bowel syndrome? Results of a prospective study.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Irritable bowel syndrome is a multifactorial disease. Although faecal
      calprotectin has been shown to be a reliable marker of intestinal inflammation,
      its role in irritable bowel syndrome remains debated. OBJECTIVE: The aims of this
      prospective study were to select a subgroup of irritable bowel syndrome patients
      and to characterise those patients with high faecal calprotectin by systematic
      work-up. METHODS: Calprotectin levels were determined by enzyme-linked
      immunosorbent assay test in consecutive irritable bowel syndrome patients
      fulfilling Rome III criteria in whom normal colonoscopy and appropriate tests had
      excluded organic disease. Calprotectin levels were compared in irritable bowel
      syndrome patients, healthy controls and patients with active and quiescent
      Crohn's disease. When the calprotectin level was higher than 50 ug/g, the absence
      of ANCA/ASCA antibodies and a normal small bowel examination were required to
      confirm irritable bowel syndrome diagnosis. Additional explorations included
      assessment of irritable bowel syndrome severity, anxiety and depression, impact
      on quality of life, glucose and fructose breath tests, rectal distension test by
      barostat and quantitative and qualitative assessment of inflammation on colonic
      biopsies. RESULTS: Among the 93 irritable bowel syndrome patients (73% women;
      66.7% with diarrhoea) recruited, 34 (36.6%) had reproducibly elevated
      calprotectin. Although they tended to be older than those with normal
      calprotectin (P = 0.06), there were no other differences between the two groups.
      When elevated, calprotectin was correlated with age (P = 0.03, r = 0.22).
      CONCLUSIONS: Elevated faecal calprotectin was observed in one third of patients
      in this series, without any significant association with a specific clinical
      phenotype (except age) or specific abnormalities.

PMID- 28344795
TI  - Validation of a tool predicting important findings on computed tomography among
      Crohn's disease patients.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Patients with Crohn's disease (CD) are frequently subjected to
      computed tomography (CT) in the emergency department (ED). This young population
      is at higher risk of malignancy from radiation exposure. OBJECTIVES: We aimed to
      validate a decision tool predicting complications (perforation, abscess or other
      serious finding) on imaging at two sites. METHODS: We conducted a retrospective
      review of CT outcomes among patients with CD with ED visits at two tertiary care
      centers. Inclusion criteria were a CT of the abdomen/pelvis with contrast and
      complete lab data (erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) and C-reactive protein
      (CRP)) within 24 hours of arrival at the University of Michigan (UM) (2012-2013)
      and the University of Pittsburgh (UPMC) (2009-2012). Sensitivity, negative
      predictive value (NPV), miss rate and CT avoidance rate were calculated. RESULTS:
      At UPMC (n = 210), the tool had a sensitivity of 88.9% and NPV of 98.0%,
      potentially saving 47.1% from CT with a miss rate of 1.0%. At UM (n = 248), the
      tool had a sensitivity of 90.9% and NPV of 96.0%, saving 40.3% from CT with a
      miss rate of 1.6%. CONCLUSION: A decision tool using CRP and ESR predicting CT
      outcomes among CD patients performed well in an external validation, allowing
      providers to forgo CT use with a low miss rate.

PMID- 28344796
TI  - Quality of colonoscopy in an emerging country: A prospective, multicentre study
      in Russia.
AB  - BACKGROUND: The quality of colonoscopy has been related to a higher risk of
      interval cancer, and this issue has been addressed extensively in developed
      countries. The aim of our study was to explore the main quality indicators of
      colonoscopy in a large emerging country. METHODS: Consecutive patients referred
      for colonoscopy in 14 centres were prospectively included between July and
      October 2014. Before colonoscopy, several clinical and demographic variables were
      collected. Main quality indicators (i.e. caecal intubation rate, (advanced)
      adenoma detection rate, rate of adequate cleansing and sedation) were collected.
      Data were analysed at per patient and per centre level (only for those with at
      least 100 cases). Factors associated with caecal intubation rate and adenoma
      detection rate were explored at multivariate analysis. RESULTS: A total of 8829
      (males: 35%; mean age: 57 + 14 years) patients were included, with 11 centres
      enrolling at least 100 patients. Screening (including non-alarm symptoms)
      accounted for 59% (5188/8829) of the indications. Sedation and split preparation
      were used in 26% (2294/8829) and 25% (2187/8829) of the patients. Caecal
      intubation was achieved in 7616 patients (86%), and it was >=85% in 8/11 (73%)
      centres. Adenoma detection rate was 18% (1550/8829), and it was higher than 20%
      in five (45%) centres, whilst it was lower than 10% in four (33%) centres. At
      multivariate analysis, age (OR: 1.020, 95% CI: 1.015-1.024), male sex (OR: 1.2,
      95% CI: 1.1-1.3), alarm symptoms (OR: 1.8, 95% CI: 1.7-2), split preparation (OR:
      1.4, 95% CI: 1.2-1.6), caecal intubation rate (OR: 1.6, 95% CI: 1.3-1.9) and
      withdrawal time measurement (OR: 1.2, 95% CI: 1.6-2.1) were predictors of a
      higher adenoma detection rate, while adequate preparation (OR: 3.4: 95% CI: 2.9
      3.9) and sedation (OR: 1.3; 95% CI: 1.1-1.6) were the strongest predictors of
      caecal intubation rate. CONCLUSIONS: According to our study, there is a
      substantial intercentre variability in the main quality indicators. Overall, the
      caecal intubation rate appears to be acceptable in most centres, whilst the
      overall level of adenoma detection appears low, with less than half of the
      centres being higher than 20%. Educational and quality assurance programs,
      including higher rates of sedation and split regimen of preparation, may be
      necessary to increase the key quality indicators.

PMID- 28344797
TI  - Poor reproducibility of breath hydrogen testing: Implications for its application
      in functional bowel disorders.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Limited data are available regarding the reproducibility of lactulose
      and fructose breath testing for clinical application in functional bowel
      disorders. OBJECTIVES: The purpose of this study was to investigate the
      reproducibility of lactulose and fructose breath hydrogen testing and assess
      symptom response to fructose testing. METHODS: Results were analysed from 21
      patients with functional bowel disorder with lactulose breath tests and 30 with
      fructose breath tests who completed another test >2 weeks later. Oro-caecal
      transit time, hydrogen responses, both qualitatively (positive/negative) and
      quantitatively (area under the curve (AUC) for hydrogen), were compared between
      tests. In another 36 patients, data scores for overall abdominal symptoms,
      abdominal pain, bloating, wind, nausea and fatigue were collected during the
      fructose test and compared to hydrogen responses. RESULTS: No correlations were
      found for lactulose AUC (linear regression, p = 0.58) or transit time (Spearman's
      p = 0.54) between tests. A significant proportion (30%) lost the presence of
      fructose malabsorption (p < 0.01). Hydrogen AUC for fructose did not correlate
      between tests, (r = 0.28, p = 0.17) independent of time between testing (p =
      0.82). Whilst patients with fructose malabsorption were more likely to report
      symptoms than those without (56% vs 17%; p = 0.04), changes in symptom severity
      were not different (p > 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Routine use of lactulose and fructose
      breath tests in functional bowel disorder patients is not supported due to its
      poor reproducibility and low predictive value for symptom responses.

PMID- 28344799
TI  - Young researchers at UEG Week.

PMID- 28344798
TI  - Long-term outcomes of Botulinum toxin in the treatment of chronic anal fissure: 5
      years of follow-up.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Chronic anal fissure is a frequent and disabling disease, often
      affecting young adults. Botulinum toxin and lateral internal sphincterotomy are
      the main therapeutic options for refractory cases. Botulinum toxin is minimally
      invasive and safer compared with surgery, which carries a difficult post
      operative recovery and fecal incontinence risk. The long-term efficacy of
      Botulinum toxin is not well known. OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to
      evaluate the long-term efficacy and safety of Botulinum toxin in the treatment of
      chronic anal fissure. METHODS: This was a retrospective study at a single center,
      including patients treated with Botulinum toxin from 2005 to 2010, followed over
      at least a period of 5 years. All patients were treated with injection of 25U of
      Botulinum toxin in the intersphincteric groove. The response was registered as
      complete, partial, refractory and relapse. RESULTS: Botulinum toxin was
      administered to 126 patients, 69.8% (n = 88) were followed over a period of 5
      years. After 3 months, 46.6% (n = 41) had complete response, 23.9% (n = 21) had
      partial response and 29.5% (n = 26) were refractory. Relapse was observed in 1.2%
      (n = 1) at 6 months, 11.4% (n = 10) at 1 year, 2.3% (n = 2) at 3 years; no
      relapse at 5 years. The overall success rate was 64.8% at 5 years of follow-up.
      Botulinum toxin was well tolerated by all patients and there were no
      complications. CONCLUSION: The use of Botulinum toxin to treat patients with
      chronic anal fissure was safe and effective in long-term follow-up.

PMID- 28344800
TI  - How to get your work published: Tricks and pearls.

PMID- 28344802
TI  - Erratum.
AB  - [This corrects the article DOI: 10.1177/2050640615602571.].

PMID- 28344804
TI  - Multicomponent meningococcal B vaccination (4CMenB) of adolescents and college
      students in the United States.
AB  - Meningococcal disease is rare, easily misdiagnosed, and potentially deadly.
      Diagnosis in the early stages is difficult and the disease often progresses
      extremely rapidly. In North America, the incidence of invasive meningococcal
      disease (IMD) is highest in infants and young children, with a secondary peak in
      adolescents, a population predominantly responsible for the carriage of disease.
      Neisseria meningitidis serogroup B (MenB) accounts for a large proportion of
      meningococcal disease in North America, with documented outbreaks in three
      universities in the United States (US) during 2008-2013. Vaccination is the most
      effective way to protect against this aggressive disease that has a narrow
      timeframe for diagnosis and treatment. 4CMenB is a multi-component vaccine
      against MenB which contains four antigenic components. We describe in detail the
      immunogenicity and safety profile of 4CMenB based on results from four clinical
      trials; the use of 4CMenB to control MenB outbreaks involving vaccination at two
      US colleges during outbreaks in 2013-2014; and the use of 4CMenB in a Canadian
      mass vaccination campaign to control the spread of MenB disease. We discuss the
      reasons why adolescents should be vaccinated against MenB, by examining both the
      peak in disease incidence and carriage. We consider whether herd protection may
      be attained for MenB, by discussing published models and comparing with
      meningitis C (MenC) vaccines. In conclusion, MenB vaccines are now available in
      the US for people aged 10-25 years, representing an important opportunity to
      reduce the incidence of IMD in the country across the whole population, and more
      locally to combat MenB outbreaks.

PMID- 28344803
TI  - Length of hospitalization is associated with selected biomarkers (albumin and
      lymphocytes) and with co-morbidities: study on 4000 patients.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Low albumin levels and low lymphocyte counts are intra hospital
      conditions that exert a negative influence on prognosis, healing and length of
      hospitalization. The study aimed to analyze the correlation between low blood
      levels of albumin, low lymphocytes, and length of stay. The secondary aim was to
      identify other co-morbidities associated with prolonged hospital stay. METHODS:
      Retrospective pilot study was conducted by analyzing anamnestic and biochemical
      data, related to 4038 patients admitted to ten wards of Hospital San Paolo
      (Milan), collected from July 1st 2012 to December 31st 2012. A statistical
      analysis was carried out using the Correlation method, Multivariate Analysis and
      Regression. Lymphocyte count and co-morbidities were evaluated in the whole
      cohort, albumin levels in 1437 patients. RESULTS: In the whole sample, low
      albumin levels and low lymphocyte counts were directly correlated to longer
      hospitalizations. The stratification of the results by department and diagnosis
      suggests that there is a higher correlation in certain subpopulations, and
      albumin shows a greater correlation with length of stay than lymphocytes. Also
      advanced age, high platelets, type of diagnosis, male gender and emergency
      admission led to longer hospitalizations. CONCLUSIONS: A routine check of
      albumin, lymphocytes and a spectrum of significant variables can provide precious
      information which can eventually lead to a shorter hospital stay. Knowledge of
      the general health status of a patient and the possibility to estimate his/her
      length of hospital stay are essential information for Clinical Governance, and
      for the improvement of internal services of hospitals on a large scale.

PMID- 28344805
TI  - Utilization of cholera toxin B as a mucosal adjuvant elicits antibody-mediated
      protection against S. pneumoniae infection in mice.
AB  - BACKGOUND: The introduction of the pneumococcal conjugate and polysaccharide
      vaccines have been valuable tools for combating invasive pneumococcal infection
      in children and healthy adults. Despite the available vaccination strategies,
      pneumococcal pneumonia and associated diseases continue to cause substantial
      morbidity and mortality, particularly in individuals with chronic disease and
      ageing populations. Next-generation pneumococcal vaccines will need to be highly
      immunogenic across patient populations providing both mucosal and systemic
      protective immunity. Mucosal immunization is an effective strategy for
      stimulating the immune response at the site of pathogen entry while increasing
      systemic immunity. In this study we utilized intranasal immunization with
      pneumococcal surface protein A (PspA), in combination with the mucosal adjuvant
      cholera toxin B (CTB), to characterize the immune components providing protection
      against S. pneumoniae challenge. METHODS: Mice were immunized intranasally with
      CTB and PspA individually, and in combination, followed by lethal bacterial
      challenge with S. pneumoniae, strain A66.1. Animals were monitored for survival
      and tested for lung bacterial burden, cytokine production as well as S.
      pneumoniae-specific antibody titer in mouse sera. The primary immunological
      contributor to the observed protection was confirmed by cytokine neutralization
      and serum passive transfer. RESULTS: The combination of CTB and PspA provided
      complete protection against bacterial challenge, which coincided with a
      significant decrease in lung bacterial burden. Increases in the T-helper (Th) 1
      cytokines, interferon (IFN)-gamma and interleukin (IL)-2 were observed in the
      lung 24 h post-challenge while decreases in proinflammatory mediators IL-6 and
      tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-alpha were also recorded at the same time point. The
      adjuvanted PspA immunization induced significant titers of S. pneumoniae-specific
      antibody in the serum of mice prior to infection. Serum adoptive transfer
      passively protected animals against subsequent challenge while IFN-gamma
      neutralization had no impact on the outcome of immunization, suggesting a primary
      role for antibody-mediated protection in the context of this immunization
      strategy. CONCLUSION: Mucosal immunization with CTB and PspA induced a local
      cellular immune response and systemic humoral immunity which resulted in
      effective reduction of pulmonary bacterial burden and complete protection against
      S. pneumoniae challenge. While induction of the pleiotropic cytokine IFN-gamma
      likely contributes to control of infection through activation of effector
      pathways, it was not required for protection. Instead, immunization with PspA and
      CTB-induced S. pneumoniae-specific antibodies in the serum prior to infection
      that were sufficient to protect against mucosal challenge.

PMID- 28344806
TI  - Auditory and visual hallucinations after influenza vaccine: a case report.

PMID- 28344807
TI  - Ipilimumab-induced thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura (TTP).
AB  - BACKGROUND: CTLA-4 (Cytotoxic T-lymphocyte-associated protein 4) was the first
      immune checkpoint receptor clinically targeted for use in cancer treatment. It is
      expressed exclusively on T-cells where its primary role is to regulate the
      amplitude of the early stages of T-cell activation.1 Ipilimumab, a CTLA-4
      blocking antibody, has been widely used for the treatment of patients with high
      risk and metastatic melanoma. Given its mechanism of action and consequent immune
      activation, the side effect profile of this drug greatly differs from that of
      standard cytotoxic chemotherapy. Adverse events are from the most part immune
      mediated, ranging from the more common, such as rash and fatigue, to the less
      common, such as immune endocrinopathy and colitis. CASE PRESENTATION: We describe
      a case of immune-mediated thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura (TTP) in a 68 year
      old woman with high risk, stage III melanoma occurring after 3 cycles of adjuvant
      treatment with ipilimumab as part of a clinical trial. CONCLUSION: The range of
      immune-mediated adverse events during treatment with ipilimumab is wide and
      varied and clinicians should have a high degree of suspicion when managing these
      patients.

PMID- 28344808
TI  - Safety, tumor trafficking and immunogenicity of chimeric antigen receptor (CAR)-T
      cells specific for TAG-72 in colorectal cancer.
AB  - BACKGROUND: T cells engineered to express chimeric antigen receptors (CARs) have
      established efficacy in the treatment of B-cell malignancies, but their relevance
      in solid tumors remains undefined. Here we report results of the first human
      trials of CAR-T cells in the treatment of solid tumors performed in the 1990s.
      METHODS: Patients with metastatic colorectal cancer (CRC) were treated in two
      phase 1 trials with first-generation retroviral transduced CAR-T cells targeting
      tumor-associated glycoprotein (TAG)-72 and including a CD3-zeta intracellular
      signaling domain (CART72 cells). In trial C-9701 and C-9702, CART72 cells were
      administered in escalating doses up to 1010 total cells; in trial C-9701 CART72
      cells were administered by intravenous infusion. In trial C-9702, CART72 cells
      were administered via direct hepatic artery infusion in patients with colorectal
      liver metastases. In both trials, a brief course of interferon-alpha (IFN-alpha)
      was given with each CART72 infusion to upregulate expression of TAG-72. RESULTS:
      Fourteen patients were enrolled in C-9701 and nine in C-9702. CART72
      manufacturing success rate was 100% with an average transduction efficiency of
      38%. Ten patients were treated in CC-9701 and 6 in CC-9702. Symptoms consistent
      with low-grade, cytokine release syndrome were observed in both trials without
      clear evidence of on target/off tumor toxicity. Detectable, but mostly short-term
      (<=14 weeks), persistence of CART72 cells was observed in blood; one patient had
      CART72 cells detectable at 48 weeks. Trafficking to tumor tissues was confirmed
      in a tumor biopsy from one of three patients. A subset of patients had 111Indium
      labeled CART72 cells injected, and trafficking could be detected to liver, but T
      cells appeared largely excluded from large metastatic deposits. Tumor biomarkers
      carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) and TAG-72 were measured in serum; there was a
      precipitous decline of TAG-72, but not CEA, in some patients due to induction of
      an interfering antibody to the TAG-72 binding domain of humanized CC49,
      reflecting an anti-CAR immune response. No radiologic tumor responses were
      observed. CONCLUSION: These findings demonstrate the relative safety of CART72
      cells. The limited persistence supports the incorporation of co-stimulatory
      domains in the CAR design and the use of fully human CAR constructs to mitigate
      immunogenicity.

PMID- 28344809
TI  - Basal cell carcinoma: PD-L1/PD-1 checkpoint expression and tumor regression after
      PD-1 blockade.
AB  - Monoclonal antibodies that block immune regulatory proteins such as programmed
      death-1 (PD-1) have demonstrated remarkable efficacy in controlling the growth of
      multiple tumor types. Unresectable or metastatic basal cell carcinoma, however,
      has largely gone untested. Because PD-Ligand-1 (PD-L1) expression in other tumor
      types has been associated with response to anti-PD-1, we investigated the
      expression of PD-L1 and its association with PD-1 expression in the basal cell
      carcinoma tumor microenvironment. Among 40 basal cell carcinoma specimens, 9/40
      (22%) demonstrated PD-L1 expression on tumor cells, and 33/40 (82%) demonstrated
      PD-L1 expression on tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes and associated macrophages. PD
      L1 was observed in close geographic association to PD-1+ tumor infiltrating
      lymphocytes. Additionally, we present, here, the first report of an objective
      anti-tumor response to pembrolizumab (anti-PD-1) in a patient with metastatic PD
      L1 (+) basal cell carcinoma, whose disease had previously progressed through
      hedgehog pathway-directed therapy. The patient remains in a partial response 14
      months after initiation of therapy. Taken together, our findings provide a
      rationale for testing anti-PD-1 therapy in patients with advanced basal cell
      carcinoma, either as initial treatment or after acquired resistance to hedgehog
      pathway inhibition.

PMID- 28344811
TI  - The role of imaging in the diagnosis of primary prostate cancer.
AB  - Ultrasound and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) are key imaging modalities in
      prostate cancer diagnosis. MRI offers a range of intrinsic contrast mechanisms
      (T2, diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI), MR spectroscopy (MRS)) and extrinsic
      contrast-generating options based on tumour vascular state following injection of
      weakly paramagnetic agents such as gadolinium. Together these parameters are
      referred to as multiparametric (mp)MRI and are used for detecting and guiding
      biopsy and staging prostate cancer. Although sensitivity of mpMRI is <75% for
      disease detection, specificity is >90% and a standardised reporting system
      together with MR-guided targeted biopsy is the optimal diagnostic pathway. Shear
      wave ultrasound elastography is a new technique which also holds promise for
      future studies. This article describes the developments in imaging the primary
      site of prostate cancer and reviews their current and future utility for
      screening, diagnosis and T-staging the disease.

PMID- 28344810
TI  - Novel biomarkers for the detection of prostate cancer.
AB  - Prostate-specific antigen (PSA) is widely used as a biomarker in the detection of
      prostate cancer and for decision making regarding treatment options, response to
      therapy, and clinical follow-up. Despite its widespread use, it is well
      recognised that PSA has suboptimal performance as a screening tool due to poor
      specificity, resulting in high negative biopsy rates and potential 'over
      diagnosis' and 'over-treatment' of clinically insignificant cancers. In
      particular, PSA does not reliably distinguish either cancer from benign prostatic
      conditions, or 'clinically significant' from 'indolent cancers', and it is
      inaccurate in predicting disease burden and response to treatment. There is an
      urgent demand for novel biomarkers to address these clinical needs. This article
      provides an update on the novel candidate biomarkers in development, which have
      shown potential for improving the detection of clinically significant cases of
      this malignancy.

PMID- 28344812
TI  - Novel concepts for risk stratification in prostate cancer.
AB  - Since Partin introduced the analysis of prostate-specific antigen, clinical T
      stage and Gleason scores to estimate the risk of progression in men with
      localised prostate cancer, our understanding of factors that modify this risk has
      changed drastically. There are now multiple risk stratification tools available,
      including look-up tables, risk stratification/classification analyses, regression
      tree analyses, nomograms and artificial neural networks. Concurrently,
      descriptions of novel biopsy strategies, imaging modalities and biomarkers are
      frequently published with the aim of improving risk stratification. With an
      abundance of new information available, incorporating advances into clinical
      practice can be confusing. This article aims to outline the major novel concepts
      in prostate cancer risk stratification for men with biopsy confirmed prostate
      cancer. We will detail which of these novel techniques and tools are likely to be
      adopted to aid treatment decisions and enable more accurate post-diagnosis,
      pretreatment risk stratification.

PMID- 28344813
TI  - The modern role of androgen deprivation therapy in the management of localised
      and locally advanced prostate cancer.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: Approximately 50% of men diagnosed with prostate cancer will be
      exposed to androgen deprivation therapy (ADT) at some stage. The role of ADT in
      the management of metastatic disease has long been recognised, and its place in
      the management of localised and locally advanced disease has become clearer in
      the past few years. Nevertheless, concerns remain that some men might not benefit
      from ADT in earlier-stage disease. The purpose of the current article is to
      provide a brief narrative review of the role of ADT as part of a strategy of
      treatment with curative intent, concentrating mainly on key recent developments
      in the area. METHODS: Narrative literature review of key publications in the
      English language relating to ADT in the management of localised and locally
      advanced prostate cancer. RESULTS: In locally advanced and high-risk localised
      prostate cancer, the use of ADT in combination with radiotherapy improves disease
      specific and overall survival. There is no evidence to support the use of ADT in
      the treatment of low-risk localised prostate cancer. There appears to be an
      increased risk of cardiovascular morbidity and mortality associated with
      luteinizing hormone-releasing hormone agonists, particularly in men with pre
      existing cardiovascular disease, but the relevance of this in the
      adjuvant/neoadjuvant setting is currently unclear. CONCLUSIONS: Future studies
      should focus on identification of men who are at risk from cardiovascular
      complications associated with ADT and on the comparison of radiotherapy with ADT
      versus surgery in the management of localised and locally advanced prostate
      cancer, particularly with regards to men with pre-existing comorbidities.

PMID- 28344814
TI  - The role of chemotherapy and new targeted agents in the management of primary
      prostate cancer.
AB  - While early treatment of primary prostate cancer is very effective, the incidence
      of primary prostate cancer continues to rise and therefore the detection of men
      with high-risk non-metastatic prostate cancer and their subsequent management is
      becoming increasingly important. There continues to be no molecularly-targeted or
      chemotherapeutic options with proven, statistically significant survival benefit
      in this setting. However, there are indications that further risk stratification
      using molecular features could potentially help distinguish indolent from
      aggressive prostate cancer, ultimately providing biological markers that could
      guide a more personalised approach to therapy selection.

PMID- 28344815
TI  - Occupational exposure to sharps injury among healthcare providers in Ethiopia
      regional hospitals.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Sharps injury is a penetrating stab wound from a needle, scalpel, or
      another sharp object that may result in exposure to blood or other body fluids.
      According to World Health Organization pooled estimate, the annual incidence of
      sharps injury in Africa was ranged from 2.10 to 4.68 per person per year, but
      research data in Ethiopia is limited. The aim of the study was to investigate
      sharps injury prevalence and associated risk factors. METHODS: Institution based
      cross-sectional study was conducted with 200 healthcare providers (HCP) in
      Northeast Ethiopia. Proportionate stratified sampling was used to select HCP.
      Sharps injury during the last 12 months was an outcome variable whereas
      demographic characteristics, behavioral attributes, and job environment
      characteristics were independent variables. Data was collected from April to May
      2016 using self-administered questionnaire; which was adapted from World Health
      Organization best practices for injections and related procedures toolkit.
      Bivariate and multivariate logistic regression analysis was carried out to
      identify sharps injury associated risk factors. Epi Info version 3.5.1 software
      package was used for data coding and entry whereas Statistical Package for Social
      Sciences (SPSS) version 20 software package was used for analysis. RESULTS: In
      total, 195 HCP participated with a response rate of 97.5%. The prevalence of
      sharps injury was 32.8%. Following adjustment for covariates, lack of in-service
      job training and previous exposure to sharps injury were statistically
      significant risk factors for sharps injury. HCP who had no in-service job
      training were 4.7 times more likely sustained sharps injury compared with those
      who had in-service job training (p < 0.001, OR = 4.7, 95% CI = 2.05-10.56). HCP
      who had previous exposure to sharps injury were 3.7 times more likely sustained
      sharps injury compared with those who were not exposed (p-value = 0.002, OR =
      3.7, 95% CI = 1.62-8.27). CONCLUSIONS: This study revealed 32.8% or at least
      three out of ten HCP exposed to sharps injury. This was found statistically
      significant among HCP who had no in-service job training and who had previous
      exposure to sharps injury. Thus, training HCP perhaps increase their skill and
      curiosity to reduce exposure to sharps injury.

PMID- 28344816
TI  - Vibration upshot of operating mechanical sewing machine: an insight into common
      peroneal nerve conduction study.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Most of the people associated with tailoring occupation in Nepal are
      still using mechanical sewing machine as an alternative of new technology for
      tailoring. Common peroneal nerves of both right and left legs are exposed to
      strenuous and chronic stress exerted by vibration and paddling of mechanical
      sewing machine. METHODS: The study included 30 healthy male tailors and 30
      healthy male individuals. Anthropometric variables as well as cardio respiratory
      variables were determined for each subject. Standard Nerve Conduction Techniques
      using constant measured distances were applied to evaluate common peroneal nerve
      (motor) in both legs of each individual. Data were analyzed and compared between
      study and control groups using Man Whitney U test setting the significance level
      p <= 0.05. RESULTS: Anthropometric and cardio respiratory variables were not
      significantly altered between the study and control groups. The Compound muscle
      action potential (CMAP) latency of common peroneal nerves of both right [(11.29
      +/- 1.25 vs. 10.03 +/- 1.37), P < 0.001] and left [(11.28 +/- 1.38 vs. 10.05 +/-
      1.37), P < 0.01] legs was found to be significantly prolonged in study group as
      compared to control group. The Amp-CMAP of common peroneal nerves of both right
      [(4.57 +/- 1.21 vs. 6.22 +/- 1.72), P < 0.001] and left [(4.31 +/- 1.55 vs. 6.25
      +/- 1.70), P < 0.001] legs was found significantly reduced in study group as
      compared to control group. Similarly, the motor nerve conduction velocity (MNCV)
      of common peroneal nerves of both right [(43.72 +/- 3.25 vs. 47.49 +/- 4.17), P <
      0.001] and left [(42.51 +/- 3.82 vs. 46.76 +/- 4.51), P < 0.001] legs was also
      found to be significantly reduced in study group in comparison to control group.
      CONCLUSION: Operating mechanical sewing machine by paddling chronically and
      arduously could have attributed to abnormal nerve conduction study parameters due
      to vibration effect of the machine on right and left common peroneal nerves. The
      results of present study follow the trend towards presymptomatic or asymptomatic
      neuropathy similar to subclinical neuropathy.

PMID- 28344817
TI  - Urinary biomarkers as indicator of chronic inflammation and endothelial
      dysfunction in obese adolescents.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Obesity is a pro-inflammatory state that may predispose patients to
      acute coronary syndrome characterized by chronic low grade inflammation resulting
      in endothelial dysfunction (ED). The aim of the study was to evaluate urinary
      biomarkers of inflammation and ED in adolescents with obesity. METHODS: Sixty
      three subjects were recruited for the study. Twenty healthy adolescents with
      normal body mass (NW), 14 overweight (OW), 29 obese (OA) subjects were selected.
      An EndoPat 2000 device was used to measure the reactive hyperemia index (RHI).
      First morning fasting urine samples were tested for interleukin 6 (IL-6),
      endothelin 1 (ET-1), alpha-1-acid glycoprotein (AGP), tumor necrosis factor-
      alpha (TNF-alpha) and corrected to urinary creatinine. RESULTS: Urinary TNF-alpha
      was significantly higher in OA group (52.4 +/- 15.3 pg/mg) compared to
      adolescents with NW (14.1 +/- 1.2 pg/mg, P = 0.04). ET-1 levels were found to be
      higher in OW (5.18 +/- 1.6 pg/mg) compared with NW (3 . 47 +/- 0.3 pg/mg, P =
      0.24); and higher in OA (8.48 +/- 3.1 pg/mg) compared to both NW (P = 0.19) and
      OW (P = 0.40). Similarly a higher AGP level was observed in OW (864.8 +/- 156
      ng/mg) and OA (808.3 +/- 186 ng/mg) compared to NW (653 +/- 69 ng/mg) (P = 0.16 &
      0.49 respectively). Inflammatory markers namely, TNF-alpha, IL-6 and AGP
      significantly and positively correlated with each other and with ET-1, a marker
      for endothelial dysfunction. This significant correlation was also observed when
      tested separately in the subgroups (NW, OW and OA). There were no differences in
      RHI levels among the study groups. CONCLUSION: Urinary TNF-alpha is significantly
      elevated in obese adolescents and correlates with urinary ET-1, which is
      recognized as a biomarker for endothelial dysfunction. Since obesity is a chronic
      inflammatory state, elevated urinary TNF-alpha might be used as a non invasive
      tool to monitor the level of that inflammation.

PMID- 28344818
TI  - Will bevacizumab biosimilars impact the value of systemic therapy in gynecologic
      cancers?
AB  - OBJECTIVE: Bevacizumab is an important component in the treatment of various
      cancers, and despite guidelines recommending its use in both ovarian and cervical
      cancer, patient access to bevacizumab and other angiogenesis inhibitors is
      limited. Biosimilars are large, structurally complex molecules that are intended
      to be highly similar to, and treat the same condition(s) as, an existing licensed
      or approved (reference) biologic, with no clinically meaningful differences in
      purity, potency and safety. This article summarizes the role of bevacizumab in
      the treatment paradigm of ovarian and cervical cancer. We also discuss the
      potential role of biosimilars to bevacizumab, which may offer more affordable
      options in the future treatment of gynecologic cancers. METHODS: Literature
      searches of PubMed and ClinicalTrials.gov databases were conducted. Regulatory
      and individual pharmaceutical company web pages were also reviewed. Search terms
      included "biosimilar" and "bevacizumab," and these were used to identify
      information regarding biosimilar development, reporting results of biosimilar
      studies or biosimilars in development. RESULTS: At present, four bevacizumab
      biosimilar candidates are undergoing comparative clinical assessment, with the
      potential to increase access and offer efficiencies across healthcare systems.
      CONCLUSIONS: It is anticipated that biologics such as bevacizumab will continue
      to play a key role in the treatment of an array of gynecologic cancers.
      Biosimilars to bevacizumab are currently in development and have the potential to
      increase access to medicines in a variety of settings, including gynecologic
      cancers.

PMID- 28344821
TI  - Welcome to volume 3 of Future Science OA.
AB  - Happy New Year to all of our readers! Welcome to volume 3 of Future Science OA.
      2016 was another excellent year, with us receiving some superb content for
      publication, and our becoming indexed on both Chemical Abstracts and the Emerging
      Sources Citation Index, meaning our content now appears on Web of Science. We
      thank our readers, reviewers, authors and Editorial Board members for their
      continued support, and look forward to working with everyone in 2017.

PMID- 28344820
TI  - The chordate ancestor possessed a single copy of the Brachyury gene for notochord
      acquisition.
AB  - BACKGROUND: The T-box family transcription-factor gene, Brachyury, has two
      expression domains with discrete functions during animal embryogenesis. The
      primary domain, associated with the blastopore, is shared by most metazoans,
      while the secondary domain, involved in the notochord, is specific to chordates.
      In most animals, Brachyury is present in a single copy, but in cephalochordates,
      the most basal of the chordates, the gene is present in two copies, suggesting
      allotment of the two domains to each of the duplicates. RESULTS: In order to
      clarify whether Brachyury duplication occurred in the common ancestor of
      chordates after which one of duplicates was lost in the urochordate and
      vertebrate lineages, we estimated phylogenetic relationships of Brachyury genes
      and examined the synteny of a Brachyury-containing genomic region of
      deuterostomes with decoded genomes. The monophyletic origin of tandemly arranged
      Brachyury genes of cephalochordates indicates that the tandem duplication
      occurred in the cephalochordate lineage, but not in the chordate ancestor.
      CONCLUSIONS: Our results thus suggest that, in the common ancestor of chordates,
      a single copy of Brachyury acquired two expression domains and that the
      duplication was not involved in the acquisition of the notochord. However, in
      relation to regulatory mechanisms, both possibilities-namely a single copy with
      two domains and two copies with different domains-should be considered in future
      studies of Brachyury.

PMID- 28344819
TI  - Olfaction as a soldier-- a review of the physiology and its present and future
      use in the military.
AB  - Olfaction is one of our 5 main qualitative sensory abilities. In this review, we
      have examined the physiology of olfaction from the olfactory receptor to the
      brain. Through analyzing the physiology of olfaction, we have found that the
      biochemistry of olfactory nerve stimulation is unique from that of other similar
      pathways. Upon receiving large amounts of input from the olfactory nerve, the
      olfactory bulb, followed by several layers of centrifugal and centripetal
      processing in the brain, has to sort the information from the input as well as
      integrate it with other inputs from the brain to develop a coherent understanding
      of the input. We then examined the implications of olfaction in the military, the
      practical applications of electronic noses and problems associated with injury to
      olfaction that could affect compensation and combat worthiness of a soldier
      following injury. In the military, olfaction can allow the army to perform at its
      best through 4 main methods, namely ensuring olfaction is consistent with other
      dimensions of perception (ensuring optimal olfaction ability in all soldiers in
      combat), understanding the impact of different common combat environments on the
      sense of smell, utilizing odor as a defense mechanism and using olfactory aids
      when necessary. Electronic noses are olfactory aids that have a large potential
      in the military ranging from saving lives through the detection of explosives to
      potential methods for improving combustion efficiency. There are several problems
      associated with injury to olfaction that should be considered when deciding on
      compensation and combat worthiness of the soldier following an injury.

PMID- 28344822
TI  - Quantitative analysis of lipids: a higher-throughput LC-MS/MS-based method and
      its comparison to ELISA.
AB  - AIM: Lipids such as prostaglandins, leukotrienes and thromboxanes are released as
      a result of an inflammatory episode in pain (central and peripheral). METHODOLOGY
      & RESULTS: To measure these lipids as potential mechanistic biomarkers in
      neuropathic pain models, we developed a higher-throughput LC-MS/MS-based method
      with simultaneous detection of PGE2, PGD2, PGF2alpha, LTB4, TXB2 and 2
      arachidonoyl glycerol in brain and spinal cord tissues. We also demonstrate that
      the LC-MS/MS method was more sensitive and specific in differentiating PGE2
      levels in CNS tissues compared with ELISA. CONCLUSION: The ability to modify the
      LC-MS/MS method to accommodate numerous other lipids in one analysis,
      demonstrates that the presented method offers a cost-effective and more sensitive
      alternative to ELISA method useful in drug discovery settings.

PMID- 28344823
TI  - Forty-nine years in Biomaterials Science: an interview with Buddy Ratner.
AB  - Buddy Ratner talks to Francesca Lake, Managing Editor. After receiving his PhD in
      polymer chemistry from the Polytechnic Institute of Brooklyn (USA) in 1972,
      Ratner moved to the University of Washington (USA), where he has since become
      joint professor of bioengineering and chemical engineering and Michael L & Myrna
      Darland Endowed Chair in Technology Commercialization. Since 1996, he has led the
      UWEB Research Center for Biomaterials at the University of Washington, originally
      funded by the National Science Foundation. A pioneer of the biomaterials field,
      Ratner's research interests include biomaterials, tissue engineering, polymers,
      biocompatibility and surface analysis of organic materials. A leader in the
      field, he has received numerous awards, has launched several companies and holds
      over 20 patents.

PMID- 28344824
TI  - Horizontal alignment of 5' -> 3' intergene distance segment tropy with respect to
      the gene as the conserved basis for DNA transcription.
AB  - AIM: To study the conserved basis for gene expression in comparative cell types
      at opposite ends of the cell pressuromodulation spectrum, the lymphatic
      endothelial cell and the blood microvascular capillary endothelial cell. METHODS:
      The mechanism for gene expression is studied in terms of the 5' -> 3' direction
      paired point tropy quotients (prpTQs) and the final 5' -> 3' direction episodic
      sub-episode block sums split-integrated weighted average-averaged gene
      overexpression tropy quotient (esebssiwaagoTQ). RESULTS: The final 5' -> 3'
      esebssiwaagoTQ classifies an lymphatic endothelial cell overexpressed gene as a
      supra-pressuromodulated gene (esebssiwaagoTQ >= 0.25 < 0.75) every time and
      classifies a blood microvascular capillary endothelial cell overexpressed gene
      every time as an infra-pressuromodulated gene (esebssiwaagoTQ < 0.25) (100%
      sensitivity; 100% specificity). CONCLUSION: Horizontal alignment of 5' -> 3'
      intergene distance segment tropy wrt the gene is the basis for DNA transcription
      in the pressuromodulated state.

PMID- 28344825
TI  - Identification of Filamin-A and -B as potential biomarkers for prostate cancer.
AB  - AIM: A novel strategy for prostate cancer (PrCa) biomarker discovery is
      described. MATERIALS & METHODS: In vitro perturbation biology, proteomics and
      Bayesian causal analysis identified biomarkers that were validated in in vitro
      models and clinical specimens. RESULTS: Filamin-B (FLNB) and Keratin-19 were
      identified as biomarkers. Filamin-A (FLNA) was found to be causally linked to
      FLNB. Characterization of the biomarkers in a panel of cells revealed
      differential mRNA expression and regulation. Moreover, FLNA and FLNB were
      detected in the conditioned media of cells. Last, in patients without PrCa, FLNA
      and FLNB blood levels were positively correlated, while in patients with
      adenocarcinoma the relationship is dysregulated. CONCLUSION: These data support
      the strategy and the potential use of the biomarkers for PrCa.

PMID- 28344826
TI  - Impact of bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells on remodeling the lung
      injury induced by lipopolysaccharides in mice.
AB  - AIM: This study evaluated the potential of bone marrow derived mesenchymal stem
      cells (MSCs) to regulate cytokines and remodel the lung induced by
      lipopolysaccharide (LPS; O-antigen). MATERIALS & METHODS: A group of mice (n =
      21) was inoculated intraperitoneally with one dose 0.1 ml containing 0.025 mg
      LPS/mouse, and another treated intravenously with one dose of labeling bone
      marrow derived MSCs at 7.5 * 105 cell/mouse 4 h after LPS injection. All animals
      were sacrificed on the 1st, 7th and 14th days post-injection. RESULTS: MSCs
      increased the level of IL-10 with suppression of TNF-alpha, decrease of collagen
      fibers and renewal of alveolar type I cells, together with lung tissue
      remodeling. CONCLUSION: MSCs were shown to modulate inflammatory cytokines (TNF
      alpha and IL-10) and to differentiate into alveolar type I cells, which prevented
      fibrosis in lung tissue from LPS-treated mice.

PMID- 28344827
TI  - Perinatal high methyl donor alters gene expression in IGF system in male
      offspring without altering DNA methylation.
AB  - AIM: To investigate the effect of a protein restriction and a supplementation
      with methyl donor nutrients during fetal and early postnatal life on the
      expression and epigenetic state of imprinted genes from the IGF system. MATERIALS
      & METHODS: Pregnant female rats were fed a protein-restricted diet supplemented
      or not with methyl donor. RESULTS: Gene expression of the Igf2, H19, Igf1, Igf2r
      and Plagl1 genes in the liver of male offspring at birth and weaning was strongly
      influenced by maternal diet. Whereas the methylation profiles of the Igf2, H19
      and Igf2r genes were remarkably stable, DNA methylation of Plagl1 promoter was
      slightly modified. CONCLUSION: DNA methylation of most, but not all, imprinted
      gene regulatory regions was resistant to methyl group nutritional supply.

PMID- 28344828
TI  - LC-MS/MS assay for quantitation of enalapril and enalaprilat in plasma for
      bioequivalence study in Indian subjects.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Enalapril (EPL) is an angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor for the
      treatment of hypertension and chronic heart failure. Enalaprilat (EPLT) is an
      active metabolite that contributes to the overall activity of EPL. AIM: To
      quantitate EPL along with its metabolite EPLT using LC-MS/MS, a bioanalytical
      method was developed and validated with tolbutamide in human plasma using a
      protein precipitation technique. RESULTS: The sensitive and selective method has
      an LLOQ of 1 ng/ml with a linearity range of 1-500 ng/ml for both EPL and EPLT
      using 300 ul of plasma without any matrix effect. CONCLUSION: Linearity,
      specificity, accuracy, precision and stability, as well as its application to the
      analysis of plasma samples after oral administration of 20 mg of EPL maleate in
      healthy volunteers demonstrate applicability to bioavailability/bioequivalence
      studies.

PMID- 28344829
TI  - Systemic angiopoietin-1/2 dysregulation following cardiopulmonary bypass in
      adults.
AB  - AIM: Vascular leakage following cardiopulmonary bypass contributes to morbidity.
      Angiopoietin-1 and -2 are biomarkers of endothelial dysfunction. Our aim was to
      characterize Ang-1 and -2 association with clinical characteristics and outcomes.
      METHODS: Observational cohort study measuring Ang-1/-2 with a panel of cytokines
      in adults undergoing cardiopulmonary bypass. RESULTS: Ang-2 levels increased
      immediately postop whereas Ang-1 levels decreased over time. No significant
      correlation was found with other inflammatory mediators. High correlation was
      found between the hospital length of stay and Ang-2 increase at 24 h (rho =
      0.590; p < 0.0001). The predictors of Ang-2 increase were female gender, cross
      clamp time, transfusion of blood and absence of angiotensin-converting enzyme
      inhibitor as a pre-op medication. CONCLUSION: Angiopoietins can detect vascular
      leakage early and could impact patient's management to decrease length of stay
      after cardiac surgery.

PMID- 28344830
TI  - Exploring and validating physicochemical properties of mangiferin through
      GastroPlus(r) software.
AB  - AIM: Mangiferin (Mgf), a promising therapeutic polyphenol, exhibits poor oral
      bioavailability. Hence, apt delivery systems are required to facilitate its
      gastrointestinal absorption. The requisite details on its physicochemical
      properties have not yet been well documented in literature. Accordingly, in order
      to have explicit insight into its physicochemical characteristics, the present
      work was undertaken using GastroPlusTM software. RESULTS: Aqueous solubility
      (0.38 mg/ml), log P (-0.65), Peff (0.16 * 10-4 cm/s) and ability to act as P-gp
      substrate were defined. Potency to act as a P-gp substrate was verified through
      Caco-2 cells, while Peff was estimated through single pass intestinal perfusion
      studies. Characterization of Mgf through transmission electron microscopy,
      differential scanning calorimetry, infrared spectroscopy and powder x-ray
      diffraction has also been reported. CONCLUSION: The values of physicochemical
      properties for Mgf reported in the current manuscript would certainly enable the
      researchers to develop newer delivery systems for Mgf.

PMID- 28344831
TI  - Indole-fused benzooxazepines: a new structural class of anticancer agents.
AB  - AIM: A new series of compounds (1a-16a) bearing indole-fused benzooxazepine was
      synthesized, characterized and evaluated for anticancer activity. MATERIALS &
      METHODS: In this study, all the synthesized compounds were screened via in vitro
      anticancer testing on Hep-G2 cancer cell line. A computational study was carried
      out on cancer-related targets including IL-2, IL-6, COX-2 Caspase-3 and Caspase
      8. RESULTS: Some of the synthesized compounds effectively controlled the growth
      of cancerous cells. CONCLUSION: The most active compounds - 6a, 10a, 13a, 14a and
      15a - exemplify notable anticancer profile with GI50 <10 MUg/ml. Preliminary
      structure-activity relationship among the tested compounds can produce an
      assumption that the electronegative groups at phenyl ring attached with indole
      fused benzooxazepine are instrumental for the activity. Molecular docking study
      showed crucial hydrogen bond and pi-pi stacking interactions, with good ADMET
      profiling and molecular dynamic simulation.

PMID- 28344833
TI  - Body mass and cancer: genetics, endocrinology... and more.

PMID- 28344832
TI  - In silico functional elucidation of uncharacterized proteins of Chlamydia abortus
      strain LLG.
AB  - AIM: This study reports structural modeling, molecular dynamics profiling of
      hypothetical proteins in Chlamydia abortus genome database. METHODOLOGY: The
      hypothetical protein sequences were extracted from C. abortus LLG Genome Database
      for functional elucidation using in silico methods. RESULTS: Fifty-one proteins
      with their roles in defense, binding and transporting other biomolecules were
      unraveled. Forty-five proteins were found to be nonhomologous to proteins present
      in hosts infected by C. abortus. Of these, 31 proteins were related to virulence.
      The structural modeling of two proteins, first, WP_006344020.1 (phosphorylase)
      and second, WP_006344325.1 (chlamydial protease/proteasome-like activity factor)
      were accomplished. The conserved active sites necessary for the catalytic
      function were analyzed. CONCLUSION: The finally concluded proteins are envisioned
      as possible targets for developing drugs to curtail chlamydial infections,
      however, and should be validated by molecular biological methods.

PMID- 28344834
TI  - Ligature-associated bacterial profiles are linked to type 2 diabetes mellitus in
      a rat model and influenced by antibody treatment against TNF-alpha or RAGE.
AB  - There is a bidirectional relationship between periodontal disease (PD) and type 2
      diabetes mellitus (T2D). T2D may lead to ecological perturbations in the oral
      environment, which may facilitate an altered microbiota. However, previous
      studies have been inconclusive in determining the effect of T2D on oral bacterial
      profiles. Therefore, we aimed to evaluate the influence of T2D on the ligature
      associated bacterial profile in a diabetic rat model with PD and investigated the
      impact of blocking inflammatory pathways with antibodies targeting either Tumor
      Necrosis Factor alpha (TNF-alpha) or the receptor of advanced glycation end
      products (RAGE). A total of 62 Zucker obese rats (45 T2D) and 17 lean (non-T2D)
      were divided into 4 treatment groups; lean with PD, obese with PD, obese with PD
      and anti-TNF-alpha treatment, and obese with PD with anti-RAGE treatment.
      Periodontal disease was ligature induced. Ligature-associated bacterial profiles
      were analyzed using Human Oral Microbe Identification Microarray (HOMIM).
      Ligature-associated bacterial profiles differed between lean and obese rats.
      Furthermore, treatment with antibodies against TNF-alpha or RAGE had an impact on
      subgingival bacterial profiles. T2D phenotypes are associated with different
      ligature-associated bacterial profiles and influenced by treatment with
      antibodies against TNF-alpha or RAGE.

PMID- 28344835
TI  - A Review of Mercury Exposure and Health of Dental Personnel.
AB  - Considerable effort has been made to address the issue of occupational health and
      environmental exposure to mercury. This review reports on the current literature
      of mercury exposure and health impacts on dental personnel. Citations were
      searched using four comprehensive electronic databases for articles published
      between 2002 and 2015. All original articles that evaluated an association
      between the use of dental amalgam and occupational mercury exposure in dental
      personnel were included. Fifteen publications from nine different countries met
      the selection criteria. The design and quality of the studies showed significant
      variation, particularly in the choice of biomarkers as an indicator of mercury
      exposure. In several countries, dental personnel had higher mercury levels in
      biological fluids and tissues than in control groups; some work practices
      increased mercury exposure but the exposure levels remained below recommended
      guidelines. Dental personnel reported more health conditions, often involving the
      central nervous system, than the control groups. Clinical symptoms reported by
      dental professionals may be associated with low-level, long-term exposure to
      occupational mercury, but may also be due to the effects of aging, occupational
      overuse, and stress. It is important that dental personnel, researchers, and
      educators continue to encourage and monitor good work practices by dental
      professionals.

PMID- 28344836
TI  - Human Body Mechanics of Pushing and Pulling: Analyzing the Factors of Task
      related Strain on the Musculoskeletal System.
AB  - The purpose of this review is to name and describe the important factors of
      musculoskeletal strain originating from pushing and pulling tasks such as cart
      handling that are commonly found in industrial contexts. A literature database
      search was performed using the research platform Web of Science. For a study to
      be included in this review differences in measured or calculated strain had to be
      investigated with regard to: (1) cart weight/ load; (2) handle position and
      design; (3) exerted forces; (4) handling task (push and pull); or (5) task
      experience. Thirteen studies met the inclusion criteria and proved to be of
      adequate methodological quality by the standards of the Alberta Heritage
      Foundation for Medical Research. External load or cart weight proved to be the
      most influential factor of strain. The ideal handle positions ranged from hip to
      shoulder height and were dependent on the strain factor that was focused on as
      well as the handling task. Furthermore, task experience and subsequently handling
      technique were also key to reducing strain. Workplace settings that regularly
      involve pushing and pulling should be checked for potential improvements with
      regards to lower weight of the loaded handling device, handle design, and good
      practice guidelines to further reduce musculoskeletal disease prevalence.

PMID- 28344837
TI  - Exploring Supervisor-Related Job Resources as Mediators between Supervisor
      Conflict and Job Attitudes in Hospital Employees.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Conservation of resources theory assumes loss of resources as a cause
      of job strain. In hospital work, conflicts with supervisors are tested to predict
      lower resources, that is, supervisory social support, participation
      possibilities, and appreciation. All three resources are expected to predict, in
      turn, experienced stress (job strain) and lower job satisfaction, lower affective
      commitment, and a higher resigned attitude towards the job (job attitudes).
      METHODS: The sample included 1,073 employees from 14 Swiss hospitals (n = 604
      nurses, n = 81 physicians, n = 135 medical therapists, and n = 253 technical and
      administrative staff). Of the total sample, 83.1% were female and 38.9% worked
      full-time. The median tenure was between 7 years and 10 years. Constructs were
      assessed by online questionnaires. Structural equation modeling was used to test
      mediation. RESULTS: Structural equation modeling confirmed the negative
      association of conflict with supervisors and job resources. Tests of indirect
      paths to resources as a link between conflicts with supervisors and job attitudes
      were significant. For nurses, social support, participation and appreciation
      showed a significant indirect path, while among medical technicians the indirect
      paths included social support and appreciation, and among physicians only
      appreciation showed a significant indirect path. In medical therapists no
      indirect path was significant. Job resources did not mediate the link between
      conflict with supervisors and stress in any occupational group. CONCLUSION:
      Conflicts with supervisors are likely to reduce job resources and in turn to
      lower job attitudes. Work design in hospitals should, therefore, address
      interpersonal working conditions and conflict management in leadership
      development.

PMID- 28344838
TI  - Establishing a Policy Framework for the Primary Prevention of Occupational
      Cancer: A Proposal Based on a Prospective Health Policy Analysis.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Despite our knowledge of the causes of cancer, millions of workers
      are involuntarily exposed to a wide range of known and suspected carcinogens in
      the workplace. To address this issue from a policy perspective, we developed a
      policy framework based on a prospective health policy analysis. Use of the
      framework was demonstrated for developing policies to prevent cancers associated
      with diesel engine exhaust (DEE), asbestos, and shift work, three occupational
      carcinogens with global reach and large cancer impact. METHODS: An environmental
      scan of existing prospective health policy analyses was conducted to select and
      describe our framework parameters. These parameters were augmented by
      considerations unique to occupational cancer. Policy-related resources,
      predominantly from Canada, were used to demonstrate how the framework can be
      applied to cancers associated with DEE, asbestos, and shift work. RESULTS: The
      parameters of the framework were: problem statement, context, jurisdictional
      evidence, primary prevention policy options, and key policy players and their
      attributes. Applying the framework to the three selected carcinogens illustrated
      multiple avenues for primary prevention, including establishing an occupational
      exposure limit for DEE, banning asbestos, and improving shift schedules. The
      framework emphasized the need for leadership by employers and government.
      CONCLUSION: To our knowledge, this is the first proposal for a comprehensive
      policy framework dedicated to the primary prevention of occupational cancer. The
      framework can be adapted and applied by key policy players in Canada and other
      countries as a guide of what parameters to consider when developing policies to
      protect workers' health.

PMID- 28344839
TI  - Associations Between Body Fat Percentage and Fitness among Police Officers: A
      Statewide Study.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Police work is generally sedentary although there may be situations
      that require physical endurance and strength, such as foot chases and arresting
      suspects. Factors such as excessive body fat can impede an officer's physical
      ability to deal with such occurrences. Our objective was to examine associations
      between officers' body fat percentage (BF%) and performance on a standardized
      fitness protocol. METHODS: Data were obtained from fitness screening among 1,826
      male and 115 female officers in a large US police agency. The screening consisted
      of a 2.4-km run, push-ups, sit-ups, and sit-and-reach test. Sex-specific body fat
      percentages were estimated from skinfold thickness measured using calipers.
      Linear regression models were used to examine unadjusted and adjusted mean scores
      of fitness tests across BF% tertiles. RESULTS: The prevalence of overall fitness
      was 4.3 times greater in male officers and 3.6 times greater in female officers
      having the lowest BF% tertile compared with the highest tertile (30.3% vs 7.1%
      and 46.0% vs 12.8%, respectively). BF% was linearly and positively associated
      with the time of 2.4-km run (p < 0.001), and linearly and inversely associated
      with the number of push-ups (p < 0.001), sit-ups (p < 0.001), and the distance of
      sit-and-reach (p < 0.001) in men. Similar associations were observed in women
      with the exception of sit-and-reach (p = 0.122). Associations were independent of
      age, race/ethnicity, rank, and duty station. CONCLUSION: Overall, BF% was
      inversely associated with fitness levels in male and female officers. Future
      longitudinal studies should be initiated to explore the potentially causal
      relationship between BF% and fitness in law enforcement officers.

PMID- 28344840
TI  - Simulation and Damage Analysis of an Accidental Jet Fire in a High-Pressure
      Compressed Pump Shelter.
AB  - BACKGROUND: As one of the most frequently occurring accidents in a chemical
      plant, a fire accident may occur at any place where transfer or handling of
      combustible materials is routinely performed. METHODS: In particular, a jet fire
      incident in a chemical plant operated under high pressure may bring severe
      damage. To review this event numerically, Computational Fluid Dynamics
      methodology was used to simulate a jet fire at a pipe of a compressor under high
      pressure. RESULTS: For jet fire simulation, the Kemeleon FireEx Code was used,
      and results of this simulation showed that a structure and installations located
      within the shelter of a compressor received serious damage. CONCLUSION: The
      results confirmed that a jet fire may create a domino effect that could cause an
      accident aside from the secondary chemical accident.

PMID- 28344842
TI  - Effectiveness of Direct Safety Regulations on Manufacturers and Users of
      Industrial Machines: Its Implications on Industrial Safety Policies in Republic
      of Korea.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Despite considerable efforts made in recent years, the industrial
      accident rate and the fatality rate in the Republic of Korea are much higher than
      those in most developed countries in Europe and North America. Industrial safety
      policies and safety regulations are also known to be ineffective and inefficient
      in some cases. METHODS: This study focuses on the quantitative evaluation of the
      effectiveness of direct safety regulations such as safety certification, self
      declaration of conformity, and safety inspection of industrial machines in the
      Republic of Korea. Implications on safety policies to restructure the industrial
      safety system associated with industrial machines are also explored. RESULTS:
      Analysis of causes in industrial accidents associated with industrial machines
      confirms that technical causes need to be resolved to reduce both the frequency
      and the severity of such industrial accidents. Statistical analysis also confirms
      that the indirect effects of safety device regulation on users are limited for a
      variety of reasons. Safety device regulation needs to be shifted to complement
      safety certification and self-declaration of conformity for more balanced direct
      regulations on manufacturers and users. An example of cost-benefit analysis on
      conveyor justifies such a transition. CONCLUSION: Industrial safety policies and
      regulations associated with industrial machines must be directed towards
      eliminating the sources of danger at the stage of danger creation, thereby
      securing the safe industrial machines. Safety inspection further secures the
      safety of workers at the stage of danger use. The overall balance between such
      safety regulations is achieved by proper distribution of industrial machines
      subject to such regulations and the intensity of each regulation. Rearrangement
      of industrial machines subject to safety certification and self-declaration of
      conformity to include more movable industrial machines and other industrial
      machines with a high level of danger is also suggested.

PMID- 28344841
TI  - Status of Laboratory Biosafety and Biosecurity in Veterinary Research Facilities
      in Nigeria.
AB  - BACKGROUND: This study determined current status of laboratory biosafety in
      Nigerian veterinary research facilities. METHODS: A questionnaire was developed
      to obtain information from researchers across Nigeria from July 2014 to July
      2015. Information regarding demographics, knowledge of laboratory biosafety,
      availability and proper use of personal protective equipment (PPE), any priority
      pathogens researched, attitude on and use of standard laboratory practices, and
      biosafety awareness was obtained using a numeric scoring system. Data were
      analyzed with descriptive statistics, and univariate and multivariate logistic
      regression. RESULTS: A total of 74 participants from 19 facilities completed the
      questionnaire. General knowledge scores ranged from 3 to 28 (out of 28 possible
      points), with 94.6% of respondents receiving low scores (scores < mean + 1
      standard deviation). Very few (17.6%) reported availability or use PPE. Many
      participants (63.5%) reported no access to biosafety level (BSL)-1-3 facilities.
      None reported availability of a BSL-4 facility. Knowledge scores pertaining to
      biosafety management practices ranged from 0 to 14 (out of 14 possible points)
      with 47.3% of respondents receiving good scores (scores > mean + 1 standard
      deviation). Only 16.2% of respondents (from four facilities) reported having
      biosafety officers. Rabies virus was the most researched pathogen (31.1% of
      respondents). The majority (71.6%) were unaware of laws guiding biosafety.
      Researchers [odds ratio (OR) = 18.0; 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.63, 198.5; p
      = 0.023], especially in BSL-2 (OR = 258.5; 95% CI: 12.71, 5256; p < 0.001)
      facility of research institute (OR = 25.0; 95% CI: 5.18, 120.6; p < 0.001), are
      more likely to have adequate access to and properly utilize biosafety devices and
      PPE. CONCLUSIONS: Current knowledge of laboratory biosafety is limited except
      among a few researchers.

PMID- 28344843
TI  - The Impact of Job Stress and Job Satisfaction on Workforce Productivity in an
      Iranian Petrochemical Industry.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Job stress and job satisfaction are important factors affecting
      workforce productivity. This study was carried out to investigate the job stress,
      job satisfaction, and workforce productivity levels, to examine the effects of
      job stress and job satisfaction on workforce productivity, and to identify
      factors associated with productivity decrement among employees of an Iranian
      petrochemical industry. METHODS: In this study, 125 randomly selected employees
      of an Iranian petrochemical company participated. The data were collected using
      the demographic questionnaire, Osipow occupational stress questionnaire to
      investigate the level of job stress, Job Descriptive Index to examine job
      satisfaction, and Hersey and Goldsmith questionnaire to investigate productivity
      in the study population. RESULTS: The levels of employees' perceived job stress
      and job satisfaction were moderate-high and moderate, respectively. Also, their
      productivity was evaluated as moderate. Although the relationship between job
      stress and productivity indices was not statistically significant, the positive
      correlation between job satisfaction and productivity indices was statistically
      significant. The regression modeling demonstrated that productivity was
      significantly associated with shift schedule, the second and the third dimensions
      of job stress (role insufficiency and role ambiguity), and the second dimension
      of job satisfaction (supervision). CONCLUSION: Corrective measures are necessary
      to improve the shift work system. "Role insufficiency" and "role ambiguity"
      should be improved and supervisor support must be increased to reduce job stress
      and increase job satisfaction and productivity.

PMID- 28344845
TI  - Respiratory Disorders Among Workers in Slaughterhouses.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Workers in slaughterhouses are exposed to a wide range of biological
      contaminants, such as bacteria and fungi, due to their working environment. This
      study aimed to assess the prevalence of respiratory disorders among workers in
      slaughterhouses. METHODS: This study was conducted on 81 workers in
      slaughterhouses and 81 healthy office workers as a reference group. The American
      Thoracic Society standard respiratory symptoms questionnaire was used to
      determine the prevalence of respiratory disorders. Besides, lung function tests
      were conducted using a calibrated spirometer at the beginning (preshift) and at
      the end (postshift) of the 1st working day. Single-stage Anderson sampler was
      used to measure the concentration of bioaerosols in different parts of
      slaughterhouses. RESULTS: The prevalence of respiratory disorders, such as cough,
      productive cough, breathlessness, phlegm, and wheezing, was 3.17, 4.02, 3.07,
      4.66, and 3.94 times, respectively, higher among workers in slaughterhouses
      compared with the reference group. CONCLUSION: The prevalence of respiratory
      disorders was significantly higher among workers in slaughterhouses. Thus, the
      significant reduction in the percentage predicted lung function among workers in
      slaughterhouses might be associated with exposure to bioaerosols in their work
      environment.

PMID- 28344846
TI  - Beating Obesity: Factors Associated with Interest in Workplace Weight Management
      Assistance in the Mining Industry.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Rates of overweight and obese Australians are high and continue to
      rise, putting a large proportion of the population at risk of chronic illness.
      Examining characteristics associated with preference for a work-based weight-loss
      program will enable employers to better target programs to increase enrolment and
      benefit employees' health and fitness for work. METHODS: A cross-sectional survey
      was undertaken at two Australian mining sites. The survey collected information
      on employee demographics, health characteristics, work characteristics, stages of
      behavior change, and preference for workplace assistance with reaching a healthy
      weight. RESULTS: A total of 897 employees participated; 73.7% were male, and 68%
      had a body mass index in the overweight or obese range. Employees at risk of
      developing obesity-related chronic illnesses (based on high body mass index) were
      more likely to report preference for weight management assistance than lower risk
      employees. This indicates that, even in the absence of workplace promotion for
      weight management, some at risk employees want workplace assistance. Employees
      who were not aware of a need to change their current nutrition or physical
      activity behaviors were less likely to seek assistance. This indicates that
      practitioners need to communicate the negative effects of excess weight and
      promote the benefits of a healthy lifestyle to increase the likelihood of weight
      management. CONCLUSION: Weight management programs should provide information,
      motivation. and trouble-shooting assistance to meet the needs of at-risk mining
      employees, including those who are attempting to change and maintain behaviors to
      achieve a healthy weight and be suitably fit for work.

PMID- 28344844
TI  - Effort-reward Imbalance at Work, Parental Support, and Suicidal Ideation in
      Adolescents: A Cross-sectional Study from Chinese Dual-earner Families.
AB  - BACKGROUND: In contemporary China, most parents are dual-earner couples and there
      is only one child in the family. We aimed to examine the associations of parents'
      work stress with suicidal ideation among the corresponding adolescent. We further
      hypothesized that low parental support experienced by adolescents may mediate the
      associations. METHODS: Cross-sectional data from school students and their
      working parents were used, with 907 families from Kunming City, China. Stress at
      work was measured by the effort-reward imbalance questionnaire. Perceived
      parental support was assessed by an item on parental empathy and their
      willingness to communicate with the adolescent. Suicidal ideation was considered
      positive if students reported thoughts about suicide every month or more
      frequently during the previous 6 months. Logistic regression was used to examine
      the associations. RESULTS: We observed that parents' work stress was positively
      associated with low parental support, which was in turn associated with
      adolescent suicidal ideation. The odds ratio for parents' work stress and
      adolescent suicidal ideation was 2.91 (95% confidence interval: 1.53-5.53), and
      this association was markedly attenuated to 2.24 (95% confidence interval: 1.15
      4.36) after additional adjustment for parental support. Notably, mothers' work
      stress levels exerted stronger effects on children's suicidal ideation than those
      of fathers. CONCLUSION: Parents' work stress (particularly mother's work stress)
      was strongly associated with adolescent's suicidal ideation, and the association
      was partially mediated by low parental support. These results need to be
      replicated and extended in prospective investigations within and beyond China, in
      order to explore potential causal pathways as a basis of preventive action.

PMID- 28344847
TI  - Exercise Self-Efficacy as a Mediator between Goal-Setting and Physical Activity:
      Developing the Workplace as a Setting for Promoting Physical Activity.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Physical activity (PA) is ranked as a leading health indicator and
      the workplace is a key setting to promote PA. The purpose of this study was to
      examine how goal-setting and exercise self-efficacy (SE) during a health
      promotion program influenced PA level among Japanese workers. METHODS: Using a
      cross-sectional study design, we surveyed 281 employees. The short version of the
      International Physical Activity Questionnaire was used to assess PA level.
      Exercise SE was assessed using a partially modified version of Oka's exercise SE
      scale. Personal goals were assessed as the total numbers of "yes" responses to
      five items regarding "details of personal goals to perform PA". A mediational
      model was used to examine whether exercise SE mediates between the number of
      personal goals and PA level. RESULTS: The mean age of the participants was 46.3
      years, 76.2% were men, and the most common occupational category was software
      engineer (30.6%). The average PA level per week exceeded the recommended level in
      127 participants (45.2%). One hundred and eighty-four participants (65.5%) set
      some form of concrete personal goal to perform PA. The relationship between the
      number of personal goals and PA level was mediated by exercise SE. CONCLUSION:
      Our study showed that exercise SE mediates goal-setting and increases PA. The
      results suggest that the components of PA promotion programs should be tailored
      to enhance participants' confidence in performing PA.

PMID- 28344848
TI  - Occupational Heat Stress Impacts on Health and Productivity in a Steel Industry
      in Southern India.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Workers laboring in steel industries in tropical settings with high
      ambient temperatures are subjected to thermally stressful environments that can
      create well-known risks of heat-related illnesses and limit workers'
      productivity. METHODS: A cross-sectional study undertaken in a steel industry in
      a city nicknamed "Steel City" in Southern India assessed thermal stress by wet
      bulb globe temperature (WBGT) and level of dehydration from urine color and urine
      specific gravity. A structured questionnaire captured self-reported heat-related
      health symptoms of workers. RESULTS: Some 90% WBGT measurements were higher than
      recommended threshold limit values (27.2-41.7 degrees C) for heavy and moderate
      workloads and radiational heat from processes were very high in blooming
      mill/coke-oven (67.6 degrees C globe temperature). Widespread heat-related health
      concerns were prevalent among workers, including excessive sweating, fatigue, and
      tiredness reported by 50% workers. Productivity loss was significantly reported
      high in workers with direct heat exposures compared to those with indirect heat
      exposures (chi2 = 26.1258, degrees of freedom = 1, p < 0.001). Change in urine
      color was 7.4 times higher among workers exposed to WBGTs above threshold limit
      values (TLVs). CONCLUSION: Preliminary evidence shows that high heat exposures
      and heavy workload adversely affect the workers' health and reduce their work
      capacities. Health and productivity risks in developing tropical country work
      settings can be further aggravated by the predicted temperature rise due to
      climate change, without appropriate interventions. Apart from industries
      enhancing welfare facilities and designing control interventions, further
      physiological studies with a seasonal approach and interventional studies are
      needed to strengthen evidence for developing comprehensive policies to protect
      workers employed in high heat industries.

PMID- 28344849
TI  - Developing Asbestos Job Exposure Matrix Using Occupation and Industry Specific
      Exposure Data (1984-2008) in Republic of Korea.
AB  - BACKGROUND: The goal of this study is to develop a general population job
      exposure matrix (GPJEM) on asbestos to estimate occupational asbestos exposure
      levels in the Republic of Korea. METHODS: Three Korean domestic quantitative
      exposure datasets collected from 1984 to 2008 were used to build the GPJEM.
      Exposure groups in collected data were reclassified based on the current Korean
      Standard Industrial Classification (9th edition) and the Korean Standard
      Classification of Occupations code (6th edition) that is in accordance to
      international standards. All of the exposure levels were expressed by weighted
      arithmetic mean (WAM) and minimum and maximum concentrations. RESULTS: Based on
      the established GPJEM, the 112 exposure groups could be reclassified into 86
      industries and 74 occupations. In the 1980s, the highest exposure levels were
      estimated in "knitting and weaving machine operators" with a WAM concentration of
      7.48 fibers/mL (f/mL); in the 1990s, "plastic products production machine
      operators" with 5.12 f/mL, and in the 2000s "detergents production machine
      operators" handling talc containing asbestos with 2.45 f/mL. Of the 112 exposure
      groups, 44 groups had higher WAM concentrations than the Korean occupational
      exposure limit of 0.1 f/mL. CONCLUSION: The newly constructed GPJEM which is
      generated from actual domestic quantitative exposure data could be useful in
      evaluating historical exposure levels to asbestos and could contribute to
      improved prediction of asbestos-related diseases among Koreans.

PMID- 28344850
TI  - Adverse neurodevelopmental effects and hearing loss in children associated with
      manganese in well water, North Carolina, USA.
AB  - AIM: Heavy metals such as manganese, arsenic and lead can act as neurotoxins.
      There have been few human studies of neurobehavioral/neurodevelopmental effects
      of arsenic and manganese on children in the United States. Since 1998, North
      Carolina has tested all new private wells for manganese, arsenic and lead. This
      study was conducted to evaluate adverse neurodevelopmental effects (delayed
      milestones, speech/language disorders and hearing loss) in children and metal
      concentrations in well water. METHODS: A quasi-regression model of the number of
      children (0-35 months of age) with adverse neurodevelopmental effects as outcome
      measures and aggregate mean metal concentration (arsenic, lead, and manganese) in
      private well water in each county as exposures. RESULTS: Over 70,000 private well
      water samples from 1998 to 2011 were analyzed for metal content. From 2008 to
      2011, an average of 17,000 children was enrolled in the Infant Toddler Program.
      On average, 1.7% of children in this age range in each county had a
      speech/language disorder, 0.24% had a diagnosis of delayed milestones, and 0.026%
      had a diagnosis of hearing loss. The county mean manganese concentration was
      significantly and positively associated with the prevalence of delayed milestones
      and hearing loss in the children. No association was found for metal
      concentrations and speech/language disorders. CONCLUSION: This ecological study
      indicates that further investigation of manganese in well water and associated
      neurodevelopmental health outcomes in children is needed.

PMID- 28344851
TI  - Manipulating Human Memory Through Reconsolidation: Stones Left Unturned.

PMID- 28344853
TI  - SNAP: A General Purpose Network Analysis and Graph Mining Library.
AB  - Large networks are becoming a widely used abstraction for studying complex
      systems in a broad set of disciplines, ranging from social network analysis to
      molecular biology and neuroscience. Despite an increasing need to analyze and
      manipulate large networks, only a limited number of tools are available for this
      task. Here, we describe Stanford Network Analysis Platform (SNAP), a general
      purpose, high-performance system that provides easy to use, high-level operations
      for analysis and manipulation of large networks. We present SNAP functionality,
      describe its implementational details, and give performance benchmarks. SNAP has
      been developed for single big-memory machines and it balances the trade-off
      between maximum performance, compact in-memory graph representation, and the
      ability to handle dynamic graphs where nodes and edges are being added or removed
      over time. SNAP can process massive networks with hundreds of millions of nodes
      and billions of edges. SNAP offers over 140 different graph algorithms that can
      efficiently manipulate large graphs, calculate structural properties, generate
      regular and random graphs, and handle attributes and meta-data on nodes and
      edges. Besides being able to handle large graphs, an additional strength of SNAP
      is that networks and their attributes are fully dynamic, they can be modified
      during the computation at low cost. SNAP is provided as an open source library in
      C++ as well as a module in Python. We also describe the Stanford Large Network
      Dataset, a set of social and information real-world networks and datasets, which
      we make publicly available. The collection is a complementary resource to our
      SNAP software and is widely used for development and benchmarking of graph
      analytics algorithms.

PMID- 28344852
TI  - Programming T cell Killers for an HIV Cure: Teach the New Dogs New Tricks and Let
      the Sleeping Dogs Lie.
AB  - Despite the success of combination antiretroviral therapy (cART), a latent viral
      reservoir persists in HIV-1-infected persons. Unfortunately, endogenous cytotoxic
      T lymphocytes (CTLs) are unable to control viral rebound when patients are
      removed from cART. A "kick and kill" strategy has been proposed to eradicate this
      reservoir, whereby infected T cells are induced to express viral proteins via
      latency-inducing drugs followed by their elimination by CTLs. It has yet to be
      determined if stimulation of existing HIV-1-specific CTL will be sufficient, or
      if new CTLs should be primed from naive T cells. In this review, we propose that
      dendritic cells (DCs), the most potent antigen presenting cells, act as dog
      trainers and can induce T cells (the dogs) to do magnificent tricks. We propose
      the hypothesis that an HIV-1 cure will require targeting of naive T cells and
      will necessitate "teaching new dogs new tricks" while avoiding activation of
      potentially dysfunctional endogenous memory CTLs (letting the sleeping dogs lie).

PMID- 28344854
TI  - Design and validation of magnetic particle spectrometer for characterization of
      magnetic nanoparticle relaxation dynamics.
AB  - The design and validation of a magnetic particle spectrometer (MPS) system used
      to study the linear and nonlinear behavior of magnetic nanoparticle suspensions
      is presented. The MPS characterizes the suspension dynamic response, both due to
      relaxation and saturation effects, which depends on the magnetic particles and
      their environment. The system applies sinusoidal excitation magnetic fields
      varying in amplitude and frequency and can be configured for linear measurements
      (1 mT at up to 120 kHz) and nonlinear measurements (50 mT at up to 24 kHz). Time
      resolved data acquisition at up to 4 MS/s combined with hardware and software
      based signal processing allows for wide-band measurements up to 50 harmonics in
      nonlinear mode. By cross-calibrating the instrument with a known sample, the
      instantaneous sample magnetization can be quantitatively reconstructed.
      Validation of the two MPS modes are performed for iron oxide and cobalt ferrite
      suspensions, exhibiting Neel and Brownian relaxation, respectively.

PMID- 28344855
TI  - Changes in Colorectal Cancer Screening Knowledge, Behavior, Beliefs, Self
      Efficacy, and Barriers among Community Health Clinic Patients after a Health
      Literacy Intervention.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: The objective in this pre- and post-survey assessment was to compare
      the effectiveness of a health literacy-directed intervention designed to increase
      knowledge, beliefs, barriers, self-efficacy and behavior associated with CRC
      screening with FOBT among patients cared for in predominantly rural community
      clinics and the change in these characteristics over the first 15 months after
      enrolling in a study designed to assess screening strategies. METHODS: Between
      2008 and 2011, a quasi-experimental intervention was conducted in 8 predominantly
      rural Federally Qualified Health Centers. Patients were orally administered a 15
      minute survey at enrollment by a clinic research assistant (RA) and at 15 months
      by phone by a central RA. Participants included 428 community clinic patients
      aged 50-85 (mean 58.5); the majority (79%) were female, 69% were African
      American, and 54% had limited health literacy. RESULTS: There was significant
      improvement across all groups with the number of patients reporting they had been
      given information /education on CRC testing (p<.0001), been given an FOBT kit
      (p<.0001), and completed an FOBT (p<.0001) with significant improvement in having
      a doctor recommendation in all groups except usual care. Confidence in an FOBT's
      potential to decrease chances of dying from CRC improved across all groups as
      well (p<0.002). In addition, patients 'belief that they would get CRC in their
      lifetime' decreased across all groups post-intervention (p<0.03) as did their
      worry that they may find out they have CRC (p<0.04). CONCLUSION: Overall these
      low income FQHC patients who were not up-to-date with screening had heard of CRC
      screening, had positive attitudes toward screening and wanted to know if they had
      cancer. Results demonstrate the value of giving patients a recommendation and a
      kit; patients in all groups reported significant increases at 15 months in
      completing CRC screening (>83%) as confirmed by study records.

PMID- 28344856
TI  - Effects of a Novel Dental Gel on Enamel Surface Recovery from Acid Challenge.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Objective was to evaluate the in vivo effects of a novel dental gel
      (Livionex gelR) vs. a comparison dental gel on the surfaces of pre-eroded enamel
      chips. METHODS: On days 1-5, after toothbrushing with dentifrice, nine subjects
      each wore 8 enamel chips mounted on a palatal appliance for 4 h. Enamel blocks
      were pre-demineralized daily. After 2 day washout, subjects repeated the protocol
      using fresh chips and the second toothpaste on days 8-12. Samples were evaluated
      using electron microscopy. RESULTS: Ten standardized enamel surface
      photomicrographs/sample (total 1440 images) were evaluated for signs of erosion
      visually and on a scale of 0-3 by 1 evaluator. No significant differences were
      found between the 2 groups (p>0.32, 95% C.I.). Minimal surface erosion on approx.
      15% of sample area was visible in both groups. CONCLUSION: The enamel surface
      appeared similar after usage of a test or control dentifrice. Based on this
      study, the test formulation did not affect enamel surface recovery from an
      erosive challenge. PRACTICAL IMPLICATIONS: Dentifrices can contribute to
      maintaining a healthy enamel surface. An all-natural dental gel formulation with
      novel anti-plaque mechanism achieved similar recovery from acid challenge to
      enamel as a control gel.

PMID- 28344857
TI  - Metastatic BRAF K601E-mutated melanoma reaches complete response to MEK inhibitor
      trametinib administered for over 36 months.
AB  - BACKGROUND: The BRAF K601E mutation occurs in 5% of patients with melanoma, and
      is the third most common type of BRAF mutation. However, treatment with BRAF and
      mitogen-activated extracellular signal-regulated kinase (MEK) inhibitors is only
      approved in patients with BRAF V600-positive melanoma, and patients with K601E
      mutated melanoma do not have access to such drugs. CASE PRESENTATION: A female
      patient was diagnosed with high tumor burden metastatic melanoma harboring the
      BRAF K601E mutation. After chemotherapy failure, she underwent compassionate
      treatment with trametinib. Trametinib showed good activity and efficacy, with 48%
      shrinkage of a metastatic lymphadenopathy after 4 months' treatment. However, the
      patient reported treatment-related skin toxicity that required dosage reduction
      and a personalized intermittent trametinib dosing schedule. After over 36 months
      from the first trametinib administration, and resection of a metastatic
      lymphadenopathy, the patient experienced complete response. CONCLUSIONS: This
      case report shows that trametinib could be a valid therapeutic option in patients
      with metastatic melanoma harboring the rare BRAF K601E mutation.

PMID- 28344858
TI  - nab-Paclitaxel for the treatment of breast cancer: an update across treatment
      settings.
AB  - PURPOSE: The purpose of this systematic review is to discuss recent studies and
      ongoing trials of nab-paclitaxel in breast cancer and to examine the potential
      role of nab-paclitaxel as a backbone for immuno-oncology therapies. METHODS:
      PubMed and selected congress proceedings were searched for studies of nab
      paclitaxel in breast cancer published between 2013 and 2015. All phase II and III
      clinical trials, retrospective analyses, and institutional studies were included.
      Active, ongoing, phase II or III trials on nab-paclitaxel that were listed on
      ClinicalTrials.gov were also included. RESULTS: Sixty-three studies, including 23
      in early-stage and 30 in metastatic breast cancer (some studies not classifiable
      by setting), were included in this analysis. Trials of neoadjuvant nab-paclitaxel
      containing regimens have reported pathological complete response rates ranging
      from 5.7 to 53%. Median overall survival in metastatic breast cancer studies
      ranged from 10.8 to 23.5 months, depending on dose and regimen. Adverse event
      profiles of nab-paclitaxel were generally similar to those reported from previous
      studies. Several ongoing trials are evaluating nab-paclitaxel in the early-stage
      and metastatic settings, including in combination with immuno-oncology agents.
      CONCLUSIONS: nab-Paclitaxel continues to demonstrate promising efficacy in breast
      cancer. Recent studies demonstrate high pathological complete response rates in
      early-stage breast cancer, particularly in triple-negative breast cancer, an area
      of high unmet need, and encouraging overall survival in metastatic breast cancer
      across doses and schedules. Ongoing trials will provide further insights into the
      role of nab-paclitaxel in breast cancer including use as a potential backbone
      chemotherapy agent for immuno-oncology therapies such as checkpoint inhibitors.

PMID- 28344859
TI  - HLA class II antigen-processing pathway in tumors: Molecular defects and clinical
      relevance.
AB  - The human leukocyte antigen (HLA) class II antigen-processing machinery (APM)
      presents to cognate CD4+ T-cells antigenic peptides mainly generated from
      exogeneous proteins in the endocytic compartment. These CD4+ T cells exert helper
      function, but may also act as effector cells, thereby recognizing HLA class II
      antigen-expressing tumor cells. Thus, HLA class II antigen expression by tumor
      cells influences the tumor antigen (TA)-specific immune responses and, depending
      on the cancer type, the clinical course of the disease. Many types of human
      cancers express HLA class II antigens, although with marked differences in their
      frequency. Some types of cancer lack HLA class II antigen expression, which could
      be due to structural defects or deregulation affecting different components of
      the complex HLA class II APM and/or from lack of cytokine(s) in the tumor
      microenvironment. In this review, we have summarized the information about HLA
      class II antigen distribution in normal tissues, the structural organization of
      the HLA class II APM, their expression and regulation in malignant cells, the
      defects, which have been identified in malignant cells, and their functional and
      clinical relevance.

PMID- 28344860
TI  - IL-32 induces indoleamine 2,3-dioxygenase+CD1c+ dendritic cells and indoleamine
      2,3-dioxygenase+CD163+ macrophages: Relevance to mycosis fungoides progression.
AB  - Mycosis fungoides (MF) progresses from patch to tumor stage by expansion of
      malignant T-cells that fail to be controlled by protective immune mechanisms. In
      this study, we focused on IL-32, a cytokine, highly expressed in MF lesions.
      Depending on the other cytokines (IL-4, GM-CSF) present during in vitro culture
      of healthy volunteers' monocytes, IL-32 increased the maturation of CD11c+
      myeloid dendritic cells (mDC) and/or CD163+ macrophages, but IL-32 alone showed a
      clear ability to promote dendritic cell (DC) differentiation from monocytes. DCs
      matured by IL-32 had the phenotype of skin-resident DCs (CD1c+), but more
      importantly, also had high expression of indoleamine 2,3-dioxygenase. The
      presence of DCs with these markers was demonstrated in MF skin lesions. At a
      molecular level, indoleamine 2,3-dioxygenase messenger RNA (mRNA) levels in MF
      lesions were higher than those in healthy volunteers, and there was a high
      correlation between indoleamine 2,3-dioxygenase and IL-32 expression. In
      contrast, Foxp3 mRNA levels decreased from patch to tumor stage. Increasing
      expression of IL-10 across MF lesions was highly correlated with IL-32 and
      indoleamine 2,3-dioxygenase, but not with Foxp3 expression. Thus, IL-32 could
      contribute to progressive immune dysregulation in MF by directly fostering
      development of immunosuppressive mDC or macrophages, possibly in association with
      IL-10.

PMID- 28344861
TI  - Zoledronic acid boosts gammadelta T-cell activity in children receiving
      alphabeta+ T and CD19+ cell-depleted grafts from an HLA-haplo-identical donor.
AB  - We demonstrated that gammadelta T cells of patients given HLA-haploidentical HSCT
      after removal of alphabeta+ T cells and CD19+ B cells are endowed with the
      capacity of killing leukemia cells after ex vivo treatment with zoledronic acid
      (ZOL). Thus, we tested the hypothesis that infusion of ZOL in patients receiving
      this type of graft may enhance gammadelta T-cell cytotoxic activity against
      leukemia cells. ZOL was infused every 28 d in 43 patients; most were treated at
      least twice. gammadelta T cells before and after ZOL treatments were studied in
      33 of these 43 patients, till at least 7 mo after HSCT by high-resolution mass
      spectrometry, flow-cytometry, and degranulation assay. An induction of Vdelta2
      cell differentiation, paralleled by increased cytotoxicity of both Vdelta1 and
      Vdelta2 cells against primary leukemia blasts was associated with ZOL treatment.
      Cytotoxic activity was further increased in Vdelta2 cells, but not in Vdelta1
      lymphocytes in those patients given more than one treatment. Proteomic analysis
      of gammadelta T cells purified from patients showed upregulation of proteins
      involved in activation processes and immune response, paralleled by
      downregulation of proteins involved in proliferation. Moreover, a proteomic
      signature was identified for each ZOL treatment. Patients given three or more ZOL
      infusions had a better probability of survival in comparison to those given one
      or two treatments (86% vs. 54%, respectively, p = 0.008). Our data indicate that
      ZOL infusion in pediatric recipients of alphabeta T- and B-cell-depleted HLA
      haploidentical HSCT promotes gammadelta T-cell differentiation and cytotoxicity
      and may influence the outcome of patients.

PMID- 28344862
TI  - Expression profiles of immune-related genes are associated with neoadjuvant
      ipilimumab clinical benefit.
AB  - Purpose: Patients with regionally advanced melanoma were treated with neoadjuvant
      ipilimumab in a previously reported study (PLOS One 2014). Gene expression
      profiles of tumors of treated patients were investigated for their association
      with immunotherapeutic benefit. Methods: Patients were treated with ipilimumab
      (10 mg/kg intravenously every 3 weeks * 2 doses) before and after surgery. Tumor
      specimens were obtained at baseline and at definitive surgery (weeks 6-8). Gene
      expression profiling was performed on the tumor biopsies of 27 patients. The
      primary endpoint was mRNA expression profiling using U133A 2.0 Affymetrix gene
      chips. Significance analysis of microarrays was performed to test the association
      of each gene with outcome. Pathway analysis was performed using Ingenuity Pathway
      Analysis software. The Benjamini and Hochberg method was used to adjust for
      multiple testing in the pathway analysis. Results: Pathway analysis identified
      biologically relevant pathways enriched with genes that are significantly
      associated with clinical outcome at baseline in relation to relapse-free survival
      (RFS) and disease non-progression (as assessed preoperatively at week 6) as well
      as early on-treatment (RFS and overall survival). The molecules and pathways that
      achieved differential expression of highest statistical significance were notably
      immune related. Association of the gene signature with clinical outcome
      overlapped between baseline and on-treatment specimens and across clinical
      endpoints tested. Conclusion: Gene expression profiling identified a signature
      reflecting an immune active and proinflammatory tumor microenvironment that
      derived clinical benefit from neoadjuvant ipilimumab at baseline and early on
      treatment. These findings warrant further investigation in relation to ipilimumab
      and other immunotherapeutics.

PMID- 28344863
TI  - Tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs) from patients with glioma.
AB  - Tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs) may represent a viable source of T cells
      for the biological treatment of patients with gliomas. Glioma tissue was obtained
      from 16 patients, tumor cell lines were established, and TILs were expanded in
      16/16 cases using a combination of IL-2/IL-15/IL-21. Intracellular cytokine
      staining (ICS, IL-2, IL-17, TNFalpha and IFNgamma production) as well as a
      cytotoxicity assay was used to detect TIL reactivity against autologous tumor
      cells or shared tumor-associated antigens (TAAs; i.e., NY-ESO-1, Survivin or
      EGFRvIII). TILs were analyzed by flow cytometry, including T-cell receptor (TCR)
      Vbeta family composition, exhaustion/activation and T-cell differentiation
      markers (CD45RA/CCR7). IL-2/IL-15/IL-21 expanded TILs exhibited a mixture of
      CD4+, CD8+, as well as CD3+ CD4-CD8- T cells with a predominant central memory
      CD45RA-CCR7+ phenotype. TIL showed low frequencies of T cells testing positive
      for PD-1, TIM-3 and CTLA-4. LAG3 tested positive in up to 30% of CD8+ TIL, with
      low (1.25%) frequencies in CD4+ T cells. TIL cultures exhibited preferential
      usage of Vbeta families and recognition of autologous tumor cells defined by
      cytokine production and cytotoxicity. IL-2/IL-15/IL-21 expanded TILs represent a
      viable source for the cellular therapy of patients with gliomas.

PMID- 28344864
TI  - An immunogenic WT1-derived peptide that induces T cell response in the context of
      HLA-A*02:01 and HLA-A*24:02 molecules.
AB  - The Wilms' tumor oncogene protein (WT1) is a highly validated tumor antigen for
      immunotherapy. WT1-targeted immunotherapy has been extensively explored in
      multiple human trials in various cancers. However, clinical investigations using
      WT1 epitopes have generally focused on two peptides, HLA-restricted to HLA
      A*02:01 or HLA-A*24:02. The goal of this study was to identify new epitopes
      derived from WT1, to expand the potential use of WT1 as a target of
      immunotherapy. Using computer-based MHC-binding algorithms and in vitro
      validation of the T cell responses specific for the identified peptides, we found
      that a recently identified HLA-A*24:02-binding epitope (239-247), NQMNLGATL
      (NQM), was also a strong CD8+ T cell epitope for HLA-A*02:01 molecule. A peptide
      second position Q240L substitution (NLM) or Q240Y substitution (NYM), further
      enhanced the T cell responses in both HLA-A*02:01 positive and HLA-A*24:02
      positive healthy donors. Importantly, T cells stimulated with the new analog
      peptides displayed heteroclitic cross-reactivity with the native NQM sequence and
      were able to kill HLA-matched WT1-positive tumor cell lines and primary leukemia
      blasts. In addition, longer native and heteroclitic HLA-DR.B1-binding peptides,
      comprising the nine amino acid NQM or NLM sequences, could induce T cell response
      that recognized the CD8+ epitope NQM, suggesting the processing and the
      presentation by HLA-A*02:01 molecules of the CD8+ T cell epitope embedded within
      it. Our studies suggest that the analog peptides NLM and NYM could be potential
      candidates for future immunotherapy targeting WT1 positive cancers in the context
      of HLA-A*02:01 and A*24:02 positive populations.

PMID- 28344866
TI  - CD13hi Neutrophil-like myeloid-derived suppressor cells exert immune suppression
      through Arginase 1 expression in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma.
AB  - Perineural invasion and immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment are the distinct
      features of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC). Heterogeneous myeloid
      derived suppressor cells (MDSCs) are potent suppressors of antitumor immunity,
      posing obstacles for cancer immunotherapy. Increasing evidences have demonstrated
      the accumulation of MDSCs in PDAC patients. However, the role of MDSCs in
      perineural invasion of PDAC and the existence of novel MDSC subsets during PDAC
      remain unclear. This study found that lymphocytic perineural cuffs were
      frequently present in chronic pancreatitis (CP) tissues and adjacent non
      neoplastic pancreatic tissues (ANPTs), but not in PDAC with perineural invasion.
      Meanwhile, we found that neutrophil-like MDSCs (nMDSCs), but not monocyte-like
      MDSCs (mMDSCs), were significantly increased in PBMCs and tumor tissues of PDAC
      patients. Further observation identified two distinct subsets of nMDSCs, CD13hi
      and CD13low nMDSCs in PDAC patients, which have not been reported previously.
      Despite a similar morphology, CD13hi nMDSCs expressed higher levels of CD11b,
      CD33, CD16 and arginase 1 but lower levels of CD66b than CD13low nMDSCs.
      Importantly, CD13hi MDSCs, compared with CD13low nMDSCs, more effectively
      suppressed alloreactive T cell responses via an arginase-1-related mechanism.
      After tumor resection, the circulating CD13hi nMDSCs were decreased markedly.
      PDAC patients with more CD13hi nMDSCs had a shorter overall survival than those
      with less CD13hi nMDSCs. To conclude, we identified two novel MDSC subsets with
      different characteristics and functions in PDAC, demonstrated the association of
      the two MDSC subsets with cancer progression, and explored their roles in
      perineural invasion and immune escape of PDAC.

PMID- 28344867
TI  - CD4+ and CD8+ T cells are both needed to induce paraneoplastic neurological
      disease in a mouse model.
AB  - Paraneoplastic neurological disorders (PNDs) are rare human autoimmune diseases
      that mostly affect the central nervous system (CNS). They are triggered by an
      efficient immune response against a neural self-antigen that is ectopically
      expressed in neoplastic tumors. Due to this shared antigenic expression, the
      immune system reacts not only to tumor cells but also to neural cells resulting
      in neurological damage. Growing data point to a major role of cell-mediated
      immunity in PNDs associated to autoantibodies against intracellular proteins.
      However, its precise contribution in the pathogenesis remains unclear. In this
      context, our study aimed at investigating the impact of anti-tumor cellular
      immune responses in the development of PND. To this end, we developed an animal
      model mimicking PND. We used a tumor cell line expressing the hemagglutinin (HA)
      of influenza virus to induce an anti-tumor response in CamK-HA mice, which
      express HA in CNS neurons. To promote and track the T cell response against the
      HA antigen, naive HA-specific CD8+ and/or CD4+ T cells, originating from TCR
      transgenic animals, were transferred into these mice. We demonstrate that HA
      expressing tumors, but not control tumors, induce in vivo activation,
      proliferation and differentiation of naive HA-specific CD4+ and CD8+ T cells into
      effector cells. Moreover, both T cell subsets were needed to control tumor growth
      and induce CNS inflammation in CamK-HA mice. Thus, this new mouse model provides
      further insight into the cellular mechanisms whereby a potent anti-tumor immunity
      triggers a cancer-associated autoimmune disease, and may therefore help to
      develop new therapeutic strategies against PND.

PMID- 28344865
TI  - Identification of genetic determinants of breast cancer immune phenotypes by
      integrative genome-scale analysis.
AB  - Cancer immunotherapy is revolutionizing the clinical management of several
      tumors, but has demonstrated limited activity in breast cancer. The development
      of more effective treatments is hindered by incomplete knowledge of the genetic
      determinant of immune responsiveness. To fill this gap, we mined copy number
      alteration, somatic mutation, and expression data from The Cancer Genome Atlas
      (TCGA). By using RNA-sequencing data from 1,004 breast cancers, we defined
      distinct immune phenotypes characterized by progressive expression of transcripts
      previously associated with immune-mediated rejection. The T helper 1 (Th-1)
      phenotype (ICR4), which also displays upregulation of immune-regulatory
      transcripts such as PDL1, PD1, FOXP3, IDO1, and CTLA4, was associated with
      prolonged patients' survival. We validated these findings in an independent meta
      cohort of 1,954 breast cancer gene expression data. Chromosome segment 4q21,
      which includes genes encoding for the Th-1 chemokines CXCL9-11, was significantly
      amplified only in the immune favorable phenotype (ICR4). The mutation and
      neoantigen load progressively decreased from ICR4 to ICR1 but could not fully
      explain immune phenotypic differences. Mutations of TP53 were enriched in the
      immune favorable phenotype (ICR4). Conversely, the presence of MAP3K1 and MAP2K4
      mutations were tightly associated with an immune-unfavorable phenotype (ICR1).
      Using both the TCGA and the validation dataset, the degree of MAPK deregulation
      segregates breast tumors according to their immune disposition. These findings
      suggest that mutation-driven perturbations of MAPK pathways are linked to the
      negative regulation of intratumoral immune response in breast cancer. Modulations
      of MAPK pathways could be experimentally tested to enhance breast cancer immune
      sensitivity.

PMID- 28344868
TI  - Langerhans cells and NK cells cooperate in the inhibition of chemical skin
      carcinogenesis.
AB  - Tissue immunosurveillance is an important mechanism to prevent cancer. Skin
      treatment with the carcinogen 7,12-dimethylbenz(a)anthracene (DMBA), followed by
      the tumor promoter 12-O-tetra-decanoyl-phorbol-13-acetate (TPA), is an
      established murine model for squamous cell carcinoma (SCC). However, the innate
      immunological events occurring during the initiation of chemical carcinogenesis
      with DMBA remain elusive. Here, we discovered that natural killer (NK) cells and
      Langerhans cells (LC) cooperate to impair this oncogenic process in murine skin.
      The depletion of NK cells or LC caused an accumulation of DNA-damaged, natural
      killer group 2D-ligand (NKG2D-L) expressing keratinocytes and accelerated tumor
      growth. Notably, the secretion of TNFalpha mainly by LC promoted the recruitment
      of NK cells into the epidermis. Indeed, the TNFalpha-induced chemokines CCL2 and
      CXCL10 directed NK cells to DMBA-treated epidermis. Our findings reveal a novel
      mechanism how innate immune cells cooperate in the inhibition of cutaneous
      chemical carcinogenesis.

PMID- 28344869
TI  - IL-15, TIM-3 and NK cells subsets predict responsiveness to anti-CTLA-4 treatment
      in melanoma patients.
AB  - Despite the success of immune checkpoint blockade in melanoma, the majority of
      patients do not respond. We hypothesized that the T and NK cell subset
      frequencies and expression levels of their receptors may predict responses and
      clinical outcome of anti-CTLA-4 treatment. We thus characterized the NK and T
      cell phenotype, as well as serum levels of several cytokines in 67 melanoma
      patients recruited in Italy and Sweden, using samples drawn prior to and during
      treatment. Survival correlated with low expression of the inhibitory receptor TIM
      3 on circulating T and NK cells prior to and during treatment and with the
      increased frequency of mature circulating NK cells (defined as CD3-CD56dim CD16+)
      during treatment. Survival also correlated with low levels of IL-15 in the serum.
      Functional experiments in vitro demonstrated that sustained exposure to IL-15
      enhanced the expression of PD-1 and TIM-3 on both T and NK cells, indicating a
      causative link between high IL-15 levels and enhanced expression of TIM-3 on
      these cells. Receptor blockade of TIM-3 improved NK cell-mediated elimination of
      melanoma metastasis cell lines in vitro. These observations may lead to the
      development of novel biomarkers to predict patient response to checkpoint
      blockade treatment. They also suggest that induction of additional checkpoints is
      a possibility that needs to be considered when treating melanoma patients with IL
      15.

PMID- 28344870
TI  - Immunological profiling of molecularly classified high-risk endometrial cancers
      identifies POLE-mutant and microsatellite unstable carcinomas as candidates for
      checkpoint inhibition.
AB  - High-risk endometrial cancer (EC) is an aggressive disease for which new
      therapeutic options are needed. Aims of this study were to validate the enhanced
      immune response in highly mutated ECs and to explore immune profiles in other EC
      subgroups. We evaluated immune infiltration in 116 high-risk ECs from the
      TransPORTEC consortium, previously classified into four molecular subtypes: (i)
      ultramutated POLE exonuclease domain-mutant ECs (POLE-mutant); (ii) hypermutated
      microsatellite unstable (MSI); (iii) p53-mutant; and (iv) no specific molecular
      profile (NSMP). Within The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) EC cohort, significantly
      higher numbers of predicted neoantigens were demonstrated in POLE-mutant and MSI
      tumors compared with NSMP and p53-mutants. This was reflected by enhanced immune
      expression and infiltration in POLE-mutant and MSI tumors in both the TCGA cohort
      (mRNA expression) and the TransPORTEC cohort (immunohistochemistry) with high
      infiltration of CD8+ (90% and 69%), PD-1+ (73% and 69%) and PD-L1+ immune cells
      (100% and 71%). Notably, a subset of p53-mutant and NSMP cancers was
      characterized by signs of an antitumor immune response (43% and 31% of tumors
      with high infiltration of CD8+ cells, respectively), despite a low number of
      predicted neoantigens. In conclusion, the presence of enhanced immune
      infiltration, particularly high numbers of PD-1 and PD-L1 positive cells, in
      highly mutated, neoantigen-rich POLE-mutant and MSI endometrial tumors suggests
      sensitivity to immune checkpoint inhibitors.

PMID- 28344871
TI  - Description of the immune microenvironment of chondrosarcoma and contribution to
      progression.
AB  - Chondrosarcoma (CHS) is a rare bone malignancy characterized by its resistance to
      conventional systemic and radiation therapies. Whether immunotherapy targeting
      immune checkpoints may be active in these tumors remains unknown. To explore the
      role of the immune system in this tumor, we analyzed the immune environment of
      chondrosarcomas both in human sample, and in a syngeneic rat model, and tested
      the contribution of T lymphocytes and macrophages in chondrosarcoma progression.
      Immunohistochemical stainings were performed on human chondrosarcoma samples and
      on Swarm rat chondrosarcoma (SRC) model. Selective immunodepletion assays were
      performed in SRC to evaluate immune population's involvement in tumor
      progression. In human and rat chondrosarcoma, immune infiltrates composed of
      lymphocytes and macrophages were identified in the peritumoral area. Immune
      infiltrates composition was found correlated with tumors characteristics and
      evolution (grade, invasiveness and size). In SRC, selective depletion of T
      lymphocytes resulted in an accelerated growth rates, whereas depletion of CD163+
      macrophages slowed down tumor progression. Splenocytes isolated from CHS-bearing
      SRC showed a specific cytotoxicity directed against chondrosarcoma cells (27%),
      which significantly decreased in CD3-depleted SRC (11%). The immune environment
      contributes to CHS progression in both human and animal models, suggesting that
      immunomodulatory approaches could be tested in bone chondrosarcoma.

PMID- 28344872
TI  - Intravenously usable fully serotype 3 oncolytic adenovirus coding for CD40L as an
      enabler of dendritic cell therapy.
AB  - Vaccination with dendritic cells (DCs), the most potent professional antigen
      presenting cells in the body, is a promising approach in cancer immunotherapy.
      However, tumors induce immunosuppression in their microenvironment that
      suppresses and impairs the function of DCs. Therefore, human clinical trials with
      DC therapy have often been disappointing. To improve the therapeutic efficacy and
      to overcome the major obstacles of DC therapy, we generated a novel adenovirus,
      Ad3-hTERT-CMV-hCD40L, which is fully serotype 3 and expresses hCD40L for
      induction of antitumor immune response. The specific aim is to enhance DCs
      function. Data from a human cancer patient indicated that this capsid allows
      effective transduction of distant tumors through the intravenous route. Moreover,
      patient data suggested that virally produced hCD40L can activate DCs in situ. The
      virus was efficient in vitro and had potent antitumor activity in vivo. In a
      syngeneic model, tumors treated with Ad5/3-CMV-mCD40L virus plus DCs elicited
      greater antitumor effect as compared with either treatment alone. Moreover,
      virally coded CD40L induced activation of DCs, which in turn, lead to the
      induction of a Th1 immune response and increased tumor-specific T cells. In
      conclusion, Ad3-hTERT-CMV-hCD40L is promising for translation into human trials.
      In particular, this virus could enable successful dendritic cell therapy in
      cancer patients.

PMID- 28344873
TI  - A specific immune and lymphatic profile characterizes the pre-metastatic state of
      the sentinel lymph node in patients with early cervical cancer.
AB  - The lymph node (LN) pre-metastatic niche is faintly characterized in lymphophilic
      human neoplasia, although LN metastasis is considered as the strongest prognostic
      marker of patient survival. Due to its specific dissemination through a complex
      bilateral pelvic lymphatic system, early cervical cancer is a relevant candidate
      for investigating the early nodal metastatic process. In the present study, we
      analyzed in-depth both the lymphatic vasculature and the immune climate of pre
      metastatic sentinel LN (SLN), in 48 cases of FIGO stage IB1 cervical neoplasms.
      An original digital image analysis methodology was used to objectively determine
      whole slide densities and spatial distributions of immunostained structures. We
      observed a marked increase in lymphatic vessel density (LVD) and a specific
      capsular and subcapsular distribution in pre-metastatic SLN when compared with
      non-sentinel counterparts. Such features persisted in the presence of nodal
      metastatic colonization. The inflammatory profile attested by CD8+, Foxp3, CD20
      and PD-1expression was also significantly increased in pre-metastatic SLN.
      Remarkably, the densities of CD20+ B cells and PD-1 expressing germinal centers
      were positively correlated with LVD. All together, these data strongly support
      the existence of a pre-metastatic dialog between the primary tumor and the first
      nodal relay. Both lymphatic and immune responses contribute to the elaboration of
      a specific pre-metastatic microenvironment in human SLN. Moreover, this work
      provides evidence that, in the context of early cervical cancer, a pre-metastatic
      lymphangiogenesis occurs within the SLN (pre-metastatic niche) and is associated
      with a specific humoral immune response.

PMID- 28344874
TI  - High baseline levels of interleukin-8 in leukocytes and urine predict tumor
      recurrence in non-muscle invasive bladder cancer patients receiving bacillus
      Calmette-Guerin therapy: A long-term survival analysis.
AB  - Bacillus Calmette-Guerin (BCG) therapy for non-muscle invasive bladder cancer
      (NMIBC) can significantly reduce the risk of recurrence and progression. However,
      BCG therapy may fail in up to a half of treated patients and may also cause
      toxicities. Biomarkers to predict the effectiveness of BCG therapy are desired to
      pre-select patients for BCG therapy to maximize efficacy while avoid unnecessary
      toxicity. Twelve cytokines were measured in 100 blood and 112 urine samples using
      cytokine antibody array and correlated with recurrence-free survival in overall
      and BCG-treated NMIBC patients. Of the 12 cytokines, interleukin (IL) -2, IL-8,
      IL-10, tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-alpha, granulocyte-macrophage colony
      stimulating factor (GM-CSF) and interferon (IFN)-gamma were measurable in more
      than 30% of peripheral blood leukocyte (PBL) samples. Only IL-8 in PBL was found
      to be significantly associated with tumor recurrence, especially in those who
      receiving BCG therapy (hazard ratio [HR] = 4.24; 95% confidence interval [95%CI]
      = 1.65-10.88; p = 0.003). The median recurrence-free survival time for BCG
      treated patients with high baseline IL-8 levels were much shorter than those with
      low IL-8 levels (7.9 vs. >78.4 mo, p = 0.004). Furthermore, consistent
      associations between urinary IL-8 levels and tumor recurrence in patients
      receiving BCG therapy were observed in 58 pre-BCG and 54 long-term post-BCG
      treated urine samples (both p <= 0.005). High urinary baseline IL-8 level also
      predicted shorter time to tumor recurrence in NMIBC patients (both p <= 0.004).
      By using antibody array-based technology in two separate cohorts of NMIBC
      patients, we found that PBL and urinary baseline IL-8 levels were significantly
      associated with tumor recurrence after BCG therapy.

PMID- 28344875
TI  - Targeting of IL-2 to cytotoxic lymphocytes as an improved method of cytokine
      driven immunotherapy.
AB  - The use of high-dose interleukin-2 (IL-2) has fallen out of favor due to severe
      life-threatening side effects. We have recently described a unique way of
      directly targeting IL-2 to cytotoxic lymphocytes using a virally encoded immune
      evasion protein and an IL-2 mutant that avoids off-target side effects such as
      activation of regulatory T cells and vascular endothelium.

PMID- 28344876
TI  - 2B4-SAP signaling is required for the priming of naive CD8+ T cells by antigen
      expressing B cells and B lymphoma cells.
AB  - Mutations in SH2D1A gene that encodes SAP (SLAM-associated protein) result in X
      linked lymphoproliferative disease (XLP), a rare primary immunodeficiency disease
      defined by exquisite sensitivity to the B-lymphotropic Epstein-Barr virus (EBV)
      and B cell lymphomas. However, the precise mechanism of how the loss of SAP
      function contributes to extreme vulnerability to EBV and the development of B
      cell lymphomas remains unclear. Here, we investigate the hypothesis that SAP is
      critical for CD8+ T cell immune surveillance of antigen (Ag)-expressing B cells
      or B lymphoma cells under conditions of defined T cell receptor (TCR) signaling.
      Sh2d1a-/- CD8+ T cells exhibited greatly diminished proliferation relative to
      wild type when Ag-presenting-B cells or -B lymphoma cells served as the primary
      Ag-presenting cell (APC). By contrast, Sh2d1a-/- CD8+ T cells responded
      equivalently to wild-type CD8+ T cells when B cell-depleted splenocytes, melanoma
      cells or breast carcinoma cells performed Ag presentation. Through application of
      signaling lymphocyte activation molecule (SLAM) family receptor blocking
      antibodies or SLAM family receptor-deficient CD8+ T cells and APCs, we found that
      CD48 engagement on the B cell surface by 2B4 is crucial for initiating SAP
      dependent signaling required for the Ag-driven CD8+ T cell proliferation and
      differentiation. Altogether, a pivotal role for SAP in promoting the expansion
      and differentiation of B cell-primed viral-specific naive CD8+ T cells may
      explain the selective immune deficiency of XLP patients to EBV and B cell
      lymphomas.

PMID- 28344878
TI  - Targeting cytokine signaling checkpoint CIS activates NK cells to protect from
      tumor initiation and metastasis.
AB  - The cytokine-induced SH2-containing protein CIS belongs to the suppressor of
      cytokine signaling (SOCS) protein family. Here, we show the critical role of CIS
      in suppressing natural killer (NK) cell control of tumor initiation and
      metastasis. Cish-deficient mice were highly resistant to methylcholanthrene
      induced sarcoma formation and protected from lung metastasis of B16F10 melanoma
      and RM-1 prostate carcinoma cells. In contrast, the growth of primary
      subcutaneous tumors, including those expressing the foreign antigen OVA, was
      unchanged in Cish-deficient mice. The combination of Cish deficiency and relevant
      targeted and immuno-therapies such as combined BRAF and MEK inhibitors, immune
      checkpoint blockade antibodies, IL-2 and type I interferon revealed further
      improved control of metastasis. The data clearly indicate that targeting CIS
      promotes NK cell antitumor functions and CIS holds great promise as a novel
      target in NK cell immunotherapy.

PMID- 28344877
TI  - Impact of (chemo)radiotherapy on immune cell composition and function in cervical
      cancer patients.
AB  - New treatments based on combinations of standard therapeutic modalities and
      immunotherapy are of potential use, but require a profound understanding of
      immune modulatory properties of standard therapies. Here, the impact of standard
      (chemo)radiotherapy on the immune system of cervical cancer patients was
      evaluated. Thirty patients with cervical cancer were treated with external beam
      radiation therapy (EBRT), using conventional three-dimensional or intensity
      modulated radiation therapy without constraints for bone marrow sparing. Serial
      blood sampling for immunomonitoring was performed before, midway and at 3, 6 and
      9 weeks after EBRT to analyze the composition of lymphocyte and myeloid-cell
      populations, the expression of co-stimulatory molecules, T-cell reactivity and
      antigen presenting cell (APC) function. Therapy significantly decreased the
      absolute numbers of circulating leukocytes and lymphocytes. Furthermore, the
      capacity of the remaining T cells to respond to antigenic or mitogenic
      stimulation was impaired. During treatment the frequency of both CD4+ and CD8+ T
      cells dropped and CD4+ T cells displayed an increased expression of programmed
      cell death-1 (PD-1). In vitro blocking of PD-1 successfully increased T-cell
      reactivity in all five samples isolated before radiotherapy but was less
      successful in restoring reactivity in samples isolated at later time points.
      Moreover, (chemo)radiotherapy was associated with an increase in both circulating
      monocytes and myeloid-derived suppressor cells (MDSCs) and an impaired capacity
      of APCs to stimulate allogeneic T cells. T-cell reactivity was slowly restored at
      6-9 weeks after cessation of therapy. We conclude that conventional
      (chemo)radiotherapy profoundly suppresses the immune system in cervical cancer
      patients, and may restrict its combination with immunotherapy.

PMID- 28344879
TI  - Prostaglandin E2-mediated adenosinergic effects on CD14+ cells: Self-amplifying
      immunosuppression in cancer.
AB  - CD39 and CD73 are surface-expressed ectonucleotidases that hydrolyze ATP in a
      highly regulated, serial manner into ADP, AMP and adenosine. The end product,
      adenosine, has both tumor-promoting and immunosuppressive effects. The aim of
      this study was to determine CD73 expression on immune cells in pleural effusion
      (PE) in order to have a better understanding of the immune environment in
      mesothelioma. PE- or blood-derived CD14+ cells of mesothelioma patients and
      healthy donors were analyzed by flow cytometry for the expression of CD39 and
      CD73. CD73-induction was studied by exposure of CD14+ cells to the soluble
      fraction of PE (sPE), while the signaling mechanism, responsible for CD73
      induction, by phosphoflow cytometry and receptor-inhibition studies. We observed
      CD73 expression on CD14+ cells in PE but not peripheral blood of mesothelioma
      patients or healthy donors. CD73 expression was inducible on CD14+ cells with
      sPE, cyclic-AMP (cAMP)-inducers (forskolin and prostaglandin-E2 (PGE2)) and
      adenosine. Inhibition of PGE2 receptors or adenosine A2 receptors blocked CD73
      induction by sPE. sPE treatment triggered protein kinase A and p38 activation.
      However, signal-transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3)-blocking led
      to enhanced CD73 expression, demonstrating a hitherto unknown negative control of
      purinergic signaling by STAT3 in CD14+ cells. TNFalpha production by CD73+ CD14+
      cells was significantly impaired in the presence of AMP, confirming
      immunosuppressive function. Taken together, CD73 expression can be induced by
      PGE2, cAMP or adenosine on human CD14+ cells. We suggest that targeting this
      autocrine loop is a valid therapeutic approach in mesothelioma that may also
      enhance immunotherapy.

PMID- 28344880
TI  - Protective function of interleukin 27 in colitis-associated cancer via
      suppression of inflammatory cytokines in intestinal epithelial cells.
AB  - Numerous studies have demonstrated that inflammation contributes to a variety of
      cancer formation, among them, colitis-associated cancer (CAC) represents a
      typical inflammation-related cancer. Interleukin 27 (IL-27) has been demonstrated
      to play an important role in inflammation-related disease. The effect of IL-27 in
      intestinal inflammation is controversial and its role in CAC is not elucidated
      yet. In our present study, we found that IL-27 has protective function in murine
      model of CAC through suppression of inflammatory cytokines in intestinal
      epithelial cells (IECs). IL-27Ralpha (WSX-1) deficiency promotes the CAC
      development in mice, which is driven by enhanced tumor cell proliferation, more
      intensive myeloid-derived suppressor cells (MDSC) accumulation in colon lamina
      propria and higher level of inflammatory cytokines and chemokines in IECs. The
      levels of IL-6, TNF-alpha, GM-CSF and CXCL1 triggered in vitro by toll-like
      receptor ligands are significantly upregulated in IECs from WSX-1 KO mice.
      Removal of commensal microorganism through antibiotic treatment in mice to
      eliminate TLR ligands deprives the protective function of IL-27 on CAC tumor
      growth. Thus, IL-27 suppresses CAC formation through an anti-inflammation
      mechanism targeting IECs and in turn resists the tumorigenesis. Hence, our study
      explained how IL-27 exerts its anti-inflammatory function on epithelial cells to
      fight against chronic-inflammation-associated cancer, which might provide new
      insights on the potential therapeutic strategies for cancer.

PMID- 28344881
TI  - Immunosurveillance and immunoediting in MMTV-PyMT-induced mammary oncogenesis.
AB  - Evidence of cancer immunosurveillance and immunoediting processes has been
      primarily demonstrated in mouse models of chemically induced oncogenesis.
      Although these models are very tractable, they are characterized by high
      mutational loads that represent a minority of human cancers. In this study, we
      sought to determine whether cancer immunosurveillance and immunoediting could be
      demonstrated in a more clinically relevant oncogene-induced model of
      carcinogenesis, the MMTV-PyMT (PyMT) mammary carcinoma model. This model system
      in the FVB/NJ strain background was previously used to demonstrate that adaptive
      immunity had no role in limiting primary cancer formation and in fact promoted
      metastasis, thus calling into question whether cancer immunosurveillance operated
      in preventing the development of breast cancer. Our current study in the C57BL/6
      strain backgrounds provides a different conclusion, as we report here the
      existence of an adaptive immunosurveillance of PyMT mammary carcinomas using two
      independent models of immune deficiency. PyMT mice bred onto a Rag1-/- background
      or immune suppressed by chronic tacrolimus therapy both demonstrated accelerated
      development of mammary carcinomas. By generating a bank of cell lines from these
      animals, we further show that a subset of PyMT cell lines had delayed growth
      after transplantation into wild-type (WT) syngeneic, but not immune-deficient
      hosts. This reduced growth rate in immunocompetent animals was characterized by
      an increase in immune cell infiltration and tissue differentiation. Furthermore,
      loss of the immune cell infiltration that characterized immunoediting of slow
      growing cell lines, changed them into fast growing variants capable of
      progressing in the immunocompetent model. In conclusion, our study provides
      evidence that immunosurveillance and immunoediting of PyMT-derived cell lines
      modulate tumor progression in this oncogene-induced model of cancer.

PMID- 28344882
TI  - Tumor PD-L1 expression is correlated with increased TILs and poor prognosis in
      penile squamous cell carcinoma.
AB  - Despite its rare incidence worldwide, penile squamous cell carcinoma (PeSCC)
      still presents with significant morbidity and mortality due to the limited
      treatment options for advanced patients, especially those in developing
      countries. The program death-1 (PD-1)/PD-1 ligand (PD-L1) axis has been
      demonstrated to play an important role in tumor immune escape, and
      immunotherapies targeting this pathway have shown great success in certain cancer
      types. Here, we analyzed the expression pattern of PD-L1 in tumor cells and tumor
      infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs) in PeSCC with a multi-center cohort. We found
      that the majority of PeSCCs (53.4%) were PD-L1-positive and that high PD-L1
      expression in tumor cells was associated with a poor prognosis. Notably, PD-L1
      expression in tumor cells was significantly associated with the extent of TILs
      and CD8+ TILs. Quantitative reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (qRT
      PCR) showed that PD-L1 was positively correlated with interferon-gamma (IFNgamma)
      and CD8+ gene expression. Moreover, we defined the constitutive and inducible
      surface expression of PD-L1 in newly established primary PeSCC cell lines.
      Interestingly, two PeSCC cell lines had high intrinsic PD-L1 expression. Another
      cell line showed low PD-L1 expression, but the PD-L1 expression could be induced
      by IFNgamma stimulation. Overall, our data showed that high PD-L1 expression in
      penile tumor cells indicated a poor prognosis. The upregulation of PD-L1 in PeSCC
      included both extrinsic and intrinsic mechanisms. These findings indicated that
      the PD-1/PD-L1 axis might be a potential therapeutic target for patients with
      penile squamous cell carcinoma.

PMID- 28344883
TI  - Acquisition of tumor cell phenotypic diversity along the EMT spectrum under
      hypoxic pressure: Consequences on susceptibility to cell-mediated cytotoxicity.
AB  - Tumor escape to immunosurveillance and resistance to immune attacks present a
      major hurdle in cancer therapy, especially in the current era of new cancer
      immunotherapies. We report here that hypoxia, a hallmark of most solid tumors,
      orchestrates carcinoma cell heterogeneity through the induction of phenotypic
      diversity and the acquisition of distinct epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT)
      states. Using lung adenocarcinoma cells derived from a non-metastatic patient, we
      demonstrated that hypoxic stress induced phenotypic diversity along the EMT
      spectrum, with induction of EMT transcription factors (EMT-TFs) SNAI1, SNAI2,
      TWIST1, and ZEB2 in a hypoxia-inducible factor-1alpha (HIF1A)-dependent or 
      independent manner. Analysis of hypoxia-exposed tumor subclones, with pronounced
      epithelial or mesenchymal phenotypes, revealed that mesenchymal subclones
      exhibited an increased propensity to resist cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTL), and
      natural killer (NK) cell-mediated lysis by a mechanism involving defective immune
      synapse signaling. Additionally, targeting EMT-TFs, or inhibition of TGF-beta
      signaling, attenuated mesenchymal subclone susceptibility to immune attack.
      Together, these findings uncover hypoxia-induced EMT and heterogeneity as a novel
      driving escape mechanism to lymphocyte-mediated cytotoxicity, with the potential
      to provide new therapeutic opportunities for cancer patients.

PMID- 28344884
TI  - The differentiation and plasticity of Tc17 cells are regulated by CTLA-4-mediated
      effects on STATs.
AB  - As the blockade of inhibitory surface-molecules such as CTLA-4 on T cells has led
      to recent advances in antitumor immune therapy, there is great interest in
      identifying novel mechanisms of action of CD8+ T cells to evoke effective
      cytotoxic antitumor responses. Using in vitro and in vivo models, we investigated
      the molecular pathways underlying the CTLA-4-mediated differentiation of IL-17
      producing CD8+ T cells (Tc17 cells) that strongly impairs cytotoxicity. Our
      studies demonstrate that Tc17 cells lacking CTLA-4 signaling have limited
      production of STAT3-target gene products such as IL-17, IL-21, IL-23R and
      RORgammat. Upon re-stimulation with IL-12, these cells display fast
      downregulation of Tc17 hallmarks and acquire Tc1 characteristics such as IFNgamma
      and TNF-alpha co-expression, which is known to correlate with tumor control.
      Indeed, upon adoptive transfer, these cells were highly efficient in the antigen
      specific rejection of established OVA-expressing B16 melanoma in vivo.
      Mechanistically, in primary and re-stimulated Tc17 cells, STAT3 binding to the IL
      17 promoter was strongly augmented by CTLA-4, associated with less binding of
      STAT5 and reduced relative activation of STAT1 which is known to block STAT3
      activity. Inhibiting CTLA-4-induced STAT3 activity reverses enhancement of
      signature Tc17 gene products, rendering Tc17 cells susceptible to conversion to
      Tc1-like cells with enhanced cytotoxic potential. Thus, CTLA-4 critically shapes
      the characteristics of Tc17 cells by regulating relative STAT3 activation, which
      provides new perspectives to enhance cytotoxicity of antitumor responses.

PMID- 28344886
TI  - CAR T-cell intrinsic PD-1 checkpoint blockade: A two-in-one approach for solid
      tumor immunotherapy.
AB  - PD-L1/2 expression in solid tumors inhibits chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T
      cell efficacy. A PD-1 dominant negative receptor expressed in CAR T cells
      provides cell-intrinsic checkpoint blockade and augments antitumor efficacy. A
      combinatorial immunotherapeutic strategy of combining CAR T cells with checkpoint
      blockade is a promising treatment approach for solid tumors.

PMID- 28344885
TI  - Pappalysin-1 T cell receptor transgenic allo-restricted T cells kill Ewing
      sarcoma in vitro and in vivo.
AB  - Pregnancy-associated plasma protein-A (PAPPA), also known as pappalysin, is a
      member of the insulin-like growth factor (IGF) family. PAPPA acts as a protease,
      cleaving IGF inhibitors, i.e., IGF binding proteins (IGFBPs), thereby setting
      free IGFs. The insulin/IGF-axis is involved in cancer in general and in Ewing
      sarcoma (ES) in particular. ES is a highly malignant bone tumor characterized by
      early metastatic spread. PAPPA is associated with various cancers. It is
      overexpressed and required for proliferation in ES. PAPPA also stimulates normal
      bone growth. We isolated HLA-A*02:01+/peptide-restricted T cells from A*02:01-
      healthy donors directed against PAPPA, generated by priming with A*02:01+ PAPPA
      peptide loaded dendritic cells. After TCR identification, retrovirally TCR
      transduced CD8+ T cells were assessed for their in vitro specificity and in vivo
      efficacy in human ES bearing Rag2-/-gammac-/- mice. Engraftment in mice and tumor
      infiltration of TCR transgenic T cells in the mice was evaluated. The TCR
      transgenic T cell clone PAPPA-2G6 demonstrated specific reactivity toward HLA
      A*02:01+/PAPPA+ ES cell lines. We furthermore detected circulating TCR transgenic
      T cells in the blood in Rag2-/-gammac-/- mice and in vivo engraftment in bone
      marrow. Tumor growth in mice with xenografted ES was significantly reduced after
      treatment with PAPPA-2G6 TCR transgenic T cells in contrast to controls. Tumors
      of treated mice revealed tumor-infiltrating PAPPA-2G6 TCR transgenic T cells. In
      summary, we demonstrate that PAPPA is a first-rate target for TCR-based
      immunotherapy of ES.

PMID- 28344887
TI  - PD-L1, Galectin-9 and CD8+ tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes are associated with
      survival in hepatocellular carcinoma.
AB  - Novel systemic treatments for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) are strongly needed.
      Immunotherapy is a promising strategy that can induce specific antitumor immune
      responses. Understanding the mechanisms of immune resistance by HCC is crucial
      for development of suitable immunotherapeutics. We used immunohistochemistry on
      tissue-microarrays to examine the co-expression of the immune inhibiting
      molecules PD-L1, Galectin-9, HVEM and IDO, as well as tumor CD8+ lymphocyte
      infiltration in HCC, in two independent cohorts of patients. We found that at
      least some expression in tumor cells was seen in 97% of cases for HVEM, 83% for
      PD-L1, 79% for Gal-9 and 66% for IDO. In the discovery cohort (n = 94), we found
      that lack of, or low, tumor expression of PD-L1 (p < 0.001), Galectin-9 (p <
      0.001) and HVEM (p < 0.001), and low CD8+TIL count (p = 0.016), were associated
      with poor HCC-specific survival. PD-L1, Galectin-9 and CD8+TIL count were
      predictive of HCC-specific survival independent of baseline clinicopathologic
      characteristics and the combination of these markers was a powerful predictor of
      HCC-specific survival (HR 0.29; p <0.001). These results were confirmed in the
      validation cohort (n = 60). We show that low expression levels of PD-L1 and Gal-9
      in combination with low CD8+TIL count predict extremely poor HCC-specific
      survival and it requires a change in two of these parameters to significantly
      improve prognosis. In conclusion, intra-tumoral expression of these immune
      inhibiting molecules was observed in the majority of HCC patients. Low expression
      of PD-L1 and Galectin-9 and low CD8+TIL count are associated with poor HCC
      specific survival. Combining immune biomarkers leads to superior predictors of
      HCC mortality.

PMID- 28344888
TI  - Pre-emptive and therapeutic adoptive immunotherapy for nasopharyngeal carcinoma:
      Phenotype and effector function of T cells impact on clinical response.
AB  - Adoptive T cell therapy has emerged as a powerful strategy to treat human cancers
      especially haematological malignancies. Extension of these therapies to solid
      cancers remains a significant challenge especially in the context of defining
      immunological correlates of clinical responses. Here we describe results from a
      clinical study investigating autologous Epstein-Barr virus (EBV)-specific T cells
      generated using a novel AdE1-LMPpoly vector to treat patients with nasopharyngeal
      carcinoma (NPC) either pre-emptively in at-risk patients with no or minimal
      residual disease (N/MRD) or therapeutically in patients with active
      recurrent/metastatic disease (ARMD). Tolerability, safety and efficacy, including
      progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS), were evaluated
      following adoptive T-cell immunotherapy. Twenty-nine patients, including 20 with
      ARMD and nine with N/MRD, successfully completed T-cell therapy. After a median
      follow-up of 18.5 months, the median PFS was 5.5 months (95% CI 2.1 to 9.0
      months) and the median OS was 38.1 months (95% CI 17.2 months to not reached).
      Post-immunotherapy analyses revealed that disease stabilization in ARMD patients
      was significantly associated with the functional and phenotypic composition of in
      vitro-expanded T cell immunotherapy. These included a higher proportion of
      effector CD8+ T-cells and an increased number of EBV-specific T-cells with
      broader antigen specificity. These observations indicate that adoptive
      immunotherapy with AdE1-LMPpoly-expanded T cells stabilizes relapsed, refractory
      NPC without significant toxicity. Promising clinical outcomes in N/MRD patients
      further suggest a potential role for this approach as a consolidation treatment
      following first-line chemotherapy.

PMID- 28344889
TI  - Loss of tapasin in human lung and colon cancer cells and escape from tumor
      associated antigen-specific CTL recognition.
AB  - Cytotoxic T-lymphocytes (CTLs) lyse target cells after recognizing the complexes
      of peptides and MHC class I molecules (pMHC I) on cell surfaces. Tapasin is an
      essential component of the peptide-loading complex (PLC) and its absence
      influences the surface repertoire of MHC class I peptides. In the present study,
      we assessed tapasin expression in 85 primary tumor lesions of non-small cell lung
      cancer (NSCLC) patients, demonstrating that tapasin expression positively
      correlated with patient survival. CD8+ T-cell infiltration of tumor lesions was
      synergistically observed with tapasin expression and correlated positively with
      survival. To establish a direct link between loss of tapasin and CTL recognition
      in human cancer models, we targeted the tapasin gene by CRISPR/Cas9 system and
      generated tapasin-deficient variants of human lung as well as colon cancer cells.
      We induced the CTLs recognizing endogenous tumor-associated antigens (TAA),
      survivin or cep55, and they responded to each tapasin-proficient wild type. In
      contrast, both CTL lines ignored the tapasin-deficient variants despite their
      antigen expression. Moreover, the adoptive transfer of the cep55-specific CTL
      line failed to prevent tumor growth in mice bearing the tapasin-deficient
      variant. Loss of tapasin most likely limited antigen processing of TAAs and led
      to escape from TAA-specific CTL recognition. Tapasin expression is thus a key for
      CTL surveillance against human cancers.

PMID- 28344890
TI  - Suppression of indoleamine-2,3-dioxygenase 1 expression by promoter
      hypermethylation in ER-positive breast cancer.
AB  - Kynurenine formation by tryptophan-catabolic indoleamine-2,3-dioxygenase 1 (IDO1)
      plays a key role in tumor immune evasion and inhibition of IDO1 is efficacious in
      preclinical models of breast cancer. As the response of breast cancer to immune
      checkpoint inhibitors may be limited, a better understanding of the expression of
      additional targetable immunomodulatory pathways is of importance. We therefore
      investigated the regulation of IDO1 expression in different breast cancer
      subtypes. We identified estrogen receptor alpha (ER) as a negative regulator of
      IDO1 expression. Serum kynurenine levels as well as tumoral IDO1 expression were
      lower in patients with ER-positive than ER-negative tumors and an inverse
      relationship between IDO1 and estrogen receptor mRNA was observed across 14
      breast cancer data sets. Analysis of whole genome bisulfite sequencing, 450k,
      MassARRAY and pyrosequencing data revealed that the IDO1 promoter is
      hypermethylated in ER-positive compared with ER-negative breast cancer. Reduced
      induction of IDO1 was also observed in human ER-positive breast cancer cell
      lines. IDO1 induction was enhanced upon DNA demethylation in ER-positive but not
      in ER-negative cells and methylation of an IDO1 promoter construct reduced IDO1
      expression, suggesting that enhanced methylation of the IDO1 promoter suppresses
      IDO1 in ER-positive breast cancer. The association of ER overexpression with
      epigenetic downregulation of IDO1 appears to be a particular feature of breast
      cancer as IDO1 was not suppressed by IDO1 promoter hypermethylation in the
      presence of high ER expression in cervical or endometrial cancer.

PMID- 28344892
TI  - Clear cell ovarian cancers with microsatellite instability: A unique subset of
      ovarian cancers with increased tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes and PD-1/PD-L1
      expression.
AB  - Clear cell ovarian carcinoma (CCOC) represents a distinct histologic subtype of
      ovarian cancer associated with significantly worse prognosis across all stages
      and no effective therapeutic options. Here, we report a rare but clinically
      important cohort of CCOCs with microsatellite instability (MSI) (MSI-CCOCs),
      which are highly immunogenic and may thus be very responsive to immune checkpoint
      blockade. CCOCs with MSI exhibit a significantly higher number of CD8+ TILs,
      higher CD8+/CD4+ ratio, and higher PD-1+ TILs compared with microsatellite stable
      (MSS) CCOCs and compared with high grade serous ovarian cancers, which are the
      most common histologic subtype of ovarian cancer. Of note, PD-L1 expression in
      tumor cells or immune cells was noted in all cases of CCOCs with MSI. These
      observations open an alternative therapeutic avenue for a fraction of patients
      with CCOC and argue for the routine testing of CCOCs for MSI, a test that is not
      currently routinely performed.

PMID- 28344891
TI  - Tumor-infiltrating CD39+gammadeltaTregs are novel immunosuppressive T cells in
      human colorectal cancer.
AB  - Tumor microenvironment (TME) promotes immune suppression through recruiting and
      expanding suppressive immune cells such as regulatory T cells (Tregs) to
      facilitate cancer progression. In this study, we identify a novel CD39+
      gammadeltaTreg in human colorectal cancer (CRC). CD39+ gammadeltaTregs are the
      predominant regulatory T cells and have more potent immunosuppressive activity
      than CD4+ or CD8+ Tregs via the adenosine-mediated pathway but independent of TGF
      beta or IL-10. They also secrete cytokines including IL-17A and GM-CSF, which may
      chemoattract myeloid-derived suppressive cells (MDSCs), thus establishing an
      immunosuppressive network. We further demonstrate that tumor-derived TGF-beta1
      induces CD39+ gammadeltaT cells from paired normal colon tissues to produce more
      adenosine and become potent immunosuppressive T cells. Moreover, CD39+
      gammadeltaTreg infiltration is positively correlated with TNM stage and other
      unfavorable clinicopathological features, implicating that CD39+ gammadeltaTregs
      are one of the key players in establishment of immunosuppressive TME in human CRC
      that may be critical for tumor immunotherapy.

PMID- 28344893
TI  - Integrated analysis of somatic mutations and immune microenvironment in malignant
      pleural mesothelioma.
AB  - To investigate the link between the genomic landscape of cancer cells and immune
      microenvironment in tumor tissues, we characterized somatic mutations and tumor
      infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs) in malignant pleural mesothelioma (MPM),
      including mutation/neoantigen load, spatial heterogeneity of somatic mutations of
      cancer cells and TILs (T-cell receptor beta (TCRbeta) repertoire), and expression
      profiles of immune-related genes using specimens of three different tumor sites
      (anterior, posterior, and diaphragm) obtained from six MPM patients. Integrated
      analysis identified the distinct patterns of somatic mutations and the immune
      microenvironment signatures both intratumorally and interindividually. MPM cases
      showed intratumoral heterogeneity in somatic mutations with unique TCRbeta
      clonotypes of TILs that were restricted to each tumor site, suggesting the
      presence of a neoantigen-related immune response. Correlation analyses showed
      that higher neoantigen load was significantly correlated with stronger clonal
      expansion of TILs (p = 0.048) and a higher expression level of an immune
      associated cytolytic factor (PRF1 (p = 0.0041) in tumor tissues), suggesting that
      high neoantigen loads in tumor cells might promote expansion of functional tumor
      specific T cells in the tumor bed. Our results collectively indicate that MPM
      tumors constitute a diverse heterogeneity in both the genomic landscape and
      immune microenvironment, and that mutation/neoantigen load may affect the immune
      microenvironment in MPM tissues.

PMID- 28344894
TI  - Postoperative Functional Outcomes in Older Adults.
AB  - As the world's aging population grows, the surgical population is increasingly
      made up of older adults. Due to changes in physiologic function and increasing
      comorbidity burden, older adults are at increased risk of morbidity, mortality,
      and functional decline after surgery. In addition, decision to undergo surgery
      for the older adult may be based on the postoperative functional outcome rather
      than survival. Although few studies have evaluated an older adult's function as a
      postoperative outcome, surgeons are becoming increasingly aware of the importance
      of maintaining or regaining function in an older patient. Interventions to
      improve postoperative functional outcomes are being developed and show promising
      results. This review discusses existing literature on postoperative functional
      outcomes in older adults and recently developed interventions.

PMID- 28344895
TI  - The relationship between mobile phone location sensor data and depressive symptom
      severity.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Smartphones offer the hope that depression can be detected using
      passively collected data from the phone sensors. The aim of this study was to
      replicate and extend previous work using geographic location (GPS) sensors to
      identify depressive symptom severity. METHODS: We used a dataset collected from
      48 college students over a 10-week period, which included GPS phone sensor data
      and the Patient Health Questionnaire 9-item (PHQ-9) to evaluate depressive
      symptom severity at baseline and end-of-study. GPS features were calculated over
      the entire study, for weekdays and weekends, and in 2-week blocks. RESULTS: The
      results of this study replicated our previous findings that a number of GPS
      features, including location variance, entropy, and circadian movement, were
      significantly correlated with PHQ-9 scores (r's ranging from -0.43 to -0.46, p
      values <  .05). We also found that these relationships were stronger when GPS
      features were calculated from weekend, compared to weekday, data. Although the
      correlation between baseline PHQ-9 scores with 2-week GPS features diminished as
      we moved further from baseline, correlations with the end-of-study scores
      remained significant regardless of the time point used to calculate the features.
      DISCUSSION: Our findings were consistent with past research demonstrating that
      GPS features may be an important and reliable predictor of depressive symptom
      severity. The varying strength of these relationships on weekends and weekdays
      suggests the role of weekend/weekday as a moderating variable. The finding that
      GPS features predict depressive symptom severity up to 10 weeks prior to
      assessment suggests that GPS features may have the potential as early warning
      signals of depression.

PMID- 28344896
TI  - Attenuation of antigen-specific T helper 1 immunity by Neolitsea hiiranensis and
      its derived terpenoids.
AB  - BACKGROUND: T cells play a pivotal role in the adaptive immunity that
      participates in a wide range of immune responses through a complicated cytokine
      network. Imbalance of T-cell responses is involved in several immune disorders.
      Neolitsea species, one of the biggest genera in the family Lauraceae, have been
      employed widely as folk medicines for a long time in Asia. Previous phytochemical
      investigations revealed the abundance of terpenes in the leaves of N.
      hiiranensis, an endemic Neolitsea in Taiwan, and demonstrated anti-inflammatory
      activities. However, the effect of N. hiiranensis on the functionality of immune
      cells, especially T cells, is still unclear. In this study, we utilize in vitro
      and in vivo approaches to characterize the effects of leaves of N. hiiranensis
      and its terpenoids on adaptive immune responses. METHODS: Dried leaves of N.
      hiiranensis were extracted three times with cold methanol to prepare crude
      extracts and to isolate its secondary metabolites. The ovalbumin (OVA)-sensitized
      BALB/c mice were administrated with N. hiiranensis extracts (5-20 mg/kg). The
      serum and splenocytes of treated mice were collected to evaluate the
      immunomodulatory effects of N. hiiranensis on the production of OVA-specific
      antibodies and cytokines. To further identify the N. hiiranensis-derived
      compounds with immunomodulatory potentials, OVA-primed splenocytes were treated
      with compounds isolated from N. hiiranensis by determining the cell viability,
      cytokine productions, and mRNA expression in the presence of OVA in vitro.
      RESULTS: Crude extracts of leaves of N. hiiranensis significantly inhibited IL
      12, IFN-gamma, and IL-2 cytokine productions as well as the serum levels of
      antigen-specific IgM and IgG2ain vivo. Two of fourteen selected terpenoids and
      one diterpenoid derived from the leaves of N. hiiranensis suppressed IFN-gamma in
      vitro. In addition, beta-caryophyllene oxide attenuated the expression of IFN
      gamma, T-bet, and IL-12Rbeta2 in a dose-dependent manner. N. hiiranensis-derived
      beta-caryophyllene oxide inhibited several aspects of adaptive immune responses,
      including T-cell differentiation, IFN-gamma production, and Th1-assocaited genes.
      CONCLUSION: As IFN-gamma is the key cytokine secreted by T helper-1 cells and
      plays a pivotal role in Th1 immune responses, our results suggested that the N.
      hiiranensis and its terpenoids may possess potential therapeutic effects on Th1
      mediated immune disorders.

PMID- 28344897
TI  - Testing of microsatellite multiplexes for individual identification of Cape
      Parrots (Poicephalus robustus): paternity testing and monitoring trade.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Illegal trade in rare wildlife species is a major threat to many
      parrot species around the world. Wildlife forensics plays an important role in
      the preservation of endangered or threatened wildlife species. Identification of
      illegally harvested or traded animals through DNA techniques is one of the many
      methods used during forensic investigations. Natural populations of the South
      African endemic Cape Parrot (Poicephalus robustus) are negatively affected by the
      removal of eggs and chicks for the pet trade. METHODS: In this study, 16
      microsatellite markers specifically designed for the South African endemic Cape
      Parrot (P. robustus) are assessed for their utility in forensic casework. Using
      these 16 loci, the genetic diversity of a subset of the captive Cape Parrot
      population was also assessed and compared to three wild Cape Parrot populations.
      RESULTS: It was determined that the full 16 locus panel has sufficient
      discriminatory power to be used in parentage analyses and can be used to
      determine if a bird has been bred in captivity and so can be legally traded or if
      it has been illegally removed from the wild. In cases where birds have been
      removed from the wild, this study suggests that a reduced 12 locus microsatellite
      panel has sufficient power to assign confiscated birds to geographic population
      of origin. DISCUSSION: The level of genetic diversity observed within the captive
      Cape Parrot population was similar to that observed in the wild populations,
      which suggests that the captive population is not suffering from decreased levels
      of genetic diversity. The captive Cape Parrots did however have double the number
      of private alleles compared to that observed in the most genetically diverse wild
      population. This is probably due to the presence of rare alleles present in the
      founder population, which has not been lost due to genetic drift, as many of the
      individuals tested in this study are F1-F3 wild descendants. The results from
      this study provide a suit of markers that can be used to aid conservation and law
      enforcement authorities to better control legal and illegal trade of this South
      African endemic.

PMID- 28344899
TI  - A multidisciplinary approach to digital mapping of dinosaurian tracksites in the
      Lower Cretaceous (Valanginian-Barremian) Broome Sandstone of the Dampier
      Peninsula, Western Australia.
AB  - The abundant dinosaurian tracksites of the Lower Cretaceous (Valanginian
      Barremian) Broome Sandstone of the Dampier Peninsula, Western Australia, form an
      important part of the West Kimberley National Heritage Place. Previous attempts
      to document these tracksites using traditional mapping techniques (e.g., surface
      overlays, transects and gridlines combined with conventional photography) have
      been hindered by the non-trivial challenges associated with working in this area,
      including, but not limited to: (1) the remoteness of many of the tracksites; (2)
      the occurrence of the majority of the tracksites in the intertidal zone; (3) the
      size and complexity of many of the tracksites, with some extending over several
      square kilometres. Using the historically significant and well-known dinosaurian
      tracksites at Minyirr (Gantheaume Point), we show how these issues can be
      overcome through the use of an integrated array of remote sensing tools. A
      combination of high-resolution aerial photography with both manned and unmanned
      aircraft, airborne and handheld high-resolution lidar imaging and handheld
      photography enabled the collection of large amounts of digital data from which 3D
      models of the tracksites at varying resolutions were constructed. The acquired
      data encompasses a very broad scale, from the sub-millimetre level that details
      individual tracks, to the multiple-kilometre level, which encompasses
      discontinuous tracksite exposures and large swathes of coastline. The former are
      useful for detailed ichnological work, while the latter are being employed to
      better understand the stratigraphic and temporal relationship between tracksites
      in a broader geological and palaeoecological context. These approaches and the
      data they can generate now provide a means through which digital conservation and
      temporal monitoring of the Dampier Peninsula's dinosaurian tracksites can occur.
      As plans for the on-going management of the tracks in this area progress,
      analysis of the 3D data and 3D visualization will also likely provide an
      important means through which the broader public can experience these spectacular
      National Heritage listed landscapes.

PMID- 28344898
TI  - The Non-Recurrent Laryngeal Nerve: a meta-analysis and clinical considerations.
AB  - BACKGROUND: The Non-Recurrent Laryngeal Nerve (NRLN) is a rare embryologically
      derived variant of the Recurrent Laryngeal Nerve (RLN). The presence of an NRLN
      significantly increases the risk of iatrogenic injury and operative
      complications. Our aim was to provide a comprehensive meta-analysis of the
      overall prevalence of the NRLN, its origin, and its association with an aberrant
      subclavian artery. METHODS: Through March 2016, a database search was performed
      of PubMed, CNKI, ScienceDirect, EMBASE, BIOSIS, SciELO, and Web of Science. The
      references in the included articles were also extensively searched. At least two
      reviewers judged eligibility and assessed and extracted articles. MetaXL was used
      for analysis, with all pooled prevalence rates calculated using a random effects
      model. Heterogeneity among the included studies was assessed using the Chi2 test
      and the I2 statistic. RESULTS: Fifty-three studies (33,571 right RLNs) reported
      data on the prevalence of a right NRLN. The pooled prevalence estimate was 0.7%
      (95% CI [0.6-0.9]). The NRLN was found to originate from the vagus nerve at or
      above the laryngotracheal junction in 58.3% and below it in 41.7%. A right NRLN
      was associated with an aberrant subclavian artery in 86.7% of cases. CONCLUSION:
      The NRLN is a rare yet very clinically relevant structure for surgeons and is
      associated with increased risk of iatrogenic injury, most often leading to
      temporary or permanent vocal cord paralysis. A thorough understanding of the
      prevalence, origin, and associated pathologies is vital for preventing injuries
      and complications.

PMID- 28344900
TI  - Temporal patterns and geographic heterogeneity of Zika virus (ZIKV) outbreaks in
      French Polynesia and Central America.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Zika virus (ZIKV) transmission has been reported in 67
      countries/territories in the Oceania region and the Americas since 2015,
      prompting the World Health Organization (WHO) to declare ZIKV as a Public Health
      Emergency of International Concern in February 2016, due to its strong
      association with medical complications such as microcephaly and Guillain-Barre
      Syndrome (GBS). However, a substantial gap in knowledge still exists regarding
      differing temporal pattern and potential of transmission of ZIKV in different
      regions of the world. METHODS: We use a phenomenological model to ascertain the
      temporal patterns and transmission potential of ZIKV in various
      countries/territories, by fitting the model to Zika case data from Yap Island and
      French Polynesia in the Oceania region and 11 countries/territories with
      confirmed case data, namely, Colombia, Ecuador, French Guiana, Guadeloupe,
      Guatemala, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, Puerto Rico, Saint Martin, and Suriname, to
      pinpoint the waves of infections in each country/territory and to estimate the
      respective basic reproduction number R0. RESULTS: Six of these time series
      datasets resulted in statistically significant model fit of at least one wave of
      reported cases, namely that of French Polynesia, Colombia, Puerto Rico,
      Guatemala, Suriname and Saint Martin. However, only Colombia and Guatemala
      exhibited two waves of cases while the others had only one wave. Temporal
      patterns of the second wave in Colombia and the single wave in Suriname are very
      similar, with the respective turning points separated by merely a week. Moreover,
      the mean estimates of R0 for Colombia, Guatemala and Suriname, all land-based
      populations, range between 1.05 and 1.75, while the corresponding mean estimates
      for R0 of island populations in French Polynesia, Puerto Rico and Saint Martin
      are significantly lower with a range of 5.70-6.89. We also fit the Richards model
      to Zika case data from six main archipelagos in French Polynesia, suggesting the
      outbreak in all six island populations occurred during the same time, albeit with
      different peak time, with mean R0 range of 3.09-5.05. DISCUSSION: Using the same
      modeling methodology, in this study we found a significant difference between
      transmissibility (as quantified by R0) in island populations as opposed to land
      based countries/territories, possibly suggesting an important role of geographic
      heterogeneity in the spread of vector-borne diseases and its future course, which
      requires further monitoring. Our result has potential implications for planning
      respective intervention and control policies targeted for island and land-based
      populations.

PMID- 28344901
TI  - Can video playback provide social information for foraging blue tits?
AB  - Video playback is becoming a common method for manipulating social stimuli in
      experiments. Parid tits are one of the most commonly studied groups of wild
      birds. However, it is not yet clear if tits respond to video playback or how
      their behavioural responses should be measured. Behaviours may also differ
      depending on what they observe demonstrators encountering. Here we present blue
      tits (Cyanistes caeruleus) videos of demonstrators discovering palatable or
      aversive prey (injected with bitter-tasting Bitrex) from coloured feeding cups.
      First we quantify variation in demonstrators' responses to the prey items:
      aversive prey provoked high rates of beak wiping and head shaking. We then show
      that focal blue tits respond differently to the presence of a demonstrator on a
      video screen, depending on whether demonstrators discover palatable or aversive
      prey. Focal birds faced the video screen more during aversive prey presentations,
      and made more head turns. Regardless of prey type, focal birds also hopped more
      frequently during the presence of a demonstrator (compared to a control video of
      a different coloured feeding cup in an empty cage). Finally, we tested if
      demonstrators' behaviour affected focal birds' food preferences by giving
      individuals a choice to forage from the same cup as a demonstrator, or from the
      cup in the control video. We found that only half of the individuals made their
      choice in accordance to social information in the videos, i.e., their foraging
      choices were not different from random. Individuals that chose in accordance with
      a demonstrator, however, made their choice faster than individuals that chose an
      alternative cup. Together, our results suggest that video playback can provide
      social cues to blue tits, but individuals vary greatly in how they use this
      information in their foraging decisions.

PMID- 28344902
TI  - Isolation and characterization of human articular chondrocytes from surgical
      waste after total knee arthroplasty (TKA).
AB  - BACKGROUND: Cartilage tissue engineering is a fast-evolving field of biomedical
      engineering, in which the chondrocytes represent the most commonly used cell
      type. Since research in tissue engineering always consumes a lot of cells, simple
      and cheap isolation methods could form a powerful basis to boost such studies and
      enable their faster progress to the clinics. Isolated chondrocytes can be used
      for autologous chondrocyte implantation in cartilage repair, and are the base for
      valuable models to investigate cartilage phenotype preservation, as well as
      enable studies of molecular features, nature and scales of cellular responses to
      alterations in the cartilage tissue. METHODS: Isolation and consequent
      cultivation of primary human adult articular chondrocytes from the surgical waste
      obtained during total knee arthroplasty (TKA) was performed. To evaluate the
      chondrogenic potential of the isolated cells, gene expression of collagen type 2
      (COL2), collagen 1 (COL1) and aggrecan (ACAN) was evaluated. Immunocytochemical
      staining of all mentioned proteins was performed to evaluate chondrocyte specific
      production. RESULTS: Cartilage specific gene expression of COL2 and ACAN has been
      shown that the proposed protocol leads to isolation of cells with a high
      chondrogenic potential, possibly even specific phenotype preservation up to the
      second passage. COL1 expression has confirmed the tendency of the isolated cells
      dedifferentiation into a fibroblast-like phenotype already in the second passage,
      which confirms previous findings that higher passages should be used with care in
      cartilage tissue engineering. To evaluate the effectiveness of our approach,
      immunocytochemical staining of the evaluated chondrocyte specific products was
      performed as well. DISCUSSION: In this study, we developed a protocol for
      isolation and consequent cultivation of primary human adult articular
      chondrocytes with the desired phenotype from the surgical waste obtained during
      TKA. TKA is a common and very frequently performed orthopaedic surgery during
      which both femoral condyles are removed. The latter present the ideal source for
      a simple and relatively cheap isolation of chondrocytes as was confirmed in our
      study.

PMID- 28344903
TI  - Comparison of consumption behavior and appetite sensations among patients with
      type 2 diabetes mellitus after bariatric surgery.
AB  - BACKGROUND: The promising postsurgical weight loss and remission of type 2
      diabetes (T2D) from bariatric surgery can be attributed to modified eating
      physiology after surgical procedures. We sought to investigate the changes in the
      parameters of consumption behaviors and appetite sensations induced by a mixed
      meal tolerance test, and to correlate these alterations with age, body mass
      index, C-peptide levels, and duration of T2D 1 year after bariatric surgery.
      METHODS: A total of 16 obese patients with T2D who underwent mini-gastric bypass
      (GB) and 16 patients who underwent sleeve gastrectomy (SG) were enrolled in this
      study and evaluated using a mixed meal tolerance test one year after surgery. A
      visual analogue scale was used for scoring appetite sensation at different time
      points. The area under the curve (AUC) and the incremental or decremental AUC
      (DeltaAUC) were compared between the two groups. RESULTS: One year after surgery,
      a decreasing trend in the consumption time was observed in the GB group compared
      to the SG group, while the duration of T2D before surgery was negatively
      correlated with the post-operative consumed time in those after GB. Patients who
      underwent GB had significantly higher fasting scores for fullness and desire to
      eat, higher AUC0'-180' of scores for desire to eat, as well as more effective
      post-meal suppression of hunger and desire to eat compared with those undergoing
      SG one year after surgery. Post-operative C-peptide levels were negatively
      correlated with DeltaAUC0'-180' for hunger and DeltaAUC0'-180' for desire to eat
      in the GB group, while negatively correlated with DeltaAUC0'-180' for fullness in
      the SG group. DISCUSSION: Patients with T2D after either GB or SG exhibit
      distinct nutrient-induced consumption behaviors and appetite sensations post
      operatively, which may account for the differential effects on weight loss and
      glycemic control after different surgery.

PMID- 28344904
TI  - Insect herbivores increase mortality and reduce tree seedling growth of some
      species in temperate forest canopy gaps.
AB  - Insect herbivores help maintain forest diversity through selective predation on
      seedlings of vulnerable tree species. Although the role of natural enemies has
      been well-studied in tropical systems, relatively few studies have experimentally
      manipulated insect abundance in temperate forests and tracked impacts over
      multiple years. We conducted a three-year experiment (2012-2014) deterring insect
      herbivores from seedlings in new treefall gaps in deciduous hardwood forests in
      Maryland. During this study, we tracked recruitment of all tree seedlings, as
      well as survivorship and growth of 889 individual seedlings from five tree
      species: Acer rubrum, Fagus grandifolia, Fraxinus spp., Liriodendron tulipifera,
      and Liquidambar styraciflua. Insect herbivores had little effect on recruitment
      of any tree species, although there was a weak indication that recruitment of A.
      rubrum was higher in the presence of herbivores. Insect herbivores reduced
      survivorship of L. tulipifera, but had no significant effects on A. rubrum,
      Fraxinus spp., F. grandifolia, or L. styraciflua. Additionally, insects reduced
      growth rates of early pioneer species A. rubrum, L. tulipifera, and L.
      styraciflua, but had little effect on more shade-tolerant species F. grandifolia
      and Fraxinus spp. Overall, by negatively impacting growth and survivorship of
      early pioneer species, forest insects may play an important but relatively
      cryptic role in forest gap dynamics, with potentially interesting impacts on the
      overall maintenance of diversity.

PMID- 28344906
TI  - Exploring differential health effects of work stress: a latent class cluster
      approach.
AB  - BACKGROUND: While evidence highlights the detrimental health consequences of
      adverse working conditions, effect sizes vary by the stressor examined. In this
      study, we aimed to explore the differential effects various constellations of job
      demands have on prevalent symptom clusters. METHODS: We analysed self-reported
      data from a nationwide Austrian survey (N = 16,466), based on a cross-sectional
      design. By means of latent class analysis, a set of items was used to assess the
      burden from several job demands as well as the frequency of occurrence of mental
      and physical symptoms in order to identify stress profiles and symptom clusters,
      respectively. RESULTS: Analysis revealed four subgroups that each demonstrated a
      typological response pattern regarding job demands and health symptoms,
      respectively. The revealed stress profiles were found to be strongly related to
      the symptom clusters, while the effects differed considerably depending on the
      types of demands experienced. CONCLUSION: The current study presents an
      alternative method of examining the stress-health link by using a combined person
      and variable-centred approach. The findings suggest a hierarchy in stress
      exposure with the most pronounced health consequences found for a synchronous
      burden from physical, psychosocial and organizational demands.

PMID- 28344905
TI  - Evolution of the patellar sesamoid bone in mammals.
AB  - The patella is a sesamoid bone located in the major extensor tendon of the knee
      joint, in the hindlimb of many tetrapods. Although numerous aspects of knee
      morphology are ancient and conserved among most tetrapods, the evolutionary
      occurrence of an ossified patella is highly variable. Among extant (crown clade)
      groups it is found in most birds, most lizards, the monotreme mammals and almost
      all placental mammals, but it is absent in most marsupial mammals as well as many
      reptiles. Here, we integrate data from the literature and first-hand studies of
      fossil and recent skeletal remains to reconstruct the evolution of the mammalian
      patella. We infer that bony patellae most likely evolved between four and six
      times in crown group Mammalia: in monotremes, in the extinct multituberculates,
      in one or more stem-mammal genera outside of therian or eutherian mammals and up
      to three times in therian mammals. Furthermore, an ossified patella was lost
      several times in mammals, not including those with absent hindlimbs: once or more
      in marsupials (with some re-acquisition) and at least once in bats. Our
      inferences about patellar evolution in mammals are reciprocally informed by the
      existence of several human genetic conditions in which the patella is either
      absent or severely reduced. Clearly, development of the patella is under close
      genomic control, although its responsiveness to its mechanical environment is
      also important (and perhaps variable among taxa). Where a bony patella is present
      it plays an important role in hindlimb function, especially in resisting gravity
      by providing an enhanced lever system for the knee joint. Yet the evolutionary
      origins, persistence and modifications of a patella in diverse groups with widely
      varying habits and habitats-from digging to running to aquatic, small or large
      body sizes, bipeds or quadrupeds-remain complex and perplexing, impeding a
      conclusive synthesis of form, function, development and genetics across mammalian
      evolution. This meta-analysis takes an initial step toward such a synthesis by
      collating available data and elucidating areas of promising future inquiry.

PMID- 28344907
TI  - Grape seed proanthocyanidin extract protects lymphocytes against histone-induced
      apoptosis.
AB  - Apoptosis of lymphocytes is associated with immunosuppression and poor prognosis
      in sepsis. Our previous report showed that histones, nuclear proteins released
      from damaged or dying cells in sepsis, can mediate lymphocyte apoptosis via
      mitochondria damage. Grape seed proanthocyanidin extract (GSPE), a natural
      substance with protective properties against oxidative stress, plays a vital role
      in cell and mitochondria protection. We thus hypothesized that GSPE may play a
      protective role in histone-induced lymphocyte apoptosis through its anti
      oxidative properties. In this study, we investigated the protective efficacy of
      GSPE on lymphocyte apoptosis induced by extracellular histones, a main
      contributor of death in sepsis. Human blood lymphocytes were treated with 50
      MUg/ml histones, 2 MUg/ml GSPE, or a combination of both. A total of 100 MUM N
      acetylcysteine (NAC), a reactive oxygen species (ROS) inhibitor, was used as a
      positive control for GSPE. Apoptosis, intracellular ROS levels, mitochondrial
      membrane potential, Bcl-2 expression, and caspase-3 cleavage were measured. Our
      data clearly indicate that GSPE significantly inhibited lymphocyte apoptosis,
      generation of ROS, the loss of mitochondrial membrane potential, the decrease in
      Bcl-2 expression, and caspase-3 activation induced by extracellular histones. In
      conclusion, we show that GSPE has a protective effect on lymphocyte apoptosis
      induced by extracellular histones. This study suggests GSPE as a potential
      therapeutic agent that could help reduce lymphocyte apoptosis, and thus the state
      of immunosuppression was observed in septic patients.

PMID- 28344908
TI  - A cross sectional survey on health-related quality of life of elementary school
      students using the Korean version of the EQ-5D-Y.
AB  - BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: The Korean version of the EQ-5D-Y was launched in 2015
      by the EuroQol group. Currently, there is no HRQOL data obtained by using the EQ
      5D-Y in Korea. This study aimed to measure health-related quality of life of
      Korean elementary school students using the EQ-5D-Y. METHODS: Elementary school
      students were recruited from 11 primary schools in Gyungbuk, South Korea. The EQ
      5D-Y was self-administered in the sample population. Demographic characteristics
      were collected from the subjects' parents or guardians. The percentage of
      respondents reporting problems and VAS scores were calculated. Feasibility of the
      EQ-5D-Y was assessed by analysing the proportion of missing responses. The
      percentage of reported problems on the dimensions and VAS score between groups
      were compared by demographic factors. RESULTS: A total of 2,494 questionnaires
      were collected. There were 24 (0.96%) missing responses on the EQ-5D-Y and 187
      (7.5%) missing VAS score responses. The proportion of reported problems ranged
      from 2.3% on the mobility dimension to 9.8% on the "having pain or discomfort"
      dimension. There was no significant difference in the proportion of problems by
      age group in male participants. However, in females, the older group reported
      significantly more problems on the "having pain or discomfort" and "feeling
      worried, sad, or unhappy" dimensions compared to the younger group. Students
      living with parents with the lowest educational level reported significantly more
      problems on the "looking after myself" and "doing usual activities" dimensions
      than did those living with parents with higher levels of education. DISCUSSION:
      This study showed the distribution of health-related quality of life and explored
      the feasibility of the EQ-5D-Y for measuring health-related quality of life in
      Korean elementary school students. Further studies are required to examine other
      psychometric properties of the Korean EQ-5D-Y.

PMID- 28344909
TI  - Understanding Participation in a Web-Based Measurement Burst Design: Response
      Metrics and Predictors of Participation.

PMID- 28344910
TI  - Gravity Stress Radiograph Revealing Instability at the First Metatarso-Cuneiform
      Joint in Lisfranc Injury.
AB  - Lisfranc injuries are commonly missed in the acute setting, largely due to subtle
      findings that often require weightbearing radiographs or more complex imaging for
      diagnosis. The long-term consequences of missed injuries are debilitating
      osteoarthritis of the midfoot, but this may be prevented with appropriate
      diagnosis and treatment. This case study presents a Lisfranc injury initially
      diagnosed by gravity stress radiograph. While used for other injuries, there is
      no literature on the use of gravity stress radiographs for diagnosis of Lisfranc
      injuries. The use of this simple technique to accurately diagnose Lisfranc
      injuries may improve detection and patient outcomes.

PMID- 28344911
TI  - Spontaneous Tumor Lysis Syndrome in Small Cell Lung Cancer.
AB  - Tumor lysis syndrome (TLS) is a life-threatening oncologic complication caused by
      the lysis of a vast number of malignant cells resulting in metabolic derangements
      and organ dysfunction. TLS can occur spontaneously before initiation of any
      therapies often referred to as spontaneous tumor lysis syndrome (STLS), or
      shortly after the induction of chemotherapy, radiotherapy, or cytolytic antibody
      therapy. TLS is vastly seen in patients with hematological malignancies with high
      rapid cell turnover rates such as Burkitt lymphoma, acute myelogenous leukemia,
      and acute lymphocytic leukemia, and is rarely observed in solid tumors. However,
      TLS can occur in solid tumors, and there are multiple reports in the literature
      on the occurrence of TLS in various solid tumors. In this article, we report a
      case of STLS in small cell lung cancer followed by a brief review of the
      occurrence of TLS and STLS in small cell lung cancer.

PMID- 28344912
TI  - The topography of a continental indenter: The interplay between crustal
      deformation, erosion, and base level changes in the eastern Southern Alps.
AB  - The topography of the eastern Southern Alps (ESA) reflects indenter tectonics
      causing crustal shortening, surface uplift, and erosional response. Fluvial
      drainages were perturbed by Pleistocene glaciations that locally excavated alpine
      valleys. The Late Miocene desiccation of the Mediterranean Sea and the uplift of
      the northern Molasse Basin led to significant base level changes in the far field
      of the ESA and the Eastern Alps (EA), respectively. Among this multitude of
      mechanisms, the processes that dominate the current topographic evolution of the
      ESA and the ESA-EA drainage divide have not been identified. We demonstrate the
      expected topographic effects of each mechanism in a one-dimensional model and
      compare them with observed channel metrics. We find that the normalized steepness
      index increases with uplift rate and declines from the indenter tip in the
      northwest to the foreland basin in the southeast. The number and amplitude of
      knickpoints and the distortion in longitudinal channel profiles similarly
      decrease toward the east. Changes in slope of chi-transformed channel profiles
      coincide spatially with the Valsugana-Fella fault linking crustal stacking and
      uplift induced by indenter tectonics with topographic evolution. Gradients in chi
      across the ESA-EA drainage divide imply an ongoing, north directed shift of the
      Danube-ESA watershed that is most likely driven by a base level rise in the
      northern Molasse basin. We conclude that the regional uplift pattern controls the
      geometry of ESA-EA channels, while base level changes in the far field control
      the overall architecture of the orogen by drainage divide migration.

PMID- 28344914
TI  - Automatic classification of histopathological diagnoses for building a large
      scale tissue catalogue.
AB  - In this paper an automatic classification system for pathological findings is
      presented. The starting point in our undertaking was a pathologic tissue
      collection with about 1.4 million tissue samples described by free text records
      over 23 years. Exploring knowledge out of this "big data" pool is a challenging
      task, especially when dealing with unstructured data spanning over many years.
      The classification is based on an ontology-based term extraction and decision
      tree build with a manually curated classification system. The information
      extracting system is based on regular expressions and a text substitution system.
      We describe the generation of the decision trees by medical experts using a
      visual editor. Also the evaluation of the classification process with a reference
      data set is described. We achieved an F-Score of 89,7% for ICD-10 and an F-Score
      of 94,7% for ICD-O classification. For the information extraction of the tumor
      staging and receptors we achieved am F-Score ranging from 81,8 to 96,8%.

PMID- 28344913
TI  - Indoor localisation through object detection within multiple environments
      utilising a single wearable camera.
AB  - The recent growth in the wearable sensor market has stimulated new opportunities
      within the domain of Ambient Assisted Living, providing unique methods of
      collecting occupant information. This approach leverages contemporary wearable
      technology, Google Glass, to facilitate a unique first-person view of the
      occupants immediate environment. Machine vision techniques are employed to
      determine an occupant's location via environmental object detection. This method
      provides additional secondary benefits such as first person tracking within the
      environment and lack of required sensor interaction to determine occupant
      location. Object recognition is performed using the Oriented Features from
      Accelerated Segment Test and Rotated Binary Robust Independent Elementary
      Features algorithm with a K-Nearest Neighbour matcher to match the saved key
      points of the objects to the scene. To validate the approach, an experimental set
      up consisting of three ADL routines, each containing at least ten activities,
      ranging from drinking water to making a meal were considered. Ground truth was
      obtained from manually annotated video data and the approach was previously
      benchmarked against a common method of indoor localisation that employs dense
      sensor placement in order to validate the approach resulting in a recall,
      precision, and F-measure of 0.82, 0.96, and 0.88 respectively. This paper will go
      on to assess to the viability of applying the solution to differing environments,
      both in terms of performance and along with a qualitative analysis on the
      practical aspects of installing such a system within differing environments.

PMID- 28344915
TI  - From the evaluation of existing solutions to an all-inclusive package for
      biobanks.
AB  - The domain of biobanking has gone through many stages and as a result there are a
      wide range of commercial and open source software solutions available. The
      utilization of these software tools requires different levels of domain and
      technical skills for installation, configuration and ultimate us of these biobank
      software tools. To compound this complexity the biobanking community are required
      to work together in order to share knowledge and jointly build solutions to
      underpin the research infrastructure. We have evaluated the available tools,
      described them in a catalogue (BiobankApps) and made a selection of tools
      available to biobanks in a reference toolbox (BIBBOX) that are use-case driven.
      In the BiobankApps tool catalogue, both commercial and open source software
      solutions related to the biobanking domain are included, classified and
      evaluated. The evaluation covers: 1) "user review" by an authenticated user 2)
      domain expert: quick analysis by BBMRI members and 3) domain expert: detailed
      analysis and test installation with real world data. The evaluation is paired
      with a survey across the more "advanced" (from a technology perspective) biobanks
      to investigate what tools are currently used and summarises known
      benefits/drawbacks of the respective packages. In the second step we recommend
      tools for specific use cases, and install, configure and connect these in the
      BIBBOX framework. This service also builds on the existing work in the United
      Kingdom in seeking to establish the motivations for different stakeholders to
      become involved and therefore assisting in prioritising the use-cases based on
      the level of need and support within the research community. All tools associated
      to a use-case are available as BIBBOX applications (technically this is achieved
      by docker containers), which are integrated in the BIBBOX framework with central
      identification and user management. In future work we plan to share the acquired
      knowledge with other networks, develop an Application Programmable Interface
      (API) for the exchange of metadata with other tool catalogues and work on an
      ontology for the evaluation of biobank software.

PMID- 28344916
TI  - Pentalogy of Cantrell: Is Echocardiography Sufficient in the Neonatal Period?
AB  - Pentalogy of Cantrell is a rare syndrome that is characterized by varying degrees
      of midline wall defects and congenital cardiac anomalies. A left ventricular
      diverticulum (LVD) is defined as partial ectopia cordis, can be part of the
      pentalogy of Cantrell, and can put the patient at risk of severe complications.
      Early diagnosis and ligation/resection of the LVD is important to prevent
      complications. We report on a case of pentalogy of Cantrell, in which a LVD was
      diagnosed only at 2 months of age despite preceding pre- and postnatal
      echocardiography. We conclude that in the suspicion of pentalogy of Cantrell,
      either complete or incomplete, cardiac magnetic resonance imaging should be
      performed, when possible, to avoid the potential complication of a herniating
      ventricular diverticulum.

PMID- 28344917
TI  - Fatal Complications after Pediatric Surgical Interventions: Lessons Learned.
AB  - Placement of catheters, drains, shunts, and tubes in children can lead to serious
      or even fatal complications at the moment of placement, such as hemorrhage at
      insertion, or in the longterm, such as infections and migration into adjacent
      organs. The clinician should always be aware of these potential complications,
      especially if the child is unwell. For postmortem diagnostic evaluation, either
      with a computed tomography scan or an invasive autopsy, all tubes, drains,
      shunts, and/or catheters should be left in situ. We present three cases with
      fatal complications after the placement of a chest drain, ventriculoperitoneal
      shunt, and gastrostomy tube.

PMID- 28344918
TI  - Missed diagnosis of stroke in the emergency department: a cross-sectional
      analysis of a large population-based sample.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Some cerebrovascular events are not diagnosed promptly, potentially
      resulting in death or disability from missed treatments. We sought to estimate
      the frequency of missed stroke and examine associations with patient, emergency
      department (ED), and hospital characteristics. METHODS: Cross-sectional analysis
      using linked inpatient discharge and ED visit records from the 2009 Healthcare
      Cost and Utilization Project State Inpatient Databases and 2008-2009 State ED
      Databases across nine US states. We identified adult patients admitted for stroke
      with a treat-and-release ED visit in the prior 30 days, considering those given a
      non-cerebrovascular diagnosis as probable (benign headache or dizziness
      diagnosis) or potential (any other diagnosis) missed strokes. RESULTS: There were
      23,809 potential and 2243 probable missed strokes representing 12.7% and 1.2% of
      stroke admissions, respectively. Missed hemorrhages (n = 406) were linked to
      headache while missed ischemic strokes (n = 1435) and transient ischemic attacks
      (n = 402) were linked to headache or dizziness. Odds of a probable misdiagnosis
      were lower among men (OR 0.75), older individuals (18-44 years [base]; 45-64:OR
      0.43; 65-74:OR 0.28; >= 75:OR 0.19), and Medicare (OR 0.66) or Medicaid (OR 0.70)
      recipients compared to privately insured patients. Odds were higher among Blacks
      (OR 1.18), Asian/Pacific Islanders (OR 1.29), and Hispanics (OR 1.30). Odds were
      higher in non-teaching hospitals (OR 1.45) and low-volume hospitals (OR 1.57).
      CONCLUSIONS: We estimate 15,000-165,000 misdiagnosed cerebrovascular events
      annually in US EDs, disproportionately presenting with headache or dizziness.
      Physicians evaluating these symptoms should be particularly attuned to the
      possibility of stroke in younger, female, and non-White patients.

PMID- 28344920
TI  - Six years of INSTAND e. V. sIgE proficiency testing: An evaluation of in vitro
      allergy diagnostics.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Even though allergies are an important health issue, wide
      manufacturer-dependent differences in the detected amounts of allergen-specific
      IgE (sIgE) have repeatedly been found. These discrepancies hinder diagnostics and
      research into clinically significant cutoff points for life-threatening symptoms.
      METHODS: To evaluate whether the reported differences have led to changes in
      diagnostic testing, we analyzed data from six years of round robin testing (RRT,
      also known as proficiency testing) at the Gesellschaft zur Forderung der
      Qualitatssicherung in medizinischen Laboratorien e.V.  (Society for Promoting
      Quality Assurance in medical Laboratories) for the important allergen sources bee
      venom, wasp venom, and birch pollen. The results of the four main suppliers of in
      vitro diagnostic sIgE testing were compared in a pseudo-anonymized form using
      overlay images of box plot graphs for the semiquantitative data and allergen
      class results. Coefficients of variation (CV) were obtained to study the
      development of interlaboratory comparability. RESULTS: We found that the large
      differences between the manufacturer collectives remained constant between
      January 2010 and April 2015 without any real improvement. The CVs were good for
      two of the four analyzed suppliers, one was marginal and one above the quality
      level of 20%. CONCLUSION: The numerous publications that have found discrepancies
      in the sIgE results of the different suppliers did not change the status quo
      within the last six years. Unfortunately, this is unlikely to change until there
      is a characterized standard material with known values of sIgE.

PMID- 28344919
TI  - Antibodies to HLA Molecules Mimic Agonistic Stimulation to Trigger Vascular Cell
      Changes and Induce Allograft Injury.
AB  - Human leukocyte antigen (HLA)-induced signaling in endothelial and smooth muscle
      cells causes dramatic cytoskeletal rearrangement, increased survival, motility,
      proliferation, adhesion molecule and chemokine expression, and adhesion of
      leukocytes. These mechanisms are directly related to endothelial activation,
      neointimal proliferation, and intragraft accumulation of leukocytes during
      antibody-mediated rejection (AMR) and chronic rejection. Clustering of HLA by
      ligands in trans, such as in antigen-presenting cells at the immune synapse,
      triggers physiological functions analogous to HLA antibody-induced signaling in
      vascular cells. Emerging evidence has revealed previously unknown functions for
      HLA beyond antigen presentation, including association with coreceptors in cis to
      permit signal transduction, and modulation of intracellular signaling downstream
      of other receptors that may be relevant to HLA signaling in the graft
      vasculature. We discuss the literature regarding HLA-induced signaling in
      vascular endothelial and smooth muscle cells, as well as under endogenous
      biological conditions, and how such signaling relates to functional changes and
      pathological mechanisms during graft injury.

PMID- 28344922
TI  - Mobile Devices and Insomnia: Understanding Risks and Benefits.
AB  - Mobile devices (smartphones and tablet computers) have become widely prevalent
      due to rapid improvements in function and decreasing costs. As of 2014, 90 % of
      US adults have a mobile phone, with 58 % having a smartphone, 32 % owning some
      type of e-reader, and 42 % of US adults owning a tablet computer. Mobile devices
      are particularly well-suited for the study of common conditions such as sleep
      difficulties because of their ubiquity. Around 35 to 49 % of the US adult
      population have problems falling asleep or have daytime sleepiness. These sleep
      disorders are often under-recognized because of patient-physician communication
      difficulties, low rates of medical awareness resulting in underreporting of
      insomnia symptoms, and limited primary care physician (PCP) training in insomnia
      recognition. Mobile devices have the potential to bridge some of these gaps, but
      they can also lead to sleep difficulties when used inappropriately.

PMID- 28344921
TI  - German guideline for the management of adverse reactions to ingested histamine:
      Guideline of the German Society for Allergology and Clinical Immunology (DGAKI),
      the German Society for Pediatric Allergology and Environmental Medicine (GPA),
      the German Association of Allergologists (AeDA), and the Swiss Society for
      Allergology and Immunology (SGAI).
AB  - Adverse food reactions are far more often perceived than objectively verified. In
      our scientific knowledge on non-allergic adverse reactions including the so
      called histamine intolerance, there are large deficits. Due to the fact that this
      disorder is increasingly discussed in the media and the internet, more and more
      people suspect it to be the trigger of their symptoms. The scientific evidence to
      support the postulated link between ingestion of histamine and adverse reactions
      is limited, and a reliable laboratory test for objective diagnosis is lacking.
      This position paper by the "Food Allergy" Working Group of the German Society for
      Allergology and Clinical Immunology (DGAKI) in collaboration with the German
      Association of Allergologists (AeDA), the Society for Pediatric Allergology and
      Environmental Medicine (GPA), and the Swiss Society for Allergology and
      Immunology (SGAI) reviews the data on the clinical picture of adverse reactions
      to ingested histamine, summarizes important aspects and their consequences, and
      proposes a practical diagnostic and therapeutic approach.

PMID- 28344924
TI  - Idiopathic Pleuroparenchymal Fibroelastosis.
AB  - PURPOSE OF THE REVIEW: Idiopathic pleuroparenchymal fibroelastosis (IPPFE) is a
      rare fibrosing lung disease, affecting the visceral pleura and the subpleural
      parenchyma with an upper lobe predilection, included as a distinct
      clinicopathologic entity in the latest international multidisciplinary
      classification of the idiopathic interstitial pneumonias (IIP). We aim to
      summarize the current evidence on IPPFE, in terms of clinical features and
      potential treatments. RECENT FINDINGS: Overall, there is increasing awareness of
      PPFE in association with a separate ILD pattern. Although an agreed consensus on
      diagnosis has yet to be defined, a list of radiological and histopathological
      criteria has been proposed. Due to the unfavorable risk-benefit profile of
      surgical lung biopsy in a significant proportion of patients, a potential role
      for transbronchial lung cryobiopsy has been suggested. At present, lung
      transplantation remains the only curative option. SUMMARY: The increasing
      awareness of this condition among specialists has led to more frequent
      identification of IPPFE. Large international studies are needed to better
      characterize pathogenesis and pheno/endotypes of disease, a key step towards the
      development of effective treatments.

PMID- 28344923
TI  - Impact of Drug Treatment at Neonatal Ages on Variability of Drug Metabolism and
      Drug-drug Interactions in Adult Life.
AB  - PURPOSE OF REVIEW: As the number of patients taking more than one medication
      concurrently continues to increase, predicting and preventing drug-drug
      interactions (DDIs) is now more important than ever. Administration of one drug
      can cause changes in the expression and activity of drug metabolizing enzymes
      (DMEs) and alter the efficacy or toxicity of other medications that are
      substrates for these enzymes, resulting in a DDI. In today's medical practice,
      potential DDIs are evaluated based on the current medications a patient is taking
      with little regard to drugs the patient has been exposed to in the past. The
      purpose of this review is to discuss potential impacts of drug treatment at
      neonatal ages on the variability of drug metabolism and DDIs in adult life.
      RECENT FINDINGS: Existing evidence from the last thirty years has shown that
      exposure to certain xenobiotics during neonatal life has the potential to
      persistently alter DME expression through adult life. With recent advancements in
      the understanding of epigenetic regulation on gene expression, this phenomenon is
      resurfacing in the scientific community in hopes of defining possible mechanisms.
      Exposure to compounds that have the ability to bind nuclear receptors and trigger
      epigenetic modifications at neonatal and pediatric ages may have long-term, if
      not permanent, consequences on gene expression and DME activity. SUMMARY: The
      information summarized in this review should challenge the way current healthcare
      providers assess DDI potential and may offer an explanation to the significant
      interindividual variability in drug metabolism that is observed among patients.

PMID- 28344925
TI  - Chest Drain Size: the Debate Continues.
AB  - PURPOSE OF REVIEW: Small-bore chest tubes are widely used in the management of
      common pleural disease. Guidelines suggest that patients with malignant pleural
      effusions, pneumothorax and pleural infection may be successfully managed with
      small-bore drains. However, good quality data is often lacking. This article
      reviews the evidence for the treatment efficacy and potential adverse effects of
      different chest tube sizes. RECENT FINDINGS: In a large randomised study, the
      small difference in pain scores between large and small drains was not clinically
      significant. However, small-bore chest tubes commonly suffer from blockage or
      inadvertent removal, and may not be as effective in providing successful
      pleurodesis for malignant pleural effusions. SUMMARY: Although they may be
      effective in managing pleural infection, and less painful than large drains,
      small bore drains may be less effective for pleurodesis.

PMID- 28344928
TI  - Physical and monetary ecosystem service accounts for Europe: A case study for in
      stream nitrogen retention.
AB  - In this paper we present a case study of integrated ecosystem and economic
      accounting based on the System of Environmental Economic Accounting -
      Experimental Ecosystem Accounts (SEEA-EEA). We develop accounts, in physical and
      monetary terms, for the water purification ecosystem service in Europe over a 20
      year time period (1985-2005). The estimation of nitrogen retention is based on
      the GREEN biophysical model, within which we impose a sustainability threshold to
      obtain the physical indicators of capacity - the ability of an ecosystem to
      sustainably supply ecosystem services. Key messages of our paper pertain the
      notion of capacity, operationalized in accounting terms with reference to
      individual ecosystem services rather than to the ecosystem as a whole, and
      intended as the stock that provides the sustainable flow of the service. The
      study clarifies the difference between sustainable flow and actual flow of the
      service, which should be calculated jointly so as to enable an assessment of the
      sustainability of current use of ecosystem services. Finally, by distinguishing
      the notion of 'process' (referred to the ecosystem) from that of 'capacity'
      (pertaining specific services) and proposing a methodology to calculate capacity
      and flow, we suggest an implementable way to operationalize the SEEA-EEA
      accounts.

PMID- 28344927
TI  - The implementation of the South African Triage Score (SATS) in an urban teaching
      hospital, Ghana.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: Triage is the process of sorting patients based on the level of
      acuity to ensure the most severely injured and ill patients receive timely care
      before their condition worsens. The South African Triage Scale (SATS) was
      developed out of a need for an accurate and objective measure of urgency based on
      physiological parameters and clinical discriminators that is easily implemented
      in low resource settings. SATS was introduced in the emergency center (EC) of
      Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital (KATH) in January 2010. This study seeks to
      evaluate the accurate use of the SATS by nurses at KATH. METHODS: This cross
      sectional study was conducted in the EC at KATH in Kumasi, Ghana. Patients 12
      years and over with complete triage information were included in this study. Each
      component of SATS was calculated (i.e. for heart rate of 41-50, a score of 1 was
      given) and summed. This score was compared to the original triage score. When
      scores did not equate, the entire triage record was reviewed by an emergency
      physician and an advanced practice emergency nurse separately to determine if the
      triage was appropriate. These reviews were compared and consensus reached.
      RESULTS: 52 of 903 adult patients (5.8%) were judged to have been mis-triaged by
      expert review; 49 under-triaged (sent to a zone that corresponded to a lower
      acuity level than they should have been, based on their vital signs) and 3 over
      triaged. Of the 49 patients who were under-triaged, 34 were under-triaged by one
      category and 7 by two categories. CONCLUSION: Under-triage is a concern to
      patient care and safety, and while the under-triage rate of 5.7% in this sample
      falls within the 5-10% range considered unavoidable by the American College of
      Surgeons Committee on Trauma, concentrated efforts to regularly train triage
      nurses to ensure no patients are under-triaged have been undertaken. Overall
      though, SATS has been implemented successfully in the EC at KATH by triage
      nurses.

PMID- 28344929
TI  - Comparing regional precipitation and temperature extremes in climate model and
      reanalysis products.
AB  - A growing field of research aims to characterise the contribution of
      anthropogenic emissions to the likelihood of extreme weather and climate events.
      These analyses can be sensitive to the shapes of the tails of simulated
      distributions. If tails are found to be unrealistically short or long, the
      anthropogenic signal emerges more or less clearly, respectively, from the noise
      of possible weather. Here we compare the chance of daily land-surface
      precipitation and near-surface temperature extremes generated by three
      Atmospheric Global Climate Models typically used for event attribution, with
      distributions from six reanalysis products. The likelihoods of extremes are
      compared for area-averages over grid cell and regional sized spatial domains.
      Results suggest a bias favouring overly strong attribution estimates for hot and
      cold events over many regions of Africa and Australia, and a bias favouring
      overly weak attribution estimates over regions of North America and Asia. For
      rainfall, results are more sensitive to geographic location. Although the three
      models show similar results over many regions, they do disagree over others.
      Equally, results highlight the discrepancy amongst reanalyses products. This
      emphasises the importance of using multiple reanalysis and/or observation
      products, as well as multiple models in event attribution studies.

PMID- 28344926
TI  - Mechanotransduction in cancer.
AB  - Tissue stiffness is tightly controlled under normal conditions, but changes with
      disease. In cancer, tumors often tend to be stiffer than the surrounding
      uninvolved tissue, yet the cells themselves soften. Within the past decade, and
      particularly in the last few years, there is increasing evidence that the
      stiffness of the extracellular matrix modulates cancer and stromal cell mechanics
      and function, influencing such disease hallmarks as angiogenesis, migration, and
      metastasis. This review briefly summarizes recent studies that investigate how
      cancer cells and fibrosis-relevant stromal cells respond to ECM stiffness, the
      possible sensing appendages and signaling mechanisms involved, and the emergence
      of novel substrates - including substrates with scar-like fractal heterogeneity -
      that mimic the in vivo mechanical environment of the cancer cell.

PMID- 28344930
TI  - Revisiting the 'disaster and development' debate - Toward a broader understanding
      of macroeconomic risk and resilience.
AB  - Debate regarding the relationship between socioeconomic development and natural
      disasters remains at the fore of global discussions, as the potential risk from
      climate extremes and uncertainty pose an increasing threat to developmental
      prospects. This study reviews statistical investigations of disaster and
      development linkages, across topics of macroeconomic growth, public governance
      and others to identify key challenges to the current approach to macro-level
      statistical investigation. Both theoretically and qualitatively, disaster is
      known to affect development through a number of channels: haphazard development,
      weak institutions, lack of social safety nets and short-termism of our decision
      making practices are some of the factors that drive natural disaster risk.
      Developmental potentials, including the prospects for sustainable and equitable
      growth, are in turn threatened by such accumulation of disaster risks. However,
      quantitative evidence regarding these complex causality chains remains contested
      due to several reasons. A number of theoretical and methodological limitations
      have been identified, including the use of GDP as a proxy measurement of welfare,
      issues with natural disaster damage reporting and the adoption of ad hoc model
      specifications and variables, which render interpretation and cross-comparison of
      statistical analysis difficult. Additionally, while greater attention is paid to
      economic and institutional parameters such as GDP, remittance, corruption and
      public expenditure as opposed to hard-to-quantify yet critical factors such as
      environmental conditions and social vulnerabilities. These are gaps in our
      approach that hamper our comprehensive understanding of the disaster-development
      nexus. Important areas for further research are identified, including recognizing
      and addressing the data constraints, incorporating sustainability and equity
      concerns through alternatives to GDP, and finding novel approaches to examining
      the complex and dynamic relationships between risk, vulnerability, resilience,
      adaptive capacity and development.

PMID- 28344931
TI  - Proarrhythmogenic effects of lamotrigine during ajmaline testing for Brugada
      syndrome.

PMID- 28344932
TI  - Mutation in TNXB gene causes moderate to severe Ehlers-Danlos syndrome.
AB  - We report a 28-year-old female who presented with severe joint pain, chronic
      muscle weakness, Raynaud's phenomenon, and hypermobility. She was found to have a
      6074A > T nucleotide transition in the TNXB gene causing an amino acid protein
      change at Asp2025Val classified as likely pathogenic. We add this clinical report
      to the literature and classical human disease gene catalogs to identify this
      specific mutation as disease-causing. This gene variant was reported previously
      in a different 36-year-old patient who shared our patient's symptoms of joint
      hypermobility, skeletal and joint pain, skin elasticity and musculoskeletal
      problems, thereby causing a more severe presentation than seen in the
      hypermobility type of Ehlers-Danlos syndrome (EDS). At the time of writing, a few
      mutations in the TNXB gene have been recognized as pathogenic causing EDS due to
      tenascin-X deficiency, but the variant identified in our patient has not been
      recognized as pathogenic in online genetic databases. Our case study in
      combination with peer-reviewed literature suggests that the 6074A > T nucleotide
      transition in the TNXB gene may be classified as disease-causing for EDS due to
      tenascin-X deficiency.

PMID- 28344935
TI  - OUTCOMES OF POSTERIOR SAGITTAL ANORECTOPLASTY FOR HIGH ANORECTAL MALFORMATION IN
      BENIN CITY, NIGERIA.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Surgical treatment for high anorectal malformations has evolved over
      the years with introduction of posterior sagittal anorectoplasty in the early
      80s. Posterior sagittal anorectoplasty is being perfomed in many centres which
      necessitates a review of its outcomes in Benin City, Nigeria. AIM: To report a 10
      year outcome and experience gained with posterior saggital anorectoplasty for
      children diagnosed with high anorectal malformation. METHODS: A retrospective
      analyses of the records of all children with high anorectal malformation and
      managed with posterior sagittal anorectoplasty between April 2006 and March 2016
      at the University of Benin Teaching Hospital. RESULTS: A total of 96 children
      were managed for anorectal malformation during the period. High anorectal
      malformation accounted for 33 (34.4%) cases, the intermediate 15 (15.6%) and the
      low types were 48 (50%). The 33 radiologically confirmed high type were19 males
      and 14 females with a male/female ratio of 1.3: 1. They were aged between 2 days
      and 4 years with a mean of 6.8 +/- 3 months. A child each had additional prune
      belly syndrome, multiple limbs anomalies and unilateral undescended testis. Recto
      bladder neck/recto-prostatic and recto-vaginal fistulae were recorded in 31 (94%)
      children. Five (15%) clinically stable neonates had primary posterior sagittal
      anorectoplasty without colostomy which was well tolerated. The majority, 28
      (85%), had conventional posterior sagittal anorectoplasty that involves initial
      colostomy. Minor postoperative morbidities recorded in 10 (30.3%) children
      included superficial wound infection in 3 (9%), anal stenosis in 3 (9%) and fecal
      incontinence in 2 (6%) children which resolved on conservative treatment while 2
      (6%) with rectal mucosal prolapse required refashioning. The functional clinical
      anal outcomes of posterior sagittal anorectoplasty recorded showed that the
      majority 18 (54.5%) of children were continent while 4 (12.1%) had voluntary
      bowel controls corresponding with their ages. Anal stenosis in the 3 and
      incontinence in the 2 children were the common anal dysfunctions recorded. The
      child with prune belly syndrome had breakdown of colostomy closure which resulted
      in the one (3%) death recorded. CONCLUSION: Anorectal malformation was common in
      this setting during this study with a large proportion of the children diagnosed
      with the high type and were managed with good outcome using posterior sagittal
      anorectoplasty.

PMID- 28344934
TI  - EFFICACY AND SAFETY OF ORAL KETAMINE PREMEDICATION IN CHILDREN UNDERGOING DAY
      CASE SURGERY.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Oral premedication for paediatric age group is an uncommon practice
      amongst anaesthetists in Nigeria. Both parents and the child suffer some form of
      emotional or psychological distress. AIM: To determine the efficacy and safety of
      oral formulated ketamine for premedication in children scheduled for ambulatory
      surgeries. METHODS: Seventy three children aged 1 - 6 years with American Society
      of Anesthesiologists (ASA) physical status I-II were prospectively studied. They
      were assigned randomly to receive either 5 mg/kg (Group A), 10 mg/kg (Group B),
      or no ketamine (Group C).The children were observed for acceptance of
      premedication, sedation and anxiolysis at 10, 20 and 30 minutes after drug
      administration. Behavior/response of each child at the time of separation from
      parents, intravenous access, and acceptance of facemask for induction,
      postanaesthetic arousal state and complications were also recorded. RESULTS:
      There were 73 children in this study with a mean age of 37.4+/-18.0 months. The
      groups were comparable in age. The studied agent was tolerated by both groups
      that received premedication with no significant difference (P 0.73). Adequate
      sedation and anxiolysis were observed in groups A and B, (52%, 84%) and (68%,
      88%) respectively. However, more children in group B (82.6%) had satisfactory
      behaviour at separation from parents and a better acceptance of anaesthetic face
      mask (64%) at induction than those in groups A and C (33.3%, 21.7%,
      respectively). No side effect was recorded in either of the premedication groups
      or the control group. CONCLUSION: Oral ketamine is acceptable and safe
      premedication for children. It provided good sedation, relieved anxiety and had
      no side effect in the children at the studied doses.

PMID- 28344936
TI  - EXPERIENCE WITH MANAGING RETROSTERNAL GOITRES IN IBADAN, NIGERIA.
AB  - BACKGROUND: There is no general consensus on the definition of retrosternal
      goitre (RSG) however thyroidectomy remains the gold standard of treatment with or
      without a sternotomy. AIM: To review the outcome of surgical management of
      retrosternal goitres. METHODOLOGY: Retrospective review of records of patients
      who had thyroidectomy for RSG over a 15-year period. RESULTS: Out of a total of
      45 patients, 34(76%) were females and 11(24%) were males with a male/female ratio
      of 3:1; while their age ranged between 28 and 72years with a mean of 57+15SD. All
      the patients were euthyroid and a quarter did not have symptoms apart from a neck
      mass. In all, 15% of the patients had recurrent goitre. CT scan of neck and chest
      was done in 31 (72%) patients; while 44 (98%) patients had cervical retrosternal
      goitres, 1(2%) patient had ectopic retrosternal goitre. A cervical incision was
      sufficient in 28 (62%) patients while 17 (38%) patients required additional
      sternotomy. Total thyroidectomy was done in all the patients. There were post
      operative complications in 19 (42%) patients. Histopathology showed that 3(6.6%)
      patients had papillary thyroid carcinoma while 42(93.4%) had benign pathology
      findings. CONCLUSION: Surgical removal is the treatment of choice. Most
      retrosternal goitres can be resected through a collar stud incision; however the
      possibility of a need for a sternotomy should always be planned. The simultaneous
      occurrence of cervical and ectopic retrosternal goitre should always be ruled out
      with a CT scan.

PMID- 28344933
TI  - PRECISION MEDICINE - The Golden Gate for Detection, Treatment and Prevention of
      Alzheimer's Disease.
AB  - During this decade, breakthrough conceptual shifts have commenced to emerge in
      the field of Alzheimer's disease (AD) recognizing risk factors and the non-linear
      dynamic continuum of complex pathophysiologies amongst a wide dimensional
      spectrum of multi-factorial brain proteinopathies/neurodegenerative diseases. As
      is the case in most fields of medicine, substantial advancements in detecting,
      treating and preventing AD will likely evolve from the generation and
      implementation of a systematic precision medicine strategy. This approach will
      likely be based on the success found from more advanced research fields, such as
      oncology. Precision medicine will require integration and transfertilization
      across fragmented specialities of medicine and direct reintegration of
      Neuroscience, Neurology and Psychiatry into a continuum of medical sciences away
      from the silo approach. Precision medicine is biomarker-guided medicine on
      systems-levels that takes into account methodological advancements and
      discoveries of the comprehensive pathophysiological profiles of complex multi
      factorial neurodegenerative diseases, such as late-onset sporadic AD. This will
      allow identifying and characterizing the disease processes at the asymptomatic
      preclinical stage, where pathophysiological and topographical abnormalities
      precede overt clinical symptoms by many years to decades. In this respect, the
      uncharted territory of the AD preclinical stage has become a major research
      challenge as the field postulates that early biomarker guided customized
      interventions may offer the best chance of therapeutic success. Clarification and
      practical operationalization is needed for comprehensive dissection and
      classification of interacting and converging disease mechanisms, description of
      genomic and epigenetic drivers, natural history trajectories through space and
      time, surrogate biomarkers and indicators of risk and progression, as well as
      considerations about the regulatory, ethical, political and societal consequences
      of early detection at asymptomatic stages. In this scenario, the integrated roles
      of genome sequencing, investigations of comprehensive fluid-based biomarkers and
      multimodal neuroimaging will be of key importance for the identification of
      distinct molecular mechanisms and signaling pathways in subsets of asymptomatic
      people at greatest risk for progression to clinical milestones due to those
      specific pathways. The precision medicine strategy facilitates a paradigm shift
      in Neuroscience and AD research and development away from the classical "one-size
      fits-all" approach in drug discovery towards biomarker guided "molecularly"
      tailored therapy for truly effective treatment and prevention options. After the
      long and winding decade of failed therapy trials progress towards the holistic
      systems-based strategy of precision medicine may finally turn into the new age of
      scientific and medical success curbing the global AD epidemic.

PMID- 28344937
TI  - EFFICACY OF INTRAVENOUS ESMOLOL VERSUS LIDOCAINE FOR ATTENUATION OF THE PRESSOR
      RESPONSE IN NIGERIANS.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Laryngoscopy and tracheal intubation are an integral component of
      airway management and general anaesthesia. Direct stimulation of the pharynx and
      larynx by the laryngoscope blade and the insertion of an endotracheal tube elicit
      a sympathetic nervous system response with a reflex consisting of a transient
      increase in blood pressure, heart rate, and the occurrence of cardiac
      dysrhythmias referred to as the 'pressor' response. This may be of major clinical
      significance in patients with pre-existing systemic hypertension, hypertensive
      heart disease, coronary artery disease, eclampsia, aneurysmal vascular disease
      and head injury in whom such a change may culminate in perioperative myocardial
      ischaemia or infarction, cardiac failure, dysrhythmias, cerebrovascular accidents
      or secondary brain injury. AIM: To evaluate and compare the effects of
      intravenous lidocaine and esmolol on the pressor response as well as determine
      the occurrence of complications with the use of either agent in a Nigerian
      population. METHODOLOGY: Ninety adult ASA I and II patients undergoing elective
      non-cardiac surgery under general anaesthesia were randomly allocated to one of 3
      groups; group E: 2mg.kg -1 esmolol, group L: 1.5mg.kg -1 lidocaine and group C:
      20mls normal saline 3 minutes before laryngoscopy. Induction of anaesthesia was
      standardized for all patients. Heart Rate, Systolic Blood Pressure, Diastolic
      Blood Pressure, Mean Arterial Pressure and Rate Pressure Product were recorded at
      baseline, immediate post, 1, 3, 5 and 10 minutes after intubation. RESULTS: Mean
      heart rate increased by 19.1%, 25.7%, and 41.4%, SBP increased 13.3%, 21.6% and
      26.9%, MAP by 12.2%, 19.1% and 30.2%, RPP by 28.1%, 45.8% and 78.7% in groups E,
      L and C respectively post intubation. There were no complications attributable to
      the use of either agent. CONCLUSION: Intravenous esmolol 2mg.kg-1 given prior to
      laryngoscopy is more effective than intravenous lidocaine 1.5mg.kg-1 in
      significantly attenuating the haemodynamic changes associated with pressure
      response to laryngoscopy and endotracheal intubation in normotensive patients
      from a Nigerian population.

PMID- 28344938
TI  - TEMPOROMANDIBULAR PAIN DYSFUNCTION SYNDROME IN PATIENTS ATTENDING LAGOS
      UNIVERSITY TEACHING HOSPITAL, LAGOS, NIGERIA.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Temporomandibular joint pain dysfunction syndrome (TMJPDS) is the
      most common temporomandibular disorder. This condition presents with symptoms of
      pain, restricted jaw movement and joint noise. Other symptoms include otalgia,
      headache, neck pain and trismus. AIM: To determine the pattern of
      Temporomandibular joint pain dysfunction syndrome patients managed at the Lagos
      University Teaching Hospital, Lagos, Nigeria. METHODOLOGY: A descriptive study of
      patients with signs and symptoms of Temporomandibular joint pain dysfunction
      syndrome attending the Oral Medicine Clinic of Lagos University Teaching
      Hospital. RESULTS: Twenty-one patients with Temporomandibular joint pain
      dysfunction syndrome were enrolled into the study, out of which 10(48%) were
      females and 11(52%) were males. The age range was 23-81years with a mean of 45.2
      +/- 18.9 years. Majority of the patients 20(95.2%) complained of pain around the
      joint, in the pre-auricular region, in the muscles of mastication and the ear.
      While 7(35%) complained of clicking sounds, 10(47.6%) complained of pain on mouth
      opening and during mastication only. In all 5(23.8%) had impaired movement of the
      jaws, mouth opening was normal in 18(85.7%) but reduced in 3(14.3%) patients.
      Over half of patients 12(57%) experienced clicking sounds, there was tenderness
      around the temporomandibular joint in 16(76.2%) cases, pain in the ear of
      7(33.3%) patients and 13(61.9%) people presented with tenderness of the muscles
      of mastication. Conservative management of all the cases resulted in resolution
      of the symptoms. CONCLUSION: Temporomandibular joint pain dysfunction syndrome
      has diverse clinical presentation and though distressing, it responds to prompt
      and effective conservative management.

PMID- 28344939
TI  - HEPATITIS B VACCINATION STATUS AND NEEDLE STICK INJURY EXPOSURE AMONG OPERATING
      ROOM STAFF IN LAGOS, NIGERIA.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Hepatitis B virus (HBV) is an infective blood-borne pathogen that is
      a constant threat to operating room staff. The prevalence of Hepatitis B has been
      reported to range from 4.3% - 68% in Nigeria. The inadequate funding of health
      care in low income countries impacts negatively on the implementation of
      effective vaccination programs to protect health care workers including surgical
      theatre personnel. AIM: To determine the Hepatitis B vaccination status and the
      needle stick injury exposure among operating room staff in Lagos, Nigeria.
      METHODOLOGY: The multicentre prospective survey was conducted in three public
      tertiary hospitals and two private hospitals in Lagos utilising a self
      administered structured questionnaire that was distributed to operating room
      staff. RESULTS: We found that 96.7% (265) of respondents agreed that their job
      had exposed them to the risk of HBV infection. Over half (55.8%) correctly
      identified three doses of HBV as adequate to confer immunity against infection.
      It was observed that 58% (159) of the respondents were fully vaccinated, most of
      whom were doctors (69.8%, p=0.001) while a total of 173 (63.1%) reported exposure
      to needle-stick injury with blood in the preceding year. CONCLUSION: The
      operating room personnel were knowledgeable about the risk of HBV as an
      occupational hazard but a large number were not fully vaccinated against HBV
      infection. There was therefore the need to improve the vaccination coverage and
      educate identified high-risk operating room staff on appropriate post exposure
      prophylaxis practices.

PMID- 28344940
TI  - VISUAL OUTCOME WITH A MULTIMODALITY APPROACH IN A CASE OF RHINOORBITO- CEREBRAL
      MUCORMYCOSIS.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Rhinoorbito-cerebral mucormycosis is an uncommon and acute fungal
      infection which runs a fulminant course. Uncontrolled diabetes mellitus is the
      most common predisposing factor. AIM: To assess the outcome of a poorly
      controlled diabetic with Rhinoorbito-cerebral mucormycosis using a multi-modality
      management. METHODOLOGY: We report a case of a 57-year old male who presented to
      us with proptosis and total external ophthalmoplegia diagnosed with rhino-orbito
      cerebral mucormycosis. Patient was started on conventional intravenous
      amphotericin B to which he developed systemic toxicity. As an alternative, a
      combination therapy of oral posacanazole along with peribulbar amphotericin B
      injections for a more localised effect was initiated. RESULTS: He had a
      favourable outcome with dramatic improvement in vision and marginal recovery of
      extra ocular movements within 20 days of initiation of combination therapy.
      CONCLUSION: Rhinoorbito-cerebral mucormycosis is a major diagnostic dilemma with
      quick progression and a high mortality. Prompt medical management with a multi
      modality approach can save the patient from orbital exenteration.

PMID- 28344942
TI  - Peer-Reviewed Abstracts of Scientific Paper Presentation at The 56th Annual
      Conference of The West African College of Surgeons at Yaounde, Cameroun 15th -
      19th February 2016.

PMID- 28344941
TI  - Accidental Decannulation OF TRACHEOSTOMY TUBES - Case Series.
AB  - : Tracheostomy tube (TT) is usually removed in a planned manner once the patient
      ceases to have the condition that necessitated the procedure. Accidental
      decannulation or extubation refers to inadvertent removal of tracheostomy tube
      out of the stoma. It could prove fatal in an otherwise stable patient. We review
      a variety of unexpected and often-overlooked causes of accidental decannulation
      with suggestions on preventive measures. We therefore present three cases of
      accidental decannulation of tracheostomy tubes in order to report our experiences
      in the management of the condition. CONCLUSION: Accidental decannulation occurs
      both in hospitalized and patient on home care of their tracheostomy tubes.
      Reduction in neck circumference due to weight loss predisposes to accidental
      decannulation, which could be prevented by suturing the flange to the skin.

PMID- 28344943
TI  - ORAL KETAMINE PREMEDICATION IN CHILDREN.

PMID- 28344944
TI  - HUMAN BITE INJURIES ON THE JOS PLATEAU.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Human bite injuries with the associated morbidity are not uncommon in
      this environment. OBJECTIVE: To determine the pattern, management modalities and
      treatment outcome of human bites in Jos, Plateau State, Nigeria. DESIGN: A
      prospective study of all human bite injuries managed at the Jos University
      Teaching Hospital, Jos, Nigeria between January 2012 and December 2014. SETTING:
      Jos University Teaching Hospital, Jos, Nigeria. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: The
      pattern and management outcome. RESULTS: A total of 63 patients with human bite
      injuries were studied during the three-year period. There were 43 males and 20
      females with a male:female ratio of 2:1. The age ranged from 8 - 65 years with a
      mean age of 30.2+/-17 years; in all about 75% of the patients fell into the 20 -
      40 years bracket. Though all the social strata were affected, the bites were more
      common (50%) among the lower social classes and 70% of the patients presented
      late after 24 hours of sustaining bite injuries. Pain, bleeding, infected wounds,
      bite and scratch marks were the main presenting features. About 70% of the
      patients sustained major bites involving the underlying muscles and deeper
      structures while 89% of the patients sustained their bites during a fight, 8%
      while raping their victims, and in 3% of patients as they were being mugged. The
      bites were between spouses in 39% of cases, and between women in polygamous
      settings in 16%. The sites commonly affected were the upper limbs in 46%, chest
      in 21%, ears in 13%, abdomen in 10% and the penis in 6%. The associated injuries
      were scratch marks in 89%, blunt abdominal injuries in 29%, skin lacerations in
      16% and urinary bladder/urethral injuries in 3%. There was no mortality but
      morbidity was 57% which included infections in 29%, disfigurement in 29%, penile
      injuries in 6% and minor urethral injuries in 3% of cases. CONCLUSION: Human bite
      injuries in this tropical environment commonly affected the young male, the lower
      social class and the upper limbs; they were commonly sustained in assaults and
      domestic conflicts.

PMID- 28344945
TI  - an evaluation of the possible relationship between chronic periodontitis and
      hypertension.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Periodontal diseases have been reported to have a form of reciprocal
      relationship with the general systemic health, in which case those with some
      systemic diseases such as hypertension have poorer periodontal health and vice
      versa. The issue of causal or casual relationship is however yet to be finally
      resolved. AIM: The aim of this study was to determine any possible relationship
      between chronic periodontitis and cardiovascular risk factors. METHODOLOGY: A
      cross-sectional assessment of cardiovascular risk factors such as blood pressure,
      body mass index, waist circumference and the carotid artery intima media
      thickness (CIMT) was done among 100 consecutive subjects in the echocardiogram
      unit of the University College Hospital, Ibadan, Nigeria over a period of six
      months. These cardiovascular risk factors were compared with periodontal
      parameters such as Simplified Oral Hygiene index (OHI-S), Gingival index (GI) and
      Community Periodontal Index (CPI). RESULTS: The systolic blood pressure (SBP) of
      the respondents ranged from 98 - 210 mm Hg with a mean of 133.1 +/- 15 mm Hg,
      diastolic blood pressure (DBP) 60 - 136 mm Hg with a mean of 84.6 +/- 6.4 mm Hg.
      There was a statistically significant relationship between the systolic blood
      pressure and oral hygiene index (P< 0.000), diastolic blood pressure and oral
      hygiene index (P < 0.010) and mean carotid artery intima media thickness and oral
      hygiene index (P< 0.012) among the respondents. CONCLUSION: In view of the
      significant relationship between the blood pressure and the mean carotid artery
      intima media thickness, when compared with the oral hygiene status of respondents
      in this study, more emphasis should be laid on regular preventive dental visit as
      a way of decreasing cardiovascular health risk.

PMID- 28344946
TI  - Incidental maxillary sinus findings on cranial computerized tomographic scan in a
      tropical setting.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Abnormalities in the maxillary sinuses are occasional findings on
      routine CT scans of the head. AIM: To study the incidental findings in the CT
      scans of the maxillary sinuses in patients with indications other than sinuses
      related diseases. SETTING: Jos University Teaching Hospital, Jos, Nigeria.
      MATERIALS AND METHODS: Images of patients who underwent CT scan of the head over
      a 5-month period (January 2015- May 2015) were retrospectively reviewed with the
      exclusion of those whose indication for the scan was trauma or sinus related
      disease. RESULTS: A total of 121 CT scan images were reviewed comprising 72 males
      and 49 females with a male to female ratio of 1.5 to 1.0. Their age range was
      between 5 and 90 years with a mean of 47.5 +/- 20.4 years. The mean age of males
      was 48.7+/- 21.2 years while that of females is 45.7+/- 19.1years. The weight of
      the patients ranged between 12kg and 109kg with a mean weight of 64.7 +/- 16.6kg.
      The most frequent indications for cranial CT scan were cerebrovascular accident
      (57; 47.1%), suspected space occupying lesion (23; 19.0%) and persistent headache
      (5; 4.1%). In all, 93(76.8%) patients had normal scan while 28 (23.2%) patients
      were observed with sinus pathology. Maxillary mucosal thickening with associated
      fluid level constituted 11 (9.1%) of the pathologic findings, and this was found
      bilaterally in 4(3.3%) patients. Seven (5.8%) patients had maxillary mucosal
      thickening only, with this occurring bilaterally in 4(3.3%) patients and 10
      (8.3%) patients had polypoid masses, with bilateral polyps in 1(1.2%) individual.
      There was no statistical significance with the patient's weight in relation to
      the sinus findings. CONCLUSION: Incidental maxillary sinus pathologies on cranial
      CT scan are not infrequent. Vigilance is necessary during routine review and
      reporting of CT scans of the head for appropriate inclusion and interpretation of
      these findings towards optimal patient's care.

PMID- 28344947
TI  - FACTORS ASSOCIATED WITH ODONTOGENIC BACTERAEMIA IN ORTHODONTIC PATIENTS.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Various researches have investigated factors associated with the
      prevalence and intensity of bacteraemia following oral procedures including
      orthodontic procedures. AIM: The aim of this study was to determine the effect of
      age, gender, plaque and gingival indices on the occurrence of odontogenic
      bacteraemia following orthodontic treatment procedures. SETTING: Orthodontic
      Clinic, Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LUTH), Lagos, Nigeria. METHODOLOGY:
      Using the consecutive, convenience sampling method, a total of 100 subjects who
      met the inclusion criteria were recruited for the study and peripheral blood was
      collected before and again within 2 minutes of completion of orthodontic
      procedures for microbiologic analysis using the BACTEC automated blood culture
      system and the lysis filtration methods of blood culturing. The subjects were
      randomly placed in one of four orthodontic procedures investigated: alginate
      impression making (Group I), separator placement (Group II), band cementation
      (Group III) and arch wire change (Group IV). Plaque and gingival indices were
      assessed using the plaque component of the Simplified Oral Hygiene Index (OHI-S)
      (Greene & Vermillion) and Modified gingival index (Lobene) respectively before
      blood collection. Spearman Point bi-serial correlations and logistic regression
      statistics were used for statistical evaluations at p < 0.05 level. RESULTS: An
      overall baseline prevalence of bacteraemia of 3% and 17% were observed using the
      BACCTEC and lysis filtration methods respectively. Similarly, overall prevalence
      of bacteraemia following orthodontic treatment procedures of 16% and 28% were
      observed respectively using the BACTEC and lysis filtration methods. A
      statistically significant increase in the prevalence of bateraemia was observed
      following separator placement (p=0.016). An increase in age, plaque index scores
      and modified gingival index scores of the subjects were found to be associated
      with an increase in the prevalence of bacteraemia following orthodontic treatment
      procedures, with plaque index score showing the strongest correlation.
      CONCLUSION: Separator placement was found to induce significantly highest level
      of bacteraemia. Meticulous oral hygiene practice and the use of 0.2%
      chlorhexidine mouth rinse prior to separator placement may be considered an
      effective measure in reducing oral bacteria load and consequent reduction of the
      occurrence of bacteraemia following orthodontic treatment procedures.

PMID- 28344948
TI  - THE EFFECT OF COMBINING AXILLARY BRACHIAL PLEXUS BLOCK WITH INTERSCALENE OR
      SUPRACLAVICULAR BLOCK FOR UPPER LIMB SURGERIES USING NEUROSTIMULATION TECHNIQUE.
AB  - BACKGROUND: The different approaches to the brachial plexus have clinical
      implications and all these approaches have clinical limitations. Combining
      different approaches helps to reduce these limitations. Can a combination of two
      different methods of brachial plexus block give a better anaesthetic outcome?
      AIM: To compare the effect of combining axillary plexus block with interscalene
      as opposed to axillary plexus block with supraclavicular blocks. DESIGN OF STUDY:
      Prospective observational study. SETTING: University of Benin Teaching Hospital,
      Benin city. Edo state. Nigeria. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A total of 182 patients
      who met the inclusion criteria were observed and were divided into 5 groups.
      Group I (interscalene) n=33, Group S (supraclavicular) n=39, Group A (axillary)
      n=35. Group IA (interscalene and axillary) n=34, Group SA (supraclavicular and
      axillary) n=41. The brachial plexus was identified using a nerve stimulator and
      40ml of 2% lidocaine with 1:200,000 adrenaline and 0.5% bupivacaine, were
      deposited in each single approach or divided into two equal portions in the
      combined approach .The time of onset, duration of analgesia, level of
      satisfaction and complications were compared. RESULTS: There were no differences
      with regard to the time of onset (p= 0.74), duration of analgesia (p= 0.82),
      patients' satisfaction between the groups. Horner's syndrome was a commonest
      complication in the interscalene group consisting (15.15%) cases. CONCLUSION:
      There was no difference in terms of time of onset, duration of sensory block and
      level of patients' satisfaction between the combined brachial plexus approaches
      and single approach.

PMID- 28344949
TI  - The effect of anesthesia on the ventilatory functions of patients with Maxillo
      mandibular fixation.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Maxillo-mandibular fixation (MMF) is a procedure still routinely
      practiced in developing countries. AIM: To determine the variations in pulmonary
      functions readings between cases treated under general anesthesia (GA) and those
      treated under local anesthesia (LA). METHODOLOGY: A descriptive hospital-based
      study of 106 patients was carried out from January 2011- December 2012.
      Information was obtained using a questionnaire and all study subjects had their
      baseline lung functions and their post-operative daily lung function parameters
      measured for the first week and then weekly for the next five weeks. The data
      obtained were analyzed using SPSS version 16 and a P-value of <=0.05 was
      considered significant. RESULTS: A total of 85 males and 21 females participated
      in the study. The means for age was 30.62+/-8.06, weight 63.92+/- 9.96 and BMI
      23.21+/- 3.14 while the means for the pre-operative FVC, FEV1, and PEFR were 3.71
      +/- 0.70, 3.14+/- 0.51 and 8.18+/- 1.61 respectively. There was a statistically
      significant drop (p< 0.05) in the FVC, FEV1 and PEFR in the first post operative
      week. The drop in the lung function parameters were similar between the GA group
      and the LA group. CONCLUSION: Maxillo-mandibular fixation causes a significant
      fall in pulmonary function parameters especially in the first 48 hours post
      operatively irrespective of whether general or local anaesthesia was used at
      surgery. The pulmonary functions should be further monitored for more than 48
      hours after surgery.

PMID- 28344950
TI  - IMPALEMENT HEAD INJURY WITH A SPEAR.
AB  - Impalement injuries to the craniofacial region are uncommon due to the fact that
      the face is a smaller target in relation to the rest of the body. We report a
      case of a 26-year old man who was attacked on the face with a spear. He was
      promptly evaluated and resuscitated; the blade of the spear was successfully
      extracted under general anaesthesia. He was discharged home after 2 weeks
      hospitalization; he has been followed up for three months with good outcome.

PMID- 28344951
TI  - A CASE OF LITTRE'S HERNIA AT ZINDER NATIONAL HOSPITAL, ZINDER, NIGER.
AB  - : The presence of a Meckel's diverticulum in a hernia sac is known as Littre's
      hernia. We report a case of Littre's hernia in an 18-year old young man because
      of the uncommon condition. An 18-year old young patient was admitted to the
      Emergency Surgical Department of Zinder National Hospital, Zinder, Niger with a
      painful inguinoscrotal swelling of three days duration. The diagnosis of
      strangulated right inguinoscrotal hernia was made. At surgery, a Meckel's
      diverticulum was found at the antimesenteric border of the ileum in the hernia
      sac, the bowel loop was not viable. Resection of the non-viable ileal loop with
      the Meckel's diverticulum attached to it was performed with an end-to-end ileal
      anastomosis. The hernia defect in the groin was repaired according to Bassini
      procedure. The postoperative recovery was uneventful and the patient was followed
      up for 5 months without symptoms. CONCLUSION: Littre hernia is uncommon and
      difficult to diagnose; it is often an incidental finding at surgery which should
      ensure complete resection of the Meckel's diverticulum in order to prevent future
      complications.

PMID- 28344952
TI  - Peer-Reviewed Abstracts of Scientific Paper Presentation at The 56th Annual
      Conference of The West African College of the Surgeons at Yaounde, Cameroun 15th 
      19th February 2016 Contd.

PMID- 28344953
TI  - Editorial HUMAN BITE INJURIES.

PMID- 28344954
TI  - No fault compensation in perinatal medicine in Japan-from results for 8 years.
AB  - No fault compensation in perinatal medicine has been established to provide aid
      to patients in the event of disability due to a medical accident during delivery
      and to strive to resolve disputes quickly that contributes to reduce medical
      malpractice suit in the field of perinatal medicine. Furthermore, this system is
      aimed to establish a mechanism that achieves higher quality of obstetric care by
      analyzing the causes of accidents. This system is operated by Japan Council for
      Quality Health Care and 99.9% of childbirth facilities in Japan registered with
      this compensation system. Compensation system has two major functions including
      compensation and cause analysis and recurrence prevention based on cases.
      Compensation eligibility is reviewed in the Review Committee at the organization
      in Japan Council for Quality Health Care and currently 1,717 cases are judged as
      eligible cases out of 2,250 since 2009. The cause of each eligible case is
      analyzed in the Cause Analysis Committee one by one. The Cause Analysis Committee
      has 7 independent subcommittee and each subcommittee members are consistent of
      obstetricians, neonatologists, pediatricians, midwives and lawyers. Original
      cause analysis report is sent to childbirth facility and patient's family.
      Questionnaire survey demonstrated that 73% of childbirth facilities and 65% of
      patient family were satisfied with the cause analysis report. The number of
      medical lawsuit in obstetrics and gynecology is significantly decreased compared
      to those in all medical departments since the compensation system was introduced
      suggesting that these cause analysis reports may contribute the decrease in
      medical lawsuits. The major purpose of the Recurrence Prevention Committee is
      striving to prevent future cases of cerebral palsy and to improve the quality of
      obstetric care. To accomplish the purpose, the committee routinely collect
      information from individual cases and analyze quantitatively and
      epidemiologically. Furthermore the committee choose subject from cases to discuss
      for future prevention and provide wide public disclosure of the information with
      recommendation. The committee issued 6 reports until now and these reports have
      been distributed to childbirth facilities, perinatal medicine-related scientific
      society and administrative agencies.

PMID- 28344955
TI  - Association of citalopram with congenital anomalies: A meta-analysis.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: The antenatal use of citalopram, a widely prescribed selective
      serotonin reuptake inhibitor, has been suspected to be associated with
      congenital, particularly cardiac, anomalies. This study aimed to prove the
      association between citalopram use and congenital anomalies. METHODS: We searched
      the English literature from July 1998 to July 2015, by using the search terms '
      citalopram', ' pregnancy', ' birth defects', ' congenital anomalies', and '
      malformations' in PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, and the Cochrane Library.
      RESULTS: Eight eligible articles were analyzed including a total of 1,507,896
      participants. The odds ratio (OR) of major malformations associated with
      citalopram use during pregnancy was 1.07 (95% confidence interval [CI], 0.98 to
      1.17). Concerning cardiac malformations, the OR for all included studies was 1.31
      (95% CI, 0.88 to 1.93). The analysis of cardiac malformations was repeated to
      reduce heterogeneity after excluding one outlier study (OR, 1.03; 95% CI, 0.84 to
      1.26). CONCLUSION: From our data, it can be concluded that citalopram use is not
      associated with major birth defects. However, physicians should carefully weigh
      the benefits against the potential risks of citalopram use, and counsel patients
      accordingly.

PMID- 28344956
TI  - Maternal serum placental growth factor and pregnancy-associated plasma protein A
      measured in the first trimester as parameters of subsequent pre-eclampsia and
      small-for-gestational-age infants: A prospective observational study.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: To examine the first-trimester maternal serum placental growth factor
      (PlGF) and pregnancy-associated plasma protein A (PAPP-A) levels in pregnancies
      associated with pre-eclampsia (PE) or small-for-gestational-age (SGA) infants,
      and determine the predictive accuracy of PlGF and of PAPP-A for either PE or SGA
      infants. METHODS: This prospective, observational study included 175 pregnant
      women, and of these women, due to participant withdrawal or loss to follow-up,
      delivery data were collected from the medical records of 155 women, including 4
      who had twin pregnancies. The women's maternal history was recorded, and the PlGF
      and PAPP-A levels at 11 to 13 gestational weeks were measured. During the second
      trimester, the maternal uterine artery's systolic/diastolic ratio was measured.
      Multiples of the median (MoM) of PlGF and PAPP-A were determined, and the
      associations of these values with the risk factors of SGA and PE were evaluated.
      Logistic regression analysis was used to determine whether PlGF and PAPP-A are
      useful markers for predicting SGA infants. RESULTS: The PAPP-A MoM level was
      significantly lower in women with advanced maternal age, multipara women, and
      women with gestational diabetes than in their counterparts. The PlGF and PAPP-A
      MoM levels were higher in women with a twin pregnancy than in those with a
      singleton pregnancy. There was a significant relationship between the maternal
      serum PAPP-A MoM level in the first trimester and the uterine artery
      systolic/diastolic ratio in the second trimester. Results of logistic regression
      analysis showed that low PlGF and PAPP-A MoM levels were predictors of SGA
      infants (odds ratio, 0.143; 95% confidence interval, 0.025 to 0.806; odds ratio,
      0.191; 95% confidence interval, 0.051 to 0.718, respectively). CONCLUSION: PlGF
      and PAPP-A are potentially useful as first-trimester markers for SGA infants and
      some hypertensive disorders of pregnancy.

PMID- 28344957
TI  - Predicting factors for success of vaginal delivery in preterm induction with
      prostaglandin E2.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the efficacy and safety of prostaglandin (PG) E2 for
      preterm labor induction and to investigate the predictive factors for the success
      of vaginal delivery. METHODS: A retrospective cohort study was performed in women
      (n=155) at 24+0 to 36+6 weeks of gestation who underwent induction of labor using
      a PGE2 vaginal pessary (10 mg, Propess) from January 2009 to December 2015.
      Success rates of vaginal delivery according to gestational age at induction and
      incidence of intrapartum complications such as tachysystole and nonreassuring
      fetal heart rate were investigated. Multivariable logistic regression analysis
      was performed to evaluate the predictive factors for success of labor induction.
      RESULTS: The vaginal delivery rate was 57% (n=89) and the rate of cesarean
      delivery after induction was 43% (n=66). According to gestational age, labor
      induction was successful in 16.7%, 50.0%, and 62.8% of patients at 24 to 31, 32
      to 33, and 34 to 36 weeks, showing a stepwise increase (P=0.006). There were 18
      cases (11%) of fetal distress, 9 cases (5.8%) of tachysystole, and 6 cases (3.8%)
      of massive postpartum bleeding (>1,000 mL). After adjusting for confounding
      factors, multiparity (odds ratio [OR], 8.47; 95% confidence interval [CI], 3.10
      to 23.14), younger maternal age (OR, 0.84; 95% CI, 0.75 to 0.94), advanced
      gestational age at induction (OR, 1.06; 95% CI, 1.02 to 1.09), rupture of
      membranes (OR, 11.83; 95% CI, 3.55 to 39.40), and the Bishop score change after
      removal of PGE2 (OR, 2.19; 95% CI, 1.0 to 4.8) were significant predictors of
      successful preterm vaginal delivery. CONCLUSION: An understanding of the
      principal predictive factors of successful preterm labor induction, as well as
      the safety of PGE2, will provide useful information when clinicians consult with
      preterm pregnant women requiring premature delivery.

PMID- 28344958
TI  - Perioperative administration of propranolol to women undergoing ovarian cancer
      surgery: A pilot study.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: This study was done to evaluate whether perioperative propranolol
      (beta-blocker) in ovarian cancer patients undergoing debulking surgery reduced
      perioperative tumor growth induced by surgical stress. METHODS: This was a
      prospective randomized single institution analysis. The primary objective was to
      compare the changes in CA 125 level (changes between preoperation day 2 and
      postoperative day 7). As a study arm, patients received a low dose of propranolol
      40 mg/day (4*10 mg) starting two days before surgery and 40 mg twice daily for
      three days following surgery. RESULTS: Twenty-two patients were enrolled and 16
      were evaluable for efficacy. The drug was well tolerated. The mean decrease of CA
      125 during the seven perioperative days was 83.1+/-8.9% in the propranolol group
      and 72.4+/-14.7% in the placebo group. The difference was statistically
      significant (P=0.044). The change of C-reactive protein, cortisol, and anxiety
      score (State-Trait Anxiety Inventory-X1) were not different between the two
      groups. CONCLUSION: This preliminary result is the first to directly test the
      role of perioperative propranolol on tumor growth. Even with the small sample
      size and short term use of the drug, perioperative propranolol was effective in
      reducing tumor burden (as measured by CA 125) suggesting its potential benefits
      in decreasing perioperative tumor growth.

PMID- 28344959
TI  - Surgical technique for single-port laparoscopy in huge ovarian tumors: SW Kim's
      technique and comparison to laparotomy.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to introduce a method to remove huge ovarian tumors
      (>=15 cm) intact with single-port laparoscopic surgery (SPLS) using SW Kim's
      technique and to compare the surgical outcomes with those of laparotomy. METHODS:
      Medical records were retrospectively reviewed for patients who underwent either
      SPLS (n=21) with SW Kim's technique using a specially designed 30*30-cm2-sized
      3XL LapBag or laparotomy (n=22) for a huge ovarian tumor from December 2008 to
      May 2016. Perioperative surgical outcomes were compared. RESULTS: In 19/21
      (90.5%) patients, SPLS was successfully performed without any tumor spillage or
      conversion to multi-port laparoscopy or laparotomy. There was no significant
      difference in patient characteristics, including tumor diameter and total
      operation time, between both groups. The postoperative hospital stay was
      significantly shorter for the SPLS group than for the laparotomy group (median, 2
      [1 to 5] vs. 4 [3 to 17] days; P<0.001). The number of postoperative general diet
      build-up days was also significantly shorter for the SPLS group (median, 1 [1 to
      4] vs. 3 [2 to 16] days; P<0.001). Immediate post-operative pain score was lower
      in the SPLS group (median, 2.0 [0 to 8] vs. 4.0 [0 to 8]; P=0.045). Patient
      controlled anesthesia was used less in the SPLS group (61.9% vs. 100%).
      CONCLUSION: SPLS was successful in removing most large ovarian tumors without
      rupture and showed quicker recovery and less immediate post-operative pain in
      comparison to laparotomy. SPLS using SW Kim's technique could be a feasible
      solution to removing huge ovarian tumors.

PMID- 28344960
TI  - Thyroid function/antibodies in sudanese women with polycystic ovarian disease.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: To evaluate thyroid function and hormonal profile in women with
      polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS). METHODS: A case-control study was conducted at
      Saad Abualila Center, Khartoum, Sudan. The cases were women with confirmed PCOS
      based on Rotterdam criteria. The controls were infertile women with no evidence
      of PCOS. The socio-demographic characteristics and medical history were gathered
      using a questionnaire. Thyroid hormones (thyroid-stimulating hormone, free tri
      iodothyronine, and free thyroxine), anti-thyroid peroxidase, and anti
      thyroglobulin antibodies were measured. RESULTS: While there were no significant
      differences in the age and haemoglobin levels of the two studied groups (55 women
      in each arm), body mass index was significantly higher in women with PCOS. There
      were no significant differences in the levels of thyroid-stimulating hormone,
      luteinizing hormone, follicle stimulating hormone, luteinizing hormone/follicle
      stimulating hormone, anti-thyroid peroxidase, anti-thyroglobulin antibodies,
      cholesterol, triglycerides and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol between the
      cases and the controls. The mean+/-standard deviation of free tri-iodothyronine
      (3.50+/-0.2 vs. 3.38+/-0.3 pg/mL, P=0.040) and median (interquartile) high
      density lipoprotein cholesterol (37.0 [34.0 to 42.0] vs. 35.80 [29.0 to 41.0]
      mg/dL, P=0.015) were significantly higher in PCOS patients compared with the
      control group. In linear regression, PCOS (0.151 pg/mL, P=0.023) and anti-thyroid
      peroxidase levels (-0.078 pg/mL, P=0.031) were significantly associated with free
      tri-iodothyronine. CONCLUSION: Free tri-iodothyronine was a significantly higher
      among PCOS patients compared with the control group.

PMID- 28344961
TI  - Recurrence factors and reproductive outcomes of laparoscopic myomectomy and
      minilaparotomic myomectomy for uterine leiomyomas.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to determine recurrence factors and
      reproductive outcomes of laparoscopic myomectomy (LM) and minilaparotomic
      myomectomy (MM) for treating uterine leiomyomas. METHODS: Between 2007 and 2013,
      160 patients underwent myomectomy, including 122 who underwent LM and 38 who
      underwent MM. Patients were followed up for recurrence based on pelvic ultrasound
      exams. Only patients who were followed up for a minimum of two years were
      selected for this retrospective study. Pregnancy rate, delivery, and delivery
      methods were compared between the two groups to evaluate reproductive outcomes.
      Furthermore, mean age, body mass index, preoperative administration of
      gonadotropin-releasing hormone agonist (GnRHa), and characteristics of leiomyomas
      were investigated to determine recurrence factors. RESULTS: The mean body mass
      index in the MM group was significantly (P=0.048) higher than that in the LM
      group. The number and the largest diameter of removed leiomyoma were also
      significantly higher in the MM group (both P=0.001). Logistic regression after
      adjusting significantly different characteristics showed that the LM group had
      shorter (P=0.020) postoperative hospitalization days compared to the MM group.
      Other outcome variables including recurrence rate were not significantly
      different between the two groups. Reproductive outcomes such as pregnancy rate,
      delivery, and delivery methods were not significantly different between the two
      groups. Preoperative GnRHa therapy was the only significant (P=0.039) recurrence
      factor after myomectomy. CONCLUSION: This study showed that LM and MM had similar
      recurrence rates and reproductive outcomes. The only recurrence factor of
      significance was preoperative administration of GnRHa.

PMID- 28344962
TI  - Efficacy of loop electrosurgical excision procedure with cold coagulation for
      treating cervical intraepithelial neoplasia: A two center cohort study.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the efficacy of loop electrosurgical excision procedure
      (LEEP) combined with cold coagulation for treating cervical intraepithelial
      neoplasia (CIN). METHODS: We reviewed clinic-pathologic data of 498 patients
      treated with LEEP alone (n=354), and LEEP combined with cold coagulation (n=144)
      between January 2000 and December 2011. After LEEP, we followed up all patients
      by using Papanicolaou smear and human papillomavirus (HPV) test, and evaluated
      abnormal cervical cytology-free interval and high-risk HPV infection-free
      interval. Moreover, we investigated independent factors affecting abnormal
      cervical cytology or high-risk HPV infection after LEEP. RESULTS: Abnormal
      cervical cytology-free interval was longer in patients treated with LEEP combined
      with cold coagulation than in those treated with LEEP alone (mean, 92.4 vs. 84.4
      months; P=0.01), and patients treated with LEEP combined with cold coagulation
      also showed longer high-risk HPV infection-free interval than those treated with
      LEEP alone (mean, 87.6 vs. 59.1 months; P=0.01). Moreover, CIN 3 and cold
      coagulation were factors affecting abnormal cervical cytology after LEEP
      (adjusted hazard ratios, 1.90 and 0.61; 95% confidence intervals, 1.27 to 2.84
      and 0.39 to 0.96), and CIN 3, positive deep cervical margin and cold coagulation
      were also factors affecting high-risk HPV infection after LEEP (adjusted hazard
      ratios, 2.07, 4.11, and 0.64; 95% confidence intervals, 1.38 to 3.08, 1.63 to
      10.39, and 0.43 to 0.96). When we performed subgroup analyses for patients with
      CIN 2 or CIN 3, the result were similar. CONCLUSION: LEEP combined with cold
      coagulation may be more effective for treating CIN than LEEP alone. Moreover,
      cold coagulation may decrease the risk of potential of recurrence after LEEP.

PMID- 28344963
TI  - Comparison of sexual function between sacrocolpopexy and sacrocervicopexy.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: To compare sexual function before and 12 months after between
      sacrocolpopexy and sacrocervicopexy. METHODS: This retrospective study examined a
      cohort of 55 sexually active women who underwent either supracervical
      hysterectomy with sacrocervicopexy (n=28) or total abdominal hysterectomy with
      sacrocolpopexy (n=27) for stage II to IV pelvic organ prolapse. Pelvic floor
      support was measured with Pelvic Organ Prolapse-Quantification examination.
      Pelvic floor function was measured with the Pelvic Floor Distress Inventory-Short
      Form 20 and sexual function was measured with Pelvic Organ Prolapse/Urinary
      Incontinence Sexual Function Questionnaire-Short Form 12 (PISQ-12). RESULTS:
      Baseline pelvic floor symptoms, demographics and PISQ-12 questionnaire scores
      were similar between the two groups. Overall improvements in sexual function were
      seen based on PISQ-12 scores in both groups, but were not statistically
      significant. No differences were seen in PISQ-12 scores regardless of sparing the
      cervix or surgical route. Responses to the PISQ-12 question of avoiding sexual
      intercourse because of vaginal bulging showed significant improvement in both
      group. No recurrences of prolapse occurred. CONCLUSION: In women with pelvic
      organ prolapse, sexual function after either sacrocolpopexy or sacrocervicopexy
      was not different. Sexual dysfunction in terms of avoidance of sexual activity
      because of vaginal bulging was greatly improved in both groups with statistical
      significance.

PMID- 28344964
TI  - Efficacy and safety of drospirenone 2 mg/17beta-estradiol 1 mg hormone therapy in
      Korean postmenopausal women.
AB  - This regulatory post-marketing surveillance study aimed to evaluate the
      therapeutic efficacy and safety of drospirenone (DRSP) 2 mg/estradiol (E2) 1 mg
      tablet in Korean postmenopausal women. A total of 4,149 patients were enrolled
      and the study was conducted at 207 clinical research centers. The patients'
      source data was collected between November 2006 and November 2012. More than 85%
      of patients experienced improvement of menopausal symptoms. The most frequently
      reported adverse events were vaginal bleeding and breast pain; most of the women
      suffering from these symptoms fully recovered. The incidence of adverse event was
      higher in patients of younger age (20 to 39 years), in patients with concomitant
      diseases, previous hormone replacement therapy in medical history, those treated
      with DRSP 2 mg/E2 1 mg for shorter duration (3 years or less) and in patients
      using concomitant medication. In conclusion, the results from this large post
      marketing surveillance study confirm the efficacy and safety of DRSP 2 mg/E2 1 mg
      tablet in Korean postmenopausal women.

PMID- 28344965
TI  - Tuberculous peritonitis in the first trimester of pregnancy.
AB  - Tuberculous peritonitis in pregnancy is a rare form of extrapulmonary
      tuberculosis that is not easily diagnosed. The clinical presentations of
      tuberculous peritonitis are usually non-specific and mimic those of other
      diseases, such as ovarian malignancy or chronic liver disease, and this non
      specificity can cause diagnostic delays and complications. The authors report the
      case of a 31-year-old primigravida woman who presented with uncontrolled fever,
      dyspnea, elevated liver enzymes, and mild abdominal distension at 13+2 weeks of
      gestation. At 14+2 weeks, a therapeutic abortion was conducted and tuberculous
      peritonitis was confirmed by laparoscopic excisional biopsy of peritoneal nodules
      and histopathologic examination. The patient recovered on antituberculosis
      therapy and abdomen and chest follow up radiographic findings have confirmed
      improvement.

PMID- 28344966
TI  - Lower limb compartment syndrome by reperfusion injury after treatment of arterial
      thrombosis post-laparoscopic radical hysterectomy and pelvic lymph node
      dissection for cervical cancer.
AB  - Compartment syndrome is a clinical condition associated with decreased blood
      circulation that can lead to swelling of tissue in limited space. Several factors
      including lithotomy position, prolonged surgery, intermittent pneumatic
      compressor, and reperfusion after treatment of arterial thrombosis may contribute
      to compartment syndrome. However, compartment syndrome rarely occurs after
      gynecologic surgery. In this case, the patient was diagnosed as compartment
      syndrome due to reperfusion injury after treatment of arterial thrombosis, which
      occurred after laparoscopic radical hysterectomy and pelvic lymph node dissection
      for cervical cancer. Despite its rarity, prevention and identifying the risk
      factors of complication should be performed perioperatively; furthermore,
      gynecologist should be aware of the possibility of complications.

PMID- 28344967
TI  - Mucinous cystadenocarcinoma of ovary with metastasis in 14-year-old girl.
AB  - Ovarian mucinous tumors in <15 years old are rare with <50 cases reported till
      date in the literature. Majority of them are benign or borderline epithelial
      ovarian tumors with only 12 cases of cystadenocarcinomas reported at a young age.
      We report a case of mucinous cystadenocarcinoma in 14-year-old girl with
      metastasis to omentum at the time of presentation. Management of such cases is
      tricky as conservative approach sparing fertility of the patient is adopted. This
      case is presented for its rarity and unique presentation. To the best of our
      knowledge, this is the thirteenth case of ovarian cystadenocarcinoma being
      reported at a very young age and the first case being reported from Indian
      subcontinent. Extensive review of the previously published cases in the
      literature has been done in this study.

PMID- 28344968
TI  - Pulmonary embolism in a healthy woman using the oral contraceptives containing
      desogestrel.
AB  - Venous thromboembolism is well known as one of the rare but serious adverse
      effects of combined oral contraceptives (COCs). The COCs with third and fourth
      generation progestogens were found to have higher risk of venous thrombosis than
      those with second generation progestogens. We present a case of pulmonary
      embolism in a 23-year-old nulligravid woman who was using COCs containing the
      third generation progestogen (desogestrel). At the time of presentation of the
      adverse effect, she had been using the COCs for 4 months. She had no additional
      risk factors for thrombosis such as smoking, surgery, tumor as well as genetic
      factors. This case demonstrates even young women in otherwise good health may be
      at risk of venous thromboembolism from low-dose formulations of COCs as an over
      the-counter drug. We describe this case with a brief review of literatures.

PMID- 28344969
TI  - Catamenial hemoptysis accompanied by subcutaneous endometriosis treated with
      combination therapy.
AB  - Extra pelvic endometriosis is considered to be rare. This paper reports a case of
      catamenial hemoptysis accompanied by subcutaneous endometriosis in 26-year-old
      woman. A computed tomography scan of the chest revealed a focal ground-glass
      opacity lesion in the posterior segment of the right upper lobe. Histopathology
      confirmed the diagnosis of endometriosis of right lung and concurrent
      subcutaneous endometriosis. She was treated with surgical resection of the
      endometriosis lesions on two different sites and perioperative gonadotropin
      releasing hormone agonist therapy. The 6-month follow-up after combination
      treatment showed no recurrence. Though long-term follow-up result is needed,
      aggressive treatment using combination treatment (surgery and perioperative
      medication) should be considered for symptomatic extra pelvic endometriosis.

PMID- 28344970
TI  - An Urgent Call for the Renaissance of the World Health Organization: Needed Now
      More than Ever Before.

PMID- 28344972
TI  - Parsimonious continuous time random walk models and kurtosis for diffusion in
      magnetic resonance of biological tissue.
AB  - In this paper, we provide a context for the modeling approaches that have been
      developed to describe non-Gaussian diffusion behavior, which is ubiquitous in
      diffusion weighted magnetic resonance imaging of water in biological tissue.
      Subsequently, we focus on the formalism of the continuous time random walk theory
      to extract properties of subdiffusion and superdiffusion through novel
      simplifications of the Mittag-Leffler function. For the case of time-fractional
      subdiffusion, we compute the kurtosis for the Mittag-Leffler function, which
      provides both a connection and physical context to the much-used approach of
      diffusional kurtosis imaging. We provide Monte Carlo simulations to illustrate
      the concepts of anomalous diffusion as stochastic processes of the random walk.
      Finally, we demonstrate the clinical utility of the Mittag-Leffler function as a
      model to describe tissue microstructure through estimations of subdiffusion and
      kurtosis with diffusion MRI measurements in the brain of a chronic ischemic
      stroke patient.

PMID- 28344973
TI  - Coarse-Grained Conformational Sampling of Protein Structure Improves the Fit to
      Experimental Hydrogen-Exchange Data.
AB  - Monitoring hydrogen/deuterium exchange (HDX) undergone by a protein in solution
      produces experimental data that translates into valuable information about the
      protein's structure. Data produced by HDX experiments is often interpreted using
      a crystal structure of the protein, when available. However, it has been shown
      that the correspondence between experimental HDX data and crystal structures is
      often not satisfactory. This creates difficulties when trying to perform a
      structural analysis of the HDX data. In this paper, we evaluate several
      strategies to obtain a conformation providing a good fit to the experimental HDX
      data, which is a premise of an accurate structural analysis. We show that
      performing molecular dynamics simulations can be inadequate to obtain such
      conformations, and we propose a novel methodology involving a coarse-grained
      conformational sampling approach instead. By extensively exploring the intrinsic
      flexibility of a protein with this approach, we produce a conformational ensemble
      from which we extract a single conformation providing a good fit to the
      experimental HDX data. We successfully demonstrate the applicability of our
      method to four small and medium-sized proteins.

PMID- 28344974
TI  - Assessing Preferences for Animals in Children with Autism: A New Use for Video
      Based Preference Assessment.
AB  - The inclusion of animals into interventions for children with autism spectrum
      disorder (ASD) is a growing practice known as animal-assisted intervention (AAI).
      The choice of the animal to include in an intervention is often solely up to the
      interventionist and depends on their experience, subjective judgment, and ease of
      access to different animals. For individuals with ASD who are non-verbal and
      unable to indicate preferred stimuli or activities, incorporating preference into
      interventions has been linked to increases in positive behaviors and enhanced
      quality of life. We propose that animal choice based on a participant's
      preference may enhance the experience of AAI and maximize its outcomes. A common
      technique used to reliably determine preferred interactions and activities in
      interventions for children with ASD is a stimulus preference assessment. The
      video-based multiple-stimulus without replacement (MSWO) procedure, in
      particular, allows for discrimination of complex stimuli that could not feasibly
      be presented all at once, which is the case when choosing an animal. Based on the
      well-documented reliability of this technique in the field of applied behavior
      analysis, we propose that a future direction in AAI is utilizing video-based MSWO
      to guide animal selection.

PMID- 28344971
TI  - How to Train a Cell-Cutting-Edge Molecular Tools.
AB  - In biological systems, the formation of molecular complexes is the currency for
      all cellular processes. Traditionally, functional experimentation was targeted to
      single molecular players in order to understand its effects in a cell or animal
      phenotype. In the last few years, we have been experiencing rapid progress in the
      development of ground-breaking molecular biology tools that affect the metabolic,
      structural, morphological, and (epi)genetic instructions of cells by chemical,
      optical (optogenetic) and mechanical inputs. Such precise dissection of cellular
      processes is not only essential for a better understanding of biological systems,
      but will also allow us to better diagnose and fix common dysfunctions. Here, we
      present several of these emerging and innovative techniques by providing the
      reader with elegant examples on how these tools have been implemented in cells,
      and, in some cases, organisms, to unravel molecular processes in minute detail.
      We also discuss their advantages and disadvantages with particular focus on their
      translation to multicellular organisms for in vivo spatiotemporal regulation. We
      envision that further developments of these tools will not only help solve the
      processes of life, but will give rise to novel clinical and industrial
      applications.

PMID- 28344975
TI  - Equine Dental Pulp Connective Tissue Particles Reduced Lameness in Horses in a
      Controlled Clinical Trial.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: To assess if injection of allogeneic dental pulp tissue particles
      would improve lameness in horses with naturally occurring osteoarthritis (OA) or
      soft tissue (ST) injury. DESIGN: Prospective, randomized, blinded, and controlled
      clinical trial and client survey assessment. ANIMALS: Forty lame client-owned
      horses. PROCEDURES: Sterile dental pulp, recovered from otherwise healthy foals
      that perish during dystocia, was processed under good manufacturing processing to
      produce mechanically manipulated, unexpanded pulp tissue particles containing
      viable cells surrounded in extracellular matrix. Forty lame client-owned horses
      with confirmed OA (n = 20), or ST injury (desmitis or tendonitis) received a 2 mL
      intra-articular (n = 20 OA) or intra-lesional (n = 20) injection of control
      transport vehicle (n = 20) or 10 * 106 dental pulp tissue particles (n = 20).
      Acclimatized horses had baseline measurements performed and were then injected on
      day 0. Horses were treadmill exercised for 2 weeks, evaluated by clinical
      parameters, lameness score, edema (score and circumference), pain on flexion (OA)
      or pressure (ST), and clients' scores for pain and discomfort before and through
      45 days after pulp injection. Twenty horses were available for >2.5-year follow
      up. RESULTS: Pulp-treated horses showed decrease in lameness compared to baseline
      (P < 0.009) or placebo controls (P < 0.013) for at least 2 weeks. Client
      assessments of comfort were improved between before and 45 days after pulp
      injection (P < 0.001). Clinical improvement with ST injury was significantly
      greater than OA (P < 0.001). At >2.5-year follow-up, at least 10 horses were in
      work. CONCLUSION AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE: Dental pulp tissue particles can be
      considered as a treatment option for equine lameness due to OA, desmitis, or
      tendonitis.

PMID- 28344976
TI  - A Metataxonomic Approach Could Be Considered for Cattle Clinical Mastitis
      Diagnostics.
AB  - Mastitis is one of the most costly diseases affecting the dairy industry, and
      identification of the causative microorganism(s) is essential. Here, we report
      the use of next-generation sequencing of bacterial 16S rRNA genes for clinical
      mastitis diagnosis. We used 65 paired milk samples, collected from the mastitic
      and a contralateral healthy quarter of mastitic dairy cattle to evaluate the
      technique as a potential alternative to bacterial culture or targeted PCR. One
      large commercial dairy farm was used, with one trained veterinarian collecting
      the milk samples. The 16S rRNA genes were individually amplified and sequenced
      using the MiSeq platform. The MiSeq Reporter was used in order to analyze the
      obtained sequences. Cattle were categorized according to whether or not 1 of the
      10 most abundant bacterial genera in the mastitic quarter exhibited an increase
      in relative abundance between the healthy and mastitic quarters equal to, or
      exceeding, twofold. We suggest that this increase in relative abundance is
      indicative of the genus being a causative mastitis pathogen. Well-known mastitis
      causing pathogens such as Streptococcus uberis and Staphylococcus spp. were
      identified in most cattle. We were able to diagnose 53 out of the 65 studied
      cases and identify potential new mastitis pathogens such as Sneathia sanguinegens
      and Listeria innocua, which are difficult to identify by bacterial culture
      because of their fastidious nature.

PMID- 28344978
TI  - Large-scale Analysis of Counseling Conversations: An Application of Natural
      Language Processing to Mental Health.
AB  - Mental illness is one of the most pressing public health issues of our time.
      While counseling and psychotherapy can be effective treatments, our knowledge
      about how to conduct successful counseling conversations has been limited due to
      lack of large-scale data with labeled outcomes of the conversations. In this
      paper, we present a large-scale, quantitative study on the discourse of text
      message-based counseling conversations. We develop a set of novel computational
      discourse analysis methods to measure how various linguistic aspects of
      conversations are correlated with conversation outcomes. Applying techniques such
      as sequence-based conversation models, language model comparisons, message
      clustering, and psycholinguistics-inspired word frequency analyses, we discover
      actionable conversation strategies that are associated with better conversation
      outcomes.

PMID- 28344979
TI  - Psychological profile of individuals presenting with chronic cough.
AB  - Chronic refractory cough (CRC) is a common problem in respiratory clinics.
      Adverse effects on quality of life are documented in the literature, but
      relatively little is known about the underlying psychological factors in this
      patient population. We aimed to investigate the association of psychological
      factors with chronic cough, comparing CRC to explained cough and non-cough
      groups. 67 patients attending a specialist cough clinic (CRC, n=25; explained
      cough, n=42) and 22 non-cough individuals participated. All participants
      completed the Hospital Anxiety & Depression Scale, Big Five Inventory
      (Personality), Chalder Fatigue Scale and Patient Health Questionnaire-15. Cough
      patients also completed the Illness Perception Questionnaire-Revised. Appropriate
      statistical analyses were used to compare participant groups. Chronic refractory
      coughers displayed significantly higher levels of anxiety, depression, fatigue
      and somatic physical symptoms than non-cough participants. Compared to explained
      coughers, there were higher depression and fatigue scores and significantly more
      negative illness representations (specifically, strong beliefs regarding negative
      consequences, lower illness coherence and higher emotional representations).
      "Explained" coughers reported significantly increased fatigue and somatic
      symptoms in comparison to non-coughers. The prevalence of fatigue, low mood,
      negative illness beliefs and increased physical symptom reporting should be
      considered in consultations and in developing novel interventions for CRC
      patients.

PMID- 28344980
TI  - Discordance in investigator-reported and adjudicated sudden death in TIOSPIR.
AB  - Accurate and consistent determination of cause of death is challenging in chronic
      obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) patients. TIOSPIR (N=17 135) compared the
      safety and efficacy of tiotropium Respimat 5/2.5 ug with HandiHaler 18 ug in COPD
      patients. All-cause mortality was a primary end-point. A mortality adjudication
      committee (MAC) assessed all deaths. We aimed to investigate causes of
      discordance in investigator-reported and MAC-adjudicated causes of death and
      their impact on results, especially cardiac and sudden death. The MAC provided
      independent, blinded assessment of investigator-reported deaths (n=1302) and
      assigned underlying cause of death. Discordance between causes of death was
      assessed descriptively (shift tables). There was agreement between investigator
      reported and MAC-adjudicated deaths in 69.4% of cases at the system organ class
      level. Differences were mainly observed for cardiac deaths (16.4% investigator,
      5.1% MAC) and deaths assigned to general disorders including sudden death (17.4%
      investigator, 24.6% MAC). Reasons for discrepancies included investigator
      attribution to the immediate (e.g. myocardial infarction (MI)) over the
      underlying cause of death (e.g. COPD) and insufficient information for a
      definitive cause. Cause-specific mortality varies in COPD, depending on the
      method of assignment. Sudden death, witnessed and unwitnessed, is common in COPD
      and often attributed to MI without supporting evidence.

PMID- 28344977
TI  - Chromatographic Studies of Protein-Based Chiral Separations.
AB  - The development of separation methods for the analysis and resolution of chiral
      drugs and solutes has been an area of ongoing interest in pharmaceutical
      research. The use of proteins as chiral binding agents in high-performance liquid
      chromatography (HPLC) has been an approach that has received particular attention
      in such work. This report provides an overview of proteins that have been used as
      binding agents to create chiral stationary phases (CSPs) and in the use of
      chromatographic methods to study these materials and protein-based chiral
      separations. The supports and methods that have been employed to prepare protein
      based CSPs will also be discussed and compared. Specific types of CSPs that are
      considered include those that employ serum transport proteins (e.g., human serum
      albumin, bovine serum albumin, and alpha1-acid glycoprotein), enzymes (e.g.,
      penicillin G acylase, cellobiohydrolases, and alpha-chymotrypsin) or other types
      of proteins (e.g., ovomucoid, antibodies, and avidin or streptavidin). The
      properties and applications for each type of protein and CSP will also be
      discussed in terms of their use in chromatography and chiral separations.

PMID- 28344981
TI  - The effects of exogenous lipid on THP-1 cells: an in vitro model of airway
      aspiration?
AB  - Chronic inflammatory diseases of the airways are associated with gastro
      oesophageal reflux (GOR) and aspiration events. The observation of lipid-laden
      macrophages (LLMs) within the airway may indicate aspiration secondary to GOR.
      The proposed mechanism, that lipid droplets from undigested or partially digested
      food are aspirated leading to accumulation in scavenging macrophages, led us to
      hypothesise that an activated population of LLMs could interact with other immune
      cells to induce bronchial inflammation. To test this, we generated an in vitro
      model using differentiated THP-1 cells, which were treated with a high-fat liquid
      feed. Here, we show that THP-1 cells can take up lipid from the high-fat feed
      independent of actin polymerisation or CD36-dependent phagocytosis. These cells
      did not exhibit M1 or M2 polarisation. Gene array analysis confirmed over 8000
      genes were upregulated by at least twofold following high fat exposure, and IL-8
      was the most upregulated gene. Pathway analysis revealed upregulation of genes
      known to be involved in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD)
      pathophysiology. We suggest that aspiration and macrophage phagocytosis may be
      important mechanisms in the aetiology of diseases such as COPD and cystic
      fibrosis that are characterised by high levels of IL-8 within the airways.

PMID- 28344982
TI  - Transbronchial cryobiopsy in interstitial lung disease: experience in 106 cases -
      how to do it.
AB  - Transbronchial biopsy using forceps (TBB) is the first diagnostic technique
      performed on patients with interstitial lung disease (ILD). However, the small
      size of the samples and the presence of artefacts in the tissue obtained make the
      yield variable. Our objectives were 1) to attempt to reproduce transbronchial
      cryobiopsy under the same conditions with which we performed conventional TBB,
      that is, in the bronchoscopy unit without intubating the patient and without
      fluoroscopy or general anaesthesia; 2) to describe the method used for its
      execution; and 3) to analyse the diagnostic yield and its complications. We
      carried out a prospective study that included 106 patients with clinical and
      radiological features suggestive of ILD who underwent cryo-transbronchial lung
      biopsy (cryo-TBB) under moderate sedation without endotracheal intubation,
      general anaesthesia or use of fluoroscopy. We performed the procedure using two
      flexible bronchoscopes connected to two video processors, which we alternated
      until obtaining the number of desired samples. A definitive diagnosis was
      obtained in 91 patients (86%). As for complications, there were five
      pneumothoraces (4.7%) and in no case was there severe haemorrhage or exacerbation
      of the underlying interstitial disease. Cryo-TBB following our method is a
      minimally invasive, rapid, safe and economic technique that can be performed in a
      bronchoscopy suite under moderate sedation without the need for intubating the
      patient or using fluoroscopy and without requiring general anaesthesia.

PMID- 28344983
TI  - Effects of bile acids on human airway epithelial cells: implications for
      aerodigestive diseases.
AB  - Gastro-oesophageal reflux and aspiration have been associated with chronic and
      end-stage lung disease and with allograft injury following lung transplantation.
      This raises the possibility that bile acids may cause lung injury by damaging
      airway epithelium. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of bile
      acid challenge using the immortalised human bronchial epithelial cell line (BEAS
      2B). The immortalised human bronchial epithelial cell line (BEAS-2B) was
      cultured. A 48-h challenge evaluated the effect of individual primary and
      secondary bile acids. Post-challenge concentrations of interleukin (IL)-8, IL-6
      and granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor were measured using
      commercial ELISA kits. The viability of the BEAS-2B cells was measured using
      CellTiter-Blue and MTT assays. Lithocholic acid, deoxycholic acid,
      chenodeoxycholic acid and cholic acid were successfully used to stimulate
      cultured BEAS-2B cells at different concentrations. A concentration of
      lithocholic acid above 10 MUmol.L-1 causes cell death, whereas deoxycholic acid,
      chenodeoxycholic acid and cholic acid above 30 MUmol.L-1 was required for cell
      death. Challenge with bile acids at physiological levels also led to a
      significant increase in the release of IL-8 and IL6 from BEAS-2B. Aspiration of
      bile acids could potentially cause cell damage, cell death and inflammation in
      vivo. This is relevant to an integrated gastrointestinal and lung physiological
      paradigm of chronic lung disease, where reflux and aspiration are described in
      both chronic lung diseases and allograft injury.

PMID- 28344984
TI  - Advance Directive in End of Life Decision-Making among the Yoruba of South
      Western Nigeria.
AB  - End-of-life decision making is value-laden within the context of culture and
      bioethics. Also, ethics committee role is difficult to understand on this, thus
      need for ethnomethodological perspective in an expanding bioethical age.
      Anthropological approach was utilized to document Yoruba definition and
      perspective of death, cultural beliefs about end-of-life decision making, factors
      influencing it and ethics committee role. Interviews were conducted among
      selected Yoruba resident in Akinyele LGA, Oyo State, Nigeria. Content analytical
      approach was used for data analysis. Yoruba culture, death is socially
      constructed having spiritual, physical and social significance. Relationship
      between the dying and significant others influences decision making. Hierarchy of
      authority informs implementing traditional advance directive. Socialization,
      gender, patriarchy, religious belief and tradition are major considerations in
      end-of-life decision making. Awareness, resource allocation and advocacy are
      important ethics committees' roles. Further research into cultural diversity of
      end-of-life decision making will strengthen ethical practice in health care
      delivery.

PMID- 28344985
TI  - Decolonizing Bioethics in Africa.
AB  - The global spread of bioethics from its North-American and European provenance to
      non-Western societies is currently raising some concerns. Part of the concern has
      to do with whether or not the exportation of bioethics in its full Western sense
      to developing non-Western states is an instance of ethical imperialism or
      bioethical neocolonialism. This paper attempts an exploration of this debate in
      the context of bioethics in sub-Saharan Africa. Rather than conceding that
      bioethics has a colonial agenda in Africa, this paper defends the position that
      the current bioethics trend in sub-Saharan Africa is an unintended imperialistic
      project. It argues that its colonizing character is not entirely a product of the
      Western programmed goals of training and institution building; rather, it is a
      structural consequence of many receptive African minds and institutions. Though
      bioethics in Africa is turning out as a colonizing project, one serious
      implication of such trend, if unchecked urgently, is that bioethics' invaluable
      relevance to Africa is being incapacitated. This paper, therefore, attempts a
      decolonizing trajectory of bioethics in Africa. Contrary to the pretense of
      'African bioethics,' which some African scholars are now defending, this paper
      through the logic of decolonization makes case for 'bioethics in Africa'. In such
      logic, the principle of existential needs is prioritized over the principle of
      identity and authenticity that define African voice in bioethics.

PMID- 28344986
TI  - Erratum to: Pharmacological treatments of presbyopia: a review of modern
      perspectives.
AB  - [This corrects the article DOI: 10.1186/s40662-017-0068-8.].

PMID- 28344988
TI  - INSPIIRED: Quantification and Visualization Tools for Analyzing Integration Site
      Distributions.
AB  - Analysis of sites of newly integrated DNA in cellular genomes is important to
      several fields, but methods for analyzing and visualizing these datasets are
      still under development. Here, we describe tools for data analysis and
      visualization that take as input integration site data from our INSPIIRED
      pipeline. Paired-end sequencing allows inference of the numbers of transduced
      cells as well as the distributions of integration sites in target genomes. We
      present interactive heatmaps that allow comparison of distributions of
      integration sites to genomic features and that support numerous user-defined
      statistical tests. To summarize integration site data from human gene therapy
      samples, we developed a reproducible report format that catalogs sample
      population structure, longitudinal dynamics, and integration frequency near
      cancer-associated genes. We also introduce a novel summary statistic, the UC50
      (unique cell progenitors contributing the most expanded 50% of progeny cell
      clones), which provides a single number summarizing possible clonal expansion.
      Using these tools, we characterize ongoing longitudinal characterization of a
      patient from the first trial to treat severe combined immunodeficiency-X1 (SCID
      X1), showing successful reconstitution for 15 years accompanied by persistence of
      a cell clone with an integration site near the cancer-associated gene CCND2.
      Software is available at https://github.com/BushmanLab/INSPIIRED.

PMID- 28344989
TI  - Efficient Presentation of Multiple Endogenous Epitopes to Both CD4+ and CD8+
      Diabetogenic T Cells for Tolerance.
AB  - Antigen-specific immunotherapy of type 1 diabetes, typically via delivery of a
      single native beta cell antigen, has had little clinical benefit to date. With
      increasing evidence that diabetogenic T cells react against multiple beta cell
      antigens, including previously unappreciated neo-antigens that can be emulated by
      mimotopes, a shift from protein- to epitope-based therapy is warranted. To this
      end, we aimed to achieve efficient co-presentation of multiple major epitopes
      targeting both CD4+ and CD8+ diabetogenic T cells. We have compared native
      epitopes versus mimotopes as well as various targeting signals in an effort to
      optimize recognition by both types of T cells in vitro. Optimal engagement of all
      T cells was achieved with segregation of CD8 and CD4 epitopes, the latter
      containing mimotopes and driven by endosome-targeting signals, after delivery
      into either dendritic or stromal cells. The CD4+ T cell responses elicited by the
      endogenously delivered epitopes were comparable with high concentrations of
      soluble peptide and included functional regulatory T cells. This work has
      important implications for the improvement of antigen-specific therapies using an
      epitope-based approach to restore tolerance in type 1 diabetes and in a variety
      of other diseases requiring concomitant targeting of CD4+ and CD8+ T cells.

PMID- 28344987
TI  - Safe and Effective Gene Therapy for Murine Wiskott-Aldrich Syndrome Using an
      Insulated Lentiviral Vector.
AB  - Wiskott-Aldrich syndrome (WAS) is a life-threatening immunodeficiency caused by
      mutations within the WAS gene. Viral gene therapy to restore WAS protein (WASp)
      expression in hematopoietic cells of patients with WAS has the potential to
      improve outcomes relative to the current standard of care, allogeneic bone marrow
      transplantation. However, the development of viral vectors that are both safe and
      effective has been problematic. While use of viral transcriptional promoters may
      increase the risk of insertional mutagenesis, cellular promoters may not achieve
      WASp expression levels necessary for optimal therapeutic effect. Here we evaluate
      a self-inactivating (SIN) lentiviral vector combining a chromatin insulator
      upstream of a viral MND (MPSV LTR, NCR deleted, dl587 PBS) promoter driving WASp
      expression. Used as a gene therapeutic in Was-/- mice, this vector resulted in
      stable WASp+ cells in all hematopoietic lineages and rescue of T and B cell
      defects with a low number of viral integrations per cell, without evidence of
      insertional mutagenesis in serial bone marrow transplants. In a gene transfer
      experiment in non-human primates, the insulated MND promoter (driving GFP
      expression) demonstrated long-term polyclonal engraftment of GFP+ cells. These
      observations demonstrate that the insulated MND promoter safely and efficiently
      reconstitutes clinically effective WASp expression and should be considered for
      future WAS therapy.

PMID- 28344990
TI  - INSPIIRED: A Pipeline for Quantitative Analysis of Sites of New DNA Integration
      in Cellular Genomes.
AB  - Integration of new DNA into cellular genomes mediates replication of retroviruses
      and transposons; integration reactions have also been adapted for use in human
      gene therapy. Tracking the distributions of integration sites is important to
      characterize populations of transduced cells and to monitor potential outgrow of
      pathogenic cell clones. Here, we describe a pipeline for quantitative analysis of
      integration site distributions named INSPIIRED (integration site pipeline for
      paired-end reads). We describe optimized biochemical steps for site isolation
      using Illumina paired-end sequencing, including new technology for suppressing
      recovery of unwanted contaminants, then software for alignment, quality control,
      and management of integration site sequences. During library preparation, DNAs
      are broken by sonication, so that after ligation-mediated PCR the number of
      ligation junction sites can be used to infer abundance of gene-modified cells. We
      generated integration sites of known positions in silico, and we describe
      optimization of sample processing parameters refined by comparison to truth. We
      also present a novel graph-theory-based method for quantifying integration sites
      in repeated sequences, and we characterize the consequences using synthetic and
      experimental data. In an accompanying paper, we describe an additional set of
      statistical tools for data analysis and visualization. Software is available at
      https://github.com/BushmanLab/INSPIIRED.

PMID- 28344991
TI  - Antibody-Directed Glucocorticoid Targeting to CD163 in M2-type Macrophages
      Attenuates Fructose-Induced Liver Inflammatory Changes.
AB  - Increased consumption of high-caloric carbohydrates contributes substantially to
      endemic non-alcoholic fatty liver disease in humans, covering a histological
      spectrum from fatty liver to steatohepatitis. Hypercaloric intake and lipogenetic
      effects of fructose and endotoxin-driven activation of liver macrophages are
      suggested to be essential to disease progression. In the present study, we show
      that a low dose of an anti-CD163-IgG-dexamethasone conjugate targeting the
      hemoglobin scavenger receptor CD163 in Kupffer cells and other M2-type
      macrophages has a profound effect on liver inflammatory changes in rats on a high
      fructose diet. The diet induced severe non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH)-like
      changes within a few weeks but the antibody-drug conjugate strongly reduced
      inflammation, hepatocyte ballooning, fibrosis, and glycogen deposition. Non
      conjugated dexamethasone or dexamethasone conjugated to a control IgG did not
      have this effect but instead exacerbated liver lipid accumulation. The low-dose
      anti-CD163-IgG-dexamethasone conjugate displayed no apparent systemic side
      effects. In conclusion, macrophage targeting by antibody-directed anti
      inflammatory low-dose glucocorticoid therapy seems to be a promising approach for
      safe treatment of fructose-induced liver inflammation.

PMID- 28344992
TI  - Mechanism of Deletion Removing All Dystrophin Exons in a Canine Model for DMD
      Implicates Concerted Evolution of X Chromosome Pseudogenes.
AB  - Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) is a lethal, X-linked, muscle-wasting disorder
      caused by mutations in the large, 2.4-Mb dystrophin gene. The majority of DMD
      causing mutations are sporadic, multi-exon, frameshifting deletions, with the
      potential for variable immunological tolerance to the dystrophin protein from
      patient to patient. While systemic gene therapy holds promise in the treatment of
      DMD, immune responses to vectors and transgenes must first be rigorously
      evaluated in informative preclinical models to ensure patient safety. A widely
      used canine model for DMD, golden retriever muscular dystrophy, expresses
      detectable amounts of near full-length dystrophin due to alternative splicing
      around an intronic point mutation, thereby confounding the interpretation of
      immune responses to dystrophin-derived gene therapies. Here we characterize a
      naturally occurring deletion in a dystrophin-null canine, the German shorthaired
      pointer. The deletion spans 5.6 Mb of the X chromosome and encompasses all coding
      exons of the DMD and TMEM47 genes. The sequences surrounding the deletion
      breakpoints are virtually identical, suggesting that the deletion occurred
      through a homologous recombination event. Interestingly, the deletion breakpoints
      are within loci that are syntenically conserved among mammals, yet the high
      homology among this subset of ferritin-like loci is unique to the canine genome,
      suggesting lineage-specific concerted evolution of these atypical sequence
      elements.

PMID- 28344993
TI  - Bringing Neural Cell Therapies to the Clinic: Past and Future Strategies.
AB  - Cell replacement therapy in the nervous system has a rich history, with ~40 years
      of research and ~30 years of clinical experience. There is compelling evidence
      that appropriate cells can integrate and function in the dysfunctioning human
      nervous system, but the clinical results are mixed in practice. A number of
      factors conspire to vary patient outcome: the indication, cell source, patient
      selection, and team performing transplantation are all variables that can affect
      efficacy. Most early clinical trials have used fetal cells, a limited cell source
      that resists scale and standardization. Direct fetal cell transplantation creates
      significant challenges to commercialization that is the ultimate goal of an
      effective cell therapy. One approach to help scale and standardize fetal cell
      preparations is the expansion of neural cells in vitro. Expansion is achieved by
      transformation or through the application of mitogens before cryopreservation.
      Recently, neural cells derived from pluripotent stem cells have provided a
      scalable alternative. Pluripotent stem cells are desirable for manufacturing but
      present alternative concerns and manufacturing obstacles. All cell sources
      require robust and reproducible manufacturing to make nervous system cell
      replacement therapy an option for patients. Here, we discuss the challenges and
      opportunities for cell replacement in the nervous system. In this review, we give
      an overview of completed and ongoing neural cell transplantation clinical trials,
      and we discuss the challenges and opportunities for future cell replacement
      trials with a particular focus on pluripotent stem cell-derived therapies.

PMID- 28344994
TI  - A New Broad Range Plasmid for DNA Delivery in Eukaryotic Cells Using Lactic Acid
      Bacteria: In Vitro and In Vivo Assays.
AB  - Lactococcus lactis is well documented as a promising candidate for development of
      novel oral live vaccines. It has been broadly engineered for heterologous
      expression, as well as for plasmid expression vector delivery, directly inside
      eukaryotic cells, for DNA vaccine, or as therapeutic vehicle. This work describes
      the characteristics of a new plasmid, pExu (extra chromosomal unit), for DNA
      delivery using L. lactis and evaluates its functionality both by in vitro and in
      vivo assays. This plasmid exhibits the following features: (1) a theta origin of
      replication and (2) an expression cassette containing a multiple cloning site and
      a eukaryotic promoter, the cytomegalovirus (pCMV). The functionality of pExu:egfp
      was evaluated by fluorescence microscopy. The L. lactis MG1363 (pExu:egfp)
      strains were administered by gavage to Balb/C mice and the eGFP expression was
      monitored by fluorescence microscopy. The pExu vector has demonstrated an
      excellent stability either in L. lactis or in Escherichia coli. The eGFP
      expression at different times in in vitro assay showed that 15.8% of CHO cells
      were able to express the protein after transfection. The enterocytes of mice
      showed the expression of eGFP protein. Thus, L. lactis carrying the pExu is a
      good candidate to deliver genes into eukaryotic cells.

PMID- 28344995
TI  - Global Manufacturing of CAR T Cell Therapy.
AB  - Immunotherapy using chimeric antigen receptor-modified T cells has demonstrated
      high response rates in patients with B cell malignancies, and chimeric antigen
      receptor T cell therapy is now being investigated in several hematologic and
      solid tumor types. Chimeric antigen receptor T cells are generated by removing T
      cells from a patient's blood and engineering the cells to express the chimeric
      antigen receptor, which reprograms the T cells to target tumor cells. As chimeric
      antigen receptor T cell therapy moves into later-phase clinical trials and
      becomes an option for more patients, compliance of the chimeric antigen receptor
      T cell manufacturing process with global regulatory requirements becomes a topic
      for extensive discussion. Additionally, the challenges of taking a chimeric
      antigen receptor T cell manufacturing process from a single institution to a
      large-scale multi-site manufacturing center must be addressed. We have
      anticipated such concerns in our experience with the CD19 chimeric antigen
      receptor T cell therapy CTL019. In this review, we discuss steps involved in the
      cell processing of the technology, including the use of an optimal vector for
      consistent cell processing, along with addressing the challenges of expanding
      chimeric antigen receptor T cell therapy to a global patient population.

PMID- 28344996
TI  - Codon Optimization Leads to Functional Impairment of RD114-TR Envelope
      Glycoprotein.
AB  - Lentiviral vectors (LVs) are a highly valuable tool for gene transfer currently
      exploited in basic, applied, and clinical studies. Their optimization is
      therefore very important for the field of vectorology and gene therapy. A key
      molecule for LV function is the envelope because it guides cell entry. The most
      commonly used in transiently produced LVs is the vesicular stomatitis virus
      glycoprotein (VSV-G) envelope, whose continuous expression is, however, toxic for
      stable LV producer cells. In contrast, the feline endogenous retroviral RD114-TR
      envelope is suitable for stable LV manufacturing, being well tolerated by
      producer cells under constitutive expression. We have previously reported
      successful, transient and stable production of LVs pseudotyped with RD114-TR for
      good transduction of T lymphocytes and CD34+ cells. To further improve RD114-TR
      pseudotyped LV cell entry by increasing envelope expression, we codon-optimized
      the RD114-TR open reading frame (ORF). Here we show that, despite the RD114-TRco
      precursor being produced at a higher level than the wild-type counterpart, it is
      unexpectedly not duly glycosylated, exported to the cytosol, and processed.
      Correct cleavage of the precursor in the functional surface and transmembrane
      subunits is prevented in vivo, and, consequently, the unprocessed precursor is
      incorporated into LVs, making them inactive.

PMID- 28344998
TI  - Low-Dose Liver-Targeted Gene Therapy for Pompe Disease Enhances Therapeutic
      Efficacy of ERT via Immune Tolerance Induction.
AB  - Pompe disease results from acid alpha-glucosidase (GAA) deficiency, and enzyme
      replacement therapy (ERT) with recombinant human (rh) GAA has clinical benefits,
      although its limitations include the short half-life of GAA and the formation of
      antibody responses. The present study compared the efficacy of ERT against gene
      transfer with an adeno-associated viral (AAV) vector containing a liver-specific
      promoter. GAA knockout (KO) mice were administered either a weekly injection of
      rhGAA (20 mg/kg) or a single injection of AAV2/8-LSPhGAA (8 * 1011 vector genomes
      [vg]/kg). Both treatments significantly reduced glycogen content of the heart and
      diaphragm. Although ERT triggered anti-GAA antibody formation, there was no
      detectable antibody response following AAV vector administration. The efficacy of
      three lower dosages of AAV2/8-LSPhGAA was evaluated in GAA-KO mice, either alone
      or in combination with ERT. The minimum effective dose (MED) identified was 8 *
      1010 vg/kg to reduce glycogen content in the heart and diaphragm of GAA-KO mice.
      A 3-fold higher dose was required to suppress antibody responses to ERT. Efficacy
      from liver gene therapy was slightly greater in male mice than in female mice.
      Vector dose correlated inversely with anti-GAA antibody formation, whereas higher
      vector doses suppressed previously formed anti-GAA antibodies as late as 25 weeks
      after the start of ERT and achieved biochemical correction of glycogen
      accumulation. In conclusion, we identified the MED for effective AAV2/8-LSPhGAA
      mediated tolerogenic gene therapy in Pompe disease mice.

PMID- 28344997
TI  - Simple Derivation of Spinal Motor Neurons from ESCs/iPSCs Using Sendai Virus
      Vectors.
AB  - Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a progressive and fatal degenerative
      disorder of motor neurons (MNs). Embryonic stem cells (ESCs)/induced pluripotent
      stem cells (iPSCs) now help us to understand the pathomechanisms of ALS via
      disease modeling. Various methods to differentiate ESCs/iPSCs into MNs by the
      addition of signaling molecules have been reported. However, classical methods
      require multiple steps, and newer simple methods using the transduction of
      transcription factors run the risk of genomic integration of the vector genes.
      Heterogeneity of the expression levels of the transcription factors also remains
      an issue. Here we describe a novel approach for differentiating human and mouse
      ESCs/iPSCs into MNs using a single Sendai virus vector encoding three
      transcription factors, LIM/homeobox protein 3, neurogenin 2, and islet-1, which
      are integration free. This single-vector method, generating HB9-positive cells on
      day 2 from human iPSCs, increases the ratio of MNs to neurons compared to the use
      of three separate Sendai virus vectors. In addition, the MNs derived via this
      method from iPSCs of ALS patients and model mice display disease phenotypes. This
      simple approach significantly reduces the efforts required to generate MNs, and
      it provides a useful tool for disease modeling.

PMID- 28344999
TI  - Long-Term Engraftment and Fetal Globin Induction upon BCL11A Gene Editing in Bone
      Marrow-Derived CD34+ Hematopoietic Stem and Progenitor Cells.
AB  - To develop an effective and sustainable cell therapy for sickle cell disease
      (SCD), we investigated the feasibility of targeted disruption of the BCL11A gene,
      either within exon 2 or at the GATAA motif in the intronic erythroid-specific
      enhancer, using zinc finger nucleases in human bone marrow (BM) CD34+
      hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells (HSPCs). Both targeting strategies
      upregulated fetal globin expression in erythroid cells to levels predicted to
      inhibit hemoglobin S polymerization. However, complete inactivation of BCL11A
      resulting from bi-allelic frameshift mutations in BCL11A exon 2 adversely
      affected erythroid enucleation. In contrast, bi-allelic disruption of the GATAA
      motif in the erythroid enhancer of BCL11A did not negatively impact enucleation.
      Furthermore, BCL11A exon 2-edited BM-CD34+ cells demonstrated a significantly
      reduced engraftment potential in immunodeficient mice. Such an adverse effect on
      HSPC function was not observed upon BCL11A erythroid-enhancer GATAA motif
      editing, because enhancer-edited CD34+ cells achieved robust long-term
      engraftment and gave rise to erythroid cells with elevated levels of fetal globin
      expression when chimeric BM was cultured ex vivo. Altogether, our results support
      further clinical development of the BCL11A erythroid-specific enhancer editing in
      BM-CD34+ HSPCs as an autologous stem cell therapy in SCD patients.

PMID- 28345000
TI  - Syngeneic AAV Pseudo-particles Potentiate Gene Transduction of AAV Vectors.
AB  - Adeno-associated virus (AAV) vectors have emerged as a safe and efficient gene
      therapy platform. One complication is that a significant amount of empty
      particles have always been generated as impurities during AAV vector production.
      However, the effects of such particles on AAV vector performance remain unclear.
      Here we systemically evaluated the biological properties of three types of
      "empty" AAV particles: syngeneic pseudo-vectors with partial AAV genomes derived
      from DNA of the corresponding full particles, allogeneic pseudo-vectors with
      partial genomes different from the corresponding full particles, and null pseudo
      vectors with no DNA inside the capsids. The syngeneic particles in excess
      increased the corresponding full AAV vector transgene expression both in vivo and
      in vitro. However, such effects were not observed with null or allogeneic
      particles. The observed differences among these pseudo-AAV particles may be
      ascribed to the syngeneic pseudo-vector DNA facilitating the complementary DNA
      synthesis of the corresponding full AAV particles. Our study suggests that the
      DNA content in the pseudo-vectors plays a key role in dictating their effects on
      AAV transduction. The effects of residual "empty" particles should be adequately
      assessed when comparing AAV vector performance. The syngeneic AAV pseudo-vectors
      may be used to enhance the efficacy of gene therapy.

PMID- 28345001
TI  - Effective Depletion of Pre-existing Anti-AAV Antibodies Requires Broad Immune
      Targeting.
AB  - Pre-existing antibodies (Abs) to AAV pose a critical challenge for the
      translation of gene therapies. No effective approach is available to overcome pre
      existing Abs. Given the complexity of Ab production, overcoming pre-existing Abs
      will require broad immune targeting. We generated a mouse model of pre-existing
      AAV9 Abs to test multiple immunosuppressants, including bortezomib, rapamycin,
      and prednisolone, individually or in combination. We identified an effective
      approach combining rapamycin and prednisolone, reducing serum AAV9 Abs by 70%-80%
      at 4 weeks and 85%-93% at 8 weeks of treatment. The rapamycin plus prednisolone
      treatment resulted in significant decreases in the frequency of B cells, plasma
      cells, and IgG-secreting and AAV9-specific Ab-producing plasma cells in bone
      marrow. The rapamycin plus prednisolone treatment also significantly reduced
      frequencies of IgD-IgG+ class-switched/FAS+CL7+ germinal center B cells, and of
      activated CD4+ T cells expressing PD1 and GL7, in spleen. These data suggest that
      rapamycin plus prednisolone has selective inhibitory effects on both T helper
      type 2 support of B cell activation in spleen and on bone marrow plasma cell
      survival, leading to effective AAV9 Abs depletion. This promising
      immunomodulation approach is highly translatable, and it poses minimal risk in
      the context of therapeutic benefits promised by gene therapy for severe
      monogenetic diseases, with a single or possibly a few treatments over a lifetime.

PMID- 28345002
TI  - CXCL12 Promotes Stem Cell Recruitment and Uterine Repair after Injury in
      Asherman's Syndrome.
AB  - Asherman's syndrome is an acquired condition of uterine fibrosis and adhesions in
      response to injury that adversely affects fertility and pregnancy. We have
      previously demonstrated that bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells (BMDSCs)
      contribute to uterine repair after injury and that stem cells supplementation
      improves fertility. Here, we demonstrate that CXCL12 is the chemokine that
      mediates stem cell engraftment and functional improvement using a murine model of
      Asherman's syndrome. After uterine injury, we demonstrate that CXCL12
      augmentation increased BMDSC engraftment and that the CXCL12 receptor (CXCR4)
      antagonist, ADM3100, blocked stem cell recruitment. CXCL12 reduced, whereas
      ADM3100 increased fibrosis. CXCL12 treatment led to improved fertility and litter
      size, whereas ADM3100 treatment reduced fertility and litter size. ADM3100
      prevented optimal spontaneous uterine repair mediated by endogenous CXCL12
      production, reducing pregnancies after injury in the absence of supplemental
      CXCL12 administration; however, ADM3100 treatment could be partially rescued by
      CXCL12 augmentation. CXCL12 or other CXCR4 receptor agonists may be useful in the
      treatment of infertility or adverse pregnancy outcomes in Asherman's syndrome and
      other related uterine disorders.

PMID- 28345003
TI  - Expansion of Human Tregs from Cryopreserved Umbilical Cord Blood for GMP
      Compliant Autologous Adoptive Cell Transfer Therapy.
AB  - Umbilical cord blood is a traditional and convenient source of cells for
      hematopoietic stem cell transplantation. Thymic regulatory T cells (Tregs) are
      also present in cord blood, and there is growing interest in the use of
      autologous Tregs to provide a low-risk, fully human leukocyte antigen (HLA)
      matched cell product for treating autoimmune diseases, such as type 1 diabetes.
      Here, we describe a good manufacturing practice (GMP)-compatible Treg expansion
      protocol using fluorescence-activated cell sorting, resulting in a mean 2,092
      fold expansion of Tregs over a 16-day culture for a median yield of 1.26 * 109
      Tregs from single-donor cryopreserved units. The resulting Tregs passed prior
      clinical trial release criteria for Treg purity and sterility, including
      additional rigorous assessments of FOXP3 and Helios expression and epigenetic
      analysis of the FOXP3 Treg-specific demethylated region (TSDR). Compared with
      expanded adult peripheral blood Tregs, expanded cord blood Tregs remained more
      naive, as assessed by continued expression of CD45RA, produced reduced IFN-gamma
      following activation, and effectively inhibited responder T cell proliferation.
      Immunosequencing of the T cell receptor revealed a remarkably diverse receptor
      repertoire within cord blood Tregs that was maintained following in vitro
      expansion. These data support the feasibility of generating GMP-compliant Tregs
      from cord blood for adoptive cell transfer therapies and highlight potential
      advantages in terms of safety, phenotypic stability, autoantigen specificity, and
      tissue distribution.

PMID- 28345004
TI  - Homology-Directed Recombination for Enhanced Engineering of Chimeric Antigen
      Receptor T Cells.
AB  - Gene editing by homology-directed recombination (HDR) can be used to couple
      delivery of a therapeutic gene cassette with targeted genomic modifications to
      generate engineered human T cells with clinically useful profiles. Here, we
      explore the functionality of therapeutic cassettes delivered by these means and
      test the flexibility of this approach to clinically relevant alleles. Because
      CCR5-negative T cells are resistant to HIV-1 infection, CCR5-negative anti-CD19
      chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T cells could be used to treat patients with HIV
      associated B cell malignancies. We show that targeted delivery of an anti-CD19
      CAR cassette to the CCR5 locus using a recombinant AAV homology template and an
      engineered megaTAL nuclease results in T cells that are functionally equivalent,
      in both in vitro and in vivo tumor models, to CAR T cells generated by random
      integration using lentiviral delivery. With the goal of developing off-the-shelf
      CAR T cell therapies, we next targeted CARs to the T cell receptor alpha constant
      (TRAC) locus by HDR, producing TCR-negative anti-CD19 CAR and anti-B cell
      maturation antigen (BCMA) CAR T cells. These novel cell products exhibited in
      vitro cytolytic activity against both tumor cell lines and primary cell targets.
      Our combined results indicate that high-efficiency HDR delivery of therapeutic
      genes may provide a flexible and robust method that can extend the clinical
      utility of cell therapeutics.

PMID- 28345005
TI  - Chronic Enzyme Replacement to the Brain of a Late Infantile Neuronal Ceroid
      Lipofuscinosis Mouse Has Differential Effects on Phenotypes of Disease.
AB  - Late infantile neuronal ceroid lipofuscinosis (LINCL) is a fatal inherited
      neurodegenerative disease caused by loss of lysosomal protease tripeptidyl
      peptidase 1 (TPP1). We have investigated the effects of chronic intrathecal (IT)
      administration using enzyme replacement therapy (ERT) to the brain of an LINCL
      mouse model, in which locomotor function declines dramatically prior to early
      death. Median lifespan was significantly extended from 126 days to >259 days when
      chronic IT treatment was initiated before the onset of disease. While treated
      animals lived longer and showed little sign of locomotor dysfunction as measured
      by stride length, some or all (depending on regimen) still died prematurely. One
      explanation is that cerebrospinal fluid (CSF)-mediated delivery may not deliver
      TPP1 to all brain regions. Morphological studies support this, showing delivery
      of TPP1 to ventral, but not deeper and dorsal regions. When IT treatment is
      initiated in severely affected LINCL mice, lifespan was extended modestly in most
      but dramatically extended in approximately one-third of the cohort. Treatment
      improved locomotor function in these severely compromised animals after it had
      declined to the point at which animals normally die. This indicates that some
      pathology in LINCL is reversible and does not simply reflect neuronal death.

PMID- 28345006
TI  - Genome-wide Specificity of Highly Efficient TALENs and CRISPR/Cas9 for T Cell
      Receptor Modification.
AB  - In T cells with transgenic high-avidity T cell receptors (TCRs), endogenous and
      transferred TCR chains compete for surface expression and may pair
      inappropriately, potentially causing autoimmunity. To knock out endogenous TCR
      expression, we assembled 12 transcription activator-like effector nucleases
      (TALENs) and five guide RNAs (gRNAs) from the clustered regularly interspaced
      short palindromic repeats (CRISPR)/CRISPR-associated (Cas9) system. Using TALEN
      mRNA, TCR knockout was successful in up to 81% of T cells. Additionally, we were
      able to verify targeted gene addition of a GFP gene by homology-directed repair
      at the TALEN target site, using a donor suitable for replacement of the reporter
      transgene with therapeutic TCR chains. Remarkably, analysis of TALEN and
      CRISPR/Cas9 specificity using integrase-defective lentiviral vector capture
      revealed only one off-target site for one of the gRNAs and three off-target sites
      for both of the TALENs, indicating a high level of specificity. Collectively, our
      work shows highly efficient and specific nucleases for T cell engineering.

PMID- 28345007
TI  - Partial-occupancy binders identified by the Pan-Dataset Density Analysis method
      offer new chemical opportunities and reveal cryptic binding sites.
AB  - Crystallographic fragment screening uses low molecular weight compounds to probe
      the protein surface and although individual protein-fragment interactions are
      high quality, fragments commonly bind at low occupancy, historically making
      identification difficult. However, our new Pan-Dataset Density Analysis method
      readily identifies binders missed by conventional analysis: for fragment
      screening data of lysine-specific demethylase 4D (KDM4D), the hit rate increased
      from 0.9% to 10.6%. Previously unidentified fragments reveal multiple binding
      sites and demonstrate: the versatility of crystallographic fragment screening;
      that surprisingly large conformational changes are possible in crystals; and that
      low crystallographic occupancy does not by itself reflect a protein-ligand
      complex's significance.

PMID- 28345008
TI  - Insights into the mechanism of membrane pyrophosphatases by combining experiment
      and computer simulation.
AB  - Membrane-integral pyrophosphatases (mPPases) couple the hydrolysis of
      pyrophosphate (PPi) to the pumping of Na+, H+, or both these ions across a
      membrane. Recently solved structures of the Na+-pumping Thermotoga maritima
      mPPase (TmPPase) and H+-pumping Vigna radiata mPPase revealed the basis of ion
      selectivity between these enzymes and provided evidence for the mechanisms of
      substrate hydrolysis and ion-pumping. Our atomistic molecular dynamics (MD)
      simulations of TmPPase demonstrate that loop 5-6 is mobile in the absence of the
      substrate or substrate-analogue bound to the active site, explaining the lack of
      electron density for this loop in resting state structures. Furthermore, creating
      an apo model of TmPPase by removing ligands from the TmPPase:IDP:Na structure in
      MD simulations resulted in increased dynamics in loop 5-6, which results in this
      loop moving to uncover the active site, suggesting that interactions between loop
      5-6 and the imidodiphosphate and its associated Mg2+ are important for holding a
      loop-closed conformation. We also provide further evidence for the transport
      before-hydrolysis mechanism by showing that the non-hydrolyzable substrate
      analogue, methylene diphosphonate, induces low levels of proton pumping by
      VrPPase.

PMID- 28345009
TI  - Optically induced lattice deformations, electronic structure changes, and
      enhanced superconductivity in YBa2Cu3O6.48.
AB  - Resonant optical excitation of apical oxygen vibrational modes in the normal
      state of underdoped YBa2Cu3O6+x induces a transient state with optical properties
      similar to those of the equilibrium superconducting state. Amongst these, a
      divergent imaginary conductivity and a plasma edge are transiently observed in
      the photo-stimulated state. Femtosecond hard x-ray diffraction experiments have
      been used in the past to identify the transient crystal structure in this non
      equilibrium state. Here, we start from these crystallographic features and
      theoretically predict the corresponding electronic rearrangements that accompany
      these structural deformations. Using density functional theory, we predict
      enhanced hole-doping of the CuO2 planes. The empty chain Cu dy2-z2 orbital is
      calculated to strongly reduce in energy, which would increase c-axis transport
      and potentially enhance the interlayer Josephson coupling as observed in the THz
      frequency response. From these results, we calculate changes in the soft x-ray
      absorption spectra at the Cu L-edge. Femtosecond x-ray pulses from a free
      electron laser are used to probe changes in absorption at two photon energies
      along this spectrum and provide data consistent with these predictions.

PMID- 28345010
TI  - Distortion dependent intersystem crossing: A femtosecond time-resolved
      photoelectron spectroscopy study of benzene, toluene, and p-xylene.
AB  - The competition between ultrafast intersystem crossing and internal conversion in
      benzene, toluene, and p-xylene is investigated with time-resolved photoelectron
      spectroscopy and quantum chemical calculations. By exciting to S2 out-of-plane
      symmetry breaking, distortions are activated at early times whereupon spin
      forbidden intersystem crossing becomes (partly) allowed. Natural bond orbital
      analysis suggests that the pinnacle carbon atoms distorting from the aromatic
      plane change hybridization between the planar Franck-Condon geometry and the
      deformed (boat-shaped) S2 equilibrium geometry. The effect is observed to
      increase in the presence of methyl-groups on the pinnacle carbon-atoms, where
      largest extents of sigma and pi orbital-mixing are observed. This is fully
      consistent with the time-resolved spectroscopy data: Toluene and p-xylene show
      evidence for ultrafast triplet formation competing with internal conversion,
      while benzene appears to only decay via internal conversion within the singlet
      manifold. For toluene and p-xylene, internal conversion to S1 and intersystem
      crossing to T3 occur within the time-resolution of our instrument. The receiver
      triplet state (T3) is found to undergo internal conversion in the triplet
      manifold within ~100-150 fs (toluene) or ~180-200 fs (p-xylene) as demonstrated
      by matching rise and decay components of upper and lower triplet states. Overall,
      the effect of methylation is found to both increase the intersystem crossing
      probability and direct the molecular axis of the excited state dynamics.

PMID- 28345011
TI  - Cross-Cultural Differences of the Non-Motor Symptoms Studied by the Traditional
      Chinese Version of the International Parkinson and Movement Disorder Society-
      Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Given the importance of ethnic differences in the evaluation of
      various aspects of symptoms in patients with Parkinson's disease (PD), we present
      the formal procedure for completing the traditional Chinese translation of the
      International and Parkinson and Movement Disorder Society/UPDRS (MDS-UPDRS) and
      highlight the discrepancy in nonmotor symptoms (NMS) between patients in Eastern
      and Western countries. METHODS: A total of 350 native Chinese-speaking PD
      patients were recruited from multiple hospitals in Eastern countries; they
      completed the MDS-UPDRS. The translation process was executed and factor analysis
      was performed to determine the structure of the scale. Chi-squared and t tests
      were used to compare frequency and severity of PD symptoms between the Chinese
      speaking and English-speaking groups (n = 876). RESULTS: NMS and motor symptoms
      were more severe in the Western population (Part I: t(1205) = 5.36, P < 0.0001;
      and Part III: t(1205) = 7.64, P < 0.0001); however, the prevalence of cognitive
      dysfunction and impairments in activities of daily living were more frequent in
      the Eastern patients. The comparative fit index was 0.93 or greater, and the
      exploratory factor analysis revealed compatible results between the translated
      scale and the original version. CONCLUSION: The traditional Chinese version of
      the MDS-UPDRS can be designated as an official translation of the original scale,
      and it is now available for use. Moreover, NMS in PD constitute a major issue
      worldwide, and the pattern of NMS among the Chinese population is more marked in
      terms of cognition-based symptoms and activities of daily living.

PMID- 28345012
TI  - Enhanced Telecom Emission from Single Group-IV Quantum Dots by Precise CMOS
      Compatible Positioning in Photonic Crystal Cavities.
AB  - Efficient coupling to integrated high-quality-factor cavities is crucial for the
      employment of germanium quantum dot (QD) emitters in future monolithic silicon
      based optoelectronic platforms. We report on strongly enhanced emission from
      single Ge QDs into L3 photonic crystal resonator (PCR) modes based on precise
      positioning of these dots at the maximum of the respective mode field energy
      density. Perfect site control of Ge QDs grown on prepatterned silicon-on
      insulator substrates was exploited to fabricate in one processing run almost 300
      PCRs containing single QDs in systematically varying positions within the
      cavities. Extensive photoluminescence studies on this cavity chip enable a direct
      evaluation of the position-dependent coupling efficiency between single dots and
      selected cavity modes. The experimental results demonstrate the great potential
      of the approach allowing CMOS-compatible parallel fabrication of arrays of
      spatially matched dot/cavity systems for group-IV-based data transfer or quantum
      optical systems in the telecom regime.

PMID- 28345013
TI  - A Pilot Randomized Controlled Clinical Trial to Assess Tolerance and Efficacy of
      Navy Bean and Rice Bran Supplementation for Lowering Cholesterol in Children.
AB  - : Background: Navy beans and rice bran demonstrate efficacy to regulate serum
      cholesterol in hypercholesterolemic adults; however, the cardiovascular disease
      (CVD) protective properties of these foods in children are unknown and merit
      investigation. Objective: The objectives were to determine whether cooked navy
      bean powder (NBP) and/or heat-stabilized rice bran (RB) supplementation is
      tolerable, improves dietary fiber intake in children, and modulates lipid
      profiles. Methods: Children aged 8 to 13 years at risk for CVD due to abnormal
      lipids were recruited. Elevated cholesterol levels were defined as total
      cholesterol >=180 mg/dL and high-density lipoprotein (HDL) <60 mg/dL; low-density
      lipoprotein (LDL) >=100 mg/dL and HDL <60 mg/dL; or non-HDL >100 mg/dL and HDL
      <60 mg/dL. Participants completed a pilot 4-week, randomized controlled, 4-arm
      dietary intervention. They consumed study-provided muffins or a smoothie daily
      that included 0 g NBP or RB (control), 17.5 g NBP, 15 g RB, or a combination 9 g
      NBP + 8 g RB. Fasting blood was collected at baseline and week 4. Participants
      also completed 3-day food logs and gastrointestinal health questionnaires.
      RESULTS: Thirty-eight children completed the trial (n = 9 control, n = 10 NBP, n
      = 9 RB, and n = 10 NBP + RB groups). Only 3 participants withdrew due to
      noncompliance of required food consumption. Participants in the intervention
      groups significantly increased intake of NBP and RB at week 4 (p<=.01). The NBP
      and NBP + RB groups increased total fiber intake from baseline to week 4 (p=.02
      and p=<.01, respectively). HDL-cholesterol was higher in NBP-group participants
      compared to control at week 4 (P = .02). Conclusion: Increasing NBP and/or RB
      intake is tolerable for children, and our findings suggest higher daily intakes
      are needed for a longer duration to induce favorable changes across multiple
      serum lipid parameters.

PMID- 28345014
TI  - The Cigarette and Smokeless Tobacco Markets in Texas Relative to the United
      States.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: This study compares the cigarette and smokeless tobacco (SLT) markets
      in Texas and the United States (US) as a whole. METHODS: Nielsen convenience
      store sales data from 2014 were obtained for Dallas, Houston, San Antonio/Austin,
      and the total US. Descriptive statistics highlighted market share differences in
      Texas compared to the US overall. RESULTS: Marlboro and Copenhagen dominated the
      cigarette (58.9%) and SLT markets (44.8%) in Texas and had substantially higher
      relative market shares in Texas than nationally (46.7% and 29.8%, respectively).
      Camel, with sales driven largely by its Camel Crush variety, held second place in
      Texas (9.8%), outselling Newport (6.6%), despite Newport's status as second best
      selling brand in the US (11.5%). Copenhagen led the SLT market in Texas,
      outselling Grizzly 2 to 1, yet the brands hold roughly equivalent shares
      nationally. Whereas flavored SLT products made up nearly 60% of the US SLT
      market, unflavored SLT (58.6%) dominated in Texas markets. Finally, sales of fine
      cut SLT in Texas were more than triple their national market share. CONCLUSIONS:
      Regional tobacco market share differences are likely influenced by multiple
      factors such as marketing, population demographics, culture, and neighboring
      communities. Policymakers are encouraged to develop local tobacco control
      policies and programs within the context of this knowledge.

PMID- 28345017
TI  - Proof of concept demonstration of optimal composite MRI endpoints for clinical
      trials.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Atrophy measures derived from structural MRI are promising outcome
      measures for early phase clinical trials, especially for rare diseases such as
      primary progressive aphasia (PPA), where the small available subject pool limits
      our ability to perform meaningfully powered trials with traditional cognitive and
      functional outcome measures. METHODS: We investigated a composite atrophy index
      in 26 PPA participants with longitudinal MRIs separated by two years. Rogalski et
      al. [Neurology 2014;83:1184-1191] previously demonstrated that atrophy of the
      left perisylvian temporal cortex (PSTC) is a highly sensitive measure of disease
      progression in this population and a promising endpoint for clinical trials.
      Using methods described by Ard et al. [Pharmaceutical Statistics 2015;14:418
      426], we constructed a composite atrophy index composed of a weighted sum of
      volumetric measures of 10 regions of interest within the left perisylvian cortex
      using weights that maximize signal-to-noise and minimize sample size required of
      trials using the resulting score. Sample size required to detect a fixed
      percentage slowing in atrophy in a two-year clinical trial with equal allocation
      of subjects across arms and 90% power was calculated for the PSTC and optimal
      composite surrogate biomarker endpoints. RESULTS: The optimal composite endpoint
      required 38% fewer subjects to detect the same percent slowing in atrophy than
      required by the left PSTC endpoint. CONCLUSIONS: Optimal composites can increase
      the power of clinical trials and increase the probability that smaller trials are
      informative, an observation especially relevant for PPA, but also for related
      neurodegenerative disorders including Alzheimer's disease.

PMID- 28345018
TI  - The patient portal and abnormal test results: An exploratory study of patient
      experiences.
AB  - Many health care institutions are implementing patient portals that allow
      patients to track and maintain their personal health information, mostly in
      response to the Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health
      Act requirements. Test results review is an area of high interest to patients and
      provides an opportunity to foster their involvement in preventing abnormal test
      results from being overlooked, a common patient safety concern. However, little
      is known about how patients engage with portals to review abnormal results and
      which strategies could facilitate that interaction in order to ensure safe follow
      up on abnormalities. The objective of this qualitative study was to explore
      patients' experiences related to abnormal test result notifications through
      patient portals. The authors conducted semi-structured telephone interviews with
      13 participants, patients and primary caregivers, between February 2014 and
      October 2014. Using content analysis, the authors explored patient experiences
      accessing abnormal test results through their portals. Respondents strongly
      favored access to all types of abnormal test results, but they raised several
      concerns including need for more timely notification and not being able to
      interpret the exact relevance of the result. Respondents' personal experiences
      with physicians, test result notification, and the portal heavily influenced
      respondents' notification preferences. Patient experiences with portals could be
      improved by development of strategies to help patients understand and manage the
      information received. These findings suggest important considerations for health
      professionals and institutions aiming to better engage patients in follow-up of
      their test results.

PMID- 28345016
TI  - "By slapping their laps, the patient will know that you truly care for her": A
      qualitative study on social norms and acceptability of the mistreatment of women
      during childbirth in Abuja, Nigeria.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Many women experience mistreatment during childbirth in health
      facilities across the world. However, limited evidence exists on how social norms
      and attitudes of both women and providers influence mistreatment during
      childbirth. Contextually-specific evidence is needed to understand how normative
      factors affect how women are treated. This paper explores the acceptability of
      four scenarios of mistreatment during childbirth. METHODS: Two facilities were
      identified in Abuja, Nigeria. Qualitative methods (in-depth interviews (IDIs) and
      focus group discussions (FGDs)) were used with a purposive sample of women,
      midwives, doctors and administrators. Participants were presented with four
      scenarios of mistreatment during childbirth: slapping, verbal abuse, refusing to
      help the woman and physical restraint. Thematic analysis was used to synthesize
      findings, which were interpreted within the study context and an existing
      typology of mistreatment during childbirth. RESULTS: Eighty-four IDIs and 4 FGDs
      are included in this analysis. Participants reported witnessing and experiencing
      mistreatment during childbirth, including slapping, physical restraint to a
      delivery bed, shouting, intimidation, and threats of physical abuse or poor
      health outcomes. Some women and providers considered each of the four scenarios
      as mistreatment. Others viewed these scenarios as appropriate and acceptable
      measures to gain compliance from the woman and ensure a good outcome for the
      baby. Women and providers blamed a woman's "disobedience" and "uncooperativeness"
      during labor for her experience of mistreatment. CONCLUSIONS: Blaming women for
      mistreatment parallels the intimate partner violence literature, demonstrating
      how traditional practices and low status of women potentiate gender inequality.
      These findings can be used to facilitate dialogue in Nigeria by engaging
      stakeholders to discuss how to challenge these norms and hold providers
      accountable for their actions. Until women and their families are able to freely
      condemn poor quality care in facilities and providers are held accountable for
      their actions, there will be little incentive to foster change.

PMID- 28345015
TI  - Platelets and platelet alloantigens: Lessons from human patients and animal
      models of fetal and neonatal alloimmune thrombocytopenia.
AB  - Platelets play critical roles in hemostasis and thrombosis. Emerging evidence
      indicates that they are versatile cells and also involved in many other
      physiological processes and disease states. Fetal and neonatal alloimmune
      thrombocytopenia (FNAIT) is a life threatening bleeding disorder caused by fetal
      platelet destruction by maternal alloantibodies developed during pregnancy. Gene
      polymorphisms cause platelet surface protein incompatibilities between mother and
      fetus, and ultimately lead to maternal alloimmunization. FNAIT is the most common
      cause of intracranial hemorrhage in full-term infants and can also lead to
      intrauterine growth retardation and miscarriage. Proper diagnosis, prevention and
      treatment of FNAIT is challenging due to insufficient knowledge of the disease
      and a lack of routine screening as well as its frequent occurrence in first
      pregnancies. Given the ethical difficulties in performing basic research on human
      fetuses and neonates, animal models are essential to improve our understanding of
      the pathogenesis and treatment of FNAIT. The aim of this review is to provide an
      overview on platelets, hemostasis and thrombocytopenia with a focus on the
      advancements made in FNAIT by utilizing animal models.

PMID- 28345019
TI  - A vision for using online portals for surveillance of patient-centered
      communication in cancer care.
AB  - The Veterans Health Administration (VHA) is charged with providing high-quality
      health care, not only in terms of technical competence but also with regard to
      patient-centered care experiences. Patient-centered coordination of care and
      communication are especially important in cancer care, as deficiencies in these
      areas have been implicated in many cases of delayed cancer diagnosis and
      treatment. Additionally, because cancer care facilities are concentrated within
      the VHA system, geographical and system-level barriers may present prominent
      obstacles to quality care. Systematic assessment of patient-centered
      communication (PCC) may help identify both individual veterans who are at risk of
      suboptimal care and opportunities for quality improvement initiatives at the
      service, facility, or system-wide level. In this manuscript, we describe our
      vision to implement an assessment of PCC through patient self-report to improve
      the quality of cancer care and other health services in the VHA. We outline a
      possible strategy to assess PCC that leverages the VHA's existing initiative to
      promote use of an online personal health record for veterans (MyHealtheVet).
      Questionnaires administered periodically or following specific episodes of care
      can be targeted to assess PCC in cancer care. Assessment of PCC can also be tied
      to clinical and administrative data for more robust analysis of patient outcomes.
      Ultimately, the goal of any assessment of PCC is to gather valid, actionable data
      that can assist VHA clinicians and staff with providing the best possible care
      for veterans with cancer.

PMID- 28345021
TI  - Oncolytic Group B Adenovirus Enadenotucirev Mediates Non-apoptotic Cell Death
      with Membrane Disruption and Release of Inflammatory Mediators.
AB  - Enadenotucirev (EnAd) is a chimeric group B adenovirus isolated by bioselection
      from a library of adenovirus serotypes. It replicates selectively in and kills a
      diverse range of carcinoma cells, shows effective anticancer activity in
      preclinical systems, and is currently undergoing phase I/II clinical trials. EnAd
      kills cells more quickly than type 5 adenovirus, and speed of cytotoxicity is
      dose dependent. The EnAd death pathway does not involve p53, is predominantly
      caspase independent, and appears to involve a rapid fall in cellular ATP.
      Infected cells show early loss of membrane integrity; increased exposure of
      calreticulin; extracellular release of ATP, HSP70, and HMGB1; and influx of
      calcium. The virus also causes an obvious single membrane blister reminiscent of
      ischemic cell death by oncosis. In human tumor biopsies maintained in ex vivo
      culture, EnAd mediated release of pro-inflammatory mediators such as TNF-alpha,
      IL-6, and HMGB1. In accordance with this, EnAd-infected tumor cells showed potent
      stimulation of dendritic cells and CD4+ T cells in a mixed tumor-leukocyte
      reaction in vitro. Whereas many viruses have evolved for efficient propagation
      with minimal inflammation, bioselection of EnAd for rapid killing has yielded a
      virus with a short life cycle that combines potent cytotoxicity with a
      proinflammatory mechanism of cell death.

PMID- 28345020
TI  - Bacterial Carriers for Glioblastoma Therapy.
AB  - Treatment of aggressive glioblastoma brain tumors is challenging, largely due to
      diffusion barriers preventing efficient drug dosing to tumors. To overcome these
      barriers, bacterial carriers that are actively motile and programmed to migrate
      and localize to tumor zones were designed. These carriers can induce apoptosis
      via hypoxia-controlled expression of a tumor suppressor protein p53 and a pro
      apoptotic drug, Azurin. In a xenograft model of human glioblastoma in rats,
      bacterial carrier therapy conferred a significant survival benefit with 19%
      overall long-term survival of >100 days in treated animals relative to a median
      survival of 26 days in control untreated animals. Histological and proteomic
      analyses were performed to elucidate the safety and efficacy of these carriers,
      showing an absence of systemic toxicity and a restored neural environment in
      treated responders. In the treated non-responders, proteomic analysis revealed
      competing mechanisms of pro-apoptotic and drug-resistant activity. This bacterial
      carrier opens a versatile avenue to overcome diffusion barriers in glioblastoma
      by virtue of its active motility in extracellular space and can lead to tailored
      therapies via tumor-specific expression of tumoricidal proteins.

PMID- 28345022
TI  - Ex Vivo Oncolytic Virotherapy with Myxoma Virus Arms Multiple Allogeneic Bone
      Marrow Transplant Leukocytes to Enhance Graft versus Tumor.
AB  - Allogeneic stem cell transplant-derived T cells have the potential to seek and
      eliminate sites of residual cancer that escaped primary therapy. Oncolytic myxoma
      virus (MYXV) exhibits potent anti-cancer efficacy against human cancers like
      multiple myeloma (MM) and can arm transplant-derived T cells to become more
      effective cancer killers in vitro and in an immunodeficient xenotransplant murine
      model. Here, we tested ex vivo MYXV virotherapy against residual murine MM in
      immunocompetent mice using an allogeneic mouse-mouse model. In contrast to all
      human MM cell lines previously tested, the murine MM cell line tested here was
      highly resistant to direct MYXV infection and oncolysis in vitro. Despite this in
      vitro resistance, we found that ex vivo MYXV-armed allogeneic bone marrow (BM)
      transplantation dramatically ablated pre-seeded residual MM in vivo.
      Unexpectedly, we show that both neutrophils and activated T cells from the donor
      function as virus-armed carrier cells, and MYXV-preloaded cells enhanced MM
      killing. Our results demonstrate a novel therapeutic paradigm for residual
      cancer, in which multiple classes of allotransplant leukocytes can be armed by
      MYXV ex vivo to enhance the graft-versus-tumor effects.

PMID- 28345023
TI  - Enhancement of PSMA-Directed CAR Adoptive Immunotherapy by PD-1/PD-L1 Blockade.
AB  - Chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T cell therapy in hematologic malignancies has
      shown remarkable responses, but the same level of success has not been observed
      in solid tumors. A new prostate cancer model (Myc-CaP:PSMA(+)) and a second
      generation anti-hPSMA human CAR T cells expressing a Click Beetle Red luciferase
      reporter) were used to study hPSMA targeting and assess CAR T cell trafficking
      and persistence by bioluminescence imaging (BLI). We investigated the antitumor
      efficacy of human CAR T cells targeting human prostate-specific membrane antigen
      (hPSMA), in the presence and absence of the target antigen; first alone and then
      combined with a monoclonal antibody targeting the human programmed death receptor
      1 (anti-hPD1 mAb). PDL-1 expression was detected in Myc-CaP murine prostate
      tumors growing in immune competent FVB/N and immune-deficient SCID mice.
      Endogenous CD3+ T cells were restricted from the centers of Myc-CaP tumor nodules
      growing in FVB/N mice. Following anti-programmed cell death protein 1 (PD-1)
      treatment, the restriction of CD3+ T cells was reversed, and a tumor-treatment
      response was observed. Adoptive hPSMA-CAR T cell immunotherapy was enhanced when
      combined with PD-1 blockade, but the treatment response was of comparatively
      short duration, suggesting other immune modulation mechanisms exist and restrict
      CAR T cell targeting, function, and persistence in hPSMA expressing Myc-CaP
      tumors. Interestingly, an "inverse pattern" of CAR T cell BLI intensity was
      observed in control and test tumors, which suggests CAR T cells undergo changes
      leading to a loss of signal and/or number following hPSMA-specific activation.
      The lower BLI signal intensity in the hPSMA test tumors (compared with controls)
      is due in part to a decrease in T cell mitochondrial function following T cell
      activation, which may limit the intensity of the ATP-dependent Luciferin
      luciferase bioluminescence signal.

PMID- 28345024
TI  - OvAd1, a Novel, Potent, and Selective Chimeric Oncolytic Virus Developed for
      Ovarian Cancer by 3D-Directed Evolution.
AB  - Effective therapeutics for ovarian cancer continue to be urgently needed,
      particularly for chemotherapy-resistant cases. Here we present both a 3D-Matrigel
      culture-based expansion of our directed evolution method for generation of
      oncolytic virotherapies and two promising ovarian-cancer targeted oncolytic
      viruses, OvAd1 and OvAd2. OvAd1 was developed using Matrigel cell cultures,
      whereas OvAd2 was developed in parallel using traditional monolayer tissue
      culture methods. Both viruses are potent against a panel of platinum-resistant
      ovarian cancer cell lines and are attenuated on normal cells in vitro, resulting
      in therapeutic windows of ~200-fold. We observed two benefits of the use of
      Matrigel-based cultures for directed evolution of these oncolytics: (1) use of
      Matrigel generated a bioselected pool that was more strongly attenuated on normal
      cells while retaining its potency against ovarian cancer cells, and (2) in an
      ovarian carcinomatosis model, the Matrigel-derived virus OvAd1 suppressed all
      tumor growth while the non-Matrigel-derived virus was 50% effective. Neither
      virus stimulated formation of peritoneal adhesions as seen for Ad5-based
      therapies. Consequently, these viruses are novel candidates for development as
      new effective treatments for aggressive ovarian cancer.

PMID- 28345025
TI  - Optimization of a Neural Stem-Cell-Mediated Carboxylesterase/Irinotecan Gene
      Therapy for Metastatic Neuroblastoma.
AB  - Despite improved survival for children with newly diagnosed neuroblastoma (NB),
      recurrent disease is a significant problem, with treatment options limited by
      anti-tumor efficacy, patient drug tolerance, and cumulative toxicity. We
      previously demonstrated that neural stem cells (NSCs) expressing a modified
      rabbit carboxylesterase (rCE) can distribute to metastatic NB tumor foci in
      multiple organs in mice and convert the prodrug irinotecan (CPT-11) to the 1,000
      fold more toxic topoisomerase-1 inhibitor SN-38, resulting in significant
      therapeutic efficacy. We sought to extend these studies by using a clinically
      relevant NSC line expressing a modified human CE (hCE1m6-NSCs) to establish proof
      of concept and identify an intravenous dose and treatment schedule that gave
      maximal efficacy. Human-derived NB cell lines were significantly more sensitive
      to treatment with hCE1m6-NSCs and irinotecan as compared with drug alone. This
      was supported by pharmacokinetic studies in subcutaneous NB mouse models
      demonstrating tumor-specific conversion of irinotecan to SN-38. Furthermore, NB
      bearing mice that received repeat treatment with intravenous hCE1m6-NSCs and
      irinotecan showed significantly lower tumor burden (1.4-fold, p = 0.0093) and
      increased long-term survival compared with mice treated with drug alone. These
      studies support the continued development of NSC-mediated gene therapy for
      improved clinical outcome in NB patients.

PMID- 28345026
TI  - Oncolytic Adenoviruses Armed with Tumor Necrosis Factor Alpha and Interleukin-2
      Enable Successful Adoptive Cell Therapy.
AB  - Adoptive cell therapy holds much promise in the treatment of cancer but results
      in solid tumors have been modest. The notable exception is tumor-infiltrating
      lymphocyte (TIL) therapy of melanoma, but this approach only works with high-dose
      preconditioning chemotherapy and systemic interleukin (IL)-2 postconditioning,
      both of which are associated with toxicities. To improve and broaden the
      applicability of adoptive cell transfer, we constructed oncolytic adenoviruses
      coding for human IL-2 (hIL2), tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-alpha), or both.
      The viruses showed potent antitumor efficacy against human tumors in
      immunocompromised severe combined immunodeficiency (SCID) mice. In
      immunocompetent Syrian hamsters, we combined the viruses with TIL transfer and
      were able to cure 100% of the animals. Cured animals were protected against tumor
      re-challenge, indicating a memory response. Arming with IL-2 and TNF-alpha
      increased the frequency of both CD4+ and CD8+ TILs in vivo and augmented
      splenocyte proliferation ex vivo, suggesting that the cytokines were important
      for T cell persistence and proliferation. Cytokine expression was limited to
      tumors and treatment-related signs of systemic toxicity were absent, suggesting
      safety. To conclude, cytokine-armed oncolytic adenoviruses enhanced adoptive cell
      therapy by favorable alteration of the tumor microenvironment. A clinical trial
      is in progress to study the utility of Ad5/3-E2F-d24-hTNFa-IRES-hIL2 (TILT-123)
      in human patients with cancer.

PMID- 28345027
TI  - Pre-clinical Assessment of C134, a Chimeric Oncolytic Herpes Simplex Virus, in
      Mice and Non-human Primates.
AB  - Oncolytic herpes simplex virus (oHSV) type I constructs are investigational anti
      neoplastic agents for a variety of malignancies, including malignant glioma.
      Clinical trials to date have supported the safety of these agents even when
      directly administered in the CNS. Traditional pre-clinical US Food and Drug
      Administration (FDA) toxicity studies for these agents have included the use of
      two species, generally including murine and primate studies. Recently, the FDA
      has decreased its requirement of non-human primates as an animal model for
      ethical reasons, especially for established viral systems where there are good
      alternative model systems. Here we present data demonstrating the safety of C134,
      a chimeric oHSV construct, in CBA mice as well as in a limited number of the HSV
      sensitive non-human primate Aotus nancymaae as a proposed agent for clinical
      trials. These data, along with the previously conducted clinical trials of oHSV
      constructs, support the use of the CBA mouse model as sufficient for the pre
      clinical toxicity studies of this agent. We summarize our experience with
      different HSV recombinants and differences between them using multiple assays to
      assess neurovirulence, as well as our experience with C134 in a limited number of
      A. nancymaae.

PMID- 28345028
TI  - Self-powered integrated microfluidic point-of-care low-cost enabling (SIMPLE)
      chip.
AB  - Portable, low-cost, and quantitative nucleic acid detection is desirable for
      point-of-care diagnostics; however, current polymerase chain reaction testing
      often requires time-consuming multiple steps and costly equipment. We report an
      integrated microfluidic diagnostic device capable of on-site quantitative nucleic
      acid detection directly from the blood without separate sample preparation steps.
      First, we prepatterned the amplification initiator [magnesium acetate (MgOAc)] on
      the chip to enable digital nucleic acid amplification. Second, a simplified
      sample preparation step is demonstrated, where the plasma is separated
      autonomously into 224 microwells (100 nl per well) without any hemolysis.
      Furthermore, self-powered microfluidic pumping without any external pumps,
      controllers, or power sources is accomplished by an integrated vacuum battery on
      the chip. This simple chip allows rapid quantitative digital nucleic acid
      detection directly from human blood samples (10 to 105 copies of methicillin
      resistant Staphylococcus aureus DNA per microliter, ~30 min, via isothermal
      recombinase polymerase amplification). These autonomous, portable, lab-on-chip
      technologies provide promising foundations for future low-cost molecular
      diagnostic assays.

PMID- 28345029
TI  - Tidal heat pulses on a reef trigger a fine-tuned transcriptional response in
      corals to maintain homeostasis.
AB  - For reef-building corals, extreme stress exposure can result in loss of
      endosymbionts, leaving colonies bleached. However, corals in some habitats are
      commonly exposed to natural cycles of sub-bleaching stress, often leading to
      higher stress tolerance. We monitored transcription in the tabletop coral
      Acropora hyacinthus daily for 17 days over a strong tidal cycle that included
      extreme temperature spikes, and show that increases in temperature above 30.5
      degrees C triggered a strong transcriptional response. The transcriptomic time
      series data allowed us to identify a set of genes with coordinated expression
      that were activated only on days with strong tides, high temperature, and large
      diel pH and oxygen changes. The responsive genes are enriched for gene products
      essential to the unfolded protein response, an ancient cellular response to
      endoplasmic reticulum stress. After the temporary heat pulses passed, expression
      of these genes immediately decreased, suggesting that homeostasis was restored to
      the endoplasmic reticulum. In a laboratory temperature stress experiment, we
      found that the expression of these environmentally responsive genes increased as
      corals bleached, showing that the unfolded protein response becomes more intense
      during more severe stress. Our results point to the unfolded protein response as
      a first line of defense that acroporid corals use when coping with environmental
      stress on the reef, thus enhancing our understanding of coral stress physiology
      during a time of major concern for reefs.

PMID- 28345030
TI  - Wearable/disposable sweat-based glucose monitoring device with multistage
      transdermal drug delivery module.
AB  - Electrochemical analysis of sweat using soft bioelectronics on human skin
      provides a new route for noninvasive glucose monitoring without painful blood
      collection. However, sweat-based glucose sensing still faces many challenges,
      such as difficulty in sweat collection, activity variation of glucose oxidase due
      to lactic acid secretion and ambient temperature changes, and delamination of the
      enzyme when exposed to mechanical friction and skin deformation. Precise point-of
      care therapy in response to the measured glucose levels is still very
      challenging. We present a wearable/disposable sweat-based glucose monitoring
      device integrated with a feedback transdermal drug delivery module. Careful
      multilayer patch design and miniaturization of sensors increase the efficiency of
      the sweat collection and sensing process. Multimodal glucose sensing, as well as
      its real-time correction based on pH, temperature, and humidity measurements,
      maximizes the accuracy of the sensing. The minimal layout design of the same
      sensors also enables a strip-type disposable device. Drugs for the feedback
      transdermal therapy are loaded on two different temperature-responsive phase
      change nanoparticles. These nanoparticles are embedded in hyaluronic acid
      hydrogel microneedles, which are additionally coated with phase change materials.
      This enables multistage, spatially patterned, and precisely controlled drug
      release in response to the patient's glucose level. The system provides a novel
      closed-loop solution for the noninvasive sweat-based management of diabetes
      mellitus.

PMID- 28345031
TI  - Repetitive mammalian dwarfing during ancient greenhouse warming events.
AB  - Abrupt perturbations of the global carbon cycle during the early Eocene are
      associated with rapid global warming events, which are analogous in many ways to
      present greenhouse warming. Mammal dwarfing has been observed, along with other
      changes in community structure, during the largest of these ancient global
      warming events, known as the Paleocene-Eocene Thermal Maximum [PETM; ~56 million
      years ago (Ma)]. We show that mammalian dwarfing accompanied the subsequent,
      smaller-magnitude warming event known as Eocene Thermal Maximum 2 [ETM2 (~53
      Ma)]. Statistically significant decrease in body size during ETM2 is observed in
      two of four taxonomic groups analyzed in this study and is most clearly observed
      in early equids (horses). During ETM2, the best-sampled lineage of equids
      decreased in size by ~14%, as opposed to ~30% during the PETM. Thus, dwarfing
      appears to be a common evolutionary response of some mammals during past global
      warming events, and the extent of dwarfing seems related to the magnitude of the
      event.

PMID- 28345032
TI  - Agrobacterium delivers VirE2 protein into host cells via clathrin-mediated
      endocytosis.
AB  - Agrobacterium tumefaciens can cause crown gall tumors on a wide range of host
      plants. As a natural genetic engineer, the bacterium can transfer both single
      stranded DNA (ssDNA) [transferred DNA (T-DNA)] molecules and bacterial virulence
      proteins into various recipient cells. Among Agrobacterium-delivered proteins,
      VirE2 is an ssDNA binding protein that is involved in various steps of the
      transformation process. However, it is not clear how plant cells receive the T
      DNA or protein molecules. Using a split-green fluorescent protein approach, we
      monitored the VirE2 delivery process inside plant cells in real time. We observed
      that A. tumefaciens delivered VirE2 from the bacterial lateral sides that were in
      close contact with plant membranes. VirE2 initially accumulated on plant
      cytoplasmic membranes at the entry points. VirE2-containing membranes were
      internalized through clathrin-mediated endocytosis to form endomembrane
      compartments. VirE2 colocalized with the early endosome marker SYP61 but not with
      the late endosome marker ARA6, suggesting that VirE2 escaped from early endosomes
      for subsequent trafficking inside the cells. Dual endocytic motifs at the
      carboxyl-terminal tail of VirE2 were involved in VirE2 internalization and could
      interact with the MU subunit of the plant clathrin-associated adaptor AP2 complex
      (AP2M). Both the VirE2 cargo motifs and AP2M were important for the
      transformation process. Because AP2-mediated endocytosis is well conserved, our
      data suggest that the A. tumefaciens pathogen hijacks conserved endocytic
      pathways to facilitate the delivery of virulence factors. This might be important
      for Agrobacterium to achieve both a wide host range and a high transformation
      efficiency.

PMID- 28345033
TI  - Improved estimates of ocean heat content from 1960 to 2015.
AB  - Earth's energy imbalance (EEI) drives the ongoing global warming and can best be
      assessed across the historical record (that is, since 1960) from ocean heat
      content (OHC) changes. An accurate assessment of OHC is a challenge, mainly
      because of insufficient and irregular data coverage. We provide updated OHC
      estimates with the goal of minimizing associated sampling error. We performed a
      subsample test, in which subsets of data during the data-rich Argo era are
      colocated with locations of earlier ocean observations, to quantify this error.
      Our results provide a new OHC estimate with an unbiased mean sampling error and
      with variability on decadal and multidecadal time scales (signal) that can be
      reliably distinguished from sampling error (noise) with signal-to-noise ratios
      higher than 3. The inferred integrated EEI is greater than that reported in
      previous assessments and is consistent with a reconstruction of the radiative
      imbalance at the top of atmosphere starting in 1985. We found that changes in OHC
      are relatively small before about 1980; since then, OHC has increased fairly
      steadily and, since 1990, has increasingly involved deeper layers of the ocean.
      In addition, OHC changes in six major oceans are reliable on decadal time scales.
      All ocean basins examined have experienced significant warming since 1998, with
      the greatest warming in the southern oceans, the tropical/subtropical Pacific
      Ocean, and the tropical/subtropical Atlantic Ocean. This new look at OHC and EEI
      changes over time provides greater confidence than previously possible, and the
      data sets produced are a valuable resource for further study.

PMID- 28345034
TI  - From time-resolved atomic-scale imaging of individual donors to their cooperative
      dynamics.
AB  - The key elements in the steady miniaturization process of cutting-edge
      semiconductor devices are the understanding and controlling of charge dynamics on
      the atomic scale. In detail, we address the study of charging processes of
      individual doping atoms and, especially, the interaction of those atoms with
      their surroundings. We use pulsed optical excitation in combination with scanning
      tunneling microscopy at the n-doped gallium arsenide [GaAs(110)] surface to
      investigate single donor dynamics within a nanoscaled, localized space charge
      region. Tuning the tunnel rate can drive the system into nonequilibrium
      conditions, allowing distinction between the decay of optically induced free
      charge carriers and the decay of donor charge states. The latter process is
      atomically resolved and discussed with respect to donor-level binding energies
      and local donor configurations.

PMID- 28345036
TI  - Abundant off-fault seismicity and orthogonal structures in the San Jacinto fault
      zone.
AB  - The trifurcation area of the San Jacinto fault zone has produced more than 10% of
      all earthquakes in southern California since 2000, including the June 2016 Mw
      (moment magnitude) 5.2 Borrego Springs earthquake. In this area, the fault splits
      into three subparallel strands and is associated with broad VP /VS anomalies. We
      synthesize spatiotemporal properties of historical background seismicity and
      aftershocks of the June 2016 event. A template matching technique is used to
      detect and locate more than 23,000 aftershocks, which illuminate highly complex
      active fault structures in conjunction with a high-resolution regional catalog.
      The hypocenters form dipping seismicity lineations both along strike and nearly
      orthogonal to the main fault, and are composed of interlaced strike-slip and
      normal faults. The primary faults change dip with depth and become listric by
      transitioning to a dip of ~70 degrees  near a depth of 10 km. The Mw 5.2 Borrego
      Springs earthquake and past events with M > 4.0 occurred on the main faults,
      whereas most of the low-magnitude events are located in a damage zone (several
      kilometers wide) at seismogenic depths. The lack of significant low-magnitude
      seismicity on the main fault traces suggests that they do not creep. The very
      high rate of aftershocks likely reflects the large geometrical fault complexity
      and perhaps a relatively high stress due to a significant length of time elapsed
      since the last major event. The results provide important insights into the
      physics of faulting near the brittle-ductile transition.

PMID- 28345035
TI  - Terrestrial support of lake food webs: Synthesis reveals controls over cross
      ecosystem resource use.
AB  - Widespread evidence that organic matter exported from terrestrial into aquatic
      ecosystems supports recipient food webs remains controversial. A pressing
      question is not only whether high terrestrial support is possible but also what
      the general conditions are under which it arises. We assemble the largest data
      set, to date, of the isotopic composition (delta2H, delta13C, and delta15N) of
      lake zooplankton and the resources at the base of their associated food webs. In
      total, our data set spans 559 observations across 147 lakes from the boreal to
      subtropics. By predicting terrestrial resource support from within-lake and
      catchment-level characteristics, we found that half of all consumer observations
      that is, the median were composed of at least 42% terrestrially derived material.
      In general, terrestrial support of zooplankton was greatest in lakes with large
      physical and hydrological connections to catchments that were rich in aboveground
      and belowground organic matter. However, some consumers responded less strongly
      to terrestrial resources where within-lake production was elevated. Our study
      shows that multiple mechanisms drive widespread cross-ecosystem support of
      aquatic consumers across Northern Hemisphere lakes and suggests that changes in
      terrestrial landscapes will influence ecosystem processes well beyond their
      boundaries.

PMID- 28345037
TI  - Pure climb creep mechanism drives flow in Earth's lower mantle.
AB  - At high pressure prevailing in the lower mantle, lattice friction opposed to
      dislocation glide becomes very high, as reported in recent experimental and
      theoretical studies. We examine the consequences of this high resistance to
      plastic shear exhibited by ringwoodite and bridgmanite on creep mechanisms under
      mantle conditions. To evaluate the consequences of this effect, we model
      dislocation creep by dislocation dynamics. The calculation yields to an original
      dominant creep behavior for lower mantle silicates where strain is produced by
      dislocation climb, which is very different from what can be activated under high
      stresses under laboratory conditions. This mechanism, named pure climb creep, is
      grain-size-insensitive and produces no crystal preferred orientation. In
      comparison to the previous considered diffusion creep mechanism, it is also a
      more efficient strain-producing mechanism for grain sizes larger than ca. 0.1 mm.
      The specificities of pure climb creep well match the seismic anisotropy observed
      of Earth's lower mantle.

PMID- 28345038
TI  - Ultra-robust high-field magnetization plateau and supersolidity in bond
      frustrated MnCr2S4.
AB  - Frustrated magnets provide a promising avenue for realizing exotic quantum states
      of matter, such as spin liquids and spin ice or complex spin molecules. Under an
      external magnetic field, frustrated magnets can exhibit fractional magnetization
      plateaus related to definite spin patterns stabilized by field-induced lattice
      distortions. Magnetization and ultrasound experiments in MnCr2S4 up to 60 T
      reveal two fascinating features: (i) an extremely robust magnetization plateau
      with an unusual spin structure and (ii) two intermediate phases, indicating
      possible realizations of supersolid phases. The magnetization plateau
      characterizes fully polarized chromium moments, without any contributions from
      manganese spins. At 40 T, the middle of the plateau, a regime evolves, where
      sound waves propagate almost without dissipation. The external magnetic field
      exactly compensates the Cr-Mn exchange field and decouples Mn and Cr sublattices.
      In analogy to predictions of quantum lattice-gas models, the changes of the spin
      order of the manganese ions at the phase boundaries of the magnetization plateau
      are interpreted as transitions to supersolid phases.

PMID- 28345039
TI  - Female brain size affects the assessment of male attractiveness during mate
      choice.
AB  - Mate choice decisions are central in sexual selection theory aimed to understand
      how sexual traits evolve and their role in evolutionary diversification. We test
      the hypothesis that brain size and cognitive ability are important for accurate
      assessment of partner quality and that variation in brain size and cognitive
      ability underlies variation in mate choice. We compared sexual preference in
      guppy female lines selected for divergence in relative brain size, which we have
      previously shown to have substantial differences in cognitive ability. In a
      dichotomous choice test, large-brained and wild-type females showed strong
      preference for males with color traits that predict attractiveness in this
      species. In contrast, small-brained females showed no preference for males with
      these traits. In-depth analysis of optomotor response to color cues and gene
      expression of key opsins in the eye revealed that the observed differences were
      not due to differences in visual perception of color, indicating that differences
      in the ability to process indicators of attractiveness are responsible. We thus
      provide the first experimental support that individual variation in brain size
      affects mate choice decisions and conclude that differences in cognitive ability
      may be an important underlying mechanism behind variation in female mate choice.

PMID- 28345040
TI  - A highly stretchable, transparent, and conductive polymer.
AB  - Previous breakthroughs in stretchable electronics stem from strain engineering
      and nanocomposite approaches. Routes toward intrinsically stretchable molecular
      materials remain scarce but, if successful, will enable simpler fabrication
      processes, such as direct printing and coating, mechanically robust devices, and
      more intimate contact with objects. We report a highly stretchable conducting
      polymer, realized with a range of enhancers that serve a dual function: (i) they
      change morphology and (ii) they act as conductivity-enhancing dopants in poly(3,4
      ethylenedioxythiophene):poly(styrenesulfonate) (PEDOT:PSS). The polymer films
      exhibit conductivities comparable to the best reported values for PEDOT:PSS, with
      over 3100 S/cm under 0% strain and over 4100 S/cm under 100% strain-among the
      highest for reported stretchable conductors. It is highly durable under cyclic
      loading, with the conductivity maintained at 3600 S/cm even after 1000 cycles to
      100% strain. The conductivity remained above 100 S/cm under 600% strain, with a
      fracture strain of 800%, which is superior to even the best silver nanowire- or
      carbon nanotube-based stretchable conductor films. The combination of excellent
      electrical and mechanical properties allowed it to serve as interconnects for
      field-effect transistor arrays with a device density that is five times higher
      than typical lithographically patterned wavy interconnects.

PMID- 28345041
TI  - One-pot synthesis of amino acid precursors with insoluble organic matter in
      planetesimals with aqueous activity.
AB  - The exogenous delivery of organic molecules could have played an important role
      in the emergence of life on the early Earth. Carbonaceous chondrites are known to
      contain indigenous amino acids as well as various organic compounds and complex
      macromolecular materials, such as the so-called insoluble organic matter (IOM),
      but the origins of the organic matter are still subject to debate. We report that
      the water-soluble amino acid precursors are synthesized from formaldehyde,
      glycolaldehyde, and ammonia with the presence of liquid water, simultaneously
      with macromolecular organic solids similar to the chondritic IOM. Amino acid
      products from hydrothermal experiments after acid hydrolysis include alpha-, beta
      , and gamma-amino acids up to five carbons, for which relative abundances are
      similar to those extracted from carbonaceous chondrites. One-pot aqueous
      processing from simple ubiquitous molecules can thus produce a wide variety of
      meteoritic organic matter from amino acid precursors to macromolecular IOM in
      chondrite parent bodies.

PMID- 28345043
TI  - Anomalous photovoltaic effect in organic-inorganic hybrid perovskite solar cells.
AB  - Organic-inorganic hybrid perovskites (OIHPs) have been demonstrated to be highly
      successful photovoltaic materials yielding very-high-efficiency solar cells. We
      report the room temperature observation of an anomalous photovoltaic (APV) effect
      in lateral structure OIHP devices manifested by the device's open-circuit voltage
      (VOC) that is much larger than the bandgap of OIHPs. The persistent VOC is
      proportional to the electrode spacing, resembling that of ferroelectric
      photovoltaic devices. However, the APV effect in OIHP devices is not caused by
      ferroelectricity. The APV effect can be explained by the formation of tunneling
      junctions randomly dispersed in the polycrystalline films, which allows the
      accumulation of photovoltage at a macroscopic level. The formation of internal
      tunneling junctions as a result of ion migration is visualized with Kelvin probe
      force microscopy scanning. This observation points out a new avenue for the
      formation of large and continuously tunable VOC without being limited by the
      materials' bandgap.

PMID- 28345044
TI  - Continental igneous rock composition: A major control of past global chemical
      weathering.
AB  - The composition of igneous rocks in the continental crust has changed throughout
      Earth's history. However, the impact of these compositional variations on
      chemical weathering, and by extension on seawater and atmosphere evolution, is
      largely unknown. We use the strontium isotope ratio in seawater
      [(87Sr/86Sr)seawater] as a proxy for chemical weathering, and we test the
      sensitivity of (87Sr/86Sr)seawater variations to the strontium isotopic
      composition (87Sr/86Sr) in igneous rocks generated through time. We demonstrate
      that the 87Sr/86Sr ratio in igneous rocks is correlated to the epsilon hafnium
      (epsilonHf) of their hosted zircon grains, and we use the detrital zircon record
      to reconstruct the evolution of the 87Sr/86Sr ratio in zircon-bearing igneous
      rocks. The reconstructed 87Sr/86Sr variations in igneous rocks are strongly
      correlated with the (87Sr/86Sr)seawater variations over the last 1000 million
      years, suggesting a direct control of the isotopic composition of silicic
      magmatism on (87Sr/86Sr)seawater variations. The correlation decreases during
      several time periods, likely reflecting changes in the chemical weathering rate
      associated with paleogeographic, climatic, or tectonic events. We argue that for
      most of the last 1000 million years, the (87Sr/86Sr)seawater variations are
      responding to changes in the isotopic composition of silicic magmatism rather
      than to changes in the global chemical weathering rate. We conclude that the
      (87Sr/86Sr)seawater variations are of limited utility to reconstruct changes in
      the global chemical weathering rate in deep times.

PMID- 28345042
TI  - Human genetic and metabolite variation reveals that methylthioadenosine is a
      prognostic biomarker and an inflammatory regulator in sepsis.
AB  - Sepsis is a deleterious inflammatory response to infection with high mortality.
      Reliable sepsis biomarkers could improve diagnosis, prognosis, and treatment.
      Integration of human genetics, patient metabolite and cytokine measurements, and
      testing in a mouse model demonstrate that the methionine salvage pathway is a
      regulator of sepsis that can accurately predict prognosis in patients. Pathway
      based genome-wide association analysis of nontyphoidal Salmonella bacteremia
      showed a strong enrichment for single-nucleotide polymorphisms near the
      components of the methionine salvage pathway. Measurement of the pathway's
      substrate, methylthioadenosine (MTA), in two cohorts of sepsis patients
      demonstrated increased plasma MTA in nonsurvivors. Plasma MTA was correlated with
      levels of inflammatory cytokines, indicating that elevated MTA marks a subset of
      patients with excessive inflammation. A machine-learning model combining MTA and
      other variables yielded approximately 80% accuracy (area under the curve) in
      predicting death. Furthermore, mice infected with Salmonella had prolonged
      survival when MTA was administered before infection, suggesting that manipulating
      MTA levels could regulate the severity of the inflammatory response. Our results
      demonstrate how combining genetic data, biomolecule measurements, and animal
      models can shape our understanding of disease and lead to new biomarkers for
      patient stratification and potential therapeutic targeting.

PMID- 28345045
TI  - Bend, stretch, and touch: Locating a finger on an actively deformed transparent
      sensor array.
AB  - The development of bendable, stretchable, and transparent touch sensors is an
      emerging technological goal in a variety of fields, including electronic skin,
      wearables, and flexible handheld devices. Although transparent tactile sensors
      based on metal mesh, carbon nanotubes, and silver nanowires demonstrate operation
      in bent configurations, we present a technology that extends the operation modes
      to the sensing of finger proximity including light touch during active bending
      and even stretching. This is accomplished using stretchable and ionically
      conductive hydrogel electrodes, which project electric field above the sensor to
      couple with and sense a finger. The polyacrylamide electrodes are embedded in
      silicone. These two widely available, low-cost, transparent materials are
      combined in a three-step manufacturing technique that is amenable to large-area
      fabrication. The approach is demonstrated using a proof-of-concept 4 * 4 cross
      grid sensor array with a 5-mm pitch. The approach of a finger hovering a few
      centimeters above the array is readily detectable. Light touch produces a
      localized decrease in capacitance of 15%. The movement of a finger can be
      followed across the array, and the location of multiple fingers can be detected.
      Touch is detectable during bending and stretch, an important feature of any
      wearable device. The capacitive sensor design can be made more or less sensitive
      to bending by shifting it relative to the neutral axis. Ultimately, the approach
      is adaptable to the detection of proximity, touch, pressure, and even the
      conformation of the sensor surface.

PMID- 28345046
TI  - Canopy near-infrared reflectance and terrestrial photosynthesis.
AB  - Global estimates of terrestrial gross primary production (GPP) remain highly
      uncertain, despite decades of satellite measurements and intensive in situ
      monitoring. We report a new approach for quantifying the near-infrared
      reflectance of terrestrial vegetation (NIRV). NIRV provides a foundation for a
      new approach to estimate GPP that consistently untangles the confounding effects
      of background brightness, leaf area, and the distribution of photosynthetic
      capacity with depth in canopies using existing moderate spatial and spectral
      resolution satellite sensors. NIRV is strongly correlated with solar-induced
      chlorophyll fluorescence, a direct index of photons intercepted by chlorophyll,
      and with site-level and globally gridded estimates of GPP. NIRV makes it possible
      to use existing and future reflectance data as a starting point for accurately
      estimating GPP.

PMID- 28345047
TI  - Molecular beam brightening by shock-wave suppression.
AB  - Supersonic beams are a prevalent source of cold molecules used in the study of
      chemical reactions, atom interferometry, gas-surface interactions, precision
      spectroscopy, molecular cooling, and more. The triumph of this method emanates
      from the high densities produced in relation to other methods; however, beam
      density remains fundamentally limited by interference with shock waves reflected
      from collimating surfaces. We show experimentally that this shock interaction can
      be reduced or even eliminated by cryocooling the interacting surface. An increase
      of nearly an order of magnitude in beam density was measured at the lowest
      surface temperature, with no further fundamental limitation reached.
      Visualization of the shock waves by plasma discharge and reproduction with direct
      simulation Monte Carlo calculations both indicate that the suppression of the
      shock structure is partially caused by lowering the momentum flux of reflected
      particles and significantly enhanced by the adsorption of particles to the
      surface. We observe that the scaling of beam density with source pressure is
      recovered, paving the way to order-of-magnitude brighter, cold molecular beams.

PMID- 28345048
TI  - Kin selection promotes female productivity and cooperation between the sexes.
AB  - Hamilton's theory of kin selection explains the evolution of costly traits that
      benefit other individuals by highlighting the fact that passing genes to
      offspring is not the only way of increasing the representation of those genes in
      subsequent generations: Genes are also shared with other classes of relatives.
      Consequently, any heritable trait that affects fitness of relatives should
      respond to kin selection. We tested this core prediction of kin selection theory
      by letting bulb mites (Rhizoglyphus robini) evolve in populations structured into
      groups of relatives or nonrelatives during the reproductive phase of the life
      cycle. In accordance with predictions derived from kin selection theory, we found
      that evolution in groups of relatives resulted in increased female reproductive
      output. This increase at least partly results from the evolution of male traits
      that elevate their partners' fecundity. Our results highlight the power and
      universality of kin selection.

PMID- 28345049
TI  - Biomimetic mineral self-organization from silica-rich spring waters.
AB  - Purely inorganic reactions of silica, metal carbonates, and metal hydroxides can
      produce self-organized complex structures that mimic the texture of biominerals,
      the morphology of primitive organisms, and that catalyze prebiotic reactions. To
      date, these fascinating structures have only been synthesized using model
      solutions. We report that mineral self-assembly can be also obtained from natural
      alkaline silica-rich water deriving from serpentinization. Specifically, we
      demonstrate three main types of mineral self-assembly: (i) nanocrystalline
      biomorphs of barium carbonate and silica, (ii) mesocrystals and crystal
      aggregates of calcium carbonate with complex biomimetic textures, and (iii)
      osmosis-driven metal silicate hydrate membranes that form compartmentalized,
      hollow structures. Our results suggest that silica-induced mineral self-assembly
      could have been a common phenomenon in alkaline environments of early Earth and
      Earth-like planets.

PMID- 28345050
TI  - Observation of inverse Edelstein effect in Rashba-split 2DEG between SrTiO3 and
      LaAlO3 at room temperature.
AB  - The Rashba physics has been intensively studied in the field of spin orbitronics
      for the purpose of searching novel physical properties and the ferromagnetic (FM)
      magnetization switching for technological applications. We report our observation
      of the inverse Edelstein effect up to room temperature in the Rashba-split two
      dimensional electron gas (2DEG) between two insulating oxides, SrTiO3 and LaAlO3,
      with the LaAlO3 layer thickness from 3 to 40 unit cells (UC). We further
      demonstrate that the spin voltage could be markedly manipulated by electric field
      effect for the 2DEG between SrTiO3 and 3-UC LaAlO3. These results demonstrate
      that the Rashba-split 2DEG at the complex oxide interface can be used for
      efficient charge-and-spin conversion at room temperature for the generation and
      detection of spin current.

PMID- 28345051
TI  - Aflatoxin-free transgenic maize using host-induced gene silencing.
AB  - Aflatoxins, toxic secondary metabolites produced by some Aspergillus species, are
      a universal agricultural economic problem and a critical health issue. Despite
      decades of control efforts, aflatoxin contamination is responsible for a global
      loss of millions of tons of crops each year. We show that host-induced gene
      silencing is an effective method for eliminating this toxin in transgenic maize.
      We transformed maize plants with a kernel-specific RNA interference (RNAi) gene
      cassette targeting the aflC gene, which encodes an enzyme in the Aspergillus
      aflatoxin biosynthetic pathway. After pathogen infection, aflatoxin could not be
      detected in kernels from these RNAi transgenic maize plants, while toxin loads
      reached thousands of parts per billion in nontransgenic control kernels. A
      comparison of transcripts in developing aflatoxin-free transgenic kernels with
      those from nontransgenic kernels showed no significant differences between these
      two groups. These results demonstrate that small interfering RNA molecules can be
      used to silence aflatoxin biosynthesis in maize, providing an attractive and
      precise engineering strategy that could also be extended to other crops to
      improve food security.

PMID- 28345052
TI  - Cardiac myosin binding protein-C Ser302 phosphorylation regulates cardiac beta
      adrenergic reserve.
AB  - Phosphorylation of cardiac myosin binding protein-C (MyBP-C) modulates cardiac
      contractile function; however, the specific roles of individual serines (Ser)
      within the M-domain that are targets for beta-adrenergic signaling are not known.
      Recently, we demonstrated that significant accelerations in in vivo pressure
      development following beta-agonist infusion can occur in transgenic (TG) mouse
      hearts expressing phospho-ablated Ser282 (that is, TGS282A) but not in hearts
      expressing phospho-ablation of all three serines [that is, Ser273, Ser282, and
      Ser302 (TG3SA)], suggesting an important modulatory role for other Ser residues.
      In this regard, there is evidence that Ser302 phosphorylation may be a key
      contributor to the beta-agonist-induced positive inotropic responses in the
      myocardium, but its precise functional role has not been established. Thus, to
      determine the in vivo and in vitro functional roles of Ser302 phosphorylation, we
      generated TG mice expressing nonphosphorylatable Ser302 (that is, TGS302A). Left
      ventricular pressure-volume measurements revealed that TGS302A mice displayed no
      accelerations in the rate of systolic pressure rise and an inability to maintain
      systolic pressure following dobutamine infusion similar to TG3SA mice,
      implicating Ser302 phosphorylation as a critical regulator of enhanced systolic
      performance during beta-adrenergic stress. Dynamic strain-induced cross-bridge
      (XB) measurements in skinned myocardium isolated from TGS302A hearts showed that
      the molecular basis for impaired beta-adrenergic-mediated enhancements in
      systolic function is due to the absence of protein kinase A-mediated
      accelerations in the rate of cooperative XB recruitment. These results
      demonstrate that Ser302 phosphorylation regulates cardiac contractile reserve by
      enhancing contractile responses during beta-adrenergic stress.

PMID- 28345053
TI  - A Rh(II)-catalyzed multicomponent reaction by trapping an alpha-amino enol
      intermediate in a traditional two-component reaction pathway.
AB  - Multicomponent reactions (MCRs) represent an ideal organic synthesis tool for the
      rapid construction of complex molecules due to their step and atom economy.
      Compared to two-component reactions, the development of new MCRs has been greatly
      limited during the 170 years since the first MCR was reported. Theoretically, the
      trapping of an active intermediate generated from two components by a third
      component could change the traditional two-component reaction pathway, leading to
      the discovery of MCRs. We report an example of the trapping of alpha-imino enols
      generated in situ from 1-sulfonyl-1,2,3-triazoles via alpha-imino metal carbene
      species by vinylimine ions using C(2)-substituted indoles and paraformaldehyde as
      precursors in the presence of a rhodium(II) catalyst. The traditional enol-ketone
      transformation pathway was suspended by the trapping procedure and efficiently
      switched to an MCR pathway to produce alpha-amino-beta-indole ketones in moderate
      to good yields. Unexpectedly, the resulting products and the theoretical density
      functional theory (DFT) calculation results indicated that the enolic carbon had
      a stronger nucleophilicity than the well-known traditional enamic carbon in the
      trapping process. The reaction mechanism was investigated using control
      experiments and detailed DFT calculations, and the synthetic application of the
      products was also illustrated. The developed strategy provides a mild and rapid
      access to alpha-amino-beta-indole ketones and suggests a rationale for the
      discovery of MCRs by trapping an active intermediate with a third component in a
      traditional two-component reaction pathway.

PMID- 28345054
TI  - Many shades of gray-The context-dependent performance of organic agriculture.
AB  - Organic agriculture is often proposed as a more sustainable alternative to
      current conventional agriculture. We assess the current understanding of the
      costs and benefits of organic agriculture across multiple production,
      environmental, producer, and consumer dimensions. Organic agriculture shows many
      potential benefits (including higher biodiversity and improved soil and water
      quality per unit area, enhanced profitability, and higher nutritional value) as
      well as many potential costs including lower yields and higher consumer prices.
      However, numerous important dimensions have high uncertainty, particularly the
      environmental performance when controlling for lower organic yields, but also
      yield stability, soil erosion, water use, and labor conditions. We identify
      conditions that influence the relative performance of organic systems,
      highlighting areas for increased research and policy support.

PMID- 28345055
TI  - Earthquake rupture below the brittle-ductile transition in continental
      lithospheric mantle.
AB  - Earthquakes deep in the continental lithosphere are rare and hard to interpret in
      our current understanding of temperature control on brittle failure. The recent
      lithospheric mantle earthquake with a moment magnitude of 4.8 at a depth of ~75
      km in the Wyoming Craton was exceptionally well recorded and thus enabled us to
      probe the cause of these unusual earthquakes. On the basis of complete earthquake
      energy balance estimates using broadband waveforms and temperature estimates
      using surface heat flow and shear wave velocities, we argue that this earthquake
      occurred in response to ductile deformation at temperatures above 750 degrees C.
      The high stress drop, low rupture velocity, and low radiation efficiency are all
      consistent with a dissipative mechanism. Our results imply that earthquake
      nucleation in the lithospheric mantle is not exclusively limited to the brittle
      regime; weakening mechanisms in the ductile regime can allow earthquakes to
      initiate and propagate. This finding has significant implications for
      understanding deep earthquake rupture mechanics and rheology of the continental
      lithosphere.

PMID- 28345056
TI  - Arctic sea ice, Eurasia snow, and extreme winter haze in China.
AB  - The East China Plains (ECP) region experienced the worst haze pollution on record
      for January in 2013. We show that the unprecedented haze event is due to the
      extremely poor ventilation conditions, which had not been seen in the preceding
      three decades. Statistical analysis suggests that the extremely poor ventilation
      conditions are linked to Arctic sea ice loss in the preceding autumn and
      extensive boreal snowfall in the earlier winter. We identify the regional
      circulation mode that leads to extremely poor ventilation over the ECP region.
      Climate model simulations indicate that boreal cryospheric forcing enhances the
      regional circulation mode of poor ventilation in the ECP region and provides
      conducive conditions for extreme haze such as that of 2013. Consequently, extreme
      haze events in winter will likely occur at a higher frequency in China as a
      result of the changing boreal cryosphere, posing difficult challenges for winter
      haze mitigation but providing a strong incentive for greenhouse gas emission
      reduction.

PMID- 28345057
TI  - Chemical imaging of Fischer-Tropsch catalysts under operating conditions.
AB  - Although we often understand empirically what constitutes an active catalyst,
      there is still much to be understood fundamentally about how catalytic
      performance is influenced by formulation. Catalysts are often designed to have a
      microstructure and nanostructure that can influence performance but that is
      rarely considered when correlating structure with function. Fischer-Tropsch
      synthesis (FTS) is a well-known and potentially sustainable technology for
      converting synthetic natural gas ("syngas": CO + H2) into functional
      hydrocarbons, such as sulfur- and aromatic-free fuel and high-value wax products.
      FTS catalysts typically contain Co or Fe nanoparticles, which are often optimized
      in terms of size/composition for a particular catalytic performance. We use a
      novel, "multimodal" tomographic approach to studying active Co-based catalysts
      under operando conditions, revealing how a simple parameter, such as the order of
      addition of metal precursors and promoters, affects the spatial distribution of
      the elements as well as their physicochemical properties, that is, crystalline
      phase and crystallite size during catalyst activation and operation. We show in
      particular how the order of addition affects the crystallinity of the TiO2
      anatase phase, which in turn leads to the formation of highly intergrown cubic
      close-packed/hexagonal close-packed Co nanoparticles that are very reactive,
      exhibiting high CO conversion. This work highlights the importance of operando
      microtomography to understand the evolution of chemical species and their spatial
      distribution before any concrete understanding of impact on catalytic performance
      can be realized.

PMID- 28345058
TI  - Nonrainfall water origins and formation mechanisms.
AB  - Dryland ecosystems cover 40% of the total land surface on Earth and are defined
      broadly as zones where precipitation is considerably less than the potential
      evapotranspiration. Nonrainfall waters (for example, fog and dew) are the least
      studied and least-characterized components of the hydrological cycle, although
      they supply critical amounts of water for dryland ecosystems. The sources of
      nonrainfall waters are largely unknown for most systems. In addition, most field
      and modeling studies tend to consider all nonrainfall inputs as a single category
      because of technical constraints, which hinders prediction of dryland responses
      to future warming conditions. This study uses multiple stable isotopes (2H, 18O,
      and 17O) to show that fog and dew have multiple origins and that groundwater in
      drylands can be recycled via evapotranspiration and redistributed to the upper
      soil profile as nonrainfall water. Surprisingly, the non-ocean-derived (locally
      generated) fog accounts for more than half of the total fog events, suggesting a
      potential shift from advection-dominated fog to radiation-dominated fog in the
      fog zone of the Namib Desert. This shift will have implications on the flora and
      fauna distribution in this fog-dependent system. We also demonstrate that fog and
      dew can be differentiated on the basis of the dominant fractionation (equilibrium
      and kinetic) processes during their formation using the 17O-18O relationship. Our
      results are of great significance in an era of global climate change where the
      importance of nonrainfall water increases because rainfall is predicted to
      decline in many dryland ecosystems.

PMID- 28345059
TI  - Health and Disease Imprinted in the Time Variability of the Human Microbiome.
AB  - The animal microbiota (including the human microbiota) plays an important role in
      keeping the physiological status of the host healthy. Research seeks greater
      insight into whether changes in the composition and function of the microbiota
      are associated with disease. We analyzed published 16S rRNA and shotgun
      metagenomic sequencing (SMS) data pertaining to the gut microbiotas of 99
      subjects monitored over time. Temporal fluctuations in the microbial composition
      revealed significant differences due to factors such as dietary changes,
      antibiotic intake, age, and disease. This article shows that a fluctuation
      scaling law can describe the temporal changes in the gut microbiota. This law
      estimates the temporal variability of the microbial population and quantitatively
      characterizes the path toward disease via a noise-induced phase transition.
      Estimation of the systemic parameters may be of clinical utility in follow-up
      studies and have more general applications in fields where it is important to
      know whether a given community is stable or not. IMPORTANCE The human microbiota
      correlates closely with the health status of its host. This article analyzes the
      microbial composition of several subjects under different conditions over time
      spans that ranged from days to months. Using the Langevin equation as the basis
      of our mathematical framework to evaluate microbial temporal stability, we proved
      that stable microbiotas can be distinguished from unstable microbiotas. This
      initial step will help us to determine how temporal microbiota stability is
      related to a subject's health status and to develop a more comprehensive
      framework that will provide greater insight into this complex system.

PMID- 28345060
TI  - Genome Reduction and Microbe-Host Interactions Drive Adaptation of a Sulfur
      Oxidizing Bacterium Associated with a Cold Seep Sponge.
AB  - As the most ancient metazoan, sponges have established close relationships with
      particular microbial symbionts. However, the characteristics and physiology of
      thioautotrophic symbionts in deep-sea sponges are largely unknown. Using a
      tailored "differential coverage binning" method on 22-Gb metagenomic sequences,
      we recovered the nearly complete genome of a sulfur-oxidizing bacterium (SOB)
      that dominates the microbiota of the cold seep sponge Suberites sp. Phylogenetic
      analyses suggested that this bacterium (an unclassified gammaproteobacterium
      termed "Gsub") may represent a new deep-sea SOB group. Microscopic observations
      suggest that Gsub is probably an extracellular symbiont. Gsub has complete
      sulfide oxidation and carbon fixation pathways, suggesting a chemoautotrophic
      lifestyle. Comparative genomics with other sponge-associated SOB and free-living
      SOB revealed significant genome reduction in Gsub, characterized by the loss of
      genes for carbohydrate metabolism, motility, DNA repair, and osmotic stress
      response. Intriguingly, this scenario of genome reduction is highly similar to
      those of the endosymbionts in deep-sea clams. However, Gsub has retained genes
      for phage defense and protein secretion, with the latter potentially playing a
      role in interactions with the sponge host. In addition, we recovered the genome
      of an ammonia-oxidizing archaeon (AOA), which may carry out ammonia oxidation and
      carbon fixation within the sponge body. IMPORTANCE Sponges and their symbionts
      are important players in the biogeochemical cycles of marine environments. As a
      unique habitat within marine ecosystems, cold seeps have received considerable
      interest in recent years. This study explores the lifestyle of a new symbiotic
      SOB in a cold seep sponge. The results demonstrate that both this sponge symbiont
      and endosymbionts in deep-sea clams employ similar strategies of genome
      reduction. However, this bacterium has retained unique functions for immunity and
      defense. Thus, the functional features are determined by both the symbiotic
      relationship and host type. Moreover, analyses of the genome of an AOA suggest
      that microbes play different roles in biochemical cycles in the sponge body. Our
      findings provide new insights into invertebrate-associated bacteria in cold seep
      environments.

PMID- 28345061
TI  - Inverse Association between Vitamin D Status and Diabetes in a Clinic Based
      Sample of Hispanic Adults in Puerto Rico.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Vitamin D deficiency is a public health problem around the world.
      Diabetes has been associated with vitamin D deficiency. We aimed to examine the
      association between the vitamin D status and diabetes in a clinic based sample of
      Hispanic adults in Puerto Rico. METHODS: Demographics and laboratory test results
      for serum 25(OH)D, Fasting Blood Glucose (FBG), and Haemoglobin A1C (HbAlc) were
      extracted from medical records. Vitamin D status was classified as deficient (<12
      ng/ml); inadequate (12-20 ng/ml); insufficient (21-29 ng/ml) and optimal (>=30
      ng/ml) using serum 25(OH)D levels. RESULTS: A total of 716 records were included
      in the analyses. Most were females (63.3%), with mean age of 54.1+/-14.9 y, mean
      BMI 30.1+/-6.3 kg/m2 and mean serum 25(OH)D levels of 24.3+/-8.6 ng/ml. Most were
      classified as diabetics (41.1%). Those with diabetes had lower 25(OH)D levels
      compared to pre-diabetic and normal glucose status (p<0.05). Serum 25(OH) D
      levels were inversely correlated to FBG and HbA1c in the total sample and in men
      (p<0.05). After adjusting for age, gender, BMI and seasonality, there was a
      greater risk of diabetes, but not prediabetes, in those with serum 25(OH)D levels
      <30 ng/ml. This risk increased from 1.8 times in those with vitamin D
      insufficiency to 4.2 times in those with vitamin D deficiency (<12 ng/ml).
      CONCLUSION: Diabetes risk significantly increased as serum 25(OH)D levels
      decreased in this group of Hispanic adults, underscoring the importance of
      routinely screening high risk individuals for vitamin D deficiency and offer
      supplementation to normalize serum levels.

PMID- 28345063
TI  - Production and use of regional climate model projections - A Swedish perspective
      on building climate services.
AB  - We describe the process of building a climate service centred on regional climate
      model results from the Rossby Centre regional climate model RCA4. The climate
      service has as its central facility a web service provided by the Swedish
      Meteorological and Hydrological Institute where users can get an idea of various
      aspects of climate change from a suite of maps, diagrams, explaining texts and
      user guides. Here we present the contents of the web service and how this has
      been designed and developed in collaboration with users of the service in a
      dialogue reaching over more than a decade. We also present the ensemble of
      climate projections with RCA4 that provides the fundamental climate information
      presented at the web service. In this context, RCA4 has been used to downscale
      nine different coupled atmosphere-ocean general circulation models (AOGCMs) from
      the 5th Coupled Model Intercomparison Project (CMIP5) to 0.44 degrees  (c. 50 km)
      horizontal resolution over Europe. Further, we investigate how this ensemble
      relates to the CMIP5 ensemble. We find that the iterative approach involving the
      users of the climate service has been successful as the service is widely used
      and is an important source of information for work on climate adaptation in
      Sweden. The RCA4 ensemble samples a large degree of the spread in the CMIP5
      ensemble implying that it can be used to illustrate uncertainties and robustness
      in future climate change in Sweden. The results also show that RCA4 changes
      results compared to the underlying AOGCMs, sometimes in a systematic way.

PMID- 28345062
TI  - Secondary structure propensity and chirality of the amyloidophilic peptide p5 and
      its analogues impacts ligand binding - In vitro characterization.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Polybasic helical peptides, such as peptide p5, bind human amyloid
      extracts and synthetic amyloid fibrils. When radiolabeled, peptide p5 has been
      shown to specifically bind amyloid in vivo thereby allowing imaging of the
      disease. Structural requirements for heparin and amyloid binding have been
      studied using analogs of p5 that modify helicity and chirality. METHODS: Peptide
      ligand interactions were studied using CD spectroscopy and solution-phase binding
      assays with radiolabeled p5 analogs. The interaction of a subset of peptides was
      further studied by using molecular dynamics simulations. RESULTS: Disruption of
      the peptide helical structure reduced peptide binding to heparin and human
      amyloid extracts. The all-D enantiomer and the beta-sheet-structured peptide
      bound all substrates as well as, or better than, p5. The interaction of helical
      and beta-sheet structured peptides with Abeta fibrils was modeled and shown to
      involve both ionic and non-ionic interactions. CONCLUSIONS: The alpha-helical
      secondary structure of peptide p5 is important for heparin and amyloid binding;
      however, helicity is not an absolute requirement as evidenced by the superior
      reactivity of a beta-sheet peptide. The differential binding of the peptides with
      heparin and amyloid fibrils suggests that these molecular interactions are
      different. The all-D enantiomer of p5 and the beta-sheet peptide are candidates
      for amyloid targeting reagents in vivo. GENERAL SIGNIFICANCE: Efficient binding
      of polybasic peptides with amyloid is dependent on the linearity of charge
      spacing in the context of an alpha-helical secondary structure. Peptides with an
      alpha-helix or beta-sheet propensity and with similar alignment of basic residues
      is optimal.

PMID- 28345064
TI  - Pneumocephalus in a patient with multiple stab wounds.
AB  - Pneumocephalus is a complication of trauma to the chest and many iatrogenic
      interventions. It may arise due to systemic air embolism or retrograde cerebral
      venous air embolism which is an extremely rare complication. We report a 26-years
      old female patient who presented to the Emergency Department suffering of
      multiple stab wounds. She was in a state of shock and after first aid and
      evaluation she was operated successfully. In the early postoperative period
      generalized tonic clonic convulsions were observed following cardiopulmonary
      resuscitation due to sudden cardiovascular collapse. Brain computerized
      tomography demonstrated free air in intracranial and extracranial venous
      structures. Pneumocephalus was diagnosed which may be due to a wide spectrum of
      etiologies including thorax or spinal stab wounds, tube thoracostomy,
      cardiopulmonary resuscitation or even central venous catheterization.
      Unfortunately, the patient ended up with brain death despite all effort. In
      conclusion, we recommend physicians to be aware of this catastrophic complication
      while taking care of patients with stab wounds.

PMID- 28345065
TI  - Diabetic ketoacidosis as the presenting manifestation of pancreatic
      adenocarcinoma with cystic features.
AB  - The common presenting symptoms of pancreatic cancer are abdominal pain, weight
      loss, and jaundice. Pancreatic adenocarcinoma presenting with diabetic
      ketoacidosis is a very rare emergent clinical condition. However, pancreatic
      ductal cystadenocarcinoma presenting with diabetic ketoacidosis was not reported.
      We describe a 60-year-old man with pancreatic cystadenocarcinoma presenting with
      diabetic ketoacidosis as the initial manifestation. It must be kept in mind that
      in diabetic ketoacidosis cases, the precipitating factor may be pancreatic ductal
      cystadenocarcinoma.

PMID- 28345066
TI  - Correlation of central venous pressure with venous blood gas analysis parameters;
      a diagnostic study.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: This study was conducted to assess the correlation between central
      venous pressure (CVP) and venous blood gas (VBG) analysis parameters, to
      facilitate management of severe sepsis and septic shock in emergency department.
      MATERIAL AND METHODS: This diagnostic study was conducted from January 2014 until
      June 2015 in three major educational medical centers, Tehran, Iran. For patients
      selected with diagnosis of septic shock, peripheral blood sample was taken for
      testing the VBG parameters and the anion gap (AG) was calculated. All the
      mentioned parameters were measured again after infusion of 500 cc of normal
      saline 0.9% in about 1 h. RESULTS: Totally, 93 patients with septic shock were
      enrolled, 63 male and 30 female. The mean age was 72.53 +/- 13.03 and the mean
      Shock Index (SI) before fluid therapy was 0.79 +/- 0.30. AG and pH showed
      significant negative correlations with CVP, While HCO3 showed a significant
      positive correlation with CVP. These relations can be affected by the treatment
      modalities used in shock management such as fluid therapy, mechanical ventilation
      and vasopressor treatment. CONCLUSION: It is likely that there is a significant
      statistical correlation between VBG parameters and AG with CVP, but further
      research is needed before implementation of the results of this study.

PMID- 28345068
TI  - How much risk are emergency department patients willing to accept to avoid
      diagnostic testing.
AB  - OBJECTIVES: There is a paucity of research evaluating the risk tolerance of
      Emergency Department (ED) patients. We hypothesized that a significant percentage
      of ED patients surveyed would be comfortable with >=5% risk of adverse outcome if
      they avoided testing in several hypothetical scenarios. MATERIALS AND METHODS:
      This was a cross-sectional study of a convenience sample of stable inner-city ED
      patients. Patients completed a written survey and were asked four closed-answer
      questions regarding risk tolerance/willingness to refuse a test/procedure,
      including the following scenarios: #1: LP following CT head; #2 overnight serial
      troponins for rule out myocardial infarction; #3 CT for possible appendicitis, #4
      parent deciding whether child should undergo head CT for low risk head injury.
      Risk preferences were stratified to >=5% (high) and <5% (low). Multivariate
      logistic regressions performed for each scenario to control for confounding
      factors. RESULTS: There were 217 patients in the study group; mean age 42 +/- 15
      years, 48% female, 66% Hispanic, 87% income < $40,000 income group. A substantial
      percentage of patients rated high risk tolerance for each scenario, including 31%
      for #1 (avoid LP), 25% for #2 (avoid cardiac rule-out admission), 27% for #3
      (avoid CT for appendicitis), and 19% for #4 (avoid head CT for child).
      DISCUSSION: For 3 of 4 scenarios, 25% or more of our patients would accept a high
      risk tolerance of adverse outcome to avoid further testing. CONCLUSION: Our
      findings contribute further evidence to the growing body of literature supporting
      patient interest in shared decision making in the ED.

PMID- 28345067
TI  - Utility of 360-degree assessment of residents in a Turkish academic emergency
      medicine residency program.
AB  - OBJECTIVES: This study was designed to test a 360-degree assessment tool for four
      of the emergency medicine resident competencies as outlined by the Council of
      Residency Directors in Emergency Medicine on patient care, communication skills,
      professionalism and system based practice in an academic Emergency Department.
      MATERIAL AND METHODS: Using the competency framework of the American
      Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education, a 57 item-containing
      assessment tool was created. Based on the different exposure aspects of the
      involved evaluator groups, the items were integrated into seven different
      evaluation forms. All sixteen of 16 residents and members from each evaluator
      group voluntarily participated in the study. Internal consistency scores,
      multilayer and multilevel Kappa values were measured. Evaluator group scores and
      resident ranks in competency areas were compared. All evaluators were asked to
      comment on the applicability and usefulness of the assessment tool in emergency
      medicine. RESULTS: Seven groups completed a total of 1088 forms to evaluate 16
      residents. The reliability coefficient for the faculty members was 0.99 while it
      was 0.60 for the ancillary staff. The interrater Kappa values for faculty
      members, nurses and peer assessment were relevant with a value of greater than
      70%. DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION: Our results showed that the 360-degree assessment
      did meet expectations by the evaluator group and residents, and that this method
      was readily accepted in the setting of a Akdeniz University Emergency Medicine
      residency training program. However, only evaluations by faculty, nurses, self
      and peers were reliable to have any value. Doing a 360 degrees  evaluation is
      time and effort consuming and thus may not be an ideal tool for larger programs.

PMID- 28345069
TI  - An uncommon case mimicking cervical trauma: Os odontoideum.
AB  - Os odontoideum is a separate odontoid process from the body of the axis. It is
      the most common anomaly of the odontoid process. Patients with this condition can
      be asymptomatic or present with a wide range of neurological dysfunctions. It may
      cause cervical instability, atlantoaxial dislocation and myelopathy. This anomaly
      can mimic Type I and II odontoid fractures. There is a role for conservative
      treatment of an asymptomatic incidentally found, radiologically stable and non
      compressive os odontoideum. However, surgical treatment has a definitive role in
      symptomatic cases. In this study, the case is presented of a 31 year-old male
      patient with neck pain who was diagnosed with incidental os odontoideum. The
      diagnosis of acute odontoid fracture was discarded in this case as the
      radiological findings were of a characteristic cortex with smooth contours, and
      there was no history of recent trauma, sclerosis or hypertrophy of the anterior
      tubercle of the atlas.

PMID- 28345070
TI  - Are scoring systems sufficient for predicting mortality due to sepsis in the
      emergency department?
AB  - OBJECTIVES: Scoring systems have been used to risk stratify in intensive care
      units (ICU), but not routinely used in emergency departments. The aim of this
      study was to determine accuracy for predicting mortality in emergency medicine
      with Sequential Organ Failure Assessment (SOFA), Mortality in ED Sepsis (MEDS)
      score and Simplified Acute Physiology Score (SAPSII). METHODS: This is a
      prospective observational study. Patients presenting with evidence of sepsis were
      all included. SAPSII, MEDS, and SOFA scores were calculated. Analysis compared
      areas under the receiver operator characteristic (ROC) curves for 28-day
      mortality. RESULTS: Two hundred patients were included; consisting of 31 (14.3%)
      septic shock. 138 (69%) severe sepsis and 31 (15.5%) infection without organ
      dysfunction. 53 (26.5%) patients died within 28 days. Area under the ROC curve
      for mortality was 0.76 for MEDS (0.69-0.82), 0.70 for SAPSII (0.62-0.78); and
      1.68 for SOFA (0.60-0.76) scores. Pair wise comparison of AUC between MEDS,
      SAPSII, SOFA and Lactate were not significant. CONCLUSION: According to our
      results; SOFA, SAPSII and MEDS were not sufficient to predict mortality. Also
      this result, MEDS was better than other scoring system.

PMID- 28345071
TI  - Jolt accentuation and its value as a sign in diagnosis of meningitis in patients
      with fever and headache.
AB  - OBJECTIVES: Meningitis is an important disease among the patients being visited
      in Emergency Departments (EDs). There are many signs to diagnose it with
      different sensitivity and specificity reported in previously done studies.
      Current study tries to evaluate diagnostic accuracy of "Jolt accentuation" in the
      diagnosis (Dx.) of meningitis in patients with fever and headache. MATERIALS AND
      METHODS: 48 adult patients, who were referred to two teaching EDs for fever and
      headache and were diagnosed as suspected meningitis, were included in this
      prospective observational study. Demographic characteristics of patients were
      recorded in data sheets, as well as the results of exams including nuchal
      rigidity, Kernig and Brudzinski signs, and Jolt accentuation. Then, lumbar
      puncture (LP) was done and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) was analyzed for each
      patient; pleocytosis (more than five white blood cells in high power field) were
      considered as meningitis. Sensitivity, specificity, positive and negative
      predictive values (PPV and NPV), and positive and negative likelihood ratios (LR+
      and LR-) of the above mentioned signs were compared to each other. RESULTS:
      Meningitis was proved in 33 patients (68.8% of them), according to CSF analysis.
      Jolt accentuation had sensitivity, specificity, PPV, NPV, LR+, and LR- of 69.6%,
      33.3%, 69.6%, 33.3%, 1.02, and 0.91, respectively. Jolt accentuation had the
      highest sensitivity rate all of the signs mentioned above; although, it was not
      significant. CONCLUSION: Jolt accentuation alone cannot rule in or out the Dx. of
      meningitis in patients with fever and headache; LP is still recommended for these
      patients.

PMID- 28345072
TI  - Pseudoelectrical alternans during supraventricular tachycardia.
AB  - We present a case of pseudoelectrical alternans occurring during supraventricular
      tachycardia.

PMID- 28345073
TI  - Chondrotoxic effects of intra-articular anesthetics in shoulders.

PMID- 28345075
TI  - Ultrasonographic Detection of Airway Obstruction in a Model of Obstructive Sleep
      Apnea.
AB  - Purpose Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is a common clinical disorder characterized
      by repetitive airway obstruction during sleep. The gold standard for diagnosis of
      OSA, polysomnogram (PSG), cannot anatomically localize obstruction. Precise
      identification of obstruction has potential to improve outcomes following
      surgery. Current diagnostic modalities that provide this information require
      anesthesia, involve ionizing radiation or disrupt sleep. To mitigate these
      problems, we conceived that ultrasound (US) technology may be adapted (i) to
      detect, quantify and localize airway obstruction and (ii) for translational
      application to home-based testing for OSA. Materials and Methods Segmental airway
      collapse was induced in 4 fresh cadavers by application of negative pressure.
      Following visualization of airway obstruction, a rotary US probe was used to
      acquire transcervical images of the airway before and after induction of
      obstruction. These images (n=800) were analyzed offline using image processing
      algorithms. Results Our results show that the non-obstructed airway consistently
      demonstrated the presence of a US air-tissue interface. Importantly, automated
      detection of the air-tissue interface strongly correlated with manual
      measurements. The algorithm correctly detected an air-tissue interface in 90% of
      the US images while incorrectly detecting it in 20% (area under the curve=0.91).
      Conclusion The non-invasive detection of airway obstruction using US represents a
      major step in expanding OSA diagnostics beyond PSG. The preliminary data obtained
      from our model could spur further research in non-invasive localization of
      obstruction. US offers the benefit of precise localization of the site of
      obstruction, with potential for improving outcomes in surgical management.

PMID- 28345074
TI  - Single-cell RNA-seq and computational analysis using temporal mixture modelling
      resolves Th1/Tfh fate bifurcation in malaria.
AB  - Differentiation of naive CD4+ T cells into functionally distinct T helper subsets
      is crucial for the orchestration of immune responses. Due to extensive
      heterogeneity and multiple overlapping transcriptional programs in
      differentiating T cell populations, this process has remained a challenge for
      systematic dissection in vivo. By using single-cell transcriptomics and
      computational analysis using a temporal mixtures of Gaussian processes model,
      termed GPfates, we reconstructed the developmental trajectories of Th1 and Tfh
      cells during blood-stage Plasmodium infection in mice. By tracking clonality
      using endogenous TCR sequences, we first demonstrated that Th1/Tfh bifurcation
      had occurred at both population and single-clone levels. Next, we identified
      genes whose expression was associated with Th1 or Tfh fates, and demonstrated a T
      cell intrinsic role for Galectin-1 in supporting a Th1 differentiation. We also
      revealed the close molecular relationship between Th1 and IL-10-producing Tr1
      cells in this infection. Th1 and Tfh fates emerged from a highly proliferative
      precursor that upregulated aerobic glycolysis and accelerated cell cycling as
      cytokine expression began. Dynamic gene expression of chemokine receptors around
      bifurcation predicted roles for cell-cell in driving Th1/Tfh fates. In
      particular, we found that precursor Th cells were coached towards a Th1 but not a
      Tfh fate by inflammatory monocytes. Thus, by integrating genomic and
      computational approaches, our study has provided two unique resources, a database
      www.PlasmoTH.org, which facilitates discovery of novel factors controlling
      Th1/Tfh fate commitment, and more generally, GPfates, a modelling framework for
      characterizing cell differentiation towards multiple fates.

PMID- 28345076
TI  - Dyadic Behavior Analysis in Depression Severity Assessment Interviews.
AB  - Previous literature suggests that depression impacts vocal timing of both
      participants and clinical interviewers but is mixed with respect to acoustic
      features. To investigate further, 57 middle-aged adults (men and women) with
      Major Depression Disorder and their clinical interviewers (all women) were
      studied. Participants were interviewed for depression severity on up to four
      occasions over a 21 week period using the Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression
      (HRSD), which is a criterion measure for depression severity in clinical trials.
      Acoustic features were extracted for both participants and interviewers using
      COVAREP Toolbox. Missing data occurred due to missed appointments, technical
      problems, or insufficient vocal samples. Data from 36 participants and their
      interviewers met criteria and were included for analysis to compare between high
      and low depression severity. Acoustic features for participants varied between
      men and women as expected, and failed to vary with depression severity for
      participants. For interviewers, acoustic characteristics strongly varied with
      severity of the interviewee's depression. Accommodation - the tendency of
      interactants to adapt their communicative behavior to each other - between
      interviewers and interviewees was inversely related to depression severity. These
      findings suggest that interviewers modify their acoustic features in response to
      depression severity, and depression severity strongly impacts interpersonal
      accommodation.

PMID- 28345077
TI  - Improving Website Hyperlink Structure Using Server Logs.
AB  - Good websites should be easy to navigate via hyperlinks, yet maintaining a high
      quality link structure is difficult. Identifying pairs of pages that should be
      linked may be hard for human editors, especially if the site is large and changes
      frequently. Further, given a set of useful link candidates, the task of
      incorporating them into the site can be expensive, since it typically involves
      humans editing pages. In the light of these challenges, it is desirable to
      develop data-driven methods for automating the link placement task. Here we
      develop an approach for automatically finding useful hyperlinks to add to a
      website. We show that passively collected server logs, beyond telling us which
      existing links are useful, also contain implicit signals indicating which
      nonexistent links would be useful if they were to be introduced. We leverage
      these signals to model the future usefulness of yet nonexistent links. Based on
      our model, we define the problem of link placement under budget constraints and
      propose an efficient algorithm for solving it. We demonstrate the effectiveness
      of our approach by evaluating it on Wikipedia, a large website for which we have
      access to both server logs (used for finding useful new links) and the complete
      revision history (containing a ground truth of new links). As our method is based
      exclusively on standard server logs, it may also be applied to any other website,
      as we show with the example of the biomedical research site Simtk.

PMID- 28345078
TI  - Online Actions with Offline Impact: How Online Social Networks Influence Online
      and Offline User Behavior.
AB  - Many of today's most widely used computing applications utilize social networking
      features and allow users to connect, follow each other, share content, and
      comment on others' posts. However, despite the widespread adoption of these
      features, there is little understanding of the consequences that social
      networking has on user retention, engagement, and online as well as offline
      behavior. Here, we study how social networks influence user behavior in a
      physical activity tracking application. We analyze 791 million online and offline
      actions of 6 million users over the course of 5 years, and show that social
      networking leads to a significant increase in users' online as well as offline
      activities. Specifically, we establish a causal effect of how social networks
      influence user behavior. We show that the creation of new social connections
      increases user online in-application activity by 30%, user retention by 17%, and
      user offline real-world physical activity by 7% (about 400 steps per day). By
      exploiting a natural experiment we distinguish the effect of social influence of
      new social connections from the simultaneous increase in user's motivation to use
      the app and take more steps. We show that social influence accounts for 55% of
      the observed changes in user behavior, while the remaining 45% can be explained
      by the user's increased motivation to use the app. Further, we show that
      subsequent, individual edge formations in the social network lead to significant
      increases in daily steps. These effects diminish with each additional edge and
      vary based on edge attributes and user demographics. Finally, we utilize these
      insights to develop a model that accurately predicts which users will be most
      influenced by the creation of new social network connections.

PMID- 28345079
TI  - "Not Just a Receiver": Understanding Patient Behavior in the Hospital
      Environment.
AB  - Patient engagement leads to better health outcomes and experiences of health
      care. However, existing patient engagement systems in the hospital environment
      focus on the passive receipt of information by patients rather than the active
      contribution of the patient or caregiver as a partner in their care. Through
      interviews with hospitalized patients and their caregivers, we identify ways that
      patients and caregivers actively participate in their care. We describe the
      different roles patients and caregivers assume in interacting with their hospital
      care team. We then discuss how systems designed to support patient engagement in
      the hospital setting can promote active participation and help patients achieve
      better outcomes.

PMID- 28345080
TI  - Impact of Sensor Misplacement on Dynamic Time Warping Based Human Activity
      Recognition using Wearable Computers.
AB  - Daily living activity monitoring is important for early detection of the onset of
      many diseases and for improving quality of life especially in elderly. A wireless
      wearable network of inertial sensor nodes can be used to observe daily motions.
      Continuous stream of data generated by these sensor networks can be used to
      recognize the movements of interest. Dynamic Time Warping (DTW) is a widely used
      signal processing method for time-series pattern matching because of its
      robustness to variations in time and speed as opposed to other template matching
      methods. Despite this flexibility, for the application of activity recognition,
      DTW can only find the similarity between the template of a movement and the
      incoming samples, when the location and orientation of the sensor remains
      unchanged. Due to this restriction, small sensor misplacements can lead to a
      decrease in the classification accuracy. In this work, we adopt DTW distance as a
      feature for real-time detection of human daily activities like sit to stand in
      the presence of sensor misplacement. To measure this performance of DTW, we need
      to create a large number of sensor configurations while the sensors are rotated
      or misplaced. Creating a large number of closely spaced sensors is impractical.
      To address this problem, we use the marker based optical motion capture system
      and generate simulated inertial sensor data for different locations and
      orientations on the body. We study the performance of the DTW under these
      conditions to determine the worst-case sensor location variations that the
      algorithm can accommodate.

PMID- 28345081
TI  - Discovery of temperature-dependent, autoinductive reversal of enantioselectivity:
      palladium-mediated [3+3]-annulation of 4-hydroxycoumarins.
AB  - An unusual temperature-dependent autoinductive reversal of enantioselectivity
      (TARE) was discovered in an asymmetric palladium-mediated [3+3]-annulation of 4
      hydroxycoumarin with Morita-Baylis-Hillman acetate. The absolute stereochemistry
      of the reaction product can be readily inversed by solely modifying the reaction
      temperature (from 10  degrees C to 60  degrees C), affording multicyclic adducts
      with the opposite configurations respectively in moderate to excellent
      enantiopurities. Furthermore, the first reported example of palladium-mediated
      bidirectional asymmetric autoinduction was identified to mainly contribute to the
      reversal of enantioselectivity, in which the corresponding adduct actively
      participated in the stereocontrol during the reaction. The correlation between
      reaction temperature and autoinduction was established, which might broaden the
      horizon of stereocontrol in asymmetric catalysis.

PMID- 28345082
TI  - Construction of the septahydroxylated ABC-ring system of dihydro-beta
      agarofurans: application of 6-exo-dig radical cyclization.
AB  - A synthetic route to the septahydroxylated ABC-ring system of dihydro-beta
      agarofurans was established. The B-ring was formed by a base-promoted
      diastereoselective Diels-Alder reaction between 3-hydroxy-2-pyrone and a d
      glyceraldehyde-derived dienophile, while the C-ring was cyclized by PhSeCl
      mediated etherification. The remaining A-ring was constructed via a 6-exo-dig
      radical reaction. Selective transformations gave rise to the ABC-ring system 1
      with nine contiguous stereocenters. The thus obtained 1 corresponded to the
      enantiomer of the densely oxygenated core structure of dihydro-beta-agarofurans.

PMID- 28345083
TI  - CAL-B catalyzed regioselective bulk polymerization of l-aspartic acid diethyl
      ester to alpha-linked polypeptides.
AB  - This paper reports that the bulk polymerization of l-aspartic acid diethyl ester
      catalyzed by immobilized CAL-B at 80  degrees C for 24 h gives primarily (~95%)
      alpha-linked poly(l-aspartate) in 70% yield with DPavg = 50 and regioselectivity
      (alpha/beta) = 94 : 6. Plots of log{[M]0/[M]t} vs. time and DPavgvs. conversion
      indicate that this polymerization proceeds in a controlled manner by a chain
      growth mechanism up to 90% conversion. Thereafter, competition occurs between
      chain growth and step mechanisms.

PMID- 28345084
TI  - The importance of solvent quality on the modification of conjugated polymer
      conformation and thermodynamics with illumination.
AB  - Device efficiency in key organic electronic devices such as organic
      photovoltaics, field transistors, and light emitting diodes has long been known
      to be closely tied to the conformation of the conjugated polymer chains which
      make up the active layers. Our previous results show that light exposure can have
      a profound effect on the structure and assembly of these optoelectronic materials
      in solution. In order to advance our understanding of the role which solvent
      quality plays in this phenomenon, we have further studied the modulation of these
      illumination dependent structural changes on the key benchmark conjugated
      polymers P3HT and MEH-PPV as a function of solvent quality over a wide range of
      polymer solubilities. Analysis of this data indicates that use of poorer
      conjugated polymer solvents ultimately results in larger absolute alterations to
      polymer conformation, denoting the crucial role which solution thermodynamics
      plays in this generic effect. This discovery opens the door to controlling final
      device morphology through careful manipulation of solvent composition during
      solution based device casting techniques, moving our efforts closer to the
      development of a powerful, non-destructive, and tunable method for light-driven
      control of polymer conformation in novel light-responsive organic materials.

PMID- 28345085
TI  - Formation of surface nanodroplets facing a structured microchannel wall.
AB  - Surface nanodroplets are important units for lab-on-a-chip devices,
      compartmentalised catalytic reactions, high-resolution near-field imaging, and
      many others. Solvent exchange is a simple solution-based bottom-up approach for
      producing surface nanodroplets by displacing a good solvent of the droplet liquid
      by a poor one in a narrow channel in the laminar regime. The droplet size is
      controlled by the solution composition and the flow conditions during the solvent
      exchange. In this paper, we investigated the effects of local microfluidic
      structures on the formation of surface nanodroplets. The microstructures consist
      of a microgap with a well-defined geometry, embedded on the opposite microchannel
      wall, facing the substrate where nucleation takes place. For a given channel
      height, the dimensionless control parameters were the Peclet number of the flow,
      the ratio between the gap height and the channel height, and the aspect ratio
      between the gap length and the channel height. We found and explained three
      prominent features in the surface nanodroplet distribution at the surface
      opposite to the microgap: (i) enhanced volume of the droplets; (ii) asymmetry as
      compared to the location of the gap in the spatial droplet distribution with
      increasing Pe; (iii) reduced exponent of the effective scaling law of the droplet
      size with Pe. The droplet size also varied with the aspect and height ratios of
      the microgap at a given Pe value. Our simulations of the profile of
      oversaturation in the channel reveal that the droplet size distribution may be
      attributed to the local flow patterns induced by the gap. Finally, in a tapered
      microchannel, a gradient of surface nanodroplet size was obtained. Our work shows
      the potential for controlling nanodroplet size and spatial organization on a
      homogeneous surface in a bottom-up approach by simple microfluidic structures.

PMID- 28345086
TI  - Selective C-C coupling at a Pt(iv) centre: 100% preference for sp2-sp3 over sp3
      sp3.
AB  - The oxidative addition of three different organic halides RX to the non-symmetric
      platinum(ii) mer coordinated dicyclometallated C^N^C complex 1 yielded short
      lived six-coordinate platinum(iv) complexes 2(R) (R = Me, allyl, Bn), with the
      incoming groups trans across the platinum centre. A spontaneous reductive
      coupling reaction then occurred with, in each case, a completely chemoselective
      sp2-sp3 coupling, and exclusively gave R-3, with the newly introduced R group
      bonded to the previously cyclometallated aryl ring. Following a
      recyclometallation reaction, the oxidative addition/reductive elimination cycle
      was repeated and gave the same selectivity. A one-pot route to doubly alkylating
      the aryl ring was developed. The observed selectivity might have been predicted
      on the normal basis of a steric barrier associated with non-flat sp3 hybridised
      groups, but we suggest that it arises from the stereochemistry at the metal, and
      the orientation of the ligands.

PMID- 28345087
TI  - Comment on "Conformational analysis of triphenylphosphine ligands in stereogenic
      monometallic complexes: tools for predicting the preferred configuration of the
      triphenylphosphine rotor" by J. F. Costello, S. G. Davies, E. T. F. Gould and J.
      E. Thomson, Dalton Trans., 2015, 44, 5451.
AB  - In half-sandwich compounds of the type [Cp*ML1L2PPh3] the PPh3 propeller is
      stabilized by attractive CH/pi interactions in which Co-H bonds specifically
      interact with the Ci and Co atoms of neighbouring phenyl rings, as in the T
      shaped benzene dimer (i/o = ipso/ortho). This stabilization was not taken into
      account in a recent conformational analysis based on van der Waals energy
      calculations and minimization of steric compression (Dalton Trans., 2015, 44,
      5451-5466). It is shown that in all 116 structures discussed in this analysis the
      CoH-Ci/o distances fall below the sum of the van der Waals radii, establishing
      attractive CH/pi interactions, although the short contacts could easily be
      avoided by phenyl rotation to relieve steric strain. In 53 of the described
      structures there are acyl substituents which form conformation-determining Co
      HO(acyl) hydrogen bonds that are not taken into account in the recent analysis.
      The steric-only model is not an adequate description of M-PPh3 complexes.

PMID- 28345089
TI  - Dancing disclinations in confined active nematics.
AB  - The spontaneous emergence of collective flows is a generic property of active
      fluids and often leads to chaotic flow patterns characterised by swirls, jets,
      and topological disclinations in their orientation field. However, the ability to
      achieve structured flows and ordered disclinations is of particular importance in
      the design and control of active systems. By confining an active nematic fluid
      within a channel, we find a regular motion of disclinations, in conjunction with
      a well defined and dynamic vortex lattice. As pairs of moving disclinations
      travel through the channel, they continually exchange partners producing a
      dynamic ordered state, reminiscent of Ceilidh dancing. We anticipate that this
      biomimetic ability to self-assemble organised topological disclinations and
      dynamically structured flow fields in engineered geometries will pave the road
      towards establishing new active topological microfluidic devices.

PMID- 28345088
TI  - Near-infrared emitting iridium(iii) complexes for mitochondrial imaging in living
      cells.
AB  - Biocompatible transition metal complexes dyes emitting in the near-infrared (NIR)
      region, are highly desirable in fluorescence imaging techniques. However, a high
      performance mitochondria-specific labeling NIR probe with high photostability is
      still lacking. Herein we reported two NIR-emitting cationic iridium(iii)
      complexes [Ir(pbq-g)2(N^N)]+Cl- (pbq-g = phenylbenzo[g]-quinoline; N^N = 2-(1
      benzyl-1H-pyrazol-3-yl) pyridine (Ir1) and 2-(1-(naphthalen-1-ylmethyl)-1H
      pyrazol-3-yl) pyridine (Ir2)). These two novel Ir(iii) complexes with different
      N^N ligands exhibited similar NIR emission with lambdamax at 751 nm for Ir1 and
      750 nm for Ir2 in PBS solution, with luminescence quantum yields of around 0.62
      for Ir1 and 0.85 for Ir2. These two complexes showed high mitochondrial
      specificity, superior photostability, high resistance to the loss of the
      mitochondrial membrane potential and appreciable tolerance to environmental
      changes, allowing NIR imaging of mitochondrial morphological changes over long
      periods of time. These excellent photophysical and imaging properties made them
      promising NIR luminescent tags for applications in bioimaging.

PMID- 28345090
TI  - Exhaustive Suzuki-Miyaura reactions of polyhalogenated heteroarenes with alkyl
      boronic pinacol esters.
AB  - A novel Suzuki-Miyaura protocol is described that enables the exhaustive
      alkylation of polychlorinated pyridines. This method facilitates a formal
      synthesis of normuscopyridine and the rapid assembly of a dumbbell shaped portion
      of a [2]rotaxane.

PMID- 28345091
TI  - Solutal and thermal buoyancy effects in self-powered phosphatase micropumps.
AB  - Immobilized enzymes generate net fluid flow when exposed to specific reagents in
      solution. Thus, they function as self-powered platforms that combine sensing and
      on-demand fluid pumping. To uncover the mechanism of pumping, we examine the
      effects of solutal and thermal buoyancy on the behavior of phosphatase-based
      micropumps, using a series of reactants with known thermodynamic and kinetic
      parameters. By combining modeling and experiments, we perform the first
      quantitative comparison of thermal and solutal effects in an enzyme micropump
      system. Despite the significant exothermicity of the catalyzed reactions, we find
      that thermal effects play a minimal role in the observed fluid flow. Instead,
      fluid transport in phosphatase micropumps is governed by the density difference
      between the reactants and the products of the reaction. This surprising
      conclusion suggests new design principles for catalytic pumps.

PMID- 28345092
TI  - Integrating optical tweezers with up-converting luminescence: a non-amplification
      analytical platform for quantitative detection of microRNA-21 sequences.
AB  - We report a single-microsphere based imaging assay method by integrating up
      converting luminescence with optical tweezers for detecting microRNA-21
      sequences. This method achieves a competitive detection limit of 12 fM with good
      selectivity and no dedicated signal amplification designs.

PMID- 28345093
TI  - Diffusion of active dimers in a Couette flow.
AB  - We study the 3D dynamics of an elastic dimer consisting of an active swimmer
      bound to a passive cargo, both suspended in a Couette flow. Using numerical
      simulations, we determine the diffusivity of such an active dimer in the presence
      of long-range hydrodynamic interactions for different values of its self
      propulsion speed and the Couette flow. We observe that the effect of hydrodynamic
      interactions is greatly enhanced under the condition that self-propulsion is
      strong enough to contrast the shear flow. The magnitude of the effect grows with
      the size of the dimer's constituents relative to their distance, which makes it
      appreciable under experimental conditions.

PMID- 28345094
TI  - A metal-organic framework devised Co-N doped carbon microsphere/nanofiber hybrid
      as a free-standing 3D oxygen catalyst.
AB  - A Co-N doped 3D carbon microsphere/nanofiber hybrid was produced by
      electrospinning. We can effectively control the morphology transformation from a
      pearl necklace-like nanofiber to a microsphere/nanofiber hybrid. The hybrid shows
      Pt-like oxygen reduction reaction activity both in acidic and basic solutions,
      making it one of the best non-noble metal oxygen catalysts.

PMID- 28345095
TI  - A simple functional carbon nanotube fiber for in vivo monitoring of NO in a rat
      brain following cerebral ischemia.
AB  - Nitric oxide (NO) is key free-radical messenger and neuronal signal which is
      closely related to many brain diseases. It is a challenge to develop a sensitive
      and reliable biosensor for in vivo monitoring of NO in the brain. In this
      research, a simple ratiometric electrochemical biosensor for NO monitoring in rat
      brain following cerebral ischemia was developed using a carbon nanotube fiber
      (CNF) modified with hemin, in which the CNF not only served as a platform to
      assemble the hemin molecule, but greatly facilitated the electron transfer of
      hemin on to the electrode surface. Additionally, the hemin molecule was found to
      play dual roles: as a stable catalyst for the reduction of NO for selective
      detection of NO at -0.67 V versus silver/silver chloride, as well as an inner
      reference element to provide a built-in correction, to avoid the interference
      from the complicated brain environment. The developed ratiometric biosensor can
      detect NO with a linear range from 25 to 1000 nM, with a low limit of detection
      down to 10 nM, which fulfills the requirements for in vivo measurement of NO. The
      remarkable analytical performance of the present biosensor, as well as the long
      term stability and good reproducibility established this as a reliable approach
      for in vivo monitoring of NO in the hippocampus of rat brains following cerebral
      ischemia. This is the first report that the average level of NO increased from 61
      +/- 23 nM to 141 +/- 18 nM after cerebral ischemia for 15 min.

PMID- 28345096
TI  - Outstanding Reviewers for Soft Matter in 2016.

PMID- 28345097
TI  - Tailoring single chain polymer nanoparticle thermo-mechanical behavior by cross
      link density.
AB  - Single chain polymer nanoparticles (SCPNs) are formed from intrachain cross
      linking of a single polymer chain, making SCPN distinct from other polymer
      nanoparticles for which the shape is predefined before polymerization. The degree
      of cross-linking in large part determines the internal architecture of the SCPNs
      and therefore their mechanical and thermomechanical properties. Here, we use
      molecular dynamics (MD) simulations to study thermomechanical behavior of
      individual SCPNs with different underlying structures by varying the ratio of
      cross-linking and the degree of polymerization. We characterize the particles in
      terms of shape, structure, glass transition temperature, mobility, and stress
      response to compressive loading. The results indicate that the constituent
      monomers of SCPNs become less mobile as the degree of cross-linking is increased
      corresponding to lower diffusivity and higher stress at a given temperature.

PMID- 28345098
TI  - A chiral cobalt(ii) complex catalyzed asymmetric formal [3+2] cycloaddition for
      the synthesis of 1,2,4-triazolines.
AB  - A highly efficient catalytic asymmetric formal [3+2] cycloaddition reaction of 5
      alkoxyoxazoles with azodicarboxylate compounds has been realized by a chiral N,N'
      dioxide/Co(BF4)2.6H2O complex. A series of poly-substituted 1,2,4-triazolines
      compounds were obtained in moderate to excellent yields (70-99%) with excellent
      enantioselectivities (82-98% ee).

PMID- 28345099
TI  - Ultrasensitive nanoparticle enhanced laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy using a
      super-hydrophobic substrate coupled with magnetic confinement.
AB  - In this study, we developed a substrate to enhance the sensitivity of LIBS by 5
      orders of magnitude. Using a combination of field enhancement due to the metal
      nanoparticles in the substrate, the aggregate effect of super-hydrophobic
      interfaces and magnetic confinement, we performed a quantitative measurement of
      copper in solution with concentrations on the ppt level. We also demonstrated
      that the substrate improves quantitative measurements by providing an opportunity
      for internal standardization.

PMID- 28345100
TI  - Visible light-induced heterogeneous Meerwein-Ponndorf-Verley-type reduction of an
      aldehyde group over an organically modified titanium dioxide photocatalyst.
AB  - An organically modified titanium dioxide photocatalyst prepared by a simple
      impregnation method chemoselectively and almost quantitatively converted
      benzaldehydes having other reducible functional groups to the corresponding
      benzyl alcohols under visible light irradiation.

PMID- 28345101
TI  - Nontoxic organic solvents identified using an a priori approach with Hansen
      solubility parameters.
AB  - Nontoxicities of organic solvents were predicted using Hansen solubility
      parameters and various truly nontoxic solvents were identified according to the
      prediction. The nontoxicity of solvents originates from their exhibition of poor
      solubility or low diffusivity toward cell constituents and good stability against
      hydrolytic degradation.

PMID- 28345102
TI  - A highly stable sodium solid-state electrolyte based on a dodeca/deca-borate
      equimolar mixture.
AB  - Na2(B12H12)0.5(B10H10)0.5, a new solid-state sodium electrolyte is shown to offer
      high Na+ conductivity of 0.9 mS cm-1 at 20  degrees C, excellent thermal
      stability up to 300  degrees C, and a large electrochemical stability window of 3
      V including stability towards sodium metal anodes, all essential prerequisites
      for a stable room-temperature 3 V all-solid-state sodium-ion battery.

PMID- 28345104
TI  - Biology and toxicology of tellurium explored by speciation analysis.
AB  - Tellurium (Te) is widely used in industry because it has unique physicochemical
      properties. Although Te is a non-essential element in animals and plants, it is
      expected to be metabolized to organometallic compounds having a carbon-Te bond in
      living organisms exposed to inorganic Te compounds. Thus, the speciation and
      identification of tellurometabolites are expected to contribute to the depiction
      of the metabolic chart of Te. Speciation by elemental mass spectrometry and
      identification by molecular mass spectrometry coupled with separation techniques
      have significantly contributed to the discovery of tellurometabolites in animals
      and plants. The aim of this mini review is to present recent advances in the
      biology and toxicology of tellurium as revealed by speciation and identification
      by molecular mass spectrometry.

PMID- 28345103
TI  - 1,2-Difunctionalization-type (hetero)arylation of unactivated alkenes triggered
      by radical addition/remote (hetero)aryl migration.
AB  - A novel difunctionalization-type (hetero)arylation of unactivated alkenes has
      been developed via remote 1,4(5)-(hetero)aryl migration triggered by radical
      alkene azidation, trifluoromethylation, or phosphonylation. The overall process
      serves as an unusual and reliable approach for straightforward access to
      diversely substituted ketones with broad functional group compatibility from
      readily available substrates and reagents.

PMID- 28345105
TI  - Phase behavior of colloid-polymer depletion mixtures with unary or binary
      depletants.
AB  - Adding depletants to a colloidal suspension induces an attractive interparticle
      interaction that can be tuned to obtain desired structures or to probe phase
      behavior. When the depletant is not uniform in size, however, both the range and
      strength of the attraction become difficult to predict and hence control. We
      investigated the effects of depletant bidispersity on the non-equilibrium phase
      behavior of colloid-polymer mixtures. We added unary or binary mixtures of
      polystyrene as the depletant to suspensions of charged poly(methyl methacrylate)
      particles. The structure and dynamics of the particles were compared over three
      sets of samples with various mixtures of two different polystyrenes whose size
      varied by an order of magnitude. The structure and dynamics were nearly
      independent of depletant dispersity if the polymer concentration was represented
      as a sum of normalized concentrations of each species. Near the transition region
      between a fluid of clusters and an interconnected gel at intermediate volume
      fractions, partitioning of polymers in a binary mixture into colloid-rich and
      polymer-rich phase leads to a slightly different gelation pathway.

PMID- 28345106
TI  - Phenylamine-functionalized mesoporous silica supported PdAg nanoparticles: a dual
      heterogeneous catalyst for formic acid/CO2-mediated chemical hydrogen
      delivery/storage.
AB  - A PdAg-based nanoparticle catalyst supported on the mesoporous silica material,
      SBA-15, modified with a weakly basic phenylamine functional group has been
      developed as a dual heterogeneous catalyst for the H2 delivery and H2 storage
      reactions mediated by formic acid and carbon dioxide.

PMID- 28345107
TI  - The smallest cucurbituril analogue with high affinity for Ag.
AB  - A new host, Me8TD[4], was prepared for the first time from propanediurea
      formaldehyde condensation in the presence of CaCl2 as the template and it is the
      smallest cucurbituril analogue reported so far. Measurements of the thermodynamic
      quantities (log K, DeltaH, and DeltaS values) of the interactions of Me8TD[4]
      with a series of cations by isothermal titration calorimetry indicated that
      Me8TD[4] binds selectively towards Ag+ with a high binding constant, K ~ 1.3 *
      106 M-1.

PMID- 28345108
TI  - Specific Contributions of Age of Onset, Callous-Unemotional Traits and
      Impulsivity to Reactive and Proactive Aggression in Youths with Conduct
      Disorders.
AB  - Youths with conduct disorders (CD) are particularly studied for their violent and
      aggressive behaviors. Many researchers considered aggressive behaviors as being
      either reactive or proactive. Moreover, factors such as age of CD onset,
      impulsivity, and callous-unemotional traits, separately, have been related to
      these different types of aggressive behaviors. However, very few studies
      addressed the combined contribution of these three factors on proactive and
      reactive aggression. This question was tested in a sample composed of 43 male
      adolescents with CD. A single regression analysis including all predictors and
      outcomes, using Bayesian statistics, was computed. Results indicated that
      impulsivity was related to reactive aggression, while CU traits were related to
      proactive aggression. These results suggest first, an important heterogeneity
      among youth with CD, probably leading to different trajectories and, second, that
      youths with callous-unemotional traits should receive special attention and care
      as they are more at risk for proactive aggression.

PMID- 28345110
TI  - Prediction of fetal loss by first-trimester crown-rump length in IVF pregnancies:
      prediction rules to avoid misinterpretation.

PMID- 28345109
TI  - Description of Four New Species of Genus Acanthaegilips Ashmead, 1897
      (Hymenoptera: Figitidae: Anacharitinae) from Colombia.
AB  - There are four new species of the Neotropical Anacharitinae genus Acanthaegilips
      Ashmead, 1897: A. boyacensis sp. n., A. curvis sp. n., A. timidus sp. n., and A.
      truncatus sp. n. The diagnostic characters of this new species and data about
      their morphological variability and similarities with other Acantahegilips
      species are discussed. An updated key of genus Acanthaegilips is included.

PMID- 28345111
TI  - Prenatal ultrasonic diagnosis and differential diagnosis of isolated right aortic
      arch with mirror-image branching.
AB  - PURPOSE: This study sought to evaluate the fetal echocardiography features of
      isolated right aortic arch (RAA) with mirror-image branching and to improve the
      rate and accuracy of prenatal diagnosis of this condition. METHODS: We reviewed
      fetal echocardiograms from all cases of isolated RAA with mirror-image branching
      diagnosed at our institution between August 2012 and December 2015 and classified
      these cases into normal and abnormal types of ductus arteriosus based on the
      course of the arterial duct arch. We confirmed the diagnoses by postnatal
      echocardiography. RESULTS: A total of 11 cases of isolated RAA with mirror-image
      branching, with the left ductus and the descending aorta located on the left side
      of the spine, were diagnosed using fetal echocardiography. Ten cases involved
      normal ductus arteriosus, with the left ductus connecting the left pulmonary
      artery to the descending aorta, five of which were referred to our institution
      for suspicions of double aortic aorta. 1 case involved abnormal ductus
      arteriosus, with the left ductus connecting the left pulmonary artery to the left
      innominate artery. CONCLUSIONS: RAA with mirror-image branching can be detected
      via fetal echocardiography, which can reveal the relationship between of the
      aortic arch and the trachea and can enable the identification of the course of
      brachiocephalic branching. The identification of isolated RAA with mirror-image
      branching is crucial for distinguishing this condition from other types of aortic
      arch anomalies, particularly double aortic aorta, which can have a rather
      different prognosis.

PMID- 28345112
TI  - Experience with direct acting anti-viral agents for treating hepatitis C virus
      infection in renal transplant recipients.
AB  - In recent past, direct-acting anti-viral drugs (DAAs) have become the standard of
      care for the treatment of hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection. However, the
      experience with the use of these drugs in Indian renal transplant recipients is
      limited. We retrospectively reviewed our experience with DAA-based treatment for
      HCV infection in such patients. Between April 2015 and December 2016, six adults
      (median age 41 [range 34-52] years, male 5; GT1 2, GT3 3, and GT4 1; including
      three with prior failed interferon-based treatment) had received genotype-guided,
      DAA-based anti-HCV treatment 1 to 158 (median 15) months after renal
      transplantation. Of them, four completed the planned 24-week treatment without
      any significant adverse event. One of them had increase in serum creatinine after
      16 weeks of treatment with sofosbuvir and daclatasvir, with acute interstitial
      nephritis on kidney biopsy; his renal function improved on stopping the drugs.
      The other patient had preexisting mild renal dysfunction, which worsened after 8
      weeks of sofosbuvir-ledipasvir treatment; this did not reverse on stopping
      treatment. All the six patients achieved undetectable HCV RNA after 4 weeks of
      treatment and also achieved sustained virologic response, i.e. lack of detectable
      HCV RNA in serum 12 weeks after stopping treatment. Overall, DAA-based treatment
      was effective in treating HCV infection in our renal transplant recipients;
      however, caution and monitoring of renal function during such treatment is
      advisable in patients who have additional factors that predispose to renal
      injury.

PMID- 28345114
TI  - Peripheral Endothelial Function After Arterial Switch Operation for D-looped
      Transposition of the Great Arteries.
AB  - Coronary artery re-implantation during arterial switch operation in patients with
      D-looped transposition of the great arteries (D-TGA) can alter coronary arterial
      flow and increase shear stress, leading to local endothelial dysfunction,
      although prior studies have conflicting results. Endothelial pulse amplitude
      testing can predict coronary endothelial dysfunction by peripheral arterial
      testing. This study tested if, compared to healthy controls, patients with D-TGA
      after arterial switch operation had peripheral endothelial dysfunction. Patient
      inclusion criteria were (1) D-TGA after neonatal arterial switch operation; (2)
      age 9-29 years; (3) absence of known cardiovascular risk factors such as
      hypertension, diabetes, hypercholesterolemia, vascular disease, recurrent
      vasovagal syncope, and coronary artery disease; and (4) ability to comply with
      overnight fasting. Exclusion criteria included (1) body mass index >=85th
      percentile, (2) use of medications affecting vascular tone, or (3) acute illness.
      We assessed endothelial function by endothelial pulse amplitude testing and
      compared the results to our previously published data in healthy controls (n =
      57). We tested 20 D-TGA patients (16.4 +/- 4.8 years old) who have undergone
      arterial switch operation at a median age of 5 days (0-61 days). Endothelial
      pulse amplitude testing indices were similar between patients with D-TGA and
      controls (1.78 +/- 0.61 vs. 1.73 +/- 0.54, p = 0.73).In our study population of
      children and young adults, there was no evidence of peripheral endothelial
      dysfunction in patients with D-TGA who have undergone arterial switch operation.
      Our results support the theory that coronary arterial wall thickening and
      abnormal vasodilation reported in these patients is a localized phenomenon and
      not reflective of overall atherosclerotic burden.

PMID- 28345115
TI  - Counseling Practices for Fetal Hypoplastic Left Heart Syndrome.
AB  - While counseling parents of a fetus diagnosed with hypoplastic left heart
      syndrome (HLHS), pediatric cardiologists play a critical role in shaping a
      family's expectations for the months and years to come. However, techniques for
      the most effective counseling practices have not been studied, and significant
      variation among physicians is likely present. Web-based survey of pediatric
      cardiologists that perform fetal echocardiography using snowball sampling. 201
      physicians responded (61% male, 81% from academic centers, and 95% from the
      U.S.), with an average experience of 12 years. The majority of respondents (73%)
      typically received initial referrals for HLHS between 20 and 24 weeks of
      gestation. Most physicians counsel families alone (54%), while others counsel
      with a nurse (35%), social worker (12%), and/or maternal-fetal medicine colleague
      (15%). Termination of pregnancy was discussed by 79% of respondents, although 15%
      did not know their state's legal limit for termination. While initial counseling
      sessions routinely described the typical earlier ramifications of HLHS, many long
      term sequelae of the disease were not commonly discussed. Content of counseling
      was affected by region of the country, but not by practice setting, experience,
      or fetal volume. Respondents identified multiple barriers that limited their
      counseling practices. Our data suggest that current counseling practices often
      fail to cover important information. Perceived barriers to a full discourse on
      long-term sequelae of HLHS are common and may lead to a disconnect between
      reality and a family's understanding of the natural history of palliated HLHS.
      Opportunities to improve counseling practices exist, and there may be benefits to
      gain from more formal training.

PMID- 28345116
TI  - Oligomeric State and Thermal Stability of Apo- and Holo- Human Ornithine delta
      Aminotransferase.
AB  - Human ornithine delta-aminotransferase (hOAT) (EC 2.6.1.13) is a mitochondrial
      pyridoxal 5'-phosphate (PLP)-dependent aminotransferase whose deficit is
      associated with gyrate atrophy, a rare autosomal recessive disorder causing
      progressive blindness and chorioretinal degeneration. Here, both the apo- and
      holo-form of recombinant hOAT were characterized by means of spectroscopic,
      kinetic, chromatographic and computational techniques. The results indicate that
      apo and holo-hOAT (a) show a similar tertiary structure, even if apo displays a
      more pronounced exposure of hydrophobic patches, (b) exhibit a tetrameric
      structure with a tetramer-dimer equilibrium dissociation constant about fivefold
      higher for the apoform with respect to the holoform, and (c) have apparent Tm
      values of 46 and 67  degrees C, respectively. Moreover, unlike holo-hOAT, apo
      hOAT is prone to unfolding and aggregation under physiological conditions. We
      also identified Arg217 as an important hot-spot at the dimer-dimer interface of
      hOAT and demonstrated that the artificial dimeric variant R217A exhibits
      spectroscopic properties, Tm values and catalytic features similar to those of
      the tetrameric species. This finding indicates that the catalytic unit of hOAT is
      the dimer. However, under physiological conditions the apo-tetramer is slightly
      less prone to unfolding and aggregation than the apo-dimer. The possible
      implications of the data for the intracellular stability and regulation of hOAT
      are discussed.

PMID- 28345117
TI  - Inwardly Rectifying K+ Currents in Cultured Oligodendrocytes from Rat Optic Nerve
      are Insensitive to pH.
AB  - Inwardly rectifying K+ (Kir) channel expression signals at an advanced stage of
      maturation during oligodendroglial differentiation. Knocking down their
      expression halts the generation of myelin and produces severe abnormalities in
      the central nervous system. Kir4.1 is the main subunit involved in the tetrameric
      structure of Kir channels in glial cells; however, the precise composition of Kir
      channels expressed in oligodendrocytes (OLs) remains partially unknown, as
      participation of other subunits has been proposed. Kir channels are sensitive to
      H+; thus, intracellular acidification produces Kir current inhibition. Since Kir
      subunits have differential sensitivity to H+, we studied the effect of
      intracellular acidification on Kir currents expressed in cultured OLs derived
      from optic nerves of 12-day-old rats. Unexpectedly, Kir currents in OLs (2-4 DIV)
      did not change within the pH range of 8.0-5.0, as observed when using standard
      whole-cell voltage-clamp recording or when preserving cytoplasmic components with
      the perforated patch-clamp technique. In contrast, low pH inhibited astrocyte Kir
      currents, which was consistent with the involvement of the Kir4.1 subunit. The H+
      insensitivity expressed in OL Kir channels was not intrinsic because Kir cloning
      showed no difference in the sequence reported for the Kir4.1, Kir2.1, or Kir5.1
      subunits. Moreover, when Kir channels were heterologously expressed in Xenopus
      oocytes they behaved as expected in their general properties and sensitivity to
      H+. It is therefore concluded that Kir channel H+-sensitivity in OLs is modulated
      through an extrinsic mechanism, probably by association with a modulatory
      component or by posttranslational modifications.

PMID- 28345119
TI  - Metabolism of Mannose in Cultured Primary Rat Neurons.
AB  - Glucose is the main peripheral substrate for energy production in the brain.
      However, as other hexoses are present in blood and cerebrospinal fluid, we have
      investigated whether neurons have the potential to metabolize, in addition to
      glucose, also the hexoses mannose, fructose or galactose. Incubation of primary
      cerebellar granule neurons in the absence of glucose caused severe cell toxicity
      within 24 h, which could not be prevented by application of galactose or
      fructose, while the cells remained viable during incubation in the presence of
      either mannose or glucose. In addition, cultured neurons produced substantial and
      almost identical amounts of lactate after exposure to either glucose or mannose,
      while lactate production was low in the presence of fructose and hardly
      detectable during incubations without hexoses or with galactose as carbon source.
      Determination of the KM values of hexokinase in lysates of cultured neurons for
      the hexoses revealed values in the micromolar range for mannose (32 +/- 2 uM) and
      glucose (59 +/- 10 uM) and in the millimolar range for fructose (4.4 +/- 2.3 mM),
      demonstrating that mannose is efficiently phosphorylated by neuronal hexokinase.
      Finally, cultured neurons contained reasonable specific activity of the enzyme
      phosphomannose isomerase, which is required for isomerization of the hexokinase
      product mannose-6-phosphate into the glycolysis intermediate fructose-6
      phosphate. These data demonstrate that cultured cerebellar granule neurons have
      the potential and express the required enzymes to efficiently metabolize mannose,
      while galactose and fructose serve at best poorly as extracellular carbon sources
      for neurons.

PMID- 28345120
TI  - Fission Yeast srm1 is Involved in Stress Response and Cell Cycle.
AB  - Polyamines are well-conserved, multifunctional polycations that contribute to a
      number of processes in the cells such as cell cycle, apoptosis, stress response,
      and gene expression. Therefore, polyamine levels should be kept under strict
      regulation by specific polyamine transporters and polyamine synthases. In this
      study, the aim is to experimentally characterize a predicted spermidine synthase
      gene srm1, which was identified upon sequence similarity, in fission yeast
      Schizosaccharomyces pombe. In an attempt to understand the role of this gene in
      cell cycle and stress response, deletion mutant of srm1 was generated and
      analyzed in terms of cell cycle regulation and environmental stress response. The
      results showed that srm1Delta cells had elongated cell size and were sensitive to
      osmotic stress, while they showed no sensitivity to DNA-damaging agents. To the
      best of our knowledge, this is the first experimental characterization of srm1
      gene and its role in cell cycle progression and stress response.

PMID- 28345118
TI  - Effect of Paullinia cupana Mart. Commercial Extract During the Aging of Middle
      Age Wistar Rats: Differential Effects on the Hippocampus and Striatum.
AB  - During aging, there is a marked decline in the antioxidant capacity of brain
      tissue, leading to a gradual loss of the antioxidant/oxidant balance, which
      causes oxidative damage. The effects of Paullinia cupana Mart. extract, which is
      described as being rich in caffeine and many polyphenol compounds, on the central
      nervous system have not been extensively investigated. The aim of this study was
      to therefore investigate the effect of a commercial guarana extract (CGE) on
      cognitive function, oxidative stress, and brain homeostasis proteins related to
      cognitive injury and senescence in middle age, male Wistar rats. Animals were
      randomly assigned to a group according to their treatment (saline, CGE, or
      caffeine). Solutions were administered daily by oral gavage for 6 months. Open
      field and novel object recognition tasks were performed before and after
      treatment. Biochemical analyses were carried out on the hippocampus and striatum.
      Our open field data showed an increase in exploratory activity and a decrease in
      anxiety-like behavior with caffeine but not with the CGE treatment. In the CGE
      treated group, catalase activity decreased in the hippocampus and increased in
      the striatum. Analyses of the hippocampus and striatum indicate that CGE and/or
      caffeine altered some of the analyzed parameters in a tissue-specific manner. Our
      data suggest that CGE intake does not improve cognitive development, but modifies
      the oxidative stress machinery and neurodegenerative-signaling pathway,
      inhibiting pro-survival pathway molecules in the hippocampus and striatum. This
      may contribute to the development of unfavorable microenvironments in the brain
      and neurodegenerative disorders.

PMID- 28345123
TI  - Traumatic Pseudoaneurysms of the Head in War Time: Report of Two Unusual Cases.
AB  - Either intracranial or extracranial pseudoaneurysms due to penetrating head
      injuries with gunshot are very rare entities. As the pseudoaneurysms of the
      superficial temporal artery are represented commonly with a pulsating mass lesion
      beneath scalp, the intracranial pseudoaneurysms are represented with symptoms
      including decreased conscious level, seizure, or focal neurological deficits.
      Here, two patients with combat related pseudoaneurysms are reported; one was in
      distal cortical branch of anterior cerebral artery and one was in superficial
      temporal artery. Both of the cases were victims of Libyan war. One was admitted
      with a swelling in his scalp and a pseudoaneurysms on parietal branch of
      superficial temporary artery diagnosed with computed tomography; and the other
      was incidentally diagnosed on distal cortical branch of anterior cerebral artery
      during operation for removal of an intracranial bullet. Both of the aneurysms
      treated with surgical excision without any complication.

PMID- 28345121
TI  - Outcomes of a Randomized Controlled Trial of Genomic Counseling for Patients
      Receiving Personalized and Actionable Complex Disease Reports.
AB  - There has been very limited study of patients with chronic disease receiving
      potentially actionable genomic based results or the utilization of genetic
      counselors in the online result delivery process. We conducted a randomized
      controlled trial on 199 patients with chronic disease each receiving eight
      personalized and actionable complex disease reports online. Primary study aims
      were to assess the impact of in-person genomic counseling on 1) causal
      attribution of disease risk, 2) personal awareness of disease risk, and 3)
      perceived risk of developing a particular disease. Of 98 intervention arm
      participants (mean age = 57.8; 39% female) randomized for in-person genomic
      counseling, 76 (78%) were seen. In contrast, control arm participants (n = 101;
      mean age = 58.5; 54% female) were initially not offered genomic counseling as
      part of the study protocol but were able to access in-person genomic counseling,
      if they requested it, 3-months post viewing of at least one test report and post
      completion of the study-specific follow-up survey. A total of 64 intervention arm
      and 59 control arm participants completed follow-up survey measures. We found
      that participants receiving in-person genomic counseling had enhanced objective
      understanding of the genetic variant risk contribution for multiple complex
      diseases. Genomic counseling was associated with lowered participant causal
      beliefs in genetic influence across all eight diseases, compared to control
      participants. Our findings also illustrate that for the majority of diseases
      under study, intervention arm participants believed they knew their genetic risk
      status better than control arm subjects. Disease risk was modified for the
      majority during genomic counseling, due to the assessment of more comprehensive
      family history. In conclusion, for patients receiving personalized and actionable
      genomic results through a web portal, genomic counseling enhanced their objective
      understanding of the genetic variant risk contribution to multiple common
      diseases. These results support the development of additional genomic counseling
      interventions to ensure a high level of patient comprehension and improve patient
      centered health outcomes.

PMID- 28345122
TI  - Effect of laser on pain relief and wound healing of recurrent aphthous
      stomatitis: a systematic review.
AB  - The aim of this systematic review was to assess a potential benefit of laser use
      in the treatment of recurrent aphthous stomatitis (RAS). The primary outcome
      variables were pain relief, duration of wound healing and reduction in episode
      frequency. A PICO approach was used as a search strategy in Medline, Embase and
      Cochrane databases. After scanning and excluding titles, abstracts and full
      texts, 11 studies (ten RCTs and one non-randomised controlled trial) were
      included. Study selection and data extraction was done by two observers. Study
      participants varied between 7-90 for the laser and 5-90 for the control groups.
      Laser treatment included Nd:YAG laser ablation, CO2 laser applied through a
      transparent gel (non-ablative) and diode laser in a low-level laser treatment
      (LLLT) mode. Control groups had placebo, no therapy or topical corticosteroid
      treatment. Significant pain relief immediately after treatment was found in five
      out of six studies. Pain relief in the days following treatment was recorded in
      seven studies. The duration of RAS wound healing was also reduced in five
      studies. However, criteria of evaluation differed between the studies. The
      episode frequency was not evaluated as only one study addressed this outcome
      parameter, but did not discriminate between the study (LLLT) and control
      (corticosteroid) groups. Jadad scores (ranging from 0 to 5) for quality
      assessment of the included studies range between 0 and 2 (mean = 1.0) for studies
      analysing pain relief and between 0 and 3 (mean = 1.1) for studies evaluating
      wound healing. The use of lasers (CO2 laser, Nd:YAG laser and diode laser) to
      relieve symptoms and promote healing of RAS is a therapeutic option. More studies
      for laser applications are necessary to demonstrate superiority over topical
      pharmaceutical treatment and to recommend a specific laser type, wavelength,
      power output and applied energy (ablative versus photobiomodulation).

PMID- 28345124
TI  - Evaluation of Cortical Brain Parenchyma by Diffusion and Perfusion MRI Before and
      After Chronic Subdural Hematoma Surgery.
AB  - AIM: To evaluate microcirculatory changes in neighboring parenchyma as a result
      of pressure due to chronic subdural hematoma (CSDH) in early and late periods
      after hematoma drainage. MATERIAL AND METHODS: The subject group consisted of 25
      patients who underwent CSDH drainage. Brain diffusion and perfusion magnetic
      resonance images (MRIs) were obtained preoperatively, and at 48 hours (early
      period) and 2 months (late period) postoperatively. Measurements were performed
      on 1 cm2 regions of interest (ROI) in the neighboring parenchymal tissue.
      RESULTS: The early postoperative diffusion values showed improvement compared to
      the preoperative values. The late postoperative values showed improvement
      compared to the preoperative and early postoperative values. The early
      postoperative perfusion values showed slight decline compared to the preoperative
      values. However, the late postoperative values showed improvement compared to the
      preoperative and early postoperative values. CONCLUSION: The fact that there was
      an increase in diffusion values from early to late postoperative periods,
      compared with the preoperative period, indicates that the beneficial effects of
      surgery increase over time. Brain perfusion was found to be slightly decreased in
      early postoperative period. Following CSDH drainage, neurological deteriorations
      are observed in some patients in the early postoperative periods; a slight
      impairment in perfusion may account for this. However, during the late
      postoperative period, perfusion was seen to recover prominently.

PMID- 28345125
TI  - New Clues in the Malignant Progression of Glioblastoma: Can the Thioredoxin
      System Play a Role?
AB  - AIM: To evaluate and compare the expression of thioredoxin reductase 1 (TrxR1) in
      primary and secondary glioblastoma samples. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Surgically
      resected human glioblastoma samples from 40 patients who underwent surgery at our
      institution were extracted from their histopathological specimens and divided
      into three groups. Ten histopathologically regular cerebral tissue samples,
      acquired from the non-neoplastic portion of the specimens, were assigned as the
      control group. Twenty specimens that included tumoral tissue from each type of
      glioblastoma (WHO grade IV, primary and secondary) were assigned as the primary
      and secondary glioblastoma groups. TrxR1 expression was analyzed by using both
      quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) and
      immunohistochemistry. Isocitrate dehydrogenase 1 (IDH1) mutation was analyzed by
      immunohistochemistry. Ki-67 proliferative index and apoptosis were also analyzed
      by immunohistochemistry. The differences between the groups were statistically
      compared and the correlation between these parameters was analyzed. RESULTS: The
      expressions of TrxR1 and Ki-67 values were significantly higher in primary
      glioblastoma. IDH1 mutation was significantly higher in secondary glioblastoma.
      TrxR1 expression was found to be highly correlated with the Ki-67 index. The
      apoptotic index was similar between primary and secondary glioblastoma.
      CONCLUSION: This study showed a high TrxR1 expression in primary glioblastoma
      which could indicate a role of the Trx system in promoting the malignant
      progression by some complex processes.

PMID- 28345126
TI  - Open-door Laminoplasty with Preservation of Muscle Attachments of C2 and C7 for
      Cervical Spondylotic Myelopathy: Retrospective Study.
AB  - AIM: Some restriction and complications, such as progression of kyphosis,
      incidence of axial neck pain and decrease of postoperative cervical range of
      motion are concern. We designed this retrospective clinical study to evaluate the
      effect of laminoplasty by preserving the muscle attachments of C2 and C7 spinous
      processes on range of motion (ROM), axial neck pain and cervical lordosis.
      MATERIAL AND METHODS: Twenty-seven cases with cervical spondylotic myelopathy
      underwent open-door laminoplasty with the protection of muscle attachments to the
      C2 and C7 spinous process and laminae between 2007 and 2013. At the end of the
      followup, cases were evaluated with preoperative and postoperative modified
      Japanese Orthopedic Association (mJOA) scores, recovery rate, ROM, lordosis angle
      and visual analogue scale (VAS). Also, patients were divided into two groups and
      evaluated according to the magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) findings, with or
      without T2 signal change. RESULTS: The mean age of the patients was 66 years. The
      mean follow-up duration was 25 months. The postoperative mJOA scores were
      significantly higher than the preoperative mJOA scores (p < 0.001). The recovery
      rate was 57.4%. Although the postoperative VAS score was higher than the
      preoperative VAS score and the mean postoperative ROM was lower than the
      preoperative ROM there was no significant difference between preoperative and
      postoperative VAS score and ROM (p > 0.05). The postoperative lordosis angle was
      significantly lower than the preoperative lordosis angle (p < 0.05). There were
      no significant differences regarding the postoperative lordosis angle, ROM and
      mJOA scores with or without T2 signal change on MRI. CONCLUSION: Protection of
      the anatomic structures around the cervical spine such as the muscles and
      ligaments provides us better results regarding ROM and cervical axial pain.

PMID- 28345127
TI  - Zoledronate promotes bone formation by blocking osteocyte-osteoblast
      communication during bone defect healing.
AB  - Nitrogen-containing bisphosphonates (N-BPs) are potent antiresorptive drugs and
      their actions on osteoclasts have been studied extensively. Recent studies have
      suggested that N-BPs also target bone-forming cells. However, the precise
      mechanism of N-BPs in osteoblasts is paradoxical, and the specific role of
      osteocytes is worthy of in-depth study. Here, we investigated the cellular
      mechanisms of N-BPs regulating bone defect healing by zoledronate (ZA). Bone
      histomorphometry confirmed an increase in new bone formation by systemic ZA
      administration. ZA induced more alkaline phosphatase-positive osteoblasts and
      tartrate-resistant acid phosphatase-positive osteoclasts residing on the bone
      surface. Inexplicably, ZA increased SOST expression in osteocytes embedded in the
      bone matrix, which was not compatible with the intense osteoblast activity on the
      bone surface. ZA induced heterogeneous osteocytes and disturbed the distribution
      of the osteocytic-canalicular system (OLCS). Furthermore, according to the degree
      of OLCS regularity, dentin matrix protein 1 reactivity had accumulated around
      osteocytes in the ZA group, but it was distributed evenly in the OLCS of the
      control group. The control group showed a dense array of the gap junction protein
      connexin 43. However, connexin 43 was extremely sparse after ZA administration.
      In summary, ZA treatment reduces gap junction connections and blocks cellular
      communication between osteocytes and osteoblasts. Retaining SOST expression in
      osteocytes leads to activation of the Wnt signaling pathway and subsequent bone
      formation.

PMID- 28345128
TI  - RS9, a novel Nrf2 activator, attenuates light-induced death of cells of
      photoreceptor cells and Muller glia cells.
AB  - The retina is highly sensitive to oxidative stress because of its high
      consumption of oxygen associated with the phototransductional processes. Recent
      findings have suggested that oxidative stress is involved in the pathology of age
      related macular degeneration, a progressive degeneration of the central retina. A
      well-known environmental risk factor is light exposure, as excessive and
      continuous light exposure can damage photoreceptors. Nuclear factor-erythroid 2
      related factor 2 (Nrf2) is a transcriptional factor that controls antioxidative
      responses and phase 2 enzymes. Thus, we hypothesized that RS9, a specific
      activator of Nrf2, decreases light-induced retinal cell death in vivo and in
      vitro. Nrf2 was detected in the nucleus of the 661W cells exposed to RS9 and also
      after light exposure, and the Nrf2-antioxidant response element binding was
      increased in 661W cells after exposure to RS9. Consequentially, the expression of
      the phase 2 enzyme's mRNAs of Ho-1, Nqo-1, and Gclm genes was increased in 661W
      cells after exposure to RS9. Furthermore, RS9 decreased the light-induced death
      of 661W cells (2500 lux, 24 h), and also reduced the functional damages and the
      histological degeneration of the nuclei in the outer nuclear layer or the retina
      in the in vivo studies (8000 lux, 3 h). Heme oxygenase-1 was increased after
      light exposure, and Nrf2 was translocated into the nucleus after light exposure
      in vivo. Silencing of Ho-1 reduced the protective effects of RS9 against light
      induced death of 661W cells. These findings indicate that RS9 has therapeutic
      potential for retinal diseases that are aggravated by light exposure.

PMID- 28345129
TI  - The effect of microwave on the interaction of flavour compounds with G-actin from
      grass carp (Catenopharyngodon idella).
AB  - BACKGROUND: In order to investigate the influence of non-thermal effects of
      microwaves on the flavour of fish and meat products, the G-actin of grass carp in
      ice baths was exposed to different microwave powers (0, 100, 300 or 500 W); the
      surface hydrophobicity, sulfhydryl contents, secondary structures and adsorption
      capacity of G-actin to ketones were determined. RESULTS: As microwave power
      increased from 0 to 300 W, the surface hydrophobicity, total and reactive
      sulfhydryls increased; alpha-helix, beta-sheet and random coil fractions turned
      into beta-turn fractions. As microwave power increased from 300 to 500 W,
      however, hydrophobicity and sulfhydryl contents decreased; beta-turn and random
      coil fractions turned into alpha-helix and beta-sheet fractions. The tendencies
      of adsorbed capacity of ketones were similar to hydrophobicity and sulfhydryl
      contents. CONCLUSION: The increased adsorbing of ketones could be attributed to
      the unfolding of secondary structures by revealing new binding sites, including
      thiol groups and hydrophobic binding sites. The decreased binding capacity was
      related to the refolding and aggregation of protein. The results suggested that
      microwave powers had obvious effects on the flavour retention and proteins
      structures in muscle foods. (c) 2017 Society of Chemical Industry.

PMID- 28345130
TI  - Antiallodynic Activity of Ceftriaxone and Clavulanic Acid in Acute Administration
      is Associated with Serum TNF-alpha Modulation and Activation of Dopaminergic and
      Opioidergic Systems.
AB  - Preclinical Research The aim of this study was to determine the antiallodynic
      effect of acute administration of the beta-lactam antimicrobials, ceftriaxone
      (CFX) and clavulanic acid (CLAV), for the control of established pain on a model
      of neuropathic pain (NP). We also investigated the involvement of dopaminergic
      and opioidergic pathways as well as alterations in serum concentrations of TNF
      alpha in the antiallodynic actions of these drugs. CFX, CLAV, or gabapentin
      (GAP), a reference drug, were administered i.p. twelve days after constriction of
      the sciatic nerve in rats. Mechanic and cold allodynia were evaluated for 3 h and
      alterations in serum concentration of TNF-alpha determined. Both CFX and CLAV had
      antiallodynic effects in response to mechanical and cold stimulation, similar to
      GAP. The antiallodynic effects of CFX and CLAV were blocked by haloperidol (HAL),
      a D2 receptor antagonist, and by naloxone (NLX), an opioid receptor antagonist.
      Additionally, serum TNF-alpha levels were attenuated following CFX and CLAV
      administration. These results suggest that acute administration of CFX and CLAV
      may represent a promising approach for treating the acute allodynia of NP, and
      that the mechanisms involved in these effects involve activation of dopaminergic
      and opioidergic pathways as well as modulation of TNF-alpha production. Drug Dev
      Res 78 : 105-115, 2017. (c) 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

PMID- 28345132
TI  - Phenotypic and genotypic features in pediatric and adult mitochondrial disorders.

PMID- 28345131
TI  - Effect of botulinum toxin on inducibility and maintenance of atrial fibrillation
      in ovine myocardial tissue.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Aberrant vagal stimulation may promote the generation and propagation
      of atrial fibrillation (AF). Researchers have suggested that botulinum toxin
      (BTX), a neurotoxin that decreases neural vagal stimulation, may decrease the
      incidence of postoperative AF. The exact electrophysiologic mechanism underlying
      the observations and histopathologic alterations associated with BTX are unclear.
      OBJECTIVE: To investigate the electrophysiologic, functional, and histopathologic
      effects of BTX on fibrillation induction in ovine atria. METHODS: Eight sheep
      underwent BTX injections into their pulmonary veins, atrial fat pads, and
      ventricular walls. Electrophysiology with pacing was performed at baseline and 7
      days after injection to evaluate the atrial effective refractory period (ERP) and
      vulnerability to AF with and without vagal stimulation. Echocardiography was
      performed at baseline and day 7. After euthanasia, histopathologic analysis was
      performed. RESULTS: Seven sheep completed the study. For both atria, there was
      significant shortening in the ERP with vagal stimulation versus no stimulation on
      day 0 but not on day 7. More aggressive pacing was required to induce AF in the
      left atrium on day 7 than on day 0. Echocardiography on day 7 showed no
      significant changes in ejection fraction or new wall-motion abnormalities of the
      left and right ventricle. Histopathologic analysis showed no significant adverse
      effects. CONCLUSION: The subacute BTX effect reduced the vulnerability of atrial
      tissue to AF induction and reduced the vagal influence on atrial ERP shortening
      compared to baseline levels. Direct BTX injection did not cause myocardial
      dysfunction or histologic adverse effects.

PMID- 28345133
TI  - Second primary melanoma on a patient undergoing vemurafenib therapy. A case
      report.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Several side effects have been reported during treatment with
      vemurafenib, including multiple benign lesions and, less frequently, atypical
      melanocytic proliferations and second primary melanomas. METHODS: A 46-year-old
      man undergoing vemurafenib therapy for metastatic malignant melanoma was
      clinically and dermoscopically monitored using total-body mapping. RESULTS:
      During BRAF inhibitor (BRAFi) treatment, the patient developed atypical
      melanocytic lesions and particularly secondary primary melanoma. CONCLUSIONS:
      Secondary melanomas are usually diagnosed during the early disease stage, and no
      case of advanced melanomas is reported in the literature, mostly due to careful
      surveillance in BRAFi-treated patients.

PMID- 28345134
TI  - The Association Between Political Violence and the Connection Between Bullying
      and Suicidality Among Palestinian Youth.
AB  - We examined the association between protracted political violence and the
      connection between bullying and suicidality among Palestinian adolescents. Data
      were collected from a representative sample of Palestinian students (N = 5,713)
      from 100 schools in the West Bank and East Jerusalem who completed an in-class
      survey. Students who were victims of bullying or bully victims who were exposed
      to political violence were at higher risk for suicide attempts compared to
      students who were victims of bullying or bully victims but not exposed to
      political violence. Political violence moderated the association between bullying
      and suicide attempts after controlling for socio demographic and other mental
      health variables.

PMID- 28345135
TI  - Eliminating cows' milk, but not wheat, barley or rye, increases the risk of
      growth deceleration and nutritional inadequacies.
AB  - AIM: Our study examined the growth and nutritional intake of children on milk
      and/or wheat, barley or rye elimination diets. METHODS: This was a nested case
      control study within the Finnish Type 1 Diabetes Prediction and Prevention Study.
      It investigated 295 children born in the Tampere University Hospital area between
      1997 and 2004 on a diet without cows' milk and/or wheat, barley or rye due to
      food allergies and 265 matched controls. Nutritional intake was recorded with
      three-day food records at the ages of one, two and three years. Serial growth
      measurements were recorded annually up to the age of five years. RESULTS: Despite
      consuming a balanced diet with sufficient energy and protein, the children on
      milk elimination diets grew slower than the control children (p = 0.009). Wheat,
      barley or rye elimination was not associated with growth. The intakes of protein
      and calcium were lower in children in the milk elimination group than the
      controls, at p < 0.05 for all. However, children on elimination diets consumed
      less saturated fats and sugar and more vitamin C and iron than the control
      children. CONCLUSION: Children on elimination diets faced an increased risk of
      growth deceleration and suboptimal intake of several micronutrients.

PMID- 28345136
TI  - Twice-Weekly Hemodialysis in China: Can It Be A Better Option for Initiation or
      Maintenance Dialysis Therapy?
AB  - Cumulative evidence indicates it may be worthwhile revisiting the twice-weekly
      hemodialysis (HD) regimen as a valid option for individualized or incremental
      treatments for selected patients with end-stage renal disease. In this article,
      we will review the current evidences on the potential pros and cons of twice
      weekly HD compared to thrice-weekly HD including China's experience in the
      practice of twice-weekly HD. A prudent patient selection and close dialysis
      adequacy monitoring might be necessary for this medical treatment choice. More
      randomized prospective controlled studies for the critical evaluation of twice
      weekly dialysis are encouraged.

PMID- 28345138
TI  - U.S. Political Parties and Support for Suicide Prevention.
AB  - As a public health problem, suicidal behavior demands a community-level response,
      including government action. We aimed to test whether support for suicide
      prevention in the United States has been independent from political party
      affiliation (Democrat and Republican). Actions from both political parties have
      supported suicide prevention efforts. The only differences in support based on
      party affiliation showed greater support from the Democrat Party in one instance,
      and the Republican Party in the other. The results were consistent with the
      hypothesis that degree of support for suicide prevention cannot be predicted
      solely by political party.

PMID- 28345137
TI  - A comparative analysis of phosphoproteome in ovine muscle at early postmortem in
      relationship to tenderness.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Tenderness is considered to be the most important quality
      characteristic of meat as it is the main cause of unacceptability of meat. Post
      translational modification regulates protein functions that involve in postmortem
      changes in muscle and meat quality formation. Specifically, phosphorylation was
      proved to regulate postmortem glycolytic rates and meat tenderisation. However,
      the relationship between protein phosphorylation and meat tenderness remains
      unclear. This study examined the phosphoproteomes found in ovine muscle with
      different degrees of tenderness over time (at 0.5 h, 4 h, and 24 h postmortem).
      RESULTS: This study detected five, eight and nine phosphoprotein spots (>two-fold
      change, P < 0.05) at each respective time point. The different phosphoproteins
      found included glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase, tropomyosin alpha-1
      chain, pyruvate kinase, myosin binding protein H, glycogen phosphorylase, alpha
      actinin-3, and an uncharacterised protein (GN, myosin-binding protein C2,
      MYBPC2). Most of the different phosphoproteins maintained sarcomeric functions,
      or were involved in glycometabolism. CONCLUSION: Phosphorylation levels of
      multiple proteins that are involved in glycolysis, muscle contraction or
      sarcomeric structure integrity were identified in ovine muscles with different
      tenderness. The differential phosphorylation of these proteins explains in part
      the difference in meat tenderness. (c) 2017 Society of Chemical Industry.

PMID- 28345139
TI  - Utility of betahCG monitoring in the follow-up of medical management of
      miscarriage.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the percentage change in total betaeta-unit human
      chorionic gonadotropin (betahCG) levels (%DeltabetahCG) in the prediction of
      treatment outcomes following intravaginal misoprostol for missed miscarriage
      before 13 weeks. METHODS: A secondary analysis of a randomised controlled study
      of medical management of miscarriage was performed. Total betahCG levels were
      collected before misoprostol (baseline) and after a planned seven day interval
      (follow-up), when a transvaginal ultrasound (TVUS) reported a gestational sac as
      present or not. If no sac at TVUS, surgery was indicated on clinical criteria.
      %DeltabetahCG ((baseline betahCG - follow-up betahCG)/baseline betahCG * 100) was
      evaluated in the prediction of a sac at TVUS and surgery on clinical criteria.
      RESULTS: %DeltabetahCG was calculated for cases with betahCG levels within two
      days of misoprostol and TVUS; calculation interval determined case number. The
      median %DeltabetahCG for 24 cases with a persistent sac (6-9 day interval) was
      significantly lower than for 145 with no sac (58.75% (interquartile range (IQR):
      37.59-76.69; maximum 86.54) vs 97.65% (IQR: 95.44-98.43); P < 0.0001). The median
      %DeltabetahCG for eight cases needing surgery on clinical criteria (5-9 day
      interval) was significantly lower than for 140 cases with no sac not needing
      surgery (79.68% (IQR: 64.63-91.15; maximum 94.06) vs 97.68% (IQR: 95.61-98.50); P
      < 0.0001). The area under the receiver-operator curve was 0.975 for prediction of
      a persistent sac and 0.944 for prediction of surgery on clinical criteria,
      respectively. %DeltabetahCG > 87% predicted no sac at TVUS. %DeltabetahCG > 94.5%
      predicted no surgery on clinical criteria. CONCLUSION: %DeltabetahCG calculation
      over one week reliably predicted treatment outcomes after medical management of
      missed miscarriage.

PMID- 28345140
TI  - Global trends in the burden of liver cancer.
AB  - BACKGROUND: The aim of this study is to describe the influence of geography,
      socio-economic development, and demographic shift on the trends in global
      incidence, mortality, and prevalence of liver cancer (LC). METHODS: Data (2012
      2030) relating to LC and demographic shifts based on WHO regions and HDI areas
      were extracted from GLOBOCAN 2012 and analyzed to evaluate trends in incidence,
      mortality, and prevalence. RESULTS: The results of our study document a rising
      global burden of LC with the maximum impact in the WPRO region. We did not
      observe a definite association between LC and higher socio-economic status with
      the highest burden in the MHD region. For the MHD region, we noticed age reversal
      in burden from the younger age group currently to the older age group in the
      future (2030). Another finding is the high burden and early onset of disease in
      some low-income countries such as Mongolia, Lao PDR, and Vietnam. CONCLUSION: The
      results of our study demonstrate a rising global burden of LC with some
      significant but uneven trends based on geography, age, and socio-economic status.
      This information can be used to shape policy and aid strategic targeting of
      resources to areas with the highest burden.

PMID- 28345141
TI  - Prevalence of psoriasis in Brazil - a geographical survey.

PMID- 28345142
TI  - Application of DNA metabarcoding on faeces to identify European catfish Silurus
      glanis diet.
AB  - In this study, the results of conventional stomach-content analysis are compared
      with the recent DNA metabarcoding approach on faeces to identify fish species
      consumed by non-native European catfish Silurus glanis in the Garonne River
      (south-western France), with a special emphasis on anadromous prey. Fourteen prey
      species were identified in the stomach contents or faeces, including four
      anadromous fish species. Despite higher intestine than stomach emptiness, more
      species were identified through faecal analysis (11 of 14) than through stomach
      content analysis (five of 14) suggesting that DNA metabarcoding on faeces is an
      efficient, non-intrusive technique to study the diet of predatory fishes.

PMID- 28345143
TI  - Direct C-H Phosphonylation of Electron-Rich Arenes and Heteroarenes by Visible
      Light Photoredox Catalysis.
AB  - The direct transformation of ubiquitous, but chemically inert C-H bonds into
      diverse functional groups is an important strategy in organic synthesis that
      improves the atom economy and faclitates the preparation and modification of
      complex molecules. In contrast to the wide applications of aryl phosphonates,
      their synthesis via direct C-H bond phosphonylation is a less explored area. We
      report here a general, mild, and broadly applicable visible-light photoredox C-H
      bond phosphonylation method for electron-rich arenes and heteroarenes. The
      photoredox catalytic protocol utilizes electron-rich arenes and biologically
      important heteroarenes as substrates, [Ru(bpz)3 ][PF6 ]2 as photocatalyst,
      ammonium persulfate as oxidant, and trialkyl phosphites as the phosphorus source
      to provide a wide range of aryl phosphonates at ambient temperature under very
      mild reaction conditions.

PMID- 28345144
TI  - Adapting Evaluations of Alternative Payment Models to a Changing Environment.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: To identify the most robust methods for evaluating alternative payment
      models (APMs) in the emerging health care delivery system environment. STUDY
      DESIGN (APPROACH): We assess the impact of widespread testing of alternative
      payment models on the ability to find credible comparison groups. We consider the
      applicability of factorial research designs for assessing the effects of these
      models. PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: The widespread adoption of alternative payment models
      could effectively eliminate the possibility of comparing APM results with a
      "pure" control or comparison group unaffected by other interventions. In this new
      environment, factorial experiments have distinct advantages over the single-model
      experimental or quasi-experimental designs that have been the mainstay of recent
      tests of Medicare payment and delivery models. CONCLUSIONS: The best prospects
      for producing definitive evidence of the effects of payment incentives for APMs
      include fractional factorial experiments that systematically vary requirements
      and payment provisions within a payment model.

PMID- 28345146
TI  - Evidence for the generation of myristylated FMN by bacterial luciferase.
AB  - The genes responsible for the light production in bioluminescent bacteria are
      present as an operon, luxCDABEG. Many strains of Photobacteria carry an
      additional gene, termed luxF. X-ray crystallographic analysis of LuxF revealed
      the presence of four molecules of a flavin derivative, i.e. 6-(3'-(R)-myristyl)
      flavin adenine mononucleotide (myrFMN) non-covalently bound to the homodimer. In
      the present study, we exploited the binding of myrFMN to recombinant apo-LuxF to
      explore the occurrence of myrFMN in various bioluminescent bacteria. MyrFMN was
      detected in all bacterial strains tested including Vibrio and Aliivibrio
      indicating that it is more widely occurring in bioluminescent bacteria than
      previously assumed. We also show that apo-LuxF captures myrFMN and thereby
      relieves the inhibitory effect on luciferase activity. Thus our results provide
      support for the hypothesis that LuxF acts as a scavenger of myrFMN in
      bioluminescent bacteria. However, the source of myrFMN remained obscure. To
      address this issue, we established a cofactor regeneration enzyme-catalyzed
      cascade reaction that supports luciferase activity in vitro for up to 3 days.
      This approach enabled us to unambiguously demonstrate that myrFMN is generated in
      the bacterial bioluminescent reaction. Based on this finding we postulate a
      reaction mechanism for myrFMN generation that is based on the luciferase
      reaction.

PMID- 28345145
TI  - Air pollution and short-term clinical outcomes of patients with acute myocardial
      infarction.
AB  - Ambient air pollution is well-known to be a serious risk factor for
      cardiovascular diseases, stroke, and death. However, the association between air
      pollutants (AP) exposure and short-term clinical outcomes in acute myocardial
      infarction (AMI) patients (pts) has not been elucidated well. In the present
      study, 37 880 AMI pts were enrolled from October 2005 to December 2013 in a
      nationwide large-scale, prospective, multicentre Korea AMI registry (KAMIR
      registry; http://www.kamir.or.kr). We obtained data on AP (e.g., NO2 , SO2 , CO,
      O3 and PM10 ) from the Korean National Institute of Environmental Research (NIER;
      http://www.nier.go.kr). Clinical endpoints included death, recurrent myocardial
      infarction (Re-MI), any revascularization and composite of all-cause death and Re
      MI. Exposure to AP is defined as the average exposure to AP within 24 hours
      before AMI admission. We observed that a 0.01 part per million (ppm) increase in
      NO2 concentration, 0.001 ppm increase in SO2 concentration, and 0.1 ppm increase
      in CO concentration each increased the risk of total death by 9.7% (95% CI, 6.2%
      13.4%), 1.9% (95% CI, 0.3%-3.6%), and 2.1% (95% CI, 0.5%-3.9%), respectively.
      Exceptionally, O3 decreased the risk of total death by 0.6% (95% CI -0.2% to 
      1.0%) per 0.01 ppm increase. PM10 was not related to any cardiovascular events.
      AP were each stratified into five quintiles according to ranges of AP levels.
      After adjusting analysis for risk variables, only high quintiles (Q4, Q5) of NO2
      were positively associated with total death, cardiac death and MI, while SO2 ,
      CO, O3 and PM10 were shown to be not related to any cardiovascular events at all
      levels. In AMI patients, each AP and its concentration has shown a different
      effect to short-term mortality and cardiovascular events.

PMID- 28345147
TI  - Nerve conduction velocity and cross-sectional area in ulnar neuropathy at the
      elbow.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: In the precise localization of ulnar neuropathy at the elbow (UNE)
      we have noted discrepancies between electrodiagnostic (EDx) and ultrasonographic
      (US) findings. We aimed to explore the relationship between the 2 techniques.
      METHODS: Four study-blind examiners took a history and performed neurologic, EDx,
      and US examinations of a group of prospectively recruited patients with UNE. They
      assessed the relationship between ulnar nerve cross-sectional area (CSA) and
      motor nerve conduction velocity (MNCV). RESULTS: In 106 patients with UNE at the
      retrocondylar (RTC) groove, the highest CSA and lowest MNCV were noted in the
      same short segment. In 54 patients with UNE at the humeroulnar aponeurosis (HUA),
      the highest CSA and lowest MNCV were noted proximal to the HUA. DISCUSSION: MNCV
      and CSA were highly correlated in UNE. Ulnar nerve slowing proximal to the
      entrapment at the HUA was surprising, but consistent with previous studies done
      on carpal tunnel syndrome. Muscle Nerve 56: E65-E72, 2017.

PMID- 28345148
TI  - Fast Self-Healing of Polyelectrolyte Multilayer Nanocoating and Restoration of
      Super Oxygen Barrier.
AB  - A self-healable gas barrier nanocoating, which is fabricated by alternate
      deposition of polyethyleneimine (PEI) and polyacrylic acid (PAA)
      polyelectrolytes, is demonstrated in this study. This multilayer film, with high
      elastic modulus, high glass transition temperature, and small free volume, has
      been shown to be a super oxygen gas barrier. An 8-bilayer PEI/PAA multilayer
      assembly (~700 nm thick) exhibits an oxygen transmission rate (OTR) undetectable
      to commercial instrumentation (<0.005 cc (m-2 d-1 atm-1 )). The barrier property
      of PEI/PAA nanocoating is lost after a moderate amount of stretching due to its
      rigidity, which is then completely restored after high humidity exposure,
      therefore achieving a healing efficiency of 100%. The OTR of the multilayer
      nanocoating remains below the detection limit after ten stretching-healing
      cycles, which proves this healing process to be highly robust. The high oxygen
      barrier and self-healing behavior of this polymer multilayer nanocoating makes it
      ideal for packaging (food, electronics, and pharmaceutical) and gas separation
      applications.

PMID- 28345149
TI  - Trichomonas vaginalis exosome-like vesicles modify the cytokine profile and
      reduce inflammation in parasite-infected mice.
AB  - Trichomonas vaginalis (Tv) is a flagellated parasite commonly spread through
      sexual transmission. This protozoan initiates a severe inflammatory process,
      inducing nitric oxide, interleukin-6 (IL-6), IL-8, IL-10, IL-17 and IL-22
      production by host immune cells. The parasites elicit these responses by
      releasing surface lipophosphoglycan, small extracellular vesicles (exosomes) and
      other factors. Tv exosomes are similar to mammalian exosomes and have been
      implicated in the modulation of IL-8 secretion by epithelial cells. Here, we
      report that exosome-like vesicles from T. vaginalis (Tv-ELVs) induced a more than
      15-fold increase in IL-10 expression in RAW264.7 macrophages but only a two fold
      increase in IL-6 and TNF-alpha expression levels measured by RT-PCR. Because Tv
      ELVs modulated the macrophage response, we also explored the effect of Tv-ELVs in
      a murine model of infection. Pretreatment with Tv-ELVs significantly increased IL
      10 production as measured in vaginal washes by days 8 and 16 post-infection.
      Remarkably, Tv-ELVs-pretreated mice exhibited a decrease in IL-17 production and
      a significant decrease in vulvar inflammation. In addition, IL-6 and IL-13 were
      decreased during infection. Our results suggest that Tv-ELVs have an
      immunomodulatory role on the cytokine profile induced by the parasite and promote
      a decrease in the inflammatory process in mice infected with T. vaginalis.

PMID- 28345150
TI  - Decoding facial expressions based on face-selective and motion-sensitive areas.
AB  - Humans can easily recognize others' facial expressions. Among the brain
      substrates that enable this ability, considerable attention has been paid to face
      selective areas; in contrast, whether motion-sensitive areas, which clearly
      exhibit sensitivity to facial movements, are involved in facial expression
      recognition remained unclear. The present functional magnetic resonance imaging
      (fMRI) study used multi-voxel pattern analysis (MVPA) to explore facial
      expression decoding in both face-selective and motion-sensitive areas. In a block
      design experiment, participants viewed facial expressions of six basic emotions
      (anger, disgust, fear, joy, sadness, and surprise) in images, videos, and eyes
      obscured videos. Due to the use of multiple stimulus types, the impacts of facial
      motion and eye-related information on facial expression decoding were also
      examined. It was found that motion-sensitive areas showed significant responses
      to emotional expressions and that dynamic expressions could be successfully
      decoded in both face-selective and motion-sensitive areas. Compared with static
      stimuli, dynamic expressions elicited consistently higher neural responses and
      decoding performance in all regions. A significant decrease in both activation
      and decoding accuracy due to the absence of eye-related information was also
      observed. Overall, the findings showed that emotional expressions are represented
      in motion-sensitive areas in addition to conventional face-selective areas,
      suggesting that motion-sensitive regions may also effectively contribute to
      facial expression recognition. The results also suggested that facial motion and
      eye-related information played important roles by carrying considerable
      expression information that could facilitate facial expression recognition. Hum
      Brain Mapp 38:3113-3125, 2017. (c) 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

PMID- 28345151
TI  - Registries in European post-marketing surveillance: a retrospective analysis of
      centrally approved products, 2005-2013.
AB  - PURPOSE: Regulatory agencies and other stakeholders increasingly rely on data
      collected through registries to support their decision-making. Data from
      registries are a cornerstone of post-marketing surveillance for monitoring the
      use of medicines in clinical practice. This study was aimed at gaining further
      insight into the European Medicines Agency's (EMA) requests for new registries
      and registry studies using existing registries and to review the experience
      gained in their conduct. METHODS: European Public Assessment Reports were
      consulted to identify products for which a request for a registry was made as a
      condition of the marketing authorisation. All centrally authorised products that
      received a positive opinion of the EMA Committee for Medicinal Products for Human
      Use between 1 January 2005 and 31 December 2013 were included. Data regarding
      registry design and experiences were collected from EMA electronic record keeping
      systems. RESULTS: Of 392 products that received a positive Committee for
      Medicinal Products for Human Use opinion during 2005-2013, 31 registries were
      requested for 30 products in total. Sixty-five percent were product registries
      whereas 35% were disease registries and 71% of the registries had a primary
      safety objective. Most commonly reported issues with registries were delayed time
      to start and low patient accrual rates. CONCLUSIONS: The delays found in getting
      new registries up and running support the need to improve the timeliness of data
      collection in the post-marketing setting. Methodological challenges met in
      conducting this study highlighted the need for a clarification of definitions and
      epidemiological concepts around patient registries. The results will inform the
      EMA Patient Registry initiative to support use of existing patient registries for
      the post-authorisation benefit-risk monitoring of medicinal products. (c) 2017
      Commonwealth of Australia. Pharmacoepidemiology & Drug Safety (c) 2017 John Wiley
      & Sons, Ltd.

PMID- 28345152
TI  - The impact of seizures on epilepsy outcomes: A national, community-based survey.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to examine the impact of seizures on persons
      living with epilepsy in a national, community-based setting. METHODS: The data
      source was the Survey of Living with Neurological Conditions in Canada (SLNCC), a
      cohort derived from a national population-based survey of noninstitutionalized
      persons aged 15 or more years. Participants had to be on a seizure drug or to
      have had a seizure in the past 5 years to meet the definition of active epilepsy.
      The respondents were further stratified by seizure status: the seizure group
      experienced >=1 seizure in the past 5 years versus the no seizure group who were
      seizure-free in the past >=5 years regardless of medication status. Weighted
      overall and stratified prevalence estimates and odds ratios were used to estimate
      associations. RESULTS: The SLNCC included 713 persons with epilepsy with a mean
      age of 45.4 (standard deviation 18.0) years. Fewer people in the seizure group
      (42.7%) reported being much better than a year ago versus those in the no seizure
      group (70.1%). Of those with seizures, 32.1% (95% confidence interval [95% CI]
      18.8-45.3) had symptoms suggestive of major depression (as per the Patient Health
      Questionnaire-9) compared to 7.7% (95% CI 3.4-11.9) of those without seizures.
      Driving, educational, and work opportunities were also significantly limited,
      whereas stigma was significantly greater in those with seizures. SIGNIFICANCE:
      This community-based study emphasizes the need for seizure freedom to improve
      clinical and psychosocial outcomes in persons with epilepsy. Seizure freedom has
      an important influence on overall health, as those with at least one seizure over
      the prior 5 years had an increased risk of mood disorders, worse quality of life,
      and faced significantly more stigma.

PMID- 28345153
TI  - The functional architectures of addition and subtraction: Network discovery using
      fMRI and DCM.
AB  - The neuronal mechanisms underlying arithmetic calculations are not well
      understood but the differences between mental addition and subtraction could be
      particularly revealing. Using fMRI and dynamic causal modeling (DCM), this study
      aimed to identify the distinct neuronal architectures engaged by the cognitive
      processes of simple addition and subtraction. Our results revealed significantly
      greater activation during subtraction in regions along the dorsal pathway,
      including the left inferior frontal gyrus (IFG), middle portion of dorsolateral
      prefrontal cortex (mDLPFC), and supplementary motor area (SMA), compared with
      addition. Subsequent analysis of the underlying changes in connectivity - with
      DCM - revealed a common circuit processing basic (numeric) attributes and the
      retrieval of arithmetic facts. However, DCM showed that addition was more likely
      to engage (numeric) retrieval-based circuits in the left hemisphere, while
      subtraction tended to draw on (magnitude) processing in bilateral parietal
      cortex, especially the right intraparietal sulcus (IPS). Our findings endorse
      previous hypotheses about the differences in strategic implementation, dominant
      hemisphere, and the neuronal circuits underlying addition and subtraction.
      Moreover, for simple arithmetic, our connectivity results suggest that
      subtraction calls on more complex processing than addition: auxiliary
      phonological, visual, and motor processes, for representing numbers, were engaged
      by subtraction, relative to addition. Hum Brain Mapp 38:3210-3225, 2017. (c) 2017
      Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

PMID- 28345154
TI  - Outcomes in patients after myocardial infarction similar to those of the PEGASUS
      TIMI 54 trial: A cohort study in the French national claims database.
AB  - AIMS: The present study aims to describe real-life outcomes in stable patients
      after-myocardial infarction (MI) similar to those in the PEGASUS-TIMI 54 trial
      (PEGASUS), which found long-term benefits of ticagrelor in patients with a
      history of MI. METHODS: One-year event-free post-MI patients were identified in
      the French claims database representative 1/97 sample (2005-2010) and followed
      for up to 3 years. A PEGASUS-like (PL) population included patients with age >=
      65 years, or age >= 50 and diabetes, renal dysfunction or prior MI, without
      stroke, end-stage renal failure or oral anticoagulation. Outcomes were: a
      composite of all-cause death or hospital admission for MI or stroke; individual
      events; major bleeding. RESULTS: There were 1585 post-MI patients totalling 3926
      person-years including 865 PL patients (2114 PY); 68% were male; mean age was 66
      (standard deviation 15) in post-MI, 74 (10) in PL. Outcomes per 100 person-years
      [95% confidence interval] were, respectively, in post-MI and PL 6.3 [5.6-7.1] and
      7.8 [6.7-8.9] for the composite outcome; 5.1 [4.4-5.8] and 6.5 [5.5-7.6] for
      death; 1.0 [0.7-1.3] and 1.0 [0.6-1.4] for MI; 0.6 [0.4-0.9] and 0.9 [0.5-1.2]
      for stroke; 1.3 [0.9-1.6] and 1.4 [0.9-1.9] for major bleeding. Event rates were
      stable over the 3 study years. Placebo patients in the PEGASUS-TIMI54 Study were
      younger, more often male and had lower event rates, especially for all-cause
      death and major bleeding. CONCLUSIONS: Patients selected using the criteria
      described in PEGASUS were older with more comorbidities, resulting in higher all
      cause death and bleeding rates, but similar MI recurrence rates.

PMID- 28345155
TI  - A nomogram for predicting prognostic value of inflammatory response biomarkers in
      decompensated cirrhotic patients without acute-on-chronic liver failure.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Inflammation plays a vital role in liver cirrhosis progression and
      prognosis. AIM: To investigate the prognostic significance of inflammatory
      response markers in decompensated cirrhotic patients without acute-on-chronic
      liver failure (ACLF). METHODS: Independent predictors were identified using
      multivariate Cox model and then assembled into a nomogram to predict survival.
      Concordance index (C-index) and time-dependent receiver operating characteristics
      (td-ROC) analysis were adopted to evaluate and compare the performance of
      nomogram, model for end-stage liver disease (MELD) scores, MELD-Na and Chronic
      Liver Failure-consortium score for acute decompensated (CLIF-C ADs). RESULTS: A
      total of 902 decompensated cirrhotic patients with different aetiologies were
      enrolled, with 6-month, 1-year and 3-year mortality of 18.6%, 24.4% and 34.8%,
      respectively. The cut-off values for neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) and
      lymphocyte-to-monocyte ratio (LMR) determined by X-tile program were 5.7 and 1.1
      respectively. Patients with NLR>5.7 or LMR<=1.1 had significantly higher
      mortality (P < 0.001). Independent factors derived from multivariable Cox
      analysis of development cohort to predict mortality were age, NLR and LMR (hazard
      ratio (HR): 1.064, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.045-1.084, P < 0.001; HR:
      1.124, 95%CI: 1.091-1.158, P < 0.001; HR: 0.794, 95%CI: 0.702-0.898, P < 0.001,
      respectively). The C-indexes of nomogram were higher than that of MELD score,
      MELD-Na and CLIF-C ADs for predicting survival. The tdROC and decision curves
      showed that nomogram was superior to MELD score, MELD-Na and CLIF-C ADs. Similar
      results were observed in validation cohort. CONCLUSION: The proposed nomogram
      with neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio and lymphocyte-to-monocyte ratio resulted in
      accurate prognostic prediction for decompensated cirrhotic patients without ACLF.

PMID- 28345156
TI  - Evolving new concepts in the assessment of aortic stenosis.
AB  - Echocardiography has been pivotal in evaluating aortic stenosis (AS) over the
      past several decades. Recent experience has shown a wide spectrum in the clinical
      presentation of AS. A better understanding of the underlying hemodynamic
      principles has resulted in emergence of new subtypes of AS. New treatment
      modalities have also been introduced, requiring precise evaluation of aortic
      valve (AV) pathology for implementation of these therapies. This review will
      discuss new concepts and indices in the use of echocardiography in patients with
      AS. Specifically, we will address the hemodynamic characteristics, clinical
      presentation, and management of normal-flow, high-gradient; paradoxical low-flow,
      low-gradient; and classical low-flow, low-gradient aortic stenoses.

PMID- 28345157
TI  - Entecavir maleate versus entecavir in Chinese chronic hepatitis B predominantly
      genotype B or C: Results at week 144.
AB  - Reports on the efficacy and safety of long-term entecavir treatment in chronic
      hepatitis B (CHB) predominantly genotype B or C are insufficient. This study
      presents the efficacy and safety of entecavir maleate in Chinese CHB patients.
      Patients were randomly assigned to receive 48-week treatment with either 0.5
      mg/day entecavir (group A) or 0.5 mg/day entecavir maleate (group B), and then
      all patients received treatment with 0.5 mg/day entecavir maleate from week 49.
      Two hundred and seventy-five patients with CHB (HBeAg-positive: 218) were
      analysed, predominantly (98.5%) with genotype B or C. Baseline characteristics
      were balanced. For the HBeAg-positive CHB patients, the mean HBV DNA level
      decreased similarly (A: by 6.36 log10 IU/mL vs B: by 6.31 log10 IU/mL) between
      groups at week 144. The percentages of patients who achieved undetectable HBV DNA
      were similar (A: 70.59% vs B: 66.67%) between groups. Similar HBeAg loss rates
      (A: 43.53% vs B: 40.23%; P>.05) and HBeAg seroconversion rates (A: 21.52% vs B:
      21.18%) were achieved. For the HBeAg-negative CHB patients, similar reductions in
      HBV DNA levels from baseline (A: by 6.13 log10 IU/mL vs B: by 5.65 log10 IU/mL)
      and percentages of patients who achieved undetectable HBV DNA (A: 100% vs B:
      100%) were achieved. The overall incidence of adverse events was comparable
      between groups. In conclusions, 48-week administration of entecavir maleate and
      entecavir showed similar efficacy and safety in Chinese patients with CHB. Long
      term entecavir maleate treatment was effective and safe in CHB patients.

PMID- 28345158
TI  - Circular RNAs in heart failure.
AB  - Cardiovascular disease, and particularly heart failure, is still a serious health
      care issue for which novel treatments and biomarkers are needed. The RNA family
      comprises different subgroups, among which the small-sized microRNAs and the
      larger long non-coding RNAs have shown some potential to aid in moving
      personalized health care of heart failure patients a step forward. Here, members
      of the Cardiolinc network review the recent findings suggesting that the less
      well-known circular RNAs may constitute a novel reservoir of therapeutic targets
      and biomarkers of heart failure. The knowledge of the mode of biogenesis of
      circular RNAs will first be reported, followed by a description of different
      features that make these RNA molecules of interest for the heart failure
      community. The functions of circular RNAs in the heart will be described, with
      some emphasis given to their regulation in the failing heart. Circulating in the
      bloodstream, circular RNAs have appeared as potential biomarkers and recent
      findings associated with the use of circular RNAs as heart failure biomarkers
      will be discussed. Finally, some directions for future research will be provided.

PMID- 28345159
TI  - Stereoselective Catalytic Synthesis of Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients in
      Homemade 3D-Printed Mesoreactors.
AB  - 3D-printed flow reactors were designed, fabricated from different materials (PLA,
      HIPS, nylon), and used for a catalytic stereoselective Henry reaction. The use of
      readily prepared and tunable 3D-printed reactors enabled the rapid screening of
      devices with different sizes, shapes, and channel dimensions, aimed at the
      identification of the best-performing reactor setup. The optimized process
      afforded the products in high yields, moderate diastereoselectivity, and up to 90
      % ee. The method was applied to the continuous-flow synthesis of biologically
      active chiral 1,2-amino alcohols (norephedrine, metaraminol, and methoxamine)
      through a two-step sequence combining the nitroaldol reaction with a
      hydrogenation. To highlight potential industrial applications of this method, a
      multistep continuous synthesis of norephedrine has been realized. The product was
      isolated without any intermediate purifications or solvent switches.

PMID- 28345160
TI  - Increasing skeletal muscle carnitine availability does not alter the adaptations
      to high-intensity interval training.
AB  - Increasing skeletal muscle carnitine availability alters muscle metabolism during
      steady-state exercise in healthy humans. We investigated whether elevating muscle
      carnitine, and thereby the acetyl-group buffering capacity, altered the metabolic
      and physiological adaptations to 24 weeks of high-intensity interval training
      (HIIT) at 100% maximal exercise capacity (Wattmax ). Twenty-one healthy male
      volunteers (age 23+/-2 years; BMI 24.2+/-1.1 kg/m2 ) performed 2 * 3 minute bouts
      of cycling exercise at 100% Wattmax , separated by 5 minutes of rest. Fourteen
      volunteers repeated this protocol following 24 weeks of HIIT and twice-daily
      consumption of 80 g carbohydrate (CON) or 3 g l-carnitine+carbohydrate (CARN).
      Before HIIT, muscle phosphocreatine (PCr) degradation (P<.0001), glycogenolysis
      (P<.0005), PDC activation (P<.05), and acetylcarnitine (P<.005) were 2.3-, 2.1-,
      1.5-, and 1.5-fold greater, respectively, in exercise bout two compared to bout
      1, while lactate accumulation tended (P<.07) to be 1.5-fold greater. Following
      HIIT, muscle free carnitine was 30% greater in CARN vs CON at rest and remained
      40% elevated prior to the start of bout 2 (P<.05). Following bout 2, free
      carnitine content, PCr degradation, glycogenolysis, lactate accumulation, and PDC
      activation were all similar between CON and CARN, albeit markedly lower than
      before HIIT. VO2max , Wattmax , and work output were similarly increased in CON
      and CARN, by 9, 15, and 23% (P<.001). In summary, increased reliance on non
      mitochondrial ATP resynthesis during a second bout of intense exercise is
      accompanied by increased carnitine acetylation. Augmenting muscle carnitine
      during 24 weeks of HIIT did not alter this, nor did it enhance muscle metabolic
      adaptations or performance gains beyond those with HIIT alone.

PMID- 28345161
TI  - A decrease in eukaryotic elongation factor 2 phosphorylation is required for
      local translation of sensorin and long-term facilitation in Aplysia.
AB  - Mechanistic target of rapamycin complex 1 (mTORC1)-dependent protein synthesis is
      required for many forms of synaptic plasticity and memory, but the downstream
      pathways important for synaptic plasticity are poorly understood. Long-term
      facilitation (LTF) in Aplysia is a form of synaptic plasticity that is closely
      linked to behavioral memory and an attractive model system for examining the
      important downstream targets for mTORC1 in regulating synaptic plasticity.
      Although mTORC1-regulated protein synthesis has been strongly linked to
      translation initiation, translation elongation is also regulated by mTORC1 and
      LTF leads to an mTORC1-dependent decrease in eukaryotic elongation factor 2
      (eEF2) phosphorylation. The purpose of this study is to test the hypothesis that
      the decrease in eEF2 phosphorylation is required for mTORC1-dependent translation
      and plasticity. We show that the LTF-induced decrease in eEF2 phosphorylation is
      blocked by expression of an eEF2 kinase (eEF2K) modified to be resistant to
      mTORC1 regulation. We found that expression of this modified kinase blocked LTF.
      LTF requires local protein synthesis of the neuropeptide sensorin and
      importantly, local sensorin synthesis can be measured using a dendra fluorescent
      protein containing the 5' and 3' untranslated regions (UTRs) of sensorin. Using
      this construct, we show that blocking eEF2 dephosphorylation also blocks the
      increase in local sensorin synthesis. These results identify decreases in eEF2
      phosphorylation as a critical downstream effector of mTOR required for long-term
      plasticity and identify an important translational target regulated by decreases
      in eEF2 phosphorylation.

PMID- 28345163
TI  - Pharmacokinetics and safety of letermovir, a novel anti-human cytomegalovirus
      drug, in patients with renal impairment.
AB  - AIMS: Human cytomegalovirus remains a significant issue for immunocompromised
      patients and existing viral polymerase targeting therapies are associated with
      significant toxicity. Accordingly, the viral terminase complex inhibitor,
      letermovir, is in development. We assessed letermovir pharmacokinetics in renal
      impairment. METHODS: This was a Phase 1, open-label, nonrandomised trial.
      Estimated glomerular filtration rate based on the Modification of Diet Renal
      Disease equation was used to create three groups of eight subjects: healthy
      function (estimated glomerular filtration rate >= 90 ml min-1  1.73m-2 ),
      moderate (30-59 ml min-1  1.73m-2 ) and severe (<30 ml min-1  1.73m-2 )
      impairment. Oral letermovir 120 mg was dosed once-daily for 8 days and blood
      collected for pharmacokinetic analyses. RESULTS: All 24 subjects enrolled
      completed the trial. Moderate and severe renal impairment increased mean unbound
      letermovir fractions by 11% and 26%, respectively, vs. healthy subjects. Exposure
      (AUCtau,ss and Css,max ) was increased with renal impairment [least square mean
      ratios (90% confidence intervals) total letermovir vs. healthy subjects,
      AUCtau,ss 192% (143-258%) and 142% (83-243%) for moderate and severe impairment,
      respectively; Css,max 125% (87-182%) and 106% (75-151%), respectively]. Clearance
      was decreased vs. healthy subjects. Correlation analyses indicated a correlation
      between decreasing renal function and increased unbound letermovir concentration
      (R2  = 0.5076, P < 0.0001). Correlations were identified between decreased
      clearance with both decreased renal function (R2  = 0.0662, P = 0.2249 and R2  =
      0.1861, P = 0.0353 total and unbound clearance, respectively) and increased age
      (R2  = 0.3548, P = 0.0021 and R2  = 0.3166, P = 0.0042 total and unbound
      clearance, respectively). Multiple-dose letermovir 120 mg was well tolerated
      across groups. CONCLUSIONS: Renal impairment increased exposure to letermovir,
      although age was a confounding factor.

PMID- 28345162
TI  - Reduction of postprandial glucose by lixisenatide vs sitagliptin treatment in
      Japanese patients with type 2 diabetes on background insulin glargine: A
      randomized phase IV study (NEXTAGE Study).
AB  - AIM: To evaluate the pharmacodynamics of lixisenatide once daily vs sitagliptin
      once daily in Japanese patients with type 2 diabetes receiving insulin glargine
      U100. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This multicentre, open-label, phase IV study
      (NEXTAGE Study; ClinicalTrials.gov number, NCT02200991) randomly assigned 136
      patients to either lixisenatide once daily via subcutaneous injection (10 ug
      initially increased weekly by 5 up to 20 ug) or once-daily oral sitagliptin 50
      mg. The primary endpoint was the change in postprandial glucose (PPG) exposure 4
      hours after a standardized breakfast (PPG area under the plasma glucose
      concentration-time curve [AUC0:00-4:00h ]) from baseline to day 29. RESULTS:
      Lixisenatide reduced PPG exposure to a statistically significantly greater extent
      than sitagliptin: least squares (LS) mean change from baseline in PPG AUC0:00
      4:00h was -347.3 h.mg/dL (-19.3 h.mmol/L) in the lixisenatide group and -113.3
      h.mg/dL (-6.3 h.mmol/L) in the sitagliptin group (LS mean between-group
      difference -234.0 h.mg/dL [-13.0 h.mmol/L], 95% confidence interval -285.02 to 
      183.00 h.mg/dL [-15.8 to -10.2 h.mmol/L]; P < .0001). Lixisenatide led to
      significantly greater LS mean reductions in maximum PPG excursion than
      sitagliptin (-122.4 vs -46.6 mg/dL [-6.8 vs -2.6 h.mmol/L]; P < .0001). Change
      from-baseline reductions in exposure to C-peptide, fasting glycoalbumin levels,
      and the gastric emptying rate were greater in the lixisenatide than in the
      sitagliptin group. The incidence of treatment-emergent adverse events was higher
      with lixisenatide (60.9%) than with sitagliptin (16.4%), with no serious events
      or severe hypoglycaemia reported. CONCLUSION: Lixisenatide reduced PPG
      significantly more than sitagliptin, when these agents were added to basal
      insulin glargine U100, and was well tolerated.

PMID- 28345164
TI  - Comparing functional MRI protocols for small, iron-rich basal ganglia nuclei such
      as the subthalamic nucleus at 7 T and 3 T.
AB  - The basal ganglia (BG) form a network of subcortical nuclei. Functional magnetic
      resonance imaging (fMRI) in the BG could provide insight in its functioning and
      the underlying mechanisms of Deep Brain Stimulation (DBS). However, fMRI of the
      BG with high specificity is challenging, because the nuclei are small and
      variable in their anatomical location. High resolution fMRI at field strengths of
      7 Tesla (T) could help resolve these challenges to some extent. A set of MR
      protocols was developed for functional imaging of the BG nuclei at 3 T and 7 T.
      The protocols were validated using a stop-signal reaction task (Logan et al. []:
      J Exp Psychol: Human Percept Perform 10:276-291). Compared with sub-millimeter 7
      T fMRI protocols aimed at cortex, a reduction of echo time and spatial resolution
      was strictly necessary to obtain robust Blood Oxygen Level Dependent (BOLD)
      sensitivity in the BG. An fMRI protocol at 3 T with identical resolution to the 7
      T showed no robust BOLD sensitivity in any of the BG nuclei. The results suggest
      that the subthalamic nucleus, as well as the substantia nigra, red nucleus, and
      the internal and external parts of the globus pallidus show increased activation
      in failed stop trials compared with successful stop and go trials. Hum Brain Mapp
      38:3226-3248, 2017. (c) 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

PMID- 28345166
TI  - Demonstrating therapeutic equivalence of a new and established pharmaceutical or
      intervention: a guide for the non-statistician.

PMID- 28345165
TI  - Interleukin-1 inhibition facilitates recovery from liver injury and promotes
      regeneration of hepatocytes in alcoholic hepatitis in mice.
AB  - BACKGROUND & AIMS: Inflammation and impaired hepatocyte regeneration contribute
      to liver failure in alcoholic hepatitis (AH). Interleukin (IL)-1 is a key
      inflammatory cytokine in the pathobiology of AH. The role of IL-1 in liver
      regeneration in the recovery phase of alcohol-induced liver injury is unknown.
      METHODS: In this study, we tested IL-1 receptor antagonist to block IL-1
      signalling in a mouse model of acute-on-chronic liver injury on liver
      inflammation and hepatocyte regeneration in AH. RESULTS: We observed that
      inhibition of IL-1 signalling decreased liver inflammation and neutrophil
      infiltration, and resulted in enhanced regeneration of hepatocytes and increased
      rate of recovery from liver injury in AH. CONCLUSION: Our novel findings suggest
      that IL-1 drives sustained liver inflammation and impaired hepatocyte
      regeneration even after cessation of ethanol exposure.

PMID- 28345167
TI  - A Dynamic Estimation of Obesity Using Nhanes Data: A Pseudo-Panel Approach.
AB  - In this analysis, we examine the effect of wages on obesity by constructing
      pseudo-panels to conduct a dynamic estimation of Grossman's human capital model.
      The results indicate that wages have an increasing effect on obesity status.
      After accounting for past health status, the protective effect of wages commonly
      disseminated in the literature reverses on obesity status. The results may also
      indicate possible asymmetric consumption behavior between foods/nutrients that
      improve diet quality versus those that degrade it. Individuals may be more keen
      to adhere to prophylactic diet strategies that abate consumption of unhealthy
      food/nutrients rather than measures which increase healthy nutrient consumption.
      Additionally, wages have an increasing effect on overall total calories consumed.
      These findings suggest that higher wage earners may focus their diet efforts on
      reducing consumption of specific nutrients but compensate by overconsuming other
      types of nutrients increasing overall calorie intake. Copyright (c) 2017 John
      Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

PMID- 28345168
TI  - Cardinal and anti-cardinal points, equalities and chromatic dependence.
AB  - PURPOSE: Cardinal points are used for ray tracing through Gaussian systems. Anti
      principal and anti-nodal points (which we shall refer to as the anti-cardinal
      points), along with the six familiar cardinal points, belong to a much larger set
      of special points. The purpose of this paper is to obtain a set of relationships
      and resulting equalities among the cardinal and anti-cardinal points and to
      illustrate them using Pascal's ring. METHODS: The methodology used relies on
      Gaussian optics and the transference T. We make use of two equations, obtained
      via the transference, which give the locations of the six cardinal and four anti
      cardinal points with respect to the system. We obtain equalities among the
      cardinal and anti-cardinal points. We utilise Pascal's ring to illustrate which
      points depend on frequency and their displacement with change in frequency.
      RESULTS: Pascal described a memory schema in the shape of a hexagon for
      remembering equalities among the points and illustrating shifts in these points
      when an aspect of the system changes. We modify and extend Pascal's ring to
      include the anti-cardinal points. We make use of Pascal's ring extended to
      illustrate which points are dependent on the frequency of light and the direction
      of shift of the equalities with change in frequency. For the reduced eye the
      principal and nodal points are independent of frequency, but the focal points and
      the anti-cardinal points depend on frequency. For Le Grand's four-surface model
      eye all six cardinal and four anti-cardinal points depend on frequency. This has
      implications for definitions, particularly of chromatic aberrations of the eye,
      that make use of cardinal points and that themselves depend on frequency.
      CONCLUSIONS: Pascal's ring and Pascal's ring extended are novel memory schema for
      remembering the equalities among the cardinal and anti-cardinal points. The rings
      are useful for illustrating changes among the equalities and direction of shift
      of points when an aspect of a system changes. Care should be taken when defining
      concepts that rely on cardinal points that depend on frequency.

PMID- 28345170
TI  - Trigger factors and consequence factors of shock therapy in Japanese patients
      with implantable cardioverter defibrillator.

PMID- 28345169
TI  - Alcohol use from adolescence through early adulthood: an assessment of
      measurement invariance by age and gender.
AB  - BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Studies on alcohol use and related constructs rarely test
      for measurement invariance to assess the reliability and validity of measures of
      alcohol use across different subpopulations of interest or ages. This failure to
      consider measurement invariance may result in biased parameter estimates and
      inferences. This study aimed to test measurement invariance of alcohol use across
      gender and age using a US nationally representative sample to inform future
      longitudinal studies assessing alcohol use. DESIGN: The National Longitudinal
      Study of Adolescent to Adult Health, a school-based, nationally representative
      longitudinal study conducted in 1994-95, 2001-02 and 2008. SETTING: All regions
      within the United States; participants were selected via a clustered sample
      design from 80 high schools that represented the national population.
      PARTICIPANTS: Youth and young adults aged 13-31 years who had valid data on all
      three alcohol items within wave: 18 923 from wave 1; 14 315 from wave 3; and 14
      785 from wave 4. MEASUREMENTS: Alcohol use measurement models were constructed
      using past-year general drinking frequency, heavy episodic drinking frequency and
      average quantity when drinking. Configural (factor structure), metric (factor
      loadings) and scalar (item intercepts) measurement invariance models were tested
      by gender and for each year of age from 13 to 31 years. FINDINGS: All models
      passed the threshold for configural invariance. Comparisons between males and
      females demonstrated metric (and usually scalar) non-invariance for most ages
      beyond middle adolescence. Nearly all 1- and 2-year contrasts passed metric
      invariance. Scalar non-invariance was most prevalent in age comparisons between
      late adolescence and early adulthood, particularly for tests using 2-year age
      increments. CONCLUSIONS: Studies that do not account for the effects of gender
      and age on the measurement of alcohol use may be statistically biased.

PMID- 28345171
TI  - Spatio-angular consistent construction of neonatal diffusion MRI atlases.
AB  - Atlases constructed using diffusion-weighted imaging are important tools for
      studying human brain development. Atlas construction is in general a two-step
      process involving spatial registration and fusion of individual images. The focus
      of most studies so far has been on improving the accuracy of registration while
      image fusion is commonly performed using simple averaging, often resulting in
      fuzzy atlases. In this article, we propose a patch-based method for diffusion
      weighted (DW) atlas construction. Unlike other atlases that are based on the
      diffusion tensor model, our atlas is model-free and generated directly from the
      diffusion-weighted images. Instead of independently generating an atlas for each
      gradient direction and hence neglecting angular image correlation, we propose to
      construct the atlas by jointly considering DW images of neighboring gradient
      directions. We employ a group regularization framework where local patches of
      angularly neighboring images are constrained for consistent spatio-angular atlas
      reconstruction. Experimental results confirm that our atlas, constructed for
      neonatal data, reveals more structural details with higher fractional anisotropy
      than the atlas generated without angular consistency as well as the average
      atlas. Also the normalization of test subjects to the proposed atlas results in
      better alignment of brain structures. Hum Brain Mapp 38:3175-3189, 2017. (c) 2017
      Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

PMID- 28345172
TI  - International, prospective haemovigilance study on methylene blue-treated plasma.
AB  - BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Methylene blue is a phenothiazine dye, which in
      combination with visible light has virucidal and bactericidal properties,
      disrupting the replication of a broad range of enveloped viruses and some non
      enveloped viruses. The study objective was to collect data on adverse reactions
      occurring with methylene blue plasma administered in a routine clinical practice
      environment and document their characteristics and severity. MATERIALS AND
      METHODS: This was an open label, multicentre, non-controlled, non-randomized, non
      interventional study. Patients who receive a methylene blue plasma transfusion
      were observed for any signs and symptoms (adverse reactions) within 24 h safter
      the start of the transfusion, in different hospitals for a study duration of at
      least 1 year. RESULTS: A total of 19 315 methylene blue plasma units were
      transfused. There were eight patients with adverse reactions recorded during the
      study, one of them serious. Two had more than one reaction (two and four,
      respectively). Three patients had previous transfusions with methylene blue
      plasma only. CONCLUSION: Methylene blue plasma has a very acceptable safety
      profile with a rate of serious adverse reactions of 0.5/10 000 units.

PMID- 28345173
TI  - Increasing preferred step rate during running reduces plantar pressures.
AB  - Increasing preferred step rate during running is a commonly used strategy in the
      management of running-related injuries. This study investigated the effect of
      different step rates on plantar pressures during running. Thirty-two healthy
      runners ran at a comfortable speed on a treadmill at five step rates (preferred,
      +/-5%, and +/-10%). For each step rate, plantar pressure data were collected
      using the pedar-X in-shoe system. Compared to running with a preferred step rate,
      a 10% increase in step rate significantly reduced peak pressure (144.5+/-46.5 vs
      129.3+/-51 kPa; P=.033) and maximum force (382.3+/-157.6 vs 334.0+/-159.8 N;
      P=.021) at the rearfoot, and reduced maximum force (426.4+/-130.4 vs 400.0+/
      116.6 N; P=.001) at the midfoot. In contrast, a 10% decrease in step rate
      significantly increased peak pressure (144.5+/-46.5 vs 161.5+/-49.3 kPa; P=.011)
      and maximum force (382.3+/-157.6 vs 425.4+/-155.3 N; P=.032) at the rearfoot.
      Changing step rate by 5% provided no effect on plantar pressures, and no
      differences in plantar pressures were observed at the medial forefoot, lateral
      forefoot or hallux between the step rates. This study's findings indicate that
      increasing preferred step rate by 10% during running will reduce plantar
      pressures at the rearfoot and midfoot, while decreasing step rate by 10% will
      increase plantar pressures at the rearfoot. However, changing preferred step rate
      by 5% will provide no effect on plantar pressures, and forefoot pressures are
      unaffected by changes in step rate.

PMID- 28345174
TI  - Overall evaluability of low dose protocol for computed tomography angiography of
      thoracic aorta using 80 kV and iterative reconstruction algorithm using different
      concentration contrast media.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: Multidetector Computed Tomography Angiography (MDCTA) is presently
      the imaging modality of choice for aortic disease. However, the effective
      radiation dose and the risk related to the use of contrast agents associated with
      MDCTA is an issue of concern. Aim of this study was to assess image quality of a
      low dose ECG-gated MDCTA of thoracic aorta using different concentration contrast
      media without tailored injection protocol. METHODS: Two-hundred patients were
      randomised into four different scan protocols: Group A (Iodixanol 320 and 80 Kvp
      tube voltage), Group B (Iodixanol 320 and 100 Kvp tube voltage), Group C
      (Iomeprol 400 and 80 Kvp tube voltage) and Group D (Iomeprol 400 and 100 Kvp tube
      voltage). Image quality, noise, signal-to-noise ratio (SNR), contrast-to-noise
      ratio (CNR) and effective dose (ED) were compared among groups. RESULTS: No
      significant differences in image noise, SNR and CNR between groups with the same
      tube voltage. Significant differences in SNR and CNR were found among groups with
      80 kV versus groups using 100 kV but without differences in terms of image
      quality. ED was significantly lower in groups with 80 kV. CONCLUSIONS:
      Multidetector Computed Tomography Angiography protocols using 80 kV and low
      concentration contrast media are feasible without need of tailored injection
      protocols.

PMID- 28345175
TI  - Enantioselective Palladium-Catalyzed Carbonylative Carbocyclization of Enallenes
      via Cross-Dehydrogenative Coupling with Terminal Alkynes: Efficient Construction
      of alpha-Chirality of Ketones.
AB  - An enantioselective PdII /Bronsted acid-catalyzed carbonylative carbocyclization
      of enallenes ending with a cross-dehydrogenative coupling (CDC) with a terminal
      alkyne was developed. VAPOL phosphoric acid was found as the best co-catalyst
      among the examined 28 chiral acids, for inducing the enantioselectivity of alpha
      chiral ketones. As a result, a number of chiral cyclopentenones were easily
      synthesized in good to excellent enantiomeric ratio with good yields.

PMID- 28345176
TI  - Eye movement desensitisation and reprocessing therapy for posttraumatic stress
      disorder in a child and an adolescent with mild to borderline intellectual
      disability: A multiple baseline across subjects study.
AB  - BACKGROUND: This study explored the effectiveness of eye movement desensitisation
      and reprocessing (EMDR) therapy for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in
      persons with mild to borderline intellectual disability (MBID) using a multiple
      baseline across subjects design. METHODS: One child and one adolescent with MBID,
      who met diagnostic criteria for PTSD according to a PTSD clinical interview
      (i.e., ADIS-C PTSD section), adapted and validated for this target group, were
      offered four sessions of EMDR. PTSD symptoms were measured before, during and
      after EMDR, and at six weeks follow-up. RESULTS: For both participants, number of
      PTSD symptoms decreased in response to treatment and both no longer met PTSD
      criteria at post-treatment. This result was maintained at 6-week follow-up.
      CONCLUSIONS: The results of this study add further support to the notion that
      EMDR can be an effective treatment for PTSD in children and adolescents with
      MBID. Replication of this study in larger samples and using a randomized
      controlled design is warranted.

PMID- 28345178
TI  - Letter to the Editor.

PMID- 28345179
TI  - Transient epileptic amnesia without epileptic seizures: proposal of a new entity.

PMID- 28345180
TI  - Population-based study shows that teenage girls with asthma had impaired health
      related quality of life.
AB  - AIM: This study examined the health-related quality of life (HRQoL) of teenagers
      with and without asthma, including the impact of their sex, allergic conditions,
      smoking, living conditions and physical activity. METHODS: The Obstructive Lung
      Disease in Northern Sweden (OLIN) studies recruited a cohort of schoolchildren in
      2006. The parents of all children aged seven to eight years in three
      municipalities were invited to complete a questionnaire and 2585 (96%)
      participated. The cohort was followed up at the ages of 11-12 years and 14-15
      years with high participation rates. At 14-15 years, the HRQoL questionnaire
      KIDSCREEN-10 and Asthma Control Test were added. RESULTS: Girls with current
      asthma at 14-15 years had a lower mean HRQoL score than girls without asthma
      (46.4 versus 49.3, p < 0.001), but this was not seen among boys (53.8 versus
      52.8, p = 0.373). Poor HRQoL was related to current asthma, uncontrolled asthma
      and teenage onset of asthma. It was also related to eczema, living in a single
      parent household, maternal smoking, daily smoking and inversely related to
      physical activity. CONCLUSION: Teenage girls with asthma had lower HRQoL than
      girls without asthma. Possible interventions to improve HRQoL among teenagers
      with asthma were identified as follows: increasing asthma control, preventing
      smoking and promoting physical activity.

PMID- 28345177
TI  - Pharmacogenomics of off-target adverse drug reactions.
AB  - Off-target adverse drug reactions (ADRs) are associated with significant
      morbidity and costs to the healthcare system, and their occurrence is not
      predictable based on the known pharmacological action of the drug's therapeutic
      effect. Off-target ADRs may or may not be associated with immunological memory,
      although they can manifest with a variety of shared clinical features, including
      maculopapular exanthema, severe cutaneous adverse reactions (SCARs), angioedema,
      pruritus and bronchospasm. Discovery of specific genes associated with a
      particular ADR phenotype is a foundational component of clinical translation into
      screening programmes for their prevention. In this review, genetic associations
      of off-target drug-induced ADRs that have a clinical phenotype suggestive of an
      immunologically mediated process and their mechanisms are highlighted. A
      significant proportion of these reactions lack immunological memory and current
      data are informative for these ADRs with regard to disease pathophysiology,
      therapeutic targets and biomarkers which may identify patients at greatest risk.
      Although many serious delayed immune-mediated (IM)-ADRs show strong human
      leukocyte antigen associations, only a small subset have successfully been
      implemented in screening programmes. More recently, other factors, such as drug
      metabolism, have been shown to contribute to the risk of the IM-ADR. In the
      future, pharmacogenomic targets and an understanding of how they interact with
      drugs to cause ADRs will be applied to drug design and preclinical testing, and
      this will allow selection of optimal therapy to improve patient safety.

PMID- 28345181
TI  - Hepatitis B s antigen kinetics during treatment with nucleos(t)ides analogues in
      patients with hepatitis B e antigen-negative chronic hepatitis B.
AB  - BACKGROUND/AIMS: Serum hepatitis B s antigen (HBsAg) levels might be used as a
      predictor of virological breakthrough or of sustained off-treatment virological
      response in hepatitis B e antigen (HBeAg)-negative chronic hepatitis B (CHB)
      patients. We evaluated the changes of HBsAg in those patients under nucleos(t)ide
      analogue(s) [NA(s)] therapy for >=12 months. METHODS: We included 99 HBeAg
      negative CHB patients treated with low-genetic barrier NA(s) for a mean of 66
      months (lamivudine: 66, adefovir: 6, lamivudine plus adefovir: 11 and
      telbivudine: 16) and 86 HBeAg-negative CHB patients treated under entecavir or
      tenofovir for a mean of 30 months as the comparison group. RESULTS: Compared to
      baseline, HBsAg levels decreased by a median of 162, 1525, 943, 1545, 2163 and
      3859 IU/mL at 6, 12, 24, 36, 48 and 60 months of therapy with low-genetic barrier
      NA(s) respectively. The 6-, 12-, 24-, 36-, 48- and 60-month cumulative rates of
      HBsAg<100 IU/mL were 2%, 3%, 3%, 5%, 5% and 5%, and <1000 IU/mL 6%, 9%, 15%, 19%,
      24% and 61% respectively. Baseline HBsAg levels were the only significant
      variable associated with the time to HBsAg drop <1000 IU/mL. HBsAg loss occurred
      in 3.0% of patients. The high-genetic barrier NAs were not found to offer a
      greater or faster HBsAg decline. CONCLUSIONS: In HBeAg-negative CHB patients,
      long-term therapy with low-genetic barrier NA(s) decreases serum HBsAg levels,
      but the rate of decline is slow. Lower baseline HBsAg levels are significantly
      associated with on-therapy HBsAg drop <1000 IU/mL. Serum HBsAg decline is similar
      during therapy with low- or high-genetic barrier NAs.

PMID- 28345182
TI  - Can genomic data alone tell us whether speciation happened with gene flow?
AB  - The allopatric model, which requires a period of geographical isolation for
      speciation to complete, has been the standard model in the modern era. Recently,
      "speciation with gene flow" has been widely discussed in relation to the model of
      "strict allopatry" and the level of DNA divergence across genomic regions. We
      wish to caution that genomic data by themselves may only permit the rejection of
      the simplest form of allopatry. Even a slightly more complex and realistic model
      that starts with subdivided populations would be impossible to reject by the
      genomic data alone. To resolve this central issue of speciation, other forms of
      observations such as the sequencing of reproductive isolation genes or the
      identification of geographical barrier(s) will be necessary.

PMID- 28345183
TI  - Common femoral artery disease in antiphospholipid syndrome: histopathology.

PMID- 28345185
TI  - Overexpression of Yes-associated protein and its association with
      clinicopathological features of hepatocellular carcinoma: A meta-analysis.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Yes-associated protein (YAP) overexpression is reported to be
      associated with risk of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) but current studies have
      not explored the relationship between YAP expression with HCC clinicopathological
      features. METHODS: To assess these associations, a meta-analysis was performed
      which included four eligible studies including 391 HCC cases and 334 controls.
      There were eight eligible studies to investigate the association between YAP
      expression in HCC and clinicopathological features of liver cancer patients.
      Literature was obtained from PubMed, Embase, Wangfang and China National
      Knowledge Infrastructure. RESULTS: Analysis indicated that YAP expression in HCC
      was greater than in adjacent non-tumour tissue (odds ratio [OR], 15.80, 95%
      confidence interval [CI], 10.53-23.70, P<.00001; heterogeneity=.30). YAP
      overexpression in HCC was significantly associated with vascular invasion (OR,
      2.21, 95% CI, 11.64-2.97, P<.00001, heterogeneity=.10), less cellular
      differentiation (OR, 2.38, 95% CI, 1.61-3.51, P<.00001, heterogeneity=.333),
      tumours larger than 5 cm (OR, 2.52, 95% CI, 1.75-3.62, P<.00001;
      heterogeneity=.17) and TNM tumour stage I + II (OR, 0.44, 95% CI, 0.28-0.75,
      P=.00003, heterogeneity=.12). CONCLUSIONS: Overexpression of YAP contributes to
      HCC formation, and its overexpression is associated with vascular invasion, low
      cellular differentiation tumours larger than 5 cm and TNM tumour stage III + IV.

PMID- 28345186
TI  - Fetal myocardial performance index in assessment and management of small-for
      gestational-age fetus: a cohort and nested case-control study.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: To assess the clinical utility of the fetal myocardial performance
      index (MPI) in assessment and management of the small-for-gestational-age (SGA)
      fetus/growth-restricted fetus (FGR). METHODS: This was a prospective cohort study
      in metropolitan Australia of patients referred in the period June 2012 to March
      2015 to fetal medicine services at 24-38 weeks' gestation for suspected singleton
      SGA/FGR (estimated fetal weight (EFW) < 10th centile with or without abnormal
      umbilical artery (UA) Doppler) pregnancy. Patients had MPI assessed in addition
      to routine measures, and were followed through to birth. We compared MPI values
      against those of a local reference population and gestational age-matched
      controls, and assessed the correlation with perinatal outcome and other Doppler
      measures. RESULTS: Fifty-two cases were included, 38 diagnosed < 32 weeks and 14
      diagnosed >= 32 weeks. None demonstrated significantly elevated left, right or
      delta MPI compared with the reference population or with gestational age-matched
      controls at the time of first MPI evaluation. There were no consistent
      longitudinal patterns in MPI that would suggest its clinical utility. The mean +/
      SD gestational age at delivery was 34.6 +/- 3.8 weeks and birth weight was 1.7
      +/- 0.6 kg, and the median neonatal hospital admission time was 27 days,
      confirming a pathological cohort. There were no significant correlations between
      left, right or delta-MPI and perinatal outcome, although there were significant
      correlations between UA, middle cerebral artery (MCA) and ductus venosus (DV)
      Doppler and perinatal outcome (birth weight, gestational age at birth and length
      of neonatal hospital stay). Exploratory subgroup comparisons (EFW < 3rd vs 3rd 
      10th centile; early- vs late-onset; abnormal vs normal UA Doppler) found only
      minor differences in MPI, reaching statistical, but not clinical, significance,
      only in the EFW < 3rd vs 3rd -10th centile comparison. CONCLUSIONS: MPI did not
      demonstrate clinical utility in either triage or longitudinal follow-up of an
      SGA/FGR cohort presenting to fetal medicine services. Given that prior research
      suggesting its utility originates from single-center cohorts, while multicenter,
      large cohorts have suggested little utility or no additional utility if routine
      UA/MCA/DV Doppler is performed, publication bias may have affected previous
      reports. It seems unlikely that MPI has clinical utility in assessment and
      management of SGA/FGR fetuses. Copyright (c) 2017 ISUOG. Published by John Wiley
      & Sons Ltd.

PMID- 28345184
TI  - Spatial molecular epidemiology of carbapenem-resistant and New Delhi metallo beta
      lactamase (blaNDM)-producing Escherichia coli in the piglets of organized farms
      in India.
AB  - AIM: A cross-sectional study was conducted in 10 government-organized pig farms
      between 2014 and 2016 representing seven states of India to understand the
      epidemiology of carbapenem resistance in the Escherichia coli. METHODS AND
      RESULTS: In this study, fecal sample (n = 673) from non-diarrheic (n = 501) and
      diarrheic (n = 172) piglets were processed for isolation of carbapenem resistant
      E. coli. Of 673, E. coli isolate (n = 112) was genotyped for confirming the
      carbapenem resistance and associated virulence factors. Of the 112 isolates, 23
      were phenotypically resistant to carbapenem and 8 were carrying the New Delhi
      metallo beta-lactamase (blaNDM) gene. The carbapenem-resistant isolates also
      produced extended spectrum beta-lactamases and were multidrug resistant. The PCR
      based pathotyping revealed the presence of stx1, stx2, eae and hlyA genes. The
      enterobacterial repetitive intergenic consensus PCR dendrogram analysis of the
      isolates yielded three distinct clusters. The statistical analysis revealed no
      association between carriages of carbapenem-resistant E. coli in different breed
      of piglets however, location, sex, health status of piglets and age showed
      significant difference. The spatial analysis with SaTScan helped in
      identification of carbapenem-resistant clusters. CONCLUSIONS: The presence of
      carbapenem resistant E. coli isolates with virulence genes in the piglet poses a
      potential public health risk through possible access and spread via the food
      chain and environment. Efflux pump may also play an important role in carbapenem
      resistance in piglet E. coli isolates. Furthermore, identification of risk
      factors in relation to spatial clusters will help in designing preventive
      strategies for reducing the risk of spread of carbapenem resistant bacteria.
      SIGNIFICANCE AND IMPACT OF THE STUDY: 1. Piglets harbor carbapenem resistant E.
      coli and have great public health significance. 2. Apart from carbapenemase,
      efflux pump is also important for carbapenem resistance. 3. This is the first
      report of blaNDM in the piglets from India.

PMID- 28345187
TI  - Novel biomarkers for prostate cancer: An evidence-based review for use in
      clinical practice.
AB  - Prostate cancer is a heterogeneous disease with disparate outcomes. Traditional
      clinical parameters are limited in their ability to differentiate between these
      cases, and there is uncertainty regarding management strategies. A number of
      novel biomarkers have emerged, but how best to use them at the point of care
      remains confusing. In the present review, we describe the most common novel
      biomarkers, their key supporting literature, and propose a meaningful algorithm
      for their use in clinical practice. To identify commercially available prostate
      cancer diagnostic tests, we carried out a PubMed literature search (through May
      2016). Only English-language studies were included. We restricted our search to
      studies published within the past 10 years in order to focus our review on novel
      data. Secondary sources were also examined. We identified 12 novel biomarkers and
      categorized them into broad areas of clinical practice: (i) early diagnosis and
      screening; (ii) staging and primary treatment selection; (iii) post-treatment
      risk stratification; (iv) advanced disease prognosis and treatment response; and
      (v) emerging tests. Most validation studies rely on small retrospective cohorts
      and carry a high risk of bias; furthermore, most cohorts are restricted to
      Caucasians, with little to no representation of other geographic, racial or
      ethnic populations. Novel biomarkers for prostate cancer management, while
      potentially helpful, should not replace standard clinical information and
      physician judgment. They are currently best suited to serve as an adjunct to
      existing management tools. Clinicians should have a sound grasp of each biomarker
      based test's indications and limitations.

PMID- 28345188
TI  - Treatment of gonorrhoea in Auckland, New Zealand: marked variation in prescriber
      adherence to treatment guidelines.
AB  - BACKGROUND: The relentless emergence and spread of strains of Neisseria
      gonorrhoeae that are resistant to many antimicrobial agents has led to frequent
      changes in treatment guidelines, with a consequent risk that prescribers may not
      be aware of current guidelines. AIM: To determine the proportion of patients with
      gonorrhoea who were treated with a regimen consistent with the New Zealand Sexual
      Health Society (NZSHS) guidelines. METHODS: We audited the treatment given to
      adult patients with laboratory-proven gonorrhoea in Auckland, New Zealand, during
      the first 6 months of 2015. RESULTS: Treatment compliant with the current NZSHS
      guidelines was administered in only 65% (458/706) episodes overall. Guideline
      compliant treatment was much more likely to be prescribed for patients who
      presented to a sexual health clinic (89%) than for patients who presented to
      either a general practice or other community clinic (52%) or to a hospital (56%)
      (P < 0.0001). Overall, 52 of 706 (7%) episodes were not treated with any
      antimicrobial regimen by the service that diagnosed the patients' gonorrhoea, 13
      of 62 (21%) episodes in patients who presented to a hospital, 34 of 403 (8%)
      episodes in patients who presented to a general practice or other community
      clinic and 5 of 241 (2%) episodes in patients who presented to a sexual health
      clinic (P < 0.0001). CONCLUSION: Low levels of compliance with treatment
      guidelines increase the risk that antibiotic-resistant strains of N. gonorrhoeae
      will spread within the Auckland region. Improved compliance with treatment
      guidelines, particularly in patients who present either to general practice or to
      hospitals, is necessary to maintain the efficacy of current treatment regimens.

PMID- 28345191
TI  - Report of the 13th Annual International Pachyonychia Congenita Consortium
      Symposium.
AB  - The International Pachyonychia Congenita Consortium (IPCC) is a group of
      physicians and scientists from around the world dedicated to developing therapies
      for pachyonychia congenita, a rare autosomal dominant skin disorder. The research
      presented at the 13th Annual Research Symposium of the IPCC, held on 10-11 May
      2016, in Scottsdale, AZ, U.S.A., is reported here.

PMID- 28345190
TI  - New medicinal products for chronic heart failure: advances in clinical trial
      design and efficacy assessment.
AB  - Despite the availability of a number of different classes of therapeutic agents
      with proven efficacy in heart failure, the clinical course of heart failure
      patients is characterized by a reduction in life expectancy, a progressive
      decline in health-related quality of life and functional status, as well as a
      high risk of hospitalization. New approaches are needed to address the unmet
      medical needs of this patient population. The European Medicines Agency (EMA) is
      undertaking a revision of its Guideline on Clinical Investigation of Medicinal
      Products for the Treatment of Chronic Heart Failure. The draft version of the
      Guideline was released for public consultation in January 2016. The
      Cardiovascular Round Table of the European Society of Cardiology (ESC), in
      partnership with the Heart Failure Association of the ESC, convened a dedicated
      two-day workshop to discuss three main topic areas of major interest in the field
      and addressed in this draft EMA guideline: (i) assessment of efficacy (i.e.
      endpoint selection and statistical analysis); (ii) clinical trial design (i.e.
      issues pertaining to patient population, optimal medical therapy, run-in period);
      and (iii) research approaches for testing novel therapeutic principles (i.e. cell
      therapy). This paper summarizes the key outputs from the workshop, reviews areas
      of expert consensus, and identifies gaps that require further research or
      discussion. Collaboration between regulators, industry, clinical trialists,
      cardiologists, health technology assessment bodies, payers, and patient
      organizations is critical to address the ongoing challenge of heart failure and
      to ensure the development and market access of new therapeutics in a
      scientifically robust, practical and safe way.

PMID- 28345192
TI  - Respirometry increases cortisol levels in rainbow trout Oncorhynchus mykiss:
      implications for measurements of metabolic rate.
AB  - This study aimed to assess the extent to which chasing, handling and confining
      Oncorhynchus mykiss to a small respirometer chamber during respirometric
      experiments is stressful and affects metabolic measurements. The study observed
      increased cortisol levels in animals tested using a chase protocol and subsequent
      intermittent-flow respirometry, suggesting that this procedural treatment may
      stress animals.

PMID- 28345189
TI  - Tuning face perception with electrical stimulation of the fusiform gyrus.
AB  - The fusiform gyrus (FG) is an important node in the face processing network, but
      knowledge of its causal role in face perception is currently limited. Recent work
      demonstrated that high frequency stimulation applied to the FG distorts the
      perception of faces in human subjects (Parvizi et al. []: J Neurosci 32:14915
      14920). However, the timing of this process in the FG relative to stimulus onset
      and the spatial extent of FG's role in face perception are unknown. Here, we
      investigate the causal role of the FG in face perception by applying precise,
      event-related electrical stimulation (ES) to higher order visual areas including
      the FG in six human subjects undergoing intracranial monitoring for epilepsy. We
      compared the effects of single brief (100 MUs) electrical pulses to the FG and
      non-face-selective visual areas on the speed and accuracy of detecting distorted
      faces. Brief ES applied to face-selective sites did not affect accuracy but
      significantly increased the reaction time (RT) of detecting face distortions.
      Importantly, RT was altered only when ES was applied 100ms after visual onset and
      in face-selective but not place-selective sites. Furthermore, ES applied to face
      selective areas decreased the amplitude of visual evoked potentials and high
      gamma power over this time window. Together, these results suggest that ES of
      face-selective regions within a critical time window induces a delay in face
      perception. These findings support a temporally and spatially specific causal
      role of face-selective areas and signify an important link between
      electrophysiology and behavior in face perception. Hum Brain Mapp 38:2830-2842,
      2017. (c) 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

PMID- 28345193
TI  - Retention of gene diversity during the spread of a non-native plant species.
AB  - Spatial expansion, which is a crucial stage in the process to successful
      biological invasion, is anticipated to profoundly affect the magnitude and
      spatial distribution of genetic diversity in novel colonized areas. Here, we show
      that, contrasting common expectations, Pyrenean rocket (Sisymbrium austriacum),
      retained SNP diversity as this introduced plant species descended in the Meuse
      River Basin. Allele frequencies did not mirror between-population distances along
      the predominant expansion axis. Reconstruction of invasion history based on the
      genotypes of historical herbarium specimens indicated no influence of additional
      introductions or multiple points of entry on this nongradual pattern. Assignment
      analysis suggested the admixture of distant upstream sources in recently founded
      downstream populations. River dynamics seem to have facilitated occasional long
      distance dispersal which brought diversity to the expansion front and so
      maintained evolutionary potential. Our findings highlight the merit of a
      historical framework in interpreting extant patterns of genetic diversity in
      introduced species and underscore the need to integrate long-distance dispersal
      events in theoretical work on the genetic consequences of range expansion.

PMID- 28345194
TI  - Decay of the glycolytic pathway and adaptation to intranuclear parasitism within
      Enterocytozoonidae microsporidia.
AB  - Glycolysis and oxidative phosphorylation are the fundamental pathways of ATP
      generation in eukaryotes. Yet in microsporidia, endoparasitic fungi living at the
      limits of cellular streamlining, oxidative phosphorylation has been lost: energy
      is obtained directly from the host or, during the dispersive spore stage, via
      glycolysis. It was therefore surprising when the first sequenced genome from the
      Enterocytozoonidae - a major family of human and animal-infecting microsporidians
      - appeared to have lost genes for glycolysis. Here, we sequence and analyse
      genomes from additional members of this family, shedding new light on their
      unusual biology. Our survey includes the genome of Enterocytozoon hepatopenaei, a
      major aquacultural parasite currently causing substantial economic losses in
      shrimp farming, and Enterospora canceri, a pathogen that lives exclusively inside
      epithelial cell nuclei of its crab host. Our analysis of gene content across the
      clade suggests that Ent. canceri's adaptation to intranuclear life is underpinned
      by the expansion of transporter families. We demonstrate that this entire lineage
      of pathogens has lost glycolysis and, uniquely amongst eukaryotes, lacks any
      obvious intrinsic means of generating energy. Our study provides an important
      resource for the investigation of host-pathogen interactions and reductive
      evolution in one of the most medically and economically important microsporidian
      lineages.

PMID- 28345195
TI  - Diagnosing neonatal transphyseal fractures of the distal humerus.
AB  - A traumatic birth can cause significant upper limb injury; the presenting
      features are non-specific and the differential diagnosis long. Transphyseal
      fractures of the distal humerus are a rare but clinically important birth injury.
      This injury has typical radiographic findings, which due to the un-ossified
      nature of the distal humeral epiphysis can easily be misinterpreted. This article
      presents the radiographic appearance correlated with arthrography, ultrasound and
      MRI obtained from four cases of neonatal transphyseal fracture of the distal
      humerus. We hope that by demonstrating the appearances for each of these imaging
      techniques in relation to the underlying pathology will reduce errors of
      interpretation that may lead to inappropriate diagnosis and management of these
      children.

PMID- 28345196
TI  - Flupyradifurone effectively manages whitefly Bemisia tabaci MED (Hemiptera:
      Aleyrodidae) and tomato yellow leaf curl virus in tomato.
AB  - BACKGROUND: The cotton whitefly Bemisia tabaci (Gennadius) is among the most
      important pests of numerous crops and a vector of more than 100 plant viruses,
      causing significant crop losses worldwide. Managing this pest as well as
      inhibiting the transmission of major viruses such as tomato yellow leaf curl
      virus (TYLCV) are of utmost importance for sustainable yields. The efficacy
      against both whitefly and virus transmission of the novel systemic butenolide
      insecticide flupyradifurone was investigated in this study. RESULTS: The
      inhibition of TYLCV transmission by flupyradifurone was compared to that by
      thiamethoxam, a neonicotinoid insecticide reported to inhibit virus transmission.
      The experiment was performed under high virus pressure conditions (10
      viruliferous insects per plant for 48 h) using a fully characterized field strain
      of B. tabaci. The insecticides were foliarly applied at recommended label rates
      under greenhouse conditions. Flupyradifurone suppressed virus transmission by 85%
      while levels of suppression after thiamethoxam treatments were just 25% and
      significantly lower. In untreated control plots, 100% of plants were infected by
      TYLCV. The observed difference in the potential to suppress virus transmission is
      linked to a strong knockdown effect as well as prolonged feeding inhibition in
      flupyradifurone treatments. CONCLUSION: Flupyradifurone is shown to be an
      extremely useful, fast-acting, new chemical tool in integrated crop management
      offering simultaneous control of whiteflies and strong suppression of viral
      infections via its rapid knockdown action and good residual activity. (c) 2017
      Society of Chemical Industry.

PMID- 28345198
TI  - Corrigendum: Dysregulation of Wnt-Signaling and a Candidate Set of miRNAs
      Underlie the Effect of Metformin on Neural Crest Cell Development.

PMID- 28345199
TI  - Erratum.

PMID- 28345197
TI  - Attenuated intrinsic connectivity within cognitive control network among
      individuals with remitted depression: Temporal stability and association with
      negative cognitive styles.
AB  - Many individuals with major depressive disorder (MDD) experience cognitive
      dysfunction including impaired cognitive control and negative cognitive styles.
      Functional connectivity magnetic resonance imaging studies of individuals with
      current MDD have documented altered resting-state connectivity within the default
      mode network and across networks. However, no studies to date have evaluated the
      extent to which impaired connectivity within the cognitive control network (CCN)
      may be present in remitted MDD (rMDD), nor have studies examined the temporal
      stability of such attenuation over time. This represents a major gap in
      understanding stable, trait-like depression risk phenotypes. In this study,
      resting-state functional connectivity data were collected from 52 unmedicated
      young adults with rMDD and 47 demographically matched healthy controls, using
      three bilateral seeds in the CCN (dorsolateral prefrontal cortex, inferior
      parietal lobule, and dorsal anterior cingulate cortex). Mean connectivity within
      the entire CCN was attenuated among individuals with rMDD, was stable and
      reliable over time, and was most pronounced with the right dorsolateral
      prefrontal cortex and right inferior parietal lobule, results that were
      corroborated by supplemental independent component analysis. Attenuated
      connectivity in rMDD appeared to be specific to the CCN as opposed to
      representing attenuated within-network coherence in other networks (e.g., default
      mode, salience). In addition, attenuated connectivity within the CCN mediated
      relationships between rMDD status and cognitive risk factors for depression,
      including ruminative brooding, pessimistic attributional style, and negative
      automatic thoughts. Given that these cognitive markers are known predictors of
      relapse, these results suggest that attenuated connectivity within the CCN could
      represent a biomarker for trait phenotypes of depression risk. Hum Brain Mapp
      38:2939-2954, 2017. (c) 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

PMID- 28345200
TI  - All roads lead to weediness: Patterns of genomic divergence reveal extensive
      recurrent weedy rice origins from South Asian Oryza.
AB  - Weedy rice (Oryza spp.), a weedy relative of cultivated rice (O. sativa), infests
      and persists in cultivated rice fields worldwide. Many weedy rice populations
      have evolved similar adaptive traits, considered part of the 'agricultural weed
      syndrome', making this an ideal model to study the genetic basis of parallel
      evolution. Understanding parallel evolution hinges on accurate knowledge of the
      genetic background and origins of existing weedy rice groups. Using population
      structure analyses of South Asian and US weedy rice, we show that weeds in South
      Asia have highly heterogeneous genetic backgrounds, with ancestry contributions
      both from cultivated varieties (aus and indica) and wild rice. Moreover, the two
      main groups of weedy rice in the USA, which are also related to aus and indica
      cultivars, constitute a separate origin from that of Asian weeds. Weedy rice
      populations in South Asia largely converge on presence of red pericarps and awns
      and on ease of shattering. Genomewide divergence scans between weed groups from
      the USA and South Asia, and their crop relatives are enriched for loci involved
      in metabolic processes. Some candidate genes related to iconic weedy traits and
      competitiveness are highly divergent between some weed-crop pairs, but are not
      shared among all weed-crop comparisons. Our results show that weedy rice is an
      extreme example of recurrent evolution, and suggest that most populations are
      evolving their weedy traits through different genetic mechanisms.

PMID- 28345201
TI  - Start high, then go low: An effective strategy in the treatment of myasthenia
      gravis.

PMID- 28345202
TI  - Prognostic value of long-term blood pressure changes in patients with chronic
      heart failure.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Chronic heart failure (CHF) is the final stage of many heart
      diseases. To improve outcomes, important risk factors for adverse clinical events
      in the CHF population need to be identified. The aim of the present study was to
      delineate the influence of long-term blood pressure (BP) changes on prognosis and
      mortality in a real-world cohort of CHF patients. METHODS AND RESULTS: This is a
      retrospective longitudinal analysis. Repeated office BP measurements were
      scheduled during follow-up visits every 3-6 months. The primary endpoint was time
      to death or heart transplantation (HTx). A Cox regression with time-dependent
      strata was used to analyse the effect of systolic BP (SBP) values and its change
      during follow-up on the primary endpoint. A total of 927 patients presented with
      a median survival of 7.7 [95% confidence interval (CI) 6.6-9.8] years. During
      follow-up, 220 patients died and 70 patients underwent HTx. The BP stratum with
      the most stable values showed the best survival. Blood pressure changes with an
      increase or decrease greater than +/-10 mmHg per year led to a significantly
      worse outcome [hazard ratio (HR) 1.8 and 2.0, respectively]. The stratum with the
      lowest SBP levels (<90 mmHg) had the highest mortality. Multiple regression
      analysis showed a HR factor of 17 (95% CI 9.7-29) in comparison with the stratum
      with SBP >=130 mmHg. CONCLUSION: Low SBP (<90 mmHg) and pronounced long-term
      changes in SBP were associated with poor survival in patients with CHF.
      Additional prospective studies are warranted to further specify optimal BP
      targets in patients with CHF.

PMID- 28345204
TI  - Insight into Ion Transfer through the Sub-Nanometer Channels in Zeolitic
      Imidazolate Frameworks.
AB  - A crack-free sub-nanometer composite structure for the study of ion transfer was
      constructed by in situ growth of ZIF-90 [Zn(ICA)2 , ICA=Imidazole-2
      carboxaldehyde] on the tip of a glass nanopipette. The potential-driven ion
      transfer through the sub-nanometer channels in ZIF-90 is strongly influenced by
      the pH of the solution. A rectification ratio over 500 is observed in 1 m KCl
      solution under alkaline conditions (pH 11.58), which is the highest value
      reported under such a high salt concentration. Fluorescence experiments show the
      super-high rectification ratio under alkaline conditions results from the strong
      electrostatic interaction between ions and the sub-nanometer channels of ZIF-90.
      In addition to providing a general pathway for further study of mass-transfer
      process through sub-nanometer channels, the approach enable all kinds of metal
      organic frameworks (MOFs) to be used as ionic permselectivity materials in
      nanopore-based analysis.

PMID- 28345203
TI  - Major electrocardiographic abnormality predicts support/care-need certification
      and/or death in community-dwelling older adults with no history of cardiovascular
      disease.
AB  - AIM: Not only cardiovascular disease (CVD) itself, but also subclinical major
      electrocardiographic (ECG) abnormalities are related to frailty in older adults.
      We investigated whether major ECG abnormality was associated with first
      support/care-need certification in Long-Term Care Insurance or death in community
      dwelling older adults. METHODS: We analyzed 1078 community-dwelling older adults
      with no history of certification aged 65-94 years. Relationships between baseline
      major ECG abnormality and risk of first certification or death were estimated
      using the Cox proportional hazards model. RESULTS: During 5 years, 135 first
      certifications and 53 deaths occurred. Among participants with no prior history
      of CVD (n = 875), those with major ECG abnormality (n = 282) showed significantly
      higher adjusted hazard ratios (HR) for certification (HR 2.42, 95% CI 1.58-3.69,
      P < 0.001) and for death (HR 2.44, 95% CI 1.27-4.69, P = 0.008) compared with
      control participants without major ECG abnormality (n = 593). The impact of major
      ECG abnormality on certification in this group was more evident in older adults
      with age >=75 years, female sex or hyperuricemia. Participants with either
      arrhythmia or ST/T abnormality on ECG examination tended to have higher HR for
      certification as a result of dementia. In participants with a prior history of
      CVD (n = 203), the impact of major ECG abnormality (n = 126) on certification was
      not significant. CONCLUSIONS: These observations show that subclinical major ECG
      abnormality predicts higher risk for later support/care-need certification in
      community-dwelling older adults with no prior history of CVD. Geriatr Gerontol
      Int 2017; 17: 1967-1976.

PMID- 28345205
TI  - para-Selective C-H Borylation of (Hetero)Arenes by Cooperative Iridium/Aluminum
      Catalysis.
AB  - para-Selective C-H borylation of benzamides and pyridines has been achieved by
      cooperative iridium/aluminum catalysis. A combination of iridium catalysts
      commonly employed for arene C-H borylation and bulky aluminum-based Lewis acid
      catalysts provides an unprecedented strategy for controlling the regioselectivity
      of C-H borylation to give variously substituted (hetero)arylboronates, which are
      versatile synthetic intermediates for complex multi-substituted aromatic
      compounds.

PMID- 28345206
TI  - Treatment with direct-acting antiviral agents of hepatitis C virus infection in
      injecting drug users: A prospective study.
AB  - In this prospective study, we evaluated the effectiveness and tolerability of
      novel therapies against hepatitis C virus (HCV) in a cohort of PWID enrolled at
      our centre from April 2015 to July 2016. In this analysis, a total of 174
      patients were included: eleven (6.3%) were treated with pegylated interferon (PEG
      IFN) and ribavirin (RBV) containing regimens, 163 (93.7%) with IFN-free
      treatments. RBV has been used in 70 patients (40.2%); 59 (33.9%) patients were in
      opioid substitution therapy (OST) with methadone or buprenorphine. Overall,
      sustained virological response (SVR) has been observed in 162 subject (93.1%),
      breakthrough (BT) in three (1.7%), relapse in one (0.6%) and dropout in eight
      (4.6%). Treatment was interrupted for clinical conditions in seven patients: six
      (3.4%) had hepatic decompensation and one died for hepatocellular carcinoma
      (HCC). In multivariate analysis, predictive factors of treatment failure were as
      follows: albumin level below 3 g/dL (OR=7.190; 95% IC=1.236-41.837; P<.001), MELD
      score >10 (OR=5.886; 95% IC=1.411-35.994; P<.001) and years of HCV infection >20
      (OR=1.286; 95% IC=0.556-9.455; P=.016). In conclusion, treatment with DAAs was
      effective and well tolerated in PWID; cirrhotic subjects with MELD > 10 and
      albumin low level showed a higher risk of developing serious adverse events and
      treatment failure.

PMID- 28345207
TI  - Autoinflammatory syndromes associated with hidradenitis suppurativa and/or acne.
AB  - Autoinflammatory syndromes associated with hidradenitis suppurativa (HS) and/or
      acne are rare but potentially debilitating disorders if not diagnosed and treated
      correctly. They share a common pathogenesis involving a dysregulated innate
      immune system with abnormal interleukin (IL)-1 signaling leading to sterile
      neutrophilic inflammation. The clinical features are recurrent episodes of fever,
      painful arthritis, and skin lesions consistent with HS, acne, and pyoderma
      gangrenosum (PG) accompanied by elevated systemic inflammatory markers in blood.
      So far, several clinically different syndromes have been reported in the
      literature including pyoderma gangrenosum, acne, and pyogenic arthritis (PAPA),
      pyoderma gangrenosum, acne, and hidradenitis suppurativa (PASH), pyoderma
      gangrenosum, acne, and spondyloarthritis (PASS), pyoderma gangrenosum, acne,
      pyogenic arthritis, and hidradenitis suppurativa (PAPASH), psoriatic arthritis,
      pyoderma gangrenosum, acne, and hidradenitis suppurativa (PsAPASH), and pyoderma
      gangrenosum, acne, and ulcerative colitis (PAC). The rarity of the syndromes
      complicates the establishment of evidence-based treatment guidelines.
      Furthermore, treatment can be challenging due to lack of response to standard
      treatment modalities. Therefore, it is important to increase the awareness about
      these diseases in order to optimize disease management and ultimately improve the
      quality of life of patients.

PMID- 28345208
TI  - Increased Synthetic Control-Gaining Access to Predicted Mg2 Si5 N8 and beta-Ca2
      Si5 N8.
AB  - Nitridosilicates represent an intriguing class of materials and are typically
      made up of highly condensed tetrahedral network structures. Alkaline-earth
      nitridosilicates emerged as unique host materials for Eu2+ doped luminophores
      which found broad application in phosphor-converted (pc)-LEDs. In contrast to
      common strategies of preparing nitridosilicates by bottom-up syntheses, we have
      now succeeded to post-synthetically design nitridosilicates by ion exchange in
      metal halide melts. We describe the syntheses of hitherto unknown but predicted
      alkaline-earth nitridosilicates, Mg2 Si5 N8 and beta-Ca2 Si5 N8 . Both compounds
      were obtained by ion exchange starting from pre-synthesized nitridosilicates. In
      situ investigations of the ion-exchange process show that the Si-N network
      topology remains preserved. Therefore the reaction offers a significant increase
      of synthetic control with respect to classical bottom-up syntheses.

PMID- 28345209
TI  - High olfactory sensitivity to conspecific intestinal fluid in the chameleon
      cichlid Australoheros facetus: could faeces signal dominance?
AB  - The present study shows that the olfactory potency of intestinal and bile fluids
      taken from dominant male chameleon cichlids Australoheros facetus is greater than
      those from subordinate males. Thus, dominant status may be communicated by
      odorants released in the intestinal fluid and bile acids may contribute towards
      this.

PMID- 28345210
TI  - Geographic Disparities in Availability of Opioid Use Disorder Treatment for
      Medicaid Enrollees.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: To examine county-level geographic variation in treatment admissions
      among opioid treatment programs (OTPs) that accept Medicaid in the continental
      United States. DATA SOURCES/STUDY SETTING: Data come from the 2012 National
      Survey of Substance Abuse Treatment Services. STUDY DESIGN/DATA COLLECTION: We
      used local measures of spatial autocorrelation (LISA) analysis to identify (1)
      clusters of counties with higher and lower than average rates of opioid use
      disorders and (2) clusters of counties with higher and lower than average
      treatment admissions among OTPs that accept Medicaid, adjusting for county
      population size. PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: Our results reveal several clusters of
      counties with higher than average rates of opioid use disorder (OUD) and lower
      than average treatment admissions among OTPs that accept Medicaid. These clusters
      are highly concentrated in the Southeast region of the country and include
      Arkansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, and Tennessee. CONCLUSIONS: Medicaid
      enrollees in areas in the Southeast have the largest gaps between county-level
      OUD rates and estimated county-level capacity for treatment, as measured by
      county-level total treatment admissions among OTPs that accept Medicaid. Policy
      makers should consider strategies to increase the availability of OTPs with the
      capacity to serve Medicaid enrollees.

PMID- 28345211
TI  - 3D echocardiographic analysis of aortic annulus for transcatheter aortic valve
      replacement using novel aortic valve quantification software: Comparison with
      computed tomography.
AB  - BACKGROUND: With the increasing use of transcatheter aortic valve replacement
      (TAVR) in patients with aortic stenosis (AS), computed tomography (CT) remains
      the standard for annulus sizing. However, 3D transesophageal echocardiography
      (TEE) has been an alternative in patients with contraindications to CT. We sought
      to (1) test the feasibility, accuracy, and reproducibility of prototype 3DTEE
      analysis software (Philips) for aortic annular measurements and (2) compare the
      new approach to the existing echocardiographic techniques. METHODS: We
      prospectively studied 52 patients who underwent gated contrast CT, procedural
      3DTEE, and TAVR. 3DTEE images were analyzed using novel semi-automated software
      designed for 3D measurements of the aortic root, which uses multiplanar
      reconstruction, similar to CT analysis. Aortic annulus measurements included
      area, perimeter, and diameter calculations from these measurements. The results
      were compared to CT-derived values. Additionally, 3D echocardiographic
      measurements (3D planimetry and mitral valve analysis software adapted for the
      aortic valve) were also compared to the CT reference values. RESULTS: 3DTEE image
      quality was sufficient in 90% of patients for aortic annulus measurements using
      the new software, which were in good agreement with CT (r-values: .89-.91) and
      small (<4%) inter-modality nonsignificant biases. Repeated measurements showed
      <10% measurements variability. The new 3D analysis was the more accurate and
      reproducible of the existing echocardiographic techniques. CONCLUSIONS: Novel
      semi-automated 3DTEE analysis software can accurately measure aortic annulus in
      patients with severe AS undergoing TAVR, in better agreement with CT than the
      existing methodology. Accordingly, intra-procedural TEE could potentially replace
      CT in patients where CT carries significant risk.

PMID- 28345212
TI  - Cardiac iodine-123-metaiodobenzylguanidine scintigraphy may be useful to identify
      pathologic from physiologic sinus bradycardia.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Sinus bradycardia includes pathologic sick sinus syndrome (SSS) and
      physiologic bradycardia such as athletes' heart. Pacemaker implantation is
      indicated for patients with symptomatic SSS; however, the indication remains
      difficult to determine in those with mild and/or unspecific symptoms. The
      sympathetic tone is increased in response to reduced cardiac output in SSS,
      whereas excessive vagal tone has been seen in physiological bradycardia. We
      sought to determine if cardiac iodine-123-metaiodobenzylguanidine scintigraphy
      (123 I-MIBG) was useful in differentiating pathologic from physiologic sinus
      bradycardia. METHODS: Twenty consecutive patients presenting with continuous
      sinus bradycardia (heart rate of <50 beats/min) in our outpatient clinic (male,
      eight patients; age, 70 +/- 12 years old) were enrolled. The indication for a
      pacemaker implantation was determined by an experienced electrophysiologist in
      compliance with the international guidelines. The sympathetic nervous tone was
      assessed by cardiac 123 I-MIBG. RESULTS: Eight patients (40%) were clinically
      diagnosed as SSS (type I) including four suffering from obvious symptoms (syncope
      or dizziness) and four suffering from mild symptoms (fatigue), and had an
      indication for a pacemaker implantation. The patients with SSS indicated for a
      pacemaker implantation had a lower early heart-to-mediastinum ratio (2.0 +/- 0.6
      vs 2.5 +/- 0.2, P = 0.043), lower delayed heart to mediastinum ratio (2.0 +/- 0.8
      vs 2.8 +/- 0.3, P = 0.026), and higher washout rate (34 +/- 6.0 vs 26 +/- 6.0, P
      = 0.008) than those without. CONCLUSION: Excessive sympathetic tone detected by
      123 I-MIBG may serve as an adjunct to determine the indication for a pacemaker
      implantation in sinus bradycardia.

PMID- 28345213
TI  - Caries experience of children in primary schools with long-term tooth brushing
      programs: A pilot Australian study.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to evaluate a primary school-based tooth
      brushing (TB) program conducted in a low socio-economic area of Queensland,
      Australia, to determine its effectiveness in reducing caries. METHODS: Records
      kept at the central dental clinic of the district were used to analyse the caries
      experience (decayed, missing, filled teeth [dmft/DMFT]) and caries prevalence in
      children from two schools with long-term TB programs (TB) (N=1191) and three Non
      TB schools (N=553). The schools were matched by socio-economic indices. RESULTS:
      Historical records showed that the baseline caries experience in all TB and Non
      TB primary schools were similar at each primary school year. After a mean period
      of 5-9 years of the TB program, the caries experience (mean decayed, missing,
      filled teeth, dmft/DMFT) and prevalence were lower for TB group than Non-TB
      group. In the primary dentition, the overall mean dmft (+/-standard deviation) of
      TB group (2.53+/-3.00) was significantly lower than the Non-TB group (3.06+/
      3.30) (P<.001). Similarly, in the permanent dentition, the overall mean DMFT of
      TB group (0.47+/-1.05) was reduced significantly compared to the Non-TB group
      (1.15+/-1.72) (P<.001). The overall caries prevalence in the TB group was 68%
      compared to 78% in Non-TB (P<.001). Overall, the mean annual DMFT increments of
      children in the TB schools were also significantly less compared with children in
      the Non-TB schools (P<.001). CONCLUSION: A long-term primary school TB program
      significantly reduced caries experience and caries prevalence in an optimally
      fluoridated (1-ppm), very low socio-economic district.

PMID- 28345214
TI  - Effects from changes to the Medicare Benefits Schedule in 2014 on cone beam
      computed tomography and panoramic radiography scans across Australia.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: This study examines the effects of the new Medicare Benefits
      Schedule (MBS) operating from 1st November 2014 on the number of Medicare rebated
      panoramic radiography (PR) and cone beam computed tomography (CBCT) scans.
      METHODS: Data for rebated PR and CBCT scans were extracted from Medicare
      Australia Statistics online for four 12-month periods: November 2011-October
      2012, November 2012-October 2013, November 2013-October 2014 and December 2014
      November 2015. RESULTS: There was a reduction in the number of CBCT scans rebated
      across Australia under the new MBS. Nationally, December 2014-November 2015
      showed a 65.3% reduction in the number of CBCT scans when compared to the peak in
      the previous 12 months under the old MBS. The number of rebated PR scans remained
      constant. CONCLUSION: The new MBS implemented on 1st November 2014 resulted in a
      reduction in the number of rebated CBCT scans, but had no effect on rebated PR
      scans. Overall, there has been considerable cost savings for Medicare due to the
      change in MBS. Additionally, the reduction in the number of rebated CBCT scans
      has resulted in a substantial reduction in the ionising radiation load to the
      Australian community as a whole, but especially the younger age groups.

PMID- 28345215
TI  - Temporal Discounting and the Tendency to Delay Gratification across the Eating
      Disorder Spectrum.
AB  - Bulimia nervosa (BN) and binge eating disorder (BED) have been associated with
      poorer reward-related inhibitory control, reflected by a reduced tendency to
      delay gratification. The opposite has been reported in anorexia nervosa (AN), but
      differences have not been directly compared across eating disorders (EDs). This
      study investigated self-reported (Delaying Gratification Inventory) and task
      based (temporal discounting) inhibitory control in 66 women with an ED and 28
      healthy controls (HCs). Poorer task-based inhibitory control was observed in the
      BN compared with the AN group and poorer self-reported inhibitory control in the
      BN and in the BED groups compared with the AN and the HC groups, suggesting that
      reward-related inhibitory control varies across EDs. Symptom severity correlated
      with poorer self-reported (but not task-based) inhibitory control across the EDs.
      These data provide some support for transdiagnostic mechanisms and highlight the
      importance of addressing perceived loss of control in the treatment of EDs.
      Copyright (c) 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd and Eating Disorders Association.

PMID- 28345216
TI  - Response to letter to the editor on shock anxiety among Japanese implantable
      cardioverter defibrillator patients.

PMID- 28345217
TI  - Fatigue and training of obstetrics and gynaecology trainees in Australia and New
      Zealand.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Several studies have linked doctor fatigue with adverse patient
      events and an increase in risk to doctors' personal safety and wellbeing. The
      present study assesses the rostering structure of Royal Australian and New
      Zealand College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists (RANZCOG) trainees and its
      association with trainees' reported fatigue levels, training opportunities and
      wellbeing, which were secondary outcomes of a larger study of trainee working
      hours which has been separately reported. METHODS: An anonymous, online survey of
      RANZCOG trainees was conducted. Demographic data collected included: age, gender,
      level of training and current rotation. Data were also collected on hours worked
      per week, long shifts (>12 h), self-reported fatigue levels, and opinions
      regarding current rostering and training. RESULTS: A majority (72.9%) of
      respondents regularly felt fatigued, with higher fatigue levels being associated
      with more hours worked per week (P = <0.001) and working long shifts (>12 h) (P =
      0.007). Fatigue was associated with an increased risk of dozing while driving (P
      = 0.028), with 56.1% of respondents reporting that this occurs. Trainees appeared
      to be less confident in achieving their technical skill requirements, with
      increasing hours not increasing confidence in achieving these skills (P = 0.594).
      Trainees who worked under 50 h per week were less likely to report fatigue (P =
      <0.001) and more likely to report greater work enjoyment (P = 0.043), and working
      hours being conducive to learning (P = 0.015). CONCLUSION: Fatigue was frequently
      reported by RANZCOG trainees with increased working hours and long shifts being
      significant factors in fatigue levels. Strategies should be developed and
      trialled to enable trainees to obtain adequate case exposure and teaching without
      compromising patient and doctor safety.

PMID- 28345218
TI  - Nonadherence to antihypertensive medications in adults with high risk for
      obstructive sleep apnea.

PMID- 28345219
TI  - A Prototype of Mathematical Treatment of Pen Pressure Data for Signature
      Verification.
AB  - A prototype using simple mathematical treatment of the pen pressure data recorded
      by a digital pen movement recording device was derived. In this study, a total of
      48 sets of signature and initial specimens were collected. Pearson's correlation
      coefficient was used to compare the data of the pen pressure patterns. From the
      820 pair comparisons of the 48 sets of genuine signatures, a high degree of
      matching was found in which 95.4% (782 pairs) and 80% (656 pairs) had rPA > 0.7
      and rPA > 0.8, respectively. In the comparison of the 23 forged signatures with
      their corresponding control signatures, 20 of them (89.2% of pairs) had rPA
      values < 0.6, showing a lower degree of matching when compared with the results
      of the genuine signatures. The prototype could be used as a complementary
      technique to improve the objectivity of signature examination and also has a good
      potential to be developed as a tool for automated signature identification.

PMID- 28345220
TI  - Boosting the Performance of the Nickel Anode in the Oxygen Evolution Reaction by
      Simple Electrochemical Activation.
AB  - The development of cost-effective and active water-splitting electrocatalysts
      that work at mild pH is an essential step towards the realization of sustainable
      energy and material circulation in our society. Its success requires a drastic
      improvement in the kinetics of the anodic half-reaction of the oxygen evolution
      reaction (OER), which determines the overall system efficiency to a large extent.
      A simple electrochemical protocol has been developed to activate Ni electrodes,
      by which a stable NiOOH phase was formed, which could weakly bind to alkali-metal
      cations. The electrochemically activated (ECA) Ni electrode reached a current of
      10 mA at <1.40 V vs. the reversible hydrogen electrode (RHE) at practical
      operation temperatures (>75  degrees C) and a mild pH of ca. 10 with excellent
      stability (>24 h), greatly surpassing that of the state-of-the-art NiFeOx
      electrodes under analogous conditions. Water electrolysis was demonstrated with
      ECA-Ni and NiMo, which required an iR-free overall voltage of only 1.44 V to
      reach 10 mA cmgeo-2 .

PMID- 28345221
TI  - The effects of electromyostimulation application timing on denervated skeletal
      muscle atrophy.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: In this study we evaluated the effect of electromyostimulation
      (EMS) on myosin heavy chain (MHC) isoform expression in denervated rat muscles to
      determine the optimal timing for EMS application. METHODS: EMS was initiated on
      post-injury day 1 for the group with denervation receiving immediate EMS (DIEMS)
      and on post-injury day 15 for the group with denervation receiving delayed EMS
      (DDEMS) in rat denervated muscles. Muscle wet weight and muscle fiber cross
      sectional area (FCSA) were measured. MHC isoforms were analyzed in both protein
      homogenates and single muscle fibers. RESULTS: The expression levels of IIx and
      IIb isoforms of MHC were significantly lower and higher, respectively, in the
      gastrocnemius muscles of the DIEMS group, but not the DDEMS group. The DIEMS
      group also showed larger FCSA and a lower proportion of hybrid single fibers
      compared with the DDEMS group. DISCUSSION: These results indicate that immediate
      EMS is more effective than delayed EMS for aiding recovery of denervation-induced
      MHC changes. Muscle Nerve 56: E154-E161, 2017.

PMID- 28345222
TI  - Zein films with unoxidized or oxidized tannic acid.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Corn zein is a predominatly hydrophobic protein, forming films with
      relatively good water resistance. Tannic acid, especially in its oxidized form,
      is supposed to cross-link proteins including zein, which may be explored to
      further enhance the water resistance of zein films. The effects of different
      contents (0-8 wt%) of unoxidized and oxidized tannic acid (uTA and oTA,
      respectively) on the properties of zein films at different pH values (4-9) were
      studied, according to central composite designs. RESULTS: Increasing tannic acid
      contents and pH values resulted in decreased water solubility and increased
      tensile strength and modulus of films. The presence of tannic acid provided the
      films with a yellowish color and increased opacity. Paired t-tests indicated that
      oTA films presented higher tensile strength, lower water vapor permeability and
      lower water solubility than uTA films. CONCLUSION: Higher tannic acid contents
      and pH values resulted in films with better overall physical properties, which
      might be ascribed to cross-linking, although the films were still not water
      resistant. The resulting films have potential to be used for food packaging and
      coating applications. (c) 2017 Society of Chemical Industry.

PMID- 28345223
TI  - Impact of age and mismatch repair status on survival in colorectal cancer.
AB  - Previous studies have suggested that deficiencies in mismatch repair genes (dMMR)
      often occur in patients with colorectal cancer (CRC) and contribute to disease
      etiology. Here, we looked for a correlation of MMR status to disease outcomes
      from a large number of Chinese CRC patients stratified by the age of onset of
      disease. A total of 2233 CRC patients were analyzed and tissue biopsies of
      surgically removed tumors scored for MMR gene status. The patient distribution
      after classification consisted of 188 younger aged patients (20-39 years of age),
      1024 middle aged patients (40-59 years of age), and 1020 older aged patients (60
      85 years of age). In this analysis, the expression of four MMR genes was assessed
      by immunohistochemistry (IHC). We found that the young group of CRC patients with
      dMMR had higher overall survival (OS) than the young group of patients with
      proficient MMR (pMMR) (77% vs. 56%, P = 0.03). Middle-aged patients with dMMR
      also had higher OS than middle-aged group patients with pMMR (78% vs. 68%, P =
      0.012). However, we found no statistical difference in OS between dMMR and pMMR
      status in the older group of patients (75% vs. 71%, P = 0.224). Finally, the
      middle- and older-aged group set of patients had higher OS than the young group
      of patients (69% vs. 71% vs. 59%, P = 0.008). These data demonstrated that the
      age of disease onset can be an important factor to help evaluate the prognosis of
      CRC when combined with the analysis of MMR status within tumor biopsied tissue.

PMID- 28345224
TI  - Involvement of multiple Chlamydia suis genotypes in porcine conjunctivitis.
AB  - Chlamydia suis has been detected in numerous disease conditions of pigs,
      particularly in eye infections. This study examined recurring conjunctivitis
      cases in five commercial pig farms in Japan. 40.5% of the cases were identified
      as Chlamydia positive using impression cytology of ocular smears and a genus
      specific direct fluorescent antibody. C. suis was detected in 59.5% of the
      samples using PCR tests targeting 16S-23S rRNA intergenic spacer region (ISR) and
      ompA gene. Genetic analysis of PCR amplicons revealed nine sequence variants of
      16S-23S rRNA ISR and 20 sequence variants within ompA gene. Among C. suis
      positive conjunctivitis cases, 36.4% showed concurrent infection with 2-4 varied
      ompA sequence types and 9.1% showed multiple 16S-23S rRNA ISR sequence types of
      C. suis. Multiple genotypes were found circulating in four of five farms. All 20
      detected strains and 25 previously reported C. suis strains were grouped into
      four clusters. Japanese C. suis strains were closely related to American and
      European strains indicating wide distribution of these genetically variant
      strains. This study is the first to show multiple and genetically diverse C. suis
      strain associations in pig conjunctivitis.

PMID- 28345225
TI  - Highly potent host external immunity acts as a strong selective force enhancing
      rapid parasite virulence evolution.
AB  - Virulence is often under selection during host-parasite coevolution. In order to
      increase fitness, parasites are predicted to circumvent and overcome host
      immunity. A particular challenge for pathogens are external immune systems,
      chemical defence systems comprised of potent antimicrobial compounds released by
      prospective hosts into the environment. We carried out an evolution experiment,
      allowing for coevolution to occur, with the entomopathogenic fungus, Beauveria
      bassiana, and the red flour beetle, Tribolium castaneum, which has a well
      documented external immune system with strong inhibitory effects against B.
      bassiana. After just seven transfers of experimental evolution we saw a
      significant increase in parasite induced host mortality, a proxy for virulence,
      in all B. bassiana lines. This apparent virulence increase was mainly the result
      of the B. bassiana lines evolving resistance to the beetles' external immune
      defences, not due to increased production of toxins or other harmful substances.
      Transcriptomic analyses of evolved B. bassiana implicated the up-regulation of
      oxidative stress resistance genes in the observed resistance to external
      immunity. It was concluded that external immunity acts as a powerful selective
      force for virulence evolution, with an increase in virulence being achieved
      apparently entirely by overcoming these defences, most likely due to elevated
      oxidative stress resistance.

PMID- 28345226
TI  - Decision making in the face of uncertainty: the challenge of emerging infectious
      diseases.

PMID- 28345227
TI  - The unmeasured cost of preterm labor screening programs.

PMID- 28345228
TI  - Asian collaboration to establish a provisional system to provide high-quality end
      of-life care by promoting advance care planning for older adults.

PMID- 28345229
TI  - Reply to Gulistan Bahat: Significance of population differences and the
      methodology in determining the muscle mass cut-off points for sarcopenia.

PMID- 28345230
TI  - Sensory neuropathy in a patient with low low-density lipoprotein cholesterol
      levels.

PMID- 28345231
TI  - Association of blood pressure and cognitive decline in older adults with diabetes
      mellitus during a 9-year observational study.

PMID- 28345232
TI  - Spanish translation of the Kihon Checklist (frailty index).

PMID- 28345233
TI  - Sleep apnea and lateral balance instability in older adults.

PMID- 28345234
TI  - Acute cerebral infarction after pyrethroid ingestion.

PMID- 28345235
TI  - Risk assessment and falls prevention in the older adult: Asian experience with
      the Falls Risk for Older People in the Community tool.

PMID- 28345236
TI  - Significance of population differences and the methodology in determining the
      muscle mass cut-off points for sarcopenia.

PMID- 28345237
TI  - Moving to Translational Proteomics.

PMID- 28345239
TI  - The anatomy of the blood vascular system of the giant vestimentiferan tubeworm
      Riftia pachyptila (Siboglinidae, Annelida).
AB  - The giant dimensions of vestimentiferan Riftia pachyptila (Jones, ) are achieved
      thanks to the well-developed vascular system. In the vestimentum, there is a
      complicated net of lacunae, including the brain blood supply and the ventral
      lacuna underlying the ciliary field. The trunk region has an extensive network of
      blood vessels feeding the gonads ("rete mirabile"). The thick muscular lining of
      the mesenterial vessels in the trunk and the dorsal vessel in the opisthosome
      serves as an additional pump, pushing blood into numerous vessels in the
      segments. It was hypothesized that the blood envelope of the ventral blood vessel
      in the trunk provides the blood supply to the trophosome. The 3D reconstruction
      has revealed that there are two vascular systems of the tentacular crown of R.
      pachyptila. Blood runs into the tentacles via axial afferent vessels, as
      described earlier only for Riftia, and also via basal ones, as described for
      other vestimentiferans except Riftia. The basal ones are poorly developed, and
      the number of lamellar blood vessels is small, indicating a lack of demand for
      these within huge R. pachyptila. It appears that the presence of these vessels is
      the preserved ancestral state of Vestimentifera. In different portions of the
      dorsal vessel, the morphology of the intravasal body varies, depending on
      function.

PMID- 28345240
TI  - Prenatal DNA Sequencing: Clinical, Counseling, and Diagnostic Laboratory
      Considerations.
AB  - Clinical diagnostic laboratories are producing next-generation sequencing-based
      test results that are becoming increasingly incorporated into patient care. Whole
      genome and exome sequencing on fetal material derived from amniocytes, chorionic
      villi, or products of conception is starting to be offered clinically in
      specialized centers, but it has not yet become routine practice. The technical,
      interpretation, and ethical challenges are greatest in the area of prenatal
      medicine because the fetus has a limited health history, and the physical
      examination is only indirectly available via prenatal sonography. Here, we
      provide an overview of these challenges and highlight the clinical utility,
      reporting, and counseling issues associated with prenatal DNA sequencing. Future
      considerations are also discussed. (c) 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

PMID- 28345241
TI  - The new Swedish report on Shaken Baby Syndrome is misleading.

PMID- 28345242
TI  - Multi-Electron Oxidation of Anthracene Derivatives by Nonheme Manganese(IV)-Oxo
      Complexes.
AB  - Six-electron oxidation of anthracene to anthraquinone by a nonheme MnIV -oxo
      complex, [(Bn-TPEN)MnIV (O)]2+ , proceeds through a rate-determining electron
      transfer from anthracene to [(Bn-TPEN)MnIV (O)]2+ , followed by subsequent fast
      oxidation reactions to give anthraquinone. The reduced MnII complex ([(Bn
      TPEN)MnII ]2+ ) is oxidized by [(Bn-TPEN)MnIV (O)]2+ rapidly to produce the MU
      oxo dimer ([(Bn-TPEN)MnIII -O-MnIII (Bn-TPEN)]4+ ). The oxygen atoms of the
      anthraquinone product were found to derive from the manganese-oxo species by the
      18 O-labelling experiments. In the presence of Sc3+ ion, formation of an
      anthracene radical cation was directly detected in the electron transfer from
      anthracene to a Sc3+ ion-bound MnIV (O) complex, [(Bn-TPEN)MnIV (O)-(Sc(OTf)3 )2
      ]2+ , followed by subsequent further oxidation to yield anthraquinone. When
      anthracene was replaced by 9,10-dimethylanthracene, electron transfer from 9,10
      dimethylanthracene to [(Bn-TPEN)MnIV (O)-(Sc(OTf)3 )2 ]2+ occurred rapidly to
      produce stable 9,10-dimethylanthracene radical cation. The driving force
      dependence of the rate constants of electron transfer from the anthracene
      derivatives to [(Bn-TPEN)MnIV (O)]2+ and [(Bn-TPEN)MnIV (O)-(Sc(OTf)3 )2 ]2+ was
      well-evaluated in light of the Marcus theory of electron transfer.

PMID- 28345243
TI  - Dehiscence of a pulmonary bioprosthesis with a focal dissection of the pulmonary
      artery in a patient with congenital pulmonic stenosis.
AB  - Pulmonary valve replacement (PVR) is the most common adult congenital cardiac
      operation performed. Valve degeneration leading to prosthetic stenosis and/or
      regurgitation is a long-term risk in this population and may be associated with
      paravalvular leak (PVL). Complications involving the proximal pulmonary artery,
      including dissection, are less clearly defined. Herein, we report the case of a
      30-year-old patient with a history of multiple pulmonary valve interventions
      secondary to congenital pulmonic stenosis, who developed dehiscence of a
      bioprosthetic PVR associated with significant paravalvular leak (PVL) and further
      complicated by a focal dissection of the proximal pulmonary artery.

PMID- 28345244
TI  - Association between serum and oral matrix metalloproteinase-8 levels and
      periodontal health status.
AB  - BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: Matrix metalloproteinase-8 (MMP-8) is involved in a
      wide range of pathologies including periodontitis and cardiovascular diseases
      (CVD). The association between periodontitis and CVD has been repeatedly
      recognized. The aim of the study was to analyze to what extent circulating active
      MMP-8 (aMMP-8) is associated with periodontal disease status and oral fluid aMMP
      8 levels in otherwise healthy subjects. MATERIAL AND METHODS: In a cross
      sectional study, aMMP-8 was measured in serum of 59 volunteers, comprising 19
      periodontally healthy subjects, 20 patients with gingivitis as well as 20 with
      periodontitis. All study subjects were characterized regarding aMMP-8
      concentrations in different oral fluids as well as clinically and
      microbiologically with respect to periodontal disease. aMMP-8 levels in gingival
      crevicular fluid were measured using the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay.
      Saliva enzyme levels as well as circulating aMMP-8 were determined by a time
      resolved immunofluorometric assay. Both methods utilized the same monoclonal
      antibodies. Correlation and regression analyses were performed to study the
      potential association between serum aMMP-8 and oral parameters. RESULTS: Oral
      aMMP-8 levels were significantly higher in patients with periodontitis compared
      to periodontally healthy or gingivitis subjects. Highest serum aMMP-8
      concentration was also found in the periodontitis group. The serum levels
      correlated significantly with oral aMMP-8 as well as with clinical parameters in
      a dose-dependent manner. These results were confirmed in a multivariate
      regression analysis. After adjusting for potential confounders, saliva aMMP-8
      concentrations as well as periodontitis severity were significant predictors of
      serum aMMP-8. CONCLUSION: The associations between circulating aMMP-8 and oral
      aMMP-8 as well as periodontal findings in a dose-dependent manner may contribute
      to linking periodontal disease with increased CVDsusceptibility.

PMID- 28345245
TI  - Pain, depressive symptoms and medication in German patients with rheumatoid
      arthritis-results from the linking patient-reported outcomes with claims data for
      health services research in rheumatology (PROCLAIR) study.
AB  - PURPOSE: Pain and depressive symptoms are common in patients with rheumatoid
      arthritis (RA). Information on the prevalence and treatment of both conditions in
      German RA patients is scarce. METHODS: Using data from a nationwide statutory
      health insurance fund (BARMER GEK), 6193 RA patients aged 18 to 79 years were
      provided with a questionnaire covering a variety of items such as demographics,
      medical condition and quality of life in 2015. Pain caused by the joint disorder
      (11-point scale) was classified as none existent/mild, moderate or severe.
      Depressive symptoms were determined using the World Health Organization's five
      item Well-being Index and categorized as none existent, mild or moderate/severe.
      Another item covered additional use of over-the-counter drugs. Data were linked
      to dispensation records. RESULTS: A total of 3140 RA patients were included.
      Median age was 66 years (79% female). About 70% of patients were classified as
      having moderate or severe pain. Depressive symptoms were found in 52% and were
      far more common among patients with higher pain levels. Analgesic treatment
      ranged from 45% to 76% (non-opioid analgesics) and from 6% to 33% (opioids) in
      patients with no/mild pain and those reporting severe pain, respectively. In
      patients reporting moderate or severe pain, substantially higher prevalences of
      opioid use were observed among those with depressive symptoms. Depending on
      depressive symptoms, antidepressant use ranged from 7% to 37%. Overall, over-the
      counter drug use varied between 30% and 59%. CONCLUSIONS: Pain and depressive
      symptoms are highly prevalent in German RA patients, often present together and
      influence each other's treatment. Copyright (c) 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

PMID- 28345246
TI  - Effect of History and Context on Forensic Pathologist Interpretation of
      Photographs of Patterned Injury of the Skin.
AB  - In a previous study, a survey-based analysis of pathologist diagnoses of
      patterned injury was performed. Subjects were provided with photographs of
      "classic" injuries and asked to diagnose the lesion in the absence of history or
      context. There was a relatively low diagnostic consensus among respondents. A
      second survey suggested that the disparate answers were not due to a strong
      belief in different diagnoses, but instead reflected how the respondents dealt
      with ambiguity. A third survey was created that asked participants to evaluate
      patterned injuries of the skin, but provided history and contextual information.
      The addition of history and contextual information increased consensus from a
      median of 80% to 98% on a per-question basis. Confidence increased from a median
      of 56%-92%. These results demonstrate the importance of history and context in
      medical diagnosis of patterned injuries of the skin.

PMID- 28345247
TI  - Functional morphological adaptations of the bony labyrinth in marsupials
      (Mammalia, Theria).
AB  - Diprotodontia represents the largest and ecologically most distinct order of
      marsupials occurring in Australasian being highly divers in size, locomotion,
      habitat preferences, feeding, and activity pattern. The spatial orientation in
      the habitat and therefore the three-dimensional space is detected by the
      vestibular system of the inner ear, more precisely by the three semicircular
      canals. In this study, we investigated the bony labyrinth of diprotodontian and
      selected non-diprotodontian marsupial mammals of almost all genera with
      noninvasive micro-CT scanning and 3D-reconstructions. In principal component
      analyses, the subterranean taxon can be separated from gliding and saltatorial
      taxa, whereas arboreal species can be separated from saltatorial specimens. The
      highest PCA loadings of this functional distinction are clearly found in the
      diameter of the semicircular canals, whereas the overall shape (height, width,
      length) of the semicircular canals is less important. Additionally, the
      investigated arboreal and fossorial species of South America are nested in the
      morphospace of the Australasian taxa. Even if a phylogenetic signal in the
      anatomy of the bony labyrinth cannot be excluded entirely, the main functional
      morphological signal of the vestibular system is found in the diameter of the
      semicircular canals. With the large dataset of extant marsupial mammals analysed
      here, the locomotion mode of extinct taxa can be inferred in future studies
      independent of any evidence of postcranial material.

PMID- 28345248
TI  - Application of Thiol-yne/Thiol-ene Reactions for Peptide and Protein
      Macrocyclizations.
AB  - The application of thiol-yne/thiol-ene reactions to synthesize mono- and bicyclic
      stapled peptides and proteins is reported. First, a thiol-ene-based peptide
      stapling method in aqueous conditions was developed. This method enabled the
      efficient stapling of recombinantly expressed coil-coiled proteins. The resulting
      stapled protein demonstrated higher stability in its secondary structure than the
      unstapled version. Furthermore, a thiol-yne coupling was performed by using an
      alpha,omega-diyne to react with two cysteine residues to synthesize a stapled
      peptide with two vinyl sulfide groups. The stapled peptide could further react
      with another biscysteine peptide to yield a bicyclic stapled peptide with
      enhanced properties. For example, the cell permeability of a stapled peptide was
      further increased by appending an oligoarginine cell-penetrating peptide. The
      robustness and versatility of thiol-yne/thiol-ene reactions that can be applied
      to both synthetic and expressed peptides and proteins were demonstrated.

PMID- 28345250
TI  - The application of constitutively solvent-tolerant P. taiwanensis
      VLB120DeltaCDeltattgV for stereospecific epoxidation of toxic styrene alleviates
      carrier solvent use.
AB  - For whole-cell biotransformations involving toxic organic compounds, two-liquid
      phase setups are typically applied employing an apolar extractive phase. Bis(2
      ethylhexyl)phthalate (BEHP) has proven to be an ideal solvent for stereospecific
      styrene epoxidation with recombinant E. coli, providing excellent extractive
      properties and a high biocompatibility. In eco-efficiency evaluations, BEHP,
      however, has been identified as a critical factor regarding costs and
      environmental impact. In this study, the constitutive solvent tolerance of
      Pseudomonas taiwanensis VLB120DeltaCDeltattgV is shown to enable high specific
      activities (up to 180 U gCDW-1 ) and extensive reduction of the BEHP amount in
      two-liquid phase setups and thus to constitute an excellent tool to improve the
      environmental and economic efficiency of such processes. At a 90% reduction of
      carrier solvent use and accordingly increased aqueous styrene concentrations,
      this strain still showed reasonably high specific styrene epoxidation activities
      (100 U gCDW-1 ), while the solvent-adaptable wildtype strain immediately was
      toxified. A moderate 55% reduction of BEHP enabled a specific activity of 150 U
      gCDW-1 and thus represents a good trade-off between volumetric productivity
      maximization and environmental impact minimization. These results for the first
      time show a clear benefit of a solvent-tolerant compared to solvent-sensitive
      host strains and how such a benefit can be achieved.

PMID- 28345249
TI  - A multinational, drug utilization study to investigate the use of dexmedetomidine
      (Dexdor(r)) in clinical practice in the EU.
AB  - AIMS: Dexmedetomidine (dexdor(r)) is approved in the European Union (EU) for
      sedation of adults in the intensive care unit (ICU). The present observational,
      retrospective study was requested by the European Medicines Agency to investigate
      dexmedetomidine use in clinical practice, with a particular focus on off-label
      use, including the paediatric population. METHODS: Study countries and sites were
      chosen from those with highest dexmedetomidine use, based on sales. Site
      selection (blind) was conducted by a multispecialist, independent group.
      Anonymized data on demographics, treatment indication, dexmedetomidine dosing,
      concomitant medications and treatment effectiveness were collected
      retrospectively from records of all dexmedetomidine-treated patients at the site
      during the enrolment period. Informed consent was waived, to avoid influencing
      the prescribing of dexmedetomidine. Recruitment was completed within 18 months of
      first site initiation. RESULTS: Data from 2000 patients were collected from 16
      hospitals in four EU countries (Finland 750, Poland 505, Germany 470, Austria
      275). The median age was 62 years, with more males (70.2%) than females.
      Dexmedetomidine was primarily used in the adult ICU (86.0%) for ICU sedation
      (78.6%) and mostly dosed according the product label. The intended sedative
      effect was obtained in 84.9% of administrations. Paediatric use (5.9% of
      patients, mostly in Austria and Finland) occurred mainly in the adult or
      paediatric ICU (75.6%) for sedation (67.2%). CONCLUSIONS: Overall, most patients
      were treated with dexmedetomidine according to the product labelling. Use in
      children was limited but significant and similar in scope to that in adults.
      Administrations not fully according to the product labelling usually occurred in
      an ICU environment and reflected extensively investigated clinical uses of
      dexmedetomidine.

PMID- 28345251
TI  - Complication of hybrid treatment in type B aortic dissection diagnosed by
      echocardiography.
AB  - This case illustrates an unusual and fatal complication after endovascular
      treatment of type B aortic dissection and highlights the role of echocardiography
      in the early diagnosis of complications. In this case, a patient with previous
      diagnosis of chronic type B aortic dissection and moderate aortic regurgitation
      underwent endovascular repair of the proximal descending aorta and conservative
      surgical correction of the aortic valve. On early postoperative, a
      transesophageal echocardiogram and aortic angiotomography demonstrated proximal
      endoleak by contrast extravasation around the proximal graft attachment site,
      causing compression of the stent in its middle portion, resulting in narrowing
      with reduced cross-sectional area.

PMID- 28345252
TI  - Amplification of FSH signalling by CFTR and nuclear soluble adenylyl cyclase in
      the ovary.
AB  - The cAMP/PKA pathway is one of the most important signalling pathways widely
      distributed in most eukaryotic cells. The activation of the canonical cAMP/PKA
      pathway depends on transmembrane adenylyl cyclase (tmAC). Recently, soluble
      adenylyl cyclase (sAC), which is activated by HCO3- or Ca2+ , emerges to provide
      an alternative way to activate cAMP/PKA pathway with the cystic fibrosis
      transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR), a cAMP-activated Cl- /HCO3- 
      conducting anion channel, as a key player. This review summarizes new progress in
      the investigation of the CFTR/HCO3- -dependent sAC signalling and its essential
      role in various reproductive processes, particularly in ovarian functions. We
      present the evidence for a CFTR/HCO3- -dependent nuclear sAC signalling cascade
      that amplifies the FSH-stimulated cAMP/PKA pathway, traditionally thought to
      involve tmAC, in granulosa for the regulation of oestrogen production and
      granulosa cell proliferation. The implication of the CFTR/HCO3- /sAC pathway in
      amplifying other receptor-activated cAMP/PKA signalling in a wide variety of cell
      types and pathophysiological processes, including aging, is also discussed.

PMID- 28345253
TI  - Attending and avoiding dental appointments: Do "bright" and "dark" motivational
      paths have a role?
AB  - OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to test a self-determination theory (SDT)
      process model of the "bright" and the "dark" motivational pathways through dental
      attendance or avoidance to oral health. METHODS: A cross-sectional study was
      conducted among 322 students from all study disciplines at the University of
      Oslo. Participants responded to a survey with validated questionnaires.
      Structural equation modelling was used to test the SDT model, and a bootstrapping
      procedure was used to test the indirect links in the model. RESULTS: Along the
      "bright" path: Autonomy support at the dental clinic was positively associated
      with need satisfaction in treatment, which was positively associated with
      autonomous motivation for dental treatment and reappraisal of dental anxiety.
      Further, autonomous motivation was positively related to dental attendance, which
      in turn predicted oral health. Also, both autonomous motivation and reappraisal
      of anxiety were negatively related to avoiding dental appointments. Along the
      "dark" path: Conditional regard at the dental clinic positively predicted need
      frustration in treatment, which positively predicted dental anxiety. In turn,
      dental anxiety positively predicted avoiding appointments, along with the
      negative predictions by autonomy and anxiety reappraisal. Finally, oral health
      was negatively predicted by avoiding appointments. A bootstrapping procedure
      indicated that all indirect links in the model were supported. A SEM fit the data
      very well. CONCLUSIONS: Because of the high level of explained variances for
      dental attendance (42%) and avoiding dental appointments (52%), promoting
      autonomy support and avoiding conditional regard at the dental clinic may be
      important for patients' oral health.

PMID- 28345254
TI  - Direct Functionalization of Poly(spirophosphazene)s via the Regioselective
      Lithiation of the Aromatic Rings Using a Cooperative Superbase.
AB  - The direct chemical functionalization of poly(spirophosphazene) [N?P(O2 C12 H8
      )]n (1) can be performed by the lithiation of the aromatic rings at low
      temperature using Schlosser's base (Lit Bu/KOt Bu or "superbase"), and the
      subsequent reaction with various electrophiles such as Cl?SiMe3 , Cl?PPh2 , or
      MeO?B(O2 C6 H12 ) (MeO?Bpin). The functionalized polymers, isolated in very high
      yields (>90%) and without degradation of the polymeric chains, have an average
      degree of substitution per repeat unit ranging from 0.3 (random copolymers) to a
      maximum of 1.0, which corresponds to the homopolymers [N?P(O2 C12 H7 ?FG)]n (FG
      (functional group) =?SiMe3 , ?PPh2 , and ?Bpin). NMR studies, including
      bidimensional high temperature experiments on silylated and deuterated polymers,
      show that the substitution is regioselectively occurring at the C3 carbon of the
      aromatic rings due to the coordination of the lithium cations to the nitrogen of
      the polyphosphazene chain. The introduction of functional groups on the aromatic
      rings leads to significant changes in the solubility (silylated polymers), Tg ,
      and electronic properties of the material, showing how the change of substituents
      in the aromatic rings can lead to polyphosphazenes with properties markedly
      different from those of the precursor polymer.

PMID- 28345255
TI  - Lichenoid folliculitis: A unifying concept.
AB  - Skin diseases presenting with keratotic papules, atrophy, cicatricial alopecia
      and/or "lichenoid" histopathologic changes have been described under at least 30
      names. This family of diseases contains 2 subgroups, largely based on clinical
      features: keratosis pilaris atrophicans (KPA; including keratosis pilaris
      atrophicans faciei/ulerythema ophryogenes, atrophoderma vermiculata, and
      keratosis follicularis spinulosa decalvans); and the lichen planopilaris (LPP)
      subgroup (including LPP, frontal fibrosing alopecia, Graham-Little-Piccardi
      Lassueur Syndrome and fibrosing alopecia in a pattern distribution). An interface
      dermatitis with lichenoid inflammation is characteristic of the LPP group of
      disorders, but the literature provides scant information about the histopathology
      of the KPA group. Our experience has been that the 2 subgroups show a unifying
      histologic similarity as well as considerable clinical overlap. Because these
      conditions overlap clinically and histologically, we propose that the term
      lichenoid folliculitis (LF) be used to refer to this group of diseases, thus
      simplifying cumbersome nomenclature and highlighting the possibility of shared
      pathogenesis and treatment options.

PMID- 28345256
TI  - Physician Competition in the Era of Accountable Care Organizations.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: To calculate physician concentration levels for all U.S. markets using
      detailed data on integration and accountable care organization (ACO)
      participation. DATA SOURCE: 2015 SK&A office-based physician survey linked to all
      commercial and public payer ACOs. STUDY DESIGN: We construct three separate
      Herfindahl-Hirschman Index (HHI) measures and plot their distributions. We then
      investigate how prevailing levels of concentration change when incorporating more
      detailed organizational features into the HHI measure. PRINCIPAL FINDINGS:
      Horizontal and vertical integration strongly influences measures of physician
      concentration; however, ACOs have limited impact overall. ACOs are often present
      in competitive markets, and only in a minority of these markets do ACOs
      substantively increase physician concentration. CONCLUSIONS: Monitoring ACO
      effects on physician competition will likely have to proceed on a case-by-case
      basis.

PMID- 28345257
TI  - The role of limb position in the interpretation of nerve conduction studies.

PMID- 28345258
TI  - Locus of control and frequency of physician visits: Results of a population-based
      longitudinal study in Germany.
AB  - OBJECTIVES: To examine the role of internal and external locus of control (LOC)
      in the frequency of physician visits longitudinally. DESIGN: A nationally
      representative, longitudinal cohort study of German households. Data were used
      from the years 2005 and 2010. METHODS: Data were gathered from the German Socio
      Economic Panel (GSOEP). The ten internal and external LOC items in the SOEP are
      based on a scale by Krampen. The number of physician visits in the last 3 months
      was used as outcome variable. According to Andersen's behavioural model,
      predisposing characteristics, enabling resources, and need factors were included
      as control variables. RESULTS: Fixed-effects Poisson regressions showed that
      physician visits increased with increasing external LOC, whereas changes in
      internal LOC were not associated with changes in physician visits. Furthermore,
      physician visits increased with need factors (decreased self-rated health; onset
      of disability), whereas predisposing characteristics and the enabling resources
      were not associated with physician visits. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings emphasize
      the meaning of changes in external LOC for physician visits. As there is evidence
      that interventions can change the LOC, efforts to modify external LOC might be
      beneficial for the health care system. Statement of contribution What is already
      known on this subject? A few cross-sectional studies have investigated the
      association between locus of control (LOC) and health care use. Longitudinal
      studies are needed to get a deeper understanding of the causal relationship
      between these factors. What does this study add? Our longitudinal study provides
      insights into the impact of general internal and external LOC on physician
      visits. This is the first study examining the long-term relation in Germany using
      a population-based sample.

PMID- 28345259
TI  - The role of complement inhibitors beyond controlling inflammation.
AB  - The complement system is an arm of innate immunity that aids in the removal of
      pathogens and dying cells. Due to its harmful, pro-inflammatory potential,
      complement is controlled by several soluble and membrane-bound inhibitors. This
      family of complement regulators has been recently extended by the discovery of
      several new members, and it is becoming apparent that these proteins harbour
      additional functions. In this review, the current state of knowledge of the
      physiological functions of four complement regulators will be described:
      cartilage oligomeric matrix protein (COMP), CUB and sushi multiple domains 1
      (CSMD1), sushi domain-containing protein 4 (SUSD4) and CD59. Complement
      activation is involved in both the development of and defence against cancer.
      COMP expression is pro-oncogenic, whereas CSMD1 and SUSD4 act as tumour
      suppressors. These effects may be related in part to the complex influence of
      complement on cancer but also depend on unrelated functions such as the
      protection of cells from endoplasmic reticulum stress conveyed by intracellular
      COMP. CD59 is the main inhibitor of the membrane attack complex, and its
      deficiency leads to complement attack on erythrocytes and severe haemolytic
      anaemia, which is now amenable to treatment with an inhibitor of C5 cleavage.
      Unexpectedly, the intracellular pool of CD59 is crucial for insulin secretion
      from pancreatic beta-cells. This finding is one of several relating to the
      intracellular functions of complement proteins, which until recently were only
      considered to be present in the extracellular space. Understanding the
      alternative functions of complement inhibitors may unravel unexpected links
      between complement and other physiological systems, but is also important for
      better design of therapeutic complement inhibition.

PMID- 28345260
TI  - Resistance training and aerobic training improve muscle strength and aerobic
      capacity in chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: We investigated the effects of aerobic and resistance exercise in
      patients with chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy (CIDP). METHODS:
      Eighteen CIDP patients treated with subcutaneous immunoglobulin performed 12
      weeks of aerobic exercise and 12 weeks of resistance exercise after a run-in
      period of 12 weeks without exercise. Three times weekly the participants
      performed aerobic exercise on an ergometer bike or resistance exercise with
      unilateral training of knee and elbow flexion/extension. Primary outcomes were
      maximal oxygen consumption velocity (VO2 -max) and maximal combined isokinetic
      muscle strength (cIKS) of knee and elbow flexion/extension. RESULTS: VO2 -max and
      muscle strength were unchanged during run-in (-4.9% +/- 10.3%, P = 0.80 and -3.7%
      +/- 10.1%, P = 0.17, respectively). Aerobic exercise increased VO2 -max by 11.0%
      +/- 14.7% (P = 0.02). Resistance exercise resulted in an increase of 13.8% +/-
      16.0% (P = 0.0004) in cIKS. DISCUSSION: Aerobic exercise training and resistance
      exercise training improve fitness and strength in CIDP patients. Muscle Nerve 57:
      70-76, 2018.

PMID- 28345261
TI  - Antibodies from plants for bionanomaterials.
AB  - Antibodies are produced as part of the vertebrate adaptive immune response and
      are not naturally made by plants. However, antibody DNA sequences can be
      introduced into plants, and together with laboratory technologies that allow the
      design of antibodies recognizing any conceivable molecular structure, plants can
      be used as 'green factories' to produce any antibody at all. The advent of plant
      based transient expression systems in particular allows the rapid, convenient,
      and safe production of antibodies, ranging from laboratory-scale expression to
      industrial-scale manufacturing. The key features of plant-based production
      include safety, speed, low cost, and convenience, allowing newcomers to rapidly
      master the technology and use it to its full advantage. Manufacturing in plants
      has recently achieved significant milestones and offers more than just an
      alternative to established microbial and mammalian cell platforms. The use of
      plants for product development in particular offers the power and flexibility to
      easily coexpress many different genes, allowing the plug-and-play construction of
      novel bionanomaterials, perfectly complementing existing approaches based on
      plant virus-like particles. As well as producing single antibodies for
      applications in medicine, agriculture, and industry, plants can be used to
      produce antibody-based supramolecular structures and scaffolds as a new
      generation of green bionanomaterials that promise a bright future based on clean
      and renewable nanotechnology applications. WIREs Nanomed Nanobiotechnol 2017,
      9:e1462. doi: 10.1002/wnan.1462 For further resources related to this article,
      please visit the WIREs website.

PMID- 28345262
TI  - Purebreeding of Red Maasai and crossbreeding with Dorper sheep in different
      environments in Kenya.
AB  - The aim of this article was to study opportunities for improvement of the
      indigenous and threatened Red Maasai sheep (RM) in Kenya, by comparing
      purebreeding with crossbreeding with Dorper sheep (D) as a terminal breed, in two
      different environments (Env. A and a harsher Env. B), assuming different levels
      of genotype-by-environment interaction (G * E). Breeding goals differed between
      environments and breeds. Four scenarios of nucleus breeding schemes were
      stochastically simulated, with the nucleus in Env. A. Overall, results showed an
      increase in carcass weight produced per ewe by more than 10% over 15 years.
      Genetic gain in carcass weight was 0.17 genetic SD/year (0.2 kg/year) across
      scenarios for RM in the less harsh Env. A. For survival and milk yield, the gain
      was lower (0.04-0.05 genetic SD/year). With stronger G * E, the gain in the
      commercial tier for RM in the harsher Env. B became increasingly lower. Selection
      of females also within the commercial tier gave slightly higher genetic gain. The
      scenario with purebreeding of RM and a subnucleus in Env. B gave the highest
      total income and quantity of meat. However, quantity of meat in Env. A increased
      slightly from having crossbreeding with D, whereas that in Env. B decreased. A
      simple and well-designed nucleus breeding programme would increase the genetic
      potential of RM. Crossbreeding of RM with D is not recommended for harsh
      environmental conditions due to the large breed differences expected in that
      environment.

PMID- 28345264
TI  - Blood transcriptomes and de novo identification of candidate loci for mating
      success in lekking great snipe (Gallinago media).
AB  - We assembled the great snipe blood transcriptome using data from fourteen lekking
      males, in order to de novo identify candidate genes related to sexual selection,
      and determined the expression profiles in relation to mating success. The three
      most highly transcribed genes were encoding different haemoglobin subunits. All
      tended to be overexpressed in males with high mating success. We also called
      single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) from the transcriptome data and found
      considerable genetic variation for many genes expressed during lekking. Among
      these, we identified 14 polymorphic candidate SNPs that had a significant
      genotypic association with mating success (number of females mated with) and/or
      mating status (mated or not). Four of the candidate SNPs were found in HBAA
      (encoding the haemoglobin alpha-chain). Heterozygotes for one of these and one
      SNP in the gene PABPC1 appeared to enjoy higher mating success compared to males
      homozygous for either of the alleles. In a larger data set of individuals, we
      genotyped 38 of the identified SNPs but found low support for consistent
      selection as only one of the zygosities of previously identified candidate SNPs
      and none of their genotypes were associated with mating status. However,
      candidate SNPs generally showed lower levels of spatial genetic structure
      compared to noncandidate markers. We also scored the prevalence of avian malaria
      in a subsample of birds. Males infected with avian malaria parasites had lower
      mating success in the year of sampling than noninfected males. Parasite infection
      and its interaction with specific genes may thus affect performance on the lek.

PMID- 28345263
TI  - NMR solution structure of the RED subdomain of the Sleeping Beauty transposase.
AB  - DNA transposons can be employed for stable gene transfer in vertebrates. The
      Sleeping Beauty (SB) DNA transposon has been recently adapted for human
      application and is being evaluated in clinical trials, however its molecular
      mechanism is not clear. SB transposition is catalyzed by the transposase enzyme,
      which is a multi-domain protein containing the catalytic and the DNA-binding
      domains. The DNA-binding domain of the SB transposase contains two structurally
      independent subdomains, PAI and RED. Recently, the structures of the catalytic
      domain and the PAI subdomain have been determined, however no structural
      information on the RED subdomain and its interactions with DNA has been
      available. Here, we used NMR spectroscopy to determine the solution structure of
      the RED subdomain and characterize its interactions with the transposon DNA.

PMID- 28345265
TI  - Cytokine and antioxidant gene profiles from peripheral blood mononuclear cells of
      Pelibuey lambs after Haemonchus contortus infection.
AB  - The expression profiles of cytokines and antioxidant genes were determined from
      an experimental infection with H. contortus in Pelibuey lambs. The infection was
      followed for 34 days (d) to determine the number of eggs per gram (epg) and the
      packed cell volume (PCV). Differential white cell counts and expression profile
      estimations of IL-2, IL-4, IL-5, IL-6, IL-8, IL-10, IL-13, FCepsilonR1A, GPX and
      SOD1 were determined at 0 hour, 4 hours, 2 days and 14 days post-infection (PI)
      in infected and control groups. Comparison of the fold change between 0 and 4
      hours, 4-hours and 2-days and 2- and 14-days periods was performed. Significant
      differences (P<.05) between epg (>2000) and PCV (>30%) were determined after 21
      days and were also observed with regard to monocyte and lymphocyte cells after 2
      and 7 days PI. At 0 hour and 14 days PI, the GPX and IL-2 genes showed a 0.37-
      and 0.49-fold decrease in expression, respectively. In contrast, upregulation was
      observed at 4 hours of IL-8 (2.58) and FCepsilonR1A (2.71), at 2 days for IL-4
      (2.14) and IL-8 (4.02) and at 14 days for IL-2 (0.41), IL-10 (2.35) and
      FCepsilonR1A (2.28). The comparison between the intervals of infection showed
      high expression values against H. contortus infection in Pelibuey sheep after the
      2nd period of PI involving a dichotomy T cells.

PMID- 28345266
TI  - Cross-sectional study of equol producer status and cognitive impairment in older
      adults.
AB  - AIM: It is well known that consumption of isoflavones reduces the risk of
      cardiovascular disease. However, the effectiveness of isoflavones in preventing
      dementia is controversial. A number of intervention studies have produced
      conflicting results. One possible reason is that the ability to produce equol, a
      metabolite of a soy isoflavone, differs greatly in individuals. In addition to
      existing data, we sought to confirm whether an apparent beneficial effect in
      cognitive function is observed after soy consumption in equol producers compared
      with non-producers. METHODS: The present study was a cross-sectional,
      observational study of 152 (male/female = 61/91, mean age 69.2 +/- 9.2 years)
      individuals. Participants were divided into two groups according to equol
      production status, which was determined using urine samples collected after a soy
      challenge test. Cognitive function was assessed using two computer-based
      questionnaires (touch panel-type dementia assessment scale [TDAS] and mild
      cognitive impairment [MCI] screen). RESULTS: Overall, 60 (40%) of 152
      participants were equol producers. Both TDAS and prevalence of MCI were
      significantly higher in the equol producer group than in the non-producer group.
      In univariate analyses, TDAS significantly correlated with age, serum creatinine,
      estimated glomerular filtration rate and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol. In
      multiple regression analysis using TDAS as a dependent variable, equol producer
      (beta = 0.236, P = 0.005) was selected as an independent variable. In addition,
      multiple logistic regression analysis to assess the presence of MCI showed that
      being an equol producer was an independent risk factor for MCI (odds ratio
      3.961). CONCLUSIONS: Compared with equol non-producers, equol producers showed an
      apparent beneficial effect in cognitive function after soy intake. Geriatr
      Gerontol Int 2017; 17: 2103-2108.

PMID- 28345267
TI  - Color duplex ultrasonography versus handheld Doppler to plan anterior lateral
      thigh flaps.
AB  - BACKGROUND: The anterior lateral thigh flap (ALT) has become increasingly
      important in reconstructive surgery in the head and neck region. To cope with the
      problem of anatomical variability in the supplying blood vessels, preoperative
      evaluation is desirable. Purpose of the study is to compare the most commonly
      used Doppler devices Handheld Doppler (HD) and Color Doppler Ultrasonography
      (CDU) for their clinical reliability. METHODS: Forty five consecutive head and
      neck cancer patients (mean age 66.0 +/- 11.2 years) were included in the study.
      They all underwent a reconstruction via ALT flap for a defect in the head and
      neck area. Study period ranged from May 2014 to August 2015. We preoperatively
      conducted HD and CDU on the lateral thigh and compared the intraoperative
      findings by measuring presence of the perforator and distance to the estimated
      position. RESULTS: There were 95 perforators identified in 45 patients. The
      sensitivity and positive predictive value (PPV) were calculated as 97.9% and 100%
      for CDU and 90.5% and 80.4% for HD, respectively. Accuracy was significantly
      greater with the HD compared to the CDU device (P < 0.001) and was strongly
      associated with body mass index (BMI) (P < 0.001). This effect was stronger in HD
      than in CDU (r = 0.800; P < 0.001 versus r = 0.673; P < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: Our
      results indicate CDU is more precise and reliable than HD with respect to
      detecting the anatomical position of perforating arteries. (c) 2017 Wiley
      Periodicals, Inc. Microsurgery 37:388-393, 2017.

PMID- 28345268
TI  - Target plasma factor levels for personalized treatment in haemophilia: a Delphi
      consensus statement.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Prophylactic replacement with factor concentrate is the optimal
      treatment for persons with severe haemophilia to avoid or minimize bleeding. This
      ultimately prevents or reduces joint disease and improves life expectancy and
      quality of life towards values matching those in the normal population. However,
      uncertainty still exists around the optimal regimens to be prescribed for
      prophylaxis. An increasing number of treating physicians and patients are showing
      interest in patient-tailored approaches to prophylaxis, which aim to harmonize
      the prophylaxis regimen with the patients' bleeding phenotype, levels of physical
      activity and a variety of other variables. METHODS: A modified Delphi technique
      was adopted to generate consensus. The expert panel met in person to set the
      objectives, be trained on the Delphi technique and agree on the desired level of
      consensus. Three iterations were used to identify the targets, the scenarios and
      their combinations. RESULTS: Twenty-eight scenarios and eight target levels were
      identified and used to issue recommendations. The panel reached the desired level
      of consensus on positive or negative recommendations. Areas where consensus was
      not reached were identified and proposed as areas for future research.
      Prospective assessment of the validity of most of the proposed targets is
      recommended. CONCLUSIONS: We have generated, by expert consensus, target plasma
      levels of factor concentrate to be used to tailor treatment for persons with
      haemophilia.

PMID- 28345270
TI  - False positive retroaortic left circumflex coronary artery in a patient with
      atrial septal defect.
AB  - Retroaortic course of coronary artery is a relative contraindication for device
      closure of an atrial septal defect. In this brief report, we demonstrate, for the
      first time, inferior aortic recess mimicking retroaortic left circumflex coronary
      artery in a patient with atrial septal defect. This distinction is important to
      avoid spurious diagnosis of anomalous coronary artery denying patient a chance of
      nonsurgical closure of atrial septal defect.

PMID- 28345269
TI  - Multi-task diagnosis for autism spectrum disorders using multi-modality features:
      A multi-center study.
AB  - Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a neurodevelopment disease characterized by
      impairment of social interaction, language, behavior, and cognitive functions. Up
      to now, many imaging-based methods for ASD diagnosis have been developed. For
      example, one may extract abundant features from multi-modality images and then
      derive a discriminant function to map the selected features toward the disease
      label. A lot of recent works, however, are limited to single imaging centers. To
      this end, we propose a novel multi-modality multi-center classification (M3CC)
      method for ASD diagnosis. We treat the classification of each imaging center as
      one task. By introducing the task-task and modality-modality regularizations, we
      solve the classification for all imaging centers simultaneously. Meanwhile, the
      optimal feature selection and the modeling of the discriminant functions can be
      jointly conducted for highly accurate diagnosis. Besides, we also present an
      efficient iterative optimization solution to our formulated problem and further
      investigate its convergence. Our comprehensive experiments on the ABIDE database
      show that our proposed method can significantly improve the performance of ASD
      diagnosis, compared to the existing methods. Hum Brain Mapp 38:3081-3097, 2017.
      (c) 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

PMID- 28345271
TI  - Immunosuppression with mTOR inhibitors prevents the development of donor-specific
      antibodies after liver transplant.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Donor-specific antibodies (DSAs) are an important cause of
      complications after solid organ transplant. Risk factors and, thus, strategies
      for preventing DSA development are not well defined. METHODS: The DSA status of
      400 patients who underwent liver transplant (LT) at the outpatient clinic of the
      University Hospital Essen was determined. Human leukocyte antigen (HLA)
      antibodies were detected by single-antigen bead technology. The strength of DSAs
      was reported as mean fluorescence intensity. RESULTS: Detectable DSAs were found
      in 74 (18.5%) patients and significantly more often in patients who underwent LT
      for autoimmune liver disease than for all other indications (29.3%; P=.022), but
      significantly less often found in patients who underwent LT for hepatocellular
      carcinoma (7.6%, P=.005). The incidence of DSAs increased with time after LT, and
      the risk was generally higher for female patients. The frequency of DSA detection
      was significantly lower (10.6%) for patients receiving immunosuppressive
      treatment with mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) inhibitors than for those
      receiving other regimens (20.5%; P=.025). CONCLUSION: Autoimmune liver diseases,
      female sex, and time of more than 8 years since LT predispose patients to the
      development of DSAs. Immunosuppression with the mTOR inhibitor everolimus
      protects against DSA development after liver transplant.

PMID- 28345272
TI  - Population health and the economy: Mortality and the Great Recession in Europe.
AB  - We analyze the evolution of mortality-based health indicators in 27 European
      countries before and after the start of the Great Recession. We find that in the
      countries where the crisis has been particularly severe, mortality reductions in
      2007-2010 were considerably bigger than in 2004-2007. Panel models adjusted for
      space-invariant and time-invariant factors show that an increase of 1 percentage
      point in the national unemployment rate is associated with a reduction of 0.5% (p
      < .001) in the rate of age-adjusted mortality. The pattern of mortality
      oscillating procyclically is found for total and sex-specific mortality, cause
      specific mortality due to major causes of death, and mortality for ages 30-44 and
      75 and over, but not for ages 0-14. Suicides appear increasing when the economy
      decelerates-countercyclically-but the evidence is weak. Results are robust to
      using different weights in the regression, applying nonlinear methods for
      detrending, expanding the sample, and using as business cycle indicator gross
      domestic product per capita or employment-to-population ratios rather than the
      unemployment rate. We conclude that in the European experience of the past 20
      years, recessions, on average, have beneficial short-term effects on mortality of
      the adult population.

PMID- 28345273
TI  - Tuning Hole and Electron Transfer from Photoexcited CdSe Quantum Dots to Phenol
      Derivatives: Effect of Electron-Donating and -Withdrawing Moieties.
AB  - Charge-transfer processes from photoexcited CdSe quantum dots (QDs) to phenol
      derivatives with electron- donating (4-methoxy) and -withdrawing (4-nitro)
      moieties have been demonstrated by using steady-state and time- resolved emission
      and femtosecond transient absorption spectroscopy. Steady-state and time-resolved
      emission studies suggest that in the presence of both 4-nitrophenol (4NP) and 4
      methoxyphenol (4MP) CdSe QDs luminescence is quenched. Stern-Volmer analysis
      suggests both static and dynamic mechanisms are active for both the QD/phenol
      composites. Cyclic voltammetric analysis recommends that photoexcited CdSe QDs
      can donate electrons to 4NP and holes to 4MP. To reconfirm both electron- and
      hole-transfer mechanisms, CdSe/CdS quasi-type II and CdSe/CdTe type II core-shell
      nanocrystals were synthesized and photoluminescence quenching was monitored in
      the absence and presence of both 4NP and 4MP, for which hole and electron
      transfer were systematically restricted. Results suggest that indeed electron and
      hole transfer take place from photoexcited CdSe to 4NP and 4MP, respectively. To
      monitor the charge-transfer dynamics in both systems on an early timescale,
      femtosecond transient absorption spectroscopic techniques have been employed.
      Electron and hole transfer and charge-recombination dynamics are discussed and
      the effect of electron-donating and -withdrawing groups has been demonstrated.

PMID- 28345274
TI  - Global model fitting to compare survival curves for faecal indicator bacteria and
      ruminant-associated genetic markers.
AB  - AIMS: To compare decay profiles of ruminant- and cattle-associated molecular
      markers for faecal contamination and Escherichia coli, facilitating their correct
      application in water quality studies. METHODS AND RESULTS: We generated decay
      profiles for cultivable E. coli, a general Bacteroidales genetic marker
      (GenBac3), ruminant markers (CF128, Rum2Bac) and cattle markers (CowM2, CowM3)
      using faeces-seeded mesocosms, and selected best fitting models for each decay
      profile. Global model fitting tested for differences between decay profiles.
      After normalizing for initial concentration, decay curves differed significantly
      between E. coli and all genetic markers except CowM3. Decay curves for CF128
      differed from GenBac3 and Rum2Bac, but Rum2Bac and GenBac3 decay profiles did not
      differ. Despite similar survival profiles for some markers, highly varied initial
      concentrations affected time to nondetection. CONCLUSIONS: Decay curves and time
      until nondetection differed among markers from the same host. However, the
      Rum2Bac and GenBac3 markers had similar decay profiles and could potentially be
      investigated further for source allocation using the ratio method. SIGNIFICANCE
      AND IMPACT OF THE STUDY: As the use of genetic markers for microbial source
      tracking becomes increasingly common, caution is necessary. Both the shape of
      decay curves and time to nondetect may differ depending on the marker selected,
      resulting in possible misinterpretation of results and precluding application of
      a 'ratio method' of source allocation.

PMID- 28345276
TI  - A prospective evaluation of levofloxacin-based triple therapy for refractory
      Helicobacter pylori infection in Australia.
AB  - BACKGROUND: First-line Helicobacter pylori eradication failure is a common and
      challenging problem. AIM: To assess the efficacy of salvage levofloxacin-based
      triple therapy in Australia. METHODS: Prospective patients referred after prior
      treatment failure(s) were prescribed esomeprazole 40 mg, amoxicillin 1 g and
      levofloxacin 500 mg each twice daily for 10 days. All patients received detailed
      written and verbal adherence support. Outcome assessment was by 13 C-urea breath
      test and/or histology and urease test. RESULTS: In 150 consecutive, evaluable
      patients (66% female, mean age 54 +/- 14 years; six smokers), the main
      indications for treatment were peptic ulcer disease (17%), increased gastric
      cancer risk (20%), symptoms (35%) and other risk reduction (28%). The median
      number of previous treatments was 2 (range 1-7). Eradication of H. pylori was
      achieved in 90% (intention to treat (ITT)) and 91% (per-protocol (PP)) of
      patients. The eradication rate did not differ according to the type or number of
      prior treatments: 93% when <=2 (n = 107) compared with 84% after three or more
      prior treatments (n = 43; P = 0.13) or with age, ethnicity or indication for
      treatment but it was higher in females (ITT 94 vs 82%, P = 0.04). Adherence was
      excellent (95%). No serious adverse effects were observed; mild adverse effects
      were reported in 11%. No primary levofloxacin resistance was observed in 20
      concurrent cases. CONCLUSION: The efficacy and safety of this levofloxacin-based
      triple therapy suggests it should be used as a salvage regimen in this region.
      Randomised comparative trials are unlikely to be done but these data compare
      favourably with local data for other salvage therapies.

PMID- 28345278
TI  - Remembering Eric Forest (1957-2017). From analytical chemistry to the rise of
      HDXMS for structural biology of complex protein systems.

PMID- 28345277
TI  - Evolution of antigenic diversity in the tick-transmitted bacterium Borrelia
      afzelii: a role for host specialization?
AB  - Antigenic diversity in pathogenic microbes can be a result of at least three
      different processes: diversifying selection by acquired immunity, host-pathogen
      coevolution and/or host specialization. Here, we investigate whether host
      specialization drives diversity at ospC (which encodes an immunodominant surface
      protein) in the tick-transmitted bacterium Borrelia afzelii. We determined
      prevalence and infection intensity of ospC strains in naturally infected wild
      mammals (rodents and shrews) by 454 amplicon sequencing in combination with qPCR.
      Neither prevalence nor infection intensity of specific ospC strains varied in a
      species-specific manner (i.e. there were no significant ospC * host species
      interactions). Rankings of ospC prevalences were strongly positively correlated
      across host species. Rankings of ospC infection intensities were correlated more
      weakly, but only in one case significantly < 1. ospC prevalences in the studied
      mammals were similar to those in ticks sampled at the study site, indicating that
      we did not miss any mammal species that are important hosts for specific ospC
      strains. Based on this, we conclude that there is at best limited host
      specialization in B. afzelii and that other processes are likely the main drivers
      of ospC diversity.

PMID- 28345275
TI  - Abnormal frontoparietal synaptic gain mediating the P300 in patients with
      psychotic disorder and their unaffected relatives.
AB  - The "dysconnection hypothesis" of psychosis suggests that a disruption of
      functional integration underlies cognitive deficits and clinical symptoms.
      Impairments in the P300 potential are well documented in psychosis. Intrinsic
      (self-)connectivity in a frontoparietal cortical hierarchy during a P300
      experiment was investigated. Dynamic Causal Modeling was used to estimate how
      evoked activity results from the dynamics of coupled neural populations and how
      neural coupling changes with the experimental factors. Twenty-four patients with
      psychotic disorder, twenty-four unaffected relatives, and twenty-five controls
      underwent EEG recordings during an auditory oddball paradigm. Sixteen
      frontoparietal network models (including primary auditory, superior parietal, and
      superior frontal sources) were analyzed and an optimal model of neural coupling,
      explaining diagnosis and genetic risk effects, as well as their interactions with
      task condition were identified. The winning model included changes in
      connectivity at all three hierarchical levels. Patients showed decreased self
      inhibition-that is, increased cortical excitability-in left superior frontal
      gyrus across task conditions, compared with unaffected participants. Relatives
      had similar increases in excitability in left superior frontal and right superior
      parietal sources, and a reversal of the normal synaptic gain changes in response
      to targets relative to standard tones. It was confirmed that both subjects with
      psychotic disorder and their relatives show a context-independent loss of
      synaptic gain control at the highest hierarchy levels. The relatives also showed
      abnormal gain modulation responses to task-relevant stimuli. These may be caused
      by NMDA-receptor and/or GABAergic pathologies that change the excitability of
      superficial pyramidal cells and may be a potential biological marker for
      psychosis. Hum Brain Mapp 38:3262-3276, 2017. (c) 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

PMID- 28345279
TI  - Use of a novel contact lens to improve fundal optical coherence tomographic
      images in keratoconus.

PMID- 28345280
TI  - Otoprotective effects of mouse nerve growth factor in DBA/2J mice with early
      onset progressive hearing loss.
AB  - As it displays progressive hair-cell loss and degeneration of spiral ganglion
      neurons (SGNs) characterized by early-onset progressive hearing loss (ePHL),
      DBA/2J is an inbred mouse strain widely used in hearing research. Mouse nerve
      growth factor (mNGF), as a common exogenous nerve growth factor (NGF), has been
      studied extensively for its ability to promote neuronal survival and growth. To
      determine whether mNGF can ameliorate progressive hearing loss (PHL) in DBA/2J
      mice, saline or mNGF was given to DBA/2J mice of either sex by daily
      intramuscular injection from the 1st to the 9th week after birth. At 5, 7, and 9
      weeks of age, in comparison with vehicle groups, mNGF groups experienced
      decreased auditory-evoked brainstem response (ABR) thresholds and increased
      distortion product otoacoustic emission (DPOAE) amplitudes, the prevention of
      hair cell loss, and the inhibition of apoptosis of SGNs. Downregulation of
      Bak/Bax and Caspase genes and proteins in cochleae of mice receiving the mNGF
      treatment was detected by real-time PCR, Western blot, and immunohistochemistry.
      This suggests that the Bak-dependent mitochondrial apoptosis pathway may be
      involved in the otoprotective mechanism of mNGF in progressive hearing loss of
      DBA/2J mice. Our results demonstrate that mNGF can act as an otoprotectant in the
      DBA/2J mice for the early intervention of PHL and, thus, could become of great
      value in clinical applications. (c) 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

PMID- 28345281
TI  - Correlates of alcohol consumption on heavy drinking occasions of young risky
      drinkers: event versus personal characteristics.
AB  - AIMS: Risky single-occasion drinking (RSOD) by young people is a serious public
      health issue, yet little is known about the specific circumstances of risky
      drinking occasions. This study examined the independent effects of event- and
      individual-specific variables on RSOD. DESIGN: Longitudinal cohort study
      measuring self-reported RSOD and event- and individual-specific variables across
      two drinking occasions approximately 1 year apart. SETTING: Metropolitan
      Melbourne, Australia. PARTICIPANTS: A sample of 710 young risky drinkers aged
      between 18 and 25 years and defined as engaging in risky drinking practices
      (males: consumed alcohol in excess of 10 Australian Standard Drinks (ASD: 10 g
      ethanol) in a single occasion in the previous year; females: consumed alcohol in
      excess of seven ASD for females in a single occasion in the previous year).
      MEASUREMENTS: Random digit-dial telephone landline survey of the most recent
      heavy drinking occasion and socio-demographic variables. The primary outcome was
      the log of the total drinks consumed in the most recent heavy drinking occasion.
      Event-specific (e.g. number of drinking locations) and time-varying (e.g. weekly
      income) and time-invariant (e.g. sex) individual-specific variables were examined
      as correlates of total drinks consumed. FINDINGS: Changes in event-specific
      characteristics including the length of the drinking occasion (Likelihood Ratio
      chi2 (2) = 24.4, P < 0.001), the number of drinking locations (Wald chi2(1)  =
      7.6, P = 0.006) and the number of different drink types (Wald chi2(1)  = 13.6, P
      < 0.001) were associated with increases in total drinks consumed, after
      adjustment for time-invariant and time-variant individual-specific variables such
      as gender, income level and weekly consumption. Few other effects were noted.
      CONCLUSIONS: Event-specific characteristics are important predictors of the
      number of drinks consumed during risky single occasion drinking (RSOD) and
      illustrate the importance of event contexts when considering interventions
      targeting RSOD. The total number of drinks consumed in a RSOD session appears to
      rise independently with the duration of the drinking event, the number of
      drinking locations and the number of different types of beverage consumed.

PMID- 28345283
TI  - Oxygen-Containing Amorphous Cobalt Sulfide Porous Nanocubes as High-Activity
      Electrocatalysts for the Oxygen Evolution Reaction in an Alkaline/Neutral Medium.
AB  - A novel OER electrocatalyst, namely oxygen-incorporated amorphous cobalt sulfide
      porous nanocubes (A-CoS4.6 O0.6 PNCs), show advantages over the benchmark RuO2
      catalyst in alkaline/neutral medium. Experiments combining with calculation
      demonstrate that the desirable O* adsorption energy, associated with the
      distorted CoS4.6 O0.6 octahedron structure and the oxygen doping, contribute
      synergistically to the outstanding electrocatalytic activity.

PMID- 28345282
TI  - Neuroplasticity of language in left-hemisphere stroke: Evidence linking subsecond
      electrophysiology and structural connections.
AB  - The understanding of neuroplasticity following stroke is predominantly based on
      neuroimaging measures that cannot address the subsecond neurodynamics of impaired
      language processing. We combined behavioral and electrophysiological measures and
      structural-connectivity estimates to characterize neuroplasticity underlying
      successful compensation of language abilities after left-hemispheric stroke. We
      recorded the electroencephalogram from patients with stroke lesions to the left
      temporal lobe and from matched controls during context-driven word retrieval.
      Participants heard lead-in sentences that either constrained the final word ("He
      locked the door with the") or not ("She walked in here with the"). The last word
      was shown as a picture to be named. Individual-participant analyses were
      conducted, focusing on oscillatory power as a subsecond indicator of a brain
      region's functional neurophysiological computations. All participants named
      pictures faster following constrained than unconstrained sentences, except for
      two patients, who had extensive damage to the left temporal lobe. Left
      lateralized alpha-beta oscillatory power decreased in controls pre-picture
      presentation for constrained relative to unconstrained contexts. In patients, the
      alpha-beta power decreases were observed with the same time course as in controls
      but were lateralized to the intact right hemisphere. The right lateralization
      depended on the probability of white-matter connections between the bilateral
      temporal lobes. The two patients who performed poorly behaviorally showed no
      alpha-beta power decreases. Our findings suggest that incorporating direct
      measures of neural activity into investigations of neuroplasticity can provide
      important neural markers to help predict language recovery, assess the progress
      of neurorehabilitation, and delineate targets for therapeutic neuromodulation.
      Hum Brain Mapp 38:3151-3162, 2017. (c) 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

PMID- 28345285
TI  - Enhancing oral health for better mental health: Exploring the views of mental
      health professionals.
AB  - The association between oral health, self-esteem and quality of life is well
      established yet there is limited research on the impact of addressing the poor
      oral health of people living with mental health disorders. Greater consideration
      is warranted on how enhancing oral health in the course of mental healthcare
      might reduce the burden of a person's ill health. The role of mental health
      professionals is important in this regard yet uncertainty persists about the role
      these providers can and should play in promoting oral health care for people with
      mental health disorders. This qualitative study explored the issue of oral health
      and mental health with community based mental health professionals in Perth,
      Western Australia. It examined their views on the oral health status and
      experiences of their clients, and the different and alternative ways to improve
      access to care, knowledge and preventative regimens. Findings indicated
      participants' ambivalence, reluctance and lack of training in raising oral health
      issues, despite its acknowledged importance, indicating a siloed approach to
      care. Findings offer an opportunity to reflect on whether a more integrated
      approach to oral health care for people with mental health disorders would
      improve health outcomes.

PMID- 28345284
TI  - Role of fine needle aspiration cytology in the diagnosis of a rare case of a
      poorly differentiated synovial sarcoma with "Rhabdoid" features, including
      treatment implications.
AB  - Synovial sarcoma is a high-grade, soft tissue sarcoma that is relatively
      chemosensitive. Its exact diagnosis is crucial, including differentiation from
      its closest diagnostic mimic, ie, Ewing sarcoma, in view of different treatment
      options, including chemotherapy regimens, for both these tumors. A 15-year-old
      girl presented with a recurrent soft tissue mass in her right popliteal region,
      which was diagnosed as Ewing sarcoma, based on positive immunoexpression of
      MIC2/CD99, Fli1 and negative expression of LCA and desmin. During her metastatic
      "work-up", a popliteal lymph node was identified, which was aspirated and
      examined. Fine needle aspiration cytology smears showed singly scattered and
      loose, cohesive clusters of cells containing round to polygonal, to short spindle
      shaped nuclei with prominent nuclei, and moderate to abundant cytoplasm,
      including several "rhabdoid" cells. These features prompted a review of the
      biopsy of the recurrent tumor, and additional immunohistochemical stains, which
      revealed positive co-expression of pan cytokeratin (AE1/AE3), epithelial membrane
      antigen (EMA), along with a characteristic variable staining pattern of
      INI11/SMARCB1. Subsequently, by fluorescent in situ hybridization (FISH)
      technique, performed on the paraffin section of the recurrent tumor, 100% tumor
      nuclei displayed SS18 rearrangement, while none of the tumor cells displayed
      EWSR1 rearrangement. Diagnosis of poorly differentiated SS with "rhabdoid"
      features was confirmed. This constitutes as the first case, describing
      cytopathologic features of a poorly differentiated SS with "rhabdoid" features,
      initially misdiagnosed as a Ewing sarcoma, on biopsy and confirmed as SS by FISH
      technique. The diagnostic and treatment implications in this case are discussed
      herewith. Diagn. Cytopathol. 2017;45:662-667. (c) 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

PMID- 28345286
TI  - Highly Selective Synthesis of cis-Enediynes on a Ag(111) Surface.
AB  - Cis-enediyne-type compounds have received much attention as potent antitumor
      antibiotics. The conventional synthesis of cis-enediynes in solution typically
      involves multiple steps and various side reactions. For the first time, selective
      one-step synthesis of cis-enediyne from a single reactant is reported on a
      Ag(111) surface with a yield up to 90 %. High selectivity for the formation of
      cis-enediyne originates from the steric effect posed by weak intermolecular
      interactions, which protect the cis-enediyne from further reaction. A series of
      comparative experiments and DFT-based transition-state calculations support the
      findings. The described synthetic approach for directing reaction pathways on
      surface may illuminate potential syntheses of other unstable organic compounds.

PMID- 28345287
TI  - Contribution of platelet P2Y12 receptors to chronic Complete Freund's adjuvant
      induced inflammatory pain.
AB  - : Essentials The role of platelet P2Y12 receptors in the regulation of chronic
      inflammatory pain is unknown. Complete Freund's Adjuvant (CFA)-induced chronic
      inflammatory pain model was used in mice. Gene deficiency and antagonists of
      P2Y12 receptors attenuate hyperalgesia and local inflammation. Platelet P2Y12
      receptors contribute to these effects in the chronic phase of inflammation.
      SUMMARY: Background P2Y12 receptor antagonists are widely used in clinical
      practice to inhibit platelet aggregation. P2Y12 receptors are also known to
      regulate different forms of pain as well as local and systemic inflammation.
      However, it is not known whether platelet P2Y12 receptors contribute to these
      effects. Objectives To explore the contribution of platelet P2Y12 receptors to
      chronic inflammatory pain in mice. Methods Complete Freund's adjuvant (CFA)
      induced chronic inflammatory pain was induced in wild-type and P2ry12 gene
      deficient (P2ry12-/- ) mice, and the potent, direct-acting and reversible P2Y12
      receptor antagonists PSB-0739 and cangrelor were used. Results CFA-induced
      mechanical hyperalgesia was significantly decreased in P2ry12-/- mice for up to
      14 days, and increased neutrophil myeloperoxidase activity and tumor necrosis
      factor (TNF)-alpha and CXCL1 (KC) levels in the hind paws were also attenuated in
      the acute inflammation phase. At day 14, increased interleukin (IL)-1beta, IL-6,
      TNF-alpha and KC levels were attenuated in P2ry12-/- mice. PSB-0739 and cangrelor
      reversed hyperalgesia in wild-type mice but had no effect in P2ry12-/- mice, and
      PSB-0739 was also effective when applied locally. The effects of both local and
      systemic PSB-0739 were prevented by A-803467, a selective NaV1.8 channel
      antagonist, suggesting the involvement of NaV1.8 channels in the antihyperalgesic
      effect. Platelet depletion by anti-mouse CD41 antibody decreased hyperalgesia and
      attenuated the proinflammatory cytokine response in wild-type but not in P2ry12-/
      mice on day 14. Conclusions In conclusion, P2Y12 receptors regulate CFA-induced
      hyperalgesia and the local inflammatory response, and platelet P2Y12 receptors
      contribute to these effects in the chronic inflammation phase.

PMID- 28345288
TI  - Single-tube tetradecaplex panel of highly polymorphic microsatellite markers < 1
      Mb from F8 for simplified preimplantation genetic diagnosis of hemophilia A.
AB  - : Essentials Preimplantation genetic diagnosis (PGD) of severe hemophilia A
      relies on linkage analysis. Simultaneous multi-marker screening can simplify
      selection of informative markers in a couple. We developed a single-tube
      tetradecaplex panel of polymorphic markers for hemophilia A PGD use. Informative
      markers can be used for linkage analysis alone or combined with mutation
      detection. SUMMARY: Background It is currently not possible to perform single
      cell preimplantation genetic diagnosis (PGD) to directly detect the common
      inversion mutations of the factor VIII (F8) gene responsible for severe
      hemophilia A (HEMA). As such, PGD for such inversion carriers relies on indirect
      analysis of linked polymorphic markers. Objectives To simplify linkage-based PGD
      of HEMA, we aimed to develop a panel of highly polymorphic microsatellite markers
      located near the F8 gene that could be simultaneously genotyped in a multiplex
      PCR reaction. Methods We assessed the polymorphism of various microsatellite
      markers located <= 1 Mb from F8 in 177 female subjects. Highly polymorphic
      markers were selected for co-amplification with the AMELX/Y indel dimorphism in a
      single-tube reaction. Results Thirteen microsatellite markers located within 0.6
      Mb of F8 were successfully co-amplified with AMELX/Y in a single-tube reaction.
      Observed heterozygosities of component markers ranged from 0.43 to 0.84, and ~70
      80% of individuals were heterozygous for >= 5 markers. The tetradecaplex panel
      successfully identified fully informative markers in a couple interested in PGD
      for HEMA because of an intragenic F8 point mutation, with haplotype phasing
      established through a carrier daughter. In-vitro fertilization (IVF)-PGD involved
      single-tube co-amplification of fully informative markers with AMELX/Y and the
      mutation-containing F8 amplicon, followed by microsatellite analysis and amplicon
      mutation-site minisequencing analysis. Conclusions The single-tube multiplex-PCR
      format of this highly polymorphic microsatellite marker panel simplifies
      identification and selection of informative markers for linkage-based PGD of
      HEMA. Informative markers can also be easily co-amplified with mutation
      containing F8 amplicons for combined mutation detection and linkage analysis.

PMID- 28345289
TI  - Severe bleeding diatheses in an elderly patient with combined type autoantibody
      against factor XIII A subunit; novel approach to the diagnosis and classification
      of anti-factor XIII antibodies.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: Acquired factor XIII (FXIII) deficiency due to autoantibody is a
      rare, severe bleeding diathesis. Its laboratory diagnosis and classification
      represents a difficult task. AIM: Introduction of novel approaches into the
      diagnosis and characterization of anti-FXIII autoantibody and demonstration of
      their use in the diagnosis of a patient with autoimmune FXIII deficiency.
      METHODS: Factor XIII activity, FXIII antigen levels and the titre of anti-FXIII-A
      antibody were monitored throughout the course of the disease. FXIII activity was
      measured by ammonia release assay; FXIII-A2 B2 complex, total and free FXIII-B
      concentrations were determined by ELISAs. The binding constant for the
      interaction of the autoantibody with recombinant FXIII-A2 (rFXIII-A2 ) and FXIII
      A2 B2 was determined by surface plasmon resonance (SPR). The inhibitory capacity
      of IgG was expressed as the concentration exerting 50% inhibition of FXIII
      activation/activity (IC50). The truncation of FXIII-A by thrombin was monitored
      by western blotting. The inhibition of Ca2+ -induced FXIII activation and active
      FXIII (FXIIIa) were assessed by FXIII activity assay. RESULTS: The antibody bound
      to rFXIII-A2 and FXIII-A2 B2 with high affinity and accelerated the decay of
      supplemented FXIII concentrate. An IC50 value of 170.1 MUg IgG.mL-1 indicated
      effective FXIII neutralization. The main neutralizing effect of the autoantibody
      was the inhibition of FXIIIa. After 2 months, due to combined therapeutic
      modalities, the autoantibody disappeared and FXIII activity significantly
      elevated. CONCLUSION: The anti-FXIII-A autoantibody exerted a combined effect
      including inhibition of FXIIIa and acceleration of FXIII decay in the plasma.
      IC50 and binding constant determinations added important information to the
      characterization of the autoantibody.

PMID- 28345290
TI  - Telerehabilitation for COPD: Could pulmonary rehabilitation deliver on its
      promise?

PMID- 28345291
TI  - Association between mortality and blood pressure variability in hypertensive and
      normotensive elders: A cohort study.
AB  - To evaluate the association between blood pressure variability (BPV) and
      mortality in the elderly, all blood pressure measurements recorded in a cohort of
      individuals 65 years and older were collected and the association between BPV
      coefficient of variation (BPV divided by mean arterial pressure) was calculated.
      Mortality during a 10-year period was compared between BPV coefficient of
      variation quartiles. Overall, 39 502 individuals 65 years and older were included
      in the analysis, of which 31 737 (80.3%) were hypertensive; 12 817 (32.4%)
      individuals died during the study period. Mortality was lower in the second and
      third blood pressure quartiles compared with the first quartile in both the
      normotensive and hypertensive groups. In both normotensive and hypertensive
      individuals, mortality was higher in the fourth quartile, but it was more
      pronounced in normotensive individuals (odds ratio, 1.18; 95% confidence
      interval, 1.06-1.31 in hypertensive individuals vs odds ratio, 1.27; 95%
      confidence interval, 1.17-1.37 in normotensive individuals). High and low BPV are
      associated with mortality in both hypertensive and normotensive elders.

PMID- 28345292
TI  - The detection and phylogenetic analysis of porcine deltacoronavirus from
      Guangdong Province in Southern China.
AB  - Porcine deltacoronavirus (PDCoV) is a newly discovered coronavirus that causes
      diarrhoea, vomiting and dehydration in sucking and nursing piglets. It was first
      reported in Hong Kong in 2012 and has since been discovered in the United States,
      Canada, South Korea, mainland China, Thailand and Laos. PDCoV has been
      experimentally proved to lead to diarrhoea in swine and it was detected positive
      in pigs in Guangdong, southern China. In our study, 252 faecal and intestinal
      samples from sucking piglets and sows with diarrhoea were surveyed for common
      enteric viruses. We found a prevalence of PDCoV (21.8%), porcine epidemic
      diarrhoea virus (65.5%), transmissible gastroenteritis virus (0%), rotavirus
      group A (25.0%) and porcine kobuvirus (68.7%). We isolated 13 PDCoV strains and
      discovered that PDCoV infections were often co-infections with kobuvirus rather
      than the commonly linked porcine epidemic diarrhoea virus. Phylogenetic analysis
      of S gene and N gene revealed that 11 of 13 PDCoV strains belonged to Chinese
      lineage. As for the left two strains, one single strain (CHN-GD16-05) belonged to
      American and Korean lineages while another strain (CHN-GD16-03) was similar to a
      Thai strain, but only in the S gene. This suggested a possible recombination
      event between the Thai and the newly described Chinese strain.

PMID- 28345293
TI  - Detection of Zaire ebolavirus in swine: Assay development and optimization.
AB  - Ebolaviruses (family Filoviridae, order Mononegavirales) cause often fatal,
      haemorrhagic fever in primates including humans. Pigs have been identified as a
      species susceptible to Reston ebolavirus (RESTV) infection, with indicated
      transmission to humans in the Philippines; however, their role during Ebola
      outbreaks in Africa needs to be clarified. To perform surveillance studies,
      detection of ebolavirus requires a prerequisite validation of viral RNA and
      antibody detection methods in swine samples. These diagnostic tests also need to
      be suitable for deployment to low-level containment laboratories. In this study,
      we developed a set of tests for detection of antibodies against Zaire ebolavirus
      (EBOV) in swine. Recombinant EBOV nucleoprotein was produced using a baculovirus
      expression system for indirect ELISA development. Evaluation of this assay was
      performed using laboratory and field samples, achieving a diagnostic specificity
      of 99%. Importantly, the indirect ELISA was able to detect antibodies to EBOV at
      7 dpi, 3 days earlier than virus neutralization tests (VNT). The format of the
      VNT in this work was modified to a microtitre plaque reduction neutralization
      assay (miPRNT) complemented with immunostaining to provide a more rapid and
      highly specific assay. Finally, a confirmatory immunoblot assay was generated to
      supplement the indirect ELISA results.

PMID- 28345294
TI  - Compact teleoperated laparoendoscopic single-site robotic surgical system:
      Kinematics, control, and operation.
AB  - BACKGROUND: To date a variety of teleoperated surgical robotic systems have been
      developed to improve a surgeon's ability to perform demanding single-port
      procedures. However typical large systems are bulky, expensive, and afford
      limited angular motion, while smaller designs suffer complications arising from
      limited motion range, speed, and force generation. This work was to develop and
      validate a simple, compact, low cost single site teleoperated laparoendoscopic
      surgical robotic system, with demonstrated capability to carry out basic surgical
      procedures. METHODS: This system builds upon previous work done at the University
      of Hawaii at Manoa and includes instrument and endoscope manipulators as well as
      compact articulated instruments designed to overcome single incision geometry
      complications. A robotic endoscope holder was used for the base, with an added
      support frame for teleoperated manipulators and instruments fabricated mostly
      from 3D printed parts. Kinematics and control methods were formulated for the
      novel manipulator configuration. RESULTS: Trajectory following results from an
      optical motion tracker and sample task performance results are presented.
      CONCLUSIONS: Results indicate that the system has successfully met the goal of
      basic surgical functionality while minimizing physical size, complexity, and
      cost.

PMID- 28345296
TI  - Boosting the Energy Density of Carbon-Based Aqueous Supercapacitors by Optimizing
      the Surface Charge.
AB  - The voltage of carbon-based aqueous supercapacitors is limited by the water
      splitting reaction occurring in one electrode, generally resulting in the
      promising but unused potential range of the other electrode. Exploiting this
      unused potential range provides the possibility for further boosting their energy
      density. An efficient surface charge control strategy was developed to remarkably
      enhance the energy density of multiscale porous carbon (MSPC) based aqueous
      symmetric supercapacitors (SSCs) by controllably tuning the operating potential
      range of MSPC electrodes. The operating voltage of the SSCs with neutral
      electrolyte was significantly expanded from 1.4 V to 1.8 V after simple
      adjustment, enabling the energy density of the optimized SSCs reached twice as
      much as the original. Such a facile strategy was also demonstrated for the
      aqueous SSCs with acidic and alkaline electrolytes, and is believed to bring
      insight in the design of aqueous supercapacitors.

PMID- 28345295
TI  - A National Swedish Longitudinal Twin-Sibling Study of alcohol use disorders among
      males.
AB  - AIMS: To examine whether genetic influences on the development of alcohol use
      disorders (AUD) among men during emerging adulthood through mid-adulthood are
      stable or dynamic. DESIGN: A twin study modeling developmental changes in the
      genetic and environmental influences on AUD during three age periods (18-25, 26
      33 and 33-41) as a Cholesky decomposition. SETTING: Sweden. PARTICIPANTS: Swedish
      male twin pairs (1532 monozygotic and 1940 dizygotic) and 66 033 full male
      sibling pairs born less than 2 years apart. MEASUREMENTS: AUD was identified
      based on Swedish medical and legal registries. FINDINGS: The best-fitting model
      included additive genetic and unique environmental factors, with no evidence for
      shared environmental factors. Although the total heritability was stable over
      time, there were two major genetic factors contributing to AUD risk, one
      beginning at ages 18-25 with a modest decline in importance over time [0.84;
      confidence interval (CI) = 0.83-0.88], and another of less impact beginning at
      ages 26-33 with a modest increase in importance by ages 33-41 (0.31; CI = 0.05
      0.47). CONCLUSIONS: The heritability of alcohol use disorders among Swedish men
      appears to be stable among three age periods: 18-25 years, 26-33 years, and 33-41
      years. Two sets of genetic risk factors contribute to alcohol use disorders risk,
      with one originating during the ages 18-25 years and another coming online at 26
      33 years, providing support for the developmentally dynamic hypothesis.

PMID- 28345298
TI  - Effects of T-loop modification on the PII-signalling protein: structure of
      uridylylated Escherichia coli GlnB bound to ATP.
AB  - To adapt to environments with variable nitrogen sources and richness, the widely
      distributed homotrimeric PII signalling proteins bind their allosteric effectors
      ADP/ATP/2-oxoglutarate, and experience nitrogen-sensitive uridylylation of their
      flexible T-loops at Tyr51, regulating their interactions with effector proteins.
      To clarify whether uridylylation triggers a given T-loop conformation, we
      determined the crystal structure of the classical paradigm of PII protein,
      Escherichia coli GlnB (EcGlnB), in fully uridylylated form (EcGlnB-UMP3 ). This
      is the first structure of a postranslationally modified PII protein. This
      required recombinant production and purification of the uridylylating enzyme GlnD
      and its use for full uridylylation of large amounts of recombinantly produced
      pure EcGlnB. Unlike crystalline non-uridylylated EcGlnB, in which T-loops are
      fixed, uridylylation rendered the T-loop highly mobile because of loss of
      contacts mediated by Tyr51, with concomitant abolition of T-loop anchoring via
      Arg38 on the ATP site. This site was occupied by ATP, providing the first, long
      sought snapshot of the EcGlnB-ATP complex, connecting ATP binding with T-loop
      changes. Inferences are made on the mechanisms of PII selectivity for ATP and of
      PII-UMP3 signalling, proposing a model for the architecture of the complex of
      EcGlnB-UMP3 with the uridylylation-sensitive PII target ATase (which
      adenylylates/deadenylylates glutamine synthetase [GS]) and with GS.

PMID- 28345297
TI  - Residual Cdk1/2 activity after DNA damage promotes senescence.
AB  - In response to DNA damage, a cell can be forced to permanently exit the cell
      cycle and become senescent. Senescence provides an early barrier against tumor
      development by preventing proliferation of cells with damaged DNA. By studying
      single cells, we show that Cdk activity persists after DNA damage until terminal
      cell cycle exit. This low level of Cdk activity not only allows cell cycle
      progression, but also promotes cell cycle exit at a decision point in G2 phase.
      We find that residual Cdk1/2 activity is required for efficient p21 production,
      allowing for nuclear sequestration of Cyclin B1, subsequent APC/CCdh1 -dependent
      degradation of mitotic inducers and induction of senescence. We suggest that the
      same activity that triggers mitosis in an unperturbed cell cycle enforces
      senescence in the presence of DNA damage, ensuring a robust response when most
      needed.

PMID- 28345299
TI  - A prospective study of health-related quality of life of boys with severe
      haemophilia A in China: comparing on-demand to prophylaxis treatment.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: Treatment for boys with haemophilia in China is rapidly improving;
      however, comprehensive outcomes have not been examined prospectively. AIM: The
      aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of short-term full-dose prophylaxis
      compared to on-demand treatment, on the Health-Related Quality of Life (HR-QoL)
      of boys with severe haemophilia A (HA) in China. METHODS: Boys with severe HA
      (FVIII<1%) completed 3 months of on-demand treatment and 3 months of full-dose
      prophylaxis (25 FVIII IU per kg 3x per week). The primary outcomes were child-
      and parent-reported Canadian Hemophilia Outcomes - Kids Life Assessment Tool (CHO
      KLAT) scores. The number and type of bleeds and Activities Scale for Kids (ASK)
      scores were also recorded. RESULTS: Analyses included 23 boys between 4 and 15.9
      years of age. The number of bleeds decreased by 94% on prophylaxis (P < 0.0001,
      Wilcoxon Signed-Rank test). The mean child-reported CHO-KLAT scores for boys >=7
      years (n = 20) was 61.4 (+/-10.9) during on-demand treatment and 61.9 (+/-11.4)
      following short-term prophylaxis (P = 0.72, paired t-test). The mean parent
      reported CHO-KLAT score during the on-demand phase was 54.4 (+/-10.5) with an
      increase of 3.8 points (+/-8.1; P = 0.04, paired t-test) following prophylaxis.
      CONCLUSIONS: Child-reported CHO-KLAT scores were lower in boys with severe HA in
      China than reported in countries with access to full-dose prophylaxis. Boys
      reported higher HR-QoL scores than their parents. Small improvements in ASK
      scores were noted following the prophylaxis phase. These changes were only
      significant in the parent-reported CHO-KLAT scores. Longer term prospective
      clinical trials are needed in China to determine the impact of prophylaxis on HR
      QoL in boys with severe HA.

PMID- 28345300
TI  - Primary intestinal lymphangiectasia: Multiple detector computed tomography
      findings after direct lymphangiography.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: To analyse the findings of multiple detector computed tomography
      (MDCT) after direct lymphangiography in primary intestinal lymphangiectasia
      (PIL). METHODS: Fifty-five patients with PIL were retrospectively reviewed. All
      patients underwent MDCT after direct lymphangiography. The pathologies of 16
      patients were confirmed by surgery and the remaining 39 patients were confirmed
      by gastroendoscopy and/or capsule endoscopy. RESULTS: After direct
      lymphangiography, MDCT found intra- and extraintestinal as well as lymphatic
      vessel abnormalities. Among the intra- and extraintestinal disorders, 49 patients
      had varying degrees of intestinal dilatation, 46 had small bowel wall thickening,
      9 had pleural and pericardial effusions, 21 had ascites, 41 had mesenteric
      oedema, 20 had mesenteric nodules and 9 had abdominal lymphatic cysts. Features
      of lymphatic vessel abnormalities included intestinal trunk reflux (43.6%, n =
      24), lumbar trunk reflux (89.1%, n = 49), pleural and pulmonary lymph reflux
      (14.5%, n = 8), pericardial and mediastinal lymph reflux (16.4%, n = 9),
      mediastinal and pulmonary lymph reflux (18.2%, n = 10), and thoracic duct outlet
      obstruction (90.9%, n = 50). CONCLUSIONS: Multiple detector computed tomography
      after direct lymphangiography provides a safe and accurate examination method and
      is an excellent tool for the diagnosis of PIL.

PMID- 28345301
TI  - One-pot Reductive Amination of carbonyl Compounds with Nitro Compounds by
      Transfer Hydrogenation over Co-Nx as catalyst.
AB  - A new method was developed for the synthesis of secondary amines through the one
      pot reductive amination of carbonyl compounds with nitro compounds using formic
      acid as the hydrogen donor over a heterogeneous non-noble-metal catalyst (Co-Nx
      /C-800-AT, generated by the pyrolysis of the cobalt phthalocyanine/silica
      composite at 800 degrees C under a N2 atmosphere and subsequent etching by HF).
      Both nitrogen and cobalt were of considerable importance in the transfer
      hydrogenation reactions with formic acid.

PMID- 28345302
TI  - Outcome of subsequent pregnancies in patients with a history of peripartum
      cardiomyopathy.
AB  - AIMS: Subsequent pregnancies (SSPs) in patients with peripartum cardiomyopathy
      (PPCM) have a high risk of heart failure relapse. We report on outcome of SSPs in
      PPCM patients in Germany, Scotland, and South Africa. METHODS AND RESULTS: Among
      34 PPCM patients with a SSP, pregnancy ended prematurely in four patients while
      it was full-term in 30. Overall relapse rate [left ventricular ejection fraction,
      (LVEF) <50% or death after at least 6-month follow-up] was 56% with 12% (4/34)
      mortality. Relapse of PPCM after SSP was not associated with differences in
      parity, twin pregnancy, gestational hypertension, or smoking. Persistently
      reduced LVEF (<50%) before entering SSP was present in 47% of patients while full
      recovery (LVEF >=50%) was present in 53%. The majority of patients entering SSP
      with persistently reduced LVEF were of African ethnicity (75%). Persistently
      reduced LVEF before SSP was associated with higher mortality (25% vs. 0%) and
      lower rate of full recovery at follow-up. Patients obtaining standard therapy for
      heart failure and bromocriptine immediately after delivery displayed
      significantly better LVEF at follow-up and a higher rate of full recovery with no
      patient dying compared with patients obtaining standard therapy for heart failure
      alone. This was independent of African or Caucasian race. CONCLUSION: Full
      recovery of LVEF before SSP was associated with lower mortality and better
      cardiac function at follow-up. Addition of bromocriptine to standard therapy for
      heart failure immediately after delivery was safe and seemed to be associated
      with a better outcome of SSP in African and Caucasian patients.

PMID- 28345303
TI  - Arterial ageing: from endothelial dysfunction to vascular calcification.
AB  - Complex structural and functional changes occur in the arterial system with
      advancing age. The aged artery is characterized by changes in microRNA expression
      patterns, autophagy, smooth muscle cell migration and proliferation, and arterial
      calcification with progressively increased mechanical vessel rigidity and
      stiffness. With age the vascular smooth muscle cells modify their phenotype from
      contractile to 'synthetic' determining the development of intimal thickening as
      early as the second decade of life as an adaptive response to forces acting on
      the arterial wall. The increased permeability observed in intimal thickening
      could represent the substrate on which low-level atherosclerotic stimuli can
      promote the development of advanced atherosclerotic lesions. In elderly patients
      the atherosclerotic plaques tend to be larger with increased vascular stenosis.
      In these plaques there is a progressive accumulation of both lipids and collagen
      and a decrease of inflammation. Similarly the plaques from elderly patients show
      more calcification as compared with those from younger patients. The coronary
      artery calcium score is a well-established marker of adverse cardiovascular
      outcomes. The presence of diffuse calcification in a severely stenotic segment
      probably induces changes in mechanical properties and shear stress of the
      arterial wall favouring the rupture of a vulnerable lesion in a less stenotic
      adjacent segment. Oxidative stress and inflammation appear to be the two primary
      pathological mechanisms of ageing-related endothelial dysfunction even in the
      absence of clinical disease. Arterial ageing is no longer considered an
      inexorable process. Only a better understanding of the link between ageing and
      vascular dysfunction can lead to significant advances in both preventative and
      therapeutic treatments with the aim that in the future vascular ageing may be
      halted or even reversed.

PMID- 28345304
TI  - Chemical evidence for the effect of Urochloa ruziziensis on glyphosate-resistant
      soybeans.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Soybean (Glycine max) is an important oleaginous legume that has been
      cultivated in new areas in Brazil, including pastures. Problems of reduced
      production yields have been reported by soybean growers when the crop is sown
      immediately after desiccation of pastures of Urochloa spp. using glyphosate. The
      objective of this work was to extract, isolate and identify the major chemicals
      from U. ruziziensis that have phytotoxic activity and to evaluate the possible
      relation between this effect and reduced soybean yield. RESULTS: U. ruziziensis
      plants at the flowering stage were desiccated using glyphosate at 1.44 kg ha-1 .
      The plants were collected between five and ten days after treatment. Extracts of
      dried and ground shoots were obtained by sequential extraction with hexane,
      dichloromethane and methanol. The results of wheat coleoptile bioassays indicated
      that the methanol extract was more inhibitory than the dichloromethane extract
      regardless of glyphosate application. CONCLUSION: Protodioscin, a steroidal
      saponin, was isolated from the extract as the major component and the activities
      of this compound were in good agreement with those found for the extract. The
      release of this compound into the soil is a plausible explanation for the
      decrease in production observed in transgenic soybean crop after desiccation of
      U. ruziziensis. (c) 2017 Society of Chemical Industry.

PMID- 28345305
TI  - Temperature-mediated local adaptation alters the symbiotic function in arbuscular
      mycorrhiza.
AB  - Variation in the symbiotic function of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AM fungi)
      has been demonstrated among distinct biotic and abiotic interactions. However,
      there is little knowledge on how local temperature conditions influence the
      functional divergence of AM symbionts in alpine ecosystems. Here, we conduct a
      reciprocal inoculation experiment to explore the three-way interactions among
      plants, AM fungal inoculum and temperature at sites of contrasting elevation.
      Evidence of local adaptation of plant growth was found only under low temperature
      conditions, with no consistent local versus foreign effect found in AM fungal
      performance. The origin of either the plant or the inoculum relative to the
      temperature was important in explaining symbiotic function. Specifically, when
      inoculum and temperature were sympatric but allopatric to the plant, poor
      adaptation by the plant to the novel environment was clearly found under both
      temperature conditions. Further analysis found that the symbiotic function was
      inversely related to fungal diversity under high temperature conditions. These
      results suggest that local adaptation represents a powerful factor in the
      establishment of novel combinations of plant, inoculum and temperature, and
      confirms the importance of taking into account both biotic and abiotic
      interactions in the prediction of the response of symbionts to global
      environmental change.

PMID- 28345306
TI  - The burden and management of cytochrome P450 2D6 (CYP2D6)-mediated drug-drug
      interaction (DDI): co-medication of metoprolol and paroxetine or fluoxetine in
      the elderly.
AB  - PURPOSE: Metoprolol and paroxetine/fluoxetine are inevitably co-prescribed
      because cardiovascular disorders and depression often coexist in the elderly.
      This leads to CYP2D6-mediated drug-drug interactions (DDI). Because systematic
      evaluations are lacking, we assessed the burden of metoprolol
      paroxetine/fluoxetine interaction in the elderly and how these interactions are
      managed in Dutch community pharmacies. METHOD: Dispensing data were collected
      from the University of Groningen pharmacy database (IADB.nl, 1999-2014) for
      elderly patients (>=60 years) starting beta-blockers and/or antidepressants.
      Based on the two main DDI alert systems (G-Standard and Pharmabase), incidences
      were divided between signalled (metoprolol-fluoxetine/paroxetine) and not
      signalled (metoprolol-alternative antidepressants and alternative beta-blockers
      paroxetine/fluoxetine) combinations. Incident users were defined as patients
      starting at least one signalled or a non-signalled combination. G-Standard
      signalled throughout the study period, whereas Pharmabase stopped after 2005.
      RESULTS: A total of 1763 patients had 2039 metoprolol-paroxetine/fluoxetine co
      prescriptions, despite DDI alert systems, and about 57.3% were signalled. The
      number of metoprolol-alternative antidepressant combinations (incidences = 3150)
      was higher than alternative beta-blocker-paroxetine/fluoxetine combinations
      (incidences = 1872). Metoprolol users are more likely to be co-medicated with an
      alternative antidepressant (incidences = 2320) than paroxetine/fluoxetine users
      (incidences = 1232) are. The number of paroxetine/fluoxetine users co-prescribed
      with alternative beta-blockers was comparable to those co-medicated with
      metoprolol (about 50%). Less than 5% of patients received a substitute therapy
      after using metoprolol-paroxetine/fluoxetine. Most of the metoprolol users (90%)
      received a low dose (mean DDD = 0.47) regardless whether they were prescribed
      paroxetine/fluoxetine. CONCLUSION: Despite the signalling software, metoprolol
      paroxetine/fluoxetine combinations are still observed in the elderly population.
      The clinical impact of these interactions needs further investigation. Copyright
      (c) 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

PMID- 28345307
TI  - Quality indicators for early stage Hodgkin's lymphoma.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: The purpose of this project was to devise simple, practicable
      quality indicators (QIs) for the treatment of early stage (I-II) Hodgkin's
      lymphoma (ESHL), and to test their applicability retrospectively at a single
      large teaching hospital. METHODS: Of the available treatment guidelines, we chose
      the two eviQ (evidence and Quality, Cancer Institute New South Wales) documents
      first published in early 2012 (updated in 2015) for ESHL favourable and ESHL
      unfavourable (based upon German Hodgkin Study Group practice) as being most
      relevant to the Australian setting, and selected nine QIs from them viz. baseline
      staging investigations, discussion in a multi-disciplinary meeting, chemotherapy
      type and number of cycles, radiotherapy (RT) planning technique, use of dose
      volume histograms, dose, treatment volume and timing. We identified all patients
      with ESHL treated radically with chemotherapy and/or RT at the Royal Adelaide
      Hospital between July 2009 and July 2014, and extracted relevant data from
      hospital records. QI score for each item was defined as the percentage of
      patients who received care as recommended in the eviQ guidelines, and improvement
      potential as an indicator score <90%. RESULTS: Raw QI scores varied between 74
      100%. When corrected for clinical circumstances legitimising deviation from the
      guidelines, the range was 83-100%. Only number of chemotherapy cycles (87%
      corrected) and RT dose (83% corrected) had improvement potential. However,
      compliance after publication of the eviQ guidelines was virtually perfect for
      each item. CONCLUSIONS: The chosen QIs for ESHL proved to be practicable to apply
      in this single centre review where overall compliance was high, and excellent in
      the latter half of the study period. We would encourage reporting of raw and
      corrected QI scores.

PMID- 28345309
TI  - A survey of clinicians regarding respiratory physiotherapy intervention for
      intubated and mechanically ventilated patients with community-acquired pneumonia.
      What is current practice in Australian ICUs?
AB  - RATIONALE, AIMS, AND OBJECTIVES: Community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) is a common
      cause for intensive care unit (ICU) admission resulting in high morbidity and
      mortality. There is a paucity of evidence regarding respiratory physiotherapy for
      intubated and mechanically ventilated patients with CAP, and anecdotally clinical
      practice is variable in this cohort. The aims of this study were to identify the
      degree of variability in physiotherapy practice for intubated adult patients with
      CAP and to explore ICU physiotherapist perceptions of current practice for this
      cohort and factors that influence physiotherapy treatment mode, duration, and
      frequency. METHOD: A survey was developed based on common aspects of assessment,
      clinical rationale, and intervention for intubated and mechanically ventilated
      patients. Senior ICU physiotherapists across 88 Australian public and private
      hospitals were recruited. RESULTS: The response rate was 72%. Respondents (n =
      75) stated their main rationale for providing a respiratory intervention were
      improved airway clearance (98%, n = 60/61), alveolar recruitment (74%, n =
      45/61), and gas exchange (33%, n = 20/61). Respondents estimated that average
      intervention lasted between 16 and 30 minutes (70% of respondents, n = 41/59) and
      would be delivered once (44%) or twice (44%) daily. Results indicated large
      variability in reported practice; however, trends existed regarding positioning
      in alternate side-lying (81%, n = 52/64) or affected lung uppermost (83%, n =
      53/64) and use of hyperinflation techniques (81%, 52/64). Decisions regarding
      duration were reported to be based on sputum volume (95%), viscosity (93%) and
      purulence (88%), cough effectiveness (95%), chest X-ray (87%), and auscultation
      (84%). Sixty percent reported that workload and staffing affected intervention
      duration and frequency. Intervention time was more likely increased when there
      was greater staffing (P = .03). CONCLUSION: Respiratory physiotherapy treatment
      varies for intubated patients with CAP. Further research is required to determine
      what is considered best practice for this patient population.

PMID- 28345308
TI  - Expeditious and Solvent-Free Nickel-Catalyzed C-H Arylation of Arenes and
      Indoles.
AB  - An efficient solvent-free nickel-catalyzed method for C-H bond arylation of
      arenes and indoles has been developed, which proceeds expeditiously through
      chelation assistance. The reaction is highly selective for mono-arylation and
      tolerates sensitive and structurally diverse functionalities, such as halides,
      ethers, amines, indole, pyrrole and carbazole. This reaction represents the first
      example of a nickel-catalyzed C-H arylation by monochelate assistance and
      symbolizes a rare precedent in solvent-free C-H arylation. Mechanistic
      investigations by various controlled reactions, kinetic studies, and deuterium
      labeling experiments suggest that the arylation follows a single electron
      transfer (SET) pathway involving the turnover-limiting C-H nickelation process.

PMID- 28345310
TI  - Individual factors that influence experiences and perceptions of stigma and
      discrimination towards people with mental illness in Ghana.
AB  - People with a mental illness often encounter stigma and discrimination from a
      variety of sources, reinforcing negative self-perceptions and influencing their
      health and well-being. Even though support systems and attitudes of the general
      public act as powerful sources of stigma, views and perceptions held by people
      with mental illness also influence their sensitivity to the experiences they
      encounter. The aim of the present qualitative study was to examine perceptions of
      stigma and discrimination and self-stigma in individuals diagnosed with a mental
      illness. This study adopted a narrative, descriptive method, using a
      semistructured interview guide to elicit participant perceptions regarding
      sources of stigma, discrimination, and personal factors that might influence
      their experiences. Twelve outpatients attending a clinic in Ghana were
      interviewed. Thematic content analysis was completed and augmented by field
      notes. Participants' perceptions about personal impacts of stigma were found to
      be influenced by self-stigma, anticipated stigma and discrimination, perceived
      discrimination, and their knowledge about their illness. For many participants,
      their views served to augment societal views, and thus reinforce negative self
      perceptions and their future. However, for other participants, their views served
      as a buffer in the face of environmental situations that reflect stigma and
      discrimination. Stigma is a complex, socially-sanctioned phenomenon that can
      seriously affect the health of people with mental illness. As such, it requires
      coordinated strategies among public policy makers, governmental bodies, and
      health-care providers to address stigma on a societal level, and to address its
      potential impacts on broad health outcomes for individuals with mental illness.

PMID- 28345311
TI  - Relationships among sense of coherence, oral health status, nutritional status
      and care need level of older adults according to path analysis.
AB  - AIM: Sense of coherence (SOC) is a measurement of ability of an individual to
      cope with psychological stress and remain in good health. The aim of the present
      study was to examine the relationships among SOC score, oral health status,
      nutritional status and care need level of older adults using path analysis.
      METHODS: We enrolled 53 older adults (17 men and 36 women) who were attending a
      day care service (mean age 80.4 +/- 6.5 years). SOC was assessed using a 13-item,
      seven-scale instrument. Oral health status (number of present teeth, denture use)
      and nutritional status (assessed with Mini-Nutritional Assessment Short-Form)
      were also evaluated. Path analysis was used to examine the relationship of SOC
      with other related factors, including care need level. RESULTS: The mean SOC
      score was 57.0 +/- 13.9. Mini-Nutritional Assessment Short-Form results showed
      that one participant (1.8%) was malnourished, 26 (49.1%) were at risk of
      malnutrition and 26 (49.1%) had normal nutritional status. Participants with high
      SOC scores showed a strong positive attitude, had a relatively large number of
      teeth, were in good nutritional condition and showed low care need levels.
      CONCLUSIONS: The present results showed that maintaining a high SOC level and
      good oral health help to reduce care need levels in older adults, and also
      prevent a worsening of their nutritional condition. Geriatr Gerontol Int 2017;
      17: 2083-2088.

PMID- 28345312
TI  - Identification of the new HLA-DQA1*01:15N allele in an Italian patient.
AB  - The novel allele DQA1*01:15N differs from DQA1*01:03:01:01 by 1 nucleotide
      substitutions in exon 2.

PMID- 28345313
TI  - Acute Hyperglycemia Associated with Anti-Cancer Medication.
AB  - Hyperglycemia during chemotherapy occurs in approximately 10% to 30% of patients.
      Glucocorticoids and L-asparaginase are well known to cause acute hyperglycemia
      during chemotherapy. Long-term hyperglycemia is also frequently observed,
      especially in patients with hematologic malignancies treated with L-asparaginase
      based regimens and total body irradiation. Glucocorticoid-induced hyperglycemia
      often develops because of increased insulin resistance, diminished insulin
      secretion, and exaggerated hepatic glucose output. Screening strategies for this
      condition include random glucose testing, hemoglobin A1c testing, oral glucose
      loading, and fasting plasma glucose screens. The management of hyperglycemia
      starts with insulin or sulfonylurea, depending on the type, dose, and delivery of
      the glucocorticoid formulation. Mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) inhibitors
      are associated with a high incidence of hyperglycemia, ranging from 13% to 50%.
      Immunotherapy, such as anti-programmed death 1 (PD-1) antibody treatment, induces
      hyperglycemia with a prevalence of 0.1%. The proposed mechanism of immunotherapy
      induced hyperglycemia is an autoimmune process (insulitis). Withdrawal of the PD
      1 inhibitor is the primary treatment for severe hyperglycemia. The efficacy of
      glucocorticoid therapy is not fully established and the decision to resume PD-1
      inhibitor therapy depends on the severity of the hyperglycemia. Diabetic patients
      should achieve optimized glycemic control before initiating treatment, and
      glucose levels should be monitored periodically in patients initiating mTOR
      inhibitor or PD-1 inhibitor therapy. With regard to hyperglycemia caused by anti
      cancer therapy, frequent monitoring and proper management are important for
      promoting the efficacy of anti-cancer therapy and improving patients' quality of
      life.

PMID- 28345314
TI  - Prevalence and Clinical Characteristics of Dyslipidemia in Koreans.
AB  - The prevalence of hypercholesterolemia in Koreans 30 years old and over was 19.5%
      in 2015 according to the Korean Nutrition and Health Examination Survey, which
      means that one-fifth of adults had hypercholesterolemia. The prevalence of
      hypertriglyceridemia in adults 30 years of age and older was 16.8% in 2015, and
      men had a 2-fold higher prevalence of hypertriglyceridemia than women (23.9% vs.
      10.4%). The awareness of hypercholesterolemia in Koreans was higher in women than
      among men (62.4% vs. 51.4%). It increased with age; the level of awareness in
      participants 30 to 49 years of age (32.1% in men and 32.6% in women) was less
      than half of that observed among respondents >=65 years old (77.5% in men and
      78.0% in women). Regular check-ups for dyslipidemia and the active management
      thereof are urgent in Korean men aged 30 to 49. In women, the perimenopausal
      period is crucial for the prevention and management of metabolic syndrome,
      including dyslipidemia. Overall, improvements in awareness and treatment in the
      age group of 30 to 49 years in both men and women remain necessary.

PMID- 28345315
TI  - The Role of Macrophage Lipophagy in Reverse Cholesterol Transport.
AB  - Macrophage cholesterol efflux is a central step in reverse cholesterol transport,
      which helps to maintain cholesterol homeostasis and to reduce atherosclerosis.
      Lipophagy has recently been identified as a new step in cholesterol ester
      hydrolysis that regulates cholesterol efflux, since it mobilizes cholesterol from
      lipid droplets of macrophages via autophagy and lysosomes. In this review, we
      briefly discuss recent advances regarding the mechanisms of the cholesterol
      efflux pathway in macrophage foam cells, and present lipophagy as a therapeutic
      target in the treatment of atherosclerosis.

PMID- 28345317
TI  - How to Prepare Endocrinology and Metabolism for Reapplication to MEDLINE.

PMID- 28345316
TI  - The Implication of Coronary Artery Calcium Testing for Cardiovascular Disease
      Prevention and Diabetes.
AB  - Over the last two decades coronary artery calcium (CAC) scanning has emerged as a
      quick, safe, and inexpensive method to detect the presence of coronary
      atherosclerosis. Data from multiple studies has shown that compared to
      individuals who do not have any coronary calcifications, those with severe
      calcifications (i.e., CAC score >300) have a 10-fold increase in their risk of
      coronary heart disease events and cardiovascular disease. Conversely, those that
      have a CAC of 0 have a very low event rate (~0.1%/year), with data that now
      extends to 15 years in some studies. Thus, the most notable implication of
      identifying CAC in individuals who do not have known cardiovascular disease is
      that it allows targeting of more aggressive therapies to those who have the
      highest risk of having future events. Such identification of risk is especially
      important for individuals who are not on any therapies for coronary heart
      disease, or when intensification of treatment is being considered but has an
      uncertain role. This review will highlight some of the recent data on CAC
      testing, while focusing on the implications of those findings on patient
      management. The evolving role of CAC in patients with diabetes will also be
      highlighted.

PMID- 28345318
TI  - Articles in Endocrinology and Metabolism in 2016.

PMID- 28345319
TI  - Vascular Cell Adhesion Molecule 1, Intercellular Adhesion Molecule 1, and Cluster
      of Differentiation 146 Levels in Patients with Type 2 Diabetes with
      Complications.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) is a multisystemic, chronic disease
      accompanied by microvascular complications involving various complicated
      mechanisms. Intercellular adhesion molecule 1 (ICAM-1), vascular cell adhesion
      molecule 1 (VCAM-1), and cluster of differentiation-146 (CD146) are mainly
      expressed by endothelial cells, and facilitate the adhesion and transmigration of
      immune cells, leading to inflammation. In the present study, we evaluated the
      levels of soluble adhesion molecules in patients with microvascular complications
      of T2DM. METHODS: Serum and whole blood samples were collected from 58 T2DM
      patients with microvascular complications and 20 age-matched healthy subjects.
      Levels of soluble ICAM-1 (sICAM-1) and soluble VCAM-1 (sVCAM-1) were assessed
      using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, while flow cytometry was used to
      determine CD146 levels. RESULTS: Serum sICAM-1 levels were lower in T2DM patients
      with microvascular complications than in healthy controls (P<0.05). No
      significant differences were found in sVCAM-1 and CD146 levels between the study
      and the control group. Although patients were subdivided into groups according to
      the type of microvascular complications that they experienced, cell adhesion
      molecule levels were not correlated with the complication type. CONCLUSION: In
      the study group, most of the patients were on insulin therapy (76%), and 95% of
      them were receiving angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE)-inhibitor agents. Insulin
      and ACE-inhibitors have been shown to decrease soluble adhesion molecule levels
      via various mechanisms, so we suggest that the decreased or unchanged levels of
      soluble forms of cellular adhesion molecules in our study group may have resulted
      from insulin and ACE-inhibitor therapy, as well as tissue-localized inflammation
      in patients with T2DM.

PMID- 28345320
TI  - Letter: Comparison of Age of Onset and Frequency of Diabetic Complications in the
      Very Elderly Patients with Type 2 Diabetes (Endocrinol Metab 2016;31:416-23, Bong
      Ki Lee et al.).

PMID- 28345322
TI  - Corrigendum: Correction of Acknowledgments: Epidemiology of Childhood Obesity in
      Korea.
AB  - This corrects the article on p. 510 in vol. 31, PMID: 27834078.

PMID- 28345321
TI  - Response: Comparison of Age of Onset and Frequency of Diabetic Complications in
      the Very Elderly Patients with Type 2 Diabetes (Endocrinol Metab 2016;31:416-23,
      Bong-Ki Lee et al.).

PMID- 28345323
TI  - Circulating Tumor BRAF Mutation and Personalized ThyroidCancer Treatment

PMID- 28345325
TI  - Potential Role of E4 Protein in Human Papillomavirus Screening: a Review
AB  - In 2006, cervical cancer was reported as the second most common cancer in women
      of Malaysia. This type ofcancer has been shown to correlate with persistent high
      risk human papillomavirus (HPV) infection. Although HPV iswell known to induce
      cervical cancer, knowledge of pathways that link the latent stage of the viral
      replication cycle toprecancerous and cancerous stages remains incomplete.
      However, it is interesting to note that the virus can be isolatedfrom tissues
      ranging from normal to low-grade squamous intraepithelial lesions as well as high
      grade intraepitheliallesions (HSILs), thus prompting scientists to develop HPV
      detection methods for screening. Detection of HPV usingviral proteins such as L1
      and E1 is proposed to be very useful in assisting the management of high risk
      infection andcervical cancer. These tests however can lead to false positive
      results, largely due to the exisstence of asymptomatic ortransient HPV infections
      within any given individual. Somes observation indicate that use of HPV proteins
      such as E6and E7 might lead to false positive results. However, one particular
      HPV protein, E4 shows potential as an accuratemarker of the tissue state
      following HPV infection. E4 expression has been shown to correlate with the
      levels of HPVDNA incorporation by the host. Thus, it is possible that E4 could
      serve as a useful marker to define stages of viralcarcinogenesis.

PMID- 28345326
TI  - Patient-Linked Factors Associated with Delayed Reporting of Oral and Pharyngeal
      Carcinoma among Patients Attending National Cancer Institute, Maharagama, Sri
      Lanka
AB  - Background: Diagnosis of cancer at an early stage improves prognosis following
      treatment. Unfortunately a largeproportion of oral and pharyngeal cancer patients
      are diagnosed at late stages which require radical treatment withconsiderable
      morbidity and mortality. Many researchers have examined different types of delay
      that could occur betweenthe onset of symptoms and diagnosis. The objective of
      this research was to identify patient-linked delays between thetime of first
      noticing symptoms and definitive diagnosis, and its association with the stage at
      diagnosis among oraland pharyngeal carcinoma patients attending the National
      Cancer Institute, Maharagama, Sri Lanka. Methods: Ahospital-based descriptive
      cross-sectional study was carried out on 351 patients with histologically
      confirmed carcinomaof oral cavity and pharynx. Data were collected using an
      interviewer- administered questionnaire and a data extractionsheet. If a patient
      had taken more than three months to visit a Health Care Practitioner, it was
      considered as 'PatientDelay-1'. If a patient had taken more than two weeks
      following referral to reach for specialized cancer care, it wasconsidered as
      'Patient Delay 2'. Results: Proportions of 'Patient Delay-1' and 'Patient Delay
      2' were 19% (n=252)and 16% (n=322) respectively. Mean time duration between
      noticing symptoms to definitive diagnosis was 14.1weeks (SD=10.3). The proportion
      of advanced-stage cancers at diagnosis was 59.8%. Conclusion: Stage at
      diagnosiswas significantly associated with 'Patient Delay -1' (p = 0.001) but not
      with 'Patient Delay-2'. 'Patient Delay-1' wassignificantly associated with level
      of education (p = 0.001) and the cost of travelling (p = 0.048).

PMID- 28345327
TI  - Frequency of Epstein Barr Virus Type 1 Among Nasopharyngeal Carcinomas in Iranian
      Patients
AB  - Background: Around 95% of the world's population are infected with the Epstein
      Barr virus (EBV), whichcan persist latent in B lymphocytes and epithelial cells
      life-long. EBV has been linked with lymphoid and epithelialcancers and
      persistence of EBV infection in lymphoid or epithelial cells may result in virus
      associated B-celltumors or nasopharyngeal carcinomas (NPC). This study was
      conducted to determine the frequency of EBV DNA innasopharyngeal carcinoma tissue
      of Iranian patients. Materials and methods: A total of 50 blocks of formalin
      fixedparaffin-embedded tissue of NPCs from 38 (76 %) male and 12 (24%) female
      patients were collected from archivesof Ahvaz hospitals. Sections were cut at 5
      MUm and DNA was extracted for detection of EBV DNA and EBV typing bymested PCR.
      DNA sequencing was performed to confirm PCR results. The distribution of EBV DNA
      was comparedamong WHO histological subtypes of NPC. Results: Some 3 female and 11
      (22%) male NPC samples showed positivefor EBV DNA type 1, 2/14(22.2%)WHO
      histological type II and 12/41(29.3%) WHO histological type III. Conclusions:The
      frequency of EBV DNA among NPCs in Iranian patients was found to be 28%, EBV type
      I predominating. BothWHO histological type II and III NPC subtypes demonstrated
      approximately the same detection prevalence.

PMID- 28345328
TI  - Esophageal Cancer and associated Factors among Uzbek-Turkmen and Other Ethnic
      Groups in the Northern Part of Afghanistan
AB  - Background: A high incidence rate of esophageal cancer has been observed in the
      Northern part of Afghanistan,particularly among those of Uzbek-Turkmen ethnicity.
      However, there is a paucity of published data from which tocompare the prevalence
      of environmental risk factors for esophageal cancer between Uzbek-Turkmen and
      other ethnicgroups. Thus, we investigated the prevalence of environmental risk
      factors associated with esophageal cancer in theNorthern part of Afghanistan,
      focusing on ethnicity differences. Methods: This retrospective study covered 168
      patientsdiagnosed with esophageal cancer based on endoscopic findings when
      attending an outpatient clinic from October2013 to April 2016. Demographic data
      and burden of relevant environmental risk factors were compared betweenUzbek
      Turkmen and other ethnic groups. Results: In the total of 168 patients (108 Uzbek
      Turkmen and 60 otherethnicities), males had significantly higher rates of opium
      use, chewing nass (a mixture of tobacco, ash and lime), andsmoking than female
      patients. The mean age of the Uzbek-Turkmen group was 62.9 years, while that of
      the other ethnicgroup cases was 59.1. The prevalence of opium use, chewing nass
      and hot tea consumption was significantly higher inthe Uzbek-Turkmen group.
      Conclusions: This study showed that there were significant differences in
      prevalence ofopium, nass, and hot tea consumption between Uzbek-Turkmen and the
      other ethnic group patients with esophagealcancer in the northern part of
      Afghanistan.

PMID- 28345329
TI  - Lycopene Extracts from Different Tomato-Based Food Products Induce Apoptosis in
      Cultured Human Primary Prostate Cancer Cells and Regulate TP53, Bax and Bcl-2
      Transcript Expression
AB  - Carotenoids are the main tomato components, especially lycopene. Lycopene is more
      bioavailable in tomato processedproducts than in raw tomatos, since formation of
      lycopene cis-isomers during food processing and storage may increaseits
      biological activity. In the current study, we evaluated the influence of lycopene
      extracts (5 mg / mL) from differenttomato-based food products (paste, sauce,
      extract and ketchup) on cell viability and apoptosis on primary humanprostate
      cancer cells (PCa cels) for 96h. Using MTT assay, we observed a significant
      decrease on primary PCa cellviability upon treatment with lycopene extracted from
      either 4 tomato-based food products. Flow cytometeric analysisrevealed that
      lycopene from tomato extract and tomato sauce promoted up to fifty-fold increase
      on the proportion ofapoptotic cells, when compared to the control group. Using
      real time PCR assay, we found that lycopene promotedan upregulation of TP53 and
      Bax transcript expression and also downregulation of Bcl-2 expression in PCa
      cells. Inconclusion, our data demostrate that cis-lycopene promoted a significant
      inhibition on primary PCa cell viability, aswell as an increase on their
      apoptotic rates, evidencing that cis-lycopene contained in tomato sauce and
      extract cainmainly modulate of primary human prostate cancer cell survival.

PMID- 28345324
TI  - Cisplatin-Induced Nephrotoxicity; Protective Supplements and Gender Differences
AB  - Cisplatin (CDDP) has been widely used as a chemotherapeutic agent for solid
      tumors. The most common side effectof CDDP is nephrotoxicity, and many efforts
      have been made in the laboratory and the clinic to employ candidateadjuvants to
      CDDP to minimize this adverse influence. Many synthetic and herbal antioxidants
      as well as trace elementshave been investigated for this purpose in recent years
      and a variety of positive and negative results have been yielded.However, no
      definitive supplement has so far been proposed to prevent CDDP-induced
      nephrotoxicity; however, thiscondition is gender related and the sex hormone
      estrogen may protect the kidney against CDDP damage. In this review,the results
      of research related to the effect of different synthetic and herbal antioxidants
      supplements are presented anddiscussed with suggestions included for future work.

PMID- 28345330
TI  - Relationship of Lifetime Exposure to Tobacco, Alcohol and Second Hand Tobacco
      Smoke with Upper aero-digestive tract cancers in India: a Case-Control Study with
      a Life-Course Perspective
AB  - Background: Squamous cell carcinomas of the upper aero-digestive tract (UADTSCC)
      are a multifaceted publichealth problem. Effects of lifestyle risk factors,
      including tobacco (chewing and smoking), alcohol drinking and exposureto second
      hand tobacco smoke (SHS) at home and their association with UADT cancers was
      assessed in a case-controlstudy with a life-course perspective. The study was
      conducted at two different hospitals in Pune, India. Material andmethods: The
      total sample size (N=480) included 240 histopathologically confirmed cases of
      UADT cancers and anequal number of controls frequency matched with cases by
      gender and age distribution (+5 years). All the patients wereinterviewed face
      face using structured questionnaires. Self-reported information on socio
      demographic and lifestylerisk factors from childhood to the date of diagnosis of
      disease/cancer was obtained. Frequency, duration and age ofinitiation of habits
      were also recorded to study dose-response relationships. Odds ratios and their
      95% confidenceintervals were calculated through unconditional logistic
      regression, adjusting for relevant potential confounders. Results:Chewing tobacco
      emerged as the strongest predictor for UADT cancers (OR=7.61; 95% CI 4.65-12.45)
      in comparisonto smoking and drinking alcohol. Exposure to SHS during childhood
      (<16 years) rather than >=16 years increased therisk (OR=4.05; 95% CI 2.06-7.95).
      Combined effects of tobacco and alcohol consumption habits elevated the risk
      bytwelve fold (OR=12.05; 95% 4.61-31.49) in comparison to never users of these
      habits. Furthermore, the combination ofthese lifestyle risk factors accounted for
      86.8% of population attributable risk. Conclusions: Early exposure to
      variousmodifiable lifestyle risk factors has a strong positive association with
      UADT cancer incidence. Effective future publichealth interventions with focus on
      vital time points in life targeting these risk factors could possibly be a major
      step inprimary prevention and control of this cancer at the population level.

PMID- 28345331
TI  - Cervical Cancer Screening in Iranian Women: Healthcare Practitioner Perceptions
      and Views
AB  - Background: Although regular screening for cervical cancer with the Papanicolaou
      test is an important elementfor reducing the incidence and mortality of cervical
      cancer, the actual screening program in Iranian women is notsufficiently
      comprehensive at present. The purpose of this study was to explore healthcare
      provider perceptions of factorsaffecting cervical cancer screening in Iranian
      women. Methods: In this qualitative study performed from September2015 to August
      2016 in Hamadan, Iran, we conducted semi-structured in depth interviews with 14
      healthcare providersselected purposefully. All interviews were recorded,
      transcribed and analyzed according to a conventional thematicanalysis approach.
      MAXQDA10 software was employed for data analysis. Results: Four themes were
      extracted fromdata: "Inefficient management of cervical cancer screening process,
      Personal and professional characteristics of healthcare providers, Individual
      barriers and facilitators, Need for health system authorities to pay attention".
      Conclusion:Increased official attention to screening, and identifying challenges
      and providing strategies based on these challengeswill help in achieving a
      successful screening program. It is necessary to attend to professional features
      of medicalscience students and increase the skills of interaction with clients in
      addition to academic training. Efforts should bemade to increase trust in
      healthcare providers regarding the Pap test and receptiveness of society to this
      screeningmodality through informing the public, with encouragement through the
      media.

PMID- 28345332
TI  - Effects of Cisplatin-Loaded Niosomal Nanoparticleson BT-20 Human Breast Carcinoma
      Cells
AB  - Breast cancer is the fifth most common cause of death among women worldwide.
      Resistance to cisplatin is a mainchallenge in its treatment. Our present aim was
      to prepare nanoniosomated cisplatin and examine its efficacy in vitrousing the BT
      20 cell line. Niosome nanoparticles containing cisplatin were prepared by reverse
      phase evaporation andcharacterized by dynamic light scattering (DLS), scanning
      electron microscopy (SEM), spectrophotometry and MTTassay. The size and zeta
      potential of the nanodrug were estimated as 489.3 +/- 23.66 nm and 23.4 +/- 2.1
      mV, respectively.Drug encapsuies confirmed appropriate retention of particles.
      Nanoparticles also increased the cytotoxic effects ofcisplatin by 1.5 times
      compared to the standard drug. Findings of our study suggest that niosome
      nanoparticles aregood carriers for cisplatin delivery to breast cancer cells.

PMID- 28345333
TI  - Assessment of Anxiety and Depression Status in Turkish Cutaneous Melanoma
      Patients
AB  - Background: Even though anxiety and depression are two mood disorders encountered
      commonly in cancer patientsonly few trials have been carried out so far in
      melanoma patients. The aim of the study was to determine the clinicalprevalence
      of these disorders in Turkish cutaneous melanoma patients and to clarify possible
      clinicopathological factorsinfluencing them. Material and methods: A total of 100
      consecutive outpatient melanoma patients were enrolled andasked to complete the
      Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS) questionnaire immediately after
      scheduled visits.Results: A total of 24 participants had clinical anxiety and 8
      were diagnosed with borderline anxiety. Fifteen werediagnosed with clinical
      depression and 20 with borderline depression. Prior to melanoma diagnosis the
      majority of thepatients, 93 and 86, were assessed as normal in terms of their
      anxiety and depression status, respectively (p<0.001).A statistically significant
      correlation was found between anxiety and depression scores (p<0.001). The
      patients withadvanced disease were significantly more anxious and depressive than
      those with early stage disease. None of the othersocio-demographic parameters was
      found to be correlated with anxiety and depression status. Conclusions: Becausea
      large group of Turkish melanoma patients, nearly one third of the cohort, was
      found to be suffering from relevantanxiety and depression, it is of uttermost
      importance that psychological support and pharmacological intervention forthese
      patients be commenced as soon as possible.

PMID- 28345334
TI  - Frequency of Head and Neck Squamous Cell Carcinomas and Related Variables in
      Southern Iran (Ahvaz City): 10-Year Retrospective Study
AB  - Objective: Squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) is a life threatening lesion but there
      has been only limited researchabout its frequency in Iran. The aim of this study
      was to evaluate the frequency of squamous cell carcinoma of thehead and neck in
      the records of the pathology department of Imam Khomeini hospital in Ahvaz
      between 2005 and2015. Methods: The retrospective and cross-sectional study was
      conducted using 55,708 medical records of cancerthroughout the body, accumulated
      in the pathology department of Imam Khomeini in Ahvaz in the designated
      period.Information about age, gender, site of involvement, histological
      characteristics, status of lymph node metastasis,smoking habit, family history,
      job and education level was extracted and data were analyzed with the Chi-square
      testwith SPSS version 22. Result: Of the total of 55,708 records, 582 patients
      (1.04%) had head and neck squamous cellcarcinomas. The male to female ratio was
      2.85. The frequencies in the head, mouth and neck were 28.7%, 22% and49.3%
      respectively. Significant relationships between being male and location (neck) (p
      = 0.002), age (60 to 80 yearsold) and being a farmer (p = 0.001) was observed.
      The most important correlated risk factors were: smoking, sunlightexposure, rural
      residence, job and education level. Conclusion: Head and neck squamous cell
      carcinomas were foundto account for 1.04% of all cancers in Ahvaz, one of the
      southern provinces of Iran.

PMID- 28345335
TI  - VEGFR-3 Expression in Oral Lichen Planus
AB  - Background and objective: Given the postulated the role of inflammation and
      possible contribution oflymphangiogenesis in oral lichen planus, this study aimed
      to assess any associated presence of VEGFR-3. Materialand Methods: This cross
      sectional study was performed on 52 formalin fixed and paraffin embedded blocks
      of orallichen planus (pathological diagnosis based on Modified WHO criteria),
      comprising 25 of erosive and 27 of reticulartype, along with 60 samples of normal
      mucosa (with minimal inflammation from clinical and histopathological
      aspects)obtained at crown lengthening surgery. Four micron sections were cut from
      paraffin blocks and stained with H andE for confirmation of diagnosis and by
      immunohistochemistry with primary antibodies against VEGFR-3. Negativecontrols
      were provided by omission of primary antibody and placenta was considered as a
      positive control. Data wereanalyzed by Chi-square, Mann-Whitney and Kruskal
      wallis tests and P <0.05 was considered statistically significant.Findings: VEGFR
      3 expression was apparent in 61.5% of lichen planus specimens and 5% of those
      from normalmucosa (p<0.001). Also, the average number of stained vessels was
      significantly higher in oral lichen planus than innormal mucosa (p<0.001). VEGFR
      3 expression in oral lichen planus (p=0.262) and the average number of
      stainedvessels (p=0.092) demonstrated no significant difference according to the
      type. Conclusion: It appears that VEGFR-3expression might be involved in the
      pathogenesis of the oral lichen planus through increasing lymphatic vessels
      andlymphangiogenesis.

PMID- 28345336
TI  - Proteomic Identification of eEF1A1 as a Molecular Target of Curcumol for
      Suppressing Metastasis of MDA-MB-231 Cells.
AB  - Curcumol, a major volatile component in Rhizoma Curcumae, exhibits a potent
      antimetastatic effect on breast cancer cells. However, its molecular mechanism
      remains poorly understood. In this study, we employed two-dimensional gel
      electrophoresis-based proteomics to investigate the cellular targets of curcumol
      in MDA-MB-231 cells and identified 10 differentially expressed proteins.
      Moreover, Gene Ontology analysis revealed that these proteins are mainly involved
      in nine types of cellular components, seven different biological processes, and
      nine kinds of molecular functions, and 35 pathways (p < 0.05) were enriched by
      KEGG pathway analysis. Specially, eEF1A1, a well-characterized actin binding
      protein, draws our attention. Curcumol decreased eEF1A1 expression at both mRNA
      and protein levels. EEF1A1 expression was shown to be correlated with the
      invasiveness of cancer cells. Importantly, overexpression of eEF1A1 significantly
      reversed the inhibition of curcumol regarding the invasion and adhesion of MDA-MB
      231 cells (p < 0.05). Together, our data suggest that eEF1A1 may be a potential
      molecular target underlying the antimetastatic effect of curcumol.

PMID- 28345337
TI  - Light-Up Mitophagy in Live Cells with Dual-Functional Theranostic Phosphorescent
      Iridium(III) Complexes.
AB  - Phosphorescent Ir(III) complexes are expected to be new multifunctional
      theranostic platforms that enable the integration of imaging capabilities and
      anticancer properties. Mitophagy is an important selective autophagic process
      that degrades dysfunctional mitochondria. Until now, the regulation of mitophagy
      is still poorly understood. Herein, we present two phosphorescent cyclometalated
      iridium(III) complexes (Ir1 and Ir2) that can accumulate in mitochondria and
      induce mitophagy. Because of their intrinsic phosphorescence, they can specially
      image mitochondria and track mitochondrial morphological alterations. Mechanism
      studies show that Ir1 and Ir2 induce mitophagy by depolarization of mitochondrial
      membrane potential, depletion of cellular ATP, perturbation in mitochondrial
      metabolic status, and induction of oxidative stress. Moreover, no sign of
      apoptosis is observed in Ir1- and Ir2-treated cells under the same conditions
      that an obvious mitophagic response is initiated. We demonstrate that Ir1 is a
      promising theranostic agent that can induce mitophagy and visualize changes in
      mitochondrial morphology simultaneously.

PMID- 28345338
TI  - Study of Arylamine-Substituted Porphyrins as Hole-Transporting Materials in High
      Performance Perovskite Solar Cells.
AB  - To develop new hole-transporting materials (HTMs) for efficient and stable
      perovskite solar cells (PSCs), 5,10,15,20-tetrakis{4-[N,N-di(4
      methoxylphenyl)amino-phenyl]}-porphyrin was prepared in gram scale through the
      direct condensation of pyrrole and 4-[bis(4-methoxyphenyl)amino]benzaldehyde. Its
      Zn(II) and Cu(II) complexes exhibit excellent thermal and electrochemical
      stability, specifically a high hole mobility and very favorable energetics for
      hole extraction that render them a new class of HTMs in organometallic halide
      PSCs. As expected, ZnP as HTM in PSCs affords a competitive power conversion
      efficiency (PCE) of 17.78%, which is comparable to that of the most powerful HTM
      of Spiro-MeOTAD (18.59%) under the same working conditions. Meanwhile, the metal
      centers affect somewhat the photovoltaic performances that CuP as HTM produces a
      lower PCE of 15.36%. Notably, the PSCs employing ZnP show a much better stability
      than Spiro-OMeTAD. Moreover, the two porphyrin-based HTMs can be prepared from
      relatively cheap raw materials with a facile synthetic route. The results
      demonstrate that ZnP and CuP can be a new class of HTMs for efficient and stable
      PSCs. To the best of our knowledge, this is the best performance that porphyrin
      based solar cells could show with PCE > 17%.

PMID- 28345339
TI  - Synthesis of Positional Isomeric Phenylphenalenones.
AB  - A series of isomeric phenylphenalenones in which the phenyl ring is located at
      all possible peripheral positions of the phenalenone nuclei was synthesized. The
      structural characteristics of the series, in which topological variation is
      permitted with minimal electronic disturbance, could, in principle, allow for
      easy pharmacophore recognition when the compounds are aligned in steroidomimetic
      conformations.

PMID- 28345340
TI  - Excluded Volume Approach for Ultrathin Carbon Nanotube Network Stabilization: A
      Mesoscopic Distinct Element Method Study.
AB  - Ultrathin carbon nanotube films have gathered attention for flexible electronics
      applications. Unfortunately, their network structure changes significantly even
      under small applied strains. We perform mesoscopic distinct element method
      simulations and develop an atomic-scale picture of the network stress relaxation.
      On this basis, we put forward the concept of mesoscale design by the addition of
      excluded-volume interactions. We integrate silicon nanoparticles into our model
      and show that the nanoparticle-filled networks present superior stability and
      mechanical response relative to those of pure films. The approach opens new
      possibilities for tuning the network microstructure in a manner that is
      compatible with flexible electronics applications.

PMID- 28345341
TI  - Positron Annihilation Spectroscopic Investigation on the Origin of Temperature
      Dependent Electrical Response in Methylammonium Lead Iodide Perovskite.
AB  - Organic-inorganic hybrid perovskite has appeared as one of the leading materials
      for realizing solution-based high-performing optoelectronic devices. The charge
      transport properties in this class of material are quite intriguing and still
      need to be carefully investigated. The temperature-dependent electrical property
      of methylammonium lead iodide (CH3NH3PbI3) has been investigated by employing
      positron annihilation spectroscopy (PAS), which unambiguously reveals the gradual
      formation of open volume defects with the enhancement in temperature. The high
      temperature ionic conductivity is due to the generation of both cationic
      (CH3NH3+) and anionic (I-) vacancies, possibly because of the elimination of
      methylammonium iodide (CH3NH3I) as identified from the coincidence Doppler
      broadening (CDB) of the positron annihilation spectroscopy. Further, the
      evolution of temperature-dependent defect density and corresponding electrical
      responses has been correlated with the structural phase transitions of
      CH3NH3PbI3. This is the first ever report of temperature-dependent PAS
      measurement on hybrid lead halide perovskites to understand the nature and the
      origin of its electrical characteristics arising due to the variation in
      temperature.

PMID- 28345342
TI  - The Role of Strain in the Homoaromatization of Semibullvalenes.
AB  - The low activation barrier to the Cope rearrangement of semibullvalenes has been
      attributed to the inherent ring-strain of this nucleus. Appropriate, Dewar
      Hoffmann, substitution of semibullvalene results in the stabilization of the
      transition state and a further lowering of the Cope barrier. An alternative
      proposal for lowering/eliminating this barrier is the use of strain to
      destabilize the localized semibullvalene. Using density functional and Hartree
      Fock calculations, we predict that additionally straining the semibullvalene
      nucleus, by small ring annelations, will lead to a lowering of the Cope barrier
      and ultimately to ground state neutral homoaromatics.

PMID- 28345343
TI  - Electronic and Steric Optimization of Fluorogenic Probes for Biomolecular
      Imaging.
AB  - Fluorogenic probes are invaluable tools for spatiotemporal investigations within
      live cells. In common fluorogenic probes, the intrinsic fluorescence of a small
      molecule fluorophore is masked by esterification until entry into a cell, where
      endogenous esterases catalyze the hydrolysis of the masking groups, generating
      fluorescence. The susceptibility of masking groups to spontaneous hydrolysis is a
      major limitation of these probes. Previous attempts to address this problem have
      incorporated auto-immolative linkers at the cost of atom economy and synthetic
      adversity. Here, we report on a linker-free strategy that employs adventitious
      electronic and steric interactions in easy-to-synthesize probes. We find that
      X...C?O n->pi* interactions and acyl group size are optimized in 2',7'
      dichlorofluorescein diisobutyrate. This probe is relatively stable to spontaneous
      hydrolysis but is a highly reactive substrate for esterases both in vitro and in
      cellulo, yielding a bright, photostable fluorophore with utility in biomolecular
      imaging.

PMID- 28345344
TI  - Unravelling and Quantifying the "NMR-Invisible" Metabolites Interacting with
      Human Serum Albumin by Binding Competition and T2 Relaxation-Based Decomposition
      Analysis.
AB  - Quantitative profiling of low-molecular-weight metabolites (LMWMs) by 1H NMR is
      routinely used in high-throughput serum metabolomics. First, the protein
      background is attenuated using a T2 filter; then, the LMWM signals are resolved
      by line-shape fitting. However, protein-binding modifies the motional properties
      of LMWM, and their signal partially attenuates with the T2 filter, along with the
      protein background. Consequently, the quantified LMWM signals do not reflect the
      total concentration in serum but the nonbinding part. Here we present a novel
      strategy based on binding competition to promote the release of the "NMR
      invisible" metabolites from serum proteins and achieve quantifications closer to
      total concentrations. The study focuses on five clinically relevant amino acids
      with different binding properties (valine, isoleucine, leucine, tyrosine, and
      phenylalanine). We analyzed their binding affinity to human serum albumin (HSA)
      in serum mimic samples and promoted the release of their bound fraction by TSP
      titration. Furthermore, we used a novel combination of pseudo-2D CPMG and
      multivariate curve resolution analysis, allowing the separation of LMWM and
      protein signals and providing LMWM quantifications corrected for transverse
      relaxation effects. We found that TSP concentrations larger than 3 mM released
      most of the bound fraction and validated these findings in real serum/plasma
      samples.

PMID- 28345345
TI  - Continuously Electrotriggered Core Coalescence of Double-Emulsion Drops for
      Microreactions.
AB  - Microfluidically generated double emulsions are promising templates for
      microreactions, which protect the reaction from external disturbance and enable
      in vitro analyses with large-scale samples. Controlled combination of their inner
      droplets in a continuous manner is an essential requirement toward truly
      applications. Here, we first generate dual-cored double-emulsion drops with
      different inner encapsulants using a capillary microfluidic device; next, we
      transfer the emulsion drops into another electrode-integrated
      polydimethylsiloxane microfluidic device and utilize external AC electric field
      to continuously trigger the coalescence of inner cores inside these emulsion
      drops in continuous flow. Hundreds of thousands of monodisperse microreactions
      with nanoliter-scale reagents can be conducted using this approach. The
      performance of core coalescence is investigated as a function of flow rate,
      applied electrical signal, and core conductivity. The coalescence efficiency can
      reach up to 95%. We demonstrate the utility of this technology for accommodating
      microreactions by analyzing an enzyme catalyzed reaction and by fabricating cell
      laden hydrogel particles. The presented method can be readily used for the
      controlled triggering of microreactions with high flexibility for a wide range of
      applications, especially for continuous chemical or cell assays.

PMID- 28345346
TI  - Thermally Activated Delayed Fluorescence and Aggregation Induced Emission with
      Through-Space Charge Transfer.
AB  - Emissive molecules comprising a donor and an acceptor bridged by 9,9
      dimethylxanthene, were studied (XPT, XCT, and XtBuCT). The structures position
      the donor and acceptor with cofacial alignment at distances of 3.3-3.5 A wherein
      efficient spatial charge transfer can occur. The quantum yields were enhanced by
      excluding molecular oxygen and thermally activated delayed fluorescence with
      lifetimes on the order of microseconds was observed. Although the molecules
      displayed low quantum yields in solution, higher quantum yields were observed in
      the solid state. Crystal structures revealed pi-pi intramolecular interactions
      between a donor and an acceptor, however, the dominant intermolecular
      interactions were C-H...pi, which likely restrict the molecular dynamics to
      create aggregation-induced enhanced emission. Organic light emitting devices
      using XPT and XtBuCT as dopants displayed electroluminescence external quantum
      efficiencies as high as 10%.

PMID- 28345347
TI  - A Systematic Evaluation of the N-F Bond Strength of Electrophilic N-F Reagents:
      Hints for Atomic Fluorine Donating Ability.
AB  - The recent discovery of the radical reactivity of a few traditionally
      electrophilic N-F reagents has sparked a renaissance of radical fluorination. A
      knowledge of the N-F bond dissociation enthalpies (BDE) of electrophilic N-F
      reagents is essential for understanding of their reactivities. However, a
      thorough literature survey revealed that such information is extremely sparse.
      This prompted us to carry out the first systematic computation on the N-F BDEs of
      electrophilic N-F reagents. The calculated N-F BDE scale of 88 electrophilic N-F
      reagents ranges from 49.3 to 80.0 kcal mol-1 in acetonitrile. The large variety
      of N-F reagents and wide span of N-F BDEs make the scale a useful tool not only
      for the future rational design of novel reagents but also for judicious selection
      of appropriate ones to explore new radical fluorinations.

PMID- 28345348
TI  - Mechanistic Insights into the Rh-Catalyzed Transannulation of Pyridotriazole with
      Phenylacetylene and Benzonitrile: A DFT Study.
AB  - Computational studies were carried out to explore the mechanisms of Rh2(OAc)4
      catalyzed transannulation of pyridotriazole with phenylacetylene and
      benzonitrile, respectively. For the Rh2(OAc)4-catalyzed divergent cyclization
      with phenylacetylene, the major product (cyclopropene derivative) might be formed
      via [2 + 2] cycloaddition to yield a metallacyclobutene intermediate followed by
      a reductive elimination pathway, where carboxylate ligand lability is considered
      to release a vacant equatorial site for the formation of Rh-carbenoid. The
      cyclopropenation of phenylacetylene via a commonly proposed [2 + 1] cycloaddition
      pathway, where the tetrabridged framework of Rh2(OAc)4 is preserved, however,
      might not play a dominant role. This is because the competing formal [2 + 3]
      pathway leading to the indolizine as a minor product is more likely to occur. The
      main factors responsible for the chemoselectivity in cyclization with
      phenylacetylene are discussed. For the Rh2(OAc)4-catalyzed transannulation of
      pyridotriazole with benzonitrile, a stepwise formal [2 + 3] pathway via a ylide
      intermediate is proposed regardless of whether the tetrabridged framework of
      Rh2(OAc)4 is preserved or not.

PMID- 28345349
TI  - A Self-Assembled Ratiometric Polymeric Nanoprobe for Highly Selective
      Fluorescence Detection of Hydrogen Peroxide.
AB  - In this study, a dual-emission fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET)
      polymeric nanoprobe by single-wavelength excitation was developed for sensitive
      and selective hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) detection. Polymeric nanoprobe was
      prepared by simple self-assembly of functional lipopolymers, which were 4-carboxy
      3-fluorophenylboronic acid (FPBA)-modified DSPE-PEG (DSPE-PEG-FPBA) and 7
      hydroxycoumarin (HC)-conjugated DSPE-PEG (DSPE-PEG-HC). Subsequent binding of
      alizarin red S (ARS) to FPBA endowed the nanoprobe with a new fluorescence
      emission peak at around 600 nm. Because of the perfect match of the fluorescence
      emission spectra of HC with the absorbance spectra of ARS-FPBA, FRET was achieved
      between them. The sensing strategy for H2O2 was based on H2O2-induced
      deboronation reaction and boronic acid-mediated ARS fluorescence. Interaction
      between phenylboronic acid and ARS was revisited herein and it was found that
      electron-donating or -withdrawing group on phenylboronic acid (PBA) has
      significant influence on the fluorescence property of ARS, which enabled
      sensitive and selective H2O2 sensing. The nanoprobe displayed two well-separated
      emission bands (150 nm), providing high specificity and sensitivity for
      ratiometric detection of H2O2. Further application was exploited for the
      determination of glucose and the results demonstrated that the proposed strategy
      showed ratiometric response capability for glucose detection. The current method
      does not involve complicated organic synthesis and opens a new avenue for the
      construction of multifunctional polymeric fluorescent nanoprobe.

PMID- 28345350
TI  - Boron-Enhanced Growth of Micron-Scale Carbon-Based Nanowalls: A Route toward High
      Rates of Electrochemical Biosensing.
AB  - In this study, we have demonstrated the fabrication of novel materials called
      boron-doped carbon nanowalls (B:CNWs), which are characterized by remarkable
      electrochemical properties such as high standard rate constant (k degrees ), low
      peak-to-peak separation value (DeltaE) for the oxidation and reduction processes
      of the [Fe(CN)6]3-/4- redox system, and low surface resistivity. The B:CNW
      samples were deposited by the microwave plasma-assisted chemical vapor deposition
      (CVD) using a gas mixture of H2/CH4/B2H6 and N2. Growth results in sharp-edged,
      flat, and long CNWs rich in sp2 as well as sp3 hybridized phases. The achieved
      high values of k degrees  (1.1 * 10-2 cm s-1) and DeltaE (85 mV) are much lower
      compared to those of the glassy carbon or undoped CNWs. The enhanced
      electrochemical performance of the B:CNW electrode facilitates the simultaneous
      detection of DNA purine bases: adenine and guanine. Both separated oxidation
      peaks for the independent determination of guanine and adenine were observed by
      means of cyclic voltammetry or differential pulse voltammetry. It is worth noting
      that the determined sensitivities and the current densities were about 1 order of
      magnitude higher than those registered by other electrodes.

PMID- 28345351
TI  - Shape Memory Characteristics of O157-Antigenic Cavities Generated on
      Nanocomposites Consisting of Copolymer-Encapsulated Gold Nanoparticles.
AB  - Nanometer-sized composite particles, which consisted of gold nanoparticles
      encapsulated by an N-isopropylacrylamide copolymer, were successfully synthesized
      using a one-step process. Shape complementary cavities of the O157-antigen were
      formed on the composite utilizing temperature-dependent affinity changes of the
      copolymer. The composite bound to enterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli (E. coli)
      O157 at 298 K and enhanced light-scattering intensity of the cell due to the
      optical properties of the gold nanoparticles. Moreover, the composite showed
      excellent selectivity (>15) against other types of E. coli such as O26 and O
      Rough. Recognition of the O157-antigen ceased upon heating to 313 K but was
      restored upon cooling to 298 K. During repeated temperature cycling around the
      phase transition temperature of the copolymer (305 K), the composite reproducibly
      showed recognition behavior at 298 K. The binding ability of the composite could
      be switched reversibly. Therefore, it was concluded that the molecular structure
      of the O157-antigen was memorized by the composite, rather than being molded into
      it. This technique is applicable not only for the detection of a target bacterium
      but also for an identification of new bacterial threats by the simple formation
      of the specific antigen-imprinted composite.

PMID- 28345352
TI  - Metal-Free Photoinduced Electron Transfer-Atom Transfer Radical Polymerization
      Integrated with Bioinspired Polydopamine Chemistry as a Green Strategy for
      Surface Engineering of Magnetic Nanoparticles.
AB  - Developing green and efficient technologies for surface modification of magnetic
      nanoparticles (MNPs) is of crucial importance for their biomedical and
      environmental applications. This study reports, for the first time, a novel
      strategy by integrating metal-free photoinduced electron transfer-atom transfer
      radical polymerization (PET-ATRP) with the bioinspired polydopamine (PDA)
      chemistry for controlled architecture of functional polymer brushes from MNPs.
      Conformal PDA encapsulation layers were initially generated on the surfaces of
      MNPs, which served as the protective shells while providing an ideal platform for
      tethering 2-bromo-2-phenylacetic acid (BPA), a highly efficient initiator. Metal
      free PET-ATRP technique was then employed for controlled architecture of
      poly(glycidyl methacrylate) (PGMA) brushes from the core-shell MNPs by using
      diverse organic dyes as photoredox catalysts. Impacts of light sources (including
      UV and visible lights), photoredox catalysts, and polymerization time on the
      composition and morphology of the PGMA brushes were investigated. Moreover, the
      versatility of the PGMA-functionalized core-shell MNPs was demonstrated by
      covalent attachment of ethylenediamine (EDA), a model functional molecule, which
      afforded the MNPs with improved hydrophilicity, dispersibility, and superior
      binding ability to uranyl ions. The green methodology by integrating metal-free
      PET-ATRP with facile PDA chemistry would provide better opportunities for surface
      modification of MNPs and miscellaneous nanomaterials for biomedical and
      electronic applications.

PMID- 28345353
TI  - A combined approach to decrease the technological and sensory defects caused by
      fat and sodium reduction in Bologna-type sausages.
AB  - The effect of the addition of fructooligosaccharides, transglutaminase, disodium
      inosinate, and disodium guanylate on some technological and sensory parameters of
      low-fat and low-salt Bologna-type sausages was evaluated. In the first
      experiment, sausages with a 25% and 50% fat reduction containing 0, 3%, or 6%
      fructooligosaccharides were manufactured. Fat reduction adversely affected the
      emulsion stability, hardness, and sensory properties; however, the addition of 6%
      fructooligosaccharides reduced the loss of quality associated with a lower fat
      content. In the second experiment, sausages with a 50% fat reduction containing
      6% fructooligosaccharides were produced. Additionally, the salt content was
      reduced by 50% and transglutaminase, disodium inosinate, and disodium guanylate
      were added. The combination of transglutaminase (1%), disodium inosinate (0.03%),
      and disodium guanylate (0.03%) was efficient to supress the technological and
      sensory defects caused by NaCl reduction in low-fat Bologna-type sausages.

PMID- 28345354
TI  - Optimization of mold wheat bread fortified with soy flour, pea flour and whey
      protein concentrate.
AB  - The objective of this work was to study the effect of replacing a selected wheat
      flour for defatted soy flour, pea flour and whey protein concentrate on both
      dough rheological characteristics and the performance and nutritional quality of
      bread. A mixture design was used to analyze the combination of the ingredients.
      The optimization process suggested that a mixture containing 88.8% of wheat
      flour, 8.2% of defatted soy flour, 0.0% of pea flour and 3.0% of whey protein
      concentrate could be a good combination to achieve the best fortified-bread
      nutritional quality. The fortified bread resulted in high protein concentration,
      with an increase in dietary fiber content and higher calcium levels compared with
      those of control (wheat flour 100%). Regarding protein quality, available lysine
      content was significantly higher, thus contributing with the essential amino acid
      requirement.

PMID- 28345355
TI  - Coronary spasm secondary to cefuroxime injection, complicated with cardiogenic
      shock - a manifestation of Kounis syndrome: case report and literature review.
AB  - Kounis syndrome is defined as the coincidental occurrence of an acute coronary
      syndrome with hypersensitivity reactions following an allergic event. The three
      reported variants of Kounis syndrome are vasospastic allergic angina, allergic
      myocardial infarction and stent thrombosis with occluding thrombus. The syndrome
      is caused by various inflammatory mediators. The pathophysiological
      characteristics of Kounis syndrome involve coronary artery spasm and/or
      atheromatous plaque erosion or rupture during an allergic reaction. Several
      causes have been described to induce Kounis syndrome, and their number is
      increasing rapidly. The haemodynamic effect of the syndrome complicated by
      cardiogenic shock seems to combine allergic shock with extensive peripheral
      vasodilation and myocardial suppression with the characteristics of cardiogenic
      shock. Treatment of Kounis syndrome is challenging because it needs management of
      both cardiac and allergic manifestation simultaneously. We present a case report
      of type I Kounis syndrome, with coronary spasm secondary to cefuroxime injection
      complicated with cardiogenic shock. A brief review of the literature on the
      various facets of this condition is also provided.

PMID- 28345356
TI  - Dysregulation of Tissue Factor, Thrombin-Activatable Fibrinolysis Inhibitor, and
      Fibrinogen in Patients Undergoing Total Joint Arthroplasty.
AB  - Total joint arthroplasty (TJA) of the hip or knee (THA, TKA) has become an
      increasingly common procedure. While TJA is a successful treatment for
      individuals experiencing degenerative joint diseases, it is well known that one
      of the most common perioperative complications of TJA is deep venous thrombosis
      (DVT). To profile tissue factor (TF), microparticle-tissue factor (MP-TF),
      thrombin-activatable fibrinolysis inhibitor (TAFI), and fibrinogen levels in
      patients undergoing TJA to determine potential preexisting Hemostatic
      dysregulation. De-identified blood samples were obtained from patients undergoing
      TJA 1 day pre- and 1 day postprocedure. Plasma samples were analyzed using enzyme
      linked immunosorbent assay kits for fibrinogen, TAFI, TF, and MP-TF; fibrinogen
      levels were also assessed using a clot-based activity assay. In comparison with
      healthy controls, there were significant increases of fibrinogen and MP-TF
      levels, while there were significant decreases in TF and TAFI levels in the
      preoperative and postoperative patients. Comparing the pre versus postoperative
      patients, no significant differences were found; interestingly, however, surgical
      intervention exacerbated the changes found in the preoperative samples compared
      to the controls. The results of this study confirm that patients undergoing TJA
      have preexisting alterations in the fibrinolytic system. Surgical intervention
      tended to exacerbate these changes. The alterations observed in this study may
      provide insight as to why TJA is associated with higher rates of DVT and
      thromboembolism.

PMID- 28345357
TI  - New bisesquiterpenoid lactone from the wild rhizome of Atractylodes macrocephala
      Koidz grown in Qimen.
AB  - The rhizomes of Atractylodes macrocephala are used as both a food source and
      traditional Chinese medicine in China. A phytochemical investigation was carried
      out on wild A. macrocephala grown in Qimen County in eastern China, and yielded a
      novel bisesquiterpenoid lactone, namely, biatractylenolide II (1), along with two
      known compounds, atractylenolide II (2) and taraxeryl acetate (3). The structure
      and relative configuration of the new compound were elucidated mainly by 1D and
      2D NMR spectroscopic methods in combination with HRESIMS experiments. This paper
      describes the isolation and structural elucidation of the new bisesquiterpenoid
      lactone (1).

PMID- 28345358
TI  - 'Instead of popping pills, perhaps you should add frog breathing': experiences of
      glossopharyngeal insufflation/breathing for people with cervical spinal cord
      injury.
AB  - BACKGROUND: People with cervical spinal cord injury have impaired function of the
      respiratory muscles, which results in reduced ventilation. Glossopharyngeal
      insufflation/breathing increases total lung capacity and improves cough function,
      however, knowledge of the experiences regarding learning and practicing
      glossopharyngeal insufflation in everyday life is missing. PURPOSE: To describe
      and explore the experiences of learning and practicing glossopharyngeal
      insufflation among people with cervical spinal cord injury. METHODS: Twenty six
      individuals with cervical spinal cord injury, who had participated in a previous
      intervention study on glossopharyngeal insufflation, were interviewed. Semi
      structured telephone interviews were analyzed with qualitative content analysis.
      RESULTS: An overall theme and seven categories emerged. Glossopharyngeal
      insufflation was perceived as a possibility to make a difference in one's life by
      improving respiratory function, both immediately and for time ahead and thereby
      ease everyday activities, and by increasing participation, independence, and
      overall health. The participants with cervical spinal cord injury described that
      they could learn glossopharyngeal insufflation, but it could be perceived as
      difficult. However, the use of glossopharyngeal insufflation could be experienced
      by the individual as being different, and there were sometimes doubts about its
      effectiveness. CONCLUSIONS: Use of glossopharyngeal insufflation can enable
      people with cervical spinal cord injury to increasingly participate in everyday
      activities. Increased autonomy might lead to improved self-esteem and provide
      well-being. However, ambivalence about the usefulness of glossopharyngeal
      insufflation may arise and the technique can be difficult to learn. Therefore,
      individualized information and instructions from health professionals are
      required. Implications for Rehabilitation Practicing glossopharyngeal
      insufflation leads to increased participation in everyday activities for people
      with cervical spinal cord injuries and provides the individual hope to influence
      future life situation. People with cervical spinal cord injuries therefore need
      support from health care professionals in order to be motivated to learn and then
      use the glossopharyngeal insufflation technique also as health promotion
      Glossopharyngeal insufflation can improve respiratory function and also increase
      awareness of breathing; health professionals should therefore be able to assess
      which patients who can benefit from glossopharyngeal insufflation in order to
      make the technique become an important part of the rehabilitation. The technique
      can be difficult to perform perfectly and is sometimes perceived as
      uncomfortable. It may also cause unpleasant side effects and therefore
      individualized information and instructions regarding glossopharyngeal
      insufflation are required.

PMID- 28345359
TI  - A new equation based on the 6-min walking test to predict VO2peak in women with
      obesity.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: The 6-min walking test (6 MWT) is commonly used to assess obese
      patients' aerobic fitness, but it has rarely been compared with a direct
      measurement of maximal aerobic capacities (VO2max or VO2peak) in obese adults.
      The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between the distance
      covered during a 6 MWT with objectively measured VO2peak and to propose a new
      equation to predict VO2peak from this walking test in obese patients. METHODS:
      One hundred and thirty-seven obese patients (45.6 +/- 12.5 years) admitted to our
      hospital for a multidisciplinary rehabilitation program were enrolled. After
      assessment of their body composition, the participants were asked to perform a 6
      MWT and their maximal aerobic capacities (VO2peak) were measured. RESULT: There
      is a significant linear relation between VO2peak and the distance covered during
      the 6 MWT (p < 0.001; r = 0.349). The determinant of VO2peak was body mass index,
      waist-to-hip ratio, fat free mass, leading to the follow prediction equation
      VO2peak such as VO2peak (l/min) = (body mass index *0.0150065) - (waist-to-hip
      ratio * 0.8595088) + (fat-free-mass * 0.0295478) + (6-min walk test *0.0020672) -
      0.5853372. CONCLUSION: The 6-min walk test is a reliable method to reflect obese
      women's aerobic capacities and the distance covered can be used to accurately
      estimate VO2peak according to our newly proposed equation. Implication for
      rehabilitation Obesity is a worldwide disease and physical capacity evaluation is
      a key point for rehabilitation. The six minutes' walk test is commonly used in
      obese people to assess aerobic fitness. This study proposes a new equation using
      6 MWT performance to estimate VO2peak.

PMID- 28345360
TI  - The effects of multimodal rehabilitation on pain-related sickness absence - an
      observational study.
AB  - PURPOSE: The aim of the current study was to examine the effects on sickness
      absence of multimodal rehabilitation delivered within the framework of a national
      implementation of evidence based rehabilitation, the rehabilitation guarantee for
      nonspecific musculoskeletal pain. METHOD: This was an observational matched
      controlled study of all persons receiving multimodal rehabilitation from the last
      quarter of 2009 until the end of 2010. The matching was based on age, sex,
      sickness absence the quarter before intervention start and pain-related
      diagnosis. The participants were followed by register data for 6 or 12 months.
      The matched controls received rehabilitation in accordance with treatment-as
      usual. RESULTS: Of the participants, 54% (N = 3636) were on registered sickness
      absence at baseline and the quarter before rehabilitation. The average difference
      in number of days of sickness absence between the participants who received
      multimodal rehabilitation and the matched controls was to the advantage of the
      matched controls, 14.7 days (CI 11.7; 17.7, p <= 0.001) at 6-month follow-up and
      9.5 days (CI 6.7; 12.3, p <= 0.001) at 12-month follow-up. A significant
      difference in newly granted disability pensions was found in favor of the
      intervention. CONCLUSIONS: When implemented nationwide, multimodal rehabilitation
      appears not to reduce sickness absence compared to treatment-as-usual.
      Implications for Rehabilitation A nationwide implementation of multimodal
      rehabilitation was not effective in reducing sickness absence compared to
      treatment-as-usual for persons with nonspecific musculoskeletal pain. Multimodal
      rehabilitation was effective in reducing the risk of future disability pension
      for persons with nonspecific musculoskeletal pain compared to treatment-as-usual.
      To be effective in reducing sick leave multimodal rehabilitation must be started
      within 60 days of sick leave. The evidence for positive effect of multimodal
      rehabilitation is mainly for sick listed patients. Prevention of sick leave for
      persons not being on sick leave should not be extrapolated from evidence for
      multimodal rehabilitation.

PMID- 28345361
TI  - Implant of permanent pacemaker during acute coronary syndrome: Mortality and
      associated factors in the ARIAM registry.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Patients with acute coronary syndrome complicated with high degree
      atrioventricular block still have a high mortality. A low percentage of these
      patients need a permanent pacemaker (PPM) but mortality and associated factors
      with the PPM implant in acute coronary syndrome patients are not known. We assess
      whether PPM implant is an independent variable in the mortality of acute coronary
      syndrome patients. Also, we explored the variables that remain independently
      associated with PPM implantation. METHODS: This was an observational study on the
      Spanish ARIAM register. The inclusion period was from January 2001 to December
      2011. This registry included all Andalusian acute coronary syndrome patients.
      Follow-up for global mortality was until November 2013. RESULTS: We selected
      27,608 cases. In 62 patients a PPM was implanted (0.024%). The mean age in PPM
      patients was 70.71+/-11.214 years versus 64.46+/-12.985 years in patients with no
      PPM. PPM implant was associated independently with age (odds ratio (OR) 1.031,
      95% confidence interval (CI) 1.007-1.055), with left ventricular branch block (OR
      6.622, 95% CI 2.439-18.181), with any arrhythmia at intensive care unit admission
      (OR 2.754, 95% CI 1.506-5.025) and with heart failure (OR 3.344, 95% CI 1.78
      8.333). PPM implant was independently associated with mortality (OR 11.436, 95%
      CI 1.576-83.009). In propensity score analysis PPM implant was still associated
      with mortality (OR 5.79, 95% CI 3.27-25.63). CONCLUSION: PPM implant is
      associated with mortality in the acute coronary syndrome population in the ARIAM
      registry. Advanced age, heart failure, arrhythmias and left ventricular branch
      block at intensive care unit admission were found associated factors with PPM
      implant in acute coronary syndrome patient.

PMID- 28345362
TI  - Mindfulness-Based Movement: A Polyvagal Perspective.
AB  - Compelling evidence suggests that physical activity is an effective intervention
      for cancer survivors, including for those undergoing active cancer treatments.
      However, to date most evidence has emerged from interventions that have promoted
      moderate to vigorous physical activity. In this conceptual review, we argue that
      attention should be given to the entire continuum of physical activity from
      reducing sedentary behavior to increasing higher levels of physical activity when
      possible. In addition, considerable evidence in the cancer literature supports
      the value of mindfulness-based interventions as a means of helping patients and
      survivors cope with the variety of threats that accompany this disease. Based on
      the success of these two areas of research, we argue for conceptualizing and
      promoting physical activity as Mindfulness-Based Movement, using Polyvagal Theory
      as a theoretical framework to understand the role and value of Mindfulness-Based
      Movement as a potential intervention for cancer care and control.

PMID- 28345363
TI  - Does Foot Position and Location of Measurement Influence Ankle Medial Clear
      Space?
AB  - PURPOSE: There is still controversy regarding normal and abnormal values of the
      medial clear space (MCS) of the ankle. The aim of this study was to assess how
      much different degrees of plantar flexion, with and without stress, influenced
      the MCS. METHODS: We submitted 30 volunteers to 6 different anteroposterior ankle
      radiographs in the following positions: neutral, neutral with external rotation
      stress, physiologic plantar flexion (FPF), physiologic plantar flexion with
      external rotation stress, maximum plantar flexion (MPF), and maximum plantar
      flexion with external rotation stress. The MCS oblique (MCSo) and perpendicular
      (MCSp) were measured in all images by an experienced foot and ankle surgeon.
      RESULTS: The data showed that the position of the foot does influence the value
      of MCSp and MCSo ( P < .05), except for 3 comparisons. MCSo did not change
      between FPF with stress and MPF with stress. MCSp did not change in 2 situations:
      between FPF and neutral with stress and between MPF and FPF with stress.
      CONCLUSIONS: This study is unique in showing that different ways of positioning
      the foot and performing stress radiographs results in different MCS values and
      that these values differ depending on the anatomical site where they are
      measured. LEVELS OF EVIDENCE: Diagnostic, Level IV.

PMID- 28345364
TI  - Anatomically Contoured Anterior Plating for Isolated Tibiotalar Arthrodesis: A
      Systematic Review.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: We performed a systematic review of the published literature to
      characterize patient demographic, surgical techniques, and functional outcomes to
      elucidate the complication and revision rates following isolated tibiotalar
      arthrodesis with anatomically contoured anterior plating. METHODS: A
      comprehensive literature search was performed. Inclusion criteria were peer
      reviewed studies in English, after 1990, at least 10 patients, and reporting
      clinical outcomes following contoured anterior plating and with follow-up of at
      least 80% and 1 year. Primary outcomes were fusion rate, time to fusion, return
      to activities, satisfaction, and functional outcome scores. Complication rates,
      reoperation, and revision were also extracted. RESULTS: Eight primary studies
      with 164 patients met the inclusion criteria. The average sample size was 21 +/-
      10.0 patients and average age was 49.2 years with 61.6% male. Posttraumatic
      arthritis (49.4%) was the most common operative indication, followed by primary
      osteoarthrosis (18.9%). The average follow-up was 21.1 months. At this time,
      97.6% of patients went on to uneventful union at a weighted average time of 18.7
      weeks postoperatively. AOFAS scores improved significantly ( P < .05). 25%
      complication rate was reported with wound complication (7.9%) and hardware
      irritation (6.7%) most common. Overall, 21.3% of patients underwent reoperation;
      4 for revision arthrodesis following nonunion. CONCLUSION: Isolated tibiotalar
      arthrodesis utilizing anatomically contoured anterior plating demonstrates
      excellent clinical and functional outcomes at short-term follow-up. Overall,
      97.6% of patients went on to fusion and functional outcomes consistently improved
      following surgery. Furthermore, while one-quarter of patients experienced
      complications, wound complications were relatively uncommon and less than one
      quarter of these required surgical intervention. LEVELS OF EVIDENCE: Level IV:
      Systematic Review.

PMID- 28345365
TI  - Atrioventricular nodal ablation in patients with resynchronization therapy and
      atrial fibrillation - long term results.
AB  - OBJECTIVES: Atrioventricular nodal ablation (AVNA) is recommended for patients
      (pts) with cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT) having atrial fibrillation
      (AF) and incomplete ventricular capture (Class IIa, level B). AVNA reduces
      mortality and improves the New York Heart Association (NYHA) functional class
      during intermediate term follow-up. The objectives were to study the long-term
      outcome regarding quality of life (QoL) and survival of our CRT pts after AVNA.
      DESIGN: 37 CRT-pts undergoing AVNA due to inadequate biventricular pacing were
      included in the study. Data were retrospectively obtained from clinical records
      and through telephone interviews. RESULTS: Twenty pts died during the follow-up
      period of average 30.6 +/- 24 months. After AVNA the ventricular capture improved
      significantly from 68.4 +/- 23% to 98.5 +/- 2% (p < 0.001). A significant and
      sustained improvement of average 0.3 +/- 0.5 (p = 0.001) in NYHA functional class
      was found. Additionally a large percentage of pts discontinued taking rate
      reducing drugs with potential severe side effects. CONCLUSION: AVNA in CRT pts
      was safe and effective. The treatment resulted in a sustained improvement in QoL,
      including long-term improvement in NYHA functional class.

PMID- 28345366
TI  - Reply to commentary on: History of erectile dysfunction as a predictor of poor
      physical performance after an acute myocardial infarction.

PMID- 28345367
TI  - The problem with non-adherence arising from medical practices.

PMID- 28345368
TI  - Sponsors' and investigative staffs' perceptions of the current investigational
      new drug safety reporting process in oncology trials.
AB  - BACKGROUND/AIMS: The Food and Drug Administration's final rule on investigational
      new drug application safety reporting, effective from 28 March 2011, clarified
      the reporting requirements for serious and unexpected suspected adverse reactions
      occurring in clinical trials. The Clinical Trials Transformation Initiative
      released recommendations in 2013 to assist implementation of the final rule;
      however, anecdotal reports and data from a Food and Drug Administration audit
      indicated that a majority of reports being submitted were still uninformative and
      did not result in actionable changes. Clinical Trials Transformation Initiative
      investigated remaining barriers and potential solutions to full implementation of
      the final rule by polling and interviewing investigators, clinical research
      staff, and sponsors. METHODS: In an opinion-gathering effort, two discrete online
      surveys designed to assess challenges and motivations related to management of
      expedited (7- to 15-day) investigational new drug safety reporting processes in
      oncology trials were developed and distributed to two populations:
      investigators/clinical research staff and sponsors. Data were collected for
      approximately 1 year. Twenty-hour-long interviews were also conducted with
      Clinical Trials Transformation Initiative-nominated interview participants who
      were considered as having extensive knowledge of and experience with the topic.
      Interviewees included 13 principal investigators/study managers/research team
      members and 7 directors/vice presidents of pharmacovigilance operations from 5
      large global pharmaceutical companies. RESULTS: The investigative site's
      responses indicate that too many individual reports are still being submitted,
      which are time-consuming to process and provide little value for patient safety
      assessments or for informing actionable changes. Fewer but higher quality reports
      would be more useful, and the investigator and staff would benefit from
      sponsors'"filtering" of reports and increased sponsor communication. Sponsors
      replied that their greatest challenges include (1) lack of global harmonization
      in reporting rules, (2) determining causality, and (3) fear of regulatory
      repercussions. Interaction with the Food and Drug Administration has helped
      improve sponsors' adherence to the final rule, and sponsors would benefit from
      increased communication with the Food and Drug Administration and educational
      materials. CONCLUSION: The goal of the final rule is to minimize uninformative
      safety reports so that important safety signals can be captured and communicated
      early enough in a clinical program to make changes that help ensure patient
      safety. Investigative staff and sponsors acknowledge that the rule has not been
      fully implemented although they agree with the intention. Clinical Trials
      Transformation Initiative will use the results from the surveys and interviews to
      develop new recommendations and educational materials that will be available to
      sponsors to increase compliance with the final rule and facilitate discussion
      between sponsors, investigators, and Food and Drug Administration
      representatives.

PMID- 28345369
TI  - Pulmonary fibrosis, part II: state-of-the-art patient management.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: While many pharmacologic therapies for the treatment of idiopathic
      pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) have been evaluated via randomized, placebo-controlled
      clinical trials (RCTs) conducted over the past two decades, most therapies have
      been shown to be ineffective or even potentially harmful. However, a number of
      recently completed RCTs have shown significant efficacy for pirfenidone and
      nintedanib for the treatment of IPF. Areas covered: This manuscript reviews
      recent advances in the management of IPF and other forms of fibrosing
      interstitial lung disease (ILD) with an emphasis on IPF. The material upon which
      this discussion is based was obtained from various published texts and
      manuscripts identified via literature searching (e.g. PubMed). Expert commentary:
      Anti-fibrotic drugs are now available for clinical use and perceived as standard
      of-care therapies that have the potential to blunt disease progression for many
      patients with IPF. However, these agents do not necessarily stop disease
      progression or have a significant impact on mortality, and more effective
      pharmacologic therapies are needed for patients with IPF. Additionally, whether
      anti-fibrotic agents can be effective therapies for other forms of pulmonary
      fibrosis, which often have radiologic and histopathologic manifestations that
      mimic IPF, is being evaluated in a number of RCTs.

PMID- 28345370
TI  - An accurate and fast alignment-free method for profiling microbial communities.
AB  - Determining abundances of microbial genomes in metagenomic samples is an
      important problem in analyzing metagenomic data. Although homology-based methods
      are popular, they have shown to be computationally expensive due to the alignment
      of tens of millions of reads from metagenomic samples to reference genomes of
      hundreds to thousands of environmental microbial species. We introduce an
      efficient alignment-free approach to estimate abundances of microbial genomes in
      metagenomic samples. The approach is based on solving linear and quadratic
      programs, which are represented by genome-specific markers (GSM). We compared our
      method against popular alignment-free and homology-based methods. Without
      contamination, our method was more accurate than other alignment-free methods
      while being much faster than a homology-based method. In more realistic settings
      where samples were contaminated with human DNA, our method was the most accurate
      method in predicting abundance at varying levels of contamination. We achieve
      higher accuracy than both alignment-free and homology-based methods.

PMID- 28345371
TI  - EWMA Document: Negative Pressure Wound Therapy.
AB  - 1. Introduction Since its introduction in clinical practice in the early 1990's
      negative pressure wounds therapy (NPWT) has become widely used in the management
      of complex wounds in both inpatient and outpatient care.1 NPWT has been described
      as a effective treatment for wounds of many different aetiologies2,3 and
      suggested as a gold standard for treatment of wounds such as open abdominal
      wounds,4-6 dehisced sternal wounds following cardiac surgery7,8 and as a valuable
      agent in complex non-healing wounds.9,10 Increasingly, NPWT is being applied in
      the primary and home-care setting, where it is described as having the potential
      to improve the efficacy of wound management and help reduce the reliance on
      hospital-based care.11 While the potential of NPWT is promising and the clinical
      use of the treatment is widespread, highlevel evidence of its effectiveness and
      economic benefits remain sparse.12-14 The ongoing controversy regarding high
      level evidence in wound care in general is well known. There is a consensus that
      clinical practice should be evidence-based, which can be difficult to achieve due
      to confusion about the value of the various approaches to wound management;
      however, we have to rely on the best available evidence. The need to review wound
      strategies and treatments in order to reduce the burden of care in an efficient
      way is urgent. If patients at risk of delayed wound healing are identified
      earlier and aggressive interventions are taken before the wound deteriorates and
      complications occur, both patient morbidity and health-care costs can be
      significantly reduced. There is further a fundamental confusion over the best way
      to evaluate the effectiveness of interventions in this complex patient
      population. This is illustrated by reviews of the value of various treatment
      strategies for non-healing wounds, which have highlighted methodological
      inconsistencies in primary research. This situation is confounded by differences
      in the advice given by regulatory and reimbursement bodies in various countries
      regarding both study design and the ways in which results are interpreted. In
      response to this confusion, the European Wound Management Association (EWMA) has
      been publishing a number of interdisciplinary documents15-19 with the intention
      of highlighting: The nature and extent of the problem for wound management: from
      the clinical perspective as well as that of care givers and the patients Evidence
      based practice as an integration of clinical expertise with the best available
      clinical evidence from systematic research The nature and extent of the problem
      for wound management: from the policy maker and healthcare system perspectives
      The controversy regarding the value of various approaches to wound management and
      care is illustrated by the case of NPWT, synonymous with topical negative
      pressure or vacuum therapy and cited as branded VAC (vacuum-assisted closure)
      therapy. This is a mode of therapy used to encourage wound healing. It is used as
      a primary treatment of chronic wounds, in complex acute wounds and as an adjunct
      for temporary closure and wound bed preparation preceding surgical procedures
      such as skin grafts and flap surgery. Aim An increasing number of papers on the
      effect of NPWT are being published. However, due to the low evidence level the
      treatment remains controversial from the policy maker and health-care system's
      points of view-particularly with regard to evidence-based medicine. In response
      EWMA has established an interdisciplinary working group to describe the present
      knowledge with regard to NPWT and provide overview of its implications for
      organisation of care, documentation, communication, patient safety, and health
      economic aspects. These goals will be achieved by the following: Present the
      rational and scientific support for each delivered statement Uncover
      controversies and issues related to the use of NPWT in wound management
      Implications of implementing NPWT as a treatment strategy in the health-care
      system Provide information and offer perspectives of NPWT from the viewpoints of
      health-care staff, policy makers, politicians, industry, patients and hospital
      administrators who are indirectly or directly involved in wound management.

PMID- 28345372
TI  - Screening of Intestinal Crypt Organoids: A Simple Readout for Complex Biology.
AB  - Oral and intestinal mucositis is a debilitating side effect of radiation
      treatment. A mouse model of radiation-induced mucositis leads to weight loss and
      tissue damage, reflecting the human ailment as it responds to keratinocyte growth
      factor (KGF), the standard-of-care treatment. Cultured intestinal crypt organoids
      allowed the development of an assay monitoring the effect of treatments of
      intestinal epithelium to radiation-induced damage. This in vitro assay resembles
      the mouse model as KGF and roof plate-specific spondin-1 (RSPO1) enhanced crypt
      organoid recovery following radiation. Screening identified compounds that
      increased the survival of organoids postradiation. Testing of these compounds
      revealed that the organoids changed their responses over time. Unbiased
      transcriptome analysis was performed on crypt organoid cultures at various time
      points in culture to investigate this adaptive behavior. A number of genes and
      pathways were found to be modulated over time, providing a rationale for the
      altered sensitivity of the organoid cultures. This report describes an in vitro
      assay that reflects aspects of human disease. The assay was used to identify
      bioactive compounds, which served as probes to interrogate the biology of crypt
      organoids over prolonged culture. The pathways that are changing over time may
      offer potential targets for treatment of mucositis.

PMID- 28345374
TI  - Psychoticism in patients with panic disorder with or without comorbid
      agoraphobia.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: A few case-reports have previously described transient psychotic-like
      symptoms in non-psychotic patients with panic disorder (PD). We aimed to
      systematically explore whether PD patients without any current or past psychosis
      can be differentiated according to the severity of 'psychoticism' as a dimension,
      comprising clinical features such as psychotic-like experiences, increased social
      alienation, hostility and suspiciousness. METHODS: Sample included 35 (female =
      26) medication-free, non-psychotic patients consecutively referred from our
      Department's Outpatient Clinic for acute symptoms of DSM-5 PD with (PDA; N = 29)
      or without concurrent agoraphobia. Psychometric measures included the Symptom
      Checklist-90-Revised (SCL-90-R), Agoraphobic Cognitions Questionnaire (ACQ), Body
      Sensations Questionnaire (BSQ), and panic attacks during last 21 days PA-21d.
      RESULTS: Multiple regression analysis (forward stepwise) revealed that, among all
      SCL-90-R subscales, the psychoticism-subscale was most significantly associated
      with panic-related beliefs included in the ACQ, while significant associations
      emerged between the paranoid ideation-subscale and the ACQ and BSQ measures.
      Moreover, significant correlations emerged between the SCL-90-R psychoticism
      subscale and all three measures of PD symptoms (ACQ, BSQ, PA-21d) and between the
      SCL-90-R paranoid ideation-subscale and both the ACQ and BSQ. CONCLUSIONS: This
      significant association between levels of psychoticism and severity of panic
      symptoms may reflect a more severe subtype of PD.

PMID- 28345373
TI  - Infarct topography and functional outcomes.
AB  - Acute ischemic stroke represents a major cause of long-term adult disability.
      Accurate prognostication of post-stroke functional outcomes is invaluable in
      guiding patient care, targeting early rehabilitation efforts, selecting patients
      for clinical research, and conveying realistic expectations to families. The
      involvement of specific brain regions by acute ischemia can alter post-stroke
      recovery potential. Understanding the influences of infarct topography on
      neurologic outcomes holds significant promise in prognosis of functional
      recovery. In this review, we discuss the recent evidence of the contribution of
      infarct location to patient management decisions and functional outcomes after
      acute ischemic stroke.

PMID- 28345376
TI  - Lessons from Metabonomics on the Neurobiology of Stroke.
AB  - The application of metabonomic science to interrogate stroke permits the study of
      metabolite entities, small enough to cross the blood-brain barrier, that provide
      insight into neuronal dysfunction, and may serve as reservoirs of biomarker
      discovery. This systematic review examines the applicability of metabolic
      profiling in ischemic stroke research. Six human studies utilizing metabolic
      profiling to analyze biofluids from ischemic stroke patients have been included,
      employing 1H-NMR and/or mass spectrometry to analyze plasma, serum, and/or urine
      in a targeted or untargeted fashion. Three are diagnostic studies, and one
      investigates prognostic biomarkers of stroke recurrence following transient
      ischemic attack. Two studies focus on metabolic distinguishers of depression or
      cognitive impairment following stroke. Identified biomarkers from blood and urine
      predominantly relate to homocysteine and folate, branched chain amino acid, and
      lipid metabolism. Statistical models are well fitted and reproducible, with
      excellent validation outcomes, demonstrating the feasibility of metabolic
      profiling to study a complex disorder with multicausal pathology, such as stroke.

PMID- 28345375
TI  - The chemo-prophylactic efficacy of an ethanol Moringa oleifera leaf extract
      against hepatocellular carcinoma in rats.
AB  - CONTEXT: Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is among the most well-known threatening
      tumours around the world, and the outlook remains bleak. Moringa oleifera Lam.
      (Moringaceae) exhibits antitumor, antioxidant and hepatoprotective properties.
      OBJECTIVES: To assess the chemo-prophylactic proficiency and other likely
      activities of Moringa oleifera leaf ethanol extract (MOLEE) against diethyl
      nitrosamine (DEN)-induced HCC. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Wistar rats were
      gastrogavaged with MOLEE (500 mg/kg) for one week and then gastrogavaged with
      MOLEE and DEN (10 mg/kg) for the following 16 weeks. The progressions of the
      histological components, serum biomarkers and oxidation of DNA of the liver
      tissues were resolved to assess the prophylactic impacts. The lipid oxidative
      biomarker, the cancer prevention agent status and apoptotic proteins were
      surveyed to assess the potential mechanisms. RESULTS: The MOLEE LD50 was
      estimated to be 5585 mg/kg. MOLEE (500 mg/kg) administration fundamentally
      repressed the expansion event of knobs and the normal knob number per knob
      bearing livers prompted by DEN, enhanced hepatocellular appearance and altogether
      significantly decreased (p < 0.05) DEN-induced elevations in serum biochemical
      records and hepatic 8-hydroxy-2-deoxyguanosine (8-OHdG) levels by 29%. The
      robotic studies found that MOLEE disrupted the DEN-activated oxidative reactivity
      damage in rats by 46.8%. Curiously, the expression of Bcl-2, Bcl-xl and beta
      arrestin-2 were fundamentally diminished (p < 0.05); however, the expression of
      Bax and caspase-3 were essentially (p < 0.05) upregulated. DISCUSSION AND
      CONCLUSIONS: The outcomes presume that MOLEE inspired critical defensive impacts
      against DEN-induced hepatocarcinogenesis that might be identified with the
      implementation of antioxidant activity and actuation of apoptosis.

PMID- 28345377
TI  - Green microparticles based on a chitosan/lactobionic acid/linoleic acid
      association. Characterisation and evaluation as a new carrier system for
      cosmetics.
AB  - The association chitosan/linoleic acid/lactobionic acid in aqueous solution
      spontaneously led to the formation of stable microparticles with a liquid
      hydrophobic core consisting of linoleic acid surrounded by a shell of
      chitosan/lactobionic acid. The originality of the microparticles arises from the
      fact that they are formed by the association of three ingredients of cosmetic
      interest, including a skin penetration enhancer (linoleic acid). Dynamic light
      scattering (DLS) measurements showed microparticles with a mean diameter of 1-2
      MUm. The presence of a hydrophobic liquid core was observed by transmission
      electron microscopy (TEM). The ability of these microparticles to encapsulate
      phenylethyl resorcinol, a hydrophobic skin lightener, was evaluated and its
      encapsulation was confirmed thanks to T2 measurements and nuclear Overhauser
      effects (nOe) signs.

PMID- 28345378
TI  - Probing the behavior of bovine serum albumin upon binding to atenolol: insights
      from spectroscopic and molecular docking approaches.
AB  - Molecular interaction of atenolol, a selective beta1 receptor antagonist with the
      major carrier protein, bovine serum albumin (BSA), was investigated under
      imitated physiological conditions (pH 7.4) by means of fluorescence spectroscopy,
      UV absorption spectroscopy, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), and
      molecular modeling studies. The steady-state fluorescence spectra manifested that
      static type, due to formation of the atenolol-BSA complex, was the dominant
      mechanism for fluorescence quenching. The characteristic information about the
      binding interaction of atenolol with BSA in terms of binding constant (Kb) were
      determined by the UV-vis absorption titration, and were found to be in the order
      of 103 M-1 at different temperatures, indicating the existence of a weak binding
      in this system. Thermodynamic analysis revealed that the binding process was
      primarily mediated by van der Waals force and hydrogen bonds due to the negative
      sign for enthalpy change (DeltaH0), entropy change (DeltaS0). The molecular
      docking results elucidated that atenolol preferred binding on the site II of BSA
      according to the findings observed in competitive binding experiments. Moreover,
      via alterations in synchronous fluorescence, three-dimensional fluorescence and
      FT-IR spectral properties, it was concluded that atenolol could arouse slight
      configurational and micro-environmental changes of BSA.

PMID- 28345379
TI  - The role of gammadelta T cells in pancreatic cancer: what could this mean for the
      clinic?

PMID- 28345380
TI  - Comparative Study of Ultraviolet Laser-Based Time-Resolved Photoacoustic
      Fingerprint Spectra and Thermal Decomposition Mechanisms of Energetic 1,2,3-1H
      Triazole Derivatives Under Controlled Pyrolysis.
AB  - We report the comparative study of photoacoustic (PA) fingerprint spectra,
      thermal decomposition, and stability mechanism of some phenyl and bis series
      energetic compounds named 1-(2-methoxy,-3,5-dinitrophenyl)-1H-1,2,3-triazole (
      S5), 1-(3-methoxy, 2, 6 dinitrophenyl) 1H-1, 2, 3 triazole ( S10), 1-(4
      nitrophenyl)-1H-1,2,3-triazole ( S8), and 2,6-bis ((4-(nitromethyl)-1H-1,2,3
      triazol-1-yl)methyl) pyridine ( S9). Fourth harmonic wavelength, i.e., 266 nm of
      pulse duration 7 ns and 10 Hz repetition rate obtained from Q-switched Nd: YAG
      laser, was used to record the thermal PA spectra of these compounds under
      controlled pyrolysis condition in the range of 30-350 C. The PA fingerprint
      spectra are produced due to entire molecule vapor along with principal functional
      byproduct NO2 molecule. NO2 molecule is a major gas released during thermal
      decomposition due to weakest nature of C-NO2 bond. Further, NO2 molecules are
      involved in photodissociation process due to pi*<- n transition and converted
      into NO molecules inside the PA cell due to excitation by 266 nm wavelength. The
      combined results of PA and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) spectra
      along with thermo gravimetric-differential thermal analysis (TG-DTA) data confirm
      the thermal decomposition mechanism process that can be completed in multiple
      steps. In addition, GC-MS spectra also confirm the release of NO and NO2
      molecules. The effect of incident laser energy and data acquisition time has been
      carried out for understanding the behavior of acoustic modes. Finally, the
      thermal quality factor "Q" is measured to test the stability of compounds.

PMID- 28345381
TI  - Comparison of Fenton process and adsorption method for treatment of industrial
      container and drum cleaning industry wastewater.
AB  - The present study aims to explore the characterization of industrial container
      and drum cleaning (ICDC) industry wastewater and treatment alternatives of this
      wastewater using Fenton and adsorption processes. Wastewater derived from ICDC
      industry is usually treated by chemical coagulation and biological treatment in
      Turkey and then discharged in a centralized wastewater treatment facility. It is
      required that the wastewater COD is below 1500 mg/L to treat in a centralized
      wastewater treatment facility. The wastewater samples were characterized for
      parameters of pH, conductivity, COD, BOD5, TSS, NH3-N, TN, TOC, TP, Cd, Cr, Cu,
      Fe, Ni, Pb, Zn, and Hg. Initial COD values were in the range of 11,300-14,200
      mg/L. The optimum conditions for Fenton treatment were 35-40 g/L for H2O2, 2-5
      g/L for Fe2+, and 13-36 for H2O2/Fe2+ molar ratio. The optimum conditions of PAC
      doses and contact times in adsorption studies were 20-30 g/L and 5-12 h,
      respectively. Removal efficiencies of characterized parameters for the three
      samples were compared for both Fenton and adsorption processes under optimum
      conditions. The results suggest that these wastewaters are suitable for discharge
      to a centralized wastewater treatment plant.

PMID- 28345382
TI  - Identification of a novel nonsense mutation of the neurotrophic tyrosine kinase
      receptor type 1 gene in two siblings with congenital insensitivity to pain with
      anhidrosis.
AB  - Objective To explore the aetiology of congenital insensitivity to pain with
      anhidrosis (CIPA) in two Chinese siblings with typical CIPA symptoms including
      insensitivity to pain, inability to sweat, and self-mutilating behaviours.
      Methods Clinical examination and genetic testing were conducted of all available
      family members, and the findings were used to create a pedigree. Mutation
      screening using PCR amplification and DNA Sanger sequencing of the entire
      neurotrophic tyrosine kinase receptor type 1 gene ( NTRK1) including intron-exon
      boundaries was used to identify mutations associated with CIPA. Results A novel
      nonsense mutation (c.7C > T, p. Arg3Ter) and a known splice-site mutation (c.851
      33 T > A) were detected in NTRK1 and shown to be associated with CIPA. Conclusion
      Our findings expand the known mutation spectrum of NTRK1 and provide insights
      into the aetiology of CIPA.

PMID- 28345383
TI  - Pulmonary fibrosis, part I: epidemiology, pathogenesis, and diagnosis.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: Many forms of interstitial lung disease (ILD) can progress to
      extensive fibrosis and respiratory failure. Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF),
      which generally has a poor prognosis, has been thoroughly studied over the past
      two decades, and many important discoveries have been made that pertain to
      genetic predisposition, epidemiology, disease pathogenesis, diagnosis, and
      management. Additionally, non-IPF forms of ILD can have radiologic and
      histopathologic manifestations that mimic IPF, and making an accurate diagnosis
      is key to providing personalized medicine to patients with pulmonary fibrosis.
      Areas covered: This manuscript discusses current knowledge pertaining to the
      genetics, epidemiology, pathogenesis, and diagnosis of pulmonary fibrosis with an
      emphasis on IPF. The material upon which this discussion is based was obtained
      from various published texts and manuscripts identified via literature searching
      (e.g. PubMed). Expert commentary: Many genetic variants have been identified that
      are associated with risk of developing pulmonary fibrosis, and an improved
      understanding of the influence of both genomic and epigenomic factors in the
      development of pulmonary fibrosis is rapidly evolving. Because many forms of
      fibrosing ILD can have similar radiologic and histopathologic patterns yet have
      different responses to therapeutic interventions, making an accurate diagnosis of
      specific forms of pulmonary fibrosis is increasingly important.

PMID- 28345384
TI  - Parental evaluation of a telemonitoring service for children with Type 1
      Diabetes.
AB  - Introduction In the past years, we developed a telemonitoring service for young
      patients affected by Type 1 Diabetes. The service provides data to the clinical
      staff and offers an important tool to the parents, that are able to oversee in
      real time their children. The aim of this work was to analyze the parents'
      perceived usefulness of the service. Methods The service was tested by the
      parents of 31 children enrolled in a seven-day clinical trial during a summer
      camp. To study the parents' perception we proposed and analyzed two
      questionnaires. A baseline questionnaire focused on the daily management and
      implications of their children's diabetes, while a post-study one measured the
      perceived benefits of telemonitoring. Questionnaires also included free text
      comment spaces. Results Analysis of the baseline questionnaires underlined the
      parents' suffering and fatigue: 51% of total responses showed a negative tendency
      and the mean value of the perceived quality of life was 64.13 in a 0-100 scale.
      In the post-study questionnaires about half of the parents believed in a possible
      improvement adopting telemonitoring. Moreover, the foreseen improvement in
      quality of life was significant, increasing from 64.13 to 78.39 ( p-value =
      0.0001). The analysis of free text comments highlighted an improvement in mood,
      and parents' commitment was also proved by their willingness to pay for the
      service (median = 200 euro/year). Discussion A high number of parents appreciated
      the telemonitoring service and were confident that it could improve communication
      with physicians as well as the family's own peace of mind.

PMID- 28345386
TI  - Artifact Correction in Temperature-Dependent Attenuated Total Reflection Infrared
      (ATR-IR) Spectra.
AB  - A spectral processing method was developed and tested for analyzing temperature
      dependent attenuated total reflection infrared (ATR-IR) spectra of aliphatic
      polyesters. Spectra of a bio-based, biodegradable polymer, 3.9 mol% 3HHx poly[(R)
      3-hydroxybutyrate- co-(R)-3-hydroxyhexanoate] (PHBHx), were analyzed and
      corrected prior to analysis using two-dimensional correlation spectroscopy (2D
      COS). Removal of the temperature variation of diamond absorbance, correction of
      the baseline, ATR correction, and appropriate normalization were key to
      generating more reliable data. Both the processing steps and order were
      important. A comparison to differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) analysis
      indicated that the normalization method should be chosen with caution to avoid
      unintentional trends and distortions of the crystalline sensitive bands.

PMID- 28345385
TI  - Activation of 5-HT1A receptors in the rat dorsomedial hypothalamus inhibits
      stress-induced activation of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis.
AB  - Acute activation of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis, leading to the
      release of corticosteroid hormones into the circulation, is an adaptive response
      to perceived threats. Persistent activation of the HPA axis can lead to impaired
      physiological or behavioral function with maladaptive consequences. Thus,
      efficient control and termination of stress responses is essential for well
      being. However, inhibitory control mechanisms governing the HPA axis are poorly
      understood. Previous studies suggest that serotonergic systems, acting within the
      medial hypothalamus, play an important role in inhibitory control of stress
      induced HPA axis activity. To test this hypothesis, we surgically implanted
      chronic jugular cannulae in adult male rats and conducted bilateral
      microinjection of vehicle or the 5-HT1A receptor agonist, 8-hydroxy-2-(di-n
      propylamino) tetralin hydrobromide (8-OH-DPAT; 8 nmol, 0.2 MUL, 0.1 MUL/min, per
      side) into the dorsomedial hypothalamus (DMH) immediately prior to a 40 min
      period of restraint stress. Repeated blood sampling was conducted using an
      automated blood sampling system and plasma corticosterone concentrations were
      determined using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Bilateral intra-DMH
      microinjections of 8-OH-DPAT suppressed stress-induced increases in plasma
      corticosterone within 10 min of the onset of handling prior to restraint and, as
      measured by area-under-the-curve analysis of plasma corticosterone
      concentrations, during the 40 min period of restraint. These data support an
      inhibitory role for serotonergic systems, acting within the DMH, on stress
      induced activation of the HPA axis. Lay summary: Inhibitory control of the
      hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) stress hormone response is important for
      well-being. One neurochemical implicated in inhibitory control of the HPA axis is
      serotonin. In this study we show that activation of serotonin receptors,
      specifically inhibitory 5-HT1A receptors in the dorsomedial hypothalamus, is
      sufficient to inhibit stress-induced HPA axis activity in rats.

PMID- 28345387
TI  - Multimodal treatment in children and adolescents with attention
      deficit/hyperactivity disorder: a 6-month follow-up.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Different treatment approaches aimed at reducing attention
      deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) core symptoms are available. However,
      factors such as intolerance, side-effects, lack of efficacy, high new technology
      costs, and placebo effect have spurred on an increasing interest in alternative
      or complementary treatment. AIM: The aim of this study is to explore efficacy of
      multimodal treatment consisting of standard stimulant medication
      (methylphenidate) and neurofeedback (NF) in combination, and to compare it with
      the single treatment in 6-month follow-up in ADHD children and adolescents.
      METHODS: This randomized controlled trial with 6-month follow-up comprised three
      treatment arms: multimodal treatment (NF + MED), MED alone, and NF alone. A total
      of 130 ADHD children/adolescents participated, and 62% completed the study. ADHD
      core symptoms were recorded pre-/post-treatment, using parents' and teachers'
      forms taken from Barkley's Defiant Children: A Clinician's Manual for Assessment
      and Parent Training, and a self-report questionnaire. RESULTS: Significant ADHD
      core symptom improvements were reported 6 months after treatment completion by
      parents, teachers, and participants in all three groups, with marked improvement
      in inattention in all groups. However, no significant improvements in
      hyperactivity or academic performance were reported by teachers or self-reported
      by children/adolescents, respectively, in the three groups. Changes obtained with
      multimodal treatment at 6-month follow-up were comparable to those with single
      medication treatment, as reported by all participants. CONCLUSIONS: Multimodal
      treatment using combined stimulant medication and NF showed 6-month efficacy in
      ADHD treatment. More research is needed to explore whether multimodal treatment
      is suitable for ADHD children and adolescents who showed a poor response to
      single medication treatment, and for those who want to reduce the use of
      stimulant medication.

PMID- 28345388
TI  - Cortisol levels in fingernails, neurocognitive performance and clinical variables
      in euthymic bipolar I disorder.
AB  - OBJECTIVES: Neurocognitive impairment has been found in bipolar patients.
      Hypercortisolemia is one possible cause but there has been no agreement on this.
      Previous sampling methods assessed only acute cortisol levels, whereas the
      association between cortisol and psychopathology might be better understood by
      investigating chronic levels. Fingernails are a novel method for measuring
      chronic cortisol concentration (CCC). Here, we measured CCC in euthymic bipolar
      disorder I (BD-I) patients and healthy controls using fingernails to investigate
      whether differences in CCC influenced neurocognitive performance. We also
      investigated whether differences in clinical illness variables influenced CCC in
      euthymic BD-I patients. METHODS: A previous study demonstrated neurocognitive
      impairment in euthymic BD-I patients. The current study included a portion of
      this sample: 40 BD-I versus 42 matched controls who provided fingernail samples.
      RESULTS: There was no statistically significant difference in CCC between
      controls and BD-I (P = .09). Logistic regression analyses revealed that euthymic
      bipolar I subjects with more than five years of current euthymia had decreased
      odds of having higher fingernail cortisol concentration (>71.2 pg/mg) compared to
      those with less than 1.5 years (P = .04). There was no association between CCC
      and cognitive impairment in all domains before and after adjustment for age and
      sex. CONCLUSIONS: The current evidence suggests CCC is not a trait biomarker in
      euthymic BD-I (BD-I). Longer periods of stability in affective disorders are
      associated with lower CCC. Fingernail cortisol does not seem to be implicated in
      neurocognitive impairment and BD-I. Future studies may investigate CCC in
      different illness phases of BD-I.

PMID- 28345389
TI  - Ethnic status and engagement with health services: Attitudes toward help-seeking
      and intercultural willingness to interact among South East Asian students in
      Australia.
AB  - Previous research has demonstrated the importance of intercultural willingness to
      interact; however, these investigations have yet to be applied to a health
      context or to compare an ethnic minority with a majority sample. Consequently,
      the current study sought to better understand engagement with health services by
      investigating both attitudes towards seeking psychological help and intercultural
      willingness to interact within an ethnic minority South East Asian population,
      relative to an Anglo Australian sample. As predicted, negative attitudes towards
      seeking psychological help were higher in the South East Asian sample, with this
      relationship persisting across generations, despite significant differences in
      acculturation. In contrast, intercultural willingness to interact was not
      associated with ethnicity status but was associated with higher anxiety,
      uncertainty, ethnocentrism and help-seeking, consistent with current empirical
      and theoretical literature. The current study also sought to examine factors
      associated with help-seeking attitudes and found that ethnocentrism was a
      significant predictor, when accounting for previous health experience.

PMID- 28345390
TI  - Nitrogen removal and nitrous oxide emission from a step-feeding multiple anoxic
      and aerobic process.
AB  - The multiple anoxic and aerobic (AO) process is an advanced biological nitrogen
      removal process, and nitrous oxide (N2O) emission might affect its sustainable
      application. Nitrogen removal and N2O emission in a step-feeding multiple AO
      sequencing batch reactor (SBRS) was examined, in comparison with a one-feeding
      sequencing batch reactor (SBRO). Nitrogen removal was enhanced by 12.6% in SBRS
      compared to the removal percentage of 75.8% in SBRO. Activated sludge in SBRs
      possessed a higher N2O emission factor during nitrification, denitrification and
      simultaneous nitrification and denitrification (SND) than in SBRO. A high N2O
      emission factor was observed during SND in both reactors, with the emission
      factor of 4.38% in SBRS and 4.66% in SBRO. More N2O emission occurred in the
      presence of nitrite. Bacteroidetes and Proteobacteria dominated in both SBRS and
      SBRO. A similar abundance of Thauera, Dechloromonas and Zoogloea possible for
      denitrification was observed in SBRS and SBRO. Moreover, nosZ from Proteobacteria
      dominated in both SBRS and SBRO, with dominating genus of Acidovorax, Ralstonia,
      Thauera and Marinobacter.

PMID- 28345391
TI  - A retrospective study on rapid plasma reagin testing in patients with Pityriasis
      rosea.
AB  - Pityriasis rosea (PR) is an acute self-limited exanthem characterized by oval
      erythematous patches with scale and may be difficult to differentiate from
      secondary syphilis. A rapid plasma reagin (RPR) test can be used to rule in
      secondary syphilis with high sensitivity and specificity. A retrospective study
      was performed on patients at Weill Cornell Medicine, who were diagnosed with PR
      from 2000 to 2016 and also received RPR testing at the time of diagnosis. The
      objective was to assess the frequency of secondary syphilis when the initial
      clinical impression was PR. Only 2/142 patients (1.4%) had a reactive RPR test.
      Based on our results, we advocate that careful social and sexual histories be
      taken in all patients presenting with atypical PR and syphilis screening
      performed if risk factors are present.

PMID- 28345392
TI  - Informed consent for opt-in HIV testing via tablet kiosk: an assessment of
      patient comprehension and acceptability.
AB  - Although implementation of HIV testing in the emergency department has met with
      some success, one commonly cited challenge is the consent process. Kiosks offer
      one potential strategy to overcome this barrier. This pilot cross-sectional
      survey study examined patient comprehension of opt-in HIV testing consent and
      acceptability of using a kiosk to provide consent. Subjects were guided through a
      simulated consent process using a kiosk and then completed a survey of consent
      comprehension and acceptability of kiosk use. Subjects were 50.3% female, Black
      (74.4%), and had an education level of high school or less (61.3%). Subjects
      found the kiosk very easy or easy to use (83.9%) and reported they were very or
      mostly comfortable using the kiosk to consent to HIV testing (89.4%). Subjects
      understood the required aspects of consent: HIV testing was voluntary (93.0%, n =
      185) and that refusal would not impact their care (98.5%, n = 196; 99.0%, n =
      197). Following a simulated consent process, subjects demonstrated a high rate of
      comprehension about the vital components of HIV testing consent. Subjects
      reported they were comfortable using the kiosk, found the kiosk easy to use, and
      reported a positive experience using the kiosk to provide consent for HIV
      testing.

PMID- 28345394
TI  - Association of Novel Inflammatory and Oxidative Stress Biomarkers With In-Stent
      Restenosis.

PMID- 28345393
TI  - Inhibitory effects of 3alpha-hydroxy-lup-20(29)-en-23, 28-dioic acid on
      lipopolysaccharide-induced TNF-alpha, IL-1beta, and the high mobility group box 1
      release in macrophages.
AB  - We investigated the anti-inflammatory effects of 3alpha-hydroxy-lup-20(29)-en-23,
      28-dioic acid (HLEDA)-a lupane-type triterpene isolated from leaves of
      Acanthopanax gracilistylus W. W.Smith (AGS), as well as the underlying molecular
      mechanisms in lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced RAW264.7 cells. Our results
      demonstrated that HLEDA concentration-dependently reduced the production of
      nitric oxide (NO), significantly suppressed LPS-induced expression of TNF-alpha
      and IL-1beta at the mRNA and protein levels in RAW264.7 cells. Further analysis
      revealed that HLEDA could reduce the secretion of High Mobility Group Box 1
      (HMGB1). Additionally, the results showed that HLEDA efficiently decreased
      nuclear factor-kappaB (NF-kappaB) activation by inhibiting the degradation and
      phosphorylation of IkappaBalpha. These results suggest that HLEDA exerts anti
      inflammatory properties in LPS-induced macrophages, possibly through inhibition
      of the NF-kappaB signaling pathway, which mediates the expression of pro
      inflammatory cytokines. These results warrant further studies that would concern
      candidate therapy for diseases, such as fulminant hepatitis and rheumatology of
      triterpenoids in AGS.

PMID- 28345395
TI  - Evaluation of the Predictive Value of CHA2DS2-VASc Score for In-Stent Restenosis.
AB  - The CHA2DS2-VASc (congestive heart failure, hypertension, age >=75 years,
      diabetes mellitus, previous stroke, vascular disease, age 65-74 years, female
      gender) score is used to estimate thromboembolic risk in atrial fibrillation
      (AF). Its usefulness in predicting in-stent restenosis (ISR) is unknown. We
      evaluated the predictive value of the CHA2DS2-VASc score in AF-free patients who
      have undergone stent implantation. A total of 1350 patients who underwent
      coronary angiography and successful bare-metal stent implantation were analyzed.
      The CHA2DS2-VASc score was calculated before percutaneous coronary intervention,
      and the association between the score and ISR was investigated. Patients (n =
      700; mean age: 61.4 [8.7] years, 63% men) were divided in 2 subgroups according
      to the presence of ISR; 265 of 700 patients had ISR. Mean CHA2DS2-VASc score was
      significantly higher in the ISR (+) group than the ISR (-) group (3.7 [1.8] vs
      2.1 [1.4], P < .001). According to multivariate logistic regression analysis,
      diabetes, hyperlipidemia, smoking, stent length, and CHA2DS2-VASc score were
      independent predictors of ISR. In conclusion, the CHA2DS2-VASc score may be
      useful as a new and simple tool to predict ISR.

PMID- 28345396
TI  - Re: "Prognostic Factors in Diabetic Foot Ulcer".

PMID- 28345397
TI  - Hepatitis B virus prevalence in rural areas in south-west Chad.
AB  - In Chad, hepatitis B virus (HBV) is thought to have a high prevalence and is
      consequently responsible for numerous acute and long-term complications. It is
      often detected during screening in potential blood donors. However, no general
      population-based study on the prevalence of hepatitis B has been performed. The
      aim of this study was to gain an impression of the HBV prevalence in rural areas
      in south-west Chad. A total of 1309 individuals (745 boys/men, 564 girls/women)
      with a median age of 15 years (age range, 6-81 years) were screened for the
      presence of the hepatitis B antigen (HBsAG). We found an overall prevalence of
      22.9%. The youngest age group (6-15 years) and the boys/men showed a
      significantly higher HBsAG prevalence compared to the older groups and the
      girls/women, respectively ( P < 0.01). Vertical infection during birth and
      horizontal infection by sharing food, water and shelter are believed to be the
      main sources of infection.

PMID- 28345398
TI  - Challenges in the surgical management of ectopic pregnancy in a low-resource
      setting: Mpilo Central Hospital, Bulawayo, Zimbabwe.
AB  - Background Ectopic pregnancy contributes to maternal morbidity and mortality,
      especially in low-resourced countries with limited facilities for early diagnosis
      and treatment. It is a very challenging condition to diagnose. Patients may
      collapse and die while undergoing investigation. Aims To assess surgical
      treatment given to patients presenting at Mpilo Central Hospital, the challenges
      that are faced and the outcomes; and also to document how women survive this
      dangerous condition in a setting challenged by low resources. Results All the
      patients had prompt life-saving surgery within 48 h of admission despite the
      challenges faced. The survival rate was 100% during the period of the study.
      Conclusion It is possible to prevent maternal mortality in low-resource countries
      by maintaining basic clinical and surgical skills.

PMID- 28345399
TI  - Spontaneous resolution of a hepatogastric fistula.

PMID- 28345401
TI  - The Prosody of Topic Transition in Interaction: Pitch Register Variations.
AB  - In conversation, speakers can mobilize a variety of prosodic cues to signal a
      switch in topics. This paper uses a mixed-methods approach combining Conversation
      Analysis and Instrumental Prosody to investigate the prosody of topic transition
      in American English, and analyzes the ways in which speakers can play on register
      level and on register span. A cluster of three prosodic parameters was found to
      be predictive of transitions: a higher maximum fundamental frequency (F0), a
      higher median F0 (key), and an expanded register span. Relative to speakers'
      habitual profiles, the mobilization of such prosodic cues corresponds to a marked
      upgraded prosodic design. This finding is consistent with the general assumption
      that continuation constitutes the norm in conversation, and that departing from
      it, as in the case of a topic transition, requires a marked action and marked
      linguistic design. The disjunctive action of opening a new topic corresponds to
      the use of a marked prosodic cue.

PMID- 28345400
TI  - Combination of aerobic exercise and an arginine, alanine, and phenylalanine
      mixture increases fat mobilization and ketone body synthesis.
AB  - During exercise, blood levels of several hormones increase acutely. We
      hypothesized that consumption of a specific combination of amino acids (arginine,
      alanine, and phenylalanine; A-mix) may be involved in secretion of glucagon, and
      when combined with exercise may promote fat catabolism. Ten healthy male
      volunteers were randomized in a crossover study to ingest either A-mix (3 g/dose)
      or placebo (3 g of dextrin/dose). Thirty minutes after ingesting, each condition
      subsequently performed workload trials on a cycle ergometer at 50% of maximal
      oxygen consumption for 1 h. After oral intake of A-mix, the concentrations of
      plasma ketone bodies and adrenalin during and post-exercise were significantly
      increased. The area under the curve for glycerol and glucagon was significantly
      increased in the post-exercise by A-mix administration. These results suggest
      that pre-exercise ingestion of A-mix causes a shift of energy source from
      carbohydrate to fat combustion by increasing secretion of adrenalin and glucagon.

PMID- 28345402
TI  - Clinical and functional correlates of processing speed in pediatric Attention
      Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder: a systematic review and meta-analysis.
AB  - It is well established that processing speed is negatively impacted in children
      and adolescents with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD).
      Unfortunately, exactly how processing speed vulnerabilities manifest in daily
      functioning has not been well established. To support clinical care of youth with
      ADHD, it is important to better understand the functional consequences and
      relevant outcomes associated with processing speed deficits. This systematic
      review and meta-analysis sought to identify the association between processing
      speed and clinical or functional correlates among children or adolescents
      diagnosed with ADHD. A total of 409 abstracts were screened, of which, 60 full
      text articles were identified as potentially relevant, and 8 of these studies met
      inclusion criteria. Domains evaluated across these studies included reading
      skills, mathematics skills, written expression, anxiety, self-appraisals of
      competence, and adaptive functioning. Six studies reported an association between
      processing speed and reading skills, allowing for meta-analysis. Processing speed
      difficulties among youth with ADHD appear strongly associated with several
      clinical and functional correlates including weaker academic skills, poorer
      adaptive skills, increased self-reported anxiety, and overestimates of social
      competence. Meta-analytic results for studies reporting the association between
      processing speed and reading skills indicate a medium overall weighted mean
      effect size (r = 0.33, 95% CI = 0.28 -0.39) with minimal heterogeneity (I2 =
      0.17). Clinical implications of these findings, limitations in the current
      knowledge base, and suggestions for future research are discussed.

PMID- 28345403
TI  - Intralesional Osteophyte Regrowth Following Autologous Chondrocyte Implantation
      after Previous Treatment with Marrow Stimulation Technique.
AB  - Objective Bone marrow stimulation surgeries are frequent in the treatment of
      cartilage lesions. Autologous chondrocyte implantation (ACI) may be performed
      after failed microfracture surgery. Alterations to subchondral bone as
      intralesional osteophytes are commonly seen after previous microfracture and
      removed during ACI. There have been no reports on potential recurrence. Our
      purpose was to evaluate the incidence of intralesional osteophyte development in
      2 cohorts: existing intralesional osteophytes and without intralesional
      osteophytes at the time of ACI. Study Design We identified 87 patients (157
      lesions) with intralesional osteophytes among a cohort of 497 ACI patients.
      Osteophyte regrowth was analyzed on magnetic resonance imaging and categorized as
      small or large (less or more than 50% of the cartilage thickness). Twenty
      patients (24 defects) without intralesional osteophytes at the time of ACI acted
      as control. Results Osteophyte regrowth was observed in 39.5% of lesions (34.4%
      of small osteophytes and 5.1% of large osteophytes). In subgroup analyses,
      regrowth was observed in 45.8% of periosteal-covered defects and in 18.9% of
      collagen membrane-covered defects. Large osteophyte regrowth occurred in less
      than 5% in either group. Periosteal defects showed a significantly higher
      incidence for regrowth of small osteophytes. In the control group, intralesional
      osteophytes developed in 16.7% of the lesions. Conclusions Even though
      intralesional osteophytes may regrow after removal during ACI, most of them are
      small. Small osteophyte regrowth occurs almost twice in periosteum-covered ACI.
      Large osteophytes occur only in 5% of patients. Intralesional osteophyte
      formation is not significantly different in preexisting intralesional osteophytes
      and control groups.

PMID- 28345404
TI  - Are Bone Bruise Characteristics and Articular Cartilage Pathology Associated with
      Inferior Outcomes 2 and 6 Years After Anterior Cruciate Ligament Reconstruction?
AB  - Objective To determine (1) if bone bruise characteristics seen on magnetic
      resonance imaging are associated with patient-reported outcomes prior to and
      following anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction and (2) if the combined
      presence of bone bruises with articular cartilage pathology results in inferior 2
      or 6-year outcomes. Design Bone bruise volume and severity were measured on 81
      patients' preoperative magnetic resonance imaging in the medial and lateral
      femoral condyle (MFC, LFC) and medial and lateral tibial plateau (MTP, LTP) using
      the Costa-Paz classification and a modified version of Roemer and Bohndorf's
      technique. The relationships between bone bruise volume and severity with Knee
      Injury and Osteoarthritis Outcome Score (KOOS) and International Knee
      Documentation Committee (IKDC) scores were assessed, and pre- and postoperative
      KOOS and IKDC scores were compared between those with bone bruises either with or
      without combined local articular cartilage pathology. Results All 81 patients had
      a bone bruise in at least 1 region and 70 (86%) had bone bruises in >=2 regions.
      LTP bruises were the most common (76/81, 94%), followed by the LFC (66, 81%), MTP
      (46, 57%), and MFC (20, 25%). Neither bone bruise volume nor severity was
      associated with inferior postoperative outcomes. The subset of 17 patients with
      bone bruises and combined articular cartilage pathology were 3.4 times more
      likely to be symptomatic at 6-year follow-up than those without articular
      cartilage pathology ( P = 0.04). Conclusions The volume and severity of
      preoperative bone bruises alone were not associated with 2- or 6-year outcomes;
      however, bone bruises combined with local articular cartilage pathology appear to
      be more symptomatic after ACL reconstruction.

PMID- 28345405
TI  - Thickness Distribution of Glenohumeral Joint Cartilage.
AB  - High-resolution 3-dimensional cartilage-specific magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)
      was performed at 3 T to test the following hypotheses: (1) there is a nonuniform
      cartilage thickness distribution both on the proximal humerus and on the glenoid
      surface and (2) the glenohumeral joint as a combined system is congruent with the
      level of the joint cartilage surface without substantial radial mismatch.
      Inclusion of 38 volunteers (19 females, mean age 24.34 +/- 2.22 years; range 21
      29 years) in a prospective study. Measurements of: cartilage thickness in 3
      regions and 3 zones; radius of both circles (glenoid and humeral cartilage) for
      congruency calculation using 3-T MRI with 3-dimensional dual-echo steady-state
      sequence with water excitation. A homogenous mean cartilage thickness (1.2-1.5
      mm) and slightly higher values for the glenoidal articulating surface radii both
      in the mid-paracoronar section (2.4 vs. 2.1 cm, P < 0.001) and in the mid
      paraaxial section (2.4 vs. 2.1 cm, P < 0.001) compared with the humeral side were
      observed. The concept of a radial mismatch between the humeral head and the
      glenoid in healthy human subjects can be confirmed. This study provides normative
      data for the comparison of joint cartilage changes at the shoulder for future
      studies.

PMID- 28345406
TI  - Evaluation of the Quality, Accuracy, and Readability of Online Patient Resources
      for the Management of Articular Cartilage Defects.
AB  - Objective Patients commonly use the Internet to obtain their health-related
      information. The purpose of this study was to investigate the quality, accuracy,
      and readability of online patient resources for the management of articular
      cartilage defects. Design Three search terms ("cartilage defect," "cartilage
      damage," "cartilage injury") were entered into 3 Internet search engines (Google,
      Bing, Yahoo). The first 25 websites from each search were collected and reviewed.
      The quality and accuracy of online information were independently evaluated by 3
      reviewers using predetermined scoring criteria. The readability was evaluated
      using the Flesch-Kincaid (FK) grade score. Results Fifty-three unique websites
      were evaluated. Quality ratings were significantly higher in websites with a FK
      score >11 compared to those with a score of <=11 ( P = 0.021). Only 10 websites
      (19%) differentiated between focal cartilage defects and diffuse osteoarthritis.
      Of these, 7 (70%) were elicited using the search term "cartilage defect" ( P =
      0.038). The average accuracy of the websites was high (11.7 out of maximum 12),
      and the average FK grade level (13.4) was several grades higher than the
      recommended level for readable patient education material (eighth grade level).
      Conclusions The quality and readability of online patient resources for articular
      cartilage defects favor those with a higher level of education. Additionally, the
      majority of these websites do not distinguish between focal chondral defects and
      diffuse osteoarthritis, which can fail to provide appropriate patient education
      and guidance for available treatment. Clinicians should help guide patients
      toward high-quality, accurate, and readable online patient education material.

PMID- 28345407
TI  - Knee Menisci.
AB  - The menisci of the knees are semicircular fibrocartilaginous structures
      consisting of a hydrophilic extracellular matrix containing a network of collagen
      fibers, glycoproteins, and proteoglycans maintained by a cellular component. The
      menisci are responsible for more than 50% of load transmission across the knee
      and increase joint congruity thereby also aiding in fluid film lubrication of the
      joint. In the United Kingdom, meniscal tears are the most common form of intra
      articular knee injury and one of the commonest indications for orthopedic
      intervention. The management of these injuries is dependent on the location
      within the meniscus (relative to peripheral blood supply) and the pattern of
      tear. Removal of meniscus is known to place the knee at increased risk of
      osteoarthritis; therefore repair of meniscal tears is preferable. However, a
      significant proportion of tears are irreparable and can only be treated by
      partial or even complete meniscectomy. More recent studies have shown encouraging
      results with meniscal replacement in this situation, though further work is
      required in this area.

PMID- 28345408
TI  - Autologous Chondrocyte Implantation to Isolated Patella Cartilage Defects.
AB  - Background Autologous chondrocyte implantation (ACI) is a durable treatment for
      patients with chondral defects. This study presents the comprehensive evaluation
      of patients with patella defects treated with ACI at medium- to long-term follow
      up. Methods Thirty consecutive patients with isolated chondral lesions of the
      patella were enrolled prospectively. Primary outcome measures were validated
      patient reported outcome measures and objective magnetic resonance imaging.
      Results Nineteen of 30 patients underwent tibial tubercle osteotomy (TTO) to
      correct lateral maltracking in combination with soft tissue balancing. The defect
      sizes were large, averaging 4.7 +/- 2.1 cm2 (range 2.2-30.0 cm2).
      Pidoriano/Fulkerson classification revealed that 3 defects were type II
      (lateral), 9 were type III (medial), and 18 were type IV (central/panpatella).
      Age at the time of surgery was 32 +/- 10 years. At follow-up of 2 to 14 years,
      knee function was rated good to excellent in 25 (83%) patients, fair in 4 (13%)
      patients, and poor in 1 (3%) patient. Three patients failed treatment after a
      mean of 75 months (6.25 years). All 3 failures were Workers Compensation (WC)
      cases. They were older than the non-WC patients, 42 +/- 6 years compared with the
      non-WC 28 +/- 9 years ( P = 0.0019). Significant increases in all clinical and
      health utility outcome scores were seen. Magnetic resonance imaging demonstrated
      that the fill grade, surface and integrity of the repair tissue correlated with
      clinical scores. Conclusion ACI to isolated patella defects results in
      significant functional improvement at a minimum of 24 months, with the results
      remaining durable at latest follow-up of 15 years. Level of evidence Level 4.

PMID- 28345411
TI  - CORRIGENDUM to Depth-Dependent Glycosaminoglycan Concentration in Articular
      Cartilage by Quantitative Contrast-Enhanced Micro-Computed Tomography.
AB  - Owing to the errors made by the authors, Mittelstaedt D and Xia Y, the following
      article contains error. Mittelstaedt D, Xia Y. Depth-Dependent Glycosaminoglycan
      Concentration in Articular Cartilage by Quantitative Contrast-Enhanced Micro
      Computed Tomography. Cartilage. 2015;6:216-25. Original doi:
      10.1177/1947603515596418.

PMID- 28345410
TI  - Transplantation of Chemically Processed Decellularized Meniscal Allografts.
AB  - Objective The aim of this study was to evaluate the chondroprotective effect of
      chemically decellularized meniscal allografts transplanted into the knee joints
      of adult merino sheep. Methods Lateral sheep meniscal allografts were chemically
      processed by a multistep method to yield acellular, sterile grafts. The grafts
      were transplanted into the knee joints of sheep that were treated by lateral
      meniscectomy. Joints treated by meniscectomy only and untreated joints served as
      controls. The joints were analyzed morphologically 6 and 26 weeks after surgery
      by the macroscopical and histological OARSI (Osteoarthritis Research Society
      International) score. Additionally, the meniscal grafts were biomechanically
      tested by cyclic indentation. Results Lateral meniscectomy was associated with
      significant degenerative changes of the articular cartilage of the lateral joint
      compartment. Transplanted lateral meniscal allografts retained their integrity
      during the observation period without inducing significant synovitis or foreign
      body reactions. Cellular repopulation of the grafts was only present on the
      surface and the periphery of the lateral meniscus, but was still completely
      lacking in the center of the grafts at week 26. Transplantation of processed
      meniscal allografts could not prevent degenerative changes of the articular
      cartilage in the lateral joint compartment. Compared with healthy menisci, the
      processed grafts were characterized by a significantly reduced dynamic modulus,
      which did not improve during the observation period of 26 weeks in vivo.
      Conclusion Chemically decellularized meniscal allografts proved their
      biocompatibility and durability without inducing immunogenic reactions. However,
      insufficient recellularization and inferior stiffness of the grafts hampered
      chondroprotective effects on the articular cartilage.

PMID- 28345409
TI  - Osteoarthritis in Football.
AB  - Football is currently the most popular sporting activity in the world. Multiple
      reports have shown that a high incidence of osteoarthritis is found in football
      players. Evidence clearly shows that traumatic injury significantly predisposes
      players for such pathophysiology. Injuries are frequent in amateur as well as
      professional football players, with knee and ankle accounting for the most severe
      injuries. Many professional athletes lose playing time due to injuries and many
      are forced into early retirement. Posttraumatic osteoarthritis is a common
      finding among ex-football players with numbers well above the normal population.
      Today's surgical techniques are advanced and capable of restoring the joint to a
      certain extent. However, a restitution ad integrum is reached only in very rare
      cases. Professional football players that return to play after serious injuries
      perform their extremely strenuous activity on morphologically compromised joints.
      Incomplete rehabilitation and pressure to return to play after an injurious event
      clearly put the athlete at an even higher risk for joint degeneration. Prevention
      strategies, improved surgical management, strict rehabilitation, as well as
      future aspects such as early suppression of inflammation, personalized medicine,
      and predictive genomics DNA profiling are needed to reduce incidence and improve
      the health perspectives of football players.

PMID- 28345412
TI  - Effect of Glucosamine Sulfate on Osteoarthritis in the Cruciate-Deficient Canine
      Model of Osteoarthritis.
AB  - Objective Osteoarthritis (OA) is a major cause of musculoskeletal pain and
      disability worldwide. The investigation of disease-modifying treatment options
      for OA has become an important aspect of orthopedic care. To assess the effect of
      intra-articular and oral glucosamine sulfate (GS) versus placebo on
      osteoarthritis in a canine model. Materials In this randomized, placebo
      controlled, double-blinded study, OA was induced by anterior cruciate ligament
      transection (ACLT) according to the Pond-Nuki model in 32 canines. All canines
      were allocated into 4 treatment subgroups with treatment administered for 8
      weeks: GS (400 mg) intra-articular, placebo intra-articular, GS (200 mg/kg body
      weight) oral, and placebo oral. The contralateral nonoperated stifle (knee)
      served as control. After 8 weeks, the medial and lateral femoral condyles, the
      medial and lateral tibial plateau and patella were histologically examined and
      anatomic changes quantified by light microscopy using the modified Mankin score.
      Results After 8 weeks, mean Mankin score values significantly ( P < 0.002)
      decreased in the intra-articular GS group (8.1; range 7.9-8.8) compared with the
      intra-articular placebo group (13.9; range 11.6-15.9) and again significantly ( P
      < 0.002) in the oral GS group (12.1; range 9.9-12.7) compared with the oral
      placebo group (15.1; range 12.5-17.0). Mean Mankin score values were
      significantly ( P < 0.002) lower in the intra-articular GS group compared with
      the oral GS group. Conclusion Both, intra-articular and oral administered GS
      significantly reduced histological signs of OA in the Pond-Nuki model, with the
      intra-articular application being more effective compared to oral administration.

PMID- 28345413
TI  - Development of a Tool to Predict Outcome of Autologous Chondrocyte Implantation.
AB  - Objective The study had 2 objectives: first, to evaluate the success of
      autologous chondrocyte implantation (ACI) in terms of incidence of surgical re
      intervention, including arthroplasty, and investigate predictors of successful
      treatment outcome. The second objective was to derive a tool predicting a
      patient's arthroplasty risk following ACI. Design In this Level II, prognostic
      study, 170 ACI-treated patients (110 males [aged 36.8 +/- 9.4 years]; 60 females
      [aged 38.1 +/- 10.2 years]) completed a questionnaire about further surgery on
      their knee treated with ACI 10.9 +/- 3.5 years previously. Factors commonly
      assessed preoperatively (age, gender, defect location and number, previous
      surgery at this site, and the preoperative Lysholm score) were used as
      independent factors in regression analyses. Results At final follow-up (maximum
      of 19 years post-ACI), 40 patients (23.5%) had undergone surgical re-intervention
      following ACI. Twenty-six patients (15.3%) underwent arthroplasty, more commonly
      females (25%) than males (10%; P = 0.001). Cox regression analyses identified 4
      factors associated with re-intervention: age at ACI, multiple operations before
      ACI, patellar defects, and lower pretreatment Lysholm scores (Nagelkerke's R2 =
      0.20). Six predictive items associated with risk of arthroplasty following ACI
      (Nagelkerke's R2 = 0.34) were used to develop the Oswestry Risk of Knee
      Arthroplasty index with internal cross-validation. Conclusion In a single-center
      study, we have identified 6 factors (age, gender, location and number of defects,
      number of previous operations, and Lysholm score before ACI) that appear to
      influence the likelihood of ACI patients progressing to arthroplasty. We have
      used this information to propose a formula or "tool" that could aid treatment
      decisions and improve patient selection for ACI.

PMID- 28345414
TI  - Fresh Osteochondral Allograft Transplantation for Fractures of the Knee.
AB  - Objective The purpose of this study was to evaluate functional outcomes and
      allograft survivorship among patients with knee fracture who underwent fresh
      osteochondral allograft (OCA) transplantation as a salvage treatment option.
      Design Retrospective analysis of prospectively collected data. Setting Department
      of Orthopaedic Surgery at one hospital. Patients Fresh OCAs were implanted for
      osteochondral lesions after knee fracture in 24 males and 15 females with an
      average age of 34 years. Twenty-nine lesions (74%) were tibial plateau fractures,
      6 (15%) were femoral condyle fractures, and 4 (10%) were patella fractures. Main
      Outcome Measurements Clinical evaluation included modified Merle d'Aubigne-Postel
      (18-point), International Knee Documentation Committee, and Knee Society function
      scores, and patient satisfaction. Failure of OCA was defined as revision OCA or
      conversion to total knee arthroplasty (TKA). Results Nineteen of 39 knees (49%)
      had further surgery. Ten knees (26%) were considered OCA failures (3 OCA
      revisions, 6 TKA, and 1 patellectomy). Survivorship of the OCA was 82.6% at 5
      years and 69.6% at 10 years. Among the 29 knees (74%) that had the OCA still in
      situ, median follow-up was 6.6 years. Pain and function improved from
      preoperative to latest follow-up; 83% of patients reported satisfaction with OCA
      results. Conclusion OCA transplantation is a useful salvage treatment option for
      osteochondral lesions caused by knee fracture. Although the reoperation rate was
      high, successful outcome was associated with significant clinical improvement.

PMID- 28345415
TI  - Chondrogenic Gene Expression Differences between Chondrocytes from Osteoarthritic
      and Non-OA Trauma Joints in a 3D Collagen Type I Hydrogel.
AB  - Objective The purpose of the current study was to compare the donor age variation
      of chondrocytes from non-OA (osteoarthritic) trauma joints in patients of young
      to middle age (20.5 +/- 3.7, 31.8 +/- 1.9, 41.9 +/- 4.1 years) embedded in matrix
      associated autologous chondrocyte transplantation (MACT) grafts (CaReS). The
      chondrocyte-specific gene expression of CaReS grafts were then compared to
      chondrocytes from OA joints (in patients aged 63.8 +/- 10 years) embedded in a
      collagen type I hydrogel. Design OA chondrocytes and articular chondrocyte-laden
      grafts were cultured over 14 days in chondrogenic growth medium. We performed
      reverse transcriptase quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR) to
      evaluate the mRNA expression levels of chondrocyte-specific and hypertrophic
      markers. Results Gene expression analysis with RT-qPCR revealed no significant
      difference in chondrocyte-specific genes ( COL2A1, ACAN, SOX9, SOX5, SOX6) among
      3 different age group of patients with CaReS grafts. In a comparative analysis of
      OA chondrocytes to articular chondrocytes, chondrogenic markers ( COL2A1, SOX6)
      exhibited higher expression in OA chondrocytes ( P < 0.05). Hypertrophic or OA
      cartilage pathogenesis marker ( MMP3, MMP13) expression was higher and COL1A1 had
      significantly lower expression ( P < 0.05) in OA chondrocytes than articular
      chondrocytes when cultivated in collagen type I hydrogels. Conclusion In summary,
      we identify that donor age variation does not influence the chondrogenic gene
      expression of the CaReS system. We also identified that freshly isolated OA
      chondrocytes embedded in collagen type I hydrogels can exhibit chondrogenic gene
      expression as observed in articular chondrocytes on the CaReS grafts.
      Transforming OA chondrocytes to articular chondrocytes can be regarded as an
      alternative option in the MACT technique.

PMID- 28345416
TI  - Short-step syntheses of naturally occurring polyoxygenated aromatics based on
      site-selective transformation.
AB  - Wogonin and astringin were synthesized from inexpensive chrysin and piceid in
      short steps. The key feature of these syntheses is site-selective transformation.
      The target molecules were obtained in 27 and 62% yields from the starting
      materials, respectively.

PMID- 28345417
TI  - The Effect of Mechanical Loading Upon Extracellular Matrix Bioscaffold-Mediated
      Skeletal Muscle Remodeling.
AB  - Mounting evidence suggests that site-appropriate loading of implanted
      extracellular matrix (ECM) bioscaffolds and the surrounding microenvironment is
      an important tissue remodeling determinant, although the role at the cellular
      level in ECM-mediated skeletal muscle remodeling remains unknown. This study
      evaluates crosstalk between progenitor cells and macrophages during mechanical
      loading in ECM-mediated skeletal muscle repair. Myoblasts were exposed to
      solubilized ECM bioscaffolds and were mechanically loaded at 10% strain, 1 Hz for
      5 h. Conditioned media was collected and applied to bone marrow-derived
      macrophages followed by immunolabeling for proinflammatory M1-like markers and
      proremodeling M2-like markers. Macrophages were subjected to the same loading
      protocol and their secreted products were collected for myoblast migration,
      proliferation, and differentiation analysis. A mouse hind limb unloading
      volumetric muscle loss model was used to evaluate the effect of loading upon the
      skeletal muscle microenvironment after ECM implantation. Animals were sacrificed
      at 14 or 180 days. Isometric torque production was tested and tissue sections
      were immunolabeled for macrophage phenotype and muscle fiber content. Results
      show that loading augments the ability of myoblasts to promote an M2-like
      macrophage phenotype following exposure to ECM bioscaffolds. Mechanically loaded
      macrophages promote myoblast chemotaxis and differentiation. Lack of weight
      bearing impaired muscle remodeling as indicated by Masson's Trichrome stain.
      Isometric torque was significantly increased following ECM implantation when
      compared to controls, a response not present in the hind limb-unloaded group.
      This work provides an important mechanistic insight of the effects of
      rehabilitation upon ECM-mediated remodeling and could have broader implications
      in clinical practice, advocating multidisciplinary approaches to regenerative
      medicine, emphasizing rehabilitation.

PMID- 28345418
TI  - A Coaxial Dual-element Focused Ultrasound Probe for Guidance of Epidural
      Catheterization: An Experimental Study.
AB  - Ultrasound guidance for epidural block has improved clinical blind-trial problems
      but the design of present ultrasonic probes poses operating difficulty of
      ultrasound-guided catheterization, increasing the failure rate. The purpose of
      this study was to develop a novel ultrasonic probe to avoid needle contact with
      vertebral bone during epidural catheterization. The probe has a central circular
      passage for needle insertion. Two focused annular transducers are deployed around
      the passage for on-axis guidance. A 17-gauge insulated Tuohy needle containing
      the self-developed fiber-optic-modified stylet was inserted into the back of the
      anesthetized pig, in the lumbar region under the guidance of our ultrasonic
      probe. The inner transducer of the probe detected the shallow echo signals of the
      peak-peak amplitude of 2.8 V over L3 at the depth of 2.4 cm, and the amplitude
      was decreased to 0.8 V directly over the L3 to L4 interspace. The outer
      transducer could detect the echoes from the deeper bone at the depth of 4.5 cm,
      which did not appear for the inner transducer. The operator tilted the probe
      slightly in left-right and cranial-caudal directions until the echoes at the
      depth of 4.5 cm disappeared, and the epidural needle was inserted through the
      central passage of the probe. The needle was advanced and stopped when the
      epidural space was identified by optical technique. The needle passed without
      bone contact. Designs of the hollow probe for needle pass and dual transducers
      with different focal lengths for detection of shallow and deep vertebrae may
      benefit operation, bone/nonbone identification, and cost.

PMID- 28345419
TI  - Commentary on Perez et al.: How to create a 21st century adverse event reporting
      system.

PMID- 28345420
TI  - Peroneal perforator pedicle propeller flap for lower leg soft tissue defect
      reconstruction: Clinical applications and treatment of venous congestion.
AB  - Objective To describe the characteristics of the perforator vessel in the
      peroneal artery of the lower leg and to explore the use of perforator pedicle
      propeller flaps to repair soft tissue defects in the lower leg, heel and foot.
      Methods This retrospective study enrolled patients with soft tissue defects of
      the distal lower leg, heel and foot who underwent surgery using peroneal
      perforator-based propeller flaps. The peroneal artery perforators were identified
      preoperatively by colour duplex Doppler ultrasound. The flap was designed based
      on the preoperatively-identified perforator location, with the posterior border
      of the fibula employed as an axis, and the perforator vessel as the pivot point
      of rotation. Patients were followed-up to determine the outcomes. Results The
      study analysed 36 patients (mean age, 39.7 years). The majority of the soft
      tissue defects were on the heel (20; 55.6%). The donor-site of the flap was
      closed in 11 patients by direct suturing and skin grafting was undertaken in 25
      patients. Postoperative complications included venous congestion (nine patients),
      which was managed with delayed wound coverage and bleeding therapy. All wounds
      were eventually cured and the flaps were cosmetically acceptable. Conclusions The
      peroneal perforator pedicle propeller flap is an appropriate choice to repair
      soft tissue defects of the distal limbs.

PMID- 28345421
TI  - Clinical features and prognosis of patients with acute aortic dissection in
      China.
AB  - Objective To evaluate the clinical features, risk factors, and prognostic
      significance of different Stanford types of acute aortic dissection (AAD).
      Methods We retrospectively analyzed the clinical data and prognostic predictors
      in 105 patients with AAD (37 with Stanford type A and 68 with Stanford type B) at
      Tianjin Medical University General Hospital and Tianjin 4th Central Hospital from
      January 2014 to November 2015. Results Patients with Marfan syndrome and bicuspid
      aortic valve constituted 24.3% and 8.1%, respectively, of patients with type A
      AAD; these proportions were significantly higher than those of patients with type
      B AAD (7.4% and 0.0%, respectively). The proportion of iatrogenic causes of type
      A AAD (8.1%) was significantly higher than that of type B AAD (0.0%). Computed
      tomography angiography showed that the proportion of involvement of the aortic
      arch and pericardial effusion (86.5% and 18.9%, respectively) in patients with
      type A AAD were higher than those in patients with type B AAD (23.5% and 5.9%,
      respectively). Endovascular treatment was performed in a higher proportion of
      patients with type B than A AAD (70.6% vs. 5.4%, respectively). Conclusion
      Systolic blood pressure, pericardial effusion, periaortic hematoma, conservative
      treatment, and open surgery were independent predictors of increased mortality in
      patients with AAD.

PMID- 28345422
TI  - Predictors of preference for caesarean delivery among pregnant women in Beijing.
AB  - Objective To evaluate factors associated with preference for caesarean or vaginal
      delivery among pregnant Chinese nulliparous and parous women. Methods In this
      cross-sectional study, a self-administered questionnaire was used to collect
      information on sociodemographic characteristics, preference/reasons for delivery
      mode, and knowledge of delivery complications. Results Of the 450 participants,
      85 (18.9%) reported a preference for caesarean section (CS) pre-partum. Compared
      with women who would prefer a vaginal delivery, nulliparous women who preferred
      CS were more likely to be: >=35 years; have no medical insurance; have had two or
      more pregnancies; have access to only one source of information about birthing
      options; knowledge of the complications of vaginal delivery and think doctors
      have no right to decide the type of delivery. For parous women who preferred CS,
      they were more likely to have had a previous caesarean delivery and live outside
      Beijing. Conclusions From this study conducted at a large, maternity centre in
      Beijing, the proportion of pregnant women with preference pre-partum for CS was
      moderate and their reasons were varied.

PMID- 28345423
TI  - Systemic Lupus Erythematosus and hearing disorders: Literature review and meta
      analysis of clinical and temporal bone findings.
AB  - Objective This literature review and meta-analysis was performed to evaluate the
      correlations among hearing and vestibular clinical symptoms, temporal bone
      findings, and pathological mechanisms in patients with systemic lupus
      erythematosus (SLE). Study design Relevant papers in the literature were
      retrospectively reviewed. Clinical hearing aspects in patients with SLE and
      relevant temporal bone studies in the same field were analyzed. Methods PubMed
      and Google Scholar searches were performed using the following keywords: "auto
      immune disease," "systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE)," "hearing loss," "temporal
      bone study," "vertigo," "dizziness," "tinnitus," "ear symptoms," "treatment,"
      "diagnosis," "symptoms," "etiopathogenesis," "Wegener granulomatosis," "Sjogren,"
      "polyarteritis nodosa," "Cogan syndrome," and "granulomatosis." Also included
      were reviews in which the following terms were present: "SLE," "temporal bone,"
      and "hearing symptoms." Review and conclusion This literature review and meta
      analysis focused on the pathological mechanisms through which SLE can damage
      inner ear structures and determinate hearing and vestibular symptoms. The main
      mechanisms involved in inner ear damage include the autoimmune response,
      deposition of immune complexes in the vessels and, to a lesser extent, cytotoxic
      damage.

PMID- 28345424
TI  - Does a social/behavioural gradient in dental health exist among adults? A cross
      sectional study.
AB  - Objective To explore the potential presence of a social/behavioural gradient in
      dental health among Italian adults using a cross-sectional study. Methods Caries
      indices were recorded among 480 subjects (52.9% men, 47.1% women) who also
      completed a structured self-administered social and behavioural questionnaire. A
      social/behavioural gradient was generated as the sum of the worst circumstances
      recorded on the questionnaire (cariogenic diet, smoking, lowest occupational
      profile, brushing teeth < twice daily, lowest educational level, uneven dental
      examination attendance). Results Caries figures (DMFT) and the number of filled
      sound teeth (FS-T) were statistically significantly linked to the
      social/behavioural gradient (DMFT: chi2(9) = 20.17 p = 0.02, Z = 0.02 p = 0.99;
      FS-T: chi2(9) = 25.68 p < 0.01, Z = -4.31 p < 0.01). DMFT was statistically
      significantly associated with gender and with social and behavioural variables.
      FS-T was higher in women (p = 0.03) and was linked to smoking ( p < 0.01).
      Conclusions The proposed social/behavioural gradient demonstrated how subjects
      reporting the worst circumstances on the questionnaire exhibited the worst dental
      health. The use of the gradient demonstrates that health promotion and prevention
      cannot be compartmentalized.

PMID- 28345425
TI  - Efficacy and safety of topical diclofenac/menthol gel for ankle sprain: A
      randomized, double-blind, placebo- and active-controlled trial.
AB  - Purpose This study was performed to evaluate topical 1% diclofenac/3% menthol gel
      in treating ankle sprain. Design In this randomized, double-blind, placebo
      controlled trial, adolescents and adults with acute ankle sprain (N = 385)
      applied 4 g of gel containing 1% diclofenac/3% menthol (n = 117), 1% diclofenac
      (n = 112), 3% menthol (n = 77), or placebo (n = 75) four times daily. The primary
      outcome was the area under the curve of pain intensity (PI) on movement [0 (no
      pain) to 10 (extreme pain)] from 24 to 72 hours post-application (AUC1-3 days).
      Secondary outcomes included pain relief (PR); PI; time to onset of PR, meaningful
      PR, cooling, and complete recovery; PI difference; sum of PI difference; total
      PR; reduction in ankle swelling; and the patient's global assessment of response
      to treatment. Results There were no statistically significant differences in AUC1
      3 between 1% diclofenac/3% menthol and placebo, diclofenac, or menthol gels and
      no meaningful advantages of 1% diclofenac/3% menthol for any secondary outcome.
      There was a higher incidence of skin and application-site events with 1%
      diclofenac/3% menthol than with placebo or 1% diclofenac. Conclusion No
      significant improvement was observed with topical 1% diclofenac/3% menthol gel
      compared with placebo, 1% diclofenac, or 3% menthol gel in treating pain from
      ankle sprain. ClinicalTrials.Gov Identifier: NCT02100670.

PMID- 28345426
TI  - Prevalence and risk factors of multi-drug resistant tuberculosis in Dalian,
      China.
AB  - Objectives To investigate the prevalence and risk factors associated with multi
      drug resistant tuberculosis (MDR-TB) in Dalian, China. Methods This was a
      retrospective review of data from patients attending a TB clinic in Dalian, China
      between 2012 and 2015. Demographic and drug susceptibility data were retrieved
      from TB treatment cards. Univariate logistic analysis was used to assess the
      association between risk factors and MDR-TB. Results Among the 3552 patients who
      were smear positive for Mycobacterium tuberculosis (MTB), 2918 (82.2%) had
      positive MTB cultures and 1106 (31.1%) had isolates that showed resistance to at
      least one drug. The overall prevalence of MDR-TB was 10.1% (359/3552; 131/2261
      [5.8%] newly diagnosed and 228/1291 [17.7%] previously treated patients).
      Importantly, 75 extensively drug-resistant TB isolates were detected from 25
      newly treated and 50 previously treated patients. In total, 215 (6.1%) patients
      were infected with a poly-resistant strain of MTB. Previously treated patients
      and older patients were more likely to develop MDR-TB. Conclusions The study
      showed a high prevalence of MDR-TB among the study population. History of
      previous TB treatment and older age were associated with MDR-TB.

PMID- 28345427
TI  - Emotional freedom techniques (EFT) as a practice for supporting chronic disease
      healthcare: a practitioners' perspective.
AB  - PURPOSE: The objective of the present study was to explore Emotional Freedom
      Techniques (EFT) practitioners' experiences of using EFT to support chronic
      disease patients. This was part of a larger study exploring chronic disease
      patients' and EFT practitioners' experiences of using EFT to support chronic
      disease healthcare. METHODS: A qualitative approach was deemed suitable for this
      study. Eight practitioners were interviewed using semi-structured interviews via
      telephone or Zoom (an online video-conferencing platform). Interviews were
      transcribed verbatim and data was analyzed using Interpretative Phenomenological
      Analysis methodology. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION: This article presents two super
      ordinate themes which explore application of EFT for addressing emotional issues
      faced by chronic disease patients, and for management of physical symptoms,
      respectively. Chronic disease patients may benefit from a holistic
      biopsychosocial, patient-centered healthcare approach. EFT offers potential as a
      technique that may be used by health practitioners to support the psychosocial
      aspect of chronic disease healthcare. Implications for Rehabilitation
      Rehabilitation professionals should incorporate suitable psychological
      interventions (e.g., EFT) to improve coping and acceptance in physical chronic
      disease patients and alleviate their fears about the future. Rehabilitation
      professionals are also recommended to address in chronic disease patients, long
      standing or unresolved emotional issues, including past traumas from early life,
      using EFT or another suitable intervention. Rehabilitation professionals should
      help improve patients' emotional states using EFT to enhance physical symptom
      management.

PMID- 28345430
TI  - Planning for sedentary behaviour interventions: office workers' survey and focus
      group responses.
AB  - AIMS: As sedentary behaviour is becoming more prominent in office-based work
      environments, this study aimed to explore office workers' perceptions of
      sedentary behaviour, explore potential behavioural strategies to reduce sedentary
      behaviour in the workplace and identify barriers which may hamper behaviour
      change. METHODS: A total of 140 office workers were recruited and surveyed from
      the same workplace. The survey included questions regarding perceptions of the
      relationship between sitting time and health. Following the survey, 12 employees
      also participated in focus groups to identify potential sedentary behaviour
      intervention strategies and barriers. The responses from the survey and focus
      groups were thematically analysed. RESULTS: In total, 88% of all participants
      surveyed agreed that there was a relationship between sitting time and their
      health. The most prominent theme identified was musculoskeletal complaints
      followed by general health and weight gain or obesity. The focus groups
      identified that interventions targeting reducing sitting time should include
      education, supportive and knowledgeable managers, and a variety of behaviour
      change strategies to address individual preferences and barriers. CONCLUSION:
      Multiple behavioural strategies were identified, which appear to be appropriate
      for sedentary behaviour change.

PMID- 28345429
TI  - Uric acid therapy improves the outcomes of stroke patients treated with
      intravenous tissue plasminogen activator and mechanical thrombectomy.
AB  - Background Numerous neuroprotective drugs have failed to show benefit in the
      treatment of acute ischemic stroke, making the search for new treatments
      imperative. Uric acid is an endogenous antioxidant making it a drug candidate to
      improve stroke outcomes. Aim To report the effects of uric acid therapy in stroke
      patients receiving intravenous thrombolysis and mechanical thrombectomy. Methods
      Forty-five patients with proximal vessel occlusions enrolled in the URICO-ICTUS
      trial received intravenous recombinant tissue plasminogen activator within 4.5 h
      after stroke onset and randomized to intravenous 1000 mg uric acid or placebo
      (NCT00860366). These patients also received mechanical thrombectomy because a
      brain computed tomogaphy angiography confirmed the lack of proximal
      recanalization at the end of systemic thrombolysis. The primary outcome was good
      functional outcome at 90 days (modified Rankin Score 0-2). Safety outcomes
      included mortality, symptomatic intracerebral bleeding, and gout attacks. Results
      The rate of successful revascularization was >80% in the uric acid and the
      placebo groups but good functional outcome was observed in 16 out of 24 (67%)
      patients treated with uric acid and 10 out of 21 (48%) treated with placebo
      (adjusted Odds Ratio, 6.12 (95% CI 1.08-34.56)). Mortality was observed in two
      out of 24 (8.3%) patients treated with uric acid and one out of 21 (4.8%) treated
      with placebo (adjusted Odds Ratio, 3.74 (95% CI 0.06-226.29)). Symptomatic
      cerebral bleeding and gout attacks were similar in both groups. Conclusions Uric
      acid therapy was safe and improved stroke outcomes in stroke patients receiving
      intravenous thrombolysis followed by thrombectomy. Validation of this simple
      strategy in a larger trial is urgent.

PMID- 28345428
TI  - Induction of T-Cell Infiltration and Programmed Death Ligand 2 Expression by
      Adeno-Associated Virus in Rhesus Macaque Skeletal Muscle and Modulation by
      Prednisone.
AB  - Use of adeno-associated virus (AAV) to transduce genes into skeletal muscles can
      be associated with T-cell responses to viral capsid and/or to transgenic protein.
      Intramuscular mononuclear cell infiltrates primarily consisting of CD8+ T cells
      and also containing FOXP3+ regulatory T cells were present in rhesus macaque
      skeletal muscle treated with rAAVrh74.MCK.GALGT2 by vascular delivery.
      Administration of oral prednisone prior to AAV gene delivery and throughout the
      study reduced such infiltrates by 60% at 24 weeks post AAV delivery compared with
      AAV-treated animals not receiving prednisone, regardless of the presence of pre
      existing AAV serum antibodies at the time of treatment. The majority of CD8+ T
      cells in AAV-treated muscles expressed activated caspase 3 and programmed cell
      death protein 1 (PD1), suggesting ongoing programmed cell death. AAV-transduced
      skeletal muscles also had elevated expression of programmed death ligand 2 (PDL2)
      on skeletal myofibers, and this increase in expression extended to muscles where
      transgene was not overexpressed. These data demonstrate that prednisone can
      reduce the extent of intramuscular T-cell infiltrates in AAV-treated muscles,
      which may aid in achieving long-term transgene expression, as may the induction
      of PDL2 expression on skeletal myofibers to promote PD1-mediated programmed T
      cell death.

PMID- 28345431
TI  - Collaterals 2016: Translating the collaterome around the globe.
AB  - Collaterals 2016 (third International Symposium on Collaterals to the Brain) was
      a multidisciplinary scientific conference focused on collateral circulation in
      acute ischemic stroke. Decisive challenges include generalizability of optimal
      triage and selection paradigms based on collateral status for definitive
      treatment of acute ischemic stroke, rapid dissemination of expert methods, and
      the urgent need to leverage networking opportunities for stroke science related
      to the hemodynamics of collaterals. The collaterome, or individual capacity to
      offset ischemia in the brain, and determination of a favorable collateral profile
      have become pivotal factors in consideration of the precision medicine of stroke
      decision-making. The conference convened over 50 invited faculty from around the
      world to connect on-site participants at a state-of-the-art facility with remote
      audiences in more than 22 countries and regions. The 21/2-day program was
      structured into 40-min sessions devoted to key issues in translating the
      collaterome in acute stroke therapy across the globe. This unique forum of
      expertise emphasized the timely impact of collaterals on a monumental scale,
      encouraging maximal participation, rapid diffusion and added value of a diverse
      networking resource. The meeting format established a model geographical
      framework and innovative videoconferencing platform for future scientific
      conferences.

PMID- 28345432
TI  - Utero-placental perfusion Doppler indices in growth restricted fetuses: effect of
      sildenafil citrate.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: To assess efficacy and tolerability of sildenafil citrate on utero
      placental blood flow and fetal growth in pregnancies complicated by fetal growth
      restriction (FGR). METHODS: From March 2015, a randomized controlled trial of 54
      patients at 24 weeks or more complicated by FGR and abnormal Doppler indices were
      randomly allocated 1:1 into an intervention arm (receive sildenafil citrate, 50
      mg) or a control arm (receive placebo). The primary outcomes were changes
      occurred in the Doppler parameters 2 h following drug administration. RESULTS:
      Baseline characteristics were similar between groups. Significant difference was
      observed in the Delta uterine and umbilical Doppler indices among sildenafil
      group as compared to placebo group (p < 0.001). Middle cerebral Doppler indices,
      however, decreased significantly after sildenafil, which could be the result of
      shifting more blood to improve the utero-placental perfusion. No difference
      regarding Delta cerebro-placental ratio among both groups (p = 0.979). Sildenafil
      was also associated with pregnancy prolongation (p = .0001), increased
      gestational age at delivery (p = .004), improved neonatal weight (p = .0001), and
      less admission to neonatal intensive care unit (p = .03). No adverse effects
      reported in both treatment arms. CONCLUSION: Sildenafil citrate, by its
      vasodilator effect, can improve utero-placental blood flow in pregnancies
      complicated by FGR and abnormal Doppler. CLINICAL TRIAL: gov Registry:
      NCT02362399.

PMID- 28345433
TI  - The contextual malleability of approach-avoidance training effects: approaching
      or avoiding fear conditioned stimuli modulates effects of approach-avoidance
      training.
AB  - Previous research showed that the repeated approaching of one stimulus and
      avoiding of another stimulus typically leads to more positive evaluations of the
      former stimuli. In the current study, we examined whether approach and avoidance
      training (AAT) effects on evaluations of neutral stimuli can be modulated by
      introducing a regularity between the approach-avoidance actions and a positive or
      negative (feared) stimulus. In an AAT task, participants repeatedly approached
      one neutral non-word and avoided another neutral non-word. Half of the
      participants also approached a negative fear-conditioned stimulus (CS+) and
      avoided a conditioned safe stimulus (CS-). The other half of the participants
      avoided the CS+ and approached the CS-. Whereas participants in the avoid CS+
      condition exhibited a typical AAT effect, participants in the approach CS+
      condition exhibited a reversed AAT effect (i.e. they evaluated the approached
      neutral non-word as more negative than the avoided non-word). These findings
      provide evidence for the malleability of the AAT effect when strongly valenced
      stimuli are approached or avoided. We discuss the practical and theoretical
      implications of our findings.

PMID- 28345434
TI  - Effect of Diabetes Treatment-Related Attributes on Costs to Type 2 Diabetes
      Patients in a Real-World Population.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) results in a substantial economic
      burden on patients, health care systems, and society. Most literature assessing
      the cost of T2DM focuses on the long-term complications of the disease, the
      association between glucose control and cost, and patient characteristics
      resulting in poor and costly outcomes. However, it is likely that attributes
      specific to diabetes therapy can affect the use of costly resources. OBJECTIVE:
      To estimate the effect of diabetes treatment-related attributes, such as improved
      efficacy, adherence, and reduced risk for hypoglycemia, on costs to T2DM
      patients. METHODS: An observational, retrospective study was conducted using the
      Optum Clinformatics Database, which links medical and pharmacy claims to
      laboratory results. Patients aged >= 18 years with T2DM who had >= 1 antidiabetic
      medication claim; >= 1 hemoglobin A1c (A1c) test result; continuous enrollment in
      the health plan from April 1, 2010, to March 31, 2011; and at least 1 follow-up
      day were included. Nondiabetes specific total, inpatient, outpatient, emergency
      room, and other costs (along with antidiabetes medication costs) were defined for
      each patient. Generalized linear models with logarithm link were used to predict
      the 1-year and cumulative 3-year costs. Demographic factors and comorbidities
      were included as covariates in addition to the diabetes treatment-related
      attributes. RESULTS: In the entire analysis cohort, the average 3-year cost per
      patient was $74,862. The percentage effect on cost of diabetes treatment-related
      variables ranged from -18% to 429%. Drug adherence was associated with lower
      inpatient, outpatient, and emergency room costs and higher drug costs.
      Hypoglycemia was associated with higher inpatient, outpatient, emergency room,
      and other direct costs (except antidiabetic drug costs). Compared with A1c values
      <= 7%, patients with higher levels were associated with higher total and drug
      costs. CONCLUSIONS: Study results demonstrate the association between diabetes
      treatment-related attributes and costs, including inpatient, outpatient, drug,
      and total costs. This association raises the question: what would the effect of a
      new diabetes therapy, with high efficacy, high adherence, and reduced risk of
      hypoglycemia have on economic outcomes? DISCLOSURES: Funding from Sanofi
      supported this study. Tong was an employee of ProUnlimited, under contract with
      Sanofi during the time of the study. Kitio-Dschassi was a Sanofi employee at time
      of the analysis. Meng, Casciano, Stern, and Gultyaev are employees of LASER
      Analytica, which received research funds from Sanofi to conduct this database
      analysis. Lee was an employee at LASER Analytica at the time of the analysis and
      has received grants from Sanofi. This manuscript was presented as a poster at the
      American Diabetes Association, 76th Scientific Sessions; New Orleans, Louisiana;
      June 10-14, 2016. Study concept and design were contributed by Meng, Casciano,
      Gultyaev, and Kitio-Dschassi. Meng and Stern collected the data, and data
      interpretation was performed by Casciano, Lee, Tong, and Kitio-Dschassi. The
      manuscript was written primarily by Lee, along with Meng and Stern, and revised
      by Stern, Meng, Tong, Kitio-Dschassi, and Lee.

PMID- 28345435
TI  - Predicting Adherence and Persistence with Oral Bisphosphonate Therapy in an
      Integrated Health Care Delivery System.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Examining drug exposure is essential to pharmacovigilance, especially
      for bisphosphonate (BP) therapy. OBJECTIVE: To examine differences in 4 measures
      of oral BP exposure: treatment discontinuation, adherence, persistence, and
      nonpersistence. METHODS: Among women aged >= 50 years who initiated oral BP
      therapy during 2002-2007 with at least 3 years of health plan membership follow
      up, discontinuation was defined by evidence of no further treatment during the
      study observation period. Among those with at least 2 filled BP prescriptions
      during the study period, adherence was calculated for each year of follow-up
      using the (modified) proportion of days covered (mPDC) metric that allows for
      stockpiling of prescription/refills overlap <= 30 days supply. Persistence was
      quantified by treatment duration, allowing a gap of up to 60 days between
      prescription/refill days covered. Nonpersistence was quantified by the periods
      without drugs outside this allowable gap. Multivariable logistic regression was
      used to compare age and race groups and the relationships of early adherence
      (adherence during the first year) with subsequent adherence. RESULTS: Among
      48,390 women initiating oral BP therapy and followed for 3 years, 26.7%
      discontinued in year 1, and 14.7% of the remaining 35,456 women discontinued in
      year 2. Discontinuation rates were slightly higher (29.4%, P < 0.001) for women
      aged >= 75 years and somewhat lower (21.1%, P < 0.001) for Asian women. During
      the first year, 60.4% of the women achieved an mPDC of >= 75%, with demographic
      differences in adherence similar to that seen for treatment discontinuation. Over
      the 3 years, the median mPDC levels for BP therapy were 86%, 84%, and 85% in
      years 1, 2, and 3, respectively, for those receiving treatment. Cumulative
      persistence was 2.3 years (median, IQR = 1.0-3.0) overall and slightly greater
      for Asian versus white women and lower for older women. There were 18,174 (42.9%)
      women with at least 1 period of nonpersistence during 3 years follow-up in excess
      of the 60-day allowable gap between prescription/refills (median cumulative
      nonpersistence = 0.65, IQR = 0.30-1.25 years). Women with mPDC >= 75% during the
      first year had a 12-fold and 6-fold increased odds of mPDC >= 75% during year 2
      and year 3, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: BP discontinuation rates are highest for
      women during the first year. Among those continuing treatment in subsequent
      years, adherence rates were relatively stable. Persistence and adherence varied
      slightly by age and was somewhat higher in Asians, contributing to differences in
      cumulative BP exposure. We also found evidence that optimal adherence in the
      first year was highly predictive of optimal adherence in the subsequent 1-2
      years. Hence, subgroups of patients receiving oral BP drugs may require different
      levels of support and monitoring to maximize treatment benefit, especially based
      on early patterns of use. DISCLOSURES: This study was supported by grants from
      the Kaiser Permanente Northern California Community Benefit Program and the
      National Institutes of Health, 1R01AG047230-01A1. The opinions expressed in this
      publication are solely the responsibility of the authors and do not represent the
      official views of Kaiser Permanente or the National Institutes of Health. Hui,
      Yi, and Chandra have received past research funding from Amgen not related to the
      current study. Adams has received research funding from Amgen, Merck, and Otsuka
      not related to the current study. Niu has received research funding from Bristol
      Myers Squibb not related to the current study. Ettinger has received past legal
      fees in litigation involving Fosamax. Lo has received past research funding from
      Amgen and current research funding from Sanofi not related to the current study.
      The data from this study were presented at the Academy of Managed Care Pharmacy
      Annual Meeting; April 19-22, 2016; San Francisco, California. Study concept and
      design were contributed primarily by Hui and Lo, along with Adams, Niu, Yi, and
      Ettinger. Hui took the lead in data collection, along with Chandra, and data
      interpretation was performed by Niu, Yi, and Lo, along with the other authors.
      The manuscript was written by Hui, Adams, and Lo, along with Niu, Yi, and
      Ettinger, and revised by Ettinger, Hui, Lo, and Niu, along with the other
      authors.

PMID- 28345436
TI  - Characterizing Health Care Utilization, Direct Costs, and Comorbidities
      Associated with Interstitial Cystitis: A Retrospective Claims Analysis.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Interstitial cystitis (IC) is a debilitating condition that affects
      up to 5% of the U.S. POPULATION: This condition is characterized by bladder pain,
      urinary urgency and frequency, nocturia, and, in some patients, bladder lesions
      called Hunner's lesions (HL). IC patients who have HL experience a clinical
      course that is distinct from those without HL and, as a result, respond
      differently to existing treatments. Without effective and lasting therapeutic
      options, IC patients are expected to experience a reduced quality of life and be
      a significant economic burden. Previous research describing the burden of IC is
      not only outdated but lacks stratification by HL. OBJECTIVES: To (a) characterize
      health care utilization, direct costs, and comorbidities associated with IC and
      (b) elucidate differences between patients with and without HL. METHODS: A
      retrospective analysis was conducted using health care claims from the Truven
      Health MarketScan Research Databases. Adults with an incident IC diagnosis
      between 2009 and 2014 were identified and matched 1:4 to non-IC patients on age,
      gender, and geographic region. Health care utilization, direct costs, and
      comorbidities during the first 12 months after diagnosis were compared between
      the 2 groups, as well as between IC subgroups with and without HL. Associations
      were evaluated after adjustment for potential confounders using regression
      models. RESULTS: A total of 24,836 IC patients were identified and matched to
      99,344 non-IC patients. Patients were predominantly female (92%), with a mean age
      of 49.0 (SD = 15.3) years. IC patients used significantly more health care
      resources across all categories compared with non-IC patients. On average, having
      IC was associated with $7,223 higher total health care costs than not having IC
      (95% CI = $6,650-$7,796), with outpatient costs contributing to 71% of the
      difference, after adjusting for baseline age, gender, region, insurance type,
      plan type, and Charlson Comorbidity Index (CCI) score. The odds of developing
      select comorbidities were 2.61 times greater in IC patients compared with non-IC
      patients (95% CI = 2.52-2.70), adjusting for baseline age, sex, region, and CCI
      score. Among IC patients, the HL subgroup (n = 292) used more health care
      resources, and having HL was associated with $6,895 higher total health care
      costs compared with not having HL (95% CI = $3,770-$10,020) after adjusting for
      baseline age, gender, region, insurance type, and plan type. CONCLUSIONS:
      Findings suggest that patients with IC have significantly higher health care
      utilization, costs, and comorbidities compared with non-IC patients. This
      economic burden is further amplified in those with HL. DISCLOSURES: Funding for
      this study was contributed by Allergan. Tung was supported by a training grant
      from Allergan at the time of this study. Hepp was an Allergan employee at the
      time this study was conducted. The other authors have nothing to disclose. This
      research was previously presented, in part, as a poster presentation at the
      International Society for Pharmacoeconomics and Outcomes Research 21st Annual
      International Meeting; Washington, DC; May 23, 2016. Study concept and design
      were primarily contributed by Hepp, along with Tung and Devine. Tung took the
      lead in data collection, with assistance from Hepp, and data interpretation was
      performed by Tung, along with Bansal and Devine. The manuscript was prepared
      primarily by Tung, along with Devine, Bansal, and Hepp.

PMID- 28345438
TI  - CORRECTIONS.

PMID- 28345437
TI  - Clinical Profile, Dosing, and Quality-of-Life Outcomes in Primary Immune
      Deficiency Patients Treated at Home with Immunoglobulin G: Data from the IDEaL
      Patient Registry.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Patients with primary immune deficiency (PID) often require
      immunoglobulin G (IgG, commonly referred to as Ig) replacement therapy to prevent
      infections and associated comorbidities. Ig therapy can be given either through
      intravenous or subcutaneous routes, and both can be done in the home setting.
      There is limited information available on the real-world diagnosis, management,
      and outcomes of this patient population, given the variable disease presentation
      and treatment options. The Immunoglobulin Diagnosis, Evaluation, and key
      Learnings (IDEaL) Patient Registry is designed to capture nursing, pharmacy, and
      patient-reported data for patients receiving Ig at home. OBJECTIVES: To (a)
      present a real-world population of patients with PID who have received Ig at home
      and (b) examine how differences in administration, dosing, and insurance affect
      health and quality-of-life outcomes in these patients. METHODS: As of July 2015,
      383 patients receiving Ig therapy from Coram/CVS specialty infusion services,
      across multiple disease states, signed consent forms and enrolled in the IDEaL
      Patient Registry. Patients' referral paperwork, including lab values, and
      standard of care nursing and pharmacy follow-up forms were collected. Patients
      were mailed quality-of-life surveys at the time of enrollment and every 6 months
      after their enrollment. RESULTS: The most common diagnosis (78%) in these PID
      patients was common variable immunodeficiency (CVID). For Ig-naive adult
      patients, the average age at the start of treatment was 59 years. For pediatric
      patients, average age at start of treatment was 9 years. A majority of these PID
      patients (80%) received subcutaneous Ig (SCIg) at home, and 20% received
      intravenous Ig (IVIg). The average SCIg dose was 10 grams per week, or 130 mg per
      kg, and the average IVIg dose was 36 grams every 4 weeks, or 472 mg per kg. In
      the IVIg patient population, 34% had a dose or frequency change while on
      treatment, while 30% of the SCIg patients had a dose or frequency change. Patient
      reported health and quality-of-life scores were generally positive. Route of
      administration did not affect patient perception of cost (P = 0.171), but whether
      the patient had private or government-backed health care did affect perception of
      cost (P = 0.036). CONCLUSIONS: For a disease state with an extremely variable
      presentation, data from the IDEaL Patient Registry provides further insights into
      the real-world clinical and diagnostic characteristics of this population, as
      well as dosing and treatment outcomes of home administration of Ig therapy. The
      majority of patients received SCIg infusions. SCIg dosing was on the lower end of
      the recommended mg per kg dose range, while IVIg patients were more in the middle
      of the recommended dose range. Patient outcomes on treatment were correlated with
      baseline status, suggesting that earlier detection and treatment of primary
      immune deficiencies may be critical in achieving beneficial outcomes on Ig
      therapy. DISCLOSURES: No outside funding supported this study. Seidu was
      compensated by Coram Clinical Trials for acting as primary investigator and
      reviewing data. Study concept and design were contributed by all the authors.
      Kearns, Kristofek, and Kiles collected the data, and data interpretation was
      performed by Kearns, Seidu, and Kristofek, along with Bolgar. The manuscript was
      written and revised primarily by Kearns, along with Kristofek, Bolgar, and Seidu.

PMID- 28345439
TI  - Primary Nonadherence to Overactive Bladder Medications in an Integrated Managed
      Care Health Care System.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Treatment for overactive bladder (OAB) remains suboptimal, in part
      because of patient nonadherence to medications. Primary nonadherence is when
      patients fail to pick up their initial prescriptions. OBJECTIVE: To measure
      primary nonadherence to OAB medications within 30 days of a first OAB
      prescription order using electronic medical records from a U.S. managed care
      health care system METHODS: A retrospective cohort study was conducted using
      electronic medical records from the Kaiser Permanente Southern California (KPSC)
      database to identify patients with new OAB prescriptions between January 1, 2007,
      and December 31, 2013. The index date was defined as the first order of an OAB
      prescription. Patients had to be aged >= 18 years on the index date and were
      required to have 12 months of continuous membership with drug benefit eligibility
      before, during, and after the index date. Patients were defined as primary
      nonadherent if they did not pick up their new OAB prescriptions within 30 days of
      the order date. Descriptive statistics and a multivariable logistic regression
      analysis with backward selection were conducted to identify factors associated
      with patients who were primary nonadherent versus adherent. RESULTS: There were
      9,050 patients with a new OAB prescription order; 1,662 (18%) of these were
      primary nonadherent. Patients with primary nonadherence were younger in age (56.9
      [SD +/- 16.0] years vs. 63.9 [SD +/- 14.8] years; P < 0.001) and more likely to
      have commercial insurance (65.9% vs. 46.2%; P < 0.001). They also had lower mean
      Charlson Comorbidity Index (CCI) scores (1.99 vs. 2.70; P < 0.001), fewer OAB
      related comorbidities, fewer concomitant medications (P < 0.005), and fewer
      overall prescriptions dispensed in the previous 12 months (P < 0.001) compared
      with adherent patients. Significant factors such as commercial insurance (P =
      0.013), race other than white (P = 0.020), CCI = 0 versus CCI >= 2 (P = 0.001),
      urinary tract infections (P < 0.001), and falls (P = 0.047) were associated with
      a higher likelihood of primary nonadherence versus adherence. CONCLUSIONS: Nearly
      1 in 5 patients did not pick up their new OAB medications within 30 days of the
      order date. Knowledge of factors associated with primary nonadherence may inform
      strategies for improving management of OAB. DISCLOSURES: This study was supported
      by a research grant provided by Astellas Pharma Global Development. Rashid and
      Lin do not have any financial interests or potential conflict of interest with
      regard to the work. Vassilakis, Kristy, and Ng were employees of Astellas Pharma
      Global Development when this study was conducted. Study concept and design were
      contributed by Rashid and Ng, along with the other authors. Rashid and Lin
      collected the data, and data interpretation was performed by Rashid, Ng, and Lin,
      along with Vassilakis and Kristy. The manuscript was written by Rashid and Ng,
      along with Vassilakis and Lin, and revised by Rashid, Ng, and Lin.

PMID- 28345440
TI  - The Economic Burden of Opioid Abuse: Updated Findings.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Opioid pain relievers can be highly effective in providing relief for
      patients suffering from pain. At the same time, prescription opioid abuse,
      dependence, overdose, and poisoning (hereinafter "abuse") have become a national
      public health concern. Opioid abuse is also costly: previous estimates of the
      annual excess costs of opioid abuse to payers range from approximately $10,000 to
      $20,000 per patient. OBJECTIVES: To (a) provide a comprehensive, current estimate
      of the economic burden of opioid abuse to commercial payers and (b) explore the
      drivers of these excess costs of abuse. METHODS: Administrative claims from
      beneficiaries covered by large self-insured companies throughout the United
      States were used to identify patients diagnosed with opioid abuse, dependence,
      and overdose/poisoning ("abuse") between 2012 and 2015. Sample selection criteria
      identified patients most likely to be misusing opioids. Abusers and nonabuser
      controls were matched using propensity scores. Excess health care costs were
      assessed over the 18-month study period. Drivers of excess costs were then
      evaluated by place of service and medical condition (identified as 3-digit ICD-9
      CM groupings). RESULTS: 9,342 matched abuser/nonabuser pairs were analyzed.
      Relative to nonabusers, abusers had significantly higher annual health care
      resource utilization, leading to $14,810 in per-patient incremental annual health
      care costs. Excess costs began accumulating 5 months before the formal, incident
      diagnosis of abuse, driven by alcohol and nonopioid substance abuse. Major
      drivers of excess costs of abuse included opioid and other substance abuse
      disorders, mental health conditions, and painful conditions. Many patients had
      diagnoses for other substance abuse that predated their opioid abuse diagnoses.
      CONCLUSIONS: Opioid abuse imposes a substantial economic burden on payers and
      often occurs in the context of other substance abuse. Poly-substance abuse often
      precedes the diagnosis of opioid abuse. DISCLOSURES: This study was funded by
      Purdue Pharma. Mayne is an employee of Purdue Pharma. Kirson, Scarpati, and
      Birnbaum are employees of Analysis Group, which received funding from Purdue
      Pharma to conduct this study. Enloe and Dincer were employees of Analysis Group
      at the time this research was conducted. Study concept and design were
      contributed by Kirson, Birnbaum, Mayne, and Scarpati, along with Enloe and
      Dincer. Enloe and Dincer took the lead in data collection, along with Birnbaum
      and assisted by Kirson and Scarpati. Data interpretation was performed by all the
      authors. The manuscript was written and revised by Kirson and Scarpati, along
      with Mayne and Birnbaum.

PMID- 28345441
TI  - Prevalence and Cost of Subsequent Fractures Among U.S. Patients with an Incident
      Fracture.
AB  - BACKGROUND: The prevalence and cost of subsequent fractures among patients with
      an incident fracture are not well defined. OBJECTIVE: To assess the prevalence
      of, and costs associated with, subsequent fractures in the year after an incident
      fracture. METHODS: This was a retrospective claims database analysis using data
      from Humana Medicare Advantage claims (Medicare group) and Optum Insight
      Clinformatics Data Mart commercial claims (commercial group). Patients included
      in the study had a claim for a qualifying fracture occurring between January 2008
      and December 2013 (index fracture), were continuously enrolled in the health plan
      for >= 1 year before and after the index fracture, and were aged >= 65 years in
      the Medicare group or >= 50 years in the commercial group at the time of the
      index fracture. Subsequent fractures were identified by ICD-9-CM codes and were
      defined as the second fracture occurring >= 3 to <= 12 months after the index
      fracture (>= 6 to <= 12 months for fractures at the same site as the index
      fracture). Rates of subsequent fractures were calculated as the number of
      patients who had a subsequent fracture divided by the total sample size. After
      propensity matching of demographic and clinical variables, we determined the
      total medical and pharmacy costs accrued within 1 year of the index fracture by
      patients with and without a subsequent fracture. Health care costs were compared
      between patients with and without a subsequent fracture using McNemar's test.
      RESULTS: A total of 45,603 patients were included in the Medicare group, and
      54,145 patients were included in the commercial group. In the Medicare group,
      7,604 (16.7%) patients experienced a subsequent fracture. The proportion of
      patients with a subsequent fracture was highest among patients with multiple
      index fractures (26.2%, n = 905), followed by those with hip (25.5%, n = 1,280)
      and vertebral (20.2%, n = 1,908) index fractures. In the commercial group, 6,256
      (11.6%) patients experienced a subsequent fracture. The proportion of patients
      with a subsequent fracture paralleled those observed in the Medicare group: 24.5%
      (n = 808) in patients with multiple index fractures, 22.0% (n = 525) in those
      with hip fracture, and 14.5% (n = 841) in those with vertebral fracture. For
      vertebral, hip, and nonhip nonvertebral fractures, subsequent fractures were most
      frequently of the same type as the index fracture. The mean total health care
      cost (sum of medical and pharmacy costs) in the year following the incident
      fracture for the Medicare group was $27,844 and differed significantly between
      patients with and without a subsequent fracture ($34,897 vs. $20,790; P < 0.001).
      The mean total health care cost in the year following the incident fracture for
      the commercial group was $29,316 and also differed significantly between patients
      with and without a subsequent fracture ($39,501 vs. $19,131; P < 0.001).
      CONCLUSIONS: Among patients with an incident fracture, those who experienced a
      subsequent fracture in the following year had significantly higher health care
      costs than those who did not. A subsequent fracture is most likely to be of the
      same type as the initial fracture. DISCLOSURES: This study was funded by Merck &
      Co. Other than through the employer relationships disclosed here, Merck & Co did
      not have a role in the study design, data collection, interpretation of the data,
      in writing of the manuscript, or in the decision to submit the manuscript for
      publication. Weaver and Marvos are employees of Merck & Co. Sajjan was an
      employee of Merck & Co. and owned stock in the company at the time of the study.
      Lewiecki has received consulting and/or speaker honoraria from Merck, AbbVie,
      AgNovos Healthcare, Alexion Pharmaceuticals, Amgen, Eli Lilly and Company, Radius
      Health, Shire, and TheraNova. Lewiecki has received research grant support from
      Merck, Amgen, and Eli Lilly and Company and serves as a board member for the
      National Osteoporosis Foundation, the International Society for Clinical
      Densitometry, and the Osteoporosis Foundation of New Mexico. Harris has received
      consulting honoraria from Merck, Alexion Pharmaceuticals, Amgen, Eli Lilly and
      Company, Gilead Sciences, Primus Pharmaceuticals, and Radius Health. Study
      concept and design were contributed by Weave and Sajjan. Lewiecki collected the
      data, and data interpretation was performed by all the authors. The manuscript
      was written and revised by Weaver, Lewiecki, and Harris.

PMID- 28345442
TI  - Predicting 1-Year Statin Adherence Among Prevalent Users: A Retrospective Cohort
      Study.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Attempts to predict who is at risk of future nonadherence have
      largely focused on predictions at the time of therapy initiation; however, these
      users are only a small proportion of all patients on therapy at any point in
      time. Methods to predict nonadherence for established medication users, which
      have not been previously described in the literature, would be helpful to guide
      efforts to enhance the use of evidence-based therapies. OBJECTIVE: To test
      approaches for adherence prediction among prevalent statin users, namely the use
      of short-term filling behavior, investigator-specified predictors from medical
      and pharmacy administrative claims, and the empirical selection of potential
      predictors using the high-dimensional propensity score variable selection
      algorithm. METHODS: Medical and prescription claims data from a large national
      health insurer were used to create a cohort of patients who filled statin
      medication prescriptions in January 2012. We defined 6 groups of adherence
      predictors and estimated 10 main models to predict medication adherence in the
      full cohort. The same was done for the population stratified based on the days
      supply of the index statin prescription (<= 30 days vs. > 30 days). RESULTS: The
      study cohort consisted of 93,777 individuals, 58.4% of which were adherent to
      statins during follow-up. The use of 3 pre-index adherence predictors alone
      achieved a c-statistic of 0.70. Investigator-specified and empirically selected
      pharmacy, medical, and demographic variables did substantially worse (0.57-0.60).
      The use of 3 indicators of post-index adherence achieved a higher c-statistic
      than the best-performing model using pre-index information (0.74 vs. 0.72). The
      addition of 3 pre-index adherence predictors further improved discrimination
      (0.78). CONCLUSIONS: This analysis demonstrated the ability to predict adherence
      among medication users using filling behavior before and immediately after an
      index prescription fill. DISCLOSURES: This work was supported by an unrestricted
      grant from CVS Health to Brigham and Women's Hospital. Shrank, Brennan, and
      Matlin were employees and shareholders at CVS Health at the time of this
      manuscript preparation; they report no financial interests in products or
      services that are related to the subject of the manuscript. Franklin has received
      consulting fees from Aetion. Chourdry has received grants from the National
      Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, PhRMA Foundation, Merck, Sanofi, AstraZeneca,
      and MediSafe. Spettell is an employee of, and shareholder in, Aetna. The other
      authors have nothing to disclose. Krumme, Choudhry, Tong, and Franklin
      contributed to the study design, interpretation of results, and manuscript
      drafting. Tong prepared and analyzed the data. Isaman, Spettell, Shrank, Brennan,
      and Matlin provided interpretation of results and critical manuscript revisions.

PMID- 28345443
TI  - Economic Burden of Irritable Bowel Syndrome with Diarrhea: Retrospective Analysis
      of a U.S. Commercially Insured Population.
AB  - BACKGROUND: The economic burden associated with irritable bowel syndrome with
      diarrhea (IBS-D) is not well understood. OBJECTIVES: To (a) evaluate total annual
      all-cause, gastrointestinal (GI)-related, and symptom-related (i.e., IBS,
      diarrhea, abdominal pain) health care resource use and costs among IBS-D patients
      in a U.S. commercially insured population and (b) estimate incremental all-cause
      health care costs of IBS-D patients versus matched controls. METHODS: Patients
      aged >= 18 years with 12 months of continuous medical and pharmacy benefit
      eligibility in 2013 were identified from the Truven Health MarketScan research
      database. The study sample included patients with >= 1 medical claim with an
      International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision, Clinical Modification
      (ICD-9-CM) diagnosis code in any position for IBS (ICD-9-CM 564.1x) and either
      (a) >= 2 claims for diarrhea (ICD-9-CM 787.91, 564.5x) on different service dates
      in 2013, or (b) >= 1 claim for diarrhea plus >= 1 claim for abdominal pain (ICD-9
      CM 789.0x) on different service dates in 2013, or (c) >= 1 claim for diarrhea
      plus >= 1 pharmacy claim for a symptom-related prescription on different service
      dates in 2013. Controls included patients with no claims for IBS, diarrhea,
      abdominal pain, or symptom-related prescriptions in 2013. Controls were randomly
      selected and matched with IBS-D patients in a 1:1 ratio based on age (+/- 4
      years), gender, geographic location, and health plan type. All-cause health care
      resource utilization included medical and pharmacy claims for health care
      services associated with any condition. Total health care costs were defined as
      the sum of health plan-paid and patient-paid direct health care costs from
      prescriptions and medical services, including inpatient, emergency department
      (ED), and physician office visits, and other outpatient services. A total cost
      approach was used to assess all-cause, GI-related, and symptom-related health
      care costs for IBS-D patients. An incremental cost approach via generalized
      linear models was used to assess the excess all-cause costs attributable to IBS-D
      after adjusting for demographics and general and GI comorbidities. RESULTS: Of
      39,306 patients (n = 19,653 each for IBS-D and matched controls) included, mean
      (+/- SD) age was 47 (+/- 17) years and 76.5% were female. Compared with controls,
      IBS-D patients had a significantly higher mean annual number of hospitalizations,
      ED visits, office visits, and monthly (30-day) prescription fills. Mean annual
      all-cause health care costs for IBS-D patients were $13,038, with over half
      (58.4%) attributable to office visits and other outpatient services (e.g.,
      diagnostic tests and laboratory or radiology services), and remaining costs
      attributable to prescriptions (19.5%), inpatient admissions (13.6%), and ED
      visits (8.5%). GI-related ($3,817) and symptom-related ($1,693) costs were also
      primarily driven by other outpatient service costs. After adjusting for
      demographics and comorbidities, incremental annual all-cause costs associated
      with IBS-D were $2,268 ($9,436 for IBS-D patients vs. $7,169 for matched
      controls; P < 0.001) per patient/year, of which 78% were from medical costs and
      22% were from prescription costs. CONCLUSIONS: IBS-D was associated with a
      substantial burden in direct costs in this population. Compared with matched
      controls, IBS-D patients had greater medical service use and incurred
      significantly more annual all-cause health care costs, even after controlling for
      demographics and comorbidities. Incremental costs associated with IBS-D were
      primarily attributable to increased use of medical services rather than pharmacy
      costs. DISCLOSURES: This study was funded by Allergan. The authors received no
      compensation related to the development of the manuscript. Buono and Andrae are
      employees of Allergan. Mathur is an employee of Axtria. Averitt was an employee
      of Axtria at the time this study was conducted. Data from this manuscript have
      previously been presented in poster format by Buono at the American College of
      Gastroenterology Annual Scientific Meeting; Honolulu, Hawaii; October 16-21,
      2015. Mathur and Averitt were involved in conducting the study analyses. All
      authors were involved in the study design, interpretation of the data, and
      preparation of the manuscript. The authors take full responsibility for the
      scope, direction, and content of the manuscript and have approved the submitted
      manuscript.

PMID- 28345444
TI  - Budgetary Impact of Cabazitaxel Use After Docetaxel Treatment for Metastatic
      Castration-Resistant Prostate Cancer.
AB  - BACKGROUND: With the approval of several new treatments for metastatic castration
      resistant prostate cancer (mCRPC), budgetary impact is a concern for health plan
      decision makers. Budget impact models (BIMs) are becoming a requirement in many
      countries as part of formulary approval or reimbursement decisions. Cabazitaxel
      is a second-generation taxane developed to overcome resistance to docetaxel and
      is approved for the treatment of patients with mCRPC previously treated with a
      docetaxel-containing regimen. OBJECTIVE: To estimate a 1-year projected budget
      impact of varying utilization rates of cabazitaxel as a second-line treatment for
      mCRPC following docetaxel, using a hypothetical U.S. private managed care plan
      with 1 million members. METHODS: A BIM was developed to evaluate costs for
      currently available treatment options for patients with mCRPC previously treated
      with docetaxel. Treatments included in the model were cabazitaxel, abiraterone
      acetate, enzalutamide, and radium-223, with utilization rates derived from market
      research data. Medication costs were calculated according to published pricing
      benchmarks factored by dosing and duration of therapy as stated in the
      prescribing information for each agent. Published rates and costs of grade 3-4
      adverse events were also factored into the model. In addition, the model reports
      budget impact under 2 scenarios. In the first base-case scenario, patient out-of
      pocket costs were subtracted from the total cost of treatment. In the second
      scenario, all treatment costs were assumed to be paid by the plan. RESULTS: In a
      hypothetical 1 million-member health plan population, 100 patients were estimated
      to receive second-line treatment for mCRPC after treatment with docetaxel. Using
      current utilization rates for the 4 agents of interest, the base-case scenario
      estimated the cost of second-line treatment after docetaxel to be $6,331,704, or
      $0.528 per member per month (PMPM). In a scenario where cabazitaxel use increases
      from the base-rate case of 24% to a hypothetical rate of 33%, the PMPM cost would
      decrease to $0.524, reflecting a cost saving of $0.004 PMPM and equating to
      incremental savings of $49,546, or $497 per patient per year (PPPY). In the
      second scenario, when out-of-pocket costs were not considered, the cost of second
      line treatment after docetaxel was estimated as $6,733,594, or $0.561 PMPM. With
      a hypothetical increase in cabazitaxel use (24%-33%), the PMPM cost would
      decrease to $0.554, reflecting savings of $0.007 PMPM and equating to incremental
      savings of $86,136, or $864 PPPY. The primary driver of cost savings with
      increased cabazitaxel use was lower acquisition cost. One-way sensitivity
      analyses revealed that the model results were robust over a wide range of input
      values (utilization, prevalence, and population parameters). CONCLUSIONS: In the
      presented BIM, an increase in cabazitaxel use is expected to result in modest
      cost savings to the health plan. Patient coinsurance savings may also be realized
      based on applicable Medicare Part B and Part D calculations. This BIM presents an
      objective, comprehensive, robust, and user-adaptable tool that health plans and
      medical decision makers may use to evaluate potential economic impact of
      formulary and reimbursement decisions. DISCLOSURES: Research and analysis were
      funded by Sanofi US. The sponsor had the opportunity to review the final draft;
      however, the authors were responsible for all content and editorial decisions.
      Flannery, Drea, Hudspeth, and Miao are employees of Sanofi. Miao is an owner of
      stock in Sanofi. Corman, Gao, and Xue are employees of Pharmerit International
      and served as consultants to Sanofi during this study. All authors contributed to
      study design and data collection and analysis. The manuscript was written by
      Flannery, along with the other authors, and revised by all the authors.

PMID- 28345445
TI  - The Role of Patient Financial Assistance Programs in Reducing Costs for Cancer
      Patients.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Limited transparency exists regarding eligibility and benefits for
      patient financial assistance programs (PAPs). OBJECTIVE: To describe oral
      anticancer medication costs, insurance coverage, and the degree of financial
      assistance provided by PAPs. METHODS: This was a retrospective study of
      prescription anticancer medication costs and PAP coverage. The study used data
      from an academic cancer center's specialty pharmacy. Medication, cost, and
      coverage data were collected from the specialty pharmacy database for
      prescriptions filled from January 2013 to November 2015. Prescriptions with
      missing copayments, insurance, or financial assistance amounts were excluded.
      Descriptive statistics summarized prescription characteristics. RESULTS: Of 9,388
      anticancer medication prescriptions filled, 8,212 (87%) had complete cost data
      and were included. The 5 most common medications prescribed were capecitabine
      (20%), temozolomide (13%), enzalutamide (10%), letrozole (6%), and tamoxifen
      (4%). Most prescriptions were covered by commercial insurance or Part D (41.6%, n
      = 3,418). The median copayment was $20 per prescription (interquartile range
      [IQR] = $10.00-$80.30). When considering all prescriptions that received PAP
      assistance, the median amount of financial assistance provided by PAPs per
      prescription was $411.0 (IQR = $302.80-$523.40), amounting to 15% of the median
      prescription cash price. When considering all prescriptions, the median amount of
      financial assistance provided by PAPs per prescription was $0, and the mean was
      $79.30 (SD = $389.90). CONCLUSIONS: A minority of prescriptions received
      financial assistance from PAPs. The proportion of financial assistance was small
      relative to the price billed to insurance. PAPs play a modest role in reducing
      anticancer prescription-related costs. DISCLOSURES: Support of this project by
      The Duke Biostatistics Core was made possible by Grant Number UL1TR001117 from
      the National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences (NCATS), a component of
      the National Institutes of Health (NIH), and NIH Roadmap for Medical Research.
      Zullig is supported by a VA Health Services Research and Development (HSR&D)
      Career Development Award (CDA 13-025). Zullig also reports a financial
      relationship with Novartis. Zafar reports financial relationships with Novartis,
      Genentech-Roche, and Vivor. Vlastelica, Shankaran, and Wolf have nothing to
      disclose. The views in this article are those of the authors and do not
      necessarily represent the views of the Department of Veterans Affairs, Duke
      University, NCATS, or NIH. This abstract was previously presented at the 2016
      ASCO Annual Meeting; Chicago, Illinois; June 3-7, 2016. Study concept and design
      were contributed by Zafar, Zullig, and Vlastelica, with assistance from
      Shankaran. Vlastelica and Wolf took the lead in data collection, along with
      Zafar, and data interpretation was performed by Zullig, Zafar, and Wolf, along
      with Vlastelica and Shankaran. The manuscript was written and revised by Zullig
      and Zafar, along with the other authors.

PMID- 28345446
TI  - Inter-species comparative antioxidant assay and HPTLC analysis of sakuranetin in
      the chloroform and ethanol extracts of aerial parts of Rhus retinorrhoea and Rhus
      tripartita.
AB  - CONTEXT: Extensive research on Rhus (Anacardiaceae) shows their antioxidant
      potential, which warrants further evaluation of its other species. OBJECTIVE: To
      perform a comparative antioxidant assay on extracts of R. retinorrhoea and R.
      tripartita, including sakuranetin quantification by a validated HPTLC method.
      MATERIALS AND METHODS: In vitro antioxidant assay was performed on chloroform and
      ethanol extracts of R. retinorrhoea Steud. ex Oliv. (RRCE and RREE) and R.
      tripartita (Ucria) Grande (RTCE and RTEE) by DPPH radical scavenging (at 31.25,
      62.5, 125, 250 and 500 MUg/mL concentrations) and beta-carotene-linoleic acid
      bleaching methods at 500 MUg/mL concentration. Densitometric HPTLC method was
      developed and validated using toluene: ethyl acetate: methanol (8:2:0.2; v/v/v)
      as mobile phase, executed on glass-backed silica gel F254 plate and scanned at
      292 nm. RESULTS: Antioxidant activity of Rhus extracts tested by the two methods
      (DPPH/BCB) was found in order of RTEE > RREE > RTCE > RRCE with IC50
      118.67/256.26, 315.75/82.35, 827.92/380.0 and 443.69/292.75, respectively.
      Scanning of the HPTLC plate provided an intense peak of sakuranetin at Rf = 0.59.
      The estimated sakuranetin content in the dry weight of the extracts was highest
      in RREE (27.95 MUg/mg) followed by RRCE (25.22 MUg/mg), RTEE (0.487 MUg/mg) and
      RTCE (0.0 MUg/mg). Presence of sakuranetin in RREE, RRCE and RTEE supported the
      highest antioxidant property of the two Rhus species. Nonetheless, low
      sakuratenin in R. tripartita indicated the presence of other bioactive
      constituents responsible for synergistic antioxidant activity. CONCLUSION: The
      developed HPTLC method therefore guarantees its application in quality control of
      commercialized herbal drugs and formulations containing sakuranetin.

PMID- 28345447
TI  - Urea enhances cell lysis of Schizosaccharomyces pombe ura4 mutants.
AB  - Cell lysis is induced in Schizosaccharomyces pombe ?ura4 cells grown in YPD
      medium, which contains yeast extract, polypeptone, and glucose. To identify the
      medium components that induce cell lysis, we first tested various kinds of yeast
      extracts from different suppliers. Cell lysis of ?ura4 cells on YE medium was
      observed when yeast extracts from OXOID, BD, Oriental, and Difco were used, but
      not when using yeast extract from Kyokuto. To determine which compounds induced
      cell lysis, we subjected yeast extract and polypeptone to GC-MS analysis. Ten
      kinds of compounds were detected in OXOID and BD yeast extracts, but not in
      Kyokuto yeast extract. Among them was urea, which was also present in
      polypeptone, and it clearly induced cell lysis. Deletion of the ure2 gene, which
      is responsible for utilizing urea, abolished the lytic effect of urea. The effect
      of urea was suppressed by deletion of pub1, and a similar phenotype was observed
      in the presence of polypeptone. Thus, urea is an inducer of cell lysis in S.
      pombe ?ura4 cells.

PMID- 28345449
TI  - Biocompatibility of PCL/PLGA-BCP porous scaffold for bone tissue engineering
      applications.
AB  - In this study, biomimic porous polycaprolactone/poly (lactide-co-glycolide)
      loading biphasic tricalcium phosphate (PCL/PLGA-BCP) scaffolds were fabricated
      successfully by solvent evaporation method. The distribution of biphasic
      tricalcium phosphate (BCP) in polycaprolactone/poly (lactide-co-glycolide)
      (PCL/PLGA) scaffold was confirmed by micro-computed tomography (micro-CT)
      scanning, scanning electron microscope (SEM) observation and Energy-dispersive X
      ray Spectroscopy (EDS) analysis. The hydrophilicity of the scaffolds was
      confirmed by contact angle measurement. In in vitro experiments, proliferation of
      human bone marrow mesenchymal stem cell (hBMSCs) and its osteoblastic
      differentiation on scaffold were assessed for 1, 2 and 3 weeks using 3-(4,5
      dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay, fluorescence
      observation, hematoxylin & eosin (H&E) staining and real-time polymerase chain
      reaction (RT-PCR). In in vivo experiments, ossification was observed using micro
      CT analysis and histological staining.

PMID- 28345450
TI  - Erratum.
AB  - Weber, K. (2017). Differences in Types and Incidence of Neoplasms in Wistar Han
      and Sprague-Dawley Rats. J Toxicol Pathol45, 64-75. (Original DOI:
      10.1177/0192623316672075) In the January 2017 issue of Toxicologic Pathology, a
      number of in text Table citations were incorrectly labeled. The following are the
      sentences with corrected Table number (this has also been corrected in the online
      version): Many fewer neoplasms are recorded for the endocrine pancreas compared
      with islet cell tumor incidences (Table 3). The data presented in Table 4 are
      consistent with the high incidences mentioned for keratoacanthomas by various
      authors for SD (M. Chandra, Riley, and Johnson 1992; Nakazawa et al. 2001) and
      Wistar (Poteracki and Walsh 1998) rats. Mammary gland neoplasms are considered a
      major cause of morbidity/death (Weber et al. 2011; Table 6). The most common
      tumor in male F344 rats is the interstitial (Leydig) cell tumor at a mean
      incidence of 81% (Mitsumori and Elwell 1998; NTP 2010) but is also reported to
      reach almost 100% (Nolte et al. 2010; Table 6). Incidences at >0.5% are only
      reported for granulosa cell tumors or theca granulosa cell tumors, and the
      highest incidences are noted in Wistar strains (Table 7). Stromal sarcoma and
      leiomyoma were noted also at incidences >0.5% (Table 9). In Table 9, adenomas of
      the pars intermedia and anterior are combined due to the fact that several
      pathologists did not differentiate between these tumor types.

PMID- 28345451
TI  - The impact of advanced proteomics in the search for markers and therapeutic
      targets of bladder cancer.
AB  - Bladder cancer is the most common cancer of the urinary tract and can be avoided
      through proper surveillance and monitoring. Several genetic factors are known to
      contribute to the progression of bladder cancer, many of which produce molecules
      that serve as cancer biomarkers. Blood, urine, and tissue are commonly analyzed
      for the presence of biomarkers, which can be derived from either the nucleus or
      the mitochondria. Recent advances in proteomics have facilitated the high
      throughput profiling of data generated from bladder cancer-related proteins or
      peptides in parallel with high sensitivity and specificity, providing a wealth of
      information for biomarker discovery and validation. However, the transmission of
      screening results from one laboratory to another remains the main disadvantage of
      these methods, a fact that emphasizes the need for consistent and standardized
      procedures as suggested by the Human Proteome Organization. This review
      summarizes the latest discoveries and progress of biomarker identification for
      the early diagnosis, projected prognosis, and therapeutic response of bladder
      cancer, informs the readers of the current status of proteomic-based biomarker
      findings, and suggests avenues for future work.

PMID- 28345452
TI  - l-Glutamine supplementation promotes an improved energetic balance in Walker-256
      tumor-bearing rats.
AB  - We evaluated the effects of supplementation with oral l-glutamine in Walker-256
      tumor-bearing rats. A total of 32 male Wistar rats aged 54 days were randomly
      divided into four groups: rats without Walker-256 tumor, that is, control rats (C
      group); control rats supplemented with l-glutamine (CG group); Walker-256 tumor
      rats without l-glutamine supplementation (WT group); and WT rats supplemented
      with l-glutamine (WTG group). l-Glutamine was incorporated into standard food at
      a proportion of 2 g/100 g (2%). After 10 days of the experimental period, the
      jejunum and duodenum were removed and processed. Protein expression levels of key
      enzymes of gluconeogenesis, that is, phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase and
      glucose-6-phosphatase, were analyzed by western blot and immunohistochemical
      techniques. In addition, plasma corticosterone, glucose, insulin, and urea levels
      were evaluated. The WTG group showed significantly increased plasma glucose and
      insulin levels ( p < 0.05); however, plasma corticosterone and urea remained
      unchanged. Moreover, the WTG group showed increased immunoreactive staining for
      jejunal phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase and increased expression of duodenal
      glucose-6-phosphatase. Furthermore, the WTG group presented with less intense
      cancer cachexia and slower tumor growth. These results could be attributed, at
      least partly, to increased intestinal gluconeogenesis and insulinemia, and better
      glycemia maintenance during fasting in Walker-256 tumor rats on a diet
      supplemented with l-glutamine.

PMID- 28345453
TI  - Tumor suppressor miR-29c regulates radioresistance in lung cancer cells.
AB  - Radiotherapy is an important treatment option for non-small cell lung carcinoma
      patients. Despite the appropriate use of radiotherapy, radioresistance is a
      biological behavior of cancer cells that limits the efficacy of this treatment.
      Deregulation of microRNAs contributes to the molecular mechanism underlying
      resistance to radiotherapy in cancer cells. Although the functional roles of
      microRNAs have been well described in lung cancer, their functional roles in
      radioresistance are largely unclear. In this study, we established a non-small
      cell lung carcinoma Calu-1 radioresistant cell line by continuous exposure to
      therapeutic doses of ionizing radiation as a model to investigate radioresistance
      associated microRNAs. Our data show that 50 microRNAs were differentially
      expressed in Calu-1 radioresistant cells (16 upregulated and 34 downregulated);
      furthermore, well-known and novel microRNAs associated with resistance to
      radiotherapy were identified. Gene ontology and enrichment analysis indicated
      that modulated microRNAs might regulate signal transduction, cell survival, and
      apoptosis. Accordingly, Calu-1 radioresistant cells were refractory to radiation
      by increasing cell survival and reducing the apoptotic response. Among
      deregulated microRNAs, miR-29c was significantly suppressed. Reestablishment of
      miR-29c expression in Calu-1 radioresistant cells overcomes the radioresistance
      through the activation of apoptosis and downregulation of Bcl-2 and Mcl-1 target
      genes. Analysis of The Cancer Genome Atlas revealed that miR-29c is also
      suppressed in tumor samples of non-small cell lung carcinoma patients. Notably,
      we found that low miR-29c levels correlated with shorter relapse-free survival of
      non-small cell lung carcinoma patients treated with radiotherapy. Together, these
      results indicate a new role of miR-29c in radioresistance, highlighting their
      potential as a novel biomarker for outcomes of radiotherapy in lung cancer.

PMID- 28345454
TI  - Genome-wide profiling of micro-RNA expression in gefitinib-resistant human lung
      adenocarcinoma using microarray for the identification of miR-149-5p modulation.
AB  - To understand the mechanism involved in gefitinib resistance, we established
      gefitinib-resistant human HCC827/GR-8-1 cell line from the parental HCC827 cell
      line. We compared the micro-RNA expression profiles of the HCC827 cells HCC827/GR
      8-1 using Agilent micro-RNA microarrays. The micro-RNAs, such as the miR-149-5p,
      were up- or downregulated and associated with acquired gefitinib resistance.
      Quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction was then performed to verify the
      expression patterns of different micro-RNAs. The result showed that miR-149-5p
      was upregulated in the HCC827/GR-8-1 cell line. To investigate the biological
      function of miR-149-5p in non-small cell lung cancer cells acquired gefitinib
      resistance, we examined cell proliferation using a cell counting kit-8 assay.
      Cell viability was evaluated after the miR-149-5p mimics, inhibitors, and
      negative control were separately transfected into the non-small cell lung cancer
      cells. The results showed that the non-small cell lung cancer cells transfected
      with miR-149-5p mimics exhibited reduced cell motility. The drug-sensitivity
      assay results revealed that the overexpression of miR-149-5p effectively
      evaluates the half maximal inhibitory concentration values of the cell in
      response to gefitinib, and the downregulation of miR-149-5p can attenuate the
      half maximal inhibitory concentration values of the cell lines in response to
      gefitinib. Furthermore, the levels of miR-149-5p in the HCC827 and HCC827/GR-8-1
      cells were inversely correlated with caspase-3 expression. In conclusion, this
      study revealed that miR-149-5p is upregulated in the HCC827/GR-8-1 cells and
      involved in the acquired gefitinib resistance.

PMID- 28345455
TI  - Recurrent epigenetic silencing of the PTPRD tumor suppressor in laryngeal
      squamous cell carcinoma.
AB  - Cellular processes like differentiation, mitotic cycle, and cell growth are
      regulated by tyrosine kinases with known oncogenic potential and tyrosine
      phosphatases that downmodulate the first. Therefore, tyrosine phosphatases are
      recurrent targets of gene alterations in human carcinomas. We and others
      suggested recently a tumor suppressor function of the PTPRD tyrosine phosphatase
      and reported homozygous deletions of the PTPRD locus in laryngeal squamous cell
      carcinoma. In this study, we investigated other gene-inactivating mechanisms
      potentially targeting PTPRD, including loss-of-function mutations and also
      epigenetic alterations like promoter DNA hypermethylation. We sequenced the PTPRD
      gene in eight laryngeal squamous cell carcinoma cell lines but did not identify
      any inactivating mutations. In contrast, by bisulfite pyrosequencing of the gene
      promoter region, we identified significantly higher levels of methylation (p =
      0.001 and p = 0.0002, respectively) in 9/14 (64%) laryngeal squamous cell
      carcinoma cell lines and 37/79 (47%) of primary laryngeal squamous cell carcinoma
      tumors as compared to normal epithelium of the upper aerodigestive tract. There
      was also a strong correlation (p = 0.0001) between methylation and
      transcriptional silencing for the PTPRD gene observed in a cohort of 497 head and
      neck tumors from The Cancer Genome Atlas dataset suggesting that DNA methylation
      is the main mechanism of PTPRD silencing in these tumors. In summary, our data
      provide further evidence of the high incidence of PTPRD inactivation in laryngeal
      squamous cell carcinoma. We suggest that deletions and loss-of-function mutations
      are responsible for PTPRD loss only in a fraction of cases, whereas DNA
      methylation is the dominating mechanism of PTPRD inactivation.

PMID- 28345456
TI  - Overexpression of miR-10b in colorectal cancer patients: Correlation with TWIST-1
      and E-cadherin expression.
AB  - MicroRNAs are emergent players of epigenetics that function as oncogenes or tumor
      suppressors and that have been implicated in regulating diverse cellular
      pathways. MiR-10b is an oncogenic microRNA involved in tumor invasion and
      metastasis in various cancers. Our data have shown that miR-10b is overexpressed
      in colorectal cancer samples in comparison with non-tumorous adjacent mucosa (p =
      0.0025) and that it is associated with severe features such as tumor size >5 cm
      (p = 0.023), distant metastasis (p = 0.0022), non-differentiated tumors (p =
      0.016), and vascular invasion (p = 0.01). Regarding the regulation of its
      expression, positive correlation between the loss of miR-10b and aberrant DNA
      methylation (p = 0.02) as well as a loss of TWIST-1 messenger RNA (p = 0.018)
      have been observed. Furthermore, expression analysis of the downstream miR-10b
      targets has shown that there are associations between low HOXD10 messenger RNA
      and E-cadherin protein levels (p < 0.0001, p = 0.0008, respectively) and
      overexpression of miR-10b. Our data suggests that overexpression of miR-10b
      results from high levels of TWIST-1 and may induce a decrease of E-cadherin
      membranous protein levels, thus contributing to the acquisition of metastatic
      phenotypes in colorectal cancer.

PMID- 28345457
TI  - Special AT-rich sequence binding protein 1 promotes tumor growth and metastasis
      of esophageal squamous cell carcinoma.
AB  - Esophageal squamous cell carcinoma is one of the most aggressive malignancies
      worldwide. Special AT-rich sequence binding protein 1 is a nuclear matrix
      attachment region binding protein which participates in higher order chromatin
      organization and tissue-specific gene expression. However, the role of special AT
      rich sequence binding protein 1 in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma remains
      unknown. In this study, western blot and quantitative real-time polymerase chain
      reaction analysis were performed to identify differentially expressed special AT
      rich sequence binding protein 1 in a series of esophageal squamous cell carcinoma
      tissue samples. The effects of special AT-rich sequence binding protein 1
      silencing by two short-hairpin RNAs on cell proliferation, migration, and
      invasion were assessed by the CCK-8 assay and transwell assays in esophageal
      squamous cell carcinoma in vitro. Special AT-rich sequence binding protein 1 was
      significantly upregulated in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma tissue samples
      and cell lines. Silencing of special AT-rich sequence binding protein 1 inhibited
      the proliferation of KYSE450 and EC9706 cells which have a relatively high level
      of special AT-rich sequence binding protein 1, and the ability of migration and
      invasion of KYSE450 and EC9706 cells was distinctly suppressed. Special AT-rich
      sequence binding protein 1 could be a potential target for the treatment of
      esophageal squamous cell carcinoma and inhibition of special AT-rich sequence
      binding protein 1 may provide a new strategy for the prevention of esophageal
      squamous cell carcinoma invasion and metastasis.

PMID- 28345458
TI  - Proteasome expression and activity in cancer and cancer stem cells.
AB  - Proteasome is a multi-protein organelle that participates in cellular
      proteostasis by destroying damaged or short-lived proteins in an organized manner
      guided by the ubiquitination signal. By being in a central place in the cellular
      protein complement homeostasis, proteasome is involved in virtually all cell
      processes including decisions on cell survival or death, cell cycle, and
      differentiation. These processes are important also in cancer, and thus, the
      proteasome is an important regulator of carcinogenesis. Cancers include a variety
      of cells which, according to the cancer stem cell theory, descend from a small
      percentage of cancer stem cells, alternatively termed tumor-initiating cells.
      These cells constitute the subsets that have the ability to propagate the whole
      variety of cancer and repopulate tumors after cytostatic therapies. Proteasome
      plays a role in cellular processes in cancer stem cells, but it has been found to
      have a decreased function in them compared to the rest of cancer cells. This
      article will discuss the transcriptional regulation of proteasome sub-unit
      proteins in cancer and in particular cancer stem cells and the relationship of
      the proteasome with the pluripotency that is the defining characteristic of stem
      cells. Therapeutic opportunities that present from the understanding of the
      proteasome role will also be discussed.

PMID- 28345459
TI  - N6-Isopentenyladenosine promoted HeLa cell apoptosis through inhibitions of AKT
      and transforming growth factor beta-activated kinase 1 activation.
AB  - N6-Isopentenyladenosine, a member of the family of plant hormones, possesses anti
      cancer activities on a number of cancer cell lines. However, its mode of action
      in cervical cancer cell remains poorly understood. Our computational docking
      studies showed that N6-Isopentenyladenosine could bind with the really
      interesting new gene domain of tumor necrosis factor receptor-associated factor
      6, which is an ubiquitination E3 ligase. Tumor necrosis factor receptor
      associated factor 6-mediated ubiquitination is known to activate both protein
      kinase B (also known as AKT) and transforming growth factor beta-activated kinase
      1, and the really interesting new gene domain comprises the core of the ubiquitin
      ligase catalytic domain. First, we evaluated the effects of iPA on cervical
      cancer cell line HeLa using MTT and flow cytometry. Second, we examined the
      effects of iPA on activation of tumor necrosis factor receptor-associated factor
      6-mediated downstream targets using western blot or immunoprecipitation. iPA
      could reduce HeLa cell proliferation through apoptosis, and such anti-cancer
      activity is associated with inhibitions of both AKT and transforming growth
      factor beta-activated kinase 1 signaling pathways. In addition, suppression of
      the anti-apoptotic protein Bcl-2 and elevation of the pro-apoptotic protein Bax
      were also observed. Anti-proliferation properties of iPA are likely due to its
      binding at the really interesting new gene domain of tumor necrosis factor
      receptor-associated factor 6 and loss of AKT and transforming growth factor beta
      activated kinase 1 activities as a result of functional modulations of tumor
      necrosis factor receptor-associated factor 6. These results support the emerging
      notion that tumor necrosis factor receptor-associated factor 6 could serve as a
      viable target for developing new cancer therapeutics.

PMID- 28345460
TI  - Coactivator-associated arginine methyltransferase 1 promotes cell growth and is
      targeted by microRNA-195-5p in human colorectal cancer.
AB  - The pathogenesis of colorectal cancer remains poorly understood. Here, we show
      that coactivator-associated arginine methyltransferase 1 is frequently
      upregulated in colorectal cancer tissues and promotes cell growth in vitro and in
      vivo. Using bioinformatics-based prediction and luciferase reporter system, we
      found that coactivator-associated arginine methyltransferase 1 is post
      transcriptionally targeted by microRNA-195-5p in colorectal cancer. Ectopic
      expression of microRNA-195-5p led to the suppression of the coactivator
      associated arginine methyltransferase 1 3'-untranslated regions activity and
      downregulation of the endogenous coactivator-associated arginine
      methyltransferase 1 protein in colorectal cancer cells. Expression analysis
      verified that microRNA-195-5p was markedly downregulated in human colorectal
      cancer tissues, which was negatively correlated with the elevated levels of
      coactivator-associated arginine methyltransferase 1 protein. Enhanced levels of
      microRNA-195-5p in colorectal cancer cells resulted in a sharp reduction of cell
      proliferative and colony-formative capacities in vitro. Remarkably, restoration
      of coactivator-associated arginine methyltransferase 1 in microRNA-195-5p
      transfected colorectal cancer cells partially abrogated the inhibition of cell
      proliferation and colony formation mediated through microRNA-195-5p. These data
      confirm that microRNA-195-5p might function as an anti-tumor microRNA in
      colorectal cancer exerting critical control over coactivator-associated arginine
      methyltransferase 1 expression. The newly identified microRNA-195-5p/coactivator
      associated arginine methyltransferase 1 axis may act as a novel promising
      therapeutic target for colorectal cancer treatment.

PMID- 28345461
TI  - Expression and prognostic value of soluble CD97 and its ligand CD55 in
      intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma.
AB  - The incidence rate of intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma is rising, and treatment
      options are limited. Therefore, new biological markers of intrahepatic
      cholangiocarcinoma are needed. Immunohistochemistry and enzyme-linked
      immunosorbent assay were applied to analyze the expressions of CD97, CD55, and
      soluble CD97 in 71 patients with intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma and 10 patients
      with hepatolithiasis. CD97 and CD55 were not expressed in hepatolithiatic
      tissues, but positive expression was observed in 76.1% (54/71) and 70.4% (50/71)
      of intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma patients. The univariate analyses indicated
      that the positive expressions of CD97 and CD55 were related to short intrahepatic
      cholangiocarcinoma survival of patients (both p = 0.001). Furthermore, CD97 and
      CD55 expressions and biliary soluble CD97 levels were significantly associated
      with histological grade (p = 0.004, 0.002, and 0.012, respectively), lymph node
      metastases (p = 0.020, 0.038, and 0.001, respectively), and venous invasion (p =
      0.003, 0.002, and 0.001, respectively). The multivariate analyses indicated that
      lymph node metastases (hazard ratio: 2.407, p = 0.003), positive CD55 expression
      (hazard ratio: 4.096, p = 0.003), and biliary soluble CD97 levels (hazard ratio:
      2.434, p = 0.002) were independent risk factors for the intrahepatic
      cholangiocarcinoma survival. The receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve
      analysis indicated that when the cutoff values of biliary soluble CD97 were 1.15
      U/mL, the diagnostic value for predicting lymph node metastasis had a sensitivity
      of 87.5% and a specificity of 51.3%. For intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma patient
      death within 60 months at a cutoff value of 0.940 U/mL, the diagnostic value
      sensitivity was 89.3% and the specificity was 93.3%. Biliary soluble CD97 may be
      a new biological marker for early diagnosis, prediction of lymph node metastasis
      and poor prognosis, and discovery of a therapeutic target.

PMID- 28345462
TI  - Functional interaction of fibroblast growth factor 8b and androgen in prostate
      cancer cell proliferation.
AB  - Fibroblast growth factor 8b and androgen play important roles in cell
      proliferation of prostate cancer. We investigated the effects of fibroblast
      growth factor 8b and androgen on the proliferation of prostate cell lines and the
      corresponding intracellular mechanisms. It is found that dihydrotestosterone and
      fibroblast growth factor 8b stimulated Lncap cell mitosis in a concentration
      responsive manner, with 30 ng/mL as the most suitable concentration,
      respectively. Dihydrotestosterone treatment alone did not enhance the expression
      and phosphorylation level of fibroblast growth factor receptor but significantly
      enhanced the level of fibroblast growth factor receptor phosphorylation elicited
      by fibroblast growth factor 8b. Phosphorylations of extracellular signal
      regulated kinase, p38, and c-Jun NH2-terminal kinase were stimulated by
      dihydrotestosterone or fibroblast growth factor 8b. Among these major downstream
      pathways for mitogen-activated protein kinase, c-Jun NH2-terminal kinase
      signaling was most significantly enhanced. Protein kinase C phosphorylation was
      higher than AKT by the combined stimulation of dihydrotestosterone and fibroblast
      growth factor 8b. The phosphorylation of CDC2 was significantly induced by
      dihydrotestosterone and fibroblast growth factor 8b synergetically, and Smad
      underwent the same induction as CDC2. So the promoting effect of fibroblast
      growth factor 8b on cell cycle might contribute to the G2/M transition. This
      study indicated that the functional interaction between fibroblast growth factor
      8b and androgen was essential for the prostate cancer cell proliferation.

PMID- 28345463
TI  - Computational and mechanistic studies on the effect of galactoxyloglucan:
      Imatinib nanoconjugate in imatinib resistant K562 cells.
AB  - Imatinib mesylate, a BCR/ABL fusion protein inhibitor, is the first-line
      treatment against chronic myelogenous leukemia. In spite of its advantageous
      viewpoints, imatinib still has genuine impediments like undesirable side effects
      and tumor resistance during chemotherapy. Nanoparticles with sustainable release
      profile will help in targeted delivery of anticancer drugs while minimizing
      deleterious side effects and drug resistance. The use of biopolymers like
      galactoxyloglucan (PST001) for the fabrication of imatinib mesylate nanoparticles
      could impart its use in overcoming multidrug resistance in chronic myelogenous
      leukemia patients with minimal side effects. This study involved in the synthesis
      of PST-Imatinib nanoconjugates with appreciable drug payload and excellent
      cytotoxicity against drug-resistant chronic myelogenous leukemia cell line (K562)
      in comparison with free drug. The use of bioinformatics tool revealed better
      binding affinity for the drug-polysaccharide complex than the drug alone with
      three proteins: 3QX3 (Topoisomerase), 1M17 (EGFR tyrosine kinase domain), and
      3QRJ (ABL1 kinase domain). Assessment of the biochemical, hematological, and
      histopathological parameters in mice upheld the security and adequacy of the
      nanoconjugate compared to free drug. Although perspective investigations are
      warranted, in a condition like drug resistance in leukemia, this nanoconjugate
      would display a productive approach in cancer therapeutics.

PMID- 28345464
TI  - MicroRNA-590-3p promotes cell proliferation and invasion by targeting inositol
      polyphosphate 4-phosphatase type II in human prostate cancer cells.
AB  - Inositol polyphosphate 4-phosphatase type II emerges as a tumor suppressor in
      prostate cancer, and its loss of expression is associated with poor prognosis for
      prostate cancer. However, the mechanism of downregulation of inositol
      polyphosphate 4-phosphatase type II in prostate cancer development has not yet
      been fully clarified. In this study, microRNA-590-3p was found to be upregulated
      in both prostate cancer tissues and cell lines. Overexpression of microRNA-590-3p
      by microRNA-590-3p mimics promoted prostate cancer cell proliferation and
      invasion and accelerated the growth of xenografted tumors, while microRNA-590-3p
      inhibitors contributed to inhibition of cellular proliferation and invasion as
      well as tumor growth. A dual-luciferase reporter assay and expression analysis
      further confirmed that inositol polyphosphate 4-phosphatase type II was a direct
      target of microRNA-590-3p. Enforced expression of microRNA-590-3p led to
      repression of inositol polyphosphate 4-phosphatase type II messenger RNA and
      protein expression, as well as upregulation of p-Akt, p-FoxO3a, and cyclin D1 and
      downregulation of p21 expression in prostate cancer cell lines. Overexpression of
      inositol polyphosphate 4-phosphatase type II could reduce microRNA-590-3p-induced
      cell proliferation and invasion as well as tumor growth, and decrease microRNA
      590-3p-mediated upregulation of cyclin D1 and downregulation of p21 expression in
      prostate cancer cells. Taken together, our findings reveal that microRNA-590-3p
      is a potential onco-microRNA that participates in carcinogenesis of human
      prostate cancer by suppressing inositol polyphosphate 4-phosphatase type II
      expression and involving the Akt/FoxO3a pathway. MicroRNA-590-3p may represent a
      potential therapeutic target for prostate cancer patients.

PMID- 28345465
TI  - Demethoxycurcumin inhibited human epithelia ovarian cancer cells' growth via up
      regulating miR-551a.
AB  - Curcumin is a natural agent that has ability to dampen tumor cells' growth.
      However, the natural form of curcumin is prone to degrade and unstable in vitro.
      Here, we demonstrated that demethoxycurcumin (a curcumin-related demethoxy
      compound) could inhibit cell proliferation and induce apoptosis of ovarian cancer
      cells. Moreover, IRS2/PI3K/Akt axis was inactivated in cells treated with
      demethoxycurcumin. Quantitative real-time reverse transcription polymerase chain
      reaction demonstrated that miR-551a was down-regulated in ovarian cancer tissues
      and ovarian cancer cell lines. Over-expression of miR-551a inhibited cell
      proliferation and induced apoptosis of ovarian cancer cells, whereas down
      regulation of miR-551a exerted the opposite function. Luciferase assays confirmed
      that there was a binding site of miR-551a in IRS2, and we found that miR-551a
      exerted tumor-suppressive function by targeting IRS2 in ovarian cancer cells.
      Remarkably, miR-551a was up-regulated in the cells treated with
      demethoxycurcumin, and demethoxycurcumin suppressed IRS2 by restoration of miR
      551a. In conclusion, demethoxycurcumin hindered ovarian cancer cells' malignant
      progress via up-regulating miR-551a.

PMID- 28345466
TI  - Tumor-associated calcium signal transducer 2 regulates neovascularization of non
      small-cell lung cancer via activating ERK1/2 signaling pathway.
AB  - Lung cancer, especially the non-small-cell lung cancer, is a highly aggressive
      vascular cancer with excessively activated signaling pathways. Tumor-associated
      calcium signal transducer 2, also known as trop2, was identified to be correlated
      with tumor proliferation and invasion of non-small-cell lung cancer; however, the
      biological role of trop2 in neovascularization of non-small-cell lung cancer
      remained elusive. In this study, we first verified that trop2 was overexpressed
      in non-small-cell lung cancer tissues as well as cell lines and that the
      increased expression of trop2 promoted non-small-cell lung cancer cell
      proliferation and invasion. Then, we expanded the biological role of trop2 by in
      vitro and in vivo angiogenesis assay. The tubular formation analysis revealed
      that trop2 promoted non-small-cell lung cancer angiogenesis in vitro, and the
      immunohistochemistry staining of vascular markers (CD31 and CD34) provided
      evidences that trop2 promoted in vivo neovascularization. The results of
      polymerase chain reaction array revealed that trop2 promoted the expression level
      of two well-known angiogenesis factors MMP13 and PECAM1. By screening the trop2
      related signaling pathways, we observed that excessive angiogenesis was
      correlated with activation of ERK1/2 signaling pathway, and ERK1/2 inhibitor
      (U0126) could suppress the tubular formation ability induced by trop2 expression.
      These results suggested that trop2 facilitated neovascularization of non-small
      cell lung cancer via activating ERK1/2 signaling pathway. Targeting trop2 might
      provide novel anti-angiogenesis strategy for non-small-cell lung cancer
      treatment.

PMID- 28345467
TI  - Mitochondrial DNA alteration in primary and metastatic colorectal cancer:
      Different frequency and association with selected clinicopathological and
      molecular markers.
AB  - This study attempts to determine whether primary tumor tissue could reliably
      represent metastatic colorectal cancer in therapy-guiding analysis of
      mitochondrial microsatellite instability. Therefore, we investigated the
      concordance of microsatellite instability in D310, D514, and D16184
      (mitochondrial DNA displacement loop), and its association with selected clinical
      categories and KRAS/NRAS/BRAF/PIK3CA/TP53 mutation status between primary and
      metastatic colorectal cancer tissue from 119 patients. Displacement loop
      microsatellite instability was significantly more frequently seen in lymph node
      metastases (53.1%) compared to primary tumors (37.5%) and distant metastases
      (21.4%) ( p = 0.0183 and p = 0.0005). The discordant rate was significantly
      higher in lymph node metastases/primary tumor pairs (74.6%) than in distant
      metastases/primary tumor pairs (52.4%) or lymph node metastases/distant
      metastases pairs (51.6%) ( p = 0.0113 and p = 0.0261) with more gain (86.7%) than
      loss (61.1%) of microsatellite instability in the discordant lymph node
      metastases ( p = 0.0024). Displacement loop instability occurred significantly
      more frequently in lymph node metastases and distant metastases of patients with
      early colorectal cancer onset age <60 years ( p = 0.0122 and p = 0.0129), was
      found with a significant high rate in a small cohort of TP53-mutated distant
      metastases ( p = 0.0418), and was associated with TP53 wild-type status of
      primary tumors ( p = 0.0009), but did not correlate with KRAS, NRAS, BRAF, or
      PIK3CA mutations. In conclusion, mitochondrial microsatellite instability and its
      association with selected clinical and molecular markers are discordant in
      primary and metastatic colorectal cancer, which could have importance for
      surveillance and therapeutic strategies.

PMID- 28345468
TI  - Surface-bound galectin-4 regulates gene transcription and secretion of chemokines
      in human colorectal cancer cell lines.
AB  - One long-term complication of chronic intestinal inflammation is the development
      of colorectal cancer. However, the mechanisms linking inflammation to the
      colorectal tumorigenesis are poorly defined. Previously, we have demonstrated
      that galectin-4 is predominantly expressed in the luminal epithelia of the
      gastrointestinal tract, and its loss of expression plays a key role in the
      colorectal tumorigenesis. However, the mechanism by which galectin-4 regulates
      inflammation-induced tumorigenesis is unclear. Here, we show that galectin-4
      secreted by the colorectal cancer cell lines was bound to the cell surface.
      Neutralization of surface-bound galectin-4 with anti-galectin-4 antibody resulted
      in increased cell proliferation with concomitant secretion of several chemokines
      into the extracellular medium. Neutralization of the surface-bound galectin-4
      also resulted in the up-regulation of transcription of 29 genes, several of which
      are components of multiple inflammation signaling pathways. In an alternate
      experiment, binding of recombinant galectin-4 protein to cell surface of the
      galectin-4-negative colorectal cancer cells resulted in increased p27, and
      decreased cyclin D1 and c-Myc levels, leading to cell cycle arrest and apoptosis.
      Together, these data demonstrated that surface-bound galectin-4 is a dual
      function protein-down-regulating cell proliferation and chemokine secretion in
      galectin-4-expressing colorectal cancer cells on one hand and inducing apoptosis
      in galectin-4-negative colorectal cancer cells on the other hand.

PMID- 28345469
TI  - The role of estradiol metabolism in urogenital schistosomiasis-induced bladder
      cancer.
AB  - Urogenital schistosomiasis is a neglected tropical disease that can lead to
      bladder cancer. How urogenital schistosomiasis induces carcinogenesis remains
      unclear, although there is evidence that the human blood fluke Schistosoma
      haematobium, the infectious agent of urogenital schistosomiasis, releases
      estradiol-like metabolites. These kind of compounds have been implicated in other
      cancers. Aiming for enhanced understanding of the pathogenesis of the urogenital
      schistosomiasis-induced bladder cancer, here we review, interpret, and discuss
      findings of estradiol-like metabolites detected in both the parasite and in the
      human urine during urogenital schistosomiasis. Moreover, we predict pathways and
      enzymes that are involved in the production of these metabolites emphasizing
      their potential effects on the dysregulation of the tumor suppressor gene p53
      expression during urogenital schistosomiasis. Enhanced understanding of these
      potential carcinogens may not only shed light on urogenital schistosomiasis
      induced neoplasia of the bladder, but would also facilitate development of
      interventions and biomarkers for this and other infection-associated cancers at
      large.

PMID- 28345470
TI  - The role and safe use of the ambulatory syringe pump in palliative and end-of
      life care.

PMID- 28345472
TI  - Politics and palliative care: Sierra Leone.
AB  - Dion Smyth's review of palliative nursing on the internet.

PMID- 28345473
TI  - Exploring end-of-life care for South Asian kidney patients: interviewer
      reflections.
AB  - The reduction of inequalities in access to quality care has been a central tenet
      of UK health policy. Ethnic minorities may experience additional inequalities
      because of language and other cultural barriers. This article reports interviewer
      reflections of conducting interviews with South Asian kidney patients about their
      experiences of end-of-life care. It explores themes which emerged from the
      analysis of a focus group held with eight bilingual research interviewers. The
      relevance of these themes to understanding inequalities and access to end-of-life
      care is discussed; together with the potential for the research process to
      contribute to service improvement.

PMID- 28345474
TI  - Assessment, treatment goals and interventions for oedema/lymphoedema in
      palliative care.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Little is known about the treatment of oedema in palliative care
      patients. AIM: To outline the assessment, goals, and interventions for patients
      with oedema. METHOD: A 6-month chart review of a specialist physiotherapy-led
      oedema service was carried out. RESULTS: Of the sample group (n=63), 28.6% of
      patients had lymphoedema, 15.9% had non-lymphatic oedema, 46% had mixed oedema
      and 9.8% had lymphorrhoea; 58 patients (92%) had cancer. The most common
      interventions were providing education (100%, n=63), using compression garments
      (58%, n=37), bandaging (51%, n=32), exercise (38%, n=24), lymphatic massage and
      kinesio-taping (35%, n=22 each). Treatment regime differed depending on the type
      of oedema present. Treatment goals were pragmatic: the most common were to
      maintain skin quality (54%, n=34), reduce limb volume (52%, n=32), and improve
      quality of life (48%, n=30). CONCLUSION: Palliative care oedema can be treated
      using manual methods, including compression and massage. Goals differ from other
      oedema populations. Research is hampered by lack of suitable measures to record
      skin changes and quality of life.

PMID- 28345475
TI  - Understanding bladder management on a palliative care unit: a grounded theory
      study.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Research regarding factors associated with nursing-initiated changes
      to bladder management at end-of-life is sparse. OBJECTIVES: To explore the
      process of Palliative Care Unit (PCU) nurses' approach to bladder management
      changes. METHODS: Nursing staff from one PCU in London, Canada were interviewed
      regarding bladder management care practices. A constructivist grounded theory was
      generated. RESULTS: Four interconnected themes emerged: humanity (compassionate
      support of patients); journey (making the most of a finite timeline); health
      condition (illness, functional decline); and context (orders, policies,
      supplies). These overlapping themes must be considered in light of ongoing
      changes which prompt recycling through the framework. While bladder management
      necessitates shared decision-making and individualised care, nurses' phronetic
      experience may serve to detect the presence of change and the need to consider
      other alternatives. CONCLUSION: End-of-life bladder management requires nurses to
      continually reconsider the significance of humanity, journey, health condition
      and context in light of ongoing changes.

PMID- 28345476
TI  - The association between nurses' coordination with physicians and clients' place
      of death.
AB  - AIM: Over 60% of Japanese people hope to die at home; hence, assisting clients in
      achieving this outcome is an important responsibility of home care providers.
      This study investigated the effects of nurses' relational coordination with
      physicians on clients' place of death in home visiting nursing (HVN) agencies.
      METHOD: Secondary analysis of a public survey conducted in 2015 by local
      governments in Kurume city, Fukuoka prefecture, Western Japan. Manager nurses
      from 17 HVN agencies provided data about themselves and their relational
      coordination with community physicians and 85 deceased clients. RESULTS: Among 85
      deceased clients, 52 (61.2%) had died at home. Four regression models showed
      significant positive effects of HVN nurse managers' relational coordination on
      clients' home death (the odds ratios (95% CI) were 2.488 (1.442-4.293), 2.111
      (1.014-4.396), 2.562 (1.409-4.658) and 2.275 (1.079-4.796) in models 1-4,
      respectively. CONCLUSION: Measuring relational coordination among HVN nursing
      managers and physicians indicated readiness for home death among HVN clients in
      an agency or community.

PMID- 28345477
TI  - Death cafes: another way to unlock the fear of death.

PMID- 28345478
TI  - The importance of interdisciplinary communication in the process of anticipatory
      prescribing.
AB  - In the UK there has been a widespread introduction of 'anticipatory prescribing'
      in community based palliative care. This involves general practitioners (GPs)
      writing prescriptions in anticipation of them being needed and has been
      encouraged to try to minimise the risk of patients suffering uncontrolled
      symptoms and distress; a key reason why terminally ill patients are admitted to
      hospital in contradiction of most people's preferences. This paper presents the
      findings from an ethnographic study of healthcare professionals across four care
      homes and four community sites in two regions (East Midlands and Lancashire/South
      Cumbria) of the UK. Data were collected from a range of community health
      professionals, resulting in 83 episodes of observation and 72 interviews.
      Findings highlight how essential good interdisciplinary communication is to the
      process of anticipatory prescribing and end-of-life care. This study found that
      when interdisciplinary communication worked well the anticipatory prescribing
      process could be carried out smoothly, optimising patient care.

PMID- 28345480
TI  - Ultrasound in the management of pleural disease.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: Pleural disease encompasses a large range of conditions, is a
      common presentation to the acute medical take and often requires comprehensive
      investigation and treatment. Ultrasound is well recognised as a useful
      investigative tool in pleural disease especially in the field of pleural
      effusion, pleural thickening and interventional procedures. Thoracic ultrasound
      (TUS) has gained widespread use by physicians as evidence has shown a reduced
      rate of complications when performing pleural procedures with ultrasound
      guidance. Areas covered: This article will review studies assessing the role of
      TUS in the management of pleural disease and examine ongoing research into how
      TUS could advance our knowledge and understanding over the next decade. Expert
      commentary: Physician lead thoracic ultrasound has become commonplace over the
      last decade, and now represents a minimum standard of safety in conducting the
      majority of 'bedside' pleural procedures. The current evidence points to
      important diagnostic and procedural roles of the use of bedside thoracic
      ultrasound. In the future, research developments are likely to lead to the use of
      thoracic ultrasound in prognostication, targeted treatment and understanding
      pathogenesis in pleural disease.

PMID- 28345481
TI  - Cost-effectiveness analysis of implementing an antimicrobial stewardship program
      in critical care units.
AB  - AIMS: To evaluate the cost-effectiveness of antimicrobial stewardship (AS)
      program implementation focused on critical care units based on assumptions for
      the Spanish setting. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A decision model comparing costs and
      outcomes of sepsis, community-acquired pneumonia, and nosocomial infections
      (including catheter-related bacteremia, urinary tract infection, and ventilator
      associated pneumonia) in critical care units with or without an AS was designed.
      Model variables and costs, along with their distributions, were obtained from the
      literature. The study was performed from the Spanish National Health System (NHS)
      perspective, including only direct costs. The Incremental Cost-Effectiveness
      Ratio (ICER) was analysed regarding the ability of the program to reduce multi
      drug resistant bacteria. Uncertainty in ICERs was evaluated with probabilistic
      sensitivity analyses. RESULTS: In the short-term, implementing an AS reduces the
      consumption of antimicrobials with a net benefit of ?71,738. In the long-term,
      the maintenance of the program involves an additional cost to the system of
      ?107,569. Cost per avoided resistance was ?7,342, and cost-per-life-years gained
      (LYG) was ?9,788. Results from the probabilistic sensitivity analysis showed that
      there was a more than 90% likelihood that an AS would be cost-effective at a
      level of ?8,000 per LYG. LIMITATIONS: Wide variability of economic results
      obtained from the implementation of this type of AS program and short information
      on their impact on patient evolution and any resistance avoided. CONCLUSIONS:
      Implementing an AS focusing on critical care patients is a long-term cost
      effective tool. Implementation costs are amortized by reducing antimicrobial
      consumption to prevent infection by multidrug-resistant pathogens.

PMID- 28345479
TI  - Imaging the physiological evolution of the ischemic penumbra in acute ischemic
      stroke.
AB  - We review the hemodynamic, metabolic and cellular parameters affected during
      early ischemia and their changes as a function of approximate cerebral blood flow
      ( CBF) thresholds. These parameters underlie the current practical definition of
      an ischemic penumbra, namely metabolically affected but still viable brain
      tissue. Such tissue is at risk of infarction under continuing conditions of
      reduced CBF, but can be rescued through timely intervention. This definition will
      be useful in clinical diagnosis only if imaging techniques exist that can
      rapidly, and with sufficient accuracy, visualize the existence of a mismatch
      between such a metabolically affected area and regions that have suffered cell
      depolarization. Unfortunately, clinical data show that defining the outer
      boundary of the penumbra based solely on perfusion-related thresholds may not be
      sufficiently accurate. Also, thresholds for CBF and cerebral blood volume ( CBV)
      differ for white and gray matter and evolve with time for both inner and outer
      penumbral boundaries. As such, practical penumbral imaging would involve
      parameters in which the physiology is immediately displayed in a manner
      independent of baseline CBF or CBF threshold, namely pH, oxygen extraction
      fraction ( OEF), diffusion constant and mean transit time ( MTT). Suitable
      imaging technologies will need to meet this requirement in a 10-20 min exam.

PMID- 28345482
TI  - Glu-Phe from onion (Allium Cepa L.) attenuates lipogenesis in hepatocytes.
AB  - A Glu-Phe (EF) was isolated from onion (Allium cepa L. cv. Sunpower). The
      chemical structure of EF was determined by nuclear magnetic resonance and
      electrospray ionization-mass (ESI-MS) spectroscopy. We showed that EF reduced
      lipid accumulation in mouse hepatocytes by inhibiting the expression of sterol
      regulatory element-binding protein-1c (SREBP-1c) and its lipogenic target genes.
      We also found that AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) was required for the
      inhibitory effect of EF on lipid accumulation in mouse hepatocytes. Furthermore,
      EF was qualified in nine onion cultivars by selective multiple reaction
      monitoring detection of liquid chromatography-ESI-MS. These results suggest that
      EF could contribute to the beneficial effect of onion supplement in maintaining
      hepatic lipid homeostasis.

PMID- 28345483
TI  - Spinal Epidural Stimulation Strategies: Clinical Implications of Locomotor
      Studies in Spinal Rats.
AB  - Significant advancements in spinal epidural stimulation (ES) strategies to enable
      volitional motor control in persons with a complete spinal cord injury (SCI) have
      generated much excitement in the field of neurorehabilitation. Still, an obvious
      gap lies in the ability of ES to effectively generate a robust locomotor stepping
      response after a complete SCI in rodents, but not in humans. In order to reveal
      potential discrepancies between rodent and human studies that account for this
      void, in this review, we summarize the findings of studies that have utilized ES
      strategies to enable successful hindlimb stepping in spinal rats. Recent clinical
      and preclinical evidence indicates that motor training with ES plays a crucial
      role in tuning spinal neural circuitry to generate meaningful motor output.
      Concurrently administered pharmacology can also facilitate the circuitry to
      provide near optimal motor performance in SCI rats. However, as of today, the
      evidence for pharmacological agents to enhance motor function in persons with
      complete SCI is insignificant. These and other recent findings discussed in this
      review provide insight into addressing the translational gap, guide the design of
      relevant preclinical experiments, and facilitate development of new approaches
      for motor recovery in patients with complete SCIs.

PMID- 28345484
TI  - Removal of fouling species from brackish water reverse osmosis reject stream.
AB  - Brine disposal from reverse osmosis (RO) systems remains a major challenge for
      the desalination industry especially in inland areas where discharge options are
      very limited. Solutions will entail the introduction of economic treatment
      processes that will alleviate the brine's negative impact on the environment and
      reduce its discharge volume. Such processes could act as an intermediary
      treatment process for the recycling of the brine through an additional RO stage
      which, for brackish water (BW) desalination, could lead to saving valuable water
      while reducing the amount of brine discharge. In this context, the study at hand
      attempts to evaluate the effectiveness of a one-step chemical process for the
      treatment of BWRO brine. This study seeks to determine optimal operating
      conditions relative to type, ratio, and dosage of alkalizing chemicals, pH and
      temperature, for substantially reducing the concentrations of scaling parameters
      such as calcium, magnesium, silica, and strontium. The results indicate that
      precipitation softening at pH = 11.5 using combined chemical dosages of NaOH and
      Na2CO3 in a ratio of 2:1 leads to substantial removal of calcium and magnesium
      (>95%) and moderately high removal of strontium and silica (>71%).

PMID- 28345485
TI  - The Effect of Tamoxifen on Thin Endometrium in Patients Undergoing Frozen-Thawed
      Embryo Transfer.
AB  - Tamoxifen has played a vital role in endocrine therapy for the treatment of
      estrogen receptor-positive breast cancer. We examined the effect of tamoxifen in
      patients with a thin endometrium in frozen-thawed embryo transfer (FET) cycles
      and compared the improvement in endometrial thickness (EMT) and pregnancy
      outcomes stratified by different etiologies of thin endometrium. A total of 226
      women were recruited for a new tamoxifen protocol; all had an EMT of less than
      7.5 mm in previous cycles, including natural cycle (NC), hormone replacement
      treatment (HRT), and ovulation induction (OI) cycles. Compared with previous
      cycles, tamoxifen cycles showed a significantly increased EMT (from 6.11 +/- 0.98
      mm to 7.87 +/- 1.48 mm in the NC group, from 6.24 +/- 1.01 mm to 8.22 +/- 1.67 mm
      in the HRT group, and from 6.34 +/- 1.03 mm to 8.05 +/- 1.58 mm in the OI group;
      all P < .001). Patients were further divided into 3 groups based on the causes of
      their thin endometrium: (1) history of intrauterine adhesion (n = 34), (2)
      history of uterine curettage (n = 141), and (3) polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS;
      n = 51). Patients with PCOS obtained the thickest EMT (9.31 +/- 1.55 mm), the
      lowest cycle cancellation rate (11.76%), and the highest rate of clinical
      pregnancy (60%) and live birth (55.56%) per transfer ( P < .001). Multivariable
      regression analysis showed that EMT was related to live birth (odds ratio: 1.487;
      95% confidence interval: 1.172-1.887). A tamoxifen protocol improves EMT in
      patients after NC, HRT, and OI cycles during FET. Patients with PCOS show the
      most benefit from tamoxifen and achieve better pregnancy outcomes.

PMID- 28345486
TI  - Objective Analysis of Vaginal Ultrasound Video Clips for Exploring Uterine
      Peristalsis Post Vaginal and Cesarean Section Deliveries.
AB  - The nonpregnant uterus is characterized by cyclic contractions that assist in
      sperm transport to the fallopian tube, embryo transport to implantation site, and
      expulsion of menstrual debris. The effect of post-Cesarean section (CS) scar on
      uterine peristalsis is unclear, while worldwide the prevalence of CS deliveries
      is increasing. In this study, we developed a new objective method for analysis of
      dynamic characteristics of the nonpregnant uterus from transvaginal ultrasound
      (TVUS) recordings when the uterine cavity is not clearly observed, as may be the
      case in post-CS uteri. The method of active contours was utilized to detect the
      contours of the endometrium-myometrium interface (EMI) from sagittal cross
      section TVUS images of nonpregnant uteri. The contours were straightened along
      the uterus centerline and registered with respect to the fundal end in order to
      reduce the noise due to movements of the physician and the participant. A dynamic
      analysis was conducted on these time-dependent contours in order to explore the
      frequency and amplitude of the EMI motility. The analysis was conducted on TVUS
      video clips from 12 nonpregnant participants, 7 post-CS and 5 controls. The
      frequencies of the EMI motility was 0.010 to 0.064 Hz at days 8 to 17 in the
      control participants and 0.014 to 0.073 Hz at days 9 to 15 in post-CS
      participants. The maximal amplitude of motility was 0.67 to 2.00 mm and 0.48 to
      2.58 mm for the control and post-CS participants, respectively. In this
      preliminary study, we have not observed significant difference between the EMI
      motility of healthy and post-CS uteri.

PMID- 28345487
TI  - Extranuclear Translocation of High-Mobility Group A1 Reduces the Invasion of
      Extravillous Trophoblasts Involved in the Pathogenesis of Preeclampsia: New
      Aspect of High-Mobility Group A1.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: High-mobility group A1 (HMGA1) protein is known to express in
      trophoblast; however, the role of migration has not been reported to date. In
      this study, we investigated the role of HMGA1 on the pathogenesis of preeclampsia
      using immortalized human trophoblast cell (HTR-8/SVneo). MATERIALS AND METHODS:
      We investigated HMGA1 expression in cytotrophoblasts derived from our
      preeclampsia model mouse, the CD40L mouse, using immunofluorescence. Wound
      healing and transwell migration assays were also performed using HTR-8/SVneo
      (extravillous trophoblast) cells transfected with DNA or siRNA of HMGA1. The
      effect of extranuclear translocation of HMGA1 on the migration of extravillous
      trophoblastic cells was evaluated using deoxycholic acid (DCA). RESULTS: HMGA1
      was expressed exclusively in the nuclei of trophoblasts derived from control
      mice; cytoplasmic expression was observed only in CD40L mice with preeclampsia.
      Furthermore, overexpression of HMGA1 in the nuclei of HTR-8/SVneo cells
      stimulated cell proliferation and migration. Translocation of nuclear HMGA1 to
      cytoplasm treated with DCA reduced cell migration. CONCLUSIONS: Collectively,
      these findings demonstrate that proper subcellular localization of HMGA1 is
      important for its function in trophoblast cells, and suggest that aberrant
      cytoplasmic expression of HMGA1 contributes to the pathogenesis of preeclampsia
      through impairment of trophoblast migration.

PMID- 28345488
TI  - Deep Infiltrating Endometriosis and Endometrial Adenocarcinoma Express High
      Levels of Myostatin and Its Receptors Messenger RNAs.
AB  - Myostatin is a growth factor member of the transforming growth factor beta
      superfamily, which is known to play major roles in cell proliferation and
      differentiation. The present study investigated the messenger RNA (mRNA)
      expression of myostatin and myostatin receptors (activin receptor-like kinase 4
      [ALK4], transforming growth factor (TGF)-beta type I receptor kinase [ALK5] and
      activin receptor type IIB [ActRIIB]) in endometrium of healthy women during
      menstrual cycle as well as in benign (endometriosis, polyps) and malignant
      (endometrial adenocarcinoma) conditions. Endometrial specimens were collected by
      hysteroscopy, whereas endometriotic lesions were collected by laparoscopy, and
      adenocarcinomas were sampled after hysterectomy. Total RNA was extracted from
      tissue homogenates, and gene expression was assessed by quantitative real-time
      polymerase chain reaction. Myostatin and myostatin receptors mRNAs were expressed
      by healthy endometrium throughout the menstrual cycle, with no differences
      between the proliferative and secretory phase. The highest myostatin mRNA
      expression was found in patients with deep infiltrating endometriosis (DIE) and
      in endometrial carcinoma; expression was also found in ovarian endometrioma (OMA
      ) and endometrial polyps. Myostatin receptors mRNA expression was higher in DIE
      and adenocarcinomas compared to control endometrium. The expression of ALK5 and
      ActRIIB in OMA was higher than in controls, whereas polyps had an increased
      expression of ALK5 mRNA. In conclusion, the present data showed for the first
      time the expression of myostatin in healthy endometrium and a higher expression
      in endometriosis and endometrial cancer, suggesting myostatin involvement in
      human endometrial physiology and related pathologies.

PMID- 28345489
TI  - Primary Culture of Human Cumulus Cells Requires Stearoyl-Coenzyme A Desaturase 1
      Activity for Steroidogenesis and Enhancing Oocyte In Vitro Maturation.
AB  - Stearoyl-coenzyme A desaturase 1 (SCD1) is a key enzyme in lipid metabolism and
      is expressed in cumulus cells. The objective of the present study was to evaluate
      the effect of SCD1 inhibition in human cumulus cells on triglyceride content,
      steroidogenesis, and oocyte in vitro maturation. Human cumulus cells were exposed
      to SCD1 inhibitor CAY10566 (SCDinhib) alone or in combination with oleic acid in
      primary culture. The SCDinhib markedly suppressed triglyceride accumulation (
      47%, P = .01), aromatase gene expression (-36%, P = .02), and estradiol
      production (-49%, P = .01) even at a dose not affecting cell viability and
      apoptosis. Human immature oocytes at the germinal vesicle (GV) stage were
      cocultured with pretreated cumulus cells. The rate of oocytes reaching the
      metaphase II stage was significantly lower in coculture with SCDinhib-treated
      cumulus cells than with control cumulus cells (-18%, P < .01), which recovered by
      oleic acid supplementation. This finding on in vitro maturation rate was also
      reproducible with mouse GV oocytes. The results suggest that SCD1 activity is
      required for cumulus cell lipid storage and steroidogenesis. In addition, oocyte
      maturation is negatively affected by SCD1 inhibition in cumulus cells, possibly
      due to a deficient lipid-mediated paracrine support.

PMID- 28345490
TI  - Challenges and complexity of functionality evaluation of flavan-3-ol derivatives.
AB  - Flavan-3-ol derivatives are common plant-derived bioactive compounds. In
      particular, (-)-epigallocatechin-3-O-gallate shows various moderate biological
      activities without severe toxicity, and its health-promoting effects have been
      widely studied because it is a main ingredient in green tea and is commercially
      available at low cost. Although various biologically active flavan-3-ol
      derivatives are present as minor constituents in plants as well as in green tea,
      their biological activities have yet to be revealed, mainly due to their relative
      unavailability. Here, I outline the major factors contributing to the complexity
      of functionality studies of flavan-3-ol derivatives, including proanthocyanidins
      and oligomeric flavan-3-ols. I emphasize the importance of conducting structure
      activity relationship studies using synthesized flavan-3-ol derivatives that are
      difficult to obtain from plant extracts in pure form to overcome this challenge.
      Further discovery of these minor constituents showing strong biological
      activities is expected to produce useful information for the development of
      functional health foods.

PMID- 28345491
TI  - A comparison of toxicities in acute myeloid leukemia patients with and without
      renal impairment treated with decitabine.
AB  - Purpose There are limited data regarding the clinical use of decitabine for the
      treatment of acute myeloid leukemia in patients with a serum creatinine of 2
      mg/dL or greater. Methods We retrospectively evaluated 111 patients with acute
      myeloid leukemia who had been treated with decitabine and compared the
      development of toxicities during cycle 1 in those with normal renal function
      (creatinine clearance greater than or equal to 60 mL/min) to those with renal
      dysfunction (creatinine clearance less than 60 mL/min). Results Notable
      differences in the incidence of grade >=3 cardiotoxicity (33% of renal
      dysfunction patients vs. 16% of normal renal function patients, p = 0.042) and
      respiratory toxicity (40% of renal dysfunction patients vs. 14% of normal renal
      function patients, p = 0.0037) were observed. The majority of heart failure,
      myocardial infarction, and atrial fibrillation cases occurred in the renal
      dysfunction group. The odds of developing grade >=3 cardiotoxicity did not differ
      significantly between patients with and without baseline cardiac comorbidities
      (OR 1.43, p = 0.43). Conclusions This study noted a higher incidence of grade >=3
      cardiac and respiratory toxicities in decitabine-treated acute myeloid leukemia
      patients with renal dysfunction compared to normal renal function. This may
      prompt closer monitoring, regardless of baseline cardiac comorbidities. Further
      evaluation of decitabine in patients with renal dysfunction is needed.

PMID- 28345492
TI  - Rasburicase-induced methemoglobinemia: The eyes do not see what the mind does not
      know.
AB  - Rasburicase is indicated for the prevention and treatment of tumor lysis syndrome
      which can be a potentially life-threatening emergency. The drug has oxidizing
      potential and as an adverse effect, it can convert the ferrous form of iron in
      erythrocytes to its ferric form resulting in the formation of methemoglobin which
      makes the heme component incapable of carrying oxygen. Patients with glucose-6
      phosphate dehydrogenase enzyme deficiency are at high risk of methemoglobinemia
      from oxidizing agents. Symptoms of methemoglobinemia range from none to life
      threatening hypoxemia, cyanosis and respiratory compromise. Treatment is
      indicated at levels above 20% and at lower levels if the patient is significantly
      anemic. We present a case of a 60-year-old male with diffuse large B cell
      lymphoma at high risk of tumor lysis syndrome. Rasburicase was administered to
      prevent renal failure and further rise in uric acid. Twenty-four hours later, a
      bedside pulse oximetry showed an oxygen saturation ranging from 60 to 65% with
      minimal cyanosis. Co-oximetry revealed a methemoglobin level of 9.8%. Methylene
      blue was administered and the methemoglobin level decreased to 2.6%. However, the
      patient developed hemolysis several hours later, likely secondary to rasburicase
      and methylene blue, requiring transfusion support. We discuss this potentially
      fatal and initially asymptomatic adverse effect of rasburicase along with
      diagnostic and treatment considerations, and review the cases described in the
      current literature.

PMID- 28345493
TI  - Genetic risk scores, sex and dietary factors interact to alter serum uric acid
      trajectory among African-American urban adults.
AB  - Serum uric acid (SUA), a causative agent for gout among others, is affected by
      both genetic and dietary factors, perhaps differentially by sex. We evaluated
      cross-sectional (SUAbase) and longitudinal (SUArate) associations of SUA with a
      genetic risk score (GRS), diet and sex. We then tested the interactive effect of
      GRS, diet and sex on SUA. Longitudinal data on 766 African-American urban adults
      participating in the Healthy Aging in Neighborhood of Diversity across the
      Lifespan study were used. In all, three GRS for SUA were created from known SUA
      associated SNP (GRSbase (n 12 SNP), GRSrate (n 3 SNP) and GRStotal (n 15 SNP)).
      Dietary factors included added sugar, total alcohol, red meat, total fish,
      legumes, dairy products, caffeine and vitamin C. Mixed-effects linear regression
      models were conducted. SUAbase was higher among men compared with that among
      women, and increased with GRStotal tertiles. SUArate was positively associated
      with legume intake in women (gamma=+0.14; 95 % CI +0.06, +0.22, P=0.001) and
      inversely related to dairy product intake in both sexes combined (gamma=-0.042;
      95 % CI -0.075, -0.009), P=0.010). SUAbase was directly linked to alcohol
      consumption among women (gamma=+0.154; 95 % CI +0.046, +0.262, P=0.005). GRSrate
      was linearly related to SUArate only among men. Legume consumption was also
      positively associated with SUArate within the GRStotal's lowest tertile. Among
      women, a synergistic interaction was observed between GRSrate and red meat intake
      in association with SUArate. Among men, a synergistic interaction between low
      vitamin C and genetic risk was found. In sum, sex-diet, sex-gene and gene-diet
      interactions were detected in determining SUA. Further similar studies are needed
      to replicate our findings.

PMID- 28345494
TI  - Adaptation and validation of the Alzheimer's Disease Assessment Scale - Cognitive
      (ADAS-Cog) in a low-literacy setting in sub-Saharan Africa.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to assess the feasibility of a low-literacy
      adaptation of the Alzheimer's Disease Assessment Scale - Cognitive (ADAS-Cog) for
      use in rural sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) for interventional studies in dementia. No
      such adaptations currently exist. METHODS: Tanzanian and Nigerian health
      professionals adapted the ADAS-Cog by consensus. Validation took place in a cross
      sectional sample of 34 rural-dwelling older adults with mild/moderate dementia
      alongside 32 non-demented controls in Tanzania. Participants were oversampled for
      lower educational level. Inter-rater reliability was conducted by two trained
      raters in 22 older adults (13 with dementia) from the same population. Assessors
      were blind to diagnostic group. RESULTS: Median ADAS-Cog scores were 28.75
      (interquartile range (IQR), 22.96-35.54) in mild/moderate dementia and 12.75 (IQR
      9.08-16.16) in controls. The area under the receiver operating characteristic
      curve (AUC) was 0.973 (95% confidence interval (CI) 0.936-1.00) for dementia.
      Internal consistency was high (Cronbach's alpha 0.884) and inter-rater
      reliability was excellent (intra-class correlation coefficient 0.905, 95% CI
      0.804-0.964). CONCLUSION: The low-literacy adaptation of the ADAS-Cog had good
      psychometric properties in this setting. Further evaluation in similar settings
      is required.

PMID- 28345495
TI  - People with dementia as peer workers, challenges, and benefits: a thematic
      analysis and nominal groups study.
AB  - BACKGROUND: There are national initiatives to involve service users in service
      delivery. However, programs employing people with dementia as peer support
      workers (PSWs) in memory services are in their infancy. This study is the first
      to explore the challenges and benefits to staff and peers involved in such a
      program. METHODS: Focus groups, structured based on nominal groups (NG)
      methodology were run with PSWs and clinical staff from two memory services. In
      total, there were 12 participants, with three focus groups: PSWs alone (n = 3);
      staff members alone (n = 6); and PSWs and staff members combined (n = 6). Data
      were analyzed through thematic analysis of recorded session content and the
      ranking of themes inherent in an NG approach. RESULTS: Perceived benefits of the
      PSW program were similar for staff and PSWs and included personal benefits for
      PSWS and stereotype reduction for staff. More challenges were reported by staff
      than PSWs, but both groups agreed that role definition and dealing with the
      cognitive deterioration inherent in dementia were key issues. CONCLUSIONS: The
      PSW program does have benefits for involved staff and PSWs. However, the
      challenges identified highlight the need for careful and consensual setup and
      consideration of power dynamics, with agreed roles and clear guidelines to deal
      with cognitive deterioration.

PMID- 28345496
TI  - Toward a Better Nutritional Aiding in Disasters: Relying on Lessons Learned
      during the Bam Earthquake.
AB  - : Introduction Examining various problems in the aftermath of disasters is very
      important to the disaster victims. Managing and coordinating food supply and its
      distribution among the victims is one of the most important problems after an
      earthquake. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to recognize problems and
      experiences in the field of nutritional aiding during an earthquake. METHODS:
      This qualitative study was of phenomenological type. Using the purposive sampling
      method, 10 people who had experienced nutritional aiding during the Bam
      Earthquake (Iran; 2003) were interviewed. Colaizzi's method of analysis was used
      to analyze interview data. RESULTS: The findings of this study identified four
      main categories and 19 sub-categories concerning challenges in the nutritional
      aiding during the Bam Earthquake. The main topics included managerial, aiding,
      infrastructural, and administrative problems. CONCLUSIONS: The major problems in
      nutritional aiding include lack of prediction and development of a specific
      program of suitable nutritional pattern and nutritional assessment of the victims
      in critical conditions. Forming specialized teams, educating team members about
      nutrition, and making use of experts' knowledge are the most important steps to
      resolve these problems in the critical conditions; these measures are the duties
      of the relevant authorities. Nekouie Moghadam M , Amiresmaieli M , Hassibi M ,
      Doostan F , Khosravi S . Toward a better nutritional aiding in disasters: relying
      on lessons learned during the Bam Earthquake. Prehosp Disaster Med.
      2017;32(4):382-386.

PMID- 28345497
TI  - Scoping the role and education needs of practice nurses in London.
AB  - : Aims To identify education priorities for practice nursing across eight London
      Clinical Commissioning Groups (CCGs); to identify the education, training,
      development and support needs of practice nurses in undertaking current and
      future roles. BACKGROUND: The education needs of practice nurses have long been
      recognised but their employment status means that accessing education requires
      the support of their GP employer. This study scopes the educational requirements
      of the practice nurse workforce and working with educational providers and
      commissioners describes a coherent educational pathway for practice nurses.
      METHOD: A survey of practice nurses to scope their educational attainment needs
      was undertaken. Focus groups were carried out which identified the education,
      training, development and support needs of practice nurses to fulfil current and
      future roles. Findings A total of 272 respondents completed the survey. Practice
      nurses took part in three focus groups (n=34) and one workshop (n=39). Findings
      from this research indicate a practice nurse workforce which lacked career
      progression, role autonomy or a coherent educational framework. Practice nurses
      recognised the strength of their role in building relationship-centred care with
      patients over an extended period of time. They valued this aspect of their role
      and would welcome opportunities to develop this to benefit patients. CONCLUSION:
      This paper demonstrates an appetite for more advanced education among practice
      nurses, a leadership role by the CCGs in working across the whole system to
      address the education needs of practice nurses, and a willingness on the part of
      National Health Service education commissioners to commission education which
      meets the education needs of the practice nurse workforce. Evidence is still
      required, however, to inform the scope of the practice nurse role within an
      integrated system of care and to identify the impact of practice nursing on
      improving health outcomes and care of local populations.

PMID- 28345498
TI  - The effects of payments for pharmaceuticals: a systematic literature review.
AB  - The existence of different forms of out-of-pocket payments (OOPs) for
      pharmaceuticals across the globe provokes the question whether they can achieve
      more negative or positive consequences. A systematic literature review was
      conducted to assess the association between drug cost sharing and health care
      services utilization, health care costs as well as health outcomes. Studies
      published in The Cochrane Library, PubMed, Embase were searched with such
      keywords as: drug, pharmaceutical, cost sharing, out of pocket, co-payments
      paired with the following: impact, health outcomes, health care costs and
      utilization. The final review included 18 articles. A total of 11 publications
      reported the association between drug cost sharing and health care utilization
      patterns, of which nine found a statistically significant direct relationship. In
      all 10 publications concerned the association between drug copayments and health
      care costs. Majority were limited to the impact on the drug budget. Seven studies
      looked into the link between drug cost sharing and health outcomes, of which five
      reported statistically significant inverse relationship. There is some evidence
      for the association between drug copayments, health outcomes and health care
      services consumption. The optimal system of OOPs' payments for pharmaceuticals
      needs to prevent drugs' overconsumption and mitigate the risks of excessive cost
      sharing's burden.

PMID- 28345499
TI  - Synbiotic supplementation in lean patients with non-alcoholic fatty liver
      disease: a pilot, randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled, clinical trial.
AB  - Although non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is the leading aetiology of
      liver disorders in the world, there is no proven treatment for NAFLD patients
      with normal or low BMI. The aim of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of
      synbiotics supplementation in NAFLD patients with normal or low BMI. In this
      randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled, clinical trial, fifty patients with
      NAFLD were assigned to take either a synbiotic supplement or a placebo capsule
      for 28 weeks. Both groups were advised to follow a healthy lifestyle. At the end
      of the study, hepatic steatosis and fibrosis reduced in both groups; however, the
      mean reduction was significantly greater in the synbiotic group rather than in
      the placebo group (P<0.001). Furthermore, serum levels of fasting blood sugar,
      TAG and most of the inflammatory mediators reduced in the synbiotic group
      significantly compared with the placebo group (P<0.05). Our results provide
      evidence that synbiotic supplementation improves the main features of NAFLD in
      patients with normal and low BMI, at least partially through reduction in
      inflammatory indices. Further studies are needed to address the exact mechanism
      of action of these effects.

PMID- 28345500
TI  - Avian malaria, ecological host traits and mosquito abundance in southeastern
      Amazonia.
AB  - Avian malaria is a vector transmitted disease caused by Plasmodium and recent
      studies suggest that variation in its prevalence across avian hosts is correlated
      with a variety of ecological traits. Here we examine the relationship between
      prevalence and diversity of Plasmodium lineages in southeastern Amazonia and: (1)
      host ecological traits (nest location, nest type, flocking behaviour and diet);
      (2) density and diversity of avian hosts; (3) abundance and diversity of
      mosquitoes; and (4) season. We used molecular methods to detect Plasmodium in
      blood samples from 675 individual birds of 120 species. Based on cytochrome b
      sequences, we recovered 89 lineages of Plasmodium from 136 infected individuals
      sampled across seven localities. Plasmodium prevalence was homogeneous over time
      (dry season and flooding season) and space, but heterogeneous among 51 avian host
      species. Variation in prevalence among bird species was not explained by avian
      ecological traits, density of avian hosts, or mosquito abundance. However,
      Plasmodium lineage diversity was positively correlated with mosquito abundance.
      Interestingly, our results suggest that avian host traits are less important
      determinants of Plasmodium prevalence and diversity in southeastern Amazonia than
      in other regions in which they have been investigated.

PMID- 28345501
TI  - Evaluating the submission of digital images as a method of surveillance for
      Ixodes scapularis ticks.
AB  - Widespread access to the internet is offering new possibilities for data
      collection in surveillance. We explore, in this study, the possibility of using
      an electronic tool to monitor occurrence of the tick vector of Lyme disease,
      Ixodes scapularis. The study aimed to compare the capacity for ticks to be
      identified in web-based submissions of digital images/photographs, to the
      traditional specimen-based identification method used by the provincial public
      health laboratory in Quebec, Canada. Forty-one veterinary clinics participated in
      the study by submitting digital images of ticks collected from pets via a website
      for image-based identification by an entomologist. The tick specimens were then
      sent to the provincial public health laboratory to be identified by the 'gold
      standard' method using a microscope. Of the images submitted online, 74.3%
      (284/382) were considered of high-enough quality to allow identification. The
      laboratory identified 382 tick specimens from seven different species, with I.
      scapularis representing 76% of the total submissions. Of the 284 ticks suitable
      for image-based species identification, 276 (97.2%) were correctly identified
      (Kappa statistic of 0.92, Z = 15.46, P < 0.001). This study demonstrates that
      image-based tick identification may be an accurate and useful method of detecting
      ticks for surveillance when images are of suitable quality.

PMID- 28345502
TI  - Reporting Correct p Values in VEGAS Analyses.
AB  - VEGAS (versatile gene-based association study) is a popular methodological
      framework to perform gene-based tests based on summary statistics from single
      variant analyses. The approach incorporates linkage disequilibrium information
      from reference panels to account for the correlation of test statistics. The gene
      based test can utilize three different types of tests. In 2015, the improved
      framework VEGAS2, using more detailed reference panels, was published. Both
      versions provide user-friendly web- and offline-based tools for the analysis.
      However, the implementation of the popular top-percentage test is erroneous in
      both versions. The p values provided by VEGAS2 are deflated/anti-conservative.
      Based on real data examples, we demonstrate that this can increase substantially
      the rate of false-positive findings and can lead to inconsistencies between
      different test options. We also provide code that allows the user of VEGAS to
      compute correct p values.

PMID- 28345503
TI  - Physical fitness and shapes of subcortical brain structures in children.
AB  - A few studies have recently reported that higher cardiorespiratory fitness is
      associated with higher volumes of subcortical brain structures in children. It
      is, however, unknown how different fitness measures relate to shapes of
      subcortical brain nuclei. We aimed to examine the association of the main health
      related physical fitness components with shapes of subcortical brain structures
      in a sample of forty-four Spanish children aged 9.7 (sd 0.2) years from the
      NUtraceuticals for a HEALthier life project. Cardiorespiratory fitness, muscular
      strength and speed agility were assessed using valid and reliable tests (ALPHA
      fitness test battery). Shape of the subcortical brain structures was assessed by
      MRI, and its relationship with fitness was examined after controlling for a set
      of potential confounders using a partial correlation permutation approach. Our
      results showed that all physical fitness components studied were significantly
      related to the shapes of subcortical brain nuclei. These associations were both
      positive and negative, indicating that a higher level of fitness in childhood is
      related to both expansions and contractions in certain regions of the accumbens,
      amygdala, caudate, hippocampus, pallidum, putamen and thalamus. Cardiorespiratory
      fitness was mainly associated with expansions, whereas handgrip was mostly
      associated with contractions in the structures studied. Future randomised
      controlled trials will confirm or contrast our findings, demonstrating whether
      changes in fitness modify the shapes of brain structures and the extent to which
      those changes influence cognitive function.

PMID- 28345504
TI  - The association between Dietary Inflammatory Index scores and the prevalence of
      colorectal adenoma.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: The Dietary Inflammatory Index (DII)TM, which was developed to
      characterize the inflammatory potential of a person's diet, has been shown to be
      associated with inflammatory conditions such as cancer. The present study aimed
      to investigate the association between DII scores and colorectal adenoma (CRA), a
      pre-cancerous condition. DESIGN: Responses to baseline dietary questionnaires
      were used calculate DII scores. In a cross-sectional study design, the
      association between DII scores and CRA prevalence was determined in men and women
      separately using logistic regression models. SETTING: Ten cancer screening
      centres across the USA. SUBJECTS: Participants were those included in the
      screening arm of the Prostate, Lung, Colorectal, and Ovarian (PLCO) Cancer
      Screening Trial. RESULTS: Among the 44 278 individuals included in these
      analyses, men with diets in the most inflammatory quartile of DII scores had
      higher odds of all types of CRA (advanced, non-advanced and multiple (>1))
      compared with those with diets in the least inflammatory quartile of DII scores.
      In fully adjusted models, compared with those with DII scores in quartile 1
      (least inflammatory), males with DII scores in quartile 3 (adjusted odds ratio
      (aOR)=1.28; 95 % CI 1.12, 1.47) and quartile 4 (aOR=1.41; 95 % CI 1.23, 1.62)
      were more likely to have prevalent distal CRA. Higher DII scores, representing a
      more inflammatory diet, also were weakly associated with a higher prevalence of
      CRA in women. CONCLUSIONS: Implementing an anti-inflammatory diet may be an
      effective means of primary prevention of CRA, especially in men.

PMID- 28345505
TI  - International recognition of the Chronic Otitis Media Questionnaire 12.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: The Chronic Otitis Media Questionnaire 12 was developed initially in
      the UK to assess patient-reported health-related quality of life associated with
      chronic otitis media. This study aimed to determine whether this tool is
      applicable to the Russian population, which has a materially different healthcare
      system. METHOD: A total of 108 patients with different forms of chronic otitis
      media completed the Russian Chronic Otitis Media Questionnaire 12. RESULTS: The
      average Russian Chronic Otitis Media Questionnaire 12 score was 19.4 (standard
      deviation = 8.3). The internal consistency of the Russian Chronic Otitis Media
      Questionnaire 12 was high, with a Cronbach's alpha value of 0.860. CONCLUSION:
      The Russian version of the Chronic Otitis Media Questionnaire 12 was found to be
      a reliable tool for the assessment of health-related quality of life in patients
      with chronic otitis media. This sets the scene for international collaboration,
      using this tool to assess the effectiveness of surgical treatments even amongst
      countries with different healthcare systems.

PMID- 28345506
TI  - Parasite performance and host alternation: is there a negative effect in host
      specific and host-opportunistic parasites?
AB  - Environmental fluctuations are expected to require special adaptations only if
      they are associated with a decrease in fitness. We compared reproductive
      performance between fleas fed on alternating (preferred and non-preferred) hosts
      and fleas fed solely on either a preferred or a non-preferred host to determine
      whether (1) host alternation incurs an immediate negative effect, and, if yes,
      then (2) whether this effect is greater in a host specialist (Parapulex
      chephrenis) than in host generalists (Xenopsylla conformis and Synosternus
      cleopatrae). We also compared flea performance under alternating host regimes
      with different host order (initial feeding on either a preferred or a non
      preferred host). An immediate negative effect of alternating hosts on
      reproductive performance was found in P. chephrenis only. These fleas produced
      44.3% less eggs that were 3.6% smaller when they fed on alternating hosts as
      compared with a preferred host. In contrast, X. conformis and S. cleopatrae
      appeared to be able to adapt their reproductive strategy to host alternation by
      producing higher quality offspring (on average, 3.1% faster development and 2.1%
      larger size) without compromising offspring number. However, the former produced
      eggs that were slightly, albeit significantly, smaller when it fed on alternating
      hosts as compared with a preferred host. Moreover, host order affected
      reproductive performance in host generalists (e.g. 2.8% larger eggs when the
      first feeding was performed on a non-preferred host), but not in a host
      specialist. We conclude that immediate effects of environmental fluctuation on
      parasite fitness depend on the degree of host specialization.

PMID- 28345507
TI  - Plasmodium knowlesi invasion following spread by infected mosquitoes, macaques
      and humans.
AB  - Plasmodium knowlesi is increasingly recognized as a major cause of malaria in
      Southeast Asia. Anopheles leucosphyrous group mosquitoes transmit the parasite
      and natural hosts include long-tailed and pig-tailed macaques. Despite early
      laboratory experiments demonstrating successful passage of infection between
      humans, the true role that humans play in P. knowlesi epidemiology remains
      unclear. The threat posed by its introduction into immunologically naive
      populations is unknown despite being a public health priority for this region. A
      two-host species mathematical model was constructed to analyse this threat.
      Global sensitivity analysis using Monte Carlo methods highlighted the biological
      processes of greatest influence to transmission. These included parameters known
      to be influential in classic mosquito-borne disease models (e.g. vector
      longevity); however, interesting ecological components that are specific to this
      system were also highlighted: while local vectors likely have intrinsic
      preferences for certain host species, how plastic these preferences are, and how
      this is shaped by local conditions, are key determinants of parasite transmission
      potential. Invasion analysis demonstrates that this behavioural plasticity can
      qualitatively impact the probability of an epidemic sparked by imported
      infection. Identifying key vector sub/species and studying their biting
      behaviours constitute important next steps before models can better assist in
      strategizing disease control.

PMID- 28345508
TI  - Use of a Novel, Portable, LED-Based Capillary Refill Time Simulator within a
      Disaster Triage Context.
AB  - : Introduction A simple, portable capillary refill time (CRT) simulator is not
      commercially available. This device would be useful in mass-casualty simulations
      with multiple volunteers or mannequins depicting a variety of clinical findings
      and CRTs. The objective of this study was to develop and evaluate a prototype CRT
      simulator in a disaster simulation context. METHODS: A CRT prototype simulator
      was developed by embedding a pressure-sensitive piezo crystal, and a single red
      light-emitting diode (LED) light was embedded, within a flesh-toned resin. The
      LED light was programmed to turn white proportionate to the pressure applied, and
      gradually to return to red on release. The time to color return was adjustable
      with an external dial. The prototype was tested for feasibility among two
      cohorts: emergency medicine physicians in a tabletop exercise and second year
      medical students within an actual disaster triage drill. The realism of the
      simulator was compared to video-based CRT, and participants used a Visual Analog
      Scale (VAS) ranging from "completely artificial" to "as if on a real patient."
      The VAS evaluated both the visual realism and the functional (eg, tactile)
      realism. Accuracy of CRT was evaluated only by the physician cohort. Data were
      analyzed using parametric and non-parametric statistics, and mean Cohen's Kappas
      were used to describe inter-rater reliability. RESULTS: The CRT simulator was
      generally well received by the participants. The simulator was perceived to have
      slightly higher functional realism (P=.06, P=.01) but lower visual realism
      (P=.002, P=.11) than the video-based CRT. Emergency medicine physicians had
      higher accuracy on portrayed CRT on the simulator than the videos (92.6% versus
      71.1%; P<.001). Inter-rater reliability was higher for the simulator (0.78 versus
      0.27; P<.001). CONCLUSIONS: A simple, LED-based CRT simulator was well received
      in both settings. Prior to widespread use for disaster triage training,
      validation on participants' ability to accurately triage disaster victims using
      CRT simulators and video-based CRT simulations should be performed. Chang TP ,
      Santillanes G , Claudius I , Pham PK , Koved J , Cheyne J , Gausche-Hill M , Kaji
      AH , Srinivasan S , Donofrio JJ , Bir C . Use of a novel, portable, LED-based
      capillary refill time simulator within a disaster triage context. Prehosp
      Disaster Med. 2017;32(4):451-456.

PMID- 28345509
TI  - Correction: Perceptual decisions are biased by the cost to act.

PMID- 28345510
TI  - A cephalometric study to establish the relationship of the occlusal plane to the
      three different ala-tragal lines and the Frankfort horizontal plane in different
      head forms.
AB  - BACKGROUND: The aim of the study is to compare the relationship of the occlusal
      plane to 3 different ala-tragal lines, namely the superior, middle and inferior
      lines, in individuals having different head forms and its relation to the
      Frankfort horizontal plane. METHODOLOGY: A total of 75 lateral cephalometric
      radiographs of subjects with natural dentition, having full complement of teeth,
      between the age group of 18-25 were screened and selected. Lateral cephalogram
      were made for each subjects in an open mouth position. Prior to making the
      lateral cephalogram, radiopaque markers were placed on the superior, middle and
      inferior tragus points and on the inferior border of the ala of the nose.
      Cephalometric tracing was done over each cephalogram. RESULTS: In mesiocephalic
      head form the middle ala-tragal line was most parallel to the occlusal plane
      having a mean angle of (1.96 degrees ). In dolichocephalic headform, the superior
      ala-tragal line was most parallel to the occlusal plane having a mean angle of
      (0.48 degrees ). In brachycephalic head form, the middle ala-tragal line was most
      parallel to the occlusal plane having a mean angle of (2.08 degrees ). The mean
      angulations of occlusal plane to FH plane is 11.04 degrees , 10.16 degrees  and
      10.60 degrees  in mesiocephalic, dolichocephalic and brachycephalic head forms,
      respectively. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION: The study concludes that the middle ala
      tragal line can be used as a reference for the mesiocephalic head form and the
      superior ala-tragal line for the dolichocephalic and brachycephalic head form as
      a reference to establish the occlusal plane.

PMID- 28345511
TI  - [Complete removable denture retained by symphyseal implant].
AB  - INTRODUCTION: Edentulous patients often hope for stable and retentive prostheses.
      In very unfavorable anatomophysiological circumstances, the implant-retained
      removable full denture is a simple and reliable option that considerably
      optimizes the prosthetic balance. We present the case of one of those patients
      taken in charge in our department. OBSERVATION: A full edentulous 82 years old
      male patient was referred for a prosthetic rehabilitation. He presented with a
      negative mandibular crest and a very tonic peri-prosthetic musculature in the
      anterior region. He refused a bone augmentation surgery; we performed a
      piezographic mandibular prosthesis retained by a single symphyseal implant in a
      lingual position. The denture was stable and retentive. Comfort and masticatory
      efficiency were satisfactory and the psychological integration of the prosthesis
      was improved. DISCUSSION: Several studies focusing on octogenarian patients
      concluded that a complete removable denture retained by a single symphyseal
      implant is a simple, efficient and cost-effective option. Studies including more
      patients are needed.

PMID- 28345512
TI  - Calcifying odontogenic cysts.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: Calcifying odontogenic cysts (COC) represent 0.3-0.8% of all
      odontogenic cysts. We describe the finding and the treatment of a COC in a 67
      year-old female. OBSERVATION: An asymptomatic well-limited radioluscent
      mandibular lesion was fortuitously discovered on the panoramic X-ray in the
      periapical region of teeth No. 33 and 34. Treatment consisted in enucleation and
      curettage. Histologic examination was in favour of a COC. At 6 years follow-up, X
      ray control showed new bone formation and the patient was free of symptoms. Pulp
      vitality was maintained in all teeth in the operated area. DISCUSSION: Total
      enucleation is the preferred treatment of COC. Absence of recurrence is attested
      by X-ray controls and pulp vitality tests.

PMID- 28345513
TI  - [Schizophrenia and oral health].
AB  - Mental health is an essential component of general health. Schizophrenia is a
      severe and chronic mental illness that affects higher brain functions. It is
      characterized by the presence of a mental dissociation, dampened or inappropriate
      affects, hallucinations and delirium. Schizophrenia has also a negative impact on
      oral health. As schizophrenia affects 1% of the population, every practitioner
      concerned with oral sphere will be confronted one day or another with a patient
      suffering from this disease. It is therefore important to acquire essential
      notions. The aim of our work was to make an update about factors that may affect
      oral health in patients with schizophrenia.

PMID- 28345514
TI  - A soft-tissue mass of the anterior maxilla.

PMID- 28345515
TI  - Treatment of salivary stones by intraductal pneumatic lithotripsy: A preliminary
      presentation of the StoneBreaker with sterile bag covering.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: Sialendoscopy has changed the management of obstructive
      sialadenitis. Nowadays, minimally invasive techniques evolve to preserve salivary
      gland function. Intraductal lithotripsy allows stones fragmentation and retrieval
      without opening the salivary duct. We report our experience with the StoneBreaker
      (SB), a new lithotripter with improvement using a sterile bag that permits reuse
      of the SB without passing to sterilization. TECHNICAL NOTE: The non-sterilized SB
      was used into a sterile camera sleeve in 5 patients, 3 submandibular lithiases
      and 2 parotid lithiases. Technique and outcomes were described with a review of
      the literature. An explanatory video of the procedure was performed. DISCUSSION:
      Complete fragmentation was achieved and all fragments were extracted without any
      ductal damage. Utilization of the sterile sleeve did not change the SB efficiency
      and the procedure duration. The use of a sterile bag allowed several consecutive
      procedures with a single non-sterilized handpiece. However, the gas cartridge
      change may be more delicate when more than 80 impacts are needed. Patients
      remained symptoms and stones free one month after surgery.

PMID- 28345516
TI  - A case of bilateral megaducts: Diagnostic and treatment methods.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: The pathology of the saliva glands comprises both tumoral and
      obstructive disorders. The latter include lithiasis, stenosis and megaduct. In
      this paper, we describe a clinical case of bilateral megaduct, a rare pathology,
      using sialo-MRI imaging and a conservative diagnostic-cum-therapeutic technique,
      sialendoscopy with dilation followed by catheterization. CLINICAL CASE: Our
      female patient presented oversized parotids with an unsightly deformation of the
      face (parotid ducts visible beneath the skin) and itchy cheeks, from which she
      had suffered for several years. Sialo-MRI revealed bilateral hypertrophied
      parotid saliva glands. We opted to perform diagnostic sialendoscopy to explore
      the branches of the salivary gland system and found ducts shaped like strings of
      sausages associated with mucous plugs. The treatment procedure was combined with
      rinsing of both parotid ducts in physiological serum followed by initiation of
      antibiotic-corticotherapy within the saliva ducts and, lastly, by placement of
      transpapillary drains, which were left in place for 10 days. Immediately
      following the procedure, the patient felt a considerable improvement regarding
      both local discomfort and her cheek deformation. Postoperative control at 10
      weeks by sialo-MRI confirmed the reduction of the dilation of the salivary ducts.
      At 3 months, the patient continued to display a marked clinical improvement
      despite her saliva retaining a thick consistency. She no longer suffered from
      pruritis or deformation of the cheeks. DISCUSSION: Sialendoscopy could become the
      reference treatment tool since it is both efficient and conservative. Duration of
      her postoperative catheterization remains to be defined.

PMID- 28345517
TI  - Ptosis and vertical diplopia after ligation of ethmoidal arteries.
AB  - The treatment of epistaxis is well codified, ligation of the ethmoidal arteries
      being the last resort. We report the case of a 25-year-old pregnant patient, who
      has had a ligation of the anterior and posterior ethmoidal arteries after a
      persistent epistaxis. Postoperatively, she presented a complete ptosis and an
      impaired eye elevation without any visual acuity disorders, evoking a lesion of
      the upper branch of the common oculomotor nerve (third cranial nerve). The
      patient totally recovered after 3 months. Anatomical study shows that the upper
      branch of the third cranial nerve is lying very close to the optic nerve and
      cannot be affected by surgery without any associated damage of the optic nerve.
      Thus, a vascular etiology seems to be the best explanation of the complication
      experienced by our patient. Ligation of the posterior ethmoidal artery should be
      done with caution.

PMID- 28345518
TI  - Oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma and HPV. Systematic review on overall
      management.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: Oral human papillomavirus infection amplifies the risk for
      oropharyngeal cancer. Human papillomavirus-associated cancers in
      otorhinolaryngology have typical characteristics. PATIENTS AND METHODS: To
      improve understanding of management, therapy and prognosis of patients with
      oropharyngeal human papillomavirus-associated cancers a systematic review of the
      literature was reported. Medline, The Cochrane Library, Embase and Scielo
      electronic databases were searched. The search included published articles up to
      December 2006. A wide search strategy was employed in order to avoid publication
      biases and to assess studies in which the main aspects concerning oropharyngeal
      squamous cell carcinoma and human papillomavirus management are analyzed.
      RESULTS: A total of 120 articles were identified, of which 16 matched the
      inclusion criteria. DISCUSSION: Patients with human papillomavirus-associated
      oropharyngeal cancers have distinctive risk factors such as a high number of sex
      partners. They are typically younger, nonusers of tobacco and alcohol and have a
      better prognosis.

PMID- 28345519
TI  - Anatomical landmarks for maxillary nerve block in the pterygopalatine fossa: A
      radiological study.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: The aim of this study was to describe the anatomical landmarks for
      maxillary nerve block in the pterygopalatine fossa. The risk of injury to the
      skull base and maxillary artery was assessed. METHODS: This retrospective study
      was based on the analysis of 61 consecutive computed tomography angiographies
      obtained from patients suffering from different pathologies. Anatomical
      relationships between optic canal (OC), foramen rotundum (FR), inferior orbital
      fissure (IOF) and puncture point (PP) were assessed. A "maxillary section" was
      virtually carried out on the CTs, following a plane passing through PP, IOF and
      FR in order to mimic the anaesthesia needle route. RESULTS: No gender difference
      was observed except for the PP-OC distance that was longer in men. The mean PP
      IOF distance was of 31.9 (+/- 0.7mm). PP-OC (43.9+/-0.5) and PP-FR (44.2+/-0.7)
      distances increased significantly with the patients height (PP
      FR=17.25+0.16*height (cm); PP-OC=20.54+0.13*height (cm)). The route to the skull
      base was curved, with an angle of 168+/-1.6 degrees  at the FR level. The angle
      to reach the OC was greater than 7 degrees . DISCUSSION: With a 35-mm needle
      length, the probability to reach the IOF was high (79%), while the risk to injure
      the skull base (2%) and the optical nerve (0%) was low. Artery injuries were only
      found in 13% of cases. Therefore, a 35-mm needle length allows for the best
      efficacy/risk ratio in maxillary nerve block.

PMID- 28345520
TI  - [Management of patients with bradykinin-mediated angioedema in oral and
      maxillofacial surgery].
AB  - Bradykinin-mediated angioedema (AE) is a rare disease characterized by recurrent
      cutaneous or mucosal angioedema. This hereditary or acquired disease is of rapid
      installation, non-pruritic, usually painless and can affect the face, lips,
      larynx, gastrointestinal tract or extremities. When the affected area involves
      the upper respiratory tract, laryngeal angioedema can lead to imminent death by
      asphyxia. This is the reason for the high mortality rate (30 %) in undiagnosed or
      improperly managed patients. High-risk situations in oral and maxillofacial
      surgery procedures should be identified preoperatively. Short-term prophylaxis
      must be carried-out prior to any procedure that may trigger an attack. A multi
      site reference center (CREAK) has been created to help clinicians to manage this
      disease. This article reviews the pathophysiologic mechanisms, the clinical
      presentations, the possible treatments, the acute strategies for attacks and
      different prophylactic possibilities in oral and maxillofacial surgery.

PMID- 28345521
TI  - [An obstructive soft palate tumor].

PMID- 28345522
TI  - Regulatory B cells and Allergy: uncovering the link.

PMID- 28345523
TI  - A practical formula for determining growth.
AB  - PURPOSE: We aimed to establish a practical method to evaluate skeletal age using
      cervical vertebrae. METHODS: The study consisted of hand-wrist and cephalometric
      radiographs of 324 subjects (167 girls, 157 boys; age range, 7.3-17.2 years).
      Skeletal ages of the subjects were calculated from hand-wrist radiographs, and
      cervical vertebral bodies were measured using cephalometric radiographs. A single
      formula based on C3 and C4 vertebral body heights with different coefficients for
      each gender was derived using ridge regression analysis. RESULTS: The correlation
      coefficients for vertebral and hand-wrist bone age were 0.825 and 0.856 for girls
      and boys, respectively. The correlations among vertebral bone age and C3 and C4
      vertebral body heights were also found to be significant. The intraclass
      correlation (ICC) score was found to be 0.914, which shows high consistency
      between the two measurements of the same investigator for each C3 and C4
      vertebral body height result. CONCLUSION: The formula derived for evaluating
      skeletal age in cephalometric radiographs is reliable and can be applied to both
      girl and boy subjects for legal requirements or therapeutic needs of age
      estimation.

PMID- 28345525
TI  - Tolerance of monocytes and macrophages in response to bacterial endotoxin.
AB  - Monocytes belong to myeloid effector cells, which constitute the first line of
      defense against pathogens, also called the nonspecific immune system and play an
      important role in the maintenance of tissue homeostasis. In response to
      stimulation, monocytes differentiate into macrophages capable of microorganism
      phagocytosis and secrete factors that play a key role in the regulation of immune
      responses. However excessive exposure of monocytes/macrophages to the
      lipopolysaccharide (LPS) of Gram negative bacteria leads to the acquisition of
      immune tolerance by these cells. Such state results from disruption of different
      biological processes, for example intracellular signaling pathways and is
      accompanied by a number of disease states (immune, inflammatory or neoplastic
      conditions). Regulation of monocytes/macrophages activity is controlled by
      miRNAs, which are involved in the modulation of immune tolerance acquired by
      these cells. Moreover, the tolerance to endotoxin is conditioned by the
      posttranscriptional processes and posttranslational epigenetic modifications
      leading to the impairment of normal immune response for example by alterations in
      the expression of many genes encoding immune signaling mediators. The aim of this
      paper is to provide an overview existing knowledge on the modulation of activity
      of monocytes/macrophages in response to bacterial endotoxin and impaired immune
      responses.

PMID- 28345524
TI  - Conventional MRI features for predicting the clinical outcome of patients with
      invasive placenta.
AB  - PURPOSE: We aimed to evaluate whether morphologic magnetic resonance imaging
      (MRI) features could help to predict the maternal outcome after uterine artery
      embolization (UAE)-assisted cesarean section (CS) in patients with invasive
      placenta previa. METHODS: We retrospectively reviewed the MRI data of 40 pregnant
      women who have undergone UAE-assisted cesarean section due to suspected high risk
      of massive hemorrhage caused by invasive placenta previa. Patients were divided
      into two groups based on the maternal outcome (good-outcome group: minor
      hemorrhage and uterus preserved; poor-outcome group: significant hemorrhage or
      emergency hysterectomy). Morphologic MRI features were compared between the two
      groups. Multivariate logistic regression analysis was used to identify the most
      valuable variables, and predictive value of the identified risk factor was
      determined. RESULTS: Low signal intensity bands on T2-weighted imaging (P <
      0.001), placenta percreta (P = 0.011), and placental cervical protrusion sign (P
      = 0.002) were more frequently observed in patients with poor outcome. Low signal
      intensity bands on T2-weighted imaging was the only significant predictor of poor
      maternal outcome in multivariate analysis (P = 0.020; odds ratio, 14.79), with
      81.3% sensitivity and 84.3% specificity. CONCLUSION: Low signal intensity bands
      on T2-weighted imaging might be a predictor of poor maternal outcome after UAE
      assisted cesarean section in patients with invasive placenta previa.

PMID- 28345526
TI  - Aspects of pericytes and their potential therapeutic use.
AB  - Pericytes, which are multi-potential stem cells, co-create the walls of the
      microvessels: capillaries, terminal arterioles and postcapillary venules. These
      cells are localized under the basement membrane, tightly encircling the
      endothelium. The most frequently mentioned molecular markers of pericytes include
      NG2 (neural-glial antigen 2), beta-type platelet-derived growth factor receptor
      (PDGFRbeta), smooth muscle alpha-actin (alpha-SMA), regulator of G protein
      signalling 5 (RGS5), the adhesion protein CD146 and nestin. Different functions
      in physiological processes are assigned to pericytes such as maintaining the
      integrity and senescence of endothelial cells, transregulation of vascular tone
      or the potential to differentiate into other cells. Probably they are also
      involved in pathological processes such as tissues fibrosis. In this review, we
      focus on the participation of pericytes in the process of blood vessel formation,
      the regeneration of skeletal muscle tissue and fibrosis. Strong evidence for
      pericytes' participation in endothelial homeostasis, as well as in pathological
      conditions such as fibrosis, reveals a broad potential for the therapeutic use of
      these cells. Targeted pharmacological modulation of pericytes, leading to
      blocking signalling pathways responsible for the differentiation of pericytes
      into myofibroblasts, seems to be a promising strategy for the treatment of
      fibrosis in the early stages.

PMID- 28345527
TI  - Prevalence and factors promoting the occurrence of vitamin D deficiency in the
      elderly.
AB  - Vitamin D deficiency affects a large part of the population of elderly people,
      especially women, who live in moderate climate countries due to a reduced amount
      of vitamin D in the diet (small sea fish consumption) and reduced content of 7
      dehydrocholesterol, which causes decreased skin synthesis. The lowest seasonal
      concentration of 25(OH)D3 is usually observed during winter and spring. Sun
      exposure influences 25(OH)D3 concentration more strongly in men than in women.
      Sociodemographic factors that increase the risk of vitamin D deficiency in the
      elderly include poor environmental conditions, low economic status, lower
      educational level, drug exposure (smoking), reduced physical activity, overall
      poor health and obesity, which causes reduced skin exposure to sunlight. The use
      of medications or supplements that contain vitamin D and staying in a nursing
      home that employ such supplementation are factors that prevent deficiency.
      Significant prevalence of diseases of the gastrointestinal tract may contribute
      to cholecalciferol and ergocalciferol malabsorption or impair their liver
      transformation. In addition, the high incidence of chronic kidney disease in old
      age reduces processing hydroxylation of vitamin D and the formation of active
      metabolites. Vitamin D deficiency can not only cause bone mineralization
      disorders, but also increase incidence of cardiovascular diseases, cancers, type
      2 diabetes and depression. The aim of this study was to summarize current
      knowledge about the risk factors of vitamin D deficiency development in the
      elderly population.

PMID- 28345528
TI  - Genetic and psychosocial factors for benzodiazepine addiction. An analysis based
      on the results of the authors' own research conducted in a group of
      benzodiazepine addicted and non-addicted individuals.
AB  - PURPOSE: In spite of the fact that the addictive potential of benzodiazepine
      (BDZ) drugs has been known for a long time, benzodiazepine addiction remains a
      common problem for psychiatry to deal with. The etiology of benzodiazepine
      addiction is very complex. Among the risk factors, the course of the treatment,
      demographic status and psychological features of a patient seem to play an
      important role. The aim of this study was to investigate both psychological and
      genetic factors differentiating benzodiazepine addicts from non-addicted users.
      METHODS: We analysed a cohort of 120 individuals treated with benzodiazepines
      divided into two groups: benzodiazepine addicts and non-addicted benzodiazepine
      users (the control group). In both groups we measured genetic polymorphisms of
      GABA A2 and MAOA. In both groups some psychometric measurements were performed -
      we investigated the level of depression, anxiety as a state and as a trait,
      personality features and the dominant coping style using the Beck Depression
      Scale, Hamilton Anxiety Scale, Five-Factor Personality Inventory NEO-FFI and the
      Coping Inventory for Stressful Situations [4,10,17,36,41,44]. RESULTS: There are
      some psychological and situational risk factors for benzodiazepine addiction such
      as high neuroticism, introversion and lack of the ability to release tension
      through interpersonal contacts, dominance of emotional coping style and high
      accumulation of critical life events during both childhood and adulthood. The
      genetic background still remains a field for further exploration.

PMID- 28345529
TI  - Diversity of extended-spectrum beta-lactamase-producing Escherichia coli rods.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: The aim of the study was to evaluate genetic relatedness and
      antimicrobial susceptibility of extended-spectrum beta-lactamase-producing E.
      coli strains isolated from patients hospitalized in the University Hospital in
      Bydgoszcz (Poland). MATERIAL AND METHODS: The study included 33 extended-spectrum
      beta-lactamase-producing E. coli strains isolated from 31 patients. The
      chromosomal DNA was extracted from the strains and separated by pulsed-field gel
      electrophoresis. Antimicrobial susceptibility testing was performed by the agar
      dilution method and carried out according to the European Committee on
      Antimicrobial Susceptibility Testing recommendations. RESULTS: According to the
      pulsed-field gel electrophoresis results, 32 distinct pulsotypes were revealed.
      Based on Molecular Analyst Fingerprinting software analysis, the studied isolates
      were divided into four subgroups: 6 (18.2%) isolates showing similarity greater
      than 90% (group A); 19 (57.6%) showing 80-90% similarity (group B); 7 (21.2%)
      showing 70-79% similarity (group C); and one isolate with less than 70%
      similarity (group D). Among E. coli isolates showing similarity greater than 90%,
      four antimicrobial patterns were noted. Among the isolates showing 80-90%
      similarity, 18 antimicrobial patterns were observed. E. coli isolates showing 70
      79% similarity presented 6 antimicrobial patterns. CONCLUSIONS: Our results show
      a high degree of genetic diversity of extended-spectrum beta-lactamase-producing
      E. coli isolates. However, based on a similarity of >=80%, almost 75% of E. coli
      isolates were clonally related. Although it is difficult to identify definitive
      transmission events based on the recovery of indistinguishable pulsed-field gel
      electrophoresis types alone, we speculate that extended-spectrum beta-lactamase
      producing E. coli strains may have disseminated throughout the hospital.

PMID- 28345530
TI  - Fecal microbiota transplantation - methods of treatment of recurrent Clostridium
      difficile infections and other diseases.
AB  - Clostridium difficile is a serious epidemiological problem and particularly
      dangerous microorganism causing hospital infections. Currently, the treatment of
      C. difficile infections is the use of metronidazole or vancomycin. However, in
      some patients, recurrent infection difficult to treat occurs. Fecal microbiota
      transplantation (FMT) is a new method used to treat the recurrent CDI. FMT
      consists in the infusion of the fecal suspension from a healthy donor into the
      gastrointestinal tract of a patient with CDI to restore the natural intestinal
      microflora. FMT is safe and effective treatment of recurrent CDI. FMT is
      extensively described around the world, but to date only two randomized studies
      confirming the effectiveness of FMT have been conducted. This method was also
      applied in the treatment of diseases such as pseudomembranous colitis, ulcerative
      colitis, Crohn's disease and irritable bowel syndrome. The review describes the
      procedure for FMT and the current state of knowledge about the effectiveness of
      FMT in the treatment of recurrent CDI.

PMID- 28345531
TI  - Polyphenols in preventing endothelial dysfunction.
AB  - One of the main causes of mortality in developed countries is atherosclerosis.
      The pathogenesis of atherosclerosis is associated with endothelial dysfunction.
      Consumption of food rich in natural antioxidants including polyphenols
      significantly improves endothelial cells functions. Polyphenols have a beneficial
      effect on the human body and play an important part in protecting the
      cardiovascular system. Polyphenols present in food have antioxidant, anti
      inflammatory, antihypertensive, antithrombotic and antiproliferative properties.
      Catechins cause an increase in the activity of endothelial nitric oxide synthase
      (eNOS) and increased production of nitric oxide (NO) and decrease in blood
      pressure. Catechins also reduce platelet adhesion, lower the concentration of C
      reactive protein and tumor necrosis factor alpha and interleukin-6. Resveratrol
      inhibits NADPH oxidase expression, increases the expression of eNOS and NO
      production as well as decreases the expression of proinflammatory cytokines, and
      also lowers the concentration of the soluble forms of adhesion molecules - sICAM
      1 and sVCAM-1 in blood. Quercetin reduces the blood level of low density
      lipoprotein cholesterol, lowers blood pressure, reduces the concentration of C
      reactive protein and F2-isoprostane level. Curcumin has antagonistic activity to
      homocysteine. Curcumin increases the expression of eNOS and reduces oxidative DNA
      damage in rat cardiomyocytes. Numerous attempts are taken for improving the
      bioavailability of polyphenols in order to increase their use in the body.

PMID- 28345532
TI  - Observation of variable hybridized-band gaps in Eu-intercalated graphene.
AB  - We report europium (Eu)-induced changes in the pi-band of graphene (G) formed on
      the 6H-SiC(0001) surface by a combined study of photoemission measurements and
      density functional theory (DFT) calculations. Our photoemission data reveal that
      Eu intercalates upon annealing at 120  degrees C into the region between the
      graphene and the buffer layer (BL) to form a G/Eu/BL system, where a band gap of
      0.29 eV opens at room temperature. This band gap is found to increase further to
      0.48 eV upon cooling down to 60 K. Our DFT calculations suggest that the
      increased band gap originates from the enhanced hybridization of the graphene pi
      band with the Eu 4f band due to the increased magnetic ordering upon cooling.
      These Eu atoms continue to intercalate further down below the BL to produce
      bilayer graphene (G/BL/Eu) upon annealing at 300  degrees C. The pi-band stemming
      from the BL then exhibits another band gap of 0.37 eV, which appears to be due to
      the strong hybridization between the pi-band of the BL and the Eu 4f band. The Eu
      intercalated graphene thus illustrates an example of versatile band gaps formed
      under different thermal treatments, which may play a critical role for future
      applications in graphene-based electronics.

PMID- 28345533
TI  - Fabrication of plasmonic cavity arrays for SERS analysis.
AB  - The plasmonic cavity arrays are ideal substrates for surface enhanced Raman
      scattering analysis because they can provide hot spots with large volume for
      analyte molecules. The large area increases the probability to make more analyte
      molecules on hot spots and leads to a high reproducibility. Therefore, to develop
      a simple method for creating cavity arrays is important. Herein, we demonstrate
      how to fabricate a V and W shape cavity arrays by a simple method based on self
      assembly. Briefly, the V and W shape cavity arrays are respectively fabricated by
      taking KOH etching on a nanohole and a nanoring array patterned silicon (Si)
      slides. The nanohole array is generated by taking a reactive ion etching on a Si
      slide assembled with monolayer of polystyrene (PS) spheres. The nanoring array is
      generated by taking a reactive ion etching on a Si slide covered with a monolayer
      of octadecyltrichlorosilane before self-assembling PS spheres. Both plasmonic V
      and W cavity arrays can provide large hot area, which increases the probability
      for analyte molecules to deposit on the hot spots. Taking 4-Mercaptopyridine as
      analyte probe, the enhancement factor can reach 2.99 * 105 and 9.97 * 105 for
      plasmonic V cavity and W cavity array, respectively. The relative standard
      deviations of the plasmonic V and W cavity arrays are 6.5% and 10.2% respectively
      according to the spectra collected on 20 random spots.

PMID- 28345535
TI  - Photoactivated processes in optical fibers: generation and conversion mechanisms
      of twofold coordinated Si and Ge atoms.
AB  - In this work we present an extensive investigation of nanoscale physical
      phenomena related to oxygen-deficient centers (ODCs) in silica and Ge-doped
      silica by means of first-principles calculations, including nudged-elastic band,
      electron paramagnetic resonance parameters calculations, and many-body
      perturbation theory (GW and Bethe-Salpeter equation) techniques. We show that by
      neutralizing positively charged oxygen monovacancies we can obtain model
      structures of twofold Si and Ge defects of which the calculated absorption
      spectra and singlet-to-triplet transitions are in excellent agreement with the
      experimental optical absorption and photo-luminescence data. In particular we
      provide an exhaustive analysis of the main exciton peaks related to the presence
      of twofold defects including long-range correlation effects. By calculating the
      reaction pathways and energy barriers necessary for the interconversion, we
      advance a double precursory origin of the [Formula: see text] and Ge(2) centers
      as due to the ionization of neutral oxygen monovacancies (Si-Si and Ge-Si dimers)
      and as due to the ionization of twofold Si and Ge defects. Furthermore two
      distinct structural conversion mechanisms are found to occur between the neutral
      oxygen monovacancy and the twofold Si (and Ge) atom configurations. Such
      conversion mechanisms allow to explain the radiation induced generation of the
      ODC(II) centers, their photobleaching, and also their generation during the
      drawing of optical fibers.

PMID- 28345534
TI  - Electron transfer processes occurring on platinum neural stimulating electrodes:
      calculated charge-storage capacities are inaccessible during applied stimulation.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: Neural prostheses employing platinum electrodes are often constrained
      by a charge/charge-density parameter known as the Shannon limit. In examining the
      relationship between charge injection and observed tissue damage, the
      electrochemistry at the electrode-tissue interface should be considered. The
      charge-storage capacity (CSC) is often used as a predictor of how much charge an
      electrode can inject during stimulation, but calculating charge from a steady
      state i-E curve (cyclic voltammogram) over the water window misrepresents how
      electrodes operate during stimulation. We aim to gain insight into why CSC
      predictions from classic i-E curves overestimate the amount of charge that can be
      injected during neural stimulation pulsing. APPROACH: In this study, we use a
      standard electrochemical technique to investigate how platinum electrochemistry
      depends on the potentials accessed by the electrode and on the electrolyte
      composition. MAIN RESULTS: The experiments indicate: (1) platinum electrodes must
      be subjected to a 'cleaning' procedure in order to expose the maximum number of
      surface platinum sites for hydrogen adsorption; (2) the 'cleaned' platinum
      surface will likely revert to an obstructed condition under typical neural
      stimulation conditions; (3) irreversible oxygen reduction may occur under neural
      stimulation conditions, so the consequences of this reaction should be
      considered; and (4) the presence of the chloride ion (Cl-) or proteins (bovine
      serum albumin) inhibits oxide formation and alters H adsorption. SIGNIFICANCE:
      These observations help explain why traditional CSC calculations overestimate the
      charge that can be injected during neural stimulation. The results underscore how
      careful electrochemical examination of the electrode-electrolyte interface can
      result in more accurate expectations of electrode performance during applied
      stimulation.

PMID- 28345536
TI  - Tuning the work function of stepped metal surfaces by adsorption of organic
      molecules.
AB  - Understanding the binding mechanisms for aromatic molecules on transition-metal
      surfaces, especially with defects such as vacancies, steps and kinks, is a major
      challenge in designing functional interfaces for organic devices. One important
      parameter in the performance of organic/inorganic devices is the barrier of
      charge carrier injection. In the case of a metallic electrode, tuning the
      electronic interface potential or the work function for electronic level
      alignment is crucial. Here, we use density-functional theory (DFT) calculations
      with van der Waals (vdW) interactions treated with both screened pairwise
      (vdWsurf) and many-body dispersion (MBD) methods, to systematically study the
      interactions of benzene with a variety of stepped surfaces. Our calculations
      confirm the physisorptive character of Ag(2 1 1), Ag(5 3 3), Ag(3 2 2), Ag(7 5 5)
      and Ag(5 4 4) surfaces upon the adsorption of benzene. The MBD effects reduce the
      adsorption energies by about 0.15 eV per molecule compared to the results from
      the DFT  +  vdWsurf method. In addition, we find that the higher the step
      density, the larger the reduction of the work function upon the adsorption of
      benzene. We also study the effect of vdW interactions on the electronic structure
      using a fully self-consistent implementation of the vdWsurf method in the Kohn
      Sham DFT framework. We find that the self-consistent vdWsurf effects increase the
      work function due to the lowered Fermi level and the increased vacuum level. As a
      result, the benzene/Ag(2 1 1) system has the lowest work function (3.67 eV) among
      the five adsorption systems, significantly smaller than the work function of the
      clean Ag(1 1 1) surface (4.74 eV). Our results provide important insights into
      the stability and electronic properties of molecules adsorbed on stepped metal
      surfaces, which could help in designing more appropriate interfaces with low work
      functions for electron transfer.

PMID- 28345537
TI  - Hyperuniformity variation with quasicrystal local isomorphism class.
AB  - Hyperuniformity is the suppression of long-wavelength density fluctuations,
      relative to typical structurally disordered systems. In this paper, we examine
      how the degree of hyperuniformity [[Formula: see text]] in quasicrystals depends
      on the local isomorphism class. By studying the continuum of pentagonal
      quasicrystal tilings obtained by direct projection from a five-dimensional
      hypercubic lattice, we find that [Formula: see text] is dominantly determined by
      the local distribution of vertex environments (e.g. as measured by Voronoi cells)
      but also exhibits a non-negligible dependence on the restorability. We show that
      the highest degree of hyperuniformity [smallest [Formula: see text]] corresponds
      to the Penrose local isomorphism class. The difference in the degree of
      hyperuniformity is expected to affect physical characteristics, such as transport
      properties.

PMID- 28345538
TI  - Current Trends for ST-segment Elevation Myocardial Infarction during the Past 5
      Years in Rural Areas of China's Liaoning Province: A Multicenter Study.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Since 2010, two versions of National Guidelines aimed at promoting
      the management of ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) have been
      formulated by the Chinese Society of Cardiology. However, little is known about
      the changes in clinical characteristics, management, and in-hospital outcomes in
      rural areas. METHODS: In the present multicenter, cross-sectional study,
      participants were enrolled from rural hospitals located in Liaoning province in
      Northeast China, during two different periods (from June 2009 to June 2010 and
      from January 2015 to December 2015). Data collection was conducted using a
      standardized questionnaire. In total, 607 and 637 STEMI patients were recruited
      in the 2010 and 2015 cohorts, respectively. RESULTS: STEMI patients in rural
      hospitals were older in the second group (63 years vs. 65 years, P = 0.039). We
      found increases in the prevalence of hypertension, prior percutaneous coronary
      intervention (PCI), and prior stroke. Over the past 5 years, the cost during
      hospitalization almost doubled. The proportion of STEMI patients who underwent
      emergency reperfusion had significantly increased from 42.34% to 54.47% (P <
      0.0001). Concurrently, the proportion of primary PCI increased from 3.62% to
      10.52% (P < 0.0001). The past 5 years have also seen marked increases in the use
      of guideline-recommended drugs and clinical examinations. However, in-hospital
      mortality and major adverse cardiac events did not significantly change over time
      (13.01% vs. 10.20%, P = 0.121; 13.34% vs. 13.66%, P = 0.872). CONCLUSIONS:
      Despite the great progress that has been made in guideline-recommended therapies,
      in-hospital outcomes among rural STEMI patients have not significantly improved.
      Therefore, there is still substantial room for improvement in the quality of
      care.

PMID- 28345539
TI  - Admission Glucose and In-hospital Mortality after Acute Myocardial Infarction in
      Patients with or without Diabetes: A Cross-sectional Study.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Hyperglycemia on admission has been found to elevate risk for
      mortality and adverse clinical events after acute myocardial infarction (AMI),
      but there are evidences that the relationship of blood glucose and mortality may
      differ between diabetic and nondiabetic patients. Prior studies in China have
      provided mixed results and are limited by statistical power. Here, we used data
      from a large, nationally representative sample of patients hospitalized with AMI
      in China in 2001, 2006, and 2011 to assess if admission glucose is of prognostic
      value in China and if this relationship differs depending on the presence or
      absence of diabetes. METHODS: Using a nationally representative sample of
      patients with AMI in China in 2001, 2006, and 2011, we categorized patients
      according to their glucose levels at admission (Results: Compared to patients
      with euglycemia (5.8%), patients with moderate hyperglycemia (13.1%, odds ratio
      [OR] = 2.44, 95% confidence interval [CI, 2.08-2.86]), severe hyperglycemia
      (21.5%, OR = 4.42, 95% CI [3.78-5.18]), and hypoglycemia (13.8%, OR = 2.59, 95%
      CI [1.68-4.00]), all had higher crude in-hospital mortality after AMI regardless
      of the presence of recognized diabetes mellitus. After adjustment for patients'
      characteristics and clinical status, however, the relationship between admission
      glucose and in-hospital mortality was different for diabetic and nondiabetic
      patients (P for interaction = 0.045). Among diabetic patients, hypoglycemia (OR =
      3.02, 95% CI [1.20-7.63]), moderate hyperglycemia (OR = 1.75, 95% CI [1.04
      2.92]), and severe hyperglycemia (OR = 2.97, 95% CI [1.87-4.71]) remained
      associated with elevated risk for mortality, but among nondiabetic patients, only
      patients with moderate hyperglycemia (OR = 2.34, 95% CI [1.93-2.84]) and severe
      hyperglycemia (OR = 3.92, 95% CI [3.04-5.04]) were at elevated mortality risk and
      not hypoglycemia (OR = 1.12, 95% CI [0.60-2.08]). This relationship was
      consistent across different study years (P for interaction = 0.900). CONCLUSIONS:
      The relationship between admission glucose and in-hospital mortality differs for
      diabetic and nondiabetic patients. Hypoglycemia was a bad prognostic marker among
      diabetic patients alone. The study results could be used to guide risk assessment
      among AMI patients using admission glucose. TRIAL REGISTRATION:
      www.clinicaltrials.gov, NCT01624883;
      https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT01624883.

PMID- 28345540
TI  - Epidemiological Features of Nontraumatic Spontaneous Subarachnoid Hemorrhage in
      China: A Nationwide Hospital-based Multicenter Study.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Nontraumatic spontaneous subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH) is associated
      with a high mortality. This study was conducted to investigate the
      epidemiological features of nontraumatic spontaneous SAH in China. METHODS: From
      January 2006 to December 2008, the clinical data of patients with nontraumatic
      SAH from 32 major neurosurgical centers of China were evaluated. Emergent digital
      subtraction angiography (DSA) was performed for the diagnosis of SAH sources in
      the acute stage of SAH (<=3 days). The results and complications of emergent DSA
      were analyzed. Repeated DSA or computed tomography angiography (CTA) was
      suggested 2 weeks later if initial angiographic result was negative. RESULTS: A
      total of 2562 patients were enrolled, including 81.4% of aneurysmal SAH and 18.6%
      of nonaneurysmal SAH. The total complication rate of emergent DSA was 3.9%
      without any mortality. Among the patients with aneurysmal SAH, 321 cases (15.4%)
      had multiple aneurysms, and a total of 2435 aneurysms were detected. The
      aneurysms mostly originated from the anterior communicating artery (30.1%),
      posterior communicating artery (28.7%), and middle cerebral artery (15.9%). Among
      the nonaneurysmal SAH cases, 76.5% (n = 365) had negative initial DSA, including
      62 cases with peri-mesencephalic nonaneurysmal SAH (PNSAH). Repeated DSA or CTA
      was performed in 252 patients with negative initial DSA, including 45 PNSAH
      cases. Among them, the repeated angiographic results remained negative in 45
      PNSAH cases, but 28 (13.5%) intracranial aneurysms were detected in the remaining
      207 cases. In addition, brain arteriovenous malformation (AVM, 7.5%), Moyamoya
      disease (7.3%), stenosis or sclerosis of the cerebral artery (2.7%), and dural
      arteriovenous fistula or carotid cavernous fistula (2.3%) were the major causes
      of nonaneurysmal SAH. CONCLUSIONS: DSA can be performed safely for pathological
      diagnosis in the acute stage of SAH. Ruptured intracranial aneurysms, AVM, and
      Moyamoya disease are the major causes of SAH detected by emergent DSA in China.

PMID- 28345541
TI  - A Risk Prediction Model for In-hospital Mortality in Patients with Suspected
      Myocarditis.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Myocarditis is an inflammatory disease of the myocardium that may
      lead to cardiac death in some patients. However, little is known about the
      predictors of in-hospital mortality in patients with suspected myocarditis. Thus,
      the aim of this study was to identify the independent risk factors for in
      hospital mortality in patients with suspected myocarditis by establishing a risk
      prediction model. METHODS: A retrospective study was performed to analyze the
      clinical medical records of 403 consecutive patients with suspected myocarditis
      who were admitted to Ningbo First Hospital between January 2003 and December
      2013. A total of 238 males (59%) and 165 females (41%) were enrolled in this
      study. We divided the above patients into two subgroups (survival and
      nonsurvival), according to their clinical in-hospital outcomes. To maximize the
      effectiveness of the prediction model, we first identified the potential risk
      factors for in-hospital mortality among patients with suspected myocarditis,
      based on data pertaining to previously established risk factors and basic patient
      characteristics. We subsequently established a regression model for predicting in
      hospital mortality using univariate and multivariate logistic regression
      analyses. Finally, we identified the independent risk factors for in-hospital
      mortality using our risk prediction model. RESULTS: The following prediction
      model for in-hospital mortality in patients with suspected myocarditis, including
      creatinine clearance rate (Ccr), age, ventricular tachycardia (VT), New York
      Heart Association (NYHA) classification, gender and cardiac troponin T (cTnT),
      was established in the study: P = ea/(1 + ea) (where e is the exponential
      function, P is the probability of in-hospital death, and a = -7.34 + 2.99 * [Ccr
      <60 ml/min = 1, Ccr >=60 ml/min = 0] + 2.01 * [age >=50 years = 1, age <50 years
      = 0] + 1.93 * [VT = 1, no VT = 0] + 1.39 * [NYHA >=3 = 1, NYHA <3 = 0] + 1.25 *
      [male = 1, female = 0] + 1.13 * [cTnT >=50 MUg/L = 1, cTnT <50 MUg/L = 0]). The
      area under the receiver operating characteristic curve was 0.96 (standard error =
      0.015, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.93-0.99). The model demonstrated that a
      Ccr <60 ml/min (odds ratio [OR] = 19.94, 95% CI: 5.66-70.26), an age >=50 years
      (OR = 7.43, 95% CI: 2.18-25.34), VT (OR = 6.89, 95% CI: 1.86-25.44), a NYHA
      classification >=3 (OR = 4.03, 95% CI: 1.13-14.32), male gender (OR = 3.48, 95%
      CI: 0.99-12.20), and a cTnT level >=50 MUg/L (OR = 3.10, 95% CI: 0.91-10.62) were
      the independent risk factors for in-hospital mortality. CONCLUSIONS: A Ccr <60
      ml/min, an age >=50 years, VT, an NYHA classification >=3, male gender, and a
      cTnT level >=50 MUg/L were the independent risk factors resulting from the
      prediction model for in-hospital mortality in patients with suspected
      myocarditis. In addition, sufficient life support during the early stage of the
      disease might improve the prognoses of patients with suspected myocarditis with
      multiple risk factors for in-hospital mortality.

PMID- 28345542
TI  - Association between Self-reported Snoring and Prediabetes among Adults Aged 40
      Years and Older without Diabetes.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Several previous studies have shown that snoring is associated with
      glucose metabolism and the development of diabetes, but rare study has shown the
      association between snoring frequency and prediabetes, particularly in China. We
      hypothesized that individuals who snore might have a higher risk of prediabetes.
      This study aimed to investigate the association between self-reported snoring and
      prediabetes in a Chinese population. METHODS: A cross-sectional study was
      performed in three large communities of Beijing from December 2011 to August 2012
      by recruiting individuals aged >=40 years old. All participants were requested to
      complete a detailed questionnaire and undergo anthropometric measurements. A 75 g
      oral glucose tolerance test was performed in individuals without diabetes. Blood
      samples of all participants were collected; blood glucose and blood fat levels
      were measured. Multivariate logistic regression models were built to assess the
      association between snoring frequency and prediabetes. RESULTS: A total of 13,592
      participants (female: 66.56%; mean age: 56.8 +/- 7.9 years; mean body mass index:
      25.5 +/- 3.4 kg/m2) were included in the final analysis. Of these, 30.9% were
      diagnosed with prediabetes, while 41.3% and 25.4% had occasional and habitual
      snoring, respectively. Habitual snoring was associated with an increased risk of
      prediabetes (odds ratio [OR]: 1.3, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.1-1.4, P<
      0.001), after adjusting for diabetes and sleep-related confounders in the
      multivariable models. Habitual snoring was also associated with isolated impaired
      fasting glucose (IFG; OR: 1.3, 95% CI: 1.0-1.6; P< 0.001) and isolated impaired
      glucose tolerance (IGT; OR: 1.3, 95% CI: 1.2-1.5; P< 0.001), but not IFG + IGT
      (OR: 1.1, 95% CI: 0.9-1.4; P = 0.281). When stratified by total cholesterol (TC)
      levels, this association between habitual snoring and prediabetes was observed
      only in individuals with TC <5.6 mmol/L (OR: 1.4, 95% CI: 1.2-1.6; P< 0.001).
      CONCLUSIONS: Habitual snoring is associated with prediabetes, but only in
      individuals with TC <5.6 mmol/L. Further prospective studies are needed to
      confirm this finding.

PMID- 28345543
TI  - Use of First-phase Insulin Secretion in Early Diagnosis of Thyroid Diabetes and
      Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus.
AB  - BACKGROUND: A relationship between hyperthyroidism and insulin secretion in type
      2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) has been reported. Therefore, this study explored the
      use of first-phase insulin secretion in the differential diagnosis of thyroid
      diabetes (TDM) and T2DM. METHODS: In total, 101 patients with hyperthyroidism
      were divided into hyperthyroidism with normal glucose tolerance (TNGT),
      hyperthyroidism with impaired glucose regulation (TIGR), and diabetes (TDM)
      groups. Furthermore, 96 patients without hyperthyroidism were recruited as
      control groups (normal glucose tolerance [NGT], impaired glucose regulation
      [IGR], and T2DM). The following parameters were evaluated: homeostasis model
      assessment (HOMA)-IR, HOMA-beta, modified beta-cell function index (MBCI), peak
      insulin/fasting insulin (IP/I0), AUCins-OGTT, and AUCins-OGTT/AUCglu-OGTTfrom the
      oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT) insulin release test were utilized to assess
      the second-phase insulin secretion, while the IP/I0, AIR0'~10', and AUCins
      IVGTTfrom the intravenous glucose tolerance test (IVGTT) insulin release test
      were used to assess the first-phase insulin secretion. RESULTS: In the OGTT, the
      HOMA-beta values of the TNGT and TDM groups were higher than those of the NGT and
      T2DM groups (all P< 0.05). In the hyperthyroidism groups, the MBCI of the TDM
      group was lower than that of the TNGT and TIGR groups (all P< 0.05). Among the
      control groups, the MBCI values of the IGR and T2DM groups were lower than that
      of the normal glucose tolerance (NGT) group (all P< 0.05). In the IVGTT, insulin
      secretion peaked for all groups at 2-4 min, except for the T2DM group, which
      showed a low plateau and no secretion peak. The IP values of the TNGT, TIGR, and
      TDM groups were higher than those of the NGT, IGR, and T2DM groups (all P< 0.05).
      The Ip/I0, AIR0'~10', and AUCins-IVGTTvalues of the TDM group were higher than
      those of the T2DM group but were lower than those of the TNGT, TIGR, NGR, and IGR
      groups (all P< 0.05). Compared with the other five groups, the Ip/I0, AIR0'~10',
      and AUCins-IVGTTvalues of the T2DM group were significantly decreased (all P<
      0.05). The Ip/I0and AUCins-IVGTTvalues of the TNGT group were higher than those
      of the NGT group (all P< 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: beta-cell function in TDM patients
      is superior to that in T2DM patients. First-phase insulin secretion could be used
      as an early diagnostic marker to differentiate TDM and T2DM.

PMID- 28345545
TI  - Diagnostic Significance of Mycobacterium tuberculosis T-cell Assays for Active
      Tuberculosis.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Active tuberculosis (TB) with negative results of sputum smear is
      difficult to be identified. Till now, there is no effective and noninvasive
      diagnostic method. This study evaluated the diagnostic power of Mycobacterium
      tuberculosis T-cell (T.SPOT(r).TB) assays for active TB. METHODS: We
      retrospectively screened 450 suspected TB patients that were hospitalized in the
      Respiratory Department of Henan Province People's Hospital from June 2015 to June
      2016. The patients were divided into the active, previous, and non-TB groups
      according to their final diagnosis. We evaluated the diagnostic value of the T
      SPOT(r).TB assay by constructing receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves
      and calculating the optimal diagnostic cutoff value. In addition, we compared the
      levels of A antigen (ESAT-6) and B antigen (CFP-10) in active TB. RESULTS: The
      sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, negative predictive value,
      positive likelihood ratio, and negative likelihood ratio of T-SPOT(r).TB for
      active TB were 89.78%, 63.16%, 0.56, 0.92, 2.47, and 0.16, respectively. For
      active TB, the area under the ROC curve (AUC) of the A antigen (0.89) was higher
      than that of the B antigen (0.86). The AUC of the A antigen for active TB was
      largest at a cutoff value of 13.5 spot-forming cells (SFCs) per 2.5 * 105
      peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs). The AUC of the A and B antigens was
      0.60 and 0.58 for previous TB. The levels of A and B antigen in the active TB
      group were significantly different from those in the previous- and non-TB groups
      (A antigen: chi2 = 105.41, P< 0.01 and B antigen: chi2 = 91.03, P< 0.01; A
      antigen: chi2 = 12.99, P< 0.01 and B antigen: chi2 = 8.56, P< 0.01,
      respectively). There were no significant differences in the levels of A and B
      antigens between the non-TB group and previous TB group (A antigen: chi2 = 1.07,
      P> 0.05 and B antigen: chi2 = 0.77, P> 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: T-SPOT(r).TB has high
      sensitivity and specificity for the diagnosis of active TB at a cutoff value of
      13.5 SFCs per 2.5 * 105 PBMCs and is not influenced by previous TB.

PMID- 28345544
TI  - Retinal Vascular Morphological Changes in Patients with Extremely Severe
      Obstructive Sleep Apnea Syndrome.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Obstructive sleep apnea syndrome (OSAS) has been shown to generate
      hypertension and endothelial dysfunction. Retinal vessel is the only vessel that
      can be observed directly and noninvasively; retinal vascular abnormalities can
      serve as a predictive marker for the occurrence, clinical course, and prognosis
      of cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases. The objective of this study was
      to identify the effect of OSAS severity on the morphological changes of retinal
      vessels. METHODS: Adult patients complained of snoring were included in this
      study. The patients' general information, polysomnography, and fundus photography
      parameters including central retinal artery equivalent (CRAE), central retinal
      vein equivalent (CRVE), and arteriole-to-venule ratio (AVR) were collected.
      Patients were divided into four groups according to their apnea-hypopnea index
      (AHI) results: Group I, AHI <=5/h; Group II, 5/h < AHI <=30/h; Group III, 30/h <
      AHI <=60/h; and Group IV, AHI> 60/h. RESULTS: A total of 133 patients were
      included in this study with 111 males (83.5%) and 22 females (16.5%). Mean age
      was 41.6 +/- 9.9 years, and the mean body mass index was 28.1 +/- 4.0 kg/m2. AHI
      ranged between 0 and 130.8/h with a mean of 39.1 +/- 30.7/h. There were 24, 34,
      35, and 40 patients in Group I, Group II, Group III, and Group IV, respectively.
      Significant differences were found for AHI (F = 388.368, P< 0.001), minimal pulse
      oxygen saturation (F = 91.902, P< 0.001), and arousal index (F = 31.014, P<
      0.001) among four groups; no significant differences were found for CRAE (F =
      0.460, P = 0.599) and CRVE (F = 0.404, P = 0.586) among groups; there were
      significant differences for AVR between Group I and Group IV (63.6 +/- 5.1% vs.
      67.2 +/- 5.5%, P = 0.010) Group II and Group IV (64.5 +/- 6.0% vs. 67.2 +/- 5.5%,
      P = 0.030), and Group III and Group IV (64.7 +/- 4.1% vs. 67.2 +/- 5.5%, P =
      0.043). A main group-by-AHI effect was found on the AVR: patients with higher AHI
      showed higher AVR results (r = 0.225, P = 0.009). Multivariate logistic
      regression analysis was used for multi-variable factors. A group-by-age effect
      was found on the AVR: younger patients showed higher AVR results (beta = -0.001,
      P = 0.020). CONCLUSIONS: This study indicated that increased AVR of retinal
      vessel can be observed in extremely severe OSAS patients. For patients with OSAS,
      retinal vascular abnormalities may become an early indication for further
      cardiovascular abnormalities.

PMID- 28345546
TI  - High-resolution 3T Magnetic Resonance Imaging of the Triangular Fibrocartilage
      Complex in Chinese Wrists: Correlation with Cross-sectional Anatomy.
AB  - BACKGROUND: The injury of the triangular fibrocartilage complex (TFCC) is a
      common cause of ulnar-sided wrist pain. The aim of this study was to investigate
      if the high-resolution 3T magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) could demonstrate the
      detailed complex anatomy of TFCC in Chinese. METHODS: Fourteen Chinese cadaveric
      wrists (from four men and three women; age range at death from 30 to 60 years;
      mean age at 46 years) and forty healthy Chinese wrists (from 20 healthy
      volunteers, male/female: 10/10; age range from 21 to 53 years with a mean age of
      32 years) in Beijing Jishuitan Hospital from March 2014 to March 2016 were
      included in this study. All cadavers and volunteers had magnetic resonance (MR)
      examination of the wrist with coronal T1-weighted and proton density-weighted
      imaging with fat suppression in three planes, respectively. MR arthrography
      (MRAr) was performed on one of the cadaveric wrists. Subsequently, all 14
      cadaveric wrists were sliced into 2 mm thick slab with band saw (six in coronal
      plane, four in sagittal plane, and four in axial plane). The MRI features of
      normal TFCC were analyzed in these specimens and forty healthy wrists. RESULTS:
      Triangular fibrocartilage, the ulnar collateral ligament, and the meniscal
      homolog could be best observed on images in coronal plane. The palmar and dorsal
      radioulnar ligaments were best evaluated in transverse plane. The ulnotriquetral
      and ulnolunate ligaments were best visualized in sagittal plane. The latter two
      structures and the volar and dorsal capsules were better demonstrated on MRAr.
      CONCLUSION: High-resolution 3T MRI is capable to show the detailed complex
      anatomy of the TFCC and can provide valuable information for the clinical
      diagnosis in Chinese.

PMID- 28345547
TI  - Contrast Dose and Radiation Dose Reduction in Abdominal Enhanced Computerized
      Tomography Scans with Single-phase Dual-energy Spectral Computerized Tomography
      Mode for Children with Solid Tumors.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Contrast dose and radiation dose reduction in computerized tomography
      (CT) scan for adult has been explored successfully, but there have been few
      studies on the application of low-concentration contrast in pediatric abdominal
      CT examinations. This was a feasibility study on the use of dual-energy spectral
      imaging and adaptive statistical iterative reconstruction (ASiR) for the
      reduction of radiation dose and iodine contrast dose in pediatric abdominal CT
      patients with solid tumors. METHODS: Forty-five patients with solid tumors who
      had initial CT (Group B) and follow-up CT (Group A) after chemotherapy were
      enrolled. The initial diagnostic CT scan (Group B) was performed using the
      standard two-phase enhanced CT with 320 mgI/ml concentration contrast, and the
      follow-up scan (Group A) was performed using a single-phase enhanced CT at 45 s
      after the beginning of the 270 mgI/ml contrast injection using spectral mode.
      Forty percent ASiR was used for the images in Group B and monochromatic images
      with energy levels >=60 keV in Group A. In addition, filtered back-projection
      (FBP) reconstruction was used for monochromatic images <60 keV in Group A. The
      total radiation dose, total iodine load, contrast injection speed, and maximum
      injection pressure were compared between the two groups. The 40 keV and 60 keV
      spectral CT images of Group A were compared with the images of Group B to
      evaluate overall image quality. RESULTS: The total radiation dose, total iodine
      load, injection speed, and maximum injection pressure for Group A were decreased
      by 19%, 15%, 34.4%, and 18.3%, respectively. The optimal energy level in spectral
      CT for displaying the abdominal vessels was 40 keV. At this level, the CT values
      in the abdominal aorta and its three branches, the portal vein and its two
      branches, and the inferior vena cava were all greater than 340 hounsfield unit
      (HU). The abdominal organs of Groups A and B had similar degrees of absolute and
      relative enhancement (t = 0.36 and -1.716 for liver, -0.153 and -1.546 for
      pancreas, and 2.427 and 0.866 for renal cortex, all P> 0.05). Signal-to-noise
      ratio of the abdominal organs was significantly lower in Group A than in Group B
      (t = -8.11 for liver, -7.83 for pancreas, and -5.38 for renal cortex, all P<
      0.05). However, the subjective scores for the 40 keV (FBP) and 60 keV (40% ASiR)
      spectral CT images determined by two radiologists were all> 3, indicating
      clinically acceptable image quality. CONCLUSIONS: Single-phase, dual-energy
      spectral CT used for children with solid abdominal tumors can reduce contrast
      dose and radiation dose and can also maintain clinically acceptable image
      quality.

PMID- 28345548
TI  - Polyglycolic Acid Fibrous Scaffold Improving Endothelial Cell Coating and
      Vascularization of Islet.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Improving islet graft revascularization has become a crucial task for
      prolonging islet graft survival. Endothelial cells (ECs) are the basis of new
      microvessels in an isolated islet, and EC coating has been demonstrated to
      improve the vascularization and survival of an islet. However, the traditional
      method of EC coating of islets has low efficiency in vitro. This study was
      conducted to evaluate the effect of a polyglycolic acid (PGA) scaffold on the
      efficiency of islet coating by ECs and the angiogenesis in the coated islet
      graft. METHODS: A PGA fibrous scaffold was used for EC coating of islet culture
      and was evaluated for its efficiency of EC coating on islets and islet graft
      angiogenesis. RESULTS: In in vitro experiments, we found that apoptosis index of
      ECs-coating islet in PGA group (27% +/- 8%) was significantly lower than that in
      control group (83% +/- 20%, P < 0.05) after 7 days culture. Stimulation index was
      significantly greater in the PGA group than in the control group at day 7 after
      ECs-coating (2.07 +/- 0.31 vs. 1.80 +/- 0.23, P < 0.05). vascular endothelial
      growth factor (VEGF) level in the PGA group was significantly higher than the
      coating in the control group after 7 days culture (52.10 +/- 13.50 ng/ml vs.
      16.30 +/- 8.10 ng/ml, P < 0.05). Because of a tight, circumvallated, adhesive and
      three-dimensional growth microenvironment, islet cultured in a PGA scaffold had
      higher coating efficiency showing stronger staining intensity of enzyme than
      those in the control group after 14 days of culture following ECs-coating. For in
      vivo study, PGA scaffold significantly prolonged the average survival time of EC
      coated islet graft after transplantation compared with control group (15.30 +/-
      5.60 days vs. 8.30 +/- 2.45 days, P < 0.05). The angiogenesis and area of
      survived grafts were more in the PGA group compared with the control group by
      measuring the mean microvessel density (8.60 +/- 1.21/mm2 vs. 5.20 +/- 0.87/mm2,
      P < 0.05). In addition, expression of VEGF and tyrosin-protein kinase receptor
      (Tie-2) gene increased in PGA scaffold group than that in control group by real
      time reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction analysis. CONCLUSIONS: These
      results demonstrate that the efficiency of EC coating of islets was successfully
      increased by culturing ECs on a PGA scaffold. This method enhances the function,
      survival, and vascularization of isolated islets in vitro and in vivo.

PMID- 28345550
TI  - Recombinant Human Erythropoietin Augments Neovascularization Responses in a
      Neonatal Rat Model of Premature Brain Damage by Phosphatidylinositol 3 Kinase/Akt
      Pathway.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Recombinant human-erythropoietin (rh-EPO) has therapeutic efficacy
      for premature infants with brain damage during the active rehabilitation and anti
      inflammation. In the present study, we found that the rh-EPO was related to the
      promotion of neovascularization. Our aim was to investigate whether rh-EPO
      augments neovascularization in the neonatal rat model of premature brain damage
      through the phosphatidylinositol 3 kinase (PI3K)/protein kinase B (Akt) signaling
      pathway. METHODS: Postnatal day 5 (PD5), rats underwent permanent ligation of the
      right common carotid artery and were exposed to hypoxia for 2 h. All the rat pups
      were randomized into five groups as follows: (1) control group; (2) hypoxia
      ischemic (HI) group; (3) HI + LY294002 group; (4) HI + rh-EPO group; and (5) HI +
      rh-EPO + LY294002 group. The phospho-Akt protein was tested 90 min after the
      whole operation, and CD34, vascular endothelial growth factor receptor 2
      (VEGFR2), and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) were also tested 2 days
      after the whole operation. RESULTS: In the hypoxic and ischemic zone of the
      premature rat brain, the rh-EPO induced CD34+ cells to immigrate to the HI brain
      zone (P < 0.05) and also upregulated the VEGFR2 protein expression (P < 0.05) and
      VEGF mRNA level (P < 0.05) through the PI3K/Akt (P < 0.05) signaling pathway when
      compared with other groups. CONCLUSIONS: The rh-EPO treatment augments
      neovascularization responses in the neonatal rat model of premature brain damage
      through the PI3K/Akt signaling pathway. Besides, the endogenous EPO may exist in
      the HI zone of rat brain and also has neovascularization function through the
      PI3K/Akt signaling pathway.

PMID- 28345549
TI  - Sub-anesthesia Dose of Isoflurane in 60% Oxygen Reduces Inflammatory Responses in
      Experimental Sepsis Models.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Sepsis is a major cause of mortality in Intensive Care Units.
      Anesthetic dose isoflurane and 100% oxygen were proved to be beneficial in
      sepsis; however, their application in septic patients is limited because long
      term hyperoxia may induce oxygen toxicity and anesthetic dose isoflurane has
      potential adverse consequences. This study was scheduled to find the optimal
      combination of isoflurane and oxygen in protecting experimental sepsis and its
      mechanisms. METHODS: The effects of combined therapy with isoflurane and oxygen
      on lung injury and sepsis were determined in animal models of sepsis induced by
      cecal ligation and puncture (CLP) or intraperitoneal injection of
      lipopolysaccharide (LPS) or zymosan. Mouse RAW264.7 cells or human peripheral
      blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) were treated by LPS to probe mechanisms. The
      nuclear factor kappa B (NF-kappaB) signaling molecules were examined by Western
      blot and cellular immunohistochemistry. RESULTS: The 0.5 minimum alveolar
      concentration (MAC) isoflurane in 60% oxygen was the best combination of oxygen
      and isoflurane for reducing mortality in experimental sepsis induced by CLP,
      intraperitoneal injection of LPS, or zymosan. The 0.5 MAC isoflurane in 60%
      oxygen inhibited proinflammatory cytokines in peritoneal lavage fluids (tumor
      necrosis factor-alpha [TNF-beta]: 149.3 vs. 229.7 pg/ml, interleukin [IL]-1beta:
      12.5 vs. 20.6 pg/ml, IL-6: 86.1 vs. 116.1 pg/ml, and high-mobility group protein
      1 [HMGB1]: 323.7 vs. 449.3 ng/ml; all P< 0.05) and serum (TNF-beta: 302.7 vs.
      450.7 pg/ml, IL-1beta: 51.7 vs. 96.7 pg/ml, IL-6: 390.4 vs. 722.5 pg/ml, and
      HMGB1: 592.2 vs. 985.4 ng/ml; all P< 0.05) in septic animals. In vitro
      experiments showed that the 0.5 MAC isoflurane in 60% oxygen reduced inflammatory
      responses in mouse RAW264.7 cells, after LPS stimulation (all P< 0.05).
      Suppressed activation of NF-kappaB pathway was also observed in mouse RAW264.7
      macrophages and human PBMCs after LPS stimulation or plasma from septic patients.
      The 0.5 MAC isoflurane in 60% oxygen also prevented the increases of phospho
      IKKbeta/beta, phospho-IkappaBbeta, and phospho-p65 expressions in RAW264.7
      macrophages after LPS stimulation (all P< 0.05). CONCLUSION: Combined
      administration of a sedative dose of isoflurane with 60% oxygen improves survival
      of septic animals through reducing inflammatory responses.

PMID- 28345551
TI  - Biliverdin Protects the Isolated Rat Lungs from Ischemia-reperfusion Injury via
      Antioxidative, Anti-inflammatory and Anti-apoptotic Effects.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Biliverdin (BV) has a protective role against ischemia-reperfusion
      injury (IRI). However, the protective role and potential mechanisms of BV on lung
      IRI (LIRI) remain to be elucidated. Thus, we aimed to investigate the protective
      role and potential mechanisms of BV on LIRI. METHODS: Lungs were isolated from
      Sprague-Dawley rats to establish an ex vivo LIRI model. After an initial 15 min
      stabilization period, the isolated lungs were subjected to ischemia for 60 min,
      followed by 90 min of reperfusion with or without BV treatment. RESULTS: Lungs in
      the I/R group exhibited significant decrease in tidal volume (1.44 +/- 0.23
      ml/min in I/R group vs. 2.41 +/- 0.31 ml/min in sham group; P< 0.001), lung
      compliance (0.27 +/- 0.06 ml/cmH2O in I/R group vs. 0.44 +/- 0.09 ml/cmH2O in
      sham group; P< 0.001; 1 cmH2O=0.098 kPa), and oxygen partial pressure (PaO2)
      levels (64.12 +/- 12 mmHg in I/R group vs. 114 +/- 8.0 mmHg in sham group; P<
      0.001; 1 mmHg = 0.133 kPa). In contrast, these parameters in the BV group (2.27
      +/- 0.37 ml/min of tidal volume, 0.41 +/- 0.10 ml/cmH2O of compliance, and 98.7
      +/- 9.7 mmHg of PaO2) were significantly higher compared with the I/R group (P =
      0.004, P< 0.001, and P< 0.001, respectively). Compared to the I/R group, the
      contents of superoxide dismutase were significantly higher (47.07 +/- 7.91 U/mg
      protein vs. 33.84 +/- 10.15 U/mg protein; P = 0.005) while the wet/dry weight
      ratio (P < 0.01), methane dicarboxylic aldehyde (1.92 +/- 0.25 nmol/mg protein
      vs. 2.67 +/- 0.46 nmol/mg protein; P< 0.001), and adenosine triphosphate contents
      (297.05 +/- 47.45 nmol/mg protein vs. 208.09 +/- 29.11 nmol/mg protein; P =
      0.005) were markedly lower in BV-treated lungs. Histological analysis revealed
      that BV alleviated LIRI. Furthermore, the expression of inflammatory cytokines
      (interleukin-1beta, interleukin-6, and tumor necrosis factor-beta) was
      downregulated and the expression of cyclooxygenase-2, inducible nitric oxide
      synthase, and Jun N-terminal kinase was significantly reduced in BV group (all P<
      0.01 compared to I/R group). Finally, the apoptosis index in the BV group was
      significantly decreased (P < 0.01 compared to I/R group). CONCLUSION: BV protects
      lung IRI through its antioxidative, anti-inflammatory, and anti-apoptotic
      effects.

PMID- 28345553
TI  - Two Cases of Spinal Tanycytic Ependymoma Associated with Neurofibromatosis Type
      2.

PMID- 28345552
TI  - Relationship between Hepatitis C Virus Infection and Iron Overload.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to summarize the interactions between
      hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection and iron overload, and to understand the
      mechanisms of iron overload in chronic hepatitis C (CHC) and the role iron plays
      in HCV life cycle. DATA SOURCES: This review was based on data in articles
      published in the PubMed databases up to January 28, 2017, with the keywords
      "hepatitis C virus", "iron overload", "iron metabolism", "hepcidin",
      "translation", and "replication". STUDY SELECTION: Articles related to iron
      metabolism, iron overload in patients with CHC, or the effects of iron on HCV
      life cycle were selected for the review. RESULTS: Iron overload is common in
      patients with CHC. The mechanisms involve decreased hepcidin levels caused by HCV
      through signal transducer and activator of transcription 3, mitogen-activated
      protein kinase, or bone morphogenetic protein/SMAD signaling pathways, and the
      altered expression of other iron-metabolism-related genes. Some studies found
      that iron increases HCV replication, while other studies found the opposite
      result. Most of the studies suggest the positive role of iron on HCV translation,
      the mechanisms of which involve increased expression levels of factors associated
      with HCV internal ribosome entry site-dependent translation, such as eukaryotic
      initiation factor 3 and La protein. CONCLUSION: The growing literature
      demonstrates that CHC leads to iron overload, and iron affects the HCV life cycle
      in turn. Further research should be conducted to clarify the mechanism involved
      in the complicated interaction between iron and HCV.

PMID- 28345554
TI  - Robot-assisted Living-donor Left Lateral Sectionectomy.

PMID- 28345555
TI  - Squamous Cell Carcinoma of the Nail Bed.

PMID- 28345556
TI  - Dural Venous Sinus Angioplasty and Stenting for Treatment of Idiopathic
      Intracranial Hypertension.

PMID- 28345557
TI  - Surgical Treatment of Double Outlet Right Ventricle with Absent Pulmonary Valve
      and Bronchiarctia.

PMID- 28345558
TI  - Celebrating excellence.

PMID- 28345559
TI  - Dr. Rajendra Prasad Centre celebrates golden jubilee.

PMID- 28345560
TI  - Fifty glorious years of Dr. Rajendra Prasad Centre.

PMID- 28345562
TI  - Definition of blindness under National Programme for Control of Blindness: Do we
      need to revise it?
AB  - A review appropriateness of the current definition of blindness under National
      Programme for Control of Blindness (NPCB), Government of India. Online search of
      peer-reviewed scientific published literature and guidelines using PubMed, the
      World Health Organization (WHO) IRIS, and Google Scholar with keywords, namely
      blindness and visual impairment, along with offline examination of reports of
      national and international organizations, as well as their cross-references was
      done until December 2016, to identify relevant documents on the definition of
      blindness. The evidence for the historical and currently adopted definition of
      blindness under the NPCB, the WHO, and other countries was reviewed. Differences
      in the NPCB and WHO definitions were analyzed to assess the impact on the
      epidemiological status of blindness and visual impairment in India. The
      differences in the criteria for blindness under the NPCB and the WHO definitions
      cause an overestimation of the prevalence of blindness in India. These variations
      are also associated with an over-representation of refractive errors as a cause
      of blindness and an under-representation of other causes under the NPCB
      definition. The targets for achieving elimination of blindness also become much
      more difficult to achieve under the NPCB definition. Ignoring differences in
      definitions when comparing the global and Indian prevalence of blindness will
      cause erroneous interpretations. We recommend that the appropriate modifications
      should be made in the NPCB definition of blindness to make it consistent with the
      WHO definition.

PMID- 28345561
TI  - Insight into high myopia and the macula.
AB  - The incidence of myopia is constantly on the rise. Patients of high myopia and
      pathological myopia are young and can lose vision due to a number of degenerative
      changes occurring at the macula. With the emergence of new technologies such as
      swept-source optical coherence tomography (OCT) and OCT angiography, our
      understanding of macular pathology in myopia has improved significantly. New
      conditions such as myopic traction maculopathy have been defined. Early,
      noninvasive detection of myopic choroidal neovascularization and its
      differentiation from lacquer cracks is possible with a greater degree of
      certainty. We discuss the impact of these new exciting and promising technologies
      and management of macular pathology in myopia. Incorporation of OCT in the
      microscope has also improved macular surgery. New concepts such as fovea-sparing
      internal limiting membrane peeling have emerged. A review of literature and our
      experience in managing all these conditions are discussed.

PMID- 28345563
TI  - Chlamydial eye infections: Current perspectives.
AB  - Chlamydia trachomatis, an obligate intraocular bacteria causing trachoma, adult
      and neonatal inclusion conjunctivitis, was the leading cause of blindness in the
      last century worldwide. Improvement in socioeconomic and living conditions,
      availability of antibiotics, and introduction of National Trachoma Control
      Programmes reduced the prevalence in developed countries, but it persisted in
      resource-poor settings of Africa and Asia, including India. In 2016, as per the
      WHO report, trachoma is restricted to 42 countries, causing blindness/visual
      impairment in ~1.9 million people. India is one of the five countries with nearly
      half of total active trachoma patients. Introduction of Global Elimination of
      Trachoma 2020 program by the WHO, using SAFE strategy (surgery for trachomatous
      trichiasis; Antibiotics for C. trachomatis; Facial cleanliness; and environmental
      improvement) greatly reduced the prevalence, but trachoma still persists in
      India. Global increase in the reproductive tract infection by C. trachomatis
      urogenital serotypes (D-K) has led to concurrent increase in C. trachomatis eye
      infections. Therefore, kerato eye infections due to chlamydial infections
      continue to be seen in hospitals. Over the years, there have been advances in
      laboratory diagnostics, in understanding the pathogenesis, tissue tropism, C.
      trachomatis genomics, and treatment modalities. Due attention and research is
      still needed for the study of C. trachomatis eye infections.

PMID- 28345564
TI  - Innovations in glaucoma surgery from Dr. Rajendra Prasad Centre for Ophthalmic
      Sciences.
AB  - Trabeculectomy surgery is the current standard of care in glaucoma for achieving
      a low target intraocular pressure if medical therapy is not adequate.
      Augmentation of trabeculectomy with antimetabolites brought a revolutionary
      change in the long-term success rates of trabeculectomy, but along with it came a
      plethora of complications. There still is a big window for therapeutic
      innovations on this subject. The foremost target for these innovations is to
      modulate the wound healing response after glaucoma drainage surgery. Achieving
      the desired balance between long-term success of filtering blebs versus early
      failure due to scarring of blebs and hypotony due to dysfunctional filtering
      blebs poses a unique challenge to the ophthalmologists. Alternatives to
      trabeculectomy such as glaucoma drainage devices and minimally invasive glaucoma
      surgeries cannot solve the problem of glaucoma blindness in our country, mainly
      due to their unpredictable results and unfavorable cost-benefit ratio. In this
      article, we present a summary of our innovations in glaucoma surgery to advance
      patient care by making it more effective, safer, and economical.

PMID- 28345565
TI  - Upgradation and modernization of eye banking services: Integrating tradition with
      innovative policies and current best practices.
AB  - PURPOSE: The purpose of this study is to review the history and evolution of the
      National Eye Bank (NEB) and analyze the impact over the years and report the
      outcome of the invested resources. METHODS: Review of archival material, records,
      project reports, policy and procedures' manuals, and publications was done.
      Descriptive and analytical processing of data obtained was undertaken. Parameters
      evaluated included total collection, transplantation, utilization rates of donor
      cornea, changing trends over time in terms of numbers and duration of recipients
      waiting, impactful research translated into changes in standard operating
      protocols, new facilities, and subsequent effects on numbers or quality assurance
      measures and overview of major achievements. Periodic situational analysis with
      contextual relevance and interpretation of outcomes was done pertaining to
      national goals and international standards. RESULTS: The NEB and cornea services
      have played a key leadership role in furthering the development of eye banking
      and corneal transplantation services. The contribution extends beyond routine
      patient care to education, training, generation of resources, advocacy, and
      policymaking. In quantifiable terms, the overall performance has steadily
      increased over the years. Major contributions include training of doctors, eye
      bank staff and corneal surgeons, introduction of innovative techniques for
      corneal transplantation, setting of national standards for eye banking and
      provision of preservation media, customized corneal, and ocular surface cell
      replacement therapy in collaboration with other departments and institutes.
      CONCLUSION: The eye banking and corneal transplantation facilities have evolved
      with time providing quality services, modernized as appropriate with updated
      knowledge and incorporating technological advances supported by the systematic
      evidence-based approach.

PMID- 28345566
TI  - Intraoperative optical coherence tomography in anterior segment surgeries.
AB  - Intraoperative optical coherence tomography (iOCT) is a noninvasive imaging
      modality that provides a real-time dynamic feedback of the various surgical
      steps. Comprehensive literature search was performed in MEDLINE using
      "intraoperative optical coherence tomography" and "iOCT" as keywords. The use of
      iOCT as an aid to decision-making has been successfully reported in cases
      undergoing keratoplasty, implantable Collamer lens (ICL) implantation as well as
      cataract surgery. iOCT helps to assess the graft-host relationship in penetrating
      keratoplasty. It helps confirm the presence of a big bubble, detect subclinical
      big bubbles and guide layer by layer stromal dissection in cases of deep anterior
      lamellar keratoplasty. It acts as a guide during crucial surgical steps in
      endothelial keratoplasty, right from scoring of the Descemet membrane to ensuring
      graft apposition at the end of surgery. The morphological features of the corneal
      incision in phacoemulsification may be assessed. iOCT is a useful tool in
      assessing the status of the posterior capsule and may help identify preexisting
      posterior capsular defects during cataract surgery in various clinical scenarios
      such as posterior polar cataract, traumatic cataract, and vitrectomized eyes. It
      allows on-table assessment of the ICL vault and potentially facilitates exchange
      of ICL in the same sitting in extremes of vault. Ocular surface disorders such as
      ocular surface squamous neoplasia, pterygium, and dermoid may find an application
      for iOCT, wherein an iOCT-guided stromal dissection will ensure adequate depth of
      dissection. Further technological advancements may allow for automatic centration
      and tracking and address the present limitation of instrument-induced shadowing.

PMID- 28345567
TI  - Retina and the tubercle Bacillus: Four decades of our journey and current
      understanding.
AB  - Tuberculosis continues to be a major pandemic with enormous public health
      implication. Involvement of ocular tissues in the form of tubercles,
      tuberculomas, panophthalmitis, and iris granulomas are well recognized as
      definitive manifestations of tuberculosis. For these lesions, confirmatory
      evidence is available in the form of demonstration of acid-fast Bacillus on Ziehl
      Neelsen staining. For other retinochoroidal disorders such as central serous
      chorioretinopathy, retinal vasculitis, and presumed ocular tuberculosis, hard
      evidence about the role of Mycobacterium tuberculosis is lacking. In this review,
      work done at our center over the past four decades in the form of experimental
      animal studies, nucleic acid amplification assays and clinical studies regarding
      the above retinochoroidal pathologies and the tubercle Bacillus is presented. It
      is possible that revisiting experimental animal studies may be a way forward in
      the current scenario of ambiguity about the cause-effect relationship between M.
      tuberculosis and few of the retinochoroidal disorders.

PMID- 28345568
TI  - Prognosis of different glaucomas seen at a tertiary center: A 10-year overview.
AB  - AIM: This study aims to determine treatment patterns, long-term intraocular
      pressure (IOP) and perimetric control in different glaucomas seen at a tertiary
      eye center. SETTINGS AND DESIGN: Hospital-based, cross-sectional chart review of
      patients routinely following up at an outpatient glaucoma service. METHODS:
      Patients with a follow-up of at least 10 years were evaluated. Their mean IOP,
      visual field (VF) status, and medications/surgery required at final assessment
      were noted. STATISTICAL ANALYSIS: Descriptive statistics (mean, standard
      deviation, and range) were used for all parameters. RESULTS: A total of 230
      patients met our inclusion and exclusion criteria, 79 having ocular hypertension
      with open angles or primary angle closure (PAC), 35 primary open angle glaucoma
      (POAG), 50 PAC glaucoma (PACG), 20 primary congenital glaucoma (PCG), 46
      secondary glaucoma patients. Ocular hypertensives with open angles showed
      progression to POAG in 3.7%, those with PAC in 5.2%, at a mean IOP of 17.3 +/-
      3.37 mmHg and 17.13 +/- 4.41 mmHg, respectively. A progression on Humphrey Field
      Analyzer was seen in 11% of POAG and PACG eyes at a mean IOP of 13.50 +/- 5.07
      and 13.09 +/- 3.95 mmHg, respectively. Fifteen percent of primary congenital
      glaucomas (PCGs) showed a glaucomatous VF defect after 10 years. In secondary
      glaucoma eyes, the mean IOP at last follow-up visit was 12.38 +/- 3.74 mmHg, with
      progression noted in 7.69% of eyes. CONCLUSION: This study provides evidence that
      routine delivery of care can provide well controlled IOP in glaucomas, both
      primary and secondary, and the VF stabilized in about 90% of patients over a
      period of 10 years, with the currently available glaucoma medications and
      trabeculectomy.

PMID- 28345569
TI  - Recent advances and challenges in the management of retinoblastoma.
AB  - The treatment of retinoblastoma (Rb) has improved significantly in recent times.
      Worldwide, there is an increasing trend to use conservative treatment modalities
      that aim to preserve the globe as well as vision with minimum morbidity.
      Recently, the use of targeted delivery of chemotherapy to the eye in the form of
      selective intra-arterial and intravitreal chemotherapy has shown promising
      results. Radiotherapy is beneficial in selected cases, either in the form of
      plaque brachytherapy or as external beam radiotherapy. Orbital disease carries a
      poor prognosis for survival. However, a multimodal treatment protocol has
      improved survival in children with extraocular disease. Nevertheless, challenges
      remain, especially for the developing world. This review aims to highlight recent
      advances in the management of Rb that have contributed towards improving
      treatment outcomes and also discuss the challenges ahead, with special reference
      to the Indian scenario.

PMID- 28345570
TI  - Appraising the spectrum of firework trauma and the related laws during Diwali in
      North India.
AB  - PURPOSE: To evaluate the epidemiological characteristics and outcomes of ocular
      injuries resulting from the use of firecrackers during the Diwali festival in all
      age groups. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A single-center, retrospective, hospital-based
      case series presenting with ocular trauma consequent to fireworks usage in a
      tertiary eye care center in North India during the 5 days of Diwali festival from
      2011 to 2015 was conducted. RESULTS: A total of 53 eyes of 45 patients were
      included in the study, out of which the vast majority (39/87%) were males. The
      mean age was 20.55 years. Almost an equal number of bystanders (25/55.5%) were
      affected as compared to people handling the fireworks (20/44.44%). Five (9.43%)
      eyes had open-globe injury, whereas 48 (90.56%) eyes had closed-globe injury.
      Eighteen (33.96%) eyes underwent surgical intervention. Thirty-three (62.26%)
      eyes had final vision >20/200 with eight (15.09%) eyes being vision <3/60 in the
      affected eye. CONCLUSION: Firework-related ocular trauma can lead to serious
      visual impairment. Mandatory legislative laws pertaining to the manufacture,
      sale, and use of fireworks and creating public awareness can reduce the incidence
      of this preventable cause of blindness in the society. Initiating new policies
      for retailers involved in sale of these firecrackers can also bring in decrease
      of such morbidities.

PMID- 28345571
TI  - Laser capsulotomy following cataract surgery: Comparing time to capsulotomy with
      implantation of two broadly used intraocular lenses.
AB  - PURPOSE: The aim of this study is to compare the length of time from uneventful
      cataract surgery using one of two common posterior chamber intraocular lenses
      (IOLs) (hydrophilic versus hydrophobic acrylic) to laser capsulotomy. MATERIALS
      AND METHODS: Retrospective analysis of all patients who underwent neodymium:
      yttrium-aluminum-garnet laser capsulotomy between 2011 and 2014 following
      uneventful phacoemulsification surgery at a tertiary university-affiliated
      medical center. Medical records were reviewed for demographics, ocular
      comorbidities, operative details, postoperative follow-up, and findings of the
      precapsulotomy ophthalmologic examination. Parameters, including age, sex,
      laterality, visual acuity, surgeon's experience, and time from cataract surgery
      to capsulotomy, were compared between patients who received hydrophilic (SeeLens
      AF, Kibbutz Hanita, Israel) or hydrophobic (AcrySof SA60AT, Alcon Laboratories,
      Fort Worth, TX, USA) IOLs. RESULTS: The cohort included 222 patients (255 eyes),
      of which, 107 were male and 115 female, of mean age 73 +/- 8 years. Mean interval
      from cataract surgery to laser capsulotomy was 24 months (range 2-70) and was
      significantly shorter in patients with SeeLens (23 +/- 13 months) than AcrySof
      IOL implantation (28 +/- 13 months, P = 0.04). Lens type remained significant in
      multivariate analysis after including surgeon's experience and age as potential
      confounders (P = 0.04). CONCLUSION: The hydrophilic SeeLens IOL is associated
      with a significantly shorter time interval from cataract surgery to laser
      capsulotomy than the hydrophobic AcrySof IOL.

PMID- 28345572
TI  - Late dislocation of in-the-bag intraocular lenses in uveitic eyes: An analysis of
      management and complications.
AB  - AIM: An analysis of late in-the-bag dislocation of intraocular lenses (IOL), in
      uveitic eyes. SETTING: Referral uveitis clinic. DESIGN: Retrospective case
      series. MATERIALS AND METHODS: All case records of eyes with chronic uveitis that
      had phacoemulsification with IOL implantation, at a referral uveitis clinic
      between February 1997 and January 2015 were retrieved and analyzed. Only those
      eyes with no documented intraoperative complication and no predisposing risks to
      IOL dislocation, such as pseudoexfoliation, high myopia, trauma, and prior VR
      surgery were included in this study. RESULTS: A total of 581 eyes with chronic
      uveitis underwent phacoemulsification with IOL implantation under steroid cover
      from February 1997 to December 2015. Out of these 581 eyes, 10 patients (11 eyes)
      had experienced late in-the-bag IOL dislocation (1.89%). All 11 eyes had chronic
      intermediate uveitis. The mean duration from the time of cataract surgery to IOL
      dislocation was 11.24 years. 5 out of 11 eyes had pars plana vitrectomy (PPV)
      with IOL removal with 4-point sutured scleral fixated IOL. Two out of 11 eyes had
      PPV with in-the-bag IOL re-fixation. Out of 11, 2 eyes had PPV with IOL removal
      only. Remaining 2 eyes of 2 patients did not opt for surgery. Out of 11, 8 eyes
      had improved vision at last follow-up. CONCLUSIONS: In-the-bag dislocation of IOL
      is a rare late complication in uveitic eyes. With tight perioperative
      inflammatory control, scleral-fixated posterior chamber intraocular lens or IOL
      re-fixation are good options of restoring vision in these high-risk eyes.

PMID- 28345573
TI  - Clinical correlation of imaging findings in congenital cranial dysinnervation
      disorders involving abducens nerve.
AB  - PURPOSE: High-resolution magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of intracranial parts
      of sixth nerve and seventh nerve and the extraocular muscles (EOMs) in orbit to
      correlate the clinical characteristics in patients with two special forms of
      strabismus in congenital cranial dysinnervation disorders which are Duane's
      retraction syndrome (DRS) and Mobius syndrome. MATERIALS AND METHODS:
      Morphological analysis by 3T MRI of orbit (using surface coils) and brain (using
      32 channel head coil) was performed on 6 patients with clinical DRS (1
      bilateral), 2 cases with Mobius syndrome, and 1 case with congenital sixth nerve
      palsy. These were compared with findings in five controls. RESULTS: We observed
      absence/hypoplasia of sixth nerve in five out of seven eyes with DRS (71.42%),
      anomalous course in one eye, sixth and seventh nerve absence/hypoplasia in
      affected eyes with Mobius syndrome and bilateral absence/hypoplasia of the sixth
      nerve in congenital sixth nerve palsy. For EOMs we calculated maximum diameter,
      area, and circumference of muscles using Osirix software, and noticed significant
      hypoplasia of lateral rectus in comparison to controls (P < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS:
      MRI gives useful information regarding confirmation of clinical diagnosis and its
      neurological anomalies in complex cases and helps to plan tailor made surgical
      management.

PMID- 28345574
TI  - Differential cataract blindness by sex in India: Evidence from two large national
      surveys.
AB  - AIMS: Women suffer disproportionately more from cataract blindness compared to
      males in low- and middle-income countries. Two large population-based surveys
      have been undertaken in India at an interval of 7 years and data from these
      surveys provided an opportunity to assess the trends in gender differentials in
      cataract blindness. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Data were extracted from the surveys
      to discern sex differences in cataract blindness. Multivariate analysis was
      performed to adjust for confounders and their impact on gender differences in
      cataract blindness. Blindness was defined as presenting vision <20/400 in the
      better eye, and a cataract blind person was defined as a blind person where the
      principal cause of loss of vision was cataract. RESULTS: Prevalence of cataract
      blindness was higher in females compared to males in both surveys. The odds of
      cataract blindness for females did not change over time as observed in the
      surveys (1999-2001 and 2006-2007). Adjusted odds ratio from logistic regression
      analysis revealed that females continued to be at a higher risk of cataract
      blindness. CONCLUSIONS: Sex differences continued in India in relation to
      cataract blindness despite the gains made by the national program.

PMID- 28345575
TI  - Missed punctal foreign body: A cause for chronic ocular irritation.

PMID- 28345576
TI  - Congenital nasolacrimal duct obstruction: Should we continue lacrimal massage
      till 1 year or perform an office probing at 6 months? A clinical decision
      analysis approach.

PMID- 28345577
TI  - Comment on: Comparison of serum sodium and potassium levels in patients with
      senile cataract and age-matched individuals without cataract.

PMID- 28345578
TI  - Comment on: Comparison of serum sodium and potassium levels in patients with
      senile cataract and age-matched individuals without cataract.

PMID- 28345579
TI  - Inhibition of delta-secretase improves cognitive functions in mouse models of
      Alzheimer's disease.
AB  - delta-secretase, also known as asparagine endopeptidase (AEP) or legumain, is a
      lysosomal cysteine protease that cleaves both amyloid precursor protein (APP) and
      tau, mediating the amyloid-beta and tau pathology in Alzheimer's disease (AD).
      Here we report the therapeutic effect of an orally bioactive and brain permeable
      delta-secretase inhibitor in mouse models of AD. We performed a high-throughput
      screen and identified a non-toxic and selective delta-secretase inhibitor, termed
      compound 11, that specifically blocks delta-secretase but not other related
      cysteine proteases. Co-crystal structure analysis revealed a dual active site
      directed and allosteric inhibition mode of this compound class. Chronic treatment
      of tau P301S and 5XFAD transgenic mice with this inhibitor reduces tau and APP
      cleavage, ameliorates synapse loss and augments long-term potentiation, resulting
      in protection of memory. Therefore, these findings demonstrate that this delta
      secretase inhibitor may be an effective clinical therapeutic agent towards AD.

PMID- 28345581
TI  - Potential of biosynthesized silver nanoparticles using Stenotrophomonas sp. BHU
      S7 (MTCC 5978) for management of soil-borne and foliar phytopathogens.
AB  - Stenotrophomonas sp. is emerging as a popular microbe of global concern with
      various potential ecological roles. Biosynthesis of gold and silver nanoparticles
      (AgNPs) using this bacterial strain has shown promising applications in life
      sciences. However, there is no report on efficient agricultural applications of
      biosynthesized AgNPs using Stenotrophomonas sp. In this regard, successful
      biosynthesis of AgNPs using Stenotrophomonas sp. BHU-S7 (MTCC 5978) was monitored
      by Uv-visible spectrum showing surface plasmon resonance (SPR) peak at 440 nm.
      The biosynthesized AgNPs were spherical with an average mean size of ~12 nm. The
      antifungal efficacy of biosynthesized AgNPs against foliar and soil-borne
      phytopathogens was observed. The inhibitory impact of AgNPs (2, 4, 10 MUg/ml) on
      conidial germination was recorded under in vitro conditions. Interestingly,
      sclerotia of Sclerotium rolfsii exposed to AgNPs failed to germinate on PDA
      medium and in soil system. Moreover, AgNPs treatment successfully managed collar
      rot of chickpea caused by S. rolfsii under greenhouse conditions. The reduced
      sclerotia germination, phenolic acids induction, altered lignification and H2O2
      production was observed to be the probable mechanisms providing protection to
      chickpea against S. rolfsii. Our data revealed that AgNPs treated plants are
      better equipped to cope with pathogen challenge pointing towards their robust
      applications in plant disease management.

PMID- 28345583
TI  - Synergistic Effects of Micro-electrolysis-Photocatalysis on Water Treatment and
      Fish Performance in Saline Recirculating Aquaculture System.
AB  - A new physico-chemical process for TAN (total ammonia nitrogen) removal and
      disinfection is introduced in saline recirculating aquaculture system (RAS), in
      which the biofilter is replaced with an integrated electrolysis cell and an
      activated carbon filter. The electrolysis cell which is based on micro current
      electrolysis combined with UV-light was self-designed. After the fundamental
      research, a small pilot scale RAS was operated for 30 days to verify the
      technical feasibility. The system was stocked by 42 GIFT tilapia (Oreochromis
      niloticus) fish with the rearing density of 13 kg/m3. During the experiments, the
      TAN concentration remained below 1.0 mg/L. The nitrite concentration was lower
      than 0.2 mg/L and the nitrate concentration had increased continuously to 12.79
      mg/L at the end. Furthermore, the concentration of residual chlorine in culture
      ponds remained below 0.3 mg/L, ORP maintained slight fluctuations in the range of
      190~240 mV, and pH of the water showed the downtrend. Tilapia weight increased
      constantly to 339.3 +/- 10 g. For disinfection, the active chlorine generated by
      electrochemical treatment caused Escherichia coli inactivation. Enzyme activity
      assay indicated that the activity of glutamate dehydrogenase, carbonic anhydrase
      and glutamic pyruvic transaminase increased within the normal range. The
      preliminary feasibility was verified by using this physico-chemical technology in
      the RAS.

PMID- 28345580
TI  - Differential roles of caspase-1 and caspase-11 in infection and inflammation.
AB  - Caspase-1, also known as interleukin-1beta (IL-1beta)-converting enzyme (ICE),
      regulates antimicrobial host defense, tissue repair, tumorigenesis, metabolism
      and membrane biogenesis. On activation within an inflammasome complex, caspase-1
      induces pyroptosis and converts pro-IL-1beta and pro-IL-18 into their
      biologically active forms. "ICE-/-" or "Casp1-/-" mice generated using 129
      embryonic stem cells carry a 129-associated inactivating passenger mutation on
      the caspase-11 locus, essentially making them deficient in both caspase-1 and
      caspase-11. The overlapping and unique functions of caspase-1 and caspase-11 are
      difficult to unravel without additional genetic tools. Here, we generated caspase
      1-deficient mouse (Casp1Null) on the C57BL/6 J background that expressed caspase
      11. Casp1Null cells did not release IL-1beta and IL-18 in response to NLRC4
      activators Salmonella Typhimurium and flagellin, canonical or non-canonical NLRP3
      activators LPS and ATP, Escherichia coli, Citrobacter rodentium and transfection
      of LPS, AIM2 activators Francisella novicida, mouse cytomegalovirus and DNA, and
      the infectious agents Listeria monocytogenes and Aspergillus fumigatus. We
      further demonstrated that caspase-1 and caspase-11 differentially contributed to
      the host defense against A. fumigatus infection and to endotoxemia.

PMID- 28345582
TI  - Enhancing titres of therapeutic viral vectors using the transgene repression in
      vector production (TRiP) system.
AB  - A key challenge in the field of therapeutic viral vector/vaccine manufacturing is
      maximizing production. For most vector platforms, the 'benchmark' vector titres
      are achieved with inert reporter genes. However, expression of therapeutic
      transgenes can often adversely affect vector titres due to biological effects on
      cell metabolism and/or on the vector virion itself. Here, we exemplify the novel
      'Transgene Repression In vector Production' (TRiP) system for the production of
      both RNA- and DNA-based viral vectors. The TRiP system utilizes a translational
      block of one or more transgenes by employing the bacterial tryptophan RNA-binding
      attenuation protein (TRAP), which binds its target RNA sequence close to the
      transgene initiation codon. We report enhancement of titres of lentiviral vectors
      expressing Cyclo-oxygenase-2 by 600-fold, and adenoviral vectors expressing the
      pro-apoptotic gene Bax by >150,000-fold. The TRiP system is transgene-independent
      and will be a particularly useful platform in the clinical development of viral
      vectors expressing problematic transgenes.

PMID- 28345584
TI  - Terahertz and mid-infrared plasmons in three-dimensional nanoporous graphene.
AB  - Two-dimensional (2D) graphene emerged as an outstanding material for plasmonic
      and photonic applications due to its charge-density tunability, high electron
      mobility, optical transparency and mechanical flexibility. Recently, novel
      fabrication processes have realised a three-dimensional (3D) nanoporous
      configuration of high-quality monolayer graphene which provides a third dimension
      to this material. In this work, we investigate the optical behaviour of
      nanoporous graphene by means of terahertz and infrared spectroscopy. We reveal
      the presence of intrinsic 2D Dirac plasmons in 3D nanoporous graphene disclosing
      strong plasmonic absorptions tunable from terahertz to mid-infrared via
      controllable doping level and porosity. In the far-field the spectral width of
      these absorptions is large enough to cover most of the mid-Infrared fingerprint
      region with a single plasmon excitation. The enhanced surface area of nanoporous
      structures combined with their broad band plasmon absorption could pave the way
      for novel and competitive nanoporous-graphene based plasmonic-sensors.

PMID- 28345585
TI  - Direct amidation of esters with nitroarenes.
AB  - Esters are one of the most common functional groups in natural and synthetic
      products, and the one-step conversion of the ester group into other functional
      groups is an attractive strategy in organic synthesis. Direct amidation of esters
      is particularly appealing due to the omnipresence of the amide moiety in
      biomolecules, fine chemicals, and drug candidates. However, efficient methods for
      direct amidation of unactivated esters are still lacking. Here we report nickel
      catalysed reductive coupling of unactivated esters with nitroarenes to furnish in
      one step a wide range of amides bearing functional groups relevant to the
      development of drugs and agrochemicals. The method has been used to expedite the
      syntheses of bio-active molecules and natural products, as well as their post
      synthetic modifications. Preliminary mechanistic study indicates a reaction
      pathway distinct from conventional amidation methods using anilines as nitrogen
      sources. The work provides a novel and efficient method for amide synthesis.

PMID- 28345586
TI  - New insights into mononuclear phagocyte biology from the visual system.
AB  - Major advances in mononuclear phagocyte biology have been made but key questions
      pertinent to their roles in health and disease remain, including in the visual
      system. One problem concerns how dendritic cells can trigger immune responses
      from certain tightly regulated immune- privileged sites of the eye. Another,
      albeit separate, problem involves whether there are functional specializations
      for microglia versus monocytes in retinal neurodegeneration. In this Review, we
      examine novel insights in eye immune privilege and, separately, we discuss recent
      inroads concerning retinal degeneration. Both themes have been extensively
      studied in the visual system and show parallels with recent findings concerning
      mononuclear phagocytes in the central nervous system and in the periphery.

PMID- 28345587
TI  - Derivation of Functional Human Astrocytes from Cerebral Organoids.
AB  - Astrocytes play a critical role in the development and homeostasis of the central
      nervous system (CNS). Astrocyte dysfunction results in several neurological and
      degenerative diseases. However, a major challenge to our understanding of
      astrocyte physiology and pathology is the restriction of studies to animal
      models, human post-mortem brain tissues, or samples obtained from invasive
      surgical procedures. Here, we report a protocol to generate human functional
      astrocytes from cerebral organoids derived from human pluripotent stem cells. The
      cellular isolation of cerebral organoids yielded cells that were morphologically
      and functionally like astrocytes. Immunolabelling and proteomic assays revealed
      that human organoid-derived astrocytes express the main astrocytic molecular
      markers, including glutamate transporters, specific enzymes and cytoskeletal
      proteins. We found that organoid-derived astrocytes strongly supported neuronal
      survival and neurite outgrowth and responded to ATP through transient calcium
      wave elevations, which are hallmarks of astrocyte physiology. Additionally, these
      astrocytes presented similar functional pathways to those isolated from adult
      human cortex by surgical procedures. This is the first study to provide proteomic
      and functional analyses of astrocytes isolated from human cerebral organoids. The
      isolation of these astrocytes holds great potential for the investigation of
      developmental and evolutionary features of the human brain and provides a useful
      approach to drug screening and neurodegenerative disease modelling.

PMID- 28345589
TI  - Rational Design of 1-D Co3O4 Nanofibers@Low content Graphene Composite Anode for
      High Performance Li-Ion Batteries.
AB  - Cobalt oxide that has high energy density, is the next-generation candidate as
      the anode material for LIBs. However, the practical use of Co3O4 as anode
      material has been hindered by limitations, especially, low electrical
      conductivity and pulverization from large volume change upon cycling. These
      features lead to hindrance to its electrochemical properties for lithium-ion
      batteries. To improve electrochemical properties, we synthesized one-dimensional
      (1-D) Co3O4 nanofibers (NFs) overed with reduced graphene oxide (rGO) sheets by
      electrostatic self-assembly (Co3O4 NFs@rGO). The flexible graphene oxide sheets
      not only prevent volume changes of active materials upon cycling as a clamping
      layer but also provide efficient electrical pathways by three-dimensional (3-D)
      network architecture. When applied as an anode for LIBs, the Co3O4 NFs@rGO
      exhibits superior electrochemical performance: (i) high reversible capacity (615
      mAh g-1 and 92% capacity retention after 400 cycles at 4.0 A g-1) and (ii)
      excellent rate capability. Herein, we highlighted that the enhanced conversion
      reaction of the Co3O4 NFs@rGO is attributed to effective combination of 1-D
      nanostructure and low content of rGO (~3.5 wt%) in hybrid composite.

PMID- 28345590
TI  - Associations of parental age with health and social factors in adult offspring.
      Methodological pitfalls and possibilities.
AB  - Parental age is increasing rapidly in many countries. Analysis of this
      potentially important influence on offspring well-being is hampered by strong
      secular trends and socioeconomic patterning and by a shortage of follow-up data
      for adult offspring. We used Swedish national data on up to 3,653,938 offspring
      to consider the associations of parental age with a suite of outcomes in adult
      offspring, comparing the results from an array of statistical methods for optimal
      causal inference. The offspring of older mothers had higher BMI, blood pressure,
      height, intelligence, non-cognitive ability and socioeconomic position. They were
      less likely to smoke or to be left-handed. Associations with paternal age were
      strongly, but not completely, attenuated by adjustment for maternal age.
      Estimates from the commonly-used sibling comparison method were driven primarily
      by a pathway mediated by offspring date of birth when outcomes showed strong
      secular trends. These results suggest that the intra-uterine and early life
      environments provided by older mothers may be detrimental to offspring
      cardiovascular health, but that their greater life experience and social position
      may bring intellectual and social advantages to their offspring. The analysis of
      parental age presents particular challenges, and further methodological
      developments are needed.

PMID- 28345588
TI  - Macrophages induce AKT/beta-catenin-dependent Lgr5+ stem cell activation and hair
      follicle regeneration through TNF.
AB  - Skin stem cells can regenerate epidermal appendages; however, hair follicles (HF)
      lost as a result of injury are barely regenerated. Here we show that macrophages
      in wounds activate HF stem cells, leading to telogen-anagen transition (TAT)
      around the wound and de novo HF regeneration, mostly through TNF signalling. Both
      TNF knockout and overexpression attenuate HF neogenesis in wounds, suggesting
      dose-dependent induction of HF neogenesis by TNF, which is consistent with TNF
      induced AKT signalling in epidermal stem cells in vitro. TNF-induced beta-catenin
      accumulation is dependent on AKT but not Wnt signalling. Inhibition of PI3K/AKT
      blocks depilation-induced HF TAT. Notably, Pten loss in Lgr5+ HF stem cells
      results in HF TAT independent of injury and promotes HF neogenesis after
      wounding. Thus, our results suggest that macrophage-TNF-induced AKT/beta-catenin
      signalling in Lgr5+ HF stem cells has a crucial role in promoting HF cycling and
      neogenesis after wounding.

PMID- 28345591
TI  - Activation of the mechanosensitive ion channel MscL by mechanical stimulation of
      supported Droplet-Hydrogel bilayers.
AB  - The droplet on hydrogel bilayer (DHB) is a novel platform for investigating the
      function of ion channels. Advantages of this setup include tight control of all
      bilayer components, which is compelling for the investigation of mechanosensitive
      (MS) ion channels, since they are highly sensitive to their lipid environment.
      However, the activation of MS ion channels in planar supported lipid bilayers,
      such as the DHB, has not yet been established. Here we present the activation of
      the large conductance MS channel of E. coli, (MscL), in DHBs. By selectively
      stretching the droplet monolayer with nanolitre injections of buffer, we induced
      quantifiable DHB tension, which could be related to channel activity. The MscL
      activity response revealed that the droplet monolayer tension equilibrated over
      time, likely by insertion of lipid from solution. Our study thus establishes a
      method to controllably activate MS channels in DHBs and thereby advances studies
      of MS channels in this novel platform.

PMID- 28345592
TI  - Community temporal variability increases with fluctuating resource availability.
AB  - An increase in the quantity of available resources is known to affect temporal
      variability of aggregate community properties. However, it is unclear how might
      fluctuations in resource availability alter community-level temporal variability.
      Here we conduct a microcosm experiment with laboratory protist community
      subjected to manipulated resource pulses that vary in intensity, duration and
      time of supply, and examine the impact of fluctuating resource availability on
      temporal variability of the recipient community. The results showed that the
      temporal variation of total protist abundance increased with the magnitude of
      resource pulses, as protist community receiving infrequent resource pulses (i.e.,
      high-magnitude nutrients per pulse) was relatively more unstable than community
      receiving multiple resource pulses (i.e., low-magnitude nutrients per pulse),
      although the same total amounts of nutrients were added to each community.
      Meanwhile, the timing effect of fluctuating resources did not significantly alter
      community temporal variability. Further analysis showed that fluctuating resource
      availability increased community temporal variability by increasing the degree of
      community-wide species synchrony and decreasing the stabilizing effects of
      dominant species. Hence, the importance of fluctuating resource availability in
      influencing community stability and the regulatory mechanisms merit more
      attention, especially when global ecosystems are experiencing high rates of
      anthropogenic nutrient inputs.

PMID- 28345593
TI  - Microstructural tissue-engineering in the rachis and barbs of bird feathers.
AB  - Feathers do not have to be especially strong but they do need to be stiff and at
      the same time resilient and to have a high work of fracture. Syncitial barbule
      fibres are the highest size-class of continuous filaments in the cortex of the
      rachis of the feather. However, the rachis can be treated as a generalized cone
      of rapidly diminishing volume. This means that hundreds of syncitial barbule
      fibres of the rachis may have to be terminated before reaching the tip - creating
      potentially thousands of inherently fatal crack-like defects. Here I report a new
      microstructural architecture of the feather cortex in which most syncitial
      barbule fibres deviate to the right and left edges of the feather rachis from far
      within its borders and extend into the barbs, side branches of the rachis, as
      continuous filaments. This novel morphology adds significantly to knowledge of
      beta-keratin self-assembly in the feather and helps solve the potential problem
      of fatal crack-like defects in the rachidial cortex. Furthermore, this new
      complexity, consistent with biology's robust multi-functionality, solves two
      biomechanical problems at a stroke. Feather barbs deeply 'rooted' within the
      rachis are also able to better withstand the aerodynamic forces to which they are
      subjected.

PMID- 28345595
TI  - Fundamental properties of resonances.
AB  - All resonances, from hydrogen nuclei excited by the high-energy gamma rays in
      deep space to newly discovered particles produced in Large Hadron Collider,
      should be described by the same fundamental physical quantities. However, two
      distinct sets of properties are used to describe resonances: the pole parameters
      (complex pole position and residue) and the Breit-Wigner parameters (mass, width,
      and branching fractions). There is an ongoing decades-old debate on which one of
      them should be abandoned. In this study of nucleon resonances appearing in the
      elastic pion-nucleon scattering we discover an intricate interplay of the
      parameters from both sets, and realize that neither set is completely independent
      or fundamental on its own.

PMID- 28345594
TI  - Serum lactate dehydrogenase predicts prognosis and correlates with systemic
      inflammatory response in patients with advanced pancreatic cancer after
      gemcitabine-based chemotherapy.
AB  - Serum lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) concentrations correlate with tumor progression
      and poor outcome. We evaluated the predictive value of serum LDH level for
      overall survival (OS) of patients with advanced pancreatic cancer after
      gemcitabine-based chemotherapy. We retrospectively enrolled 364 patients with
      locally advanced or metastatic pancreatic adenocarcinoma who were then allocated
      to training (n = 139) and validation cohorts (n = 225). We evaluated the
      association between serum LDH levels and OS as well as with markers of systemic
      inflammation, including neutrophil/lymphocyte ratio (NLR), platelet/lymphocyte
      ratio (PLR) and lymphocyte/monocyte ratio (LMR). Kaplan-Meier analyses revealed
      that low serum LDH levels in the training cohort significantly correlated with
      longer OS. Multivariate analysis identified the serum LDH levels as an
      independent prognostic predictor of OS (p = 0.005). Serum LDH levels correlated
      positively with NLR and PLR and correlated negatively with LMR. Similar results
      were obtained for the validation cohort, except that multivariate analysis
      identified the serum LDH level as a significant prognostic predictor and only a
      statistical trend for OS (p = 0.059). We conclude that serum LDH levels were
      associated with the systemic inflammatory response and served as a significant
      prognostic predictor of OS. Serum LDH levels predicted OS in patients with
      advanced pancreatic cancer after gemcitabine-based palliative chemotherapy.

PMID- 28345596
TI  - Crystal structure of Zika virus NS5 RNA-dependent RNA polymerase.
AB  - The current Zika virus (ZIKV) outbreak became a global health threat of complex
      epidemiology and devastating neurological impacts, therefore requiring urgent
      efforts towards the development of novel efficacious and safe antiviral drugs.
      Due to its central role in RNA viral replication, the non-structural protein 5
      (NS5) RNA-dependent RNA-polymerase (RdRp) is a prime target for drug discovery.
      Here we describe the crystal structure of the recombinant ZIKV NS5 RdRp domain at
      1.9 A resolution as a platform for structure-based drug design strategy. The
      overall structure is similar to other flaviviral homologues. However, the priming
      loop target site, which is suitable for non-nucleoside polymerase inhibitor
      design, shows significant differences in comparison with the dengue virus
      structures, including a tighter pocket and a modified local charge distribution.

PMID- 28345598
TI  - Novel 1, 4-dihydropyridines for L-type calcium channel as antagonists for cadmium
      toxicity.
AB  - The present study, we design and synthesize the novel dihydropyridine
      derivatives, i.e., 3 (a-e) and 5 (a-e) and evaluated, anticonvulsant activity.
      Initially due to the lacuna of LCC, we modeled the protein through modeller 9.15v
      and evaluated through servers. Docking studies were performed with the
      synthesized compounds and resulted two best compounds, i.e., 5a, 5e showed the
      best binding energies. The activity of intracellular Ca2+ measurements was
      performed on two cell lines: A7r5 (rat aortic smooth muscle cells) and SH-SY5Y
      (human neuroblastoma cells). The 5a and 5e compounds was showing the more
      specific activity on L-type calcium channels, i.e. A7r5 (IC50 = 0.18 +/- 0.02 and
      0.25 +/- 0.63 MUg/ml, respectively) (containing only L-type channels) than SH
      SY5Y (i.e. both L-type and T-type channels) (IC50 = 8 +/- 0.23 and 10 +/- 0.18
      MUg/ml, respectively) with intracellular calcium mobility similar to amlodipine.
      Finally, both in silico and in vitro results exploring two derivatives 5a and 5e
      succeeded to treat cadmium toxicity.

PMID- 28345597
TI  - Post-Traumatic Osteoarthritis in Mice Following Mechanical Injury to the Synovial
      Joint.
AB  - We investigated the spectrum of lesions characteristic of post-traumatic
      osteoarthritis (PTOA) across the knee joint in response to mechanical injury. We
      hypothesized that alteration in knee joint stability in mice reproduces molecular
      and structural features of PTOA that would suggest potential therapeutic targets
      in humans. The right knees of eight-week old male mice from two recombinant
      inbred lines (LGXSM-6 and LGXSM-33) were subjected to axial tibial compression.
      Three separate loading magnitudes were applied: 6N, 9N, and 12N. Left knees
      served as non-loaded controls. Mice were sacrificed at 5, 9, 14, 28, and 56 days
      post-loading and whole knee joint changes were assessed by histology,
      immunostaining, micro-CT, and magnetic resonance imaging. We observed that tibial
      compression disrupted joint stability by rupturing the anterior cruciate ligament
      (except for 6N) and instigated a cascade of temporal and topographical features
      of PTOA. These features included cartilage extracellular matrix loss without
      proteoglycan replacement, chondrocyte apoptosis at day 5, synovitis present at
      day 14, osteophytes, ectopic calcification, and meniscus pathology. These
      findings provide a plausible model and a whole-joint approach for how joint
      injury in humans leads to PTOA. Chondrocyte apoptosis, synovitis, and ectopic
      calcification appear to be targets for potential therapeutic intervention.

PMID- 28345599
TI  - Location, location &size: defects close to surfaces dominate fatigue crack
      initiation.
AB  - Metallic cast components inevitably contain defects such as shrinkage cavities
      which are inherent to the solidification process. Those defects are known to
      significantly alter the fatigue life of components. Yet very little is known,
      quantitatively, on the dangerosity of internal casting defects compared to
      surface ones. In this study, fatigue specimens containing controlled internal
      defects (shrinkage pores) are used to foster internal cracking. In situ fatigue
      tests monitored by X ray synchrotron tomography revealed that the internal
      nucleation and propagation of cracks was systematically overran by surface
      cracking initiated at castings defects up to ten times smaller than the internal
      ones. These findings indicate that the presence of internal defects in cast
      components can be tolerated to a larger extent than is allowed by nowadays
      standards.

PMID- 28345600
TI  - The structure of Zika virus NS5 reveals a conserved domain conformation.
AB  - The recent outbreak of Zika virus (ZIKV) has imposed a serious threat to public
      health. Here we report the crystal structure of the ZIKV NS5 protein in complex
      with S-adenosyl-L-homocysteine, in which the tandem methyltransferase (MTase) and
      RNA-dependent RNA polymerase (RdRp) domains stack into one of the two alternative
      conformations of flavivirus NS5 proteins. The activity of this NS5 protein is
      verified through a de novo RdRp assay on a subgenomic ZIKV RNA template.
      Importantly, our structural analysis leads to the identification of a potential
      drug-binding site of ZIKV NS5, which might facilitate the development of novel
      antivirals for ZIKV.

PMID- 28345601
TI  - Towards reproducible MRM based biomarker discovery using dried blood spots.
AB  - There is an increasing interest in the use of dried blood spot (DBS) sampling and
      multiple reaction monitoring in proteomics. Although several groups have explored
      the utility of DBS by focusing on protein detection, the reproducibility of the
      approach and whether it can be used for biomarker discovery in high throughput
      studies is yet to be determined. We assessed the reproducibility of multiplexed
      targeted protein measurements in DBS compared to serum. Eighty-two medium to high
      abundance proteins were monitored in a number of technical and biological
      replicates. Importantly, as part of the data analysis, several statistical
      quality control approaches were evaluated to detect inaccurate transitions. After
      implementing statistical quality control measures, the median CV on the original
      scale for all detected peptides in DBS was 13.2% and in Serum 8.8%. We also found
      a strong correlation (r = 0.72) between relative peptide abundance measured in
      DBS and serum. The combination of minimally invasive sample collection with a
      highly specific and sensitive mass spectrometry (MS) technique allows for
      targeted quantification of multiple proteins in a single MS run. This approach
      has the potential to fundamentally change clinical proteomics and personalized
      medicine by facilitating large-scale studies.

PMID- 28345602
TI  - A primary human macrophage-enteroid co-culture model to investigate mucosal gut
      physiology and host-pathogen interactions.
AB  - Integration of the intestinal epithelium and the mucosal immune system is
      critical for gut homeostasis. The intestinal epithelium is a functional barrier
      that secludes luminal content, senses changes in the gut microenvironment, and
      releases immune regulators that signal underlying immune cells. However,
      interactions between epithelial and innate immune cells to maintain barrier
      integrity and prevent infection are complex and poorly understood. We developed
      and characterized a primary human macrophage-enteroid co-culture model for in
      depth studies of epithelial and macrophage interactions. Human intestinal stem
      cell-derived enteroid monolayers co-cultured with human monocyte-derived
      macrophages were used to evaluate barrier function, cytokine secretion, and
      protein expression under basal conditions and following bacterial infection.
      Macrophages enhanced barrier function and maturity of enteroid monolayers as
      indicated by increased transepithelial electrical resistance and cell height.
      Communication between the epithelium and macrophages was demonstrated through
      morphological changes and cytokine production. Intraepithelial macrophage
      projections, efficient phagocytosis, and stabilized enteroid barrier function
      revealed a coordinated response to enterotoxigenic and enteropathogenic E. coli
      infections. In summary, we have established the first primary human macrophage
      enteroid co-culture system, defined conditions that allow for a practical and
      reproducible culture model, and demonstrated its suitability to study gut
      physiology and host responses to enteric pathogens.

PMID- 28345603
TI  - PJA2 ubiquitinates the HIV-1 Tat protein with atypical chain linkages to activate
      viral transcription.
AB  - Transcription complexes that assemble at the HIV-1 promoter efficiently initiate
      transcription but generate paused RNA polymerase II downstream from the start
      site. The virally encoded Tat protein hijacks positive transcription elongation
      factor b (P-TEFb) to phosphorylate and activate this paused polymerase. In
      addition, Tat undergoes a series of reversible post-translational modifications
      that regulate distinct steps of the transcription cycle. To identify additional
      functionally important Tat cofactors, we performed RNAi knockdowns of sixteen
      previously identified Tat interactors and found that a novel E3 ligase, PJA2,
      ubiquitinates Tat in a non-degradative manner and specifically regulates the step
      of HIV transcription elongation. Interestingly, several different lysine residues
      in Tat can function as ubiquitin acceptor sites, and variable combinations of
      these lysines support both full transcriptional activity and viral replication.
      Further, the polyubiquitin chain conjugated to Tat by PJA2 can itself be
      assembled through variable ubiquitin lysine linkages. Importantly, proper
      ubiquitin chain assembly by PJA2 requires that Tat first binds its P-TEFb
      cofactor. These results highlight that both the Tat substrate and ubiquitin
      modification have plastic site usage, and this plasticity is likely another way
      in which the virus exploits the host molecular machinery to expand its limited
      genetic repertoire.

PMID- 28345604
TI  - Mind-wandering and alterations to default mode network connectivity when
      listening to naturalistic versus artificial sounds.
AB  - Naturalistic environments have been demonstrated to promote relaxation and
      wellbeing. We assess opposing theoretical accounts for these effects through
      investigation of autonomic arousal and alterations of activation and functional
      connectivity within the default mode network (DMN) of the brain while
      participants listened to sounds from artificial and natural environments. We
      found no evidence for increased DMN activity in the naturalistic compared to
      artificial or control condition, however, seed based functional connectivity
      showed a shift from anterior to posterior midline functional coupling in the
      naturalistic condition. These changes were accompanied by an increase in peak
      high frequency heart rate variability, indicating an increase in parasympathetic
      activity in the naturalistic condition in line with the Stress Recovery Theory of
      nature exposure. Changes in heart rate and the peak high frequency were
      correlated with baseline functional connectivity within the DMN and baseline
      parasympathetic tone respectively, highlighting the importance of individual
      neural and autonomic differences in the response to nature exposure. Our findings
      may help explain reported health benefits of exposure to natural environments,
      through identification of alterations to autonomic activity and functional
      coupling within the DMN when listening to naturalistic sounds.

PMID- 28345605
TI  - Extracellular matrix protein Reelin promotes myeloma progression by facilitating
      tumor cell proliferation and glycolysis.
AB  - Reelin is an extracellular matrix protein that is crucial for neuron migration,
      adhesion, and positioning. We examined the expression of Reelin in a large cohort
      of multiple myeloma patients recorded in Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) database
      and used over-expression and siRNA knockdown of Reelin to investigate the role of
      Reelin in myeloma cell growth. We find that Reelin expression is negatively
      associated with myeloma prognosis. Reelin promotes myeloma cell proliferation in
      vitro as well as in vivo. The Warburg effect, evidenced by increased glucose
      uptake and lactate production, is also enhanced in Reelin-expressing cells. The
      activation of FAK/Syk/Akt/mTOR and STAT3 pathways contributes to Reelin-induced
      cancer cell growth and metabolic reprogramming. Our findings further reveal that
      activated Akt and STAT3 pathways induce the upregulation of HIF1alpha and its
      downstream targets (LDHA and PDK1), leading to increased glycolysis in myeloma
      cells. Together, our results demonstrate the critical contributions of Reelin to
      myeloma growth and metabolism. It presents an opportunity for myeloma therapeutic
      intervention by inhibiting Reelin and its signaling pathways.

PMID- 28345606
TI  - 53BP1 contributes to regulation of autophagic clearance of mitochondria.
AB  - Autophagy, the primary recycling pathway within cells, plays a critical role in
      mitochondrial quality control under normal growth conditions and in the cellular
      response to stress. Here we provide evidence that 53BP1, a DNA damage response
      protein, is involved in regulating mitochondrial clearance from the cell via a
      type of autophagy termed mitophagy. We found that when either human or mouse
      cells were 53BP1-deficient, there was an increase in mitochondrial abnormalities,
      as observed through staining intensity, aggregation, and increased mass.
      Moreover, a 53BP1-depleted cell population included an increased number of cells
      with a high mitochondrial membrane potential (DeltaPsim) relative to controls,
      suggesting that the loss of 53BP1 prevents initiation of mitophagy thereby
      leading to the accumulation of damaged mitochondria. Indeed, both 53BP1 and the
      mitophagy-associated protein LC3 translocated to mitochondria in response to
      damage induced by the mitochondrial uncoupler carbonyl cyanide m
      chlorophenylhydrazone (CCCP). The recruitment of parkin, an E3-ubiquitin ligase,
      to mitochondria in response to CCCP treatment was significantly decreased in
      53BP1-deficient cells. And lastly, using p53-deficient H1299 cells, we confirmed
      that the role of 53BP1 in mitophagy is independent of p53. These data support a
      model in which 53BP1 plays an important role in modulating mitochondrial
      homeostasis and in the clearance of damaged mitochondria.

PMID- 28345608
TI  - MAOA rs1137070 and heroin addiction interactively alter gray matter volume of the
      salience network.
AB  - The rs1137070 polymorphism of monoamine oxidase A (MAOA) is associated with
      alcoholism and smoking behavior. However, the association between rs1137070 and
      heroin addiction remains unclear. In this study, we examined the allelic
      distribution of rs1137070 in 1,035 heroin abusers and 2,553 healthy controls and
      investigated the interactive effects of rs1137070 and heroin addiction on gray
      matter volume (GMV) based on 78 heroin abusers and 79 healthy controls. The C
      allele frequency of rs1137070 was significantly higher in heroin abusers. Heroin
      addiction and the rs1137070 variant interactively altered measures of GMV in the
      anterior cingulate cortex, orbital frontal cortex, temporal pole, and insula,
      which were correlated with cognitive function. Heroin abusers with the C allele
      had lower measures of GMV in these regions than the healthy controls with the
      same allele, whereas those with the T allele displayed a different trend. The
      altered brain regions were connected with white matter tracts, yielding a
      structural network that partially overlapped with the salience network. These
      findings suggest that the low activity-related C allele of MAOA rs1137070 is
      associated with an increase in the sensitivity to heroin addiction and the
      damaging effects of heroin abuse on cognition and the salience network.

PMID- 28345607
TI  - Time- and dose dependent actions of cardiotonic steroids on transcriptome and
      intracellular content of Na+ and K+: a comparative analysis.
AB  - Recent studies demonstrated that in addition to Na+,K+-ATPase inhibition
      cardiotonic steroids (CTSs) affect diverse intracellular signaling pathways. This
      study examines the relative impact of [Na+]i/[K+]i-mediated and -independent
      signaling in transcriptomic changes triggered by the endogenous CTSs ouabain and
      marinobufagenin (MBG) in human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVEC). We noted
      that prolongation of incubation increased the apparent affinity for ouabain
      estimated by the loss of [K+]i and gain of [Na+]i. Six hour exposure of HUVEC to
      100 and 3,000 nM ouabain resulted in elevation of the [Na+]i/[K+]i ratio by ~15
      and 80-fold and differential expression of 258 and 2185 transcripts,
      respectively. Neither [Na+]i/[K+]i ratio nor transcriptome were affected by 6-h
      incubation with 30 nM ouabain. The 96-h incubation with 3 nM ouabain or 30 nM MBG
      elevated the [Na+]i/[K+]i ratio by ~14 and 3-fold and led to differential
      expression of 880 and 484 transcripts, respectively. These parameters were not
      changed after 96-h incubation with 1 nM ouabain or 10 nM MBG. Thus, our results
      demonstrate that elevation of the [Na+]i/[K+]i ratio is an obligatory step for
      transcriptomic changes evoked by CTS in HUVEC. The molecular origin of upstream
      [Na+]i/[K+]i sensors involved in transcription regulation should be identified in
      forthcoming studies.

PMID- 28345609
TI  - Environmental DNA in subterranean biology: range extension and taxonomic
      implications for Proteus.
AB  - Europe's obligate cave-dwelling amphibian Proteus anguinus inhabits subterranean
      waters of the north-western Balkan Peninsula. Because only fragments of its
      habitat are accessible to humans, this endangered salamander's exact distribution
      has been difficult to establish. Here we introduce a quantitative real time
      polymerase chain reaction-based environmental DNA (eDNA) approach to detect the
      presence of Proteus using water samples collected from karst springs, wells or
      caves. In a survey conducted along the southern limit of its known range, we
      established a likely presence of Proteus at seven new sites, extending its range
      to Montenegro. Next, using specific molecular probes to discriminate the rare
      black morph of Proteus from the closely related white morph, we detected its eDNA
      at five new sites, thus more than doubling the known number of sites. In one of
      these we found both black and white Proteus eDNA together. This finding suggests
      that the two morphs may live in contact with each other in the same body of
      groundwater and that they may be reproductively isolated species. Our results
      show that the eDNA approach is suitable and efficient in addressing questions in
      biogeography, evolution, taxonomy and conservation of the cryptic subterranean
      fauna.

PMID- 28345610
TI  - Early loss of subchondral bone following microfracture is counteracted by bone
      marrow aspirate in a translational model of osteochondral repair.
AB  - Microfracture of cartilage defects may induce alterations of the subchondral bone
      in the mid- and long-term, yet very little is known about their onset. Possibly,
      these changes may be avoided by an enhanced microfracture technique with
      additional application of bone marrow aspirate. In this study, full-thickness
      chondral defects in the knee joints of minipigs were either treated with (1)
      debridement down to the subchondral bone plate alone, (2) debridement with
      microfracture, or (3) microfracture with additional application of bone marrow
      aspirate. At 4 weeks after microfracture, the loss of subchondral bone below the
      defects largely exceeded the original microfracture holes. Of note, a significant
      increase of osteoclast density was identified in defects treated with
      microfracture alone compared with debridement only. Both changes were
      significantly counteracted by the adjunct treatment with bone marrow. Debridement
      and microfracture without or with bone marrow were equivalent regarding the early
      cartilage repair. These data suggest that microfracture induced a substantial
      early resorption of the subchondral bone and also highlight the potential value
      of bone marrow aspirate as an adjunct to counteract these alterations. Clinical
      studies are warranted to further elucidate early events of osteochondral repair
      and the effect of enhanced microfracture techniques.

PMID- 28345612
TI  - Wafer-scale Fabrication of Non-Polar Mesoporous GaN Distributed Bragg Reflectors
      via Electrochemical Porosification.
AB  - Distributed Bragg reflectors (DBRs) are essential components for the development
      of optoelectronic devices. For many device applications, it is highly desirable
      to achieve not only high reflectivity and low absorption, but also good
      conductivity to allow effective electrical injection of charges. Here, we
      demonstrate the wafer-scale fabrication of highly reflective and conductive non
      polar gallium nitride (GaN) DBRs, consisting of perfectly lattice-matched non
      polar (11-20) GaN and mesoporous GaN layers that are obtained by a facile one
      step electrochemical etching method without any extra processing steps. The
      GaN/mesoporous GaN DBRs exhibit high peak reflectivities (>96%) across the entire
      visible spectrum and wide spectral stop-band widths (full-width at half-maximum
      >80 nm), while preserving the material quality and showing good electrical
      conductivity. Such mesoporous GaN DBRs thus provide a promising and scalable
      platform for high performance GaN-based optoelectronic, photonic, and quantum
      photonic devices.

PMID- 28345611
TI  - Copy number variation profile in the placental and parental genomes of recurrent
      pregnancy loss families.
AB  - We have previously shown an extensive load of somatic copy number variations
      (CNVs) in the human placental genome with the highest fraction detected in normal
      term pregnancies. Hereby, we hypothesized that insufficient promotion of CNVs may
      impair placental development and lead to recurrent pregnancy loss (RPL). RPL
      affects ~3% of couples aiming at childbirth and idiopathic RPL represents ~50% of
      cases. We analysed placental and parental CNV profiles of idiopathic RPL trios
      (mother-father-placenta) and duos (mother-placenta). Consistent with the
      hypothesis, the placental genomes of RPL cases exhibited 2-fold less CNVs
      compared to uncomplicated 1st trimester pregnancies (P = 0.02). This difference
      mainly arose from lower number of duplications. Overall, 1st trimester control
      placentas shared only 5.3% of identified CNV regions with RPL cases, whereas the
      respective fraction with term placentas was 35.1% (P = 1.1 * 10-9). Disruption of
      the genes NUP98 (embryonic stem cell development) and MTRR (folate metabolism)
      was detected exclusively in RPL placentas, potentially indicative to novel loci
      implicated in RPL. Interestingly, genes with higher overall expression were prone
      to deletions (>3-fold higher median expression compared to genes unaffected by
      CNVs, P = 6.69 * 10-20). Additionally, large pericentromeric and subtelomeric
      CNVs in parental genomes emerged as a risk factor for RPL.

PMID- 28345613
TI  - Nano-inspired smart interfaces: fluidic interactivity and its impact on heat
      transfer.
AB  - Interface-inspired convection is a key heat transfer scheme for hot spot cooling
      and thermal energy transfer. An unavoidable trade-off of the convective heat
      transfer is pressure loss caused by fluidic resistance on an interface. To
      overcome this limitation, we uncover that nano-inspired interfaces can trigger a
      peculiar fluidic interactivity, which can pursue all the two sides of the coin:
      heat transfer and fluidic friction. We demonstrate the validity of a quasi-fin
      effect of Si-based nanostructures based on conductive capability of heat
      dissipation valid under the interactivity with fluidic viscous sublayer. The
      exclusive fluid-interface friction is achieved when the height of the
      nanostructures is much less than the thickness of the viscous sublayers in the
      turbulent regime. The strategic nanostructures show an enhancement of heat
      transfer coefficients in the wall jet region by more than 21% without any
      significant macroscale pressure loss under single-phase impinging jet.
      Nanostructures guaranteeing fluid access via an equivalent vacancy larger than
      the diffusive path length of viscid flow lead to local heat transfer enhancement
      of more than 13% at a stagnation point. Functional nanostructures will give shape
      to possible breakthroughs in heat transfer and its optimization can be pursued
      for engineered systems.

PMID- 28345614
TI  - Prognosis and value of preoperative radiotherapy in locally advanced rectal
      signet-ring cell carcinoma.
AB  - As well known, signet-ring cell carcinoma (SRCC) is a rare histological subtype
      of colorectal adenocarcinoma, which has been associated with poor prognosis and
      resistant to non-surgery therapy compared with common adenocarcinoma. In this
      study, we assessed the effect of preoperative radiotherapy (PRT) for locally
      advanced rectal SRCC in a large patient group from the Surveillance,
      Epidemiology, and End Results program (SEER, 1988-2011) database. SRCC was found
      in 0.9% (n = 622) rectal cancer (RC) patients in our study. In the PRT setting,
      SRCC had significantly worse cancer-specific survival than mucinous
      adenocarcinoma and nonmucinous adenocarcinoma patients (log-rank, P < 0.001). In
      terms of SRCC, stage III RC patients benefited from PRT (log-rank, P < 0.001)
      while stage II did not (P = 0.095). The multivariate Cox proportional hazard
      model showed that PRT was an independent benefit factor in stage III rectal SRCC
      patients (HR, 0.611; 95% CI, 0.407-0.919; P = 0.018). In conclusion, SRCC was an
      independent predictor of poor prognosis in stage III RC patients, but not in
      stage II. In the PRT setting of locally advanced RC, SRCC patients had
      significantly worse prognosis. PRT was an independent prognostic factor
      associated with improved survival in stage III rectal SRCC.

PMID- 28345615
TI  - Transcriptome analysis of molecular mechanisms responsible for light-stress
      response in Mythimna separata (Walker).
AB  - Light is an important environmental signal for most insects. The Oriental
      Armyworm, Mythimna separata, is a serious pest of cereal crops worldwide, and is
      highly sensitive to light signals during its developmental and reproductive
      stages. However, molecular biological studies of its response to light stress are
      scarce, and related genomic information is not available. In this study, we
      sequenced and de novo assembled the transcriptomes of M. separata exposed to four
      different light conditions: dark, white light (WL), UV light (UVL) and yellow
      light (YL). A total of 46,327 unigenes with an average size of 571 base pairs
      (bp) were obtained, among which 24,344 (52.55%) matched to public databases. The
      numbers of genes differentially expressed between dark vs WL, dark vs UVL, dark
      vs YL, and UVL vs YL were 12,012, 12,950, 14,855, and 13,504, respectively. These
      results suggest that light exposure altered gene expression patterns in M.
      separata. Putative genes involved in phototransduction-fly, phototransduction,
      circadian rhythm-fly, olfactory transduction, and taste transduction were
      identified. This study thus identified a series of candidate genes and pathways
      potentially related to light stress in M. separata.

PMID- 28345616
TI  - Shoulder Stretching Intervention Reduces the Incidence of Shoulder and Elbow
      Injuries in High School Baseball Players: a Time-to-Event Analysis.
AB  - We prospectively evaluated the effects of a prevention program on the incidence
      of shoulder and elbow injuries in high school baseball pitchers. Ninety-two
      pitchers participated in this study and were taught to perform stretching and
      strength exercises aimed at improving shoulder external rotation strength in the
      preseason. The pitchers freely chose to participate in one of four groups [SM
      group: performed both exercises, S-group: performed stretching exercise only, M
      group: performed strength training only, and N-group: performed neither
      intervention]. Injury was defined as inability to play for >=8 days because of
      shoulder/elbow symptoms. Kaplan-Meier survival curves were generated and hazard
      ratios (HRs) for injury occurrence were calculated using multivariate Cox
      regression. Log-rank test was used for between-group comparisons of survival
      distributions. The injuries occurred in 25, 35, and 57% of participants and
      median times to injury were 89, 92, and 29.5 days in the S- (n = 32), SM- (n =
      46), and N- (n = 14) group, respectively. Nobody chose M-group. HRs were 0.36 and
      0.47 for the S- and SM-group, respectively, based on the N-group. The incidence
      of injury was significantly lower in the S-group than in the N-group (p = 0.04).
      Daily posterior shoulder stretching may reduce the incidence of the injuries in
      high school baseball pitchers.

PMID- 28345617
TI  - Stimulation of adult hippocampal neurogenesis by physical exercise and enriched
      environment is disturbed in a CADASIL mouse model.
AB  - In the course of CADASIL (Cerebral Autosomal Dominant Arteriopathy with
      Subcortical Infarcts and Leukoencephalopathy), a dysregulated adult hippocampal
      neurogenesis has been suggested as a potential mechanism for early cognitive
      decline. Previous work has shown that mice overexpressing wild type Notch3 and
      mice overexpressing Notch3 with a CADASIL mutation display impaired cell
      proliferation and survival of newly born hippocampal neurons prior to vascular
      abnormalities. Here, we aimed to elucidate how the long-term survival of these
      newly generated neurons is regulated by Notch3. Knowing that adult neurogenesis
      can be robustly stimulated by physical exercise and environmental enrichment, we
      also investigated the influence of such stimuli as potential therapeutic
      instruments for a dysregulated hippocampal neurogenesis in the CADASIL mouse
      model. Therefore, young-adult female mice were housed in standard (STD),
      environmentally enriched (ENR) or running wheel cages (RUN) for either 28 days or
      6 months. Mice overexpressing mutated Notch3 and developing CADASIL (TgN3R169C),
      and mice overexpressing wild type Notch3 (TgN3WT) were used. We found that
      neurogenic stimulation by RUN and ENR is apparently impaired in both transgenic
      lines. The finding suggests that a disturbed neurogenic process due to Notch3
      dependent micromilieu changes might be one vascular-independent mechanism
      contributing to cognitive decline observed in CADASIL.

PMID- 28345618
TI  - PTPIP51 regulates mouse cardiac ischemia/reperfusion through mediating the
      mitochondria-SR junction.
AB  - Protein tyrosine phosphatase interacting protein 51 (PTPIP51) participates in
      multiple cellular processes, and dysfunction of PTPIP51 is implicated in diseases
      such as cancer and neurodegenerative disorders. However, there is no functional
      evidence showing the physiological or pathological roles of PTPIP51 in the heart.
      We have therefore investigated the role and mechanisms of PTPIP51 in regulating
      cardiac function. We found that PTPIP51 was markedly upregulated in
      ischemia/reperfusion heart. Upregulation of PTPIP51 by adenovirus-mediated
      overexpression markedly increased the contact of mitochondria-sarcoplasmic
      reticulum (SR), elevated mitochondrial Ca2+ uptake from SR release through
      mitochondrial Ca2+uniporter. Inhibition or knockdown of mitochondrial
      Ca2+uniporter reversed PTPIP51-mediated increase of mitochondrial Ca2+ and
      protected cardiomyocytes against PTPIP51-mediated apoptosis. More importantly,
      cardiac specific knockdown of PTPIP51 largely reduced myocardium infarction size
      and heart injury after ischemia/reperfusion. Our study defines a novel and
      essential function of PTPIP51 in the cardiac ischemia/reperfusion process by
      mediating mitochondria-SR contact. Downregulation of PTPIP51 improves heart
      function after ischemia/reperfusion injury, suggesting PTPIP51 as a therapeutic
      target for ischemic heart diseases.

PMID- 28345619
TI  - Impact of molecular subtypes on metastatic breast cancer patients: a SEER
      population-based study.
AB  - To investigate the significance and impact of molecular subtyping stratification
      on metastatic breast cancer patients, we identified 159,344 female breast cancer
      patients in the Surveillance, Epidemiology and End Results (SEER) database with
      known hormone receptor (HoR) and human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2)
      status. 4.8% of patients were identified as having stage IV disease, and were
      more likely to be HER2+/HoR-, HER2+/HoR+, or HER2-/HoR-. Stage IV breast cancer
      patients with a HER2+/HoR+ status exhibited the highest median overall survival
      (OS) (44.0 months) and those with a HER2-/HoR- status exhibited the lowest median
      OS (13.0 months). Patients with a HER2-/HoR+ status had more bone metastasis,
      whereas patients with a HER2+/HoR- status had an increased incidence of liver
      metastasis. Brain and lung metastasis were more likely to occur in women with a
      HER2-/HoR- status. The multivariable analysis revealed a significant interaction
      between single metastasis and molecular subtype. No matter which molecular
      subtype, women who did not undergo primary tumour surgery had worse survival than
      those who experienced primary tumour surgery. Collectively, our findings advanced
      the understanding that molecular subtype might lead to more tailored and
      effective therapies in metastatic breast cancer patients.

PMID- 28345621
TI  - Two-dimensional electronic spectra of the photosynthetic apparatus of green
      sulfur bacteria.
AB  - Advances in time resolved spectroscopy have provided new insight into the energy
      transmission in natural photosynthetic complexes. Novel theoretical tools and
      models are being developed in order to explain the experimental results. We
      provide a model calculation for the two-dimensional electronic spectra of
      Cholorobaculum tepidum which correctly describes the main features and transfer
      time scales found in recent experiments. From our calculation one can infer the
      coupling of the antenna chlorosome with the environment and the coupling between
      the chlorosome and the Fenna-Matthews-Olson complex. We show that environment
      assisted transport between the subunits is the required mechanism to reproduce
      the experimental two-dimensional electronic spectra.

PMID- 28345620
TI  - Acute and chronic mitochondrial respiratory chain deficiency differentially
      regulate lysosomal biogenesis.
AB  - Mitochondria are key cellular signaling platforms, affecting fundamental
      processes such as cell proliferation, differentiation and death. However, it
      remains unclear how mitochondrial signaling affects other organelles,
      particularly lysosomes. Here, we demonstrate that mitochondrial respiratory chain
      (RC) impairments elicit a stress signaling pathway that regulates lysosomal
      biogenesis via the microphtalmia transcription factor family. Interestingly, the
      effect of mitochondrial stress over lysosomal biogenesis depends on the timeframe
      of the stress elicited: while RC inhibition with rotenone or uncoupling with CCCP
      initially triggers lysosomal biogenesis, the effect peaks after few hours and
      returns to baseline. Long-term RC inhibition by long-term treatment with
      rotenone, or patient mutations in fibroblasts and in a mouse model result in
      repression of lysosomal biogenesis. The induction of lysosomal biogenesis by
      short-term mitochondrial stress is dependent on TFEB and MITF, requires AMPK
      signaling and is independent of calcineurin signaling. These results reveal an
      integrated view of how mitochondrial signaling affects lysosomes, which is
      essential to fully comprehend the consequences of mitochondrial malfunction,
      particularly in the context of mitochondrial diseases.

PMID- 28345622
TI  - Comprehensive track-structure based evaluation of DNA damage by light ions from
      radiotherapy-relevant energies down to stopping.
AB  - Track structures and resulting DNA damage in human cells have been simulated for
      hydrogen, helium, carbon, nitrogen, oxygen and neon ions with 0.25-256 MeV/u
      energy. The needed ion interaction cross sections have been scaled from those of
      hydrogen; Barkas scaling formula has been refined, extending its applicability
      down to about 10 keV/u, and validated against established stopping power data.
      Linear energy transfer (LET) has been scored from energy deposits in a cell
      nucleus; for very low-energy ions, it has been defined locally within thin slabs.
      The simulations show that protons and helium ions induce more DNA damage than
      heavier ions do at the same LET. With increasing LET, less DNA strand breaks are
      formed per unit dose, but due to their clustering the yields of double-strand
      breaks (DSB) increase, up to saturation around 300 keV/MUm. Also individual DSB
      tend to cluster; DSB clusters peak around 500 keV/MUm, while DSB multiplicities
      per cluster steadily increase with LET. Remarkably similar to patterns known from
      cell survival studies, LET-dependencies with pronounced maxima around 100-200
      keV/MUm occur on nanometre scale for sites that contain one or more DSB, and on
      micrometre scale for megabasepair-sized DNA fragments.

PMID- 28345623
TI  - Liposomes loaded with bioactive lipids enhance antibacterial innate immunity
      irrespective of drug resistance.
AB  - Phagocytosis is a key mechanism of innate immunity, and promotion of phagosome
      maturation may represent a therapeutic target to enhance antibacterial host
      response. Phagosome maturation is favored by the timely and coordinated
      intervention of lipids and may be altered in infections. Here we used apoptotic
      body-like liposomes (ABL) to selectively deliver bioactive lipids to innate
      cells, and then tested their function in models of pathogen-inhibited and host
      impaired phagosome maturation. Stimulation of macrophages with ABLs carrying
      phosphatidic acid (PA), phosphatidylinositol 3-phosphate (PI3P) or PI5P increased
      intracellular killing of BCG, by inducing phagosome acidification and ROS
      generation. Moreover, ABLs carrying PA or PI5P enhanced ROS-mediated
      intracellular killing of Pseudomonas aeruginosa, in macrophages expressing a
      pharmacologically-inhibited or a naturally-mutated cystic fibrosis transmembrane
      conductance regulator. Finally, we show that bronchoalveolar lavage cells from
      patients with drug-resistant pulmonary infections increased significantly their
      capacity to kill in vivo acquired bacterial pathogens when ex vivo stimulated
      with PA- or PI5P-loaded ABLs. Altogether, these results provide the proof of
      concept of the efficacy of bioactive lipids delivered by ABL to enhance phagosome
      maturation dependent antimicrobial response, as an additional host-directed
      strategy aimed at the control of chronic, recurrent or drug-resistant infections.

PMID- 28345625
TI  - Assortative Mating: Encounter-Network Topology and the Evolution of
      Attractiveness.
AB  - We model a social-encounter network where linked nodes match for reproduction in
      a manner depending probabilistically on each node's attractiveness. The developed
      model reveals that increasing either the network's mean degree or the
      "choosiness" exercised during pair formation increases the strength of positive
      assortative mating. That is, we note that attractiveness is correlated among
      mated nodes. Their total number also increases with mean degree and selectivity
      during pair formation. By iterating over the model's mapping of parents onto
      offspring across generations, we study the evolution of attractiveness. Selection
      mediated by exclusion from reproduction increases mean attractiveness, but is
      rapidly balanced by skew in the offspring distribution of highly attractive mated
      pairs.

PMID- 28345624
TI  - The effects of self-selected light-dark cycles and social constraints on human
      sleep and circadian timing: a modeling approach.
AB  - Why do we go to sleep late and struggle to wake up on time? Historically, light
      dark cycles were dictated by the solar day, but now humans can extend light
      exposure by switching on artificial lights. We use a mathematical model
      incorporating effects of light, circadian rhythmicity and sleep homeostasis to
      provide a quantitative theoretical framework to understand effects of modern
      patterns of light consumption on the human circadian system. The model shows that
      without artificial light humans wakeup at dawn. Artificial light delays circadian
      rhythmicity and preferred sleep timing and compromises synchronisation to the
      solar day when wake-times are not enforced. When wake-times are enforced by
      social constraints, such as work or school, artificial light induces a mismatch
      between sleep timing and circadian rhythmicity ('social jet-lag'). The model
      implies that developmental changes in sleep homeostasis and circadian amplitude
      make adolescents particularly sensitive to effects of light consumption. The
      model predicts that ameliorating social jet-lag is more effectively achieved by
      reducing evening light consumption than by delaying social constraints,
      particularly in individuals with slow circadian clocks or when imposed wake-times
      occur after sunrise. These theory-informed predictions may aid design of
      interventions to prevent and treat circadian rhythm-sleep disorders and social
      jet-lag.

PMID- 28345626
TI  - Elevated angiopoietin 2 in aqueous of patients with neovascular age related
      macular degeneration correlates with disease severity at presentation.
AB  - Angiopoietin 2 (ANG2) is a proangiogenic cytokine which may have an implication
      in neovascular age related macular degeneration (nAMD). In 24 eyes of 24 subjects
      presenting with treatment naive nAMD and 26 eyes of 26 control patients, aqueous
      humor samples were collected at the time of intervention (intravitreal injection
      of anti-vascular endothelial growth factor or cataract extraction). Best
      corrected visual acuity (BCVA) with and central macular thickness (CMT) using
      optical coherence tomography (OCT) were measured before each injection in the
      nAMD group. Aqueous cytokine levels were determined by immunoassay using a
      multiplex array (Quansys Biosciences, Logan, UT). Levels of ANG2 in the aqueous
      were significantly higher in nAMD patients than those of the control group (p <
      0.0001), so were hepatocyte growth factor (HGF), interleukin-8 (IL-8) and tissue
      inhibitor of metalloproteinase 1 (TIMP 1), all with p < 0.001. ANG2 correlated
      with worse BCVA (r = 0.44, p-value = 0.027) and greater CMT (r = 0.66, p-value <
      0.0001) on optical coherence tomography (OCT). ANG2 is upregulated in patients
      with nAMD and correlates with severity of disease at presentation.

PMID- 28345627
TI  - Heterologous protein-DNA interactions lead to biased allelic expression of
      circadian clock genes in interspecific hybrids.
AB  - Genomic interactions in allopolyploids create expression variation of
      homoeologous alleles through protein-protein and protein-DNA interactions.
      However, the molecular basis for this is largely unknown. Here we investigated
      the protein-protein and protein-DNA interactions among homoeologous transcription
      factors in the circadian-clock feedback loop, consisting of CCA1 HIKING
      EXPEDITION (CHE), CIRCADIAN CLOCK ASSOCIATED1 (CCA1), and TIMING OF CAB
      EXPRESSION1 (TOC1), plus the interaction with a chromatin factor, HISTONE
      DEACETYLASE1 (HD1). In the allotetraploids formed between A. thaliana (At) and
      Arabidopsis arenosa (Aa), AtCCA1 is expressed at lower levels than AaCCA1, which
      could alter clock output traits. The reduced AtCCA1 expressions in the
      allotetraploids are consistent with the biochemical data that AaCHE showed
      preferential binding to the AtCCA1 promoter, in which AaCHE interacts with a
      higher affinity to AtHD1 than AtCHE. AaCHE also showed a higher affinity to TOC1
      than AtCHE, consistent with the effect of TOC1 on repressing CCA1. Thus, stronger
      AaCHE-TOC1 and AaCHE-AtHD1 interactions reduce AtCC1 allelic expression. Our
      current data suggest a biochemical basis for protein interactions in trans with a
      preference to the cis-acting elements in heterologous combinations to reduce
      AtCCA1 expression, while altered CCA1 expression has been shown to affect
      metabolic and biomass heterosis in interspecific hybrids or allotetraploids.

PMID- 28345628
TI  - Tissue resident memory T cells in the human conjunctiva and immune signatures in
      human dry eye disease.
AB  - Non-recirculating resident memory (TRM) and recirculating T cells mount vigorous
      immune responses to both self and foreign antigens in barrier tissues like the
      skin, lung and gastrointestinal tract. Using impression cytology followed by flow
      cytometry we identified two TRM subsets and four recirculating T-subsets in the
      healthy human ocular surface. In dry eye disease, principal component analysis
      (PCA) revealed two clusters of patients with distinct T-cell signatures.
      Increased conjunctival central memory and naive T cells characterized Cluster-1
      patients, and increased CD8+ TRMs and CD4+ recirculating memory T cells
      characterized Cluster-2 patients. Interestingly these T-cell signatures are
      associated with different clinical features: the first signature correlated with
      increased ocular redness, and the second with reduced tear break up times. These
      findings open the door to immune-based characterization of dry eye disease and T
      subset specific immunotherapies to suppress T-subsets involved in disease. They
      may also help with patient stratification during clinical trials of
      immunomodulators.

PMID- 28345629
TI  - WT1 expression in breast cancer disrupts the epithelial/mesenchymal balance of
      tumour cells and correlates with the metabolic response to docetaxel.
AB  - WT1 is a transcription factor which regulates the epithelial-mesenchymal balance
      during embryonic development and, if mutated, can lead to the formation of Wilms'
      tumour, the most common paediatric kidney cancer. Its expression has also been
      reported in several adult tumour types, including breast cancer, and usually
      correlates with poor outcome. However, published data is inconsistent and the
      role of WT1 in this malignancy remains unclear. Here we provide a complete study
      of WT1 expression across different breast cancer subtypes as well as isoform
      specific expression analysis. Using in vitro cell lines, clinical samples and
      publicly available gene expression datasets, we demonstrate that WT1 plays a role
      in regulating the epithelial-mesenchymal balance of breast cancer cells and that
      WT1-expressing tumours are mainly associated with a mesenchymal phenotype. WT1
      gene expression also correlates with CYP3A4 levels and is associated with poorer
      response to taxane treatment. Our work is the first to demonstrate that the known
      association between WT1 expression in breast cancer and poor prognosis is
      potentially due to cancer-related epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT) and
      poor chemotherapy response.

PMID- 28345632
TI  - Immune regulation: Immune cell social networks.

PMID- 28345630
TI  - Identification and comparative analysis of the epidermal differentiation complex
      in snakes.
AB  - The epidermis of snakes efficiently protects against dehydration and mechanical
      stress. However, only few proteins of the epidermal barrier to the environment
      have so far been identified in snakes. Here, we determined the organization of
      the Epidermal Differentiation Complex (EDC), a cluster of genes encoding protein
      constituents of cornified epidermal structures, in snakes and compared it to the
      EDCs of other squamates and non-squamate reptiles. The EDC of snakes displays
      shared synteny with that of the green anole lizard, including the presence of a
      cluster of corneous beta-protein (CBP)/beta-keratin genes. We found that a unique
      CBP comprising 4 putative beta-sheets and multiple cysteine-rich EDC proteins are
      conserved in all snakes and other squamates investigated. Comparative genomics of
      squamates suggests that the evolution of snakes was associated with a gene
      duplication generating two isoforms of the S100 fused-type protein, scaffoldin,
      the origin of distinct snake-specific EDC genes, and the loss of other genes that
      were present in the EDC of the last common ancestor of snakes and lizards. Taken
      together, our results provide new insights into the evolution of the skin in
      squamates and a basis for the characterization of the molecular composition of
      the epidermis in snakes.

PMID- 28345633
TI  - T cells: Successful checkpoint blockade requires positive co-stimulation.

PMID- 28345631
TI  - Structure of the Cyanuric Acid Hydrolase TrzD Reveals Product Exit Channel.
AB  - Cyanuric acid hydrolases are of industrial importance because of their use in
      aquatic recreational facilities to remove cyanuric acid, a stabilizer for the
      chlorine. Degradation of excess cyanuric acid is necessary to maintain chlorine
      disinfection in the waters. Cyanuric acid hydrolase opens the cyanuric acid ring
      hydrolytically and subsequent decarboxylation produces carbon dioxide and biuret.
      In the present study, we report the X-ray structure of TrzD, a cyanuric acid
      hydrolase from Acidovorax citrulli. The crystal structure at 2.19 A resolution
      shows a large displacement of the catalytic lysine (Lys163) in domain 2 away from
      the active site core, whereas the two other active site lysines from the two
      other domains are not able to move. The lysine displacement is proposed here to
      open up a channel for product release. Consistent with that, the structure also
      showed two molecules of the co-product, carbon dioxide, one in the active site
      and another trapped in the proposed exit channel. Previous data indicated that
      the domain 2 lysine residue plays a role in activating an adjacent serine residue
      carrying out nucleophilic attack, opening the cyanuric acid ring, and the mobile
      lysine guides products through the exit channel.

PMID- 28345634
TI  - HIV: Marking the HIV hideout.

PMID- 28345635
TI  - Viral infection: The mother of all viruses.

PMID- 28345636
TI  - Viral infections: Reinvigorating exhausted T cells in hepatitis B infection.

PMID- 28345637
TI  - Rattusin structure reveals a novel defensin scaffold formed by intermolecular
      disulfide exchanges.
AB  - Defensin peptides are essential for innate immunity in humans and other living
      systems, as they provide protection against infectious pathogens and regulate the
      immune response. Here, we report the solution structure of rattusin (RTSN), an
      alpha-defensin-related peptide, which revealed a novel C2-symmetric disulfide
      linked dimeric structure. RTSN was synthesized by solid-phase peptide synthesis
      (SPPS) and refolded by air oxidation in vitro. Dimerization of the refolded RTSN
      (r-RTSN) resulted from five intermolecular disulfide (SS) bond exchanges formed
      by ten cysteines within two protomer chains. The SS bond pairings of r-RTSN were
      determined by mass analysis of peptide fragments cleaved by trypsin digestion. In
      addition to mass analysis, nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) experiments for a
      C15S mutant and r-RTSN confirmed that the intermolecular SS bond structure of r
      RTSN showed an I-V', II-IV', III-III', IV-II', V-I' arrangement. The overall
      structure of r-RTSN exhibited a cylindrical array, similar to that of beta
      sandwich folds, with a highly basic surface. Furthermore, fluorescence
      spectroscopy results suggest that r-RTSN exerts bactericidal activity by damaging
      membrane integrity. Collectively, these results provide a novel structural
      scaffold for designing highly potent peptide-based antibiotics suitable for use
      under various physiological conditions.

PMID- 28345638
TI  - Lectin-like oxidized low-density lipoprotein receptor-1 facilitates metastasis of
      gastric cancer through driving epithelial-mesenchymal transition and
      PI3K/Akt/GSK3beta activation.
AB  - Lectin-like oxidized low-density lipoprotein receptor-1 (LOX-1) is a pattern
      recognition receptor that plays a critical role in vascular diseases and host
      immune response. Recently, our research discovered that LOX-1 could facilitate
      the uptake of dying cells and cross-presentation of cellular antigen via binding
      with heat shock proteins, which have a close relationship with gastric neoplasia.
      Therefore, we speculated that LOX-1 may serve as an oncogene in gastric cancer
      (GC) development and progression. In this study, through immunohistochemistry
      staining assay and cancer-related databases, we found that LOX-1 expression was
      up-regulated in GC tissues and correlated with a poor prognosis in GC patients.
      The expression of LOX-1 was an independent prognostic factor for OS in GC
      patients, and the incorporation of LOX-1 with TNM stage is more accurate for
      predicting prognosis. Additionally, in vitro study by transwell assay and western
      blot analysis confirmed that LOX-1 could promote the migration and invasion of GC
      cells by driving epithelial-mesenchymal transition and PI3K/Akt/GSK3beta
      activation. Taken together, we first explored the expression profiles, clinical
      significance and biological function of LOX-1 in GC, and these data suggest that
      LOX-1 may represent a promising prognostic biomarker for GC and offer a novel
      molecular target for GC therapies.

PMID- 28345639
TI  - Genomic characterization of Nontuberculous Mycobacteria.
AB  - Mycobacterium tuberculosis and Mycobacterium leprae have remained, for many
      years, the primary species of the genus Mycobacterium of clinical and
      microbiological interest. The other members of the genus, referred to as
      nontuberculous mycobacteria (NTM), have long been underinvestigated. In the last
      decades, however, the number of reports linking various NTM species with human
      diseases has steadily increased and treatment difficulties have emerged. Despite
      the availability of whole genome sequencing technologies, limited effort has been
      devoted to the genetic characterization of NTM species. As a consequence, the
      taxonomic and phylogenetic structure of the genus remains unsettled and genomic
      information is lacking to support the identification of these organisms in a
      clinical setting. In this work, we widen the knowledge of NTMs by reconstructing
      and analyzing the genomes of 41 previously uncharacterized NTM species. We
      provide the first comprehensive characterization of the genomic diversity of NTMs
      and open new venues for the clinical identification of opportunistic pathogens
      from this genus.

PMID- 28345640
TI  - Degree of functionalisation dependence of individual Raman intensities in
      covalent graphene derivatives.
AB  - Covalent functionalisation of graphene is a continuously progressing field of
      research. The optical properties of such derivatives attract particular
      attention. In virtually all optical responses, however, an enhancement in peak
      intensity with increase of sp3 carbon content, and a vanishing of the peak
      position shift in monolayer compared to few-layer systems, is observed. The
      understanding of these seemingly connected phenomena is lacking. Here we
      demonstrate, using Raman spectroscopy and in situ electrostatic doping
      techniques, that the intensity is directly modulated by an additional
      contribution from photoluminescent pi-conjugated domains surrounded by sp3 carbon
      regions in graphene monolayers. The findings are further underpinned by a model
      which correlates the individual Raman mode intensities to the degree of
      functionalisation. We also show that the position shift in the spectra of solvent
      based and powdered functionalised graphene derivatives originates predominantly
      from the presence of edge-to-edge and edge-to-basal plane interactions and is by
      large functionalisation independent.

PMID- 28345641
TI  - III-nitride core-shell nanorod array on quartz substrates.
AB  - We report the fabrication of near-vertically elongated GaN nanorods on quartz
      substrates. To control the preferred orientation and length of individual GaN
      nanorods, we combined molecular beam epitaxy (MBE) with pulsed-mode metal-organic
      chemical vapor deposition (MOCVD). The MBE-grown buffer layer was composed of GaN
      nanograins exhibiting an ordered surface and preferred orientation along the
      surface normal direction. Position-controlled growth of the GaN nanorods was
      achieved by selective-area growth using MOCVD. Simultaneously, the GaN nanorods
      were elongated by the pulsed-mode growth. The microstructural and optical
      properties of both GaN nanorods and InGaN/GaN core-shell nanorods were then
      investigated. The nanorods were highly crystalline and the core-shell structures
      exhibited optical emission properties, indicating the feasibility of fabricating
      III-nitride nano-optoelectronic devices on amorphous substrates.

PMID- 28345643
TI  - Thermal Resistance Variations of Fly Ash Geopolymers: Foaming Responses.
AB  - This paper presents a comparative study of the characteristic of unfoamed and
      foamed geopolymers after exposure to elevated temperatures (200-800  degrees C).
      Unfoamed geopolymers were produced with Class F fly ash and sodium hydroxide and
      liquid sodium silicate. Porous geopolymers were prepared by foaming with hydrogen
      peroxide. Unfoamed geopolymers possessed excellent strength of 44.2 MPa and
      degraded 34% to 15 MPa in foamed geopolymers. The strength of unfoamed
      geopolymers decreased to 5 MPa with increasing temperature up to 800  degrees C.
      Foamed geopolymers behaved differently whereby they deteriorated to 3 MPa at 400 
      degrees C and increased up to 11 MPa at 800  degrees C. Even so, the geopolymers
      could withstand high temperature without any disintegration and spalling up to
      800  degrees C. The formation of crystalline phases at higher temperature was
      observed deteriorating the strength of unfoamed geopolymers but enhance the
      strength of foamed geopolymers. In comparison, foamed geopolymer had better
      thermal resistance than unfoamed geopolymers as pores provide rooms to counteract
      the internal damage.

PMID- 28345644
TI  - Vitamin D both facilitates and attenuates the cellular response to
      lipopolysaccharide.
AB  - Vitamin D has a range of non-skeletal health effects and has been implicated in
      the response to respiratory infections. The aim of this study was to assess the
      effect of vitamin D on the response of epithelial cells, neutrophils and
      macrophages to lipopolysaccharide (LPS) stimulation. BEAS-2B cells (airway
      epithelial cell line) and primary neutrophils and macrophages isolated from blood
      samples were cultured and exposed to LPS with and without vitamin D (1,25(OH)2D).
      The production of IL-6, IL-8, IL-1beta and TNF-alpha of all cells and the
      phagocytic capacity of neutrophils and macrophages to E. coli were assessed.
      Vitamin D had no effect on BEAS-2B cells but enhanced the production of IL-8 in
      neutrophils (p = 0.007) and IL-1beta in macrophages (p = 0.007) in response to
      LPS. Both vitamin D (p = 0.019) and LPS (p < 0.001) reduced the phagocytic
      capacity of macrophages. These data suggest that the impact of vitamin D on
      responses to infection are complex and that the net effect will depend on the
      cells that respond, the key response that is necessary for resolution of
      infection (cytokine production or phagocytosis) and whether there is pre-existing
      inflammation.

PMID- 28345645
TI  - Influence of Anthropogenic Climate Change on Planetary Wave Resonance and Extreme
      Weather Events.
AB  - Persistent episodes of extreme weather in the Northern Hemisphere summer have
      been shown to be associated with the presence of high-amplitude quasi-stationary
      atmospheric Rossby waves within a particular wavelength range (zonal wavenumber 6
      8). The underlying mechanistic relationship involves the phenomenon of quasi
      resonant amplification (QRA) of synoptic-scale waves with that wavenumber range
      becoming trapped within an effective mid-latitude atmospheric waveguide. Recent
      work suggests an increase in recent decades in the occurrence of QRA-favorable
      conditions and associated extreme weather, possibly linked to amplified Arctic
      warming and thus a climate change influence. Here, we isolate a specific
      fingerprint in the zonal mean surface temperature profile that is associated with
      QRA-favorable conditions. State-of-the-art ("CMIP5") historical climate model
      simulations subject to anthropogenic forcing display an increase in the
      projection of this fingerprint that is mirrored in multiple observational surface
      temperature datasets. Both the models and observations suggest this signal has
      only recently emerged from the background noise of natural variability.

PMID- 28345642
TI  - Dynamic Changes in Amygdala Psychophysiological Connectivity Reveal Distinct
      Neural Networks for Facial Expressions of Basic Emotions.
AB  - The quest to characterize the neural signature distinctive of different basic
      emotions has recently come under renewed scrutiny. Here we investigated whether
      facial expressions of different basic emotions modulate the functional
      connectivity of the amygdala with the rest of the brain. To this end, we
      presented seventeen healthy participants (8 females) with facial expressions of
      anger, disgust, fear, happiness, sadness and emotional neutrality and analyzed
      amygdala's psychophysiological interaction (PPI). In fact, PPI can reveal how
      inter-regional amygdala communications change dynamically depending on perception
      of various emotional expressions to recruit different brain networks, compared to
      the functional interactions it entertains during perception of neutral
      expressions. We found that for each emotion the amygdala recruited a distinctive
      and spatially distributed set of structures to interact with. These changes in
      amygdala connectional patters characterize the dynamic signature prototypical of
      individual emotion processing, and seemingly represent a neural mechanism that
      serves to implement the distinctive influence that each emotion exerts on
      perceptual, cognitive, and motor responses. Besides these differences, all
      emotions enhanced amygdala functional integration with premotor cortices compared
      to neutral faces. The present findings thus concur to reconceptualise the
      structure-function relation between brain-emotion from the traditional one-to-one
      mapping toward a network-based and dynamic perspective.

PMID- 28345648
TI  - Preface for the Special Issue dedicated to Professor Julian E. Davies.

PMID- 28345647
TI  - Sexual epigenetics: gender-specific methylation of a gene in the sex determining
      region of Populus balsamifera.
AB  - Methylation has frequently been implicated in gender determination in plants. The
      recent discovery of the sex determining region (SDR) of balsam poplar, Populus
      balsamifera, pinpointed 13 genes with differentiated X and Y copies. We tested
      these genes for differential methylation using whole methylome sequencing of
      xylem tissue of multiple individuals grown under field conditions in two common
      gardens. The only SDR gene to show a marked pattern of gender-specific
      methylation is PbRR9, a member of the two component response regulator (type-A)
      gene family, involved in cytokinin signalling. It is an ortholog of Arabidopsis
      genes ARR16 and ARR17. The strongest patterns of differential methylation (mostly
      male-biased) are found in the putative promoter and the first intron. The 4th
      intron is strongly methylated in both sexes and the 5th intron is unmethylated in
      both sexes. Using a statistical learning algorithm we find that it is possible
      accurately to assign trees to gender using genome-wide methylation patterns
      alone. The strongest predictor is the region coincident with PbRR9, showing that
      this gene stands out against all genes in the genome in having the strongest sex
      specific methylation pattern. We propose the hypothesis that PbRR9 has a direct,
      epigenetically mediated, role in poplar sex determination.

PMID- 28345646
TI  - Association of high normal HbA1c and TSH levels with the risk of CHD: a 10-year
      cohort study and SVM analysis.
AB  - This study aimed to determine the association between the clinical reference
      range of serum glycated hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) and thyrotropin (TSH) and the risk
      of coronary heart disease (CHD) in non-diabetic and euthyroid patients. We
      examined baseline HbA1c and TSH in 538 healthy participants, and then analyzed
      the associations and potential value of these indicators for predicting CHD using
      Cox proportional hazard and support vector machine analyses. During the median
      follow-up of 120 months, 39 participants later developed CHD. The baseline HbA1c
      and TSH within the reference range were positively associated with CHD risk. No
      correlation and interaction were found between the baseline HbA1c and TSH for the
      development of CHD. Disease event-free survival varied among participants with
      different baseline HbA1c quintiles, whereas disease event-free survival was
      similar for different TSH tertiles. The combination of these baselines showed
      sensitivity of 87.2%, specificity of 92.7%, and accuracy of 92.3% for identifying
      the participants who will later develop CHD. Relatively high but clinically
      normal HbA1c and TSH levels may increase the risk of CHD. Therefore, the
      combination of these indicators can serve as a biomarker for identifying healthy
      individuals from those who would later develop CHD.

PMID- 28345649
TI  - Proteomic analysis indicates that mitochondrial energy metabolism in skeletal
      muscle tissue is negatively correlated with feed efficiency in pigs.
AB  - Feed efficiency (FE) is a highly important economic trait in pig production.
      Investigating the molecular mechanisms of FE is essential for trait improvement.
      In this study, the skeletal muscle proteome of high-FE and low-FE pigs were
      investigated by the iTRAQ approach. A total of 1780 proteins were identified,
      among which 124 proteins were differentially expressed between the high- and low
      FE pigs, with 74 up-regulated and 50 down-regulated in the high-FE pigs. Ten
      randomly selected differentially expressed proteins (DEPs) were validated by
      Western blotting and quantitative PCR (qPCR). Gene ontology (GO) analysis showed
      that all the 25 DEPs located in mitochondria were down-regulated in the high-FE
      pigs. Furthermore, the glucose-pyruvate-tricarboxylic acid (TCA)-oxidative
      phosphorylation energy metabolism signaling pathway was found to differ between
      high- and low-FE pigs. The key enzymes involved in the conversion of glucose to
      pyruvate were up-regulated in the high-FE pigs. Thus, our results suggested
      mitochondrial energy metabolism in the skeletal muscle tissue was negatively
      correlated with FE in pigs, and glucose utilization to generate ATP was more
      efficient in the skeletal muscle tissue of high-FE pigs. This study offered new
      targets and pathways for improvement of FE in pigs.

PMID- 28345650
TI  - Rational combination of oncolytic vaccinia virus and PD-L1 blockade works
      synergistically to enhance therapeutic efficacy.
AB  - Both anti-PD1/PD-L1 therapy and oncolytic virotherapy have demonstrated promise,
      yet have exhibited efficacy in only a small fraction of cancer patients. Here we
      hypothesized that an oncolytic poxvirus would attract T cells into the tumour,
      and induce PD-L1 expression in cancer and immune cells, leading to more
      susceptible targets for anti-PD-L1 immunotherapy. Our results demonstrate in
      colon and ovarian cancer models that an oncolytic vaccinia virus attracts
      effector T cells and induces PD-L1 expression on both cancer and immune cells in
      the tumour. The dual therapy reduces PD-L1+ cells and facilitates non-redundant
      tumour infiltration of effector CD8+, CD4+ T cells, with increased IFN-gamma,
      ICOS, granzyme B and perforin expression. Furthermore, the treatment reduces the
      virus-induced PD-L1+ DC, MDSC, TAM and Treg, as well as co-inhibitory molecules
      double-positive, severely exhausted PD-1+CD8+ T cells, leading to reduced tumour
      burden and improved survival. This combinatorial therapy may be applicable to a
      much wider population of cancer patients.

PMID- 28345651
TI  - Epigenome mapping highlights chromatin-mediated gene regulation in the protozoan
      parasite Trichomonas vaginalis.
AB  - Trichomonas vaginalis is an extracellular flagellated protozoan parasite that
      causes trichomoniasis, one of the most common non-viral sexually transmitted
      diseases. To survive and to maintain infection, T. vaginalis adapts to a hostile
      host environment by regulating gene expression. However, the mechanisms of
      transcriptional regulation are poorly understood for this parasite. Histone
      modification has a marked effect on chromatin structure and directs the
      recruitment of transcriptional machinery, thereby regulating essential cellular
      processes. In this study, we aimed to outline modes of chromatin-mediated gene
      regulation in T. vaginalis. Inhibition of histone deacetylase (HDAC) alters
      global transcriptional responses and induces hyperacetylation of histones and
      hypermethylation of H3K4. Analysis of the genome of T. vaginalis revealed that a
      number of enzymes regulate histone modification, suggesting that epigenetic
      mechanisms are important to controlling gene expression in this organism.
      Additionally, we describe the genome-wide localization of two histone H3
      modifications (H3K4me3 and H3K27Ac), which we found to be positively associated
      with active gene expression in both steady and dynamic transcriptional states.
      These results provide the first direct evidence that histone modifications play
      an essential role in transcriptional regulation of T. vaginalis, and may help
      guide future epigenetic research into therapeutic intervention strategies against
      this parasite.

PMID- 28345652
TI  - Synergistic infection of BrYV and PEMV 2 increases the accumulations of both BrYV
      and BrYV-derived siRNAs in Nicotiana benthamiana.
AB  - Viral synergism is caused by co-infection of two unrelated viruses, leading to
      more severe symptoms or increased titres of one or both viruses. Synergistic
      infection of phloem-restricted poleroviruses and umbraviruses has destructive
      effects on crop plants. The mechanism underlying this synergy remains elusive. In
      our study, synergism was observed in co-infections of a polerovirus Brassica
      yellows virus (BrYV) and an umbravirus Pea enation mosaic virus 2 (PEMV 2) on
      Nicotiana benthamiana, which led to (1) increased titres of BrYV, (2) appearance
      of severe symptoms, (3) gain of mechanical transmission capacity of BrYV, (4)
      broader distribution of BrYV to non-vascular tissues. Besides, profiles of virus
      derived small interfering RNAs (vsiRNAs) from BrYV and PEMV 2 in singly and
      doubly infected plants were obtained by small RNA deep sequencing. Our results
      showed that accumulation of BrYV vsiRNAs increased tremendously and ratio of
      positive to negative strand BrYV vsiRNAs differed between singly infected and co
      infected plants. Positions to which the BrYV vsiRNAs mapped to the viral genome
      varied considerably during synergistic infection. Moreover, target genes of
      vsiRNAs were predicted and annotated. Our results revealed the synergistic
      characteristics during co-infection of BrYV and PEMV 2, and implied possible
      effects of synergism have on vsiRNAs.

PMID- 28345653
TI  - Temporally dependent pollinator competition and facilitation with mass flowering
      crops affects yield in co-blooming crops.
AB  - One of the greatest challenges in sustainable agricultural production is managing
      ecosystem services, such as pollination, in ways that maximize crop yields. Most
      efforts to increase services by wild pollinators focus on management of natural
      habitats surrounding farms or non-crop habitats within farms. However, mass
      flowering crops create resource pulses that may be important determinants of
      pollinator dynamics. Mass bloom attracts pollinators and it is unclear how this
      affects the pollination and yields of other co-blooming crops. We investigated
      the effects of mass flowering apple on the pollinator community and yield of co
      blooming strawberry on farms spanning a gradient in cover of apple orchards in
      the landscape. The effect of mass flowering apple on strawberry was dependent on
      the stage of apple bloom. During early and peak apple bloom, pollinator abundance
      and yield were reduced in landscapes with high cover of apple orchards. Following
      peak apple bloom, pollinator abundance was greater on farms with high apple cover
      and corresponded with increased yields on these farms. Spatial and temporal
      overlap between mass flowering and co-blooming crops alters the strength and
      direction of these dynamics and suggests that yields can be optimized by
      designing agricultural systems that avoid competition while maximizing
      facilitation.

PMID- 28345655
TI  - Large Electrocaloric Effect in Relaxor Ferroelectric and Antiferroelectric
      Lanthanum Doped Lead Zirconate Titanate Ceramics.
AB  - Both relaxor ferroelectric and antiferroelectric materials can individually
      demonstrate large electrocaloric effects (ECE). However, in order to further
      enhance the ECE it is crucial to find a material system, which can exhibit
      simultaneously both relaxor ferroelectric and antiferroelectric properties, or
      easily convert from one into another in terms of the compositional tailoring.
      Here we report on a system, in which the structure can readily change from
      antiferroelectric into relaxor ferroelectric and vice versa. To this end relaxor
      ferroelectric Pb0.89La0.11(Zr0.7Ti0.3)0.9725O3 and antiferroelectric
      Pb0.93La0.07(Zr0.82Ti0.18)0.9825O3 ceramics were designed near the
      antiferroelectric-ferroelectric phase boundary line in the La2O3-PbZrO3-PbTiO3
      phase diagram. Conventional solid state reaction processing was used to prepare
      the two compositions. The ECE properties were deduced from Maxwell relations and
      Landau-Ginzburg-Devonshire (LGD) phenomenological theory, respectively, and also
      directly controlled by a computer and measured by thermometry. Large
      electrocaloric efficiencies were obtained and comparable with the results
      calculated via the phenomenological theory. Results show great potential in
      achieving large cooling power as refrigerants.

PMID- 28345654
TI  - The soybean GmSNAP18 gene underlies two types of resistance to soybean cyst
      nematode.
AB  - Two types of resistant soybean (Glycine max (L.) Merr.) sources are widely used
      against soybean cyst nematode (SCN, Heterodera glycines Ichinohe). These include
      Peking-type soybean, whose resistance requires both the rhg1-a and Rhg4 alleles,
      and PI 88788-type soybean, whose resistance requires only the rhg1-b allele.
      Multiple copy number of PI 88788-type GmSNAP18, GmAAT, and GmWI12 in one genomic
      segment simultaneously contribute to rhg1-b resistance. Using an integrated set
      of genetic and genomic approaches, we demonstrate that the rhg1-a Peking-type
      GmSNAP18 is sufficient for resistance to SCN in combination with Rhg4. The two
      SNAPs (soluble NSF attachment proteins) differ by only five amino acids. Our
      findings suggest that Peking-type GmSNAP18 is performing a different role in SCN
      resistance than PI 88788-type GmSNAP18. As such, this is an example of a pathogen
      resistance gene that has evolved to underlie two types of resistance, yet ensure
      the same function within a single plant species.

PMID- 28345656
TI  - Structure and function of the Zika virus full-length NS5 protein.
AB  - The recent outbreak of Zika virus (ZIKV) has infected over 1 million people in
      over 30 countries. ZIKV replicates its RNA genome using virally encoded
      replication proteins. Nonstructural protein 5 (NS5) contains a methyltransferase
      for RNA capping and a polymerase for viral RNA synthesis. Here we report the
      crystal structures of full-length NS5 and its polymerase domain at 3.0 A
      resolution. The NS5 structure has striking similarities to the NS5 protein of the
      related Japanese encephalitis virus. The methyltransferase contains in-line
      pockets for substrate binding and the active site. Key residues in the polymerase
      are located in similar positions to those of the initiation complex for the
      hepatitis C virus polymerase. The polymerase conformation is affected by the
      methyltransferase, which enables a more efficiently elongation of RNA synthesis
      in vitro. Overall, our results will contribute to future studies on ZIKV
      infection and the development of inhibitors of ZIKV replication.

PMID- 28345657
TI  - Multicolor bioimaging with biosynthetic zinc nanoparticles and their application
      in tumor detection.
AB  - Because they generate excellent images, nanoparticles (NPs), especially
      biosynthesized NPs, provide a new solution for tumor imaging. In this research,
      we unveil a novel type of biosynthesized NPs featuring multicolor fluorescence.
      These NPs exhibit little cytotoxicity to cells. The explored NPs, designated Zn
      ZFP-GST NPs (Zinc NPs in abbreviation), are generated from leukemia cells treated
      with a Zn2+ solution, while zinc-finger protein and glutathione S-transferase
      (GST) were also identified in the Zinc NPs. Under near-UV illumination, the Zinc
      NPs simultaneously emit green, yellow, and red fluorescence. In addition, the
      intensity of the fluorescence increases with the existence of sulfides. Besides,
      the NPs are encapsulated by microvesicles (MVs) shed from the plasma membrane. As
      observed in whole-body research of nude mice, the NP-MVs migrate via blood
      circulation and are distinguished by their fluorescent signals. Furthermore, the
      folic acid (FA) &AVR2 (human VEGF antibody)-coated NP-MVs are exploited to target
      the tumor location, and the feasibility of this approach has been confirmed
      empirically. The Zinc NPs shed light on an alternative solution to tumor
      detection.

PMID- 28345658
TI  - Nephronectin plays critical roles in Sox2 expression and proliferation in dental
      epithelial stem cells via EGF-like repeat domains.
AB  - Tooth development is initiated by epithelial-mesenchymal interactions via
      basement membrane (BM) and growth factors. In the present study, we found that
      nephronectin (Npnt), a component of the BM, is highly expressed in the developing
      tooth. Npnt localizes in the BM on the buccal side of the tooth germ and shows an
      expression pattern opposite that of the dental epithelial stem cell marker Sox2.
      To identify the roles of Npnt during tooth development, we performed knockdown
      and overexpression experiments using ex vivo organ and dental epithelial cell
      cultures. Our findings showed that loss of Npnt induced ectopic Sox2-positive
      cells and reduced tooth germ size. Over expression of Npnt showed increased
      proliferation, whereas the number of Sox2-positive cells was decreased in dental
      epithelial cells. Npnt contains 5 EGF-like repeat domains, as well as an RGD
      sequence and MAM domain. We found that the EGF-like repeats are critical for Sox2
      expression and cell proliferation. Furthermore, Npnt activated the EGF receptor
      (EGFR) via the EGF-like repeat domains and induced the PI3K-Akt signaling
      pathway. Our results indicate that Npnt plays a critical scaffold role in dental
      epithelial stem cell differentiation and proliferation, and regulates Sox2
      expression during tooth development.

PMID- 28345659
TI  - Oral chromium picolinate impedes hyperglycemia-induced atherosclerosis and
      inhibits proatherogenic protein TSP-1 expression in STZ-induced type 1 diabetic
      ApoE-/- mice.
AB  - Increasing evidence suggests thrombospondin-1 (TSP-1), a potent proatherogenic
      matricellular protein, as a putative link between hyperglycemia and
      atherosclerotic complications in diabetes. We previously reported that the
      micronutrient chromium picolinate (CrP), with long-standing cardiovascular
      benefits, inhibits TSP-1 expression in glucose-stimulated human aortic smooth
      muscle cells in vitro. Here, we investigated the atheroprotective action of
      orally administered CrP in type 1 diabetic apolipoprotein E-deficient (ApoE-/-)
      mice and elucidated the role of TSP-1 in this process. CrP decreased lipid burden
      and neointimal thickness in aortic root lesions of hyperglycemic ApoE-/- mice;
      also, smooth muscle cell (SMC), macrophage and leukocyte abundance was prevented
      coupled with reduced cell proliferation. Attenuated lesion progression was
      accompanied with inhibition of hyperglycemia-induced TSP-1 expression and reduced
      protein O-glycosylation following CrP treatment; also, PCNA and vimentin (SMC
      synthetic marker) expression were reduced while SM-MHC (SMC contractile marker)
      levels were increased. To confirm a direct role of TSP-1 in diabetic
      atherosclerosis, hyperglycemic TSP-1-/-/ApoE-/- double knockout mice were
      compared with age-matched hyperglycemic ApoE-/- littermates. Lack of TSP-1
      prevented lesion formation in hyperglycemic ApoE-/- mice, mimicking the
      atheroprotective phenotype of CrP-treated mice. These results suggest that
      therapeutic TSP-1 inhibition may have important atheroprotective potential in
      diabetic vascular disease.

PMID- 28345660
TI  - Zinc deficiency and low enterocyte zinc transporter expression in human patients
      with autism related mutations in SHANK3.
AB  - Phelan McDermid Syndrome (PMDS) is a genetic disorder characterized by features
      of Autism spectrum disorders. Similar to reports of Zn deficiency in autistic
      children, we have previously reported high incidence of Zn deficiency in PMDS.
      However, the underlying mechanisms are currently not well understood. Here, using
      inductively coupled plasma mass-spectrometry to measure the concentration of Zinc
      (Zn) and Copper (Cu) in hair samples from individuals with PMDS with 22q13.3
      deletion including SHANK3 (SH3 and multiple ankyrin repeat domains 3), we report
      a high rate of abnormally low Zn/Cu ratios. To investigate possible underlying
      mechanisms, we generated enterocytes from PMDS patient-derived induced
      pluripotent stem cells and used Caco-2 cells with knockdown of SHANK3. We
      detected decreased expression of Zn uptake transporters ZIP2 and ZIP4 on mRNA and
      protein level correlating with SHANK3 expression levels, and found reduced levels
      of ZIP4 protein co-localizing with SHANK3 at the plasma membrane. We demonstrated
      that especially ZIP4 exists in a complex with SHANK3. Furthermore, we performed
      immunohistochemistry on gut sections from Shank3alphabeta knockout mice and
      confirmed a link between enterocytic SHANK3, ZIP2 and ZIP4. We conclude that
      apart from its well-known role in the CNS, SHANK3 might play a specific role in
      the GI tract.

PMID- 28345661
TI  - Stepwise analysis of MIR9 loci identifies miR-9-5p to be involved in Oestrogen
      regulated pathways in breast cancer patients.
AB  - miR-9 was initially identified as an epigenetically regulated miRNA in tumours,
      but inconsistent findings have been reported so far. We analysed the expression
      of miR-9-5p, miR-9-3p, pri-miRs and MIR9 promoters methylation status in 131
      breast cancer cases and 12 normal breast tissues (NBTs). The expression of both
      mature miRs was increased in tumours as compared to NBTs (P < 0.001) and
      negatively correlated with ER protein expression (P = 0.005 and P = 0.003, for
      miR-9-3p and miR-9-5p respectively). In addition, miR-9-5p showed a significant
      negative correlation with PgR (P = 0.002). Consistently, miR-9-5p and miR-9 3p
      were differentially expressed in the breast cancer subgroups identified by ER and
      PgR expression and HER2 amplification. No significant correlation between
      promoter methylation and pri-miRNAs expressions was found either in tumours or in
      NBTs. In the Luminal breast cancer subtype the expression of miR-9-5p was
      associated with a worse prognosis in both univariable and multivariable analyses.
      Ingenuity Pathway Analysis exploring the putative interactions among miR-9-5p/miR
      9-3p, ER and PgR upstream and downstream regulators suggested a regulatory loop
      by which miR-9-5p but not miR-9-3p is induced by steroid hormone receptor and
      acts within hormone-receptor regulated pathways.

PMID- 28345662
TI  - Brain arousal regulation as response predictor for antidepressant therapy in
      major depression.
AB  - A tonically high level of brain arousal and its hyperstable regulation is
      supposed to be a pathogenic factor in major depression. Preclinical studies
      indicate that most antidepressants may counteract this dysregulation. Therefore,
      it was hypothesized that responders to antidepressants show a) a high level of
      EEG-vigilance (an indicator of brain arousal) and b) a more stable EEG-vigilance
      regulation than non-responders. In 65 unmedicated depressed patients 15-min
      resting-state EEGs were recorded off medication (baseline). In 57 patients an
      additional EEG was recorded 14 +/- 1 days following onset of antidepressant
      treatment (T1). Response was defined as a >=50% HAMD-17-improvement after 28 +/-
      1 days of treatment (T2), resulting in 29 responders and 36 non-responders. Brain
      arousal was assessed using the Vigilance Algorithm Leipzig (VIGALL 2.1). At
      baseline responders and non-responders differed in distribution of overall EEG
      vigilance stages (F2,133 = 4.780, p = 0.009), with responders showing
      significantly more high vigilance stage A and less low vigilance stage B. The 15
      minutes Time-course of EEG-vigilance did not differ significantly between groups.
      Exploratory analyses revealed that responders showed a stronger decline in EEG
      vigilance levels from baseline to T1 than non-responders (F2,130 = 4.978, p =
      0.005). Higher brain arousal level in responders to antidepressants supports the
      concept that dysregulation of brain arousal is a possible predictor of treatment
      response in affective disorders.

PMID- 28345664
TI  - Hierarchical viscosity of aqueous solution of tilapia scale collagen investigated
      via dielectric spectroscopy between 500 MHz and 2.5 THz.
AB  - Aqueous solutions of biomolecules such as proteins are very important model
      systems for understanding the functions of biomolecules in actual life processes
      because interactions between biomolecules and the surrounding water molecules are
      considered to be important determinants of biomolecules' functions. Globule
      proteins have been extensively studied via dielectric spectroscopy; the results
      indicate three relaxation processes originating from fluctuations in the protein
      molecule, the bound water and the bulk water. However, the characteristics of
      aqueous solutions of collagens have rarely been investigated. In this work, based
      on broadband dielectric measurements between 500 MHz and 2.5 THz, we demonstrate
      that the high viscosity of a collagen aqueous solution is due to the network
      structure being constructed of rod-like collagen molecules surrounding free water
      molecules and that the water molecules are not responsible for the viscosity. We
      determine that the macroscopic viscosity is related to the mean lifetime of the
      collagen-collagen interactions supporting the networks and that the local
      viscosity of the water surrounded by the networks is governed by the viscosity of
      free water as in the bulk. This hierarchical structure in the dynamics of the
      aqueous solution of biomolecules has been revealed for the first time.

PMID- 28345663
TI  - Nuclear localization of Beclin 1 promotes radiation-induced DNA damage repair
      independent of autophagy.
AB  - Beclin 1 is a well-established core mammalian autophagy protein that is
      embryonically indispensable and has been presumed to suppress oncogenesis via an
      autophagy-mediated mechanism. Here, we show that Beclin 1 is a prenatal primary
      cytoplasmic protein but rapidly relocated into the nucleus during postnatal
      development in mice. Surprisingly, deletion of beclin1 in in vitro human cells
      did not block an autophagy response, but attenuated the expression of several DNA
      double-strand break (DSB) repair proteins and formation of repair complexes, and
      reduced an ability to repair DNA in the cells exposed to ionizing radiation (IR).
      Overexpressing Beclin 1 improved the repair of IR-induced DSB, but did not
      restore an autophagy response in cells lacking autophagy gene Atg7, suggesting
      that Beclin 1 may regulate DSB repair independent of autophagy in the cells
      exposed to IR. Indeed, we found that Beclin 1 could directly interact with DNA
      topoisomerase IIbeta and was recruited to the DSB sites by the interaction. These
      findings reveal a novel function of Beclin 1 in regulation of DNA damage repair
      independent of its role in autophagy particularly when the cells are under
      radiation insult.

PMID- 28345665
TI  - Oscillating Electric Field Measures the Rotation Rate in a Native Rotary Enzyme.
AB  - Rotary enzymes are complex, highly challenging biomolecular machines whose
      biochemical working mechanism involves intersubunit rotation. The true intrinsic
      rate of rotation of any rotary enzyme is not known in a native, unmodified state.
      Here we use the effect of an oscillating electric (AC) field on the biochemical
      activity of a rotary enzyme, the vacuolar proton-ATPase (V-ATPase), to directly
      measure its mean rate of rotation in its native membrane environment, without any
      genetic, chemical or mechanical modification of the enzyme, for the first time.
      The results suggest that a transmembrane AC field is able to synchronise the
      steps of ion-pumping in individual enzymes via a hold-and-release mechanism,
      which opens up the possibility of biotechnological exploitation. Our approach is
      likely to work for other transmembrane ion-transporting assemblies, not only
      rotary enzymes, to determine intrinsic in situ rates of ion pumping.

PMID- 28345666
TI  - Members of Gammaproteobacteria as indicator species of healthy banana plants on
      Fusarium wilt-infested fields in Central America.
AB  - Culminating in the 1950's, bananas, the world's most extensive perennial
      monoculture, suffered one of the most devastating disease epidemics in history.
      In Latin America and the Caribbean, Fusarium wilt (FW) caused by the soil-borne
      fungus Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. cubense (FOC), forced the abandonment of the
      Gros Michel-based export banana industry. Comparative microbiome analyses
      performed between healthy and diseased Gros Michel plants on FW-infested farms in
      Nicaragua and Costa Rica revealed significant shifts in the gammaproteobacterial
      microbiome. Although we found substantial differences in the banana microbiome
      between both countries and a higher impact of FOC on farms in Costa Rica than in
      Nicaragua, the composition especially in the endophytic microhabitats was similar
      and the general microbiome response to FW followed similar rules.
      Gammaproteobacterial diversity and community members were identified as potential
      health indicators. Healthy plants revealed an increase in potentially plant
      beneficial Pseudomonas and Stenotrophomonas, while diseased plants showed a
      preferential occurrence of Enterobacteriaceae known for their plant-degrading
      capacity. Significantly higher microbial rhizosphere diversity found in healthy
      plants could be indicative of pathogen suppression events preventing or
      minimizing disease expression. This first study examining banana microbiome
      shifts caused by FW under natural field conditions opens new perspectives for its
      biological control.

PMID- 28345667
TI  - The toxicity of angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitors to larvae of the disease
      vectors Aedes aegypti and Anopheles gambiae.
AB  - The control of mosquitoes is threatened by the appearance of insecticide
      resistance and therefore new control chemicals are urgently required. Here we
      show that inhibitors of mosquito peptidyl dipeptidase, a peptidase related to
      mammalian angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE), are insecticidal to larvae of the
      mosquitoes, Aedes aegypti and Anopheles gambiae. ACE inhibitors (captopril,
      fosinopril and fosinoprilat) and two peptides (trypsin-modulating oostatic
      factor/TMOF and a bradykinin-potentiating peptide, BPP-12b) were all inhibitors
      of the larval ACE activity of both mosquitoes. Two inhibitors, captopril and
      fosinopril (a pro-drug ester of fosinoprilat), were tested for larvicidal
      activity. Within 24 h captopril had killed >90% of the early instars of both
      species with 3rd instars showing greater resistance. Mortality was also high
      within 24 h of exposure of 1st, 2nd and 3rd instars of An. gambiae to fosinopril.
      Fosinopril was also toxic to Ae. aegypti larvae, although the 1st instars
      appeared to be less susceptible to this pro-drug even after 72 h exposure.
      Homology models of the larval An. gambiae ACE proteins (AnoACE2 and AnoACE3)
      reveal structural differences compared to human ACE, suggesting that structure
      based drug design offers a fruitful approach to the development of selective
      inhibitors of mosquito ACE enzymes as novel larvicides.

PMID- 28345668
TI  - C9ORF135 encodes a membrane protein whose expression is related to pluripotency
      in human embryonic stem cells.
AB  - Human embryonic stem cells (hESCs) are a unique population of cells defined by
      their capacity for self-renewal and pluripotency. Here, we identified a
      previously uncharacterized gene in hESCs, C9ORF135, which is sharply
      downregulated during gastrulation and gametogenesis, along with the pluripotency
      factors OCT4, SOX2, and NANOG. Human ESCs express two C9ORF135 isoforms, the
      longer of which encodes a membrane-associated protein, as determined by
      immunostaining and western blotting of fractionated cell lysates. Moreover, the
      results of chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP), mass spectrometry (MS), and co
      immunoprecipitation (co-IP) analyses demonstrated that C9ORF135 expression is
      regulated by OCT4 and SOX2 and that C9ORF135 interacts with non-muscle myosin IIA
      and myosin IIB. Collectively, these data indicated that C9ORF135 encodes a
      membrane-associated protein that may serve as a surface marker for
      undifferentiated hESCs.

PMID- 28345669
TI  - A coupled human-Earth model perspective on long-term trends in the global marine
      fishery.
AB  - The global wild marine fish harvest increased fourfold between 1950 and a peak
      value near the end of the 20th century, reflecting interactions between
      anthropogenic and ecological forces. Here, we examine these interactions in a bio
      energetically constrained, spatially and temporally resolved model of global
      fisheries. We conduct historical hindcasts with the model, which suggest that
      technological progress can explain most of the 20th century increase of fish
      harvest. In contrast, projections extending this rate of technological progress
      into the future under open access suggest a long-term decrease in harvest due to
      over-fishing. Climate change is predicted to gradually decrease the global fish
      production capacity, though our model suggests that this is of secondary
      importance to social and economic factors. Our study represents a novel way to
      integrate human-ecological interactions within a single model framework for long
      term simulations.

PMID- 28345670
TI  - Domain-dependent effects of insulin and IGF-1 receptors on signalling and gene
      expression.
AB  - Despite a high degree of homology, insulin receptor (IR) and IGF-1 receptor
      (IGF1R) mediate distinct cellular and physiological functions. Here, we
      demonstrate how domain differences between IR and IGF1R contribute to the
      distinct functions of these receptors using chimeric and site-mutated receptors.
      Receptors with the intracellular domain of IGF1R show increased activation of Shc
      and Gab-1 and more potent regulation of genes involved in proliferation,
      corresponding to their higher mitogenic activity. Conversely, receptors with the
      intracellular domain of IR display higher IRS-1 phosphorylation, stronger
      regulation of genes in metabolic pathways and more dramatic glycolytic responses
      to hormonal stimulation. Strikingly, replacement of leucine973 in the
      juxtamembrane region of IR to phenylalanine, which is present in IGF1R, mimics
      many of these signalling and gene expression responses. Overall, we show that the
      distinct activities of the closely related IR and IGF1R are mediated by their
      intracellular juxtamembrane region and substrate binding to this region.

PMID- 28345671
TI  - Spatiotemporal expression of osteopontin in the striatum of rats subjected to the
      mitochondrial toxin 3-nitropropionic acid correlates with microcalcification.
AB  - Our aim was to elucidate whether osteopontin (OPN) is involved in the onset of
      mineralisation and progression of extracellular calcification in striatal lesions
      due to mitochondrial toxin 3-nitropropionic acid exposure. OPN expression had two
      different patterns when observed using light microscopy. It was either localised
      to the Golgi complex in brain macrophages or had a small granular pattern
      scattered in the affected striatum. OPN labelling tended to increase in number
      and size over a 2-week period following the lesion. Ultrastructural
      investigations revealed that OPN is initially localised to degenerating
      mitochondria within distal dendrites, which were then progressively surrounded by
      profuse OPN on days 7-14. Electron probe microanalysis of OPN-positive and
      calcium-fixated neurites indicated that OPN accumulates selectively on the
      surfaces of degenerating calcifying dendrites, possibly via interactions between
      OPN and calcium. In addition, 3-dimensional reconstruction of OPN-positive
      neurites revealed that they are in direct contact with larger OPN-negative
      degenerating dendrites rather than with fragmented cell debris. Our overall
      results indicate that OPN expression is likely to correlate with the
      spatiotemporal progression of calcification in the affected striatum, and raise
      the possibility that OPN may play an important role in the initiation and
      progression of microcalcification in response to brain insults.

PMID- 28345673
TI  - Sex-dependent effects on gut microbiota regulate hepatic carcinogenic outcomes.
AB  - Emerging evidence points to a strong association between sex and gut microbiota,
      bile acids (BAs), and gastrointestinal cancers. Here, we investigated the
      mechanistic link between microbiota and hepatocellular carcinogenesis using a
      streptozotocin-high fat diet (STZ-HFD) induced nonalcoholic steatohepatitis
      hepatocellular carcinoma (NASH-HCC) murine model and compared results for both
      sexes. STZ-HFD feeding induced a much higher incidence of HCC in male mice with
      substantially increased intrahepatic retention of hydrophobic BAs and decreased
      hepatic expression of tumor-suppressive microRNAs. Metagenomic analysis showed
      differences in gut microbiota involved in BA metabolism between normal male and
      female mice, and such differences were amplified when mice of both sexes were
      exposed to STZ-HFD. Treating STZ-HFD male mice with 2% cholestyramine led to
      significant improvement of hepatic BA retention, tumor-suppressive microRNA
      expressions, microbial gut communities, and prevention of HCC. Additionally the
      sex-dependent differences in BA profiles in the murine model can be correlated to
      the differential BA profiles between men and women during the development of HCC.
      These results uncover distinct male and female profiles for gut microbiota, BAs,
      and microRNAs that may contribute to sex-based disparity in liver carcinogenesis,
      and suggest new possibilities for preventing and controlling human obesity
      related gastrointestinal cancers that often exhibit sex differences.

PMID- 28345672
TI  - Cyclophilins and nucleoporins are required for infection mediated by capsids from
      circulating HIV-2 primary isolates.
AB  - HIV-2 groups have emerged from sooty mangabey SIV and entered the human
      population in Africa on several separate occasions. Compared to world pandemic
      HIV-1 that arose from the chimpanzee SIVcpz virus, the SIVsm-derived HIV-2,
      largely confined to West Africa, is less replicative, less transmissible and less
      pathogenic. Here, we evaluated the interactions between host cellular factors,
      which control HIV-1 infection and target the capsid, and HIV-2 capsids obtained
      from primary isolates from patients with different disease progression status. We
      showed that, like HIV-1, all HIV-2 CA we tested exhibited a dependence on
      cyclophilin A. However, we observed no correlation between HIV-2 viremia and
      susceptibility to hu-TRIM5alpha or dependence to CypA. Finally, we found that all
      CA from HIV-2 primary isolates exploit Nup358 and Nup153 for nucleus
      transposition. Altogether, these findings indicate that the ability to use the
      two latter nucleoporins is essential to infection of human cells for both HIV-1
      and HIV-2. This dependence provides another molecular target that could be used
      for antiviral strategies against both HIV-1 and 2, based on both nucleoporins.

PMID- 28345674
TI  - Skeletal Muscle Pump Drives Control of Cardiovascular and Postural Systems.
AB  - The causal interaction between cardio-postural-musculoskeletal systems is
      critical in maintaining postural stability under orthostatic challenge. The
      absence or reduction of such interactions could lead to fainting and falls often
      experienced by elderly individuals. The causal relationship between systolic
      blood pressure (SBP), calf electromyography (EMG), and resultant center of
      pressure (COPr) can quantify the behavior of cardio-postural control loop.
      Convergent cross mapping (CCM) is a non-linear approach to establish causality,
      thus, expected to decipher nonlinear causal cardio-postural-musculoskeletal
      interactions. Data were acquired simultaneously from young participants (25 +/- 2
      years, n = 18) during a 10-minute sit-to-stand test. In the young population,
      skeletal muscle pump was found to drive blood pressure control (EMG -> SBP) as
      well as control the postural sway (EMG -> COPr) through the significantly higher
      causal drive in the direction towards SBP and COPr. Furthermore, the effect of
      aging on muscle pump activation associated with blood pressure regulation was
      explored. Simultaneous EMG and SBP were acquired from elderly group (69 +/- 4
      years, n = 14). A significant (p = 0.002) decline in EMG -> SBP causality was
      observed in the elderly group, compared to the young group. The results highlight
      the potential of causality to detect alteration in blood pressure regulation with
      age, thus, a potential clinical utility towards detection of fall proneness.

PMID- 28345675
TI  - A MYB transcription factor, DcMYB6, is involved in regulating anthocyanin
      biosynthesis in purple carrot taproots.
AB  - Carrots are widely grown and enjoyed around the world. Purple carrots accumulate
      rich anthocyanins in the taproots, while orange, yellow, and red carrots
      accumulate rich carotenoids in the taproots. Our previous studies indicated that
      variation in the activity of regulatory genes may be responsible for variations
      in anthocyanin production among various carrot cultivars. In this study, an R2R3
      type MYB gene, designated as DcMYB6, was isolated from a purple carrot cultivar.
      In a phylogenetic analysis, DcMYB6 was grouped into an anthocyanin biosynthesis
      related MYB clade. Sequence analyses revealed that DcMYB6 contained the conserved
      bHLH-interaction motif and two atypical motifs of anthocyanin regulators. The
      expression pattern of DcMYB6 was correlated with anthocyanin production. DcMYB6
      transcripts were detected at high levels in three purple carrot cultivars but at
      much lower levels in six non-purple carrot cultivars. Overexpression of DcMYB6 in
      Arabidopsis led to enhanced anthocyanin accumulation in both vegetative and
      reproductive tissues and upregulated transcript levels of all seven tested
      anthocyanin-related structural genes. Together, these results show that DcMYB6 is
      involved in regulating anthocyanin biosynthesis in purple carrots. Our results
      provide new insights into the regulation of anthocyanin synthesis in purple
      carrot cultivars.

PMID- 28345676
TI  - Bioconversion of stilbenes in genetically engineered root and cell cultures of
      tobacco.
AB  - It is currently possible to transfer a biosynthetic pathway from a plant to
      another organism. This system has been exploited to transfer the metabolic
      richness of certain plant species to other plants or even to more simple
      metabolic organisms such as yeast or bacteria for the production of high added
      value plant compounds. Another application is to bioconvert substrates into
      scarcer or biologically more interesting compounds, such as piceatannol and
      pterostilbene. These two resveratrol-derived stilbenes, which have very promising
      pharmacological activities, are found in plants only in small amounts. By
      transferring the human cytochrome P450 hydroxylase 1B1 (HsCYP1B1) gene to tobacco
      hairy roots and cell cultures, we developed a system able to bioconvert exogenous
      t-resveratrol into piceatannol in quantities near to mg L-1. Similarly, after
      heterologous expression of resveratrol O-methyltransferase from Vitis vinifera
      (VvROMT) in tobacco hairy roots, the exogenous t-resveratrol was bioconverted
      into pterostilbene. We also observed that both bioconversions can take place in
      tobacco wild type hairy roots (pRiA4, without any transgene), showing that
      unspecific tobacco P450 hydroxylases and methyltransferases can perform the
      bioconversion of t-resveratrol to give the target compounds, albeit at a lower
      rate than transgenic roots.

PMID- 28345677
TI  - Relationships of work-related psychosocial risks, stress, individual factors and
      burnout - Questionnaire survey among emergency physicians and nurses.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Psychosocial risks represent a great challenge for safety and health
      protection at work in Europe. The purpose of this study has been to determine the
      relationships of psychosocial risks arising from work, stress, personal
      characteristics and burnout among physicians and nurses in the Emergency Medical
      Service (EMS). MATERIAL AND METHODS: We performed a cross-sectional study based
      on a questionnaire survey which contained the Copenhagen Psychosocial
      Questionnaire (COPSOQ) and Copenhagen Burnout Inventory (CBI). RESULTS: A total
      of 88 physicians and 80 nurses completed the survey. Physicians demonstrated
      higher emotional (mean (M) +/- standard deviation (SD) = 74.57+/-16.85) and
      cognitive (M+/-SD = 75.95+/-13.74) demands as compared to nurses. Both groups had
      high sensory demands and responsibilities at work, in spite of the low degree of
      their autonomy. The meaning of work, commitment to the workplace, and insecurity
      at work were high for both groups. Among all participants, stressful behavior and
      reactions were within the limits of low values (< 40) and coping strategies
      showed high values (> 60). Personal and patient-related burnout was high for both
      groups, where physicians were significantly affected by work-related burnout. The
      influence at work, degree of freedom at work, social support, sense of coherence,
      mental health, and problem-focused coping are negatively related to work-related
      burnout. CONCLUSIONS: Based on personal factors and coping styles, emergency
      physicians and nurses are representing a self-selective professional group that
      meets high work demands, great responsibility, strong commitment and insecurity
      at work. Burnout of physicians and nurses in the EMS tends to be ignored,
      although it has severe consequences on their mental and general health. Med Pr
      2017;68(2):178-178.

PMID- 28345678
TI  - Laryngeal manual therapy palpatory evaluation scale: A preliminary study to
      examine its usefulness in diagnosis of occupational dysphonia.
AB  - BACKGROUND: The aim of this study has been to assess the larynx and soft tissue
      around the vocal tract in a group of people with healthy voice, and in a group of
      patients with occupational dysphonia using the new laryngeal manual therapy
      palpatory evaluation scale (LMTPE). MATERIAL AND METHODS: The examinations were
      performed in a study (dysphonic) group of professional voice users who had
      developed voice disorders (N = 51) and in the control group of normophonic
      subjects (N = 50). All the participants underwent perceptual voice assessment and
      examination by means of the LMTPE scale. Additionally, phoniatric examination
      including VHI (Voice Handicap Index) questionnaire, GRBAS (the Grade of
      hoarseness, Roughness, Breathiness, Asthenic, Strained) perceptual evaluation,
      maximum phonation time (MPT) measurement and videostroboscopy was performed in
      the study group. RESULTS: The comparison of the LMTPE total score showed that the
      results of the study group were significantly poorer than those of controls (p <
      0.001). In the study group, correlations were found between the LMTPE results and
      the VHI scores (p < 0.05), perceptual evaluation by the GRBAS (p < 0.05) and the
      objective parameter MPT (p < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: The study has proven that the
      LMTPE scale is characterized by the high score of Cronbach's alpha ratio
      estimating the reliability of the test. The results have confirmed that the LMTPE
      scale seems to be a valuable tool, useful in diagnostics of occupational
      dysphonia, particularly of hyperfunction origin. Med Pr 2017;68(2):179-188.

PMID- 28345679
TI  - Impact of climate conditions on hospital admissions for subcategories of
      cardiovascular diseases.
AB  - BACKGROUND: The aim of this study has been to examine the association between
      climate conditions (CC) and hospital admissions for the subcategories of
      cardiovascular diseases (CVD), according to patients' age. MATERIAL AND METHODS:
      From January 2010 through December 2011, the daily number of hospital admissions
      for angina pectoris (AP), essential hypertension (EH), acute myocardial
      infarction (AMI) and ischemic heart diseases (IHD) for adults (19-64 years old)
      and the elderly (>= 65 years old), as well as for the CC (N = 728 days) was
      collected for multivariate Poisson regression analysis, confounding with season
      and weekends. The results were expressed by using the relative risk with the
      corresponding 95% confidence interval. RESULTS: The risk for the AMI among the
      adults and the elderly is significantly higher for 41.8% and 38.9%, respectively
      on the days with lower ambient temperature and lesser for 32.7% and 29.8%,
      respectively on the days with lower air pressure values. The risk for the IHD
      among the elderly is significantly higher on the days with lower ambient
      temperature and lower relative humidity for 50.6% and 37.4%, respectively.
      CONCLUSIONS: Our findings explain how the CC and subcategories of CVD are
      associated, which could be used for adequate public awareness of the risk for
      hospitalization due to climate conditions. Med Pr 2017;68(2):189-197.

PMID- 28345681
TI  - [Studies on Lyme disease incidence rates in selected groups of forestry workers
      in West Pomerania, 2005-2014].
AB  - BACKGROUND: The data collected by sanitary-epidemiological stations in 2005-2014
      were analyzed to determine the incidence rates of borreliosis Lyme disease in the
      West Pomerania group of workers exposed to tick bites. MATERIAL AND METHODS: It
      was assumed that an adequate comparison of official epidemiological data with the
      data concerning the number of exposed people, is an indispensable condition for
      assessing properly the trend in Lyme disease incidence rates, concerning at the
      same time a real scale of occupational exposure. The study covered a selected
      group of forestry workers, i.e., white-collar staff employed in different units
      of the State Forests National Forest Holding with their seats in West Pomerania.
      The aim of the research was to process and analyze the data on workers employed
      in the forest sector and their positions, requested from district sanitary
      epidemiological stations. RESULTS: In the years concerned 282 cases of the
      occupational disease were recorded mainly in the groups of forest rangers, junior
      foresters and forest service inspectors. The values of the incidence factor
      exhibit high variability with the major share of cases recorded in the years 2008
      2010 that accounted for 61.8% of the total occurrences concerned. The incidence
      in the years 2008, 2009 and 2010 amounted to 2418, 2828 and 2646 cases per 100
      000 employees, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: The results show that previously
      published information about the incidence of Lyme disease in the agriculture,
      forestry and hunting sector, did not fully illustrate a real scale of
      occupational risk. Med Pr 2017;68(2):211-220.

PMID- 28345680
TI  - Personal and occupational risk factors for carpal tunnel syndrome in meat
      processing industry workers in Northern Italy.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS) is a musculoskeletal condition that
      often impairs the fitness to work. Our aim is to retrospectively evaluate the
      association between physical exposures in meat processing industry in Northern
      Italy and the CTS, taking into account non-occupational factors. MATERIAL AND
      METHODS: A cross-sectional study was performed to include 434 workers (236 males,
      198 females, 37.0+/-10.6 years old, working age: 12.6+/-10.8 years) from meat
      processing industries. Signs and symptoms were collected at the compulsory
      occupational medical surveillance. Occupational risk factors were assessed
      through a questionnaire and direct assessment by investigators. Adjusted odds
      ratios (OR<sub>adj</sub>) for factors of interest were estimated through binary
      logistic regression. RESULTS: Diagnosis of the CTS was reported for 61 out of 434
      subjects (14.1%) for an incidence of 11.3/1000 person- years. In general, signs
      and symptoms for the CTS were associated with the following demographic factors:
      smoking history (OR = 1.909, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.107-3.293), previous
      traumas of the upper limb (OR = 3.533, 95% CI: 1.743-7.165), hypothyroidism
      status (OR = 7.897, 95% CI: 2.917-21.38) and, in the case of female participants
      only, previous pregnancies (OR = 2.807, 95% CI: 1.200-6.566) as well as a
      personal history of oral contraceptive therapy and/or steroidal replacement
      therapy (OR = 11.57, 95% CI: 4.689-28.56). The carpal tunnel syndrome cases were
      associated with the following occupational factors (> 4 h/day): forceful hand
      exertion (OR<sub>adj</sub> = 3.548, 95% CI: 1.379-9.131), repeated trauma of the
      hand (OR<sub>adj</sub> = 3.602, 95% CI: 1.248- 10.395), repeated movements of the
      wrist (OR<sub>adj</sub> = 2.561, 95% CI: 1.100-5.960). CONCLUSIONS: Increasing
      levels of hand activity and force were associated with the increased CTS
      prevalence among participants. Recommendations have to be provided in order to
      reduce occupational exposure to these risk factors and improve medical
      surveillance. Med Pr 2017;68(2):199-209.

PMID- 28345682
TI  - [Occupational exposure in orthopedic procedures under fluoroscopic control].
AB  - BACKGROUND: In interventional radiology the highest radiation doses are usually
      recorded for both the medical staff and the patients. Interventional procedures
      with X-rays are implemented in a number of medical specializations. This paper
      concerns the exposure of interventional teams performing orthopedic procedures
      under X-rays control. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Doses for interventional teams were
      measured in the 3 Lodz hospitals. Thermoluminescent dosemeters were applied to
      measure the following dose equivalents: Hp(3) for eye lens, Hp(0.07) for palm
      skin, Hp(10) at the level of the neck without a protective shield (i.e., collar)
      and Hp(10) for the whole body on the front surface of the trunk (measured under
      the protective apron at the level of the chest). RESULTS: Doses for the operator
      who performs surgery, assisting physicians and scrub nurse were measured during
      95 procedures. The highest doses were received by the operator the dose for eyes
      per 1 procedure did not exceed 0.1 mSv, the highest dose for hands was 1.6 mSv
      and the highest recorded effective dose was 0.02 mSv. CONCLUSIONS: On the basis
      of the results of measurements and their comparison with the values reported in
      the literature it may be concluded that the obtained results fall within the
      published reference range (for non-vascular procedures). This proves the
      compatibility of practice in the monitored Lodz hospitals with routine
      methodology applied in other interventional departments. The measurement results
      confirm that the usage of thermoluminescent dosimetry is fully adequate for the
      evaluation of exposure in interventional radiology and that the usage of at least
      2 dosemeters for that staff is necessary. Med Pr 2017;68(2):221-227.

PMID- 28345683
TI  - [Workplace health promotion in Poland in 2015 - Diagnosis based on a
      representative survey of companies employing more than 50 employees].
AB  - BACKGROUND: The workplace health promotion (WHP) activity of enterprises in
      Poland was examined. The findings referred to how many companies implemented non
      obligatory actions for health and what actions were taken, what were the reasons
      and obstacles in the implementation, whether companies evaluated their activity,
      how they motivated staff to WHP, and whether the size and economic standing
      differentiated their activity. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Representative survey,
      consisted of computer assisted telephone interviews with delegates of the boards
      of 1000 companies employing > 50 employees, held in November-December 2015.
      RESULTS: Every second company undertook voluntary actions for workers health.
      Most often they offered medical care, supported physical activity and took care
      about the work environment in a higher range than required by binding
      regulations. They promoted health to build company's good image, improve
      productivity and reduce costs. The tradition of WHP in the company, attitudes of
      employers and intention to boost the vitality of employees also played a role .
      Despite good financial standing of companies, the shortage of funds was the main
      barrier in the implementation of WHP activities. Other impediments, such as lack
      of sufficient state incentives, workload of the management staff, lack of
      knowledge about WHP benefits and lack of good pro-health services were observed
      as well. Few companies motivated employees to WHP and carried out its evaluation.
      CONCLUSIONS: The development of WHP requires dissemination of its benefits among
      employers, human resources and safety personnel trainings in WHP management,
      implementation of the system of relief and prestigious awards for active
      companies, increase in the number and scope of research works on WHP conditions
      and effectiveness. Crucial herein is the role of the state in cooperation with
      other major WHP actors. Med Pr 2017;68(2):229-246.

PMID- 28345684
TI  - [Analysis of changes in radiographic lung image and lung ventilation disorders in
      workers occupationally exposed to chrysotile in the past].
AB  - BACKGROUND: The adverse health effects of occupational exposure to asbestos dust
      may occur several years after first exposure. The objective of the study was to
      assess the relationship between lesions in the respiratory system and the factors
      contributing to occupational exposure to asbestos described in the first medical
      examination as well as to analyze the factors responsible for the progression of
      these changes in further medical tests. MATERIAL AND METHODS: The study group
      comprised 591 former workers of asbestos processing plant "Gambit" in Lubawka.
      The results of medical examinations carried out in 2001-2012 were assessed.
      Statistical inference was performed based on bilateral significance tests at the
      0.05 level of significance. RESULTS: A higher risk of interstitial lung changes
      along with an increase in the cumulative concentration of asbestos was indicated;
      for the employees with the highest exposure, the adjusted odds ratio (OR) was
      1.63 (95% confidence interval (CI): 0.99-2.71), while for changes with the
      severity degree qualifying for asbestosis diagnosis, the risk was significantly
      increased, over fivefold higher, compared to subjects employed in the lowest
      exposure. The analysis of the relationship between the progression of
      interstitial changes and the exposure to asbestos dust showed a fourfold higher
      risk of the progression in workers employed in the highest exposure. Mean values
      of FEV1 (forced expiratory volume in 1 s), FVC (forced vital capacity), FEV1/FVC
      (forced expiratory volume in 1 s to forced vital capacity) were significantly
      lower in the subjects working in a higher asbestos exposure. The effect of
      tobacco smoking on the occurrence of interstitial lung changes and their
      progression was also confirmed. CONCLUSIONS: The results of prophylactic medical
      examinations of the health status of workers formerly employed in the plants
      using chrysotile indicate the importance andthe need for a long-term clinical
      follow-up and the promotion of anti-smoking prevention in this group of former
      employees. Med Pr 2017;68(2):247-258.

PMID- 28345685
TI  - [Carbon nanotubes - Characteristic of the substance, biological effects and
      occupational exposure levels].
AB  - Carbon nanotubes (CNTs) are a diverse group of nano-objects in terms of
      structure, size (length, diameter), shape and characteristics. The growing
      interest in these structures is due to the increasing number of people working in
      exposure to CNTs. Occupational exposure to carbon nanotubes may occur in research
      laboratories, as well as in plants producing CNTs and their nanocomposites.
      Carbon nanotubes concentration at the emission source may reach 107
      particles/cm<sup>3</sup>. These values, however, are considerably reduced after
      the application of adequate ventilation. Animal studies suggest that the main
      route of exposure is inhalation. Carbon nanotubes administered orally are largely
      excreted in the feces. In animals exposed by inhalation, CNTs caused mainly
      inflammation, as a result of oxidative stress, leading above all to changes in
      the lungs. The main effect of animal dermal exposure is oxidative stress causing
      local inflammation. In animals exposed by ingestion the mild or no toxicity was
      observed. Carbon nanotubes did not induce mutations in the bacterial tests, but
      they were genotoxic in a series of tests on cells in vitro, as well as in exposed
      mice in vivo. Embryotoxicity of nanotubes depends mainly on their modifications
      and carcinogenicity - primarily on the CNT size and its rigidity. Occupational
      exposure limits for CNTs proposed by world experts fall within the range of 1-80
      MUg/m<sup>3</sup>. The different effects of various kinds of CNT, leads to the
      conclusion that each type of nanotube should be treated as a separate substance
      with individual estimation of hygienic normative. Med Pr 2017;68(2):259-276.

PMID- 28345686
TI  - [Effectiveness of physical activity intervention at workplace].
AB  - A physical activity is a key factor contributing to the improvement and
      maintenance of one's general health. Although this issue is by no means limited
      to the workplace, it is precisely the work environment that can provide the basis
      for keeping and reinforcing more health-conscious attitudes and lifestyles,
      including programs promoting a physical activity. The paper presents an analysis
      of the literature on the effectiveness of physical activity intervention at the
      workplace. Particular attention is paid to the impact of the physical activity
      programs on musculoskeletal disorders, absenteeism, work ability, physical
      capacity and body weight of the participants. Given a marginal extent of programs
      of this kind in Poland, the authors' intention was to show the benefits resulting
      from implementation of and participation in such initiatives. Med Pr
      2017;68(2):277-301.

PMID- 28345688
TI  - A vacuum ultraviolet laser pulsed field ionization-photoion study of methane
      (CH4): determination of the appearance energy of methylium from methane with
      unprecedented precision and the resulting impact on the bond dissociation
      energies of CH4 and CH4.
AB  - We report on the successful implementation of a high-resolution vacuum
      ultraviolet (VUV) laser pulsed field ionization-photoion (PFI-PI) detection
      method for the study of unimolecular dissociation of quantum-state- or energy
      selected molecular ions. As a test case, we have determined the 0 K appearance
      energy (AE0) for the formation of methylium, CH3+, from methane, CH4, as
      AE0(CH3+/CH4) = 14.32271 +/- 0.00013 eV. This value has a significantly smaller
      error limit, but is otherwise consistent with previous laboratory and/or
      synchrotron-based studies of this dissociative photoionization onset.
      Furthermore, the sum of the VUV laser PFI-PI spectra obtained for the parent CH4+
      ion and the fragment CH3+ ions of methane is found to agree with the earlier VUV
      pulsed field ionization-photoelectron (VUV-PFI-PE) spectrum of methane, providing
      unambiguous validation of the previous interpretation that the sharp VUV-PFI-PE
      step observed at the AE0(CH3+/CH4) threshold ensues because of higher PFI
      detection efficiency for fragment CH3+ than for parent CH4+. This, in turn, is a
      consequence of the underlying high-n Rydberg dissociation mechanism for the
      dissociative photoionization of CH4, which was proposed in previous synchrotron
      based VUV-PFI-PE and VUV-PFI-PEPICO studies of CH4. The present highly accurate 0
      K dissociative ionization threshold for CH4 can be utilized to derive accurate
      values for the bond dissociation energies of methane and methane cation. For
      methane, the straightforward application of sequential thermochemistry via the
      positive ion cycle leads to some ambiguity because of two competing VUV-PFI-PE
      literature values for the ionization energy of methyl radical. The ambiguity is
      successfully resolved by applying the Active Thermochemical Tables (ATcT)
      approach, resulting in D0(H-CH3) = 432.463 +/- 0.027 kJ mol-1 and D0(H-CH3+) =
      164.701 +/- 0.038 kJ mol-1.

PMID- 28345689
TI  - Can there be a multi-bond between noble gas and metal? A theoretical study of
      F2XeMoF2.
AB  - A new noble gas compound containing a Xe-Mo double bond, F2XeMoF2, was
      theoretically constructed and studied based on DFT and ab initio calculations.
      The CCSD(T)-calculated Xe-Mo bond length of 2.518 A was comparable to the
      standard value of 2.56 A. The bonding energy (32.3 kcal mol-1) was even higher
      than that of the Xe-Au bond in the well-known XeAuF complex (24.1 kcal mol-1).
      The result of natural bond orbital (NBO) analysis indicates that there is a sigma
      bond and a pi-bond between the Xe and Mo atoms in F2XeMoF2. The properties of the
      Xe-Mo double bond were also analyzed with the atoms in molecules (AIM) approach
      and natural resonance theory (NRT).

PMID- 28345690
TI  - Expedient synthesis of a phenanthro-imidazo-pyridine fused heteropolynuclear
      framework via CDC coupling: a new class of luminophores.
AB  - We herein report the design and synthesis of a group of fused phenanthro
      imidazo[1,2-a]pyridine derivatives as a new class of luminescent materials
      through a Pd(ii) catalyzed intramolecular CDC (cross dehydrogenative coupling)
      reaction. This method thus unlocked a convenient & expedient way for the
      synthesis of a new molecular framework containing pi-extended fused
      heteropolycycles. The heteropolycycles showed very good fluorescence properties
      both in solid and solution phases which were further utilized in live cell
      imaging. These kinds of molecules have potential to be used as therapeutic probes
      and also their solid state luminescence properties can be further utilized for
      making optoelectronic devices.

PMID- 28345691
TI  - Surface plasmon resonance imaging for ABH antigen detection on red blood cells
      and in saliva: secretor status-related ABO subgroup identification.
AB  - Low antigenic expression of ABO subgroup system on red blood cell (RBC) is cause
      of discrepancy between forward and reverse blood typing in the standard
      agglutination technique. Neutralization agglutination is employed for
      verification of the detection of ABH substances in saliva. However, the
      neutralization technique is complicated, time-consuming and requires expertise.
      To overcome these drawbacks, surface plasmon resonance (SPR) imaging was
      developed for ABH antigen detection on RBCs and in saliva. An antibody array was
      designed to classify the ABO subgroups by anti-A, anti-B, and anti-H antibodies;
      the array was immobilized on a carboxymethyl-dextran sensor-surface. RBCs and
      saliva specimens from sixty-four donors were analysed by passing them over the
      antibody array, where the secretor status and blood group could be simultaneously
      identified. Consequently, the immobilized antibodies could specifically and
      quantitatively detect the ABH antigen on RBCs. Using the direct assay, the SPR
      signal of saliva detection was weaker than that of RBC detection. However, a
      sandwich assay with a mixture of anti-A, anti-B, and anti-H antibodies could
      efficiently enhance the signal. The sensor chip provided high specificity (cut
      off at 100 to 175 micro refractive index units) and high precision at 0.06%-4.9%
      CV. The blood group results of the sixty-four donor specimens obtained by SPR
      agreed with the standard agglutination test with 100% accuracy. SPR could
      indicate different ABH antigen densities on the RBCs and nearly the same amounts
      of ABH substances in the saliva of strong and weak subgroups. Finally, we also
      demonstrated reduced assay time and fewer complications with the SPR imaging
      platform compared to the neutralization technique.

PMID- 28345687
TI  - Recent advances in high-performance fluorescent and bioluminescent RNA imaging
      probes.
AB  - RNA plays an important role in life processes. Imaging of messenger RNAs (mRNAs)
      and micro-RNAs (miRNAs) not only allows us to learn the formation and
      transcription of mRNAs and the biogenesis of miRNAs involved in various life
      processes, but also helps in detecting cancer. High-performance RNA imaging
      probes greatly expand our view of life processes and enhance the cancer detection
      accuracy. In this review, we summarize the state-of-the-art high-performance RNA
      imaging probes, including exogenous probes that can image RNA sequences with
      special modification and endogeneous probes that can directly image endogenous
      RNAs without special treatment. For each probe, we review its structure and
      imaging principle in detail. Finally, we summarize the application of mRNA and
      miRNA imaging probes in studying life processes as well as in detecting cancer.
      By correlating the structures and principles of various probes with their
      practical uses, we compare different RNA imaging probes and offer guidance for
      better utilization of the current imaging probes and the future design of higher
      performance RNA imaging probes.

PMID- 28345692
TI  - The cyclopropanation of [60]fullerobenzofurans via electrosynthesis.
AB  - The electrochemical cyclopropanation of [60]fullerobenzofurans with diethyl
      dibromomalonate has been investigated. Controlled by the steric effect, the
      sterically favored e bisadducts are obtained as the major products along with two
      trans-3 bisadducts as minor products. The addition sites and patterns of this
      reaction are very different from those of our previously reported reaction with
      benzyl bromide, providing insights into the controlling factors for the
      electrophilic reactions of dianionic fullerene derivatives.

PMID- 28345694
TI  - Metal-organic frameworks for the removal of toxic industrial chemicals and
      chemical warfare agents.
AB  - Owing to the vast diversity of linkers, nodes, and topologies, metal-organic
      frameworks can be tailored for specific tasks, such as chemical separations or
      catalysis. Accordingly, these materials have attracted significant interest for
      capture and/or detoxification of toxic industrial chemicals and chemical warfare
      agents. In this paper, we review recent experimental and computational work
      pertaining to the capture of several industrially-relevant toxic chemicals,
      including NH3, SO2, NO2, H2S, and some volatile organic compounds, with
      particular emphasis on the challenging issue of designing materials that
      selectively adsorb these chemicals in the presence of water. We also examine
      recent research on the capture and catalytic degradation of chemical warfare
      agents such as sarin and sulfur mustard using metal-organic frameworks.

PMID- 28345695
TI  - Anion-dependent self-assembly of copper coordination polymers based on pyrazole
      3,5-dicarboxylate and 1,2-di(4-pyridyl)ethylene.
AB  - By utilizing a pyrazole-3,5-dicarboxylic acid (H3pzdc) and flexible 1,2-di(4
      pyridyl)ethylene (dpe) with various copper(ii) salts under the same solvothermal
      synthetic conditions, six novel coordination polymers, namely,
      {[Cu2(pzdc)(dpe)2]X}n (X = NO3- (1), ClO4- (2), BF4- (3), SCN- (4)),
      {[Cu(ii)4Cu(i)4(pzdc)4(dpe)6](H2O)4}2n (5), and {[Cu5(HPO4)2
      (pzdc)2(dpe)3](H2O)5}n (6) were obtained. The structural diversity of compounds 1
      6 depends on the starting Cu(ii) salts. Compounds 1-4 are isostructural and
      exhibit a 3D porous cationic pillar-layered coordination framework with lattice
      monoanions incorporated into the channels of the framework. When using copper(ii)
      sulfate as a reagent, a neutral mixed-valence Cu(i,ii) 2D + 2D -> 2D parallel
      interpenetrated layer of 5 was obtained. In the case of a phosphate trianion,
      compound 6 shows a 3D coordination framework which contains MU4-HPO42- linking
      between Cu(ii) centers. The anion-exchange properties of 1-4 were studied.
      Interestingly, compounds 1-4 exhibit the irreversible chemisorption of the
      thiocyanate anion instead of anion exchange without the destruction of their
      structural framework as confirmed by PXRD, IR, UV-Vis, and AA spectroscopy.
      Moreover, the anion-induced structural transformation of 1-4 was observed when
      exchanging with an azide anion. The luminescent properties of 1-6 and exchanged
      products were also investigated.

PMID- 28345697
TI  - The role of ion-water interactions in determining the Soret coefficient of LiCl
      aqueous solutions.
AB  - The application of a thermal gradient to an aqueous electrolyte solution induces
      the Soret effect, and the salt migrates towards hot (thermophilic) or cold
      regions (thermophobic). Experimental studies of LiCl reported changes in the sign
      of the Soret coefficient as well as a minimum in this coefficient at specific
      salt concentrations and temperatures. At the minimum the thermodiffusive response
      of the solution is enhanced significantly. We have performed non-equilibrium
      molecular dynamics simulations of LiCl solutions to quantify the dependence of
      the sign change and minimum of the Soret coefficient with salt concentration and
      temperature. We find that the ion mass plays a secondary role in determining the
      magnitude of the Soret coefficient, while the diameter of the cation has a
      significant impact on the coefficient and on the observation of the minimum. Our
      simulations show that the ordering of water around Li+ plays a key role in
      determining the Soret coefficient of LiCl salts.

PMID- 28345696
TI  - Interfacially Al-doped ZnO nanowires: greatly enhanced near band edge emission
      through suppressed electron-phonon coupling and confined optical field.
AB  - Aluminium (Al)-doped zinc oxide (ZnO) nanowires (NWs) with a unique core-shell
      structure and a Delta-doping profile at the interface were successfully grown
      using a combination of chemical vapor deposition re-growth and few-layer AlxOy
      atomic layer deposition. Unlike the conventional heavy doping which degrades the
      near-band-edge (NBE) luminescence and increases the electron-phonon coupling
      (EPC), it was found that there was an over 20-fold enhanced NBE emission and a
      notably-weakened EPC in this type of interfacially Al-doped ZnO NWs. Further
      experiments revealed a greatly suppressed nonradiative decay process and a much
      enhanced radiative recombination rate. By comparing the finite-difference time
      domain simulation with the experimental results from intentionally designed
      different NWs, this enhanced radiative decay rate was attributed to the Purcell
      effect induced by the confined and intensified optical field within the
      interfacial layer. The ability to manipulate the confinement, transport and
      relaxation dynamics of ZnO excitons can be naturally guaranteed with this unique
      interfacial Delta-doping strategy, which is certainly desirable for the
      applications using ZnO-based nano-photonic and nano-optoelectronic devices.

PMID- 28345698
TI  - Ethylcellulose oleogels for lipophilic bioactive delivery - effect of
      oleogelation on in vitro bioaccessibility and stability of beta-carotene.
AB  - The in vitro lipolysis and beta-carotene (BC) transfer from oil to aqueous phase
      of canola oil ethylcellulose (EC) oleogels were measured using a static
      monocompartmental model simulating oral, gastric, and duodenal digestive stages.
      The effects of EC oleogelation on gel in vitro digestibility were examined, using
      un-structured canola oil as a control. The physicochemical properties of oleogels
      containing BC were also measured. It was found that oleogels made with 10% 10 cP
      and 10% 20 cP did not differ significantly in their extent of lipolysis or BC
      transfer compared to canola oil; however 10% 45 cP and 15.5% 20 cP had a
      significantly lower extent of lipolysis and BC transfer compared to other
      formulations. The structure and mechanical strength of the oleogels were both
      determined to be factors affecting lipolysis and transfer. The presence of BC did
      not significantly affect the mechanical strength of the gels and EC oleogelation
      delayed BC degradation under accelerated storage conditions compared to a heated
      canola oil control. These findings could contribute to the development of new
      applications for EC oleogels, specifically for the effective delivery of
      lipophilic molecules.

PMID- 28345699
TI  - Gold and iodine diffusion in large area perovskite solar cells under
      illumination.
AB  - Operational stability is the main issue hindering the commercialisation of
      perovskite solar cells. Here, a long term light soaking test was performed on
      large area hybrid halide perovskite solar cells to investigate the morphological
      and chemical changes associated with the degradation of photovoltaic performance
      occurring within the devices. Using Scanning Transmission Electron Microscopy
      (STEM) in conjunction with EDX analysis on device cross sections, we observe the
      formation of gold clusters in the perovskite active layer as well as in the TiO2
      mesoporous layer, and a severe degradation of the perovskite due to iodine
      migration into the hole transporter. All these phenomena are associated with a
      drastic drop of all the photovoltaic parameters. The use of advanced electron
      microscopy techniques and data processing provides new insights on the
      degradation pathways, directly correlating the nanoscale structure and chemistry
      to the macroscopic properties of hybrid perovskite devices.

PMID- 28345700
TI  - Electronic structure and magnetic properties of penta-graphene nanoribbons.
AB  - 2D penta-graphene sheets were cut along typical crystallographic orientations in
      order to construct various penta-graphene nanoribbon (P-GNR) models, and their
      electronic structures and magnetic properties were systemically investigated. It
      was demonstrated that P-GNRs are very versatile with rich and unique electronic
      and magnetic properties. In particular, bipolar magnetic semiconducting features
      can be achieved in the ferromagnetic state for all magnetic P-GNRs, which makes P
      GNRs valuable for developing next-generation information storage devices. More
      interestingly, studies on the electric-magnetic coupling revealed that an applied
      transverse electric field can transform a P-GNR from a magnetic semiconductor to
      a half-metal with a wide band gap of 0.88 eV, which can achieve complete spin
      filtering even at room temperature. Important advantages of magnetism over
      graphene nanoribbons are thus expected.

PMID- 28345701
TI  - The effect of natural iron oxide and oxalic acid on the photocatalytic
      degradation of isoproturon: a kinetics and analytical study.
AB  - The photocatalytic degradation of isoproturon, a persistent toxic herbicide, was
      investigated in the presence of natural iron oxide and oxalic acid and under UV
      irradiation. The influence of the relevant parameters such as the pH and the iron
      oxide and oxalic acid concentrations has been studied. The presence of natural
      iron oxide and oxalic acid in the system effectively allow the degradation of
      isoproturon, whereas the presence of t-butyl alcohol adversely affects the
      phototransformation of the target pollutant, thus indicating that an OH radical
      initiated the degradation mechanism. The degradation mechanism of isoproturon was
      investigated by means of GC-MS analysis. Oxidation of both the terminal N-(CH3)2
      and isopropyl groups is the initial process leading to N-monodemethylated
      (NHCH3), N-formyl (N(CH3)CHO), and CHCH3OH as the main intermediates. The
      substitution of the isopropyl group by an OH group is also observed as a side
      process.

PMID- 28345702
TI  - The role of conformational heterogeneity in regulating the apoptotic activity of
      BAX protein.
AB  - While activation of BAX is required for initiating mitochondria-mediated
      apoptosis, the underlying mechanisms remain unsettled. We studied conformations
      of BAX protein using pressure- and temperature-resolved ESR techniques and
      obtained the thermodynamic properties of the conformations. We show that inactive
      BAX is structurally heterogeneous and exists in equilibrium between two major
      populations of the conformations, UM and UM', of which the former is
      thermodynamically favored at room temperature. An increase in the population of
      UM', induced by either pressure or point mutations of BAX, renders BAX
      susceptible to oligomerization, which leads to cell death. This study uncovers
      the biological significance of BAX conformations and shows that the pro-apoptotic
      activity of BAX can be triggered by altering the equilibrium between the two
      states. It suggests that therapeutic intervention may focus on shifting the
      balance in the conformational heterogeneity.

PMID- 28345703
TI  - Phoretic motion of colloids in a phase separating medium.
AB  - The enhanced motion of dispersed particles driven by a concentration gradient is
      the basis for diffusiophoresis. Here we present the dynamics of colloids in a
      phase separating medium probed by X-Ray Photon Correlation Spectroscopy (XPCS) in
      the ultra-small angle scattering range. Charge stabilized silica colloids
      suspended in a binary mixture of 3-methylpyridine and water/heavy water are
      preferentially wetted by 3-methylpyridine and consequently display a phoretic
      motion towards that phase upon demixing. This activity lasts for hundreds of
      seconds before the phase separation is complete and the enhanced motion is
      arrested as the colloids return to normal diffusive dynamics.

PMID- 28345704
TI  - Atomic layer deposition of nickel-cobalt spinel thin films.
AB  - We report the atomic layer deposition (ALD) of high-quality crystalline thin
      films of the spinel-oxide system (Co1-xNix)3O4. These spinel oxides are
      ferrimagnetic p-type semiconductors, and promising material candidates for
      several applications ranging from photovoltaics and spintronics to
      thermoelectrics. The spinel phase is obtained for Ni contents exceeding the x =
      0.33 limit for bulk samples. It is observed that the electrical resistivity
      decreases continuously with x while the magnetic moment increases up to x = 0.5.
      This is in contrast to bulk samples where a decrease of resistivity is not
      observed for x > 0.33 due to the formation of a rock-salt phase. From UV-VIS-NIR
      absorption measurements, a change from distinct absorption edges for the parent
      oxide Co3O4 to a continuous absorption band ranging deep into the near infrared
      for 0 < x <= 0.5 was observed. The conformal deposition of dense films on high
      aspect-ratio patterns is demonstrated.

PMID- 28345705
TI  - Activating efficient room temperature phosphorescence of carbon dots by synergism
      of orderly non-noble metals and dual structural confinements.
AB  - Obtaining high efficiency room temperature phosphorescence (RTP) by employing non
      noble metals poses two challenges: (1) strengthening spin-orbit coupling of
      excitons to improve the rate of intersystem crossing (ISC) by using non-noble
      metals with small-atomic-number; (2) employing structural confinement to enhance
      radiation relaxation because harsh conditions, including carefully selected
      matrices, rigid solid-state crystalline structure and low temperature, are
      commonly needed. Here, layered double hydroxides (LDHs) with orderly non-noble
      metal arrangements were used as an inorganic matrix to activate RTP of carbon
      dots (CDs). The Zn orderly arranged on the LDH layer contributes to the
      enhancement in spin-orbit coupling of excitons and the decrease in the energy gap
      for the singlet-triplet state. The structural confinements of the LDH layer and
      nano-interlayer testify that the phosphorescence of CDs-LDHs originates from the
      suppressed radiationless relaxation processes. Using the high tunability of metal
      species and ratios on the LDH layer, this method can be widely applied to
      optimize ISC and phosphorescence properties.

PMID- 28345706
TI  - Topochemical synthesis of cation ordered double perovskite oxynitrides.
AB  - Topochemical nitridation in ammonia at moderate temperatures of cation ordered
      Sr2FeWO6 produces new antiferromagnetic double perovskite oxynitrides Sr2FeWO6
      xNx with 0 < x <= 1. Nitrogen introduction induces the oxidation of Fe2+ to Fe3+
      and decreases TN from 38 K (x = 0) to 13 K for Sr2FeWO5N which represents the
      first example of a double perovskite oxynitride with both high cationic order and
      nitrogen content. This synthetic approach can be extended to other cation
      combinations expanding the possibility of new materials in the large group of
      double perovskites.

PMID- 28345707
TI  - Selectivity control between Mizoroki-Heck and homo-coupling reactions for
      synthesising multinuclear metal complexes: unique addition effects of tertiary
      phosphines and O2.
AB  - The addition of a tertiary phosphine and O2 to reaction solutions strongly
      affected the reactivity and selectivity of coupling reactions between transition
      metal complexes. The Mizoroki-Heck reaction between metal complexes with bromo
      and those with vinyl groups in the diimine ligand did not proceed using Pd(OAc)2
      in the presence of 2-dicyclohexylphosphino-2',6'-dimethoxybiphenyl (Sphos) under
      Ar but proceeded selectively after injection of air into the reaction vessel. In
      the absence of the phosphine ligand, on the other hand, not only the Mizoroki
      Heck reaction but also a homo-coupling reaction between the metal complexes with
      the bromo groups proceeded at the same time. Mechanistic investigation showed
      that nanoparticles of Pd species were produced in the absence of the phosphine
      ligand and worked as catalysts for both the Mizoroki-Heck and homo-coupling
      reactions. On the other hand, larger Pd particles, which were produced in the
      presence of Sphos but after addition of air for oxidising Sphos, selectively
      catalysed the Mizoroki-Heck reaction. 'Molecular' Pd species that were stabilised
      in the presence of non-oxidised Sphos could not catalyse both coupling reactions
      under the reaction conditions. Based on these results, reaction conditions were
      established for the selective progress of the Mizoroki-Heck and the homo-coupling
      reactions.

PMID- 28345708
TI  - Evaluation of two- and three-dimensional electrode platforms for the
      electrochemical characterization of organometallic catalysts incorporated in non
      conducting metal-organic frameworks.
AB  - The development of a reliable platform for the electrochemical characterization
      of a redox-active molecular diiron complex, [FeFe], immobilized in a non
      conducting metal organic framework (MOF), UiO-66, based on glassy-carbon
      electrodes is reported. Voltammetric data with appreciable current responses can
      be obtained by the use of multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWCNT) or mesoporous
      carbon (CB) additives that function as conductive scaffolds to interface the MOF
      crystals in "three-dimensional" electrodes. In the investigated UiO-66-[FeFe]
      sample, the low abundance of [FeFe] in the MOF and the intrinsic insulating
      properties of UiO-66 prevent charge transport through the framework, and
      consequently, only [FeFe] units that are in direct physical contact with the
      electrode material are electrochemically addressable.

PMID- 28345709
TI  - A study of asymmetrical mixed-valent Mo2-Mo2 complexes in the class III regime.
AB  - Three novel asymmetrical dimolybdenum dimers, [Mo2(DAniF)3]2(MU-OOCCOS) (DAniF =
      N,N'-di(p-anisyl)formamidinate) ([OO-OS]), [Mo2(DAniF)3]2(MU-S2CCO2) ([SS-OO]),
      and [Mo2(DAniF)3]2(MU-SSCCOS) ([SS-OS]), have been synthesized and characterized
      by either single-crystal X-ray crystallography or 1H NMR spectroscopy. The
      structural asymmetry for these compounds gives rise to a redox asymmetry, which
      enlarges the potential separation (DeltaE1/2) between the two [Mo2] units. The
      mixed-valance (MV) species [OO-OS]+, [SS-OO]+ and [SS-OS]+, prepared by one
      electron chemical oxidation of the neutral precursors, exhibit an intense and
      symmetrical intervalence charge transfer (IVCT) absorption band in the near-IR
      region, along with the high energy metal (delta) to ligand (pi*) (ML) and ligand
      (pi) to metal (delta) charge transfer (LMCT) absorptions. The LMCT band, which is
      absent in the neutral precursors, is reflective of the cationic [Mo2]+ unit in
      the MV species; therefore, it is evidenced that in the MV complexes optical
      electron transfer from the electron donor to acceptor occurs, while the thermal
      process is energetically unfavorable. The C(1)-C(2) bonds (1.44-1.48 A) that
      connect the two [Mo2] units are significantly shorter than a C-C single bond,
      showing that the two Mo2 centers are strongly coupled. For the series, TD-DFT
      calculations show that the molecular orbitals have an unsymmetrical charge
      density distribution over the two dimolybdenum sites. For each of the complex
      systems, the calculated orbital energy gaps, SOMO(delta - delta)-LUMO(bridging
      ligand pi*), HOMO-8(bridging ligand pi)-SOMO(delta - delta) and SOMO(delta -
      delta)-HOMO-1(delta + delta), are in good agreement with the observed MLCT, LMCT
      and IVCT absorption band energies, respectively. The consistency in energy
      between the IVCT band and the SOMO(delta - delta)-HOMO-1(delta + delta) gap
      permits assignment of the MV complexes to Class III in the Robin-Day scheme.

PMID- 28345710
TI  - Desktop NMR for structure elucidation and identification of strychnine
      adulteration.
AB  - Elucidating the structure of complex molecules is difficult at low magnetic
      fields due to the overlap of different peak multiplets and second-order coupling
      effects. This is even more challenging for rigid molecules with small chemical
      shift differences and with prochiral centers. Since low-field NMR spectroscopy is
      sometimes presumed as restricted to the analysis of only small and simple
      molecules, this paper aims at countering this misconception: it demonstrates the
      use of low-field NMR spectroscopy in chemical forensics for identifying
      strychnine and its counterions by exploring the chemical shift as a signature in
      different 1D 1H and 13C experiments. Hereby the applied methodologies combine
      various 1D and 2D experiments such as 1D 1H, 13C, DEPT, and 2D COSY, HETCOR,
      HSQC, HMBC and J-resolved spectroscopy to elucidate the molecular structure and
      skeleton of strychnine at 1 Tesla. Strychnine is exemplified here, because it is
      a basic precursor in the chemistry of natural products and is employed as a
      chemical weapon and as a doping agent in sports including the Olympics. In our
      study, the molecular structure of the compound could be identified either with a
      1D experiment at high magnetic field or with HMBC and HSQC experiments at 1 T. In
      conclusion, low-field NMR spectroscopy enables the chemical elucidation of the
      strychnine structure through a simple click with a computer mouse. In situations
      where a high-field NMR spectrometer is unavailable, compact NMR spectrometers can
      nevertheless generate knowledge of the structure, important for identifying the
      different chemical reaction mechanisms associated with the molecule. Desktop NMR
      is a cost-effective viable option in chemical forensics. It can prove
      adulteration and identify the origin of different strychnine salts, in
      particular, the strychnine free base, strychnine hemisulphate and strychnine
      hydrochloride. The chemical shift signatures report the chemical structure of the
      molecules due to the impact of the counterions on the chemical shift of the
      protons adjacent to the heteroatoms. This can serve as a methodology for the
      structure elucidation of complex molecules at lower-magnetic fields.

PMID- 28345711
TI  - Metal-free synthesis of 2-aminonaphthalenes by intramolecular transannulation of
      1-sulfonyl-4-(2-alkenylphenyl)-1,2,3-triazoles.
AB  - A facile metal-free synthesis of naphthalenes by intramolecular transannulation
      of 1-sulfonyl-4-(2-alkenylphenyl)-1,2,3-triazoles was realized. The in situ
      formed ketenimine was proposed as the key intermediate, and the desired 2
      aminonaphthalenes were generated in up to 87% yield in refluxing 1,2
      dichloroethane without any catalyst or additive.

PMID- 28345712
TI  - Metal-free phosphonation of heteroarene N-oxides with trialkyl phosphite at room
      temperature.
AB  - A new protocol is described for the conversion of heteroarene N-oxides to
      heteroarylphosphonates through in situ activation with bromotrichloromethane. The
      N-oxides of isoquinoline, quinoline, quinoxaline and 1,10-phenanthroline were
      fast transformed into the corresponding heteroarylphosphonates in up to 92% yield
      under mild conditions in the absence of solvent and metal catalysts. The good
      functional group tolerance, low cost, feasibility of scale up, and wide
      availability of reagents make this method a prominent complement to the Hirao
      coupling.

PMID- 28345714
TI  - A novel symmetric TTF-pyridyl thiolato zinc complex: synthesis, characterization
      and crystal structure analysis.
AB  - We report the first preparation of a symmetric tetrathiafulvalene (TTF)-pyridyl
      thiolato zinc(ii) complex in which two TTF parts connect to the central zinc atom
      through pyridines and thiolates. We also discuss the crystal structure analysis
      and physical properties of the complex, especially photocurrent generations
      measured on its thin-film sample and single crystal.

PMID- 28345713
TI  - Real-time quantification of endothelial response to shear stress and vascular
      modulators.
AB  - Quiescence is commonly used to describe the inactive state of endothelial cells
      (ECs) in monolayers that have reached homeostasis. Experimentally quiescence is
      usually described in terms of the relative change in cell activity (e.g.
      turnover, speed, etc.) in response to a perturbation (e.g. solute, shear stress,
      etc.). The objective of this study is to provide new insight into EC quiescence
      by quantitatively defining the morphology and activity of confluent cell
      monolayers in response to shear stress and vascular modulators. Confluent
      monolayers of human umbilical vein ECs (HUVECs) were subjected to a range of
      shear stresses (4-16 dyne cm-2) under steady flow. Using phase contrast, time
      lapse microscopy and image analysis, we quantified EC morphology, speed,
      proliferation, and apoptosis rates over time and detected differences in
      monolayer responses under various media conditions: basal media supplemented with
      growth factors, interleukin-8, or cyclic AMP. In all conditions, we observed a
      transition from cobblestone to spindle-like morphology in a dose-dependent manner
      due to shear stress. Cyclic AMP enhanced the elongation and alignment of HUVECs
      due to shear stress and reduced steady state cell speed. We observed the lowest
      proliferation rates below 8 dyne cm-2 and found that growth factors and cyclic
      AMP reduced proliferation and apoptosis; interleukin-8 similarly decreased
      proliferation, but increased apoptosis. We have quantified the response of ECs in
      confluent monolayers to shear stress and vascular modulators in terms of
      morphology, speed, proliferation and apoptosis and have established quantifiable
      metrics of cell activity to define vascular quiescence under shear stress.

PMID- 28345715
TI  - Ultralow-power near-infrared excited neodymium-doped nanoparticles for long-term
      in vivo bioimaging.
AB  - Lanthanide-doped luminescent nanoparticles with both emission and excitation in
      the near-infrared (NIR-to-NIR) region hold great promise for bioimaging. Herein,
      core@shell structured LiLuF4:Nd@LiLuF4 (named as Nd@Lu) nanoparticles (NPs) with
      highly efficient NIR emission were developed for high-performance in vivo
      bioimaging. Strikingly, the absolute quantum yield of Nd@Lu NPs reached as high
      as 32%. After coating with polyethylene glycol (PEG), the water-dispersible Nd@Lu
      NPs showed good bio-compatibility and low toxicity. With efficient NIR emission,
      the Nd@Lu NPs were clearly detectable in tissues at depths of up to 20 mm. In
      addition, long-term in vivo biodistribution with a high signal-to-noise ratio of
      25.1 was distinctly tracked upon an ultralow-power-density excitation (10 mW cm
      2) of 732 nm for the first time.

PMID- 28345716
TI  - Spontaneous NaCl-doped ice at seawater conditions: focus on the mechanisms of ion
      inclusion.
AB  - Molecular dynamics simulations on the microsecond time scale have been performed
      on an aqueous solution of TIP4P/2005 water and NaCl by using the direct
      coexistence technique to study the ice growth and the ice/liquid interface water.
      At ambient pressure, for temperatures above the eutectic point of the salt and at
      seawater concentrations the brine rejection phenomenon and the spontaneous growth
      of an ice slab doped by the salt are obtained, as found in natural terrestrial
      and planetary environments. Experiments indicate that Cl- goes via substitution
      to ice sites. In line with this evidence we find a new result: the Cl- ion
      included in the lattice always substitutes not one but two water molecules,
      leaving the surrounding ice structure not distorted. The Na+ ion shows a lower
      probability of being included in the ice and it occupies an interstitial site,
      causing a local distortion of the lattice. No signs of significant ion diffusion
      are observed in the lattice.

PMID- 28345718
TI  - Probing the binding affinity of plasma proteins adsorbed on Au nanoparticles.
AB  - Nanoparticle (NP) surfaces are modified immediately by the adsorption of proteins
      when exposed to human blood, leading to the formation of a protein corona. The
      adsorption of serum proteins is the key process for exploring the bioapplication
      and biosafety of NPs. In this study, NP-protein binding affinity (Ka) was
      investigated. Some serum proteins, such as human serum albumin (HSA), trypsin
      (TRP), hemoglobin (Hb), myoglobin (MB), immunoglobulin G (IgG), carbonic
      anhydrase (CA), fibrinogen (FIB), chymotrypsin and r-globulin, were used with
      gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) to address binding affinity according to isothermal
      titration calorimetry (ITC) combined with dynamic light scattering (DLS) and
      fluorescence quenching. The NP protein binding affinities determined by the two
      methods were in agreement, and depended on the protein properties and size of the
      NPs. The two methods are convenient, and the results are highly comparable. These
      methods can be extended to determine the binding affinity of NP protein
      interactions. The adsorption of proteins upon the AuNP surface is a complex
      process and depends on several factors, but the binding affinities are higher for
      proteins with more cysteine residues located on the surface.

PMID- 28345719
TI  - New insight into binary TiO2@C nanocomposites: the crucial effect of an
      interfacial microstructure.
AB  - Combining with carbon materials is a common and efficient strategy to improve the
      photocatalytic performance of TiO2. But the fundamental nature of the interfacial
      microstructures between carbon and TiO2 and how they affect the photocatalysis
      process remain controversial. In this work, hybrid TiO2@C nanocomposites with
      different carbon contents are synthesized. It is found that an interfacial
      disorder region with interfacial Ti-O-C bonds and abundant defects (oxygen
      vacancies, VO) can be generally formed from the chemical interactions between
      carbon and Ti-O-Ti skeletons. These interfacial VO sites are well stabilized by
      the carbon complex coating, and maintain their intrinsic nature in visible light
      absorption and electron trapping. Moreover, the synergistic effect of interfacial
      bonding, defective sites and the components on the visible photocatalysis of
      TiO2@C composites has been carefully investigated, and a corresponding mechanism
      is also proposed.

PMID- 28345720
TI  - Partitioning of 2-phenylethanol and limonene cosurfactants in C12E4.
AB  - Avoided level-crossing muon spin resonance (ALC-MUSR) has been used to study the
      dynamics and local environment of spin probes formed by muonium (Mu) addition to
      2-phenylethanol (PEA) and limonene (1-methyl-4-(1-methylethenyl)-cyclohexene) in
      an aqueous dispersion of the nonionic surfactant C12E4 (tetra(ethylene glycol) n
      dodecyl ether). The spin probes derived from both cosurfactants reside within the
      micelles in the L1 phase and the bilayers in the Lalpha phase rather than in the
      aqueous region. The local polarity measured by the different isomers of the Mu
      adducts of PEA suggests there is a water gradient within the micelles and
      bilayers. Slow rotation of the micelles broadened the Delta1 resonances with
      increasing temperature in the L1 phase while narrower Delta1 resonances were
      observed in the Lalpha phase due to the rapid rotation of the spin probes around
      a preferred axis, which was wobbling within a cone.

PMID- 28345721
TI  - Dissecting the structural basis for the intracellular delivery of OSW-1 by
      fluorescent probes.
AB  - The structural basis for the intracellular delivery of OSW-1 is investigated
      using fluorescent derivatives of OSW-1 and its closely related congeners. Despite
      the large differences in activity, all the fluorescent probes are found to
      translocate across the plasma membrane to the ER and Golgi apparatus. This
      observation suggests that the glycosylated cholestane moiety plays an important
      role in the cell internalization and intracellular localization property of OSW
      1.

PMID- 28345722
TI  - Eu2+-Eu3+ valence transition in double, Eu-, and Na-doped PbSe from transport,
      magnetic, and electronic structure studies.
AB  - The Eu atoms in Pb1-xEuxSe have long been assumed to be divalent. We show that p
      type doping of this magnetic semiconductor alloy with Na can modify the effective
      Eu valence: a mixed, Eu2+-Eu3+ state appears in Pb1-x-yEuxNaySe at particular
      values of y. Magnetization, carrier concentration, resistivity, and thermopower
      of Pb1-x-yEuxNaySe are reported for a number of samples with different x and y. A
      pronounced increase in thermopower at a given carrier concentration was
      identified and attributed to the presence of enhanced ionized impurity
      scattering. A strong decrease in the hole concentration is observed in Pb1-yNaySe
      when Eu is added to the system, which we attribute to a Eu2+-Eu3+ self-ionization
      process. This is evidenced by magnetization measurements, which reveal a
      significant reduction of the magnetic moment of Pb1-xEuxSe upon alloying with Na.
      Further, a deviation of magnetization from a purely paramagnetic state, described
      by a Brillouin function, identifies antiferromagnetic interactions between the
      nearest-neighbor Eu atoms: a value of Jex/kB = -0.35 K was found for the exchange
      coupling parameter. The conclusion of a Eu2+-Eu3+ self-ionization process being
      in effect is supported further by the electronic structure calculations, which
      show that an instability of the 4f7 configuration of the Eu2+ ion appears with Na
      doping. Schematically, it was found that the Eu 4f levels form states near enough
      to the Fermi energy that hole doping can lower the Fermi energy and trigger a
      reconfiguration of a 4f electronic shell.

PMID- 28345726
TI  - Structural analyses of isolated cyclic tetrapeptides with varying amino acid
      residues.
AB  - Cyclic peptides represent a large class of substances that occur in nature with
      important biological and medical functions. Synthetic cyclic peptides are used as
      artificial receptors due to a series of advantages over conventional receptors.
      In order to optimize their binding abilities, investigations of their intrinsic
      structural properties especially with regard to the influence of different amino
      acid residues are fundamental. Here we report the structural analysis of two
      synthetic cyclic tetrapeptides cyclo[l-Tyr(Me)-d-Pro-l-Ala-d-Pro] (CPAla) and
      cyclo[l-Tyr(Me)-d-Pro-l-Glu(Me)-d-Pro] (CPGlu) in a molecular beam by means of
      combined IR/UV spectroscopic techniques. Structural assignments were achieved by
      comparing experimentally obtained vibrations and harmonically calculated
      frequencies including dispersion corrections (B3LYP-D3/TZVP). The investigated
      cyclic peptides contain an arrangement of an amino acid sequence which is no
      longer symmetric compared to the former investigations of the cyclo[l-Tyr(Me)-d
      Pro]2 peptide. It turns out that all investigated compounds prefer conformations
      stabilized by two internal hydrogen bonds. In the case of CPGlu containing a
      flexible side chain with a terminal hydrogen bond acceptor an additional
      structure was observed in which a hydrogen bond between the terminal carboxylate
      group and a ring NH group is formed.

PMID- 28345727
TI  - Intrinsic defects and their effects on the optical properties in the nonlinear
      optical crystal CdSiP2: a first-principles study.
AB  - In view of their high nonlinear optical coefficients and good phase-matching
      properties, CdSiP2 (CSP) crystals are considered as one of the most promising
      materials in the field of nonlinear optical applications. However, the slight
      absorption losses around 1.34 MUm and 1.78 MUm under e-polarized light have been
      affecting its performance. In this study, first-principles calculations were
      performed to identify the effects of various charge defects on the absorption
      properties. Different intrinsic defects in the CSP crystal were calculated using
      the HSE method and compared according to the specific chemical environments in
      the experiments. The results show that the point defects of V, Si, and V, which
      can be spontaneously formed, are dominant in the Cd-poor environment. The
      combination of Si and V defects is the most favorable cluster in the Cd-poor case
      because of its relatively low formation energy. Furthermore, the antisite defect
      SiCd was found to be responsible for the main absorption peaks at 1.34 and 1.78
      MUm in the experimental spectra, whereas other defects and clusters, such as the
      defects Si and V, also contribute to these red shifted absorptions. Our results
      intend to provide a guideline for adjusting the optical absorption in CSP by
      modifying its defects.

PMID- 28345728
TI  - Embedding 1D or 2D cobalt-carboxylate substrates in 3D coordination polymers
      exhibiting slow magnetic relaxation behaviors: crystal structures, high-field
      EPR, and magnetic studies.
AB  - By utilizing well-designed bifunctional ligands derived from 1H-imidazole-4,5
      dicarboxylic acid, magnetic coordination polymers (CPs) that exhibit slow
      magnetic relaxation at the low temperature regions were constructed and further
      structurally characterized. In 1, 1D cobalt-carboxyl chains were stabilized in
      the final structure. In contrast, by adjusting the length of the substituted arms
      on imidazole-4,5-dicarboxylic acid, a novel 3D CP, 2 containing 2D 63 cobalt
      carboxyl layer was obtained. A combination of Quantum Monte Carlo (QMC)
      simulations and the first-principles Density functional theory (DFT) calculations
      showed that compound 2 features weak ferro- and antiferro-magnetic coupling
      mechanisms with two different super-exchange paths of -/+/- for syn-anti
      carboxylate bridges and -/-/- for syn-syn carboxylate bridges. Through HF-EPR
      measurements performed on polycrystalline samples over the frequency range of 60
      260 GHz and field range of 0-12 T, the effective g-values of 1 and 2 were all
      larger than 2.00, and the signs of their D values were probably positive.

PMID- 28345729
TI  - Medication adherence among cardiac patients in Khartoum State, Sudan: a cross
      sectional study.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: Non-adherence to medication among cardiac patients is often the
      major risk factor for poor clinical outcomes, increased mortality rates and
      higher healthcare costs. The literature evaluating the prevalence of and reasons
      for non-adherence in resource-poor settings is extremely limited compared to
      resource-rich settings. There is a scarcity of data about medication adherence in
      Sudan hence this study was performed to identify prevalence, predictors and
      barriers of non-adherence to medication among cardiac patients in Khartoum State.
      METHODS: A descriptive, cross-sectional survey was performed using a pre-tested,
      self-administered questionnaire on a sample of 433 randomly selected cardiac
      patients attending the largest three cardiac centres located in Khartoum State.
      Descriptive and multivariate logistic regression analyses were used for data
      analysis. RESULTS: The response rate was 89.1%. The mean (+/- SD) number of
      chronic diseases among respondents was 2.3 ( +/- 1.3) and that of medication use
      was 4.2 ( +/- 1.9). The mean ( +/- SD) duration of medication use among
      participants was 6.4 ( +/- 5.4) years. Optimal adherence was defined as having a
      score of greater than six on the eight-item Morisky medication adherence scale.
      Using this cut-off point, 49% (95% CI: 43.9-54.1) of respondents had optimal
      adherence and 51% (95% CI: 45.9-56.1) had poor adherence. Respondents with a high
      level of education, low and middle income levels, and those taking five or more
      medications daily were found to be significantly more non-adherent to medication
      use than those with low to intermediate education levels (p < 0.001), those with
      high income levels (p < 0.001), and those taking one to four medications daily (p
      = 0.039). The top four barriers for poor medication adherence among the study
      participants were the high cost of drugs, polypharmacy and lack of pharmacist and
      physician communication with patients about their drug therapy. CONCLUSIONS: The
      current findings highlight the need for urgent, multifaceted interventions, given
      the burden of cardiovascular diseases and the clinical and economic consequences
      of medication non-adherence. These interventions include affordable medications,
      easy-to-use medication regimens with fewer daily doses, ongoing communication
      between patients and healthcare providers, and improvement of the patient
      provider partnership.

PMID- 28345731
TI  - English Translation of the Minutes of the Invitational Workshop Goals, Contents
      and Methods for Education in Medical Informatics.

PMID- 28345730
TI  - Electrocardiographic abnormalities in treatment-naive HIV subjects in south-east
      Nigeria.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Cardiac complications of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection
      are important causes of morbidity and mortality. We set out to determine the
      electrocardiographic (ECG) abnormalities in treatment-naive HIV-positive patients
      in Enugu, south-east Nigeria. METHODS: This was a cross-sectional study involving
      250 HIV-positive and 200 HIV-negative subjects. Demographic and anthropometric
      data, relevant investigations and ECG results were compared between the groups.
      RESULTS: An abnormal ECG was present in 70% of the HIV-positive patients, sinus
      bradycardia in 64%, QTC prolongation in 48%, T-wave inversion in 21.6%, Wolf
      Parkinson-White syndrome in 0.8%, abnormal P waves in 12.8%, 1st degree heart
      block in 2.4%, ST depression in 30%, and left-axis deviation in 1.6%. Underweight
      was associated with ECG abnormalities (p = 0.001). The HIV-positive patients had
      more ECG abnormalities than the HIV-negative subjects (p = 0.001). CONCLUSION:
      Electrocardiographic abnormalities were common in treatment-naive HIV-positive
      patients in Enugu, Nigeria. The 70% prevalence of ECG abnormalities in treatment
      naive HIV-positive patients was high. There is a need to evaluate HIV-positive
      patients at onset for cardiac and non-cardiac abnormalities detectable by ECG.

PMID- 28345732
TI  - Comparative analysis in continuous expansion of bovine and human primary nucleus
      pulposus cells for tissue repair applications.
AB  - Autologous NP cell implantation is a potential therapeutic avenue for
      intervertebral disc (IVD) degeneration. However, monolayer expansion of cells
      isolated from surgical samples may negatively impact matrix production by way of
      dedifferentiation. Previously, we have used a continuous expansion culture system
      to successfully preserve a chondrocyte phenotype. In this work, we hypothesised
      that continuous expansion culture could also preserve nucleus pulposus (NP)
      phenotype. We confirmed that serial passaging drove NP dedifferentiation by
      significantly decreasing collagen type II, aggrecan and chondroadherin (CHAD)
      gene expression, compared to freshly isolated cells. Proliferation, gene
      expression profile and matrix production in both culture conditions were compared
      using primary bovine NP cells. Both standard culture and continuous culture
      produced clinically relevant cell populations. However, continuous culture cells
      maintained significantly higher collagen type II, aggrecan and CHAD transcript
      expression levels. Also, continuous expansion cells generated greater amounts of
      proteoglycan, collagen type II and aggrecan protein deposition in pellet
      cultures. To our surprise, continuous expansion of human intervertebral disc
      cells - isolated from acute herniation tissue - produced less collagen type II,
      aggrecan and CHAD genes and proteins, compared to standard culture. Also,
      continuous culture of cells isolated from young non-degenerate tissue did not
      preserve gene and protein expression, compared to standard culture. These data
      indicated that primary bovine and human NP cells responded differently to
      continuous culture, where the positive effects observed for bovine cells did not
      translate to human cells. Therefore, caution must be exercised when choosing
      animal models and cell sources for pre-clinical studies.

PMID- 28345733
TI  - [Hand fine motor skills and use of both hand and arm in subjects after a stroke:
      a systematic review].
AB  - INTRODUCTION: In clinical practice it is important to be able to assess the
      function of the upper limb of the patient who has suffered a stroke. There is
      currently no systemic review that could identify assessment tools for the 'fine
      use of the hand' and 'use of both hand and arm'. AIMS: Primary, to identify
      observational tools which can assess the fine use of the hand and the use of both
      hand and arm in patients with stroke sequels. Secondary, to analyze the bias risk
      in the included articles, describing and categorizing the clinical utility,
      validity and reliability. PATIENTS AND METHODS: A search was carried in Medline,
      LILACS, SciELO and Open Grey, which included articles published until October
      2015. Studies that validate assessing tools of the upper limb in subjects with a
      stroke sequel which evaluate the fine use of the hand and the use of both hand
      and arm were included. RESULTS: Eleven tools in evaluate observational haven been
      selected, which assess the fine use of the hand and the use of hand and arm.
      CONCLUSIONS: In every case both validity and reliability have been reported, but
      clinical utility has been less considered for assessment. The studies that
      researched these tools showed a high risk of bias in their development. ARAT-19
      showed a lower bias risk, but when it has to do with applicability and the
      reference trial is taken into account, the level of concern is high.

PMID- 28345734
TI  - [Restless legs syndrome in patients diagnosed with attention deficit
      hyperactivity disorder].
AB  - INTRODUCTION: Restless legs syndrome (RLS) is a common neurological disease. RLS
      has been linked to various psychiatric disorders, especially with attention
      deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). AIMS: The main objective was to describe
      the frequency of RLS in pediatric patients diagnosed with ADHD. Secondary
      objectives of the study were describe other sleep disorders in ADHD patients.
      PATIENTS AND METHODS: A multicentre prospective study was conducted in nine
      Spanish centers. We included children aged 6-18 years diagnosed with ADHD between
      January and June 2015. Data were collected by 13 researchers doctors through an
      interview with the parent/caregiver and with the child. To assess the degree of
      functioning of patients with ADHD we used the Children's Global Assessment Scale.
      The Sleep Disturbance Scale for Children was applied to screening sleep disorders
      in childhood. RESULTS: A sample of 73 patients was collected. Five patients
      (6.8%) met diagnostic criteria for RLS: four of them definitive and one probable.
      CONCLUSIONS: RLS is a frequent condition in adulthood but also in adolescence and
      childhood. ADHD patients have an increased risk of an RLS.

PMID- 28345735
TI  - [Supratentorial cavernous malformations in an Argentinian institution: experience
      with surgical treatment].
AB  - INTRODUCTION: Cavernous malformations are vascular malformations of the central
      nervous system formed by a group of capillaries not covered by pia mater and
      communicated to the vascular system at very low pressure with very slow flow.
      Surgery or radiosurgery are the treatment modalities. AIMS: To analyze our
      results after surgical treatment of supratentorial cavernous malformations,
      reviewing clinical presentation, surgical indications and postoperative
      complications. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Analytical retrospective study of medical
      records and images of patients who underwent resection of supratentorial
      cavernomas at FLENI from January 1996 until December 2013. RESULTS: We evaluated
      51 patients, mean age 34 years, followed for an average of 30 months. In 1.96% of
      patients diagnosis was incidental, the rest all presented symptoms. Bleeding at
      diagnosis was observed in 23.52%. Total excision of supratentorial cavernous
      malformations was possible in all cases. The only postoperative complication was
      one case of meningitis. CONCLUSIONS: The bleeding rate of supratentorial
      cavernous malformations in our series was 1.38% per patient per year. Surgical
      treatment effectively eliminated, or at least reduced symptoms, prevented
      rebleeding, and decreased need for antiepileptic drug therapy. Surgery have a low
      complication rate and good outcome.

PMID- 28345736
TI  - [Kleine-Levin syndrome: differential diagnosis in recurrent encephalitic
      syndromes in adolescence].
AB  - INTRODUCTION: The Kleine-Levin syndrome is a rare disease of unknown origin
      characterized by recurrent and self-limited episodes of hypersomnia that are also
      accompanied by a cognitive and behavioral dysfunction. Patients present normal
      sleeping and behavior patterns between episodes. CASE REPORTS: We present three
      patients who are 14 years old: two boys and one girl. They started having the
      episodes after a predisposing factor (vaccine, influenza B and menstruation).
      During the episode they presented hypersomnolence and while wakefulness they were
      bradipsychic, in motor restlessness and with emotional liability. They also
      presented a tendency towards crying and claimed the presence of relatives
      constantly. The episodes lasted between 10 and 15 days and they appeared monthly,
      being asymptomatic between episodes. All three patients were attended initially
      by pediatricians, diagnosed and treated as autoimmune encephalitis. Only one of
      our cases had the three typical symptoms of hypersomnia, hyperfagia and
      hypersexuality. However, none of the three had been asked initially and the
      family only referred to it after the directed anamnesis. CONCLUSIONS: The Kleine
      Levin syndrome presents neurologic symptoms initially more frequently than
      psychiatric ones. Hypersomnia and behavioural disturbances during wakefulness,
      bradypsychia, apatheia and emotional liability make us suspect that it could be
      an encephalitis process. We should be aware of this entity if we face a patient
      with recurrent encephalitis of unknown origin.

PMID- 28345737
TI  - [Meningeal carcinomatosis in breast cancer: from diagnosis to treatment].
AB  - The appearance of meningeal carcinomatosis in breast cancer is an event that is
      being reported increasingly more frequently in the literature. It seems to be
      related with the lengthening of the patients' lives, improved sensitivity to
      diagnostic imaging and impermeability of the blood-brain barrier to the
      chemotherapeutic agents. It is an evolutionary form that affirms the metastatic
      invasion of the subarachnoidal space and is correlated with limited survival. Its
      diagnosis is difficult, due to the lack of specificity of the clinical signs
      dominated by headaches, cognitive disorders and possible signs and symptoms of
      progressive focal lesions. Magnetic resonance imaging of the brain and the spinal
      cord interpreted by a specialist in neuro-oncology is the preferred examination
      in this indication, in the search for an increase in meningeal enhancement.
      Biological analysis of the cerebrospinal fluid is an essential element in the
      diagnosis. In addition to the biochemical study, the presence of neoplastic cells
      is in itself enough to confirm the diagnosis. False negatives are very common and
      represent an important diagnostic problem that entails the need to repeat the
      lumbar punctures. The therapeutic methods are standard, often invasive, dominated
      by intrathecal chemotherapy and are based on low-level scientific evidence. This
      study analyses the epidemiology, the prognostic factors, the diagnostic tools,
      currently available treatments and the possible future therapies of meningeal
      carcinomatosis in breast cancer.

PMID- 28345738
TI  - [Exploring the dark continent: medical image and brain].
AB  - INTRODUCTION: Until the late 19th century, direct observation of the central
      nervous system was practically impossible. The discovery of X-rays in 1895 and
      their subsequent application in the field of medicine brought about a shift of
      paradigm that completely revolutionised the way in which neurology was practised.
      The possibility of viewing the inside of the brain had a pronounced impact on
      clinical practice, and enriched the diagnosis and treatment of brain pathologies
      in a manner that was unimaginable up until then. DEVELOPMENT: The aim of this
      study is to describe the birth and development of medical imaging of the brain,
      from the discovery of X-rays and the early days of radiography to the appearance
      of computerised tomography and magnetic resonance in the 60s, both of which are
      techniques that were to change the world of diagnostic imaging forever. This
      brief overview of the history of radiology also includes the origins of
      angiography and other techniques that are no longer in use, but which were ground
      breaking innovations in their time, such as ventriculography or
      pneumoencephalography. CONCLUSIONS: The procedures and techniques described in
      this article made it possible to view the inside of the brain, thereby
      facilitating the diagnosis and treatment of a number of neurological processes.

PMID- 28345739
TI  - [Cervantes and Shakespeare, two Renaissance neurologists].

PMID- 28345740
TI  - [Polymyositis secondary to a non-Hodgkin's lymphoma].

PMID- 28345742
TI  - A qualitative exploration of chronic pain and opioid treatment among HIV patients
      with drug use disorders.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: The study explored high-risk participants' experiences with pain
      management regarding clinical access to and use of prescription opioids. DESIGN:
      Qualitative semistructured interviews and focus groups. SETTING: Data were
      collected August 2014 to May 2015 at an urban community-based research facility
      in Baltimore City, MD. PARTICIPANTS: HIV participants with chronic pain and a
      history of illicit drug use. METHODS: Qualitative coding and analysis used an
      iterative, inductive, and thematic approach and coders achieved inter-coder
      consistency. RESULTS: The authors identified two major themes. First,
      participants had positive and negative interactions with healthcare providers
      regarding chronic pain treatment. Participants perceived that providers lacked
      empathy for their pain and/or were not adequately managing their pain. These
      interactions resulted in participants seeking new providers or mistrusting the
      medical system. Further, providers' surveillance of participants' pain treatment
      regimen contributed to distress surrounding pain management. The second theme
      centered on participants' pain management experiences with prescribed opioid
      analgesics. Participants felt they were receiving dosages and classes of
      analgesics that did not sufficiently address their pain, and consequently
      modified their dosages or rationed prescription opioids. Other participants were
      reluctant to take analgesics due to their history of illicit drug use. Some
      participants relapsed to illicit drug use when they felt their prescription
      opioids did not adequately address their pain needs. CONCLUSIONS: Participant
      struggles with receiving and managing prescribed opioid analgesics suggest a need
      for: therapies beyond these medications; guidelines for providers specific to
      this population; and harm reduction trainings for providers.

PMID- 28345743
TI  - Opioids and nonopioids for postoperative pain control in patients with chronic
      kidney disease.
AB  - OBJECTIVES: To evaluate postoperative pain management (POPM) practices by
      anesthesiologists caring for patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD). DESIGN:
      Prospective one-time survey endorsed by the French Society of Anesthesia and
      Intensive Care (SFAR). SETTING: A self-administered online questionnaire was
      distributed to members of SFAR nationally. PARTICIPANTS: Three hundred seven SFAR
      members participated in the study. INTERVENTION: Close-ended questions concerned:
      standard test used to assess renal function, analgesic agent selection and dose
      adjustment based on the CKD functional stage, and the availability of standard
      operating procedures. MAIN OUTCOMES MEASURES: The primary end-point was to
      identify the most frequently prescribed analgesics in case of CKD, variations in
      practice based on different stages of CKD, and drug dosing adjustments. The
      secondary end-point was to identify the most commonly used tests to evaluate
      kidney function. RESULTS: The most commonly used postoperative analgesics were
      paracetamol (acetaminophen) and morphine. The most commonly used opioid was
      morphine, relative to oxycodone and sufentanil. Modification of diet in renal
      disease (MDRD) and Cockcroft equations were used by 39 and 40 percent of
      anesthesiologists, respectively, to measure kidney function. Six percent of
      anesthesiologists declared following standard operating procedures for POPM in
      patients with CKD. CONCLUSIONS: There is considerable variability in POPM
      practices for patients with all stages of CKD. Morphine is favored even in end
      stage renal disease. Departments of anesthesiology are insufficiently involved in
      drafting standard operating procedures.

PMID- 28345744
TI  - Eleven years of children methadone poisoning in a referral center: A review of
      453 cases.
AB  - OBJECTIVES: Methadone can be fatal due to respiratory failure even in little
      doses. This study aimed to evaluate the possible risk factors of death and/or
      intubation in methadone-poisoned children of 12 years or younger. DESIGN:
      Retrospective routine database study. SETTING: The only tertiary hospital for
      children poisoning in Tehran. PATIENTS: Four hundred fifty-three methadone
      poisoned patients aged 12 or younger were studied between 2001 and 2012. MAIN
      OUTCOME MEASURES: In-hospital mortality and intubation/mechanical ventilation.
      RESULTS: Of a total of 475 children included, 22 were excluded due to coingestion
      of other drugs. Three (0.66 percent) expired and 12 (2.65 percent) were intubated
      during the course of hospital stay. Intubation (p < 0.001), fever (T axillary >=
      37.5 degrees C, p = 0.01), being unresponsive at presentation (p = 0.02),
      tachycardia (p = 0.01), acidosis (p = 0.03), leukocytosis (p = 0.02), and longer
      hospital stay (p = 0.01) associated with death. Mortality (p < 0.001), fever (p =
      0.004), aspartate aminotransferase (AST; p = 0.006), alanine transaminase (p =
      0.04), creatinine (p = 0.005), corrected QT (QTc) interval in triage
      electrocardiogram (p = 0.02), and longer hospital stay (p = 0.005) associated
      with intubation in univariate analysis. However, after running regression
      analysis, only fever, QTc >= 480 ms, tachycardia, and AST independently
      associated with intubation and death. Axillary T >= 37.45  degrees C with an
      accuracy of 91.9 (95% confidence interval [CI] 88.8-94.2) and odds ratio of 9.3
      (95% CI 2.5-34.9) predicted intubation, and T >= 37.75 with an accuracy of 96.0
      (95% CI 93.5-97.5) and odds ratio of 47.4 (95% CI 4.1-550.1) predicted death.
      CONCLUSION: A methadone-poisoned child presenting with tachycardia, fever,
      abnormal AST, or an initial prolonged QTc interval should be managed with great
      caution.

PMID- 28345745
TI  - In vitro and in vivo assessment of the abuse potential of PF614, a novel BIO-MDTM
      prodrug of oxycodone.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: The need for pain medication which will not lead to abuse is well
      recognized. Ensysce has designed prodrug analogs of the commonly used pain
      medications including hydromorphone, oxycodone (OC), hydrocodone, and morphine
      that limit their use to oral delivery, two of which are in clinical development.
      This study was undertaken to demonstrate that PF614, an extended-release prodrug
      of OC, allows the release of OC as designed when delivered orally, yet it resists
      ex vivo extraction with household chemicals and is pharmacologically inactive
      when administered by nonoral routes (nasal and parenteral), thereby substantially
      reducing its intravenous (IV) and intranasal abuse potential. METHODS: In vitro
      and in vivo methods were used to determine release of OC from PF614 and to show
      potential u-opioid receptor activity. Plasma and cerebral spinal fluid levels of
      OC were evaluated following in vivo IV administration of PF614 in rats. In vitro
      extraction of OC from PF614 was explored using enzymes, common solvents, and
      household chemicals at room temperature and elevated temperature over time to
      determine release of OC from the prodrug. RESULTS: PF614 was stable with in vitro
      exposure to human plasma, saliva, and liver microsomes or culinary enzyme
      preparations. PF614 was stable (>=90 percent remaining as intact prodrug) under
      all room temperature conditions evaluated for 24 hours. At 80 degrees C for 1
      hour, no OC was released. Incubation at 80 degrees C for 24 hours in vinegar or
      vodka produced a conversion to OC of 6 percent. Incubation with trypsin at 37
      degrees C converted PF614 approximately stoichiometric to OC with half-life of 4
      hours. PF614's penetration of the central nervous system was 83-fold lower than
      OC and it had a 6.5-fold reduced potency as a u-opioid agonist. Finally, oral
      PF614 delivers OC into plasma with an extended-release profile in dogs (reduced
      Cmax; delayed Tmax). CONCLUSIONS: The Bio-Activated Molecular Delivery prodrug
      design limits the use of PF614 to the intended oral route of delivery with
      reduced potential for IV or nasal abuse, as it cannot be activated intravenously
      or nasally to provide an active opioid. Unlike existing opioid formulations, the
      extended-release profile of PF614 cannot be accelerated by chewing or ex vivo
      extraction to pharmacologically active substances.

PMID- 28345747
TI  - Survey of opioid tapering practices of pediatric healthcare providers: A national
      perspective.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to describe the current opioid tapering
      practice. DESIGN: Cross-sectional, online, survey research. PARTICIPANTS:
      Pediatric healthcare providers from a national sample of practicing nurse
      practitioners, physician assistants, and physicians who participate in five
      different pediatric pain and/or palliative care list serves. RESULTS: One hundred
      four participants responded to the survey. The respondents were predominantly
      physicians (n = 58, 62 percent). The majority of respondents worked in an
      academic children's medical center (n = 50, 52 percent). The average number of
      years in pediatric practice was 16 (mean = 16.33, range of 0-45 years). Of the
      104 respondents, only 22 (27 percent) had a written protocol for opioid tapering.
      Use of expert consultants such as pharmacists or pediatric pain management teams
      varied. The majority of respondents (n = 46, 44 percent) seldom or never consult
      a pharmacist. Only 22 percent (n = 17) almost always or always consult a
      pediatric pain team. There was a wide range of personal tapering rate
      preferences. CONCLUSIONS: This study provided a baseline assessment of pediatric
      opioid tapering practices by pediatric healthcare providers. Results revealed a
      marked variation in practice patterns that may indicate deficits in the
      assessment and management of opioid withdrawal in children. The need for the
      development of assessment-based opioid tapering guidelines for the pediatric
      population is long overdue.

PMID- 28345746
TI  - An analysis of errors, discrepancies, and variation in opioid prescriptions for
      adult outpatients at a teaching hospital.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: To determine opioid-prescribing patterns and rate of three types of
      errors, discrepancies, and variation from ideal practice. DESIGN: Retrospective
      review of opioid prescriptions processed at an outpatient pharmacy. SETTING:
      Tertiary institutional medical center. PATIENTS: We examined 510 consecutive
      opioid medication prescriptions for adult patients processed at an institutional
      outpatient pharmacy in June 2016 for patient, provider, and prescription
      characteristics. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE(S): We analyzed prescriptions for deviation
      from best practice guidelines, lack of two patient identifiers, and noncompliance
      with Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) rules. RESULTS: Mean patient age (standard
      deviation) was 47.5 years (17.4). The most commonly prescribed opioid was
      oxycodone (71 percent), usually not combined with acetaminophen. Practitioners
      prescribed tablet formulation to 92 percent of the sample, averaging 57 (47)
      pills. We identified at least one error on 42 percent of prescriptions. Among all
      prescriptions, 9 percent deviated from best practice guidelines, 21 percent
      failed to include two patient identifiers and 41 percent were noncompliant with
      DEA rules. Errors occurred in 89 percent of handwritten prescriptions, 0 percent
      of electronic health record (EHR) computer-generated prescriptions, and 12
      percent of non-EHR computer-generated prescriptions. Interrater reliability by
      kappa was 0.993. CONCLUSIONS: Inconsistencies in opioid prescribing remain
      common. Handwritten prescriptions continue to demonstrate higher associations of
      errors, discrepancies, and variation from ideal practice and government
      regulations. All computer-generated prescriptions adhered to best practice
      guidelines and contained two patient identifiers, and all EHR prescriptions were
      fully compliant with DEA rules.

PMID- 28345748
TI  - Risk perception and perceived self-efficacy of deaf and hard-of-hearing seniors
      and young adults in emergencies.
AB  - OBJECTIVES: The authors explored the factors influencing risk perception and
      perceived self-efficacy before and during an emergency for deaf and hard-of
      hearing (Deaf/HH) seniors and young adults. METHODS: The authors collected
      demographic survey data and conducted four focus groups with 38 Deaf/HH residents
      of the San Francisco Bay Area; two groups were with young adults (ages 18-35),
      including one group of college students and one group of young professionals, and
      two were with older adults (ages 50-90). RESULTS: Significant differences were
      found between Deaf/HH young adults and seniors in both the sources of self
      efficacy and risk perception and their attitudes toward preparedness. All groups
      demonstrated high resilience. Deaf/HH young professionals expressed more concern
      about their risk in an emergency than Deaf/HH college students. Alternately, the
      risk perception of Deaf/HH older adults was often rooted in their past
      experiences (survival of past emergencies, inaccessibility of communications
      during drills). CONCLUSIONS: Policy implications include the need to dedicate
      more resources to increasing accessibility and relevance of emergency
      communications technology for Deaf/HH populations. This could help increase
      adaptability before, during, and after emergencies among all groups of Deaf/HH
      people, particularly among young Deaf/HH professionals.

PMID- 28345749
TI  - The use of social media for campus safety.
AB  - As public safety communication evolved, each disaster or emergency presented
      unique challenges for emergency managers and others response to disasters. Yet, a
      foundational focus is the timely dissemination of accurate information to keep
      communities informed and able to prepare, mitigate, respond, and recover. For the
      campus community, the increase in bomb threats, active shooter incidents, and
      geographic-based natural disasters call for the discovery of reliable and cost
      effective solutions for emergency information management. Social media is
      becoming a critical asset in this endeavor. This article examines the evolution
      of public safety communication, the unique setting of the campus community, and
      social media's role in campus disaster resilience. In addition, an exploratory
      study was done to better understand the perception of social media use for public
      safety within the campus community. The findings provide practical
      recommendations for campus emergency management professions; however, future
      research is needed to provide specific, actionable ways to achieve these goals as
      well as understand how diverse universities utilize a variety of platforms.

PMID- 28345750
TI  - Subway emergency preparedness in Shanghai: A focused group and interview study
      exploring the perceived experiences of senior citizens and the disabled.
AB  - As Shanghai's population increases and currently being boosted by an influx of
      foreigners, there has been pressure on the subway system and this has led to a
      great concern for the aged and disabled people (including foreigners) who use the
      subway during emergency situations. The present study uses an exploratory
      research approach including a focus group discussion (FGD) and interviews to
      uncover the experiences, safety concerns, and challenges that the aged and
      disabled faces when using the subway. A total of 38 participants were involved in
      the study, which comprises of three FGDs and interviews conducted in the city of
      Shanghai. The findings reveal that most aged and disabled subway riders have
      little or no knowledge about emergency safety measures or safety symbols, the
      administering of first aid and have language barrier concerns. This study
      recommends that policy makers and sub-way operators should get the aged and
      disabled people involved in developing more educational programs that will help
      them to better the concept of safety prevention measures and it also suggests
      holding more emergency drills involving the aged and disabled. Braille language
      symbols, sign languages on TV screens, specially designed sub-way maps, low
      frequency alarms with flashing lights, and information printed in multiple
      international languages should also be provided to help foreigners understand the
      instructions and information in the subways. Additionally, these measures could
      help all commuters to feel safer when using the subway.

PMID- 28345751
TI  - Tsunami evacuation buildings and evacuation planning in Banda Aceh, Indonesia.
AB  - Indonesia, a country of more than 17,000 islands, is exposed to many hazards. A
      magnitude 9.1 earthquake struck off the coast of Sumatra, Indonesia, on December
      26, 2004. It triggered a series of tsunami waves that spread across the Indian
      Ocean causing damage in 11 countries. Banda Aceh, the capital city of Aceh
      Province, was among the most damaged. More than 31,000 people were killed. At the
      time, there were no early warning systems nor evacuation buildings that could
      provide safe refuge for residents. Since then, four tsunami evacuation buildings
      (TEBs) have been constructed in the Meuraxa subdistrict of Banda Aceh. Based on
      analysis of evacuation routes and travel times, the capacity of existing TEBs is
      examined. Existing TEBs would not be able to shelter all of the at-risk
      population. In this study, additional buildings and locations for TEBs are
      proposed and residents are assigned to the closest TEBs. While TEBs may be part
      of a larger system of tsunami mitigation efforts, other strategies and approaches
      need to be considered. In addition to TEBs, robust detection, warning and alert
      systems, land use planning, training, exercises, and other preparedness
      strategies are essential to tsunami risk reduction.

PMID- 28345752
TI  - Recent field experiments with commercial satellite imagery direct downlink.
AB  - US Pacific Command's strategy includes assistance to United States government
      relief agencies and nongovernment organizations during humanitarian aid and
      disaster relief operations in the Asia-Pacific region. Situational awareness
      during these operations is enhanced by broad interagency access to unclassified
      commercial satellite imagery. The Remote Ground Terminal-a mobile satellite
      downlink ground station-has undergone several technology demonstrations and
      participated in an overseas deployment exercise focused on a natural disaster
      scenario. This ground station has received new commercial imagery within 20
      minutes, hastening a normally days-long process. The Army Geospatial Center
      continues to manage technology development and product improvement for the Remote
      Ground Terminal. Furthermore, this ground station is now on a technology
      transition path into the Distributed Common Ground System-Army program of record.

PMID- 28345753
TI  - Outcomes of women diagnosed and treated for low-risk gestational trophoblastic
      neoplasia at the Queensland Trophoblast Centre (QTC).
AB  - BACKGROUND: Gestational trophoblastic neoplasia (GTN) is classified as a highly
      curable group of pregnancy-related malignancies; however, approximately 15% will
      be persistent and require chemotherapy. Up to 25% of these women will develop
      resistance and 2% will develop disease relapse after initial chemotherapy.
      Despite the need for further chemotherapy in these women, cure rates are high.
      OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the outcomes of women diagnosed with low-risk GTN,
      assessing the type of treatment, the number of chemotherapy cycles received,
      development of resistance or disease relapse, survival, and to assess the
      feasibility of changing to a new drug regimen. METHODS: From March 2012 until
      February 2015, a retrospective study was conducted and 38 cases with low-risk GTN
      were reviewed. The number of cycles, type of treatment received, duration of
      treatment, development of resistance and disease relapse, and adverse side
      effects were analysed. RESULTS: The median duration of follow-up was 12 months.
      Disease-free survival was 100% and primary complete remission rates were achieved
      in 85.3% of patients who were treated with actinomycin D and 25% patients who
      were treated with methotrexate (MTX). A change in chemotherapy was required for
      nine patients. One patient developed disease relapse. Nausea, fatigue and
      constipation were the most frequent adverse events reported with actinomycin D.
      All women were cured of their disease. CONCLUSION: All women were successfully
      treated and achieved complete remission. Changing from MTX to actinomycin D as
      first-line chemotherapy for women with low-risk GTN was feasible and safe.

PMID- 28345754
TI  - Second-to-fourth digit ratio (2D:4D) is unrelated to measures of somatic
      reproductive effort among young men from Cebu, the Philippines.
AB  - OBJECTIVES: A low second-to-fourth (2D:4D) digit ratio, a retrospective marker of
      high prenatal androgens, predicts increased investment in costly sexually
      dimorphic traits in men in some studies, although results are mixed. Here we test
      the hypothesis that the association of low 2D:4D ratios with increased
      muscularity and decreased adiposity depends on current testosterone (T) levels,
      such that digit ratio will be a particularly strong predictor of outcomes among
      men exhibiting a mating-effort-oriented endocrinological profile (high T). We
      also test the association between 2D:4D and somatic traits independently of T.
      MATERIALS AND METHODS: We related 2D:4D digit ratios, and their interaction with
      T, to handgrip strength, lean mass, arm muscle area, and skinfold thickness in a
      sample of young, childess men (20-22 y) from Cebu, Philippines (N = 623).
      RESULTS: Digit ratio did not significantly predict men's T-dependent somatic
      traits. Interactions between 2D:4D and morning T, similarly, did not predict male
      muscularity or adiposity. Although two of the interactions were significant or
      marginally significant (p < .1), after adjusting for multiple testing the
      evidence in support of our hypothesis was weak. DISCUSSION: We found no evidence
      that 2D:4D predicted measures of somatic reproductive effort in this sample of
      young men from Cebu, who as a group could be considered mostly mating-oriented.
      These relationships were also not contingent upon, or stronger, when considering
      the moderating effect of concurrent T levels. In this sample, 2D:4D was therefore
      either a poor proxy of prenatal androgen exposure or prenatal androgens had
      limited influence on adult somatic outcomes.

PMID- 28345755
TI  - Chilblain lupus erythematosus treated successfully with mycophenolate mofetil.

PMID- 28345756
TI  - The dawn of dentistry in the late upper Paleolithic: An early case of
      pathological intervention at Riparo Fredian.
AB  - OBJECTIVES: Early evidence for the treatment of dental pathology is found
      primarily among food-producing societies associated with high levels of oral
      pathology. However, some Late Pleistocene hunter-gatherers show extensive oral
      pathology, suggesting that experimentation with therapeutic dental interventions
      may have greater antiquity. Here, we report the second earliest probable evidence
      for dentistry in a Late Upper Paleolithic hunter-gatherer recovered from Riparo
      Fredian (Tuscany, Italy). MATERIALS AND METHODS: The Fredian 5 human consists of
      an associated maxillary anterior dentition with antemortem exposure of both upper
      first incisor (I1 ) pulp chambers. The pulp chambers present probable antemortem
      modifications that warrant in-depth analyses and direct dating. Scanning electron
      microscopy, microCT and residue analyses were used to investigate the purported
      modifications of external and internal surfaces of each I1 . RESULTS: The direct
      date places Fredian 5 between 13,000 and 12,740 calendar years ago. Both pulp
      chambers were circumferentially enlarged prior to the death of this individual.
      Occlusal dentine flaking on the margin of the cavities and striations on their
      internal aspects suggest anthropic manipulation. Residue analyses revealed a
      conglomerate of bitumen, vegetal fibers, and probable hairs adherent to the
      internal walls of the cavities. DISCUSSION: The results are consistent with tool
      assisted manipulation to remove necrotic or infected pulp in vivo and the
      subsequent use of a composite, organic filling. Fredian 5 confirms the practice
      of dentistry-specifically, a pathology-induced intervention-among Late
      Pleistocene hunter-gatherers. As such, it appears that fundamental perceptions of
      biomedical knowledge and practice were in place long before the socioeconomic
      changes associated with the transition to food production in the Neolithic.

PMID- 28345757
TI  - Parasites of orangutans (primates: ponginae): An overview.
AB  - Wild orangutan populations exist in an increasingly fragile state. As numbers
      continue to decline and populations became fragmented, the overall health of
      remaining individuals becomes increasingly at risk. Parasitic infections can have
      a serious impact on the health of wild orangutans, and can be fatal. It has been
      reported that rehabilitated individuals demonstrate a higher prevalence of
      parasitic diseases, and it is possible that they may spread these infections to
      wild orangutans upon reintroduction. In order to ensure the success of
      reintroduction and conservation efforts, it is crucial to understand the
      potential risks by fully understanding what parasites they have been reported to
      be infected with. Using this knowledge, future conservation strategies can be
      adapted to minimize the risk and prevalence of parasite transmission in the
      remaining orangutan populations. There is still limited information available on
      orangutan parasites, with several still not identified to the species level.
      Based on comprehensive literature review, we found 51 parasite taxa known to
      infect wild, semi-wild, and captive orangutans, including newly reported species.
      Here, we summarize methods used to identify parasites and draw conclusions
      relative to their reported prevalence. We also recommend fecal sample
      preservation and analytical methods to obtain best result in the future.

PMID- 28345758
TI  - Biodegradable gelatin/beta-tricalcium phosphate sponges incorporating recombinant
      human fibroblast growth factor-2 for treatment of recession-type defects: A split
      mouth study in dogs.
AB  - BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: Tissue engineering by using recombinant human (rh)
      growth factor technology may offer a promising therapeutic approach for treatment
      of gingival recession. Fibroblast growth factor-2 (FGF-2) has shown the ability
      to promote periodontal regeneration. Gelatin/beta-tricalcium phosphate
      (gelatin/beta-TCP) sponges have been developed to control the release of growth
      factors. The present study evaluated the periodontal regenerative efficacy of
      rhFGF-2 by comparing gelatin/beta-TCP sponges incorporated with rhFGF-2 to the
      scaffolds alone in artificially created recession-type defects in dogs. MATERIAL
      AND METHODS: Critically sized buccal gingival recession defects were surgically
      created on maxillary canine teeth of five dogs. In each animal, defects were
      randomized to receive either a gelatin/beta-TCP sponge soaked with rhFGF-2
      (gelatin/beta-TCP/rhFGF-2) or phosphate-buffered saline (gelatin/beta-TCP). Eight
      weeks after surgery, biopsy specimens were obtained and subjected to
      microcomputed tomography and histological analyses. RESULTS: Complete root
      coverage was achieved in both groups. Microcomputed tomography revealed
      significantly greater new bone volume in the gelatin/beta-TCP/rhFGF-2 group.
      Histologically, both groups achieved periodontal regeneration; however,
      gelatin/beta-TCP/rhFGF-2 sites exhibited more tissue regeneration, characterized
      by significantly larger amounts of new cementum and new bone. Gelatin/beta-TCP
      sites featured increased long junctional epithelium and connective tissue
      attachment. In the gelatin/beta-TCP/rhFGF-2 sites, new bone exhibited many
      haversian canals and circumferential lamellae as well as remarkably thick
      periosteum with blood vascularization and hypercellularity. CONCLUSION: Within
      the limitations of this study, rhFGF-2 in gelatin/beta-TCP sponges exhibits an
      increased potential to support periodontal wound healing/regeneration in canine
      recession-type defects.

PMID- 28345759
TI  - Stable carbon, oxygen, and nitrogen, isotope analysis of plants from a South
      Asian tropical forest: Implications for primatology.
AB  - Stable isotope analysis of primate tissues in tropical forest contexts is an
      increasingly popular means of obtaining information about niche distinctions
      among sympatric species, including preferences in feeding height, forest canopy
      density, plant parts, and trophism. However, issues of equifinality mean that
      feeding height, canopy density, as well as the plant parts and plant species
      consumed, may produce similar or confounding effects. With a few exceptions,
      researchers have so far relied largely on general principles and/or limited plant
      data from the study area as references for deducing the predominant drivers of
      primate isotope variation. Here, we explore variation in the stable carbon
      (delta13 C), nitrogen (delta15 N), and oxygen (delta18 O) isotope ratios of 288
      plant samples identified as important to the three primate species from the
      Polonnaruwa Nature Sanctuary, Sri Lanka, relative to plant part, season, and
      canopy height. Our results show that plant part and height have the greatest
      effect on the delta13 C and delta18 O measurements of plants of immediate
      relevance to the primates, Macaca sinica, Semnopithecus priam thersites, and
      Trachypithecus vetulus, living in this monsoonal tropical forest. We find no
      influence of plant part, height or season on the delta15 N of measured plants.
      While the plant part effect is particularly pronounced in delta13 C between
      fruits and leaves, differential feeding height, and plant taxonomy influence
      plant delta13 C and delta18 O differences in addition to plant organ. Given that
      species composition in different regions and forest types will differ, the
      results urge caution in extrapolating general isotopic trends without substantial
      local baselines studies.

PMID- 28345760
TI  - Effect of temperature on lysosomal enzyme activity during preparation and storage
      of dried blood spots.
AB  - BACKGROUND: The use of dried blood spots (DBS) for the assay of lysosomal enzymes
      has facilitated the implementation of pilot studies for newborn screening for
      lysosomal storage disorders in various developed countries. The aim of the study
      was to determine the influence of ambient temperature during DBS preparation and
      storage on lysosomal enzyme activity in a developing, tropical country. METHODS:
      Blood samples from 12 healthy subjects collected on a S&S 903 filter paper were
      dried and stored at different temperatures for different periods of time.
      Activities of five lysosomal enzymes (acid alpha-glucosidase, acid alpha
      galactosidase, acid beta-glucocerebrosidase, acid sphingomyelinase, and
      galactocerebrosidase) were determined by tandem mass spectrometric and
      fluorimetric (acid alpha-glucosidase and acid beta-glucocerebrosidase only)
      assays. RESULTS: The mean activities of all five enzymes decreased significantly
      when DBS was dried at temperatures above 24 degrees C (P<.0001). DBS stored at 4
      degrees C, 24 degrees C, 30 degrees C, 37 degrees C, and 45 degrees C for 10 days
      and more, also showed significant reduction in activities of all five enzymes
      (P<.0001). CONCLUSION: The results highlight the importance of maintaining the
      correct ambient temperature during DBS preparation and storage to avoid false
      positive results when screening for lysosomal storage disorders.

PMID- 28345761
TI  - Shifting diet, shifting culture? A bioarchaeological approach to island dietary
      development on Iron-Age Oland, Baltic Sea.
AB  - OBJECTIVES: The diet and subsistence in Iron-Age Oland is debated as earlier
      studies and different archaeological sources seemingly provide conflicting
      interpretations. The objectives of this study are therefore to: (i) add new
      insights on diet and (ii) investigate the chronological variation in detail. It
      is common in studies of diet to investigate differences between datasets defined
      by archaeological periods (determined by artefact typology), but it is rare to
      explore whether these dietary changes are, in fact, well correlated with these
      temporal categories or not. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Stable isotope analysis of 108
      individuals and 25 animals was used to interpret diet in comparison with data
      from earlier studies. Different values of TLE (Trophic Level Effect) for delta15
      N were compared for interpretations of diet. Of the 108 individuals, 42 were
      subjected to 14 C analysis in this study. RESULTS: The isotopes from Iron-Age
      animals on Oland indicate that the local, contemporary ecology is specific. The
      human isotope values show chronological development both when pooled in
      chronological groups by typology and by more specific 14 C chronology.
      DISCUSSION: The new samples of animals as well as the use of 50/00 TLE for
      delta15 N values results in the diet reinterpreted as mainly domesticate-based,
      with at least two shifts in diet occurring in the Iron Age. The use of 14 C dates
      in connection with the stable isotope results indicates a dietary transition
      occurring between 200 BC and AD 200, a date range that spans two typologically
      determined time periods.

PMID- 28345762
TI  - Short-term effects of a low carbohydrate diet on glycaemic variables and
      cardiovascular risk markers in patients with type 1 diabetes: A randomized open
      label crossover trial.
AB  - The aim of the present study was to assess the effects of a high carbohydrate
      diet (HCD) vs a low carbohydrate diet (LCD) on glycaemic variables and
      cardiovascular risk markers in patients with type 1 diabetes. Ten patients (4
      women, insulin pump-treated, median +/- standard deviation [s.d.] age 48 +/- 10
      years, glycated haemoglobin [HbA1c] 53 +/- 6 mmol/mol [7.0% +/- 0.6%]) followed
      an isocaloric HCD (>=250 g/d) for 1 week and an isocaloric LCD (<=50 g/d) for 1
      week in random order. After each week, we downloaded pump and sensor data and
      collected fasting blood and urine samples. Diet adherence was high (225 +/- 30 vs
      47 +/- 10 g carbohydrates/d; P < .0001). Mean sensor glucose levels were similar
      in the two diets (7.3 +/- 1.1 vs 7.4 +/- 0.6 mmol/L; P = .99). The LCD resulted
      in more time with glucose values in the range of 3.9 to 10.0 mmol/L (83% +/- 9%
      vs 72% +/- 11%; P = .02), less time with values <=3.9 mmol/L (3.3% +/- 2.8% vs
      8.0% +/- 6.3%; P = .03), and less glucose variability (s.d. 1.9 +/- 0.4 vs 2.6 +/
      0.4 mmol/L; P = .02) than the HCD. Cardiovascular markers were unaffected, while
      fasting glucagon, ketone and free fatty acid levels were higher at end of the LCD
      week than the HCD week. In conclusion, the LCD resulted in more time in
      euglycaemia, less time in hypoglycaemia and less glucose variability than the
      HCD, without altering mean glucose levels.

PMID- 28345763
TI  - The role of Runx2 in facilitating autophagy in metastatic breast cancer cells.
AB  - Breast cancer metastases cause significant patient mortality. During metastases,
      cancer cells use autophagy, a catabolic process to recycle nutrients via
      lysosomal degradation, to overcome nutritional stress for their survival. The
      Runt-related transcription factor, Runx2, promotes cell survival under metabolic
      stress, and regulates breast cancer progression and bone metastases. Here, we
      identify that Runx2 enhances autophagy in metastatic breast cancer cells. We
      defined Runx2 function in cellular autophagy by monitoring microtubule-associated
      protein light chain (LC3B-II) levels, an autophagy-specific marker. The electron
      and confocal microscopic analyses were utilized to identify alterations in
      autophagic vesicles. The Runx2 knockdown cells accumulate LC3B-II protein and
      autophagic vesicles due to reduced turnover. Interestingly, Runx2 promotes
      autophagy by enhancing trafficking of LC3B vesicles. Our mechanistic studies
      revealed that Runx2 promotes autophagy by increasing acetylation of alpha-tubulin
      sub-units of microtubules. Inhibiting autophagy decreased cell adhesion and
      survival of Runx2 knockdown cells. Furthermore, analysis of LC3B protein in
      clinical breast cancer specimens and tumor xenografts revealed significant
      association between high Runx2 and low LC3B protein levels. Our studies reveal a
      novel regulatory mechanism of autophagy via Runx2 and provide molecular insights
      into the role of autophagy in metastatic cancer cells.

PMID- 28345764
TI  - The tarsal-metatarsal complex of caviomorph rodents: Anatomy and functional
      adaptive analysis.
AB  - Caviomorph rodents represent a major adaptive radiation of Neotropical mammals.
      They occupy a variety of ecological niches, which is also reflected in their wide
      array of locomotor behaviors. It is expected that this radiation would be
      mirrored by an equivalent disparity of tarsal-metatarsal morphology. Here, the
      tarsal-metatarsal complex of Erethizontidae, Cuniculidae, Dasyproctidae,
      Caviidae, Chinchillidae, Octodontidae, Ctenomyidae, and Echimyidae was examined,
      in order to evaluate its anatomical variation and functional-adaptive relevance
      in relation to locomotor behaviors. A qualitative study in functional morphology
      and a geometric morphometric analysis were performed. We recognized two distinct
      tarsal-metatarsal patterns that represent the extremes of anatomical variation in
      the foot. The first, typically present in arboreal species, is characterized by
      features that facilitate movements at different levels of the tarsal-metatarsal
      complex. The second pattern, typically present in cursorial caviomorphs, has a
      set of features that act to stabilize the joints, improve the interlocking of the
      tarsal bones, and restrict movements to the parasagittal plane. The morphological
      disparity recognized in this study seems to result from specific locomotor
      adaptations to climb, dig, run, jump and swim, as well as phylogenetic effects
      within and among the groups studies.

PMID- 28345765
TI  - A Synthetic Route to beta-Hydroxytyrosine-Derived Tetramic Acids: Total Synthesis
      of the Fungal Metabolite F-14329.
AB  - 3-Acyltetramic acids derived from beta-hydroxytyrosine are synthetically
      challenging. The first route to this structural motif, based upon a condensation
      between a Meldrum's acid conjugate bearing the acyl side chain, and a beta
      hydroxytyrosinate, N-protected by an ortho-nitrobenzyl group is presented. This
      group enables the Dieckmann cyclization of the resulting N-(beta-ketoacyl)amino
      ester, after which it can be removed photolytically without compromising the
      delicate 3'-hydroxy group. This strategy was applied to the first total synthesis
      of the fungal metabolite F-14329 (1).

PMID- 28345766
TI  - alpha-Linolenic acid and exercise training independently, and additively,
      decrease blood pressure and prevent diastolic dysfunction in obese Zucker rats.
AB  - KEY POINTS: alpha-linolenic acid (ALA) and exercise training both attenuate
      hyperlipidaemia-related cardiovascular derangements, however, there is a paucity
      of information pertaining to their mechanisms of action when combined. We
      investigated both the independent and combined effects of exercise training and
      ALA consumption in obese Zucker rats, aiming to determine the potential for
      additive improvements in cardiovascular function. ALA and exercise training
      independently improved cardiac output, end-diastolic volume, left ventricular
      fibrosis and mean blood pressure following a 4 week intervention. Combining ALA
      and endurance exercise yielded greater improvements in these parameters,
      independent of changes in markers of oxidative stress or endogenous anti
      oxidants. We postulate that divergent mechanisms of action may explain these
      changes: ALA increases peripheral vasodilation, and exercise training stimulates
      angiogenesis. ABSTRACT: Although alpha-linolenic acid (ALA) and endurance
      exercise training independently attenuate hyperlipidaemia-related cardiovascular
      derangements, there is a paucity of information pertaining to their mechanisms of
      action and efficacy when combined as a preventative therapeutic approach.
      Therefore, we used obese Zucker rats to investigate the independent and combined
      effects of these interventions on cardiovascular disease. Specifically, animals
      were randomly assigned to one of the following groups: control diet-sedentary,
      ALA supplemented-sedentary, control diet-exercise trained or ALA supplemented
      exercise trained. Following a 4 week intervention, although the independent and
      combined effects of ALA and exercise reduced (P < 0.05) the serum free/esterified
      cholesterol ratio, only the ALA supplemented-exercise trained animals displayed a
      reduction in the content of both serum free and esterified cholesterol. Moreover,
      although ALA and endurance training individually increased cardiac output, stroke
      volume and end-diastolic volume, as well as reduced left ventricle fibrosis, mean
      blood pressure and total peripheral resistance, these responses were all greater
      following the combined intervention (ALA supplemented-exercise trained). These
      effects occurred independent of changes in oxidative phosphorylation proteins,
      markers of oxidative stress or endogenous anti-oxidant capacity. We propose that
      the beneficial effects of a combined intervention occur as a result of divergent
      mechanisms of action elicited by ALA and endurance exercise because only exercise
      training increased the capillary content in the left ventricle and skeletal
      muscle, and tended to decrease protein carbonylation in the left ventricle (P =
      0.06). Taken together, our data indicate that combining ALA and endurance
      exercise provides additional improvements in cardiovascular disease risk
      reduction compared to singular interventions in the obese Zucker rat.

PMID- 28345767
TI  - NLRP3 inflammasome: Its regulation and involvement in atherosclerosis.
AB  - Inflammasomes are intracellular complexes involved in the innate immunity that
      convert proIL-1beta and proIL-18 to mature forms and initiate pyroptosis via
      cleaving procaspase-1. The most well-known inflammasome is NLRP3. Several studies
      have indicated a decisive and important role of NLRP3 inflammasome, IL-1beta, IL
      18, and pyroptosis in atherosclerosis. Modern hypotheses introduce
      atherosclerosis as an inflammatory/lipid-based disease and NLRP3 inflammasome has
      been considered as a link between lipid metabolism and inflammation because
      crystalline cholesterol and oxidized low-density lipoprotein (oxLDL) (two
      abundant components in atherosclerotic plaques) activate NLRP3 inflammasome. In
      addition, oxidative stress, mitochondrial dysfunction, endoplasmic reticulum (ER)
      stress, and lysosome rupture, which are implicated in inflammasome activation,
      have been discussed as important events in atherosclerosis. In spite of these
      clues, some studies have reported that NLRP3 inflammasome has no significant
      effect in atherogenesis. Our review reveals that some molecules such as JNK-1 and
      ASK-1 (upstream regulators of inflammasome activation) can reduce atherosclerosis
      through inducing apoptosis in macrophages. Notably, NLRP3 inflammasome can also
      cause apoptosis in macrophages, suggesting that NLRP3 inflammasome may mediate
      JNK-induced apoptosis, and the apoptotic function of NLRP3 inflammasome may be a
      reason for the conflicting results reported. The present review shows that the
      role of NLRP3 in atherogenesis can be significant. Here, the molecular pathways
      of NLRP3 inflammasome activation and the implications of this activation in
      atherosclerosis are explained.

PMID- 28345768
TI  - Mycophenolate Mofetil and Rapamycin Induce Apoptosis in the Human Monocytic U937
      Cell Line Through Two Different Pathways.
AB  - Transplant vasculopathy may be considered as an accelerated form of
      atherosclerosis resulting in chronic rejection of vascularized allografts. After
      organ transplantation, a diffuse intimal thickening is observed, leading to the
      development of an atherosclerosis plaque due to a significant monocyte
      infiltration. This results from a chronic inflammatory process induced by the
      immune response. In this study, we investigated the impact of two
      immunosuppressive drugs used in therapy initiated after organ transplantation,
      mycophenolate mofetil, and rapamycin, on the apoptotic response of monocytes
      induced or not by oxidized LDL. Here we show the pro-apoptotic effect of these
      two drugs through two distinct signaling pathways and we highlight a synergistic
      effect of rapamycin on apoptosis induced by oxidized LDL. In conclusion, since
      immunosuppressive therapy using mycophenolate mofetil or rapamycin can increase
      the cell death in a monocyte cell line, this treatment could exert similar
      effects on human monocytes in transplant patients, and thus, prevent transplant
      vasculopathy, atherosclerosis development, and chronic allograft rejection. J.
      Cell. Biochem. 118: 3480-3487, 2017. (c) 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

PMID- 28345769
TI  - Best practice policy statement on urodynamic antibiotic prophylaxis in the non
      index patient.
AB  - AIMS: Antibiotic prophylaxis before urodynamic testing (UDS) is widely utilized
      to prevent urinary tract infection (UTI) with only limited guidance. The Society
      of Urodynamics, Female Pelvic Medicine, and Urogenital Reconstruction (SUFU)
      convened a Best Practice Policy Panel to formulate recommendations on the
      urodynamic antibiotic prophylaxis in the non-index patient. METHODS:
      Recommendations are based on a literature review and the Panel's expert opinion,
      with all recommendations graded using the Oxford grading system. RESULTS: All
      patients should be screened for symptoms of UTI and undergo dipstick urinalysis.
      If the clinician suspects a UTI, the UDS should be postponed until it has been
      treated. The first choice for prophylaxis is a single oral dose of trimethoprim
      sulfamethoxazole before UDS, with alternative antibiotics chosen in case of
      allergy or intolerance. Individuals who do NOT require routine antibiotic
      prophylaxis include those without known relevant genitourinary anomalies,
      diabetics, those with prior genitourinary surgery, a history of recurrent UTI,
      post-menopausal women, recently hospitalized patients, patients with cardiac
      valvular disease, nutritional deficiencies or obesity. Identified risk factors
      that increase the potential for UTI following UDS and for which the panel
      recommends peri-procedure antibiotics include: known relevant neurogenic lower
      urinary tract dysfunction, elevated PVR, asymptomatic bacteriuria,
      immunosuppression, age over 70, and patients with any indwelling catheter,
      external urinary collection device, or performing intermittent catheterization.
      Patients with orthopedic implants have a separate risk stratification.
      CONCLUSIONS: These recommendations can assist urodynamic providers in the
      appropriate use of antibiotics for UDS testing. Clinical judgment of the provider
      must always be considered.

PMID- 28345770
TI  - Effect of 1,25(OH)2 D3 and 20(OH)D3 on interleukin-1beta-stimulated interleukin-6
      and -8 production by human gingival fibroblasts.
AB  - BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: Vitamin D-1,25(OH)2 D3 or 1,25D3-maintains healthy
      osseous tissue, stimulates the production of the antimicrobial peptide
      cathelicidin and has anti-inflammatory effects, but it can cause hypercalcemia.
      Evidence links diminished serum levels of 1,25D3 with increased gingival
      inflammation. Periodontitis progression is associated with increased local
      production of inflammatory mediators by immune cells and gingival fibroblasts.
      These include interleukin (IL)-6, a regulator of osteoclastic bone resorption,
      and the neutrophil chemoattractant IL-8, both regulated by signaling pathways,
      including NF-kappaB and MAPK/AP-1. The objectives were to determine the effects
      of 1,25D3 or a non-calcemic analog, 20-hydroxyvitamin D3 -20(OH)D3 or 20D3-on IL
      1beta-stimulated IL-6 and IL-8 production, and NF-kappaB and MAPK/AP-1
      activation, by human gingival fibroblasts. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Human gingival
      fibroblasts were incubated +/- IL-1beta, with or without exposure to 1,25D3 or
      20D3. IL-6 and IL-8 in culture supernatants were measured by enzyme-linked
      immunosorbent assay. NF-kappaB (p65) and AP-1 (phospho-cJun) and were measured in
      nuclear extracts via binding to specific oligonucleotides. Data were analyzed
      using ANOVA and Scheffe's F procedure for post hoc comparisons. RESULTS: IL-1beta
      stimulated IL-6 and IL-8 levels were both significantly inhibited (40%-60%)
      (P<.045) by 1,25D3, but not 20D3 (0%-15% inhibition, not statistically
      significant). Both 1,25D3 and 20D3 significantly and similarly inhibited IL-1beta
      stimulated nuclear levels of p65 and phospho-cJun (P<.02). CONCLUSION: Reduction
      of the activation of NF-kappaB and AP-1 alone is not able to inhibit strongly the
      IL-1beta stimulated IL-6 and IL-8 gene expression. 1,25D3 but not 20D3 may affect
      some of the many other factors/processes/pathways that in turn regulate the
      expression of these genes. However, the results suggest that topical application
      of ligands of the vitamin D receptor may be useful in the local treatment of
      periodontitis while reducing adverse systemic effects.

PMID- 28345772
TI  - The novel KIR3DS1*085 allele identified in a southern Chinese Han individual.
AB  - KIR3DS1*085 allele differs from the closest allele KIR3DS1*01301 at nucleotide
      934 C>T in exon 5.

PMID- 28345771
TI  - Effect of intra-cellular trafficking on flow cytometric measurement of
      neutrophil's oxidative status in iron deficient pregnant females.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Iron deficiency and iron deficiency anemia are prevalent among
      pregnant women particularly in developing countries. This study aimed to evaluate
      the iron status among Egyptian pregnant women and its impact on their
      neutrophil's count and antimicrobial functions. METHOD: Ninety pregnant females
      underwent complete blood count, iron profile, flow cytometric studies for
      neutrophil myeloperoxidase expression & oxidative burst using dihydrorhodamine
      123 (DHR) after phorbol-12-myristate-13-acetate (PMA) stimulation as well as
      neutrophil phagocytic and lytic indices. RESULTS: According to percent saturation
      54/90 women (60%) were iron deficient (<15% saturation) (cases) and 36/90 (40%)
      were iron sufficient (controls). A higher proportion of iron deficient pregnant
      women were in their third trimester compared to controls. No significant
      difference was found between the iron deficient & sufficient groups as regards
      anemia despite a positive correlation between haemoglobin level and percent
      saturation (P=.02). Both the phagocytic and lytic indices were significantly
      lower among the cases compared to controls (P=.014 & .002 respectively). Cases
      and controls were comparable as regards flow cytometric studies of neutrophils'
      myeloperoxidase and oxidative burst (P>.05). No significant correlation was found
      between any of the iron profile parameters and the oxidative burst by flow
      cytometry. CONCLUSION: Functional microphage assay (phagocytic and lytic indices)
      may be more relevant and cost effective than flow cytometry assays of
      myeloperoxidase and oxidative burst in reflecting either iron status or cellular
      immunity in pregnancy.

PMID- 28345773
TI  - Screening for malnutrition in hospitalised older people: Comparison of the Mini
      Nutritional Assessment with its short-form versions.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: To determine how well the Mini Nutritional Assessment (MNA) Short Form
      (MNA-SF) performed as a nutritional screening tool when calf circumference
      replaced body mass index (BMI) as the included anthropometric measurement.
      METHODS: A total of 100 patients >=70 years were recruited from a Geriatric
      Evaluation and Management Unit. RESULTS: Mean age of patients was 85.2 (6.1)
      years. By the full MNA, 40% of patients were malnourished. The MNA correlated
      highly with both of its short-form versions (r = 0.87 and r = 0.90 for the BMI
      and calf circumference versions, respectively). Both MNA-SF versions also showed
      high accuracy in identifying malnutrition (auROC values >0.89). CONCLUSIONS: The
      MNA-SF is a rapid and accurate way to screen for malnutrition in hospitalised
      older adults. Substitution of BMI measurement with the time-efficient calf
      circumference measurement maintained MNA-SF accuracy. It is recommended that calf
      circumference measurement be used for nutritional screening by MNA-SF in a
      hospital setting.

PMID- 28345775
TI  - Quantification of the position and depth of the flexor hallucis longus groove in
      euarchontans, with implications for the evolution of primate positional behavior.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: On the talus, the position and depth of the groove for the flexor
      hallucis longus tendon have been used to infer phylogenetic affinities and
      positional behaviors of fossil primates. This study quantifies aspects of the
      flexor hallucis longus groove (FHLG) to test if: (1) a lateral FHLG is a derived
      strepsirrhine feature, (2) a lateral FHLG reflects inverted and abducted foot
      postures, and (3) a deeper FHLG indicates a larger muscle. METHODS: We used
      linear measurements of microCT-generated models from a sample of euarchontans (n
      = 378 specimens, 125 species) to quantify FHLG position and depth. Data are
      analyzed with ANOVA, Ordinary and Phylogenetic Generalized Least Squares, and
      Bayesian Ancestral State Reconstruction (ASR). RESULTS: Extant strepsirrhines,
      adapiforms, plesiadapiforms, dermopterans, and Ptilocercus exhibit lateral FHLGs.
      Extant anthropoids, subfossil lemurs, and Tupaia have medial FHLGs. FHLGs of
      omomyiforms and basal fossil anthropoids are intermediate between those of
      strepsirrhines and extant anthropoids. FHLG position has few correlations with
      pedal inversion features. Relative FHLG depth is not significantly correlated
      with body mass. ASRs support a directional model for FHLG position and a random
      walk model for FHLG depth. CONCLUSIONS: The prevalence of lateral FHLGs in many
      non-euprimates suggests a lateral FHLG is not a derived strepsirrhine feature.
      The lack of correlations with pedal inversion features suggests a lateral FHLG is
      not a sufficient indicator of strepsirrhine-like foot postures. Instead, a
      lateral FHLG may reduce the risk of tendon displacement in abducted foot postures
      on large diameter supports. A deep FHLG does not indicate a larger muscle, but
      likely reduces bowstringing during plantarflexion.

PMID- 28345774
TI  - Clinical features of trisomy 12 mosaicism-Report and review.
AB  - Trisomy 12 mosaicism is a rare condition. Herein, we report a patient with mosaic
      trisomy 12 who was conceived by in vitro fertilization. She presented with mild
      dysmorphic features at birth, including down-slanting palpebral fissures, a
      depressed and creased nasal bridge, and mild rhizomelic shortening of the limbs.
      She had age-appropriate development at 6 months of age, but displayed slightly
      more dysmorphic features than at birth. Chromosome analysis on peripheral blood
      revealed a normal female karyotype in 50 metaphases. A concurrent genomic
      microarray analysis showed trisomy 12 in about 25% of the specimen, which was
      also confirmed by fluorescence in situ hybridization analysis with the CEP12
      probe. Our findings further delineate the clinical features in trisomy 12
      mosaicism in liveborns and demonstrate the utility of genomic microarray analysis
      in identification of mosaic aneuploidies.

PMID- 28345776
TI  - Red blood cell distribution width and neutrophil to lymphocyte ratio are
      correlated with disease activity of dermatomyositis and polymyositis.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Previous studies indicated that both red blood cell distribution
      width (RDW) and neutrophil to lymphocyte ratio (NLR) were useful indices in
      assessing the disease activity of autoimmune diseases. However, the evidence for
      the association between RDW, NLR and dermatomyositis (DM) and polymyositis (PM)
      is limited. The aim of this study is to investigate the association between the
      disease activity of PM/DM and both RDW and NLR. METHODS: Medical records of 114
      PM/DM patients and 114 healthy controls were retrospectively reviewed, and their
      RDW, NLR and myositis disease activity assessment visual analogue scale (MYOACT)
      on admission were extracted. The correlations between RDW, NLR and MYOACT were
      analyzed using the Spearman approach and multivariable model. RESULTS: PM/DM
      patients had significantly higher RDW and NLR. Increased RDW in PM/DM patients
      was not completely attributed to decreased hemoglobin or therapeutic agents. Both
      RDW and NLR are independently and positively correlated MYOACT. CONCLUSION: Both
      RDW and NLR are useful indices in assessing the disease activity of PM/DM.

PMID- 28345777
TI  - The relationship between cancer patients' place of death and bereaved caregivers'
      mental health status.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Although place of death has been recognized as a risk factor in
      caregivers' bereavement adjustment, the estimation of the effect of the place of
      death needs careful consideration about many potential cofounders. PATIENTS AND
      METHODS: This study was a nationwide cross-sectional questionnaire survey for
      bereaved family caregivers of patients with cancer who died in 3 settings: (1)
      hospice at home; (2) palliative care units (PCUs); and (3) acute hospitals. We
      assessed bereaved caregivers' depression, grief, insomnia, and the quality of
      dying of deceased patients across the 3 groups using propensity score weighting.
      RESULTS: A total of 8968 responses were analyzed. According to scores on Patient
      Health Questionnaire 9, depressive symptoms were significantly higher in bereaved
      caregivers of patients who had died in acute hospitals (5.7; 95% confidence
      interval [CI]: 5.3-6.2) than for those of patients who had died in hospice at
      home (4.8; 95% CI: 4.4-5.1) or PCU (5.1; 95% CI: 5.0-5.2). Grief symptoms
      measured by Brief Grief Questionnaire were also significantly higher in
      caregivers of patients who had died in acute hospitals (5.0; 95% CI: 4.8-5.2)
      than those of patients who had died in hospice at home (4.7; 95% CI: 4.5-4.9) or
      PCU (4.7; 95% CI: 4.7-4.8). Deceased patients' quality of dying was highest in
      hospice at home, and worst in acute hospital. CONCLUSIONS: The place where a
      cancer patient dies influences not only their quality of dying and death but also
      the mental health of their family caregivers. However, the absolute difference is
      not large after adjustment of multiple variables.

PMID- 28345778
TI  - Comparison of the efficacy of perineal and intravaginal biofeedback assisted
      pelvic floor muscle exercises in women with urodynamic stress urinary
      incontinence.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: To assess the effectiveness of intravaginal pressure biofeedback (P
      BF) and perineal electromyographic biofeedback (EMG-BF) assisted pelvic floor
      muscle (PFM) exercises in women with stress urinary incontinence (SUI). MATERIAL
      AND METHODS: Fifty-three women with SUI were randomized into three groups as
      follows: the Group 1 received PFM home exercise program alone (n:18); the Group 2
      received PFM home exercise program plus intravaginal P-BF assisted PFM exercise
      program (n:17); and the Group 3 received PFM home exercise program plus perineal
      EMG-BF assisted PFM exercise program (n:18). Subjects were also assessed with the
      1-h pad test (severity of incontinence), perineometer (PFM strength), social
      activity index (SAI), IIQ7 (quality of life associated with incontinence),
      treatment success (cure and improvement rate) and treatment satisfaction.
      RESULTS: A statistically significant improvement was found in all parameters for
      all groups at 4th week and 8th week compared to the baseline values. It was found
      that severity of incontinence, PFM strength, and SAI scores were significantly
      improved in both BF groups compared to the Group 1 at 8th week. Also,
      statistically higher cure and improvement rate and treatment satisfaction values
      were detected in both BF groups compared to the Group 1. There was no
      statistically significant difference between Group 2 and Group 3 in all
      parameters evaluated at the follow-up period. CONCLUSIONS: We conclude that both
      the home exercises plus intravaginal P-BF and home exercises plus perineal EMG-BF
      are superior to home exercises in women with SUI. Intravaginal P-BF and perineal
      EMG-BF were similarly effective and they can be used as their alternatives.

PMID- 28345779
TI  - Sacral neuromodulation for detrusor hyperactivity with impaired contractility.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: Detrusor hyperactivity with impaired contractility (DHIC) is a
      challenging condition to manage. Sacral neuromodulation (SNM) is a proven
      treatment modality for both the individual aspects of DHIC. To date, data
      reporting the outcome of SNM for DHIC are lacking. MATERIALS AND METHODS:
      Consecutive patients undergoing SNM for DHIC were followed prospectively, from
      April 2013 to October 2016. Patient demographics, bladder diaries, subjective
      response rates, ICIQ-OAB, and PGI-I scores were recorded. Success was defined as
      greater than 50% improvement in storage symptoms and a 50% improvement in voided
      volume or reduction of post-void residual volumes. RESULTS: Twenty patients
      underwent stage 1 trial of SNM for DHIC. Median age was 68.5, IQR (54.25-76.25).
      Thirteen (65%) patients were female. A total of 14/20 (70%) of patients had a
      significant treatment response, 9/20 had a response to both elements of DHIC,
      4/20 patients had a response to the detrusor overactivity (DO) alone, and 1/20
      had a response to the voiding component alone. A total of 12/20 (60%) patients
      proceeded to insertion of an IPG. At mean follow-up of 17 months, IQR (1.5-35),
      11/12 (91.7%) of patients are still using the SNM for DHIC. Median PGI score is
      2, IQR (2-4). SNM for DHIC resulted in statistically significant improvements in
      voided volume (P = 0.016), PVR (P = 0.0296), ICIQ-OAB score (P < 0.0001), and
      ICIQ-OAB bother score (P = 0.016) CONCLUSION: This is the first study we know of
      to report the results of SNM for DHIC. SNM is associated with satisfactory
      success rates, treating both the detrusor hyperactivity, and impaired
      contractility components of this condition.

PMID- 28345780
TI  - Lewis Acid Mediated Nazarov Cyclization as a Convergent and Enantioselective
      Entry to C-nor-D-homo-Steroids.
AB  - A straightforward synthesis of C-nor-D-homo steroids starting from (+)-Wieland
      Miescher ketone is reported. This convergent synthetic strategy utilizes a
      scalable diastereoselective Nazarov cyclization of functionalized chiral aryl
      vinyl ketones, allowing for further functionalization. The ability to conduct
      this key transformation on a multi-gram scale paves the way for the synthesis of
      a variety of completely new C-nor-D-homo steroids, without the need of a classic
      steran steroid rearrangement or achiral linear reaction sequences.

PMID- 28345781
TI  - Apoptotic pathways of macrophages within osteolytic interface membrane in
      periprosthestic osteolysis after total hip replacement.
AB  - Macrophage apoptosis in interface membrane, which occurs through either death
      receptor, mitochondrion, or endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress pathways, has been
      suggested to play an important role in promoting osteolysis. However, how and why
      macrophage apoptosis originates and the correlation among these apoptotic
      pathways is not yet clear. The objective of this study was to identify the
      apoptotic mechanism of macrophages, and to explore the relationship between the
      apoptotic pathways and progression of osteolysis. Transmission electron
      microscopy (TEM) was utilized to analyze the tissue ultrastructure of wear
      particles, and in situ apoptotic macrophage identification was performed by TUNEL
      staining. We analyzed the expression of the key biomarkers of apoptotic pathways
      via immunohistochemistry and Western blotting. Our results demonstrated that the
      majority of wear particles within osteolytic interface membrane was in the 30-60
      nm range, and that macrophage apoptotic ratio increased along with osteolysis
      progression. Normal hip dysplasia and mechanical loosening of tissues showed low
      expression levels of biomarkers for ER stress (Ca2+ , JNK, cleaved Caspase-4,
      IRE1-alpha, Grp78/Bip, and CHOP), mitochondrion (Bcl-2, Bax, and Cytochrome c),
      and death receptor (Fas and cleaved Caspase-8) pathways, while osteolytic
      interface membrane tissues expressed high levels of these biomarkers. In
      addition, we found that the ER stress intensity was in complete conformity with
      mitochondrial dysfunction and was consistent with the results of death receptor
      activation. Thus, our findings suggested that wear particles generated at implant
      interface can accelerate macrophage apoptosis through changes in apoptotic
      pathways and ultimately aggravate the symptom of osteolysis. These data represent
      a preferential apoptotic signaling pathway of macrophages as specific target
      points for the prevention and therapeutic modulation of periprosthetic
      osteolysis.

PMID- 28345783
TI  - Natural tolerance development in cow's milk allergic children: IgE and IgG4
      epitope binding.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Although most of cow's milk (CM) allergic children will outgrow their
      allergy, the pathomechanism of the natural development of tolerance remains
      poorly understood. It has been suggested that the balance between milk-specific
      IgE and IgG4 plays a major role. OBJECTIVE: We aimed to investigate differences
      in IgE and IgG4 antibody binding to CM epitopes between patients with persistent
      CM allergy (CMA) and those that naturally became tolerant. METHODS: Sera from 35
      children with proven CMA (median age at inclusion of 10 months) were analyzed
      retrospectively; 22 patients have become tolerant (median age at tolerance
      acquisition of 51 months) during the study period as confirmed by a negative oral
      food challenge. IgE and IgG4 binding to sequential epitopes derived from five
      major CM proteins were measured with a peptide microarray-based immunoassay.
      RESULTS: At baselines, greater intensity and broader diversity of IgE and IgG4
      binding have been found in children with persistent CMA beyond 5 years of age
      compared to patients with transient CMA. Moreover, children with transient CMA
      had IgE and IgG4 antibodies that more often recognized the same epitopes,
      compared to those with persistent CMA. From baseline to the time of tolerance
      development, both IgE and IgG4 binding intensity decreased significantly,
      particularly in areas of alpha-s- and beta-casein (P<.01, false discovery rate
      [FDR]<.1). Interestingly, differences between IgE and IgG4 binding intensity to
      CM peptides decreased when the patients became tolerant. CONCLUSIONS: Our results
      suggest that the overlap between IgE and IgG4 might be important in natural
      tolerance acquisition. Further studies are needed to confirm our data and can
      eventually lead to development of more targeted treatment of food allergy.

PMID- 28345782
TI  - Red cell distribution width as a novel predictor of postoperative respiratory
      adverse events after adenotonsillectomy.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Respiratory adverse events are commonly observed after
      adenotonsillectomy in children with sleep-disordered breathing. Preoperative
      prediction of these events enhances quality of care and resource management in
      facilities while encouraging precautions against them. Red cell distribution
      width, a measure of erythrocyte size variability, has recently been linked to
      adverse outcomes in a variety of disorders. Red cell distribution width has also
      been found to be associated with severity of obstructive sleep apnea in adults
      due to hypoxia-mediated inflammation. AIM: The objective of this study was to
      evaluate whether elevated red cell distribution width is associated with
      postoperative respiratory adverse events in children with symptoms of sleep
      disordered breathing. METHODS: A prospective, observational, assessor-blinded
      study was conducted with consecutive children undergoing elective
      adenotonsillectomy for treatment of sleep-disordered breathing. Under general
      anesthesia, adenoidectomy was performed by curettage, and tonsillectomy was
      carried out by dissection. The primary outcome was the occurrence of an adverse
      event during emergence or in the postanesthesia care unit (PACU). RESULTS: Among
      287 patients, with mean +/- sd age 7.49 +/- 3.21, the frequency of respiratory
      complications during emergence was 62 (22.30%) and in PACU was 56 (20.14%). Mean
      +/- sd red cell distribution width was 14.36 +/- 1.06 in patients with
      complications and higher than that in those without complications 13.53 +/- 0.59.
      Red cell distribution width had an adjusted odds ratio 7.28 (95% CI: 4.30-13.28)
      and area under the curve value 0.74 (95% CI: 0.67-0.81) to predict postoperative
      complications. A cutoff value for red cell distribution width was found to be
      14.7. CONCLUSION: Our study showed that preoperative elevated red cell
      distribution width is associated with an increased risk of respiratory adverse
      events in children undergoing adenotonsillectomy for sleep-disordered breathing.

PMID- 28345784
TI  - Quality of Life in Cervical Cancer Survivors and Healthy Women: Thai Urban
      Population Study
AB  - Background : To determine a baseline quality of life (QoL) in cervical cancer
      survivors compared to that of healthysubjects in the tertiary Thammasat
      University Hospital, Thailand. Materials and Methods: The investigation
      wasconducted at the outpatient gynecological department of Thammasat University
      Hospital between January and June2016. A total of 192 women were entered into the
      study (97 cervical cancer survivors; 37 after radical hysterectomy(RH), 43 with
      concurrent chemoradiation (CRT), and 17 featuring both RH and CRT; and 95 control
      subjects from thesame outpatient department with no history of malignancy).
      Participant QoL was assessed using a Thai version of theEORTC-QLQ-C30 (European
      Organization for Research Treatment of Cancer Quality-of-Life) and a general
      survey forthe assessment of sociodemographic data was also conducted. Results:
      There were significant differences in physical,role, emotional and social
      functions between cervical cancer survivor and control groups. Global health,
      fatigue, pain,appetite loss, and financial difficulties also demonstrated
      statistically significant variation. Cervical cancer survivorstreated by RH had
      higher scores for emotional and social function and global health than the
      control group. Moreover,they had less appetite loss, fatigue and financial
      difficulties. However, patients treated with CRT experienced morepain than the
      control group. All cervical cancer survivors had lower physical function scores
      than the control group.Conclusion: Quality of life in cervical cancer survivors
      is better than in healthy peers in some domains. Cervical cancersurvivors treated
      with RH may have a better QoL than healthy peers. Early detection for early stage
      cervical cancerremains most important because treatment in early stages does not
      cause lowering of the QoL.

PMID- 28345785
TI  - NANOG overexpression and its correlation with stem cell and differentiation
      markers in meningiomas of different WHO grades.
AB  - NANOG, as a key regulator of pluripotency and acting synergistically with other
      factors, has been described as a crucial transcription factor in various types of
      cancer. In meningiomas the expression of this marker has not yet been described.
      With our study, we aimed to identify and localize NANOG and other possible
      markers of pluripotency, stem cell properties and differentiation in meningioma
      tissue, to elucidate a possible effect on tumorigenesis. The gene expression
      levels of NANOG (NANOG1 and NANOGP8), SOX2, OCT4, KLF4, ABCG2, CMYC, MSI1, CD44,
      NOTCH1, NES, SALL4B, TP53, and EPAS1 were quantitatively examined using RT-qPCR
      in 33 surgical specimens of low- (WHO grade I) as well as in high-grade (WHO
      grade II/III) meningiomas with dural tissue as reference. Immunofluorescence co
      localization analysis following confocal fluorescence microscopy for NANOG, OCT4,
      SOX2, Nestin, KI-67, and CD44 was also performed. There was a significant
      overexpression of NANOG, MSI1, and EPAS1 and a downregulation of NES in all
      examined tumors. Subgroup analysis (WHO grade I versus grade II/III) revealed
      differences in the expression of NANOG, CD44, and MSI1. We found 1% NANOG
      positive (NANOG+) cells in low-grade and 2% in grade II/III meningiomas co
      expressing the other mentioned markers in various compositions. In particular,
      NANOG+ cells expressing SOX2 and OCT4 were successfully identified (26% low-grade
      versus 20% high-grade). Our data reveal an overexpression of NANOG and other
      markers of pluripotency and stemness in meningiomas. Such potentially pluripotent
      "stem cell-like" cells may have an impact on tumorigenesis and progression in
      human meningiomas.

PMID- 28345786
TI  - A de novo nonsense mutation in ZBTB18 plus a de novo 15q13.3 microdeletion in a 6
      year-old female.
AB  - ZBTB18 has been proposed as candidate gene for microcephaly and abnormalities of
      the corpus callosum based on overlapping microdeletions of 1q43q44. More
      recently, de novo mutations of ZBTB18 have been identified in patients with
      syndromic and non-syndromic intellectual disability. Heterozygous microdeletions
      of 15q13.3 encompassing the candidate gene CHRNA7 are associated with
      developmental delay or intellectual disability with speech problems, hypotonia,
      and seizures. They are characterized by significant variability and reduced
      penetrance. We report on a patient with a de novo ZBTB18 nonsense mutation and a
      de novo 15q13.3 microdeletion, both in a heterozygous state, identified by next
      generation sequencing and array-CGH. The 6-year-old girl showed global
      developmental delay, absent speech, therapy-refractory seizures, ataxia, muscular
      hypotonia, and discrete facial dysmorphisms. Almost all of these features have
      been reported for both genetic aberrations, but the severity could hardly been
      explained by the microdeletion 15q13.3 alone. We assume an additive effect of
      haploinsufficiency of ZBTB18 and CHRNA7 in our patient. Assembling the features
      of our patient and the published patients, we noted that only one of them showed
      mild anomalies of the corpus callosum. Moreover, we hypothesize that nonsense
      mutations of ZBTB18 are associated with a more severe phenotype than missense
      mutations. This report indicates that haploinsufficiency of additional genes
      beside ZBTB18 causes the high frequency of corpus callosum anomalies in patients
      with microdeletions of 1q43q44 and underlines the importance of an NGS-based
      molecular diagnostic in complex phenotypes.

PMID- 28345787
TI  - Non-motor symptoms and quality of life in subjects with mild parkinsonian signs.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Mild parkinsonian signs (MPS) are frequent in the elderly population
      and associated with the presence of risk markers for Parkinson's disease (PD).
      Both MPS and non-motor signs may be present in prodromal PD and may significantly
      impair quality of life (QoL). OBJECTIVE: To disentangle the contribution of motor
      impairment and extra-motor manifestations to QoL in subjects with MPS (n=63),
      manifest PD (n=69), disorders with motor symptoms due to non-neurodegenerative
      diseases (n=213) and healthy controls (n=258). METHODS: Subjects with MPS,
      healthy controls, disease controls (patients with motor impairment due to, eg,
      arthrosis and spondylosis), and PD patients (total n=603) were selected from a
      large epidemiological longitudinal study, the EPIPARK cohort. Motor function was
      determined using the UPDRSIII protocol, and information on depressive symptoms,
      anxiety, sleep, and QoL was assessed via rating scales and data were analyzed.
      RESULTS: Depressive symptoms, anxiety, and sleep problems were equally frequent
      in the MPS group and controls. Health-related QoL was slightly reduced in the MPS
      group. Motor impairment and its extent was comparable between the MPS group and
      disease controls (UPDRSIII 5-6 points). Higher motor dysfunction was associated
      with lower QoL. Depressive symptoms, but not anxiety and daytime sleepiness, was
      significant predictors of general QoL, independent of motor function.
      CONCLUSIONS: Quality of life is slightly decreased in an elderly population with
      MPS. QoL is associated with severity of motor impairment but also with non-motor
      aspects, ie, depressive symptoms. Follow-up studies in large cohorts are
      warranted to determine the natural course of MPS and its impact on QoL.

PMID- 28345788
TI  - Horticultural activity predicts later localized limb status in a contemporary pre
      industrial population.
AB  - OBJECTIVES: Modern humans may have gracile skeletons due to low physical activity
      levels and mechanical loading. Tests using pre-historic skeletons are limited by
      the inability to assess behavior directly, while modern industrialized societies
      possess few socio-ecological features typical of human evolutionary history.
      Among Tsimane forager-horticulturalists, we test whether greater activity levels
      and, thus, increased loading earlier in life are associated with greater later
      life bone status and diminished age-related bone loss. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We
      used quantitative ultrasonography to assess radial and tibial status among adults
      aged 20+ years (mean +/- SD age = 49 +/- 15; 52% female). We conducted systematic
      behavioral observations to assess earlier-life activity patterns (mean time lag
      between behavioural observation and ultrasound = 12 years). For a subset of
      participants, physical activity was again measured later in life, via
      accelerometry, to determine whether earlier-life time use is associated with
      later-life activity levels. Anthropometric and demographic data were collected
      during medical exams. RESULTS: Structural decline with age is reduced for the
      tibia (female: -0.25 SDs/decade; male: 0.05 SDs/decade) versus radius (female: 
      0.56 SDs/decade; male: -0.20 SDs/decade), which is expected if greater loading
      mitigates bone loss. Time allocation to horticulture, but not hunting, positively
      predicts later-life radial status (betaHorticulture  = 0.48, p = 0.01), whereas
      tibial status is not significantly predicted by subsistence or sedentary leisure
      participation. DISCUSSION: Patterns of activity- and age-related change in bone
      status indicate localized osteogenic responses to loading, and are generally
      consistent with the logic of bone functional adaptation. Nonmechanical factors
      related to subsistence lifestyle moderate the association between activity
      patterns and bone structure.

PMID- 28345789
TI  - Childhood body mass index and development of type 2 diabetes throughout adult
      life-A large-scale danish cohort study.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: This study investigated how a wide spectrum of body mass index (BMI)
      values at ages 7 to 13 years are associated with type 2 diabetes throughout
      adulthood, including potential modifying effects of sex and birth weight.
      METHODS: From the Copenhagen School Health Records Register, 292,827 individuals,
      born between 1930 and 1989, were followed in national registers for type 2
      diabetes (women, n = 7,472; men, n = 11,548). Heights and weights were measured
      at ages 7 to 13 years. RESULTS: Below-average BMIs, with few exceptions, were not
      associated with type 2 diabetes. Above-average BMIs had positive associations
      that were stronger in women than men, stronger in younger birth cohorts, and
      weaker with older age at diagnosis. Women born 1930-1947, 1948-1965, and 1966
      1983 with above-average BMIs at 13 years (>=18.2 kg/m2 ) had hazard ratios (95%
      confidence intervals) ranging from 2.12 (1.91-2.36) to 2.84 (2.31-3.49) per z
      score when diagnosed at 30 to 47 years. Birth weight did not modify these
      associations. CONCLUSIONS: Childhood BMIs below average are not associated with
      type 2 diabetes, whereas childhood BMIs above average are strongly associated
      with type 2 diabetes in adulthood, corresponding to excess risks even at levels
      below international definitions of overweight. The associations are stronger in
      women than men but are not affected by birth weight.

PMID- 28345791
TI  - Trichoscopic diagnosis of cutaneous Pelodera strongyloides infestation in a dog.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Pelodera strongyloides infestation has rarely been reported in dogs.
      It is a saprophytic free-living nematode, found in moist decaying organic matter,
      whose L3 larval stages occasionally can invade the skin of dogs and humans.
      Larvae penetrate the follicular infundibula causing an erythematous and pruritic
      dermatitis. The disease is usually diagnosed by deep skin scraping or
      histopathology, with large numbers of parasites readily identified in hair
      follicles. CASE REPORT: Pelodera strongyloides dermatitis was diagnosed in a six
      year-old mixed breed dog presenting with alopecia, erythema and severe pruritus
      on the ventrum and limbs. The infestation was diagnosed by microscopic
      examination of plucked hair shafts and confirmed on microscopic examination of
      skin biopsies collected for histopathology. Only two of 10 deep skin scrapings
      gave positive findings. The nematode infestation was eradicated following two
      applications, 2 weeks apart, of a moxidectin/imidacloprid spot-on product.
      CONCLUSION AND CLINICAL IMPORTANCE: Skin scrapings are considered the diagnostic
      test of choice for P. strongyloides infestations. In this case, parasites were
      identified by hair trichograms more readily than by skin scrapings.

PMID- 28345790
TI  - Metabolic responses to exogenous ghrelin in obesity and early after Roux-en-Y
      gastric bypass in humans.
AB  - AIMS: Ghrelin is a gastric-derived hormone that stimulates growth hormone (GH)
      secretion and has a multi-faceted role in the regulation of energy homeostasis,
      including glucose metabolism. Circulating ghrelin concentrations are modulated in
      response to nutritional status, but responses to ghrelin in altered metabolic
      states are poorly understood. We investigated the metabolic effects of ghrelin in
      obesity and early after Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (RYGB). MATERIALS AND METHODS:
      We assessed central and peripheral metabolic responses to acyl ghrelin infusion
      (1 pmol kg-1  min-1 ) in healthy, lean subjects (n = 9) and non-diabetic, obese
      subjects (n = 9) before and 2 weeks after RYGB. Central responses were assessed
      by GH and pancreatic polypeptide (surrogate for vagal activity) secretion.
      Peripheral responses were assessed by hepatic and skeletal muscle insulin
      sensitivity during a hyperinsulinaemic-euglycaemic clamp. RESULTS: Ghrelin
      stimulated GH secretion was attenuated in obese subjects, but was restored by
      RYGB to a response similar to that of lean subjects. The heightened pancreatic
      polypeptide response to ghrelin infusion in the obese was attenuated after RYGB.
      Hepatic glucose production and hepatic insulin sensitivity were not altered by
      ghrelin infusion in RYGB subjects. Skeletal muscle insulin sensitivity was
      impaired to a similar degree in lean, obese and post-RYGB individuals in response
      to ghrelin infusion. CONCLUSIONS: These data suggest that obesity is
      characterized by abnormal central, but not peripheral, responsiveness to ghrelin
      that can be restored early after RYGB before significant weight loss. Further
      work is necessary to fully elucidate the role of ghrelin in the metabolic changes
      that occur in obesity and following RYGB.

PMID- 28345793
TI  - Small Molecules from Deep within the Gut.
AB  - Although the influence of the human microbiome on host functions is widely
      recognized, the underlying molecular mechanisms are still largely unknown. A
      recent study by the Fischbach group now provides an experimental workflow for
      characterizing and evaluating the impact of microbiome-derived small molecules on
      host physiology.

PMID- 28345794
TI  - The relationship between the biovars and the antimicrobial resistance of
      Ureaplasma urealyticum in female patients with urogenital infections.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Ureaplasma urealyticum is considered as one of the main pathogens
      found in women with urogenital infection. This study aimed to investigate the
      relationship between the biovars, serovars, and their antimicrobial resistance
      against antibiotics in female patients with urogenital infection. METHODS: Two
      hundred and forty-six cervical secretion samples (125 female outpatients as the
      patient group, 121 healthy female subjects as the control group) were first
      collected and analyzed for U. urealyticum using the Mycoplasma Identification and
      Antimicrobial Susceptibility Testing; then polymerase chain reaction (PCR) was
      carried out to identify the biovars and serovars of U. urealyticum-positive
      samples. RESULTS: The prevalence of U. urealyticum in the patient group (57. 60%)
      was higher than that in the control group (24.79%, P<.01). The main biovar was
      biovar 1, and the main serovars were 1 (S1), 3 (S3), 6 (S6) in biovar 1. Mixed
      infection was observed in biovar 2. According to the results of Antimicrobial
      Susceptibility Testing in the patient group, biovar 1 shows more resistance to
      minocycline, doxycycline, and azithromycin than biovar 2 (P<.05). Serovars S1, S3
      and S6 have the highest resistant rate to ofloxacin (84.38%), roxithromycin
      (84.62%), and azithromycin (90.90%), respectively. CONCLUSIONS: A high prevalence
      of U. urealyticum was observed in female patients with urogenital infections. And
      the biovar 1 and the serovars 1, 3, 6 were the main types of pathogens.

PMID- 28345792
TI  - Adding fast-acting insulin aspart to basal insulin significantly improved
      glycaemic control in patients with type 2 diabetes: A randomized, 18-week, open
      label, phase 3 trial (onset 3).
AB  - AIM: To confirm glycaemic control superiority of mealtime fast-acting insulin
      aspart (faster aspart) in a basal-bolus (BB) regimen vs basal-only insulin.
      MATERIALS AND METHODS: In this open-label, randomized, 18-week trial (51 sites; 6
      countries), adults (n = 236) with inadequately controlled type 2 diabetes (T2D;
      mean glycosylated haemoglobin [HbA1c] +/- SD: 7.9% +/- 0.7% [63.1 +/- 7.5
      mmol/mol]) receiving basal insulin and oral antidiabetic drugs underwent 8-week
      optimization of prior once-daily basal insulin followed by randomization 1:1 to
      either a BB regimen with faster aspart (n = 116) or continuation of once-daily
      basal insulin (n = 120), both with metformin. Primary endpoint was HbA1c change
      from baseline after 18 weeks of treatment. Secondary endpoints included:
      postprandial plasma glucose (PPG) change and overall PPG increment (all meals);
      weight; treatment-emergent adverse events; hypoglycaemic episodes. RESULTS: HbA1c
      decreased from 7.9% (63.2 mmol/mol) to 6.8% (50.7 mmol/mol; BB group) and from
      7.9% (63.2 mmol/mol) to 7.7% (60.7 mmol/mol; basal-only group); estimated
      treatment difference [95% confidence interval] -0.94% [-1.17; -0.72]; -10.3
      mmol/mol [-12.8; -7.8]; P  < .0001. Reductions from baseline in overall mean 2
      hour PPG and overall PPG increment for all meals (self-measured plasma glucose
      profiles) were statistically significant in favour of BB treatment ( P  < .0001).
      Severe/blood glucose confirmed hypoglycaemia rate (12.8 vs 2.0 episodes per
      patient-years of exposure), total daily insulin (1.2 vs 0.6 U/kg) and weight gain
      (1.8 vs 0.2 kg) were greater with BB than with basal-only treatment. CONCLUSIONS:
      In T2D, faster aspart in a BB regimen provided superior glycaemic control as
      compared with basal-only insulin, but with an increase in the frequency of
      hypoglycaemia and modest weight gain.

PMID- 28345795
TI  - Is the Lateralized Categorical Perception of Color a Situational Effect of
      Language on Color Perception?
AB  - This study investigated whether and how a person's varied series of lexical
      categories corresponding to different discriminatory characteristics of the same
      colors affect his or her perception of colors. In three experiments, Chinese
      participants were primed to categorize four graduated colors-specifically dark
      green, light green, light blue, and dark blue-into green and blue; light color
      and dark color; and dark green, light green, light blue, and dark blue. The
      participants were then required to complete a visual search task. Reaction times
      in the visual search task indicated that different lateralized categorical
      perceptions (CPs) of color corresponded to the various priming situations. These
      results suggest that all of the lexical categories corresponding to different
      discriminatory characteristics of the same colors can influence people's
      perceptions of colors and that color perceptions can be influenced differently by
      distinct types of lexical categories depending on the context.

PMID- 28345797
TI  - Metabolomics strategy for the mapping of volatile exometabolome from
      Saccharomyces spp. widely used in the food industry based on comprehensive two
      dimensional gas chromatography.
AB  - Saccharomyces spp. are widely used in the food and beverages industries. Their
      cellular excreted metabolites are important for general quality of products and
      can contribute to product differentiation. This exploratory study presents a
      metabolomics strategy for the comprehensive mapping of cellular metabolites of
      two yeast species, Saccharomyces cerevisiae and S. pastorianus (both collected in
      an industrial context) through a multidimensional chromatography platform. Solid
      phase microextraction was used as a sample preparation method. The yeast
      viability, a specific technological quality parameter, was also assessed. This
      untargeted analysis allowed the putative identification of 525 analytes,
      distributed over 14 chemical families, the origin of which may be explained
      through the pathways network associated with yeasts metabolism. The expression of
      the different metabolic pathways was similar for both species, event that seems
      to be yeast genus dependent. Nevertheless, these species showed different growth
      rates, which led to statistically different metabolites content. This was the
      first in-depth approach that characterizes the headspace content of S. cerevisiae
      and S. pastorianus species cultures. The combination of a sample preparation
      method capable of providing released volatile metabolites directly from yeast
      culture headspace with comprehensive two-dimensional gas chromatography was
      successful in uncovering a specific metabolomic pattern for each species.

PMID- 28345796
TI  - Establishing nucleosome architecture and stability at promoters: Roles of pioneer
      transcription factors and the RSC chromatin remodeler.
AB  - Improvements in deep sequencing, together with methods to rapidly deplete
      essential transcription factors (TFs) and chromatin remodelers, have recently led
      to a more detailed picture of promoter nucleosome architecture in yeast and its
      relationship to transcriptional regulation. These studies revealed that ~40% of
      all budding yeast protein-coding genes possess a unique promoter structure, where
      we propose that an unusually unstable nucleosome forms immediately upstream of
      the transcription start site (TSS). This "fragile" nucleosome (FN) promoter
      architecture relies on the combined action of the essential RSC (Remodels
      Structure of Chromatin) nucleosome remodeler and pioneer transcription factors
      (PTFs). FNs are associated with genes whose expression is high, coupled to cell
      growth, and characterized by low cell-to-cell variability (noise), suggesting
      that they may promote these features. Recent studies in metazoans suggest that
      the presence of dynamic nucleosomes upstream of the TSS at highly expressed genes
      may be conserved throughout evolution.

PMID- 28345799
TI  - George Lincoln Blackburn, MD, PhD (1936-2017).

PMID- 28345798
TI  - Multimetallic and Mixed Environment Iridium(III) Complexes: A Modular Approach to
      Luminescence Tuning Using a Host Platform.
AB  - Mononuclear and trinuclear bis-cyclometallated IrIII complexes of the host
      ligands tris(4-[4'-methyl-2,2'-bipyridyl]methyl)cyclotriguaiacylene (L1) and
      tris(4-(4'-methyl-2,2'- bipyridyl)carboxy)cyclotriguaiacylene (L2) have been
      prepared. Complexes [{Ir(ppy)2 }3 (L1)](PF6 )3 (1.1), [{Ir(ppy)2 }(L1)](PF6 )3
      (1.2), [{Ir(ppy)2 }3 (L2)](PF6 )3 (2.1) and [{Ir(ppy)2 }(L2)](PF6 )3 (2.2) (where
      ppy=phenylpyridinato) showed distinct photophysical properties depending on the L
      ligand. Complexes featuring the L1 ligand were comparatively blue-shifted in
      solution, with longer lifetimes and higher quantum yields. The mixed bis
      cyclometallated IrIII complexes [{Ir(ppy)2 }{Ir(dFppy)2 }2 (L1)](PF6 )3 (1.3),
      [{Ir(ppy)2 }{Ir(dFppy)2 }2 (L2)](PF6 )3 (2.3), [{Ir(ppy)2 }2 {Ir(dFppy)2
      }(L1)](PF6 )3 (1.4) and [{Ir(ppy)2 }2 {Ir(dFppy)2 }(L2)](PF6 )3 (2.4) (where
      dFppy=2,4-difluorophenylpyrinato) were also synthesised. Steady-state and time
      resolved spectroscopy, along with electrochemical investigations, show that the
      Ir(III) chromophores within these mixed Ir-environment species behave as isolated
      centres, with no energy transfer or electronic communication between them.

PMID- 28345800
TI  - Ancestry dynamics in a South American population: The impact of gene flow and
      preferential mating.
AB  - OBJECTIVES: European ancestry in many populations in Latin America at autosomal
      loci is often higher than that from X-linked loci indicating more European male
      ancestry and more Amerindian female ancestry. Generally, this has been attributed
      to more European male gene flow but could also result from an advantage to
      European mating or reproductive success. METHODS: Population genetic models were
      developed to investigate the dynamics of gene flow and mating or reproductive
      success. Using estimates of autosomal and X-chromosome European ancestry, the
      amount of male gene flow or mating or reproductive advantage for Europeans, or
      those with European ancestry, was estimated. RESULTS: In a population from
      Antioquia, Colombia with an estimated 79% European autosomal ancestry and an
      estimated 69% European X-chromosome ancestry, about 15% male gene flow from
      Europe or about 20% mating or reproductive advantage of Europeans over
      Amerindians resulted in these levels of European ancestry in the contemporary
      population. Combinations of gene flow and mating advantage were nearly additive
      in their impact. CONCLUSIONS: Gene flow, mating advantage, or a combination of
      both factors, are consistent with observed levels of European ancestry in a Latin
      American population. This approach provides a general methodology to determine
      the levels of gene flow and mating differences that can explain the observed
      contemporary differences in ancestry from autosomes and X-chromosomes.

PMID- 28345801
TI  - ZC4H2 deletions can cause severe phenotype in female carriers.
AB  - ZC4H2 is involved in human brain development, and, if mutated, can be responsible
      for a rare X-linked disorder, originally presented in literature as Wieacker
      Wolff syndrome and Miles-Carpenter syndrome. In males, severe intellectual
      disability is associated with variable symptoms of central and peripheral nervous
      system involvement, such as spasticity, hyperreflexia, muscle weakness, and
      arthrogryposis. Female carriers are usually described as asymptomatic or only
      mildly affected. Here, we report on a girl carrying a de novo deletion of ZC4H2
      detected by array-CGH analysis. She showed a complex neurodevelopmental disorder
      resembling the clinical picture commonly observed in male patients. X
      inactivation was found to be random. Additionally, she had an unusual appearance
      of fingers and hand creases, and electromyography showed a peculiar pattern of
      both neurogenic and myopathic anomalies. The present patient confirms that female
      carriers can also be severely affected. Systematic clinical investigations of
      both males and females are needed to define the variety in nature and severity of
      phenotypes related to ZC4H2 variants.

PMID- 28345803
TI  - An evolving approach to delirium: A mixed-methods process evaluation of a
      hospital-wide delirium program in New Zealand.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: A process evaluation was carried out to assess and potentially improve
      the design and implementation of a hospital-wide delirium program. METHODS: A
      mixed-methods sequential-explanatory design was used; retrospective chart reviews
      for 100 older (75+) medical inpatients were conducted to measure nurses',
      doctors' and coders' adherence to key program processes following which
      interviews were conducted to identify potential barriers to implementation.
      RESULTS: Delirium occurred in 49% of patients. Chart reviews revealed suboptimal
      adherence to the delirium risk assessment (66%), the Short Confusion Assessment
      Method (50% on admission, 58% during admission), documentation of delirium in
      clinical records (80%) and discharge letters (38%) and coding for delirium (49%).
      The major barriers to implementation identified were failure to recruit non
      nursing staff, unclear goals and instructions, difficulties using the Short-CAM,
      time constraints with competing priorities and lack of outcome expectancy.
      CONCLUSION: A new delirium program was needed based on these findings.

PMID- 28345802
TI  - The association between caudal anesthesia and increased risk of postoperative
      surgical complications in boys undergoing hypospadias repair.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: Recent reports have suggested that caudal anesthesia may be
      associated with an increased risk of postoperative surgical complications. We
      examined our experience with caudal anesthesia in hypospadias repair to evaluate
      for increased risk of urethrocutaneous fistula or glanular dehiscence. METHODS:
      All hypospadias repairs performed by a single surgeon in 2001-2014 were reviewed.
      Staged or revision surgeries were excluded. Patient age, weight, hypospadias
      severity, surgery duration, month and year of surgery, caudal anesthesia use, and
      postoperative complications were recorded. Bivariate and multivariate statistical
      analyses were performed. RESULTS: We identified 395 single-stage primary
      hypospadias repairs. Mean age was 15.6 months; 326 patients had distal (83%) and
      69 had proximal (17%) hypospadias. Caudal anesthetics were used in 230 (58%)
      cases; 165 patients (42%) underwent local penile block at the discretion of the
      surgeon and/or anesthesiologist. Complications of urethrocutaneous fistula or
      glanular deshiscence occurred in 22 patients (5.6%) and were associated with
      caudal anesthetic use (OR 16.5, 95% CI 2.2-123.8, P = 0.007), proximal
      hypospadias (OR 8.2, 95% CI 3.3-20.0, P < 0.001), increased surgical duration (OR
      1.01, 95% CI 1.01-1.02, P < 0.001), and earlier year of practice (OR 3.0, 95% CI
      1.2-7.9, P = 0.03 for trend). After adjusting for confounding variables via
      multivariable logistic regression, both caudal anesthetic use (OR 13.4, 95% CI
      1.8-101.8, P = 0.01) and proximal hypospadias (OR 6.8, 95% CI 2.7-16.9, P <
      0.001) remained highly associated with postoperative complications. CONCLUSIONS:
      In our experience, caudal anesthesia was associated with an over 13-fold increase
      in the odds of developing postoperative surgical complications in boys undergoing
      hypospadias repair even after adjusting for urethral meatus location. Until
      further investigation occurs, clinicians should carefully consider the use of
      caudal anesthesia for children undergoing hypospadias repair.

PMID- 28345804
TI  - Mycobacterium szulgai: an unusual cause of skin and soft tissue infection after
      breast augmentation.

PMID- 28345806
TI  - Obituary.

PMID- 28345805
TI  - Promoter hypermethylation-mediated downregulation of miR-770 and its host gene
      MEG3, a long non-coding RNA, in the development of gastric cardia adenocarcinoma.
AB  - Maternally expressed gene 3 (MEG3) is an imprinted gene located at 14q32 which
      encodes an lncRNA and is downregulated in an expanding list of cancer cell lines
      and primary human cancers. The miR-770 is transcribed from the intronic sequence
      of MEG3 and MEG3 may be the host gene for miR-770. However, the biological role
      of MEG3 and miR-770 in gastric cardia adenocarcinoma (GCA) development and
      prognosis is poorly defined. The present study was to investigate the function
      and methylation status of MEG3 in GCA, and further to detect the functional
      association of miR-770 and its host gene MEG3 in GCA carcinogenesis and
      prognosis. MEG3 and miR-770 was significantly downregulated in GCA patients and
      cell lines, and their expression was associated with TNM stage and lymph node
      metastasis. Overexpression of MEG3 and miR-770 inhibited gastric cancer cell
      proliferation and invasion in vitro. Furthermore, the expression level of MEG3
      and miR-770 was significantly increased in cancer cells after treated with 5-Aza
      dC. The aberrant hypermethylation of proximal promoter and enhancer region of
      MEG3 was detected in GCA tissues. In addition, the proximal promoter and enhancer
      region hypermethylation and dysregulation of MEG3 and miR-770 were associated
      with poorer GCA patients' survival. These findings suggest that miR-770 and its
      host gene MEG3 may play tumor suppressor role and hypermethylation of proximal
      promoter and enhancer region may be one of the critical mechanisms in
      inactivation of MEG3 and miR-770 in GCA development. MEG3 and miR-770 may be used
      as potential biomarkers in predicting GCA patients' prognosis.

PMID- 28345807
TI  - Low FODMAP in 2017: Lessons learned from clinical trials and mechanistic studies.
AB  - Given the prevalence of irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) and the suboptimal
      response to most therapeutic approaches, there has been increasing interest in
      and adoption of dietary treatment strategies, such as the low Fermentable Oligo-,
      Di-, & Mono-Saccharides and Polyols (FODMAP) diet. FODMAPs are a diverse group of
      carbohydrates that exert effects in the gastrointestinal tract not only via
      fermentation but likely via alterations in the microbiota, metabolome,
      permeability, and intestinal immunity as well. Clinical evidence for efficacy of
      this diet is mounting, but there are significant questions regarding short- and
      long-term safety and effects on the microbiota and nutrition that remain
      unanswered. This review article interprets the recent findings reported in this
      issue of Neurogastroenterology and Motility and summarizes the mechanistic and
      clinical efficacy data of the low FODMAP diet in IBS patients to date.

PMID- 28345809
TI  - Effect of lorcaserin on glycemic parameters in patients with type 2 diabetes
      mellitus.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: Lorcaserin, a 5-HT2C receptor agonist approved for chronic weight
      management, is also associated with improvements in glycemic parameters in
      patients with/without type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM), but the extent to which
      these effects are mediated by weight loss is unknown. This post hoc analysis
      further examines glycemic data from the Phase III BLOOM-DM study stratified by
      weight changes. METHODS: Patients with T2DM were randomized to lorcaserin 10 mg
      twice daily or placebo. Glycemic parameters were reported by Week (W) 12 weight
      loss status >=5% (Group >=5%) or <5% (Group <5%). Glycemic parameter changes were
      analyzed using ANCOVA; the relationship between glycemic parameter changes and
      percent weight loss was assessed by simple regression modeling. RESULTS: Group
      >=5% receiving lorcaserin had greater improvements in fasting plasma glucose
      (FPG) at W2 (prior to significant weight loss) and greater improvements in
      glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c) at W12 versus placebo. These improvements were
      maintained through W52 (FPG, -29.3 mg/dL vs. -24.2 mg/dL; HbA1c, -1.2% vs. 
      1.1%). Group <5% treated with lorcaserin also had larger decreases in FPG (-28.3
      mg/dL vs. -10.0 mg/dL) and HbA1c (-0.8% vs. -0.4%) at W52 versus placebo despite
      limited weight loss. CONCLUSIONS: Lorcaserin may have beneficial effects on
      glycemic control with or without weight loss.

PMID- 28345810
TI  - An Untrodden Path: Versatile Fabrication of Self-Supporting Polymer-Stabilized
      Percolation Membranes (PSPMs) for Gas Separation.
AB  - The preparation and scalability of zeolite or metal organic framework (MOF)
      membranes remains a major challenge, and thus prevents the application of these
      materials in large-scale gas separation. Additionally, several zeolite or MOF
      materials are quite difficult or nearly impossible to grow as defect-free layers,
      and require expensive macroporous ceramic or polymer supports. Here, we present
      new self-supporting zeolite and MOF composite membranes, called Polymer
      Stabilized Percolation Membranes (PSPMs), consisting of a pressed gas selective
      percolation network (in our case ZIF-8, NaX and MIL-140) and a gas-impermeable
      infiltrated epoxy resin for cohesion. We demonstrate the performance of these
      PSPMs by separating binary mixtures of H2 /CO2 and H2 /CH4 . We report the
      brickwork-like architecture featuring selective percolation pathways and the
      polymer as a stabilizer, compare the mechanical stability of said membranes with
      competing materials, and give an outlook on how economic these membranes may
      become.

PMID- 28345808
TI  - Molecular genetic analysis of the melanoma regulatory locus in Xiphophorus
      interspecies hybrids.
AB  - Development of spontaneous melanoma in Xiphophorus interspecies backcross hybrid
      progeny, (X. hellerii * [X. maculatus Jp 163 A * X. hellerii]) is due to
      Mendelian segregation of a oncogene (xmrk) and a molecularly uncharacterized
      locus, called R(Diff), on LG5. R(Diff) is thought to suppresses the activity of
      xmrk in healthy X. maculatus Jp 163 A parental species that rarely develop
      melanoma. To better understand the molecular genetics of R(Diff), we utilized RNA
      Seq to study allele-specific gene expression of spontaneous melanoma tumors and
      corresponding normal skin samples derived from 15 first generation backcross (BC1
      ) hybrids and 13 fifth generation (BC5 ) hybrids. Allele-specific expression was
      determined for all genes and assigned to parental allele inheritance for each
      backcross hybrid individual. Results showed that genes residing in a 5.81 Mbp
      region on LG5 were exclusively expressed from the X. hellerii alleles in tumor
      bearing BC1 hybrids. This observation indicates this region is consistently
      homozygous for X. hellerii alleles in tumor bearing animals, and therefore
      defines this region to be the R(Diff) locus. The R(Diff) locus harbors 164 gene
      models and includes the previously characterized R(Diff) candidate, cdkn2x.
      Twenty-one genes in the R(Diff) region show differential expression in the tumor
      samples compared to normal skin tissue. These results further characterize the
      R(Diff) locus and suggest tumor suppression may require a multigenic region
      rather than a single gene variant. Differences in gene expression between tumor
      and normal skin tissue in this region may indicate interactions among several
      genes are required for backcross hybrid melanoma development.

PMID- 28345811
TI  - Importance of laboratory parameters in patients with obstructive sleep apnea and
      their relationship with cardiovascular diseases.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Ostructive sleep apnea (OSA) is an independent risk factor for the
      development of cardiovascular events. Platelet activation and inflammation are
      the mechanisms involved in the association between OSA and cardiovascular disease
      (CVD). The markers of platelet activation and inflammation are the mean platelet
      volume (MPV), platelet-lymphocyte ratio (PLR), red cell distribution width (RDW),
      neutrophil- lymphocyte ratio (NLR). We aimed to define the association of NLR,
      PLR, RDW, and MPV with the severity of disease and the presence of CVD. METHODS:
      This study consisted of 300 patients who were admitted to the sleep laboratory.
      The patients were classified according to their apnea- hypopnea index (AHI)
      scores as OSA negative (Group A: AHI<5), mild (Group B: AHI: 5-15), moderate
      (Group C: AHI=15-30), and severe OSA (Group D: AHI >30). RESULTS: There were no
      significant differences in the NLR, PLR, and MPV among the groups (P>.05); only
      RDW differed significantly (P=.04). RDW was significantly higher in patients with
      than without risk factors for CVD [15.6% (15.4-15.7) vs 15.3% (15.1-15.3),
      respectively; P=.02]. CONCLUSIONS: NLR, PLR, MPV, and RDW are widely available
      and easily obtained from a routinely performed hemogram. Among these laboratory
      parameters, only RDW can demonstrate the reverse consequences of OSA-associated
      comorbidities, because vascular damage due to systemic inflammation is an
      important underlying mechanism in these diseases. RDW might be used as a marker
      of the response and patient compliance with continuous positive airway pressure
      treatment.

PMID- 28345812
TI  - Reduced expression of let-7f activates TGF-beta/ALK5 pathway and leads to
      impaired ischaemia-induced neovascularization after cigarette smoke exposure.
AB  - This study sought to determine the potential role of microRNAs (miRNAs) in the
      detrimental effects of cigarette smoke on angiogenesis and neovascularization.
      Using large-scale miRNA profiling and qRT-PCR analyses, we identified let-7f as a
      pro-angiogenic miRNA which expression is significantly reduced in HUVECs treated
      with cigarette smoke extracts (CSE), and in the ischemic muscles of mice that are
      exposed to cigarette smoke (MES). In a mouse model of hindlimb ischaemia,
      intramuscular injection of let-7f mimic restored ischaemia-induced
      neovascularization in MES. Doppler flow ratios and capillary density in ischemic
      muscles were significantly improved in MES treated with let-7f mimic. Clinically,
      this was associated with reduced ambulatory impairment and hindlimb ischaemic
      damage. Treatment with let-7f mimic could also rescue pro-angiogenic cell (PAC)
      number and function (attachment, proliferation, migration) in MES. ALK5 (TGF
      betaR1), an important modulator of angiogenesis, is a target of let-7f. Here we
      show that ALK5 is increased in HUVECs exposed to CSE and in the ischaemic muscles
      of MES. This is associated with a downstream activation of the anti-angiogenic
      factors SMAD2/3 and PAI-1. Importantly, treatment with let-7f mimic reduces the
      expression of ALK5, SMAD2/3 and PAI-1 both in vitro and in vivo. Moreover, let-7f
      overexpression or ALK5 inhibition can rescue angiogenesis in HUVECs exposed to
      CSE. Cigarette smoke exposure is associated with reduced expression of let-7f and
      activation of the anti-angiogenic TGF-beta/ALK5 pathway. Overexpression of let-7f
      using a miRNA mimic could constitute a novel therapeutic strategy to improve
      ischaemia-induced neovascularization in pathological conditions.

PMID- 28345813
TI  - Effect of the interaction between MiR-200b-3p and DNMT3A on cartilage cells of
      osteoarthritis patients.
AB  - The aim of this research is to explore the effect of miR-200b-3p targeting DNMT3A
      on the proliferation and apoptosis of osteoarthritis (OA) cartilage cells.
      Quantitative RT-PCR was performed to analyse the expression of miR-200b-3p,
      DNMT3A, MMP1, MMP3, MMP9, MMP13 and COL II in normal and OA cartilage tissues.
      The dual-luciferase reporter assay and Western blot assay were conducted to
      confirm the targeting relationship between miR-200b-3p and DNMT3A. We also
      constructed eukaryotic expression vector to overexpress miR-200b-3p and DNMT3A.
      We detected the expression level of MMPs and COL II in stable transfected
      cartilage cells using RT-PCR and Western blot. Cell proliferation and apoptosis
      were evaluated using the MTS, pellet culture and Hoechst 33342 staining method.
      Finally, we explored the effect of miR-200b-3p targeting DNMT3A on the
      proliferation and apoptosis of OA cartilage cells. The results of RT-PCR
      indicated that both miR-200b-3p and COL II were down-regulated in OA cartilage
      tissues, while the expression of DNMT3A and MMPs was up-regulated in OA cartilage
      tissues. The expressions of DNMT3A, MMPs and COL II detected by Western blot
      showed the same trend of the results of RT-PCR. The dual-luciferase reporter
      assay and Western blot assay confirmed the targeting relationship between miR
      200b-3p and DNMT3A. In overexpressed miR-200b-3p cartilage cells, DNMT3A and MMPs
      were significantly down-regulated, COL II was significantly up-regulated, cell
      viability was enhanced and apoptosis rate was decreased (P < 0.05). In
      overexpressed DNM3T cartilage cells, MMPs were significantly up-regulated, COL II
      was significantly down-regulated, cell viability was weakened and apoptosis rate
      was increased (P < 0.05). MiR-200b-3p inhibited the secretion of MMPs, promoted
      the synthesis of COL II and enhanced the growth and proliferation of OA cartilage
      cells through inhibiting the expression of DNMT3A.

PMID- 28345815
TI  - Description of the novel HLA-A allele, HLA-A*11:229, identified by sequence-based
      typing in a Chinese individual.
AB  - HLA-A*11:229 differs from HLA-A*11:01:01:01 by 1 nucleotide exchange at position
      556 (G > A) with an amino exchange.

PMID- 28345814
TI  - Dapagliflozin once daily plus exenatide once weekly in obese adults without
      diabetes: Sustained reductions in body weight, glycaemia and blood pressure over
      1 year.
AB  - AIMS: Dapagliflozin and exenatide reduce body weight by differing mechanisms.
      Dual therapy with these agents reduces body weight, adipose tissue volume,
      glycaemia and systolic blood pressure (SBP) over 24 weeks. Here, we examined
      these effects over 1 year in obese adults without diabetes. MATERIALS AND
      METHODS: Obese adults without diabetes (N = 50; aged 18-70 years; body mass
      index, 30-45 kg/m2 ) were initially randomized to double-blind oral dapagliflozin
      10 mg once daily plus subcutaneous long-acting exenatide 2 mg once weekly or to
      placebo. They entered an open-label extension from 24 to 52 weeks during which
      all participants received active treatment. RESULTS: Of the original 25
      dapagliflozin + exenatide-treated and 25 placebo-treated participants,
      respectively, 21 (84%) and 17 (68%) entered the open-label period and 16 (64%)
      and 17 (68%) completed 52 weeks of treatment. At baseline, mean body weight was
      104.6 kg, and 73.5% of participants had prediabetes (impaired fasting glucose or
      impaired glucose tolerance). Reductions with dapagliflozin + exenatide at 24
      weeks were sustained at 52 weeks, respectively, for body weight (-4.5 and -5.7
      kg), total adipose tissue volume (-3.8 and -5.3 L), proportion with prediabetes
      (34.8% and 35.3%), and SBP (-9.8 and -12.0 mm Hg). Effects on body weight, SBP
      and glycaemia at 52 weeks with placebo -> dapagliflozin + exenatide were similar
      to those observed with continuation of dapagliflozin + exenatide. Nausea and
      injection-site reactions were more frequent with dapagliflozin + exenatide than
      with placebo and diminished over time. Safety and tolerability were similar to
      that in previous diabetes trials with these agents. No clear difference in
      adverse event-related withdrawals between placebo and active treatment periods
      was observed. CONCLUSIONS: Dapagliflozin + exenatide dual therapy produced
      sustained reductions in body weight, prediabetes and SBP over 52 weeks and was
      well tolerated in obese adults without diabetes.

PMID- 28345816
TI  - Germline variation in the 3'-untranslated region of the POU2AF1 gene is
      associated with susceptibility to lymphoma.
AB  - Genetic variations in certain genes may alter the susceptibility to lymphoma. We
      searched electronic databases and selected candidate single-nucleotide
      polymorphisms (SNPs) located within 3'-untranslated regions (3'-UTRs) that might
      affect miRNA-binding ability in the 50 most dysregulated genes in lymphoma for
      further study. We found that rs1042752-located in the 3'-UTR of POU2AF1, which
      plays a vital role in lymphomagenesis-was significantly associated with lymphoma
      risk in a case-control study with 793 patients and 939 controls. Compared with
      individuals with the rs1042752TT genotype, those with the rs1042752CC genotype
      had a higher risk of lymphoma (OR = 2.14, 95% CI: 1.55-2.95, P < 0.001), even in
      stratified analysis for non-Hodgkin lymphoma (OR = 4.58, 95% CI: 2.38-8.81, P <
      0.001), B-cell lymphoma (OR = 4.89, 95% CI: 2.46-9.73, P < 0.001), T-cell
      lymphoma (OR = 4.20, 95% CI: 1.76-10.05, P = 0.001), and Hodgkin lymphoma (OR =
      3.62, 95% CI: 1.25-10.46, P = 0.018). Similar results were also observed in a
      recessive genetic model. Database findings suggested that rs1042752 might affect
      the interaction of POU2AF1 mRNA with hsa-miR-633. Functional assays confirmed
      that rs1042752C altered the binding site of hsa-miR-633 and increased POU2AF1
      expression in Ramos, HuT 102, and Jurkat E6-1 cell lines. These findings
      demonstrate for the first time that functional polymorphism in the 3'-UTR of
      POU2AF1 is associated with susceptibility, and that SNP interaction with hsa-miR
      633 affects gene expression and increases the risk of lymphoma.

PMID- 28345818
TI  - Retraction: Predicting New Ugi-Smiles Couplings: A Combined Experimental and
      Theoretical Study.

PMID- 28345817
TI  - Simultaneous determination of multiple active components in rat plasma using
      ultra-fast liquid chromatography with tandem mass spectrometry and application to
      a comparative pharmacokinetic study after oral administration of Suan-Zao-Ren
      decoction and Suan-Zao-Ren granule.
AB  - Suan-Zao-Ren decoction has been used to treat insomnia for many years. In this
      work, a rapid and sensitive ultra-fast liquid chromatography with tandem mass
      spectrometry method was first developed and fully validated for the simultaneous
      quantification of seven main active components, spinosin, mangiferin,
      neomangiferin, ferulic acid, liquiritin, isoliquiritin, and liquiritin apioside
      in rat plasma. The method was also successfully applied to compare the
      pharmacokinetics of these active ingredients after oral administration of Suan
      Zao-Ren decoction and Suan-Zao-Ren granule. The separation was achieved on a
      Venusil MP C18 column and the detection was conducted by the multiple reaction
      monitoring mode using negative ion mode. Each calibration curve had good
      linearity over a wide concentration range. The precision of intra- and interday
      were all within 15%, and the extraction recoveries at different analyte
      concentrations were all above 82.0%. The established method was successfully
      applied to compare the pharmacokinetic profiles of the analytes between Suan-Zao
      Ren decoction and Suan-Zao-Ren granule groups. The results indicated that all the
      analytes had similar mean concentration-time curves trend between two groups. No
      significant differences were observed in pharmacokinetic parameters of
      mangiferin, while the others had significant differences.

PMID- 28345819
TI  - Outbreak investigations and molecular characterization of foot-and-mouth disease
      viruses circulating in south-west Niger.
AB  - In Niger, the epidemiological situation regarding foot-and-mouth disease is
      unclear as many outbreaks are unreported. This study aimed (i) to identify Foot
      and-mouth disease virus (FMDV) strains currently circulating in cattle herds, and
      (ii) to identify risk factors associated with Foot-and-mouth disease (FMD)
      seropositive animals in clinical outbreaks. Epithelial tissues (n = 25) and sera
      (n = 227) were collected from cattle in eight districts of the south-western part
      of Niger. Testing of clinical material revealed the presence of FMDV serotype O
      that was characterized within the O/WEST AFRICA topotype. The antigenic
      relationship between one of the FMDV isolates from Niger (O/NGR/4/2015) and three
      reference vaccine strains was determined by the two-dimensional virus
      neutralization test (2dmVNT), revealing a close antigenic match between the field
      isolate from Niger and three FMDV serotype O vaccine strains. Serological
      analyses using a non-structural protein (NSP) test provided evidence for previous
      FMDV infection in 70% (158/227) of the sera tested. Multivariate logistic
      regression analysis revealed that only the herd composition (presence of both
      cattle and small ruminants) was significantly associated with FMDV seropositivity
      as defined by NSP-positive results (p-value = .006). Of these positive sera,
      subsequent testing by liquid-phase blocking ELISA (LPBE) showed that 86%
      (136/158) were positive for one (or more) of four FMDV serotypes (A, O, Southern
      African Territories (SAT) 1 and SAT 2). This study provides epidemiological
      information about FMD in the south-western part of Niger and highlights the
      complex transboundary nature of FMD in Africa. These findings may help to develop
      effective control and preventive strategies for FMD in Niger as well, as other
      countries in West Africa.

PMID- 28345820
TI  - Meta-Analysis of Serum Gastrin-Releasing Peptide Precursor as a Biomarker for
      Diagnosis of Small Cell Lung Cancer
AB  - Background: The serum level of gastrin-releasing peptide precursor (proGRP) is
      generally. elevated in patients withsmall cell lung cancer (SCLC). However, the
      diagnostic sensitivity and specificity of serum proGRP in SCLC casesremains
      controversial. The study aimed to assess the diagnostic value of this biomarker
      by meta-analysis. Materials andMethods: The Cochrane, Clinical trials, Pubmed,
      Web of Science and Embase databases were searched and diagnosticvalues were
      calculated or extracted. Statistical analysis was accomplished with RevMan 5.3
      and STATA 12.0 software.Results: A total of 27 studies with 7268 participants
      were included. The pooled sensitivity, specificity, PLR, NLRand DOR were 0.754
      (95% CI: 0.700-0.802), 0.945 (95% CI: 0.916-0.965), 13.804 (95% CI: 9.096
      20.948), 0.260(95% CI: 0.213-0.317) and 53.101 (95% CI: 34.327-82.145)
      respectively. The AUC was 0.910 (95% CI: 0.880-0.930).Significant publication
      bias was not found (P =0.622). Conclusions: The meta-analysis indicated that
      serum proGRPis indeed a useful biomarker with good sensitivity and high
      specificity for diagnosis of SCLC. Therefore proGRP canbe expected to be widely
      applied in the clinic for identification of lung cancer patients.

PMID- 28345821
TI  - Antioxidant and Antiproliferative Activities of an Ethylacetate Fraction of
      Picria Fel-Terrae Lour. Herbs
AB  - Background: Excessive production of oxygen free radicals and imbalance in the
      mechanisms responsible forantioxidant protection may result in the onset of many
      diseases including breast cancer. Objective: To evaluateantiproliferative and
      antioxidant activity of an ethylacetate fraction (EAF) of Picria fel-terrae Lour.
      Herbs in the T47Dcell line. Methods: Phenolic and total flavonoid contents in EAF
      were determined. EAF was tested for cytotoxicity andeffects on the cell cycle and
      apoptosis, as well as antioxidant activity. Results: EAF was found to contain
      high levels ofphenolic agents (92.88 +/- 0.50 mg GAE/g), total flavonoid (84.39
      +/- 0.07 mg QE/g). The EAF of Picria fel-terrae Lour.herbs was found to have an
      IC50 of 62.98MUg/mL, caused accumulation in G0-G1 and S phase and increased early
      andlate apoptosis. Antioxidant activity in DPPH assays gave an IC50 of 166.90 +/-
      0.10 MUg/mL. Conclusions: The resultsreveal that EAF of Picria fel-terrae Lour.
      herbs has antiproliferative activity and strong antioxidant potential.
      Furtherstudies are now needed to isolate the responsible antiproliferative and
      antioxidant components.

PMID- 28345822
TI  - The Optimal Cut-Off Level of The Fecal Immunochemical Test For Colorectal Cancer
      Screening in a Country with Limited Colonoscopy Resources: A Multi-Center Study
      from Thailand
AB  - Background: Selecting the cut-off point for the fecal immunochemical test (FIT)
      for colorectal cancer (CRC)screening programs is of prime importance. The balance
      between the test performance for detecting advanced neoplasiaand the available
      colonoscopy resources should be considered. We aimed to identify the optimal cut
      off of FIT foradvanced neoplasia in order to minimize colonoscopy burden.
      Methods: We conducted a multi-center study in 6hospitals from diverse regions of
      Thailand. Asymptomatic participants, aged 50-75 years, were tested with one
      timequantitative FIT (OC-SENSOR, Eiken Chemical Co.,Ltd., Tokyo, Japan) and all
      participants underwent colonoscopy.We assessed test performance in detecting
      advanced neoplasia (advanced adenoma and CRC) and measured the burdenof
      colonoscopy with different cut-offs [25 (FIT25), 50 (FIT50), 100 (FIT100), 150
      (FIT150), and 200 (FIT200)ng/ml].Results: Among 1,479 participants, advanced
      neoplasia and CRC were found in 137 (9.3%) and 14 (0.9%), respectively.From FIT25
      to FIT200, the positivity rate decreased from 18% to 4.9%. For advanced
      neoplasia, an increased cut-offdecreased sensitivity from 42.3% to 16.8% but
      increased specificity from 84.2% to 96.3%. The increased cut-offincreased the
      positive predictive value (PPV) from 21.5% to 31.5%. However, all cut-off points
      provided a high negativepredictive value (NPV) (>90%). For CRC, the miss rate for
      FIT25 to FIT 150 was the same (n=3, 21%), whereas thatwith FIT200 increased to
      35% (n=5). Conclusions: In a country with limited-colonoscopy resources, using
      FIT150may be preferred because it offers both high PPV and NPV for advanced
      neoplasia detection. It could also decreasecolonoscopy workload, while
      maintaining a CRC miss rate similar to those with lower cut-offs.

PMID- 28345823
TI  - Mutation Analysis of Isocitrate Dehydrogenase (IDH1/2) and DNA Methyltransferase
      3A (DNMT3A) in Thai Patients with Newly Diagnosed Acute Myeloid Leukemia
AB  - Acute myeloid leukemia (AML) is a clonal hematopoietic stem/progenitor cell
      disorder which features severalgenetic mutations. Recurrent genetic alterations
      identified in AML are recognized as causes of the disease, findingapplication as
      diagnostic, prognostic and monitoring markers, with potential use as targets for
      cancer therapy. Here, weperformed a pyrosequencing technique to investigate
      common mutations of IDH1, IDH2 and DNMT3A in 81 newlydiagnosed AML patients. The
      prevalences of IDH1, IDH2 and DNMT3A mutations were 6.2%, 18.5%, and
      7.4%,respectively. In addition, exclusive mutations in IDH1 codon 132 (R132H,
      R132C, R132G and R132S) were identifiedin all IDH1-mutated cases indicating that
      these are strongly associated with AML. Interestingly, higher median blast
      cellcounts were significantly associated with IDH1/2 and DNMT3A mutations. In
      summary, we could establish a routinerobust pyrosequencing method to detect
      common mutations in IDH1/2 and DNMT3A and demonstrate the frequencyof those
      mutations in adult Thai AML patients.

PMID- 28345824
TI  - Epidemiological Characteristics of Retinoblastoma in Children Attending
      Almouassat University Hospital, Damascus, Syria, 2012-2016
AB  - Retinoblastoma (Rb) is a malignant tumor that originates from the developing
      retina. Diagnosis is based on clinicalsigns and symptoms and usually children
      under the age of five years are affected. Early diagnosis and treatment of Rband
      non-ocular tumors can reduce morbidity and increase longevity. Treatment in the
      early stages may allow a goodprognosis and salvage of visual function.The aim of
      this study is to present descriptive epidemiological aspects ofretinoblastomas in
      children seen at Almouassat University Hospital (AUH) in Damascus, Syria from 1
      January 2012 to31 October 2016In this retrospective, observational hospital
      survey, medical records of 37 retinoblastoma cases werereviewed. The male/female
      (M/F) ratio was 1.6. The most frequent presenting sign was leukocoria (56.7%) and
      81%of cases were diagnosed between the ages of 4 months and 3 years. More than
      73% of cases were diagnosed early atstages I and II.

PMID- 28345825
TI  - Comparison of Hypersensitivity Reactions to Carboplatin Retreatment in
      Gynecologic Cancer Patients between One and Two Hour Infusions: a Randomized
      Trial Study
AB  - Objective: To compare the incidence rate of carboplatin hypersensitivity
      reactions (HSRs) in gynecologic cancerpatients receiving one-hour or two-hour
      carboplatin retreatment infusions. Setting: A Prospective RandomizedControlled
      Trial. Methods: Recurrent gynecologic cancer patients 25 to 80-years of age who
      were scheduled to receivecarboplatin retreatment after previously receiving at
      least six cycles of carboplatin without a history of platinum allergywere invited
      to enroll. They were randomized to receive either a one-hour or two-hour
      carboplatin infusion in eachcycle. The nurses recorded any occurrence of HSR.
      Patients who developed carboplatin HSR were discontinued fromthe study. Results:
      Forty-five patients were enrolled and randomized to receive either a one-hour
      carboplatin infusionarm in 69 cycles or a two-hour infusion arm in 67 cycles.
      Both groups were well balanced regarding median age, bodymass index, type of
      cancer, history of drug allergy, median platinum free interval time, median total
      number of previouscarboplatin cycles, premedication type, regimen and median
      total dose of carboplatin. Five (3.67%) of the 136 cyclesresulted in carboplatin
      HSR, all of which were Grade 1. Of these, four cycles developed HSR during the
      one-hourinfusion and only one cycle with a two-hour infusion (P=0.37). The onset
      of carboplatin HSR occurred within 30-105minutes after infusion start.
      Conclusion: Extending the carboplatin infusion time to two hours from one hour
      did notsignificantly decrease carboplatin HSR.

PMID- 28345826
TI  - Value of Sentinel Lymph Node (SLN) Mapping and Biopsy using Combined
      Intracervical Radiotracers and Blue Dye Injections for Endometrial Cancer
AB  - Background: Lymphadenectomy, as part of the initial surgical staging of patients
      with endometrial carcinoma,remains a controversial topic in gynecologic oncology.
      Sentinel lymph node (SLN) mapping has become a well-acceptedprocedure for
      melanomas and breast cancer; a number of investigators have begun to explore the
      utility and accuracyof this technique with regard to endometrial cancer. Aim:
      This study was conducted to evaluate SLN mapping ofearly stage endometrial cancer
      with blue dye in conjunction with a radioactive tracer. Subjects and methods: In
      thisprospective cross-sectional study, patients with stage I and II endometrial
      cancer who were candidates for systemiclymph node dissection during surgery were
      enrolled, some underwent lymph node mapping and SLN biopsy usingcombined intra
      cervical radiotracer and blue dye injections and some applying only an intra
      cervical radiotracer. SLNsand other lymph nodes were sent for pathological
      assessment. Sensitivity, specificity, the positive predictive value, andthe
      negative predictive value were calculated as predictive values for the
      radiotracer and blue dye. Results: Pre-operativelymph node mapping showed SLN in
      29 out of 30 patients. Intra operations in 29/30 patients, SLNs were harvested
      bygamma probe; in 13 out of 19 patients SLNs were detected by blue dye. The
      median number of SLNs per patient was3 and the total number of SLNs detected was
      81. Four patients had positive pelvic lymph nodes. All of the positivenodes were
      SLNs. Using this technique (radiotracer and blue dye) an overall detection rate
      of 96.7%, an NPV of 100%,a sensitivity of 100% and a specificity of 3.85% were
      achieved. Conclusion: Results of SLN research for endometrialcancer are promising
      and make feasible the possibility of avoiding unnecessary aggressive surgical
      procedures in nearfuture by advances in SLN mapping.

PMID- 28345828
TI  - Effects of a Self-Encouragement Program on Stress of Mothers of Children with
      Cancer Referred to Imam Ali Hospital, Zahedan, In 2015
AB  - Introduction: In addition to the physical problems for the patients themselves,
      cancer can cause several socialand psychological problems to the family,
      especially the mother in pediatric cases. This study aimed to investigate
      theeffects of a self-encouragement program on stress of mothers of children with
      cancer referred to Imam Ali Hospitalof Zahedan in 2015. Materials and Methods:
      This case-control study was performed on 44 mothers with childrensuffering from
      cancer, referred to the hospital during October and November of 2015. Convenience
      sampling was used,and the mothers were randomly allocated into two 22-member
      groups. The Impact of Event Scale - Revised (IES-R)was the data collection
      instrument. Educational classes were held in the hospital. Confidentiality and
      mutual respectwere observed by each and every member of the group. Data obtained
      before and after the intervention were analyzedusing the independent t-test,
      paired t-test and ANOVA. The significance level was set at 0.05. Findings: The
      mostfrequent diseases were acute lymphoblastic leukemia (47%) and brain tumors
      (16%). The results indicated that themean score of stress in the control group
      did not significantly between the two time points (P=0.106). In the
      interventiongroup, however, there was a significant difference in stress mean
      scores before (54.3+/-2.0) and after (37.1+/-1.8) theintervention (P<0.001).
      Conclusion: Self-encouragement can help mothers dealing with a diseased child to
      feel lessstressed. Therefore, they may be able to act more effectively when faced
      with problems.

PMID- 28345827
TI  - Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons In Edible Mushrooms from Niger Delta, Nigeria:
      Carcinogenic and Non-Carcinogenic Health Risk Assessment
AB  - In the oil-rich Niger Delta, hydrocarbon pollution and oil spillages, gas flaring
      and sundry anthropogenic activitiesconstitute sources of polycyclic aromatic
      hydrocarbons (PAHs), with food contamination playing a major role in
      humanexposure. In this study we assessed PAH levels in wild and cultivated edible
      mushroom species consumed by the generalpopulation from the oil producing Niger
      Delta, Nigeria. The concentrations of USEPA-16 PAHs were determinedby gas
      chromatography and carcinogenic and non-carcinogenic health risks were
      calculated. The concentrations ofUSEPA-16 PAHs ranged from 0.02 mg/kg - 3.37
      mg/kg. The dietary intake of carcinogenic and non-carcinogenicUSEPA-16 PAHs
      (Naphthalene, Acenaphthylene, Acenaphthene, Anthracene, Phenanthrene, Flourene,
      Flouranthene,Pyrene, Benzo[a]Anthracene, Chrysene, Benzo[a]Pyrene,
      Benzo[b]Flouranthene, Benzo[K]Flouranthene, Benzo[g,h,i]Perylene,
      Dibenz[a,h]Anthracene and Ideno[1,2,3-cd]Pyrene) for adults, adolescents and
      seniors ranged from 0.00 - 0.05mg/kg/day, 0.00 - 0.06 mg/kg/day and 0.00 - 0.07
      mg/kg/day. The BaPeq ranged from 0.02 - 2.76 with margin ofexposure MOE values of
      BaP ranging from 3,500,000 to 700,000, 3,500,000 and 3,500,000 to 7,000,000 for
      adults,adolescents and seniors indicating very insignificant health risk. The
      incremental lifetime cancer risk was within thesafe range of 1.56x10-8 - 1.73x10
      6 with the highest calculated risk found for wild Pleurotus ostreatus
      mushroomspecies from the study area.

PMID- 28345829
TI  - High Fluoroquinolone Resistant Strains of Helicobacter pylori in the Golden
      triangle
AB  - Background and aims: Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) infections, associated with
      fatal GI diseases such as gastriccancer and MALT lymphoma, remain a major health
      problem in ASEAN countries. The Golden triangle has long beenknown as one of
      Asia's main opium-producing areas. There have been no prior studies of H. pylori
      infection in this area.The major objectives of this project were therefore to
      establish prevalence, antibiotic resistance patterns and associatedpredictive in
      the Golden triangle. Methods: We recruited dyspeptic patients in Chiang khong and
      Chiang saen districts,Chiangrai province of Thailand. All subjects underwent
      gastroscopy, and 3 antral gastric biopsies were collected forrapid urease tests
      and H. pylori culture. E-tests were used to evaluate the MICs for metronidazole
      (MNZ), levofloxacin(LVX), ciprofloxacin (CIP), amoxicillin(AMX), tetracycline
      (TET) and clarithromycin (CLR). Results: Total of 148patients was included. H.
      pylori infection was present in 36.3%(37/102) of Chiang khong and 34.8 % (16/46)
      of Chiangsaen subjects and the overall H. pylori infection rate was 35.8%
      (53/148). Antibiotic resistance was demonstrated in44%, including 2% for CLR and
      26% for MNZ, whereas fluoroquinolone resistance was demonstrated to be as highas
      25% in Chiang khong. Multi-drug resistant H. pylori was detected in 4%. There was
      no AMX and TET resistancein this study. The prevalence of CLR resistance on a
      background of gastritis was significantly higher than peptic ulcerdisease in the
      golden triangle area (100%vs 0%: P= 0.04). Conclusions: H. pylori remains a
      common infection in theGolden triangle. MNZ resistance appears to be high,
      whereas fluoroquinolone resistance is prevalent and is becominga significant
      problem in this area. Diagnosis of gastritis might be a predictor of CLR
      resistance in the Golden triangle.H. pylori eradication with an appropriate
      regimen by using the local antibiotic resistant pattern is a key important toolto
      reduce H. pylori associated GI diseases in this particular part of the world.

PMID- 28345830
TI  - Histopathologic Evolution of Urothelial Carcinoma Recurrence in Transurethral
      Resection of the Urinary Bladder:35 Consecutive Cases And Literature Review
AB  - Background: Urothelial carcinoma (UC) is the malignancy most frequently
      encountered in the urinary bladder.Theprimary aim of this study was to make a
      reappraisal of histopathologic features, recurrence and progression. Materialsand
      Methods: The records of cases consecutively diagnosed with UC in the state
      hospital pathology laboratory werecollected. Cases were classified according to
      age, gender, histologic grade, pathologic staging [primary Tumor (pT)],tumor
      configuration, primary or recurrent status, and progression. Results: A total of
      35 (29 male and 6 female) caseswere examined. The mean age was 68.9 years with a
      male-to-female incidence ratio of 4.8:1. Low-grade UCs accountedfor 20 (57.1%)
      and high-grade for 15 (42.9%). A papillary pattern was observed in 80% of the
      UCs, classified into thefollowing pathological stages: 11 (31.4%) pTa, 22 (62.9%)
      pT1, and 2 (5.9%) pT2 cases. Eleven patients progressedto a higher stage (pT1 to
      pT2), and three cases from low to higher grade. We analyzed results for 26
      (74.3%) casesaged 65 years or older. Conclusions: UCs have a great tendency for
      recurrence but potentially may be amenable toeffective local or systemic
      treatments.

PMID- 28345831
TI  - Anxiety Disorders in Family Caregivers of Breast Cancer Patients Receiving
      Oncologic Treatment in Malaysia
AB  - Background: Anxiety is recognized as a normal psychological reaction of those
      caring for cancer patients. However,anxiety disorders in caregivers may interfere
      with their care-giving role and require further clinical attention. Objectives:To
      determine the prevalence and associated factors of anxiety disorders among
      caregivers of breast cancer patientsreceiving oncologic treatment in Kuala Lumpur
      Hospital. Methodology: A cross-sectional study was conducted on 130caregiver
      patient dyads, recruited by non-random sampling at Kuala Lumpur Hospital. Data
      were collected in 2 stages:1) the caregivers were screened for psychological
      distress using the Depression, Anxiety, Stress, Scale (DASS-21) whileother
      related factors for the patients and their caregivers were obtained; 2) the
      identified distressed caregivers (n=64)were then administered the Mini
      International Neuropsychiatric Interview (MINI) to diagnose anxiety disorders.
      Results:A total of 11.5% (n=15) of the caregivers reported suffering from anxiety
      disorders. Bivariate analysis found durationof caregiving (OR=3.31; CI=2.21
      11.93), shared caregiving (OR=4.07; CI=1.34-12.36), and patients' treatment
      type(OR=3.42; CI=1.92-12.76) were significantly associated with anxiety disorders
      (p value <0.05), with shared caregivingand patient's treatment type remaining
      significant using logistic regression (p value < 0.05, R2 = 0.255).
      Conclusions:Every one in ten of the caregivers in this study had a diagnosable
      anxiety disorder, associated with certain care-givingfactors and patients'
      treatment. This should alert clinicians to such risk and indicates psychological
      support needs forfamily caregivers.

PMID- 28345832
TI  - Metformin Inhibits Migration and Invasion of Cholangiocarcinoma Cells
AB  - Background: Metformin is an oral anti-diabetic agent that has been widely
      prescribed for treatment of type II diabetes.Anti-cancer properties of metformin
      have been revealed for numerous human malignancies including
      cholangiocarcinoma(CCA) with anti-proliferative effects in vitro. However,
      effects on CCA cell migration and invasion have not beenfully investigated. The
      present study aimed to explore the inhibitory effects of metformin on motility,
      migration andinvasion of the CCA cell line HuCCT1, and examine molecular
      mechanisms underlying metformin effects. Methods:HuCCT1 cells were exposed to
      increasing doses of metformin. Viability and growth of HuCCT1 cells were
      assessedby MTS and colony formation assays, respectively. Motility, migration and
      invasion of metformin-treated HuCCT1cells were determined in vitro using wound
      healing, transwell migration and matrigel invasion assays. Expression ofsignaling
      molecules and epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) markers was assessed by
      Western blotting. Results:It was observed that metformin significantly decreased
      HuCCT1 cell viability and colony formation. The agent alsomarkedly reduced wound
      closure, migration and invasion of HuCCT1 cells. Furthermore, metformin exposure
      resultedin decreased STAT3 activation and down-regulation of anti-apoptotic
      protein Bcl-2 and Mcl-1 expression. In addition,it upregulated the expression of
      E-cadherin, while downregulating that of N-cadherin, Snail, and MMP-2.
      Conclusion:These results demonstrated inhibitory effects of metformin on CCA cell
      migration and invasion, possibly involvingthe STAT3 pathway and reversal of EMT
      markers expression. They further suggest that metformin may be useful forCCA
      management.

PMID- 28345833
TI  - Efficacy and Toxicity of Low-Dose versus Conventional-Dose Chemotherapy for
      Malignant Tumors: a Meta-Analysis of 6 Randomized Controlled Trials
AB  - Low-dose chemotherapy has emerged as a new strategy for control of cancer.
      However, there is a controversy as to whetherlow-dose chemotherapy is an
      effective way to manage many human malignancies. To shed light on this
      controversy,we performed a meta-analysis of relative merits between low-dose and
      conventional-dose chemotherapy in differentcarcinomas. Studies published before
      February 29, 2016 were reviewed for the meta-analysis and selected according
      todefined criteria. The effect levels of low-dose chemotherapy regarding overall
      survival (OS), progression-free survival(PFS) and severe adverse events (SAEs)
      (Grade>=3) were calculated as risk ratios (ORs) or adjusted hazard ratios
      (HRs).Six randomized controlled studies (RCTs) have provided data for low-dose
      chemotherapy versus conventional-dosechemotherapy for 838 cases and 833 cases,
      respectively. Interestingly, low-dose chemotherapy achieved the samedesired
      potency as conventional-dose chemotherapy, with no differences in pooled ORR
      (RR=1.00, 95%CI [0.89,1.13]; (P=0.97), OS (HR=1.07, 95%CI [0.90, 1.26]; P=0.44)
      and PFS (HR=1.02, 95%CI [0.84, 1.23]; P=0.87) values.Furthermore, pooled data for
      common SAEs showed that, compared with conventional-dose chemotherapy regimen,low
      dose chemotherapy regimen resulted in significant less mucositis (P<0.0001),
      thrombocytopenia (P<0.00001),anemia (P=0.0001) and febrile neutropenia (P=0.004).
      At the same time, no statistically significant differences wereobserved with
      regard to treatment-related death (P=0.36), diarrhea (P=0.49), leucopenia
      (P=0.11), neutropenia (P=0.74)and nausea/vomiting ("P"=0.21). Publication bias
      was assessed by Egger's test and the funnel plot. In conclusion, themeta-analysis
      seems to support the idea that low-dose chemotherapy may play an important role
      in achieving the samedesired potency as conventional-dose chemotherapy in
      managing malignant tumors. Moreover, low-dose regimen seemsto possess positive
      advantages of lower toxicity which is a particular concern for most patients.

PMID- 28345834
TI  - Hyperuricemia at The Time Of Diagnosis is a Factor for Poor Prognosis in Patients
      With Stage II and III Colorectal Cancer (Uric Acid and Colorectal Cancer)
AB  - Purpose: In this pilot study we investigated whether serum levels of uric acid,
      the final breakdown product ofpurine metabolism, might influence cancer-related
      events in stage II and III colorectal cancer patients. Material andmethods: In
      this cross-sectional retrospective study, a total of 150 stage II and III
      colorectal adenocarcinoma patientswith no exclusion criteria were included. Serum
      uric acid levels of the patients measured at diagnosis and demographic,clinical,
      laboratory analyses were performed and histologically features recorded. Patients
      were stratified into quartilesaccording to serum uric acid level with different
      cut-off values. Results: The mean serum uric acid level of all patientswas
      determined o be 6.97+/-2.87 md/dL (range, 3.1-12.4). Median follow-up time was 98
      (range 9-98) months and theproportion of patients who did not relapse was 22%. It
      was determined that majority of the patients who had serum uricacid levels over
      8.37 mg/dL had stage IIIB lesions, were smokers, were among those who lost
      weight, with metastasisto the liver and with significantly leukocyte and platelet
      counts. Conclusions: Serum uric acid levels measured at thetime of diagnosis may
      be associated

PMID- 28345835
TI  - Evolution of the Histo-Epidemiological Profile of Urological Cancers in Togo
AB  - Background: Urological cancers are an important public health issue and pose
      problems with diagnosis andadequate management in developing countries. Our aim
      was to determine and report epidemiological and histologicalfeatures of
      urological cancers in Togo. Materials and methods: A retrospective descriptive
      study was conducted ofcases of urological cancers observed in the laboratory of
      pathological anatomy of the CHU Tokoin over the last 4 years(2012-2016). The
      parameters studied were frequency, age, sex, sites of development and
      histological type. Results:Epidemiological data were collected for 182 cases,
      representing 16.4% of all cancers (1108 cases). The annual frequencywas 45.5+/
      1.1 cases on average. The male:female sex ratio was 8.6 with a mean age of 60.2
      years. Regarding location,in decreasing order of frequency, the tumors were found
      in the prostate (n=121 cases; 66.5%), bladder (n=28; 15.4%),kidney (n=19; 10.4%),
      testis (n=10; 5%), penis (n=3; 1.7%) and scrotum (n=1; 0.5%). Histologically,
      prostate cancerswere predominantly adenocarcinomas (n=116 cases; 95.8%) with a
      Gleason score of 6 (n=46; 39.7%) predominant.Bladder cancers were mainly squamous
      cell carcinomas (n=11; 39.3%) followed by transitional carcinomas (n=9cases;
      32.1%) and adenocarcinomas (n=7; 25%). Kidney cancers were predominantly
      nephroblastomas (n=10, 52.6%)in children and clear cell carcinomas (n=8 cases;
      42.1%) in adults. Testicular cancers were Burkitt lymphomas in 5cases. The cases
      of penis and scrotum cancers were all squamous cell carcinomas. Conclusion:
      Urological cancersare experiencing an upsurge in frequency in Togo, dominated by
      prostate cancer, with a high frequency of squamouscell carcinoma of the bladder
      due to endemic bilharziasis.

PMID- 28345837
TI  - Association of the Asp1312Gly Thyroglobulin Gene Polymorphism with Susceptibility
      to Differentiated Thyroid Cancer in an Iranian Population
AB  - Background and aim: While the causes of thyroid cancer in most patients remain
      largely unknown, it has recentlybeen reported that there may be links to
      particular chromosome regions. In particular, polymorphisms (SNPs) in
      thethyroglobulin (TG) gene could be susceptibility factors. Methods: In this case
      control study, any association of theAsp1312Gly single nucleotide polymorphism
      (SNP) in the TG gene (rs2069556) with susceptibility to differentiatedthyroid
      cancer (DTC) was investigated among 103 Iranian patients and 100 controls who had
      no history of any type ofcancer. Genomic DNA was extracted from the whole blood
      by salting out procedure. High Resolution Melting (HRM)technique was used to
      detect this SNP. Results: Data were analyzed with SPSS software and the results
      showed thatthe recessive GG genotype was associated with an increased risk of
      differentiated thyroid carcinoma when compared tothe AA+AG genotypes (OR: 2.06;
      CI: 1.09-3.89; P-value: 0.025). Conclusion: Although our study demonstrated
      thatdifferentiated thyroid cancer is significantly associated with this
      polymorphism, further studies with larger populationsare required to confirm our
      findings.

PMID- 28345838
TI  - ERCC1 Expression in Metastatic Triple Negative Breast Cancer Patients Treated
      with Platinum-Based Chemotherapy
AB  - Background: Possible targeted therapies for metastatic triple negative breast
      cancer (TNBC) include cytotoxicchemotherapy that causes interstrand breaks
      (platinum-based drugs). The excision repair cross-complementation 1(ERCC1) enzyme
      plays an essential role in the nucleotide excision repair pathway, removing
      platinum-induced DNAadducts and contributing to cisplatin resistance. Detecting
      ERCC1 overexpression is important in considering treatmentoptions for metastatic
      TNBC, including individualized approaches to therapy, and may facilitate improved
      responses orreduction of unnecessary toxicity. We hypothesized that assigning
      cisplatin based on pretreatment ERCC1 expressionwould improve response and
      survival. This study was conducted to assess the impact of ERCC1 expression on
      PFS,OS and response rates in metastatic triple negative breast cancer patients
      treated with platinum-based chemotherapy.Methods: From June 2012 to November
      2013, 52 metastatic triple negative breast cancer patients were enrolled.ERCC1
      protein expression was detected from pretreatment biopsies by
      Immunohistochemistry. All patients receivedcisplatin plus paclitaxel. The primary
      end point was the impact of ERCC1 expression on PFS and OS. Results: 34patients
      (65.4%) showed positive ERCC1 expression while 18 (34.6%) proved negative.
      Positive ERCC1 expressionwas associated with short PFS (median, 5 months vs. 7
      months; P = 0.043), short OS (median, 9 months vs. 11 months;P = 0.033) and poor
      response to cisplatin based chemotherapy (P = 0.046). Conclusions: This
      prospective study furthervalidated ERCC1 as a reliable biomarker for customized
      chemotherapy in metastatic triple negative breast cancerpatients. High expression
      of ERCC1 was thereby fond to be significantly associated with poor outcome in
      patientstreated with platinum based chemotherapy.

PMID- 28345836
TI  - Assessing the Effect of Waterpipe Smoking on Cancer Outcome - a Systematic Review
      of Current Evidence
AB  - Background: Waterpipe smoking (WPS) is widely believed to be a safe and hazard
      free tobacco habit. However,a number of studies have indicated that exposure to
      several toxicants and carcinogens through WPS is strongly relatedto serious
      health hazards. The current paper presents a narrative review on the effects of
      WPS on cancer outcome.Methods: The addressed focused question was "Is there an
      association between waterpipe smoking and cancer outcome?"PubMed, Medline,
      EMBASE, ISI Web of Science and the Cochrane databases were searched until June
      2015 using thekey words "Waterpipe", "Hookah", "Narghileh", "Shisha", "Hubbly
      Bubbly" "cancer" in various combinations. Lettersto the Editor, review articles,
      case-reports and unpublished articles were excluded. Results: A total of 16
      studies wereincluded: six on lung cancer, three on oesophageal cancer, two on
      gastric cancer, two on bladder cancer, and one eachon nasopharyngeal, pancreatic
      and prostate cancers. Our search did not yield any study that evaluated the risk
      of oralcancer in WPS users. The available evidence showed a significant
      association of WPS with lung cancer (UOR 6.0, 95%CI 1.78-20.26); however, no
      association was observed with bladder, nasopharyngeal, pancreatic and prostate
      cancers.Gastric (OR 3.4, 95% CI 1.7-7.1) and oesophageal cancers (OR 1.85, 95% CI
      1.41-2.44) were observed to have weakassociations with WPS. Conclusion:
      Regardless of the limitations, there is sufficient evidence to suggest
      associationsof WPS with cancer, particularly in the lung. Future well-designed
      studies are required to identify and quantify withconfidence all the health
      effects of this form of smoking.

PMID- 28345839
TI  - Validation of an Indonesian Version of the Breast Cancer Awareness Scale (BCAS-I)
AB  - Background: Raising breast cancer awareness is a key strategy to reduce
      associated mortality. While a paucityof adequately validated instruments for
      breast cancer awareness is applicable across cultures, even outside the
      healthcare setting such instruments have been developed. Objective: This study
      investigated the validity and psychometricproperties of a breast cancer awareness
      scale in Indonesia (BCAS-I). Methods: This cross-sectional study was carriedout
      among Indonesian women conveniently selected within three provinces (Yogyakarta,
      South of Sumatera and EastNusa Tenggara) located in rural-urban areas using
      stratified random sampling. First, we translated all questionnairesfrom English
      to the local language and then back-translated. The third step was to perform
      psychometric testing ofthe adapted instrument by establishing internal
      consistency (Cronbach's alpha score 0.79) and construct validity byconfirmatory
      factor analysis (CFA). Results: In the 856 participants who responded (responded
      rate = 98.28%), theage ranged from 18 to 80 years old (mean = 30, SD = 11). The
      BCAS-I was shown to have good internal consistency,and CFA demonstrated the model
      fit data adequately (chi2 = 922.267, df = 515, p <0.001, comparative fit index =
      0.965,Tucker-Lewis Index = 0.96, goodness-of-fit index = 0.97, adjusted goodness
      of-fit index = 0.97, root-mean-squareerror of approximation = 0.03 95% confidence
      interval: 0.027, 0.034). The final version of BCAS-I consists of 33items across 5
      domains that cover most key aspects of breast cancer awareness for this
      population. Conclusion: TheBCAS-I demonstrated good psychometric properties and
      was found to be valid to provide a measurement of breastcancer awareness in Asian
      women in general and Indonesian women in particular.

PMID- 28345840
TI  - Correlation between Epstein-Barr Virus Infection and Disease Activity of Systemic
      Lupus Erythematosus: a Cross-Sectional Study
AB  - Background: Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is an autoimmune disease for whose
      pathogenesis viral infectionsare important. The Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) is the
      main infectious etiological agent. This study aimed to quantitativeevaluation of
      EBV in SLE patients. Materials and Methods: In this cross-sectional study, 40
      patients with SLE diagnosedbased on American College of Rheumatology criteria
      were selected using purposive sampling. All were included in thestudy after
      obtaining informed consent for participation. Whole blood samples were taken and
      buffy coat preparationswere isolated to determine viral load using the real-time
      polymerase chain reaction method and assessment with the SLEdisease activity
      index (SLE-DAI). Results: From a total of 40 patients, 37 cases (92.5%) were
      women. The EBV testwas positive in 67.5% and mean viral load was 5396 +/- 1891.9
      copy/ml. Twenty of forty patients had active and 50%inactive disease, mean EBV
      viral loads being 6798 and 28.25 copy/ml, respectively (P-value = 0.003). In
      terms of theseverity of disease activity, 17.5 % of female patients had mild to
      moderate activity, whilst 32.5% of them had severeactivity, with respective viral
      loads of 5,803.3 and 29.73 copy/ml (P-value = 0.003). Conclusion: The Epstein
      Barrviral load in SLE patients with active disease was found to be markedly
      higher than in inactive cases. Thus, EBV mayhave an important role in the
      pathogenesis and activity of SLE.

PMID- 28345841
TI  - Carcinogenic Liver Fluke and Others Contaminated in Pickled Fish of Northeastern
      Thailand
AB  - Twenty provinces in northeastern Thailand were investigated for fluke
      metacercariae contamination in pickled fish,or pla-som, during January -June
      2016. A total of 129 pickled fish shops were randomly chosen. Samples were
      digestedwith acid-pepsin and those found to be infected with metacercariae were
      fed to hamsters to test for metacercariaeinfectivity. The results demonstrated
      that only 20.2% of the pla-som samples were infected with fluke
      metacercariae(mc), at various levels (1 to 268 mc/kg). All recovered fluke
      metacercariae were inactive, degenerated and could notdevelop to adults in the
      animal model. In conclusion, the fluke mc infection status in pla-som was
      correlated with theprevalence of fluke infection in this region known for high
      O.viverrini and cholangiocarcinoma development. Clearly,systematic control of the
      fluke life cycle is needed. Whether pickling is an effective preventive measure
      needs furtherassessment.

PMID- 28345842
TI  - Bone Mineral Density in Survivors of Childhood Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia
AB  - Background: The objective of this study was to evaluate bone mineral density
      (BMD) after completion of treatmentfor childhood acute lymphoblastic leukemia
      (ALL). Methods: In this cross-sectional study, 103 survivors of ALLaged 13.5 +/-
      0.45 who completed their treatment at least one year earlier were enrolled. Among
      these, 49.5% and51.5% received chemotherapy alone and chemotherapy plus cranial
      radiotherapy, respectively. Bone mineral content,BMD, and bone mineral apparent
      density in the lumbar spine (LS), femoral neck (FN) and forearm were
      assessedusing dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DEXA). BMD Z-scores were
      classified according to International Societyfor Clinical Densitometry (ISCD)
      criteria. Results: The mean BMD Z-scores +/- SD forLS, FN and forearm were 
      1.60+/- 0.12, -1.21 +/- 0.9 and -2.43 +/- 0.14 respectively with significant
      differences (P<0.001). Considering the lowest BMDZ-score in LS and FN areas (at
      any site) and according to the ISCD classification, 62.1%, 33% and 4.9% of the
      patientshad normal BMD, low BMD and osteoporosis, respectively. Also, 8.7% of
      patients had developed fractures aftercompletion of the treatment period, 4.9%
      having BMD Z-Scores <-2 SD at any site. A direct relationship was apparentbetween
      BMD Z-scores at LS and FN at any sites and risk of fracture (P<0.001).
      Conclusions: ALL patients are atrisk for low BMD and fracture. Therefore,
      applying DEXA scanning is recommended after completion of therapy forprevention
      of BMD reduction and osteoporosis.

PMID- 28345843
TI  - Diagnostic Value of Fine-Needle Aspiration Biopsies and Pathologic Methods for
      Benign and Malignant Breast Masses and Axillary Node Assessment
AB  - Bacground: The goal of this study was to evaluate the fine needle aspiration
      (FNA) preoperatively together withTouch Print, Crush Print, frozen section and
      pathologic methods to reach a diagnosis for patients with breast andaxillary
      masses. Methods: This study was conducted on 107 patients, and included 111
      samples of breast and 43 ofaxillary masses taken at surgery. Data on
      epidemiological and clinical features of the patients were collected usinga
      questionnaire. The results of the methods of FNA, Touch Print, and Crush Print
      were compared with the results ofpathology after operations. Results: Comparison
      between the diagnosis values of FNA with pathology for breast cancershowed
      sensitivity, sensitivity, positive predictive values, negative predictive values,
      positive mendacious percentages,and negative mendacious percentages of 80.4%,
      98%, 97.3%, 87.6%, 2%, and 19.6% , respectively, and for metastaticaxillary lymph
      nodes, 80%, 95.6%, 94.1%, 84.6%, 4.4%, and 20%. Comparison of diagnosis values of
      FNA withTouch Print and Crush Print for breast cancer gave values of 82.2%, 89%,
      97.3%, 89%, 1.6%, and 17.8%, respectively,and for metastatic axillary lymph nodes
      84.2%, 95.8%, 94.1%, 88.4%, 14.2%, and 15.8%. Conclusion: Use of thesemethods,
      compared with pathology, can decrease cost, time, and a need for a second surgery
      and related complications.

PMID- 28345844
TI  - Association between the DNA Repair Gene XRCC3 rs861539 Polymorphism and Risk of
      Osteosarcoma: a Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis
AB  - Objective: Although there are a few studies investigating the relation between X
      Ray Repair Cross Complementing 3(XRCC3) gene rs861539 polymorphism and
      osteosarcoma (OSA), the results are inconsistent. Therefore, we performedthis
      systematic review and meta-analysis to clarify the associations between XRCC3
      rs861539 polymorphism and OSArisk. Methods: We have retrieved published
      literature from PubMed, Google scholar, and ISI Web of Knowledge up to25 January
      2017. Odds ratios were pooled using either fixed-effects or random effects
      models. Overall and subgroupanalyses were performed. Statistical analysis was
      performed running comprehensive meta-analysis (CMA) 2.0 software.Results: A total
      of four studies with 515 cases and 1,109 controls were identified in order to
      investigate the associationbetween XRCC3 rs861539 polymorphism and OSA risk. The
      results showed that XRCC3 rs861539 polymorphismwas associated with OSA in allelic
      (T vs. C: OR= 1.563, 95% CI: 1.244-1.963, p= <0.001), homozygote (TT vs. CC:OR=
      2.574, 95% CI: 1.573-4.212, p= <0.001), dominant (TT+TC vs. CC: OR= 1.255, 95%
      CI: 1.011-1.558, p= 0.039),and recessive (TT vs. TC+CC: OR= 2.224, 95% CI: 1.393
      3.552, p= 0.001), but not with heterozygote (TC vs. CC:OR= 1.361, 95% CI: 0.982
      1.885, p= 0.064). The XRCC3 rs861539 polymorphism conferred susceptibility to OSA
      inAsians, but not in Caucasians. Additionally, we observed no evidence of
      publication bias. Conclusion: To the best ofour knowledge, this is the first meta
      analysis investigating the association between XRCC3 rs861539 polymorphismand OSA
      risk. Our results revealed a significant association between the XRCC3 rs861539
      polymorphism and risk ofOSA, especially in Asian populations. Future more
      comprehensive and well-designed case control studies with largersample size are
      needed to warrant these findings.

PMID- 28345846
TI  - Compliance with Tobacco Promotion and Sale Laws in School Neighbourhoods in India
AB  - Objective: Regulation of sale of tobacco has given sufficient attention in India
      and little information exists aboutthe impact of bans near schools. Our study aim
      was to check the levels of tobacco promotion, advertising and salesin school
      neighborhoods' of Central Delhi. Methods: Using multistage random sampling 15
      schools were selectedin Central Delhi. Areas 100 meters around each were mapped
      using a map tool and screened using a self designedquestionnaire consisting of 26
      questions, both closed and open ended, to determine the details of outlets, sales
      of tobaccoand tobacco products, advertising, promotions, school roles, and
      children seeking tobacco. The data were subjectedto statistical analysis.
      Results: The response rate was 65%. Outlet licenses were present in only 6
      (3.47%). The pointsale of tobacco was most frequently in tea stalls and a total
      of 173 (41.2%) outlets had some form of tobacco sale. Thebrands of smokeless
      tobacco sold more were shikar (50%) and classic citrus (30%). Advertisement or
      promotion ofsales was mainly in the form of signs and displays (53%). Major
      schools did not have any no tobacco boards displayed.Conclusion: Sale of tobacco
      continues in central Delhi with a lack of compliance with the rules of COPTA.
      Theimplications of this non compliance in the Capital region is of major
      significance for the rest of the country.

PMID- 28345845
TI  - The Pre-Treatment Neutrophil-Lymphocyte Ratio: a Useful Tool in Predicting Non
      Sentinel Lymph Node Metastasis in Breast Cancer Cases
AB  - Background: The sentinel lymph node (SLN) biopsy is a highly accurate predictor
      of overall axillary nodal statusin early breast cancer patients. There is
      however, still a debate on which patients with a positive SLN can benefit
      fromaxillary lymph node dissection (ALND). Numerous studies have been designed to
      identify variables that are predictiveof non-SLN metastasis to avoid a complete
      ALND. The aim of this study was to determine whether the pre-treatmentneutrophil
      lymphocyte ratio (NLR) can be a predictive factor of non-SLN metastasis in early
      breast cancer patients.Materials and Methods: The records of 214 consecutive
      patients with cT1-3N0 invasive breast cancer who hadundergone intraoperative SLN
      evaluation at Songklanagarind Hospital between the 1stof March 2011 and the
      30thofMay 2016 were examined. Data on patient demographics, tumor variables and
      NLR were collected and factors fornon-SLN metastasis were analyzed using
      multivariate logistic regression. The power of the NLR was quantified
      withreceiver operating characteristics (ROC) curves as measured by the areas
      under curves (AUC). Results: Multivariateanalysis established presence of
      lymphovascular invasion (OR 8.4, 95%CI 2.3-31.3, p=0.002), macrometastasis(OR
      6.6, 95%CI 1.8-24.7, p=0.005), and NLR (OR 2.3, 95%CI 1.1-4.8, p=0.033) as
      predictive factors of non-SLNmetastasis with statistical significance. The AUC
      for NLR was 0.7 (95%CI 0.6-0.8) with an optimal cut-off of 2.6giving a
      sensitivity of 62%, a specificity of 83.8%, a positive predictive value of 77.3%
      and a negative predictive valueof 70.5%. Conclusion: Pre-treatment NLR is a
      useful diagnostic aid for predicting additional non-SLN metastasis.

PMID- 28345847
TI  - Five-Year Survival is Not a Useful Measure for Cancer Control in the Population:
      an Analysis Based on UK Data
AB  - Background: Five-year survival is an important metric for progress in cancer
      control broadly used both in thecancer literature and by the public. In order to
      assess its validity and relation to other common metrics, we analyzedthe
      relationship between 5-year survival, incidence and mortality using publicly
      available cancer registry data fromEngland and Wales. Methods: Five-year
      survival, incidence and mortality data were obtained from the online databaseof a
      registered charity, Cancer Research UK. We extracted sex-specific age
      standardized mortality, incidence, and5-year survivalfor16 types of cancer over
      the period from 1976 to 1995. The relationships between 5-year survival,incidence
      and mortality were estimated using both Pearson and Spearman correlation
      coefficients. Results: All 16cancertypes showed an increase in 5-year survival
      for both genders from 1976 to 1995, ranging from 0.2% (pancreas andlung cancer)
      to 16.6% (prostate cancer) for males and 0.2% (pancreas cancer) to 16.6%
      (leukemia) for females. From1976 to 1995, there was no significant correlation
      between changes in 5-year survival and cancer mortality for eithersex (males,
      Pearson r=0.16, Spearman r=-0.06; females, Pearson r=-0.33, Spearman r=-0.43). A
      positive relationshipbetween 5-year survival and incidence was noted among males,
      but not among females (males, Pearson r=0.61,Spearman r=0.53; females, Pearson
      r=0.03, Spearman r=0.11). However, after excluding breast and prostate cancer,the
      positive association became weaker and became statistically non-significant for
      males (Pearson r=0.47; Spearmanr=0.41). Conclusions: Our findings suggest that
      there are no reliable relationships between changes in 5-year survivaland cancer
      incidence or mortality. Increases in 5-year survival might therefore represent
      poor indicators of progress incancer control at the population level. In the
      absence of over-diagnosis, 5-year survival might only indicate improveddiagnosis
      and treatment in clinical practice.

PMID- 28345851
TI  - High-Resolution Adhesion Mapping of the Odd-Even Effect on a Layer-by-Layer
      Coated Biomaterial by Atomic-Force-Microscopy.
AB  - The adhesion behavior of polyelectrolyte multilayers consisting of
      poly(diallyldimethylammonium chloride), PDDA, and poly(styrenesulfonate), PSS,
      toward a silicon AFM tip was studied during their build-up on wood, a chemically
      heterogeneous, micrometer rough biomaterial and compared with a nanometer rough
      substrate, namely quartz. The atomic force microscopy-based force mapping
      approach generated high-resolution topography-, and adhesion maps within the
      first bilayers, which point toward a homogeneous layer-by-layer build-up on the
      biomaterial surface, and therefore indicate an even charge distribution. By
      analyzing the force-distance curves in every pixel of the mapping, new insights
      into the specific interactions of the polyelectrolyte multilayers at the surface
      were achieved. The characteristic odd-even effect of polyelectrolyte multilayers
      cannot only be determined on quartz, but also on the biomaterial wood, however,
      only after an offset of two bilayers. This is potentially due to the specific
      roughness and charge of wood in comparison to commonly used quartz.

PMID- 28345852
TI  - Layer-Number Dependent Antibacterial and Osteogenic Behaviors of Graphene Oxide
      Electrophoretic Deposited on Titanium.
AB  - Graphene oxide has attracted widespread attention in the biomedical fields due to
      its excellent biocompatibility. Herein we investigated the layer-number dependent
      antibacterial and osteogenic behaviors of graphene oxide in biointerfaces.
      Graphene oxide with different layer numbers was deposited on the titanium
      surfaces by cathodal electrophoretic deposition with varied deposition voltages.
      The initial cell adhesion and spreading, cell proliferation, and osteogenic
      differentiation were observed from all the samples using rat bone mesenchymal
      stem cells. Both Gram-negative Escherichia coli and Gram-positive Staphylococcus
      aureus were used to investigate the antibacterial effect of the modified titanium
      surfaces. Cocultures of human gingival fibroblasts (HGF) cells with Escherichia
      coli and Staphylococcus aureus were conducted to simulate the conditions of the
      clinical practice. The results show that the titanium surfaces with graphene
      oxide exhibited excellent antibacterial and osteogenic effects. Increasing the
      layer-number of graphene oxide resulted in the augment of reactive oxygen species
      levels and the wrinkling, which led to the antibacterial and osteogenic effects,
      respectively. Compared to pure titanium surface in the cells-bacteria coculture
      process, the modified titanium surfaces with graphene oxide exhibited higher
      surface coverage percentage of cells.

PMID- 28345853
TI  - Single-Crystal-like Perovskite for High-Performance Solar Cells Using the
      Effective Merged Annealing Method.
AB  - We report a simple, low cost, and quite effective method for achieving single
      crystal-like CH3NH3PbI3 perovskite leading to a significant enhancement in the
      performance and stability of inverted planar perovskite solar cells (IPSCs). By
      employing a merged annealing method during the fabrication of an IPSC for
      preparing the perovskite CH3NH3PbI3 film, we remarkably increase the
      crystallinity of the CH3NH3PbI3 film and enhance the device performance and
      stability. An IPSC with the indium tin oxide/poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene)
      poly(styrenesulfonate)/CH3NH3PbI3 (active layer)/[6,6]-phenyl-C61-butyric acid
      methyl ester/Al structure was fabricated using the merged annealing method and
      exhibited significantly enhanced performance with a high power conversion
      efficiency of 18.27% and a fill factor of 81.34%. Moreover, since two separate
      annealing processes are merged in the proposed annealing method, the fabrication
      step becomes much simpler and easier, leading to a reduction in fabrication
      costs.

PMID- 28345854
TI  - Flexible P-Doped Carbon Cloth: Vacuum-Sealed Preparation and Enhanced Na-Storage
      Properties as Binder-Free Anode for Sodium Ion Batteries.
AB  - In this work, a flexible and self-supporting P-doped carbon cloth (FPCC), which
      is composed of interwoven mesh of hollow microtubules with porous carbon walls,
      is prepared via a vacuum-sealed doping technology by employing the commercially
      available cotton cloth as sustainable and scalable raw material. When directly
      used as binder-free anode for sodium-ion batteries, the as-prepared FPCC delivers
      superior Na-storage properties in terms of specific capacity up to 242.4 mA h g
      1, high initial Coulombic efficiency of ~72%, excellent rate capabilities (e.g.,
      123.1 mA h g-1 at a high current of 1 A g-1), and long-term cycle life (e.g.,
      ~88% capacity retention after even 600 cycles). All these electrochemical data
      are better than the undoped carbon cloth control, demonstrating the significance
      of P-doping to enhance the Na-storage properties of cotton-derived carbon anode.
      Furthermore, the technologies of electrochemical impedance spectroscopy and
      galvanostatic intermittent titration technique are implemented to disclose the
      decrease of charge transfer resistance and improvement of Na-migration kinetics,
      respectively.

PMID- 28345855
TI  - Surface Modification of Na3V2(PO4)3 by Nitrogen and Sulfur Dual-Doped Carbon
      Layer with Advanced Sodium Storage Property.
AB  - Nitrogen and sulfur dual-doped carbon layer wrapped Na3V2(PO4)3 nanoparticles
      (NVP@NSC) have been successfully fabricated by the facile solid-state method. In
      this hierarchical structure, the Na3V2(PO4)3 nanoparticles are well dispersed and
      closely coated by nitrogen and sulfur dual-doped carbon layer, constructing an
      effective and interconnected conducting network to reduce the internal
      resistance. Furthermore, the uniform coating layers alleviate the agglomeration
      of Na3V2(PO4)3 as well as mitigate the side reaction between electrode and
      electrolyte. Because of the excellent electron transfer mutually enhancing sodium
      diffusion for this extraordinary structure, the NVP@NSC composite delivers an
      impressive discharge capacity of 113.0 mAh g-1 at 1 C and shows a capacity
      retention of 82.1% after 5000 cycles at an ultrahigh rate of 50 C, suggesting the
      remarkable rate capability and long cyclicity. Surprisingly, a reversible
      capacity of 91.1 mAh g-1 is maintained after 1000 cycles at 5 C under the
      elevated temperature of 55  degrees C. The approach of nitrogen and sulfur dual
      doped carbon-coated Na3V2(PO4)3 provides an effective and promising strategy to
      enhance the ultrahigh rate and ultralong life property of cathode, which can be
      used for large-scale commercial production in sodium ion batteries.

PMID- 28345856
TI  - Instantaneous Pulsed-Light Cross-Linking of a Polymer Gate Dielectric for
      Flexible Organic Thin-Film Transistors.
AB  - We report the instantaneous pulsed-light cross-linking of polymer gate
      dielectrics on a flexible substrate by using intensely pulsed white light (IPWL)
      irradiation. Irradiation with IPWL for only 1.8 s of a poly(4-vinylphenol) (PVP)
      thin film with the cross-linking agent poly(melamine-co-formaldehyde) (PMF)
      deposited on a plastic substrate was found to yield fully cross-linked PVP films.
      It was confirmed that the IPWL-cross-linked PVP films have smooth pinhole-free
      surfaces and exhibit a low leakage current density, organic solvent resistance,
      and good compatibility with organic semiconductor, and that they can be used as
      replacements for typical PVP dielectrics that are cross-linked with time and
      energy intensive thermal heating processes. The synchronization of the IPWL
      irradiation with substrate transfer was found to enable the preparation of cross
      linked PVP films on large area substrates with a highly uniform capacitance.
      Flexible OTFT based on IPWL-cross-linked PVP dielectrics were found to exhibit
      good electrical performance that is comparable to that of devices with thermally
      cross-linked PVP dielectric, as well as excellent deformation stability even at a
      bending radius of 3 mm.

PMID- 28345857
TI  - Self-Cleaning Membranes from Comb-Shaped Copolymers with Photoresponsive Side
      Groups.
AB  - In this study, we present a novel self-cleaning, photoresponsive membrane that is
      capable of removing predeposited foulant layers upon changes in surface
      morphology in response to UV or visible light irradiation while maintaining
      stable pore size and water permeance. These membranes were prepared by creating
      thin film composite (TFC) membranes by coating a porous support membrane with a
      thin layer of novel comb-shaped graft copolymers at two side-chain lengths
      featuring polyacrylonitrile (PAN) backbones and photoreactive side chains,
      synthesized by atom transfer radical polymerization (ATRP). Photoregulated
      control over membrane properties is attained through a light-induced transition,
      where the side chains switch between a hydrophobic spiropyran (SP) state and a
      zwitterionic, hydrophilic merocyanine (MC) state. The light-induced switch
      between the SP and MC forms changes surface hydrophilicity and causes
      morphological changes on the membrane surface as evidenced by atomic force
      microscopy (AFM). Before any phototreatment, the as-coated membrane surface
      comprises mostly hydrophobic SP groups that allow the adsorption of organic
      solutes such as proteins the membrane surface, reducing flow rate. Once exposed
      to UV light, conversion of the SP groups to hydrophilic MC groups leads to the
      release of adsorbed molecules and the full recovery of the initial water flux. A
      fouled membrane in the more hydrophilic MC form is also capable of self-cleaning
      upon conversion to the less hydrophilic SP form by visible light irradiation. The
      self-cleaning behavior observed for this system, where the surface became less
      hydrophilic but also experienced a morphological change, demonstrates a novel
      mechanism that has a mechanical component in addition to the changes in
      hydrophilicity. It is also the first report, to our knowledge, of self-cleaning
      performance accompanied by a decrease in hydrophilicity.

PMID- 28345858
TI  - Enhanced Absorption Performance of Carbon Nanostructure Based Metamaterials and
      Tuning Impedance Matching Behavior by an External AC Electric Field.
AB  - Metamaterials have surprisingly broadened the range of available practical
      applications in new devices such as shielding, microwave absorbing, and novel
      antennas. More research has been conducted related to tuning DNG frequency bands
      of ordered or disordered metamaterials, and far less research has focused on the
      importance of impedance matching behavior, with little effort and attention given
      to adjusting the magnitude of negative permittivity values. This is particularly
      important if devices deal with low-amplitude signals such as radio or TV
      antennas. The carbon/hafnium nickel oxide (C/Hf0.9Ni0.1Oy) nanocomposites with
      simultaneously negative permittivity and negative permeability, excellent
      metamaterial performance, and good impedance matching could become an efficient
      alternative for the ordered metamaterials in wave-transparent, microwave
      absorbing, and solar energy harvesting fields. In this study, we prepared
      C/Hf0.9Ni0.1Oy nanocomposites by the solvothermal method, and we clarified how
      the impedance matching and double-negative (DNG) behaviors of C/Hf0.9Ni0.1Oy can
      be tuned by an external AC electric field created by an electric quadrupole
      system. An external electric field allows for the alignment of the well-dispersed
      nanoparticles of carbon with long-range orientations order. We believe that this
      finding broadens our understanding of moderate conductive material-based random
      metamaterials (MCMRMs) and provides a novel strategy for replacing high-loss
      ordered or disordered metamaterials with MCMRMs.

PMID- 28345859
TI  - Aqueous Nanoparticle Polymer Solar Cells: Effects of Surfactant Concentration and
      Processing on Device Performance.
AB  - Polymer solar cells based on PDPP5T and PCBM as donor and acceptor materials,
      respectively, were processed from aqueous nanoparticle dispersions. Careful
      monitoring and optimization of the concentration of free and surface-bound
      surfactants in the dispersion, by measuring the conductivity and zeta-potential,
      is essential to avoid aggregation of nanoparticles at low concentration and
      dewetting of the film at high concentration. The surfactant concentration is
      crucial for creating reproducible processing conditions that aid in further
      developing aqueous nanoparticle processed solar cells. In addition, the effects
      of adding ethanol, of aging the dispersion, and of replacing [60]PCBM with
      [70]PCBM to enhance light absorption were studied. The highest power conversion
      efficiencies (PCEs) obtained are 2.0% for [60]PCBM and 2.4% for [70]PCBM-based
      devices. These PCEs are limited by bimolecular recombination of photogenerated
      charges. Cryo-TEM reveals that the two components phase separate in the
      nanoparticles, forming a PCBM-rich core and a PDPP5T-rich shell and causing a
      nonoptimal film morphology.

PMID- 28345860
TI  - Instant, Visual, and Instrument-Free Method for On-Site Screening of GTS 40-3-2
      Soybean Based on Body-Heat Triggered Recombinase Polymerase Amplification.
AB  - On-site monitoring the plantation of genetically modified (GM) crops is of
      critical importance in agriculture industry throughout the world. In this paper,
      a simple, visual and instrument-free method for instant on-site detection of GTS
      40-3-2 soybean has been developed. It is based on body-heat recombinase
      polymerase amplification (RPA) and followed with naked-eye detection via
      fluorescent DNA dye. Combining with extremely simplified sample preparation, the
      whole detection process can be accomplished within 10 min and the fluorescent
      results can be photographed by an accompanied smart phone. Results demonstrated a
      100% detection rate for screening of practical GTS 40-3-2 soybean samples by 20
      volunteers under different ambient temperatures. This method is not only suitable
      for on-site detection of GM crops but also demonstrates great potential to be
      applied in other fields.

PMID- 28345862
TI  - Quantification of Lipid Metabolism in Living Cells through the Dynamics of Lipid
      Droplets Measured by Stimulated Raman Scattering Imaging.
AB  - Dysregulation of lipid metabolism is associated with many diseases including
      cancer. Lipid droplet (LD), a ubiquitous organelle in mammalian cells, serves as
      a hub for lipid metabolism. Conventional assays on the measurement of lipid
      metabolism rely on the quantification of the lipid composition or amount. Such
      methods cannot distinguish LDs having different biofunctionalities in living
      cells, and thus could be inaccurate in measuring the instantaneous lipogenesis of
      the living cells. We applied label-free stimulated Raman scattering microscopy to
      quantify the LDs' spatial-temporal dynamics, which showed direct links to
      cellular lipid metabolisms and can separate LDs involved in different metabolic
      events. In human cancer cells, we found that changes in the maximum displacement
      of LDs reflected variations in cellular lipogenic activity, and changes in the
      average speed of LDs revealed alterations in LD size. The LD dynamics analysis
      allowed for more accurate measurement in the lipogenesis and LD dimensions, and
      can break the optical diffraction limit to detect small variation in lipid
      metabolism that was conventionally undetectable. By this method, we revealed
      changes in the lipogenic activity and LD sizes during glucose starvation of HeLa
      cells and transforming growth factor beta-induced epithelial-to-mesenchymal
      transition of SKOV-3 cells. This method opens a way to quantify lipid metabolism
      in living cells during cellular development and transition.

PMID- 28345861
TI  - Identification of Gene Transcription Start Sites and Enhancers Responding to
      Pulmonary Carbon Nanotube Exposure in Vivo.
AB  - Increased use of nanomaterials in industry, medicine, and consumer products has
      raised concerns over their toxicity. To ensure safe use of nanomaterials,
      understanding their biological effects at the molecular level is crucial. In
      particular, the regulatory mechanisms responsible for the cascade of genes
      activated by nanomaterial exposure are not well-characterized. To this end, we
      profiled the genome-wide usage of gene transcription start sites and linked
      active enhancer regions in lungs of C57BL/6 mice 24 h after intratracheal
      instillation of a single dose of the multiwalled carbon nanotube (MWCNT) Mitsui
      7. Our results revealed a massive gene regulatory response, where expression of
      key inflammatory genes (e.g., Csf3, Il24, and Fgf23) was increased >100-fold 24 h
      after Mitsui-7 exposure. Many of the Mitsui-7-responsive transcription start
      sites were alternative transcription start sites for known genes, and the number
      of alternative transcription start sites used in a given gene was correlated with
      overall Mitsui-7 response. Strikingly, genes that were up-regulated after Mitsui
      7 exposure only through their main annotated transcription start site were linked
      to inflammatory and defense responses, while genes up-regulated only through
      alternative transcription start sites were functionally heterogeneous and not
      inflammation-associated. Furthermore, we identified almost 12 000 active
      enhancers, many of which were Mitsui-7-responsive, and we identified similarly
      responding putative target genes. Overall, our study provides the location and
      activity of Mitsui-7-induced enhancers and transcription start sites, providing a
      useful resource for targeted experiments elucidating the biological effects of
      nanomaterials and the identification of biomarkers for early detection of MWCNT
      induced inflammation.

PMID- 28345863
TI  - Native Mass Spectrometry of Recombinant Proteins from Crude Cell Lysates.
AB  - Determining the properties of proteins prior to purification saves time and
      labor. Here, we demonstrate a native mass spectrometry approach for rapid
      characterization of overexpressed proteins directly in crude cell lysates. The
      method provides immediate information on the identity, solubility, oligomeric
      state, overall structure, and stability, as well as ligand binding, without the
      need for purification.

PMID- 28345865
TI  - Human Milk Oligosaccharide Specificities of Human Galectins. Comparison of
      Electrospray Ionization Mass Spectrometry and Glycan Microarray Screening
      Results.
AB  - The affinities of thirty-two free human milk oligosaccharides (HMOs) for four
      human galectin proteins, a stable mutant of hGal1 (hGal-1), a C-terminal fragment
      of hGal-3 (hGal-3C), hGal-7, and an N-terminal fragment of hGal-9 (hGal-9N), were
      measured using electrospray ionization mass spectrometry (ESI-MS). The binding
      data show that each of the four galectins recognize the majority of the HMOs
      tested (hGal-1 binds thirty-two HMOs, hGal-3C binds twenty-six, hGal-7 binds
      thirty-one, and hGal-9N binds twenty-six). Twenty-five of the HMOs tested bind
      all four galectins, with affinities ranging from 103 to 105 M-1. The reliability
      of the ESI-MS assay for quantifying the affinities of HMOs for lectins was
      established from the agreement found between the ESI-MS data and affinities of a
      small number of HMOs for hGal-1, hGal-3C, and hGal-7 measured by isothermal
      titration calorimetry (ITC). Comparison of the relative affinities (of 14 HMOs)
      measured by ESI-MS with the reported specificities of hGal-1, hGal-3, hGal-7, and
      hGal-9 for these same HMOs established using the shotgun human milk glycan
      microarray (HM-SGM-v2) showed fair-to-poor correlation, with evidence of false
      positives and false negatives in the microarray data. The results of this study
      suggest that HMO specificities of lectins established using microarrays may not
      accurately reflect their true HMO-binding properties and that the use of "in
      solution" assays such as ESI-MS and ITC is to be preferred.

PMID- 28345864
TI  - Triple-Stage Mass Spectrometry Unravels the Heterogeneity of an Endogenous
      Protein Complex.
AB  - Protein complexes often represent an ensemble of different assemblies with
      distinct functions and regulation. This increased complexity is enabled by the
      variety of protein diversification mechanisms that exist at every step of the
      protein biosynthesis pathway, such as alternative splicing and post
      transcriptional and translational modifications. The resulting variation in
      subunits can generate compositionally distinct protein assemblies. These
      different forms of a single protein complex may comprise functional variances
      that enable response and adaptation to varying cellular conditions. Despite the
      biological importance of this layer of complexity, relatively little is known
      about the compositional heterogeneity of protein complexes, mostly due to
      technical barriers of studying such closely related species. Here, we show that
      native mass spectrometry (MS) offers a way to unravel this inherent heterogeneity
      of protein assemblies. Our approach relies on the advanced Orbitrap mass
      spectrometer capable of multistage MS analysis across all levels of protein
      organization. Specifically, we have implemented a two-step fragmentation process
      in the inject flatapole device, which was converted to a linear ion trap, and can
      now probe the intact protein complex assembly, through its constituent subunits,
      to the primary sequence of each protein. We demonstrate our approach on the yeast
      homotetrameric FBP1 complex, the rate-limiting enzyme in gluconeogenesis. We show
      that the complex responds differently to changes in growth conditions by tuning
      phosphorylation dynamics. Our methodology deciphers, on a single instrument and
      in a single measurement, the stoichiometry, kinetics, and exact position of
      modifications, contributing to the exposure of the multilevel diversity of
      protein complexes.

PMID- 28345866
TI  - Biocompatible Hydroxylated Boron Nitride Nanosheets/Poly(vinyl alcohol)
      Interpenetrating Hydrogels with Enhanced Mechanical and Thermal Responses.
AB  - Poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA) hydrogels with tissue-like viscoelasticity, excellent
      biocompatibility, and high hydrophilicity have been considered as promising
      cartilage replacement materials. However, lack of sufficient mechanical
      properties is a critical barrier to their use as load-bearing cartilage
      substitutes. Herein, we report hydroxylated boron nitride nanosheets (OH
      BNNS)/PVA interpenetrating hydrogels by cyclically freezing/thawing the aqueous
      mixture of PVA and highly hydrophilic OH-BNNS (up to 0.6 mg/mL, two times the
      highest reported so far). Encouragingly, the resulting OH-BNNS/PVA hydrogels
      exhibit controllable reinforcements in both mechanical and thermal responses by
      simply varying the OH-BNNS contents. Impressive 45, 43, and 63% increases in
      compressive, tensile strengths and Young's modulus, respectively, can be obtained
      even with only 0.12 wt% (OH-BNNS:PVA) OH-BNNS addition. Meanwhile, exciting
      improvements in the thermal diffusivity (15%) and conductivity (5%) can also be
      successfully achieved. These enhancements are attributed to the synergistic
      effect of intrinsic superior properties of the as-prepared OH-BNNS and strong
      hydrogen bonding interactions between the OH-BNNS and PVA chains. In addition,
      excellent cytocompatibility of the composite hydrogels was verified by cell
      proliferation and live/dead viability assays. These biocompatible OH-BNNS/PVA
      hydrogels are promising in addressing the mechanical failure and locally
      overheating issues as cartilage substitutes and may also have broad utility for
      biomedical applications, such as drug delivery, tissue engineering, biosensors,
      and actuators.

PMID- 28345867
TI  - Correction to Recent Advances in the Analysis of Single Cells.

PMID- 28345868
TI  - Immune System Activation and Depression: Roles of Serotonin in the Central
      Nervous System and Periphery.
AB  - Serotonin (5-hydroxytryptamine, 5-HT) has long been recognized as a key
      contributor to the regulation of mood and anxiety and is strongly associated with
      the etiology of major depressive disorder (MDD). Although more known for its
      roles within the central nervous system (CNS), 5-HT is recognized to modulate
      several key aspects of immune system function that may contribute to the
      development of MDD. Copious amounts of research have outlined a connection
      between alterations in immune system function, inflammation status, and MDD.
      Supporting this connection, peripheral immune activation results in changes in
      the function and/or expression of many components of 5-HT signaling that are
      associated with depressive-like phenotypes. How 5-HT is utilized by the immune
      system to effect CNS function and ultimately behaviors related to depression is
      still not well understood. This Review summarizes the evidence that immune system
      alterations related to depression affect CNS 5-HT signaling that can alter MDD
      relevant behaviors and that 5-HT regulates immune system signaling within the CNS
      and periphery. We suggest that targeting the interrelationships between immune
      and 5-HT signaling may provide more effective treatments for subsets of those
      suffering from inflammation-associated MDD.

PMID- 28345869
TI  - Characterization of the Aerosol-Based Synthesis of Uranium Particles as a
      Potential Reference Material for Microanalytical Methods.
AB  - A process for production of micrometer-sized particles composed of uranium oxide
      using aerosol spray pyrolysis is characterized with respect to the various
      production parameters. The aerosol is generated using a vibrating orifice aerosol
      generator providing monodisperse droplets, which are oxidized in a subsequent
      heat treatment. The final particles are characterized with microanalytical
      methods to determine size, shape, internal morphology, and chemical and
      structural properties in order to assess the suitability of the produced
      particles as a reference material for microanalytical methods, in particular, for
      mass spectrometry. It is demonstrated that physicochemical processes during
      particle formation and the heat treatment to chemically transform particles into
      an oxide strongly influence the particle shape and the internal morphology.
      Synchrotron MU-X-ray based techniques combined with MU-Raman spectroscopy have
      been applied to demonstrate that the obtained microparticles consist of a
      triuranium octoxide phase. Our studies demonstrate that the process is capable of
      delivering spherical particles with determined uniform size and elemental as well
      as chemical composition. The particles therefore represent a suitable base
      material to fulfill the homogeneity and stability requirements of a reference
      material for microanalytical methods applied in, for example, international
      safeguards or nuclear forensics.

PMID- 28345870
TI  - Ultrafast Separation and Analysis of Monoclonal Antibody Aggregates Using
      Membrane Chromatography.
AB  - We discuss a method for rapid and cost-effective analysis of monoclonal antibody
      (mAb) aggregates. Hydrophobic interaction membrane chromatography, which was
      previously shown to be highly suitable for such separation and analysis, was used
      in a recently developed format referred to as laterally fed membrane
      chromatography (or LFMC). A stack of rectangular polyvinylidene fluoride (or
      PVDF) membranes having 0.22 MUm pores housed within a modified analytical-scale
      LFMC device was used for analyzing aggregate types and content in different
      monoclonal antibody samples. High-resolution separations could be achieved in
      less than 1.5 min, this being faster than other currently available techniques
      such as size exclusion ultraperformance liquid chromatography (SE-UPLC).
      Moreover, the operating pressure was less than 200 kPa, which eliminated the need
      for an expensive high-pressure pump and chromatography system. The resolution
      obtained using the LFMC was comparable to that obtained using SE-UPLC. The effect
      of design variations such as change in dead volume and pillar size within the
      lateral channels within the LFMC device was also examined.

PMID- 28345872
TI  - Intrinsically Stretchable and Conductive Textile by a Scalable Process for
      Elastic Wearable Electronics.
AB  - The prosperous development of stretchable electronics poses a great demand on
      stretchable conductive materials that could maintain their electrical
      conductivity under tensile strain. Previously reported strategies to obtain
      stretchable conductors usually involve complex structure-fabricating processes or
      utilization of high-cost nanomaterials. It remains a great challenge to produce
      stretchable and conductive materials via a scalable and cost-effective process.
      Herein, a large-scalable pyrolysis strategy is developed for the fabrication of
      intrinsically stretchable and conductive textile in utilizing low-cost and mass
      produced weft-knitted textiles as raw materials. Due to the intrinsic
      stretchability of the weft-knitted structure and the excellent mechanical and
      electrical properties of the as-obtained carbonized fibers, the obtained flexible
      and durable textile could sustain tensile strains up to 125% while keeping a
      stable electrical conductivity (as shown by a Modal-based textile), thus ensuring
      its applications in elastic electronics. For demonstration purposes, stretchable
      supercapacitors and wearable thermal-therapy devices that showed stable
      performance with the loading of tensile strains have been fabricated. Considering
      the simplicity and large scalability of the process, the low-cost and mass
      production of the raw materials, and the superior performances of the as-obtained
      elastic and conductive textile, this strategy would contribute to the development
      and industrial production of wearable electronics.

PMID- 28345871
TI  - In Vivo Targeting and Positron Emission Tomography Imaging of Tumor with
      Intrinsically Radioactive Metal-Organic Frameworks Nanomaterials.
AB  - Nanoscale metal-organic frameworks (nMOF) materials represent an attractive tool
      for various biomedical applications. Due to the chemical versatility, enormous
      porosity, and tunable degradability of nMOFs, they have been adopted as carriers
      for delivery of imaging and/or therapeutic cargos. However, the relatively low
      stability of most nMOFs has limited practical in vivo applications. Here we
      report the production and characterization of an intrinsically radioactive UiO-66
      nMOF (89Zr-UiO-66) with incorporation of positron-emitting isotope zirconium-89
      (89Zr). 89Zr-UiO-66 was further functionalized with pyrene-derived polyethylene
      glycol (Py-PGA-PEG) and conjugated with a peptide ligand (F3) to nucleolin for
      targeting of triple-negative breast tumors. Doxorubicin (DOX) was loaded onto UiO
      66 with a relatively high loading capacity (1 mg DOX/mg UiO-66) and served as
      both a therapeutic cargo and a fluorescence visualizer in this study.
      Functionalized 89Zr-UiO-66 demonstrated strong radiochemical and material
      stability in different biological media. Based on the findings from cellular
      targeting and in vivo positron emission tomography (PET) imaging, we can conclude
      that 89Zr-UiO-66/Py-PGA-PEG-F3 can serve as an image-guidable, tumor-selective
      cargo delivery nanoplatform. In addition, toxicity evaluation confirmed that
      properly PEGylated UiO-66 did not impose acute or chronic toxicity to the test
      subjects. With selective targeting of nucleolin on both tumor vasculature and
      tumor cells, this intrinsically radioactive nMOF can find broad application in
      cancer theranostics.

PMID- 28345873
TI  - Impact of Semiconducting Perylene Diimide Nanoparticle Size on Lymph Node Mapping
      and Cancer Imaging.
AB  - Semiconducting molecules of perylene diimide (PDI) with strong light absorption
      properties in the near-infrared region and good biocompatibility have received
      increasing attention in the field of theranostics, especially as photoacoustic
      (PA) imaging agents. Herein, we report a series of [64Cu]-labeled PDI
      nanoparticles (NPs) of different sizes (30, 60, 100, and 200 nm) as dual positron
      emission tomography (PET) and PA imaging probes and photothermal therapy agents.
      The precise size control of the PDI NPs can be achieved by adjusting the initial
      concentration of PDI molecules in the self-assembly process, and the
      photophysical property of different sized PDI NPs was studied in detail.
      Furthermore, we systematically investigated the size-dependent accumulation of
      the PDI NPs in the lymphatic system after local administration and in tumors
      after intravenous injection by PA and PET imaging. The results revealed that 100
      nm is the best size for differentiating popliteal and sciatic LNs since the
      interval is around 60 min for the NPs to migrate from popliteal LNs to sciatic
      LNs, which is an ideal time window to facilitate surgical sentinel LN biopsy and
      pathological examination. Furthermore, different migration times of the different
      sized PDI NPs will provide more choices for surgeons to map the specific tumor
      relevant LNs. PDI NP theranostics can also be applied to imaging-guided cancer
      therapy. The NPs with a size of 60 nm appear to be the best for tumor imaging and
      photothermal cancer therapy due to the maximum tumor accumulation efficiency.
      Thus, our study not only presents organic PDI NP theranostics but also introduces
      different-sized NPs for multiple bioapplications.

PMID- 28345874
TI  - Delivery of Pesticides to Plant Parasitic Nematodes Using Tobacco Mild Green
      Mosaic Virus as a Nanocarrier.
AB  - Plant parasitic nematodes are a major burden to the global agricultural industry,
      causing a $157 billion loss each year in crop production worldwide. Effective
      treatment requires large doses of nematicides to be applied, putting the
      environment and human health at risk. Challenges are to treat nematodes that are
      located deep within the soil, feeding on the roots of plants. To attack the
      problem at its roots, we propose the use of tobacco mild green mosaic virus
      (TMGMV), an EPA-approved herbicide as a carrier to deliver nematicides. TMGMV
      self-assembles into a 300 * 18 nm soft matter nanorod with a 4 nm-wide hollow
      channel. This plant virus is comprised of 2130 identical coat protein subunits,
      each of which displays solvent-exposed carboxylate groups from Glu/Asp as well as
      Tyr side chains, enabling the functionalization of the carrier with cargo. We
      report (1) the successful formulation and characterization of TMGMV loaded with
      ~1500 copies of the anthelmintic drug crystal violet (CV), (2) the
      bioavailability and treatment efficacy of CVTMGMV vs CV to nematodes in liquid
      cultures, and (3) the superior soil mobility of CVTMGMV compared to free CV.

PMID- 28345876
TI  - Engineering Cellular Microenvironments with Photo- and Enzymatically Responsive
      Hydrogels: Toward Biomimetic 3D Cell Culture Models.
AB  - Conventional cell culture techniques using 2D polystyrene or glass have provided
      great insight into key biochemical mechanisms responsible for cellular events
      such as cell proliferation, differentiation, and cell-cell interactions. However,
      the physical and chemical properties of 2D culture in vitro are dramatically
      different than those found in the native cellular microenvironment in vivo. Cells
      grown on 2D substrates differ significantly from those grown in vivo, and this
      explains, in part, why many promising drug candidates discovered through in vitro
      drug screening assays fail when they are translated to in vivo animal or human
      models. To overcome this obstacle, 3D cell culture using biomimetic hydrogels has
      emerged as an alternative strategy to recapitulate native cell growth in vitro.
      Hydrogels, which are water-swollen polymers, can be synthetic or naturally
      derived. Many methods have been developed to control the physical and chemical
      properties of the hydrogels to match those found in specific tissues. Compared to
      2D culture, cells cultured in 3D gels with the appropriate physicochemical cues
      can behave more like they naturally do in vivo. While conventional hydrogels
      involve modifications to the bulk material to mimic the static aspects of the
      cellular microenvironment, recent progress has focused on using more dynamic
      hydrogels, the chemical and physical properties of which can be altered with
      external stimuli to better mimic the dynamics of the native cellular
      microenvironment found in vivo. In this Account, we describe our progress in
      designing stimuli-responsive, optically transparent hydrogels that can be used as
      biomimetic extracellular matrices (ECMs) to study cell differentiation and
      migration in the context of modeling the nervous system and cancer. Specifically,
      we developed photosensitive agarose and hyaluronic acid hydrogels that are
      activated by single or two-photon irradiation for biomolecule immobilization at
      specific volumes within the 3D hydrogel. By controlling the spatial location of
      protein immobilization, we created 3D patterns and protein concentration
      gradients within these gels. We used the latter to study the effect of VEGF-165
      concentration gradients on the interactions between endothelial cells and retinal
      stem cells. Hyaluronic acid (HA) is particularly compelling as it is naturally
      found in the ECM of many tissues and the tumor microenvironment. We used Diels
      Alder click chemistry and cryogelation to alter the chemical and physical
      properties of these hydrogels. We also designed HA hydrogels to study the
      invasion of breast cancer cells. HA gels were chemically cross-linked with matrix
      metalloproteinase (MMP)-degradable peptides that degrade in the presence of
      cancer cell-secreted MMPs, thus allowing cells to remodel their local
      microenvironment and invade into HA/MMP-degradable gels.

PMID- 28345877
TI  - Direct Analysis of Metal Ions in Solutions with High Salt Concentrations by Total
      Reflection X-ray Fluorescence.
AB  - Total reflection X-ray fluorescence (TXRF) is becoming more and more popular for
      elemental analysis in academia and industry. However, simplification of the
      procedures for analyzing samples with complex compositions and residual matrix
      effects is still needed. In this work, the effect of an inorganic (CaCl2) and an
      organic (tetraalkylphosphonium chloride) matrix on metals quantification by TXRF
      was investigated for liquid samples. The samples were spiked with up to 20 metals
      at concentrations ranging from 3 to 50 mg L-1 per element, including elements
      with spectral peaks near the peaks of the matrix elements or near the Raleigh and
      Compton scattering peaks of the X-ray source (molybdenum anode). The recovery
      rate (RR) and the relative standard deviation (RSD) were calculated to express
      the accuracy and the precision of the measured element concentrations. In samples
      with no matrix effects, good RRs are obtained regardless of the internal standard
      selected. However, in samples with moderate matrix content, the use of an optimum
      internal standard (OIS) at a concentration close to that of the analyte
      significantly improved the quantitative analysis. In samples with high
      concentrations of inorganic ions, using a Triton X-100 aqueous solution to dilute
      the sample during the internal standardization resulted in better RRs and lower
      RSDs compared to using only water. In samples with a high concentration of
      organic material, pure ethanol gave slightly better results than when a Triton X
      100-ethanol solution was used for dilution. Compared to previous methods reported
      in the literature, the new sample-preparation method gave better accuracy,
      precision, and sensitivity for the elements tested. Sample dilution with an OIS
      and the surfactant Triton X-100 (inorganic media) or ethanol (organic media) is
      recommended for fast routine elemental determination in matrix containing
      samples, as it does not require special equipment, experimentally derived case
      dependent mathematical corrections, or physicochemical removal of interfering
      elements.

PMID- 28345875
TI  - Reactive Oxygen Species Synergize To Potently and Selectively Induce Cancer Cell
      Death.
AB  - A distinctive feature of cancer cells is their elevated levels of reactive oxygen
      species (ROS), a trait that can cause cancer cells to be more sensitive to ROS
      inducing agents than normal cells. ROS take several forms, each with different
      reactivity and downstream consequence. Here we show that simultaneous generation
      of superoxide and hydrogen peroxide within cancer cells results in significant
      synergy, potently and selectively causing cancer cell death. In these experiments
      superoxide is generated using the NAD(P)H quinone oxidoreductase 1 (NQO1)
      substrate deoxynyboquinone (DNQ), and hydrogen peroxide is generated using the
      lactate dehydrogenase A (LDH-A) inhibitor NHI-Glc-2. This combination reduces
      tumor burden and prolongs survival in a mouse model of lung cancer. These data
      suggest that simultaneous induction of superoxide and hydrogen peroxide can be a
      powerful and selective anticancer strategy.

PMID- 28345879
TI  - Vibrational Probes: From Small Molecule Solvatochromism Theory and Experiments to
      Applications in Complex Systems.
AB  - The vibrational frequency of a chosen normal mode is one of the most accurately
      measurable spectroscopic properties of molecules in condensed phases.
      Accordingly, infrared absorption and Raman scattering spectroscopy have provided
      valuable information on both distributions and ensemble-average values of
      molecular vibrational frequencies, and these frequencies are now routinely used
      to investigate structure, conformation, and even absolute configuration of
      chemical and biological molecules of interest. Recent advancements in coherent
      time-domain nonlinear vibrational spectroscopy have allowed the study of
      heterogeneous distributions of local structures and thermally driven ultrafast
      fluctuations of vibrational frequencies. To fully utilize IR probe functional
      groups for quantitative bioassays, a variety of biological and chemical
      techniques have been developed to site-specifically introduce vibrational probe
      groups into proteins and nucleic acids. These IR-probe-labeled biomolecules and
      chemically reactive systems are subject to linear and nonlinear vibrational
      spectroscopic investigations and provide information on the local electric field,
      conformational changes, site-site protein contacts, and/or function-defining
      features of biomolecules. A rapidly expanding library of data from such
      experiments requires an interpretive method with atom-level chemical accuracy.
      However, despite prolonged efforts to develop an all-encompassing theory for
      describing vibrational solvatochromism and electrochromism as well as dynamic
      fluctuations of instantaneous vibrational frequencies, purely empirical and
      highly approximate theoretical models have often been used to interpret
      experimental results. They are, in many cases, based on the simple assumption
      that the vibrational frequency of an IR reporter is solely dictated by electric
      potential or field distribution around the vibrational chromophore. Such
      simplified description of vibrational solvatochromism generally referred to as
      vibrational Stark effect theory has been considered to be quite appealing and,
      even in some cases, e.g., carbonyl stretch modes in amide, ester, ketone, and
      carbonate compounds or proteins, it works quantitatively well, which makes it
      highly useful in determining the strength of local electric field around the IR
      chromophore. However, noting that the vibrational frequency shift results from
      changes of solute-solvent intermolecular interaction potential along its normal
      coordinate, Pauli exclusion repulsion, polarization, charge transfer, and
      dispersion interactions, in addition to the electrostatic interaction between
      distributed charges of both vibrational chromophore and solvent molecules, are to
      be properly included in the theoretical description of vibrational
      solvatochromism. Since the electrostatic and nonelectrostatic intermolecular
      interaction components have distinctively different distance and orientation
      dependences, they affect the solvatochromic vibrational properties in a
      completely different manner. Over the past few years, we have developed a
      systematic approach to simulating vibrational solvatochromic data based on the
      effective fragment potential approach, one of the most accurate and rigorous
      theories on intermolecular interactions. We have further elucidated the interplay
      of local electric field with the general vibrational solvatochromism of small IR
      probes in either solvents or complicated biological systems, with emphasis on
      contributions from non-Coulombic intermolecular interactions to vibrational
      frequency shifts and fluctuations. With its rigorous foundation and close
      relation to quantitative interpretation of experimental data, this and related
      theoretical approaches and experiments will be of use in studying and quantifying
      the structure and dynamics of biomolecules with unprecedented time and spatial
      resolution when combined with time-resolved vibrational spectroscopy and
      chemically sensitive vibrational imaging techniques.

PMID- 28345878
TI  - Multispectral Optical Tweezers for Biochemical Fingerprinting of CD9-Positive
      Exosome Subpopulations.
AB  - Extracellular vesicles (EVs), including exosomes, are circulating nanoscale
      particles heavily implicated in cell signaling and can be isolated in vast
      numbers from human biofluids. Study of their molecular profiling and materials
      properties is currently underway for purposes of describing a variety of
      biological functions and diseases. However, the large, and as yet largely
      unquantified, variety of EV subpopulations differing in composition, size, and
      likely function necessitates characterization schemes capable of measuring single
      vesicles. Here we describe the first application of multispectral optical
      tweezers (MS-OTs) to single vesicles for molecular fingerprinting of EV
      subpopulations. This versatile imaging platform allows for sensitive measurement
      of Raman chemical composition (e.g., variation in protein, lipid, cholesterol,
      nucleic acids), coupled with discrimination by fluorescence markers. For exosomes
      isolated by ultracentrifugation, we use MS-OTs to interrogate the CD9-positive
      subpopulations via antibody fluorescence labeling and Raman spectra measurement.
      We report that the CD9-positive exosome subset exhibits reduced component
      concentration per vesicle and reduced chemical heterogeneity compared to the
      total purified EV population. We observed that specific vesicle subpopulations
      are present across exosomes isolated from cell culture supernatant of several
      clonal varieties of mesenchymal stromal cells and also from plasma and ascites
      isolated from human ovarian cancer patients.

PMID- 28345880
TI  - Detecting Proteins Glycosylation by a Homogeneous Reaction System with
      Zwitterionic Gold Nanoclusters.
AB  - Homogeneous gold nanoclusters (Au NCs) have been widely utilized in drug
      delivery, chemical sensing, bioassays, and biolabeling due to their unique
      physical and chemical properties. However, little attention has been paid to
      their application in detecting protein post-translational modifications. Herein,
      we describe the development of a homogeneous reaction system with water-soluble
      zwitterionic Au NCs to capture glycopeptides from complex biological samples. The
      unique characteristics of Au NCs, such as their molecular-like properties, the
      excellent homogeneity in aqueous solution, the organic solvent responsive
      precipitation, and the easy preparation in only 4.5 h, contribute to the high
      efficiency and high throughput for capturing the targeted glycopeptides. Compared
      with the conventional heterogeneous system with solid-state adsorbents, the
      number of characterized glycosylation sites was improved by 35%. Finally, an MS
      detection limit as low as 50 amol was achieved for the standard glycoprotein
      (IgG), and 1576 glycosylation sites from 713 glycoproteins were identified from
      only 60 MUg of mouse liver protein. Data are available via ProteomeXchange with
      identifier PXD005635.

PMID- 28345881
TI  - Silane and Germane Molecular Electronics.
AB  - This Account provides an overview of our recent efforts to uncover the
      fundamental charge transport properties of Si-Si and Ge-Ge single bonds and
      introduce useful functions into group 14 molecular wires. We utilize the tools of
      chemical synthesis and a scanning tunneling microscopy-based break-junction
      technique to study the mechanism of charge transport in these molecular systems.
      We evaluated the fundamental ability of silicon, germanium, and carbon molecular
      wires to transport charge by comparing conductances within families of well
      defined structures, the members of which differ only in the number of Si (or Ge
      or C) atoms in the wire. For each family, this procedure yielded a length
      dependent conductance decay parameter, beta. Comparison of the different beta
      values demonstrates that Si-Si and Ge-Ge sigma bonds are more conductive than the
      analogous C-C sigma bonds. These molecular trends mirror what is seen in the
      bulk. The conductance decay of Si and Ge-based wires is similar in magnitude to
      those from pi-based molecular wires such as paraphenylenes However, the chemistry
      of the linkers that attach the molecular wires to the electrodes has a large
      influence on the resulting beta value. For example, Si- and Ge-based wires of
      many different lengths connected with a methyl-thiomethyl linker give beta values
      of 0.36-0.39 A-1, whereas Si- and Ge-based wires connected with aryl-thiomethyl
      groups give drastically different beta values for short and long wires. This
      observation inspired us to study molecular wires that are composed of both pi-
      and sigma-orbitals. The sequence and composition of group 14 atoms in the sigma
      chain modulates the electronic coupling between the pi end-groups and dictates
      the molecular conductance. The conductance behavior originates from the coupling
      between the subunits, which can be understood by considering periodic trends such
      as bond length, polarizability, and bond polarity. We found that the same
      periodic trends determine the electric field-induced breakdown properties of
      individual Si-Si, Ge-Ge, Si-O, Si-C, and C-C bonds. Building from these studies,
      we have prepared a system that has two different, alternative conductance
      pathways. In this wire, we can intentionally break a labile, strained silicon
      silicon bond and thereby shunt the current through the secondary conduction
      pathway. This type of in situ bond-rupture provides a new tool to study single
      molecule reactions that are induced by electric fields. Moreover, these studies
      provide guidance for designing dielectric materials as well as molecular devices
      that require stability under high voltage bias. The fundamental studies on the
      structure/function relationships of the molecular wires have guided the design of
      new functional systems based on the Si- and Ge-based wires. For example, we
      exploited the principle of strain-induced Lewis acidity from reaction chemistry
      to design a single molecule switch that can be controllably switched between two
      conductive states by varying the distance between the tip and substrate
      electrodes. We found that the strain intrinsic to the disilaacenaphthene scaffold
      also creates two state conductance switching. Finally, we demonstrate the first
      example of a stereoelectronic conductance switch, and we demonstrate that the
      switching relies crucially on the electronic delocalization in Si-Si and Ge-Ge
      wire backbones. These studies illustrate the untapped potential in using Si- and
      Ge-based wires to design and control charge transport at the nanoscale and to
      allow quantum mechanics to be used as a tool to design ultraminiaturized
      switches.

PMID- 28345883
TI  - Cluster Organic Frameworks Constructed from Heterometallic Supertetrahedral
      Cluster Secondary Building Units.
AB  - The two novel cluster organic frameworks based on heterometallic supertetrahedral
      cluster secondary building units (SBUs) [Cd4Cu6(L)4(Ac)7(H2O)4](Ac).7H2O (1) and
      [Mn4Cu6(L)4(Ac)4.5(H2O)9]CuCN(Ac)3.5.H2O (2), where H3L = 2-(hydroxymethyl)-2
      (pyridin-4-yl)-1,3-propanediol and Ac = CH3COO-, have been prepared under
      solvothermal conditions. 1 and 2 are the first cases of cluster organic
      frameworks containing Cd-Cu/Mn-Cu heterometallic supertetrahedral cluster SBUs.
      Furthermore, 1 and 2 show an integration of magnetic properties and adsorption
      properties from both the heterometallic cluster secondary building units and the
      framework in a porous material.

PMID- 28345882
TI  - Covalent Allosteric Inactivation of Protein Tyrosine Phosphatase 1B (PTP1B) by an
      Inhibitor-Electrophile Conjugate.
AB  - Protein tyrosine phosphatase 1B (PTP1B) is a validated drug target, but it has
      proven difficult to develop medicinally useful, reversible inhibitors of this
      enzyme. Here we explored covalent strategies for the inactivation of PTP1B using
      a conjugate composed of an active site-directed 5-aryl-1,2,5-thiadiazolidin-3-one
      1,1-dioxide inhibitor connected via a short linker to an electrophilic alpha
      bromoacetamide moiety. Inhibitor-electrophile conjugate 5a caused time-dependent
      loss of PTP1B activity consistent with a covalent inactivation mechanism. The
      inactivation occurred with a second-order rate constant of (1.7 +/- 0.3) * 102 M
      1 min-1. Mass spectrometric analysis of the inactivated enzyme indicated that the
      primary site of modification was C121, a residue distant from the active site.
      Previous work provided evidence that covalent modification of the allosteric
      residue C121 can cause inactivation of PTP1B [Hansen, S. K., Cancilla, M. T.,
      Shiau, T. P., Kung, J., Chen, T., and Erlanson, D. A. (2005) Biochemistry 44,
      7704-7712]. Overall, our results are consistent with an unusual enzyme
      inactivation process in which noncovalent binding of the inhibitor-electrophile
      conjugate to the active site of PTP1B protects the nucleophilic catalytic C215
      residue from covalent modification, thus allowing inactivation of the enzyme via
      selective modification of allosteric residue C121.

PMID- 28345884
TI  - Canted Antiferromagnetism on Rectangular Layers of Fe2+ in Polymorphic CaFeSeO.
AB  - From stoichiometric amounts of CaO, Fe, and Se, pure powders and single crystals
      of quaternary [Formula: see text] can be obtained by solid-state reaction and
      self-flux growth, respectively. The as-synthesized compound exhibits a
      polymorphic crystal structure, where the two modifications have different
      stacking sequences of [Formula: see text] layers. The two polymorphs have similar
      unit cells but different crystal symmetries (Cmc21 and Pnma), of which the former
      is non-centrosymmetric. Fe is divalent (d6) and high-spin, as proven by X-ray
      spectroscopy, Mossbauer spectroscopy, and powder neutron diffraction data. The
      latter two, in combination with magnetic susceptibility and specific heat data,
      reveal a long-range antiferromagnetic spin order (TN = 160 K) with a minor spin
      canting. CaFeSeO is an electronic insulator, as confirmed by resistivity
      measurements and density functional theory calculations. The latter also suggest
      a relatively small energy difference between the two polymorphs, explaining their
      intimate intergrowth.

PMID- 28345885
TI  - Synthesis of Highly Uniform and Compact Lithium Zinc Ferrite Ceramics via an
      Efficient Low Temperature Approach.
AB  - LiZn ferrite ceramics with high saturation magnetization (4piMs) and low
      ferromagnetic resonance line widths (DeltaH) represent a very critical class of
      material for microwave ferrite devices. Many existing approaches emphasize
      promotion of the grain growth (average size is 10-50 MUm) of ferrite ceramics to
      improve the gyromagnetic properties at relatively low sintering temperatures.
      This paper describes a new strategy for obtaining uniform and compact LiZn
      ferrite ceramics (average grains size is ~2 MUm) with enhanced magnetic
      performance by suppressing grain growth in great detail. The LiZn ferrites with a
      formula of Li0.415Zn0.27Mn0.06Ti0.1Fe2.155O4 were prepared by solid reaction
      routes with two new sintering strategies. Interestingly, results show that
      uniform, compact, and pure spinel ferrite ceramics were synthesized at a low
      temperature (~850  degrees C) without obvious grain growth. We also find that a
      fast second sintering treatment (FSST) can further improve their gyromagnetic
      properties, such as higher 4piMs and lower DeltaH. The two new strategies are
      facile and efficient for densification of LiZn ferrite ceramics via suppressing
      grain growth at low temperatures. The sintering strategy reported in this study
      also provides a referential experience for other ceramics, such as soft magnetism
      ferrite ceramics or dielectric ceramics.

PMID- 28345886
TI  - Synthesis and Crystal Structures of the First Antimony(III) Aziridinides.
AB  - The first antimony(III) aziridinyl derivatives are reported. Treatment of
      anhydrous SbCl3 with N-lithioaziridine Li(Azn) (Azn = NC2H4) afforded the
      structurally unique heterobimetallic lithium/antimony(III) amide complex
      [Li3Sb(MU3-Cl)2(MU-Azn)4(THF)2]infinity (1). Homoleptic Sb2(Azn)6 (2) has become
      available for the first time through an amide group exchange reaction between
      Sb(NMe2)3 and 3 equiv of aziridine. The low-melting Sb2(Azn)6 exhibits a "weak
      dimer" structure in the crystal.

PMID- 28345887
TI  - From Detection to Resection: Photoacoustic Tomography and Surgery Guidance with
      Indocyanine Green Loaded Gold Nanorod@liposome Core-Shell Nanoparticles in Liver
      Cancer.
AB  - Conventional imaging methods encounter challenges in diagnosing liver cancer that
      is less than 10 mm or without typical hypervascular features. With deep
      penetration and high spatial resolution imaging capability, the emerging
      photoacoustic tomography may offer better diagnostic efficacy for noninvasive
      liver cancer detection. Moreover, near-infrared fluorescence imaging-guided
      hepatectomy was proven to be able to identify nodules at the millimeter level.
      Thus, suitable photoacoustic and fluorescence dual-modality imaging probe may
      benefit patients in early diagnosis and complete resection. In this study, we
      fabricated indocyanine green loaded gold nanorod@liposome core-shell
      nanoparticles (Au@liposome-ICG) to integrate both imaging strategies. These
      nanoparticles exhibit superior biocompatibility, high stability, and enhanced
      dual-model imaging signals. Next, we explored their effectiveness of tumor
      detection and surgery guidance in orthotopic liver cancer mouse models.
      Histological analysis confirmed the accuracy of the probe in liver cancer
      detection and resection. This novel dual-modality nanoprobe holds promise for
      early diagnosis and better surgical outcome of liver cancer and has great
      potential for clinical translation.

PMID- 28345888
TI  - Influence of Ring Strain and Bond Polarization on the Ring Expansion of
      Phosphorus Homocycles.
AB  - Heterolytic cleavage of homoatomic bonds is a challenge, as it requires
      separation of opposite charges. Even highly strained homoatomic rings (e.g.,
      cyclopropane and cyclobutane) are kinetically stable and do not react with
      nucleophiles or electrophiles. In contrast, cycloalkanes bearing electron
      donating/withdrawing substituents on adjacent carbons have polarized C-C bonds
      and undergo numerous heterolytic ring-opening and expansion reactions. Here we
      show that upon electrophile activation phosphorus homocycles exhibit analogous
      reactivity, which is modulated by the amount of ring strain and extent of bond
      polarization. Neutral rings (tBuP)3, 1, or (tBuP)4, 2, show no reactivity toward
      nitriles, but the cyclo-phosphinophosphonium derivative [(tBuP)3Me]+, [3Me]+,
      undergoes addition to nitriles giving five-membered P3CN heterocycles. Because of
      its lower ring strain, the analogous four-membered ring, [(tBuP)4Me]+, [4Me]+, is
      thermodynamically stable with respect to cycloaddition with nitriles, despite
      similar P-P bond polarization. We also report the first example of isonitrile
      insertion into cyclophosphines, which is facile for polarized derivatives [3Me]+
      and [4Me]+, but does not proceed for neutral 1 or 2, despite the calculated
      exothermicity of the process. Finally, we assessed the reactions of [4R]+ R = H,
      Cl, F toward 4-dimethylaminopyridine (dmap), which suggest that the site of
      nucleophilic attack varies with the extent of P-P bond polarization. These
      results deconvolute the influence of ring strain and bond polarization on the
      chemistry of inorganic homocycles and unlock new synthetic possibilities.

PMID- 28345890
TI  - Relationship of Microbiota and Cyanobacterial Secondary Metabolites in
      Planktothricoides-Dominated Bloom.
AB  - The identification of phytoplankton species and microbial biodiversity is
      necessary to assess water ecosystem health and the quality of water resources. We
      investigated the short-term (2 days) vertical and diel variations in bacterial
      community structure and microbially derived secondary metabolites during a
      cyanobacterial bloom that emerged in a highly urbanized tropical reservoir. The
      waterbody was largely dominated by the cyanobacteria Planktothricoides spp.,
      together with the Synechococcus, Pseudanabaena, Prochlorothrix, and Limnothrix.
      Spatial differences (i.e., water depth) rather than temporal differences (i.e.,
      day versus night) better-explained the short-term variability in water quality
      parameters and bacterial community composition. Difference in bacterial structure
      suggested a resource-driven distribution pattern for the community. We found that
      the freshwater bacterial community associated with cyanobacterial blooms is
      largely conserved at the phylum level, with Proteobacteria (beta-proteobateria),
      Bacteroidetes, and Actinobacteria as the main taxa despite the cyanobacterial
      species present and geographical (Asia, Europe, Australia, and North America) or
      climatic distinctions. Through multivariate statistical analyses of the bacterial
      community, environmental parameters, and secondary metabolite concentrations, we
      observed positive relationships between the occurrences of cyanobacterial groups
      and off-flavor compounds (2-methyisoborneol and beta-ionone), suggesting a
      cyanobacterial origin. This study demonstrates the potential of 16S rRNA gene
      amplicon sequencing as a supporting tool in algal bloom monitoring or water
      resource management.

PMID- 28345889
TI  - AP-Endonuclease 1 Accelerates Turnover of Human 8-Oxoguanine DNA Glycosylase by
      Preventing Retrograde Binding to the Abasic-Site Product.
AB  - A major product of oxidative DNA damage is 8-oxoguanine. In humans, 8-oxoguanine
      DNA glycosylase (hOGG1) facilitates removal of these lesions, producing an abasic
      (AP) site in the DNA that is subsequently incised by AP-endonuclease 1 (APE1).
      APE1 stimulates turnover of several glycosylases by accelerating rate-limiting
      product release. However, there have been conflicting accounts of whether hOGG1
      follows a similar mechanism. In pre-steady-state kinetic measurements, we found
      that addition of APE1 had no effect on the rapid burst phase of 8-oxoguanine
      excision by hOGG1 but accelerated steady-state turnover (kcat) by ~10-fold. The
      stimulation by APE1 required divalent cations, could be detected under multiple
      turnover conditions using limiting concentrations of APE1, did not require
      flanking DNA surrounding the hOGG1 lesion site, and occurred efficiently even
      when the first 49 residues of APE1's N-terminus had been deleted. Stimulation by
      APE1 does not involve relief from product inhibition because thymine DNA
      glycosylase, an enzyme that binds more tightly to AP sites than hOGG1 does, could
      not effectively substitute for APE1. A stimulation mechanism involving stable
      protein-protein interactions between free APE1 and hOGG1, or the DNA-bound forms,
      was excluded using protein cross-linking assays. The combined results indicate a
      mechanism whereby dynamic excursions of hOGG1 from the AP site allow APE1 to
      invade the site and rapidly incise the phosphate backbone. This mechanism, which
      allows APE1 to access the AP site without forming specific interactions with the
      glycosylase, is a simple and elegant solution to passing along unstable
      intermediates in base excision repair.

PMID- 28345891
TI  - Tailored Chemical Properties of 4-Arm Star Shaped Poly(d,l-lactide) as Cell
      Adhesive Three-Dimensional Scaffolds.
AB  - Biodegradable poly(lactic acid) (PLA) is widely used to fabricate 3D scaffolds
      for tissue regeneration. However, PLA lacks cell adhering functional moieties,
      which limit its successful application in tissue engineering. Herein, we have
      tailored the cell adhesive properties of star shaped poly(d,l-lactide) (ss-PDLLA)
      by grafting gelatin to their 4 arms. Grafting of gelatin on PDLLA backbone was
      confirmed by 1H NMR and FTIR. The synthesized star shaped poly(d,l-lactide)-b
      gelatin (ss-pLG) exhibited enhanced wettability and protein adsorption. The
      modification also facilitated better cell adhesion and proliferation on their
      respective polymer coated 2D substrates, compared to their respective unmodified
      ss-PDLLA. Further, 3D scaffolds were fabricated from gelatin grafted and
      unmodified polymers. The fabricated scaffolds were shown to be cytocompatible to
      3T3-L1 cells and hemocompatible to red blood cells (RBCs). Cell proliferation was
      increased up to 2.5-fold in ss-pLG scaffolds compared to ss-PDLLA scaffolds.
      Furthermore, a significant increase in cell number reveals a high degree of
      infiltration of cells into the scaffolds, forming a viable and healthy 3D
      interconnected cell community. In addition to that, burst release of docetaxal
      (DTX) was observed from ss-pLG scaffolds. Hence, this new system of grafting
      polymers followed by fabricating 3D scaffolds could be utilized as a successful
      approach in a variety of applications where cell-containing depots are used.

PMID- 28345893
TI  - Fluorescent Recognition of Zn2+ by Two Diastereomeric Salicylaldimines:
      Dramatically Different Responses and Spectroscopic Investigation.
AB  - Fluorescence responses of two BINOL-based diastereomeric salicylaldimines toward
      a variety of metal cations have been studied in methanol solution. It is revealed
      that both compounds show great fluorescence enhancements in the presence of Zn2+
      but not with any other metal ions. Moreover, these two diastereomers exhibit
      dramatically different responses toward Zn2+ under the same conditions. That is,
      one can produce much stronger fluorescence enhancement also at a longer
      wavelength than the other. This fluorescence recognition of Zn2+ also shows
      distinctive color changes under a UV lamp. Mass and NMR spectroscopic analyses
      have been used to study the mechanism, which indicates the formation of 2+nZn2+
      complexes (n = 2, 3). This work has shed new light on the mechanism of an
      enantioselective fluorescent recognition of chiral amines promoted by Zn2+.

PMID- 28345892
TI  - A Silver-Specific DNAzyme with a New Silver Aptamer and Salt-Promoted Activity.
AB  - Most RNA-cleaving DNAzymes require a metal ion to interact with the scissile
      phosphate for activity. Therefore, few unmodified DNAzymes work with thiophilic
      metals because of their low affinity for phosphate. Recently, an Ag+-specific
      Ag10c DNAzyme was reported via in vitro selection. Herein, Ag10c is characterized
      to rationalize the role of the strongly thiophilic Ag+. Systematic mutation
      studies indicate that Ag10c is a highly conserved DNAzyme and its Ag+ binding is
      unrelated to C-Ag+-C interaction. Its activity is enhanced by increasing Na+
      concentrations in buffer. At the same metal concentration, activity decreases in
      the following order: Li+ > Na+ > K+. Ag10c binds one Na+ ion and two Ag+ ions for
      catalysis. The pH-rate profile has a slope of ~1, indicating a single
      deprotonation step. Phosphorothioate substitution at the scissile phosphate
      suggests that Na+ interacts with the pro-Rp oxygen of the phosphate, and dimethyl
      sulfate footprinting indicates that the DNAzyme loop is a silver aptamer binding
      two Ag+ ions. Therefore, Ag+ exerts its function allosterically, while the
      scissile phosphate interacts with Na+, Li+, Na+, or Mg2+. This work suggests the
      possibility of isolating thiophilic metal aptamers based on DNAzyme selection,
      and it also demonstrates a new Ag+ aptamer.

PMID- 28345894
TI  - Rich Coordination Chemistry of pi-Acceptor Dibenzoarsole Ligands.
AB  - A series of dibenzoarsole (also known as 9-arsafluorene) derivatives have been
      prepared, and their coordination chemistry has been investigated. The different
      ligand topology and the arsenic substituents govern the reactivity of the
      ligands. We report various crystal structures of palladium and platinum complexes
      derived from this family of ligands. The biphenyl backbone of the bridged
      bidentate ligands allows very flexible coordination. We have also studied the
      application of an allylic Pd complex in nucleophilic substitution reactions,
      revealing that the benzoarsole substituent is susceptible to metal insertion.

PMID- 28345896
TI  - Transcriptomics and Lipidomics of the Environmental Strain Rhodococcus ruber
      Point out Consumption Pathways and Potential Metabolic Bottlenecks for
      Polyethylene Degradation.
AB  - Polyethylene (PE), one of the most prominent synthetic polymers used worldwide,
      is very poorly biodegradable in the natural environment. Consequently, PE
      represents by itself more than half of all plastic wastes. PE biodegradation is
      achieved through the combination of abiotic and biotic processes. Several
      microorganisms have been shown to grow on the surface of PE materials, among
      which are the species of the Rhodococcus genus, suggesting a potent ability of
      these microorganisms to use, at least partly, PE as a potent carbon source.
      However, most of them, if not all, fail to induce a clear-cut degradation of PE
      samples, showing that bottlenecks to reach optimal biodegradation clearly exist.
      To identify the pathways involved in PE consumption, we used in the present study
      a combination of RNA-sequencing and lipidomic strategies. We show that short-term
      exposure to various forms of PE, displaying different molecular weight
      distributions and oxidation levels, lead to an increase in the expression of 158
      genes in a Rhodococcus representative, R. ruber. Interestingly, one of the most
      up-regulated pathways is related to alkane degradation and beta-oxidation of
      fatty acids. This approach also allowed us to identify metabolic limiting steps,
      which could be fruitfully targeted for optimized PE consumption by R. ruber.

PMID- 28345895
TI  - Asymmetric Anchoring Is Required for Efficient Omega-Loop Opening and Closing in
      Cytosolic Phosphoenolpyruvate Carboxykinase.
AB  - Mobile Omega-loops play essential roles in the function of many enzymes. Here we
      investigated the importance of a residue lying outside of the mobile Omega-loop
      element in the catalytic function of an H477R variant of cytosolic
      phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase using crystallographic, kinetic, and
      computational analysis. The crystallographic data suggest that the efficient
      transition of the Omega-loop to the closed conformation requires stabilization of
      the N-terminus of the loop through contacts between R461 and E588. In contrast,
      the C-terminal end of the Omega-loop undergoes changing interactions with the
      enzyme body through contacts between H477 at the C-terminus of the loop and E591
      located on the enzyme body. Potential of mean force calculations demonstrated
      that altering the anchoring of the C-terminus of the Omega-loop via the H477R
      substitution results in the destabilization of the closed state of the Omega-loop
      by 3.4 kcal mol-1. The kinetic parameters for the enzyme were altered in an
      asymmetric fashion with the predominant effect being observed in the direction of
      oxaloacetate synthesis. This is exemplified by a reduction in kcat for the H477R
      mutant by an order of magnitude in the direction of OAA synthesis, while in the
      direction of PEP synthesis, it decreased by a factor of only 2. The data are
      consistent with a mechanism for loop conformational exchange between open and
      closed states in which a balance between fixed anchoring of the N-terminus of the
      Omega-loop and a flexible, unattached C-terminus drives the transition between a
      disordered (open) state and an ordered (closed) state.

PMID- 28345897
TI  - A Smart Molecule for Selective Sensing of Nitric Oxide: Conversion of NO to HSNO;
      Relevance of Biological HSNO Formation.
AB  - A smart molecule, QT490, containing thiosemicarbazide moiety acts as a highly
      selective turn-on in vitro NO sensor through the unprecedented NO-induced
      transformation of thiosemicarbazide moiety to 1,3,4-oxadiazole heterocycle with
      the concomitant release of HSNO, thereby eliminating any interference from
      various endogenous biomolecules including dehydroascorbic acid, ascorbic acid,
      etc. The kinetic studies of the reactions between QT490 and NO provide a
      mechanistic insight into formation of HSNO/RSNO from the reaction between H2S/RSH
      and NO in the biological system. This novel probe is non-cytotoxic, cell
      permeable, water-soluble, and appropriate for intracellular cytoplasmic NO
      sensing with the possibilities of in vivo applications.

PMID- 28345898
TI  - Hydrolysis of Ionic Phthalic Acid Based Polyesters by Wastewater Microorganisms
      and Their Enzymes.
AB  - Water-soluble polyesters are used in a range of applications today and enter
      wastewater treatment plants after product utilization. However, little is known
      about extracellular enzymes and aquatic microorganisms involved in polyester
      biodegradation and mineralization. In this study, structurally different ionic
      phthalic acid based polyesters (the number-average molecular weights (Mn) 1770 to
      10 000 g/mol and semi crystalline with crystallinity below 1%) were synthesized
      in various combinations. Typical wastewater microorganisms like Pseudomonas sp.
      were chosen for in-silico screening toward polyester hydrolyzing enzymes. Based
      on the in-silico search, a cutinase from Pseudomonas pseudoalcaligenes (PpCutA)
      and a putative lipase from Pseudomonas pelagia (PpelaLip) were identified. The
      enzymes PpCutA and PpelaLip were demonstrated to hydrolyze all structurally
      different polyesters. Activities on all the polyesters were also confirmed with
      the strains P. pseudoalcaligenes and P. pelagia. Parameters identified to enhance
      hydrolysis included increased water solubility and polyester hydrophilicity as
      well as shorter diol chain lengths. For example, polyesters containing 1,2
      ethanediol were hydrolyzed faster than polyesters containing 1,8-octanediol.
      Interestingly, the same trend was observed in biodegradation experiments. This
      information is important to gain a better mechanistic understanding of
      biodegradation processes of polyesters in WWTPs where the extracellular enzymatic
      hydrolysis seems to be the limiting step.

PMID- 28345899
TI  - Ammonia Borane Dehydrogenation Catalyzed by (kappa4-EP3)Co(H) [EP3 =
      E(CH2CH2PPh2)3; E = N, P] and H2 Evolution from Their Interaction with NH Acids.
AB  - Two Co(I) hydrides containing the tripodal polyphosphine ligand EP3, (kappa4
      EP3)Co(H) [E(CH2CH2PPh2)3; E = N (1), P (2)], have been exploited as ammonia
      borane (NH3BH3, AB) dehydrogenation catalysts in THF solution at T = 55  degrees
      C. The reaction has been analyzed experimentally through multinuclear (11B,
      31P{1H}, 1H) NMR and IR spectroscopy, kinetic rate measurements, and kinetic
      isotope effect (KIE) determination with deuterated AB isotopologues. Both
      complexes are active in AB dehydrogenation, albeit with different rates and
      efficiency. While 1 releases 2 equiv of H2 per equivalent of AB in ca. 48 h, with
      concomitant borazine formation as the final "spent fuel", 2 produces 1 equiv of
      H2 only per equivalent of AB in the same reaction time, along with long-chain
      poly(aminoboranes) as insoluble byproducts. A DFT modeling of the first AB
      dehydrogenation step has been performed, at the M06//6-311++G** level of theory.
      The combination of the kinetic and computational data reveals that a simultaneous
      B-H/N-H activation occurs in the presence of 1, after a preliminary AB
      coordination to the metal center. In 2, no substrate coordination takes place,
      and the process is better defined as a sequential BH3/NH3 insertion process on
      the initially formed [Co]-NH2BH3 amidoborane complex. Finally, the reaction of 1
      and 2 with NH-acids [AB and Me2NHBH3 (DMAB)] has been followed via VT-FTIR
      spectroscopy (in the -80 to +50  degrees C temperature range), with the aim of
      gaining a deeper experimental understanding of the dihydrogen bonding
      interactions that are at the origin of the observed H2 evolution.

PMID- 28345901
TI  - Recyclable Single-Component Rare-Earth Metal Catalysts for Cycloaddition of CO2
      and Epoxides at Atmospheric Pressure.
AB  - Ionic rare-earth metal complexes 1-4 bearing an imidazolium cation were
      synthesized, which, as single-component catalysts, showed good activity in
      catalyzing cyclic carbonate synthesis from epoxides and CO2. In the presence of
      0.2 mol % catalyst, monosubstituted epoxides bearing different functional groups
      were converted into cyclic carbonates in 60-97% yields under atmospheric
      pressure. In addition, bulky/internal epoxides with low reactivity yielded cyclic
      carbonates in 40-95% yields. More importantly, the readily available samarium
      complex 2 was reused for six successive cycles without any significant loss in
      its catalytic activity. This is the first recyclable rare-earth metal-based
      catalyst in cyclic carbonate synthesis.

PMID- 28345900
TI  - Fluorescence- and Radiolabeling of [Lys4,Nle17,30]hPP Yields Molecular Tools for
      the NPY Y4 Receptor.
AB  - The neuropeptide Y (NPY) Y4 receptor (Y4R) is involved in energy homeostasis and
      considered a potential drug target for the treatment of obesity. Only a few
      molecular tools, i.e., radiolabeled and fluorescent ligands, for the
      investigation of the Y4R were reported. Previously, [Lys4]hPP proved to be an
      appropriate full-length PP analog to prepare a fluorescent ligand by
      derivatization at the epsilon-amino group. To preclude oxidation upon long-term
      storage, we replaced the two methionine residues in [Lys4]hPP by norleucine and
      prepared the corresponding [3H]propionylated ([3H]12) and cyanine labeled (13)
      peptides, which were characterized and compared with a set of reference compounds
      in binding (Y1, Y2, Y4, and Y5 receptors) and functional (luciferase gene
      reporter, beta-arrestin-1,2) Y4R assays. Both molecular probes proved to be
      useful in radiochemical and flow cytometric saturation and competition Y4R
      binding experiments. Most strikingly, there was a different influence of the
      composition of buffer on equilibrium binding and kinetics: [3H]12 affinity (Kd in
      Na+-free buffer: 1.1 nM) clearly decreased with increasing sodium ion
      concentration, whereas dissociation and Y4R-mediated internalization of 13 (Kd in
      Na+-free buffer: 10.8 nM) were strongly affected by the osmolarity of the buffer
      as demonstrated by confocal microscopy. Displacement of [3H]12 and 13 revealed a
      tendency to higher apparent affinities for a set of reference peptides in
      hypotonic (Na+-free) compared to isotonic buffers. The differences were
      negligible in the case of hPP but up to 270-fold in the case of GW1229
      (GR231118). By contrast, no relevant influence of Na+ on Y5R affinity became
      obvious, when the radioligands [H]12 and [3H]propionyl-pNPY were investigated in
      saturation binding and competition binding.

PMID- 28345902
TI  - Hyaluronate-Peanut Agglutinin Conjugates for Target-Specific Bioimaging of Colon
      Cancer.
AB  - Colon cancer is one of the most common death-related cancers in the world. For
      treating colon cancer, it is crucial to detect and remove malignant lesions
      early. Here, we developed hyaluronate (HA)-peanut agglutinin (PNA) conjugates for
      the bioimaging of colon cancer. The HA-PNA conjugates were successfully
      synthesized by the coupling reaction between aldehyde-modified HA and the N
      terminal amine group of PNA. For diagnostic imaging, rhodamine B (RhoB) was
      chemically conjugated onto PNA in HA-PNA conjugates. After intraluminal injection
      of HA-PNA-RhoB conjugates into tumor-bearing mice, small-sized colon cancers
      could be effectively visualized by ex vivo imaging with an in vivo imaging system
      (IVIS) and a two-photon microscope. With these results taken together, we could
      confirm the feasibility of HA-PNA-RhoB conjugates as a bioimaging agent for
      detecting colon cancers.

PMID- 28345903
TI  - Molecular Imprinting on Inorganic Nanozymes for Hundred-fold Enzyme Specificity.
AB  - Enzyme-mimicking nanomaterials (nanozymes) are more cost-effective and robust
      than protein enzymes, but they lack specificity. Herein, molecularly imprinted
      polymers were grown on Fe3O4 nanozymes with peroxidase-like activity to create
      substrate binding pockets. Electron microscopy confirmed a shell of nanogel. By
      imprinting with an adsorbed substrate, moderate specificity was achieved with
      neutral monomers. Further introducing charged monomers led to nearly 100-fold
      specificity for the imprinted substrate over the nonimprinted compared to that of
      bare Fe3O4. Selective substrate binding was further confirmed by isothermal
      titration calorimetry. The same method was also successfully applied for
      imprinting on gold nanoparticles (peroxidase mimics) and nanoceria (oxidase
      mimics). Molecular imprinting furthers the functional enzyme mimicking aspect of
      nanozymes, and such hybrid materials will find applications in biosensor
      development, separation, environmental remediation, and drug delivery.

PMID- 28345904
TI  - Ligand Selectivity Mechanism and Conformational Changes in Guanine Riboswitch by
      Molecular Dynamics Simulations and Free Energy Calculations.
AB  - Riboswitches regulate gene expression through direct and specific interactions
      with small metabolite molecules. Binding of a ligand to its RNA target is high
      selectivity and affinity and induces conformational changes of the RNA's
      secondary and tertiary structure. The structural difference of two purine
      riboswitches aptamers is caused by only one single mutation, where cytosine 74 in
      the guanine riboswitch is corresponding to a uracil 74 in adenine riboswitch.
      Here we employed molecular dynamics (MD) simulation, molecular mechanics Poisson
      Boltzmann surface area (MM-PBSA) and thermodynamic integration computational
      methodologies to evaluate the energetic and conformational changes of ligands
      binding to purine riboswitches. The snapshots used in MM-PBSA calculation were
      extracted from ten 50 ns MD simulation trajectories for each complex. These free
      energy results are in consistent with the experimental data and rationalize the
      selectivity of the riboswitches for different ligands. In particular, it is found
      that the loss in binding free energy upon mutation is mainly electrostatic in
      guanine (GUA) and riboswitch complex. Furthermore, new hydrogen bonds are found
      in mutated complexes. To reveal the conformational properties of guanine
      riboswitch, we performed a total of 6 MUs MD simulations in both the presence and
      the absence of the ligand GUA. The MD simulations suggest that the conformation
      of guanine riboswitch depends on the distance of two groups in the binding pocket
      of ligand. The conformation is in a close conformation when U51-A52 is close to
      C74-U75.

PMID- 28345905
TI  - MetaTox: Web Application for Predicting Structure and Toxicity of Xenobiotics'
      Metabolites.
AB  - A new freely available web-application MetaTox ( http://www.way2drug.com/mg ) for
      prediction of xenobiotic's metabolism and calculation toxicity of metabolites
      based on the structural formula of chemicals has been developed. MetaTox predicts
      metabolites, which are formed by nine classes of reactions (aliphatic and
      aromatic hydroxylation, N- and O-glucuronidation, N-, S- and C-oxidation, and N-
      and O-dealkylation). The calculation of probability for generated metabolites is
      based on analyses of "structure-biotransformation reactions" and "structure
      modified atoms" relationships using a Bayesian approach. Prediction of LD50
      values is performed by GUSAR software for the parent compound and each of the
      generated metabolites using quantitative structure-activity relationahip (QSAR)
      models created for acute rat toxicity with the intravenous type of
      administration.

PMID- 28345906
TI  - Malonylginsenosides with Potential Antidiabetic Activities from the Flower Buds
      of Panax ginseng.
AB  - LC-MS-guided phytochemical isolation of malonylginsenosides, featuring neutral
      elimination of CO2 and C3H2O3 by the negative mode collision-induced
      dissociation, from the flower buds of Panax ginseng led to the isolation of 19
      malonyl-substituted triterpenoid saponins. They include 15 new
      malonylginsenosides, malonylfloralginsenosides-Re1-Re3 (1-3), -Rb1 and -Rb2 (4,
      5), -Rd1-Rd6 (6-11), and -Rc1-Rc4 (12-15), and the known m-Rb1, m-Rc, m-Rb2, and
      m-Rd (16-19). Compound 11 represents the first dimalonyl saponin isolated from
      the Panax genus, while 2-4, 9, and 10 are five ginsenosides with single
      malonylation at the C-20 sugar chain. The antidiabetic activities of nine of
      these malonyl-substituted ginsenosides (1, 3, 4, 8, 13, and 16-19) and five of
      the corresponding non-malonyl ginsenosides (Re, Rb1, Rb2, Rc, and Rd) were
      evaluated by L6 myotubes' glucose consumption and AMPKalpha2beta1gamma1
      activation. Ginsenoside Rb2, 1, and 18 promoted glucose consumption of
      differentiated L6 myotubes, while ginsenosides Rb1, Rb2, and Rd and the
      malonylginsenosides 4, 8, 13, 16, 17, and 19 activated AMPKalpha2beta1gamma1
      (EC50: 0.0168-2.8 MUM, fold: 1.7-4.7).

PMID- 28345908
TI  - Rapid, Low Temperature Formation of Imine-Linked Covalent Organic Frameworks
      Catalyzed by Metal Triflates.
AB  - Imine-linked two-dimensional covalent organic frameworks (2D COFs) are
      crystalline polymer networks with enhanced stability compared to boronate ester
      linked systems and with broad monomer scope. They are traditionally prepared by
      condensing polyfunctional aldehydes and amines at elevated temperature in a
      mixture of organic solvents and aqueous CH3CO2H, which catalyzes imine formation
      and exchange. Here we employ metal triflates, which are water-tolerant Lewis
      acids, to accelerate 2D imine-linked COF synthesis and improve their materials
      quality. Low catalyst loadings provide crystalline polymer networks in nearly
      quantitative yields. These conditions are demonstrated for several COFs,
      including heteroatom-containing systems of interest for optoelectronic
      applications.

PMID- 28345907
TI  - Simulating Protein Mediated Hydrolysis of ATP and Other Nucleoside Triphosphates
      by Combining QM/MM Molecular Dynamics with Advances in Metadynamics.
AB  - The protein mediated hydrolysis of nucleoside triphosphates such as ATP or GTP is
      one of the most important and challenging biochemical reactions in nature. The
      chemical environment (water structure, catalytic metal, and amino acid residues)
      adjacent to the hydrolysis site contains hundreds of atoms, usually greatly
      limiting the amount of the free energy sampling that one can achieve from
      computationally demanding electronic structure calculations such as QM/MM
      simulations. Therefore, the combination of QM/MM molecular dynamics with the
      recently developed transition-tempered metadynamics (TTMetaD), an enhanced
      sampling method that can provide a high-quality free energy estimate at an early
      stage in a simulation, is an ideal approach to address the biomolecular
      nucleoside triphosphate hydrolysis problem. In this work the ATP hydrolysis
      process in monomeric and filamentous actin is studied as an example application
      of the combined methodology. The performance of TTMetaD in these demanding QM/MM
      simulations is compared with that of the more conventional well-tempered
      metadynamics (WTMetaD). Our results show that TTMetaD exhibits much better
      exploration of the hydrolysis reaction free energy surface in two key collective
      variables (CVs) during the early stages of the QM/MM simulation than does
      WTMetaD. The TTMetaD simulations also reveal that a key third degree of freedom,
      the O-H bond-breaking and proton transfer from the lytic water, must be biased
      for TTMetaD to converge fully. To perturb the NTP hydrolysis dynamics to the
      least extent and to properly focus the MetaD free energy sampling, we also adopt
      here the recently developed metabasin metadynamics (MBMetaD) to construct a self
      limiting bias potential that only applies to the lytic water after its
      nucleophilic attack of the phosphate of ATP. With these new, state-of-the-art
      enhanced sampling metadynamics techniques, we present an effective and accurate
      computational strategy for combining QM/MM molecular dynamics simulation with
      free energy sampling methodology, including a means to analyze the convergence of
      the calculations through robust numerical criteria.

PMID- 28345909
TI  - Rapid and Simultaneous Analysis of 360 Pesticides in Brown Rice, Spinach, Orange,
      and Potato Using Microbore GC-MS/MS.
AB  - A multiresidue method for the simultaneous and rapid analysis of 360 pesticides
      in representative agricultural produce (brown rice, orange, spinach, and potato)
      was developed using a modified QuEChERS procedure combined with gas
      chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (GC-MS/MS). Selected reaction monitoring
      transition parameters (e.g., collision energy, precursor and product ions) in
      MS/MS were optimized to achieve the best selectivity and sensitivity for a wide
      range of GC-amenable pesticides. A short (20 m) microbore (0.18 mm i.d.) column
      resulted in better signal-to-noise ratio with reduced analysis time than a
      conventional narrowbore column (30 m * 0.25 mm i.d.). The priming injection
      dramatically increased peak areas by masking effect on a new GC liner. The limit
      of quantitation was <0.01 mg/kg, and the correlation coefficients (r2) of matrix
      matched standards were >0.99 within the range of 0.0025-0.1 mg/kg. Acetonitrile
      with 0.1% formic acid without additional buffer salts was used for pesticide
      extraction, whereas only primary-secondary amine (PSA) was used for dispersive
      solid phase extraction (dSPE) cleanup, to achieve good recoveries for most of the
      target analytes. The recoveries ranged from 70 to 120% with relative standard
      deviations of <=20% at 0.01 and 0.05 mg/kg spiking levels (n = 6) in all samples,
      indicating acceptable accuracy and precision of the method. Seventeen real
      samples from local markets were analyzed by using the optimized method, and 14
      pesticides in 11 incurred samples were found at below the maximum residue limits.

PMID- 28345910
TI  - PyCGTOOL: Automated Generation of Coarse-Grained Molecular Dynamics Models from
      Atomistic Trajectories.
AB  - Development of coarse-grained (CG) molecular dynamics models is often a laborious
      process which commonly relies upon approximations to similar models, rather than
      systematic parametrization. PyCGTOOL automates much of the construction of CG
      models via calculation of both equilibrium values and force constants of internal
      coordinates directly from atomistic molecular dynamics simulation trajectories.
      The derivation of bespoke parameters from atomistic simulations improves the
      quality of the CG model compared to the use of generic parameters derived from
      other molecules, while automation greatly reduces the time required. The ease of
      configuration of PyCGTOOL enables the rapid investigation of multiple atom-to
      bead mappings and topologies. Although we present PyCGTOOL used in combination
      with the GROMACS molecular dynamics engine its use of standard trajectory input
      libraries means that it is in principle compatible with other software. The
      software is available from the URL https://github.com/jag1g13/pycgtool as the
      following doi: 10.5281/zenodo.259330 .

PMID- 28345911
TI  - Subtle Microwave-Induced Overheating Effects in an Industrial Demethylation
      Reaction and Their Direct Use in the Development of an Innovative Microwave
      Reactor.
AB  - A systematic study of the conventional and microwave (MW) kinetics of an
      industrially relevant demethylation reaction is presented. In using industrially
      relevant reaction conditions the dominant influence of the solvent on the MW
      energy dissipation is avoided. Below the boiling point, the effect of MWs on the
      activation energy Ea and k0 is found nonexistent. Interestingly, under reflux
      conditions, the microwave-heated (MWH) reaction displays very pronounced zero
      order kinetics, displaying a much higher reaction rate than observed for the
      conventionally thermal-heated (CTH) reaction. This is related to a different gas
      product (methyl bromide, MeBr) removal mechanism, changing from classic
      nucleation into gaseous bubbles to a facilitated removal through escaping
      gases/vapors. Additionally, the use of MWs compensates better for the strong heat
      losses in this reaction, associated with the boiling of HBr/water and the loss of
      MeBr, than under CTH. Through modeling, MWH was shown to occur inhomogeneously
      around gas/liquid interfaces, resulting in localized overheating in the very near
      vicinity of the bubbles, overall increasing the average heating rate in the
      bubble vicinity vis-a-vis the bulk of the liquid. Based on these observations and
      findings, a novel continuous reactor concept is proposed in which the escaping
      MeBr and the generated HBr/water vapors are the main driving forces for
      circulation. This reactor concept is generic in that it offers a viable and low
      cost option for the use of very strong acids and the managed removal/quenching of
      gaseous byproducts.

PMID- 28345912
TI  - Fluorogenic Templated Reaction Cascades for RNA Detection.
AB  - Nucleic acids detection is essential to the study of biological processes and to
      diagnosis of pathological states. Although PCR is highly effective in vitro,
      methods that can function without prior sample preparation, thermal cycling, or
      enzymes are of interest due to their simplicity. Most current non-PCR detection
      methods rely on linear signal amplification, which hinders the detection of small
      amounts of genetic material. To address this limitation, we tested a new strategy
      for attaining higher-order signal amplification, in which a target sequence
      templates a chemical ligation, and the product of this reaction is in turn
      detected with a second templated reaction. The method is nonenzymatic,
      isothermal, and fluorogenic, allowing the direct detection of nucleic acids in
      complex matrices. Using this approach, as little as 500 attomoles (10 pM) could
      be detected with single nucleotide resolution. In a test of selectivity, single
      nucleotide substitutions and deletions could successfully be detected, including
      a deletion that is associated with tetracycline resistance in Helicobacter
      pylori. Compatibility with biological matrices was demonstrated by the direct
      detection of rRNA in bacterial lysate. Imaging and detection of target sequences
      on a solid support further illustrates the potential of the new approach for high
      throughput analysis.

PMID- 28345913
TI  - Molecular Engineering of Phytoalexins in Plants: Benefits and Limitations for
      Food and Agriculture.

PMID- 28345914
TI  - Photoreductive Elimination of Chlorine from Antimony in an [SbPd]VII Complex.
AB  - As part of our ongoing interest in main group species that support the
      photoreductive elimination of halogens, we have synthesized [Cl3SbVPdIICl2(o
      dppp)2] (o-dppp = o-(Ph2P)C6H4), a palladium dichloride complex featuring a Lewis
      acidic trichlorostiborane moiety positioned within the ligand architecture. Upon
      UV irradiation, this complex undergoes a clean photoreductive chlorine
      elimination reaction which produces [Cl2SbIVPdICl(o-dppp)2], a complex with a
      covalent Sb-Pd bond. This transformation illustrates the viability of antimony as
      an element from which a halogen can be photoeliminated; it also shows that a
      metal halide can be photolytically coupled with a main group halide to generate a
      metal-element bond.

PMID- 28345915
TI  - Observation of pH-Induced Protein Reorientation at the Water Surface.
AB  - Hydrophobins are surface-active proteins that form a hydrophobic, water-repelling
      film around aerial fungal structures. They have a compact, particle-like
      structure, in which hydrophilic and hydrophobic regions are spatially separated.
      This surface property renders them amphiphilic and is reminiscent of synthetic
      Janus particles. Here we report surface-specific chiral and nonchiral vibrational
      sum-frequency generation spectroscopy (VSFG) measurements of hydrophobins
      adsorbed to their natural place of action, the air-water interface. We observe
      that hydrophobin molecules undergo a reversible change in orientation (tilt) at
      the interface when the pH is varied. We explain this local orientation toggle
      from the modification of the interprotein interactions and the interaction of
      hydrophobin with the water solvent, following the pH-induced change of the charge
      state of particular amino acids.

PMID- 28345916
TI  - Molecular Mechanism of Nucleotide-Dependent Allosteric Regulation in AMP
      Activated Protein Kinase.
AB  - The AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK), a central enzyme in the regulation of
      energy homeostasis, is an important drug target for type 2 diabetes, obesity, and
      cancer. Binding of adenosine nucleotides to the regulatory gamma-subunit tightly
      regulates the activity of this enzyme. Though recent crystal structures of AMPK
      have provided important insights into the allosteric activation of AMPK,
      molecular details of the regulatory mechanism of AMPK activation is still
      elusive. Here, we have performed extensive all-atom molecular dynamics (MD)
      simulations and shown that the kinase domain (KD) and gamma-subunit come closer
      resulting in a more compact heterotrimeric AMPK complex in AMP-bound state
      compared to the ATP-bound state. The binding of ATP at site 3 of regulatory gamma
      subunit allosterically inhibits AMPK by destabilizing different regulatory
      regions of alpha-subunit: the autoinhibitory domain, the linker region, and the
      activation loop of the kinase core. The catalytically important residues
      experience a change in mechanical stress, and major rearrangements in community
      structure derived from residue-residue interaction energy-based network are
      observed in KD and alpha-linker region upon binding of different nucleotides. Our
      results also highlight the role of conserved charged residues forming an ionic
      network near the site 3 of gamma-subunit in allosteric communications.

PMID- 28345917
TI  - Enantiodivergent Synthesis of Tertiary alpha-Aryl 1-Indanones: Evidence Toward
      Disparate Mechanisms in the Palladium-Catalyzed Decarboxylative Asymmetric
      Protonation.
AB  - Herein, we describe a study into the scope and origin of an enantiodivergent
      effect in the palladium-catalyzed decarboxylative asymmetric protonation. By
      switching the achiral proton source, both enantiomers of a series of tertiary
      alpha-aryl-1-indanones are readily accessed from the corresponding alpha-aryl
      beta-keto allyl esters. In this example of dual stereocontrol,
      enantioselectivities up to 94% (S) and 92% (R) were achieved using Meldrum's acid
      and formic acid, respectively. In an attempt to rationalize this switch in
      absolute configuration an investigation of the ambiguous mechanism of the
      decarboxylative asymmetric protonation was conducted. A novel catalytic cycle for
      the reaction with formic acid is proposed and subjected to a variety of
      experimental studies.

PMID- 28345918
TI  - Direct S0->T Excitation of a Conjugated Polymer Repeat Unit: Unusual Spin
      Forbidden Transitions Probed by Time-Resolved Electron Paramagnetic Resonance
      Spectroscopy.
AB  - A detailed understanding of the electronic structure of semiconducting polymers
      and their building blocks is essential to develop efficient materials for organic
      electronics. (Time-resolved) electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) is
      particularly suited to address these questions, allowing one to directly detect
      paramagnetic states and to reveal their spin-multiplicity, besides its clearly
      superior resolution compared to optical methods. We present here evidence for a
      direct S0->T optical excitation of distinct triplet states in the repeat unit of
      a conjugated polymer used in organic photovoltaics. These states differ in their
      electronic structure from those populated via intersystem crossing from excited
      singlet states. This is an additional and so far unconsidered route to triplet
      states with potentially high impact on efficiency of organic electronic devices.

PMID- 28345919
TI  - Photocontrol of Clustering, Retaining, and Releasing of Microbeads Concomitant
      with Phototransformation of Supramolecular Architecture of Amphiphilic
      Diarylethene.
AB  - Photoinduced clustering of polystyrene microbeads and photocontrol of their
      diffusion was achieved in water with the assistance of photoinduced
      transformation of supramolecular architecture of amphiphilic diarylethene between
      sphere and fiber states. When a suspension of polystyrene beads containing the
      sphere state of diarylethene was UV-irradiated from beneath, clustering of the
      polystyrene beads by thermal convection was observed. The velocity of clustering
      was dependent on the amount of photogenerated nanofibers that determines the
      viscosity of the water. Diffusion of the clustered polymer beads was suppressed
      by the surrounding fibers, but was restored to regular Brownian motion upon
      irradiation with visible light. It was suggested that the diffusion of the
      microbeads was controlled by the transformation of aggregates between the more
      viscous fiber state and the less viscous sphere state. These results provide new
      insight into the photocontrol of particle motion in fluidic media.

PMID- 28345921
TI  - Constructing 24(23->22)-abeo-Cholestane from Tigogenin in a 20(22->23)-abeo-Way
      via a PhI(OAc)2-mediated Favorskii Rearrangement.
AB  - Transforming tigogenin, a steroidal sapogenin, to a 24(23->22)-abeo-cholestane,
      which is an unusual structural feature shared by the aglycons of saundersiosides
      and candicanoside A, is described. The spiroketal of tigogenin was unfolded and
      the resulting C22-ketone was subjected to Favorskii rearrangement mediated by
      PhI(OAc)2/KOH/MeOH to squeeze out the C22 from the side chain, thus reaching the
      24(23->22)-abeo-cholestane structure.

PMID- 28345920
TI  - Tuning the Continuum of Structural States in the Native Ensemble of a Regulatory
      Protein.
AB  - The mesoscale nature of proteins allows for an efficient coupling between
      environmental cues and conformational changes, enabling their function as
      molecular transducers. Delineating the precise structural origins of such a
      connection and the expected spectroscopic response has, however, been
      challenging. In this work, we perform a combination of urea-temperature double
      perturbation experiments and theoretical modeling to probe the conformational
      landscape of Cnu, a natural thermosensor protein. We observe unique ensemble
      signatures that point to a continuum of conformational substates in the native
      ensemble and that respond intricately to perturbations upon monitoring secondary
      and tertiary structures, distances between an intrinsic FRET pair, and
      hydrodynamic volumes. Binding assays further reveal a weakening of the Cnu
      functional complex with temperature, highlighting the molecular origins of signal
      transduction critical for pathogenic response in enterobacteriaceae.

PMID- 28345922
TI  - Synthetic Access Toward Cycloastragenol Glycosides.
AB  - The first efficient synthetic approach toward four types of the cycloartane
      glycosides, the cycloastragenol 25-O; 3-O; 3,6-O-bis; and 3,25-O-bisglycoside,
      have been established, which featured the PPY-mediated, concentration-controlled
      acetylation and Au(I)-catalyzed Yu glycosylation. Through the synthetic
      investigation, the reactivity sequence of the four OHs in cycloastragenol was
      fixed for the first time and a detour strategy for the highly efficient removal
      of bulky pivaloyl protecting groups was discovered.

PMID- 28345923
TI  - Geometry and Topology of Two-Dimensional Dry Foams: Computer Simulation and
      Experimental Characterization.
AB  - Pseudo-two-dimensional (2D) foams are commonly used in foam studies as it is
      experimentally easier to measure the bubble size distribution and other geometric
      and topological properties of these foams than it is for a 3D foam. Despite the
      widespread use of 2D foams in both simulation and experimental studies, many
      important geometric and topological relationships are still not well understood.
      Film size, for example, is a key parameter in the stability of bubbles and the
      overall structure of foams. The relationship between the size distribution of the
      films in a foam and that of the bubbles themselves is thus a key relationship in
      the modeling and simulation of unstable foams. This work uses structural
      simulation from Surface Evolver to statistically analyze this relationship and to
      ultimately formulate a relationship for the film size in 2D foams that is shown
      to be valid across a wide range of different bubble polydispersities. These
      results and other topological features are then validated using digital image
      analysis of experimental pseudo-2D foams produced in a vertical Hele-Shaw cell,
      which contains a monolayer of bubbles between two plates. From both the
      experimental and computational results, it is shown that there is a distribution
      of sizes that a film can adopt and that this distribution is very strongly
      dependent on the sizes of the two bubbles to which the film is attached,
      especially the smaller one, but that it is virtually independent of the
      underlying polydispersity of the foam.

PMID- 28345924
TI  - A Ligand-Directed Catalytic Regioselective Hydrocarboxylation of Aryl Olefins
      with Pd and Formic Acid.
AB  - An effective Pd-catalyzed hydrocarboxylation of aryl olefins with Ac2O and formic
      acid is described. A variety of 2- and 3-arylpropanoic acids can be
      regioselectively formed by the judicious choice of ligand without the use of
      toxic CO gas.

PMID- 28345925
TI  - Metal Insertion in a Methylamine-Functionalized Zirconium Metal-Organic Framework
      for Enhanced Carbon Dioxide Capture.
AB  - The reaction of ZrCl4 with 2',3',5',6'-tetramethylamino-p-terphenyl-4,4"
      dicarboxylic acid (H2tpdc-4CH2NH2.3HCl) in the presence of NaF affords
      Zr6O4(OH)2.1F1.9(tpdc-4CH2NH2.3HCl)6 (1), which is a new member of the
      Zr6O4(OH)4(dicarboxylate linker)12 or UiO-68 family, and exhibits high porosity
      with BET and Langmuir surface areas of 1910 m2/g and 2220 m2/g, respectively.
      Remarkably, fluoride ion incorporation in the zirconium clusters results in
      increased thermal stability, marking the first example of enhancement in the
      stability of a UiO framework by this defect-restoration approach. Although
      material 1 features four alkylamine groups on each organic linker, the framework
      does not exhibit the high CO2 uptake that would be expected for reaction between
      CO2 and the amine groups to form carbamic acid or ammonium carbamate species. The
      absence of strong CO2 adsorption can likely be attributed to protonation at some
      of the amine sites and the presence of counterions. Indeed, exposure of material
      1 to acetonitrile solutions of the organic bases 1,8
      bis(dimethylamino)naphthalene (DMAN) or trimethylamine, affords a partially
      deprotonated material, which exhibits enhanced CO2 uptake. Exposure of basic
      amine sites also facilitates the postsynthetic chelation of copper(I)
      ([Cu(MeCN)4].CF3SO3) to yield material 2 with an enhanced CO2 uptake of 4 wt % at
      0.15 bar, which is double that of the parent framework 1.

PMID- 28345926
TI  - Band Gap Opening Induced by the Structural Periodicity in Epitaxial Graphene
      Buffer Layer.
AB  - The epitaxial graphene buffer layer on the Si face of hexagonal SiC shows a
      promising band gap, of which the precise origin remains to be understood. In this
      work, we correlate the electronic to the atomic structure of the buffer layer by
      combining angle resolved photoemission spectroscopy (ARPES), scanning tunneling
      microscopy (STM), and high-resolution scanning transmission electron microscopy
      (HR-STEM). We show that the band structure in the buffer has an electronic
      periodicity related to the structural periodicity observed in STM images and
      published X-ray diffraction. Our HR-STEM measurements show the bonding of the
      buffer layer to the SiC at specific locations separated by 1.5 nm. This is
      consistent with the quasi 6 * 6 periodic corrugation observed in the STM images.
      The distance between buffer C and SiC is 1.9 A in the bonded regions and up to
      2.8 A in the decoupled regions, corresponding to a 0.9 A corrugation of the
      buffer layer. The decoupled regions are sp2 hybridized. Density functional tight
      binding (DFTB) calculations demonstrate the presence of a gap at the Dirac point
      everywhere in the buffer layer, even in the decoupled regions where the buffer
      layer has an atomic structure close to that of graphene. The surface periodicity
      also promotes band in the superperiodic Brillouin zone edges as seen by
      photoemission and confirmed by our calculations.

PMID- 28345927
TI  - Stable Superwetting Meshes for On-Demand Separation of Immiscible Oil/Water
      Mixtures and Emulsions.
AB  - Oil-water separation is of great importance for the treatment of oily wastewater,
      including immiscible light/heavy oil-water mixtures, oil-in-water, or water-in
      oil emulsions. Recently, interfacial materials (especially filtration membranes)
      with special wettability have been broadly developed to solve the environmental
      problems by virtue of their advantages in energy saving, high flux, and good
      selectivity. However, the given wetting property (superhydrophilicity or
      superhydrophobicity) and pore size and poor stability of filtration membranes
      limit their widespread applications, which is far from meeting a wide variety of
      oil-polluted water. Here polypyrrole-coated meshes with underwater
      superoleophobicity and underoil superhydrophobicity as well as controllable pore
      size were prepared by adopting cyclic voltammetry. It is found that the surface
      micro/nanohierarchical structures play a critical role in the formation of
      underwater superoleophobicity and underoil superhydrophobicity. HCl is
      advantageous to the construction of highly rough surface rather than H2SO4 and
      H3PO4. The obtained filtration membranes can be used for the on-demand separation
      of oil-water mixtures, showing outstanding stability in harsh conditions, such as
      high temperature (80  degrees C), low temperature (0  degrees C), salt (0.5 M
      NaCl), and acid (1 M HCl), except for alkali (1 M NaOH).

PMID- 28345928
TI  - Enantioselective Synthesis of 4H-Pyran via Amine-Catalyzed Formal (3 + 3)
      Annulation of delta-Acetoxy Allenoate.
AB  - The formal (3 + 3) annulations of delta-acetoxy allenoates and 1C,3O
      bisnucleophiles are reported with the use of 6'-deoxy-6'-perfluorobenzamido
      quinine (4g) as a catalyst, which provide rapid access to 4H-pyrans with
      excellent enantioselectivity. The reaction features a wide reaction scope and
      mild reaction conditions. The crucial roles of amide NH of 4g as a H-bond donor
      have also been elucidated, which not only activates allenoate to facilitate
      formation of cationic intermediate A but also enhances the electrophilicity of
      its delta-position for nucleophilic 1,6-addition.

PMID- 28345930
TI  - Palladium-Catalyzed Formal (5 + 2) Annulation between ortho-Alkenylanilides and
      Allenes.
AB  - 2-Alkenyltriflylanilides react with allenes upon treatment with catalytic amounts
      of Pd(OAc)2 and Cu(II) to give highly valuable 2,3-dihydro-1H-benzo[b]azepines,
      in good yields, and with very high regio- and diastereoselectivities. Density
      functional theory (DFT) calculations suggest that the C-H activation of the
      alkenylanilide involves a classical concerted metalation-deprotonation (CMD)
      mechanism.

PMID- 28345929
TI  - Utility of CYP3A4 and PXR-CAR-CYP3A4/3A7 Transgenic Mouse Models To Assess the
      Magnitude of CYP3A4 Mediated Drug-Drug Interactions.
AB  - Species differences in the expression, activity, regulation, and substrate
      specificity of metabolizing enzymes preclude the use of animal models to predict
      clinical drug-drug interactions (DDIs). The objective of this work is to
      determine if the transgenic (Tg) Cyp3a-/-Tg-3A4Hep/Int and Nr1i2/Nr1i3-/--Cyp3a-/
      Tg-PXR-CAR-3A4/3A7Hep/Int (PXR-CAR-CYP3A4/3A7) mouse models could be used to
      predict in vivo DDI of 10 drugs; alprazolam, bosutinib, crizotinib, dasatinib,
      gefitinib, ibrutinib, regorafenib, sorafenib, triazolam, and vandetinib (as
      victims); with varying magnitudes of reported CYP3A4 clinical DDI. As an
      assessment of the effect of CYP3A4 inhibition, these drugs were coadministered to
      Cyp3a-/-Tg-3A4Hep/Int mice with the CYP3A inhibitor, itraconazole. For
      crizotinib, regorafenib, sorafenib, and vandetanib, there was no significant
      increase of AUC observed; with alprazolam, bosutinib, ibrutinib, dasatinib, and
      triazolam, pretreatment with itraconazole resulted in a 2-, 4-, 17-, 7-, and 15
      fold increase in AUC, respectively. With the exception of gefinitib for which the
      DDI effect was overpredicted (12-fold in Tg-mice vs 2-fold in the clinic), the
      magnitude of AUC increase observed in this study was consistent (within 2-fold)
      with the clinical DDI observed following administration with
      itraconazole/ketoconazole. As an assessment of CYP3A4 induction, following
      rifampin pretreatment to PXR-CAR-3A4/3A7Hep/Int mice, an 8% decrease in
      vandetanib mean AUC was observed; 39-52% reduction in AUC were observed for
      dasatinib, ibrutinib, regorafenib, and sorafenib compared to vehicle treated
      mice. The greatest effect of rifampin induction was observed with alprazolam,
      bosutinib, crizotinib, gefitinib, and triazolam where 72-91% decrease in AUC were
      observed. With the exception of vandetanib for which rifampin induction was under
      predicted, the magnitude of induction observed in this study was consistent
      (within 2-fold) with clinical observations. These data sets suggest that, with
      two exceptions, these transgenic mice models were able to exclude or capture the
      magnitude of CYP3A4 clinical inhibition and induction. Data generated in
      transgenic mice may be used to gain confidence and complement in vitro and in
      silico methods for assessing DDI potential/liability.

PMID- 28345931
TI  - Predictable Conformational Diversity in Foldamers of Sugar Amino Acids.
AB  - A systematic conformational search was carried out for monomers and homohexamers
      of furanoid beta-amino acids: cis-(S,R) and trans-(S,S) stereoisomers of
      aminocyclopentane carboxylic acid (ACPC), two different aminofuranuronic acids
      (AFUalpha and AFUbeta), their isopropylidene derivatives (AFU(ip)), and the key
      intermediate beta-aminotetrahydrofurancarboxylic acid (ATFC). The stereochemistry
      of the building blocks was chosen to match that of the natural sugar amino acid
      (xylose and ribose) precursors (XylAFU and RibAFU). The results show that
      hexamers of cis-furanoid beta-amino acids show great variability: while
      hydrophobic cyclopentane (cis-ACPC)6 and hydrophilic (XylAFUalpha/beta)6
      foldamers favor two different zigzagged conformation as hexamers, the backbone
      fold turns into a helix in the case of (cis-ATFC)6 (10-helix) and (XylAFU(ip))6
      (14-helix). Trans stereochemistry resulted in hexamers exclusively with the right
      handed helix conformation, (H12P)6, regardless of their polarity. We found that
      the preferred oligomeric structure of XylAFUalpha/beta is conformationally
      compatible with beta-pleated sheets, while that of the trans/(S,S) units matches
      with alpha-helices of proteins.

PMID- 28345932
TI  - Formation of Turmeric-Based Thin Films: Universal, Transparent Coatings.
AB  - Curry stains on clothes and dishes in daily life inspired us to investigate the
      potential use of turmeric powder, the major ingredient in curry, as a universal
      coating material. After condition optimization, the coating solution was made by
      boiling and filtering a turmeric slurry, and the coating was formed at pH 3,
      leading to the formation of ultrathin, transparent films. Various inorganic and
      polymeric substrates were successfully coated with turmeric-based materials,
      including gold, TiO2, SiO2, glass, stainless steel, indium tin oxide, nylon,
      polyethylene, polycarbonate, polypropylene, acryl, and poly(ethylene
      terephthalate). The turmeric-based coating was also applied to
      poly(tetrafluoroethylene) (PTFE, Teflon) and cyclic olefin copolymer (COC), and
      after double dip-coating, the water contact angle was changed from 118.2 degrees 
      to 49.1 degrees  for PTFE and from 91.2 degrees  to 44.7 degrees  for COC. The
      water contact angles for the other substrates converged to 35 degrees  after
      coating, confirming the substrate-independent universal coating capability of
      turmeric. The X-ray photoelectron spectroscopic analysis indicated the presence
      of nitrogen in the film, and the possible involvement of amines in film formation
      was investigated with several amine compounds.

PMID- 28345933
TI  - Structure-Energy Relationships of Halogen Bonds in Proteins.
AB  - The structures and stabilities of proteins are defined by a series of weak
      noncovalent electrostatic, van der Waals, and hydrogen bond (HB) interactions. In
      this study, we have designed and engineered halogen bonds (XBs) site-specifically
      to study their structure-energy relationship in a model protein, T4 lysozyme. The
      evidence for XBs is the displacement of the aromatic side chain toward an oxygen
      acceptor, at distances that are equal to or less than the sums of their
      respective van der Waals radii, when the hydroxyl substituent of the wild-type
      tyrosine is replaced by a halogen. In addition, thermal melting studies show that
      the iodine XB rescues the stabilization energy from an otherwise destabilizing
      substitution (at an equivalent noninteracting site), indicating that the
      interaction is also present in solution. Quantum chemical calculations show that
      the XB complements an HB at this site and that solvent structure must also be
      considered in trying to design molecular interactions such as XBs into biological
      systems. A bromine substitution also shows displacement of the side chain, but
      the distances and geometries do not indicate formation of an XB. Thus, we have
      dissected the contributions from various noncovalent interactions of halogens
      introduced into proteins, to drive the application of XBs, particularly in
      biomolecular design.

PMID- 28345934
TI  - Amphiphilic Nucleating Agents to Enhance Calcium Phosphate Growth on Polymeric
      Surfaces.
AB  - Poly(epsilon-caprolactone) (PCL) is an aliphatic polyester widely explored in the
      preparation of guided bone regeneration (GBR) membranes because of its
      interesting mechanical properties and biodegradability. However, PCL high
      hydrophobicity often impairs cell adhesion and proliferation as well as calcium
      phosphate growth, all of which are crucial to achieving suitable bone-tissue
      integration. In this work, aimed at achieving less-hydrophobic surfaces,
      amphiphilic molecules were added at low concentrations to the polymeric dope
      solutions that generated the GBR membranes. During membrane formation, these
      molecules migrate to the solution/air interface in such a way that, upon liquid
      solid phase transition, the negatively charged heads are exposed while the apolar
      tails are anchored to the polymer bulk. As a consequence, these molecules became
      nucleating agents for subsequent calcium phosphate growth using an alternating
      soaking process. Herein, PCL porous membranes containing different amphiphilic
      molecules, such as stearic acid and bis(2-ethylhexyl) phosphate, were
      investigated. This new, simple, and atoxic method to superficially treat
      polymeric membranes could be extended to a wide range of polymers and
      applications.

PMID- 28345935
TI  - Targeting Self-Binding Peptides as a Novel Strategy To Regulate Protein Activity
      and Function: A Case Study on the Proto-oncogene Tyrosine Protein Kinase c-Src.
AB  - : Previously, we have reported a new biomolecular phenomenon spanning between
      protein folding and binding, termed as self-binding peptides (SBPs), where a
      short peptide segment in monomeric protein functions as a molecular switch by
      dynamically binding to/unbinding from its cognate domain in the monomer (Yang et
      al. J. Chem. Inf. MODEL: 2015, 55, 329-342). Here, we attempt to raise the SBP as
      a new class of druggable targets to regulate the biological activity and function
      of proteins. A case study was performed on the proto-oncogene nonreceptor
      tyrosine kinase, c-Src, which contains two SBPs that bind separately to SH3 and
      SH2 domains of the kinase. State-of-the-art molecular dynamics (MD) simulations
      and post binding energetics analysis revealed that disrupting the kinase
      intramolecular interactions of SH3 and SH2 domains with their cognate SBP ligands
      can result in totally different effects on the structural dynamics of c-Src
      kinase architecture; targeting the SH2 domain unlocks the autoinhibitory form of
      the kinase-this is very similar to the pTyr527 dephosphorylation that
      functionally activates the kinase, whereas targeting the SH3 domain can only
      release the domain from the tightly packed kinase but has a moderate effect on
      the kinase activity. Subsequently, based on the cognate SBP sequence we
      computationally designed a number of SH2-binding phosphopeptides using a motif
      grafting strategy. Fluorescence polarization (FP) assay observed that most of the
      designed phosphopeptides have higher binding affinity to SH2 domain as compared
      to the native SBP segment (Kd = 53 nM). Kinase assay identified a typical dose
      response relationship of phosphopeptides against kinase activation,
      substantiating that disruption of SH2-SBP interaction can mimic c-Src
      dephosphorylation and activate the kinase. Two rationally designed
      phosphopeptides, namely EPQpYEEIEN and EPQpYEELEN, were determined as strong
      binders of SH2 domain (Kd = 8.3 and 15 nM, respectively) and potent activators of
      c-Src kinase (EC50 = 3.2 and 41 MUM, respectively).

PMID- 28345936
TI  - Co-Registered Molecular Logic Gate with a CO-Releasing Molecule Triggered by
      Light and Peroxide.
AB  - Co-registered molecular logic gates combine two different inputs and outputs,
      such as light and matter. We introduce a biocompatible CO-releasing molecule
      (CORM, A) as Mn(I) tricarbonyl complex with the ligand 5-(dimethylamino)-N, N
      bis(pyridin-2-ylmethyl) naphthalene-1-sulfonamide (L). CO release is chaperoned
      by turn-on fluorescence and can be triggered by light (405 nm) as well as with
      hydrogen peroxide in aqueous phosphate buffer. Complex A behaves as a logic "OR"
      gate via co-registering the inputs of irradiation (light) and peroxide (matter)
      into the concomitant outputs fluorescence (light) and CO (matter). Cell viability
      assays confirm the low toxicity of A toward different human cell lines. The CORM
      has been used to track the inclusion of A into cancer cells.

PMID- 28345937
TI  - Asymmetric Synthesis of (-)-Pterocarine and (-)-Galeon via Chiral Phase Transfer
      Catalyzed Atropselective Formation of Diarylether Cyclophane Skeleton.
AB  - Pterocarine and galeon are typical examples of diarylether heptanoids (DAEHs)
      with planar chirality due to the strictly constrained conformations in their
      molecular skeletons. The characterized oxa[1,7]metapara-cyclophane motifs in
      DAEHs impose great challenges for their enantioselective synthesis. The
      asymmetric syntheses of (-)-pterocarine and (-)-galeon are demonstrated by
      employing a chiral phase transfer-catalyzed highly enantioselective SNAr
      cyclization as the key step for the formation of a diarylether cyclophane
      skeleton.

PMID- 28345938
TI  - Mimicking pH-Gated Ionic Channels by Polyelectrolyte Complex Confinement Inside a
      Single Nanopore.
AB  - Biological channels have served as inspiration to design stimuli-response
      artificial nanopores. Here we propose an original approach to design a pH-gate
      nanopore based on polyethylenimine and chondroitin-4-sulfate (ChS) layer-by-layer
      self-assembly. This approach is interesting because it is rapid and permits
      monitoring in real time of functionalization. The study of ionic transport
      through these single nanopores reveals a selectivity on anions and pH-gate
      properties at low salt concentration. It is open at pH below 4 or 5 depending on
      salt concentration. These properties are explained by the modification of both
      charge and conformation of ChS as well as swelling of the polyelectrolyte
      complex.

PMID- 28345939
TI  - Macrophilone A: Structure Elucidation, Total Synthesis, and Functional Evaluation
      of a Biologically Active Iminoquinone from the Marine Hydroid Macrorhynchia
      philippina.
AB  - A previously uncharacterized pyrroloiminoquinone natural product, macrophilone A,
      was isolated from the stinging hydroid Macrorhynchia philippina. The structure
      was assigned utilizing long-range NMR couplings and DFT calculations and proved
      by a concise, five-step total synthesis. Macrophilone A and a synthetic analogue
      displayed potent biological activity, including increased intracellular reactive
      oxygen species levels and submicromolar cytotoxicity toward lung adenocarcinoma
      cells.

PMID- 28345940
TI  - Early development of mechanisms of change as a predictor of subsequent change and
      treatment outcome: The case of working alliance.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: Advanced statistical tools have created the opportunity to
      systematically examine the effect of early trajectories in predictors of
      therapeutic change, such as early alliance development patterns, on outcome. To
      date, however, these methods have been used almost exclusively to examine the
      effect of the development of early symptoms on later ones. Development patterns
      of alliance early in treatment, and their association with treatment outcome,
      have received much theoretical attention, but few systematic examinations have
      been conducted so far. METHOD: We integrated exploratory cluster analysis with
      the accumulated theoretical and empirical knowledge on patterns of alliance
      development to identify distinct patterns of early alliance development across
      the 1st 4 sessions of treatment in a sample of 166 patients receiving
      psychotherapy. RESULTS: Three patterns of early alliance development were
      identified: early gradual strengthening, early repaired rupture, and early
      unrepaired rupture. The gradual strengthening and the repaired rupture patterns
      early in treatment predicted alliance strengthening later in treatment, whereas
      the unrepaired rupture pattern early in treatment predicted alliance stability
      later in treatment. The effect of early alliance development patterns on
      treatment outcome was moderated by pretreatment interpersonal problems: For
      patients with better interpersonal functioning at intake, the gradual
      strengthening and the repaired rupture patterns showed better outcomes, whereas
      for those with poorer interpersonal functioning at intake, the early unrepaired
      rupture pattern showed better outcomes. CONCLUSIONS: Findings suggest that early
      alliance development patterns affect treatment process and outcome. (PsycINFO
      Database Record

PMID- 28345941
TI  - The roles of negative affect and goal adjustment capacities in breast cancer
      survivors: Associations with physical activity and diurnal cortisol secretion.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: This study examined whether within-person changes of breast cancer
      survivors' high-arousal negative affect (e.g., feeling scared, upset, anxious, or
      guilty) could predict high levels of diurnal cortisol secretion and moderate-to
      vigorous physical activity (MVPA). In addition, goal adjustment capacities (goal
      disengagement and goal reengagement) were expected to buffer the effect of
      negative affect on cortisol and to increase its effect on MVPA. METHOD: High
      arousal negative affect, self-reported MVPA, area-under-the-curve of diurnal
      cortisol secretion, and goal adjustment capacities were assessed in a
      longitudinal sample of 145 female breast cancer survivors. RESULTS: Based on
      hierarchical linear modeling, breast cancer survivors reported increased levels
      of both MVPA and cortisol secretion if they experienced higher (as compared with
      lower) levels of high-arousal negative affect than their personal average.
      Furthermore, within-person negative affect was associated with: (a) higher MVPA
      among participants with high (but not low) goal reengagement capacities; and (b)
      elevated cortisol secretion among participants with low (but not high) goal
      reengagement capacities. CONCLUSIONS: High-arousal negative affect may exert
      differing functions among breast cancer survivors in that it can trigger adaptive
      health behaviors, yet simultaneously elevate diurnal cortisol secretion. In
      addition, being able to engage in new goals may be a necessary condition for
      breast cancer survivors to experience the beneficial behavioral effects of high
      arousal negative affect, and it may prevent the adverse effect of negative affect
      on enhanced cortisol output. (PsycINFO Database Record

PMID- 28345942
TI  - Implicit spatial-numerical associations: Negative numbers and the role of
      counting direction.
AB  - It has been debated whether negative number concepts are cognitively represented
      on the same mental number line as positive number concepts. The present study
      reviews this debate and identifies limitations of previous studies. A method with
      nonspatial stimuli and responses is applied to overcome these limitations and to
      document a systematic implicit association of negative numbers with left space,
      thus indicating a leftward extension of the mental number line. Importantly, this
      result only held for left-to-right counting adults. Implications for the
      experiential basis of abstract conceptual knowledge are discussed. (PsycINFO
      Database Record

PMID- 28345943
TI  - The role of predictability in cooperative and competitive joint action.
AB  - Predictability may be an important component of cooperative action, or it may
      arise as a by-product of involuntary entrainment with another's behavior.
      Further, differences previously observed in cooperative versus competitive
      actions may represent a fundamental distinction between behaviors with opposite
      goals, or they may simply reflect the output of different physical actions. The
      role of predictability in cooperative versus competitive behavior was directly
      tested using a joint sequential button-pressing task in which Participant 1 (P1)
      pressed a key followed by P2 pressing a key. In the cooperative condition, both
      actors shared the goal of minimizing P2's response times (RTs). In the
      competitive condition, P1 tried to maximize P2's RTs, whereas P2 continued to try
      to minimize them. It was found that P1 was much more predictable in the timing of
      his or her presses in the cooperative condition than in the competitive
      condition, and this coincided with faster P2 responses when cooperating than when
      competing. A 2nd experiment showed the effects of the predictability of P1's
      responses on the speed of P2 responses were similar when P1 was replaced by a
      schematic hand, showing the responses could not have been due to the transmission
      of subtle nonverbal cues by P1. These results demonstrate that being predictable
      is an important strategy in the timing of cooperative joint action, whereas being
      unpredictable is an important strategy in competition, and that they have
      opposite effects on a coactor's ability to respond quickly. (PsycINFO Database
      Record

PMID- 28345944
TI  - Enhanced integration of multisensory body information by proximity to "habitual
      action space".
AB  - Previous research suggests integration of visual and somatosensory inputs is
      enhanced within reaching (peripersonal) space. In such experiments, somatosensory
      inputs are presented on the body while visual inputs are moved relatively closer
      to, or further from the body. It is unclear, therefore, whether enhanced
      integration in "peripersonal space" is truly due to proximity of visual inputs to
      the body space, or, simply the distance between the inputs (which also affects
      integration). Using a modified induction of the rubber hand illusion, here we
      measured proprioceptive drift as an index of visuosomatosensory integration when
      distance between the two inputs was constrained, and absolute distance from the
      body was varied. Further, we investigated whether integration varies with
      proximity of inputs to the habitual action space of the arm-rather than the
      actual arm itself. In Experiment 1, integration was enhanced with inputs proximal
      to habitual action space, and reduced with lateral distance from this space. This
      was not attributable to an attentional or perceptual bias of external space
      because the pattern of proprioceptive drift was opposite for left and right hand
      illusions, that is, consistently maximal at the shoulder of origin (Experiment
      2). We conclude that habitual patterns of action modulate visuosomatosensory
      integration. It appears multisensory integration is modulated in locations of
      space that are functionally relevant for behavior, whether an actual body part
      resides within that space or not. (PsycINFO Database Record

PMID- 28345945
TI  - Gaze control during interceptive actions with different spatiotemporal demands.
AB  - It is widely accepted that the sources of information used to guide interceptive
      actions depend on conflicting spatiotemporal task demands. However, there is a
      paucity of evidence that shows how information pick-up during interceptive
      actions is adapted to such conflicting constraints. The present study therefore
      examined the effects of systematic manipulations of spatiotemporal constraints on
      performance, timing and gaze in an in situ interceptive action. To this end,
      expert futsal goalkeepers faced penalty kicks taken from 10 m and 6 m. With the
      more lenient spatiotemporal constraints (i.e., kicks from 10 m), the goalkeepers
      saved more kicks, initiated their actions later, and looked longer toward ball
      relative to the penalty takers' body. Furthermore, analysis of gaze patterns
      showed that interindividual variations in information pick-up were related to the
      unfolding of the penalty taker's action, revealing a less variable, funnel-like
      gaze pattern toward the end of the action. These findings are interpreted to
      reflect that changes in spatiotemporal demands induce the differential use of
      information for the accurate control of interceptive actions. (PsycINFO Database
      Record

PMID- 28345946
TI  - Objective effects of knowledge on visual perception.
AB  - To what extent is what we perceive influenced by what we know? Although a large
      literature purports to show effects of knowledge, expectations, and other
      cognitive states on various aspects of perception, strong counterarguments have
      been advanced that these demonstrations are confounded by nonperceptual factors.
      For example, although letters are easier to recognize in meaningful words than
      meaningless letter strings, skepticism remains that such effects of knowledge on
      visual recognition mean that knowledge literally helps people see. In Experiment
      1, a perceptual matching task is used to show that meaningful words look sharper
      than meaningless letter strings. In Experiments 2 through 4, it is shown that
      people are more accurate in detecting subtle changes in blur when they occur in
      meaningful words compared with meaningless letter strings. In Experiment 5, it is
      shown that this improvement in performance cannot be explained solely by
      differences in visual familiarity, but is predicted by semantic factors such as
      word imageability. These results provide a strong empirical rejoinder to claims
      that perception is encapsulated from knowledge. (PsycINFO Database Record

PMID- 28345947
TI  - Distinct cognitive control mechanisms as revealed by modality-specific conflict
      adaptation effects.
AB  - Cognitive control is essential to resolve conflict in stimulus-response
      compatibility (SRC) tasks. The SRC effect in the current trial is reduced after
      an incongruent trial as compared with a congruent trial, a phenomenon being
      termed conflict adaptation (CA). The CA effect is found to be domain-specific,
      such that it occurs when adjacent trials contain the same type of conflict, but
      disappears when the conflicts are of different types. Similar patterns have been
      observed when tasks involve different modalities, but the modality-specific
      effect may have been confounded by task switching. In the current study, we
      investigated whether or not cognitive control could transfer across auditory and
      visual conflicts when task-switching was controlled. Participants were asked to
      respond to a visual or auditory (Experiments 1A/B) stimulus, with conflict coming
      from either the same or a different modality. CA effects showed modality-specific
      patterns. To account for potential confounding effects caused by differences in
      task-irrelevant properties, we specifically examined the influence of task
      irrelevant properties on CA effects within the visual modality (Experiments
      2A/B). Significant CA effects were observed across different conflicts from
      distinct task-irrelevant properties, ruling out that the lack of cross-modal CA
      effects in Experiments 1A/B resulted from differences in task-irrelevant
      information. Task-irrelevant properties were further matched in Experiments 3A/B
      to examine the pure effect of modality. Results replicated Experiments 1A/B
      showing robust modality-specific CA effects. Taken together, we provide
      supporting evidences that modality affects cognitive control in conflict
      resolution, which should be taken into account in theories of cognitive control.
      (PsycINFO Database Record

PMID- 28345948
TI  - The impact of cross-modal correspondences on working memory performance.
AB  - Cross-modal correspondences influence perceptual performance in adults, infants,
      and even nonhuman primates across a variety of different sensory modalities,
      including tasks involving speeded detection and categorization. However, to date,
      it is still unclear whether and how correspondences could modulate post
      perceptual processes, such as working memory (WM). We investigated this issue
      using an audiovisual two-back task. In Experiment 1, 3 kinds of correspondences
      were used: audio/visual numerosity, pitch/shape, and pitch/elevation, each
      presented congruently (e.g., for numerosity: 3 tones along with 3 shapes) or
      incongruently (3 tones/2 shapes). Participants attended to the visual or auditory
      modalities, or both, simultaneously. The results revealed faster target-detection
      latencies following congruent as compared to incongruent stimulation, especially
      for numerosity congruence. In Experiment 2, we focused on numerosity, varying the
      correspondence of the unattended modality, thus having correspondences at both
      sample (e.g., 3 tones/3 shapes) and target (e.g., 3 tones/3 shapes), only at
      sample (sample: 3 tones/3 shapes; target: 3 tones/2 shapes), only at target
      (sample: 3 tones/2 shapes; target: 3 tones/3 shapes), or never. To investigate
      the information format we included "symbolic" quantities (i.e.,
      visually/auditorily presented digits). The results confirmed the congruence
      effects, specifically when the correspondence operates at the target display,
      thus affecting response selection. The experiment revealed modal effects, showing
      how task-irrelevant digits affect performance only in the auditory modality,
      while task-irrelevant quantities affect it only when presented visually. Overall,
      these findings highlight the impact of cross-modal correspondences on WM, adding
      new light on the link between perceptual and post-perceptual stages of human
      information processing. (PsycINFO Database Record

PMID- 28345949
TI  - The spatial representation of time can be flexibly oriented in the frontal or
      lateral planes from an early age.
AB  - The perception of time is strongly influenced by spatial context. The longer the
      distance of a stimulus' trajectory, the longer its duration is perceived to be.
      This effect has primarily been investigated in the lateral (left-right) axis
      despite the fact that spatial metaphors for time most commonly invoke the frontal
      (front-back) axis. We therefore explored how spatial distance, depth, and
      direction influenced perceived duration of stimuli moving in the frontal or
      lateral axes. Moreover, we compared the developmental trajectories of frontal
      versus lateral representations of time by testing children (5, 7, or 10 years
      old) and adults. Results showed that perceived duration of the interval between 2
      consecutive stimuli in a temporal bisection task was biased by distance in the
      frontal, as well as lateral, plane across all age groups. Even the mere
      impression of distance in depth (Ponzo illusion), was sufficient to produce these
      effects. These findings indicate that the spatial representation of time can be
      oriented flexibly in either frontal or lateral planes from the age of 5 years and
      even precedes the development of explicit timing mechanisms. Motion direction in
      the frontal plane (looming/receding) had little effect on perceived duration in
      adults, though children temporally underestimated looming stimuli, possibly due
      to attentional mechanisms. (PsycINFO Database Record

PMID- 28345950
TI  - Introduction to special issue on animal models of neuropsychiatric disorders and
      substance use disorders: Progress and gaps.
AB  - This is an introduction to the special issue, "Animal Models of Neuropsychiatric
      Disorders and Substance Use Disorders: Progress and Gaps." This issue presents 6
      original research reports describing the use of mice and rats to model
      neurodevelopmental disorders, depressive disorders, anxiety disorders, and
      substance use disorders. Collectively, these studies demonstrate the progress of
      the field and the gaps and challenges that remain. They also illustrate the range
      of conditions that are informed by animal models and identify the clinical
      populations that stand to benefit from their use in preclinical research.
      (PsycINFO Database Record

PMID- 28345951
TI  - Stereotactic Ablative Radiotherapy Induces Peripheral T-Cell Activation in
      Patients with Early-Stage Lung Cancer.

PMID- 28345953
TI  - Reperfusion ventricular arrhythmia bursts identify larger infarct size in spite
      of optimal epicardial and microvascular reperfusion using cardiac magnetic
      resonance imaging.
AB  - AIMS: Ventricular arrhythmia (VA) bursts following recanalisation in acute ST
      elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) are related to larger infarct size (IS).
      Inadequate microvascular reperfusion, as determined by microvascular obstruction
      (MVO) using cardiac magnetic resonance imaging (CMR), is also known to be
      associated with larger IS. This study aimed to test the hypothesis that VA bursts
      identify larger infarct size in spite of optimal microvascular reperfusion.
      METHODS: All 65 STEMI patients from the Maastricht ST elevation (MAST) study with
      brisk epicardial flow (TIMI 3), complete ST recovery post-percutaneous coronary
      intervention and early CMR were included. Using 24-hour Holter registrations from
      the time of admission, VA bursts were identified against subject-specific Holter
      background VA rates using a statistical outlier method. MVO and final IS were
      determined using delayed enhancement CMR. RESULTS: MVO was present in 37/65 (57%)
      of patients. IS was significantly smaller in the group without MVO (median 9.4%
      vs. 20.5%; p < 0.001). IS in the group with MVO did not differ depending on VA
      burst ( n = 28/37; median 20.8% vs. 19.7%; p = 0.64). However, in the group
      without MVO, VA burst was associated with significantly larger IS ( n = 17/28;
      median 10.5% vs. 4.1%; p = 0.037). In multivariable analyses, VA burst as well as
      anterior infarct location remained independent predictors of larger infarct size.
      CONCLUSION: In the presence of suboptimal reperfusion with MVO by CMR, VA burst
      does not further define MI size. However, with optimal TIMI 3 reperfusion and
      optimal microvascular perfusion (i.e. no MVO), VA burst is associated with larger
      IS, indicating that VA burst is a marker of additional cell death.

PMID- 28345952
TI  - The Timing of Early Antibiotics and Hospital Mortality in Sepsis.
AB  - RATIONALE: Prior sepsis studies evaluating antibiotic timing have shown mixed
      results. OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the association between antibiotic timing and
      mortality among patients with sepsis receiving antibiotics within 6 hours of
      emergency department registration. METHODS: Retrospective study of 35,000
      randomly selected inpatients with sepsis treated at 21 emergency departments
      between 2010 and 2013 in Northern California. The primary exposure was
      antibiotics given within 6 hours of emergency department registration. The
      primary outcome was adjusted in-hospital mortality. We used detailed physiologic
      data to quantify severity of illness within 1 hour of registration and logistic
      regression to estimate the odds of hospital mortality based on antibiotic timing
      and patient factors. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: The median time to antibiotic
      administration was 2.1 hours (interquartile range, 1.4-3.1 h). The adjusted odds
      ratio for hospital mortality based on each hour of delay in antibiotics after
      registration was 1.09 (95% confidence interval [CI], 1.05-1.13) for each elapsed
      hour between registration and antibiotic administration. The increase in absolute
      mortality associated with an hour's delay in antibiotic administration was 0.3%
      (95% CI, 0.01-0.6%; P = 0.04) for sepsis, 0.4% (95% CI, 0.1-0.8%; P = 0.02) for
      severe sepsis, and 1.8% (95% CI, 0.8-3.0%; P = 0.001) for shock. CONCLUSIONS: In
      a large, contemporary, and multicenter sample of patients with sepsis in the
      emergency department, hourly delays in antibiotic administration were associated
      with increased odds of hospital mortality even among patients who received
      antibiotics within 6 hours. The odds increased within each sepsis severity
      strata, and the increased odds of mortality were greatest in septic shock.

PMID- 28345954
TI  - Chest Radiographic Screening for Sarcoidosis in the Diagnosis of Patients with
      Active Uveitis.
AB  - RATIONALE: Although chest radiography is currently recommended for the initial
      evaluation of patients with new-onset uveitis, the efficacy of this diagnostic
      screening modality is not known. OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the diagnostic value of
      chest radiographs in patients with active uveitis of recent onset in a tertiary
      center in Western Europe. METHODS: A retrospective cross-sectional study was
      conducted by reviewing all chest imaging for adults with new-onset (<1 yr)
      uveitis of unknown origin undergoing initial evaluation in the Department of
      Ophthalmology at Erasmus University Medical Center (Rotterdam, the Netherlands).
      Radiographic findings were related to clinical and other imaging characteristics
      and to final diagnoses. RESULTS: Screening chest radiographs were abnormal for 30
      of 200 patients (15%) included in this study. Twenty-two of the 200 patients
      (11%) had biopsy-confirmed sarcoidosis, and an additional 12 patients were
      presumed to have sarcoidosis. The finding of chest radiographic abnormalities
      interpreted as typical of sarcoidosis was specific (91%; 95% confidence interval,
      85.9-94.4%) but not sensitive (64%; 95% confidence interval, 43.0-80.3%) for
      biopsy-confirmed sarcoidosis. The combination of elevated serum angiotensin
      converting enzyme level and chest radiographic findings typical of sarcoidosis
      increased the sensitivity to 79%. Biopsy-confirmed sarcoidosis was more common in
      patients with panuveitis (17 of 84; 20%) compared to patients with other
      anatomical locations of uveitis (5 of 116, 4%; P < 0.001). One patient was
      diagnosed with active pulmonary and ocular tuberculosis. CONCLUSIONS: Abnormal
      chest radiographs were found in 15% of patients with active uveitis of unknown
      origin and onset within 1 year of referral to a tertiary center in the
      Netherlands. A majority of the abnormal chest radiographs showed findings
      compatible with a diagnosis of sarcoidosis.

PMID- 28345956
TI  - Modulation of steroidogenesis by vitamin D3 in granulosa cells of the mouse model
      of polycystic ovarian syndrome.
AB  - : Polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS) is the most common endocrine disorder of
      women of reproductive age characterized by polycystic ovarian morphology,
      anovulation or oligomenorrhea, and hyperandrogenism. It is shown that disruption
      in the steroidogenesis pathway caused by excess androgen in PCOS is a critical
      element of abnormal folliculogenesis and failure in dominant follicle selection.
      Vitamin D plays an important role in the regulation of ovulatory dysfunction and
      can influence genes involved in steroidogenesis in granulosa cells. In the
      present study, we investigated the effects of vitamin D3 on steroidogenic enzyme
      expression and activities in granulosa cell using a PCOS mouse model. In our
      study, the PCOS mouse model was developed by the injection of
      dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) for 20 days. The mRNA and protein expression levels
      of genes involved in steroidogenesis in granulosa cells were compared between
      polycystic and normal ovaries using real-time PCR and Western blotting assays.
      Granulosa cells of DHEA-induced PCOS mice were then cultured with and without
      vitamin D3 and mRNA and protein expression levels of steroidogenic enzymes and
      serum 17beta-estradiol and progesterone levels were investigated using qRT-PCR,
      western blot, and radioimmunoassay, respectively. Steroidogenic enzymes including
      Cyp11a1, StAR, Cyp19a1, and 3beta-HSD were upregulated in granulosa cells of PCOS
      mice when compared to normal mice. Treatment with vitamin D3 decreased mRNA and
      protein expression levels of steroidogenic enzymes in cultured granulosa cells.
      Vitamin D3 also decreased aromatase and 3beta-HSD activity that leads to
      decreased 17beta-estradiol and progesterone release. This study suggests that
      vitamin D3 could modulate the steroidogenesis pathway in granulosa cells of PCOS
      mice that may lead to improving follicular development and maturation. This is a
      step towards a possible conceivable treatment for PCOS. ABBREVIATIONS: AMHR-II:
      anti-mullerian hormone receptor-II; 3beta-HSD: 3beta-hydroxysteroid
      dehydrogenase; Cyp11a1: Cytochrome P450 Family 11 Subfamily A Member 1; Cyp19a1:
      cytochrome P450 aromatase; DHEA: dehydroepiandrosterone; FSH: follicle
      stimulating hormone; FSHR: follicle stimulating hormone receptor; IVF: in vitro
      fertilization; 25OHD: 25-hydroxy vitamin D; OHSS: ovarian hyperstimulation
      syndrome; PCOS: polycystic ovarian syndrome; P450scc: P450 side-chain cleavage
      enzyme; StAR: steroidogenic acute regulatory protein; VDRs: vitamin D receptors.

PMID- 28345955
TI  - Smoking-Dependent Distal-to-Proximal Repatterning of the Adult Human Small Airway
      Epithelium.
AB  - RATIONALE: Small airways are the primary site of pathologic changes in chronic
      obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), the major smoking-induced lung disorder.
      OBJECTIVES: On the basis of the concept of proximal-distal patterning that
      determines regional specialization of the airway epithelium during lung
      development, we hypothesized that a similar program operates in the adult human
      lung being altered by smoking, leading to decreased regional identity of the
      small airway epithelium (SAE). METHODS: The proximal and distal airway signatures
      were identified by comparing the transcriptomes of large and small airway
      epithelium samples obtained by bronchoscopy from healthy nonsmokers. The
      expression of these signatures was evaluated in the SAE of healthy smokers and
      smokers with COPD compared with that of healthy nonsmokers. The capacity of
      airway basal stem cells (BCs) to maintain region-associated phenotypes was
      evaluated using the air-liquid interface model. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS:
      The distal and proximal airway signatures, containing 134 and 233 genes,
      respectively, were identified. These signatures included known developmental
      regulators of airway patterning, as well as novel regulators such as epidermal
      growth factor receptor, which was associated with the proximal airway phenotype.
      In the SAE of smokers with COPD, there was a dramatic smoking-dependent loss of
      the regional transcriptome identity with concomitant proximalization. This
      repatterning phenotype was reproduced by stimulating SAE BCs with epidermal
      growth factor, which was up-regulated in the SAE of smokers, during
      differentiation of SAE BCs in vitro. CONCLUSIONS: Smoking-induced global distal
      to-proximal reprogramming of the SAE represents a novel pathologic feature of
      COPD and is mediated by exaggerated epidermal growth factor/epidermal growth
      factor receptor signaling in SAE BCs.

PMID- 28345957
TI  - Xyloglucan, hibiscus and propolis for the prevention of urinary tract infections:
      results of in vitro studies.
AB  - AIM: To assess the properties of a medical device containing xyloglucan, propolis
      and hibiscus to create a bioprotective barrier to avoid the contact of
      uropathogenic Escherichia coli strains on cell walls in models of intestinal
      (CacoGoblet) and uroepithelial (RWPE-1) cells (derived from normal human prostate
      epithelium). MATERIALS & METHODS: Two uropathogenic E. coli strains (expressing
      type 1 fimbriae and P fimbriae) were used to assess, by electronic microscopy and
      ELISA, the barrier properties of the medical device. The antimicrobial activity
      was assessed in broth dilution assays. RESULTS: The three components (xyloglucan,
      propolis and hibiscus) did not alter E. coli cell integrity in intestinal and
      uroepithelial cell models and were devoid of antibacterial activity. The three
      components avoided bacterial contact in both cell monolayers. CONCLUSION: The
      nonpharmacological barrier properties of xyloglucan, propolis and hibiscus
      confirm the role of the medical device for the management of urinary tract
      infections.

PMID- 28345959
TI  - Ventilatory Inefficiency and Exertional Dyspnea in Early Chronic Obstructive
      Pulmonary Disease.
AB  - Exertional dyspnea is present across the spectrum of chronic obstructive
      pulmonary disease (COPD) severity. However, without realizing it themselves,
      patients may decrease daily physical activity to avoid distressing respiratory
      sensations. Dyspnea also may be associated with deconditioning. Cardiopulmonary
      exercise testing can uncover exertional dyspnea and its physiological
      determinants in patients with preserved or only mildly reduced FEV1. Dyspnea in
      mild COPD can largely be explained by increased "wasted" ventilation in the
      physiological dead space, which heightens the drive to breathe and worsens the
      inspiratory mechanical constraints. During incremental exercise testing, this is
      readily identified as an excessive ventilation-to-metabolic demand, that is, a
      high ventilation ([Formula: see text]e) to carbon dioxide output ([Formula: see
      text]co2) relationship. Linking increases in [Formula: see text]e/[Formula: see
      text]co2 to exertional dyspnea may provide objective evidence that a patient's
      poor exercise tolerance is not just a consequence of deconditioning. This
      information should prompt a proactive therapeutic approach to increase the
      available ventilatory reserve by, for example, giving inhaled bronchodilators.
      Considering that the structural determinants of ventilatory inefficiency (early
      emphysema, ventilation-perfusion mismatching, and microvascular disease) may
      progress despite only modest changes in FEV1, serial [Formula: see
      text]e/[Formula: see text]co2 measurements might also prove valuable to track
      disease progression in these symptomatic patients.

PMID- 28345958
TI  - Macrophage Elastase Induces TRAIL-mediated Tumor Cell Death through Its Carboxy
      Terminal Domain.
AB  - RATIONALE: Macrophage elastase (matrix metalloproteinase [MMP]-12) is a potent
      protease that contributes to the lung destruction that accompanies cigarette
      smoking; it simultaneously inhibits lung tumor angiogenesis and metastasis by
      catalyzing the formation of antiangiogenic peptides. Recent studies have revealed
      novel nonproteolytic functions of MMP12, including antimicrobial activity through
      a peptide within its C-terminal domain (CTD). OBJECTIVES: To determine whether
      the MMP12 CTD contributes to its antitumor activity in lung cancer. METHODS: We
      used recombinant MMP12 peptide fragments, including its catalytic domain, CTD,
      and a 20 amino acid peptide within the CTD (SR20), in an in vitro system to
      delineate their effects on non-small cell lung cancer cell proliferation and
      apoptosis. We translated our findings to two murine models of lung cancer,
      including orthotopic human xenograft and KrasLSL/G12D mouse models of lung
      cancer. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: We show that SR20 triggers tumor apoptosis
      by up-regulation of gene expression of tumor necrosis factor-related apoptosis
      inducing ligand (TRAIL) and its receptor, death receptor 4, sensitizing cells to
      an autocrine loop of TRAIL-mediated cell death. We then demonstrate the
      therapeutic efficacy of SR20 against two murine models of lung cancer.
      CONCLUSIONS: The MMP12 CTD initiates TRAIL-mediated tumor cell death through its
      conserved SR20 peptide.

PMID- 28345960
TI  - Graft Utilization in the Bridging Reconstruction of Irreparable Rotator Cuff
      Tears: A Systematic Review.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Rotator cuff tears are one of the most common conditions affecting
      the shoulder. Because of the difficulty in managing massive rotator cuff tears
      and the inability of standard techniques to prevent arthropathy, surgeons have
      developed several novel techniques to improve outcomes and ideally alter the
      natural history. PURPOSE: To systematically review the existing literature and
      analyze reported outcomes to evaluate the effectiveness of using a bridging graft
      reconstruction technique to treat large to massive irreparable rotator cuff
      tears. STUDY DESIGN: Systematic review. METHODS: A systematic search of PubMed,
      EMBASE, CINAHL, and CENTRAL was employed with the key terms "tear," "allograft,"
      and "rotator cuff." Eligibility was determined by a 3-phase screening process
      according to the outlined inclusion/exclusion criteria. Data in relation to the
      primary and secondary outcomes were summarized. The results were synthesized
      according to the origin of the graft and the level of evidence. RESULTS: Fifteen
      studies in total were included in this review: 2 comparative studies and 13
      observational case series. Both the biceps tendon and the fascia lata autograft
      groups had significantly superior structural integrity rates on magnetic
      resonance imaging at 12-month minimum follow-up when compared with their partial
      primary repair counterparts (58% vs 26%, P = .036; 79% vs 58%, P < .05),
      respectively. Multiple noncomparative case series investigating allografts,
      xenografts, and synthetic materials for bridging reconstruction of large to
      massive rotator cuff tears demonstrated high structural healing rates (74%-90%,
      73%-100%, and 60%-90%, respectively). Additionally, both comparative studies and
      case series demonstrated a general improvement of patients' functional outcome
      scores. CONCLUSION: Using a graft for an anatomic bridging rotator cuff repair
      results in improved function on objective testing and may be functionally better
      than nonanatomic or partial repair of large to massive rotator cuff tears.
      Allograft or xenograft techniques appear to be favorable options, given
      demonstrated functional improvement, imaging-supported graft survival, and lack
      of harvest complication risk. More high-quality randomized controlled studies are
      needed to further assess this technique.

PMID- 28345961
TI  - The Short-Term Efficacy of an Unguided Internet-Based Cognitive-Behavioral
      Therapy for Insomnia: A Randomized Controlled Trial With a Six-Month
      Nonrandomized Follow-Up.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: Insomnia is a major health problem, and the need for effective and
      accessible treatment is urgent. The aim of the current study was to evaluate the
      short-term efficacy of an unguided Internet-based cognitive-behavioral treatment
      program for insomnia (CBTi), called SHUTi (Sleep Healthy Using the Internet).
      METHODS: This study used a parallel arm randomized controlled trial in Norway.
      Participants were randomly allocated to the SHUTi condition or a Web-based
      patient education condition. Both groups were assessed before and after the nine
      week intervention period (online sleep diaries and questionnaires). The SHUTi
      participants were reassessed in a six-month nonrandomized follow-up. Primary
      outcome measures were the Insomnia Severity Index (ISI) and the Bergen Insomnia
      Scale (BIS). RESULTS: A total of 181 participants were included in the study;
      SHUTi condition (n = 95), patient education condition (n = 86). Intention-to
      treat mixed-model repeated-measures analysis revealed that the SHUTi group had
      better short-term outcomes compared with the patient education group on most
      sleep measures. The SHUTi group showed a significant decrease on the primary
      outcomes, the ISI (dbetween = -1.77, 95% CI = -2.23, -1.31) and the BIS (dbetween
      = -1.00, 95% CI = -1.32, -.68). Improvements were maintained among the completing
      SHUTi participants at the six-month nonrandomized follow-up. However, dropout
      attrition was high. CONCLUSION: Unguided Internet-based CBTi produced significant
      short-term improvements in sleep in patients with chronic insomnia. This
      highlights the benefits of making Internet-delivered CBTi programs available as a
      standard first-line treatment option in public health services. Nevertheless, the
      rate of dropout attrition (participants not completing post-assessment) in this
      trial limits the generalizability of the findings.

PMID- 28345963
TI  - Accumulation and speciation of Cd in Avicennia marina tissues.
AB  - Avicennia marina is a high-Cd-tolerant species in the mangrove wetlands. A
      hydroponic experiment was carried out to research the accumulation and chemical
      form distribution of Cd in the tissues of A. marina under different
      concentrations and durations of Cd stress. It was found that the concentrations
      of Cd in plant tissues followed the order of root > stem > leaf. The data
      suggested that root activity decreased, Cd accumulation ability weakened in
      roots, and the translocation factor increased in stems and leaves with the
      increase of stress duration. With a proactive defense mechanism, most Cd was
      bound to pectates, organic acids, and protein, especially in roots and stems with
      the most proportion of 88.51 and 78.91%, respectively, having lower biological
      activities. The Cd bounded to water-soluble organic acid and free inorganic
      aminophenol-Cd showed the lowest concentration. The pectates, organic acids, and
      protein-integrated Cd seem the most important in affecting Cd detoxification for
      A. marina; this mechanism of change in Cd biological activities decreases the
      toxicity of this aggressive pollutant and presents new knowledge about the
      tolerance of mangrove plants.

PMID- 28345962
TI  - Immune responses to vaccination and infection with Mycoplasma gallisepticum in
      turkeys.
AB  - Infection with Mycoplasma gallisepticum induces severe lymphoproliferative
      lesions in multiple sites along the respiratory tract in chickens and turkeys.
      These immunopathological responses have been well-characterized in chickens, but
      have not been studied closely in turkeys. The aim of the study described here was
      to examine the immune responses of turkeys after live vaccination and infection
      with M. gallisepticum. In a strain comparison study, the mean log10 antibody
      titre of birds exposed to an aerosol culture of M. gallisepticum strain Ap3AS was
      found to be significantly higher at day 14 than that of birds exposed to strain
      100809/31. In a dose-response study, there was a significant difference in the
      mean log10 antibody titre between birds exposed to mycoplasma broth and birds
      exposed to the highest dose of strain Ap3AS at day 7 after exposure.
      Immunohistochemical analysis of the tracheal mucosa and the air sacs revealed
      similar patterns of distribution of CD4+ and CD8+ lymphocytes to those seen in
      the tracheal mucosa of chickens, implicating these cell types in the pathogenesis
      of respiratory mycoplasmosis in turkeys. Turkeys that had been vaccinated with M.
      gallisepticum GapA+ ts-11 had significantly higher antibody titres than
      unvaccinated birds at both 7 and 14 days after challenge with strain Ap3AS.
      Vaccination with GapA+ ts-11 protected against the lymphoproliferative response
      to infection with virulent M. gallisepticum in both the tracheal mucosa and the
      air sacs, suggesting that this strain may be a useful vaccine candidate for use
      in turkeys.

PMID- 28345964
TI  - End-Tidal Carbon Dioxide as a Prognostic Feature in Pulmonary Arterial
      Hypertension.
AB  - RATIONALE: Pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) is characterized in part by
      increased dead space ventilation, which can be estimated noninvasively at the
      bedside by measurement of end-tidal CO2 (ETco2). OBJECTIVES: Prior work has
      demonstrated that ETco2 is lower in patients with PAH than in control patients,
      but whether ETco2 has prognostic value is unknown. We hypothesized that lower
      measurements of ETco2 in patients with PAH correlate with worse long-term
      outcomes. METHODS: Patients with PAH seen in our referral clinic were
      prospectively recruited for ETco2 measurement between September 2009 and February
      2010. Vital status as of July 2015 was documented using medical records and the
      Social Security Death Index. RESULTS: Eighty-two patients were followed for a
      median of 60 months. Twenty-six patients died, and two were lost to follow-up.
      Patients who died were more likely to be older (58.5 +/- 14.9 vs. 47.6 +/- 12.2
      yr; P < 0.05) and to have shorter 6-minute walk distance (296 +/- 127 vs. 401 +/-
      92 m; P < 0.05). Mean ETco2 in survivors was 30.5 +/- 4.8 mm Hg, whereas mean
      ETco2 in patients who died was 27.1 +/- 4.2 mm Hg (P = 0.004). After
      stratification by median baseline ETco2 of 29 mm Hg, survival in each group was
      analyzed. Patients with lower ETco2 had shorter survival (P = 0.006). Cox
      regression analysis with ETco2 as a continuous variable revealed the hazard ratio
      to be 0.88 (95% confidence interval, 0.80-0.97; P = 0.006). In 52 patients with
      more than one measurement a median of 17 months apart, ETco2 was unchanged.
      CONCLUSIONS: Our single-center data suggest that lower ETco2 is associated with
      shorter survival and that ETco2 is stable over time in patients with PAH.

PMID- 28345965
TI  - Experiences of attending day care services designed for people with dementia - a
      qualitative study with individual interviews.
AB  - OBJECTIVES: Day care is assumed to promote independence in home-dwelling people
      with dementia, increase well-being and enhance social stimulation. Few studies
      have directly engaged people with dementia to better understand the benefits and
      impacts of such services. The aim of this study was to explore attendees'
      experiences with day care designed for people with dementia. METHOD: This study
      had a qualitative descriptive design and included individual interviews with 17
      users attending day care. The analysis was undertaken using content analyses.
      RESULTS: The participants reported that day care had a positive influence on
      their physical functioning, cognition, well-being, and situation at home because
      they were provided with social stimulation, meals, and activities. Day care
      contributed to the maintenance of a rhythm and structure in everyday life.
      Furthermore, the staff contributed to making the day care a safe place to be and
      enhanced a sense of belonging. CONCLUSION: This study reveals the positive impact
      of day care on the daily lives of people with dementia because this service
      contributes to the enhancement of activities and social support, prevents
      isolation, and enhances practical and cognitive functioning as experienced by the
      users. The staff has a major impact on the experience of the participants in the
      day care.

PMID- 28345966
TI  - The importance of standardization of stimuli for functional MRI tasks to evaluate
      substance use disorder pathology.

PMID- 28345967
TI  - Deaths from Nonmalignant Respiratory Disease in Styrene-Exposed Workers: Does
      Obliterative Bronchiolitis Contribute to Mortality?

PMID- 28345968
TI  - Relationship between phospholipase C-zeta, semen parameters, and chromatin
      status.
AB  - The need for additional tests to complement basic sperm analysis in clinics is
      well appreciated. In this regard, a number of tests such as sperm DNA integrity
      test as a tool in diagnosis and treatment of infertility are suggested. But
      recent studies have focused on main sperm factors involved in oocyte activation
      such as phospholipase C-zeta (PLCzeta) that initiate intracellular Ca2+ signaling
      and embryogenesis. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate the relationship
      between PLCzeta, basic semen parameters, sperm DNA fragmentation (SDF), and
      protamine deficiency in men with normal (n=32) and abnormal (n=23) semen
      parameters. Unlike SDF and protamine deficiency, as negative factors related to
      fertility, the mean value of PLCzeta as positive factor related to infertility
      was significantly lower in men with abnormal semen parameters compared to men
      with normal semen parameters. Significant correlations were also observed between
      sperm concentration, motility, and abnormal morphology with the percentage of
      PLCzeta positive spermatozoa. In addition, logistic regression analysis revealed
      that sperm morphology is more predictive than sperm motility and concentration
      for PLCzeta presence. In addition, a statistically significant negative
      relationship was observed between the percentage of PLCzeta positive spermatozoa
      and SDF. These findings suggested during ICSI, selection of sperm based on
      morphology has a profound effect on its ability to induce oocyte activation based
      on the likelihood of PLCzeta expression. Therefore, assessment of PLCzeta as an
      index for fertilization potential of a semen sample in men with severe
      teratozoospermia may define individuals who are candidates for artificial oocyte
      activation (AOA) and may avoid failed fertilization post ICSI.

PMID- 28345970
TI  - Pressure ulcer over pressure injury.

PMID- 28345969
TI  - Foot ulceration in patients with diabetes: a risk analysis.
AB  - The study reported in this article aimed to analyse factors associated with the
      risk of ulceration in the feet of patients with diabetes using a conceptual
      hierarchic model. It was a cross-sectional study carried out with 1515 people
      with diabetes mellitus aged 40 years and older. The risk of foot ulceration was
      of higher significance in male patients with diabetes (adjusted odds ratio
      (OR)=1.39 (95% confidence interval (CI) 1.11 to 1.73); p=0.020), who did not
      practise a regular physical activity (adjusted OR=1.58 (95% CI 1.15 to 2.15);
      p=0.013), with time since diagnosis over 10 years (adjusted OR=1.42 (95% CI 1.10
      to 1.86); p=0.011), who used insulin (adjusted OR=1.40 (95% CI 1.09 to 1.84);
      p=0.012), with retinopathy (adjusted OR=1.84 (95% CI 1.38 to 2.45); p=0.001) and
      who had had a previous stroke (adjusted OR=1.47 (95% CI 1.09 to 2.04); p=0.018).
      Mycosis on the nails and the interdigital spaces of the feet was statistically
      associated with ulceration risk independent of other variables of the model
      (adjusted OR=2.48 (95%CI 1.70 to 3.63); p=0.001). Finding the factors associated
      with ulceration contributes to the provision of quality care by nurses.

PMID- 28345971
TI  - Change for the better?
AB  - Jackie Stephen-Haynes, Professor in Tissue Viability, Professional Development
      Unit, Birmingham City University and Consultant Nurse, Worcestershire Health and
      Care NHS Trust.

PMID- 28345972
TI  - Domestic violence against men.

PMID- 28345973
TI  - Patient satisfaction with clinicians in colorectal 2-week wait clinics.
AB  - AIM: To determine if patient satisfaction is affected by the clinician (nurse or
      doctor), conducting the colorectal 2-week wait (2ww) clinics. METHODS: A
      prospective non-randomised comparative cohort study of 339 consecutive patients
      (divided by blind allocation into nurse-led (n=216) and doctor-led (n=123)
      cohorts) conducted over a 3-month period. Patient satisfaction in both cohorts
      was assessed by an adapted version of the Grogan et al validated patient
      satisfaction questionnaire. The questionnaire was piloted first and was found to
      have high internal reliability (Cronbach's alpha=0.91). RESULTS: The study had a
      response rate of 78% (n=258/331) and overall satisfaction scores showed 85%
      (n=149/175) of patients in the nurse-led cohort and 65% (n=54/83) of patients in
      the doctor-led cohort strongly agreed that they were satisfied with the care they
      received. Mean overall satisfaction scores in the two cohorts revealed that the
      nurse-led cohort achieved significantly more 'strongly agree' responses than the
      doctor-led cohort (p<0.001, CI: 95%). Further analysis of the responses to each
      question demonstrated statistical significance when comparing the two cohorts.
      CONCLUSIONS: The study offered patients the opportunity to reflect on service
      delivery enabling a more responsive approach to health care within the colorectal
      2ww service. It found that patient satisfaction was affected by the clinician
      conducting the 2ww clinic, in that the nurse-led cohort displayed significantly
      higher patient satisfaction. However, there are areas that merit further
      research.

PMID- 28345974
TI  - The provision of therapy mattresses for pressure ulcer prevention.
AB  - Preventing pressure ulcers is complex and involves skin care, the provision of
      therapy mattresses, repositioning, the management of incontinence and adequate
      nutritional support. This article describes a model of therapy mattress provision
      that is based on non-powered products. Evaluating the efficiency of this model is
      challenging, due to the complexities of care, but Safety Thermometer data and
      incidents reports offer reassurance that non-powered therapy mattresses can
      provide adequate pressure ulcer prevention. Therapy mattress provision is only
      one of the five interventions and these are described in details to give readers
      a fuller picture of the model used at the author's trust.

PMID- 28345975
TI  - Pressure ulcer prevention is everyone's business: the PUPS project.
AB  - Prevention of pressure ulcers is one of the greatest healthcare challenges in
      terms of reducing patient harm. The literature shows that although numerous
      reports and policy documents have been published, pressure ulcer prevention
      remains an ongoing challenge. A number of innovations have been published
      offering practising nurses and managers ideas for raising awareness of skin care
      and preventing pressure ulcers. The majority of these have focused on patients in
      hospital settings with very little in the literature related to care-home and
      community initiatives. This article reports on an innovative approach to
      education for pressure ulcer prevention through collaboration between patients,
      carers and health and social care professionals.

PMID- 28345976
TI  - Evaluating the performance of a new carboxymethyl cellulose dressing in the
      community setting.
AB  - This article describes a single-centre, non-comparative evaluation set out to
      assess the clinical performance and patient acceptability of a new carboxymethyl
      cellulose (CMC) wound dressing. Twenty patients in a community setting, aged
      between 34-97 years, were recruited. The progression of various types of wounds
      with different levels of exudate was documented over 4 weeks. No adherence to the
      wound bed or painful removal was reported in 18 patients, and the peri-wound skin
      was the same or had improved in all patients. When compared with the previous CMC
      dressing used by the authors, the new CMC dressing reported a longer wear time.
      These findings show a positive clinical performance and suggest a potential
      financial advantage when using the new dressing.

PMID- 28345977
TI  - Spinal cord injuries: overcoming barriers to seamless care for patients.
AB  - Patients with spinal cord injuries (SCIs) often have complex needs that require
      multidisciplinary support in specialist centres. Optimal management depends on
      seamless transitions between service providers. Delays at any point potentially
      compromise clinical outcomes and efficient resource utilisation. The Spinal
      Advisory Working Group aims to develop and implement practical initiatives to
      improve SCI care, initially focusing on admission and discharge. A literature
      review identified few relevant papers. In addition, the generalisability of the
      findings of these papers to SCI centres in the UK is unclear. Therefore, further
      research is needed to, for example: establish best practice in the UK; quantify
      the associations between admission criteria and clinical and economic outcomes
      from a UK perspective; and determine the extent and impact of barriers that
      influence the transition of SCI patients between NHS care providers. Such
      research would enable the development of evidence-based strategies to overcome or
      minimise these barriers. In the meantime, pragmatic consensus guidelines would
      help standardise management, aid service optimisation, overcome inequities and,
      potentially, reduce bed blocking. The working group agreed that the robust
      inclusion and exclusion criteria developed by the Welsh Spinal Cord Injury
      Rehabilitation Centre could form the basis of a consensus guideline, to be
      piloted across the five SCI centres represented by members of the group.

PMID- 28345978
TI  - From staff nurse to nurse consultant - Clinical leadership part 12: series
      summary.
AB  - John Fowler, independent education consultant, summarises his series which has
      explored the importance of leadership for clinically based nurses.

PMID- 28345979
TI  - Assessment and treatment options for patients with constipation.
AB  - Constipation is a common complaint for people of all ages, with prevalence
      increasing with age and during pregnancy. Women are more likely to be affected
      than men. Severity of constipation varies from person to person; most people
      experience short periods of constipation during their lives, including possibly
      after surgery, while others have constipation as a chronic long-term condition
      that can significantly affect their quality of life. There are a number of
      factors that can contribute to developing constipation including diets low in
      fibre, changes in lifestyle, side effects of certain medications and low fluid
      intake. People can successfully treat constipation by making changes to their
      diet and lifestyle. However, medication may be required to manage constipation
      for some.

PMID- 28345980
TI  - Palliative care nursing for patients with neurological diseases: what makes the
      difference?
AB  - Neurodegenerative diseases progress slowly, creating increasing physical
      disability with unpredictable disease trajectories. The disease's life
      threatening nature often places these patients in palliative care. There are
      several factors that complicate the care of patients with neurodegenerative
      diseases in palliative care units. Owing to physical impairments, there are many
      communication barriers between patients and staff. Nurses are not able to
      duplicate the patient's meticulous daily routine leading to caregiver mistrust in
      the nurse's competencies. Even if the patient is hospitalised, caregivers may not
      take the much-needed time off to recuperate. The placement of patients with
      neurodegenerative diseases in palliative care is confusing, since they rarely die
      during in-hospital treatment but might even get better due to multidisciplinary
      treatment. Finally, patients and caregivers lack adequate knowledge about disease
      progression and available help and support programmes. Patients with
      neurodegenerative diseases urgently need palliative care and nurses and
      caregivers need better preparation to appropriately deal with these diseases.

PMID- 28345981
TI  - Health promotion for patients and their families.
AB  - Michelle Gracia, Third Year Student Nurse (Adult), School of Health Studies,
      Gibraltar Health Authority.

PMID- 28345982
TI  - Managing conflict appropriately to benefit staff and organisations.

PMID- 28345983
TI  - The voice of healthcare education and research.

PMID- 28345984
TI  - Clinical supervision: an important part of every nurse's practice.
AB  - Clinical supervision involves a supportive relationship between supervisor and
      supervisee that facilitates reflective learning and is part of professional
      socialisation. Clinical supervision can take many different forms and may be
      adapted to suit local circumstances. A working agreement is required between the
      parties to the supervision and issues surrounding confidentiality must be
      understood. High-quality clinical supervision leads to greater job satisfaction
      and less stress. When it is absent or inadequate, however, the results can be
      serious and it is particularly important that student nurses are well supported
      in this way. Further research in this area is necessary.

PMID- 28345985
TI  - Reviewing the investigative landscape to move towards a learning culture.
AB  - John Tingle, Reader in Health Law at Nottingham Trent University, discusses the
      Public Administration and Constitutional Affairs Committee follow up to the
      report, Learning from Mistakes, on the NHS in England.

PMID- 28345986
TI  - Children and young people with diabetes: recognition and management.
AB  - Diabetes mellitus (type 1) is an autoimmune condition leading to absolute insulin
      deficiency resulting in hyperglycaemia and its associated manifestations. It is
      the most common type of diabetes seen in children, characterised by the 4Ts
      (toilet, thinner, thirsty, tired). The signs and symptoms can sometimes be non
      specific and a delay or missed diagnosis may be catastrophic to the health of the
      child. Children with an established diagnosis of diabetes often present to the
      health service with issues such as hypoglycaemia, hyperglycaemia, or diabetic
      ketoacidosis. The condition requires life-long monitoring and strict control of
      blood glucose levels with insulin replacement therapy, with the aim of achieving
      an HbA1c level of 48 mmol/mol. There are often physical and psychosocial issues
      that arise from the diagnosis leading to poor control. Nurses working in
      different clinical settings play a vital role in raising suspicions of diabetes
      leading to timely diagnosis and rapid initiation of treatment. They are best
      placed to provide essential support in helping children and their families to
      come to terms with the diagnosis, as well as manage this chronic condition by
      addressing the common issues that arise in the ongoing management, with a
      particular emphasis on managing the various day-to-day challenges. Two case
      studies are included to highlight some of the challenges that nurses may
      encounter while managing children with diabetes.

PMID- 28345987
TI  - Walk this way: improving activity levels.
AB  - Emeritus Professor Alan Glasper, from the University of Southampton, discusses
      ways of increasing daily exercise, especially walking, as a way of tackling
      obesity and its effects on health.

PMID- 28345988
TI  - The experiences of students in interprofessional learning.
AB  - This article explores the experiences of undergraduate healthcare students within
      interprofessional education (IPE) using a qualitative research study. The motive
      to undertake this study was as a result of mixed evaluations of IPE sessions. The
      study aimed to analyse student experiences of IPE, and as a result provide
      greater insight into how this type of education could be enhanced. Participants
      were selected through voluntary recruitment and data were collected using a focus
      group involving 12 participants who responded. Data analysis identified two key
      themes highlighting the barriers to engagement in IPE and factors that enable
      participants to engage. The study provides guidance for further developments and
      improvements when designing and delivering IPE.

PMID- 28345989
TI  - Making decisions for patient safety.
AB  - Sam Foster, Chief Nurse at Heart of England NHS Foundation Trust, looks at
      providing leadership and taking appropriate action when a fitness-to-practise
      concern is raised.

PMID- 28345990
TI  - Erratum: Jeong, Kim, and Lee (2015).
AB  - In the article by Jeong, M., Kim, S-Y., & Lee, E., "Parents' beliefs and
      intentions toward supporting physical activity participation for their children
      with disabilities," in Adapted Physical Activity Quarterly, 32(2), 93-105, the
      third author's name was misspelled in the print version. It was printed as
      Euikyung Lee, but the correct spelling is Eunkyung Lee.

PMID- 28345991
TI  - Correlation between serum homocysteine concentration and severity of mitral valve
      disease in dogs.
AB  - OBJECTIVE To measure serum homocysteine concentrations in dogs with myxomatous
      mitral valve disease (MMVD) and identify any association between this variable
      and stage of MMVD. ANIMALS 53 client-owned dogs with MMVD and 10 healthy control
      Beagles. PROCEDURES Dogs with MMVD were allocated to 3 groups in accordance with
      the staging system for chronic valvular heart disease in dogs and cats of the
      American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine. Blood samples were collected
      from all dogs, and serum homocysteine and cardiac troponin 1 concentrations were
      measured by enzyme immunoassay and chemiluminescence immunoassay, respectively.
      Analyte values were tested for associations with each other and with stage of
      MMVD. RESULTS A significant correlation was identified between serum homocysteine
      concentration and stage of MMVD. Mean +/- SD concentrations were 6.72 +/- 1.65
      MUmol/L for control dogs, 13.37 +/- 4.16 MUmol/L for dogs with stage B MMVD,
      18.86 +/- 6.73 MUmol/L for dogs with stage C disease, and 28.26 +/- 4.48 MUmol/L
      for dogs with stage D disease. In addition, serum homocysteine concentration was
      correlated with serum cardiac troponin 1 (r = 0.34) and creatinine (r = 0.46)
      concentrations, systolic blood pressure (r = 0.57), and left atrium-to-aortic
      root ratio (r = 0.28), all of which were positively correlated with stage of
      MMVD. CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE Serum homocysteine concentrations of
      dogs with MMVD were significantly higher than those of control dogs, and
      significant correlations were identified between these values and several risk
      factors for heart failure. Measurement of serum homocysteine concentration may be
      useful in the prediction of severity of disease in dogs with MMVD.

PMID- 28345994
TI  - Immunologic responses in corn snakes (Pantherophis guttatus) after experimentally
      induced infection with ferlaviruses.
AB  - OBJECTIVE To measure immunologic responses of snakes after experimentally induced
      infection with ferlaviruses. ANIMALS 42 adult corn snakes (Pantherophis guttatus)
      of both sexes. PROCEDURES Snakes were inoculated intratracheally with genogroup A
      (n = 12), B (12), or C (12) ferlavirus (infected groups) or cell-culture
      supernatant (6; control group) on day 0. Three snakes from each infected group
      were euthanized on days 4, 16, 28, and 49, and 3 snakes from the control group
      were euthanized on day 49. Blood samples were collected from live snakes on days 
      6 (baseline), 4, 16, 28, and 49. Hematologic tests were performed and humoral
      responses assessed via hemagglutination-inhibition assays and ELISAs. Following
      euthanasia, gross pathological and histologic evaluations and virus detection
      were performed. RESULTS Severity of clinical signs of and immunologic responses
      to ferlavirus infection differed among snake groups. Hematologic values,
      particularly WBC and monocyte counts, increased between days 4 and 16 after
      infection. A humoral response was identified between days 16 and 28. Serum IgM
      concentrations increased from baseline earlier than IgY concentrations, but the
      IgY relative increase was higher at the end of the study. The hemagglutination
      inhibition assay revealed that the strongest reactions in all infected groups
      were against the strain with which they had been infected. Snakes infected with
      genogroup A ferlavirus had the strongest immune response, whereas those infected
      with genogroup B had the weakest responses. CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE
      Results of this experimental study suggested that the ferlavirus strain with the
      highest virulence induced the weakest immune response in snakes.

PMID- 28345992
TI  - Evaluation of a hypervariable octameric oligonucleotide fingerprints assay for
      identification of and discrimination between wild-type and vaccine strains of
      Brucella melitensis.
AB  - OBJECTIVE To evaluate a hypervariable octameric oligonucleotide fingerprints
      (HOOF-Prints) assay for identification of and discrimination between wild-type
      and vaccine strains of Brucella melitensis. SAMPLE Brucella melitensis vaccine
      strain M5 and wild-type strain M43. PROCEDURES 8 pairs of primers (alterable,
      octameric nucleotides) were designed on the basis of a biological analysis of 8
      flanking sequences in the DNA of B melitensis. The HOOF-Prints technique was used
      to identify wild-type and vaccine strains of B melitensis. Phylogenetic analysis
      of short, polymorphic fragments of DNA from B melitensis strains M5 and M43 was
      performed. RESULTS Variable-number tandem repeat DNA segments of B melitensis
      vaccine strain M5 and wild-type strain M43 were successfully amplified by means
      of PCR assay. All target gene fragments ranged in size from 100 to 300 bp.
      Separate phylogenetic analysis of each Brucella strain revealed considerable
      differences between the vaccine and wild-type strains. CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL
      RELEVANCE The results of this study suggested the HOOF-Prints assay may be useful
      for discriminating vaccine strains of B melitensis from wild-type strains. This
      ability could allow discrimination between animals that are seropositive because
      of vaccination against B melitensis and those that are seropositive because of B
      melitensis infection and could decrease the likelihood of importing Brucella
      infected animals.

PMID- 28345995
TI  - Description and comparison of excretory urography performed during radiography
      and computed tomography for evaluation of the urinary system in healthy New
      Zealand White rabbits (Oryctolagus cuniculus).
AB  - OBJECTIVE To evaluate the usefulness of excretory urography performed during
      radiography (REU) and CT (CTEU) in healthy rabbits, determine timings of urogram
      phases, and compare sensitivities of REU and CTEU for detection of these phases.
      ANIMALS 13 New Zealand White rabbits (Oryctolagus cuniculus). PROCEDURES Rabbits
      were screened for signs of systemic and urinary tract disease. An REU examination
      of each was performed, followed >= 5 days later by a CTEU examination. Contrast
      images from each modality were evaluated for quality of opacification and
      intervals between initiation of contrast medium administration and detection of
      various urogram phases. RESULTS Excretory urograms of excellent diagnostic
      quality were achieved with both imaging modalities. For all rabbits, the
      nephrographic phase of the urogram appeared in the first postcontrast REU image
      (obtained between 34 and 40 seconds after initiation of contrast medium
      administration) and at a median interval of 20 seconds in CTEU images. The
      pyelographic phase began at a median interval of 1.63 minutes with both imaging
      modalities. Contrast medium was visible within the urinary bladder at a median
      interval of 2.20 minutes. Median interval to the point at which the nephrogram
      and pyelogram were no longer visible in REU images was 8 hours and 2.67 hours,
      respectively. The CTEU technique was better than the REU technique for evaluating
      renal parenchyma. CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE Findings suggested that REU
      and, particularly, CTEU may be valuable tools for the diagnosis of renal and
      urinary tract disease in rabbits; however, additional evaluation in diseased
      rabbits is required.

PMID- 28345996
TI  - Effects of repeated use and resterilization on structural and functional
      integrity of microwave ablation antennas.
AB  - OBJECTIVE To determine effects of repeated use and resterilization on structural
      and functional integrity of microwave ablation (MWA) antennas. SAMPLE 17 cooled
      shaft MWA antennas (3 groups of 5 antennas/group and 2 control antennas).
      PROCEDURES 1, 2, and 3 ablations in the livers of bovine cadavers were performed
      at the maximum recommended settings. Antennas were cleaned and sterilized in
      hydrogen peroxide plasma, and the process was repeated (reprocessing cycle; n =
      6). Control antennas were only sterilized (6 times). Aerobic and anaerobic
      bacterial cultures were performed, and antennas were microscopically assessed for
      damage. RESULTS 6 cycles were completed. Thirteen of 15 MWA antennas remained
      functional for up to 4 cycles, 10 were functional after 5 cycles, and only 7 were
      functional after 6 cycles. Progressive tearing of the silicone coating of the
      antennas was observed, with a negative effect of the number of cycles for
      silicone tearing. Size of the ablation zone decreased mildly over time after
      cycles 5 and 6; however, this was not considered clinically relevant. No
      significant changes in the shape of ablation zones were detected. All cultures
      yielded negative results, except for an isolated case, which was considered a
      contaminant. CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE Structural and functional
      integrity of the microwave antennas remained acceptable during repeated use and
      reprocessing for up to 4 cycles. However, there was a decrease in functional
      integrity at cycles 5 and 6. We suggest that these microwave antennas be
      subjected to > 3 reprocessing cycles. Antennas should be carefully examined
      before reuse.

PMID- 28345997
TI  - Evaluation of a new method to determine the tibial tuberosity advancement
      distance required to reduce the patellar tendon-tibial plateau angle to 90
      degrees  with the modified Maquet technique in dogs.
AB  - OBJECTIVE To assess use of a new radiographic method to determine the distance by
      which the tibial tuberosity should be advanced to reduce the patellar tendon
      tibial plateau angle (PTA) to 90 degrees  by means of the modified Maquet
      technique (MMT) in dogs. SAMPLE 24 pelvic limbs from 12 adult medium-sized to
      large-breed canine cadavers. PROCEDURES Radiographs of stifle joints at 135
      degrees  extension in true lateral position were used to determine tibial
      tuberosity advancement distances for use in the MMT. A method was devised to
      incorporate the planned osteotomy axis; distal patellar translations of 0, 3, 5,
      or 10 mm; and advancement cage implant application level along the osteotomy site
      in advancement planning measurements. Concordance correlation coefficients (CCCs)
      were calculated to compare these adjusted advancement measurements with true
      advancement measurements obtained for the same joints in another study after
      treatment by MMT. Intraobserver, interobserver, and total agreement for selected
      measurements were determined by assessment of CCCs for results obtained by 3
      blinded observers. RESULTS Agreement between true advancement measurements and
      measurements obtained with osteotomy axis and cage position method calculations
      that incorporated a 5-mm distal patellar translation distance was excellent (CCC,
      0.96). Intraobserver and interobserver agreements for the planning measurements
      evaluated were good to excellent (CCC, 0.83 to 0.96). CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL
      RELEVANCE Results suggested that the osteotomy axis and cage position method
      incorporating a 5-mm distal patellar translation distance has the potential to
      improve success rates for achieving a PTA of 90 degrees  in medium-sized to large
      breed dogs undergoing MMT for treatment of cranial cruciate ligament rupture.
      Further research is warranted.

PMID- 28345998
TI  - Pharmacokinetics of a single dose of voriconazole administered orally with and
      without food to red-tailed hawks (Buteo jamaicensus).
AB  - OBJECTIVE To determine the pharmacokinetics of voriconazole administered PO with
      or without food to red-tailed hawks (Buteo jamaicensus) and whether any observed
      variability could be explained by measured covariates to inform dose adjustments.
      ANIMALS 7 adult red-tailed hawks. PROCEDURES In a crossover study design, hawks
      were randomly assigned to first receive voriconazole (15 mg/kg, PO) injected into
      a dead mouse (n = 3; fed birds) or without food (4; unfed birds). Sixteen days
      later, treatments were reversed. Blood samples were collected at various points
      to measure plasma voriconazole concentrations by ultraperformance liquid
      chromatography. Pharmacokinetic data were analyzed by noncompartmental methods
      and fit to a compartmental model through nonlinear mixed-effects regression, with
      feeding status and body weight investigated as covariates. RESULTS Voriconazole
      was well absorbed, with quantifiable plasma concentrations up to 24 hours after
      administration. Mean plasma half-life was approximately 2 hours in fed and unfed
      birds. Administration of the voriconazole in food delayed absorption, resulting
      in a significant delay in time to maximum plasma concentration. The final
      compartmental model included a categorical covariate to account for this lag in
      absorption as well as body weight as a covariate of total body clearance
      (relative to unknown bioavailability). CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE A
      single dose of voriconazole (15 mg/kg) administered PO to red-tailed hawks
      resulted in mean plasma voriconazole concentrations greater than the targeted
      value (1 MUg/mL). Additional studies with larger sample sizes and multidose
      regimens are required before the model developed here can be applied in clinical
      settings.

PMID- 28345999
TI  - Variance associated with walking velocity during force platform gait analysis of
      a heterogeneous sample of clinically normal dogs.
AB  - OBJECTIVE To determine whether walking at specific ranges of absolute and
      relative (V*) velocity would aid efficient capture of gait trial data with low
      ground reaction force (GRF) variance in a heterogeneous sample of dogs. ANIMALS
      17 clinically normal dogs of various breeds, ages, and sexes. PROCEDURES Each dog
      was walked across a force platform at its preferred velocity, with controlled
      acceleration within 0.5 m/s2. Ranges in V* were created for height at the highest
      point of the shoulders (withers; WHV*). Variance effects from 8 walking absolute
      velocity ranges and associated WHV* ranges were examined by means of repeated
      measures ANCOVA. RESULTS The individual dog effect provided the greatest
      contribution to variance. Narrow velocity ranges typically resulted in capture of
      a smaller percentage of valid trials and were not consistently associated with
      lower variance. The WHV* range of 0.33 to 0.46 allowed capture of valid trials
      efficiently, with no significant effects on peak vertical force and vertical
      impulse. CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE Dogs with severe lameness may be
      unable to trot or may have a decline in mobility with gait trial repetition. Gait
      analysis involving evaluation of individual dogs at their preferred absolute
      velocity, such that dogs are evaluated at a similar V*, may facilitate efficient
      capture of valid trials without significant effects on GRF. Use of individual
      velocity ranges derived from a WHV* range of 0.33 to 0.46 can account for
      heterogeneity and appears suitable for use in clinical trials involving dogs at a
      walking gait.

PMID- 28346000
TI  - Assessment of the potential efficacy of blind perineural injection techniques for
      blockade of the saphenous, obturator, and lateral cutaneous femoral nerves in dog
      cadavers.
AB  - OBJECTIVE To evaluate the potential efficacy of blind perineural injection
      techniques to provide nerve blockade of the saphenous, obturator, and lateral
      cutaneous femoral nerves by assessing the distribution along those nerves of 3
      volumes of an injected staining solution in dog cadavers. ANIMALS 18 canine
      cadavers. PROCEDURES The anatomic characteristics of the target nerves were
      evaluated by dissection in 3 cadavers. The saphenous nerve was located by the use
      of superficial anatomic landmarks and a loss-of-resistance test. The obturator
      and lateral cutaneous femoral nerves were located by the use of superficial
      anatomic landmarks. Following perineural administration of 3 volumes (0.1, 0.2,
      and 0.3 mL/kg) of staining solution near the target nerves in 15 cadavers, the
      distribution of the staining solution along the nerves was evaluated. Staining
      that extended >= 2 cm along the target nerves was considered to be compatible
      with an effective clinical nerve block. RESULTS In all cadavers, nerves were
      appropriately stained by the blind techniques used here. The staining
      distribution along the nerves was considered to be optimal after perineural
      injection of 0.2 mL of staining solution/kg in the obturator and lateral
      cutaneous femoral nerves and 0.3 mL of staining solution/kg in the saphenous
      nerve. CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE Results indicated that the evaluated
      blind perineural injection techniques may be an inexpensive, safe, and clinically
      effective method to block the saphenous, obturator, and lateral cutaneous femoral
      nerves in dogs.

PMID- 28346001
TI  - Assessment of contrast-enhanced ultrasonography of the hepatic vein for detection
      of hemodynamic changes associated with experimentally induced portal hypertension
      in dogs.
AB  - OBJECTIVE To assess the use of contrast-enhanced ultrasonography (CEUS) of the
      hepatic vein for the detection of hemodynamic changes associated with
      experimentally induced portal hypertension in dogs. ANIMALS 6 healthy Beagles.
      PROCEDURES A prospective study was conducted. A catheter was surgically placed in
      the portal vein of each dog. Hypertension was induced by intraportal injection of
      microspheres (10 to 15 mg/kg) at 5-day intervals via the catheter. Microsphere
      injections were continued until multiple acquired portosystemic shunts were
      created. Portal vein pressure (PVP) was measured through the catheter. Contrast
      enhanced ultrasonography was performed before and after establishment of
      hypertension. Time-intensity curves were generated from the region of interest in
      the hepatic vein. Perfusion variables measured for statistical analysis were
      hepatic vein arrival time, time to peak, time to peak phase (TTPP), and washout
      ratio. The correlation between CEUS variables and PVP was assessed by use of
      simple regression analysis. RESULTS Time to peak and TTPP were significantly less
      after induction of portal hypertension. Simple regression analysis revealed a
      significant negative correlation between TTPP and PVP. CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL
      RELEVANCE CEUS was useful for detecting hemodynamic changes associated with
      experimentally induced portal hypertension in dogs, which was characterized by a
      rapid increase in the intensity of the hepatic vein. Furthermore, TTPP, a time
      dependent variable, provided useful complementary information for predicting
      portal hypertension. IMPACT FOR HUMAN MEDICINE Because the method described here
      induced presinusoidal portal hypertension, these results can be applied to
      idiopathic portal hypertension in humans.

PMID- 28346002
TI  - Quality assessment of fluconazole capsules and oral suspensions compounded by
      pharmacies located in the United States.
AB  - OBJECTIVE To evaluate pharmaceutical characteristics (strength or concentration,
      accuracy, and precision), physical properties, and bacterial contamination of
      fluconazole compounded products. SAMPLE Fluconazole compounded products (30- and
      240-mg capsules; 30- and 100-mg/mL oral suspensions) from 4 US veterinary
      compounding pharmacies. PROCEDURES Fluconazole compounded products were ordered 3
      times from each of 4 pharmacies at 7- or 10-day intervals. Generic fluconazole
      products (50- and 200-mg tablets; 10- and 40-mg/mL oral suspensions) served as
      references. Compounded products were evaluated at the time of receipt;
      suspensions also were evaluated 3 months later and at beyond-use dates.
      Evaluations included assessments of strength (concentration), accuracy,
      precision, physical properties, and bacterial contamination. Acceptable accuracy
      was defined as within +/- 10% of the labeled strength (concentration) and
      acceptable precision as within +/- 10%. Fluconazole was quantified by use of high
      performance liquid chromatography. RESULTS Physical characteristics of compounded
      products differed among pharmacies. Aerobic bacterial cultures yielded negative
      results. Capsules (30 and 240 mg) had acceptable accuracy (median, 96.3%; range,
      87.3% to 135.2%) and precision (mean +/- SD, 7.4 +/- 6.0%). Suspensions (30 and
      100 mg/mL) had poor accuracy (median, 73.8%; range, 53.9% to 95.2%) and precision
      (mean +/- SD, 15.0 +/- 6.9%). Accuracy and precision were significantly better
      for capsules than for suspensions. CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE Fluconazole
      compounded products, particularly suspensions, differed in pharmaceutical and
      physical qualities. Studies to evaluate the impact of inconsistent quality on
      bioavailability or clinical efficacy of compounded fluconazole products are
      indicated, and each study should include data on the quality of the compounded
      product evaluated.

PMID- 28346003
TI  - Randomized, controlled clinical trial of safety and plasma concentrations of
      diclofenac in healthy neonatal foals after repeated topical application of 1%
      diclofenac sodium cream.
AB  - OBJECTIVE To determine the plasma pharmacokinetics and safety of 1% diclofenac
      sodium cream applied topically to neonatal foals every 12 hours for 7 days.
      ANIMALS Twelve 2- to 14-day old healthy Arabian and Arabian-pony cross neonatal
      foals. PROCEDURES A 1.27-cm strip of cream containing 7.3 mg of diclofenac sodium
      (n = 6 foals) or an equivalent amount of placebo cream (6 foals) was applied
      topically to a 5-cm square of shaved skin over the anterolateral aspect of the
      left tarsometatarsal region every 12 hours for 7 days. Physical examination, CBC,
      serum biochemistry, urinalysis, gastric endoscopy, and ultrasonographic
      examination of the kidneys and right dorsal colon were performed before and after
      cream application. Venous blood samples were collected at predefined intervals
      following application of the diclofenac cream, and plasma diclofenac
      concentrations were determined by liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry.
      RESULTS No foal developed any adverse effects attributed to diclofenac
      application, and no significant differences in values of evaluated variables were
      identified between treatment groups. Plasma diclofenac concentrations peaked
      rapidly following application of the diclofenac cream, reaching a maximum of < 1
      ng/mL within 2 hours, and declined rapidly after application ceased. CONCLUSIONS
      AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE Topical application of the 1% diclofenac sodium cream to
      foals as described appeared safe, and low plasma concentrations of diclofenac
      suggested minimal systemic absorption. Practitioners may consider use of this
      medication to treat focal areas of pain and inflammation in neonatal foals.

PMID- 28346005
TI  - Plasma coenzyme Q10 concentration, antioxidant status, and serum N-terminal pro
      brain natriuretic peptide concentration in dogs with various cardiovascular
      diseases and the effect of cardiac treatment on measured variables.
AB  - OBJECTIVE To determine the plasma total antioxidant capacity, erythrocyte
      superoxide dismutase activity, whole blood glutathione peroxidase activity, and
      plasma coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10) concentration in dogs with various stages of
      cardiovascular diseases and in healthy dogs; assess the influence of cardiac
      treatment on the levels of antioxidant variables, plasma CoQ10 concentration, and
      serum N-terminal pro-brain natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) concentration, and
      determine any correlation between the disease severity (NT-proBNP concentration)
      and antioxidant variables or CoQ10 concentration. ANIMALS 43 dogs with various
      types and stages of cardiovascular diseases (congenital and acquired) and 29
      healthy dogs. PROCEDURES Blood samples were collected from all dogs for
      spectrophotometric assessment of antioxidant variables. Plasma CoQ10
      concentration was determined with a high-performance liquid chromatography
      atmospheric pressure chemical ionization-tandem mass spectrometry method. Serum
      NT-proBNP concentration was measured with an ELISA. RESULTS Values for
      antioxidant variables did not differ among groups of dogs with cardiovascular
      diseases, regardless of disease stage or treatment. Plasma CoQ10 concentration
      was significantly increased in treated dogs with congestive heart failure (CHF),
      compared with untreated patients. However, plasma CoQ10 concentration did not
      differ among heart failure classes. A significant, negative correlation between
      serum NT-proBNP and plasma CoQ10 concentrations was identified in treated CHF
      affected dogs, suggesting that low plasma CoQ10 concentration may be associated
      with increased severity of CHF. CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE The
      antioxidant variables evaluated were not altered in dogs with CHF, regardless of
      cardiac disease stage or treatment. Further investigation into the possible
      effects of CoQ10 supplementation in dogs with advanced stages of CHF is
      warranted.

PMID- 28346006
TI  - Magnetic resonance imaging susceptibility artifacts in the cervical vertebrae and
      spinal cord related to monocortical screw-polymethylmethacrylate implants in
      canine cadavers.
AB  - OBJECTIVE To characterize and compare MRI susceptibility artifacts related to
      titanium and stainless steel monocortical screws in the cervical vertebrae and
      spinal cord of canine cadavers. SAMPLE 12 canine cadavers. PROCEDURES Cervical
      vertebrae (C4 and C5) were surgically stabilized with titanium or stainless steel
      monocortical screws and polymethylmethacrylate. Routine T1-weighted, T2-weighted,
      and short tau inversion recovery sequences were performed at 3.0 T. Magnetic
      susceptibility artifacts in 20 regions of interest (ROIs) across 4 contiguous
      vertebrae (C3 through C6) were scored by use of an established scoring system.
      RESULTS Artifact scores for stainless steel screws were significantly greater
      than scores for titanium screws at 18 of 20 ROIs. Artifact scores for titanium
      screws were significantly higher for spinal cord ROIs within the implanted
      vertebrae. Artifact scores for stainless steel screws at C3 were significantly
      less than at the other 3 cervical vertebrae. CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE
      Evaluation of routine MRI sequences obtained at 3.0 T revealed that
      susceptibility artifacts related to titanium monocortical screws were considered
      mild and should not hinder the overall clinical assessment of the cervical
      vertebrae and spinal cord. However, mild focal artifacts may obscure small
      portions of the spinal cord or intervertebral discs immediately adjacent to
      titanium screws. Severe artifacts related to stainless steel screws were more
      likely to result in routine MRI sequences being nondiagnostic; however, artifacts
      may be mitigated by implant positioning.

PMID- 28346007
TI  - Lipid emulsion improves survival in animal models of local anesthetic toxicity: a
      meta-analysis.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: The Lipid Emulsion Therapy workgroup, organized by the American
      Academy of Clinical Toxicology, recently conducted a systematic review, which
      subjectively evaluated lipid emulsion as a treatment for local anesthetic
      toxicity. We re-extracted data and conducted a meta-analysis of survival in
      animal models. METHODS: We extracted survival data from 26 publications and
      conducted a random-effect meta-analysis based on odds ratio weighted by inverse
      variance. We assessed the benefit of lipid emulsion as an independent variable in
      resuscitative models (16 studies). We measured Cochran's Q for heterogeneity and
      I2 to determine variance contributed by heterogeneity. Finally, we conducted a
      funnel plot analysis and Egger's test to assess for publication bias in studies.
      RESULTS: Lipid emulsion reduced the odds of death in resuscitative models (OR
      =0.24; 95%CI: 0.1-0.56, p = .0012). Heterogeneity analysis indicated a homogenous
      distribution. Funnel plot analysis did not indicate publication bias in
      experimental models. DISCUSSION: Meta-analysis of animal data supports the use of
      lipid emulsion (in combination with other resuscitative measures) for the
      treatment of local anesthetic toxicity, specifically from bupivacaine. Our
      conclusion differed from the original review. Analysis of outliers reinforced the
      need for good life support measures (securement of airway and chest compressions)
      along with prompt treatment with lipid.

PMID- 28346008
TI  - Wnt/beta-catenin signaling is required for distraction osteogenesis in rats.
AB  - OVERVIEW: The Wnt signaling pathway plays crucial roles in embryonic skeletal
      development and postnatal bone regeneration. However, mechanisms of Wnt signaling
      functioning in distraction osteogenesis (DO) haven't been well characterized.
      MATERIALS AND METHODS: We established a DO model using Sprague-Dawley rat tibia.
      And a Wnt signaling blocking agent, recombinant rat Dickkopf-related protein 1
      (rrDkk1), was locally applied in the distracted gap to study the role of Wnt
      signaling during DO process. Animals in the experimental group received rrDkk1
      injections (dose = 25 MUg/kg) once daily during distraction period and every
      third day during consolidation stage (n = 48). Animals in the control group
      received saline under the same injection strategy (n = 48). Animals at different
      time points during DO process (1, 3, 6, 12 days after distraction, 10 days and 6
      weeks after consolidation) were killed and tissues in the distraction region were
      harvested for radiography, dual energy X-ray absorptiometry, micro-computed
      tomography (micro-CT), and histological analyses. RESULTS: Most Wnt ligands,
      cofactors, receptors, and antagonists were widely expressed in the distraction
      callus and were significantly upregulated during DO process. After rrDkk1
      administration, the majority of these factors were downregulated at the mRNA
      level, except sFRP and GSK-3beta. At the protein level, both beta-catenin and Lef
      1 were also suppressed by rrDkk1. In the long term, restricted bone healing was
      observed in the distracted callus in the rrDkk1 injection group. These findings
      were confirmed by histological and micro-CT analyses. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings
      suggest that Wnt signaling participates in the process of DO, and clinical
      therapeutic approaches of DO may do well to avoid Wnt pathway suppression.

PMID- 28346009
TI  - Reactions with Antisera and Pathological Effects of Staphylococcus aureus Gamma
      Toxin in the Cornea.
AB  - PURPOSE: This study analyzed the toxicity of purified gamma-toxin from
      Staphylococcus aureus and the protectiveness of antisera to gamma-toxin in the
      rabbit cornea. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Gamma-toxin was purified from cultures of
      alpha-toxin deficient S. aureus strain Newman Deltahla. Antisera to native gamma
      toxin (Hlg) were produced in rabbits. These antisera and a commercial polyclonal
      antibody to recombinant HlgB (rHlgB) were analyzed for specificity and toxin
      neutralization. Heat-inactivated gamma-toxin, active gamma-toxin either alone or
      with antisera or with commercial antibody to rHlgB, was injected into the rabbit
      cornea to observe the pathological effects using slit lamp examination scoring
      (SLE) and histological analyses. RESULTS: Eyes with intrastromal injection of
      gamma-toxin developed SLE scores that were significantly higher than eyes
      injected with heat-inactivated gamma-toxin (p <= 0.003). Slit lamp and
      histological examination of eyes revealed that gamma-toxin injected into the
      cornea mediated conjunctival injection and chemosis, iritis, fibrin accumulation
      in the anterior chamber, and polymorphonuclear neutrophil infiltration of the
      cornea and iris. Also, eyes injected with gamma-toxin plus antisera to native
      whole gamma-toxin or HlgB, but not with commercial antibody to rHlgB, yielded
      significantly lower SLE scores than eyes injected with gamma-toxin alone (p <=
      0.003). CONCLUSIONS: This study illustrates that S. aureus gamma-toxin is capable
      of causing significant corneal pathology. Furthermore, the use of polyclonal
      antisera specific for native gamma-toxin was found to inhibit the damaging
      effects of the toxin in the rabbit cornea.

PMID- 28346010
TI  - Non-Healing Perianal Ulcers in a Healthy Elderly Male: An Unusual Case of
      Perforating Dermatosis.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Perforating dermatoses are a rare group of dermatologic conditions
      characterized by transepidermal elimination of dermal material that can be
      primary or acquired secondary to systemic disease. OBJECTIVE: We present an
      atypical case of perforating dermatosis resembling elastosis perforans
      serpiginosa (EPS) presenting with perianal ulcers in an elderly male with no
      systemic disease or medications and outline his successful treatment course.
      CONCLUSIONS: Perianal ulcers in an otherwise healthy individual is an unusual
      presentation for perforating disorders but should be considered in cases not
      responding to traditional treatment options.

PMID- 28346011
TI  - Various plus unique: Viral protein U as a plurifunctional protein for HIV-1
      replication.
AB  - Human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1), the causative agent of acquired
      immunodeficiency syndrome, encodes four accessory genes, one of which is viral
      protein U (Vpu). Recently, the study of Vpu has been of great interest. For
      instance, various cellular proteins are degraded (e.g. CD4) and down-modulated
      (e.g. tetherin) by Vpu. Vpu also antagonizes the function of tetherin and
      inhibits NF-kappaB. Moreover, Vpu is a viroporin forming ion channels and may
      represent a promising target for anti-HIV-1 drugs. In this review, we summarize
      the domains/residues that are responsible for Vpu's functions, describe the
      current understanding of the role of Vpu in HIV-1-infected cells, and review the
      effect of Vpu on HIV-1 in replication and pathogenesis. Future investigations
      that simultaneously assess a combination of Vpu functions are required to clearly
      delineate the most important functions for viral replication. Impact statement
      Viral protein U (Vpu) is a unique protein encoded by human immunodeficiency virus
      type 1 (HIV-1) and related lentiviruses, playing multiple roles in viral
      replication and pathogenesis. In this review, we briefly summarize the most up-to
      date knowledge of HIV-1 Vpu.

PMID- 28346013
TI  - The physiology of blood loss and shock: New insights from a human laboratory
      model of hemorrhage.
AB  - The ability to quickly diagnose hemorrhagic shock is critical for favorable
      patient outcomes. Therefore, it is important to understand the time course and
      involvement of the various physiological mechanisms that are active during volume
      loss and that have the ability to stave off hemodynamic collapse. This review
      provides new insights about the physiology that underlies blood loss and shock in
      humans through the development of a simulated model of hemorrhage using lower
      body negative pressure. In this review, we present controlled experimental
      results through utilization of the lower body negative pressure human hemorrhage
      model that provide novel insights on the integration of physiological mechanisms
      critical to the compensation for volume loss. We provide data obtained from more
      than 250 human experiments to classify human subjects into two distinct groups:
      those who have a high tolerance and can compensate well for reduced central blood
      volume (e.g. hemorrhage) and those with low tolerance with poor capacity to
      compensate.We include the conceptual introduction of arterial pressure and
      cerebral blood flow oscillations, reflex-mediated autonomic and neuroendocrine
      responses, and respiration that function to protect adequate tissue oxygenation
      through adjustments in cardiac output and peripheral vascular resistance.
      Finally, unique time course data are presented that describe mechanistic events
      associated with the rapid onset of hemodynamic failure (i.e. decompensatory
      shock). Impact Statement Hemorrhage is the leading cause of death in both
      civilian and military trauma. The work submitted in this review is important
      because it advances the understanding of mechanisms that contribute to the total
      integrated physiological compensations for inadequate tissue oxygenation (i.e.
      shock) that arise from hemorrhage. Unlike an animal model, we introduce the
      utilization of lower body negative pressure as a noninvasive model that allows
      for the study of progressive reductions in central blood volume similar to those
      reported during actual hemorrhage in conscious humans to the onset of hemodynamic
      decompensation (i.e. early phase of decompensatory shock), and is repeatable in
      the same subject. Understanding the fundamental underlying physiology of human
      hemorrhage helps to test paradigms of critical care medicine, and identify and
      develop novel clinical practices and technologies for advanced diagnostics and
      therapeutics in patients with life-threatening blood loss.

PMID- 28346012
TI  - Lymphangiogenesis: fuel, smoke, or extinguisher of inflammation's fire?
AB  - Lymphangiogenesis is a recognized hallmark of inflammatory processes in tissues
      and organs as diverse as the skin, heart, bowel, and airways. In clinical and
      animal models wherein the signaling processes of lymphangiogenesis are
      manipulated, most studies demonstrate that an expanded lymphatic vasculature is
      necessary for the resolution of inflammation. The fundamental roles that
      lymphatics play in fluid clearance and immune cell trafficking from the periphery
      make these results seemingly obvious as a mechanism of alleviating locally
      inflamed environments: the lymphatics are simply providing a drain. Depending on
      the tissue site, lymphangiogenic mechanism, or induction timeframe, however,
      evidence shows that inflammation-associated lymphangiogenesis (IAL) may worsen
      the pathology. Recent studies have identified lymphatic endothelial cells
      themselves to be local regulators of immune cell activity and its consequential
      phenotypes - a more active role in inflammation regulation than previously
      thought. Indeed, results focusing on the immunocentric roles of peripheral
      lymphatic function have revealed that the basic drainage task of lymphatic
      vessels is a complex balance of locally processed and transported antigens as
      well as interstitial cytokine and immune cell signaling: an interplay that likely
      defines the function of IAL. This review will summarize the latest findings on
      how IAL impacts a series of disease states in various tissues in both preclinical
      models and clinical studies. This discussion will serve to highlight some
      emerging areas of lymphatic research in an attempt to answer the question
      relevant to an array of scientists and clinicians of whether IAL helps to fuel or
      extinguish inflammation. Impact statement Inflammatory progression is present in
      acute and chronic tissue pathologies throughout the body. Lymphatic vessels play
      physiological roles relevant to all medical fields as important regulators of
      fluid balance, immune cell trafficking, and immune identity. Lymphangiogenesis is
      often concurrent with inflammation and can potentially aide or worsen disease
      progression. How new lymphatic vessels impact inflammation and by which mechanism
      is an important consideration in current and future clinical therapies targeting
      inflammation and/or vasculogenesis. This review identifies, across a range of
      tissue-specific pathologies, the current understanding of inflammation-associated
      lymphangiogenesis in the progression or resolution of inflammation.

PMID- 28346015
TI  - The role of exosomes derived from cerebrospinal fluid of spinal cord injury in
      neuron proliferation in vitro.
AB  - Exosomes is a key component of cell paracrine secretion and can exert important
      effects in various disease models. However, the role of exosomes in neuron repair
      of spinal cord injury (SCI) has rarely been reported. In this study, Exosomes
      were isolated from cerebrospinal fluid of SCI and normal, and incubated neuron in
      vitro respectively to research its biological function in cell proliferation. The
      results demonstrated these exosomes all expressed CD9, CD63, CD81, Alix and
      Tsg101; however, only exosomes derived from cerebrospinal fluid of SCI could
      promote proliferation of neuron via ERK signaling pathway, and decrease cell
      apoptosis. Exosomes contain cytosolic content, including proteins, mRNAs and non
      cording RNAs, and play a role in important biological function. Our research
      showed exosomes derived from cerebrospinal fluid of SCI, they can influence
      neuron cell proliferation in vitro, we did not observe these characters in
      exosome derived from normal cerebrospinal fluid.

PMID- 28346014
TI  - Intestinal absorption and renal reabsorption of calcium throughout postnatal
      development.
AB  - Calcium is vital for many physiological functions including bone mineralization.
      Postnatal deposition of calcium into bone is greatest in infancy and continues
      through childhood and adolescence until peek mineral density is reached in early
      adulthood. Thereafter, bone mineral density remains static until it eventually
      declines in later life. A positive calcium balance, i.e. more calcium absorbed
      than excreted, is crucial to bone deposition during growth and thus to peek bone
      mineral density. Dietary calcium is absorbed from the intestine into the blood.
      It is then filtered by the renal glomerulus and either reabsorbed by the tubule
      or excreted in the urine. Calcium can be (re)absorbed across intestinal and renal
      epithelia via both transcellular and paracellular pathways. Current evidence
      suggests that significant intestinal and renal calcium transport changes occur
      throughout development. However, the molecular details of these alterations are
      incompletely delineated. Here we first briefly review the current model of
      calcium transport in the intestine and renal tubule in the adult. Then, we
      describe what is known with regard to calcium handling through postnatal
      development, and how alterations may aid in mediating a positive calcium balance.
      The role of transcellular and paracellular calcium transport pathways and the
      contribution of specific intestinal and tubular segments vary with age. However,
      the current literature highlights knowledge gaps in how specifically intestinal
      and renal calcium (re)absorption occurs early in postnatal development. Future
      research should clarify the specific changes in calcium transport throughout
      early postnatal development including mediators of these alterations enabling
      appropriate bone mineralization. Impact statement This mini review outlines the
      current state of knowledge pertaining to the molecules and mechanisms maintaining
      a positive calcium balance throughout postnatal development. This process is
      essential to achieving optimal bone mineral density in early adulthood, thereby
      lowering the lifetime risk of osteoporosis.

PMID- 28346016
TI  - DSL prescriptive targets for bone conduction devices: adaptation and comparison
      to clinical fittings.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: To develop an algorithm that prescribes targets for bone conduction
      frequency response shape, compression, and output limiting, along with a clinical
      method that ensures accurate transforms between assessment and verification
      stages of the clinical workflow. DESIGN: Technical report of target generation
      and validation. STUDY SAMPLE: We recruited 39 adult users of unilateral
      percutaneous bone conduction hearing aids with a range of unilateral, bilateral,
      mixed and conductive hearing losses across the sample. RESULTS: The initial
      algorithm over-prescribed output compared to the user's own settings in the low
      frequencies, but provided a good match to user settings in the high frequencies.
      Corrections to the targets were derived and implemented as a low-frequency cut
      aimed at improving acceptance of the wearer's own voice during device use.
      CONCLUSIONS: The DSL-BCD prescriptive algorithm is compatible with verification
      of devices and fine-tuning to target for percutaneous bone conduction hearing
      devices that can be coupled to a skull simulator. Further study is needed to
      investigate the appropriateness of this prescriptive algorithm for other input
      levels, and for other clinical populations including those with single-sided
      deafness, bilateral devices, children and users of transcutaneous bone conduction
      hearing aids.

PMID- 28346017
TI  - Strong in the Face of Adversity.
AB  - Palliative care provides holistic care to individuals in life-threatening or life
      limiting conditions. This narrative describes the journey of Kanchan. A strong
      lady and a doting mother, she came to the hospital by choice, in immense pain and
      with swelling. Her narrative illustrates how the palliative approach draws out
      the inner strengths of individuals by focusing on their issues and needs. Kanchan
      was able to benefit from physiotherapy to reduce the risk of lymphoedema after
      surgery for breast cancer. Her narrative illustrates how she found comfort and
      relief, ably supported by the dedicated hospital team. Although a chance
      encounter led her to the hospital, her story emphasizes the need for greater
      awareness about palliative services to ensure early intervention.

PMID- 28346018
TI  - Antiretroviral treatment in HIV-infected children who require a rifamycin
      containing regimen for tuberculosis.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: In high prevalence settings, tuberculosis and HIV dual infection
      and co-treatment is frequent. Rifamycins, especially rifampicin, in combination
      with isoniazid, ethambutol and pyrazinamide are key components of short-course
      antituberculosis therapy. Areas covered: We reviewed available data, for which
      articles were identified by a Pubmed search, on rifamycin-antiretroviral
      interactions in HIV-infected children. Rifamycins have potent inducing effects on
      phase I and II drug metabolising enzymes and transporters. Antiretroviral
      medications are often metabolised by the enzymes induced by rifamycins or may
      suppress specific enzyme activity leading to drug-drug interactions with
      rifamycins. These may cause significant alterations in their phamacokinetic and
      pharmacodynamic properties, and sometimes that of the rifamycin. Recommended
      strategies to adapt to these interactions include avoidance and dose adjustment.
      Expert opinion: Despite the importance and frequency of tuberculosis as an
      opportunistic disease in HIV-infected children, current data on the management of
      co-treated children is based on few studies. We need new strategies to rapidly
      assess the use of rifamycins, new anti-tuberculosis drugs and antiretroviral
      drugs together as information on safety and dosing of individual drugs becomes
      available.

PMID- 28346020
TI  - Erratum.
AB  - In the article by Pedlar CR, Whyte GP, Burden R, et al, "A Case Study of an Iron
      Deficient Female Olympic 1500-m Runner," in Int J Sport Physiol Perform. 8(6), p.
      696, we printed an incorrect version of Figure 1, without the *'s and +'s
      referred to in the caption. Please see below for the correct version of the
      figure, along with the caption.

PMID- 28346019
TI  - Fallopian Tube Involvement by Disseminated Peritoneal Adenomucinosis, Mimicking
      Mucinous Tubal Metaplasia.

PMID- 28346022
TI  - Erratum: Rhodes et al (2015).
AB  - In the article by Rhodes JM, Mason BS, Perrat B, et al, "Activity Profiles of
      Elite Wheelchair Rugby Players During Competition," in Int J Sport Physiol
      Perform. 10(3), the character for "less than/equal to" (<=) was printed
      incorrectly. In text-twice on p. 319, twice on p. 320, and once on p. 323-it
      appears as a small box with an "X" in it (L). Five times in Table 3, on p. 320,
      it appears as the British pound sign (L).

PMID- 28346021
TI  - Erratum.
AB  - In the article by Muggeridge DJ, Howe C CF, Spendiff O, Pedlar C, James PE,
      Easton C, "The effects of a single dose of concentrated beetroot juice on
      performance in trained flatwater kayakers," in the International Journal of Sport
      Nutrition and Exercise Metabolism 23(5), Figures 2 and 3 were incorrectly labeled
      due to an error in the production process. The online version of the article had
      been corrected. We apologize for the error.

PMID- 28346023
TI  - Why are new antidepressants failing to make the grade for approval?

PMID- 28346024
TI  - Increased IL-4- and IL-17-producing CD8+ cells are related to decreased
      CD39+CD4+Foxp3+ cells in allergic asthma.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: In allergic asthma, regulatory T cell (Treg) number and function are
      decreased. Antigen-primed CD8+ T cells play an indispensable role in the full
      development of airway inflammation and airway hyper-responsiveness (AHR)
      occurring in asthma. In this study, we investigated the relationship between
      subpopulations of CD8+ T cells and CD39+ Tregs. METHODS: Female C57BL/6 mice were
      used to develop the model of allergic asthma. Experimental mice were immunized
      with ovalbumin (OVA) by intra-peritoneal (i.p) injection and then challenged with
      OVA by intra-tracheal administration. Control mice were immunized with vehicle by
      i.p injection and challenged with OVA. Airway inflammation was determined by
      histology and AHR was measured by an invasive method. Levels of interferon (IFN)
      gamma, IL-4, and IL-17 in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) were determined by
      enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. The frequencies of CD8+IFN-gamma+ cells (Tc1),
      CD8+IL-4+ cells (Tc2), CD8+IL-17+cells (Tc17), and CD39+Tregs were measured by
      flow cytometry. The correlation between CD39+Tregs and Tc subsets was analyzed by
      Pearson's test. RESULTS: Experimental mice displayed phenotypes of allergic
      asthma, including inflammatory cell infiltration into the lungs, goblet cell
      hyperplasia, increased airway resistance, and increased IL-4 and IL-17 in BALF.
      Compared to control mice, experimental mice displayed lower CD39+Tregs and Tc1
      but higher Tc2 and Tc17. There was a negative correlation between CD39+Tregs and
      Tc2 or Tc17. CONCLUSION: In allergic asthma, increased Tc2 and Tc17 are possibly
      related to insufficient CD39+Tregs.

PMID- 28346026
TI  - Erratum.
AB  - In the article by Aloui A, Chaouachi A, Chtourou H, et al, "Effects of Ramadan on
      the Diurnal Variations of Repeated-Sprint Performance," in Int J Sport Physiol
      Perform. 8(3), p. 255, we printed two incorrect times of day. In the second
      paragraph under the Participants heading, "dinner between 10 and 11 PM) and
      sleeping habits (sleeping between 8 and 9 PM" should read "dinner between 8 and 9
      PM) and sleeping habits (sleeping between 10 and 11 PM." We apologize for the
      error.

PMID- 28346025
TI  - Guidance on radiation dose limits for the lens of the eye: overview of the
      recommendations in NCRP Commentary No. 26.
AB  - PURPOSE: This review summarizes the conclusions and recommendations of the new
      National Council on Radiation Protection and Measurements (NCRP) Commentary No.
      26 guidance on radiation dose limits for the lens of the eye. The NCRP addressed
      radiation protection principles in respect to the lens of the eye, discussed the
      current understanding of eye biology and lens effects, reviewed and evaluated
      epidemiology, and assessed exposed populations with the potential for significant
      radiation exposures to the lens while suggesting monitoring and protection
      practices. CONCLUSIONS: Radiation-induced damage to the lens of the eye can
      include the loss of clarity resulting in opacification or clouding several years
      after exposure. The impact is highly dependent on the type of radiation, how the
      exposure of the lens was delivered, the genetic susceptibilities of the
      individual exposed, and the location of the opacity relative to the visual axis
      of the individual. The preponderance of epidemiological evidence suggests that
      lens damage could occur at lower doses than previously considered and the NCRP
      has determined that it is prudent to reduce the recommended annual lens of the
      eye occupational dose limit from an equivalent dose of 150 mSv to an absorbed
      dose of 50 mGy. Significant additional research is still needed in the following
      areas: comprehensive evaluation of the overall effects of ionizing radiation on
      the eye, dosimetry methodology and dose-sparing optimization techniques,
      additional high quality epidemiology studies, and a basic understanding of the
      mechanisms of cataract development.

PMID- 28346027
TI  - Biologically-based mechanistic models of radiation-related carcinogenesis applied
      to epidemiological data.
AB  - PURPOSE: Biologically-based mechanistic models that are used in combining current
      understanding of human carcinogenesis with epidemiological studies were reviewed.
      Assessment was made of how well they fit the data, whether they account for non
      linear radiobiological low-dose effects, and whether they suggest any
      implications for the dose response at low doses and dose rates. However, the
      present paper does not make an attempt to provide a complete review of the
      existing literature on biologically-based models and their application to
      epidemiological data. CONCLUSION: In most studies the two-stage clonal expansion
      (TSCE) model of carcinogenesis was used. The model provided robust estimates of
      identifiable parameters and radiation risk. While relatively simple, it is
      flexible, so that more stages can easily be added, and tests made of various
      types of radiation action. In general, the model performed similarly or better
      than descriptive excess absolute and excess relative risk models, in terms of
      quality of fit and number of parameters. Only very rarely the shape of dose
      response predicted by the models was investigated. For some tumors, when more
      detailed biological information was known, additional pathways were included in
      the model. The future development of these models will benefit from growing
      knowledge on carcinogenesis processes, and in particular from use of biobank
      tissue samples and advances in omics technologies. Their use appears a promising
      approach to investigate the radiation risk at low doses and low dose rates.
      However, the uncertainties involved are still considerable, and the models
      provide only a simplified description of the underlying complexity of
      carcinogenesis. Current assumptions in radiation protection including the linear
      non-threshold (LNT) model are not in contradiction to what is presently known on
      the process of cancer development.

PMID- 28346028
TI  - Prevalence and associated factors for self-reported asthma in a Canadian
      population: The Canadian Community Health Survey, 2014.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Asthma prevalence is increasing among adults, yet limited information
      regarding the association between adult asthma and environmental and personal
      exposures is available using large nationally representative population-based
      survey. OBJECTIVE: To determine the prevalence of asthma and associated factors
      for self-reported asthma in a Canadian population aged 12 years and older by
      using the Canadian Community Health Survey (CCHS) 2014 cross-sectional cohort.
      METHODS: We used data from the 2014 CCHS. Asthma was determined through self
      reported health professional diagnosis. Information regarding covariates of
      importance, such as socio-economic status, life style variables, was obtained. A
      weighted logistic regression analysis was performed with appropriate technique
      for clustering effects. RESULTS: Estimated self-reported asthma prevalence of
      8.1% in the greater than 12 years old Canadian population was observed. We found
      that a substantial proportion of Canadians (aged 12 and older) reported having
      asthma and geographical differences and differences between specific provinces in
      asthma prevalence. Women had higher prevalence of asthma than men, but the
      relationship depended on age and body mass index (BMI). Interactions between
      household income and smoking status were observed to predict the probability of
      asthma. CONCLUSIONS: Additional studies are needed to determine which factors
      influence the asthma prevalence between sex, BMI as well as smoking status and
      household income and its interactions with each other.

PMID- 28346029
TI  - Reasons for using power tilt: perspectives from clients and therapists.
AB  - PURPOSE: A power tilt wheelchair allows independence in changing body position to
      address a variety of needs throughout the day; however, literature and clinical
      practice suggest that actual use varies greatly. This grounded theory study
      examined how power tilt was used in daily life from the perspectives of adults
      who used power tilt and therapists who prescribed this technology. METHODS: A
      constant comparative approach was used to collect and analyze interview data from
      five people who use power tilt and six therapists who prescribe this technology.
      RESULTS: This paper presents the findings specific to understanding the reasons
      why power tilt was used, focusing on the relationships between tilt use and (1)
      the reasons for use, (2) the reasons for prescribing power tilt and (3) the
      associated amplitudes of tilt. CONCLUSIONS: This study advances knowledge related
      to how power tilt is used in daily life by elucidating that how the reasons for
      use are conceptualized is complex. The three relationships related to the reason
      for power tilt use identified in this paper have the potential to influence the
      quality of communication about power tilt use in clinical practice between
      therapist and client and in research between researcher and participant.
      Implications for Rehabilitation: Understanding the inconsistencies and variations
      in how power tilt is used in daily life is dependent on exploring the reasons
      beyond the words or terms expressed to describe use. Reasons for tilt use are
      context dependent, particularly the activity occurring at the time of tilt use,
      the associated amplitude of tilt and the influence of other reasons occurring at
      the same time.

PMID- 28346030
TI  - Antimicrobial activity of eugenol and essential oils containing eugenol: A
      mechanistic viewpoint.
AB  - Eugenol is a hydroxyphenyl propene, naturally occurring in the essential oils of
      several plants belonging to the Lamiaceae, Lauraceae, Myrtaceae, and
      Myristicaceae families. It is one of the major constituents of clove (Syzygium
      aromaticum (L.) Merr. & L.M. Perry, Myrtaceae) oil and is largely used in both
      foods and cosmetics as a flavoring agent. A large body of recent scientific
      evidence supports claims from traditional medicine that eugenol exerts beneficial
      effects on human health. These effects are mainly associated with antioxidant and
      anti-inflammatory activities. Eugenol has also shown excellent antimicrobial
      activity in studies, being active against fungi and a wide range of gram-negative
      and gram-positive bacteria. The aim of this review is to analyze scientific data
      from the main published studies describing the antibacterial and antifungal
      activities of eugenol targeting different kind of microorganisms, such as those
      responsible for human infectious diseases, diseases of the oral cavity, and food
      borne pathogens. This article also reports the effects of eugenol on multi-drug
      resistant microorganisms. On the basis of this collected data, eugenol represents
      a very interesting bioactive compound with broad spectrum antimicrobial activity
      against both planktonic and sessile cells belonging to food-decaying
      microorganisms and human pathogens.

PMID- 28346031
TI  - Chromogranin A cell density in the large intestine of Asian and European patients
      with irritable bowel syndrome.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: Patients with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) in Asia show distinctive
      differences from those in the western world. The gastrointestinal endocrine cells
      appear to play an important role in the pathophysiology of IBS. The present study
      aimed at studying the density of chromogranin A (CgA) cells in the large
      intestine of Thai and Norwegian IBS patients. METHODS: Thirty Thai IBS patients
      and 20 control subjects, and 47 Norwegian IBS patients and 20 control subjects
      were included. A standard colonoscopy was performed in both the patients and
      controls, and biopsy samples were taken from the colon and the rectum. The biopsy
      samples were stained with hematoxylin-eosin and immunostained for CgA. The
      density of CgA cells was determined by computerized image analysis. RESULTS: In
      the colon and rectum, the CgA cell densities were far higher in both IBS and
      healthy Thai subjects than in Norwegians. The colonic CgA cell density was lower
      in Norwegian IBS patients than in controls, but did not differ between Thai IBS
      patients and controls. In the rectum, the CgA cell densities in both Thai and
      Norwegian patients did not differ from those of controls. CONCLUSIONS: The higher
      densities of CgA cells in Thai subjects than Norwegians may be explained by a
      higher exposure to infections at childhood and the development of a broad immune
      tolerance, by differences in the intestinal microbiota, and/or differing diet
      habits. The normal CgA cell density in Thai IBS patients in contrast to that of
      Norwegians may be due to differences in pathophysiology.

PMID- 28346033
TI  - Erratum.
AB  - In the article by Davis P, Wittekind A, and Beneke R, "Amateur Boxing: Activity
      Profile of Winners and Losers," in Int J Sport Physiol Perform. 8(1), pp. 84-91,
      the digit zero was inadvertently deleted from some of the figures in the tables.
      Table 1, Total punches, Round 1 winners should be 20.7 not 2.7, and Round 3
      winners should be 20.3 not 2.3. Table 2, Air punches, Round 1 winners should be
      10.1 not 1.1, and Round 3 losers should be 10.6 not 1.6. Table 2, Punches/min,
      Round 2 should be 20.2 not 2.2, and Round 1 losers should be 20.2 not 2.2. Table
      4, 2-punch-combinations, Round 2 winners should be 10.4 not 1.4, and Round 3
      winners should be 10.2 not 1.2. We apologize for the error.

PMID- 28346032
TI  - Presence of Vision Impairment and Risk of Hospitalization among Elderly Medicare
      Beneficiaries.
AB  - PURPOSE: To examine the association between vision impairment and all-cause
      hospitalization among elderly Medicare beneficiaries. METHODS: A population-based
      study (N = 22,681) of community-dwelling Medicare beneficiaries aged 65 years and
      older who participated in the Medicare Current Beneficiary Survey for the years
      2001-2007. Beneficiaries were classified into self-reported presence of vision
      impairment versus no vision impairment. Inpatient hospitalizations were
      identified using Medicare claims data. A multivariable Cox proportional hazard
      model examined the association between presence of vision impairment and time to
      first hospitalization within 3 years of survey entry after adjusting for
      sociodemographics, comorbidities, hearing impairment, and activity limitation
      stages derived from difficulty performing the activities of daily living.
      RESULTS: Medicare beneficiaries who self-reported the presence of vision
      impairment were significantly more likely to be hospitalized over 3 years
      compared to beneficiaries without vision impairment even after adjustment for
      potentially influential covariates (hazard ratio = 1.14 and 95% confidence
      interval: 1.05-1.23). CONCLUSIONS: Medicare beneficiaries with self-reported
      vision impairment were at higher risk of hospitalization during a 3-year period.
      Further research may identify reasons that are amenable to policy interventions.

PMID- 28346034
TI  - Evidence of binaural integration benefits following ARIA training for children
      and adolescents diagnosed with amblyaudia.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to demonstrate the efficacy of Auditory
      Rehabilitation for Interaural Asymmetry (ARIA) to improve dichotic listening
      scores in children and adolescents diagnosed with amblyaudia and other binaural
      integration deficits. DESIGN: The study is a field experiment without
      randomisation. STUDY: Participants placed into groups based on dichotic listening
      test scores received four sessions of ARIA training. Baseline scores were
      compared to performance during the final session of training and to scores
      obtained 2 or more months after completion of ARIA. SAMPLE: A total of 125
      children participated at five different clinical sites. RESULTS: Dichotic
      listening scores improved across all participants. Post hoc analyses demonstrated
      highly significant gains in non-dominant ear performance and reductions of
      interaural asymmetry among participants diagnosed with amblyaudia at both post
      ARIA measurements. Participants in other diagnostic groups also showed
      significant benefits for some post-ARIA measures. CONCLUSIONS: Results
      demonstrate that ARIA training is an effective method for improving binaural
      integration skills among children and adolescents identified with dichotic
      listening weaknesses during assessments for auditory processing disorder (APD),
      especially for those diagnosed with amblyaudia. Benefits achieved following ARIA
      training remain stable across several months.

PMID- 28346035
TI  - One Needle is Better Than Two: The Philosophy Surrounding Use of Local Anesthesia
      in Northern India.
AB  - The author, an internal medicine resident in the United States, participated in
      an international elective through her postgraduate training program in a rural
      hospital in northern India. While performing a thoracentesis, she notes that
      local anesthesia has not been administered, which is seemingly the standard of
      care at this hospital. Several questionnaire studies about pain services and pain
      management in India are reviewed, and they reveal insights and severe limitations
      to effective management of hospitalized patients' pain.

PMID- 28346036
TI  - Assessing the Relationship Between Mental Distress and Tobacco Use in Post
      Katrina and Rita Louisiana.
AB  - BACKGROUND: The relationship between mental health status and smoking is
      complicated and often confounded by bi-directionality, yet most research on this
      relationship assumes exogeneity. OBJECTIVES: The goal of this article is to
      implement an instrumental variable approach to (1) test the exogeneity assumption
      and (2) report on the association between mental health status and smoking post
      disaster. METHODS: This analysis utilizes the 2006 and 2007 Louisiana Behavioral
      Risk Factor Surveillance Survey to examine the link between mental distress and
      smoking in areas affected by Hurricanes Katrina and Rita. Residence in a
      hurricane-affected parish (county) was used as an instrumental variable for
      mental distress. RESULTS: Just over 22% of the sample resided in a hurricane
      affected parish. Residents of hurricane-affected parishes were significantly more
      likely to report occasional and frequent mental distress. Residence in a
      hurricane-affected parish was not significantly associated with smoking status.
      With residence established as a salient instrumental variable for mental
      distress, the exogeneity assumption was tested and confirmed in this sample. A
      dose-response relationship existed between mental distress and smoking, with
      smoking prevalence increasing directly (and non-linearly) with mental distress.
      CONCLUSIONS: In this sample, the relationship between mental distress and smoking
      status was exogenous and followed a dose-response relationship, suggesting that
      the disasters did not result in an uptake of smoking initiation, but that the
      higher amounts of mental distress may lead to increased use among smokers. The
      findings suggest that tobacco control programs should devise unique strategies to
      address mentally distressed populations.

PMID- 28346037
TI  - Prognostic significance of granulomas in children with Crohn's disease.
AB  - OBJECTIVES: Granulomas have long been considered the histological hallmark of
      Crohn's disease (CD). Currently, there is considerable dispute with regards to
      their prognostic implications. We aimed to determine the effect of granulomas on
      phenotypic features and disease's long-term outcomes in a large cohort of
      pediatric CD patients. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Medical records of pediatric CD
      patients diagnosed at the Schneider Children's Medical Center were reviewed
      retrospectively. Patients were categorized into two groups based on the presence
      or absence of granulomas at diagnosis. Baseline characteristics included
      anthropometric, clinical, laboratory, radiological and endoscopic data. Outcome
      measures included flares, hospitalizations, biological therapy and surgery.
      RESULTS: Of 289 CD patients diagnosed between 2001 and 2015, 99 patients (34%)
      had granulomas. Median age of the entire cohort at diagnosis was 14.2 years
      (females, 42.6%), with a median follow-up of 8.5 years. Patients with granulomas
      had a significantly higher percentage (47.5% vs. 23.7%, p = .001) of upper
      gastrointestinal involvement and ileo-colonic disease (64.9% vs. 49.5%, p = .01).
      Extraintestinal manifestations were twice as common in patients without
      granulomas (16.3% vs. 8.1%, p = .05). Patients with granulomas were more likely
      to be hospitalized (HR =1.43, 95% CI: 1.0-2.0) and to receive biologic therapy
      (HR = 1.52, 95% CI: 1.1-2.11). Additionally, both of these disease outcomes
      occurred significantly earlier (p = .013 and p = .027, respectively). In
      contrast, patients with granulomas did not exhibit increased risk of flares or
      bowel resection. CONCLUSION: Patients with granulomas exhibited a distinct
      phenotype at diagnosis and demonstrated a more severe disease course.

PMID- 28346040
TI  - Erratum: Callahan et al (2014).
AB  - In the article by Callahan LF, Cleveland RJ, Shreffler J, et al, "Evaluation of
      Active Living Every Day in Adults With Arthritis," in J Phys Act Health, 11(2),
      p. 285, two authors were omitted from the author byline for the article. Those
      authors are Teresa Brady and Todd Schwartz. The authors apologize for the error.

PMID- 28346038
TI  - Recruitment and Testing Protocol in the National Eye Health Survey: A Population
      Based Eye Study in Australia.
AB  - PURPOSE: To present the recruitment and testing methodology of the National Eye
      Health Survey (NEHS), a population-based study that aimed to determine the
      prevalence and causes of vision impairment and blindness in Australia. METHODS:
      Non-Indigenous Australians aged 50 years and older and Indigenous Australians
      aged 40 years and older were recruited using a door-to-door approach from 30
      randomly selected geographical areas, stratified by remoteness. Participants
      underwent a vision examination, anterior segment assessment, intraocular pressure
      testing, perimetry, and fundus photography. RESULTS: In total, recruiters
      approached 23,235 residences, and 11,883 residents were successfully contacted
      (51.1%). Of these, 6760 (56.9%) were deemed eligible and 5764 agreed to
      participate (positive response rate = 85.3%). Of those who agreed, 4836 residents
      attended the examination (4836/6760 = 71.5%). This included 1738 Indigenous
      Australians (41.1% male) aged 40-92 years (mean +/- standard deviation = 55.0 +/-
      10.0 years) and 3098 non-Indigenous Australians (46.4% male), aged 50-98 years
      (mean +/- standard deviation = 66.6 +/- 9.7 years). CONCLUSIONS: The NEHS
      achieved an excellent positive response rate, and the data collected from 4836
      Australians will provide the first population-based national estimate of the
      prevalence of vision impairment and blindness. This data will guide future
      economic analysis, policy formulation, and eye health service delivery in
      Australia.

PMID- 28346039
TI  - Comparison Between Urinalysis Results and Self-Reported Heroin Use Among Patients
      Undergoing Methadone Maintenance Treatment in China.
AB  - BACKGROUND: The validity and concordance of two main measures of drug use
      behavior, self-report and urinalysis, has long been discussed. More understanding
      is needed about the underlying factors associated with discordance between these
      two methods. OBJECTIVES: Describe the pattern and associated factors of
      discordance between self-reported heroin use and the urinalysis results of opiate
      use among methadone maintenance therapy (MMT) patients in China. METHODS: A total
      of 2,448 MMT patients from 68 clinics in five provinces of China participated in
      a survey, which collected information on demographics, drug use and MMT-related
      factors, depressive symptoms, and drug avoidance self-efficacy. The most recent
      urine morphine test result was obtained from medical records and compared with
      self-reported heroin use. Participants who had urinalysis within 14 days of the
      survey were included in the analysis. RESULTS: Among the 1,092 participants, 70
      (6.4%) self-reported heroin use and 195 (17.9%) had positive urinalysis results.
      The over-reporters group had significantly higher education, and the under
      reporters had significantly higher level of drug-avoidance self-efficacy and
      lower level of depressive symptoms. Among the participants who either self
      reported heroin use or had positive urinalysis results, being young, having
      higher education, and having lower level of depressive symptoms were associated
      with discordance between self-reports and urinalysis results. CONCLUSION: The
      combination of both measures in assessing drug use behavior seems necessary. The
      validity of self-report should be considered differently based on demographic and
      psychosocial characteristics.

PMID- 28346041
TI  - Enhancing tolerability of a measure of social perception in schizophrenia:
      comparison of short and long Norwegian versions of the Relationships Across
      Domains test.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: Relationship perception focuses on social interactions, is reduced
      in schizophrenia and is related to daily functioning. It can be assessed with the
      Relationships Across Domains (RAD) test, built on Relational Models Theory which
      states that people use four relational models to interpret social interaction.
      RAD is time consuming, low on tolerability and only used in English-speaking
      countries. We evaluated the psychometric properties of a translated, abbreviated
      Norwegian version. METHODS: Sixty-two schizophrenia participants and 56 healthy
      controls underwent assessments of social and non-social cognition. The
      schizophrenia group completed functional and clinical measures. RAD's internal
      consistency was investigated with Cronbach's alphas, group differences with
      logistic regressions and associations between study variables with Pearson's
      correlations. RESULTS: RAD was reduced from 25 (Cronbach's alpha = .809) to 12
      vignettes (Cronbach's alpha = .815). Schizophrenia participants had significant
      impairments, with larger effect sizes for the full version. Associations of RAD
      with study variables were similar for the two versions: smaller for clinical
      measures and larger for functional and cognitive measures. Results were
      comparable to results for the English version. CONCLUSIONS: The length of the
      Norwegian RAD was reduced while retaining its psychometric properties, which were
      similar to the English version. This suggests the test's cross-cultural utility.

PMID- 28346044
TI  - Erratum.
AB  - In issue 10(1) of JPAH, in Iannotti RJ, Chen R, Kololo H, Petronyte G, Haug E, &
      Roberts C, Motivations for Adolescent Participation in Leisure-Time Physical
      Activity: International Differences, the publisher incorrectly omitted the
      article's tables. This has been corrected in the online version of the article
      which appears on the JPAH website. The publisher regrets this error and
      encourages readers to view the corrected version of the article published online.

PMID- 28346042
TI  - Decreased expression of ALDH5A1 predicts prognosis in patients with ovarian
      cancer.
AB  - Aldehyde dehydrogenase 5 family, member A1 (ALDH5A1) belongs to the superfamily
      of aldehyde dehydrogenases (ALDHs). However, the prognostic value of ALDH5A1 in
      ovarian cancer remains unclear. The aim of this study was to explore the
      relationship between ALDH5A1 and the prognosis of patients with ovarian cancer
      (OC). We compared the expression of ALDH5A1 in OC to that innormal controls,
      using GSE40595 profiling data. Tissue microarray analysis was conducted for192 OC
      patients, 14 adjacent normal ovary tissues, and 2 normal ovary tissues. Using the
      "Kaplan-Meier plotter" (KM plotter) database, updated gene expression data and
      survival information of a total of 1583 OC patients were used to evaluate the
      prognostic value of ALDH5A1 in OC patients. We found that ALDH5A1 mRNA expression
      was downregulated in OC patients compared with that innormal tissues. In survival
      analyses, we found that ALDH5A1 was positively linked to prognosis in patients
      with OC, particularly in those with serous ovarian cancer (SOC). In addition,
      high Ctranscription activity of ALDH5A1 was correlated with better overall
      survival in SOC patients expressing mutatedTP53, but not in those expressing wild
      type TP53. In pathological grades II/III, a high mRNA level of ALDH5A1 was
      associated with improved overall survival. The positive association between
      ALDH5A1 and prognosis was found not only in early stages(I and II), but also in
      advanced stages (III and IV) of SOC patients. results indicate that ALDH5A1 is an
      excellent predictive factor of OC and may play crucial roles in OC progression.

PMID- 28346043
TI  - Structural abnormalities in the primary somatosensory cortex and a normal
      behavioral profile in Contactin-5 deficient mice.
AB  - Contactin-5 (Cntn5) is an immunoglobulin cell adhesion molecule that is
      exclusively expressed in the central nervous system. In view of its association
      with neurodevelopmental disorders, particularly autism spectrum disorder (ASD),
      this study focused on Cntn5-positive areas in the forebrain and aimed to explore
      the morphological and behavioral phenotypes of the Cntn5 null mutant (Cntn5-/-)
      mouse in relation to these areas and ASD symptomatology. A newly generated
      antibody enabled us to elaborately describe the spatial expression pattern of
      Cntn5 in P7 wild type (Cntn5+/+) mice. The Cntn5 expression pattern included
      strong expression in the cerebral cortex, hippocampus and mammillary bodies in
      addition to described previously brain nuclei of the auditory pathway and the
      dorsal thalamus. Thinning of the primary somatosensory (S1) cortex was found in
      Cntn5-/- mice and ascribed to a misplacement of Cntn5-ablated cells. This
      phenotype was accompanied by a reduction in the barrel/septa ratio of the S1
      barrel field. The structure and morphology of the hippocampus was intact in Cntn5
      /- mice. A set of behavioral experiments including social, exploratory and
      repetitive behaviors showed that these were unaffected in Cntn5-/- mice. Taken
      together, these data demonstrate a selective role of Cntn5 in development of the
      cerebral cortex without overt behavioral phenotypes.

PMID- 28346045
TI  - A modular and adaptive mass spectrometry-based platform for support of bioprocess
      development toward optimal host cell protein clearance.
AB  - A modular and adaptive mass spectrometry (MS)-based platform was developed to
      provide fast, robust and sensitive host cell protein (HCP) analytics to support
      process development. This platform relies on one-dimensional ultra-high
      performance liquid chromatography (1D UHPLC) combined with several different MS
      data acquisition strategies to meet the needs of purification process
      development. The workflow was designed to allow HCP composition and quantitation
      for up to 20 samples per day, a throughput considered essential for real time
      bioprocess development support. With data-dependent acquisition (DDA), the 1D
      UHPLC-MS/MS method had excellent speed and demonstrated robustness in detecting
      unknown HCPs at >= 50 ng/mg (ppm) level. Combining 1D UHPLC with sequential
      window acquisition of all theoretical spectra (SWATH) MS enabled simultaneous
      detection and quantitation of all HCPs in single-digit ng/mg range within 1 hour,
      demonstrating for the first time the benefit of SWATH MS as a technique for HCP
      analysis. As another alternative, a targeted MS approach can be used to track the
      clearance of specific known HCP under various process conditions. This study
      highlights the importance of designing a robust LC-MS/MS workflow that not only
      allows HCP discovery, but also affords greatly improved process knowledge and
      capability in HCP removal. As an orthogonal and complementary detection approach
      to traditional HCP analysis by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, the reported LC
      MS/MS workflow supports the development of bioprocesses with optimal HCP
      clearance and the production of safe and high quality therapeutic
      biopharmaceuticals.

PMID- 28346047
TI  - Erratum.
AB  - In the article by Huiszoon, E., et al., "Assessment of Daily Activity
      Performance: Exploring the Option of Shortening the Test," in the Journal of
      Aging and Physical Activity, 22(1), pp. 44-51,
      http://dx.doi.org/10.1123/JAPA.2011-0410, the affiliation listed for the second
      author, Paul L. de Vreede, was incorrect. The correct affiliation for this author
      at the time the article was written was Utrecht University Medical Center,
      Utrecht, Netherlands. The online version of the article has been corrected.

PMID- 28346046
TI  - Erratum: Harkey et al (2014).
AB  - In Table 2 in the article by Harkey M, McLeod M, Van Scoit A, et al, "The
      Immediate Effects of an Anterior-to-Posterior Talar Mobilization on Neural
      Excitability, Dorsiflexion Range of Motion, and Dynamic Balance in Patients With
      Chronic Ankle Instability," in J Sport Rehabil. 23(4):351-359, the composite and
      anterior scores for the Star Excursion Balance Test in the joint-mobilization
      group were transposed. Printed here is the correct version of the table.

PMID- 28346049
TI  - Adverse Childhood Experiences among Veterinary Medical Students: A Multi-Site
      Study.
AB  - This research explores Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) among veterinary
      medical students across six academic institutions of veterinary medicine, and
      their relationship with depression, stress, and desire to become a veterinarian.
      Between April 1, 2016, and May 23, 2016, 1,118 veterinary medical students in all
      4 years of the curriculum (39% response rate) completed an anonymous web-based
      questionnaire about ACEs, depression using the Center for Epidemiological Studies
      Depression scale (CESD), stress using the Perceived Stress Scale (PSS), and the
      age at which they wanted to become a veterinarian. Sixty-one percent (677) of
      respondents reported having at least one ACE. The most prevalent ACE reported was
      living with a household member with a mental illness (31%). Students who had
      experienced four or more ACEs had an approximately threefold increase in signs of
      clinical depression and higher than average stress when compared to students who
      had experienced no ACEs. The number of ACEs showed an overall graded relationship
      to signs of clinical depression and higher than average stress. There was no
      statistically significant relationship between age at which a student wanted to
      become a veterinarian and exposure to ACEs. Veterinary students report being
      exposed to ACEs before age 18 at a rate similar to that of other population-based
      studies. These findings do not suggest that veterinary students enter the
      veterinary medical education system more at risk for poor mental health due to
      ACEs than the general population.

PMID- 28346051
TI  - Erratum.
AB  - In the article by Joseph MF et al, "Incidence of Morphologic Changes in
      Asymptomatic Achilles Tendons in an Active Young Adult Population," in J Sport
      Rehabil. 21(3), 249-252, 3 authors were omitted from the byline. The full list of
      authors is Michael F. Joseph, Thomas H. Trojian, Jeffrey M. Anderson, John
      Crowley, Lindsay Dilieto, Brian O'Neil, and Craig R. Denegar.

PMID- 28346048
TI  - MAbDelivery: Administration routes for antibody therapy Third LabEx MAbImprove
      industrial workshop, July 2, 2015 Tours, France.
AB  - The annual "LabEx MAbImprove Industrial Workshops" are primarily intended to
      provide a comprehensive view about topics of interest for the pharmaceutical
      industry to scientists involved in research on therapeutic antibodies. The third
      workshop in this series, held July 2, 2015 in Tours, was dedicated to the
      optimization of delivery, namely all processes leading monoclonal antibodies to
      reach their target site. The commonly used intravenous (IV) route, although
      advantageous in terms of pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics, presents some
      disadvantages in terms of patients' convenience, therapeutic target access or
      treatment cost. Such problems led pharmaceutical companies to consider more
      straightforward and patient-friendly administration routes, bringing the need for
      specific formulations adapted to the specific inherent physicochemical
      challenges. In this context, the workshop provided an overview of these advances
      and opened discussion on new administration routes and formulation development.
      In the first session, the opportunities and challenges of 3 main routes of
      administration (IV, subcutaneous (SC), and pulmonary) were discussed, integrating
      protein stability issues. The next session was dedicated to medical devices
      intended for SC and pulmonary administration. The last session focused on
      specific formulations for monoclonal antibodies, particularly to successfully
      protect antibodies upon aerosolization, to develop highly concentrated
      formulations for SC administration, and to use formulation as a mean to overcome
      the barriers to oral protein delivery. As in the previous editions, this workshop
      gathered people from the academic and industrial spheres and allowed rich debates
      and discussions.

PMID- 28346052
TI  - Erratum for the article by Taverno Ross et al in PES 25(2).
AB  - In the article by Taverno Ross S, Dowda M, Saunders R, Pate R, "Double dose: The
      cumulative effect of TV viewing at home and in preschool on children's activity
      patterns and weight status," in Pediatr Exerc Sci. 25(2), p. 262-272, the authors
      incorrectly stated that children in the High TV-Combined group had significantly
      lower levels of MVPA compared with children in the Low TV-Combined group.
      However, as shown in Table 3, children in the High TV-Combined group had higher
      MVPA than the Low TV-Combined group. Given that all other differences between
      High TV and Low TV groups were not significantly different and the erroneously
      interpreted difference was marginally significant (p =.047), the authors believe
      that the proper interpretation of the findings is that TV exposure was not
      associated with children's physical activity.

PMID- 28346050
TI  - Perception of Canine Welfare Concerns among Veterinary Students, Practitioners,
      and Behavior Specialists in Spain.
AB  - Veterinarians are well placed to supervise and ensure canine welfare. However,
      the perception of animal welfare among veterinarians may vary depending on the
      level of training and professional practice, including the specialization in
      animal behavior and welfare. The aim of this study was to survey the perception
      of canine welfare among veterinarians, including students, practitioners, and
      behavior specialists. A scale-based questionnaire including 12 issues affecting
      canine welfare was adapted from Yeates and Main and distributed to first-year
      (n=50) and fifth-year veterinary students (n=50), as well as veterinary
      practitioners (n=260) and specialists in behavioral medicine (n=50). For each
      issue, respondents were asked to rate how much they perceived each issue to
      affect canine welfare (on a scale of 0 to 4). A General Linear Model test was
      used to assess the effect of the studied group on scores. "Physical abuse or
      cruelty" was the highest-scoring problem in all groups and "breed-related
      conditions" was the lowest. In general, specialists in behavioral medicine
      assigned significantly higher scores to most items, particularly "behavioral
      problems" and "lack of sufficient company." In contrast, fifth-year students
      assigned significantly lower scores to most items. This study shows that
      situations clearly affecting canine welfare represent an important concern for
      veterinarians, both undergraduates and professionals. However, the level of
      professional experience and specialization might influence the perception of more
      subtle examples of poor welfare. Raising awareness regarding canine welfare,
      including concern for breed- or behavior-related problems, should be emphasized
      within university programs.

PMID- 28346053
TI  - Rapid Prototyping of a Cyclic Olefin Copolymer Microfluidic Device for Automated
      Oocyte Culturing.
AB  - Assisted reproductive technology (ART) can benefit from the features of
      microfluidic technologies, such as the automation of time-consuming labor
      intensive procedures, the possibility to mimic in vivo environments, and the
      miniaturization of the required equipment. To date, most of the proposed
      approaches are based on polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) as platform substrate
      material due to its widespread use in academia, despite certain disadvantages,
      such as the elevated cost of mass production. Herein, we present a rapid
      fabrication process for a cyclic olefin copolymer (COC) monolithic microfluidic
      device combining hot embossing-using a low-temperature cofired ceramic (LTCC)
      master-and micromilling. The microfluidic device was suitable for trapping and
      maturation of bovine oocytes, which were further studied to determine their
      ability to be fertilized. Furthermore, another COC microfluidic device was
      fabricated to store sperm and assess its quality parameters over time. The study
      herein presented demonstrates a good biocompatibility of the COC when working
      with gametes, and it exhibits certain advantages, such as the nonabsorption of
      small molecules, gas impermeability, and low fabrication costs, all at the
      prototyping and mass production scale, thus taking a step further toward fully
      automated microfluidic devices in ART.

PMID- 28346054
TI  - Genomic Regions in Local Endangered Sheep Encode Potentially Favorable Genes.
AB  - The economic evaluation of farm animal genetic resources plays a key role in
      developing conservation programs. However, to date, the link between diversity as
      assessed by neutral genetic markers and the functional diversity is not yet
      understood. Two genome-wide comparisons, using over 44,000 Single Nucleotide
      Polymorphisms, identified the markers with the highest difference in allele
      frequency between the Alpago endangered breed and two clusters, composed of four
      specialized dairy sheep, and four meat breeds respectively. The genes in
      proximity of these markers were mapped to known pathways of the Gene Ontology to
      determine which ones were most represented. Our results indicated that the
      differences of the Alpago breed from the more productive sheep rely upon genes
      involved in cellular defense and repair mechanisms. A higher number of different
      markers and genes were detected in the comparison with the specialized dairy
      sheep. These genes play a role in complex biological processes: metabolic,
      homeostatic, neurological system, and macromolecular organization; such processes
      may possibly explain the evolution of gene function as a result of selection to
      improve milk yield.

PMID- 28346056
TI  - Alcohol and Drug Use and Aberrant Drug-Related Behavior Among Patients on Chronic
      Opioid Therapy.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: To better identify individuals on chronic opioid therapy (COT) at high
      risk for aberrant-drug related behavior (ADRB). We examine whether patients with
      low level alcohol and drug use have similar characteristics to those with alcohol
      and drug disorders. We then examined the relationship of alcohol and drug use to
      ADRBs among COT patients. METHODS: The sample was 972 randomly selected COT
      patients (age 21-80 years old) from a large health system in Northern California,
      USA, and interviewed in 2009. Logistic regression models were used to model the
      dependent variables of: alcohol use, illicit drug use, alcohol disorders, illicit
      drug disorders, and ADRBs. RESULTS: The odds of daily/weekly alcohol use were
      lower for those with a high daily opioid dose (120+ mg/day vs. <20 mg/day) (OR =
      0.32, p < 0.010). Illicit drug disorders were associated with depression (OR =
      2.31, p < .001) and being on a high daily opioid dose (OR = 5.51, p < .01).
      Participants with illicit drug use had higher odds of giving (OR = 2.57, p <
      0.01) and receiving opioids from friends or family (OR = 3.25, p < 0.001), but
      disorder diagnoses were not associated with ADRBs. CONCLUSIONS: Findings
      reinforce that illicit drug use should be of high concern to clinicians
      prescribing opioids, and suggest it should be considered separately from alcohol
      use and alcohol disorders in the evaluation of ADRBs. Frequent alcohol use is
      low, but not uncommon, and suggests a need to discuss specific issues regarding
      safe use of opioids among persons who use alcohol that may differ from their risk
      of drug use.

PMID- 28346057
TI  - The role of germline variants in chemotherapy outcome in brain tumors: a
      systematic review of pharmacogenetic studies.
AB  - AIM: This systematic review provides an overview of publications concerning
      pharmacogenetic research in pediatric patients with medulloblastoma and low-grade
      glioma. MATERIALS & METHODS: Three electronic databases searches including a
      manual search were performed to identify studies investigating potential
      interactions between germline variants and chemotherapy efficacy and toxicity.
      RESULTS: Out of 3570 citations, 21 studies were included. Outcomes include
      overall survival, progression-free survival and treatment-related adverse events
      (n = 5), cisplatin-induced ototoxicity (n = 13) and vincristine-induced
      neurotoxicity (n = 3). CONCLUSION: This review shows that the number of
      pharmacogenetic studies in well-defined pediatric brain tumor cohorts is poor and
      studies often report conflicting results. Large-scale international
      collaborations allowing analysis of sufficiently sized cohorts are therefore very
      important for the future of personalized medicine in brain tumors.

PMID- 28346055
TI  - A to I editing in disease is not fake news.
AB  - Adenosine deaminases acting on RNA (ADARs) are zinc-containing enzymes that
      deaminate adenosine bases to inosines within dsRNA regions in transcripts. In
      short, structured dsRNA hairpins individual adenosine bases may be targeted
      specifically and edited with up to one hundred percent efficiency, leading to the
      production of alternative protein variants. However, the majority of editing
      events occur within longer stretches of dsRNA formed by pairing of repetitive
      sequences. Here, many different adenosine bases are potential targets but editing
      efficiency is usually much lower. Recent work shows that ADAR-mediated RNA
      editing is also required to prevent aberrant activation of antiviral innate
      immune sensors that detect viral dsRNA in the cytoplasm. Missense mutations in
      the ADAR1 RNA editing enzyme cause a fatal auto-inflammatory disease, Aicardi
      Goutieres syndrome (AGS) in affected children. In addition RNA editing by ADARs
      has been observed to increase in many cancers and also can contribute to vascular
      disease. Thus the role of RNA editing in the progression of various diseases can
      no longer be ignored. The ability of ADARs to alter the sequence of RNAs has also
      been used to artificially target model RNAs in vitro and in cells for RNA
      editing. Potentially this approach may be used to repair genetic defects and to
      alter genetic information at the RNA level. In this review we focus on the role
      of ADARs in disease development and progression and on their potential use to
      artificially modify RNAs in a targeted manner.

PMID- 28346059
TI  - Deferasirox pharmacogenetic influence on pharmacokinetic, efficacy and toxicity
      in a cohort of pediatric patients.
AB  - AIM: We aimed to evaluate the influence of genetic polymorphisms involved in
      deferasirox metabolism and transport on its pharmacokinetics and treatment
      toxicity, in a cohort of beta-thalassaemic children. PATIENTS & METHODS: Drug
      plasma concentrations were measured by a HPLC-UV method. Allelic discrimination
      for UGT1A1, UGT1A3, CYP1A1, CYP1A2, CYP2D6, MRP2 and BCRP1 polymorphisms was
      performed by real-time PCR. RESULTS: CYP1A1 rs2606345AA influenced Ctrough (p =
      0.001) and t1/2 (p = 0.042), CYP1A1 rs4646903TC/CC (p = 0.005) and BCRP1
      rs2231142GA/AA (p = 0.005) influenced Tmax and CYP2D6 rs1135840CG/GG influenced
      Cmax (p = 0.044). UGT1A1 rs887829TT (p = 0.002) and CYP1A2 rs762551CC (p = 0.019)
      resulted as predictive factor of ferritin levels and CYP1A1 rs2606345CA/AA (p =
      0.021) and CYP1A2 rs762551AC/CC (p = 0.027) of liver iron concentration.
      CONCLUSION: Our data suggest the usefulness of deferasirox pharmacogenetics in
      pediatric treatment optimization.

PMID- 28346060
TI  - Stem cell-derived neurons in the development of targeted treatment for
      schizophrenia and bipolar disorder.
AB  - The recent advent of induced pluripotent stem cells has enabled the study of
      patient-specific and disease-related neurons in vitro and has facilitated new
      directions of inquiry into disease mechanisms. With these approaches, we now have
      the possibility of correlating ex vivo cellular phenotypes with individual
      patient response to treatment and/or side effects, which makes targeted
      treatments for schizophrenia and bipolar disorder a distinct prospect in the
      coming years. Here, we briefly review the current state of stem cell-based models
      and explore studies that are providing new insights into the disease biology of
      schizophrenia and bipolar disorder, which are laying the foundations for the
      development of novel targeted therapies.

PMID- 28346061
TI  - Understanding the contamination of food with mineral oil: the need for a
      confirmatory analytical and procedural approach.
AB  - The contamination of food by mineral oil hydrocarbons (MOHs) found in packaging
      is a long-running concern. A main source of MOHs in foods is the migration of
      mineral oil from recycled board into the packed food products. Consequently, the
      majority of food manufacturers have taken protective measures, e.g., by using
      virgin board instead of recycled fibres and, where feasible, introducing
      functional barriers to mitigate migration. Despite these protective measures,
      MOHs may still be observed in low amounts in certain food products, albeit due to
      different entry points across the food supply chain. In this study, we
      successfully apply gas chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry (GC-MS) to
      demonstrate, through marker compounds and the profile of the hydrocarbon
      response, the possible source of contamination using mainly chocolate and cereals
      as food matrices. The conventional liquid chromatography-one-dimensional GC
      coupled to a flame ionisation detector (LC-GC-FID) is a useful screening method,
      but in cases of positive samples it must be complemented by a confirmatory method
      such as, for example, GC-MS, allowing a verification of mineral oil
      contamination. The procedural approach proposed in this study entails profile
      analysis, marker identification, and interpretation and final quantification.

PMID- 28346058
TI  - Promising pharmacogenetic targets for treating alcohol use disorder: evidence
      from preclinical models.
AB  - Inherited genetic variants contribute to risk factors for developing an alcohol
      use disorder, and polymorphisms may inform precision medicine strategies for
      treating alcohol addiction. Targeting genetic mutations linked to alcohol
      phenotypes has provided promising initial evidence for reducing relapse rates in
      alcoholics. Although successful in some studies, there are conflicting findings
      and the reports of adverse effects may ultimately limit their clinical utility,
      suggesting that novel pharmacogenetic targets are necessary to advance precision
      medicine approaches. Here, we describe promising novel genetic variants derived
      from preclinical models of alcohol consumption and dependence that may uncover
      disease mechanisms that drive uncontrolled drinking and identify novel
      pharmacogenetic targets that facilitate therapeutic intervention for the
      treatment of alcohol use disorder.

PMID- 28346062
TI  - Dietary exposures for the safety assessment of seven emulsifiers commonly added
      to foods in the United States and implications for safety.
AB  - Dietary exposure assessment using food-consumption data and ingredient-use level
      is essential for assessing the safety of food ingredients. Dietary exposure
      estimates are compared with safe intake levels, such as the acceptable daily
      intake (ADI). The ADI is estimated by applying a safety factor to an
      experimentally determined no-observed-adverse-effect level of a test substance.
      Two food ingredients classified as emulsifiers, carboxymethylcellulose (CMC) and
      polysorbate 80 (P80), received attention recently due to their putative adverse
      effects on gut microbiota. Because no published dietary exposure estimates for
      commonly used emulsifiers exist for the US population, the current investigation
      focused on the estimation of dietary exposure to seven emulsifiers: CMC, P80,
      lecithin, mono- and diglycerides (MDGs), stearoyl lactylates, sucrose esters, and
      polyglycerol polyricinoleate. Using maximum-use levels obtained from publicly
      available sources, dietary exposures to these emulsifiers were estimated for the
      US population (aged 2 years and older) for two time periods (1999-2002 and 2003
      10) using 1- and 2-day food-consumption data from the National Health and
      Nutrition Examination Survey, and 10-14-day food-consumption data from NPD Group,
      Inc.'s National Eating Trends - Nutrient Intake Database. Our analyses indicated
      that among the emulsifiers assessed, lecithin and MDGs have the highest mean
      exposures at about 60 and about 80 mg kg-1 bw day-1, respectively, whereas the
      exposure to CMC is half to one-third that of lecithin or MDGs; and the exposure
      to P80 is approximately half that of CMC. The review of available safety
      information such as ADIs established by the Joint FAO/WHO Expert Committee on
      Food Additives (JECFA), in light of our updated dietary exposure estimates for
      these seven emulsifiers, did not raise safety concerns at the current specified
      levels of use. Additionally, by examining two time periods (1999-2002, 2003-10),
      it was concluded that there is no evidence that exposure levels to emulsifiers
      have substantially increased.

PMID- 28346063
TI  - Playing Some Video Games but Not Others Is Related to Cognitive Abilities: A
      Critique of Unsworth et al. (2015).

PMID- 28346064
TI  - Modeling and Simulation of Two Wheelchair Accessories for Pushing Doors.
AB  - Independent mobility is vital to individuals of all ages, and wheelchairs have
      proven to be great personal mobility devices. The tasks of opening and navigating
      through a door are trivial for healthy people, while the same tasks could be
      difficult for some wheelchair users. A wide range of intelligent wheelchair
      controllers and systems, robotic arms, or manipulator attachments integrated with
      wheelchairs have been developed for various applications, including manipulating
      door knobs. Unfortunately, the intelligent wheelchairs and robotic attachments
      are not widely available as commercial products. Therefore, the current
      manuscript presents the modeling and simulation of a novel but simple technology
      in the form of a passive wheelchair accessory (straight, arm-like with a single
      wheel, and arc-shaped with multiple wheels) for pushing doors open from a
      wheelchair. From the simulations using different wheel shapes and sizes, it was
      found that the arc-shaped accessory could push open the doors faster and with
      almost half the required force as compared to the arm-like accessory. Also,
      smaller spherical wheels were found to be best in terms of reaction forces on the
      wheels. Prototypes based on the arc-shaped accessory design will be manufactured
      and evaluated for pushing doors open and dodging or gliding other obstacles.

PMID- 28346065
TI  - Effect of ultrasonic treatment of palygorskite on the catalytic performance of Pd
      Cu/palygorskite catalyst for room temperature CO oxidation in humid
      circumstances.
AB  - Pd-Cu/palygorskite catalysts were prepared by a wet impregnation method using
      palygorskite (PC/N-Pal) and ultrasonic-treated palygorskite (PC/U-Pal) as the
      support. Their catalytic activities toward CO oxidation at room temperature and
      in humid circumstances were investigated. PC/U-Pal exhibits much higher catalytic
      activity and stability than PC/N-Pal under the conditions of 1.0 vol.% CO and 3.3
      vol.% H2O in the feed gas. The X-ray diffraction results indicate that quartz
      impurities were eliminated from the Pal after the ultrasonic treatment, and more
      copper species exist in the form of Cu2Cl(OH)3 in PC/U-Pal. The temperature
      programmed reduction results suggest that there is an enhanced reducibility of
      PC/U-Pal after ultrasonic treatment. Furthermore, the ultrasonic treatment can
      properly decrease the hydrophilicity of the support and catalyst, which may also
      contribute to the excellent catalytic performance.

PMID- 28346066
TI  - Gratitude, psychological well-being, and perceptions of posttraumatic growth in
      adults who lost a parent in childhood.
AB  - Findings from an online survey of 350 adults who experienced early parental death
      showed that current dispositional gratitude was positively correlated with
      psychological well-being and posttraumatic growth and negatively correlated with
      depression. Further, 281 participants produced textual responses indicating they
      could remember the time following their parent's death. Increases in gratitude
      attributable to the experience of losing a parent were reported by 79% of these
      participants. They associated their increased gratitude with a newfound belief
      that life is precious and with greater appreciation for loved ones. Direction of
      change in gratitude was associated with psychological well-being, posttraumatic
      growth, and depression.

PMID- 28346067
TI  - Horseback riding therapy for a deafblind individual enabled by a haptic
      interface.
AB  - We present a haptic interface to help deafblind people to practice horseback
      riding as a recreational and therapeutic activity. Horseback riding is a form of
      therapy which can improve self-esteem and sensation of independence. It has been
      shown to benefit people with various medical conditions-including autism.
      However, in the case of deafblind riders, an interpreter must stand by at all
      times to communicate with the rider by touch. We developed a simple interface
      that enables deafblind people to enjoy horseback riding while the instructor is
      remotely providing cues, which improves their independence. Experiments
      demonstrated that an autistic deafblind individual exhibits similar responses to
      navigational cues as an unimpaired rider. Motivation is an important factor in
      therapy, and is frequently determinant of its outcome; therefore, the user
      attitude toward the therapy methods is key. The answers to questionnaires filled
      by the rider, family, and the instructor show that our technique gives the rider
      a greater sense of independence and more joy compared to standard riding where
      the instructor is walking along with the horse.

PMID- 28346069
TI  - The Rationale for Rejuvenation Research: Structuring the Debate.

PMID- 28346068
TI  - Institutional profile: University of Florida Health Personalized Medicine
      Program.
AB  - The University of Florida (UF) Health Personalized Medicine Program launched in
      2012 with CYP2C19 genotyping for clopidogrel response at UF Health Shands
      Hospital. We have since expanded CYP2C19 genotyping to UF Health Jacksonville and
      established the infrastructure at UF Health to support clinical implementation
      for five additional gene-drug pairs: TPMT-thiopurines, IFNL3 (IL28B)-PEG IFN
      alpha-based regimens, CYP2D6-opioids, CYP2D6/CYP2C19-antidepressants and CYP2C19
      proton pump inhibitors. We are contributing to the evidence based on outcomes
      with genotype-guided therapy through pragmatic studies of our clinical
      implementations. In addition, we have developed a broad array of educational
      programs for providers, trainees and students that incorporate personal genotype
      evaluation to enhance participant learning.

PMID- 28346070
TI  - Origin of disinfection by-products in cheese.
AB  - The disinfection of water, equipment and surfaces in a cheese factory is one of
      the factors that can originate disinfection by-products (DBPs) in cheese. This
      research has focused on studying cheese factories in order to evaluate the
      individual contribution of each step of the cheese-making process that can
      contribute to the presence of DBPs in cheese. Ten factories were selected
      according to their salting processes (brine or dry salting). Each factory was
      monitored by the collection of six representative samples (factory water supply,
      brine solution, milk, whey, curd and cheese) in which the concentrations of up to
      eight chemicals were detected. The study shows that contact with brine solutions
      containing significant levels of DBPs is the main source of these chemicals in
      cheese. A minor factor is the pasteurised milk used in their manufacture.

PMID- 28346071
TI  - Mineral composition and toxic element levels of muscle, liver and kidney of
      intensive (Swedish Landrace) and extensive (Mangulica) pigs from Serbia.
AB  - Mineral composition (Fe, Zn, Cu, Mn, Se, Cr, Co, Ni, Na, K, Mg, Ca) and toxic
      element levels (Cd, Pb, Hg, As) of soil, feed and tissue (muscle, liver and
      kidney) from intensive (Swedish Landrace, housed indoors, fed a known diet, 4
      years) and extensive (Mangulica, free-roaming, non-specified diet, 7-8 months)
      pigs were determined by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS).
      Controlled nutrition produced pigs with higher concentrations of most minerals
      (muscle: Mn, Se, K, Mg; liver: Zn, Cu, Mn, Se, Cr, Ca; kidney: Zn, Cu, Mn, Se, K,
      Mg), but for Fe the opposite trend was found. Long-term free-ranging pigs have a
      higher risk of contamination by toxic elements (Cd exceeded the maximum residue
      level in kidney). Principal component analysis and cluster analysis were used to
      assess the effect of different pig breed/lifestyle (pig type) on element
      composition of muscle, liver and kidney of pigs. Multivariate data analysis
      showed good discriminating capabilities.

PMID- 28346072
TI  - Regaining my new life: Daily lives of suicide-bereaved individuals.
AB  - This study aimed to develop a conceptual framework of the experience of persons
      who have lost a family member to suicide in Japan. The authors conducted in-depth
      interviews with 24 such family members. They conceptualized their experience as a
      process of regaining my new life. Initially, their lives were out of their hands,
      but gradually they learned striving skills and recuperative conditioning, and
      integrated the skills to regain their lives. Some participants eventually reached
      a state of living a redefined life. How individuals underwent this process
      varied. The authors identified two types of people dealing with this issue:
      dialoguers and mood changers.

PMID- 28346073
TI  - Detection of Clinically Significant Prostate Cancer: Short Dual-Pulse Sequence
      versus Standard Multiparametric MR Imaging-A Multireader Study.
AB  - Purpose To compare the diagnostic performance of a short dual-pulse sequence
      magnetic resonance (MR) imaging protocol versus a standard six-pulse sequence
      multiparametric MR imaging protocol for detection of clinically significant
      prostate cancer. Materials and Methods This HIPAA-compliant study was approved by
      the regional ethics committee. Between July 2013 and March 2015, 63 patients from
      a prospectively accrued study population who underwent MR imaging of the prostate
      including transverse T1-weighted; transverse, coronal, and sagittal T2-weighted;
      diffusion-weighted; and dynamic contrast material-enhanced MR imaging with a 3-T
      imager at a single institution were included in this retrospective study. The
      short MR imaging protocol image set consisted of transverse T2-weighted and
      diffusion-weighted images only. The standard MR imaging protocol image set
      contained images from all six pulse sequences. Three expert readers from
      different institutions assessed the likelihood of prostate cancer on a five-point
      scale. Diagnostic performance on a quadrant basis was assessed by using areas
      under the receiver operating characteristic curves, and differences were
      evaluated by using 83.8% confidence intervals. Intra- and interreader agreement
      was assessed by using the intraclass correlation coefficient. Transperineal
      template saturation biopsy served as the standard of reference. Results At
      histopathologic evaluation, 84 of 252 (33%) quadrants were positive for cancer in
      38 of 63 (60%) men. There was no significant difference in detection of tumors
      larger than or equal to 0.5 mL for any of the readers of the short MR imaging
      protocol, with areas under the curve in the range of 0.74-0.81 (83.8% confidence
      interval [CI]: 0.64, 0.89), and for readers of the standard MR imaging protocol,
      areas under the curve were 0.71-0.77 (83.8% CI: 0.62, 0.86). Ranges for
      sensitivity were 0.76-0.95 (95% CI: 0.53, 0.99) and 0.76-0.86 (95% CI: 0.53,
      0.97) and those for specificity were 0.84-0.90 (95% CI: 0.79, 0.94) and 0.82-0.90
      (95% CI: 0.77, 0.94) for the short and standard MR protocols, respectively.
      Ranges for interreader agreement were 0.48-0.60 (83.8% CI: 0.41, 0.66) and 0.49
      0.63 (83.8% CI: 0.42, 0.68) for the short and standard MR imaging protocols.
      Conclusion For the detection of clinically significant prostate cancer, no
      difference was found in the diagnostic performance of the short MR imaging
      protocol consisting of only transverse T2-weighted and diffusion-weighted imaging
      pulse sequences compared with that of a standard multiparametric MR imaging
      protocol. (c) RSNA, 2017 Online supplemental material is available for this
      article.

PMID- 28346075
TI  - Hope and hopelessness as predictors of suicide ideation in Hungarian college
      students.
AB  - This study investigated whether hopelessness and dispositional hope predict
      suicide ideation in 395 Hungarian college students. Both hopelessness and hope
      uniquely predicted suicide ideation, a pattern that remained unchanged even after
      controlling for psychological symptoms. Moreover, a significant Hopelessness *
      Hope interaction predicted suicide ideation. Present findings highlight how hope
      buffers the association between hopelessness and suicide risk in college
      students.

PMID- 28346076
TI  - Meaning making after a near-death experience: The relevance of intrapsychic and
      interpersonal dynamics.
AB  - This study aims to investigate the processes used by individuals to integrate a
      near-death experience (NDE) and to discuss the use of a meaning-making component
      to help people who have had such experiences. A psychotherapist interviewed six
      individuals who reported having had a NDE. Transcripts of the interviews were
      coded using an interpretative phenomenological analysis. The authors identified
      intrapsychic and interpersonal dynamics implicated in the individuals' meaning
      making processes, and the problems encountered during their integration of the
      experience. Meaning-based approaches are a feasible theoretical framework for
      shedding light on the NDE and providing support for people who have lived through
      them.

PMID- 28346074
TI  - Germline genetic predictors of aromatase inhibitor concentrations, estrogen
      suppression and drug efficacy and toxicity in breast cancer patients.
AB  - The third-generation aromatase inhibitors (AIs), anastrozole, letrozole and
      exemestane, are highly effective for the treatment of estrogen receptor-positive
      breast cancer in postmenopausal women. AIs inhibit the aromatase (CYP19A1)
      mediated production of estrogens. Most patients taking AIs achieve undetectable
      blood estrogen concentrations resulting in drug efficacy with tolerable side
      effects. However, some patients have suboptimal outcomes, which may be due, in
      part, to inherited germline genetic variants. This review summarizes published
      germline genetic associations with AI treatment outcomes including systemic AI
      concentrations, estrogenic response to AIs, AI treatment efficacy and AI
      treatment toxicities. Significant associations are highlighted with commentary
      about prioritization for future validation to identify pharmacogenetic predictors
      of AI treatment outcomes that can be used to inform personalized treatment
      decisions in patients with estrogen receptor-positive breast cancer.

PMID- 28346078
TI  - Molecular dynamics simulation of three plastic additives' diffusion in
      polyethylene terephthalate.
AB  - Accurate diffusion coefficient data of additives in a polymer are of paramount
      importance for estimating the migration of the additives over time. This paper
      shows how this diffusion coefficient can be estimated for three plastic additives
      [2-(2'-hydroxy-5'-methylphenyl) (UV-P), 2,6-di-tert-butyl-4-methylphenol (BHT)
      and di-(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP)] in polyethylene terephthalate (PET) using
      the molecular dynamics (MD) simulation method. MD simulations were performed at
      temperatures of 293-433 K. The diffusion coefficient was calculated through the
      Einstein relationship connecting the data of mean-square displacement at
      different times. Comparison of the diffusion coefficients simulated by the MD
      simulation technique, predicted by the Piringer model and experiments, showed
      that, except for a few samples, the MD-simulated values were in agreement with
      the experimental values within one order of magnitude. Furthermore, the diffusion
      process for additives is discussed in detail, and four factors - the interaction
      energy between additive molecules and PET, fractional free volume, molecular
      shape and size, and self-diffusion of the polymer - are proposed to illustrate
      the microscopic diffusion mechanism. The movement trajectories of additives in
      PET cell models suggested that the additive molecules oscillate slowly rather
      than hopping for a long time. Occasionally, when a sufficiently large hole was
      created adjacently, the molecule could undergo spatial motion by jumping into the
      free-volume hole and consequently start a continuous oscillation and hop. The
      results indicate that MD simulation is a useful approach for predicting the
      microstructure and diffusion coefficient of plastic additives, and help to
      estimate the migration level of additives from PET packaging.

PMID- 28346077
TI  - Effects of Brief Messages About Antiretroviral Therapy and Condom Use Benefits
      Among Black and Latino MSM in Three U.S. Cities.
AB  - This pilot study examined effects of HIV prevention messages about self and
      partner benefits of antiretroviral therapy (ART) and condom effectiveness on
      increased intentions for behavior change. Data were from Messages4Men, a study
      examining prevention messages among 320 HIV-positive and 605 HIV-negative Black
      and Latino MSM. Men completed a computer-based assessment after message exposure,
      and multivariable models controlled for risky sex and demographics. A majority of
      HIV-positive men reported increased intentions for ART use; 22% reported partner
      benefit information was new. HIV-positive men with a detectable viral load had
      significantly greater adjusted odds of reporting intentions for ART use. Over
      half of HIV-negative MSM reported ART benefit information was new, and 88%
      reported increased intentions to discuss ART use with infected partners. Black
      MSM anticipated they would increase condom use in response to the self and
      partner benefit messages. Tailored messages on benefits of ART are needed for
      MSM.

PMID- 28346079
TI  - Patterns of Mental Health Care Utilization Among Sexual Orientation Minority
      Groups.
AB  - Prior studies of the utilization of mental health professionals by sexual
      minority populations have relied on data that are now dated or not nationally
      representative. These studies have also provided mixed findings regarding gender
      differences in the utilization of mental health professionals among sexual
      minority individuals. Using data from the 2013-2015 National Health Interview
      Surveys, this study investigates (1) how sexual minority individuals compare to
      heterosexual participants in their utilization of mental health professionals;
      and (2) gender differences in that utilization. The results indicate sexual
      minority individuals utilize mental health care professionals at higher rates
      than heterosexual individuals even after controlling for measures of mental
      health and other demographic characteristics; this is true for both men and
      women. However, gender moderates the sexual minority effect on utilization rates.
      Sexual minority men utilize mental health professionals at a high rate, such that
      their utilization rates are similar to sexual minority women, contrary to the
      gender gap seen among heterosexuals.

PMID- 28346080
TI  - A descriptive quantitative study of 7- and 8-year-old children's outdoor
      recreation, cold exposure and symptoms in winter in Northern Finland.
AB  - BACKGROUND: In Finland, children spend a lot of time outdoors in winter. Outdoor
      recreation in winter has a wide variety of effects on children's well-being.
      Although children are a subgroup that is vulnerable to cold exposure, remarkably
      little research has been done on the subject. OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study
      was to describe children's outdoor recreation, cold exposure and symptoms in
      winter in Northern Finland. DESIGN: This was a descriptive quantitative study.
      The participants consisted of 30 children aged 7-8 years who were living in the
      provinces of Lapland and Northern Ostrobothnia in Finland. Data were collected by
      using electronic data-logging thermometers fixed on children's outerwear for a
      month. The thermometers recorded the environmental temperature every five minutes
      and from that temperature data, we were able to discern the exact amount and
      duration of children's outdoor recreation. In addition, information on the
      children's cold symptoms was collected with structured daily entries. RESULTS:
      Cold weather was not an obstacle to children's outdoor activities in Finland.
      However, the duration of outdoor recreation shortened when the outdoor air
      temperature decreased. There were no significant differences between boys and
      girls in terms of time spent outdoors. Remarkably, every child reported symptoms
      associated with cold. Almost half of the children reported experiencing
      respiratory symptoms and some children also experienced cold pain and numbness.
      CONCLUSIONS: The results of this study illustrate the many and varied effects
      that cold exposure can have on children's health and well-being. In order to
      prevent negative health effects of cold exposure on children, structured
      prevention strategies are needed: therefore, children's exposure to cold should
      be studied more. Future research should also bring out more the positive health
      effects of outdoor recreation on children's growth and development..

PMID- 28346081
TI  - Pneumocystis jiroveci pneumonia (PJP) in non-HIV immunocompromised individuals.
AB  - OBJECTIVES: PJP is a major cause of morbidity and mortality in immunocompromised
      individuals. Diagnosing PJP is often difficult because respiratory signs might be
      minimal or absent and the sensitivity of a chest X-ray (CXR) is low. We studied
      the clinical risk factors in order to increase awareness and facilitate the
      diagnosis. METHODS: We studied a prospective case series over a one year period
      (from 1 January 2015 to 1 January 2016) and did a retrospective analysis (from
      2013 to 2016) of all PJP positive bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) analysis. RESULTS:
      Seven patients with metastatic solid tumors were diagnosed with symptomatic PJP
      (based on positive polymerase chain reaction) over a one year period. The median
      age was 61 years. Three patients had brain metastasis. Four of them were on
      steroids, the median dose was 16 mg methylprednisolone with three of them at a
      tapered dose. Respiratory failure developed in four cases and prompted intensive
      care monitoring. Two patients needed non-invasive ventilation and the third
      patient was intubated and mechanically ventilated. No patient died of PJP. A
      retrospective analysis on microbiological results obtained from BAL in our
      hospital from 2013 to 2016 shows a striking high percentage PJP positivity in
      cancer patients (including hematologic cancers) of nearly 22% (15/69) as opposed
      to the overall number of PJP-positives 7.3% (59/803). DISCUSSION: The incidence
      of clinical PJP in patients treated for metastatic cancer is substantial. A high
      index of suspicion, especially in cases with unexplained respiratory symptoms,
      concurrent or recent use of steroids, a normal CXR and otherwise unexplained
      increased lactate dehydrogenase levels, is critical. The threshold for performing
      a CT-scan must be low and the diagnosis needs to be confirmed microbiologically.

PMID- 28346082
TI  - Depression and Risk for Problem Drinking in Latino Migrant Day Laborers.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Given the structural vulnerability of Latino migrant day laborers
      (LMDLs) to unstable and poorly paying work, harsh living conditions and frequent
      inability to support or even visit families in country of origin, psychological
      distress is a common response and one frequently implicated in risky outcomes
      such as problem drinking. OBJECTIVES: The purpose of this study was to examine
      the relation of three different forms of psychological distress to problem
      drinking in LMDLs: depression, anxiety, and desesperacion, the latter a popular
      Latino culture-based idiom of psychological distress. METHODS: A cross sectional
      survey of 344 LMDLs was conducted in the San Francisco Bay Area from January to
      June of 2014. Independent contributions of depression, anxiety, and desesperacion
      in explaining problem drinking as measured by a modified version of the AUDIT,
      were assessed using multiple linear regression analysis. RESULTS: Depression was
      significantly associated with risk for problem drinking while other forms of
      psychological distress were not. Conclusion/Importance: Findings provide stronger
      empirical support for the association between depression and problem drinking, a
      long suspected but under-demonstrated relationship in the literature on LMDLs.
      Implications for preventing problem drinking as well as mitigating psychological
      distress more generally for LMDLs are discussed.

PMID- 28346083
TI  - Logistic Regression Likelihood Ratio Test Analysis for Detecting Signals of
      Adverse Events in Post-market Safety Surveillance.
AB  - The Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System (VAERS) and other product surveillance
      systems compile reports of product-associated adverse events (AEs), and these
      reports may include a wide range of information including age, gender, and
      concomitant vaccines. Controlling for possible confounding variables such as
      these is an important task when utilizing surveillance systems to monitor post
      market product safety. A common method for handling possible confounders is to
      compare observed product-AE combinations with adjusted baseline frequencies where
      the adjustments are made by stratifying on observable characteristics. Though
      approaches such as these have proven to be useful, in this article we propose a
      more flexible logistic regression approach which allows for covariates of all
      types rather than relying solely on stratification. Indeed, a main advantage of
      our approach is that the general regression framework provides flexibility to
      incorporate additional information such as demographic factors and concomitant
      vaccines. As part of our covariate-adjusted method, we outline a procedure for
      signal detection that accounts for multiple comparisons and controls the overall
      Type 1 error rate. To demonstrate the effectiveness of our approach, we
      illustrate our method with an example involving febrile convulsion, and we
      further evaluate its performance in a series of simulation studies.

PMID- 28346084
TI  - Is there a role for pharmacogenetics in the dosing of fentanyl?

PMID- 28346085
TI  - SLAS Discovery.

PMID- 28346086
TI  - A Small-Molecule Microarray Approach for the Identification of E2 Enzyme
      Inhibitors in Ubiquitin-Like Conjugation Pathways.
AB  - E2 enzymes in ubiquitin-like conjugation pathways are important, highly
      challenging pharmacological targets, and despite significant efforts, few
      noncovalent modulators have been discovered. Small-molecule microarray (SMM)
      based screening was employed to identify an inhibitor of the "undruggable" small
      ubiquitin-like modifier (SUMO) E2 enzyme Ubc9. The inhibitor, a degradation
      product from a commercial screening collection, was chemically synthesized and
      evaluated in biochemical, mechanistic, and structure-activity relationship
      studies. Binding to Ubc9 was confirmed through the use of ligand-detected nuclear
      magnetic resonance, and inhibition of sumoylation in a reconstituted enzymatic
      cascade was found to occur with an IC50 of 75 uM. This work establishes the
      utility of the SMM approach for identifying inhibitors of E2 enzymes, targets
      with few known small-molecule modulators.

PMID- 28346087
TI  - PubChem BioAssay: A Decade's Development toward Open High-Throughput Screening
      Data Sharing.
AB  - High-throughput screening (HTS) is now routinely conducted for drug discovery by
      both pharmaceutical companies and screening centers at academic institutions and
      universities. Rapid advance in assay development, robot automation, and computer
      technology has led to the generation of terabytes of data in screening
      laboratories. Despite the technology development toward HTS productivity, fewer
      efforts were devoted to HTS data integration and sharing. As a result, the huge
      amount of HTS data was rarely made available to the public. To fill this gap, the
      PubChem BioAssay database ( https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pcassay/ ) was set up in
      2004 to provide open access to the screening results tested on chemicals and RNAi
      reagents. With more than 10 years' development and contributions from the
      community, PubChem has now become the largest public repository for chemical
      structures and biological data, which provides an information platform to
      worldwide researchers supporting drug development, medicinal chemistry study, and
      chemical biology research. This work presents a review of the HTS data content in
      the PubChem BioAssay database and the progress of data deposition to stimulate
      knowledge discovery and data sharing. It also provides a description of the
      database's data standard and basic utilities facilitating information access and
      use for new users.

PMID- 28346088
TI  - A 1536-Well 3D Viability Assay to Assess the Cytotoxic Effect of Drugs on
      Spheroids.
AB  - Evaluation of drug cytotoxicity traditionally relies on use of cell monolayers,
      which are easily miniaturized to the 1536-well plate format. Three-dimensional
      (3D) cell culture models have recently gained popularity thanks to their ability
      to better mimic the complexity of in vivo systems. Despite growing interest in
      these more physiologically relevant and highly predictive cell-based models for
      compound profiling and drug discovery, 3D assays are currently performed in a
      medium- to low-throughput format, either in 96-well or 384-well plates. Here, we
      describe the design and implementation of a novel high-throughput screening (HTS)
      compatible 1536-well plate assay that enables the parallel formation, size
      monitoring and viability assessment of 3D spheroids in a highly consistent
      manner. Custom-made plates featuring an ultra-low-attachment surface and round
      bottom wells were evaluated for their compatibility with HTS requirements through
      a luminescence-based cytotoxicity pilot screen of ~3300 drugs from approved drug
      and National Cancer Institute (NCI) collections. As anticipated, results from
      this screen were significantly different from a parallel screen performed on cell
      monolayers. With the ability to achieve an average Z' factor greater than 0.5,
      this automation-friendly assay can be implemented to either profile lead
      compounds in a more economical plate format or to interrogate large compound
      libraries by ultra-HTS (uHTS).

PMID- 28346089
TI  - A Chemogenomic Screening Platform Used to Identify Chemotypes Perturbing HSP90
      Pathways.
AB  - Compounds that modulate the heat shock protein (HSP) network have potential in a
      broad range of research applications and diseases. A yeast-based liquid culture
      assay that measured time-dependent turbidity enabled the high-throughput
      screening of different Saccharomyces cerevisae strains to identify HSP modulators
      with unique molecular mechanisms. A focused set of four strains, with differing
      sensitivities to Hsp90 inhibitors, was used to screen a compound library of 3680
      compounds. Computed turbidity curve functions were used to classify strain
      responses and sensitivity to chemical effects across the compound library.
      Filtering based on single-strain selectivity identified nine compounds as
      potential heat shock modulators, including the known Hsp90 inhibitor macbecin.
      Haploid yeast deletion strains (360), mined from previous Hsp90 inhibitor yeast
      screens and heat shock protein interaction data, were screened for differential
      sensitivities to known N-terminal ATP site-directed Hsp90 inhibitors to reveal
      functional distinctions. Strains demonstrating differential sensitivity (13) to
      Hsp90 inhibitors were used to prioritize primary screen hit compounds, with
      NSC145366 emerging as the lead hit. Our follow-up biochemical and functional
      studies show that NSC145366 directly interacts and inhibits the C-terminus of
      Hsp90, validating the platform as a powerful approach for early-stage
      identification of bioactive modulators of heat shock-dependent pathways.

PMID- 28346090
TI  - Identifying Inhibitors of the Hsp90-Aha1 Protein Complex, a Potential Target to
      Drug Cystic Fibrosis, by Alpha Technology.
AB  - Deletion of a single phenylalanine residue at position 508 of the protein CFTR
      (cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator), a chloride channel in lung
      epithelium, is the most common cause for cystic fibrosis. As a consequence,
      folding of the CFTRDeltaF508 protein and delivery to the cell surface are
      compromised, resulting in degradation of the polypeptide. Accordingly, decreased
      surface presence of CFTRDeltaF508 causes impaired chloride ion conductivity and
      is associated with mucus accumulation, a hallmark of cystic fibrosis. Molecular
      chaperones such as Hsp90 and its co-chaperone partner Aha1 are thought to play a
      key role in targeting folding-deficient CFTRDeltaF508 for degradation. Thus,
      pharmacologic manipulation to inhibit Hsp90-Aha1 chaperone complex formation
      appears beneficial to inhibit proteolysis of CFTRDeltaF508 and rescue its
      residual chloride channel activity. Therefore, we have screened a collection of
      14,400 druglike chemical compounds for inhibitors of the Hsp90-Aha1 complex by
      amplified luminescence proximity homogeneous assay (Alpha). We identified two
      druglike molecules that showed promising results when we tested their ability to
      restore chloride channel activity in culture cells expressing the mutant
      CFTRDeltaF508 protein. The two molecules were most effective in combination with
      the corrector VX-809 and may therefore serve as a lead compound that can be
      further developed into a drug to treat cystic fibrosis patients.

PMID- 28346091
TI  - A High-Throughput Screening Model of the Tumor Microenvironment for Ovarian
      Cancer Cell Growth.
AB  - The tumor microenvironment plays an important role in the processes of tumor
      growth, metastasis, and drug resistance. We have used a multilayered 3D primary
      cell culture model that reproduces the human ovarian cancer metastatic
      microenvironment to study the effect of the microenvironment on the
      pharmacological responses of different classes of drugs on cancer cell
      proliferation. A collection of oncology drugs was screened to identify compounds
      that inhibited the proliferation of ovarian cancer cells growing as monolayers or
      forming spheroids, on plastic and on a 3D microenvironment culture model of the
      omentum metastatic site, and also cells already in preformed spheroids. Target
      based analysis of the pharmacological responses revealed that several classes of
      targets were more efficacious in cancer cells growing in the absence of the
      metastatic microenvironment, and other target classes were less efficacious in
      cancer cells in preformed spheres compared to forming spheroid cultures. These
      findings show that both the cellular context of the tumor microenvironment and
      cell adhesion mode have an essential role in cancer cell drug resistance.
      Therefore, it is important to perform screens for new drugs using model systems
      that more faithfully recapitulate the tissue composition at the site of tumor
      growth and metastasis.

PMID- 28346092
TI  - Screening for Protein-Protein Interaction Inhibitors Using a Bioluminescence
      Resonance Energy Transfer (BRET)-Based Assay in Yeast.
AB  - The bioluminescence resonance energy transfer (BRET) technology is a widely used
      live cell-based method for monitoring protein-protein interactions as well as
      conformational changes within proteins or molecular complexes. Considering the
      emergence of protein-protein interactions as a new promising class of therapeutic
      targets, we have adapted the BRET method in budding yeast. In this technical
      note, we describe the advantages of using this simple eukaryotic model rather
      than mammalian cells to perform high-throughput screening of chemical compound
      collections: genetic tractability, tolerance to solvent, rapidity, and no need of
      expensive robotic systems. Here, the HDM2/p53 interaction, related to cancer, is
      used to highlight the interest of this technology in yeast. Sharing the protocol
      of this BRET-based assay with the scientific community will extend its
      application to other protein-protein interactions, even though it is toxic for
      mammalian cells, in order to discover promising therapeutic candidates.

PMID- 28346093
TI  - A Label-Free Continuous Fluorescence-Based Assay for Monitoring Ornithine
      Decarboxylase Activity with a Synthetic Putrescine Receptor.
AB  - Polyamines play an important role in cell growth, differentiation, and cancer
      development, and the biosynthetic pathway of polyamines is established as a drug
      target for the treatment of parasitic diseases, neoplasia, and cancer
      chemoprevention. The key enzyme in polyamine biosynthesis is ornithine
      decarboxylase (ODC). We report herein an analytical method for the continuous
      fluorescence monitoring of ODC activity based on the supramolecular receptor
      cucurbit[6]uril (CB6) and the fluorescent dye trans-4-[4-(dimethylamino)styryl]-1
      methylpyridinium iodide (DSMI). CB6 has a significantly higher binding constant
      to the ODC product putrescine (>107 M-1) than to the substrate L-ornithine (340 M
      1). This enables real-time monitoring of the enzymatic reaction through a
      continuous fluorescence change caused by dye displacement from the macrocycle by
      the formed product, which allowed a straightforward determination of enzyme
      kinetic parameters ( kcat = 0.12 s-1 and KM = 24 uM) and inhibition constants of
      the two ODC inhibitors alpha-difluoromethylornithine (DFMO) and epigallocatechin
      gallate (EGCG). The potential for high-throughput screening (HTS) was
      demonstrated by excellent Z' factors (>0.9) in a microplate reader format, and
      the sensitivity of the assay is comparable to or better than most established
      complementary methods, which invariably have the disadvantage of not being
      compatible with direct implementation and upscaling to HTS format in the drug
      discovery process.

PMID- 28346094
TI  - Drug Library Screening for the Identification of Ionophores That Correct the
      Mistrafficking Disorder Associated with Oxalosis Kidney Disease.
AB  - Primary hyperoxaluria is the underlying cause of oxalosis and is a life
      threatening autosomal recessive disease, for which treatment may require dialysis
      or dual liver-kidney transplantation. The most common primary hyperoxaluria type
      1 (PH1) is caused by genetic mutations of a liver-specific enzyme
      alanine:glyoxylate aminotransferase (AGT), which results in the misrouting of AGT
      from the peroxisomes to the mitochondria. Pharmacoperones are small molecules
      with the ability to modify misfolded proteins and route them correctly within the
      cells, which may present an effective strategy to treat AGT misrouting in PH1
      disorders. We miniaturized a cell-based high-content assay into 1536-well plate
      format and screened ~4200 pharmacologically relevant compounds including Food and
      Drug Administration, European Union, and Japanese-approved drugs. This assay
      employs CHO cells stably expressing AGT-170, a mutant that predominantly resides
      in the mitochondria, where we monitor for its relocation to the peroxisomes
      through automated image acquisition and analysis. The miniaturized 1536-well
      assay yielded a Z' averaging 0.70 +/- 0.07. Three drugs were identified as
      potential pharmacoperones from this pilot screen, demonstrating the applicability
      of this assay for large-scale high-throughput screening.

PMID- 28346095
TI  - Identification by High-Throughput Screening of Pseudomonas Acyl-Coenzyme A
      Synthetase Inhibitors.
AB  - Pseudomonas infections are common among hospitalized, immunocompromised, and
      chronic lung disease patients. These infections are recalcitrant to common
      antibacterial therapies due to inherent antibiotic resistance. To meet the need
      of new anti- Pseudomonas drugs, a sensitive, homogenous, and robust assay was
      developed with the aim of identifying inhibitors of acyl-coenzyme A synthetases
      (ACSs) from Pseudomonas. Given the importance of fatty acids for in vivo
      nutrition of Pseudomonas, such inhibitors might have the potential to reduce the
      bacterial fitness during infection. The assay, based on a coupled reaction
      between the Pseudomonas spp. ACS and the firefly luciferase, allowed the
      identification of three classes of inhibitors by screening of a diverse compound
      collection. These compounds were confirmed to reversibly bind ACS with potencies
      in the micromolar range. Two classes were found to compete with acyl-coenzyme A,
      while the third one was competitive with fatty acid binding. Although these
      compounds inhibit the bacterial ACS in cell-free assays, they show modest or no
      effect on Pseudomonas growth in vitro.

PMID- 28346096
TI  - A Novel Multiparametric Drug-Scoring Method for High-Throughput Screening of 3D
      Multicellular Tumor Spheroids Using the Celigo Image Cytometer.
AB  - Three-dimensional (3D) tumor models have been increasingly used to investigate
      and characterize cancer drug compounds. The ability to perform high-throughput
      screening of 3D multicellular tumor spheroids (MCTS) can highly improve the
      efficiency and cost-effectiveness of discovering potential cancer drug
      candidates. Previously, the Celigo Image Cytometer has demonstrated a novel
      method for high-throughput screening of 3D multicellular tumor spheroids. In this
      work, we employed the Celigo Image Cytometer to examine the effects of 14 cancer
      drug compounds on 3D MCTS of the glioblastoma cell line U87MG in 384-well plates.
      Using parameters such as MCTS diameter and invasion area, growth and invasion
      were monitored for 9 and 3 d, respectively. Furthermore, fluorescent staining
      with calcein AM, propidium iodide, Hoechst 33342, and caspase 3/7 was performed
      at day 9 posttreatment to measure viability and apoptosis. Using the kinetic and
      endpoint data generated, we created a novel multiparametric drug-scoring system
      for 3D MCTS that can be used to identify and classify potential drug candidates
      earlier in the drug discovery process. Furthermore, the combination of
      quantitative and qualitative image data can be used to delineate differences
      between drugs that induce cytotoxic and cytostatic effects. The 3D MCTS-based
      multiparametric scoring method described here can provide an alternative
      screening method to better qualify tested drug compounds.

PMID- 28346097
TI  - An Optimized 3D Coculture Assay for Preclinical Testing of Pro- and
      Antiangiogenic Drugs.
AB  - Angiogenesis is a promising target for anticancer therapies, but also for
      treating other diseases with pathologic vessel development. Targeting the
      vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) pathway did not proof as effective as
      expected due to emerging intrinsic resistance mechanisms, as well as stromal
      contributions leading to drug insensitivity. Therefore, alternative strategies
      affecting the interaction of endothelial cells (ECs) with other stromal cells
      seem to be more promising. Human preclinical in vitro angiogenesis models
      successfully recapitulating these interactions are rare, and two-dimensional (2D)
      cell cultures cannot mimic tissue architecture in vivo. Consequently, models
      combining three-dimensionality with heterotypic cell interaction seem to be
      better suited. Here, we report on an improved human fibroblast-EC coculture assay
      mimicking sprouting angiogenesis from EC-covered microbeads resembling existing
      endothelial structures. Culture conditions were optimized to assess pro- and
      antiangiogenic compounds. Important characteristics of angiogenesis, that is, the
      number of sprouts and branch points, sprout length protrusion, and overall vessel
      structure areas, were quantified. Notably, the endothelial sprouts display lumen
      formation and basal membrane establishment. In this model, angiogenesis can be
      inhibited by genetic interference of pro-angiogenic factors expressed in the
      fibroblasts. Moreover, bona fide antiangiogenic drugs decreased, whereas pro
      angiogenic factors increased vessel formation in 24-well and 96-well settings,
      demonstrating the applicability for screening approaches.

PMID- 28346098
TI  - Filter Plate-Based Screening of MIP SPE Materials for Capture of the Biomarker
      Pro-Gastrin-Releasing Peptide.
AB  - Affinity-based solid-phase extraction (SPE) is an attractive low-cost sample
      preparation strategy for biomarker analysis. Molecularly imprinted polymers
      (MIPs) as affinity sorbents offer unique opportunities for affinity SPE, due to
      their low manufacturing cost and high robustness. A limitation is the prediction
      of their affinity; therefore, screening of analyte recovery and specificity
      within a large range of SPE conditions is important in order to ensure high
      sensitivity detection and assay reproducibility. Here, a u-SPE method for
      screening of the MIP-SPE materials using a commercial 384-well filter plate is
      presented. The method allows for rapid and automated screening using 10-30 uL of
      packed SPE sorbent per well and sample volumes in the range of 10-70 uL. This
      enables screening of many different SPE sorbents while simultaneously identifying
      optimal SPE conditions. In addition, the 384-well format also facilitates
      detection with a multitude of analytical platforms. Performance of the u-MIP-SPE
      method was investigated using a series of MIPs designed to capture pro-gastrin
      releasing peptide (ProGRP). Fractions coming from sample load, cartridge wash,
      and elution were collected and analyzed using mass spectrometry (MS). The top
      performing MIPs were identified, together with proper SPE conditions.

PMID- 28346100
TI  - Robotic Mammosphere Assay for High-Throughput Screening in Triple-Negative Breast
      Cancer.
AB  - In order to identify novel treatment principles specifically affecting cancer
      stem cells in triple-negative breast cancer, we have developed a high-throughput
      screening method based on the mammosphere and anoikis resistance assays allowing
      us to screen compounds using a functional readout. The assay was validated
      against manual protocols and through the use of positive controls, such as the
      response to hypoxia and treatment with the known cancer stem cell-targeting
      compound salinomycin. Manual and robotic procedures were compared and produced
      similar results in cell handling, cell cultures, and counting techniques, with no
      statistically significant difference produced from either method. The variance
      between samples processed manually versus robotically was no greater than 0.012,
      while Levene's test of significance was 0.2, indicating no significant difference
      between mammosphere data produced manually or robotically. Through the screening
      of 989 FDA-approved drugs and a follow-up screen assessing the antineoplastic
      subgroup, we have identified three therapeutic compounds with the ability to
      modulate the breast cancer stem cell fraction in the triple-negative breast
      cancer cell line MDA-MB-231, highlighting their potential usage as stem cell
      specific adjuvant treatments.

PMID- 28346101
TI  - Semiautomatic High-Content Analysis of Complex Images from Cocultures of Vascular
      Smooth Muscle Cells and Macrophages: A CellProfiler Showcase.
AB  - Automatization in microscopy, cell culture, and the ease of digital imagery allow
      obtainment of more information from single samples and upscaling of image-based
      analysis to high-content approaches. Simple segmentation algorithms of biological
      imagery are nowadays widely spread in biomedical research, but processing of
      complex sample structures, for example, variable sample compositions, cell
      shapes, and sizes, and rare events remains a difficult task. As there is no
      perfect method for image segmentation and fully automatic image analysis of
      complex content, we aimed to succeed by identification of unique and reliable
      features within the sample. Through exemplary use of a coculture of vascular
      smooth muscle cells (VSMCs) and macrophages (MPs), we demonstrate how rare
      interactions within this highly variable sample type can be analyzed. Because of
      limitations in immunocytochemistry in our specific setup, we developed a
      semiautomatic approach to examine the interaction of lipid-laden MPs with VSMCs
      under hypoxic conditions based on nuclei morphology by high-content analysis
      using the open-source software CellProfiler ( www.cellprofiler.org ). We provide
      evidence that, in comparison with fully automatic analysis, a low threshold
      within the analysis workflow and subsequent manual control save time, while
      providing more objective and reliable results.

PMID- 28346099
TI  - Development of Novel Cell Lines for High-Throughput Screening to Detect Estrogen
      Related Receptor Alpha Modulators.
AB  - Estrogen-related receptor alpha (ERRalpha), the first orphan nuclear receptor
      discovered, is crucial for the control of cellular energy metabolism. ERRalpha
      and its coactivator, peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma coactivator
      1-alpha (PGC-1alpha), are required for rapid energy production in response to
      environmental challenges. They have been implicated in the etiology of metabolic
      disorders such as type 2 diabetes and metabolic syndrome. ERRalpha also plays a
      role in the pathogenesis of breast cancer. Identification of compounds that
      modulate ERRalpha signaling may elucidate environmental factors associated with
      these diseases. Therefore, we developed stable cell lines containing an intact
      ERRalpha signaling pathway, with and without the coactivator PGC-1alpha, to use
      as high-throughput screening tools to detect ERRalpha modulators. The lentiviral
      PGC-1alpha expression constructs and ERRalpha multiple hormone response element
      (MHRE) reporters were introduced into HEK293T cells that express endogenous
      ERRalpha. A cell line expressing the reporter alone was designated "ERR." A
      second cell line expressing both reporter and PGC-1alpha was named "PGC/ERR."
      Initial screenings of the Library of Pharmacologically Active Compounds (LOPAC)
      identified 33 ERR and 22 PGC/ERR agonists, and 54 ERR and 15 PGC/ERR antagonists.
      Several potent ERRalpha agonists were dietary plant compounds (e.g., genistein).
      In conclusion, these cell lines are suitable for high-throughput screens to
      identify environmental chemicals affecting metabolic pathways and breast cancer
      progression.

PMID- 28346102
TI  - Phage Display-Derived Ligand for Mucosal Transcytotic Receptor GP-2 Promotes
      Antigen Delivery to M Cells and Induces Antigen-Specific Immune Response.
AB  - Successful oral immunization depends on efficient delivery of antigens (Ags) to
      the mucosal immune induction site. Glycoprotein-2 (GP-2) is an integral membrane
      protein that is expressed specifically on M cells within follicle-associated
      epithelium (FAE) and serves as transcytotic receptor for luminal Ags. In this
      study, we selected peptide ligands against recombinant human GP-2 by screening a
      phage display library and evaluated their interaction with GP-2 in vitro and ex
      vivo. Selected peptides were conjugated to the C-terminal of enhanced green
      fluorescence protein (EGFP) and evaluated for their ability to induce an immune
      response in mice. One of our selected peptides, Gb-1, showed high binding
      affinity to GP-2 and, when fused to EGFP, significantly increased the uptake of
      EGFP by M cells compared to EGFP alone. After oral administration, the Gb1-EGFP
      fusion induced efficient mucosal and systemic immune responses in mice measured
      at the level of antigen-specific serum and fecal antibodies, cytokine secretion,
      and lymphocyte proliferation. Furthermore, the IgG subclasses and cytokine
      secretion showed that ligand Gb-1 induced a Th2-type immune response.
      Collectively, our findings suggest that the ligand we selected through phage
      library screening is capable of targeting Ags to GP-2 on M cells and can be used
      as an oral vaccine adjuvant.

PMID- 28346103
TI  - Discovery of Novel Gq-Biased LPA1 Negative Allosteric Modulators.
AB  - Lysophosphatidic acid (LPA) activates the G-protein-coupled receptor LPA1, which
      regulates various cellular processes, including cell proliferation and migration.
      Although LPA1 transduces cellular responses via Gq, Gi, and G12/13, associations
      between these signaling molecules and cellular phenotypes remain poorly
      characterized due to the lack of signal-specific pharmacological tools. Here, we
      characterized novel signal-biased modulators using multiple assays, including
      label-free impedance assays. LPA caused dramatic changes in cellular impedance in
      LPA1-expressing recombinant cells, which were susceptible to G-protein and
      protein kinase inhibitors. Subsequently, Gq-biased LPA1 negative allosteric
      modulators (NAMs) were identified using high-throughput screening, and a
      nonbiased antagonist differently affected the LPA-induced cellular impedance.
      These NAMs provide pharmacological tools for further investigations of the
      biology of LPA1.

PMID- 28346104
TI  - Bioengineered 3D Glial Cell Culture Systems and Applications for
      Neurodegeneration and Neuroinflammation.
AB  - Neurodegeneration and neuroinflammation are key features in a range of chronic
      central nervous system (CNS) diseases such as Alzheimer's and Parkinson's
      disease, as well as acute conditions like stroke and traumatic brain injury, for
      which there remains significant unmet clinical need. It is now well recognized
      that current cell culture methodologies are limited in their ability to
      recapitulate the cellular environment that is present in vivo, and there is a
      growing body of evidence to show that three-dimensional (3D) culture systems
      represent a more physiologically accurate model than traditional two-dimensional
      (2D) cultures. Given the complexity of the environment from which cells
      originate, and their various cell-cell and cell-matrix interactions, it is
      important to develop models that can be controlled and reproducible for drug
      discovery. 3D cell models have now been developed for almost all CNS cell types,
      including neurons, astrocytes, microglia, and oligodendrocyte cells. This review
      will highlight a number of current and emerging techniques for the culture of
      astrocytes and microglia, glial cell types with a critical role in
      neurodegenerative and neuroinflammatory conditions. We describe recent advances
      in glial cell culture using electrospun polymers and hydrogel macromolecules, and
      highlight how these novel culture environments influence astrocyte and microglial
      phenotypes in vitro, as compared to traditional 2D systems. These models will be
      explored to illuminate current trends in the techniques used to create 3D
      environments for application in research and drug discovery focused on astrocytes
      and microglial cells.

PMID- 28346105
TI  - High-Throughput Clonogenic Analysis of 3D-Cultured Patient-Derived Cells with a
      Micropillar and Microwell Chip.
AB  - A high-throughput clonogenic assay with a micropillar-microwell chip platform is
      proposed by using the colony area of glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) patient
      derived cells (PDCs) from colony images. Unlike conventional cell lines, PDCs
      from the tumor are composed of heterogeneous cell populations, and some
      clonogenic populations form colonies during culture while the rest die off or
      remain unchanged, thus causing the diverse distribution of colony size.
      Therefore, area-based analysis of the total colonies is not sufficient to
      estimate total cell viability or toxicity responses. In this work, the average
      and standard deviation of an individual colony's area calculated from the colony
      images were used as indicators for cell clonogenicity and heterogeneity,
      respectively. Two parameters (the total and average area of colonies) were
      compared to draw the colony's growth curve and measure a doubling time and dose
      response curve (IC50). Based on both analyses of two PDCs, 464T PDCs show a
      higher heterogeneity and clonogenicity than 448T PDCs. The differences in the
      doubling time and the IC50 according to the analysis methods suggest that the
      average area of colonies, rather than their total area, is suitable for
      heterogeneous and clonogenic samples.

PMID- 28346106
TI  - Isolation and Characterization of a Distinct Subpopulation from the WM115 Cell
      Line That Resembles In Vitro Properties of Melanoma Cancer Stem Cells.
AB  - Despite key advances in cancer therapies, malignant tumors, such as melanoma,
      continue to be one of the leading causes of mortality. Recent debate on whether
      cancer can originate from a tumor-initiating subpopulation has permeated oncology
      and stem cell research. It has been well established that primary and
      immortalized tumor cells consist of heterogeneous cell populations. The profound
      effect of tumor heterogeneity on tumor growth and drug resistance remains
      elusive, but it is highly likely that subpopulations of cancer cells have
      different capabilities of self-renewal and drug resistance. Discrepancies between
      excellent in vitro potency and efficacy and poor patient response have been
      observed on multiple cancer therapeutics. Although this observation can be
      attributed to many factors, a better understanding of the contribution from
      subpopulations within a cancer will help bridge the gap between in vitro assay
      results and patient prognosis. To comprehend this impact, it is critical to
      isolate and characterize cancer subpopulations that possess higher growth and
      drug resistance properties so that novel therapeutics can be developed to
      eventually eradicate all cancer cells. In this article, we describe a method to
      enrich a subpopulation, CB4, from the melanoma cell line WM115. CB4 exhibited
      higher anchorage-independent growth, higher survival under serum starvation
      condition, and lower drug sensitivity to commonly used melanoma treatment
      compared with WM115. Details of functional properties and gene expression of CB4
      compared with WM115 are reported. Our study demonstrates that it is feasible to
      isolate and enrich a subpopulation that exhibits higher growth capacity and
      treatment resistance from an immortalized tumor cell line.

PMID- 28346107
TI  - A High-Throughput Method for Measuring Drug Residence Time Using the Transcreener
      ADP Assay.
AB  - Analysis of drug-target residence times during drug development can result in
      improved efficacy, increased therapeutic window, and reduced side effects.
      Residence time can be estimated as the reciprocal of the dissociation rate (
      koff) of an inhibitor from its target. The traditional methods for measuring koff
      require synthesis of labeled ligands or low-throughput label-free methods. To
      provide an alternative that is better suited to an automated high-throughput
      screening (HTS) environment, we adapted a classic "jump dilution" catalytic assay
      method for determination of koff values for kinase inhibitor drugs. We used the
      Transcreener ADP2 Kinase assay as a universal, homogenous method to monitor the
      recovery of kinase activity as the drugs dissociated from preformed inhibitor
      kinase complexes. We measured residence times for several drugs that bind the
      epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR), ABL1, and Aurora kinases and found that
      the rank ordering of inhibitor koff values correlated with literature values
      determined using ligand binding assays. Moreover, very similar results were
      obtained using the Transcreener assay with fluorescence polarization (FP),
      fluorescence intensity (FI), and time-resolved Forster resonance energy transfer
      (TR-FRET) detection modes. This HTS-compatible, generic assay method should
      facilitate the use of residence time as a parameter for compound prioritization
      and optimization early in kinase drug discovery programs.

PMID- 28346108
TI  - Don't Shoot the Messenger: Still No Evidence That Video-Game Experience Is
      Related to Cognitive Abilities-A Reply to Green et al. (2017).

PMID- 28346109
TI  - Assessing process of paediatric care in a resource-limited setting: a cross
      sectional audit of district hospitals in Rwanda.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Routine assessment of quality of care helps identify deficiencies
      which need to be improved. While gaps in the emergency care of children have been
      documented across sub-Saharan Africa, data from Rwanda are lacking. OBJECTIVE: To
      assess the care of sick infants and children admitted to Rwandan district
      hospitals and the extent to which it follows currently recommended clinical
      practice guidelines in Rwanda. METHODS: Data were gathered during a retrospective
      cross-sectional audit of eight district hospitals across Rwanda in 2012/2013.
      Medical records were randomly selected from each hospital and were reviewed to
      assess the process of care, focusing on the leading causes of under-5 mortality,
      including neonatal conditions, pneumonia, malaria and dehydration/diarrhoea.
      RESULTS: Altogether, 522 medical records were reviewed. Overall completion of a
      structured neonatal admission record was above 85% (range 78.6-90.0%) and its use
      was associated with better documentation of key neonatal signs (median score 6/8
      and 2/8 when used and not used, respectively). Deficiencies in the processes of
      care were identified across hospitals and there were rural/urban disparities for
      some indicators. For example, neonates admitted to urban district hospitals were
      more likely to receive treatment consistent with currently recommended guidelines
      [e.g. gentamicin (OR 2.52, 95% CI 1.03-6.43) and fluids (OR 2.69, 95% CI 1.2
      6.2)] than those in rural hospitals. Likewise, children with pneumonia admitted
      to urban hospitals were more likely to receive the correct dosage of gentamicin
      (OR 4.47, 95% CI 1.21-25.1) and to have their treatment monitored (OR 3.75, 95%
      CI 1.57-8.3) than in rural hospitals. Furthermore, children diagnosed with
      malaria and admitted to urban hospitals were more likely to have their treatment
      (OR 2.7, 95% CI 1.15-6.41) monitored than those in rural hospitals. CONCLUSIONS:
      Substantial gaps were identified in the process of neonatal and paediatric care
      across district hospitals in Rwanda. There is a need to (i) train health care
      professionals in providing neonatal and paediatric care according to nationally
      adopted clinical practice guidelines (e.g. ETAT+); (ii) establish a supervision
      and mentoring programme to ensure that the guidelines are available and used
      appropriately in district hospitals; and (iii) use admission checklists (e.g.
      neonatal and paediatric admission records) in district hospitals.

PMID- 28346110
TI  - FDA Approval of Nusinersen for Spinal Muscular Atrophy Makes 2016 the Year of
      Splice Modulating Oligonucleotides.

PMID- 28346111
TI  - Seeing and Thinking in Studies of Embodied "Perception".

PMID- 28346112
TI  - A Growing Disconnection From Nature Is Evident in Cultural Products.
AB  - Human connection with nature is widely believed to be in decline even though
      empirical evidence is scarce on the magnitude and historical pattern of the
      change. Studying works of popular culture in English throughout the 20th century
      and later, we have documented a cultural shift away from nature that begins in
      the 1950s. Since then, references to nature have been decreasing steadily in
      fiction books, song lyrics, and film storylines, whereas references to the human
      made environment have not. The observed temporal pattern is consistent with the
      explanatory role of increased virtual and indoors recreation options (e.g.,
      television, video games) in the disconnect from nature, and it is inconsistent
      with a pure urbanization account. These findings are cause for concern, not only
      because they imply foregone physical and psychological benefits from engagement
      with nature, but also because cultural products are agents of socialization that
      can evoke curiosity, respect, and concern for the natural world.

PMID- 28346113
TI  - Wisdom in Context.
AB  - Philosophers and psychological scientists have converged on the idea that wisdom
      involves certain aspects of thinking (e.g., intellectual humility, recognition of
      uncertainty and change), enabling application of knowledge to life challenges.
      Empirical evidence indicates that people's ability to think wisely varies
      dramatically across experiential contexts that they encounter over the life span.
      Moreover, wise thinking varies from one situation to another, with self-focused
      contexts inhibiting wise thinking. Experiments can show ways to buffer thinking
      against bias in cases in which self-interests are unavoidable. Specifically, an
      ego-decentering cognitive mind-set enables wise thinking about personally
      meaningful issues. It appears that experiential, situational, and cultural
      factors are even more powerful in shaping wisdom than previously imagined. Focus
      on such contextual factors sheds new light on the processes underlying wise
      thought and its development, helps to integrate different approaches to studying
      wisdom, and has implications for measurement and development of wisdom-enhancing
      interventions.

PMID- 28346114
TI  - Status-Based Identity.
AB  - Psychological research on socioeconomic status (SES) has grown significantly over
      the past decade. In this article, we build upon and integrate existing approaches
      to direct greater attention toward investigating the subjective meaning and value
      that people attach to understanding their own SES as an identity. We use the term
      status-based identity to organize relevant research and examine how people
      understand and make meaning of their SES from moment to moment in real time.
      Drawing from multiple areas of research on identity, we suggest that even
      temporary shifts in how people construe their status-based identities predict
      changes in thought, affect, motivation, and behavior. This novel focus is
      positioned to examine the psychological effects of status transitions (e.g.,
      upward or downward mobility). Further, in initial empirical work, we introduce a
      new measure to assess uncertainty regarding one's SES (i.e., status-based
      identity uncertainty) and offer evidence that greater uncertainty regarding one's
      status-based identity is associated with lower individual well-being. In sum, we
      argue that insight from the literature on identity will both expand and serve to
      organize the burgeoning literature on the psychology of SES and, in so doing,
      reveal promising new directions for research.

PMID- 28346115
TI  - The Malevolent Side of Human Nature.
AB  - The term dark triad refers to the constellation of narcissism, Machiavellianism,
      and psychopathy. Over the past few years, the concept has gained momentum, with
      many researchers assuming that the dark triad is a prominent antecedent of
      transgressive and norm-violating behavior. Our purpose in this meta-analytic
      review was to evaluate (a) interrelations among narcissism, Machiavellianism, and
      psychopathy; (b) gender differences in these traits; (c) how these traits are
      linked to normal personality factors; and (d) the psychosocial correlates of the
      dark triad. Our findings show that dark triad traits are substantially
      intercorrelated, somewhat more prevalent among men than women, predominantly
      related to the Big Five personality factor of agreeableness and the HEXACO factor
      of honesty-humility, and generally associated with various types of negative
      psychosocial outcomes. We question whether dark triad traits are sufficiently
      distinct and argue that the way they are currently measured is too simple to
      capture the malevolent sides of personality. Because most research in this domain
      is cross-sectional and based on self-reports, we recommend using a cross
      informant approach and prospective, longitudinal research designs for studying
      the predictive value of dark triad features.

PMID- 28346116
TI  - No Magic Bullet in Sight.

PMID- 28346117
TI  - On the Communicative Function of Body Odors.
AB  - Humans use multiple senses to navigate the social world, and the sense of smell
      is arguably the most underestimated one. An intriguing aspect of the sense of
      smell is its social communicative function. Research has shown that human odors
      convey information about a range of states (e.g., emotions, sickness) and traits
      (e.g., individuality, gender). Yet, what underlies the communicability of these
      states and traits via smell? We fill this explanatory gap with a framework that
      highlights the dynamic and flexible aspects of human olfactory communication. In
      particular, we explain how chemical profiles, associative learning (i.e., the
      systematic co-occurrence of chemical profiles with state- or trait-related
      information), and top-down contextual influences could interact to shape human
      odor perception. Our model not only helps to integrate past research on human
      olfactory communication but it also opens new avenues for future research on this
      fascinating, yet to date poorly understood, field.

PMID- 28346118
TI  - Social and Contextual Constraints on Embodied Perception.
AB  - A number of papers have challenged research on physiological and psychological
      influences on perception by claiming to show that such findings can be explained
      by nonperceptual factors such as demand characteristics. Relatedly, calls for
      separating perception from judgment have been issued. However, such efforts fail
      to consider key processes known to shape judgment processes: people's inability
      to report accurately on their judgments, conversational dynamics of experimental
      research contexts, and misattribution and discounting processes. Indeed, the fact
      that initially observed effects of embodied influences disappear is predicted by
      an extensive amount of literature on judgments studied within social psychology.
      Thus, findings from such studies suggest that the initially presumed underlying
      processes are at work-namely, functional considerations that are informative in
      the context of preparing the body for action. In this article, I provide
      suggestions on how to conduct research on perception within the social
      constraints of experimental contexts.

PMID- 28346119
TI  - Counterpoint.
AB  - Claims about alterations in perception based on manipulations of the energetics
      hypothesis (and other influences) are often framed as interesting specifically
      because they affect our perceptual experience. Many control experiments conducted
      on such perceptual effects suggest, however, that they are the result of
      attribution effects and other kinds of judgmental biases influencing the
      reporting process rather than perception itself. Schnall (2017, this issue),
      appealing to Heider's work on attribution, argues that it is fruitless to try to
      distinguish between perception and attribution. This makes the energetics
      hypothesis less interesting.

PMID- 28346120
TI  - Investigation of Consensually Nonmonogamous Relationships.
AB  - We proposed that the premise that monogamy is the exemplary form of romantic
      partnership underlies much theory and research on relationship quality, and we
      addressed how this bias has prompted methodological issues that make it difficult
      to effectively address the quality of nonmonogamous relationships. Because the
      idea that consensually nonmonogamous (CNM) relationships are functional (i.e.,
      satisfying and of high quality) is controversial, we included a basic study to
      assess, in a variety of ways, the quality of these relationships. In that study,
      we found few differences in relationship functioning between individuals engaged
      in monogamy and those in CNM relationships. We then considered how existing
      theories could help researchers to understand CNM relationships and how CNM
      relationships could shed light on relationship processes, and we proposed a model
      of how CNM and monogamous relationships differ. Finally, in a second study, we
      determined that even researchers who present data about CNM are affected by the
      stigma surrounding such relationships. That is, researchers presenting findings
      favoring polyamory were perceived as more biased than researchers presenting
      findings favoring monogamy.

PMID- 28346121
TI  - Can Memories of Traumatic Experiences or Addiction Be Erased or Modified? A
      Critical Review of Research on the Disruption of Memory Reconsolidation and Its
      Applications.
AB  - Recent research suggests that the mere act of retrieving a memory can temporarily
      make that memory vulnerable to disruption. This process of "reconsolidation" will
      typically restabilize the neural representation of the memory and foster its long
      term storage. However, the process of reconsolidating the memory takes time to
      complete, and during this limited time window, the original memory may be
      modified either by the presentation of new information or with pharmacological
      agents. Such findings have prompted rising interest in using disruption during
      reconsolidation as a clinical intervention for anxiety, posttraumatic stress, and
      substance use disorders. However, "boundary conditions" on memory reconsolidation
      may pose significant obstacles to clinical translation. The aim of this article
      is to critically examine the nature of these boundary conditions, their
      neurobiological substrates, and the potential effect they may have on disruption
      of reconsolidation as a clinical intervention. These boundary conditions also
      highlight potential constraints on the reconsolidation phenomenon and suggest a
      limited role for memory updating consistent with evolutionary accounts of
      associative learning for threat and reward. We conclude with suggestions for
      future research needed to elucidate the precise conditions under which
      reconsolidation disruption may be clinically useful.

PMID- 28346122
TI  - Non-targeted metabolomics in sport and exercise science.
AB  - Metabolomics incorporates the study of metabolites that are produced and released
      through physiological processes at both the systemic and cellular levels.
      Biological compounds at the metabolite level are of paramount interest in the
      sport and exercise sciences, although research in this field has rarely been
      referred to with the global 'omics terminology. Commonly studied metabolites in
      exercise science are notably within cellular pathways for adenosine triphosphate
      production such as glycolysis (e.g., pyruvate and lactate), beta-oxidation of
      free fatty acids (e.g., palmitate) and ketone bodies (e.g., beta
      hydroxybutyrate). Non-targeted metabolomic technologies are able to
      simultaneously analyse the large numbers of metabolites present in human
      biological samples such as plasma, urine and saliva. These analytical
      technologies predominately employ nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy and
      chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry. Performing experiments based on non
      targeted methods allows for systemic metabolite changes to be analysed and
      compared to a particular physiological state (e.g., pre-/post-exercise) and
      provides an opportunity to prospect for metabolite signatures that offer
      beneficial information for translation into an exercise science context, for both
      elite performance and public health monitoring. This narrative review provides an
      introduction to non-targeted metabolomic technologies and discusses current and
      potential applications in sport and exercise science.

PMID- 28346123
TI  - Panfungal Polymerase Chain Reaction for Identification of Fungal Pathogens in
      Formalin-Fixed Animal Tissues.
AB  - Identification of fungal organisms often poses a problem for pathologists because
      the histomorphology of some fungal organisms is not specific, fresh tissues may
      not be available, and isolation and identification in culture may take a long
      time. The purpose of this study was to validate the use of panfungal polymerase
      chain reaction (PCR) to identify fungal organisms from formalin-fixed paraffin
      embedded (FFPE) tissues. Formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded curls were tested from
      128 blocks containing canine, feline, equine, and bovine tissues with cutaneous,
      nasal, pulmonary, and systemic fungal infections, identified by the presence of
      fungi in histologic sections. Quantitative scoring of histologic sections
      identified rare (11.9%), occasional (17.5%), moderate (17.5%), or abundant
      (53.1%) fungal organisms. DNA was isolated from FFPE tissues and PCR was
      performed targeting the internal transcribed spacer 2 (ITS-2) region, a segment
      of noncoding DNA found in all eukaryotes. Polymerase chain reaction products were
      sequenced and identified at >=97% identity match using the Basic Local Alignment
      Search Tool and the NCBI database of ITS sequences. Of the 128 blocks, 117
      (91.4%) yielded PCR products and high-quality sequences were derived from 89
      (69.5%). Sequence and histologic identifications matched in 79 blocks (61.7%).
      This assay was capable of providing genus- and species-level identification when
      histopathology could not and, thus, is a beneficial complementary tool for
      diagnosis of fungal diseases.

PMID- 28346124
TI  - Pax8, Napsin A, and CD10 as Immunohistochemical Markers of Canine Renal Cell
      Carcinoma.
AB  - Pax8, napsin A, and CD10 are useful immunohistochemical markers of human renal
      cell carcinoma (RCC); however, their diagnostic utility in canine RCC is unclear.
      Forty formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded renal cell carcinomas from dogs (15
      papillary, 12 solid, and 13 tubular) and 10 metastases were evaluated for
      expression of Pax8, napsin A, and CD10. Thirty-nine (98%), 24 (60%), and 19 (50%)
      tumors expressed Pax8 (nuclear labeling), napsin A (cytoplasmic labeling), and
      CD10 (cytoplasmic and membranous labeling), respectively. Pax8 was expressed in
      92% of solid, 100% of papillary, and 100% of tubular tumors. Napsin A was
      expressed in 58% of solid, 60% of papillary, and 62% of tubular RCC. CD10 was
      expressed in 33% of solid, 47% of papillary, and 62% of tubular RCC. Pax8 was
      expressed in 80% of the metastatic tumors, napsin A in 60%, and CD10 in 50%.
      Additionally, Pax8 immunoreactivity was stronger overall than that of napsin A or
      CD10. In summary, Pax8 is a more sensitive marker than napsin A or CD10 for
      primary and metastatic canine RCC; its nuclear and more intense reactivity also
      makes it easier to interpret. Tubular and papillary RCCs were more likely than
      solid RCC to express all 3 markers. These findings highlight the utility of Pax8
      as an immunohistochemical marker in diagnosing all major subtypes of canine
      primary and metastatic renal cell carcinoma.

PMID- 28346125
TI  - Canine Neutrophil Extracellular Traps Enhance Clot Formation and Delay Lysis.
AB  - Autoimmune diseases increase the risk of thrombosis. Neutrophil extracellular
      traps (NETs) are webs of DNA and protein that may mediate thrombosis in
      autoimmune diseases. Human and murine studies show NET-releasing neutrophils
      within a thrombus promote its growth, but it is unclear to what extent NET
      fragments released into circulation during inflammation are prothrombotic. This
      study hypothesized that canine NETs promote clot formation and impair lysis even
      in the absence of neutrophils. NETs were prepared from PMA-stimulated neutrophils
      and added to fibrinogen and thrombin or to recalcified pooled canine platelet
      poor plasma, tissue factor, and tissue plasminogen activator. Clot formation and
      lysis were measured spectrophotometrically. NETs did not alter fibrin clot
      formation, but NETs increased maximum clot formation velocity ( P = .001) and
      delayed lysis ( P = .009) of plasma clots compared with supernatants from
      nonstimulated neutrophils. DNase digestion of NETs reduced their effect on clot
      lysis but not maximum clot formation velocity. This suggested impaired lysis was
      principally mediated by DNA within NETs but that NET proteins were principally
      responsible for increased speed of clot formation. Previous reports suggested
      elastase or histones might be responsible for the effect of NETs on clot
      formation. Elastase activity was greatly reduced by plasma, and addition of
      histones to plasma did not increase formation velocity, suggesting these proteins
      were not responsible for increasing maximum formation velocity. This study showed
      that NETs enhanced clot formation and impaired clot lysis in canine platelet-poor
      plasma. These in vitro findings suggest both NET proteins and DNA may contribute
      to thrombosis in inflammatory disease.

PMID- 28346127
TI  - In this issue: everything you wanted to know about electronic health exchange,
      diversity and ethnicity.

PMID- 28346126
TI  - Agreement Between Cytology and Histopathology for Regional Lymph Node Metastasis
      in Dogs With Melanocytic Neoplasms.
AB  - Melanocytic neoplasms are common in dogs and frequently occur within the oral
      cavity or in haired skin. The behavior of melanocytic neoplasms is variable and
      depends on tumor location, size, and histopathologic features. This study
      compared cytopathology and histopathology of 32 lymph nodes from 27 dogs
      diagnosed with melanocytic neoplasms. Agreement between the original cytology
      report, cytology slide review, original histopathology report, and histopathology
      slide review was determined for each lymph node. A subset of lymph nodes was
      subjected to immunohistochemistry (Melan-A) and additional histochemical
      stains/techniques (Prussian blue, bleach) to assist in differentiation of
      melanocytes and melanophages. Agreement ranged from slight to fair for each of
      the variables evaluated with weighted kappa (kappaw) or kappa (kappa) analysis
      (original cytology vs cytology review kappaw = 0.24; original cytology vs
      original histopathology kappaw = 0.007; original cytology vs histopathology
      review kappaw = 0.23; cytology review vs original histopathology kappaw = 0.008;
      cytology review vs histopathology review kappaw = 0.006; and original
      histopathology vs histopathology review kappa = 0.18). The diagnoses (metastatic,
      equivocal, or negative for metastasis) of the original report and slide review
      for both cytology and histopathology were not significantly correlated with
      survival in this population of patients. Overall, agreement between cytology and
      histopathology was poor even with a single clinical or anatomic pathologist
      performing slide review. Consensus between routine cytology and histopathology
      for staging of lymph nodes in patients with melanocytic neoplasms is poor and
      does not correlate with survival.

PMID- 28346128
TI  - Ethnicity Recording in Primary Care Computerised Medical Record Systems: An
      Ontological Approach.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Ethnicity recording within primary care computerised medical record
      (CMR) systems is suboptimal, exacerbated by tangled taxonomies within current
      coding systems.Objective To develop a method for extending ethnicity
      identification using routinely collected data. METHODS: We used an ontological
      method to maximise the reliability and prevalence of ethnicity information in the
      Royal College of General Practitioner's Research and Surveillance database.
      Clinical codes were either directly mapped to ethnicity group or utilised as
      proxy markers (such as language spoken) from which ethnicity could be inferred.
      We compared the performance of our method with the recording rates that would be
      identified by code lists utilised by the UK pay for the performance system, with
      the help of the Quality and Outcomes Framework (QOF). RESULTS: Data from
      2,059,453 patients across 110 practices were included. The overall categorisable
      ethnicity using QOF codes was 36.26% (95% confidence interval (CI): 36.20%
      36.33%). This rose to 48.57% (CI:48.50%-48.64%) using the described ethnicity
      mapping process. Mapping increased across all ethnic groups. The largest increase
      was seen in the white ethnicity category (30.61%; CI: 30.55%-30.67% to 40.24%;
      CI: 40.17%-40.30%). The highest relative increase was in the ethnic group
      categorised as the other (0.04%; CI: 0.03%-0.04% to 0.92%; CI: 0.91%-0.93%).
      CONCLUSIONS: This mapping method substantially increases the prevalence of known
      ethnicity in CMR data and may aid future epidemiological research based on
      routine data.

PMID- 28346129
TI  - Health Information Exchange as a Complex and Adaptive Construct: Scoping Review.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: To understand how the concept of Health Information Exchange (HIE) has
      evolved over time. METHODS:  Supplementary analysis of data from a systematic
      scoping review of definitions of HIE from 1900 to 2014, involving temporal
      analysis of underpinning themes. RESULTS: The search identified 268 unique
      definitions of HIE dating from 1957 onwards; 103 in scientific databases and 165
      in Google. These contained consistent themes, representing the core concept of
      exchanging health information electronically, as well as fluid themes, reflecting
      the evolving policy, business, organisational and technological context of HIE
      (including the emergence of HIE as an organisational 'entity'). These are
      summarised graphically to show how the concept has evolved around the world with
      the passage of time.  The term HIE emerged in 1957 with the establishment of
      Occupational HIE, evolving through the 1990s with concepts such as electronic
      data interchange and mobile computing technology; then from 2006-10 largely
      aligning with the US Government's health information technology strategy and the
      creation of HIEs as organisational entities, alongside the broader
      interoperability imperative, and continuing to evolve today as part of a broader
      international agenda for sustainable, information-driven health systems.
      CONCLUSIONS: The concept of HIE is an evolving and adaptive one, reflecting the
      ongoing quest for integrated and interoperable information to improve the
      efficiency and effectiveness of health systems, in a changing technological and
      policy environment.

PMID- 28346130
TI  - Defining Health Information Exchange: Scoping Review of Published Definitions.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: The term Health Information Exchange (HIE) is often used in health
      informatics, yet uncertainties remain about its precise meaning. This study aimed
      to capture and analyse existing definitions in order to map variations in its use
      and the concepts associated with it. METHODS: Systematic literature search to
      identify published definitions of HIE and equivalent terms such as Clinical
      Information Exchange. Medline, Web of Science, Library Information Science and
      Technology Abstracts, EMBASE and CINAHL Plus were searched to identify relevant
      research, and Google to identify grey literature. Searches were not limited by
      language or date of publication. In order to warrant inclusion documents had to
      either define the concept explicitly or do so via a concrete description. 
      Included references were tabulated by author affiliation, source of quote, year
      of publication, country of origin and definitions and the definitions themselves
      were analysed thematically. RESULTS: Searches revealed 603 scientific articles
      and 5981 website links. From these, a total of 268 unique definitions of HIE were
      identified and extracted: 103 from scientific databases and 165 from Google.
      Eleven constructs emerged from the thematic analysis. Contextual factors
      influenced the emphasis of the definitions and the framing of HIE as a
      concept/process, a set of enabling technologies, or an
      entity/organisation.ConclusionsHIE is a complex and evolving concept and uses of
      the term vary across settings, presenting challenges for communication. 
      Developing a generic term is difficult, given the importance of context, but the
      authors suggest one covering key attributes of HIE, which may be helpful.

PMID- 28346131
TI  - Lack of Diversity in Personal Health Record Evaluations with Older Adult
      Participants: A Systematic Review of Literature.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Older adults are not adopting personal health records (PHRs) at the
      same rates as other adult populations. Disparities in adoption rates are also
      reported in older adult subgroups. The variability in adoption may be because
      PHRs are not designed to meet older adult users. OBJECTIVE: We analyzed PHR
      evaluation studies to examine the characteristics and perspectives of older adult
      study participants to identify their self-reported needs. METHOD: We searched
      Medline, CINAHL, PsycINFO, and Embase for PHR evaluation studies that involved
      older adult participants. RESULTS: 1017 abstracts were identified, and 179
      publications went through full text review. 10 publications met inclusion
      criteria. These publications described studies conducted in 3 countries, and
      evaluated 7 PHRs. Homogeneity was found in the study populations and participant
      opinions of the systems. DISCUSSION: Many PHR evaluations do not include diverse
      older adult participants. This may lead to consistency in outcomes, but it also
      may create gaps in identifying user needs. Additional studies, specifically
      targeting diverse older adult participants, are needed to gain a more
      comprehensive understanding of the opinions of older adults on PHRs and how these
      systems could benefit older adult healthcare consumers. CONCLUSION: The body of
      research shows that older adults are highly satisfied using PHRs. These outcomes
      may be generalizable because most PHR evaluation studies do not include diverse
      older adult participants. This lack of participant diversity may be contributing
      to the disparities observed in PHR adoption rates.

PMID- 28346132
TI  - Electronic Health Record's Effects on the Outpatient Office Visit and Clinical
      Education.
AB  - BACKGROUND: During an office visit, the provider has the important cognitive task
      of attending to the patient while actively using the electronic health record
      (EHR).  Prior literature suggests that EHR may have a positive effect on simple
      tasks, but a negative effect on tasks that require complex cognitive processes. 
      No study has examined the provider's perception of EHR on multiple distinct
      aspects of the office visit. METHODS: We surveyed providers/preceptors regarding
      their perception of EHR on multiple aspects of the office visit.  We summarized
      their EHR utilization history and their perceptions of the EHR during the visit
      using descriptive statistics.  We tested for associations between time spent
      using the EHR and distinct aspects of the visit using Chi-square tests of
      association. RESULTS: In total, 83 providers/preceptors reported use of EHR
      (response rate 52%). Provider/preceptors reported an overall negative effect of
      EHR on the patient-provider connection, but an overall positive effect on the
      review of medications/medical records, communication between providers, review of
      results with patients and review of follow-up to testing results with patients.
      The effect of EHR on history taking and teaching students was neutral.  We
      observed no correlation between the provider's time spent using the EHR and their
      perception of its effectiveness. CONCLUSIONS:   Providers reported a positive
      perception of EHR on aspects of the office visit that involved a single cognitive
      task.  However, providers reported a negative perception of EHR on patient
      provider connection, which involves a high degree of cognitive processing.

PMID- 28346133
TI  - Creating a climate that catalyses healthcare innovation in the United Kingdom -
      learning lessons from international innovators.
AB  - BACKGROUND: The United Kingdom (UK) lags behind other high-income countries in
      relation to technological innovation in healthcare. In order to inform UK
      strategy on how to catalyse innovation, we sought to understand what national
      strategies can help to promote a climate for innovation in healthcare settings by
      extracting lessons for the UK from international innovators. METHODS: We
      undertook a series of qualitative semi-structured interviews with senior
      international innovators from a range of health related policy, care/service
      delivery, commercial and academic backgrounds. Thematic analysis helped to
      explore how different stakeholder groups could facilitate/inhibit innovation at
      individual, organisational, and wider societal levels. RESULTS: We conducted 14
      interviews and found that a conducive climate for healthcare innovation comprised
      of national/regional strategies stimulating commercial competition, promoting
      public/private relationships, and providing central direction (e.g. incentives
      for adoption and regulation through standards) without being restrictive.
      Organisational attitudes with a willingness to experiment and to take risks were
      also seen as important, but a bottom-up approach to innovation, based on the
      identification of clinical need, was seen as a crucial first step to construct
      relevant national policies. CONCLUSIONS:  There is now a need to create
      mechanisms through which frontline National Health Service staff in relation can
      raise ideas/concerns and suggest opportunities for improvement, and then build
      national innovation environments that seek to address these needs. This should be
      accompanied by creating competitive health technology markets to stimulate a
      commercial environment that attracts high-quality health information technology
      experts and innovators working in partnership with staff and patients.

PMID- 28346134
TI  - Five key recommendations for the implementation of Hospital Electronic
      Prescribing and Medicines Administration systems in Scotland.
AB  - NHS Scotland is about to embark on the implementation of Hospital Electronic
      Prescribing and Medicines Administration (HEPMA) systems. There are a number of
      risks associated with such ventures, thus drawing on existing experiences from
      other settings is crucial in informing deployment.Drawing on our previous and
      ongoing work in English settings as well as the international literature, we
      reflect on key lessons that NHS Scotland may wish to consider in going forward.
      These deliberations include recommendations surrounding key aspects of deployment
      strategy surrounding: 1) the way central coordination should be conceptualised,
      2) how flexibility in can be ensured, 3) paying attention to optimising systems
      from the outset, 4) how expertise should be developed and centrally shared, and
      5) ways in which learning from experience can be maximised.Our five
      recommendations will, we hope, provide a starting point for the strategic
      deliberations of policy makers. Throughout this journey, it is important to view
      the deployment of HEPMA as part of a wider strategic goal of creating integrated
      digital infrastructures across Scotland.

PMID- 28346135
TI  - Polo-like kinase-dependent phosphorylation of the synaptonemal complex protein
      SYP-4 regulates double-strand break formation through a negative feedback loop.
AB  - The synaptonemal complex (SC) is an ultrastructurally conserved proteinaceous
      structure that holds homologous chromosomes together and is required for the
      stabilization of pairing interactions and the completion of crossover (CO)
      formation between homologs during meiosis I. Here, we identify a novel role for a
      central region component of the SC, SYP-4, in negatively regulating formation of
      recombination-initiating double-strand breaks (DSBs) via a feedback loop
      triggered by crossover designation in C. elegans. We found that SYP-4 is
      phosphorylated dependent on Polo-like kinases PLK-1/2. SYP-4 phosphorylation
      depends on DSB formation and crossover designation, is required for stabilizing
      the SC in pachytene by switching the central region of the SC from a more dynamic
      to a less dynamic state, and negatively regulates DSB formation. We propose a
      model in which Polo-like kinases recognize crossover designation and
      phosphorylate SYP-4 thereby stabilizing the SC and making chromosomes less
      permissive for further DSB formation.

PMID- 28346136
TI  - Environment determines evolutionary trajectory in a constrained phenotypic space.
AB  - Constraints on phenotypic variation limit the capacity of organisms to adapt to
      the multiple selection pressures encountered in natural environments. To better
      understand evolutionary dynamics in this context, we select Escherichia coli for
      faster migration through a porous environment, a process which depends on both
      motility and growth. We find that a trade-off between swimming speed and growth
      rate constrains the evolution of faster migration. Evolving faster migration in
      rich medium results in slow growth and fast swimming, while evolution in minimal
      medium results in fast growth and slow swimming. In each condition parallel
      genomic evolution drives adaptation through different mutations. We show that the
      trade-off is mediated by antagonistic pleiotropy through mutations that affect
      negative regulation. A model of the evolutionary process shows that the genetic
      capacity of an organism to vary traits can qualitatively depend on its
      environment, which in turn alters its evolutionary trajectory.

PMID- 28346137
TI  - Histone gene replacement reveals a post-transcriptional role for H3K36 in
      maintaining metazoan transcriptome fidelity.
AB  - Histone H3 lysine 36 methylation (H3K36me) is thought to participate in a host of
      co-transcriptional regulatory events. To study the function of this residue
      independent from the enzymes that modify it, we used a 'histone replacement'
      system in Drosophila to generate a non-modifiable H3K36 lysine-to-arginine
      (H3K36R) mutant. We observed global dysregulation of mRNA levels in H3K36R
      animals that correlates with the incidence of H3K36me3. Similar to previous
      studies, we found that mutation of H3K36 also resulted in H4 hyperacetylation.
      However, neither cryptic transcription initiation, nor alternative pre-mRNA
      splicing, contributed to the observed changes in expression, in contrast with
      previously reported roles for H3K36me. Interestingly, knockdown of the RNA
      surveillance nuclease, Xrn1, and members of the CCR4-Not deadenylase complex,
      restored mRNA levels for a class of downregulated, H3K36me3-rich genes. We
      propose a post-transcriptional role for modification of replication-dependent
      H3K36 in the control of metazoan gene expression.

PMID- 28346138
TI  - Dilation of fusion pores by crowding of SNARE proteins.
AB  - Hormones and neurotransmitters are released through fluctuating exocytotic fusion
      pores that can flicker open and shut multiple times. Cargo release and vesicle
      recycling depend on the fate of the pore, which may reseal or dilate
      irreversibly. Pore nucleation requires zippering between vesicle-associated v
      SNAREs and target membrane t-SNAREs, but the mechanisms governing the subsequent
      pore dilation are not understood. Here, we probed the dilation of single fusion
      pores using v-SNARE-reconstituted ~23-nm-diameter discoidal nanolipoprotein
      particles (vNLPs) as fusion partners with cells ectopically expressing cognate,
      'flipped' t-SNAREs. Pore nucleation required a minimum of two v-SNAREs per NLP
      face, and further increases in v-SNARE copy numbers did not affect nucleation
      rate. By contrast, the probability of pore dilation increased with increasing v
      SNARE copies and was far from saturating at 15 v-SNARE copies per face, the NLP
      capacity. Our experimental and computational results suggest that SNARE
      availability may be pivotal in determining whether neurotransmitters or hormones
      are released through a transient ('kiss and run') or an irreversibly dilating
      pore (full fusion).

PMID- 28346139
TI  - Oncometabolite D-2-Hydroxyglutarate enhances gene silencing through inhibition of
      specific H3K36 histone demethylases.
AB  - Certain mutations affecting central metabolism cause accumulation of the
      oncometabolite D-2-hydroxyglutarate which promotes progression of certain tumors.
      High levels of D-2-hydroxyglutarate inhibit the TET family of DNA demethylases
      and Jumonji family of histone demethylases and cause epigenetic changes that lead
      to altered gene expression. The link between inhibition of DNA demethylation and
      changes in expression is strong in some cancers, but not in others. To determine
      whether D-2-hydroxyglutarate can affect gene expression through inhibiting
      histone demethylases, orthologous mutations to those known to cause accumulation
      of D-2-hydroxyglutarate in tumors were generated in Saccharomyces cerevisiae,
      which has histone demethylases but not DNA methylases or demethylases.
      Accumulation of D-2-hydroxyglutarate caused inhibition of several histone
      demethylases. Inhibition of two of the demethylases that act specifically on
      histone H3K36me2,3 led to enhanced gene silencing. These observations pinpointed
      a new mechanism by which this oncometabolite can alter gene expression, perhaps
      repressing critical inhibitors of proliferation.

PMID- 28346140
TI  - EM connectomics reveals axonal target variation in a sequence-generating network.
AB  - The sequential activation of neurons has been observed in various areas of the
      brain, but in no case is the underlying network structure well understood. Here
      we examined the circuit anatomy of zebra finch HVC, a cortical region that
      generates sequences underlying the temporal progression of the song. We combined
      serial block-face electron microscopy with light microscopy to determine the cell
      types targeted by HVC(RA) neurons, which control song timing. Close to their
      soma, axons almost exclusively targeted inhibitory interneurons, consistent with
      what had been found with electrical recordings from pairs of cells. Conversely,
      far from the soma the targets were mostly other excitatory neurons, about half of
      these being other HVC(RA) cells. Both observations are consistent with the notion
      that the neural sequences that pace the song are generated by global synaptic
      chains in HVC embedded within local inhibitory networks.

PMID- 28346144
TI  - Surrealistic sleep.

PMID- 28346142
TI  - The neuropeptide F/nitric oxide pathway is essential for shaping locomotor
      plasticity underlying locust phase transition.
AB  - Behavioral plasticity is widespread in swarming animals, but little is known
      about its underlying neural and molecular mechanisms. Here, we report that a
      neuropeptide F (NPF)/nitric oxide (NO) pathway plays a critical role in the
      locomotor plasticity of swarming migratory locusts. The transcripts encoding two
      related neuropeptides, NPF1a and NPF2, show reduced levels during crowding, and
      the transcript levels of NPF1a and NPF2 receptors significantly increase during
      locust isolation. Both NPF1a and NPF2 have suppressive effects on phase-related
      locomotor activity. A key downstream mediator for both NPFs is nitric oxide
      synthase (NOS), which regulates phase-related locomotor activity by controlling
      NO synthesis in the locust brain. Mechanistically, NPF1a and NPF2 modify NOS
      activity by separately suppressing its phosphorylation and by lowering its
      transcript level, effects that are mediated by their respective receptors. Our
      results uncover a hierarchical neurochemical mechanism underlying behavioral
      plasticity in the swarming locust and provide insights into the NPF/NO axis.

PMID- 28346143
TI  - Action of CMG with strand-specific DNA blocks supports an internal unwinding mode
      for the eukaryotic replicative helicase.
AB  - Replicative helicases are ring-shaped hexamers that encircle DNA for duplex
      unwinding. The currently accepted view of hexameric helicase function is by
      steric exclusion, where the helicase encircles one DNA strand and excludes the
      other, acting as a wedge with an external DNA unwinding point during
      translocation. Accordingly, strand-specific blocks only affect these helicases
      when placed on the tracking strand, not the excluded strand. We examined the
      effect of blocks on the eukaryotic CMG and, contrary to expectations, blocks on
      either strand inhibit CMG unwinding. A recent cryoEM structure of yeast CMG shows
      that duplex DNA enters the helicase and unwinding occurs in the central channel.
      The results of this report inform important aspects of the structure, and we
      propose that CMG functions by a modified steric exclusion process in which both
      strands enter the helicase and the duplex unwinding point is internal, followed
      by exclusion of the non-tracking strand.

PMID- 28346141
TI  - Insights into electrosensory organ development, physiology and evolution from a
      lateral line-enriched transcriptome.
AB  - The anamniote lateral line system, comprising mechanosensory neuromasts and
      electrosensory ampullary organs, is a useful model for investigating the
      developmental and evolutionary diversification of different organs and cell
      types. Zebrafish neuromast development is increasingly well understood, but
      neither zebrafish nor Xenopus is electroreceptive and our molecular understanding
      of ampullary organ development is rudimentary. We have used RNA-seq to generate a
      lateral line-enriched gene-set from late-larval paddlefish (Polyodon spathula).
      Validation of a subset reveals expression in developing ampullary organs of
      transcription factor genes critical for hair cell development, and genes
      essential for glutamate release at hair cell ribbon synapses, suggesting close
      developmental, physiological and evolutionary links between non-teleost
      electroreceptors and hair cells. We identify an ampullary organ-specific
      proneural transcription factor, and candidates for the voltage-sensing L-type Cav
      channel and rectifying Kv channel predicted from skate (cartilaginous fish)
      ampullary organ electrophysiology. Overall, our results illuminate ampullary
      organ development, physiology and evolution.

PMID- 28346145
TI  - Commentary on National Sleep Foundation sleep quality recommendations.

PMID- 28346146
TI  - Social support, social strain, sleep quality, and actigraphic sleep
      characteristics: evidence from a national survey of US adults.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: To determine the associations between average family and friend social
      support and strain over 10 years and sleep quality, sleep efficiency, total sleep
      time, and night-to-night total sleep time variability. PARTICIPANTS: Non
      institutionalized English-speaking US adults aged 34-81 who participated in the
      MacArthur Study on Aging: Midlife in the United States. MEASUREMENTS: Sleep
      quality was assessed by the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index and by a 7-day daily
      diary. Sleep efficiency, total sleep time, and night-to-night total sleep time
      variability were assessed by actigraphy (MiniMitter 64). RESULTS: Social support,
      but not social strain, was significantly associated with both self-reported
      measures of quality (social support beta=-1.239, P=.019 for global Pittsburgh
      Sleep Quality Index scores; social support beta=-0.248, P=.016 for diary assessed
      quality). Lower scores on both quality measures indicate better sleep. In
      contrast, social strain, but not social support, was significantly associated
      with sleep efficiency (social strain beta=-3.780, P=.007). Social strain, but not
      social support, was significantly associated with night-to-night sleep
      variability (social strain beta=0.421, P=.034); however, the overall model was
      not significant. Neither social support nor social strain was significantly
      associated with total sleep time. CONCLUSION: Social support was significant for
      self-reported sleep, whereas only social strain was significantly associated with
      objective sleep parameters. Future research on social relationships and sleep
      should analyze both positive and negative aspects of relationships in tandem
      because effects appear to differ based on outcome.

PMID- 28346147
TI  - Differences in short and long sleep durations between blacks and whites
      attributed to emotional distress: analysis of the National Health Interview
      Survey in the United States.
AB  - OBJECTIVES: The current study examined the role of emotional distress in
      explaining racial/ethnic differences in unhealthy sleep duration. DESIGN: Data
      from the 2004-2013 National Health Interview Survey were analyzed using SPSS 20.
      SETTING: Data were collected through personal household interviews in the United
      States. PARTICIPANTS: Of the total 261,686 participants (age>=18 years), 17.0%
      were black, 83.0% were white, and the mean age was 48 years (SE=0.04).
      MEASUREMENTS: To ascertain total sleep duration, participants were asked, "How
      many hours of sleep do you get on average in a 24-hour period?" Sleep duration
      was coded as short sleep (<7hours), average sleep (7-8hours), or long sleep
      (>8hours). Emotional distress-feeling sad, nervous, restless, hopeless,
      worthless, and burdened over a 30-day period-was measured using Kessler-6, a 6
      item screening scale. RESULTS: Of the participants reporting significant
      emotional distress (4.0% black, 3.5% white), chi2 analyses revealed that a higher
      percentage of blacks, compared with whites, reported unhealthy sleep durations.
      Relative to Whites, Blacks had increased prevalence of short sleep (prevalence
      ratio=1.32, P<.001) or long sleep (odds ratio =1.189, P<.001). The interaction
      between race/ethnicity and emotional distress was significantly associated with
      short (prevalence ratio=0.99, P<.001) and long sleep (odds ratio=0.98, P<.001)
      durations. CONCLUSIONS: Individuals of the black race/ethnicity or those
      reporting greater levels of emotional distress are more likely to report short or
      long sleep duration. Emotional distress might partially explain racial/ethnic
      differences in unhealthy sleep duration between blacks and whites.

PMID- 28346149
TI  - Sleep health of Australian adults in 2016: results of the 2016 Sleep Health
      Foundation national survey.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: To measure the prevalence and social impacts of sleep problems in
      Australia. DESIGN: Cross-sectional national adult online survey. SETTING:
      Community-based sample. PARTICIPANTS: Australian adults >=18 years, n=1011.
      RESULTS: Self-reported inadequate sleep, of either duration or quality, and its
      daytime consequences affect 33%-45% of adults. Diagnosed sleep apnea is reported
      by 8%, significant insomnia by 20%, and restless legs by18% of adults. Besides
      specific clinical sleep disorders, poor sleep habits were common. Average
      reported sleep time is 7 hours, although 12% sleep less than 51/2hours and 8%
      over 9 hours. Three-quarters (76%) of those who sleep less than 51/2hours report
      frequent daytime impairment or sleep-related symptoms. Frequent, loud snoring is
      reported by 24% of men and 17% of women. Among these, 70% report daytime
      impairment or other sleep-related symptoms. Twenty-six percent report Internet
      use most or every night just before bed and frequent sleep difficulties or
      daytime impairments. Similarly, 16% of working adults do work just before bed and
      also have frequent sleep difficulties or daytime sleep-related symptoms. Younger
      adults (18-34 years) sleep around 1 hour longer before non-work days than working
      days compared with 18 minutes in older age groups. In the past 3 months, 29% of
      adults report making errors at work due to sleepiness or sleep problems. Driving
      while drowsy at least every month is reported by 29% of people, 20% have nodded
      off while driving, and 5% have had an accident in the past year because they
      dozed off. CONCLUSION: Sleep problems and daytime consequences are endemic among
      Australian adults. A focus on healthy sleep at a policy level as well as
      increased clinician and public awareness may be warranted.

PMID- 28346150
TI  - Factors contributing to poor satisfaction with sleep and healthcare seeking
      behavior in older adults.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: To identify factors influencing older adults' poor satisfaction with
      sleep and their current healthcare seeking behaviors. DESIGN: Cross-sectional
      study. SETTING: Pittsburgh Claude D. Pepper Older Americans Independence Center
      Community Registry. PARTICIPANTS: Individuals aged 60 or older enrolled in the
      registry that completed a cross-sectional mailed survey (N = 1026). MEASUREMENTS:
      Participant demographics (age, gender, marital status, race, education), overall
      health (self-rated health, pain, and comorbidities), and health behaviors
      (physical activity, smoking, drinking behaviors) were collected from the registry
      database. A mail survey was used to collect self-report on sleep problems and
      their current healthcare seeking behaviors. Simple and multiple logistic
      regression models were used to evaluate associations between variables. RESULTS:
      A total of 19.3% of participants reported being "dissatisfied" or "very
      dissatisfied" with their overall sleep quality. Participants who reported poor
      sleep satisfaction were more likely to be single and report poorer overall health
      compared to participants who were satisfied with their sleep quality. They were
      also more likely to report using over-the-counter (OTC) and prescription sleep
      medications, discuss sleep problems with a healthcare provider, and use
      strategies to improve their sleep (P < .05). A higher proportion of participants
      with trouble sleeping throughout the night reported they had discussions with a
      healthcare provider (47.2%), and used OTC (38.6%) or prescription (20.1%) sleep
      aids. CONCLUSIONS: These results underscore the possible linkage between poor
      satisfaction with sleep and older adults' current healthcare seeking behaviors
      and self-treatment methods, particularly using OTC medications to cope with sleep
      problems without consulting a healthcare provider.

PMID- 28346151
TI  - Bidirectional associations of accelerometer-determined sedentary behavior and
      physical activity with reported time in bed: Women's Health Study.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: To examine the day-to-day, bidirectional associations of accelerometer
      derived sedentary behavior and physical activity (PA) with reported time in bed
      in a large cohort of older women. METHODS: Data are from 10086 Women's Health
      Study participants (aged 71.6 years; SD, 5.7) who agreed to wear an accelerometer
      and complete a diary for 7 consecutive days. Generalized linear (multilevel)
      models with repeated measures were used to examine the adjusted associations of
      the following: (1) reported time in bed with next-day accelerometer-determined
      counts and time spent sedentary and in light- and moderate-to-vigorous-intensity
      PA (MVPA) and (2) accelerometer estimates with reported time in bed that night,
      expressed as short (<7 hours), optimal (7-9 hours), and long (>9 hours) sleep.
      RESULTS: Across days, short sleep was associated with an average of 5500 (SE,
      1352) higher accelerometer counts the following day but was also related to
      higher average sedentary (46.5 [SE, 1.5] minutes) and light-intensity PA (11.9
      [SE, 1.2] minutes) than optimal sleep (all P<.001). Long sleep was associated
      with lower accelerometer counts, time spent sedentary and in light-intensity PA,
      and a reduced likelihood of engaging in >=20 minutes of MVPA (all P<.001) than
      optimal sleep. Higher PA during the day (higher accelerometer counts and >=20
      minutes of accumulated MVPA) was associated with a reduced likelihood of
      reporting short or long sleep that night (all P<.001). CONCLUSIONS: Findings
      support the bidirectional associations of accelerometer-determined sedentary
      behavior and PA with reported time in bed in older women. Future studies are
      needed to confirm findings with sleep actigraphy in older women.

PMID- 28346152
TI  - Associations between physical activity and sedentary behavior with sleep quality
      and quantity in young adults.
AB  - OBJECTIVES: Intensity and duration of physical activity (PA) and sedentary
      behavior are individually associated with sleep, but their independent
      associations are poorly characterized. The objectives of this study were to
      determine if PA and/or sedentary behavior are/is associated with sleep quality
      and/or quantity in a young adult sample. DESIGN: Cross-sectional. SETTING:
      Montreal, Canada. PARTICIPANTS: Participants (n=658) from the Nicotine Dependence
      in Teens Study. MEASUREMENTS: PA measures included total minutes of light,
      moderate, and vigorous PA in the past week; sedentary measures included number of
      hours per day watching television (TV) and using the computer for leisure
      activities in the past week. Sleep measures included (1) the Pittsburgh Sleep
      Quality Index, which assesses sleep quality in the past month, and (2) number of
      hours of sleep per night in the past month. Data were analyzed using multiple
      logistic regression adjusting for age, sex, and mother's education. RESULTS: In
      multivariable analyses, each additional hour of TV and computer use per day was
      associated with a 17% and 13% increase, respectively, in the odds of reporting
      poor sleep quality. After additionally adjusting for PA, the association between
      TV use and poor sleep quality remained significant (odds ratio: 1.15, 95%
      confidence interval: 1.01-1.28). Sedentary behavior was not associated with sleep
      quantity. PA intensity and duration were not associated with sleep quality or
      quantity. CONCLUSIONS: More time spent doing sedentary activities was associated
      with poorer sleep quality, but PA was not associated. Clinicians treating young
      adults with sleep problems should inquire about sedentary behavior.

PMID- 28346153
TI  - National Sleep Foundation's sleep quality recommendations: first report.
AB  - OBJECTIVES: To provide evidence-based recommendations and guidance to the public
      regarding indicators of good sleep quality across the life-span. METHODS: The
      National Sleep Foundation assembled a panel of experts from the sleep community
      and representatives appointed by stakeholder organizations (Sleep Quality
      Consensus Panel). A systematic literature review identified 277 studies meeting
      inclusion criteria. Abstracts and full-text articles were provided to the
      panelists for review and discussion. A modified Delphi RAND/UCLA Appropriateness
      Method with 3 rounds of voting was used to determine agreement. RESULTS: For most
      of the sleep continuity variables (sleep latency, number of awakenings >5minutes,
      wake after sleep onset, and sleep efficiency), the panel members agreed that
      these measures were appropriate indicators of good sleep quality across the life
      span. However, overall, there was less or no consensus regarding sleep
      architecture or nap-related variables as elements of good sleep quality.
      CONCLUSIONS: There is consensus among experts regarding some indicators of sleep
      quality among otherwise healthy individuals. Education and public health
      initiatives regarding good sleep quality will require sustained and collaborative
      efforts from multiple stakeholders. Future research should explore how sleep
      architecture and naps relate to sleep quality. Implications and limitations of
      the consensus recommendations are discussed.

PMID- 28346154
TI  - Text message intervention improves objective sleep hours among adolescents: the
      moderating role of race-ethnicity.
AB  - OBJECTIVES: This 10-day study aimed to (1) assess the effectiveness of a text
      message-based sleep intervention and (2) determine whether the intervention was
      equally effective for non-Hispanic whites and racial-ethnic minority adolescents.
      PARTICIPANTS: Participants were 46 (50% female) adolescents (13-18 years;
      mean=15.75 years old, SD=0.98) from a public high school in the Midwest.
      INTERVENTION: Participants were randomly assigned to a control or text message
      intervention condition. Only participants in the intervention condition received
      2 text messages outlining individualized bedtime goals daily, for 8 weekdays.
      MEASUREMENTS: All participants attended a sleep lecture, wore a sleep monitor,
      and completed baseline and exit surveys that assessed demographics, subjective
      sleep, lifestyle, and psychosocial adjustment variables. RESULTS: Results of a 2
      (intervention, control) * 2 (pre-intervention, postintervention) analysis of
      variance test revealed no significant intervention * time interaction effect
      (F1,38=0.020, P=.889) in the full sample. This effect, however, was significantly
      moderated by race-ethnicity: Results indicated a significant intervention * time
      * race interaction (F1,36=8.050, P=.007, partial eta2=.183) such that the
      intervention significantly improved sleep hours (by approximately 1 hour) only
      among non-Hispanic whites (and not among adolescents of racial-ethnic minority
      status). CONCLUSIONS: Adolescents from racial-ethnic minority groups may face
      significant barriers that interfere with their ability to successfully alter
      their sleep-wake patterns and maximize sleep hours.

PMID- 28346155
TI  - Objectively measured sleep and health-related quality of life in older adults
      with type 2 diabetes: a cross-sectional study from the Alberta's Caring for
      Diabetes Study.
AB  - BACKGROUND AND AIM: Sleep is an important behavior for metabolic control and
      mental health in type 2 diabetes. The aim was to examine the relationship of
      objective estimates of sleep quantity and quality with health-related quality of
      life (HRQL) in adults with type 2 diabetes. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Participants
      completed a survey where HRQL was measured using the EQ-5D-5 L index score, and
      the SF-12 v2, which provides physical and mental composite summary (PCS and MCS)
      scores. Participants also wore wrist actigraphy (Actigraph GT3X+) during sleep to
      derive estimates of total sleep time (TST), sleep latency (SLAT), and sleep
      efficiency (SEFF) and wake after sleep onset (WASO). Adjusted multivariable
      linear regression models were used to examine the associations among actigraphy
      derived sleep parameters with PCS, MCS, and EQ-5D-5 L index scores. RESULTS: On
      average, participants (N=168) were 65 years old (standard deviation [SD] 10), 46%
      were female, with a diabetes duration of 13 years (SD 9) and body mass index of
      31 kg/m2 (SD 6.5). Mean (SD) TST and SLAT were 7.5 (1.0) hours and 9.9 (7.6)
      minutes, respectively, SEFF was 82.7 (6.1) percent and WASO was 86.7 (53.4)
      minutes. An inverse association between TST and PCS was found where every
      additional 60 minutes of sleep was associated with 1.3-unit lower PCS (P=.04).
      SEFF was positively associated with both PCS and MCS, where a 10% greater SEFF
      was associated with 2.6-unit higher PCS (P=.008), and 1.8-unit higher MCS
      (P=.056). CONCLUSIONS: Among this population, better sleep efficiency was
      associated with better physical and mental health.

PMID- 28346157
TI  - Earlier school start times are associated with higher rates of behavioral
      problems in elementary schools.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Early school start times may curtail children's sleep and
      inadvertently promote sleep restriction. The current study examines the potential
      implications for early school start times for behavioral problems in public
      elementary schools (student ages 5-12 years) in Kentucky. METHOD: School start
      times were obtained from school Web sites or by calling school offices;
      behavioral and disciplinary problems, along with demographic information about
      schools, were obtained from the Kentucky Department of Education. Estimated
      associations controlled for teacher/student ratio, racial composition, school
      rank, enrollment, and Appalachian location. RESULTS: Associations between early
      school start time and greater behavioral problems (harassment, in-school
      removals, suspensions, and expulsions) were observed, although some of these
      associations were found only for schools serving the non-Appalachian region.
      CONCLUSIONS: Findings support the growing body of research showing that early
      school start times may contribute to student problems, and extend this research
      through a large-scale examination of elementary schools, behavioral outcomes, and
      potential moderators of risk.

PMID- 28346156
TI  - Association of sleep characteristics with cardiovascular and metabolic risk
      factors in a population sample: the Chicago Area Sleep Study.
AB  - OBJECTIVES: To investigate the association of sleep characteristics with
      prevalent hypertension, diabetes, and obesity in a multiethnic cohort. DESIGN:
      This study used a population-based cross-sectional study design. SETTING:
      Participants were recruited between 2009 and 2011 from Chicago, Illinois, and the
      surrounding suburbs. PARTICIPANTS: Participants were 492 adults aged 35 to
      64years who self-reported as white, black, Hispanic, or Asian and who had a low
      likelihood of sleep apnea based on the apnea screening questionnaires and 1 night
      of apnea screening using an in-home device (apnea hypopnea index <15 or oxygen
      desaturation index <10). MEASUREMENTS: Participants wore a wrist actigraphy
      monitor (ActiwatchTM) for 7days. During a clinical examination, participants
      completed questionnaires about sleep, other health behaviors, and medical history
      and had their blood pressure, anthropometric measures, and fasting blood glucose
      measured; metabolic risk factors were determined based on standard clinical
      guidelines. RESULTS: The prevalence of hypertension, obesity, and diabetes was
      17.1%, 5.5%, and 35.4%, respectively. Sleep duration was not associated with any
      cardiovascular risk factor. There was a significantly increased odds for
      hypertension (odds ratio [OR], 1.05; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.01-1.08) and
      obesity (OR, 1.03; 95% CI, 1.00-1.05) associated with higher sleep fragmentation
      (per 1%). There was also a significantly increased odds for hypertension
      associated with poorer self-reported sleep quality (OR, 1.14 [95% CI, 1.05-1.24]
      per 1-unit higher Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index global score). CONCLUSION:
      Objective and self-reported sleep quality may be more important than duration in
      relation to prevalent hypertension.

PMID- 28346158
TI  - Delayed high school start times later than 8:30am and impact on graduation rates
      and attendance rates.
AB  - OBJECTIVES: The first purpose of this study was to investigate changes in high
      school graduation rates with a delayed school start time of later than 8:30am.
      The second aim of the study was to analyze the association between a delayed high
      school start time later than 8:30am and attendance rates. DESIGN: In the current
      study, a pre-post design using a repeated-measures analysis of variance was used
      to examine changes in attendance and graduation rates 2 years after a delayed
      start was implemented. SETTING: Public high schools from 8 school districts (n=29
      high schools) located throughout 7 different states. Schools were identified
      using previous research from the Children's National Medical Center's Division of
      Sleep Medicine Research Team. PARTICIPANTS AND MEASUREMENTS: A total membership
      of more than 30,000 high school students enrolled in the 29 schools identified by
      the Children's National Medical Center's Research Team. A pre-post design was
      used for a within-subject design, controlling for any school-to-school difference
      in the calculation of the response variable. This is the recommended technique
      for a study that may include data with potential measurement error. RESULTS:
      Findings from this study linked a start time of later than 8:30am to improved
      attendance rates and graduation rates. CONCLUSIONS: Attendance rates and
      graduation rates significantly improved in schools with delayed start times of
      8:30am or later. School officials need to take special notice that this
      investigation also raises questions about whether later start times are a
      mechanism for closing the achievement gap due to improved graduation rates.

PMID- 28346159
TI  - Using actigraphy feedback to improve sleep in soldiers: an exploratory trial.
AB  - OBJECTIVES: The objective of this study was to assess the impact of wearing an
      actigraph and receiving personalized feedback on the sleep of a high-risk
      occupational group: United States soldiers recently returned from a combat
      deployment. DESIGN: Following a baseline survey with a full sample, a subsample
      of soldiers wore an actigraph, received feedback, and completed a brief survey.
      Two months later, the full sample completed a follow-up survey. The actigraph
      intervention involved wearing an actigraph for 3 weeks and then receiving a
      personalized report about sleep patterns and an algorithm-based estimate of
      cognitive functioning derived from individual sleep patterns. RESULTS: Propensity
      score matching with a genetic search algorithm revealed that subjects in the
      actigraph condition (n=43) reported fewer sleep problems (t value = -2.55, P<.01)
      and getting more sleep hours (t value =1.97, P<.05) at follow-up than those in a
      matched comparison condition (n=43, weighted). There were no significant
      differences in functioning, somatic symptoms, and mental health outcomes
      (posttraumatic stress disorder symptoms and depression). A significant
      interaction indicated that the actigraph had a more beneficial effect on those
      with more somatic symptoms at baseline but not those with more sleep problems.
      Most participants rated the personalized report as helpful. CONCLUSION:
      Actigraphs combined with personalized reports may offer a useful, simple
      intervention to improve the sleep patterns of large, high-risk occupational
      groups.

PMID- 28346160
TI  - Sleep under a mother's protective gaze.

PMID- 28346161
TI  - Gender differences in sleep hygiene practices and sleep quality in New Zealand
      adolescents aged 15 to 17 years.
AB  - AIM: To examine, in a nationwide sample of New Zealand adolescents, self-reported
      sleep hygiene, and specifically evening technology and caffeine use, and body
      mass index, in relation to sleep quality. DESIGN: Cross-sectional survey.
      PARTICIPANTS: A total of 692 adolescents (59% girls), predominantly European
      (78%), with an average age of 16 years 9 months were recruited through schools,
      community advertising, and social media. MEASURES: All participants completed the
      Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index and Adolescent Sleep Hygiene Scale online, and
      questions about their height, weight, evening technology use, and caffeine
      consumption. RESULTS: Fifty-six percent of adolescents had poor sleep quality
      with a higher prevalence in girls (63.1%) than in boys (44.5%), and sleep hygiene
      (Adolescent Sleep Hygiene Scale) was significantly worse in girls. Caffeine after
      dinner was associated with increased adjusted odds of a poorer score for
      Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index-evaluated daytime dysfunction (P=.002). A higher
      proportion of girls drank hot caffeinated drinks (51.8%) after dinner than did
      boys (38.1%), and although more boys (12.1% vs 9.2%) drank energy drinks, the
      difference was not significant. A 1-hour increase in evening technology time
      increased the odds of poor sleep efficiency by 20% (P=.04). A 1-zscore increase
      in body mass index resulted in a 38% higher adjusted odds of poor sleep
      efficiency (P=.015) and 21% higher adjusted odds of long sleep latency (P=.032).
      DISCUSSION: The findings highlight gender differences in sleep quality and some
      presleep behaviors of New Zealand youth, and support the role for good sleep
      hygiene practices to promote healthy sleep in adolescents.

PMID- 28346163
TI  - Sleep and mental health: the moderating role of perceived adolescent-parent
      attachment.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: The present study investigated whether the effects of sleep duration
      and quality on adolescent adjustment were moderated by perceived attachment to
      mothers and fathers. DESIGN: The study used a cross-sectional design. SETTING:
      Participants were recruited from small town and semirural communities in Alabama.
      PARTICIPANTS: Participants were 106 adolescents (mean age=13.61 years, SD=.73;
      55% girls; 28% African American, 72% European American) and their parents.
      MEASUREMENTS: Sleep duration (minutes) and sleep quality (efficiency, number of
      long wake episodes) were derived using actigraphy, and subjective sleep/wake
      problems were derived with adolescent reports. Adolescents also reported on
      perceived attachment to mothers and fathers, internalizing symptoms, and self
      esteem. Mothers and fathers reported on externalizing behaviors. RESULTS: Path
      model analyses indicated that perceived attachment to parents moderated relations
      between adolescents' sleep quality and their adjustment. For externalizing
      symptoms and self-esteem, adolescents at greatest risk for maladjustment were
      those who reported poor quality sleep (ie, more sleep/wake problems, lower sleep
      efficiency) coupled with less secure attachment to parents. Conversely,
      adolescents who experienced better actigraphy-based sleep quality (ie, higher
      sleep efficiency, fewer long wake episodes) in conjunction with more secure
      attachment to parents experienced the lowest levels of anxiety symptoms. Less
      secure attachment was associated with high levels of anxiety symptoms independent
      of sleep quality. Similar patterns of associations emerged for attachment to
      mothers and fathers. CONCLUSIONS: Findings highlight the importance of examining
      the conjoint influence of sleep and adolescent-parent relationships toward
      explication of adolescent's mental health.

PMID- 28346162
TI  - Household chaos and sleep-disturbing behavior of family members: results of a
      pilot study of African American early adolescents.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Although disorganized, chaotic households have been linked to poorer
      sleep outcomes, how household chaos actually manifests itself in the behaviors of
      others around the bedtime of a child or adolescent is not well understood.
      OBJECTIVE: To determine whether household chaos was associated with specific,
      nightly sleep-disturbing activities of adolescents' family members. DESIGN:
      Longitudinal study. PARTICIPANTS: Twenty-six African American or multiethnic
      early adolescent (ages 11-12 years) and parent dyads, recruited from local
      schools and social-service agencies in greater Cleveland, OH. MEASUREMENTS: Over
      14 days, each night at bedtime, adolescents identified family-member activities
      keeping them awake or making it difficult to sleep by using a smart phone
      administered survey. Household organization was assessed via parent-completed,
      validated instruments. A generalized linear mixed model examined associations
      between each activity and household-organization measures. RESULTS: Adjusted for
      the effect of school being in session the next day, an increasingly chaotic
      household was associated with increased odds of household members disturbing
      adolescents' efforts to fall asleep by watching TV/listening to music (odds ratio
      [OR]=1.8, 95% confidence interval [CI]=1.2-3.2), phoning/texting (OR=1.7, 95% CI
      =1.2-2.9), or having friends/relatives over visiting at the home (OR=1.6, 95% CI
      =1.0-3.0). Conversely, a more chaotic household was associated with decreased
      odds of adolescents reporting that "nothing" was keeping them awake or making it
      more difficult to sleep (OR=0.6, 95% CI =0.4-0.8). Enforced sleep rules were
      inconsistently associated with sleep-disturbing behaviors. CONCLUSION: Improving
      early-adolescent sleep may benefit from considering the nighttime behavior of all
      household members and encouraging families to see that improving early-adolescent
      sleep requires the household's participation.

PMID- 28346164
TI  - Affiliative interpersonal behaviors during stress are associated with sleep
      quality and presleep arousal in young, healthy adults.
AB  - OBJECTIVES: This study examined the association between stress-related
      interpersonal behaviors, presleep arousal (PSA), and sleep quality. METHODS:
      Sixty-four participants (53% female) described a recent stressful interpersonal
      event that was coded for overall degree of affiliation (warmth vs hostility) and
      autonomy (independence vs interdependence). Cognitive and somatic PSA and sleep
      quality were examined using regression with affiliation and autonomy scores as
      predictors. Specific interpersonal behaviors that comprise overall affiliation
      were also examined. RESULTS: More affiliation (warmth) was associated with lower
      cognitive PSA (beta=-.32) and better sleep quality (beta=-.28). Autonomy was not
      associated with sleep quality or PSA. The specific behavior trust in others was
      associated with better sleep quality (rs=-.25). CONCLUSIONS: Behaviors during
      stress reflect underlying dimensions of interpersonal security. Findings
      underscore importance of interpersonal frameworks for understanding associations
      between stress and sleep, and provide support for the anthropological theory that
      interpersonal security is necessary for healthy sleep.

PMID- 28346165
TI  - Department of Error.

PMID- 28346166
TI  - November 8-14, 2014.

PMID- 28346167
TI  - Antibiotic research priorities: ready, set, now go.

PMID- 28346169
TI  - Corrections.

PMID- 28346168
TI  - Vaccine compliance and the 2016 Arkansas mumps outbreak.

PMID- 28346170
TI  - Corrections.

PMID- 28346171
TI  - The need for randomised controlled trials of isoniazid monoresistant tuberculosis
      treatment.

PMID- 28346172
TI  - FATE: the new partnership to Fight Against TB in Central and Eastern Europe.

PMID- 28346173
TI  - Drawbacks of communicating refugee vaccination rates.

PMID- 28346174
TI  - Surveillance of Crimean-Congo haemorrhagic fever in Pakistan.

PMID- 28346175
TI  - HPV screening in Islamic countries.

PMID- 28346176
TI  - Until eradication, awareness.

PMID- 28346177
TI  - Biomarker tests for bacterial infection-a costly wait for the holy grail.

PMID- 28346178
TI  - Duration of surgical antibiotic prophylaxis in patients with asymptomatic
      bacteriuria - Authors' reply.

PMID- 28346179
TI  - Duration of surgical antibiotic prophylaxis in patients with asymptomatic
      bacteriuria.

PMID- 28346180
TI  - HIV vaccines: where are we now?

PMID- 28346181
TI  - Highlights from the 24th CROI.

PMID- 28346182
TI  - Social otitis media: ear infection and disparity in Australia.

PMID- 28346185
TI  - Neisseria meningitidis and purpura fulminans in a woman with chronic liver
      disease.

PMID- 28346186
TI  - Epithelioid cell granuloma in the bone marrow secondary to Epstein-Barr virus
      infection.

PMID- 28346187
TI  - Re: The role of Th1/Th2 cells and associated cytokines in autoimmune hepatitis.

PMID- 28346188
TI  - Seroprevalance of hepatitis B and C infections in Turkey.

PMID- 28346189
TI  - Etiology and comorbidities of childhood obesity.

PMID- 28346190
TI  - Retraction Notice.
AB  - This retracts the article DOI: 10.4318/tjg.2011.0208.

PMID- 28346192
TI  - Menopausal Symptom Relief and Side Effects Experienced by Women Using Compounded
      Bioidentical Hormone Replacement Therapy and Synthetic Conjugated Equine Estrogen
      and/or Progestin Hormone Replacement Therapy, Part 3.
AB  - The use of compounded bioidentical hormone replacement therapy by menopausal
      women has become a popular alternative to traditional synthetic conjugated equine
      estrogen and progestin hormone replacement therapy due to safety concerns raised
      by recent studies. However, due to the lack of randomized, large-scale trials to
      evaluate the efficacy and side-effect profile of compounded bioidentical hormone
      replacement therapy many healthcare providers are reluctant to prescribe such
      therapy. The purpose of this study was to compare women's menopausal symptom
      relief and side effects experienced when using compounded bioidentical hormone
      replacement therapy and traditional hormone replacement therapy. A descriptive
      comparative design was used. Inferential and descriptive statistical procedures
      including a paired difference t-test, two-sample t-test, and f-tests (percentage,
      mean, standard deviation, frequency) were run on the Statistical Package for the
      Social Sciences. The framework used to guide this study was Lenz and Pugh's
      Theory of Unpleasant Symptoms. Surveys were distributed once to a convenient
      sample of women aged 35 and older when they dropped off or picked up their
      prescriptions at a pharmacy. Of the 216 surveys distributed, 70 were returned
      from those women taking compounded bioidentical hormone replacement therapy and
      53 from traditional hormone replacement therapy. The survey contained 15
      questions pertaining to age, duration of hormone replacement therapy, type and
      formulation of hormone replacement therapy, reasons for initiating hormone
      replacement therapy, symptoms before and one month after hormone replacement
      therapy, and side effects related to hormone replacement therapy. Included in
      part 1 of this series of articles was the introduction to the study conducted and
      the results of the literature review that was conducted for the purpose of
      examining the current data related to the topic of hormone replacement therapy.
      Part 2 provided a brief discussion on the significance of this study to nursing
      and provided the methods used in this study. The results and conclusion of this
      study are provided within this article.

PMID- 28346193
TI  - When to Compound Medications for Veterinary Patients.
AB  - This article serves as a brief discussion about some of the restrictions
      applicable to compounding medications for veterinary patients based on U. S. Food
      and Drug Administration compliance policy guidelines and provides a brief summary
      of when it is appropriate to compound medications for veterinary patients.

PMID- 28346194
TI  - Case Report: Diabetic Foot Ulcer Infection Treated with Topical Compounded
      Medications.
AB  - An adult diabetic male with three toes amputated on his right foot presented with
      an ulcer infection on his left foot, unresponsive to conventional antifungal oral
      medication for over two months. The ulcerated foot wound had a large impairment
      on the patient's quality of life, as determined by the Wound-QoL questionnaire.
      The compounding pharmacist recommended and the physician prescribed two topical
      compounded medicines, which were applied twice a day, free of charge at the
      compounding pharmacy. The foot ulcer infection was completely resolved following
      13 days of treatment, with no longer any impairment on the patient's quality of
      life. This scientific case study highlights the value of pharmaceutical
      compounding in current therapeutics, the importance of the triad relationship,
      and the key role of the compounding pharmacist in diabetes care.

PMID- 28346195
TI  - Why You Should Become an International Academy of Compounding Pharmacists Member.

PMID- 28346196
TI  - Analytic Methods Used in Quality Control in a Compounding Pharmacy.
AB  - Analytical testing will no doubt become a more important part of pharmaceutical
      compounding as the public and regulatory agencies demand increasing documentation
      of the quality of compounded preparations. Compounding pharmacists must decide
      what types of testing and what amount of testing to include in their quality
      control programs, and whether testing should be done in-house or outsourced. Like
      pharmaceutical compounding, analytical testing should be performed only by those
      who are appropriately trained and qualified. This article discusses the
      analytical methods that are used in quality control in a compounding pharmacy.

PMID- 28346197
TI  - Basics of Compounding with Dilutions and Concentrates.
AB  - Pharmacists use various sources for obtaining the active pharmaceutical
      ingredient for compounding medications. In many cases, it is the pure drug
      (United States Pharmacopeia, National Formulary, or similar grade); in some
      cases, it can be a commercial dosage form; and, in some cases, it may be a
      dilution or concentrate. If the drug is not present at full strength, then
      adjustments may be necessary to obtain the required quantity of drug. Also, in
      many cases, it is necessary to use a dilution or a concentrate of a drug due to
      safety and quality reasons. Presented within this article are new sources of
      active pharmaceutical ingredients that are now available to aid pharmacists in
      meeting future United States Pharmacopeia <800> standards. It is critical that
      the pharmacist be aware of the strength of the drug and any other excipients that
      may be available.

PMID- 28346198
TI  - Basics of Sterile Compounding: Biopharmaceutics of Injectable Dosage Forms.
AB  - Biopharmaceutics studies the relationship between the drug product and what
      happens after the product is administered. Since the majority of injectables are
      administered by the intravenous route, thus avoiding the need for drug
      absorption, not many articles are published compared to other routes of drug
      administration. However, other routes of administration for drug injection are
      becoming more frequent because of greater commercial availability of sustained-
      and controlled-release drug delivery systems. This article reviews basic
      principles of drug absorption, distribution, metabolism, and elimination of
      injectable drugs and certain physicochemical and physiological factors affecting
      injectable drug biopharmaceutics.

PMID- 28346199
TI  - Compatibility and Stability of Rolapitant Injectable Emulsion Admixed with
      Dexamethasone Sodium Phosphate.
AB  - Neurokinin-1 receptor antagonist, 5-hydroxytryptamine-3 receptor antagonist, and
      dexamethasone combination therapy is the standard of care for the prevention of
      chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting. Herein, we describe the physical and
      chemical stability of an injectable emulsion of the Neurokinin-1 receptor
      antagonist rolapitant 185 mg in 92.5 mL (free base, 166.5 mg in 92.5 mL) admixed
      with either 2.5 mL of dexamethasone sodium phosphate (10 mg) or 5 mL of
      dexamethasone sodium phosphate (20 mg). Admixtures were prepared and stored in
      two types of container closures (glass and Crystal Zenith plastic bottles) and
      four types of intravenous administration tubing sets (or intravenous tubing
      sets). The assessment of the physical and chemical stability was conducted on
      admixtures packaged in bottled samples stored at room temperature (20 degrees C
      to 25 degrees C under fluorescent light) and evaluated at 0, 1, and 6 hours. For
      admixtures in intravenous tubing sets, the assessment of physicochemical
      stability was performed after 0 and 7 hours of storage at 20 degrees C to 25
      degrees C, and then after 20 hours (total 27 hours) under refrigeration (2
      degrees C to 8 degrees C) and protected from light. Physical stability was
      assessed by visually examining the bottle contents under normal room light and
      measuring turbidity and particulate matter. Chemical stability was assessed by
      measuring the pH of the admixture and determining drug concentrations through
      high-performance liquid chromatographic analysis. Results showed that all samples
      were physically compatible throughout the duration of the study. The admixtures
      stayed within narrow and acceptable ranges in pH, turbidity, and particulate
      matter. Admixtures of rolapitant and dexamethasone were chemically stable when
      stored in glass and Crystal Zenith bottles for at least 6 hours at room
      temperature, as well as in the four selected intravenous tubing sets for 7 hours
      at 20 degrees C to 25 degrees C and then for 20 (total 27 hours) hours at 2
      degrees C to 8 degrees C. No loss of potency of any admixed component occurred in
      the samples stored at the temperature ranges studied.

PMID- 28346200
TI  - Compatibility and Stability of Rolapitant Injectable Emulsion Admixed with
      Intravenous Palonosetron Hydrochloride.
AB  - Neurokinin-1 receptor antagonist, 5-hydroxytryptamine-3 RA, and dexamethasone
      combination therapy is standard of care for the prevention of chemotherapy
      induced nausea and vomiting. Herein we describe the physical and chemical
      stability of rolapitant injectable emulsion 166.5 mg in 92.5 mL (185 mg
      hydrochloride salt) admixed with palonosetron injection 0.25 mg in 5 mL (0.28 mg
      hydrochloride salt). Admixtures were prepared and stored in two types of
      container closures (110-mL Crystal Zenith plastic and glass bottles) and four
      types of intravenous administration sets (or intravenous tubing sets). Assessment
      of the physical and chemical stability was conducted on the admixtures in the
      ready-to-use container closure systems as supplied by the manufacturer, stored at
      room temperature (20 degrees C to 25 degrees C under fluorescent light), and
      evaluated at 0, 1, and 6 hours; 1 and 2 days; and under refrigeration (2 degrees
      C to 8 degrees C protected from light) after 1, 3, and 7 days. For admixtures in
      intravenous tubing sets, the assessment of physicochemical stability was
      performed after 0 and 7 hours of storage at 20 degrees C to 25 degrees C
      initially, and then after 20 hours (total 27 hours) at 2 degrees C to 8 degrees C
      protected from light. Physical stability was assessed by visual examination of
      the container contents under normal room light, and measuring turbidity and
      particulate matter. Chemical stability was assessed by measuring the pH of the
      admixture and determining drug concentrations and impurity levels with high
      performance liquid chromatographic analysis. The results indicated that all
      samples were physically compatible throughout the duration of the study. The pH,
      turbidity, and particulate matter of the admixture stayed within narrow and
      acceptable ranges. Rolapitant admixed with palonosetron was chemically stable
      when admixed in glass and Crystal Zenith bottles for at least 48 hours at room
      temperature and for 7 days under refrigeration, as well as in the four selected
      intravenous tubing sets for 7 hours at 20 degrees C to 25 degrees C and then for
      20 hours at 2 degrees C to 8 degrees C. No loss of potency of any admixed
      components occurred in the samples stored at the two temperature ranges and time
      period studied.

PMID- 28346201
TI  - A Pilot Stability Study of Dehydroepiandrosterone Rapid-dissolving Tablets
      Prepared by Extemporaneous Compounding.
AB  - Dehydroepiandrosterone supplementation is used to treat a variety of conditions.
      Rapid-dissolving tablets are a relatively novel choice for compounded
      dehydroepiandrosterone dosage forms. While rapid-dissolving tablets offer ease of
      administration, there are uncertainties about the physical and chemical stability
      of the drug and dosage form during preparation and over long-term storage. This
      study was designed to evaluate the stability of dehydroepiandrosterone rapid
      dissolving tablets just after preparation and over six months of storage. The
      Professional Compounding Centers of America rapid-dissolving tablet mold and base
      formula were used to prepare 10-mg strength dehydroepiandrosterone rapid
      dissolving tablets. The formulation was heated at 100 degrees C to 110 degrees C
      for 30 minutes, released from the mold, and cooled at room temperature for 30
      minutes. The resulting rapid-dissolving tablets were individually packaged in
      amber blister packs and stored in a stability chamber maintained at 25 degrees C
      and 60% relative humidity. The stability samples were pulled at pre-determined
      time points for evaluation, which included visual inspection, tablet weight
      check, United States Pharmacopeia disintegration test, and stability-indicating
      high-performance liquid chromatography. The freshly prepared
      dehydroepiandrosterone rapiddissolving tablets exhibited satisfactory chemical
      and physical stability. Time 0 samples disintegrated within 40 seconds in water
      kept at 37 degrees C. The high-performance liquid chromatographic results
      confirmed that the initial potency was 101.9% of label claim and that there was
      no chemical degradation from the heating procedure. Over six months of storage,
      there were no significant changes in visual appearance, physical integrity, or
      disintegration time for any of the stability samples. The high-performance liquid
      chromatographic results also indicated that dehydroepiandrosterone rapid
      dissolving tablets retained >95% label claim with no detectable degradation
      products. The dehydroepiandrosterone rapid-dissolving tablets investigated in
      this pilot study were physically and chemically stable during preparation and
      over six months of storage at 25 degrees C and 60% relative humidity.

PMID- 28346202
TI  - PreScription: Whatever Happened to Common Sense?

PMID- 28346203
TI  - U.S. Food and Drug Administration Inspections: Guide to a Successful Outcome for
      503A Sterile Compounding Pharmacies.
AB  - The reasons for which pharmaceutical compounding is the focus of intense state
      and federal scrutiny are now well known. Compounders are faced with an ever
      increasing need to prove, by objective standards, the safety, purity, and potency
      of the formulations they dispense. They must also demonstrate their compliance
      with regulations often based on current good compounding practices designed for
      the pharmaceutical industry. In the U.S. today, rigorous unannounced state and
      federal inspections of compounding facilities are occurring more and more
      frequently. To achieve a successful outcome, communicating clearly and
      effectively with inspectors and having ready access to the information they
      request are as critical as proving compliance. This article describes the
      author's experience with an unannounced United States Food and Drug
      Administration inspection of his 503A compounding facility and his response to
      the findings. Readers will learn what to expect during such an inspection, how to
      prepare for that event, and how to achieve an excellent outcome. Those who would
      like more information about any of the topics presented are invited to contact
      the author at the address provided at the close of this article.

PMID- 28346204
TI  - Restructuring the Art of Health by Pharmacists: Formulation Designs with Oral
      Vehicles--Teaching Pharmacy Students.
AB  - Compounding pharmacists, responsible for appropriate preparation of medications,
      coordinate with other professionals to reach optimal therapeutic options for
      patients. This review summarizes proprietary oral vehicles or suspensions
      focusing on available information or updated data from suppliers. Research has
      advanced methods with revised applications, cutting-edge safety considerations,
      beyond-use dating provisions for technical assistance, and evidence to review and
      teach pharmacy students the opportunities in the choices of an oral vehicle.
      Current marketing, competitive, and scientific trends necessitate that
      manufacturers shift further to research of product or integrated product mixes to
      sustain their independence in pharmacies.

PMID- 28346205
TI  - Consultation for Human, Veterinary, and Compounded Medications.
AB  - Providing consultation on medications is a daily responsibility for pharmacists.
      However, counseling components for veterinary or compounded medications can
      differ from those for manufactured medications for humans. This article lists the
      content that should be provided during consultation, describes differences
      between counseling for human and veterinary patients, and provides references
      that can be used. Because many veterinary medications are compounded, this
      article also provides information that should accompany compounded preparations.

PMID- 28346206
TI  - The International Academy of Compounding Pharmacists Introduces a New President.

PMID- 28346207
TI  - Quality Control: (Material) Safety Data Sheets.
AB  - Safety Data Sheets (formerly Material Safety Data Sheets) are a system for
      cataloging information on chemicals, chemical compounds, and chemical mixtures
      and include instructions for the safe use and potential hazards associated with a
      particular material or product. At present, there are 16 sections of Safety Data
      Sheets, and these sections are discussed in this article. Two United States
      Pharmacopeia compounding-related chapters (<795> and <800>) refer to Safety Data
      Sheets, and this article provides a brief discussion on the terminology contained
      within those chapters.

PMID- 28346208
TI  - Basics of Compounding: 3D Printing--Pharmacy Applications, Part 1.
AB  - Three-dimensional printing quickly became a standard tool in the automotive,
      aerospace, and consumer goods industries and, recently, has begun gaining
      traction in pharmaceutical manufacturing. 3D printing has steadily grown,
      introducing a new element into dosage form development, and has received a boost
      with U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval of the 3D-printed
      orodispersible tablet, Spritam (levetiracetam). This part 1 of a 3-part article
      introduces 3D printing and its application to pharmacy.

PMID- 28346209
TI  - Accuracy Considerations in Sterile Compounding.
AB  - Published information about the accuracy of filling and closing operations of
      sterile products is limited and guidelines on the topic are very general. This
      article highlights the basic principles in sterile-product filling of syringes
      and vials. Also covered in this article are descriptions of some of the available
      devices for filling containers, a brief discussion of the advances in vial and
      syringe filling, a discussion on the advantages and disadvantages of sterile
      product filling methods, and a discussion on possible problems encountered during
      filling operations. Because of the extremely high costs of some new drugs,
      especially biopharmaceuticals, compounding pharmacies may prefer to fill small
      batches to reduce the risk of unacceptable monetary losses in the event of a
      manufacturing deviation that results in batch rejection.

PMID- 28346210
TI  - Stability of Alprostadil in 0.9% Sodium Chloride Stored in Polyvinyl Chloride
      Containers.
AB  - The stability of alprostadil diluted in 0.9% sodium chloride stored in polyvinyl
      chloride (VIAFLEX) containers at refrigerated temperature, protected from light,
      is reported. Five solutions of alprostadil 11 mcg/mL were prepared in 250 mL 0.9%
      sodium chloride polyvinyl chloride (PL146) containers. The final concentration of
      alcohol was 2%. Samples were stored under refrigeration (2 degrees C to 8 degrees
      C) with protection from light. Two containers were submitted for potency testing
      and analyzed in duplicate with the stability-indicating high-performance liquid
      chromatography assay at specific time points over 14 days. Three containers were
      submitted for pH and visual testing at specific time points over 14 days.
      Stability was defined as retention of 90% to 110% of initial alprostadil
      concentration, with maintenance of the original clear, colorless, and visually
      particulate-free solution. Study results reported retention of 90% to 110%
      initial alprostadil concentration at all time points through day 10. One sample
      exceeded 110% potency at day 14. pH values did not change appreciably over the 14
      days. There were no color changes or particle formation detected in the solutions
      over the study period. This study concluded that during refrigerated, light
      protected storage in polyvinyl chloride (VIAFLEX) containers, a commercial
      alcohol-containing alprostadil formulation diluted to 11 mcg/mL with 0.9% sodium
      chloride 250 mL was stable for 10 days.

PMID- 28346211
TI  - Stability of Two Antifungal Agents, Fluconazole and Miconazole, Compounded in
      HUMCO RECURA Topical Cream to Determine Beyond-Use Date.
AB  - A novel compounding vehicle (RECURA) has previously been proven to penetrate the
      nail bed when compounded with the antifungal agent miconazole or fluconazole,
      providing for an effective treatment for onychomycosis. In this study, miconazole
      and fluconazole were compounded separately in RECURA compounding cream, and they
      were tested at different time points (0, 7, 14, 28, 45, 60, 90, and 180 days) to
      determine the beyond-use date of those formulations. The beyond-use date testing
      of both formulations (10% miconazole in RECURA and 10% fluconazole in RECURA)
      proved them to be physically, chemically, and microbiologically stable under
      International Conference of Harmonisation controlled room temperature (25 degrees
      C +/- 2 degrees C/60% RH +/-5%) for at least 180 days from the date of
      compounding. Stability-indicating analytical method validation was completed for
      the simultaneous determination of miconazole and fluconazole in RECURA base using
      high-performance liquid chromatography coupled with photodiode array detector
      prior to the study.

PMID- 28346212
TI  - Stability of Extemporaneously Prepared Hydroxycarbamide Oral Suspensions.
AB  - Hydroxycarbamide, available as tablets, is a pharmacological agent for fetal
      hemoglobin induction such as sickle cell anemia. The need for alternative dosage
      form options for patients unable to take tablets led hospital pharmacies to
      prepare solutions and suspensions. The objective of this study was to determine
      the stability of hydroxycarbamide in Ora-Plus in combination with either Ora
      Sweet or Ora-Sweet SF, Ora-Blend, or Ora-Blend SF suspending agents. The studied
      samples were compounded into 100-mg/mL suspensions and stored in 60-mL amber
      glass bottles at room (22 degrees C to 25 degrees C) or refrigerated (4 degrees C
      to 8 degrees C) temperature. Samples were assayed at each time point out to 120
      days by a stability-indicating high-performance liquid chromatography method. The
      samples were examined for any change in color, odor, visual microbiology, and pH
      on initial and final day of analysis. At least 90% of hydroxycarbamide
      concentration remained in all suspensions at the end of the 120-day study period
      in both conditions. There was no appreciable change in color, odor, or taste. The
      pH values of suspensions stored at 25 degrees C changed by at least 1 unit at the
      end of the study period. Based on the data collected, the beyond-use date of
      these suspensions is 120 days when stored in 60-mL amber glass bottles at both
      temperature storage conditions.

PMID- 28346213
TI  - Development and Application of a High-Performance Liquid Chromatography Stability
      Indicating Assay for Beyond-Use Date Determination of Compounded Topical Gels
      Containing Multiple Active Drugs.
AB  - Topical gels compounded by pharmacists are important clinical tools for the
      management of pain. Nevertheless, there is often a dearth of information about
      the chemical stability of drugs included in these topical formulations,
      complicating the assignment of beyond-use dating. The purpose of this study was
      to develop a high-performance liquid chromatography photodiode array-based
      stability-indicating assay that could simultaneously resolve six drugs
      (amitriptyline, baclofen, clonidine, gabapentin, ketoprofen, lidocaine) commonly
      included in topical gels for pain management and their potential degradation
      products. Furthermore, this method was applied to the determination of beyond-use
      dating of combinations of these drugs prepared in commonly utilized bases
      (Lipobase, Lipoderm, Pluronic organogel). Gabapentin was determined to be the
      least stable component in all formulations tested. Measured stability ranged
      between 7 to 49 days depending on the base and other active drugs present in the
      formulation. In the absence of gabapentin, baclofen was the next least stable
      component, lasting for 120 days, regardless of the type of formulating base used.

PMID- 28346214
TI  - Suspensions as a Valuable Alternative to Extemporaneously Compounded Capsules.
AB  - The objective of this study was to determine the variation in content of 74
      different active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) and compare it with what is
      known in the literature for the content uniformity of extemporaneous prepared
      capsules. Active pharmaceutical ingredients quantification was performed by high
      performance liquid chromatography, via a stability-indicating method. Samples for
      all active pharmaceutical ingredients were taken throughout a 90-day period and
      the content was determined. In total, 5,190 different samples were analyzed for
      74 different active pharmaceutical ingredients at room (15 degrees C to 25
      degrees C) or controlled refrigerated temperature (2 degrees C to 8 degrees C).
      Each of these datasets was analyzed according to the United States Pharmacopeia
      Content Uniformity monograph, corrected for the sample number. The mean
      acceptance values were well within specifications. In addition, all suspensions
      complied with the criteria defined by the British Pharmacopoeia monograph for
      Content Uniformity of Liquid Dispersions for both room and controlled
      refrigerated temperature. In previous studies, it was found that a routine weight
      variation check is often not sufficient for quality assurance of extemporaneous
      prepared capsules. Compounded oral liquids show little variation in content for
      74 different active pharmaceutical ingredients; therefore, compounded oral
      liquids are a suitable alternative when compounding individualized medications
      for patients.

PMID- 28346215
TI  - Enhanced optoelectronic quality of perovskite films with excess CH3NH3I for high
      efficiency solar cells in ambient air.
AB  - Solution-processed polycrystalline perovskite films contribute critically to the
      high photovoltaic performance of perovskite-based solar cells (PSCs). The
      inevitable electronic trap states at grain boundaries and intrinsic defects such
      as metallic lead (Pb0) and halide vacancies in perovskite films cause serious
      carrier recombination loss. Furthermore, the film can easily decompose into PbI2
      in a moist atmosphere. Here, we introduce a simple strategy, through a small
      increase in methylammonium iodide (CH3NH3I, MAI), molar proportion (5%), for
      perovskite fabrication in ambient air with ~50% relative humidity. Analysis of
      the morphology and crystallography demonstrates that excess MAI significantly
      promotes grain growth without decomposition. X-ray photoemission spectroscopy
      shows that no metallic Pb0 exists in the perovskite film and the I/Pb ratio is
      improved. A time-resolved photoluminescence measurement indicates efficient
      suppression of non-radiative recombination in the perovskite layer. As a result,
      the device yields improved power conversion efficiency from 14.06% to 18.26% with
      reduced hysteresis and higher stability under AM1.5G illumination (100 mW cm-2).
      This work strongly provides a feasible and low-cost way to develop highly
      efficient PSCs in ambient air.

PMID- 28346216
TI  - Non-linear conduction due to depinning of charge order domains in Fe3O2BO3.
AB  - The oxyborate Fe3O2BO3 presents a charge density wave (CDW) transition close to
      room temperature. As we show here, this is associated with a well defined anomaly
      in the specific heat. Below this transition, when applying in a single crystal of
      Fe3O2BO3 a DC voltage above a temperature dependent threshold, a high current is
      liberated in this material. We study the conduction in single crystals of
      Fe3O2BO3 with voltage applied parallel and perpendicular to the crystallographic
      c axis direction. The observed currents are attributed to the depinning of charge
      ordered domains above a threshold voltage V T2 that gives rise to a collective
      conduction due to coherent domains. Compliance limited DC data shows that above a
      lower threshold voltage depinning is smooth and follows a power law scaling.
      Similar depinning with power law scaling is also revealed in the AC conductivity.

PMID- 28346217
TI  - The possibility of multi-layer nanofabrication via atomic force microscope-based
      pulse electrochemical nanopatterning.
AB  - Pulse electrochemical nanopatterning, a non-contact scanning probe lithography
      process using ultrashort voltage pulses, is based primarily on an electrochemical
      machining process using localized electrochemical oxidation between a sharp tool
      tip and the sample surface. In this study, nanoscale oxide patterns were formed
      on silicon Si (100) wafer surfaces via electrochemical surface nanopatterning, by
      supplying external pulsed currents through non-contact atomic force microscopy.
      Nanoscale oxide width and height were controlled by modulating the applied pulse
      duration. Additionally, protruding nanoscale oxides were removed completely by
      simple chemical etching, showing a depressed pattern on the sample substrate
      surface. Nanoscale two-dimensional oxides, prepared by a localized
      electrochemical reaction, can be defined easily by controlling physical and
      electrical variables, before proceeding further to a layer-by-layer
      nanofabrication process.

PMID- 28346218
TI  - Wafer-scale production of highly uniform two-dimensional MoS2 by metal-organic
      chemical vapor deposition.
AB  - Semiconducting two-dimensional (2D) materials, particularly extremely thin
      molybdenum disulfide (MoS2) films, are attracting considerable attention from
      academia and industry owing to their distinctive optical and electrical
      properties. Here, we present the direct growth of a MoS2 monolayer with
      unprecedented spatial and structural uniformity across an entire 8 inch SiO2/Si
      wafer. The influences of growth pressure, ambient gases (Ar, H2), and S/Mo molar
      flow ratio on the MoS2 layered growth were explored by considering the domain
      size, nucleation sites, morphology, and impurity incorporation. Monolayer MoS2
      based field effect transistors achieve an electron mobility of 0.47 cm2 V-1 s-1
      and on/off current ratio of 5.4 * 104. This work demonstrates the potential for
      reliable wafer-scale production of 2D MoS2 for practical applications in next
      generation electronic and optical devices.

PMID- 28346219
TI  - Semiconductor devices for entangled photon pair generation: a review.
AB  - Entanglement is one of the most fascinating properties of quantum mechanical
      systems; when two particles are entangled the measurement of the properties of
      one of the two allows the properties of the other to be instantaneously known,
      whatever the distance separating them. In parallel with fundamental research on
      the foundations of quantum mechanics performed on complex experimental set-ups,
      we assist today with bourgeoning of quantum information technologies bound to
      exploit entanglement for a large variety of applications such as secure
      communications, metrology and computation. Among the different physical systems
      under investigation, those involving photonic components are likely to play a
      central role and in this context semiconductor materials exhibit a huge potential
      in terms of integration of several quantum components in miniature chips. In this
      article we review the recent progress in the development of semiconductor devices
      emitting entangled photons. We will present the physical processes allowing the
      generation of entanglement and the tools to characterize it; we will give an
      overview of major recent results of the last few years and highlight perspectives
      for future developments.

PMID- 28346220
TI  - Magnetocrystalline two-fold symmetry in CaFe2O4 single crystal.
AB  - Understanding of magnetocrystalline anisotropy in CaFe2O4 is a matter of
      importance for its future applications. A high quality single crystal CaFe2O4
      sample is studied by using synchrotron x-ray diffraction, a magnetometer and the
      electron spin resonance (ESR) technique. A broad feature of the susceptibility
      curve around room temperature is observed, indicating the development of 1D spin
      interactions above the on-set of antiferromagnetic transition. The angular
      dependency of ESR reveals an in-plane two-fold symmetry, suggesting a strong
      correlation between the room temperature spin structure and magnetocrystalline
      anisotropy. This finding opens an opportunity for the device utilizing the
      anisotropy field of CaFe2O4.

PMID- 28346221
TI  - Direct nucleation, morphology and compositional tuning of InAs1-x Sb x nanowires
      on InAs (111) B substrates.
AB  - III-V ternary nanowires are interesting due to the possibility of modulating
      their physical and material properties by tuning their material composition.
      Amongst them InAs1-x Sb x nanowires are good candidates for applications such as
      Infrared detectors. However, this material has not been grown directly from
      substrates, in a large range of material compositions. Since the properties of
      ternaries are alterable by tuning their composition, it is beneficial to gain
      access to a wide range of composition tunability. Here we demonstrate direct
      nucleation and growth of InAs1-x Sb x nanowires from Au seed particles over a
      broad range of compositions (x = 0.08-0.75) for different diameters and surface
      densities by means of metalorganic vapor phase epitaxy. We investigate how the
      nucleation, morphology, solid phase Sb content, and growth rate of these
      nanowires depend on the particle dimensions, and on growth conditions such as the
      vapor phase composition, V/III ratio, and temperature. We show that the solid
      phase Sb content of the nanowires remains invariant towards changes of the In
      precursor flow. We also discuss that at relatively high In flows the growth
      mechanism alters from Au-seeded to what is referred to as semi In-seeded growth.
      This change enables growth of nanowires with a high solid phase Sb content of
      0.75 that are not feasible via Au-seeded growth. Independent of the growth
      conditions and morphology, we report that the nanowire Sb content changes over
      their length, from lower Sb contents at the base, increasing to higher amounts
      towards the tip. We correlate the axial Sb content variations to the axial growth
      rate measured in situ. We also report spontaneous core-shell formation for Au
      seeded nanowires, where the core is Sb-rich in comparison to the Sb-poor shell.

PMID- 28346222
TI  - Sign determination methods for the respiratory signal in data-driven PET gating.
AB  - Patient respiratory motion during PET image acquisition leads to blurring in the
      reconstructed images and may cause significant artifacts, resulting in decreased
      lesion detectability, inaccurate standard uptake value calculation and incorrect
      treatment planning in radiation therapy. To reduce these effects data can be
      regrouped into (nearly) 'motion-free' gates prior to reconstruction by selecting
      the events with respect to the breathing phase. This gating procedure therefore
      needs a respiratory signal: on current scanners it is obtained from an external
      device, whereas with data driven (DD) methods it can be directly obtained from
      the raw PET data. DD methods thus eliminate the use of external equipment, which
      is often expensive, needs prior setup and can cause patient discomfort, and they
      could also potentially provide increased fidelity to the internal movement. DD
      methods have been recently applied on PET data showing promising results.
      However, many methods provide signals whose direction with respect to the
      physical motion is uncertain (i.e. their sign is arbitrary), therefore a maximum
      in the signal could refer either to the end-inspiration or end-expiration phase,
      possibly causing inaccurate motion correction. In this work we propose two novel
      methods, CorrWeights and CorrSino, to detect the correct direction of the motion
      represented by the DD signal, that is obtained by applying principal component
      analysis (PCA) on the acquired data. They only require the PET raw data, and they
      rely on the assumption that one of the major causes of change in the acquired
      data related to the chest is respiratory motion in the axial direction, that
      generates a cranio-caudal motion of the internal organs. We also implemented two
      versions of a published registration-based method, that require image
      reconstruction. The methods were first applied on XCAT simulations, and later
      evaluated on cancer patient datasets monitored by the Varian Real-time Position
      ManagementTM (RPM) device, selecting the lower chest bed positions. For each
      patient different time intervals were evaluated ranging from 50 to 300 s in
      duration. The novel methods proved to be generally more accurate than the
      registration-based ones in detecting the correct sign of the respiratory signal,
      and their failure rates are lower than 3% when the DD signal is highly correlated
      with the RPM. They also have the advantage of faster computation time, avoiding
      reconstruction. Moreover, CorrWeights is not specifically related to PCA and
      considering its simple implementation, it could easily be applied together with
      any DD method in clinical practice.

PMID- 28346223
TI  - Early rectal cancer: a choice between local excision and transabdominal
      resection. A review of the literature and current guidelines.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: Indication for Local Excision (LE) or Trans Abdominal Resections
      with Total Mesorectal Excision (TAR) in Early Rectal Cancer (ERC) are still
      controversial. MATERIAL OF STUDY: We reviewed meta-analyses, scientific societies
      guidelines, randomized and controlled clinical trials from 1999 to 2016 for a
      total of 146,231 patients. We included in our analysis the accuracy of different
      tools of investigation, the reliability of the endoscopic biopsies and compared
      the results of the various LE and TAR. RESULTS: The Endo Rectal Ultra Sound
      (ERUS) is the most accurate technique for the preoperative staging with an 18% of
      understaging and a 17.3% of overstaging. Endoscopic biopsies do not provide
      reliable data on unfavorable histopathological features in a significant
      percentage of cases. The Transanal Excision Microsurgery (TEM) is the best
      technique among LE but with worse overall results than TAR in terms of R0, local
      recurrence and overall 5-years survival in T2 cancers. DISCUSSION: The ERUS is
      the diagnostic technique most appropriate in the preoperative staging of the ERC;
      the employment of Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) has to be limited to uncertain
      T2 patients. The ERUS shows significant understaging rate which expose to
      inadequate treatment, particularly in T2 patients. Endoscopic biopsies risk to
      disregard unfavorable histological features, resulting in inadequate therapeutic
      indications to LE. The use of TAR guarantees overall better results than the use
      of LE on T2 and T1 with unfavorable histological findings. CONCLUSIONS: The TAR
      still shows best results in the ERC treatment especially in T2 and T1 with
      unfavorable histological findings. KEY WORDS: Early Rectal Cancer (ERC), Local
      Excision (LE), Trans Abdominal Resection with Total Mesorectal Excision (TAR
      TME).

PMID- 28346224
TI  - Mutant alpha2-chimaerin signals via bidirectional ephrin pathways in Duane
      retraction syndrome.
AB  - Duane retraction syndrome (DRS) is the most common form of congenital paralytic
      strabismus in humans and can result from alpha2-chimaerin (CHN1) missense
      mutations. We report a knockin alpha2-chimaerin mouse (Chn1KI/KI) that models
      DRS. Whole embryo imaging of Chn1KI/KI mice revealed stalled abducens nerve
      growth and selective trochlear and first cervical spinal nerve guidance
      abnormalities. Stalled abducens nerve bundles did not reach the orbit, resulting
      in secondary aberrant misinnervation of the lateral rectus muscle by the
      oculomotor nerve. By contrast, Chn1KO/KO mice did not have DRS, and embryos
      displayed abducens nerve wandering distinct from the Chn1KI/KI phenotype. Murine
      embryos lacking EPH receptor A4 (Epha4KO/KO), which is upstream of alpha2
      chimaerin in corticospinal neurons, exhibited similar abducens wandering that
      paralleled previously reported gait alterations in Chn1KO/KO and Epha4KO/KO adult
      mice. Findings from Chn1KI/KI Epha4KO/KO mice demonstrated that mutant alpha2
      chimaerin and EphA4 have different genetic interactions in distinct motor neuron
      pools: abducens neurons use bidirectional ephrin signaling via mutant alpha2
      chimaerin to direct growth, while cervical spinal neurons use only ephrin forward
      signaling, and trochlear neurons do not use ephrin signaling. These findings
      reveal a role for ephrin bidirectional signaling upstream of mutant alpha2
      chimaerin in DRS, which may contribute to the selective vulnerability of abducens
      motor neurons in this disorder.

PMID- 28346225
TI  - Long telomeres protect against age-dependent cardiac disease caused by NOTCH1
      haploinsufficiency.
AB  - Diseases caused by gene haploinsufficiency in humans commonly lack a phenotype in
      mice that are heterozygous for the orthologous factor, impeding the study of
      complex phenotypes and critically limiting the discovery of therapeutics.
      Laboratory mice have longer telomeres relative to humans, potentially protecting
      against age-related disease caused by haploinsufficiency. Here, we demonstrate
      that telomere shortening in NOTCH1-haploinsufficient mice is sufficient to elicit
      age-dependent cardiovascular disease involving premature calcification of the
      aortic valve, a phenotype that closely mimics human disease caused by NOTCH1
      haploinsufficiency. Furthermore, progressive telomere shortening correlated with
      severity of disease, causing cardiac valve and septal disease in the neonate that
      was similar to the range of valve disease observed within human families. Genes
      that were dysregulated due to NOTCH1 haploinsufficiency in mice with shortened
      telomeres were concordant with proosteoblast and proinflammatory gene network
      alterations in human NOTCH1 heterozygous endothelial cells. These dysregulated
      genes were enriched for telomere-contacting promoters, suggesting a potential
      mechanism for telomere-dependent regulation of homeostatic gene expression. These
      findings reveal a critical role for telomere length in a mouse model of age
      dependent human disease and provide an in vivo model in which to test therapeutic
      candidates targeting the progression of aortic valve disease.

PMID- 28346227
TI  - Reducing expression of synapse-restricting protein Ephexin5 ameliorates
      Alzheimer's-like impairment in mice.
AB  - Accumulation of amyloid-beta (Abeta) protein may cause synapse degeneration and
      cognitive impairment in Alzheimer's disease (AD) by reactivating expression of
      the developmental synapse repressor protein Ephexin5 (also known as ARHGEF15).
      Here, we have reported that Abeta is sufficient to acutely promote the production
      of Ephexin5 in mature hippocampal neurons and in mice expressing human amyloid
      precursor protein (hAPP mice), a model for familial AD that produces high brain
      levels of Abeta. Ephexin5 expression was highly elevated in the hippocampi of
      human AD patients, indicating its potential relevance to AD. We also observed
      elevated Ephexin5 expression in the hippocampi of hAPP mice. Removal of Ephexin5
      expression eliminated hippocampal dendritic spine loss and rescued AD-associated
      behavioral deficits in the hAPP mice. Furthermore, selective reduction of
      Ephexin5 expression using shRNA in the dentate gyrus of presymptomatic adolescent
      hAPP mice was sufficient to protect these mice from developing cognitive
      impairment. Thus, pathological elevation of Ephexin5 expression critically drives
      Abeta-induced memory impairment, and strategies aimed at reducing Ephexin5 levels
      may represent an effective approach to treating AD.

PMID- 28346226
TI  - A TLR9-dependent checkpoint governs B cell responses to DNA-containing antigens.
AB  - Mature B cell pools retain a substantial proportion of polyreactive and self
      reactive clonotypes, suggesting that activation checkpoints exist to reduce the
      initiation of autoreactive B cell responses. Here, we have described a
      relationship among the B cell receptor (BCR), TLR9, and cytokine signals that
      regulate B cell responses to DNA-containing antigens. In both mouse and human B
      cells, BCR ligands that deliver a TLR9 agonist induce an initial proliferative
      burst that is followed by apoptotic death. The latter mechanism involves p38
      dependent G1 cell-cycle arrest and subsequent intrinsic mitochondrial apoptosis
      and is shared by all preimmune murine B cell subsets and CD27- human B cells.
      Survival or costimulatory signals rescue B cells from this fate, but the outcome
      varies depending on the signals involved. B lymphocyte stimulator (BLyS)
      engenders survival and antibody secretion, whereas CD40 costimulation with IL-21
      or IFN-gamma promotes a T-bet+ B cell phenotype. Finally, in vivo immunization
      studies revealed that when protein antigens are conjugated with DNA, the humoral
      immune response is blunted and acquires features associated with T-bet+ B cell
      differentiation. We propose that this mechanism integrating BCR, TLR9, and
      cytokine signals provides a peripheral checkpoint for DNA-containing antigens
      that, if circumvented by survival and differentiative cues, yields B cells with
      the autoimmune-associated T-bet+ phenotype.

PMID- 28346231
TI  - Optimizing patients undergoing surgery (OPUS): Part II - still a matter of
      'eminence-based medicine'?

PMID- 28346228
TI  - Somatic mutations and progressive monosomy modify SAMD9-related phenotypes in
      humans.
AB  - It is well established that somatic genomic changes can influence phenotypes in
      cancer, but the role of adaptive changes in developmental disorders is less well
      understood. Here we have used next-generation sequencing approaches to identify
      de novo heterozygous mutations in sterile alpha motif domain-containing protein 9
      (SAMD9, located on chromosome 7q21.2) in 8 children with a multisystem disorder
      termed MIRAGE syndrome that is characterized by intrauterine growth restriction
      (IUGR) with gonadal, adrenal, and bone marrow failure, predisposition to
      infections, and high mortality. These mutations result in gain of function of the
      growth repressor product SAMD9. Progressive loss of mutated SAMD9 through the
      development of monosomy 7 (-7), deletions of 7q (7q-), and secondary somatic loss
      of-function (nonsense and frameshift) mutations in SAMD9 rescued the growth
      restricting effects of mutant SAMD9 proteins in bone marrow and was associated
      with increased length of survival. However, 2 patients with -7 and 7q- developed
      myelodysplastic syndrome, most likely due to haploinsufficiency of related 7q21.2
      genes. Taken together, these findings provide strong evidence that progressive
      somatic changes can occur in specific tissues and can subsequently modify disease
      phenotype and influence survival. Such tissue-specific adaptability may be a more
      common mechanism modifying the expression of human genetic conditions than is
      currently recognized.

PMID- 28346229
TI  - Clinical efficacy of gene-modified stem cells in adenosine deaminase-deficient
      immunodeficiency.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Autologous hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) of gene
      modified cells is an alternative to enzyme replacement therapy (ERT) and
      allogeneic HSCT that has shown clinical benefit for adenosine deaminase-deficient
      (ADA-deficient) SCID when combined with reduced intensity conditioning (RIC) and
      ERT cessation. Clinical safety and therapeutic efficacy were evaluated in a phase
      II study. METHODS: Ten subjects with confirmed ADA-deficient SCID and no
      available matched sibling or family donor were enrolled between 2009 and 2012 and
      received transplantation with autologous hematopoietic CD34+ cells that were
      modified with the human ADA cDNA (MND-ADA) gamma-retroviral vector after
      conditioning with busulfan (90 mg/m2) and ERT cessation. Subjects were followed
      from 33 to 84 months at the time of data analysis. Safety of the procedure was
      assessed by recording the number of adverse events. Efficacy was assessed by
      measuring engraftment of gene-modified hematopoietic stem/progenitor cells, ADA
      gene expression, and immune reconstitution. RESULTS: With the exception of the
      oldest subject (15 years old at enrollment), all subjects remained off ERT with
      normalized peripheral blood mononuclear cell (PBMC) ADA activity, improved
      lymphocyte numbers, and normal proliferative responses to mitogens. Three of nine
      subjects were able to discontinue intravenous immunoglobulin replacement therapy.
      The MND-ADA vector was persistently detected in PBMCs (vector copy number [VCN] =
      0.1-2.6) and granulocytes (VCN = 0.01-0.3) through the most recent visits at the
      time of this writing. No patient has developed a leukoproliferative disorder or
      other vector-related clinical complication since transplant. CONCLUSION: These
      results demonstrate clinical therapeutic efficacy from gene therapy for ADA
      deficient SCID, with an excellent clinical safety profile. TRIAL REGISTRATION:
      ClinicalTrials.gov NCT00794508. FUNDING: Food and Drug Administration Office of
      Orphan Product Development award, RO1 FD003005; NHLBI awards, PO1 HL73104 and Z01
      HG000122; UCLA Clinical and Translational Science Institute awards, UL1RR033176
      and UL1TR000124.

PMID- 28346232
TI  - The future is now: neuroprotection during cardiopulmonary resuscitation.
AB  - PURPOSE OF REVIEW: Survival with favorable neurological function after cardiac
      arrest remains low. The purpose of this review is to identify recent advances
      that focus on neuroprotection during cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR). RECENT
      FINDINGS: Multiple strategies have been shown to enhance neuroprotection during
      CPR. Brain perfusion during CPR is increased with therapies such as active
      compression decompression CPR and intrathoracic pressure regulation that improve
      cardiac preload and decrease intracranial pressure. Head Up CPR has been shown to
      decrease intracranial pressure thereby increasing cerebral perfusion pressure and
      cerebral blood flow. Sodium nitroprusside enhanced CPR increases cerebral
      perfusion, facilitates heat exchange, and improves neurologic survival in swine
      after cardiac arrest. Postconditioning has been administered during CPR in
      laboratory settings. Poloxamer 188, a membrane stabilizer, and ischemic
      postconditioning have been shown to improve cardiac and neural function after
      cardiac arrest in animal models. Postconditioning with inhaled gases protects the
      myocardium, with more evidence mounting for the potential for neural protection.
      SUMMARY: Multiple promising neuroprotective therapies are being developed in
      animal models of cardiac arrest, and are in early stages of human trials. These
      therapies have the potential to be bundled together to improve rates of favorable
      neurological survival after cardiac arrest.

PMID- 28346230
TI  - Glutaminase and poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase inhibitors suppress pyrimidine
      synthesis and VHL-deficient renal cancers.
AB  - Many cancer-associated mutations that deregulate cellular metabolic responses to
      hypoxia also reprogram carbon metabolism to promote utilization of glutamine. In
      renal cell carcinoma (RCC), cells deficient in the von Hippel-Lindau (VHL) tumor
      suppressor gene use glutamine to generate citrate and lipids through reductive
      carboxylation (RC) of alpha-ketoglutarate (alphaKG). Glutamine can also generate
      aspartate, the carbon source for pyrimidine biosynthesis, and glutathione for
      redox balance. Here we have shown that VHL-/- RCC cells rely on RC-derived
      aspartate to maintain de novo pyrimidine biosynthesis. Glutaminase 1 (GLS1)
      inhibitors depleted pyrimidines and increased ROS in VHL-/- cells but not in
      VHL+/+ cells, which utilized glucose oxidation for glutamate and aspartate
      production. GLS1 inhibitor-induced nucleoside depletion and ROS enhancement led
      to DNA replication stress and activation of an intra-S phase checkpoint, and
      suppressed the growth of VHL-/- RCC cells. These effects were rescued by
      administration of glutamate, alphaKG, or nucleobases with N-acetylcysteine.
      Further, we observed that the poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP) inhibitor
      olaparib synergizes with GLS1 inhibitors to suppress the growth of VHL-/- cells
      in vitro and in vivo. This work describes a mechanism that explains the
      sensitivity of RCC tumor growth to GLS1 inhibitors and supports the development
      of therapeutic strategies for targeting VHL-deficient RCC.

PMID- 28346233
TI  - Clinical efficacy and tolerability of direct-acting antivirals in elderly
      patients with chronic hepatitis C.
AB  - BACKGROUND: There is a lack of evidence-based data on aged patients with newer
      direct-acting antivirals (DAAs) and with shorter duration of treatment regimens
      involving DAAs with or without ribavirin (RBV) and pegylated interferon (Peg
      IFN). PATIENTS AND METHODS: Medical records of 240 patients treated with DAAs
      with or without Peg IFN and RBV between January 2013 and July 2015 were
      retrospectively analyzed. Patients were divided into two groups: patients aged 65
      years and older (N=84) and patients aged younger than 65 years (N=156).
      Pretreatment baseline patient characteristics, treatment efficacy, factors
      affecting sustained virologic response at 12 weeks after treatment, and adverse
      reactions were compared between the groups. RESULTS: No statistically significant
      difference was observed with end of treatment response (98.8 vs. 98%, P=0.667)
      and sustained virologic response at 12 weeks after treatment (93.1 vs. 94.1%,
      P=0.767) between patients aged 65 and older and those younger than 65 years of
      age. Fatigue was the most common adverse event recorded (32.5%), followed by
      anemia (19.6%), leukopenia (11.7%), thrombocytopenia (10%), skin rash (8.3%), and
      headache (7.9%). The RBV dose was reduced in eight (8%) patients and four
      patients discontinued the RBV treatment because of severe anemia. RBV dose
      reduction or discontinuation did not reach statistical significance (P=0.913).
      Increased fibrosis, cirrhosis, aspartate aminotransferase, alanine
      aminotransferase, hemoglobin, and platelet levels seem to affect the sustained
      virologic response in the elderly. Twelve (6.28%) patients failed to respond to
      treatment and the failure rate was not significant (P=0.767) between the groups.
      CONCLUSION: DAAs with or without IFN and RBV in the standard recommended 12 or 24
      week treatment regimens are effective, well tolerated, and may be safely extended
      to elderly patients infected with chronic hepatitis C.

PMID- 28346235
TI  - Advances in hepatology.

PMID- 28346236
TI  - Current concepts in ischemic hepatitis.
AB  - PURPOSE OF REVIEW: The current review seeks to define ischemic hepatitis and its
      associated comorbidities. It means to review the pathophysiology, clinical
      presentation, clinical course, outcomes, and any potential therapies. RECENT
      FINDINGS: Ischemic hepatitis has long been associated with cardiovascular
      disease; recent reports have found a substantial link between preexisting
      cardiovascular disease and the risk for developing ischemic hepatitis. A proposed
      mechanism by which hepatic congestion predisposes the liver to hemodynamic injury
      further defines this link. Treatment is aimed at the underlying hemodynamic
      disturbance; however, efforts to better predict mortality and improve outcomes
      continue to arise. The Acute Liver Failure Study Group proposed that, though
      uncommon, ischemic hepatitis may result in acute liver failure. With numerous
      studies identifying the multiple comorbid conditions associated with ischemic
      hepatitis, the sequela of acute liver failure is called into question. SUMMARY:
      Ischemic hepatitis is a clinical syndrome frequently encountered in critically
      ill patients that represents a complication of underlying cardiac, circulatory,
      or respiratory failure. The pathogenesis of ischemic hepatitis appears to occur
      as a result of a 'two-hit' mechanism when the liver, which is at risk, is
      subsequently exposed to systemic hypoperfusion and ischemia, ultimately resulting
      in a marked but transient elevation in aspartate aminotransferase and alanine
      aminotransferase. Mortality is high and is dependent largely on the underlying
      cause of hypotension. Treatment is directed at the underlying cause of
      hemodynamic disturbance.

PMID- 28346234
TI  - Outstanding animal studies in allergy I. From asthma to food allergy and
      anaphylaxis.
AB  - PURPOSE OF REVIEW: Animal models published within the past 18 months on asthma,
      food allergy and anaphylaxis, all conditions of rising public health concern,
      were reviewed. RECENT FINDINGS: While domestic animals spontaneously develop
      asthma, food allergy and anaphylaxis, in animal models, divergent sensitization
      and challenge routes, dosages, intervals and antigens are used to induce
      asthmatic, food allergic or anaphylactic phenotypes. This must be considered in
      the interpretation of results. Instead of model antigens, gradually relevant
      allergens such as house dust mite in asthma, and food allergens like peanut,
      apple and peach in food allergy research were used. Novel engineered mouse models
      such as a mouse with a T-cell receptor for house dust mite allergen Der p 1, or
      with transgenic human hFcgammaR genes, facilitated the investigation of single
      molecules of interest. Whole-body plethysmography has become a state-of-the-art
      in-vivo readout in asthma research. In food allergy and anaphylaxis research,
      novel techniques were developed allowing real-time monitoring of in-vivo effects
      following allergen challenge. Networks to share tissues were established as an
      effort to reduce animal experiments in allergy which cannot be replaced by in
      vitro measures. SUMMARY: Natural and artificial animal models were used to
      explore the pathophysiology of asthma, food allergy and anaphylaxis and to
      improve prophylactic and therapeutic measures. Especially the novel mouse models
      mimicking molecular aspects of the complex immune network in asthma, food allergy
      and anaphylaxis will facilitate proof-of-concept studies under controlled
      conditions.

PMID- 28346238
TI  - Management of hypertension in 2017: targets and therapies.
AB  - PURPOSE OF REVIEW: Approximately one-fourth of the adult population is diagnosed
      with hypertension, which has been associated with increased cardiovascular
      morbidity and mortality including cardiovascular death, myocardial infarction,
      heart failure and stroke. Early detection and treatment is key and can lead to a
      significant reduction in cardiovascular morbidity and mortality. RECENT FINDINGS:
      In this review, we discuss the management and treatment strategies in patients
      with hypertension in the current era. Blood pressure (BP) targets will be
      reviewed in accordance with the recent literature and current guidelines. There
      is a controversy about lower BP target in patients with coronary artery disease
      with some studies showing a J-curve relationship but a recent randomized trial
      (SPRINT) showing a benefit, albeit with controversy as to how BP was measured in
      the trial. Nevertheless, lower BP targets come with a price of needing more
      medication (thus impacting cost and compliance) and increases in medication
      related adverse effects. There is a growing recognition that angiotensin
      converting enzyme inhibitors or angiotensin receptor blockers, calcium
      antagonists or thiazide diuretics can be used a first-line therapy for
      hypertension. Evidence also supports the use of combination drug therapy as
      opposed to monotherapy for more synergistic effect on lowering of BP, offsetting
      side effects and for improved adherence to a drug regimen. SUMMARY: Overall, we
      aim to review BP targets and medical therapies for hypertension in the current
      era, recognizing varying clinical characteristics such as comorbidities and
      patient-risk profile.

PMID- 28346237
TI  - Current and future pharmacologic treatment of nonalcoholic steatohepatitis.
AB  - PURPOSE OF REVIEW: Nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH), the aggressive form of
      nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), can progress to cirrhosis and
      hepatocellular cancer in 5-15% of patients and is rapidly becoming the leading
      cause for end-stage liver disease. Dietary caloric restriction and exercise,
      currently the cornerstone of therapy for NAFLD, can be difficult to achieve and
      maintain, underscoring the dire need for pharmacotherapy. This review presents
      the agents currently used in managing NAFLD and their pharmacologic targets. It
      also provides an overview of NAFLD agents currently under development. RECENT
      FINDINGS: Therapies for NASH can be broadly classified into agents that target
      the metabolic perturbations driving disease pathogenesis (such as insulin
      resistance and de novo lipogenesis) and agents that target downstream processes
      including cell stress, apoptosis, inflammation, and fibrosis. Modulation of
      peroxisome proliferator-activator receptors, farnesoid-X-receptors, and the
      glucagon-like peptide 1 pathway have been shown to improve liver histology. The
      intestinal microbiome and metabolic endotoxemia are novel targets that are
      currently under review. Antioxidants such as vitamin E, and more recently anti
      inflammatory agents such as apoptosis signal-regulating kinase 1 inhibitors show
      promise as therapy for NASH. Several antifibrotic agents including cysteine
      cysteine motif chemokine receptor type 2 and type 5 antagonists have been shown
      to inhibit the progression of fibrosis toward cirrhosis. SUMMARY: There are
      currently several agents in the drug pipeline for NASH. Within the next few
      years, the availability of therapeutic options for NAFLD will hopefully curb the
      rising trend of NAFLD-related end stage liver disease.

PMID- 28346239
TI  - Elevated Expression of Kin17 in Cervical Cancer and Its Association With Cancer
      Cell Proliferation and Invasion.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Cervical cancer is one of the most common cancers in women worldwide.
      Emerging evidence suggests that kin17 is a tumor-promoting protein in some types
      of solid tumors. However, whether kin17 contributes to cervical cancer
      carcinogenesis remains unknown. METHODS: Kin17 expression in clinical samples
      from Guangdong Women and Children's Hospital and Health Institute was detected by
      immunohistochemical staining. A series of functional experiments including 3-(4,5
      dimethyl-2-thiazolyl)-2,5-diphenyl-2-H-tetrazolium bromide assay, 5-bromo-2'
      deoxyuridine assay, colony formation, transwell assay, flow cytometry of
      apoptosis, and cell cycle were performed to explore the roles of kin17 in
      cervical cancer cells HeLa. RESULTS: In this study, we showed for the first time
      that the expression of kin17 was significantly increased in clinical cervical
      cancer samples, and associated with tumor differentiation, lymph node metastasis,
      and ki-67 expression in a clinicopathologic characteristics review. Furthermore,
      silence of kin17 in HeLa cells inhibited cell proliferation, clone formation,
      cell cycle progression, migration, and invasion, and also promoted cell
      apoptosis. CONCLUSION: Our findings demonstrate that kin17 is closely related to
      the cell proliferation and invasion of cervical cancer and could be a novel
      diagnostic and therapeutic target for cervical cancer management. The underlying
      mechanisms should be elucidated in future research.

PMID- 28346240
TI  - Combined Oral Medroxyprogesterone/Levonorgestrel-Intrauterine System Treatment
      for Women With Grade 2 Stage IA Endometrial Cancer.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to evaluate the oncologic and pregnancy
      outcomes of combined oral medroxyprogesterone acetate (MPA)/levonorgestrel
      intrauterine system (LNG-IUS) treatment in young women with grade 2
      differentiated stage IA endometrial adenocarcinoma who wish to preserve
      fertility. METHODS: We retrospectively reviewed the medical records of patients
      with grade 2 stage IA endometrial adenocarcinoma who had received fertility
      sparing treatment at CHA Gangnam Medical Center between 2011 and 2015. All of the
      patients were treated with combined oral MPA (500 mg/d)/LNG-IUS, and follow-up
      dilatation and curettage were performed every 3 months. RESULTS: A total of 5
      patients were included in the study. The mean age was 30.4 +/- 5.3 years (range,
      25-39 years). After a mean treatment duration of 11.0 +/- 6.2 months (range, 6-18
      months), complete response (CR) was shown in 3 of the 5 patients, with partial
      response (PR) in the other 2 patients. One case of recurrence was reported 14
      months after achieving CR. This patient was treated again with combined oral
      MPA/LNG-IUS and achieved CR by 6 months. The average follow-up period was 44.4 +/
      26.2 months (range, 12-71 months). There were no cases of progressive disease.
      No treatment-related complications arose. CONCLUSIONS: Combined oral MPA/LNG-IUS
      treatment is considered to be a reasonably effective fertility-sparing treatment
      of grade 2 stage IA endometrial cancer. Although our results are encouraging, it
      is preliminary and should be considered with experienced oncologists in well
      defined protocol and with close follow-up.

PMID- 28346241
TI  - Hemodynamic responses to magnetic stimulation of carotid sinus in normotensive
      rabbits.
AB  - OBJECTIVES: Carotid baroreflex plays a crucial role in regulating arterial
      pressure. Based on this knowledge, electrical stimulation of carotid sinus was
      designed for treating resistant hypertension. However, the clinical implication
      of electrical stimulation of carotid sinus is largely restrained due to obvious
      invasiveness. This study aimed to evaluate the efficacy of magnetic stimulation
      of carotid sinus (MSCS), a noninvasive strategy, for lowering blood pressure in
      rabbits. METHODS: MSCS with graded intensities and frequencies were
      systematically attempted in normotensive rabbits. Blood pressure was recorded
      dynamically. Sinoaortic denervation and plasma hormone level analyses were
      performed. RESULTS: When the right carotid sinus was stimulated at 1 Hz
      frequency, a dose-effect relationship was observed between stimulation intensity
      (100-250% motor threshold) and mean arterial pressure (MAP) decrement (3.6 +/-
      1.0 to 10.4 +/- 2.3 mmHg). When stimulation intensity was fixed at 200% motor
      threshold, the median reduction of MAP in 1-Hz group [10.8 (8.6-14.9) mmHg] was
      significantly higher than that in other frequency groups (all P < 0.05). Heart
      rates declined transiently after the initiation of MSCS. Compared with baseline
      (33.9 +/- 5.5 pg/ml), plasma epinephrine level increased during MSCS (88.1 +/-
      9.6, P = 0.002). After ipsilateral sinoaortic denervation, MAP decrement (7.0 +/-
      0.8 mmHg) was remarkably blunted compared with that in sham animals (13.0 +/- 1.1
      mmHg, P = 0.001). CONCLUSION: The current study demonstrated that MSCS treatment
      can lower the arterial pressure in normotensive rabbits. This preliminarily
      result warrants further studies to establish the efficacy of MSCS in treating
      refractory hypertension.

PMID- 28346242
TI  - Genetic variation in GABRbeta1 and the risk for developing alcohol dependence.
AB  - Associations between the gamma-aminobutyric acid type-A receptors (GABAA) and
      alcohol dependence risk have been reported, although the receptor subunit driving
      the association is unclear. Recent work in mice has highlighted a possible role
      for variants in the Gabr beta1 subunit (Gabrbeta1) in alcohol dependence risk,
      although this gene does not contain any common nonsynonymous variants in humans.
      However, the GABAA receptor is a heteropentamer so multiple potential variants
      within the gene complex could generate the alcohol dependence phenotype. The
      association between GABRbeta1 variants and alcohol dependence risk was explored
      in a British and Irish population of alcohol-dependent cases (n=450) and
      ancestrally-matched controls screened to exclude current or historical alcohol
      misuse (n=555). Twelve common single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) and a rare
      nonsynonymous variant, rs41311286, were directly genotyped; imputation was then
      performed across the whole gene. No allelic association was observed between
      alcohol dependence risk and any of the directly genotyped or imputed SNPs.
      However, post-hoc testing for genotypic association identified five common
      intronic SNPs that showed modest evidence for association after correction for
      multiple testing; two, rs76112682 and rs141719901, were in complete linkage
      disequilibrium [Pcorrected=0.02, odds ratio (95% confidence interval)=5.9 (1.7
      2.06)]. These findings provide limited support for an association between
      GABRbeta1 and the risk for developing alcohol dependence; further testing in
      expanded cohorts may be warranted.

PMID- 28346243
TI  - Modeling Flowsheet Data to Support Secondary Use.
AB  - The purpose of this study was to create information models from flowsheet data
      using a data-driven consensus-based method. Electronic health records contain a
      large volume of data about patient assessments and interventions captured in
      flowsheets that measure the same "thing," but the names of these observations
      often differ, according to who performs documentation or the location of the
      service (eg, pulse rate in an intensive care, the emergency department, or a
      surgical unit documented by a nurse or therapist or captured by automated
      monitoring). Flowsheet data are challenging for secondary use because of the
      existence of multiple semantically equivalent measures representing the same
      concepts. Ten information models were created in this study: five related to
      quality measures (falls, pressure ulcers, venous thromboembolism, genitourinary
      system including catheter-associated urinary tract infection, and pain
      management) and five high-volume physiological systems: cardiac,
      gastrointestinal, musculoskeletal, respiratory, and expanded vital
      signs/anthropometrics. The value of the information models is that flowsheet data
      can be extracted and mapped for semantically comparable flowsheet measures from a
      clinical data repository regardless of the time frame, discipline, or setting in
      which documentation occurred. The 10 information models simplify the
      representation of the content in flowsheet data, reducing 1552 source measures to
      557 concepts. The amount of representational reduction ranges from 3% for falls
      to 78% for the respiratory system. The information models provide a foundation
      for including nursing and interprofessional assessments and interventions in
      common data models, to support research within and across health systems.

PMID- 28346244
TI  - A Six Sigma Approach to Analyze Time-to-Assembly Variance of Surgical Trays in a
      Sterile Services Department.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: We analyze the assembly of surgical trays in a hospital's sterile
      services department. The department assembles 520 different tray setups. However,
      tray assembly times are unknown, imposing a challenge to production planners. To
      respond to demand, workers from other departments are often called, leading to
      higher operational costs and more frequent quality problems due to workers' poor
      training and inconsistency. METHODS: Conducting traditional time-motion studies
      is infeasible in such a high variety production setting. Thus, we used design of
      experiments to optimize the data acquisition. Assembly times of 36 trays were
      sampled using a 2-factor nested factorial design. Through regression analysis, we
      built a model to estimate completion times of trays not sampled in the
      experiment. RESULTS: A prediction model with 90.8% accuracy was obtained from the
      experimental data. The model was validated with assembly times from several trays
      not included in the experiment. Predicted assembly times had an absolute error of
      7.83% on average compared with observed assembly times. CONCLUSIONS: Design of
      experiments and regression analysis combined were able to optimize time data
      acquisition using a small sample of trays, resulting in a model that predicted
      assembly times within an acceptable margin of error.

PMID- 28346245
TI  - Hospitalist Versus Subspecialist Perspectives on Reasons, Timing, and Impact of
      Consultation.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Hospitalists frequently consult medical subspecialists in the
      management of inpatients. Given the potential impact on health resource
      utilization, it is important to understand the working relationship between these
      groups. METHODS: A cross-sectional survey of hospitalists, n = 655, and
      subspecialists across Ohio (nephrologists and endocrinologists), n = 293, was
      conducted to investigate perceptions and communication about reasons, timing, and
      impact of hospital consultations. RESULTS: Survey response rate was 13.3%.
      Hospitalists were more likely to report subspecialty request to serve as
      admitting physician with subsequent consultation 63.2% versus 26.7%, p < .001.
      Hospitalists with a daily workload >=15 patients per day were more likely to
      report that this impeded their ability to manage details of patient care versus
      hospitalists with <15 patients per day, 53.2% versus 24.1%, p = .02, and resulted
      in subspecialty consultation for problems manageable by the hospitalist, 38.3%
      versus 6.9%, p = .003. Hospitalists were less likely than subspecialists to
      report major impact from consultation 50.0% versus 81.0%, p = .001 and they were
      more likely to report direct communication for urgent consults 97.3% versus
      48.8%, p < .001. CONCLUSIONS: Future work should be aimed at addressing
      hospitalist workload, improving communication, and ensuring appropriate need and
      timing of consultation.

PMID- 28346246
TI  - Analysis of a Patient Intervention to Reduce Patients Who Leave Without Being
      Seen in an Ophthalmology-Dedicated Emergency Room.
AB  - Patients who leave without being seen (LWBS) by a medical provider in emergency
      care settings are a concern because their urgent complaints remain unaddressed.
      This study aims to characterize the LWBS population in an ophthalmology-dedicated
      emergency room and to evaluate an intervention designed to decrease the number of
      these patients. A program of rounding and patient contact in the waiting room of
      our emergency room was initiated to this end. A patient database was used
      retrospectively to review 13,124 charts and collect clinical and demographic data
      on 71 LWBS patients. The percentage of LWBS patients decreased from 0.74% to
      0.33% after the intervention (p = 0.00158). Of the LWBS patients, 27% were seen
      in an ophthalmology clinic within 2 weeks, and 4% were seen back in the emergency
      room. Of these patients, 49% had some ophthalmology follow-up after leaving.
      Among those with follow-up, 14% had concerning pathology. Of all LWBS patients,
      63% had a primary care physician. We conclude that frequent rounding in an
      emergency room waiting room can decrease the number of LWBS patients and as such
      reduce morbidity. This strategy offers potential to improve healthcare outcomes
      in emergency settings.

PMID- 28346247
TI  - Lymphatic Drainages to the Paravertebral and Pararenal Lymph Nodes in Breast
      Cancer Patients.
AB  - An efficient evaluation of the lymphatic drainage from the breasts (thoracic
      wall) and/or the upper limbs is essential in the management of patients with
      breast cancer (BC) and/or BC-related lymphedema. Lymphoscintigraphy was performed
      in 2 patients with lymphedema. Lymphatic drainage was observed from the upper
      limb or breast to the posterior paravertebral and/or pararenal lymph nodes. The
      cases demonstrate lymphatic drainage pathways toward unusual and mostly
      unrecognized lymph nodes, which may be at risk for further evolution of BC and
      may be important for the physical treatment of BC-related lymphedema.

PMID- 28346248
TI  - 68Ga-PSMA PET/CT in Osteosarcoma in Fibrous Dysplasia.
AB  - Fibrous dysplasia (FD) is a benign bone lesion with a rare but potential for
      malignant transformation. Neither Tc-MDP nor F-FDG PET/CT can differentiate
      between FD and areas of malignant transformation in FD. We described a case of
      osteosarcoma developing in FD with selective uptake of tracer in malignant
      transformation areas demonstrated on a Ga-PSMA PET/CT scan. Our case highlights
      the ability of Ga-PSMA PET/CT to map tumor neoangiogenesis in osteosarcoma
      arising in FD, which can have potential implications in prognostication,
      possibility of antiangiogenesis-based therapeutic options, and in response
      assessment following chemotherapy.

PMID- 28346249
TI  - Usefulness of 68Ga-DOTA-RGD (alphavbeta3) PET/CT Imaging in Thyroglobulin
      Elevation With Negative Iodine Scintigraphy.
AB  - TENIS (thyroglobulin elevation with negative iodine scintigraphy) syndrome in
      patients with differentiated thyroid carcinoma is not a rare finding. In such
      patients, F-FDG PET/CT can help in disease evaluation. RGD tripeptide, used for
      imaging angiogenesis, may also help in disease detection in patients with
      negative radioiodine whole-body scan. We present 1 such case in whom Ga-RGD
      tripeptide imaging was helpful in disease detection in the setting of negative
      radioiodine whole-body scan.

PMID- 28346250
TI  - Reconstruction of Combined Upper and Lower Eyelid Defects in a Patient With
      Lentigo Maligna.

PMID- 28346251
TI  - Histological Mohs Maps Improve the Accuracy of Dermatology Residents'
      Interpretations of Mohs Slides: A Pilot Study.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Effective Mohs surgery depends on accurate histopathological
      identification and mapping of tumor burden to ensure complete removal of tumor.
      OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study is to evaluate whether using a photograph of
      the histopathological slide as the Mohs map improves mapping accuracy. MATERIALS
      AND METHODS: Single-blinded pilot study. Five dermatology residents at one
      academic institution mapped 11 cases of basal cell carcinoma using both
      traditional hand-drawn maps and color photographic maps. Residents' marked maps
      were assessed for global diagnostic accuracy, sensitivity, and specificity
      compared with the Mohs map verified by the attending surgeon on the day of
      surgery. RESULTS: Diagnostic accuracy, sensitivity, and specificity were higher
      using the photographic Mohs maps compared with using the traditional hand-drawn
      maps (58.2% vs 29.1%, 84.5% vs 76.4%, and 87.1% vs 70.8%, respectively). These
      results were statistically significant for accuracy and specificity, but not for
      sensitivity. CONCLUSION: Using histopathological photographs as the Mohs map
      significantly improved accuracy and specificity within a small group of residents
      with limited Mohs experience. More research is warranted to evaluate whether
      using histopathological photographs improves accuracy of Mohs mapping for
      experienced Mohs surgeons in a real-world setting, and whether this translates to
      improved clinical outcomes.

PMID- 28346252
TI  - Commentary on A Retrospective Case-Matched Cost Comparison of Surgical Treatment
      of Melanoma and Nonmelanoma Skin Cancer in the Outpatient Versus Operating Room
      Setting.

PMID- 28346253
TI  - A Retrospective Case-Matched Cost Comparison of Surgical Treatment of Melanoma
      and Nonmelanoma Skin Cancer in the Outpatient Versus Operating Room Setting.
AB  - BACKGROUND: To date, no study has used authentic billing data in a case-control
      matched fashion to examine the cost of treating skin cancer in different
      settings. OBJECTIVE: To compare the cost of surgical treatment of skin cancer in
      the outpatient versus operating room setting using matched cases based on patient
      and skin cancer characteristics. METHODS: ICD-9 diagnosis codes for skin cancers
      were used to find patients who had a malignant excision current procedural
      terminology code in the operating room setting during 2010 to 2014. Patient and
      skin cancer characteristics were used to match cases to those treated as an
      outpatient. A total of 36 cases (18 operating room and 18 outpatient) had the
      required information and characteristics to be matched and analyzed for cost.
      Health status was determined using the American Society of Anesthesiologists
      anesthesia grading scale. RESULTS: No statistically significant differences were
      found in the age (p > 0.9) or American Society of Anesthesiologists scores (p >
      0.6) of the outpatient and operating room cases. The median cost for outpatient
      cases was $1,745. For operating room cases, the median cost was $11,323. This was
      a statistically significant difference (p < 0.001). CONCLUSION: The outpatient
      setting remains a cost-effective location to treat skin cancer compared with the
      operating room.

PMID- 28346254
TI  - Toluidine Blue Stain of Dermatofibrosarcoma Protuberans: Highlighting Its Use in
      Mohs.

PMID- 28346255
TI  - Splash Safety During Dermatologic Procedures Among US Dermatology Residents.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Dermatologists are at potential risk of acquiring infections from
      contamination of the mucous membranes by blood and body fluids. However, there
      are little data on splash safety during procedural dermatology. OBJECTIVE: To
      determine dermatology resident perceptions about splash risk during dermatologic
      procedures and to quantify the rate of protective equipment use. METHODS: An
      anonymous on-line survey was sent to 108 United States ACGME-approved dermatology
      residency programs assessing frequency of facial protection during dermatologic
      procedures, personal history of splash injury, and, if applicable, reasons for
      not always wearing facial protection. RESULTS: A total of 153 dermatology
      residents responded. Rates of facial protection varied by procedure, with the
      highest rates during surgery and the lowest during local anesthetic injection.
      Over 54% of respondents reported suffering facial splash while not wearing facial
      protection during a procedure. In contrast, 88.9% of respondents correctly
      answered that there is a small risk of acquiring infection from mucosal splash.
      Residency program recommendations for facial protection seem to vary by
      procedure. CONCLUSION: The authors' results demonstrate that although facial
      splash is a common injury, facial protection rates and protective recommendations
      vary significantly by procedure. These data support the recommendation for
      enhanced facial protection guidelines during procedural dermatology.

PMID- 28346256
TI  - Reconstruction of a Full-Thickness Superior Auricular Defect.

PMID- 28346257
TI  - Dermal Piercing Removal: Searching for an Optimal Technique.

PMID- 28346258
TI  - MANAGEMENT OF METASTATIC BREAST CARCINOMA OF IRIS WITH INTRAOCULAR BEVACIZUMAB
      INJECTIONS.
AB  - PURPOSE: To describe intraocular use of bevacizumab for a metastatic breast
      carcinoma of the iris resistant to advanced systemic chemotherapy protocols, for
      which conventional treatment would be local radiotherapy or brachytherapy.
      METHODS: Case report. RESULTS: A 65-year-old woman, who was previously diagnosed
      with breast carcinoma and treated with radical mastectomy coupled with
      radiotherapy and chemotherapy, presented with an iris mass in her left eye. Four
      successive intravitreal injections of bevacizumab resulted in progressive
      regression of the tumor to an almost indiscernible size at 8 months, along with
      blunting of the highly complex tumor vascular network on fluorescein angiography.
      At 12 months, the patient's visual acuity remained 20/20, and no ocular or
      systemic adverse effects were encountered. CONCLUSION: Intravitreal bevacizumab
      can offer a simpler and safer solution to treat metastatic iris tumors compared
      with other treatment options. This report of bevacizumab for treating iris
      metastasis from breast carcinoma may broaden the treatment options for similar
      neoplasms of the iris.

PMID- 28346259
TI  - IGG4-RELATED OPHTHALMIC DISEASE PRESENTING AS CHOROIDAL AND ORBITAL LESIONS.
AB  - PURPOSE: To report a case of IgG4-related ophthalmic disease (IgG4-ROD) which
      presented as choroidal and orbital lesions. METHODS: Case report. RESULTS: A 64
      year-old man presented with left eye photopsias and a history of IgG4-related
      perirenal fibrosis. Fundoscopic examination showed multiple bilateral yellow
      choroidal lesions, and optical coherence tomography showed multiple choroidal
      lesions. Magnetic resonance imaging of the orbits showed an enhancing lesion
      present circumferential to the optic nerve, but greater medially, abutting the
      posterior surface of the left globe. Workup for infectious, autoimmune, and
      malignant etiologies was negative, and the patient has responded well to
      treatment with rituximab. CONCLUSION: IgG4-related disease is a systemic
      fibroinflammatory disease, which often presents in another location, as in our
      patient. In cases of uncertain choroidal and orbital lesions, a thorough workup
      for other etiologies is indicated, and lymphoma must be ruled out. Steroids are
      the mainstay of treatment for IgG4-ROD, however, small case series and our
      patient responded well to rituximab. To our knowledge, this is the first reported
      case of choroidal and orbital lesions secondary to IgG4-ROD.

PMID- 28346260
TI  - Effectiveness Analysis of a Part-Time Rapid Response System During Operation
      Versus Nonoperation.
AB  - OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the effect of a part-time rapid response system on the
      occurrence rate of cardiopulmonary arrest by comparing the times of rapid
      response system operation versus nonoperation. DESIGN: Retrospective cohort
      study. SETTING: A 1,360-bed tertiary care hospital. PATIENTS: Adult patients
      admitted to the general ward were screened. Data were collected over 36 months
      from rapid response system implementation (October 2012 to September 2015) and
      more than 45 months before rapid response system implementation (January 2009 to
      September 2012). INTERVENTIONS: None. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: The rapid
      response system operates from 7 AM to 10 PM on weekdays and from 7 AM to 12 PM on
      Saturdays. Primary outcomes were the difference of cardiopulmonary arrest
      incidence between pre-rapid response system and post-rapid response system
      periods and whether the rapid response system operating time affects the
      cardiopulmonary arrest incidence. The overall cardiopulmonary arrest incidence
      (per 1,000 admissions) was 1.43. Although the number of admissions per month and
      case-mix index were increased (3,555.18 vs 4,564.72, p < 0.001; 1.09 vs 1.13, p =
      0.001, respectively), the cardiopulmonary arrest incidence was significantly
      decreased after rapid response system (1.60 vs 1.23; p = 0.021), and mortality
      (%) was unchanged (1.38 vs 1.33; p = 0.322). After rapid response system
      implementation, the cardiopulmonary arrest incidence significantly decreased by
      40% during rapid response system operating times (0.82 vs 0.49/1,000 admissions;
      p = 0.001) but remained similar during rapid response system nonoperating times
      (0.77 vs 0.73/1,000 admissions; p = 0.729). CONCLUSIONS: The implementation of a
      part-time rapid response system reduced the cardiopulmonary arrest incidence
      based on the reduction of cardiopulmonary arrest during rapid response system
      operating times. Further analysis of the cost effectiveness of part-time rapid
      response system is needed.

PMID- 28346262
TI  - Modeling Outcomes: Modified Aortic Arch Advancement for Neonatal Hypoplastic
      Arch.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: Numerous surgical approaches regarding aortic arch advancement for
      neonatal arch hypoplasia have been described. These repairs can be classified
      into two categories: those that incorporate a patch and those that do not. The
      decision between repairs remains largely experiential, rather than empirical,
      because of the limited number of reported outcomes. We report early outcomes from
      neonates undergoing modified aortic arch advancement with an anterior patch and
      our experience using computational fluid dynamic modeling to better understand
      the hemodynamic consequences associated with this repair. METHODS: A
      retrospective review of neonates undergoing aortic arch advancement with anterior
      patch in 2014 at a single institution was performed. Anatomical, perioperative,
      and follow-up data were collected. Three-dimensional cardiac magnetic resonance
      images were used to generate computational fluid dynamic models of the modified
      anterior patch and direct end-to-side repairs. Cardiac waveform inputs were
      simulated and hemodynamic analyzed. RESULTS: Ten neonates underwent modified
      aortic arch advancement. No hemodynamically significant gradients were observed
      at a median follow-up of 0.77 (0.30-1.2) years. Asymmetrical flow was observed in
      the end-to-side repair, whereas more concentric laminar flow was observed
      throughout the modified model. Spatial variations in velocities immediately
      distal to the anastomosis were greater in the end-to-side model (0.35 vs 0.17
      m/s, P < 0.001). Time-averaged variations in wall shear stress during systole
      were greater in the end-to-side model at the same location (3.44 vs 1.98
      dynes/cm, P < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: Early outcomes after the use of an anterior
      patch for neonatal hypoplastic aortic arch repair show favorable hemodynamic
      outcomes.

PMID- 28346261
TI  - Advantages of Minimal Access Versus Conventional Aortic Valve Replacement in
      Elderly or Severely Obese Patients.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: The aim of our study was to investigate potential clinical advantages
      of minimal access versus conventional surgical approach in older and severely
      obese patients undergoing isolated aortic valve replacement (AVR). METHODS: One
      hundred thirty-five patients undergoing isolated primary AVR were enrolled.
      Propensity score matching was used to compare 42 selected patients operated on
      ministernotomy (MS, group B) with 42 selected patients operated on full
      sternotomy (FS, group A). RESULTS: After propensity score matching, the two
      groups were comparable in terms of preoperative characteristics. Cardiopulmonary
      bypass time was significantly longer in MS group compared with the FS group
      [median (95% confidence level or CL), 103 (98.7-106.4) vs 94 (83.6-99) minutes,
      respectively; P = 0.0019]. No significant difference was observed in aortic cross
      clamp time [median (95% CL), 73 (71.1-78.2) vs 69.5 (62.7-83) minutes; P = 0.4].
      Significantly shorter ventilation time [median (95% CL), 13 (12-16.4) vs 24 (22
      25) hours; P = 0.00018], intensive care unit stay [median (95% CL), 1 vs 2 days;
      P = 0.00017], and hospital stay [median (95% CL), 8.5 (8-10.8) vs 13.5 (11.1-14)
      days; P = 0.00030] were shown in the MS group. The age subgroup analysis showed
      that statistical significance for mechanical ventilation, intensive care unit,
      and hospital stay was specific for patients older than 75 years. The analysis of
      body mass index quartile showed that statistical significance for mechanical
      ventilation was specific for patients in the fourth quartile. CONCLUSIONS:
      Minimal access AVR is a reproducible, safe, and effective surgical option in
      patients candidate for isolated AVR, and our study suggests a faster recovery
      when used in severely obese or older patients.

PMID- 28346263
TI  - Minimally Invasive Aortic Valve Replacement via Right Anterior Minithoracotomy
      and Central Aortic Cannulation: A 13-Year Experience.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: This study reports the evolution of a minimally invasive aortic valve
      replacement (mini-AVR) technique that uses a right anterior minithoracotomy
      approach with central cannulation, for a 13-year period. This technique has
      become our standard approach for isolated primary AVR in nearly all patients.
      METHODS: This observational study evaluated perioperative clinical outcomes of
      patients 18 years or older who underwent mini-AVR from November 2003 to June
      2015. RESULTS: The mini-AVR technique was used in 202 patients during two periods
      of 2003 to 2009 (n = 65, "early") and 2010 to 2015 (n = 137, "late"). The mean +/
      SD age was 72.5 +/- 12.9 years and 60% were male. Demographic parameters were
      statistically similar between the study periods, except for increased body weight
      in the later period (75.3 +/- 14.7 vs 80.9 +/- 20.8 kg, P = 0.03). The mean
      cardiopulmonary bypass and aortic cross-clamp times were significantly different
      by each year and Bonferroni adjustment, with significant decreases in
      cardiopulmonary bypass and aortic cross-clamp times beginning 2006. Compared with
      the early study period, late study period patients were more often extubated
      intraoperatively (52% vs 12%, P < 0.001), had less frequent prolonged ventilator
      use postoperatively (6% vs 16%, P = 0.018), required fewer blood transfusions
      (mean, 2.0 +/- 2.3 U vs 3.6 +/- 3.0 U; P = 0.011), and had shorter postoperative
      stay (6.3 +/- 4.5 days vs 8.0 +/- 5.9 days, P = 0.026). Numerically, fewer
      postoperative strokes (1% vs 6%, P = 0.09) and fewer reoperations for bleeding
      (3% vs 6%, P = 0.3) occurred in the late period. In-hospital mortality did not
      differ (1/65 early vs 3/137 late). CONCLUSIONS: Overall mini-AVR intraoperative
      and postoperative clinical outcomes improved for this 13-year experience.

PMID- 28346264
TI  - Re: Biases in Randomized Trials: A Conversation Between Trialists and
      Epidemiologists.

PMID- 28346265
TI  - The Authors Respond.

PMID- 28346266
TI  - "All Generalizations Are Dangerous, Even This One."-Alexandre Dumas.

PMID- 28346269
TI  - Cohort Variation in Selection During Pregnancy and Risk of Selected Birth Defects
      Among Males.
AB  - BACKGROUND: The literature theorizes, but does not test, that variation over time
      in selective loss in utero affects the observed count of live-born birth defects
      cases. We test the hypothesis that the risk of birth defects among live-born
      males varies inversely with the strength of selection against males in utero.
      METHODS: We identified a subset of six birth defect phenotypes among males from
      the California Birth Defects Monitoring Program, an active surveillance system
      for over 490,000 male singletons born in eight California counties from 1986 to
      2004. We assigned each birth defect case infant to a monthly conception cohort at
      risk of selection in utero. We used the monthly sex ratio at birth (M:F), derived
      from each conception cohort, as the indicator of selection against males. We
      analyzed the odds ratio of birth defects with both individual-level logistic
      regression and aggregate time-series methods. RESULTS: Consistent with selection
      in utero, male infants from conception cohorts with low outlying sex ratios
      (i.e., stronger selectivity) exhibit fewer than expected birth defects (adjusted
      odds ratio [OR] = 0.86; 95% confidence interval [CI] = 0.76, 0.98). Aggregate
      time-series tests also yield similar findings (OR = 0.81; 95% CI = 0.71, 0.90).
      CONCLUSIONS: Our findings among males indicate that variation in the strength of
      selectivity in utero accounts for a portion of observed cohort differences in
      morbidity due to birth defects. These findings suggest that "revealed prevalence"
      of morbidity across birth cohorts varies, at least in part, from selective loss
      in utero. See video abstract at, http://links.lww.com/EDE/B209.

PMID- 28346267
TI  - Generalizing Study Results: A Potential Outcomes Perspective.
AB  - Great care is taken in epidemiologic studies to ensure the internal validity of
      causal effect estimates; however, external validity has received considerably
      less attention. When the study sample is not a random sample of the target
      population, the sample average treatment effect, even if internally valid, cannot
      usually be expected to equal the average treatment effect in the target
      population. The utility of an effect estimate for planning purposes and decision
      making will depend on the degree of departure from the true causal effect in the
      target population due to problems with both internal and external validity.
      Herein, we review concepts from recent literature on generalizability, one facet
      of external validity, using the potential outcomes framework. Identification
      conditions sufficient for external validity closely parallel identification
      conditions for internal validity, namely conditional exchangeability; positivity;
      the same distributions of the versions of treatment; no interference; and no
      measurement error. We also require correct model specification. Under these
      conditions, we discuss how a version of direct standardization (the g-formula,
      adjustment formula, or transport formula) or inverse probability weighting can be
      used to generalize a causal effect from a study sample to a well-defined target
      population, and demonstrate their application in an illustrative example.

PMID- 28346270
TI  - Repair of Partly Misspecified Causal Diagrams.
AB  - Errors in causal diagrams elicited from experts can lead to the omission of
      important confounding variables from adjustment sets and render causal inferences
      invalid. In this report, a novel method is presented that repairs a misspecified
      causal diagram through the addition of edges. These edges are determined using a
      data-driven approach designed to provide improved statistical efficiency relative
      to de novo structure learning methods. Our main assumption is that the expert is
      "directionally informed," meaning that "false" edges provided by the expert would
      not create cycles if added to the "true" causal diagram. The overall procedure is
      cast as a preprocessing technique that is agnostic to subsequent causal
      inferences. Results based on simulated data and data derived from an
      observational cohort illustrate the potential for data-assisted elicitation in
      epidemiologic applications. See video abstract at, http://links.lww.com/EDE/B208.

PMID- 28346268
TI  - Long-term Recall of Pregnancy-related Events.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Early-life factors can be associated with future health outcomes and
      are often measured by maternal recall. METHODS: We used data from the North
      Carolina Early Pregnancy Study and Follow-up to characterize long-term maternal
      recall. We used data from the Early Pregnancy Study as the gold standard to
      evaluate the accuracy of prepregnancy weight, early pregnancy behaviors, symptoms
      and duration of pregnancy, and child's birthweight reported at follow-up, for 109
      women whose study pregnancies had resulted in a live birth. RESULTS: Most (81%)
      participants reported a prepregnancy weight at follow-up that correctly
      classified them by BMI category. Women reported experiencing pregnancy symptoms
      later at follow-up than what they reported in the Early Pregnancy Study. Accuracy
      of reporting of early pregnancy behaviors varied based on exposure. Overall,
      women who had abstained from a behavior were more likely to be classified
      correctly. Sensitivity of reporting was 0.14 for antibiotics, 0.30 for wine, 0.71
      for brewed coffee, and 0.82 for vitamins. Most misclassification at follow-up was
      due to false-negative reporting. Among women who gave birth to singletons, 94%
      could report their child's correct birthweight within 1/2 pound and 86% could
      report duration of pregnancy within 7 days at follow-up. CONCLUSIONS: Self-report
      of prepregnancy weight, duration of pregnancy, and child's birthweight after
      almost 30 years was good, whereas self-reported pregnancy-related exposures
      resulted in higher levels of reporting error. Social desirability appeared to
      influence women's report of their behaviors at follow-up. Self-reported
      assessment of confidence in the recalled information was unrelated to accuracy.

PMID- 28346271
TI  - Primary and Repeat Cesarean Deliveries: A Population-based Study in the United
      States, 1979-2010.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Despite the temporal increase in cesarean deliveries, the extent to
      which maternal age, period, and maternal birth cohorts may have contributed to
      these trends remains unknown. METHODS: We performed an analysis of 123 million
      singleton deliveries in the United States (1979-2010). We estimated rate ratio
      (RR) with 95% confidence interval (CI) for primary and repeat cesarean
      deliveries. We examined changes in cesarean rates with weighted Poisson
      regression models across three time-scales: maternal age, year of delivery, and
      birth cohort (mother's birth year). RESULTS: The primary cesarean rate increased
      by 68% (95% confidence interval [CI]: 67%, 69%) between 1979 (11.0%) and 2010
      (18.5%). Repeat cesarean deliveries increased by 178% (95% CI: 176, 179) from
      5.2% in 1979 to 14.4% in 2010. Cesarean rates increased with advancing age.
      Compared with 1979, the RR for the period effect in primary and repeat cesarean
      deliveries increased up to 1990, fell to a nadir at 1993, and began to rise
      thereafter. A small birth cohort effect was evident, with women born before 1950
      at increased risk of primary cesarean; no cohort effect was seen for repeat
      cesarean deliveries. Adjustment for maternal BMI had a small effect on these
      findings. Period effects in primary cesarean were explained by a combination of
      trends in obesity and chronic hypertension, as well as demographic shifts over
      time. CONCLUSIONS: Maternal age and period appear to have important contributions
      to the temporal increase in the cesarean rates, although the effect of parity on
      these associations remains undetermined.

PMID- 28346272
TI  - Influenza in children.
AB  - PURPOSE OF REVIEW: We review the current information and evidence available on
      the global burden of disease in the pediatric population, clinical presentation
      and complications, testing, treatment, and immunization. RECENT FINDINGS: In
      addition to multiple other risk factors for influenza complications, children
      with neurologic and neuromuscular disorders are significantly higher risk for
      serious complications. In practice, there is no lower age limit for children with
      influenza who can be treated with oseltamivir. The quadrivalent live attenuated
      influenza vaccine was not recommended for use during the 2016-2017 season due to
      poor effectiveness. SUMMARY: Influenza infection causes a significant burden of
      disease each year in the pediatric population worldwide. Both healthy and
      chronically ill children can fall prey to complications either due to the virus
      itself or secondary bacterial infection. Children within high-risk groups should
      be tested and treated with neuraminidase inhibitors. Immunization against
      influenza is well tolerated and effective.

PMID- 28346273
TI  - Preoperative Extraintestinal Manifestations Associated with Chronic Pouchitis in
      Japanese Patients with Ulcerative Colitis After Ileal Pouch-anal Anastomosis: A
      Retrospective Study.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Pouchitis is a major problem after ileal pouch-anal anastomosis in
      patients with ulcerative colitis. Chronic pouchitis is particularly troublesome.
      This study aimed to identify risk factors for the development of chronic
      pouchitis in a Japanese population. METHODS: We retrospectively reviewed 100
      patients who underwent pouchoscopy for a functioning ileal pouch. The diagnosis
      of pouchitis was made according to the modified pouchitis disease activity index.
      The incidence of pouchitis was estimated using the Kaplan-Meier curve, and Cox
      regression analysis was used to identify risk factors for the development of
      chronic pouchitis. RESULTS: Twenty-two patients developed pouchitis; 12 of them
      had chronic pouchitis. The incidences of chronic pouchitis were 3.3%, 7.6%, and
      16.6% at 2, 5, and 10 years, respectively, after the pouch operation. The
      incidence of pouchitis was significantly higher in patients with preoperative
      extraintestinal manifestations (EIMs) than in those without (log-rank test, P =
      0.002 and P = 0.005 for overall and chronic pouchitis, respectively). Cox
      regression analysis revealed that the presence of extraintestinal manifestations
      was an independent risk factor for the development of overall (hazard ratio:
      4.48, 95% confidence interval, 1.77-11.30, P = 0.002) and chronic (hazard ratio:
      5.81, 95% confidence interval, 1.67-20.23, P = 0.006) pouchitis. CONCLUSIONS: The
      presence of preoperative extraintestinal manifestations was found to be an
      independent risk factor for the development of overall and chronic pouchitis.

PMID- 28346274
TI  - The Effect of Disease Activity on Birth Outcomes in a Nationwide Cohort of Women
      with Moderate to Severe Inflammatory Bowel Disease.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Active inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) during conception and
      pregnancy may increase the risk of adverse birth outcomes. Former studies have
      examined heterogeneous groups of women with varying degrees of IBD severity. We
      aimed to examine the effect of active IBD on birth outcomes in a more homogeneous
      group of women with a moderate to severe disease course. Since in Denmark,
      moderate to severe IBD is an indication for use of anti-tumor necrosis factor
      alpha therapy, we examined all women who used anti-tumor necrosis factor therapy
      during pregnancy. METHODS: We identified a nationwide cohort of 219 singleton
      pregnancies in women treated with anti-tumor necrosis factor-alpha therapy during
      pregnancy (2005-2014). Pregnancies with clinical disease activity (65.8%)
      constituted the exposed cohort and pregnancies without disease activity
      constituted the unexposed (34.2%). Disease activity scores were supported by
      levels of fecal calprotectin. Outcomes included low birth weight, preterm birth,
      and congenital anomalies. RESULTS: In women with IBD, disease activity was
      associated with adjusted odds ratio of low birth weight and preterm birth; 2.05
      (95% confidence interval, 0.37-11.35) and 2.64 (95% confidence interval, 0.85
      8.17), respectively. In those with clinical moderate to severe disease activity,
      the odds ratio for preterm birth was 3.60 (95% confidence interval, 1.14-11.36).
      In women with ulcerative colitis and disease activity, 19.5% had a child with low
      birth weight and 29.3% gave birth preterm. CONCLUSION: In women with moderate to
      severe IBD, 66% experienced disease activity during pregnancy. In those with the
      highest degree of disease activity, the risk of preterm birth was increased 3 to
      4 folds. The proportion of adverse birth outcomes was high, particularly among
      women with ulcerative colitis and disease activity.

PMID- 28346275
TI  - Committee Opinion No. 704: Human Papillomavirus Vaccination.
AB  - Human papillomavirus (HPV) is associated with anogenital cancer (including
      cervical, vaginal, vulvar, penile, and anal), oropharyngeal cancer, and genital
      warts. The HPV vaccination significantly reduces the incidence of anogenital
      cancer and genital warts. Despite the benefits of HPV vaccines, only 41.9% of
      girls in the recommended age group, and only 28.1% of males in the recommended
      age group have received all recom-mended doses. Compared with many other
      countries, HPV vaccination rates in the United States are unacceptably low. The
      U.S. Food and Drug Administration has approved three vaccines that are effective
      at preventing HPV infection. These vaccines cover 2, 4, or 9 HPV serotypes,
      respectively. Safety data for all three HPV vaccines are reassuring. The HPV
      vaccines are recommended for girls and boys aged 11-12 years and can be given to
      females and males up to age 26 years. The Advisory Committee on Immunization
      Practices and the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists recommend
      routine HPV vaccination for girls and boys at the target age of 11-12 years (but
      it may be given from the age of 9 years) as part of the adolescent immunization
      platform in order to help reduce the incidence of anogenital cancer and genital
      warts associated with HPV infection. Obstetrician-gynecologists and other health
      care providers should stress to parents and patients the benefits and safety of
      HPV vaccination and offer HPV vaccines in their offices.

PMID- 28346276
TI  - Comparison of Noncontact Specular and Confocal Microscopy for Evaluation of
      Corneal Endothelium.
AB  - PURPOSE: To compare endothelial cell analysis obtained by noncontact specular and
      confocal microscopy, using the Konan NSP-9900 and Nidek ConfoScan4 systems,
      respectively. METHODS: Three groups including 70 healthy eyes, 49 eyes with Fuchs
      endothelial corneal dystrophy (FECD), and 78 eyes with glaucoma were examined
      with both the Konan NSP-9900 specular microscope and the Nidek ConfocScan4
      confocal microscope. Certified graders at the Doheny Image Reading Center
      compared corneal endothelial images from both instruments side by side to assess
      image quality. Endothelial cell density (ECD) measurements were calculated and
      compared using three different modalities: (1) each instrument's fully automated
      analysis; (2) each instrument's semiautomatic analysis with grader input; and (3)
      manual grading methods by certified grader. RESULTS: All normal eyes yielded
      gradable endothelial images, and most but not all glaucomatous eyes yielded
      images with high enough image quality to allow grading. In addition, in corneas
      with severe FECD, poor image quality precluded ECD grading by specular microscopy
      in 20 eyes (40.8%) but in only 4 (8.2%) confocal images from the same eyes. For
      the gradable images, the ECD values obtained using the manual grading method from
      either device were comparable with no statistically significant difference
      (P>0.05) between specular and confocal devices. Machine-generated ECD values were
      significantly different from manual results, measuring greater in all cases with
      specular microscopy. Machine-generated ECD values from confocal microscopy also
      differed significantly from manual determinations, but not in a consistent
      direction. Semiautomatic methods for both instruments obtained clinically
      acceptable ECD values. CONCLUSIONS: Automatic machine-generated ECD measurements
      differed significantly from manual assessments of corneal endothelium by both
      specular and confocal microscopy, suggesting that automated results should be
      used with caution. But ECD values derived manually were comparable between the
      two devices in both normal and glaucomatous eyes, suggesting that manually graded
      images from the two instruments can be used interchangeably for reliable ECD
      measurements. Because of a higher proportion of gradable images, confocal
      microscopy may be superior to specular microscopy for ECD measurements in FECD.

PMID- 28346277
TI  - Myopic Laser Corneal Refractive Surgery Reduces Interdevice Agreement in the
      Measurement of Anterior Corneal Curvature.
AB  - OBJECTIVES: To investigate interdevice differences and agreement in the
      measurement of anterior corneal curvature obtained by different technologies
      after laser corneal refractive surgery. METHODS: The prospective study comprised
      109 eyes of 109 consecutive patients who had undergone laser-assisted in situ
      keratomileusis (LASIK). Preoperative and postoperative corneal parameters were
      measured by Scheimpflug imaging (Pentacam), Placido-slit-scanning (Orbscan) and
      auto-keratometry (IOLMaster). Preoperative and postoperative anterior corneal
      curvatures (K readings) were compared between devices. Interdevice agreement was
      evaluated by Bland-Altman analysis. RESULTS: Preoperatively, the difference of K
      reading for Pentacam-IOLMaster (0.04+/-0.20 D) was not statistically significant
      (P=0.059). The differences between Pentacam-Orbscan and Orbscan-IOLMaster were
      0.20+/-0.34 D (P<0.001) and -0.17+/-0.29 D (P<0.001), respectively. After
      surgery, no difference was found for Pentacam-Orbscan (-0.05+/-0.38, P=0.136).
      The differences between Pentacam-IOLMaster and Orbscan-IOLMaster were 0.13+/-0.29
      D (P<0.001) and 0.19+/-0.34 D (P<0.001). Preoperative interdevice agreement (95%
      limit of agreement [LOA]) between Pentacam and Orbscan, Pentacam and IOLMaster,
      and Orbscan and IOLMaster were 1.31 D, 0.79 D and 1.14 D, respectively. The 95%
      LOAs decreased to 1.47 D, 1.14 D, and 1.34 D after refractive surgery.
      CONCLUSION: Corneal refractive surgery changed the preoperative and postoperative
      interdevice differences in corneal curvature measurements and reduced interdevice
      agreement, indicating that the devices are not interchangeable.

PMID- 28346278
TI  - Effects of Myopic Orthokeratology on Visual Performance and Optical Quality.
AB  - OBJECTIVES: To analyze the changes in visual performance and optical quality
      after orthokeratology (ortho-k) treatment and its correlation with the magnitude
      of lens decentration and the diameter of treatment zone (TxZ). METHODS: A
      prospective study was conducted in 27 eyes of 27 patients wearing ortho-k contact
      lens. Area under log contrast sensitivity function (AULCSF), modulation transfer
      function cutoff values (MTFcutoff), Strehl ratio (SR), and objective scattering
      index (OSI) were measured and compared before and 1 month after ortho-k lens
      treatment. Refractive sphere, astigmatism, and diameter and decentration of TxZ
      were tested against the change in AULCSF, MTFcutoff, SR, and OSI after ortho-k
      treatment in stepwise multiple linear regression models. RESULTS: Objective
      scattering index significantly increased and AULCSF, MTFcutoff, and SR
      significantly decreased after ortho-k lens wear (all P<0.001). The mean TxZ
      diameter was 3.61+/-0.26 mm, and the mean magnitude of TxZ decentration was
      0.60+/-0.16 mm. The amount of lens decentration significantly correlated with the
      change in AULCSF and MTFcutoff (P=0.027 and P=0.005, respectively). The diameter
      of TxZ significantly correlated with the change in MTFcutoff and SR (P=0.005 and
      P=0.024, respectively). CONCLUSIONS: Visual and optical quality decreases after
      ortho-k treatment, which can be alleviated by a larger TxZ diameter and a smaller
      lens decentration.

PMID- 28346280
TI  - Conjunctivochalasis and Related Factors in an Adult Population of Iran.
AB  - OBJECTIVES: To determine the prevalence of conjunctivochalasis and its
      determinants in a middle-aged Iranian population. METHODS: This population-based
      study was conducted in the context of the second phase of Shahroud Eye Cohort
      Study in 2014. Of 4,737 participants aged 45 to 69 years who participated in the
      second phase, the data of 4,702 participants were available for this report. A
      diagnosis of conjunctivochalasis was made based on the physician's judgment on
      ophthalmic examinations. RESULTS: Diagnosis of conjunctivochalasis in at least
      one eye was confirmed in 295 (6.2%) participants. The prevalence of unilateral
      and bilateral conjunctivochalasis was 0.7% and 5.5%, respectively. Older age
      (odds ratio [OR] = 1.96, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.22-3.15), use of
      Losartan (an angiotensin II receptor antagonist) (OR=1.47, 95% CI: 1.05-2.08),
      Meibomian Gland Dysfunction (OR=2.32, 95% CI: 1.78-3.03), Pinguecula (OR=0.57,
      95% CI: 0.42-0.77), and blepharitis (OR=0.24, 95% CI: 0.07-0.77) had a
      significant association with conjunctivochalasis. CONCLUSION: The prevalence of
      conjunctivochalasis in our study was less than other reports from Asian
      population. Conjunctivochalasis has a significant association with some eyelid
      disorders and the use of Losartan which should be noted when diagnosing and
      treating this disease.

PMID- 28346281
TI  - Recognition and management of Clostridium difficile in older adults.
AB  - Clostridium difficile infection (CDI) is increasing in the outpatient setting,
      and older adults are at a higher risk for contracting CDI and experiencing poor
      outcomes. NPs may see this infection in the primary care setting. This article
      focuses on the presentation, treatment, and clinical practice implications for
      CDI in community-dwelling older adults.

PMID- 28346279
TI  - Sub-basal Corneal Nerve Plexus Analysis Using a New Software Technology.
AB  - PURPOSE: To study sub-basal corneal nerve plexus (SCNP) parameters by in vivo
      corneal confocal microscopy using a new software technology and examine the
      effect of demographics and diabetes mellitus (DM) on corneal nerves morphology.
      METHODS: A Confoscan 4 (Nidek Technologies) was used in this cross-sectional
      study to image the SCNP in 84 right eyes at the Miami Veterans Affairs eye
      clinic. Images were analyzed using a new semiautomated nerve analysis software
      program (The Corneal Nerve Analysis tool) which evaluated 9 parameters including
      nerve fibers length (NFL) and nerve fibers length density (NFLD). The main
      outcome measure was the examination of SCNP morphology by demographics,
      comorbidities, and HbA1c level. RESULTS: Interoperator and intraoperator
      reproducibility were good for the 9 parameters studied (Intraclass Correlations
      [ICCs] 0.73-0.97). Image variability between two images within the same scan was
      good for all parameters (ICC 0.66-0.80). Older individuals had lower SCNP
      parameters with NFL and NFLD negatively correlating with age (r=-0.471, and 
      0.461, respectively, P<0.01 for all). Patients with diabetes had lower mean NFLD
      10987.6 MUm/mm (+/-3,284.6) and NFL 1,289.5 MUm/frame (+/-387.2) compared with
      patients without diabetes (mean NFLD 15077.1 MUm/mm [+/-4,261.3] and NFL 1750.0
      MUm/frame [+/-540.7]) (P<0.05 for all). HbA1c levels in patients with diabetes
      were inversely correlated with NFL and NFLD (r= -0.568, and -0.569, respectively,
      P<0.05 for all). CONCLUSIONS: The Corneal Nerve Analysis tool is a reproducible
      diagnostic software technique for the analysis of the SCNP with confocal
      microscopy. Older age, DM, and higher level of HbA1c were associated with a
      significant reduction in SCNP parameters.

PMID- 28346282
TI  - Screening tools to assess risk of opioid abuse in the Canadian primary healthcare
      setting.
AB  - Opioid therapy for patients with chronic pain is increasing in frequency along
      with rates of opioid abuse. Many screening tools are available to assess for the
      risk of opioid abuse. NPs should use screening tools that are cross-validated for
      use in chronic pain patients in the Canadian primary healthcare setting.

PMID- 28346283
TI  - Nonvisualized sentinel lymph nodes on lymphoscintigraphy in melanoma: predictive
      factors and surgical outcomes.
AB  - PURPOSE: Preoperative lymphoscintigraphy is the standard for the identification
      of sentinel lymph nodes (SLNs) in melanoma. The impact of negative scintigraphy
      [nonvisualization (NV) of the SLN] on surgical outcomes is inadequately reported
      in the literature. The objectives of this study were to determine the incidence,
      predictive factors, and surgical outcomes of NV in clinically node-negative
      melanoma patients. PATIENTS AND METHODS: A retrospective review of a prospective,
      Institutional Review Board approved, melanoma sentinel node database from January
      2005 to August 2015 was performed. RESULTS: Twenty-seven of the 897 (3%) patients
      had negative scintigraphy. Single-photon emission computed tomography/computed
      tomography was performed in addition to planar imaging in four patients and
      failed to locate the SLN in all cases. NV was associated with older age (71 vs.
      59 years, P<0.001), head and neck primaries (41%), and previous operations
      adjacent to the primary tumor or nodal beds (37%). NV was not associated with
      sex, BMI, or T stage. Despite a negative scintigram, the SLN was still found at
      operation in 10 of the 27 (37%) patients using the hand-held gamma probe, with
      one (10%) patient having nodal metastasis. Two patients with NV had nodal
      recurrence, with a mean follow-up of 3 years. DISCUSSION: Preoperative
      lymphoscintigraphy in clinically node-negative melanoma patients is associated
      with a low NV rate. Predictors for NV include age, head and neck location, and
      previous operations at adjacent sites. NV should not preclude surgical
      exploration as the SLN can still be found at operation in over one-third of
      patients.

PMID- 28346284
TI  - An electronic cardiac rehabilitation referral system increases cardiac
      rehabilitation referrals.
AB  - AIM: Although cardiac rehabilitation attendance is associated with improved
      clinical outcomes for patients after acute myocardial infarction (AMI), it
      remains underutilized nationally. We sought to determine whether replacing
      traditional, paper-based referrals for cardiac rehabilitation for patients with
      AMI with an electronic referral system would increase utilization. METHODS AND
      RESULTS: We implemented the change from traditional, paper-based referrals to
      electronic referrals at the Massachusetts General Hospital on 10 December 2013.
      Using a segmented regression approach to control for other secular effects, we
      assessed an association between the intervention and inpatient referrals, total
      referrals, cardiac rehabilitation attendance at Massachusetts General Hospital,
      and the rate of inpatient referral to cardiac rehabilitation after AMI. We
      analyzed 1895 referral records over a 30-month period. After the intervention,
      the total referrals to our cardiac rehabilitation program increased by a factor
      of 1.8, largely attributable to a 17-fold increase in inpatient referrals
      (P<0.0001 for both). CONCLUSION: Even relative to pre-existing secular trends,
      switching to an electronic referral system was associated with an increase in
      referral volume for cardiac rehabilitation for patients with AMI. Electronic care
      innovations may improve the ability of provider organizations to provide
      guideline-oriented care for patients with coronary artery disease.

PMID- 28346285
TI  - Effect of prompt revascularization on outcomes in diabetic patients with stable
      ischemic heart disease and previous myocardial infarction in the Bypass
      Angioplasty Revascularization Investigation 2 Diabetes (BARI 2D) trial.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Survivors of a myocardial infarction (MI) are at a considerable risk
      of developing further cardiovascular events, including recurrent MI, heart
      failure, stroke, and death. Patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus and stable
      ischemic heart disease (SIHD) have worse outcomes than their nondiabetic
      counterparts, and those with previous MI may be at particularly high risk. Yet,
      little is known about the effect of adding prompt revascularization to intensive
      medical therapy in this high-risk group. PATIENTS AND METHODS: We carried out a
      post-hoc analysis of the Bypass Angioplasty Revascularization Investigation 2
      Diabetes trial, which randomized patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus and SIHD
      to prompt revascularization with percutaneous coronary intervention or coronary
      artery bypass grafting in addition to intensive medical therapy or intensive
      medical therapy alone. Previous MI status was defined by a history of MI or
      pathologic Q-waves. The primary endpoints were death, nonfatal or fatal MI,
      nonfatal or fatal stroke, congestive heart failure, and a composite of
      death/MI/stroke. RESULTS: Of the 2280 patients with evaluable data, 936 had
      previous MI. In these patients, there were no differences in the 5-year event
      free rates of all-cause death, MI, stroke, congestive heart failure, or
      death/MI/stroke between those who were randomized to prompt revascularization in
      addition to intensive medical therapy and those who were randomized to intensive
      medical therapy alone. CONCLUSION: In diabetic patients with SIHD and previous
      MI, adding prompt revascularization to intensive medical therapy yielded no
      benefit compared with intensive medical therapy alone. These findings underscore
      the importance of intensive medical therapy in mitigating further ischemic
      events.

PMID- 28346286
TI  - Delayed coronary obstruction following Portico in Freedom Solo valve-in-valve
      implantation.

PMID- 28346287
TI  - The Impact of Laparoscopic-assisted Colorectal Surgery Using 3-dimensional
      Reconstruction for Highly Obese Patients With Colorectal Cancer.
AB  - OBJECTIVES: During laparoscopic-assisted colorectal surgery (LACS), precise
      recognition of the anatomic variations and relationships among tumor and vessels
      is required. However, in highly obese patients, it is more difficult to grasp the
      surgical anatomy due to the presence of dense mesenteric fat tissue. We utilized
      a 3-dimensional (3D) reconstructed image for preoperative simulation and
      intraoperative navigation for LACS. In this study, we examined the correlation
      between patient obesity and 3D-simulated perioperative outcomes. MATERIALS AND
      METHODS: We retrospectively analyzed 124 patients who underwent LACS using 3D
      surgical simulation at Tsukuba Medical Center Hospital. We sequentially divided
      our cohort into 2 groups: patients with a low body mass index (BMI<25 kg/m, n=60)
      and patients with a high BMI (BMI >=25 kg/m, n=64). Patient characteristics and
      perioperative outcomes, including conversion rate, postoperative complications,
      operating time, intraoperative blood loss, and length of postoperative hospital
      stay, were compared for these 2 groups. RESULTS: There were no significant
      differences in patient background between the 2 groups.We found it more difficult
      to grasp the surgical anatomy, including vessel arrangement, for high-BMI
      patients than for low-BMI patients because of the dense mesenteric fat tissue in
      high-BMI patients. There were no significant differences between the 2 groups
      with respect to perioperative outcomes. CONCLUSIONS: The utilized reconstructed
      3D images were useful for understanding anatomic relationships, including vessel
      arrangement, during LACS, particularly in highly obese patients.

PMID- 28346288
TI  - Day Surgery for Acute Appendicitis in Adults: A Prospective Series of 102
      Patients.
AB  - AIM: To report the results of a consecutive series of day surgery appendectomy
      (DSA) for acute appendicitis. METHODS: Selection criteria for DSA were as
      follows: body mass index<28 kg/m, white cell count <15,000/mL, C-reactive
      protein<30 mg/L, no radiological signs of perforation, and appendix diameter <=10
      mm. All patients with radiologically proven appendicitis and 4 or 5 criteria were
      proposed for DSA and prospectively included. RESULTS: A total of 102 patients
      (female=39.2%) were operated between January 1, 2013 and January 5, 2015 with a
      median age of 29.5 years [interquartile range (IQR), 23 to 37 y]. Diagnosis was
      mainly supported by computed tomographic scan (75.5%). About 60 patients (59%)
      were reconvened on the next morning for surgery with oral antibiotics. The median
      operative time was 40 minutes (IQR, 30 to 52 min), and 92 (90%) patients were
      discharged on day 0 after a postoperative period of 5h:12min (IQR, 4h:14min to
      6h:33min). The overall median hospital length of stay was 8h:04min (IQR, 6h:46min
      to 10h:23min). Surgical morbidity was 6.9% (n=7), with 1.9% (n=2) major
      complications. CONCLUSIONS: DSA is a safe procedure for selected patients; it
      reduces the hospital length of stay without increasing morbidity.

PMID- 28346289
TI  - beta-Blocker use and reduced disease progression in patients with thick melanoma:
      8 years of follow-up.
AB  - Previous observational studies have reported the protective effect of beta
      blockers on the progression of different types of cancers. In 2011, we published
      a prospective study, including patients with histologically confirmed malignant
      melanoma in stage II-IIIA. In total, 25% of them reported previous use of beta
      blockers that were administered at any time for any other diseases. After a
      median follow-up of 2.5 years, 34% of the patients in the untreated group showed
      disease progression. In contrast, only 3% of the patients in the treated group
      showed progression. We report the findings obtained in the same cohort after a
      longer period of beta-blocker therapy and follow-up (8 years). We prospectively
      reviewed data of the patients enrolled in the original prospective study. Disease
      progression was assessed by evaluating the presence of lymphatic, in-transit or
      visceral metastases. Deaths by any cause and deaths because of melanoma were
      recorded. A multivariate Cox proportional hazards model was used to evaluate the
      effect of beta-blocker use on disease-free survival and overall survival,
      adjusting for significant confounders. After a median follow-up of 8 years and a
      median duration of beta-blocker use of 7.6 years, 45% of the patients in the
      untreated group and 30% of the patients in the treated group showed disease
      progression. Notably, in the untreated group 35% patients died from melanoma and
      only 17% patients died from melanoma in the treated group. Results of this
      hospital-based prospective cohort study with a median follow-up of 8 years
      confirmed our previous results that the use of beta-blockers significantly
      reduced the risk of recurrence and mortality in melanoma patients.

PMID- 28346290
TI  - Endoscopic Ear Surgery for External Auditory Canal Cholesteatoma.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Treatment of external auditory canal cholesteatoma (EACC) has been a
      question of debate. To our knowledge and according to a systematic review of
      endoscopic ear surgery (EES) in 2015, this study describes for the first time the
      technique and outcome by solely transcanal EES for EACC. STUDY METHOD:
      Retrospective case series, level of evidence IV. METHODS: Between October 2014
      and December 2016, nine patients with unilateral EACC have been treated by EES.
      Using a bimanual technique, canaloplasty has been performed using tragal
      perichondrium, cartilage, or artificial bone. Symptoms, signs, and reconstruction
      technique have been assessed and the primary endpoint: healing time was compared
      with benchmark values in the literature. RESULTS: During the 26 months study
      period all of our nine Naim stage III EACCs were successfully treated by EES with
      median healing time of 23.8 days. EACC limited to the external auditory canal
      (Naim stage III) represented an ideal target for EES minimizing tissue damage and
      thus median healing time compared with retroauricular (42-56 d) or endaural (59
      d) surgical techniques. DISCUSSION: Shorter healing time helped to reduce
      skepticism toward a surgical treatment of EACC from the patient's perspective.
      Moreover, EES relied on reduced bulky equipment, dressing time, and complex
      maintenance compared with microscopic techniques. CONCLUSION: Transcanal
      endoscopic surgery is a valid treatment option for EACC up to Naim stage III.
      Moreover, the described procedure fosters in our eyes the teaching of our
      residence to get familiar with the basic steps of EES.

PMID- 28346291
TI  - Round and Oval Window Anatomic Variability: Its Implication for the Vibroplasty
      Technique.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study is to evaluate the anatomical variability
      of round and oval window regions and its relationship with their closest
      structures, to determine its implication on the fitting and stabilization of the
      middle ear implant Vibrant Soundbridge. METHODS: Variations of the anatomy of
      round and oval window regions were assessed in a total of 85 human dissected
      temporal bones. Afterward, we evaluated the adaptation and subsequent
      stabilization of the floating mass transducer (FMT) of the Vibrant Soundbridge in
      67 cases in round window (RW) and in 22 cases in oval window (OW), and the
      influence that the variability of the different anatomical features examined had
      on this stabilization. We also assessed access and surgeon's view of the RW niche
      through the facial recess approach. RESULTS: Stabilization of the FMT in the RW
      was achieved in 53 (79%) of the 67 cases; we found that the less favorable
      anatomical conditions for stabilization were: membrane smaller than 1.5 mm,
      presence of a high jugular bulb and a narrow or very narrow RW niche. Frequently,
      two or more of these conditions happened simultaneously. In seven cases (22%)
      access to the RW through facial recess approach did not allow positioning the FMT
      in place. OW stabilization succeeded in 18 (82%) of the 22 cases. CONCLUSION:
      Round and oval window vibroplasty are difficult surgical techniques. To place the
      FMT directly on the OW may be easier as we do not have to drill the niche. In
      both regions there are some anatomical conditions that hinder fitting the FMT and
      even make it impossible. Once fitted, the main problem is to achieve good
      stabilization of the device.

PMID- 28346292
TI  - Bilateral Labyrinthine and Internal Auditory Canal Enhancement in an Infant With
      Severe Labyrinthine Dysplasia: A Previously Unreported Phenomenon.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: To describe a novel case of congenital profound bilateral
      sensorineural hearing loss in a patient with bilateral nodular internal auditory
      canal and labyrinthine enhancement and temporal bone dysplasia. PATIENTS: A 76
      day-old female was referred to the authors' center for evaluation of congenital
      deafness. Behavioral observations and objective audiometric evaluation
      demonstrated bilateral profound sensorineural hearing loss and a comprehensive
      multidisciplinary evaluation identified compound heterozygous pathogenic variants
      in MYO7A, a gene associated with Usher Syndrome Type 1B or DFNB2. Computed
      tomography and contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging studies demonstrated
      bilateral temporal bone anomalies with unique middle and inner ear malformations,
      as well as unique contrast enhancement in the membranous labyrinth, internal
      auditory canals, and cranial nerves, which have not been previously described
      with MYO7A variants. INTERVENTIONS: Given the potential risk for progressive
      bilateral labyrinthitis ossificans, bilateral simultaneous cochlear implantation
      was performed at 4 months of age. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Subsequent audiologic
      follow up after implantation shows significantly improved access to auditory
      information and increased vocalizations. At last testing, speech and language
      skills for both receptive and expressive language abilities were found to be
      commensurate with her chronological age. CONCLUSION: We report a novel
      presentation and imaging findings of congenital bilateral profound sensorineural
      hearing loss in a patient with nodular internal auditory canal and labyrinthine
      enhancement and coexisting inner ear dysplasia. Despite the multiple radiologic
      abnormalities, the patient has demonstrated good benefit from cochlear
      implantation. Future study of rare variants of congenital deafness, such as this,
      is critical toward defining new disease processes and determining optimal
      treatment.

PMID- 28346293
TI  - Comparison of Experts and Residents Performing a Complex Procedure in a Temporal
      Bone Surgery Simulator.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: To investigate the use of automated metrics from a virtual reality
      (VR) temporal bone surgery simulator to determine how the performance of experts
      and trainees differs when performing a complex otological procedure
      (mastoidectomy with posterior tympanotomy and cochleostomy). STUDY DESIGN: Cohort
      study. METHODS: Using the University of Melbourne VR temporal bone surgery
      simulator, seven ENT consultants and seven ENT residents performed two trials of
      the surgical approach to cochlear implantation on a virtual temporal bone.
      Simulator recordings were used to calculate a range of automated metrics for each
      stage of the procedure, capturing efficiency, technique characteristics, drilled
      bone regions, and damage to vital anatomical structures. RESULTS: Results confirm
      that experts drilled more efficiently than residents. Experts generally used
      larger burrs and applied higher forces, resulting in faster material removal.
      However, they exercised more caution when drilling close to anatomical
      structures. Residents opened the temporal bone more widely, but neglected
      important steps in obtaining a clear view toward the round window, such as
      thinning the external ear canal wall and skeletonizing the medial aspect of the
      facial nerve. Residents used higher magnification and reoriented the temporal
      bone more often than experts. CONCLUSION: VR simulation provides metrics that
      allow the objective analysis of surgical technique, and identification of
      differences between the performance of surgical residents and their senior
      colleagues. The performance of residents could be improved with more guidance
      regarding how much force they should apply, what burr size they should use, how
      they should orient the bone, and for cochlear implant surgery guidance regarding
      anatomical regions requiring particular attention, to visualize the round window.

PMID- 28346294
TI  - Diagnosis and Treatment of Vestibular Neuritis/Neuronitis or Peripheral
      Vestibulopathy (PVP)? Open Questions and Possible Answers.
AB  - : The acute vestibular syndrome is a clinically defined entity consisting of
      vertigo or dizziness that develops acutely over minutes to hours and is
      accompanied by nausea/vomiting, gait instability, head motion intolerance, and
      nystagmus, while persisting over a day or more. When it is caused by a peripheral
      vestibular lesion and is not associated with clinically manifest auditory
      deficits, it is mostly labeled vestibular neuritis/neuronitis/neuropathy or
      sometimes peripheral vestibulopathy. Here, we propose hypotheses and discuss
      current research advances on viral or vascular factors in the pathogenesis, the
      recurrence, the site of lesion, old and new treatment options, contraindicated
      measures, the differential diagnosis, and the prognosis of vestibular
      neuritis/neuronitis/neuropathy or vestibulopathy. Possibly, other structures than
      the vestibular nerve are also involved in the pathogenetic process and the label
      peripheral vestibulopathy would be more apt.

PMID- 28346295
TI  - A Correlational Study of Spiritual Well-being and Depression in the Adult Cancer
      Patient.
AB  - Depression in adult cancer patients has been widely studied, along with spiritual
      effects of traumatic events and even spiritual growth after a diagnosis of
      cancer. There has been limited research determining a direct correlation between
      spiritual well-being and depression in adult cancer patients. The purpose of this
      research study was to examine the relationship between spiritual well-being and
      depression in adult cancer patients. This was a descriptive correlational study
      using 59 patients older than 18 years from an outpatient cancer center. The
      researchers hypothesized that patients with a low spiritual well-being score
      would be more likely to have a high depressive symptom score, thus providing
      support for a correlation between cancer patient's spiritual well-being and risk
      of depression. Implications of this study lead to evidence for better screening
      processes for cancer patients regarding spiritual well-being.

PMID- 28346296
TI  - Antipsychotic drug use in nursing home residents with and without dementia: keep
      an eye on the pro re nata medication.
AB  - Behavioral and psychological symptoms of dementia often lead to the prescription
      of antipsychotics, especially in nursing homes, but their use remains
      controversial. This study aimed to assess antipsychotic drug use in residents
      with dementia compared with those without dementia. Data were obtained through
      the cross-sectional 'inappropriate medication in patients with renal
      insufficiency in nursing homes' (IMREN) study including data from 21 nursing
      homes. Descriptive statistics were used and factors associated with the
      prescription of antipsychotics were identified by logistic regression. Overall,
      57.5% of the 837 residents had a diagnosis of dementia and 47.0% of residents
      with dementia and 19.5% of those without dementia received antipsychotics. 35.9%
      of all antipsychotics in residents with dementia were prescribed as pro re nata
      (PRN) compared with 23.0% for residents without dementia. Typical antipsychotics
      were prescribed more commonly than atypical ones. The adjusted logistic
      regression showed a significant association between the prescription of
      antipsychotics and dementia (odds ratio: 3.58, 95% confidence interval: 2.45
      5.25) as well as severe care dependency (odds ratio: 1.68, 95% confidence
      interval: 1.10-2.55). Despite safety warnings, antipsychotics are still
      frequently prescribed to residents with dementia. Almost half received
      antipsychotics and about a third of the antipsychotics are prescribed as PRN.
      Further studies should assess the use of PRN antipsychotics and guidelines for
      PRN prescriptions are clearly needed.

PMID- 28346298
TI  - Defining Sepsis in Burn Patients: Still a Long Way to Go.

PMID- 28346297
TI  - Exposure to Mycophenolate and Fatherhood.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Mycophenolic acid (MPA) is the active immunosuppressive substance in
      both mycophenolate mofetil and mycophenolate sodium, and it is widely used after
      organ transplantation. In women, taking MPA is teratogenic and may also influence
      spermatogenesis. There is a lack of knowledge regarding outcome of pregnancies
      fathered by men exposed to MPA. METHODS: We compared outcomes in pregnancies
      fathered by renal transplant men per whether they had been exposed to MPA or not
      at time of conception. A nationwide population-based retrospective cohort study
      was performed. Data from the Norwegian Renal Registry with all renal transplanted
      men alive between January 1, 1995 and December 31, 2015 were included, and
      relevant outcome data were extracted from the Medical Birth Registry of Norway.
      RESULTS: During the given time, 230 immunosuppressed renal transplanted men
      fathered 350 children (155 on MPA/195 not on MPA). There were no significant
      increased risks of malformation (3.9% vs. 2.6%, P = 0.49) in MPA exposed versus
      unexposed cohorts of children. The average dose (+/-SD) of mycophenolate was 1.42
      +/- 0.3 g/day and the individual median MPA trough concentration in the time
      period of anticipated conception and pregnancy was 2.8 +/- 1.6 mg/L. Birth weight
      was similar in exposed and unexposed cohorts of children; 3381 +/- 681 g vs. 3429
      +/- 714 g (P = 0.53). CONCLUSIONS: Paternal exposure to MPA did not increase the
      risk of adverse birth outcomes in children fathered by male kidney transplanted
      patients. These results are reassuring and support the continuation of paternal
      MPA treatment before, during, and after conception.

PMID- 28346299
TI  - Burn Survivor Focus Group.

PMID- 28346301
TI  - Psychological Outcomes Following Burn Injuries.

PMID- 28346300
TI  - The Burn Survivor Perspective.

PMID- 28346302
TI  - The Benefit of Microskin in Combination With Autologous Keratinocyte Suspension
      to Treat Full Skin Loss In Vivo.
AB  - Patients with extensive deep burns often lack enough autologous skin to cover the
      wounds. This study explores a new method using microskin in combination with
      autologous keratinocytes in the treatment of extensive deep burn. Wounds in the
      combination group were treated with automicroskin at an area expansion ratio of
      20:1 (wound area to automicroskin area) and autologous keratinocyte suspension,
      which were compared with the following treatments: no autotransplant, only
      allografts (control group); autologous keratinocyte suspension only (keratinocyte
      only group); automicroskin at an area expansion ratio of 20:1 (20:1 group); and
      automicroskin at an area expansion ratio of 10:1 (10:1 group, positive control).
      The authors used epithelialization rate (epithelialized area on day 21 divided by
      original wound area), hematoxylin and eosin staining, laminin, and type IV
      collagen immunohistochemistry to assess wound healing. The epithelialization rate
      of combination group (74.2% +/- 8.0%) was similar to that of 10: 1 group (84.3%
      +/- 11.9%, P = .085) and significantly (P < .05) higher than that of 20:1 group
      (59.2% +/- 10.8%), keratinocyte only group (53.8% +/- 11.5%), and control group
      (22.7% +/- 5.5%). The hematoxylin and eosin staining and immunohistochemistry
      showed the epithelialization in the combination group was better than that in the
      keratinocyte only group and control group. Microskin in combination with
      autologous keratinocyte suspension can promote the reepithelialization of full
      thickness wounds and reduce the requirements for automircoskin, and it is a
      useful option in the treatment of extensive deep burns.

PMID- 28346303
TI  - Eccrine Syringofibroadenoma in Association With Acquired Epidermodysplasia
      Verruciformis.
AB  - A 75-year-old man with human immunodeficiency virus infection and numerous biopsy
      proven warts for 10 years, refractory to cryosurgery, cimetidine, and topical
      imiquimod, presented with numerous pink to hypopigmented verrucous papules and
      plaques involving the face, trunk, buttocks, and groin. Laboratory evaluation
      revealed a CD4 T-cell count of 62 cells per microliter and human immunodeficiency
      virus viral load of <117 copies per milliliter. Biopsy of a plaque groin lesion
      was performed. Histopathology revealed vertically oriented anastomosing strands
      of basaloid epithelium arising from multiple points along the epidermis in a
      background fibrovascular stroma. Ductal differentiation was identified. Areas of
      epidermis showed compact orthokeratosis, coarse hypergranulosis, and
      keratinocytes with abundant steel-blue-gray cytoplasm, indicative of viral
      cytopathic changes. Cytologic atypia was not identified. Human papillomavirus
      (HPV) genotyping of this lesion was positive for types 5 and 14. Overall, the
      findings were consistent with epidermodysplasia verruciformis in association with
      eccrine syringofibroadenoma (ESFA). The patient was subsequently treated with
      acitretin and showed clinical improvement. ESFA is an uncommon benign adnexal
      tumor with unknown pathogenesis. Although its association with HPV has rarely
      been reported, ESFA in the setting of acquired epidermodysplasia verruciformis
      has not been described. The development of ESFA in this case may be the result of
      HPV-induced cellular transformation.

PMID- 28346304
TI  - Lamotrigine Induces Hair Loss in a Patient With Treatment-Resistant Major
      Depressive Disorder.

PMID- 28346307
TI  - Ultrasound-Guided Selective Cervical Root Injection for Postherpetic Neuralgia.

PMID- 28346308
TI  - Atypical Fatty Infiltration in a Below-Knee Amputation.

PMID- 28346309
TI  - Sacral Insufficiency Fracture in an Elderly Woman With Hip Pain.

PMID- 28346310
TI  - The Potential for Gabapentinoid Abuse in Pain Management.

PMID- 28346311
TI  - Latissimus Dorsi Flap Breast Reconstruction-A Nationwide Inpatient Sample Review.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: The latissimus dorsi (LD) myocutaneous flap has been a long term
      standard for breast reconstruction. The variable indications for the LD flap have
      not been statistically examined because of the relative infrequency of its use by
      any single surgeon or institution. METHODS: The Nationwide Inpatient Sample data
      set was queried for all patient encounters involving a LD myocutaneous flap
      procedure. The study population was further restricted to female patients with a
      history of breast cancer or previous mastectomy. Demographics, Charlson
      Comorbidity Index scores, previous radiation history, and additional simultaneous
      procedures were extracted. Analysis was performed using nonparametric correlation
      coefficients and linear regression models. RESULTS: In total, 2304 LD breast
      reconstruction hospitalizations were identified between 2008 and 2010. Average
      patient age was 52.1 years, average hospital length of stay (LOS) was 2.8 days,
      bilateral latissimus reconstruction was performed in 252 (10.9%) patients, and
      1414 patients (61.4%) were delayed reconstruction. Previous irradiation was
      present in 389 (16.9%) patients and was correlated with delayed reconstruction (P
      < 0.001).Younger age was associated with bilateral latissimus reconstructions (P
      < 0.05), contralateral free flap reconstruction (P < 0.0001), and combination
      with implants or tissue expanders (both P < 0.0001).After adjustment for age and
      Charlson Comorbidity Index, increased LOS was observed in patients undergoing
      contralateral free flap reconstruction (+1.29 days, P < 0.05) and immediate
      reconstruction (mastectomy, +0.39 days unilateral, P < 0.05; +0.64 days,
      bilateral, P < 0.001). The use of tissue expanders and implants were found to
      decrease hospital LOS (bilateral implant, -0.65 days, P < 0.001; bilateral
      expander, -0.72 days, P < 0.001), likely from confounding comorbidities. Charlson
      Comorbidity Index was strongly related to LOS (+0.08 days per point, P < 0.005),
      whereas age was not statistically significant when considered with comorbidity.
      CONCLUSIONS: The LD is most commonly used for delayed or salvage breast
      reconstruction, with particular utility in irradiated patients. Younger patients
      tend to undergo more involved LD variants with bilateral reconstructions and
      expanders or implants. After adjusting for comorbidity, age and the use of
      bilateral latissimus flaps with implants or expanders have no adverse impact on
      LOS.

PMID- 28346312
TI  - Using Technology to Enhance Discharge Teaching and Improve Coping for Patients
      After Stroke.
AB  - BACKGROUND: A diagnosis of stroke is a life-changing event. Effective discharge
      teaching after a stroke is crucial for recovery, but the overload of information
      can be overwhelming for patients and caregivers. PURPOSE: The purpose of this
      study was to examine differences in discharge readiness and postdischarge coping
      in patients admitted for stroke after the use of individualized postdischarge
      information/education provided via a technology package (including patient online
      portal access, e-mail/secure messaging) compared with current standard discharge
      teaching methods (verbal/written instructions). METHODS: This study used a
      descriptive comparative design to evaluate the difference between the
      nonintervention group A and the intervention group B. Patients in group B
      received additional discharge information via secured e-mail messaging at
      postdischarge days 2, 6, and 10. Two validated tools, Readiness for Hospital
      Discharge Form and Post-Discharge Coping Difficulty Scale, were used. RESULTS:
      One hundred patients were recruited for the study, but the final number of
      complete data sets collected was 86-42 in group A and 44 in group B. There was no
      statistically significant difference between the groups in discharge readiness.
      There was a significant difference in coping scores between the 2 groups, with
      the technology group exhibiting higher coping. CONCLUSIONS: New technology
      affords new options to improve discharge readiness and contribute to positive
      patient coping after stroke. The researchers hope that this study will contribute
      to the growing body of evidence showing success using aspects of technology to
      enhance discharge teaching and follow-up after discharge.

PMID- 28346313
TI  - Population Pharmacokinetics of Gemcitabine and dFdU in Pancreatic Cancer Patients
      Using an Optimal Design, Sparse Sampling Approach.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Gemcitabine remains a pillar in pancreatic cancer treatment. However,
      toxicities are frequently observed. Dose adjustment based on therapeutic drug
      monitoring might help decrease the occurrence of toxicities. In this context,
      this work aims at describing the pharmacokinetics (PK) of gemcitabine and its
      metabolite dFdU in pancreatic cancer patients and at identifying the main sources
      of their PK variability using a population PK approach, despite a sparse sampled
      population and heterogeneous administration and sampling protocols. METHODS: Data
      from 38 patients were included in the analysis. The 3 optimal sampling times were
      determined using KineticPro and the population PK analysis was performed on
      Monolix. Available patient characteristics, including cytidine deaminase (CDA)
      status, were tested as covariates. Correlation between PK parameters and
      occurrence of severe hematological toxicities was also investigated. RESULTS: A
      two-compartment model best fitted the gemcitabine and dFdU PK data (volume of
      distribution and clearance for gemcitabine: V1 = 45 L and CL1 = 4.03 L/min; for
      dFdU: V2 = 36 L and CL2 = 0.226 L/min). Renal function was found to influence
      gemcitabine clearance, and body surface area to impact the volume of distribution
      of dFdU. However, neither CDA status nor the occurrence of toxicities was
      correlated to PK parameters. CONCLUSIONS: Despite sparse sampling and
      heterogeneous administration and sampling protocols, population and individual PK
      parameters of gemcitabine and dFdU were successfully estimated using Monolix
      population PK software. The estimated parameters were consistent with previously
      published results. Surprisingly, CDA activity did not influence gemcitabine PK,
      which was explained by the absence of CDA-deficient patients enrolled in the
      study. This work suggests that even sparse data are valuable to estimate
      population and individual PK parameters in patients, which will be usable to
      individualize the dose for an optimized benefit to risk ratio.

PMID- 28346315
TI  - The Effects of 10-week Integrated Neuromuscular Training on Fundamental Movement
      Skills and Physical Self-efficacy in 6-7-Year-Old Children.
AB  - Duncan, MJ, Eyre, ELJ, and Oxford, SW. The effects of 10-week integrated
      neuromuscular training on fundamental movement skills and physical self-efficacy
      in 6-7-year-old children. J Strength Cond Res 32(12): 3348-3356, 2018-Integrated
      neuromuscular training (INT) has been suggested as an effective means to enhance
      athletic potential in children. However, few studies have reported the effects of
      school-based INT programs. This study examined the effect of INT on process and
      product fundamental movement skill measures and physical self-efficacy in 6-7
      year-old children. Ninety-four children from 2 primary schools were randomized
      into either a 10-week INT program or a control group (CON) (n = 41). Results
      indicated significantly greater increases in process fundamental movement skill
      (FMS) scores in INT vs. CON (p = 0.001). For product measures of FMS, 10-m sprint
      time, counter movement jump, seated medicine ball throw and standing long jump
      (all p = 0.001), all significantly increased to a greater extent in the INT group
      vs. CON. A significant group (INT vs. CON) * time (pre vs. post) * gender
      interaction for physical self-efficacy revealed increased physical self-efficacy
      pre to post INT, compared with CON but only for boys (p = 0.001). For girls,
      physical self-efficacy was not significantly different before to after the 10
      week period for INT and CON groups. The results of this study suggest that
      replacing 1 of the 2 weekly statutory physical education (PE) lessons with an INT
      program over a 10-week period results in positive improvements in fundamental
      movement skill quality and outcomes in 6-7-year-old children. Integrated
      neuromuscular training also appears to increase physical self-esteem to a greater
      extent than statutory PE but only in boys.

PMID- 28346314
TI  - Radiographic Review of Helical Blade Versus Lag Screw Fixation for
      Cephalomedullary Nailing of Low-Energy Peritrochanteric Femur Fractures: There is
      a Difference in Cutout.
AB  - OBJECTIVES: To compare the rate of cutout of helical blades and lag screws in low
      energy peritrochanteric femur fractures treated with a cephalomedullary nail
      (CMN). DESIGN: Retrospective review. SETTING: Academic medical center. PATIENTS:
      Overall, this study included 362 patients with an average age of 83 year old, a
      majority of whom were women, and had sustained a low-energy peritrochanteric
      femur fracture treated with a CMN. All patients had at least 3 months of clinical
      and radiographic follow, with an average follow-up of 11 months and a range of 3
      88 months follow-up. INTERVENTION: Cephalomedullary nailing with the use of a
      helical blade or single lag screw for proximal fixation. MAIN OUTCOME
      MEASUREMENTS: Cutout of the helical blade or lag screw. RESULTS: Twenty-two
      cutouts occurred, 14 (15.1%) of 93 patients with helical blades and 8 (3.0%) of
      269 patients with lag screws. Cutout with the helical blade was significantly
      more frequent than with the lag screw (P = 0.0001). The average tip-apex distance
      (TAD) was significantly greater for those patients who experienced cutout both
      for the helical blades (23.5 vs. 19.7 mm; P = 0.0194) and lag screws (24.5 vs.
      20.0 mm; P = 0.0197). An absolute TAD predictive of cutout could not be
      determined. CONCLUSIONS: When the helical blade was used, implant cutout occurred
      at a significantly higher rate compared with lag screw fixation. There was not a
      threshold TAD that was predictive of cutout for either implant. LEVEL OF
      EVIDENCE: Therapeutic Level III. See Instructions for Authors for a complete
      description of levels of evidence.

PMID- 28346316
TI  - Impact of Direction of Unloading Influence on Template Rate of Perceived
      Exertion.
AB  - Greer, BK, Young, PR, Thompson, B, Rickert, BJ, and Moran, MF. Impact of
      direction of unloading influence on template rate of perceived exertion. J
      Strength Cond Res 32(12): 3407-3413, 2018-It is suggested that exercisers engage
      in a process of teleoanticipation and create an exercise template based on
      previous experience with the exercise task that guides their perceptions of the
      amount of effort required for task completion. This study examined how altering
      workload intensity during a positive-pressure treadmill task may impact Rating of
      Perceived Exertion (RPE). In a counterbalanced design, 15 collegiate cross
      country runners (7 men and 8 women) performed 2 25-minute runs at a constant
      velocity, while body mass (BM) was either increased from 60 to 100% (low-to-high
      progression trial [INC]) or decreased from 100 to 60% (high-to-low progression
      trial) in 5-minutes increments. Oxygen consumption (V[Combining Dot Above]O2),
      heart rate (HR), and respiratory exchange ratio (RER) were collected. RPE was
      recorded at the end of each stage, and energy expenditure (EE) was calculated
      with V[Combining Dot Above]O2 and RER data. There were no significant differences
      between direction of loading conditions for V[Combining Dot Above]O2, EE, HR, and
      RER (p > 0.05). Between-trial differences in RPE at 100, 90, and 80% BM were
      statistically significant (p < 0.001), with higher RPEs observed during the INC.
      Differences in RPE observed between conditions cannot be explained by
      physiological mechanisms. These findings suggest that RPE is a multifaceted
      construct that can be impacted by subjectively based anticipatory factors such as
      exercise intensity.

PMID- 28346317
TI  - The CSF Immune Response in HIV-1-Associated Cryptococcal Meningitis: Macrophage
      Activation, Correlates of Disease Severity, and Effect of Antiretroviral Therapy.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Immune modulation may improve outcome in HIV-associated cryptococcal
      meningitis. Animal studies suggest alternatively activated macrophages are
      detrimental but human studies are limited. We performed a detailed assessment of
      the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) immune response and examined immune correlates of
      disease severity and poor outcome, and the effects of antiretroviral therapy
      (ART). METHODOLOGY: We enrolled persons >=18 years with first episode of HIV
      associated cryptococcal meningitis. CSF immune response was assessed using flow
      cytometry and multiplex cytokine analysis. Principal component analysis was used
      to examine relationships between immune response, fungal burden, intracranial
      pressure and mortality, and the effects of recent ART initiation (<12 weeks).
      FINDINGS: CSF was available from 57 persons (median CD4 34/MUL). CD206
      (alternatively activated macrophage marker) was expressed on 54% CD14 and 35%
      CD14 monocyte-macrophages. High fungal burden was not associated with CD206
      expression but with a paucity of CD4, CD8, and CD4CD8 T cells and lower
      interleukin-6, G-CSF, and interleukin-5 concentrations. High intracranial
      pressure (>=30 cm H2O) was associated with fewer T cells, a higher fungal burden,
      and larger Cryptococcus organisms. Mortality was associated with reduced
      interferon-gamma concentrations and CD4CD8 T cells but lost statistical
      significance when adjusted for multiple comparisons. Recent ART was associated
      with increased CSF CD4/CD8 ratio and a significantly increased macrophage
      expression of CD206. CONCLUSIONS: Paucity of CSF T cell infiltrate rather than
      alternative macrophage activation was associated with severe disease in HIV
      associated cryptococcosis. ART had a pronounced effect on the immune response at
      the site of disease.

PMID- 28346318
TI  - Predictors of Impaired HDL Function in HIV-1 Infected Compared to Uninfected
      Individuals.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: High-density lipoprotein (HDL) function rather than absolute level may
      be a more accurate indicator for cardiovascular disease (CVD). Novel methods can
      measure HDL function using patient samples. The objective of this study is to
      identify factors that may contribute to HDL dysfunction in chronic treated HIV-1
      infection. DESIGN: Retrospective study of HDL function measured in 2 ways in HIV
      1-infected men with low overall CVD risk and healthy men with no known CVD risk
      matched by race to the HIV-1-infected participants. METHODS: We examined patient
      level factors associated with 2 different measures of HDL dysfunction: reduced
      antioxidant function (oxidized HDL, HDLox) and reduced HDL-apoA-I exchange (HAE),
      a measure of HDL remodeling, in the HIV infected and control men. Multivariable
      adjusted linear regression analyses were used adjusting for false discovery rate,
      age, race, body mass index (BMI), CD4 count, viremia, CVD risk, smoking, lipids,
      apoA-I, and albumin. RESULTS: In multivariate analysis among HIV-1-infected men
      (n = 166) (median age 45 years, CD4 T-cell count 505 cells/mm, 30.1% were
      viremic), higher BMI, lower apoA-I, and lower albumin were among the most notable
      correlates of higher HDLox and lower HAE (P < 0.05). In HIV-1 uninfected
      participants, lower albumin and higher BMI were associated with lower HAE and
      higher HDLox, respectively (P <= 0.05). HDLox was inversely related to HAE in HIV
      1-infected individuals (P < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: Increased HDLox correlates with
      reduced HAE in chronic HIV-1 infection. Higher BMI, lower apoA-I, and albumin
      were identified as factors associated with HDL dysfunction in chronic HIV-1
      infection using 2 independent methods.

PMID- 28346319
TI  - Effect of Combination Antiretroviral Therapy on HIV-1-specific Antibody-Dependent
      Cellular Cytotoxicity Responses in Subtype B- and Subtype C-Infected Cohorts.
AB  - BACKGROUND: There is growing interest in immune therapies to clear the latent HIV
      1 after combination antiretroviral therapy (cART). There is limited information
      on the effect of cART on antibody-dependent cellular cytotoxicity (ADCC), and no
      studies have directly compared ADCC in HIV-1 subtype B- and subtype C-infected
      subjects. The effect of improving immunocompetence on ADCC to influenza also
      remains unexplored. METHODS: The effect of cART on HIV-1- and influenza-specific
      ADCC was analyzed in 2 cohorts (39 subtype B- and 47 subtype C-infected subjects)
      before and after 2 years of cART. ADCC analyses included an enzyme-linked
      immunosorbent assay-based dimeric recombinant soluble (rs) FcgammaRIIIa-binding
      assay, antibody-dependent natural killer cell activation assay, and ADCC-mediated
      killing assays. RESULTS: HIV-1 subtype B and C Env-specific antibody binding to
      dimeric rsFcgammaRIIIa were reduced in subtypes B- and C-infected cohorts after 2
      years of cART (both P < 0.05). Reduced ADCC-mediated killing of target cells
      expressing subtype B Env in the subtype B-infected cohort (P = 0.003) was
      observed after 96 weeks of cART, but not of subtype C Env in the subtype C
      infected cohort. A greater reduction in ADCC was detected in subjects with
      baseline CD4 counts >300 cells/MUL (P < 0.05). The resolving immunodeficiency
      after 96 weeks of cART resulted in improved HA-specific ADCC to 6 strains of
      influenza (all P < 0.01). CONCLUSIONS: cART results in HIV-1 antigen loss and
      reductions in HIV-1 Env-specific antibodies with Fc functionality in both subtype
      B- and C-infected subjects, particularly in immunocompetent subjects.
      Simultaneously, cART improves ADCC to diverse strains of influenza, suggesting
      reduction in influenza disease after cART.

PMID- 28346321
TI  - Growth Arrest and DNA-damage-inducible Protein 45beta-mediated DNA Demethylation
      of Voltage-dependent T-type Calcium Channel 3.2 Subunit Enhances Neuropathic
      Allodynia after Nerve Injury in Rats.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Growth arrest and DNA-damage-inducible protein 45beta reactivates
      methylation-silenced neural plasticity-associated genes through DNA
      demethylation. However, growth arrest and DNA-damage-inducible protein 45beta
      dependent demethylation contributes to neuropathic allodynia-associated spinal
      plasticity remains unclear. METHODS: Adult male Sprague-Dawley rats (654 out of
      659) received a spinal nerve ligation or a sham operation with or without
      intrathecal application of one of the following: growth arrest and DNA-damage
      inducible protein 45beta messenger RNA-targeted small interfering RNA, lentiviral
      vector expressing growth arrest and DNA-damage-inducible protein 45beta, Ro 25
      6981 (an NR2B-bearing N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor antagonist), or KN-93 (a
      calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II antagonist) were used for behavioral
      measurements, Western blotting, immunofluorescence, dot blots, detection of
      unmodified cytosine enrichment at cytosine-phosphate-guanine site, chromatin
      immunoprecipitation quantitative polymerase chain reaction analysis, and slice
      recordings. RESULTS: Nerve ligation-enhanced growth arrest and DNA-damage
      inducible protein 45beta expression (n = 6) in ipsilateral dorsal horn neurons
      accompanied with behavioral allodynia (n = 7). Focal knockdown of growth arrest
      and DNA-damage-inducible protein 45beta expression attenuated ligation-induced
      allodynia (n = 7) by reducing the binding of growth arrest and DNA-damage
      inducible protein 45beta to the voltage-dependent T-type calcium channel 3.2
      subunit promoter (n = 6) that decreased expression of and current mediated by the
      voltage-dependent T-type calcium channel 3.2 subunit (both n = 6). In addition,
      NR2B-bearing N-methyl-D-aspartate receptors and calmodulin-dependent protein
      kinase II act in an upstream cascade to increase growth arrest and DNA-damage
      inducible protein 45beta expression, hence enhancing demethylation at the voltage
      dependent T-type calcium channel 3.2 subunit promoter and up-regulating voltage
      dependent T-type calcium channel 3.2 subunit expression. Intrathecal
      administration of Ro 25-6981, KN-93, or a growth arrest and DNA-damage-inducible
      protein 45beta-targeting small interfering RNA (n = 6) reversed the ligation
      induced enrichment of unmodified cytosine at the voltage-dependent T-type calcium
      channel 3.2 subunit promoter by increasing the associated 5-formylcytosine and 5
      carboxylcytosine levels. CONCLUSIONS: By converting 5-formylcytosine or 5
      carboxylcytosine to unmodified cytosine, the NR2B-bearing N-methyl-D-aspartate
      receptor, calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II, or growth arrest and DNA-damage
      inducible protein 45beta pathway facilitates voltage-dependent T-type calcium
      channel 3.2 subunit gene demethylation to mediate neuropathic allodynia.

PMID- 28346323
TI  - Isolated Persistent Left-sided Superior Vena Cava.

PMID- 28346324
TI  - T-wave Alternans and Long QT Syndrome.

PMID- 28346325
TI  - Clinical Judgment Is Not Reliable for Reducing Whole-body Computed Tomography
      Scanning after Isolated High-energy Blunt Trauma.
AB  - BACKGROUND: The purpose of this study was to test the diagnostic performance of
      clinical judgment for the prediction of a significant injury with whole-body
      computed tomography scanning after high-energy trauma. METHODS: The authors
      conducted an observational prospective study in a single level-I trauma center.
      Adult patients were included if they had an isolated high-energy injury. Senior
      trauma leaders were asked to make a clinical judgment regarding the likelihood of
      a significant injury before performance of a whole-body computed tomography scan.
      Clinical judgments were recorded using a probability diagnosis scale. The primary
      endpoint was the diagnosis of a serious-to-critical lesion on the whole-body
      computed tomography scan. Diagnostic performance was assessed using receiver
      operating characteristic analysis. RESULTS: Of the 354 included patients, 127
      patients (36%) had at least one injury classified as abbreviated injury score
      greater than or equal to 3. The area under the receiver operating characteristic
      curve of the clinical judgment to predict a serious-to-critical lesion was 0.70
      (95% CI, 0.64 to 0.75%). The sensitivity of the clinical judgment was 82% (95%
      CI, 74 to 88%), and the specificity was 49% (95% CI, 42 to 55%). No patient with
      a strict negative clinical examination had a severe lesion (n = 19 patients). The
      sensitivity of the clinical examination was 100% (95% CI, 97 to 100%) and its
      specificity was 8% (95% CI, 5 to 13%). CONCLUSIONS: Clinical judgment alone is
      not sufficient to reduce whole-body computed tomography scan use. In patients
      with a strictly normal physical examination, whole-body computed tomography
      scanning might be avoided, but this result deserves additional study in larger
      and more diverse populations of trauma patients.

PMID- 28346326
TI  - Sarcomas With CIC-rearrangements Are a Distinct Pathologic Entity With Aggressive
      Outcome: A Clinicopathologic and Molecular Study of 115 Cases.
AB  - CIC-DUX4 gene fusion, resulting from either a t(4;19) or t(10;19) translocation,
      is the most common genetic abnormality detected in EWSR1-negative small blue
      round cell tumors. Following their discovery it was debated if these tumors
      should be classified as variants of Ewing sarcoma (ie, atypical Ewing sarcoma) or
      as a stand-alone pathologic entity. As such the WHO classification temporarily
      grouped the CIC-rearranged tumors under undifferentiated sarcomas with round cell
      phenotype, until further clinical evidence was available. However, most studies
      reported so far include small series with limited follow-up information, which
      preclude a more definitive assessment. The present work investigates the
      clinicopathologic features of a large cohort of sarcomas with CIC gene
      rearrangement, to define their clinical presentation, morphologic spectrum, and
      outcome. Our study further examines the overall survival of the CIC-positive
      cohort compared with a control group of EWSR1-rearranged Ewing sarcoma matched
      for age and stage. The study cohort included 115 patients, with a mean age of 32
      years and a slight male predominance. Most tumors occurred in the soft tissue
      (86%), predominantly deep-seated and equally divided among trunk and extremity,
      followed by visceral locations (12%) and rarely in the bone (3%).
      Microscopically, most tumors showed round to ovoid cytomorphology but half of the
      cases showed also focal areas of spindling and epithelioid/rhabdoid phenotype,
      with frequent myxoid stromal changes. Variable CD99 reactivity was seen in 84%
      cases, with a diffuse pattern only in 23% of cases, whereas nuclear WT1 was seen
      in 92%. A CIC-DUX4 fusion was detected in 57% of cases, with either DUX4 on 4q35
      (35%) or on 10q26 in 25 (22%) cases. No FOXO4 gene rearrangements were present in
      39 cases tested. Clinical follow-up was available in 57 patients, with a 5-year
      survival of 43%, which was significantly lower than the 77% 5-year survival in
      the control Ewing sarcoma group (P=0.002). Our findings show that CIC-DUX4
      sarcomas occur most commonly in young adults within the somatic soft tissues,
      having a wide spectrum of morphology including round, epithelioid and spindle
      cells, and associated with an aggressive clinical course, with an inferior
      overall survival compared with Ewing sarcoma. The results support the
      classification of CIC-rearranged tumors as an independent molecular and clinical
      subset of small blue round cell tumors distinct from Ewing sarcoma.

PMID- 28346328
TI  - Guided Growth: A Novel Treatment for Anterolateral Bowing of the Tibia.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Tibial pseudoarthrosis is a source of considerable morbidity in
      children with neurofibromatosis. Preventing the progression of anterolateral
      bowing of the tibia (ALBT) to tibial pseudoarthrosis is difficult. The aim of
      this paper is to report the successful use of guided growth to prevent tibial
      pseudoarthrosis in a child with neurofibromatosis. METHODS: With local ethical
      approval, we reviewed the case notes and radiographs of a child with pronounced
      ALBT who was treated with guided growth to correct the deformity and prevent
      fracture. RESULTS: At 4-year follow-up guided growth has successfully corrected
      the deformity and prevented tibial pseudoarthrosis. CONCLUSIONS: This is the
      first report of the use of guided growth to prevent the progression of ALBT to
      pseudoarthrosis of the tibia in a child with neurofibromatosis. LEVEL OF
      EVIDENCE: Level IV.

PMID- 28346327
TI  - Development of a New Outcome Prediction Model in Early-stage Squamous Cell
      Carcinoma of the Oral Cavity Based on Histopathologic Parameters With
      Multivariate Analysis: The Aditi-Nuzhat Lymph-node Prediction Score (ANLPS)
      System.
AB  - The aim of this study was to evaluate the histopathologic parameters that predict
      lymph node metastasis in patients with oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) and to
      design a new assessment score on the basis of these parameters that could
      ultimately allow for changes in treatment decisions or aid clinicians in deciding
      whether there is a need for close follow-up or to perform early lymph node
      dissection. Histopathologic parameters of 336 cases of OSCC with stage cT1/T2
      N0M0 disease were analyzed. The location of the tumor and the type of surgery
      used for the management of the tumor were recorded for all patients. The
      parameters, including T stage, grading of tumor, tumor budding, tumor thickness,
      depth of invasion, shape of tumor nest, lymphoid response at tumor-host interface
      and pattern of invasion, eosinophilic reaction, foreign-body giant cell reaction,
      lymphovascular invasion, and perineural invasion, were examined. Ninety-two
      patients had metastasis in lymph nodes. On univariate and multivariate analysis,
      independent variables for predicting lymph node metastasis in descending order
      were depth of invasion (P=0.003), pattern of invasion (P=0.007), perineural
      invasion (P=0.014), grade (P=0.028), lymphovascular invasion (P=0.038), lymphoid
      response (P=0.037), and tumor budding (P=0.039). We designed a scoring system on
      the basis of these statistical results and tested it. Cases with scores ranging
      from 7 to 11, 12 to 16, and >=17 points showed LN metastasis in 6.4%, 22.8%, and
      77.1% of cases, respectively. The difference between these 3 groups in relation
      to nodal metastasis was very significant (P<0.0001). A patient at low risk for
      lymph node metastasis (score, 7 to 11) had a 5-year survival of 93%, moderate
      risk patients (score, 12 to 16) had a 5-year survival of 67%, and high-risk
      patients (score, 17 to 21) had a 5-year survival of 39%. The risk of lymph node
      metastasis in OSCC is influenced by many histologic parameters that are not
      routinely analyzed in pathologic reports. These significant independent factors
      were graded to design a scoring system that permits accurate evaluation of the
      risk of metastasis with accuracy independent of the traditional TNM system or
      isolated histologic parameters. The need for neck node dissection can be
      predicted depending upon the scores obtained.

PMID- 28346329
TI  - Cardiac Computed Tomography Radiomics: A Comprehensive Review on Radiomic
      Techniques.
AB  - Radiologic images are vast three-dimensional data sets in which each voxel of the
      underlying volume represents distinct physical measurements of a tissue-dependent
      characteristic. Advances in technology allow radiologists to image pathologies
      with unforeseen detail, thereby further increasing the amount of information to
      be processed. Even though the imaging modalities have advanced greatly, our
      interpretation of the images has remained essentially unchanged for decades. We
      have arrived in the era of precision medicine where even slight differences in
      disease manifestation are seen as potential target points for new intervention
      strategies. There is a pressing need to improve and expand the interpretation of
      radiologic images if we wish to keep up with the progress in other diagnostic
      areas. Radiomics is the process of extracting numerous quantitative features from
      a given region of interest to create large data sets in which each abnormality is
      described by hundreds of parameters. From these parameters datamining is used to
      explore and establish new, meaningful correlations between the variables and the
      clinical data. Predictive models can be built on the basis of the results, which
      may broaden our knowledge of diseases and assist clinical decision making.
      Radiomics is a complex subject that involves the interaction of different
      disciplines; our objective is to explain commonly used radiomic techniques and
      review current applications in cardiac computed tomography imaging.

PMID- 28346331
TI  - Reverse Attenuation Gradient Sign.

PMID- 28346330
TI  - Differentiation of Impaired From Preserved Hemodynamics in Patients With Fontan
      Circulation Using Real-time Phase-velocity Cardiovascular Magnetic Resonance.
AB  - PURPOSE: Progressive impairment of hemodynamics in patients with Fontan
      circulation is common, multifactorial, and associated with decreased quality of
      life and increased morbidity. We sought to assess hemodynamic differences between
      patients with preserved (preserved Fontans) and those with impaired circulation
      (impaired Fontans) after pulmonary vasodilation using oxygen and under forced
      breathing conditions. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Real-time phase-contrast
      cardiovascular magnetic resonance was performed using non-ECG triggered echo
      planar imaging (temporal resolution=24 to 28 ms) in the ascending aorta (AAo) and
      superior vena cava (SVC)/inferior vena cava (IVC) on room air, after 100% oxygen
      inhalation (4 L/min; 10 min) and on forced breathing in 29 Fontan patients
      (17.2+/-7.3 y) and in 32 controls on room air (13.4+/-3.7 y). The simultaneously
      recorded patients' respiratory cycle was divided into 4 segments (expiration, end
      expiration, inspiration, and end-inspiration) to generate respiratory-dependent
      stroke volumes (SVs). The imaging data were matched with physiological data and
      analyzed with home-made software. RESULTS: The mean SVi (AAo) was 46.1+/-11.1
      mL/m in preserved Fontans versus 30.4+/-6.2 mL/m in impaired Fontans (P=0.002)
      and 51.1+/-6.9 mL/m in controls (P=0.107). The cutoff value for differentiation
      of Fontan groups was SVi (AAo, end-expiratory) of 32.1 mL/m. After
      hyperoxygenation, the mean SVi (AAo) increased to 48.7+/-12.7 mL/m in preserved
      Fontans (P=0.045) but remained unchanged in impaired Fontans (31.1+/-5.8 mL/m,
      P=0.665). Simultaneously, heart rates decreased from 75.2+/-15.9 to 70.8+/-16.4
      bpm (preserved; P=0.000) but remained unchanged in impaired circulation
      (baseline: 84.1+/-9.8 bpm, P=0.612). Compared with physiological respiration,
      forced breathing increased the maximum respiratory-related cardiac index
      difference (DeltaCImax) in preserved Fontans (SVC: 2.5-fold, P=0.000; and IVC:
      1.8-fold, P=0.000) and to a lower extent in impaired Fontans (both veins, 1.5
      fold; P(SVC)=0.011, P(IVC)=0.013). There was no impact on mean blood flow.
      CONCLUSIONS: Oxygen affected the pulmonary vascular system by vasodilation and
      increased SVi in preserved Fontans but had no effect on impaired Fontans. Forced
      breathing increased DeltaCImax but did not change the mean blood flow by sole
      activation of the ventilatory pump. End-expiratory aortic SVi represents a
      valuable measure for classifying the severity of Fontan hemodynamics impairment.

PMID- 28346332
TI  - Venom Profiling of a Population of the Theraphosid Spider Phlogius crassipes
      Reveals Continuous Ontogenetic Changes from Juveniles through Adulthood.
AB  - Theraphosid spiders (tarantulas) are venomous arthropods found in most tropical
      and subtropical regions of the world. Tarantula venoms are a complex cocktail of
      toxins with potential use as pharmacological tools, drugs and bioinsecticides.
      Although numerous toxins have been isolated from tarantula venoms, little
      research has been carried out on the venom of Australian tarantulas. We therefore
      investigated the venom profile of the Australian theraphosid spider Phlogius
      crassipes and examined whether there are ontogenetic changes in venom
      composition. Spiders were divided into four ontogenic groups according to
      cephalothorax length, then the venom composition of each group was examined using
      gel electrophoresis and mass spectrometry. We found that the venom of P.
      crassipes changes continuously during development and throughout adulthood. Our
      data highlight the need to investigate the venom of organisms over the course of
      their lives to uncover and understand the changing functions of venom and the
      full range of toxins expressed. This in turn should lead to a deeper
      understanding of the organism's ecology and enhance the potential for
      biodiscovery.

PMID- 28346334
TI  - Outdoor Cultivation of Marine Diatoms for Year-Round Production of Biofuels.
AB  - Biofuel production using microalgae is believed to have the advantage of
      continuous year-round production over crop plants, which have strong seasonality.
      However, actual year-round production of microalgal lipids using outdoor mass
      cultivation has rarely been demonstrated. In our previous study, it was
      demonstrated that the oleaginous diatom, Fistulifera solaris, was culturable in
      outdoor bioreactors from spring to autumn, whereas biomass and lipid production
      in winter failed because F. solaris did not grow below 15  degrees C. Therefore,
      another candidate strain that is culturable in winter is required. In this study,
      a cold-tolerant diatom, Mayamaea sp. JPCC CTDA0820, was selected as a promising
      candidate for biofuel production in winter. Laboratory-scale characterization
      revealed that this diatom was culturable at temperatures as low as 10  degrees C.
      Subsequently, F. solaris (April-October) and Mayamaea sp. JPCC CTDA0820 (November
      March) were cultured in outdoor open-pond bioreactors, wherein year-round
      production of diatom lipids was successfully demonstrated. The maximal values of
      areal productivities of biomass and lipids reached to 9.79 and 1.80 g/(m2 day)
      for F. solaris, and 8.62 and 0.92 g/(m2 day) for Mayamaea sp. JPCC CTDA0820,
      respectively. With the combined use of these two diatom species, stable year
      round production of microalgal lipids became possible.

PMID- 28346333
TI  - Clinical Benefits of n-3 PUFA and ?-Linolenic Acid in Patients with Rheumatoid
      Arthritis.
AB  - (1) Background: Marine n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) and ?-linolenic
      acid (GLA) are well-known anti-inflammatory agents that may help in the treatment
      of inflammatory disorders. Their effects were examined in patients with
      rheumatoid arthritis; (2) Methods: Sixty patients with active rheumatoid
      arthritis were involved in a prospective, randomized trial of a 12 week
      supplementation with fish oil (group I), fish oil with primrose evening oil
      (group II), or with no supplementation (group III). Clinical and laboratory
      evaluations were done at the beginning and at the end of the study; (3) Results:
      The Disease Activity Score 28 (DAS 28 score), number of tender joints and visual
      analogue scale (VAS) score decreased notably after supplementation in groups I
      and II (p < 0.001). In plasma phospholipids the n-6/n-3 fatty acids ratio
      declined from 15.47 +/- 5.51 to 10.62 +/- 5.07 (p = 0.005), and from 18.15 +/-
      5.04 to 13.50 +/- 4.81 (p = 0.005) in groups I and II respectively. The
      combination of n-3 PUFA and GLA (group II) increased ?-linolenic acid (0.00 +/-
      0.00 to 0.13 +/- 0.11, p < 0.001), which was undetectable in all groups before
      the treatments; (4) Conclusion: Daily supplementation with n-3 fatty acids alone
      or in combination with GLA exerted significant clinical benefits and certain
      changes in disease activity.

PMID- 28346335
TI  - Apparent Interfacial Tension Effects in Protein Stabilized Emulsions Prepared
      with Microstructured Systems.
AB  - Proteins are mostly used to stabilize food emulsions; however, production of
      protein containing emulsions is notoriously difficult to capture in scaling
      relations due to the complex behavior of proteins in interfaces, in combination
      with the dynamic nature of the emulsification process. Here, we investigate
      premix membrane emulsification and use the Ohnesorge number to derive a scaling
      relation for emulsions prepared with whey protein, bovine serum albumin (BSA),
      and a standard emulsifier Tween 20, at various concentrations (0.1%, 0.5%, 1.25%
      and 2%). In the Ohnesorge number, viscous, inertia, and interfacial tension
      forces are captured, and most of the parameters can be measured with great
      accuracy, with the exception of the interfacial tension. We used microfluidic Y
      junctions to estimate the apparent interfacial tension at throughputs comparable
      to those in premix emulsification, and found a unifying relation. We next used
      this relation to plot the Ohnesorge number versus P-ratio defined as the applied
      pressure over the Laplace pressure of the premix droplet. The measured values all
      showed a decreasing Ohnesorge number at increasing P-ratio; the differences
      between regular surfactants and proteins being systematic. The surfactants were
      more efficient in droplet size reduction, and it is expected that the differences
      were caused by the complex behavior of proteins in the interface (visco-elastic
      film formation). The differences between BSA and whey protein were relatively
      small, and their behavior coincided with that of low Tween concentration (0.1%),
      which deviated from the behavior at higher concentrations.

PMID- 28346337
TI  - A Smart Sensor for Defending against Clock Glitching Attacks on the I2C Protocol
      in Robotic Applications.
AB  - This paper presents a study about hardware attacking and clock signal
      vulnerability. It considers a particular type of attack on the clock signal in
      the I2C protocol, and proposes the design of a new sensor for detecting and
      defending against this type of perturbation. The analysis of the attack and the
      defense is validated by means of a configurable experimental platform that
      emulates a differential drive robot. A set of experimental results confirm the
      interest of the studied vulnerabilities and the efficiency of the proposed sensor
      in defending against this type of situation.

PMID- 28346336
TI  - Enzymatic Processes in Marine Biotechnology.
AB  - In previous review articles the attention of the biocatalytically oriented
      scientific community towards the marine environment as a source of biocatalysts
      focused on the habitat-related properties of marine enzymes. Updates have already
      appeared in the literature, including marine examples of oxidoreductases,
      hydrolases, transferases, isomerases, ligases, and lyases ready for food and
      pharmaceutical applications. Here a new approach for searching the literature and
      presenting a more refined analysis is adopted with respect to previous surveys,
      centering the attention on the enzymatic process rather than on a single novel
      activity. Fields of applications are easily individuated: (i) the biorefinery
      value-chain, where the provision of biomass is one of the most important aspects,
      with aquaculture as the prominent sector; (ii) the food industry, where the
      interest in the marine domain is similarly developed to deal with the enzymatic
      procedures adopted in food manipulation; (iii) the selective and easy
      extraction/modification of structurally complex marine molecules, where enzymatic
      treatments are a recognized tool to improve efficiency and selectivity; and (iv)
      marine biomarkers and derived applications (bioremediation) in pollution
      monitoring are also included in that these studies could be of high significance
      for the appreciation of marine bioprocesses.

PMID- 28346338
TI  - SmartFluo: A Method and Affordable Adapter to Measure Chlorophyll a Fluorescence
      with Smartphones.
AB  - In order to increase the monitoring capabilities of inland and coastal waters,
      there is a need for new, affordable, sensitive and mobile instruments that could
      be operated semi-automatically in the field. This paper presents a prototype
      device to measure chlorophyll a fluorescence: the SmartFluo. The device is a
      combination of a smartphone offering an intuitive operation interface and an
      adapter implying a cuvette holder, as well as a suitable illumination source.
      SmartFluo is based on stimulated fluorescence of water constituents such as
      chlorophyll a. The red band of the digital smartphone camera is sensitive enough
      to detect quantitatively the characteristic red fluorescence emission. The
      adapter contains a light source, a strong light emitting diode and additional
      filters to enhance the signal-to-noise ratio and to suppress the impact of
      scattering. A novel algorithm utilizing the red band of the camera is provided.
      Laboratory experiments of the SmartFluo show a linear correlation (R 2 = 0.98) to
      the chlorophyll a concentrations measured by reference instruments, such as a
      high-performance benchtop laboratory fluorometer (LS 55, PerkinElmer).

PMID- 28346339
TI  - A Power Planning Algorithm Based on RPL for AMI Wireless Sensor Networks.
AB  - The advanced metering infrastructure (AMI) is an architecture for two-way
      communication between electric, gas and water meters and city utilities. The AMI
      network is a wireless sensor network that provides communication for metering
      devices in the neighborhood area of the smart grid. Recently, the applicability
      of a routing protocol for low-power and lossy networks (RPL) has been considered
      in AMI networks. Some studies in the literature have pointed out problems with
      RPL, including sub-optimal path selection and instability. In this paper, we
      defend the viewpoint that careful planning of the transmission power in wireless
      RPL networks can significantly reduce the pointed problems. This paper presents a
      method for planning the transmission power in order to assure that, after
      convergence, the size of the parent set of the RPL nodes is as close as possible
      to a predefined size. Another important feature is that all nodes in the parent
      set offer connectivity through links of similar quality.

PMID- 28346340
TI  - A Place to Call Home: An Analysis of the Bacterial Communities in Two Tethya
      rubra Samaai and Gibbons 2005 Populations in Algoa Bay, South Africa.
AB  - Sponges are important sources of bioactive secondary metabolites. These compounds
      are frequently synthesized by bacterial symbionts, which may be recruited from
      the surrounding seawater or transferred to the sponge progeny by the parent. In
      this study, we investigated the bacterial communities associated with the sponge
      Tethya rubra Samaai and Gibbons 2005. Sponge specimens were collected from Evans
      Peak and RIY Banks reefs in Algoa Bay, South Africa and taxonomically identified
      by spicule analysis and molecular barcoding. Crude chemical extracts generated
      from individual sponges were profiled by ultraviolet high performance liquid
      chromatography (UV-HPLC) and subjected to bioactivity assays in mammalian cells.
      Next-generation sequencing analysis of 16S rRNA gene sequences was used to
      characterize sponge-associated bacterial communities. T. rubra sponges collected
      from the two locations were morphologically and genetically indistinguishable.
      Chemical extracts from sponges collected at RIY banks showed mild inhibition of
      the metabolic activity of mammalian cells and their UV-HPLC profiles were
      distinct from those of sponges collected at Evans Peak. Similarly, the bacterial
      communities associated with sponges from the two locations were distinct with
      evidence of vertical transmission of symbionts from the sponge parent to its
      embryos. We conclude that these distinct bacterial communities may be responsible
      for the differences observed in the chemical profiles of the two Algoa Bay T.
      rubra Samaai and Gibbons 2005 populations.

PMID- 28346342
TI  - The Structure-Antioxidant Activity Relationship of Ferulates.
AB  - The antioxidant activity of ferulic acid (1), iso-ferulic acid (2), coniferyl
      aldehyde (3), methyl ferulate (4), and ethyl ferulate (5) were investigated using
      2,2'-azinobis-(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid) (ABTS) and ferric-reducing
      antioxidant power (FRAP) assays and autoxidation of triacylglycerols of
      commercially available sunflower oil (TGSO). The compounds tested for ability to
      scavenge ABTS radical cations was in the order of ferulic acid > coniferyl
      aldehyde ~ iso-ferulic acid > ethyl ferulate ~ methyl ferulate. The results of
      the FRAP assay for ferulic acid, iso-ferulic acid, and coniferyl aldehyde were
      similar to and higher than those of methyl ferulate and ethyl ferulate. In the
      lipid system, iso-ferulic acid showed weak antioxidant activity. The other
      ferulates exhibited much stronger, yet similar, activities.

PMID- 28346341
TI  - Subcritical Fluid Extraction of Chinese Quince Seed: Optimization and Product
      Characterization.
AB  - Chinese quince seed (CQS) is an underutilized oil source and a potential source
      of unsaturated fatty acids and alpha-tocopherol-rich oil. Subcritical fluid (SCF)
      extraction is executed at lower pressures and temperatures than the pressures and
      temperatures used in supercritical fluid extraction. However, no studies on the
      SCF extraction of CQS oil are reported. Therefore, the objective of this study
      was to evaluate the use of SCF for the extraction of CQS oil and to compare the
      use of SCF with the classical Soxhlet (CS) and supercritical CO2 (SC-CO2)
      extraction methods. Response surface methodology (RSM) was used to investigate
      the extraction conditions: temperature (45-65  degrees C), time (30-50 min), and
      solvent/solid ratio (5-15 mL/g). The optimization results showed that the highest
      yield (27.78%) was obtained at 56.18  degrees C, 40.20 min, and 12.57 mL/g. The
      oil extracted by SCF had a higher unsaturated fatty acid content (86.37%-86.75%),
      higher alpha-tocopherol content (576.0-847.6 mg/kg), lower acid value (3.97
      mg/g), and lower peroxide value (0.02 meq O2/kg) than extractions using CS and SC
      CO2 methods. The SCF-defatted meal of oilseed exhibited the highest nitrogen
      solubility index (49.64%) and protein dispersibility index (50.80%),
      demonstrating that SCF extraction was a promising and efficient technique as an
      alternative to CS and SC-CO2 methods, as very mild operating conditions and an
      eco-friendly solvent can be used in the process with maximum preservation of the
      quality of the meal.

PMID- 28346343
TI  - Lifetime Exposure to a Constant Environment Amplifies the Impact of a Fructose
      Rich Diet on Glucose Homeostasis during Pregnancy.
AB  - The need to refine rodent models of human-related disease is now being
      recognized, in particular the rearing environment that can profoundly modulate
      metabolic regulation. Most studies on pregnancy and fetal development purchase
      and transport young females into the research facility, which after a short
      period of acclimation are investigated (Gen0). We demonstrate that female
      offspring (Gen1) show an exaggerated hyperinsulinemic response to pregnancy when
      fed a standard diet and with high fructose intake, which continues throughout
      pregnancy. Markers of maternal hepatic metabolism were differentially influenced,
      as the gene expression of acetyl-CoA-carboxylase was raised in Gen1 given
      fructose and controls, whereas glucose transporter 5 and fatty acid synthase
      expression were only raised with fructose. Gen1 rats weighed more than Gen0
      throughout the study, although fructose feeding raised the percent body fat but
      not body weight. We show that long-term habituation to the living environment has
      a profound impact on the animal's metabolic responses to nutritional intervention
      and pregnancy. This has important implications for interpreting many studies
      investigating the influence of maternal consumption of fructose on pregnancy
      outcomes and offspring to date.

PMID- 28346344
TI  - Increased Force Variability Is Associated with Altered Modulation of the
      Motorneuron Pool Activity in Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD).
AB  - Force control deficits have been repeatedly documented in autism spectrum
      disorder (ASD). They are associated with worse social and daily living skill
      impairments in patients suggesting that developing a more mechanistic
      understanding of the central and peripheral processes that cause them may help
      guide the development of treatments that improve multiple outcomes in ASD. The
      neuromuscular mechanisms underlying force control deficits are not yet
      understood. Seventeen individuals with ASD and 14 matched healthy controls
      completed an isometric index finger abduction test at 60% of their maximum
      voluntary contraction (MVC) during recording of the first dorsal interosseous
      (FDI) muscle to determine the neuromuscular processes associated with sustained
      force variability. Central modulation of the motorneuron pool activation of the
      FDI muscle was evaluated at delta (0-4 Hz), alpha (4-10 Hz), beta (10-35 Hz) and
      gamma (35-60 Hz) frequency bands. ASD patients showed greater force variability
      than controls when attempting to maintain a constant force. Relative to controls,
      patients also showed increased central modulation of the motorneuron pool at beta
      and gamma bands. For controls, reduced force variability was associated with
      reduced delta frequency modulation of the motorneuron pool activity of the FDI
      muscle and increased modulation at beta and gamma bands. In contrast, delta,
      beta, and gamma frequency oscillations were not associated with force variability
      in ASD. These findings suggest that alterations of central mechanisms that
      control motorneuron pool firing may underlie the common and often impairing
      symptoms of ASD.

PMID- 28346346
TI  - An Effective Terrain Aided Navigation for Low-Cost Autonomous Underwater
      Vehicles.
AB  - Terrain-aided navigation is a potentially powerful solution for obtaining
      submerged position fixes for autonomous underwater vehicles. The application of
      terrain-aided navigation with high-accuracy inertial navigation systems has
      demonstrated meter-level navigation accuracy in sea trials. However, available
      sensors may be limited depending on the type of the mission. Such limitations,
      especially for low-grade navigation sensors, not only degrade the accuracy of
      traditional navigation systems, but further impact the ability to successfully
      employ terrain-aided navigation. To address this problem, a tightly-coupled
      navigation is presented to successfully estimate the critical sensor errors by
      incorporating raw sensor data directly into an augmented navigation system.
      Furthermore, three-dimensional distance errors are calculated, providing
      measurement updates through the particle filter for absolute and bounded position
      error. The development of the terrain aided navigation system is elaborated for a
      vehicle equipped with a non-inertial-grade strapdown inertial navigation system,
      a 4-beam Doppler Velocity Log range sensor and a sonar altimeter. Using
      experimental data for navigation performance evaluation in areas with different
      terrain characteristics, the experiment results further show that the proposed
      method can be successfully applied to the low-cost AUVs and significantly
      improves navigation performance.

PMID- 28346345
TI  - Unconventional Transport Routes of Soluble and Membrane Proteins and Their Role
      in Developmental Biology.
AB  - Many proteins and cargoes in eukaryotic cells are secreted through the
      conventional secretory pathway that brings proteins and membranes from the
      endoplasmic reticulum to the plasma membrane, passing through various cell
      compartments, and then the extracellular space. The recent identification of an
      increasing number of leaderless secreted proteins bypassing the Golgi apparatus
      unveiled the existence of alternative protein secretion pathways. Moreover, other
      unconventional routes for secretion of soluble or transmembrane proteins with
      initial endoplasmic reticulum localization were identified. Furthermore, other
      proteins normally functioning in conventional membrane traffic or in the
      biogenesis of unique plant/fungi organelles or in plasmodesmata transport seem to
      be involved in unconventional secretory pathways. These alternative pathways are
      functionally related to biotic stress and development, and are becoming more and
      more important in cell biology studies in yeast, mammalian cells and in plants.
      The city of Lecce hosted specialists working on mammals, plants and
      microorganisms for the inaugural meeting on "Unconventional Protein and Membrane
      Traffic" (UPMT) during 4-7 October 2016. The main aim of the meeting was to
      include the highest number of topics, summarized in this report, related to the
      unconventional transport routes of protein and membranes.

PMID- 28346347
TI  - Biosynthesis of alpha-Glucosidase Inhibitors by a Newly Isolated Bacterium,
      Paenibacillus sp. TKU042 and Its Effect on Reducing Plasma Glucose in a Mouse
      Model.
AB  - Paenibacillus sp. TKU042, a bacterium isolated from Taiwanese soil, produced
      alpha-glucosidase inhibitors (aGIs) in the culture supernatant when commercial
      nutrient broth (NB) was used as the medium for fermentation. The supernatant of
      fermented NB (FNB) showed stronger inhibitory activities than acarbose, a
      commercial anti-diabetic drug. The IC50 and maximum alpha-glucosidase inhibitory
      activities (aGIA) of FNB and acarbose against alpha-glucosidase were 81 MUg/mL,
      92% and 1395 MUg/mL, 63%, respectively. FNB was found to be strongly
      thermostable, retaining 95% of its relative activity, even after heating at 100 
      degrees C for 30 min. FNB was also stable at various pH values. Furthermore, FNB
      demonstrated antioxidant activity (IC50 = 2.23 mg/mL). In animal tests, FNB
      showed remarkable reductions in the plasma glucose of ICR (Institute of Cancer
      Research) mice at a concentration of 200 mg/kg. Combining FNB and acarbose
      enhanced the effect even more, with an added advantage of eliminating diarrhea.
      According to HPLC (High-performance liquid chromatography) fingerprinting, the
      Paenibacillus sp. TKU042 aGIs were not acarbose. All of the results suggest that
      Paenibacillus sp. TKU042 FNB could have potential use as a health food or to
      treat type 2 diabetes.

PMID- 28346349
TI  - Electrodes for Semiconductor Gas Sensors.
AB  - The electrodes of semiconductor gas sensors are important in characterizing
      sensors based on their sensitivity, selectivity, reversibility, response time,
      and long-term stability. The types and materials of electrodes used for
      semiconductor gas sensors are analyzed. In addition, the effect of interfacial
      zones and surface states of electrode-semiconductor interfaces on their
      characteristics is studied. This study describes that the gas interaction
      mechanism of the electrode-semiconductor interfaces should take into account the
      interfacial zone, surface states, image force, and tunneling effect.

PMID- 28346348
TI  - Vitamin D in Chronic Kidney Disease and Dialysis Patients.
AB  - Vitamin D deficiency (<20 ng/mL) and insufficiency (20-29 ng/mL) are common among
      patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD) or undergoing dialysis. In addition to
      nutritional and sunlight exposure deficits, factors that affect vitamin D
      deficiency include race, sex, age, obesity and impaired vitamin D synthesis and
      metabolism. Serum 1,25(OH)2D levels also decrease progressively because of
      25(OH)D deficiency, together with impaired availability of 25(OH)D by renal
      proximal tubular cells, high fibroblast growth factor (FGF)-23 and decreased
      functional renal tissue. As in the general population, this condition is
      associated with increased morbidity and poor outcomes. Together with the
      progressive decline of serum calcitriol, vitamin D deficiency leads to secondary
      hyperparathyroidism (SHPT) and its complications, tertiary hyperparathyroidism
      and hypercalcemia, which require surgical parathyroidectomy or calcimimetics.
      Kidney Disease Outcomes Quality Initiative (KDOQI) and Kidney Disease Improving
      Global Outcomes (KDIGO) experts have recognized that vitamin D insufficiency and
      deficiency should be avoided in CKD and dialysis patients by using
      supplementation to prevent SHPT. Many vitamin D supplementation regimens using
      either ergocalciferol or cholecalciferol daily, weekly or monthly have been
      reported. The benefit of native vitamin D supplementation remains debatable
      because observational studies suggest that vitamin D receptor activator (VDRA)
      use is associated with better outcomes and it is more efficient for decreasing
      the serum parathormone (PTH) levels. Vitamin D has pleiotropic effects on the
      immune, cardiovascular and neurological systems and on antineoplastic activity.
      Extra-renal organs possess the enzymatic capacity to convert 25(OH)D to
      1,25(OH)2D. Despite many unanswered questions, much data support vitamin D use in
      renal patients. This article emphasizes the role of native vitamin D replacement
      during all-phases of CKD together with VDRA when SHPT persists.

PMID- 28346350
TI  - Fast and Selective Plasmonic Serotonin Detection with Aptamer-Gold Nanoparticle
      Conjugates.
AB  - Neurotransmitters detection is critical to understanding communication between
      the brain and peripheral tissue. Serotonin is a key neurotransmitter linked to a
      number of conditions, but a full understanding of its role in disease is still
      lacking. The development of fast and selective serotonin detection platforms will
      provide researchers with tools to monitor serotonin in individuals before and
      after treatment for the condition of interest. Aptamer-gold nanoparticles
      conjugates that responded colorimetrically to serotonin with minimal response to
      its metabolite and other neurotransmitters were designed by simply adsorbing the
      DNA on the surface of AuNPs. A plasmonic assay for serotonin detection was
      designed with a response to biologically relevant serotonin levels. Importantly,
      the assay performance was not compromised when tested in filtered spiked fetal
      bovine serum as a mimic of biofluids. This work shows that these simple and
      stable Apt-AuNP conjugates are promising tools to develop fast assays for point
      of-care and personalized diagnostics applications.

PMID- 28346352
TI  - DOA Estimation of Coherent Signals on Coprime Arrays Exploiting Fourth-Order
      Cumulants.
AB  - This paper considers the problem of direction-of-arrival (DOA) estimation of
      coherent signals on passive coprime arrays, where we resort to the fourth-order
      cumulants of the received signal to explore more information. A fourth-order
      cumulant matrix (FCM) is introduced for the coprime array. The special structure
      of the FCM is combined with the array configuration to resolve the coherent
      signals. Since each sparse array of a coprime array is uniform, a series of
      overlapping identical subarrays can be extracted. Using this property, we propose
      a generalized spatial smoothing scheme applied to the FCM. From the smoothed FCM,
      the DOAs of both the coherent and independent signals can be successfully
      estimated on the pseudo-spectrum generated by the fourth-order MUSIC algorithm.
      To overcome the problem of occasional false peaks appearing on the pseudo
      spectrum, we use a supplementary sparse array whose inter-sensor spacing is
      coprime to that of either existing sparse array. From the combined spectrum aided
      by the supplementary sensors, the false peaks are removed while the true peaks
      remain. The effectiveness of the proposed methods is demonstrated by simulation
      examples.

PMID- 28346351
TI  - In Vitro and In Vivo Studies on the Structural Organization of Chs3 from
      Saccharomyces cerevisiae.
AB  - Chitin biosynthesis in yeast is accomplished by three chitin synthases (Chs)
      termed Chs1, Chs2 and Chs3, of which the latter accounts for most of the chitin
      deposited within the cell wall. While the overall structures of Chs1 and Chs2 are
      similar to those of other chitin synthases from fungi and arthropods, Chs3 lacks
      some of the C-terminal transmembrane helices raising questions regarding its
      structure and topology. To fill this gap of knowledge, we performed bioinformatic
      analyses and protease protection assays that revealed significant information
      about the catalytic domain, the chitin-translocating channel and the interfacial
      helices in between. In particular, we identified an amphipathic, crescent-shaped
      alpha-helix attached to the inner side of the membrane that presumably controls
      the channel entrance and a finger helix pushing the polymer into the channel.
      Evidence has accumulated in the past years that chitin synthases form oligomeric
      complexes, which may be necessary for the formation of chitin nanofibrils.
      However, the functional significance for living yeast cells has remained elusive.
      To test Chs3 oligomerization in vivo, we used bimolecular fluorescence
      complementation. We detected oligomeric complexes at the bud neck, the lateral
      plasma membrane, and in membranes of Golgi vesicles, and analyzed their transport
      route using various trafficking mutants.

PMID- 28346353
TI  - Intake and Dietary Food Sources of Fibre in Spain: Differences with Regard to the
      Prevalence of Excess Body Weight and Abdominal Obesity in Adults of the ANIBES
      Study.
AB  - The aim was to study the intake and food sources of fibre in a representative
      sample of Spanish adults and to analyse its association with excess body weight
      and abdominal obesity. A sample of 1655 adults (18-64 years) from the ANIBES
      ("Anthropometric data, macronutrients and micronutrients intake, practice of
      physical activity, socioeconomic data and lifestyles") cross-sectional study was
      analysed. Fibre intake and dietary food sources were determined by using a three
      day dietary record. Misreporters were identified using the protocol of the
      European Food Safety Authority. Mean (standard deviation) fibre intake was 12.59
      (5.66) g/day in the whole sample and 15.88 (6.29) g/day in the plausible
      reporters. Mean fibre intake, both in the whole sample and the plausible
      reporters, was below the adequate intake established by European Food Safety
      Authority (EFSA) and the Institute of Medicine of the United States (IOM). Main
      fibre dietary food sources were grains, followed by vegetables, fruits, and
      pulses. In the whole sample, considering sex, and after adjusting for age and
      physical activity, mean (standard error) fibre intake (adjusted by energy intake)
      was higher in subjects who had normal weight (NW) 13.40 (0.184) g/day, without
      abdominal obesity 13.56 (0.192) g/day or without excess body weight and/or
      abdominal obesity 13.56 (0.207) g/day compared to those who were overweight (OW)
      12.31 (0.195) g/day, p < 0.001 or obese (OB) 11.83 (0.266) g/day, p < 0.001, with
      abdominal obesity 12.09 (0.157) g/day, p < 0.001 or with excess body weight
      and/or abdominal obesity 12.22 (0.148) g/day, p < 0.001. There were no
      significant differences in relation with the fibre intake according to the body
      mass index (BMI), presence or absence of abdominal obesity or excess body weight
      and/or abdominal obesity in the plausible reporters. Fibre from afternoon snacks
      was higher in subjects with NW (6.92%) and without abdominal obesity (6.97%) or
      without excess body weight and/or abdominal obesity (7.20%), than those with OW
      (5.30%), p < 0.05 or OB (4.79%), p < 0.05, with abdominal obesity (5.18%), p <
      0.01, or with excess body weight and/or abdominal obesity (5.21%), p < 0.01, in
      the whole sample. Conversely, these differences were not observed in the
      plausible reporters. The present study demonstrates an insufficient fibre intake
      both in the whole sample and in the plausible reporters and confirms its
      association with excess body weight and abdominal obesity only when the whole
      sample was considered.

PMID- 28346354
TI  - Anti-Inflammatory Properties of Irisin, Mediator of Physical Activity, Are
      Connected with TLR4/MyD88 Signaling Pathway Activation.
AB  - Irisin, an adipomiokine known as a mediator of physical activity, induces the
      browning of adipose tissue and it has potentially protective properties in the
      development of obesity-related states, such as insulin resistance,
      arteriosclerosis, and type 2 diabetes. Despite numerous studies conducted on this
      factor, still little is known about its impact on the functioning of
      immunocompetent cells, but its potential anti-inflammatory properties were
      previously suggested. In the current study we investigated the role of irisin (0
      100 nM) in the downstream pathway activation of Toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4) in
      RAW 264.7 macrophages stimulated with lipopolysaccharide (LPS; 100 ng/mL). The
      results have shown that irisin in high concentrations (50, 100 nM) significantly
      decreased the TLR4 and MyD88 protein levels, as well as the phosphorylation of
      nuclear factor-kappaB (NF-kappaB), consequently leading to the reduction in the
      release of crucial pro-inflammatory cytokines. The above was confirmed for
      interleukin 1beta (IL-1beta), tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNFalpha), interleukin
      6 (IL-6), keratinocyte chemoattractant (KC), monocyte chemotactic protein 1 (MCP
      1), as well as for high mobility group box 1 (HMGB1). Moreover, our results
      indicate that this effect is connected with irisin's impact on the
      phosphorylation of mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPKs), where a significant
      reduction in p-JNK and p-ERK but not p-p38 was observed. In conclusion, these
      data suggest that irisin has potentially anti-inflammatory properties connected
      with the downregulation of downstream pathways of TLR4/MyD88.

PMID- 28346355
TI  - Characterization of Active Anthocyanin Degradation in the Petals of Rosa
      chinensis and Brunfelsia calycina Reveals the Effect of Gallated Catechins on
      Pigment Maintenance.
AB  - Anthocyanin degradation decreases ornamental or nutritional values of
      horticultural products. To investigate factors that may influence colour change
      in flower development, anthocyanin degradation was compared between the flowers
      of Brunfelsia calycina and Rosa chinensis, which show rapid and slow degradation,
      respectively. In-gel activity assays, high performance liquid chromatography
      (HPLC) analysis of tannins, enzyme kinetics measurement and immune-detection of
      anthocyanin degradation related-perioxidases (PODs) were carried out for the
      comparison. Rose petals possessed significantly lower anthocyanin degradation
      related POD activities than Brunfelsia petals, which may be related to the high
      tannin contents. Epicatechin gallate (ECG) and gallocatechin gallate (GCG) were
      detected in rose as 161.3 +/- 12.34 and 273.56 +/- 41.23 MUg/g FW (Fresh Weight)
      respectively, while not detected in Brunfelsia. ECG and GCG inhibited the
      activities of the Brunfelsia POD with half maximal inhibitory concentrations
      (IC50s) as 21.5 and 29.7 MUM respectively, and increased the colour intensities
      of the anthocyanins. Catechin and epicatechin did not inhibit the POD activity,
      while serving as POD substrates, with Km (the Michaelis constant) as 0.48 and
      1.23 mM. Similar protein levels of the anthocyanin degradation-related 40-kDa
      PODs were detected in Brunfelsia and rose. In summary, high amount of tannins,
      particularly ECG and GCG, in red rose petals may inhibit the degradation-related
      enzymes, leading to the maintenance of anthocyanins in vivo.

PMID- 28346356
TI  - Microinjection of Antibodies Targeting the Lamin A/C Histone-Binding Site Blocks
      Mitotic Entry and Reveals Separate Chromatin Interactions with HP1, CenpB and
      PML.
AB  - Lamins form a scaffold lining the nucleus that binds chromatin and contributes to
      spatial genome organization; however, due to the many other functions of lamins,
      studies knocking out or altering the lamin polymer cannot clearly distinguish
      between direct and indirect effects. To overcome this obstacle, we specifically
      targeted the mapped histone-binding site of A/C lamins by microinjecting
      antibodies specific to this region predicting that this would make the genome
      more mobile. No increase in chromatin mobility was observed; however,
      interestingly, injected cells failed to go through mitosis, while control
      antibody-injected cells did. This effect was not due to crosslinking of the lamin
      polymer, as Fab fragments also blocked mitosis. The lack of genome mobility
      suggested other lamin-chromatin interactions. To determine what these might be,
      mini-lamin A constructs were expressed with or without the histone-binding site
      that assembled into independent intranuclear structures. HP1, CenpB and PML
      proteins accumulated at these structures for both constructs, indicating that
      other sites supporting chromatin interactions exist on lamin A. Together, these
      results indicate that lamin A-chromatin interactions are highly redundant and
      more diverse than generally acknowledged and highlight the importance of trying
      to experimentally separate their individual functions.

PMID- 28346357
TI  - Comparison of the In Vivo Biotransformation of Two Emerging Estrogenic
      Contaminants, BP2 and BPS, in Zebrafish Embryos and Adults.
AB  - Zebrafish embryo assays are increasingly used in the toxicological assessment of
      endocrine disruptors. Among other advantages, these models are 3R-compliant and
      are fit for screening purposes. Biotransformation processes are well-recognized
      as a critical factor influencing toxic response, but major gaps of knowledge
      exist regarding the characterization of functional metabolic capacities expressed
      in zebrafish. Comparative metabolic studies between embryos and adults are even
      scarcer. Using 3H-labeled chemicals, we examined the fate of two estrogenic
      emerging contaminants, benzophenone-2 (BP2) and bisphenol S (BPS), in 4-day
      embryos and adult zebrafish. BPS and BP2 were exclusively metabolized through
      phase II pathways, with no major qualitative difference between larvae and adults
      except the occurrence of a BP2-di-glucuronide in adults. Quantitatively, the
      biotransformation of both molecules was more extensive in adults. For BPS,
      glucuronidation was the predominant pathway in adults and larvae. For BP2,
      glucuronidation was the major pathway in larvae, but sulfation predominated in
      adults, with ca. 40% conversion of parent BP2 and an extensive release of several
      conjugates into water. Further larvae/adults quantitative differences were
      demonstrated for both molecules, with higher residue concentrations measured in
      larvae. The study contributes novel data regarding the metabolism of BPS and BP2
      in a fish model and shows that phase II conjugation pathways are already
      functional in 4-dpf-old zebrafish. Comparative analysis of BP2 and BPS metabolic
      profiles in zebrafish larvae and adults further supports the use of zebrafish
      embryo as a relevant model in which toxicity and estrogenic activity can be
      assessed, while taking into account the absorption and fate of tested substances.

PMID- 28346358
TI  - Genomic Evidence for Bacterial Determinants Influencing Obesity Development.
AB  - Obesity is a major global public health problem requiring multifaceted
      interventional approaches including dietary interventions with probiotic
      bacteria. High-throughput genome sequencing of microbial communities in the
      mammalian gastrointestinal system continues to present diverse protein function
      information to understand the bacterial determinants that influence obesity
      development. The goal of the research reported in this article was to identify
      biological processes in probiotic bacteria that could influence the mechanisms
      for the extraction of energy from diet in the human gastrointestinal system. Our
      research strategy of combining bioinformatics and visual analytics methods was
      based on the identification of operon gene arrangements in genomes of
      Lactobacillus species and Akkermansiamuciniphila that include at least a gene for
      a universal stress protein. The two major findings from this research study are
      related to Lactobacillus plantarum and Akkermansia muciniphila bacteria species
      which are associated with weight-loss. The first finding is that Lactobacillus
      plantarum strains have a two-gene operon that encodes a universal stress protein
      for stress response and the membrane translocator protein (TSPO), known to
      function in mitochondrial fatty acid oxidation in humans. The second finding is
      the presence of a three-gene operon in Akkermansia muciniphila that includes a
      gene whose human mitochondrial homolog is associated with waist-hip ratio and fat
      distribution. From a public health perspective, elucidation of the bacterial
      determinants influencing obesity will help in educating the public on optimal
      probiotic use for anti-obesity effects.

PMID- 28346359
TI  - New Acorane-Type Sesquiterpene from Acorus calamus L.
AB  - A new sesquiterpene, named neo-acorane A (1), and two known ones, acoric acid (2)
      and calamusin D (3), were isolated from a 95% ethanol extract of the rhizome
      parts of Acorus calamus L. Their structures were elucidated by spectroscopic
      methods, and the absolute configurations were determined by single-crystal X-ray
      diffraction analysis. Compounds 1 and 2 are nonisoprenoid sesquiterpenoids,
      likely biosynthesized from an acorane-type sesquiterpene by oxidative fission of
      the six- or five-membered ring. Moreover, compounds 1 (10 MUM), 2 (5 MUM and 10
      MUM) and 3 (10 MUM) showed cell proliferation activity on the SK-N-BE (2) cell
      line.

PMID- 28346360
TI  - Functional Analysis of the Ser149/Thr149 Variants of Human
      Aspartylglucosaminidase and Optimization of the Coding Sequence for Protein
      Production.
AB  - Aspartylglucosaminidase (AGA) is a lysosomal hydrolase that participates in the
      breakdown of glycoproteins. Defects in the AGA gene result in a lysosomal storage
      disorder, aspartylglucosaminuria (AGU), that manifests mainly as progressive
      mental retardation. A number of AGU missense mutations have been identified that
      result in reduced AGA activity. Human variants that contain either Ser or Thr in
      position 149 have been described, but it is unknown if this affects AGA
      processing or activity. Here, we have directly compared the Ser149/Thr149
      variants of AGA and show that they do not differ in terms of relative specific
      activity or processing. Therefore, Thr149 AGA, which is the rare variant, can be
      considered as a neutral or benign variant. Furthermore, we have here produced
      codon-optimized versions of these two variants and show that they are expressed
      at significantly higher levels than AGA with the natural codon-usage. Since
      optimal AGA expression is of vital importance for both gene therapy and enzyme
      replacement, our data suggest that use of codon-optimized AGA may be beneficial
      for these therapy options.

PMID- 28346362
TI  - Nutrition Assessment of B-Vitamins in Highly Active and Sedentary Women.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Female athletes and active women require adequate nutrition for
      optimal health and performance. Nutrition assessments are needed to identify
      potential nutrients of concern. Folate, vitamin B6, and vitamin B12 function in
      important pathways used during physical activity and female athletes may be at
      risk for poor status of these micronutrients. This cross-sectional study
      described a comprehensive nutrition assessment of the B-vitamins (folate, vitamin
      B6, and vitamin B12) using both dietary (food and dietary supplements) and
      biochemical assessments among highly active and sedentary women. METHODS: Highly
      active (n = 29; age 20 +/- 2 years; body mass index (BMI) 23.8 +/- 3.5 kg/m2) and
      sedentary (n = 29; age 24 +/- 3 years; BMI 22.6 +/- 3.0 kg/m2) women were
      recruited for this study. Participants completed 7-day weighed food records and a
      fasting blood draw. RESULTS: Although the highly active women reported higher
      intakes of energy (p < 0.01), folate (p < 0.01), vitamin B6 (p < 0.01), and
      vitamin B12 (p < 0.01), no significant differences were found between the groups
      for biomarkers of folate, vitamin B6, and vitamin B12. All of the highly active
      women had biomarkers within the desired reference ranges, suggesting good status.
      In general, most participants were able to meet the 1998 Recommended Daily
      Allowance (RDA) from food alone. For the women that reported using dietary
      supplements, micronutrient intakes met the 1998 RDA and in some cases, exceeded
      the Tolerable Upper Intake Level. CONCLUSION: This nutrition assessment
      documented good status for folate, vitamin B6, and vitamin B12 in the highly
      active women. Similar assessment approaches (food, dietary supplements, and
      biomarkers) should to completed with other nutrients of concern for the female
      athlete.

PMID- 28346363
TI  - Rapid and Low-Cost CRP Measurement by Integrating a Paper-Based Microfluidic
      Immunoassay with Smartphone (CRP-Chip).
AB  - Traditional diagnostic tests for chronic diseases are expensive and require a
      specialized laboratory, therefore limiting their use for point-of-care (PoC)
      testing. To address this gap, we developed a method for rapid and low-cost C
      reactive protein (CRP) detection from blood by integrating a paper-based
      microfluidic immunoassay with a smartphone (CRP-Chip). We chose CRP for this
      initial development because it is a strong biomarker of prognosis in chronic
      heart and kidney disease. The microfluidic immunoassay is realized by lateral
      flow and gold nanoparticle-based colorimetric detection of the target protein.
      The test image signal is acquired and analyzed using a commercial smartphone with
      an attached microlens and a 3D-printed chip-phone interface. The CRP-Chip was
      validated for detecting CRP in blood samples from chronic kidney disease patients
      and healthy subjects. The linear detection range of the CRP-Chip is up to 2
      MUg/mL and the detection limit is 54 ng/mL. The CRP-Chip test result yields high
      reproducibility and is consistent with the standard ELISA kit. A single CRP-Chip
      can perform the test in triplicate on a single chip within 15 min for less than
      50 US cents of material cost. This CRP-Chip with attractive features of low-cost,
      fast test speed, and integrated easy operation with smartphones has the potential
      to enable future clinical PoC chronic disease diagnosis and risk stratification
      by parallel measurements of a panel of protein biomarkers.

PMID- 28346364
TI  - New Benzimidazole-1,2,4-Triazole Hybrid Compounds: Synthesis, Anticandidal
      Activity and Cytotoxicity Evaluation.
AB  - Owing to the growing need for antifungal agents, we synthesized a new series 2
      ((5-(4-(5-substituted-1H-benzimidazol-2-yl)phenyl)-4-substituted-4H-1,2,4-triazol
      3-yl)thio)-1-(substitutedphenyl)ethan-1-one derivatives, which were tested
      against Candida species. The synthesized compounds were characterized and
      elucidated by FT-IR, 1H-NMR, 13C-NMR and HR-MS spectroscopies. The synthesized
      compounds were screened in vitro anticandidal activity against Candida species by
      broth microdiluation methods. In vitro cytotoxic effects of the final compounds
      were determined by MTT assay. Microbiological studies revealed that compounds 5m,
      5o, 5r, 5t, 5y, 5ab, and 5ad possess a good antifungal profile. Compounds 5w was
      the most active derivative and showed comparable antifungal activity to those of
      reference drugs ketoconazole and fluconazole. Cytotoxicity evaluation of
      compounds 5m, 5o, 5r, 5w, 5y, 5ab and 5ad showed that compounds 5w and 5ad were
      the least cytotoxic agents. Effects of these two compounds against ergosterol
      biosynthesis were observed by LC-MS-MS method, which is based on quantification
      of ergosterol level in C. albicans. Compounds 5w and 5d inhibited ergosterol
      biosynthesis concentration dependently. A fluorescence microscopy study was
      performed to visualize effect of compound 5w against C. albicans at cellular
      level. It was determined that compound 5w has a membrane damaging effect, which
      may be related with inhibition of biosynthesis of ergosterol.

PMID- 28346365
TI  - An Amylase-Like Protein, AmyD, Is the Major Negative Regulator for alpha-Glucan
      Synthesis in Aspergillus nidulans during the Asexual Life Cycle.
AB  - alpha-Glucan affects fungal cell-cell interactions and is important for the
      virulence of pathogenic fungi. Interfering with production of alpha-glucan could
      help to prevent fungal infection. In our previous study, we reported that an
      amylase-like protein, AmyD, could repress alpha-glucan accumulation in
      Aspergillus nidulans. However, the underlying molecular mechanism was not clear.
      Here, we examined the localization of AmyD and found it was a membrane-associated
      protein. We studied AmyD function in alpha-glucan degradation, as well as with
      other predicted amylase-like proteins and three annotated alpha-glucanases. AmyC
      and AmyE share a substantial sequence identity with AmyD, however, neither
      affects alpha-glucan synthesis. In contrast, AgnB and MutA (but not AgnE) are
      functional alpha-glucanases that also repress alpha-glucan accumulation.
      Nevertheless, the functions of AmyD and these glucanases were independent from
      each other. The dynamics of alpha-glucan accumulation showed different patterns
      between the AmyD overexpression strain and the alpha-glucanase overexpression
      strains, suggesting AmyD may not be involved in the alpha-glucan degradation
      process. These results suggest the function of AmyD is to directly suppress alpha
      glucan synthesis, but not to facilitate its degradation.

PMID- 28346366
TI  - Automatic Camera Calibration Using Active Displays of a Virtual Pattern.
AB  - Camera calibration plays a critical role in 3D computer vision tasks. The most
      commonly used calibration method utilizes a planar checkerboard and can be done
      nearly fully automatically. However, it requires the user to move either the
      camera or the checkerboard during the capture step. This manual operation is time
      consuming and makes the calibration results unstable. In order to solve the above
      problems caused by manual operation, this paper presents a full-automatic camera
      calibration method using a virtual pattern instead of a physical one. The virtual
      pattern is actively transformed and displayed on a screen so that the control
      points of the pattern can be uniformly observed in the camera view. The proposed
      method estimates the camera parameters from point correspondences between 2D
      image points and the virtual pattern. The camera and the screen are fixed during
      the whole process; therefore, the proposed method does not require any manual
      operations. Performance of the proposed method is evaluated through experiments
      on both synthetic and real data. Experimental results show that the proposed
      method can achieve stable results and its accuracy is comparable to the standard
      method by Zhang.

PMID- 28346361
TI  - Specificity in Legume-Rhizobia Symbioses.
AB  - Most species in the Leguminosae (legume family) can fix atmospheric nitrogen (N2)
      via symbiotic bacteria (rhizobia) in root nodules. Here, the literature on legume
      rhizobia symbioses in field soils was reviewed and genotypically characterised
      rhizobia related to the taxonomy of the legumes from which they were isolated.
      The Leguminosae was divided into three sub-families, the Caesalpinioideae,
      Mimosoideae and Papilionoideae. Bradyrhizobium spp. were the exclusive rhizobial
      symbionts of species in the Caesalpinioideae, but data are limited. Generally, a
      range of rhizobia genera nodulated legume species across the two Mimosoideae
      tribes Ingeae and Mimoseae, but Mimosa spp. show specificity towards Burkholderia
      in central and southern Brazil, Rhizobium/Ensifer in central Mexico and
      Cupriavidus in southern Uruguay. These specific symbioses are likely to be at
      least in part related to the relative occurrence of the potential symbionts in
      soils of the different regions. Generally, Papilionoideae species were
      promiscuous in relation to rhizobial symbionts, but specificity for rhizobial
      genus appears to hold at the tribe level for the Fabeae (Rhizobium), the genus
      level for Cytisus (Bradyrhizobium), Lupinus (Bradyrhizobium) and the New Zealand
      native Sophora spp. (Mesorhizobium) and species level for Cicer arietinum
      (Mesorhizobium), Listia bainesii (Methylobacterium) and Listia angolensis
      (Microvirga). Specificity for rhizobial species/symbiovar appears to hold for
      Galega officinalis (Neorhizobium galegeae sv. officinalis), Galega orientalis
      (Neorhizobium galegeae sv. orientalis), Hedysarum coronarium (Rhizobium sullae),
      Medicago laciniata (Ensifer meliloti sv. medicaginis), Medicago rigiduloides
      (Ensifer meliloti sv. rigiduloides) and Trifolium ambiguum (Rhizobium
      leguminosarum sv. trifolii). Lateral gene transfer of specific symbiosis genes
      within rhizobial genera is an important mechanism allowing legumes to form
      symbioses with rhizobia adapted to particular soils. Strain-specific legume
      rhizobia symbioses can develop in particular habitats.

PMID- 28346367
TI  - Transplantation of Menstrual Blood-Derived Mesenchymal Stem Cells Promotes the
      Repair of LPS-Induced Acute Lung Injury.
AB  - Acute lung injury (ALI) and acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) are
      associated with high morbidity and mortality. Menstrual blood-derived stem cells
      (MenSCs) have been shown to be good therapeutic tools in diseases such as ovarian
      failure and cardiac fibrosis. However, relevant studies of MenSCs in ALI have not
      yet proceeded. We hypothesized that MenSC could attenuate the inflammation in
      lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced ALI and promote the repair of damaged lung. ALI
      model was induced by LPS in C57 mice, and saline or MenSCs were administered via
      tail vein after four hours. The MenSCs were subsequently detected in the lungs by
      a live imaging system. The MenSCs not only improved pulmonary microvascular
      permeability and attenuated histopathological damage, but also mediated the
      downregulation of IL-1beta and the upregulation of IL-10 in bronchoalveolar
      lavage fluid (BALF) and the damaged lung. Immunohistochemistry revealed the
      increased expression of proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA) and the reduced
      expression of caspase-3 indicating the beneficial effect of MenSCs. Keratinocyte
      growth factor (KGF) was also upregulated after MenSCs administrated. As shown
      using transwell co-culture, the MenSCs also could improve the viability of BEAS
      2B cells and inhibit LPS-induced apoptosis. These findings suggest that MenSC
      based therapies could be promising strategies for treating ALI.

PMID- 28346368
TI  - Pathophysiological Significance of Dermatan Sulfate Proteoglycans Revealed by
      Human Genetic Disorders.
AB  - The indispensable roles of dermatan sulfate-proteoglycans (DS-PGs) have been
      demonstrated in various biological events including construction of the
      extracellular matrix and cell signaling through interactions with collagen and
      transforming growth factor-beta, respectively. Defects in the core proteins of DS
      PGs such as decorin and biglycan cause congenital stromal dystrophy of the
      cornea, spondyloepimetaphyseal dysplasia, and Meester-Loeys syndrome.
      Furthermore, mutations in human genes encoding the glycosyltransferases,
      epimerases, and sulfotransferases responsible for the biosynthesis of DS chains
      cause connective tissue disorders including Ehlers-Danlos syndrome and
      spondyloepimetaphyseal dysplasia with joint laxity characterized by skin
      hyperextensibility, joint hypermobility, and tissue fragility, and by severe
      skeletal disorders such as kyphoscoliosis, short trunk, dislocation, and joint
      laxity. Glycobiological approaches revealed that mutations in DS-biosynthetic
      enzymes cause reductions in enzymatic activities and in the amount of synthesized
      DS and also disrupt the formation of collagen bundles. This review focused on the
      growing number of glycobiological studies on recently reported genetic diseases
      caused by defects in the biosynthesis of DS and DS-PGs.

PMID- 28346369
TI  - Metabolic Impact of Light Phase-Restricted Fructose Consumption Is Linked to
      Changes in Hypothalamic AMPK Phosphorylation and Melatonin Production in Rats.
AB  - Recent studies show that the metabolic effects of fructose may vary depending on
      the phase of its consumption along with the light/dark cycle. Here, we
      investigated the metabolic outcomes of fructose consumption by rats during either
      the light (LPF) or the dark (DPF) phases of the light/dark cycle. This
      experimental approach was combined with other interventions, including
      restriction of chow availability to the dark phase, melatonin administration or
      intracerebroventricular inhibition of adenosine monophosphate-activated protein
      kinase (AMPK) with Compound C. LPF, but not DPF rats, exhibited increased
      hypothalamic AMPK phosphorylation, glucose intolerance, reduced urinary 6
      sulfatoxymelatonin (6-S-Mel) (a metabolite of melatonin) and increased
      corticosterone levels. LPF, but not DPF rats, also exhibited increased chow
      ingestion during the light phase. The mentioned changes were blunted by Compound
      C. LPF rats subjected to dark phase-restricted feeding still exhibited increased
      hypothalamic AMPK phosphorylation but failed to develop the endocrine and
      metabolic changes. Moreover, melatonin administration to LPF rats reduced
      corticosterone and prevented glucose intolerance. Altogether, the present data
      suggests that consumption of fructose during the light phase results in out-of
      phase feeding due to increased hypothalamic AMPK phosphorylation. This shift in
      spontaneous chow ingestion is responsible for the reduction of 6-S-Mel and
      glucose intolerance.

PMID- 28346370
TI  - De Novo Assembly, Annotation, and Characterization of Root Transcriptomes of
      Three Caladium Cultivars with a Focus on Necrotrophic Pathogen Resistance/Defense
      Related Genes.
AB  - Roots are vital to plant survival and crop yield, yet few efforts have been made
      to characterize the expressed genes in the roots of non-model plants (root
      transcriptomes). This study was conducted to sequence, assemble, annotate, and
      characterize the root transcriptomes of three caladium cultivars (Caladium *
      hortulanum) using RNA-Seq. The caladium cultivars used in this study have
      different levels of resistance to Pythiummyriotylum, the most damaging
      necrotrophic pathogen to caladium roots. Forty-six to 61 million clean reads were
      obtained for each caladium root transcriptome. De novo assembly of the reads
      resulted in approximately 130,000 unigenes. Based on bioinformatic analysis,
      71,825 (52.3%) caladium unigenes were annotated for putative functions, 48,417
      (67.4%) and 31,417 (72.7%) were assigned to Gene Ontology (GO) and Clusters of
      Orthologous Groups (COG), respectively, and 46,406 (64.6%) unigenes were assigned
      to 128 Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathways. A total of 4518
      distinct unigenes were observed only in Pythium-resistant "Candidum" roots, of
      which 98 seemed to be involved in disease resistance and defense responses. In
      addition, 28,837 simple sequence repeat sites and 44,628 single nucleotide
      polymorphism sites were identified among the three caladium cultivars. These root
      transcriptome data will be valuable for further genetic improvement of caladium
      and related aroids.

PMID- 28346371
TI  - Modulation of TRP Channel Activity by Hydroxylation and Its Therapeutic
      Potential.
AB  - Two transient receptor potential (TRP) channels-TRPA1 and TRPV3-are post
      translationally hydroxylated, resulting in oxygen-dependent regulation of channel
      activity. The enzymes responsible are the HIF prolyl hydroxylases (PHDs) and the
      asparaginyl hydroxylase factor inhibiting HIF (FIH). The PHDs and FIH are well
      characterized for their hydroxylation of the hypoxic inducible transcription
      factors (HIFs), mediating their hypoxic regulation. Consequently, these
      hydroxylases are currently being targeted therapeutically to modulate HIF
      activity in anemia, inflammation, and ischemic disease. Modulating the HIFs by
      targeting these hydroxylases may result in both desirable and undesirable effects
      on TRP channel activity, depending on the physiological context. For the best
      outcomes, these hydroxylases could be therapeutically targeted in pathologies
      where activation of both the HIFs and the relevant TRP channels are predicted to
      independently achieve positive outcomes, such as wound healing and obesity.

PMID- 28346372
TI  - "Bligh and Dyer" and Folch Methods for Solid-Liquid-Liquid Extraction of Lipids
      from Microorganisms. Comprehension of Solvatation Mechanisms and towards
      Substitution with Alternative Solvents.
AB  - Bligh and Dyer (B & D) or Folch procedures for the extraction and separation of
      lipids from microorganisms and biological tissues using chloroform/methanol/water
      have been used tens of thousands of times and are "gold standards" for the
      analysis of extracted lipids. Based on the Conductor-like Screening MOdel for
      realistic Solvatation (COSMO-RS), we select ethanol and ethyl acetate as being
      potentially suitable for the substitution of methanol and chloroform. We confirm
      this by performing solid-liquid extraction of yeast (Yarrowia lipolytica IFP29)
      and subsequent liquid-liquid partition-the two steps of routine extraction. For
      this purpose, we consider similar points in the ternary phase diagrams of
      water/methanol/chloroform and water/ethanol/ethyl acetate, both in the monophasic
      mixtures and in the liquid-liquid miscibility gap. Based on high performance thin
      layer chromatography (HPTLC) to obtain the distribution of lipids classes, and
      gas chromatography coupled with a flame ionisation detector (GC/FID) to obtain
      fatty acid profiles, this greener solvents pair is found to be almost as
      effective as the classic methanol-chloroform couple in terms of efficiency and
      selectivity of lipids and non-lipid material. Moreover, using these bio-sourced
      solvents as an alternative system is shown to be as effective as the classical
      system in terms of the yield of lipids extracted from microorganism tissues,
      independently of their apparent hydrophilicity.

PMID- 28346373
TI  - Harmful Use of Alcohol: A Shadow over Sub-Saharan Africa in Need of Workable
      Solutions.
AB  - Alcohol consumption and alcohol-attributable burden of disease in Africa are
      expected to rise in the near future, yet. increasing alcohol-related harm
      receives little attention from policymakers and from the population in general.
      Even where new legislation is proposed it is rarely enacted into law. Being at
      the center of social and cultural activities in many countries, alcohol's
      negative role in society and contribution to countries' burden of disease are
      rarely questioned. After the momentum created by the adoption in 2010 of the WHO
      Global Strategy and the WHO Regional Strategy (for Africa) to Reduce the Harmful
      Use of Alcohol, and the WHO Global Action Plan for the Prevention and Control of
      Non-Communicable Diseases, in 2013, little seems to have been done to address the
      increasing use of alcohol, its associated burden and the new challenges that
      derive from the growing influence of the alcohol industry in Africa. In this
      review, we argue that to have a positive impact on the health of African
      populations, action addressing specific features of alcohol policy in the
      continent is needed, namely focusing on particularities linked to alcohol
      availability, like unrecorded and illicit production, outlet licensing, the
      expansion of formal production, marketing initiatives and taxation policies.

PMID- 28346374
TI  - Minimized Bolus-Type Wireless Sensor Node with a Built-In Three-Axis Acceleration
      Meter for Monitoring a Cow's Rumen Conditions.
AB  - Monitoring rumen conditions in cows is important because a dysfunctional rumen
      system may cause death. Sub-acute ruminal acidosis (SARA) is a typical disease in
      cows, and is characterized by repeated periods of low ruminal pH. SARA is
      regarded as a trigger for rumen atony, rumenitis, and abomasal displacement,
      which may cause death. In previous studies, rumen conditions were evaluated by
      wireless sensor nodes with pH measurement capability. The primary advantage of
      the pH sensor is its ability to continuously measure ruminal pH. However, these
      sensor nodes have short lifetimes since they are limited by the finite volume of
      the internal liquid of the reference electrode. Mimicking rumen atony, we attempt
      to evaluate the rumen condition using wireless sensor nodes with three-axis
      accelerometers. The theoretical life span of such sensor nodes depends mainly on
      the transmission frequency of acceleration data and the size of the battery, and
      the proposed sensor nodes are 30.0 mm in diameter and 70.0 mm in length and have
      a life span of over 600 days. Using the sensor nodes, we compare the rumen
      motility of the force transducer measurement with the three-axis accelerometer
      data. As a result, we can detect discriminative movement of rumen atony.

PMID- 28346376
TI  - Blend Hydrogel Microspheres of Carboxymethyl Chitosan and Gelatin for the
      Controlled Release of 5-Fluorouracil.
AB  - Carboxymethyl chitosan (CMCS) was synthesized and blended with gelatin (GE) to
      prepare hydrogel microspheres by w/o emulsion cross-linking in the presence of
      glutaraldehyde (GA), which acted as a cross-linker. 5-Fluorouracil (5-FU) was
      encapsulated to investigate its controlled release (CR) characteristics in acidic
      (pH 1.2) and alkaline (pH 7.4) buffer media. The microspheres which formed were
      spherical in nature, with smooth surfaces, as judged by the scanning electron
      microscopy (SEM). Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) confirmed the
      carboxymethylation of CS and the chemical stability of 5-FU in the formulations.
      Differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and X-ray diffraction (XRD) confirmed the
      physical state and molecular level dispersion of 5-FU. Equilibrium swelling of
      microspheres was performed in water, in order to understand the water uptake
      properties. The in vitro release of 5-FU was extended up to 12 h in pH 7.4
      phosphate buffer, revealing an encapsulation efficiency of 72%. The effects of
      blend composition, the extent of cross-linking, and initial drug loading on the
      in vitro release properties, were investigated. When analyzed through empirical
      equations, the release data suggested a non-Fickian transport mechanism.

PMID- 28346377
TI  - Impact of Beamforming on the Path Connectivity in Cognitive Radio Ad Hoc
      Networks.
AB  - This paper investigates the impact of using directional antennas and beamforming
      schemes on the connectivity of cognitive radio ad hoc networks (CRAHNs).
      Specifically, considering that secondary users use two kinds of directional
      antennas, i.e., uniform linear array (ULA) and uniform circular array (UCA)
      antennas, and two different beamforming schemes, i.e., randomized beamforming and
      center-directed to communicate with each other, we study the connectivity of all
      combination pairs of directional antennas and beamforming schemes and compare
      their performances to those of omnidirectional antennas. The results obtained in
      this paper show that, compared with omnidirectional transmission, beamforming
      transmission only benefits the connectivity when the density of secondary user is
      moderate. Moreover, the combination of UCA and randomized beamforming scheme
      gives the highest path connectivity in all evaluating scenarios. Finally, the
      number of antenna elements and degree of path loss greatly affect path
      connectivity in CRAHNs.

PMID- 28346375
TI  - Liposomal Formulations in Clinical Use: An Updated Review.
AB  - Liposomes are the first nano drug delivery systems that have been successfully
      translated into real-time clinical applications. These closed bilayer
      phospholipid vesicles have witnessed many technical advances in recent years
      since their first development in 1965. Delivery of therapeutics by liposomes
      alters their biodistribution profile, which further enhances the therapeutic
      index of various drugs. Extensive research is being carried out using these nano
      drug delivery systems in diverse areas including the delivery of anti-cancer,
      anti-fungal, anti-inflammatory drugs and therapeutic genes. The significant
      contribution of liposomes as drug delivery systems in the healthcare sector is
      known by many clinical products, e.g., Doxil(r), Ambisome(r), DepoDurTM, etc.
      This review provides a detailed update on liposomal technologies e.g., DepoFoamTM
      Technology, Stealth technology, etc., the formulation aspects of clinically used
      products and ongoing clinical trials on liposomes.

PMID- 28346378
TI  - DNA Repair Pathway Alterations in Bladder Cancer.
AB  - Most bladder tumors have complex genomes characterized by a high mutation burden
      as well as frequent copy number alterations and chromosomal rearrangements.
      Alterations in DNA repair pathways-including the double-strand break (DSB) and
      nucleotide excision repair (NER) pathways-are present in bladder tumors and may
      contribute to genomic instability and drive the tumor phenotype. DNA damaging
      such as cisplatin, mitomycin C, and radiation are commonly used in the treatment
      of muscle-invasive or metastatic bladder cancer, and several recent studies have
      linked specific DNA repair pathway defects with sensitivity to DNA damaging-based
      therapy. In addition, tumor DNA repair defects have important implications for
      use of immunotherapy and other targeted agents in bladder cancer. Therefore,
      efforts to further understand the landscape of DNA repair alterations in bladder
      cancer will be critical in advancing treatment for bladder cancer. This review
      summarizes the current understanding of the role of DNA repair pathway
      alterations in bladder tumor biology and response to therapy.

PMID- 28346379
TI  - The Economic Cost of Suicide and Non-Fatal Suicide Behavior in the Australian
      Workforce and the Potential Impact of a Workplace Suicide Prevention Strategy.
AB  - Suicide and non-fatal suicide behavior (NFSB) are significant problems faced by
      most countries. The objective of this research is to quantify the economic cost
      of suicide and NFSB in the Australian workforce and to examine the potential
      impact of introducing a workplace suicide prevention intervention to reduce this
      burden. The analysis used the best available suicide data, a well-established
      costing methodology, and a proven workplace intervention. In 2014, 903 workers
      died by suicide, 2303 workers harmed themselves resulting in full incapacity, and
      11,242 workers harmed themselves resulting in a short absence from work. The
      present value of the economic cost of suicide and NFSB is estimated at $6.73
      billion. Our analysis suggests the economic benefit of implementing a universal
      workplace strategy would considerably outweigh the cost of the strategy. For
      every one dollar invested, the benefits would be in excess of $1.50 ($1.11
      $3.07), representing a positive economic investment. All variations of the key
      parameter hold the positive benefit-cost ratio. Rates of suicide and NFSB are far
      too high in Australia and elsewhere. More needs to be done to reduce this burden.
      Although workplace strategies are appropriate for those employed, these
      interventions must be used within a multifaceted approach that reflects the
      complex nature of self-harming behavior.

PMID- 28346380
TI  - Constituents of the Roots of Dichapetalum pallidum and Their Anti-Proliferative
      Activity.
AB  - As part of our search for bioactive compounds from the Dichapetalaceae, repeated
      chromatographic purification of the roots of a hitherto unexamined species,
      Dichapetalum pallidum, led to the isolation of the newly occurring 7
      hydroxydichapetalin P (1) and the known dichapetalins A (2) and X (3). Also
      isolated were the known compounds friedelin-2,3-lactone (4), friedelan-3-one (6),
      friedelan-3beta-ol (7) and pomolic (8), as well as the dipeptide aurantiamide
      acetate (5). The compounds were characterized by direct interpretation of their
      IR, 1D NMR and 2D NMR spectral data and by comparison of their physico-chemical
      data, including their chromatographic profiles, with the literature and authentic
      samples in our compound library for the genus Dichapetalum. The compounds were
      assayed for their anti-proliferative activities against the human T-lymphocytic
      leukemia (Jurkat), acute promyelocytic leukemia (HL-60) and T-lymphoblast-like
      leukemia (CEM) cell lines. Overall, dichapetalin X showed the strongest (3.14
      MUM) and broadest cytotoxic activities against all the leukemic cell lines
      tested, exhibiting even stronger activities than the standard compound, curcumin.

PMID- 28346382
TI  - The Balloon-Based Manometry Evaluation of Swallowing in Patients with Amyotrophic
      Lateral Sclerosis.
AB  - The aim of the study was to analyse the disturbances of the oro-pharyngeal
      swallowing phase of dysphagia in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) patients
      with the use of specific manometric measurements and to evaluate their plausible
      association with the duration of the disease. Seventeen patients with ALS were
      evaluated with manometric examinations of the oral and pharyngeal part of the
      gastrointestinal tract. Tests were carried out by using the oesophageal balloon
      based method with four balloon transducers located 5 cm away from each other. The
      following manometric parameters were analysed: the base of tongue contraction
      (BTC) and the upper oesophageal sphincter pressure (UESP), and the hypopharyngeal
      suction pump (HSP) as well as the oro-pharyngeal, pharyngeal and hypopharyngeal
      transit time and average pharyngeal bolus velocity (oropharyngeal transit time
      (OTT), pharyngeal transit time (PTT), hypopharyngeal transit time (HTT) and
      average pharyngeal bolus velocity (APBV), respectively). Manomatric examinations
      during swallowing in patients with ALS showed significant weakness of BTC, a
      decrease of HSP and a decrease of the velocity of bolus transit inside the
      pharynx which were particularly marked between the first and the third
      examination. Manometric examinations of the oro-pharyngeal part of the
      gastrointestinal tract are useful and supportive methods in the analysis of
      swallowing disturbances in ALS patients.

PMID- 28346383
TI  - Novel Antihypertensive Peptides Derived from Adlay (Coix larchryma-jobi L. var.
      ma-yuen Stapf) Glutelin.
AB  - n/a.

PMID- 28346381
TI  - Multifaceted Applications of Chitosan in Cancer Drug Delivery and Therapy.
AB  - Chitosan is a versatile polysaccharide of biological origin. Due to the
      biocompatible and biodegradable nature of chitosan, it is intensively utilized in
      biomedical applications in scaffold engineering as an absorption enhancer, and
      for bioactive and controlled drug release. In cancer therapy, chitosan has
      multifaceted applications, such as assisting in gene delivery and
      chemotherapeutic delivery, and as an immunoadjuvant for vaccines. The present
      review highlights the recent applications of chitosan and chitosan derivatives in
      cancer therapy.

PMID- 28346384
TI  - Intensive Sleep Re-Training: From Bench to Bedside.
AB  - Intensive sleep re-training is a promising new therapy for chronic insomnia.
      Therapy is completed over a 24-h period during a state of sleep deprivation.
      Improvements of sleep and daytime impairments are comparable to the use of
      stimulus control therapy but with the advantage of a rapid reversal of the
      insomnia. The initial studies have been laboratory based and not readily
      accessible to the patient population. However, new smart phone technology, using
      a behavioral response to external stimuli as a measure of sleep/wake state
      instead of EEG determination of sleep, has made this new therapy readily
      available. Technological improvements are still being made allowing the therapy
      to provide further improvements in the effectiveness of Intensive Sleep Re
      training.

PMID- 28346385
TI  - Intelligent Diagnosis Method for Rotating Machinery Using Dictionary Learning and
      Singular Value Decomposition.
AB  - Rotating machinery is widely used in industrial applications. With the trend
      towards more precise and more critical operating conditions, mechanical failures
      may easily occur. Condition monitoring and fault diagnosis (CMFD) technology is
      an effective tool to enhance the reliability and security of rotating machinery.
      In this paper, an intelligent fault diagnosis method based on dictionary learning
      and singular value decomposition (SVD) is proposed. First, the dictionary
      learning scheme is capable of generating an adaptive dictionary whose atoms
      reveal the underlying structure of raw signals. Essentially, dictionary learning
      is employed as an adaptive feature extraction method regardless of any prior
      knowledge. Second, the singular value sequence of learned dictionary matrix is
      served to extract feature vector. Generally, since the vector is of high
      dimensionality, a simple and practical principal component analysis (PCA) is
      applied to reduce dimensionality. Finally, the K-nearest neighbor (KNN) algorithm
      is adopted for identification and classification of fault patterns automatically.
      Two experimental case studies are investigated to corroborate the effectiveness
      of the proposed method in intelligent diagnosis of rotating machinery faults. The
      comparison analysis validates that the dictionary learning-based matrix
      construction approach outperforms the mode decomposition-based methods in terms
      of capacity and adaptability for feature extraction.

PMID- 28346386
TI  - A Mixed-Methods Examination of Physical Activity and Sedentary Time in Overweight
      and Obese South Asian Men Living in the United Kingdom.
AB  - South Asian men living in the UK have higher rates of central obesity and Type 2
      Diabetes Mellitus (T2DM) compared with their white British counterparts. Physical
      activity (PA) and sedentary time (ST) are important risk factors for the
      development of T2DM. The purpose of this study was to objectively measure PA, ST,
      and to explore the factors influencing these behaviours in this high-risk
      population. A mixed-methods cross-sectional research design was employed,
      including the quantification of PA and ST using the self-report International
      Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ)-long form and accelerometry in overweight
      and obese UK South Asian men (n = 54), followed by semi-structured interviews in
      a purposive sub-sample to explore the factors influencing PA and ST (n = 31).
      Accelerometer-derived moderate-to-vigorous PA (MVPA) and ST were 298.9 +/- 186.6
      min/week and 551.4 +/- 95.0 min/day, respectively. IPAQ-derived MVPA was
      significantly lower than accelerometer-derived MVPA (p < 0.001). IPAQ-derived ST
      was significantly higher than accelerometer-derived ST (p < 0.001). Lack of time
      and family commitments were identified as the main barriers to being more
      physically active, with group exercise identified as an important facilitator to
      being more active. A cultural norm of focusing on promoting education over sport
      participation during childhood was identified as an important factor influencing
      long-term PA behaviours. Work commitments and predominantly sedentary jobs were
      identified as the main barriers to reducing ST. Healthcare professionals and
      researchers need to consider the socio-cultural factors which affect PA
      engagement in overweight and obese South Asian men living in the UK, to ensure
      that advice and future interventions are tailored to address the needs of this
      population.

PMID- 28346387
TI  - OPRM1 c.118A>G Polymorphism and Duration of Morphine Treatment Associated with
      Morphine Doses and Quality-of-Life in Palliative Cancer Pain Settings.
AB  - Despite increased attention on assessment and management, pain remains the most
      persistent symptom in patients with cancer, in particular in end-of-life
      settings, with detrimental impact on their quality-of-life (QOL). We conducted
      this study to evaluate the added value of determining some genetic and non
      genetic factors to optimize cancer pain treatment. Eighty-nine patients were
      included in the study for the evaluation of palliative cancer pain management.
      The regression analysis showed that age, OPRM1 single nucleotide polymorphism
      (SNP), as well as the duration of morphine treatment were significantly
      associated with morphine doses at 24 h (given by infusion pump; p = 0.043, 0.029,
      and <0.001, respectively). The mean doses of morphine decreased with age but
      increased with the duration of morphine treatment. In addition, patients with AG
      genotype c.118A>G OPRM1 needed a higher dose of morphine than AA patients.
      Moreover, metastases, OPRM1 SNP, age, and gender were significantly associated
      with the QOL in our population. In particular, AA patients for OPRM1 SNP had
      significantly lower cognitive function than AG patients, a result not previously
      reported in the literature. These findings could help increase the effectiveness
      of morphine treatment and enhance the QOL of patients in regards to personalized
      medicine.

PMID- 28346388
TI  - Thermal Condensation of Glycine and Alanine on Metal Ferrite Surface: Primitive
      Peptide Bond Formation Scenario.
AB  - The amino acid condensation reaction on a heterogeneous mineral surface has been
      regarded as one of the important pathways for peptide bond formation. Keeping
      this in view, we have studied the oligomerization of the simple amino acids,
      glycine and alanine, on nickel ferrite (NiFe2O4), cobalt ferrite (CoFe2O4),
      copper ferrite (CuFe2O4), zinc ferrite (ZnFe2O4), and manganese ferrite (MnFe2O4)
      nanoparticles surfaces, in the temperature range from 50-120  degrees C for 1-35
      days, without applying any wetting/drying cycles. Among the metal ferrites tested
      for their catalytic activity, NiFe2O4 produced the highest yield of products by
      oligomerizing glycine to the trimer level and alanine to the dimer level, whereas
      MnFe2O4 was the least efficient catalyst, producing the lowest yield of products,
      as well as shorter oligomers of amino acids under the same set of experimental
      conditions. It produced primarily diketopiperazine (Ala) with a trace amount of
      alanine dimer from alanine condensation, while glycine was oligomerized to the
      dimer level. The trend in product formation is in accordance with the surface
      area of the minerals used. A temperature as low as 50  degrees C can even favor
      peptide bond formation in the present study, which is important in the sense that
      the condensation process is highly feasible without any sort of localized heat
      that may originate from volcanoes or hydrothermal vents. However, at a high
      temperature of 120  degrees C, anhydrides of glycine and alanine formation are
      favored, while the optimum temperature for the highest yield of product formation
      was found to be 90  degrees C.

PMID- 28346389
TI  - Artesunate Enhances the Cytotoxicity of 5-Aminolevulinic Acid-Based Sonodynamic
      Therapy against Mouse Mammary Tumor Cells In Vitro.
AB  - Sonodynamic therapy (SDT) kills tumor cells through the synergistic effects of
      ultrasound (US) and a sonosensitizer agent. 5-Aminolevulinic acid (5-ALA) has
      been used as a sonodynamic sensitizer for cancer treatment. However, studies have
      shown that 5-ALA-based SDT has limited efficacy against malignant tumors. In this
      study, we examined whether artesunate (ART) could enhance the cytotoxicity of 5
      ALA-based SDT against mouse mammary tumor (EMT-6) cells in vitro. In the ART, ART
      + US, ART + 5-ALA, and ART + 5-ALA + US groups, the cell survival rate correlated
      with ART concentration, and decreased with increasing concentrations of ART.
      Morphologically, many apoptotic and necrotic cells were observed in the ART + 5
      ALA + US group. The percentage of reactive oxygen species-positive cells in the
      ART + 5-ALA + US group was also significantly higher than that in the 5-ALA group
      (p = 0.0228), and the cell death induced by ART + 5-ALA + US could be inhibited
      by the antioxidant N-acetylcysteine. These results show that ART offers great
      potential in enhancing the efficacy of 5-ALA-based SDT for the treatment of
      cancer. However, these results are only based on in vitro studies, and further in
      vivo studies are required.

PMID- 28346390
TI  - The Effect and Mechanism of Transdermal Penetration Enhancement of Fu's Cupping
      Therapy: New Physical Penetration Technology for Transdermal Administration with
      Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) Characteristics.
AB  - BACKGROUND: In this paper, a new type of physical penetration technology for
      transdermal administration with traditional Chinese medicine (TCM)
      characteristics is presented. Fu's cupping therapy (FCT), was established and
      studied using in vitro and in vivo experiments and the penetration effect and
      mechanism of FCT physical penetration technology was preliminarily discussed.
      METHODS: With 1-(4-chlorobenzoyl)-5-methoxy-2-methylindole-3-ylacetic acid
      (indomethacin, IM) as a model drug, the establishment of high, medium, and low
      references was completed for the chemical permeation system via in vitro
      transdermal tests. Furthermore, using chemical penetration enhancers (CPEs) and
      iontophoresis as references, the percutaneous penetration effect of FCT for IM
      patches was evaluated using seven species of in vitro diffusion kinetics models
      and in vitro drug distribution; the IM quantitative analysis method in vivo was
      established using ultra-performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass
      spectrometry technology (UPLC-MS/MS), and pharmacokinetic parameters: area under
      the zero and first moment curves from 0 to last time t (AUC0-t, AUMC0-t), area
      under the zero and first moment curves from 0 to infinity (AUC0-infinity, AUMC0
      infinity), maximum plasma concentration (Cmax) and mean residence time (MRT),
      were used as indicators to evaluate the percutaneous penetration effect of FCT in
      vivo. Additionally, we used the 3K factorial design to study the joint
      synergistic penetration effect on FCT and chemical penetration enhancers. Through
      scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and transmission electron microscope (TEM)
      imaging, micro- and ultrastructural changes on the surface of the stratum corneum
      (SC) were observed to explore the FCT penetration mechanism. RESULTS: In vitro
      and in vivo skin permeation experiments revealed that both the total cumulative
      percutaneous amount and in vivo percutaneous absorption amount of IM using FCT
      were greater than the amount using CPEs and iontophoresis. Firstly, compared with
      the control group, the indomethacin skin percutaneous rate of the FCT low
      intensity group (FCTL) was 35.52%, and the enhancement ratio (ER) at 9 h was
      1.76X, roughly equivalent to the penetration enhancing effect of the CPEs and
      iontophoresis. Secondly, the indomethacin percutaneous ratio of the FCT middle
      intensity group (FCTM) and FCT high-intensity group (FCTH) were 47.36% and
      54.58%, respectively, while the ERs at 9 h were 3.58X and 8.39X, respectively.
      Thirdly, pharmacokinetic data showed that in vivo indomethacin percutaneous
      absorption of the FCT was much higher than that of the control, that of the FCTM
      was slightly higher than that of the CPE, and that of the FCTM group was
      significantly higher than all others. Meanwhile, variance analysis indicated that
      the combination of the FCT penetration enhancement method and the CPE method had
      beneficial effects in enhancing skin penetration: the significance level of the
      CPE method was 0.0004, which was lower than 0.001, meaning the difference was
      markedly significant; the significance level of the FCT was also below 0.0001 and
      its difference markedly significant. The significance level of factor interaction
      A * B was lower than 0.0001, indicating that the difference in synergism was
      markedly significant. Moreover, SEM and TEM images showed that the SC surfaces of
      Sprague-Dawley rats treated with FCT were damaged, and it was difficult to
      observe the complete surface structure, with SC pores growing larger and its
      special "brick structure" becoming looser. This indicated that the barrier
      function of the skin was broken, thus revealing a potentially major route of skin
      penetration. CONCLUSION: FCT, as a new form of transdermal penetration
      technology, has significant penetration effects with TCM characteristics and is
      of high clinical value. It is worth promoting its development.

PMID- 28346391
TI  - Hydrogen Sulphide Production in Healthy and Ulcerated Gastric Mucosa of Rats.
AB  - Hydrogen sulphide (H2S) is produced endogenously via two enzymes dependent on
      pyridoxal phosphate (PLP): cystathionine beta-synthase (CBS, EC 4.2.1.22),
      cystathionase gamma-liase (CTH, EC 4.4.1.1), and a third, 3-mercaptopyruvate
      sulfurtransferase (MPST, EC 2.8.1.2). H2S strengthens the defence mechanisms of
      the gastric mucosal barrier, and plays an important role in gastroprotection,
      including the increased resistance to damage caused by various irritants and non
      steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs. The study was conducted to determine the role
      of H2S in ulcerated gastric mucosa of rats caused by immobilization in cold water
      (WRS). The activity and expression of gamma-cystathionase, cystathionine beta
      synthase, 3-mercaptopyruvate sulfurtransferase, and rhodanese was compared with
      healthy mucosa, together with H2S generation, and cysteine, glutathione, and
      cystathionine levels. The results showed that the defence mechanism against
      stress is associated with stimulation of the production of H2S in the tissue and
      confirmed the observed advantageous effect of H2S on healing of gastric ulcers.
      In case of animals pretreated with exogenous sources of H2S and NaHS, and some
      changes observed in the ulcerated gastric mucosa tend to return to values found
      in the healthy tissue, a finding that is in accordance with the previously
      determined gastroprotective properties of H2S. The results presented in this
      paper point to the possible role of rhodanese in H2S production in the gastric
      mucosa of rats, together with the earlier mentioned three enzymes, which are all
      active in this tissue.

PMID- 28346393
TI  - Choerosponins A and B, Two New Cytotoxic Bridged-Ring Ketones and the
      Determination of Their Absolute Configurations.
AB  - Bioactivity-directed fractionation of antitumor compounds from the stem barks of
      Choerospondias axillaries (Roxb.) Burtt et Hill (Anacardiaceae) afforded two new
      cytotoxic bridged-ring ketones, choerosponins A (1) and B (2), and their
      structures were elucidated by spectroscopic methods; their stereochemistry was
      determined by NOE difference experiments, CD spectra and the modified Mosher's
      method. Compound 1 has a rare dioxatricyclo skeleton. Flow cytometry and SRB
      methods were employed to evaluate the antitumor activity of the two compounds
      against tsFT210, HCT-15, HeLa, A2780 and MCF-7 cell lines, and both of them
      showed strong cytotoxicity. MTT and paper disc methods were also used to evaluate
      their anti-hypoxia and antibacterial activities, and both of them showed no
      apparent activities.

PMID- 28346392
TI  - Impact of Novel Sorghum Bran Diets on DSS-Induced Colitis.
AB  - We have demonstrated that polyphenol-rich sorghum bran diets alter fecal
      microbiota; however, little is known regarding their effect on colon
      inflammation. Our aim was to characterize the effect of sorghum bran diets on
      intestinal homeostasis during dextran sodium sulfate (DSS)-induced colitis. Male
      Sprague-Dawley rats (N = 20/diet) were provided diets containing 6% fiber from
      cellulose, or Black (3-deoxyanthocyanins), Sumac (condensed tannins) or Hi Tannin
      Black (both) sorghum bran. Colitis was induced (N = 10/diet) with three separate
      48-h exposures to 3% DSS, and feces were collected. On Day 82, animals were
      euthanized and the colon resected. Only discrete mucosal lesions, with no
      diarrhea or bloody stools, were observed in DSS rats. Only bran diets upregulated
      proliferation and Tff3, Tgfbeta and short chain fatty acids (SCFA) transporter
      expression after a DSS challenge. DSS did not significantly affect fecal SCFA
      concentrations. Bran diets alone upregulated repair mechanisms and SCFA
      transporter expression, which suggests these polyphenol-rich sorghum brans may
      suppress some consequences of colitis.

PMID- 28346395
TI  - A Correlation-Based Joint CFAR Detector Using Adaptively-Truncated Statistics in
      SAR Imagery.
AB  - Traditional constant false alarm rate (CFAR) detectors only use the contrast
      information between ship targets and clutter, and they suffer probability of
      detection (PD) degradation in multiple target situations. This paper proposes a
      correlation-based joint CFAR detector using adaptively-truncated statistics
      (hereafter called TS-2DLNCFAR) in SAR images. The proposed joint CFAR detector
      exploits the gray intensity correlation characteristics by building a two
      dimensional (2D) joint log-normal model as the joint distribution (JPDF) of the
      clutter, so joint CFAR detection is realized. Inspired by the CFAR detection
      methodology, we design an adaptive threshold-based clutter truncation method to
      eliminate the high-intensity outliers, such as interfering ship targets, side
      lobes, and ghosts in the background window, whereas the real clutter samples are
      preserved to the largest degree. A 2D joint log-normal model is accurately built
      using the adaptively-truncated clutter through simple parameter estimation, so
      the joint CFAR detection performance is greatly improved. Compared with
      traditional CFAR detectors, the proposed TS-2DLNCFAR detector achieves a high PD
      and a low false alarm rate (FAR) in multiple target situations. The superiority
      of the proposed TS-2DLNCFAR detector is validated on the multi-look Envisat-ASAR
      and TerraSAR-X data.

PMID- 28346394
TI  - Engineered Resistant-Starch (ERS) Diet Shapes Colon Microbiota Profile in
      Parallel with the Retardation of Tumor Growth in In Vitro and In Vivo Pancreatic
      Cancer Models.
AB  - BACKGROUND/AIMS: Pancreatic cancer (PC) is ranked as the fourth leading cause of
      cancer-related deaths worldwide. Despite recent advances in treatment options, a
      modest impact on the outcome of the disease is observed so far. We have
      previously demonstrated that short-term fasting cycles have the potential to
      improve the efficacy of chemotherapy against PC. The aim of this study was to
      assess the effect of an engineered resistant-starch (ERS) mimicking diet on the
      growth of cancer cell lines in vitro, on the composition of fecal microbiota, and
      on tumor growth in an in vivo pancreatic cancer mouse xenograft model. MATERIALS
      AND METHODS: BxPC-3, MIA PaCa-2 and PANC-1 cells were cultured in the control,
      and in the ERS-mimicking diet culturing condition, to evaluate tumor growth and
      proliferation pathways. Pancreatic cancer xenograft mice were subjected to an ERS
      diet to assess tumor volume and weight as compared to mice fed with a control
      diet. The composition and activity of fecal microbiota were further analyzed in
      growth experiments by isothermal microcalorimetry. RESULTS: Pancreatic cancer
      cells cultured in an ERS diet-mimicking medium showed decreased levels of phospho
      ERK1/2 (extracellular signal-regulated kinase proteins) and phospho-mTOR
      (mammalian target of rapamycin) levels, as compared to those cultured in standard
      medium. Consistently, xenograft pancreatic cancer mice subjected to an ERS diet
      displayed significant retardation in tumor growth. In in vitro growth
      experiments, the fecal microbial cultures from mice fed with an ERS diet showed
      enhanced growth on residual substrates, higher production of formate and lactate,
      and decreased amounts of propionate, compared to fecal microbiota from mice fed
      with the control diet. CONCLUSION: A positive effect of the ERS diet on
      composition and metabolism of mouse fecal microbiota shown in vitro is associated
      with the decrease of tumor progression in the in vivo PC xenograft mouse model.
      These results suggest that engineered dietary interventions could be supportive
      as a synergistic approach to enhance the efficacy of existing cancer treatments
      in pancreatic cancer patients.

PMID- 28346396
TI  - A PCR-Based Molecular Detection of Strongyloides stercoralisin Human Stool
      Samples from Tabriz City, Iran.
AB  - : Strongyloides stercoralis is a nematode causing serious infections in
      immunocompromised patients. In chronically infected patients, the low parasitic
      content as well as the resemblance of the larvae to several other species make
      diagnosis basedonmorphology difficult. In the present study, a PCR-based method
      targeting the internal transcribed sequence 2 (ITS2) of the rDNA region was
      examined for the molecular detection of S. stercoralis infection from the stool
      samples. A total of 1800 patients were included. Three fresh stool samples were
      collected per patient, and S. stercoralis isolates were identified by the
      morphological method. A subset of isolates was later used in the PCR-based method
      as positive controls. Additionally, negative and no-template controls were
      included. Data analysis was accomplished using an x2 test. Ap-value less than
      0.05 was considered significant. In total, fivestool samples were found to be
      infected with S. stercoralis using the morphology method. PCR method detected S.
      stercoralis DNA target from all of the fiveDNA samples extracted from positive
      fecal samples. CONCLUSIONS: The PCR method used for amplifying a short fragment
      was successful for diagnosis of S. stercoralis in fecal samples and can be
      reliable for directly detecting the parasite bypassing morphological method.

PMID- 28346398
TI  - Sirtuin 1 (Sirt1) Overexpression in BaF3 Cells Contributes to Cell Proliferation
      Promotion, Apoptosis Resistance and Pro-Inflammatory Cytokine Production.
AB  - BACKGROUND B lymphocyte hyperactivity is a main characteristic of systemic lupus
      erythematosus (SLE), and B lymphocytes play a prominent pathogenic role in the
      development and progression of SLE. The aim of this study was to investigate the
      role of Sirtuin 1 (Sirt1) in B lymphocytes. MATERIAL AND METHODS Mouse B
      lymphocytes BaF3 was transfected with Sirt1 vector or shRNA against Sirt1. Then
      the transfected cells viability and apoptosis were respectively determined by MTT
      assay and flow cytometry. In addition, the mRNA levels of three pro-inflammatory
      cytokines and p53 were detected by RT-PCR. Furthermore, the expression levels of
      nuclear factor-kappa B (NF-kappaB) pathway proteins were measured by Western
      blot. RESULTS Overexpression of Sirt1 significantly increased cell proliferation
      (p<0.05 or p<0.01) and significantly suppressed apoptosis (p<0.05). The mRNA
      level expressions of interleukin 1 (IL-1), IL-6, and tumor necrosis factor-alpha
      (TNF-alpha) were significantly upregulated (p<0.05 or p<0.01), whereas p53 was
      significantly downregulated (p<0.05) by Sirt1 overexpression. In addition, the
      inhibitory subunit of NF-kappaB (IkappaBalpha) and p65 were significantly
      activated and phosphorylated (p<0.01 or p<0.001), and B-Cell CLL/Lymphoma 3 (Bcl
      3) was significantly upregulated (p<0.05) by Sirt1 overexpression. CONCLUSIONS
      These results suggested that Sirt1 overexpression could promote BaF3 cell
      proliferation, inhibit apoptosis, and upregulate pro-inflammatory cytokines. The
      NF-kappaB pathway might be involved in these effects of Sirt1 on BaF3 cells, and
      Sirt1 might be a potential risk factor of SLE.

PMID- 28346399
TI  - Endothelial cell-specific activation of transforming growth factor-beta signaling
      in mice induces cutaneous, visceral, and microvascular fibrosis.
AB  - In this study, we tested the hypothesis that constitutive endothelial cell
      specific activation of TGF-beta signaling induces tissue fibrosis and
      vasculopathy resembling the characteristic fibrotic and vascular alterations of
      systemic sclerosis. Transgenic mice with inducible expression of a constitutively
      active TGF-beta receptor I specifically in endothelial cells were generated by
      intercrossing mice harboring a constitutively active TGF-beta receptor I with a
      mouse strain containing the endothelial cell-specific Cdh5 gene promoter
      directing the tamoxifen-inducible expression of the Cre-ERT2 cassette.
      Administration of tamoxifen to these mice would result in constitutive TGF-beta
      activation and signaling confined to endothelial lineage cells. The effects of
      constitutive TGF-beta endothelial cell activation were assessed by
      histopathological examination of skin and various internal organs, tissue
      hydroxyproline analysis, and assessment of expression of myofibroblast
      differentiation and TGF-beta signaling genes employing real-time PCR and
      immunohistochemical staining of lung vessels for endothelial- and myofibroblast
      specific proteins. Constitutive TGFbeta-1 signaling in endothelial cells resulted
      in cutaneous and visceral fibrosis with prominent fibrotic involvement of the
      lungs and severe perivascular and subendothelial fibrosis of small arterioles. A
      marked increase in the expression of fibrosis-associated genes and of genes
      indicative of myofibroblast activation was also found. Confocal microscopy of
      lung vessels showed evidence consistent with the induction of endothelial-to
      mesenchymal transition (EndoMT). Taken together, our data indicate that
      transgenic mice with constitutive endothelial cell-specific activation of TGF
      beta signaling display severe cutaneous, pulmonary, and microvascular fibrosis
      resembling the fibrotic and microvascular alterations characteristic of systemic
      sclerosis.

PMID- 28346397
TI  - The Process and Regulatory Components of Inflammation in Brain Oncogenesis.
AB  - Central nervous system tumors comprising the primary cancers and brain metastases
      remain the most lethal neoplasms and challenging to treat. Substantial evidence
      points to a paramount role for inflammation in the pathology leading to
      gliomagenesis, malignant progression and tumor aggressiveness in the central
      nervous system (CNS) microenvironment. This review summarizes the salient
      contributions of oxidative stress, interleukins, tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF
      alpha), cyclooxygenases, and transcription factors such as signal transducer and
      activator of transcription 3 (STAT3) and nuclear factor kappa-light-chain
      enhancer of activated B-cells (NF-kappaB) and the associated cross-talks to the
      inflammatory signaling in CNS cancers. The roles of reactive astrocytes, tumor
      associated microglia and macrophages, metabolic alterations, microsatellite
      instability, O6-methylguanine DNA methyltransferase (MGMT) DNA repair and
      epigenetic alterations mediated by the isocitrate dehydrogenase 1 (IDH1)
      mutations have been discussed. The inflammatory pathways with relevance to the
      brain cancer treatments have been highlighted.

PMID- 28346401
TI  - Targeted base editing in rice and tomato using a CRISPR-Cas9 cytidine deaminase
      fusion.
AB  - We applied a fusion of CRISPR-Cas9 and activation-induced cytidine deaminase
      (Target-AID) for point mutagenesis at genomic regions specified by single guide
      RNAs (sgRNAs) in two crop plants. In rice, we induced multiple herbicide
      resistance point mutations by multiplexed editing using herbicide selection,
      while in tomato we generated marker-free plants with homozygous heritable DNA
      substitutions, demonstrating the feasibility of base editing for crop
      improvement.

PMID- 28346402
TI  - Large-scale design of robust genetic circuits with multiple inputs and outputs
      for mammalian cells.
AB  - Engineered genetic circuits for mammalian cells often require extensive fine
      tuning to perform as intended. We present a robust, general, scalable system,
      called 'Boolean logic and arithmetic through DNA excision' (BLADE), to engineer
      genetic circuits with multiple inputs and outputs in mammalian cells with minimal
      optimization. The reliability of BLADE arises from its reliance on recombinases
      under the control of a single promoter, which integrates circuit signals on a
      single transcriptional layer. We used BLADE to build 113 circuits in human
      embryonic kidney and Jurkat T cells and devised a quantitative, vector-proximity
      metric to evaluate their performance. Of 113 circuits analyzed, 109 functioned
      (96.5%) as intended without optimization. The circuits, which are available
      through Addgene, include a 3-input, two-output full adder; a 6-input, one-output
      Boolean logic look-up table; circuits with small-molecule-inducible control; and
      circuits that incorporate CRISPR-Cas9 to regulate endogenous genes. BLADE enables
      execution of sophisticated cellular computation in mammalian cells, with
      applications in cell and tissue engineering.

PMID- 28346403
TI  - Near-infrared optogenetic pair for protein regulation and spectral multiplexing.
AB  - Multifunctional optogenetic systems are in high demand for use in basic and
      biomedical research. Near-infrared-light-inducible binding of bacterial
      phytochrome BphP1 to its natural PpsR2 partner is beneficial for simultaneous use
      with blue-light-activatable tools. However, applications of the BphP1-PpsR2 pair
      are limited by the large size, multidomain structure and oligomeric behavior of
      PpsR2. Here, we engineered a single-domain BphP1 binding partner, Q-PAS1, which
      is three-fold smaller and lacks oligomerization. We exploited a helix-PAS fold of
      Q-PAS1 to develop several near-infrared-light-controllable transcription
      regulation systems, enabling either 40-fold activation or inhibition. The light
      induced BphP1-Q-PAS1 interaction allowed modification of the chromatin epigenetic
      state. Multiplexing the BphP1-Q-PAS1 pair with a blue-light-activatable LOV
      domain-based system demonstrated their negligible spectral crosstalk. By
      integrating the Q-PAS1 and LOV domains in a single optogenetic tool, we achieved
      tridirectional protein targeting, independently controlled by near-infrared and
      blue light, thus demonstrating the superiority of Q-PAS1 for spectral
      multiplexing and engineering of multicomponent systems.

PMID- 28346400
TI  - T-lymphocyte homing: an underappreciated yet critical hurdle for successful
      cancer immunotherapy.
AB  - Advances in cancer immunotherapy have offered new hope for patients with
      metastatic disease. This unfolding success story has been exemplified by a
      growing arsenal of novel immunotherapeutics, including blocking antibodies
      targeting immune checkpoint pathways, cancer vaccines, and adoptive cell therapy
      (ACT). Nonetheless, clinical benefit remains highly variable and patient
      specific, in part, because all immunotherapeutic regimens vitally hinge on the
      capacity of endogenous and/or adoptively transferred T-effector (Teff) cells,
      including chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T cells, to home efficiently into tumor
      target tissue. Thus, defects intrinsic to the multi-step T-cell homing cascade
      have become an obvious, though significantly underappreciated contributor to
      immunotherapy resistance. Conspicuous have been low intralesional frequencies of
      tumor-infiltrating T-lymphocytes (TILs) below clinically beneficial threshold
      levels, and peripheral rather than deep lesional TIL infiltration. Therefore, a
      Teff cell 'homing deficit' may arguably represent a dominant factor responsible
      for ineffective immunotherapeutic outcomes, as tumors resistant to immune
      targeted killing thrive in such permissive, immune-vacuous microenvironments.
      Fortunately, emerging data is shedding light into the diverse mechanisms of
      immune escape by which tumors restrict Teff cell trafficking and lesional
      penetrance. In this review, we scrutinize evolving knowledge on the molecular
      determinants of Teff cell navigation into tumors. By integrating recently
      described, though sporadic information of pivotal adhesive and chemokine homing
      signatures within the tumor microenvironment with better established paradigms of
      T-cell trafficking under homeostatic or infectious disease scenarios, we seek to
      refine currently incomplete models of Teff cell entry into tumor tissue. We
      further summarize how cancers thwart homing to escape immune-mediated destruction
      and raise awareness of the potential impact of immune checkpoint blockers on Teff
      cell homing. Finally, we speculate on innovative therapeutic opportunities for
      augmenting Teff cell homing capabilities to improve immunotherapy-based tumor
      eradication in cancer patients, with special focus on malignant melanoma.

PMID- 28346405
TI  - Structural and functional insight into human O-GlcNAcase.
AB  - O-GlcNAc hydrolase (OGA) removes O-linked N-acetylglucosamine (O-GlcNAc) from a
      myriad of nucleocytoplasmic proteins. Through co-expression and assembly of OGA
      fragments, we determined the three-dimensional structure of human OGA, revealing
      an unusual helix-exchanged dimer that lays a structural foundation for an
      improved understanding of substrate recognition and regulation of OGA. Structures
      of OGA in complex with a series of inhibitors define a precise blueprint for the
      design of inhibitors that have clinical value.

PMID- 28346404
TI  - Chemical screening identifies ATM as a target for alleviating senescence.
AB  - Senescence, defined as irreversible cell-cycle arrest, is the main driving force
      of aging and age-related diseases. Here, we performed high-throughput screening
      to identify compounds that alleviate senescence and identified the ataxia
      telangiectasia mutated (ATM) inhibitor KU-60019 as an effective agent. To
      elucidate the mechanism underlying ATM's role in senescence, we performed a yeast
      two-hybrid screen and found that ATM interacted with the vacuolar ATPase V1
      subunits ATP6V1E1 and ATP6V1G1. Specifically, ATM decreased E-G dimerization
      through direct phosphorylation of ATP6V1G1. Attenuation of ATM activity restored
      the dimerization, thus consequently facilitating assembly of the V1 and V0
      domains with concomitant reacidification of the lysosome. In turn, this
      reacidification induced the functional recovery of the lysosome/autophagy system
      and was coupled with mitochondrial functional recovery and metabolic
      reprogramming. Together, our data reveal a new mechanism through which senescence
      is controlled by the lysosomal-mitochondrial axis, whose function is modulated by
      the fine-tuning of ATM activity.

PMID- 28346406
TI  - Diabetes reversal by inhibition of the low-molecular-weight tyrosine phosphatase.
AB  - Obesity-associated insulin resistance plays a central role in type 2 diabetes. As
      such, tyrosine phosphatases that dephosphorylate the insulin receptor (IR) are
      potential therapeutic targets. The low-molecular-weight protein tyrosine
      phosphatase (LMPTP) is a proposed IR phosphatase, yet its role in insulin
      signaling in vivo has not been defined. Here we show that global and liver
      specific LMPTP deletion protects mice from high-fat diet-induced diabetes without
      affecting body weight. To examine the role of the catalytic activity of LMPTP, we
      developed a small-molecule inhibitor with a novel uncompetitive mechanism, a
      unique binding site at the opening of the catalytic pocket, and an exquisite
      selectivity over other phosphatases. This inhibitor is orally bioavailable, and
      it increases liver IR phosphorylation in vivo and reverses high-fat diet-induced
      diabetes. Our findings suggest that LMPTP is a key promoter of insulin resistance
      and that LMPTP inhibitors would be beneficial for treating type 2 diabetes.

PMID- 28346407
TI  - Insights into activity and inhibition from the crystal structure of human O
      GlcNAcase.
AB  - O-GlcNAc hydrolase (OGA) catalyzes removal of betaalpha-linked N-acetyl-D
      glucosamine from serine and threonine residues. We report crystal structures of
      Homo sapiens OGA catalytic domain in apo and inhibited states, revealing a
      flexible dimer that displays three unique conformations and is characterized by
      subdomain alpha-helix swapping. These results identify new structural features of
      the substrate-binding groove adjacent to the catalytic site and open new
      opportunities for structural, mechanistic and drug discovery activities.

PMID- 28346408
TI  - Gut microbial metabolites limit the frequency of autoimmune T cells and protect
      against type 1 diabetes.
AB  - Gut dysbiosis might underlie the pathogenesis of type 1 diabetes. In mice of the
      non-obese diabetic (NOD) strain, we found that key features of disease correlated
      inversely with blood and fecal concentrations of the microbial metabolites
      acetate and butyrate. We therefore fed NOD mice specialized diets designed to
      release large amounts of acetate or butyrate after bacterial fermentation in the
      colon. Each diet provided a high degree of protection from diabetes, even when
      administered after breakdown of immunotolerance. Feeding mice a combined acetate-
      and butyrate-yielding diet provided complete protection, which suggested that
      acetate and butyrate might operate through distinct mechanisms. Acetate markedly
      decreased the frequency of autoreactive T cells in lymphoid tissues, through
      effects on B cells and their ability to expand populations of autoreactive T
      cells. A diet containing butyrate boosted the number and function of regulatory T
      cells, whereas acetate- and butyrate-yielding diets enhanced gut integrity and
      decreased serum concentration of diabetogenic cytokines such as IL-21. Medicinal
      foods or metabolites might represent an effective and natural approach for
      countering the numerous immunological defects that contribute to T cell-dependent
      autoimmune diseases.

PMID- 28346409
TI  - The metabolic ER stress sensor IRE1alpha suppresses alternative activation of
      macrophages and impairs energy expenditure in obesity.
AB  - Obesity is associated with metabolic inflammation and endoplasmic reticulum (ER)
      stress, both of which promote metabolic disease progression. Adipose tissue
      macrophages (ATMs) are key players orchestrating metabolic inflammation, and ER
      stress enhances macrophage activation. However, whether ER stress pathways
      underlie ATM regulation of energy homeostasis remains unclear. Here, we
      identified inositol-requiring enzyme 1alpha (IRE1alpha) as a critical switch
      governing M1-M2 macrophage polarization and energy balance. Myeloid-specific
      IRE1alpha abrogation in Ern1f/f; Lyz2-Cre mice largely reversed high-fat diet
      (HFD)-induced M1-M2 imbalance in white adipose tissue (WAT) and blocked HFD
      induced obesity, insulin resistance, hyperlipidemia and hepatic steatosis. Brown
      adipose tissue (BAT) activity, WAT browning and energy expenditure were
      significantly higher in Ern1f/f; Lyz2-Cre mice. Furthermore, IRE1alpha ablation
      augmented M2 polarization of macrophages in a cell-autonomous manner. Thus,
      IRE1alpha senses protein unfolding and metabolic and immunological states, and
      consequently guides ATM polarization. The macrophage IRE1alpha pathway drives
      obesity and metabolic syndrome through impairing BAT activity and WAT browning.

PMID- 28346410
TI  - Quality of TCR signaling determined by differential affinities of enhancers for
      the composite BATF-IRF4 transcription factor complex.
AB  - Variable strengths of signaling via the T cell antigen receptor (TCR) can produce
      divergent outcomes, but the mechanism of this remains obscure. The abundance of
      the transcription factor IRF4 increases with TCR signal strength, but how this
      would induce distinct types of responses is unclear. We compared the expression
      of genes in the TH2 subset of helper T cells to enhancer occupancy by the BATF
      IRF4 transcription factor complex at varying strengths of TCR stimulation. Genes
      dependent on BATF-IRF4 clustered into groups with distinct TCR sensitivities.
      Enhancers exhibited a spectrum of occupancy by the BATF-IRF4 ternary complex that
      correlated with the sensitivity of gene expression to TCR signal strength. DNA
      sequences immediately flanking the previously defined AICE motif controlled the
      affinity of BATF-IRF4 for direct binding to DNA. Analysis by the chromatin
      immunoprecipitation-exonuclease (ChIP-exo) method allowed the identification of a
      previously unknown high-affinity AICE2 motif at a human single-nucleotide
      polymorphism (SNP) of the gene encoding the immunomodulatory receptor CTLA-4 that
      was associated with resistance to autoimmunity. Thus, the affinity of different
      enhancers for the BATF-IRF4 complex might underlie divergent signaling outcomes
      in response to various strengths of TCR signaling.

PMID- 28346411
TI  - The cold-induced lipokine 12,13-diHOME promotes fatty acid transport into brown
      adipose tissue.
AB  - Brown adipose tissue (BAT) and beige adipose tissue combust fuels for heat
      production in adult humans, and so constitute an appealing target for the
      treatment of metabolic disorders such as obesity, diabetes and hyperlipidemia.
      Cold exposure can enhance energy expenditure by activating BAT, and it has been
      shown to improve nutrient metabolism. These therapies, however, are time
      consuming and uncomfortable, demonstrating the need for pharmacological
      interventions. Recently, lipids have been identified that are released from
      tissues and act locally or systemically to promote insulin sensitivity and
      glucose tolerance; as a class, these lipids are referred to as 'lipokines'.
      Because BAT is a specialized metabolic tissue that takes up and burns lipids and
      is linked to systemic metabolic homeostasis, we hypothesized that there might be
      thermogenic lipokines that activate BAT in response to cold. Here we show that
      the lipid 12,13-dihydroxy-9Z-octadecenoic acid (12,13-diHOME) is a stimulator of
      BAT activity, and that its levels are negatively correlated with body-mass index
      and insulin sensitivity. Using a global lipidomic analysis, we found that 12,13
      diHOME was increased in the circulation of humans and mice exposed to cold.
      Furthermore, we found that the enzymes that produce 12,13-diHOME were uniquely
      induced in BAT by cold stimulation. The injection of 12,13-diHOME acutely
      activated BAT fuel uptake and enhanced cold tolerance, which resulted in
      decreased levels of serum triglycerides. Mechanistically, 12,13-diHOME increased
      fatty acid (FA) uptake into brown adipocytes by promoting the translocation of
      the FA transporters FATP1 and CD36 to the cell membrane. These data suggest that
      12,13-diHOME, or a functional analog, could be developed as a treatment for
      metabolic disorders.

PMID- 28346413
TI  - Skin allograft for severe chronic GvHD.

PMID- 28346412
TI  - VISTA is an inhibitory immune checkpoint that is increased after ipilimumab
      therapy in patients with prostate cancer.
AB  - To date, anti-CTLA-4 (ipilimumab) or anti-PD-1 (nivolumab) monotherapy has not
      been demonstrated to be of substantial clinical benefit in patients with prostate
      cancer. To identify additional immune-inhibitory pathways in the prostate-tumor
      microenvironment, we evaluated untreated and ipilimumab-treated tumors from
      patients in a presurgical clinical trial. Levels of the PD-L1 and VISTA
      inhibitory molecules increased on independent subsets of macrophages in treated
      tumors. Our data suggest that VISTA represents another compensatory inhibitory
      pathway in prostate tumors after ipilimumab therapy.

PMID- 28346414
TI  - Nivolumab before and after allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantation.

PMID- 28346416
TI  - JACIE accreditation for blood and marrow transplantation: past, present and
      future directions of an international model for healthcare quality improvement.
AB  - Blood and marrow transplantation (BMT) is a complex and evolving medical
      speciality that makes substantial demands on healthcare resources. To meet a
      professional responsibility to both patients and public health services, the
      European Society for Blood and Marrow Transplantation (EBMT) initiated and
      developed the Joint Accreditation Committee of the International Society for
      Cellular Therapy and EBMT-better known by the acronym, JACIE. Since its
      inception, JACIE has performed over 530 voluntary accreditation inspections (62%
      first time; 38% reaccreditation) in 25 countries, representing 40% of transplant
      centres in Europe. As well as widespread professional acceptance, JACIE has
      become incorporated into the regulatory framework for delivery of BMT and other
      haematopoietic cellular therapies in several countries. In recent years, JACIE
      has been validated using the EBMT registry as an effective means of quality
      improvement with a substantial positive impact on survival outcomes. Future
      directions include development of Europe-wide risk-adjusted outcome benchmarking
      through the EBMT registry and further extension beyond Europe, including goals to
      faciliate access for BMT programmes in in low- and middle-income economies
      (LMIEs) via a 'first-step' process.

PMID- 28346415
TI  - Haplo-Cord transplantation compared to haploidentical transplantation with post
      transplant cyclophosphamide in patients with AML.
AB  - For patients with AML, the best alternative donor remains to be defined. We
      analyze outcomes of patients who underwent myeloablative umbilical cord blood or
      haploidentical hemopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) in Spain. Fifty-one
      patients underwent single umbilical cord blood transplantation supported by a
      third party donor (Haplo-Cord) between 1999 and 2012, and 36 patients received an
      haploidentical HSCT with post-transplant cyclophosphamide (PTCY-haplo) between
      2012 and 2014 in GETH centers. The Haplo-Cord cohort included a higher proportion
      of patients with high disease risk index and use of TBI in the conditioning
      regimen, and hematopoietic cell transplantation-age Comorbidity Age Index was
      higher in PTCY-haplo patients. Cumulative incidence of neutrophil engraftment was
      97% in the Haplo-Cord and 100% in the PTCY-haplo group, achieved in a median of
      12 and 17 days, respectively (P=0.01). Grade II-IV acute GvHD rate was
      significantly higher in the PTCY-haplo group (9.8% vs 29%, P=0.02) as well as
      chronic GvHD rates (20% vs 38%, P=0.03). With a median follow-up of 61 months for
      the Haplo-Cord group and 26 months for the PTCY-haplo cohort, overall survival at
      2 years was 55% and 59% (P=0.66), event-free survival was 45% vs 56% (P=0.46),
      relapse rate was 27% vs 21% (P=0.79), and non-relapse mortality was 17% vs 23%
      (P=0.54), respectively. In this multicenter experience, Haplo-Cord and PTCY-haplo
      HSCT offer valid alternatives for patients with AML. Neutrophil engraftment was
      faster in the Haplo-Cord cohort, with similar survival rates, with higher GvHD
      rates after haploidentical HSCT.

PMID- 28346418
TI  - First experience of hematopoietic stem cell transplantation treatment of
      Shwachman-Diamond syndrome using unaffected HLA-matched sibling donor produced
      through preimplantation HLA typing.
AB  - The only proven cure for Shwachman-Diamond syndrome (SDS) bone marrow failure is
      allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT). However HSCT with
      donors other than HLA-identical siblings is associated with high mortality and
      unfavorable prognosis. This paper presents the first experience of HSCT treatment
      of SDS using an unaffected HLA-identical sibling produced through preimplantation
      genetic diagnosis (PGD). The patient was a 6-year-old blood transfusion-dependent
      SDS baby girl with secondary myelodysplastic syndrome, for whom no HLA-identical
      donor was available. As a result of PGD, two unaffected HLA matched embryos were
      identified; one of them was randomly selected for transfer, resulting in a
      clinical pregnancy and birth of an apparently healthy child. The patient
      underwent allogeneic transplantation of cord blood hematopoietic stem cells,
      together with bone marrow from this sibling, resulting in complete hemopoietic
      recovery. The patient was no longer transfusion-dependent and had normal blood
      values 160 days after transplantation.

PMID- 28346417
TI  - Bacterial bloodstream infections in the allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplant
      patient: new considerations for a persistent nemesis.
AB  - Bacterial bloodstream infections (BSI) cause significant transplant-related
      morbidity and mortality following allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantation
      (allo-HCT). This manuscript reviews the risk factors for and the bacterial
      pathogens causing BSIs in allo-HCT recipients in the contemporary transplant
      period. In addition, it offers insight into emerging resistant pathogens and
      reviews clinical management considerations to treat and strategies to prevent
      BSIs in allo-HCT patients.

PMID- 28346419
TI  - Evolving concepts in prognostic scoring of chronic GvHD.
AB  - Chronic GvHD (cGvHD) remains one of the most complex and challenging
      complications after allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantation. Emerging
      knowledge about the clinical manifestations and associated organ involvement of
      cGvHD has led to the establishment of prognostic parameters for post-transplant
      survival among affected allograft recipients. Studies employing the pre-National
      Institutes of Health (NIH) consensus data on cGvHD incidence and its risks have
      led to development of the CIBMTR's cGvHD risk stratification, which serves as the
      most refined and validated prognostic tool for estimating survival of patients
      with cGvHD. However, cGvHD global severity scoring has recently evolved as a
      powerful prognostic tool for patient survival in the post-NIH consensus era.
      Current use of the substantially redefined NIH criteria of cGvHD diagnosis and
      measurements of its severity makes it challenging to interpret prognostic scoring
      systems generated in the pre-NIH era. Some of the pre-NIH prognostic parameters,
      however, appear to retain their significance in predicting survival independently
      from the NIH global severity score. Thus, future analyses of prospective cohorts
      of patients with cGvHD defined by NIH consensus criteria will be critical in
      reconciling and integrating various prognostic scoring systems of cGvHD.

PMID- 28346420
TI  - Hepatic cyclooxygenase-2 overexpression induced spontaneous hepatocellular
      carcinoma formation in mice.
AB  - Cyclooxygenase (COX)-2 is upregulated in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). However,
      the direct causative effect of COX-2 in spontaneous HCC formation remains
      unknown. We thus investigate the role and molecular pathogenesis of COX-2 in HCC
      by using liver-specific COX-2 transgenic (TG) mice. We found spontaneous HCC
      formation with elevated inflammatory infiltrates and neovessels in male TG mice
      (3/21, 14.3%), but not in any of male WT mice (0/19). Reduced representation
      bisulfite sequencing (RRBS) and gene expression microarrays were performed in the
      HCC tumor and non-HCC liver tissues to investigate the molecular mechanisms of
      COX-2-driven HCC. By RRBS, DNA promoter hypermethylation was identified in HCC
      from TG mice. Induction of promoter hypermethylation was associated with reduced
      tet methylcytosine dioxygenase 1 (TET1) expression by COX-2. TET1 could catalyze
      the conversion of 5-methylcytosine into 5-hydroxymethylcytosine (5hmC) and
      prevents DNA hypermethylation. In keeping with this, loss of 5hmC was
      demonstrated in COX-2-induced HCC. Consistently, COX-2 overexpression in human
      HCC cell lines could reduce both TET1 expression and 5hmc levels. Integrative
      analyses of DNA methylation and gene expression profiles further identified
      significantly downregulated genes including LTBP1, ADCY5 and PRKCZ by promoter
      methylation in COX-2-induced HCC. Reduced expression of LTBP1, ADCY5 and PRKCZ by
      promoter hypermethylation was further validated in human HCCs. Bio-functional
      investigation revealed that LTBP1 inhibited cell proliferation in HCC cell lines,
      suggesting its potential role as a tumor suppressor in HCC. Gene expression
      microarrays revealed that signaling cascades (AKT (protein kinase B), STK33
      (Serine/Threonine kinase 33) and MTOR (mechanistic target of rapamycin) pathways)
      were enriched in COX-2-induced HCC. In conclusion, this study demonstrated for
      the first time that enhanced COX-2 expression in hepatocytes is sufficient to
      induce HCC through inducing promoter hypermethylation by reducing TET1, silencing
      tumor-suppressive genes and activating key oncogenic pathways. Inhibition of COX
      2 represents a mechanism-based target for HCC prevention.

PMID- 28346421
TI  - SerpinB2 regulates stromal remodelling and local invasion in pancreatic cancer.
AB  - Pancreatic cancer has a devastating prognosis, with an overall 5-year survival
      rate of ~8%, restricted treatment options and characteristic molecular
      heterogeneity. SerpinB2 expression, particularly in the stromal compartment, is
      associated with reduced metastasis and prolonged survival in pancreatic ductal
      adenocarcinoma (PDAC) and our genomic analysis revealed that SERPINB2 is
      frequently deleted in PDAC. We show that SerpinB2 is required by stromal cells
      for normal collagen remodelling in vitro, regulating fibroblast interaction and
      engagement with collagen in the contracting matrix. In a pancreatic cancer
      allograft model, co-injection of PDAC cancer cells and SerpinB2-/- mouse
      embryonic fibroblasts (MEFs) resulted in increased tumour growth, aberrant
      remodelling of the extracellular matrix (ECM) and increased local invasion from
      the primary tumour. These tumours also displayed elevated proteolytic activity of
      the primary biochemical target of SerpinB2-urokinase plasminogen activator (uPA).
      In a large cohort of patients with resected PDAC, we show that increasing uPA
      mRNA expression was significantly associated with poorer survival following
      pancreatectomy. This study establishes a novel role for SerpinB2 in the stromal
      compartment in PDAC invasion through regulation of stromal remodelling and
      highlights the SerpinB2/uPA axis for further investigation as a potential
      therapeutic target in pancreatic cancer.

PMID- 28346422
TI  - The metastatic suppressor NDRG1 inhibits EMT, migration and invasion through
      interaction and promotion of caveolin-1 ubiquitylation in human colorectal cancer
      cells.
AB  - N-myc downstream-regulated gene 1 (NDRG1) has been reported to act as a key
      regulatory molecule in tumor progression-related signaling pathways, especially
      in tumor metastasis. However, the related mechanism has not been fully discovered
      yet. Herein we demonstrated that the novel molecule of cell migration and
      invasion, caveolin-1, has direct interaction with NDRG1 in human colorectal
      cancer (CRC) cells. Moreover, we discovered that NDRG1 reduces caveolin-1 protein
      expression through promoting its ubiquitylation and subsequent degradation via
      the proteasome in CRC cells. In addition, caveolin-1 mediates the suppressive
      function of NDRG1 in epithelial-mesenchymal transition, migration and invasion in
      vitro and metastasis in vivo. These results help to fulfill the potential
      mechanisms of NDRG1 in anti-metastatic treatment for human colorectal cancer.

PMID- 28346423
TI  - MOB1-YAP1/TAZ-NKX2.1 axis controls bronchioalveolar cell differentiation,
      adhesion and tumour formation.
AB  - Mps One Binder Kinase Activator (MOB)1A/1B are core components of the Hippo
      pathway. These proteins, which coactivate LArge Tumour Suppressor homologue
      kinases, are also tumour suppressors. To investigate MOB1A/B's roles in normal
      physiology and lung cancer, we generated doxycycline (Dox)-inducible,
      bronchioalveolar epithelium-specific, null mutations of MOB1A/B in mice (SPC
      rtTA/(tetO)7-Cre/Mob1aflox/flox/Mob1b-/-; termed luMob1DKO mice). Most mutants
      (70%) receiving Dox in utero (luMob1DKO (E6.5-18.5) mice) died of hypoxia within
      1 h post-birth. Their alveolar epithelial cells showed increased proliferation,
      impaired YAP1/TAZ-dependent differentiation and decreased surfactant protein
      production, all features characteristic of human respiratory distress syndrome.
      Intriguingly, mutant mice that received Dox postnatally (luMob1DKO (P21-41) mice)
      did not develop spontaneous lung adenocarcinomas, and urethane treatment-induced
      lung tumour formation was decreased (rather than increased). Lungs of luMob1DKO
      (P21-41) mice exhibited increased detachment of bronchiolar epithelial cells and
      decreased numbers of the bronchioalveolar stem cells thought to initiate lung
      adenocarcinomas. YAP1/TAZ-NKX2.1-dependent expression of collagen XVII, a key
      hemidesmosome component, was also reduced. Thus, a MOB1-YAP1/TAZ-NKX2.1 axis is
      essential for normal lung homeostasis and expression of the collagen XVII protein
      necessary for alveolar stem cell maintenance in the lung niche.

PMID- 28346424
TI  - Skp2 deficiency restricts the progression and stem cell features of castration
      resistant prostate cancer by destabilizing Twist.
AB  - Castration-resistant prostate cancer (CRPC) remains a major clinical challenge
      because of the lack of effective targeted therapy for its treatment. The
      mechanism underlying how CRPC gains resistance toward hormone depletion and other
      forms of chemotherapy is poorly understood. Research on understanding the factors
      that drive these processes is desperately needed to generate new therapies to
      cure the disease. Here, we discovered a fundamental role of S-phase protein
      kinase 2 (Skp2) in the formation and progression of CRPC. In transgenic
      adenocarcinoma mouse prostate model, Skp2 depletion leads to a profound
      repression of prostate tumor growth and distal metastasis and substantially
      prolonged overall survival. We revealed that Skp2 regulates CRPC through Twist
      mediated oncogenic functions including epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT)
      and cancer stem cell (CSC) acquisitions. Mechanistically, Skp2 interacted with
      Twist and promoted the non-degradative ubiquitination of Twist. Consequently,
      Skp2 stabilized Twist protein expression by preventing proteasomal degradation of
      Twist by beta-TrCP. We found that Twist overexpression augments CSC self-renewal
      and population and that Skp2 inhibition reverts Twist's effects on CSC
      regulation. Furthermore, genetically depleting or pharmacologically inactivating
      Skp2 synergistically re-sensitized CRPC cells toward chemotherapies such as
      paclitaxel or doxorubicin. Together, this study uncovering Skp2-mediated Twist
      stabilization and oncogenic functions in CRPC offers new knowledge on how CRPC
      progresses and acquires chemoresistance during tumor progression. It provides
      proof of principle that Skp2 targeting is a promising approach to combat
      metastatic CRPC by targeting Twist and CSCs.

PMID- 28346425
TI  - CHIP/Stub1 regulates the Warburg effect by promoting degradation of PKM2 in
      ovarian carcinoma.
AB  - Tumor cells preferentially adopt aerobic glycolysis for their energy supply, a
      phenomenon known as the Warburg effect. It remains a matter of debate as to how
      the Warburg effect is regulated during tumor progression. Here, we show that CHIP
      (carboxyl terminus of Hsc70-interacting protein), a U-box E3 ligase, suppresses
      tumor progression in ovarian carcinomas by inhibiting aerobic glycolysis. While
      CHIP is downregulated in ovarian carcinoma, induced expression of CHIP results in
      significant inhibition of the tumor growth examined by in vitro and in vivo
      experiments. Reciprocally, depletion of CHIP leads to promotion of tumor growth.
      By a SiLAD proteomics analysis, we identified pyruvate kinase isoenzyme M2
      (PKM2), a critical regulator of glycolysis in tumors, as a target that CHIP
      mediated for degradation. Accordingly, we show that CHIP regulates PKM2 protein
      stability and thereafter the energy metabolic processes. Depletion or knockout of
      CHIP increased the glycolytic products in both tumor and mouse embryonic
      fibroblast cells. Simultaneously, we observed that CHIP expression inversely
      correlated with PKM2 levels in human ovarian carcinomas. This study reveals a
      mechanism that the Warburg effect is regulated by CHIP through its function as an
      E3 ligase, which mediates the degradation of PKM2 during tumor progression. Our
      findings shed new light into understanding of ovarian carcinomas and may provide
      a new therapeutic strategy for ovarian cancer.

PMID- 28346426
TI  - MRL proteins cooperate with activated Ras in glia to drive distinct oncogenic
      outcomes.
AB  - The Mig10/RIAM/Lpd (MRL) adapter protein Lpd regulates actin dynamics through
      interactions with Scar/WAVE and Ena/VASP proteins to promote the formation of
      cellular protrusions and to stimulate invasive migration. However, the ability of
      MRL proteins to interact with multiple actin regulators and to promote serum
      response factor (SRF) signalling has raised the question of whether MRL proteins
      employ alternative downstream mechanisms to drive oncogenic processes in a
      context-dependent manner. Here, using a Drosophila model, we show that
      overexpression of either human Lpd or its Drosophila orthologue Pico can promote
      growth and invasion of RasV12-induced cell tumours in the brain. Notably, effects
      were restricted to two populations of Repo-positive glial cells: an invasive
      population, characterized by JNK-dependent elevation of Mmp1 expression, and a
      hyperproliferative population lacking elevated JNK signalling. JNK activation was
      not triggered by reactive immune cell signalling, implicating the involvement of
      an intrinsic stress response. The ability to promote dissemination of RasV12
      induced tumours was shared by a subset of actin regulators, including, most
      prominently, Chicadee/Profilin, which directly interacts with Pico, and, Mal, a
      cofactor for serum response factor that responds to changes in G:F actin
      dynamics. Suppression of Mal activity partially abrogated the ability of pico to
      promote invasion of RasV12 tumours. Furthermore, we found that larval glia are
      enriched for serum response factor expression, explaining the apparent
      sensitivity of glial cells to Pico/RasV12 overexpression. Taken together, our
      findings indicate that MRL proteins cooperate with oncogenic Ras to promote
      formation of glial tumours, and that, in this context, Mal/serum response factor
      activation is rate-limiting for tumour dissemination.

PMID- 28346427
TI  - MiR-21 is required for anti-tumor immune response in mice: an implication for its
      bi-directional roles.
AB  - Here we show that miR-21, a microRNA known for its oncogenic activity, is also
      essential for mediating immune responses against tumor. Knockout of miR-21 in
      mice slowed the proliferation of both CD4+ and CD8+ cells, reduced their cytokine
      production and accelerated the grafted tumor growth. Further investigations
      indicated that miR-21 could activate CD4+ and CD8+ T cells via the PTEN/Akt
      pathway in response to stimulations. Taken together, these data suggest the key
      functions of miR-21 in mediating anti-tumor immune response and thereby uncover a
      bi-directional role of this traditionally known 'oncomiR' in tumorigenesis. Our
      study may provide new insights for the design of cancer therapies targeting
      microRNAs, with an emphasis on the dynamic and possibly unexpected role of these
      molecules.

PMID- 28346428
TI  - Autophagy is required for cell survival under L-asparaginase-induced metabolic
      stress in acute lymphoblastic leukemia cells.
AB  - L-asparaginase has been used for more than three decades in acute lymphoblastic
      leukemia (ALL) patients and remains an essential drug in the treatment of ALL.
      Poor response to L-asparaginase is associated with increased risk of therapeutic
      failure in ALL. However, both the metabolic perturbation and molecular context of
      L-asparaginase-treated ALL cells has not been fully elucidated. Here we identify
      that treatment with L-asparaginase results in metabolic shutdown via the
      reduction of both glycolysis and oxidative phosphorylation, accompanied by
      mitochondrial damage and activation of autophagy. The autophagy is involved in
      reducing reactive oxygen species (ROS) level by eliminating injured mitochondria.
      Inhibition of autophagy enhances L-asparaginase-induced cytotoxicity and
      overcomes the acquired resistance to L-asparaginase in ALL cells. The ROS-p53
      positive feedback loop is an essential mechanism of this synergistic
      cytotoxicity. Thus, our findings provide the rationale for the future development
      of combined treatment of L-asparaginase and anti-autophagy drug in ALL patients.

PMID- 28346429
TI  - Deletion of endothelial cell-specific liver kinase B1 increases angiogenesis and
      tumor growth via vascular endothelial growth factor.
AB  - Liver kinase B1 (LKB1) is a serine/threonine protein kinase ubiquitously
      expressed in mammalian cells. It was first identified in Peutz-Jeghers syndrome
      as a tumor suppressor gene. Whether endothelial LKB1 regulates angiogenesis and
      tumor growth is unknown. In this study, we generated endothelial cell-specific
      LKB1-knockout (LKB1endo-/-) mice by crossbreeding vascular endothelial-cadherin
      Cre mice with LKB1flox/flox mice. Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) level
      was highly co-stained in endothelial cells but not in macrophages in LKB1endo-/-
      mice. Consistently, LKB1endo-/- mouse tissues including the lung, skin, kidney
      and liver showed increased vascular permeability. Tumors implanted in LKB1endo-/-
      mice but not macrophage-specific LKB1-knockout mice grew faster and showed
      enhanced vascular permeability and increased angiogenesis as compared with those
      implanted in wild-type mice. Injection of VEGF-neutralizing antibody but not the
      isotype-matched control antibody decreased endothelial-cell angiogenesis and
      tumor growth in vivo. Furthermore, LKB1 deletion enhanced mouse retinal and cell
      angiogenesis, and knockdown of VEGF by small-interfering RNA decreased
      endothelial cell proliferation and migration. Re-expression of LKB1 or knockdown
      of VEGF receptor 2 decreased the overproliferation and -migration observed in
      LKB1endo-/- cells. Mechanistically, LKB1 could bind to the VEGF transcription
      factor, specificity protein 1 (Sp1), which then inhibited the binding of Sp1 to
      the VEGF promoter to reduce VEGF expression. Endothelial LKB1 may regulate
      endothelial angiogenesis and tumor growth by modulating Sp1-mediated VEGF
      expression.

PMID- 28346431
TI  - Real-time impedance monitoring of oxygen reduction during surface modification of
      thin film cathodes.
AB  - Improvement of solid oxide fuel cells strongly relies on the development of
      cathode materials with high catalytic activity for the oxygen reduction reaction.
      Excellent activity was found for perovskite-type oxides such as La1-xSrxCoO3
      delta (LSC), but performance degradation, probably caused by surface composition
      changes, hinders exploitation of the full potential of LSC. This study reveals
      that the potentially very high activity of the LSC surface can be traced back to
      few very active sites. Already tiny amounts of SrO, for example, 4% of a
      monolayer, deposited on an LSC surface, lead to severe deactivation. Co, on the
      other hand, causes (re-)activation, suggesting that active sites are strongly
      related to Co being present at the surface. These insights could be gained by a
      novel method to measure changes of the electrochemical performance of thin film
      electrodes in situ, while modifying their surface: impedance spectroscopy
      measurements during deposition of well-defined fractions of monolayers of Sr-, Co
      and La-oxides by single laser pulses in a pulsed laser deposition chamber.

PMID- 28346430
TI  - IL-17C mediates the recruitment of tumor-associated neutrophils and lung tumor
      growth.
AB  - Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is associated with an increased risk
      for lung cancer and an aberrant microbiota of the lung. Microbial colonization
      contributes to chronic neutrophilic inflammation in COPD. Nontypeable Haemophilus
      influenzae (NTHi) is frequently found in lungs of stable COPD patients and is the
      major pathogen triggering exacerbations. The epithelial cytokine interleukin-17C
      (IL-17C) promotes the recruitment of neutrophils into inflamed tissues. The
      purpose of this study was to investigate the function of IL-17C in the pulmonary
      tumor microenvironment. We subjected mice deficient for IL-17C (IL-17C-/-) and
      mice double deficient for Toll-like receptor 2 and 4 (TLR-2/4-/-) to a metastatic
      lung cancer model. Tumor proliferation and growth as well as the number of tumor
      associated neutrophils was significantly decreased in IL-17C-/- and TLR-2/4-/-
      mice exposed to NTHi. The NTHi-induced pulmonary expression of IL-17C was
      dependent on TLR-2/4. In vitro, IL-17C increased the NTHi- and tumor necrosis
      factor-alpha-induced expression of the neutrophil chemokines keratinocyte-derived
      chemokine and macrophage inflammatory protein 2 in lung cancer cells but did not
      affect proliferation. Human lung cancer samples stained positive for IL-17C, and
      in non-small cell lung cancer patients with lymph node metastasis, IL-17C was
      identified as a negative prognostic factor. Our data indicate that epithelial IL
      17C promotes neutrophilic inflammation in the tumor microenvironment and suggest
      that IL-17C links a pathologic microbiota, as present in COPD patients, with
      enhanced tumor growth.

PMID- 28346432
TI  - Nanoscale capillary freezing of ionic liquids confined between metallic
      interfaces and the role of electronic screening.
AB  - Room-temperature ionic liquids (RTILs) are new materials with fundamental
      importance for energy storage and active lubrication. They are unusual liquids,
      which challenge the classical frameworks of electrolytes, whose behaviour at
      electrified interfaces remains elusive, with exotic responses relevant to their
      electrochemical activity. Using tuning-fork-based atomic force microscope
      nanorheological measurements, we explore here the properties of confined RTILs,
      unveiling a dramatic change of the RTIL towards a solid-like phase below a
      threshold thickness, pointing to capillary freezing in confinement. This
      threshold is related to the metallic nature of the confining materials, with more
      metallic surfaces facilitating freezing. This behaviour is interpreted in terms
      of the shift of the freezing transition, taking into account the influence of the
      electronic screening on RTIL wetting of the confining surfaces. Our findings
      provide fresh views on the properties of confined RTIL with implications for
      their properties inside nanoporous metallic structures, and suggests applications
      to tune nanoscale lubrication with phase-changing RTILs, by varying the nature
      and patterning of the substrate, and application of active polarization.

PMID- 28346433
TI  - A cytosolic Ezh1 isoform modulates a PRC2-Ezh1 epigenetic adaptive response in
      postmitotic cells.
AB  - The evolution of chromatin-based epigenetic cell memory may be driven not only by
      the necessity for cells to stably maintain transcription programs, but also by
      the need to recognize signals and allow plastic responses to environmental
      stimuli. The mechanistic role of the epigenome in adult postmitotic tissues,
      however, remains largely unknown. In vertebrates, two variants of the Polycomb
      repressive complex (PRC2-Ezh2 and PRC2-Ezh1) control gene silencing via
      methylation of histone H3 on Lys27 (H3K27me). Here we describe a reversible
      mechanism that involves a novel isoform of Ezh1 (Ezh1beta). Ezh1beta lacks the
      catalytic SET domain and acts in the cytoplasm of skeletal muscle cells to
      control nuclear PRC2-Ezh1 activity in response to atrophic oxidative stress, by
      regulating Eed assembly with Suz12 and Ezh1alpha (the canonical isoform) at their
      target genes. We report a novel PRC2-Ezh1 function that utilizes Ezh1beta as an
      adaptive stress sensor in the cytoplasm, thus allowing postmitotic cells to
      maintain tissue integrity in response to environmental changes.

PMID- 28346434
TI  - Optimization of adeno-associated virus vector-mediated gene transfer to the
      respiratory tract.
AB  - An efficient adeno-associated virus (AAV) vector was constructed for the
      treatment of respiratory diseases. AAV serotypes, promoters and routes of
      administration potentially influencing the efficiency of gene transfer to airway
      cells were examined in the present study. Among the nine AAV serotypes (AAV1-9)
      screened in vitro and four serotypes (AAV1, 2, 6, 9) evaluated in vivo, AAV6
      showed the strongest transgene expression. As for promoters, the cytomegalovirus
      (CMV) early enhancer/chicken beta-actin (CAG) promoter resulted in more robust
      transduction than the CMV promoter. Regarding delivery routes, intratracheal
      administration resulted in strong transgene expression in the lung, whereas the
      intravenous and intranasal administration routes yielded negligible expression.
      The combination of the AAV6 capsid and CAG promoter resulted in sustained
      expression, and the intratracheally administered AAV6-CAG vector transduced
      bronchial cells and pericytes in the lung. These results suggest that AAV6-CAG
      vectors are more promising than the previously preferred AAV2 vectors for airway
      transduction, particularly when administered into the trachea. The present study
      offers an optimized strategy for AAV-mediated gene therapy for lung diseases,
      such as cystic fibrosis and pulmonary fibrosis.

PMID- 28346435
TI  - AAV9-mediated engineering of autotransplanted kidney of non-human primates.
AB  - Ex vivo gene transfer to the graft before transplantation is an attractive option
      for circumventing systemic side effects of chronic antirejection therapy. Gene
      delivery of the immunomodulatory protein cytotoxic T-lymphocyte-associated
      protein 4-immunoglobulin (CTLA4-Ig) prevented chronic kidney rejection in a rat
      model of allotransplantation without the need for systemic immunosuppression.
      Here we generated adeno-associated virus type 2 (AAV2) and AAV9 vectors encoding
      for LEA29Y, an optimized version of CTLA4-Ig. Both LEA29Y vectors were equally
      efficient for reducing T-cell proliferation in vitro. Serotype 9 was chosen for
      in vivo experiments owing to a lower frequency of preformed antibodies against
      the AAV9 capsid in 16 non-human primate tested sera. AAV9-LEA29Y was able to
      transduce the kidney of non-human primates in an autotransplantation model.
      Expression of LEA29Y mRNA by renal cells translated into the production of the
      corresponding protein, which was confined to the graft but not detected in serum.
      Results in non-human primates represent a step forward in maintaining the
      portability of this strategy into clinics.

PMID- 28346436
TI  - Detailed comparison of retroviral vectors and promoter configurations for stable
      and high transgene expression in human induced pluripotent stem cells.
AB  - Correction of patient-specific induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSC) upon gene
      delivery through retroviral vectors offers new treatment perspectives for
      monogenetic diseases. Gene-modified iPSC clones can be screened for safe
      integration sites and differentiated into transplantable cells of interest.
      However, the current bottleneck is epigenetic vector silencing. In order to
      identify the most suitable retroviral expression system in iPSC, we
      systematically compared vectors from different retroviral genera, different
      promoters and their combination with ubiquitous chromatin opening elements
      (UCOE), and several envelope pseudotypes. Lentiviral vectors (LV) pseudotyped
      with vesicular stomatitis virus glycoprotein were superior to gammaretroviral and
      alpharetroviral vectors and other envelopes tested. The elongation factor 1alpha
      short (EFS) promoter mediated the most robust expression, whereas expression
      levels were lower from the potent but more silencing-prone spleen focus forming
      virus (SFFV) promoter. Both full-length (A2UCOE) and minimal (CBX3) UCOE
      juxtaposed to two physiological and one viral promoter reduced transgene
      silencing with equal efficiency. However, a promoter-specific decline in
      expression levels was not entirely prevented. Upon differentiation of transgene
      positive iPSC into endothelial cells, A2UCOE.EFS and CBX3.EFS vectors maintained
      highest transgene expression in a larger fraction of cells as compared with all
      other constructs tested here. The function of UCOE diminished, but did not fully
      counteract, vector silencing and possibilities for improvements remain.
      Nevertheless, the CBX3.EFS in a LV background exhibited the most promising
      promoter and vector configuration for both high titer production and long-term
      genetic modification of human iPSC and their progeny.

PMID- 28346437
TI  - Friction forces position the neural anlage.
AB  - During embryonic development, mechanical forces are essential for cellular
      rearrangements driving tissue morphogenesis. Here, we show that in the early
      zebrafish embryo, friction forces are generated at the interface between anterior
      axial mesoderm (prechordal plate, ppl) progenitors migrating towards the animal
      pole and neurectoderm progenitors moving in the opposite direction towards the
      vegetal pole of the embryo. These friction forces lead to global rearrangement of
      cells within the neurectoderm and determine the position of the neural anlage.
      Using a combination of experiments and simulations, we show that this process
      depends on hydrodynamic coupling between neurectoderm and ppl as a result of E
      cadherin-mediated adhesion between those tissues. Our data thus establish the
      emergence of friction forces at the interface between moving tissues as a
      critical force-generating process shaping the embryo.

PMID- 28346438
TI  - Basolateral protrusion and apical contraction cooperatively drive Drosophila germ
      band extension.
AB  - Throughout development, tissues undergo complex morphological changes, resulting
      from cellular mechanics that evolve over time and in three-dimensional space.
      During Drosophila germ-band extension (GBE), cell intercalation is the key
      mechanism for tissue extension, and the associated apical junction remodelling is
      driven by polarized myosin-II-dependent contraction. However, the contribution of
      the basolateral cellular mechanics to GBE remains poorly understood. Here, we
      characterize how cells coordinate their shape from the apical to the basal side
      during rosette formation, a hallmark of cell intercalation. Basolateral rosette
      formation is driven by cells mostly located at the dorsal/ventral part of the
      rosette (D/V cells). These cells exhibit actin-rich wedge-shaped basolateral
      protrusions and migrate towards each other. Surprisingly, the formation of
      basolateral rosettes precedes that of the apical rosettes. Basolateral rosette
      formation is independent of apical contractility, but requires Rac1-dependent
      protrusive motility. Furthermore, we identified Src42A as a regulator of
      basolateral rosette formation. Our data show that in addition to apical
      contraction, active cell migration driven by basolateral protrusions plays a
      pivotal role in rosette formation and contributes to GBE.

PMID- 28346440
TI  - Endocytic proteins are partitioned at the edge of the clathrin lattice in
      mammalian cells.
AB  - Dozens of proteins capture, polymerize and reshape the clathrin lattice during
      clathrin-mediated endocytosis (CME). How or if this ensemble of proteins is
      organized in relation to the clathrin coat is unknown. Here, we map key molecules
      involved in CME at the nanoscale using correlative super-resolution light and
      transmission electron microscopy. We localize 19 different endocytic proteins
      (amphiphysin1, AP2, beta2-arrestin, CALM, clathrin, DAB2, dynamin2, EPS15,
      epsin1, epsin2, FCHO2, HIP1R, intersectin, NECAP, SNX9, stonin2, syndapin2,
      transferrin receptor, VAMP2) on thousands of individual clathrin structures,
      generating a comprehensive molecular architecture of endocytosis with nanoscale
      precision. We discover that endocytic proteins distribute into distinct spatial
      zones in relation to the edge of the clathrin lattice. The presence or
      concentrations of proteins within these zones vary at distinct stages of
      organelle development. We propose that endocytosis is driven by the recruitment,
      reorganization and loss of proteins within these partitioned nanoscale zones.

PMID- 28346439
TI  - Hippo signalling governs cytosolic nucleic acid sensing through YAP/TAZ-mediated
      TBK1 blockade.
AB  - The Hippo pathway senses cellular conditions and regulates YAP/TAZ to control
      cellular and tissue homeostasis, while TBK1 is central for cytosolic nucleic acid
      sensing and antiviral defence. The correlation between cellular nutrient/physical
      status and host antiviral defence is interesting but not well understood. Here we
      find that YAP/TAZ act as natural inhibitors of TBK1 and are vital for antiviral
      physiology. Independent of transcriptional regulation and through the
      transactivation domain, YAP/TAZ associate directly with TBK1 and abolish virus
      induced TBK1 activation, by preventing TBK1 Lys63-linked ubiquitylation and the
      binding of adaptors/substrates. Accordingly, YAP/TAZ deletion/depletion or
      cellular conditions inactivating YAP/TAZ through Lats1/2 kinases relieve TBK1
      suppression and boost antiviral responses, whereas expression of the
      transcriptionally inactive YAP dampens cytosolic RNA/DNA sensing and weakens the
      antiviral defence in cells and zebrafish. Thus, we describe a function of YAP/TAZ
      and the Hippo pathway in innate immunity, by linking cellular nutrient/physical
      status to antiviral host defence.

PMID- 28346441
TI  - Altering the threshold of an excitable signal transduction network changes cell
      migratory modes.
AB  - The diverse migratory modes displayed by different cell types are generally
      believed to be idiosyncratic. Here we show that the migratory behaviour of
      Dictyostelium was switched from amoeboid to keratocyte-like and oscillatory modes
      by synthetically decreasing phosphatidylinositol-4,5-bisphosphate levels or
      increasing Ras/Rap-related activities. The perturbations at these key nodes of an
      excitable signal transduction network initiated a causal chain of events: the
      threshold for network activation was lowered, the speed and range of propagating
      waves of signal transduction activity increased, actin-driven cellular
      protrusions expanded and, consequently, the cell migratory mode transitions
      ensued. Conversely, innately keratocyte-like and oscillatory cells were promptly
      converted to amoeboid by inhibition of Ras effectors with restoration of directed
      migration. We use computational analysis to explain how thresholds control cell
      migration and discuss the architecture of the signal transduction network that
      gives rise to excitability.

PMID- 28346445
TI  - Potential energy landscapes identify the information-theoretic nature of the
      epigenome.
AB  - Epigenetics is the study of biochemical modifications carrying information
      independent of DNA sequence, which are heritable through cell division. In 1940,
      Waddington coined the term "epigenetic landscape" as a metaphor for pluripotency
      and differentiation, but methylation landscapes have not yet been rigorously
      computed. Using principles from statistical physics and information theory, we
      derive epigenetic energy landscapes from whole-genome bisulfite sequencing (WGBS)
      data that enable us to quantify methylation stochasticity genome-wide using
      Shannon's entropy, associating it with chromatin structure. Moreover, we consider
      the Jensen-Shannon distance between sample-specific energy landscapes as a
      measure of epigenetic dissimilarity and demonstrate its effectiveness for
      discerning epigenetic differences. By viewing methylation maintenance as a
      communications system, we introduce methylation channels and show that higher
      order chromatin organization can be predicted from their informational
      properties. Our results provide a fundamental understanding of the information
      theoretic nature of the epigenome that leads to a powerful approach for studying
      its role in disease and aging.

PMID- 28346447
TI  - Synthetic control of flowering in rice independent of the cultivation
      environment.
AB  - For genetically homogeneous crops, the timing of flowering is determined largely
      by the cultivation environment and is strongly associated with the yield and
      quality of the harvest1. Flowering time and other agronomical traits are often
      tightly correlated, which can lead to difficulty excluding the effects of
      flowering time when evaluating the characteristics of different genetic
      varieties2. Here, we describe the development of transgenic rice plants whose
      flowering time can be controlled by specific agrochemicals. We first developed
      non-flowering rice plants by overexpressing a floral repressor gene, Grain
      number, plant height and heading date 7 (Ghd7)3,4, to inhibit any environmentally
      induced spontaneous flowering. We then co-transformed plants with a rice florigen
      gene, Heading date 3a (Hd3a)5, which is induced by the application of specific
      agrochemicals. This permitted the flowering time to be experimentally controlled
      regardless of the cultivation environment: some transgenic plants flowered only
      after agrochemical treatment. Furthermore, plant size and yield-related traits
      could, in some cases, be increased owing to both a longer duration of vegetative
      growth and an increased panicle size. This ability to control flowering time
      experimentally, independently of environmental variables, may lead to production
      of crops suitable for growth in different climates and facilitate breeding for
      various agronomical traits.

PMID- 28346444
TI  - Genetic variants associated with mosaic Y chromosome loss highlight cell cycle
      genes and overlap with cancer susceptibility.
AB  - The Y chromosome is frequently lost in hematopoietic cells, which represents the
      most common somatic alteration in men. However, the mechanisms that regulate
      mosaic loss of chromosome Y (mLOY), and its clinical relevance, are unknown. We
      used genotype-array-intensity data and sequence reads from 85,542 men to identify
      19 genomic regions (P < 5 * 10-8) that are associated with mLOY. Cumulatively,
      these loci also predicted X chromosome loss in women (n = 96,123; P = 4 * 10-6).
      Additional epigenome-wide methylation analyses using whole blood highlighted 36
      differentially methylated sites associated with mLOY. The genes identified
      converge on aspects of cell proliferation and cell cycle regulation, including
      DNA synthesis (NPAT), DNA damage response (ATM), mitosis (PMF1, CENPN and MAD1L1)
      and apoptosis (TP53). We highlight the shared genetic architecture between mLOY
      and cancer susceptibility, in addition to inferring a causal effect of smoking on
      mLOY. Collectively, our results demonstrate that genotype-array-intensity data
      enables a measure of cell cycle efficiency at population scale and identifies
      genes implicated in aneuploidy, genome instability and cancer susceptibility.

PMID- 28346443
TI  - Genome-wide association study of glioma subtypes identifies specific differences
      in genetic susceptibility to glioblastoma and non-glioblastoma tumors.
AB  - Genome-wide association studies (GWAS) have transformed our understanding of
      glioma susceptibility, but individual studies have had limited power to identify
      risk loci. We performed a meta-analysis of existing GWAS and two new GWAS, which
      totaled 12,496 cases and 18,190 controls. We identified five new loci for
      glioblastoma (GBM) at 1p31.3 (rs12752552; P = 2.04 * 10-9, odds ratio (OR) =
      1.22), 11q14.1 (rs11233250; P = 9.95 * 10-10, OR = 1.24), 16p13.3 (rs2562152; P =
      1.93 * 10-8, OR = 1.21), 16q12.1 (rs10852606; P = 1.29 * 10-11, OR = 1.18) and
      22q13.1 (rs2235573; P = 1.76 * 10-10, OR = 1.15), as well as eight loci for non
      GBM tumors at 1q32.1 (rs4252707; P = 3.34 * 10-9, OR = 1.19), 1q44 (rs12076373; P
      = 2.63 * 10-10, OR = 1.23), 2q33.3 (rs7572263; P = 2.18 * 10-10, OR = 1.20),
      3p14.1 (rs11706832; P = 7.66 * 10-9, OR = 1.15), 10q24.33 (rs11598018; P = 3.39 *
      10-8, OR = 1.14), 11q21 (rs7107785; P = 3.87 * 10-10, OR = 1.16), 14q12
      (rs10131032; P = 5.07 * 10-11, OR = 1.33) and 16p13.3 (rs3751667; P = 2.61 * 10
      9, OR = 1.18). These data substantiate that genetic susceptibility to GBM and non
      GBM tumors are highly distinct, which likely reflects different etiology.

PMID- 28346449
TI  - Desiccation tolerance: Seedy origins of resurrection.

PMID- 28346446
TI  - Dengue virus NS2B protein targets cGAS for degradation and prevents mitochondrial
      DNA sensing during infection.
AB  - During the last few decades, the global incidence of dengue virus (DENV) has
      increased dramatically, and it is now endemic in more than 100 countries. To
      establish a productive infection in humans, DENV uses different strategies to
      inhibit or avoid the host innate immune system. Several DENV proteins have been
      shown to strategically target crucial components of the type I interferon system.
      Here, we report that the DENV NS2B protease cofactor targets the DNA sensor
      cyclic GMP-AMP synthase (cGAS) for lysosomal degradation to avoid the detection
      of mitochondrial DNA during infection. Such degradation subsequently results in
      the inhibition of type I interferon production in the infected cell. Our data
      demonstrate a mechanism by which cGAS senses cellular damage upon DENV infection.

PMID- 28346448
TI  - A footprint of desiccation tolerance in the genome of Xerophyta viscosa.
AB  - Desiccation tolerance is common in seeds and various other organisms, but only a
      few angiosperm species possess vegetative desiccation tolerance. These
      'resurrection species' may serve as ideal models for the ultimate design of crops
      with enhanced drought tolerance. To understand the molecular and genetic
      mechanisms enabling vegetative desiccation tolerance, we produced a high-quality
      whole-genome sequence for the resurrection plant Xerophyta viscosa and assessed
      transcriptome changes during its dehydration. Data revealed induction of
      transcripts typically associated with desiccation tolerance in seeds and
      involvement of orthologues of ABI3 and ABI5, both key regulators of seed
      maturation. Dehydration resulted in both increased, but predominantly reduced,
      transcript abundance of genomic 'clusters of desiccation-associated genes'
      (CoDAGs), reflecting the cessation of growth that allows for the expression of
      desiccation tolerance. Vegetative desiccation tolerance in X. viscosa was found
      to be uncoupled from drought-induced senescence. We provide strong support for
      the hypothesis that vegetative desiccation tolerance arose by redirection of
      genetic information from desiccation-tolerant seeds.

PMID- 28346450
TI  - Structural modeling of protein-RNA complexes using crosslinking of segmentally
      isotope-labeled RNA and MS/MS.
AB  - Ribonucleoproteins (RNPs) are key regulators of cellular function. We established
      an efficient approach, crosslinking of segmentally isotope-labeled RNA and tandem
      mass spectrometry (CLIR-MS/MS), to localize protein-RNA interactions
      simultaneously at amino acid and nucleotide resolution. The approach was tested
      on polypyrimidine tract binding protein 1 and U1 small nuclear RNP. Our method
      provides distance restraints to support integrative atomic-scale structural
      modeling and to gain mechanistic insights into RNP-regulated processes.

PMID- 28346451
TI  - SC3: consensus clustering of single-cell RNA-seq data.
AB  - Single-cell RNA-seq enables the quantitative characterization of cell types based
      on global transcriptome profiles. We present single-cell consensus clustering
      (SC3), a user-friendly tool for unsupervised clustering, which achieves high
      accuracy and robustness by combining multiple clustering solutions through a
      consensus approach (http://bioconductor.org/packages/SC3). We demonstrate that
      SC3 is capable of identifying subclones from the transcriptomes of neoplastic
      cells collected from patients.

PMID- 28346454
TI  - Viral pathogenesis: Dengue virus takes on cGAS.

PMID- 28346452
TI  - Purine synthesis promotes maintenance of brain tumor initiating cells in glioma.
AB  - Brain tumor initiating cells (BTICs), also known as cancer stem cells, hijack
      high-affinity glucose uptake active normally in neurons to maintain energy
      demands. Here we link metabolic dysregulation in human BTICs to a nexus between
      MYC and de novo purine synthesis, mediating glucose-sustained anabolic
      metabolism. Inhibiting purine synthesis abrogated BTIC growth, self-renewal and
      in vivo tumor formation by depleting intracellular pools of purine nucleotides,
      supporting purine synthesis as a potential therapeutic point of fragility. In
      contrast, differentiated glioma cells were unaffected by the targeting of purine
      biosynthetic enzymes, suggesting selective dependence of BTICs. MYC coordinated
      the control of purine synthetic enzymes, supporting its role in metabolic
      reprogramming. Elevated expression of purine synthetic enzymes correlated with
      poor prognosis in glioblastoma patients. Collectively, our results suggest that
      stem-like glioma cells reprogram their metabolism to self-renew and fuel the
      tumor hierarchy, revealing potential BTIC cancer dependencies amenable to
      targeted therapy.

PMID- 28346453
TI  - Activity-induced histone modifications govern Neurexin-1 mRNA splicing and memory
      preservation.
AB  - Epigenetic mechanisms regulate the formation, consolidation and reconsolidation
      of memories. However, the signaling path from neuronal activation to epigenetic
      modifications within the memory-related brain circuit remains unknown. We report
      that learning induces long-lasting histone modifications in hippocampal memory
      activated neurons to regulate memory stability. Neuronal activity triggers a late
      onset shift in Nrxn1 splice isoform choice at splicing site 4 by accumulating a
      repressive histone marker, H3K9me3, to modulate the splicing process. Activity
      dependent phosphorylation of p66alpha via AMP-activated protein kinase recruits
      HDAC2 and Suv39h1 to establish repressive histone markers and changes the
      connectivity of the activated neurons. Removal of Suv39h1 abolished the activity
      dependent shift in Nrxn1 splice isoform choice and reduced the stability of
      established memories. We uncover a cell-autonomous process for memory
      preservation in which memory-related neurons initiate a late-onset reduction of
      their rewiring capacities through activity-induced histone modifications.

PMID- 28346455
TI  - Collective helicity switching of a DNA-coat assembly.
AB  - Hierarchical assemblies of biomolecular subunits can carry out versatile tasks at
      the cellular level with remarkable spatial and temporal precision. As an example,
      the collective motion and mutual cooperation between complex protein machines
      mediate essential functions for life, such as replication, synthesis,
      degradation, repair and transport. Nucleic acid molecules are far less dynamic
      than proteins and need to bind to specific proteins to form hierarchical
      structures. The simplest example of these nucleic acid-based structures is
      provided by a rod-shaped tobacco mosaic virus, which consists of genetic material
      surrounded by coat proteins. Inspired by the complexity and hierarchical assembly
      of viruses, a great deal of effort has been devoted to design similarly
      constructed artificial viruses. However, such a wrapping approach makes nucleic
      acid dynamics insensitive to environmental changes. This limitation generally
      restricts, for example, the amplification of the conformational dynamics between
      the right-handed B form to the left-handed Z form of double-stranded
      deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA). Here we report a virus-like hierarchical assembly in
      which the native DNA and a synthetic coat undergo repeated collective helicity
      switching triggered by pH change under physiological conditions. We also show
      that this collective helicity inversion occurs during translocation of the DNA
      coat assembly into intracellular compartments. Translating DNA conformational
      dynamics into a higher level of hierarchical dynamics may provide an approach to
      create DNA-based nanomachines.

PMID- 28346456
TI  - Sub-10-nm patterning via directed self-assembly of block copolymer films with a
      vapour-phase deposited topcoat.
AB  - Directed self-assembly (DSA) of the domain structure in block copolymer (BCP)
      thin films is a promising approach for sub-10-nm surface patterning. DSA requires
      the control of interfacial properties on both interfaces of a BCP film to induce
      the formation of domains that traverse the entire film with a perpendicular
      orientation. Here we show a methodology to control the interfacial properties of
      BCP films that uses a polymer topcoat deposited by initiated chemical vapour
      deposition (iCVD). The iCVD topcoat forms a crosslinked network that grafts to
      and immobilizes BCP chains to create an interface that is equally attractive to
      both blocks of the underlying copolymer. The topcoat, in conjunction with a
      chemically patterned substrate, directs the assembly of the grating structures in
      BCP films with a half-pitch dimension of 9.3 nm. As the iCVD topcoat can be as
      thin as 7 nm, it is amenable to pattern transfer without removal. The ease of
      vapour-phase deposition, applicability to high-resolution BCP systems and
      integration with pattern-transfer schemes are attractive properties of iCVD
      topcoats for industrial applications.

PMID- 28346459
TI  - Directed self-assembly: A dress code for block copolymers.

PMID- 28346460
TI  - Lithium-oxygen batteries: The reaction mechanism revealed.

PMID- 28346458
TI  - Revealing the reaction mechanisms of Li-O2 batteries using environmental
      transmission electron microscopy.
AB  - The performances of a Li-O2 battery depend on a complex interplay between the
      reaction mechanism at the cathode, the chemical structure and the morphology of
      the reaction products, and their spatial and temporal evolution; all parameters
      that, in turn, are dependent on the choice of the electrolyte. In an aprotic
      cell, for example, the discharge product, Li2O2, forms through a combination of
      solution and surface chemistries that results in the formation of a baffling
      toroidal morphology. In a solid electrolyte, neither the reaction mechanism at
      the cathode nor the nature of the reaction product is known. Here we report the
      full-cycle reaction pathway for Li-O2 batteries and show how this correlates with
      the morphology of the reaction products. Using aberration-corrected environmental
      transmission electron microscopy (TEM) under an oxygen environment, we image the
      product morphology evolution on a carbon nanotube (CNT) cathode of a working
      solid-state Li-O2 nanobattery and correlate these features with the
      electrochemical reaction at the electrode. We find that the oxygen-reduction
      reaction (ORR) on CNTs initially produces LiO2, which subsequently
      disproportionates into Li2O2 and O2. The release of O2 creates a hollow
      nanostructure with Li2O outer-shell and Li2O2 inner-shell surfaces. Our findings
      show that, in general, the way the released O2 is accommodated is linked to
      lithium-ion diffusion and electron-transport paths across both spatial and
      temporal scales; in turn, this interplay governs the morphology of the
      discharging/charging products in Li-O2 cells.

PMID- 28346457
TI  - Confined space facilitates G-quadruplex formation.
AB  - Molecular simulations suggest that the stability of a folded macromolecule
      increases in a confined space due to entropic effects. However, due to the
      interactions between the confined molecular structure and the walls of the
      container, clear-cut experimental evidence for this prediction is lacking. Here,
      using DNA origami nanocages, we show the pure effect of confined space on the
      property of individual human telomeric DNA G-quadruplexes. We induce targeted
      mechanical unfolding of the G-quadruplex while leaving the nanocage unperturbed.
      We find that the mechanical and thermodynamic stabilities of the G-quadruplex
      inside the nanocage increase with decreasing cage size. Compared to the case of
      diluted or molecularly crowded buffer solutions, the G-quadruplex inside the
      nanocage is significantly more stable, showing a 100 times faster folding rate.
      Our findings suggest the possibility of co-replicational or co-transcriptional
      folding of G-quadruplex inside the polymerase machinery in cells.

PMID- 28346461
TI  - Geometry can provide long-range mechanical guidance for embryogenesis.
AB  - Downstream of gene expression, effectors such as the actomyosin contractile
      machinery drive embryo morphogenesis. During Drosophila embryonic axis extension,
      actomyosin has a specific planar-polarised organisation, which is responsible for
      oriented cell intercalation. In addition to these cell rearrangements, cell shape
      changes also contribute to tissue deformation. While cell-autonomous dynamics are
      well described, understanding the tissue-scale behaviour challenges us to solve
      the corresponding mechanical problem at the scale of the whole embryo, since
      mechanical resistance of all neighbouring epithelia will feedback on individual
      cells. Here we propose a novel numerical approach to compute the whole-embryo
      dynamics of the actomyosin-rich apical epithelial surface. We input in the model
      specific patterns of actomyosin contractility, such as the planar-polarisation of
      actomyosin in defined ventro-lateral regions of the embryo. Tissue strain rates
      and displacements are then predicted over the whole embryo surface according to
      the global balance of stresses and the material behaviour of the epithelium.
      Epithelia are modelled using a rheological law that relates the rate of
      deformation to the local stresses and actomyosin anisotropic contractility.
      Predicted flow patterns are consistent with the cell flows observed when imaging
      Drosophila axis extension in toto, using light sheet microscopy. The agreement
      between model and experimental data indicates that the anisotropic contractility
      of planar-polarised actomyosin in the ventro-lateral germband tissue can directly
      cause the tissue-scale deformations of the whole embryo. The three-dimensional
      mechanical balance is dependent on the geometry of the embryo, whose curved
      surface is taken into account in the simulations. Importantly, we find that to
      reproduce experimental flows, the model requires the presence of the cephalic
      furrow, a fold located anteriorly of the extending tissues. The presence of this
      geometric feature, through the global mechanical balance, guides the flow and
      orients extension towards the posterior end.

PMID- 28346463
TI  - Changes in soil bacterial community structure as a result of incorporation of
      Brassica plants compared with continuous planting eggplant and chemical
      disinfection in greenhouses.
AB  - Greenhouse eggplant monocropping in China has contributed to the aggravation of
      soil-borne diseases, reductions in crop quality and yield, and the degradation of
      physical and chemical soil properties. Crop rotation is one effective way of
      alleviating the problems of continuous cropping worldwide; however, few studies
      have reported changes in soil bacterial community structures and physical and
      chemical soil properties after Brassica vegetables had been rotated with eggplant
      in greenhouses. In this experiment, mustard-eggplant (BFN) and oilseed rape
      eggplant (BFC) rotations were studied to identify changes in the physicochemical
      properties and bacterial community structure in soil that was previously subject
      to monocropping. Samples were taken after two types of Brassica plants
      incorporated into soil for 15 days to compare with continually planted eggplant
      (control, CN) and chemical disinfection of soil (CF) in greenhouses. MiSeq
      pyrosequencing was used to analyze soil bacterial diversity and structure in the
      four different treatments. A total of 55,129 reads were identified, and
      rarefaction analysis showed that the soil treatments were equally sampled. The
      bacterial richness of the BFC treatment and the diversity of the BFN treatment
      were significantly higher than those of the other treatments. Further comparison
      showed that the bacterial community structures of BFC and BFN treatments were
      also different from CN and CF treatments. The relative abundance of several
      dominant bacterial genera in the BFC and BFN treatments (such as Flavobacteria,
      Stenotrophomonas, Massilia and Cellvibrio, which played different roles in
      improving soil fertility and advancing plant growth) was distinctly higher than
      the CN or CF treatments. Additionally, the total organic matter and Olsen-P
      content of the BFC and BFN treatments were significantly greater than the CN
      treatment. We conclude that Brassica vegetables-eggplant crop rotations could
      provide a more effective means of solving the problems of greenhouse eggplant
      monocultures.

PMID- 28346464
TI  - Sympathetic nervous system activity and anti-lipolytic response to iv-glucose
      load in subcutaneous adipose tissue of obese and obese type 2 diabetic subjects.
AB  - The study aim was to investigate the effect of endogenous insulin release on
      lipolysis in subcutaneous adipose tissue after adrenergic stimulation in obese
      subjects diagnosed with type 2 diabetes (T2D). In 14 obese female T2D subjects,
      or 14 obese non-T2D controls, glycerol concentration was measured in response to
      the alpha1,2,beta-agonist norepinephrine, the alpha1-agonist norfenefrine and the
      beta2-agonist terbutaline (each 10-4 M), using the microdialysis technique. After
      60 minutes of stimulation, an intravenous glucose load (0.5 g/kg lean body mass)
      was given. Local blood flow was monitored by means of the ethanol technique.
      Norepinephrine and norfenefrine induced a four and three fold rise in glycerol
      dialysate concentration (p<0.001, each), with a similar pattern in adipose
      tissue. Following agonist stimulation and glucose infusion, endogenous insulin
      release inhibited lipolysis in the presence of norepinephrine, which was more
      rapid and pronounced in healthy obese controls than in T2D subjects (p = 0.024
      obese vs T2D subjects). Insulin-induced inhibition of lipolysis in the presence
      of norfenefrine was similar in all study participants. In the presence of
      terbutaline the lipolysis rate increased two fold until the effect of endogenous
      insulin (p<0.001). A similar insulin-induced decrease in lipolysis was observed
      for each of the norfenefrine groups and the terbutaline groups, respectively.
      Adipose tissue blood flow remained unchanged after the iv-glucose load. Both
      norepinephrine and norfenefrine diminished blood flow slightly, but insulin
      reversed this response (p<0.001 over the entire time). Terbutaline alone and
      terbutaline plus increased endogenous insulin augmented local blood flow (p<0.001
      over the entire time). In conclusion, a difference in insulin-induced inhibition
      of lipolysis was observed in obese T2D subjects compared to obese healthy
      controls following modulation of sympathetic nervous system activity and is
      assumed to be due to beta1-adrenoceptor mediated stimulation by norepinephrine.

PMID- 28346462
TI  - Wnt/Tcf1 pathway restricts embryonic stem cell cycle through activation of the
      Ink4/Arf locus.
AB  - Understanding the mechanisms regulating cell cycle, proliferation and potency of
      pluripotent stem cells guarantees their safe use in the clinic. Embryonic stem
      cells (ESCs) present a fast cell cycle with a short G1 phase. This is due to the
      lack of expression of cell cycle inhibitors, which ultimately determines naive
      pluripotency by holding back differentiation. The canonical Wnt/beta-catenin
      pathway controls mESC pluripotency via the Wnt-effector Tcf3. However, if the
      activity of the Wnt/beta-catenin controls the cell cycle of mESCs remains
      unknown. Here we show that the Wnt-effector Tcf1 is recruited to and triggers
      transcription of the Ink4/Arf tumor suppressor locus. Thereby, the activation of
      the Wnt pathway, a known mitogenic pathway in somatic tissues, restores G1 phase
      and drastically reduces proliferation of mESCs without perturbing pluripotency.
      Tcf1, but not Tcf3, is recruited to a palindromic motif enriched in the promoter
      of cell cycle repressor genes, such as p15Ink4b, p16Ink4a and p19Arf, which
      mediate the Wnt-dependent anti-proliferative effect in mESCs. Consistently,
      ablation of beta-catenin or Tcf1 expression impairs Wnt-dependent cell cycle
      regulation. All together, here we showed that Wnt signaling controls mESC
      pluripotency and proliferation through non-overlapping functions of distinct Tcf
      factors.

PMID- 28346465
TI  - SEPT12 phosphorylation results in loss of the septin ring/sperm annulus,
      defective sperm motility and poor male fertility.
AB  - Septins are critical for numerous cellular processes through the formation of
      heteromeric filaments and rings indicating the importance of structural
      regulators in septin assembly. Several posttranslational modifications (PTMs)
      mediate the dynamics of septin filaments in yeast. However, little is known about
      the role of PTMs in regulating mammalian septin assembly, and the in vivo
      significance of PTMs on mammalian septin assembly and function remains unknown.
      Here, we showed that SEPT12 was phosphorylated on Ser198 using mass spectrometry,
      and we generated SEPT12 phosphomimetic knock-in (KI) mice to study its biological
      significance. The homozygous KI mice displayed poor male fertility due to
      deformed sperm with defective motility and loss of annulus, a septin-based ring
      structure. Immunohistochemistry of KI testicular sections suggested that SEPT12
      phosphorylation inhibits septin ring assembly during annulus biogenesis. We also
      observed that SEPT12 was phosphorylated via PKA, and its phosphorylation
      interfered with SEPT12 polymerization into complexes and filaments. Collectively,
      our data indicate that SEPT12 phosphorylation inhibits SEPT12 filament formation,
      leading to loss of the sperm annulus/septin ring and poor male fertility. Thus,
      we provide the first in vivo genetic evidence characterizing importance of septin
      phosphorylation in the assembly, cellular function and physiological significance
      of septins.

PMID- 28346442
TI  - Identification of 12 new susceptibility loci for different histotypes of
      epithelial ovarian cancer.
AB  - To identify common alleles associated with different histotypes of epithelial
      ovarian cancer (EOC), we pooled data from multiple genome-wide genotyping
      projects totaling 25,509 EOC cases and 40,941 controls. We identified nine new
      susceptibility loci for different EOC histotypes: six for serous EOC histotypes
      (3q28, 4q32.3, 8q21.11, 10q24.33, 18q11.2 and 22q12.1), two for mucinous EOC
      (3q22.3 and 9q31.1) and one for endometrioid EOC (5q12.3). We then performed meta
      analysis on the results for high-grade serous ovarian cancer with the results
      from analysis of 31,448 BRCA1 and BRCA2 mutation carriers, including 3,887
      mutation carriers with EOC. This identified three additional susceptibility loci
      at 2q13, 8q24.1 and 12q24.31. Integrated analyses of genes and regulatory
      biofeatures at each locus predicted candidate susceptibility genes, including
      OBFC1, a new candidate susceptibility gene for low-grade and borderline serous
      EOC.

PMID- 28346467
TI  - Characterization and interstrain transfer of prophage pp3 of Pseudomonas
      aeruginosa.
AB  - Prophages are major contributors to horizontal gene transfer and drive the
      evolution and diversification of bacteria. Here, we describe the characterization
      of a prophage element designated pp3 in the clinical Pseudomonas aeruginosa
      isolate PA1. pp3 spontaneously excises from the PA1 genome and circularizes at a
      very high frequency of 25%. pp3 is likely to be a defective prophage due to its
      inability to form plaques on P. aeruginosa indicator strains, and no phage
      particles could be detected in PA1 supernatants. The pp3-encoded integrase is
      essential for excision by mediating site-specific recombination at the 26-bp
      attachment sequence. Using a filter mating experiment, we demonstrated that pp3
      can transfer into P. aeruginosa recipient strains that do not possess this
      element naturally. Upon transfer, pp3 integrates into the same attachment site as
      in PA1 and maintains the ability to excise and circularize. Furthermore, pp3
      significantly promotes biofilm formation in the recipient. Sequence alignment
      reveals that the 26-bp attachment site recognized by pp3 is conserved in all P.
      aeruginosa strains sequenced to date, making it possible that pp3 could be
      extensively disseminated in P. aeruginosa. This work improves our understanding
      of the ways in which prophages influence bacterial behavior and evolution.

PMID- 28346468
TI  - Endoluminal dilatation for embedded hemodialysis catheters: A case-control study
      of factors associated with embedding and clinical outcomes.
AB  - BACKGROUND: With the increasing frequency of tunneled hemodialysis catheter use
      there is a parallel increase in the need for removal and/or exchange. A small but
      significant minority of catheters become embedded or 'stuck' and cannot be
      removed by traditional means. Management of embedded catheters involves cutting
      the catheter, burying the retained fragment with a subsequent increased risk of
      infections and thrombosis. Endoluminal dilatation may provide a potential safe
      and effective technique for removing embedded catheters, however, to date, there
      is a paucity of data. OBJECTIVES: 1) To determine factors associated with
      catheters becoming embedded and 2) to determine outcomes associated with
      endoluminal dilatation. METHODS: All patients with endoluminal dilatation for
      embedded catheters at our institution since Jan. 2010 were included. Patients who
      had an embedded catheter were matched 1:3 with patients with uncomplicated
      catheter removal. Baseline patient and catheter characteristics were compared.
      Outcomes included procedural success and procedure-related infection. Logistic
      regression models were used to determine factors associated with embedded
      catheters. RESULTS: We matched 15 cases of embedded tunneled catheters with 45
      controls. Among patients with embedded catheters, there were no complications
      with endoluminal dilatation. Factors independently associated with embedded
      catheters included catheter dwell time (> 2 years) and history of central venous
      stenosis. CONCLUSION: Embedded catheters can be successfully managed by
      endoluminal dilatation with minimal complications and factors associated with
      embedding include dwell times > 2 years and/or with a history of central venous
      stenosis.

PMID- 28346466
TI  - Common and rare exonic MUC5B variants associated with type 2 diabetes in Han
      Chinese.
AB  - Genome-wide association studies have identified over one hundred common genetic
      risk variants associated with type 2 diabetes (T2D). However, most of the
      heritability of T2D has not been accounted for. In this study, we investigated
      the contribution of rare and common variants to T2D susceptibility by analyzing
      exome array data in 1,908 Han Chinese genotyped with Affymetrix Axiom(r) Exome
      Genotyping Arrays. Based on the joint common and rare variants analysis of 57,704
      autosomal SNPs within 12,244 genes using Sequence Kernel Association Tests
      (SKAT), we identified significant associations between T2D and 25 variants (9
      rare and 16 common) in MUC5B, p-value 1.01*10-14. This finding was replicated (p
      = 0.0463) in an independent sample that included 10,401 unrelated individuals.
      Sixty-six of 1,553 possible haplotypes based on 25 SNPs within MUC5B showed
      significant association with T2D (Bonferroni corrected p values < 3.2*10-5). The
      expression level of MUC5B is significantly higher in pancreatic tissues of
      persons with T2D compared to those without T2D (p-value = 5*10-5). Our findings
      suggest that dysregulated MUC5B expression may be involved in the pathogenesis of
      T2D. As a strong candidate gene for T2D, MUC5B may play an important role in the
      mechanisms underlying T2D etiology and its complications.

PMID- 28346469
TI  - Computational identifying and characterizing circular RNAs and their associated
      genes in hepatocellular carcinoma.
AB  - Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is currently still a major factor leading to
      death, lacking of reliable biomarkers. Therefore, deep understanding the
      pathogenesis for HCC is of great importance. The emergence of circular RNA
      (circRNA) provides a new way to study the pathogenesis of human disease. Here, we
      employed the prediction tool to identify circRNAs based on RNA-seq data. Then, to
      investigate the biological function of the circRNA, the candidate circRNAs were
      associated with the protein-coding genes (PCGs) by GREAT. We found significant
      candidate circRNAs expression alterations between normal and tumor samples.
      Additionally, the PCGs associated with these candidate circRNAs were also found
      have discriminative expression patterns between normal and tumor samples. The
      enrichment analysis illustrated that these PCGs were predominantly enriched for
      liver/cardiovascular-related diseases such as atherosclerosis, myocardial
      ischemia and coronary heart disease, and participated in various metabolic
      processes. Together, a further network analysis indicated that these PCGs play
      important roles in the regulatory and the PPI network. Finally, we built a
      classification model to distinguish normal and tumor samples by using candidate
      circRNAs and their associated genes, respectively. Both of them obtained
      satisfactory results (~ 0.99 of AUC for circRNA and PCG). Our findings suggested
      that the circRNA could be a critical factor in HCC, providing a useful resource
      to explore the pathogenesis of HCC.

PMID- 28346470
TI  - Relationship of microbial communities and suppressiveness of Trichoderma
      fortified composts for pepper seedlings infected by Phytophthora nicotianae.
AB  - The understanding of the dynamic of soil-borne diseases is related to the
      microbial composition of the rhizosphere which is the key to progress in the
      field of biological control. Trichoderma spp. is commonly used as a biological
      control agent. The use of next generation sequencing approaches and quantitative
      PCR are two successful approaches to assess the effect of using compost as
      substrate fortified with two Trichoderma strains (Trichoderma harzianum or
      Trichoderma asperellum) on bacterial and fungal communities in pepper rhizosphere
      infected with Phytophthora nicotianae. The results showed changes in the
      bacterial rhizosphere community not attributed to the Trichoderma strain, but to
      the pathogen infection, while, fungi were not affected by pathogen infection and
      depended on the type of substrate. The Trichoderma asperellum fortified compost
      was the most effective combination against the pathogen. This could indicate that
      the effect of fortified composts is greater than compost itself and the
      biocontrol effect should be attributed to the Trichoderma strains rather than the
      compost microbiota, although some microorganisms could help with the biocontrol
      effect.

PMID- 28346471
TI  - Effect of functional sympathetic nervous system impairment of the liver and
      abdominal visceral adipose tissue on circulating triglyceride-rich lipoproteins.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Interruption of sympathetic innervation to the liver and visceral
      adipose tissue (VAT) in animal models has been reported to reduce VAT lipolysis
      and hepatic secretion of very low density lipoprotein (VLDL) and concentrations
      of triglyceride-rich lipoprotein particles. Whether functional impairment of
      sympathetic nervous system (SNS) innervation to tissues of the abdominal cavity
      reduce circulating concentrations of triglyceride (TG) and VLDL particles (VLDL
      P) was tested in men with spinal cord injury (SCI). METHODS: One hundred-three
      non-ambulatory men with SCI [55 subjects with neurologic injury at or proximal to
      the 4th thoracic vertebrae (?T4); 48 subjects with SCI at or distal to the 5th
      thoracic vertebrae (?T5)] and 53 able-bodied (AB) subjects were studied. Fasting
      blood samples were obtained for determination of TG, VLDL-P concentration by NMR
      spectroscopy, serum glucose by autoanalyzer, and plasma insulin by
      radioimmunoassay. VAT volume was determined by dual energy x-ray absorptiometry
      imaging with calculation by a validated proprietary software package. RESULTS:
      Significant group main effects for TG and VLDL-P were present; post-hoc tests
      revealed that serum TG concentrations were significantly higher in ?T5 group
      compared to AB and ?T4 groups [150+/-9 vs. 101+/-8 (p<0.01) and 112+/-8 mg/dl
      (p<0.05), respectively]. VLDL-P concentration was significantly elevated in ?T5
      group compared to AB and ?T4 groups [74+/-4 vs. 58+/-4 (p<0.05) and 55+/-4
      MUmol/l (p<0.05)]. VAT volume was significantly higher in both SCI groups than in
      the AB group, and HOMA-IR was higher and approached significance in the SCI
      groups compared to the AB group. A linear relationship between triglyceride rich
      lipoproteins (i.e., TG or Large VLDL-P) and VAT volume or HOMA-IR was significant
      only in the ?T5 group. CONCLUSIONS: Despite a similar VAT volume and insulin
      resistance in both SCI groups, the ?T5 group had significantly higher serum TG
      and VLDL-P values than that observed in the ?T4 and the AB control groups. Thus,
      level of injury is an important determinate of the concentration of circulating
      triglyceride rich lipoproteins, which may play a role in the genesis of
      cardiometabolic dysfunction.

PMID- 28346472
TI  - Can group-based reassuring information alter low back pain behavior? A cluster
      randomized controlled trial.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Low back pain (LBP) is common in the population and multifactorial in
      nature, often involving negative consequences. Reassuring information to improve
      coping is recommended for reducing the negative consequences of LBP. Adding a
      simple non-threatening explanation for the pain (temporary muscular dysfunction)
      has been successful at altering beliefs and behavior when delivered with other
      intervention elements. This study investigates the isolated effect of this
      specific information on future occupational behavior outcomes when delivered to
      the workforce. DESIGN: A cluster-randomized controlled trial. METHODS: Publically
      employed workers (n = 505) from 11 Danish municipality centers were randomized at
      center-level (cluster) to either intervention (two 1-hour group-based talks at
      the workplace) or control. The talks provided reassuring information together
      with a simple non-threatening explanation for LBP-the 'functional-disturbance'
      model. Data collections took place monthly over a 1-year period using text
      message tracking (SMS). Primary outcomes were self-reported days of cutting down
      usual activities and work participation. Secondary outcomes were self-reported
      back beliefs, work ability, number of healthcare visits, bothersomeness,
      restricted activity, use of pain medication, and sadness/depression. RESULTS:
      There was no between-group difference in the development of LBP during follow-up.
      Cumulative logistic regression analyses showed no between-group difference on
      days of cutting down activities, but increased odds for more days of work
      participation in the intervention group (OR = 1.83 95% CI: 1.08-3.12).
      Furthermore, the intervention group was more likely to report: higher work
      ability, reduced visits to healthcare professionals, lower bothersomeness, lower
      levels of sadness/depression, and positive back beliefs. CONCLUSION: Reassuring
      information involving a simple non-threatening explanation for LBP significantly
      increased the odds for days of work participation and higher work ability among
      workers who went on to experience LBP during the 12-month follow-up. Our results
      confirm the potential for public-health education for LBP, and add to the
      discussion of simple versus multidisciplinary interventions.

PMID- 28346473
TI  - Oral administration of Bifidobacterium bifidum G9-1 alleviates rotavirus
      gastroenteritis through regulation of intestinal homeostasis by inducing mucosal
      protective factors.
AB  - Human rotavirus (RV) infection is a leading cause of dehydrating diarrhea in
      infants and young children worldwide. Since therapeutic approaches to RV
      gastroenteritis are limited to alleviation of dehydration with oral rehydration
      solutions, more direct approaches to palliate symptoms of RV gastroenteritis are
      required. Treatments with probiotics have been increasingly recognized as
      alternative safe and low cost treatments for moderate infectious diarrhea. In
      this study, Bifidobacterium bifidum G9-1 (BBG9-1), which has been used as an
      intestinal drug for several decades, was shown to have a remarkable protective
      effect against RV gastroenteritis in a suckling mice model. As well as
      prophylactic oral administration of BBG9-1 from 2 days before RV infection,
      therapeutic oral administration of BBG9-1 from 1 day after RV infection
      significantly alleviated RV-induced diarrhea. Therapeutic administration of BBG9
      1 reduced various types of damage in the small intestine, such as epithelial
      vacuolization and villous shortening, and significantly diminished the infectious
      RV titer in mixtures of cecal contents and feces. It was also shown that
      therapeutic administration of BBG9-1 significantly increased the number of acidic
      mucin-positive goblet cells and the gene expression of mucosal protective factors
      including MUC2, MUC3, MUC4, TGFbeta1 and TFF3 in the small intestine. This led to
      alleviation of low gut permeability shown as decreased gene expression levels of
      occludin, claudin-1 and villin-1 after RV infection. Furthermore, in the small
      intestine, therapeutic administration of BBG9-1 significantly palliated the
      decreased gene expression of SGLT-1, which plays an important role in water
      absorption. In the large intestine, administered BBG9-1 was shown to replicate to
      assimilate undigested nutrients, resulting in normalization of the abnormally
      high osmotic pressure. These results suggested that water malabsorption caused by
      RV infection was alleviated in mice administered BBG9-1. Thus, the present study
      showed that oral administration of BBG9-1 palliated diarrhea partly through
      protection against RV-induced lesions by inducing mucosal protective factors.
      Oral administration of BBG9-1 is thought to be an efficient method for management
      of an RV epidemic for both prophylactic and therapeutic purposes.

PMID- 28346474
TI  - The microRNA-205-5p is correlated to metastatic potential of 21T series: A breast
      cancer progression model.
AB  - MicroRNA is a class of noncoding RNAs able to base pair with complementary
      messenger RNA sequences, inhibiting their expression. These regulatory molecules
      play important roles in key cellular processes including cell proliferation,
      differentiation and response to DNA damage; changes in miRNA expression are a
      common feature of human cancers. To gain insights into the mechanisms involved in
      breast cancer progression we conducted a microRNA global expression analysis on a
      21T series of cell lines obtained from the same patient during different stages
      of breast cancer progression. These stages are represented by cell lines derived
      from normal epithelial (H16N2), atypical ductal hyperplasia (21PT), primary in
      situ ductal carcinoma (21NT) and pleural effusion of a lung metastasis (21MT-1
      and 21MT-2). In a global microRNA expression analysis, miR-205-5p was the only
      miRNA to display an important downregulation in the metastatic cell lines (21MT
      1; 21MT-2) when compared to the non-invasive cells (21PT and 21NT). The lower
      amounts of miR-205-5p found also correlated with high histological grades
      biopsies and with higher invasion rates in a Boyden chamber assay. This work
      pinpoints miR-205-5p as a potential player in breast tumor invasiveness.

PMID- 28346475
TI  - Treatment of blunt thoracic aortic injury in Germany-Assessment of the
      TraumaRegister DGU(r).
AB  - PURPOSE: Using the data delivered by the German Trauma Register DGU(r) from 2002
      till 2013, the value of different therapies of blunt thoracic aortic injury
      (BTAI) in Germany was analyzed. METHODS: Prospectively collected data of patients
      suffering from BTAI were retrospectively analyzed with focus on the different
      treatment modalities for grade I-IV injuries. RESULTS: 821 patients suffering
      from BTAI were identified: 51.6% (424) grade I injury, 35.4% (291) grade II or
      III injury and 12.9% (106) grade IV injury (77.5% men [44.94 +/- 20.6 years]).
      The main patterns of injury were high- speed accidents and falls (78.0% [n =
      640], 21.8% [n = 171] respectively). Significant differences between grade I and
      grade II/III as well as IV injuries could be assessed for the incidence of
      cardiopulmonary resuscitation, a Glasgow Coma Scale score below 8 and a systolic
      blood pressure below 90 mmHg (p-value: <0.001). In the primary admission
      subgroup, 44.1% (197/447) of the patients received best medical treatment, 55.9%
      received surgical intervention (250/447): Thereof 37.2% (93/250) received open
      surgery and 62.8% (147/250) had been treated by endovascular means. Significantly
      lower 24-h- and in-hospital-mortality rates were encountered after endovascular
      treatment for all gradings of BTAI (p-value: <0.001). Yet this subgroup of
      patients showed the lowest incidence of further severe injuries and cardiac
      arrest. CONCLUSION: Endovascular therapy became the treatment of choice for BTAI
      in Germany. Patients who have been treated by surgical means showed the highest
      survival rate, especially endovascular therapy showed a favorable low mortality
      rate.

PMID- 28346476
TI  - Reduced dosage of beta-catenin provides significant rescue of cardiac outflow
      tract anomalies in a Tbx1 conditional null mouse model of 22q11.2 deletion
      syndrome.
AB  - The 22q11.2 deletion syndrome (22q11.2DS; velo-cardio-facial syndrome; DiGeorge
      syndrome) is a congenital anomaly disorder in which haploinsufficiency of TBX1,
      encoding a T-box transcription factor, is the major candidate for cardiac outflow
      tract (OFT) malformations. Inactivation of Tbx1 in the anterior heart field (AHF)
      mesoderm in the mouse results in premature expression of pro-differentiation
      genes and a persistent truncus arteriosus (PTA) in which septation does not form
      between the aorta and pulmonary trunk. Canonical Wnt/beta-catenin has major roles
      in cardiac OFT development that may act upstream of Tbx1. Consistent with an
      antagonistic relationship, we found the opposite gene expression changes occurred
      in the AHF in beta-catenin loss of function embryos compared to Tbx1 loss of
      function embryos, providing an opportunity to test for genetic rescue. When both
      alleles of Tbx1 and one allele of beta-catenin were inactivated in the Mef2c-AHF
      Cre domain, 61% of them (n = 34) showed partial or complete rescue of the PTA
      defect. Upregulated genes that were oppositely changed in expression in
      individual mutant embryos were normalized in significantly rescued embryos.
      Further, beta-catenin was increased in expression when Tbx1 was inactivated,
      suggesting that there may be a negative feedback loop between canonical Wnt and
      Tbx1 in the AHF to allow the formation of the OFT. We suggest that alteration of
      this balance may contribute to variable expressivity in 22q11.2DS.

PMID- 28346477
TI  - Disruption of SorCS2 reveals differences in the regulation of stereociliary
      bundle formation between hair cell types in the inner ear.
AB  - Behavioural anomalies suggesting an inner ear disorder were observed in a colony
      of transgenic mice. Affected animals were profoundly deaf. Severe hair bundle
      defects were identified in all outer and inner hair cells (OHC, IHC) in the
      cochlea and in hair cells of vestibular macular organs, but hair cells in cristae
      were essentially unaffected. Evidence suggested the disorder was likely due to
      gene disruption by a randomly inserted transgene construct. Whole-genome
      sequencing identified interruption of the SorCS2 (Sortilin-related VPS-10 domain
      containing protein) locus. Real-time-qPCR demonstrated disrupted expression of
      SorCS2 RNA in cochlear tissue from affected mice and this was confirmed by SorCS2
      immuno-labelling. In all affected hair cells, stereocilia were shorter than
      normal, but abnormalities of bundle morphology and organisation differed between
      hair cell types. Bundles on OHC were grossly misshapen with significantly fewer
      stereocilia than normal. However, stereocilia were organised in rows of
      increasing height. Bundles on IHC contained significantly more stereocilia than
      normal with some longer stereocilia towards the centre, or with minimal height
      differentials. In early postnatal mice, kinocilia (primary cilia) of IHC and of
      OHC were initially located towards the lateral edge of the hair cell surface but
      often became surrounded by stereocilia as bundle shape and apical surface contour
      changed. In macular organs the kinocilium was positioned in the centre of the
      cell surface throughout maturation. There was disruption of the signalling
      pathway controlling intrinsic hair cell apical asymmetry. LGN and Galphai3 were
      largely absent, and atypical Protein Kinase C (aPKC) lost its asymmetric
      distribution. The results suggest that SorCS2 plays a role upstream of the
      intrinsic polarity pathway and that there are differences between hair cell types
      in the deployment of the machinery that generates a precisely organised hair
      bundle.

PMID- 28346480
TI  - Stationarity of the inter-event power-law distributions.
AB  - A number of human activities exhibit a bursty pattern, namely periods of very
      high activity that are followed by rest periods. Records of these processes
      generate time series of events whose inter-event times follow a probability
      distribution that displays a fat tail. The grounds for such phenomenon are not
      yet clearly understood. In the present work we use the freely available
      Wikipedia's editing records to unravel some features of this phenomenon. We show
      that even though the probability to start editing is conditioned by the circadian
      24 hour cycle, the conditional probability for the time interval between
      successive edits at a given time of the day is independent from the latter. We
      confirm our findings with the activity of posting on the social network Twitter.
      Our results suggest that there is an intrinsic humankind scheduling pattern:
      after overcoming the encumbrance of starting an activity, there is a robust
      distribution of new related actions, which does not depend on the time of day at
      which the activity started.

PMID- 28346478
TI  - Association of eNOS and Cav-1 gene polymorphisms with susceptibility risk of
      large artery atherosclerotic stroke.
AB  - Endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS) is localized in caveole and has
      important effects on caveolar coordination through its interaction with caveolin
      1 (Cav-1), which supports normal functioning of vascular endothelial cells.
      However, the relationship between genotypic polymorphisms of e-NOS and Cav-1
      genes and ischemic stroke (IS) remains lesser reported. This hospital-based case
      control study aimed to determine the genetic polymorphisms of the eNOS
      (Glu298Asp) and Cav-1 (G14713A and T29107A) genes in association with
      susceptibility risk in patients who had suffered from a large artery
      atherosclerotic (LAA) stroke. Genotyping determination for these variant alleles
      was performed using the TaqMan assay. The distributions of observed allelic and
      genotypic frequencies for the polymorphisms were in Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium in
      healthy controls. The risk for an LAA stroke in the Asp298 variant was 1.72 (95%
      CI = 1.09-2.75) versus Glu298 of the eNOS. In the GA/AA (rs3807987) variant, it
      was 1.79 (95% CI = 1.16-2.74) versus GG and in TA/AA (rs7804372) was 1.61 (95% CI
      = 1.06-2.43) versus TT of the Cav-1, respectively. A tendency toward an increased
      LAA stroke risk was significant in carriers with the eNOS Glu298Asp variant in
      conjunction with the G14713 A and T29107A polymorphisms of the Cav-1 (aOR = 2.03,
      P-trend = 0.002). A synergistic effect between eNOS and Cav-1 polymorphisms on IS
      risk elevation was significantly influenced by alcohol drinking, heavy cigarette
      smoking (P-trend<0.01), and hypercholesterolemia (P-trend < 0.001). In
      conclusion, genotypic polymorphisms of the eNOS Glu298Asp and Cav-1 14713A/29107A
      polymorphisms are associated with the elevated risk of LAA stroke among Han
      Chinese in Taiwan.

PMID- 28346479
TI  - Rare variants in fox-1 homolog A (RBFOX1) are associated with lower blood
      pressure.
AB  - Many large genome-wide association studies (GWAS) have identified common blood
      pressure (BP) variants. However, most of the identified BP variants do not
      overlap with the linkage evidence observed from family studies. We thus
      hypothesize that multiple rare variants contribute to the observed linkage
      evidence. We performed linkage analysis using 517 individuals in 130 European
      families from the Cleveland Family Study (CFS) who have been genotyped on the
      Illumina OmniExpress Exome array. The largest linkage peak was observed on
      chromosome 16p13 (MLOD = 2.81) for systolic blood pressure (SBP). Follow-up
      conditional linkage and association analyses in the linkage region identified
      multiple rare, coding variants in RBFOX1 associated with reduced SBP. In a 17
      member CFS family, carriers of the missense variant rs149974858 are normotensive
      despite being obese (average BMI = 60 kg/m2). Gene-based association test of rare
      variants using SKAT-O showed significant association with SBP (p-value = 0.00403)
      and DBP (p-value = 0.0258) in the CFS participants and the association was
      replicated in large independent replication studies (N = 57,234, p-value = 0.013
      for SBP, 0.0023 for PP). RBFOX1 is expressed in brain tissues, the atrial
      appendage and left ventricle in the heart, and in skeletal muscle tissues,
      organs/tissues which are potentially related to blood pressure. Our study showed
      that associations of rare variants could be efficiently detected using family
      information.

PMID- 28346481
TI  - Edaravone protects against hyperosmolarity-induced oxidative stress and apoptosis
      in primary human corneal epithelial cells.
AB  - An increase in the osmolarity of tears induced by excessive evaporation of the
      aqueous tear phase is a major pathological mechanism behind dry eye. Exposure of
      epithelial cells on the surface of the human eye to hyperosmolarity leads to
      oxidative stress, mitochondrial dysfunction, and apoptosis. Edaravone, a hydroxyl
      radical scavenging agent, is clinically used to reduce neuronal damage following
      ischemic stroke. In this study, we found that treatment with hyperosmotic media
      at 400 and 450 mOsM increased the levels of ROS and mitochondrial oxidative
      damage, which were ameliorated by edaravone treatment in a dose-dependent manner.
      We also found that edaravone could improve mitochondrial function in HCEpiCs by
      increasing the levels of ATP and mitochondrial membrane potential. MTT and LDH
      assays indicated that edaravone could attenuate hyperosmolarity-induced cell
      death. It was found that edaravone prevented apoptosis by decreasing the level of
      cleaved caspase-3, and attenuating the release of cytochrome C. Mechanistically,
      we found that edaravone augmented the expression of Nrf2 and its target genes,
      such as HO-1, GPx-1, and GCLC.

PMID- 28346482
TI  - 24S-hydroxycholesterol and 25-hydroxycholesterol differentially impact
      hippocampal neuronal survival following oxygen-glucose deprivation.
AB  - N-methyl-D-aspartate receptors (NMDARs), a major subtype of glutamate receptor
      mediating excitatory transmission throughout the CNS, participate in ischemia
      induced neuronal death. Unfortunately, undesired side effects have limited the
      strategy of inhibiting/blocking NMDARs as therapy. Targeting endogenous positive
      allosteric modulators of NMDAR function may offer a strategy with fewer
      downsides. Here, we explored whether 24S-hydroxycholesterol (24S-HC), an
      endogenous positive NMDAR modulator characterized recently by our group,
      participates in NMDAR-mediated excitotoxicity following oxygen-glucose
      deprivation (OGD) in primary neuron cultures. 24S-HC is the major brain
      cholesterol metabolite produced exclusively in neurons near sites of glutamate
      transmission. By selectively potentiating NMDAR current, 24S-HC may participate
      in NMDAR-mediated excitotoxicity following energy failure, thus impacting
      recovery after stroke. In support of this hypothesis, our findings indicate that
      exogenous application of 24S-HC exacerbates NMDAR-dependent excitotoxicity in
      primary neuron culture following OGD, an ischemic-like challenge. Similarly,
      enhancement of endogenous 24S-HC synthesis reduced survival rate. On the other
      hand, reducing endogenous 24S-HC synthesis alleviated OGD-induced cell death. We
      found that 25-HC, another oxysterol that antagonizes 24S-HC potentiation,
      partially rescued OGD-mediated cell death in the presence or absence of exogenous
      24S-HC application, and 25-HC exhibited NMDAR-dependent/24S-HC-dependent
      neuroprotection, as well as NMDAR-independent neuroprotection in rat tissue but
      not mouse tissue. Our findings suggest that both endogenous and exogenous 24S-HC
      exacerbate OGD-induced damage via NMDAR activation, while 25-HC exhibits species
      dependent neuroprotection through both NMDAR-dependent and independent
      mechanisms.

PMID- 28346483
TI  - Effect of miR-146 targeted HDMCP up-regulation in the pathogenesis of
      nonalcoholic steatohepatitis.
AB  - BACKGROUNDS/AIMS: Mitochondrial dysfunction plays an important role inthe
      pathogenesis of nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH), where uncoupling protein
      (UCP) is actively involved. We previously reported the uncoupling activity of
      HDMCP and its role in liver steatosis. We now aim to investigate the degree and
      therapeutic effect of HDMCP in NASH and the regulatory role of miR-146 on HDMCP.
      METHODS: NASH animal model was established by feeding BALB/c mice with MCD diet
      while L02 cell was cultured with high concentration of fatty acid (HFFA) for 72h
      to mimic the steatosis and inflammation of NASH in-vitro appearance. The
      steatosis level was assessed by H-E/oil-red staining and serum/supernatant marker
      detection. The inflammation activity was evaluated by levels of Hepatic activity
      index, transwell, apoptosis degree (TUNEL/flow cytometry) and serum/supernatant
      marker. HDMCP level was detected by western blot and miRNA expression was tested
      by qRT-PCR. NASH severity change was recorded after RNA interference while the
      regulatory role of miR-146 on HDMCP was confirmed by dual luciferase report
      system. The H2O2 and ATP levels were measured for mechanism exploration. RESULTS:
      Increased HDMCP expression was identified in NASH animal model and HFFA-72h
      cultured L02 cell. Moreover, under regulation of miR-146, NASH alleviation was
      achieved after HDMCP downregulation in both in vivo and in vitro, according to
      the declination of steatosis and inflammation related markers. Though H2O2 and
      ATP levels were increased and decreased in NASH models, HDMCP down regulation
      both increased their levels. CONCLUSIONS: The miR-146-HDMCP-ATP/H2O2 pathway may
      provide novel mechanism and treatment option for NASH.

PMID- 28346484
TI  - A Neighborhood-Wide Association Study (NWAS): Example of prostate cancer
      aggressiveness.
AB  - PURPOSE: Cancer results from complex interactions of multiple variables at the
      biologic, individual, and social levels. Compared to other levels, social effects
      that occur geospatially in neighborhoods are not as well-studied, and empiric
      methods to assess these effects are limited. We propose a novel Neighborhood-Wide
      Association Study(NWAS), analogous to genome-wide association studies(GWAS), that
      utilizes high-dimensional computing approaches from biology to comprehensively
      and empirically identify neighborhood factors associated with disease. METHODS:
      Pennsylvania Cancer Registry data were linked to U.S. Census data. In a
      successively more stringent multiphase approach, we evaluated the association
      between neighborhood (n = 14,663 census variables) and prostate cancer
      aggressiveness(PCA) with n = 6,416 aggressive (Stage>=3/Gleason grade>=7 cases)
      vs. n = 70,670 non-aggressive (Stage<3/Gleason grade<7) cases in White men.
      Analyses accounted for age, year of diagnosis, spatial correlation, and multiple
      testing. We used generalized estimating equations in Phase 1 and Bayesian mixed
      effects models in Phase 2 to calculate odds ratios(OR) and confidence/credible
      intervals(CI). In Phase 3, principal components analysis grouped correlated
      variables. RESULTS: We identified 17 new neighborhood variables associated with
      PCA. These variables represented income, housing, employment, immigration, access
      to care, and social support. The top hits or most significant variables related
      to transportation (OR = 1.05;CI = 1.001-1.09) and poverty (OR = 1.07;CI = 1.01
      1.12). CONCLUSIONS: This study introduces the application of high-dimensional,
      computational methods to large-scale, publically-available geospatial data.
      Although NWAS requires further testing, it is hypothesis-generating and addresses
      gaps in geospatial analysis related to empiric assessment. Further, NWAS could
      have broad implications for many diseases and future precision medicine studies
      focused on multilevel risk factors of disease.

PMID- 28346485
TI  - Identification and discrimination of Toxoplasma gondii, Sarcocystis spp.,
      Neospora spp., and Cryptosporidium spp. by righ-resolution melting analysis.
AB  - The objective of this study was to standardize the high-resolution melting method
      for identification and discrimination of Toxoplasma gondii, Sarcocystis spp.,
      Neospora spp., and Cryptosporidium spp. by amplification of 18S ribosomal DNA
      (rDNA) using a single primer pair. The analyses were performed on individual
      reactions (containing DNA from a single species of a protozoan), on duplex
      reactions (containing DNA from two species of protozoa in each reaction), and on
      a multiplex reaction (containing DNA of four parasites in a single reaction). The
      proposed method allowed us to identify and discriminate the four species by
      analyzing the derivative, normalized, and difference melting curves, with high
      reproducibility among and within the experiments, as demonstrated by low
      coefficients of variation (less than 2.2% and 2.0%, respectively). This is the
      first study where this method is used for discrimination of these four species of
      protozoa in a single reaction.

PMID- 28346486
TI  - GREM1 is expressed in the cancer-associated myofibroblasts of basal cell
      carcinomas.
AB  - Cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) play important roles in cancer progression
      through their complex interactions with cancer cells. The secreted bone
      morphogenetic protein antagonist, gremlin1 (GREM1) is expressed by the CAFs of
      basal cell carcinomas (BCCs), and promotes the growth of cancer cells. In this
      study, we investigated the expression of GREM1 mRNAs in various benign and
      malignant skin tumors, including various BCC subtypes. Analysis by RNA in situ
      hybridization (ISH) revealed that fibroblasts in the scar tissue expressed GREM1
      and alpha-smooth muscle actin (alpha-SMA), whereas resident fibroblasts in the
      dermis of the normal skin did not express GREM1. Real-time polymerase chain
      reaction analysis showed significantly higher GREM1 expression in skin cancers
      and pilomatricomas (PMCs) than in other benign skin tumors. Tissue microarrays
      analyzed by RNA ISH for GREM1 expression also demonstrated that 23% of BCCs, 42%
      of squamous cell carcinomas, 20% of melanomas, and 90% of PMCs were positive for
      GREM1 expression, whereas trichoepitheliomas, eccrine poromas, hidradenomas, and
      spiradenomas were negative for GREM1 expression. Most BCCs that were GREM1
      expression positive were of desmoplastic or mixed subtypes, and GREM1 expression
      was localized to activated myofibroblasts at the tumoral-stromal interface.
      Interestingly, most PMCs harbored GREM1-expressing fibroblasts, probably because
      of the inflammatory responses caused by foreign body reactions to keratin.
      Additionally, in BCCs, stromal GREM1 expression had a strong correlation with
      CD10 expression. In conclusion, GREM1 is frequently expressed by myofibroblasts
      in scars or in the stroma of basal cell carcinomas, suggesting that GREM1
      expression can be a marker for activated myofibroblasts in the cancer stroma or
      in scar tissue.

PMID- 28346487
TI  - ML2Motif-Reliable extraction of discriminative sequence motifs from learning
      machines.
AB  - High prediction accuracies are not the only objective to consider when solving
      problems using machine learning. Instead, particular scientific applications
      require some explanation of the learned prediction function. For computational
      biology, positional oligomer importance matrices (POIMs) have been successfully
      applied to explain the decision of support vector machines (SVMs) using weighted
      degree (WD) kernels. To extract relevant biological motifs from POIMs, the
      motifPOIM method has been devised and showed promising results on real-world
      data. Our contribution in this paper is twofold: as an extension to POIMs, we
      propose gPOIM, a general measure of feature importance for arbitrary learning
      machines and feature sets (including, but not limited to, SVMs and CNNs) and
      devise a sampling strategy for efficient computation. As a second contribution,
      we derive a convex formulation of motifPOIMs that leads to more reliable motif
      extraction from gPOIMs. Empirical evaluations confirm the usefulness of our
      approach on artificially generated data as well as on real-world datasets.

PMID- 28346488
TI  - Comparison of chest CT findings in nontuberculous mycobacterial diseases vs.
      Mycobacterium tuberculosis lung disease in HIV-negative patients with cavities.
AB  - OBJECTIVES: This article focuses on the differences between CT findings of HIV
      negative patients who have cavities with nontuberculous mycobacteria (NTM)
      disease and those with Mycobacterium tuberculosis infections (TB). METHODS: We
      retrospectively reviewed 128 NTM disease patients (79 males and 49 females) with
      cavities in chest CT, matched for age and gender with 128 TB patients in the same
      period. Sputum cultures of all patients were positive for pathogens. Two
      independent chest radiologists evaluated the characteristics of the largest
      cavity and related factors. RESULTS: Interobserver agreement was excellent (kappa
      value, 0.853-0.938). Cavity walls in NTM disease were significantly thinner
      (6.9+/-4 mm vs 10.9+/-6 mm, P<0.001) and more even (the ratio of thickness, 2.6+/
      1 vs 3.7+/-2, P<0.001) than those in TB. The thickening of adjacent pleura next
      to the cavity was also significantly thicker in NTM than TB (P<0.001). However,
      in the multivariate analysis, thickening of adjacent pleura was the only
      significant factor among the representative cavity findings (Odds ratio [OR],
      6.49; P<0.001). In addition, ill-defined tree-in-bud nodules (OR, 8.82; P<0.001),
      number of non-cavitary nodules (>=10mm) (OR, 0.72; P = 0.003), and bronchiectasis
      in the RUL (OR, 5.3; P = 0.002) were significantly associated ancillary findings
      with NTM disease in the multivariate analysis. CONCLUSIONS: The major cavities in
      NTM disease generally have thinner and more even walls than those in TB. When
      cavities are associated with adjacent pleural thickening, ill-defined satellite
      tree-in-bud nodules, or fewer non-cavitary nodules >=10 mm, these CT findings are
      highly suggestive of NTM disease rather than TB.

PMID- 28346489
TI  - Gonadotropin-releasing hormone receptor (Gnrhr) gene knock out: Normal growth and
      development of sensory, motor and spatial orientation behavior but altered
      metabolism in neonatal and prepubertal mice.
AB  - Gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) is important in the control of
      reproduction, but its actions in non-reproductive processes are less well known.
      In this study we examined the effect of disrupting the GnRH receptor in mice to
      determine if growth, metabolism or behaviors that are not associated with
      reproduction were affected. To minimize the effects of other hormones such as
      FSH, LH and sex steroids, the neonatal-prepubertal period of 2 to 28 days of age
      was selected. The study shows that regardless of sex or phenotype in the Gnrhr
      gene knockout line, there was no significant difference in the daily development
      of motor control, sensory detection or spatial orientation among the wildtype,
      heterozygous or null mice. This included a series of behavioral tests for touch,
      vision, hearing, spatial orientation, locomotory behavior and muscle strength.
      Neither the daily body weight nor the final weight on day 28 of the kidney, liver
      and thymus relative to body weight varied significantly in any group. However by
      day 28, metabolic changes in the GnRH null females compared with wildtype females
      showed a significant reduction in inguinal fat pad weight normalized to body
      weight; this was accompanied by an increase in glucose compared with wildtype
      females shown by Student-Newman-Keuls Multiple Comparison test and Student's
      unpaired t tests. Our studies show that the GnRH-GnRHR system is not essential
      for growth or motor/sensory/orientation behavior during the first month of life
      prior to puberty onset. The lack of the GnRH-GnRHR axis, however, did affect
      females resulting in reduced subcutaneous inguinal fat pad weight and increased
      glucose with possible insulin resistance; the loss of the normal rise of
      estradiol at postnatal days 15-28 may account for the altered metabolism in the
      prepubertal female pups.

PMID- 28346490
TI  - Effect of HIV and malaria parasites co-infection on immune-hematological profiles
      among patients attending anti-retroviral treatment (ART) clinic in Infectious
      Disease Hospital Kano, Nigeria.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and malaria co-infection may
      present worse health outcomes in the tropics. Information on HIV/malaria co
      infection effect on immune-hematological profiles is critical for patient care
      and there is a paucity of such data in Nigeria. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate immune
      hematological profiles among HIV infected patients compared to HIV/malaria co
      infected for ART management improvement. METHODS: This was a cross sectional
      study conducted at Infectious Disease Hospital, Kano. A total of 761 consenting
      adults attending ART clinic were randomly selected and recruited between June and
      December 2015. Participants' characteristics and clinical details including two
      previous CD4 counts were collected. Venous blood sample (4ml) was collected in
      EDTA tube for malaria parasite diagnosis by rapid test and confirmed with
      microscopy. Hematological profiles were analyzed by Sysmex XP-300 and CD4 count
      by Cyflow cytometry. Data was analyzed with SPSS 22.0 using Chi-Square test for
      association between HIV/malaria parasites co-infection with age groups, gender,
      ART, cotrimoxazole and usage of treated bed nets. Mean hematological profiles by
      HIV/malaria co-infection and HIV only were compared using independent t-test and
      mean CD4 count tested by mixed design repeated measures ANOVA. Statistical
      significant difference at probability of <0.05 was considered for all variables.
      RESULTS: Of the 761 HIV infected, 64% were females, with a mean age of +/- (SD)
      37.30 (10.4) years. Prevalence of HIV/malaria co-infection was 27.7% with
      Plasmodium falciparum specie accounting for 99.1%. No statistical significant
      difference was observed between HIV/malaria co-infection in association to age (p
      = 0.498) and gender (p = 0.789). A significantly (p = 0.026) higher prevalence
      (35.2%) of co-infection was observed among non-ART patients compared to (26%) ART
      patients. Prevalence of co-infection was significantly lower (20.0%) among
      cotrimoxazole users compared to those not on cotrimoxazole (37%). The same
      significantly lower co-infection prevalence (22.5%) was observed among treated
      bed net users compared to those not using treated bed nets (42.9%) (p = 0.001).
      Out of 16 hematology profiles evaluated, six showed significant difference
      between the two groups (i) packed cell volume (p = <0.001), (ii) mean cell volume
      (p = 0.005), (iii) mean cell hemoglobin concentration (p = 0.011), (iv) absolute
      lymphocyte count (p = 0.022), (v) neutrophil percentage count (p = 0.020) and
      (vi) platelets distribution width (p = <0.001). Current mean CD4 count cell/MUl
      (349+/-12) was significantly higher in HIV infected only compared to co-infected
      (306+/-17), (p = 0.035). A significantly lower mean CD4 count (234.6 +/- 6.9) was
      observed among respondents on ART compared to non-ART (372.5 +/- 13.2), p<0.001,
      mean difference = -137.9). CONCLUSION: The study revealed a high burden of HIV
      and malaria co-infection among the studied population. Co-infection was
      significantly lower among patients who use treated bed nets as well as
      cotrimoxazole chemotherapy and ART. Six hematological indices differed
      significantly between the two groups. Malaria and HIV co-infection significantly
      reduces CD4 count. In general, to achieve better management of all HIV patients
      in this setting, diagnosing malaria, prompt antiretroviral therapy, monitoring
      CD4 and some hematology indices on regular basis is critical.

PMID- 28346492
TI  - Dual energy X-ray absorptiometry body composition reference values of limbs and
      trunk from NHANES 1999-2004 with additional visualization methods.
AB  - Body Mass Index has traditionally been used as a measure of health, but Fat Mass
      Index (FMI) and Lean Mass Index (LMI) have been shown to be more predictive of
      mortality and health risk. Total body FMI and LMI reference curves have
      particularly been useful in quantifying sarcopenia and sarcopenic obesity.
      Research has shown regional composition has significant associations to health
      outcomes. We derived FMI and LMI reference curves of the regions of the body
      (leg, arm, and trunk) for 15,908 individuals in the 1999-2004 National Health and
      Nutrition Examination Survey data for each sex and ethnicity using the Lambda-Mu
      Sigma (LMS) method and developed software to visualize this regional composition.
      These reference curves displayed differentiation between males and females during
      puberty and sharper limb LMI declines during late adulthood for males. For adults
      ages 30-50, females had 39%, 83%, and 47% larger arm, leg, and trunk FMI values
      than males, respectively. Males had 49%, 20%, and 15% higher regional LMI values
      than females for the arms, legs, and trunk respectively. The leg FMI and LMI of
      black females were 14% and 15% higher respectively than those of Hispanic and
      white females. White and Hispanic males had 37% higher trunk FMI values than
      black males. Hispanic females had 20% higher trunk FMI than white and black
      females. These data underscore the importance of accounting for sex and ethnicity
      in studies of regional composition. This study is the first to produce regional
      LMI and FMI reference tables and curves from the NHANES dataset. These reference
      curves provide a framework useful in studies and research involving sarcopenia,
      obesity, sarcopenic obesity, and other studies of compositional phenotypes.
      Further, the software tool we provide for visualizing regional composition will
      prove useful in monitoring progress in physical therapy, diets, or other attempts
      to attain healthier compositions.

PMID- 28346494
TI  - The effects of surface structure mutations in Arabidopsis thaliana on the
      polarization of reflections from virus-infected leaves.
AB  - The way in which light is polarized when reflected from leaves can be affected by
      infection with plant viruses. This has the potential to influence viral
      transmission by insect vectors due to altered visual attractiveness of infected
      plants. The optical and topological properties of cuticular waxes and trichomes
      are important determinants of how light is polarized upon reflection. Changes in
      expression of genes involved in the formation of surface structures have also
      been reported following viral infection. This paper investigates the role of
      altered surface structures in virus-induced changes to polarization reflection
      from leaves. The percentage polarization of reflections from Arabidopsis thaliana
      cer5, cer6 and cer8 wax synthesis mutants, and the gl1 leaf hair mutant, was
      compared to those from wild-type (WT) leaves. The cer5 mutant leaves were less
      polarizing than WT on the adaxial and abaxial surfaces; gl1 leaves were more
      polarizing than WT on the adaxial surfaces. The cer6 and cer8 mutations did not
      significantly affect polarization reflection. The impacts of Turnip vein clearing
      virus (TVCV) infection on the polarization of reflected light were significantly
      affected by cer5 mutation, with the reflections from cer5 mutants being higher
      than those from WT leaves, suggesting that changes in CER5 expression following
      infection could influence the polarization of the reflections. There was,
      however, no significant effect of the gl1 mutation on polarization following TVCV
      infection. The cer5 and gl1 mutations did not affect the changes in polarization
      following Cucumber mosaic virus (CMV) infection. The accumulation of TVCV and CMV
      did not differ significantly between mutant and WT leaves, suggesting that
      altered expression of surface structure genes does not significantly affect viral
      titres, raising the possibility that if such regulatory changes have any adaptive
      value it may possibly be through impacts on viral transmission.

PMID- 28346491
TI  - A genetic switch controls the production of flagella and toxins in Clostridium
      difficile.
AB  - In the human intestinal pathogen Clostridium difficile, flagella promote
      adherence to intestinal epithelial cells. Flagellar gene expression also
      indirectly impacts production of the glucosylating toxins, which are essential to
      diarrheal disease development. Thus, factors that regulate the expression of the
      flgB operon will likely impact toxin production in addition to flagellar
      motility. Here, we report the identification a "flagellar switch" that controls
      the phase variable production of flagella and glucosylating toxins. The flagellar
      switch, located upstream of the flgB operon containing the early stage flagellar
      genes, is a 154 bp invertible sequence flanked by 21 bp inverted repeats.
      Bacteria with the sequence in one orientation expressed flagellum and toxin
      genes, produced flagella, and secreted the toxins ("flg phase ON"). Bacteria with
      the sequence in the inverse orientation were attenuated for flagellar and toxin
      gene expression, were aflagellate, and showed decreased toxin secretion ("flg
      phase OFF"). The orientation of the flagellar switch is reversible during growth
      in vitro. We provide evidence that gene regulation via the flagellar switch
      occurs post-transcription initiation and requires a C. difficile-specific
      regulatory factor to destabilize or degrade the early flagellar gene mRNA when
      the flagellar switch is in the OFF orientation. Lastly, through mutagenesis and
      characterization of flagellar phase locked isolates, we determined that the
      tyrosine recombinase RecV, which catalyzes inversion at the cwpV switch, is also
      responsible for inversion at the flagellar switch in both directions. Phase
      variable flagellar motility and toxin production suggests that these important
      virulence factors have both advantageous and detrimental effects during the
      course of infection.

PMID- 28346493
TI  - Aberrant neuronal activity-induced signaling and gene expression in a mouse model
      of RASopathy.
AB  - Noonan syndrome (NS) is characterized by reduced growth, craniofacial
      abnormalities, congenital heart defects, and variable cognitive deficits. NS
      belongs to the RASopathies, genetic conditions linked to mutations in components
      and regulators of the Ras signaling pathway. Approximately 50% of NS cases are
      caused by mutations in PTPN11. However, the molecular mechanisms underlying
      cognitive impairments in NS patients are still poorly understood. Here, we report
      the generation and characterization of a new conditional mouse strain that
      expresses the overactive Ptpn11D61Y allele only in the forebrain. Unlike mice
      with a global expression of this mutation, this strain is viable and without
      severe systemic phenotype, but shows lower exploratory activity and reduced
      memory specificity, which is in line with a causal role of disturbed neuronal
      Ptpn11 signaling in the development of NS-linked cognitive deficits. To explore
      the underlying mechanisms we investigated the neuronal activity-regulated Ras
      signaling in brains and neuronal cultures derived from this model. We observed an
      altered surface expression and trafficking of synaptic glutamate receptors, which
      are crucial for hippocampal neuronal plasticity. Furthermore, we show that the
      neuronal activity-induced ERK signaling, as well as the consecutive regulation of
      gene expression are strongly perturbed. Microarray-based hippocampal gene
      expression profiling revealed profound differences in the basal state and upon
      stimulation of neuronal activity. The neuronal activity-dependent gene regulation
      was strongly attenuated in Ptpn11D61Y neurons. In silico analysis of functional
      networks revealed changes in the cellular signaling beyond the dysregulation of
      Ras/MAPK signaling that is nearly exclusively discussed in the context of NS at
      present. Importantly, changes in PI3K/AKT/mTOR and JAK/STAT signaling were
      experimentally confirmed. In summary, this study uncovers aberrant neuronal
      activity-induced signaling and regulation of gene expression in Ptpn11D61Y mice
      and suggests that these deficits contribute to the pathophysiology of cognitive
      impairments in NS.

PMID- 28346495
TI  - The incidence and prevalence of pterygium in South Korea: A 10-year population
      based Korean cohort study.
AB  - Although numerous population-based studies have reported the prevalences and risk
      factors for pterygium, information regarding the incidence of pterygium is
      scarce. This population-based cohort study aimed to evaluate the South Korean
      incidence and prevalence of pterygium. We retrospectively obtained data from a
      nationally representative sample of 1,116,364 South Koreans in the Korea National
      Health Insurance Service National Sample Cohort (NHIS-NSC). The associated
      sociodemographic factors were evaluated using multivariable Cox regression
      analysis, and the hazard ratios and confidence intervals were calculated.
      Pterygium was defined based on the Korean Classification of Diseases code, and
      surgically removed pterygium was defined as cases that required surgical removal.
      We identified 21,465 pterygium cases and 8,338 surgically removed pterygium cases
      during the study period. The overall incidences were 2.1 per 1,000 person-years
      for pterygium and 0.8 per 1,000 person-years for surgically removed pterygium.
      Among subjects who were >=40 years old, the incidences were 4.3 per 1,000 person
      years for pterygium and 1.7 per 1,000 person-years for surgically removed
      pterygium. The overall prevalences were 1.9% for pterygium and 0.6% for
      surgically removed pterygium, and the prevalences increased to 3.8% for pterygium
      and 1.4% for surgically removed pterygium among subjects who were >=40 years old.
      The incidences of pterygium decreased according to year. The incidence and
      prevalence of pterygium were highest among 60-79-year-old individuals. Increasing
      age, female sex, and living in a relatively rural area were associated with
      increased risks of pterygium and surgically removed pterygium in the
      multivariable Cox regression analysis. Our analyses of South Korean national
      insurance claims data revealed a decreasing trend in the incidence of pterygium
      during the study period.

PMID- 28346497
TI  - Determinants of infant nutritional status in Dabat district, North Gondar,
      Ethiopia: A case control study.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Malnutrition is the top cause of global burden of disease, disability
      and mortality among infants. Over two-thirds of deaths of children globally occur
      during the first year of life (infancy). Malnutrition among infants is
      substantially high in Ethiopia. Therefore, this study is aimed to assess
      determinants of infant nutritional status. METHODS: A community based nested case
      control study was conducted from February to June 2013 in Dabat district. A total
      of 80 cases and 320 controls (1:4 ratios) were studied. Relevant data was
      extracted from the community based survey data set. Anthroplus software was used
      to identify cases and controls. Determinants of infant nutritional status were
      identified using multivariate analysis. RESULTS: Among the total of 80 cases and
      320 controls, more than half (52.5%) of the cases and the controls (53.8%) were
      males and females, respectively. Breast Feeding (BF) was started immediately
      after birth in only 43.8% of the cases. Nearly 94% of the mothers of the cases
      had no breast feeding information as part of Ante Natal Care (ANC) follow up.
      Maternal age (AOR: 0.29; 95% CI: 0.11-0.76), having radio (AOR: 0.43; 95% CI:
      0.22-0.82), lack of toilet facility (AOR: 2.24; 95% CI: 1.16-4.33), deprivation
      of colostrum (AOR: 1.76; 95% CI: 1.01-1.06) and method of complementary feeding
      (AOR: 2.82; 95% CI: 1.33-5.99) were associated with wasting. CONCLUSIONS: This
      study has found that inappropriate infant feeding; nutritional information gap
      and lack of toilet facility as significant predictors of malnutrition. Hence,
      joint interventions, including counseling of mothers about benefits of colostrum
      feeding and use of appropriate feeding method, toilet utilization and mass media
      such as radio possession, are needed to address the problem in Dabat district.

PMID- 28346499
TI  - A farm-level precision land management framework based on integer programming.
AB  - Farmland management involves several planning and decision making tasks including
      seed selection and irrigation management. A farm-level precision farmland
      management model based on mixed integer linear programming is proposed in this
      study. Optimal decisions are designed for pre-season planning of crops and
      irrigation water allocation. The model captures the effect of size and shape of
      decision scale as well as special irrigation patterns. The authors illustrate the
      model with a case study on a farm in the state of California in the U.S. and show
      the model can capture the impact of precision farm management on profitability.
      The results show that threefold increase of annual net profit for farmers could
      be achieved by carefully choosing irrigation and seed selection. Although farmers
      could increase profits by applying precision management to seed or irrigation
      alone, profit increase is more significant if farmers apply precision management
      on seed and irrigation simultaneously. The proposed model can also serve as a
      risk analysis tool for farmers facing seasonal irrigation water limits as well as
      a quantitative tool to explore the impact of precision agriculture.

PMID- 28346498
TI  - Characteristics of seasonal influenza A and B in Latin America: Influenza
      surveillance data from ten countries.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: The increased availability of influenza surveillance data in recent
      years justifies an actual and more complete overview of influenza epidemiology in
      Latin America. We compared the influenza surveillance systems and assessed the
      epidemiology of influenza A and B, including the spatio-temporal patterns of
      influenza epidemics, in ten countries and sub-national regions in Latin America.
      METHODS: We aggregated the data by year and country and characteristics of eighty
      two years were analysed. We calculated the median proportion of laboratory
      confirmed influenza cases caused by each virus strain, and compared the timing
      and amplitude of the primary and secondary peaks between countries. RESULTS:
      37,087 influenza cases were reported during 2004-2012. Influenza A and B
      accounted for a median of 79% and, respectively, 21% of cases in a year. The
      percentage of influenza A cases that were subtyped was 82.5%; for influenza B,
      15.6% of cases were characterized. Influenza A and B were dominant in seventy
      five (91%) and seven (9%) years, respectively. In half (51%) of the influenza A
      years, influenza A(H3N2) was dominant, followed by influenza A(H1N1)pdm2009 (41%)
      and pre-pandemic A(H1N1) (8%). The primary peak of influenza activity was in June
      September in temperate climate countries, with little or no secondary peak.
      Tropical climate countries had smaller primary peaks taking place in different
      months and frequently detectable secondary peaks. CONCLUSIONS: We found that good
      influenza surveillance data exists in Latin America, although improvements can
      still be made (e.g. a better characterization of influenza B specimens); that
      influenza B plays a considerable role in the seasonal influenza burden; and that
      there is substantial heterogeneity of spatio-temporal patterns of influenza
      epidemics. To improve the effectiveness of influenza control measures in Latin
      America, tropical climate countries may need to develop innovative prevention
      strategies specifically tailored to the spatio-temporal patterns of influenza in
      this region.

PMID- 28346500
TI  - Night-time lights: A global, long term look at links to socio-economic trends.
AB  - We use a parallelized spatial analytics platform to process the twenty-one year
      totality of the longest-running time series of night-time lights data-the Defense
      Meteorological Satellite Program (DMSP) dataset-surpassing the narrower scope of
      prior studies to assess changes in area lit of countries globally. Doing so
      allows a retrospective look at the global, long-term relationships between night
      time lights and a series of socio-economic indicators. We find the strongest
      correlations with electricity consumption, CO2 emissions, and GDP, followed by
      population, CH4 emissions, N2O emissions, poverty (inverse) and F-gas emissions.
      Relating area lit to electricity consumption shows that while a basic linear
      model provides a good statistical fit, regional and temporal trends are found to
      have a significant impact.

PMID- 28346496
TI  - Overlapping SETBP1 gain-of-function mutations in Schinzel-Giedion syndrome and
      hematologic malignancies.
AB  - Schinzel-Giedion syndrome (SGS) is a rare developmental disorder characterized by
      multiple malformations, severe neurological alterations and increased risk of
      malignancy. SGS is caused by de novo germline mutations clustering to a 12bp
      hotspot in exon 4 of SETBP1. Mutations in this hotspot disrupt a degron, a signal
      for the regulation of protein degradation, and lead to the accumulation of SETBP1
      protein. Overlapping SETBP1 hotspot mutations have been observed recurrently as
      somatic events in leukemia. We collected clinical information of 47 SGS patients
      (including 26 novel cases) with germline SETBP1 mutations and of four individuals
      with a milder phenotype caused by de novo germline mutations adjacent to the
      SETBP1 hotspot. Different mutations within and around the SETBP1 hotspot have
      varying effects on SETBP1 stability and protein levels in vitro and in in silico
      modeling. Substitutions in SETBP1 residue I871 result in a weak increase in
      protein levels and mutations affecting this residue are significantly more
      frequent in SGS than in leukemia. On the other hand, substitutions in residue
      D868 lead to the largest increase in protein levels. Individuals with germline
      mutations affecting D868 have enhanced cell proliferation in vitro and higher
      incidence of cancer compared to patients with other germline SETBP1 mutations.
      Our findings substantiate that, despite their overlap, somatic SETBP1 mutations
      driving malignancy are more disruptive to the degron than germline SETBP1
      mutations causing SGS. Additionally, this suggests that the functional threshold
      for the development of cancer driven by the disruption of the SETBP1 degron is
      higher than for the alteration in prenatal development in SGS. Drawing on
      previous studies of somatic SETBP1 mutations in leukemia, our results reveal a
      genotype-phenotype correlation in germline SETBP1 mutations spanning a molecular,
      cellular and clinical phenotype.

PMID- 28346501
TI  - A tissue-specific role for intraflagellar transport genes during craniofacial
      development.
AB  - Primary cilia are nearly ubiquitous, cellular projections that function to
      transduce molecular signals during development. Loss of functional primary cilia
      has a particularly profound effect on the developing craniofacial complex,
      causing several anomalies including craniosynostosis, micrognathia, midfacial
      dysplasia, cleft lip/palate and oral/dental defects. Development of the
      craniofacial complex is an intricate process that requires interactions between
      several different tissues including neural crest cells, neuroectoderm and surface
      ectoderm. To understand the tissue-specific requirements for primary cilia during
      craniofacial development we conditionally deleted three separate intraflagellar
      transport genes, Kif3a, Ift88 and Ttc21b with three distinct drivers, Wnt1-Cre,
      Crect and AP2-Cre which drive recombination in neural crest, surface ectoderm
      alone, and neural crest, surface ectoderm and neuroectoderm, respectively. We
      found that tissue-specific conditional loss of ciliary genes with different
      functions produces profoundly different facial phenotypes. Furthermore, analysis
      of basic cellular behaviors in these mutants suggests that loss of primary cilia
      in a distinct tissue has unique effects on development of adjacent tissues.
      Together, these data suggest specific spatiotemporal roles for intraflagellar
      transport genes and the primary cilium during craniofacial development.

PMID- 28346503
TI  - External validity of randomized controlled trials in older adults, a systematic
      review.
AB  - BACKGROUND: To critically assess the external validity of randomized controlled
      trials (RCTs) it is important to know what older adults have been enrolled in the
      trials. The aim of this systematic review is to study what proportion of trials
      specifically designed for older patients report on somatic status, physical and
      mental functioning, social environment and frailty in the patient
      characteristics. METHODS: PubMed was searched for articles published in 2012 and
      only RCTs were included. Articles were further excluded if not conducted with
      humans or only secondary analyses were reported. A random sample of 10% was
      drawn. The current review analyzed this random sample and further selected trials
      when the reported mean age was >= 60 years. We extracted geriatric assessments
      from the population descriptives or the in- and exclusion criteria. RESULTS: In
      total 1396 trials were analyzed and 300 trials included. The median of the
      reported mean age was 66 (IQR 63-70) and the median percentage of men in the
      trials was 60 (IQR 45-72). In 34% of the RCTs specifically designed for older
      patients somatic status, physical and mental functioning, social environment or
      frailty were reported in the population descriptives or the in- and exclusion
      criteria. Physical and mental functioning was reported most frequently (22% and
      14%). When selecting RCTs on a mean age of 70 or 80 years the report of geriatric
      assessments in the patient characteristics was 46% and 85% respectively but
      represent only 5% and 1% of the trials. CONCLUSION: Somatic status, physical and
      mental functioning, social environment and frailty are underreported even in RCTs
      specifically designed for older patients published in 2012. Therefore, it is
      unclear for clinicians to which older patients the results can be applied. We
      recommend systematic to transparently report these relevant characteristics of
      older participants included in RCTs.

PMID- 28346502
TI  - EBV induces persistent NF-kappaB activation and contributes to survival of EBV
      positive neoplastic T- or NK-cells.
AB  - Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) has been detected in several T- and NK-cell neoplasms
      such as extranodal NK/T-cell lymphoma nasal type, aggressive NK-cell leukemia,
      EBV-positive peripheral T-cell lymphoma, systemic EBV-positive T-cell lymphoma of
      childhood, and chronic active EBV infection (CAEBV). However, how this virus
      contributes to lymphomagenesis in T or NK cells remains largely unknown. Here, we
      examined NF-kappaB activation in EBV-positive T or NK cell lines, SNT8, SNT15,
      SNT16, SNK6, and primary EBV-positive and clonally proliferating T/NK cells
      obtained from the peripheral blood of patients with CAEBV. Western blotting,
      electrophoretic mobility shift assays, and immunofluorescent staining revealed
      persistent NF-kappaB activation in EBV-infected cell lines and primary cells from
      patients. Furthermore, we investigated the role of EBV in infected T cells. We
      performed an in vitro infection assay using MOLT4 cells infected with EBV. The
      infection directly induced NF-kappaB activation, promoted survival, and inhibited
      etoposide-induced apoptosis in MOLT4 cells. The luciferase assay suggested that
      LMP1 mediated NF-kappaB activation in MOLT4 cells. IMD-0354, a specific inhibitor
      of NF-kappaB that suppresses NF-kappaB activation in cell lines, inhibited cell
      survival and induced apoptosis. These results indicate that EBV induces NF-kappaB
      mediated survival signals in T and NK cells, and therefore, may contribute to the
      lymphomagenesis of these cells.

PMID- 28346504
TI  - Diagnostic accuracy of two multiplex real-time polymerase chain reaction assays
      for the diagnosis of meningitis in children in a resource-limited setting.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: Accurate etiological diagnosis of meningitis is important, but
      difficult in resource-limited settings due to prior administration of antibiotics
      and lack of viral diagnostics. We aimed to develop and validate 2 real-time
      multiplex PCR (RT-PCR) assays for the detection of common causes of community
      acquired bacterial and viral meningitis in South African children. METHODS: We
      developed 2 multiplex RT- PCRs for detection of S. pneumoniae, N. meningitidis,
      H. influenzae, enteroviruses, mumps virus and herpes simplex virus. We tested
      residual CSF samples from children presenting to a local paediatric hospital over
      a one-year period, whose CSF showed an abnormal cell count. Results were compared
      with routine diagnostic tests and the final discharge diagnosis. We calculated
      accuracy of the bacterial RT-PCR assay compared to CSF culture and using World
      Health Organisation definitions of laboratory-confirmed bacterial meningitis.
      RESULTS: From 292 samples, bacterial DNA was detected in 12 (4.1%) and viral
      nucleic acids in 94 (32%). Compared to CSF culture, the sensitivity and
      specificity of the bacterial RT-PCR was 100% and 97.2% with complete agreement in
      organism identification. None of the cases positive by viral RT-PCR had a
      bacterial cause confirmed on CSF culture. Only 9/90 (10%) of patients diagnosed
      clinically as bacterial meningitis or partially treated bacterial meningitis
      tested positive with the bacterial RT-PCR. DISCUSSION: In this population the use
      of 2 multiplex RT-PCRs targeting 6 common pathogens gave promising results. If
      introduced into routine diagnostic testing, these multiplex RT-PCR assays would
      supplement other diagnostic tests, and have the potential to limit unnecessary
      antibiotic therapy and hospitalisation.

PMID- 28346505
TI  - Long-duration effect of multi-factor stresses on the cellular biochemistry, oil
      yielding performance and morphology of Nannochloropsis oculata.
AB  - Microalga Nannochloropsis oculata is a promising alternative feedstock for
      biodiesel. Elevating its oil-yielding capacity is conducive to cost-saving
      biodiesel production. However, the regulatory processes of multi-factor
      collaborative stresses (MFCS) on the oil-yielding performance of N. oculata are
      unclear. The duration effects of MFCS (high irradiation, nitrogen deficiency and
      elevated iron supplementation) on N. oculata were investigated in an 18-d batch
      culture. Despite the reduction in cell division, the biomass concentration
      increased, resulting from the large accumulation of the carbon/energy-reservoir.
      However, different storage forms were found in different cellular storage
      compounds, and both the protein content and pigment composition swiftly and
      drastically changed. The analysis of four biodiesel properties using pertinent
      empirical equations indicated their progressive effective improvement in lipid
      classes and fatty acid composition. The variation curve of neutral lipid
      productivity was monitored with fluorescent Nile red and was closely correlated
      to the results from conventional methods. In addition, a series of changes in the
      organelles (e.g., chloroplast, lipid body and vacuole) and cell shape, dependent
      on the stress duration, were observed by TEM and LSCM. These changes presumably
      played an important role in the acclimation of N. oculata to MFCS and accordingly
      improved its oil-yielding performance.

PMID- 28346506
TI  - Specific expression of novel long non-coding RNAs in high-hyperdiploid childhood
      acute lymphoblastic leukemia.
AB  - Pre-B cell childhood acute lymphoblastic leukemia (pre-B cALL) is a heterogeneous
      disease involving many subtypes typically stratified using a combination of
      cytogenetic and molecular-based assays. These methods, although widely used, rely
      on the presence of known chromosomal translocations, which is a limiting factor.
      There is therefore a need for robust, sensitive, and specific molecular
      biomarkers unaffected by such limitations that would allow better risk
      stratification and consequently better clinical outcome. In this study we
      performed a transcriptome analysis of 56 pre-B cALL patients to identify
      expression signatures in different subtypes. In both protein-coding and long non
      coding RNAs (lncRNA), we identified subtype-specific gene signatures
      distinguishing pre-B cALL subtypes, particularly in t(12;21) and hyperdiploid
      cases. The genes up-regulated in pre-B cALL subtypes were enriched in bivalent
      chromatin marks in their promoters. LncRNAs is a new and under-studied class of
      transcripts. The subtype-specific nature of lncRNAs suggests they may be suitable
      clinical biomarkers to guide risk stratification and targeted therapies in pre-B
      cALL patients.

PMID- 28346507
TI  - Olive oil bioactives protect pigs against experimentally-induced chronic
      inflammation independently of alterations in gut microbiota.
AB  - Subclinical chronic inflammation (SCI) is associated with impaired animal growth.
      Previous work has demonstrated that olive-derived plant bioactives exhibit anti
      inflammatory properties that could possibly counteract the growth-depressing
      effects of SCI. To test this hypothesis and define the underlying mechanism, we
      conducted a 30-day study in which piglets fed an olive-oil bioactive extract
      (OBE) and their control counterparts (C+) were injected repeatedly during the
      last 10 days of the study with increasing doses of Escherichia coli
      lipopolysaccharides (LPS) to induce SCI. A third group of piglets remained
      untreated throughout the study and served as a negative control (C-). In C+ pigs,
      SCI increased the circulating concentration of interleukin 1 beta (p < 0.001) and
      decreased feed ingestion (p < 0.05) and weight gain (p < 0.05). These responses
      were not observed in OBE animals. Although intestinal inflammation and colonic
      microbial ecology was not altered by treatments, OBE enhanced ileal mRNA
      abundance of tight and adherens junctional proteins (p < 0.05) and plasma
      recovery of mannitol (p < 0.05) compared with C+ and C-. In line with these
      findings, OBE improved transepithelial electrical resistance (p < 0.01) in TNF
      alpha-challenged Caco-2/TC-7 cells, and repressed the production of inflammatory
      cytokines (p < 0.05) in LPS-stimulated macrophages. In summary, this work
      demonstrates that OBE attenuates the suppressing effect of SCI on animal growth
      through a mechanism that appears to involve improvements in intestinal integrity
      unrelated to alterations in gut microbial ecology and function.

PMID- 28346508
TI  - Most women recover from psychological distress after postoperative complications
      following implant or DIEP flap breast reconstruction: A prospective long-term
      follow-up study.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Substantial complication rates after postmastectomy breast
      reconstruction (BR) in breast cancer patients have been reported. Few studies
      have reported on the resulting psychological distress (PD) and satisfaction with
      the aesthetic result in relation to postoperative complications after completion
      of implant or DIEP flap BR. The present study investigated whether women were
      able to recover from complication related distress in the long term. METHODS: PD
      was prospectively measured using questionnaires regarding anxiety, depression and
      cancer distress. Eligible patients completed questionnaires before BR (T0, n =
      144), after one month (T1, n = 139) and after completion of BR, approximately 21
      months after initial reconstructive surgery (T2, n = 119). Satisfaction with the
      aesthetic result was assessed 21 months after BR. Data concerning complications,
      subsequent additional surgery and total reconstruction failure up to T2 were
      collected from the medical records. Analyses were performed using multi-level
      regression analyses correcting for age. RESULTS: One or more complications
      occurred in 61 patients (42%) and 50 women required subsequent surgery (35%). In
      time, mean PD significantly declined towards baseline scores independent of
      complications. However, a total reconstruction failure (n = 10) was significantly
      associated with a large temporary increase in depression scores. After additional
      surgery due to complications patients were less satisfied with aesthetic outcome,
      although patient satisfaction was independent of PD. CONCLUSIONS: PD outcomes
      generally declined to normal levels after completion of the entire BR course.
      Patients experiencing a total reconstruction failure reported more depression
      after this loss, but in the long term recovered to the same level as women
      without complications. These findings indicate that women generally can cope
      efficiently with these serious adverse events, even if they were less satisfied
      with the aesthetic result.

PMID- 28346510
TI  - Study on the biodegradation of crude oil by free and immobilized bacterial
      consortium in marine environment.
AB  - Five strains of bacteria, namely, Exiguobacterium sp. ASW-1, Pseudomonas
      aeruginosa strain ASW-2, Alcaligenes sp. ASW-3, Alcaligenes sp. ASS-1, and
      Bacillus sp. ASS-2, were isolated from the Zhejiang coast in China. The mixed
      flora of the five strains performed well with degrading 75.1% crude oil (1%, w/v)
      in 7 days. The calcium alginate-activated carbon embedding carrier was used to
      immobilize bacterial consortium. Immobilized cells performed better than free
      ones in variations of environmental factors containing incubated temperature,
      initial pH, salinity of the medium and crude oil concentration. The degradation
      process of crude oil by immobilized bacteria was accelerated compared with that
      of the free ones. Bacterial consortium showed better performance on
      biodegradation of normal alkanes than that of PAHs. Improvement of immobilization
      on the biodegradation efficiency of normal alkanes (31.9%) was apparently high
      than that of PAHs (1.9%).

PMID- 28346509
TI  - Systematic identification of phosphorylation-mediated protein interaction
      switches.
AB  - Proteomics techniques can identify thousands of phosphorylation sites in a single
      experiment, the majority of which are new and lack precise information about
      function or molecular mechanism. Here we present a fast method to predict
      potential phosphorylation switches by mapping phosphorylation sites to protein
      protein interactions of known structure and analysing the properties of the
      protein interface. We predict 1024 sites that could potentially enable or disable
      particular interactions. We tested a selection of these switches and showed that
      phosphomimetic mutations indeed affect interactions. We estimate that there are
      likely thousands of phosphorylation mediated switches yet to be uncovered, even
      among existing phosphorylation datasets. The results suggest that phosphorylation
      sites on globular, as distinct from disordered, parts of the proteome frequently
      function as switches, which might be one of the ancient roles for kinase
      phosphorylation.

PMID- 28346511
TI  - Is manure an alternative to topsoil in road embankment restoration?
AB  - One of the main steps in road and railway embankment restoration is the spreading
      of previously removed topsoil, which provides an input of seeds, organic matter
      and microorganisms and encourages the establishment of a vegetation cover,
      essential to stabilise the embankment and blend it with the landscape. However,
      topsoil is a scarce resource, prompting the search for economic alternatives with
      similar results. The present study compares the results of spreading topsoil with
      an organic amendment (manure) for the soil's physico-chemical properties, erosion
      resistance and microbial activity, floristic richness and composition, and bare
      soil cover. For this purpose, experimental plots with three treatments (Control,
      Topsoil and Manure) were maintained on a recently built embankment in Central
      Spain for 20 months. Manure was found to be an effective alternative to topsoil
      for the improvement of soil fertility (organic matter content and total
      nitrogen). The two types of organic amendment produced similar reductions in bare
      soil cover and erosion rates. However, plots with topsoil showed greater soil
      respiration and species richness and a different floristic composition in
      comparison to those treated with manure, which was closer to control plots. These
      results suggest that manure can be used to replace topsoil to enhance embankment
      stability during the early stages of restoration. However, if the aim of the
      restoration process is to promote plant diversity, topsoil is recommended.

PMID- 28346512
TI  - Bacterial and viral pathogen spectra of acute respiratory infections in under-5
      children in hospital settings in Dhaka city.
AB  - The study aimed to examine for the first time the spectra of viral and bacterial
      pathogens along with the antibiotic susceptibility of the isolated bacteria in
      under-5 children with acute respiratory infections (ARIs) in hospital settings of
      Dhaka, Bangladesh. Nasal swabs were collected from 200 under-five children
      hospitalized with clinical signs of ARIs. Nasal swabs from 30 asymptomatic
      children were also collected. Screening of viral pathogens targeted ten
      respiratory viruses using RT-qPCR. Bacterial pathogens were identified by
      bacteriological culture methods and antimicrobial susceptibility of the isolates
      was determined following CLSI guidelines. About 82.5% (n = 165) of specimens were
      positive for pathogens. Of 165 infected cases, 3% (n = 6) had only single
      bacterial pathogens, whereas 43.5% (n = 87) cases had only single viral
      pathogens. The remaining 36% (n = 72) cases had coinfections. In symptomatic
      cases, human rhinovirus was detected as the predominant virus (31.5%), followed
      by RSV (31%), HMPV (13%), HBoV (11%), HPIV-3 (10.5%), and adenovirus (7%).
      Streptococcus pneumoniae was the most frequently isolated bacterial pathogen
      (9%), whereas Klebsiella pneumaniae, Streptococcus spp., Enterobacter
      agglomerans, and Haemophilus influenzae were 5.5%, 5%, 2%, and 1.5%,
      respectively. Of 15 multidrug-resistant bacteria, a Klebsiella pneumoniae isolate
      and an Enterobacter agglomerans isolate exhibited resistance against more than 10
      different antibiotics. Both ARI incidence and predominant pathogen detection
      rates were higher during post-monsoon and winter, peaking in September. Pathogen
      detection rates and coinfection incidence in less than 1-year group were
      significantly higher (P = 0.0034 and 0.049, respectively) than in 1-5 years age
      group. Pathogen detection rate (43%) in asymptomatic cases was significantly
      lower compared to symptomatic group (P<0.0001). Human rhinovirus, HPIV-3,
      adenovirus, Streptococcus pneumonia, and Klebsiella pneumaniae had significant
      involvement in coinfections with P values of 0.0001, 0.009 and 0.0001, 0.0001 and
      0.001 respectively. Further investigations are required to better understand the
      clinical roles of the isolated pathogens and their seasonality.

PMID- 28346513
TI  - Cystatin C estimated glomerular filtration rate to assess renal function in early
      stages of autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease.
AB  - BACKGROUND/AIMS: Height-adjusted total kidney volume (htTKV) is the best marker
      of disease progression in early autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease
      (ADPKD) when renal function still remains normal. The usefulness of cystatin-C as
      a biomarker to assess renal function according to renal volume has not been
      studied in ADPKD patients. METHODS: Observational and cross-sectional study of 62
      ADPKD patients. htTKV, creatinine and cystatin-C estimated glomerular filtration
      rate (eGFR) were determined. Correlations between htTKV and eGFR were studied. A
      control group was used to determine the association between renal function
      differences and htTKV. RESULTS: htTKV significantly correlated with cystatin-C
      eGFR (r = -0.384, p = 0.002) but not with creatinine-eGFR (r = -0.225, p =
      0.078). With htTKV stratified into tertiles, a significant difference of cystatin
      C-eGFR but not in creatinine-eGFR was detected in the third tertile when compared
      with the first tertile group (110.0+/-22.2 vs 121.3+/-7.2; p = 0.023 and 101.8+/
      17.2 vs 106.9+/-15.1; p = 0.327 respectively). When cystatin-C-eGFR of the
      controls was used as the reference, htTKV above 605 ml/m identified with a 75%
      sensitivity and 84.9% specificity those patients with a significant worse kidney
      function. However, this cut-off value could not be identified using creatinine
      eGFR. CONCLUSIONS: Cystatin-C-eGFR but not creatinine-eGFR correlated with htTKV
      in ADPKD patients in early stages of the disease. Differences in cystatin-C-eGFR
      but not in creatinine-eGFR have been identified through htTKV tertiles. A htTKV
      above 605 ml/m is associated with a worse renal function only if cystatin-C-eGFR
      is used. Cystatin-C-eGFR should be studied in prospective studies of early stages
      of ADPKD to determine its usefulness as an early marker of disease progression.

PMID- 28346514
TI  - Valence, arousal, familiarity, concreteness, and imageability ratings for 292 two
      character Chinese nouns in Cantonese speakers in Hong Kong.
AB  - Words are frequently used as stimuli in cognitive psychology experiments, for
      example, in recognition memory studies. In these experiments, it is often
      desirable to control for the words' psycholinguistic properties because
      differences in such properties across experimental conditions might introduce
      undesirable confounds. In order to avoid confounds, studies typically check to
      see if various affective and lexico-semantic properties are matched across
      experimental conditions, and so databases that contain values for these
      properties are needed. While word ratings for these variables exist in English
      and other European languages, ratings for Chinese words are not comprehensive. In
      particular, while ratings for single characters exist, ratings for two-character
      words-which often have different meanings than their constituent characters, are
      scarce. In this study, ratings for 292 two-character Chinese nouns were obtained
      from Cantonese speakers in Hong Kong. Affective variables, including valence and
      arousal, and lexico-semantic variables, including familiarity, concreteness, and
      imageability, were rated in the study. The words were selected from a film
      subtitle database containing word frequency information that could be extracted
      and listed alongside the resulting ratings. Overall, the subjective ratings
      showed good reliability across all rated dimensions, as well as good reliability
      within and between the different groups of participants who each rated a subset
      of the words. Moreover, several well-established relationships between the
      variables found consistently in other languages were also observed in this study,
      demonstrating that the ratings are valid. The resulting word database can be used
      in studies where control for the above psycholinguistic variables is critical to
      the research design.

PMID- 28346515
TI  - Gender differences in reward and punishment for monetary and social feedback in
      children: An ERP study.
AB  - Gender differences in feedback processing have been observed among adolescents
      and adults through event-related potentials. However, information on whether and
      how this feedback processing is affected by feedback valence, feedback type, and
      individual sensitivity in reward/punishment among children remains minimal. In
      this study, we used a guessing game task coupled with electroencephalography to
      investigate gender differences in feedback processing, in which feedback to
      reward and punishment was presented in the context of monetary and social
      conditions. Results showed that boys were less likely to switch their response
      after punishment, had generally less feedback-related negativity (FRN) amplitude,
      and longer FRN latency in monetary and punishment conditions than girls.
      Moreover, FRN for monetary punishment, which is related to individual difference
      in reward sensitivity, was observed only in girls. The study provides gender
      specific evidence for the neural processing of feedback, which may offer
      educational guidance for appropriate feedback for girls and boys.

PMID- 28346517
TI  - CD22 is required for formation of memory B cell precursors within germinal
      centers.
AB  - CD22 is a BCR co-receptor that regulates B cell signaling, proliferation and
      survival and is required for T cell-independent Ab responses. To investigate the
      role of CD22 during T cell-dependent (TD) Ab responses and memory B cell
      formation, we analyzed Ag-specific B cell responses generated by wild-type (WT)
      or CD22-/- B cells following immunization with a TD Ag. CD22-/- B cells mounted
      normal early Ab responses yet failed to generate either memory B cells or long
      lived plasma cells, whereas WT B cells formed both populations. Surprisingly, B
      cell expansion and germinal center (GC) differentiation were comparable between
      WT and CD22-/- B cells. CD22-/- B cells, however, were significantly less capable
      of generating a population of CXCR4hiCD38hi GC B cells, which we propose
      represent memory B cell precursors within GCs. These results demonstrate a novel
      role for CD22 during TD humoral responses evident during primary GC formation and
      underscore that CD22 functions not only during B cell maturation but also during
      responses to both TD and T cell-independent antigens.

PMID- 28346518
TI  - What do people with aphasia want to be able to say? A content analysis of words
      identified as personally relevant by people with aphasia.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Word finding is a common difficulty for people with aphasia.
      Targeting words that are relevant to the individual could maximise the usefulness
      and impact of word finding therapy. AIMS: To provide insights into words that
      people with aphasia perceive to be personally relevant. METHODS AND PROCEDURES:
      100 people with aphasia were each asked to identify 100 words that would be
      particularly important for them to be able to say. Two speech and language
      therapist researchers conducted a quantitative content analysis of the words
      selected. The words were coded into a framework of topics and subtopics. The
      frequency with which different words and topics were selected was then
      calculated. OUTCOMES AND RESULTS: 100 participants representing 20 areas of the
      United Kingdom ranged in age from 23 to 85 years. Word finding difficulties
      ranged from mild to severe. The sample of 9999 words selected for practice
      included 3095 different words in 27 topics. The majority of words selected
      (79.4%) were from the topics 'food and drink' (30.6%), 'nature and gardening'
      (10.3%), 'entertainment' (9.4%), 'places' (7.3%), 'people' (6.7%), 'house'
      (6.5%), 'clothes' (5.2%) and 'travel' (3.5%). The 100 words types chosen with the
      greatest frequency were identified. These account for 27 percent of the 9999
      words chosen by the participants. DISCUSSION: Personally relevant vocabulary is
      unique to each individual and is likely to contain specific or specialist words
      for which material needs to be individually prepared. However there is some
      commonality in the words chosen by people with aphasia. This could inform pre
      prepared materials for use in word finding therapy from which personally relevant
      words could be selected for practice.

PMID- 28346516
TI  - Protective immune responses against Schistosoma mansoni infection by immunization
      with functionally active gut-derived cysteine peptidases alone and in combination
      with glyceraldehyde 3-phosphate dehydrogenase.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Schistosomiasis, a severe disease caused by parasites of the genus
      Schistosoma, is prevalent in 74 countries, affecting more than 250 million
      people, particularly children. We have previously shown that the Schistosoma
      mansoni gut-derived cysteine peptidase, cathepsin B1 (SmCB1), administered
      without adjuvant, elicits protection (>60%) against challenge infection of S.
      mansoni or S. haematobium in outbred, CD-1 mice. Here we compare the
      immunogenicity and protective potential of another gut-derived cysteine
      peptidase, S. mansoni cathepsin L3 (SmCL3), alone, and in combination with SmCB1.
      We also examined whether protective responses could be boosted by including a
      third non-peptidase schistosome secreted molecule, glyceraldehyde 3-phosphate
      dehydrogenase (SG3PDH), with the two peptidases. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS:
      While adjuvant-free SmCB1 and SmCL3 induced type 2 polarized responses in CD-1
      outbred mice those elicited by SmCL3 were far weaker than those induced by SmCB1.
      Nevertheless, both cysteine peptidases evoked highly significant (P < 0.005)
      reduction in challenge worm burden (54-65%) as well as worm egg counts and
      viability. A combination of SmCL3 and SmCB1 did not induce significantly stronger
      immune responses or higher protection than that achieved using each peptidase
      alone. However, when the two peptidases were combined with SG3PDH the levels of
      protection against challenge S. mansoni infection reached 70-76% and were
      accompanied by highly significant (P < 0.005) decreases in worm egg counts and
      viability. Similarly, high levels of protection were achieved in hamsters
      immunized with the cysteine peptidase/SG3PDH-based vaccine.
      CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE: Gut-derived cysteine peptidases are highly protective
      against schistosome challenge infection when administered subcutaneously without
      adjuvant to outbred CD-1 mice and hamsters, and can also act to enhance the
      efficacy of other schistosome antigens, such as SG3PDH. This cysteine peptidase
      based vaccine should now be advanced to experiments in non-human primates and, if
      shown promise, progressed to Phase 1 safety trials in humans.

PMID- 28346519
TI  - Views of senior health personnel about quality of emergency obstetric care: A
      qualitative study in Nigeria.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Late arrival in hospital by women experiencing pregnancy
      complications is an important background factor leading to maternal mortality in
      Nigeria. The use of effective and timely emergency obstetric care determines
      whether women survive or die, or become near-miss cases. Healthcare managers have
      the responsibility to deploy resources for implementing emergency obstetric care.
      OBJECTIVES: To determine the nature of institutional policies and frameworks for
      managing obstetric complications and reducing maternal deaths in Nigeria.
      METHODS: Thirty-six hospital managers, heads of obstetrics department and senior
      midwives were interviewed about hospital infrastructure, resources, policies and
      processes relating to emergency obstetric care, whilst allowing informants to
      discuss their thoughts and feelings. The interviews were audiotaped, transcribed
      and analyzed using Atlas ti 6.2software. RESULTS: Hospital managers are aware of
      the seriousness of maternal mortality and the steps to improve maternal
      healthcare. Many reported the lack of policies and specific action-plans for
      maternal mortality prevention, and many did not purposely disburse budgets or
      resources to address the problem. Although some reported that maternal/perinatal
      audit take place in their hospitals, there was no substantive evidence and no
      records of maternal/perinatal audits were made available. Respondents decried the
      lack of appropriate data collection system in the hospitals for accurate
      monitoring of maternal mortality and identification of appropriate remediating
      actions. CONCLUSION: Healthcare managers are handicapped to properly manage the
      healthcare system for maternal mortality prevention. Relevant training of
      healthcare managers would be crucial to enable the development of strategic
      implementation plans for the prevention of maternal mortality.

PMID- 28346520
TI  - Downregulation of miR-139-5p contributes to the antiapoptotic effect of
      liraglutide on the diabetic rat pancreas and INS-1 cells by targeting IRS1.
AB  - Liraglutide is administered as glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) receptor agonist
      for diabetic patients and can protect pancreatic beta-cells by inhibiting their
      apoptosis. MicroRNA-139-5p (miRNA-139-5p) participates in the regulation of
      cancer cell apoptosis. However, it is not clear whether miR-139-5p contributes to
      the anti-apoptotic effect of liraglutide in beta-cells. The objective of the
      present study was to investigate the role of miR-139-5p on apoptosis of
      pancreatic beta-cells. MicroRNA levels in pancreatic tissue from diabetic rats
      and INS-1 cells treated with liraglutide were measured by real-time quantitative
      RT-PCR. The role of miR-139-5p on apoptosis was studied by transfecting INS-1
      cells with miR-139-5p mimics. The mRNA and protein expression of the target gene,
      insulin receptor substrate-1 (IRS1), were measured by qRT-PCR and Western blot,
      respectively. Apoptosis in rat pancreatic tissue and INS-1 cells was detected by
      TUNEL and annexin V/propidium iodide costaining. Apoptosis of pancreatic tissue
      from diabetic rats and INS-1 cells was decreased by administration of
      liraglutide. The expression of miR-139-5p increased in the pancreas of diabetic
      rats and decreased with liraglutide treatment. Incubation with liraglutide (100
      nM) for 48 h attenuated the expression of miR-139-5p and increased the mRNA and
      protein levels of IRS1. Direct regulatory effects of miR-139-5p on IRS1 were
      found by a dual-luciferase reporter assay. Transfection of INS-1 cells with miR
      139-5p mimics led to decreases in the mRNA and protein expression of IRS1. In
      conclusion, our observations suggest that decreased miR-139-5p expression
      contributes to the anti-apoptotic effect of liraglutide on the diabetic rat
      pancreas and INS-1 cells by targeting IRS1.

PMID- 28346521
TI  - HIV-1 gp120 envelope glycoprotein determinants for cytokine burst in human
      monocytes.
AB  - The first step of HIV infection involves the interaction of the gp120 envelope
      glycoprotein to its receptor CD4, mainly expressed on CD4+ T cells. Besides its
      role on HIV-1 entry, the gp120 has been shown to be involved in the production of
      IL-1, IL-6, CCL20 and other innate response cytokines by bystander, uninfected
      CD4+ T cells and monocytes. However, the gp120 determinants involved in these
      functions are not completely understood. Whether signalling leading to cytokine
      production is due to CD4 or other receptors is still unclear. Enhanced chemokine
      receptor binding and subsequent clustering receptors may lead to cytokine
      production. By using a comprehensive panel of gp120 mutants, here we show that
      CD4 binding is mandatory for cytokine outburst in monocytes. Our data suggest
      that targeting monocytes in HIV-infected patients might decrease systemic
      inflammation and the potential tissue injury associated with the production of
      inflammatory cytokines. Understanding how gp120 mediates a cytokine burst in
      monocytes might help develop new approaches to improve the chronic inflammation
      that persists in these patients despite effective suppression of viremia by
      antiretroviral therapy.

PMID- 28346522
TI  - Decline in lung function rather than baseline lung function is associated with
      the development of metabolic syndrome: A six-year longitudinal study.
AB  - This study was conducted to investigate whether baseline lung function or change
      in lung function is associated with the development of metabolic syndrome (MS) in
      Koreans. We analyzed clinical and laboratory data from 3,768 Koreans aged 40-60
      years who underwent medical check-ups over a six-year period between 2006 and
      2012. We calculated the percent change in forced vital capacity (FVC) and forced
      expiratory volume in 1 s (FEV1) over the study period. We tested for an
      association between baseline lung function or lung function change during the
      follow-up period and the development of MS. The 533 subjects (14.1%) developed MS
      after the six-year follow-up. The baseline FVC and FEV1 were not different
      between the subjects who developed MS after six years and the subject without MS
      after six years. The percent change in FVC over six years in subjects who
      developed MS after six years was higher than that in subjects who did not develop
      MS (-5.75 [-10.19 --1.17], -3.29 [-7.69-1.09], respectively, P = 0.001). The
      percent change in FVC over six years was associated with MS development after
      adjusting for age, sex, body mass index (BMI), glucose, HDL, triglyceride, waist
      circumferences (WC), and systolic blood pressure. However, these association was
      not significant after adjusting for change of BMI and change of WC over six years
      (P = 0.306). The greater change in vital capacity over six years of follow-up was
      associated with MS development, predominantly due to obesity and abdominal
      obesity. The prospective study is needed to determine the relationship between
      lung function decline and MS.

PMID- 28346523
TI  - A moderate diet restriction during pregnancy alters the levels of
      endocannabinoids and endocannabinoid-related lipids in the hypothalamus,
      hippocampus and olfactory bulb of rat offspring in a sex-specific manner.
AB  - Undernutrition during pregnancy has been associated to increased vulnerability to
      develop metabolic and behavior alterations later in life. The endocannabinoid
      system might play an important role in these processes. Therefore, we
      investigated the effects of a moderate maternal calorie-restricted diet on the
      levels of the endocannabinoid 2-arachidonoyl glycerol (2-AG), arachidonic acid
      (AA) and the N-acylethanolamines (NAEs) anandamide (AEA), oleoylethanolamide
      (OEA) and palmitoylethanolamide (PEA) in the brain of newborn rat offspring. We
      focused on brain structures involved in metabolism, feeding behavior, as well as
      emotional and cognitive responses. Female Wistar rats were assigned during the
      entire pregnancy to either control diet (C) or restriction diet (R), consisting
      of a 20% calorie-restricted diet. Weight gain and caloric intake of rat dams were
      monitored and birth outcomes were assessed. 2-AG, AA and NAE levels were measured
      in hypothalamus, hippocampus and olfactory bulb of the offspring. R dams
      displayed lower gain weight from the middle pregnancy and consumed less calories
      during the entire pregnancy. Offspring from R dams were underweight at birth, but
      litter size was unaffected. In hypothalamus, R male offspring displayed decreased
      levels of AA and OEA, with no change in the levels of the endocannabinoids 2-AG
      and AEA. R female exhibited decreased 2-AG and PEA levels. The opposite was found
      in the hippocampus, where R male displayed increased 2-AG and AA levels, and R
      female exhibited elevated levels of AEA, AA and PEA. In the olfactory bulb, only
      R female presented decreased levels of AEA, AA and PEA. Therefore, a moderate
      diet restriction during the entire pregnancy alters differentially the
      endocannabinoids and/or endocannabinoid-related lipids in hypothalamus and
      hippocampus of the underweight offspring, similarly in both sexes, whereas sex
      specific alterations occur in the olfactory bulb. Consequently, endocannabinoid
      and endocannabinoid-related lipid signaling alterations might be involved in the
      long-term and sexual dimorphism effects commonly observed after undernutrition
      and low birth weight.

PMID- 28346524
TI  - Rare mutations and potentially damaging missense variants in genes encoding
      fibrillar collagens and proteins involved in their production are candidates for
      risk for preterm premature rupture of membranes.
AB  - Preterm premature rupture of membranes (PPROM) is the leading identifiable cause
      of preterm birth with ~ 40% of preterm births being associated with PPROM and
      occurs in 1% - 2% of all pregnancies. We hypothesized that multiple rare variants
      in fetal genes involved in extracellular matrix synthesis would associate with
      PPROM, based on the assumption that impaired elaboration of matrix proteins would
      reduce fetal membrane tensile strength, predisposing to unscheduled rupture. We
      performed whole exome sequencing (WES) on neonatal DNA derived from pregnancies
      complicated by PPROM (49 cases) and healthy term deliveries (20 controls) to
      identify candidate mutations/variants. Genotyping for selected variants from the
      WES study was carried out on an additional 188 PPROM cases and 175 controls. All
      mothers were self-reported African Americans, and a panel of ancestry informative
      markers was used to control for genetic ancestry in all genetic association
      tests. In support of the primary hypothesis, a statistically significant genetic
      burden (all samples combined, SKAT-O p-value = 0.0225) of damaging/potentially
      damaging rare variants was identified in the genes of interest-fibrillar collagen
      genes, which contribute to fetal membrane strength and integrity. These findings
      suggest that the fetal contribution to PPROM is polygenic, and driven by an
      increased burden of rare variants that may also contribute to the disparities in
      rates of preterm birth among African Americans.

PMID- 28346525
TI  - Modeling timelines for translational science in cancer; the impact of
      technological maturation.
AB  - This work examines translational science in cancer based on theories of
      innovation that posit a relationship between the maturation of technologies and
      their capacity to generate successful products. We examined the growth of
      technologies associated with 138 anticancer drugs using an analytical model that
      identifies the point of initiation of exponential growth and the point at which
      growth slows as the technology becomes established. Approval of targeted and
      biological products corresponded with technological maturation, with first
      approval averaging 14 years after the established point and 44 years after
      initiation of associated technologies. The lag in cancer drug approvals after the
      increases in cancer funding and dramatic scientific advances of the 1970s thus
      reflects predictable timelines of technology maturation. Analytical models of
      technological maturation may be used for technological forecasting to guide more
      efficient translation of scientific discoveries into cures.

PMID- 28346528
TI  - Correction: Identification of a Putative Quantitative Trait Gene for Resistance
      to Obesity in Mice Using Transcriptome Analysis and Causal Inference Tests.
AB  - [This corrects the article DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0170652.].

PMID- 28346526
TI  - Plasma potassium, diuretic use and risk of developing chronic kidney disease in a
      predominantly White population.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: Both hypokalemia and hyperkalemia are associated with disease
      progression in patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD). It is unclear whether
      similar associations are present in the general population. Our aim was to
      examine the association of plasma potassium with risk of developing CKD and the
      role of diuretics in this association in a population-based cohort. RESEARCH
      DESIGN AND METHODS: We studied 5,130 subjects free of CKD at baseline of the
      Prevention of Renal and Vascular End-Stage Disease (PREVEND) study, a
      prospective, population-based cohort of Dutch men and women aged 28-75 years.
      Hypokalemia was defined as plasma potassium <3.5 mmol/L, and hyperkalemia as
      plasma potassium >=5.0 mmol/L. Risk of CKD was defined as de novo development of
      eGFR <60 ml/min/1.73m2 and/or albuminuria >30 mg/24h. RESULTS: Mean baseline
      plasma potassium was 4.4+/-0.3 mmol/L. The prevalences of hypokalemia and
      hyperkalemia were 0.5% and 3.8%, respectively; 3.0% of the subjects used
      diuretics. During a median follow-up of 10.3 years (interquartile range: 6.3-11.4
      years), 753 subjects developed CKD. The potassium-CKD association was modified by
      diuretic use (Pinteraction = 0.02). Both hypokalemia without (HR, 7.74, 95% CI,
      3.43-17.48) or with diuretic use (HR, 4.32, 95% CI, 1.77-10.51) were associated
      with an increased CKD risk as compared to plasma potassium 4.0-4.4 mmol/L without
      diuretic use. Plasma potassium concentrations >=3.5 mmol/L were associated with
      an increased CKD risk among subjects using diuretics (Ptrend = 0.01) but not
      among subjects not using diuretics (Ptrend = 0.74). CONCLUSION: In this
      population-based cohort, hypokalemia was associated with an increased CKD risk,
      regardless of diuretic use. In the absence of hypokalemia, plasma potassium was
      not associated with an increased CKD risk, except among subjects using diuretics.

PMID- 28346527
TI  - A qualitative study of secondary distribution of HIV self-test kits by female sex
      workers in Kenya.
AB  - Promoting awareness of serostatus and frequent HIV testing is especially
      important among high risk populations such as female sex workers (FSW) and their
      sexual partners. HIV self-testing is an approach that is gaining ground in sub
      Saharan Africa as a strategy to increase knowledge of HIV status and promote
      safer sexual decisions. However, little is known about self-test distribution
      strategies that are optimal for increasing testing access among hard-to-reach and
      high risk individuals. We conducted a qualitative study with 18 FSW who
      participated in a larger study that provided them with five oral fluid-based self
      tests, training on how to use the tests, and encouragement to offer the self
      tests to their sexual partners using their discretion. Women demonstrated agency
      in the strategies they used to introduce self-tests to their partners and to
      avoid conflict with partners. They carefully considered with whom to share self
      tests, often assessing the possibility for negative reactions from partners as
      part of their decision making process. When women faced negative reactions from
      partners, they drew on strategies they had used before to avoid conflict and
      physical harm from partners, such as not responding to angry partners and
      forgoing payment to leave angry partners quickly. Some women also used self-tests
      to make more informed sexual decisions with their partners.

PMID- 28346529
TI  - Human amnion epithelial cells modulate the inflammatory response to ventilation
      in preterm lambs.
AB  - Ventilation of preterm neonates causes pulmonary inflammation that can contribute
      to lung injury, propagate systemically and result in long-term disease.
      Modulation of this initial response may reduce lung injury and its sequelae. We
      aimed to determine the effect of human amnion epithelial cells (hAECs) on immune
      activation and lung injury in preterm neonatal lambs. Preterm lambs received
      intratracheal hAECs (90x106) or vehicle, prior to 2 h of mechanical ventilation.
      Within 5 min of ventilation onset, lambs also received intravenous hAECs (90x106)
      or vehicle. Lung histology, bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) cell phenotypes, and
      cytokine profiles were examined after 2 h of ventilation, and in unventilated
      controls. Histological indices of lung injury were higher than control, in
      vehicle-treated ventilated lambs but not in hAEC-treated ventilated lambs.
      Ventilation-induced pulmonary leukocyte recruitment was greater in hAEC-treated
      lambs than in vehicle-treated lambs. Lung IL-1beta and IL-6 mRNA expression was
      higher in vehicle- and hAEC-treated ventilated lambs than in controls but IL-8
      mRNA levels were greater than control only in vehicle-treated ventilated lambs.
      Numbers of CD44+ and CD21+ lymphocytes and macrophages from the lungs were
      altered in vehicle- and hAEC-treated ventilated lambs. Numbers of CD8+
      macrophages were lower in hAEC-treated ventilated lambs than in vehicle-treated
      ventilated lambs. Indices of systemic inflammation were not different between
      vehicle- and hAEC-treated lambs. Human amnion epithelial cells modulate the
      pulmonary inflammatory response to ventilation in preterm lambs, and reduce acute
      lung injury. Immunomodulatory effects of hAECs reduce lung injury in preterm
      neonates and may protect against longer-term respiratory disease.

PMID- 28346530
TI  - Quantification of left coronary bifurcation angles and plaques by coronary
      computed tomography angiography for prediction of significant coronary stenosis:
      A preliminary study with dual-source CT.
AB  - PURPOSE: To evaluate the diagnostic performance of left coronary bifurcation
      angles and plaque characteristics for prediction of coronary stenosis by dual
      source CT. METHODS: 106 patients suspected of coronary artery disease undergoing
      both coronary computed tomography angiography (CCTA) and invasive coronary
      angiography (CAG) within three months were included. Left coronary bifurcation
      angles including the angles between the left anterior descending artery and left
      circumflex artery (LAD-LCx), left main coronary artery and left anterior
      descending artery (LM-LAD), left main coronary artery and left circumflex artery
      (LM-LCx) were measured on CT images. CCTA plaque parameters were calculated by
      plaque analysis software. Coronary stenosis >= 50% by CAG was defined as
      significant. RESULTS: 106 patients with 318 left coronary bifurcation angles and
      126 vessels were analyzed. The bifurcation angle of LAD-LCx was significantly
      larger in left coronary stenosis >= 50% than stenosis < 50%, and significantly
      wider in the non-calcified plaque group than calcified. Multivariable analyses
      showed the bifurcation angle of LAD-LCx was an independent predictor for
      significant left coronary stenosis (OR = 1.423, P = 0.002). In ROC curve
      analysis, LAD-LCx predicted significant left coronary stenosis with a sensitivity
      of 66.7%, specificity of 78.4%, positive predictive value of 85.2% and negative
      predictive value of 55.8%. The lipid plaque volume improved the diagnostic
      performance of CCTA diameter stenosis (AUC: 0.854 vs. 0.900, P = 0.045) in
      significant coronary stenosis. CONCLUSIONS: The bifurcation angle of LAD-LCx
      could predict significant left coronary stenosis. Wider LAD-LCx is related to non
      calcified lesions. Lipid plaque volume could improve the diagnostic performance
      of CCTA for coronary stenosis prediction.

PMID- 28346533
TI  - Correction: A Cross-Sectional Study of Colonization Rates with Methicillin
      Resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) and Extended-Spectrum Beta-Lactamase
      (ESBL) and Carbapenemase-Producing Enterobacteriaceae in Four Swiss Refugee
      Centres.
AB  - [This corrects the article DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0170251.].

PMID- 28346531
TI  - The prevalence of trichomoniasis and associated factors among women treated at a
      university hospital in southern Brazil.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Trichomoniasis is the most prevalent non-viral sexually transmitted
      disease (STD) in the world; however, it remains a neglected parasitic disease.
      This study aimed to determine the prevalence of trichomoniasis and its associated
      epidemiological factors among women treated at a hospital in southern Brazil.
      METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: A cross-sectional study was performed to
      determine the prevalence of this infection in women treated at Hospital
      Universitario (HU) in Rio Grande, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil, between January 2012
      and January 2015. This study consisted a self-administered questionnaire
      regarding demographic, clinical, and behavioural data and a molecular diagnosis
      with polymerase chain reaction (PCR) using the TVK3/7 primer set, which was
      confirmed with sequence analysis. Of the 345 women surveyed, the overall
      prevalence of Trichomonas vaginalis (T. vaginalis) was 4.1% (14/345). The
      prevalence rates were 5.9% among pregnant women, 8.5% among HIV-positive women,
      and 10.1% among HIV-positive pregnant women. The rates for groups with other
      significant demographic and clinical features were as follows: 6.6% among women
      with white skin, 12.3% among women with an income below the minimum monthly wage,
      7.4% among women with a vaginal pH greater than or equal to 4.6, and 7.9% among
      women with a comorbid STD. The multivariate analysis confirmed that pregnant
      women who were HIV-positive (p = 0.001) and had low incomes (p = 0.026) were the
      most likely to have this infection. CONCLUSIONS: A multivariate analysis
      confirmed that HIV-positive pregnant women with low incomes were the participants
      most likely to have trichomoniasis. These results are important because this
      Brazilian region presents a high prevalence of HIV-1 subtype C, which is
      associated with greater transmissibility. Additionally, low family income reveals
      a socioeconomic fragility that might favour the transmission of this STD.

PMID- 28346532
TI  - Decline in changing Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) scores is associated
      with post-stroke cognitive decline determined by a formal neuropsychological
      evaluation.
AB  - OBJECTIVES: We aimed to examine changes in the Montreal Cognitive Assessment
      (MoCA) and Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) scores within a one-year period
      after stroke/transient ischemic attack (TIA) in associating cognitive decline
      determined by a formal neuropsychological test battery. METHODS: Patients with
      ischemic stroke/TIA received MoCA and MMSE at baseline within 14 days after
      stroke/TIA, at 3-6 months and 1-year follow-ups. The scores of MoCA and MMSE were
      considered to have declined if there were a reduction of >=2 points in the
      respective scores measured across two time points. The decline in
      neuropsychological diagnosis transitional status was defined by a category
      transition from no cognitive impairment or any cognitive impairment to a more
      severe cognitive impairment or dementia. RESULTS: 275 patients with a mean age of
      59.8 +/- 11.6 years, and education of 7.7 +/- 4.3 years completed all the
      assessments at baseline, 3-6 months and 1-year follow-ups. A decline in MoCA
      scores from 3-6 months to 1 year was associated with higher risk of decline in
      diagnosis transitional status (odd ratio = 3.21, p = 0.004) in the same time
      period whereas there was no association with a decline in MMSE scores.
      CONCLUSIONS: The decline in MoCA scores from 3-6 months to 1 year after
      stroke/TIA has three times higher risk for decline in the diagnosis transitional
      status. The decline of MoCA scores (reduction >= 2points) is associated with the
      decline in neuropsychological diagnosis transitional status.

PMID- 28346534
TI  - Spatial and temporal changes in leaf coloring date of Acer palmatum and Ginkgo
      biloba in response to temperature increases in South Korea.
AB  - Understanding shifts in autumn phenology associated with climate changes is
      critical for preserving forest ecosystems. This study examines the changes in the
      leaf coloring date (LCD) of two temperate deciduous tree species, Acer palmatum
      (Acer) and Ginkgo biloba (Ginkgo), in response to surface air temperature (Ts)
      changes at 54 stations of South Korea for the period 1989-2007. The variations of
      Acer and Ginkgo in South Korea are very similar: they show the same mean LCD of
      295th day of the year and delays of about 0.45 days year-1 during the observation
      period. The delaying trend is closely correlated (correlation coefficient > 0.77)
      with increases in Ts in mid-autumn by 2.8 days  degrees C-1. It is noted that the
      LCD delaying and temperature sensitivity (days  degrees C-1) for both tree
      species show negligible dependences on latitudes and elevations. Given the
      significant LCD-Ts relation, we project LCD changes for 2016-35 and 2046-65 using
      a process-based model forced by temperature from climate model simulation. The
      projections indicate that the mean LCD would be further delayed by 3.2 (3.7) days
      in 2016-35 (2046-65) due to mid-autumn Ts increases. This study suggests that the
      mid-autumn warming is largely responsible for the observed LCD changes in South
      Korea and will intensify the delaying trends in the future.

PMID- 28346535
TI  - Caudwell Xtreme Everest: A prospective study of the effects of environmental
      hypoxia on cognitive functioning.
AB  - BACKGROUND: The neuropsychological consequences of exposure to environmental
      hypobaric hypoxia (EHH) remain unclear. We thus investigated them in a large
      group of healthy volunteers who trekked to Mount Everest base camp (5,300 m).
      METHODS: A neuropsychological (NP) test battery assessing memory, language,
      attention, and executive function was administered to 198 participants (age
      44.5+/-13.7 years; 60% male). These were studied at baseline (sea level), 3,500 m
      (Namche Bazaar), 5,300 m (Everest Base Camp) and on return to 1,300 m (Kathmandu)
      (attrition rate 23.7%). A comparable control group (n = 25; age 44.5+/-14.1
      years; 60% male) for comparison with trekkers was tested at/or near sea level
      over an equivalent timeframe so as to account for learning effects associated
      with repeat testing. The Reliable Change Index (RCI) was used to calculate
      changes in cognition and neuropsychological function during and after exposure to
      EHH relative to controls. RESULTS: Overall, attention, verbal ability and
      executive function declined in those exposed to EHH when the performance of the
      control group was taken into account (RCI .05 to -.95) with decline persisting at
      descent. Memory and psychomotor function showed decline at highest ascent only
      (RCI -.08 to -.56). However, there was inter-individual variability in response:
      whilst NP performance declined in most, this improved in some trekkers. Cognitive
      decline was greater amongst older people (r = .42; p < .0001), but was otherwise
      not consistently associated with socio-demographic, mood, or physiological
      variables. CONCLUSIONS: After correcting for learning effects, attention, verbal
      abilities and executive functioning declined with exposure to EHH. There was
      considerable individual variability in the response of brain function to
      sustained hypoxia with some participants not showing any effects of hypoxia. This
      might have implications for those facing sustained hypoxia as a result of any
      disease.

PMID- 28346536
TI  - Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) and environmental risk factors for soil
      transmitted helminth intensity of infection in Timor-Leste, using real time PCR.
AB  - BACKGROUND: No investigations have been undertaken of risk factors for intensity
      of soil-transmitted helminth (STH) infection in Timor-Leste. This study provides
      the first analysis of risk factors for intensity of STH infection, as determined
      by quantitative PCR (qPCR), examining a broad range of water, sanitation and
      hygiene (WASH) and environmental factors, among communities in Manufahi District,
      Timor-Leste. METHODS: A baseline cross-sectional survey of 18 communities was
      undertaken as part of a cluster randomised controlled trial, with additional
      identically-collected data from six other communities. qPCR was used to assess
      STH infection from stool samples, and questionnaires administered to collect
      WASH, demographic, and socioeconomic data. Environmental information was obtained
      from open-access sources and linked to infection outcomes. Mixed-effects
      multinomial logistic regression was undertaken to assess risk factors for
      intensity of Necator americanus and Ascaris infection. RESULTS: 2152 participants
      provided stool and questionnaire information for this analysis. In adjusted
      models incorporating WASH, demographic and environmental variables, environmental
      variables were generally associated with infection intensity for both N.
      americanus and Ascaris spp. Precipitation (in centimetres) was associated with
      increased risk of moderate-intensity (adjusted relative risk [ARR] 6.1; 95%
      confidence interval [CI] 1.9-19.3) and heavy-intensity (ARR 6.6; 95% CI 3.1-14.1)
      N. americanus infection, as was sandy-loam soil around households (moderate
      intensity ARR 2.1; 95% CI 1.0-4.3; heavy-intensity ARR 2.7; 95% CI 1.6-4.5;
      compared to no infection). For Ascaris, alkaline soil around the household was
      associated with reduced risk of moderate-intensity infection (ARR 0.21; 95% CI
      0.09-0.51), and heavy-intensity infection (ARR 0.04; 95% CI 0.01-0.25). Few WASH
      risk factors were significant. CONCLUSION: In this high-prevalence setting,
      strong risk associations with environmental factors indicate that anthelmintic
      treatment alone will be insufficient to interrupt STH transmission, as conditions
      are favourable for ongoing environmental transmission. Integrated STH control
      strategies should be explored as a priority.

PMID- 28346538
TI  - Discrimination of rippled-spectrum patterns in noise: A manifestation of
      compressive nonlinearity.
AB  - In normal-hearing listeners, rippled-spectrum discrimination was psychophysically
      investigated in both silence and with a simultaneous masker background using the
      following two paradigms: measuring the ripple density resolution with the phase
      reversal test and measuring the ripple-shift threshold with the ripple-shift
      test. The 0.5-oct wide signal was centered on 2 kHz, the signal levels were 50
      and 80 dB SPL, and the masker levels varied from 30 to 100 dB SPL. The baseline
      ripple density resolutions were 8.7 oct-1 and 8.6 oct-1 for the 50-dB and 80-dB
      signals, respectively. The baseline ripple shift thresholds were 0.015 oct and
      0.018 oct for the 50-dB and 80-dB signals, respectively. The maskers were 0.5-oct
      noises centered on 2 kHz (on-frequency) or 0.75 to 1.25 oct below the signal (off
      frequency maskers). The effects of the maskers were as follows: (i) both on- and
      low-frequency maskers reduced the ripple density resolution and increased the
      ripple shift thresholds, (ii) the masker levels at threshold (the ripple density
      resolution decrease down to 3 oct-1 or ripple shift threshold increased up to 0.1
      oct) increased with increasing frequency spacing between the signal and masker,
      (iii) the masker levels at threshold were higher for the 80-dB signal than for
      the 50-dB signal, and (iv) the difference between the masker levels at threshold
      for the 50-dB and 80-dB signals decreased with increasing frequency spacing
      between the masker and signal. Within the 30-dB (from 50 to 80 dB SPL) signal
      level, the growth of the masker level at threshold was 27.8 dB for the on
      frequency masker and 9 dB for the low-frequency masker. It is assumed that the
      difference between the on- and low-frequency masking of the rippled-spectrum
      discrimination reflects the cochlear compressive non-linearity. With this
      assumption, the compression was 0.3 dB/dB.

PMID- 28346537
TI  - Deep mutational scanning identifies sites in influenza nucleoprotein that affect
      viral inhibition by MxA.
AB  - The innate-immune restriction factor MxA inhibits influenza replication by
      targeting the viral nucleoprotein (NP). Human influenza virus is more resistant
      than avian influenza virus to inhibition by human MxA, and prior work has
      compared human and avian viral strains to identify amino-acid differences in NP
      that affect sensitivity to MxA. However, this strategy is limited to identifying
      sites in NP where mutations that affect MxA sensitivity have fixed during the
      small number of documented zoonotic transmissions of influenza to humans. Here we
      use an unbiased deep mutational scanning approach to quantify how all single
      amino-acid mutations to NP affect MxA sensitivity in the context of replication
      competent virus. We both identify new sites in NP where mutations affect MxA
      resistance and re-identify mutations known to have increased MxA resistance
      during historical adaptations of influenza to humans. Most of the sites where
      mutations have the greatest effect are almost completely conserved across all
      influenza A viruses, and the amino acids at these sites confer relatively high
      resistance to MxA. These sites cluster in regions of NP that appear to be
      important for its recognition by MxA. Overall, our work systematically identifies
      the sites in influenza nucleoprotein where mutations affect sensitivity to MxA.
      We also demonstrate a powerful new strategy for identifying regions of viral
      proteins that affect inhibition by host factors.

PMID- 28346540
TI  - Fragment library screening identifies hits that bind to the non-catalytic surface
      of Pseudomonas aeruginosa DsbA1.
AB  - At a time when the antibiotic drug discovery pipeline has stalled, antibiotic
      resistance is accelerating with catastrophic implications for our ability to
      treat bacterial infections. Globally we face the prospect of a future when common
      infections can once again kill. Anti-virulence approaches that target the
      capacity of the bacterium to cause disease rather than the growth or survival of
      the bacterium itself offer a tantalizing prospect of novel antimicrobials. They
      may also reduce the propensity to induce resistance by removing the strong
      selection pressure imparted by bactericidal or bacteriostatic agents. In the
      human pathogen Pseudomonas aeruginosa, disulfide bond protein A (PaDsbA1) plays a
      central role in the oxidative folding of virulence factors and is therefore an
      attractive target for the development of new anti-virulence antimicrobials. Using
      a fragment-based approach we have identified small molecules that bind to
      PaDsbA1. The fragment hits show selective binding to PaDsbA1 over the DsbA
      protein from Escherichia coli, suggesting that developing species-specific narrow
      spectrum inhibitors of DsbA enzymes may be feasible. Structures of a co-complex
      of PaDsbA1 with the highest affinity fragment identified in the screen reveal
      that the fragment binds on the non-catalytic surface of the protein at a domain
      interface. This biophysical and structural data represent a starting point in the
      development of higher affinity compounds, which will be assessed for their
      potential as selective PaDsbA1 inhibitors.

PMID- 28346539
TI  - Is there a relation between novelty seeking, striatal dopamine release and
      frontal cortical thickness?
AB  - BACKGROUND: Novelty-seeking (NS) and impulsive personality traits have been
      proposed to reflect an interplay between fronto-cortical and limbic systems,
      including the limbic striatum (LS). Although neuroimaging studies have provided
      some evidence for this, most are comprised of small samples and many report
      surprisingly large effects given the challenges of trying to relate a snapshot of
      brain function or structure to an entity as complex as personality. The current
      work tested a priori hypotheses about associations between striatal dopamine (DA)
      release, cortical thickness (CT), and NS in a large sample of healthy adults.
      METHODS: Fifty-two healthy adults (45M/7F; age: 23.8+/-4.93) underwent two
      positron emission tomography scans with [11C]raclopride (specific for striatal DA
      D2/3 receptors) with or without amphetamine (0.3 mg/kg, p.o.). Structural
      magnetic resonance image scans were acquired, as were Tridimensional Personality
      Questionnaire data. Amphetamine-induced changes in [11C]raclopride binding
      potential values (DeltaBPND) were examined in the limbic, sensorimotor (SMS) and
      associative (AST) striatum. CT measures, adjusted for whole brain volume, were
      extracted from the dorsolateral sensorimotor and ventromedial/limbic cortices.
      RESULTS: BPND values were lower in the amphetamine vs. no-drug sessions, with the
      largest effect in the LS. When comparing low vs. high LS DeltaBPND groups (median
      split), higher NS2 (impulsiveness) scores were found in the high DeltaBPND group.
      Partial correlations (age and gender as covariates) yielded a negative relation
      between ASTS DeltaBPND and sensorimotor CT; trends for inverse associations
      existed between DeltaBPND values in other striatal regions and frontal CT. In
      other words, the greater the amphetamine-induced striatal DA response, the
      thinner the frontal cortex. CONCLUSIONS: These data expand upon previously
      reported associations between striatal DA release in the LS and both NS related
      impulsiveness and CT in the largest sample reported to date. The findings add to
      the plausibility of these associations while suggesting that the effects are
      likely weaker than has been previously proposed.

PMID- 28346542
TI  - Unusual behaviour of phototrophic picoplankton in turbid waters.
AB  - Autotrophic picoplankton (APP) abundance and contribution to phytoplankton
      biomass was studied in Hungarian shallow lakes to test the effect of inorganic
      turbidity determining the size distribution of the phytoplankton. The studied
      lakes displayed wide turbidity (TSS: 4-2250 mg l-1) and phytoplankton biomass
      (chlorophyll a: 1-460 MUg l-1) range, as well as APP abundance (0 and 100 million
      cells ml-1) and contribution (0-100%) to total phytoplankton biomass. Inorganic
      turbidity had a significant effect on the abundance and contribution of APP,
      resulting in higher values compared to other freshwater lakes with the same
      phytoplankton biomass. Our analysis has provided empirical evidence for a
      switching point (50 mg l-1 inorganic turbidity), above which turbidity is the key
      factor causing APP predominance regardless of phytoplankton biomass in shallow
      turbid lakes. Our results have shown that turbid shallow lakes are unique waters,
      where the formerly and widely accepted model (decreasing APP contribution with
      increasing phytoplankton biomass) is not applicable. We hypothesize that this
      unusual behaviour of APP in turbid waters is a result of either diminished
      underwater light intensity or a reduced grazing pressure due to high inorganic
      turbidity.

PMID- 28346541
TI  - Quality of life and objective outcome assessment in women with tape division
      after surgery for stress urinary incontinence.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Midurethral tapes may cause long-term complications such as voiding
      dysfunction, groin pain, de novo urgency or mesh erosion, which necessitate a
      reoperation. There is a paucity of data regarding health related quality of life
      in patients undergoing tape removal. The aim of the study was to evaluate quality
      of life (QoL) and objective outcome after midurethral tape division or excision.
      METHODS: All patients who underwent a midurethral tape division for voiding
      difficulties, pain or therapy resistant de novo overactive bladder between 1999
      and 2014 were invited for follow-up. A control group with a suburethral tape
      without division was established in a 1:2 ratio and matched for age, tape used
      and year of tape insertion. Patients completed the Kings' Health Questionnaire
      (KHQ), Incontinence Outcome Questionnaire, Female Sexual Function Index
      Questionnaire and the Patient Global Impression of Improvement score. RESULTS:
      Tape division or excision was performed in 32 women. Overall, 15 (60%) of 25
      women who were alive were available for clinical examination and completed the
      questionnaires. Tape division was performed for voiding dysfunction (n = 7),
      overactive bladder (n = 2), mesh extrusion (n = 3) and ongoing pain (n = 3).
      Median time to tape division/excision was 10 months. Three women in the tape
      division group had undergone reoperation for stress urinary incontinence (SUI).
      At a median follow-up of 11 years (IQR 9-13) subjective SUI rate was 53% (8/15
      women) in the tape division group and 17% (5/30) in the control group (p =
      0.016), with no significant differences in objective SUI rates between groups.
      With regard to quality of life, the study group had significantly worse scores in
      the SUI related domains role limitation, physical limitation, severity measures
      and social limitations (KHQ) compared to the control group. CONCLUSIONS: Women
      needing tape division or excision have lower SUI related QoL scores compared to
      controls mostly because of higher subjective SUI rates.

PMID- 28346543
TI  - Prevalence of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease and risk factors for advanced
      fibrosis and mortality in the United States.
AB  - In the United States, non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is the most
      common liver disease and associated with higher mortality according to data from
      earlier National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) 1988-1994. Our
      goal was to determine the NAFLD prevalence in the recent 1999-2012 NHANES, risk
      factors for advanced fibrosis (stage 3-4) and mortality. NAFLD was defined as
      having a United States Fatty Liver Index (USFLI) > 30 in the absence of heavy
      alcohol use and other known liver diseases. The probability of low/high risk of
      having advanced fibrosis was determined by the NAFLD Fibrosis Score (NFS). In
      total, 6000 persons were included; of which, 30.0% had NAFLD and 10.3% of these
      had advanced fibrosis. Five and eight-year overall mortality in NAFLD subjects
      with advanced fibrosis was significantly higher than subjects without NAFLD ((18%
      and 35% vs. 2.6% and 5.5%, respectively) but not NAFLD subjects without advanced
      fibrosis (1.1% and 2.8%, respectively). NAFLD with advanced fibrosis (but not
      those without) is an independent predictor for mortality on multivariate analysis
      (HR = 3.13, 95% CI 1.93-5.08, p<0.001). In conclusion, in this most recent
      NHANES, NAFLD prevalence remains at 30% with 10.3% of these having advanced
      fibrosis. NAFLD per se was not a risk factor for increased mortality, but NAFLD
      with advanced fibrosis was. Mexican American ethnicity was a significant risk
      factor for NAFLD but not for advanced fibrosis or increased mortality.

PMID- 28346544
TI  - Epigenetic silencing of V(D)J recombination is a major determinant for selective
      differentiation of mucosal-associated invariant t cells from induced pluripotent
      stem cells.
AB  - Mucosal-associated invariant T cells (MAITs) are innate-like T cells that play a
      pivotal role in the host defense against infectious diseases, and are also
      implicated in autoimmune diseases, metabolic diseases, and cancer. Recent studies
      have shown that induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) derived from MAITs
      selectively redifferentiate into MAITs without altering their antigen
      specificity. Such a selective differentiation is a prerequisite for the use of
      MAITs in cell therapy and/or regenerative medicine. However, the molecular
      mechanisms underlying this phenomenon remain unclear. Here, we performed
      methylome and transcriptome analyses of MAITs during the course of
      differentiation from iPSCs. Our multi-omics analyses revealed that recombination
      activating genes (RAG1 and RAG2) and DNA nucleotidylexotransferase (DNTT) were
      highly methylated with their expression being repressed throughout
      differentiation. Since these genes are essential for V(D)J recombination of the T
      cell receptor (TCR) locus, this indicates that nascent MAITs are kept from
      further rearrangement that may alter their antigen specificity. Importantly, we
      found that the repression of RAGs was assured in two layers: one by the
      modulation of transcription factors for RAGs, and the other by DNA methylation at
      the RAG loci. Together, our study provides a possible explanation for the
      unaltered antigen specificity in the selective differentiation of MAITs from
      iPSCs.

PMID- 28346547
TI  - A controllable water signal transistor.
AB  - We performed molecular dynamics simulations to study the regulating ability of
      water chains confined in a Y-shaped nanochannel. It was shown that a signal at
      the molecular level could be controlled by two other charge-induced signals when
      the water chains were confined in a Y-shaped nanochannel, demonstrating promising
      applications as water signal transistors in nanosignal systems. The mechanism of
      a water signal transistor is similar to a signal logic device. This remarkable
      ability to control the water signal is attributed to the strong dipole-ordering
      of the water chains in the nanochannel. The controllable water signal process of
      the Y-shaped nanochannel provides opportunities for future application in the
      design of molecular-scale signal devices.

PMID- 28346546
TI  - Antimicrobial susceptibility and multilocus sequence typing of Mycoplasma
      capricolum subsp. capricolum.
AB  - Mycoplasma capricolum subsp. capricolum is one of the causative agents of
      contagious agalactia (CA). Nevertheless, there is still a lack of information
      about its antimicrobial susceptibility and genetic characteristics. Therefore,
      the aim of this work was to study the antimicrobial and genetic variability of
      different Mycoplasma capricolum subsp. capricolum field isolates. For this
      purpose, the growth inhibition effect of 18 antimicrobials and a multilocus
      sequence typing (MLST) scheme based on five housekeeping genes (fusA, glpQ, gyrB,
      lepA and rpoB) were performed on 32 selected field isolates from Italy and
      Spain.The results showed a wide range of growth inhibitory effects for almost all
      the antimicrobials studied. Macrolides presented lower efficacy inhibiting Mcc
      growth than in previous works performed on other CA-causative mycoplasmas.
      Erythromycin was not able to inhibit the growth of any of the studied strains,
      contrary to doxycycline, which inhibited the growth of all of them from low
      concentrations. On the other hand, the study of the concatenated genes revealed a
      high genetic variability among the different Mcc isolates. Hence, these genetic
      variations were greater than the ones reported in prior works on other mycoplasma
      species.

PMID- 28346548
TI  - Kinetics of light-induced ordering and deformation in LC azobenzene-containing
      materials.
AB  - Azobenzene-containing smart materials are able to transform the energy of light
      into directional mechanical stress. We develop a theory of time-dependent light
      induced ordering and deformation in azobenzene materials starting from the
      kinetic equations of photoisomerization. The liquid crystalline (LC) interactions
      between rod-like trans-isomers are taken into account. Angular selectivity of the
      photoisomerization known as an "angular hole burning" or the Weigert effect leads
      to the light-induced ordering and deformation of the azobenzene materials. The
      time evolution of ordering and deformation is found as a function of intensity of
      light depending on the opto-mechanical characteristics of the materials, such as
      probabilities of the optical excitation of trans- and cis-isomers, angular jump
      during the single isomerization event, viscosity of the materials, strength of
      the LC interactions in both the isotropic and LC materials, and the angular
      distribution of chromophores in polymer chains. Established structural-property
      relationships are in agreement with a number of experiments and can be used for
      the construction of light-controllable smart materials for practical
      applications.

PMID- 28346545
TI  - Aqueous cytokine levels are associated with reduced macular thickness after
      intravitreal ranibizumab for diabetic macular edema.
AB  - PURPOSE: It is controversial whether the administration of anti-vascular
      endothelial growth factor drugs for diabetic macular edema (DME) affects
      intraocular inflammatory cytokines. In this study, we measured cytokine
      concentration in aqueous humor before and after intravitreal injection of
      ranibizumab (IVR). The aim was to determine changes in cytokine concentration and
      their effects on DME reduction. METHODS: Twelve patients (13 eyes) with DME
      received two IVR (0.5 mg) with a 1 month interval, and a total of 26 aqueous
      humor samples were obtained. Macular thickness was measured with an optical
      coherence tomography (OCT) using thickness-map mode with an Early Treatment
      Diabetic Retinopathy Study (ETDRS) 9-zone grid that was divided into two zones: a
      central circle with a diameter of 1 mm (zone1); and an outer circle with a
      diameter of 6 mm (zone2). RESULTS: The concentration of eotaxin-1 in aqueous
      humor samples decreased significantly after IVR. Baseline cytokine concentration
      was associated with IVR-induced DME reduction. In zone1, higher baseline
      concentration of interferon-induced protein (IP)-10, and in zone 2, higher
      baseline concentration of granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor, IP
      10, and tumor necrosis factor (TNF) alpha; and lower baseline concentration of
      eotaxin-1, interleukin (IL)-5, and IL-8 were associated with improved DME.
      Cytokine changes were associated with IVR-induced DME reduction. In zone1, lower
      concentration of IP-10 compared to baseline or higher concentration of macrophage
      inflammatory protein (MIP) -alpha, and in zone 2, lower concentration of IL-5
      compared to baseline, IL-8, and IP-10 or higher concentration of eotaxin-1 and
      MIP-1beta were associated with improved DME. CONCLUSIONS: These findings suggest
      that ranibizumab affects the concentration of cytokines in aqueous humor. Various
      cytokines contribute to a decrease in retinal thickness, both in the center of
      the macula and in a larger area of the retina.

PMID- 28346551
TI  - Infrared spectra of HSCS+, c-HSCS, and HCS2- produced on electron bombardment of
      CS2 in solid para-hydrogen.
AB  - We report infrared (IR) spectra of HSCS+, c-HSCS, HCS2-, and other species
      produced on electron bombardment of a mixture of CS2 and para-hydrogen (p-H2)
      during deposition at 3.2 K. After maintenance of the deposited matrix in darkness
      for 12 h, the intensities of the absorption lines of HSCS+ at 2477.2 (nu1),
      1525.6 (nu2), and 919.6 cm-1 (nu3) decreased through neutralization of HSCS+ with
      trapped electrons. During this period, the intensities of the lines of HCS2- at
      2875.7 (nu1), 1249.9 (nu5), 1003.2 (nu6), and 814.3 cm-1 (nu4) increased due to
      reaction between H and CS2-. The intensities of the lines observed at 2312.7 and
      889.0 cm-1, which are assigned to the c-HSCS radical, increased after maintenance
      in darkness and greatly diminished after irradiation at 373 nm. The IR spectra of
      HSCS+, HCS2-, and c-HSCS are reported for the first time. The IR absorption lines
      of the t-HSCS radical, t-HC(S)SH, and c-HC(S)SH were also identified; their
      wavenumbers are similar to those reported for these species in an Ar matrix. The
      corresponding spectra of the 13C, 34S, and D isotopic variants of these species
      were observed. The assignments were made according to the expected chemical
      behavior, predicted potential energies of associated reactions, and a comparison
      of observed and predicted wavenumbers and their 13C, 34S, and D isotopic ratios.
      In contrast to the observed significant red shifts of the OH-stretching
      wavenumbers of HOCO+ and HOCS+ in solid p-H2 compared to those in the gaseous
      phase due to proton sharing with H2, the wavenumber of the HS-stretching mode of
      HSCS+ in solid p-H2 (2477.2 cm-1) is similar to the anharmonic wavenumber of
      HSCS+ (2424 cm-1) predicted with the B3LYP/aug-cc-pVTZ method, indicating that
      the sharing of a proton between HSCS+ and neighboring H2 molecules is
      insignificant.

PMID- 28346549
TI  - Asymmetric synthesis of vinylogous beta-amino acids and their incorporation into
      mixed backbone oligomers.
AB  - Chiral vinylogous beta-amino acids (VBAA) were synthesized using enantioselective
      Mannich reactions of aldehydes with in situ generated N-carbamoyl imines followed
      by a Horner-Wadsworth-Emmons reaction. The efficiency with which these units
      could be incorporated into oligomers with different moieties on the C- and N
      terminal sides was established, as was the feasibility of sequencing oligomers
      containing VBAAs by tandem mass spectrometry. The data show that VBAAs will be
      useful building blocks for the construction of combinatorial libraries of
      peptidomimetic compounds.

PMID- 28346552
TI  - Incorporation of vanadium into the framework of hydroxyapatites: importance of
      the vanadium content and pH conditions during the precipitation step.
AB  - Even though vanadium-modified hydroxyapatite (V-HAp) samples are very promising
      systems for oxidative dehydrogenation of propane, the incorporation of vanadium
      into the hydroxyapatite framework was reported to be limited and to lead to over
      stoichiometric compounds. Here, the synthesis of a Ca10(PO4)6-x(VO4)x(OH)2
      stoichiometric solid solution using a co-precipitation method is monitored in the
      whole composition range (0 <= x <= 6) by controlling the pH of the precipitation
      medium, with continuous (the first series of samples) or periodic (the second
      series of samples) addition of NH4OH during the precipitation step or during the
      maturation step, respectively. It is demonstrated that the changes in pH
      conditions result in materials of a substantial difference in terms of the final
      composition. From XRD patterns and Rietveld refinements, a solid solution V-HAp
      phase was found to be exclusively obtained for the first series of samples for x
      varying from 0 to 6. This also occurred in the second series of samples but only
      for x lower than 4. For 4 <= x <= 5.22, the materials were composed of a mixture
      of V-HAp and Ca2V2O7, whereas for a x value of 6 only Ca2V2O7 was formed. The
      predominance of polymeric V species in solution at a high vanadium concentration
      deduced from the diagram of speciation of vanadium accounts for the preferential
      formation of Ca2V2O7 under these particular conditions. However, provided that a
      higher pH value was maintained, isolated VO3(OH)2- species are predominant, which
      accounts for the incorporation of isolated vanadates into the hydroxyapatite
      framework and for the well-controlled stoichiometry with Ca/(P + V) ratios found
      to be close to 1.67. Such a very good accommodation of vanadium in the
      hydroxyapatite framework is illustrated by the characterization of the local
      surrounding of phosphorus and vanadium species using 31P and 51V NMR, Raman and
      UV-vis spectroscopies.

PMID- 28346554
TI  - Fundamental insights into interfacial catalysis.
AB  - Surface and interfacial catalysis plays a vital role in chemical industries,
      electrochemistry and photochemical reactions. The challenges of modern chemistry
      are to optimize the chemical reaction processes and understand the detailed
      mechanism of chemical reactions. Since the early 1960s, the foundation of surface
      science systems has allowed the study of surface and interfacial phenomena on
      atomic/molecular level, and thus brought a number of significant developments to
      fundamental and technological processes, such as catalysis, material science and
      biochemistry, just to name a few. This themed issue describes the recent advances
      and developments in the fundamental understanding of surface and interfacial
      catalysis, encompassing areas of knowledge from metal to metal oxide, carbide,
      graphene, hexagonal boron nitride, and transition metal dichalcogenides under
      ultrahigh vacuum conditions, as well as under realistic reaction conditions.

PMID- 28346555
TI  - Modulation of the cooperativity in the assembly of multistranded supramolecular
      polymers.
AB  - It is highly desirable that supramolecular polymers self-assemble following small
      changes in the environment. The degree of responsiveness depends on the degree of
      cooperativity at play during the assembly. Understanding how to modulate and
      quantify cooperativity is therefore highly desirable for the study and design of
      responsive polymers. Here we show that the cooperative assembly of a porphyrin
      based, double-stranded polymer is triggered by changes in building blocks and in
      salt concentration. We develop a model that accounts for this responsiveness by
      assuming the binding of the salt countercations to the double-stranded polymer.
      Using our assembly model we generate plots that show the increase in
      concentration of polymer versus the normalized concentration of monomer. These
      plots are ideally suited to appreciate changes in cooperativity, and show that,
      for our system, these changes are consistent with the increase in polymer length
      observed experimentally. Unexpectedly, we find that polymer stability increases
      when cooperativity decreases. We attribute this behaviour to the fact that
      increasing salt concentration stabilizes the overall polymer more than the
      nucleus. In other words, the cooperativity factor alpha, defined as the ratio
      between the growth constant Kg and the nucleation constant Kn decreases as the
      overall stability of the polymer increases. Using our model to simulate the data,
      we generate cooperativity plots to explore changes in cooperativity for
      multistranded polymers. We find that, for the same pairwise association
      constants, the cooperativity sharply increases with the number of strands in the
      polymer. We attribute this dependence to the fact that the larger the number of
      strands, the larger is the nucleus necessary to trigger polymer growth. We show
      therefore that the cooperativity factor alpha does not properly account for the
      cooperativity behaviour of multistranded polymers, or any supramolecular polymer
      with a nucleus composed of more than 2 building blocks, and propose the use of
      the corrected cooperativity factor alpham. Finally, we show that multistranded
      polymers display highly cooperative polymerisation with pairwise association
      constants as low as 10 M-1 between the building blocks, which should simplify the
      design of responsive supramolecular polymers.

PMID- 28346558
TI  - Simple synthesis of multiple length-scale structured Nb2O5 with functional
      macrodomain-integrated mesoporous frameworks.
AB  - We report the simple synthesis of macro- and mesostructured Nb2O5 that have
      functional submicrometer-sized particles (macrodomain) embedded in mesoporous
      frameworks (nanodomain). Resol can macrophase-separate by self-polymerization and
      co-assemble with niobia sol into mesostructured frameworks. The resultant
      materials increase the power conversion efficiency due to light-scattering
      capability of submicrometer-sized particles.

PMID- 28346559
TI  - Mechanism of degradation of a nitrogenous heterocycle induced by a reductive
      radical: decomposition of a sym-triazine ring.
AB  - Cyanuric acid is a major component of many materials and chemicals, and is the
      most important intermediate in the degradation processes of sym-triazine
      compounds in the natural environment, as well as being used for water treatment.
      However, the degradation mechanism of cyanuric acid is still unclear in various
      advanced oxidation processes (AOPs), where OH is usually regarded as the dominant
      radical. Here, using a combination of density functional theory calculations and
      experimental observations, we unexpectedly show that the sym-triazine ring
      structure is broken efficiently by reductive free radicals - hydrogen radicals
      (H), rather than traditional OH. The energy barrier of cyanuric acid reacting
      with H to form the -NH2 group and break the sym-triazine ring is only 4.96 kcal
      mol-1, which is clearly lower than that of cyanuric acid reacting with OH (13.32
      kcal mol-1). Our theoretical predictions are further confirmed by gamma photon
      irradiation experiments, which show that when H is present in the reaction, the
      nitrogen in cyanuric acid (or other nitrogenous compounds including primidone and
      bezafibrate) rapidly degrades into NH4+. In contrast, when H is scavenged,
      cyanuric acid stops degrading into NH4+. Our results provide new insight for
      understanding the decomposition of nitrogenous materials, and we are the first to
      shed light on the key role of H in organic transformation processes.

PMID- 28346561
TI  - Reduced Intestinal Motility, Mucosal Barrier Function, and Inflammation in Aged
      Monkeys.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: We aimed to examine the general health and intestinal physiology of
      young and old non-human primates with comparable life histories and dietary
      environments. DESIGN: Vervet monkeys (Chlorcebus aethiops sabaeus) in stable and
      comparable social and nutritional environments were selected for evaluation.
      Health phenotype, circulating cytokines and biomarkers of microbial translocation
      (MT) were measured (n=26-44). Subsets of monkeys additionally had their
      intestinal motility, intestinal permeability, and fecal microbiomes
      characterized. These outcomes document age-related intestinal changes present in
      the absence of nutritional stressors, which are all known to affect
      gastrointestinal motility, microbiome, and MT. RESULTS: We found that old monkeys
      have greater systemic inflammation and poor intestinal barrier function as
      compared to young monkeys. Old monkeys have dramatically reduced intestinal
      motility, and all changes in motility and MT are present without large
      differences in fecal microbiomes. CONCLUSION: We conclude that deteriorating
      intestinal function is a feature of normal aging and could represent the source
      of inflammatory burden yet to be explained by disease or diet in normal aging
      human primate populations. Intestinal changes were seen independent of dietary
      influences and aging within a consistent environment appears to avoid major
      microbiome shifts. Our data suggests interventions to promote intestinal motility
      and mucosal barrier function have the potential to support better health with
      aging.

PMID- 28346562
TI  - Joint Association of Obesity and Hypertension with Disability in the Elderly-- A
      Community-Based Study of Residents in Shanghai, China.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Although both obesity and hypertension are known risk factors for
      disability, the joint association of obesity and hypertension with risk of
      disability is unknown. This paper is aim to examine the joint association of
      obesity and hypertension with risk of disability. METHODS: Cross-sectional study
      with 8060 elderly community-dwelling individuals participating in the survey
      initiated by Shanghai Health and Family Planning Commission from March to
      September 2013. Obesity was measured using the body mass index (BMI) in World
      Health Organization (WHO) Asia criteria. Hypertension, based on the doctor's
      diagnosis, was obtained through face-to-face interview. Disability was measured
      using the self-reported physical self-maintenance scale (PSMS) and the
      instrumental activities of daily living (IADL) scale developed by Lawton and
      Brody. RESULTS: A total of 8.97% of participants reported ADL disability, and
      15.18% for IADL disability. After adjusting social demographics and chronic
      conditions, the risk of ADL disability was progressively greater in obese persons
      with hypertension (OR=1.40, 95% CI=1.05-1.89), underweight persons without
      hypertension (OR=2.05, 95% CI=1.29-3.25), and underweight persons with
      hypertension (OR=2.14, 95% CI=1.36-3.36). For IADL disability, only underweight
      persons with hypertension were significantly associated (OR=1.65, 95% CI=1.23
      2.21). CONCLUSIONS: Low or extremely high BMI, independent of its metabolic
      consequences, is a risk factor for disability among the elderly. Simple
      hypertension wasn't significantly associated with disability. In addition, having
      hypertension significantly increased the risk of ADL disability in obese
      individuals and IADL disability in underweight individuals.

PMID- 28346563
TI  - Delivery of Nutritious Meals to Elderly Receiving Home Care: Feasibility and
      Effectiveness.
AB  - BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES: Elderly with functional disabilities are at increased risk
      of inadequate dietary intake. Little is known about the effectiveness of
      interventions aimed at improving their dietary intake and nutritional status, nor
      about the determinants of successful implementation. We performed a feasibility
      study to evaluate the implementation and effectiveness of a home delivery service
      providing nutritious meals. DESIGN: Quasi-experimental, with participants
      allocated to treatment group based on municipality of residence. SETTING AND
      PARTICIPANTS: Functionally disabled home-dwelling elderly receiving home care.
      INTERVENTION: Three-month daily meal service consisting of dinner and snacks
      (intervention). The control group sustained habitual food intake. MEASUREMENTS:
      Data on satisfaction and problems regarding the meal service were collected by
      structured interviews. Dietary intake (2-day estimated food diary), nutritional
      status (anthropometry), handgrip strength, and quality of life (questionnaire
      based) was measured at baseline, three months (end of intervention), and six
      months (follow-up). RESULTS: Forty-four elderly were included (intervention
      group: 25, control group: 19). For most aspects of the meal service,
      approximately 90% of participants indicated being satisfied, and the large
      majority (70%) was interested in receiving a similar meal service in the future.
      At the end of the 3-month intervention, the intervention group showed a greater
      increase than the control group in body weight (P< 0.005), body mass index (P<
      0.005), upper leg circumference (P< 0.01) and fat free mass (FFM, P< 0.03). Three
      months post-intervention, only the increase in FFM remained statistically
      significant (P< 0.05). Except for calcium intake, no positive intervention effect
      was observed for any of the other outcomes. CONCLUSION: Our study stresses the
      feasibility as well as the potential of healthy and tasteful meals to support
      home-dwelling elderly, by showing that a high-quality meal service was highly
      appreciated and had a rapid effect on FFM.

PMID- 28346564
TI  - The Relationship between Body Mass Index and 10-Year Trajectories of Physical
      Functioning in Middle-Aged and Older Russians: Prospective Results of the Russian
      HAPIEE Study.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: To investigate the associations of overweight and obesity with
      longitudinal decline in physical functioning (PF) among middle-aged and older
      Russians. DESIGN: Prospective cohort study. SETTING: Four rounds of data
      collection in the Russian Health, Alcohol and Psychosocial factors In Eastern
      Europe study with up to 10 years of follow-up. PARTICIPANTS: 9,222 men and women
      aged 45-69 years randomly selected from the population of two districts of
      Novosibirsk, Russia. MEASUREMENTS: PF score (range 0-100) was measured by the
      Physical Functioning Subscale (PF-10) of the 36-item Short Form Health Survey (SF
      36) at baseline and three subsequent occasions. Body mass index (BMI), derived
      from objectively measured body height and weight at baseline, was classified into
      normal weight (BMI 18.5-24.9), overweight (BMI 25.0-29.9), obesity class I (BMI
      30.0-34.9), and obesity class II+ (BMI>=35.0). RESULTS: The mean annual decline
      in the PF score during the follow-up was -1.92 (95% confidence interval -2.17; 
      1.68) in men and -1.91 (-2.13; -1.68) in women. At baseline, compared with normal
      weight, obesity classes I and II+ (but not overweight) were associated with
      significantly lower PF in both sexes. In prospective analyses, the decline in PF
      was faster in overweight men (difference from normal weight subjects -0.38 [
      0.63; -0.14]), class I obese men and women (-0.49 [-0.82; -0.17] and -0.44 [
      0.73; -0.15] respectively) and class II+ obese men and women (-1.13 [-1.73; 
      0.53] and -0.43 [-0.77; -0.09] respectively). Adjustment for physical activity
      and other covariates did not materially change the results. CONCLUSIONS: PF
      decreased more rapidly in obese men and women than among those with normal
      weight. The adverse effect of high BMI on PF trajectories appeared to be more
      pronounced in men than in women, making more extremely obese Russian men an
      important target population to prevent/slow down the process of decline in PF.

PMID- 28346565
TI  - Anticholinergic Burden and Functional Status in Older People with Cognitive
      Impairment: Results from the Regal Project.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: The use of drugs with intrinsic anticholinergic properties is
      widespread among old age persons. A growing body of evidences suggest that a high
      anticholinergic burden is associated with physical and cognitive impairment.
      However, the association between anticholinergic drug use and functional status
      is still poorly investigated, particularly among subjects with initial cognitive
      impairment. DESIGN: Cross-sectional study examining the association between drug
      related anticholinergic burden and functional status in cognitively healthy (CH)
      (n=691), mild cognitive impairment (MCI) (n=541) or mild Alzheimer's diseases
      (AD) (n=1127) subjects. SETTING: Data were gathered from the ReGAl project (Rete
      Geriatrica Alzheimer-Geriatric Network on Alzheimer's disease), a large
      longitudinal Italian multicentric clinical-based study, promoted by the Italian
      Society of Gerontology and Geriatrics (SIGG). PARTICIPANTS: 2359 outpatients,
      older than 65 years, admitted to memory clinics. The total sample size, estimated
      according to a global effect size of 25% with type I error of 0.05 and a power of
      95% is 2010 subjects. MEASUREMENT: Functional status was evaluated by the Katz
      Index of Independence in Activities of Daily Living (ADL) and the Lawton-Brody
      Instrumental Activities of Daily Living (IADL) scales. The drug-related
      anticholinergic burden was estimated by the Anticholinergic Risk Scale (ARS).
      RESULTS: The 15.9 % (n=375) of total population used at least one drug with
      anticholinergic properties. Such a drug use was associated with partially
      dependence in ADL (OR:1.42, CI95%: 1.10-1.83; p=0.006), independently of gender,
      number of drugs, comorbidity index, presence of clinically relevant
      neuropsychiatric symptoms and adjusted MMSE. Anticholinergic drug use was
      associated with un-ability at each IADL task only in male MCI subjects, with
      significant impairment in shopping (p=0.011), and drug management (p=0.05).
      CONCLUSIONS: The use of medications with anticholinergic properties is common
      among older persons cognitively health as well as with cognitive impairment. Our
      results suggest that the use of anticholinergic drugs is associated with
      functional impairment, especially in old age subjects with initial cognitive
      impairment. Minimizing anticholinergic burden should result in maintaining daily
      functioning, especially in a vulnerable population, such as MCI and mild AD.

PMID- 28346566
TI  - Gene- Gene Interaction between PPARG and APOE Gene on Late-Onset Alzheimer's
      Disease: A Case- Control Study in Chinese Han Population.
AB  - AIMS: The aim was to investigate the impact of PPARG and APOE gene single
      nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) and additional gene- gene interaction on late
      onset Alzheimer's disease (LOAD) risk based on Chinese Han population. METHODS: A
      total of 928 participants (466 males, 462 females), with a mean age of 81.3 +/-
      16.4 years old, were included in the study, including 460 LOAD patients and 468
      normal controls participants. Logistic regression was performed to investigate
      association between SNP and LOAD risk and generalized multifactor dimensionality
      reduction (GMDR) was used to analysis the gene-gene interaction. RESULTS:
      Logistic regression analysis showed that LOAD risk was significantly higher in
      carriers of G allele of the rs405509 polymorphism than those with AA (AG+ GG
      versus AA, adjusted OR (95%CI) =1.54(1.20-1.89), and higher in carriers of G
      allele of the rs1805192 polymorphism than those with CC (CG+ GG versus CC,
      adjusted OR (95%CI) =1.32(1.16-2.43). We also found that there was a potential
      gene-gene interaction between rs405509 and rs1805192. Participants with AG or GG
      of rs405509 and CG or GG of rs1805192 genotype have the highest AD risk, compared
      to participants with AA of rs405509 and CC of rs1805192 genotype, OR (95%CI) was
      2.62(1.64 -3.58), after covariates adjustment. CONCLUSIONS: G allele of the
      rs405509 of APOE and G allele of the rs1805192 of PPAR G polymorphism were
      associated with increased LOAD risk, and participants with AG or GG of rs405509
      and CG or GG of rs1805192 genotype have the highest AD risk.

PMID- 28346567
TI  - Effect of a Low Glycemic Index Mediterranean Diet on Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver
      Disease. A Randomized Controlled Clinici Trial.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease (NAFLD) is currently the most
      common form of liver disease worldwide affecting all ages and ethnic groups and
      it has become a consistent threat even in young people. Our aim was to estimate
      the effect of a Low Glycemic Index Mediterranean Diet (LGIMD) on the NAFLD score
      as measured by a Liver Ultrasonography (LUS). DESIGN: NUTRIzione in EPAtologia
      (NUTRIEPA) is a population-based Double-Blind RCT. Data were collected in 2011
      and analyzed in 2013-14. SETTING/PARTICIPANTS: 98 men and women coming from
      Putignano (Puglia, Southern Italy) were drawn from a previous randomly sampled
      population-based study and identified as having moderate or severe NAFLD.
      INTERVENTION: The intervention strategy was the assignment of a LGIMD or a
      control diet. OUTCOME MEASURES: The main outcome measure was NAFLD score, defined
      by LUS. RESULTS: After randomization, 50 subjects were assigned to a LGIMD and 48
      to a control diet. The study lasted six months and all participants were subject
      to monthly controls/checks. Adherence to the LGIMD as measured by Mediterranean
      Adequacy Index (MAI) showed a median of 10.1. A negative interaction between time
      and LGIMD on the NAFLD score (-4.14, 95% CI -6.78,-1.49) was observed, and became
      more evident at the sixth month (-4.43, 95%CI -7.15, -1.71). A positive effect of
      the interaction among LGIMD, time and age (Third month: 0.07, 95% CI 0.02, 0.12;
      Sixth month: 0.08, 95% CI 0.03,0.13) was also observed. CONCLUSIONS: LGIMD was
      found to decrease the NAFLD score in a relatively short time. Encouraging those
      subjects who do not seek medical attention but still have NAFLD to follow a LGIMD
      and other life-style interventions, may reduce the degree of severity of the
      disease. Dietary intervention of this kind, could also form the cornerstone of
      primary prevention of Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus (T2DM) and cardiovascular disease.

PMID- 28346568
TI  - Impact of 3-Monthly Vitamin D Supplementation Plus Exercise on Survival after
      Surgery for Osteoporotic Hip Fracture in Adult Patients over 50 Years: A
      Pragmatic Randomized, Partially Blinded, Controlled Trial.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: To determine whether 3-monthly supplementation of an oral vitamin D
      widely used in Spain (calcifediol) plus daily exercise could influence survival
      at one and four years after surgery for osteoporotic hip fracture. DESIGN: A
      pragmatic, randomized, partially single-blind placebo-controlled study. SETTING:
      Patients admitted to a tertiary university hospital for acute hip fracture.
      PARTICIPANTS: 675 healthy adult patients undergoing surgery for osteoporotic hip
      fracture were recruited from January 2004 to December 2007. INTERVENTION:
      Patients were randomized to receive either 3-monthly oral doses of 3 mg
      calcifediol (Hidroferol Choque(r)) or placebo in the 12 months postsurgery.
      Patients who received calcifediol were also given an exercise programme. The
      placebo group received standard health recommendations only. MEASUREMENTS: The
      primary endpoint was survival at 1 year and at 4 year follow-up. We also recorded
      new fractures, medical complications and anti-osteoporotic treatment compliance.
      RESULTS: We included a total of 88 patients, aged 62 to 99 years. Mean age was 82
      years and 88.6% were women. At 12 months, 10 (11.3%) patients had died, 9 of
      them, from the non-intervention group. At 4 years after surgery, 20 (22.7%) had
      died, 3 (3.4%) from the intervention group and 17 (19.3%) from the non
      intervention group. At this time, survival curve analysis showed 93% survival in
      the intervention group and 62% in the non-intervention group (p=0.001). At 12
      month follow up, there were 18 new fractures, 9 in each group. The non
      intervention group had more medical complications, with significant differences
      at visit 2 (p = 0.04) and 3 (p = 0.02) but not at visit 4 (p = 0.18). No
      significant differences between groups were found regarding treatment compliance.
      CONCLUSION: 3-monthly, oral supplements of 3 mg calcifediol plus daily exercise
      improved survival at one-year and four-year follow up after surgery for an
      osteoporotic hip fracture.

PMID- 28346569
TI  - Vitamin D Supplementation in Nursing Home Residents: Randomized Single
      Cholecalciferol Loading Protocol vs. Individualized Loading Dose Regimen.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: To assess the efficacy and safety of a single cholecalciferol loading
      protocol in nursing home (NH) residents taking no VitD supplementation at regular
      basis. DESIGN: Randomized single-blind controlled study. SETTING: One NH.
      PARTICIPANTS: All residents. INTERVENTION: From March 21st to May 19th, 2015, NH
      residents were randomly assigned to either 4x100'000IU to be taken every 2 weeks
      (treatment group) or an individualized regimen according to baseline 25(OH)VitD
      level (control group). MEASUREMENTS: 25(OH)VitD, calcium, phosphorus, parathyroid
      hormone, alkaline phosphatase, and creatinine serum levels were centrally
      measured at day 7 after the last dose in both groups, and at baseline in the
      control group. RESULTS: 111 residents (mean age 85.1+/-6.7 years) were randomized
      to the treatment (N=53) or the control group (N=58). No significant difference in
      terms of demographic characteristics, risk for osteoporosis, and past history of
      VitD supplementation was measured. At baseline, 37.9%, 25.5% and 5.2% were
      respectively sub-optimal, insufficient, and deficient for VitD. Whatever the
      study group, at the 7th day after the last dose of cholecalciferol, 100% of
      residents reached serum values >=20ng/mL (p value for non-inferiority <0.001 and
      p value for superiority p=1.00) and 93.6 vs. 88.2% reached values >=30ng/mL in
      the treatment and control group respectively (p value for non-inferiority <0.01
      and p value for superiority p=0.48). While mean value was higher in the treatment
      group (50.2+/-615.4 vs. 35.8+/-66.5ng/mL; p<0.0001), none of participants have
      seen their value >150 ng/mL. Not any biological adverse effects was measured.
      CONCLUSION: This study confirmed that a single loading protocol is at least as
      effective and safe as tailored regimen in terms of the ability to rapidly
      normalize 25(OH)VitD values. The often required dosage of 25(OH)VitD is
      reasonably not necessary to initiate VitD supplementation protocol in this
      vulnerable population.

PMID- 28346570
TI  - Tolerance and Long-Term Efficacy of Polyethylene Glycol 4000 (Forlax(r)) Compared
      to Lactulose in Elderly Patients with Chronic Constipation.
AB  - OBJECTIVES: To assess the tolerance and potential nutritional consequences of
      long-term repeated doses of PEG 4000 (10 to 30 g/day) in elderly patients with
      chronic constipation as compared to lactulose (10-30 g/day). DESIGN: Single
      blind, randomised, multicentre, parallel group comparative study. SETTING:
      Community-dwelling patients and nursing homes residents aged 70 years and older
      with a history of chronic constipation. Treatment intervention: PEG 4000 (10-30
      g/day) or lactulose (10-30 g/day) for six months. ASSESSMENTS: Clinical
      nutritional status (Mini Nutritional Assessment), blood and stool samples were
      taken at baseline and after three and six months for assay of nutritional and
      absorption parameters. A patient diary documented digestive symptoms and adverse
      events were recorded. Information on efficacy (stool frequency and consistency)
      was collected as a secondary outcome measure. RESULTS: Of the 316 patients
      screened, 245 eligible patients constituted the ITT population (PEG 4000: N =
      118; lactulose group: N = 127). The proportion of patients receiving PEG 4000
      with abnormal levels of electrolytes, nutritional markers or vitamins did not
      significantly change in the six months after initiating laxative treatment and do
      not differ between the two groups. After a D-xylose challenge test, the
      proportion of patients with abnormally low xylosaemia (suggesting malabsorption)
      varied from 24.6% at baseline to 35.8% after six months in the PEG 4000 group and
      from 29.1% to 42.4% in the lactulose group, with no significant between-group or
      within-group differences. The proportion of patients with poor nutritional status
      (MNA score <17) varied from 8.5% at baseline to 9.8% after 6 months in the PEG
      4000 group and from 3.9% to 5.0% in the lactulose group. No changes in stool fat
      or total or soluble stool nitrogen were observed in the minority of patients for
      whom stool analysis was performed. A significantly higher stool frequency (p
      <0.05) and improved stool consistency (p <0.05) was observed in the PEG 4000
      group compared to the lactulose group at each monthly evaluation period.
      CONCLUSIONS: After six months of treatment with PEG 4000, no clinically relevant
      changes in biochemical and nutritional parameters and no unanticipated treatment
      related adverse events were detected, demonstrating the good clinical tolerance
      of PEG 4000 in this population of elderly constipated patients. This tolerance
      was associated with a better clinical efficacy of PEG 4000 compared to lactulose.

PMID- 28346572
TI  - Effectiveness of Cardiac Rehabilitation for Prevention and Treatment of
      Sarcopenia in Patients with Cardiovascular Disease - A Retrospective Cross
      Sectional Analysis.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: Sarcopenia is a syndrome characterized by progressive and generalized
      loss of skeletal muscle mass and strength, with the risk of frailty and poor
      quality of life. This study aimed to clarify the clinical characteristics of
      sarcopenia and to investigate the effects of comprehensive cardiac rehabilitation
      (CCR), including nutrition, physical exercise and medication, in patients with
      cardiovascular disease (CVD). METHODS: We retrospectively studied 322 inpatients
      with CVD (age 72+/-12 years). Muscle mass, muscle strength and physical
      performance were assessed before and after exercise training in patients with and
      without sarcopenia, which was defined as either a gait speed of <0.8 m/s or
      reduced handgrip strength (<26 kg in males and <18 kg in females), together with
      lower skeletal muscle index (SMI) (<7.0 kg/m2 in males and <5.7 kg/m2 in
      females). The actual daily total calorie and nutrient intake was also calculated.
      RESULTS: Sarcopenia was identified in 28% of patients with CVD, these patients
      having a higher prevalence of symptomatic chronic heart failure and chronic
      kidney disease. SMI was significantly associated with protein intake and statin
      treatment. The ratio of peak VO2 and SMI was significantly higher in the statin
      treatment group. Handgrip strength, gait speed, leg weight bearing index, and
      nutritional intake improved after exercise training in patients both with and
      without sarcopenia. CONCLUSIONS: The present findings suggest that CCR is a
      promising strategy for prevention and treatment of sarcopenia in patients with
      CVD.

PMID- 28346571
TI  - Is the Ergogenicity of Caffeine Affected by Increasing Age? The Direct Effect of
      a Physiological Concentration of Caffeine on the Power Output of Maximally
      Stimulated EDL and Diaphragm Muscle Isolated from the Mouse.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: Caffeine is a well-established performance enhancing nutritional
      supplement in a young healthy population, however far less is known about how its
      ergogenicity is affected by increasing age. A recent review has highlighted the
      value of studies examining the direct effect of caffeine on isolated skeletal
      muscle contractility, but the present work is the first to assess the direct
      effect of 70uM caffeine (physiological maximum) on the maximal power output of
      isolated mammalian muscle from an age range representing developmental to early
      ageing. METHOD: Female CD1 mice were aged to 3, 10, 30 and 50 weeks (n = 20 in
      each case) and either whole EDL or a section of the diaphragm was isolated and
      maximal power output determined using the work loop technique. Once contractile
      performance was maximised, each muscle preparation was treated with 70uM caffeine
      and its contractile performance was measured for a further 60 minutes. RESULTS:
      In both mouse EDL and diaphragm 70uM caffeine treatment resulted in a significant
      increase in maximal muscle power output that was greatest at 10 or 30 weeks (up
      to 5% and 6% improvement respectively). This potentiation of maximal muscle power
      output was significantly lower at the early ageing time point, 50 weeks (up to 3%
      and 2% improvement respectively), and in mice in the developmental stage, at 3
      weeks of age (up to 1% and 2% improvement respectively). CONCLUSION: Uniquely,
      the present findings indicate a reduced age specific sensitivity to the
      performance enhancing effect of caffeine in developmental and aged mice which is
      likely to be attributed to age related muscle growth and degradation,
      respectively. Importantly, the findings indicate that caffeine may still provide
      a substantial ergogenic aid in older populations which could prove important for
      improving functional capacity in tasks of daily living.

PMID- 28346574
TI  - Size Matters! Differences in Nutritional Care between Small, Medium and Large
      Nursing Homes in Germany.
AB  - OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study is to comprehensively describe nutritional care
      in German nursing homes (NHs) and to examine if nutritional care differs between
      small, medium and large NHs. DESIGN: Nationwide cross-sectional postal survey.
      SETTING: Nursing homes. PARTICIPANTS: 541 NHs across Germany. MEASUREMENTS:
      Information on structural NH characteristics and nutritional care (food provision
      and menu planning, nursing care, and management and quality assurance) was
      collected by means of a questionnaire addressed to the management of a random
      sample of German NHs. NHs were grouped by size as small (<= 50 beds), medium (50 
      100 beds) or large (> 100 beds) institutions. Frequencies were used to describe
      nutritional care, and Chi2-test to identify differences in nutritional care by NH
      size. RESULTS: Aspects in the domain of food provision and menu planning
      regarding food variety and choice were widely implemented in German NHs (77 - 100
      %). Best results were achieved in the domain of nursing care, where all aspects
      were implemented in at least 68 % of the NHs. Aspects regarding management and
      quality assurance, especially those concerning staffing, i.e. the availability of
      an interface manager (14 %), an interdisciplinary nutrition team (12 %) and a
      dietician (42 %), were only rarely implemented. Differences by NH size were found
      between small and medium or large NHs. On the one hand, small NHs stated more
      often to consider individual capabilities of the residents with texture-modified
      food (81 % vs. 60 %, p<0.05) and produce more often hot meals at ward level on a
      regular base (46 % vs. 32 %, p<0.05) than large NHs. On the other hand, several
      aspects regarding food provision and menu planning, and management and quality
      assurance were significantly more often implemented in larger than smaller NHs.
      CONCLUSION: Whereas kitchen and nursing-related aspects of nutritional care seem
      to be widely implemented in German NHs, management and quality assurance demands
      are often not met. The differences found by NH size support the hypothesis that
      the number of residents living in a NH has an impact on how nutritional care is
      performed.

PMID- 28346573
TI  - Assessment of Glycemic Control in Nursing Home Residents with Diabetes.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: To describe glycemic control in nursing home residents with diabetes
      and to evaluate the relevance of HbA1c in the detection of hypoglycemia risk.
      DESIGN AND METHODS: Diabetes treatment, geriatric assessment, blood capillary
      glucose (n= 24,682), and HbA1c were collected from medical charts of 236 southern
      France nursing home residents during a 4-month period. Glycemic control was
      divided into four categories: tight, fair, and moderate or severe chronic
      hyperglycemia using the High Blood Glucose Index or the analysis of blood glucose
      frequency distribution. Hypoglycemia episodes were identified by medical or
      biological records. RESULTS: Glucose control was tight in 59.3 % and fair in 19.1
      % of the residents. Chronic exposure to hyperglycemia was observed in 21.6 % of
      the residents (severe in 9.7 % and moderate in 11.9 %). Hypoglycemia was noticed
      in 42/236 (17.8%), in all categories of glycemic control. Relative hypoglycemia
      risk was significantly (P = 0.0095) higher in residents with moderate chronic
      hyperglycemia compared with those with tight control. The majority of residents
      with hypoglycemia (39/42) or chronic hyperglycemia (45/51) were insulin-treated.
      The relative risk of hypoglycemia was not significantly associated with HbA1c
      values. CONCLUSION: Hypoglycemia risk in nursing home residents is observed in
      all categories of glycemic control. In tight control, the potency of antidiabetic
      treatment should be reduced. In chronic hyperglycemia, diet and treatment should
      be reevaluated in order to reduce glucose variability. HbA1c is not sufficient
      for hypoglycemia risk detection; capillary blood glucose monitoring is warranted
      for nursing homes residents with diabetes.

PMID- 28346576
TI  - A New Sign of Intracerebral Hematoma Expansion.

PMID- 28346577
TI  - Medicaid Expenditures and Estimated Rebates for Epinephrine Autoinjectors, 2012
      to 2016.

PMID- 28346575
TI  - Perceptions of Healthcare Professionals on the Usage of Percutaneous Endoscopic
      Gastrostomy in a Teaching Hospital from a Middle-Income South East Asian Country.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: To explore the perceptions of healthcare professionals' (HCPs) in a
      South East Asian nation towards percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy (PEG)
      feeding. DESIGN: Semi-structured, qualitative interviews. SETTINGS: A teaching
      hospital in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. PARTICIPANTS: A total of 17 healthcare
      professionals aged 23-43 years, 82% women. RESULTS: Thematic analysis revealed
      five themes that represent HCPs' perceptions in relation to the usage of PEG
      feeding: 1) knowledge of HCPs, 2) communication, 3) understanding among patients,
      and 4) financial and affordability. CONCLUSION: The rationale for reluctance
      towards PEG feeding observed in this regions was explained by lack of education,
      knowledge, communication, team work, and financial support. Future studies should
      assess the effects of educational programmes among HCPs and changes in policies
      to promote affordability on the utilization of PEG feeding in this region.

PMID- 28346579
TI  - Seeing the Effect of Health Care Delivery Innovation in the Safety Net.

PMID- 28346578
TI  - Association of Plasma Neurofilament Light With Neurodegeneration in Patients With
      Alzheimer Disease.
AB  - Importance: Existing cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) or imaging (tau positron emission
      tomography) biomarkers for Alzheimer disease (AD) are invasive or expensive.
      Biomarkers based on standard blood test results would be useful in research, drug
      development, and clinical practice. Plasma neurofilament light (NFL) has recently
      been proposed as a blood-based biomarker for neurodegeneration in dementias.
      Objective: To test whether plasma NFL concentrations are increased in AD and
      associated with cognitive decline, other AD biomarkers, and imaging evidence of
      neurodegeneration. Design, Setting, and Participants: In this prospective case
      control study, an ultrasensitive assay was used to measure plasma NFL
      concentration in 193 cognitively healthy controls, 197 patients with mild
      cognitive impairment (MCI), and 180 patients with AD dementia from the
      Alzheimer's Disease Neuroimaging Initiative. The study dates were September 7,
      2005, to February 13, 2012. The plasma NFL analysis was performed in September
      2016. Main Outcomes and Measures: Associations were tested between plasma NFL and
      diagnosis, Abeta pathologic features, CSF biomarkers of neuronal injury,
      cognition, brain structure, and metabolism. Results: Among 193 cognitively
      healthy controls, 197 patients with mild cognitive impairment, and 180 patients
      with AD with dementia, plasma NFL correlated with CSF NFL (Spearman rho = 0.59, P
      < .001). Plasma NFL was increased in patients with MCI (mean, 42.8 ng/L) and
      patients with AD dementia (mean, 51.0 ng/L) compared with controls (mean, 34.7
      ng/L) (P < .001) and had high diagnostic accuracy for patients with AD with
      dementia vs controls (area under the receiver operating characteristic curve,
      0.87, which is comparable to established CSF biomarkers). Plasma NFL was
      particularly high in patients with MCI and patients with AD dementia with Abeta
      pathologic features. High plasma NFL correlated with poor cognition and AD
      related atrophy (at baseline and longitudinally) and with brain hypometabolism
      (longitudinally). Conclusions and Relevance: Plasma NFL is associated with AD
      diagnosis and with cognitive, biochemical, and imaging hallmarks of the disease.
      This finding implies a potential usefulness for plasma NFL as a noninvasive
      biomarker in AD.

PMID- 28346580
TI  - Searching for Neurodegeneration in the Blood of Patients With Alzheimer Disease.

PMID- 28346581
TI  - Home-Based Hypnotherapy Self-exercises vs Individual Hypnotherapy With a
      Therapist for Treatment of Pediatric Irritable Bowel Syndrome, Functional
      Abdominal Pain, or Functional Abdominal Pain Syndrome: A Randomized Clinical
      Trial.
AB  - Importance: Individual gut-directed hypnotherapy (HT) is effective in pediatric
      irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) and functional abdominal pain or functional
      abdominal pain syndrome (FAP[S]). It is, however, unavailable to many children.
      Objective: To compare the effectiveness of HT by means of home-based self
      exercises using a CD with that of individual HT (iHT) performed by qualified
      therapists. Design, Setting, and Participants: This noninferiority randomized
      clinical trial with a follow-up of 1 year after the end of treatment was
      conducted from July 15, 2011, through June 24, 2013, at 9 secondary and tertiary
      care centers throughout the Netherlands. A total of 303 children were eligible to
      participate. Of those, 260 children (aged 8-18 years) with IBS or FAP(S) were
      included in this study. Children were randomized (1:1 ratio) to home-based HT
      with a CD (CD group) or iHT performed by qualified therapists (iHT group). No
      children withdrew from the study because of adverse effects. Interventions: The
      CD group was instructed to perform exercises 5 times per week or more for 3
      months. The iHT group consisted of 6 sessions during 3 months. Main Outcomes and
      Measures: Primary outcomes were treatment success directly after treatment and
      after 1-year follow-up. Treatment success was defined as a 50% or greater
      reduction in pain frequency and intensity scores. The noninferiority limit was
      set at 50% treatment success in the CD group, with a maximum of 25% difference in
      treatment success with the iHT group after 1-year follow-up. Modified intention
      to-treat analyses were performed. Results: A total of 132 children were assigned
      to the CD group and 128 to the iHT group; 250 children were analyzed (126 in the
      CD group and 124 in the iHT group) (mean [SD] age, 13.4 [2.9] years in the CD
      group and 13.3 [2.8] years in the iHT group; 94 female [74.6%] in the CD group
      and 85 [68.5%] in the iHT group). Directly after treatment, 46 children (36.8%)
      in the CD group and 62 (50.1%) in the iHT group were successfully treated. After
      1-year follow-up, the 62.1% treatment success in the CD group was noninferior to
      the 71.0% in the iHT group (difference, -8.9%; 90% CI, -18.9% to 0.7%; P = .002).
      Conclusions and Relevance: Long-term effectiveness of home-based HT with a CD is
      noninferior to iHT performed by therapists in pediatric IBS or FAP(S). Treatment
      with hypnosis using a CD provides an attractive treatment option for these
      children. Trial Registration: trialregister.nl Identifier: NTR2725.

PMID- 28346583
TI  - Staging CT Scans in Early-Stage Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia.

PMID- 28346582
TI  - Rates and Characteristics of Paid Malpractice Claims Among US Physicians by
      Specialty, 1992-2014.
AB  - Importance: Although physician concerns about medical malpractice are
      substantial, national data are lacking on the rate of claims paid on behalf of US
      physicians by specialty. Objective: To characterize paid malpractice claims by
      specialty. Design, Setting, and Participants: A comprehensive analysis was
      conducted of all paid malpractice claims, with linkage to physician specialty,
      from the National Practitioner Data Bank from January 1, 1992, to December 31,
      2014, a period including an estimated 19.9 million physician-years. All dollar
      amounts were inflation adjusted to 2014 dollars using the Consumer Price Index.
      The dates on which this analysis was performed were from May 1, 2015, to February
      20, 2016, and from October 25 to December 16, 2016. Main Outcomes and Measures:
      For malpractice claims (n = 280 368) paid on behalf of physicians (in aggregate
      and by specialty): rates per physician-year, mean compensation amounts, the
      concentration of paid claims among a limited number of physicians, the proportion
      of paid claims that were greater than $1 million, severity of injury, and type of
      malpractice alleged. Results: From 1992-1996 to 2009-2014, the rate of paid
      claims decreased by 55.7% (from 20.1 to 8.9 per 1000 physician-years; P < .001),
      ranging from a 13.5% decrease in cardiology (from 15.6 to 13.5 per 1000 physician
      years; P = .15) to a 75.8% decrease in pediatrics (from 9.9 to 2.4 per 1000
      physician-years; P < .001). The mean compensation payment was $329 565. The mean
      payment increased by 23.3%, from $286 751 in 1992-1996 to $353 473 in 2009-2014
      (P < .001). The increases ranged from $17 431 in general practice (from $218 350
      in 1992-1996 to $235 781 in 2009-2014; P = .36) to $114 410 in gastroenterology
      (from $276 128 in 1992-1996 to $390 538 in 2009-2014; P < .001) and $138 708 in
      pathology (from $335 249 in 1992-1996 to $473 957 in 2009-2014; P = .005). Of 280
      368 paid claims, 21 271 (7.6%) exceeded $1 million (4304 of 69 617 [6.2%] in 1992
      1996 and 4322 of 54 081 [8.0%] in 2009-2014), and 32.1% (35 293 of 109 865)
      involved a patient death. Diagnostic error was the most common type of
      allegation, present in 31.8% (35 349 of 111 066) of paid claims, ranging from
      3.5% in anesthesiology (153 of 4317) to 87.0% in pathology (915 of 1052).
      Conclusions and Relevance: Between 1992 and 2014, the rate of malpractice claims
      paid on behalf of physicians in the United States declined substantially. Mean
      compensation amounts and the percentage of paid claims exceeding $1 million
      increased, with wide differences in rates and characteristics across specialties.
      A better understanding of the causes of variation among specialties in paid
      malpractice claims may help reduce both patient injury and physicians' risk of
      liability.

PMID- 28346584
TI  - Stimulant Use and Bone Mineral Density-Reply.

PMID- 28346585
TI  - Improving Public Health by Making Cities Friendly to Walking and Biking: Safer,
      More Active Transportation Starts With the Street.

PMID- 28346586
TI  - Human Immunodeficiency Virus Presenting as Progressive Multifocal
      Leukoencephalopathy Restricted to the Posterior Fossa.

PMID- 28346587
TI  - A New Sign of Intracerebral Hematoma Expansion-Reply.

PMID- 28346588
TI  - Association Between Childhood-Onset Epilepsy and Amyloid Burden 5 Decades Later.
AB  - Importance: The effect of childhood epilepsy on later-life cognitive and brain
      health is an unclear and little-explored issue. Objective: To determine whether
      adults with a history of childhood-onset epilepsy exhibit increased brain amyloid
      accumulation, possibly predisposing to accelerated cognitive impairment or even
      frank cognitive disorders in later life. Design, Setting, and Participants: Forty
      one adults from a population-based cohort of individuals with childhood-onset
      epilepsy in southwestern Finland, together with 46 matched population-based
      controls, underwent amyloid ligand carbon 11-labeled Pittsburgh Compound B (PiB)
      positron emission tomography after long-term prospective follow-up. The PiB
      uptake was quantified as a region to cerebellar cortex ratio. Tracer uptake was
      evaluated visually and analyzed voxel by voxel over the entire brain to
      investigate the spatial distribution of amyloid deposition. The study was
      conducted from May 2011 to October 2013; data analysis was performed from January
      2014 to October 2016. Main Outcomes and Measures: Brain amyloid accumulation.
      Results: The 41 individuals with epilepsy were originally enrolled in the Turku
      Adult Childhood Onset Epilepsy study at the mean (SD) age of 5.1 (4.5) years
      (range, 0-14 years). After a mean 52.5 (4.0) years of follow-up, the participants
      were evaluated (26 [63%] were women; the mean [SD] age was 56.0 [4.3] years).
      Nine individuals with childhood-onset epilepsy (22%) and 3 control participants
      (7%) had a visually abnormal PiB scan showing high cortical uptake in at least 1
      of the evaluated brain regions (P = .04). In semiquantitative analyses, there was
      a significant interaction effect indicating higher prefrontal cortex uptake in
      apolipoprotein E (APOE) epsilon4 allele carriers than in noncarriers in
      participants (mean [SD], 1.66 [0.41] vs 1.43 [0.15]) compared with controls (1.40
      [0.26) vs 1.41 [0.12]) (group * APOE interaction, F = 6.8; P = .01). In addition,
      there was a significant group effect showing higher tracer uptake in participants
      compared with controls (group effect, F = 8.0; P = .006). Conclusions and
      Relevance: Adults with childhood-onset epilepsy, particularly APOE epsilon4
      carriers, have an increased brain amyloid load at late middle age. Thus, epilepsy
      is linked with a biomarker that might be related to accelerated brain aging and
      can be considered a neurobiological predisposition to later-life cognitive
      disorders.

PMID- 28346589
TI  - Comparison of Antibiotic Therapy and Appendectomy for Acute Uncomplicated
      Appendicitis in Children: A Meta-analysis.
AB  - Importance: Antibiotic therapy for acute uncomplicated appendicitis is effective
      in adult patients, but its application in pediatric patients remains
      controversial. Objective: To compare the safety and efficacy of antibiotic
      treatment vs appendectomy as the primary therapy for acute uncomplicated
      appendicitis in pediatric patients. Data Sources: The PubMed, MEDLINE, EMBASE,
      and Cochrane Library databases and the Cochrane Controlled Trials Register for
      randomized clinical trials were searched through April 17, 2016. The search was
      limited to studies published in English. Search terms included appendicitis,
      antibiotics, appendectomy, randomized controlled trial, controlled clinical
      trial, randomized, placebo, drug therapy, randomly, and trial. Study Selection:
      Randomized clinical trials and prospective clinical controlled trials comparing
      antibiotic therapy with appendectomy for acute uncomplicated appendicitis in
      pediatric patients (aged 5-18 years) were included in the meta-analysis. The
      outcomes included at least 2 of the following terms: success rate of antibiotic
      treatment and appendectomy, complications, readmissions, length of stay, total
      cost, and disability days. Data Extraction and Synthesis: Data were independently
      extracted by 2 reviewers. The quality of the included studies was examined in
      accordance with the Cochrane guidelines and the Newcastle-Ottawa criteria. Data
      were pooled using a logistic fixed-effects model, and the subgroup pooled risk
      ratio with or without appendicolith was estimated. Main Outcomes and Measures:
      The primary outcome was the success rate of treatment. The hypothesis was
      formulated before data collection. Results: A total of 527 articles were
      screened. In 5 unique studies, 404 unique patients with uncomplicated
      appendicitis (aged 5-15 years) were enrolled. Nonoperative treatment was
      successful in 152 of 168 patients (90.5%), with a Mantel-Haenszel fixed-effects
      risk ratio of 8.92 (95% CI, 2.67-29.79; heterogeneity, P = .99; I2 = 0%).
      Subgroup analysis showed that the risk for treatment failure in patients with
      appendicolith increased, with a Mantel-Haenszel fixed-effects risk ratio of 10.43
      (95% CI, 1.46-74.26; heterogeneity, P = .91; I2 = 0%). Conclusions and Relevance:
      This meta-analysis shows that antibiotics as the initial treatment for pediatric
      patients with uncomplicated appendicitis may be feasible and effective without
      increasing the risk for complications. However, the failure rate, mainly caused
      by the presence of appendicolith, is higher than for appendectomy. Surgery is
      preferably suggested for uncomplicated appendicitis with appendicolith.

PMID- 28346590
TI  - Implementation and Evaluation of a Large-Scale Teleretinal Diabetic Retinopathy
      Screening Program in the Los Angeles County Department of Health Services.
AB  - Importance: Diabetic retinopathy (DR) is the leading cause of blindness in adults
      of working age in the United States. In the Los Angeles County safety net, a
      nonvertically integrated system serving underinsured and uninsured patients, the
      prevalence of DR is approximately 50%, and owing to limited specialty care
      resources, the average wait times for screening for DR have been 8 months or
      more. Objective: To determine whether a primary care-based teleretinal DR
      screening (TDRS) program reduces wait times for screening and improves timeliness
      of needed care in the Los Angeles County safety net. Design, Setting, and
      Participants: Quasi-experimental, pretest-posttest evaluation of exposure to
      primary care-based TDRS at 5 of 15 Los Angeles County Department of Health
      Services safety net clinics from September 1, 2013, to December 31, 2015, with a
      subgroup analysis of random samples of 600 patients before and after the
      intervention (1200 total). Exposure: Primary care clinic-based teleretinal
      screening for DR. Main Outcomes and Measures: Annual rates of screening for DR
      before and after implementation of the TDRS program across the 5 clinics, time to
      screening for DR in a random sample of patients from these clinics, and a
      description of the larger framework of program implementation. Results: Among the
      21 222 patients who underwent the screening (12 790 female, 8084 male, and 348
      other gender or not specified; mean [SD] age, 57.4 [9.6] years), the median time
      to screening for DR decreased from 158 days (interquartile range, 68-324 days)
      before the intervention to 17 days (interquartile range, 8-50 days) after
      initiation of the program (P < .001). Overall annual screening rates for DR
      increased from 5942 of 14 633 patients (40.6%) before implementation to 7470 of
      13 133 patients (56.9%) after initiation of the program at all 15 targeted
      clinics (odds ratio, 1.9; 95% CI, 1.3-2.9; P = .002). Of the 21 222 patients who
      were screened, 14 595 (68.8%) did not require referral to an eye care
      professional, 4160 (19.6%) were referred for treatment or monitoring of DR, and
      2461 (11.6%) were referred for other ophthalmologic conditions. Conclusions and
      Relevance: A digital TDRS program was successfully implemented for the largest
      publicly operated county safety net population in the United States, resulting in
      the elimination of the need for more than 14 000 visits to specialty care
      professionals, a 16.3% increase in annual rates of screening for DR, and an 89.2%
      reduction in wait times for screening. Teleretinal DR screening programs have the
      potential to maximize access and efficiency in the safety net, where the need for
      such programs is most critical.

PMID- 28346591
TI  - Out-of-Pocket Spending Among Commercially Insured Patients for Epinephrine
      Autoinjectors Between 2007 and 2014.

PMID- 28346592
TI  - Medical Treatment of Pediatric Appendicitis: Are We There Yet?

PMID- 28346593
TI  - Parental Sharing on the Internet: Child Privacy in the Age of Social Media and
      the Pediatrician's Role.

PMID- 28346594
TI  - Stimulant Use and Bone Mineral Density.

PMID- 28346596
TI  - Withholding Proton Pump Inhibitors to Prevent Recurrent Clostridium difficile:
      Time for a Randomized Trial.

PMID- 28346595
TI  - Association of Gastric Acid Suppression With Recurrent Clostridium difficile
      Infection: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis.
AB  - Importance: Gastric acid suppression has been associated with an increased risk
      of primary Clostridium difficile infection (CDI), but the risk of recurrent CDI
      in patients taking gastric acid suppressant medications is unclear. Objective: To
      perform a systematic review and meta-analysis to evaluate the association between
      gastric acid suppressants and recurrent CDI. Data Sources: MEDLINE, EMBASE, the
      Cochrane Central Register, the Cochrane Database, and Web of Science were
      searched from January 1, 1995, to September 30, 2015, for studies assessing the
      association between gastric acid suppressant exposure and recurrent CDI. Search
      terms included Clostridium difficile, pseudomembranous colitis, proton pump
      inhibitor, and histamine H2 blocker. Study Selection: Case-control studies,
      cohort studies, and clinical trials that included patients with CDI who did or
      did not receive gastric acid suppressant therapy and who were evaluated for
      recurrent CDI were included, with no restriction on study setting (inpatient or
      outpatient). Data Extraction and Synthesis: The Newcastle-Ottawa scale was used
      to assess the methodologic quality of included studies. In this scale, case
      control and cohort studies were scored on selection, comparability, and
      ascertainment of the outcome of interest. Data were independently abstracted to a
      predetermined collection form by 2 investigators. Summary odds ratio estimates
      with 95% CIs were calculated using the random-effects model and software to
      calculate the pooled effect size of studies reporting multivariate analyses. Main
      Outcomes and Measures: Risk of recurrent infection in patients with CDI and its
      association with use of gastric acid suppressant medication. Results: Sixteen
      observational studies were included, together reporting 7703 patients with CDI;
      among these, 1525 patients (19.8%) developed recurrent CDI. The rate of recurrent
      CDI in patients with gastric acid suppression was 22.1% (892 of 4038 patients)
      compared with 17.3% (633 of 3665) in patients without gastric acid suppression,
      which indicated an increased risk by meta-analysis (odds ratio [OR], 1.52; 95%
      CI, 1.20-1.94; P < .001). There was significant heterogeneity among the studies,
      with an I2 value of 64%. Subgroup analyses of studies adjusting for age and
      potential confounders confirmed an increased risk of recurrent CDI with use of
      gastric acid suppressants (OR, 1.38; 95% CI, 1.08-1.76; P = .02). Conclusions and
      Relevance: Meta-analyses of observational studies suggest that patients who
      receive gastric acid suppressants may be at increased risk for recurrent CDI.
      These data should be interpreted with caution because they may be confounded
      owing to the observational design of the individual studies. It may be reasonable
      to re-evaluate the need for these medications in patients with CDI.

PMID- 28346598
TI  - Association Between Family Characteristics and the Effect of Timing of Regular
      Egg Introduction in Infant Egg Allergy.

PMID- 28346599
TI  - Genomics, Health Disparities, and Missed Opportunities for the Nation's Research
      Agenda.

PMID- 28346600
TI  - Changes in Osteopathic Medical Education: The Journey Continues.

PMID- 28346597
TI  - Association of Risk of Viremia, Immunosuppression, Serious Clinical Events, and
      Mortality With Increasing Age in Perinatally Human Immunodeficiency Virus
      Infected Youth.
AB  - Importance: As perinatally human immunodeficiency virus-infected youth (PHIVY) in
      the United States grow older and more treatment experienced, clinicians need
      updated information about the association of age, CD4 cell count, viral load
      (VL), and antiretroviral (ARV) drug use with risk of opportunistic infections,
      key clinical events, and mortality to understand patient risks and improve care.
      Objective: To examine the incidence or first occurrence during follow-up of key
      clinical events (including Centers for Disease Control and Prevention stage B
      [CDC-B] and stage C [CDC-C] events) and mortality among PHIVY stratified by age,
      CD4 cell count, and VL and ARV status. Design, Setting, and Participants:
      Combining data from the Pediatric HIV/AIDS Cohort Study (PHACS) Adolescent Master
      Protocol and International Maternal Pediatric Adolescent AIDS Clinical Trials
      (IMPAACT) P1074 multicenter cohort studies (March 2007 through April 2015), we
      estimated event rates during person-time spent in key strata of age (7-12, 13-17,
      and 18-30 years), CD4 cell count (<200, 200-499, and >=500/MUL), and a combined
      measure of VL and ARV status (VL <400 or >=400 copies/mL; ARV therapy or no ARV
      therapy). A total of 1562 participants in the PHACS Adolescent Master Protocol
      and IMPAACT P1074 were eligible, and 1446 PHIVY from 41 ambulatory sites in the
      12 US states, including Puerto Rico were enrolled. The dates of analysis were
      March 2015 through January 2017. Main Outcomes and Measures: Clinical event rates
      stratified by person-time in age, CD4 cell count, and VL and ARV categories.
      Results: A total of 1446 PHIVY participated in the study (mean [SD] age, 14.6
      [4.6] years; 759 female [52.5%]; 953 black [65.9%]). During a mean (SD) follow-up
      of 4.9 (1.3) years, higher incidences of CDC-B events, CDC-C events, and
      mortality were observed as participants aged. Older PHIVY (aged 13-17 and 18-30
      years) spent more time with a VL of 400 copies/mL or more and with a CD4 cell
      count of less than 200/uL compared with 7- to 12-year-old participants (30% and
      44% vs 22% of person-time with a VL>=400 copies/mL; 5% and 18% vs 2% of person
      time with CD4 cell count <200/uL; P < .001 for each comparison). We observed
      higher rates of CDC-B events, CDC-C events, bacterial infections, and mortality
      at lower CD4 cell counts, as expected. The mortality rate among older PHIVY was 6
      to 12 times that among the general US population. Higher rates of sexually
      transmitted infections were also observed at lower CD4 cell counts after
      adjusting for age. Conclusions and Relevance: Older PHIVY were at increased risk
      of viremia, immunosuppression, CDC-B events, CDC-C events, and mortality.
      Interventions to improve ARV therapy adherence and optimize models of care for
      PHIVY as they age are urgently needed to improve long-term outcomes among PHIVY.

PMID- 28346601
TI  - Single Accreditation System Update: Gaining Momentum.
AB  - In July 2014, the American Osteopathic Association House of Delegates endorsed
      the establishment of a new, single graduate medical education accreditation
      system in collaboration with the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical
      Education and the American Association of Colleges of Osteopathic Medicine. Since
      that time, the osteopathic medical community has made substantial headway in the
      transition to the new system. This article provides an update on the transition.

PMID- 28346602
TI  - Attitudes of Family Medicine Program Directors Toward Osteopathic Residents Under
      the Single Accreditation System.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Between 2015 and 2020, residency programs accredited through the
      American Osteopathic Association (AOA) are preparing the single graduate medical
      education (GME) system through the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical
      Education (ACGME). OBJECTIVES: (1) To assess the attitudes of family medicine
      program directors in programs accredited dually by the AOA and ACGME (AOA/ACGME)
      or ACGME only toward the clinical and academic preparedness of osteopathic
      residency candidates and (2) to determine program director attitudes toward the
      perceived value of osteopathic-focused education, including osteopathic
      manipulative treatment (OMT) curricula. METHODS: A survey was sent to program
      directors of AOA/ACGME and ACGME-only accredited family medicine residency
      programs. Items concerned program directors' perception of the academic and
      clinical strength of osteopathic residents at the onset of residency, the
      presence of osteopathic faculty and residents currently in the program, and the
      presence of formal curricula for teaching OMT. The perceived value of osteopathic
      focus was obtained through a composite score of 5 items. RESULTS: A total of 38
      AOA/ACGME family medicine residency program directors (17%) and 211 ACGME family
      medicine residency program directors (45.6%) completed the survey (N=249). No
      difference was found in the ranking of the perceived clinical preparation of
      osteopathic residents vs allopathic residents in programs with and without OMT
      curricula (P=.054). Directors of programs with OMT curricula perceived the
      academic preparation of their osteopathic residents vs allopathic residents more
      highly than those without OMT curricula (P=.039). Directors of AOA/ACGME programs
      perceived both the academic preparation and clinical preparation of their
      osteopathic residents more highly than those at ACGME-only programs (P=.004 and
      P=.002, respectively). CONCLUSION: Directors of AOA/ACGME programs, as well as
      those whose programs have an osteopathic focus in curricular offerings, were more
      likely to rank the academic preparation of osteopathic residents higher than
      directors of ACGME-only programs and those without OMT curricula. Further
      research is needed to determine the value of osteopathic recognition in
      attracting strong family medicine residency candidates.

PMID- 28346603
TI  - Residency Program Directors' Interview Methods and Satisfaction With Resident
      Selection Across Multiple Specialties.
AB  - CONTEXT: Competition for postdoctoral training positions is at an all-time high,
      and residency program directors continue to have little direction when it comes
      to structuring an effective interview process. OBJECTIVES: To examine whether a
      relationship existed between interview methods used and program director
      satisfaction with resident selection decisions and whether programs that used
      methods designed to assess candidate personal characteristics were more satisfied
      with their decisions. METHODS: Residency directors from the Statewide Campus
      System at the Michigan State University College of Osteopathic Medicine were
      invited to complete a 20-item survey regarding their recent interview methods and
      proportion of resident selections later regretted. Data analyses examined
      relationships between interview methods used, frequency of personal
      characteristics evaluated, and subsequent satisfaction with selected residents.
      RESULTS: Of the 186 program director surveys distributed, 83 (44.6%) were
      returned, representing 11 clinical specialty areas. In total, 69 responses
      (83.1%) were from programs accredited by the American Osteopathic Association
      only, and 14 (16.9%) were from programs accredited dually by the American
      Osteopathic Association and Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education.
      The most frequent interview method reported was faculty or peer resident
      interview. No statistically significant correlational relationships were found
      between type of interview methods used and subsequent satisfaction with selected
      residents, either within or across clinical specialties. Although program
      directors rated ethical behavior/honesty as the most highly prioritized
      characteristic in residents, 27 (32.5%) reported using a specific interview
      method to assess this trait. Program directors reported later regrets concerning
      nearly 1 of every 12 resident selection decisions. CONCLUSION: The perceived
      success of an osteopathic residency program's interview process does not appear
      to be related to methods used and is not distinctively different from that of
      programs dually accredited. The findings suggest that it may not be realistic to
      aim for standardization of a common set of best interview methods or ideal
      personal characteristics for all programs. Each residency program's optimal
      interview process is likely unique, more dependent on analyzing why some resident
      selections are regretted and developing an interview process designed to assess
      for specific desirable and unwanted characteristics.

PMID- 28346604
TI  - Blended Learning Educational Format for Third-Year Pediatrics Clinical Rotation.
AB  - CONTEXT: Traditional medical education is shifting to incorporate learning
      technologies and online educational activities with traditional face-to-face
      clinical instruction to engage students, especially at remote clinical training
      sites. OBJECTIVE: To describe and evaluate the effectiveness of the blended
      learning format (combining online and face-to-face instruction) for third-year
      osteopathic medical students during their pediatric rotation. METHODS: Third-year
      medical students who completed the 4-week clerkship in pediatrics during the 2014
      2015 academic year were divided into a standard learning group and a blended
      learning group with online activities (discussion boards, blogs, virtual patient
      encounters, narrated video presentations, and online training modules).
      Comprehensive Osteopathic Medical Achievement Test scores and final course grades
      were compared between the standard learning and blended learning groups. Students
      in the blended learning group completed a postsurvey regarding their experiences.
      RESULTS: Of 264 third-year students who completed the 4-week clerkship in
      pediatrics during the 2014-2015 academic year, 78 (29.5%) participated in the
      blended learning supplement with online activities. Of 53 students who completed
      the postsurvey in the blended learning group, 44 (83.0%) agreed or strongly
      agreed that "The integration of e-learning and face-to-face learning helped me
      learn pediatrics." Open-ended comments supported this overall satisfaction with
      the course format; however, 26 of 100 comments reflected a desire to increase the
      amount of clinical exposure and face-to-face time with patients. No statistical
      differences were seen between the standard learning (n=186) and blended learning
      (n=78) groups with regard to Comprehensive Osteopathic Medical Achievement Test
      scores (P=.321). Compared with the standard learning group, more students in the
      blended learning group received a final course grade of honors (P=.015).
      CONCLUSION: Results of this study support the use of blended learning in a
      clinical training environment. As more medical educators use blended learning, it
      is important to investigate the best balance between learning with technology and
      learning in a face-to-face setting. Online activities may enhance but should
      never fully replace face-to-face learning with real patients.

PMID- 28346605
TI  - Does Including Public Health Students on Interprofessional Teams Increase
      Attainment of Interprofessional Practice Competencies?
AB  - CONTEXT: Interprofessional education (IPE) creates dynamic experiential learning
      that can address social determinants of health that influence health outcomes.
      OBJECTIVE: To examine the effects of including public health students on IPE
      teams on the interprofessional practice domain constructs (values/ethics,
      roles/responsibilities, interprofessional communication, and teams and teamwork).
      METHODS: This single-case, mixed-methods study was performed using a grounded
      theory approach. Students from 8 graduate health sciences programs participated
      in an asynchronous, 6-week, online IPE learning activity. Three of the 4
      interprofessional practice domain constructs were examined as outcome variables:
      participants' biomedical vs biopsychosocial patient approach (values/ethics);
      reported change in attitudes, beliefs, or values about other health professions
      (roles/responsibilities); and anticipated changes in future professional
      behaviors/interactions/approaches (teams and teamwork). Predictor variables were
      having an MPH participant on the IPE team, participants' enrollment in a clinical
      or nonclinical program, and student perception of the online format
      (interprofessional communication). RESULTS: Three hundred nineteen students were
      included, 261 from clinical and 58 from nonclinical programs. A significant
      association was found between having an MPH participant on the IPE teams and
      participants' awareness of the influence of social determinants of health (OR,
      2.04; 95% CI, 1.13-3.66; P<.05). Program type was also significantly associated
      with awareness of the influence of social determinants of health, such that
      participants in nonclinical programs were significantly more likely to report the
      importance of social determinants of health in the care plan (OR, 3.68; 95% CI,
      1.38-9.84; P<.01). Participants were significantly less likely to report future
      behavior change if they were in clinical programs (OR, 0.44; 95% CI, 0.23-0.86;
      P<.05) or if they disliked the online format (OR, 0.25; 95% CI, 0.14-0.42;
      P<.01). The model fit the data well (chi23=30.80; P<.001). CONCLUSION: Inclusion
      of MPH students on IPE teams has the potential to increase clinical participants'
      awareness of the influence of social determinants of health and interest in
      incorporating a biopsychosocial approach to health care.

PMID- 28346607
TI  - Appendix 1: Osteopathic Graduate Medical Education, 2017.

PMID- 28346606
TI  - Evidence-Based Redesign of the COMLEX-USA Series.
AB  - To ensure that the Comprehensive Osteopathic Medical Licensing Examination-USA
      (COMLEX-USA) reflects the evolving practice of osteopathic medicine, the National
      Board of Osteopathic Medical Examiners has developed new content and format
      specifications for an enhanced, competency-based examination program to be
      implemented with COMLEX-USA Level 3 in 2018. This article summarizes the evidence
      based design processes that served as the foundation for blueprint development
      and the evidence supporting its validity. An overview is provided of the
      blueprint's 2 dimensions: Competency Domains and Clinical Presentations. The
      authors focus on the evidence that supports interpretation of test scores for the
      primary and intended purpose of COMLEX-USA, which is osteopathic physician
      licensure. Important secondary uses and the educational and catalytic effect of
      assessments are also described. This article concludes with the National Board of
      Osteopathic Medical Examiners' plans to ensure that the COMLEX-USA series remains
      current and meets the needs of its stakeholders-the patients who seek care from
      osteopathic physicians.

PMID- 28346608
TI  - Appendix 2: American Osteopathic Association Specialty Board Certification.

PMID- 28346609
TI  - Massive Incarcerated Paraesophageal Hiatal Hernia.

PMID- 28346610
TI  - Can the Humanities Humanize Health Care?

PMID- 28346613
TI  - Protective Effect of Met12, a Small Peptide Inhibitor of Fas, on the Retinal
      Pigment Epithelium and Photoreceptor After Sodium Iodate Injury.
AB  - Purpose: A major problem in macular degeneration is the inability to reduce RPE
      and photoreceptor death. These cells die by necroptosis and apoptosis,
      respectively, but the upstream activator(s) of these death pathways is unknown.
      In this study, we use the sodium iodate (NaIO3) model of oxidative stress to test
      the hypothesis that activation of the Fas receptor contributes to the death of
      the RPE and photoreceptors. Methods: Sodium iodate was injected in Brown-Norway
      rats via femoral vein injection. Both in vivo (fundus photography, optical
      coherence tomography, and fluorescein angiography) and ex vivo (histology,
      immunohistochemistry, Western blot, and RT-PCR) analyses of the RPE and retina
      were conducted at baseline, as well as at various times post NaIO3 injection. The
      ability of intravitreal injection of Met12, a small peptide inhibitor of the Fas
      receptor, to prevent RPE and photoreceptor cell death was assessed. Results:
      Injection of NaIO3 led to Fas-mediated activation of both necroptosis and
      apoptosis in the RPE and photoreceptors, respectively. This was accompanied by a
      significant increase in the number of microglia/macrophages in the outer retina.
      Met12 significantly reduced the activation of the Fas-mediated death pathways,
      resulting in reduced RPE and photoreceptor death and a decreased immune response.
      Conclusions: Our results demonstrate that NaIO3 activates Fas-mediated cell
      death, both in the RPE and photoreceptor, and that a small peptide antagonist of
      the Fas receptor, Met12, significantly reduces the extent of this cell death.
      These findings suggest a role for Fas inhibition to protect the RPE and
      photoreceptors from death due to oxidative stress.

PMID- 28346616
TI  - Unilateral Amblyopia Affects Two Eyes: Fellow Eye Deficits in Amblyopia.
AB  - Unilateral amblyopia is a visual disorder that arises after selective disruption
      of visual input to one eye during critical periods of development. In the clinic,
      amblyopia is understood as poor visual acuity in an eye that was deprived of
      pattern vision early in life. By its nature, however, amblyopia has an adverse
      effect on the development of a binocular visual system and the interactions
      between signals from two eyes. Visual functions aside from visual acuity are
      impacted, and many studies have indicated compromised sensitivity in the fellow
      eye even though it demonstrates normal visual acuity. While these fellow eye
      deficits have been noted, no overarching theory has been proposed to describe why
      and under what conditions the fellow eye is impacted by amblyopia. Here, we
      consider four explanations that may account for decreased fellow eye sensitivity:
      the fellow eye is adversely impacted by treatment for amblyopia; the maturation
      of the fellow eye is delayed by amblyopia; fellow eye sensitivity is impacted for
      visual functions that rely on binocular cortex; and fellow eye deficits reflect
      an adaptive mechanism that works to equalize the sensitivity of the two eyes. To
      evaluate these ideas, we describe five visual functions that are commonly
      reported to be deficient in the amblyopic eye (hyperacuity, contrast sensitivity,
      spatial integration, global motion, and motion-defined form), and unify the
      current evidence for fellow eye deficits. Further research targeted at exploring
      fellow eye deficits in amblyopia will provide us with a broader understanding of
      normal visual development and how amblyopia impacts the developing visual system.

PMID- 28346615
TI  - Cross Talk Between TGF-beta2 and TLR-4.

PMID- 28346614
TI  - Crosstalk Between Transforming Growth Factor Beta-2 and Toll-Like Receptor 4 in
      the Trabecular Meshwork.
AB  - Purpose: The trabecular meshwork (TM) is involved in the outflow of aqueous humor
      and intraocular pressure (IOP) regulation. Regulation of the extracellular matrix
      (ECM) by TGFbeta2 signaling pathways in the TM has been extensively studied.
      Recent evidence has implicated toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4) in the regulation of
      ECM and fibrogenesis in liver, kidney, lung, and skin. Here, we investigated the
      role of TGFbeta2-TLR4 signaling crosstalk in the regulation of the ECM in the TM
      and ocular hypertension. Methods: Cross sections of human donor eyes, primary
      human TM cells in culture, and dissected mouse TM rings were used to determine
      Tlr4 expression in the TM. Trabecular meshwork cells in culture were treated with
      TGFbeta2 (5 ng/mL), TLR4 inhibitor (TAK-242, 15 MUM), and a TLR4 ligand (cellular
      fibronectin isoform [cFN]-EDA). A/J (n = 13), AKR/J (n = 7), BALBc/J (n = 8),
      C3H/HeJ (n = 20), and C3H/HeOuJ (n = 10) mice were injected intravitreally with
      adenovirus 5 (Ad5).hTGFbeta2c226s/c228s in one eye, with the uninjected
      contralateral eye serving as a control. Conscious IOP measurements were taken
      using a TonoLab rebound tonometer. Results: Toll-like receptor 4 is expressed in
      the human and mouse TM. Inhibition of TLR4 signaling in the presence of TGFbeta2
      decreases fibronectin expression. Activation of TLR4 by cFN-EDA in the presence
      of TGFbeta2 further increases fibronectin, laminin, and collagen-1 expression,
      and TLR4 signaling inhibition blocks this effect. Ad5.hTGFbeta2c226s/c228s
      induces ocular hypertension in wild-type mice but has no effect in Tlr4 mutant
      (C3H/HeJ) mice. Conclusions: These studies identify TGFbeta2-TLR4 crosstalk as a
      novel pathway involved in ECM regulation in the TM and ocular hypertension. These
      data further explain the complex mechanisms involved in the development of
      glaucomatous TM damage.

PMID- 28346617
TI  - Taking Responsibility for Family Medicine Student Interest.

PMID- 28346618
TI  - What Is Happening in America? A Family Medicine Perspective From Overseas.

PMID- 28346619
TI  - Scope of Practice and Family Medicine Match Rates: Results From a CERA Clerkship
      Directors' Survey.
AB  - BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Family medicine clerkship directors depend on
      community preceptors to teach and attract medical students to family medicine.
      Many community preceptors do not provide the full range of family medicine
      services, and some are not family physicians. This study aimed to determine the
      types of practices in which family medicine clerkship students train and whether
      scope of practice is associated with family medicine Match rates. METHODS: Data
      were collected as part of the 2014 Council of Academic Family Medicine
      Educational Research Alliance (CERA) Family Medicine Clerkship Director Survey.
      Clerkship directors estimated the percentage of their preceptor sites providing
      each of nine clinical services and the percentage of students placed with
      internal medicine physicians for their family medicine rotations. We devised a
      Scope of Practice Index (SPI) to assess scope of practice and measured the
      association between a clerkship's SPI and family medicine Match rate. RESULTS:
      Limited scopes of practice were common. SPI was lowest in the Northeast and
      highest in the West. In bivariate and multivariable analyses, a lower SPI was
      associated with lower family medicine Match rates. Preventive gynecological care
      was the service most highly associated with family medicine Match rates. Family
      medicine Match rates were lower when programs used internal medicine sites for
      their family medicine rotations. CONCLUSIONS: Many clerkship students are exposed
      to practices with limited scopes of family medicine practice, and this is
      associated with lower family medicine Match rates. These findings have
      implications for the specialty as preceptor scope of practice declines.

PMID- 28346620
TI  - Varied Rates of Implementation of Patient-Centered Medical Home Features and
      Residents' Perceptions of Their Importance Based on Practice Experience.
AB  - BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Little is known about how the patient-centered medical
      home (PCMH) is being implemented in residency practices. We describe both the
      trends in implementation of PCMH features and the influence that working with
      PCMH features has on resident attitudes toward their importance in 14 family
      medicine residencies associated with the P4 Project. METHODS: We assessed 24
      residency continuity clinics annually between 2007-2011 on presence or absence of
      PCMH features. Annual resident surveys (n=690) assessed perceptions of importance
      of PCMH features using a 4-point scale (not at all important to very important).
      We used generalized estimating equations logistic regression to assess trends and
      ordinal-response proportional odds regression models to determine if resident
      ratings of importance were associated with working with those features during
      training. RESULTS: Implementation of electronic health record (EHR) features
      increased significantly from 2007-2011, such as email communication with patients
      (33% to 67%), preventive services registries (23% to 64%), chronic disease
      registries (63% to 82%), and population-based quality assurance (46% to 79%).
      Team-based care was the only process of care feature to change significantly (54%
      to 93%). Residents with any exposure to EHR-based features had higher odds of
      rating the features more important compared to those with no exposure. We
      observed consistently lower odds of the resident rating process of care features
      as more important with any exposure compared to no exposure. CONCLUSIONS:
      Residencies engaged in educational transformation were more successful in
      implementing EHR-based PCMH features, and exposure during training appears to
      positively influence resident ratings of importance, while exposure to process of
      care features are slower to implement with less influence on importance ratings.

PMID- 28346621
TI  - Current Status of Family Medicine Faculty Development in Sub-Saharan Africa.
AB  - BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Reducing the shortage of primary care physicians in
      sub-Saharan Africa requires expansion of training programs in family medicine.
      Challenges remain in preparing, recruiting, and retaining faculty qualified to
      teach in these pioneering programs. Little is known about the unique faculty
      development needs of family medicine faculty within the sub-Saharan African
      context. The purpose of this study was to assess the current status and future
      needs for developing robust family medicine faculty in sub-Saharan Africa. The
      results are reported in two companion articles. METHODS: A cross-sectional study
      design was used to conduct a qualitative needs assessment comprising 37 in-depth,
      semi-structured interviews of individual faculty trainers from postgraduate
      family medicine training programs in eight sub-Saharan African countries. Data
      were analyzed according to qualitative description. RESULTS: While faculty
      development opportunities in sub-Saharan Africa were identified, current faculty
      note many barriers to faculty development and limited participation in available
      programs. Faculty value teaching competency, but institutional structures do not
      provide adequate support. CONCLUSIONS: Sub-Saharan African family physicians and
      postgraduate trainee physicians value good teachers and recognize that clinical
      training alone does not provide all of the skills needed by educators. The
      current status of limited resources of institutions and individuals constrain
      faculty development efforts. Where faculty development opportunities do exist,
      they are too infrequent or otherwise inaccessible to provide trainers the
      necessary skills to help them succeed as educators.

PMID- 28346623
TI  - Family Medicine Maternity Care Call to Action: Moving Toward National Standards
      for Training and Competency Assessment.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Maternity care is an integral part of family medicine, and the
      quality and cost-effectiveness of maternity care provided by family physicians is
      well documented. Considering the population health perspective, increasing the
      number of family physicians competent to provide maternity care is imperative, as
      is working to overcome the barriers discouraging maternity care practice. A
      standard that clearly defines maternity care competency and a systematic set of
      tools to assess competency levels could help overcome these barriers. National
      discussions between 2012 and 2014 revealed that tools for competency assessment
      varied widely. These discussions resulted in the formation of a workgroup,
      culminating in a Family Medicine Maternity Care Summit in October 2014. This
      summit allowed for expert consensus to describe three scopes of maternity
      practice, draft procedural and competency assessment tools for each scope, and
      then revise the tools, guided by the Family Medicine and OB/GYN Milestones
      documents from the respective residency review committees. The summit group
      proposed that achievement of a specified number of procedures completed should
      not determine competency; instead, a standardized competency assessment should
      take place after a minimum number is performed. The traditionally held required
      numbers for core procedures were reassessed at the summit, and the resulting
      consensus opinion is proposed here. Several ways in which these evaluation tools
      can be disseminated and refined through the creation of a learning collaborative
      across residency programs is described. The summit group believed that
      standardization in training will more clearly define the competencies of family
      medicine maternity care providers and begin to reduce one of the barriers that
      may discourage family physicians from providing maternity care.

PMID- 28346622
TI  - Future of Family Medicine Faculty Development in Sub-Saharan Africa.
AB  - BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: High-quality family medicine education is needed in
      sub-Saharan Africa to facilitate the future growth of primary care health
      systems. Current faculty educators recognize the value of dedicated teacher
      training and ongoing faculty development. However, they are constrained by
      inadequate faculty development program availability and institutional support.
      METHODS: A cross-sectional study design was used to conduct a qualitative needs
      assessment comprised of 37 in-depth, semi-structured interviews of individual
      faculty trainers from postgraduate family medicine training programs in eight sub
      Saharan African countries. Data were analyzed according to qualitative
      description. RESULTS: Informants described desired qualities for a family
      medicine educator in sub-Saharan Africa: (1) pedagogical expertise in topics and
      perspectives unique to family medicine, (2) engagement in self-directed, lifelong
      learning, and (3) exemplary character and behavior that inspires others.
      Informant recommendations to guide the development of faculty development
      programs include: (1) sustainability, partnership, and responsiveness to the
      needs of the institution, (2) intentional faculty development must begin early
      and be supported with high-quality mentorship, (3) presumptions of teaching
      competence based on clinical training must be overcome, and (4) evaluation and
      feedback are critical components of faculty development. CONCLUSIONS: High
      quality faculty development in family medicine is critically important to the
      primary care workforce in sub-Saharan Africa. Our study describes specific needs
      and recommendations for family medicine faculty development in sub-Saharan
      Africa. Next steps include piloting and evaluating innovative models of faculty
      development that respond to specific institutional or regional needs.

PMID- 28346624
TI  - Association of Group Prenatal Care in US Family Medicine Residencies With
      Maternity Care Practice: A CERA Secondary Data Analysis.
AB  - BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Group prenatal care has been shown to improve both
      maternal and neonatal outcomes. With increasing adaption of group prenatal care
      by family medicine residencies, this model may serve as a potential method to
      increase exposure to and interest in maternity care among trainees. This study
      aims to describe the penetration, regional and program variations, and potential
      impacts on future maternity care practice of group prenatal care in US family
      medicine residencies. METHODS: The CAFM Educational Research Alliance (CERA)
      conducted a survey of all US family medicine residency program directors in 2013
      containing questions about maternity care training. A secondary data analysis was
      completed to examine relevant data on group prenatal care in US family medicine
      residencies and maternity care practice patterns. RESULTS: 23.1% of family
      medicine residency programs report provision of group prenatal care. Programs
      with group prenatal care reported increased number of vaginal deliveries per
      resident. Controlling for average number of vaginal deliveries per resident,
      programs with group prenatal care had a 2.35 higher odds of having more than 10%
      of graduates practice obstetrics and a 2.93 higher odds of having at least one
      graduate in the past 5 years enter an obstetrics fellowship. CONCLUSIONS:
      Residency programs with group prenatal care models report more graduates entering
      OB fellowships and practicing maternity care. Implementing group prenatal care in
      residency training can be one method in a multifaceted approach to increasing
      maternity care practice among US family physicians.

PMID- 28346625
TI  - A Point System as Catalyst to Increase Resident Scholarship: An MPCRN Study.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: Encouraging resident scholarly activity has been a longstanding
      challenge for medical educators. The Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical
      Education (ACGME) has been increasing its emphasis on scholarly activity, forcing
      programs to evaluate their existing processes. This study sought to evaluate the
      impact of a scholarly activity point system on the resident scholarly
      productivity at multiple programs. METHODS: Five military family medicine
      residencies evaluated resident outcomes 2 years before and 2 years after the
      introduction of a scholarly activity point system. Outcome measures included peer
      reviewed publications with a resident as first author, peer-reviewed publications
      with a resident as any author, resident presentation of scholarship at a
      regional, national, and international conference, IRB-approved protocols with a
      resident as principal investigator, and IRB-approved protocols with a resident in
      any role. RESULTS: Four of the five programs experienced substantial increases in
      nearly every outcome. The fifth program, which had a more robust culture of
      inquiry at baseline, did not experience an increase in resident scholarly
      productivity. CONCLUSIONS: A scholarly activity point system was associated with
      an increase in resident scholarly production in family medicine programs. It
      appears to work best in programs that start from a lower level of scholarly
      productivity at baseline. A point system appears to be a useful addition to
      scholarly activity curricula.

PMID- 28346626
TI  - Preparing Residents for Teaching Careers: The Faculty for Tomorrow Resident
      Workshop.
AB  - BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Progress toward growing the primary care workforce is
      at risk of being derailed by an emerging crisis: a critical shortage of family
      medicine faculty. In response to the faculty shortage, the Society of Teachers of
      Family Medicine (STFM) launched a 2-year initiative called "Faculty for Tomorrow"
      (F4T). The F4T Task Force created a workshop designed to increase residents'
      interest in, and prepare them for, careers in academic family medicine. We aimed
      to evaluate the effectiveness of this workshop. METHODS: Participants were family
      medicine residents who preregistered for and attended the F4T Resident Workshop
      at the 2016 STFM Annual Spring Conference. The intervention was a full-day, 9
      hour preconference workshop delivered by a multi-institutional faculty team.
      Participants were asked to complete a questionnaire before and immediately after
      the workshop. Data collected included demographics, residency program
      characteristics, future career plans, self-reported confidence in skills, and
      general knowledge relevant to becoming faculty. RESULTS: A total of 75
      participants attended the workshop. The proportion of those who were "extremely
      likely" to pursue a career in academic family medicine increased from 58% to 72%.
      Participants reported statistically significant improvements in their confidence
      in clinical teaching, providing feedback to learners, writing an effective CV,
      knowledge about the structure of academic family medicine, and knowledge about
      applying for a faculty position. CONCLUSIONS: The STFM F4T Resident Workshop was
      effective at increasing participants' interest in academic careers, as well as
      self-reported confidence in skills and knowledge relevant to becoming faculty.
      The data collected from participants regarding their career plans may inform
      future interventions.

PMID- 28346627
TI  - Just Another Drug Seeker.

PMID- 28346628
TI  - Dear Juan/From Your Inconsequential Doctor.

PMID- 28346629
TI  - The Marcus Welby Moment (MWM).

PMID- 28346632
TI  - Behavioral Health Emphasis Critical for Rural Family Physician Training.

PMID- 28346633
TI  - One-stage Posterior Approach in the Treatment of Consecutive Multi-segment
      Thoracic Tuberculosis with Kyphosis.
AB  - AIM: To evaluate the clinical efficacy of the one-stage posterior approach in
      treating consecutive multiple-segment thoracic tuberculosis with kyphosis.
      MATERIAL AND METHODS: A retrospective study was performed. The data of 22
      patients with consecutive multi-level thoracic tuberculosis and kyphosis who
      underwent the one-stage posterior approach of debridement, bone grafting,
      drainage and pedicle screws fixation were collected. The kyphotic angle was 61.6
      degrees +/-3.1 degrees  pre-operatively. The neurologic status based on American
      Spinal Injury Association (ASIA) scoring was A in 5 cases, B in 4 cases, C in 9
      cases, D in 3 cases and E in 1 case. RESULTS: The average follow-up period was
      43.4+/-5.0 months. The kyphotic angle was 19.8 degrees +/-0.7 degrees  after
      operation (p < 0.01), and 21.9 degrees +/-1.2 degrees  at the last visit (p <
      0.01). No neurological deterioration was observed in any patients after surgery.
      A significant difference in ASIA score was detected when the state before the
      operation and at the last visit was compared (p < 0.01). There was no recurrent
      paravertebral abscess of thoracic tuberculosis in any of these cases. CONCLUSION:
      The one-stage posterior approach of debridement and drainage is a feasible
      surgical option for consecutive multisegment thoracic tuberculosis with kyphosis.
      It can achieve debridement, decompression, and stabilization simultaneously.

PMID- 28346634
TI  - The otolaryngology residency application problem.

PMID- 28346635
TI  - 25 years of powered endoscopic maxillary antrostomy.

PMID- 28346636
TI  - Airway foreign body occurring during in-office vocal fold injection.

PMID- 28346637
TI  - Unusual case of chronic maxillary rhinosinusitis.

PMID- 28346638
TI  - Repair of the dilated earlobe.

PMID- 28346639
TI  - Unusual case of sleep apnea in a child.

PMID- 28346640
TI  - Presbyphonia: What can be done?

PMID- 28346641
TI  - Speech perception and auditory performance following cochlear implantation in
      elderly Koreans.
AB  - The benefits of cochlear implantation (CI) in the elderly remain debatable in
      terms of sound and speech perception. Moreover, the results of CI may be affected
      by the intensity and pitch of spoken language. We conducted a retrospective study
      to evaluate surgical and hospitalization times, postoperative complications, and
      hearing outcomes after CI in elderly Koreans. Our study population was made up of
      55 postlingually deafened adults who underwent unilateral CI. They were divided
      into two groups based on age; an older group consisted of 21 patients aged 65
      years or older (mean 71.8) at the time of CI, and a comparison group was made up
      of 34 patients aged 18 to 64 years (mean: 47.5). The mean surgical and
      hospitalization times and the mean number of postoperative complications in the
      two groups were comparable. Auditory outcomes were quantified by the speech
      reception threshold (SRT), the speech discrimination test (SDT), scores on the
      Korean version of the Glendonald Auditory Screening Procedure (GASP-K), and
      categories of auditory performance (CAP) scores. The SDT and GASP-K values were
      significantly lower in the older group at 3 months, 1 year, and 2 years; there
      were no significant differences in mean SRT and CAP values. We conclude that
      elderly patients may obtain appreciable benefits from CI without experiencing
      serious surgical complications. Nevertheless, difficulties in speech perception
      should be taken into consideration in older patients.

PMID- 28346642
TI  - Nasal, oral, and pharyngolaryngeal manifestations of pemphigus vulgaris:
      Endoscopic ororhinolaryngologic examination.
AB  - Pemphigus vulgaris is an autoimmune blistering disorder that involves the skin
      and mucous membranes. Few reports have described nasal and oropharyngolaryngeal
      lesions in pemphigus vulgaris using an endoscopic ororhinolaryngologic
      examination. We retrospectively reviewed the clinical records of 11 patients with
      pemphigus vulgaris between 2001 and 2013 with respect to their symptoms, lesion
      sites, lesion features, and treatments received. All patients had undergone an
      endoscopic ororhinolaryngologic examination. Their mucosa-related symptoms were
      sore throat, oral pain, odynophagia, gingival bleeding, hoarseness, and
      epistaxis. The most frequent sites were the oral cavity (gingiva and buccal
      mucosa), larynx (epiglottis and vocal fold), oropharynx (soft palate), and nasal
      cavity (nasal septum). Lesions were typically characterized by erosion, erosion
      with a whitish exudate, and erythematous patches. Thus, our study findings reveal
      that pemphigus vulgaris involves both the nasal and oropharyngolaryngeal regions.
      Patients with pemphigus vulgaris should undergo an endoscopic
      ororhinolaryngologic examination to determine the range of their lesions.

PMID- 28346643
TI  - Evaluating the quality and readability of Internet information sources regarding
      the treatment of swallowing disorders.
AB  - The Internet has become a popular resource for patient education. The information
      it provides, however, is rarely peer-reviewed, and its quality may be a concern.
      Since the average American reads at an 8th grade level, the American Medical
      Association and the National Institutes of Health have recommended that health
      information be written at a 4th to 6th grade level. We performed a study to
      assess the quality and readability of online information regarding the treatment
      of swallowing disorders. A Google search for "swallowing treatment" was
      conducted. We studied the first 50 websites that appeared on the search engine's
      results with the use of the DISCERN quality index tool, the Flesch Ease of
      Reading Score (FRES), and the Flesch-Kincaid Grade Level (FKGL) readability test.
      DISCERN is a validated 16-item questionnaire used to assess the quality of
      written health information; FRES and FKGL are used to assess readability. We
      classified the websites as either patient-targeted or professional-targeted
      sites, as well as either major or minor. The overall DISCERN score was 1.61 +/-
      0.61 (range: 1 to 5), the overall FRES was 39.1 +/- 19.0 (range: 1 to 100), and
      the overall FKGL was 11.8 +/- 3.4 (range: 3 to 12). As would be expected, patient
      targeted websites had significantly higher FRES and significantly lower FKGL
      scores than did the professional-targeted websites (p = 0.01 and p = 0.04,
      respectively); there was no significant difference between the two in DISCERN
      scores. The major websites had significantly higher DISCERN scores than did the
      minor sites (p = 0.002); there were no significant differences in FRES and FKGL
      scores. We conclude that online information sources regarding the treatment of
      swallowing disorders were of suboptimal quality in that information was written
      at a level too difficult for the average American to easily understand. Also, the
      patient-targeted websites were written at a lower reading level, and the major
      websites contained a higher quality of information.

PMID- 28346644
TI  - Laryngoceles: Concepts of diagnosis and management.
AB  - A laryngocele is an abnormal dilatation of the laryngeal saccule. It is a rare
      benign lesion of the larynx. Various modalities of treatment have been advocated
      for its management. We present our treatment results and outcomes of a series of
      cases of laryngoceles and discuss the concepts of their management. This study
      included patients with different laryngocele types. Patients with an internal
      laryngocele underwent endoscopic CO2 laser resection, while those with a combined
      laryngocele underwent resection via a V-shaped lateral thyrotomy approach. Seven
      patients had an internal laryngocele, and 4 patients had a combined laryngocele.
      Hoarseness and neck swelling were the most common symptoms. The mean follow-up
      period was 8.5 months. None of the patients needed a tracheostomy either
      preoperatively or postoperatively, or had recurrence of laryngocele. We advocate
      the lateral thyrotomy approach for combined laryngoceles as it provides safe,
      precise, and complete resection under direct visualization via a single approach,
      while we favor the endoscopic laser approach for the internal ones as it allows
      resection of the entire lesion with minimal laryngeal trauma, less operative
      time, and a shorter hospital stay.

PMID- 28346645
TI  - Facial trauma caused by electronic cigarette explosion.
AB  - Electronic cigarettes are increasingly popular as a supposed safer alternative to
      tobacco cigarettes or a smoking cessation tool. Research and debate have focused
      primarily on possible adverse effects caused by the inhaled aerosol produced by
      electronic cigarettes and on smoking cessation efficacy. Few reports in the
      medical literature describe injuries secondary to device malfunction. We present
      a case of electronic cigarette explosion, with a projectile fracturing the
      patient's right naso-orbital-ethmoid complex and anterior and posterior frontal
      sinus tables, with frontal sinus outflow tract involvement. The patient underwent
      combined open and endoscopic repair, including open reduction internal fixation,
      with reconstitution and preservation of the frontal sinus and frontal sinus
      outflow tract. Additionally, we review the available data on electronic cigarette
      malfunction-including fires, explosions, associated injuries, and possible
      reasons for device malfunction-and discuss new 2016 U.S. Food and Drug
      Administration regulations pertaining to electronic cigarettes.

PMID- 28346646
TI  - Metastatic chordoma of the tongue: Case report.
AB  - Chordomas are rare bone tumors that arise from notochord remnants. They most
      commonly occur in the sacrum, but they also can be seen in the skull base,
      cervical spine, and thoracolumbar vertebrae. Chordomas account for 1 to 4% of all
      primary skeletal tumors. They are usually indolent, locally growing tumors.
      Distant metastasis has been reported in 3 to 48% of cases. When metastasis
      occurs, it is usually observed in the lung, bone, and liver. To the best of our
      knowledge, no case of a chordoma metastasis to the tongue has been previously
      reported in the literature. We report such a case in a 61-year-old man.

PMID- 28346647
TI  - Validation of olfactory threshold testing methods.
AB  - In patients with chemosensory complaints, a head-to-head comparison of unilateral
      olfaction threshold testing with the Phenyl Ethyl Alcohol Smell Threshold Test
      (PEA) and the OLFACT-RL Odor Threshold Test (OLFACT-RL) was undertaken. The
      charts of 23 consecutive patients presenting with chemosensory complaints seen at
      the Smell and Taste Treatment and Research Foundation were reviewed and
      information extracted per Institutional Review Board guidelines. All patients had
      undergone olfactory testing with the PEA test and the OLFACT-RL test in
      accordance with their published administration manuals. Using Spearman
      correlation coefficients to measure the statistical correlation between tests, we
      found evidence of a correlation between PEA and OLFACT-RL values on the left side
      only, overall (r = 0.49, p = 0.0184); in those who had hyposmia and did not have
      anosmia (r = 0.42, p = 0.0668); in those who did not have burning mouth syndrome
      (r = 0.46, p = 0.0304); and in those who did not have dysosmia (r = 0.47, p =
      0.0553). There is no evidence of a correlation on the right side. The correlation
      for the left nostril suggests that these tests may be interchangeable. However,
      lack of correlation with the right nostril requires further investigation.

PMID- 28346648
TI  - Glomus faciale tumors: A report of 3 cases and literature review.
AB  - Our objectives in reporting this case series are to familiarize readers with the
      rare occurrence of paragangliomas originating along the facial nerve and to
      provide a literature review. We describe 3 such cases that occurred at our
      tertiary care academic medical center. Two women and 1 man presented with a tumor
      adjacent to the vertical segment of the facial nerve. The first patient, a 48
      year-old woman, presented with what appeared to be a parotid tumor at the
      stylomastoid foramen; she underwent a parotidectomy, transmastoid facial nerve
      decompression, and a shave biopsy of the tumor. The second patient, a 66-year-old
      man, underwent surgery via a postauricular infratemporal fossa approach, and a
      complete tumor resection was achieved. The third patient, a 56-year-old woman,
      presented with a middle ear mass; she underwent complete tumor removal through a
      transmastoid transcanal approach. All 3 patients exhibited normal facial nerve
      function both before and after surgery. Paragangliomas of the facial nerve are
      extremely rare, and their signs and symptoms are unlike those of any other
      temporal bone glomus tumors. Management options include surgical resection,
      radiologic surveillance, and radiotherapy. The facial nerve can be spared in
      selected cases.

PMID- 28346649
TI  - The rising incidence of major salivary gland cancer in the United States.
AB  - We performed a population-based historical cohort study using the Surveillance,
      Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) database to determine trends in the
      incidence of major salivary gland cancer and to evaluate the effect of sex, tumor
      size, histology, primary site, and extent of disease. Participants were men and
      women with major salivary gland cancer, diagnosed 1973-2009. The incidence of
      major salivary gland cancer increased from 10.4 per 1,000,000 in 1973 to 16 per
      1,000,000 in 2009 (annual percent change [APC] 0.99; 95% confidence interval [CI]
      0.78 to 1.20; p < 0.05). The incidence of parotid cancers increased (APC 1.13;
      95% CI 0.88 to 1.39; p < 0.05) and paralleled the increase in major salivary
      gland cancer overall. There was an increase in the incidence of tumors measuring
      0 to 2.0 cm (APC 1.99; 95% CI 0.61 to 3.38; p < 0.05), but no change in tumors
      measuring 2.1 to 4.0 cm (APC 1.02; 95% CI -0.46 to 2.52; p > 0.05) and tumors
      measuring > 4 cm (APC -0.52; 95% CI -1.72 to 0.69; p > 0.05). There was an
      increase in the incidence of regional (APC 0.77; 95% CI 0.32 to 1.23; p < 0.05)
      and distant (APC 2.43; 95% CI 1.43 to 3.45; p < 0.05) disease, but not localized
      disease (APC 0.35; 95% CI 0 to 0.71; p > 0.05). We conclude that the incidence of
      major salivary gland cancer is increasing, especially small parotid tumors. The
      incidence of tumors with regional and distant metastasis is also increasing.
      These findings highlight the need for further research on the etiology of
      salivary gland cancer, which may reveal opportunities for further public health
      efforts aimed at prevention.

PMID- 28346650
TI  - Submandibular salivary gland tumors: Clinical course and outcome of a 20-year
      multicenter study.
AB  - The purpose of this retrospective chart review study was to review the nature and
      clinical course of benign and malignant submandibular gland tumors at 2 major
      university-affiliated tertiary medical centers. All patients who underwent
      submandibular salivary gland excision between 1990 and 2010 were included.
      Clinical and disease-related data were collected from the medical charts. One
      hundred ninety-three patients were identified, of whom 108 (56%) had non
      neoplastic disorders (sialolithiasis and sialadenitis). The remaining 85 patients
      (44%) had a submandibular salivary gland tumor. The most common benign neoplasm
      was pleomorphic adenoma (53 patients). Twenty tumors (24%) were malignant:
      adenoid cystic carcinoma in 11 patients, mucoepidermoid carcinoma in 6 patients,
      and adenocarcinoma in 3 patients. Recurrence was noted in 7 patients with
      submandibular gland malignancy and in 2 patients with pleomorphic adenoma. The 5
      year disease-free survival rate was 63%. Tumors of the submandibular gland are
      infrequently malignant. Recurrent submandibular salivary gland pleomorphic
      adenoma is rare compared with recurrences in the parotid gland.

PMID- 28346651
TI  - Breast cancer metastases to the head and neck: Case series and literature review.
AB  - Breast cancer is the most common cancer in women and is the second most common
      cause of cancer-related death. Despite the relatively high prevalence of this
      disease, breast cancer manifestations in the head and neck are relatively rare.
      Supraclavicular lymphadenopathy and bony metastases to the mandible and maxilla
      are the most common manifestation of breast cancer in the head and neck. Head and
      neck metastases are the first presentation of distant disease in approximately
      one-third of cases. The prognosis of breast cancer with distant metastases to the
      head and neck is generally poor, and the management of these lesions is
      controversial. Overall extent of disease and individual patient prognosis must
      guide treatment decisions. Atypical cases including maxillary sinus mass, jugular
      foramen mass, and dermal metastases are presented. Metastatic breast cancer is a
      rare diagnosis in the head and neck, yet metastatic disease from an
      infraclavicular primary deserves inclusion on any comprehensive differential
      diagnosis list. In women, breast carcinoma is the most common infraclavicular
      primary to metastasize to the head and neck.

PMID- 28346652
TI  - Treatment success with titratable thermoplastic mandibular advancement devices
      for obstructive sleep apnea: A comparison of patient characteristics.
AB  - A titratable thermoplastic mandibular advancement device (MAD) is clearly an
      effective treatment option in some patients with obstructive sleep apnea (OSA).
      Determining which patients may be more likely to respond to treatment with
      thermoplastic MADs and to adhere to treatment would be of obvious clinical
      relevance. This was an experimental descriptive study (N = 60). Patients with OSA
      were instructed to wear a titratable thermoplastic MAD for 3 months. Treatment
      success was defined as a >=50% reduction from baseline in the apnea-hypopnea
      index (AHI) or AHI <10 when wearing MAD. Adherence was defined as MAD use >=5
      nights/week. Treatment was successful in 66.7% of patients and 60.0% were
      adherent. All polysomnographic parameters and visual analogue scale scores (sleep
      quality, snoring, waking refreshed) were significantly improved after treatment.
      The patients in whom treatment failed had significantly higher neck
      circumferences (39.3 cm vs. 37.5 cm, p = 0.014), higher baseline AHI values (26.6
      vs. 18.0, p = 0.016), and smaller AHI reduction (-31.8 vs -53.1, p < 0.001) than
      those in the group in whom treatment succeeded. There were no significant
      differences in polysomnographic, cephalometric, or visual analogue scale measures
      between patients for whom treatment was and was not successful, regardless of
      baseline values or the change rates after the MAD was placed. Titratable
      thermoplastic MADs can improve indicators of sleep quality, even in patients in
      whom treatment is considered to have failed.

PMID- 28346653
TI  - How successful is the fitting of digital hearing aids? Implications for the
      allocation of resources within national health systems.
AB  - We conducted a retrospective study to determine the success rate of initial
      fittings in digital hearing aid (DHA) users. We also addressed the implications
      of national health systems' continuing to provide access to these devices. We
      identified 1,597 consecutively presenting adults who had undergone a first
      fitting or a new fitting (i.e., an upgrade from an analogue hearing aid in the
      first or second ear) of a behind-the-ear DHA during the previous year. We further
      sought to identify all nominal reprogram appointments that had taken place within
      6 months after the first or new fitting; we found 460 such appointments (28.8%).
      Of these, 419 appointments had been for typical reasons other than patient
      dissatisfaction with the fitting itself-for example, poor hearing, a further
      hearing loss, an uncomfortably loud hearing aid level, difficulty with speech in
      noise, an imbalance between bilateral hearing aids, and a faulty or lost hearing
      aid. Only 41 of the 1,597 first or new fittings (2.6%) were considered
      unsatisfactory by patients and necessitated a follow-up reprogramming
      appointment. Overall, DHA fittings were generally successful, as most patients
      (1,137/1,597 [71.2%]) did not require any follow-up appointment during the study
      period. Principles of cost-effectiveness demand the maximum practicable
      efficiency in the utilization of resources to ensure the continuous delivery of
      high-quality audiologic services through national health systems. This can be
      achieved by scheduling group appointments to reduce costs and to increase the
      time allocated to fitting and training patients.

PMID- 28346654
TI  - Glomus jugulare manifesting as angiogenesis of the external ear canal.

PMID- 28346655
TI  - High prevalence of alcohol use disorders in patients with inflammatory skin
      diseases.
AB  - BACKGROUND: There is a known association between psoriasis and heavy alcohol
      consumption. The association between heavy alcohol consumption and other
      inflammatory skin diseases remains to be defined. OBJECTIVES: To examine the
      prevalence of heavy drinking using the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test
      (AUDIT) in patients with inflammatory skin disease. METHODS: We conducted an
      observational cross-sectional study in a single hospital outpatient department.
      We recruited 609 patients with either psoriasis, eczema, cutaneous lupus or other
      inflammatory disorders, and a reference population with skin lesions. Primary
      outcome was the proportion of patients in each group with an alcohol use disorder
      (AUD). RESULTS: The observed prevalence of AUD was 30.6% in patients with
      psoriasis, 33.3% in those with eczema, 12.3% in those with cutaneous lupus, 21.8%
      in those with other inflammatory disease and 14.3% in those with non-inflammatory
      disease. Odds ratios (OR) for AUD in patients in the inflammatory groups compared
      with those in the noninflammatory groups, adjusted for age and sex, were as
      follows: psoriasis 1.65 [95% confidence interval (CI) 0.86-3.17], eczema 2.00
      (95% CI 1.03-3.85), lupus 1.03 (95% CI 0.39-2.71), other inflammatory disease
      1.32 (95% CI 0.68-2.56). ORs were reduced if also adjusted for Dermatology Life
      Quality Index (DLQI). The prevalence of DLQI >= 11 was 31.1% for psoriasis, 43.7%
      for eczema, 17.5% for cutaneous lupus, 17.2% for other inflammatory disease and
      2.8% for noninflammatory disease. CONCLUSIONS: Patients with eczema attending a
      hospital clinic have been shown to have high levels of AUD of a similar level to
      patients with psoriasis and higher than patients with noninflammatory skin
      diseases.

PMID- 28346657
TI  - Across the Pond.

PMID- 28346656
TI  - 7-year follow-up after stereotactic ablative radiotherapy for patients with stage
      I non-small cell lung cancer: Results of a phase 2 clinical trial.
AB  - BACKGROUND: The authors evaluated the efficacy, patterns of failure, and toxicity
      of stereotactic ablative radiotherapy (SABR) for patients with medically
      inoperable, clinical stage I non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) in a prospective
      clinical trial with 7 years of follow-up. Clinical staging was performed
      according to the seventh edition of the American Joint Committee on Cancer TNM
      staging system. METHODS: Eligible patients with histologically confirmed NSCLC of
      clinical stage I as determined using positron emission tomography staging were
      treated with SABR (50 grays in 4 fractions). The primary endpoint was progression
      free survival. Patients were followed with computed tomography and/or positron
      emission tomography/computed tomography every 3 months for the first 2 years,
      every 6 months for the next 3 years, and then annually thereafter. RESULTS: A
      total of 65 patients were eligible for analysis. The median age of the patients
      was 71 years, and the median follow-up was 7.2 years. A total of 18 patients
      (27.7%) developed disease recurrence at a median of 14.5 months (range, 4.3-71.5
      months) after SABR. Estimated incidences of local, regional, and distant disease
      recurrence using competing risk analysis were 8.1%, 10.9%, and 11.0%,
      respectively, at 5 years and 8.1%, 13.6%, and 13.8%, respectively, at 7 years. A
      second primary lung carcinoma developed in 12 patients (18.5%) at a median of 35
      months (range, 5-67 months) after SABR. Estimated 5-year and 7-year progression
      free survival rates were 49.5% and 38.2%, respectively; the corresponding overall
      survival rates were 55.7% and 47.5%, respectively. Three patients (4.6%)
      experienced grade 3 treatment-related adverse events. No patients developed grade
      4 or 5 adverse events (toxicity was graded according to the National Cancer
      Institute Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events [version 3.0]).
      CONCLUSIONS: With long-term follow-up, the results of the current prospective
      study demonstrated outstanding local control and low toxicity after SABR in
      patients with clinical stage I NSCLC. Regional disease recurrence and distant
      metastases were the dominant manifestations of failure. Surveillance for second
      primary lung carcinoma is recommended. Cancer 2017;123:3031-39. (c) 2017 American
      Cancer Society.

PMID- 28346658
TI  - Spatially heterogeneous selection in nature favors phenotypic plasticity in
      anuran larvae.
AB  - Theory holds that adaptive phenotypic plasticity evolves under spatial or
      temporal variation in natural selection. I tested this prediction in a classic
      system of predator-induced plasticity: frog tadpoles (Rana temporaria) reacting
      to predaceous aquatic insects. An outdoor mesocosm experiment manipulating
      exposure to Aeshna dragonfly larvae revealed plasticity in most characters:
      growth, development, behavior, and external morphology. I measured selection by
      placing 1927 tadpoles into enclosures within natural ponds; photographs permitted
      identification of the survivors six to nine days later. Fitness was defined as a
      linear combination of growth, development, and survival that correlates with
      survival to age 2 in another anuran species. In enclosures with many predators,
      selection-favored character values similar to those induced by exposure to Aeshna
      in mesocosms. The shift in selection along the predation gradient was strongest
      for characters that exhibited high predator-induced plasticity. A field survey of
      50 ponds revealed that predator density changes over a spatial scale relevant for
      movement of individual adults and larvae: 17% of variation in predation risk was
      among ponds separated by tens to thousands of meters and 81% was among sites <=10
      m apart within ponds. These results on heterogeneity in the selection regime
      confirm a key tenant of the standard model for the evolution of plasticity.

PMID- 28346660
TI  - Clinicodermoscopic features of Spitz naevi by age and anatomical site: a study of
      378 Spitz naevi.

PMID- 28346659
TI  - Is universal HLA-B*15:02 screening a cost-effective option in an ethnically
      diverse population? A case study of Malaysia.
AB  - BACKGROUND: A strong association has been documented between HLA-B*15:02 and
      carbamazepine-induced severe cutaneous adverse reactions (SCARs) in Asians. Human
      leucocyte antigen testing is potentially valuable in many countries to facilitate
      early recognition of patient susceptibility to SCARs. OBJECTIVES: To determine
      the cost-effectiveness of universal HLA-B*15:02 screening in preventing
      carbamazepine-induced Stevens-Johnson syndrome/toxic epidermal necrolysis in an
      ethnically diverse Malaysian population. METHODS: A hybrid model of a decision
      tree and Markov model was developed to evaluate three strategies for treating
      newly diagnosed epilepsy among adults: (i) carbamazepine initiation without HLA
      B*15:02 screening (current practice); (ii) universal HLA-B*15:02 screening prior
      to carbamazepine initiation; and (iii) alternative treatment [sodium valproate
      (VPA)] prescribing without HLA-B*15:02 screening. Base-case analysis and
      sensitivity analyses were performed over a lifetime time horizon. Incremental
      cost-effectiveness ratios were calculated. RESULTS: Both universal HLA-B*15:02
      screening and VPA prescribing were dominated by current practice. Compared with
      current practice, universal HLA-B*15:02 screening resulted in a loss of 0.0255
      quality-adjusted life years (QALYs) at an additional cost of 707 U.S. dollars
      (USD); VPA prescribing resulted in a loss of 0.2622 QALYs at an additional cost
      of USD 4127, owing to estimated differences in antiepileptic treatment efficacy.
      CONCLUSIONS: Universal HLA-B*15:02 screening is unlikely to be a cost-effective
      intervention in Malaysia. However, with the emergence of an ethnically diverse
      population in many other countries, this may render HLA-B*15:02 screening a
      viable intervention when an increasing proportion of the population is at risk
      and an equally effective yet safer antiepileptic drug is available.

PMID- 28346661
TI  - A major shift in diversification rate helps explain macroevolutionary patterns in
      primate species diversity.
AB  - Primates represent one of the most species rich, wide ranging, and ecologically
      diverse clades of mammals. What major macroevolutionary factors have driven their
      diversification and contributed to the modern distribution of primate species
      remains widely debated. We employed phylogenetic comparative methods to examine
      the role of clade age and evolutionary rate heterogeneity in the modern
      distribution of species diversity of Primates. Primate diversification has
      accelerated since its origin, with decreased extinction leading to a shift to
      even higher evolutionary rates in the most species rich family (Cercopithecidae).
      Older primate clades tended to be more diverse, however a shift in evolutionary
      rate was necessary to adequately explain the imbalance in species diversity.
      Species richness was also poorly explained by geographic distribution, especially
      once clade age and evolutionary rate shifts were accounted for, and may relate
      instead to other ecological factors. The global distribution of primate species
      diversity appears to have been strongly impacted by heterogeneity in evolutionary
      rates.

PMID- 28346662
TI  - Intravenous immunoglobulin contributes to the control of antimelanoma
      differentiation-associated protein 5 antibody-associated dermatomyositis with
      palmar violaceous macules/papules.
AB  - Autoantibodies to melanoma differentiation-associated protein 5 (MDA5) are
      associated with a subset of patients with dermatomyositis (DM) who have rapidly
      progressive interstitial lung disease (RP-ILD) with poor prognosis. Intensive
      immunosuppressive therapy is initiated before irreversible lung damage can occur;
      however, there are few lines of evidence for the treatment of RP-ILD. Here, we
      report three cases of anti-MDA5 antibody-associated DM with RP-ILD in which the
      patients were treated with combined-modality therapy, including high-dose
      prednisolone, tacrolimus, intravenous cyclophosphamide and intravenous
      immunoglobulin (IVIG). In all three cases, serum ferritin levels, which are known
      to represent the disease activity of RP-ILD, were decreased after IVIG
      administration. IVIG might contribute to the control of the disease activity of
      anti-MDA5 antibody-positive DM. Moreover, palmar violaceous macules/papules
      around the interphalangeal joints, which was observed in all three cases in the
      incipient stage, might be a useful sign in suggesting a diagnosis of anti-MDA5
      antibody-associated DM.

PMID- 28346663
TI  - Management of stage III colon cancer in the elderly: Practice patterns and
      outcomes in the general population.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Clinical trials have established surgical resection and adjuvant
      chemotherapy (ACT) as the standard management for stage III colon cancer;
      however, the extent to which these results apply to elderly patients in routine
      practice is unclear. This article describes the management and outcomes of
      elderly patients with stage III colon cancer. METHODS: All cases of surgically
      resected colon cancer from 2002 to 2008 were identified with the population-based
      Ontario Cancer Registry. Pathology reports were obtained for a random sample (25%
      of all cases); those with stage III disease constituted the study population. The
      utilization of ACT, cancer-specific survival (CSS), and overall survival (OS) in
      elderly patients (>=70 years) and nonelderly patients (<70 years) were compared.
      RESULTS: The study population included 2920 patients, and 1521 (52%) were
      elderly. The 30- and 90-day mortality rates increased with advanced age: <70
      years, 2% and 5%; 70 to 74 years, 3% and 7%; 75 to 79 years, 5% and 8%, and >=80
      years, 9% and 16% (P < .001). ACT was delivered to 48% of elderly patients and to
      81% of younger patients (P < .001). Factors independently associated with ACT
      utilization among the elderly were a younger age (P < .001), male sex (P = .041),
      and no comorbidities (P = .001). Among elderly patients, ACT was associated with
      improved CSS (hazard ratio [HR], 0.73; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.60-0.88)
      and OS (HR, 0.71; 95% CI, 0.60-0.83); however, the magnitude of the benefit was
      smaller for elderly patients than younger patients (HR for CSS, 0.53; 95% CI,
      0.42-0.67; HR for OS 0.56; 95% CI, 0.45-0.69). CONCLUSIONS: Half of elderly
      patients with stage III colon cancer do not receive ACT. Although the effect size
      is smaller than that in younger patients, ACT is associated with improved long
      term survival. Cancer 2017;123:2840-49. (c) 2017 American Cancer Society.

PMID- 28346665
TI  - Effects of ovarian structures identified at OvsynchTM enrolment, disease history
      and lactation variables on odds of pregnancy to a fixed-time artificial
      insemination after OvsynchTM.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: To determine the effects of ovarian structures present at OvsynchTM
      enrolment, disease history, lactation variables and times bred on pregnancy per
      fixed-time artificial insemination (FTAI) following fixed-time insemination after
      Ovsynch and to determine the relationship between the size of ovarian follicular
      structures and concurrent presence of a corpus luteum (CL). METHODS: The study
      was conducted in a 3000-cow Holstein dairy herd. Over a 6-month period, 886 non
      pregnant cows were examined by transrectal ultrasound and enrolled into 1132
      Ovsynch events. Enrolled cows were synchronised using an Ovsynch-56 protocol. At
      enrolment, both ovaries were scanned by transrectal ultrasound to identify and
      record the presence and size of ovarian structures. Cows that did not return to
      oestrus were pregnancy tested 32-38 days post-insemination. Univariable and
      multivariable generalised linear mixed models (GLMMs) were used to determine the
      effect of each variable on pregnancy per FTAI. A univariable GLMM was also used
      to analyse the relationship between size of the dominant follicular structure and
      concurrent presence of a CL. RESULTS: CL size (P = 0.039) and presence of a
      luteal cyst (P = 0.002) at Ovsynch enrolment significantly increased the odds of
      pregnancy. Occurrence of lameness (P = 0.035) or mastitis (P = 0.008) between
      calving and enrolment significantly decreased the odds of pregnancy. Neither the
      presence nor size of a follicular structure significantly affected the odds of
      pregnancy, although cows with larger follicular structures were less likely to
      have a concurrent CL (P < 0.001). CONCLUSION: Presence of luteal tissue at
      Ovsynch enrolment and recent disease events affected pregnancy per FTAI in cows
      inseminated after Ovsynch.

PMID- 28346664
TI  - A cross-sectional comparison of three guidelines for intrapartum
      cardiotocography.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: To compare the cardiotocography classification systems outlined by the
      International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics (FIGO) in 2015 and the UK
      National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) in 2007 and 2014.
      METHODS: A cross-sectional observational study of cardiotocography practices at a
      UK hospital was conducted among labor ward staff (n=21) from November 1 to
      November 31, 2015. All observers classified ten cardiotocography traces according
      to the three guidelines using a bespoke form. Outcome measures included
      interobserver agreement (kappa values), percentage agreement, intervention rate,
      and perceived ease of use. RESULTS: The kappa values were 0.38 (FIGO 2015), 0.37
      (NICE 2007), and 0.34 (NICE 2014). The percentage agreement was identical across
      the three systems for both normal cardiotocography results (100.0%) and for
      intermediate or suspicious results (80.9%). By contrast, the percentage agreement
      for abnormal or pathological findings was 47.6% for NICE 2014, 76.2% for FIGO
      2015, and 91.0% for NICE 2007 guidelines. Among 210 observations, intervention
      was deemed necessary for 48 (22.9%) for FIGO 2015, 29 (13.8%) for NICE 2014, and
      56 (26.7%) for NICE 2007 guidelines. The FIGO 2015 system was considered the
      easiest to use by 13 (61.9%) observers. CONCLUSION: Interobserver agreement of
      cardiotocography classification is suboptimal. The FIGO 2015 system offered
      favorable agreement scores, perceived ease of use, and a moderate intervention
      rate.

PMID- 28346666
TI  - Disseminated peripheral neuroblastoma in a Rhodesian Ridgeback dog.
AB  - CASE REPORT: A 4-year-old neutered male Rhodesian Ridgeback dog with right-sided
      Horner's syndrome, bilateral laryngeal paralysis, neck pain and bilateral
      hindlimb ataxia was euthanased following deterioration of its neurological
      status. Necropsy examination revealed an off-white retropharyngeal neoplastic
      mass (100 * 30 * 30 mm) attached to the base of the skull on the right side and
      macroscopic nodular metastases in the spleen and three vertebral bodies (C6, C7
      and T6), including a nodule attached to the dura at C7. Histological evidence of
      neuroblastic tumour was detected in these macroscopic lesions, a regional lymph
      node, bone marrow of a femur and all 15 vertebral bodies (C1-T8) examined,
      including the three with macroscopic metastases, and in the lumens of small blood
      vessels in the lungs and liver. Ganglion cell differentiation was detected only
      in the primary retropharyngeal mass, one splenic nodule and the C7 dural nodule.
      Neoplastic cells were immunoreactive to neurofilament protein (ganglion cells
      only), vimentin and synaptophysin, and were negative for S100 protein, GFAP, CD3
      and Pax5. CONCLUSION: The diagnosis was disseminated peripheral neuroblastoma,
      differentiating subtype (International Neuroblastoma Pathology Classification),
      with likely primary involvement of the right cranial cervical ganglion. This
      appears to be the first report of neuroblastoma in a dog with widespread occult
      haematogenous metastasis to bone marrow.

PMID- 28346668
TI  - Demographic and preliminary employment data of the first two graduate cohorts
      from a rural veterinary school.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: To report initial career experiences and graduate employment
      destinations 1 and 5 years following graduation of the 67 graduates from the
      first two graduating classes of the veterinary science program at Charles Sturt
      University. DESIGN: Online survey of graduates from the 2010 and 2011 cohorts
      undertaken 12 months following course completion and descriptive data on graduate
      practice locations 5 years post-graduation. PROCEDURE: Questions covered general
      demographic information, issues relating to work-life balance and factors
      influencing vocational choices. Descriptive statistics and qualitative responses
      are reported, with comparisons between continuous variables by two-sample t-test
      and between categories by Chi-square analyses. Significance was set at P < 0.05.
      Graduates' locations 5 years after graduation were obtained from veterinary
      registration details and staff contact with graduates. RESULTS: Complete survey
      responses were received from 39 graduates of whom 34 were employed in regional
      areas, 1 in a very remote area, 3 in major cities and 1 overseas. Hours worked
      and salary received were consistent with other survey data, with new graduates
      working in regional practices earning slightly more than those working in
      metropolitan practices. At 5 years following graduation, the majority (56/61,
      92%) remained in rural or regional Australian veterinary practices, with a
      further five graduates overseas and one lost to follow-up. CONCLUSION: This study
      supported the selection criteria and educational approaches at CSU in
      establishing most of the new graduates in rural and regional mixed veterinary
      practice.

PMID- 28346669
TI  - Evaluation of a point-of-care electrochemical meter to detect subclinical ketosis
      and hypoglycaemia in lactating dairy cows.
AB  - OBJECTIVES: To evaluate and validate a hand-held electrochemical meter (Precision
      Xtra(r)) as a screening test for subclinical ketosis and hypoglycaemia in
      lactating dairy cattle. DESIGN: Method comparison study using a convenience
      sample. PROCEDURE: Blood samples were collected into plain tubes from the
      coccygeal vessels of 181 Holstein cows at 2-4 weeks of lactation during summer in
      Iran. Blood beta-hydroxybutyrate concentration (BHB) and glucose concentration
      were immediately measured by the electrochemical meter after applying 20 MUL of
      blood to the reagent strip. Passing-Bablok regression and Bland-Altman plots were
      used to determine the accuracy of the meter against laboratory reference methods
      (BHB dehydrogenase and glucose oxidase). RESULTS: Serum BHB ranged from 0.1 to
      7.3 mmol/L and serum glucose ranged from 0.9 to 5.1 mmol/L. Passing-Bablok
      regression analysis indicated that the electrochemical meter and reference
      methods were linearly related for BHB and glucose, with a slope estimate that was
      not significantly different from 1.00. Clinically minor, but statistically
      significant, differences were present for the intercept value for Passing-Bablok
      regression analysis for BHB and glucose, and bias estimates in the Bland-Altman
      plots for BHB and glucose. CONCLUSION: The electrochemical meter provided a
      clinically useful method to detect subclinical ketosis and hypoglycaemia in
      lactating dairy cows. Compared with other method validation studies using the
      meter, we attributed the improved performance of the electrochemical meter to
      application of a fixed volume of blood (20 MUL) to the reagent strip, use of the
      meter in hot ambient conditions and use of glucose oxidase as the reference
      method for glucose analysis.

PMID- 28346670
TI  - Neospora caninum in beef herds in New South Wales, Australia. 2: analysis of risk
      factors.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: To determine the influence of farm-level and animal-level factors on
      the seroprevalence of antibodies to Neospora caninum and associations between
      seropositivity and reproductive outcomes. METHODS: A questionnaire for a cross
      sectional survey was posted to the 63 properties with a herd size >=50 beef
      breeding cows that had participated in a previous seroprevalence study.
      Correspondence analysis, which does not appear to have been used previously in
      any Australian studies of livestock diseases, was used in conjunction with
      logistic regression to analyse the data. RESULTS: Geographic factors that
      increased the risk of seropositivity included higher rainfall North Coast
      location. Herd management factors that increased the risk of seropositivity
      included the use of Bos indicus genetics, cross-breeding and running several
      breeds in the one herd. Using fox control measures was found to be protective
      against infection with N. caninum. The risk of abortion was 12-fold greater in
      individual animals that were seropositive for N. caninum. Within a herd, the
      calving rate was 10.4% lower in herds with one or more N. caninum-positive
      animals (P = 0.03), but the difference in abortion rate was not significant
      between seropositive and seronegative herds (0.3% higher, P > 0.3). CONCLUSIONS:
      This study confirmed previous observations of increased risks for N. caninum
      seropositivity with being located in the coastal subtropics, some styles of herd
      management and canid exposure. In addition, it suggested that cross-breeding and
      proximity to an urban area may increase the risk, and that having pet dogs may
      reduce the risk of seropositivity.

PMID- 28346672
TI  - Congenital bilateral anterior nasal atresia in 16 half-sibling Holstein-Friesian
      calves.
AB  - CASE REPORT: Cases of bilateral anterior nasal atresia, sometimes referred to as
      arhinia or partial arhinia, are extremely rare in cattle and have only been
      reported as single events. This report describes the birth of 16 Holstein
      Friesian calves over a 3-month period, all affected with bilateral atresia of the
      nares and anterior nasal cavity, with 2 calves having additional severe deviation
      of the nasomaxillary bones and nasal septum. One affected calf was born with an
      anatomically normal twin. Parentage testing demonstrated that a single Holstein
      Friesian bull sired all cases tested. CONCLUSION: This is the first report of
      multiple cases of bilateral anterior nasal atresia in cattle with evidence that
      demonstrates a heritable condition.

PMID- 28346674
TI  - ERRATUM: Genetic Variants in Transcription Factors Are Associated With the
      Pharmacokinetics and Pharmacodynamics of Metformin.

PMID- 28346673
TI  - Clinical features of Bim deletion polymorphism and its relation with crizotinib
      primary resistance in Chinese patients with ALK/ROS1 fusion-positive non-small
      cell lung cancer.
AB  - BACKGROUND: The authors' previous study demonstrated that the B-cell chronic
      lymphocytic leukemia/lymphoma (Bcl-2)-like 11 (BCL2L11) (Bim) deletion
      polymorphism was associated with poor clinical response to epidermal growth
      factor receptor (EGFR) tyrosine kinase inhibitors in patients with non-small cell
      lung cancer (NSCLC) with EGFR mutations. The objective of the current study was
      to investigate the impact of the Bim deletion polymorphism among patients with
      anaplastic lymphoma kinase (ALK)-positive or ROS proto-oncogene 1, receptor
      tyrosine kinase (ROS1)-positive NSCLC who were treated with crizotinib. METHODS:
      A total of 55 patients with ALK-positive NSCLC and 14 patients with ROS1-positive
      NSCLC who were treated with crizotinib were enrolled into the current study. The
      Bim deletion polymorphism was analyzed by polymerase chain reaction. The clinical
      features of the Bim deletion polymorphism and its impact on the effect of
      crizotinib were investigated. RESULTS: The Bim deletion polymorphism was present
      in 9 of 69 patients with ALK-positive or ROS1-positive NSCLC (13.0%). There were
      no differences noted with regard to clinicopathological features between patients
      with and without the Bim deletion polymorphism. Patients with the Bim deletion
      polymorphism had a significantly shorter progression-free survival (PFS) and
      lower objective response rate compared with those without (median PFS, 182 days
      vs 377 days [P = .008]) (objective response rate, 44.4% vs 81.7% [P =.041]) in
      all populations. The significant difference in PFS was observed in patients with
      ALK-positive NSCLC (83 days vs 305 days [P =.0304]) compared with those with ROS1
      positive NSCLC (218 days vs not reached [P =.082]). Multivariate analysis
      indicated that the Bim deletion polymorphism was an independent predictive factor
      for patients with ALK-positive NSCLC who were treated with crizotinib (hazard
      ratio, 4.786 [P =.006]). CONCLUSIONS: The Bim deletion polymorphism was found to
      be associated with poor clinical response to crizotinib in patients with ALK
      fusion-positive NSCLC. Cancer 2017;123:2927-35. (c) 2017 American Cancer Society.

PMID- 28346676
TI  - CORRIGENDUM: Genetic Variations in GRIA1 on Chromosome 5q33 Related to
      Asparaginase Hypersensitivity.

PMID- 28346678
TI  - CORRIGENDUM: Identification and Characterization of a Defective CYP3A4 Genotype
      in a Kidney Transplant Patient With Severely Diminished Tacrolimus Clearance.

PMID- 28346680
TI  - Human papillomavirus in cervical cancer and oropharyngeal cancer: One cause, two
      diseases.
AB  - Human papillomavirus (HPV) causes greater than 5% of cancers worldwide, including
      all cervical cancers and an alarmingly increasing proportion of oropharyngeal
      cancers (OPCs). Despite markedly reduced cervical cancer incidence in
      industrialized nations with organized screening programs, cervical cancer remains
      the second most common cause of death from cancer in women worldwide, as
      developing countries lack resources for universal, high-quality screening. In the
      United States, HPV-related OPC is only 1 of 5 cancers with a rising incidence
      since 1975 and now has taken over the cervix as the most common site of HPV
      related cancer. Similar trends follow throughout North America and Europe. The
      need for early detection and prevention is paramount. Despite the common
      etiologic role of HPV in the development of cervical cancer and HPV-associated
      OPC, great disparity exists between incidence, screening modalities (or lack
      thereof), treatment, and prevention in these 2 very distinct cohorts. These
      differences in cervical cancer and HPV-associated OPC and their impact are
      discussed here. Cancer 2017;123:2219-2229. (c) 2017 American Cancer Society.

PMID- 28346681
TI  - Obstructive sleep apnea and postoperative complications among patients undergoing
      gynecologic oncology surgery.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: To investigate the prevalence of obstructive sleep apnea (OSA),
      physiological or risk factors associated with OSA, and OSA-associated
      postoperative complications among patients undergoing gynecologic oncology
      surgery. METHODS: A prospective observational study enrolled gynecologic oncology
      patients undergoing abdominal surgery at a center in the UK between August 2009
      and January 2013. All patients underwent perioperative sleep oximetry for the
      diagnosis of OSA. Data assessed included the body mass index, the STOP-Bang
      score, the Epworth Sleepiness Scale score, the apnea-hypopnea index, and
      postoperative complications. Associations were determined between preoperative
      OSA and postoperative OSA, postoperative complications, and risk factors such as
      body mass index, age, STOP-Bang score, and Epworth score. RESULTS: Among 160
      participants, 72 (45.0%) were obese and 80 (50.0%) had OSA. Obesity, older age
      (more than 65 years), and a neck circumference of 40 cm or more were
      significantly associated with OSA. Overall, 58 (36.3%) patients had postoperative
      complications; 21 (13.1%) had surgical complications and 37 (23.1%) had medical
      complications. Complications were not associated with OSA (P=0.612). Four (2.5%)
      patients died; mortality was not associated with OSA (P=0.810). CONCLUSION: OSA
      is common among gynecologic oncology patients. Portable sleep oximetry identifies
      gynecology patients who have OSA or require postoperative critical care. Obesity
      is associated with OSA, but OSA is not associated with postoperative
      complications in gynecologic oncology patients.

PMID- 28346682
TI  - Age-related variation in the cellular composition of equine bronchoalveolar
      lavage fluid.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Previous reports reveal variation in the cellular composition of
      equine bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF). OBJECTIVES: The purpose of this study
      was to compare the profiles of BALF from horses to assess age-related
      differences. Serial BALF samples were collected from the same individuals over a
      one-year period to identify changes in individual animals as they aged. METHODS:
      Collection of BALF was performed on horses aged one week and one, 2, 6, and 12
      months. Total nucleated cell count (TNCC), protein concentration, and cytology
      were assessed. Longitudinal analysis was performed and compared to healthy
      adults. RESULTS: Foals at one week and 6 months of age had significantly higher
      TNCC than adults (medians: 320/MUL, 285/MUL, and 90/MUL, respectively); no
      differences in total protein were found. Foals at one month had the highest
      proportion of macrophages (median: 87.3%), differing significantly from both
      yearlings and adults (medians: 45.5% and 48.7%, respectively). Foals aged one
      week and one month had significantly lower proportions of lymphocytes than
      yearlings and adults (medians: 3.2% and 4.7% vs 43.2% and 45.8%, respectively).
      Eosinophil percentage was lowest in foals aged one week, one month, and 2 months
      (median: 0.0%) and highest in foals aged 6 months (median: 2.2%). Mast cell
      percentages were highest in yearlings and adults (medians: 2.2% and 3.3%,
      respectively) and neutrophil percentage was highest in foals aged one week
      (13.7%). CONCLUSIONS: Cytologic profiles of BALF from foals and adult horses
      differed considerably. Significant changes in TNCC and percentages of
      lymphocytes, macrophages, and eosinophils occurred with age.

PMID- 28346683
TI  - Obituary Robert H. Horwich (1940-2017).

PMID- 28346685
TI  - Experience of Shame Mediates the Relationship Between Pathological Narcissism and
      Suicidal Ideation in Psychiatric Outpatients.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: Pathological narcissism, described by 2 dysfunctional phenotypic forms
      grandiosity and vulnerability-has often been connected to suicidal tendencies in
      theoretical and clinical literatures. Furthermore, shame proneness has been
      implicated as a key mechanism that links these 2 constructs. However, empirical
      evidence for the presumed relationship between pathological narcissism and
      suicidal tendencies is sparse, and no prior research has investigated the role of
      shame proneness in this relationship. The objective of the present research was
      to investigate the complex relations among pathological narcissism, experience of
      shame, and suicidal ideation in psychiatric outpatients. METHOD: A sample of 250
      adult psychiatric outpatients (61% female; mean age 39.15 years) were assessed
      between January and May 2014. The participants filled out the Pathological
      Narcissism Inventory, the Experience of Shame Scale, and the Suicide Assessment
      Scale-self-rating. RESULTS: Narcissistic vulnerability was found to have unique
      positive associations with acute suicidal ideation, whereas narcissistic
      grandiosity exhibited substantially weaker relations with the same construct. Two
      dimensions of shame-characterological and bodily shame-mediated the relationship
      between narcissistic vulnerability and suicidal ideation. The mediating role of
      behavioral shame was not demonstrated. CONCLUSIONS: Narcissistic vulnerability
      seems to be more strongly related to suicidal tendencies than narcissistic
      grandiosity, while experience of shame represents one of the underlying
      mechanisms of this relationship among psychiatric outpatients. The implications
      of these findings are discussed in relation to the role of pathological
      narcissism in the psychotherapeutic management of suicidality.

PMID- 28346686
TI  - Effects of Catechins and Their Related Compounds on Cellular Accumulation and
      Efflux Transport of Mitoxantrone in Caco-2 Cell Monolayers.
AB  - The ability of catechins and their related compounds to inhibit breast cancer
      resistance protein (BCRP) function in Caco-2 cell monolayers was investigated
      with mitoxantrone as a BCRP substrate. The gallate or pyrogallol moiety on the
      catechin structure seemed to promote increased cellular accumulation and inhibit
      efflux transport of mitoxantrone. The ability of gallate catechins such as (-)
      epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG) and (-)-epicatechin gallate (ECG) to increase
      cellular accumulation and inhibit efflux transport of mitoxantrone was greater
      than that of nongallate catechins. Gallic acid octyl ester (GAO) also increased
      intracellular mitoxantrone accumulation. Experiments using GAO derivatives
      indicated that the gallate moiety required the presence of a long carbon chain
      for BCRP inhibition. Cellular accumulation and reduced efflux transport of
      mitoxantrone were greater with epigallocatechin 3-(3"-O-butyl) gallate than with
      EGCG. EGCG inhibition of BCRP seemed to be restricted by hydrophobicity. The co
      administration of catechins, particularly EGCG and related compounds, with
      greater hydrophobicity may increase the therapeutic activities of BCRP substrates
      such as mitoxantrone.

PMID- 28346687
TI  - ITADE flap after mastectomy for locally advanced breast cancer: A good choice for
      mid-sized defects of the chest wall, based on a systematic review of
      thoracoabdominal flaps.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Locally advanced breast cancer (LABC) is still a common problem in
      developing countries. Extensive resections are aimed at local control and
      improving quality of life. Dermofat flaps are an option for medium-sized defects.
      OBJECTIVES: Evaluate the results of a new thoracoabdominal flap (TAF). METHODS:
      We describe and evaluate an ipsilateral, thoracoabdominal horizontal, dermofat
      (ITADE) flap performed in patients submitted to mastectomy and immediate
      reconstruction. A systematic review of the flaps used in this situation was
      performed. RESULTS: A total of 23 patients underwent the ITADE flap. The average
      flap size was 360 cm2 . One (4.3%) patient presented extensive loss of the flap.
      In the literature review, we observed 354 patients with 159 TAFs. We added our
      cases to the evaluation. A significant reduction in the risk of necrosis using
      myocutaneous flaps versus TAFs was observed (P < 0.001). Comparing other TAFs and
      ITADE flaps, considering all necrosis, a significant difference was apparent (P =
      0.02), which disappeared when evaluating only larger necrosis (P = 0.13).
      Multivariate analysis showed that the resected area was the best variable related
      to the presence of necrosis. CONCLUSIONS: ITADE allows extensive coverage areas,
      an early start of adjuvant treatment and it can be performed without requiring a
      reconstructive team.

PMID- 28346688
TI  - How far do Neotropical primates disperse seeds?
AB  - Seed dispersal distance (SDD) is a vital component of vertebrate-mediated seed
      dispersal process: the average distance at which seeds are deposited away from
      the parent plant represents the starting template of plant regeneration. We
      present a simple model to explain and predict observed measures of average
      dispersal distance and we hypothesize that it is a consequence of how long seeds
      are retained in the disperser's gut, how rapidly the disperser moves per unit
      time and how twisted the animal travel path is relative to the straight-line
      distance moved away from the seed source. We retrieved data on dispersal
      distances from 26 published studies including nine primate species dispersing up
      to 112 plant species per study. We used gut transit time (TT) as a proxy for
      residence time inside the gut, the disperser's travel path per hour as proxy for
      movement rate, and the daily path length relative to the home range area as a
      correlate of path twisting (PT). We illustrate this model with comparative data
      on Neotropical primates. These three variables explained 90% of the variation in
      the average SDD. Path analysis indicates that additional variables exerted only
      indirect effects. Our model can be applied to primate populations for which
      detailed seed dispersal data are missing, and help evaluate conservation
      priorities for primate species according to the potential service they provide in
      terms of forest regeneration.

PMID- 28346689
TI  - Peripheral and central fatigue after high intensity resistance circuit training.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of high
      intensity resistance circuit (HIRC) and traditional strength training (TST) on
      neuromuscular fatigue and metabolic responses. METHODS: Twelve trained young
      subjects performed HIRC and TST in a counterbalanced order with 1 week rest in
      between. The amount of workload and the inter-set time for each local muscle
      group were matched (180 s), however, the time between successive exercises
      differed. The twitch interpolation technique was used to test neuromuscular
      function of the knee extensor muscles. Blood lactate concentration was used to
      evaluate metabolic responses. RESULTS: Maximum voluntary contraction and resting
      potentiated twitch amplitude (Qtw ) were significantly reduced after HIRC, but
      there were not changes after TST, while reductions in voluntary activation were
      similar. Lactate concentration increased significantly more after HIRC.
      CONCLUSIONS: The higher lactate concentration after HIRC probably impaired
      excitation-contraction coupling, indicating larger peripheral fatigue than after
      TST. Muscle Nerve 56: 152-159, 2017.

PMID- 28346690
TI  - The benefits and limitations of cell-free DNA screening for 47, XXY (Klinefelter
      syndrome).
AB  - OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this paper is to provide an overview of the 47, XXY
      syndrome, which is the most commonly occurring X and Y chromosomal variation.
      This paper seeks to review what is currently known of noninvasive prenatal
      testing (NIPT) and 47, XXY and investigate potential risks and benefits of
      prenatal identification. METHOD: A literature review of NIPT and 47, XXY was
      performed to identify limitations of current NIPT techniques. RESULTS: As NIPT
      becomes an increasingly more routine procedure, prenatal findings of 47, XXY may
      increase. Awareness of this disorder and appropriate genetic counseling is
      necessary. CONCLUSION: X and Y chromosomal variations will be identified through
      this screening, and the benefits and limitations to this finding need to be
      thoughtfully considered. (c) 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

PMID- 28346691
TI  - Reproductive status affects the feeding ecology and social association patterns
      of female squirrel monkeys (Saimiri collinsi) in an Amazonian rainforest.
AB  - When making foraging decisions, female primates may follow specific behavioral
      strategies that reflect their reproductive state. Lactation is considered the
      most energetically costly phase for females, but we argue that gestation is also
      energetically expensive for squirrel monkeys. In this study, we examined whether
      female squirrel monkeys (a seasonally breeding primate) in different reproductive
      phases showed significant differences in their foraging ecology. We sampled two
      wild groups of squirrel monkeys (Saimiri collinsi) using the focal animal method,
      during 12 months (June 2014 to May 2015). During this time, we quantified the
      effect of reproductive state (mating, gestation, and lactation) and sex (females
      vs. males) on activity budgets, foraging efficiency, dietary composition, and
      nearest neighbors. We found significant effects of both sex and reproductive
      phase on the mean proportion of time spent foraging, resting, traveling, and
      being social. Females consumed more insects than did males at all times; among
      females, time spent eating prey and fruit varied according to reproductive state.
      These data suggest that, due to their life history and seasonal breeding,
      reproduction is a costly activity for female Saimiri, and not only during
      lactation. Therefore, adopting the appropriate behavioral strategies is essential
      to reduce energetic deficits in females.

PMID- 28346692
TI  - Embraces are lateralized in spider monkeys (Ateles fusciceps rufiventris).
AB  - Side biases observed in behavior are thought to reflect underlying asymmetric
      brain function or hemispheric specialization. Previous work in multiple species
      identified left side biases (associated with the right hemisphere) for processing
      social behavior. In highly social species such as primates, many behaviors may be
      categorized as social, yet differences between such behaviors have not been
      examined as a test of asymmetric brain function. Using Colombian spider monkeys
      (Ateles fusciceps rufiventris), we observed lateral positioning during two types
      of behaviors widely categorized as social affiliative: embracing and grooming,
      and identified a left bias for embracing, but not grooming. Our findings
      partially support prior research in hemispheric specialization, but suggest that
      there may be differences between social behaviors that drive specialization. We
      discuss these results in light of current theory on hemispheric specialization
      and highlight differences between embracing and grooming.

PMID- 28346694
TI  - "Holy anorexia"-relevant or relic? Religiosity and anorexia nervosa among Finnish
      women.
AB  - Since medieval times, an association between religiosity and anorexia nervosa has
      been suggested, but few systematic studies exist. This study examines in a
      nationwide setting whether personal or family religiosity is associated with
      lifetime anorexia nervosa among women in adolescence and early adulthood. Women
      (N = 2,825) from the 1975 to 1979 birth cohorts of Finnish twins were screened
      for lifetime DSM-5 anorexia nervosa (N = 92). Parental religiosity was assessed
      by self-report when the women were aged 16 years. The women self-reported their
      religiosity at ages 16 and 22 to 27 years. Parental religiosity did not increase
      the risk of lifetime anorexia nervosa, and neither did religiosity of the women
      themselves in adolescence. In early adulthood, a J-shaped curve was compatible
      with the data, indicating increased risk both at low and high levels of
      religiosity, but this result was statistically non-significant. Religiosity was
      weakly negatively correlated with body dissatisfaction. There was some suggestive
      evidence for socioregional variation in the association of religiosity with
      lifetime anorexia nervosa. In this first population study to directly address
      religiosity and anorexia nervosa, no evidence was found for a significant
      association of religiosity with anorexia nervosa either at the personal or family
      level. Some regional differences are possible. A modest protective association of
      religiosity with body dissatisfaction is also possible. Despite compelling case
      descriptions of "holy anorexia," religiosity does not appear to be a central
      factor in the development of anorexia nervosa in Finland, a highly secularized
      Christian country.

PMID- 28346693
TI  - Using a novel NQO1 bioactivatable drug, beta-lapachone (ARQ761), to enhance
      chemotherapeutic effects by metabolic modulation in pancreatic cancer.
AB  - Novel, tumor-selective therapies are needed to increase the survival rate of
      pancreatic cancer patients. K-Ras-mutant-driven NAD(P)H:quinone oxidoreductase 1
      (NQO1) is over-expressed in pancreatic tumor versus associated normal tissue,
      while catalase expression is lowered compared to levels in associated normal
      pancreas tissue. ARQ761 undergoes a robust, futile redox cycle in NQO1+ cancer
      cells, producing massive hydrogen peroxide (H2 O2 ) levels; normal tissues are
      spared by low NQO1 and high catalase expression. DNA damage created by ARQ761 in
      pancreatic cancer cells "hyperactivates" PARP1, causing metabolic catastrophe and
      NAD +/- keresis cell death. NQO1: catalase levels (high in tumor, low in normal
      tissue) are an attractive therapeutic window to treat pancreatic cancer. Based on
      a growing body of literature, we are leading a clinical trial to evaluate the
      combination of ARQ761 and chemotherapy in patients with pancreatic cancer.

PMID- 28346695
TI  - Contribution of small conductance K+ channels to sinoatrial node pacemaker
      activity: insights from atrial-specific Na+ /Ca2+ exchange knockout mice.
AB  - KEY POINTS: Repolarizing currents through K+ channels are essential for proper
      sinoatrial node (SAN) pacemaking, but the influence of intracellular Ca2+ on
      repolarization in the SAN is uncertain. We identified all three isoforms of Ca2+ 
      activated small conductance K+ (SK) channels in the murine SAN. SK channel
      blockade slows repolarization and subsequent depolarization of SAN cells. In the
      atrial-specific Na+ /Ca2+ exchanger (NCX) knockout mouse, cellular Ca2+
      accumulation during spontaneous SAN pacemaker activity produces intermittent
      hyperactivation of SK channels, leading to arrhythmic pauses alternating with
      bursts of pacing. These findings suggest that Ca2+ -sensitive SK channels can
      translate changes in cellular Ca2+ into a repolarizing current capable of
      modulating pacemaking. SK channels are a potential pharmacological target for
      modulating SAN rate or treating SAN dysfunction, particularly under conditions
      characterized by abnormal increases in diastolic Ca2+ . ABSTRACT: Small
      conductance K+ (SK) channels have been implicated as modulators of spontaneous
      depolarization and electrical conduction that may be involved in cardiac
      arrhythmia. However, neither their presence nor their contribution to sinoatrial
      node (SAN) pacemaker activity has been investigated. Using quantitative PCR (q
      PCR), immunostaining and patch clamp recordings of membrane current and voltage,
      we identified all three SK isoforms (SK1, SK2 and SK3) in mouse SAN. Inhibition
      of SK channels with the specific blocker apamin prolonged action potentials (APs)
      in isolated SAN cells. Apamin also slowed diastolic depolarization and reduced
      pacemaker rate in isolated SAN cells and intact tissue. We investigated whether
      the Ca2+ -sensitive nature of SK channels could explain arrhythmic SAN pacemaker
      activity in the atrial-specific Na+ /Ca2+ exchange (NCX) knockout (KO) mouse, a
      model of cellular Ca2+ overload. SAN cells isolated from the NCX KO exhibited
      higher SK current than wildtype (WT) and apamin prolonged their APs. SK blockade
      partially suppressed the arrhythmic burst pacing pattern of intact NCX KO SAN
      tissue. We conclude that SK channels have demonstrable effects on SAN pacemaking
      in the mouse. Their Ca2+ -dependent activation translates changes in cellular
      Ca2+ into a repolarizing current capable of modulating regular pacemaking. This
      Ca2+ dependence also promotes abnormal automaticity when these channels are
      hyperactivated by elevated Ca2+ . We propose SK channels as a potential target
      for modulating SAN rate, and for treating patients affected by SAN dysfunction,
      particularly in the setting of Ca2+ overload.

PMID- 28346696
TI  - Do people trust dentists? Development of the Dentist Trust Scale.
AB  - BACKGROUND: This study aimed to adapt a measure of trust in physicians to trust
      in dentists and to assess the reliability and validity of the measure. METHODS:
      Questionnaire data were collected from a simple random sample of 596 Australian
      adults. The 11-item General Trust in Physicians Scale was modified to apply to
      dentists. RESULTS: The Dentist Trust Scale (DTS) had good internal consistency
      (alpha = 0.92) and exploratory factor analysis revealed a single-factor solution.
      Lower DTS scores were associated with less trust in the dentist last visited,
      having previously changed dentists due to unhappiness with the care received,
      currently having dental pain, usual visiting frequency, dental avoidance, and
      with past experiences of discomfort, gagging, fainting, embarrassment and
      personal problems with the dentist. CONCLUSIONS: The majority of people appear to
      exhibit trust in dentists. The DTS shows promising reliability and validity
      evidence.

PMID- 28346698
TI  - How do rivers, geographic distance, and dispersal behavior influence genetic
      structure in two sympatric New World monkeys?
AB  - Dispersal, one of the major factors affecting the gene flow between populations,
      shapes the spatial distribution of genetic diversity within species. Alouatta
      macconnelli and Saguinus midas are two Neotropical monkey species that
      sympatrically inhabit the Guiana shield in northern Amazonia and are likely to
      differ in their dispersal behavior and vagility. We took advantage of their
      sympatry to investigate, over a fine geographical scale (~50 km long), the
      relationship between spatial genetic structure, on the one hand, and geographical
      features and the species' dispersal behavior on the other. A total of 84 A.
      macconnelli individuals from 25 social units and 76 S. midas individuals from 19
      social units were genotyped for nine microsatellite markers. Both species
      displayed high genetic diversity and allelic richness. However, patterns of
      genetic structure differed between the two species. In A. macconnelli, no genetic
      substructuring was observed, while in S. midas we detected significant
      structuring, but this structuring was not correlated with geographical features,
      such as the location of individuals relative to the river and/or the distance
      between them. Instead, the geographical distribution of genetic variation
      observed for each species is predominantly explained by each species' dispersal
      pattern. We identified bisexual dispersal for both species, but with significant
      differences, either in the distance or in the rate of dispersal, between species
      and sexes. Genetic relatedness within social units was higher in S. midas than in
      A. macconnelli: gene flow between social units seems limited in S. midas,
      especially for females, while high dispersal characterizes A. macconnelli, where
      females seem to disperse at lower rate but at a longer distance than males.

PMID- 28346699
TI  - The SORG nomogram accurately predicts 3- and 12-months survival for operable
      spine metastatic disease: External validation.
AB  - BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Externally validate the SORG12 nomogram and SORG
      classic algorithm at estimating survival in patients with spine metastatic
      disease, and compare predictive accuracy with other survival algorithms. METHODS:
      We received data from 100 patients who had surgery for spine metastatic disease
      at an external institution. Algorithms were accurate if the Area Under Curve
      (AUC) was >0.70, and we used Receiver Operating Characteristic (ROC) analysis to
      compare predictive accuracy with other algorithms. RESULTS: The SORG nomogram
      accurately estimated 3-months (AUC = 0.74) and 12-months survival (AUC = 0.78);
      it did not accurately estimate 1-month survival (AUC = 0.65). There was no
      difference in 1-month survival accuracy between the SORG nomogram and SORG
      classic algorithm (P = 0.162). The SORG nomogram was best at predicting 3-months
      survival, compared with the Tokuhashi score and SORG classic algorithm (P =
      0.009). The SORG nomogram was best at predicting 12-months survival, compared
      with the Tomita score, Ghori score, Bauer modified score, Tokuhashi score, and
      SORG classic algorithm (P = 0.033). CONCLUSIONS: The SORG nomogram accurately
      estimated 3- and 12-months survival for operable spine metastatic disease, and is
      therefore, useful in clinical practice.

PMID- 28346700
TI  - Vitamin D status in wild toque macaques (Macaca sinica) in Sri Lanka.
AB  - The vitamin D receptor is found on most cells, including active immune cells,
      implying that vitamin D has important biological functions beyond calcium
      metabolism and bone health. Although captive primates should be given a dietary
      source of vitamin D, under free-living conditions vitamin D is not a required
      nutrient, but rather is produced in skin when exposed to UV-B light. The
      circulating level of 25 hydroxyvitamin D (25-OH-D) considered adequate for humans
      is a topic of current controversy. Levels of circulating 25-OH-D sufficient for
      good health for macaques and other Old World anthropoids are assumed to be the
      same as human values, but data from free-living animals are scant. This study
      reports values for 25-OH-D and the active vitamin D metabolite, 1,25
      dihydroxyvitamin D (1,25[OH]2 D) for wild, forest-ranging toque macaques (Macaca
      sinica) in Sri Lanka. Plasma samples were obtained from eight adult males, seven
      juvenile males, six young nulliparous females, nine adult females not pregnant or
      lactating, eleven lactating adult females, and four pregnant females. Mean values
      for the complete sample were 61.3 +/- 4.0 ng/ml for 25-OH-D and 155.6 +/- 8.7
      pg/ml for 1,25[OH]2 D. There were no significant differences for either
      metabolite among age and sex classes, nor between lactating and non-reproductive
      females. Values from the literature for circulating 25-OH-D in captive macaques
      are three times higher than those found in this wild population, however,
      1,25[OH]2 D values in captive animals were similar to the wild values. The data
      from this study indicate that anthropoid primates exposed to extensive sunlight
      will have circulating values of 25-OH-D generally above 30 ng/ml, providing some
      support for the Endocrine Society recommendations for humans. Current dietary
      vitamin D supplementation of captive macaques likely exceeds requirement. This
      may affect metabolism and immune function, with possible consequences for macaque
      health and biomedical research results.

PMID- 28346697
TI  - CAR T-cell therapy for pancreatic cancer.
AB  - Chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T-cell therapy utilizes genetic engineering to
      redirect a patient's own T cells to target cancer cells. The remarkable results
      in hematological malignancies prompted investigating this approach in solid
      tumors such as pancreatic cancer. The complex tumor microenvironment, stromal
      hindrance in limiting immune response, and expression of checkpoint blockade on T
      cells pose hurdles. Herein, we summarize the opportunities, challenges, and state
      of knowledge in targeting pancreatic cancer with CAR T-cell therapy.

PMID- 28346701
TI  - Effect of resistance training with vibration and compression on the formation of
      muscle and bone.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: In this study we investigated the effects of resistance training
      with vibration in combination with leg compression to restrict blood flow on
      strength, muscle oxygenation, muscle mass, and bone formation. METHODS: Twelve
      participants were tested before and after 12 weeks of resistance training with
      application of vibration (VIBRA; 1-2 mm, 30 Hz) to both legs and compression (~35
      mm Hg, VIBRA+COMP) to only 1 leg. RESULTS: VIBRA+COMP and VIBRA improved 1
      repetition maximum (1-RM), increased the number of repetitions preceding muscle
      exhaustion, enhanced cortical bone mass, and lowered the mass and fat fraction in
      the thigh, with no changes in total muscle mass. The mass of cancellous bone
      decreased to a similar extent after VIBRA and VIBRA+COMP. DISCUSSION: Resistance
      training with VIBRA+COMP and VIBRA improved 1-RM, increased the number of
      repetitions preceding muscular exhaustion, and enhanced formation of cortical
      bone, with no alteration of muscle mass. Muscle Nerve 56: 1137-1142, 2017.

PMID- 28346702
TI  - Evaluation of the effects of time, temperature, and specimen storage on in vitro
      lactate concentrations in healthy dogs.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Lactate concentrations increase significantly under certain storage
      conditions, except for when glycolysis-arresting agents are used. Evaluation of
      time and storage conditions on heparinized whole blood lactate concentrations
      without glycolysis-arresting agents have not been evaluated in dogs. OBJECTIVES:
      The purpose of the study was to determine the effects of preanalytic storage
      conditions on the in vitro concentration of lactate in heparinized canine venous
      blood specimens. METHODS: In this prospective study, blood collected from 30
      healthy dogs was aliquoted and stored under different conditions: anaerobic
      refrigerated (3 degrees C), aerobic refrigerated, anaerobic room temperature
      (RT), and aerobic RT. Whole blood lactate was analyzed at 15-25, 30-40, 60-70,
      and 120-130 minutes from time 0 (T0) under all storage conditions. Percent
      increases from the T0 specimen were calculated. RESULTS: There were significantly
      increased lactate concentrations at all time points within the anaerobic
      refrigerated specimens compared to T0, and in the anaerobic RT specimens after 15
      25 minutes. The aerobic refrigerated specimens did not have significant changes
      in lactate when compared to anaerobic refrigerated specimens, while the aerobic
      RT specimens had significant increases at all time points. Anaerobically
      refrigerated specimens stored < 40 minutes and aerobically refrigerated specimens
      stored < 25 minutes had in vitro lactate increases of < 20%. CONCLUSIONS: Results
      support analyzing lactate specimens immediately. If lactate analysis is delayed,
      anaerobic refrigerated specimens should be analyzed within 40 minutes, and
      aerobic refrigerated specimens should be analyzed within 25 minutes. Room
      temperature specimens stored either aerobically or anaerobically should be
      avoided as lactate concentrations may be falsely increased.

PMID- 28346703
TI  - Tunable GLUT-Hexose Binding and Transport via Modulation of Hexose C-3 Hydrogen
      Bonding Capabilities.
AB  - The importance of the hydrogen bonding interactions in the GLUT-hexose binding
      process (GLUT=hexose transporter) has been demonstrated by studying the binding
      of structurally modified d-fructose analogues to GLUTs, and in one case its
      transport into cells. The presence of a hydrogen bond donor at the C-3 position
      of 2,5-anhydro-d-mannitol derivatives is essential for effective binding to GLUT5
      and transport into tumor cells. Surprisingly, installation of a group that can
      function only as a hydrogen bond acceptor at C-3 resulted in selective
      recognition by GLUT1 rather than GLUT5. A fluorescently labelled analogue clearly
      showed GLUT-mediated transport and low efflux properties of the probe. This study
      reveals that a single positional modification of a 2,5-anhydro-d-mannitol
      derivative is sufficient to switch its binding preference from GLUT5 to GLUT1,
      and uncovers general scaffolds that are suitable for the potential selective
      delivery of molecular payloads into tumor cells via GLUT transport machinery.

PMID- 28346704
TI  - The chloroplast RNA helicase ISE2 is required for multiple chloroplast RNA
      processing steps in Arabidopsis thaliana.
AB  - INCREASED SIZE EXCLUSION LIMIT2 (ISE2) is a chloroplast-localized RNA helicase
      that is indispensable for proper plant development. Chloroplasts in leaves with
      reduced ISE2 expression have previously been shown to exhibit reduced thylakoid
      contents and increased stromal volume, indicative of defective development. It
      has recently been reported that ISE2 is required for the splicing of group II
      introns from chloroplast transcripts. The current study extends these findings,
      and presents evidence for ISE2's role in multiple aspects of chloroplast RNA
      processing beyond group II intron splicing. Loss of ISE2 from Arabidopsis
      thaliana leaves resulted in defects in C-to-U RNA editing, altered accumulation
      of chloroplast transcripts and chloroplast-encoded proteins, and defective
      processing of chloroplast ribosomal RNAs. Potential ISE2 substrates were
      identified by RNA immunoprecipitation followed by next-generation sequencing (RIP
      seq), and the diversity of RNA species identified supports ISE2's involvement in
      multiple aspects of chloroplast RNA metabolism. Comprehensive phylogenetic
      analyses revealed that ISE2 is a non-canonical Ski2-like RNA helicase that
      represents a separate sub-clade unique to green photosynthetic organisms,
      consistent with its function as an essential protein. Thus ISE2's evolutionary
      conservation may be explained by its numerous roles in regulating chloroplast
      gene expression.

PMID- 28346705
TI  - Performance of a polymer coated silicon microarray for simultaneous detection of
      food allergen-specific IgE and IgG4.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Microarray-based component-resolved diagnostics (CRD) has become an
      accepted tool to detect allergen-specific IgE sensitization towards hundreds of
      allergens in parallel from one drop of serum. Nevertheless, specificity and
      sensitivity as well as a simultaneous detection of allergen-specific IgG4 , as a
      potential parameter for tolerance development, remain to be optimized. OBJECTIVE:
      We applied the recently introduced silicon chip coated with a functional polymer
      named copoly(DMA-NAS-MAPS) to the simultaneous detection of food allergen
      specific IgE and IgG4 , and compared it with ImmunoCAP and ImmunoCAP ISAC. Inter-
      and intraslide variation, linearity of signal and working range, sensitivity and
      application of internal calibrations for IgE and IgG4 were assessed. METHODS:
      Native and recombinant allergenic proteins from hen's egg and cow's milk were
      spotted on silicon chips coated with copoly(DMA-NAS-MAPS) along with known
      concentrations for human IgE and IgG4 . A serum pool and 105 patient samples were
      assessed quantitatively and semi-quantitatively with the ImmunoCAP and ImmunoCAP
      ISAC and correlated with IgE- and IgG4 -specific fluorescence on silicon
      microarrays. RESULTS: Allergen-specific IgE and IgG4 were detected in parallel
      using two fluorescent dyes with no crosstalk. Results from the ImmunoCAP
      correlated better with microarray fluorescence than with ImmunoCAP ISAC except
      for the allergen ovomucoid. The working range of the silicon microarray for total
      hen's egg-specific IgE was comparable to the range of 0.1 to >100 kUA /L of the
      ImmunoCAP system, whereas for total cow's milk, the silicon microarray was less
      sensitive. Detectable allergen-specific IgG4 could be determined only for low
      concentrations, but still correlated positively with ImmunoCAP results.
      CONCLUSIONS: We confirmed the ability of the polymer coated silicon microarray to
      be comparably sensitive to the ImmunoCAP ISAC for various food allergens. This
      suggests that the copoly(DMA-NAS-MAPS) microarray is a low-cost, self-producible
      alternative to the commercial ImmunoCAP ISAC in allergy research.

PMID- 28346706
TI  - Tooth loss in generalized aggressive periodontitis: Prognostic factors after 17
      years of supportive periodontal treatment.
AB  - AIM: This retrospective longitudinal study assessed the risk of and prognostic
      factors for tooth loss in patients with generalized aggressive periodontitis
      (GAgP) after periodontal treatment in a university setting. METHODS: Fifty-seven
      patients (1,505 teeth) were examined before (T0) and after active periodontal
      therapy (APT, T1) as well as after 17.4 +/- 4.8 [range: 9-28] years of supportive
      periodontal therapy (SPT, T2). Descriptive statistics and a Cox-proportional
      hazards shared-frailty model were applied. RESULTS: Overall, 98 and 134 teeth
      were lost during APT and SPT, respectively, with 0.14 +/- 0.18 teeth being lost
      per patient and year. During SPT, three patients (5%) lost >=10 teeth, 14 (25%)
      lost 4-9 teeth, 40 lost 0-3 (70%) teeth, respectively. One-third (n = 19) of all
      patients lost no teeth. Mean PPD of the teeth surviving SPT was stable from T1
      (3.5 +/- 1.1 mm) to T2 (3.4 +/- 1.1 mm). Nearly, 84% of all survived teeth showed
      stable or improved bone level at T2. Risk of tooth loss was significantly
      increased in active smokers (HR[95% CI]: 4.94[1.91/12.75]), the upper dental arch
      (1.94[1,16/3.25]), with each mm of residual PPD (1.41[1.29/1.53]), teeth with
      furcation involvement (FI) (HR 4.00-4.44 for different degrees) and mobility
      (5.39 [2.06/14.1] for degree III). CONCLUSION: Within the provided conservative
      treatment regimen, GAgP patients lost only few teeth.

PMID- 28346707
TI  - Periurethral muscle-derived mononuclear cell injection improves urethral
      sphincter restoration in rats.
AB  - AIMS: Investigate the effect of a novel cell-based therapy with skeletal muscle
      derived mononuclear cells (SMDMCs) in a rat model of stress urinary incontinence.
      METHODS: Male Wistar-Kyoto rats' hind limb muscles were enzymatically
      dissociated, and SMDMCs were isolated without needing expansion. The cell
      population was characterized. Twenty female rats underwent urethrolysis. One week
      later, 10 rats received periurethral injection of 106 cells (SMDMC group), and 10
      rats received saline injections (Saline group). Ten rats underwent sham surgery
      (Sham group). Four weeks after injection, animals were euthanized and the urethra
      was removed. The incorporation of SMDMCs in the female urethra was evaluated with
      fluorescence in situ hybridization for the detection of Y-chromosomes.
      Hematoxylin and eosin, Masson's trichrome staining, and immunohistochemistry for
      actin and myosin were performed. The muscle/connective tissue, actin and myosin
      ratios were calculated. Morphological evaluation of the urethral diameters and
      fractional areas of the lumen, mucosa, and muscular layer was performed. RESULTS:
      SMDMCs population was consistent with the presence of muscle cells, muscle
      satellite cells, perivascular cells, muscle progenitor cells, and endothelial
      cells. SMDMCs were incorporated into the urethra. A significant decrease in the
      muscle/connective tissue ratio was observed in the Saline group compared with the
      SMDMC and Sham groups. The proportions of actin and myosin were significantly
      decreased in the Saline group. No differences were observed in the morphometric
      parameters. CONCLUSIONS: SDMSC were incorporated into the rat urethra and
      promoted histological recovery of the damaged urethral sphincter, resulting in
      decreased connective tissue deposition and increased muscle content.

PMID- 28346708
TI  - High-resolution isotopic monitoring of cave air CO2.
AB  - RATIONALE: CO2 is the main driver of many chemical processes in cave
      environments. Understanding CO2 fluxes in a given cave system through monitoring
      campaigns has become a standard procedure in a wide variety of fields such as
      paleoclimatology or show cave management. However, conventional methods lack the
      resolution of isotopic data to capture many transient processes occurring in
      caves. METHODS: A novel approach using isotope ratio infrared spectrometry (IRIS)
      to monitor cave air pCO2 , delta13 C and delta18 O values in situ was tested and
      compared with conventional monitoring methods (handheld pCO2 meter and discrete
      cave air samples for conventional isotope ratio mass spectrometry). This also
      involved the development of a field-deployable experimental setup to operate the
      equipment in rough cave environments. RESULTS: Comparison between data obtained
      by means of a Thermo Fisher Scientific Delta Ray IRIS instrument shows overall
      good agreement with conventional monitoring methods in terms of pCO2 and delta13
      C values. In addition, IRIS allows the delta18 O values of cave air CO2 to be
      measured. CONCLUSIONS: IRIS allows identification and tracking of processes at
      various timescales ranging from transient visitor impact on the cave atmosphere
      to seasonal trends in cave ventilation. However, the need for an uninterrupted
      power supply (110/220 V AC) and the relatively large dimensions of the equipment
      (698 * 1092 * 704 mm, 80 kg) limit the number of caves where deployment of the
      instrument is feasible. Copyright (c) 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

PMID- 28346709
TI  - Synthetic beta-nitrostyrene derivative CYT-Rx20 as inhibitor of oral cancer cell
      proliferation and tumor growth through glutathione suppression and reactive
      oxygen species induction.
AB  - BACKGROUND: The beta-nitrostyrene family possesses anticancer properties. In this
      study, beta-nitrostyrene derivative CYT-Rx20 (3'-hydroxy-4'-methoxy-beta-methyl
      beta-nitrostyrene) was synthesized and investigated its anticancer activity in
      oral cancer. METHODS: Anticancer activity of CYT-Rx20 and the underlying
      mechanisms were analyzed using cell viability assay, reactive oxygen species
      (ROS) generation assay, fluorescence-activated cell sorter analysis, annexin V
      staining, comet assay, glutathione (GSH)/glutathione disulfide (GSSG) ratio,
      immunoblotting, soft agar assay, nude mice xenograft study, and
      immunohistochemistry. RESULTS: CYT-Rx20-induced cell apoptosis via ROS generation
      and mitochondrial membrane potential reduction, associated with release of
      mitochondrial cytochrome C to cytosol and activation of downstream caspases and
      poly ADP-ribose polymerase (PARP). Furthermore, CYT-Rx20 induced mitochondrial
      ROS accumulation and mitochondrial dysfunction, followed by GSH downregulation.
      CYT-Rx20-induced cell apoptosis, ROS generation, and DNA damage were reversed by
      thiol antioxidants. In nude mice, CYT-Rx20 inhibited oral tumor growth
      accompanied by increased expression of gammaH2AX, GSH reductase, and cleaved
      caspase-3. CONCLUSION: CYT-Rx20 has the potential to be further developed into an
      antioral cancer drug clinically. (c) 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Head Neck 39:
      1055-1064, 2017.

PMID- 28346711
TI  - Comment on the IUGA/ICS joint report on the terminology for the conservative and
      nonpharmacological management of female pelvic floor dysfunction.

PMID- 28346710
TI  - The Arabidopsis thiamin-deficient mutant pale green1 lacks thiamin monophosphate
      phosphatase of the vitamin B1 biosynthesis pathway.
AB  - Thiamin diphosphate (TPP, vitamin B1 ) is an essential coenzyme present in all
      organisms. Animals obtain TPP from their diets, but plants synthesize TPPde novo.
      We isolated and characterized an Arabidopsis pale green1 (pale1) mutant that
      contained higher concentrations of thiamin monophosphate (TMP) and less thiamin
      and TPP than the wild type. Supplementation with thiamin, but not the thiazole
      and pyrimidine precursors, rescued the mutant phenotype, indicating that the
      pale1 mutant is a thiamin-deficient mutant. Map-based cloning and whole-genome
      sequencing revealed that the pale1 mutant has a mutation in At5g32470 encoding a
      TMP phosphatase of the TPP biosynthesis pathway. We further confirmed that the
      mutation of At5g32470 is responsible for the mutant phenotypes by complementing
      the pale1 mutant with constructs overexpressing full-length At5g32470. Most plant
      TPP biosynthetic enzymes are located in the chloroplasts and cytosol, but
      At5g32470-GFP localized to the mitochondrion of the root, hypocotyl, mesophyll
      and guard cells of the 35S:At5g32470-GFP complemented plants. The subcellular
      localization of a functional TMP phosphatase suggests that the complete vitamin
      B1 biosynthesis pathway may involve the chloroplasts, mitochondria and cytosol in
      plants. Analysis of PALE1 promoter-uidA activity revealed that PALE1 is mainly
      expressed in vascular tissues of Arabidopsis seedlings. Quantitative RT-PCR
      analysis of TPP biosynthesis genes and genes encoding the TPP-dependent enzymes
      pyruvate dehydrogenase, alpha-ketoglutarate dehydrogenase and transketolase
      revealed that the transcript levels of these genes were upregulated in the pale1
      mutant. These results suggest that endogenous levels of TPP may affect the
      expression of genes involved in TPP biosynthesis and TPP-dependent enzymes.

PMID- 28346712
TI  - Comparison of three methods to analyze detrusor contraction during micturition in
      men over 50 years of age.
AB  - AIMS: To grade detrusor voiding contraction three parameters are used: the
      Schafer pressure-flow nomogram (LinPURR), the bladder contractility index (BCI)
      and the maximum Watt factor (Wmax ). Because these methods to quantify detrusor
      contraction and/or to diagnose detrusor underactivity (DU) have not yet been
      mutually compared, this study compares these three methods of grading detrusor
      contraction. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Evaluated were 1420 urodynamic pressure-flow
      studies from 1222 men (aged >50 years) with lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS).
      Excluded were patients with abnormal urinalysis, neurological disorders, surgical
      correction of congenital anomalies, pelvic surgery, post radical prostatectomy,
      or with evidence of urethral stricture. Contractility was graded with the
      LinPURR, the BCI, and Wmax, making a distinction between "strong," "normal,"
      "weak," and "very weak" contractility. We calculated agreement between LinPURR
      and both BCI and Wmax . RESULTS: The contractility groups LinPURR and BCI, as
      well as LinPURR and Wmax , showed a high agreement of 97.5% and 80.9%,
      respectively. CONCLUSION: This study demonstrates a significant correlation in
      grading detrusor contractility when comparing LinPURR with the BCI (97.5%
      agreement) and the Wmax (80.9% agreement). The LinPURR is plausible, and
      applicable in clinical practice and BCI is (intrinsically) well associating with
      the LinPURR classes, on a more continuous scale. Both are relevant to define
      clinically relevant patients groups.

PMID- 28346713
TI  - Re: Sheng W, Zhang H, Kirschner-Hermanns R. Could urinary nerve growth factor be
      a biomarker for overactive bladder? A meta-analysis. Neurourol Urodyn.
      2017;9999:1-8. doi: 10.1002/nau.23210.
AB  - Sheng et al (Neurourology and Urodynamics 2017; DOI: 10.1002/nau.23210) presented
      a meta-analysis based on 17 publications to show that urinary nerve growth factor
      (NGF) may be a useful biomarker for overactive bladder syndrome (OAB).
      Unfortunately, 13 of the 17 studies used an unspecifc enzyme-linked immunosorbent
      assay (ELISA), the Promega NGF Emax Immunoassay, to quantify NGF in urine. This
      assay did not detect NGF in urine, but other urinary components, such as
      immunoglobulin G, and in 2014, it was withdrawn from the market. With other NGF
      ELISAs, urinary NGF concentrations were found to be below detection level for
      both, OAB and healthy controls. Currently, ELISA techniques are not sensitive
      enough to detect NGF in urine, and urinary NGF cannot be used as a biomarker for
      OAB.

PMID- 28346715
TI  - Cabergoline-related impulse control disorder in an adolescent with a giant
      prolactinoma.

PMID- 28346714
TI  - Discrepant serological assays for Pneumococcus in renal transplant recipients - a
      prospective study.
AB  - Vaccine immunoprotection for Streptococcus pneumoniae is mediated by opsonizing
      antibodies targeting serotype-specific capsular polysaccharides. Quantitative
      antibody levels enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and antibody-mediated
      opsonophagocytic assays (OPA) measure vaccine-induced protection; correlation of
      these assays in transplantation requires investigation. This study examines the
      laboratory assessment of antibody titers in vaccinated renal recipients.
      Streptococcus pneumoniae 19A is common in immunocompromised hosts and is
      represented in protein-conjugate vaccines (PCV) and polysaccharide vaccines
      (PSV). Antibodies to 19A in serial sera from 30 vaccinated renal transplant
      recipients were compared using ELISA and OPA assays. Subject titers were
      classified as protected or not by ELISA (>0.35 MUg/ml) and OPA titer (>1:8).
      Antibody titers analyzed using McNemar's test indicate that protection measured
      by the two assays are not the same (P = 0.0078); simple linear regression of
      within-subject geometric means of 19A enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA)
      antibody levels versus 19A opsonophagocytic assays (OPA) titers demonstrates
      significant correlation between the two assays (P < 0.001). Vaccination is
      increasingly important given increasing antimicrobial resistance worldwide. OPA
      and ELISA antibody assays do not correlate well using current values for
      protective immunity against the Pneumococcus in immunosuppressed transplant
      recipients. Future studies of vaccination in transplant recipients should
      evaluate protective antibody levels using both functional antibody assays and
      standard ELISA antibody titers. (ClinicalTrials.gov: NCT00307125).

PMID- 28346716
TI  - Vinylpyridines as Building Blocks for the Photocatalyzed Synthesis of
      Alkylpyridines.
AB  - The photocatalyzed addition of several hydrogen donors (ethers, aldehydes,
      alkanes, amides) onto vinylpyridines was achieved. This approach provided access
      to alkylpyridines, which are important building blocks for the preparation of
      compounds with biological activity. The strategy was very simple and
      straightforward because it required only a small amount of a cheap decatungstate
      salt as photocatalyst. As an added advantage, the reaction could be performed
      under sunlight irradiation as well as under flow conditions.

PMID- 28346717
TI  - Characterization of two novel antimicrobial peptides from the cuticular extracts
      of the ant Trichomyrmex criniceps (Mayr), (Hymenoptera: Formicidae).
AB  - Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) from cuticular extracts of worker ants of
      Trichomyrmex criniceps (Mayr, Hymenoptera: Formicidae) were isolated and
      evaluated for their antimicrobial activity. Eight peptides ranging in mass from
      804.42 to 1541.04 Da were characterized using a combination of analytical and
      bioinformatics approach. All the eight peptides were novel with no similarity to
      any of the AMPs archived in the Antimicrobial Peptide Database. Two of the eight
      novel peptides, the smallest and the largest by mass were named Crinicepsin-1 and
      Crinicepsin-2 and were chemically synthesized by solid phase peptide synthesis.
      The two synthetic peptides had antibacterial and weak hemolytic activity.

PMID- 28346718
TI  - Modulation of the rat micturition reflex with transcutaneous ultrasound.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: Low intensity focused ultrasound has recently been identified as a
      novel method of stimulating targeted neurons. We hypothesized that ultrasound
      stimulation of the posterior tibial nerve would inhibit bladder contractions in
      an established rat model of rhythmic bladder contractions. METHODS: Cyclical
      detrusor contractions were initiated by placing a transurethral catheter in
      female rats and infusing saline into the bladder. Transcutaneous ultrasound
      pulses were then delivered to the lower extremity of a rat (overlying the
      posterior tibial nerve) using a single element spherically focused 250 kHz
      transducer. Sixty-three cycles were repeated at 2 kHz for 300 ms at peak negative
      pressure of 900 kPa pulsed at 0.5 Hz. RESULTS: We report successful suppression
      of bladder contractions using ultrasound stimulation in 10 animals. The average
      latency between the initiation of ultrasound and suppression of bladder
      contractions was 3 min 23 s (+/-51 s), the average time of contraction
      suppression was 13 min and 50 s (+/-2 min 25 s) and the average time from the end
      of ultrasound to return of contractions was 9 min 37 s (+/-2 min and 30 s).
      CONCLUSION: In this work, we demonstrate the ability of targeted transcutaneous
      ultrasound to inhibit rhythmic bladder contractions in anesthetized rats. Due to
      its non-invasive nature and ease of application, we believe ultrasound mediated
      suppression of the micturition reflex is potentially an ideal outpatient
      treatment of overactive bladder and dysfunctional elimination.

PMID- 28346719
TI  - Reduced Th22 cell proportion and prevention of atopic dermatitis in infants
      following maternal probiotic supplementation.
AB  - BACKGROUND: In the randomized, controlled study Probiotics in the Prevention of
      Allergy among Children in Trondheim (ProPACT), maternal probiotic supplementation
      reduced the incidence of atopic dermatitis (AD) in the offspring. In the current
      study, we hypothesized that the effect was mediated by a shift in the T helper
      (Th) cells in the children. OBJECTIVE: To examine whether Th cell proportions
      were affected by maternal probiotic supplementation and thus could mediate the
      preventive effect of probiotics on AD. METHODS: A total of 415 pregnant women
      were randomized to ingest a combination of Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG (LGG),
      Bifidobacterium animalis subsp. lactis Bb-12 (Bb-12) and Lactobacillus
      acidophilus La-5 (La-5) or placebo, and their offspring were assessed for AD
      during the first 2 years of life. Peripheral blood collected at 3 months of age
      was analysed for regulatory T cells (n=140) and Th subsets (n=77) including Th1,
      Th2, Th9, Th17 and Th22. RESULTS: The proportion of Th22 cells was reduced in
      children in the probiotic group compared to the placebo group (median 0.038% vs
      0.064%, P=.009). The difference between the probiotic and placebo groups was also
      observed in the children who did not develop AD during the 2-year follow-up. The
      proportion of Th22 cells was increased in children who developed AD compared to
      the children who did not develop AD (0.090% vs 0.044%, P<.001). Mediation
      analysis indicated that the preventive effect of probiotics was partially
      mediated through the reduction in Th22 cells. CONCLUSION: Perinatal maternal
      probiotic supplementation with a combination of LGG, Bb-12 and La-5 reduced the
      proportion of Th22 cells in 3-month-old children. This may partially explain the
      preventive effect of probiotics on AD.

PMID- 28346720
TI  - Videourodynamic analysis of the urethral sphincter overactivity and the poor
      relaxing pelvic floor muscles in women with voiding dysfunction.
AB  - AIMS: Voiding dysfunction due to dysfunctional voiding (DV) and poor relaxation
      of the external sphincter (PRES) are commonly found among adult women with lower
      urinary tract symptoms (LUTS) during videourodynamic study (VUDS). This study
      analyzed the VUDS characteristics of DV and PRES in female voiding dysfunction.
      METHODS: This retrospective study involved 1914 women aged >18 years with
      refractory LUTS. The medical records and the VUDS parameters were reviewed.
      Patients diagnosed with DV and PRES participated in the study. The VUDS
      characteristics and urethral sphincter activities were compared with those of
      urodynamically normal women. RESULTS: Of the 1914 women, 325 (17.0%) and 336
      (17.6%) were diagnosed with DV and PRES, respectively. Detrusor overactivity (DO)
      occurred in 60% of the women with DV and in 5.7% of the women with PRES. Patients
      with DV had significantly increased bladder sensation, lower cystometric bladder
      capacity (CBC), lower bladder compliance, higher voiding detrusor pressure,
      smaller voided volume (VV), larger post-void residual volume (PVR), lower voiding
      efficiency (VE), and higher bladder outlet obstruction index (BOOI) than the
      women with PRES and the control individuals. Patients with PRES had significantly
      increased bladder sensation, lower CBC, lower maximum flow rate, smaller VV,
      larger PVR, and lower VE than the control individuals. CONCLUSIONS: DV and PRES
      were highly prevalent among the adult women with voiding dysfunction. Patients
      with DV had VUDS characteristics of BOO and urodynamic DO. The clinical symptoms
      of PRES were similar to those of DV, but the patients had low detrusor
      contractility and low DO rates.

PMID- 28346721
TI  - Dynamic lumbopelvic stabilization for treatment of stress urinary incontinence in
      women: Controlled and randomized clinical trial.
AB  - OBJECTIVES: To compare the results of the dynamic lumbopelvic stabilization (DLS)
      exercises with exercises for the pelvic floor muscles (PFM) in women with stress
      urinary incontinence. METHODS: Randomized controlled clinical trial comparing 17
      women submitted to the DLS with 16 women submitted to the exercises for the PFM.
      The evaluated outcomes were incontinence severity, quality of life (QoL), and
      impression of improvement in three moments. Significance was set at 5%. RESULTS:
      For socio-demographic and clinical variables, only climacteric was more prevalent
      in the DLS group (82% vs. 44%, P = 0.02). Soon after the intervention, there was
      no difference between the groups in relation to the outcomes evaluated. In the
      evaluation after 90 days, the DLS group presented better values for the severity
      of the losses (4.1 +/- 2.6 vs. 5.7 +/- 2.4, P = 0.006, d = 0.64), daytime
      frequency (4.6 +/- 0.4 vs. 6.2 +/- 0.6, P < 0.001, d = 2.67), and nighttime
      frequency (0.4 +/- 0.3 vs. 1.4 +/- 0.5, P < 0.001, d = 2.50), QoL and impression
      of improvement (P < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: After treatment, the DLS plus PFM
      exercise patients had results similar to those performing PFM exercises alone.
      However, the DLS plus PFM exercises were superior in the outcomes of incontinence
      severity, QoL, and impression of improvement in the post-90-day evaluation,
      showing longer lasting effect.

PMID- 28346722
TI  - A Simple Tetraminocalix[4]arene as a Highly Efficient Catalyst under "On-Water"
      Conditions through Hydrophobic Amplification of Weak Hydrogen Bonds.
AB  - The simple tetraminocalix[4]arene 1, which contains weak H-bond-donor NH2 groups,
      is reported to be a highly efficient organocatalyst for the Vinylogous Mukaiyama
      Aldol Reaction (VMAR) of 2-(trimethylsilyloxy)furan 5 with alpha-ketoesters 6 a-l
      under "on-water" conditions owing to the hydrophobic amplification of weak H-bond
      interactions. The catalytic efficiency of calixarene catalyst 1 was shown to be
      closely related to its recognition abilities towards the reactants 5 and 6
      through a multipoint recognition model. The proposed model provided good
      explanations for the differences on the reaction rate acceleration and on the
      stereoselectivity observed with different substrates.

PMID- 28346723
TI  - A systematic review of genetic syndromes with obesity.
AB  - Syndromic monogenic obesity typically follows Mendelian patterns of inheritance
      and involves the co-presentation of other characteristics, such as mental
      retardation, dysmorphic features and organ-specific abnormalities. Previous
      reviews on obesity have reported 20 to 30 syndromes but no systematic review has
      yet been conducted on syndromic obesity. We searched seven databases using terms
      such as 'obesity', 'syndrome' and 'gene' to conduct a systematic review of
      literature on syndromic obesity. Our literature search identified 13,719
      references. After abstract and full-text review, 119 relevant papers were
      eligible, and 42 papers were identified through additional searches. Our analysis
      of these 161 papers found that 79 obesity syndromes have been reported in
      literature. Of the 79 syndromes, 19 have been fully genetically elucidated, 11
      have been partially elucidated, 27 have been mapped to a chromosomal region and
      for the remaining 22, neither the gene(s) nor the chromosomal location(s) have
      yet been identified. Interestingly, 54.4% of the syndromes have not been assigned
      a name, whereas 13.9% have more than one name. We report on organizational
      inconsistencies (e.g. naming discrepancies and syndrome classification) and
      provide suggestions for improvements. Overall, this review illustrates the need
      for increased clinical and genetic research on syndromes with obesity.

PMID- 28346724
TI  - Acclimation of bloom-forming and perennial seaweeds to elevated pCO2 conserved
      across levels of environmental complexity.
AB  - Macroalgae contribute approximately 15% of the primary productivity in coastal
      marine ecosystems, fix up to 27.4 Tg of carbon per year, and provide important
      structural components for life in coastal waters. Despite this ecological and
      commercial importance, direct measurements and comparisons of the short-term
      responses to elevated pCO2 in seaweeds with different life-history strategies are
      scarce. Here, we cultured several seaweed species (bloom forming/nonbloom
      forming/perennial/annual) in the laboratory, in tanks in an indoor mesocosm
      facility, and in coastal mesocosms under pCO2 levels ranging from 400 to 2,000
      MUatm. We find that, across all scales of the experimental setup, ephemeral
      species of the genus Ulva increase their photosynthesis and growth rates in
      response to elevated pCO2 the most, whereas longer-lived perennial species show a
      smaller increase or a decrease. These differences in short-term growth and
      photosynthesis rates are likely to give bloom-forming green seaweeds a
      competitive advantage in mixed communities, and our results thus suggest that
      coastal seaweed assemblages in eutrophic waters may undergo an initial shift
      toward communities dominated by bloom-forming, short-lived seaweeds.

PMID- 28346726
TI  - Predictive value of p63, ki-67, and survivin expression in oral leukoplakia: A
      tissue microarray study.
AB  - The aim of this study was to analyze the immunohistochemical expression of
      survivin, ki-67, and p63 in oral leukoplakic lesions, histopathologically
      differentiated into dysplastic and nondysplastic. A tissue microarray containing
      57 samples of biopsies from clinically classified lesions, such as leukoplakia,
      was immunolabeled for survivin, ki-67, and p63. Samples were scored for
      percentage of positively stained. Scores were designated as follows: low = less
      than 25% of positive cells; and high = more than 25% of positive cells. On
      performing histopathological diagnosis, 20 dysplastic lesions and 37
      nondysplastic lesions were seen, in which female patients (56.1%) were
      predominant with an average age of 58.27 years. The study showed a high
      expression of 37.5% for survivin, 43.7% for ki-67, and 88.2% for p63 in
      dysplastic lesions. However, there was a high expression of 16.7% for survivin,
      16.7% for ki-67, and 92% for p63 in nondysplastic lesions. There is a positive
      correlation of expression among the three antibodies. In the association of
      immunoreactivity, in both dysplastic and nondysplastic lesions, increased
      expression of survivin reflects on the increased expression of ki-67, and there
      is an overexpression of p63. In leukoplakia, the expression of survivin
      associated with that of ki-67 reinforces the assumption that all these lesions
      are potentially malignant, regardless of histopathology; and the overexpression
      of p63 may indicate carcinogenic potential. These findings may help in the
      treatment of patients with this type of lesion.

PMID- 28346727
TI  - Sulforaphene enhances radiosensitivity of hepatocellular carcinoma through
      suppression of the NF-kappaB pathway.
AB  - Sulforaphene (SFE), a naturally occurring isothiocyanate found in cruciferous
      vegetables, has attracted increasing attention for its anti-cancer effect in many
      cancers, including hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). However, the precise role of
      SFE in the radiosensitivity of HCC is still unclear. Here, cell proliferation and
      apoptosis were detected by MTT and flow cytometry assay, respectively. The
      activity of NF-kappaB was further evaluated by ELISA. We also observed the effect
      of SFE and/or radiation on tumor growth. The results showed that SFE inhibited
      cell proliferation and induced apoptosis in HCC cells. Radiation increased NF-kB
      activity, while PDTC, a NF-kB inhibitor, enhanced radiation-induced cell death.
      SFE inhibited NF-kB activity and the downstream gene expressions of the NF-kB
      pathway in HCC cells. Moreover, SFE enhanced the inhibitory effect of radiation
      on tumor growth both in vitro and in vivo. This study indicated that SFE
      sensitized the radiosensitivity of HCC by blocking the NF-kB pathway.

PMID- 28346728
TI  - NUBPL, a novel metastasis-related gene, promotes colorectal carcinoma cell
      motility by inducing epithelial-mesenchymal transition.
AB  - Nucleotide binding protein-like, NUBPL, is an assembly factor for human
      mitochondrial complex I, which is the biggest member of the mitochondrial
      respiratory chain. However, the relationship between NUBPL and carcinoma
      progression remains unknown. In this study, NUBPL was characterized for its role
      in colorectal cancer (CRC) and the underlying molecular mechanisms. Data (n =
      197) from the Oncomine database revealed that mRNA levels of NUBPL were
      remarkably overexpressed in CRC tissues compared with normal tissues. In
      addition, immunohistochemical analysis of 75 pairs of CRC and non-tumor tissues
      showed that the expression level of NUBPL was significantly higher in CRC
      tissues, and its expression level was positively associated with lymph node
      metastasis (P = 0.028) and advanced staging (P = 0.030). Expression of NUBPL in
      metastatic lymph nodes of CRC patients was also detected by immunohistochemical
      staining and high expression levels of NUBPL were observed. Overexpression of
      NUBPL significantly promoted the migration and invasion ability of CRC cell lines
      SW480 and SW620, whereas knockdown of NUBPL lead to an opposite effect. Our
      further study found that NUBPL could induce epithelial-mesenchymal transition
      (EMT), characterized by downregulation of epithelial markers (E-cadherin) and
      upregulation of mesenchymal markers (N-cadherin and vimentin). Moreover, NUBPL
      was able to activate ERK, which is believed to promote EMT and tumor metastasis.
      Inhibition of ERK suppressed the NUBPL-induced changes in EMT and cell motility.
      These data showed that NUBPL plays a vital role in CRC migration and invasion by
      inducing EMT and activating ERK. It might be a novel therapeutic target for CRC.

PMID- 28346729
TI  - Comparison of the safety of electrotome, Harmonic scalpel, and LigaSure for
      management of thyroid surgery.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Energy-based surgical devices, including electrotome, the Harmonic
      scalpel, and LigaSure, have been widely applied in thyroid surgery, although a
      comparison of their safety and efficacy has not been reported yet. In this study,
      we investigated the feasibility of using hemostatic energy-based surgical devices
      during thyroid surgery in a canine model. METHODS: Twenty-four beagle dogs were
      randomly divided into the following groups: electrotome (30 kW), electrotome (15
      kW), the Harmonic scalpel (output level 3), and LigaSure (middle gear). The
      hemostatic devices were applied on the thyroid surface for 3 seconds and then
      near the recurrent laryngeal nerve (RLN; distance of 5 mm, 3 mm, or 1 mm) for 3
      seconds. Evoked electromyography (EMG) amplitudes were recorded by intraoperative
      neuromonitoring (IONM). Acute microstructural morphological damage to thyroid
      tissues and the RLN were evaluated immediately after the procedure by light and
      electron microscopy. RESULTS: Electrotome caused a significant decrease in evoked
      EMG amplitudes when applied at a vertical distance of 1 mm from the RLN, both at
      30 kW (1046 +/- 404.3 MUV vs 153 +/- 245.5 MUV; p < .001) and 15 kW (1197 +/-
      589.2 MUV vs 986.3 +/- 797.3 MUV; p = .037), compared with those evoked under
      normal conditions. Furthermore, distinct acute microstructural morphological
      changes of the RLNs were observed by light and electron microscopy. However, no
      significant functional or histological changes were induced by the electrotome at
      a vertical distance of 5 mm or 3 mm from the RLN. The Harmonic scalpel and
      LigaSure induced neither marked changes in evoked EMG amplitudes when applied at
      vertical distances of 5 mm, 3 mm, or 1 mm (all p > .05) nor microstructural
      morphological changes in the RLNs. The electrotome (15 kW) caused more serious
      thermal damage to thyroid tissues than that caused by either the Harmonic scalpel
      or LigaSure (thermal damaged depth: 0.951 +/- 0.061 vs 0.756 +/- 0.074, p < .001;
      0.951 +/- 0.061 vs 0.724 +/- 0.116, p < .001). Nevertheless, there were no
      differences between the Harmonic scalpel and LigaSure groups (p = .435).
      CONCLUSION: LigaSure and the Harmonic scalpel might be safer than electrotome
      when used in thyroid operations. LigaSure generates less heat than the Harmonic
      scalpel and electrotome. (c) 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Head Neck 39: 1078
      1085, 2017.

PMID- 28346730
TI  - Cheese supplemented with probiotics reduced the Candida levels in denture wearers
      RCT.
AB  - OBJECTIVES: The access to probiotics should be facilitated in order to encourage
      their usage. We evaluated the effect of consumption of two experimental probiotic
      containing cheeses on the oral colonization of Candida in denture wearers.
      METHODS: Sixty denture wearers harboring oral Candida were randomly allocated in
      groups who received cheese supplemented with Lactobacillus acidophilus NCFM (T1)
      or Lactobacillus rhamnosus Lr-32 (T2), daily for 8 weeks, and a control group (C)
      who received a control cheese. Oral samples were obtained through a mouthwash,
      and Candida levels were determined (CFU/mL) at baseline and after the 8-week
      experimental period. RESULTS: At baseline, the mean levels of Candida spp. (log
      CFU/mL) were similar among the groups. However, the mean levels of Candida were
      significantly reduced in groups T1 and T2 but not in C (Tukey, p<.05). The
      reduction in Candida oral levels occurred independently on the colonizing Candida
      species, participant age, and use of bi- or unimaxillary dentures. CONCLUSIONS:
      Daily consumption of cheese supplemented with probiotics, with either L.
      acidophilus NCFM or L. rhamnosus Lr-32, was able to reduce the colonization of
      oral Candida in complete denture wearers, suggesting its potential in reducing
      the risk of oral candidiasis in this highly susceptible population.

PMID- 28346731
TI  - Exploring the influence of MPA-capped CdTe quantum dots on the structure and
      function of lysozyme probing by spectroscopic and calorimetric methods.
AB  - The effect of 3-mercaptopropionic acid (MPA)-capped CdTe quantum dots (QDs) on
      lysozyme was systematically investigated by spectroscopic methods, enzyme
      activity assay, and calorimetry techniques. Results show that the MPA-capped CdTe
      QDs binded to lysozyme through van der Walls forces and hydrogen bondings,
      causing the decrement of alpha-helical content (~7%) and increment of beta-sheet
      content (~11%) of lysozyme. The binding caused static quenching of the
      fluorescence, while the microenvironment of aromatic amino acid residues did not
      show any significant alteration. The lysozyme activity was affected by the
      increasing exposure of QDs, it was inhibited to 53.77% under a 6 * 10-7  M
      exposure compared with the control group. This work will provide direct evidence
      about enzyme toxicity of QDs to lysozyme in vitro.

PMID- 28346732
TI  - Asiaticoside hinders the invasive growth of keloid fibroblasts through inhibition
      of the GDF-9/MAPK/Smad pathway.
AB  - Higher expression of growth differentiation factor-9 (GDF-9) in keloids compared
      with hypertrophic scars and normal skin tissues has been reported recently. The
      present study was performed to investigate the role of GDF-9 in keloid
      pathogenesis, and to elucidate its implication for asiaticoside in the keloid
      management. The data showed that GDF-9 could enhance the proliferation,
      migration, and invasion of keloid fibroblasts (KFs), while it only slightly
      elevated collagen expression, indicating that the effect of GDF-9 was opposite to
      that of TGF-beta1. The bioactivity difference between GDF-9 and TGF-beta1 could
      be explained by the different phosphorylated sites on the downstream Smad2/3.
      Moreover, asiaticoside could inhibit GDF-9-induced activation of MAPKs and Smad
      pathway in KFs. In conclusion, GDF-9 enhanced the invasive growth of KFs, which
      was achieved by phosphorylation of Smad 2/3 at the linker region through
      activation of MAPKs pathway. Asiaticoside hindered the invasive growth of KFs by
      inhibiting the GDF-9/MAPK/Smad pathway.

PMID- 28346733
TI  - The ontogeny and population variability of human hepatic dihydronicotinamide
      riboside:quinone oxidoreductase (NQO2).
AB  - Dihydronicotinamide riboside:quinone oxidoreductase (NQO2) is an enzyme that
      performs reduction reactions involved in antioxidant defense. We hypothesized
      that NQO2 hepatic drug clearance would develop in children over time, similar to
      NQO1. Using human liver cytosol (n = 117), the effects of age, sex, ethnicity,
      and weight on NQO2 expression and activity were probed. No significant
      correlations were observed. Biochemical activity of NQO2 was as high at birth as
      in adults (0.23 +/- 0.04 nmol/min/mg protein, mean +/- SEM, range 0-1.83). In
      contrast, modeled hepatic clearance through the NQO2 pathway was up to 10% of
      adult levels at birth, reaching predicted adult levels (0.3 +/- 0.03 L/h) at 14
      years of age. Comparisons between NQO1 and NQO2 in the same livers showed that
      neither protein (P = 0.32) nor activity (P = 0.23) correlated, confirming both
      orthologs are independently regulated. Because hepatic clearance through NQO2
      does not mature until teenage years, compounds detoxified by this enzyme may be
      more deleterious in children.

PMID- 28346734
TI  - When meta-analysis fails: A case about stomata.

PMID- 28346735
TI  - Carbenes as Electron-Pair Donors for P???C Pnicogen Bonds.
AB  - Ab initio MP2/aug'-cc-pVTZ calculations were performed on the P???C pnicogen
      bonded complexes of the singlet carbene molecules C(NH2 )2 , C(OH)2 , and cyclic
      C(OCH)2 [OHC] with H2 XP molecules, with X=F, Cl, NC, OH, CH3 , CN, CCH, and H.
      The H2 XP:C(NH2 )2 and H2 XP:C(OH)2 complexes have Cs symmetry and two different
      structures: one in which the symmetry plane of the complex and the local symmetry
      plane of the carbene are non-coplanar, and the other in which they are coplanar.
      The non-coplanar H2 XP:C(NH2 )2 and H2 XP:C(OH)2 complexes arise only when X is
      one of the more electronegative substituents. Coplanar H2 XP:C(NH2 )2 complexes
      form when X is one of the more electropositive substituents, whereas coplanar H2
      XP:C(OH)2 complexes exist for all X. H2 XP:C(NH2 )2 and H2 XP:C(OH)2 are
      stabilized by covalent P-C bonds or P???C pnicogen bonds, but co-planar H2 (CH3
      )P:C(OH)2 and H3 P:C(OH)2 are stabilized by O-H???P hydrogen bonds. The H2 XP:OHC
      complexes have non-coplanar structures that are also stabilized by P-C covalent
      bonds or pnicogen bonds. The H2 (CH3 )P:OHC and H3 P:OHC complexes in which the
      symmetry plane of the complex and the local symmetry plane of the carbene are
      perpendicular are stabilized by P???pi bonds with P acting as the electron-pair
      donor to the OHC pi system. The H2 XP:C(NH2 )2 , H2 XP:C(OH)2 , and H2 XP:OHC
      complexes are described in terms of their binding energies, charge-transfer
      energies, electron density properties, and equation-of-motion coupled cluster
      singles and doubles spin-spin coupling constants.

PMID- 28346736
TI  - Loss of predator species, not intermediate consumers, triggers rapid and dramatic
      extinction cascades.
AB  - Ecological networks are tightly interconnected, such that loss of a single
      species can trigger additional species extinctions. Theory predicts that such
      secondary extinctions are driven primarily by loss of species from intermediate
      or basal trophic levels. In contrast, most cases of secondary extinctions from
      natural systems have been attributed to loss of entire top trophic levels. Here,
      we show that loss of single predator species in isolation can, irrespective of
      their identity or the presence of other predators, trigger rapid secondary
      extinction cascades in natural communities far exceeding those generally
      predicted by theory. In contrast, we did not find any secondary extinctions
      caused by intermediate consumer loss. A food web model of our experimental system
      a marine rocky shore community-could reproduce these results only when
      biologically likely and plausible nontrophic interactions, based on competition
      for space and predator-avoidance behaviour, were included. These findings call
      for a reassessment of the scale and nature of extinction cascades, particularly
      the inclusion of nontrophic interactions, in forecasts of the future of
      biodiversity.

PMID- 28346738
TI  - Overlooked small apes need more attention!

PMID- 28346739
TI  - A Novel Approach to Limit Chemical Deterioration of Gilthead Sea Bream (Sparus
      aurata) Fillets: Coating with Electrospun Nanofibers as Characterized by
      Molecular, Thermal, and Microstructural Properties.
AB  - Coating of sea bream fillets with thymol loaded chitosan based electrospun
      nanofibers (TLCN) and chitosan based nanafibers (CN) has been presented a novel
      approach to delay chemical deterioration. We assessed CN and TLCN with respect of
      scanting of total volatile basic nitrogen (TVBN), trimethylamine (TMA),
      thiobarbituric acid (TBA) deterioration during cold storage condition.
      Electrospinning process was applied to obtain TLCN and CN. Both of nanofibers
      obtained from biopolymer and bioactive material were cylindrical, smooth,
      beadless. Thermal, molecular, zeta potential (ZP), and surface properties of the
      groups were investigated, revealing that CN indicated molecular interactions with
      thymol in nanofibers, reduce in physical properties of these structures, thermal
      decomposition (an alteration in mass of CN and TLCN at temperatures below 190 
      degrees C, corresponding to 20.53% and 19.97%, respectively) and also dispersion
      stabilities (zeta potential) of CN and TLCN were determined 33.68 +/- 3.35 and
      21.85 +/- 1.96 mV, respectively. TVBN and TMA stability analyses demonstrated
      that CN and TLCN were both effective in delaying chemical deterioration of fish
      fillets, furthermore TLCN was more effective against chemical deterioration. TBA
      analyses results of fish fillets indicated that CN and TLCN delayed rancidity in
      fish meat as compared to control group samples. The presented study results
      suggested that coating of the sea bream fillets with CN and TLCN would be a
      promising approach to delay the chemical deterioration of fish fillets.

PMID- 28346737
TI  - EASL and AASLD recommendations for the diagnosis of HCC to the test of daily
      practice.
AB  - AIMS: To evaluate the diagnostic performance of CT, MRI and CEUS alone and in
      combination, for the diagnosis of HCC between 10 and 30 mm, in a large population
      of cirrhotic patients. PATIENTS AND METHODS: In a multicentre prospective trial,
      442 patients have been enrolled. Within a month, CEUS, CT and MRI were performed
      for all patients. A composite algorithm was defined to obtain the more accurate
      gold standard. RESULTS: A total of 544 nodules in 381 patients have been retained
      for the performance analysis. Eighty-two percent of the patients were male, mean
      age was 62 years. For the 10-20 mm nodules (n=342), the sensitivity (Se) and
      specificity (Sp) for the diagnosis of HCC were, respectively, 70.6% and 83.2% for
      MRI, 67.9% and 76.8% for CT and 39.6% and 92.9% for CEUS. For the 20-30 mm
      nodules (n=202), the Se and Sp were, respectively, 72.3% and 89.4% for MRI, 71.6%
      and 93.6% for CT and 52.9% and 91.5% for CEUS. THE BEST COMBINATION FOR THE 10-20
      MM NODULES WAS MRI + CT (SE: 55.1%, SP: 100.0%).: After a first inconclusive
      technique, CEUS as second image technique allowed the highest specificity with
      only a slight drop of sensitivity for 10-20 mm nodules and the highest
      sensitivity and specificity for 20-30 mm nodules. CONCLUSION: This large
      multicentre study validates the EASL/AASLD recommendations in daily practice.
      Specificity using CT or MRI in 10-20 mm HCC was low, but we do not recommend
      combined imaging at first as sensitivity would be very low. The best sequential
      approach combined MRI and CEUS.

PMID- 28346740
TI  - Are Various sigma-Hole Bonds Steered by the Same Mechanisms?
AB  - Representative Lewis acid-Lewis base complexes linked by tetrel, pnicogen,
      chalcogen, and halogen bonds have been studied within the quantum theory of atoms
      in molecules (QTAIM) approach and the hybrid variation-perturbation theory (HVPT)
      to analyze possible relationships between these sigma-hole dimers. Results
      obtained at the MP2/aug-cc-pVTZ level indicate numerous correlations similar to
      hydrogen-bonded systems.

PMID- 28346741
TI  - Small Molecules Targeting Human N-Acetylmannosamine Kinase.
AB  - N-Acetylmannosamine kinase (MNK) plays a key role in the biosynthesis of sialic
      acids and glycosylation of proteins. Sialylated glycoconjugates affect a large
      number of biological processes, including immune modulation and cancer
      transformation. In search of effective inhibitors of MNK we applied high
      throughput screening of drug-like small molecules. By applying different
      orthogonal assays for their validation we identified four potential MNK-specific
      inhibitors with IC50 values in the low-micromolar range. Molecular modelling of
      the inhibitors into the active site of MNK supports their binding to the sugar or
      the ATP-binding pocket of the enzyme or both. These compounds are promising for
      downregulation of the sialic acid content of glycoconjugates and for studying the
      functional contribution of sialic acids to disease development.

PMID- 28346742
TI  - Economic and hydraulic divergences underpin ecological differentiation in the
      Bromeliaceae.
AB  - Leaf economic and hydraulic theories have rarely been applied to the ecological
      differentiation of speciose herbaceous plant radiations. The role of character
      trait divergences and network reorganization in the differentiation of the
      functional types in the megadiverse Neotropical Bromeliaceae was explored by
      quantifying a range of leaf economic and hydraulic traits in 50 diverse species.
      Functional types, which are defined by combinations of C3 or Crassulacean acid
      metabolism (CAM) photosynthesis, terrestrial or epiphytic habits, and non
      specialized, tank-forming or atmospheric morphologies, segregated clearly in
      trait space. Most classical leaf economic relationships were supported, but they
      were weakened by the presence of succulence. Functional types differed in trait
      network architecture, suggesting that rewiring of trait-networks caused by
      innovations in habit and photosynthetic pathway is an important aspect of
      ecological differentiation. The hydraulic data supported the coupling of leaf
      hydraulics and gas exchange, but not the hydraulic safety versus efficiency
      hypothesis, and hinted at an important role for the extra-xylary compartment in
      the control of bromeliad leaf hydraulics. Overall, our findings highlight the
      fundamental importance of structure-function relationships in the generation and
      maintenance of ecological diversity.

PMID- 28346743
TI  - Fabrication of a mechanically anisotropic poly(glycerol sebacate) membrane for
      tissue engineering.
AB  - Poly(glycerol sebacate) (PGS) has been used successfully as a scaffolding
      material for soft tissue engineering. PGS scaffolds, however, are usually
      mechanically isotropic, which may restrict their use in tissue repairs as many
      soft tissues in the body have anisotropic mechanical behaviors. Although various
      methods have been used to fabricate anisotropic scaffolds, it remains challenging
      to make anisotropic scaffolds from thermoset PGS. Here a new, simple method to
      fabricate an anisotropic PGS membrane which can then be used to construct thicker
      three-dimensional anisotropic scaffolds was developed. First, an aligned
      sacrificial poly(vinyl alcohol) fibrous membrane was prepared by electrospinning.
      The fibrous membrane was then partially immersed in PGS prepolymer solution,
      resulting in a composite membrane upon drying. After curing, the sacrificial
      fibers within the membrane were removed by water, supposedly leaving aligned
      cylindrical pores in the membrane. Both SEM and AFM illustrated aligned grooves
      on the surface of the resultant PGS membrane, indicating the successful removal
      of sacrificial fibers. The PGS membrane was validated to be mechanically
      anisotropic using uniaxial tensile testing along and perpendicular to the
      predominant pore direction. The in vitro cytocompatibility of the PGS membrane
      was confirmed. As a demonstration of its potential application in vascular tissue
      engineering, a tubular scaffold was constructed by wrapping a stack of two
      axisymmetric pieces of the anisotropic PGS membranes on a mandrel. The compliance
      of the scaffold was found to depend on the pitch angle of its double helical
      structure, imitating the anisotropic mechanical behavior of the arterial media.
      (c) 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Biomed Mater Res Part B: Appl Biomater, 106B:
      760-770, 2018.

PMID- 28346744
TI  - Radiopaque UHMWPE sublaminar cables for spinal deformity correction: Preclinical
      mechanical and radiopacifier leaching assessment.
AB  - Polymeric sublaminar cables have a number of advantages over metal cables in the
      field of spinal deformity surgery, with decreased risk of neurological injury and
      potential for higher correction forces as the two most predominant. However,
      currently available polymer cables are radiolucent, precluding postoperative
      radiological assessment of instrumentation stability and integrity. This study
      provides a preclinical assessment of a woven UHMWPE cable made with radiopaque
      UHMWPE fibers. Our primary goal was to determine if the addition of a
      radiopacifier negatively affects the mechanical properties of UHMWPE woven
      cables. Tensile mechanical properties were determined and compared to suitable
      controls. Radiopacity was evaluated and radiopacifier leaching was assessed in
      vitro and in vivo. Finally, in vivo bismuth organ content was quantified after a
      24-week implantation period in sheep. Results show that the mechanical properties
      of woven UHMWPE cables were not deleteriously affected by the addition of
      homogenously dispersed bismuth oxide particles within each fiber. Limited amounts
      of bismuth oxide were released in vitro, well below the toxicological threshold.
      Tissue concentrations lower than generally accepted therapeutic dosages for use
      against gastrointestinal disorders, well below toxic levels, were discovered in
      vivo. These results substantiate controlled clinical introduction of these
      radiopaque UHMWPE cables. (c) 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Biomed Mater Res
      Part B: Appl Biomater, 106B: 771-779, 2018.

PMID- 28346745
TI  - Emp10 encodes a mitochondrial PPR protein that affects the cis-splicing of nad2
      intron 1 and seed development in maize.
AB  - In higher plants, many mitochondrial genes contain group II-type introns that are
      removed from RNAs by splicing to produce mature transcripts that are then
      translated into functional proteins. However, the factors involved in the
      splicing of mitochondrial introns and their biological functions are not well
      understood in maize. Here, we isolated an empty pericarp 10 (emp10) mutant and
      identified the underlying gene by map-based cloning. Emp10 encodes a P-type
      mitochondria-targeted pentatricopeptide repeat (PPR) protein with 10 PPR motifs.
      Loss of Emp10 function results in splicing defect of the first intron of nad2, a
      gene encoding subunit 2 of NADH dehydrogenase (also called complex I). The emp10
      mutant has undetectable activity of complex I and has arrested development of
      embryo and endosperm, and thus defective seeds with empty pericarp. Additionally,
      the basal endosperm transfer layer cells were severely affected, indicating the
      deficiency of cell wall ingrowths in the emp10 kernels. Moreover, the alternative
      respiratory pathway involving alternative oxidase was significantly induced in
      the emp10 mutant. These results suggest that EMP10 is specifically required for
      the cis-splicing of mitochondrial nad2 intron 1, embryogenesis and endosperm
      development in maize.

PMID- 28346746
TI  - Simultaneous determination of 4-hydroxyphenyl lactic acid, 4-hydroxyphenyl acetic
      acid, and 3,4-hydroxyphenyl propionic acid in human urine by ultra-high
      performance liquid chromatography with fluorescence detection.
AB  - A simple and reliable method was established for simultaneous determination of 4
      hydroxyphenyl acetic acid, 4-hydroxyphenyl lactic acid, and 3,4-hydroxyphenyl
      propionic acid in human urine by high-performance liquid chromatography with
      fluorescence detection. Solid-phase extraction was used to eliminate the
      interferences in urine. The separation of three analytes was achieved using a C18
      column and a mobile phase formed by a 95:5 v/v mixture of 50 mmol/L ammonium
      acetate buffer at pH 6.8 that contained 5 mmol/L tetrabutyl ammonium bromide and
      acetonitrile. Under the optimized conditions, the detection limits of 4
      hydroxyphenyl acetic acid, 4-hydroxyphenyl lactic acid, and 3,4-hydroxyphenyl
      propionic acid were 4.8 * 10-3 , 8.80 * 10-3 , and 9.00 * 10-3 mg/L,
      respectively, and the recoveries were in the range of 85.0-120.0% with relative
      standard deviations of 1.5-3.1%. This method was used to analyze urine samples
      from breast cancer patients, healthy people and post-surgery breast cancer
      patients. Significant differences in urinary levels of 4-hydroxyphenyl acetic
      acid and 4-hydroxyphenyl lactic acid could be found between the breast cancer
      patients group and other two groups. No effect of age and sex was observed on the
      urinary levels of 4-hydroxyphenyl acetic acid and 4-hydroxyphenyl lactic acid.
      This method might be helpful for cancer biomarkers discovery in urine.

PMID- 28346747
TI  - Agreement between cytotechnologists and cytopathologists as a new measure of
      cytopathologist performance in gynecologic cytology.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Although objective measures of cytotechnologist (CT) and
      cytopathologist (CP) performance exist, challenges remain. Two assumptions
      deserve examination: CPs' interpretations are correct, and CTs and CPs render
      interpretations independently of each other. This study presents a CT-CP
      interpretation comparison and provides insight into these assumptions. METHODS:
      Every gynecologic cytology specimen examined by both a CT and a CP from December
      2004 to March 2015 was extracted from the laboratory information system;
      glandular interpretations were excluded. Excel and SAS were used for CT-CP pair
      analysis. CT-CP pairs with fewer than 32 specimens (the lowest quartile) were
      excluded. For the remaining CT-CP pairs, 30 specimens or 10% of the specimens
      (whichever was higher) were randomly selected for comparison by a weighted kappa
      statistic. kappa values greater than 0.6 represented good agreement within CT-CP
      pairs. RESULTS: This study evaluated 7116 of 53,241 gynecologic cytology
      specimens (13.4%) that received CT and CP interpretations. This resulted in 155
      pair-specific kappa values from 15 CTs and 16 CPs. In aggregate, the kappa values
      had a mean of 0.64, a standard deviation of 0.14, a median of 0.65, and a range
      of 0.27 to 0.91. Nine CTs exhibited good agreement in the majority of their pair
      specific kappa values with CPs (high-concordance CTs; 88 pair-specific kappa
      values). This allowed us to identify outlier CPs who did not demonstrate good
      agreement with high-concordance CTs (16 of 88 pair-specific kappa values
      [18.2%]). CONCLUSIONS: Laboratories can use this kappa to determine when CP
      levels of agreement with CTs depart from those of their peers. Adding this to
      established metrics can give a more nuanced impression of CP performance. Cancer
      Cytopathol 2017;125:576-80. (c) 2017 American Cancer Society.

PMID- 28346748
TI  - The Brain of the Giraffe (Giraffa Camelopardalis): Surface Configuration,
      Encephalization Quotient, and Analysis of the Existing Literature.
AB  - The anatomy of the giraffe (Giraffa camelopardalis Linnaeus, 1758) has been
      poorly studied, except for the circulatory system. In particular, only a handful
      of studies have concerned the brain of this species since the first description
      in 1839. Accordingly, only a very few articles discussing encephalization
      mentioned the giraffe or used it in their calculations. In this article, we
      performed a thorough examination of the literature including old and grey,
      regarding the central nervous system of the giraffe. Furthermore, we examined the
      brain of 3 giraffes, and calculated the encephalization quotient (EQ) of the
      species, based on our own data and the values found in the literature. We also
      revised the pre-existing literature and re-mapped the main sulci based on current
      comparative interpretation and anatomical nomenclature. Our results were compared
      to those of other selected significant mammals. The mean brain weight was of
      719.9 +/- 12.5 g. Our data indicate that the EQ of the giraffe is 0.64 and
      matches that of the typical ungulate, despite having the largest brain among
      terrestrial Cetartiodactyla. This emphasizes that the giraffe is a highly
      specialized mammal, within the limitations of its clad. Anat Rec, 300:1502-1511,
      2017. (c) 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

PMID- 28346750
TI  - Intuitive Understanding of sigma Delocalization in Loose and sigma Localization
      in Tight Helical Conformations of an Oligosilane Chain.
AB  - Conformational effects on the sigma-electron delocalization in oligosilanes are
      addressed by Hartree-Fock and time-dependent density functional theory
      calculations (B3LYP, 6-311G**) at MP2 optimized geometries of permethylated
      uniformly helical linear oligosilanes (all-omega-Sin R2n+2 ) up to n=16 and for
      backbone dihedral angles omega=55-180 degrees . The extent of sigma
      delocalization is judged by the partition ratio of the highest occupied molecular
      orbital and is reflected in the dependence of its shape and energy and of UV
      absorption spectra on n. The results agree with known spectra of all-transoid
      loose-helix conformers (all-[+/-165]-Sin Me2n+2 ) and reveal a transition at
      omega~90 degrees  from the "sigma-delocalized" limit at omega=180 degrees  toward
      and close to the physically non-realizable "sigma-localized" tight-helix limit
      omega=0 with entirely different properties. The distinction is also obtained in
      the Huckel Ladder H and C models of sigma delocalization. An easy intuitive way
      to understand the origin of the two contrasting limits is to first view the
      linear chain as two subchains with alternating primary and vicinal interactions
      (sigma hyperconjugation), one consisting of the odd and the other of the even
      sigma(SiSi) bonds, and then allow the two subchains to interact by geminal
      interactions (sigma conjugation).

PMID- 28346752
TI  - Atrophoderma of Pasini and Pierini in a blaschkoid pattern.

PMID- 28346751
TI  - d-Fructose Modification Enhanced Internalization of Mixed Micelles in Breast
      Cancer Cells via GLUT5 Transporters.
AB  - d-Fructose modified poly(epsilon-caprolactone)-polyethylene glycol (PCL-PEG-Fru)
      diblock amphiphile is synthesized via Cu(I)-catalyzed click chemistry, which self
      assembles with D-alpha-tocopheryl polyethylene glycol 1000 succinate (TPGS) into
      PCL-PEG-Fru/TPGS mixed micelles (PPF MM). It has been proven that glucose
      transporter (GLUT)5 is overexpressed in MCF-7 cells other than L929 cells. In
      this study, PPF MM exhibit a significantly higher uptake efficiency than fructose
      free PCL-PEG-N3 /TPGS mixed micelles in both 2D MCF-7 cells and 3D tumor
      spheroids. Also, the presence of free d-fructose competitively inhibits the
      internalization of PPF MM in MCF-7 cells other than L929 cells. PPF MM show
      selective tumor accumulation in MCF-7 breast tumor bearing mice xenografts. Taken
      together, PPF MM represent a promising nanoscale carrier system to achieve GLUT5
      mediated cell specific delivery in cancer therapy.

PMID- 28346753
TI  - Association between diabetes mellitus/hyperglycaemia and peri-implant diseases:
      Systematic review and meta-analysis.
AB  - AIM: This systematic review investigates whether hyperglycaemia/diabetes mellitus
      is associated with peri-implant diseases (peri-implant mucositis and peri
      implantitis). MATERIALS AND METHODS: Electronic and manual literature searching
      was conducted. An a priori case definition for peri-implantitis was used as an
      inclusion criterion to minimize risk of bias. The Newcastle-Ottawa Scale was used
      for quality assessment; random effect models were applied; and results were
      reported according to the PRISMA Statement. RESULTS: Twelve studies were eligible
      for qualitative and seven of them for quantitative analyses. Meta-analyses
      detected the risk of peri-implantitis was about 50% higher in diabetes than in
      non-diabetes (RR = 1.46; 95% CI: 1.21-1.77 and OR = 1.89; 95% CI: 1.31-2.46; z =
      5.98; p < .001). Importantly, among non-smokers, those with hyperglycaemia had
      3.39-fold higher risk for peri-implantitis compared with normoglycaemia (95% CI:
      1.06-10.81). Conversely, the association between diabetes and peri-implant
      mucositis was not statistically significant (RR = 0.92; 95% CI: 0.72-1.16 and OR
      = 1.06; 95% CI: 0.84-1.27; z = 1.06, p = .29). CONCLUSIONS: Within its limits
      that demand great caution when interpreting its findings, this systematic review
      suggests that diabetes mellitus/hyperglycaemia is associated with greater risk of
      peri-implantitis, independently of smoking, but not with peri-implant mucositis.

PMID- 28346754
TI  - Commentary: What makes a life go well? Moral functioning and quality of life
      measurement in neurodevelopmental disorders - reflections on Jonsson et al.
      (2017).
AB  - Jonsson et al.'s excellent review of the literature on quality of life (QoL) and
      childhood mental and behavioural disorders (Jonsson et al., ) highlights the need
      for studies that utilise child self-reported QoL, in contrast to parent or proxy
      QoL measures, and further challenges the field to develop QoL measures that 'put
      the child's own views and priorities first'.

PMID- 28346755
TI  - Editorial: Child psychology and psychiatry - using science to make a difference.
AB  - The Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry has, I think it is fair to say, a
      special place in the hearts of scientists and scientist-practitioners working
      broadly in the field of developmental psychopathology. How would you put into
      words what it is we all love about the journal? Answers on a postcard please! For
      me, in addition to the high quality of the science, there is something unique
      about JCPP's open-minded, eclectic yet rigorous and methodologically pluralistic
      style that makes it stand out from the rest.

PMID- 28346756
TI  - Commentary: All that glisters is not gold - reflections on Hollis et al. 2017.
AB  - Digital Health Innovations have great potential to improve access to evidence
      based psychological therapies. This comprehensive review and meta-analysis sets
      out the current state of the field including the efficacy of the interventions
      for different types of mental health problems and the desirability of the
      interventions from the patients' perspective. It also highlights the poor
      methodology of much of the research and suggests important ways forward to
      improve the quality of the data. The importance of assessing and understanding
      the potential negative impact of such interventions is emphasised both in the
      review and the commentary, and suggestions are made to maximise the likelihood
      that such interventions are accessible within routine services.

PMID- 28346757
TI  - Commentary: Extraordinary environments, extreme neuroplasticity and mental
      disorder - reflections on pathways from adversity to mental disorder prompted by
      McCrory, Gerin, and Viding (2017).
AB  - Neuroplasticity, the brain's capacity to be shaped in response to environmental
      experience, has been claimed to resemble a double-edged sword - potentiating
      growth and healing when individuals are exposed to normative, benign or
      therapeutic environments on the one hand, mediating mental disorder development
      in those exposed to adversity, on the other. However, questions about the scope
      and limits of neuroplasticity and, especially, its clinical significance, remain
      unanswered.

PMID- 28346758
TI  - Commentary: Distillation and element-based design of psychological treatments in
      global mental health - a commentary on Brown et al. (2017).
AB  - This commentary reflects on the "elements" approach in psychological treatment
      research, and its specific application to a systematic review of psychosocial
      interventions for youth in conflict-affected areas. We discuss three key
      questions for the field. First, what psychological treatment elements are
      necessary and/or sufficient to achieve clinically significant change for a given
      population? Second, how should elements be sequenced to achieve optimal outcomes?
      Third, what might account for the large heterogeneity observed in psychological
      treatment trials, other than the constituent practice elements? We conclude by
      describing a new research programme that aims to develop a transdiagnostic
      intervention targeting common mental health difficulties among school-going
      adolescents in India. The initial experience of this programme affirms the
      utility of aligning an elements approach with contextually-sensitive formative
      research.

PMID- 28346759
TI  - Commentary: What's in a word (or words) - on the relations among self-regulation,
      self-control, executive functioning, effortful control, cognitive control,
      impulsivity, risk-taking, and inhibition for developmental psychopathology -
      reflections on Nigg (2017).
AB  - In Nigg's excellent article, he deals with a variety of complex conceptual issues
      related to the constructs of self-regulation and executive functioning (EF).
      Overall, I agree that the terminology proposed by Nigg should be adopted;
      moreover, the conceptual distinctions he provides should help the field to move
      forward with regard to the understanding of varied constructs related to self
      regulation. In the spirit of further clarification, I questioned Nigg's
      suggestions that (a) working memory should be considered as part of the construct
      of top-down regulation and (b) planning is a higher level component of EF but not
      part of effortful control. In addition, I discussed my perspective on the role of
      automaticity in defining top-down versus bottom-up self-regulatory processes and
      the role of flexibility in top-down self-regulatory processes and their relation
      to personality resiliency.

PMID- 28346760
TI  - Commentary: Critical considerations for studying low-functioning autism.
AB  - Jack and Pelphrey provide a systematic review of neuroimaging studies in
      understudied populations within the autistic spectrum, focussing specifically on
      those with minimal verbal ability, intellectual disability and developmental
      regression. Despite accounting for nearly a third of the autistic spectrum, the
      number of studies focussing on these populations is extremely low. This review
      highlights a critical need for further neuroimaging research on these
      populations, and provides practical suggestions for overcoming the challenges
      posed by it. In this commentary, I discuss some of the theoretical questions that
      arise from the review, on the conceptualisation of the autistic spectrum as well
      as on optimising experimental design and analysis.

PMID- 28346761
TI  - Commentary: Information-processing in anxiety and depression - novel targets for
      translational research, a reflection on Lau and Waters (2017).
AB  - Understanding psychopathology in the context of a developmental cognitive
      neuroscience approach entails the notion that specific individual differences in
      information processing can serve as both etiologic and maintaining factors in the
      development of specific disorders. It is posited that such mechanistic
      understanding of neurocognitive aberrations during development can then serve
      focused translational efforts in the form of cognitive bias modification
      treatments. In the review by Lau and Waters (this issue), an astute developmental
      model is suggested regarding the role of potential neurocognitive mechanisms in
      depression and anxiety in youth.

PMID- 28346763
TI  - Direct Noncovalent Activation of alpha,beta-Unsaturated Aldehydes for the
      Stereodivergent Synthesis of Substituted Cyclohexenes.
AB  - HOMO-raising noncovalent activation of alpha-aryl alpha,beta-unsaturated
      aldehydes using a bifunctional Bronsted base catalyst is achieved. The
      catalytically generated dienolate intermediate undergoes all-carbon [4+2]
      cyclizations with nitroolefins, leading to chiral cyclohexenes with four
      contiguous stereocenters in high yields and with excellent enantioseletivity.
      Furthermore, the diastereodivergent synthesis of the products is realized by
      introducing a second steric control to the bifunctional catalyst; 4 isomers out
      of 16 possible stereoisomers of the products were selectively produced by simple
      use of two catalysts and their (pseudo)enantiomers. The results presented here
      provide new insights into the remote activation of the carbonyl functionality as
      well as the stereodivergent synthesis of complex chiral molecules with multiple
      stereocenters.

PMID- 28346762
TI  - Predicting the pain continuum after adolescent idiopathic scoliosis surgery: A
      prospective cohort study.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Chronic postsurgical pain (CPSP) affects half a million children
      annually in the United States, with dire socioeconomic consequences, including
      long-term disability into adulthood. The few studies of CPSP in children are
      limited by sample size, follow-up duration, non-homogeneity of surgical procedure
      and factors evaluated. METHODS: In a prospective study of 144 adolescents
      undergoing a single major surgery (spine fusion), we evaluated demographic,
      perioperative, surgical and psychosocial factors as predictors of a continuum of
      postsurgical pain: immediate, pain maintenance at 2-3 months (chronic pain/CP)
      and persistence of pain a year (persistent pain/PP) after surgery. RESULTS: We
      found an incidence of 37.8% and 41.8% for CP and PP. CP and acute pain were both
      significant predictors for developing PP (p-value <0.001 and 0.003). Preoperative
      pain and higher postoperative opioid requirement was significantly associated
      with CP (p = 0.015, p = 0.002), while Childhood Anxiety Sensitivity Index (p =
      0.002) and surgical duration (p = 0.014) predicted PP. The final regression
      models had reasonable predictive accuracy (c-statistic of 0.73 and 0.83 for CP
      and PP, respectively). Anxiety scores and catastrophizing for child and parent
      were found to be significantly correlated (p = 0.005, p = 0.013 respectively).
      Pain trajectories revealed that 65% of patients who developed PP reported CP and
      high pain trends; however, 33% of those who developed PP could not be identified
      using solely pain criteria. CONCLUSION: Persistent postsurgical pain in children
      is a significant problem. It can be predicted in part by combinations of
      psychological and clinical variables, which may provide evidence-based measures
      to prevent development of CPSP in the future. SIGNIFICANCE: In a homogeneous
      cohort of adolescents undergoing spine fusion, we report a high incidence of
      persistent postsurgical pain (41.8%) predicted by child anxiety, perioperative
      pain, and surgical duration. Our results stress timely preventive and therapeutic
      strategies.

PMID- 28346764
TI  - Mapping the Interactions of Selective Biochemical Probes of Antibody Conformation
      by Hydrogen-Deuterium Exchange Mass Spectrometry.
AB  - Protein-based pharmaceuticals represent the fastest growing group of drugs in
      development in the pharmaceutical industry. One of the major challenges in the
      discovery, development, and distribution of biopharmaceuticals is the assessment
      of changes in their higher-order structure due to chemical modification. Here, we
      investigated the interactions of three different biochemical probes (Fab s)
      generated to detect conformational changes in a therapeutic IgG1 antibody (mAbX)
      by local hydrogen-deuterium exchange mass spectrometry (HDX-MS). We show that two
      of the probes target the Fc part of the antibody, whereas the third probe binds
      to the hinge region. Through HDX-ETD, we could distinguish specific binding
      patterns of the Fc -binding probes on mAbX at the amino-acid level. Preliminary
      surface plasmon resonance (SPR) experiments showed that these domain-selective
      Fab probes are sensitive to conformational changes in distinct regions of a full
      length therapeutic antibody upon oxidation.

PMID- 28346765
TI  - The medial temporal memory system in Down syndrome: Translating animal models of
      hippocampal compromise.
AB  - Recent studies have highlighted the dentate gyrus as a region of increased
      vulnerability in mouse models of Down syndrome (DS). It is unclear to what extent
      these findings are reflected in the memory profile of people with the condition.
      We developed a series of novel tasks to probe distinct medial temporal functions
      in children and young adults with DS, including object, spatial, and temporal
      order memory. Relative to mental age-matched controls (n = 45), individuals with
      DS (n = 28) were unimpaired on subtests involving short-term object or configural
      recall that was divorced from spatial or temporal contexts. By contrast, the DS
      group had difficulty recalling spatial locations when contextual information was
      salient and recalling the order in which objects were serially presented. Results
      are consistent with dysfunction of spatial and temporal contextual pattern
      separation abilities in individuals with DS, mediated by the hippocampus,
      including the dentate gyrus. Amidst increasing calls to bridge human and animal
      work, the memory profile demonstrated here in humans with DS is strikingly
      similar to that of the Ts65Dn mouse model of DS. The study highlights the
      trisynaptic circuit as a potentially fruitful intervention target to mitigate
      cognitive impairments associated with DS.

PMID- 28346766
TI  - Maternal thyroid parameters in pregnant women with different ethnic backgrounds:
      Do ethnicity-specific reference ranges improve the diagnosis of subclinical
      hypothyroidism?
AB  - OBJECTIVE: Guidelines on the management of thyroid dysfunction during pregnancy
      have recently been updated and, for the diagnosis of subclinical hypothyroidism
      (SCH), a thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) upper reference limit (cut-off) of 4.0
      mIU/L has been proposed when no institutional values are available. It is also
      suggested that serum TSH and thyroid autoimmunity (TAI) may be different
      according to the ethnic background of the women. We therefore determined the
      prevalence of TAI and SCH in pregnant women with different ethnic backgrounds
      and, to define SCH, we used different first trimester TSH upper reference cut
      offs (institutional, ethnicity-specific, 2.5 mIU/L [Endocrine Society] and 4.0
      mIU/L [American Thyroid Association]). DESIGN: Cross-sectional data analysis of
      1683 pregnant women nested within an ongoing prospective database of pregnant
      women. METHOD: The study was performed in a single centre in Brussels, Belgium.
      During the first antenatal visit, thyroid peroxidase antibodies (TPO-abs), TSH
      and free T4 (FT4) were measured and baseline characteristics recorded. Data from
      481 women with sub-Saharan (SaBg; 28.6%), 754 North African (NaBg; 44.8%) and 448
      Caucasian (CaBg; 26.6%) backgrounds were analysed. For the calculation of TSH
      reference ranges, women with TAI, outliers, twin and assisted pregnancies were
      excluded. RESULTS: The prevalence of TAI was significantly lower in the SaBg
      group than in NaBg and CaBg groups (3.3% vs 8.6% and 11.1%; P<.001,
      respectively). Median TSH was significantly lower in SaBg and NaBg groups as
      compared with the CaBg group (1.3 and 1.4 vs 1.5 mIU/L; P=.006 and .014,
      respectively). The prevalence of women with SCH was comparable between all groups
      when 2.5 mIU/L was used as cut-off, but when 4.0 mIU/L or the institutional cut
      off (3.74 mIU/L) was used, it was significantly higher in the CaBg group vs the
      NaBg group (5.4% vs 2.1% and 7.1% vs 3.3%, P=.008 and .013, respectively). The
      use of ethnicity-specific cut-offs did not change the prevalence of SCH as
      compared to the use of institutional cut-offs. However, when these cut-offs were
      used, the prevalence of SCH reduced by >70% (4.5% instead of 16.7%; P<.001)
      relative to the 2.5 mIU/L cut-off. CONCLUSIONS: Pregnant women with a sub-Saharan
      African background had a lower prevalence of TAI and TSH levels as compared with
      women from other backgrounds. The use of ethnicity-specific TSH cut-offs in early
      pregnancy was not more specific for the diagnosis of SCH as compared to the use
      of the institutional cut-off.

PMID- 28346767
TI  - Hormone replacement therapy for chronic tinnitus in menopausal women: Our
      experience with 13 cases.

PMID- 28346769
TI  - Have Your Say!

PMID- 28346768
TI  - Defining the role of SGAs in the long-term treatment of bipolar disorder.

PMID- 28346770
TI  - A core outcome set for localised prostate cancer effectiveness trials.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: To develop a core outcome set (COS) applicable for effectiveness
      trials of all interventions for localised prostate cancer. Many treatments exist
      for localised prostate cancer, although it is unclear which offers the optimal
      therapeutic ratio; which is confounded by inconsistencies in the selection,
      definition, measurement and reporting of outcomes in clinical trials. PATIENTS,
      SUBJECTS AND METHODS: A list of 79 outcomes was derived from a systematic review
      of published localised prostate cancer effectiveness studies and semi-structured
      interviews with 15 patients with prostate cancer patients. A two-stage consensus
      process involving 118 patients and 56 international healthcare professionals
      (HCPs; cancer specialist nurses, urological surgeons and oncologists) was
      undertaken, consisting of a three-round Delphi survey followed by a face-to-face
      consensus panel meeting of 13 HCPs and eight patients. RESULTS: The final COS
      included 19 outcomes. In all, 12 apply to all interventions: death from prostate
      cancer, death from any cause, local disease recurrence, distant disease
      recurrence/metastases, disease progression, need for salvage therapy, overall
      quality of life, stress urinary incontinence, urinary function, bowel function,
      faecal incontinence, and sexual function. Seven were intervention-specific:
      perioperative deaths (surgery), positive surgical margin (surgery),
      thromboembolic disease (surgery), bothersome or symptomatic urethral or
      anastomotic stricture (surgery), need for curative treatment (active
      surveillance), treatment failure (ablative therapy), and side-effects of hormonal
      therapy (hormone therapy). The UK-centric participants may limit the
      generalisability to other countries, but trialists should reason why the COS
      would not be applicable. The default position should not be that a COS developed
      in one country will automatically not be applicable elsewhere. CONCLUSION: We
      have established a COS for trials of effectiveness in localised prostate cancer,
      applicable across all interventions that should be measured in all localised
      prostate cancer effectiveness trials.

PMID- 28346772
TI  - Tools in science.

PMID- 28346771
TI  - Cohort study of oncologic emergencies in patients with head and neck cancer.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Treatments for head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) are
      associated with toxicities that lead to emergency department presentation.
      METHODS: We utilized data from an ongoing prospective cohort of newly diagnosed,
      previously untreated patients (N = 298) with HNSCC to evaluate the association
      between clinical and epidemiologic factors and risk for and frequency of
      emergency department presentation. Time to event was calculated from the date of
      treatment initiation to emergency department presentation, date of death, or
      current date. Frequency of emergency department presentation was the sum of
      emergency department visits during the follow-up time. RESULTS: History of
      hypertension, normal/underweight body mass index (BMI), and probable depression
      predicted increased risk for emergency department presentation. BMI and severe
      pain were associated with higher frequency of emergency department presentations.
      CONCLUSION: Clinical and epidemiologic factors can help predict patients with
      HNSCC who will present to the emergency department. Such knowledge may improve
      treatment-related patient outcomes and quality of life. (c) 2017 Wiley
      Periodicals, Inc. Head Neck 39: 1195-1204, 2017.

PMID- 28346773
TI  - Noninterventional, Naturalistic, Retrospective Study to Describe Prescription
      Patterns of Long-Acting Injectable Antipsychotics and the Impact of Introducing a
      New Atypical Antipsychotic in the Spanish Province of Tarragona Catchment Area.
AB  - Background: We studied the patterns and predictors of long-acting injectable
      (LAI) antipsychotic (AP) use in the treatment of schizophrenia and the effect of
      introducing a new LAI (paliperidone palmitate [paliperidone-LAI]) in the Spanish
      province of Tarragona. Methods: This noninterventional, naturalistic,
      retrospective study included electronic medical record data from a large
      population-based database of 1,646 patients who were diagnosed with schizophrenia
      according to ICD-10 criteria and treated between January 2011 and December 2013.
      Results: During the study period, 42.0% of patients were treated with an LAI AP.
      The most frequently prescribed initial LAI was risperidone (52.0% of patients). A
      total of 23% of patients initially treated with an oral AP were switched to an
      LAI AP, a change that was associated with younger age (P = .001),
      undifferentiated schizophrenia (P = .015), substance abuse (P < .001), and
      neuropsychiatric comedication with the following agents: anticonvulsants (P =
      .004), anticholinergics (P < .001), and hypnotics/sedatives (P = .03). The change
      from an oral AP to paliperidone-LAI was predicted by younger age (P < .001).
      Overall, 27.5% of patients switched to another LAI AP, and paliperidone-LAI was
      the preferred option in 64.7% of cases. The most frequent change involved
      patients taking risperidone-LAI, many of whom transitioned to paliperidone-LAI
      (85.0% of cases), particularly patients with a disease duration > 5 years (P =
      .019). Conclusions: There was a progressive increase in the use of LAI
      formulations in our catchment area. These agents were preferentially prescribed
      to patients with chronic disease and a history of substance abuse, as well as
      patients receiving neuropsychiatric comedication. One-month LAI formulations were
      commonly used in young patients.

PMID- 28346774
TI  - Geriatric-Onset Olfactory Reference Syndrome Successfully Treated with Duloxetine
      and Memantine.

PMID- 28346775
TI  - Hyperinsulinism-Causing Mutations Cause Multiple Molecular Defects in SUR1 NBD1.
AB  - The sulfonylurea receptor 1 (SUR1) protein forms the regulatory subunit in ATP
      sensitive K+ (KATP) channels in the pancreas. SUR proteins are members of the ATP
      binding cassette (ABC) superfamily of proteins. Binding and hydrolysis of MgATP
      at the SUR nucleotide binding domains (NBDs) lead to channel opening. Pancreatic
      KATP channels play an important role in insulin secretion. SUR1 mutations that
      result in increased levels of channel opening ultimately inhibit insulin
      secretion and lead to neonatal diabetes. In contrast, SUR1 mutations that disrupt
      trafficking and/or decrease gating of KATP channels cause congenital
      hyperinsulinism, where oversecretion of insulin occurs even in the presence of
      low glucose levels. Here, we present data on the effects of specific congenital
      hyperinsulinism-causing mutations (G716V, R842G, and K890T) located in different
      regions of the first nucleotide binding domain (NBD1). Nuclear magnetic resonance
      (NMR) and fluorescence data indicate that the K890T mutation affects residues
      throughout NBD1, including residues that bind MgATP, NBD2, and coupling helices.
      The mutations also decrease the MgATP binding affinity of NBD1. Size exclusion
      and NMR data indicate that the G716V and R842G mutations cause aggregation of
      NBD1 in vitro, possibly because of destabilization of the domain. These data
      describe structural characterization of SUR1 NBD1 and shed light on the
      underlying molecular basis of mutations that cause congenital hyperinsulinism.

PMID- 28346776
TI  - Proton Exchange in a Paramagnetic Chemical Exchange Saturation Transfer Agent
      from Experimental Studies and ab Initio Metadynamics Simulation.
AB  - The proton-exchange process between water and a carbamate has been studied
      experimentally and theoretically in a lanthanide-based paramagnetic chemical
      exchange saturation transfer agent endowed with potential multimodality detection
      capabilities (optical imaging, or T1 MRI for the Gd(III) analogue). In addition
      to an in-depth structural analysis by a combined approach (using X-ray
      crystallography, NMR, and molecular dynamics), our ab initio simulation in
      aqueous solution sheds light on the reaction mechanism for this proton exchange,
      which involves structural Grotthuss diffusion.

PMID- 28346777
TI  - Effect of Intrinsic Disorder and Self-Association on the Translational Diffusion
      of Proteins: The Case of alpha-Casein.
AB  - Translational diffusion is the major mode of macromolecular transport in leaving
      organisms, and therefore it is vital to many biological and biotechnological
      processes. Although translational diffusion of proteins has received considerable
      theoretical and experimental scrutiny, much of that attention has been directed
      toward the description of globular proteins. The translational diffusion of
      intrinsically disordered proteins (IDPs), however, is much less studied. Here, we
      use a pulsed-gradient nuclear magnetic resonance technique (PFG NMR) to
      investigate the translational diffusion of a disordered protein in a wide range
      of concentrations using alpha-casein that belongs to the class of natively
      disordered proteins as an example.

PMID- 28346778
TI  - Direct Measurement of the Angular Pair Correlation Coefficients in Molecular
      Liquids Using NMR. Benchmarking Force Fields for Atomistic Simulations.
AB  - High-field deuterium NMR spectroscopy is used to characterize a number of
      molecular liquids and their mixtures in order to probe the directional part of
      the intermolecular interactions through the orientational ordering induced in the
      isotropic liquid phase by the spectrometer magnetic field. The systems studied
      include benzene, chloroform, hexafluorobenzene, and thiophene at various
      concentrations and in mixtures. Dilution with the magnetically isotropic
      tetramethylsilane provides quantification of ordering at "infinite magnetic
      dilution", that is, in the absence of magnetic intermolecular correlations, and
      thereby allows identification of the contribution of these correlations to the
      orientational ordering in neat phases and at various degrees of magnetic
      dilution. Such contributions are conveyed by angular pair correlation
      coefficients, which, in addition to being accessible to direct NMR measurement,
      are also possible to evaluate directly from molecular dynamics simulations. By
      using various force fields, simulations provide benchmark quantities for testing
      and possibly further improving the force field performance, particularly with
      respect to the directional components of the intermolecular interactions. The
      latter are critical for the simulation of self-assembly generally and
      particularly in biological systems.

PMID- 28346779
TI  - Quantum Dynamics Study of the Potential Energy Minima Effect on Energy Efficiency
      for the F- + CH3Cl -> FCH3 + Cl- Reaction.
AB  - The Polanyi rules on the energy efficiency on reactivity are summarized solely
      from the locations of barriers on the potential energy surfaces. Here, our
      quantum dynamics study for the F- + CH3Cl -> FCH3 + Cl- reaction shows that the
      two potential energy minima in the entrance channel on the potential energy
      surface play an essential role in energy efficiency on reactivity. The reactivity
      of this reaction is dominated by the low collision energies where two distinctive
      reaction mechanisms involve the two minima in the entrance channel. Overall, the
      Cl-CH3 stretching motion and C-H3 umbrella motion both are more efficient than
      the translational motion in promoting this reaction. Although this reaction has a
      negative energy barrier, our study shows that it is the minima in the entrance
      channel, together with the energy barrier relative to these minima, that
      determine the energy efficacy on reactivity.

PMID- 28346780
TI  - High-Spin Polymers: Ferromagnetic Coupling of S = 1 Hexaazacyclophane Units up to
      a Pure S = 2 Polycyclophane.
AB  - Triarylamines oxidized to radical cations can be used as stable spins sources for
      the design of high-spin compounds. Here, we present the synthesis of the
      polyarylamine-containing hexaazacyclophanes linked via meta-terphenyl bridges.
      Spins, created after oxidation of the polymer, can be coupled magnetically in
      cyclophane moieties via meta-phenyl and along the polymer chain via meta
      terphenyl units. The formation of a quintet spin state was evidenced by pulsed
      EPR nutation spectroscopy. Two exchange coupling constants via both couplers were
      determined experimentally and corresponded to J/k = 89 K in the cyclophane moiety
      and j/k = 17 K via meta-terphenyl. Most importantly, in this polymer, four spins
      can be ferromagnetically ordered via both couplers, which leads to the high spin
      state.

PMID- 28346781
TI  - Metabolism of Ibuprofen by Phragmites australis: Uptake and Phytodegradation.
AB  - This study explores ibuprofen (IBP) uptake and transformation in the wetland
      plant species Phragmites australis and the underlying mechanisms. We grew P.
      australis in perlite under greenhouse conditions and treated plants with 60 MUg/L
      of IBP. Roots and rhizomes (RR), stems and leaves (SL), and liquid samples were
      collected during 21 days of exposure. Results show that P. australis can take up,
      translocate, and degrade IBP. IBP was completely removed from the liquid medium
      after 21 days with a half-life of 2.1 days. IBP accumulated in RR and was partly
      translocated to SL. Meanwhile, four intermediates were detected in the plant
      tissues: hydroxy-IBP, 1,2-dihydroxy-IBP, carboxy-IBP and glucopyranosyloxy
      hydroxy-IBP. Cytochrome P450 monooxygenase was involved in the production of the
      two hydroxy intermediates. We hypothesize that transformation of IBP was first
      catalyzed by P450, and then by glycosyltransferase, followed by further storage
      or metabolism in vacuoles or cell walls. No significant phytotoxicity was
      observed based on relative growth of plants and stress enzyme activities. In
      conclusion, we demonstrated for the first time that P. australis degrades IBP
      from water and is therefore a suitable species for application in constructed
      wetlands to clean wastewater effluents containing IBP and possibly also other
      micropollutants.

PMID- 28346782
TI  - kappa-Carrageenan Enhances the Biomineralization and Osteogenic Differentiation
      of Electrospun Polyhydroxybutyrate and Polyhydroxybutyrate Valerate Fibers.
AB  - Novel electrospun materials for bone tissue engineering were obtained by blending
      biodegradable polyhydroxybutyrate (PHB) or polyhydroxybutyrate valerate (PHBV)
      with the anionic sulfated polysaccharide kappa-carrageenan (kappa-CG) in varying
      ratios. In both systems, the two components phase separated as shown by FTIR, DSC
      and TGA. According to the contact angle data, kappa-CG was localized
      preferentially at the fiber surface in PHBV/kappa-CG blends in contrast to
      PHB/kappa-CG, where the biopolymer was mostly found within the fiber. In contrast
      to the neat polyester fibers, the blends led to the formation of much smaller
      apatite crystals (800 nm vs 7 MUm). According to the MTT assay, NIH3T3 cells grew
      in higher density on the blend mats in comparison to neat polyester mats. The
      osteogenic differentiation potential of the fibers was determined by SaOS-2 cell
      culture for 2 weeks. Alizarin red-S staining suggested an improved mineralization
      on the blend fibers. Thus, PHBV/kappa-CG fibers resulted in more pronounced
      bioactive and osteogenic properties, including fast apatite-forming ability and
      deposition of nanosized apatite crystals.

PMID- 28346783
TI  - Dicarbonyls of Carbon and Methylidyne Cations.
AB  - The carbon suboxide cation C3O2+ and the protonated carbon suboxide HC3O2+/DC3O2+
      were produced in the gas phase. The vibrational spectra were measured via
      infrared photodissociation spectroscopy of their argon- or CO-tagged complexes.
      Spectroscopic evidence combined with state-of-the-art quantum chemical
      calculations indicate that both cations have a bent C2v symmetry and can be
      designated as dicarbonyls of a carbon cation and methylidyne cation,
      respectively.

PMID- 28346785
TI  - Infrared Spectroscopy of Ionic Liquids Consisting of Imidazolium Cations with
      Different Alkyl Chain Lengths and Various Halogen or Molecular Anions with and
      without a Small Amount of Water.
AB  - Infrared spectroscopy was performed on ionic liquids (ILs) that had imidazolium
      cations with different alkyl chain lengths and various halogen or molecular
      anions with and without a small amount of water. The molar concentration
      normalized absorbance due to +C-H vibrational modes in the range of 3000 to 3200
      cm-1 was nearly identical for ILs that had imidazolium cations with different
      alkyl chain lengths and the same anions. A close correlation was found between
      the red-shifted +C-H vibrational modes, the chemical shift of +C(2)-H proton, and
      the energy stabilization of the hydrogen-bonding interaction. The vibrational
      modes of the water molecules interacting with anions in the range between 3300
      and 3800 cm-1 was examined. The correlation between the vibrational frequencies
      of water, the frequencies of +C-H vibrational modes, and the center frequency of
      intermolecular vibrational modes due to ion pairs was discussed.

PMID- 28346784
TI  - Structure Determination of Mycobacterium tuberculosis Serine Protease Hip1
      (Rv2224c).
AB  - The Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb) serine protease Hip1 (hydrolase important
      for pathogenesis; Rv2224c) promotes tuberculosis (TB) pathogenesis by impairing
      host immune responses through proteolysis of a protein substrate, Mtb GroEL2. The
      cell surface localization of Hip1 and its immunomodulatory functions make Hip1 a
      good drug target for new adjunctive immune therapies for TB. Here, we report the
      crystal structure of Hip1 to a resolution of 2.6 A and the kinetic studies of the
      enzyme against model substrates and the protein GroEL2. The structure shows a two
      domain protein, one of which contains the catalytic residues that are the
      signature of a serine protease. Surprisingly, a threonine is located within the
      active site close enough to hydrogen bond with the catalytic residues Asp463 and
      His490. Mutation of this residue, Thr466, to alanine established its importance
      for function. Our studies provide insights into the structure of a member of a
      novel family of proteases. Knowledge of the Hip1 structure will aid in designing
      inhibitors that could block Hip1 activity.

PMID- 28346787
TI  - Assembly and Speed in Ion-Exchange-Based Modular Phoretic Microswimmers.
AB  - We report an experimental study on ion-exchange-based modular microswimmers in
      low-salt water. Cationic ion-exchange particles and passive cargo particles
      assemble into self-propelling complexes, showing self-propulsion at speeds of
      several micrometers per second over extended distances and times. We quantify the
      assembly and speed of the complexes for different combinations of ion-exchange
      particles and cargo particles, substrate types, salt types and concentrations,
      and cell geometries. Irrespective of the experimental boundary conditions, we
      observe a regular development of the assembly shape with increasing number of
      cargo. Moreover, the swimming speed increases stepwise upon increasing the number
      of cargo and then saturates at a maximum speed, indicating the active role of
      cargo in modular swimming. We propose a geometric model of self-assembly to
      describe the experimental observations in a qualitative way. Our study also
      provides some constraints for future theoretical modeling and simulation.

PMID- 28346786
TI  - Break Down in Order To Build Up: Decomposing Small Molecules for Fragment-Based
      Drug Design with eMolFrag.
AB  - Constructing high-quality libraries of molecular building blocks is essential for
      successful fragment-based drug discovery. In this communication, we describe
      eMolFrag, a new open-source software to decompose organic compounds into
      nonredundant fragments retaining molecular connectivity information. Given a
      collection of molecules, eMolFrag generates a set of unique fragments comprising
      larger moieties, bricks, and smaller linkers connecting bricks. These building
      blocks can subsequently be used to construct virtual screening libraries for
      targeted drug discovery. The robustness and computational performance of eMolFrag
      is assessed against the Directory of Useful Decoys, Enhanced database conducted
      in serial and parallel modes with up to 16 computing cores. Further, the
      application of eMolFrag in de novo drug design is illustrated using the adenosine
      receptor. eMolFrag is implemented in Python, and it is available as stand-alone
      software and a web server at www.brylinski.org/emolfrag and
      https://github.com/liutairan/eMolFrag .

PMID- 28346788
TI  - Three-Step Catalytic Asymmetric Total Syntheses of 13
      Methyltetrahydroprotoberberine Alkaloids.
AB  - (S,R)-N-PINAP was identified to be the chiral ligand for highly enantioselective
      CuI-catalyzed reaction of tetrahydroisoquinolines (THIQs), alkynes, and 2
      bromobenzaldehyde derivatives. This enables us to accomplish the first asymmetric
      total synthesis of 12 natural 13-methyltetrahydroprotoberberine (13-MeTHPB)
      alkaloids in only three catalytic steps with 47-64% overall yields. In addition,
      the Pd-catalyzed reductive Heck cyclization was successfully extended to three Pd
      catalyzed domino reactions (Heck/Suzuki, Heck/Sonogashira, and Heck/Heck), which
      greatly expands the synthetic utility of this catalytic strategy and allows
      expeditious access to 13-substituted tetrahydroprotoberberines for further
      bioactivity evaluation.

PMID- 28346789
TI  - Resolving Ultrafast Photoinduced Deactivations in Water-Solvated Pyrimidine
      Nucleosides.
AB  - For the first time, ultrafast deactivations of photoexcited water-solvated
      pyrimidine nucleosides are mapped employing hybrid QM(CASPT2)/MM(AMBER)
      optimizations that account for explicit solvation, sugar effects, and dynamically
      correlated potential energy surfaces. Low-energy S1/S0 ring-puckering and ring
      opening conical intersections (CIs) are suggested to drive the ballistic coherent
      subpicosecond (<200 fs) decays observed in each pyrimidine, the energetics
      controlling this processes correlating with the lifetimes observed. A second
      bright 1pi2pi* state, promoting excited-state population branching and leading
      toward a third CI with the ground state, is proposed to be involved in the slower
      ultrafast decay component observed in Thd/Cyd. The transient spectroscopic
      signals of the competitive deactivation channels are computed for the first time.
      A general unified scheme for ultrafast deactivations, spanning the sub- to few
      picosecond time domain, is eventually delivered, with computed data that matches
      the experiments and elucidates the intrinsic photoprotection mechanism in
      solvated pyrimidine nucleosides.

PMID- 28346790
TI  - Synthesis of Chiral gamma-Lactams via in Situ Elimination/Iridium-Catalyzed
      Asymmetric Hydrogenation of Racemic gamma-Hydroxy gamma-Lactams.
AB  - Chiral gamma-lactams have been synthesized in excellent yields and
      enantioselectivities (up to 99% yield and 96% ee) from easily accessible racemic
      gamma-hydroxy gamma-lactams via an iridium-phosphoramidite catalyzed asymmetric
      hydrogenation. The reaction was designed based on insight into the reaction
      mechanism demonstrated in previous work and can be carried out at a reduced
      catalyst loading of 0.1 mol % on a gram scale. Several potential bioactive
      compounds can be synthesized from the reduced products. Mechanistic studies
      indicated that the reduced products were obtained via the hydrogenation of the N
      acyliminium cations, generated from gamma-hydroxy gamma-lactams.

PMID- 28346791
TI  - Hydroxy-Directed Enantioselective Hydroxyalkylation in the Carbocyclic Ring of
      Indoles.
AB  - A Cinchona-derived squaramide catalyzes the reaction between hydroxyindoles and
      isatins leading to enantioenriched indoles substituted in the carbocyclic ring.
      The reaction proceeds efficiently with differently substituted isatins, yielding
      the desired products with excellent regioselectivity, good yields, and high
      enantiocontrol. Moreover, every position of the carbocyclic ring of the indole
      can be functionalized by using the appropriate starting hydroxyindole. The OH
      group was removed smoothly upon hydrogenolysis of the corresponding triflate.

PMID- 28346792
TI  - Effects of IFN-gamma on cell growth and the expression of ADAM33 gene in human
      embryonic lung Mrc-5 fibroblasts in vitro.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: To investigate the effects of interferon-gamma (IFN-gamma) on the
      proliferation and viability of human embryonic lung Mrc-5 fibroblasts in vitro
      and the expression of the A Disintegrin and Metalloprotease 33 (ADAM33) gene and
      to explore the mechanism of airway remodeling. METHODS: Mrc-5 fibroblasts were
      sensitized with Dermatophagoides farinae 1 (Derf1) in vitro to mimic in vivo
      conditions observed in bronchial asthma. An inverted fluorescence microscope was
      used to observe changes in cell morphology before and after treatment. The
      viability of Mrc-5 cells was tested using the Cell Counting kit-8 (CCK8).
      Expression of the ADAM33 gene and protein in Mrc-5 cells was assessed using qPCR
      and Western blotting, respectively. RESULTS: Different concentrations of Derf1
      increased cell growth and the expression of the ADAM33 gene in Mrc-5 cells, and
      these changes were most obvious in the 10 ug/ml group. In contrast, IFN-gamma
      decreased cell growth and the expression of the ADAM33 gene in both Mrc-5 cells
      and Derf1-induced Mrc-5 cells, and these changes were most obvious in the 10
      ng/ml group. The negative effects of 10 ng/ml IFN-gamma were the most significant
      at 32 hours. CONCLUSIONS: Derf1-induced Mrc-5 cells successfully imitated the in
      vivo conditions observed in patients with asthma. IFN-gamma inhibited the
      proliferation and viability of Mrc-5 cells, and Derf1-induced Mrc-5 cells were
      more sensitive to IFN-gamma treatment. IFN-gamma treatment significantly
      downregulated the expression of the ADAM33 gene in a concentration- and time
      dependent manner. IFN-gamma may participate in airway remodeling in asthma by
      regulating the expression of the ADAM33 gene.

PMID- 28346793
TI  - Early Immune Responses to Marek's Disease Vaccines.
AB  - Marek's disease virus (MDV), a highly cell-associated lymphotropic alpha
      herpesvirus, is the causative agent of Marek's disease (MD) in domestic chickens.
      MDV replicates in chicken cells and establishes a latent infection within CD4+ T
      cells. Although MD vaccines have been in use for several decades, the exact
      mechanism of vaccine-induced protection is unclear. It is believed that the
      innate immune system plays a role in vaccine-induced immunity against pathogenic
      strains of MDV. To shed light on the possible function of the innate immunity in
      vaccine-mediated protection, we investigated the effect of vaccination,
      Rispens/CVI988, on the activation of cellular components of the innate immune
      system by analyzing the expression pattern of select immune-related genes in the
      cecal tonsils (CT) and duodenum of two MD-susceptible and MD-resistant chicken
      lines at 3, 5, and 10 days postvaccination (dpv). The differential expression
      patterns of the tested genes within the CT and duodenum of vaccinated birds
      revealed the activation of the innate immune system in both the susceptible and
      resistant lines. Stronger innate immune response was induced within the CT of the
      vaccinated birds of the susceptible line at 5 dpv. Upregulation of some of the
      tested genes at 10 dpv was likely due to the activation and response of the
      adaptive immune system to vaccination. Immunohistochemical analysis showed no
      increase in the number of CD3+ T cells in the CT and duodenum of the vaccinated
      birds of either line at 5 dpv. There was, however, an increase in the macrophage
      populations within the duodenum of the vaccinated birds of both the susceptible
      and resistant lines at 5 dpv. The vaccine strain antigen was detected in the CT
      and duodenum of the susceptible line, but not the resistant line at 5 dpv.

PMID- 28346794
TI  - Comparative Study of Xenobiotic-Free Media for the Cultivation of Human Limbal
      Epithelial Stem/Progenitor Cells.
AB  - The culture of human limbal epithelial stem/progenitor cells (LSCs) in the
      presence of animal components poses the risk of cross-species contamination in
      clinical applications. We quantitatively compared different xenobiotic-free
      culture media for the cultivation of human LSCs. LSCs were cultured from 2 * 2 mm
      limbal tissue explants on denuded human amniotic membrane with different
      xenobiotic-free culture media: CnT-Prime (CnT-PR) supplemented with 0%, 1%, 5%,
      and 10% human serum (HS), embryonic stem cell medium (ESCM) alone or in
      combination with the standard supplemented hormonal epithelium medium (SHEM,
      control) at a 1:1 dilution ratio, and modified SHEM (mSHEM), in which cholera
      toxin and dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) were removed, isoproterenol was added, and
      the epidermal growth factor concentration was reduced. Several parameters were
      quantified to assess the LSC phenotype: cell morphology, cell growth, cell size,
      outgrowth size, and expression of the undifferentiated LSC markers cytokeratin
      (K) 14, and p63alpha high-expressing (p63alphabright) cells, a mature
      keratinocyte marker K12, epithelial marker pancytokeratin (PanK), and stromal
      cell marker vimentin (Vim). Compared with the standard SHEM control, CnT-PR base
      medium was associated with a lower cell growth and reduction in the proportion of
      stem cells generated regardless of the amount of HS supplemented (p < 0.05); ESCM
      resulted in an increased proportion of PanK-/Vim+ stromal cells (p < 0.05) and a
      decreased proportion of p63alphabright cells (p < 0.05); mSHEM supported a
      similar cell growth (p > 0.05), increased the number of small cells (diameter
      <=12 MUm; p < 0.05), and provided a similar proportion of p63alphabright cells (p
      > 0.05). Among all the conditions tested, mSHEM was the most efficient and
      consistent in supporting the LSC phenotype and growth.

PMID- 28346795
TI  - Understanding the emission impacts of high-occupancy vehicle (HOV) to high
      occupancy toll (HOT) lane conversions: Experience from Atlanta, Georgia.
AB  - : Converting a congested high-occupancy vehicle (HOV) lane into a high-occupancy
      toll (HOT) lane is a viable option for improving travel time reliability for
      carpools and buses that use the managed lane. However, the emission impacts of
      HOV-to-HOT conversions are not well understood. The lack of emission impact
      quantification for HOT conversions creates a policy challenge for agencies making
      transportation funding choices. The goal of this paper is to evaluate the case
      study of before-and-after changes in vehicle emissions for the Atlanta, Georgia,
      I-85 HOV/HOT lane conversion project, implemented in October 2011. The analyses
      employed the Motor Vehicle Emission Simulator (MOVES) for project-level analysis
      with monitored changes in vehicle activity data collected by Georgia Tech
      researchers for the Georgia Department of Transportation (GDOT). During the
      quarterly field data collection from 2010 to 2012, more than 1.5 million license
      plates were observed and matched to vehicle class and age information using the
      vehicle registration database. The study also utilized the 20-sec, lane-specific
      traffic operations data from the Georgia NaviGAtor intelligent transportation
      system, as well as a direct feed of HOT lane usage data from the State Road and
      Tollway Authority (SRTA) managed lane system. As such, the analyses in this paper
      simultaneously assessed the impacts associated with changes in traffic volumes,
      on-road operating conditions, and fleet composition before and after the
      conversion. Both greenhouse gases and criteria pollutants were examined.
      IMPLICATIONS: A straight before-after analysis showed about 5% decrease in air
      pollutants and carbon dioxide (CO2). However, when the before-after calendar year
      of analysis was held constant (to account for the effect of 1 yr of fleet
      turnover), mass emissions at the analysis site during peak hours increased by as
      much as 17%, with little change in CO2. Further investigation revealed that a
      large percentage decrease in criteria pollutants in the straight before-after
      analysis was associated with a single calendar year change in MOVES. Hence, the
      Atlanta, Georgia, results suggest that an HOV-to-HOT conversion project may have
      increased mass emissions on the corridor. The results also showcase the
      importance of obtaining on-road data for emission impact assessment of HOV-to-HOT
      conversion projects.

PMID- 28346797
TI  - * Substituted Borosilicate Glasses with Improved Osteogenic Capacity for Bone
      Tissue Engineering.
AB  - Borosilicate bioactive glasses (BBGs) have shown the capacity to promote higher
      formation of new bone when compared with silicate bioactive glasses. Herein, we
      assessed the capacity of BBGs to induce osteogenic differentiation of bone marrow
      mesenchymal stem cells (BM-MSCs) as a function of their substituted divalent
      cations (Mg2+, Ca2+, Sr2+). To this purpose, we synthesized BBG particles by melt
      quenching. The cell viability, proliferation, and morphology (i.e.,
      PrestoBlue(r), PicoGreen(r), and DAPI and Phalloidin stainings, respectively), as
      well as protein expression (i.e., alkaline phosphatase, ALP; osteopontin, OP; and
      osteocalcin, OC), of BM-MSCs in contact with BBGs were evaluated for 21 days. We
      observed an enhanced expression of bone-specific proteins (ALP, OP, and OC) and
      high mineralization of BM-MSCs under BBG-Mg and BBG-Sr-conditioned osteogenic
      media for concentrations of 20 and 50 mg/mL with low cytotoxic effects. Moreover,
      BBG-Sr, at a concentration of 50 mg/mL, was able to increase the mineralization
      and expression of the same bone-specific proteins even under basal medium
      conditions. These results indicated that the proposed BBGs improved osteogenic
      differentiation of BM-MSCs, therefore showing their potential as relevant
      biomaterials for bone tissue regeneration, not only by bonding to bone tissue but
      also by stimulating new bone formation.

PMID- 28346796
TI  - * Harnessing External Cues: Development and Evaluation of an In Vitro Culture
      System for Osteochondral Tissue Engineering.
AB  - Over the last decade, engineered structures have been developed for osteochondral
      (OC) tissue regeneration. While the optimal structure design is yet to be
      determined, these scaffolds require in vitro evaluation before clinical use.
      However, the means by which complex scaffolds, such as OC scaffolds, can be
      tested are limited. Taking advantage of a mesenchymal stem cell's (MSC's) ability
      to respond to its surrounding we harness external cues, such as the cell's
      mechanical environment and delivered factors, to create an in vitro culture
      system for OC tissue engineering with a single cell source on a gradient yet
      integrated scaffold system. To do this, the effect of hydrogel stiffness on the
      expression of human MSCs (hMSCs) chondrogenic differentiation was studied using
      histological analysis. Additionally, hMSCs were also cultured in different
      combinations of chondrogenic and osteogenic media to develop a co-differentiation
      media suitable for OC lineage differentiation. A uniquely graded (density
      gradient matrix) OC scaffold with a distal cartilage hydrogel phase specifically
      tailored to support chondrogenic differentiation was cultured using a newly
      developed "simulated in vivo culture method." The scaffold's culture in co
      differentiation media models hMSC infiltration into the scaffold and subsequent
      differentiation into the distal cartilage and proximal bone layers. Cartilage and
      bone marker staining along with specific matrix depositions reveal the effect of
      external cues on the hMSC differentiation. As a result of these studies a model
      system was developed to study and culture OC scaffolds in vitro.

PMID- 28346798
TI  - Priming Adipose Stem Cells with Tumor Necrosis Factor-Alpha Preconditioning
      Potentiates Their Exosome Efficacy for Bone Regeneration.
AB  - Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) have been widely used for tissue repair and
      regeneration. However, the inherent drawbacks, including limited cell survival
      after cell transplantation, have hindered direct MSC transplantation for tissue
      repair and regeneration. The aim of this study was to investigate if exosomes
      isolated from MSCs can promote the proliferation and differentiation of human
      primary osteoblastic cells (HOBs) and be potentially used for bone tissue
      regeneration. We showed that adipose tissue-derived MSC (ASC)-derived exosomes
      (ASC-EXO) were able to promote the proliferation and osteogenic differentiation
      in HOBs; and the trophic effects of ASC-EXO on HOBs were further harnessed when
      ASCs were preconditioned with tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) for 3 days,
      which mimics the acute inflammatory phase upon bone injury. In addition, we
      showed that Wnt-3a content was elevated in ASC-EXO when ASCs were preconditioned
      by TNF-alpha, and inhibiting Wnt signaling decreased the osteogenic gene
      expression levels in HOBs which were cultured in TNF-alpha preconditioned ASCs
      conditioned medium. In conclusion, it was demonstrated that ASC-EXO, especially
      primed by TNF-alpha preconditioning on ASCs, offer a promising approach to
      replace direct stem cell transplantation for bone repair and regeneration.

PMID- 28346799
TI  - Activation of Macrophages by Lipopolysaccharide for Assessing the
      Immunomodulatory Property of Biomaterials<sup/>.
AB  - The design paradigm of biomaterials has been changed to ones with favorable
      immunomodulatory effects, indicating the importance of accurately evaluating the
      immunomodulatory properties of biomaterials. Among all the immune cells
      macrophages receive most attention, due to their plasticity and multiple roles in
      the materials and host interactions, and thereby become model immune cells for
      the evaluation of immunomodulatory properties of biomaterials in many studies.
      Lipopolysaccharides (LPS), a polysaccharide in the outer membrane of Gram
      negative bacteria, elicit strong immune responses, which was often applied to
      activate macrophages, resulting in a proinflammatory M1 phenotype, and the
      release of proinflammatory cytokines, including tumor necrosis factor alpha
      (TNFalpha), interleukin (IL)-1, and IL-6. However, there is no consensus on how
      to apply macrophages and LPS to detect the immunomodulatory properties of
      biomaterials. The lack of scientific consideration of this issue has led to some
      inaccurate and insufficient conclusions on the immunomodulatory properties of
      biomaterials, and inconsistences between different research groups. In this
      study, we carried out a systemic study to investigate the stimulatory effects of
      LPS with different times, doses, and conditions on the activation of macrophages.
      An experimental pathway was proposed accordingly for the activation of
      macrophages using LPS for assessing the immunomodulatory property of
      biomaterials.

PMID- 28346800
TI  - Using Chemoinformatics, Bioinformatics, and Bioassay to Predict and Explain the
      Antibacterial Activity of Nonantibiotic Food and Drug Administration Drugs.
AB  - Discovering of new and effective antibiotics is a major issue facing scientists
      today. Luckily, the development of computer science offers new methods to
      overcome this issue. In this study, a set of computer software was used to
      predict the antibacterial activity of nonantibiotic Food and Drug Administration
      (FDA)-approved drugs, and to explain their action by possible binding to well
      known bacterial protein targets, along with testing their antibacterial activity
      against Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria. A three-dimensional virtual
      screening method that relies on chemical and shape similarity was applied using
      rapid overlay of chemical structures (ROCS) software to select candidate
      compounds from the FDA-approved drugs database that share similarity with 17
      known antibiotics. Then, to check their antibacterial activity, disk diffusion
      test was applied on Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli. Finally, a
      protein docking method was applied using HYBRID software to predict the binding
      of the active candidate to the target receptor of its similar antibiotic. Of the
      1,991 drugs that were screened, 34 had been selected and among them 10 drugs
      showed antibacterial activity, whereby drotaverine and metoclopramide activities
      were without precedent reports. Furthermore, the docking process predicted that
      diclofenac, drotaverine, (S)-flurbiprofen, (S)-ibuprofen, and indomethacin could
      bind to the protein target of their similar antibiotics. Nevertheless, their
      antibacterial activities are weak compared with those of their similar
      antibiotics, which can be potentiated further by performing chemical
      modifications on their structure.

PMID- 28346801
TI  - Our 15th Anniversary Issue.

PMID- 28346802
TI  - Metabolome Profiling of Partial and Fully Reprogrammed Induced Pluripotent Stem
      Cells.
AB  - Acquisition of proper metabolomic fate is required to convert somatic cells
      toward fully reprogrammed pluripotent stem cells. The majority of induced
      pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) are partially reprogrammed and have a
      transcriptome different from that of the pluripotent stem cells. The metabolomic
      profile and mitochondrial metabolic functions required to achieve full
      reprogramming of somatic cells to iPSC status have not yet been elucidated.
      Clarification of the metabolites underlying reprogramming mechanisms should
      enable further optimization to enhance the efficiency of obtaining fully
      reprogrammed iPSCs. In this study, we characterized the metabolites of human
      fully reprogrammed iPSCs, partially reprogrammed iPSCs, and embryonic stem cells
      (ESCs). Using capillary electrophoresis time-of-flight mass spectrometry-based
      metabolomics, we found that 89% of analyzed metabolites were similarly expressed
      in fully reprogrammed iPSCs and human ESCs (hESCs), whereas partially
      reprogrammed iPSCs shared only 74% similarly expressed metabolites with hESCs.
      Metabolomic profiling analysis suggested that converting mitochondrial
      respiration to glycolytic flux is critical for reprogramming of somatic cells
      into fully reprogrammed iPSCs. This characterization of metabolic reprogramming
      in iPSCs may enable the development of new reprogramming parameters for enhancing
      the generation of fully reprogrammed human iPSCs.

PMID- 28346803
TI  - Carbapenemase-Producing Aeromonas veronii Disseminated in the Environment of an
      Equine Specialty Hospital.
AB  - The emergence of bacterial resistance to carbapenem antibiotics is an urgent
      public health threat. Carbapenem drugs are a last resort treatment option for
      life-threatening infections. The frequent use of broad-spectrum antibiotics to
      treat hospitalized patients provides significant selection pressure favoring the
      emergence and dissemination of resistant organisms, including carbapenem
      resistant Enterobacteriaceae (CRE). CREs have been reported in animal
      populations, but only rarely in horses. Our objective was to determine the
      prevalence of CRE in the environment of a referral equine specialty hospital.
      Environmental samples were collected on seven different sampling dates. Four
      clonal carbapenemase-producing Aeromonas veronii were recovered from 315 sampled
      surfaces (1.3%). All four isolates harbored the carbapenemase-producing, metallo
      beta-lactamase gene blacphA, although corresponding minimum inhibitory
      concentrations were within the susceptible range for imipenem and meropenem. All
      had an identical multilocus sequence type with a previously unreported allelic
      profile and contained multiple plasmids. To our knowledge, this recovery of
      blacphA-harboring A. veronii is the first report of carbapenemase-producing
      bacteria in the environment of an equine veterinary hospital. However, the low
      recovery rate suggests that environmental contamination is uncommon. Appropriate
      hospital cleaning and disinfection protocols are necessary to maintain a low risk
      of contamination for patients and personnel.

PMID- 28346804
TI  - Hepatitis B and C Virus Infections Among Human Immunodeficiency Virus-Infected
      People Who Inject Drugs in Lahore, Pakistan.
AB  - Hepatitis B virus (HBV) and hepatitis C virus (HCV) are the major cause of the
      global burden of hepatitis. One of the main routes of transmission for both
      viruses is through exposure to infected blood, which includes sharing blood
      contaminated syringes and needles. Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) attacks the
      immune system and results in acquired immune deficiency syndrome and
      opportunistic infections. The objective of this study was to assess the
      epidemiology of HBV and HCV infections among HIV-infected people who inject drugs
      (PWID). The study enrolled 100 PWID from different addiction centers of the city
      of Lahore in Pakistan. All subjects were HIV-infected males and were above 16
      years of age. Screening of HBV and HCV infections was performed through
      immunochromatography tests and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays. The prevalence
      of HCV and HBV infections among the 100 HIV-infected PWID was 55% and 6%,
      respectively. HIV monoinfection was found in 37% of the subjects, while triple
      infection was detected in 2% of the subjects. Majority of the HIV-infected PWID
      were using heroin and Avil injections (65%). Half of the subjects had used
      injection drugs for 1-5 years, while 32% had used injection drugs for 6-10 years.
      HCV infection was more common than HBV infection among the enrolled subjects.
      Most of the PWID were practicing heroin and Avil injections.

PMID- 28346805
TI  - Brachytherapy for Patients With Prostate Cancer: American Society of Clinical
      Oncology/Cancer Care Ontario Joint Guideline Update.
AB  - Purpose To jointly update the Cancer Care Ontario guideline on brachytherapy for
      patients with prostate cancer to account for new evidence. Methods An Update
      Panel conducted a targeted systematic literature review and identified more
      recent randomized controlled trials comparing dose-escalated external beam
      radiation therapy (EBRT) with brachytherapy in men with prostate cancer. Results
      Five randomized controlled trials provided the evidence for this update.
      Recommendations For patients with low-risk prostate cancer who require or choose
      active treatment, low-dose rate brachytherapy (LDR) alone, EBRT alone, and/or
      radical prostatectomy (RP) should be offered to eligible patients. For patients
      with intermediate-risk prostate cancer choosing EBRT with or without androgen
      deprivation therapy, brachytherapy boost (LDR or high-dose rate [HDR]) should be
      offered to eligible patients. For low-intermediate risk prostate cancer (Gleason
      7, prostate-specific antigen < 10 ng/mL or Gleason 6, prostate-specific antigen,
      10 to 20 ng/mL), LDR brachytherapy alone may be offered as monotherapy. For
      patients with high-risk prostate cancer receiving EBRT and androgen-deprivation
      therapy, brachytherapy boost (LDR or HDR) should be offered to eligible patients.
      Iodine-125 and palladium-103 are each reasonable isotope options for patients
      receiving LDR brachytherapy; no recommendation can be made for or against using
      cesium-131 or HDR monotherapy. Patients should be encouraged to participate in
      clinical trials to test novel or targeted approaches to this disease. Additional
      information is available at www.asco.org/Brachytherapy-guideline and
      www.asco.org/guidelineswiki .

PMID- 28346807
TI  - Is Low-Risk Prostate Cancer More Indolent in Younger Patients?

PMID- 28346806
TI  - Active Surveillance in Younger Men With Prostate Cancer.
AB  - Purpose The suitability of younger patients with prostate cancer (PCa) for
      initial active surveillance (AS) has been questioned on the basis of eventual
      treatment necessity and concerns of safety; however, the role of age on
      surveillance outcomes has not been well defined. Patients and Methods We
      identified men managed with AS at our institution with a minimum follow-up of 6
      months. The primary study objective was to examine the association of age with
      risk of biopsy-based Gleason score upgrade during AS. We also examined the
      association of age with related end points, including overall biopsy-determined
      progression, definitive treatment, and pathologic and biochemical outcomes after
      delayed radical prostatectomy (RP), using descriptive statistics, the Kaplan
      Meier method, and multivariable Cox proportional hazards regression. Results A
      total of 1,433 patients were followed for a median of 49 months; 74% underwent
      initial biopsy at a referring institution. Median age at diagnosis was 63 years,
      including 599 patients (42%) <= 60 years old and 834 (58%) > 60 years old. The 3-
      and 5-year biopsy-based Gleason score upgrade-free rates were 73% and 55%,
      respectively, for men <= 60 years old compared with 64% and 48%, respectively,
      for men older than 60 years ( P < .01). On Cox regression analysis, younger age
      was independently associated with lower risk of biopsy-based Gleason score
      upgrade (hazard ratio per 1-year decrease, 0.969 [95% CI, 0.956 to 0.983]; P <
      .01), and persisted upon restriction to men meeting strict AS inclusion criteria.
      There was no significant association between younger age and risk of definitive
      treatment or risk of biochemical recurrence after delayed RP. Conclusion Younger
      patient age was associated with decreased risk of biopsy-based Gleason score
      upgrade during AS but not with risk of definitive treatment in the intermediate
      term. AS represents a strategy to mitigate overtreatment in young patients with
      low-risk PCa in the early term.

PMID- 28346810
TI  - An Automated Multiplexed Hepatotoxicity and CYP Induction Assay Using HepaRG
      Cells in 2D and 3D.
AB  - Drug-induced liver injury (DILI) and drug-drug interactions (DDIs) are concerns
      when developing safe and efficacious compounds. We have developed an automated
      multiplex assay to detect hepatotoxicity (i.e., ATP depletion) and metabolism
      (i.e., cytochrome P450 1A [CYP1A] and cytochrome P450 3A4 [CYP3A4] enzyme
      activity) in two-dimensional (2D) and three-dimensional (3D) cell cultures.
      HepaRG cells were cultured in our proprietary micromold plates and produced
      spheroids. HepaRG cells, in 2D or 3D, expressed liver-specific proteins
      throughout the culture period, although 3D cultures consistently exhibited higher
      albumin secretion and CYP1A/CYP3A4 enzyme activity than 2D cultures. Once the
      spheroid hepatic quality was assessed, 2D and 3D HepaRGs were challenged to a
      panel of DILI- and CYP-inducing compounds for 7 days. The 3D HepaRG model had a
      70% sensitivity to liver toxins at 7 days, while the 2D model had a 60%
      sensitivity. In both the 2D and 3D HepaRG models, 83% of compounds were predicted
      to be CYP inducers after 7 days of compound exposure. Combined, our results
      demonstrate that an automated multiplexed liver spheroid system is a promising
      cell-based method to evaluate DILI and DDI for early-stage drug discovery.

PMID- 28346808
TI  - Patient-Reported Outcomes 1 Year After Immediate Breast Reconstruction: Results
      of the Mastectomy Reconstruction Outcomes Consortium Study.
AB  - Purpose The goals of immediate postmastectomy breast reconstruction are to
      minimize deformity and optimize quality of life as perceived by patients. We
      prospectively evaluated patient-reported outcomes (PROs) in women undergoing
      immediate implant-based or autologous reconstruction. Methods Women undergoing
      immediate postmastectomy reconstruction for invasive cancer and/or carcinoma in
      situ were enrolled at 11 sites. Women underwent implant-based or autologous
      tissue reconstruction. Patients completed the BREAST-Q, a condition-specific PRO
      measure for breast surgery patients, and Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement
      Information System-29, a generic PRO measure, before and 1 year after surgery.
      Mean changes in PRO scores were summarized. Mixed-effects regression models were
      used to compare PRO scores across procedure types. Results In total, 1,632
      patients (n = 1,139 implant, n = 493 autologous) were included; 1,183 (72.5%)
      responded to 1-year questionnaires. After analysis was controlled for baseline
      values, patients who underwent autologous reconstruction had greater satisfaction
      with their breasts than those who underwent implant-based reconstruction
      (difference, 6.3; P < .001), greater sexual well-being (difference, 4.5; P =
      .003), and greater psychosocial well-being (difference, 3.7; P = .02) at 1 year.
      Patients in the autologous reconstruction group had improved satisfaction with
      breasts (difference, 8.0; P = .002) and psychosocial well-being (difference, 4.6;
      P = .047) compared with preoperative baseline. Physical well-being of the chest
      was not fully restored in either the implant group (difference, -3.8; P = .001)
      or autologous group (-2.2; P = .04), nor was physical well-being of the abdomen
      in patients who underwent autologous reconstruction (-13.4; P < .001). Anxiety
      and depression were mitigated at 1 year in both groups. Compared with their
      baseline reports, patients who underwent implant reconstruction had decreased
      fatigue (difference, -1.4; P = .035), whereas patients who underwent autologous
      reconstruction had increased pain interference (difference, 2.0; P = .006).
      Conclusion At 1 year after mastectomy, patients who underwent autologous
      reconstruction were more satisfied with their breasts and had greater
      psychosocial and sexual well-being than those who underwent implant
      reconstruction. Although satisfaction with breasts was equal to or greater than
      baseline levels, physical well-being was not fully restored. This information can
      help patients better understand expected outcomes and may guide innovations to
      improve outcomes.

PMID- 28346809
TI  - MALAT1 promotes osteosarcoma development by regulation of HMGB1 via miR-142-3p
      and miR-129-5p.
AB  - Recently, emerging evidence has demonstrated that metastasis-associated lung
      adenocarcinoma transcript 1 (MALAT1), a long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs),
      contributes to the initiation and development of tumors, including osteosarcoma
      (OS). Multiple studies have suggested an oncogenic role of MALAT1 and high
      mobility group protein B1 (HMGB1) in OS tumorigenesis and metastasis, but the
      effects and mechanisms are not unanimous. Here, we showed that MALAT1 and HMGB1
      were significantly increased in human OS cell lines and knockdown of MALAT1
      reduced HMGB1 expression. By using online tools, we screen out 2 candidate
      miRNAs, miR-142-3p and miR-129-5p which may be associated with both MALAT1 and
      HMGB1. Luciferase reporter assay revealed a direct interaction between the 2
      miRNAs and MALAT1, respectively, via a putative binding site within MALAT1.
      Meanwhile, both the 2 miRNAs could bind to HMGB1 3'-untranslated region (3'-UTR)
      and regulate HMGB1 expression. Moreover, knockdown of MALAT1 decreased HMGB1
      expression, inhibited OS cell growth and promoted apoptosis, while miR-142-3p and
      miR-129-5p inhibitor partly restored the inhibitory effect of MALAT1 knockdown on
      HMGB1 expression, OS cell growth and the promotion of apoptosis. In OS tissues,
      the expression of MALAT1 and HMGB1 was upregulated while the expression of miR
      142-3p and miR-129-5p was downregulated. Together, our results support a
      MALAT1/miR-142-3p/miR-129-5p/HMGB1 axis in OS cell proliferation and tumor
      progression. MALAT1 promoted OS cell growth through inhibition of miR-142-3p or
      miR-129-5p and by targeting HMGB1.

PMID- 28346811
TI  - Improved Soluble ScFv ELISA Screening Approach for Antibody Discovery Using Phage
      Display Technology.
AB  - Phage display technology (PDT) is a powerful tool for the isolation of
      recombinant antibody (Ab) fragments. Using PDT, target molecule-specific phage-Ab
      clones are enriched through the "biopanning" process. The individual specific
      binders are screened by the monoclonal scFv enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay
      (ELISA) that may associate with inevitable false-negative results. Thus, in this
      study, three strategies were investigated for optimization of the scFvs screening
      using Tomlinson I and J libraries, including (1) optimizing the expression of
      functional scFvs, (2) improving the sensitivity of ELISA, and (3) preparing
      different samples containing scFvs. The expression of all scFv Abs was
      significantly enhanced when scFv clones were cultivated in the terrific broth
      (TB) medium at the optimum temperature of 30  degrees C. The protein A-conjugated
      with horseradish peroxidase (HRP) was found to be a well-suited reagent for the
      detection of Ag-bound scFvs in comparison with either anti-c-myc Ab or the mixing
      procedure. Based on our findings, it seems there is no universal media supplement
      for an improved expression of all scFvs derived from both Tomlinson I and J
      libraries. We thus propose that expression of scFv fragments in a microplate
      scale is largely dependent on a variety of parameters, in particular the scFv
      clones and relevant sequences.

PMID- 28346812
TI  - Identification of a Novel Benzimidazole Pyrazolone Scaffold That Inhibits KDM4
      Lysine Demethylases and Reduces Proliferation of Prostate Cancer Cells.
AB  - Human lysine demethylase (KDM) enzymes (KDM1-7) constitute an emerging class of
      therapeutic targets, with activities that support growth and development of
      metastatic disease. By interacting with and co-activating the androgen receptor,
      the KDM4 subfamily (KDM4A-E) promotes aggressive phenotypes of prostate cancer
      (PCa). Knockdown of KDM4 expression or inhibition of KDM4 enzyme activity reduces
      the proliferation of PCa cell lines and highlights inhibition of lysine
      demethylation as a possible therapeutic method for PCa treatment. To address this
      possibility, we screened the ChemBioNet small molecule library for inhibitors of
      the human KDM4E isoform and identified several compounds with IC50 values in the
      low micromolar range. Two hits, validated as active by an orthogonal enzyme
      linked immunosorbent assay, displayed moderate selectivity toward the KDM4
      subfamily and exhibited antiproliferative effects in cellular models of PCa.
      These compounds were further characterized by their ability to maintain the
      transcriptionally silent histone H3 tri-methyl K9 epigenetic mark at subcytotoxic
      concentrations. Taken together, these efforts identify and validate a
      hydroxyquinoline scaffold and a novel benzimidazole pyrazolone scaffold as
      tractable for entry into hit-to-lead chemical optimization campaigns.

PMID- 28346813
TI  - Protein Supplementation Does Not Affect Myogenic Adaptations to Resistance
      Training.
AB  - : It has been proposed that protein supplementation during resistance exercise
      training enhances muscle hypertrophy. The degree of hypertrophy during training
      is controlled in part through the activation of satellite cells and myonuclear
      accretion. PURPOSE: This study aimed to determine the efficacy of protein
      supplementation (and the type of protein) during traditional resistance training
      on myofiber cross-sectional area, satellite cell content, and myonuclear
      addition. METHODS: Healthy young men participated in supervised whole-body
      progressive resistance training 3 d.wk for 12 wk. Participants were randomized to
      one of three groups ingesting a daily 22-g macronutrient dose of soy-dairy
      protein blend (PB, n = 22), whey protein isolate (WP, n = 15), or an isocaloric
      maltodextrin placebo (MDP, n = 17). Lean mass, vastus lateralis myofiber-type
      specific cross-sectional area, satellite cell content, and myonuclear addition
      were assessed before and after resistance training. RESULTS: PB and the pooled
      protein treatments (PB + WP = PRO) exhibited a greater whole-body lean mass
      %change compared with MDP (P = 0.057 for PB) and (P = 0.050 for PRO),
      respectively. All treatments demonstrated similar leg muscle hypertrophy and
      vastus lateralis myofiber-type-specific cross-sectional area (P < 0.05).
      Increases in myosin heavy chain I and II myofiber satellite cell content and
      myonuclei content were also detected after exercise training (P < 0.05).
      CONCLUSION: Protein supplementation during resistance training has a modest
      effect on whole-body lean mass as compared with exercise training without protein
      supplementation, and there was no effect on any outcome between protein
      supplement types (blend vs whey). However, protein supplementation did not
      enhance resistance exercise-induced increases in myofiber hypertrophy, satellite
      cell content, or myonuclear addition in young healthy men. We propose that as
      long as protein intake is adequate during muscle overload, the adaptations in
      muscle growth and function will not be influenced by protein supplementation.

PMID- 28346814
TI  - Nicotinamide riboside, a form of vitamin B3 and NAD+ precursor, relieves the
      nociceptive and aversive dimensions of paclitaxel-induced peripheral neuropathy
      in female rats.
AB  - Injury to sensory afferents may contribute to the peripheral neuropathies that
      develop after administration of chemotherapeutic agents. Manipulations that
      increase levels of nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD) can protect against
      neuronal injury. This study examined whether nicotinamide riboside (NR), a third
      form of vitamin B3 and precursor of NAD, diminishes tactile hypersensitivity and
      place escape-avoidance behaviors in a rodent model of paclitaxel-induced
      peripheral neuropathy. Female Sprague-Dawley rats received 3 intravenous
      injections of 6.6 mg/kg paclitaxel over 5 days. Daily oral administration of 200
      mg/kg NR beginning 7 days before paclitaxel treatment and continuing for another
      24 days prevented the development of tactile hypersensitivity and blunted place
      escape-avoidance behaviors. These effects were sustained after a 2-week washout
      period. This dose of NR increased blood levels of NAD by 50%, did not interfere
      with the myelosuppressive effects of paclitaxel, and did not produce adverse
      locomotor effects. Treatment with 200 mg/kg NR for 3 weeks after paclitaxel
      reversed the well-established tactile hypersensitivity in a subset of rats and
      blunted escape-avoidance behaviors. Pretreatment with 100 mg/kg oral acetyl-L
      carnitine (ALCAR) did not prevent paclitaxel-induced tactile hypersensitivity or
      blunt escape-avoidance behaviors. ALCAR by itself produced tactile
      hypersensitivity. These findings suggest that agents that increase NAD, a
      critical cofactor for mitochondrial oxidative phosphorylation systems and
      cellular redox systems involved with fuel utilization and energy metabolism,
      represent a novel therapeutic approach for relief of chemotherapy-induced
      peripheral neuropathies. Because NR is a vitamin B3 precursor of NAD and a
      nutritional supplement, clinical tests of this hypothesis may be accelerated.

PMID- 28346815
TI  - Improvement of identification methods for honeybee specific Lactic Acid Bacteria;
      future approaches.
AB  - Honeybees face many parasites and pathogens and consequently rely on a diverse
      set of individual and group-level defenses to prevent disease. The crop
      microbiota of Apis mellifera, composed of 13 Lactic Acid Bacterial (LAB) species
      within the genera Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium, form a beneficial symbiotic
      relationship with each other and the honeybee to protect their niche and their
      host. Possibly playing a vital role in honeybee health, it is important that
      these honeybee specific Lactic Acid Bacterial (hbs-LAB) symbionts can be
      correctly identified, isolated and cultured, to further investigate their health
      promoting properties. We have previously reported successful identification to
      the strain level by culture-dependent methods and we recently sequenced and
      annotated the genomes of the 13 hbs-LAB. However, the hitherto applied techniques
      are unfortunately very time consuming, expensive and not ideal when analyzing a
      vast quantity of samples. In addition, other researchers have constantly failed
      to identify the 13 hbs-LAB from honeybee samples by using inadequate media and/or
      molecular techniques based on 16S rRNA gene sequencing with insufficient
      discriminatory power. The aim of this study was to develop better and more
      suitable methods for the identification and cultivation of hbs-LAB. We compared
      currently used bacterial cultivation media and could for the first time
      demonstrate a significant variation in the hbs-LAB basic requirements for optimal
      growth. We also present a new bacterial identification approach based on amplicon
      sequencing of a region of the 16S rRNA gene using the Illumina platform and an
      error correction software that can be used to successfully differentiate and
      rapidly identify the 13 hbs-LAB to the strain level.

PMID- 28346816
TI  - Child-Adult Differences in Using Dual-Task Paradigms to Measure Listening Effort.
AB  - Purpose: The purpose of the project was to investigate the effects modifying the
      secondary task in a dual-task paradigm to measure objective listening effort. To
      be specific, the complexity and depth of processing were increased relative to a
      simple secondary task. Method: Three dual-task paradigms were developed for
      school-age children. The primary task was word recognition. The secondary task
      was a physical response to a visual probe (simple task), a physical response to a
      complex probe (increased complexity), or word categorization (increased depth of
      processing). Sixteen adults (22-32 years, M = 25.4) and 22 children (9-17 years,
      M = 13.2) were tested using the 3 paradigms in quiet and noise. Results: For both
      groups, manipulations of the secondary task did not affect word recognition
      performance. For adults, increasing depth of processing increased the calculated
      effect of noise; however, for children, results with the deep secondary task were
      the least stable. Conclusions: Manipulations of the secondary task differentially
      affected adults and children. Consistent with previous findings, increased depth
      of processing enhanced paradigm sensitivity for adults. However, younger
      participants were more likely to demonstrate the expected effects of noise on
      listening effort using a secondary task that did not require deep processing.

PMID- 28346818
TI  - Regulation of low temperature stress in plants by microRNAs.
AB  - Low temperature is one of the most common environmental stresses that seriously
      affect the growth and development of plants. However, plants have the plasticity
      in their defence mechanisms enabling them to tolerate and, sometimes, even
      survive adverse environmental conditions. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are small non-coding
      RNAs, approximately 18-24 nucleotides in length, and are being increasingly
      recognized as regulators of gene expression at the post-transcriptional level and
      have the ability to influence a broad range of biological processes. There is
      growing evidence in the literature that reprogramming of gene expression mediated
      through miRNAs is a major defence mechanism in plants enabling them to respond to
      stresses. To date, numerous studies have established the importance of miRNA
      based regulation of gene expression under low temperature stress. Individual
      miRNAs can modulate the expression of multiple mRNA targets, and, therefore, the
      manipulation of a single miRNA has the potential to affect multiple biological
      processes. Numerous functional studies have attempted to identify the miRNA
      target interactions and have elaborated the role of several miRNAs in cold-stress
      regulation. This review summarizes the current understanding of miRNA-mediated
      modulation of the expression of key genes as well as genetic and regulatory
      pathways, involved in low temperature stress responses in plants.

PMID- 28346817
TI  - The psychosocial work environment is associated with risk of stroke at working
      age.
AB  - Objective The aim of this study was to explore the relation between the risk of
      first-ever stroke at working age and psychological work environmental factors.
      Methods A consecutive multicenter matched 1:2 case-control study of acute stroke
      cases (N=198, age 30-65 years) who had been working full-time at the time of
      their stroke and 396 sex- and age-matched controls. Stroke cases and controls
      answered questionnaires on their psychosocial situation during the previous 12
      months. The psychosocial work environment was assessed using three different
      measures: the job-control-demand model, the effort-reward imbalance (ERI) score,
      and exposures to conflict at work. Results Among 198 stroke cases and 396
      controls, job strain [odds ratio (OR) 1.30, 95% confidence interval (95% CI) 1.05
      1.62], ERI (OR 1.28, 95% CI 1.01-1.62), and conflict at work (OR 1.75, 95% CI
      1.07-2.88) were independent risk factors of stroke in multivariable regression
      models. Conclusions Adverse psychosocial working conditions during the past 12
      months were more frequently observed among stroke cases. Since these factors are
      presumably modifiable, interventional studies targeting job strain and emotional
      work environment are warranted.

PMID- 28346819
TI  - Parametric overdispersed frailty models for current status data.
AB  - Frailty models have a prominent place in survival analysis to model univariate
      and multivariate time-to-event data, often complicated by the presence of
      different types of censoring. In recent years, frailty modeling gained popularity
      in infectious disease epidemiology to quantify unobserved heterogeneity using
      Type I interval-censored serological data or current status data. In a
      multivariate setting, frailty models prove useful to assess the association
      between infection times related to multiple distinct infections acquired by the
      same individual. In addition to dependence among individual infection times,
      overdispersion can arise when the observed variability in the data exceeds the
      one implied by the model. In this article, we discuss parametric overdispersed
      frailty models for time-to-event data under Type I interval-censoring, building
      upon the work by Molenberghs et al. (2010) and Hens et al. (2009). The proposed
      methodology is illustrated using bivariate serological data on hepatitis A and B
      from Flanders, Belgium anno 1993-1994. Furthermore, the relationship between
      individual heterogeneity and overdispersion at a stratum-specific level is
      studied through simulations. Although it is important to account for
      overdispersion, one should be cautious when modeling both individual
      heterogeneity and overdispersion based on current status data as model selection
      is hampered by the loss of information due to censoring.

PMID- 28346820
TI  - Blastomyces dermatitidis serine protease dipeptidyl peptidase IVA (DppIVA)
      cleaves ELR+ CXC chemokines altering their effects on neutrophils.
AB  - Blastomycosis elicits a pyogranulomatous inflammatory response that involves a
      prominent recruitment of neutrophils to the site of infection. Although
      neutrophils are efficiently recruited to the site of infection, this event is
      paradoxically coupled with the host's inability to control infection by
      Blastomyces dermatitidis, the causative agent. The mechanisms underlying this
      characteristic pyogranulomatous response and inability of neutrophils to kill the
      yeast are poorly understood. We recently reported that the fungal protease
      dipeptidyl peptidase IVA (DppIVA) promotes B. dermatitidis virulence by cleaving
      a dipeptide from the N-terminus of C-C chemokines and granulocyte/macrophage
      colony stimulating factor, thereby inactivating them. Herein, we present evidence
      that DppIVA can also truncate the N-terminus of members of the ELR+ CXC chemokine
      family, which are known to modulate neutrophil function. We show that the DppIVA
      cleaved form of human (h) CXCL-2, for example, hCXCL-2 (3-73), is a more potent
      neutrophil chemoattractant than its intact counterpart, but hCXCL-2 (3-73) is
      conversely impaired in its ability to prime the reactive oxygen species response
      of neutrophils. Thus, DppIVA action on ELR+ CXC chemokines may promote the
      pyogranulomatous response that is typical of blastomycosis, while also explaining
      the inability of neutrophils to control infection.

PMID- 28346822
TI  - Sensitivity analysis for matched pair analysis of binary data: From worst case to
      average case analysis.
AB  - In matched observational studies where treatment assignment is not randomized,
      sensitivity analysis helps investigators determine how sensitive their estimated
      treatment effect is to some unmeasured confounder. The standard approach
      calibrates the sensitivity analysis according to the worst case bias in a pair.
      This approach will result in a conservative sensitivity analysis if the worst
      case bias does not hold in every pair. In this paper, we show that for binary
      data, the standard approach can be calibrated in terms of the average bias in a
      pair rather than worst case bias. When the worst case bias and average bias
      differ, the average bias interpretation results in a less conservative
      sensitivity analysis and more power. In many studies, the average case
      calibration may also carry a more natural interpretation than the worst case
      calibration and may also allow researchers to incorporate additional data to
      establish an empirical basis with which to calibrate a sensitivity analysis. We
      illustrate this with a study of the effects of cellphone use on the incidence of
      automobile accidents. Finally, we extend the average case calibration to the
      sensitivity analysis of confidence intervals for attributable effects.

PMID- 28346823
TI  - Design and monitoring of multi-arm multi-stage clinical trials.
AB  - Two-arm group sequential designs have been widely used for over 40 years,
      especially for studies with mortality endpoints. The natural generalization of
      such designs to trials with multiple treatment arms and a common control (MAMS
      designs) has, however, been implemented rarely. While the statistical methodology
      for this extension is clear, the main limitation has been an efficient way to
      perform the computations. Past efforts were hampered by algorithms that were
      computationally explosive. With the increasing interest in adaptive designs,
      platform designs, and other innovative designs that involve multiple comparisons
      over multiple stages, the importance of MAMS designs is growing rapidly. This
      article provides break-through algorithms that can compute MAMS boundaries
      rapidly thereby making such designs practical. For designs with efficacy-only
      boundaries the computational effort increases linearly with number of arms and
      number of stages. For designs with both efficacy and futility boundaries the
      computational effort doubles with successive increases in number of stages.

PMID- 28346821
TI  - Structure-Activity Relationships on Cinnamoyl Derivatives as Inhibitors of p300
      Histone Acetyltransferase.
AB  - Human p300 is a polyhedric transcriptional coactivator that plays a crucial role
      in acetylating histones on specific lysine residues. A great deal of evidence
      shows that p300 is involved in several diseases, including leukemia, tumors, and
      viral infection. Its involvement in pleiotropic biological roles and connections
      to diseases provide the rationale to determine how its modulation could represent
      an amenable drug target. Several p300 inhibitors (i.e., histone acetyltransferase
      inhibitors, HATis) have been described so far, but they all suffer from low
      potency, lack of specificity, or low cell permeability, which thus highlights the
      need to find more effective inhibitors. Our cinnamoyl derivative, 2,6-bis(3-bromo
      4-hydroxybenzylidene)cyclohexanone (RC56), was identified as an active and
      selective p300 inhibitor and was proven to be a good hit candidate to investigate
      the structure-activity relationship toward p300. Herein, we describe the design,
      synthesis, and biological evaluation of new HATis structurally related to our
      hit; moreover, we investigate the interactions between p300 and the best-emerged
      hits by means of induced-fit docking and molecular-dynamics simulations, which
      provided insight into the peculiar chemical features that influence their
      activity toward the targeted enzyme.

PMID- 28346825
TI  - Fabrication of NiCo2-Anchored Graphene Nanosheets by Liquid-Phase Exfoliation for
      Excellent Microwave Absorbers.
AB  - Graphene nanosheets (GNSs) were prepared by an efficient liquid-phase exfoliation
      method, and then the NiCo2/GNS nanohybrids were fabricated using the single-mode
      microwave-assisted hydrothermal technique. The NiCo2/GNS composites with
      different GNS proportions were investigated as microwave absorbers. Morphology
      investigation suggested that NiCo2 nanocrystals were uniformly anchored on the
      GNS without aggregation. The electromagnetic parameters of NiCo2/GNS nanohybrids
      could be artificially adjusted by changing the GNS proportion, which led to an
      exceptional microwave-absorbing performance. A reflection loss (RL) exceeding -20
      dB was obtained in the frequency range of 5.3-16.4 GHz for the absorber
      thicknesses of 1.2-3.2 mm, while an optimal RL of -30 dB was achieved at 11.7 GHz
      for a thickness of 1.6 mm. The enhanced microwave-absorbing performance indicated
      that the NiCo2/10 wt % GNS composite has great potential for use as an excellent
      microwave absorber.

PMID- 28346824
TI  - Weighted pseudolikelihood for SNP set analysis with multiple secondary outcomes
      in case-control genetic association studies.
AB  - We propose a weighted pseudolikelihood method for analyzing the association of a
      SNP set, example, SNPs in a gene or a genetic pathway or network, with multiple
      secondary phenotypes in case-control genetic association studies. To boost
      analysis power, we assume that the SNP-specific effects are shared across all
      secondary phenotypes using a scaled mean model. We estimate regression parameters
      using Inverse Probability Weighted (IPW) estimating equations obtained from the
      weighted pseudolikelihood, which accounts for case-control sampling to prevent
      potential ascertainment bias. To test the effect of a SNP set, we propose a
      weighted variance component pseudo-score test. We also propose a penalized IPW
      pseudolikelihood method for selecting a subset of SNPs that are associated with
      the multiple secondary phenotypes. We show that the proposed variable selection
      procedure has the oracle properties and is robust to misspecification of the
      correlation structure among secondary phenotypes. We select the tuning parameter
      using a weighted Bayesian Information-like Criterion (wBIC). We evaluate the
      finite sample performance of the proposed methods via simulations, and illustrate
      the methods by the analysis of the multiple secondary smoking behavior outcomes
      in a lung cancer case-control genetic association study.

PMID- 28346826
TI  - Imaging Successive Intermediate States of the On-Surface Ullmann Reaction on
      Cu(111): Role of the Metal Coordination.
AB  - The in-depth knowledge about on-surface reaction mechanisms is crucial for the
      tailor-made design of covalently bonded organic frameworks, for applications such
      as nanoelectronic or -optical devices. Latest developments in atomic force
      microscopy, which rely on functionalizing the tip with single CO molecules at low
      temperatures, allow to image molecular systems with submolecular resolution.
      Here, we are using this technique to study the complete reaction pathway of the
      on-surface Ullmann-type coupling between bromotriphenylene molecules on a Cu(111)
      surface. All steps of the Ullmann reaction, i.e., bromotriphenylenes,
      triphenylene radicals, organometallic intermediates, and bistriphenylenes, were
      imaged with submolecular resolution. Together with density functional theory
      calculations with dispersion correction, our study allows to address the long
      standing question of how the organometallic intermediates are coordinated via Cu
      surface or adatoms.

PMID- 28346827
TI  - Effects of Cerium Oxide and Ferrocene Nanoparticles Addition As Fuel-Borne
      Catalysts on Diesel Engine Particulate Emissions: Environmental and Health
      Implications.
AB  - This study systematically examined the potential impacts of doping CeO2 and
      Fe(C5H5)2 nanoparticles as fuel-borne catalysts (FBCs) to ultralow sulfur diesel
      (ULSD) fuel on the physical, chemical and toxicological characteristics of diesel
      particulate matter (DPM). The FBCs-doped fuels are effective in promoting soot
      oxidation and reducing the DPM mass emissions, but lead to a significant increase
      in the total particle counts due to the formation of self-nucleated metallic
      nanoparticles. Compared to undoped ULSD, the FBCs-doped fuels result in higher
      concentrations of particle-phase polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and n
      alkanes, higher fractions of organic carbon (OC) and water-soluble organic carbon
      (WSOC) in particles, show slight alterations in soot nanostructure, reduce soot
      ignition temperature and activation energy. Exposure of the human-type II cell
      alveolar epithelial cells (A549) to DPM derived from FBCs-doped fuels shows a
      decrease in cell viability and alterations in the global gene expression with a
      broad range of biochemical pathways. The overall variations in DPM
      characteristics are mainly caused by the catalytic combustion process, and are
      related to the type, properties and contents of FBCs used in diesel fuel as well
      as the engine operating conditions. Environmental and health implications of the
      study are highlighted.

PMID- 28346828
TI  - Chemical Transformation of Colloidal Nanostructures with Morphological
      Preservation by Surface-Protection with Capping Ligands.
AB  - When nanocrystals are made to undergo chemical transformations, there are often
      accompanying large mechanical deformations and changes to overall particle
      morphology. These effects can constrain development of multistep synthetic
      methods through loss of well-defined particle morphology and functionality. Here,
      we demonstrate a surface protection strategy for solution phase chemical
      conversion of colloidal nanostructures that allows for preservation of overall
      particle morphology despite large volume changes. Specifically, via stabilization
      with strong coordinating capping ligands, we demonstrate the effectiveness of
      this method by transforming beta-FeOOH nanorods into magnetic Fe3O4 nanorods,
      which are known to be difficult to produce directly. The surface-protected
      conversion strategy is believed to represent a general self-templating method for
      nanocrystal synthesis, as confirmed by applying it to the chemical conversion of
      nanostructures of other morphologies (spheres, rods, cubes, and plates) and
      compositions (hydroxides, oxides, and metal organic frameworks).

PMID- 28346829
TI  - Polymorphisms in the Glucocorticoid Receptor Gene and Associations with
      Glucocorticoid-Induced Avascular Osteonecrosis of the Femoral Head.
AB  - AIMS: Individual sensitivity to glucocorticoid (GC) therapy might play a pivotal
      role in the development of GC-induced avascular necrosis of the femoral head
      (GANFH). In a growing number of studies, common polymorphisms of the
      glucocorticoid receptor gene (nuclear receptor subfamily 3 group C member 1
      [NR3C1]) have been associated with variability in the individual sensitivity to
      GCs. However, whether the NR3C1 gene polymorphisms actually influence the
      susceptibility of GANFH remains unknown. METHODS: In this study, we report the
      findings of a case-control study to investigate the role of the NR3C1 gene single
      nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in GANFH susceptibility among 78 GANFH patients
      (GCs sensitive) and 115 GC-resistant controls. RESULTS: Our results found no
      significant associations between the SNPs N363S, Tth111I, BclI, ER22/23EK, and
      A3669G with GANFH susceptibility. The G allele frequency, both homozygous and
      heterozygous, of SNP BclI was significantly different between control and GANFH
      combined with osteopenia subgroups (odds ratios [OR] = 1.81; 95% confidence
      intervals [CI] = 1.05-3.10; OR = 2.04; 95% CI = 1.03-4.07, respectively).
      CONCLUSIONS: Most of these common SNPs in the NR3C1 gene likely do not play
      critical roles in the susceptibility of GANFH. However, the G allele at the SNP
      Bcll, irrespective of dosage, may increase risk for the development of GANFH
      combined with osteopenia in the Chinese population.

PMID- 28346830
TI  - Synergetic Neuroprotective Effect of Docosahexaenoic Acid and Aspirin in SH-Y5Y
      by Inhibiting miR-21 and Activating RXRalpha and PPARalpha.
AB  - Parkinson's disease (PD) is a serious neurodegenerative disorder that lacks
      effective therapeutic methods. In this research, expressions of PPARalpha,
      RXRalpha, and miR-21 were evaluated in PD patients and normal controls. To
      investigate the effects of miR-21, docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) and aspirin (ASA)
      on PD, as well as the relationships between them, SH-Y5Y cells were treated with
      DHA, ASA, or both for 24 h. The assay showed that levels of miR-21 were increased
      and levels of PPARalpha were decreased in PD patients compared with normal
      controls. miR-21 was negatively correlated with PPARalpha in PD patients. DHA and
      ASA could activate RXRalpha and PPARalpha, respectively. Additionally, DHA
      upregulated PPARalpha expression by inhibiting miR-21 in SH-Y5Y cells. A
      combination of DHA and ASA efficiently enhanced heterodimer formations of
      PPARalpha and RXRalpha and increased the expression of neurotrophic factors PSD
      95, brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), and glial cell-derived neurotrophic
      factor (GDNF), while inhibiting NFkappaB and COX2. These findings suggest that a
      combination of DHA and ASA could significantly improve the expression of PSD-95,
      BDNF, and GDNF by promoting heterodimerization of PPARalpha and RXRalpha, thus
      supplying a new therapeutic method for PD.

PMID- 28346831
TI  - Anxiety and Depression as Longitudinal Predictors of Mild Cognitive Impairment in
      Older Adults.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: Few studies have dealt with the potential correlation between
      anxiety, depression, and cognitive impairment in community-dwelling older adults.
      METHOD: This longitudinal study was conducted in the city of Montreal, Canada,
      with 352 older adults aged 55 years or more. The participants were interviewed at
      baseline and again 2 years later. The Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) score
      was estimated and compared between the 2 time points, the Composite International
      Diagnostic Interview (CIDI) was used to assess major depression and anxiety, and
      the K10 measured high psychological distress. Likewise, major depression, anxiety
      disorders, and psychological distress were evaluated at the 2 study time points.
      RESULTS: In older adults with a diagnosis of depression or anxiety at baseline,
      no significant reduction in the MoCA score indicating deterioration in cognitive
      function was found 2 years later. Nevertheless, in individuals with a high level
      of psychological distress at baseline, there was a significant reduction in MoCA
      scores 2 years later, indicating deterioration in cognition. The findings of the
      present study suggest that a high level of psychological distress in addition to
      environmental factors may constitute important predictors for cognitive health.

PMID- 28346833
TI  - Arthroscopic Hip Surgery in the Elite Athlete: Comparison of Female and Male
      Competitive Athletes.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Few studies have published the results of hip arthroscopic surgery in
      elite athletes and none studying a significant number of elite female athletes.
      PURPOSE: (1) To compare sex-based differences in the ability to return to prior
      competitive sports activity after arthroscopic hip surgery. (2) To compare sex
      based differences in the type of sports activity, diagnosis, and treatment in
      athletes requiring hip arthroscopic surgery. STUDY DESIGN: Cohort study; Level of
      evidence, 3. METHODS: Data on all elite athletes who underwent primary hip
      arthroscopic surgery between 2007 and 2014 were included. Athletes with a Hip
      Sports Activity Scale (HSAS) score of over 6 were identified. The preoperative
      evaluation included a medical history, history of sports activity, and hip
      specific outcome scores (Modified Harris Hip Score [MHHS] and International Hip
      Outcome Tool-33 [iHOT-33]). Surgical findings and time to return to competitive
      sports were documented. RESULTS: Of 547 hips in 484 consecutive patients, 98
      elite athletes (49 female) with a mean follow-up of 18.9 +/- 12.8 months were
      identified. Eighty patients desired to return to their original competitive
      activity: 38 were female (42 hips; mean age, 21.5 +/- 3.9 years), and 42 were
      male (54 hips; mean age, 20.5 +/- 1.9 years). Moreover, 84.2% of female athletes
      and 83.3% of male athletes were able to return to the same level of competition
      at a mean of 8.3 +/- 3.0 and 8.8 +/- 2.9 months, respectively. Significant
      improvements between preoperative and postoperative outcome scores were seen in
      both groups (all P < .0001). Female athletes had more pincer femoroacetabular
      impingement (FAI) ( P = .0004) and instability ( P < .0001). Conversely, male
      athletes were diagnosed more commonly with combined FAI ( P < .0001),
      demonstrated greater acetabular cartilage damage ( P = .0004), and required
      microfracture more often ( P = .0014). Female athletes competed more frequently
      in flexibility (4/38, 11%; P = .047) and endurance (9/38, 24%) sports, while male
      athletes participated in cutting (14/42, 33%), contact (6/42, 14%), and
      asymmetric (13/42, 31%) sports more often. Patients who returned to their
      baseline level of competition had a shorter duration of symptoms preoperatively (
      P = .001). Microfracture status did not affect the ability to return to sports.
      CONCLUSION: Female and male elite athletes were able to return to competitive
      sports activity at the same or higher level after hip arthroscopic surgery at a
      similar rate, although their performance in sports was not measured. Distinct
      differences in the diagnosis, treatment, and type of sports activity between
      sexes were seen. The duration of symptoms negatively correlated with outcomes.
      Microfracture did not affect the return to sports.

PMID- 28346832
TI  - TCF21 rs12190287 Polymorphisms Are Associated with Ventricular Septal Defects in
      a Chinese Population.
AB  - AIMS: TCF21 knockout mice display cardiac defects, including ventricular septal
      defects (VSDs). Functional rs12190287 polymorphisms located within the 3'
      untranslated region (3'-UTR) of TCF21 were associated with a risk of coronary
      heart disease in the European and Eastern populations. However, whether
      rs12190287 polymorphisms in the TCF21-3'UTR confer predisposition to congenital
      heart disease (CHD) is unclear. METHODS: A case-control study was designed
      consisting of 781 nonsyndromic VSD patients and 867 non-CHD control subjects. The
      genotype frequency of rs12190287 polymorphisms was determined by real-time
      polymerase chain reaction. RESULTS: There were significant differences in the
      genotype and allele frequencies of rs12190287 between the cases and controls in a
      Chinese population. Allele G of rs12190287 was significantly associated with an
      increased risk of VSD in a Chinese population. CONCLUSIONS: Our results
      demonstrate that rs12190287 polymorphisms confer predisposition to VSDs in the
      Chinese population studied here.

PMID- 28346834
TI  - Outcomes of Inside-out Meniscal Repair in the Setting of Multiligament
      Reconstruction in the Knee.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Limited evidence exists for meniscal repair outcomes in a
      multiligament reconstruction setting. Purpose/Hypothesis: The purpose of this
      study was to assess outcomes and failure rates of meniscal repair in patients who
      underwent multiligament reconstruction compared with patients who underwent
      multiligament reconstruction but lacked meniscal tears. The authors hypothesized
      that the outcomes of meniscal repair associated with concomitant multiligament
      reconstruction would significantly improve from preoperatively to postoperatively
      at a minimum of 2 years after the index surgery. Secondarily, they hypothesized
      that this cohort would demonstrate similar outcomes and failure rates compared
      with the cohort that did not have meniscal lesions at the time of multiligament
      reconstruction. STUDY DESIGN: Cohort study; Level of evidence, 3. METHODS:
      Inclusion criteria for the study included radiographically confirmed skeletally
      mature patients of at least 16 years of age who underwent multiligamentous
      reconstruction of the knee without previous ipsilateral osteotomy, intra
      articular infections, or intra-articular fractures. Patients were included in the
      experimental group if they underwent inside-out meniscal suture repair with
      concurrent multiligament reconstruction. Those included in the control group
      (multiligament reconstruction without a meniscal tear) underwent multiligament
      reconstruction but did not undergo any type of meniscal surgery. Lysholm, Western
      Ontario and McMaster Universities Osteoarthritis Index, Short Form-12 physical
      component summary and mental component summary, Tegner activity scale, and
      patient satisfaction scores were recorded preoperatively and postoperatively. The
      failure of meniscal repair was defined as a retear of the meniscus that was
      confirmed arthroscopically. RESULTS: There were 43 patients (16 female, 27 male)
      in the meniscal repair group and 62 patients (25 female, 37 male) in the control
      group. Follow-up was obtained in 93% of patients with a mean of 3.0 years (range,
      2.0-4.7 years). There was a significant improvement between all preoperative and
      postoperative outcome scores ( P < .05) for both groups. The meniscal repair
      group had significantly lower preoperative Lysholm and Tegner scores ( P = .009
      and P = .02, respectively). There were no significant differences between any
      other outcome scores preoperatively. The failure rate of the meniscal repair
      group was 2.7%, consisting of 1 symptomatic meniscal retear. There was no
      significant difference in any postoperative outcome score at a minimum 2-year
      follow-up between the 2 groups. CONCLUSION: Good to excellent patient-reported
      outcomes were reported for both groups with no significant differences in
      outcomes between the cohorts. Additionally, the failure rate for inside-out
      meniscal repair with concomitant multiligament reconstruction was low, regardless
      of meniscus laterality and tear characteristics. The use of multiple vertical
      mattress sutures and the biological augmentation resulting from intra-articular
      cruciate ligament reconstruction tunnel reaming may be partially responsible for
      the stability of the meniscal repair construct and thereby contribute to the
      overall improved outcomes and the low failure rate of meniscal repair, despite
      lower preoperative Lysholm and Tegner scores in the meniscal repair group.

PMID- 28346838
TI  - Short Communication: HIV-1 Transmission Networks Across South Korea.
AB  - Molecular epidemiology can help clarify the properties and dynamics of HIV-1
      transmission networks in both global and regional scales. We studied 143 HIV-1
      infected individuals recruited from four medical centers of three cities in South
      Korea between April 2013 and May 2014. HIV-1 env V3 sequence data were generated
      (337-793 bp) and analyzed using a pairwise distance-based clustering approach to
      infer putative transmission networks. Participants whose viruses were <=2.0%
      divergent according to Tamura-Nei 93 genetic distance were defined as clustering.
      We collected demographic, risk, and clinical data and analyzed these data in
      relation to clustering. Among 143 participants, we identified nine putative
      transmission clusters of different sizes (range 2-4 participants). The reported
      risk factor of participants were concordant in only one network involving two
      participants, that is, both individuals reported homosexual sex as their risk
      factor. The participants in the other eight networks did not report concordant
      risk factors, although they were phylogenetically linked. About half of the
      participants refused to report their risk factor. Overall, molecular epidemiology
      provides more information to understand local transmission networks and the risks
      associated with these networks.

PMID- 28346839
TI  - Characterization of Vancomycin-Resistant Enterococcus faecalis and Enterococcus
      faecium Isolated from Fresh Produces and Human Fecal Samples.
AB  - Increased enterococcal infections in hospitals and multidrug-resistant and
      vancomycin-resistant enterococci (VRE) isolated from humans, animals, and food
      sources raised public health concern on the presence of VRE in multiple sources.
      We performed a comparative analysis of the antimicrobial resistance and genetics
      of VRE isolates derived from fresh produce and human fecal samples. Of 389
      Enterococcus isolates, 8 fecal and 3 produce isolates were resistant to
      vancomycin and teicoplanin; all harbored vanA gene. The VRE isolates showed
      multidrug-resistant properties. The isolates from fresh produce in this study
      showed to have the common shared characteristics with the isolates from humans by
      the results of antimicrobial resistance, multilocus sequence typing, and Tn 1546
      transposon analysis. Therefore, VRE isolates from fresh produce are likely
      related to VRE derived from humans. The results suggested that VRE may
      contaminate vegetables through the environment, and the contaminated vegetables
      could then act as a vehicle for human infections. Ongoing nationwide surveillance
      of antibiotic resistance and the promotion of the proper use of antibiotics are
      necessary.

PMID- 28346840
TI  - Fabrication and evaluation of Phytomenadione as a nanostructure lipid carrier for
      enhancement of bioavailability.
AB  - Owing to its limited aqueous solubility, Phytomenadione (vitamin K) undergoes a
      low bioavailability (50%) with a large inter-individual variability after oral
      administration. Therefore, the aim of this work was to incorporate vitamin K into
      nanostructure lipid carrier systems to improve its aqueous solubility and
      bioavailability. Phytomenadione was used as a liquid lipid; Precirol ATO5, and
      Compritol ATO were used as solid lipids; Labrasol and Cremophore EL as water
      soluble surfactants; Capryol 90 and Lauroglycol as lipid soluble surfactants.
      Eight formulas were prepared and characterized for their particle sizes, zeta
      potential, entrapment efficiencies, and drug release. Those formulas had particle
      sizes ranging from 25.4 to 68.3 nm. The best formula, consisting of 15%
      Phytomenadione, 45% Precirol ATO5, 30% Cremophore EL, and 10% Lauroglycol 90, was
      selected for stability study and characterized by the techniques mentioned above
      and scanning electron microscopy. It had the highest drug loading and an
      acceptable in vitro release profile (94.54% within 30 min). This formula was also
      chemically and physically stable, and it recorded a relative bioavailability of
      645.5% in rabbits compared to the commercial conventional tablet. This formula
      could be a promising carrier regarding its ease of preparation, dosage form
      versatility and enhanced bioavailability.

PMID- 28346841
TI  - Rapid and Reliable Genotyping of HLA-B*57:01 in Four Chinese Populations Using a
      Single-Tube Duplex Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction Assay.
AB  - HLA-B*57:01 is strongly associated with severe adverse drug reaction induced by
      the anti-HIV drug abacavir (ABC) and antibiotic flucloxacillin. This study was
      dedicated to establishing a new method for HLA-B*57:01 genotyping and
      investigating the HLA-B*57:01 distribution pattern in four Chinese populations. A
      single-tube duplex real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) system was
      established by combining the amplification refractory mutation system and TaqMan
      probe. The reliability of this assay was validated by comparing the genotyping
      results with those by sequence-based typing. With this assay, the distribution of
      HLA-B*57:01 in 354 blood samples from four ethnic groups, namely, Han, Tibetan,
      Uighur, and Buyei, was determined. A 100% concordance was observed between the
      results of real-time PCR and sequence-based typing in 50 Uighur samples. As low
      as 0.016 ng DNA that carried HLA-B*57:01 could be detected with this assay. HLA
      B*57:01 carriers identified in 100 Northern Han Chinese, 104 Buyeis, 100
      Tibetans, and 50 Uighurs were 0, 1 (0.96%), 3 (3%), and 6 (12%), respectively.
      The carrier rate of HLA-B*57:01 in Uighur was significantly higher than those in
      Northern Han (p = .001) and Buyei (p = .005). The newly established real-time PCR
      assay provides a rapid and reliable tool for HLA-B*57:01 allele screening before
      the prescription of ABC and flucloxacillin in clinical practice.

PMID- 28346842
TI  - Reconnecting the Body in Eastern and Western Medicine.

PMID- 28346843
TI  - Analgesic Effect of Maternal Human Milk Odor on Premature Neonates: A Randomized
      Controlled Trial.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Two studies have demonstrated an analgesic effect of maternal milk
      odor in preterm neonates, without specifying the method of olfactory stimulation.
      Research aim: This study aimed to assess the analgesic effect of maternal milk
      odor in preterm neonates by using a standardized method of olfactory stimulation.
      METHODS: This trial was prospective, randomized, controlled, double blinded, and
      centrally administered. The inclusion criteria for breastfed infants included
      being born between 30 and 36 weeks + 6 days gestational age and being less than
      10 days postnatal age. There were two groups: (a) A maternal milk odor group
      underwent a venipuncture with a diffuser emitting their own mother's milk odor
      and (2) a control group underwent a venipuncture with an odorless diffuser. The
      primary outcome was the Premature Infant Pain Profile (PIPP) score, with
      secondary outcomes being the French scale of neonatal pain-Douleur Aigue du
      Nouveau-ne (DAN) scale-and crying duration. All neonates were given a dummy.
      RESULTS: Our study included 16 neonates in the maternal milk odor group and 17 in
      the control group. Neonates exposed to their own mother's milk odor had a
      significantly lower median PIPP score during venipuncture compared with the
      control group (6.3 [interquartile range (IQR) = 5-10] versus 12.0 [IQR = 7-13], p
      = .03). There was no significant difference between the DAN scores in the two
      groups ( p = .06). Maternal milk odor significantly reduced crying duration after
      venipuncture (0 [IQR = 0-0] versus 0 [IQR = 0-18], p = .04). CONCLUSION: Maternal
      milk odor has an analgesic effect on preterm neonates.

PMID- 28346844
TI  - Inactivation of Clostridium difficile spore outgrowth by synergistic effects of
      nisin and lysozyme.
AB  - Inactivating Clostridium difficile spores is difficult, as they are resistant to
      heat, chemicals, and antimicrobials. However, this note describes inactivation of
      C. difficile spore outgrowth by incubation in a solution containing a germinant
      (1% (m/v) sodium taurocholate), co-germinants (1% (m/v) tryptose and 1% (m/v)
      NaCl), and natural antimicrobials (20 nmol.L-1 nisin and 0.2 mmol.L-1 lysozyme).
      Clostridium difficile spores were resistant to nisin and lysozyme but became
      susceptible during germination and outgrowth triggered and promoted by sodium
      taurocholate, tryptose, and NaCl. The degree of inactivation of germinated and
      outgrowing C. difficile spores by both nisin and lysozyme was greater than the
      sum of that by nisin and lysozyme individually, suggesting synergistic
      inactivation of C. difficile spores. The germinant, co-germinants, and natural
      antimicrobials used in this study are safe for human contact and consumption.
      Therefore, these findings will facilitate the development of a safe and effective
      method to inactivate C. difficile spore.

PMID- 28346845
TI  - Commentary on Kang et al.: Single-Port Laparoscopic Surgery Can Be Performed
      Safely and Appropriately for Colon Cancer: Short-Term Results of a Pilot
      Randomized Controlled Trial.

PMID- 28346846
TI  - DNA Methylation of the PDGFD Gene Promoter Increases the Risk for Intracranial
      Aneurysms and Brain Arteriovenous Malformations.
AB  - The aim of this study was to determine the role of DNA methylation of the
      platelet-derived growth factor-D (PDGFD) gene promoter in the development of
      intracranial aneurysms (IAs) and brain arteriovenous malformations (BAVMs). A
      total of 70 patients with IAs or BAVMs and 26 control individuals were enrolled
      for this study. The PDGFD level in the plasma was determined using enzyme-linked
      immunosorbent assay. DNA methylation levels of seven cytosine-phosphate-guanine
      (CpG) dinucleotides present in the PDGFD gene promoter were measured using
      bisulfite pyrosequencing technology. The plasma PDGFD levels in IA and BAVM were
      significantly lower than those in the control group (p = 0.0008 and 0.002,
      respectively). CpG1 methylation levels of the PDGFD gene promoter were
      significantly higher in IA patients (4.63 +/- 0.35, p = 0.017) than in the
      control group (3.36 +/- 0.35). CpG1 methylation of the PDGFD gene promoter in
      BAVM patients (6.00 +/- 0.86, p = 0.003) was also significantly higher than that
      in the control group, although these differences were seen in both male and
      female patients (p = 2.81E-04 and p = 0.017, respectively). In addition, CpG1
      methylation of the PDGFD promoter was associated with apolipoprotein E (APOE)
      levels in IA patients (p = 0.013). In conclusion, our study has demonstrated
      significant correlations between DNA methylation of the PDGFD gene promoter and
      the risk of developing either IA or BAVM. Furthermore, PDGFD gene promoter CpG1
      methylation shows a significant correlation with APOE in IAs. Further functional
      studies on these relationships and correlations are warranted.

PMID- 28346847
TI  - Does Acute Normobaric Hypoxia Induce Anapyrexia in Adult Humans?
AB  - Seo, Yongsuk, Hayden D. Gerhart, Jeremiah Vaughan, Jung-Hyun Kim, and Ellen L.
      Glickman. Does acute normobaric hypoxia induce anapyrexia in adult humans? High
      Alt Med Biol. 18:185-190, 2017.-Exposure to hypoxia is known to induce a
      reduction in core body temperature as a protective mechanism, which has been
      shown in both animals and humans. The purpose of this study was to test if acute
      exposure to normobaric hypoxia (NH) induces anapyrexia in adult humans in
      association with decreased peripheral oxygen saturation (SpO2). Ten healthy male
      subjects were seated in atmospheres of normobaric normoxia 21% (NN21), NH 17%
      (NH17), and 13% (NH13) O2 for 60 minutes in a counterbalanced manner. Rectal
      temperature (Tre) was continuously monitored together with the quantification of
      metabolic heat production (MHP) and body heat storage (S). Baseline physiological
      measurements showed no differences between the three conditions. SpO2 was
      significantly decreased in NH17 and NH13 compared with NN21 (p <= 0.001). Tre
      decreased following 60 minutes of resting in all conditions, but, independent of
      the conditions, showed no association between Tre and levels of hypoxic SpO2.
      There was also no significant difference in either MHP or S between conditions.
      The present results showed no evidence of hypoxia-induced anapyrexia in adult
      humans during 1 hour of resting after exposure to NH either at 13% or 17% O2.

PMID- 28346849
TI  - Clostridium perfringens Type A Isolates of Animal Origin with Decreased
      Susceptibility to Metronidazole Show Extensive Genetic Diversity.
AB  - Metronidazole (MTZ) is a first-line drug for the treatment of human infections
      caused by anaerobic bacteria. Although most Clostridium perfringens isolates are
      susceptible to metronidazole, a number of strains with decreased susceptibility
      have been obtained in clinical and environmental surveys. However, little is
      known yet about the toxinotype and genetic diversity of metronidazole-resistant
      C. perfringens strains. We tested for susceptibility to metronidazole and
      assessed the toxigenic status and amplified fragment length polymorphism (AFLP)
      diversity of a collection of 80 C. perfringens isolates of animal origin. In
      vitro susceptibility testing by the standard agar dilution technique revealed
      that 22 isolates (27.5% of total) were susceptible to metronidazole, 54 (67.5%)
      intermediate susceptible, and four (5%) resistant. All isolates belonged to
      toxinotype A, and two, 41 and 17, of them yielded a positive PCR result for
      presence of the gene encoding for enterotoxin (cpe), the consensus form of beta2
      toxin (cpb2) and the atypical form of beta2 toxin, respectively. AFLP
      fingerprinting classified isolates into 65 genotypes indicating a high molecular
      diversity among isolates in this study, and this diversity was reflected among
      isolates from each susceptibility category. In conclusion, the results of this
      study revealed extensive genetic diversity among C. perfringens type A isolates
      regardless of their susceptibility to metronidazole.

PMID- 28346848
TI  - Cardiovascular Protective Effects and Clinical Applications of Resveratrol.
AB  - Resveratrol is a naturally occurring phenol that is generated by plant species
      following injury or attack by bacterial and fungal pathogens. This compound was
      first described as the French Paradox in 1992. Later in 2003, resveratrol was
      reported to activate sirtuins in yeast cells. Recent experimental studies have
      found that resveratrol offers a variety of benefits that include both
      anticarcinogenic and anti-inflammatory effects in addition to the ability to
      reverse obesity, attenuate hyperglycemia and hyperinsulinemia, protect heart and
      endothelial function, and increase the life span. Multiple molecular targets are
      associated with the cardioprotective capabilities of resveratrol, and therefore,
      resveratrol has potential for a wide range of new therapeutic strategies for
      atherosclerosis, ischemia/reperfusion, metabolic syndrome, cardiac failure, and
      inflammatory alterations during aging. Expectations for application in human
      patients, however, suffer from a lack of sufficient clinical evidence in support
      of these beneficial effects. This article reviews recently reported basic
      research results that describe the beneficial effects of resveratrol in an
      attempt to condense the evidence observed in clinical trials and provide support
      for the future development of novel clinical therapeutics in patients with
      cardiovascular diseases.

PMID- 28346850
TI  - Risk Factors Related to Lower Limb Edema, Compression, and Physical Activity
      During Pregnancy: A Retrospective Study.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: The aim of the article was to assess risk factors and to analyze
      methods applied in the prevention and treatment of lower limb edema in pregnant
      women with a particular focus on compression therapy and exercise. MATERIALS AND
      METHODS: Fifty-four women during the early 24-hour period following delivery were
      assigned to two groups-either to a group with swellings of lower limbs during
      pregnancy, located mostly in the region of feet and lower legs (Group A, n = 42),
      or to a group without edema (Group B, n = 12). Two subgroups, namely A1 and A2,
      were additionally distinguished in Group A. Compression therapy that consisted in
      wearing circular-knit compression garments, usually at compression level 1
      (ccl1), with three cases of compression level 2 (ccl2) was applied only in Group
      A1 (n = 18 women). RESULTS: The analysis has led to a conclusion that there is a
      link between the occurrence of edema during pregnancy on the one hand and the
      pregravidity episodes of venous conditions (vascular insufficiency and
      thrombosis, p < 0.05) and the lack of physical exercise during pregnancy (p =
      0.01) on the other hand. However, interdependence between the occurrence of edema
      and the number of times a female had been pregnant, physical activity before
      gravidity, or body mass index before gravidity has not been identified. Only 33%
      of the analyzed women applied compression therapy during pregnancy; a half of
      them continued to apply compression during the postpartum period. CONCLUSIONS:
      Compression therapy in combination with proper physical exercises appears to be
      an effective means to prevent and treat venous thrombosis and lower limb edema in
      pregnant women, yet further research in line with the principles of evidence
      based medicine is required.

PMID- 28346851
TI  - Aquatic Therapy for People with Lymphedema: A Systematic Review and Meta
      analysis.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Aquatic therapy has several proposed benefits for people with
      lymphedema. A systematic review of the evidence for aquatic therapy in lymphedema
      management has not been conducted. METHOD AND RESULTS: Systematic review and meta
      analysis were conducted. Five electronic databases were searched to identify
      randomized controlled trials (RCTs) of people with lymphedema, which compared
      aquatic therapy with other lymphedema interventions. Qualitative analysis was
      undertaken where quantitative analysis was not possible. Study quality was
      assessed using physiotherapy evidence database (PEDro) scores. The strength of
      evidence was evaluated using the Grades of Recommendations Assessment,
      Development and Evaluation (GRADE) approach. Four RCTs of moderate quality
      (average PEDro score 6.5/10) were included in the review. Two studies provided
      results for inclusion in meta-analysis. There was moderate-level evidence of no
      significant short-term differences in lymphedema status (as measured by
      lymphedema relative volume) between patients who completed aqua lymphatic therapy
      (ALT) compared to land-based standard care (standardized mean difference [SMD]:
      0.14; 95% confidence interval [CI]: -0.37 to 0.64, I2 = 0%, p = 0.59); and low
      quality evidence of no significant difference between ALT and standard care for
      improving upper limb (UL) physical function (SMD -0.27, 95% CI: -0.78 to 0.23, I2
      = 0%, p = 0.29). No adverse events reported. CONCLUSIONS: Current evidence
      indicates no significant benefit of ALT over standard land-based care for
      improving lymphedema status or physical function in people with UL lymphedema.
      Patient preference should guide the choice of care to facilitate adherence.
      Further research is required to strengthen the evidence from four studies in
      people with UL lymphedema, and to establish the efficacy of this intervention in
      people with lower limb lymphedema. Review registration: PROSPERO
      (CRD42015019900).

PMID- 28346852
TI  - Preoperative Lymphedema-Related Risk Factors in Early-Stage Breast Cancer.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Prolongation of survival in patients with breast cancer due to early
      diagnosis and modern methods of treatment has turned the attention on lymphedema,
      which is the most important morbidity secondary to the treatment of the disease.
      Determination of lymphedema and related risk factors in patients before a
      surgical intervention may provide protection for patients and early treatment.
      The aim of this study was to determine the presence of lymphedema before surgery
      by bioimpedance analysis in patients with breast cancer and to establish risk
      factors associated with lymphedema. PATIENTS AND METHODS: A total of 277 patients
      who were diagnosed as having breast cancer, were planned to undergo a surgical
      intervention, and had no clinical lymphedema were included in the study. The
      presence of lymphedema was evaluated with clinical examination, measurement of
      arm circumference, and bioimpedance analysis. RESULTS: Lymphedema was found in 59
      (21.3%) patients with no detected differences in arm circumferences. A
      significant relationship was found between the presence of lymphedema and body
      mass index (BMI), number of positive lymph nodes, and capsule invasion of the
      tumor (p = 0.001, p = 0.003, p = 0.002, respectively). Multiple regression
      analysis revealed that BMI and the number of positive lymph nodes were
      independent variables (p = 0.024, p = 0.002). ROC curve analysis resulted in an
      increased risk of preoperative lymphedema when the number of positive lymph nodes
      was >=8. Correlation analysis revealed a positive correlation between the number
      of positive lymph nodes and L-dex score (p = 0.001, r = 0.219). CONCLUSION:
      Preoperative bioimpedance analysis demonstrated that ~1/5 of the patients had
      subclinical lymphedema. Preoperative subclinical lymphedema is associated with
      obesity and the number of positive lymph nodes, and thus, treatment of the axilla
      in patients who are preoperatively detected to have subclinical lymphedema should
      be revised.

PMID- 28346853
TI  - High Prevalence of Vitamin D Deficiency and Correlation of Serum Vitamin D with
      Cardiovascular Risk in Patients with Metabolic Syndrome.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Metabolic syndrome (MetS) identifies subjects with increased risk of
      cardiovascular disease when they have a combination of insulin resistance,
      obesity, hypertension, hyperglycemia, low high-density lipoprotein cholesterol
      (HDL-C), and elevated triglycerides (TGs). Increasing evidence suggests that
      vitamin D deficiency could be associated with diabetes and MetS. The aim is to
      assess if 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25-OHD) is correlated with cardiovascular risk
      components of MetS. METHODS: A cross-sectional study involved 124 diabetic
      patients with MetS according to International Diabetes Federation definition. 25
      OHD was measured using liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS).
      Fasting insulin, lipid profile, glucose, and hemoglobin-A1c (HbA1c) were
      determined using routinely standard laboratory methods. Insulin resistance was
      assessed using homeostatic model assessment (HOMA). RESULTS: 59.68% and 27.42% of
      patients have vitamin D deficiency and insufficiency, respectively. Systolic
      blood pressure (SBP) was significantly higher in patients with vitamin D
      deficiency compared to patients with sufficient vitamin D (P < 0.05). Serum log
      (25-OHD) was inversely correlated with SBP, HbA1c, low-density lipoprotein
      cholesterol (LDL-C), TGs, and total cholesterol and directly correlated with
      pancreatic beta cell function (HOMA-beta) (P < 0.05). Multiple linear regression
      analysis has shown that SBP can be predicted from log (25-OHD) (B = -9.388, P <
      0.05), while HbA1c, LDL-C, TGs, total cholesterol, and HOMA-beta cannot be
      predicted from log (25-OHD), (P > 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Vitamin D deficiency was
      very prevalent among patients with MetS. 25-OHD was inversely correlated with
      glycemic control and cardiovascular risk components of MetS except HDL-C, insulin
      resistance, and obesity. SBP was the only cardiovascular risk component that can
      be predicted from vitamin D concentrations.

PMID- 28346854
TI  - Breast Cancer-Related Lymphedema: Differentiating Fat from Fluid Using Magnetic
      Resonance Imaging Segmentation.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Lymphedema is an iatrogenic complication after breast cancer
      treatment in which lymph fluid in the affected limb progresses to fat deposition
      and fibrosis that are amenable to liposuction treatment. Magnetic resonance
      imaging (MRI) for lymphedema can differentiate fat tissue from fluid, but
      estimating relative volumes remains problematic. METHODS AND RESULTS: Patients
      underwent routine bilateral arm MRI both before and after liposuction for
      advanced lymphedema. The threshold-based level set (TLS) segmentation method was
      applied to segment the geometric image data and to measure volumes of soft tissue
      (fat, muscle, and lymph fluid) and bone. Bioimpedance testing (L-Dex(r)) to
      detect extracellular fluid was also used. Volumes derived by using TLS or girth
      measurement were evaluated and showed consistent agreement, whereas L-Dex showed
      no significant reduction between pre- and postoperative measures. The percentage
      median volume difference between the affected and unaffected sides was 132.4% for
      girth measures compared with 137.2% for TLS (p = 0.175) preoperatively, and 99.8%
      and 98.5%, respectively (p = 0.600), postoperatively. MRI segmentation detected
      reductions in fat (median 52.6%, p = 0.0163) and lymph fluid (median 66%, p =
      0.094), but the volumes of muscle and bone were relatively constant. CONCLUSIONS:
      MRI imaging with TLS technology may be a useful tool to quantitatively measure
      fat tissue and fluid for patients with advanced lymphedema and may assist in the
      selection of eligible liposuction candidates at initial assessment and follow-up
      of patients who proceed with surgery.

PMID- 28346855
TI  - TSHR/IGF-1R Cross-Talk, Not IGF-1R Stimulating Antibodies, Mediates Graves'
      Ophthalmopathy Pathogenesis.

PMID- 28346856
TI  - An Experiential Service-Learning Project on Observed Smoking Behavior to Teach
      Practical Epidemiologic Skills to MPH Students, Philadelphia, 2015.

PMID- 28346857
TI  - The Influence of Epicardial Fat and Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease on Heart
      Rate Recovery in Metabolic Syndrome.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Epicardial adipose tissues reflecting visceral fat accumulations of
      the heart are associated with metabolic syndrome (MetS) and can be a predictor of
      other cardiometabolic diseases. It can adversely influence autonomic nervous
      system (ANS) of heart. Heart rate recovery (HRR) is an easy method for measuring
      ANS dysfunction. The purpose of this study was to determine whether epicardial
      fat thickness (EFT) and nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) are related to
      HRR in patients with MetS. METHODS: We enrolled 772 consecutive patients from a
      health-screening center who underwent abdominal ultrasonography, treadmill test,
      and cardiac echocardiography. EFT using echocardiography and HRR by symptom
      limited exercise testing was assessed. According to the presence of MetS and
      NAFLD, patients were classified into the four groups. RESULTS: In NAFLD patients,
      EFT was higher and HRR was lower, especially in patients with MetS and NAFLD,
      compared to non-MetS participants without NAFLD (MetS with NAFLD, EFT 7.5 +/- 4.4
      mm, HRR 31.9 +/- 12.7; MetS without NAFLD, EFT 4.9 +/- 3.0 mm, HRR 39.5 +/- 11.1;
      non-MetS with NAFLD, EFT 5.9 +/- 3.6 mm, HRR 36.6 +/- 12.7; and non-MetS without
      NAFLD, EFT 4.4 +/- 3.5 mm, HRR 43.4 +/- 14.5, p < 0.001). Patients with severe
      liver steatosis (LS) showed significantly higher EFT than those with moderate LS
      (14.2 +/- 2.0 vs. 7.5 +/- 3.1 mm, P < 0.001), and EFT was positively correlated
      with severity of LS (r = 0.431, P < 0.001). HRR was significantly correlated with
      EFT (r = -0.386, P < 0.001) and severity of LS (r = -0.324, P < 0.001).
      CONCLUSIONS: EFT and NAFLD were significantly correlated with HRR in patients
      with MetS and they may be highly related to increased cardiovascular risk. These
      results suggest a cross-link among EFT, NAFLD, and cardiac autonomic dysfunction
      in patients with MetS.

PMID- 28346858
TI  - Circulating Soluble IL-6 Receptor Concentration and Visceral Adipocyte Size Are
      Related to Insulin Resistance in Taiwanese Adults with Morbid Obesity.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Morbid obesity is related to chronic inflammation and many metabolic
      complications. Interleukin (IL)-6 plays a pivotal pathophysiological role in
      obesity, and IL-6 trans-signaling through the soluble IL-6 receptor (sIL-6R) has
      a major proinflammatory effect. The aim of this study was to investigate the
      association between sIL-6R, adipocyte size, and insulin resistance in morbidly
      obese individuals. METHODS: We measured concentrations of sIL-6R, high
      sensitivity C-reactive protein, and lipid parameters and estimated homeostasis
      model assessment of insulin resistance (HOMA-IR) before the patients underwent
      bariatric surgery. Mesenteric adipose tissue was collected during surgery, and
      adipocyte size and concentrations of membrane-bound IL-6 receptor (mIL-6R) were
      evaluated. In total, 35 adults (20 men and 15 women) were recruited. RESULTS: The
      subjects with high HOMA-IR (>=2.4) had higher fasting glucose/insulin,
      triglycerides, sIL-6R, and adipocyte size and lower high-density lipoprotein
      cholesterol and mIL-6R than those with low HOMA-IR (<2.4). Adipocyte size
      positively correlated with sIL-6R (r = 0.559, P = 0.001) and HOMA-IR (r = 0.773,
      P <= 0.001) independent of age, gender, body mass index (BMI), waist, and use of
      diabetic drugs. In addition, every 1 ng/mL increase in sIL-6R concentration
      corresponded to a 10.2% decrease in the likelihood of maintaining lower insulin
      resistance. Furthermore, an sIL-6R level of 77.45 ng/mL was a reasonable cutoff
      level to propose lower insulin resistance in morbidly obese subjects.
      CONCLUSIONS: Circulating sIL-6R is more closely associated with insulin
      resistance status than waist-to-hip ratio or BMI in morbidly obese Taiwanese
      adults. sIL-6R may be a useful biomarker to assess insulin resistance among
      morbidly obese subjects.

PMID- 28346859
TI  - Circulating Zbed3 Levels in Subjects With and Without Metabolic Syndrome.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Zinc-finger BED domain-containing 3 (Zbed3) is a member of the zinc
      finger domain protein superfamily. Recent studies have shown that Zbed3 is
      associated with insulin resistance and type 2 diabetes mellitus. However, no
      report has demonstrated the association of Zbed3 with metabolic syndrome (MetS)
      in humans. The purpose of this study is to examine the association between Zbed3
      and MetS in a cross-sectional study. METHODS: We conducted a cross-sectional
      study of a Chinese population, including 167 non-MetS subjects and 144 newly
      diagnosed MetS (nMetS) patients. Circulating Zbed3 levels were examined by enzyme
      linked immunosorbent assay. The relationship between circulating Zbed3 levels and
      the components of MetS was assessed. RESULTS: Circulating Zbed3 levels were
      significantly higher in nMetS patients than in non-MetS subjects (134.6 +/- 32.1
      vs. 106.5 +/- 26.1 ng/L, P < 0.01). Circulating Zbed3 correlated positively with
      markers of adiposity (waist circumference, P < 0.01). It also correlated with
      glucose and lipid parameters (increasing fasting blood glucose and triglycerides
      and decreasing high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, all P < 0.01) and blood
      pressure (elevating systolic blood pressure and diastolic blood pressure, both P
      < 0.01) and inflammatory marker (elevating tumor necrosis factor alpha, P <
      0.01). The relative risks for MetS showed significant elevation with an increase
      in Zbed3 quartiles. Circulating levels of Zbed3 were progressively elevated with
      an increased number of components of MetS. CONCLUSIONS: These data suggest that
      Zbed3 may correlate with the pathogenesis of MetS in humans. CLINICAL TRIAL
      REGISTRATION NUMBER: ChiCTR-OCC-11001422.

PMID- 28346860
TI  - Comparison of Short-Term Effects of Diquafosol and Rebamipide on Mucin 5AC Level
      on the Rabbit Ocular Surface.
AB  - PURPOSE: To investigate the short-term effects of 2 new secretagogue eye drops
      for dry eye, 3% diquafosol tetrasodium ophthalmic solution (diquafosol) and 2%
      rebamipide ophthalmic suspension (rebamipide), on the concentration of mucin 5AC
      (MUC5AC) in rabbit tear fluid and conjunctival goblet cells. METHODS: One dose of
      artificial tears, diquafosol or rebamipide, was instilled into 8 eyes of Japanese
      white rabbits. MUC5AC concentration in the tear fluid was examined using the
      enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay 15 min after instillation and compared with 8
      untreated controls. Impression cytology was performed to measure the number of
      periodic acid Schiff (PAS)-positive cells and the ratio of the PAS-positive area
      using image analysis software. Statistical comparison was performed using ANOVA
      with post hoc analysis with the Tukey's test. RESULTS: After 15 min, only
      diquafosol significantly (P <= 0.01) increased the MUC5AC level in the tear
      fluid. Although no drug affected the number of PAS-positive cells, the ratio of
      the PAS-positive area decreased significantly (P <= 0.01) only in the diquafosol
      group. CONCLUSIONS: These data indicated that more PAS-positive MUC5AC was
      released into the tear fluid from the goblet cells by diquafosol than by
      rebamipide. There is a difference in the induction pattern of MUC5AC into the
      tears from the goblet cells between these eye drops.

PMID- 28346861
TI  - Biomimetic Remineralization of Carious Lesions by Self-Assembling Peptide.
AB  - Caries is the most common disease in the world. Great efforts have been
      undertaken for prevention and to identify a regenerative treatment solution for
      dental caries. Self-assembling beta-sheet forming peptides have previously shown
      to form 3-dimensional fiber networks supporting tissue regeneration. In
      particular, the self-assembling peptide P11-4 has shown potential in the
      treatment and prevention of dental caries. It has previously been shown that
      application of monomeric P11-4 solution to early carious lesions can increase net
      mineral gain by forming de novo hydroxyapatite crystals. The hypothesis for the
      mode of action was that monomeric self-assembling peptide P11-4 diffuses into the
      subsurface lesion body and assembles therein into higher order fibrils,
      facilitating mineralization of the subsurface volume by mimicking the natural
      biomineralization of the tooth enamel, and it remains within the lesion body as a
      scaffold built-in by the newly formed hydroxyapatite. The aim of the present
      study was to investigate the mechanism of action of the self-assembling peptide
      P11-4 supporting mineralization of carious enamel. By various analytical methods,
      it could be shown that the self-assembling peptide P11-4 diffuses into the
      subsurface lesion, assembles into higher formed aggregates throughout the whole
      volume of the lesion, and supports nucleation of de novo hydroxyapatite
      nanocrystals and consequently results in increased mineral density within the
      subsurface carious lesion. The results showed that the application of self
      assembling peptide P11-4 can facilitate the subsurface regeneration of the enamel
      lesion by supporting de novo mineralization in a similar mode of action as has
      been shown for the natural formation of dental enamel.

PMID- 28346862
TI  - Communication About Dying, Death, and Bereavement: A Systematic Review of
      Children's Literature.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Children's books have the potential to facilitate communication about
      death for children living with a serious illness and for children coping with the
      death of a loved one. OBJECTIVES: This study examines the content of children's
      literature relevant to the topic of dying and death and identifies books
      providers can share with children and their families. DESIGN: A search of
      children's literature was conducted using four electronic databases and one
      additional search engine using the word "Death" or "Dying." Storybooks about
      dying, death, and bereavement published in English, French, or Spanish between
      1995 and 2015 were included. MEASUREMENTS: Each book underwent content analysis
      by at least two independent reviewers. Strict PRISMA standard was followed. Full
      protocol is available as PROSPERO #CRD42016042129. RESULTS: Two hundred ten books
      met inclusion criteria. The dying subject was primarily a grandparent (n = 78) or
      pet (n = 44). Books on the experience of a child dying were scarce (n = 5). The
      word death or dying was used in 75% of the books (n = 158), while others utilized
      euphemisms. The majority of books featured animals (n = 40) or Caucasian subjects
      (n = 122) and included spiritual elements such as heaven (n = 122). Less than one
      quarter of the books included tools for readers to address the topic of death.
      CONCLUSIONS: Storybooks can be a helpful tool to introduce communication about
      dying and death with children. Gaps exist in current children's literature to
      effectively enable children to reflect on their own dying process. A general
      summary of available books is provided to assist those caring for children and
      families facing end-of-life issues.

PMID- 28346863
TI  - Lymph Node Dissection Using Bipolar Vessel-Sealing Device During Reduced Port
      Laparoscopic Distal Gastrectomy for Gastric Cancer: Result of a Pilot Study from
      a Single Institute.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: The electrothermal bipolar vessel-sealing device (BVSD) is known to
      supply a strong vessel-sealing power. However, only few studies have reported
      lymph node dissection (LND) using only BVSD during laparoscopic surgery for
      gastric cancer. The purpose of this study was to investigate the feasibility of
      LND using BVSD during reduced port laparoscopic distal gastrectomy for gastric
      cancer. METHODS: From May 2015, patients in whom three- or single-port
      laparoscopic distal gastrectomy had been engaged for gastric cancer were enrolled
      in this study. We performed D1+ or D2 LND using only LigaSureTM Maryland
      (Medtronics, Minneapolis, MN), a recently developed BVSD. Clinical outcomes of
      these patients were investigated. RESULTS: From May 2015 to November 2016, 20
      patients were enrolled in this study. The mean operation time was 262.6 +/- 36.6
      (200-340) minutes. The mean time for LND was 124.7 +/- 19.2 (93-171) minutes.
      Only one patient had a morbidity of Clavien-Dindo grade more than II. No
      mortality was observed in all patients. The mean number of retrieved lymph nodes
      was 46.8 +/- 22.8 (15-105). CONCLUSIONS: LND using the Maryland jaw type BVSD was
      feasible during reduced port (single- or three-port) laparoscopic distal
      gastrectomy for gastric cancer. Objectively evaluating the potential advantages
      of BVSD in reduced port laparoscopic surgery is necessary.

PMID- 28346864
TI  - Application of the L-Dex Score for the Assessment of Bilateral Leg Edema.
AB  - BACKGROUND: We evaluated a modified L-Dex score by using the right arm as a
      reference (LDSrarm), to determine whether it could be used for the assessment of
      leg edema in place of the usual L-Dex score calculated by using the contralateral
      normal leg as a reference (LDScont). METHODS: Bioimpedance analysis was performed
      in the legs and right arms of 38 patients with unilateral leg edema and in 42
      healthy volunteers by using a standard equipotential electrode arrangement.
      RESULTS: The impedance ratio in the right arms of patients (2.6 +/- 0.4) was
      lower than that in their contralateral normal legs (3.0 +/- 0.8, p < 0.05), but
      it was similar to that in the legs (right: 2.4 +/- 0.7, left 2.5 +/- 0.8) of
      normal subjects. There was a significant correlation between LDScont and LDSrarm
      in legs with edema (right: r = 0.80, left: r = 0.93). No such correlation was
      found in the legs of normal subjects, but the mean +/- 2 standard deviation of
      their LDSrarm ranged from -3 to 37, which was similar to LDSrarm values in legs
      with edema corresponding to the normal range of LDScont (-10 to 10), that is,
      from 1 to 34. CONCLUSIONS: LDSrarm could be used as an alternative for LDScont in
      the assessment of leg edema.

PMID- 28346866
TI  - Prevalence and Potential Risk Factors for Bartonella Infection in Tunisian Stray
      Dogs.
AB  - Bartonellae are blood-borne and vector-transmitted pathogens, some are zoonotic,
      which have been reported in several Mediterranean countries. Transmission from
      dogs to humans is suspected, but has not been clearly demonstrated. Our
      objectives were to determine the seroprevalence of Bartonella henselae,
      Bartonella vinsonii subsp. berkhoffii, Bartonella clarridgeiae, and Bartonella
      bovis (as a proxy for Candidatus Bartonella merieuxii) in stray dogs from
      Tunisia, identify the Bartonella species infecting the dogs and evaluate
      potential risk factors for canine infection. Blood samples were collected between
      January and November 2013 from 149 dogs in 10 Tunisian governorates covering
      several climatic zones. Dog-specific and geographic variables were analyzed as
      potential risk factors for Bartonella spp. seropositivity and PCR-positivity. DNA
      was extracted from the blood of all dogs and tested by PCR for Bartonella,
      targeting the ftsZ and rpoB genes. Partial sequencing was performed on PCR
      positive dogs. Twenty-nine dogs (19.5%, 95% confidence interval: 14-27.4) were
      seropositive for one or more Bartonella species, including 17 (11.4%) for B.
      vinsonii subsp. berkhoffii, 14 (9.4%) for B. henselae, 13 (8.4%) for B.
      clarridgeiae, and 7 (4.7%) for B. bovis. Statistical analysis revealed a few
      potential risk factors, mainly dog's age and breed, latitude and average winter
      temperature. Twenty-two (14.8%) dogs, including 8 of the 29 seropositive dogs,
      were PCR-positive for Bartonella based on the ftsZ gene, with 18 (81.8%) of these
      22 dogs also positive for the rpoB gene. Partial sequencing showed that all PCR
      positive dogs were infected with Candidatus B. merieuxii. Dogs from arid regions
      and regions with cold average winter temperatures were less likely to be PCR
      positive than dogs from other climatic zones. The widespread presence of
      Bartonella spp. infection in Tunisian dogs suggests a role for stray dogs as
      potential reservoirs of Bartonella species in Tunisia.

PMID- 28346865
TI  - Repetitive Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation for the Treatment of Executive
      Function Deficits in Autism Spectrum Disorder: Clinical Trial Approach.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: Executive function (EF) deficits in patients with autism spectrum
      disorder (ASD) are ubiquitous and understudied. Further, there are no effective,
      neuroscience-based treatments to address this impairing feature of ASD.
      Repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) has demonstrated promise in
      addressing EF deficits in adult neuropsychiatric disorders. This article will
      outline the design of a novel randomized-controlled trial of bilateral, 20 Hz,
      rTMS applied to the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) for treatment of EF
      deficits in ASD that is currently ongoing. We describe prior therapeutic rTMS
      research for ASD and prior rTMS trials targeting EFs in adult neuropsychiatric
      disorders. A neurophysiological rationale for rTMS treatment of EF deficits in
      ASD is presented. METHODS: An ongoing protocol will enroll participants aged 16
      35 with ASD and no intellectual disability. Psychotropic medications will be
      continued during the 4-week trial of active 20 Hz versus sham rTMS applied to the
      DLPFC. Twenty, active treatment sessions consisting of 25 stimulation trains at a
      90% motor threshold will be administered. The primary outcome measure is the
      Cambridge Neuropsychological Test Automated Battery (CANTAB) spatial working
      memory task. At present, recruitment, enrollment, and treatment within the
      described clinical trial are ongoing. CONCLUSIONS: EF deficits are common and
      impairing symptoms of ASD. There are no evidence-based treatments for EF deficits
      in ASD. The protocol described here will provide important preliminary data on
      the feasibility and efficacy of 20 Hz rTMS to DLPFC for EF deficits in ASD.

PMID- 28346867
TI  - The Challenges and Advances in Diagnosis of Vector-Borne Diseases: Where Do We
      Stand?
AB  - Vector-borne diseases (VBD) are of major importance to human and animal health.
      In recent years, VBD have been emerging or re-emerging in many geographical
      areas, alarming new disease threats and economic losses. The precise diagnosis of
      many of these diseases still remains a major challenge because of the lack of
      comprehensive data available on accurate and reliable diagnostic methods. Here,
      we conducted a systematic and in-depth review of the former, current, and
      upcoming techniques employed for the diagnosis of VBD.

PMID- 28346868
TI  - Circulation of Zoonotic Arboviruses in Equine Populations of Mallorca Island
      (Spain).
AB  - The presence of major arbovirus vector species, climate change that promotes the
      expansion and increase of their populations, and potential animal reservoirs mean
      that vector-borne diseases represent a significant health risk for Mallorca's
      inhabitants. Microbiological monitoring of circulating arboviruses, particularly
      flaviviruses causing encephalitis, was initiated using domestic horses from
      localities near wetlands as "sentinel" hosts. A total of 291 blood samples were
      taken from 172 horses between 2011 and 2012, using paired samples to highlight
      seroconversion events. A multiplex immunoassay and confirmatory reference
      serological assays were used to screen sera for immunoglobulin G antibodies
      against West Nile (WNV), Usutu (USUV), and tick-borne encephalitis (TBEV)
      viruses. The seroprevalence was 6.4% (confidence interval [95% CI] 3.2%-11.0%)
      for WNV, 1.2% (95% CI 0.1%-4.1%) for USUV, and 0.6% (95% CI 0.0%-3.2%) for TBEV.
      In addition, eight horses (4.6%; 95% CI 2.0%-8.9%) were found positive for
      unidentified flaviviruses. Seroconversion events were detected for WNV and USUV,
      reflecting recent arboviral infections. These results highlight the active
      transmission of zoonotic arboviruses in Mallorca wetlands.

PMID- 28346869
TI  - Multisensory object perception in infancy: 4-month-olds perceive a mistuned
      harmonic as a separate auditory and visual object.
AB  - Infants learn to use auditory and visual information to organize the sensory
      world into identifiable objects with particular locations. Here we use a
      behavioural method to examine infants' use of harmonicity cues to auditory object
      perception in a multisensory context. Sounds emitted by different objects sum in
      the air and the auditory system must figure out which parts of the complex
      waveform belong to different sources (auditory objects). One important cue to
      this source separation is that complex tones with pitch typically contain a
      fundamental frequency and harmonics at integer multiples of the fundamental.
      Consequently, adults hear a mistuned harmonic in a complex sound as a distinct
      auditory object (Alain, Theunissen, Chevalier, Batty, & Taylor, 2003). Previous
      work by our group demonstrated that 4-month-old infants are also sensitive to
      this cue. They behaviourally discriminate a complex tone with a mistuned harmonic
      from the same complex with in-tune harmonics, and show an object-related event
      related potential (ERP) electrophysiological (EEG) response to the stimulus with
      mistuned harmonics. In the present study we use an audiovisual procedure to
      investigate whether infants perceive a complex tone with an 8% mistuned harmonic
      as emanating from two objects, rather than merely detecting the mistuned cue. We
      paired in-tune and mistuned complex tones with visual displays that contained
      either one or two bouncing balls. Four-month-old infants showed surprise at the
      incongruous pairings, looking longer at the display of two balls when paired with
      the in-tune complex and at the display of one ball when paired with the mistuned
      harmonic complex. We conclude that infants use harmonicity as a cue for source
      separation when integrating auditory and visual information in object perception.

PMID- 28346870
TI  - 'To the victor go the spoils': Infants expect resources to align with dominance
      structures.
AB  - Previous research has found that within the first year of life infants possess
      rich knowledge about social structures (i.e., that some individuals are dominant
      over other individuals) as well as expectations about resource distributions
      (i.e., that resources are typically distributed equally to recipients). We
      investigated whether infants' expectations about resource distribution can be
      modulated by information about the dominance structure between the recipients. We
      first replicated the finding that infants attribute a stable dominance hierarchy
      to a pair of individuals when their goals conflicted and one individual yielded
      to the other (Expt. 1), and that this sensitivity is not driven by lower-level
      perceptual factors (Expt. 2). In Experiments 3-5, we tested our main hypothesis
      that infants' attention to equal and unequal distributions varies as a function
      of prior social dominance information. We first replicated and extended prior
      work by establishing that infants looked significantly longer to unequal than
      equal resource distributions when no prior information about dominance was
      provided about recipients (Expt. 3). Critically, following social dominance
      information, infants looked significantly longer to an equal distribution of
      resources than a distribution that favored the dominant individual (Expt. 4), and
      looked significantly longer when the submissive individual received more
      resources compared to when the dominant individual received more resources
      (Expts. 4 and 5). Together, these findings suggest that infants expect resources
      to align with social dominance structures.

PMID- 28346871
TI  - Synthesis, in vitro evaluation and molecular docking studies of novel amide
      linked triazolyl glycoconjugates as new inhibitors of alpha-glucosidase.
AB  - A series of N-substituted amide linked triazolyl beta-d-glucopyranoside
      derivatives (4a-l) were synthesized and their in vitro inhibitory activity
      against yeast alpha-glucosidase enzyme [EC.3.2.1.20] was assessed. Compounds 4e
      (IC50=156.06MUM), 4f (IC50=147.94MUM), 4k (IC50=127.71MUM) and 4l
      (IC50=121.33MUM) were identified as the most potent inhibitors for alpha
      glucosidase as compared to acarbose (IC50=130.98MUM) under the same in vitro
      experimental conditions. Kinetic study showed that both 4e and 4f inhibit the
      enzyme in a competitive manner with p-nitrophenyl alpha-d-glucopyranoside as
      substrate. Molecular docking studies of 4e, 4f, 4k and 4l were also carried out
      using homology model of alpha-glucosidase to find out the binding modes
      responsible for the inhibitory activity. This study revealed that the binding
      affinity of compounds 4e, 4f, 4k and 4l for alpha-glucosidase were -8.2, -8.6, 
      8.3 and -8.5kcal/mol respectively, compared to that of acarbose (-8.9kcal/mol).
      The results suggest that the N-substituted amide linked triazole glycoconjugates
      can reasonably mimic the substrates for the yeast alpha-glucosidase.

PMID- 28346872
TI  - 5-Bromo-2-aryl benzimidazole derivatives as non-cytotoxic potential dual
      inhibitors of alpha-glucosidase and urease enzymes.
AB  - On the basis of previous report on promising alpha-glucosidase inhibitory
      activity of 5-bromo-2-aryl benzimidazole derivatives, these derivatives were
      further screened for urease inhibitory and cytotoxicity activity in order to get
      more potent and non-cytotoxic potential dual inhibitor for the patients suffering
      from diabetes as well as peptic ulcer. In this study, all compounds showed
      varying degree of potency in the range of (IC50=8.15+/-0.03-354.67+/-0.19MUM) as
      compared to standard thiourea (IC50=21.25+/-0.15MUM). It is worth mentioning that
      derivatives 7 (IC50=12.07+/-0.05MUM), 8 (IC50=10.57+/-0.12MUM), 11 (IC50=13.76+/
      0.02MUM), 14 (IC50=15.70+/-0.12MUM) and 22 (IC50=8.15+/-0.03MUM) were found to be
      more potent inhibitors than standard. All compounds were also evaluated for
      cytotoxicity towards 3T3 mouse fibroblast cell line and found to be completely
      non-toxic. Previously benzimidazole 1-25 were also showed alpha-glucosidase
      inhibitory potential. In silico studies were performed on the lead molecules
      i.e.2, 7, 8, 11, 14, and 22, in order to rationalize the binding interaction of
      compounds with the active site of urease enzyme.

PMID- 28346873
TI  - Design, synthesis, docking studies and biological evaluation of novel chalcone
      derivatives as potential histone deacetylase inhibitors.
AB  - A group of novel chalcone derivatives comprising hydroxamic acid or 2
      aminobenzamide group as zinc binding groups (ZBG) were synthesized. The structure
      of the prepared compounds was fully characterized by IR, NMR and elemental
      microanalyses. Most of the tested compounds displayed strong to moderate HDAC
      inhibitory activity. Some of these compounds showed potent anti-proliferative
      activity against human HepG2, MCF-7 and HCT-116 cell lines. In particular,
      compounds 4a and 4b exhibited significant anti-proliferative activity against the
      three cell lines compared to SAHA as reference drug and displayed promising
      profile as anti-tumor candidates. The results indicated that these chalcone
      derivatives could serve as a promising lead compounds for further optimization as
      antitumor agents.

PMID- 28346874
TI  - Protective effects of hepatocyte-specific glycyrrhetic derivatives against carbon
      tetrachloride-induced liver damage in mice.
AB  - Glycyrrhetic acid (GA), the main hydrolysate of glycyrrhizic acid extracted from
      the roots of the Chinese herb Glycyrrhiza glabra, was reported to be accumulated
      in hepatocytes due to the extensive distribution of GA receptors in liver. A
      series of hepatocyte-specific derivatives on the basis of anetholtrithione and
      glycyrrhizic were designed and synthesized. The potential beneficial effect was
      evaluated in carbon tetrachloride (CCl4)-induced liver injury model. In addition,
      the hepatoprotective activity of these derivatives was assessed by measuring
      levels of serum marker enzymes, including serum glutamate oxaloacetate
      transaminase (GOT), serum glutamate pyruvate transaminase (GPT), alkaline
      phosphatase (AKP), lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) and the ratio of GSH to GSSG.
      Gratifyingly, compounds 5a-c (100mg/kg, p.o.) markedly prevented CCl4-induced
      elevation of levels of serum GPT, GOT. A comparative histopathological study of
      liver exhibited almost a normal liver lobular architecture and cell structure of
      the livers, as compared to CCl4-treated group. These findings were confirmed with
      the histopathological observations, where hepatocyte-specific glycyrrhetic acid
      derivatives 5a-c were capable of reversing the toxic effects of CCl4 on
      hepatocytes.

PMID- 28346875
TI  - Helicobacter Pylori infection detection from gastric X-ray images based on
      feature fusion and decision fusion.
AB  - In this paper, a fully automatic method for detection of Helicobacter pylori (H.
      pylori) infection is presented with the aim of constructing a computer-aided
      diagnosis (CAD) system. In order to realize a CAD system with good performance
      for detection of H. pylori infection, we focus on the following characteristic of
      stomach X-ray examination. The accuracy of X-ray examination differs depending on
      the symptom of H. pylori infection that is focused on and the position from which
      X-ray images are taken. Therefore, doctors have to comprehensively assess the
      symptoms and positions. In order to introduce the idea of doctors' assessment
      into the CAD system, we newly propose a method for detection of H. pylori
      infection based on the combined use of feature fusion and decision fusion. As a
      feature fusion scheme, we adopt Multiple Kernel Learning (MKL). Since MKL can
      combine several features with determination of their weights, it can represent
      the differences in symptoms. By constructing an MKL classifier for each position,
      we can obtain several detection results. Furthermore, we introduce confidence
      based decision fusion, which can consider the relationship between the
      classifier's performance and the detection results. Consequently, accurate
      detection of H. pylori infection becomes possible by the proposed method.
      Experimental results obtained by applying the proposed method to real X-ray
      images show that our method has good performance, close to the results of
      detection by specialists, and indicate that the realization of a CAD system for
      determining the risk of H. pylori infection is possible.

PMID- 28346876
TI  - A fluid-structure interaction model of the internal carotid and ophthalmic
      arteries for the noninvasive intracranial pressure measurement method.
AB  - Accurate and clinically safe measurements of intracranial pressure (ICP) are
      crucial for secondary brain damage prevention. There are two methods of ICP
      measurement: invasive and noninvasive. Invasive methods are clinically unsafe;
      therefore, safer noninvasive methods are being developed. One of the noninvasive
      ICP measurement methods implements the balance principle, which assumes that if
      the velocity of blood flow in both ophthalmic artery segments - the intracranial
      (IOA) and extracranial (EOA) - is equal, then the acting ICP on the IOA and the
      external pressure (Pe) on the EOA are also equal. To investigate the assumption
      of the balance principle, a generalized computational model incorporating a fluid
      structure interaction (FSI) module was created and used to simulate noninvasive
      ICP measurement by accounting for the time-dependent behavior of the elastic
      internal carotid (ICA) and ophthalmic (OA) arteries and their interaction with
      pulsatile blood flow. It was found that the extra balance pressure term, which
      incorporates the hydrodynamic pressure drop between measurement points, must be
      added into the balance equation, and the corrections on a difference between the
      velocity of blood flow in the IOA and EOA must be made, due to a difference in
      the blood flow rate.

PMID- 28346877
TI  - Stevia rebaudiana Bertoni effect on the hemolytic potential of Listeria
      monocytogenes.
AB  - The effect of Stevia rebaudiana Bertoni on the hemolytic potential of Listeria
      monocytogenes was studied by means of the assessment of the Listeriolysin O (LLO)
      production. The three factors under study, stevia concentration in the range [0
      2.5] % (w/v), incubation temperature (10 and 37 degrees C), and exposure time (0
      65h) significantly affected (p<=0.05) the hemolytic activity of L. monocytogenes.
      Results showed that at the lower incubation temperature the hemolytic potential
      of the bacterium was significantly reduced, from 100% at 37 degrees C to 8% at 10
      degrees C (after 65h of incubation) in unsupplemented substrate (0% stevia).
      Irrespective of the temperature, 10 or 37 degrees C, supplementation of the
      medium with stevia at 2.5 % (w/v) reduced the bacterium's hemolytic activity by a
      maximum of 100%. Furthermore, the time of exposure to 2.5 % (w/v) stevia
      concentration was also a significant factor reducing the hemolytic capability of
      L. monocytogenes. The possibility of reducing the pathogenic potential of L.
      monocytogenes (hemolysis) by exposure to stevia should be confirmed in real food
      matrices, opening a research niche with a valuable future impact on food safety.

PMID- 28346878
TI  - How appropriate are the English language test requirements for non-UK-trained
      nurses? A qualitative study of spoken communication in UK hospitals.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Non-native speakers of English who hold nursing qualifications from
      outside the UK are required to provide evidence of English language competence by
      achieving a minimum overall score of Band 7 on the International English Language
      Testing System (IELTS) academic test. OBJECTIVES: To describe the English
      language required to deal with the daily demands of nursing in the UK. To compare
      these abilities with the stipulated levels on the language test. DESIGN: A
      tracking study was conducted with 4 nurses, and focus groups with 11 further
      nurses. The transcripts of the interviews and focus groups were analysed
      thematically for recurrent themes. These findings were then compared with the
      requirements of the IELTS spoken test. SETTINGS: The study was conducted outside
      the participants' working shifts in busy London hospitals. PARTICIPANTS: The
      participants in the tracking study were selected opportunistically;all were
      trained in non-English speaking countries. Snowball sampling was used for the
      focus groups, of whom 4 were non-native and 7 native speakers of English.
      METHODS: In the tracking study, each of the 4 nurses was interviewed on four
      occasions, outside the workplace, and as close to the end of a shift as possible.
      They were asked to recount their spoken interactions during the course of their
      shift. The participants in the focus groups were asked to describe their typical
      interactions with patients, family members, doctors, and nursing colleagues. They
      were prompted to recall specific instances of frequently-occurring communication
      problems. All interactions were audio-recorded, with the participants'
      permission,and transcribed. RESULTS: Nurses are at the centre of communication
      for patient care. They have to use appropriate registers to communicate with a
      range of health professionals, patients and their families. They must elicit
      information, calm and reassure, instruct, check procedures, ask for and give
      opinions,agree and disagree. Politeness strategies are needed to avoid threats to
      face. They participate in medical team discussions, and provide information. They
      have to be able to translate between everyday and medical registers. This
      requires socio-pragmatic competence, much of which is not tested by IELTS.
      CONCLUSIONS: In addition to linguistic knowledge and fluency, nursing requires
      considerable cultural and pragmatic knowledge and competence. Our findings
      support arguments for including socio-pragmatic competence in language tests
      specifically designed for nurses. They also indicate a need for further research
      to find or design more appropriate assessment, and greater awareness amongst
      policy makers of the principles of language test design and use.

PMID- 28346879
TI  - The spatial relations between stimulus and response determine an absolute visuo
      haptic calibration in pantomime-grasping.
AB  - Pantomime-grasps entail a response to an area adjacent to (i.e., spatially
      dissociated pantomime-grasp), or previously occupied by (i.e., no-target
      pantomime-grasp) a target. Previous work has reported that pantomime-grasps
      differ kinematically from naturalistic grasps (i.e., grasping a physical target
      object) - a result taken to evince that pantomime-grasps are perception-based and
      mediated via relative visual information. However, such actions differ not only
      in terms of their visual properties, but also because the former precludes haptic
      feedback related to a target's absolute size. The current study provides four
      experiments examining whether experimenter-induced haptic feedback influences the
      information mediating spatially dissociated and no-target pantomime-grasps. Just
      noticeable-difference scores were computed to determine whether grasps adhered
      to, or violated, the relative psychophysical properties of Weber's law. Spatially
      dissociated pantomime-grasps performed with haptic feedback adhered to Weber's
      law (Experiments 1-3), whereas their no-target pantomime-grasp counterparts
      violated the law (Experiment 4). Accordingly, we propose that the top-down
      demands of decoupling stimulus-response relations in spatially dissociated
      pantomime-grasping renders aperture shaping via a visual percept that is not
      directly influenced by the integration of haptic feedback. In turn, the decreased
      top-down demands of no-target pantomime-grasps allows haptic feedback to serve as
      a reliable sensory resource supporting an absolute visuo-haptic calibration.

PMID- 28346880
TI  - Human exposure to Bisphenol A and liver health status: Quantification of urinary
      and circulating levels by LC-MS/MS.
AB  - A selective and highly sensitive analytical methodology for determination of
      Bisphenol A in human plasma was developed and validated. The method was based on
      selective liquid/solid extraction, combined with liquid chromatography
      electrospray ionization tandem mass spectrometry in the multiple reaction
      monitoring mode and negative ionization. The linearity of the detector response
      was verified in human plasma over the concentration range 0.100-200ngmL-1. The
      detection limit was 0.03ngmL-1 and the quantification limit was 0.100ngmL-1. The
      analytical features of the proposed in-house validated method were satisfactory:
      precision was <10% and recoveries were around 84-104%. The matrix effect was
      studied and compensated using deuterated labeled standard. The applicability of
      the proposed method was demonstrated analyzing human plasma samples from
      individuals affected by non-alcoholic fatty liver disease. Bisphenol A was
      detected above the detection limit in all samples. The data show a persistence of
      unconjugated Bisphenol A levels in plasma and indicate a chronic Bisphenol A
      exposure of the target organ, suggesting an association between liver health
      status and Bisphenol A exposure. The results from our study are valuable for
      further investigation with large sample size and longitudinal study designs,
      necessary to confirm the observed association.

PMID- 28346881
TI  - Heparin and homogeneous model heparin oligosaccharides form distinct complexes
      with protamine: Light scattering and zeta potential analysis.
AB  - Large multimolecular complexes of heparin with positively charged proteins such
      as platelet factor 4 (PF4) or protamine can initiate immune responses associated
      with heparin use in patients, including the most significant adverse event,
      heparin-induced thrombocytopenia (HIT). Current evidence suggests that platelet
      activating antibodies that recognize large multi-molecular complexes (300-700kDa)
      of PF4 bound to heparin cause HIT [1] and in very rare cases anti-protamine
      heparin antibodies can induce thrombocytopenia [2]. Heparin is administered as a
      mixture of sulfated glycosaminoglycans of variable lengths and sulfation levels.
      To date the potential impact of chain length, sulfation level and impurities on
      the formation, size and immunogenicity of heparin-protamine complexes has not
      been addressed due to the lack of purified, homogenous heparin chains for testing
      purposes. Here, a set of well-characterized model heparin oligosaccharides was
      used with protamine sulfate to evaluate the physicochemical properties of the
      resulting complexes. Hydrodynamic radii and zeta potential profiles of heparin
      protamine complexes were observed to be dependent upon the sulfation location,
      size and concentration of the model heparin oligosaccharides. The well
      characterized oligosaccharide-protamine complexes analyzed in this work will be
      useful for establishing links between heparin-protamine complex physiochemical
      attributes to their potential to illicit cellular immunogenicity.

PMID- 28346882
TI  - Determination of prodrug treosulfan and its biologically active monoepoxide in
      rat plasma, liver, lungs, kidneys, muscle, and brain by HPLC-ESI-MS/MS method.
AB  - A prodrug treosulfan (TREO) is currently investigated in clinical trials for
      conditioning prior to hematopoietic stem cell transplantation. Bioanalysis of
      TREO and its active derivatives, monoepoxide (S,S-EBDM) and diepoxide, in plasma
      and urine underlay the pharmacokinetic studies of these compounds but cannot
      explain an organ pharmacological action or toxicity. Recently, distribution of
      TREO and S,S-EBDM into brain, cerebrospinal fluid, and aqueous humor of the eye
      has been investigated in animal models and the obtained results presented
      clinical relevance. In this paper, a selective and rapid HPLC-ESI-MS/MS method
      was elaborated and validated for the studies of disposition of TREO and S,S-EBDM
      in rat plasma, liver, lungs, kidneys, muscle, and brain. The two analytes and
      codeine, internal standard (IS), were isolated from 50MUL of plasma and 100MUL of
      supernatants of the tissues homogenates using ultrafiltration Amicon vials.
      Chromatographic resolution was accomplished on C18 column with isocratic elution.
      The limits of quantitation of TREO and S,S-EBDM in the studied matrices ranged
      from 0.11 to 0.93MUM. The HPLC-MS/MS method was adequately precise and accurate
      within and between runs. The IS-normalized matrix effect differed among the
      tissues and was the most pronounced in a liver homogenate supernatant
      (approximately 0.55 for TREO and 0.35 for S,S-EBDM). Stability of the analytes in
      experimental samples was also established. The validated method for the first
      time enabled determination of TREO and S,S-EBDM in the six life-important tissues
      in rats following administration of the prodrug.

PMID- 28346883
TI  - Identification and characterization of a thermally cleaved fragment of monoclonal
      antibody-A detected by sodium dodecyl sulfate-capillary gel electrophoresis.
AB  - This report describes a novel, comprehensive approach to identifying a fragment
      peak of monoclonal antibody-A (mAb-A), detected by sodium dodecyl sulfate
      capillary gel electrophoresis (SDS-cGE). The fragment migrated close to the
      internal standard (10kDa marker) of SDS-cGE and increased about 0.5% under a 25
      degrees C condition for 6 months. Generally, identification of fragments observed
      in SDS-cGE is challenging to carry out due to the difficulty of collecting
      analytical amounts of fractionations from the capillary. In this study, in-gel
      digestion peptide mapping and reversed phase liquid chromatography-mass
      spectrometry (RPLC-MS) were employed to elucidate the structure of the fragment.
      In addition, a Gelfree 8100 fractionation system was newly introduced to collect
      the fragment and the fraction was applied to the structural analysis of a mAb for
      the first time. These three analytical methods showed comparable results, proving
      that the fragment was a fraction of heavy chain HC1-104. The fragment contained
      complementarity determining regions (CDRs), which are significant to antigen
      binding, and thus would affect the efficacy of mAb-A. In addition, SDS-cGE
      without the 10kDa marker was demonstrated to clarify the increased amount of the
      fragment, and the experiment revealed that the fragment increases 0.2% per year
      in storage at 5 degrees C. The combination of the three analytical methodologies
      successfully identified the impurity peak detected by SDS-cGE, providing
      information critical to assuring the quality and stability of the
      biotherapeutics.

PMID- 28346884
TI  - Automatic measurement of melanoma depth of invasion in skin histopathological
      images.
AB  - Measurement of melanoma depth of invasion (DoI) in skin tissues is of great
      significance in grading the severity of skin disease and planning patient's
      treatment. However, accurate and automatic measurement of melanocytic tumor depth
      is a challenging problem mainly due to the difficulty of skin granular
      identification and melanoma detection. In this paper, we propose a technique for
      measuring melanoma DoI in microscopic images digitized from MART1 (i.e.,
      meleanoma-associated antigen recognized by T cells) stained skin
      histopathological sections. The technique consists of four modules. First, skin
      melanoma areas are detected by combining color features with the Mahalanobis
      distance measure. Next, skin epidermis is segmented by a multi-thresholding
      method. The skin granular layer is then identified based on Bayesian
      classification of segmented skin epidermis pixels. Finally, the melanoma DoI is
      computed using a multi-resolution approach with Hausdorff distance measurement.
      Experimental results show that the proposed technique provides a superior
      performance in measuring the melanoma DoI than two closely related techniques.

PMID- 28346885
TI  - Plasma and brain pharmacokinetics of ganoderic acid A in rats determined by a
      developed UFLC-MS/MS method.
AB  - Ganoderic acid A (GAA), an active triterpenoid of the traditional Chinese herbal
      medicine Lingzhi, has been reported to exhibit antinociceptive, antioxidative,
      and anti-cancer activities. The present study aims to establish a sensitive and
      rapid UPLC-MS/MS method for studying the plasma and brain pharmacokinetics of GAA
      in rats. The analytes were separated on a C18 column eluted with a gradient
      mobile phase consisting of acetonitrile and 0.1% aqueous formic acid at
      0.3mL/min. The eluate was monitored by a mass detector using an MRM (m/z, 515.3
      285.1) model in negative electrospray ionization. The calibration curve showed
      good linearity (r2>0.99), with limits of detection and quantification of 0.25 and
      2.00 nmol/L, respectively. The intra- and inter-day precision and accuracy were
      less than 9.99% and ranged from 97.45% to 114.62%, respectively. The extraction
      recovery from plasma was between 92.89% and 98.87%. GAA was found to be stable in
      treated samples at room temperature (22 degrees C) for 12h and in plasma at -20
      degrees C for 7d. The developed method was successfully applied to a
      pharmacokinetic study of GAA in rats. GAA could be rapidly absorbed into the
      circulation (Tmax, 0.15h) and eliminated relatively slowly (t1/2, 2.46h) after
      orally dosing, and could also be detected in the brain lateral ventricle (Tmax,
      0.25h and t1/2, 1.40h) after intravenously dosing. The absolute oral
      bioavailability and brain permeability of GAA were estimated to be 8.68% and
      2.96%, respectively.

PMID- 28346886
TI  - Simultaneous determination of amitraz, chlordimeform, formetanate and their main
      metabolites in human urine by high performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass
      spectrometry.
AB  - A rapid, simple and reliable high performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass
      spectrometry (HPLC-MS/MS) method was developed for simultaneous determination of
      amitraz, chlordimeform, formetanate and their main metabolites, N-(2,4
      dimethylphenyl)-N-methyl-formamidine (DMPF), 2,4-dimethylformamidine (DMF), 2,4
      dimethylaniline (DMA), 4-chloro-2-methylaniline and 3-hydroxyacetanilide in human
      urine. The urine samples were mixed with buffer solutions (pH 8) and subsequently
      cleaned up by solid supported liquid/liquid extraction (SLE). The target analytes
      were efficiently separated with a Waters Atlantis T3 column (150mm*4.6mm, 5MUm),
      ionized with electrospray ion source in positive mode, and quantitatively
      determined by tandem mass spectrometry in the multiple reaction monitoring (MRM)
      mode. In order to minimize matrix effects, the matrix-matched calibration curves
      of eight analytes were adopted with correlation coefficients (R2) above 0.99. The
      method were further validated by determining the limits of detection (LODs, 0.3
      0.6ng/mL), the limits of quantitation (LOQs, 1.0-2.0ng/mL) and recoveries (89.1%
      108.4%) with intra-day and inter-day relative standard deviation (RSD, <11%). The
      established method was applied and demonstrated in a real case by assaying a
      urine sample from a female poisoned by formetanate. The achieved results proved
      this method to be rapid, sensitive and accurate for simultaneous quantitation of
      eight analytes in human urine for intended forensic cases of human poisoning.

PMID- 28346887
TI  - High-resolution mass spectrometry as an alternative detection method to tandem
      mass spectrometry for the analysis of endogenous steroids in serum.
AB  - Recently, steroid hormones quantification in blood showed a promising ability to
      detect testosterone doping and interesting complementarities with the urinary
      module of the Athlete Biological Passport (ABP). In this work, an ultra-high
      pressure liquid chromatography-high-resolution mass spectrometry (UHPLC-HRMS)
      method was developed for the quantification of eleven endogenous steroids in
      serum. The performance of the full scan and targeted SIM acquisition modes was
      evaluated and compared to the performance of tandem mass spectrometry (MS/MS).
      Passing-Bablok regressions and Bland-Altman plots were assessed for each analyte
      of interest, and concentration values measured by HRMS showed high correlation
      with the ones obtained by MS/MS for all target hormones, with low absolute
      differences in the majority of cases. A slight decrease in terms of sensitivity
      was observed with HRMS in both acquisition modes, but performing an analysis of
      variance multiblock orthogonal partial least squares (AMOPLS) on the dataset
      obtained with all three methods revealed that only 0.8% of the total variance was
      related to instrumentation and acquisition methods. Moreover, the evaluation of
      the testosterone administration effect over time highlighted testosterone itself
      and dihydrotestosterone as the most promising biomarkers of exogenous
      testosterone administration. This conclusion suggests that HRMS could provide
      suitable performance for blood steroid analysis in the anti-doping field.

PMID- 28346888
TI  - Oxidative and nitrosative stress biomarkers in chronic schizophrenia.
AB  - There is evidence that the acute phase of schizophrenia (SCZ) is accompanied by
      specific changes in oxidative and nitrosative stress (O&NS) biomarkers. There
      are, however, no firm data regarding these biomarkers in chronic SCZ. Therefore,
      this study aimed to delineate O&NS biomarkers in patients with chronic SCZ. 125
      outpatients with SCZ and 118 controls were enrolled. The markers included lipid
      hydroperoxides (LOOH), advanced oxidation protein products (AOPP), nitric oxide
      metabolites (NOx), total radical-trapping antioxidant parameter (TRAP) and
      paraoxonase 1 (PON-1) activity. Immune-inflammatory markers known to be altered
      in SCZ were also measured: leptin, IL-6, soluble TNF receptors (sTNF-Rs) and the
      chemokines CCL-11 and CCL-3. There were no significant associations between
      chronic SCZ and the O&NS markers (AOPP, NOx, LOOH) and the anti-oxidants PON-1
      and TRAP. Leptin, sTNF-R, CCL-3 and CCL-11 were significantly higher in SCZ.
      There were significant associations between pro-inflammatory and O&NS biomarkers
      (leptin/CCL-8 and AOPP; IL-6 and NOx; CCL-3 and LOOH; CCL-3/IL-6/NOx and TRAP).
      In conclusion, there were significant intercorrelations between inflammatory and
      O&NS pathways, which play a role in the pathophysiology of chronic SCZ. O&NS
      markers and the enzyme PON-1 are not useful as biomarkers in chronic stable
      polymedicated SCZ patients.

PMID- 28346889
TI  - Quantifying the dynamics of emotional expressions in family therapy of patients
      with anorexia nervosa.
AB  - Emotional interactions have been considered dynamical processes involved in the
      affective life of humans and their disturbances may induce mental disorders. Most
      studies of emotional interactions have focused on dyadic behaviors or self
      reports of emotional states but neglected the dynamical processes involved in
      family therapy. The main objective of this study is to quantify the dynamics of
      emotional expressions and their changes using the family therapy of patients with
      anorexia nervosa as an example. Nonlinear methods characterize the variability of
      the dynamics at the level of the whole therapeutic system and reciprocal
      influence between the participants during family therapy. Results show that the
      variability of the dynamics is higher at the end of the therapy than at the
      beginning. The reciprocal influences between therapist and each member of the
      family and between mother and patient decrease with the course of family therapy.
      Our results support the development of new interpersonal strategies of emotion
      regulation during family therapy. The quantification of emotional dynamics can
      help understanding the emotional processes underlying psychopathology and
      evaluating quantitatively the changes achieved by the therapeutic intervention.

PMID- 28346890
TI  - High-throughput system-wide engineering and screening for microbial
      biotechnology.
AB  - Genetic engineering and screening of large number of cells or populations is a
      crucial bottleneck in today's systems biology and applied (micro)biology. Instead
      of using standard methods in bottles, flasks or 96-well plates, scientists are
      increasingly relying on high-throughput strategies that miniaturize their
      experiments to the nanoliter and picoliter scale and the single-cell level. In
      this review, we summarize different high-throughput system-wide genome
      engineering and screening strategies for microbes. More specifically, we will
      emphasize the use of multiplex automated genome evolution (MAGE) and CRISPR/Cas
      systems for high-throughput genome engineering and the application of (lab-on
      chip) nanoreactors for high-throughput single-cell or population screening.

PMID- 28346891
TI  - Spatial transcriptomics: paving the way for tissue-level systems biology.
AB  - The tissues in our bodies are complex systems composed of diverse cell types that
      often interact in highly structured repeating anatomical units. External
      gradients of morphogens, directional blood flow, as well as the secretion and
      absorption of materials by cells generate distinct microenvironments at different
      tissue coordinates. Such spatial heterogeneity enables optimized function through
      division of labor among cells. Unraveling the design principles that govern this
      spatial division of labor requires techniques to quantify the entire
      transcriptomes of cells while accounting for their spatial coordinates. In this
      review we describe how recent advances in spatial transcriptomics open the way
      for tissue-level systems biology.

PMID- 28346893
TI  - Biochemical transformation of lignin for deriving valued commodities from
      lignocellulose.
AB  - The biochemical properties of lignin present major obstacles to deriving
      societally beneficial entities from lignocellulosic biomass, an abundant and
      renewable feedstock. Similar to other biopolymers such as polysaccharides,
      polypeptides, and ribonucleic acids, lignin polymers are derived from multiple
      types of monomeric units. However, lignin's renowned recalcitrance is largely
      attributable to its racemic nature and the variety of covalent inter-unit
      linkages through which its aromatic monomers are linked. Indeed, unlike other
      biopolymers whose monomers are consistently inter-linked by a single type of
      covalent bond, the monomeric units in lignin are linked via non-enzymatic,
      combinatorial radical coupling reactions that give rise to a variety of inter
      unit covalent bonds in mildly branched racemic polymers. Yet, despite the
      chemical complexity and stability of lignin, significant strides have been made
      in recent years to identify routes through which valued commodities can be
      derived from it. This paper discusses emerging biological and biochemical means
      through which degradation of lignin to aromatic monomers can lead to the
      derivation of commercially valuable products.

PMID- 28346892
TI  - Characterizing regression in Phelan McDermid Syndrome (22q13 deletion syndrome).
AB  - PURPOSE: To describe the frequency and characteristics of developmental
      regression in a sample of 50 patients with Phelan McDermid Syndrome (PMS) and
      investigate the possibility of association between regression, epilepsy, and
      electroencephalogram (EEG) abnormalities and deletion size. METHODS: The Autism
      Diagnostic Interview-Revised (ADI-R) was used to evaluate regression in patients
      with a confirmed diagnosis of PMS. Information on seizure history and EEGs was
      obtained from medical record review. Deletion size was determined by DNA
      microarray. RESULTS: A history of regression at any age was present in 43% of all
      patients. Among those exhibiting regression, 67% had onset after the age of 30
      months, affecting primarily motor and self-help skills. In 63% of all patients
      there was a history of seizures and a history of abnormal EEG was also present in
      71%. No significant associations were found between regression and seizures or
      EEG abnormalities. Deletion size was significantly associated with EEG
      abnormalities, but not with regression or seizures. CONCLUSION: This study found
      a high rate of regression in PMS. In contrast to regression in autism, that often
      occurs earlier in development and affects language and social skills, we found
      regression in PMS most frequently has an onset in mid-childhood, affecting motor
      and self-help skills. We also found high rates of seizures and abnormal EEGs in
      patients with PMS. However, a history of abnormal EEG and seizures was not
      associated with an increased risk of regression. Larger deletion sizes were found
      to be significantly associated with a history of abnormal EEG.

PMID- 28346894
TI  - The Romberg ratio in people with multiple sclerosis.
AB  - Postural control relies on the integration of inputs from the visual,
      somatosensory and vestibular systems which are frequently impaired in people with
      Multiple Sclerosis (PwMS). In this situation, examining the Romberg ratio can be
      useful. This parameter can be interpreted as a gross indicator of a vestibular
      and proprioceptive contribution to postural control. Therefore, the primary
      objective of the current study was to examine whether the Romberg ratio differs
      between MS fallers, non-fallers and neurological disability levels. In addition,
      we clarified the association between the Romberg ratio values with validated gait
      and the balance tests in PwMS. Romberg ratio values were calculated according to
      the sway rate, total sway area and center of pressure (CoP) path length. The
      patient group included 542 PwMS (337 women) with a mean age of 42.3 (S.D=13.8).
      In terms of fall status, significant differences were observed between the faller
      (n=287) and non-faller (n=255) groups solely in terms of the Romberg ratio
      ellipse sway area: 2.76 (S.D=2.46) vs. 2.24 (S.D=2.01), P-value=0.01. A
      significant increase in the Romberg ratio was found between the severe group
      (n=50), the very mild (n=245), mild (n=186) and moderate (n=61) groups for each
      of the three Romberg ratio quotients. Significant weak correlation scores were
      found between the Romberg ratio-ellipse sway area and all walking and balance
      outcome measures; the Pearson's rho ranged from 0.172 to 0.270. The present data
      suggest that an elevated Romberg ratio quotient, especially according to the sway
      area, is an indicator of poor walking and balance capabilities in PwMS.

PMID- 28346895
TI  - Wheat genomics comes of age.
AB  - Advances in wheat genomics have lagged behind other major cereals (e.g., rice and
      maize) due to its highly repetitive and large polyploid genome. Recent
      technological developments in sequencing and assembly methods, however, have
      largely overcome these barriers. The community now moves to an era centred on
      functional characterisation of the genome. This includes understanding sequence
      and structural variation as well as how information is integrated across multiple
      homoeologous genomes. This understanding promises to uncover variation previously
      hidden from natural and human selection due to the often observed functional
      redundancy between homoeologs. Key functional genomic resources will enable this,
      including sequenced mutant populations and gene editing technologies which are
      now available in wheat. Training the next-generation of genomics-enabled
      researchers will be essential to ensure these advances are quickly translated
      into farmers' fields.

PMID- 28346896
TI  - Weak size dependence of resuspended radiocesium adsorbed on soil particles
      collected after the Fukushima nuclear accident.
AB  - Most studies of the properties of airborne radionuclides emitted from the
      Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant have focused on the relatively early stages
      of the accident, and little is known about the characteristics of radiocesium in
      the long-term. In this study, we analyzed activity size distributions of airborne
      radiocesium collected over 5 months in Tsukuba, Japan. Radiocesium in the
      accumulation mode size range (0.1-2 MUm in aerodynamic diameter) was overwhelming
      in the early aerosol samples and decreased with time, while that associated with
      coarse aerosols remained airborne. We examined the radiocesium adsorbed onto
      airborne soil particles, and found that the size dependence of 137Cs surface
      density adsorbed on soil particles was weak. That is, radiocesium was distributed
      homogeneously throughout the aerodynamic diameter range of 2.1-11 MUm. This
      characteristic may be related to the reported structure of radiocesium-bearing
      soil particles collected from the ground, which consisted of an aggregate of
      specific clay minerals and other non-cesium adsorbing particles. The resuspension
      factors for the first two aerosol samples collected during late April and May
      2011 were close to those in European cities in the months following the Chernobyl
      accident, despite different soil and weather conditions.

PMID- 28346897
TI  - Absence of the right common carotid artery: a rare case without separate origins
      of the internal and external carotid arteries.
AB  - Absence of the common carotid artery (CCA) is a rare anomaly. In the few cases
      described in the literature, it has been typically associated with separate
      origins of the internal carotid artery (ICA) and external carotid artery (ECA)
      Fife (1921), Boyd (1934), Rossiti and Raininko (2001), Cerase et al. (2009),
      Drazin et al. (2010), Yim et al. (2009), Monaco et al. (2009), Jerius et al.
      (1995), Dahn et al. (1999), Cakirer et al. (2002), Choi et al. (2015), Bryan et
      al. (1978), Horowitz et al. (2003), Roberts and Gerald (1978), Rajeshwari (2013),
      Purkayastha et al. (2006), Maybody et al. (2003), Wood et al. (2011) . To the
      best of our knowledge, absence of the CCA without separate origins of the ECA and
      ICA has only been described five times before, one of them in conjunction with a
      persistent proatlantal intersegmental artery (PIA) Cao et al. (2011) and four
      with agenesis of the ICA Kobayashi et al. (2013), Kunishio et al. (1987), Chen et
      al. (2008), Xie et al. (2010) . We present a case of a previously undescribed
      variation of this rare vascular anomaly.

PMID- 28346898
TI  - Modelling of Escherichia coli concentrations in bathing water at microtidal
      coasts.
AB  - Monitoring of the quality of bathing water in line with the European Commission
      bathing water directive (Directive 2006/7/EC) is a significant economic expense
      for those countries with great lengths of coastline. In this study a numerical
      model based on finite elements is generated whose objective is partially
      substituting the microbiological analysis of the quality of coastal bathing
      waters. According to a study of the concentration of Escherichia coli in 299
      Spanish Mediterranean beaches, it was established that the most important
      variables that influence the concentration are: monthly sunshine hours, mean
      monthly precipitation, number of goat cattle heads, population density, presence
      of Posidonia oceanica, UV, urbanization level, type of sediment, wastewater
      treatment ratio, salinity, distance to the nearest discharge, and wave height
      perpendicular to the coast. Using these variables, a model with an absolute error
      of 10.6+/-1.5CFU/100ml is achieved. With this model, if there are no significant
      changes in the beach environment and the variables remain more or less stable,
      the concentration of E. coli in bathing water can be determined, performing only
      specific microbiological analyses to verify the water quality.

PMID- 28346899
TI  - Multi-scale approach to Euro-Atlantic climatic cycles based on phenological time
      series, air temperatures and circulation indexes.
AB  - The spectral periods in North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO), Atlantic Multidecadal
      Oscillation (AMO) and El Nino Southern Oscillation (ENSO) were analyzed and has
      been verified how they imprint a time series of European temperature anomalies
      (ETA), two European temperature time series and some phenological series (dates
      of cherry flowering and grapevine harvest). Such work had as reference scenario
      the linear causal chain MCTP (Macroscale Circulation->Temperature->Phenology of
      crops) that links oceanic and atmospheric circulation to surface air temperature
      which in its turn determines the earliness of appearance of phenological phases
      of plants. Results show that in the three segments of the MCTP causal chain are
      present cycles with the following central period in years (the % of the 12
      analyzed time series interested by these cycles are in brackets): 65 (58%), 24
      (58%), 20.5 (58%), 13.5 (50%), 11.5 (58%), 7.7 (75%), 5.5 (58%), 4.1 (58%), 3
      (50%), 2.4 (67%). A comparison with short term spectral peaks of the four El Nino
      regions (nino1+2, nino3, nino3.4 and nino4) show that 10 of the 12 series are
      imprinted by periods around 2.3-2.4yr while 50-58% of the series are imprinted by
      El Nino periods of 4-4.2, 3.8-3.9, 3-3.1years. The analysis highlights the links
      among physical and biological variables of the climate system at scales that
      range from macro to microscale whose knowledge is crucial to reach a suitable
      understanding of the ecosystem behavior. The spectral analysis was also applied
      to a time series of spring - summer precipitation in order to evaluate the
      presence of peaks common with other 12 selected series with result substantially
      negative which brings us to rule out the existence of a linear causal chain MCPP
      (Macroscale Circulation->Precipitation->Phenology).

PMID- 28346900
TI  - Growing season variability in carbon dioxide exchange of irrigated and rainfed
      soybean in the southern United States.
AB  - Measurement of carbon dynamics of soybean (Glycine max L.) ecosystems outside
      Corn Belt of the United States (U.S.) is lacking. This study examines the
      seasonal variability of net ecosystem CO2 exchange (NEE) and its components
      (gross primary production, GPP and ecosystem respiration, ER), and relevant
      controlling environmental factors between rainfed (El Reno, Oklahoma) and
      irrigated (Stoneville, Mississippi) soybean fields in the southern U.S. during
      the 2016 growing season. Grain yield was about 1.6tha-1 for rainfed soybean and
      4.9tha-1 for irrigated soybean. The magnitudes of diurnal NEE (~2-weeks average)
      reached seasonal peak values of -23.18 and -34.78MUmolm-2s-1 in rainfed and
      irrigated soybean, respectively, approximately two months after planting (i.e.,
      during peak growth). Similar thresholds of air temperature (Ta, slightly over 30
      degrees C) and vapor pressure deficit (VPD, ~2.5kPa) for NEE were observed at
      both sites. Daily (7-day average) NEE, GPP, and ER reached seasonal peak values
      of -4.55, 13.54, and 9.95gCm-2d-1 in rainfed soybean and -7.48, 18.13, and
      14.93gCm-2d-1 in irrigated soybean, respectively. The growing season (DOY 132
      243) NEE, GPP, and ER totals were -54, 783, and 729gCm-2, respectively, in
      rainfed soybean. Similarly, cumulative NEE, GPP, and ER totals for DOY 163-256
      (flux measurement was initiated on DOY 163, missing first 45days after planting)
      were -291, 1239, and 948gCm-2, respectively, in irrigated soybean. Rainfed
      soybean was a net carbon sink for only two months, while irrigated soybean
      appeared to be a net carbon sink for about three months. However, grain yield and
      the magnitudes and seasonal sums of CO2 fluxes for irrigated soybean in this
      study were comparable to those for soybean in the U.S. Corn Belt, but they were
      lower for rainfed soybean.

PMID- 28346901
TI  - Boundary work for implementing adaptive management: A water sector application.
AB  - Boundary work, defined as effort to mediate between knowledge and action, is a
      promising approach for facilitating knowledge co-production for sustainable
      development. Here, we investigate a case study of knowledge co-production, to
      assess the applicability of boundary work as a conceptual framework to support
      implementing adaptive management in the water sector. We refer to a boundary work
      classification recently proposed by Clark et al., (2016), based on three types of
      knowledge uses, i.e. enlightenment, decision-, and negotiation-support, and three
      types of sources, i.e. personal expertise, single, and multiple communities of
      expertise. Our empirical results confirm boundary work has been crucial for the
      three types of knowledge use. For enlightenment and decision-support, effective
      interaction among knowledge producers and users was achieved through diverse
      boundary work practices, including joint agenda setting, and sharing of data and
      expertise. This initial boundary work eased subsequent knowledge co-production
      for decision-support and negotiations, in combination with stepping up of
      cooperation between relevant actors, suitable legislation and pressure for
      problem solving. Our analysis highlighted the temporal dimension matters -
      building trust around enlightenment first, and then using this as a basis for
      managing knowledge co-production for decision-, and negotiation support. We
      reconfirmed that boundary work is not a single time achievement, rather is a
      dynamic process, and we emphasized the importance of key actors driving the
      process, such as water utilities. Our results provide a rich case study of how
      strategic boundary work can facilitate knowledge co-production for adaptive
      management in the water sector. The boundary work practices employed here could
      also be transferred to other cases. Water utilities, as intermediaries between
      providers and beneficiaries of the important water-related ecosystem service of
      clean water provision, can indeed serve as key actors for initiating such
      boundary work practices.

PMID- 28346902
TI  - In situ synthesis of cobalt ferrites-embedded hollow N-doped carbon as an
      outstanding catalyst for elimination of organic pollutants.
AB  - Using polydopamine-metal ions complex as precursor, hollow mesoporous N-doped
      carbon microspheres encapsulating spinel ferrites nanocrystals (HM-NC/CoFe2O4)
      were facilely prepared with the aim of creating a novel heterogeneous catalyst
      for sulfate radical-based oxidation of organic contaminants. The surface
      morphology, structure and composition of HM-NC/CoFe2O4 catalyst were thoroughly
      investigated. The applicability of the catalyst was systematically assessed
      through numerous controlled trials, several operating parameters, as well as
      different model pollutants by means of peroxymonosulfate (PMS) activation.
      Outstanding efficiency and excellent reusability were achieved due to the unique
      structure and composition of HM-NC/CoFe2O4. The HM-NC scaffold with high porosity
      and surface area not only stabilizes the CoFe2O4 nanoparticles but also greatly
      facilitates the accessibility and adsorption of substrates to the active sites.
      In addition, both HM-NC and CoFe2O4 on the material surface can act as active
      sites. Sulfate radicals and hydroxyl radicals are identified as main active
      species and a possible enhancement mechanism of catalytic performance is also
      proposed. Due to the simple synthesis method, low-cost precursors, unique
      structure and excellent catalytic activity and stability, this novel composite
      have great potential as new strategic materials for remediation of water
      pollution.

PMID- 28346903
TI  - The Oceanus statue of the Fontana di Trevi (Rome): The analysis of black crust as
      a tool to investigate the urban air pollution and its impact on the stone
      degradation.
AB  - This paper deals with the analysis of black crust coming from the statue of
      Oceanus belonging to the Fontana di Trevi (Rome). This monument is undoubtedly
      one of the main touristic attractions of Rome. During the restoration held
      between 2014 and 2015, some diagnostic analyses had been carried out. It has been
      highlighted that the sheltered surfaces suffer the formation of black crust,
      especially on the marble statues. The possibility to sample those degradation
      products, together with the unaltered substrate, represented an excellent
      opportunity to characterize the marble itself, to assess the impact of the urban
      air pollution on the stone material, and to detect the pollutant on a precise
      timescale. In fact, it is known that the previous restoration of the fountain had
      been carried out between 1989 and 1991 then, information about the air pollution
      over the last 25years can be highlighted, because it has been proved that black
      crusts act as passive samplers of pollution. In order to fully characterize those
      samples, several techniques were used, including optical and scanning electron
      microscopy, X-ray diffraction, laser ablation inductively coupled plasma mass
      spectrometry, infrared spectroscopy and ion chromatography. Furthermore, a new
      methodology based on CHN (Carbon, Hydrogen, Nitrogen) analysis has been developed
      for the quantification of the two main constituents of the carbonaceous fraction
      present in the black crusts, i.e. OC (organic carbon) and EC (elemental carbon).
      This integrated approach proposed in the present study allowed us to gain
      information about the mineralogical phases and the elements within the crusts and
      at the crust-substrate interface, giving the possibility to identify the
      pollution sources causing the stone decay within the monument.

PMID- 28346904
TI  - Single particle mass spectral signatures from vehicle exhaust particles and the
      source apportionment of on-line PM2.5 by single particle aerosol mass
      spectrometry.
AB  - In order to accurately apportion the many distinct types of individual particles
      observed, it is necessary to characterize fingerprints of individual particles
      emitted directly from known sources. In this study, single particle mass spectral
      signatures from vehicle exhaust particles in a tunnel were performed. These data
      were used to evaluate particle signatures in a real-world PM2.5 apportionment
      study. The dominant chemical type originating from average positive and negative
      mass spectra for vehicle exhaust particles are EC species. Four distinct particle
      types describe the majority of particles emitted by vehicle exhaust particles in
      this tunnel. Each particle class is labeled according to the most significant
      chemical features in both average positive and negative mass spectral signatures,
      including ECOC, NaK, Metal and PAHs species. A single particle aerosol mass
      spectrometry (SPAMS) was also employed during the winter of 2013 in Guangzhou to
      determine both the size and chemical composition of individual atmospheric
      particles, with vacuum aerodynamic diameter (dva) in the size range of 0.2-2MUm.
      A total of 487,570 particles were chemically analyzed with positive and negative
      ion mass spectra and a large set of single particle mass spectra was collected
      and analyzed in order to identify the speciation. According to the typical tracer
      ions from different source types and classification by the ART-2a algorithm which
      uses source fingerprints for apportioning ambient particles, the major sources of
      single particles were simulated. Coal combustion, vehicle exhaust, and secondary
      ion were the most abundant particle sources, contributing 28.5%, 17.8%, and
      18.2%, respectively. The fraction with vehicle exhaust species particles
      decreased slightly with particle size in the condensation mode particles.

PMID- 28346905
TI  - Modeling the terrestrial N processes in a small mountain catchment through INCA
      N: A case study in Taiwan.
AB  - Riverine dissolved inorganic nitrogen (DIN) is an important indicator of trophic
      status of aquatic ecosystems. High riverine DIN export in Taiwan, ~3800kg-Nkm-2yr
      1, which is ~18 times higher than the global average, urges the need of thorough
      understanding of N cycling processes. We applied INCA-N (Integrated Nitrogen
      Catchment Model) to simulate riverine DIN export and infer terrestrial N
      processes using weekly rainwater and streamwater samples collected at the Fushan
      Experimental Forest (FEF) of northern Taiwan. Results showed that the modeled
      discharge and nitrate export are in good agreement with observations, suggesting
      the validity of our application. Based on our modeling, the three main N removal
      processes, in the order of descending importance, were plant uptake, riverine N
      transport and denitrification at FEF. The high plant uptake rate, 4920kg-Nkm-2yr
      1, should have led to accumulation of large biomass but biomass at FEF was
      relatively small compared to other tropical forests, likely due to periodic
      typhoon disruptions. The low nitrate concentration but high DIN export highlights
      the importance of hydrological control over DIN export, particularly during
      typhoons. The denitrification rate, 750kg-Nkm-2yr-1, at FEF was also low compared
      to other tropical forest ecosystems, likely resulting from quick water drainage
      through the coarse-loamy top soils. The high DIN export to atmospheric deposition
      ratio, 0.45, suggests that FEF may be in advanced stages of N excess. This
      simulation provides useful insights for establishing monitoring programs and
      improves our understanding N cycling in subtropical watersheds.

PMID- 28346906
TI  - Long-term exposure to high air pollution induces cumulative DNA damages in
      traffic policemen.
AB  - The specific effects of long-term exposure to high air pollution on human health
      and biological remain unclear. To explore the adverse health effects as well as
      biological mechanisms and biomarkers for durative exposure to air pollution, 183
      traffic policemen and 88 office policemen were enrolled in this study. The
      concentration of PM2.5 in both the traffic and office policemen's working
      environments were obtained. Detailed personal questionnaires were completed and
      levels of inflammation, oxidative stress and DNA damage markers of all
      participants were analyzed in this study. The average PM2.5 concentration of the
      intersections of main roads and the offices of control group were 132.4+/
      48.9MUg/m3 and 50.80+/-38.6MUg/m3, respectively. The traffic policemen, who
      stably exposed to at least 2 times higher PM2.5 in their work area as compared
      with the control group, have a median average duration of 7.00years, and average
      cumulative intersection duty time reached 8030h. No statistically significant
      differences in the levels of inflammation markers were observed between the
      traffic and office policemen. However, the DNA damage markers in traffic
      policemen shared significant positive correlation with cumulative intersection
      duty time and higher than those in the office policemen. Multiple linear
      regression analysis demonstrated that the increase of cumulative intersection
      duty time by 1h per day for one year was associated with the increase in 8
      hydroxy-20-deoxyguanosine of 0.329% (95% CI: 0.249% to 0.409%), tail DNA of
      0.051% (95% CI: 0.041% to 0.061%), micronucleus frequency of 0.0360/00 (95% CI:
      0.030/00 to 0.0430/00), and a decrease in glutathione of 0.482% (95% CI: -0.652%
      to -0.313%). These findings suggest that long-term exposure to high air pollution
      could induce cumulative DNA damages, supporting the hypothesis that durative
      exposure to air pollution is associated with an increased risk of cancer.

PMID- 28346907
TI  - Long-term associations of modeled and self-reported measures of exposure to air
      pollution and noise at residence on prevalent hypertension and blood pressure.
AB  - Air pollution, traffic noise and noise annoyance are suggested to be associated
      with hypertension and blood pressure (BP); however, the evidence remains
      inconsistent. Our study examined the long-term associations of modeled and self
      reported measures of air pollution and traffic noise on prevalent hypertension
      and BP. We analyzed cross-sectional data from 2552 participants aged 31-72years
      from the KORA F4 (2006-2008) study conducted in the region of Augsburg, Germany.
      Land-use regression models were used to estimate residential long-term exposure
      to particulate matter <2.5MUm (PM2.5), soot content of PM2.5 (PM2.5abs) and
      nitrogen dioxide (NO2). Road traffic noise levels at the facade of the dwellings
      were estimated for the participants' residences. Participants filled-in a
      questionnaire on noise annoyance and heavy traffic passing their residence.
      Linear and logistic regression models adjusting for confounders were used to
      assess the association between exposure measures and hypertension and BP. An
      interquartile increase in annual mean PM2.5 (1MUg/m3) was significantly
      associated with 15% higher prevalence of hypertension, without (95% CI: 2.5;
      28.0%) and with (95% CI: 0.7; 30.8%) adjustment for traffic noise. Diastolic
      blood pressure (DBP) was associated with air pollutants and traffic noise with
      percent increases in mean of 0.7 (95% CI: 0.2; 1.2), 0.6 (95% CI: 0.1; 1.1) and
      0.3 (95% CI: 0.0; 0.7) for an interquartile increase in PM2.5 (1MUg/m3) and
      PM2.5abs (0.2*10-5/m), and 5dB(A) increase in 24-hour road traffic noise,
      respectively. Associations of PM2.5abs and NO2 with hypertension or DBP were
      stronger in men and diabetic individuals. No clear associations were seen with
      systolic BP or noise annoyance. In conclusion, self-reported measures of air
      pollution or noise did not perform better than the objective measures. Our
      findings provide further evidence for a link between air pollution, noise and
      cardiovascular disease and indicate a stronger association for men and diabetic
      individuals.

PMID- 28346908
TI  - Different effects of biochar and a nitrification inhibitor application on paddy
      soil denitrification: A field experiment over two consecutive rice-growing
      seasons.
AB  - Biochar and nitrification inhibitors are increasingly being proposed as
      amendments to improve nitrogen use efficiency (NUE). However, their effects on
      soil denitrification and the major N loss in rice paddies over an entire rice
      growing season are not well understood. In this study, using intact soil core
      incubation combined with N2/Ar technique, the impacts of biochar and a
      nitrification inhibitor (Ni), 2-chloro-6-(trichloromethyl)-pyridine, on rice
      yield and soil denitrification, as well as ammonia (NH3) volatilization, were
      investigated over two rice-growing seasons in the Taihu Lake region of China.
      Field experiments were designed with four treatments: N0 (no N applied), N270
      (270kg N ha-1 applied), N270+C (25tha-1 biochar applied) and N270+Ni (2-chloro-6-
      [trichloromethyl] -pyridine, 1.35kgha-1N applied). Compared with single
      application of N fertilizer alone (N270), biochar (N270+C) and Ni (N270+Ni)
      applications increased rice yields by 4.2-5.2% and 6.2-7.3%, respectively. The
      cumulative N2-N and NH3-N losses in different treatments varied from 11.9 to
      21.8% and from 11.5 to 22.0% of the applied N, respectively. Compared with the
      single application of N fertilizer, the Ni application increased total NH3
      emission by 4.0-20.6% and significantly decreased total N2-N emission by 9.7
      19.4% (p<0.05), while the biochar application increased total NH3 and N2-N
      emissions by 8.6-17.9% and 3.3-9.7%, respectively. Overall, the biochar
      application resulted in an 11-15% higher net gaseous N than the Ni application.
      Although the biochar application may increase the rice yield and consequently the
      plant N uptake, it also promoted N loss more than Ni. Therefore biochar may not
      be good for maintaining soil fertility over a long period. Instead, applying Ni
      may be an optimal practice to ensure food security, while decreasing gaseous N
      loss, for rice production in the Taihu Lake region of China.

PMID- 28346909
TI  - Bioaugmentaton in Technosols created in abandoned pyritic tailings can contribute
      to enhance soil C sequestration and plant colonization.
AB  - Creation of Technosols in combination with phytostabilization may be a
      sustainable strategy to minimize the environmental and human health hazards
      derived from mine tailings. Bioaugmentation can facilitate plant establishment
      and growth for efficient phytostabilization. In order to assess if
      bioaugmentation can increase soil quality and fertility, decrease metal(loid)
      mobility and accelerate plant colonization, a one-year field experiment was
      designed with creation of Technosols in two tailings ponds with different pH
      (acidic (AT) and neutral (NT)), with addition of marble waste (MaW) and two
      organic materials (pig manure (PM) and sewage sludge (SS), without or with
      inoculation of effective microorganisms (EM) at three rates. Results showed that
      MaW was the main factor responsible for maintaining pH ~7 in AT and ~8 in NT,
      decreasing salinity, and decreasing the soluble fraction of metals (70-99%). The
      soluble fraction of As decreased ~45% in AT, related to increases in pH up to
      neutrality, while increased ~90% in NT with PM due to pH>8 and higher content of
      organic compounds. The addition of PM and SS significantly increased soil organic
      C (SOC), nutrient contents and microbial biomass and activity in both tailings,
      being PM more effective. However, a positive priming effect was observed in NT
      with SS addition likely due to higher C/N ratio and lack of nutrients. There was
      a significant effect of EM rate on inorganic C, SOC, N, K and microbial biomass
      and activity, with higher values as rate increased. Vegetation richness and
      density directly increased with increasing EM rate. Multivariate analyses showed
      that the most important properties contributing to increase richness and plant
      density were microbial biomass and N. Thus, bioaugmentation contributed to soil C
      sequestration (as organic and inorganic C) and soil fertility, related to high
      soil microbial biomass and activity, which facilitated an effective colonization
      of vegetation.

PMID- 28346911
TI  - Conserved Patterns of Trigeminal Somatosensory System Organization in Mammals.

PMID- 28346910
TI  - Occurrence, temporal variation, and estrogenic burden of five parabens in sewage
      sludge collected across the United States.
AB  - Five parabens used as preservatives in pharmaceuticals and personal care products
      (PPCPs) were measured in sewage sludges collected at 14 U.S. wastewater treatment
      plants (WWTPs) located in nine states. Detected concentration ranges (ng/g, dry
      weight) and frequencies were as follows: methyl paraben (15.9 to 203.0; 100%),
      propyl paraben (0.5 to 7.7; 100%), ethyl paraben (<0.6 to 2.6; 63%), butyl
      paraben (<0.4 to 4.3; 42%) and benzyl paraben (<0.4 to 3.3; 26%). The
      estrogenicity inherent to the sum of parabens detected in sewage sludge (ranging
      from 10.1 to 500.1pg/kg 17beta-estradiol equivalents) was insignificant when
      compared to the 106-times higher value calculated for natural estrogens reported
      in the literature to occur in sewage sludge. Temporal monitoring at one WWTP
      provided insights into temporal and seasonal variations in paraben
      concentrations. This is the first report on the occurrence of five parabens in
      sewage sludges from across the U.S., and internationally, the first on temporal
      variations of paraben levels in sewage sludge. Study results will help to inform
      the risk assessment of sewage sludge destined for land application (biosolids).

PMID- 28346912
TI  - Optimizing the Dose of Erythropoietin Required to Prevent Acute Ventilation
      Induced Cerebral White Matter Injury in Preterm Lambs.
AB  - Erythropoietin (EPO) is being trialed in preterm neonates for neuroprotection. We
      have recently demonstrated that a single high bolus dose (5,000 IU/kg) of
      recombinant human EPO amplified preterm lung and brain ventilation-induced
      injury. We aimed to determine the optimal dose of EPO to reduce ventilation
      induced cerebral white matter inflammation and injury in preterm lambs. Lambs
      (0.85 gestation) were ventilated with an injurious strategy for 15 min followed
      by conventional ventilation for 105 min. Lambs were randomized to no treatment
      (VENT; n = 8) or received a bolus dose of EPO (EPREX(r)): 300 IU/kg (EPO 300; n =
      5), 1,000 IU/kg (EPO 1,000; n = 5), or 3,000 IU/kg (EPO 3,000; n = 5).
      Physiological parameters were measured throughout the study. After 2 h, brains
      were collected for analysis; real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction and
      immunohistochemistry were used to assess inflammation, cell death, and vascular
      leakage in the periventricular and subcortical white matter (PVWM; SCWM).
      Molecular and histological inflammatory indices in the PVWM were not different
      between groups. EPO 300 lambs had higher IL-6 (p = 0.006) and caspase-3 (p =
      0.025) mRNA expression in the SCWM than VENT lambs. Blood-brain barrier (BBB)
      occludin mRNA levels were higher in EPO 3,000 lambs in the PVWM and SCWM than
      VENT lambs. The number of blood vessels with protein extravasation in the SCWM
      was lower in EPO 1,000 (p = 0.010) and EPO 3,000 (p = 0.025) lambs compared to
      VENT controls but not different between groups in the PVWM. Early administration
      of EPO at lower doses neither reduced nor exacerbated cerebral white matter
      inflammation or injury. 3,000 IU/kg EPO may provide neuroprotection by improving
      BBB integrity.

PMID- 28346913
TI  - Selected Food Consumption Mediates the Association between Education Level and
      Metabolic Syndrome in Korean Adults.
AB  - BACKGROUND/AIMS: Low socioeconomic status (SES) is linked to higher
      incidence/mortality of cardiovascular disease, but emerging evidence
      inconsistently reported that education level, a proxy for SES, is related to
      cardiovascular risk and metabolic syndrome (MetS) in Koreans. Furthermore,
      limited information is available on whether dietary components would mediate the
      relationship between education level and cardiovascular risk. We hypothesized
      that selected food consumption mediates the association between education level
      and MetS prevalence. METHODS: Data from the Korea National Health and Nutritional
      Examination Survey (2008-2011) were included in cross-sectional analyses (n =
      11,029, 30-64 years). The possible mediating effect of selected food groups
      (fruits, raw vegetables, red meat, milk, and soft drinks) on the association
      between education level and MetS was tested using a multiple mediation model.
      RESULTS: Education level was negatively associated with MetS prevalence. The
      association between lower education level and higher MetS prevalence was
      partially mediated by selected food consumption (lower intakes of fruit, red meat
      and milk; higher intakes of vegetable and soft drink) after adjusted for
      covariates. Gender also modified the association between education level and MetS
      prevalence that was more prominent in women than in men. CONCLUSIONS: Selected
      food consumption substantially contributes to the association between education
      level and MetS in Korean adults, especially among women.

PMID- 28346914
TI  - TOP: Prospective Evaluation of a Volume Based, Computer Assisted Method for
      Transperineal Optimized Prostate Biopsy.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: This study is a prospective evaluation of a volume-based, computer
      assisted method for transperineal optimized prostate (TOP) biopsy. The TOP
      algorithm automates core planning for systematic prostate biopsies using the 3
      dimensional organ contour and an alterable volume for tumors to be excluded.
      SUBJECTS AND METHODS: MRI-transrectal ultrasound fusion biopsy with MRI-targeted
      biopsies (TBs) and systematic-TOP biopsies were performed on 172 men between
      October 2013 and March 2014. Systematic biopsies were placed according to TOP for
      detection of tumor volumes >0.5 mL with a minimum of 80% organ coverage in
      prostates up to 50 mL (70% in larger organs). RESULTS: Median 24 TOP cores and 3
      MRI-TBs have been placed. Prostate cancer (PCa) was detected in 112 of 172 (65%)
      of men; TOP detected 109 (97%) and TB 62 (55%). Significant cancer (Gleason score
      >=7) was detected in 75 (44%) of men and of these TOP detected 73 of 75 (97%) and
      TB 51 of 75 (68%). Overall, systematic-TOP sampling significantly outperformed TB
      for the detection of both, all PCa as well as significant PCa (p < 0.0001, p =
      0.0005). CONCLUSION: The TOP method is innovative by integrating the individual
      prostate volume and PCa volume detection thresholds. In the present cohort, it
      diagnosed more significant tumors than TB alone. However, at the same time, more
      low-risk tumors are detected.

PMID- 28346915
TI  - Safety and Efficacy of Flexible Ureteroscopy in Combination with Holmium Laser
      Lithotripsy for the Treatment of Bilateral Upper Urinary Tract Calculi.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: To retrospectively evaluate the safety and efficacy of flexible
      ureteroscopy (FURS) in combination with holmium laser lithotripsy for the
      treatment of bilateral upper urinary calculi. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The stone
      free status was defined as the absence of any stones or asymptomatic status, or
      the presence of clinically insignificant residual fragments <4 mm, and was
      assessed by plain kidney, ureter, and bladder X-ray. The operative time, stone
      free rates (SFRs), serum creatinine (SCr), and complications were recorded.
      RESULTS: During the operation, there was no bleeding, ureteral perforation,
      avulsion, and rupture. Postoperative hematuria was observed in 2 patients. SCr
      increased significantly on the first day after the procedure compared with the
      preoperative SCr, but after 4 weeks, the renal function significantly improved (p
      < 0.05). The SFR was 71.6% (63/88) on the first day after the first surgical
      procedure; it then increased to 86.4% (76/88) in the fourth week, and rose to
      97.4% (76/78) after the second operation. CONCLUSION: The results demonstrated
      that FURS in combination with holmium laser lithotripsy represented a favorable
      less-invasive alternative with high SFR and acceptable complication rates in the
      treatment of bilateral upper urinary tract calculi.

PMID- 28346916
TI  - PD-1/PD-L1 Pathway in Breast Cancer.
AB  - The programmed cell death-1 receptor (PD-1) is an immune checkpoint inhibitor
      which is expressed on the surface of immune effector cells. It is activated
      mainly by PD-L1 which can be expressed by all human cells. The PD-1/PD-L1 pathway
      plays a subtle role in maintaining peripheral T-lymphocyte tolerance and
      regulating inflammation. In cancer, the expression of PD-L1 seems to be one of
      the major immune escape mechanisms. Many studies have shown efficacy of blocking
      PD-1 or PD-L1 with specific antibodies like pembrolizumab or atezulizumab. In
      breast cancer, potential response was demonstrated in metastatic triple-negative
      breast cancers.

PMID- 28346917
TI  - Endocrine Long-Term Follow-Up of Children with Neurofibromatosis Type 1 and Optic
      Pathway Glioma?.
AB  - BACKGROUND/AIMS: Children with optic pathway glioma (OPG) face sequelae related
      to tumour location and treatment modalities. We aimed to assess the prevalence of
      hypothalamic-pituitary dysfunctions in children with neurofibromatosis type 1
      (NF1) and OPG who did not receive radiotherapy or surgical resection. The
      causative role of tumour location on endocrinopathy development is investigated.
      METHODS: A retrospective follow-up study of 40 children with NF1 and OPG
      evaluated between August 1996 and May 2015 was undertaken. Patients who underwent
      radiotherapy or surgical resection were excluded and 36 patients were studied.
      Tumour location was classified according to the Dodge criteria: stage I, optic
      nerve alone; stage II, optic chiasm with or without optic nerve involvement; and
      stage III, involvement of the hypothalamus or other adjacent structures. RESULTS:
      Endocrinopathies were diagnosed in 20/36 (55.6%) children during a mean follow-up
      of 9.1 (0.2-13.6) years: 0/4 OPGs were Dodge stage I, 12/21 (57.1%) stage II, and
      8/11 (72.7%) stage III. The first endocrinopathy was found at a mean age of 7.4
      (5.0-13.2) years, 2.4 (0-6.7) years after tumour diagnosis. We found growth
      hormone deficiency (GHD; 36.1%), central precocious puberty (33.3%), obesity with
      insulin resistance/impaired glucose tolerance (11.1%), early puberty (5.5%), GH
      excess (5.5%), ACTH deficiency (5.5%), hypogonadotropic hypogonadism (2.7%), and
      thyrotropin deficiency (2.7%). GHD was transient in all of those who were
      retested. CONCLUSION: This population is at high risk of endocrinopathies due to
      tumour location. Lifelong endocrine follow-up is recommended.?.

PMID- 28346919
TI  - The Pregnancy Microbiome.
AB  - In recent years, microbiome research has revealed multiple essential roles of the
      microorganisms residing within the human body in host metabolism, immunity, and
      overall health. Numerous physiological and pathological states, including obesity
      and the metabolic syndrome, have been correlated with microbial changes, termed
      dysbiosis. Our microbiomes change in response to our environment, diet, weight,
      hormones, and other factors. It is, therefore, not surprising that there are also
      significant changes in the microbiome during pregnancy when dramatic weight gain
      and metabolic and immunological changes occur. In this review, we summarize the
      known changes in microbial composition throughout pregnancy at a variety of body
      sites, including the gut, vagina, oral cavity, and placenta, and we describe
      several studies that have linked pregnancy complications with microbial changes.
      Unlike the case of certain disease states, such as obesity, where dysbiosis is
      considered to have negative effects, we believe that the microbial alterations
      observed during pregnancy are vital for a healthy pregnancy. While more research
      in this field is required to reveal specific mechanisms and pathways regulating
      these alterations, the microbial changes during pregnancy are likely coordinated
      with the immune, endocrine, and metabolic states.

PMID- 28346918
TI  - 5-HT1A Receptors Mediate Analgesia Induced by Emulsified Sevoflurane in Thermal
      Nociception but Have Little Effect on Chemical Nociception.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: The study aimed to investigate the relationship between the analgesic
      effect of sevoflurane and 5-serotonin receptor 1A (5-HT1A R) in the spinal cords
      of mice. METHODS: Analgesic mouse models were established by intraperitoneal
      injection of emulsified sevoflurane, and the influence of p-MPPF (a specific
      antagonist of 5-HT1A Rs) intrathecal injection on the changes in tail-flick
      latency in tail-withdrawal test, pain threshold in hot-plate test (HPPT), and
      writhing times in acetic acid-induced writhing test were recorded. RESULTS:
      Intraperitoneal injection of emulsified sevoflurane alone produced an analgesic
      effect (p < 0.05). p-MPPF (2, 4, and 8 MUg) alone had no impact on tail-flick
      latency, HPPT, and writhing times in mice (p > 0.05). The 3 doses of p-MPPF
      reduced the tail-flick latency or HPPT. p-MPPF 8 MUg can increase the writhing
      times (p < 0.05) in analgesic mice with sevoflurane, while p-MPPF 2 and 4 MUg did
      not affect the writhing times. CONCLUSION: 5-HT1A Rs in the spinal cord may be an
      important target for the analgesic effect of sevoflurane on the thermal
      nociception, but it has little relation to the anti-chemical chemical nociceptive
      effect of sevoflurane.

PMID- 28346920
TI  - Microbial Composition of the Initial Colonization of Newborns.
AB  - Early-life interaction with indigenous intestinal microbes is a prerequisite for
      healthy immune and metabolic maturation. Human infants acquire their gut
      microbiota predominantly from the mother. A considerable inoculum of microbes is
      received by the neonate during vaginal delivery. Recent observations suggest that
      human gut colonization may be initiated prenatally by microbes in amniotic fluid,
      but the significance of this phenomenon remains unknown. After birth, neonatal
      gut colonization is guided by human milk factors, which selectively promote the
      growth of specific microbes, as well as by live microbes present in human milk.
      Aberrant gut colonization in early life has been associated with an increased
      risk of noncommunicable diseases in later life. Epidemiological and experimental
      studies suggest a causal relationship between early-life gut microbiota
      perturbations and disease risk. Perinatal antibiotic exposure, cesarean section
      delivery, postnatal antibiotic administration, and formula feeding, which may
      disrupt intestinal microecology, have been associated with disease development in
      later life. The modulation of gut microbiota in the perinatal period by pre- and
      probiotics, for example, may offer a means to reduce the risk of chronic
      diseases.

PMID- 28346921
TI  - Bacterial Colonization of the Newborn Gut, Immune Development, and Prevention of
      Disease.
AB  - We now know that the fetus does not reside in a sterile intrauterine environment
      but is exposed to commensal bacteria from the maternal gut which cross the
      placenta and infiltrate the amniotic fluid. This exposure to colonizing bacteria
      continues at birth and during the first year of life, and it has a profound
      influence on lifelong health. Why is this important? Cross talk with colonizing
      bacteria in the developing neonatal intestine helps in the initial adaptation of
      the infant to extrauterine life, particularly in acquiring immune homeostasis,
      and provides protection against disease expression (e.g., allergy, autoimmune
      disease, and obesity) later in life. Colonizing intestinal bacteria are critical
      to the development of host defense during the neonatal period. Disrupted
      colonization (dysbiosis) due to cesarean section delivery, perinatal antibiotics,
      or premature delivery may adversely affect the development of host defense
      mechanisms in the gut and predispose to inflammation leading to increased
      susceptibility to disease later in life. Clinical evidence suggests that babies
      born by cesarean section have higher incidence rates of allergy, type 1 diabetes,
      and obesity. Infants given repeated antibiotic regimens are more likely to have
      asthma as adolescents. This observation helps to explain the disease paradigm
      shift in children from developed countries.

PMID- 28346922
TI  - Epigenetics in Gastrointestinal Health and Disease: Spotlight on DNA Methylation
      in the Intestinal Epithelium.
AB  - Epigenetics can be defined as stable, potentially heritable changes in cellular
      phenotype caused by mechanisms other than alterations in the underlying DNA
      sequence. DNA methylation is amongst the most intensely studied epigenetic
      mechanisms and has been shown to play a major role in regulating fundamental
      aspects of cell biology including cellular differentiation, organ development,
      and cell type-specific gene expression. Importantly, it is becoming increasingly
      clear that epigenetic mechanisms operate at the interface between the genetic
      code and our environment and are able to mediate environmental changes into
      stable phenotypic alterations. Given existing evidence supporting the important
      effects of environmental factors (e.g., diet, nutrition, and infections) on human
      health, epigenetic mechanisms provide a plausible mechanistic framework for the
      development of many multifactorial diseases including inflammatory bowel disease
      (IBD). Impaired function of the intestinal epithelium has been implicated in IBD
      pathogenesis, yet underlying mechanisms remain ill defined. The work of our group
      focuses on investigating the role of DNA methylation in regulating cellular
      function of the human intestinal epithelium during gastrointestinal health and
      IBD. In addition to performing an analysis of primary human intestinal
      epithelium, we utilize human intestinal organoid culture systems allowing us to
      perform functional analysis in a patient-derived ex vivo model.

PMID- 28346924
TI  - Early-Life Antibiotic Exposure, Gut Microbiota Development, and Predisposition to
      Obesity.
AB  - Antibiotics are often prescribed inappropriately to infants and young children,
      with potentially adverse effects on the developing gut microbiota and related
      metabolic processes. We review evidence from 17 epidemiologic studies suggesting
      that antibiotic exposure during critical periods of early development may
      influence weight gain and the development of obesity. Complementary research in
      both humans and rodents indicates that gut microbiota play a key role in this
      process, although further research is needed to confirm and characterize the
      causal mechanisms involved. Obesity is a complex and multifactorial condition;
      thus, a multipronged prevention strategy will be required to curb the current
      obesity epidemic. Evidence to date suggests this strategy should include the
      judicious use of antibiotics, especially in early life when the developing gut
      microbiota is particularly susceptible to perturbations with long-lasting
      implications for metabolic programming and obesity risk.

PMID- 28346923
TI  - Gut-Brain Axis and Behavior.
AB  - In the last 5 years, interest in the interactions among the gut microbiome,
      brain, and behavior has exploded. Preclinical evidence supports a role of the gut
      microbiome in behavioral responses associated with pain, emotion, social
      interactions, and food intake. Limited, but growing, clinical evidence comes
      primarily from associations of gut microbial composition and function to
      behavioral and clinical features and brain structure and function. Converging
      evidence suggests that the brain and the gut microbiota are in bidirectional
      communication. Observed dysbiotic states in depression, chronic stress, and
      autism may reflect altered brain signaling to the gut, while altered gut
      microbial signaling to the brain may play a role in reinforcing brain
      alterations. On the other hand, primary dysbiotic states due to Western diets may
      signal to the brain, altering ingestive behavior. While studies performed in
      patients with depression and rodent models generated by fecal microbial transfer
      from such patients suggest causation, evidence for an influence of acute gut
      microbial alterations on human behavioral and clinical parameters is lacking.
      Only recently has an open-label microbial transfer therapy in children with
      autism tentatively validated the gut microbiota as a therapeutic target. The
      translational potential of preclinical findings remains unclear without further
      clinical investigation.

PMID- 28346925
TI  - Microbiota and Necrotizing Enterocolitis.
AB  - Necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC) is an acquired gastrointestinal inflammatory
      condition with significant mortality and morbidity in preterm very low birth
      weight infants. The interplay between toll-like receptors, bacterial endotoxins,
      developmentally regulated excessive proinflammatory responses of the immature
      innate immune system, hypoxia, ischemia, reperfusion, free radicals, and the
      presence of substrates and bacterial endotoxins is thought to play an important
      role in the pathogenesis of NEC. The association (cause?) of various microbes
      (bacteria, viruses, and fungi) with NEC has intrigued researchers for many years.
      Availability of newer molecular methods (e.g., 16S ribosomal RNA gene-specific
      primers/pyrosequencing of fecal DNA) is expected to improve our understanding of
      the role of gut microbiota in the pathogenesis of NEC. Recent studies employing
      such methods to assess fecal microbiota are reviewed. Current evidence suggests
      that dysbiosis of the gut microbiota precedes the development of NEC in preterm
      infants. Further research is required to understand the significance of changes
      in the gut microbiome over the early postnatal period including the relative
      abundance of Gammaproteobacteria and the paucity of strict anaerobic bacteria
      that precedes NEC in preterm infants. Assessing the reproducibility of previous
      findings in large prospective studies with standardized methodology (e.g. sample
      processing, PCR primer, and DNA extraction) is important.

PMID- 28346926
TI  - Microbiota and Obesity.
AB  - Obesity is globally the most prevalent nutritional disorder. Multifaceted
      therapeutic approaches are called for to halt the cascade from neonatal
      adiposity/high birth weight to childhood excessive weight gain/adult obesity with
      comorbidities. Recent experimental and clinical data provide one new target for
      interventions aiming to close this vicious circle: the microbiota. An aberrant
      gut microbiota, dysbiosis, induces immune and metabolic disturbances both locally
      and, consequent upon impaired gut barrier function, also systemic low-grade
      inflammation, which is causally linked to insulin resistance. The gut
      microecology could thus fill the gap between energy intake and expenditure by
      processing nutrients and regulating their access to and storage in the body,
      producing chemicals of hormonal nature and controlling the secretion of
      proinflammatory mediators locally and systemically. Conversely, being highly
      sensitive to environmental impacts, particularly to early feeding, the
      compositional development of the gut microbiota may prove the target of choice in
      efforts to reduce the risk of obesity. It has been demonstrated that a lower
      number of bifidobacteria precedes the development of obesity, and a dearth of
      butyrate-producing bacteria and an overall richness of bacteria increase the risk
      of metabolic disease; moreover, recognition that practices known to disrupt the
      early gut microbiota, e.g., cesarean section delivery and antibiotic exposure,
      contribute to obesity, encourages to pursue this line of research.

PMID- 28346927
TI  - Microbiota in Functional Gastrointestinal Disorders in Infancy: Implications for
      Management.
AB  - The complex and diverse intestinal microbiome is recognized as important in
      promoting human health. An altered gut microflora, referred to as dysbiosis, is
      increasingly recognized as having an etiologic role in a variety of conditions,
      including functional gastrointestinal disorders: colic in infants and irritable
      bowel syndrome in older children. Probiotics are defined as live microorganisms
      that, if ingested in sufficient amounts, restore microbial homeostasis and have a
      benefit on health. Randomized controlled trials indicate that probiotics can be
      effective in a variety of intestinal conditions, including colic and irritable
      bowel syndrome. Probiotics may promote gut microbial diversity, but timing of the
      intervention appears crucial. Strain-specific effects on colonization resistance,
      epithelial barrier integrity, modulation of signal transduction, impacts on
      innate and adaptive immune responses, and effects on visceral hyperalgesia likely
      explain the observed variability in various probiotic strains. In the future,
      probiotics are likely to be chosen for use in a defined clinical setting based on
      underlying mechanism(s) of action. The precise component of the probiotic agent
      mediating observed effects is the subject of current research. Unresolved issues
      relate to optimal dosages, timing of ingestion, single versus combination
      formulations, maintenance of viability in storage, and the merits of employing
      probiotic-derived products.

PMID- 28346928
TI  - Diet and Gut Microbiota in Health and Disease.
AB  - Gut microbiota plays an important role in host health maintenance and disease
      pathogenesis. The development of a stable and diverse gut microbiota is essential
      to various host physiologic functions such as immunoregulation, pathogen
      prevention, energy harvest, and metabolism. At the same time, a dysbiotic gut
      microbiota associated with disease is altered in structure and function, and
      often characterized by a decrease in species richness and proliferation of
      pathogenic bacterial taxa. As a shared substrate between the host and the gut
      microbiota, diet significantly impacts the health and disease states of the host
      both directly and through gut microbial metabolite production. This is
      demonstrated in the examples of short-chain fatty acid and trimethylamine
      production via bacterial metabolism of dietary complex carbohydrates and choline,
      respectively. In disorders related to mucosal immune dysregulation such as
      inflammatory bowel disease, the dysbiotic gut microbiota and diet contribute to
      its pathogenesis. Reversal of dysbiosis through fecal microbiota transplantation
      and dietary interventions may thus represent important strategies to modify the
      gut microbiota and its metabolite production for health maintenance as well as
      disease prevention and management.

PMID- 28346929
TI  - Summary of Normal Development of Gut Microbiota and Dysbiosis.

PMID- 28346930
TI  - Enzymes in Human Milk.
AB  - Milk proteins are a complex and diverse source of biological activities. Beyond
      their function, intact milk proteins also act as carriers of encrypted functional
      sequences that, when released as peptides, exert biological functions, including
      antimicrobial and immunomodulatory activity, which could contribute to the
      infant's competitive success. Research has now revealed that the release of these
      functional peptides begins within the mammary gland itself. A complex array of
      proteases produced in mother's milk has been shown to be active in the milk,
      releasing these peptides. Moreover, our recent research demonstrates that these
      milk proteases continue to digest milk proteins within the infant's stomach,
      possibly even to a larger extent than the infant's own proteases. As the neonate
      has relatively low digestive capacity, the activity of milk proteases in the
      infant may provide important assistance to digesting milk proteins. The
      coordinated release of these encrypted sequences is accomplished by selective
      proteolytic action provided by an array of native milk proteases and infant
      produced enzymes. The task for scientists is now to discover the selective
      advantages of this protein-protease-based peptide release system.

PMID- 28346931
TI  - Compositional Analysis and Metabolism of Human Milk Oligosaccharides in Infants.
AB  - It is a great success that biotechnological means are available today to produce
      amounts of single human milk oligosaccharides (HMOs) in a purity which allows
      performing metabolic and functional studies even in humans. As recent data
      indicate that there is a link between the Lewis blood group and the secretor
      status of an individual and certain inflammatory diseases, this review will also
      focus on the metabolic fate of secretor- and Lewis blood group-specific
      components. We conclude that there is no simple urinary or fecal excretion
      pattern of HMOs, although the pattern in urine often reflects the mother's
      secretor/nonsecretor status. However, there are deviations for single HMOs which
      deserve special attention. In feces, the variation in excretion is much higher
      than in urine, which may be caused by variations in the infant's intestinal
      microbiota. A gradual decrease in HMO excretion with time as proposed earlier
      does not take place as even after 7 months of exclusive breastfeeding often
      intact HMOs can be detected in feces and urine. In addition, we found that
      whenever oligosaccharides were detected in feces, LNT, the major core structure
      of HMOs, was present. Hence, our data do not support speculations that LNT is a
      preferable source for the microbiota.

PMID- 28346932
TI  - Regulatory Aspects of Human Milk Oligosaccharides.
AB  - Human milk oligosaccharides are key components of human milk and appear in
      various compositions and concentrations in all human milks. In regulatory sense
      human milk oligosaccharides are classified as novel foods or novel food
      ingredients requiring safety assessment. In addition, if any health messages are
      intended to be used also health claim regulations apply. This chapter reviews the
      regulatory settings and studies human milk oligosaccharides are required to
      fulfill to be able to enter markets in European Union or United States or
      elsewhere. Examples include Lacto-N-neotetraose and 2-fucosyllactose with safety
      assessment in European Union and United States.

PMID- 28346934
TI  - Summary of Evolution of Human Microbiota.

PMID- 28346933
TI  - Summary on Human Milk Oligosaccharides.

PMID- 28346935
TI  - Dysbiosis in the Neonatal Period: Role of Cesarean Section.
AB  - From epidemiological studies and studies done evaluating microbiomes in infants,
      there is a strong signal that the infants born by elective cesarean section (C
      section) develop microbiota that differs from those babies born by vaginal
      delivery. Epidemiological studies show increased odds ratios for the development
      of immunological disorders such as type 1 diabetes, celiac disease, asthma,
      allergic diseases as well as metabolic diseases such as obesity in babies born by
      C-section. These are interesting associations, and if supported by additional
      studies that rigorously control for confounding factors, they will have major
      public health implications. Such studies represent major challenges because the
      confounding factors are numerous. The fact that provision of vaginal bacteria to
      C-section-delivered babies using a mouth swab that may actually transmit these
      bacteria to the infant is of interest and supports the concept that this can be
      done to alter the infant microbiota. However, significant caution needs to be
      taken, and alternative approaches that are safe as well as effective need to be
      considered; follow-up studies showing efficacy as well as safety need to be
      evaluated in the long term.

PMID- 28346936
TI  - Differential Establishment of Bifidobacteria in the Breastfed Infant Gut.
AB  - The composition of an infant's gut microbiome can impact their immediate and long
      term health. Bifdobacteria play a major role in structuring the gut microbiome of
      breastfed infants due to their ability to consume oligosaccharides found in human
      milk. However, recent studies have revealed that bifidobacteria are often absent
      in the gut microbiome of breastfed infants in some locations. This lack of
      colonization may be due either to differences in the environmental conditions in
      the gastrointestinal tract of uncolonized infants which prohibit the growth of
      bifidobacteria or a dearth of sources from which infants may acquire these
      specialized bacterial species. Potential mechanisms by which these broad factors
      may lead to lower colonization of infants by bifidobacteria are discussed herein.
      Environmental conditions which may select against bifidobacteria include low
      rates/duration of breastfeeding, milk glycan composition, and antimicrobial use.
      Routes of colonization by bifidobacteria which may be disrupted include maternal
      transfer via vaginal birth, fecal-oral routes, or via breast milk itself. A
      careful contemplation of the conditions experienced by bifidobacteria over human
      evolutionary history may lead to further hypotheses as to the causative factors
      of the differential colonization by this foundation genus in some contemporary
      locations.

PMID- 28346937
TI  - In-crystal reaction cycle of a toluene-bound diiron hydroxylase.
AB  - Electrophilic aromatic substitution is one of the most important and recognizable
      classes of organic chemical transformation. Enzymes create the strong
      electrophiles that are needed for these highly energetic reactions by using O2,
      electrons, and metals or other cofactors. Although the nature of the oxidants
      that carry out electrophilic aromatic substitution has been deduced from many
      approaches, it has been difficult to determine their structures. Here we show the
      structure of a diiron hydroxylase intermediate formed during a reaction with
      toluene. Density functional theory geometry optimizations of an active site model
      reveal that the intermediate is an arylperoxo Fe2+/Fe3+ species with delocalized
      aryl radical character. The structure suggests that a carboxylate ligand of the
      diiron centre may trigger homolytic cleavage of the O-O bond by transferring a
      proton from a metal-bound water. Our work provides the spatial and electronic
      constraints needed to propose a comprehensive mechanism for diiron enzyme arene
      hydroxylation that accounts for many prior experimental results.

PMID- 28346938
TI  - Star formation inside a galactic outflow.
AB  - Recent observations have revealed massive galactic molecular outflows that may
      have the physical conditions (high gas densities) required to form stars. Indeed,
      several recent models predict that such massive outflows may ignite star
      formation within the outflow itself. This star-formation mode, in which stars
      form with high radial velocities, could contribute to the morphological evolution
      of galaxies, to the evolution in size and velocity dispersion of the spheroidal
      component of galaxies, and would contribute to the population of high-velocity
      stars, which could even escape the galaxy. Such star formation could provide in
      situ chemical enrichment of the circumgalactic and intergalactic medium (through
      supernova explosions of young stars on large orbits), and some models also
      predict it to contribute substantially to the star-formation rate observed in
      distant galaxies. Although there exists observational evidence for star formation
      triggered by outflows or jets into their host galaxy, as a consequence of gas
      compression, evidence for star formation occurring within galactic outflows is
      still missing. Here we report spectroscopic observations that unambiguously
      reveal star formation occurring in a galactic outflow at a redshift of 0.0448.
      The inferred star-formation rate in the outflow is larger than 15 solar masses
      per year. Star formation may also be occurring in other galactic outflows, but
      may have been missed by previous observations owing to the lack of adequate
      diagnostics.

PMID- 28346945
TI  - Virtual Glucose Management in the Hospital Setting.

PMID- 28346946
TI  - Association Between a Virtual Glucose Management Service and Glycemic Control in
      Hospitalized Adult Patients: An Observational Study.
AB  - Background: Inpatient hyperglycemia is common and is linked to adverse patient
      outcomes. New methods to improve glycemic control are needed. Objective: To
      determine whether a virtual glucose management service (vGMS) is associated with
      improved inpatient glycemic control. Design: Cross-sectional analyses of three 12
      month periods (pre-vGMS, transition, and vGMS) between 1 June 2012 and 31 May
      2015. Setting: 3 University of California, San Francisco, hospitals. Patients:
      All nonobstetric adult inpatients who underwent point-of-care glucose testing.
      Intervention: Hospitalized adult patients with 2 or more glucose values of 12.5
      mmol/L or greater (>=225 mg/dL) (hyperglycemic) and/or a glucose level less than
      3.9 mmol/L (<70 mg/dL) (hypoglycemic) in the previous 24 hours were identified
      using a daily glucose report. Based on review of the insulin/glucose chart in the
      electronic medical record, recommendations for insulin changes were entered in a
      vGMS note, which could be seen by all clinicians. Measurements: Proportion of
      patient-days classified as hyperglycemic, hypoglycemic, and at-goal (all
      measurements >=3.9 and <=10 mmol/L [>=70 and <=180 mg/dL] during the pre-vGMS,
      transition, and vGMS periods). Results: The proportion of hyperglycemic patients
      decreased by 39%, from 6.6 per 100 patient-days in the pre-vGMS period to 4.0 per
      100 patient-days in the vGMS period (difference, -2.5 [95% CI, -2.7 to -2.4]).
      The hypoglycemic proportion in the vGMS period was 36% lower than in the pre-vGMS
      period (difference, -0.28 [CI, -0.35 to -0.22]). Forty severe hypoglycemic events
      (<2.2 mmol/L [<40 mg/dL]) occurred during the pre-vGMS period compared with 15
      during the vGMS period. Limitation: Information was not collected on patients'
      concurrent illnesses and treatment or physicians' responses to the vGMS notes.
      Conclusion: Implementation of the vGMS was associated with decreases in
      hyperglycemia and hypoglycemia. Primary Funding Source: National Institutes of
      Health, the Wilsey Family Foundation, and the UCSF Clinical & Translational
      Science Institute.

PMID- 28346939
TI  - A B12-dependent radical SAM enzyme involved in oxetanocin A biosynthesis.
AB  - Oxetanocin A (OXT-A) is a potent antitumour, antiviral and antibacterial
      compound. Biosynthesis of OXT-A has been linked to a plasmid-borne Bacillus
      megaterium gene cluster that contains four genes: oxsA, oxsB, oxrA and oxrB. Here
      we show that both the oxsA and oxsB genes are required for the production of OXT
      A. Biochemical analysis of the encoded proteins, a cobalamin (Cbl)-dependent S
      adenosylmethionine (AdoMet) radical enzyme, OxsB, and an HD-domain
      phosphohydrolase, OxsA, reveals that OXT-A is derived from a 2'-deoxyadenosine
      phosphate in an OxsB-catalysed ring contraction reaction initiated by hydrogen
      atom abstraction from C2'. Hence, OxsB represents the first biochemically
      characterized non-methylating Cbl-dependent AdoMet radical enzyme. X-ray analysis
      of OxsB reveals the fold of a Cbl-dependent AdoMet radical enzyme, a family of
      enzymes with an estimated 7,000 members. Overall, this work provides a framework
      for understanding the interplay of AdoMet and Cbl cofactors and expands the
      catalytic repertoire of Cbl-dependent AdoMet radical enzymes.

PMID- 28346947
TI  - Health and Public Policy to Facilitate Effective Prevention and Treatment of
      Substance Use Disorders Involving Illicit and Prescription Drugs: An American
      College of Physicians Position Paper.
AB  - Substance use disorders involving illicit and prescription drugs are a serious
      public health issue. In the United States, millions of individuals need treatment
      for substance use disorders but few receive it. The rising number of drug
      overdose deaths and the changing legal status of marijuana pose new challenges.
      In this position paper, the American College of Physicians maintains that
      substance use disorder is a treatable chronic medical condition and offers
      recommendations on expanding treatment options, the legal status of marijuana,
      addressing the opioid epidemic, insurance coverage of substance use disorders
      treatment, education and workforce, and public health interventions.

PMID- 28346948
TI  - Putting Patients First by Reducing Administrative Tasks in Health Care: A
      Position Paper of the American College of Physicians.
AB  - This American College of Physicians (ACP) position paper, initiated and written
      by ACP's Medical Practice and Quality Committee and approved by the Board of
      Regents on 21 January 2017, reports policy recommendations to address the issue
      of administrative tasks to mitigate or eliminate their adverse effects on
      physicians, their patients, and the health care system as a whole. The paper
      outlines a cohesive framework for analyzing administrative tasks through several
      lenses to better understand any given task that a clinician and his or her staff
      may be required to perform. In addition, a scoping literature review and
      environmental scan were done to assess the effects on physician time, practice
      and system cost, and patient care due to the increase in administrative tasks.
      The findings from the scoping review, in addition to the framework, provide the
      backbone of detailed policy recommendations from the ACP to external stakeholders
      (such as payers, governmental oversight organizations, and vendors) regarding how
      any given administrative requirement, regulation, or program should be assessed,
      then potentially revised or removed entirely.

PMID- 28346949
TI  - Designing and Regulating Wisely: Removing Barriers to Joy in Practice.

PMID- 28346950
TI  - A Tale of Two Countries: How I Saw More Patients With More Joy in Internal
      Medicine Practice.

PMID- 28346952
TI  - Web Exclusives. Annals Graphic Medicine - Anatomy of a Donut Hole.

PMID- 28346951
TI  - Professionalism Charter Provides Guidance to Health Care Organizations in These
      Troubled Times.

PMID- 28346953
TI  - Lennox-Gastaut Syndrome: A State of the Art Review.
AB  - Lennox-Gastaut syndrome (LGS) is a severe age-dependent epileptic encephalopathy
      usually with onset between 1 and 8 years of age. Functional neuroimaging studies
      recently introduced the concept of Lennox-Gastaut as "secondary network epilepsy"
      resulting from dysfunctions of a complex system involving both cortical and
      subcortical structures (default-mode network, corticoreticular connections, and
      thalamus). These dysfunctions are produced by different disorders including
      hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathies, meningoencephalitis, cortical malformations,
      neurocutaneous disorders, or tumors. The list of etiologies was expanded to
      pathogenic copy number variants at whole-genome array comparative genomic
      hybridization associated with late-onset cases or pathogenic mutations involving
      genes, such as GABRB3, ALG13, SCN8A, STXBP1, DNM1, FOXG1, or CHD2. Various
      clinical trials demonstrated the usefulness of different drugs (including
      rufinamide, clobazam, lamotrigine, topiramate, or felbamate), ketogenic diet,
      resective surgery, corpus callosotomy, and vagus nerve stimulation in the
      treatment of epileptic manifestations. The outcome of LGS often remains
      disappointing regarding seizure control or cognitive functioning. The realization
      of animal models, which are still lacking, and the full comprehension of
      molecular mechanisms involved in epileptogenesis and cognitive impairment would
      give a relevant support to further improvements in therapeutic strategies for LGS
      patients.

PMID- 28346954
TI  - Evaluation of Probably Benign Adnexal Masses in Postmenopausal Women.
AB  - Background Preoperatively identification of malignancy potential of a
      postmenopausal adnexal masses is important. Aim To evaluate the effectiveness of
      the Risk of Malignancy Index-2 in presumably benign adnexal masses in
      postmenopausal women. Study Design Retrospective, observational study. Methods
      119 women with postmenopausal adnexal masses with a preliminary diagnosis of
      benign tumors according to the Risk of Malignancy Index-2 were included. Age,
      duration of menopause, ultrasonographic findings, and serum CA-125 levels were
      recorded preoperatively. The definitive diagnosis was based on postoperative
      histopathological examination. Results Of 119 adnexal mass, 10 were malignant and
      109 were benign. There was no statistically significant difference with regard to
      age and tumor size between the groups. The two significant ultrasonographic
      parameter between groups were the presence of solid area in the mass and
      bilaterality. Moreover, if the cut off point for serum CA-125 was adjusted to
      14.75 IU/mL according to ROC curve, a sensitivity value of 80% and a specificity
      value of 72% could be achieved to discriminate benign and malign cysts.
      Conclusion In the differential diagnosis of benign and malignant adnexal masses
      in postmenopausal women, the presence of a solid component, bilaterallity based
      on ultrasonography and high CA-125 values may be used as discriminative criteria.
      There is no direct relation between the size of the adnexal mass and malignancy
      potential. Therefore, in the malignancy indexes of postmenopausal women, we
      recommend lower cut-off values of CA-125 to increase the sensitivity of
      preoperative evaluation tests without having a great impact on negative
      predictive values.

PMID- 28346955
TI  - Nonischemic Priapism in Childhood: A Case Series and Review of Literature.
AB  - INTRODUCTION:  Nonischemic priapism (NIP) in childhood is a very rare affection.
      In the literature, patients with NIP are described mainly incidental after
      perineal trauma. Many of them underwent embolization of either internal pudendal
      artery or bulbocavernosal arteries. PATIENTS AND METHODS:  We report on six boys
      between 4 and 13 years of age with NIP, treated at our institution between 2008
      and 2014. Color Doppler ultrasound (CDU) was performed in all patients as
      emergency diagnostic evaluation. Patients were treated conservatively, including
      bed rest, local cooling, and perineal compression. History, etiological factors,
      clinical findings, diagnostics, and follow-up are presented. RESULTS:  Out of the
      six patients, only one boy had a history of perineal injury with subsequent
      arteriocavernosal fistula, revealed in CDU. Five patients were circumcised, and
      one of them suffered from thalassemia minor, but no other underlying disease or
      etiological factors could be found. In all patients, normal to high blood flow
      velocities were detected in the cavernosal arteries. Detumescence started with
      nonoperative treatment within 24 hours in five boys and in one patient with
      recurrent priapism after 1 week. All six patients remained painless without
      evidence for an ischemic priapism. None of them suffered from relapse and further
      erections were observed during follow-up from 3 to 87 months. CONCLUSION:  In
      contrast to the literature, five out of six boys developed NIP without a previous
      perineal trauma. The etiology of idiopathic NIP in childhood remains unclear;
      however, circumcision may play a role as a conditional factor. One etiological
      thesis could be the release of the neurotransmitter nitric oxide after
      stimulation of the corpora cavernosa. Conservative treatment proved to be
      successful in all six patients. During a median follow-up of 55 months (3-87
      months), none of the patients showed signs of erectile dysfunction.

PMID- 28346956
TI  - Early Nephrectomy in Unilateral Multicystic Dysplastic Kidney in Children Cures
      Hypertension Early: An Observation.
AB  - Objective Surgery is still indicated as the treatment of choice in subset of
      patients with unilateral multicystic dysplastic kidney (UMCDK) because of its
      potential complications and malignant change. The purpose of this study is to
      present our observation that early nephrectomy may cure hypertension early in
      children with UMCDK and review the literature. Materials and Methods We report
      here four children (two males and two females) with antenatally diagnosed UMCDK
      with hypertension, treated in the past 4 years. All have antenatal diagnosis of
      UMCDK and referred to us after their birth. Diagnosis of hypertension (blood
      pressure > 95th percentile) was made after 3 months of follow-up in all patients.
      Nephrectomy was performed in all children in variable time duration.
      Hypertension, urinary tract infection, and desire of parents were the main
      indication of surgery. Results All children showed decrease in the size of their
      dysplastic kidney with time, but hypertension was persistent and needed
      antihypertensive drugs; even increase in the doses in successive follow-up. After
      nephrectomy, three children who were operated early got cured having normal blood
      pressure within variable time duration, while a child, operated late, still had
      high blood pressure and needed antihypertensive drugs. Conclusion Early
      nephrectomy in recently diagnosed hypertension in UMCDK is advisable and can cure
      hypertension early. Levels of Evidence The level of evidence is IV (case series
      with no comparison group).

PMID- 28346957
TI  - [A Young Asylum Seeker with Hemoptysis and Positive Tuberculosis Screening: Not
      Always Tuberculosis!]
AB  - This paper reports on the case of a 19 year old asylum seeker from Eritrea who
      presented with hemoptysis, a positive tuberculosis screening (Enzyme Linked
      Immuno Spot Assay - EliSpot) and mushy faeces submitted with a suspected
      diagnosis of tuberculosis. Laboratory testing revealed thrombopenia, leukopenia
      and eosinophilia, while the chest X-ray was inconspicuous. Acid-proof rod
      bacteria were neither evident in bronchoscopy samples nor in expectorated sputum
      samples. However, sonographic findings showed a profound splenomegaly, and
      laboratory testing revealed a Schistosoma mansoni infection. This case
      demonstrates that in asylum seekers with suspected tuberculosis endemic diseases
      of the home country need to be considered as alternative diagnoses.

PMID- 28346958
TI  - [Role of Laser Resection in Pulmonary Metastasectomy].
AB  - Objectives This review presents laser resection as treatment option in pulmonary
      metastasectomy and summarizes the current evidence. Moreover, it includes the
      comparison of laser resection and common techniques used in lung metastasectomy.
      Methods We performed a systematic literature research in Medline and the Cochrane
      library to detect case series and even randomized trials. All included studies
      underwent qualitative analysis. Results Laser metastasectomy is a safe procedure.
      Data regarding relevant clinical end points as hospitalization, duration of chest
      tube drainage and long-term survival are heterogeneous and still controversial.
      Laser enucleation decreases the resection volume. Therefore, it leads to a
      significant reduction of parenchymal loss. Survival rates after laser
      metastasectomy are equal to the outcome after resection using other techniques.
      Conclusions Laser resection is a parenchyma-sparing method. Hence, it offers
      radical metastasectomy even in case of multiple pulmonary lesions or impaired
      lung capacity.

PMID- 28346959
TI  - Mirtazapine Induces Nightmares in Depressed Patients.

PMID- 28346960
TI  - 2016 Eberhard F. Mammen Award Announcements: Part II-Young Investigator Awards.

PMID- 28346961
TI  - Laboratory Assessment of Hemostatic and Anticoagulant Therapy.

PMID- 28346962
TI  - Response to "Comment on State-of-the-Art Imaging in Pulmonary Embolism:
      Ventilation/Perfusion Single-Photon Emission Computed Tomography versus Computed
      Tomography Angiography-Controversies, Results, and Recommendations from a
      Systematic Review".

PMID- 28346963
TI  - Point-of-Care Testing in Neurosurgery.
AB  - Coagulation disorders can have a major impact on the outcome of neurosurgical
      patients. The central nervous system is located within the closed space of the
      skull, and therefore, intracranial hemorrhage can lead to intracranial
      hypertension. Acute brain injury has been associated with alterations of various
      hemostatic parameters. Point-of-care (POC) techniques such as rotational
      thromboelastometry are able to identify markers of coagulopathy which are not
      reflected by standard assessment of hemostasis (e.g., hyperfibrinolysis). In
      patients with acute brain injury, POC test results have been associated with
      important outcome parameters such as mortality and need for neurosurgical
      intervention. POC devices have also been used to rapidly identify and quantify
      the effects of antithrombotic medication. In cases of life-threatening
      intracranial hemorrhage, this information can be valuable when deciding over
      administration of prohemostatic substances or immediate neurosurgical
      intervention. In elective neurosurgical procedures, POC devices can provide
      important information when unexpected bleeding occurs or in cases of prolonged
      operative time with subsequent blood loss. Initial experiences with POC devices
      in neurosurgical care have shown promising results but further studies are needed
      to characterize their full potential and limitations.

PMID- 28346964
TI  - Lipoprotein(a) as a Risk Factor for Venous Thromboembolism: A Systematic Review
      and Meta-analysis of the Literature.
AB  - Elevated plasma levels of lipoprotein(a) (Lp(a)) are associated with increased
      cardiovascular risk in several clinical studies. However, there is a lack of data
      supporting a positive association between elevated Lp(a) levels and venous
      thromboembolism (VTE). Thus, we conducted a systematic review of the literature
      to better clarify its role as a risk factor for VTE. Medline and the Embase (up
      to May 2015) electronic databases were used to identify potentially eligible
      studies. Studies measuring Lp(a) values in adult patients with deep vein
      thrombosis and/or pulmonary embolism and in a population of patients without a
      VTE were selected. Studies on patients with major venous thromboembolic events
      occurring at other unusual site, case reports, and case series were excluded. The
      odds ratios (ORs) of the association between high values of Lp(a) and VTE and the
      weighted mean difference (WMD) in Lp(a) levels in cases and in controls were
      calculated using a random-effect model. Results were presented with 95%
      confidence interval (CI). Fourteen studies for a total of more than 14,000
      patients were finally included in our analysis. Lp(a) was slightly but
      significantly associated with an increased risk of VTE (OR: 1.56, 95% CI: 1.36,
      1.79; 10 studies, 13,541 patients). VTE patients had significantly higher Lp(a)
      values compared with controls (WMD: 14.46 mg/L, 95% CI: 12.14, 16.78; 4 studies,
      470 patients). Lp(a) appeared to be significantly associated with increased risk
      of VTE. However, Lp(a) levels were only slightly increased in VTE patients
      compared with controls.

PMID- 28346965
TI  - Point-of-Care Coagulation Tests Monitoring of Direct Oral Anticoagulants and
      Their Reversal Therapy: State of the Art.
AB  - Direct oral anticoagulants (DOACs) exert similar anticoagulant effects to vitamin
      K antagonists and are increasingly used worldwide. Nevertheless, an evidence
      based approach to patients receiving DOACs when any unplanned urgent surgery or
      bleeding (either spontaneous or traumatic) occurs is still missing. In this
      review, we investigate the role of point-of-care coagulation tests when other,
      more specific tests are not available. Indeed, thromboelastography and activated
      clotting time can detect dabigatran-induced coagulopathy, while their accuracy is
      limited for apixaban and rivaroxaban, mostly in cases of low drug plasma
      concentrations. These tests can also be used to guide the reversal of DOAC
      induced coagulopathy providing a quick, before-and-after picture in case of
      therapeutic use of hemostatic compounds.

PMID- 28346966
TI  - Factor XII Contact Activation.
AB  - Contact activation is the surface-induced conversion of factor XII (FXII) zymogen
      to the serine protease FXIIa. Blood-circulating FXII binds to negatively charged
      surfaces and this contact to surfaces triggers a conformational change in the
      zymogen inducing autoactivation. Several surfaces that have the capacity for
      initiating FXII contact activation have been identified, including misfolded
      protein aggregates, collagen, nucleic acids, and platelet and microbial
      polyphosphate. Activated FXII initiates the proinflammatory kallikrein-kinin
      system and the intrinsic coagulation pathway, leading to formation of bradykinin
      and thrombin, respectively. FXII contact activation is well characterized in
      vitro and provides the mechanistic basis for the diagnostic clotting assay,
      activated partial thromboplastin time. However, only in the past decade has the
      critical role of FXII contact activation in pathological thrombosis been
      appreciated. While defective FXII contact activation provides thromboprotection,
      excess activation underlies the swelling disorder hereditary angioedema type III.
      This review provides an overview of the molecular basis of FXII contact
      activation and FXII contact activation-associated disease states.

PMID- 28346968
TI  - Corrigendum.

PMID- 28346967
TI  - Anticoagulation Therapy in Children.
AB  - Venous thromboembolism (VTE) is very uncommon in children and adolescents
      compared with older adults, though its incidence has significantly increased over
      the past two decades. Given the rarity of the condition, the data on pediatric
      VTE lag behind the adult experience and consequently the management of VTE in
      children is, in large part, modeled on the adult strategies. This approach has
      certain limitations, given that young children have developmental particularities
      of the hemostatic system and differences in the pharmacokinetics and
      pharmacodynamics of various anticoagulant agents. The most commonly used
      anticoagulants in children continue to be the heparins and the vitamin K
      antagonists. Direct intravenous thrombin inhibitors, argatroban, bivalirudin,
      have very limited pediatric use. The non-vitamin K antagonist oral anticoagulant
      drugs (novel oral anticoagulants) present potential advantages in terms of
      efficacy, safety, and convenience, though pediatric data are limited to
      preclinical and small phase I trials. There are several ongoing phase I, II, and
      III trials for dabigatran rivaroxaban, apixaban, and edoxaban, the results of
      which are likely to change the future management of pediatric thromboses.

PMID- 28346970
TI  - Erratum.

PMID- 28346969
TI  - The comparison of laparoscopic and microsurgical varicocoelectomy in infertile
      men with varicocoele on paternity rate 12 months after surgery: a prospective
      randomized controlled trial.
AB  - The best surgical approach for varicocoelectomy is still unknown, however more
      and more physicians favour subinguinal microsurgery. The aim of this study was to
      find whether microsurgical approach is superior to laparoscopic varicocoelectomy
      in terms of pregnancy rate, fertility potential, endocrinological function of the
      testis, erectile dysfunction and testicle volume increase. It was a prospective,
      non-masked, parallel-group randomized controlled trial with one to one
      allocation. It was conducted at authors' institution and designed as per protocol
      study. From 2012 till 2015 84 patients were randomly allocated to two groups.
      First group consisted of 42 patients who underwent laparoscopic varicocoelectomy,
      whereas patients from the second group underwent microsurgical varicocoelectomy.
      The indications for varicocoelectomy consisted of infertility >1 year, palpable
      left-sided varicocoele and at least one impaired semen parameter (sperm
      concentration <15 mln/mL; total motility<40%; progressive motility <32%, vitality
      <58% or normal morphology <4%). The primary goal was to show superiority of
      microsurgical varicocoelectomy over laparoscopic varicocoelectomy in terms of
      pregnancy rate. The secondary endpoints comprised assessment of sperm parameters
      in three-month intervals after intervention until one year. Other points
      included, LH, FSH and testosterone levels as well as testicle volume and
      International Index of Erectile Function. From each group five patients were lost
      during the follow-up period. The primary endpoint was not achieved - pregnancy
      rate in first and second group was 29.7% and 40.5% respectively (p = 0.34).
      Analysis of the sperm parameters after surgery revealed significant statistical
      difference in total motility, progressive motility and morphology in favour of
      microsurgical approach. Both methods showed improvement in all sperm parameters.
      There were no differences in hormonal levels as well as in erectile function and
      testicle volume between groups. Small number of patients in both groups are the
      main limitation of our study.

PMID- 28346971
TI  - Correction to "Linear mixed function-on-function regression models," by Wei Wang;
      70, xxx-xxx, December 2014.

PMID- 28346973
TI  - Erratum.

PMID- 28346972
TI  - Erratum.

PMID- 28346974
TI  - American Journal of Transplantation: Volume 14, Number 8, August 2014.

PMID- 28346976
TI  - Erratum.

PMID- 28346977
TI  - Erratum.

PMID- 28346975
TI  - Hypothyroidism is associated with all-cause mortality in a national cohort of
      chronic haemodialysis patients.
AB  - AIM: The prevalence of hypothyroidism is high in haemodialysis (HD) patients and
      hypothyroidism increases all-cause mortality in HD patients. Comorbidities are
      common in HD patients and are associated with both mortality and hypothyroidism.
      The aim of the study is to explore the effect of the interactions of
      comorbidities and hypothyroidism on all-cause mortality in HD patients. METHOD:
      Patients with hypothyroidism (ICD-9-CM 244.0, 244.1, and 244.9) and matched
      patients without hypothyroidism in the Registry for Catastrophic Illness Patient
      Database of Taiwan Health Insurance from 2000 to 2010 were analyzed. The
      association of hypothyroidism and risk of all-cause mortality was analyzed using
      Cox proportional hazard regression. RESULT: Nine hundred and eight HD patients
      with hypothyroidism and 3632 sex-, age-, gender- matched HD patients without
      hypothyroidism were analyzed. Hypothyroidism was associated with increased all
      cause mortality with an adjusted hazard ratio of 1.22 [95% confidence interval
      (CI): 1.10-1.36, P < 0.001]. TRT may decrease mortality associated with
      hypothyroidism (P < 0.001). There was a significant interaction (P = 0.04)
      between diabetes and hypothyroidism. There was no significant interaction found
      in hypothyroidism and the following comorbidities: hyperlipidaemia, hypertension,
      chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, coronary artery disease, stroke,
      peripheral arterial disease, asthma, congestive heart failure and cancer.
      CONCLUSION: Hypothyroidism is associated with increased all-cause mortality in
      chronic HD patients. The interaction of hypothyroidism and diabetes, but not
      other common comorbidities in HD patients, has an effect on mortality risks.

PMID- 28346978
TI  - American Journal of Transplantation: Volume 14, Number 6, June 2014.

PMID- 28346979
TI  - Erratum for "Outsourced cataract surgery and postoperative endophthalmitis" in
      Acta Ophthalmol. 2013: 91: 701-708.

PMID- 28346983
TI  - Editorial Comment.

PMID- 28346980
TI  - Ecological intensification to mitigate impacts of conventional intensive land use
      on pollinators and pollination.
AB  - Worldwide, human appropriation of ecosystems is disrupting plant-pollinator
      communities and pollination function through habitat conversion and landscape
      homogenisation. Conversion to agriculture is destroying and degrading semi
      natural ecosystems while conventional land-use intensification (e.g. industrial
      management of large-scale monocultures with high chemical inputs) homogenises
      landscape structure and quality. Together, these anthropogenic processes reduce
      the connectivity of populations and erode floral and nesting resources to
      undermine pollinator abundance and diversity, and ultimately pollination
      services. Ecological intensification of agriculture represents a strategic
      alternative to ameliorate these drivers of pollinator decline while supporting
      sustainable food production, by promoting biodiversity beneficial to agricultural
      production through management practices such as intercropping, crop rotations,
      farm-level diversification and reduced agrochemical use. We critically evaluate
      its potential to address and reverse the land use and management trends currently
      degrading pollinator communities and potentially causing widespread pollination
      deficits. We find that many of the practices that constitute ecological
      intensification can contribute to mitigating the drivers of pollinator decline.
      Our findings support ecological intensification as a solution to pollinator
      declines, and we discuss ways to promote it in agricultural policy and practice.

PMID- 28346985
TI  - Editorial Comment.

PMID- 28346984
TI  - Editorial Comment.

PMID- 28346987
TI  - Reply by Authors.

PMID- 28346986
TI  - Editorial Comment.

PMID- 28346988
TI  - Editorial Comment.

PMID- 28346989
TI  - Editorial Comment.

PMID- 28346991
TI  - An integrated assessment framework for the analysis of multiple pressures in
      aquatic ecosystems and the appraisal of management options.
AB  - The contribution illustrates an integrated assessment framework aimed at
      evaluating the relationships between multiple pressures and water body status for
      the purposes of river basin management. The framework includes the following
      steps. (1) Understanding how the different pressures affect the status of water
      bodies. This entails the characterization of biophysical state variables and the
      definition of a causal relationship between pressures and status. Therefore this
      step involves interaction between experts bearing ecological understanding and
      experts providing models to represent the effect of pressures. (2) Identifying
      the relevant pressures to be addressed through appropriate measures to improve
      the status of water bodies. (3) Evaluating reduction targets for the relevant
      pressures identified in a river basin, by weighting the effort associated to
      reducing individual pressures and the potential benefits in terms of water body
      status. (4) Designing management measures through a creative process and
      political discussion of alternative options, balancing costs, benefits and
      effectiveness based on engineering and economic analysis. (5) Simulating
      scenarios of implementation of a programme of measures in order to check their
      effectiveness and robustness against climate and land use change. We discuss the
      five steps of the assessment framework, and particularly the interaction between
      science and policy at the different stages. We review the assessment tools
      required at each step and, for setting optimal pressure reduction targets (step
      3), we propose and illustrate a simplified multicriteria approach based on semi
      quantitative assessment, which produces frontiers of optimal trade-offs between
      effort spent on measures, and achievements.

PMID- 28346992
TI  - Longitudinal assessment of hydropeaking impacts on various scales for an improved
      process understanding and the design of mitigation measures.
AB  - Hydropeaking is one of the main pressures on the aquatic ecology in alpine
      rivers. Beside studies on abiotic process and biotic response on the local scale
      there is a lack in process understanding on the reach scale. Especially
      longitudinal changes of hydropeaking impacts based on retention processes have
      not been studied yet. Thus, based on unsteady one-dimensional and two-dimensional
      depth averaged modelling it was targeted to investigate possible changes in
      vertical ramping velocity for the discussion of possible mitigation measures at
      the local scale. Here, we compared artificial and natural sheltering habitats in
      terms of peak flow. Additionally, the hydropeaking assessment on various river
      scales was supported by an evaluation of tributaries in an alpine river system.
      Based on the modelling results and the discussion of the impact assessment of
      hydropeaking in different case studies we state, that on the first 5km downstream
      of the turbine outlet a significant decrease in vertical ramping velocity occurs.
      In this reach, habitat improvements should focus on increasing retention
      processes considering the higher risk of stranding for juvenile fish and
      macroinvertebrates. For morphological mitigation measures at the local scale, it
      turned out that self-formed, near-natural morphology should be targeted in terms
      of mitigation measure design compared to artificial sheltering habitats.
      Abundance and biomass of macroinvertebrates are directly linked to substrate
      variability in self-formed sheltering habitats downstream of gravel bars.
      Moreover, we ascertained that tributaries are able to contribute to the
      'ecological potential' in multi-stressed hydropeaking rivers by providing
      spawning and rearing habitats for fish. However, for a sustainable improvement of
      the aquatic environment on all relevant scales, both sediment and flood dynamics
      have to be considered as important drivers to establish self-formed sheltering
      habitats in terms of hydropeaking.

PMID- 28346993
TI  - Artemisia sieberi Besser essential oil and treatment of fungal infections.
AB  - A. sieberi essential oil has been used for treatment of hardly curable infectious
      ulcers in Middle East Medicine and has been famous due to its wormicide effects.
      In this review, we evaluated the potency of A. sieberi essential oil in treatment
      of fungal infections. We searched in PubMed Central, Science direct, Wiley,
      Springer, SID, and accessible books, reports, thesis. There is a lot of mixed
      information on chemical compositions of A. sieberi essential oil, but most
      articles reported alpha, beta-thujones as the main components of essential oils.
      In vitro studies confirmed the antifungal activity of A. sieberi essential oil
      against saprophytes fungi, dermatophytes, Malassezia sp. and Candida sp. and
      these results were confirmed in six clinical studies. The clinical studies
      confirmed the superiority of A. sieberi essential oil (5%) lotion in improvement
      of clinical signs of fungal superficial diseases, and mycological laboratory
      examinations of dermatophytosis and pityriasis versicolor diseases than
      clotrimazole (1%) topical treatment. The recurrence rate of superficial fungal
      infections with dermatophytosis and pityriasis versicolor was statistically lower
      in A. sieberi essential oil (5%) lotion than clotrimazole. There are no adverse
      effects due to the application of A. sieberi essential oil in clinical studies.
      Despite, the efficacy of A. sieberi essential oil against Candida sp., there is
      no clinical study about their related infections. Investigation about the effects
      of A. sieberi essential oil on fungal virulence factors in order to identifying
      the exact mechanism of antifungal activity and clinical trials on Candida related
      diseases are recommended.

PMID- 28346994
TI  - GC/MS analysis and potential cytotoxic activity of Calyptranthes grandifolia (O.
      Berg), Calyptranthes tricona (D. Legrand) and Myrciaria plinioides (D. Legrand)
      essential oil in RAW264.7 and CHO-K1 cells.
AB  - The search for new bioactive substances derived from natural products is daily
      growing. Among biologically active products used in therapeutic approaches,
      essential oils are described with wide range of therapeutic and pharmacological
      potential. Plants from Myrtaceae family have the presence of essential oils in
      its composition. Calyptranthes grandifolia, Calyptranthes tricona and Myrciaria
      plinioides species belong to this family and are used by the local population.
      However, there are no reports in the literature describing relevant
      characteristics about the potential and possible activities of these species. The
      aim of this study was to identify the main compounds, evaluate the antioxidant
      potential and investigate, in RAW264.7 and CHO-K1 cells, the cytotoxic activity
      of the essential oils from the leaves of C. grandifolia, C. tricona and M.
      plinioides plants, in order to ensure their use. The compounds were identified by
      GC-MS, antioxidant activity was determined by DPPH method and cytotoxicity was
      assessed by the Alamar Blue method, at 48 and 72h. The main compounds found in
      the essential oils were sesquiterpenes. None of the essential oils have
      antioxidant potential. In cytotoxicity assays, the essential oils from the plants
      in analysis showed moderate activity in the proposed conditions. The alterations
      observed between the data provided by the essential oils in question, between
      different cell lines, may be associated with their composition, suggesting action
      of minor compounds. These results may suggest that the essential oils from C.
      grandifolia, C. tricona and M. plinioides have considerable potential to be
      explored. Future studies will be conducted to obtain more information about the
      action pathway and potential of the identified compounds.

PMID- 28346996
TI  - Synthesis, Characterization, and Mechanism of Formation of Janus-Like
      Nanoparticles of Tantalum Silicide-Silicon (TaSi2/Si).
AB  - Metal-semiconductor Janus-like nanoparticles with the composition tantalum
      silicide-silicon (TaSi2/Si) were synthesized for the first time by means of an
      evaporation method utilizing a high-power electron beam. The composition of the
      synthesized particles were characterized using high-resolution transmission
      electron microscopy (HRTEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), selective area electron
      diffraction (SAED), and energy dispersive X-ray fluorescence (EDX) analysis. The
      system is compared to previously synthesized core-shell type particles in order
      to show possible differences responsible for the Janus-like structure forming
      instead of a core-shell architecture. It is proposed that the production of Janus
      like as opposed to core-shell or monophase particles occurs due to the ability of
      Ta and Si to form compounds and the relative content of Ta and Si atoms in the
      produced vapour. Based on the results, a potential mechanism of formation for the
      TaSi2/Si nanoparticles is discussed.

PMID- 28346995
TI  - Rare Earth Ion-Doped Upconversion Nanocrystals: Synthesis and Surface
      Modification.
AB  - The unique luminescent properties exhibited by rare earth ion-doped upconversion
      nanocrystals (UCNPs), such as long lifetime, narrow emission line, high color
      purity, and high resistance to photobleaching, have made them widely used in many
      areas, including but not limited to high-resolution displays, new-generation
      information technology, optical communication, bioimaging, and therapy. However,
      the inherent upconversion luminescent properties of UCNPs are influenced by
      various parameters, including the size, shape, crystal structure, and chemical
      composition of the UCNPs, and even the chosen synthesis process and the
      surfactant molecules used. This review will provide a complete summary on the
      synthesis methods and the surface modification strategies of UCNPs reported so
      far. Firstly, we summarize the synthesis methodologies developed in the past
      decades, such as thermal decomposition, thermal coprecipitation,
      hydro/solvothermal, sol-gel, combustion, and microwave synthesis. In the second
      part, five main streams of surface modification strategies for converting
      hydrophobic UCNPs into hydrophilic ones are elaborated. Finally, we consider the
      likely directions of the future development and challenges of the synthesis and
      surface modification, such as the large-scale production and actual applications,
      stability, and so on, of the UCNPs.

PMID- 28346997
TI  - A Novel Arch-Shape Nanogenerator Based on Piezoelectric and Triboelectric
      Mechanism for Mechanical Energy Harvesting.
AB  - A simple and cost-effective approach was developed to fabricate piezoelectric and
      triboelectric nanogenerator (P-TENG) with high electrical output. Additionally,
      pyramid micro structures fabricated atop a polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) surface
      were employed to enhance the device performance. Furthermore, piezoelectric
      barium titanate (BT) nanoparticles and multiwalled carbon nanotube (MWCNT) were
      mixed in the PDMS film during the forming process. Meanwhile, the composition of
      the film was optimized to achieve output performance, and favorable toughness was
      achieved after thermal curing. An arch-shape ITO/PET electrode was attached to
      the upper side of the polarized composite film and an aluminum film was placed
      under it as the bottom electrode. With periodic external force at 20 Hz,
      electrical output of this P-TENG, reached a peak voltage of 22 V and current of 9
      MUA with a peak current density of 1.13 MUA/cm2, which was six times that of the
      triboelectric generator without BT and MWCNT nanoparticles. The nanogenerator can
      be directly used to lighten 28 commercial light-emitting diodes (LEDs) without
      any energy storage unit or rectification circuit under human footfalls.

PMID- 28346998
TI  - Cellular Uptake of Tile-Assembled DNA Nanotubes.
AB  - DNA-based nanostructures have received great attention as molecular vehicles for
      cellular delivery of biomolecules and cancer drugs. Here, we report on the
      cellular uptake of tubule-like DNA tile-assembled nanostructures 27 nm in length
      and 8 nm in diameter that carry siRNA molecules, folic acid and fluorescent dyes.
      In our observations, the DNA structures are delivered to the endosome and do not
      reach the cytosol of the GFP-expressing HeLa cells that were used in the
      experiments. Consistent with this observation, no elevated silencing of the GFP
      gene could be detected. Furthermore, the presence of up to six molecules of folic
      acid on the carrier surface did not alter the uptake behavior and gene silencing.
      We further observed several challenges that have to be considered when performing
      in vitro and in vivo experiments with DNA structures: (i) DNA tile tubes
      consisting of 42 nt-long oligonucleotides and carrying single- or double-stranded
      extensions degrade within one hour in cell medium at 37  degrees C, while the
      same tubes without extensions are stable for up to eight hours. The degradation
      is caused mainly by the low concentration of divalent ions in the media. The
      lifetime in cell medium can be increased drastically by employing DNA tiles that
      are 84 nt long. (ii) Dyes may get cleaved from the oligonucleotides and then
      accumulate inside the cell close to the mitochondria, which can lead to
      misinterpretation of data generated by flow cytometry and fluorescence
      microscopy. (iii) Single-stranded DNA carrying fluorescent dyes are internalized
      at similar levels as the DNA tile-assembled tubes used here.

PMID- 28347000
TI  - Magnetic Properties of Magnetic Nanoparticles for Efficient Hyperthermia.
AB  - Localized magnetic hyperthermia using magnetic nanoparticles (MNPs) under the
      application of small magnetic fields is a promising tool for treating small or
      deep-seated tumors. For this method to be applicable, the amount of MNPs used
      should be minimized. Hence, it is essential to enhance the power dissipation or
      heating efficiency of MNPs. Several factors influence the heating efficiency of
      MNPs, such as the amplitude and frequency of the applied magnetic field and the
      structural and magnetic properties of MNPs. We discuss some of the physics
      principles for effective heating of MNPs focusing on the role of surface
      anisotropy, interface exchange anisotropy and dipolar interactions. Basic
      magnetic properties of MNPs such as their superparamagnetic behavior, are briefly
      reviewed. The influence of temperature on anisotropy and magnetization of MNPs is
      discussed. Recent development in self-regulated hyperthermia is briefly
      discussed. Some physical and practical limitations of using MNPs in magnetic
      hyperthermia are also briefly discussed.

PMID- 28347001
TI  - Recent Advances on Carbon Nanotubes and Graphene Reinforced Ceramics
      Nanocomposites.
AB  - Ceramics suffer the curse of extreme brittleness and demand new design
      philosophies and novel concepts of manufacturing to overcome such intrinsic
      drawbacks, in order to take advantage of most of their excellent properties. This
      has been one of the foremost challenges for ceramic material experts. Tailoring
      the ceramics structures at nanometre level has been a leading research frontier;
      whilst upgrading via reinforcing ceramic matrices with nanomaterials including
      the latest carbon nanotubes (CNTs) and graphene has now become an eminent
      practice for advanced applications. Most recently, several new strategies have
      indeed improved the properties of the ceramics/CNT nanocomposites, such as by
      tuning with dopants, new dispersions routes and modified sintering methods. The
      utilisation of graphene in ceramic nanocomposites, either as a solo reinforcement
      or as a hybrid with CNTs, is the newest development. This article will summarise
      the recent advances, key difficulties and potential applications of the ceramics
      nanocomposites reinforced with CNTs and graphene.

PMID- 28347002
TI  - Alumina Matrix Composites with Non-Oxide Nanoparticle Addition and Enhanced
      Functionalities.
AB  - The addition of SiC or TiC nanoparticles to polycrystalline alumina matrix has
      long been known as an efficient way of improving the mechanical properties of
      alumina-based ceramics, especially strength, creep, and wear resistance.
      Recently, new types of nano-additives, such as carbon nanotubes (CNT), carbon
      nanofibers (CNF), and graphene sheets have been studied in order not only to
      improve the mechanical properties, but also to prepare materials with added
      functionalities, such as thermal and electrical conductivity. This paper provides
      a concise review of several types of alumina-based nanocomposites, evaluating the
      efficiency of various preparation methods and additives in terms of their
      influence on the properties of composites.

PMID- 28347003
TI  - The Nucleotide Capture Region of Alpha Hemolysin: Insights into Nanopore Design
      for DNA Sequencing from Molecular Dynamics Simulations.
AB  - Nanopore technology for DNA sequencing is constantly being refined and improved.
      In strand sequencing a single strand of DNA is fed through a nanopore and
      subsequent fluctuations in the current are measured. A major hurdle is that the
      DNA is translocated through the pore at a rate that is too fast for the current
      measurement systems. An alternative approach is "exonuclease sequencing", in
      which an exonuclease is attached to the nanopore that is able to process the
      strand, cleaving off one base at a time. The bases then flow through the nanopore
      and the current is measured. This method has the advantage of potentially solving
      the translocation rate problem, as the speed is controlled by the exonuclease.
      Here we consider the practical details of exonuclease attachment to the protein
      alpha hemolysin. We employ molecular dynamics simulations to determine the ideal
      (a) distance from alpha-hemolysin, and (b) the orientation of the monophosphate
      nucleotides upon release from the exonuclease such that they will enter the
      protein. Our results indicate an almost linear decrease in the probability of
      entry into the protein with increasing distance of nucleotide release. The
      nucleotide orientation is less significant for entry into the protein.

PMID- 28347004
TI  - Cysteine-Functionalized Chitosan Magnetic Nano-Based Particles for the Recovery
      of Light and Heavy Rare Earth Metals: Uptake Kinetics and Sorption Isotherms.
AB  - Cysteine-functionalized chitosan magnetic nano-based particles were synthesized
      for the sorption of light and heavy rare earth (RE) metal ions (La(III), Nd(III)
      and Yb(III)). The structural, surface, and magnetic properties of nano-sized
      sorbent were investigated by elemental analysis, FTIR, XRD, TEM and VSM
      (vibrating sample magnetometry). Experimental data show that the pseudo second
      order rate equation fits the kinetic profiles well, while sorption isotherms are
      described by the Langmuir model. Thermodynamic constants (DeltaG degrees , DeltaH
      degrees ) demonstrate the spontaneous and endothermic nature of sorption. Yb(III)
      (heavy RE) was selectively sorbed while light RE metal ions La(III) and Nd(III)
      were concentrated/enriched in the solution. Cationic species RE(III) in aqueous
      solution can be adsorbed by the combination of chelating and anion-exchange
      mechanisms. The sorbent can be efficiently regenerated using acidified thiourea.

PMID- 28347005
TI  - DNA-Protected Silver Clusters for Nanophotonics.
AB  - DNA-protected silver clusters (AgN-DNA) possess unique fluorescence properties
      that depend on the specific DNA template that stabilizes the cluster. They
      exhibit peak emission wavelengths that range across the visible and near-IR
      spectrum. This wide color palette, combined with low toxicity, high fluorescence
      quantum yields of some clusters, low synthesis costs, small cluster sizes and
      compatibility with DNA are enabling many applications that employ AgN-DNA. Here
      we review what is known about the underlying composition and structure of AgN
      DNA, and how these relate to the optical properties of these fascinating, hybrid
      biomolecule-metal cluster nanomaterials. We place AgN-DNA in the general context
      of ligand-stabilized metal clusters and compare their properties to those of
      other noble metal clusters stabilized by small molecule ligands. The methods used
      to isolate pure AgN-DNA for analysis of composition and for studies of solution
      and single-emitter optical properties are discussed. We give a brief overview of
      structurally sensitive chiroptical studies, both theoretical and experimental,
      and review experiments on bringing silver clusters of distinct size and color
      into nanoscale DNA assemblies. Progress towards using DNA scaffolds to assemble
      multi-cluster arrays is also reviewed.

PMID- 28347006
TI  - Polymorphic Ring-Shaped Molecular Clusters Made of Shape-Variable Building
      Blocks.
AB  - Self-assembling molecular building blocks able to dynamically change their
      shapes, is a concept that would offer a route to reconfigurable systems. Although
      simulation studies predict novel properties useful for applications in diverse
      fields, such kinds of building blocks, have not been implemented thus far with
      molecules. Here, we report shape-variable building blocks fabricated by DNA self
      assembly. Blocks are movable enough to undergo shape transitions along
      geometrical ranges. Blocks connect to each other and assemble into polymorphic
      ring-shaped clusters via the stacking of DNA blunt-ends. Reconfiguration of the
      polymorphic clusters is achieved by the surface diffusion on mica substrate in
      response to a monovalent salt concentration. This work could inspire novel
      reconfigurable self-assembling systems for applications in molecular robotics.

PMID- 28347008
TI  - New Insights into Understanding Irreversible and Reversible Lithium Storage
      within SiOC and SiCN Ceramics.
AB  - Within this work we define structural properties of the silicon carbonitride
      (SiCN) and silicon oxycarbide (SiOC) ceramics which determine the reversible and
      irreversible lithium storage capacities, long cycling stability and define the
      major differences in the lithium storage in SiCN and SiOC. For both ceramics, we
      correlate the first cycle lithiation or delithiation capacity and cycling
      stability with the amount of SiCN/SiOC matrix or free carbon phase, respectively.
      The first cycle lithiation and delithiation capacities of SiOC materials do not
      depend on the amount of free carbon, while for SiCN the capacity increases with
      the amount of carbon to reach a threshold value at ~50% of carbon phase.
      Replacing oxygen with nitrogen renders the mixed bond Si-tetrahedra unable to
      sequester lithium. Lithium is more attracted by oxygen in the SiOC network due to
      the more ionic character of Si-O bonds. This brings about very high initial
      lithiation capacities, even at low carbon content. If oxygen is replaced by
      nitrogen, the ceramic network becomes less attractive for lithium ions due to the
      more covalent character of Si-N bonds and lower electron density on the nitrogen
      atom. This explains the significant difference in electrochemical behavior which
      is observed for carbon-poor SiCN and SiOC materials.

PMID- 28347007
TI  - Synthesis of Upconversion beta-NaYF4:Nd3+/Yb3+/Er3+ Particles with Enhanced
      Luminescent Intensity through Control of Morphology and Phase.
AB  - Hexagonal NaYF4:Nd3+/Yb3+/Er3+ microcrystals and nanocrystals with well-defined
      morphologies and sizes have been synthesized via a hydrothermal route. The
      rational control of initial reaction conditions can not only result in
      upconversion (UC) micro and nanocrystals with varying morphologies, but also can
      produce enhanced and tailored upconversion emissions from the Yb3+/Er3+ ion pairs
      sensitized by the Nd3+ ions. The increase of reaction time converts the phase of
      NaYF4:Nd3+/Yb3+/Er3+ particles from the cubic to the hexagonal structure. The
      added amount of oleic acid plays a critical role in the shape evolution of the
      final products due to their preferential attachment to some crystal planes. The
      adjustment of the molar ratio of F-/Ln3+ can range the morphologies of the beta
      NaYF4:Nd3+/Yb3+/Er3+ microcrystals from spheres to nanorods. When excited by 808
      nm infrared laser, beta-NaYF4:Nd3+/Yb3+/Er3+ microplates exhibit a much stronger
      UC emission intensity than particles with other morphologies. This phase- and
      morphology-dependent UC emission holds promise for applications in photonic
      devices and biological studies.

PMID- 28347010
TI  - Retraction: Begum et al. Potential Impact of Multi-Walled Carbon Nanotubes
      Exposure to the Seedling Stage of Selected Plant Species. Nanomaterials 2014, 4,
      203-221.
AB  - We have become aware that a substantial part of the main text of [1] is copied
      from multiple other publications. In total, 46% of the main text was taken from
      publications by the same authors [2,3] and 10% from other papers [4,5]. Because
      of the extent of text taken verbatim from previously published articles, we have
      made the decision to retract the article. All the authors of [1] have agreed to
      this decision. This paper is thus declared retracted and shall be marked
      accordingly for the scientific record.[...].

PMID- 28347011
TI  - DNA-Assisted Solubilization of Carbon Nanotubes and Construction of DNA-MWCNT
      Cross-Linked Hybrid Hydrogels.
AB  - A simple method for preparation of DNA-carbon nanotubes hybrid hydrogel based on
      a two-step procedure including: (i) solubilization of multi-walled carbon
      nanotubes (MWCNT) in aqueous solution of DNA, and (ii) chemical cross-linking
      between solubilized MWCNT via adsorbed DNA and free DNA by ethylene glycol
      diglycidyl ether is reported. We show that there exists a critical concentration
      of MWCNT below which a homogeneous dispersion of MWCNT in hybrid hydrogel can be
      achieved, while at higher concentrations of MWCNT the aggregation of MWCNT inside
      hydrogel occurs. The strengthening effect of carbon nanotube in the process of
      hydrogel shrinking in solutions with high salt concentration was demonstrated and
      significant passivation of MWCNT adsorption properties towards low-molecular
      weight aromatic binders due to DNA adsorption on MWCNT surface was revealed.

PMID- 28347009
TI  - DNA under Force: Mechanics, Electrostatics, and Hydration.
AB  - Quantifying the basic intra- and inter-molecular forces of DNA has helped us to
      better understand and further predict the behavior of DNA. Single molecule
      technique elucidates the mechanics of DNA under applied external forces,
      sometimes under extreme forces. On the other hand, ensemble studies of DNA
      molecular force allow us to extend our understanding of DNA molecules under other
      forces such as electrostatic and hydration forces. Using a variety of techniques,
      we can have a comprehensive understanding of DNA molecular forces, which is
      crucial in unraveling the complex DNA functions in living cells as well as in
      designing a system that utilizes the unique properties of DNA in nanotechnology.

PMID- 28347012
TI  - DNA/Ag Nanoparticles as Antibacterial Agents against Gram-Negative Bacteria.
AB  - Silver (Ag) nanoparticles were produced using DNA extracted from salmon milt as
      templates. Particles spherical in shape with an average diameter smaller than 10
      nm were obtained. The nanoparticles consisted of Ag as the core with an outermost
      thin layer of DNA. The DNA/Ag hybrid nanoparticles were immobilized over the
      surface of cotton based fabrics and their antibacterial efficiency was evaluated
      using E. coli as the typical Gram-negative bacteria. The antibacterial
      experiments were performed according to the Antibacterial Standard of Japanese
      Association for the Functional Evaluation of Textiles. The fabrics modified with
      DNA/Ag nanoparticles showed a high enough inhibitory and killing efficiency
      against E. coli at a concentration of Ag >= 10 ppm.

PMID- 28347015
TI  - In Situ Self Assembly of Nanocomposites: Competition of Chaotic Advection and
      Interfacial Effects as Observed by X-Ray Diffreaction.
AB  - The effects of chaotic advection on the in situ assembly of a hierarchal
      nanocomposite of Poly Amide 6, (nylon 6 or PA6) and platelet shape nanoparticles
      (NPs) were studied. The assemblies were formed by chaotic advection, where melts
      of pristine PA6 and a mixture of PA6 with NPs were segregated into discrete
      layers and extruded into film in a continuous process. The process assembles the
      nanocomposite into alternating pristine-polymer and oriented NP/polymer layers.
      The structure of these hierarchal assemblies was probed by X-rays as a processing
      parameter, N, was varied. This parameter provides a measure of the extent of in
      situ structuring by chaotic advection. We found that all assemblies are semi
      crystalline at room temperature. Increasing N impacts the ratio of alpha to gamma
      crystalline forms. The effects of the chaotic advection vary with the
      concentration of the NPs. For nanocomposites with lower NP concentrations the
      amount of the gamma crystalline form increased with N. However, at higher NP
      concentrations, interfacial effects of the NP play a significant role in
      determining the structure, where the NPs oriented along the melt flow direction
      and the polymer chains oriented perpendicular to the NP surfaces.

PMID- 28347016
TI  - On the Mass Fractal Character of Si-Based Structural Networks in Amorphous
      Polymer Derived Ceramics.
AB  - The intermediate-range packing of SiNxC4-x (0 <= x <= 4) tetrahedra in
      polysilycarbodiimide and polysilazane-derived amorphous SiCN ceramics is
      investigated using 29Si spin-lattice relaxation nuclear magnetic resonance (SLR
      NMR) spectroscopy. The SiCN network in the polysilylcarbodiimide-derived ceramic
      consists predominantly of SiN4 tetrahedra that are characterized by a 3
      dimensional spatial distribution signifying compact packing of such units to form
      amorphous Si3N4 clusters. On the other hand, the SiCN network of the polysilazane
      derived ceramic is characterized by mixed bonded SiNxC4-x tetrahedra that are
      inefficiently packed with a mass fractal dimension of Df ~2.5 that is
      significantly lower than the embedding Euclidean dimension (D = 3). This result
      unequivocally confirms the hypothesis that the presence of dissimilar atoms,
      namely, 4-coordinated C and 3-coordinated N, in the nearest neighbor environment
      of Si along with some exclusion in connectivity between SiCxN4-x tetrahedra with
      widely different N:C ratios and the absence of bonding between C and N result in
      steric hindrance to an efficient packing of these structural units. It is noted
      that similar inefficiencies in packing are observed in polymer-derived amorphous
      SiOC ceramics as well as in proteins and binary hard sphere systems.

PMID- 28347014
TI  - Hybrids of Nucleic Acids and Carbon Nanotubes for Nanobiotechnology.
AB  - Recent progress in the combination of nucleic acids and carbon nanotubes (CNTs)
      has been briefly reviewed here. Since discovering the hybridization phenomenon of
      DNA molecules and CNTs in 2003, a large amount of fundamental and applied
      research has been carried out. Among thousands of papers published since 2003,
      approximately 240 papers focused on biological applications were selected and
      categorized based on the types of nucleic acids used, but not the types of CNTs.
      This survey revealed that the hybridization phenomenon is strongly affected by
      various factors, such as DNA sequences, and for this reason, fundamental studies
      on the hybridization phenomenon are important. Additionally, many research groups
      have proposed numerous practical applications, such as nanobiosensors. The goal
      of this review is to provide perspective on biological applications using hybrids
      of nucleic acids and CNTs.

PMID- 28347017
TI  - Unidirectional Wave Propagation in Low-Symmetric Colloidal Photonic-Crystal
      Heterostructures.
AB  - We show theoretically that photonic crystals consisting of colloidal spheres
      exhibit unidirectional wave propagation and one-way frequency band gaps without
      breaking time-reversal symmetry via, e.g., the application of an external
      magnetic field or the use of nonlinear materials. Namely, photonic crystals with
      low symmetry such as the monoclinic crystal type considered here as well as with
      unit cells formed by the heterostructure of different photonic crystals show
      significant unidirectional electromagnetic response. In particular, we show that
      the use of scatterers with low refractive-index contrast favors the formation of
      unidirectional frequency gaps which is the optimal route for achieving
      unidirectional wave propagation.

PMID- 28347018
TI  - Synthesis of Silver-Strontium Titanate Hybrid Nanoparticles by Sol-Gel
      Hydrothermal Method.
AB  - Silver (Ag) nanoparticle-loaded strontium titanate (SrTiO3) nanoparticles were
      attempted to be synthesized by a sol-gel-hydrothermal method. We prepared the
      titanium oxide precursor gels incorporated with Ag+ and Sr2+ ions with various
      molar ratios, and they were successfully converted into the Ag-SrTiO3 hybrid
      nanoparticles by the hydrothermal treatment at 230  degrees C in strontium
      hydroxide aqueous solutions. The morphology of the SrTiO3 nanoparticles is
      dendritic in the presence and absence of Ag+ ions. The precursor gels, which act
      as the high reactive precursor, give rise to high nucleation and growth rates
      under the hydrothermal conditions, and the resultant diffusion-limited
      aggregation phenomena facilitate the dendritic growth of SrTiO3. From the field
      emission transmission electron microscope observation of these Ag-SrTiO3 hybrid
      nanoparticles, the Ag nanoparticles with a size of a few tens of nanometers are
      distributed without severe agglomeration, owing to the competitive formation
      reactions of Ag and SrTiO3.

PMID- 28347019
TI  - Separator Membrane from Crosslinked Poly(Vinyl Alcohol) and Poly(Methyl Vinyl
      Ether-alt-Maleic Anhydride).
AB  - In this work, we report separator membranes from crosslinking of two polymers,
      such as poly vinyl alcohol (PVA) with an ionic polymer poly(methyl vinyl ether
      alt-maleic anhydride) (PMVE-MA). Such interpolymer-networked systems were
      extensively used for biomedical and desalination applications but they were not
      examined for their potential use as membranes or separators for batteries.
      Therefore, the chemical interactions between these two polymers and the influence
      of such crosslinking on physicochemical properties of the membrane are
      systematically investigated through rheology and by critical gel point study. The
      hydrogen bonding and the chemical interaction between PMVE-MA and PVA resulted in
      highly cross-linked membranes. Effect of the molecular weight of PVA on the
      membrane properties was also examined. The developed membranes were extensively
      characterized by studying their physicochemical properties (water uptake,
      swelling ratio, and conductivity), thermal and electrochemical properties using
      differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), dynamic mechanical analysis (DMA),
      thermo-gravimetric analysis (TGA) and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy
      (EIS). The DSC study shows the presence of a single Tg in the membranes
      indicating compatibility of the two polymers in flexible and transparent films.
      The membranes show good stability and ion conductivity suitable for separator
      applications.

PMID- 28347021
TI  - Meso-Structuring of SiCN Ceramics by Polystyrene Templates.
AB  - A simple one-pot synthesis of well-defined PS-silazane nano-composites
      (polystyrene, PS) is described. In contrast to the, thus far, used two-step
      procedure ((1) assembly of a PS template bed and (2) careful filling of the voids
      between the PS spheres), which is restricted to macro structuring, we are able to
      simply mix the PS template and a commercially available silazane precursor HTT
      1800 in toluene. The key is the alteration of the zeta potential of the PS
      template leading to a homogeneous dispersion in the silazane-toluene mixture.
      Removal of solvent gives rise to a highly ordered PS-silazane nano-composites and
      subsequent pyrolysis leads to mesoporous silicon carbonitride (SiCN) materials.
      The one-pot procedure has two advantages: easy upscaling and the use of PS
      spheres smaller than 100 nm in diameter, here 60 nm. The PS template was
      characterized by photon correlation spectroscopy, zeta potential measurements,
      scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and thermal gravimetric analysis (TGA). The
      resulting mesoporous SiCN materials were analyzed by SEM, transmission electron
      microscopy (TEM), nitrogen sorption analysis, and Fourier transform infrared
      measurements (FT-IR).

PMID- 28347020
TI  - Fabrication and Cell Responsive Behavior of Macroporous PLLA/Gelatin Composite
      Scaffold with Hierarchical Micro-Nano Pore Structure.
AB  - Scaffolds providing a 3D environment which can effectively promote the adhesion,
      proliferation and differentiation of cells are crucial to tissue regeneration. In
      this study, the poly-l-lactic acid (PLLA) scaffold with hierarchical pore
      structural was fabricated via two-step thermally induced phase separation (TIPS).
      To mimic both physical architecture and chemical composite of natural bone
      extracellular matrix (ECM), gelatin fibers were introduced into the pores of PLLA
      scaffolds and formed 3D network structure via TIPS. Human adipose tissue-derived
      stem cells (ADSCs) were harvested and seeded into PLLA/gel hybrid scaffolds and
      cultured in vitro for biocompatibility assay. The surface morphology, porosity
      and compressive modulus of scaffolds were characterized by scanning electron
      microscopy (SEM), density analysis and compression test respectively. The results
      showed that hybrid scaffolds had high porosity (91.62%), a good compressive
      modulus (2.79 +/- 0.20 MPa), nanometer fibers (diameter around 186.39~354.30 nm)
      and different grades of pore size from 7.41 +/- 2.64 nm to 387.94 +/- 102.48 nm.
      The scaffolds with mild hydrolysis by NaOH were modified by 1-ethyl-3-(3-dimethyl
      ami-nopropyl) carbodiimide/N-hydroxysuccinimide (EDC/NHS). Gelatin was performed
      onto PLLA scaffold via TIPS aiming at enhancement cell-material interaction. In
      comparison with PLLA scaffold, the PLLA/gel scaffold had better biological
      performance and the mechanical properties because the gelatin fibers
      homogeneously distributed in each pore of PLLA scaffold and formed 3D network
      structure.

PMID- 28347024
TI  - Band Structure Simulations of the Photoinduced Changes in the MgB2:Cr Films.
AB  - An approach for description of the photoinduced nonlinear optical effects in the
      superconducting MgB2:Cr2O3 nanocrystalline film is proposed. It includes the
      molecular dynamics step-by-step optimization of the two separate crystalline
      phases. The principal role for the photoinduced nonlinear optical properties
      plays nanointerface between the two phases. The first modified layers possess a
      form of slightly modified perfect crystalline structure. The next layer is added
      to the perfect crystalline structure and the iteration procedure is repeated for
      the next layer. The total energy here is considered as a varied parameter. To
      avoid potential jumps on the borders we have carried out additional derivative
      procedure.

PMID- 28347023
TI  - Ceramic Nanocomposites from Tailor-Made Preceramic Polymers.
AB  - The present Review addresses current developments related to polymer-derived
      ceramic nanocomposites (PDC-NCs). Different classes of preceramic polymers are
      briefly introduced and their conversion into ceramic materials with adjustable
      phase compositions and microstructures is presented. Emphasis is set on
      discussing the intimate relationship between the chemistry and structural
      architecture of the precursor and the structural features and properties of the
      resulting ceramic nanocomposites. Various structural and functional properties of
      silicon-containing ceramic nanocomposites as well as different preparative
      strategies to achieve nano-scaled PDC-NC-based ordered structures are
      highlighted, based on selected ceramic nanocomposite systems. Furthermore,
      prospective applications of the PDC-NCs such as high-temperature stable materials
      for thermal protection systems, membranes for hot gas separation purposes,
      materials for heterogeneous catalysis, nano-confinement materials for hydrogen
      storage applications as well as anode materials for secondary ion batteries are
      introduced and discussed in detail.

PMID- 28347022
TI  - Gene Expression, Protein Function and Pathways of Arabidopsis thaliana Responding
      to Silver Nanoparticles in Comparison to Silver Ions, Cold, Salt, Drought, and
      Heat.
AB  - Silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) have been widely used in industry due to their
      unique physical and chemical properties. However, AgNPs have caused environmental
      concerns. To understand the risks of AgNPs, Arabidopsis microarray data for AgNP,
      Ag+, cold, salt, heat and drought stresses were analyzed. Up- and down-regulated
      genes of more than two-fold expression change were compared, while the encoded
      proteins of shared and unique genes between stresses were subjected to
      differential enrichment analyses. AgNPs affected the fewest genes (575) in the
      Arabidopsis genome, followed by Ag+ (1010), heat (1374), drought (1435), salt
      (4133) and cold (6536). More genes were up-regulated than down-regulated in AgNPs
      and Ag+ (438 and 780, respectively) while cold down-regulated the most genes
      (4022). Responses to AgNPs were more similar to those of Ag+ (464 shared genes),
      cold (202), and salt (163) than to drought (50) or heat (30); the genes in the
      first four stresses were enriched with 32 PFAM domains and 44 InterPro protein
      classes. Moreover, 111 genes were unique in AgNPs and they were enriched in three
      biological functions: response to fungal infection, anion transport, and cell
      wall/plasma membrane related. Despite shared similarity to Ag+, cold and salt
      stresses, AgNPs are a new stressor to Arabidopsis.

PMID- 28347025
TI  - Synthesis and Adsorption Property of SiO2@Co(OH)2 Core-Shell Nanoparticles.
AB  - Silica nanoparticles were directly coated with cobalt hydroxide by homogeneous
      precipitation of slowly decomposing urea in cobalt nitrate solution. The cobalt
      hydroxide was amorphous, and its morphology was nanoflower-like. The BET
      (Brunauer-Emmett-Teller) surface area of the core-shell composite was 221 m2/g.
      Moreover, the possible formation procedure is proposed: the electropositive
      cobalt ions were first adsorbed on the electronegative silica nanoparticles
      surface, which hydrolyzed to form cobalt hydroxide nanoparticles. Then, the
      cobalt hydroxide nanoparticles were aggregated to form nanoflakes. Finally, the
      nanoflakes self-assembled, forming cobalt hydroxide nanoflowers. Adsorption
      measurement showed that the core-shell composite exhibited excellent adsorption
      capability of Rhodamine B (RB).

PMID- 28347026
TI  - Metal Organic Framework Micro/Nanopillars of Cu(BTC).3H2O and Zn(ADC).DMSO.
AB  - In this work, we report the optical and thermal properties of Cu(BTC).3H2O (BTC =
      1,3,5-benzenetricarboxylic acid) and Zn(ADC).DMSO (ADC = 9,10-
      anthracenedicarboxylic acid, DMSO = dimethyl sulfoxide) metal-organic frameworks
      (MOFs) micro/nanopillars. The morphologies of MOFs on surfaces are most in the
      form of micro/nanopillars that were vertically oriented on the surface. The size
      and morphology of the pillars depend on the evaporation time, concentration,
      solvent, substrate, and starting volume of solutions. The crystal structures of
      the nanopillars and micropillars are the same, confirmed by powder XRD.
      Zn(ADC).DMSO pillars have a strong blue fluorescence. Most of ADC in the pillars
      are in the form of monomers, which is different from ADC in the solid powder.

PMID- 28347028
TI  - Optical and Structural Properties of Si Nanocrystals in SiO2 Films.
AB  - Optical and structural properties of Si nanocrystals (Si-nc) in silica films are
      described. For the SiOx (x < 2) films annealed above 1000  degrees C, the Raman
      signal of Si-nc and the absorption coefficient are proportional to the amount of
      elemental Si detected by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. A good agreement is
      found between the measured refractive index and the value estimated by using the
      effective-medium approximation. The extinction coefficient of elemental Si is
      found to be between the values of crystalline and amorphous Si. Thermal annealing
      increases the degree of Si crystallization; however, the crystallization and the
      Si-SiO2 phase separation are not complete after annealing at 1200  degrees C. The
      1.5-eV PL quantum yield increases as the amount of elemental Si decreases; thus,
      this PL is probably not directly from Si-nc responsible for absorption and
      detected by Raman spectroscopy. Continuous-wave laser light can produce very high
      temperatures in the free-standing films, which changes their structural and
      optical properties. For relatively large laser spots, the center of the laser
      annealed area is very transparent and consists of amorphous SiO2. Large Si-nc (up
      to ~300 nm in diameter) are observed in the ring around the central region. These
      Si-nc lead to high absorption and they are typically under compressive stress,
      which is connected with their formation from the liquid phase. By using strongly
      focused laser beams, the structural changes in the free-standing films can be
      made in submicron areas.

PMID- 28347027
TI  - Magneto-Plasmonics and Resonant Interaction of Light with Dynamic Magnetisation
      in Metallic and All-Magneto-Dielectric Nanostructures.
AB  - A significant interest in combining plasmonics and magnetism at the nanoscale
      gains momentum in both photonics and magnetism sectors that are concerned with
      the resonant enhancement of light-magnetic-matter interaction in nanostructures.
      These efforts result in a considerable amount of literature, which is difficult
      to collect and digest in limited time. Furthermore, there is insufficient
      exchange of results between the two research sectors. Consequently, the goal of
      this review paper is to bridge this gap by presenting an overview of recent
      progress in the field of magneto-plasmonics from two different points of view:
      magneto-plasmonics, and magnonics and magnetisation dynamics. It is expected that
      this presentation style will make this review paper of particular interest to
      both general physical audience and specialists conducting research on photonics,
      plasmonics, Brillouin light scattering spectroscopy of magnetic nanostructures
      and magneto-optical Kerr effect magnetometry, as well as ultrafast all-optical
      and THz-wave excitation of spin waves. Moreover, readers interested in a new,
      rapidly emerging field of all-dielectric nanophotonics will find a section about
      all-magneto-dielectric nanostructures.

PMID- 28347029
TI  - Structural Ceramic Nanocomposites: A Review of Properties and Powders' Synthesis
      Methods.
AB  - Ceramic nanocomposites are attracting growing interest, thanks to new processing
      methods enabling these materials to go from the research laboratory scale to the
      commercial level. Today, many different types of nanocomposite structures are
      proposed in the literature; however, to fully exploit their exceptional
      properties, a deep understanding of the materials' behavior across length scales
      is necessary. In fact, knowing how the nanoscale structure influences the bulk
      properties enables the design of increasingly performing composite materials. A
      further key point is the ability of tailoring the desired nanostructured features
      in the sintered composites, a challenging issue requiring a careful control of
      all stages of manufacturing, from powder synthesis to sintering. This review is
      divided into four parts. In the first, classification and general issues of
      nanostructured ceramics are reported. The second provides basic structure
      property relations, highlighting the grain-size dependence of the materials
      properties. The third describes the role of nanocrystalline second-phases on the
      mechanical properties of ordinary grain sized ceramics. Finally, the fourth part
      revises the mainly used synthesis routes to produce nanocomposite ceramic
      powders, underlining when possible the critical role of the synthesis method on
      the control of microstructure and properties of the sintered ceramics.

PMID- 28347030
TI  - Dealloying of Cu-Based Metallic Glasses in Acidic Solutions: Products and Energy
      Storage Applications.
AB  - Dealloying, a famous ancient etching technique, was used to produce nanoporous
      metals decades ago. With the development of dealloying techniques and theories,
      various interesting dealloying products including nanoporous metals/alloys, metal
      oxides and composites, which exhibit excellent catalytic, optical and sensing
      performance, have been developed in recent years. As a result, the research on
      dealloying products is of great importance for developing new materials with
      superior physical and chemical properties. In this paper, typical dealloying
      products from Cu-based metallic glasses after dealloying in hydrofluoric acid and
      hydrochloric acid solutions are summarized. Several potential application fields
      of these dealloying products are discussed. A promising application of nanoporous
      Cu (NPC) and NPC-contained composites related to the energy storage field is
      introduced. It is expected that more promising dealloying products could be
      developed for practical energy storage applications.

PMID- 28347031
TI  - Titration of DNA/Carbon Nanotube Complexes with Double-Chained Oppositely Charged
      Surfactants.
AB  - 1/1 dispersions of ss-DNA/CNT complexes in mass ratios were investigated in a
      mixture with didodecyldimethylammonium bromide, DDAB. Depending on the amounts of
      the surface-active agent and of the complexes, solutions, precipitates, or re
      dissolution occur. DDAB titrates the phosphate groups on the outer surface of the
      complex and controls the phase sequence in these systems. The combination of
      different experimental methods determined the phases that occur therein. The
      results are based on optical absorbance, Dynamic Light Scattering, ionic
      conductivity, zeta-potential, optical microscopy and AFM. From the above findings
      a (pseudo)-binary phase diagram is attained. The system has strong similarities
      with polymer-surfactant mixtures. In fact, its properties conform to cases in
      which interactions between rigid rod-like polyelectrolytes and oppositely charged
      species take place. The peculiarities of double-chained DDAB in the process imply
      significant differences with respect to the behavior of single chain surfactants.
      In fact, DDAB associates into vesicular entities, when the homologous single
      chain species forms small micellar aggregates.

PMID- 28347032
TI  - Synthesis, Characterization and Gas Sensing Properties of Ag@alpha-Fe2O3 Core
      Shell Nanocomposites.
AB  - Ag@alpha-Fe2O3 nanocomposite having a core-shell structure was synthesized by a
      two-step reduction-sol gel approach, including Ag nanoparticles synthesis by
      sodium borohydride as the reducing agent in a first step and the subsequent
      mixing with a Fe+3 sol for alpha-Fe2O3 coating. The synthesized Ag@alpha-Fe2O3
      nanocomposite has been characterized by various techniques, such as SEM, TEM and
      UV-Vis spectroscopy. The electrical and gas sensing properties of the synthesized
      composite towards low concentrations of ethanol have been evaluated. The Ag@alpha
      Fe2O3 nanocomposite showed better sensing characteristics than the pure alpha
      Fe2O3. The peculiar hierarchical nano-architecture and the chemical and
      electronic sensitization effect of Ag nanoparticles in Ag@alpha-Fe2O3 sensors
      were postulated to play a key role in modulating gas-sensing properties in
      comparison to pristine alpha-Fe2O3 sensors.

PMID- 28347033
TI  - Frontiers in Nucleic Acid Nanotechnology.
AB  - This Special Issue of Nanomaterials highlights innovative work from around the
      world focused on harnessing the physical, chemical and topological properties of
      nucleic acids. [...].

PMID- 28347035
TI  - Modeling the Dispersibility of Single Walled Carbon Nanotubes in Organic Solvents
      by Quantitative Structure-Activity Relationship Approach.
AB  - The knowledge of physico-chemical properties of carbon nanotubes, including
      behavior in organic solvents is very important for design, manufacturing and
      utilizing of their counterparts with improved properties. In the present study a
      quantitative structure-activity/property relationship (QSAR/QSPR) approach was
      applied to predict the dispersibility of single walled carbon nanotubes (SWNTs)
      in various organic solvents. A number of additive descriptors and quantum
      chemical descriptors were calculated and utilized to build QSAR models. The best
      predictability is shown by a 4-variable model. The model showed statistically
      good results (R2training = 0.797, Q2 = 0.665, R2test = 0.807), with high internal
      and external correlation coefficients. Presence of the X0Av descriptor and its
      negative term suggest that small size solvents have better SWCNTs solubility.
      Mass weighted descriptor ATS6m also indicates that heavier solvents (and small in
      size) most probably are better solvents for SWCNTs. The presence of the Dipole Z
      descriptor indicates that higher polarizability of the solvent molecule increases
      the solubility. The developed model and contributed descriptors can help to
      understand the mechanism of the dispersion process and predictorganic solvents
      that improve the dispersibility of SWNTs.

PMID- 28347034
TI  - Multifunctional Carbon Nanostructures for Advanced Energy Storage Applications.
AB  - Carbon nanostructures-including graphene, fullerenes, etc.-have found
      applications in a number of areas synergistically with a number of other
      materials. These multifunctional carbon nanostructures have recently attracted
      tremendous interest for energy storage applications due to their large aspect
      ratios, specific surface areas, and electrical conductivity. This succinct review
      aims to report on the recent advances in energy storage applications involving
      these multifunctional carbon nanostructures. The advanced design and testing of
      multifunctional carbon nanostructures for energy storage applications
      specifically, electrochemical capacitors, lithium ion batteries, and fuel cells
      are emphasized with comprehensive examples.

PMID- 28347036
TI  - Phosphorothioate DNA Stabilized Fluorescent Gold and Silver Nanoclusters.
AB  - Unmodified single-stranded DNA has recently gained popularity for the templated
      synthesis of fluorescent noble metal nanoclusters (NCs). Bright, stable, and
      biocompatible clusters have been developed primarily through optimization of DNA
      sequence. However, DNA backbone modifications have not yet been investigated. In
      this work, phosphorothioate (PS) DNAs are evaluated in the synthesis of Au and Ag
      nanoclusters, and are employed to successfully template a novel emitter using T15
      DNA at neutral pH. Mechanistic studies indicate a distinct UV-dependent formation
      mechanism that does not occur through the previously reported thymine N3. The
      positions of PS substitution have been optimized. This is the first reported use
      of a T15 template at physiological pH for AgNCs.

PMID- 28347037
TI  - Thermal Emission Control via Bandgap Engineering in Aperiodically Designed
      Nanophotonic Devices.
AB  - Aperiodic photonic crystals can open up novel routes for more efficient photon
      management due to increased degrees of freedom in their design along with the
      unique properties brought about by the long-range aperiodic order as compared to
      their periodic counterparts. In this work we first describe the fundamental
      notions underlying the idea of thermal emission/absorption control on the basis
      of the systematic use of aperiodic multilayer designs in photonic quasicrystals.
      Then, we illustrate the potential applications of this approach in order to
      enhance the performance of daytime radiative coolers and solar thermoelectric
      energy generators.

PMID- 28347038
TI  - Graphene Oxide Synthesis from Agro Waste.
AB  - A new method of graphene oxide (GO) synthesis via single-step reforming of
      sugarcane bagasse agricultural waste by oxidation under muffled atmosphere
      conditions is reported. The strong and sharp X-ray diffraction peak at 2theta =
      11.6 degrees  corresponds to an interlayer distance of 0.788 nm (d002) for the AB
      stacked GOs. High-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM) and
      selected-area electron diffraction (SAED) confirm the formation of the GO layer
      structure and the hexagonal framework. This is a promising method for fast and
      effective synthesis of GO from sugarcane bagasse intended for a variety of energy
      and environmental applications.

PMID- 28347039
TI  - Toxicity and Biokinetics of Colloidal Gold Nanoparticles.
AB  - Gold nanoparticles (Au-NPs) have promising potential for diverse biological
      application, but it has not been completely determined whether Au-NP has
      potential toxicity in vitro and in vivo. In the present study, toxicity of Au-NP
      was evaluated in human intestinal cells as well as in rats after 14-day repeated
      oral administration. Biokinetic study was also performed to assess oral
      absorption and tissue distribution. The results demonstrated that Au-NP did not
      cause cytotoxic effects on cells after 24 h exposure in terms of inhibition of
      cell proliferation, membrane damage, and oxidative stress. However, when a small
      number of cells were exposed to Au-NP for seven days, colony forming ability
      remarkably decreased by Au-NP treatment, suggesting its potential toxicity after
      long-term exposure at high concentration. Biokinetic study revealed that Au-NP
      slowly entered the blood stream and slightly accumulated only in kidney after
      oral administration to rats. Whereas, orally administered Au ions were rapidly
      absorbed, and then distributed in kidney, liver, lung, and spleen at high levels,
      suggesting that the biological fate of Au-NP is primarily in nanoparticulate
      form, not in ionic Au. Fourteen-day repeated oral toxicity evaluation showed that
      Au-NP did not cause severe toxicity in rats based on histopathological,
      hematological, and serum biochemical analysis.

PMID- 28347041
TI  - Targeting of Apoptotic Cells Using Functionalized Fe2O3 Nanoparticles.
AB  - Fe2O3 nanoparticles (NPs) have been synthesized and functionalized with SiO2 and 
      NH2 group, respectively. Conjugation to fluorescently-labeled poly-caspase
      inhibitor (SR-FLIVO) has been carried out for better cellular uptake studies of
      apoptosis arising from brain focal cerebral ischemia. Highest conjugation
      affinity to SR-FLIVO was found to be ca. 80% for Fe2O3-SiO-NH2 functionalized
      nanoparticles (FNPs). Tracking of SR-FLIVO conjugated functionalized
      nanoparticles (SR-FLIVO-FNPs) in vivo and in vitro has been carried out and
      detected using microscopic techniques after histochemical staining methods.
      Experimental results revealed that SR-FLIVO-FNPs probe could passively cross the
      blood brain barrier (BBB) and accumulated within the apoptotic cell. Optimization
      of SR-FLIVO-FNPs probe can effectively promise to open a new era for
      intracellular drug delivery and brain diagnosis.

PMID- 28347042
TI  - Electronic Structure and Magnetism of Mn-Doped ZnO Nanowires.
AB  - The geometric structures, electronic and magnetic properties of Mn-doped ZnO
      nanowires were investigated using density functional theory. The results
      indicated that all the calculated energy differences were negative, and the
      energy of the ground state was 0.229 eV lower than ferromagnetic coupling, which
      show higher stability in antiferromagnetic coupling. The calculated results
      indicated that obvious spin splitting phenomenon occurred near the Femi level.
      The Zn atoms on the inner layer of ZnO nanowires are easily substituted by Mn
      atoms along the [0001] direction. It was also shown that the Mn2+-O2--Mn2+
      magnetic coupling formed by intermediate O atom was proved to be caused by
      orbital hybridization between Mn 3d and O 2p states. The magnetic moments were
      mainly attributed to the unpaired Mn 3d orbitals, but not relevant with doping
      position of Mn atoms. Moreover, the optical properties of Mn-doped ZnO nanowires
      exhibited a novel blue-shifted optical absorption and enhanced ultraviolet-light
      emission. The above results show that the Mn-doped ZnO nanowires are a new type
      of magneto-optical materials with great promise.

PMID- 28347040
TI  - Penetration and Toxicity of Nanomaterials in Higher Plants.
AB  - Nanomaterials (NMs) comprise either inorganic particles consisting of metals,
      oxides, and salts that exist in nature and may be also produced in the
      laboratory, or organic particles originating only from the laboratory, having at
      least one dimension between 1 and 100 nm in size. According to shape, size,
      surface area, and charge, NMs have different mechanical, chemical, electrical,
      and optical properties that make them suitable for technological and biomedical
      applications and thus they are being increasingly produced and modified. Despite
      their beneficial potential, their use may be hazardous to health owing to the
      capacity to enter the animal and plant body and interact with cells. Studies on
      NMs involve technologists, biologists, physicists, chemists, and ecologists, so
      there are numerous reports that are significantly raising the level of knowledge,
      especially in the field of nanotechnology; however, many aspects concerning
      nanobiology remain undiscovered, including the interactions with plant
      biomolecules. In this review we examine current knowledge on the ways in which
      NMs penetrate plant organs and interact with cells, with the aim of shedding
      light on the reactivity of NMs and toxicity to plants. These points are discussed
      critically to adjust the balance with regard to the risk to the health of the
      plants as well as providing some suggestions for new studies on this topic.

PMID- 28347043
TI  - Emission Properties of Fluorescent Nanoparticles Determined by Their Optical
      Environment.
AB  - The emission rate of a radiating dipole within a nanoparticle is crucially
      dependent on its surrounding refractive index environment. In this manuscript, we
      present numerical results on how the emission rates are affected for
      nanoparticles in a homogenous and substrate environment. These results are
      general, applicable to any refractive index distribution and emitter.

PMID- 28347045
TI  - Synthesis of Helical Carbon Fibers and Related Materials: A Review on the Past
      and Recent Developments.
AB  - Helical carbon fibers (HCFs) have been widely studied due to their unique helical
      morphology and superior properties, which make them efficient materials for
      several potential applications. This review summarizes the past and current
      advancement on the synthesis of HCFs. The review focuses and discusses synthesis
      strategies and effect of experimental parameters on the growth of HCFs. The
      effect of preparation method of catalyst, catalyst nature, catalyst composition,
      catalyst size, catalyst initial and final shape, reaction temperature, reaction
      time, carbon source, impurities, and electromagnetic field on the growth of HCFs
      is reviewed. We also discuss the growth mechanism for HCFs and the synthesis of
      HCFs related materials. Finally, we conclude with a brief summary and an outlook
      on the challenges and future prospects of HCFs.

PMID- 28347046
TI  - Kinetic Uptake Studies of Powdered Materials in Solution.
AB  - Challenges exist for the study of time dependent sorption processes for
      heterogeneous systems, especially in the case of dispersed nanomaterials in
      solvents or solutions because they are not well suited to conventional batch
      kinetic experiments. In this study, a comparison of batch versus a one-pot setup
      in two variable configurations was evaluated for the study of uptake kinetics in
      heterogeneous (solid/solution) systems: (i) conventional batch method; (ii) one
      pot system with dispersed adsorbent in solution with a semi-permeable barrier
      (filter paper or dialysis tubing) for in situ sampling; and (iii) one-pot system
      with an adsorbent confined in a semi-permeable barrier (dialysis tubing or filter
      paper barrier) with ex situ sampling. The sorbent systems evaluated herein
      include several cyclodextrin-based polyurethane materials with two types of
      phenolic dyes: p-nitrophenol and phenolphthalein. The one-pot kinetics method
      with in situ (Method ii) or ex situ (Method iii) sampling described herein offers
      significant advantages for the study of heterogeneous sorption kinetics of highly
      dispersed sorbent materials with particles sizes across a range of dimensions
      from the micron to nanometer scale. The method described herein will contribute
      positively to the development of advanced studies for heterogeneous sorption
      processes where an assessment of the relative uptake properties is required at
      different experimental conditions. The results of this study will be advantageous
      for the study of nanomaterials with significant benefits over batch kinetic
      studies for a wide range of heterogeneous sorption processes.

PMID- 28347044
TI  - Nanostructured Electrode Materials for Electrochemical Capacitor Applications.
AB  - The advent of novel organic and inorganic nanomaterials in recent years,
      particularly nanostructured carbons, conducting polymers, and metal oxides, has
      enabled the fabrication of various energy devices with enhanced performance. In
      this paper, we review in detail different nanomaterials used in the fabrication
      of electrochemical capacitor electrodes and also give a brief overview of
      electric double-layer capacitors, pseudocapacitors, and hybrid capacitors. From a
      materials point of view, the latest trends in electrochemical capacitor research
      are also discussed through extensive analysis of the literature and by
      highlighting notable research examples (published mostly since 2013). Finally, a
      perspective on next-generation capacitor technology is also given, including the
      challenges that lie ahead.

PMID- 28347047
TI  - Nano-Sized Cyclodextrin-Based Molecularly Imprinted Polymer Adsorbents for
      Perfluorinated Compounds-A Mini-Review.
AB  - Recent efforts have been directed towards the design of efficient and contaminant
      selective remediation technology for the removal of perfluorinated compounds
      (PFCs) from soils, sediments, and aquatic environments. While there is a general
      consensus on adsorption-based processes as the most suitable methodology for the
      removal of PFCs from aquatic environments, challenges exist regarding the optimal
      materials design of sorbents for selective uptake of PFCs. This article reviews
      the sorptive uptake of PFCs using cyclodextrin (CD)-based polymer adsorbents with
      nano- to micron-sized structural attributes. The relationship between synthesis
      of adsorbent materials and their structure relate to the overall sorption
      properties. Hence, the adsorptive uptake properties of CD-based molecularly
      imprinted polymers (CD-MIPs) are reviewed and compared with conventional MIPs.
      Further comparison is made with non-imprinted polymers (NIPs) that are based on
      cross-linking of pre-polymer units such as chitosan with epichlorohydrin in the
      absence of a molecular template. In general, MIPs offer the advantage of
      selectivity, chemical tunability, high stability and mechanical strength, ease of
      regeneration, and overall lower cost compared to NIPs. In particular, CD-MIPs
      offer the added advantage of possessing multiple binding sites with unique
      physicochemical properties such as tunable surface properties and morphology that
      may vary considerably. This mini-review provides a rationale for the design of
      unique polymer adsorbent materials that employ an intrinsic porogen via
      incorporation of a macrocyclic compound in the polymer framework to afford
      adsorbent materials with tunable physicochemical properties and unique
      nanostructure properties.

PMID- 28347048
TI  - Antitumor Activities of Metal Oxide Nanoparticles.
AB  - Nanoparticles have received much attention recently due to their use in cancer
      therapy. Studies have shown that different metal oxide nanoparticles induce
      cytotoxicity in cancer cells, but not in normal cells. In some cases, such
      anticancer activity has been demonstrated to hold for the nanoparticle alone or
      in combination with different therapies, such as photocatalytic therapy or some
      anticancer drugs. Zinc oxide nanoparticles have been shown to have this activity
      alone or when loaded with an anticancer drug, such as doxorubicin. Other
      nanoparticles that show cytotoxic effects on cancer cells include cobalt oxide,
      iron oxide and copper oxide. The antitumor mechanism could work through the
      generation of reactive oxygen species or apoptosis and necrosis, among other
      possibilities. Here, we review the most significant antitumor results obtained
      with different metal oxide nanoparticles.

PMID- 28347049
TI  - Plasmonics Meets Biology through Optics.
AB  - Plasmonic metallic nanoparticles (NPs) represent a relevant class of
      nanomaterials, which is able to achieve light localization down to nanoscale by
      exploiting a phenomenon called Localized Plasmon Resonance. In the last few
      years, NPs have been proposed to trigger DNA release or enhance ablation of
      diseased tissues, while minimizing damage to healthy tissues. In view of the
      therapeutic relevance of such plasmonic NPs; a detailed characterization of the
      electrostatic interaction between positively charged gold nanorods (GNRs) and a
      negatively charged whole-genome DNA solution is reported. The preparation of the
      hybrid biosystem has been investigated as a function of DNA concentration by
      means of zeta-potential; hydrodynamic diameter and gel electrophoresis analysis.
      The results have pointed out the specific conditions to achieve the most
      promising GNRs/DNA complex and its photo-thermal properties have been
      investigated. The overall study allows to envisage the possibility to ingeniously
      combine plasmonic and biological materials and, thus, enable design and
      development of an original non invasive all-optical methodology for monitoring
      photo-induced temperature variation with high sensitivity.

PMID- 28347050
TI  - Crosslinked Carbon Nanotubes/Polyaniline Composites as a Pseudocapacitive
      Material with High Cycling Stability.
AB  - The poor cycling stability of polyaniline (PANI) limits its practical application
      as a pseudocapacitive material due to the volume change during the charge
      discharge procedure. Herein, crosslinked carbon nanotubes/polyaniline (C
      CNTs/PANI) composites had been designed by the in situ chemical oxidative
      polymerization of aniline in the presence of crosslinked carbon nanotubes (C
      CNTs), which were obtained by coupling of the functionalized carbon nanotubes
      with 1,4-benzoquinone. The composite showed a specific capacitance of 294 F/g at
      the scan rate of 10 mV/s, and could retain 95% of its initial specific
      capacitance after 1000 CV cycles. Such high electrochemical cycling stability
      resulting from the crosslinked skeleton of the C-CNTs makes them potential
      electrode materials for a supercapacitor.

PMID- 28347051
TI  - Origin and Future of Plasmonic Optical Tweezers.
AB  - Plasmonic optical tweezers can overcome the diffraction limits of conventional
      optical tweezers and enable the trapping of nanoscale objects. Extension of the
      trapping and manipulation of nanoscale objects with nanometer position precision
      opens up unprecedented opportunities for applications in the fields of biology,
      chemistry and statistical and atomic physics. Potential applications include
      direct molecular manipulation, lab-on-a-chip applications for viruses and
      vesicles and the study of nanoscale transport. This paper reviews the recent
      research progress and development bottlenecks and provides an overview of
      possible future directions in this field.

PMID- 28347052
TI  - Examination of Single-Walled Carbon Nanotubes Uptake and Toxicity from Dietary
      Exposure: Tracking Movement and Impacts in the Gastrointestinal System.
AB  - Previous studies indicate that exposure of fish to pristine single-walled carbon
      nanotubes (SWCNTs) by oral gavage, causes no overt toxicity, and no appreciable
      absorption has been observed. However, in the environment, SWCNTs are likely to
      be present in dietary sources, which may result in differential impacts on uptake
      and biological effects. Additionally, the potential of these materials to sorb
      nutrients (proteins, carbohydrates, and lipids) while present in the
      gastrointestinal (GI) tract may lead to nutrient depletion conditions that impact
      processes such as growth and reproduction. To test this phenomenon, fathead
      minnows were fed a commercial diet either with or without SWCNTs for 96 h.
      Tracking and quantification of SWCNTs using near-infrared fluorescence (NIRF)
      imaging during feeding studies showed the presence of food does not facilitate
      transport of SWCNTs across the intestinal epithelia. Targeting genes shown to be
      responsive to nutrient depletion (peptide transporters, peptide hormones, and
      lipases) indicated that pept2, a peptide transporter, and cck, a peptide hormone,
      showed differential mRNA expression by 96 h, a response that may be indicative of
      nutrient limitation. The results of the current study increase our understanding
      of the movement of SWCNTs through the GI tract, while the changes in nutrient
      processing genes highlight a novel mechanism of sublethal toxicity in aquatic
      organisms.

PMID- 28347053
TI  - Hybrid Mesoporous Silicas and Microporous POSS-Based Frameworks Incorporating
      Evaporation-Induced Self-Assembly.
AB  - We fabricated a series of mesoporous silicas and mesoporous organosilicates with
      hierarchical porosity through evaporation-induced self-assembly using Pluronic
      F127 as a template in this study. We could tailor the mesophase of each
      mesoporous silica sample by varying the weight ratio of its two silica sources:
      tetraethyl orthosilicate (TEOS) and triethoxysilane hydrosilylated octavinyl
      polyhedral oligomeric silsesquioxane (OV-POSS-SILY). The mesophases ranged from
      an ordered body-centered cubic (bcc) structure (TEOS alone) to ordered face
      centered cubic (fcc) structure (10 and 20 wt.% of OV-POSS-SILY) and finally to
      disordered spherical pores (>=30 wt.% of OV-POSS-SILY). We used small-angle X-ray
      scattering (SAXS) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) to study the
      transformations of these mesophases, while N2 isotherm sorption curves revealed
      the porosities of these mesoporous silicate samples. Moreover, 29Si CP/MAS solid
      state nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy allowed us to analyze the
      compositions of the POSS-containing silicate frameworks. Such functional
      mesoporous silica samples incorporating microporous POSS building units have
      potential applications in various systems, including optical and electronic
      devices.

PMID- 28347055
TI  - A Sustainable Approach to Fabricating Ag Nanoparticles/PVA Hybrid Nanofiber and
      Its Catalytic Activity.
AB  - Ag nanoparticles were synthesized by using Ficus altissimaBlume leaf extract as a
      reducing agent at room temperature. The resulting Ag nanoparticles/PVA mixture
      was employed to create Ag nanoparticles/PVA (polyvinyl alcohol) hybrid nanofibers
      via an electrospinning technique. The obtained nanofibers were confirmed by means
      of UV-Vis spectroscopy, The X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform infrared
      (FTIR) spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron
      microscopy (TEM), and then tested to catalyze KBH4 reduction of methylene blue
      (MB). The catalytic results demonstrate that the MB can be reduced completely
      within 15 min. In addition, the Ag nanoparticles/PVA hybrid nanofibers show
      reusability for three cycles with no obvious losses in degradation ratio of the
      MB.

PMID- 28347054
TI  - Dynamism of Stimuli-Responsive Nanohybrids: Environmental Implications.
AB  - Nanomaterial science and design have shifted from generating single passive
      nanoparticles to more complex and adaptive multi-component nanohybrids. These
      adaptive nanohybrids (ANHs) are designed to simultaneously perform multiple
      functions, while actively responding to the surrounding environment. ANHs are
      engineered for use as drug delivery carriers, in tissue-engineered templates and
      scaffolds, adaptive clothing, smart surface coatings, electrical switches and in
      platforms for diversified functional applications. Such ANHs are composed of
      carbonaceous, metallic or polymeric materials with stimuli-responsive soft-layer
      coatings that enable them to perform such switchable functions. Since ANHs are
      engineered to dynamically transform under different exposure environments,
      evaluating their environmental behavior will likely require new approaches.
      Literature on polymer science has established a knowledge core on stimuli
      responsive materials. However, translation of such knowledge to environmental
      health and safety (EHS) of these ANHs has not yet been realized. It is critical
      to investigate and categorize the potential hazards of ANHs, because exposure in
      an unintended or shifting environment could present uncertainty in EHS. This
      article presents a perspective on EHS evaluation of ANHs, proposes a principle to
      facilitate their identification for environmental evaluation, outlines a stimuli
      based classification for ANHs and discusses emerging properties and dynamic
      aspects for systematic EHS evaluation.

PMID- 28347056
TI  - Mechanical Dispersion of Nanoparticles and Its Effect on the Specific Heat
      Capacity of Impure Binary Nitrate Salt Mixtures.
AB  - In this study, the effect of nanoparticle concentration was tested for both CuO
      and TiO2 in eutectic mixture of sodium and potassium nitrate. Results showed an
      enhancement in specific heat capacity (Cp) for both types of nanoparticles
      (+10.48% at 440  degrees C for 0.1 wt % CuO and +4.95% at 440  degrees C for 0.5
      wt % TiO2) but the behavior toward a rise in concentration was different with CuO
      displaying its highest enhancement at the lowest concentration whilst TiO2 showed
      no concentration dependence for three of the four different concentrations
      tested. The production of cluster of nanoparticles was visible in CuO but not in
      TiO2. This formation of nanostructure in molten salt might promote the
      enhancement in Cp. However, the size and shape of these structures will most
      likely impact the energy density of the molten salt.

PMID- 28347057
TI  - Nano-Sized Secondary Organic Aerosol of Diesel Engine Exhaust Origin Impairs
      Olfactory-Based Spatial Learning Performance in Preweaning Mice.
AB  - The aims of our present study were to establish a novel olfactory-based spatial
      learning test and to examine the effects of exposure to nano-sized diesel exhaust
      origin secondary organic aerosol (SOA), a model environmental pollutant, on the
      learning performance in preweaning mice. Pregnant BALB/c mice were exposed to
      clean air, diesel exhaust (DE), or DE-origin SOA (DE-SOA) from gestational day 14
      to postnatal day (PND) 10 in exposure chambers. On PND 11, the preweaning mice
      were examined by the olfactory-based spatial learning test. After completion of
      the spatial learning test, the hippocampus from each mouse was removed and
      examined for the expressions of neurological and immunological markers using real
      time RT-PCR. In the test phase of the study, the mice exposed to DE or DE-SOA
      took a longer time to reach the target as compared to the control mice. The
      expression levels of neurological markers such as the N-methyl-d-aspartate (NMDA)
      receptor subunits NR1 and NR2B, and of immunological markers such as TNF-alpha,
      COX2, and Iba1 were significantly increased in the hippocampi of the DE-SOA
      exposed preweaning mice as compared to the control mice. Our results indicate
      that DE-SOA exposure in utero and in the neonatal period may affect the olfactory
      based spatial learning behavior in preweaning mice by modulating the expressions
      of memory function-related pathway genes and inflammatory markers in the
      hippocampus.

PMID- 28347059
TI  - Neural Cell Chip Based Electrochemical Detection of Nanotoxicity.
AB  - Development of a rapid, sensitive and cost-effective method for toxicity
      assessment of commonly used nanoparticles is urgently needed for the sustainable
      development of nanotechnology. A neural cell with high sensitivity and
      conductivity has become a potential candidate for a cell chip to investigate
      toxicity of environmental influences. A neural cell immobilized on a conductive
      surface has become a potential tool for the assessment of nanotoxicity based on
      electrochemical methods. The effective electrochemical monitoring largely depends
      on the adequate attachment of a neural cell on the chip surfaces. Recently,
      establishment of integrin receptor specific ligand molecules arginine-glycine
      aspartic acid (RGD) or its several modifications RGD-Multi Armed Peptide
      terminated with cysteine (RGD-MAP-C), C(RGD)4 ensure farm attachment of neural
      cell on the electrode surfaces either in their two dimensional (dot) or three
      dimensional (rod or pillar) like nano-scale arrangement. A three dimensional RGD
      modified electrode surface has been proven to be more suitable for cell adhesion,
      proliferation, differentiation as well as electrochemical measurement. This
      review discusses fabrication as well as electrochemical measurements of neural
      cell chip with particular emphasis on their use for nanotoxicity assessments
      sequentially since inception to date. Successful monitoring of quantum dot (QD),
      graphene oxide (GO) and cosmetic compound toxicity using the newly developed
      neural cell chip were discussed here as a case study. This review recommended
      that a neural cell chip established on a nanostructured ligand modified
      conductive surface can be a potential tool for the toxicity assessments of newly
      developed nanomaterials prior to their use on biology or biomedical technologies.

PMID- 28347060
TI  - The Application of Gas Dwell Time Control for Rapid Single Wall Carbon Nanotube
      Forest Synthesis to Acetylene Feedstock.
AB  - One aspect of carbon nanotube (CNT) synthesis that remains an obstacle to realize
      industrial mass production is the growth efficiency. Many approaches have been
      reported to improve the efficiency, either by lengthening the catalyst lifetime
      or by increasing the growth rate. We investigated the applicability of dwell time
      and carbon flux control to optimize yield, growth rate, and catalyst lifetime of
      water-assisted chemical vapor deposition of single-walled carbon nanotube (SWCNT)
      forests using acetylene as a carbon feedstock. Our results show that although
      acetylene is a precursor to CNT synthesis and possesses a high reactivity, the
      SWCNT forest growth efficiency is highly sensitive to dwell time and carbon flux
      similar to ethylene. Through a systematic study spanning a wide range of dwell
      time and carbon flux levels, the relationship of the height, growth rate, and
      catalyst lifetime is found. Further, for the optimum conditions for 10 min
      growth, SWCNT forests with ~2500 MUm height, ~350 MUm/min initial growth rates
      and extended lifetimes could be achieved by increasing the dwell time to ~5 s,
      demonstrating the generality of dwell time control to highly reactive gases.

PMID- 28347058
TI  - Nanotoxicity: An Interplay of Oxidative Stress, Inflammation and Cell Death.
AB  - Nanoparticles are emerging as a useful tool for a wide variety of biomedical,
      consumer and instrumental applications that include drug delivery systems,
      biosensors and environmental sensors. In particular, nanoparticles have been
      shown to offer greater specificity with enhanced bioavailability and less
      detrimental side effects as compared to the existing conventional therapies in
      nanomedicine. Hence, bionanotechnology has been receiving immense attention in
      recent years. However, despite the extensive use of nanoparticles today, there is
      still a limited understanding of nanoparticle-mediated toxicity. Both in vivo and
      in vitro studies have shown that nanoparticles are closely associated with
      toxicity by increasing intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) levels and/or
      the levels of pro-inflammatory mediators. The homeostatic redox state of the host
      becomes disrupted upon ROS induction by nanoparticles. Nanoparticles are also
      known to up-regulate the transcription of various pro-inflammatory genes,
      including tumor necrosis factor-alpha and IL (interleukins)-1, IL-6 and IL-8, by
      activating nuclear factor-kappa B (NF-kappaB) signaling. These sequential
      molecular and cellular events are known to cause oxidative stress, followed by
      severe cellular genotoxicity and then programmed cell death. However, the exact
      molecular mechanisms underlying nanotoxicity are not fully understood. This lack
      of knowledge is a significant impediment in the use of nanoparticles in vivo. In
      this review, we will provide an assessment of signaling pathways that are
      involved in the nanoparticle- induced oxidative stress and propose possible
      strategies to circumvent nanotoxicity.

PMID- 28347061
TI  - Facile Attachment of TAT Peptide on Gold Monolayer Protected Clusters: Synthesis
      and Characterization.
AB  - High affinity thiolate-based polymeric capping ligands are known to impart
      stability onto nanosized gold nanoparticles. Due to the stable gold-sulfur bond,
      the ligand forms a protective layer around the gold core and subsequently
      controls the physicochemical properties of the resultant nanogold mononuclear
      protected clusters (AuMPCs). The choice of ligands to use as surfactants for
      AuMPCs largely depends on the desired degree of hydrophilicity and
      biocompatibility of the MPCs, normally dictated by the intended application.
      Subsequent surface modification of AuMPCs allows further conjugation of
      additional biomolecules yielding bilayer or multilayered clusters suitable for
      bioanalytical applications ranging from targeted drug delivery to diagnostics. In
      this study, we discuss our recent laboratory findings on a simple route for the
      introduction of Trans-Activator of Transcription (TAT) peptide onto the surface
      of biotin-derivatised gold MPCs via the biotin-strepavidin interaction. By
      changing the surface loading of biotin, controlled amounts of TAT could be
      attached. This bioconjugate system is very attractive as a carrier in
      intercellular delivery of various delivery cargoes such as antibodies, proteins
      and oligonucleotides.

PMID- 28347062
TI  - Hydrothermal Fabrication of WO3 Hierarchical Architectures: Structure, Growth and
      Response.
AB  - Recently hierarchical architectures, consisting of two-dimensional (2D)
      nanostructures, are of great interest for potential applications in energy and
      environmental. Here, novel rose-like WO3 hierarchical architectures were
      successfully synthesized via a facile hydrothermal method. The as-prepared WO3
      hierarchical architectures were in fact assembled by numerous nanosheets with an
      average thickness of ~30 nm. We found that the oxalic acid played a significant
      role in governing morphologies of WO3 during hydrothermal process. Based on
      comparative studies, a possible formation mechanism was also proposed in detail.
      Furthermore, gas-sensing measurement showed that the well-defined 3D WO3
      hierarchical architectures exhibited the excellent gas sensing properties towards
      CO.

PMID- 28347063
TI  - Effects of Primary Processing Techniques and Significance of Hall-Petch
      Strengthening on the Mechanical Response of Magnesium Matrix Composites
      Containing TiO2 Nanoparticulates.
AB  - In the present study, Mg (1.98 and 2.5) vol % TiO2 nanocomposites are primarily
      synthesized utilizing solid-phase blend-press-sinter powder metallurgy (PM)
      technique and liquid-phase disintegrated melt deposition technique (DMD) followed
      by hot extrusion. Microstructural characterization of the synthesized Mg-TiO2
      nanocomposites indicated significant grain refinement with DMD synthesized Mg
      nanocomposites exhibiting as high as ~47% for 2.5 vol % TiO2 NPs addition. X-ray
      diffraction studies indicated that texture randomization of pure Mg depends not
      only on the critical amount of TiO2 NPs added to the Mg matrix but also on the
      adopted synthesis methodology. Irrespective of the processing technique,
      theoretically predicted tensile yield strength of Mg-TiO2 nanocomposites was
      found to be primarily governed by Hall-Petch mechanism. Among the synthesized Mg
      materials, solid-phase synthesized Mg 1.98 vol % TiO2 nanocomposite exhibited a
      maximum tensile fracture strain of ~14.5%. Further, the liquid-phase synthesized
      Mg-TiO2 nanocomposites exhibited higher tensile and compression properties than
      those primarily processed by solid-phase synthesis. The tensile-compression
      asymmetry values of the synthesized Mg-TiO2 nanocomposite was found to be lower
      than that of pure Mg with solid-phase synthesized Mg 1.98 vol % TiO2
      nanocomposite exhibiting as low as 1.06.

PMID- 28347064
TI  - Microwave-Assisted Hydrothermal Rapid Synthesis of Calcium Phosphates: Structural
      Control and Application in Protein Adsorption.
AB  - Synthetic calcium phosphate (CaP)-based materials have attracted much attention
      in the biomedical field. In this study, we have investigated the effect of pH
      values on CaP nanostructures prepared using a microwave-assisted hydrothermal
      method. The hierarchical nanosheet-assembled hydroxyapatite (HAP) nanostructure
      was prepared under weak acidic conditions (pH 5), while the HAP nanorod was
      prepared under neutral (pH 7) and weak alkali (pH 9) condition. However, when the
      pH value increases to 11, a mixed product of HAP nanorod and tri-calcium
      phosphate nanoparticle was obtained. The results indicated that the pH value of
      the initial reaction solution played an important role in the phase and structure
      of the CaP. Furthermore, the protein adsorption and release performance of the as
      prepared CaP nanostructures were investigated by using hemoglobin (Hb) as a model
      protein. The sample that was prepared at pH = 11 and consisted of mixed
      morphologies of nanorods and nanoprisms showed a higher Hb protein adsorption
      capacity than the sample prepared at pH 5, which could be explained by its
      smaller size and dispersed structure. The results revealed the relatively high
      protein adsorption capacity of the as-prepared CaP nanostructures, which show
      promise for applications in various biomedical fields such as drug delivery and
      protein adsorption.

PMID- 28347065
TI  - Conjugation of Polymer-Coated Gold Nanoparticles with Antibodies-Synthesis and
      Characterization.
AB  - The synthesis of polymer-coated gold nanoparticles with high colloidal stability
      is described, together with appropriate characterization techniques concerning
      the colloidal properties of the nanoparticles. Antibodies against vascular
      endothelial growth factor (VEGF) are conjugated to the surface of the
      nanoparticles. Antibody attachment is probed by different techniques, giving a
      guideline about the characterization of such conjugates. The effect of the
      nanoparticles on human adenocarcinoma alveolar basal epithelial cells (A549) and
      human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) is probed in terms of
      internalization and viability assays.

PMID- 28347066
TI  - An Investigation of the Cytotoxicity and Caspase-Mediated Apoptotic Effect of
      Green Synthesized Zinc Oxide Nanoparticles Using Eclipta prostrata on Human Liver
      Carcinoma Cells.
AB  - Cancer is a leading cause of death worldwide and sustained focus is on the
      discovery and development of newer and better tolerated anticancer drugs,
      especially from plants. In the present study, a simple, eco-friendly, and
      inexpensive approach was followed for the synthesis of zinc oxide nanoparticles
      (ZnO NPs) using the aqueous leaf extract of Eclipta prostrata. The synthesized
      ZnO NPs were characterized by UV-visible absorption spectroscopy, X-ray
      diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), Scanning
      electron microscopy with energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (SEM-EDX), High
      resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM), and Selected area (electron)
      diffraction (SAED). The HRTEM images confirmed the presence of triangle, radial,
      hexagonal, rod, and rectangle, shaped with an average size of 29 +/- 1.3 nm. The
      functional groups for synthesized ZnO NPs were 3852 cm-1 for H-H weak peak, 3138
      cm-1 for aromatic C-H extend, and 1648 cm-1 for Aromatic ring stretch. The 3-(4,5
      Dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-Diphenyltetrazolium Bromide (MTT), caspase and DNA
      fragmentation assays were carried out using various concentrations of ZnO NPs
      ranging from 1 to 100 mg/mL. The synthesized ZnO NPs showed dose dependent
      cytopathic effects in the Hep-G2 cell line. At 100 mg/mL concentration, the
      synthesized ZnO NPs exhibited significant cytotoxic effects and the apoptotic
      features were confirmed through caspase-3 activation and DNA fragmentation
      assays.

PMID- 28347067
TI  - Impact of Carbon Nano-Onions on Hydra vulgaris as a Model Organism for
      Nanoecotoxicology.
AB  - The toxicological effects of pristine and chemically modified carbon nano-onions
      (CNOs) on the development of the freshwater polyp Hydra vulgaris were
      investigated in order to elucidate the ecotoxicological effects of CNOs. Chemical
      modifications of the CNOs were accomplished by surface functionalization with
      benzoic acid, pyridine and pyridinium moieties. thermogravimetric analysis (TGA),
      Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR) and Raman spectroscopy confirmed
      the covalent surface functionalization of CNOs. Hydra specimens were exposed to
      the carbon nanomaterials by prolonged incubation within their medium. Uptake was
      monitored by optical microscopy, and the toxicological effects of the CNOs on
      Hydra behavior, morphology, as well as the long-term effects on the development
      and reproductive capability were examined. The obtained data revealed the absence
      of adverse effects of CNOs (in the range 0.05-0.1 mg/L) in vivo at the whole
      animal level. Together with previously performed in vitro toxicological analyses,
      our findings indicate the biosafety of CNOs and the feasibility of employing them
      as materials for biomedical applications.

PMID- 28347069
TI  - Carbon Nanotube/Alumina/Polyethersulfone Hybrid Hollow Fiber Membranes with
      Enhanced Mechanical and Anti-Fouling Properties.
AB  - Carbon nanotubes (CNTs) were incorporated into alumina/polyethersulfone hollow
      fibre membranes to enhance the mechanical property and the efficiency of water
      treatment. Results show that the incorporation of CNTs can greatly limit the
      formation of large surface pores, decrease the void size in support layers and
      improve the porosity and pore connectivity of alumina/polyethersulfone membranes.
      As a result of such morphology change and pore size change, both improved flux
      and rejection were achieved in such CNTs/alumina/polyethersulfone membranes.
      Moreover, the CNTs/alumina/PES membranes show higher antifouling ability and the
      flux recoveries after being fouled by bovine serum albumin (BSA) and humic acid
      were improved by 84.1% and 53.2% compared to the samples without CNT
      incorporation. Besides the improvement in water treatment performance, the
      incorporation of CNTs enhanced the tensile properties of inorganic/polymer
      membranes. Therefore, such CNTs/alumina/PES hollow fiber membranes are very
      promising candidates for good filter media in industry, considering their high
      efficiency and high mechanical properties.

PMID- 28347068
TI  - Role of Physicochemical Properties in Nanoparticle Toxicity.
AB  - With the recent rapid growth of technological comprehension in nanoscience,
      researchers have aimed to adapt this knowledge to various research fields within
      engineering and applied science. Dramatic advances in nanomaterials marked a new
      epoch in biomedical engineering with the expectation that they would have huge
      contributions to healthcare. However, several questions regarding their safety
      and toxicity have arisen due to numerous novel properties. Here, recent studies
      of nanomaterial toxicology will be reviewed from several physiochemical
      perspectives. A variety of physiochemical properties such as size distribution,
      electrostatics, surface area, general morphology and aggregation may
      significantly affect physiological interactions between nanomaterials and target
      biological areas. Accordingly, it is very important to finely tune these
      properties in order to safely fulfill a bio-user's purpose.

PMID- 28347070
TI  - Hyaluronic Acid-Chitosan Nanoparticles to Deliver Gd-DTPA for MR Cancer Imaging.
AB  - Molecular imaging is essential to increase the sensitivity and selectivity of
      cancer diagnosis especially at the early stage of tumors. Recently, polyionic
      nanocomplexes (PICs), which are composed of polyanions and opposite polycations,
      have been demonstrated to be a promising strategy for biomedical applications. In
      this work, chitosan-hyaluronic acid nanoparticles (GCHN) were developed to
      deliver Gd-DTPA as MRI contrast agents for tumor diagnosis. The Gd-labeled
      conjugates (CS-DTPA-Gd) were successfully synthesized by carbodiimide reaction,
      and then GCHN were prepared by ionic gelation using the obtained CS-DTPA-Gd and
      hyaluronic acid. The morphology of GCHN was spherical or ellipsoidal, which is
      observed by transmission electronic microscopy (TEM). The mean particle size and
      zeta potential of GCHN were 213.8 +/- 2.6 nm and 19.92 +/- 1.69 mV, respectively.
      The significant enhancement of signal intensity induced by GCHN was observed both
      in vitro and in vivo. Also, compared with Magnevist, GCHN was witnessed for a
      prolonged imaging time in the B16 tumor-bearing mice model. Furthermore, GCHN
      were verified as below toxic both in vitro and in vivo. These results indicated
      that GCHN could potentially be an alternative to current MRI contrast agents for
      tumor diagnosis.

PMID- 28347071
TI  - Preparation and Photocatalytic Activity of Potassium- Incorporated Titanium Oxide
      Nanostructures Produced by the Wet Corrosion Process Using Various Titanium
      Alloys.
AB  - Nanostructured potassium-incorporated Ti-based oxides have attracted much
      attention because the incorporated potassium can influence their structural and
      physico-chemical properties. With the aim of tuning the structural and physical
      properties, we have demonstrated the wet corrosion process (WCP) as a simple
      method for nanostructure fabrication using various Ti-based materials, namely Ti
      6Al-4V alloy (TAV), Ti-Ni (TN) alloy and pure Ti, which have 90%, 50% and 100%
      initial Ti content, respectively. We have systematically investigated the
      relationship between the Ti content in the initial metal and the precise
      condition of WCP to control the structural and physical properties of the
      resulting nanostructures. The WCP treatment involved various concentrations of
      KOH solutions. The precise conditions for producing K-incorporated nanostructured
      titanium oxide films (nTOFs) were strongly dependent on the Ti content of the
      initial metal. Ti and TAV yielded one-dimensional nanowires of K-incorporated
      nTOFs after treatment with 10 mol/L-KOH solution, whereas TN required a higher
      concentration (20 mol/L-KOH solution) to produce comparable nanostructures. The
      obtained nanostructures revealed a blue-shift in UV absorption spectra due to the
      quantum confinement effects. A significant enhancement of the photocatalytic
      activity was observed via the chromomeric change and the intermediate formation
      of methylene blue molecules under UV irradiation. This study demonstrates the WCP
      as a simple, versatile and scalable method for the production of nanostructured K
      incorporated nTOFs to be used as high-performance photocatalysts for
      environmental and energy applications.

PMID- 28347073
TI  - Synthesis of Mesoporous Metal Oxides by Structure Replication: Thermal Analysis
      of Metal Nitrates in Porous Carbon Matrices.
AB  - A variety of metal nitrates were filled into the pores of an ordered mesoporous
      CMK-3 carbon matrix by solution-based impregnation. Thermal conversion of the
      metal nitrates into the respective metal oxides, and subsequent removal of the
      carbon matrix by thermal combustion, provides a versatile means to prepare
      mesoporous metal oxides (so-called nanocasting). This study aims to monitor the
      thermally induced processes by thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), coupled with
      mass ion detection (MS). The highly dispersed metal nitrates in the pores of the
      carbon matrix tend to react to the respective metal oxides at lower temperature
      than reported in the literature for pure, i.e., carbon-free, metal nitrates. The
      subsequent thermal combustion of the CMK-3 carbon matrix also occurs at lower
      temperature, which is explained by a catalytic effect of the metal oxides present
      in the pores. This catalytic effect is particularly strong for oxides of redox
      active metals, such as transition group VII and VIII metals (Mn, Fe, Co, Ni), Cu,
      and Ce.

PMID- 28347072
TI  - Comparison of the in Vitro Uptake and Toxicity of Collagen- and Synthetic Polymer
      Coated Gold Nanoparticles.
AB  - We studied the physico-chemical properties (size, shape, zeta-potential),
      cellular internalization and toxicity of gold nanoparticles (NPs) stabilized with
      the most abundant mammalian protein, collagen. The properties of these gold NPs
      were compared to the same sized gold NPs coated with synthetic poly(isobutylene
      alt-maleic anhydride) (PMA). Intracellular uptake and cytotoxicity were assessed
      in two cell lines (cervical carcinoma and lung adenocarcinoma cells) by employing
      inductively-coupled plasma-mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) analysis and a cell
      viability assay based on 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium
      bromide (MTT), respectively. We found that the collagen-coated gold NPs exhibit
      lower cytotoxicity, but higher uptake levels than PMA-coated gold NPs. These
      results demonstrate that the surface coating of Au NPs plays a decisive role in
      their biocompatibility.

PMID- 28347074
TI  - Surface Wettability Modification of Cyclic Olefin Polymer by Direct Femtosecond
      Laser Irradiation.
AB  - The effect of laser irradiation on surface wettability of cyclic olefin polymer
      (COP) was investigated. Under different laser parameters, a superhydrophilic or a
      superhydrophobic COP surface with a water contact angle (WCA) of almost 0 degrees
      or 163 degrees , respectively, could be achieved by direct femtosecond laser
      irradiation. The laser power deposition rate (PDR) was found to be a key factor
      on the wettability of the laser-treated COP surface. The surface roughness and
      surface chemistry of the laser-irradiated samples were characterized by surface
      profilometer and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, respectively; they were found
      to be responsible for the changes of the laser-induced surface wettability. The
      mechanisms involved in the laser surface wettability modification process were
      discussed.

PMID- 28347075
TI  - Synthesis of Water-Based Dispersions of Polymer/TiO2 Hybrid Nanospheres.
AB  - We develop a strategy for preparing water-based dispersions of polymer/TiO2
      nanospheres that can be used to form composite materials applicable in various
      fields. The formed hybrid nanospheres are monodisperse and possess a hierarchical
      structure. It starts with the primary TiO2 nanoparticles of about 5 nm, which
      first assemble to nanoclusters of about 30 nm and then are integrated into
      monomer droplets. After emulsion polymerization, one obtains the water-based
      dispersions of polymer/TiO2 nanospheres. To achieve universal size, it is
      necessary to have treatments with intense turbulent shear generated in a
      microchannel device at different stages. In addition, a procedure combining
      synergistic actions of steric and anionic surfactants has been designed to
      warrant the colloidal stability of the process. Since the formed polymer/TiO2
      nanospheres are stable aqueous dispersions, they can be easily mixed with TiO2
      free polymeric nanoparticle dispersions to form new dispersions, where TiO2
      containing nanospheres are homogeneously distributed in the dispersions at the
      nanoscale, thus leading to various applications. As an example, the proposed
      strategy has been applied to generate polystyrene/TiO2 nanospheres of about 100
      nm in diameter.

PMID- 28347076
TI  - High Performance Li4Ti5O12/Si Composite Anodes for Li-Ion Batteries.
AB  - Improving the energy capacity of spinel Li4Ti5O12 (LTO) is very important to
      utilize it as a high-performance Li-ion battery (LIB) electrode. In this work,
      LTO/Si composites with different weight ratios were prepared and tested as
      anodes. The anodic and cathodic peaks from both LTO and silicon were apparent in
      the composites, indicating that each component was active upon Li+ insertion and
      extraction. The composites with higher Si contents (LTO:Si = 35:35) exhibited
      superior specific capacity (1004 mAh.g-1) at lower current densities (0.22 A.g-1)
      but the capacity deteriorated at higher current densities. On the other hand, the
      electrodes with moderate Si contents (LTO:Si = 50:20) were able to deliver stable
      capacity (100 mAh.g-1) with good cycling performance, even at a very high current
      density of 7 A.g-1. The improvement in specific capacity and rate performance was
      a direct result of the synergy between LTO and Si; the former can alleviate the
      stresses from volumetric changes in Si upon cycling, while Si can add to the
      capacity of the composite. Therefore, it has been demonstrated that the addition
      of Si and concentration optimization is an easy yet an effective way to produce
      high performance LTO-based electrodes for lithium-ion batteries.

PMID- 28347077
TI  - Graphene/Sulfur/Carbon Nanocomposite for High Performance Lithium-Sulfur
      Batteries.
AB  - Here, we report a two-step synthesis of graphene/sulfur/carbon ternary composite
      with a multilayer structure. In this composite, ultrathin S layers are uniformly
      deposited on graphene nanosheets and covered by a thin layer of amorphous carbon
      derived from beta-cyclodextrin on the surface. Such a unique microstructure, not
      only improves the electrical conductivity of sulfur, but also effectively
      inhibits the dissolution of polysulfides during charging/discharging processes.
      As a result, this ternary nanocomposite exhibits excellent electrochemical
      performance. It can deliver a high initial discharge and charge capacity of 1410
      mAh.g-1 and 1370 mAh.g-1, respectively, and a capacity retention of 63.8% can be
      achieved after 100 cycles at 0.1 C (1 C = 1675 mA.g-1). A relatively high
      specific capacity of 450 mAh.g-1 can still be retained after 200 cycles at a high
      rate of 2 C. The synthesis process introduced here is simple and broadly
      applicable to the modification of sulfur cathode for better electrochemical
      performance.

PMID- 28347080
TI  - Layer-by-Layer Self-Assembling Gold Nanorods and Glucose Oxidase onto Carbon
      Nanotubes Functionalized Sol-Gel Matrix for an Amperometric Glucose Biosensor.
AB  - A novel amperometric glucose biosensor was fabricated by layer-by-layer self
      assembly of gold nanorods (AuNRs) and glucose oxidase (GOD) onto single-walled
      carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs)-functionalized three-dimensional sol-gel matrix. A
      thiolated aqueous silica sol containing SWCNTs was first assembled on the surface
      of a cleaned Au electrode, and then the alternate self-assembly of AuNRs and GOD
      were repeated to assemble multilayer films of AuNRs-GOD onto SWCNTs
      functionalized silica gel for optimizing the biosensor. Among the resulting
      glucose biosensors, the four layers of AuNRs-GOD-modified electrode showed the
      best performance. The sol-SWCNTs-(AuNRs- GOD)4/Au biosensor exhibited a good
      linear range of 0.01-8 mM glucose, high sensitivity of 1.08 MUA/mM, and fast
      amperometric response within 4 s. The good performance of the proposed glucose
      biosensor could be mainly attributed to the advantages of the three-dimensional
      sol-gel matrix and stereo self-assembly films, and the natural features of one
      dimensional nanostructure SWCNTs and AuNRs. This study may provide a new facile
      way to fabricate the enzyme-based biosensor with high performance.

PMID- 28347079
TI  - Surface Evolution of Nano-Textured 4H-SiC Homoepitaxial Layers after High
      Temperature Treatments: Morphology Characterization and Graphene Growth.
AB  - Nano-textured 4H-SiC homoepitaxial layers (NSiCLs) were grown on 4H-SiC(0001)
      substrates using a low pressure chemical vapor deposition technique (LPCVD), and
      subsequently were subjected to high temperature treatments (HTTs) for
      investigation of their surface morphology evolution and graphene growth. It was
      found that continuously distributed nano-scale patterns formed on NSiCLs which
      were about submicrons in-plane and about 100 nanometers out-of-plane in size.
      After HTTs under vacuum, pattern sizes reduced, and the sizes of the remains were
      inversely proportional to the treatment time. Referring to Raman spectra, the
      establishment of multi-layer graphene (MLG) on NSiCL surfaces was observed. MLG
      with sp2 disorders was obtained from NSiCLs after a high temperature treatment
      under vacuum at 1700 K for two hours, while MLG without sp2 disorders was
      obtained under Ar atmosphere at 1900 K.

PMID- 28347078
TI  - Textile-Based Electronic Components for Energy Applications: Principles,
      Problems, and Perspective.
AB  - Textile-based electronic components have gained interest in the fields of science
      and technology. Recent developments in nanotechnology have enabled the
      integration of electronic components into textiles while retaining desirable
      characteristics such as flexibility, strength, and conductivity. Various
      materials were investigated in detail to obtain current conductive textile
      technology, and the integration of electronic components into these textiles
      shows great promise for common everyday applications. The harvest and storage of
      energy in textile electronics is a challenge that requires further attention in
      order to enable complete adoption of this technology in practical
      implementations. This review focuses on the various conductive textiles, their
      methods of preparation, and textile-based electronic components. We also focus on
      fabrication and the function of textile-based energy harvesting and storage
      devices, discuss their fundamental limitations, and suggest new areas of study.

PMID- 28347081
TI  - A Paper-Based Sandwich Format Hybridization Assay for Unlabeled Nucleic Acid
      Detection Using Upconversion Nanoparticles as Energy Donors in Luminescence
      Resonance Energy Transfer.
AB  - Bioassays based on cellulose paper substrates are gaining increasing popularity
      for the development of field portable and low-cost diagnostic applications.
      Herein, we report a paper-based nucleic acid hybridization assay using
      immobilized upconversion nanoparticles (UCNPs) as donors in luminescence
      resonance energy transfer (LRET). UCNPs with intense green emission served as
      donors with Cy3 dye as the acceptor. The avidin functionalized UCNPs were
      immobilized on cellulose paper and subsequently bioconjugated to biotinylated
      oligonucleotide probes. Introduction of unlabeled oligonucleotide targets
      resulted in a formation of probe-target duplexes. A subsequent hybridization of
      Cy3 labeled reporter with the remaining single stranded portion of target brought
      the Cy3 dye in close proximity to the UCNPs to trigger a LRET-sensitized emission
      from the acceptor dye. The hybridization assays provided a limit of detection
      (LOD) of 146.0 fmol and exhibited selectivity for one base pair mismatch
      discrimination. The assay was functional even in undiluted serum samples. This
      work embodies important progress in developing DNA hybridization assays on paper.
      Detection of unlabeled targets is achieved using UCNPs as LRET donors, with
      minimization of background signal from paper substrates owing to the
      implementation of low energy near-infrared (NIR) excitation.

PMID- 28347082
TI  - Preparation of GST Inhibitor Nanoparticle Drug Delivery System and Its Reversal
      Effect on the Multidrug Resistance in Oral Carcinoma.
AB  - During the chemotherapy of cancer, drug resistance is the first issue that
      chemotherapeutic drugs cannot be effectively used for the treatment of cancers
      repeatedly for a long term, and the main reason for this is that tumor cell
      detoxification is mediated by GSH (glutathione) catalyzed by GST (glutathione-S
      transferase). In this study, a GST inhibitor, ethacrynic acid (ECA), was designed
      to be coupled with methoxy poly(ethylene glycol)-poly(lactide) (MPEG-PLA) by
      disulfide bonds to prepare methoxy poly(ethylene glycol)-poly(lactide)-disulphide
      bond-mthacrynic acid (MPEG-PLA-SS-ECA) as a carrier material of the
      nanoparticles. Nanoparticles of pingyangmycin (PYM) and carboplatin (CBP) were
      prepared, respectively, and their physicochemical properties were investigated.
      The ECA at the disulfide could be released in the presence of GSH, the
      pingyangmycin, carboplatin and ECA were all uniformly released, and the
      nanoparticles could release all the drugs completely within 10 days. The half
      maximal inhibitory concentration (IC50) of the prepared MPEG-PLA-SS-ECA/CBP and
      MPEG-PLA-SS-ECA/PYM nanoparticles in drug-resistant oral squamous cell carcinoma
      cell lines SCC15/CBP and SCC15/PYM cells was 12.68 MUg.mL-1 and 12.76 MUg.mL-1,
      respectively; the resistant factor RF of them in the drug-resistant cells were
      1.51 and 1.24, respectively, indicating that MPEG-PLA-SS-ECA nanoparticles can
      reverse the drug resistance of these two drug-resistant cells.

PMID- 28347084
TI  - Controllable Synthesis of Copper Oxide/Carbon Core/Shell Nanowire Arrays and
      Their Application for Electrochemical Energy Storage.
AB  - Rational design/fabrication of integrated porous metal oxide arrays is critical
      for the construction of advanced electrochemical devices. Herein, we report self
      supported CuO/C core/shell nanowire arrays prepared by the combination of electro
      deposition and chemical vapor deposition methods. CuO/C nanowires with diameters
      of ~400 nm grow quasi-vertically to the substrates forming three-dimensional
      arrays architecture. A thin carbon shell is uniformly coated on the CuO nanowire
      cores. As an anode of lithium ion batteries, the resultant CuO/C nanowire arrays
      are demonstrated to have high specific capacity (672 mAh.g-1 at 0.2 C) and good
      cycle stability (425 mAh.g-1 at 1 C up to 150 cycles). The core/shell arrays
      structure plays positive roles in the enhancement of Li ion storage due to fast
      ion/electron transfer path, good strain accommodation and sufficient contact
      between electrolyte and active materials.

PMID- 28347083
TI  - Iron Oxide Nanoparticles Coated with a Phosphorothioate Oligonucleotide and a
      Cationic Peptide: Exploring Four Different Ways of Surface Functionalization.
AB  - The superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles (SPIONs) have great potential in
      therapeutic and diagnostic applications. Due to their superparamagnetic behavior,
      they are used clinically as a Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) contrast agent.
      Iron oxide nanoparticles are also recognized todays as smart drug-delivery
      systems. However, to increase their specificity, it is essential to functionalize
      them with a molecule that effectively targets a specific area of the body. Among
      the molecules that can fulfill this role, peptides are excellent candidates.
      Oligonucleotides are recognized as potential drugs for various diseases but
      suffer from poor uptake and intracellular degradation. In this work, we explore
      four different strategies, based on the electrostatic interactions between the
      different partners, to functionalize the surface of SPIONs with a
      phosphorothioate oligonucleotide (ODN) and a cationic peptide labeled with a
      fluorophore. The internalization of the nanoparticles has been evaluated in vitro
      on RAW 264.7 cells. Among these strategies, the ""one-step assembly"", i.e., the
      direct complexation of oligonucleotides and peptides on iron oxide nanoparticles,
      provides the best way of coating for the internalization of the nanocomplexes.

PMID- 28347086
TI  - High Rate Performance Nanocomposite Electrode of Mesoporous Manganese
      Dioxide/Silver Nanowires in KI Electrolytes.
AB  - In recent years, manganese dioxide has become a research hotspot as an electrode
      material because of its low price. However, it has also become an obstacle to
      industrialization due to its low ratio of capacitance and the low rate
      performance which is caused by the poor electrical conductivity. In this study, a
      KI solution with electrochemical activity was innovatively applied to the
      electrolyte, and we systematically investigated the rate performance of the
      mesoporous manganese dioxide and the composite electrode with silver nanowires in
      supercapacitors. The results showed that when mesoporous manganese dioxide and
      mesoporous manganese dioxide/silver nanowires composite were used as electrodes,
      the strength of the current was amplified five times (from 0.1 to 0.5 A/g), the
      remaining rates of specific capacitance were 95% (from 205.5 down to 197.1 F/g)
      and 92% (from 208.1 down to 191.7 F/g) in the KI electrolyte, and the rate
      performance was much higher than which in an Na2SO4 electrolyte with a remaining
      rate of 25% (from 200.3 down to 49.1 F/g) and 60% (from 187.2 down to 113.1 F/g).
      The morphology and detail structure were investigated by Scanning electron
      microscopy, X-ray diffraction, Fourier transform infrared spectrometry and
      Nitrogen adsorption-desorption isotherms. The electrochemical performance was
      assessed by cyclic voltammograms, galvanostatic charge/discharge and
      electrochemical impedance spectroscopy.

PMID- 28347087
TI  - Computational Evaluation of Amorphous Carbon Coating for Durable Silicon Anodes
      for Lithium-Ion Batteries.
AB  - We investigate the structural, mechanical, and electronic properties of graphite
      like amorphous carbon coating on bulky silicon to examine whether it can improve
      the durability of the silicon anodes of lithium-ion batteries using molecular
      dynamics simulations and ab-initio electronic structure calculations. Structural
      models of carbon coating are constructed using molecular dynamics simulations of
      atomic carbon deposition with low incident energies (1-16 eV). As the incident
      energy decreases, the ratio of sp2 carbons increases, that of sp3 decreases, and
      the carbon films become more porous. The films prepared with very low incident
      energy contain lithium-ion conducting channels. Also, those films are
      electrically conductive to supplement the poor conductivity of silicon and can
      restore their structure after large deformation to accommodate the volume change
      during the operations. As a result of this study, we suggest that graphite-like
      porous carbon coating on silicon will extend the lifetime of the silicon anodes
      of lithium-ion batteries.

PMID- 28347085
TI  - Metal Oxide Nanomaterial QNAR Models: Available Structural Descriptors and
      Understanding of Toxicity Mechanisms.
AB  - Metal oxide nanomaterials are widely used in various areas; however, the
      divergent published toxicology data makes it difficult to determine whether there
      is a risk associated with exposure to metal oxide nanomaterials. The application
      of quantitative structure activity relationship (QSAR) modeling in metal oxide
      nanomaterials toxicity studies can reduce the need for time-consuming and
      resource-intensive nanotoxicity tests. The nanostructure and inorganic
      composition of metal oxide nanomaterials makes this approach different from
      classical QSAR study; this review lists and classifies some structural
      descriptors, such as size, cation charge, and band gap energy, in recent metal
      oxide nanomaterials quantitative nanostructure activity relationship (QNAR)
      studies and discusses the mechanism of metal oxide nanomaterials toxicity based
      on these descriptors and traditional nanotoxicity tests.

PMID- 28347088
TI  - Mesoporous Transition Metal Oxides for Supercapacitors.
AB  - Recently, transition metal oxides, such as ruthenium oxide (RuO2), manganese
      dioxide (MnO2), nickel oxides (NiO) and cobalt oxide (Co3O4), have been widely
      investigated as electrode materials for pseudo-capacitors. In particular, these
      metal oxides with mesoporous structures have become very hot nanomaterials in the
      field of supercapacitors owing to their large specific surface areas and suitable
      pore size distributions. The high specific capacities of these mesoporous metal
      oxides are resulted from the effective contacts between electrode materials and
      electrolytes as well as fast transportation of ions and electrons in the bulk of
      electrode and at the interface of electrode and electrolyte. During the past
      decade, many achievements on mesoporous transition metal oxides have been made.
      In this mini-review, we select several typical nanomaterials, such as RuO2, MnO2,
      NiO, Co3O4 and nickel cobaltite (NiCo2O4), and briefly summarize the recent
      research progress of these mesoporous transition metal oxides-based electrodes in
      the field of supercapacitors.

PMID- 28347090
TI  - Voltammetric Determination of Ferulic Acid Using Polypyrrole-Multiwalled Carbon
      Nanotubes Modified Electrode with Sample Application.
AB  - A polypyrrole-multiwalled carbon nanotubes modified glassy carbon electrode-based
      sensor was devised for determination of ferulic acid (FA). The fabricated sensor
      was prepared electrochemically using cyclic voltammetry (CV) and characterized
      using CV and scanning electron microscope (SEM). The electrode shows an excellent
      electrochemical catalytic activity towards FA oxidation. Under optimal
      conditions, the anodic peak current correlates linearly to the FA concentration
      throughout the range of 3.32 * 10-6 to 2.59 * 10-5 M with a detection limit of
      1.17 * 10-6 M (S/N = 3). The prepared sensor is highly selective towards ferulic
      acid without the interference of ascorbic acid. The sensor applicability was
      tested for total content determination of FA in a commercial popcorn sample and
      showed a robust functionality.

PMID- 28347089
TI  - Multifunctional Nanomaterials and Their Applications in Drug Delivery and Cancer
      Therapy.
AB  - The field of nanotechnology has led to the development of many innovative
      strategies for effective detection and treatment of cancer, overcoming
      limitations associated with conventional cancer diagnosis and therapy.
      Multifunctional nanoparticle systems can integrate imaging, targeting and
      treatment moieties on the surface and in the core, resulting in targeted delivery
      of the imaging or treatment modalities, specifically to the tumor.
      Multifunctional nanoparticles also enable simultaneous delivery of multiple
      treatment agents, resulting in effective combinatorial therapeutic regimens
      against cancer. In this review, various multifunctional nanoparticle systems that
      feature a variety of targeting moieties for in vitro and/or in vivo cancer
      imaging and therapy are discussed.

PMID- 28347091
TI  - Dendrimer-Functionalized Laponite Nanodisks as a Platform for Anticancer Drug
      Delivery.
AB  - In this study, we synthesized dendrimer-functionalized laponite (LAP) nanodisks
      for loading and delivery of anticancer drug doxorubicin (DOX). Firstly, LAP was
      modified with silane coupling agents and succinic anhydride to render abundant
      carboxyl groups on the surface of LAP. Then, poly(amidoamine) (PAMAM) dendrimer
      of generation 2 (G2) were conjugated to form LM-G2 nanodisks. Anticancer drug DOX
      was then loaded on the LM-G2 with an impressively high drug loading efficiency of
      98.4% and could be released in a pH-sensitive and sustained manner. Moreover,
      cell viability assay results indicate that LM-G2/DOX complexes could more
      effectively inhibit the proliferation of KB cells (a human epithelial carcinoma
      cell line) than free DOX at the same drug concentration. Flow cytometry analysis
      and confocal laser scanning microscope demonstrated that LM-G2/DOX could be
      uptaken by KB cells more effectively than free DOX. Considering the exceptional
      high drug loading efficiency and the abundant dendrimer amine groups on the
      surface that can be further modified, the developed LM-G2 nanodisks may hold a
      great promise to be used as a novel platform for anticancer drug delivery.

PMID- 28347093
TI  - Direct Growth of Bismuth Film as Anode for Aqueous Rechargeable Batteries in
      LiOH, NaOH and KOH Electrolytes.
AB  - As promising candidates for next-generation energy storage devices, aqueous
      rechargeable batteries are safer and cheaper than organic Li ion batteries. But
      due to the narrow voltage window of aqueous electrolytes, proper anode materials
      with low redox potential and high capacity are quite rare. In this work, bismuth
      electrode film was directly grown by a facile hydrothermal route and tested in
      LiOH, NaOH and KOH electrolytes. With low redox potential (reduction/oxidation
      potentials at ca. -0.85/-0.52 V vs. SCE, respectively) and high specific capacity
      (170 mAh.g-1 at current density of 0.5 A.g-1 in KOH electrolyte), Bi was
      demonstrated as a suitable anode material for aqueous batteries. Furthermore, by
      electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) analysis, we found that with smaller
      Rs and faster ion diffusion coefficient, Bi electrode film in KOH electrolyte
      exhibited better electrochemical performance than in LiOH and NaOH electrolytes.

PMID- 28347092
TI  - Single-Walled Carbon Nanohorns for Energy Applications.
AB  - With the growth of the global economy and population, the demand for energy is
      increasing sharply. The development of environmentally a benign and reliable
      energy supply is very important and urgent. Single-walled carbon nanohorns
      (SWCNHs), which have a horn-shaped tip at the top of single-walled nanotube, have
      emerged as exceptionally promising nanomaterials due to their unique physical and
      chemical properties since 1999. The high purity and thermal stability, combined
      with microporosity and mesoporosity, high surface area, internal pore
      accessibility, and multiform functionalization make SWCNHs promising candidates
      in many applications, such as environment restoration, gas storage, catalyst
      support or catalyst, electrochemical biosensors, drug carrier systems, magnetic
      resonance analysis and so on. The aim of this review is to provide a
      comprehensive overview of SWCNHs in energy applications, including energy
      conversion and storage. The commonly adopted method to access SWCNHs, their
      structural modifications, and their basic properties are included, and the
      emphasis is on their application in different devices such as fuel cells, dye
      sensitized solar cells, supercapacitors, Li-ion batteries, Li-S batteries,
      hydrogen storage, biofuel cells and so forth. Finally, a perspective on SWCNHs'
      application in energy is presented.

PMID- 28347094
TI  - Control of Partial Coalescence of Self-Assembled Metal Nano-Particles across
      Lyotropic Liquid Crystals Templates towards Long Range Meso-Porous Metal
      Frameworks Design.
AB  - The formation of purely metallic meso-porous metal thin films by partial
      interface coalescence of self-assembled metal nano-particles across aqueous
      solutions of Pluronics triblock lyotropic liquid crystals is demonstrated for the
      first time. Small angle X-ray scattering was used to study the influence of the
      thin film composition and processing conditions on the ordered structures. The
      structural characteristics of the meso-structures formed demonstrated to
      primarily rely on the lyotropic liquid crystal properties while the nature of the
      metal nano-particles used as well as the their diameters were found to affect the
      ordered structure formation. The impact of the annealing temperature on the nano
      particle coalescence and efficiency at removing the templating lyotropic liquid
      crystals was also analysed. It is demonstrated that the lyotropic liquid crystal
      is rendered slightly less thermally stable, upon mixing with metal nano-particles
      and that low annealing temperatures are sufficient to form purely metallic
      frameworks with average pore size distributions smaller than 500 nm and porosity
      around 45% with potential application in sensing, catalysis, nanoscale heat
      exchange, and molecular separation.

PMID- 28347096
TI  - Organic Phase Change Nanoparticles for in-Product Labeling of Agrochemicals.
AB  - There is an urgent need to develop in-product covert barcodes for anti
      counterfeiting of agrochemicals. This paper reports a new organic nanoparticle
      based in-product barcode system, in which a panel of organic phase change
      nanoparticles is added as a barcode into in a variety of chemicals (herein
      agrochemicals). The barcode is readout by detecting melting peaks of organic
      nanoparticles using differential scanning calorimetry. This method has high
      labeling capacity due to small sizes of nanoparticles, sharp melting peaks, and
      large scan range of thermal analysis. The in-product barcode can be effectively
      used to protect agrochemical products from being counterfeited due to its large
      coding capacity, technical readiness, covertness, and robustness.

PMID- 28347095
TI  - Enhancing Solar Cell Efficiency Using Photon Upconversion Materials.
AB  - Photovoltaic cells are able to convert sunlight into electricity, providing
      enough of the most abundant and cleanest energy to cover our energy needs.
      However, the efficiency of current photovoltaics is significantly impeded by the
      transmission loss of sub-band-gap photons. Photon upconversion is a promising
      route to circumvent this problem by converting these transmitted sub-band-gap
      photons into above-band-gap light, where solar cells typically have high quantum
      efficiency. Here, we summarize recent progress on varying types of efficient
      upconversion materials as well as their outstanding uses in a series of solar
      cells, including silicon solar cells (crystalline and amorphous), gallium
      arsenide (GaAs) solar cells, dye-sensitized solar cells, and other types of solar
      cells. The challenge and prospect of upconversion materials for photovoltaic
      applications are also discussed.

PMID- 28347097
TI  - Chalcopyrite Nanoparticles as a Sustainable Thermoelectric Material.
AB  - In this report, copper iron sulfide nanoparticles with various composition were
      synthesized by a thermolysis based wet chemical method. These inherently
      sustainable nanoparticles were then fully characterized in terms of composition,
      structure, and morphology, as well as for suitability as a thermoelectric
      material. The merits of the material preparation include a straightforward bulk
      material formation where particles do not require any specialized treatment, such
      as spark plasma sintering or thermal heating. The Seebeck coefficient of the
      materials reveals P-type conductivity with a maximum value of 203 uV/K. The
      results give insight into how to design and create a new class of sustainable
      nanoparticle material for thermoelectric applications.

PMID- 28347098
TI  - Effects of Annealing Temperature on Properties of Ti-Ga-Doped ZnO Films Deposited
      on Flexible Substrates.
AB  - An investigation is performed into the optical, electrical, and microstructural
      properties of Ti-Ga-doped ZnO films deposited on polyimide (PI) flexible
      substrates and then annealed at temperatures of 300  degrees C, 400  degrees C,
      and 450  degrees C, respectively. The X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis results
      show that all of the films have a strong (002) Ga doped ZnO (GZO) preferential
      orientation. As the annealing temperature is increased to 400  degrees C, the
      optical transmittance increases and the electrical resistivity decreases.
      However, as the temperature is further increased to 450  degrees C, the
      transmittance reduces and the resistivity increases due to a carbonization of the
      PI substrate. Finally, the crystallinity of the ZnO film improves with an
      increasing annealing temperature only up to 400  degrees C and is accompanied by
      a smaller crystallite size and a lower surface roughness.

PMID- 28347099
TI  - Structural Stability of Diffusion Barriers in Cu/Ru/MgO/Ta/Si.
AB  - Various structures of Cu (50 nm)/Ru (2 nm)/MgO (0.5-3 nm)/Ta (2 nm)/Si were
      prepared by sputtering and electroplating techniques, in which the ultra-thin
      trilayer of Ru (2 nm)/MgO (0.5-3 nm)/Ta (2 nm) is used as the diffusion barrier
      against the interdiffusion between Cu film and Si substrate. The various
      structures of Cu/Ru/MgO/Ta/Si were characterized by four-point probes for their
      sheet resistances, by X-ray diffractometers for their crystal structures, by
      scanning electron microscopes for their surface morphologies, and by transmission
      electron microscopes for their cross-section and high resolution views. The
      results showed that the ultra-thin tri-layer of Ru (2 nm)/MgO (0.5-3 nm)/Ta (2
      nm) is an effective diffusion barrier against the interdiffusion between Cu film
      and Si substrate. The MgO, and Ta layers as deposited are amorphous. The
      mechanism for the failure of the diffusion barrier is that the Ru layer first
      became discontinuous at a high temperature and the Ta layer sequentially become
      discontinuous at a higher temperature, the Cu atoms then diffuse through the MgO
      layer and to the substrate at the discontinuities, and the Cu3Si phases finally
      form. The maximum temperature at which the structures of Cu (50 nm)/Ru (2 nm)/MgO
      (0.5-3 nm)/Ta (2 nm)/Si are annealed and still have low sheet resistance is from
      550 to 750  degrees C for the annealing time of 5 min and from 500 to 700 
      degrees C for the annealing time of 30 min.

PMID- 28347101
TI  - T1-MRI Fluorescent Iron Oxide Nanoparticles by Microwave Assisted Synthesis.
AB  - Iron oxide nanoparticles have long been studied as a T2 contrast agent in MRI due
      to their superparamagnetic behavior. T1-based positive contrast, being much more
      favorable for clinical application due to brighter and more accurate signaling
      is, however, still limited to gadolinium- or manganese-based imaging tools.
      Though being the only available commercial positive-contrast agents, they lack an
      efficient argument when it comes to biological toxicity and their circulatory
      half-life in blood. The need arises to design a biocompatible contrast agent with
      a scope for easy surface functionalization for long circulation in blood and/or
      targeted imaging. We hereby propose an extremely fast microwave synthesis for
      fluorescein-labeled extremely-small iron oxide nanoparticles (fdIONP), in a
      single step, as a viable tool for cell labeling and T1-MRI. We demonstrate the
      capabilities of such an approach through high-quality magnetic resonance
      angiographic images of mice.

PMID- 28347102
TI  - Nanoporous Carbon Nanofibers Decorated with Platinum Nanoparticles for Non
      Enzymatic Electrochemical Sensing of H2O2.
AB  - We describe the preparation of nanoporous carbon nanofibers (CNFs) decorated with
      platinum nanoparticles (PtNPs) in this work by electrospining polyacrylonitrile
      (PAN) nanofibers and subsequent carbonization and binding of PtNPs. The
      fabricated nanoporous CNF-PtNP hybrids were further utilized to modify glass
      carbon electrodes and used for the non-enzymatic amperometric biosensor for the
      highly sensitive detection of hydrogen peroxide (H2O2). The morphologies of the
      fabricated nanoporous CNF-PtNP hybrids were observed by scanning electron
      microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, and their structure was further
      investigated with Brunauer-Emmett-Teller (BET) surface area analysis, X-ray
      photoelectron spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction, and Raman spectrum. The cyclic
      voltammetry experiments indicate that CNF-PtNP modified electrodes have high
      electrocatalytic activity toward H2O2 and the chronoamperometry measurements
      illustrate that the fabricated biosensor has a high sensitivity for detecting
      H2O2. We anticipate that the strategies utilized in this work will not only guide
      the further design and fabrication of functional nanofiber-based biomaterials and
      nanodevices, but also extend the potential applications in energy storage,
      cytology, and tissue engineering.

PMID- 28347100
TI  - Gold Nanotheranostics: Proof-of-Concept or Clinical Tool?
AB  - Nanoparticles have been making their way in biomedical applications and
      personalized medicine, allowing for the coupling of diagnostics and therapeutics
      into a single nanomaterial-nanotheranostics. Gold nanoparticles, in particular,
      have unique features that make them excellent nanomaterials for theranostics,
      enabling the integration of targeting, imaging and therapeutics in a single
      platform, with proven applicability in the management of heterogeneous diseases,
      such as cancer. In this review, we focus on gold nanoparticle-based theranostics
      at the lab bench, through pre-clinical and clinical stages. With few products
      facing clinical trials, much remains to be done to effectively assess the real
      benefits of nanotheranostics at the clinical level. Hence, we also discuss the
      efforts currently being made to translate nanotheranostics into the market, as
      well as their commercial impact.

PMID- 28347104
TI  - Cytotoxicity, Uptake Behaviors, and Oral Absorption of Food Grade Calcium
      Carbonate Nanomaterials.
AB  - Calcium is the most abundant mineral in human body and essential for the
      formation and maintenance of bones and teeth as well as diverse cellular
      functions. Calcium carbonate (CaCO3) is widely used as a dietary supplement;
      however, oral absorption efficiency of CaCO3 is extremely low, which may be
      overcome by applying nano-sized materials. In this study, we evaluated the
      efficacy of food grade nano CaCO3 in comparison with that of bulk- or reagent
      grade nano CaCO3 in terms of cytotoxicity, cellular uptake, intestinal transport,
      and oral absorption. Cytotoxicity results demonstrated that nano-sized CaCO3
      particles were slightly more toxic than bulk materials in terms of oxidative
      stress and membrane damage. Cellular uptake behaviors of CaCO3 nanoparticles were
      different from bulk CaCO3 or Ca2+ ions in human intestinal epithelial cells,
      showing efficient cellular internalization and elevated intracellular Ca2+
      levels. Meanwhile, CaCO3 nanoparticles were efficiently transported by microfold
      (M) cells in vitro model of human intestinal follicle-associated epithelium, in a
      similar manner as Ca2+ ions did. Biokinetic study revealed that the biological
      fate of CaCO3 particles was different from Ca2+ ions; however, in vivo, its oral
      absorption was not significantly affected by particle size. These findings
      provide crucial information to understand and predict potential toxicity and oral
      absorption efficiency of food grade nanoparticles.

PMID- 28347105
TI  - Surface Properties and Photocatalytic Activities of the Colloidal ZnS:Mn
      Nanocrystals Prepared at Various pH Conditions.
AB  - Water-dispersible ZnS:Mn nanocrystals (NC) were synthesized by capping the
      surface with mercaptoacetic acid (MAA) molecules at three different pH
      conditions. The obtained ZnS:Mn-MAA NC products were physically and optically
      characterized by corresponding spectroscopic methods. The UV-Visible absorption
      spectra and PL emission spectra showed broad peaks at 310 and 590 nm,
      respectively. The average particle sizes measured from the HR-TEM images were 5
      nm, which were also supported by the Debye-Scherrer calculations using the X-ray
      diffraction (XRD) data. Moreover, the surface charges and the degrees of
      aggregation of the ZnS:Mn-MAA NCs were determined by electrophoretic and
      hydrodynamic light scattering methods, indicating formation of agglomerates in
      water with various sizes (50-440 nm) and different surface charge values
      accordingly the preparation conditions of the NCs (-7.59 to -24.98 mV). Finally,
      the relative photocatalytic activities of the ZnS:Mn-MAA NCs were evaluated by
      measuring the degradation rate of methylene blue (MB) molecule in a pseudo first
      order reaction condition under the UV-visible light irradiation. As a result, the
      ZnS:Mn-MAA NC prepared at the pH 7 showed the best photo-degradation efficiency
      of the MB molecule with the first-order rate constant (kobs) of 2.0 * 10-3.min-1.

PMID- 28347106
TI  - Synthesis of Ordered Mesoporous CuO/CeO2 Composite Frameworks as Anode Catalysts
      for Water Oxidation.
AB  - Cerium-rich metal oxide materials have recently emerged as promising candidates
      for the photocatalytic oxygen evolution reaction (OER). In this article, we
      report the synthesis of ordered mesoporous CuO/CeO2 composite frameworks with
      different contents of copper(II) oxide and demonstrate their activity for
      photocatalytic O2 production via UV-Vis light-driven oxidation of water.
      Mesoporous CuO/CeO2 materials have been successfully prepared by a nanocasting
      route, using mesoporous silica as a rigid template. X-ray diffraction, electron
      transmission microscopy and N2 porosimetry characterization of the as-prepared
      products reveal a mesoporous structure composed of parallel arranged nanorods,
      with a large surface area and a narrow pore size distribution. The molecular
      structure and optical properties of the composite materials were investigated
      with Raman and UV-Vis/NIR diffuse reflectance spectroscopy. Catalytic results
      indicated that incorporation of CuO clusters in the CeO2 lattice improved the
      photochemical properties. As a result, the CuO/CeO2 composite catalyst containing
      ~38 wt % CuO reaches a high O2 evolution rate of ~19.6 umol.h-1 (or 392 umol.h
      1.g-1) with an apparent quantum efficiency of 17.6% at lambda = 365 +/- 10 nm.
      This OER activity compares favorably with that obtained from the non-porous
      CuO/CeO2 counterpart (~1.3 umol.h-1) and pure mesoporous CeO2 (~1 umol.h-1).

PMID- 28347103
TI  - Smart Mesoporous Nanomaterials for Antitumor Therapy.
AB  - The use of nanomaterials for the treatment of solid tumours is receiving
      increasing attention by the scientific community. Among them, mesoporous silica
      nanoparticles (MSNs) exhibit unique features that make them suitable nanocarriers
      to host, transport and protect drug molecules until the target is reached. It is
      possible to incorporate different targeting ligands to the outermost surface of
      MSNs to selectively drive the drugs to the tumour tissues. To prevent the
      premature release of the cargo entrapped in the mesopores, it is feasible to cap
      the pore entrances using stimuli-responsive nanogates. Therefore, upon exposure
      to internal (pH, enzymes, glutathione, etc.) or external (temperature, light,
      magnetic field, etc.) stimuli, the pore opening takes place and the release of
      the entrapped cargo occurs. These smart MSNs are capable of selectively reaching
      and accumulating at the target tissue and releasing the entrapped drug in a
      specific and controlled fashion, constituting a promising alternative to
      conventional chemotherapy, which is typically associated with undesired side
      effects. In this review, we overview the recent advances reported by the
      scientific community in developing MSNs for antitumor therapy. We highlight the
      possibility to design multifunctional nanosystems using different therapeutic
      approaches aimed at increasing the efficacy of the antitumor treatment.

PMID- 28347107
TI  - Lithium-Excess Research of Cathode Material Li2MnTiO4 for Lithium-Ion Batteries.
AB  - Lithium-excess and nano-sized Li2+xMn1-x/2TiO4 (x = 0, 0.2, 0.4) cathode
      materials were synthesized via a sol-gel method. The X-ray diffraction (XRD)
      experiments indicate that the obtained main phases of Li2.0MnTiO4 and the lithium
      excess materials are monoclinic and cubic, respectively. The scanning electron
      microscope (SEM) images show that the as-prepared particles are well distributed
      and the primary particles have an average size of about 20-30 nm. The further
      electrochemical tests reveal that the charge-discharge performance of the
      material improves remarkably with the lithium content increasing. Particularly,
      the first discharging capacity at the current of 30 mA g-1 increases from 112.2
      mAh g-1 of Li2.0MnTiO4 to 187.5 mAh g-1 of Li2.4Mn0.8TiO4. In addition, the ex
      situ XRD experiments indicate that the monoclinic Li2MnTiO4 tends to transform to
      an amorphous state with the extraction of lithium ions, while the cubic Li2MnTiO4
      phase shows better structural reversibility and stability.

PMID- 28347108
TI  - Electrochemical Characterization of Graphene and MWCNT Screen-Printed Electrodes
      Modified with AuNPs for Laccase Biosensor Development.
AB  - The aim of this work is to show how the integration of gold nanoparticles (AuNPs)
      into multi-wall-carbon-nanotubes (MWCNTs) based screen-printed electrodes and
      into graphene-based screen-printed electrodes (GPHs) could represent a potential
      way to further enhance the electrochemical properties of those electrodes based
      on nanoparticles. Laccase from Trametes versicolor (TvL) was immobilized over
      MWCNTs and GPH previously modified with AuNPs (of 5 and 10 nm). The
      characterization of the modified electrode surface has been carried out by cyclic
      voltammetry. The results showed that the use of AuNPs for modification of both
      graphene and MWCNTs screen-printed electrode surfaces would increase the
      electrochemical performances of the electrodes. MWCNTs showed better results than
      GPH in terms of higher electroactive area formation after modification with
      AuNPs. The two modified nanostructured electrodes were successively proven to
      efficiently immobilize the TvL; the electrochemical sensing properties of the GPH
      and MWCNT-based AuNPs-TvL biosensors were investigated by choosing 2,2'-Azino
      bis(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic-acid diammonium salt (ABTS), catechol and
      caffeic acid as laccase mediators; and the kinetic parameters of the laccase
      biosensor were carefully evaluated.

PMID- 28347109
TI  - Nanostructuring of Palladium with Low-Temperature Helium Plasma.
AB  - Impingement of high fluxes of helium ions upon metals at elevated temperatures
      has given rise to the growth of nanostructured layers on the surface of several
      metals, such as tungsten and molybdenum. These nanostructured layers grow from
      the bulk material and have greatly increased surface area over that of a not
      nanostructured surface. They are also superior to deposited nanostructures due to
      a lack of worries over adhesion and differences in material properties. Several
      palladium samples of varying thickness were biased and exposed to a helium
      helicon plasma. The nanostructures were characterized as a function of the
      thickness of the palladium layer and of temperature. Bubbles of ~100 nm in
      diameter appear to be integral to the nanostructuring process. Nanostructured
      palladium is also shown to have better catalytic activity than not nanostructured
      palladium.

PMID- 28347110
TI  - Recent Advance on Mesoporous Silica Nanoparticles-Based Controlled Release
      System: Intelligent Switches Open up New Horizon.
AB  - Mesoporous silica nanoparticle (MSN)-based intelligent transport systems have
      attracted many researchers' attention due to the characteristics of uniform pore
      and particle size distribution, good biocompatibility, high surface area, and
      versatile functionalization, which have led to their widespread application in
      diverse areas. In the past two decades, many kinds of smart controlled release
      systems were prepared with the development of brilliant nano-switches. This
      article reviews and discusses the advantages of MSN-based controlled release
      systems. Meanwhile, the switching mechanisms based on different types of stimulus
      response are systematically analyzed and summarized. Additionally, the
      application fields of these devices are further discussed. Obviously, the recent
      evolution of smart nano-switches promoted the upgrading of the controlled release
      system from the simple "separated" switch to the reversible, multifunctional,
      complicated logical switches and selective switches. Especially the free-blockage
      switches, which are based on hydrophobic/hydrophilic conversion, have been
      proposed and designed in the last two years. The prospects and directions of this
      research field are also briefly addressed, which could be better used to promote
      the further development of this field to meet the needs of mankind.

PMID- 28347112
TI  - Performance Evaluation of a Nanofluid-Based Direct Absorption Solar Collector
      with Parabolic Trough Concentrator.
AB  - Application of solar collectors for hot water supply, space heating, and cooling
      plays a significant role in reducing building energy consumption. For
      conventional solar collectors, solar radiation is absorbed by spectral selective
      coating on the collectors' tube/plate wall. The poor durability of the coating
      can lead to an increased manufacturing cost and unreliability for a solar
      collector operated at a higher temperature. Therefore, a novel nanofluid-based
      direct absorption solar collector (NDASC) employing uncoated collector tubes has
      been proposed, and its operating characteristics for medium-temperature solar
      collection were theoretically and experimentally studied in this paper. CuO/oil
      nanofluid was prepared and used as working fluid of the NDASC. The heat-transfer
      mechanism of the NDASC with parabolic trough concentrator was theoretically
      evaluated and compared with a conventional indirect absorption solar collector
      (IASC). The theoretical analysis results suggested that the fluid's temperature
      distribution in the NDASC was much more uniform than that in the IASC, and an
      enhanced collection efficiency could be achieved for the NDASC operated within a
      preferred working temperature range. To demonstrate the feasibility of the
      proposed NDASC, experimental performances of an NDASC and an IASC with the same
      parabolic trough concentrator were furthermore evaluated and comparatively
      discussed.

PMID- 28347113
TI  - Upconverting NIR Photons for Bioimaging.
AB  - Lanthanide-doped upconverting nanoparticles (UCNPs) possess uniqueanti-Stokes
      optical properties, in which low energy near-infrared (NIR) photons can
      beconverted into high energy UV, visible, shorter NIR emission via multiphoton
      upconversionprocesses. Due to the rapid development of synthesis chemistry,
      lanthanide-doped UCNPscan be fabricated with narrow distribution and tunable
      multi-color optical properties. Theseunique attributes grant them unique NIR
      driven imaging/drug delivery/therapeuticapplications, especially in the cases of
      deep tissue environments. In this brief review, weintroduce both the basic
      concepts of and recent progress with UCNPs in material engineeringand theranostic
      applications in imaging, molecular delivery, and tumor therapeutics. The aimof
      this brief review is to address the most typical progress in basic mechanism,
      materialdesign as bioimaging tools.

PMID- 28347115
TI  - Morphological, Chemical Surface, and Diffusive Transport Characterizations of a
      Nanoporous Alumina Membrane.
AB  - Synthesis of a nanoporous alumina membrane (NPAM) by the two-step anodization
      method and its morphological and chemical surface characterization by analyzing
      Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) micrographs and X-Ray Photoelectron
      Spectroscopy (XPS) spectra is reported. Influence of electrical and diffusive
      effects on the NaCl transport across the membrane nanopores is determined from
      salt diffusion measurements performed with a wide range of NaCl concentrations,
      which allows the estimation of characteristic electrochemical membrane parameters
      such as the NaCl diffusion coefficient and the concentration of fixed charges in
      the membrane, by using an appropriated model and the membrane geometrical
      parameters (porosity and pore length). These results indicate a reduction of ~70%
      in the value of the NaCl diffusion coefficient through the membrane pores with
      respect to solution. The transport number of ions in the membrane pores (Na+ and
      Cl-, respectively) were determined from concentration potential measurements, and
      the effect of concentration-polarization at the membrane surfaces was also
      considered by comparing concentration potential values obtained with stirred
      solutions (550 rpm) and without stirring. From both kinds of results, a value
      higher than 0.05 M NaCl for the feed solution seems to be necessary to neglect
      the contribution of electrical interactions in the diffusive transport.

PMID- 28347116
TI  - Hydrothermal Synthesis of Ultrasmall Pt Nanoparticles as Highly Active
      Electrocatalysts for Methanol Oxidation.
AB  - Ultrasmall nanoparticles, with sizes in the 1-3 nm range, exhibit unique
      properties distinct from those of free molecules and larger-sized nanoparticles.
      Demonstrating that the hydrothermal method can serve as a facile method for the
      synthesis of platinum nanoparticles, we successfully synthesized ultrasmall Pt
      nanoparticles with an average size of 2.45 nm, with the aid of poly(vinyl
      pyrrolidone) (PVP) as reducing agents and capping agents. Because of the size
      effect, these ultrasmall Pt nanoparticles exhibit a high activity toward the
      methanol oxidation reaction.

PMID- 28347114
TI  - Utilization of Enzyme-Immobilized Mesoporous Silica Nanocontainers (IBN-4) in
      Prodrug-Activated Cancer Theranostics.
AB  - To develop a carrier for use in enzyme prodrug therapy, Horseradish peroxidase
      (HRP) was immobilized onto mesoporous silica nanoparticles (IBN-4: Institute of
      Bioengineering and Nanotechnology), where the nanoparticle surfaces were
      functionalized with 3-aminopropyltrimethoxysilane and further conjugated with
      glutaraldehyde. Consequently, the enzymes could be stabilized in nanochannels
      through the formation of covalent imine bonds. This strategy was used to protect
      HRP from immune exclusion, degradation and denaturation under biological
      conditions. Furthermore, immobilization of HRP in the nanochannels of IBN-4
      nanomaterials exhibited good functional stability upon repetitive use and long
      term storage (60 days) at 4  degrees C. The generation of functionalized and HRP
      immobilized nanomaterials was further verified using various characterization
      techniques. The possibility of using HRP-encapsulated IBN-4 materials in prodrug
      cancer therapy was also demonstrated by evaluating their ability to convert a
      prodrug (indole-3- acetic acid (IAA)) into cytotoxic radicals, which triggered
      tumor cell apoptosis in human colon carcinoma (HT-29 cell line) cells. A lactate
      dehydrogenase (LDH) assay revealed that cells could be exposed to the IBN-4
      nanocomposites without damaging their membranes, confirming apoptotic cell death.
      In summary, we demonstrated the potential of utilizing large porous mesoporous
      silica nanomaterials (IBN-4) as enzyme carriers for prodrug therapy.

PMID- 28347117
TI  - Structural and Morphological Tuning of LiCoPO4 Materials Synthesized by Solvo
      Thermal Methods for Li-Cell Applications.
AB  - Olivine-type lithium metal phosphates (LiMPO4) are promising cathode materials
      for lithium-ion batteries. LiFePO4 (LFP) is commonly used in commercial Li-ion
      cells but the Fe3+/Fe2+ couple can be usefully substituted with Mn3+/Mn2+,
      Co3+/Co2+, or Ni3+/Ni2+, in order to obtain higher redox potentials. In this
      communication we report a systematic analysis of the synthesis condition of
      LiCoPO4 (LCP) using a solvo-thermal route at low temperature, the latter being a
      valuable candidate to overcome the theoretical performances of LFP. In fact, LCP
      shows higher working potential (4.8 V vs. 3.6 V) compared to LFP and similar
      theoretical capacity (167 mAh.g-1). Our goal is to show the effect of the
      synthesis condition of the ability of LCP to reversibly cycle lithium in
      electrochemical cells. LCP samples have been prepared through a solvo-thermal
      method in aqueous-non aqueous solvent blends. Different Co2+ salts have been used
      to study the effect of the anion on the crystal growth as well as the effect of
      solution acidity, temperature and reaction time. Materials properties have been
      characterized by Fast-Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction
      and scanning electron microscopies. The correlation between structure/morphology
      and electrochemical performances has been investigated by galvanostatic charge
      discharge cycles.

PMID- 28347111
TI  - Composites of Polymer Hydrogels and Nanoparticulate Systems for Biomedical and
      Pharmaceutical Applications.
AB  - Due to their unique structures and properties, three-dimensional hydrogels and
      nanostructured particles have been widely studied and shown a very high potential
      for medical, therapeutic and diagnostic applications. However, hydrogels and
      nanoparticulate systems have respective disadvantages that limit their widespread
      applications. Recently, the incorporation of nanostructured fillers into
      hydrogels has been developed as an innovative means for the creation of novel
      materials with diverse functionality in order to meet new challenges. In this
      review, the fundamentals of hydrogels and nanoparticles (NPs) were briefly
      discussed, and then we comprehensively summarized recent advances in the design,
      synthesis, functionalization and application of nanocomposite hydrogels with
      enhanced mechanical, biological and physicochemical properties. Moreover, the
      current challenges and future opportunities for the use of these promising
      materials in the biomedical sector, especially the nanocomposite hydrogels
      produced from hydrogels and polymeric NPs, are discussed.

PMID- 28347119
TI  - Electric Field-Responsive Mesoporous Suspensions: A Review.
AB  - This paper briefly reviews the fabrication and electrorheological (ER)
      characteristics of mesoporous materials and their nanocomposites with conducting
      polymers under an applied electric field when dispersed in an insulating liquid.
      Smart fluids of electrically-polarizable particles exhibit a reversible and
      tunable phase transition from a liquid-like to solid-like state in response to an
      external electric field of various strengths, and have potential applications in
      a variety of active control systems. The ER properties of these mesoporous
      suspensions are explained further according to their dielectric spectra in terms
      of the flow curve, dynamic moduli, and yield stress.

PMID- 28347118
TI  - Magnetic Nanoparticles Cross the Blood-Brain Barrier: When Physics Rises to a
      Challenge.
AB  - The blood-brain barrier is a physical and physiological barrier that protects the
      brain from toxic substances within the bloodstream and helps maintain brain
      homeostasis. It also represents the main obstacle in the treatment of many
      diseases of the central nervous system. Among the different approaches employed
      to overcome this barrier, the use of nanoparticles as a tool to enhance delivery
      of therapeutic molecules to the brain is particularly promising. There is special
      interest in the use of magnetic nanoparticles, as their physical characteristics
      endow them with additional potentially useful properties. Following systemic
      administration, a magnetic field applied externally can mediate the capacity of
      magnetic nanoparticles to permeate the blood-brain barrier. Meanwhile, thermal
      energy released by magnetic nanoparticles under the influence of radiofrequency
      radiation can modulate blood-brain barrier integrity, increasing its
      permeability. In this review, we present the strategies that use magnetic
      nanoparticles, specifically iron oxide nanoparticles, to enhance drug delivery to
      the brain.

PMID- 28347120
TI  - Simulation of the Impact of Si Shell Thickness on the Performance of Si-Coated
      Vertically Aligned Carbon Nanofiber as Li-Ion Battery Anode.
AB  - Micro- and nano-structured electrodes have the potential to improve the
      performance of Li-ion batteries by increasing the surface area of the electrode
      and reducing the diffusion distance required by the charged carriers. We report
      the numerical simulation of Lithium-ion batteries with the anode made of core
      shell heterostructures of silicon-coated carbon nanofibers. We show that the
      energy capacity can be significantly improved by reducing the thickness of the
      silicon anode to the dimension comparable or less than the Li-ion diffusion
      length inside silicon. The results of simulation indicate that the contraction of
      the silicon electrode thickness during the battery discharge process commonly
      found in experiments also plays a major role in the increase of the energy
      capacity.

PMID- 28347121
TI  - Nanoscience Supporting the Research on the Negative Electrodes of Li-Ion
      Batteries.
AB  - Many efforts are currently made to increase the limited capacity of Li-ion
      batteries using carbonaceous anodes. The way to reach this goal is to move to
      nano-structured material because the larger surface to volume ratio of particles
      and the reduction of the electron and Li path length implies a larger specific
      capacity. Additionally, nano-particles can accommodate such a
      dilatation/contraction during cycling, resulting in a calendar life compatible
      with a commercial use. In this review attention is focused on carbon, silicon,
      and Li4Ti5O12 materials, because they are the most promising for applications.

PMID- 28347122
TI  - Mesoporous Silica Nanoparticles Loaded with Cisplatin and Phthalocyanine for
      Combination Chemotherapy and Photodynamic Therapy in vitro.
AB  - Mesoporous silica nanoparticles (MSNs) have been synthesized and loaded with both
      aluminum chloride phthalocyanine (AlClPc) and cisplatin as combinatorial
      therapeutics for treating cancer. The structural and photophysical properties of
      the MSN materials were characterized by different spectroscopic and microscopic
      techniques. Intracellular uptake and cytotoxicity were evaluated in human
      cervical cancer (HeLa) cells by confocal laser scanning microscopy (CLSM) and 3
      (4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-5-(3-carboxymethoxyphenyl)-2-(4-sulfophenyl)-2H
      tetrazolium (MTS) assays, respectively. The CLSM experiments showed that the MSN
      materials can be readily internalized in HeLa cells. The cytotoxic experiments
      demonstrated that, after light exposure, the combination of both AlClPc and
      cisplatin compounds in the same MSN platform potentiate the toxic effect against
      HeLa cells in comparison to the control AlClPc-MSN and cisplatin-MSN materials.
      These results show the potential of using MSN platforms as nanocarriers for
      combination photodynamic and chemotherapies to treat cancer.

PMID- 28347123
TI  - Nanocarriers for DNA Vaccines: Co-Delivery of TLR-9 and NLR-2 Ligands Leads to
      Synergistic Enhancement of Proinflammatory Cytokine Release.
AB  - Adjuvants enhance immunogenicity of vaccines through either targeted antigen
      delivery or stimulation of immune receptors. Three cationic nanoparticle
      formulations were evaluated for their potential as carriers for a DNA vaccine,
      and muramyl dipeptide (MDP) as immunostimulatory agent, to induce and increase
      immunogenicity of Mycobacterium tuberculosis antigen encoding plasmid DNA (pDNA).
      The formulations included (1) trimethyl chitosan (TMC) nanoparticles, (2) a
      squalene-in-water nanoemulsion, and (3) a mineral oil-in-water nanoemulsion. The
      adjuvant effect of the pDNA-nanocomplexes was evaluated by serum antibody
      analysis in immunized mice. All three carriers display a strong adjuvant effect,
      however, only TMC nanoparticles were capable to bias immune responses towards
      Th1. pDNA naturally contains immunostimulatory unmethylated CpG motifs that are
      recognized by Toll-like receptor 9 (TLR-9). In mechanistic in vitro studies,
      activation of TLR-9 and the ability to enhance immunogenicity by simultaneously
      targeting TLR-9 and NOD-like receptor 2 (NLR-2) was determined by proinflammatory
      cytokine release in RAW264.7 macrophages. pDNA in combination with MDP was shown
      to significantly increase proinflammatory cytokine release in a synergistic
      manner, dependent on NLR-2 activation. In summary, novel pDNA-Ag85A loaded
      nanoparticle formulations, which induce antigen specific immune responses in mice
      were developed, taking advantage of the synergistic combinations of TLR and NLR
      agonists to increase the adjuvanticity of the carriers used.

PMID- 28347124
TI  - Facile and Eco-Friendly Synthesis of Finger-Like Co3O4 Nanorods for
      Electrochemical Energy Storage.
AB  - Co3O4 nanorods were prepared by a facile hydrothermal method. Eco-friendly
      deionized water rather than organic solvent was used as the hydrothermal media.
      The as-prepared Co3O4 nanorods are composed of many nanoparticles of 30-50 nm in
      diameter, forming a finger-like morphology. The Co3O4 electrode shows a specific
      capacitance of 265 F g-1 at 2 mV s-1 in a supercapacitor and delivers an initial
      specific discharge capacity as high as 1171 mAh g-1 at a current density of 50 mA
      g-1 in a lithium ion battery. Excellent cycling stability and electrochemical
      reversibility of the Co3O4 electrode were also obtained.

PMID- 28347125
TI  - Size Effect of Ordered Mesoporous Carbon Nanospheres for Anodes in Li-Ion
      Battery.
AB  - The present work demonstrates the application of various sizes of ordered
      mesoporous carbon nanospheres (OMCS) with diameters of 46-130 nm as an active
      anode material for Li-ion batteries (LIB). The physical and chemical properties
      of OMCS have been evaluated by performing scanning electron microscopy (SEM),
      transmission electron microscopy (TEM), N2 adsorption-desorption analysis; small
      angle scattering system (SAXS) and X-ray diffraction (XRD). The electrochemical
      analysis of using various sizes of OMCS as anode materials showed high capacity
      and rate capability with the specific capacity up to 560 mA.h.g-1 at 0.1 C after
      85 cycles. In terms of performance at high current rate compared to other
      amorphous carbonaceous materials; a stable and extremely high specific capacity
      of 240 mA.h.g-1 at 5 C after 15 cycles was achieved. Such excellent performance
      is mainly attributed to the suitable particle size distribution of OMCS and
      intimate contact between OMCS and conductive additives; which can be supported
      from the TEM images. Results obtained from this study clearly indicate the
      excellence of size distribution of highly integrated mesoporous structure of
      carbon nanospheres for LIB application.

PMID- 28347127
TI  - Freestanding rGO-SWNT-STN Composite Film as an Anode for Li Ion Batteries with
      High Energy and Power Densities.
AB  - Freestanding Si-Ti-Ni alloy particles/reduced graphene oxide/single wall carbon
      nanotube composites have been prepared as an anode for lithium ion batteries via
      a simple filtration method. This composite electrode showed a 9% increase in
      reversible capacity, a two-fold higher cycle retention at 50 cycles and a two
      fold higher rate capability at 2 C compared to pristine Si-Ti-Ni (STN) alloy
      electrodes. These improvements were attributed to the suppression of the
      pulverization of the STN active material by the excellent mechanical properties
      of the reduced graphene oxide-single wall carbon nanotube networks and the
      enhanced kinetics associated with both electron and Li ion transport.

PMID- 28347126
TI  - Non-Cytotoxic Quantum Dot-Chitosan Nanogel Biosensing Probe for Potential Cancer
      Targeting Agent.
AB  - Quantum dot (Qdot) biosensors have consistently provided valuable information to
      researchers about cellular activity due to their unique fluorescent properties.
      Many of the most popularly used Qdots contain cadmium, posing the risk of
      toxicity that could negate their attractive optical properties. The design of a
      non-cytotoxic probe usually involves multiple components and a complex synthesis
      process. In this paper, the design and synthesis of a non-cytotoxic Qdot-chitosan
      nanogel composite using straight-forward cyanogen bromide (CNBr) coupling is
      reported. The probe was characterized by spectroscopy (UV-Vis, fluorescence),
      microscopy (Fluorescence, Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM), Transmission
      Electron Microscopy (TEM) and Dynamic Light Scattering. This activatable
      ("OFF"/"ON") probe contains a core-shell Qdot (CdS:Mn/ZnS) capped with dopamine,
      which acts as a fluorescence quencher and a model drug. Dopamine capped "OFF"
      Qdots can undergo ligand exchange with intercellular glutathione, which turns the
      Qdots "ON" to restore fluorescence. These Qdots were then coated with chitosan
      (natural biocompatible polymer) functionalized with folic acid (targeting motif)
      and Fluorescein Isothiocyanate (FITC; fluorescent dye). To demonstrate cancer
      cell targetability, the interaction of the probe with cells that express
      different folate receptor levels was analyzed, and the cytotoxicity of the probe
      was evaluated on these cells and was shown to be nontoxic even at concentrations
      as high as 100 mg/L.

PMID- 28347128
TI  - Temperature and Wavelength Dependence of Energy Transfer Process Between
      Quantized States and Surface States in CdSe Quantum Dots.
AB  - Temperature and wavelength dependence of energy transfer (ET) process between
      quantized states and surface trap states of CdSe quantum dots was investigated,
      respectively. The experimental results demonstrate that the photoluminescence
      (PL) intensity of the quantized states decreases with respect to the trap state
      emission, especially at lower temperatures. The observed ET process between
      quantized states and trap states which is influenced by the thermal population
      behavior. At the same temperature, the silver films can greatly enhance the
      energy transfer (ET) rate from the quantized states to trap states due to surface
      plasmonic coupling effect.

PMID- 28347129
TI  - Bi-layer Channel AZO/ZnO Thin Film Transistors Fabricated by Atomic Layer
      Deposition Technique.
AB  - This letter demonstrates bi-layer channel Al-doped ZnO/ZnO thin film transistors
      (AZO/ZnO TFTs) via atomic layer deposition process at a relatively low
      temperature. The effects of annealing in oxygen atmosphere at different
      temperatures have also been investigated. The ALD bi-layer channel AZO/ZnO TFTs
      annealed in dry O2 at 300  degrees C exhibit a low leakage current of 2.5 * 10
      13A, I on/I off ratio of 1.4 * 107, subthreshold swing (SS) of 0.23 V/decade, and
      high transmittance. The enhanced performance obtained from the bi-layer channel
      AZO/ZnO TFT devices is explained by the inserted AZO front channel layer playing
      the role of the mobility booster.

PMID- 28347130
TI  - New tracers to the clinic.

PMID- 28347131
TI  - Preclinical in vivo cancer, straightway to patients?
AB  - Detection of useful cellular targets has strongly stimulated personalized tumor
      targeted imaging and therapy approaches, also involving synthesis and evaluation
      of nuclear imaging probes with potential for clinical applications. Reviews of
      preclinical and translational studies concerning such probes, including
      radiolabeled antibodies, nanobodies, affibodies, peptides, small molecule
      inhibitors, and nanoparticles, are presented in this issue. As most tracers
      described in these articles have been developed for the field of cancer imaging
      and radionuclide therapy, the current article on preclinical studies will focus
      on cancer research as well. The main steps in developing a nuclear probe for
      clinical application for radionuclide imaging and therapy, after identification
      of a suitable molecular target on tumor cells, comprise: 1) synthesis and
      radiolabeling of the probe; 2) in vitro characterization, such as the evaluation
      of target binding affinity; 3) in vivo evaluation to assess the biodistribution
      and tumor targeting capability, for radionuclide therapy purposes also dosimetry
      studies to determine the absorbed doses and efficacy; 4) radiolabeled probes that
      successfully pass such tests as well as toxicological studies may enter clinical
      evaluation. For preclinical testing of radiolabeled probes various relevant in
      vitro and in vivo models dedicated to oncological research have been developed
      along with preclinical imaging platforms, including positron emission tomography
      (PET) and single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) systems, in
      combination with magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) or computed tomography (CT).
      These developments hold great promise for fast translation of new candidate
      probes from preclinical validation into the clinic. This overview article
      describes preclinical studies typically being performed to bring a new
      radiopharmaceutical into clinical oncology practice. It also aims to raise
      awareness of confounding factors during translation of preclinical studies and
      ways to overcome them.

PMID- 28347132
TI  - Radiolabeled peptides: current and new perspectives.
AB  - Radiolabeled peptides have been the subject of research for over 20 years and
      during that time possibility/variety of peptide receptor imaging and later
      targeted radiotherapy increased significantly. The targeted receptors belong to
      the large family of G-protein-coupled receptors or tyrosine kinases receptors
      partially connected with them. They both regulate large signaling networks,
      control multiple cell functions and are implicated in many diseases including
      cancers. The essential feature of peptides used in nuclear medicine involves
      their ability to binding with high affinity and specify to their receptors
      overexpressed on tumor cells. Currently most important peptide radiotracers are
      somatostatin, GLP-1, bombesin, gastrin/cholecystokinin-2, neurokinin type 1,
      CXCR4, EGF, VEGF and integrins. These tracers are mainly based on nuclides which
      are radiometals or on 18F and may be used in both SPECT or PET techniques as well
      as for hybrid imaging. Using of chelators suitable for peptide labeling with
      diagnostic and therapeutic radionuclids enables the theranostic approach. In this
      review we will provide a brief overview over currently available
      radiopharmaceuticals based on different groups of peptides.

PMID- 28347133
TI  - Antimony and Arsenic Behavior during Fe(II)-Induced Transformation of Jarosite.
AB  - Jarosite can be an important scavenger for arsenic (As) and antimony (Sb) in acid
      mine drainage (AMD) and acid sulfate soil (ASS) environments. When subjected to
      reducing conditions, jarosite may undergo reductive dissolution, thereby
      releasing As, Sb, and Fe2+ coincident with a rise in pH. These conditions can
      also trigger the Fe2+-induced transformation of jarosite to more stable Fe(III)
      minerals, such as goethite. However, the consequences of this transformation
      process for As and Sb are yet to be methodically examined. We explore the effects
      of abiotic Fe2+-induced transformation of jarosite on the mobility, speciation,
      and partitioning of associated As(V) and Sb(V) under anoxic conditions at pH 7.
      High concentrations of Fe2+ (10 and 20 mM) rapidly (<10 min) transformed jarosite
      to a green rust intermediary, prior to the subsequent precipitation of goethite
      within 24 h. In contrast, lower concentrations of Fe2+ (1 and 5 mM) led to the
      formation of lepidocrocite. As K-edge XANES spectroscopy revealed some reduction
      of As(V) to As(III) at higher concentrations of Fe2+, while Sb L1-edge XANES
      spectroscopy indicated no reduction of Sb(V). The transformation processes
      enhanced Sb mobilization into the aqueous phase, while As was instead
      repartitioned to a surface-bound exchangeable phase. The results imply that Fe2+
      induced transformation of As/Sb-jarosite can increase Sb mobility and exert major
      influences on As partitioning and speciation.

PMID- 28347134
TI  - Evaluating Droplet Digital Polymerase Chain Reaction for the Quantification of
      Human Genomic DNA: Lifting the Traceability Fog.
AB  - Digital polymerase chain reaction (dPCR) end point platforms directly estimate
      the number of DNA target copies per reaction partition, lambda, where the
      partitions are fixed-location chambers (cdPCR) or aqueous droplets floating in
      oil (ddPCR). For use in the certification of target concentration in primary
      calibrant certified reference materials (CRMs), both lambda and the partition
      volume, V, must be metrologically traceable to some accessible reference system,
      ideally, the International System of Units (SI). The fixed spatial distribution
      of cdPCR chambers enables real-time monitoring of PCR amplification. Analysis of
      the resulting reaction curves enables validation of the critical dPCR assumptions
      that are essential for establishing the SI traceability of lambda. We know of no
      direct method for validating these assumptions for ddPCR platforms. The
      manufacturers of the cdPCR and ddPCR systems available to us do not provide
      traceable partition volume specifications. Our colleagues at the National
      Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) have developed a reliable method for
      determining ddPCR droplet volume and have demonstrated that different ddPCR
      reagents yield droplets of somewhat different size. Thus, neither dPCR platform
      by itself provides metrologically traceable estimates of target concentration. We
      show here that evaluating split samples with both cdPCR and ddPCR platforms can
      transfer the lambda traceability characteristics of a cdPCR assay to its ddPCR
      analogue, establishing fully traceable ddPCR estimates of CRM target
      concentration.

PMID- 28347136
TI  - A Dynamic Three-Dimensional Covalent Organic Framework.
AB  - A guest-induced reversible crystal-structure transformation is identified in a
      new 3D covalent organic framework (COF) by comprehensive analyses using powder X
      ray diffraction, organic vapor sorption isotherm, and 129Xe NMR spectroscopy. The
      revolving imine bond in interpenetrating 3D networks is uncovered as the key to
      the dynamic behavior, the potential applications of which are illustrated by gas
      separation and heterogeneous catalysis, thus paving the way to the design of
      stimuli-responsive and multifunctional COF materials.

PMID- 28347135
TI  - Manganese-Cobalt Oxido Cubanes Relevant to Manganese-Doped Water Oxidation
      Catalysts.
AB  - Incorporation of Mn into an established water oxidation catalyst based on a
      Co(III)4O4 cubane was achieved by a simple and efficient assembly of
      permanganate, cobalt(II) acetate, and pyridine to form the cubane oxo cluster
      MnCo3O4(OAc)5py3 (OAc = acetate, py = pyridine) (1-OAc) in good yield. This
      allows characterization of electronic and chemical properties for a manganese
      center in a cobalt oxide environment, and provides a molecular model for Mn-doped
      cobalt oxides. The electronic properties of the cubane are readily tuned by
      exchange of the OAc- ligand for Cl- (1-Cl), NO3- (1-NO3), and pyridine ([1-py]+).
      EPR spectroscopy, SQUID magnetometry, and DFT calculations thoroughly
      characterized the valence assignment of the cubane as [MnIVCoIII3]. These cubanes
      are redox-active, and calculations reveal that the Co ions behave as the
      reservoir for electrons, but their redox potentials are tuned by the choice of
      ligand at Mn. This MnCo3O4 cubane system represents a new class of easily
      prepared, versatile, and redox-active oxido clusters that should contribute to an
      understanding of mixed-metal, Mn-containing oxides.

PMID- 28347138
TI  - Identification of Early Represented Gluten Proteins during Durum Wheat Grain
      Development.
AB  - The time course of biosynthesis and accumulation of storage proteins in
      developing grains of durum wheat (Triticum turgidum ssp. durum (Desf.) Husn.)
      pasta-quality reference cv. Svevo was investigated at the protein level for the
      first time. Seeds were harvested at key kernel developmental stages, namely, 3
      (seed increase 3-fold in size), 5 (kernel development, water-ripe stage), 11
      (kernel development, water-ripe stage), 16 (kernel full development, water-ripe
      stage), 21 (milk-ripe stage), and 30 (dough stage) days postanthesis (dpa).
      Gliadins and glutenins were fractionated according to their different solubility
      and individually analyzed after fractionation by reversed-phase high performance
      liquid chromatography and sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel
      electrophoresis. Proteins were identified by liquid chromatography-tandem mass
      spectrometry of proteolytic peptides. The alpha- and gamma-gliadin were already
      detected at 3 dpa. The biosynthesis of high molecular mass glutenin Bx7 was
      slightly delayed (11 dpa). Most of the gluten proteins accumulated rapidly
      between 11 and 21 dpa, with a minor further increase up to 30 dpa. The expression
      pattern of gluten proteins in Triticum durum at the early stages of synthesis
      provides reference data sets for future applications in crop breeding and growth
      monitoring.

PMID- 28347137
TI  - Quantitative Proteomics and Immunohistochemistry Reveal Insights into Cellular
      and Molecular Processes in the Infarct Border Zone One Month after Myocardial
      Infarction.
AB  - Postinfarction remodeling and expansion of the peri-infarct border zone (BZ)
      directly correlate with mortality following myocardial infarction (MI); however,
      the cellular and molecular mechanisms underlying remodeling processes in the BZ
      remain unclear. Herein, we utilized a label-free quantitative proteomics approach
      in combination with immunohistochemical analyses to gain a better understanding
      of processes contributing to postinfarction remodeling of the peri-infarct BZ in
      a swine model of MI with reperfusion. Our analysis uncovered a significant down
      regulation of proteins involved in energy metabolism, indicating impaired
      myocardial energetics and possibly mitochondrial dysfunction, in the peri-scar
      BZ. An increase in endothelial and vascular smooth muscles cells, as well as up
      regulation of proteins implicated in vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF)
      signaling and marked changes in the expression of extracellular matrix and
      subendothelial basement membrane proteins, is indicative of active angiogenesis
      in the infarct BZ. A pronounced increase in macrophages in the peri-infarct BZ
      was also observed, and proteomic analysis uncovered evidence of persistent
      inflammation in this tissue. Additional evidence suggested an increase in
      cellular proliferation that, concomitant with increased nestin expression,
      indicates potential turnover of endogenous stem cells in the BZ. A marked up
      regulation of pro-apoptotic proteins, as well as the down-regulation of proteins
      important for adaptation to mechanical, metabolic, and oxidative stress, likely
      contributes to increased apoptosis in the peri-infarct BZ. The cellular processes
      and molecular pathways identified herein may have clinical utility for
      therapeutic intervention aimed at limiting remodeling and expansion of the BZ
      myocardium and preventing the development of heart failure post-MI.

PMID- 28347139
TI  - Single-Protein Tracking Reveals That NADPH Mediates the Insertion of Cytochrome
      P450 Reductase into a Biomimetic of the Endoplasmic Reticulum.
AB  - Cytochrome P450 reductase (CPR) is the redox partner for most human cytochrome
      P450 enzymes. It is also believed that CPR is an integral membrane protein
      exclusively. Herein, we report that, contrary to this belief, CPR can exist as a
      peripheral membrane protein in the absence of NADPH and will transition to an
      integral membrane protein in the presence of stoichiometric amounts of NADPH or
      greater. All experiments were performed in a solid-supported cushioned lipid
      bilayer that closely matched the chemical composition of the human endoplasmic
      reticulum and served as an ER biomimetic. The phase characteristics and fluidity
      of the ER biomimetic was characterized with fluorescence micrographs and
      temperature-dependent fluorescence recovery after photobleaching. The
      interactions of CPR with the ER biomimetic were directly observed by tracking
      single CPR molecules using time-lapse single-molecule fluorescence imaging and
      subsequent analysis of tracks. These studies revealed dramatic changes in
      diffusion coefficient and the degree of partitioning of CPR as a function of
      NADPH concentration.

PMID- 28347140
TI  - Strain Engineering for Anion Arrangement in Perovskite Oxynitrides.
AB  - Mixed-anion perovskites such as oxynitrides, oxyfluorides, and oxyhydrides have
      flexibility in their anion arrangements, which potentially enables functional
      material design based on coordination chemistry. However, difficulty in the
      control of the anion arrangement has prevented the realization of this concept.
      In this study, we demonstrate strain engineering of the anion arrangement in
      epitaxial thin films of the Ca1-xSrxTaO2N perovskite oxynitrides. Under
      compressive epitaxial strain, the axial sites in TaO4N2 octahedra tend to be
      occupied by nitrogen rather than oxygen, which was revealed by N and O K-edge
      linearly polarized X-ray absorption near-edge structure (LP-XANES) and scanning
      transmission electron microscopy combined with electron energy loss spectroscopy.
      Furthermore, detailed analysis of the LP-XANES indicated that the high occupancy
      of nitrogen at the axial sites is due to the partial formation of a metastable
      trans-type anion configuration. These results are expected to serve as a guide
      for the material design of mixed-anion compounds based on their anion
      arrangements.

PMID- 28347141
TI  - Reversible Capture and Release of Cl2 and Br2 with a Redox-Active Metal-Organic
      Framework.
AB  - Extreme toxicity, corrosiveness, and volatility pose serious challenges for the
      safe storage and transportation of elemental chlorine and bromine, which play
      critical roles in the chemical industry. Solid materials capable of forming
      stable nonvolatile compounds upon reaction with elemental halogens may partially
      mitigate these challenges by allowing safe halogen release on demand. Here we
      demonstrate that elemental halogens quantitatively oxidize coordinatively
      unsaturated Co(II) ions in a robust azolate metal-organic framework (MOF) to
      produce stable and safe-to-handle Co(III) materials featuring terminal Co(III)
      halogen bonds. Thermal treatment of the oxidized MOF causes homolytic cleavage of
      the Co(III)-halogen bonds, reduction to Co(II), and concomitant release of
      elemental halogens. The reversible chemical storage and thermal release of
      elemental halogens occur with no significant losses of structural integrity, as
      the parent cobaltous MOF retains its crystallinity and porosity even after three
      oxidation/reduction cycles. These results highlight a material operating via
      redox mechanism that may find utility in the storage and capture of other noxious
      and corrosive gases.

PMID- 28347142
TI  - Polyethylenimine-mediated synthetic insertion of gold nanoparticles into
      mesoporous silica nanoparticles for drug loading and biocatalysis.
AB  - Mesoporous silica nanoparticles (MSNPs) have been used as an efficient and safe
      carrier for drug delivery and biocatalysis. The surface modification of MSNPs
      using suitable reagents may provide a robust framework in which two or more
      components can be incorporated to give multifunctional capabilities (e.g.,
      synthesis of noble metal nanoparticles within mesoporous architecture along with
      loading of a bioactive molecule). In this study, the authors reported on a new
      synthetic route for the synthesis of gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) within (1)
      unmodified MSNPs and (2) 3-trihydroxysilylpropyl methylphosphonate-modified
      MSNPs. A cationic polymer, polyethylenimine (PEI), and formaldehyde were used to
      mediate synthetic incorporation of AuNPs within MSNPs. The AuNPs incorporated
      within the mesoporous matrix were characterized by transmission electron
      microscopy, energy dispersive x-ray analysis, and high-resolution scanning
      electron microscopy. PEI in the presence of formaldehyde enabled synthetic
      incorporation of AuNPs in both unmodified and modified MSNPs. The use of
      unmodified MSNPs was associated with an increase in the polycrystalline structure
      of the AuNPs within the MSNPs. The AuNPs within modified MSNPs showed better
      catalytic activity than those within unmodified MSNPs. MSNPs with an average size
      of 200 nm and with a pore size of 4-6 nm were used for synthetic insertion of
      AuNPs. It was found that the PEI coating enabled AuNPs synthesis within the
      mesopores in the presence of formaldehyde or tetrahydrofuran hydroperoxide at a
      temperature between 10 and 25  degrees C or at 60  degrees C in the absence of
      organic reducing agents. The as-made AuNP-inserted MSNPs exhibited enhanced
      catalytic activity. For example, these materials enabled rapid catalytic
      oxidation of the o-dianisidine substrate to produce a colored solution in
      proportion to the amount of H2O2 generated as a function of glucose oxidase
      catalyzed oxidation of glucose; a linear concentration range from 80 to 800 MUM
      and a detection limit as low as 80 MUM were observed. The mesoscale pores of the
      as developed AuNP-inserted MSNPs were also used to entrap the hydrophobic drug
      paclitaxel. The results of this study indicate the potential use of the AuNP
      inserted MSNPs in biocatalysis and drug delivery.

PMID- 28347144
TI  - Compassion Fatigue Among Palliative Care Clinicians: Findings on Personality
      Factors and Years of Service.
AB  - OBJECTIVES: Palliative medicine is a rewarding field, but providers encounter
      patient trauma on a routine basis. Compassion fatigue, marked by burnout,
      secondary traumatic stress, and low satisfaction may result. However,
      professionals differ markedly in how they respond to patient trauma. The
      objective of the current study was to determine whether personality traits of
      neuroticism and agreeableness relate to aspects of compassion fatigue, after
      accounting for time spent working in the field. METHODS: Sixty-six palliative
      medicine physicians, nurses, social workers, and chaplains completed validated
      measures of personality traits, compassion fatigue, and work background. RESULTS:
      Providers who had worked longer reported higher levels of satisfaction and lower
      levels of burnout. Neuroticism demonstrated strong significant associations with
      secondary traumatic stress and burnout ( Ps < .001). Agreeableness was
      significantly and strongly associated with compassion satisfaction ( P < .001).
      These associations held after accounting for years spent working in the field.
      SIGNIFICANCE OF RESULTS: Personality traits of neuroticism and agreeableness may
      convey risk and resilience, respectively, for palliative care professionals. More
      research is needed to determine if assessing personality traits can help identify
      providers at risk for adverse reactions to patient trauma.

PMID- 28347145
TI  - Here and Now Aboriginal Assessment (HANAA): a follow-up survey of users.
AB  - OBJECTIVES: To explore users' views of, and experience with, the Here and Now
      Aboriginal Assessment (HANAA), an instrument developed for screening social and
      emotional wellbeing (SEWB) in Aboriginal adults. Over the last few years the
      HANAA has been widely disseminated across Australia. METHODS: All those on our
      database who had requested the HANAA package were contacted by email and invited
      to participate in the evaluation by completing an online survey. RESULTS: A total
      of 38 responses were received; the response rate was 36%. All 10 HANAA domains
      were highly rated by respondents; the overall mean score was 8.3/10. Each domain
      was assessed using a dichotomous scale of 'problem' or 'no problem' which
      respondents rated as being very useful; the mean score was 8.4/10. The mean score
      for the 'recommendation' section at the end of the HANAA was 7.2/10. CONCLUSIONS:
      Respondents reported a high level of utility and cultural applicability of the
      HANAA's assessment domains, semi-structured narrative style of administration and
      simple rating system. The HANAA is making a useful and practical contribution to
      the assessment of Aboriginal SEWB at a community level. Recommendations for
      future work on the HANAA include consideration of addition of a personality
      domain and development of a child and adolescent version.

PMID- 28347146
TI  - Complex PTSD - a better description for borderline personality disorder?
AB  - OBJECTIVE: To consider the use of the diagnostic category 'complex posttraumatic
      stress disorder' (c-PTSD) as detailed in the forthcoming ICD-11 classification
      system as a less stigmatising, more clinically useful term, instead of the
      current DSM-5 defined condition of 'borderline personality disorder' (BPD).
      CONCLUSIONS: Trauma, in its broadest definition, plays a key role in the
      development of both c-PTSD and BPD. Given this current lack of differentiation
      between these conditions, and the high stigma faced by people with BPD, it seems
      reasonable to consider using the diagnostic term 'complex posttraumatic stress
      disorder' to decrease stigma and provide a trauma-informed approach for BPD
      patients.

PMID- 28347147
TI  - Oxytocin Augmentation in Spontaneously Laboring, Nulliparous Women: Multilevel
      Assessment of Maternal BMI and Oxytocin Dose.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Synthetic oxytocin, the primary tool for labor augmentation, is less
      effective among obese women, leading to more unplanned cesarean deliveries for
      slow labor progress. It is not known if obese women require higher doses of
      oxytocin due to maternal, fetal, or labor factors related to maternal obesity.
      OBJECTIVES: This study had two main objectives: (1) examine the influence of
      maternal body mass index (BMI) on hourly doses of oxytocin from augmentation
      initiation until vaginal delivery in obese women; and (2) examine the influence
      of other maternal, fetal, and labor factors on hourly doses of oxytocin in obese
      women. STUDY DESIGN: Longitudinal study of a cohort ( N = 136) of healthy,
      nulliparous, spontaneously laboring obese women (BMI >= 30 kg/m2) who received
      oxytocin augmentation and achieved vaginal delivery. We performed iterative
      multilevel analyses to examine the influence of maternal BMI and other factors on
      hourly oxytocin doses. RESULTS: Maternal BMI explained 16.56% (95% confidence
      interval [CI] = [13.7, 20.04], p < .001) of the variance in hourly oxytocin doses
      received in a multilevel model controlling for influence of maternal, fetal, and
      labor characteristics. Maternal age, gestational age, status of amniotic
      membranes at hospital admission, and admission cervical dilation examination were
      not significant; however, neonatal birthweight and cervical dilation at oxytocin
      initiation were significant predictors of hourly oxytocin dose in these women ( p
      < .001). CONCLUSIONS: Even when parturition preparation has progressed adequately
      for spontaneous labor initiation, there still may be some obesity-related
      blunting of myometrial contractility and response to oxytocin used for
      augmentation.

PMID- 28347148
TI  - Minimising compassion fatigue in obstetrics/gynaecology doctors: exploring an
      intervention for an occupational hazard.
AB  - AIM: To explore the indicators of occupational stress in a group of obstetrics
      and gynaecology doctors and to investigate the impact of work-focused discussion
      groups over a 6 month period. METHODS: The ProQOL questionnaire was used to
      measure the efficacy of monthly psychiatrist-led Balint style discussion groups
      on minimising Compassion Fatigue (consisting of Secondary Traumatic Stress and
      Burnout). The 25 doctors were given the given the ProQOL questionnaire to
      complete: (a) at the initiation of the intervention in July 2015, (b) in October
      2015, and (c) in December 2015. RESULTS: Significantly decreased levels of
      Secondary Traumatic Stress ( p=0.008), Burnout ( p=0.010), as well as
      significantly increased rates of Compassion Satisfaction ( p=0.035) were
      recorded. Participants requested that the groups be continued. CONCLUSIONS:
      Psychiatrist-led work focused discussion groups were associated with improved
      rates of Secondary Traumatic Stress, Burnout, and Compassion Satisfaction in this
      sample group.

PMID- 28347149
TI  - Psychometric Testing of Two Chinese-Version Scales on Attitudes Toward and
      Caregiving Behaviors for End-of-Life Patients and Families.
AB  - The study purpose was to examine the validities and reliabilities of the Chinese
      versions Frommelt Attitudes Toward Care of the Dying Scale (Attitudes Scale) and
      Caregiving Behaviors Scale for End-of-Life Patients and Families (Behaviors
      Scale). The scales were tested in a convenience sample of 318 nurses with >=6
      months work experience at three hospitals. Cronbach's alphas of the Attitudes and
      Behaviors Scales were .90 and .96, respectively. Each scale had Kaiser-Meyer
      Olkin index >.85 and Bartlett's test of sphericity >4000 ( p < .001). Attitudes
      Scale loaded on three factors: respecting and caring for dying patients and
      families, avoiding care of the dying, and involving patients and families in end
      of-life care. The Behaviors Scale loaded on two factors: supporting dying
      patients and families, and helping families cope with grief. Factor loadings for
      both scales were >=.49. Both Attitudes and Behaviors Scales are reliable and
      valid for evaluating nurses' attitudes and caregiving behaviors for the dying.

PMID- 28347150
TI  - Taxometric Analysis of the Toronto Structured Interview for Alexithymia.
AB  - Alexithymia is a clinically relevant personality construct characterized by
      difficulties identifying and describing feelings, externally oriented thinking,
      and impoverished imaginal processes. Previous taxometric investigations provided
      evidence that alexithymia is best conceptualized as a continuous dimension rather
      than a discrete type, at least when assessed with the self-report 20-Item Toronto
      Alexithymia Scale. The aim of the current study was to test the categorical
      versus dimensional structure of alexithymia using the recently developed Toronto
      Structured Interview for Alexithymia. Three nonredundant taxometric procedures
      (MAXCOV, MAMBAC, and L-Mode) were performed on the Toronto Structured Interview
      for Alexithymia subscale scores from a multinational sample of 842 adults. All
      taxometric procedures produced unambiguously dimensional solutions, providing
      further evidence that the core alexithymia features are continuously distributed
      in the population. Discussion focuses on the theoretical, assessment, and
      clinical implications of these findings for the alexithymia construct.

PMID- 28347151
TI  - Dowry-related domestic violence and complex posttraumatic stress disorder: a case
      report.
AB  - OBJECTIVES: This paper draws attention to the mental health impact of coercive
      practice of dowry demands, associated with domestic violence (DV) in an immigrant
      woman. METHODS: This study was based on a case report and selective literature
      review. RESULTS: This case history illustrates the serious mental health impacts
      of repeated emotional and physical trauma inflicted by a husband who was
      dissatisfied with his wife's dowry. Bio-psycho-social / cultural aspects of
      mental health treatments needed to be augmented with attention to safety,
      advocacy, and access to support networks. CONCLUSIONS: Cultural factors are
      important determinants of mental illness. Psychiatrists need to be aware of DV
      and dowry when treating immigrant women.

PMID- 28347152
TI  - [Dieting pitfalls - psychological factors].
AB  - INTRODUCTION: Eating is one of the fundamental sources of happiness. Slimming
      diets would deprive you of this very enjoyment without granting something else
      instead, for example, proper eating behaviours for life or a permanent solution
      for overweight-related problems. AIM: This paper aims to investigate the psycho
      dynamic relationships that might be the reason for the failure of all diets and
      slimming diets. METHOD: Analysing overweight, obesity and the failure of slimming
      diets with the help of the cognitive behavioral therapeutic approach. RESULTS: By
      applying the principles confirmed and laid down by the cognitive behavioral
      therapy, we can identify specific ethological causes present in dieting and
      gaining weight behaviours that can successfully be used in curative symptom and
      problem oriented psychotherapy. CONCLUSION: In summary it can be stated that it
      is advised to approach the defined objective slowly, in small steps. With the
      help of learning methods and the continual transformation of the environment,
      obese individuals, having shred their own unwanted behavioral attitudes, can not
      only build up new attitudes and transform them into new desirable habits but will
      also have their personalities chiselled. Orv. Hetil., 2017, 158(13), 499-507.

PMID- 28347153
TI  - [Live birth resulting from abdominal pregnancy].
AB  - Advanced abdominal pregnancy is extremely rare. Symptoms are often nonspecific,
      and the diagnosis is frequently missed. Maternal mortality and morbidity are also
      very high especially if the condition is not diagnosed and managed properly. In
      abdominal pregnancy there is a high incidence of fetal malformations. We are
      presenting a case of a 38 year old primigravida with an undiagnosed advanced
      abdominal pregnancy carried beyond 36 weeks of gestation. We delivered a 2090 g
      baby from the abdomen. A relaparotomy was necessary on the third postoperative
      day because of abdominal bleeding. At the time of discharge both mother and baby
      were doing well. The publication also provides a literature overview, including
      definition, epidemiology, diagnosis and therapy. Orv. Hetil., 2017, 158(13), 508
      511.

PMID- 28347155
TI  - [Miscellaneous].

PMID- 28347154
TI  - [Circulating microRNAs in the diagnostics of endocrine neoplasms].
AB  - MicroRNAs (miRNA, miR) are short - 19-25 nucleotide long - single stranded (in
      their mature form), non-coding RNA molecules that regulate gene expression mostly
      at the posttranscriptional level. microRNAs are involved in the regulation of
      various physiological processes such as cell differentiation and proliferation,
      development, haematopoesis, cell death, while their aberrant expression is
      observed in numerous diseases, like autoimmune disorders, inflammations, vascular
      diseases or tumorigenesis. microRNAs are expressed in a tissue specific fashion.
      Beyond their appearance in tissues, they can be found in body fluids as well.
      microRNAs are present in blood, mother milk, semen, saliva, urine, etc. MicroRNAs
      in body fluids, especially the blood-borne circulating microRNAs can be exploited
      as minimally invasive biomarkers of tumor diagnosis. The number of endocrine
      tumor-associated circulating microRNA alterations is relatively low, mostly
      described for papillary thyroid cancer, adrenocortical cancer, ovarian and
      neuroendocrine tumors. As the histological diagnosis including the establishment
      of malignancy of some of these neoplasms is difficult, studies on circulating
      microRNAs might have great perspectives. Orv. Hetil., 2017, 158(13), 483-490.

PMID- 28347156
TI  - [Prof. Dr. Geza Jako - academian (1930-2015)].

PMID- 28347158
TI  - Effective dose in low-dose CT compared with radiography for templating of total
      hip arthroplasty.
AB  - Background Recently, total hip arthroplasty (THA) has come to focus on
      restoration of individual anatomy including femoral neck anteversion and global
      offset (femoral and acetabular offset). Three-dimensional (3D) computed
      tomography (CT) data could provide a better basis for preoperative templating.
      The use of CT has been hampered by high radiation dose. Purpose To evaluate the
      effective dose used in pelvis and hip CT for THA templating. Material and Methods
      CT data from two clinical trials of THA were evaluated for CT scan length and
      volume CT dose index (CTDIvol). The effective doses from hip-knee-ankle CT and
      pelvis and hip radiography were compared. Conversion factors for effective dose
      for radiography were calculated using the PCXMC software. Results A reduced dose
      CT protocol for pelvis imaging gave a substantial dose reduction compared with
      standard CT, while maintaining sufficient image quality. Between the two clinical
      trials there was a significant reduction in effective CT dose corresponding to
      changes in the CT protocol ( P < 0.01). The CT dose for the latter group was
      similar to, but nevertheless significantly higher than for, radiography ( P <
      0.01). However, in the latter group the theoretical minimum dose for CT, using
      the minimum scan length required by the templating software, was equal to the
      dose from radiography. Conclusion Although the CT dose remained higher than for
      radiography, potential reductions in scan length could reduce the dose further so
      that CT would have a comparable level of risk to radiography with the added
      benefit of 3D templating.

PMID- 28347157
TI  - Bacterial adhesion capacity on food service contact surfaces.
AB  - The aim of this study was to analyse the adhesion of E. coli, P. aeruginosa and
      S. aureus on food contact materials, such as polyethylene terephthalate,
      silicone, aluminium, Teflon and glass. Surface roughness, streaming potential and
      contact angle were measured. Bacterial properties by contact angle and specific
      charge density were characterised. The bacterial adhesion analysis using staining
      method and scanning electron microscopy showed the lowest adhesion on smooth
      aluminium and hydrophobic Teflon for most of the bacteria. However, our study
      indicates that hydrophobic bacteria with high specific charge density attach to
      those surfaces more intensively. In food services, safety could be increased by
      selecting material with low adhesion to prevent cross contamination.

PMID- 28347159
TI  - Stenotic lesion level did not affect outcomes of carotid endarterectomy.
AB  - Background Carotid endarterectomy is the established treatment for carotid artery
      stenosis, and remains the primary surgical option due to its superior outcomes
      compared to carotid arterial stenting. However, Japanese patients are known to
      have unfavorable anatomical conditions for carotid endarterectomy, with a
      relatively higher level of the carotid artery bifurcation than in the Western
      population. We investigated the outcomes of carotid endarterectomy in our
      institute and evaluated the procedural quality by comparing patients based on
      higher or lower lesion levels. Methods The clinical data of 65 patients who
      underwent carotid endarterectomy were collected retrospectively. The outcomes
      reviewed included stroke-free survival and stroke-free rate. The patients were
      divided into a higher group ( n = 25) and a lower group ( n = 40), based on
      lesion location in respect of the 2nd cervical vertebral level. Results There was
      no perioperative death and only one case of stroke in the higher group within 30
      days after carotid endarterectomy. At 5 years after carotid endarterectomy, the
      stroke-free survival rates were 83.4% in the higher group and 87.8% in the lower
      group, while the stroke-free rates were 96.0% and 94.0%, respectively; there were
      no significant differences between groups. Conclusions Stenotic lesion level did
      not affect the outcome or procedural quality of carotid endarterectomy.

PMID- 28347160
TI  - Primary prevention of Clostridium difficile infections - how difficult can it be?
AB  - INTRODUCTION: C. difficile infections (CDI) have been a challenging disease to
      treat, much less to prevent, for decades. Efforts for primary prevention have
      mainly focused on improving infection control practices, but CDI outbreaks
      continue to plague healthcare facilities. Areas covered: A literature search from
      1970-December 2016 found 13 facility-level and 2 patient-level strategies that
      were evidence-based. The aim of this manuscript is to assess the current state of
      the literature on primary prevention of CDI and offer insights into which
      strategies may be more effective. Expert commentary: The strongest evidence for
      primary prevention is based on multi-faceted infection control bundles, while
      there is promising moderate evidence involving facility-wide use of specific
      probiotics. Moderate-level evidence was found for patient-level use of specific
      probiotics and low level evidence for vaccines. Future suggestions include use of
      consistent outcome metrics, measurements of implementation compliance and program
      sustainability.

PMID- 28347161
TI  - Unravelling the mechanisms behind the persistent gastrointestinal symptoms in
      celiac disease - how can they lead to better treatment outcomes?

PMID- 28347162
TI  - Biomarkers in hepatocellular carcinoma: an overview.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: Current methods for HCC diagnosis have not an optimal diagnostic
      accuracy. The detection of more than one biomarker seems to improve their
      individual performance and provide an accurate HCC diagnosis approach. Individual
      gene expression seems to influence whether or not the treatment is successful,
      since several molecules have interfere with cancer associated pathways and have
      been related to poor prognosis which condition the lack of effective treatment
      options. Areas covered: Novel biomarkers have been proposed as a useful tool in
      each patient prognosis. This article aims to review the recent evidence based on
      HCC biomarkers which seems to have a regulative role according to tumor cell
      development leading to a specific biological response. Epigenetic regulation,
      miRNAs, and genome sequencing analysis propose molecular expression signatures as
      novel biomarkers which allowed achieve the major goal for the use of biomarkers
      in clinical practice. Moreover, a deeper analysis for determine the diagnostic
      accuracy of biomarkers has been made. Expert commentary: To improve of
      methodological designs and sample sizes are needed in order to support the role
      of biomarkers in HCC. Furthermore, is necessary to consider HCC etiologies and
      all clinic disease context to carried out clinical phase studies to thrust
      biomarkers application.

PMID- 28347163
TI  - Mediating role of maternal serum interleukin-1beta and tumor necrosis factor
      alpha in the association between environmental tobacco smoke exposure in
      pregnancy and low birth weight at term.
AB  - OBJECTIVES: To explore the mediation effects of maternal serum interleukin-1beta
      (IL-1beta) and tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) on the association between
      environmental tobacco smoke (ETS) exposure during pregnancy and low birth weight
      (LBW) at term. METHODS: ETS exposure, birth weight, blood sample and covariates
      were collected from 195 pregnant women delivered term LBW infants and 195
      controls delivered normal birth weight infants in two Maternity and Child
      Hospitals in Guangdong, China. Maternal serum IL-1beta and TNF-alpha were
      measured by flow cytometry. Logistic regression models and path analyses explored
      the mediation effects of maternal IL-1beta and TNF-alpha on the association
      between ETS exposure and LBW. RESULTS: LBW was significantly associated with
      maternal ETS exposure (OR = 2.14 (95% CI =1.06-4.32)). TNF-alpha and IL-1beta
      were significantly associated with both LBW (OR = 1.87 (1.41-2.47) and OR = 1.53
      (1.14-2.05)) and ETS (beta = 0.32 (0.04-0.60) and beta = 0.27 (0.05-0.49)).
      Traditional mediation analyses indicated the separate mediation effect of TNF
      alpha and IL-1beta was 32.2% and 24.6%, respectively. Path analysis revealed the
      combined mediation effects of TNF-alpha and IL-1beta as 29.4% in the pathway from
      ETS exposure to LBW. CONCLUSIONS: Maternal serum IL-1beta and TNF-alpha may play
      a mediating role in the association between maternal ETS exposure during
      pregnancy and term LBW.

PMID- 28347164
TI  - Inflammatory biomarkers for asthma endotyping and consequent personalized
      therapy.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: We argue that asthma be considered a syndrome caused by multiple
      inflammatory pathogenic processes. Bronchial hyperresponsiveness, reversible
      airflow limitation, and chronic airway inflammation characterize asthma
      pathophysiology. Personalized Medicine, i.e. a tailored management approach, is
      appropriate for asthma management and is based on the identification of discrete
      phenotypes and endotypes. Biomarkers can help define phenotypes and endotypes.
      Several biomarkers have been described in asthma, but most of them are not
      commonly available or still need external validation. Areas covered: This review
      presents useful pragmatic biomarkers available in daily clinical practice for
      assessing airway inflammation in asthmatic patients. Expert commentary:
      Eosinophil counts and serum allergen-specific IgE assessments are the most
      reliable biomarkers. Lung function, mainly concerning FEF25-75, and nasal
      cytology may be envisaged as ancillary biomarkers in asthma management. In
      conclusion, biomarkers have a clinical relevance in asthma in identifying asthma
      endotypes to direct personalized therapy.

PMID- 28347165
TI  - Synthetic cathinones in Southern Germany - characteristics of users, substance
      patterns, co-ingestions, and complications.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: To define the characteristics of synthetic cathinone users admitted to
      hospital including clinical and laboratory parameters and the complications of
      use. DESIGN: Retrospective single-center study of patients treated for acute
      cathinone intoxication and complications of cathinone use between January 2010
      and January 2016. SETTING: A specialized clinical toxicology unit at an academic
      tertiary care center in Southern Germany serving a population of about 4 million.
      PATIENTS AND METHODS: 81 consecutive patients with laboratory-confirmed use of
      cathinones who presented for acute intoxication or complications of cathinone use
      were retrospectively analyzed. RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONS: The patients were
      predominantly male (64%, 52/81) with a median age of 34 years. 60 were admitted
      for signs of acute intoxication while 21 suffered from complications of cathinone
      use. 70% of acutely intoxicated patients had an increased creatinine
      phosphokinase. Only a minority of patients presented with a sympathomimetic
      toxidrome. Three patients had infectious complications, 10 prolonged psychosis, 6
      rhabdomyolyses and/or kidney failure, and two patients died. Based on
      presentations, cathinone use has increased with the first cases seen in 2010.
      Opiates/opioids are the main co-ingested drugs of abuse. The pattern of cathinone
      use shifted from methylone in 2010/2011 to 3,4-methylenedioxypyrovalerone (MDPV)
      and 3-methylmethcathinone (3-MMC) in 2014/2015. We conclude that in our setting
      "typical" cathinone users are males in their thirties. They are seldom drug naive
      and regularly co-ingest illicit drugs. Preventive measures have to be tailored to
      these difficult to reach patients. Present efforts to educate young clubbers in
      their late teens may fail to reach the pertinent demographic.

PMID- 28347167
TI  - Caragasinin C: a new oligostilbene from the roots of Caragana sinica.
AB  - A new oligostilbene, caragasinin C (1), and seven known compounds, betulinic acid
      (2), 4-hydroxybenzaldehyde (3), (-)-medicarpin (4), wistin (5), (2E,4S)-4-hydroxy
      2-nonenoic acid (6), pallidol (7), and (+)-alpha-viniferin (8), were isolated
      from the roots of Caragana sinica. The structure of caragasinin C was established
      on the basis of spectroscopic techniques, including HRESIMS, 1D and 2D-NMR.

PMID- 28347168
TI  - Live demonstrations. Addendum to the WFITN ethics charter of 2016.

PMID- 28347166
TI  - Oleuropein improves glucose tolerance and lipid profile in rats with simultaneous
      renovascular hypertension and type 2 diabetes.
AB  - Oleuropein mediates most of the beneficial effects of olive products. This study
      examined the role of oxidative stress in the effects of oleuropein on lipid
      profile and blood glucose in rats with simultaneous renovascular hypertension and
      type 2 diabetes. Eight groups (n = 7-9 each) of male Sprague-Dawley rats
      including a control, a type 2 diabetic, a renovascular hypertensive, a sham, a
      simultaneously hypertensive diabetic receiving vehicle, and 3 simultaneously
      hypertensive-diabetic receiving 20, 40, or 60 mg/kg/day oleuropein were used.
      Four weeks after treatment, blood glucose, lipid profile, and biomarkers of
      oxidative stress were measured, and glucose tolerance test (GTT) was performed.
      Simultaneously hypertensive diabetic rats had significantly higher blood
      pressure, blood glucose, and serum total cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein
      cholesterol (LDL-C), triglyceride and malondialdehyde. They also had lower serum
      high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, erythrocyte superoxide dismutase, and
      impaired glucose tolerance. Oleuropein significantly reduced blood pressure,
      blood glucose, and serum total cholesterol, LDL-C, triglyceride and
      malondoaldehyde. It also increased serum high-density lipoprotein cholesterol,
      erythrocyte superoxide dismutase, and improved glucose tolerance. The findings
      show that the model is associated with impaired glucose tolerance, and adverse
      lipid profile. They also show that oleuropein, partly by an antioxidant
      mechanism, improves glucose tolerance and changed lipid profile favorably.

PMID- 28347169
TI  - Three new areca alkaloids from the nuts of Areca catechu.
AB  - Three new areca alkaloids arecatemines A-C (1-3), together with five known ones
      (4-8), were isolated from the nuts of Areca catechu. The structures of new
      compounds including absolute configurations were elucidated using comprehensive
      spectroscopic and electronic circular dichroism (ECD). The known compounds were
      identified by comparing with data in the literature.

PMID- 28347170
TI  - Stress distribution in cylindrical and conical implants under rotational
      micromovement with different boundary conditions and bone properties: 3-D FEA.
AB  - Factors related to micromovements at bone-implant interface have been studied
      because they are considered adverse to osseointegration. Simplifications are
      commonly observed in these FEA evaluations. The aim of this study was to clarify
      the influence of FEA parameters (boundary conditions and bone properties) on the
      stress distribution in peri-implant bone tissue when micromovements are simulated
      in implants with different geometries. Three-dimensional models of an anterior
      section of the jaw with cylindrical or conical titanium implants (4.1 mm in width
      and 11 mm in length) were created. Micromovement (50, 150, or 250 MUm) was
      applied to the implant. The FEA parameters studied were linear vs. non-linear
      analyses, isotropic vs. orthogonal anisotropic bone, friction coefficient (0.3)
      vs. frictionless bone-implant contact. Data from von Mises, shear, maximum, and
      minimum principal stresses in the peri-implant bone tissue were compared. Linear
      analyses presented a relevant increase of the stress values, regardless of the
      bone properties. Frictionless contact reduced the stress values in non-linear
      analysis. Isotropic bone presented lower stress than orthogonal anisotropic.
      Conical implants behave better, in regard to compressive stresses (minimum
      principal), than cylindrical ones, except for nonlinear analyses when
      micromovement of 150 and 250 MUm were simulated. The stress values raised as the
      micromovement amplitude increased. Non-linear analysis, presence of frictional
      contact and orthogonal anisotropic bone, evaluated through maximum and minimum
      principal stress should be used as FEA parameters for implant-micromovement
      studies.

PMID- 28347171
TI  - A simple, reliable method to determine the mean gait speed using heel markers on
      a treadmill.
AB  - Gait speed is an essential parameter of gait analysis. Our study proposed a
      simple and accurate method to extract a mean gait speed during walking on a
      treadmill using only kinematic data from markers placed on the heels of the
      participants' feet. This method provided an attractive, simple method that
      remains resistant to errors in treadmill calibration. In addition, this method
      required only two markers, since heel markers are essential to gait analysis, and
      the proposed method is robust enough to differentiate among various gait speeds
      (mean error <1%).

PMID- 28347172
TI  - Ultrastructural changes in Raillietina (Platyhelminthes: cestoda), exposed to
      sulfonoquinovosyldiacylglyceride (SQDG), isolated from Neem (Azadirachta indica).
AB  - Neem (Azadirachta indica), has been known to be a curative for various ailments
      and diseases in the traditional Indian medicinal system from times immemorial. A
      glycolipid sulfonoquinovosyldiacylglyceride (SQDG) isolated from the leaves of
      neem has been found to be a proactive antibacterial and antiviral agent in
      previous studies. The current communication pertains to the anthelmintic activity
      of SQDG in vitro against a model cestode Raillietina spp. The results of efficacy
      tests showed a paralysis time of 1.0 +/- 0.1 and 0.7 +/- 0.01 h, whereas death
      time of 1.6 +/- 0.3 and 0.9 +/- 0.02 h, following treatments with dosages of 0.5
      and 1.0 mg/mL, respectively. The scanning electron microscopic studies showed
      significant and unique changes in the ultrastructure of the worms with prominent
      breakages and furrows on the surface.

PMID- 28347173
TI  - Self-Reported Outcomes for Patients Undergoing Revision Carpal Tunnel Surgery
      With or Without Hypothenar Fat Pad Transposition.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Carpal tunnel surgery is the most common surgical procedure performed
      on the hand. Although complications are rare, recurrent or persistent carpal
      tunnel syndrome can be a significant problem after primary decompression. Various
      procedures have been described for the treatment of these patients including
      repeat decompression and hypothenar fat pad transposition. The purpose of this
      study is to compare the outcomes of patients undergoing revision carpal tunnel
      decompression with and without hypothenar fat pad transposition. METHODS: We
      performed a retrospective review of all patients undergoing revision carpal
      tunnel surgery at our institution between 2002 and 2014. Identified patients were
      contacted by telephone. A Boston Carpal Tunnel Questionnaire (BCTQ) was
      administered to all participants. RESULTS: Seventy-six patients underwent
      revision carpal tunnel surgery over the study period. Twenty-nine of 45 potential
      participants provided a survey response (64.9%) representing a total of 33 carpal
      tunnel revision surgeries. Seventeen hands underwent repeat decompression alone,
      and 16 hands underwent repeat decompression with hypothenar fat pad
      transposition. A trend toward improved overall BCTQ score was noted for patients
      undergoing decompression alone; however, no significant difference was determined
      for total survey score by procedure type. Similarly, total symptom severity and
      functional scores were not statistically significant between groups; however, a
      trend toward significance for improved symptom severity score was observed in
      patients undergoing decompression alone. CONCLUSIONS: Our results reveal no
      difference in self-reported symptom severity and functional scores between
      patients undergoing revision carpal tunnel surgery with repeat decompression
      alone or decompression with fat pad transposition.

PMID- 28347174
TI  - Autophagy as a target for development of anti-diabetes drugs derived from natural
      compounds.
AB  - Patients with diabetes have a high level of blood glucose because their body
      cannot produce enough insulin or properly respond to this hormone. In both
      situations, it has become evident that persistent high concentrations of glucose,
      insulin, insulin-like growth factor, and insulin resistance lead to dysfunction
      and destruction of autophagic activity in the cells of islet and other organs
      involved in complications of diabetes, including the liver, cardiovascular, and
      nervous systems. Accumulating evidences have revealed that autophagy is a novel
      therapeutic target with a wide range of beneficial effects on diabetes and that
      plenty of drugs and natural products are involved in autophagy modulation, either
      inducing or inhibiting autophagy, through multiple signaling pathways. In this
      review, we summarize the roles of several clinical drugs and compounds derived
      from natural products in diabetes and its complications through regulation of
      autophagy, expecting to inspire further investigation of the underlying
      mechanisms of these compounds and to facilitate their better clinical
      application.

PMID- 28347175
TI  - Bioactive capacity of some Romanian wild edible mushrooms consumed mainly by
      local communities.
AB  - Wild edible mushrooms are considered as a cheap food source, but rich in
      bioactive compounds, especially in phenolic compounds. The purpose of the study
      was to determine the antioxidant and antimicrobial activity and the content of
      polyphenolcarboxylic acids in 10 species of mushrooms commonly used (consumed) in
      Romania and two controls. The effect against free radicals, lipid peroxidation
      and reducing power were determined. The antimicrobial effect was revealed on some
      strains with pathogenic effect by disk diffusion assay. The antioxidant capacity
      expressed in vitro was correlated both with the presence of the main
      polyphenolcarboxylic acids, and also with the presence of other bioactive
      molecules (flavonoids, carotenoid compounds, etc.).

PMID- 28347177
TI  - New mechanistic insights into the motile-to-sessile switch in various bacteria
      with particular emphasis on Bacillus subtilis and Pseudomonas aeruginosa: a
      review.
AB  - A biofilm is a complex assemblage of microbial communities adhered to a biotic or
      an abiotic surface which is embedded within a self-produced matrix of
      extracellular polymeric substances. Many transcriptional regulators play a role
      in triggering a motile-sessile switch and in consequently producing the biofilm
      matrix. This review is aimed at highlighting the role of two nucleotide signaling
      molecules (c-di-GMP and c-di-AMP), toxin antitoxin modules and a novel
      transcriptional regulator BolA in biofilm formation in various bacteria. In
      addition, it highlights the common themes that have appeared in recent research
      regarding the key regulatory components and signal transduction pathways that
      help Bacillus subtilis and Pseudomonas aeruginosa to acquire the biofilm mode of
      life.

PMID- 28347178
TI  - Current Evidence Regarding Routine Antibiotic Prophylaxis in Hand Surgery.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Although routine antibiotic prophylaxis immediately preceding an
      orthopedic surgery has become the standard of care in most cases, this practice
      is poorly defined in hand surgery. The purpose of this analysis is to review the
      most current literature of antibiotic use in hand surgery. METHODS: A careful
      review of the literature regarding routine antibiotic prophylaxis in hand surgery
      was made. Current relevant resources were used in the construction of this
      review. RESULTS: There is a mixed consensus on the role for prophylactic
      antibiotics in hand surgery with some resources and data showing support and
      others opposed. CONCLUSIONS: Based on the current literature, the authors
      recommend the following patient characteristics not receive antibiotics: clean
      hygienic patients, without autoimmune disease, and those not taking steroid
      medication. Surgical characteristics that would render prophylaxis unnecessary
      include those without hardware, those without reasonable risk of hematoma
      formation, or those performed at an ambulatory surgery center as opposed to a
      large hospital. However, the decision should be made on a case-by-case basis
      weighing the evidence presented.

PMID- 28347179
TI  - A Sphingosine-type cerebroside in Clavicorona pyxidata induce fruit body
      formation.
AB  - Clavicorona pyxidata is a wild edible and medicinal mushroom that is rich in
      bioactive natural products and has thus been extensively used as traditional
      medicine in China. The present study has determined that the organic crude
      extract prepared from a fermented culture of C. pyxidata imparted auto-inhibitory
      effects on mycelial growth and then induced the formation of fruiting bodies. By
      monitoring bioactivity, one compound was isolated via successive chromatography
      over silica gel, Sephadex LH-20, and Cl8-reversed phase silica gel and was
      identified as a known sphingosine-type cerebroside by nuclear magnetic resonance
      (NMR) and physicochemical data, namely, (4E, 8E)-N-D-2'-hydroxypalmitoyl-1-O-beta
      D-glucopyranosyl-9-methyl-4,8-sphingadienine. The application of this cerebroside
      at a concentration of 200 MUg/disc paper resulted in the inhibition of aerial
      hyphal growth of C. pyxidata. The findings of the present study indicated that
      this C. pyxidata cerebroside is a fruiting body-inducing substance (FIS).

PMID- 28347180
TI  - Seeking new anti-cancer agents from autophagy-regulating natural products.
AB  - Natural products are an important original source of many widely used drugs,
      including anti-cancer drugs. Early research efforts for seeking anti-cancer
      therapy from the natural products are mainly focused on the compounds with
      cytotoxicity capability. The good examples include vinblastine, vincristine, the
      camptothecin derivatives; topotecan, irinotecan, epipodophyllotoxin derivatives
      and paclitaxel. In a recent decade, the fundamental progression has been made in
      the understanding of molecular and cellular mechanisms regarding tumor
      initiation, metastasis, therapeutic resistance, immune escape, and relapse, which
      provide a great opportunity for the development of new mechanism-based anticancer
      drugs, especially drugs against new molecular and cellular targets. Autophagy, a
      critical cell homeostasis mechanism and promising drug target involved in a
      verity of human diseases including cancer, can be modulated by many compounds
      derived from natural products. In this review, we'll give a short introduction of
      autophagy and discuss the roles of autophagy in the tumorigenesis and
      progression. And then, we summarize the accumulated evidences to show the anti
      tumor effects of several compounds derived from natural products through
      modulation of autophagy activity.

PMID- 28347181
TI  - Verification of key odorants in rose oil by gas chromatography-olfactometry/aroma
      extract dilution analysis, odour activity value and aroma recombination.
AB  - Rose oil is much too expensive but very popular. It's well known that the flower
      oil's aroma profile hasn't been intensively investigated. In order to verify the
      aroma profile of rose oil, the synthetic blend of odorants was prepared and then
      compared with the original rose oil using electronic nose analysis (ENA) combined
      with quantitative descriptive analysis (QDA). The odorants from rose oils were
      screened out by Gas Chromatography-Olfactometry/aroma extract dilution analysis
      (GC-O/AEDA) combined with odour activity value (OAV). Both ENA and QDA indicated
      the recombination model derived from OAV and GC-O/AEDA closely resembled the
      original rose oil. The experiment results show that rose oxide, linalool, alpha
      pinene, beta-pinene, nonanal, heptanal citronellal, phenyl ethyl alcohol, benzyl
      alcohol, eugenol, methyl eugenol, beta-citronellol, hexyl acetate, beta-ionone,
      nerol, etc. are very important constituent to rose oil aroma profile.

PMID- 28347182
TI  - The experience of voice hearing and the role of self-help group: An
      interpretative phenomenological analysis.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Auditory verbal hallucinations (AVHs) played an important role in the
      psychiatric diagnostics, but in the last few decades the diagnostic-free complex
      phenomenological understanding of the phenomena of voice hearing became the focus
      of studies. MATERIALS: Six semi-structured interviews with recovering voice
      hearers were conducted and analysed using interpretative phenomenological
      analysis (IPA). DISCUSSION: The self-help group gives significant help in
      identification and dealing with the voices; therefore, it serves as turning point
      in the life story of voice hearers. CONCLUSION: Applying self-help group in
      clinical context contributes to better outcomes in treatment of voice hearers.

PMID- 28347183
TI  - The role of perceived social support after psychiatric hospitalisation: Post hoc
      analysis of a randomised controlled trial testing the effectiveness of a
      transitional intervention.
AB  - BACKGROUND: The association between social support, readmissions and
      psychopathology following discharge from psychiatric hospitals is not clear.
      AIMS: To examine the prospective effects of perceived social support on
      rehospitalisation rates and psychopathology and to focus on the moderators of a
      transitional intervention. METHOD: This post hoc analysis of a multisite
      randomised controlled trial included 151 patients with no more than three
      hospitalisations within the last 3 years, a Global Assessment of Functioning
      (GAF) score <=60 and aged 18-64 years, assessed at two psychiatric hospitals from
      Zurich, Switzerland, between September 2011 and February 2014. Participants
      received either a transitional intervention aimed at improving social support
      during the transition from inpatient to outpatient care provided by a social
      worker or treatment as usual. RESULTS: Lack of perceived social support at
      discharge significantly predicted subsequent rehospitalisation rates and
      increased psychopathological impairment across 12-month follow-up. Significant
      interaction effects between patient characteristics and the intervention on
      perceived social support comprised living at parent's home, having no children
      and being of younger age. CONCLUSION: Perceived social support at discharge from
      inpatient care may reduce rehospitalisation rates and psychopathological
      impairment in the long term. A transitional intervention aimed at improving
      social support may negatively impact on the perceived social support in some
      patient groups.

PMID- 28347184
TI  - Effects of testosterone replacement therapy on hypogonadal men with osteopenia or
      osteoporosis: a subanalysis of a prospective randomized controlled study in Japan
      (EARTH study).
AB  - OBJECTIVE: We investigated the effects of testosterone replacement therapy (TRT)
      on bone mineral density (BMD) among hypogonadal men with osteopenia/osteoporosis.
      METHODS: From our previous EARTH study population, 74 patients with a clinical
      diagnosis of osteopenia or osteoporosis and hypogonadism were included in this
      study, as the TRT (n = 35) and control (n = 34) groups. The TRT group was
      administered 250 mg of testosterone enanthate injection every 4 weeks for 12
      months. The BMD, waist circumference, body mass index, body fat percentage, and
      muscle volume were measured at baseline and at 12 months. Blood biochemical data,
      including total cholesterol, triglycerides, HDL-cholesterol, hemoglobin A1c, and
      adiponectin values were also evaluated. RESULTS: At the 12-month visit, BMD
      significantly increased in both groups. However, comparisons on changes of
      parameter values from baseline to the 12-month visit between the TRT and control
      groups were significantly different in BMD (5.0 +/- 5.0 vs. 3.0 +/- 3.2; p =
      .0434) and in adiponectin value (-0.90 +/- 3.33 vs. 0.10 +/- 2.04; p = .0192).
      There were no significant changes in other parameters. CONCLUSIONS: TRT for 12
      months could improve BMD with a decrease in adiponectin levels among hypogonadal
      men with osteopenia/osteoporosis.

PMID- 28347186
TI  - Aryl Hydrocarbon Receptor Deficiency Alters Circadian and Metabolic Rhythmicity.
AB  - PAS domain-containing proteins can act as environmental sensors that capture
      external stimuli to allow coordination of organismal physiology with the outside
      world. These proteins permit diverse ligand binding and heterodimeric
      partnership, allowing for varied combinations of PAS-dependent protein-protein
      interactions and promoting crosstalk among signaling pathways. Previous studies
      report crosstalk between circadian clock proteins and the aryl hydrocarbon
      receptor (AhR). Activated AhR forms a heterodimer with the circadian clock
      protein Bmal1 and thereby functionally inhibits CLOCK/Bmal1 activity. If
      physiological activation of AhR through naturally occurring, endogenous ligands
      inhibits clock function, it seems plausible to hypothesize that decreased AhR
      expression releases AhR-induced inhibition of circadian rhythms. Because both AhR
      and the clock are important regulators of glucose metabolism, it follows that
      decreased AhR will also alter metabolic function. To test this hypothesis,
      rhythms of behavior, metabolic outputs, and circadian and metabolic gene
      expression were measured in AhR-deficient mice. Genetic depletion of AhR enhanced
      behavioral responses to changes in the light-dark cycle, increased rhythmic
      amplitude of circadian clock genes in the liver, and altered rhythms of glucose
      and insulin. This study provides evidence of AhR-induced inhibition that
      influences circadian rhythm amplitude.

PMID- 28347185
TI  - Chemical composition and biological activities of Helicteres vegae and Heliopsis
      sinaloensis.
AB  - CONTEXT: Helicteres vegae Cristobal (Sterculiaceae) (Hv) and Heliopsis
      sinaloensis B.L. Turner (Asteraceae) (Hs) are endangered and poorly studied plant
      species; related plants have been used against chronic-degenerative and
      infectious diseases. Therefore, Hv and Hs could be sources of bioactive compounds
      against these illnesses. OBJECTIVE: To determine the chemical composition and
      biological activities (antioxidant, antimutagenic and antimicrobial) of Hv and Hs
      leaves (L) and stems (S). MATERIALS AND METHODS: Methanol extracts (ME) of each
      plant/tissue were evaluated for their phytochemicals; phenolics (HPLC-DAD-ESI
      MS); antioxidant activity (AA) (0.125-4 mg/mL) (DPPH, ABTS, ORAC and beta
      carotene discoloration); antimutagenicity (0.5 and 1 mg/plate) (Ames assay,
      tester strain Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium YG1024, 1-nitropyrene as
      mutagen); activity against human pathogens (1 mg/mL); and toxicity (0.01-2 mg/mL)
      (Artemia salina assay). RESULTS: All ME showed flavonoids and
      triterpenes/steroids. The ME-SHv had the highest content of total phenolics (TP)
      (2245.82 +/- 21.45 mg GAE/100 g d.w.) and condensed tannins (603.71 +/- 1.115 mg
      CE/100 g d.w.). The compounds identified were flavonoids (kaempferol 7-O
      coumaroylhexoside, and two kaempferol 7-O-rhamnosylhexosides) and phenolics
      [rosmarinic acid, and 3'-O-(8"-Z-caffeoyl) rosmarinic acid]. The ME-LHs showed
      the highest content of flavonoids (357.88 mg RE/g d.w.) and phenolic acids
      (238.58 mg CAE/g d.w.) by HPLC. The ME-SHv showed the highest AA. All ME were
      strong antimutagens (63.3-85.7%). Only the Hs extracts were toxic (ME-LHs, LC50 =
      94.9 +/- 1.7 MUg/mL; ME-SHs, LC50 = 89.03 +/- 4.42 MUg/mL). DISCUSSION AND
      CONCLUSIONS: Both Hv and Hs are potential sources of preventive and therapeutic
      agents against chronic-degenerative diseases.

PMID- 28347187
TI  - Second-trimester amniotic fluid corticotropin-releasing hormone and urocortin in
      relation to maternal stress and fetal growth in human pregnancy.
AB  - This study explored the association between the acute psychobiological stress
      response, chronic social overload and amniotic fluid corticotropin-releasing
      hormone (CRH) and urocortin (UCN) in 34 healthy, second-trimester pregnant women
      undergoing amniocentesis. The study further examined the predictive value of
      second-trimester amniotic fluid CRH and UCN for fetal growth and neonatal birth
      outcome. The amniocentesis served as a naturalistic stressor, during which
      maternal state anxiety and salivary cortisol was measured repeatedly and an
      aliquot of amniotic fluid was collected. The pregnant women additionally
      completed a questionnaire on chronic social overload. Fetal growth parameters
      were obtained at amniocentesis using fetal ultrasound biometry and at birth from
      medical records. The statistical analyzes revealed that the acute maternal
      psychobiological stress response was unassociated with the amniotic fluid
      peptides, but that maternal chronic overload and amniotic CRH were positively
      correlated. Moreover, amniotic CRH was negatively associated with fetal size at
      amniocentesis and positively with growth in size from amniocentesis to birth.
      Hardly any studies have previously explored whether acute maternal psychological
      stress influences fetoplacental CRH or UCN levels significantly. Our findings
      suggest that (i) chronic, but not acute maternal stress may affect fetoplacental
      CRH secretion and that (ii) CRH is complexly involved in fetal growth processes
      as previously shown in animals.

PMID- 28347189
TI  - Arylamine N-acetyltransferase 2 gene polymorphism in an Algerian population.
AB  - BACKGROUND: The arylamine N-acetyltransferase 2 (NAT2) is a key enzyme in the
      biotransformation of xenobiotics. NAT2 gene polymorphisms have been associated
      with the risk of isoniazid hepatotoxicity and these polymorphisms change among
      different populations. AIM: The objective of this study is to investigate NAT2
      polymorphisms in order to predict the prevalence of NAT2 phenotype in an Algerian
      population. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: Genotyping of NAT2 was done using a PCR-RFLP
      method. Haplotype was analysed using the software package PHASE, version 2.0.
      RESULTS: The major haplotypes were NAT2*5B (23.72%), NAT2*6 A (18.61%), NAT2*4
      (14.60%) and NAT2*5 F (10%). The average of the expected slow acetylator
      phenotype was 53%. CONCLUSION: Our results suggest that the high frequency of
      slow acetylator phenotype requires investigation into its possible association
      with ATDH.

PMID- 28347188
TI  - Circadian Misalignment Increases C-Reactive Protein and Blood Pressure in Chronic
      Shift Workers.
AB  - Shift work is a risk factor for inflammation, hypertension, and cardiovascular
      disease. This increased risk cannot be fully explained by classical risk factors.
      Shift workers' behavioral and environmental cycles are typically misaligned
      relative to their endogenous circadian system. However, there is little
      information on the impact of acute circadian misalignment on cardiovascular
      disease risk in shift workers, independent of differences in work stress, food
      quality, and other factors that are likely to differ between night and day
      shifts. Thus, our objectives were to determine the independent effect of
      circadian misalignment on 24-h high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP; a
      marker of systemic inflammation) and blood pressure levels-cardiovascular disease
      risk factors-in chronic shift workers. Chronic shift workers undertook two 3-day
      laboratory protocols that simulated night work, comprising 12-hour inverted
      behavioral and environmental cycles (circadian misalignment) or simulated day
      work (circadian alignment), using a randomized, crossover design. Circadian
      misalignment increased 24-h hs-CRP by 11% ( p < 0.0001). Circadian misalignment
      increased 24-h systolic blood pressure (SBP) and diastolic blood pressure (DBP)
      by 1.4 mmHg and 0.8 mmHg, respectively (both p <= 0.038). The misalignment
      mediated increase in 24-h SBP was primarily explained by an increase in SBP
      during the wake period (+1.7 mmHg; p = 0.017), whereas the misalignment-mediated
      increase in 24-h DBP was primarily explained by an increase in DBP during the
      sleep opportunity (+1.8 mmHg; p = 0.005). Circadian misalignment per se increases
      hs-CRP and blood pressure in shift workers. This may help explain the increased
      inflammation, hypertension, and cardiovascular disease risk in shift workers.

PMID- 28347190
TI  - Anti-inflammatory activity of standardized dichloromethane extract of Salvia
      connivens on macrophages stimulated by LPS.
AB  - CONTEXT: A previous study demonstrated that the chloroform extract of Salvia
      connivens Epling (Lamiaceae) has anti-inflammatory activity. OBJECTIVE:
      Identification of the active components in the dicholorometane extract (DESC),
      and, standardization of the extract based in ursolic acid. MATERIAL AND METHODS:
      DESC was prepared by percolation with dichlromethane and after washed with hot
      hexane, its composition was determined by CG-MS and NMR, and standardized by
      HPLC. The anti-inflammatory activity was tested on acute TPA-induced mouse ear
      oedema at doses of 2.0 mg/ear. The cell viability of macrophages was evaluated by
      MTT method, and pro- and anti-inflammatory interleukin levels were measured using
      an ELISA kit. RESULTS: Ursolic acid, oleanolic acid, dihydroursolic acid and
      eupatorin were identified in DESC, which was standardized based on the ursolic
      acid concentration (126 mg/g). The anti-inflammatory activities of DESC, the acid
      mixture, and eupatorin (2 mg/ear) were 60.55, 57.20 and 56.40% inhibition,
      respectively, on TPA-induced ear oedema. The IC50 of DESC on macrophages was
      149.4 MUg/mL. DESC (25 MUg/mL) significantly reduced TNF-alpha (2.0-fold), IL
      1beta (2.2-fold) and IL-6 (2.0-fold) in macrophages stimulated with LPS and
      increased the production of IL-10 (1.9-fold). DISCUSSION: Inflammation is a basic
      response to injuries, and macrophages are involved in triggering inflammation.
      Macrophage cells exhibit a response to LPS, inducing inflammatory mediators, and
      DESC inhibits the biosynthesis of the pro-inflammatory and promote anti
      inflammatory cytokines. CONCLUSION: DESC has an anti-inflammatory effect; reduced
      the levels of IL-1beta, Il-6 and TNF-alpha; and increases IL-10 in macrophages
      stimulated with LPS. Ursolic acid is a good phytochemical marker.

PMID- 28347191
TI  - Transferring two grades I cleavage-stage embryo might not be a good protocol.
AB  - PURPOSE: The aim of this study was to explore whether transferring two grades I
      cleavage-stage embryo was suitable for the patients in the first fresh transfer.
      METHODS: This study included 202 single grades I cleavage-stage, 229 single
      grades III cleavage-stage, 743 single excellent blastocyst, 522 double grades I
      cleavage-stage, and 596 double grades III cleavage-stage embryo transfers. Main
      clinical outcomes: clinical pregnancy and twin-pregnancy rate. RESULTS: Among
      single excellent blastocyst, single grades I and single grades III group, the
      clinical pregnancy rate was significantly higher in single excellent blastocyst
      group than single grades I and grades III group (67.16% versus 42.08% versus
      23.97%; p < 0.001). When transferred double grades I cleavage-stage embryos, the
      clinical pregnancy rate reached 68.20% which was no significant difference
      compared with the single excellent blastocyst group (67.16%). However, the twin
      pregnancy rate was significantly higher in double grades I group than double
      grades III and single excellent blastocyst group (43.26% versus 26.70% versus
      0.60%; p < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: Because of higher twin-pregnancy incidence rate,
      transferring two grades I cleavage-stage embryo might not be a good protocol.
      Extended culture to blastocyst-stage could be considered for the patient with
      only two grades I cleavage-stage embryos.

PMID- 28347192
TI  - A review of recent developments on micro/nanostructured pharmaceutical systems
      for intravesical therapy of the bladder cancer.
AB  - Bladder cancer (BC) is the most common tumor type of genitourinary tract, which
      affects more men than women. The conventional treatment is through chemotherapy
      or immunotherapy, but the radiotherapy and surgery may be necessary in cases of
      invasive cancer. The search for less invasive, safe and effective therapies has
      attracted researchers to the development of new drug delivery systems to carry
      drugs to be administered by catheter into the bladder. The research on
      intravesical systems for the BC treatment continues at a rapid pace and a variety
      of micro or nanostructured systems have been used. Micro/nanoparticles,
      liposomes, micelles, carbon nanotubes, hydrogels and nanogels can contribute to
      reduce the number of intravesical administrations due to the extended drug
      release as well as to reduce the adverse effects and to increase the patient
      adherence to the treatment. Thus, this article reviews relevant studies regarding
      these systems, which have shown promising perspectives for the treatment of BC.
      It is hoped that in a near future they can prove to be safe and efficient to
      benefit patients with BC.

PMID- 28347193
TI  - Placebo prescription and empathy of the physician: A cross-sectional study.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Empathy in the patient-physician relationship is a major component in
      an effective placebo treatment, as in every medical treatment. Understanding the
      role of empathy of the physician in the placebo effect may help dissect some of
      the context variables responsible for the effectiveness of the placebo.
      OBJECTIVES: To determine the frequency of placebo prescription, doctors' beliefs,
      motivation, and attitudes to placebos in general practice in northern Portugal
      and to test the association between placebo prescription and physician empathy.
      METHODS: A cross-sectional study was conducted between November 2014 and January
      2015 among general practice specialists and interns from 14 health centres in a
      northern Portuguese health region. The self-report questionnaire included the
      Portuguese version of the Jefferson scale of physician empathy (JSPE) and a
      questionnaire about placebo prescription. Associations between demographic
      variables, JSPE score, prescription of placebo, and the attitudes to placebo
      score were tested with the chi-squared statistic, student t-tests for independent
      samples, and Pearson correlation. RESULTS: The study included 93 general
      practitioners (GP) (response rate: 74%). Placebos were prescribed by 73% (n = 68)
      of the respondents. GPs who prescribe placebo are significantly younger (mean age
      = 38.4 years; SD = 11.1; t (90) = 2.98, P <.05, d = 0.67) than non-prescribers
      (mean age =46.5 years; SD =13.3). Favourable attitudes towards placebo
      prescription are associated with higher empathy scores (R = 0.310, P <.01).
      CONCLUSION: Placebo prescription is frequent and associated with empathy from the
      prescriber, especially among younger GPs.

PMID- 28347195
TI  - Endometriosis doubles the risk of sexual dysfunction: a cross-sectional study in
      a large amount of patients.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: Endometriosis affects several aspects of a woman's life, including
      sexual function, but which specific aspects of sexual function remains unclear.
      METHODS: A cross-sectional study was performed involving 1001 women divided into
      two groups, according to the presence or absence of endometriosis. We assessed
      sexual function, anxiety and depression of patients and correlated these findings
      with symptoms, locations and types of endometriosis and the affected domains of
      sexual function. Eighteen completed the forms incorrectly, 294 women (29.9%) were
      excluded due to severe anxiety and depression. One hundred and six patients had
      symptoms that could have any relation to endometriosis, so they were also
      excluded. The final cohort was composed of 254 patients with endometriosis and
      329 patients without the disease. Sexual function score was assessed using the
      female sexual quotient (FSQ); Beck inventories were used to assess anxiety and
      depression. RESULTS: Patients with endometriosis were affected in all phases of
      sexual response: desire, sexual arousal, genital-pelvic pain/ penetration and
      orgasm/ sexual satisfaction. In the overall assessment, 43.3% of patients with
      endometriosis had sexual dysfunction, while the population without endometriosis
      sexual dysfunction occurred in 17.6% of women. CONCLUSIONS: Patients with
      endometriosis have more than twice sexual dysfunctions as compared to women
      without the disease.

PMID- 28347194
TI  - The Q192R polymorphism of the paraoxonase-1 (PON1) gene is associated with
      susceptibility to gestational diabetes mellitus in the Greek population.
AB  - A key factor protecting from oxidative stress in gestational diabetes mellitus
      (GDM) and in type 2 diabetes (T2D) is paraoxonase-1 (PON1). Inconclusive and
      limited data exist regarding the effect of a coding polymorphism (Q192R) of the
      PON1 gene in conferring susceptibility to both states. In the present study, we
      investigated the association between the PON1 gene and the risk for GDM in the
      Greek population and assessed for the first time its transcriptional efficiency.
      We studied 185 women with GDM and 104 non-diabetic controls for the PON1
      polymorphism. For PON1 mRNA expression, peripheral leucocytes were harvested from
      20 GDM and 20 control women, harboring different genotypes for the polymorphism,
      using real-time quantitative PCR. The RR genotype and the R allele of the PON1
      Q192R polymorphism were significantly associated with an increased risk for GDM
      (p = 0.012 and p < 0.0001, respectively). Furthermore, there was no statistical
      correlation between the individual metabolic parameters tested and the three
      genotypes. Finally, the expression levels of PON1 mRNA in GDM patients did not
      exhibit any statistical difference compared with normal controls (p = 0.138).
      These data independently document that the Q192R polymorphism is closely
      associated with GDM susceptibility, while the PON1 gene expression is not
      impaired in GDM.

PMID- 28347196
TI  - Distribution of Subchondral Bone Puncture Strength in the Talus and Tibial
      Plafond: A Biomechanical Study.
AB  - : We investigated talus and tibial plafond subchondral bone puncture strength
      based on surface location. Puncture tests of the subchondral bone were performed
      in 9 equal zones on the articular surface of 12 cadaver specimens aged 49.1 years
      (range, 36-56 years). Compressive load was applied through a microfracture awl at
      2 mm/min. Puncture strength was defined as the first load drop in load-deflection
      curves. In the talus, zone 1 (215 +/- 91 N) and zone 2, the anterior medial and
      anterior middle zones, had significantly greater puncture strength than zones 7,
      8, and 9, the posterior medial, middle, and lateral zones (104 +/- 43 N, 115 +/-
      43 N, and 102 +/- 35 N, respectively; P < .001). In the tibial plafond, zone 3,
      the anterior-lateral zone, and zone 7, the posterior medial zone, had
      significantly greater strength than zone 8, the posterior middle zone (202 +/- 72
      N, 206 +/- 121 N, and 112 +/- 65 N, respectively; P < .001) These results suggest
      that the subchondral bone is significantly weaker to penetrative force in the
      posterior region than in the anterior region of the talar dome and of the tibial
      plafond. These findings may have implications for microfracture awl design and
      for understanding the complex anatomy and physiology of the ankle joint. LEVELS
      OF EVIDENCE: Controlled laboratory study.

PMID- 28347197
TI  - Forty to fifty-five-year-old women and iron deficiency: clinical considerations
      and quality of life.
AB  - Between the age of 40 and 55 years, women experience important changes in their
      lives. This period, which corresponds to the perimenopause for most women, is
      associated with the risk of iron deficiency anemia (IDA). The clinical
      presentation of anemia can be misleading, and the underlying cause, particularly
      bleeding, is frequently treated without concomitant iron prescription. Iron
      deficiency (ID) remains a social and economic burden in European countries.
      Underdiagnosed and undertreated, this problem has a strong negative impact on
      women's quality of life. The risk factors for ID are well known. The physician's
      role is essential in recognizing the symptoms, identifying the risk factors,
      detecting IDA by testing hemoglobin, and evaluating the degree of ID by measuring
      serum ferritin (SF). Iron therapy treats the anemia and restores iron stores,
      thus decreasing symptoms such as fatigue and restoring quality of life. Among the
      available forms of iron, evidence is in favor of ferrous sulfate in a slow
      release formulation, which is well-tolerated and results in good adherence, a key
      factor for efficacious supplementation.

PMID- 28347198
TI  - Endomyometritis after cesarean delivery in the era of antibiotic prophylaxis:
      incidence and risk factors.
AB  - PURPOSE: To identify the rate of postpartum endomyometritis (PPE) after cesarean
      delivery (CD) in the era of antibiotic prophylaxis and determine risk factors.
      METHODS: A single institution retrospective study was performed in women
      undergoing CD. Data regarding obstetrical and surgical variables were collected.
      Diagnosis of PPE was made clinically. RESULTS: Among 2419 patients, the rate of
      PPE was 1.6% (n = 38) and was associated with lower age (27.0 versus 31.0; p <
      .001). 65.7% of patients having chorioamnionitits developed PPE, but only 5.4% of
      patients without PPE had chorioamnionitis (p < .001). On multivariate analysis,
      PPE was higher in emergent versus scheduled CD (OR: 5.89; p = .0081). There was
      no difference in PPE for cefazolin 2 g versus 1 g (OR: 1.91; p = .17) or 3 g
      versus 1 g (OR: 3.69; p = .29), gentamicin/clindamycin versus cefazolin (OR:
      5.60; p < .001) had higher PPE. Women with PPE were more likely to have labor
      arrest (OR: 4.336; p = .001), sexually transmitted infection during the pregnancy
      (OR: 4.197; p = .02) or blood transfusion (OR: 9.50; p < .0001). CONCLUSIONS:
      While the overall rate of PPE was low, several risk factors were identified.
      Preoperative diagnosis of chorioamnionitits is associated with a higher rate of
      PPE. Further studies are needed to identify optimal regimens for antimicrobial
      prophylaxis in women undergoing CD.

PMID- 28347199
TI  - The use of cellular and molecular biomarkers to manage COPD exacerbations.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) exacerbations are a
      common cause of respiratory morbidity and mortality, and have various etiologies.
      Multiple cellular and molecular biomarkers have been associated with
      exacerbations. Quantitative sputum cell counts are able to identify the presence
      and type of bronchitis, which is an important contributor to exacerbations. Their
      utility to monitor bronchitis and to help treat exacerbations has been evaluated,
      yet they are not used in routine clinical practice. Areas covered: This review
      will provide a brief summary of biomarkers utilized in COPD, with a focus on the
      application of cellular markers for the management of exacerbations. A case study
      will demonstrate the application of these methods. With quantitative sputum cell
      counts, the presence of eosinophilic bronchitis predicts corticosteroid
      responsiveness, while neutrophilic bronchitis identifies infection and suggests
      the need for antibiotics. Gastroesophageal reflux-related aspiration and heart
      failure can also be identified by examining sputum. Expert commentary:
      Quantitative sputum cytometry is an essential tool in the management of
      exacerbations of COPD, particularly those prone to frequent exacerbations.
      Treatment based on sputum cell counts is superior to current guideline-based
      recommendations to prevent future exacerbations and hospitalizations in
      observational and single-centre controlled trials. Large multicentre clinical
      trials are necessary to confirm this.

PMID- 28347200
TI  - Personality type influence the gestational weight gain.
AB  - Pregnancy is frequently followed by the development of obesity. Aside from
      psychological factors, hormonal changes influence weight gain in pregnant women.
      We attempted to assess the potential association between personality type and the
      extent of gestational weight gain. The study group involved 773 women after term
      delivery (age 26.3 +/- 3.9 years, body mass before pregnancy 61.2 +/- 11.1 kg).
      Weight gain during pregnancy was calculated by using self-reported body mass
      prior to and during the 38th week of pregnancy. Personality type was assessed
      using the Polish version of the Framingham Type A Behavior Patterns Questionnaire
      (adapted by Juczynski). Two hundred forty-six (31.8%) study subjects represented
      type A personalities, 272 (35.2%) type B and 255 (33.0%) an indirect type.
      Gestational weight gain was related to the behavior patterns questionnaire score
      and age. In women <30 years with type A personality, the weight gain was higher
      than in women with type B behavior of the same age. In women >30, the gestational
      weight gain was larger for type B personalities. Type A personality and increased
      urgency in younger pregnant women increases the risk of developing obesity during
      pregnancy in women below 30 years old. A higher level of competitiveness
      demonstrates a risk factor of excessive weight gain during pregnancy regardless
      of age.

PMID- 28347201
TI  - The relationship between the helicobacter pylori seropositivity with systemic and
      local oxidative status and hyperemesis gravidarum: a pilot study.
AB  - OBJECTIVES: The aim of study was to determine the helicobacter pylori (HP)
      seropositivity and oxidative parameters in serum and saliva of pregnant women
      with poor oral hygiene and hyperemesis gravidarum (HG). METHODS: A case-control
      study was conducted involving 50 pregnant women in their first trimester of
      pregnancy. Twenty-five subjects had a diagnosis of HG, and remaining 25 were
      healthy pregnant women who served as control subjects were included. The groups
      were adjusted for age, parity and gestational week. All patients were subjected
      to the measurement of total oxidant status (TOS) and total antioxidant status in
      serum and saliva. Also HP seropositivity was investigated. RESULTS: Serum TAS and
      TOS values were similar, although oxidative burden in saliva of women with HG
      were significantly higher than controls. HP seropositivity was found to be 24% in
      women with HG and 4% of controls. CONCLUSIONS: Our results suggest that
      significantly increased oxidative burden and slightly decreased antioxidative
      capacity of saliva may be involved in the pathogenesis of HG and this condition
      may be the result of HP infection which was found to be significantly more common
      in women with poor oral hygiene and HG.

PMID- 28347202
TI  - Pediatric concussion: biomechanical differences between outcomes of transient and
      persistent (> 4 weeks) postconcussion symptoms.
AB  - OBJECTIVE Currently, little is known about the biomechanics of head impact for
      concussion in youths (ages 5 to 18 years). Even less is known about the
      biomechanical characteristics and variables related to head impacts that may be
      useful in differentiating between transient and persistent postconcussion
      symptoms in a youth population. The purpose of this research was to examine the
      differences in biomechanics of youth head impact for transient postconcussion
      symptoms (TPCSs) and persistent postconcussion symptoms (PPCSs) by using data
      from a hospital population. METHODS In a laboratory setting and using physical,
      computational, and finite element models, the authors reconstructed falling
      events in a large cohort of patients who had sustained a brain injury that
      resulted in transient or persistent postconcussion symptoms. The falling events
      and resulting concussions for the TPCS and PPCS patient groups were analyzed in
      terms of force, energy, peak resultant linear and rotational accelerations, and
      maximum principal strain in the gray and white matter of the brain, as well as
      measurements of cumulative strain damage. RESULTS The results indicated that
      there were no significant differences between the groups for any of the variables
      analyzed. CONCLUSIONS With methods derived for use in an adult population, the
      magnitudes of peak linear acceleration for the youth data set were determined to
      be above the 50% risk of injury. The youth data set showed higher brain tissue
      strain responses for lower energy and impact velocities than measured in adults,
      suggesting that youths are at higher risk of concussive injury at lower event
      severities. A trend shown by some variables indicated that larger magnitudes of
      response were associated with PPCSs, but no single measurement variable
      consistently differentiated between the TPCS and PPCS groups. It is possible that
      using the biomechanics of head and brain responses to predict a subjective
      symptom load may not be appropriate. To enhance future biomechanical analyses,
      further investigations should include the use of quantifiable measures of brain
      injury linked to clinical outcomes and possible confounding factors such as
      history of brain injury and patient predisposition.

PMID- 28347203
TI  - Thromboelastometric assessment of hemostasis in newborn Piemontese calves.
AB  - We investigated possible age-related differences in coagulation profiles in
      bovine species by means of rotational thromboelastometric (ROTEM) analysis. We
      evaluated hemostasis by ROTEM in newborn Piemontese calves at birth (T0), 8 d
      (T8), and 15 d (T15) of age and compared the ROTEM results obtained in 16 newborn
      calves with 28 adult Piemontese cattle. Hemostasis was evaluated using standard
      coagulation tests and ROTEM analysis, obtaining in-TEM, ex-TEM, and fib-TEM
      profiles. Statistically significant differences in the ROTEM profiles of newborn
      calves were found between T0 and T8 and between T0 and T15 ( p < 0.05) but not
      between T8 and T15. Differences between ROTEM profiles of calves and adults were
      statistically significant at T0 ( p < 0.05) but no differences were found at T15
      ( p < 0.05). Hence, ROTEM reference intervals for adult cattle can be used to
      evaluate profiles in Piemontese calves >=8 d of age.

PMID- 28347204
TI  - The effect of Echis coloratus venom on biochemical and molecular markers of the
      antioxidant capacity in human fibroblasts.
AB  - This study was undertaken to examine the activities and levels of major
      antioxidants/oxidants in cultured human fibroblasts incubated with a sublethal
      dose of Echis coloratus venom (EcV). Glutathione peroxidase (GPx), catalase
      (CAT), superoxide dismutase (SOD) and glutathione reductase (GR) activities and
      gene expression levels as well as reduced glutathione (GSH) levels, and the
      concurrent hydrogen peroxide (H2O2), superoxide anions (SOA), lipid peroxides
      (LPO) and oxidized glutathione (GSSG) generation rates were assayed in fibroblast
      cultures and sonicates incubated with 0.5 ug ml-1 medium EcV for 4 h at 37
      degrees C. Data indicated that the activities of all antioxidant enzymes were
      significantly decreased and their corresponding transcripts downregulated in EcV
      incubated cells compared to controls (p < 0.001). In contrast, there were
      parallel equally significant increases in H2O2, SOA and LPO generation rates in
      venom-incubated cells compared to controls (p < 0.001). Additionally, GSH levels
      were significantly decreased and those of GSSG were equally significantly
      increased in venom-incubated cultures compared to controls (p < 0.001) leading to
      a lowered GSH/GSSG ratio. In conclusion, incubation of fibroblast cultures with
      EcV resulted in a shift towards oxidative metabolism causing severe OS. This
      correlated with significant downregulation in the expression levels of all
      investigated antioxidant genes.

PMID- 28347205
TI  - Preparation of collagen/polyurethane/knitted silk as a composite scaffold for
      tendon tissue engineering.
AB  - The main objective of this study was to prepare a hybrid three-dimensional
      scaffold that mimics natural tendon tissues. It has been found that a knitted
      silk shows good mechanical strength; however, cell growth on the bare silk is not
      desirable. Hence, electrospun collagen/polyurethane combination was used to cover
      knitted silk. A series of collagen and polyurethane solutions (4%-7% w/v) in
      aqueous acetic acid were prepared and electrospun. According to obtained scanning
      electron microscopy images from pure collagen and polyurethane nanofibers,
      concentration was set constant at 5% (w/v) for blend solutions of
      collagen/polyurethane. Afterward, blend solutions with the weight ratios of
      75/25, 50/50 and 25/75 were electrospun. Scanning electron microscopy images
      demonstrated the smooth and uniform morphology for the optimized nanofibers. The
      least fibers diameter among three weight ratios was found for
      collagen/polyurethane (25/75) which was 100.86 +/- 40 nm and therefore was
      selected to be electrospun on the knitted silk. Attenuated total reflectance
      Fourier transform infrared spectra confirmed the chemical composition of obtained
      electrospun nanofibers on the knitted silk. Tensile test of the specimens
      including blend nanofiber, knitted silk and commercial tendon substitute examined
      and indicated that collagen/polyurethane-coated knitted silk has appropriate
      mechanical properties as a scaffold for tendon tissue engineering. Then, Alamar
      Blue assay of the L929 fibroblast cell line seeded on the prepared scaffolds
      demonstrated appropriate viability of the cells with a significant proliferation
      on the scaffold containing more collagen content. The results illustrate that the
      designed structure would be promising for being used as a temporary substitute
      for tendon repair.

PMID- 28347206
TI  - Patients With Mitochondrial Disease Have an Inadequate Nutritional Intake.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Mitochondrial disease (MD) is a group of disorders caused by
      dysfunctional mitochondria, the organelles that generate energy for the cell.
      Malnutrition in patients with MD may lead to increased mitochondrial dysfunction,
      which may enhance already existing symptoms. The aim of this study was to
      investigate whether patients with MD have an insufficient or unbalanced food
      intake and to establish which nutrients and product groups are particularly
      compromised in this patient group. METHODS: In this observational, cross
      sectional, retrospective study, sixty 3-day nutrition diaries of adult patients
      with MD were analyzed and compared with the Dutch recommended daily allowance and
      the Dutch National Food Consumption Survey (DNFCS). RESULTS: The intake of all
      macronutrients and micronutrients of patients with MD was significantly different
      from Dutch recommended daily allowance values with the exception of fat and iron.
      In particular, protein and calcium intake in patients with MD was significantly
      lower when compared with the DNFCS. Interindividual differences were high. Also,
      intake of fiber, sugars, saturated fat, and vitamin D differed from
      recommendations for the overall population. In comparison with DNFCS, the intake
      of dairy products and drinks was significant lower in patients. CONCLUSIONS: Our
      study demonstrates that many patients with MD have an inadequate diet.
      Specifically, intake of protein, calcium, dairy products, and fluids were low.
      Overall, eating a healthy diet seems as difficult for patients with MD as for the
      general population. Since interindividual differences are high, individual diet
      counseling is recommended for all adult patients with MD.

PMID- 28347207
TI  - Evaluation of the effectiveness of transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS)
      and psychosensory stimulation through DOCS scale in a minimally conscious
      subject.
AB  - The aim of our study was to assess the effectiveness of transcranial direct
      current stimulation (tDCS) on alertness improvement in a patient in a minimally
      conscious state (MCS) by means of disorders of consciousness scale combined with
      psycho-sensory stimulation. The effects of tDCS on muscle hypertonia through the
      Ashworth scale were also examined. tDCS was performed through a two-channel intra
      cephalic stimulator. After stimulation, the patient followed a psychosensory
      stimulation training. Results pointed out an increase in DOCunit score, as well
      as an increase in alertness maintenance and an improvement in muscle hypertonia,
      although a MCS state persisted.

PMID- 28347208
TI  - Cum Scientia Caritas: written on the body.

PMID- 28347209
TI  - Stability of glomerular and tubular renal injury biomarkers in canine urine after
      4 years of storage.
AB  - Urine biomarkers are sensitive indicators of early-stage renal injury,
      consequently, research in this area is expanding in both human and veterinary
      medicine. However, studies investigating the impact of preanalytical factors,
      such as storage conditions, on urine biomarker concentrations are largely lacking
      in veterinary medicine. Therefore, we evaluated the stability of several renal
      injury biomarkers in canine urine after storage for 4 y at -72 degrees C. Urine
      samples were collected from 26 dogs: 18 dogs with babesiosis and 8 healthy dogs.
      Concentrations of urine immunoglobulin G (uIgG), urine C-reactive protein (uCRP),
      and urine retinol-binding protein (uRBP) were measured, using validated
      commercial immunoassays, at the start of the study and 4 y later. To investigate
      the effect of long-term storage, absolute and relative differences between both
      measurements were compared. Additionally, dogs with babesiosis were compared with
      the healthy controls at both time points. Storage caused significant absolute and
      relative decreases in concentrations of all 3 biomarkers. Significant differences
      between dogs with babesiosis and healthy dogs were found in uIgG and uRBP at both
      times; however, the difference in uCRP between both groups lost significance
      after storage. Because the main goal of these urine biomarkers is to detect early
      stage renal injury, the statistically significant decrease in their
      concentrations will be clinically relevant when a mild degree of renal injury is
      present. Our data indicate that the investigated urine biomarkers show
      significant decay after 4 y of storage at -72 degrees C, adversely affecting
      their diagnostic utility.

PMID- 28347210
TI  - Poly(glycerol methacrylate)-based degradable nanoparticles for delivery of small
      interfering RNA.
AB  - Nucleic acids therapeutic efficiency is generally limited by their low stability
      and intracellular bioavailability, and by the toxicity of the carriers used to
      deliver them to the target sites. Aminated poly(glycerol methacrylate) polymers
      are biodegradable and pH-sensitive polymers that have been used previously to
      deliver antisense oligonucleotide and show high transfection efficiency. The
      purpose of this study is to compare the efficiency and toxicity of aminated
      linear poly(glycerol methacrylate) (ALT) biodegradable polymer to the most
      commonly used cationic degradable (i.e. chitosan) and non-degradable (i.e.
      polyethylenimine (PEI)) polymers for delivery of short interfering RNA (siRNA).
      ALT, PEI and chitosan polymers were able to form nanosized particles with siRNA.
      Size, size-distribution and zeta-potential were measured over a wide range of
      nitrogen-to-phosphate (N/P) ratios, and the stability of the formed nanoparticles
      in saline and upon freeze-drying was also assessed. No significant cytotoxicity
      at the range of the tested concentrations of ALT and chitosan nanoparticles was
      observed, whereas the non-degradable PEI showed significant toxicity in huh-7
      hepatocyte-derived carcinoma cell line. The safety profiles of the degradable
      polymers (ALT and chitosan) over non-degradable PEI were demonstrated in vitro
      and in vivo. In addition, ALT nanoparticles were able to deliver siRNA in vivo
      with significantly higher efficiency than chitosan nanoparticles. The results in
      the present study give evidence of the great implications of ALT nanoparticles in
      biomedical applications due to their biocompatibility, low cytotoxicity, high
      stability and simple preparation method.

PMID- 28347211
TI  - Use of Multichannel Near Infrared Spectroscopy to Study Relationships Between
      Brain Regions and Neurocognitive Tasks of Selective/Divided Attention and 2-Back
      Working Memory.
AB  - While dichotic listening (DL) was originally intended to measure bottom-up
      selective attention, it has also become a tool for measuring top-down selective
      attention. This study investigated the brain regions related to top-down
      selective and divided attention DL tasks and a 2-back task using alphanumeric and
      Japanese numeric sounds. Thirty-six healthy participants underwent near-infrared
      spectroscopy scanning while performing a top-down selective attentional DL task,
      a top-down divided attentional DL task, and a 2-back task. Pearson's correlations
      were calculated to show relationships between oxy-Hb concentration in each brain
      region and the score of each cognitive task. Different brain regions were
      activated during the DL and 2-back tasks. Brain regions activated in the top-down
      selective attention DL task were the left inferior prefrontal gyrus and left pars
      opercularis. The left temporopolar area was activated in the top-down divided
      attention DL task, and the left frontopolar area and left dorsolateral prefrontal
      cortex were activated in the 2-back task. As further evidence for the finding
      that each task measured different cognitive and brain area functions, neither the
      percentages of correct answers for the three tasks nor the response times for the
      selective attentional task and the divided attentional task were correlated to
      one another. Thus, the DL and 2-back tasks used in this study can assess multiple
      areas of cognitive, brain-related dysfunction to explore their relationship to
      different psychiatric and neurodevelopmental disorders.

PMID- 28347212
TI  - Mapping nouns and finite verbs in left hemisphere tumors: a direct electrical
      stimulation study.
AB  - Neurosurgical mapping studies with nouns and finite verbs are scarce and
      subcortical data are nonexistent. We used a new task that uses finite verbs in
      six Italian-speaking patients with gliomas in the left language-dominant
      hemisphere. Language-relevant positive areas were detected only with nouns in
      four patients, with both tasks yet in distinct cortical areas in one patient, and
      only with finite verbs in another patient. Positive areas and types of errors
      varied across participants. Finite verbs provide complementary information to
      nouns, and permit more accurate mapping of language production when nouns are
      unaffected by electrical stimulation.

PMID- 28347213
TI  - Limb Misidentification: A Clinical-Anatomical Prospective Study.
AB  - The misidentification of one's own limb (LM) after right hemisphere stroke is a
      striking phenomenon that is incompletely understood. The authors prospectively
      studied the natural history and anatomy of LM in 36 patients with hyperacute
      right middle cerebral artery infarct. Unlike in previous studies, rapid clinical
      assessment was prioritized. The authors found LM to be common and transient,
      involving 61% at onset, evolving to 15% at 1 week. Voxel-based lesion-symptom
      mapping found supramarginal gyrus (SMG) damage associated with LM. This
      substantiates the SMG's importance in LM and has broader implications for lesion
      analysis: timing matters. Rapid assessment of transient disorders minimizes false
      negatives, which can improve lesion analysis.

PMID- 28347214
TI  - Delusions and the Right Hemisphere: A Review of the Case for the Right Hemisphere
      as a Mediator of Reality-Based Belief.
AB  - Delusions are beliefs that remain fixed despite evidence that they are incorrect.
      Although the precise neural mechanism of delusional belief remains to be
      elucidated, there is a predominance of right-hemisphere lesions among patients
      with delusional syndromes accompanied by structural pathology, suggesting that
      right-hemisphere lesions, or networks with key nodes in the right hemisphere, may
      be playing a role. The authors discuss the potential theoretical basis and
      empiric support for a specific right-hemisphere role in delusion production,
      drawing on its roles in pragmatic communication; perceptual integration;
      attentional surveillance and anomaly/novelty detection; and belief updating.

PMID- 28347215
TI  - Platelet function testing in pediatric patients.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: Platelets play a key role in primary hemostasis and are also
      intricately linked to secondary hemostasis. Investigation of platelet function in
      children, especially in neonates, is seriously challenged by the volumes required
      to perform the majority of platelet function tests and due to the lack of
      standardization of these tests for use in children. Areas covered: The present
      review summarizes developmental hemostasis with a focus on the differences in
      platelet adhesion, activation and aggregation, between preterm neonates, full
      term neonates, during childhood and in adults. Some of the most widely used
      platelet function tests are presented, including novel tests requiring only a
      small blood volume. Expert commentary: Currently available platelet function
      tests are limited as regards to investigation of neonates due to difficulties in
      obtaining adequate blood volume, poor standardization, lack of reference
      intervals for neonates and children, and an incomplete understanding of the
      functional phenotype of neonatal platelets, especially preterm neonatal
      platelets.

PMID- 28347216
TI  - Research or evaluation - does the difference matter?
AB  - There appears to be an insatiable appetite to develop and improve medical
      education. A quick perusal of the abstracts of any recent conference or
      publication reveals the high frequency with which the terms 'research' and
      'evaluation' occurs, although there often appears to be little to distinguish
      between the two. In this article, we will highlight the key conceptual
      differences between research and evaluation and discuss the importance of clear
      distinction between the two processes; a distinction which is often blurred. We
      aim to explore some of the possible reasons why this is the case. Finally, we
      will plea for greater awareness of how the strengths of evaluation can be applied
      to both understand and improve medical education.

PMID- 28347217
TI  - The evolution of publication hotspots in the field of telemedicine from 1962 to
      2015 and differences among six countries.
AB  - Introduction Telemedicine has been implemented in many countries and has captured
      the attention of many researchers. Herein, we aim to quantify publication
      hotspots in the field of telemedicine, analyse their evolution, compare them in
      different countries, and provide visual representations. Methods We used software
      tools to process PubMed entries for a 54-year period and identified publication
      hotspots using keyword frequency analysis. We employed a keyword co-occurrence
      analysis, principal component analysis, multidimensional scaling analysis, and
      network visualization technology. Results The number of Medical Subject Heading
      (MeSH) terms increased with time. The most common subcategories of telemedicine
      between 1962 and 2015 were Remote Consultation, Teleradiology, and Telepathology.
      The most popular information communication technologies in telemedicine
      publications were related to the Internet and cell phones. The topics of Patient
      Satisfaction, Treatment Outcomes, and Home Care Services associated with
      telemedicine were highlighted after the 1990s. Use frequency of the terms Cell
      Phones and Self-Care increased drastically in the past six years, and the
      publication focus in six countries that had the highest output was different.
      Knowledge network maps and perceptual maps show the relationship between high
      frequency MeSH terms. Discussion The telemedicine field has experienced
      significant growth and expansion in knowledge and innovation in the last 54
      years. Publication hotspots for telemedicine lean towards clinical treatment,
      home care services, and personal care, and countries emphasize publishing in
      areas related to their national characteristics. This study quantitatively
      discusses publication hotspots, provides an objective and systematic
      understanding of this field, and suggests directions for future telemedicine
      research.

PMID- 28347218
TI  - Enablers and barriers to using two-way information technology in the management
      of adults with diabetes: A descriptive systematic review.
AB  - Background This systematic review aimed to explore the enablers and barriers
      faced by adults with diabetes using two-way information communication
      technologies to support diabetes self-management. Methods Relevant literature was
      obtained from five databases using search strategies combining four major
      constructs: adults with diabetes, biomedical technology, communication technology
      and patient utilisation. Results Of 8430 unique articles identified, 48 were
      included for review. Risk of bias was assessed using either the Newcastle-Ottowa
      or Cochrane risk of bias assessment tools. Seventy-one percent of studies were of
      cohort design with the majority of studies assessed at high or unclear risk of
      bias. Consistently identified barriers included poorly designed interfaces
      requiring manual data entry and systems that lacked functionalities valued by
      patients. Commonly cited enablers included access to reliable technology, highly
      automated data entry and transmission, graphical display of data with immediate
      feedback, and supportive health care professionals and family members.
      Conclusions People with diabetes face a number of potentially modifiable barriers
      in using technology to support their diabetes management. In order to address
      these barriers, end users should be consulted in the design process and
      consideration given to theories of technology adoption to inform design and
      implementation. Systems should be designed to solve clinical or behavioural
      problems that are identified by patients as priorities. Technology should be as
      automated, streamlined, mobile, low cost and integrated as possible in order to
      limit the burden of usage for the patient and maximise clinical usefulness.

PMID- 28347219
TI  - The National Football League-225 Bench Press Test and the Size-Weight Illusion.
AB  - The purpose of this study was to test reports that size and arrangement
      manipulations of weight plates (i.e., inducing a size-weight illusion [SWI])
      effect athletic weightlifting performance. The participants were 72 experienced,
      weight-trained collegiate American football players. Across three weeks, each
      athlete performed three different repetitions-to-fatigue bench press tests (NFL
      225, SWI-225, and SWI-215). A multiple regression revealed a positive association
      between participants' strength relative to the test load and repetitions for NFL
      225 and SWI-215, but no association with SWI-225. To explore these results,
      players were ranked into quartiles based on their one-repetition maximum relative
      to 102.27 kg (225 lb), and a 3 * 4 repeated measures analysis of variance was
      conducted. The primary finding was a significant Test Condition * Quartile
      interaction ( p = .004). Bonferroni-corrected pairwise comparisons revealed that
      Quartile 4 (those with lowest strength relative to test load) completed more
      repetitions for SWI-225 compared with NFL-225 ( p = .049). These results suggest
      that alternate weight plate arrangements may be beneficial for those whose bench
      press load is near the lifter's one-repetition maximum. However, variations of
      the SWI do not appear to affect the performance of repetitions-to-fatigue bench
      press tests for the majority of collegiate American football players.

PMID- 28347220
TI  - Letter to the Editor: Re: Allergic Rhinitis Is Associated With Periodontitis: A
      Population-Based Study.

PMID- 28347222
TI  - 2016 Balint Orban Memorial Program Abstracts - Clinical Science.

PMID- 28347223
TI  - Authors' Response.

PMID- 28347224
TI  - Crocodile choline from Crocodylus siamensis induces apoptosis of human gastric
      cancer.
AB  - Crocodile choline, an active compound isolated from Crocodylus siamensis, was
      found to exert potent anti-cancer activities against human gastric cancer cells
      in vitro and in vivo. Our study revealed that crocodile choline led to cell cycle
      arrest at the G2/M phase through attenuating the expressions of cyclins, Cyclin
      B1, and CDK-1. Furthermore, crocodile choline accelerated apoptosis through the
      mitochondrial apoptotic pathway with the decrease in mitochondrial membrane
      potential, the increase in reactive oxygen species production and Bax/Bcl-2
      ratio, and the activation of caspase-3 along with the release of cytochrome c. In
      addition, this study, for the first time, shows that Notch pathway is remarkably
      deregulated by crocodile choline. The combination of crocodile choline and Notch1
      short interfering RNA led to dramatically increased cytotoxicity than observed
      with either agent alone. Notch1 short interfering RNA sensitized and potentiated
      the capability of crocodile choline to suppress the cell progression and invasion
      of gastric cancer. Taken together, these data suggested that crocodile choline
      was a potent progression inhibitor of gastric cancer cells, which was correlated
      with mitochondrial apoptotic pathway and Notch pathway. Combining Notch1
      inhibitors with crocodile choline might represent a novel approach for gastric
      cancer.

PMID- 28347225
TI  - Magnetic resonance imaging tumor regression shrinkage patterns after neoadjuvant
      chemotherapy in patients with locally advanced breast cancer: Correlation with
      tumor biological subtypes and pathological response after therapy.
AB  - The objective of this study is to analyze magnetic resonance imaging shrinkage
      pattern of tumor regression after neoadjuvant chemotherapy and to evaluate its
      relationship with biological subtypes and pathological response. We reviewed the
      magnetic resonance imaging studies of 51 patients with single mass-enhancing
      lesions (performed at time 0 and at the II and last cycles of neoadjuvant
      chemotherapy). Tumors were classified as Luminal A, Luminal B, HER2+, and Triple
      Negative based on biological and immunohistochemical analysis after core needle
      biopsy. We classified shrinkage pattern, based on tumor regression morphology on
      magnetic resonance imaging at the II cycle, as concentric, nodular, and mixed. We
      assigned a numeric score (0: none; 1: low; 2: medium; 3: high) to the enhancement
      intensity decrease. Pathological response on the surgical specimen was classified
      as complete (grade 5), partial (grades 4-3), and non-response (grades 1-2)
      according to Miller and Payne system. Fisher test was used to relate shrinkage
      pattern with biological subtypes and final pathological response. Seventeen
      patients achieved complete response, 25 partial response, and 9 non-response. A
      total of 13 lesions showed nodular pattern, 20 concentric, and 18 mixed. We found
      an association between concentric pattern and HER2+ (p < 0.001) and mixed pattern
      and Luminal A lesions (p < 0.001). We observed a statistical significant
      correlation between concentric pattern and complete response (p < 0.001) and
      between mixed pattern and non-response (p = 0.005). Enhancement intensity
      decrease 3 was associated with complete response (p < 0.001). Shrinkage pattern
      and enhancement intensity decrease may serve as early response indicators after
      neoadjuvant chemotherapy. Shrinkage pattern correlates with tumor biological
      subtypes.

PMID- 28347226
TI  - Colorectal polypoid lesions and expression of vascular endothelial growth factor
      in a consecutive series of endoscopic and surgical patients.
AB  - Colorectal cancer incidence in patients undergoing screening protocols is
      decreasing because of the higher rate of discovered preneoplastic colonic
      lesions; however, adenomatous polyps may not always be removable endoscopically
      and surgery may still be necessary. The aim of this study was to assess the
      vascular endothelial growth factor expression in the different steps of
      colorectal carcinogenesis to explore its potential role as a marker of malignancy
      in polypoid lesions. A total of 92 subjects with colonic adenoma or cancer who
      underwent screening colonoscopy or surgery were prospectively enrolled. Real-time
      reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction for VEGF-A messenger RNA
      expression and immunohistochemistry for VEGF-A were performed. Immunoassays for
      VEGF-A, VEGF-C, VEGFR-1, VEGFR-2, and VEGFR-3 were also performed. Non-parametric
      statistics, receiver operating characteristic curve analysis, and logistic
      multiple regression analysis were used. VEGF-A messenger RNA expression was
      higher in patients with high-grade dysplasia or colorectal cancer than in those
      with low-grade dysplasia adenomas (p = 0.01). At immunohistochemistry, VEGF-A
      expression was significantly higher in colorectal cancer patients compared to
      dysplastic adenomas (p < 0.001), and the accuracy of VEGF-A expression for
      prediction of malignancy was 91.7 (95% confidence interval = 78.7-97.9). VEGF-C
      protein expression was lower in colorectal cancer patients than in simple
      adenomas (p = 0.02). VEGF-A levels were directly correlated to polyp size (rho =
      0.73, p = 0.0062). Multivariate analysis demonstrated that malignancy and polyp
      size were independent predictors of VEGF-A mucosal levels. This study
      demonstrated that the VEGF-A expression changes along the colorectal
      carcinogenesis pathway showing a neat step up at the passage from high-grade
      dysplasia to invasive cancer. This feature might potentially be useful to
      stratify colorectal polyps in different risks of progression classes. Moreover,
      the high level of VEGF-A expression predicted the presence of lymphovascular
      invasion with good accuracy.

PMID- 28347227
TI  - Comparative proteomics-network analysis of proteins responsible for ursolic acid
      induced cytotoxicity in colorectal cancer cells.
AB  - Ursolic acid is a key active compound present in many medicinal herbs that have
      been widely used in traditional Chinese medicine for the clinical treatment of
      various cancers. However, the precise mechanisms of its antitumor activity have
      been poorly understood. To identify the cellular targets of ursolic acid, two
      dimensional gel electrophoresis combined with mass spectrometry was performed in
      this study, which identified 15 proteins with significantly altered levels in
      protein expression. This demonstrated that ursolic acid-induced cytotoxicity in
      colorectal cancer cells involves dysregulation in protein folding, signal
      transduction, cell proliferation, cell cycle, and apoptosis. Corresponding
      protein regulation was also confirmed by Western blotting. Furthermore, the study
      of functional association between these 15 proteins revealed that 10 were closely
      related in a protein-protein interaction network, whereby the proteins either had
      a direct interaction with each other or were associated via only one intermediary
      protein. In this instance, the ATP5B/CALR/HSP90B1/HSPB1/HSPD1-signaling network
      was revealed as the predominant target which was associated with the majority of
      the observed protein-protein interactions. As a result, the identified targets
      may be useful in explaining the anticancer mechanisms of ursolic acid and as
      potential targets for colorectal cancer therapy.

PMID- 28347228
TI  - EMP2 re-expression inhibits growth and enhances radiosensitivity in
      nasopharyngeal carcinoma.
AB  - Although radiation therapy is the primary treatment for nasopharyngeal carcinoma,
      radioresistance remains a major obstacle to successful treatment in many cases,
      and the exact underlying molecular mechanisms are still ill-defined. EMP2,
      epithelial membrane protein-2, was a recently identified potential oncogene
      involved in multiple biological processes including cell migration and cell
      proliferation. This study was to explore the potential relationship between EMP2
      expression, nasopharyngeal carcinoma genesis, and radioresistance. EMP2
      expression status in 98 nasopharyngeal carcinoma clinical samples was examined by
      immunohistochemical staining. As a result, most of the nasopharyngeal carcinoma
      tumor samples were weakly or negatively stained, while paired adjacent normal
      tissues were moderately or strongly stained. Moreover, patients with higher
      expression of EMP2 had significant longer survival times. EMP2 re-expression
      suppresses cell growth, induces S-phase cell cycle arrest, and promotes
      radiosensitivity and apoptosis in nasopharyngeal carcinoma cells. These results
      support that loss of EMP2 is common, and its re-expression may serve as an
      approach to enhance radiation sensitivity in nasopharyngeal carcinoma.

PMID- 28347229
TI  - High expression of G-protein signaling modulator 2 in hepatocellular carcinoma
      facilitates tumor growth and metastasis by activating the PI3K/AKT signaling
      pathway.
AB  - The aim of this study was to investigate the role of G-protein signaling
      modulator 2 in the carcinogenesis and progression of hepatocellular carcinoma. We
      previously showed that G-protein signaling modulator 2 was upregulated in
      hepatitis B virus-related hepatocellular carcinoma tissues through a hierarchical
      clustering analysis. With this study, we first assessed the expression pattern of
      G-protein signaling modulator 2 in hepatocellular carcinoma specimens and
      adjacent noncancerous tissues; clinical data were analyzed, along survival times,
      utilizing the Kaplan-Meier method. Moreover, the functions of G-protein signaling
      modulator 2 were examined using small-interfering RNAs in vitro. The results
      showed that G-protein signaling modulator 2 was clearly overexpressed in
      hepatocellular carcinoma tissues and cell lines and that the G-protein signaling
      modulator 2 expression level was related to tumor size and hepatitis B virus
      infection. Furthermore, G-protein signaling modulator 2 knockdown studies
      suggested that G-protein signaling modulator 2 accelerates cell growth, cell
      cycle, migration, and invasion and inhibits apoptosis, acting as an oncogene in
      hepatocellular carcinoma. Western blotting indicated that silencing of G-protein
      signaling modulator 2 in HepG2 and SMMC-7721 cells increased the expression
      levels of Bax, caspase-3, and E-cadherin, while notably suppressing the cyclin
      dependent kinase 4, cyclin-dependent kinase 6, CyclinD1, Snail1, Vimentin, and
      matrix metallopeptidase 9 expression levels, compared with that in the control
      groups. In addition, we found that G-protein signaling modulator 2 can affect the
      expression of key proteins involved in protein kinase B activation. In
      conclusion, high expression of G-protein signaling modulator 2 was involved in
      the pathological processes of hepatocellular carcinoma through activation of the
      phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase/protein kinase B signaling pathway, which may
      provide an attractive potential diagnostic biomarker and therapeutic target for
      treatment of hepatocellular carcinoma.

PMID- 28347231
TI  - Animal models as a tool in hepatocellular carcinoma research: A Review.
AB  - Cancer is the first cause of death in developed countries and the second in
      developing countries. Concerning the most frequent worldwide-diagnosed cancer,
      primary liver cancer represents approximately 4% of all new cancer cases
      diagnosed globally. However, among primary liver cancer, hepatocellular carcinoma
      is by far the most common histological subtype. Notwithstanding the health
      promotion and disease prevention campaigns, more than half a million new
      hepatocellular carcinoma cases are reported yearly, being estimated to growth
      continuously until 2020. Taking this scenario under consideration and the fact
      that some aspects concerning hepatocellular carcinoma evolution and metastasize
      process are still unknown, animal models assume a crucial role to understand this
      disease. The animal models have also provided the opportunity to screen new
      therapeutic strategies. The present review was supported on research and review
      papers aiming the complexity and often neglected chemically induced animal models
      in hepatocarcinogenesis research. Despite the ongoing debate, chemically induced
      animal models, namely, mice and rat, can provide unique valuable information on
      the biotransformation mechanisms against xenobiotics and apprehend the
      deleterious effects on DNA and cell proteins leading to carcinogenic development.
      In addition, taking under consideration that no model achieves all hepatocellular
      carcinoma research purposes, criteria to define the " ideal" animal model,
      depending on the researchers' approach, are also discussed in this review.

PMID- 28347230
TI  - Inhibition of microRNA-21 via locked nucleic acid-anti-miR suppressed metastatic
      features of colorectal cancer cells through modulation of programmed cell death
      4.
AB  - Colorectal cancer is among the most lethal of malignancies, due to its propensity
      to metastatic spread and multifactorial-chemoresistance. The latter property
      supports the need to identify novel therapeutic approaches for the treatment of
      colorectal cancer. MicroRNAs are endogenous non-coding small RNA molecules that
      function as post-transcriptional regulators of gene expression. Recently,
      programmed cell death 4 has been identified as a protein that increases during
      apoptosis. This gene is among the potential targets of miR-21 (OncomiR). Locked
      nucleic acid-modified oligonucleotides have recently emerged as a potential
      therapeutic option for targeting microRNAs. The aim of this study was to explore
      the functional role of locked nucleic acid-anti-miR-21 in the LS174T cell line in
      vitro and in vivo models. LS174T cells were treated with locked nucleic acid-anti
      miR-21 for 24, 48, and 72 h in vitro. The expression of miR-21 and PDCD4 at
      messenger RNA (mRNA) level was evaluated by quantitative real-time polymerase
      chain reaction, while the protein level of PDCD4 was determined by Western
      blotting. Cell migratory behavior and the cluster-forming ability of cells were
      assessed before and after therapy. The disseminated tumor cells were assessed in
      the chick chorioallantoic membrane model by Alu quantitative polymerase chain
      reaction. Locked nucleic acid-anti-miR-21 was transfected successfully into the
      LS174T cells and inhibited the expression of miR-21. Locked nucleic acid-anti-miR
      21 inhibited the migration and the number of cells forming clusters. Moreover, we
      found that locked nucleic acid-anti-miR-21 transfection was associated with a
      significant reduction in metastatic properties as assessed by the in ovo model.
      Our findings demonstrated the novel therapeutic potential of locked nucleic acid
      anti-miR-21 in colon adenocarcinoma with high miR-21 expression.

PMID- 28347232
TI  - Expression of RNA-binding motif 10 is associated with advanced tumor stage and
      malignant behaviors of lung adenocarcinoma cancer cells.
AB  - This study assessed RNA-binding motif 10 expression in lung adenocarcinoma
      tissues and examined the role and mechanism of RNA-binding motif 10 in the
      regulation of lung adenocarcinoma malignancy. Lung adenocarcinoma and
      corresponding adjacent non-tumor lung tissues from 41 patients were subjected to
      reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction and Western blot assessment to
      detect RNA-binding motif 10 expression. Recombinant lentivirus carrying RNA
      binding motif 10 complementary DNA was used to infect lung adenocarcinoma cell
      lines, A549 and H1299 cells. Complementary DNA microarray was used to profile RNA
      binding motif 10-regulated genes. Levels of RNA-binding motif 10 messenger RNA
      and protein were significantly lower in lung adenocarcinoma tissues than those in
      paired non-tumor tissues (p < 0.001). Reduced RNA-binding motif 10 expression was
      found to be associated with an advanced tumor stage. RNA-binding motif 10
      overexpression inhibited viability and colony formation capacity of lung
      adenocarcinoma cell lines and induced cell-cycle arrest at G0/G1 phase in A549
      cells and at S phase in H1299 cells. Complementary DNA microarray analysis
      identified 304 upregulated and 386 downregulated genes induced by RNA-binding
      motif 10 overexpression, which may be involved in cancer, focal adhesion,
      peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-regulated gene pathway, cytokine
      cytokine receptor interaction, mitogen-activated protein kinase signaling,
      complement and coagulation cascades, platelet amyloid precursor protein pathway,
      extracellular matrix-receptor interaction, and small cell lung cancer-related
      genes. Expression of FGF2, EGFR, WNT5A, NF-kappaB, and RAP1A was downregulated,
      whereas expression of AKT2, BIRC3, and JUN was upregulated. RNA-binding motif 10
      messenger RNA and protein were reduced in lung adenocarcinoma tissues, and RNA
      binding motif 10 overexpression inhibited lung adenocarcinoma cancer cell
      malignant behavior in vitro. Molecularly, RNA-binding motif 10 regulates many
      gene pathways involving in the tumor development or progression.

PMID- 28347233
TI  - Glycolysis-related protein expression in thyroid cancer.
AB  - We aimed to demonstrate the differences in the expression of glucose metabolism
      related proteins according to the thyroid cancer subtypes and investigate the
      implications of these differences. A total of 566 thyroid cancer patients,
      including 342 cases of papillary thyroid carcinoma, 112 cases of follicular
      carcinoma, 70 cases of medullary carcinoma, 23 cases of poorly differentiated
      carcinoma, 19 cases of anaplastic carcinoma, and 152 cases of follicular adenoma,
      were enrolled in the study. Immunohistochemical staining for glucose transporter
      1, hexokinase II, carbonic anhydrase IX, and monocarbonylate transporter 4 was
      performed, and the relationship between immunoreactivity and clinicopathologic
      parameters was analyzed. Glucose transporter 1 and tumoral monocarbonylate
      transporter 4 expression levels were shown to be the highest in anaplastic
      carcinoma, and medullary carcinoma showed the highest carbonic anhydrase IX and
      lowest hexokinase II levels compared with other subtypes. Stromal expression of
      monocarbonylate transporter 4 was observed in papillary thyroid carcinoma and
      anaplastic carcinoma samples. Conventional papillary thyroid carcinoma tumors
      expressed higher levels of glucose transporter 1, and tumoral and stromal
      monocarbonylate transporter 4, than the follicular variant, which showed a higher
      expression of carbonic anhydrase IX. Papillary thyroid carcinoma samples with
      BRAF V600E mutation were shown to have higher glucose transporter 1, hexokinase
      II, carbonic anhydrase IX, and tumoral monocarbonylate transporter 4 expression
      levels. Univariate analysis showed that papillary thyroid carcinoma cases with
      glucose transporter 1 positivity had shorter overall survival, patients with
      medullary carcinoma and hexokinase II positivity were shown to have a shorter
      disease-free survival and overall survival, and tumoral monocarbonylate
      transporter 4 positivity was associated with shorter overall survival compared
      with papillary thyroid carcinoma patients with negativity for each marker.
      Disease-free survival and overall survival of patients with poorly differentiated
      carcinoma were shown to be significantly decreased when glucose transporter 1 and
      tumoral monocarbonylate transporter 4 are expressed. We demonstrated that the
      expression levels of glycolysis-related proteins differ between thyroid cancer
      subtypes and are correlated with poorer prognosis, depending on the subtype.

PMID- 28347234
TI  - Clinical value of miR-145-5p in NSCLC and potential molecular mechanism
      exploration: A retrospective study based on GEO, qRT-PCR, and TCGA data.
AB  - MicroRNAs have been reported to be involved in various biological processes.
      Here, we performed a systematic analysis to explore the clinical value and
      potential molecular mechanism of miR-145-5p in non-small cell lung cancer. First,
      a meta-analysis was performed with eligible literature, followed by microRNA
      microarrays in the Gene Expression Omnibus database, to verify the diagnostic and
      prognostic values of miR-145-5p. A cohort of 125 clinical paired non-small cell
      lung cancer samples was next used to detect the level of miR-145-5p and to
      explore the relationship of miR-145-5p with clinicopathological parameters. The
      Cancer Genome Atlas database was additionally applied to investigate the role of
      miR-145-5p in non-small cell lung cancer. The potential targets of miR-145-5p
      were predicted using 12 online prediction databases to explore the prospective
      molecular mechanism of miR-145-5p in non-small cell lung cancer. The expression
      of miR-145-5p in non-small cell lung cancer was significantly lower than that in
      healthy tissues. And miR-145-5p tended to show better diagnostic performance in
      lung squamous cell carcinoma than in lung adenocarcinoma. Furthermore, the
      expression of miR-145-5p was closely associated with lymph node metastasis in non
      small cell lung cancer. Gene ontology enrichment and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes
      and Genomes pathway analysis revealed that the target genes were mainly enriched
      with enzyme-linked receptor protein signaling pathways, SH3 domain binding, cell
      leading edge, and adherens junction. The protein-protein interaction network
      showed that eight hub genes (SMAD4, SMAD2, IRS1, FOXO1, ERBB4, NRAS, ACTB, and
      ACTG1) might be the key target genes of miR-145-5p in non-small cell lung cancer.
      The information we obtained might offer new perspectives for clinical diagnosis
      and treatment for non-small cell lung cancer.

PMID- 28347235
TI  - Selection of single chain antibody fragments binding to the extracellular domain
      of 4-1BB receptor by phage display technology.
AB  - The 4-1BB is a surface glycoprotein that pertains to the tumor necrosis factor
      receptor family. There is compelling evidence suggesting important roles for 4
      1BB in the immune response, including cell activation and proliferation and also
      cytokine induction. Because of encouraging results of different agonistic
      monoclonal antibodies against 4-1BB in the treatment of cancer, infectious, and
      autoimmune diseases, 4-1BB has been suggested as an attractive target for
      immunotherapy. In this study, single chain variable fragment phage display
      libraries, Tomlinson I+J, were screened against specific synthetic oligopeptides
      (peptides I and II) designed from 4-1BB extracellular domain. Five rounds of
      panning led to selection of four 4-1BB specific single chain variable fragments
      (PI.12, PI.42, PII.16, and PII.29) which showed specific reaction to relevant
      peptides in phage enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. The selected clones were
      successfully expressed in Escherichia coli Rosetta-gami 2, and their expression
      was confirmed by western blot analysis. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay
      experiments indicated that these antibodies were able to specifically recognize 4
      1BB without any cross-reactivity with other antigens. Flow cytometry analysis
      demonstrated an acceptable specific binding of the single chain variable
      fragments to 4-1BB expressed on CCRF-CEM cells, while no binding was observed
      with an irrelevant antibody. Anti-4-1BB single chain variable fragments enhanced
      surface CD69 expression and interleukin-2 production in stimulated CCRF-CEM cells
      which confirmed the agonistic effect of the selected single chain variable
      fragments. The data from this study have provided a rationale for further
      experiments involving the biological functions of anti-4-1BB single chain
      variable fragments in future studies.

PMID- 28347236
TI  - High mobility group box 1/toll-like receptor 4/myeloid differentiation factor 88
      signaling promotes progression of gastric cancer.
AB  - High mobility group box 1 and toll-like receptor 4/myeloid differentiation factor
      88 signaling pathway have been indicated to have oncogenic effects in many
      cancers. However, the role of high mobility group box 1/toll-like receptor
      4/myeloid differentiation factor 88 signaling pathway in the development of
      gastric cancer remains unclear. In this study, we demonstrated that high mobility
      group box 1, toll-like receptor 4, and myeloid differentiation factor 88 were
      overexpressed in gastric cancer tumors compared with the adjacent non-tumor
      tissues. The overexpression of high mobility group box 1, toll-like receptor 4,
      and myeloid differentiation factor 88 were correlated with tumor-node-metastasis
      stage (p = 0.0068, p = 0.0063, p = 0.0173) and lymph node metastasis (p = 0.0272,
      p = 0.0382, and p = 0.0495). Furthermore, we observed that knockdown of high
      mobility group box 1 by high mobility group box 1-small interfering RNA
      suppressed the expression of toll-like receptor 4 and myeloid differentiation
      factor 88. Blockage of high mobility group box 1/toll-like receptor 4/myeloid
      differentiation factor 88 signaling by high mobility group box 1-small
      interfering RNA resulted in elevation of apoptotic ratio and inhibition of cell
      growth, migration, and invasion by upregulating Bax expression and downregulating
      Bcl-2, matrix metalloproteinase-2, nuclear factor kappa B/p65 expression, and the
      nuclear translocation of nuclear factor kappa B/p65 in gastric cancer cells. Our
      findings suggest that high mobility group box 1/toll-like receptor 4/myeloid
      differentiation factor 88 signaling pathway may contribute to the development and
      progression of gastric cancer via the nuclear factor kappa B pathway and it also
      represents a novel potential therapeutic target for gastric cancer.

PMID- 28347237
TI  - Specific tumor-derived CCL2 mediated by pyruvate kinase M2 in colorectal cancer
      cells contributes to macrophage recruitment in tumor microenvironment.
AB  - Development of colorectal cancer has been considered as a result of imbalance of
      pro- and anti-inflammatory intestinal microenvironment accompanied by macrophage
      recruitment. Despite macrophages are implicated in remodeling tumor
      microenvironment, the mechanism of macrophage recruitment is not fully elucidated
      yet. In this study, we reported clinical association of highly expressed pyruvate
      kinase M2 in colorectal cancer with macrophage attraction. The conditioned medium
      from Caco-2 and HT-29 cells with depleted pyruvate kinase M2 dramatically reduced
      macrophage recruitment, which is reversed by addition of, a critical chemotaxis
      factor to macrophage migration, rCCL2. Silencing of endogenous pyruvate kinase M2
      markedly decreased CCL2 expression and secretion by real-time quantitative
      polymerase chain reaction and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Endogenous
      pyruvate kinase M2 interacted with p65 and mediated nuclear factor-kappaB
      signaling pathway and mainly regulated phosphorylation of Ser276 on p65 nuclear
      factor-kappaB. In addition, inhibition of macrophage recruitment caused by
      pyruvate kinase M2 silencing was rescued by ectopic expression of p65.
      Interestingly, pyruvate kinase M2 highly expressed in colorectal cancer tissue,
      which is correction with macrophage distribution. Taken together, we revealed a
      novel mechanism of pyruvate kinase M2 in promoting colorectal cancer progression
      by recruitment of macrophages through p65 nuclear factor-kappaB-mediated
      expression of CCL2.

PMID- 28347239
TI  - Impact of microRNA dynamics on cancer hallmarks: An oral cancer scenario.
AB  - MicroRNAs are endogenous small noncoding RNAs that negatively regulate gene
      expression at posttranscriptional level. The discovery of microRNAs has
      identified a new layer of gene regulation mechanisms, which play a pivotal role
      in development as well as in various cellular processes, such as proliferation,
      differentiation, cell growth, and cell death. Deregulated microRNA expression
      favors acquisition of cancer hallmark traits as well as transforms the tumor
      microenvironment, leading to tumor development and progression. Many recent
      studies have revealed altered expression of microRNAs in oral carcinoma with
      several microRNAs shown to have key biological role in tumorigenesis functioning
      either as tumor suppressors or as tumor promoters. MicroRNA expression levels
      correlate with clinicopathological variables and have a diagnostic and prognostic
      value in oral carcinoma. For these reasons, microRNA has been a hot topic in oral
      cancer research for the last few years. In this review, we attempt to summarize
      the present understanding of microRNA deregulation in oral carcinoma, their role
      in acquiring cancer hallmarks, and their potential diagnostic and prognostic
      value for oral cancer management.

PMID- 28347238
TI  - The predicted target gene validation, function, and prognosis studies of miRNA-22
      in colorectal cancer tissue.
AB  - MicroRNAs are known as small, non-coding, and single-stranded RNAs which can
      regulate cell proliferation, differentiation, and apoptosis and involve in the
      development of tumors. In this study, colorectal cancer tissue morphological
      change in different prognosis in patients was observed by hematoxylin and eosin
      staining. Thereafter, differentially expressed miR-22 and TIAM1 gene were
      detected using quantitative polymerase chain reaction and western blot in
      different colorectal cancer tissues. Meanwhile, luciferase reporter gene system
      was used to verify the relationship between miR-22 and TIAM1. Eventually, the
      survival curve was plotted according to follow-up records of patients with
      colorectal cancer and the expression levels of miR-22 and TIAM1 in different
      tumor tissues. The hematoxylin and eosin results showed the poor pathological
      features in the 1-year survival group. The expression level of miR-22 was
      upregulated and TIAM1 was inhibited, correlating with the extension of patients'
      survival time. Our results indicated that miR-22 and TIAM1 might play a
      regulatory role in the occurrence and development of colorectal cancer which were
      consistent with the survival curve analysis results. Furthermore, the luciferase
      in miR-22 co-transfected with pmiR-RB-REPORT- TIAM1 group was significantly lower
      than pmiR-RB-REPORT- TIAM1-mut and Si groups. Collectively, these data suggest
      that miR-22 may suppress the expression of its target gene TIAM1. The low miR-22
      level or the high TIAM1 level will indicate the poor prognosis in colorectal
      cancer patients.

PMID- 28347240
TI  - Computer-aided prognosis on breast cancer with hematoxylin and eosin
      histopathology images: A review.
AB  - With the advance of digital pathology, image analysis has begun to show its
      advantages in information analysis of hematoxylin and eosin histopathology
      images. Generally, histological features in hematoxylin and eosin images are
      measured to evaluate tumor grade and prognosis for breast cancer. This review
      summarized recent works in image analysis of hematoxylin and eosin histopathology
      images for breast cancer prognosis. First, prognostic factors for breast cancer
      based on hematoxylin and eosin histopathology images were summarized. Then, usual
      procedures of image analysis for breast cancer prognosis were systematically
      reviewed, including image acquisition, image preprocessing, image detection and
      segmentation, and feature extraction. Finally, the prognostic value of image
      features and image feature-based prognostic models was evaluated. Moreover, we
      discussed the issues of current analysis, and some directions for future
      research.

PMID- 28347241
TI  - Nestin and cluster of differentiation 146 expression in breast cancer: Predicting
      early recurrence by targeting metastasis?
AB  - The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between the
      expression of stem-cell markers nestin and cluster of differentiation 146 with
      clinicopathological characteristics in breast cancer and to determine whether a
      prognostic impact of nestin and CD146 expression exists regarding occurrence of
      disease relapse in breast cancer. A total of 141 patients who were histologically
      diagnosed with breast cancer and underwent radical operations from November 2006
      to October 2013 in Laiko General Hospital, National and Kapodistrian University
      of Athens, were enrolled in the study. CD146 and nestin protein expression were
      evaluated using immunohistochemistry. Nestin expression was observed in 18.4%
      (26/141) of the cases, while CD146 expression was observed in 35.5% (50/141) of
      the cases. Nestin expression is significantly higher in younger patients with
      breast cancer. Nestin and CD146 expression were not correlated with the tumor
      size and the presence of lymph node metastasis. On the contrary, a significantly
      higher expression of nestin and CD146 was observed with triple-negative cancers
      (p < 0.0001 for both markers), low differentiated tumors (p = 0.021 for nestin
      and p = 0.008 for CD146), and increased Ki-67 expression (p = 0.007 for nestin
      and p < 0.0001 for CD146). The nestin-positive group of patients and the CD146
      positive group of patients presented significantly higher rates of disease
      recurrence (log-rank test, p = 0.022 for nestin and p = 0.003 for CD146) with a
      distant metastasis, 30 months after the primary treatment. CD146 but not nestin,
      however, predicted independently (p = 0.047) disease recurrence. Nestin and CD146
      are expressed in breast cancer cells with highly aggressive potency. They might
      contribute to disease relapse in breast cancer by activating the epithelial
      mesenchymal transition pathway and assist tumor neovascularization.

PMID- 28347242
TI  - Clinical, cellular, and bioinformatic analyses reveal involvement of WRAP53
      overexpression in carcinogenesis of lung adenocarcinoma.
AB  - Lung cancer, of which non-small cell lung cancer accounts for 80%, remains a
      leading cause of cancer-related mortality and morbidity worldwide. Our study
      revealed that the expression of WD repeat containing antisense to P53 (WRAP53) is
      higher in lung-adenocarcinoma specimens than in specimens from adjacent non-tumor
      tissues. The prevalence of WRAP53 overexpression was significantly higher in
      patients with tumor larger than 3.0 cm than in patients with tumor smaller than
      3.0 cm. The depletion of WRAP53 inhibits the proliferation of lung-adenocarcinoma
      A549 and SPC-A-1 cells via G1/S cell-cycle arrest. Several proteins interacting
      with WRAP53 were identified through co-immunoprecipitation and liquid
      chromatography/mass spectrometry. These key proteins indicated previously
      undiscovered functions of WRAP53. These observations strongly suggested that
      WRAP53 should be considered a promising target in the prevention or treatment of
      lung adenocarcinoma.

PMID- 28347243
TI  - Evidence for circulating cancer stem-like cells and epithelial-mesenchymal
      transition phenotype in the pleurospheres derived from lung adenocarcinoma using
      liquid biopsy.
AB  - Lung cancer stem cells are supposed to be the main drivers of tumor initiation,
      maintenance, drug resistance, and relapse of the disease. Hence, identification
      of the cellular and molecular aspects of these cells is a prerequisite for
      targeted therapy of lung cancer. Currently, analysis of circulating tumor cells
      has the potential to become the main diagnostic technique to monitor disease
      progression or therapeutic response as it is non-invasive. However, accurate
      detection of circulating tumor cells has remained a challenge, as epithelial cell
      markers used so far are not always trustworthy for detecting circulating tumor
      cells, especially during epithelial-mesenchymal transition. As cancer stem cells
      are the only culprit to initiate metastatic tumors, our aim was to isolate and
      characterize circulating tumor stem cells rather than circulating tumor cells
      from the peripheral blood of NSCLC adenocarcinoma as limited data are available
      addressing the gene expression profiling of lung cancer stem cells. Here, we
      reveal that CD44(+)/CD24(-) population in circulation not only exhibit stem cell
      related genes but also possess epithelial-mesenchymal transition characteristics.
      In conclusion, the use of one or more cancer stem cell markers along with
      epithelial, mesenchymal and epithelial mesenchymal transition markers will
      prospectively provide the most precise assessment of the threat for recurrence
      and metastatic disease and has a great potential for forthcoming applications in
      harvesting circulating tumor stem cells and their downstream applications. Our
      results will aid in developing diagnostic and prognostic modalities and
      personalized treatment regimens like dendritic cell-based immunotherapy that can
      be utilized for targeting and eliminating circulating tumor stem cells, to
      significantly reduce the possibility of relapse and improve clinical outcomes.

PMID- 28347244
TI  - The miR-30 family: Versatile players in breast cancer.
AB  - The microRNA family, miR-30, plays diverse roles in regulating key aspects of
      neoplastic transformation, metastasis, and clinical outcomes in different types
      of tumors. Accumulating evidence proves that miR-30 family is pivotal in the
      breast cancer development by controlling critical signaling pathways and relevant
      oncogenes. Here, we review the roles of miR-30 family members in the
      tumorigenesis, metastasis, and drug resistance of breast cancer, and their
      application to predict the prognosis of breast cancer patients. We think miR-30
      family members would be promising biomarkers for breast cancer and may bring a
      novel insight in molecular targeted therapy of breast cancer.

PMID- 28347245
TI  - Cancer stem cells: The potential role of autophagy, proteolysis, and cathepsins
      in glioblastoma stem cells.
AB  - One major obstacle in cancer therapy is chemoresistance leading to tumor
      recurrence and metastasis. Cancer stem cells, in particular glioblastoma stem
      cells, are highly resistant to chemotherapy, radiation, and immune recognition.
      In case of immune recognition, several survival mechanisms including, regulation
      of autophagy, proteases, and cell surface major histocompatibility complex class
      I molecules, are found in glioblastoma stem cells. In different pathways,
      cathepsins play a crucial role in processing functional proteins that are
      necessary for several processes and proper cell function. Consequently,
      strategies targeting these pathways in glioblastoma stem cells are promising
      approaches to interfere with tumor cell survival and will be discussed in this
      review.

PMID- 28347246
TI  - MicroRNA-125b predicts clinical outcome and suppressed tumor proliferation and
      migration in human gallbladder cancer.
AB  - We intended to investigate the functional role and clinical relevance of microRNA
      125b in human gallbladder cancer. Quantitative real-time polymerase chain
      reaction was used to examine microRNA-125b expression in gallbladder cancer cell
      lines, and 79 pairs of gallbladder cancer and normal gallbladder clinical
      tissues. Clinical correlations between tumorous microRNA-125b expression and
      gallbladder cancer patients' clinicopathological variances or overall survivals
      were statistically analyzed. In gallbladder cancer cell lines, TYGBK-8 and G-415
      cells, microRNA-125b was upregulated to examine its regulatory effect on
      gallbladder cancer proliferation and migration in vitro. MicroRNA-125b was
      significantly downregulated in gallbladder cancer cell lines and human
      gallbladder cancer tumors. MicroRNA-125b in gallbladder cancer was significantly
      correlated with patients' clinical stage, tumor differentiation, lymph
      metastasis, and tumor invasion. Low tumorous microRNA-125b expression was also
      found to be associated with poor overall survivals among gallbladder cancer
      patients. In vitro studies demonstrated that microRNA-125b upregulation
      significantly suppressed proliferation and migration in TYGBK-8 and G-415 cells.
      Tumorous microRNA-125b is an independent prognostic biomarker for patients with
      gallbladder cancer and possibly acts as a tumor suppressor in gallbladder cancer.

PMID- 28347247
TI  - Decreased RNA-binding motif 5 expression is associated with tumor progression in
      gastric cancer.
AB  - RNA-binding motif 5 is a putative tumor suppressor gene that modulates cell cycle
      arrest and apoptosis. We recently demonstrated that RNA-binding motif 5 inhibits
      cell growth through the p53 pathway. This study evaluated the clinical
      significance of RNA-binding motif 5 expression in gastric cancer and the effects
      of altered RNA-binding motif 5 expression on cancer biology in gastric cancer
      cells. RNA-binding motif 5 protein expression was evaluated by
      immunohistochemistry using the surgical specimens of 106 patients with gastric
      cancer. We analyzed the relationships of RNA-binding motif 5 expression with
      clinicopathological parameters and patient prognosis. We further explored the
      effects of RNA-binding motif 5 downregulation with short hairpin RNA on cell
      growth and p53 signaling in MKN45 gastric cancer cells. Immunohistochemistry
      revealed that RNA-binding motif 5 expression was decreased in 29 of 106 (27.4%)
      gastric cancer specimens. Decreased RNA-binding motif 5 expression was correlated
      with histological differentiation, depth of tumor infiltration, nodal metastasis,
      tumor-node-metastasis stage, and prognosis. RNA-binding motif 5 silencing
      enhanced gastric cancer cell proliferation and decreased p53 transcriptional
      activity in reporter gene assays. Conversely, restoration of RNA-binding motif 5
      expression suppressed cell growth and recovered p53 transactivation in RNA
      binding motif 5-silenced cells. Furthermore, RNA-binding motif 5 silencing
      reduced the messenger RNA and protein expression of the p53 target gene p21. Our
      results suggest that RNA-binding motif 5 downregulation is involved in gastric
      cancer progression and that RNA-binding motif 5 behaves as a tumor suppressor
      gene in gastric cancer.

PMID- 28347248
TI  - SIRT3 functions as a tumor suppressor in hepatocellular carcinoma.
AB  - Hepatocellular carcinoma is one of the leading causes for cancer-related
      mortality worldwide. SIRT3 may function as either oncogene or tumor suppressor in
      a panel of cancers; however, the role of SIRT3 in hepatocellular carcinoma
      remains unclear. In this study, we assayed the expression level of SIRT3 in
      hepatocellular carcinoma tissues by quantitative reverse transcriptase-polymerase
      chain reaction and immunohistochemistry. A loss-of-function approach was used to
      examine the effects of SIRT3 on biological activity, including cell proliferative
      activity and invasive potential. The results demonstrated that the expression
      levels of SIRT3 protein in hepatocellular carcinoma tissues were significantly
      downregulated compared with those in adjacent non-cancerous tissues. Furthermore,
      SIRT3 could decrease cell proliferation and inhibit cell migration/invasion in
      hepatocellular carcinoma cell line. Taken together, these results elucidated the
      function of SIRT3 in hepatocellular carcinoma development and suggested that
      SIRT3 might function as tumor suppressor in hepatocellular carcinoma by targeting
      PI3K/Akt pathway.

PMID- 28347249
TI  - Chemoresistance is associated with overexpression of HAX-1, inhibition of which
      resensitizes drug-resistant breast cancer cells to chemotherapy.
AB  - Acquired resistance to standard chemotherapy is the common and critical
      limitation for cancer therapy. Hematopoietic cell-specific protein 1-associated
      protein X-1 (HAX-1) has been reported to be upregulated in numerous cancers.
      However, the role of HAX-1 in oncotherapy remains unclear. In this study, we
      established MDA-MB-231 cell lines which were resistant to cisplatin (MDA-MB
      231/CR) or doxorubicin (MDA-MB-231/DR) to study the chemoresistance in breast
      cancer. As a result, the HAX-1 which is an apoptosis-associated protein was
      observed to be overexpressed in both MDA-MB-231/CR and MDA-MB-231/DR compared
      with the routine MDA-MB-231 cells. Moreover, knockdown of HAX-1 via RNA
      interference decreased IC50 level of cisplatin by 70.91% in MDA-MB-231/CR cells,
      and the IC50 level of doxorubicin was decreased by 76.46% in MDA-MB-231/DR cells
      when the HAX-1 was downregulated. Additionally, we found that the knockdown of
      HAX-1 induced the release of cytochrome C from mitochondria, resulting in the
      activation of caspases. Taken together, our study indicates that the
      overexpression of HAX-1 is essential in the development of chemoresistance in
      breast cancer. Furthermore, we identify that HAX-1 may become the target for
      cancer therapy.

PMID- 28347250
TI  - Chimeric antigen receptor-engineered T cells for liver cancers, progress and
      obstacles.
AB  - Chimeric antigen receptor-engineered T cells therapy has become the hottest topic
      of immunotherapy, as its great successes achieved in treating refractory
      hematological malignancies. These successes also paved the road to novel
      strategies of treating various solid tumors including liver cancer. Many specific
      proteins can be expressed aberrantly in liver cancers; therefore, a series of
      experimental and clinical researches exploring chimeric antigen receptor
      engineered T cells and liver cancer are in progress, acquiring obvious antitumor
      effect and revealing its feasibility in treating liver cancer. However, lots of
      challenges and obstacles are emerging simultaneously, such as low infiltration,
      side effects, safety of chimeric antigen receptor-engineered T cells, and limited
      data of studies or clinical trials. Researchers have been working out many
      innovative ways to directly stroke these obstacles, theoretically or practically.
      This review focuses more on the progress and obstacles from chimeric antigen
      receptor-engineered T cells therapy to treat liver cancer, summarizing new
      breakthroughs in shooting those obstacles, meanwhile, hoping to provide
      enlightenment to this promising immunotherapeutic method.

PMID- 28347252
TI  - The critical role and potential target of the autotaxin/lysophosphatidate axis in
      pancreatic cancer.
AB  - Autotaxin, an ecto-lysophospholipase D encoded by the human ENNP2 gene, is
      expressed in multiple tissues, and participates in numerous critical physiologic
      and pathologic processes including inflammation, pain, obesity, embryo
      development, and cancer via the generation of the bioactive lipid
      lysophosphatidate. Overwhelming evidences indicate that the
      autotaxin/lysophosphatidate signaling axis serves key roles in the numerous
      processes central to tumorigenesis and progression, including proliferation,
      survival, migration, invasion, metastasis, cancer stem cell, tumor
      microenvironment, and treatment resistance by interacting with a series of at
      least six G-protein-coupled receptors (LPAR1-6). This review provides an overview
      of the autotaxin/lysophosphatidate axis and collates current knowledge regarding
      its specific role in pancreatic cancer. With a deeper understanding of the
      critical role of the autotaxin/lysophosphatidate axis in pancreatic cancer,
      targeting autotaxin or lysophosphatidate receptor may be a potential and
      promising strategy for cancer therapy.

PMID- 28347251
TI  - Feedback regulation of methyl methanesulfonate and ultraviolet-sensitive gene
      clone 81 via ATM/Chk2 pathway contributes to the resistance of MCF-7 breast
      cancer cells to cisplatin.
AB  - The methyl methanesulfonate and ultraviolet-sensitive gene clone 81 protein is a
      structure-specific nuclease that plays important roles in DNA replication and
      repair. Knockdown of methyl methanesulfonate and ultraviolet-sensitive gene clone
      81 has been found to sensitize cancer cells to chemotherapy. However, the
      underlying molecular mechanism is not well understood. We found that methyl
      methanesulfonate and ultraviolet-sensitive gene clone 81 was upregulated and the
      ATM/Chk2 pathway was activated at the same time when MCF-7 cells were treated
      with cisplatin. By using lentivirus targeting methyl methanesulfonate and
      ultraviolet-sensitive gene clone 81 gene, we showed that knockdown of methyl
      methanesulfonate and ultraviolet-sensitive gene clone 81 enhanced cell apoptosis
      and inhibited cell proliferation in MCF-7 cells under cisplatin treatment.
      Abrogation of ATM/Chk2 pathway inhibited cell viability in MCF-7 cells in
      response to cisplatin. Importantly, we revealed that ATM/Chk2 was required for
      the upregulation of methyl methanesulfonate and ultraviolet-sensitive gene clone
      81, and knockdown of methyl methanesulfonate and ultraviolet-sensitive gene clone
      81 resulted in inactivation of ATM/Chk2 pathway in response to cisplatin.
      Meanwhile, knockdown of methyl methanesulfonate and ultraviolet-sensitive gene
      clone 81 activated the p53/Bcl-2 pathway in response to cisplatin. These data
      suggest that the ATM/Chk2 may promote the repair of DNA damage caused by
      cisplatin by sustaining methyl methanesulfonate and ultraviolet-sensitive gene
      clone 81, and the double-strand breaks generated by methyl methanesulfonate and
      ultraviolet-sensitive gene clone 81 may activate the ATM/Chk2 pathway in turn,
      which provide a novel mechanism of how methyl methanesulfonate and ultraviolet
      sensitive gene clone 81 modulates DNA damage response and repair.

PMID- 28347253
TI  - Carboxymethyl chitosan nanoparticles coupled with CD59-specific ligand peptide
      for targeted delivery of C-phycocyanin to HeLa cells.
AB  - The combination of nanotechnology and medicine will be the next generation of
      vehicles for targeted drug delivery. Carboxymethyl chitosan loaded with the
      anticancer drug C-phycocyanin and the CD59-specific ligand peptide for cancer
      cell targeting were used to create C-phycocyanin/carboxymethyl chitosan-CD59
      specific ligand peptide nanoparticles using the ionic-gelation method. Optimal
      synthesis conditions, selected by response surface methodology, comprised the
      ratio carboxymethyl chitosan:C-phycocyanin = 3:1, and carboxymethyl chitosan and
      CaCl2 concentrations of 2.0 and 1.0 mg/mL, respectively. The resulting
      nanoparticles were spherical, with diameters of approximately 200 nm; the
      entrapment efficient was about 65%; and the drug loading was about 20%. The
      release of C-phycocyanin from C-phycocyanin/carboxymethyl chitosan nanoparticles
      was pH sensitive and had a sustainable effect in vitro. Guided by the CD59
      specific ligand peptide, the nanoparticles efficiently targeted the surface of
      HeLa cells and had an obvious inhibitory effect on HeLa cell proliferation as
      determined by methyl thiazolyl tetrazolium assays. The nanoparticles were
      hemocompatible and induced apoptosis by upregulation of cleaved caspase-3 and
      cleaved polyADP-ribose polymerase proteins, and downregulation of Bcl-2 proteins.
      Our study provides a novel approach to the research and development of marine
      drugs, and support for targeted therapy using anticancer drugs.

PMID- 28347254
TI  - Epigenetic perturbation driving asleep telomerase reverse transcriptase: Possible
      therapeutic avenues in carcinoma.
AB  - In the last decade, implications of human telomerase reverse transcriptase
      (hTERT), a component of ribonucleoprotein telomerase in aging, senescence, and
      stem cell are highly evident. Besides, the activation of hTERT is also being
      documented several cancer types including carcinoma. The awakening of telomerase
      during carcinoma initiation and development is being seen with different
      perspectives including genetic and epigenetic tools and events. In view of
      several tumor progenitors genes (also referred as epigenetic mediators),
      telomerase is placed as key enzyme to achieve the carcinoma phenotype and sustain
      during the progression. It is true that swaying of telomerase in carcinoma could
      be facilitated with dedicated set of epigenetic modulators and modifiers players.
      These epigenetic alterations are heritable, potentially reversible, and seen as
      the epigenetic signature of carcinoma. Several papers converge to suggest that
      DNA methylation, histone modification, and small non-coding RNAs are the widely
      appreciated epigenetic changes towards hTERT modulation. In this review, we
      summarize the contribution of epigenetic factors in the telomerase activation and
      discuss potential avenues to achieve therapeutic intervention in carcinoma.

PMID- 28347256
TI  - Sleep deprivation as an experimental model system for psychosis: Effects on
      smooth pursuit, prosaccades, and antisaccades.
AB  - Current antipsychotic medications fail to satisfactorily reduce negative and
      cognitive symptoms and produce many unwanted side effects, necessitating the
      development of new compounds. Cross-species, experimental behavioural model
      systems can be valuable to inform the development of such drugs. The aim of the
      current study was to further test the hypothesis that controlled sleep
      deprivation is a safe and effective model system for psychosis when combined with
      oculomotor biomarkers of schizophrenia. Using a randomized counterbalanced within
      subjects design, we investigated the effects of 1 night of total sleep
      deprivation in 32 healthy participants on smooth pursuit eye movements (SPEM),
      prosaccades (PS), antisaccades (AS), and self-ratings of psychosis-like states.
      Compared with a normal sleep control night, sleep deprivation was associated with
      reduced SPEM velocity gain, higher saccadic frequency at 0.2 Hz, elevated PS
      spatial error, and an increase in AS direction errors. Sleep deprivation also
      increased intra-individual variability of SPEM, PS, and AS measures. In addition,
      sleep deprivation induced psychosis-like experiences mimicking hallucinations,
      cognitive disorganization, and negative symptoms, which in turn had moderate
      associations with AS direction errors. Taken together, sleep deprivation resulted
      in psychosis-like impairments in SPEM and AS performance. However, diverging
      somewhat from the schizophrenia literature, sleep deprivation additionally
      disrupted PS control. Sleep deprivation thus represents a promising but possibly
      unspecific experimental model that may be helpful to further improve our
      understanding of the underlying mechanisms in the pathophysiology of psychosis
      and aid the development of antipsychotic and pro-cognitive drugs.

PMID- 28347255
TI  - Inhibition of l-type amino acid transporter 1 activity as a new therapeutic
      target for cholangiocarcinoma treatment.
AB  - Unlike normal cells, cancer cells undergo unlimited growth and multiplication,
      causing them to require massive amounts of amino acid to support their continuous
      metabolism. Among the amino acid transporters expressed on the plasma membrane, l
      type amino acid transporter-1, a Na+-independent neutral amino acid transporter,
      is highly expressed in many types of human cancer including cholangiocarcinoma.
      Our previous study reported that l-type amino acid transporter-1 and its co
      functional protein CD98 were highly expressed and implicated in
      cholangiocarcinoma progression and carcinogenesis. Therefore, this study
      determined the effect of JPH203, a selective inhibitor of l-type amino acid
      transporter-1 activity, on cholangiocarcinoma cell inhibition both in vitro and
      in vivo. JPH203 dramatically suppressed [14C]l-leucine uptake as well as cell
      growth in cholangiocarcinoma cell lines along with altering the expression of l
      type amino acid transporter-1 and CD98 in response to amino acid depletion. We
      also demonstrated that JPH203 induced both G2/M and G0/G1 cell cycle arrest, as
      well as reduced the S phase accompanied by altered expression of the proteins in
      cell cycle progression: cyclin D1, CDK4, and CDK6. There was also cell cycle
      arrest of the related proteins, P21 and P27, in KKU-055 and KKU-213
      cholangiocarcinoma cells. Apoptosis induction, detected by an increase in trypan
      blue-stained cells along with a cleaved caspase-3/caspase-3 ratio, occurred in
      JPH203-treated cholangiocarcinoma cells at the highest concentration tested (100
      uM). As expected, daily intravenous administration of JPH203 (12.5 and 25 mg/kg)
      significantly inhibited tumor growth in KKU-213 cholangiocarcinoma cell
      xenografts in the nude mice model in a dose-dependent manner with no
      statistically significant change in the animal's body weight and with no
      differences in the histology and appearance of the internal organs compared with
      the control group. Our study demonstrates that suppression of l-type amino acid
      transporter-1 activity using JPH203 might be used as a new therapeutic strategy
      for cholangiocarcinoma treatment.

PMID- 28347257
TI  - Antipsychotic treatment of schizotypy and schizotypal personality disorder: a
      systematic review.
AB  - Schizotypal personality disorder (SPD) is characterised by thought disorders,
      experiences of illusions, obsessive ruminations, bizarre or eccentric behaviour,
      cognitive problems and deficits in social functioning - symptoms that SPD shares
      with schizophrenia. Efforts have been undertaken to investigate the relationship
      between these conditions regarding genetics, pathophysiology, and phenomenology.
      However, treatment of SPD with antipsychotics has received less scientific
      attention. Embase and PubMed databases were searched using all known generic
      names of antipsychotics as search terms in combination with the following
      diagnostic terms: latent schizophrenia, schizotypal disorder, latent type
      schizophrenia, or SPD. Studies were categorised according to evidence level on
      the basis of their methodology from A, being the best, to E, being the worst.
      Five hundred and nine studies were retrieved and scrutinised. Sixteen studies,
      from the period 1972 to 2012, on antipsychotic treatment of SPD were extracted.
      Four studies were categorised as evidence level A, two as level B, six as level C
      and three as level D, with one study level E. Only four randomised, double-blind,
      placebo-controlled trials, on subjects with well-defined diagnoses, exists. Only
      amisulpride, risperidone and thiothixene have been studied according to evidence
      level A. This result warrants further high quality studies of the effects of
      antipsychotic treatment of SPD.

PMID- 28347258
TI  - Depot risperidone-induced adverse metabolic alterations in female rats.
AB  - Atypical antipsychotics are associated with adverse metabolic effects including
      weight gain, increased adiposity, dyslipidaemia, alterations in glucose
      metabolism and insulin resistance. Increasing evidence suggests that metabolic
      dysregulation precedes weight gain development. The aim of this study was to
      evaluate alterations in adipokines, hormones and basic serum biochemical
      parameters induced by chronic treatment with depot risperidone at two doses (20
      and 40 mg/kg) in female Sprague-Dawley rats. Dose-dependent metabolic alterations
      induced by risperidone after 6 weeks of treatment were revealed. Concomitant to
      weight gain and increased liver weight, an adverse lipid profile with an elevated
      triglyceride level was observed in the high exposure group, administered a 40
      mg/kg dose repeatedly, while the low dose exposure group, administered a 20 mg/kg
      dose, developed weight gain without alterations in the lipid profile and
      adipokine levels. An initial peak in leptin serum level after the higher dose was
      observed in the absence of weight gain. This finding may indicate that the
      metabolic alterations observed in this study are not consequent to body weight
      gain. Taken together, these data may support the primary effects of atypical
      antipsychotics on peripheral tissues.

PMID- 28347259
TI  - Metformin for antipsychotic-induced weight gain: Statistical curiosities.

PMID- 28347260
TI  - A drug-drug conditioning paradigm reveals multiple antipsychotic-nicotine
      interactions.
AB  - Clinical studies indicate a reciprocal impact between nicotine use and
      antipsychotic medications in patients with schizophrenia. The present study used
      a conditioned avoidance response (CAR) test (a behavioral test of antipsychotic
      effect) and examined the specific drug-drug interactions between nicotine and
      haloperidol or clozapine. Following acquisition of the avoidance response, rats
      were first tested under either vehicle, nicotine (0.2, 0.4 mg/kg, sc),
      haloperidol (0.025, 0.05 mg/kg, sc), clozapine (5.0, 10.0 mg/kg, sc), or a
      combination of nicotine and haloperidol or nicotine and clozapine for seven
      consecutive days. Afterward, they were challenged with nicotine (0.2 mg/kg),
      haloperidol (0.025 mg/kg), or clozapine (5.0 mg/kg) in the CAR to assess if
      haloperidol or clozapine affected the behavioral effect of nicotine on avoidance
      response and if nicotine altered the avoidance suppressive effect of haloperidol
      and clozapine. During the seven avoidance drug test days, nicotine did not alter
      the avoidance suppressive effect of haloperidol or clozapine. However, in the
      challenge test, prior nicotine treatment (0.2 mg/kg) attenuated haloperidol's
      (0.05 mg/kg) sensitized effect on avoidance response. On the other hand, prior
      haloperidol treatment increased nicotine's (0.2 mg/kg) avoidance disruptive
      effect, and even engendered nicotine 0.4 mg/kg to exhibit an "acquired" avoidance
      suppressive effect. The combined nicotine and clozapine treatment did not produce
      any detectable interactive effects on avoidance response and motor activity.
      These findings suggest that nicotine is capable of altering the long-term
      antipsychotic efficacy of haloperidol, while haloperidol can alter the behavioral
      effects of nicotine. Clozapine and nicotine are less likely to influence each
      other.

PMID- 28347261
TI  - Dopamine D4 receptor stimulation contributes to novel object recognition:
      Relevance to cognitive impairment in schizophrenia.
AB  - Several atypical antipsychotic drugs (APDs) have high affinity for the dopamine
      (DA) D4 receptor, but the relevance to the efficacy for the treatment of
      cognitive impairment associated with schizophrenia (CIAS) is poorly understood.
      The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of D4 receptor stimulation
      or blockade on novel object recognition (NOR) in normal rats and on the sub
      chronic phencyclidine (PCP)-induced novel object recognition deficit. The effect
      of the D4 agonist, PD168077, and the D4 antagonist, L-745,870, were studied
      alone, and in combination with clozapine and lurasidone. In normal rats, L
      745,870 impaired novel object recognition, whereas PD168077 had no effect.
      PD168077 acutely reversed the sub-chronic phencyclidine-induced novel object
      recognition deficit. Co-administration of a sub-effective dose (SED) of PD168077
      with a sub-effective dose of lurasidone also reversed this deficit, but a sub
      effective dose of PD168077 with a sub-effective dose of clozapine, a more potent
      D4 antagonist than lurasidone, did not reverse the sub-chronic phencyclidine
      induced novel object recognition deficit. At a dose that did not induce a novel
      object recognition deficit, L-745,870 blocked the ability of clozapine, but not
      lurasidone, to reverse the novel object recognition deficit. D4 receptor agonism
      has a beneficial effect on novel object recognition in sub-chronic PCP-treated
      rats and augments the cognitive enhancing efficacy of an atypical antipsychotic
      drug that lacks affinity for the D4 receptor, lurasidone.

PMID- 28347262
TI  - A review of evolution of electrospun tissue engineering scaffold: From two
      dimensions to three dimensions.
AB  - The potential of electrospinning process to fabricate ultrafine fibers as
      building blocks for tissue engineering scaffolds is well recognized. The scaffold
      construct produced by electrospinning process depends on the quality of the
      fibers. In electrospinning, material selection and parameter setting are among
      many factors that contribute to the quality of the ultrafine fibers, which
      eventually determine the performance of the tissue engineering scaffolds. The
      major challenge of conventional electrospun scaffolds is the nature of
      electrospinning process which can only produce two-dimensional electrospun mats,
      hence limiting their applications. Researchers have started to focus on
      overcoming this limitation by combining electrospinning with other techniques to
      fabricate three-dimensional scaffold constructs. This article reviews various
      polymeric materials and their composites/blends that have been successfully
      electrospun for tissue engineering scaffolds, their mechanical properties, and
      the various parameters settings that influence the fiber morphology. This review
      also highlights the secondary processes to electrospinning that have been used to
      develop three-dimensional tissue engineering scaffolds as well as the steps
      undertaken to overcome electrospinning limitations.

PMID- 28347263
TI  - Editor's Note.

PMID- 28347264
TI  - Inquiry Concerning Which Polyclonal Goat Antibody for Detection of FLAG-tag in
      Formalin-Fixed and Paraffin-Embedded Specimens.

PMID- 28347265
TI  - Response to: Inquiry Concerning Which Polyclonal Goat Antibody for Detection of
      FLAG-tag in Formalin-Fixed and Paraffin-Embedded Specimens.

PMID- 28347266
TI  - Formulation and pH of the Buffered Ethanol Fixative BE70.

PMID- 28347267
TI  - Buffered Ethanol Fixative.

PMID- 28347269
TI  - The autophagy interaction network of the aging model Podospora anserina.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Autophagy is a conserved molecular pathway involved in the
      degradation and recycling of cellular components. It is active either as response
      to starvation or molecular damage. Evidence is emerging that autophagy plays a
      key role in the degradation of damaged cellular components and thereby affects
      aging and lifespan control. In earlier studies, it was found that autophagy in
      the aging model Podospora anserina acts as a longevity assurance mechanism.
      However, only little is known about the individual components controlling
      autophagy in this aging model. Here, we report a biochemical and bioinformatics
      study to detect the protein-protein interaction (PPI) network of P. anserina
      combining experimental and theoretical methods. RESULTS: We constructed the PPI
      network of autophagy in P. anserina based on the corresponding networks of yeast
      and human. We integrated PaATG8 interaction partners identified in an own yeast
      two-hybrid analysis using ATG8 of P. anserina as bait. Additionally, we included
      age-dependent transcriptome data. The resulting network consists of 89 proteins
      involved in 186 interactions. We applied bioinformatics approaches to analyze the
      network topology and to prove that the network is not random, but exhibits
      biologically meaningful properties. We identified hub proteins which play an
      essential role in the network as well as seven putative sub-pathways, and
      interactions which are likely to be evolutionary conserved amongst species. We
      confirmed that autophagy-associated genes are significantly often up-regulated
      and co-expressed during aging of P. anserina. CONCLUSIONS: With the present
      study, we provide a comprehensive biological network of the autophagy pathway in
      P. anserina comprising PPI and gene expression data. It is based on computational
      prediction as well as experimental data. We identified sub-pathways, important
      hub proteins, and evolutionary conserved interactions. The network clearly
      illustrates the relation of autophagy to aging processes and enables further
      specific studies to understand autophagy and aging in P. anserina as well as in
      other systems.

PMID- 28347268
TI  - Illumina MiSeq sequencing analysis of fungal diversity in stored dates.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Date palm has been a major fruit tree in the Middle East over
      thousands of years, especially in the Arabian Peninsula. Dates are consumed fresh
      (Rutab) or after partial drying and storage (Tamar) during off-season. The aim of
      the study was to provide in-depth analysis of fungal communities associated with
      the skin (outer part) and mesocarp (inner fleshy part) of stored dates (Tamar) of
      two cultivars (Khenizi and Burny) through the use of Illumina MiSeq sequencing.
      RESULTS: The study revealed the dominance of Ascomycota (94%) in both cultivars,
      followed by Chytridiomycota (4%) and Zygomycota (2%). Among the classes
      recovered, Eurotiomycetes, Dothideomycetes, Saccharomycetes and Sordariomycetes
      were the most dominant. A total of 54 fungal species were detected, with species
      belonging to Penicillium, Alternaria, Cladosporium and Aspergillus comprising
      more than 60% of the fungal reads. Some potentially mycotoxin-producing fungi
      were detected in stored dates, including Aspergillus flavus, A. versicolor and
      Penicillium citrinum, but their relative abundance was very limited (<0.5%).
      PerMANOVA analysis revealed the presence of insignificant differences in fungal
      communities between date parts or date cultivars, indicating that fungal species
      associated with the skin may also be detected in the mesocarp. It also indicates
      the possible contamination of dates from different cultivars with similar fungal
      species, even though if they are obtained from different areas. CONCLUSION: The
      analysis shows the presence of different fungal species in dates. This appears to
      be the first study to report 25 new fungal species in Oman and 28 new fungal
      species from date fruits. The study discusses the sources of fungi on dates and
      the presence of potentially mycotoxin producing fungi on date skin and mesocarp.

PMID- 28347270
TI  - Inclusion of the fitness sharing technique in an evolutionary algorithm to
      analyze the fitness landscape of the genetic code adaptability.
AB  - BACKGROUND: The canonical code, although prevailing in complex genomes, is not
      universal. It was shown the canonical genetic code superior robustness compared
      to random codes, but it is not clearly determined how it evolved towards its
      current form. The error minimization theory considers the minimization of point
      mutation adverse effect as the main selection factor in the evolution of the
      code. We have used simulated evolution in a computer to search for optimized
      codes, which helps to obtain information about the optimization level of the
      canonical code in its evolution. A genetic algorithm searches for efficient codes
      in a fitness landscape that corresponds with the adaptability of possible
      hypothetical genetic codes. The lower the effects of errors or mutations in the
      codon bases of a hypothetical code, the more efficient or optimal is that code.
      The inclusion of the fitness sharing technique in the evolutionary algorithm
      allows the extent to which the canonical genetic code is in an area corresponding
      to a deep local minimum to be easily determined, even in the high dimensional
      spaces considered. RESULTS: The analyses show that the canonical code is not in a
      deep local minimum and that the fitness landscape is not a multimodal fitness
      landscape with deep and separated peaks. Moreover, the canonical code is clearly
      far away from the areas of higher fitness in the landscape. CONCLUSIONS: Given
      the non-presence of deep local minima in the landscape, although the code could
      evolve and different forces could shape its structure, the fitness landscape
      nature considered in the error minimization theory does not explain why the
      canonical code ended its evolution in a location which is not an area of a
      localized deep minimum of the huge fitness landscape.

PMID- 28347272
TI  - Genome-wide identification of conserved intronic non-coding sequences using a
      Bayesian segmentation approach.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Computational identification of non-coding RNAs (ncRNAs) is a
      challenging problem. We describe a genome-wide analysis using Bayesian
      segmentation to identify intronic elements highly conserved between three
      evolutionarily distant vertebrate species: human, mouse and zebrafish. We
      investigate the extent to which these elements include ncRNAs (or conserved
      domains of ncRNAs) and regulatory sequences. RESULTS: We identified 655 deeply
      conserved intronic sequences in a genome-wide analysis. We also performed a
      pathway-focussed analysis on genes involved in muscle development, detecting 27
      intronic elements, of which 22 were not detected in the genome-wide analysis. At
      least 87% of the genome-wide and 70% of the pathway-focussed elements have
      existing annotations indicative of conserved RNA secondary structure. The
      expression of 26 of the pathway-focused elements was examined using RT-PCR,
      providing confirmation that they include expressed ncRNAs. Consistent with
      previous studies, these elements are significantly over-represented in the
      introns of transcription factors. CONCLUSIONS: This study demonstrates a novel,
      highly effective, Bayesian approach to identifying conserved non-coding
      sequences. Our results complement previous findings that these sequences are
      enriched in transcription factors. However, in contrast to previous studies which
      suggest the majority of conserved sequences are regulatory factor binding sites,
      the majority of conserved sequences identified using our approach contain
      evidence of conserved RNA secondary structures, and our laboratory results
      suggest most are expressed. Functional roles at DNA and RNA levels are not
      mutually exclusive, and many of our elements possess evidence of both. Moreover,
      ncRNAs play roles in transcriptional and post-transcriptional regulation, and
      this may contribute to the over-representation of these elements in introns of
      transcription factors. We attribute the higher sensitivity of the pathway
      focussed analysis compared to the genome-wide analysis to improved alignment
      quality, suggesting that enhanced genomic alignments may reveal many more
      conserved intronic sequences.

PMID- 28347271
TI  - The ST131 Escherichia coli H22 subclone from human intestinal microbiota:
      Comparison of genomic and phenotypic traits with those of the globally successful
      H30 subclone.
AB  - BACKGROUND: In 2006, we found healthy subjects carrying ST131 Escherichia coli in
      their intestinal microbiota consisting of two populations: a subdominant
      population of fluoroquinolone-resistant E. coli belonging to subclone H30 (H30-R
      or subclade C1), the current worldwide dominant ST131 subclone, and a dominant E.
      coli population composed of antibiotic-susceptible E. coli belonging to subclone
      H22 (clade B), the precursor of subclone H30. We sequenced the whole genome of
      fecal H22 strain S250, compared it to the genomes of ExPEC ST131 H30-Rx strain
      JJ1886 and commensal ST131 H41 strain SE15, sought the H22-H30 genomic
      differences in our fecal strains and assessed their phenotypic consequences.
      RESULTS: We detected 173 genes found in the Virulence Factor Database, of which
      148 were shared by the three ST131 genomes, whereas some were genome-specific,
      notably those allowing determination of virotype (D for S250 and C for JJ1886).
      We found three sequences of the FimH site involved in adhesion: two in S250 and
      SE15 close and identical, respectively, to that previously reported to confer
      strong intestinal adhesion, and one in JJ1886, corresponding to that commonly
      present in uropathogenic E. coli. Among the genes involved in sugar metabolism,
      one encoding a gluconate kinase lacked in S250 and JJ1886. Although this gene was
      also absent in both our fecal H22 and H30-R strains, H22 strains showed a higher
      capacity to grow in minimal medium with gluconate. Among the genes involved in
      gluconate metabolism, only the ghrB gene differed between S250/H22 and JJ1886/H30
      R strains, resulting in different gluconate reductases. Of the genes involved in
      biofilm formation, two were absent in the three genomes and one, fimB, in the
      JJ1886 genome. Our fecal H30-R strains lacking intact fimB displayed delayed
      biofilm formation relative to our fecal H22 strains. The H22 strains differed by
      subclade B type and plasmid content, whereas the H30-R strains were identical.
      CONCLUSIONS: Phenotypic analysis of our fecal strains based on observed genomic
      differences between S250 and JJ1886 strains suggests the presence of traits
      related to bacterial commensalism in our H22 strains and traits commonly found in
      uropathogenic E. coli in our H30-R strains.

PMID- 28347274
TI  - Erratum to: How can functional annotations be derived from profiles of phenotypic
      annotations?

PMID- 28347273
TI  - Stage IVb thymic carcinoma: patients with lymph node metastases have better
      prognoses than those with hematogenous metastases.
AB  - BACKGROUND: This study aimed to analyze the pattern of lymphogenous and
      hematogenous metastases in patients with stage IVb thymic carcinomas and identify
      prognostic factors for their survivals. METHODS: Between September 1978 and
      October 2014, 68 patients with pathologically confirmed stage IVb thymic
      carcinomas were treated at Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center. Forty-three
      patients had lymph node involvement without distant metastases, and the remaining
      25 patients had hematogenous metastases. Clinical-pathological characteristics,
      including age, sex, histologic subtype, tumor size, metastasis, treatment
      modalities, such as surgical resection, radiotherapy, and chemotherapy, and
      clinical outcomes, such as overall survival (OS) and progression free survival
      (PFS), were analyzed. RESULTS: The median follow-up time was 22 months (range, 1
      126 months). The median OS of all patients with stage IVb thymic carcinomas was
      30 months, and the 5-year overall survival rate was 25.1%. The median PFS was 11
      months, and the 5-year PFS was 17.9%. Stage IVb patients with lymph node
      involvement had a better survival than those with distant metastasis (40 vs. 20
      months, p = 0.002). Patients with myasthenia gravis had a worse prognosis (p =
      0.033). Multivariate analysis identified metastatic status as an independent
      prognostic factor for OS in patients with stage IVb thymic carcinomas.
      CONCLUSIONS: Patients with lymph node involvement had a better survival than
      those with distant metastases. Much work remains to investigate the prognosis of
      patients with stage IVb thymic carcinomas and to explore different treatment
      strategies for patients with lymph node involvement and distant metastases.

PMID- 28347275
TI  - Exploring structural variation and gene family architecture with De Novo
      assemblies of 15 Medicago genomes.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Previous studies exploring sequence variation in the model legume,
      Medicago truncatula, relied on mapping short reads to a single reference.
      However, read-mapping approaches are inadequate to examine large, diverse gene
      families or to probe variation in repeat-rich or highly divergent genome regions.
      De novo sequencing and assembly of M. truncatula genomes enables near
      comprehensive discovery of structural variants (SVs), analysis of rapidly
      evolving gene families, and ultimately, construction of a pan-genome. RESULTS:
      Genome-wide synteny based on 15 de novo M. truncatula assemblies effectively
      detected different types of SVs indicating that as much as 22% of the genome is
      involved in large structural changes, altogether affecting 28% of gene models. A
      total of 63 million base pairs (Mbp) of novel sequence was discovered, expanding
      the reference genome space for Medicago by 16%. Pan-genome analysis revealed that
      42% (180 Mbp) of genomic sequences is missing in one or more accession, while
      examination of de novo annotated genes identified 67% (50,700) of all ortholog
      groups as dispensable - estimates comparable to recent studies in rice, maize and
      soybean. Rapidly evolving gene families typically associated with biotic
      interactions and stress response were found to be enriched in the accession
      specific gene pool. The nucleotide-binding site leucine-rich repeat (NBS-LRR)
      family, in particular, harbors the highest level of nucleotide diversity, large
      effect single nucleotide change, protein diversity, and presence/absence
      variation. However, the leucine-rich repeat (LRR) and heat shock gene families
      are disproportionately affected by large effect single nucleotide changes and
      even higher levels of copy number variation. CONCLUSIONS: Analysis of multiple M.
      truncatula genomes illustrates the value of de novo assemblies to discover and
      describe structural variation, something that is often under-estimated when using
      read-mapping approaches. Comparisons among the de novo assemblies also indicate
      that different large gene families differ in the architecture of their structural
      variation.

PMID- 28347277
TI  - 'Let food be thy medicine...': lessons from low-protein diets from around the
      world.
AB  - In this editorial we present the special issue dedicated to low-protein diets
      (LPDs) in chronic kidney disease, from a global perspective.The experiences
      gathered from several countries across all continents have created an issue which
      we hope you will find insightful, and lead to further discussion on this
      interesting topic.We discover that LPDs are feasible in both developed and low
      income countries, in patients where literacy is an issue, and are also safe,
      including during pregnancy and in old age.Patients prescribed a low protein diet
      are more inclined to follow and adhere to this change in lifestyle, provided the
      diet has been adapted to meet their own individual needs. With an increasing list
      of different menu options and better medical advice being offered we no longer
      need to identify low protein diets with a specific menu, ingredient or
      supplement, or with a specific level of protein restriction. Evidence shows how
      the best diet is often the one chosen by the patients, which doesn't drastically
      affect their day-to-day life, and delays the start of dialysis for as long as is
      safe under careful clinical control. The colourful menus gathered from all over
      the world remind us that a low protein diet does not necessarily mean that the
      pleasure of preparing a delicious meal is lost. The final comment is therefore
      dedicated to our patients: low protein diets can be beautiful.

PMID- 28347278
TI  - Validity of anthropometric equations to estimate infant fat mass at birth and in
      early infancy.
AB  - BACKGROUND: In newborns and children, body fat estimation equations are often
      used at different ages than the age used to develop the equations. Limited
      validation studies exist for newborn body fat estimation equations at birth or
      later in infancy. The study purpose was to validate 4 newborn fat mass (FM)
      estimation equations in comparison to FM measured by air displacement
      plethysmography (ADP; the Pea Pod) at birth and 3 months. METHODS: Ninety-five
      newborns (1-3 days) had their body composition measured by ADP and
      anthropometrics assessed by skinfolds. Sixty-three infants had repeat measures
      taken (3 months). FM measured by ADP was compared to FM from the skinfold
      estimation equations (Deierlein, Catalano, Lingwood, and Aris). Paired t-tests
      assessed mean differences, linear regression assessed accuracy, precision was
      assessed by R2 and standard error of the estimate (SEE), and bias was assessed by
      Bland-Altman plots. RESULTS: At birth, FM measured by ADP differed from FM
      estimated by Deierlein, Lingwood and Aris equations, but did not differ from the
      Catalano equation. At 3 months, FM measured by ADP was different from all
      equations. At both time points, poor precision and accuracy was detected. Bias
      was detected in most all equations. CONCLUSIONS: Poor agreement, precision, and
      accuracy were found between prediction equations and the criterion at birth and 3
      months.

PMID- 28347276
TI  - Herboxidiene triggers splicing repression and abiotic stress responses in plants.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Constitutive and alternative splicing of pre-mRNAs from multiexonic
      genes controls the diversity of the proteome; these precisely regulated processes
      also fine-tune responses to cues related to growth, development, and stresses.
      Small-molecule inhibitors that perturb splicing provide invaluable tools for use
      as chemical probes to uncover the molecular underpinnings of splicing regulation
      and as potential anticancer compounds. RESULTS: Here, we show that herboxidiene
      (GEX1A) inhibits both constitutive and alternative splicing. Moreover, GEX1A
      activates genome-wide transcriptional patterns involved in abiotic stress
      responses in plants. GEX1A treatment -activated ABA-inducible promoters, and led
      to stomatal closure. Interestingly, GEX1A and pladienolide B (PB) elicited
      similar cellular changes, including alterations in the patterns of transcription
      and splicing, suggesting that these compounds might target the same spliceosome
      complex in plant cells. CONCLUSIONS: Our study establishes GEX1A as a potent
      splicing inhibitor in plants that can be used to probe the assembly, dynamics,
      and molecular functions of the spliceosome and to study the interplay between
      splicing stress and abiotic stresses, as well as having potential
      biotechnological applications.

PMID- 28347279
TI  - Simultaneous detection of respiratory syncytial virus and human metapneumovirus
      by one-step multiplex real-time RT-PCR in patients with respiratory symptoms.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Both respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) and human metapneumovirus
      (hMPV) are important viral pathogens causing respiratory tract infection (RTI) in
      the pediatric population. However, the clinical manifestations of RSV and hMPV
      infections are similar. Therefore, a reliable and rapid diagnostic tool is needed
      for diagnostic performance. METHODS: In order to optimize diagnosis efficiency of
      RTI, the aim of this study is to establish a rapid and advanced method for
      simultaneous detecting RSV and hMPV in nasopharyngeal aspirates specimens from
      patients. We designed a one-step triplex real-time RT-PCR (qRT-PCR) protocol
      using TaqMan probes for detecting RSV and hMPV. The plasmid clones containing RSV
      nucleoprotein gene and hMPV fusion gene were established as reference standards.
      We used virus culture supernatants from 86 known pediatric RTI patient to test
      the specificity and sensitivity of our assay. Then we used total 222
      nasopharyngeal aspirates specimens from pediatric patients hospitalized with
      respiratory symptoms to evaluate our assay. RESULTS: Our one-step triplex qRT-PCR
      assay showed 100% sensitivity and specificity in testing RSV and hMPV in 86 known
      virus culture supernatants, with excellent linearity (R2 > 0.99) and reliable
      reproducibility (CV lower than 1.04%). This assay has a wide dynamic range 102
      109copies/reaction (limit of detection; LOD = 100 copies/reaction). A total of
      222 patients hospitalized with respiratory symptoms were enrolled for clinical
      evaluation. In these samples, our qRT-PCR assay detected 68 RSV positive and 18
      hMPV positive cases. However, standard virus culture only detected 8 RSV positive
      cases and 0 hMPV cases. Based on this improved triplex qRT-PCR assay, we found
      that RSV infection was associated with severe inflammation by chest X-ray and
      occurrence of pneumonia which were not observed previously. CONCLUSIONS: In
      summary, we have developed a highly specific and sensitive one-step triplex qRT
      PCR assay to detect hMPV and RSV simultaneously. This assay offers a valuable
      tool for routine diagnosis.

PMID- 28347281
TI  - A structural equation analysis on the relationship between maternal health
      services utilization and newborn health outcomes: a cross-sectional study in
      Eastern Uganda.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Neonatal and maternal health services have a bearing on neonatal
      mortality. Direct and indirect factors affecting neonatal health outcomes
      therefore require understanding to enable well-targeted interventions. This
      study, therefore, assessed the interrelationship between newborn health outcomes
      and maternal service utilization factors. METHODS: We investigated maternal
      health utilization factors using health facility delivery and at least four
      Antenatal Care (ANC) visits; and newborn health outcomes using newborn death and
      low birth weight (LBW). We used data from a household cross-sectional survey that
      was conducted in 2015 in Kamuli, Pallisa and Kibuku districts. We interviewed
      1946 women who had delivered in the last 12 months. The four interrelated
      (Endogenous) outcomes were ANC attendance, health facility delivery, newborn
      death, and LBW. We performed analysis using a structural equation modeling
      technique. RESULTS: A history of newborn death (aOR = 12.64, 95% CI 5.31-30.10)
      and birth of a LBW baby (aOR = 3.51, 95% CI 1.48-8.37) were directly related to
      increased odds of newborn death. Factors that reduced the odds of LBW as a
      mediating factor for newborn death were ANC fourth time attendance (aOR = 0.62,
      95% CI 0.45-0.85), having post-primary level education (aOR = 0.68, 95% CI 0.46
      0.98) compared to none and being gravida three (aOR = 0.49, 95% CI 0.26-0.94)
      compared to being gravida one. Mother's age group, 20-24 (aOR = 0.24, 95% CI 0.08
      0.75) and 25-29 years (aOR = 0.20, 95% CI 0.05-0.86) compared to 15-19 years was
      also associated with reduced odds of LBW. Additionally, ANC visits during the
      first trimester (aOR = 2.04, 95% CI 1.79-2.34), and village health teams (VHTs)
      visits while pregnant (aOR = 1.14, 95% CI 1.01-1.30) were associated with
      increased odds of at least four ANC visits, which is a mediating factor for
      health facility delivery, LBW and newborn death. Surprisingly, newborn death was
      not significantly different between health facility and community deliveries.
      CONCLUSIONS: Attending ANC at least four times was a mediating factor for reduced
      newborn death and low birth weight. Interventions in maternal health and newborn
      health should focus on factors that increase ANC fourth time attendance and those
      that reduce LBW especially in resource-limited settings. Targeting women with
      high-risk pregnancies is also crucial for reducing newborn deaths.

PMID- 28347280
TI  - Comparison of two commercial broad-range PCR and sequencing assays for
      identification of bacteria in culture-negative clinical samples.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Culturing has long been the gold standard for detecting aetiologic
      agents in bacterial infections. In some cases, however, culturing fails to detect
      the infection. To further investigate culture-negative samples, amplification and
      subsequent sequencing of the 16S rRNA gene is often applied. The aim of the
      present study was to compare the current method used at our Department of
      Clinical Microbiology, based on the MicroSeq ID system (Applied Biosystems, USA)
      with the Universal Microbe Detection (UMD) SelectNA kit (Molzym, Germany).
      METHODS: 76 culture-negative samples were first processed with the MicroSeq ID
      analysis, where total DNA was extracted and the 16S gene amplified and sequenced
      with the MicroSeq ID system. Samples were subsequently processed with the UMD
      SelectNA analysis, where human DNA was removed during the DNA extraction
      procedure and the 16S gene amplified in a real-time PCR and sequenced. RESULTS:
      22 of 76 samples (28.9%) were positive for bacteria with the UMD SelectNA, which
      was significantly more (p = 0.0055) than the MicroSeq ID where 11 of 76 samples
      (14.5%) were positive. The UMD SelectNA assay identified more relevant bacterial
      pathogens than the MicroSeq ID analysis (p = 0.0233), but also found a number of
      species that were considered contaminations. CONCLUSIONS: The UMD SelectNA assay
      was valuable for the identification of pathogens in culture-negative samples;
      however, due to the sensitive nature of the assay, extreme care is suggested in
      order to avoid false positives.

PMID- 28347282
TI  - Hyperuricemia after orthotopic liver transplantation: divergent associations with
      progression of renal disease, incident end-stage renal disease, and mortality.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Although hyperuricemia is common after orthotopic liver
      transplantation (OLT), its relationship to mortality, progressive kidney disease,
      or the development of end stage renal disease (ESRD) is not well-described.
      METHODS: Data from 304 patients undergoing OLT between 1996 and 2010 were used to
      assess the association of mean serum uric acid (UA) level in the 3-months post
      OLT with mortality, doubling of creatinine, and ESRD incidence. Post-OLT survival
      to event outcomes according to UA level and eGFR was assessed using the Kaplan
      Meier method and multivariate Cox proportional hazards models. RESULTS: Mean UA
      level among the 204 patients with an eGFR level >=60 ml/min/1.73 m2 was 6.4 mg/dl
      compared to 7.9 mg/dl among the 100 patients with eGFR <60 (p < 0.0001). During a
      median of 4.6 years of follow-up, mortality rate, doubling of creatinine, and
      ESRD incidence were 48.9, 278.2, and 20.7 per 1000 person-years, respectively. In
      the first 5 years of follow-up, elevated UA was associated with mortality (Hazard
      Ratio, HR = 1.7; p = 0.045). However, among those with eGFR >= 60, UA level did
      not predict mortality (HR = 1.0; p = 0.95), and among those with eGFR < 60,
      elevated UA was a strong predictor of mortality (HR = 3.7[1.1, 12.0]; p = 0.03).
      UA was not associated with ESRD, but was associated with doubling of creatinine
      among diabetics (HR = 2.2[1.1, 4.3]; p = 0.025). CONCLUSION: In this post-OLT
      cohort, hyperuricemia independently predicted mortality, particularly among
      patients with eGFR < 60, and predicted doubling of creatinine among diabetics.

PMID- 28347283
TI  - Healthcare resource use and costs of multiple sclerosis patients in Germany
      before and during fampridine treatment.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Multiple sclerosis (MS) patients often suffer from gait impairment
      and fampridine is indicated to medically improve walking ability in this
      population. Patient characteristics, healthcare resource use, and costs of MS
      patients on fampridine treatment for 12 months in Germany were analyzed. METHODS:
      A retrospective claims database analysis was conducted including MS patients who
      initiated fampridine treatment (index date) between July 2011 and December 2013.
      Continuous insurance enrollment during 12 months pre- and post-index date was
      required, as was at least 1 additional fampridine prescription in the fourth
      quarter after the index date. Patient characteristics were evaluated and pre- vs
      post-index MS-related healthcare utilization and costs were compared. RESULTS: A
      total of 562 patients were included in this study. The mean (standard deviation
      [SD]) age was 50.5 (9.8) years and 63% were female. In the treatment period,
      almost every patient had at least 1 MS-related outpatient visit, 24% were
      hospitalized due to MS, and 79% utilized MS-specific physical therapy in addition
      to the fampridine treatment. Total MS-related healthcare costs were significantly
      higher in the fampridine treatment period than in the period prior to fampridine
      initiation (?17,392 vs ?10,960, P < 0.001). While this difference was driven
      primarily by prescription costs, MS-related inpatient costs were lower during
      fampridine treatment (?1,333 vs ?1,565, P < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: Physical therapy
      is mainly used concomitant to fampridine treatment. While healthcare costs were
      higher during fampridine treatment compared to the pre-treatment period,
      inpatient costs were lower. Further research is necessary to better understand
      the fampridine influence.

PMID- 28347284
TI  - How does the media portray drinking water security in Indigenous communities in
      Canada? An analysis of Canadian newspaper coverage from 2000-2015.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Drinking water insecurity and related health outcomes often
      disproportionately impact Indigenous communities internationally. Understanding
      media coverage of these water-related issues can provide insight into the ways in
      which public perceptions are shaped, with potential implications for decision
      making and action. This study aimed to examine the extent, range, and nature of
      newspaper coverage of drinking water security in Canadian Indigenous communities.
      METHODS: Using ProQuest database, we systematically searched for and screened
      newspaper articles published from 2000 to 2015 from Canadian newspapers:
      Windspeaker, Toronto Star, The Globe and Mail, and National Post. We conducted
      descriptive quantitative analysis and thematic qualitative analysis on relevant
      articles to characterize framing and trends in coverage. RESULTS: A total of 1382
      articles were returned in the search, of which 256 articles were identified as
      relevant. There was limited coverage of water challenges for Canadian Indigenous
      communities, especially for Metis (5%) and Inuit (3%) communities. Most stories
      focused on government responses to water-related issues, and less often covered
      preventative measures such as source water protection. Overall, Indigenous
      peoples were quoted the most often. Double-standards of water quality between
      Indigenous and non-Indigenous communities, along with conflict and cooperation
      efforts between stakeholders were emphasized in many articles. CONCLUSION:
      Limited media coverage could undermine public and stakeholder interest in
      addressing water-related issues faced by many Canadian Indigenous communities.

PMID- 28347285
TI  - Whole-exome sequencing and digital PCR identified a novel compound heterozygous
      mutation in the NPHP1 gene in a case of Joubert syndrome and related disorders.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Joubert syndrome and related disorders (JSRD) is a clinically and
      genetically heterogeneous condition with autosomal recessive or X-linked
      inheritance, which share a distinctive neuroradiological hallmark, the so-called
      molar tooth sign. JSRD is classified into six clinical subtypes based on
      associated variable multiorgan involvement. To date, 21 causative genes have been
      identified in JSRD, which makes genetic diagnosis difficult. CASE PRESENTATION:
      We report here a case of a 28-year-old Japanese woman diagnosed with JS with
      oculorenal defects with a novel compound heterozygous mutation
      (p.Ser219*/deletion) in the NPHP1 gene. Whole-exome sequencing (WES) of the
      patient identified the novel nonsense mutation in an apparently homozygous state.
      However, it was absent in her mother and heterozygous in her father. A read depth
      based copy number variation (CNV) detection algorithm using WES data of the
      family predicted a large heterozygous deletion mutation in the patient and her
      mother, which was validated by digital polymerase chain reaction, indicating that
      the patient was compound heterozygous for the paternal nonsense mutation and the
      maternal deletion mutation spanning the site of the single nucleotide change.
      CONCLUSION: It should be noted that analytical pipelines that focus purely on
      sequence information cannot distinguish homozygosity from hemizygosity because of
      its inability to detect large deletions. The ability to detect CNVs in addition
      to single nucleotide variants and small insertion/deletions makes WES an
      attractive diagnostic tool for genetically heterogeneous disorders.

PMID- 28347286
TI  - Malignant acrospiroma: a case report in the era of next generation sequencing.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Malignant acrospiroma is a rare tumor of the eccrine sweat glands
      accounting for around 6% of all malignant eccrine tumors. Typically, it presents
      as large ulcerated nodules, and diagnosis can be challenging as it has great
      overlap with its benign counterpart. CASE PRESENTATION: We herein report a case
      of acral malignant acrospiroma, initially treated with surgical excision and
      adjuvant radiotherapy. After metastatic disease was confirmed, subject received
      multiple lines of chemo- as well as targeted therapy. Genomic testing was also
      done using next generation sequencing. CONCLUSION: To the best of our knowledge,
      this is the first case of acral malignant acrospiroma with reported next
      generation sequencing results.

PMID- 28347287
TI  - Unraveling the complexity of transcriptomic, metabolomic and quality
      environmental response of tomato fruit.
AB  - BACKGROUND: The environment has a profound influence on the organoleptic quality
      of tomato (Solanum lycopersicum) fruit, the extent of which depends on a well
      regulated and dynamic interplay among genes, metabolites and sensorial
      attributes. We used a systems biology approach to elucidate the complex
      interacting mechanisms regulating the plasticity of sensorial traits. To
      investigate environmentally challenged transcriptomic and metabolomic remodeling
      and evaluate the organoleptic consequences of such variations we grown three
      tomato varieties, Heinz 1706, whose genome was sequenced as reference and two
      "local" ones, San Marzano and Vesuviano in two different locations of Campania
      region (Italy). RESULTS: Responses to environment were more pronounced in the two
      "local" genotypes, rather than in the Heinz 1706. The overall genetic composition
      of each genotype, acting in trans, modulated the specific response to
      environment. Duplicated genes and transcription factors, establishing different
      number of network connections by gaining or losing links, play a dominant role in
      shaping organoleptic profile. The fundamental role of cell wall metabolism in
      tuning all the quality attributes, including the sensorial perception, was also
      highlighted. CONCLUSIONS: Although similar fruit-related quality processes are
      activated in the same environment, different tomato genotypes follow distinct
      transcriptomic, metabolomic and sensorial trajectories depending on their own
      genetic makeup.

PMID- 28347288
TI  - ABCG2 is a potential prognostic marker of overall survival in patients with clear
      cell renal cell carcinoma.
AB  - BACKGROUND: ATP-binding cassette sub-family G member 2 (ABCG2) is a semi
      transport protein that plays a major role in multidrug resistance. We aimed to
      evaluate the prognostic significance of ABCG2 expression in patients with clear
      cell renal cell carcinoma. METHODS: From 2008 to 2013, 120 patients with clear
      cell kidney cancer underwent surgery with paraffin-embedded specimens and
      necessary clinical information available. Immunohistochemistry staining was
      performed to grade the expression of ABCG2 as ABCG2(-): less than 10% of tumor
      cells stained; ABCG2(+): weak membrane staining; and ABCG2(++): moderate or
      strong membrane staining. The overall survival was analyzed using Kaplan-Meier
      method. Multivariable Cox regression evaluated the independent predictors for
      overall survival. RESULTS: ABCG2(-) was diagnosed in 57 (48%) patients, ABCG2(+)
      in 52 (43%) patients, and ABCG2 (++) in 11(9.2%) patients. ABCG2 expression
      significantly correlated with the five-year survival (p < 0.001) and distant
      metastasis (p = 0.001). In the multivariable analysis, besides Fuhrman grade, the
      ABCG2 expression was an independent prognostic marker for overall survival (p <
      0.001) when incorporating other relevant tumor and clinical parameters (HR =
      3.84, 95% CI: 1.92-7.70). CONCLUSION: The current data suggests that ABCG2 may
      serve as a prognostic marker for overall survival in patients with clear cell
      renal cell carcinoma. Further studies with large cohorts of patients will be
      essential for validating these findings and defining the clinical utility of
      ABCG2 in the patient population.

PMID- 28347289
TI  - DNA alterations in Cd133+ and Cd133- tumour cells enriched from intra-operative
      human colon tumour biopsies.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Tumour stem cells are considered important to promote disease
      progression, recurrence and treatment resistance following chemotherapy in colon
      cancer. However, genomic analyses of colorectal cancer have mainly been performed
      on integrated tumour tissue consisting of several different cell types in
      addition to differentiated tumour cells. The purpose of the present study was to
      compare genomic alterations in two cell fractions enriched of CD133+ and CD133
      /EpCAM+ cells, respectively, obtained from fresh intraoperative human tumour
      biopsies. METHODS: The tumour biopsies were fractionated into CD133+ and CD133
      /EpCAM+ cells by immunomagnetic separation, confirmed by immunocytochemistry and
      Q-PCR. DNA were extracted and used for array comparative genome hybridization
      (aCGH) after whole genome amplification. Frozen tumour tissue biopsies were used
      for DNA/RNA extraction and Q-PCR analyses to check for DNA alterations detected
      in the cell fractions. RESULTS: The number and size of DNA alterations were
      equally distributed across the cell fractions; however, large deletions were
      detected on chromosome 1, 7 and 19 in CD133-/EpCAM+ cells. Deletions were
      frequent in both cell fractions and a deletion on chromosome 19p was confirmed in
      90% of the patients. CONCLUSION: Isolation of enriched cells derived from tumour
      tissue revealed mainly genomic deletions, which were not observed in tumour
      tissue DNA analyses. CD133+ cells were genetically heterogeneous among patients
      without any defined profile compared to CD133-/EpCAM+ cells.

PMID- 28347290
TI  - A possible association of baseline serum IL-17A concentrations with progression
      free survival of metastatic colorectal cancer patients treated with a bevacizumab
      based regimen.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Colorectal cancer is a major public health issue worldwide.
      Interleukin-17 (IL-17) and Th17 (T-helper cell type 17)-related molecules are
      involved in tumor development and in resistance to bevacizumab, an anti-vascular
      endothelial growth factor monoclonal antibody used in association with
      chemotherapy in metastatic colorectal cancer. Some studies have previously shown
      that IL-17A and IL-17F polymorphisms, respectively rs2275913 and rs763780, are
      associated with gastric or colorectal cancer risk. Here we aimed at studying the
      influence of IL-17A-related individual factors on overall survival and
      progression-free survival in patients with metastatic colorectal cancer treated
      with a bevacizumab-based chemotherapy. METHODS: Pre-treatment serum biomarkers
      were retrospectively evaluated in 122 metastatic colorectal cancer patients
      treated by bevacizumab in combination with chemotherapy at 2-weeks intervals in a
      prospective cohort study (NCT00489697). The polymorphisms of IL-17A and IL-17F
      were analyzed by polymerase chain reaction - restriction fragment length
      polymorphism. Serum concentrations of Th17-related cytokines were measured by
      MultiPlex. The impact of individual parameters on overall survival and
      progression-free survival was assessed using multivariate Cox models. RESULTS:
      High baseline IL-17A serum concentrations were significantly associated with
      shorter progression-free survival [p = 0.043]. Other baseline serum Th17-related
      cytokines and polymorphisms of IL-17 were not associated with overall survival or
      progression-free survival. CONCLUSIONS: In this ancillary study, baseline serum
      IL-17A concentration is the only Th17/IL-17 related factor that was significantly
      associated with the response of patients with metastatic colorectal cancer to
      bevacizumab. But this main significant result is highly dependent on one case
      which, if left out, weakens the data. Other clinical studies are required to
      confirm this association. TRIAL REGISTRATION: NCT00489697 . June 20, 2007.

PMID- 28347291
TI  - Design of a randomized controlled trial of physical training and cancer (Phys
      Can) - the impact of exercise intensity on cancer related fatigue, quality of
      life and disease outcome.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Cancer-related fatigue is a common problem in persons with cancer,
      influencing health-related quality of life and causing a considerable challenge
      to society. Current evidence supports the beneficial effects of physical exercise
      in reducing fatigue, but the results across studies are not consistent,
      especially in terms of exercise intensity. It is also unclear whether use of
      behaviour change techniques can further increase exercise adherence and maintain
      physical activity behaviour. This study will investigate whether exercise
      intensity affects fatigue and health related quality of life in persons
      undergoing adjuvant cancer treatment. In addition, to examine effects of exercise
      intensity on mood disturbance, adherence to oncological treatment, adverse
      effects from treatment, activities of daily living after treatment completion and
      return to work, and behaviour change techniques effect on exercise adherence. We
      will also investigate whether exercise intensity influences inflammatory markers
      and cytokines, and whether gene expressions following training serve as mediators
      for the effects of exercise on fatigue and health related quality of life.
      METHODS/DESIGN: Six hundred newly diagnosed persons with breast, colorectal or
      prostate cancer undergoing adjuvant therapy will be randomized in a 2 * 2
      factorial design to following conditions; A) individually tailored low-to
      moderate intensity exercise with or without behaviour change techniques or B)
      individually tailored high intensity exercise with or without behaviour change
      techniques. The training consists of both resistance and endurance exercise
      sessions under the guidance of trained coaches. The primary outcomes, fatigue and
      health related quality of life, are measured by self-reports. Secondary outcomes
      include fitness, mood disturbance, adherence to the cancer treatment, adverse
      effects, return to activities of daily living after completed treatment, return
      to work as well as inflammatory markers, cytokines and gene expression.
      DISCUSSION: The study will contribute to our understanding of the value of
      exercise and exercise intensity in reducing fatigue and improving health related
      quality of life and, potentially, clinical outcomes. The value of behaviour
      change techniques in terms of adherence to and maintenance of physical exercise
      behaviour in persons with cancer will be evaluated. TRIAL REGISTRATION:
      NCT02473003 , October, 2014.

PMID- 28347292
TI  - Protocol for a randomized, double blind, placebo controlled, crossover trial of
      Melatonin for treatment of Nocturia in adults with Multiple Sclerosis (MeNiMS).
AB  - BACKGROUND: Nocturia (the symptom of needing to wake up to pass urine) is common
      in progressive Multiple Sclerosis (MS) patients. Moderate-to-severe nocturia
      affects quality of life, can exacerbate fatigue and may affect capacity to carry
      out daily activities. Melatonin is a natural hormone regulating circadian cycles,
      released by the pineal gland at night-time, and secretion is impaired in MS.
      Melatonin levels can be supplemented by administration in tablet form at bedtime.
      The aim of this study is to evaluate the effect of melatonin on mean number of
      nocturia episodes per night in MS patients. Secondary outcome measures will
      assess impact upon quality of life, urinated volumes, lower urinary tract
      symptoms (LUTS), cognition, sleep quality and sleep disturbance of partners.
      METHODS: A randomized, double blind, placebo controlled, crossover trial
      consisting of two, six week treatment phases (active drug melatonin 2 mg or
      placebo), with a 1 month wash-out period in between. The primary outcome (change
      in nocturia episodes per night) in this two arm, two treatment, two period
      crossover design, will be objectively measured using frequency volume charts
      (FVC) at baseline and following both treatment phases. Questionnaires will be
      used to assess quality of life, sleep quality, safety and urinary tract symptoms.
      Qualitative interviews of participants and partners will explore issues including
      quality of life, mechanisms of sleep disturbance and impact of nocturia on
      partners. DISCUSSION: This study will evaluate whether melatonin reduces the
      frequency of nocturia episodes in MS patients, and therefore whether 'Circadin'
      has the potential to reduce LUTS and fatigue, and improve cognition and overall
      quality of life. TRIAL REGISTRATION: (EudraCT reference) 2012-00418321
      registered: 25/01/13. ISRCTN Registry: ISRCTN38687869.

PMID- 28347293
TI  - Comparison of a novel microcrystalline tyrosine adjuvant with aluminium hydroxide
      for enhancing vaccination against seasonal influenza.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Vaccination against seasonal influenza strains is recommended for
      "high risk" patient groups such as infants, elderly and those with respiratory or
      circulatory diseases. However, efficacy of the trivalent influenza vaccine (TIV)
      is poor in many cases and in the event of an influenza pandemic, mono-valent
      vaccines have been rapidly developed and deployed. One of the main issues with
      use of vaccine in pandemic situations is the lack of a suitable quantity of
      vaccine early enough during the pandemic to exert a major influence on the
      transmission of virus and disease outcome. One approach is to use a dose-sparing
      regimen which inevitably involves enhancing the efficacy using adjuvants.
      METHODS: In this study we compare the use of a novel microcrystalline tyrosine
      (MCT) adjuvant, which is currently used in a niche area of allergy immunotherapy,
      for its ability to enhance the efficacy of a seasonal TIV preparation. The
      efficacy of the MCT adjuvant formulation was compared to alum adjuvanted TIV and
      to TIV administered without adjuvant using a ferret challenge model to determine
      vaccine efficacy. RESULTS: The MCT was found to possess high protein-binding
      capacity. In the two groups where TIV was formulated with adjuvant, the immune
      response was found to be higher (as determined by HAI titre) than vaccine
      administered without adjuvant and especially so after challenge with a live
      influenza virus. Vaccinated animals exhibited lower viral loads (as determined
      using RT-PCR) than control animals where no vaccine was administered.
      CONCLUSIONS: The attributes of each adjuvant in stimulating single-dose
      protection against a poorly immunogenic vaccine was demonstrated. The properties
      of MCT that lead to the reported effectiveness warrants further exploration in
      this and other vaccine targets - particularly where appropriate immunogenic,
      biodegradable and stable alternative adjuvants are sought.

PMID- 28347294
TI  - From good health to illness with post-infectious fatigue syndrome: a qualitative
      study of adults' experiences of the illness trajectory.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Municipal drinking water contaminated with the parasite Giardia
      lamblia in Bergen, Norway, in 2004 caused an outbreak of gastrointestinal
      infection in 2500 people, according to the Norwegian Prescription Database. In
      the aftermath a minor group subsequently developed post-infectious fatigue
      syndrome (PIFS). Persons in this minor group had laboratory-confirmed parasites
      in their stool samples, and their enteritis had been cured by one or more courses
      of antibiotic treatment. The study's purpose was to explore how the affected
      persons experienced the illness trajectory and various PIFS disabilities.
      METHODS: A qualitative design with in-depth interviews was used to obtain first
      hand experiences of PIFS. To get an overall understanding of their perceived
      illness trajectory, the participants were asked to retrospectively rate their
      functional level at different points in time. A maximum variation sample of
      adults diagnosed with PIFS according to the international 1994 criteria was
      recruited from a cohort of persons diagnosed with PIFS at a tertiary Neurology
      Outpatient Clinic in Western Norway. The sample comprised 19 women and seven men
      (mean age 41 years, range 26-59). The interviews were fully transcribed and
      subjected to a qualitative content analysis. RESULTS: All participants had been
      living healthy lives pre-illness. The time to develop PIFS varied. Multiple
      disabilities in the physical, cognitive, emotional, neurological, sleep and
      intolerance domains were described. Everyone more or less dropped out from
      studies or work, and few needed to be taken care of during the worst period. The
      severity of these disabilities varied among the participants and during the
      illness phases. Despite individual variations, an overall pattern of illness
      trajectory emerged. Five phases were identified: prodromal, downward, turning,
      upward and chronic phase. All reached a nadir followed by varying degrees of
      improvement in their functional ability. None regained pre-illness health or
      personal and professional abilities. CONCLUSIONS: The needs of persons with this
      condition are not met. Early diagnosis and interdisciplinary rehabilitation could
      be beneficial in altering the downward trajectory at an earlier stage, avoiding
      the most severe disability and optimising improvement. Enhanced knowledge among
      health professionals, tailored treatment, rest as needed, financial support and
      practical help would likely improve prognosis.

PMID- 28347295
TI  - Factors associated with anemia among Sri Lankan primary school children in rural
      North Central Province.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Despite interventions, childhood anemia is still a major public
      health problem in low and middle income countries. Purpose of the present study
      is to determine factors associated with anemia among rural primary school
      children in Sri Lanka, a country undergoing rapid socioeconomic changes. METHODS:
      Multi stage cluster sampling was used to select 100 rural schools in NCP and a
      maximum of 50 children aged 60-131 months were enrolled from each school. Self
      administered questionnaires were sent to parents. Anthropometric measurements and
      blood samples were obtained by trained investigators. Blood reports were analyzed
      in a commercial laboratory with external quality control measures. RESULTS: Total
      of 4412 children were included in the analysis. A Multiple regression was
      performed for hemoglobin. Only 4.2% of the change in hemoglobin could be
      explained by the model. District (p > 0.001), age (p > 0.001), timing of warm
      treatment(p = 0.026) and BMI for age (p = 0.002) uniquely contributed 1.12%,
      1.19%, 0.13% and 0.26% to change in hemoglobin level respectively whereas, sex,
      monthly family income and frequency of meat and green leaf consumption didn't
      contribute significantly. Peripheral blood film analyses were available for 146
      anemic children. Blood film was reported as normal in 19.9% while evidence of
      iron deficiency (18.5%), early iron deficiency (32.5%) and thalassemia trait with
      iron deficiency (29.5%) were reported in the rest. Serum ferritin level was
      available for 417 children with hemoglobin less than 12 g/dl. Mean ferritin level
      was 63.7 microgram/l. Only 0.5% had depleted iron stores. A multiple regression
      was performed for serum ferritin and R2 was 0.123 (p < 0.001). Area under the
      curve for serum ferritin and anemia was 0.436. CONCLUSION: Anemia among rural
      primary school children in NCP cannot be well explained by routinely assessed
      socioeconomic characteristics which mainly provide clues to access for food.
      Commonly used anemia related investigations have low validity in detecting and
      explaining anemia in this population. Since behavioral factors have been shown to
      affect nutrition of younger children in Sri Lanka, studying weather behaviors are
      related to anemia in primary school children is important. Possible etiologies
      including but not limited to nutritional deficiencies need to be studied further.

PMID- 28347296
TI  - The effect of postal questionnaire burden on response rate and answer patterns
      following admission to intensive care: a randomised controlled trial.
AB  - BACKGROUND: The effects of postal questionnaire burden on return rates and
      answers given are unclear following treatment on an intensive care unit (ICU). We
      aimed to establish the effects of different postal questionnaire burdens on
      return rates and answers given. METHODS: Design: A parallel group randomised
      controlled trial. We assigned patients by computer-based randomisation to one of
      two questionnaire packs (Group A and Group B). SETTING: Patients from 26 ICUs in
      the United Kingdom. INCLUSION CRITERIA: Patients who had received at least 24 h
      of level 3 care and were 16 years of age or older. Patients did not know that
      there were different questionnaire burdens. The study included 18,490 patients.
      12,170 were eligible to be sent a questionnaire pack at 3 months. We sent 12,105
      questionnaires (6112 to group A and 5993 to group B). INTERVENTIONS: The Group A
      pack contained demographic and EuroQol group 5 Dimensions 3 level (EQ-5D-3 L)
      questionnaires, making four questionnaire pages. The Group B pack also contained
      the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Score (HADS) and the Post-Traumatic Stress
      Disorder Check List-Civilian (PCL-C) questionnaires, making eight questionnaire
      pages in total. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE: Questionnaire return rate 3 months after
      ICU discharge by group. RESULTS: In group A, 2466/6112 (40.3%) participants
      responded at 3 months. In group B 2315/ 5993 (38.6%) participants responded
      (difference 1.7% CI for difference 0-3.5% p = 0.053). Group A reported better
      functionality than group B in the EQ-5D-3 L mobility (41% versus 37% reporting no
      problems p = 0.003) and anxiety/depression (59% versus 55% reporting no problems
      p = 0.017) domains. CONCLUSIONS: In survivors of intensive care, questionnaire
      burden had no effect on return rates. However, questionnaire burden affected
      answers to the same questionnaire (EQ-5D-3 L). TRIAL REGISTRATION: ISRCTN69112866
      (assigned 02/05/2006).

PMID- 28347298
TI  - Erratum to: Local intra-uterine Ang-(1-7) infusion attenuates PGE2 and 6-keto
      PGF1alpha in decidualized uterus of pseudopregnant rats.

PMID- 28347297
TI  - Factors affecting the long-term outcomes of idiopathic membranous nephropathy.
AB  - BACKGROUND: We attempted to describe the clinical features and determine the
      factors associated with renal survival in idiopathic membranous nephropathy (iMN)
      patients with nephrotic syndrome (NS) and to determine the factors associated
      with spontaneous complete remission (sCR) and progression to NS in iMN patients
      with subnephrotic proteinuria. METHODS: This retrospective study involved 166 iMN
      patients with NS and 65 patients with subnephrotic proteinuria. The primary end
      point was a doubling of serum creatinine or initiation of dialysis. In patients
      with subnephrotic proteinuria, we determined the factors associated with sCR and
      factors associated with progression to NS. RESULTS: Remission of NS was achieved
      in 125 out of 166 patients (75.3%). Of those who reached remission, 26 patients
      (20.8%) experienced relapse that was followed by second remission. The relapse or
      persistence of proteinuria was associated with the primary end points (hazard
      ratio [HR] = 12.40, P = 0.037, HR = 173, P < 0.001, respectively). In patients
      with subnephrotic proteinuria, sCR occurred in 35.4% of the patients. The
      patients with sCR had lower proteinuria and serum creatinine levels and higher
      serum albumin concentrations at baseline. The serum albumin level at diagnosis
      was a prognostic factor for progression to NS (Odds ratio [OR] = 0.015, P <
      0.001). CONCLUSIONS: The occurrence of relapse or persistence of proteinuria had
      negative effects on renal survival in iMN patients with NS, and low serum albumin
      levels at baseline were associated with non-achievement of sCR and progression to
      NS.

PMID- 28347299
TI  - Erratum to: Integrin-FAK signaling rapidly and potently promotes mitochondrial
      function through STAT3.

PMID- 28347300
TI  - Students' attitudes and perceptions of teaching and assessment of evidence-based
      practice in an occupational therapy professional Master's curriculum: a mixed
      methods study.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Most health professions, including occupational therapy, have made
      the application of evidence-based practice a desired competency and professional
      responsibility. Despite the increasing emphasis on evidence-based practice for
      improving patient outcomes, there are numerous research-practice gaps in the
      health professions. In addition to efforts aimed at promoting evidence-based
      practice with clinicians, there is a strong impetus for university programs to
      design curricula that will support the development of the knowledge, attitudes,
      skills and behaviours associated with evidence-based practice. Though
      occupational therapy curricula in North America are becoming increasingly focused
      on evidence-based practice, research on students' attitudes towards evidence
      based practice, their perceptions regarding the integration and impact of this
      content within the curricula, and the impact of the curriculum on their readiness
      for evidence-based practice is scarce. The present study examined occupational
      therapy students' perceptions towards the teaching and assessment of evidence
      based practice within a professional master's curriculum and their self-efficacy
      for evidence-based practice. METHODS: The study used a mixed methods explanatory
      sequential design. The quantitative phase included a cross-sectional
      questionnaire exploring attitudes towards evidence-based practice, perceptions of
      the teaching and assessment of evidence-based practice and evidence-based
      practice self-efficacy for four cohorts of students enrolled in the program and a
      cohort of new graduates. The questionnaire was followed by a focus group of
      senior students aimed at further exploring the quantitative findings. RESULTS:
      All student cohorts held favourable attitudes towards evidence-based practice;
      there was no difference across cohorts. There were significant differences with
      regards to perceptions of the teaching and assessment of evidence-based practice
      within the curriculum; junior cohorts and students with previous education had
      less favourable perceptions. Students' self-efficacy for evidence-based practice
      was significantly higher across cohorts. Four main themes emerged from the focus
      group data: (a) Having mixed feelings about the value of evidence-based practice
      (b) Barriers to the application of evidence-based practice; (c) Opposing worlds
      and (d) Vital and imperfect role of the curriculum. CONCLUSION: This study
      provides important data to support the design and revision of evidence-based
      practice curricula within professional rehabilitation programs.

PMID- 28347301
TI  - Does social distinction contribute to socioeconomic inequalities in diet: the
      case of 'superfoods' consumption.
AB  - BACKGROUND: The key mechanisms underlying socioeconomic inequalities in dietary
      intake are still poorly understood, hampering the development of interventions.
      An important, but sparsely mentioned mechanism is that of 'social distinction',
      whereby those in a higher socioeconomic position adopt dietary patterns by which
      they can distinguish themselves from lower socioeconomic groups. We investigated
      the importance of distinction as a mechanism, by testing the socioeconomic
      gradient in the consumption of so-called 'superfoods' and the contribution of a
      well-established indicator of distinction, cultural participation. METHODS: Data
      from participants (25-75 years) of the 2014 survey of the Dutch population-based
      GLOBE study were used (N = 2812). Multivariable regression models were used to
      analyse the association between education, income and cultural participation
      (e.g. visits to museums, opera, theatre, concerts) and the consumption of
      superfoods (spelt, quinoa and goji berries, chia seeds or wheatgrass). RESULTS:
      The consumption of superfoods is far more prevalent among higher socioeconomic
      groups. Adjusting for cultural participation strongly attenuated the educational
      and income gradient in superfoods consumption, whereas cultural participation
      remained strongly associated with superfoods consumption. Those in the highest
      quintile of cultural participation reported the highest consumption of spelt
      products (OR = 2.97, 95% CI = 2.10;4.18), quinoa (OR = 3.50, 95% CI = 2.12;5.79)
      and goji berries, chia seeds or wheatgrass (OR = 2.69, 95% CI = 1.73;4.17).
      CONCLUSIONS: The associations between socioeconomic position and the consumption
      of 'superfoods' seem to be partially driven by a process of social distinction.
      These findings suggest that distinction may be an important, but currently
      neglected mechanism in generating socioeconomic inequalities in dietary intake.
      It deserves a more prominent role in interventions to reduce these inequalities.

PMID- 28347302
TI  - Development and validation of a high-throughput calcium mobilization assay for
      the orphan receptor GPR88.
AB  - BACKGROUND: GPR88 is an orphan G protein-coupled receptor highly expressed in the
      striatum and is implicated in basal ganglia-associated disorders. However, the
      receptor functions of GPR88 are still largely unknown due to the lack of potent
      and selective ligands appropriate for central nervous system investigation.
      Development of a high-throughput screening assay for GPR88 should facilitate the
      discovery of novel ligands to probe GPR88 functions. METHODS: In this paper, we
      describe the development of a CHO-Galphaqi5-GPR88 cell-based calcium mobilization
      assay. The assay takes advantage of functional coupling of GPR88 with the
      promiscuous Galphaqi5 protein and consequent mobilization of intracellular
      calcium, which can be measured in a 384-well format with a Fluorescent Imaging
      Plate Reader. RESULTS: The CHO-Galphaqi5-GPR88 cell-based calcium mobilization
      assay was validated by the structure-activity relationship study of known GPR88
      agonist (1R,2R)-2-PCCA analogues. The assay was automated and miniaturized to a
      384-well format, and was deemed robust and reproducible with a Z'-factor of 0.72
      and tolerated dimethyl sulfoxide to a final concentration of 2%. Screening a
      pilot neurotransmitter library consisting of 228 compounds yielded 10 hits, but
      none of the hits were confirmed as GPR88 agonists in follow-up assays.
      CONCLUSIONS: We have developed a high-throughput calcium mobilization assay for
      the orphan receptor GPR88. This calcium mobilization assay can be used to
      identify several different types of GPR88 ligands including agonists, competitive
      and noncompetitive antagonists, inverse agonists, and allosteric modulators.
      These ligands will serve as valuable tools to probe signaling mechanisms and in
      vivo functions of GPR88, and could expedite development of novel therapies for
      diseases potentially mediated by GPR88.

PMID- 28347303
TI  - Satisfaction with dental care among patients who receive invasive or non-invasive
      treatment for non-cavitated early dental caries: findings from one region of the
      National Dental PBRN.
AB  - BACKGROUND: The objectives were to: (1) quantify patient satisfaction with
      treatment for early dental caries overall, and according to whether or not (2a)
      the patient received invasive treatment; (2b) was high-risk for dental caries,
      and had dental insurance; and (3) encourage practitioners to begin using non
      invasive approaches to early caries management. METHODS: Ten practitioners
      recorded patient, lesion, and treatment information about non-cavitated early
      caries lesions. Information on 276 consecutive patients with complete data was
      included, who received either non-invasive (no dental restoration) or invasive
      (dental restoration) treatment. Patients completed a patient satisfaction
      questionnaire and were classified as dissatisfied if they did not "agree" or
      "strongly agree" with any of 14 satisfaction items. RESULTS: Patients had a mean
      (+/- SD) age of 41.8 (+/-15.8) years, 64% were female and 88% were white. Twenty
      five percent (n = 68) were dissatisfied in at least one of the 14 satisfaction
      items. Satisfaction levels did not significantly vary by patient's gender, race,
      caries risk category, or affected tooth surface location. Overall, 11% (28 of
      276) received invasive treatment; satisfaction did not differ between patients
      who had invasive or non-invasive treatment. Seven patients received invasive
      treatment at their request even though that was not what their practitioner
      recommended; 5 out of 6 were satisfied with their treatment nonetheless.
      CONCLUSIONS: About one-fourth of patients treated for non-cavitated early caries
      were dissatisfied with at least some aspect of their dental care experience.
      Satisfaction of patients who received invasive treatment did not differ from
      those who received non-invasive treatment.

PMID- 28347304
TI  - Implementing an online pharmaceutical service using design science research.
AB  - BACKGROUND: The rising prevalence of chronic diseases is pressing health systems
      to introduce reforms. Primary healthcare and multidisciplinary models have been
      suggested as approaches to deal with this challenge, with new roles for nurses
      and pharmacists being advocated. More recently, implementing healthcare based on
      information systems and technologies (e.g. eHealth) has been proposed as a way to
      improve health services. However, implementing online pharmaceutical services,
      including their adoption by pharmacists and patients, is still an open research
      question. In this paper we present ePharmacare, a new online pharmaceutical
      service implemented using Design Science Research. METHODS: The Design Science
      Research Methodology (DSRM) was chosen to implement this online service for
      chronic diseases management. In the paper, DSRM's different activities are
      explained, from the definition of the problem to the evaluation of the artifact.
      During the design and development activities, surveys, observations, focus
      groups, and eye-tracking glasses were used to validate pharmacists' and patients'
      requirements. During the demonstration and evaluation activities the new service
      was used with real-world pharmacists and patients. RESULTS: The results show the
      contribution of DSRM in the implementation of online services for pharmacies. We
      found that pharmacists spend only 50% of their time interacting with patients,
      uncovering a clear opportunity to implement online pharmaceutical care services.
      On the other hand, patients that regularly visit the same pharmacy recognize the
      value in patient follow-up demanding to use channels such as the Internet for
      their pharmacy interactions. Limitations were identified regarding the high
      workload of pharmacists, but particularly their lack of know-how and experience
      in dealing with information systems (IST) for the provision of pharmaceutical
      services. CONCLUSIONS: This paper summarizes a research project in which an
      online pharmaceutical service was proposed, designed, developed, demonstrated and
      evaluated using DSRM. The main barriers for pharmacists' adoption of online
      pharmaceutical services provision were the lack of time, time management and
      information systems usage skills, as well as a precise role definition within
      pharmacies. These problems can be addressed with proper training and services
      reorganization, two proposals to be investigated in future works.

PMID- 28347305
TI  - Abnormal gene expression in regular and aggregated somatic cell nuclear transfer
      placentas.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Placental defects in somatic cell nuclear transfer (SCNT) are a major
      cause of complications during pregnancy. One of the most critical factors for the
      success of SCNT is the successful epigenetic reprogramming of donor cells.
      Recently, it was reported that the placental weight in mice cloned with the
      aggregated SCNT method was significantly reduced. Here, we examine the profile of
      abnormal gene expression using microarray technology in both regular SCNT and
      aggregated SCNT placentas as well as in vivo fertilization placentas. One SCNT
      embryo was aggregated with two 2 to 4 -cell stage tetraploid embryos from B6D2F1
      mice (C57BL/6 * DBA/2). RESULTS: In SCNT placentas, 206 (1.6%) of the 12,816
      genes probed were either up-regulated or down-regulated by more than two-fold.
      However, 52 genes (0.4%) showed differential expression in aggregated SCNT
      placentas compared to that in controls. In comparison of both types of SCNT
      placentas with the controls, 33 (92%) out of 36 genes were found to be up
      regulated (>2-fold) in SCNT placentas. Among 36 genes, 13 (36%) genes were up
      regulated in the aggregated SCNT placentas. Eighty-five genes were down-regulated
      in SCNT placentas compared with the controls. However, only 9 (about 10.5%) genes
      were down-regulated in the aggregated SCNT placentas. Of the 34 genes known as
      imprinted genes, expression was lower in SCNT placentas than that in the
      controls. Thus, these genes may be the cause of placentomegaly in mice produced
      post SCNT. CONCLUSIONS: These results suggest that placentomegaly in the SCNT
      placentas was probably caused by abnormal expression of multiple genes. Taken
      together, these results suggest that abnormal gene expression in cloned placentas
      was reduced in a genome-wide manner using the aggregation method with tetraploid
      embryos.

PMID- 28347307
TI  - Use of indocyanine green for detecting sentinel lymph nodes in breast cancer:
      letter to the editor.
AB  - In a previous issue of the journal, Oldrich Coufal and Vuk Fait reported a pilot
      study that specifically addressed the use of indocyanine green for detecting
      sentinel lymph nodes in breast cancer within a European population. They
      concluded that fluorescence method cannot currently be considered a method fully
      comparable with using radioisotopes in this setting. We consider that the absence
      of a learning curve, the low mean of retrieved sentinel nodes, and the
      possibility that migration of indocyanine green occurred after the initial biopsy
      limit the strength of their conclusion.

PMID- 28347306
TI  - Accessibility of long-term family planning methods: a comparison study between
      Output Based Approach (OBA) clients verses non-OBA clients in the voucher
      supported facilities in Kenya.
AB  - BACKGROUND: The study seeks to evaluate the difference in access of long-term
      family planning (LTFP) methods among the output based approach (OBA) and non-OBA
      clients within the OBA facility. METHODS: The study utilises a quasi experimental
      design. A two tailed unpaired t-test with unequal variance is used to test for
      the significance variation in the mean access. The difference in difference (DiD)
      estimates of program effect on long term family planning methods is done to
      estimate the causal effect by exploiting the group level difference on two or
      more dimensions. The study also uses a linear regression model to evaluate the
      predictors of choice of long-term family planning methods. Data was analysed
      using SPSS version 17. RESULTS: All the methods (Bilateral tubal ligation-BTL,
      Vasectomy, intrauterine contraceptive device -IUCD, Implants, and Total or
      combined long-term family planning methods -LTFP) showed a statistical
      significant difference in the mean utilization between OBA versus non-OBA
      clients. The difference in difference estimates reveal that the difference in
      access between OBA and non OBA clients can significantly be attributed to the
      implementation of the OBA program for intrauterine contraceptive device (p =
      0.002), Implants (p = 0.004), and total or combined long-term family planning
      methods (p = 0.001). The county of residence is a significant determinant of
      access to all long-term family planning methods except vasectomy and the year of
      registration is a significant determinant of access especially for implants and
      total or combined long-term family planning methods. The management level and
      facility type does not play a role in determining the type of long-term family
      planning method preferred; however, non-governmental organisations (NGOs) as
      management level influences the choice of all methods (Bilateral tubal ligation,
      intrauterine contraceptive device, Implants, and combined methods) except
      vasectomy. The adjusted R2 value, representing the percentage of the variance
      explained by various models, is larger than 18% for implants and total or
      combined long-term family planning. CONCLUSION: The study showed that the voucher
      services in Kenya has been effective in providing long-term family planning
      services and improving access of care provided to women of reproductive age.
      Therefore, voucher scheme can be used as a tool for bridging the gap of unmet
      needs of family planning in Kenya and could potentially be more effective if
      rolled out to other counties.

PMID- 28347308
TI  - Erratum to: Assessment of myocardial injury after reperfused infarction by T1rho
      cardiovascular magnetic resonance.

PMID- 28347309
TI  - Chemical composition and pharmacological activities of Pisum sativum.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Consumption of vegetables has been proven to be effective in the
      prevention of different diseases. Traditionally edible aerial part of Pisum
      sativum L. subsp. sativum (Fabaceae) is used to treat diabetes, heart diseases
      and as blood purifier. Present study was aimed to explore the traditional use of
      aerial parts of P. sativum as a source of antidiabetic agent. In addition,
      antioxidant activity and chemical composition was carried out. METHODS: Total
      polyphenol content was spectrophotometrically determined using Folin Chiocalteu's
      reagent while the flavonoids by aluminum chloride colorimetric assay.
      Identification of compounds of the extract was made through HPLC and LCMS.
      Antihyperglycemic activity was assessed by oral glucose tolerance test in mice.
      Antioxidant activity was determined by DPPH free radical scavenging and reducing
      power assay. RESULTS: Total polyphenol and total flavonoids content were found to
      be 51.23 mg gallic acid equivalent and 30.88 mg quercetin equivalent per gram of
      dried plant extract respectively. Ellagic acid and p-coumeric acid were detected
      through HPLC. A total of eight compounds including naringenin, beta-sitosterol
      were indentified through LCMS. In OGTT, extract (200 mg/kg bw) showed a 30.24%
      decrease (P< 0.05) in blood glucose levels at 30 min compared to the normal
      control. The extract showed IC50 value of 158.52 MUg/mL in DPPH scavenging assay
      and also showed comparable reducing power. CONCLUSION: Along with other compounds
      ellagic acid and beta-sitosterol present in the extract may be responsible for
      its antioxidant as well as antihyperglycemic activities. Altogether these results
      rationalize the use of this vegetable in traditional medicine.

PMID- 28347310
TI  - A novel in vitro model reveals distinctive modulatory roles of Plasmodium
      falciparum and Plasmodium vivax on naive cell-mediated immunity.
AB  - BACKGROUND: To date, human peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) have been
      used mainly in immune stimulation assays and the interpretation of data can be
      influenced by the previous immunological history of donors and cross reactivity
      with other infectious agents. Resolving these limitations requires an alternative
      in vitro model to uncover the primary response profiles. METHODS: A novel in
      vitro model of mononuclear cells (MNCs) generated from haematopoietic stem cells
      (HSCs) was developed and these cells were then co-cultured with various antigens
      from Plasmodium falciparum and Plasmodium vivax to investigate the response of
      naive immune cells to malaria antigens by flow cytometry. RESULTS: In vitro
      stimulation of naive lymphocytes showed that CD4+ and CD8+ T lymphocytes were
      significantly reduced (P < 0.01) by exposure to lysates of infected erythrocytes
      or intact erythrocytes infected with P. falciparum. The depletion was associated
      with the expression of CD95 (Fas receptor) on the surface of T lymphocytes.
      Maturation of T lymphocytes was affected differently, showing elevated
      CD3+CD4+CD8+ and CD3+CD4-CD8- T lymphocytes after stimulation with cell lysates
      of P. falciparum and P. vivax, respectively. In addition, antigen presenting
      monocytes and dendritic cells derived from haematopoietic stem cells showed
      impaired HLA-DR expression as a consequence of exposure to different species of
      malaria parasites. CONCLUSION: These results suggest that naive mononuclear cells
      differentiated in vitro from HSCs could provide a valid model for the assessment
      of immunity. P. falciparum and P. vivax malaria parasites could modulate various
      populations of immune cells starting from newly differentiated mononuclear cells.

PMID- 28347311
TI  - Predictors of the use of interventions to prevent malaria in pregnancy in
      Cameroon.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Malaria in pregnancy is common in sub-Saharan Africa where it
      contributes to perinatal morbidity and mortality. Use of insecticide-treated bed
      nets and intermittent preventive therapy with sulfadoxine-pyrimethamine during
      pregnancy are effective but underutilized interventions to prevent infection.
      Factors associated with bed net ownership and usage, and use of prophylaxis among
      recently pregnant women in Cameroon were investigated. METHODS: National data
      from the 2011 Cameroon Demographic Health Survey was used to identify women with
      a pregnancy within the previous 5 years. Logistic regression models were created
      to assess for independent predictors of reported bed net ownership, bed net
      usage, and the use of malaria prophylaxis medications during pregnancy. RESULTS:
      Nearly one in two women surveyed had a recent pregnancy (n = 7647). In this
      group, bed net ownership and usage rates were low (33.7 and 16.9%, respectively);
      61.6% used medication for malaria prophylaxis during pregnancy. Bed net ownership
      and usage were associated with maternal literacy (aOR 1.4 for net usage, 95% CI
      1.1-1.8) and the presence of children under age 5 in the home (aOR 2.3 for net
      usage, 95% CI 1.6-3.3). The use of malaria prophylaxis medication was associated
      with measures of healthcare access (aOR 17.8, 95% CI 13-24.5 for >=4 antenatal
      care visits), higher maternal education (aOR 1.5, 95% CI 1.1-2.1) and maternal
      literacy (aOR 1.4, 95% CI 1.1-1.7). CONCLUSIONS: Women in Cameroon and their
      antenatal providers missed many opportunities to prevent malaria in pregnancy.
      Efforts toward ensuring universal bed net provision, consistent antenatal care
      and the education of girls are likely to improve birth outcomes attributable to
      malaria infection.

PMID- 28347312
TI  - Phenotyping and comparing the immune cell populations of free-ranging Atlantic
      bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus) and dolphins under human care.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Studies suggest that free-ranging bottlenose dolphins exhibit a
      suppressed immune system because of exposure to contaminants or microorganisms.
      However, due to a lack of commercially available antibodies specific to marine
      mammal immune cell surface markers, the research has been indecisive. The purpose
      of this study was to identify cross-reactive terrestrial-specific antibodies in
      order to assess the changes in the immune cell populations of dolphins under
      human care and free-ranging dolphins. The blood and PBMC fraction of blood
      samples from human care and free-ranging dolphins were characterized by H&E
      staining of cytospin slides and flow cytometry using a panel of terrestrial
      specific antibodies. RESULTS: In this study, we show that out of 65 terrestrial
      specific antibodies tested, 11 were cross-reactive and identified dolphin immune
      cell populations within their peripheral blood. Using these antibodies, we found
      significant differences in the absolute number of cells expressing specific
      markers within their lymphocyte and monocyte fractions. Interestingly, the
      peripheral blood mononuclear cell profile of free-ranging dolphins retained an
      additional population of cells that divided them into two groups showing a low
      (<27%) or high (>56%) percentage of smaller cells resembling granulocytes.
      CONCLUSIONS: We found that the cross-reactive antibodies not only identified
      specific changes in the immune cells of free-ranging dolphins, but also opened
      the possibility to investigate the causal relationship between immunosuppression
      and mortality seen in free-ranging dolphins.

PMID- 28347313
TI  - Estimating genome-wide regulatory activity from multi-omics data sets using
      mathematical optimization.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Gene regulation is one of the most important cellular processes,
      indispensable for the adaptability of organisms and closely interlinked with
      several classes of pathogenesis and their progression. Elucidation of regulatory
      mechanisms can be approached by a multitude of experimental methods, yet
      integration of the resulting heterogeneous, large, and noisy data sets into
      comprehensive and tissue or disease-specific cellular models requires rigorous
      computational methods. Recently, several algorithms have been proposed which
      model genome-wide gene regulation as sets of (linear) equations over the activity
      and relationships of transcription factors, genes and other factors. Subsequent
      optimization finds those parameters that minimize the divergence of predicted and
      measured expression intensities. In various settings, these methods produced
      promising results in terms of estimating transcription factor activity and
      identifying key biomarkers for specific phenotypes. However, despite their common
      root in mathematical optimization, they vastly differ in the types of
      experimental data being integrated, the background knowledge necessary for their
      application, the granularity of their regulatory model, the concrete paradigm
      used for solving the optimization problem and the data sets used for evaluation.
      RESULTS: Here, we review five recent methods of this class in detail and compare
      them with respect to several key properties. Furthermore, we quantitatively
      compare the results of four of the presented methods based on publicly available
      data sets. CONCLUSIONS: The results show that all methods seem to find
      biologically relevant information. However, we also observe that the mutual
      result overlaps are very low, which contradicts biological intuition. Our aim is
      to raise further awareness of the power of these methods, yet also to identify
      common shortcomings and necessary extensions enabling focused research on the
      critical points.

PMID- 28347314
TI  - Reemergence of chloroquine-sensitive pfcrt K76 Plasmodium falciparum genotype in
      southeastern Cameroon.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Chloroquine had been used extensively during the last five decades in
      Cameroon. Its decreasing clinical effectiveness, supported by high proportions of
      clinical isolates carrying the mutant pfcrt haplotype (CVIET), led the health
      authorities to resort to amodiaquine monotherapy in 2002 and artemisinin-based
      combination therapy (ACT) in 2004 (artesunate-amodiaquine, with artemether
      lumefantrine as an alternative since 2006) as the first-line treatment of
      uncomplicated malaria. The aim of the present study was to investigate whether
      the withdrawal of chloroquine was associated with a reduction in pfcrt mutant
      parasite population and reemergence of chloroquine-sensitive parasites in
      southeastern Cameroon between 2003 and 2012. METHODS: The frequency of pfcrt
      haplotypes at positions 72-76 in Plasmodium falciparum isolates collected from
      individuals in 2003 and 2012 in southeastern Cameroon was determined by sequence
      specific oligonucleotide probes-enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (SSOP-ELISA).
      RESULTS: The proportions of parasites carrying the mutant haplotype CVIET and the
      wild-type CVMNK were 53.0 and 28.0% in 2003, respectively. The proportion of the
      mutant haplotype in samples collected 9 years later decreased to 25.3% whereas
      the proportion of parasites carrying the wild-type CVMNK haplotype was 53.7%.
      CONCLUSIONS: Even though the proportion of chloroquine-sensitive parasites seems
      to be increasing in southeastern Cameroon, a reintroduction of chloroquine cannot
      be recommended at present in Cameroon. The current national anti-malarial drug
      policy should be implemented and reinforced to combat drug-resistant malaria.

PMID- 28347315
TI  - 5alpha-reductase activity in women with polycystic ovary syndrome: a systematic
      review and meta-analysis.
AB  - BACKGROUND: 5alpha-reductase activity might be important during the development
      of polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS). However, the changes of 5alpha-reductase
      activity in PCOS subjects and the relationship between 5alpha-reductase activity
      and body mass index (BMI), insulin resistance (IR) remain largely unknown.
      METHODS: We performed a meta-analysis to examine 5alpha-reductase activity in
      women with PCOS; exploratory subgroup analyses were also performed. RESULTS: Five
      articles (with 356 cases and 236 controls) reporting 5alpha-reductase activity in
      patients with PCOS were selected for the meta-analysis. We observed significantly
      higher ratios of 5alphaTHF/THF (5alpha-reduced tetrahydrocortisol to 5beta
      reduced tetrahydrocortisol) and An/Et (androsteroneto/etiocholanolone) levels,
      which were used to assess 5alpha-reductase activity, among the patients with
      PCOS, [standardized mean differences (SMD) =0.43, 95%confidence intervals (95%CI)
      =0.25-0.61, P < 0.00001; SMD = 0.86, 95% CI = 0.29-1.44, P = 0.003]. We observed
      significant heterogeneity between studies for An/Et (I2 = 89% and P < 0.00001).
      According to the group analysis, women with PCOS exhibited increased 5alpha
      reductase activity which was significantly associated with homeostasis model
      assessment of insulin resistance (HOMA-IR) regardless of obesity. CONCLUSIONS:
      5alpha-reductase activity was enhanced in women with PCOS. Increased 5alpha
      reductase activity in patients with PCOS was related to IR.

PMID- 28347316
TI  - Trends of testis-sparing surgery for pediatric testicular tumors in South China.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Testis-sparing surgery is not popular in South China. This study
      aimed to investigate this procedure for pediatric testicular tumors. METHODS:
      Children with testicular benign tumors were retrospectively analyzed from January
      2001 to June 2015 in the Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center (SYSUCC) and the
      First Affiliated Hospital (SYSU-1st). Follow-up was performed until June 2016,
      and the proportions of TSS in the two hospitals during the different periods were
      compared. RESULTS: Forty-seven children with testicular benign tumors were
      enrolled, and 16 cases underwent testis-sparing surgery. All patients were cured
      and discharged, which included mature teratoma (n = 37), testicular adrenal rest
      tumors (n = 4), epidermal cysts (n = 3), granulomatous inflammation (n = 2) and
      adenomatoid tumors (n = 1). Inguinal testis-sparing surgery was performed in 16
      children, and no recurrence was detected during follow-up. It was performed more
      frequently in SYSUCC than in SYSU-1st (P = 0.031), and the tumor size of these
      patients was smaller than those of patients who underwent radical orchiectomy (P
      = 0.044). Moreover, testis-sparing surgery has become more common in the past 5
      years, although differences over time have not reached significance (P = 0.051).
      CONCLUSIONS: Testis-sparing surgery is reliable, and tumor size and special
      hospitals affect its success. Additionally, its use has become more popular in
      recent years. However, advocacy is still needed for the use of this technique in
      pediatric testicular benign tumors that are small sized.

PMID- 28347317
TI  - Erratum to: Metabotropic glutamate receptor 5 may be involved in macrophage
      plasticity.

PMID- 28347318
TI  - Pharmacokinetics of surotomycin from phase 1 single and multiple ascending dose
      studies in healthy volunteers.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Surotomycin, a novel, orally administered, cyclic, lipopeptide
      antibacterial in development for the treatment of Clostridium difficile
      associated diarrhea, has demonstrated minimal intestinal absorption in animal
      models. METHODS: Safety, tolerability, and plasma pharmacokinetics of single and
      multiple ascending oral doses (SAD/MAD) of surotomycin in healthy volunteers were
      characterized in two randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, phase 1
      studies. RESULTS: Participants were sequentially enrolled into one of four SAD
      (500, 1000, 2000, 4000 mg surotomycin) or three MAD (250, 500, 1000 mg
      surotomycin twice/day for 14 days) cohorts. Ten subjects were randomized 4:1 into
      each cohort to receive surotomycin or placebo. Surotomycin plasma concentrations
      rose as dose increased (maximum plasma concentration [Cmax]: 10.5, 21.5, 66.6,
      and 86.7 ng/mL). Systemic levels were generally low, with peak median surotomycin
      plasma concentrations observed 6-12 h after the first dose. In the MAD study,
      surotomycin plasma concentrations were higher on day 14 (Cmax: 25.5, 37.6, and
      93.5 ng/mL) than on day 1 (Cmax: 6.8, 11.0, and 21.1 ng/mL for increasing doses),
      indicating accumulation. In the SAD study, <0.01% of the administered dose was
      recovered in urine. Mean surotomycin stool concentration from the 1000 mg MAD
      cohort was 6394 MUg/g on day 5. Both cohorts were well tolerated with all adverse
      events reported as mild to moderate. CONCLUSION: Both SAD and MAD studies of
      surotomycin demonstrated minimal systemic exposure, with feces the primary route
      of elimination following oral administration; consistent with observations with
      similar compounds, such as fidaxomicin. Results of these phase 1 studies support
      the continued clinical development of surotomycin for the treatment of
      Clostridium difficile-associated diarrhea. TRIAL REGISTRATION: NCT02835118 and
      NCT02835105 . Retrospectively registered, July 13 2016.

PMID- 28347319
TI  - Applying the Theoretical Domains Framework to identify barriers and targeted
      interventions to enhance nurses' use of electronic medication management systems
      in two Australian hospitals.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Medication errors harm hospitalised patients and increase health care
      costs. Electronic Medication Management Systems (EMMS) have been shown to reduce
      medication errors. However, nurses do not always use EMMS as intended, largely
      because implementation of such patient safety strategies requires clinicians to
      change their existing practices, routines and behaviour. This study uses the
      Theoretical Domains Framework (TDF) to identify barriers and targeted
      interventions to enhance nurses' appropriate use of EMMS in two Australian
      hospitals. METHODS: This qualitative study draws on in-depth interviews with 19
      acute care nurses who used EMMS. A convenience sampling approach was used. Nurses
      working on the study units (N = 6) in two hospitals were invited to participate
      if available during the data collection period. Interviews inductively explored
      nurses' experiences of using EMMS (step 1). Data were analysed using the TDF to
      identify theory-derived barriers to nurses' appropriate use of EMMS (step 2).
      Relevant behaviour change techniques (BCTs) were identified to overcome key
      barriers to using EMMS (step 3) followed by the identification of potential
      literature-informed targeted intervention strategies to operationalise the
      identified BCTs (step 4). RESULTS: Barriers to nurses' use of EMMS in acute care
      were represented by nine domains of the TDF. Two closely linked domains emerged
      as major barriers to EMMS use: Environmental Context and Resources (availability
      and properties of computers on wheels (COWs); technology characteristics;
      specific contexts; competing demands and time pressure) and Social/Professional
      Role and Identity (conflict between using EMMS appropriately and executing
      behaviours critical to nurses' professional role and identity). The study
      identified three potential BCTs to address the Environmental Context and
      Resources domain barrier: adding objects to the environment; restructuring the
      physical environment; and prompts and cues. Seven BCTs to address
      Social/Professional Role and Identity were identified: social process of
      encouragement; pressure or support; information about others' approval;
      incompatible beliefs; identification of self as role model; framing/reframing;
      social comparison; and demonstration of behaviour. It proposes several targeted
      interventions to deliver these BCTs. CONCLUSIONS: The TDF provides a useful
      approach to identify barriers to nurses' prescribed use of EMMS, and can inform
      the design of targeted theory-based interventions to improve EMMS implementation.

PMID- 28347321
TI  - The 150 most important questions in cancer research and clinical oncology series:
      questions 6-14 : Edited by Chinese Journal of Cancer.
AB  - To accelerate our endeavors to overcome cancer, Chinese Journal of Cancer has
      launched a program of publishing 150 most important questions in cancer research
      and clinical oncology. In this article, nine more questions are presented as
      followed. Question 6. Why do nasopharyngeal carcinomas rarely metastasize to the
      brain? Question 7. Can distant spread of cancer cells be blocked by inhibiting
      the remodeling of high endothelial venules in the sentinel lymph node? Question
      8. What sort of live-imaging techniques can be developed to directly observe the
      dynamic processes of metastasis? Question 9. How does chronic hepatitis prevent
      liver metastasis from colorectal cancer? Question 10. How many types of host
      cells contribute to forming the pre-metastatic niche in the lung favorable for
      metastasis? Question 11. Why do cancers rarely metastasize to the small bowel?
      Question 12. Why do glioblastomas rarely metastasize outside the central nervous
      system? Question 13. Despite increased understanding of the molecular genetic
      events leading to the development and progression of high-grade gliomas, these
      tumors are the most therapeutically refractory among all human cancers. What then
      would be the most effective therapeutic approaches to treat what in essence can
      be regarded as a whole brain malignancy, since even a surgical resection of
      greater than 99% of tumor tissues is invariably associated with recurrence?
      Question 14. The blood-brain barrier (BBB) effectively limits a wide variety of
      potential therapeutic agents from reaching glioma cells widely dispersed in the
      brain. What therapeutic approaches can be used to breach the BBB and allow
      therapeutic agents to seek out and kill these tumor cells?

PMID- 28347320
TI  - Life-threatening massive pulmonary embolism rescued by venoarterial
      extracorporeal membrane oxygenation.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Despite quick implementation of reperfusion therapies, a few patients
      with high-risk, acute, massive, pulmonary embolism (PE) remain highly
      hemodynamically unstable. Others have absolute contraindication to receive
      reperfusion therapies. Venoarterial-extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (VA-ECMO)
      might lower their right ventricular overload, improve hemodynamic status, and
      restore tissue oxygenation. METHODS: ECMO-related complications and 90-day
      mortality were analyzed for 17 highly unstable, ECMO-treated, massive PE patients
      admitted to a tertiary-care center (2006-2015). Hospital- discharge survivors
      were assessed for long-term health-related quality of life. A systematic review
      of this topic was also conducted. RESULTS: Seventeen high-risk PE patients
      [median age 51 (range 18-70) years, Simplified Acute Physiology Score II (SAPS
      II) 78 (45-95)] were placed on VA-ECMO for 4 (1-12) days. Among 15 (82%) patients
      with pre-ECMO cardiac arrest, seven (41%) were cannulated during cardiopulmonary
      resuscitation, and eight (47%) underwent pre-ECMO thrombolysis. Pre-ECMO median
      blood pressure, pH, and blood lactate were, respectively: 42 (0-106) mmHg, 6.99
      (6.54-7.37) and 13 (4-19) mmol/L. Ninety-day survival was 47%. Fifteen (88%)
      patients suffered in-ICU severe hemorrhages with no impact on survival. Like
      other ECMO-treated patients, ours reported limitations of all physical domains
      but preserved mental health 19 (4-69) months post-ICU discharge. CONCLUSIONS: VA
      ECMO could be a lifesaving rescue therapy for patients with high-risk, acute,
      massive PE when thrombolytic therapy fails or the patient is too sick to benefit
      from surgical thrombectomy. Because heparin-induced clot dissolution and
      spontaneous fibrinolysis allows ECMO weaning within several days, future studies
      should investigate whether VA-ECMO should be the sole therapy or completed by
      additional mechanical clot-removal therapies in this setting.

PMID- 28347322
TI  - A theoretical analysis of the barriers and facilitators to the implementation of
      school-based physical activity policies in Canada: a mixed methods scoping
      review.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Given the potential impact school-based daily physical activity (DPA)
      policies can have on the health outcomes of Canadian children, it is surprising
      that such little research has examined the implementation and student-level
      effectiveness of these policies, and that even less have used theory to
      understand the barriers and facilitators affecting uptake of this policy by
      teachers. This review descriptively summarizes the implementation status,
      approaches used to implement DPA, and the effectiveness of DPA at increasing the
      physical activity of children at school. In addition, the Theoretical Domains
      Framework (TDF) was used to explore the barriers and facilitators to DPA
      implementation. METHODS: A scoping review of English articles using ERIC, CINAHL,
      and Google Scholar (2005 to 2016) was conducted. Only studies that evaluated the
      implementation and/or student-level effectiveness of DPA policies in Canadian
      elementary schools were included. Only articles that examined DPA implementation
      barriers and facilitators by teachers, principals, and/or administration were
      eligible for the TDF analysis. Data on study characteristics and major findings
      regarding implementation status, implementation approach used, and impact on
      student's physical activity were extracted and were summarized descriptively,
      including study quality indicators. Two coders extracted and categorized
      implementation barriers and facilitators into TDF domains. RESULTS: The search
      resulted in 66 articles being retrieved and 38 being excluded for not meeting the
      eligibility criteria, leaving 15 eligible for review (10 of which examined
      barriers and facilitators to implementation from DPA deliverers' perspective).
      Eleven of 15 studies examined the Ontario DPA policy, and 2 studies were from
      both Alberta and British Columbia. Thirteen studies examined implementation, and
      only two examined effectiveness. DPA implementation status, approaches to
      delivery, and effectiveness on student's PA levels are inconsistent across the
      three provinces. A total of 203 barriers/facilitators were extracted across the
      ten implementation studies, most of which related to the environmental context
      and resources (ECR; n = 86; 37.4%), beliefs about consequences (n = 41; 17.8%),
      and social influences (n = 36; 15.7%) TDF domains. CONCLUSIONS: With the limited
      research examining the DPA policy in Canada, the current status and approaches
      used to implement DPA and the student-level effectiveness is not well understood;
      however, this review revealed that DPA deliverers often report many barriers to
      DPA implementation. Most importantly, in conducting a TDF-based analysis of the
      barriers/facilitators affecting implementation, this review provides a
      theoretical basis by which researchers and policy-makers can design interventions
      to better target these problems in the future. REGISTRATION: A protocol for this
      review was not registered.

PMID- 28347323
TI  - Blood-feeding patterns of native mosquitoes and insights into their potential
      role as pathogen vectors in the Thames estuary region of the United Kingdom.
AB  - BACKGROUND: The range of vertebrate hosts on which species of mosquito blood-feed
      is an important parameter for identifying potential vectors and in assessing the
      risk of incursion and establishment of vector-borne pathogens. In the United
      Kingdom, studies of mosquito host range have collected relatively few specimens
      and used techniques that could only broadly identify host species. This study
      conducted intensive collection and analysis of mosquitoes from a grazing marsh
      environment in southeast England. This site provides extensive wetland habitat
      for resident and migratory birds and has abundant human nuisance biting
      mosquitoes. The aim was to identify the blood-feeding patterns of mosquito
      species present at the site which could contribute to the transmission of
      pathogens. METHODS: Twice-weekly collections of mosquitoes were made from Elmley
      Nature Reserve, Kent, between June and October 2014. Mosquitoes were collected
      using resting boxes, by aspiration from man-made structures and using a Mosquito
      Magnet Pro baited with 1-octen-3-ol. Blood-fed specimens were classified
      according to the degree of blood meal digestion using the Sella scale and
      vertebrate origin determined using sequencing of a fragment of the mitochondrial
      cytochrome C oxidase subunit I gene. Mosquitoes that were morphologically cryptic
      were identified to species level using multiplex PCR and sequencing methods.
      RESULTS: A total of 20,666 mosquitoes of 11 species were collected, and 2,159
      (10.4%) were blood-fed (Sella scale II-VI); of these 1,341 blood-fed specimens
      were selected for blood meal analysis. Vertebrate origin was successfully
      identified in 964 specimens (72%). Collections of blood-fed individuals were
      dominated by Anopheles maculipennis complex (73.5%), Culiseta annulata (21.2%)
      and Culex pipiens form pipiens (10.4%). Nineteen vertebrate hosts comprising five
      mammals and 14 birds were identified as hosts for mosquitoes, including two
      migratory bird species. Feeding on birds by Culex modestus and Anopheles
      atroparvus populations in England was demonstrated. CONCLUSIONS: This study
      expands the vertebrate host range of mosquitoes in the Thames estuary region of
      the UK. Feeding on both resident and migratory bird species by potential
      arbovirus vectors including Cx. pipiens f. pipiens and Cx. modestus indicates the
      potential for enzootic transmission of an introduced arbovirus between migratory
      and local bird species by native mosquito species.

PMID- 28347324
TI  - PMS2 gene mutation results in DNA mismatch repair system failure in a case of
      adult granulosa cell tumor.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Granulosa cell tumors are rare ovarian malignancies. Their
      characteristics include unpredictable indolent growth with malignant potential
      and late recurrence. Approximately 95% are of adult type. Recent molecular
      studies have characterized the FOXL2 402C > G mutation in adult granulosa cell
      tumor. Our previous case report showed that unique FOXL2 402C > G mutation and
      defective DNA mismatch repair system are associated with the development of adult
      granulosa cell tumor. FINDINGS: In this study, the DNA sequences of four genes,
      MSH2, MLH1, MSH6, and PMS2, in the DNA mismatch repair system were determined via
      direct sequencing to elucidate the exact mechanism for the development of this
      granulosa cell tumor. The results showed that two missense germline mutations,
      T485K and N775L, inactivate the PMS2 gene. CONCLUSIONS: The results of this case
      study indicated that although FOXL2 402C > G mutation determines the development
      of granulosa cell tumor, PMS2 mutation may be the initial driver of
      carcinogenesis. Immunohistochemistry-based tumor testing for mismatch repair gene
      expression may be necessary for granulosa cell tumors to determine their
      malignant potential or if they are part of Lynch syndrome.

PMID- 28347325
TI  - Potential of Aedes aegypti and Aedes albopictus populations in the Central
      African Republic to transmit enzootic chikungunya virus strains.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Major chikungunya outbreaks have affected several Central African
      countries during the past decade. The chikungunya virus (CHIKV) was isolated from
      humans and sylvan mosquitoes in the Central African Republic (CAR) during the
      1970 and 1980s but has not been found recently, despite the presence of Aedes
      albopictus since 2010. The risk of a massive chikungunya epidemic is therefore
      potentially high, as the human populations are immunologically naive and because
      of the presence of the mosquito vector. In order to estimate the risk of a large
      outbreak, we assessed the vector competence of local Ae. aegypti and Ae.
      albopictus populations for ancient local strains of CHIKV in CAR. Mosquitoes were
      orally infected with the virus, and its presence in mosquito saliva was analysed
      7 and 14 days post-infection (dpi) by quantitative reverse transcriptase
      polymerase chain reaction. RESULTS: The two species had similar infection rates
      at 7 and 14 days, and the dissemination rate of both vectors was >= 80% at 14
      dpi. Only females followed up to 14 dpi had CHKV in their saliva. CONCLUSION:
      These results confirm the risk of transmission of enzootic CHIKV by
      anthropophilic vectors such as Ae. aegypti and Ae. albopictus.

PMID- 28347326
TI  - First report of the Phe1534Cys kdr mutation in natural populations of Aedes
      albopictus from Brazil.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Knockdown resistance (kdr), caused by alterations in the voltage
      gated sodium channel (NaV), is one of the mechanisms responsible for pyrethroid
      (PY) resistance. In the Asian tiger mosquito, Aedes albopictus, at least four
      different mutations were described in the IIIS6 NaV segment in populations from
      Asia, North America and Europe. In contrast, in Aedes aegypti at least 12 non
      synonymous mutations have been reported at nine different codons, mostly in the
      IIS6 and IIIS6 NaV segments. The Phe1534Cys kdr mutation in the IIIS6 NaV segment
      is the most prevalent in populations of Ae. aegypti worldwide, also found in Ae.
      albopictus from Singapore. Herein, we investigated the DNA diversity
      corresponding to the IIS6 and IIIS6 NaV segments in natural populations of Ae.
      albopictus from Brazil. METHODS: DNA from eight Brazilian Ae. albopictus natural
      populations were individually extracted and pooled by states of origin,
      amplified, cloned and sequenced for the corresponding IIS6 and IIIS6 NaV
      segments. Additionally, samples from each location were individually genotyped by
      an allelic specific PCR (AS-PCR) approach to obtain the genotypic and allelic
      frequencies for the 1534 NaV site. RESULTS: No non-synonymous substitutions were
      observed in the IIS6 sequences. However, the Phe1534Cys kdr mutation was
      evidenced in the Ae. albopictus NaV IIIS6 segment sequences from Parana (PR) and
      Rondonia (RO) states, but not from Mato Grosso (MT) state. The 1534Cys kdr allele
      varied from 3% (Marilena/PR and Porto Velho/RO) to 10% (Foz do Iguacu/PR). To our
      knowledge, this paper reports the first occurrence and provides distribution data
      of a possible kdr mutation in Ae. albopictus in South America. CONCLUSION: The
      emergence of a likely kdr mutation in Ae. albopitus natural populations is a
      signal of alert for vector control measures since PY are the most popular
      insecticides adopted by residents. Additionally, once the kdr allele is present,
      its frequency tends to increase faster under exposition to those compounds.
      Although the Asian tiger mosquito is not incriminated as an important vector of
      dengue, chikungunya and Zika viruses in South America, its importance in this
      regard has been extensively discussed since Ae. albopictus is rapidly spreading
      and can also migrate between sylvatic and urban environments. Therefore,
      insecticide resistance monitoring initiatives should also be extended to Ae.
      albopictus in Brazil in order to maintain chemical compounds as an efficient
      vector control tool when needed.

PMID- 28347328
TI  - A rare case report of early bioprosthetic valve thrombosis presenting with acute
      heart failure salvaged by thrombectomy.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Bioprosthetic valve thrombosis is previously considered as an
      extremely rare complication which hasn't been systemically recognized and
      understood. CASE PRESENTATION: Herein, we present an unusual case of a patient
      manifesting with acute heart failure, secondary to thrombus formation in a
      porcine aortic bioprosthesis which was implanted 11 months prior to
      hospitalization. Due to the patient's poor heart function and intraoperative
      findings, thrombectomy was performed. For our best knowledge, cases of early
      bioprosthetic valve thrombosis presenting with acute heart failure have seldomly
      been reported. CONCLUSION: Our study reviews predisposing factors, typical
      echocardiographic features and treatment for bioprosthetic valve thrombosis and
      it should be considered as a reason for bioprosthetic malfunction. A combination
      of clinical and echocardiographic features can help for diagnosis preoperatively.
      In some certain circumstances, early reoperation can be avoided if anticoagulant
      therapy works.

PMID- 28347327
TI  - Mechanistic model for predicting the seasonal abundance of Culicoides biting
      midges and the impacts of insecticide control.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Understanding seasonal patterns of abundance of insect vectors is
      important for optimisation of control strategies of vector-borne diseases.
      Environmental drivers such as temperature, humidity and photoperiod influence
      vector abundance, but it is not generally known how these drivers combine to
      affect seasonal population dynamics. METHODS: In this paper, we derive and
      analyse a novel mechanistic stage-structured simulation model for Culicoides
      biting midges-the principle vectors of bluetongue and Schmallenberg viruses which
      cause mortality and morbidity in livestock and impact trade. We model variable
      life-history traits as functional forms that are dependent on environmental
      drivers, including air temperature, soil temperature and photoperiod. The model
      is fitted to Obsoletus group adult suction-trap data sampled daily at five
      locations throughout the UK for 2008. RESULTS: The model predicts population
      dynamics that closely resemble UK field observations, including the
      characteristic biannual peaks of adult abundance. Using the model, we then
      investigate the effects of insecticide control, showing that control strategies
      focussing on the autumn peak of adult midge abundance have the highest impact in
      terms of population reduction in the autumn and averaged over the year.
      Conversely, control during the spring peak of adult abundance leads to adverse
      increases in adult abundance in the autumn peak. CONCLUSIONS: The mechanisms of
      the biannual peaks of adult abundance, which are important features of midge
      seasonality in northern Europe and are key determinants of the risk of
      establishment and spread of midge-borne diseases, have been hypothesised over for
      many years. Our model suggests that the peaks correspond to two generations per
      year (bivoltine) are largely determined by pre-adult development. Furthermore,
      control strategies should focus on reducing the autumn peak since the immature
      stages are released from density-dependence regulation. We conclude that more
      extensive modelling of Culicoides biting midge populations in different
      geographical contexts will help to optimise control strategies and predictions of
      disease outbreaks.

PMID- 28347329
TI  - Incidence and burden of comorbid pain and depression in patients with chronic
      rhinosinusitis awaiting endoscopic sinus surgery in Canada.
AB  - BACKGROUND: This study sheds important light on the association between sino
      nasal symptoms and global quality of life in patients with chronic rhinosinusitis
      waiting for endoscopic sinus surgery. Using patient-reported information
      collected pre-operatively, the primary objective was to report on patients' pre
      surgical sino-nasal symptoms and their association with self-reported pain and
      depression. The secondary objective was to report on levels of depression and
      pain among patients in the sample reporting severe sleep problems. METHODS: This
      is a cross-sectional study of patient-reported outcomes collected prospectively
      from a cohort of 261 patients assigned to the wait list for elective endoscopic
      sinus surgery in a large urban region of Canada. RESULTS: Younger patients and
      patients with other medical comorbidities were most likely to report significant
      symptoms of chronic rhinosinusitis and substantial associated pain and
      depression. In the primary analyses, patients reporting significant symptoms of
      chronic rhinosinusitis were more likely to report moderate depression or high
      pain (p < 0.01). Subsequently, chronic rhinosinusitis patients with severe sleep
      problems were 82% likely to report moderate or severe depression and pain.
      CONCLUSION: Preoperative management of depression and pain may be considered in
      order to improve the health-related quality of life of patients waiting for ESS.
      As depression and pain were highly prevalent, patients with severe sleep problems
      may be candidates for prioritized access.

PMID- 28347330
TI  - Erratum to: HIV integration sites in latently infected cell lines: evidence of
      ongoing replication.

PMID- 28347331
TI  - Progressive multifocal exophytic pontine glioblastoma: a case report with
      literature review.
AB  - Multifocal pontine glioblastoma exhibiting an exophytic growth pattern in the
      cerebello-pontine angle (CPA) is rare. We present a case of a 5-year-old girl
      with consecutive neurological imaging and other clinical findings indicating
      progressive multifocal exophytic pontine glioblastoma. Three lesions were
      reported, of which two were initially presented, and one was developed 2 months
      later. One lesion demonstrated a progressing exophytic extension in the cistern
      of the left side of the CPA. The other two lesions were located and confined
      within the pons. Initial magnetic resonance imaging and positron emission
      tomography-computed tomography indicated low-grade glioma or inflammatory
      disease. However, 2 and 3 months later, subsequent magnetic resonance
      spectroscopy (MRS) displayed elevated choline and depressed N-acetyl aspartate
      peaks compared with the peaks on the initial MRS, indicating a high-grade glioma.
      Subtotal resection was performed for the CPA lesion. Histopathologic examination
      showed discrepant features of different parts of the CPA lesion. The patient
      received no further chemotherapy or radiotherapy and died 2 months after surgery.
      The multifocal and exophytic features of this case and the heterogeneous
      manifestations on neurological images were rare and confusing for both diagnosis
      and surgical decision-making. Our case report may contribute knowledge and
      helpful guidance for other medical doctors.

PMID- 28347332
TI  - An outbreak vector-host epidemic model with spatial structure: the 2015-2016 Zika
      outbreak in Rio De Janeiro.
AB  - BACKGROUND: A deterministic model is developed for the spatial spread of an
      epidemic disease in a geographical setting. The disease is borne by vectors to
      susceptible hosts through criss-cross dynamics. The model is focused on an
      outbreak that arises from a small number of infected hosts imported into a
      subregion of the geographical setting. The goal is to understand how spatial
      heterogeneity of the vector and host populations influences the dynamics of the
      outbreak, in both the geographical spread and the final size of the epidemic.
      METHODS: Partial differential equations are formulated to describe the spatial
      interaction of the hosts and vectors. The partial differential equations have
      reaction-diffusion terms to describe the criss-cross interactions of hosts and
      vectors. The partial differential equations of the model are analyzed and proven
      to be well-posed. A local basic reproduction number for the epidemic is analyzed.
      RESULTS: The epidemic outcomes of the model are correlated to the spatially
      dependent parameters and initial conditions of the model. The partial
      differential equations of the model are adapted to seasonality of the vector
      population, and applied to the 2015-2016 Zika seasonal outbreak in Rio de Janeiro
      Municipality in Brazil. CONCLUSIONS: The results for the model simulations of the
      2015-2016 Zika seasonal outbreak in Rio de Janeiro Municipality indicate that the
      spatial distribution and final size of the epidemic at the end of the season are
      strongly dependent on the location and magnitude of local outbreaks at the
      beginning of the season. The application of the model to the Rio de Janeiro
      Municipality Zika 2015-2016 outbreak is limited by incompleteness of the epidemic
      data and by uncertainties in the parametric assumptions of the model.

PMID- 28347333
TI  - A phase II study of preoperative chemoradiation with tegafur-uracil plus
      leucovorin for locally advanced rectal cancer with pharmacogenetic analysis.
AB  - BACKGROUND: This study aimed to evaluate the efficacy of a high dose of oral
      tegafur-uracil (400 mg/m2) plus leucovorin with preoperative chemoradiation of
      locally advanced rectal cancer and to explore the impact of polymorphisms of
      cytochrome P 2A6 (CYP2A6), uridine monophosphate synthetase (UMPS), and ATP
      binding cassette B1 (ABCB1) on clinical outcome. METHODS: Patients with cT3 or
      cT4 rectal cancer were enrolled and were given tegafur-uracil 400 mg/m2/day and
      leucovorin 90 mg/m2/day for 7 days a week during preoperative chemoradiation
      (50.4 Gy/28 fractions) in this phase II trial. Primary endpoint was pathologic
      complete response rate, and the secondary endpoint was to explore the association
      between clinical outcomes and genetic polymorphisms CYP2A6 (*4, *7, *9 and *10),
      UMPS G638C, and three ABCB1 genotypes (C1236T, C3435T, and G2677T). RESULTS:
      Ninety-one patients were given study treatment, and 90 underwent surgery.
      Pathologic complete response was noted in 10 patients (11.1%). There was no grade
      4 or 5 toxicity; 20 (22.0%) experienced grade 3 toxicities, including diarrhea
      (10, 11.0%), abdominal pain (2, 2.2%), and anemia (2, 2.2%). Relapse-free
      survival and overall survival at 5 years were 88.6% and 94.2%, respectively.
      Patients with the UMPS 638 CC genotype experienced significantly more frequent
      grade 2 or 3 diarrhea (p for trend = 0.018). CONCLUSIONS: Preoperative
      chemoradiation with tegafur-uracil 400 mg/m2/day with leucovorin was feasible,
      but did not meet the expected pathologic complete response rate. The UMPS 638 CC
      genotype might be a candidate biomarker predicting toxicity in patients receiving
      tegafur-uracil/leucovorin-based preoperative chemoradiation for locally advanced
      rectal cancer. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ISRCTN11812525 , registered on 25 July 2016.
      Retrospectively registered.

PMID- 28347334
TI  - Is the hypothesis of preimplantation genetic screening (PGS) still supportable? A
      review.
AB  - The hypothesis of preimplantation genetic diagnosis (PGS) was first proposed 20
      years ago, suggesting that elimination of aneuploid embryos prior to transfer
      will improve implantation rates of remaining embryos during in vitro
      fertilization (IVF), increase pregnancy and live birth rates and reduce
      miscarriages. The aforementioned improved outcome was based on 5 essential
      assumptions: (i) Most IVF cycles fail because of aneuploid embryos. (ii) Their
      elimination prior to embryo transfer will improve IVF outcomes. (iii) A single
      trophectoderm biopsy (TEB) at blastocyst stage is representative of the whole TE.
      (iv) TE ploidy reliably represents the inner cell mass (ICM). (v) Ploidy does not
      change (i.e., self-correct) downstream from blastocyst stage. We aim to offer a
      review of the aforementioned assumptions and challenge the general hypothesis of
      PGS. We reviewed 455 publications, which as of January 20, 2017 were listed in
      PubMed under the search phrase < preimplantation genetic screening (PGS) for
      aneuploidy>. The literature review was performed by both authors who agreed on
      the final 55 references. Various reports over the last 18 months have raised
      significant questions not only about the basic clinical utility of PGS but the
      biological underpinnings of the hypothesis, the technical ability of a single
      trophectoderm (TE) biopsy to accurately assess an embryo's ploidy, and suggested
      that PGS actually negatively affects IVF outcomes while not affecting miscarriage
      rates. Moreover, due to high rates of false positive diagnoses as a consequence
      of high mosaicism rates in TE, PGS leads to the discarding of large numbers of
      normal embryos with potential for normal euploid pregnancies if transferred
      rather than disposed of. We found all 5 basic assumptions underlying the
      hypothesis of PGS to be unsupported: (i) The association of embryo aneuploidy
      with IVF failure has to be reevaluated in view how much more common TE mosaicism
      is than has until recently been appreciated. (ii) Reliable elimination of
      presumed aneuploid embryos prior to embryo transfer appears unrealistic. (iii)
      Mathematical models demonstrate that a single TEB cannot provide reliable
      information about the whole TE. (iv) TE does not reliably reflect the ICM. (v)
      Embryos, likely, still have strong innate ability to self-correct downstream from
      blastocyst stage, with ICM doing so better than TE. The hypothesis of PGS,
      therefore, no longer appears supportable. With all 5 basic assumptions underlying
      the hypothesis of PGS demonstrated to have been mistaken, the hypothesis of PGS,
      itself, appears to be discredited. Clinical use of PGS for the purpose of IVF
      outcome improvements should, therefore, going forward be restricted to research
      studies.

PMID- 28347335
TI  - TriPer, an optical probe tuned to the endoplasmic reticulum tracks changes in
      luminal H2O2.
AB  - BACKGROUND: The fate of hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) in the endoplasmic reticulum
      (ER) has been inferred indirectly from the activity of ER-localized thiol
      oxidases and peroxiredoxins, in vitro, and the consequences of their genetic
      manipulation, in vivo. Over the years hints have suggested that glutathione,
      puzzlingly abundant in the ER lumen, might have a role in reducing the heavy
      burden of H2O2 produced by the luminal enzymatic machinery for disulfide bond
      formation. However, limitations in existing organelle-targeted H2O2 probes have
      rendered them inert in the thiol-oxidizing ER, precluding experimental follow-up
      of glutathione's role in ER H2O2 metabolism. RESULTS: Here we report on the
      development of TriPer, a vital optical probe sensitive to changes in the
      concentration of H2O2 in the thiol-oxidizing environment of the ER. Consistent
      with the hypothesized contribution of oxidative protein folding to H2O2
      production, ER-localized TriPer detected an increase in the luminal H2O2 signal
      upon induction of pro-insulin (a disulfide-bonded protein of pancreatic beta
      cells), which was attenuated by the ectopic expression of catalase in the ER
      lumen. Interfering with glutathione production in the cytosol by buthionine
      sulfoximine (BSO) or enhancing its localized destruction by expression of the
      glutathione-degrading enzyme ChaC1 in the lumen of the ER further enhanced the
      luminal H2O2 signal and eroded beta-cell viability. CONCLUSIONS: A tri-cysteine
      system with a single peroxidatic thiol enables H2O2 detection in oxidizing
      milieux such as that of the ER. Tracking ER H2O2 in live pancreatic beta-cells
      points to a role for glutathione in H2O2 turnover.

PMID- 28347337
TI  - The effect of intervening hospitalizations on the benefit of structured physical
      activity in promoting independent mobility among community-living older persons:
      secondary analysis of a randomized controlled trial.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Among older persons, disability is often precipitated by intervening
      illnesses and injuries leading to hospitalization. In the Lifestyle Interventions
      and Independence for Elders (LIFE) Study, a structured moderate-intensity
      physical activity program, compared with a health education program, was shown to
      significantly reduce the amount of time spent with major mobility disability
      (MMD) over the course of 3.5 years. We aimed to determine whether the benefit of
      the physical activity program in promoting independent mobility was diminished in
      the setting of intervening hospitalizations. METHODS: We analyzed data from a
      single-blinded, parallel group randomized trial (ClinicalTrials.gov:
      NCT01072500). In this trial, 1635 sedentary persons, aged 70-89 years, who had
      functional limitations but were able to walk 400 m, were randomized from eight US
      centers between February 2010 and December 2013: 818 to physical activity (800
      received intervention) and 817 to health education (805 received intervention).
      Intervening hospitalizations and MMD, defined as the inability to walk 400 m,
      were assessed every 6 months for up to 3.5 years. RESULTS: For both the physical
      activity and health education groups, intervening hospitalizations were strongly
      associated with the initial onset of MMD and inversely associated with recovery
      from MMD, defined as a transition from initial MMD onset to no MMD. The benefit
      of the physical activity intervention did not differ significantly based on
      hospital exposure. For onset of MMD, the hazard ratios (HR) were 0.79 (95%
      confidence interval [CI] 0.58-1.1) and 0.77 (0.62-0.95) in the presence and
      absence of intervening hospitalizations, respectively (P-interaction, 0.903). For
      recovery of MMD, the magnitude of effect was modestly greater among participants
      who were hospitalized (HR 1.5, 95% CI 0.71-3.0) than in those who were not
      hospitalized (HR 1.2, 95% CI 0.88-1.7), but this difference did not achieve
      statistical significance (P-interaction, 0.670). CONCLUSIONS: Intervening
      hospitalizations had strong deleterious effects on the onset of MMD and recovery
      from MMD, but did not diminish the beneficial effect of the LIFE physical
      activity intervention in promoting independent mobility. To achieve sustained
      benefits over time, structured physical activity programs should be designed to
      accommodate acute illnesses and injuries leading to hospitalizations given their
      high frequency in older persons with functional limitations. TRIAL REGISTRATION:
      ClinicalTrials.gov identifier NCT01072500 .

PMID- 28347336
TI  - Quantifying the impact of current and future concentrations of air pollutants on
      respiratory disease risk in England.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Estimating the long-term health impact of air pollution in a spatio
      temporal ecological study requires representative concentrations of air
      pollutants to be constructed for each geographical unit and time period.
      Averaging concentrations in space and time is commonly carried out, but little is
      known about how robust the estimated health effects are to different aggregation
      functions. A second under researched question is what impact air pollution is
      likely to have in the future. METHODS: We conducted a study for England between
      2007 and 2011, investigating the relationship between respiratory hospital
      admissions and different pollutants: nitrogen dioxide (NO2); ozone (O3);
      particulate matter, the latter including particles with an aerodynamic diameter
      less than 2.5 micrometers (PM2.5), and less than 10 micrometers (PM10); and
      sulphur dioxide (SO2). Bayesian Poisson regression models accounting for
      localised spatio-temporal autocorrelation were used to estimate the relative
      risks (RRs) of pollution on disease risk, and for each pollutant four
      representative concentrations were constructed using combinations of spatial and
      temporal averages and maximums. The estimated RRs were then used to make
      projections of the numbers of likely respiratory hospital admissions in the 2050s
      attributable to air pollution, based on emission projections from a number of
      Representative Concentration Pathways (RCP). RESULTS: NO2 exhibited the largest
      association with respiratory hospital admissions out of the pollutants
      considered, with estimated increased risks of between 0.9 and 1.6% for a one
      standard deviation increase in concentrations. In the future the projected
      numbers of respiratory hospital admissions attributable to NO2 in the 2050s are
      lower than present day rates under 3 Representative Concentration Pathways
      (RCPs): 2.6, 6.0, and 8.5, which is due to projected reductions in future NO2
      emissions and concentrations. CONCLUSIONS: NO2 concentrations exhibit consistent
      substantial present-day health effects regardless of how a representative
      concentration is constructed in space and time. Thus as concentrations are
      predicted to remain above limits set by European Union Legislation until the
      2030s in parts of urban England, it will remain a substantial health risk for
      some time.

PMID- 28347338
TI  - The prevalence, characteristics, and factors associated with purchasing Chinese
      herbal medicine among adults in Taiwan.
AB  - BACKGROUND: The objective of this study was to investigate the prevalence and
      factors associated with purchasing Chinese herbal medicine (CHM) without a
      physician's prescription among adults. METHODS: Using data from the 2005 National
      Health Interview Survey and National Health Insurance, we identified 16,756
      individuals aged 20 years and older. Socio-demographic factors, lifestyle,
      medical services utilization and health behaviors were compared between people
      with and without a history of purchasing CHM by calculating adjusted odds ratios
      (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) in a multiple logistic regression
      analysis. RESULTS: The one-month prevalence of purchasing CHM without a
      physician' prescription was 5.2% in Taiwan. People more likely to purchase CHM
      included people aged >=70 years (OR 2.84, 95% CI 2.03-3.99), women (OR 1.28, 95%
      CI 1.11-1.48), non-indigenous people (OR 2.61, 95% CI 1.29-5.30), and people with
      an illness not receiving medical care (OR 2.69, 95% CI 2.19-3.31). CONCLUSION:
      The prevalence of purchasing CHM without a physician's prescription is high in
      Taiwan and is correlated with factors such as socio-demographics, disease
      history, and behaviors surrounding the utilization of medical care.

PMID- 28347339
TI  - Antibacterial activity of the stem bark of Tieghemella Heckelii Pierre ex. A Chev
      against methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Tieghemella heckelii (Sapotaceae) is a medicinal plant used in
      Africa, particularly in Cote d'Ivoire for treating various diseases including
      infections. Identification of prospective antibacterial compounds from stem bark
      of this plant as a result of its medicinal virtue, led to screening activity
      against methicillin resistant bacteria. METHODS: Six extracts (hexane,
      chloroform, ethyl acetate, ethanol, methanol and sterile distilled water) were
      prepared and tested on methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) using
      broth microdilution method for activity assessment. From this experiment, the
      minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) and minimum bactericidal concentrations
      (MBCs) of the plant extracts were determined in sterile 96-well microplates in
      order to search for both bacteriostatic and bactericidal effects. Afterwards,
      data analysis was performed using GraphPad Prism5 software (One-way ANOVA and
      Turkey Multiple Comparison test). The results were then presented as Mean +/- SD
      for experiment repeated three times. RESULTS: Four extracts (ethyl acetate,
      methanol, ethanol and sterile distilled water) showed credible potency, with
      strong, significant, and moderate growth inhibition of the MRSA tested. The MIC
      values which varied from 45 MUg/mL to 97 MUg/mL according to microbial phenotype,
      resolutely established the activity of the plant extracts. Additionally, the MBC
      values which varied, depending on the type of bacteria strain, revealed the
      bacteriostatic and bactericidal effects of the active extracts against
      Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus. CONCLUSION: The present study is a
      confirmation of the therapeutic potential of Tieghemella heckelii and its
      promising contribution to the discovery of a novel antibacterial drug pertaining
      to these resistant strains.

PMID- 28347340
TI  - Expanding metabolic pathway for de novo biosynthesis of the chiral pharmaceutical
      intermediate L-pipecolic acid in Escherichia coli.
AB  - BACKGROUND: The six-carbon circular non-proteinogenic compound L-pipecolic acid
      is an important chiral drug intermediate with many applications in the
      pharmaceutical industry. In the present study, we developed a metabolically
      engineered strain of Escherichia coli for the overproduction of L-pipecolic acid
      from glucose. RESULTS: The metabolic pathway from L-lysine to L-pipecolic acid
      was constructed initially by introducing lysine cyclodeaminase (LCD). Next, L
      lysine metabolic flux from glucose was amplified by the plasmid-based
      overexpression of dapA, lysC, and lysA under the control of the strong trc
      promoter to increase the biosynthetic pool of the precursor L-lysine.
      Additionally, since the catalytic efficiency of the key enzyme LCD is limited by
      the cofactor NAD+, the intracellular pyridine nucleotide concentration was
      rebalanced by expressing the pntAB gene encoding the transhydrogenase, which
      elevated the proportion of LCD with bound NAD+ and enhanced L-pipecolic acid
      production significantly. Further, optimization of Fe2+ and surfactant in the
      fermentation process resulted in 5.33 g/L L-pipecolic acid, with a yield of 0.13
      g/g of glucose via fed-batch cultivation. CONCLUSIONS: We expanded the metabolic
      pathway for the synthesis of the chiral pharmaceutical intermediate L-pipecolic
      acid in E. coli. Using the engineered E. coli, a fast and efficient fermentative
      production of L-pipecolic acid was achieved. This strategy could be applied to
      the biosynthesis of other commercially and industrially important chiral
      compounds containing piperidine rings.

PMID- 28347341
TI  - Validation of the Pittsburgh sleep quality index in community dwelling Ethiopian
      adults.
AB  - BACKGROUND: The applicability of the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) in
      screening of insomnia is demonstrated in various populations. But, the tool has
      not been validated in a sample of Ethiopians. Therefore, this study aimed to
      assess its psychometric properties in community dwelling Ethiopian adults.
      MATERIAL AND METHODS: Participants (n = 311, age = 25.5 +/- 6.0 years and body
      mass index = 22.1 +/- 2.3 kg/m2) from Mizan-Aman town, Southwest Ethiopia
      completed the PSQI and a semi-structured questionnaire for socio-demographics.
      Clinical interview for screening of insomnia according to the International
      Classification of Sleep Disorders was carried out as a concurrent validation
      measure. RESULTS: Overall, the PSQI scale did not have floor effect and ceiling
      effects. Moderate internal consistency (Cronbach's alpha was 0.59) and sufficient
      internal homogeneity as indicated by correlation coefficient between component
      scores and the global PSQI score was found. The PSQI was of good value for
      screening insomnia with optimal cut-off scores of 5.5 (sensitivity 82%,
      specificity 56.2%) and the area under the curve, 0.78 (p < 0.0001). The PSQI has
      unidimensional factor structure in the Ethiopian community adults for screening
      insomnia. CONCLUSION: The PSQI has good psychometric validity in screening for
      insomnia among Ethiopians adults.

PMID- 28347342
TI  - Identification and analysis of genomic islands in Burkholderia cenocepacia AU
      1054 with emphasis on pathogenicity islands.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Genomic islands (GIs) are genomic regions that reveal evidence of
      horizontal DNA transfer. They can code for many functions and may augment a
      bacterium's adaptation to its host or environment. GIs have been identified in
      strain J2315 of Burkholderia cenocepacia, whereas in strain AU 1054 there has
      been no published works on such regions according to our text mining and keyword
      search in Medline. RESULTS: In this study, we identified 21 GIs in AU 1054 by
      combining two computational tools. Feature analyses suggested that the
      predictions are highly reliable and hence illustrated the advantage of joint
      predictions by two independent methods. Based on putative virulence factors, four
      GIs were further identified as pathogenicity islands (PAIs). Through experiments
      of gene deletion mutants in live bacteria, two putative PAIs were confirmed, and
      the virulence factors involved were identified as lipA and copR. The importance
      of the genes lipA (from PAI 1) and copR (from PAI 2) for bacterial invasion and
      replication indicates that they are required for the invasive properties of B.
      cenocepacia and may function as virulence determinants for bacterial pathogenesis
      and host infection. CONCLUSIONS: This approach of in silico prediction of GIs and
      subsequent identification of potential virulence factors in the putative island
      regions with final validation using wet experiments could be used as an effective
      strategy to rapidly discover novel virulence factors in other bacterial species
      and strains.

PMID- 28347343
TI  - Modeling electrical stimulation of retinal ganglion cell with optimizing additive
      noises for reducing threshold and energy consumption.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Epiretinal prosthesis is one device for the treatment of blindness,
      which target retinal ganglion cells (RGCs) by electrodes on retinal surface. The
      stimulating current of epiretinal prosthesis is an important factor that
      influences the safety threshold and visual perception. Stochastic resonance (SR)
      can be used to enhance the detection and transmission of subthreshold stimuli in
      neurons. Here, it was assumed that SR was a potential way to improve the
      performance of epiretinal prosthesis. The effect of noises on the response of
      RGCs to electrical stimulation and the energy of stimulating current was studied
      based on a RGC model. METHODS: The RGC was modeled as a multi-compartment model
      consisting of dendrites and its branches, soma and axon. To evoke SR, a
      subthreshold signal, a series of bipolar rectangular pulse sequences, plus
      stochastic biphasic pulse sequences as noises, were used as a stimulus to the
      model. The SR-type behavior in the model was characterized by a "power norm"
      measure. To decrease energy consumption of the stimulation waveform, the
      stochastic biphasic pulse sequences were only added to the cathode and anode
      phase of the subthreshold pulse and the noise parameters were optimized by using
      a genetic algorithm (GA). RESULTS: When certain intensity of noise is added to
      the subthreshold signal, RGC model can fire. With the noise's RMS amplitudes
      increased, more spikes were elicited and the curve of power norm presents the
      inverted U-like graph. The larger pulse width of stochastic biphasic pulse
      sequences resulted in higher power norm. The energy consumption and charges of
      the single bipolar rectangular pulse without noise in threshold level are 468.18
      pJ, 15.30 nC, and after adding optimized parameters's noise to the subthreshold
      signal, they became 314.8174 pJ, 11.9281 nC and were reduced by 32.8 and 22.0%,
      respectively. CONCLUSIONS: The SR exists in the RGC model and can enhance the
      representation of RGC model to the subthreshold signal. Adding the stochastic
      biphasic pulse sequences to the cathode and anode phase of the subthreshold
      signal helps to reduce stimulation threshold, energy consumption and charge of
      RGC stimulation. These may be helpful for improving the performance of epiretinal
      prosthesis.

PMID- 28347346
TI  - 7-day weighed food diaries suggest patients with hereditary hemorrhagic
      telangiectasia may spontaneously modify their diet to avoid nosebleed
      precipitants.
AB  - Hereditary hemorrhagic telangiectasia (HHT) poses substantial burdens due to
      nosebleeds and iron deficiency resulting from recurrent hemorrhagic iron losses.
      Recent studies by our group found surprising links between HHT nosebleeds and
      certain food groups. In this letter, we report 7-day weighed food diary
      assessments of an unselected group of 25 UK patients with HHT whose nosebleeds
      ranged from mild to severe (median epistaxis severity score 4.66, range 0.89-
      9.11). The diaries provide evidence that food items most commonly reported to
      provoke nosebleeds were ingested by fewer HHT patients, compared to food items
      less commonly reported to provoke nosebleeds (chi-squared p <0.001).

PMID- 28347344
TI  - Quantification of the relative contribution of the different right ventricular
      wall motion components to right ventricular ejection fraction: the ReVISION
      method.
AB  - Three major mechanisms contribute to right ventricular (RV) pump function: (i)
      shortening of the longitudinal axis with traction of the tricuspid annulus
      towards the apex; (ii) inward movement of the RV free wall; (iii) bulging of the
      interventricular septum into the RV and stretching the free wall over the septum.
      The relative contribution of the aforementioned mechanisms to RV pump function
      may change in different pathological conditions.Our aim was to develop a custom
      method to separately assess the extent of longitudinal, radial and
      anteroposterior displacement of the RV walls and to quantify their relative
      contribution to global RV ejection fraction using 3D data sets obtained by
      echocardiography.Accordingly, we decomposed the movement of the exported RV
      beutel wall in a vertex based manner. The volumes of the beutels accounting for
      the RV wall motion in only one direction (either longitudinal, radial, or
      anteroposterior) were calculated at each time frame using the signed tetrahedron
      method. Then, the relative contribution of the RV wall motion along the three
      different directions to global RV ejection fraction was calculated either as the
      ratio of the given direction's ejection fraction to global ejection fraction and
      as the frame-by-frame RV volume change (?V/?t) along the three motion
      directions.The ReVISION (Right VentrIcular Separate wall motIon quantificatiON)
      method may contribute to a better understanding of the pathophysiology of RV
      mechanical adaptations to different loading conditions and diseases.

PMID- 28347347
TI  - A rare case of biventricular myxoma.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Cardiac myxoma is the most common primary cardiac tumor.
      Approximately 75-80% of myxomas are located in the left atrium. Occurrence of
      multiple myxomas is extremely rare. CASE PRESENTATION: We describe a rare case of
      biventricular myxomas resulting in right ventricular inflow and tricuspid valve
      obstruction. The lesions were detected by echocardiography and thoracic
      computerized tomography (CT) and confirmed on positron emission tomography
      computed tomography. CONCLUSION: The patient underwent successful surgical
      resection of the multiple cardiac myxomas. This kind of biventricular case has
      not been previously reported. The patient is asymptomatic as of the 10-month
      follow-up.

PMID- 28347345
TI  - Serotonergic system in hypoxic ventilatory response in unilateral rat model of
      Parkinson's disease.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Malfunctioning of the serotonergic system in Parkinson's disease may
      contribute to non-motor symptoms such as respiratory complications. Thus the aim
      of our study was to investigate the role of serotonin 5-HT2 receptors in the
      modulation of normoxic breathing and the hypoxic ventilatory response (HVR) in
      rat model of Parkinson's disease. METHODS: Wistar rats were lesioned unilaterally
      with double 6-hydroxydopamine (6-OHDA) injection to the right medial forebrain
      bundle (MFB). Before lesion and two weeks later animals were put in whole body
      plethysmography chamber and exposed to hypoxia (8% O2). Before hypoxic tests
      animals received intraperitoneal injections of DOI and ketanserin. Efficacy of
      lesion was confirmed by cylinder test, assessing limb use asymmetry. RESULTS:
      Degeneration of the nigrostriatal pathway augmented response of tidal volume and
      minute ventilation to hypoxia. DOI administration in control and lesion state
      caused a significant rise in normoxic respiratory rate and minute ventilation.
      Yet, ventilatory response of these parameters to hypoxia was attenuated. Post-DOI
      magnitude of HVR in lesioned state was decreased in compare to pre-lesion
      control. Subsequent ketanserin injection reverted DOI-induced respiratory
      effects. We demonstrated that 6-OHDA treatment decreased the content of serotonin
      in the injured striatum and on both sides of the brainstem, leaving the
      concentration of noradrenaline on unchanged level. CONCLUSIONS: These
      observations showed that damage of the nigrostriatal system initiates changes in
      the serotonergic system, confirmed by reduced concentration of serotonin in the
      striatum and brainstem, which affects the magnitude of respiratory response to
      hypoxia after activation of 5-HT2 receptors.

PMID- 28347348
TI  - Targeted sequencing may facilitate differential diagnostics of pulmonary tumours:
      a case series.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Histopathological diagnosis is important for prognostication and
      choice of treatment in patients with cancer in the lung. Metastases to the lungs
      are common and need to be distinguished from primary lung cancer. Furthermore,
      cases with synchronous or metachronous primary lung cancers (although infrequent)
      are often handled differently than cases with lung cancer with intrapulmonary
      metastasis or relapse, respectively. In some cases, morphology and
      immunohistochemical staining is not sufficient for certain diagnosis. METHODS:
      The present study included six cases where molecular genetic analysis in form of
      pyrosequencing or targeted next-generation sequencing was of value for certain
      diagnosis of selected tumours in the lung. RESULTS: Two of the included cases
      were rare metastases to the lung; colorectal cancer with IHC profile consistent
      with primary lung cancer and malignant adenomyoepithelioma of the breast,
      respectively, where molecular genetic analysis was of aid for proving the
      relationship to the primary tumour. The other four cases were multiple lung
      adenocarcinomas where molecular genetic analysis was of aid to distinguish
      between intrapulmonary metastasis and synchronous tumour. CONCLUSIONS: Comparison
      of molecular genetic profile may be an important tool for determination of
      relationship between tumours in some situations and should always be considered
      in unclear cases. Further studies on concordance and discordance of molecular
      genetic profiles between spatially or temporally different tumours with common
      origin may be helpful for improved diagnostics of pulmonary tumours.

PMID- 28347349
TI  - Use of crystal methamphetamine among male adolescents in Cape Town, South Africa:
      Caregivers' experiences.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Against the background that crystal methamphetamine (colloquially
      known as "tik") is extensively used by the emerging working class Coloured youth
      in Cape Town, South Africa, this exploratory qualitative study was conducted to
      explore the experience of mothers whose children use methamphetamine. METHODS:
      The researchers conducted one-to-one semi-structured in-depth interviews with
      sixteen (16) purposively selected caregivers (mothers) whose sons use
      methamphetamine. Interviews were recorded and simultaneously translated and
      transcribed. Thematic analysis was used to identify themes related to the
      experiences of caregivers of youth with methamphetamine problems. RESULTS:
      Findings showed that youth misbehaviour provided a context that led to feelings
      of shame and embarrassment. Participants also experienced personal challenges
      which included emotional problems, fear and self-blame. Participants also
      expressed family disruptions and financial drain as adverse experiences as a
      results of their sons' misbehaviour. CONCLUSION: The study results highlight the
      psychosocial challenges for caregivers of children who use methamphetamine. These
      findings underscore the need for effort to be directed at the development of
      formal support interventions for mothers of youth who are troubled with
      addiction.

PMID- 28347350
TI  - The association between age of onset of opioid use and comorbidity among opioid
      dependent patients receiving methadone maintenance therapy.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Opioid use disorder (OUD) affects approximately 21.9 million people
      worldwide. This study aims to determine the association between age of onset of
      opioid use and comorbid disorders, both physical and psychiatric, in patients
      receiving methadone maintenance treatment (MMT) for OUD. Understanding this
      association may inform clinical practice about important prognostic factors of
      patients on MMT, enabling clinicians to identify high-risk patients. METHODS:
      This study includes data collected between June 2011 and August 2016 for the
      Genetics of Opioid Addiction research collaborative between McMaster University
      and the Canadian Addiction Treatment Centers. All patients were interviewed by
      trained health professionals using the Mini-International Neuropsychiatric
      Interview and case report forms. Physical comorbidities were verified using
      patients' electronic medical records. A multi-variable logistic regression model
      was constructed to determine the strength of the association between age of onset
      of opioid use and the presence of physical or psychiatric comorbidity while
      adjusting for current age, sex, body mass index, methadone dose and smoking
      status. RESULTS: Data from 627 MMT patients with a mean age of 38.8 years (SD =
      11.07) were analyzed. Individuals with an age of onset of opioid use younger than
      18 years were found to be at higher odds for having a physical or psychiatric
      comorbid disorder compared to individuals with an age of onset of opioid use of
      31 years or older (odds ratio 2.94, 95% confidence interval 1.20, 7.19, p =
      0.02). A significant association was not found between the risk of having a
      comorbidity and an age of onset of opioid use between 18 and 25 years or 26 and
      30 years, compared to an age of onset of opioid use of 31 years or older.
      CONCLUSION: Our study demonstrates that the younger one begins to use opioids,
      the greater their chance of having a physical or psychiatric co-morbidity.
      Understanding the risk posed by an earlier onset of opioid use for the later
      development of comorbid disorders informs clinical practice about important
      prognostic predictors and aids in the identification of high-risk patients.

PMID- 28347351
TI  - The effectiveness of health care provider physical activity recommendations in
      cancer survivors: a systematic review and meta-analysis protocol.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Cancer survivors face a range of negative physical and psychological
      effects that can be mitigated by participating in physical activity. Despite
      this, most do not meet recommended levels. Health care providers may be in a
      unique position to promote participation in physical activity among cancer
      survivors. The aim of this systematic review and meta-analysis is to synthesize
      the findings from randomized controlled trials and controlled clinical trials
      investigating the effectiveness of health care provider-administered physical
      activity recommendations on participation in physical activity among cancer
      survivors. METHODS/DESIGN: Ten electronic databases (CINAHL, CENTRAL, Education
      Source, EMBASE, LILACS, MEDLINE, OTSeeker, PEDro, PsycINFO, SPORTDiscus) will be
      searched to identify relevant studies. The electronic searches will be
      supplemented by scanning the reference lists of relevant articles retrieved
      during these searches to ensure all potentially relevant studies are identified.
      Two reviewers will independently screen all titles and abstracts resulting from
      the searches to identify potentially eligible studies. They will then screen the
      full-text articles passing the first screen to identify studies for inclusion
      using predetermined inclusion/exclusion criteria, extract data from studies
      meeting all criteria, and assess the risk of bias of these studies. Results will
      be summarized narratively and statistically. DISCUSSION: By summarizing the best
      available evidence for the effectiveness of health care provider physical
      activity recommendations for increasing participation in physical activity among
      cancer survivors, the results of this systematic review and meta-analysis will
      help determine if making physical activity recommendations effectively changes
      cancer survivors behaviour. It will also help to identify knowledge gaps and
      highlight areas in need of additional research.

PMID- 28347352
TI  - Combined target site (kdr) mutations play a primary role in highly pyrethroid
      resistant phenotypes of Aedes aegypti from Saudi Arabia.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Pyrethroid resistance is a threat to effective vector control of
      Aedes aegypti, the vector of dengue, Zika and other arboviruses, but there are
      many major knowledge gaps on the mechanisms of resistance. In Jeddah and Makkah,
      the principal dengue-endemic areas of Saudi Arabia, pyrethroids are used widely
      for Ae. aegypti control but information about resistance remains sparse, and the
      underlying genetic basis is unknown. Findings from an ongoing study in this
      internationally significant area are reported here. METHODS: Aedes aegypti
      collected from each city were raised to adults and assayed for resistance to
      permethrin, deltamethrin (with and without the synergist piperonyl butoxide,
      PBO), fenitrothion, and bendiocarb. Two fragments of the voltage-gated sodium
      channel (Vgsc), encompassing four previously identified mutation sites, were
      sequenced and subsequently genotyped to determine associations with resistance.
      Expression of five candidate genes (CYP9J10, CYP9J28, CYP9J32, CYP9M6, ABCB4)
      previously associated with pyrethroid resistance was compared between assay
      survivors and controls. RESULTS: Jeddah and Makkah populations exhibited
      resistance to multiple insecticides and a similarly high prevalence of resistance
      to deltamethrin compared to a resistant Cayman strain, with a significant
      influence of age and exposure duration on survival. PBO pre-exposure increased
      pyrethroid mortality significantly in the Jeddah, but not the Makkah strain.
      Three potentially interacting Vgsc mutations were detected: V1016G and S989P were
      in perfect linkage disequilibrium in each strain and strongly predicted survival,
      especially in the Makkah strain, but were in negative linkage disequilibrium with
      1534C, though some females with the Vgsc triple mutation were detected. The
      candidate gene CYP9J28 was significantly over-expressed in Jeddah compared to two
      susceptible reference strains, but none of the candidate genes was consistently
      up-regulated to a significant level in the Makkah strain. CONCLUSIONS: Despite
      their proximity, Makkah and Jeddah exhibit significant differences in pyrethroid
      resistance phenotypes, with some evidence to suggest a different balance of
      mechanisms, for example with more impact associated with CYP450s in the Jeddah
      strain, and the dual kdr mutations 989P and 1016G in the more resistant Makkah
      strain. The results overall demonstrate a major role for paired target site
      mutations in pyrethroid resistance and highlight their utility for diagnostic
      monitoring.

PMID- 28347353
TI  - Two synchronous malignant tumors of the pancreas: a case report.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Only a limited number of multiple synchronous primary malignancies of
      the pancreas have been reported in the medical literature. We report a case of
      two solid malignant tumors of the pancreas diagnosed preoperatively. CASE
      PRESENTATION: We describe a 65-year-old Sri Lankan woman who presented with
      progressive obstructive jaundice. Initial contrast-enhanced computed tomography
      imaging detected a malignant tumor at the tail of her pancreas. A second tumor of
      the pancreatic head was detected with integrated imaging using multidetector
      computed tomography and multimodal magnetic resonance imaging. She underwent
      total pancreaticoduodenectomy and splenectomy. Gross examination of the specimen
      confirmed the presence of two separate tumors. Histology of the ampullary tumor
      showed pancreatic-type adenocarcinoma and the tumor in the tail of her pancreas
      showed a colloid-type adenocarcinoma. CONCLUSION: The possibility of multiple
      primary malignant solid tumors of different types with malignant potential has to
      be considered even without background pathology when managing multiple tumors in
      the pancreas.

PMID- 28347354
TI  - Equipoise across the patient population: optimising recruitment to a randomised
      controlled trial.
AB  - BACKGROUND: This paper proposes a novel perspective on the value of qualitative
      research for improving trial design and optimising recruitment. We report
      findings from a qualitative study set within the OPEN trial, a surgical
      randomised controlled trial (RCT) comparing two interventions for recurrent
      bulbar urethral stricture, a common cause of urinary problems in men. METHODS:
      Interviews were conducted with men meeting trial eligibility criteria (n = 19) to
      explore reasons for accepting or declining participation and with operating
      urologists (n = 15) to explore trial acceptability. RESULTS: Patients expressed
      various preferences and understood these in the context of relative severity and
      tolerability of their symptoms. Accounts suggest a common trajectory of worsening
      symptoms with a particular window within which either treatment arm would be
      considered acceptable. Interviews with clinician recruiters found that
      uncertainty varied between general and specialist sites, which reflect
      clinicians' relative exposure to different proportions of the patient population.
      CONCLUSION: Recruitment post referral, at specialist sites, was challenging due
      to patient (and clinician) expectations. Trial design, particularly where there
      are fixed points for recruitment along the care pathway, can enable or constrain
      the possibilities for effective accrual depending on how it aligns with the
      optimum point of patient equipoise. Qualitative recruitment investigations, often
      focussed on information provision and patient engagement, may also look to better
      understand the target patient population in order to optimise the point at which
      patients are approached. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ISRCTN Registry, ISRCTN98009168 .
      Registered on 29 November 2012.

PMID- 28347355
TI  - The potential of health literacy to address the health related UN sustainable
      development goal 3 (SDG3) in Nepal: a rapid review.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Health literacy has been linked to health outcomes across population
      groups around the world. Nepal, a low income country, experiences the double
      burden of highly prevalent communicable as well as non-communicable diseases. The
      World Health Organization (WHO) has positioned health literacy as a key mechanism
      to meet the health-related Sustainable Development Goal (SDG3). However, there is
      little known about the status of health literacy in developing countries such as
      Nepal. This paper aims to review the potential of health literacy to address SDG3
      in Nepal. METHODS: A rapid review was conducted using the knowledge to action
      evidence summary approach. Articles included in the review were those reporting
      on barriers to health care engagements in Nepal published in English language
      between January 2000 and December 2015. RESULTS: Barriers for healthcare
      engagement included knowledge and education as strong factors, followed by
      culture, gender roles, quality of service and cost of services. These barriers
      influence the Nepalese community to access and engage with services, and make and
      enact healthcare decisions, not only at the individual level but at the family
      level. These factors are directly linked to health literacy. Health literacy is a
      pivotal determinant of understanding, accessing and using health information and
      health services, it is important that the health literacy needs of the people be
      addressed. CONCLUSION: Locally identified and developed health literacy
      interventions may provide opportunities for systematic improvements in health to
      address impediments to healthcare in Nepal. Further research on health literacy
      and implementation of health literacy interventions may help reduce inequalities
      and increase the responsiveness of health systems which could potentially
      facilitate Nepal to meet the sustainable development goals. While there is
      currently little in place for health literacy to impact on the SDG3, this paper
      generates insights into health literacy's potential role.

PMID- 28347356
TI  - Surgical resection of cardiac myxoma-a 30-year single institutional experience.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Primary cardiac tumors are rare and myxoma constitutes the majority.
      The present study summarizes our 30-year clinical outcomes of surgical myxoma
      resection. METHODS: Between January 1986 and December 2015, 93 patients (30 men,
      63 women; mean age, 54.7 +/- 16.6 years) underwent surgical myxoma resection. The
      most common origin site was the left atrium. Surgery was performed via a biatrial
      approach in 74.2%, atrial septotomy through right atriotomy in 17.2%, and left
      atriotomy only in 8.6%. Mean myxoma size based on longest length was 4.73 +/-
      1.92 cm (range, 1.2-11.0 cm). RESULTS: The mean follow-up duration was 9.9 +/-
      7.8 years (range, 0-29 years). In-hospital mortality was 3.2%. The most common
      postoperative complication was atrial fibrillation (4.3%). The 5-, 10-, and 30
      year survival rates were 92.9%, 87.2%, and 75.5%, respectively. Recurrence
      occurred in two patients (2.1%), which were detected at 20 and 79 months after
      the first surgery, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: Long-term survival after myxoma
      resection was excellent and recurrence was rare. Based on our experience,
      surgical method did not affect the outcome.

PMID- 28347357
TI  - Prevalence and risk factors associated with female anal sex in the context of
      HIV/AIDS in the selected districts of Tanzania.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Female anal sex is a receptive type of sexual practice among
      heterosexual couples where the penis is inserted into the anus of a female
      partner. In the Western world, a number of studies and interventions have been
      carried out on anal sex among men due to its potential risks to HIV transmission.
      In African countries, including Tanzania, there is dearth of information on the
      risks inherent in practices associated with female anal sex in the general
      population. The objective of this study was to determine the prevalence and risk
      factors associated with female anal sex in fuelling HIV transmission in selected
      districts of Tanzania. METHODS: This study was conducted in four districts of
      Tanzania of Kinondoni, Tanga Urban, Makete and Siha. Both quantitative and
      qualitative methods i.e. household interviews and focus group discussions were
      employed in data collection. Study participants included community members of
      aged 15 and above such as heads of the household, adolescents, bar workers and
      commercial sex workers. FINDINGS: A total of 903 individuals were interviewed,
      60.6% of whom were females. When respondents were asked to indicate whether they
      had ever been tempted to practise FAS, 167 (18.5%) reported to have been tempted
      in the past 12 months. Of these, 44 (26.3%) respondents had at least practised
      FAS. Risky practices associated with FAS were forced sex, multiple partners,
      frequency of engaging in FAS, low use of condoms during FAS, low rates of HIV
      testing among partakers, poor perception of the risks to acquire HIV through FAS
      and use of lubricants. CONCLUSIONS: In this population, the frequency of FAS
      practice was rather low. And yet, FAS practice attendant risk factors are likely
      to exacerbate HIV transmission. As such, there is a need for further exploratory
      studies to determine and document drivers of FAS. In addition, public health
      education should be provided with regard to the risks of contracting HIV
      associated with FAS practices.

PMID- 28347360
TI  - GANEing on emotion and emotion regulation.
AB  - The function of emotion and its underlying neural mechanisms are often left
      underspecified. I extend the GANE (glutamate amplifies noradrenergic effects)
      model by examining its success in accounting for findings in emotion regulation.
      I also identify points of alignment with construction models of emotion and with
      the hypothesis that emotion states function to push neural activity toward rapid
      and efficient action.

PMID- 28347359
TI  - The association of trajectories of protein intake and age-specific protein
      intakes from 2 to 22 years with BMI in early adulthood.
AB  - No study has analysed how protein intake from early childhood to young adulthood
      relate to adult BMI in a single cohort. To estimate the association of protein
      intake at 2, 11, 15, 19 and 22 years with age- and sex-standardised BMI at 22
      years (early adulthood), we used linear regression models with dietary and
      anthropometric data from a Filipino birth cohort (1985-2005, n 2586). We used
      latent growth curve analysis to identify trajectories of protein intake relative
      to age-specific recommended daily allowance (intake in g/kg body weight) from 2
      to 22 years, then related trajectory membership to early adulthood BMI using
      linear regression models. Lean mass and fat mass were secondary outcomes.
      Regression models included socioeconomic, dietary and anthropometric confounders
      from early life and adulthood. Protein intake relative to needs at age 2 years
      was positively associated with BMI and lean mass at age 22 years, but intakes at
      ages 11, 15 and 22 years were inversely associated with early adulthood BMI.
      Individuals were classified into four mutually exclusive trajectories: (i) normal
      consumers (referent trajectory, 58 % of cohort), (ii) high protein consumers in
      infancy (20 %), (iii) usually high consumers (18 %) and (iv) always high
      consumers (5 %). Compared with the normal consumers, 'usually high' consumption
      was inversely associated with BMI, lean mass and fat mass at age 22 years whereas
      'always high' consumption was inversely associated with male lean mass in males.
      Proximal protein intakes were more important contributors to early adult BMI
      relative to early-childhood protein intake; protein intake history was
      differentially associated with adulthood body size.

PMID- 28347361
TI  - For better or worse, or for a change?
AB  - The noradrenergic system is intimately related to the autonomic system and is
      thought to play a key role at the interface between arousal and cognition. The
      GANE (glutamate amplifies noradrenergic effects) theory proposes a complete
      account of that role, with an emphasis on the quantitative effect of
      noradrenaline on stimulus processing. This is in marked contrast to network reset
      theory, which emphasizes the qualitative effect of noradrenaline of updating the
      representation of the environment.

PMID- 28347362
TI  - What BANE can offer GANE: Individual differences in function of hotspot
      mechanisms.
AB  - In this commentary we focus on individual differences in proposed mechanisms
      underlying arousal-based enhancement of prioritized stimuli. We discuss the
      potential of genotyping studies for examining effects of noradrenergic processes
      on stimulus prioritization in humans and stress the importance of potential
      individual differences in the activity of specific receptor subtypes in hotspot
      processes proposed by the GANE model.

PMID- 28347363
TI  - Locus coeruleus reports changes in environmental contingencies.
AB  - The GANE (glutamate amplifies noradrenergic effects) model proposed by Mather et
      al. attempts to explain how norepinephrine enhances processing in highly
      activated brain regions. Careful perusal of the sparse data available from
      recording studies in animals reveals that noradrenergic neurons are excited
      mainly by any change in the environment - a salient, novel, or unexpected sensory
      stimulus or a change in behavioral contingencies. This begets the "network reset
      hypothesis" supporting the notion that norepinephrine promotes rapid cognitive
      and behavioral adaption.

PMID- 28347364
TI  - Cognitive control, dynamic salience, and the imperative toward computational
      accounts of neuromodulatory function.
AB  - We draw attention to studies indicating that phasic arousal increases
      interference effects in tasks necessitating the recruitment of cognitive control.
      We suggest that arousal-biased competition models such as GANE (glutamate
      amplifies noradrenergic effects) may be able to explain these findings by taking
      into account dynamic, within-trial changes in the relative salience of task
      relevant and task-irrelevant features. However, testing this hypothesis requires
      a computational model.

PMID- 28347365
TI  - Emotional memory: From affective relevance to arousal.
AB  - Arousal is typically conceived as a key component of emotional response. We
      describe here the psychological processes thought to elicit arousal - in
      particular, the processes involved in the appraisal of affective relevance. The
      key role of relevance in attentional and memory processing, and its links with
      arousal, is discussed with respect to the GANE (glutamate amplifies noradrenergic
      effects) model described by Mather et al.

PMID- 28347366
TI  - Why we forget our dreams: Acetylcholine and norepinephrine in wakefulness and REM
      sleep.
AB  - The ascending fibers releasing norepinephrine and acetylcholine are highly active
      during wakefulness. In contrast, during rapid-eye-movement sleep, the neocortical
      tone is sustained mainly by acetylcholine. By comparing the different
      physiological features of the norepinephrine and acetylcholine systems in the
      light of the GANE (glutamate amplifies noradrenergic effects) model, we suggest
      how to interpret some functional differences between waking and rapid-eye
      movement sleep.

PMID- 28347367
TI  - Contemplating the GANE model using an extreme case paradigm.
AB  - Early experiences play a crucial role in programming brain function, affecting
      selective attention, learning, and memory. Infancy literature suggests an
      extension of the GANE (glutamate amplifies noradrenergic effects) model to
      conditions with minimal priority-map inputs, yet suggests qualifications by
      noting that its efficacy is increased when tonic levels of arousal are maintained
      in an optimal range, in manners that are age and exposure dependent.

PMID- 28347358
TI  - Genetic pleiotropy between age-related macular degeneration and 16 complex
      diseases and traits.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is a common condition of
      vision loss with disease development strongly influenced by environmental and
      genetic factors. Recently, 34 loci were associated with AMD at genome-wide
      significance. So far, little is known about a genetic overlap between AMD and
      other complex diseases or disease-relevant traits. METHODS: For each of 60
      complex diseases/traits with publicly available genome-wide significant
      association data, the lead genetic variant per independent locus was extracted
      and a genetic score was calculated for each disease/trait as the weighted sum of
      risk alleles. The association with AMD was estimated based on 16,144 AMD cases
      and 17,832 controls using logistic regression. RESULTS: Of the respective
      disease/trait variance, the 60 genetic scores explained on average 4.8% (0.27
      20.69%) and 16 of them were found to be significantly associated with AMD (Q
      values < 0.01, p values from < 1.0 * 10-16 to 1.9 * 10-3). Notably, an increased
      risk for AMD was associated with reduced risk for cardiovascular diseases,
      increased risk for autoimmune diseases, higher HDL and lower LDL levels in serum,
      lower bone-mineral density as well as an increased risk for skin cancer. By
      restricting the analysis to 1824 variants initially used to compute the 60
      genetic scores, we identified 28 novel AMD risk variants (Q-values < 0.01, p
      values from 1.1 * 10-7 to 3.0 * 10-4), known to be involved in cardiovascular
      disorders, lipid metabolism, autoimmune diseases, anthropomorphic traits, ocular
      disorders, and neurological diseases. The latter variants represent 20 novel AMD
      associated, pleiotropic loci. Genes in the novel loci reinforce previous findings
      strongly implicating the complement system in AMD pathogenesis. CONCLUSIONS: We
      demonstrate a substantial overlap of the genetics of several complex
      diseases/traits with AMD and provide statistically significant evidence for an
      additional 20 loci associated with AMD. This highlights the possibility that so
      far unrelated pathologies may have disease pathways in common.

PMID- 28347368
TI  - Bodily arousal differentially impacts stimulus processing and memory:
      Norepinephrine in interoception.
AB  - Bodily arousal modulates stimulus processing and memory, contributing to
      expression of emotional salience. The "glutamate amplifies noradrenergic effects"
      (GANE) model proposed by Mather and colleagues can be extended to account for the
      differential impact of interoceptive (notably cardiac afferent) signals on
      sensory processing. However, some emotion-specific effects, for example, for
      fear, may further depend on functional anatomical organisation of affect-related
      brain structures.

PMID- 28347369
TI  - Effect of arousal on perception as studied through the lens of the motor
      correlates of sexual arousal.
AB  - The study of sexual arousal is at the interface of affective and social
      neurosciences. Recent results regarding the motor correlates of sexual arousal
      demonstrating an early freezing response are in perfect accordance with the GANE
      (glutamate amplifies noradrenergic effects) model's sustaining the double role of
      the arousal dimension on emotional processing.

PMID- 28347370
TI  - Emotionally arousing context modulates the ERP correlates of neutral picture
      processing: An ERP test of the GANE model.
AB  - The time scale of the effects of emotional arousal on neutral information
      processing is crucial for the predictions of the glutamate amplifies
      noradrenergic effects (GANE) model. GANE suggests that when emotional and neutral
      stimuli are presented in a sequence, neutral information processing will change.
      We review the literature on event-related potentials, including our own data set,
      to test this prediction.

PMID- 28347371
TI  - Use of biomarkers to assess fruit and vegetable intake.
AB  - A high intake of fruit and vegetables (FV) has been associated with reduced risk
      of a number of chronic diseases, including CVD. The aim of this review is to
      describe the potential use of biomarkers to assess FV intake. Traditional methods
      of assessing FV intake have limitations, and this is likely to impact on observed
      associations with disease outcomes and markers of disease risk. Nutritional
      biomarkers may offer a more objective and reliable method of assessing dietary FV
      intake. Some single blood biomarkers, such as plasma vitamin C and serum
      carotenoids, are well established as indicators of FV intake. Combining potential
      biomarkers of intake may more accurately predict overall FV intake within
      intervention studies than the use of any single biomarker. Another promising
      approach is metabolomic analysis of biological fluids using untargeted approaches
      to identify potential new biomarkers of FV intake. Using biomarkers to measure FV
      intake may improve the accuracy of dietary assessment.

PMID- 28347372
TI  - The Fluency Amplification Model supports the GANE principle of arousal
      enhancement.
AB  - The GANE (glutamate amplifies noradrenergic effects) model described by Mather et
      al. offers a neurophysiological basis for the arousal mechanism which is
      essential for empirical aesthetics and Gestalt processing. More generally, the
      core principle of perception can be interpreted as a continuous processing of
      competing arousal states, yielding selective amplification and inhibition of
      percepts to deduce the meaning of a scene.

PMID- 28347373
TI  - Using stable isotope techniques in nutrition assessments and tracking of global
      targets post-2015.
AB  - Stable isotopes are non-radioactive, safe and are applied for various purposes in
      human health assessment in trace amounts that minimally disturb normal
      physiology. The International Atomic Energy Agency supports the use of stable
      isotope techniques to design and evaluate interventions addressing malnutrition
      in all its forms with focus on infant and young child feeding; maternal and
      adolescent nutrition; diet quality; prevention and control of non-communicable
      diseases; healthy ageing and gut function. These techniques can be used to
      objectively measure: (1) amount of human milk consumed and whether an infant is
      exclusively breastfed; (2) body composition in the context of re-feeding
      programmes for moderate and severe acute malnutrition and as an indicator of the
      risk for obesity; (3) bioavailability and bioconversion of pro-vitamin A and
      vitamin A body stores following vitamin A intervention programmes; (4) absorption
      and retention of iron, zinc and protein; (5) total energy expenditure for
      validation of physical activity measurement and dietary assessment tools and (6)
      diagnosis of Helicobacter pylori. Stable isotope techniques will be invaluable in
      the tracking of global targets on exclusive breast-feeding childhood obesity and
      anaemia among women. Efforts are underway to make nuclear techniques more
      affordable, field-friendly and less invasive, and to develop less sophisticated
      but precise equipment. Advocacy for the wide adoption of the techniques is
      needed.

PMID- 28347374
TI  - Interactions of noradrenaline and cortisol and the induction of indelible
      memories.
AB  - The glutamate amplifies noradrenergic effects (GANE) model emphasizes the role of
      focal glutamate-noradrenaline interactions in creating functional hotspots for
      prioritized processing of salient stimuli. Here, we briefly outline current
      evidence that synergistic action of noradrenaline and cortisol enables emotional
      stimuli to gain privileged access to amygdala-hippocampus circuits, eventually
      resulting in the formation of indelible memories and posttraumatic stress
      disorder (PTSD).

PMID- 28347375
TI  - Does arousal enhance apical amplification and disamplification?
AB  - We summarize evidence that input to the apical tufts of neocortical pyramidal
      cells modulates their response to basal input. Because this apical amplification
      and disamplification provide intracortical mechanisms for prioritization, Mather
      and colleagues' arguments suggest that their effects are enhanced by
      noradrenergic arousal. Though that is likely, it has not yet been adequately
      studied. Their article shows that it should be.

PMID- 28347376
TI  - Dentate gyrus and hilar region revisited.
AB  - It is suggested that the dentate gyrus and hilar region in the hippocampus
      perform memory selection and that the selectivity of the gating of memory by this
      circuit is modulated by the norepinephrine-glutamate loop described by Mather et
      al.

PMID- 28347377
TI  - A Pilot Evaluation of a Strengths-Based CBT Intervention Module with College
      Students.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Interventions focusing on positive experiences have moderate effects
      on distress, protective factors and quality of life. AIMS: To evaluate the
      'Personal Model of Resilience' (PMR) intervention by Padesky and Mooney (2012)
      with a focus on resilience strategies the person already possesses. METHOD: In a
      pre-post design, intervention and control samples of college students (n = 53)
      are compared with regard to distress, protective factors and quality of life.
      RESULTS: Compared with the control group, the PMR group shows significant
      improvements in distress, protective factors and quality of life with medium to
      large effect sizes. CONCLUSIONS: The PMR is a promising intervention module. It
      requires further evaluation in clinical contexts, with larger samples, and long
      term follow-up assessments.

PMID- 28347379
TI  - Evaluation of a Trauma-Focused CBT Training Programme for IAPT services.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Therapists in Improving Access to Psychological Therapies (IAPT)
      services are often expected to treat complex presentations of post-traumatic
      stress disorder (PTSD), such as individuals with multiple, prolonged or early
      life trauma histories and significant co-morbidity, for which they have received
      minimal training. Although high recovery rates for PTSD have been demonstrated in
      randomized controlled trials, these are not always replicated in routine
      practice, suggesting that training interventions are required to fill the
      research-practice gap. AIMS: This study investigated the outcomes of a therapist
      training programme on treating PTSD with trauma-focused cognitive behavioural
      therapy (TF-CBT). METHOD: Twenty therapists from ten IAPT services participated
      in the training, which consisted of workshops, webinars and consultation sessions
      over a 6-month period. RESULTS: Feedback indicated that participants found the
      training highly acceptable. PTSD knowledge and self- and supervisor-rated
      competence on TF-CBT measures improved following the training and improvements
      were maintained a year later. Client outcomes on a PTSD measure improved
      following the training. Participants reported attempts to disseminate learning
      from the course back to their teams. CONCLUSIONS: The findings indicate that the
      training programme was successful in improving TF-CBT knowledge, skills and
      outcomes for IAPT therapists. Tentative support for training 'trauma experts'
      within IAPT services was found, although institutional constraints and staff
      turnover may limit the sustainability of the model.

PMID- 28347378
TI  - Vitamin D deficiency as a public health issue: using vitamin D2 or vitamin D3 in
      future fortification strategies.
AB  - The role of vitamin D in supporting the growth and maintenance of the skeleton is
      robust; with recent research also suggesting a beneficial link between vitamin D
      and other non-skeletal health outcomes, including immune function, cardiovascular
      health and cancer. Despite this, vitamin D deficiency remains a global public
      health issue, with a renewed focus in the UK following the publication of Public
      Health England's new Dietary Vitamin D Requirements. Natural sources of vitamin D
      (dietary and UVB exposure) are limited, and thus mechanisms are needed to allow
      individuals to achieve the new dietary recommendations. Mandatory or voluntary
      vitamin D food fortification may be one of the mechanisms to increase dietary
      vitamin D intakes and subsequently improve vitamin D status. However, for the
      food industry and public to make informed decisions, clarity is needed as to
      whether vitamins D2 and D3 are equally effective at raising total 25
      hydroxyvitamin D (25(OH)D) concentrations as the evidence thus far is
      inconsistent. This review summarises the evidence to date behind the comparative
      efficacy of vitamins D2 and D3 at raising 25(OH)D concentrations, and the
      potential role of vitamin D food fortification as a public health policy to
      support attainment of dietary recommendations in the UK. The comparative efficacy
      of vitamins D2 and D3 has been investigated in several intervention trials, with
      most indicating that vitamin D3 is more effective at raising 25(OH)D
      concentrations. However, flaws in study designs (predominantly under powering)
      mean there remains a need for a large, robust randomised-controlled trial to
      provide conclusive evidence, which the future publication of the D2-D3 Study
      should provide (BBSRC DRINC funded: BB/I006192/1). This review also highlights
      outstanding questions and gaps in the research that need to be addressed to
      ensure the most efficacious and safe vitamin D food fortification practices are
      put in place. This further research, alongside cost, availability and ethical
      considerations (vitamin D3 is not suitable for vegans), will be instrumental in
      supporting government, decision-makers, industry and consumers in making informed
      choices about potential future vitamin D policy and practice.

PMID- 28347380
TI  - Behavioural and Cognitive Psychotherapy: A Descriptive Review (2000 to July
      2016).
AB  - BACKGROUND: The Behavioural and Cognitive Psychotherapy (BCP) Journal is the main
      academic publication of the British Association for Behavioural and Cognitive
      Psychotherapies. It publishes empirical studies, reviews and theoretical papers,
      brief reports and single cases. AIM: To describe the main areas of interest and
      focus in BCP papers. METHOD: All the papers published in BCP from 2000 to July
      2016 were analysed. A categorization procedure was followed with 813
      contributions in six main areas: main author country; main author gender; kind of
      contribution; kind of therapeutic approaches; kind of samples; kind of
      focus/topic. RESULTS: Although the journal's scope is international, first
      authors tend to come from English-speaking countries. Since 2009, females
      contribute more than males. Empirical studies surpass theoretical studies and
      reviews, while the main therapy denomination is cognitive behavioural therapy.
      Variability of samples is wide, and ranges from analogues to main disorders.
      Finally, the main focus of papers is to study change and psychopathology,
      therapists' training and improvement of CBT. CONCLUSION: Given the total number
      of categorized papers, it can be tentatively assumed that they could exemplify
      some main areas of interest and evolvement in the cognitive and behavioural
      field.

PMID- 28347381
TI  - Live music intervention for cancer inpatients: The Music Givers format.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: The present study intended to evaluate the impact of a standardized
      format-called the "Music Givers," based on a single session of music intervention
      followed by a buffet-on the psychological burden and well-being of hospitalized
      cancer patients. METHOD: The Distress Thermometer (DT), the Hospital Anxiety and
      Depression Scale (HADS), and self-reported visual analogue scales (score range =
      1-10) to assess pain, fatigue, and five areas of well-being (i.e., physical,
      psychological, relational, spiritual, and overall well-being) were administered
      to 242 cancer patients upon admission to and at discharge from the hospital.
      Among them, 103 were hospitalized during which time a live concert took place
      (intervention group), whereas 139 patients were hospitalized when it did not
      (control group). RESULTS: Compared to the control group, patients in the
      intervention group demonstrated less distress at discharge according to the DT
      (adjusted estimate of difference = -0.8, p = 0.001), lower HADS-Anxiety (-1.7, p
      < 0.001) and HADS-Depression scores (-1.3, p = 0.001), and higher scores on all
      the well-being scales, with the exception of spiritual well-being. In addition,
      no between-group differences were found in terms of pain and fatigue scores at
      discharge. SIGNIFICANCE OF RESULTS: The one-session format of the Music Givers
      intervention is an effective, standardized, easy-to-replicate, and low-cost
      intervention that reduces psychological burden and improves the well-being of
      hospitalized cancer patients. Listening to live music and the opportunity to
      establish better relationships between patients and staff could explain these
      results.

PMID- 28347382
TI  - Glutamate and norepinephrine interaction: Relevance to higher cognitive
      operations and psychopathology.
AB  - Mather and colleagues present an impressive interdisciplinary model of arousal
      induced norepinephrine release and its role in selectively enhancing/inhibiting
      perception, attention, and memory consolidation. This model will require
      empirical investigation to test its validity and generalizability beyond classic
      norepinephrine circuits because it simplifies extremely complex and heterogeneous
      actions including norepinephrine mechanisms related to higher cognitive circuits
      and psychopathology.

PMID- 28347383
TI  - The role of arousal in predictive coding.
AB  - Within a predictive coding approach, the arousal/norepinephrine effects described
      by the GANE (glutamate amplifies noradrenergic effects) model seem to modulate
      the precision attributed to prediction errors, favoring the selective updating of
      predictive models with larger prediction errors. However, to explain how arousal
      effects are triggered, it is likely that different kinds of prediction errors
      (including interoceptive/affective) need to be considered.

PMID- 28347384
TI  - An Empirical Assessment of REBT Models of Psychopathology and Psychological
      Health in the Prediction of Anxiety and Depression Symptoms.
AB  - AIMS: This study aimed to assess the validity of two models which integrate the
      cognitive (satisfaction with life) and affective (symptoms of anxiety and
      depression) aspects of subjective well-being within the framework of rational
      emotive behaviour therapy (REBT) theory; specifically REBT's theory of
      psychopathology and theory of psychological health. METHOD: 397 Irish and
      Northern Irish undergraduate students completed measures of rational/irrational
      beliefs, satisfaction with life, and anxiety/depression symptoms. Structural
      equation modelling techniques were used in order to test our hypothesis within a
      cross-sectional design. RESULTS: REBT's theory of psychopathology (chi2 = 373.78,
      d.f. = 163, p < .001; comparative fit index (CFI) = .92; Tucker Lewis index (TLI)
      = .91; root mean square error of approximation (RMSEA) = .06 (95% CI = .05 to
      .07); standardized root mean square residual (SRMR) = .07) and psychological
      health (chi2 = 371.89, d.f. = 181, p < .001; CFI = .93; TLI = .92; RMSEA = .05
      (95% CI = .04 to .06); SRMR = .06) provided acceptable fit of the data. Moreover,
      the psychopathology model explained 34% of variance in levels of
      anxiety/depression, while the psychological health model explained 33% of
      variance. CONCLUSIONS: This study provides important findings linking the fields
      of clinical and positive psychology within a comprehensible framework for both
      researchers and clinicians. Findings are discussed in relation to the possibility
      of more effective interventions, incorporating and targeting not only negative
      outcomes, but also positive concepts within the same model.

PMID- 28347385
TI  - Importance of amygdala noradrenergic activity and large-scale neural networks in
      regulating emotional arousal effects on perception and memory.
AB  - Mather and colleagues postulate that norepinephrine promotes selective processing
      of emotionally salient information through local "hotspots" where norepinephrine
      release interacts with glutamatergic activity. However, findings in rodents and
      humans indicate that norepinephrine is ineffective in modulating mnemonic
      processes in the absence of a functional amygdala. We therefore argue that
      emphasis should shift toward modulatory effects of amygdala-driven changes at the
      network level.

PMID- 28347386
TI  - Are there "local hotspots?" When concepts of cognitive psychology do not fit with
      physiological results.
AB  - Mather and colleagues' arguments require rethinking at the mechanistic level. The
      arguments on the physiological effects of norepinephrine at the cortical level
      are inconsistent with large parts of the literature. There is no evidence that
      norepinephrine induces local "hotspots": Norepinephrine mainly decreases evoked
      responses; facilitating effects are rare and not localized. More generally, the
      idea that perception benefits from "local hotspots" is hardly compatible with the
      fact that neural representations involve largely distributed activation of
      cortical and subcortical networks.

PMID- 28347387
TI  - Adaptive memory systems for remembering the salient and the seemingly mundane.
AB  - In an adaptive memory system, events should be prioritized in memory based on
      their own significance, as well as the significance of preceding or following
      events. Here we argue that tag-and-capture models complement the GANE (glutamate
      amplifies noradrenergic effects) model by describing a mechanism that supports
      the transfer of memory benefits from one event to the next.

PMID- 28347388
TI  - Arousal-biased preferences for sensory input: An agent-centered and multisource
      perspective.
AB  - I argue that the GANE (glutamate amplifies noradrenergic effects) model basically
      explains an arousal-based amplification of emotional stimuli, whereas effects on
      neutral stimuli indicate a contextualization process aiming to reduce stimulus
      ambiguity. To extend the model's validity, I suggest distinguishing between
      internal and external emotional sources, as well considering the stimulus valence
      and addressing age-related differences in attention and memory preferences.

PMID- 28347389
TI  - Competition elicits arousal and affect.
AB  - The emotion-cognition integration in Mather et al. can be extended by specifying
      the relationship between competition and arousal in the reverse direction.
      According to affective monitoring, competition raises arousal, which, when
      sustained, results in negative affect, evoking theta oscillations, and when
      resolved, in positive affect, evoking gamma oscillations. Competition should be
      considered a core process in both cognition and emotion.

PMID- 28347390
TI  - Once more with feeling: On the explanatory limits of the GANE model and the
      missing role of subjective experience.
AB  - We applaud Mather and colleagues' model, which emphasizes the neurobiological
      pathways by which affective arousal tunes attention and memory. This commentary
      offers a friendly discussion of several potential limitations of the theory. We
      suggest the model is strong when predicting task-driven demands but is limited
      when predicting the impact of individual biases, interpretations, and
      experiential feelings.

PMID- 28347391
TI  - 'Biracial'-Looking Twins: A New Twin Type?/Twin Research: Twins with Cystic
      Teratomas; Sleep Quality and Body Mass Index; Previable Membrane Rupture/Print
      and Online Reports: Twins Born to a Sister Surrogate; NASA Twin Study; African
      Cosmopolitan Twin Fashion Inspirations; Triplet Hockey Stars.
AB  - Dizygotic (DZ) co-twins born to mothers and fathers from different racial or
      ethnic backgrounds often resemble one parent much more than the other. As such,
      these pairs comprise a unique subset of twins for investigating how others'
      responses to their different looks may affect their personalities and self
      esteem. This article describes some of these twin pairs and some challenges of
      raising them, and suggests ways they may be used in research. Next, recent twin
      research on cystic teratomas, relations between sleep quality and body mass
      index, and previable membrane rupture is described. The final section concerns
      twins, twin studies, and related events in the media, namely: twins born to a
      sister surrogate, the NASA twin investigation, inspiring African-Cosmopolitan
      twins in fashion, and triplet Hockey Stars.

PMID- 28347392
TI  - Amplified selectivity in cognitive processing implements the neural gain model of
      norepinephrine function.
AB  - Previous work has suggested that an interaction between local selective (e.g.,
      glutamatergic) excitation and global gain modulation (via norepinephrine)
      amplifies selectivity in information processing. Mather et al. extend this
      existing theory by suggesting that localized gain modulation may further mediate
      this effect - an interesting prospect that invites new theoretical and
      experimental work.

PMID- 28347393
TI  - Brain volume changes over the first year of treatment in schizophrenia:
      relationships to antipsychotic treatment.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Progressive brain volume reductions have been described in
      schizophrenia, and an association with antipsychotic exposure has been reported.
      METHODS: We compared percentage changes in grey and white matter volume from
      baseline to month 12 in 23 previously antipsychotic-naive patients with a first
      episode of schizophrenia or schizophreniform disorder who were treated with the
      lowest effective dose of flupenthixol decanoate depot formulation, with 53
      matched healthy individuals. Total antipsychotic dose was precisely calculated
      and its relationship with brain volume changes investigated. Relationships
      between volumetric changes and treatment were further investigated in terms of
      treatment response (changes in psychopathology and functionality) and treatment
      related adverse-events (extrapyramidal symptoms and weight gain). RESULTS:
      Excessive cortical volume reductions were observed in patients [-4.6 (6.6)%] v.
      controls [-1.12 (4.0)%] (p = 0.009), with no significant group differences for
      changes in subcortical grey matter and white matter volumes. In a multiple
      regression model, the only significant predictor of cortical volume change was
      total antipsychotic dose received (p = 0.04). Cortical volume change was not
      significantly associated with the changes in psychopathology, functionality,
      extrapyramidal symptoms and body mass index or age, gender and duration of
      untreated psychosis. CONCLUSIONS: Brain volume reductions associated with
      antipsychotic treatment are not restricted to poor outcome patients and occur
      even with the lowest effective dose of antipsychotic. The lack of an association
      with poor treatment response or treatment-related adverse effects counts against
      cortical volume reductions reflecting neurotoxicity, at least in the short term.
      On the other hand, the volume reductions were not linked to the therapeutic
      benefits of antipsychotics.

PMID- 28347394
TI  - "What have we GANEd?" A theoretical construct to explain experimental evidence
      for noradrenergic regulation of sensory signal processing.
AB  - The GANE (glutamate amplifies noradrenergic effects) theory posits a mechanism
      for amplifying noradrenergic modulatory actions and enhancing the processing of
      high-priority sensory signals for immediate or future experience-guided action.
      This theoretical construct is thought provoking with respect to the central
      processing of high-priority versus low-priority stimuli, but it requires some
      refinement to account for physiological fluctuations in NE efflux as a function
      of naturally occurring transitions in behavioral state and the experimentally
      observed phenomena associated with noradrenergic regulation of sensory signal
      transfer.

PMID- 28347395
TI  - What do we GANE with age?
AB  - Mather and colleagues provide an impressive cross-level account of how arousal
      levels modulate behavior, and they support it with data ranging from receptor
      pharmacology to measures of cognitive function. Here we consider two related
      questions: (1) Why should the brain engage in different arousal levels? and (2)
      What are the predicted consequences of age-related changes in norepinephrine
      signaling for cognitive function?

PMID- 28347397
TI  - To Move Health Care to Health Caring: A Conversation With Julie Kennedy Oehlert,
      DNP, RN.
AB  - The complex nature of health care requires a culture of interprofessionality that
      supports high-functioning interprofessional teams. Wolf and Prince (2014) wrote,
      "Culture is the foundation on which any healthcare encounter is delivered" (p.
      3). It is therefore important for nursing to elevate thought leaders who can
      address the culture of health care organizations and how culture can be
      transformed. Julie Kennedy Oehlert is one of these leaders.

PMID- 28347396
TI  - Perceived Family Cohesion Moderates Environmental Influences on Prosocial
      Behavior in Nigerian Adolescent Twins.
AB  - Research shows that perceived family cohesion is positively related to prosocial
      behavior in adolescents. In this study, we investigated heritability of prosocial
      behavior (PB) and perceived family cohesion (FC) among Nigerian twins attending
      public schools in Lagos State, Nigeria (mean age = 14.7 years, SD = 1.7 years),
      and explored the issue of whether children's perception of cohesive family
      environment moderated genetic and environmental influences on (PB). The PB scale
      of the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire and the FC scale of the Family
      Adaptability and Cohesion Evaluation Scale III were completed by 2,376 twins (241
      monozygotic (MZ) male, 354 MZ female, 440 dizygotic (DZ) male, 553 DZ female, and
      788 opposite-sex DZ twins). A general sex-limitation and the bivariate genotype
      by environment interaction (G*E) models were applied to the data. The general sex
      limitation model showed no significant sex differences, indicating that additive
      genetic and non-shared environmental influences were, 38% (95% CI = 31, 46) and
      62% (95% CI = 54, 69) for PB and 33% (95% CI = 24, 40) and 67% (95% CI = 60, 76)
      for FC in both sexes. These estimates were similar to those found in Western and
      Asian twin studies to date. The correlation between PB and FC was 0.36. The best
      fitting bivariate G*E model indicated that FC significantly moderated non-shared
      environmental influence unique to PB (E*E interaction). Specifically, non-shared
      environmental contributions to PB were highest when FC was lowest, and decreased
      as the levels of FC increased. However, genetic variances in PB were stable
      across all levels of FC. These findings suggest that FC reduces individual
      differences in PB by changing non-shared environmental experiences rather than
      genetic factors in PB.

PMID- 28347398
TI  - Person and Family Centered Care.

PMID- 28347399
TI  - Role of GALNT14 in lung metastasis of breast cancer.
AB  - Aberrant expression of the polypeptide N-acetyl-galactosaminyltransferase
      (GALNTs) has been associated with cancer, but their function(s) in metastasis
      remains elusive. We have recently identified GALNT14, one of the O-GalNAc
      glycosylationinitiating enzymes, as a prognostic marker for pulmonary relapse in
      breast cancer patients. Furthermore, we showed that GALNT14 promotes lung
      metastasis by the following novel mechanisms: 1) enhancing metastasis initiation
      by inhibiting the anti-metastatic effect of BMP produced from the lung stroma, 2)
      exploiting growth signals (e.g. FGF) supplied by macrophages, for their growth
      into macrometastases in the lung environment. These multi-faceted roles of
      GALNT14 in lung metastasis are achieved by GALNT14-mediated inhibition and
      activation of the BMP and FGF signaling pathways, respectively. The link among
      GALNT14, its downstream pathways and lung metastasis, provides us with an
      opportunity to develop effective therapeutic intervention for breast cancer. [BMB
      Reports 2017; 50(5): 233-234].

PMID- 28347400
TI  - Monoacylglycerol O-acyltransferase 1 (MGAT1) localizes to the ER and lipid
      droplets promoting triacylglycerol synthesis.
AB  - Monoacylglycerol acyltransferase 1 (MGAT) is a microsomal enzyme that catalyzes
      the synthesis of diacylglycerol (DAG) and triacylglycerol (TAG). However, the
      subcellular localization and catalytic function domain of this enzyme is poorly
      understood. In this report, we identified that murine MGAT1 localizes to the
      endoplasmic reticulum (ER) under normal conditions, whereas MGAT1 co-localize to
      the lipid droplets (LD) under conditions of enriching fatty acids, contributing
      to TAG synthesis and LD expansion. For the enzyme activity, both the N-terminal
      transmembrane domain and catalytic HPHG motif are required. We also show that the
      transmembrane domain of MGAT1 consists of two hydrophobic regions in the N
      terminus, and the consensus sequence FLXLXXXn, a putative neutral lipid-binding
      domain, exists in the first transmembrane domain. Finally, MGAT1 interacts with
      DGAT2, which serves to synergistically increase the TAG biosynthesis and LD
      expansion, leading to enhancement of lipid accumulation in the liver and fat.
      [BMB Reports 2017; 50(7): 367-372].

PMID- 28347401
TI  - Tracking zoonotic pathogens using blood-sucking flies as 'flying syringes'.
AB  - About 60% of emerging infectious diseases in humans are of zoonotic origin. Their
      increasing number requires the development of new methods for early detection and
      monitoring of infectious agents in wildlife. Here, we investigated whether blood
      meals from hematophagous flies could be used to identify the infectious agents
      circulating in wild vertebrates. To this aim, 1230 blood-engorged flies were
      caught in the forests of Gabon. Identified blood meals (30%) were from 20
      vertebrate species including mammals, birds and reptiles. Among them, 9% were
      infected by different extant malaria parasites among which some belonged to known
      parasite species, others to new parasite species or to parasite lineages for
      which only the vector was known. This study demonstrates that using hematophagous
      flies as 'flying syringes' constitutes an interesting approach to investigate
      blood-borne pathogen diversity in wild vertebrates and could be used as an early
      detection tool of zoonotic pathogens.

PMID- 28347402
TI  - Chlamydia trachomatis-containing vacuole serves as deubiquitination platform to
      stabilize Mcl-1 and to interfere with host defense.
AB  - Obligate intracellular Chlamydia trachomatis replicate in a membrane-bound
      vacuole called inclusion, which serves as a signaling interface with the host
      cell. Here, we show that the chlamydial deubiquitinating enzyme (Cdu) 1 localizes
      in the inclusion membrane and faces the cytosol with the active deubiquitinating
      enzyme domain. The structure of this domain revealed high similarity to mammalian
      deubiquitinases with a unique alpha-helix close to the substrate-binding pocket.
      We identified the apoptosis regulator Mcl-1 as a target that interacts with Cdu1
      and is stabilized by deubiquitination at the chlamydial inclusion. A chlamydial
      transposon insertion mutant in the Cdu1-encoding gene exhibited increased Mcl-1
      and inclusion ubiquitination and reduced Mcl-1 stabilization. Additionally,
      inactivation of Cdu1 led to increased sensitivity of C. trachomatis for IFNgamma
      and impaired infection in mice. Thus, the chlamydial inclusion serves as an
      enriched site for a deubiquitinating activity exerting a function in selective
      stabilization of host proteins and protection from host defense.

PMID- 28347404
TI  - Maternal determinants of renal mass and function in the fetus and neonate.
AB  - The impact of adverse maternal and early gestational issues, ranging from
      maternal-fetal interactions all the way through to premature birth, are
      recognized as having influence on the subsequent development of chronic diseases
      later in life. The development of chronic kidney disease (CKD) as a direct result
      of early life renal injury or a sequela of diseases such as hypertension or
      diabetes is a good model example of the potential impact that early life events
      may have on renal development and lifelong function. The global monetary and
      human resource cost of CKD is exorbitant. Socio-economic factors, along with
      other factors (genetic and environmental) may significantly influence the timing
      and display of phenotypic expression in fetuses and neonates at risk for
      developing CKD, yet very few of these factors are studied or well understood. In
      general our focus has been directed at treatment once CKD is established. This
      strategy has been and remains short-sighted and costly. Earlier understanding of
      the intrauterine determinants of renal mass development (i.e. environmental
      "biomes", poor maternal-fetal health, socio-economic factors impacting early life
      events, diet, access to value based health care and educational opportunities on
      disease evolution) may allow us an opportunity for earlier intervention. This
      article aims to provide some foundation for improved understanding of the
      maternal determinants of renal mass and function in the fetus and neonate.

PMID- 28347405
TI  - [Another 'last word' on Rowell's syndrome].

PMID- 28347403
TI  - Lack of IL-1R8 in neurons causes hyperactivation of IL-1 receptor pathway and
      induces MECP2-dependent synaptic defects.
AB  - Inflammation modifies risk and/or severity of a variety of brain diseases through
      still elusive molecular mechanisms. Here we show that hyperactivation of the
      interleukin 1 pathway, through either ablation of the interleukin 1 receptor 8
      (IL-1R8, also known as SIGIRR or Tir8) or activation of IL-1R, leads to up
      regulation of the mTOR pathway and increased levels of the epigenetic regulator
      MeCP2, bringing to disruption of dendritic spine morphology, synaptic plasticity
      and plasticity-related gene expression. Genetic correction of MeCP2 levels in IL
      1R8 KO neurons rescues the synaptic defects. Pharmacological inhibition of IL-1R
      activation by Anakinra corrects transcriptional changes, restores MeCP2 levels
      and spine plasticity and ameliorates cognitive defects in IL-1R8 KO mice. By
      linking for the first time neuronal MeCP2, a key player in brain development, to
      immune activation and demonstrating that synaptic defects can be
      pharmacologically reversed, these data open the possibility for novel treatments
      of neurological diseases through the immune system modulation.

PMID- 28347408
TI  - Selection of the Best in 2016 in Congenital Heart Diseases.

PMID- 28347409
TI  - Selection of the Best of 2016 in Implantable Defibrillators.

PMID- 28347410
TI  - Selection of the Best of 2016 in Catheter Ablation.

PMID- 28347411
TI  - Selection of the Best of 2016 in Mechanical Circulatory Support.

PMID- 28347412
TI  - Selection of the Best of 2016 in the Treatment of Pulmonary Hypertension.

PMID- 28347413
TI  - On how hydrogen bonds affect foam stability.
AB  - Do intermolecular H-bonds between surfactant head groups play a role for foam
      stability? From the literature on the foam stability of various surfactants with
      C12 alkyl chains but different head groups a clear picture emerges: stable foams
      are only generated when hydrogen bonds can form between the head groups, i.e.
      when the polar head group has a hydrogen bond donor and a proton acceptor. Stable
      foams can therefore be generated with surfactants having a sugar unit, a glycine,
      an amine oxide (at pH~5), or a carboxylic acid (at pH~pKa) as polar head group.
      On the other hand, aqueous foams stabilized with surfactants having
      oligo(ethylene oxide), phosphine oxide, quaternary ammonium, sulfate, sarcosine,
      amine oxide (at pH?5), or carboxylic acid (at pH?pKa) are not very stable. These
      observations suggest that hydrogen bonds between neighbouring molecules at the
      surface enhance foam stability. Formation of hydrogen bonds between surfactant
      head groups gives rise to a short-range attractive interaction that may restrict
      the surfactant's mobility while providing a more elastic surfactant layer which
      can counteract deformations. To support our hypothesis we carried out a
      systematic foaming study of two types of surfactants, one of them being capable
      of forming H-bonds and the other one not. Generating foams of all surfactants
      mentioned above with the same foaming conditions we found that stable foams are
      obtained when the head group is capable of forming intersurfactant H-bonds. The
      outcome of this study constitutes a new step towards the implementation of H
      bonds in the future design of surfactants.

PMID- 28347414
TI  - Gas adsorption properties of graphene-based materials.
AB  - Clean energy sources and global warming are among the major challenges of the
      21st century. One of the possible actions toward finding alternative energy
      sources and reducing global warming are storage of H2 and CH4, and capture of CO2
      by using highly efficient and low-cost adsorbents. Graphene and graphene-based
      materials attracted a great attention around the world because of their potential
      for a variety applications ranging from electronics, gas sensing, energy storage
      and CO2 capture. Large specific surface area of these materials up to ~3000m2/g
      and versatile modification make them excellent adsorbents for diverse
      applications. Here, graphene-based adsorbents are reviewed with special emphasis
      on their adsorption affinity toward CO2, H2 and CH4. This review shows that
      graphene derivatives obtained mainly via "chemical exfoliation" of graphite and
      further modification with polymers and/or metal species can be very effective
      sorbents for CO2 and other gases and can compete with the currently used
      carbonaceous or non-carbonaceous adsorbents. The high adsorption capacities of
      graphene-based materials are mainly determined by their unique nanostructures,
      high specific surface areas and tailorable surface properties, which make them
      suitable for storage or capture of various molecules relevant for environmental
      and energy-related applications.

PMID- 28347415
TI  - Congenital and Hereditary Diseases of the Spinal Cord.
AB  - Congenital anomalies of the spinal cord can pose a diagnostic dilemma to the
      radiologist. Several classification systems of these anomalies exist. Antenatal
      ultrasound and fetal magnetic resonance imaging is playing an increasingly
      important role in the early diagnosis and management of patients. Understanding
      the underlying anatomy as well as embryology of these disorders can be valuable
      in correctly identifying the type of spinal cord dysraphic defect. Hereditary
      spinal cord diseases are rare but can be devastating. When the onset is in
      adulthood, delay in diagnosis is common. Although the spine findings are
      nonspecific, some imaging features combined with brain imaging findings can be
      distinctive. Sometimes, the radiologist may be the first to raise the possibility
      of these disorders.

PMID- 28347416
TI  - Pediatric Spinal Ultrasound: Neonatal and Intraoperative Applications.
AB  - The purpose of this article is to review the use of ultrasound as a screening
      tool for spinal diseases in neonates and infants and its intraoperative value in
      selected pediatric neurosurgical disorders. A review of spinal embryology
      followed by a description of common spinal diseases in neonates assessed with
      ultrasound is presented. Indications for spinal ultrasound in neonates, commonly
      identified conditions, and the importance of magnetic resonance imaging in
      selected cases are emphasized. Additionally, the use of ultrasound in selected
      neurosurgical spinal diseases in pediatric patients is presented with magnetic
      resonance imaging and intraoperative correlation. Technique, limitations, and
      pitfalls are discussed.

PMID- 28347417
TI  - Vascular Imaging Techniques of the Spinal Cord.
AB  - The various imaging techniques used to depict vascular lesions of the spinal cord
      are described in this article with particular emphasis on magnetic resonance
      imaging (MRI), vascular sequences, and advantages of high-field MRI. Technical
      vascular protocols are discussed in computed tomography, MRI, and conventional
      angiography. The diverse magnetic resonance angiography protocols are presented
      as well as their findings, specificities, and pitfalls. A review of the vascular
      anatomy and the most common pathologies analyzed by magnetic resonance
      angiography and conventional angiography is described.

PMID- 28347418
TI  - The Application of Human Spinal Cord Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy to Clinical
      Studies: A Review.
AB  - This article reviews the current state of magnetic resonance spectroscopy applied
      in the human spinal cord with respect to its clinical applications and challenges
      in comparison to investigations in the human brain. Results from several disease
      processes affecting the spinal cord are presented, and potential advantages of
      applying clinical MRS in their investigation are emphasized.

PMID- 28347419
TI  - Advanced Neuroimaging in the Evaluation of Spinal Cord Tumors and Tumor Mimics:
      Diffusion Tensor and Perfusion-Weighted Imaging.
AB  - Spinal cord tumors are an important component of pathologic diseases involving
      the spinal cord. Conventional magnetic resonance (MR) imaging only provides
      anatomical information. MR diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) and MR perfusion
      weighted imaging (PWI) may detect microstructure diffusion and hemodynamic
      changes in these tumors. We review recent application studies of MR DTI and PWI
      in spinal cord tumors. Overall, MR DTI and MR PWI are promising imaging tools
      that are especially useful in improving differential diagnosis between spinal
      cord tumors and tumor mimics, preoperative evaluation of resectability, and
      providing assistance in surgical navigation.

PMID- 28347420
TI  - Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging of the Spinal Cord: Current Status and
      Future Developments.
AB  - Although functional magnetic resonance imaging has become popular for brain
      imaging, it is still difficult to apply this technique to the spinal cord because
      of complex issues related to the physiology of the spinal cord and technical
      challenges related to magnetic resonance imaging hardware, pulse sequences, and
      image processing techniques. In this article, we examine these key aspects and
      discuss their present status, unresolved issues, and future directions.

PMID- 28347421
TI  - Letter from the Guest Editor: Spinal Cord Imaging II-Pediatrics and Advanced
      Techniques.

PMID- 28347422
TI  - Cord Cystic Cavities: Syringomyelia and Prominent Central Canal.
AB  - Syringomyelia is the term given to cystic cavities in the spinal cord, most of
      which are associated with congenital malformations of the craniocervical junction
      and represent dilation of the central canal of the cord. As such, syrinxes can be
      considered analogous to hydrocephalus. The exact etiology of syrinx formation
      remains a subject of debate, but there is ample evidence that they are the result
      of obstruction of the normal flow of cerebrospinal fluid between the intracranial
      and spinal compartments. The chances that a syrinx will progress over time are
      much greater when they are associated with a causative lesion (Chiari
      malformation, tumor, infection, and trauma), but asymptomatic central canal
      dilation may be a stable incidental finding. Although spinal cord neoplasms are a
      recognized etiology for syrinx formation, especially in adults, it is not always
      necessary to administer contrast when evaluating a syrinx for the first time with
      magnetic resonance imaging.

PMID- 28347423
TI  - AEDV Primary Cutaneous Lymphoma Registry.

PMID- 28347424
TI  - Psychiatry unlocked.

PMID- 28347425
TI  - Strengthening community mental health services in Japan.

PMID- 28347426
TI  - Neuroscience-based nomenclature (NbN).

PMID- 28347427
TI  - An emerging approach to supporting the mental health of refugee and conflict
      exposed populations.

PMID- 28347428
TI  - An emerging approach to supporting the mental health of refugee and conflict
      exposed populations - Authors' reply.

PMID- 28347429
TI  - The IMPACT trial - Authors' reply.

PMID- 28347430
TI  - The IMPACT trial.

PMID- 28347433
TI  - Joshua Gordon: an interdisciplinary approach to mental health.

PMID- 28347431
TI  - Mental illness and mental health.

PMID- 28347434
TI  - Orange.

PMID- 28347435
TI  - Expanding engagement with the ethical implications of changing definitions of
      Alzheimer's disease.

PMID- 28347436
TI  - Cochrane for global mental health.

PMID- 28347437
TI  - Neural mechanisms of functional impairment across the lifespan: The 15th Biennial
      Meeting of the International Neurotoxicology Association and 39th Annual Meeting
      of the Neurobehavioral Teratology Society.

PMID- 28347438
TI  - Corrigendum to "Obesity is associated with higher absolute tibiofemoral contact
      and muscle forces during gait with and without knee osteoarthritis" [Clin.
      Biomech. Jan; 31 (2016) 79-86].

PMID- 28347439
TI  - Online social support for obese adults: Exploring the role of forum activity.
AB  - PURPOSE: Worldwide, the number of obese persons continues to grow. Online
      mediated self-help groups represent an opportunity for obese persons to support
      each other. The aim of our study was to evaluate whether and how the use of and
      active participation in online self-help groups is associated with perceived
      informational and emotional support among obese adults. METHODS: We conducted an
      online-based questionnaire (N=230) with users of online self-help groups for
      obese adults in Germany. RESULTS: Findings revealed that forum activity is
      significantly correlated with perceived informational and emotional support.
      While asking questions was strongly correlated with both types of social support,
      sharing opinions and answering posts were more strongly correlated with perceived
      emotional support. CONCLUSION: The level of social support in online communities
      depends on an individual's forum activity. Our findings offer a foundation for
      professionals in the health care sector to enhance their understanding, make
      recommendations, and further develop online self-help groups.

PMID- 28347440
TI  - Rate of electronic health record adoption in South Korea: A nation-wide survey.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: The adoption rate of electronic health record (EHR) systems in South
      Korea has continuously increased. However, in contrast to the situation in the
      United States (US), where there has been a national effort to improve and
      standardize EHR interoperability, no consensus has been established in South
      Korea. The goal of this study was to determine the current status of EHR adoption
      in South Korean hospitals compared to that in the US. METHODS: All general and
      tertiary teaching hospitals in South Korea were surveyed regarding their EHR
      status in 2015 with the same questionnaire as used previously. The survey form
      estimated the level of adoption of EHR systems according to 24 core functions in
      four categories (clinical documentation, result view, computerized provider order
      entry, and decision supports). The adoption level was classified into
      comprehensive and basic EHR systems according to their functionalities. RESULTS:
      EHRs and computerized physician order entry systems were used in 58.1% and 86.0%
      of South Korean hospitals, respectively. Decision support systems and problem
      list documentation were the functions most frequently missing from comprehensive
      and basic EHR systems. The main barriers cited to adoption of EHR systems were
      the cost of purchasing (48%) and the ongoing cost of maintenance (11%).
      DISCUSSION: The EHR adoption rate in Korean hospitals (37.2%) was higher than
      that in US hospitals in 2010 (15.1%), but this trend was reversed in 2015 (58.1%
      vs. 75.2%). The evidence suggests that these trends were influenced by the level
      of financial and political support provided to US hospitals after the HITECH Act
      was passed in 2009. CONCLUSIONS: The EHR adoption rate in Korea has increased,
      albeit more slowly than in the US. It is logical to suggest that increased
      funding and support tied to the HITECH Act in the US partly explains the
      difference in the adoption rates of EHRs in both countries.

PMID- 28347443
TI  - Digital disease detection: A systematic review of event-based internet
      biosurveillance systems.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Internet access and usage has changed how people seek and report
      health information. Meanwhile,infectious diseases continue to threaten humanity.
      The analysis of Big Data, or vast digital data, presents an opportunity to
      improve disease surveillance and epidemic intelligence. Epidemic intelligence
      contains two components: indicator based and event-based. A relatively new
      surveillance type has emerged called event-based Internet biosurveillance
      systems. These systems use information on events impacting health from Internet
      sources, such as social media or news aggregates. These systems circumvent the
      limitations of traditional reporting systems by being inexpensive, transparent,
      and flexible. Yet, innovations and the functionality of these systems can change
      rapidly. AIM: To update the current state of knowledge on event-based Internet
      biosurveillance systems by identifying all systems, including current
      functionality, with hopes to aid decision makers with whether to incorporate new
      methods into comprehensive programmes of surveillance. METHODS: A systematic
      review was performed through PubMed, Scopus, and Google Scholar databases, while
      also including grey literature and other publication types. RESULTS: 50 event
      based Internet systems were identified, including an extraction of 15 attributes
      for each system, described in 99 articles. Each system uses different innovative
      technology and data sources to gather data, process, and disseminate data to
      detect infectious disease outbreaks. CONCLUSIONS: The review emphasises the
      importance of using both formal and informal sources for timely and accurate
      infectious disease outbreak surveillance, cataloguing all event-based Internet
      biosurveillance systems. By doing so, future researchers will be able to use this
      review as a library for referencing systems, with hopes of learning, building,
      and expanding Internet-based surveillance systems. Event-based Internet
      biosurveillance should act as an extension of traditional systems, to be utilised
      as an additional, supplemental data source to have a more comprehensive estimate
      of disease burden.

PMID- 28347442
TI  - Clinical impact and value of workstation single sign-on.
AB  - BACKGROUND: CHRISTUS Health began implementation of computer workstation single
      sign-on (SSO) in 2015. SSO technology utilizes a badge reader placed at each
      workstation where clinicians swipe or "tap" their identification badges.
      OBJECTIVE: To assess the impact of SSO implementation in reducing clinician time
      logging in to various clinical software programs, and in financial savings from
      migrating to a thin client that enabled replacement of traditional hard drive
      computer workstations. METHODS: Following implementation of SSO, a total of
      65,202 logins were sampled systematically during a 7day period among 2256 active
      clinical end users for time saved in 6 facilities when compared to pre
      implementation. Dollar values were assigned to the time saved by 3 groups of
      clinical end users: physicians, nurses and ancillary service providers. RESULTS:
      The reduction of total clinician login time over the 7day period showed a net
      gain of 168.3h per week of clinician time - 28.1h (2.3 shifts) per facility per
      week. Annualized, 1461.2h of mixed physician and nursing time is liberated per
      facility per annum (121.8 shifts of 12h per year). The annual dollar cost savings
      of this reduction of time expended logging in is $92,146 per hospital per annum
      and $1,658,745 per annum in the first phase implementation of 18 hospitals.
      Computer hardware equipment savings due to desktop virtualization increases
      annual savings to $2,333,745. Qualitative value contributions to clinician
      satisfaction, reduction in staff turnover, facilitation of adoption of EHR
      applications, and other benefits of SSO are discussed. CONCLUSIONS: SSO had a
      positive impact on clinician efficiency and productivity in the 6 hospitals
      evaluated, and is an effective and cost-effective method to liberate clinician
      time from repetitive and time consuming logins to clinical software applications.

PMID- 28347441
TI  - Assessment of a personalized and distributed patient guidance system.
AB  - OBJECTIVES: The MobiGuide project aimed to establish a ubiquitous, user-friendly,
      patient-centered mobile decision-support system for patients and for their care
      providers, based on the continuous application of clinical guidelines and on
      semantically integrated electronic health records. Patients would be empowered by
      the system, which would enable them to lead their normal daily lives in their
      regular environment, while feeling safe, because their health state would be
      continuously monitored using mobile sensors and self-reporting of symptoms. When
      conditions occur that require medical attention, patients would be notified as to
      what they need to do, based on evidence-based guidelines, while their medical
      team would be informed appropriately, in parallel. We wanted to assess the
      system's feasibility and potential effects on patients and care providers in two
      different clinical domains. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We describe MobiGuide's
      architecture, which embodies these objectives. Our novel methodologies include a
      ubiquitous architecture, encompassing a knowledge elicitation process for
      parallel coordinated workflows for patients and care providers; the customization
      of computer-interpretable guidelines (CIGs) by secondary contexts affecting
      remote management and distributed decision-making; a mechanism for episodic, on
      demand projection of the relevant portions of CIGs from a centralized, backend
      decision-support system (DSS), to a local, mobile DSS, which continuously
      delivers the actual recommendations to the patient; shared decision-making that
      embodies patient preferences; semantic data integration; and patient and care
      provider notification services. MobiGuide has been implemented and assessed in a
      preliminary fashion in two domains: atrial fibrillation (AF), and gestational
      diabetes Mellitus (GDM). Ten AF patients used the AF MobiGuide system in Italy
      and 19 GDM patients used the GDM MobiGuide system in Spain. The evaluation of the
      MobiGuide system focused on patient and care providers' compliance to CIG
      recommendations and their satisfaction and quality of life. RESULTS: Our
      evaluation has demonstrated the system's capability for supporting distributed
      decision-making and its use by patients and clinicians. The results show that
      compliance of GDM patients to the most important monitoring targets - blood
      glucose levels (performance of four measurements a day: 0.87+/-0.11; measurement
      according to the recommended frequency of every day or twice a week: 0.99+/
      0.03), ketonuria (0.98+/-0.03), and blood pressure (0.82+/-0.24) - was high in
      most GDM patients, while compliance of AF patients to the most important targets
      was quite high, considering the required ECG measurements (0.65+/-0.28) and blood
      pressure measurements (0.75+/-1.33). This outcome was viewed by the clinicians as
      a major potential benefit of the system, and the patients have demonstrated that
      they are capable of self-monitoring - something that they had not experienced
      before. In addition, the system caused the clinicians managing the AF patients to
      change their diagnosis and subsequent treatment for two of the ten AF patients,
      and caused the clinicians managing the GDM patients to start insulin therapy
      earlier in two of the 19 patients, based on system's recommendations. Based on
      the end-of-study questionnaires, the sense of safety that the system has provided
      to the patients was its greatest asset. Analysis of the patients' quality of life
      (QoL) questionnaires for the AF patients was inconclusive, because while most
      patients reported an improvement in their quality of life in the EuroQoL
      questionnaire, most AF patients reported a deterioration in the AFEQT
      questionnaire. DISCUSSION: Feasibility and some of the potential benefits of an
      evidence-based distributed patient-guidance system were demonstrated in both
      clinical domains. The potential application of MobiGuide to other medical domains
      is supported by its standards-based patient health record with multiple
      electronic medical record linking capabilities, generic data insertion methods,
      generic medical knowledge representation and application methods, and the ability
      to communicate with a wide range of sensors. Future larger scale evaluations can
      assess the impact of such a system on clinical outcomes. CONCLUSION: MobiGuide's
      feasibility was demonstrated by a working prototype for the AF and GDM domains,
      which is usable by patients and clinicians, achieving high compliance to self
      measurement recommendations, while enhancing the satisfaction of patients and
      care providers.

PMID- 28347444
TI  - Use of a computerized arthroplasty registry to generate operative reports
      decreases transcription errors.
AB  - OBJECTIVES: Despite the clear importance of the operative report in the
      electronic medical record, few studies have addressed the quality. METHODS: We
      prospectively evaluated 300 consecutive patients undergoing primary total joint
      arthroplasties for operative report errors utilizing three different forms of
      documentation (standard dictation vs. templated dictation vs. a computer registry
      database generated operative report). The three types of reports were evaluated
      for errors which were classified as either major or minor. RESULTS: There were
      significantly more total errors in the standard dictation group compared to both
      the computer registry database generated (p<0.001) and the templated operative
      reports (p<0.001). Major errors were significantly reduced in the database
      generated reports compared to the templated (p<0.001) and standard dictation
      groups (p<0.001). There were significantly more minor errors in the standard
      dictation group (p<0.001) compared to the other two groups. No statistically
      significant differences in major errors were noted when comparing standard vs.
      templated operative reports. There was no difference in minor or total errors
      between the database generated and templated operative reports. CONCLUSIONS: The
      use of a computer registry database generated operative report resulted in fewer
      major errors versus a templated or standard dictated operative report. Further
      research is warranted in this area to validate these findings across
      subspecialties and institutions.

PMID- 28347446
TI  - Pharmacist-led admission medication reconciliation before and after the
      implementation of an electronic medication management system.
AB  - AIMS: To investigate the impact of the introduction of an electronic medication
      management system on the proportion of patients with a recorded medication
      reconciliation on admission, the time from admission to when medication
      reconciliation was performed, and the characteristics of patients receiving this
      intervention pre-and post-implementation. METHODS: An electronic medication
      management system was implemented in an Australian hospital from May to July
      2015. A retrospective observational study was conducted in three wards across two
      phases; pre- (August 2014) and post- (August 2015) implementation. The study
      sample included every second patient admitted to these wards. RESULTS: A total of
      370 patients were included, 179 pre- and 191 post-implementation. The proportion
      of recorded admission medication reconciliation significantly increased post
      implementation in all study wards; coronary care unit (40 vs 68%, p=0.004),
      gastroenterology ward (39 vs 59%, p=0.015), and the neurology ward (19 vs 45%,
      p=0.002). The proportion of patients with recorded medication reconciliation
      within 24h of weekday admissions, or 48-72h of weekend admissions, increased from
      47% pre- to 84% post-implementation. Admission medication reconciliation was
      recorded within a median of 1.0day for weekday admissions pre- and post
      implementation (IQR 1.1 vs 0.2, respectively), and 3.5days (IQR 2.0) pre
      implementation vs 1.5days (IQR 2.0) post-implementation for weekend admissions.
      Overall, across both phases pre-and post-implementation, admission medication
      reconciliation was recorded for patients who were significantly older (median 77
      and 71 years, p<0.001), had a higher number of preadmission medications (median
      6.5 and 5.0 medicines, p=0.001), and had a longer hospital stay (median 6.5 and
      5.1days, p=0.003). A significantly higher proportion of patients with recorded
      medication reconciliation in the pre-implementation phase experienced
      polypharmacy (61%, p=0.002), hyperpolypharmacy (15%, p=0.001), and used a high
      risk medication (44%, p=0.007). CONCLUSIONS: Implementing an electronic
      medication management system facilitates the medication reconciliation process
      leading to more high risk patients receiving this service on admission to
      hospital and in a more timely manner. The impact of electronic medication
      reconciliation on patient safety and clinical outcomes remains unknown.

PMID- 28347445
TI  - Scoping review and evaluation of SMS/text messaging platforms for mHealth
      projects or clinical interventions.
AB  - OBJECTIVES: Mobile technology supporting text messaging interventions (TMIs)
      continues to evolve, presenting challenges for researchers and healthcare
      professionals who need to choose software solutions to best meet their program
      needs. The objective of this review was to systematically identify and compare
      text messaging platforms and to summarize their advantages and disadvantages as
      described in peer-reviewed literature. METHODS: A scoping review was conducted
      using four steps: 1) identify currently available platforms through online
      searches and in mHealth repositories; 2) expand evaluation criteria of an mHealth
      mobile messaging toolkit and integrate prior user experiences as researchers; 3)
      evaluate each platform's functions and features based on the expanded criteria
      and a vendor survey; and 4) assess the documentation of platform use in the peer
      review literature. Platforms meeting inclusion criteria were assessed
      independently by three reviewers and discussed until consensus was reached. The
      PRISMA guidelines were followed to report findings. RESULTS: Of the 1041
      potentially relevant search results, 27 platforms met inclusion criteria. Most
      were excluded because they were not platforms (e.g., guides, toolkits, reports,
      or SMS gateways). Of the 27 platforms, only 12 were identified in existing
      mHealth repositories, 10 from Google searches, while five were found in both. The
      expanded evaluation criteria included 22 items. Results indicate no uniform
      presentation of platform features and functions, often making these difficult to
      discern. Fourteen of the platforms were reported as open source, 10 focused on
      health care and 16 were tailored to meet needs of low resource settings (not
      mutually exclusive). Fifteen platforms had do-it-yourself setup (programming not
      required) while the remainder required coding/programming skills or setups could
      be built to specification by the vendor. Frequently described features included
      data security and access to the platform via cloud-based systems. Pay structures
      and reported targeted end-users varied. Peer-reviewed publications listed only 6
      of the 27 platforms across 21 publications. The majority of these articles
      reported the name of the platform used but did not describe advantages or
      disadvantages. CONCLUSIONS: Searching for and comparing mHealth platforms for
      TMIs remains a challenge. The results of this review can serve as a resource for
      researchers and healthcare professionals wanting to integrate TMIs into health
      interventions. Steps to identify, compare and assess advantages and disadvantages
      are outlined for consideration. Expanded evaluation criteria can be used by
      future researchers. Continued and more comprehensive platform tools should be
      integrated into mHealth repositories. Detailed descriptions of platform
      advantages and disadvantages are needed when mHealth researchers publish findings
      to expand the body of research on TMI tools for healthcare. Standardized
      descriptions and features are recommended for vendor sites.

PMID- 28347448
TI  - Computer-aided diagnosis: A survey with bibliometric analysis.
AB  - Computer-aided diagnosis (CAD) has been a promising area of research over the
      last two decades. However, CAD is a very complicated subject because it involves
      a number of medicine and engineering-related fields. To develop a research
      overview of CAD, we conducted a literature survey with bibliometric analysis,
      which we report here. Our study determined that CAD research has been classified
      and categorized according to disease type and imaging modality. This
      classification began with the CAD of mammograms and eventually progressed to that
      of brain disease. Furthermore, based on our results, we discuss future directions
      and opportunities for CAD research. First, in contrast to the typical
      hypothetical approach, the data-driven approach has shown promise. Second, the
      normalization of the test datasets and an evaluation method is necessary when
      adopting an algorithm and a system. Third, we discuss opportunities for the co
      evolution of CAD research and imaging instruments-for example, the CAD of bones
      and pancreatic cancer. Fourth, the potential of synergy with CAD and clinical
      decision support systems is also discussed.

PMID- 28347447
TI  - User Requirements for a Chronic Kidney Disease Clinical Decision Support Tool to
      Promote Timely Referral.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Timely referral of patients with CKD has been associated with cost
      and mortality benefits, but referrals are often done too late in the course of
      the disease. Clinical decision support (CDS) offers a potential solution, but
      interventions have failed because they were not designed to support the physician
      workflow. We sought to identify user requirements for a chronic kidney disease
      (CKD) CDS system to promote timely referral. METHODS: We interviewed primary care
      physicians (PCPs) to identify data needs for a CKD CDS system that would
      encourage timely referral and also gathered information about workflow to assess
      risk factors for progression of CKD. Interviewees were general internists
      recruited from a network of 14 primary care clinics affiliated with Brigham and
      Women's Hospital (BWH). We then performed a qualitative analysis to identify user
      requirements and system attributes for a CKD CDS system. RESULTS: Of the 12
      participants, 25% were women, the mean age was 53 (range 37-82), mean years in
      clinical practice was 27 (range 11-58). We identified 21 user requirements. Seven
      of these user requirements were related to support for the referral process
      workflow, including access to pertinent information and support for longitudinal
      co-management. Six user requirements were relevant to PCP management of CKD,
      including management of risk factors for progression, interpretation of
      biomarkers of CKD severity, and diagnosis of the cause of CKD. Finally, eight
      user requirements addressed user-centered design of CDS, including the need for
      actionable information, links to guidelines and reference materials, and
      visualization of trends. CONCLUSION: These 21 user requirements can be used to
      design an intuitive and usable CDS system with the attributes necessary to
      promote timely referral.

PMID- 28347449
TI  - Mobile application for diabetes self-management in China: Do they fit for older
      adults?
AB  - OBJECTIVES: Despite the exponential proliferation of Chinese diabetes
      applications, none are designed to meet the needs of the largest potential user
      population. The purpose of this study is to examine the features and contents of
      Chinese diabetes mobile applications in terms of their suitability for use by
      older adults with diabetes. METHODS: A search of the Apple application store and
      the 360 Mobile Assistant was conducted to identify Chinese diabetes applications.
      Next, we compared the features and contents of all the included and most popular
      diabetes applications with both the International Diabetes Federation (IDF)
      clinical guideline and recommended usability criteria for older adults
      respectively. RESULTS: Seventy-one diabetes apps were randomly selected (from a
      pool of 552 diabetes apps) and reviewed. The features of most apps failed to
      include content areas of known importance for managing diabetes in older adults.
      Usability of all tested applications was rated moderate to good. CONCLUSIONS:
      Designing maximally effective medical applications would benefit from attention
      to both usability and content guidelines targeted for the largest potential user
      population. Despite the preponderance of older adults in the potential user
      group, failing to consider the relevance of content, in addition to usability for
      the specific population will ultimately limit the usefulness of the app.

PMID- 28347450
TI  - Understanding factors influencing the adoption of mHealth by the elderly: An
      extension of the UTAUT model.
AB  - BACKGROUND: mHealth (mobile health) services are becoming an increasingly
      important form of information and communication technology (ICT) enabled delivery
      for healthcare, especially in low-resource environments such as developing
      countries like Bangladesh. Despite widespread adoption of mobile phones and the
      acknowledged potential of using them to improve healthcare services, the adoption
      and acceptance of this technology among the elderly is significantly low.
      However, little research has been done to draw any systematic study of the
      elderly's intention to adopt mHealth services. OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study
      was to develop a theoretical model based on the Unified Theory of Acceptance and
      Use of Technology (UTAUT) and then empirically test it for determining the key
      factors influencing elderly users' intention to adopt and use the mHealth
      services. METHODS: A face-to-face structured questionnaire survey method was used
      to collect data from nearly 300 participants of age 60 years and above from the
      capital city of Bangladesh. The data were analyzed using the Partial Least
      Squares (PLS) method, a statistical analysis technique based upon Structural
      Equation Modeling (SEM). RESULTS: The study determined that performance
      expectancy, effort expectancy, social influence, technology anxiety, and
      resistance to change (p<0.05) had a significant impact on the users' behavioral
      intention to adopt mHealth services. The study, however, revealed no significant
      relation between the facilitating condition and the users' behavioral intention
      to use the mHealth services (p>0.05). CONCLUSIONS: This study confirms the
      applicability of UTAUT model in the context of mHealth services among the elderly
      in developing countries like Bangladesh. It provides valuable information for
      mHealth service providers and policy makers in understanding the adoption
      challenges and the issues and also provides practical guidance for the successful
      implementation of mHealth services. Additionally the empirical findings identify
      implications related to the design and development of mHealth services that
      influence potential users. Furthermore, due to a generic approach, the findings
      of this study could be easily modified to assist other developing countries in
      the planning and up-take of mHealth services.

PMID- 28347451
TI  - The role of computerized diagnostic proposals in the interpretation of the 12
      lead electrocardiogram by cardiology and non-cardiology fellows.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: Most contemporary 12-lead electrocardiogram (ECG) devices offer
      computerized diagnostic proposals. The reliability of these automated diagnoses
      is limited. It has been suggested that incorrect computer advice can influence
      physician decision-making. This study analyzed the role of diagnostic proposals
      in the decision process by a group of fellows of cardiology and other internal
      medicine subspecialties. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A set of 100 clinical 12-lead ECG
      tracings was selected covering both normal cases and common abnormalities. A team
      of 15 junior Cardiology Fellows and 15 Non-Cardiology Fellows interpreted the
      ECGs in 3 phases: without any diagnostic proposal, with a single diagnostic
      proposal (half of them intentionally incorrect), and with four diagnostic
      proposals (only one of them being correct) for each ECG. Self-rated confidence of
      each interpretation was collected. RESULTS: Availability of diagnostic proposals
      significantly increased the diagnostic accuracy (p<0.001). Nevertheless, in case
      of a single proposal (either correct or incorrect) the increase of accuracy was
      present in interpretations with correct diagnostic proposals, while the accuracy
      was substantially reduced with incorrect proposals. Confidence levels poorly
      correlated with interpretation scores (rho~2, p<0.001). Logistic regression
      showed that an interpreter is most likely to be correct when the ECG offers a
      correct diagnostic proposal (OR=10.87) or multiple proposals (OR=4.43).
      CONCLUSION: Diagnostic proposals affect the diagnostic accuracy of ECG
      interpretations. The accuracy is significantly influenced especially when a
      single diagnostic proposal (either correct or incorrect) is provided. The study
      suggests that the presentation of multiple computerized diagnoses is likely to
      improve the diagnostic accuracy of interpreters.

PMID- 28347452
TI  - Quality of routine health data collected by health workers using smartphone at
      primary health care in Ethiopia.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Mobile phone based applications are considered by many as potentially
      useful for addressing challenges and improving the quality of data collection in
      developing countries. Yet very little evidence is available supporting or
      refuting the potential and widely perceived benefits on the use of electronic
      forms on smartphones for routine patient data collection by health workers at
      primary health care facilities. METHODS: A facility based cross sectional study
      using a structured paper checklist was prepared to assess the completeness and
      accuracy of 408 electronic records completed and submitted to a central database
      server using electronic forms on smartphones by 25 health workers. The 408
      electronic records were selected randomly out of a total of 1772 maternal health
      records submitted by the health workers to the central database over a period of
      six months. Descriptive frequencies and percentages of data completeness and
      error rates were calculated. RESULTS: When compared to paper records, the use of
      electronic forms significantly improved data completeness by 209 (8%) entries. Of
      a total 2622 entries checked for completeness, 2602 (99.2%) electronic record
      entries were complete, while 2393 (91.3%) paper record entries were complete. A
      very small percentage of error rates, which was easily identifiable, occurred in
      both electronic and paper forms although the error rate in the electronic records
      was more than double that of paper records (2.8% vs. 1.1%). More than half of
      entry errors in the electronic records related to entering a text value.
      CONCLUSIONS: With minimal training, supervision, and no incentives, health care
      workers were able to use electronic forms for patient assessment and routine data
      collection appropriately and accurately with a very small error rate. Minimising
      the number of questions requiring text responses in electronic forms would be
      helpful in minimizing data errors.

PMID- 28347453
TI  - Creation of a simple natural language processing tool to support an imaging
      utilization quality dashboard.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Testing for venous thromboembolism (VTE) is associated with cost and
      risk to patients (e.g. radiation). To assess the appropriateness of imaging
      utilization at the provider level, it is important to know that provider's
      diagnostic yield (percentage of tests positive for the diagnostic entity of
      interest). However, determining diagnostic yield typically requires either time
      consuming, manual review of radiology reports or the use of complex and/or
      proprietary natural language processing software. OBJECTIVES: The objectives of
      this study were twofold: 1) to develop and implement a simple, user-configurable,
      and open-source natural language processing tool to classify radiology reports
      with high accuracy and 2) to use the results of the tool to design a provider
      specific VTE imaging dashboard, consisting of both utilization rate and
      diagnostic yield. METHODS: Two physicians reviewed a training set of 400 lower
      extremity ultrasound (UTZ) and computed tomography pulmonary angiogram (CTPA)
      reports to understand the language used in VTE-positive and VTE-negative reports.
      The insights from this review informed the arguments to the five modifiable
      parameters of the NLP tool. A validation set of 2,000 studies was then
      independently classified by the reviewers and by the tool; the classifications
      were compared and the performance of the tool was calculated. RESULTS: The tool
      was highly accurate in classifying the presence and absence of VTE for both the
      UTZ (sensitivity 95.7%; 95% CI 91.5-99.8, specificity 100%; 95% CI 100-100) and
      CTPA reports (sensitivity 97.1%; 95% CI 94.3-99.9, specificity 98.6%; 95% CI 97.8
      99.4). The diagnostic yield was then calculated at the individual provider level
      and the imaging dashboard was created. CONCLUSIONS: We have created a novel NLP
      tool designed for users without a background in computer programming, which has
      been used to classify venous thromboembolism reports with a high degree of
      accuracy. The tool is open-source and available for download at
      http://iturrate.com/simpleNLP. Results obtained using this tool can be applied to
      enhance quality by presenting information about utilization and yield to
      providers via an imaging dashboard.

PMID- 28347454
TI  - Minerals in thalassaemia major patients: An overview.
AB  - Thalassaemia major (TM) is a hereditary blood disease characterised by reduced or
      absent production of beta globin chains. Erythrocyte transfusions are given to
      raise the haemoglobin level in patients with thalassaemia major. However,
      transfusions have been related to increased risk of iron overload and tissue
      damage related to excess iron. Both elevated oxidative stress due to iron
      overload and increased hemolysis lead to over utilisation of minerals required
      for antioxidant enzymes activities. Iron chelators have been used to prevent iron
      overload in thalassaemia major patients, but these chelators have the possibility
      of removing minerals from the body. Thalassaemia patients are more at risk for
      mineral deficiency because of increased oxidative stress and iron chelation
      therapies. Growth and maturational delay, cardiomyopathy, endocrinopathies and
      osteoporosis are the complications of thalassaemia. Minerals may play a
      particular role to prevent these complications. In the current review, we provide
      an overview of minerals including zinc (Zn), copper (Cu), selenium (Se),
      magnesium (Mg) and calcium (Ca) in thalassaemia major patients. We, also,
      underline that some complications of thalassaemia can be caused by an increased
      need for minerals or lack of the minerals.

PMID- 28347455
TI  - Domain specific effects of postnatal toenail methylmercury exposure on child
      behaviour.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: Very little is known about the relationship between postnatal
      methylmercury concentrations (via toenails as bioindicator) and behavioural
      characteristics of Pacific Island children living in New Zealand. The aim of this
      study was to explore the association between total mercury exposure and different
      domains of behavioural problems in Pacific children. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A
      sample of nine-year-old Pacific Island children resident in Auckland, New Zealand
      participated in this study. Total mercury was determined in biological samples
      (toenail clippings) on behavioural problems as identified by mothers (using the
      child behaviour checklist). Specific behavioural domains, particularly
      aggression, rule breaking, attention and social problems were studied in relation
      to mercury exposure using toenails. The determination of mercury concentration in
      toenail clippings, after acid digestion was carried out using inductively coupled
      plasma mass spectrometry. RESULTS: The observational study was conducted between
      July 2010 and July 2011 in which 278 eligible nine-year-old Pacific Island
      children were enrolled (Girls n=58%; boys n=42%). FINDINGS: showed that 21% of
      the children had total toenail mercury concentrations (1.5MUg/g to 6MUg/g) higher
      than the United State Environmental Protection Agency recommended levels (RfD;
      1MUg/g Hg) for optimal health in children. Aggressive behaviour was associated
      with total toenail mercury exposure after adjusting for gender, ethnicity and
      income levels (OR: 2.15 95% CI 1.45, 3.18 p-value <0.05; OR 1.38 95% CI 0.83, 1.2
      p value <0.05, respectively). CONCLUSIONS: Overall, this research contributes to
      the understanding of total toenail mercury concentrations for Pacific people in
      New Zealand using toenail clippings as biomarkers in terms of associations with
      child behavioural problems. Mercury in toenails demonstrated a moderate
      association with a specific behavioural domain - aggressive behaviour.

PMID- 28347456
TI  - Long-term release of fluoride from fissure sealants-In vitro study.
AB  - The intensity of the cariostatic activity of fluoride ions can be attributed to
      their multidirectional influence on the caries process. They are an irreplaceable
      factor that helps sustain mineral balance of dental tissues, simultaneously
      demonstrating antibacterial properties. As a consequence, many manufacturers of
      fissure sealants include fluoride ions in their products. The aim of this in
      vitro study was to determine long-term fluoride release from four fissure
      sealants (Conseal F, Fissurit FX, Delton Fs+, Admira Seal). During a 14-week-long
      observation, all the materials showed a relatively constant level of F- release;
      however, it is crucial to mention that within the first 48h, the most significant
      increase in fluoride release was found for Fissurit and Delton sealants. Based on
      the overall assessment, the highest total amount of the released fluoride ions
      was observed for Delton, and the lowest level was reported for Admira Seal.

PMID- 28347457
TI  - Iron as a catalyst of human low-density lipoprotein oxidation: Critical factors
      involved in its oxidant properties.
AB  - Iron-induced human LDL oxidation, which is relevant to atherosclerosis, has not
      yet been properly investigated. We addressed such issue using iron(II) and (III)
      basically in the presence of phosphates, which are present in vivo and influence
      iron oxidative properties, at pH 4.5 and 7.4, representative, respectively, of
      the lysosomal and plasma environment. In 10mM phosphate buffered saline (PBS),
      iron(II) induces substantial LDL oxidation at pH 4.5 at low micromolar
      concentrations, while at pH 7.4 has low oxidative effects; iron(III) promotes
      small LDL oxidation only at pH 4.5. In 10mM sodium acetate/NaCl buffer, pH 4.5,
      iron-induced LDL oxidation is far higher than in PBS, highlighting the relevance
      of phosphates in the inhibitory modulation of iron-induced LDL oxidation. LDL
      oxidation is related to iron binding to the protein and lipid moiety of LDL, and
      requires the presence of iron(II) bound to LDL together with iron(III). Chemical
      modification of LDL carboxyl groups, which could bind iron especially at pH 4.5,
      decreases significantly iron binding to LDL and iron-induced LDL oxidation.
      Hydroxyl radical scavengers are ineffective on iron-induced LDL oxidation, which
      is inhibited by metal chelation, scavengers of alkoxyl/peroxyl radicals, or
      removal of LDL lipid hydroperoxides (LOOH). Overall, substantial human LDL
      oxidation is induced LOOH-dependently by iron(II) at pH 4.5 even in the presence
      of phosphates, suggesting the occurrence of iron(II)-induced LDL oxidation in
      vivo within lysosomes, where pH is about 4.5, iron(II) and phosphates coexist,
      plasma with its antioxidants is absent, and glutathione peroxidase is poorly
      expressed resulting in LOOH accumulation.

PMID- 28347458
TI  - Desferrioxamine and desferrioxamine-caffeine as carriers of aluminum and gallium
      to microbes via the Trojan Horse Effect.
AB  - Iron acquisition by bacteria and fungi involves in several cases the promiscuous
      usage of siderophores. Thus, antibiotic resistance from these microorganisms can
      be circumvented through a strategy of loading toxic metals into siderophores
      (Trojan Horse Effect). Desferrioxamine (dfo) and its cell-permeant derivative
      desferrioxamine-caffeine (dfcaf) were complexed with aluminum or gallium for this
      purpose. The complexes Me(dfo) and Me(dfcaf) (Me=Al3+ and Ga3+) were synthesized
      and characterized by mass spectroscopy and cyclic voltammetry. Their relative
      stabilities were studied through competitive equilibria with fluorescent probes
      calcein, fluorescein-desferrioxamine and 8-hydroxyquinoline. Me(dfo) and
      Me(dfcaf) were consistently more toxic than free Me3+ against Escherichia coli,
      Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Staphylococcus aureus and Candida albicans, demonstrating
      the Trojan Horse Effect. Wide spectrum antimicrobial action can be obtained by
      loading non-essential or toxic metal ions to microbes via a convenient
      siderophore carrier.

PMID- 28347459
TI  - Selenium-mediated protection in reversing the sensitivity of bacterium to the
      bactericidal antibiotics.
AB  - Inducing production of damaging reactive oxygen species (ROS) is an important
      criterion to distinguish the bactericidal antibiotics from bacteriostatic
      antibiotics. Selenoenzymes were generally recognized to be a powerful antioxidant
      capable of scavenging free radicals, protecting the cells from the harmful
      effects of ROS. Therefore, the present study was carried out to investigate the
      selenium (Se)-mediated protection in reversing antibiotic sensitivity and the
      role of selenoenzymes in alleviating the negative effects of oxidative stress.
      The cellular antioxidant activity of Se-enriched bacteria was analyzed, as well
      as intracellular ROS production and elimination when Se-enriched bacteria in the
      presence of various antibiotics. Compared to complete inhibition of the parental
      strain by bactericidal antibiotics, it only exhibited slight and reversible
      inhibition of Se-enriched Escherichia coli ATCC25922 and Staphylococcus aureus
      ATCC25923 at the same conditions, which indicated that intracellular selenium
      provided substantial protection against antibiotics. ROS generation caused by
      bactericidal antibiotics was confirmed by fluorescence spectrophotometry using
      2', 7'-dichloro- uorescein diacetate (DCFH-DA) as substrate. The time course
      experiments of pretreatment with selenium showed significant decrease of ROS
      level at 2h. In summary, the present study provides experimental evidence
      supporting selenoenzymes has good scavenging effect to ROS and can protect
      bacteria from oxidative stress injury induced by bactericidal antibiotics.

PMID- 28347460
TI  - The effect of the zinc concentration in breast milk on neonatal weight gain.
AB  - The change in breast milk zinc (Zn) concentration in a feeding period during
      lactation may affect neonatal weight gain. The aim of this study was to determine
      how to change the Zn concentrations in breast milk during a feeding period in
      early and late lactation periods and identify the relationship between the
      differences in the Zn levels in breast milk during lactation and neonatal weight
      gain. Breast milk was collected in the early and late lactation periods with
      samples being obtained before (foremilk) and after (hindmilk) a feeding period.
      Then, we determined the Zn concentrations in the breast milk and measured the
      weight of the infants before and after the same feeding period. The study was
      composed of 37 newborns and their mothers. During the feeding period, the Zn
      concentrations in both the transitional and mature milk decreased significantly.
      During the lactation period, the Zn levels were markedly lower in only the
      hindmilk. The body weights of the infants both before and after feeding in the
      early lactation period were negatively correlated with the delta Zn concentration
      in the same period, but the delta body weights in the early lactation period were
      positively correlated with the Zn levels in the hindmilk in the same period. In
      addition, body weights before feeding in the late lactation period were also
      positively correlated with Zn levels in hindmilk in the early lactation period.
      This study suggests that the Zn concentrations in both the transitional and
      mature milk decreased, which suggests that changes in the Zn content of breast
      milk during lactation might play a role in the weight gain of healthy neonates.

PMID- 28347461
TI  - Application of ICP-MS and HPLC-ICP-MS for diagnosis and therapy of a severe
      intoxication with hexavalent chromium and inorganic arsenic.
AB  - ICP-MS and HPLC-ICP-MS were applied for diagnosis and therapeutic monitoring in a
      severe intoxication with a liquid containing hexavalent chromium (Cr(VI)) and
      inorganic arsenic (iAs). In this rare case a liver transplantation of was
      considered as the only chance of survival. We developed and applied methods for
      the determination of Cr(VI) in erythrocytes and total chromium (Cr) and arsenic
      (As) in blood, plasma, urine and liver tissue by ICP-MS. Exposure to iAs was
      diagnosed by determination of iAs species and their metabolites in urine by anion
      exchange HPLC-ICP-MS. Three days after ingestion of the liquid the total Cr
      concentrations were 2180 and 1070MUg/L in whole blood and plasma, respectively,
      and 4540MUg/L Cr(VI) in erythrocytes. The arsenic concentration in blood was
      206MUg/L. The urinary As species concentrations were <0.5, 109, 115, 154 and
      126MUg/L for arsenobetaine, As(III), As(V), methylarsonate (V) and
      dimethylarsinate (V), respectively. Total Cr and As concentrations in the
      explanted liver were 11.7 and 0.9mg/kg, respectively. Further analytical results
      of this case study are tabulated and provide valuable data for physicians and
      toxicologists.

PMID- 28347463
TI  - Level of minerals and trace elements in the urine of the participants of mountain
      ultra-marathon race.
AB  - The aim of the present study was to explore impact of endurance exercise on
      urinary level of minerals and trace elements as well as on some oxidative stress
      and biochemical parameters. Urine samples were collected from participants (n=21)
      of mountain ultra-marathon race (53km; Medvednica, Zagreb, Croatia), before
      (baseline value), immediately after, 12h and 24h after the race. In urine samples
      level of minerals (Ca, P, K and Na) and trace elements (Se, Zn, Mn, Cu, Fe and
      Co) were assessed using the bench top Total reflection X-ray Fluorescence (TXRF)
      spectrometer. Oxidative stress was determined as level of malondialdehyde (MDA).
      Immediately after the race level of minerals, trace elements, MDA, creatinine,
      ketones, erythrocytes and specific gravity increased compared to their baseline
      value. In 24h follow-up trace elements involved in antioxidant defence, MDA and
      biochemical parameters returned to their baseline values, Cu and Co remained
      increased as after the race, Fe and K tended to return to baseline values while
      Ca, P and Na continued to increase. Mountain ultra-marathon resulted in
      alteration of physiologically important minerals and trace elements that for some
      minerals and trace elements persist, indicating their involvement in recovery
      processes. However, due to their loss in urine, level of minerals and trace
      elements in athletes participating in endurance exercise should be monitored.

PMID- 28347462
TI  - Interactions of iron with manganese, zinc, chromium, and selenium as related to
      prophylaxis and treatment of iron deficiency.
AB  - Iron (Fe) deficiency is considered as the most common nutritional deficiency.
      Iron deficiency is usually associated with low Fe intake, blood loss, diseases,
      poor absorption, gastrointestinal parasites, or increased physiological demands
      as in pregnancy. Nutritional Fe deficiency is usually treated with Fe tablets,
      sometimes with Fe-containing multimineral tablets. Trace element interactions may
      have a significant impact on Fe status. Existing data demonstrate a tight
      interaction between manganese (Mn) and Fe, especially in Fe-deficient state. The
      influence of Mn on Fe homeostasis may be mediated through its influence on Fe
      absorption, circulating transporters like transferrin, and regulatory proteins.
      The existing data demonstrate that the influence of zinc (Zn) on Fe status may be
      related to their competition for metal transporters. Moreover, Zn may be involved
      in regulation of hepcidin production. At the same time, human data on the
      interplay between Fe and Zn especially in terms of Fe-deficiency and
      supplementation are contradictory, demonstrating both positive and negative
      influence of Zn on Fe status. Numerous data also demonstrate the possibility of
      competition between Fe and chromium (Cr) for transferrin binding. At the same
      time, human data on the interaction between these metals are contradictory.
      Therefore, while managing hypoferremia and Fe-deficiency anemia, it is
      recommended to assess the level of other trace elements in parallel with indices
      of Fe homeostasis. It is supposed that simultaneous correction of trace element
      status in Fe deficiency may help to decrease possible antagonistic or increase
      synergistic interactions.

PMID- 28347464
TI  - Establishing human heart chromium, cobalt and vanadium concentrations by
      inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: Chromium, cobalt, and vanadium are used in metallic joint prosthesis.
      Case studies have associated elevated heart tissue cobalt concentrations with
      myocardial injury. To document the long term heart metal ion concentrations, a
      validated inductively coupled plasma mass spectroscopy (ICP-MS) method was
      needed. METHOD: The method utilized a closed-vessel microwave digestion system to
      digest the samples. An ICP-MS method utilizing Universal Cell Technology was used
      to determine our target analyte concentrations. Accuracy was verified using
      reference materials. Precision, sensitivity, recovery and linearity studies were
      performed. This method was used to establish a reference range for a non-implant
      containing cohort of 80 autopsy human heart tissues RESULTS: This method
      demonstrated an analytic measurement range of 0.5-100ng/mL for each element.
      Accuracy was within +/-10% of target value for each element. Within-run precision
      for each element was below 20% CV. The chromium, vanadium and cobalt
      concentrations (mean+/-SD) were 0.1523+/-0.2157MUg/g, 0.0094+/-0.0211MUg/g and
      0.1039+/-0.1305MUg/g respectively in 80 non-implant containing human heart tissue
      samples. CONCLUSIONS: This method provides acceptable recovery of the chromium,
      cobalt and vanadium in heart tissue; allowing assessment of the effects of
      metallic joint prosthesis on myocardial health.

PMID- 28347465
TI  - Zn2+ reduction induces neuronal death with changes in voltage-gated potassium and
      sodium channel currents.
AB  - In the present study, cultured rat primary neurons were exposed to a medium
      containing N,N,N',N'-tetrakis(2-pyridylmethyl)ethylenediamine (TPEN), a specific
      cell membrane-permeant Zn2+ chelator, to establish a model of free Zn2+
      deficiency in neurons. The effects of TPEN-mediated free Zn2+ ion reduction on
      neuronal viability and on the performance of voltage-gated sodium channels
      (VGSCs) and potassium channels (Kvs) were assessed. Free Zn2+ deficiency 1)
      markedly reduced the neuronal survival rate, 2) reduced the peak amplitude of
      INa, 3) shifted the INa activation curve towards depolarization, 4) modulated the
      sensitivity of sodium channel voltage-dependent inactivation to a depolarization
      voltage, and 5) increased the time course of recovery from sodium channel
      inactivation. In addition, free Zn2+ deficiency by TPEN notably enhanced the peak
      amplitude of transient outward K+ currents (IA) and delayed rectifier K+ currents
      (IK), as well as caused hyperpolarization and depolarization directional shifts
      in their steady-state activation curves, respectively. Zn2+ supplementation
      reversed the effects induced by TPEN. Our results indicate that free Zn2+
      deficiency causes neuronal damage and alters the dynamic characteristics of VGSC
      and Kv currents. Thus, neuronal injury caused by free Zn2+ deficiency may
      correlate with its modulation of the electrophysiological properties of VGSCs and
      Kvs.

PMID- 28347466
TI  - Zinc concentrations in human milk and infant serum during the first six months of
      lactation.
AB  - Normal supply of zinc to the newborn via milk is essential for normal
      development. Using ICP-OES, we analyzed changes in the level of Zn in milk and
      infant serum in the neonatal period (Day 1 and Day 28 post partum) and at 6
      months after delivery, in the cohort of 60 mothers and exclusively breastfed
      babies. Zn level in the serum showed increase (significant at 6 months) during
      this period (mg/mL): Day 1: 0.52+/-0.12; Day 28: 0.59+/-0.19; 6 months: 0.68+/
      0.28. The concentration of Zn in the milk showed an opposite (decreasing) trend
      during the follow up: Day 1: 4.70+/-1.74mg/L; Day 28: 2.65+/-1.06; 6 months:
      0.46+/-0.36. A significant negative correlation was established between serum and
      milk [Zn] at day 28 (R=-0.338; p=0.008), whereas a positive correlation was found
      at 6 months between these parameters (R=0.306; p=0.018). There was no significant
      correlation between [Zn] in the milk and serum and infants' body mass, mothers'
      age and mass at delivery. The level of Zn in the milk at 6 months of lactation is
      not sufficient to meet the recommended values. This implies that in Serbian
      population, Zn supplementation might be needed in the later phase of lactation.

PMID- 28347467
TI  - Protective effects of cerium oxide and yttrium oxide nanoparticles on reduction
      of oxidative stress induced by sub-acute exposure to diazinon in the rat
      pancreas.
AB  - Diazinon is a kind of organophosphorus (OP) compound that is broadly used against
      different species of insects and pests. Oxidative stress can occur at very early
      stages of diazinon exposure and the pancreas is one of the main target organs for
      toxicity by diazinon. The aim of this study was to evaluate the protective
      effects of cerium oxide nanoparticles (CeO2 NPs) and yttrium oxide nanoparticles
      (Y2O3 NPs) against the pancreatic damage from sub-acute exposure of diazinon.
      Diazinon at a dose of 70mg/kg/day was given through gavage to rats once a day.
      Along with diazinon, trace amounts of CeO2 NPs and Y2O3 NPs (35mg/kg and 45mg/kg
      per day, respectively) were administered by intraperitoneal injection once a day
      for 2 weeks. Animals weight and blood glucose were measured during the treatment,
      and oxidative stress biomarkers, diabetes physiology, function and viability of
      cells were investigated at the end of the treatment in serum and pancreas
      tissues. Apoptosis of islets was examined by the flow cytometry. The high blood
      glucose level and significant weight loss resulting from diazinon were modified
      as a result of the application of the NPs. A significant recovery in oxidative
      stress markers, pro-insulin, insulin, C-peptide, adenosine diphosphate/adenosine
      triphosphate (ATP/ADP) ratio, caspase-3 and -9 activities and apoptosis-necrosis
      in the islets was observed. In conclusion, administration of CeO2 NPs or Y2O3 NPs
      only or their combination with suitable and defined dose will help to overcome
      the consequences from oxidant agents.

PMID- 28347468
TI  - Trace element status in patients with type 2 diabetes in Norway: The HUNT3
      Survey.
AB  - Several epidemiological studies have indicated that a number of trace elements
      may play a role in type 2 diabetes (T2D). We investigated the association between
      prevalent T2D and the concentrations of 25 trace elements in whole blood, and the
      relationships between T2D duration and blood levels of the trace elements that we
      found to be related to T2D prevalence. In this population based case-control
      study, 267 patients with self-reported T2D and 609 controls (frequency matched),
      were selected from the third Nord-Trondelag Health Survey. Trace element blood
      levels were determined by high resolution inductively coupled plasma-mass
      spectrometry. Multivariable conditional logistic regression and multivariable
      linear regression were used to estimate associations. The prevalence of T2D was
      positively associated with boron, calcium and silver, and inversely associated
      with indium, lead and magnesium (Ptrend<0.05). We found no statistical evidence
      for associations between blood levels of arsenic, bromine, cadmium, cesium,
      chromium, copper, gallium, gold, manganese, mercury, molybdenum, nickel,
      rubidium, selenium, strontium, tantalum, thallium, tin and zinc and T2D
      prevalence. After corrections for multiple testing, associations remained
      significant for calcium and lead (Qtrend<0.05), and borderline significant for
      magnesium, silver and boron. With increasing disease duration, higher calcium
      levels were observed (P<0.05). This study suggests an association between
      prevalent T2D and blood levels of boron, calcium, indium, lead, magnesium and
      silver.

PMID- 28347470
TI  - Genomics and Sleep Disorders.

PMID- 28347469
TI  - Biological monitoring of welders' exposure to chromium, molybdenum, tungsten and
      vanadium.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Welders are exposed to a number of metallic elements during work.
      Bioaccessability, that is important for element uptake, has been little studied.
      This study addresses bioaccessability and uptake of chromium (Cr), molybdenum
      (Mo), tungsten (W) and vanadium (V) among welders. METHODS: Bioaccessability of
      Cr, Mo, V and W was studied in airborne particulate matter collected by personal
      sampling of the workroom air among shipyard welders by using the lung lining
      fluid simulant Hatch solution. Associations between concentrations of Hatch
      soluble and non-soluble elements (Hatchsol and Hatchnon-sol) and concentrations
      of the four elements in whole blood, serum, blood cells and urine were studied.
      RESULTS: Air concentrations of the four elements were low. Only a small fraction
      of Cr, V and W was Hatchsol, while similar amounts of Mo were Hatchsol and
      Hatchnon-sol. Welders (N=70) had statistically significantly higher
      concentrations of all four elements in urine and serum when compared to referents
      (N=74). Highly statistically significant associations were observed between
      urinary W and Hatchsol W (p<0.001) and serum V and Hatchsol V (p<0.001), in
      particular when air samples collected the day before collection of biological
      samples were considered. CONCLUSIONS: Associations between Hatchsol elements in
      air and their biological concentrations were higher than when Hatchnon-sol
      concentrations were considered. Associations were generally higher when air
      samples collected the day before biological sampling were considered as compared
      to air samples collected two days before.

PMID- 28347471
TI  - Double strand break repair and gamma-H2AX formation in erythrocytes of medaka
      (Oryzias latipes) after gamma-irradiation.
AB  - The study of the DNA damage response in erythrocytes after gamma-irradiation may
      provide evidence for its effectiveness as a biomarkers for genotoxic
      environmental stress. We previously reported various malformations in
      erythrocytes of medaka irradiated with10 Gy, but not in their micronuclei. In
      this study, we optimized an assay method for gamma-H2AX and double strand breaks
      in erythrocytes of adult medaka fish after 15 Gy of gamma-irradiation. The
      highest level of apoptosis and nuclear abnormalities, including in micronuclei,
      were recorded 4 h after gamma-irradiation, as was the highest level of gamma-H2AX
      foci in erythrocytes. These results suggest that recognition and repair processes
      occur as a response to DNA damage in erythrocytes in medaka.

PMID- 28347472
TI  - The design of delay-dependent wide-area DOFC with prescribed degree of stability
      alpha for damping inter-area low-frequency oscillations in power system.
AB  - In this paper, the delay-dependent wide-area dynamic output feedback controller
      (DOFC) with prescribed degree of stability is proposed for interconnected power
      system to damp inter-area low-frequency oscillations. Here, the prescribed degree
      of stability alpha is used to maintain all the poles on the left of s=-alpha in
      the s-plane. Firstly, residue approach is adopted to select input-output control
      signals and the schur balanced truncation model reduction method is utilized to
      obtain the reduced power system model. Secondly, based on Lyapunov stability
      theory and transformation operation in complex plane, the sufficient condition of
      asymptotic stability for closed-loop power system with prescribed degree of
      stability alpha is derived. Then, a novel method based on linear matrix
      inequalities (LMIs) is presented to obtain the parameters of DOFC and calculate
      delay margin of the closed-loop system considering the prescribed degree of
      stability alpha. Finally, case studies are carried out on the two-area four
      machine system, which is controlled by classical wide-area power system
      stabilizer (WAPSS) in reported reference and our proposed DOFC respectively. The
      effectiveness and advantages of the proposed method are verified by the
      simulation results under different operating conditions.

PMID- 28347473
TI  - A systematic review investigating the association of microRNAs with human
      abdominal aortic aneurysms.
AB  - BACKGROUND AND AIMS: There is increasing interest in identifying novel methods
      for abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) diagnosis. Non-coding RNA molecules such as
      microRNAs (miRNAs) are stable within the circulation and may serve as biomarkers
      for AAA. This systematic review aimed to identify miRNAs associated with a
      diagnosis of human AAA based on currently published original research. METHODS: A
      systematic search of the MEDLINE and EMBASE databases identified studies
      assessing miRNA expression in abdominal aortic tissue or circulating blood from
      human AAA cases compared to non-aneurysmal controls. Data from included studies
      were extracted to assess methods and results after independent quality assessment
      by two reviewers. RESULTS: 15 studies were included in this review. 11 studies
      obtained aortic tissue samples from 195 AAA cases and 104 controls with normal
      aortas. Nine studies obtained circulating blood samples from 526 AAA cases and
      441 controls. miR-21 was differentially expressed in AAA tissue in five separate
      studies, with four studies reporting upregulation and one reporting
      downregulation. Seven other miRNAs were differentially expressed in AAA tissue in
      two separate studies. 15 circulating miRNAs were differentially expressed in two
      or more separate studies. miR-155 and miR-29b were the only miRNAs differentially
      expressed in two separate tissue- and blood-based studies. 11 studies offered
      mechanistic explanations of the role of miRNAs in AAA pathology through
      exploration of gene targets. Three studies assessed the diagnostic potential of
      circulating miRNAs with receiver operating characteristic curves. Only one study
      assessed the prognostic potential of circulating miRNAs in predicting AAA growth.
      CONCLUSIONS: Several miRNAs have been found to be associated with human AAA.
      Their utility as AAA biomarkers requires further investigation.

PMID- 28347474
TI  - Platelet activation of mechanical versus bioprosthetic heart valves during
      systole.
AB  - Thrombus formation is a major concern for recipients of mechanical heart valves
      (MHVs), which requires them to take anticoagulant drugs for the rest of their
      lives. Bioprosthetic heart valves (BHVs) do not require life-long anticoagulant
      therapy but deteriorate after 10-15years. The thrombus formation is initiated by
      the platelet activation which is thought to be mainly generated in MHVs by the
      flow through the hinge and the leakage flow during the diastole. However, our
      results show that the activation in the bulk flow during the systole phase might
      play an essential role as well. This is based on our results obtained by
      comparing the thrombogenic performance of a MHV and a BHV (as control) in terms
      of shear induced platelet activation under exactly the same conditions. Three
      different mathematical activation models including linear level of activation,
      damage accumulation, and Soares model are tested to quantify the platelet
      activation during systole using the previous simulations of the flow through MHV
      and BHV in a straight aorta under the same physiologic flow conditions. Results
      indicate that the platelet activation in the MHV at the beginning of the systole
      phase is slightly less than the BHV. However, at the end of the systole phase the
      platelet activation by the bulk flow for the MHV is several folds (1.41, 5.12,
      and 2.81 for linear level of activation, damage accumulation, and Soares model,
      respectively) higher than the BHV for all tested platelet activation models.

PMID- 28347476
TI  - Breastfeeding or formula feeding and iron status in the second 6 months of life:
      A critical role for complementary feeding.

PMID- 28347475
TI  - Current trends in vasopressor use to the operating room: A pharmacoepidemiologic
      study in French teaching and military hospitals.
AB  - OBJECTIVES: Phenylephrine, ephedrine and norepinephrine are the vasopressors most
      commonly used in the operating room to treat anaesthesia-induced hypotension. Two
      new diluted forms of phenylephrine were released in 2011 (500MUg/10mL and
      500MUg/5mL). We initiated a study to evaluate trends in the use of vasopressors
      in the operating room in French hospitals over the period 2011-2014. METHODS: We
      conducted a longitudinal, retrospective, observational study between 2011 and
      2014 in French teaching and military hospitals. A questionnaire was sent in
      February 2015 to hospital pharmacists of each centre to retrospectively collect
      the consumption of each type of vasopressor. Yearly numbers of vasopressor
      ampoules were divided by the yearly numbers of anaesthetics recorded. For each
      vasopressor, we calculated the number of ampoules per 100 anaesthetics recorded
      (/100A). RESULTS: Thirty-two hospitals (82%) completed the questionnaire. One
      hundred per cent of hospitals had registered the diluted form of phenylephrine
      (61% had chosen the dilution 500MUg/10mL), whereas concentrated ampoules were
      available in 68% of hospitals. Over the period, an exponential increase in the
      use of diluted phenylephrine was observed (from 1.0 ampoule/100A in 2012 to 31.7
      in 2014), the use of ephedrine remained stable (26 ampoules and 17 prefilled
      syringe/100A), and use of norepinephrine trended upwards (from 6.7 to 8.2
      ampoules/100A). CONCLUSIONS: The use of diluted phenylephrine has exponentially
      increased without reducing consumption of other vasopressors. This trend might be
      secondary to practice changes in hypotension treatment following the release of
      French guidelines in 2013 related to fluid management, the restriction of
      indications of hydroxylethyl-starch solutions in 2013, and a better knowledge of
      the benefit of blood pressure optimisation to reduce postoperative morbidity.

PMID- 28347477
TI  - Evolving Childhood Melanoma Monitored by Parental Photodocumentation.

PMID- 28347478
TI  - Changing P-wave morphology: What is the mechanism?
AB  - A 76-year-old woman, affected by drugs resistant focal atrial tachycardia,
      underwent a catheter ablation procedure in our Hospital. During ablations we
      observed on the surface ECG a progressive modification of the second component of
      the P wave (delayed and then negative in inferior leads). These findings
      demonstrated, compared to the beginning of the procedure, a different propagation
      of the activation wave from the right to the left atrium, helped to identify the
      true origin of a focal atrial tachycardia. Moreover, this case underlined the
      importance of the Bachmann's bundle for the impulse propagation through the
      interatrial septum in normal hearts.

PMID- 28347479
TI  - Artifactual ECG changes induced by electrocautery in a patient with coronary
      artery disease.
AB  - Continuous monitoring of 5-lead electrocardiogram is a basic standard of care
      (included under standard ASA monitor) in the operating room and electrocautery
      interference is a common phenomenon. Clinical signs, along with monitored
      waveforms from other simultaneously monitored parameters may provide us clues to
      differentiate artifacts from true changes on the electrocardiogram. An improved
      understanding of the artifacts generated by electrocautery and their identifying
      characteristics is important to avoid misinterpretation, misdiagnosis, and hence
      mismanagement. This case report highlights the artifacts in electrocardiogram
      induced by electrocautery.

PMID- 28347480
TI  - Electrocardiographic interference by a sacral neuromodulation device.

PMID- 28347481
TI  - Ventricular repolarization duration and dispersion adaptation after atropine
      induced rapid heart rate increase in healthy adults.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Proper adaptation of ventricular repolarization (VR) to rapid heart
      rate (HR) increase is crucial for cardiac electro-mechanical function. The
      pattern and temporal aspects of this adaptation and its components (duration and
      dispersion) during normal conduction are, however, incompletely known in humans
      and were the topic of this study. METHODS & RESULTS: The VR duration (QT &
      QTpeak) and dispersion (Tamplitude, Tarea & ventricular gradient; VG) responses
      were studied by continuous vectorcardiogram after a bolus injection of atropine
      0.04mg/kg b.w. in 31 healthy young adults (16 men). The primary measure (T90 End)
      was the time to reach 90% change from baseline to end value 300s later. Mean (SD)
      of T90 End was 23 (9) s for a 41% RR decrease, 130 (35) s for a 16% QTend
      decrease and 110 (36) s for a 19% QTpeak decrease; the response was single
      exponential for these measures. For 35-43% decreases of Tamplitude, Tarea & VG,
      mean (SD) of T90 End were 21 (10), 38 (20) and 40 (23) s and the response pattern
      was double-exponential with varying overshoot. CONCLUSIONS: VR duration and
      dispersion responses to a very rapid HR increase during normal conduction
      differed substantially. In contrast to the well-known single-exponential delay in
      VR duration adaptation the responses of VR dispersion measures were double
      exponential and much more rapid. We describe a new and completely non-invasive
      phenotypic characterization of different components of VR adaptation.

PMID- 28347482
TI  - Robotics in Sinus and Skull Base Surgery.
AB  - Transoral robotic surgery (TORS) has been proven to be safe and to yield
      acceptable oncological and functional outcomes for surgery of the oropharynx,
      hypopharynx, supraglottis, and glottis. TORS has been successful at reducing
      morbidity, improving quality of life, and providing access to areas that
      previously required mandibulotomy or other more radical approaches in the past.
      This has changed the paradigm of management of tumors in these anatomic
      locations. In this article, the authors review the recent literature discussing
      the role of robotic surgery in managing sinonasal and skull base pathology and
      discuss its current advantages and limitations.

PMID- 28347483
TI  - The legacy of William Morgan: The PNNL years.

PMID- 28347484
TI  - In search of the smoking gun in calcific aortic valve disease.

PMID- 28347485
TI  - Pump thrombosis: Do we have the answer to the riddle?

PMID- 28347486
TI  - Comparison of Coronary Intimal Plaques by Optical Coherence Tomography in
      Arteries With Versus Without Internal Running Vasa Vasorum.
AB  - It has been reported that the internal running vasa vasorum (VV) was associated
      with plaque vulnerability, and microchannels in optical coherence tomography
      (OCT) are consistent pathologically with VV. We investigated plaque vulnerability
      and incidence of slow flow during percutaneous coronary intervention of the
      internal longitudinal running VV. Subjects were 71 lesions that underwent OCT
      before percutaneous coronary intervention. Internal running VV was defined as
      intraplaque neovessels running from the adventitia to plaque. Lesions with
      internal running VV were found in 47% (33 of 71). Compared with lesions without
      internal running VV, lesions with internal running VV showed significantly higher
      incidence of intimal laceration (64% [21 of 33] vs 16% [6 of 38], p <0.001),
      lipid-rich plaque (79% [26 of 33] vs 26% [10 of 38], p <0.001), plaque rupture
      (52% [17 of 33] vs 13% [5 of 38], p <0.001), thin-cap fibroatheroma (58% [19 of
      33] vs 11% [4 of 38], p <0.001), macrophage accumulation (61% [20 of 33] vs 26%
      [10 of 38], p = 0.004), intraluminal thrombus (36% [12 of 33] vs 3% [1 of 38], p
      <0.001), and slow flow after stent implantation (42% [14 of 33] vs 13% [5 of 38],
      p = 0.007). The multivariable analysis showed that internal running VV was an
      independent predictor of slow flow after stent implantation (odds ratio 4.23, 95%
      confidence interval 1.05 to 17.01, p = 0.042). In conclusion, compared with those
      without, plaques with internal running VV in OCT had high plaque vulnerability
      with more intimal laceration, lipid-rich plaque, plaque rupture, thin-cap
      fibroatheroma, macrophage accumulation, and intraluminal thrombus, and they had
      high incidence of slow flow after stent implantation.

PMID- 28347487
TI  - Is age a predisposing factor of postoperative complications after lung resection
      for primary pulmonary neoplasms?
AB  - INTRODUCTION: Age has been classically considered as a determining factor for the
      development of postoperative complications related to lung resection for
      bronchogenic carcinoma. The Postoperative Complications Study Group of the
      Spanish Society of Thoracic Surgery has promoted a registry to analyze this
      factor. METHODS: A total of 3,307 patients who underwent any type of surgical
      resection for bronchogenic carcinoma have been systematically and prospectively
      recorded in any of the 24 units that are part of the group. Several variables
      related to comorbidity and age, as well as postoperative complications, were
      analyzed. RESULTS: The mean age of patients was 65,44. Men were significantly
      more common than female. The most frequent complication was prolonged air leak,
      which was observed in more than one third of patients. In a univariant analysis,
      air leak presence and postsurgical atelectasis showed statistical association
      with patient age, when stratified in age groups. In a multivariate analysis, age
      was recognized as an independent prognostic factor in relation to air leak onset.
      However, this could not be confirmed for postoperative atelectasis. CONCLUSION:
      Age is a predisposing factor for the development of postoperative complications
      after lung resection. Other associated factors also influence the occurrence of
      these complications.

PMID- 28347489
TI  - Preprosthetic surgery, fault-lines, and scholarly leadership.

PMID- 28347490
TI  - Environmental impacts of genetically modified plants: A review.
AB  - Powerful scientific techniques have caused dramatic expansion of genetically
      modified crops leading to altered agricultural practices posing direct and
      indirect environmental implications. Despite the enhanced yield potential, risks
      and biosafety concerns associated with such GM crops are the fundamental issues
      to be addressed. An increasing interest can be noted among the researchers and
      policy makers in exploring unintended effects of transgenes associated with gene
      flow, flow of naked DNA, weediness and chemical toxicity. The current state of
      knowledge reveals that GM crops impart damaging impacts on the environment such
      as modification in crop pervasiveness or invasiveness, the emergence of herbicide
      and insecticide tolerance, transgene stacking and disturbed biodiversity, but
      these impacts require a more in-depth view and critical research so as to unveil
      further facts. Most of the reviewed scientific resources provide similar
      conclusions and currently there is an insufficient amount of data available and
      up until today, the consumption of GM plant products are safe for consumption to
      a greater extent with few exceptions. This paper updates the undesirable impacts
      of GM crops and their products on target and non-target species and attempts to
      shed light on the emerging challenges and threats associated with it.
      Underpinning research also realizes the influence of GM crops on a disturbance in
      biodiversity, development of resistance and evolution slightly resembles with the
      effects of non-GM cultivation. Future prospects are also discussed.

PMID- 28347488
TI  - Targeted Interneuron Depletion in the Dorsal Striatum Produces Autism-like
      Behavioral Abnormalities in Male but Not Female Mice.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Interneuronal pathology is implicated in many neuropsychiatric
      disorders, including autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and Tourette syndrome (TS).
      Interneurons of the striatum, including the parvalbumin-expressing fast-spiking
      interneurons (FSIs) and the large cholinergic interneurons (CINs), are affected
      in patients with TS and in preclinical models of both ASD and TS. METHODS: To
      test the causal importance of these neuronal abnormalities, we recapitulated them
      in vivo in developmentally normal mice using a combination transgenic-viral
      strategy for targeted toxin-mediated ablation. RESULTS: We found that conjoint
      ~50% depletion of FSIs and CINs in the dorsal striatum of male mice produces
      spontaneous stereotypy and marked deficits in social interaction. Strikingly,
      these behavioral effects are not seen in female mice; because ASD and TS have a
      marked male predominance, this observation reinforces the potential relevance of
      the finding to human disease. Neither of these effects is seen when only one or
      the other interneuronal population is depleted; ablation of both is required.
      Depletion of FSIs, but not of CINs, also produces anxiety-like behavior, as has
      been described previously. Behavioral pathology in male mice after conjoint FSI
      and CIN depletion is accompanied by increases in activity-dependent signaling in
      the dorsal striatum; these alterations were not observed after disruption of only
      one interneuron type or in doubly depleted female mice. CONCLUSIONS: These data
      indicate that disruption of CIN and FSI interneurons in the dorsal striatum is
      sufficient to produce network and behavioral changes of potential relevance to
      ASD, in a sexually dimorphic manner.

PMID- 28347491
TI  - Diffusion of technology: Trends in robotic-assisted colorectal surgery.
AB  - Following FDA approval, robotic-assisted colorectal surgery (RACS) has increased
      in prevalence. We aimed to identify trends in utilization and patient
      characteristics of RACS in the United States using the University HealthSystem
      Consortium database between October 2011-September 2015. Outcome measures were
      number and percentage of procedures performed with robotic-assistance. 7100
      patients were identified. The most common procedures were low anterior resection,
      sigmoid colectomy, abdominoperineal resection, right colectomy, rectopexy, left
      colectomy, and total colectomy. There was a 158% increase in RACS procedures. As
      a percentage of all approaches, RACS increased from 2.6% to 6.6%. The number of
      centers performing RACS increased from 105 to 140. Over the study period, the
      complexity of patients increased, with the percentage of patients with >=3
      comorbidities rising from 18% to 24% (p = 0.03) and patients with a moderate
      severity of illness score increasing from 35% to 41% (p = 0.04). RACS has
      expanded significantly in volume, number of centers, and patient selection.
      Further studies evaluating outcomes and cost of RACS are required to determine
      whether these increases are justified by improved clinical outcomes.

PMID- 28347492
TI  - Tests used in the diagnostic evaluation of infertility: from ubiquitous to
      obsolete.
AB  - The only true wisdom is in knowing you know nothing. -Socrates.

PMID- 28347493
TI  - Transvaginal ultrasound to guide embryo transfer: a randomized controlled trial.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: To compare sonographic visualization and patient pain in conventional
      transabdominal ultrasound (TAUS) with transvaginal ultrasound (TVUS) sonographic
      guided embryo transfer (ET). DESIGN: Prospective, randomized, controlled study.
      SETTING: Tertiary medical center, in vitro fertilization (IVF) unit. PATIENT(S):
      One hundred and twenty patients younger than 40 years old scheduled for ET.
      INTERVENTION(S): Patients (32.9 +/- 4.5 years old) undergoing fresh cleavage
      stage ET were randomly assigned to the study group (TVUS; n = 60) or control
      group (TAUS; n = 60). After ET each patient filled out a questionnaire based on a
      visual analogue scale (VAS) to evaluate pain and discomfort before, during, and
      after the procedure. The physician assessed the quality of sonographic
      visualization. The follow-up observation lasted 12 months and included pregnancy
      rates. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE(S): Visualization of the uterus and ET location and
      pain before, during, and after the ET procedure. RESULT(S): Visualization of the
      uterus and the ET location by the physician was statistically significantly
      better in the TVUS than in the TAUS group (9.57 vs. 8.42 and 9.58 vs. 8.82,
      respectively). Pain sensation assessed by a visual analogue scale (VAS) before,
      during, and after the procedure was statistically significantly lower in the
      study group compared with the control group (5.45 vs. 1.48, 5.03 vs. 2.42 and
      2.97 vs. 1.52). The implantation and live-birth rates did not differ between the
      two groups (32.9% vs. 23.4%, OR 1.61; 95% CI, 0.85-3.07; 31.6% vs. 25.0%, OR
      1.39; 95% CI, 0.63-3.09, respectively). CONCLUSION(S): TVUS guidance to
      facilitate ET is superior to TAUS in visualization of ET location and in
      lessening the pain and discomfort of the patients. CLINICAL TRIAL REGISTRATION
      NUMBER: NCT008263312.

PMID- 28347494
TI  - Using family members as gamete donors or gestational carriers.
AB  - The use of adult intrafamilial gamete donors and gestational surrogates is
      generally ethically acceptable when all participants are fully informed and
      counseled, but consanguineous arrangements or ones that simulate incestuous
      unions should be prohibited. Adult child-to-parent arrangements require caution
      in order to avoid coercion, and parent-to-adult child arrangements are acceptable
      in limited situations. Programs that choose to participate in intrafamilial
      arrangements should be prepared to spend additional time counseling participants
      and ensuring that they have made free, informed decisions. This document replaces
      the document of the same name, last published in 2012 (Fertil Steril 2012;98:797
      803).

PMID- 28347495
TI  - Comparative feasibility study on retrofitting ballast water treatment system for
      a bulk carrier.
AB  - Use of ballast water in ships causes harmful effects on marine environment
      accompanied by economic loss and negative impact on ecosystem and human health.
      To solve these problems, the international convention on ballast water management
      will take into force in September 2017. In this study, a comprehensive
      feasibility of retrofitting the ballast water treatment system for an ocean-going
      bulk carrier was conducted. The technologies involved, installation and
      operational aspects of direct flow and side stream electrolysis, UV, and ozone
      type BWTS are described in detail. The principal concept of each BWTS is
      explained and probable arrangements of retrofitting in engine room are suggested.
      The cost analysis is carried out for retrofitting 4 types of BWTS onboard the
      target ship by examining each processes of installation and operation.

PMID- 28347496
TI  - Spatial patterns in coastal lagoons related to the hydrodynamics of seawater
      intrusion.
AB  - Marine intrusion was simulated in a choked and in a restricted coastal lagoon by
      using a 3D-hydrodynamic model. To study the spatiotemporal progression of
      seawater intrusion and its mixing efficiency with lagoon waters we define Marine
      Mixed Volume (VMM) as a new hydrodynamic indicator. Spatial patterns in both
      lagoons were described by studying the time series and maps of VMM taking into
      account the meteorological conditions encountered during a water year. The
      patterns comprised well-mixed zones (WMZ) and physical barrier zones (PBZ) that
      act as hydrodynamic boundaries. The choked Bages-Sigean lagoon comprises four sub
      basins: a PBZ at the inlet, and two WMZ's separated by another PBZ corresponding
      to a constriction zone. The volumes of the PBZ were 2.1 and 5.4 millions m3 with
      characteristic mixing timescale of 68 and 84days, respectively. The WMZ were 12.3
      and 43.3 millions m3 with characteristics mixing timescale of 70 and 39days,
      respectively.

PMID- 28347499
TI  - Fears over health of doctor imprisoned without trial in Iran.

PMID- 28347497
TI  - Diabetes and Ramadan: Practical guidelines.
AB  - Ramadan fasting is one of the five pillars of Islam and is compulsory for all
      healthy Muslims from puberty onwards. Exemptions exist for people with serious
      medical conditions, including many with diabetes, but a large number will
      participate, often against medical advice. Ensuring the optimal care of these
      patients during Ramadan is crucial. The International Diabetes Federation (IDF)
      and Diabetes and Ramadan (DAR) International Alliance have come together to
      deliver comprehensive guidelines on this subject. The key areas covered include
      epidemiology, the physiology of fasting, risk stratification, nutrition advice
      and medication adjustment. The IDF-DAR Practical Guidelines should enhance
      knowledge surrounding the issue of diabetes and Ramadan fasting, thereby
      empowering healthcare professionals to give the most up-to-date advice and the
      best possible support to their patients during Ramadan.

PMID- 28347498
TI  - Jules and Augusta Dejerine, Pierre Marie, Joseph Babinski, Georges Guillain and
      their students during World War I.
AB  - World War I (1914-1918), however tragic, was nonetheless an "edifying school of
      nervous system experimental pathology" not only because of the various types of
      injuries, but also because their numbers were greater than any physician could
      have foreseen. The peripheral nervous system, the spine and the brain were all to
      benefit from the subsequent advances in clinical and anatomo-functional
      knowledge. Neurosurgeons took on nerve sutures, spinal injury exploration, and
      the localization and extraction of intracranial foreign bodies. Little by little,
      physical medicine and rehabilitation were established. A few of the most famous
      Parisian neurologists at the time-Jules and Augusta Dejerine, Pierre Marie,
      Joseph Babinski and Georges Guillain, who directed the military neurology centers
      took up the physically and emotionally exhausting challenge of treating thousands
      of wounded soldiers. They not only cared for them, but also studied them
      scientifically, with the help of a small but devoted band of colleagues. The
      examples presented here reveal their courage and their efforts to make
      discoveries for which we remain grateful today.

PMID- 28347500
TI  - Versatility of peroxisomes: An evolving concept.
AB  - Research spanning almost 50 years has highlighted unique characteristics and
      irreplaceable list of diverse functions performed by peroxisomes in various model
      systems. Peroxisomes are single membrane bound highly dynamic organelles
      ubiquitous to most eukaryotic cells. Proliferation by division of pre-existing
      organelles and the role of endoplasmic reticulum in the biogenesis of these
      organelles is now well established. The earliest identified conserved functions
      of peroxisomes are beta-oxidation of fatty acids and reactive oxygen species
      metabolism. Several studies over the last few decades have reported the
      importance of this organelle and its numerous cell type, tissue and environment
      dependent functions. Their role in several aspects of human health and disease is
      now under investigation. Studies related to peroxisome biology and functions are
      now also extended to diverse model systems like Drosophila melanogaster,
      trypanosomatids, etc. Peroxisomes also intricately collaborate and carry out
      these functions together with several other organelles in a cell. In this review,
      we aim to present an overview of our current knowledge of the repertoire of
      functions of peroxisomes in various model systems.

PMID- 28347502
TI  - Modern technology: The preferred biosecurity strategy?

PMID- 28347501
TI  - Knowledge, attitudes, beliefs, and behaviors of university students, faculty, and
      staff during a meningococcal serogroup B outbreak vaccination program.
AB  - OBJECTIVES: During an outbreak of invasive meningococcal B disease on a
      university campus, we explored the knowledge, attitudes, beliefs, and behaviors
      of members of the university community in relation to the disease, the vaccine,
      and the vaccination program. DESIGN: All students, faculty and staff were invited
      by email to participate in a 71-item online survey, which was administered after
      completion of the mass clinics for the first and second doses of a meningococcal
      B vaccination program. RESULTS: A total of 404 individuals responded to the
      survey; 75.7% were students. Knowledge about meningococcal disease and vaccine
      was generally high; more than 70% correct responses were received on each
      knowledge question except for one question about the different meningococcal
      serogroups. Gender (female) and higher knowledge scores were significantly
      associated with either being immunized or intending to be immunized (p<0.05).
      Positive attitudes about immunization, concern about meningococccal infection, a
      sense of community responsibility, and trust in public health advice also
      correlated with being vaccinated or intending to be vaccinated (p<0.05).
      CONCLUSIONS: A successful mass vaccination program in a Nova Scotia university
      was associated with high levels of knowledge, positive attitudes toward
      vaccination, and positive attitudes toward public health recommendations.

PMID- 28347503
TI  - Informing pneumococcal conjugate vaccine policy in middle-income countries: The
      case of Malaysia.

PMID- 28347504
TI  - Platform technologies for modern vaccine manufacturing.
AB  - Improved understanding of antigenic components and their interaction with the
      immune system, as supported by computational tools, permits a sophisticated
      approach to modern vaccine design. Vaccine platforms provide an effective tool by
      which strategically designed peptide and protein antigens are modularized to
      enhance their immunogenicity. These modular vaccine platforms can overcome issues
      faced by traditional vaccine manufacturing and have the potential to generate
      safe vaccines, rapidly and at a low cost. This review introduces two promising
      platforms based on virus-like particle and liposome, and discusses the
      methodologies and challenges.

PMID- 28347505
TI  - Complexity Assessed by the INTERMED in Patients With Somatic Symptom Disorder
      Visiting a Specialized Outpatient Mental Health Care Setting: A Cross-sectional
      Study.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Somatic symptom disorders (SSD), a new classification in the
      Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, fifth edition is
      associated with problematic diagnostic procedures and treatment that lead to
      complex care. In somatic health care, the INTERMED has been used to assess levels
      of complexity; however, in SSD this instrument has not yet been applied.
      OBJECTIVE: This study aims to explore complexity in patients with SSD using the
      INTERMED, hereby contributing to an increased comprehension of this new patient
      group. METHOD: In this cross-sectional study, the INTERMED was used to assess
      complexity in outpatients with SSD at the Clinical Centre of Excellence for Body,
      Mind, and Health (The Netherlands), along biologic, psychologic, social, and
      health care domains. This was done retrospectively with patient files from
      consecutive patients from 2011 until 2015. RESULTS: In the total SSD sample (N =
      187), 63% was female, the mean age (standard deviation) was 42 (+/-12.4) years,
      with an average educational level. The mean INTERMED score was 23.5 indicating
      high overall complexity in this population. A high proportion of our sample (69%)
      scored as highly complex (>20). High complexity was associated with higher
      depression and anxiety scores, but not with a higher number of physical symptoms.
      CONCLUSIONS: This study demonstrates that patients with SSD form a high-complex
      group, with higher scores compared with literature about multiple sclerosis,
      rheumatoid arthritis, or patient waiting for a liver transplant. INTERMED
      outcomes indicate a need for extensive diagnostic procedures and integrated
      multidisciplinary care for patients with SSD. Attention should especially be paid
      to mental disorders (depression and anxiety), given their association with high
      complexity.

PMID- 28347506
TI  - Antidepressant-Associated Microscopic Colitis: A Case Report and Literature
      Review.

PMID- 28347507
TI  - [Management of residual macular edema post-embolization of dural carotid
      cavernous fistula: A case report].

PMID- 28347508
TI  - Ultrasonic-assisted extrusion of ZK60Mg alloy micropins at room temperature.
AB  - A new model of ZK60 magnesium micropins formed through ultrasonic-assisted
      extrusion at room temperature was developed. The billet was transmitted by the
      ultrasonic wave during the micropin-forming process. A self-designed apparatus
      was applied for the ultrasonic-assisted extrusion experiments. The effects of
      amplitude on the load-displacement curve, load reduction, temperature,
      microstructure, diameter after extrusion, microhardness, and compressibility of
      micropins were investigated. The results showed that the punch was always in
      contact with the billet when the displacement of the punch was larger than the
      amplitude. The maximum reduction of load was approximately 80% because of the
      dynamic recrystallization and ultrasonic softening. In addition, load reduction
      was almost similar under different amplitudes when the diameters of micropins
      after extrusion were 0.3 and 0.5mm as a result of the size effect. The
      microhardness of the micropins increased at the amplitude of 39 and 42MUm as
      compared with the traditional extrusion. This finding was inconsistent with the
      results for copper and aluminum. The compression ratio of micropins prepared
      through ultrasonic-assisted extrusion improved by 14-20% on average at room
      temperature.

PMID- 28347509
TI  - Sonochemical growth of nanomaterials in carbon nanotube.
AB  - Recent achievements in investigations of carbon nanotubes (CNTs) filled with
      ternary chalcohalides (antimony sulfoiodide (SbSI) and antimony selenoiodide
      (SbSeI)) are presented. Parameters of sonochemical encapsulation of
      nanocrystalline semiconducting ferroelectric SbSI-type materials in CNTs are
      reported. This low temperature technology is convenient, fast, efficient and
      environmentally friendly route for producing novel type of hybrid materials
      useful for nanodevices. Structure as well as optical and electrical properties of
      SbSI@CNTs and SbSeI@CNTs are described. Advantages of ultrasonic joining of such
      filled CNTs with metal microelectrodes are emphasized. The possible applications
      of these nanomaterials as gas sensors are shown.

PMID- 28347510
TI  - [Good's syndrome and congenital toxoplasmosis due to maternal reactivation during
      pregnancy].
AB  - INTRODUCTION: Good syndrome is a rare condition in which thymoma is associated
      with hypogammaglobulinemia. It is characterized by an increased susceptibility to
      infections. CASE REPORT: We report a woman with Good's syndrome diagnosed after
      severe congenital toxoplasmosis in her daughter, even though she was immunized
      against this infection during pregnancy. CONCLUSION: This presentation is very
      unusual by its early diagnosis and to our knowledge is the first report of
      parasitic infection in this syndrome.

PMID- 28347511
TI  - [An unusal cause of lower limb claudication].

PMID- 28347512
TI  - Characterization of immune regulatory molecules B7-H4 and PD-L1 in low and high
      grade endometrial tumors.
AB  - BACKGROUND: The objective of this investigation was to characterize the
      expression landscape of immune regulatory molecules programmed death-ligand-1 (PD
      L1, B7-H1) and B7-H4 in a cohort of endometrial tumors across the spectrum of
      grade and histology. MATERIALS AND METHODS: With institutional review board
      approval, 70 endometrial tumors from patients with known clinical outcomes were
      identified representing a spectrum of grade and histology. Immunohistochemistry
      (IHC) was performed for PD-L1 and B7-H4 and scored. Microsatellite instability
      (MSI) status was assessed for endometrioid tumors using the institutional IHC
      assay for expression of the mismatch repair (MMR) genes, MLH1, MSH2, MSH6 and
      PMS2. RNA sequencing data from the Cancer Genome Atlas was queried for expression
      levels of CD274 (PD-L1 protein) and VTCN1 (B7-H4) across molecular subtypes of
      endometrial carcinoma and were correlated with a T cell infiltration index.
      RESULTS: We identified 40 low grade endometrioid tumors and a cohort of 30 high
      grade tumors. PD-L1 expression was observed in both high and low grade
      endometrial tumors (56% vs 35%, p=0.07). In the low grade tumors, PD-L1
      expression was associated with MSI status (p<0.01). The high grade cohort had
      similar rates of PD-L1 expression compared to low grade MSI tumor (56% and 62%
      respectively), and both were distinct from low grade MSS tumors (22%, p<0.05).
      High (3+) B7-H4 positive cells were observed in both high and low grade
      carcinomas (33% and 31% respectively). RNA profiling data from confirmed highest
      CD274 expression in POLE and MSI tumors that was linearly correlated with T cell
      infiltration, while VTCN1 expression appeared consistent across molecular
      subtypes. CONCLUSIONS: While PD-L1 expression correlated with MSI and high grade
      tumors, B7-H4 expression was independent of grade, histology and immune cell
      infiltration. The development and testing of multi-agent therapeutics targeting
      PD-L1 and B7-H4 may be a novel strategy for endometrial tumors.

PMID- 28347513
TI  - Cost-effectiveness of Maintaining Daily Intake of Oat beta-Glucan for Coronary
      Heart Disease Primary Prevention.
AB  - PURPOSE: Oat beta-glucan reduces cholesterol levels and thus reduces the risk for
      coronary heart disease (CHD). However, its economic impact has not been well
      studied. We examined the economic impact of daily intake of >=3 g of oat beta
      glucan in primary prevention of CHD in patients receiving statins or no
      pharmacologic treatment. METHODS: A decision model was developed to compare costs
      and outcomes associated with lowering cholesterol levels with no pharmacologic
      treatment and normal diet, no pharmacologic treatment plus >=3 g/d of oat beta
      glucan, and statin therapy plus >=3 g/d of oat beta-glucan. The population
      comprised men 45, 55, or 65 years of age with no history of cardiovascular
      disease and a 10-year risk for CHD of 5%, 7.5%, or 10%. Clinical efficacy data
      were gathered from meta-analyses; safety data, costs, and utilities were gathered
      from published literature. Cost per quality-adjusted life years and number of
      first events were reported. FINDINGS: Maintaining >=3 g/d of beta-glucan may be
      cost-effective in men aged 45, 55, and 65 years with 10-year CHD risks of 5.0%,
      7.5%, and 10.0% taking no pharmacologic treatment or on statins. It may also
      reduce first events of myocardial infarction and CHD death. Results are sensitive
      to oat beta-glucan cost but insensitive to changes in other parameters.
      Maintaining >=3 g of oat beta-glucan daily remains cost-effective within
      plausible range of values. IMPLICATIONS: beta-glucan may be cost-effective for
      preventing CHD events in middle-aged men with no history of cardiovascular events
      whose 10-year CHD risk is >=5%. Maintaining daily beta-glucan intake may have
      considerable impact on first events.

PMID- 28347514
TI  - Use of Lipid-modifying Therapy and LDL-C Goal Attainment in a High-Cardiovascular
      Risk Population in the Netherlands.
AB  - PURPOSE: This study investigates lipid-modifying therapy (LMT) and LDL-C goal
      attainment in a real-world, high-cardiovascular-risk population in the
      Netherlands. METHODS: From the PHARMO Database Network, patients aged >=18 years
      with an LDL-C measurement in 2012 (index date) were selected and hierarchically
      classified into the following mutually exclusive high-cardiovascular-risk
      categories: familial hypercholesterolemia (FH), recent acute coronary syndrome
      (ACS), coronary heart disease, ischemic stroke, peripheral arterial disease, and
      diabetes mellitus. LMT use and LDL-C goal attainment at the index date was
      assessed. FINDINGS: Of 61 839 patients who met the inclusion criteria, 1132 (2%)
      had FH, 2431 (4%) had recent ACS, 6292 (10%) had coronary heart disease, 2868
      (5%) had ischemic stroke, 3017 (5%) had peripheral arterial disease, and 46 099
      (75%) had diabetes mellitus. Overall, 67% of patients were receiving LMT. Use of
      LMT ranged from 77% for recent ACS to 53% for FH, and standard-potency statins
      were the most prescribed. The percentage attaining an LDL-C goal of <100 mg/dL
      was 55%, ranging from 23% (FH) to 58% (recent ACS). Among LMT users, 69% taking
      high-potency statins, 70% taking standard-potency statins, and 20% receiving
      nonstatin LMTs attained an LDL-C goal of <100 mg/dL. IMPLICATIONS: LMT use among
      high-cardiovascular-risk patients was modest, which contributed to 46% of the
      cohort failing to reach LDL-C goals <100 mg/dL. Underuse and suboptimal use of
      LMTs in this cohort represent opportunities for quality improvement programs
      aimed at reducing the risk of cardiovascular events.

PMID- 28347515
TI  - An immobilized titanium (IV) ion affinity chromatography adsorbent for solid
      phase extraction of phosphopeptides for phosphoproteome analysis.
AB  - In this study, we developed a centrifugation assisted solid phase extraction
      (SPE) method for the selective enrichment of phosphopeptides using a new Ti4+
      IMAC material synthesized in-house. This new material has the feature of big size
      and large specific surface area which makes it more suitable to enrich
      phosphopeptides in a SPE way. The spin tips loaded with the Ti4+-IMAC material
      were applied to enrich phosphopeptides from the complex protein digests. It was
      found that phosphopeptides can be specifically enriched from tryptic digest of
      bovine serum albumin and beta-casein at a molar ratio up to 1000:1. And about
      4700 unique phosphorylated peptides can be identified with the specificity as
      high as 99% from the tryptic digest of HeLa cell proteins. This tip was
      demonstrated to have good column-to-column reproducibility. Furthermore, it is
      fitted to analyze minute amount of sample. Compared with the conventional
      solution method, the SPE method facilitated the rapid and complete separation of
      the material with solution, which making it a time-saving and convenient method
      for phosphopeptide enrichment. Compared with the commercial TiO2 material, this
      new materials yielded much more phosphopeptide identifications and much higher
      enrichment specificity.

PMID- 28347516
TI  - Aqueous and non-aqueous microchip electrophoresis with on-chip electrospray
      ionization mass spectrometry on replica-molded thiol-ene microfluidic devices.
AB  - This work describes aqueous and non-aqueous capillary electrophoresis on thiol
      ene-based microfluidic separation devices that feature fully integrated and sharp
      electrospray ionization (ESI) emitters. The chip fabrication is based on simple
      and low-cost replica-molding of thiol-ene polymers under standard laboratory
      conditions. The mechanical rigidity and the stability of the materials against
      organic solvents, acids and bases could be tuned by adjusting the respective
      stoichiometric ratio of the thiol and allyl ("ene") monomers, which allowed us to
      carry out electrophoresis separation in both aqueous and non-aqueous (methanol-
      and ethanol-based) background electrolytes. The stability of the ESI signal was
      generally <=10% RSD for all emitters. The respective migration time
      repeatabilities in aqueous and non-aqueous background electrolytes were below 3
      and 14% RSD (n=4-6, with internal standard). The analytical performance of the
      developed thiol-ene microdevices was shown in mass spectrometry (MS) based
      analysis of peptides, proteins, and small molecules. The theoretical plate
      numbers were the highest (1.2-2.4*104m-1) in ethanol-based background
      electrolytes. The ionization efficiency also increased under non-aqueous
      conditions compared to aqueous background electrolytes. The results show that
      replica-molding of thiol-enes is a feasible approach for producing ESI
      microdevices that perform in a stable manner in both aqueous and non-aqueous
      electrophoresis.

PMID- 28347517
TI  - Ion-imprinted magnetic nanoparticles for specific separation and concentration of
      ultra-trace methyl mercury from aqueous sample.
AB  - For rapidly and sensitively determining ultra-trace methyl mercury (MeHg) in
      aqueous environment, we herein synthesized a MeHg ion-imprinted magnetic
      nanoparticle (MeHg IIMN) to simply and specifically extract/concentrate ultra
      trace MeHg from water samples. The MeHg IIMN employed core-shell Fe3O4@SiO2
      nanoparticles (Fe3O4@SiO2 NPs) as supporting structure, the complex ion of 1
      pyrrolidinecarbodithioic acid and MeHg (PDC-CH3Hg+) as template, methacrylic acid
      (MAA) as functional monomer and trimethylolpropane trimethacrylate (TMPTM) as
      cross linker. The MeHg IIMN offered obvious advantages such as low cost, easy
      manipulation, better specificity and stability, and recycling characteristics. It
      can be used to separate/concentrate ultra-trace MeHg from natural water sample
      within 30min with a recovery >95%, an enrichment factor of 250, a relative
      standard deviation (RSD, n=5) <7%, a 25mg MeHg/g of maximum adsorption capacity,
      50 times of recycling, and without obvious interference of other ions. Combining
      with capillary electrophoresis-inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (CE
      ICP-MS), it can be used for the accurate detection of ultra-trace methyl mercury
      in natural water samples with a limit of detection of 0.084pg/mL, a recovery of
      92-99% and a RSD (n=5)<8%. The success of this study promises a valuable
      technique for relatively simple detection of ultra-trace methyl mercury in
      aqueous environment.

PMID- 28347518
TI  - Semi-automated screen for global protein conformational changes in solution by
      ion mobility spectrometry-massspectrometry combined with size-exclusion
      chromatography and differential hydrogen-deuterium exchange.
AB  - Development of methodologies for studying protein higher-order structure in
      solution helps to establish a better understanding of the intrinsic link between
      protein conformational structure and biological function and activity. The goal
      of this study was to demonstrate a simultaneous screening approach for global
      protein conformational changes in solution through the combination of ion
      mobility spectrometry-mass spectrometry (IMS-MS) with differential hydrogen
      deuterium exchange (DeltaHDX) on the size-exclusion chromatography (SEC) platform
      in a single on-line workflow. A semi-automated experimental setup based on the
      use of SEC on-column conditions allowed for tracking of protein conformational
      changes in solution as a function of acetonitrile concentration. In this setup,
      the SEC protein elution data was complemented by the DeltaHDX profile which
      showed global protein conformational changes as a difference in the number of
      deuterons exchanged to protons. The DeltaHDX data, in turn, was complemented by
      the changes in the drift time by IMS-MS. All three orthogonal techniques were
      applied for studying global higher-order structure of the proteins ubiquitin,
      cytochrome c and myoglobin, in solution simultaneously. The described approach
      allows for the use of a crude sample (or mixture of proteins) and could be
      suitable for rapid comparison of protein batch-to-batch higher-order structure or
      for optimizing conditions for enzymatic reactions.

PMID- 28347519
TI  - Meta-analyses of the sensitivity and specificity of ante-mortem and post-mortem
      diagnostic tests for bovine tuberculosis in the UK and Ireland.
AB  - Bovine Tuberculosis (bTB) in cattle is a global health problem and eradication of
      the disease requires accurate estimates of diagnostic test performance to
      optimize their efficiency. The objective of this study was, through statistical
      meta-analyses, to obtain estimates of sensitivity (Se) and specificity (Sp), for
      14 different ante-mortem and post-mortem diagnostic tests for bTB in cattle.
      Using data from a systematic review of the scientific literature (published 1934
      2009) diagnostic Se and Sp were estimated using Bayesian logistic regression
      models adjusting for confounding factors. Random effect terms were used to
      account for unexplained heterogeneity. Parameters in the models were implemented
      using Markov Chain Monte Carlo (MCMC), and posterior distributions for the
      diagnostic parameters with adjustment for covariates (confounding factors) were
      obtained using the inverse logit function. Estimates for Se and/or Sp of the
      tuberculin skin tests and the IFN-gamma blood test were compared with estimates
      published 2010-2015. Median Se for the single intradermal comparative cervical
      tuberculin skin (SICCT) test (standard interpretation) was 0.50 and Bayesian
      credible intervals (CrI) were wide (95% CrI 0.26, 0.78). Median Sp for the SICCT
      test was 1.00 (95% CrI 0.99, 1.00). Estimates for the IFN-gamma blood test Bovine
      Purified Protein Derivative (PPD)-Avian PPD and Early Secreted Antigen target 6
      and Culture Filtrate Protein 10 (ESAT-6/CFP10) ESAT6/CFP10 were 0.67 (95% CrI
      0.49, 0.82) and 0.78 (95% CrI 0.60, 0.90) respectively for Se, and 0.98 (95% CrI
      0.96, 0.99) and 0.99 (95% CrI 0.99, 1.00) for Sp. The study provides an overview
      of the accuracy of a range of contemporary diagnostic tests for bTB in cattle.
      Better understanding of diagnostic test performance is essential for the design
      of effective control strategies and their evaluation.

PMID- 28347520
TI  - "Some of them shut the door with a single word, but she was different" - A
      migrant patient's culture, a physician's narrative humility and a researcher's
      bias.

PMID- 28347521
TI  - [Detection and early treatment of subjects at high risk of clinical psychosis:
      Definitions and recommendations].
AB  - In children and adolescents, psychotic disorders already represent one of the
      leading causes of disability-adjusted life years. During the past two decades,
      early detection of risk for psychosis has been intensively investigated, and in
      particular, predictive power for early signs of risk has been initiated and
      translated into clinical practice. In particular, the attenuated and transient
      positive symptoms of the ultra-high risk criteria, and the basic symptom
      criterion "cognitive disturbances", open promising routes to an indicated
      prevention and have recently been considered by the European Psychiatric
      Association (EPA) as diagnostic criteria of a psychosis-risk syndrome. The EPA
      recently provided evidence-based recommendations on the early detection of
      clinical high risk (CHR) for psychosis in patients with mental distress. In 2015,
      experts in the field of early detection conducted a meta-analysis reporting on
      studies examining conversion rates to psychosis in non-overlapping samples
      meeting at least one of the main CHR criteria: ultra-high risk (UHR) and/or basic
      symptoms criteria, examining the effects of potential moderators (different UHR
      criteria definitions, single UHR criteria and age) on conversion rates. In the 42
      identified samples, comprising more than 4000 CHR patients who had been mainly
      identified by means of UHR criteria and/or the basic symptom criterion 'cognitive
      disturbances' (COGDIS), conversion rates showed considerable heterogeneity. While
      UHR and COGDIS criteria were related to comparable conversion rates until a 2
      year follow-up, rates for COGDIS were significantly higher for follow-up periods
      beyond 2 years. Differences in onset and frequency requirements of symptomatic
      UHR criteria, or in their different consideration of functional decline,
      substance use and co-morbidity, did not seem to have an impact on conversion
      rates. The 'genetic risk and functional decline' UHR criterion was rarely met and
      only showed an insignificant pooled sample effect. However, age significantly
      affected UHR conversion rates with lower rates in children and adolescents.
      Although more research into potential sources of heterogeneity in conversion
      rates is needed to facilitate improvement of CHR criteria, six evidence-based
      recommendations for the early detection of psychosis were developed as a basis
      for the EPA guidance on early intervention in CHR states. The EPA guidance on
      early intervention aimed to provide evidence-based recommendations on early
      intervention in CHR states of psychosis, assessed according to the EPA guidance
      on early detection. The recommendations were also made by experts in the field of
      early intervention in psychoses and derived from a meta-analysis of current
      empirical evidence on the efficacy of psychological and pharmacological
      interventions in CHR samples. Eligible studies had to investigate conversion rate
      and/or functioning as a treatment outcome in CHR patients defined by the ultra
      high risk and/or basic symptom criteria. In addition to analyses of treatment
      effects on conversion rate and functional outcome, age and type of intervention
      were examined as potential moderators. Based on data from 15 studies (n=1394),
      early intervention generally produced significantly reduced conversion rates at 6
      to 48-month follow-up compared to control conditions. However, early
      intervention failed to achieve significantly greater functional improvements
      because both early intervention and control conditions produced similar positive
      effects. With regard to the type of intervention, both psychological and
      pharmacological interventions produced significant effects on conversion rates
      but not on functional outcome relative to the control conditions. Early
      intervention in youth samples was generally less effective than in predominantly
      adult samples. Seven evidence-based recommendations for early intervention in CHR
      samples have been formulated, although more studies are needed to investigate the
      specificity of treatment effects and potential age effects in order to tailor
      interventions to the individual treatment needs and risk status. Overall, age
      related specificities and developmental transitions in the early detection and
      intervention in psychoses should be better accounted for in future research.

PMID- 28347522
TI  - Keep calm and carry on: Mental disorder is not more "organic" than any other
      medical condition.
AB  - Psychiatry as a discipline should no longer be grounded in the dualistic
      opposition between organic and mental disorders. This non-dualistic position
      refusing the partition along functional versus organic lines is in line with Jean
      Delay, and with Robert Spitzer who wanted to include in the definition of mental
      disorder discussed by the DSM-III task force the statement that "mental disorders
      are a subset of medical disorders". However, it is interesting to note that
      Spitzer and colleagues ingeniously introduced the definition of "mental disorder"
      in the DSM-III in the following statement: "there is no satisfactory definition
      that specifies precise boundaries for the concept "mental disorder" (also true
      for such concepts as physical disorder and mental and physical health)". Indeed,
      as for "mental disorders", it is as difficult to define what they are as it is to
      define what constitutes a "physical disorder". The problem is not the words
      "mental" or "organic" but the word "disorder". In this line, Wakefield has
      proposed a useful "harmful dysfunction" analysis of mental disorder. They raise
      the issue of the dualistic opposition between organic and mental disorders, and
      situate the debate rather between the biological/physiological and the social.
      The paper provides a brief analysis of this shift on the question of what is a
      mental disorder, and demonstrates that a mental disorder is not more "organic"
      than any other medical condition. While establishing a dichotomy between organic
      and psychiatry is no longer intellectually tenable, the solution is not to reduce
      psychiatric and non-psychiatric disorders to the level of "organic disorders" but
      rather to continue to adopt both a critical and clinically pertinent approach to
      what constitutes a "disorder" in medicine.

PMID- 28347523
TI  - [Early detection of mental health disorders at school: The Fil Harmonie pilot
      program].
AB  - OBJECTIVE: Most psychiatric disorders arise during adolescence, a period of life
      during which school takes an important place. School in France has an official
      mission of health education and prevention, and early detection of mental
      disorders is part of these goals. The aim of this study is to describe an
      innovative service operating in Paris that helps educational staff to deal with
      students having psychological or psychiatric symptoms. The Fil Harmonie program
      was launched in 2011. It consists of a telephone line available to all
      educational staff working for high schools in Paris. METHODS: When in need of
      assistance, a member of the educational staff can call the dedicated hotline and
      expose the situation of their student to a trained psychologist. Over the course
      of the study, data concerning these phone calls were collected such as: socio
      demographic characteristics of the student, the reason behind the call, the
      caller's professional role within the school, and care pathway information. All
      data collected during the phone calls were anonymized and computerized. We
      performed an observational descriptive study based on this data by using mixed
      methods: we integrated quantitative analysis and qualitative research in order to
      provide a better understanding of the Fil Harmonie program. RESULTS: Between 18
      September 2013 and 12 May 2014, the Fil Harmonie program handled 68 calls from
      educational staff. Students concerned by the calls were aged between 11 and 22
      and the average age was 17.3 years. Over half (52.5%) of the pupils concerned had
      never seen a mental health professional before the call. In more than 70% of
      cases, the caller was a school nurse while other professionals such as teachers
      or headmasters represented only a minority of the callers. Approximately two
      thirds (67.2%) of students were described by the caller as socially isolated and
      48.2% were described as sad or anhedonic. One out of four (26.7%) had repeated a
      school year at least once, and 55.9% of young people for whom a member of staff
      contacted Fil Harmonie had been missing class. In 56.7% of cases, there had been
      no contact with the student's family about the psychological situation. The
      qualitative analysis particularly highlighted the complexity of the collaboration
      between the family and the educational staff. CONCLUSION: Schooling is an
      important opportunity to seize in mental health regarding early detection and
      access to care. By fostering collaboration between educational professionals and
      mental health services, Fil Harmonie meets a public health objective of
      prevention and should contribute to the reduction of care delays thus leading to
      better treatment outcome. Our study shows that such programs are feasible and
      answer a real need in our current health care system.

PMID- 28347524
TI  - [The pain-emotion: Advocating pain as an emotion].
AB  - OBJECTIVES: Pain is a common experience, both physical and emotional. However we
      often feel powerless with our patients suffering pain. This paper aims to give a
      new heuristic and psychological understanding of pain. METHODOLOGY: According to
      new theories, recent researches as well as different points of view, we form an
      analogy between pain and emotion. Throughout historical considerations pain has
      always been perceived through theories and beliefs, changing its definition. This
      is also the case for emotion. Could they be two ways of expressing a single
      phenomenon? RESULTS: First, we must clarify the definition of emotion. In past,
      emotion was considered as a multiple-conditioned notion. To be considered as an
      emotion the pain had to fill numerous features, which differ according to the
      scientific opinions. The emotion may be considered as a physical expression or
      perceived only as the consequences of a real emotion, i.e., the subjective
      feeling. We propose as a way of thinking that emotion brings together these two
      concepts. We support a flexible vision of emotion. To investigate the field of
      the emotion different mental steps may be thought of: we should conceive of the
      emotion as a stimulus, as an emotional evaluation and as a tendency to action,
      which becomes an emotional response. These steps are colored by subjective
      feelings. It can be summarized in three levels: the situation decoding (1), the
      response organization (2) and the effectiveness of the response (3). Second pain
      can be considered as a complex notion involving personal and subjective feelings.
      We can use multidimensional patterns and consider emotion with its multiple
      features: the generating mechanisms, the pain perception, the pain behavior and
      the environment. Each stage can be divided in different ways. Hence pain
      treatment could be approached as an emotional treatment. Indeed, we can make a
      link between generating mechanisms and emotion situation decoding, between pain
      perception and emotion situation decoding and response organization, between pain
      behavior and environment and emotion response effectiveness and consequences. A
      heuristic analogy can be formed enriching therapeutic possibilities. First,
      emotion and pain could be considered as a unique phenomenon that can be expressed
      in different ways. We can let aside the opposition between psychological and
      physiological: these are two different levels of a same phenomenon. This point of
      view can be helpful to treat pain disorders because the skills to manage emotion
      disorders are well known.

PMID- 28347525
TI  - Tumor regression grade and survival after neoadjuvant treatment in gastro
      esophageal cancer: A meta-analysis of 17 published studies.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: Major pathologic regression after neoadjuvant therapy is a strong
      and favorable prognostic factor in several types of cancer (breast, rectal and
      bladder). This information is less clear and has yet to be systematically
      evaluated in upper gastrointestinal tumors. We performed a meta-analysis to
      evaluate the prognostic impact of tumor regression after preoperative therapy on
      disease-free survival (DFS) and overall survival (OS) in gastro-esophageal cancer
      patients. METHODS: we searched for relevant articles in PubMed, SCOPUS, Web of
      Science, CINAHL, LILACS, Ovid, Cochrane Library, Google Scholar and Embase up to
      June 2, 2016. Data of tumor regression (complete or near-complete pathologic
      response) that independently correlated with OS and DFS in multivariate analysis
      were extracted, and the proper hazard ratios (HRs) with corresponding 95%
      confidence intervals (95% CIs) were pooled according to the random effect model.
      RESULTS: a total of 17 studies-which included 3145 patients-were considered in
      the final analysis. Major pathologic response was significantly related with
      better OS (HR 0.46, 95% CI 0.32-0.66, P < 0.001) and DFS (HR = 0.40, 95% CI 0.26
      0.62, P < 0.001). Pathologic complete response (pCR) or major tumor regression
      were associated with the same degree of benefit in outcome compared to no or
      minimal pathologic regression, regardless of histology. CONCLUSION: major
      pathologic response is associated with a significant improvement in OS compared
      to no response or minor pathologic changes after neoadjuvant therapy in gastro
      esophageal cancers. This should be considered a robust prognostic factor to guide
      postoperative treatment and follow-up.

PMID- 28347526
TI  - The role of imaging in the preoperative assessment of children with inflammatory
      colitis.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Accurate diagnosis of Crohn's disease or ulcerative colitis is
      essential for surgical planning. This study compared the accuracy, safety, and
      utility of small bowel follow-through (SBFT) and magnetic resonance enterography
      (MRE) for detecting small bowel (SB) involvement preoperatively. METHODS: A
      retrospective review of children who underwent colectomy for inflammatory bowel
      disease (2000-2014) was performed. Preoperative SBFT and MRE were independently
      reviewed by two radiologists blinded to clinical data. Gold standard for
      diagnosis was surgical pathology. RESULTS: 68 patients (36 female) were included.
      45 patients had SBFT prior to colectomy, 17 patients had MRE, and 6 both.
      Interrater reliability for radiologic interpretation was 90% (SBFT) and 91%
      (MRE). Mean study durations were 190min (SBFT) and 59min (MRE). Median effective
      dose for SBFT was 1.5mSv, while MRE involved no ionizing radiation. Specificities
      for diagnosing SB involvement were 87.5% (SBFT) and 94% (MRE). 54 patients
      underwent subtotal colectomy and ileostomy, 12 restorative proctocolectomy, and 2
      colectomy with ileorectal anastomosis. Preoperative imaging correlated with
      surgical pathology in 83% (SBFT) and 90% (MRE). CONCLUSION: MRE is at least as
      effective as SBFT for assessing SB disease in children with colitis prior to
      colectomy. MRE requires less time and does not expose children to ionizing
      radiation. Retrospective Case Series, Level 4 Evidence.

PMID- 28347527
TI  - Thyroid neoplasms: incidental findings on extent of disease evaluation CT for
      other pediatric malignancies.
AB  - PURPOSE: We performed a retrospective analysis to evaluate the risk of thyroid
      cancer in incidental thyroid nodules (ITNs) discovered on CT in patients with a
      history of pediatric cancer. METHODS: With IRB approval we reviewed the records
      of pediatric oncology patients age <=21y with newly detected thyroid nodules on
      surveillance CT of the neck, chest, chest/abdomen/pelvis, or PET/CT performed
      between April 2008 and March 2015. Patients with <6months of follow-up after
      incidental findings, a history of primary thyroid malignancy, or incomplete
      records were excluded. RESULTS: The final cohort (N=68) included 35 females and
      33 males (mean age 16.0+/-4.3[SD] years) with a mean follow-up time of 3.7+/
      1.9[SD] years after CT detection of ITN(s). Twenty patients (29.4%) received a
      follow-up thyroid ultrasound, eleven (16.2%) of whom underwent fine needle
      aspiration (FNA) for cytopathologic diagnosis. Among these, six (8.8%) underwent
      thyroid resection, with final pathology demonstrating papillary carcinoma in five
      (7.4%) and benign pathology in one. CONCLUSIONS: Despite the low incidence of
      thyroid nodules and low risk of thyroid malignancy in the general pediatric
      population, we found a significant rate of malignancy in CT-detected ITNs in our
      pediatric oncology patients, and recommend ultrasound and FNA of these nodules in
      this high-risk population. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Level IV, retrospective study with
      no comparison group.

PMID- 28347528
TI  - Vascular invasion is a prognostic indicator in hepatoblastoma.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: The data regarding vascular invasion as a prognostic factor in
      hepatoblastoma (HB) are conflicted. The purpose of this study is to examine the
      relationship between vascular invasion and outcomes. METHODS: This is a
      retrospective review of patients <18 years old who underwent resection for
      hepatoblastoma from 1998 to 2015. Pathology reports were used to identify
      patients who had pathologic vascular invasion (VI), and those who did not (NVI).
      RESULTS: Sixty-six children were identified with a median age at diagnosis of
      21months (interquartile range: 10-33months). Pathologic vascular invasion was
      present in 42/66 (64%) patients. A significant difference (P=0.02) in 3-year
      overall survival (3YOS) was detected between NVI (95%) and VI (61%). Recurrent
      disease was present in 8/66 (12%) patients. A marginally significant difference
      (P=0.08) was found in 3-year recurrence free survival (3YRFS) between NVI (94%)
      and the VI (76%) groups. Patients with NVI had no metastatic disease, had a lower
      recurrence rate, universally responded to neoadjuvant chemotherapy, and were less
      likely to have small cell undifferentiated histology. Twenty-one children
      underwent orthotopic liver transplant (OLT), with no difference in 3YROS or
      3YRFS. CONCLUSION: Pathologic vascular invasion is associated with significantly
      worse 3YOS in HB, and lack of vascular invasion was associated with more
      favorable disease characteristics. The presence of pathologic vascular invasion
      did not confer a worse outcome in patients treated with liver transplantation in
      this cohort of patients. TYPE OF STUDY: Retrospective review. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE:
      Level III.

PMID- 28347529
TI  - Resource savings and outcomes associated with outpatient laparoscopic
      appendectomy for nonperforated appendicitis.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Postoperative admission for acute appendicitis utilizes health care
      system resources. We evaluated outcomes and hospital charges for children with
      nonperforated appendicitis who underwent outpatient laparoscopic appendectomy.
      METHODS: A retrospective chart review was performed for patients <=18years old
      who underwent laparoscopic appendectomy for acute appendicitis in 2015. Patients
      were categorized into discharge from postanesthesia care unit (PACU)
      (outpatient), admission for <24-h, and admission for >24-h. Continuous variables
      were compared using analysis of variance and categorical variables were compared
      using chi-square test, with p<0.05 considered significant. RESULTS: Of the 171
      patients identified, 63 (37%) were discharged from the PACU, 94 (55%) were
      admitted <24-h, and 14 (8%) were admitted >24-h. There were no differences in
      postoperative emergency department/clinic visits, complications, or readmissions.
      Hospital charges for admission <24-h and >24-h were $1007 and $2237 more per
      patient than the PACU-discharge group, respectively. Outpatient laparoscopic
      appendectomies became more common over time, occurring in only 20% of patients
      with acute appendicitis in the first quarter of the year versus 49% of patients
      in the last quarter. CONCLUSION: Outpatient laparoscopic appendectomy for
      nonperforated appendicitis in children is a safe practice that decreases length
      of stay and hospital charges. Adoption of an outpatient strategy allows for
      better standardization of care and can lead to savings in health care resources.
      LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: III (Treatment: retrospective comparative study).

PMID- 28347530
TI  - Upper gastrointestinal bleeding secondary to vigorous physical exercise.

PMID- 28347532
TI  - Lobectomy for Lung Cancer at Veterans Administration Medical Center Versus
      Academic Medical Center.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Hospital and surgeon volume each have an association with
      postoperative outcomes. The volume of lung cancer surgery at our Veterans
      Administration Medical Center (VAMC) is lower than at our academic medical center
      (AMC). We compared the outcomes after lobectomy at VAMC versus AMC to identify
      specific areas of clinical care requiring quality improvement. METHODS: To keep
      surgeon experience constant, data were derived from a prospective database from a
      single surgeon. Included were all male patients undergoing lobectomy for non
      small cell lung cancer. Postoperative morbidity, mortality, and overall survival
      were compared after propensity score matching. RESULTS: From 2004 to 2013, 419
      patients were evaluated (338 AMC, 81 VAMC). Outcomes comparison after propensity
      score matching of 81 AMC patients with 81 VAMC patients found a higher rate of
      major complications (12% versus 27%, p = 0.02) and longer hospital stay (median
      6.0 versus 7.5 days, p < 0.001) for VAMC, but no difference in 90-day mortality
      (AMC 5% versus VAMC 6%, p > 0.99). Pneumonia was the specific complication found
      to be higher at VAMC (11% versus AMC 1.2%, p = 0.01). There was no difference in
      5-year overall survival for stage I disease (AMC 68% versus VAMC 69%, p = 0.95).
      CONCLUSIONS: Keeping surgeon experience constant, and after adjusting for patient
      factors, the rate of major complication after lobectomy is higher at VAMC. The
      difference is largely attributable to a higher rate of postoperative pneumonia at
      VAMC. Complications after pulmonary resection at VAMC could be reduced by
      implementing quality improvement initiatives aimed at reducing the rate of
      postoperative pneumonia.

PMID- 28347531
TI  - Ultrasound Stimulation of Insulin Release from Pancreatic Beta Cells as a
      Potential Novel Treatment for Type 2 Diabetes.
AB  - Type 2 diabetes mellitus is a complex metabolic disease that has reached epidemic
      proportions in the United States and around the world. This disease is
      characterized by loss of insulin secretion and, eventually, destruction of
      insulin-producing pancreatic beta cells. Controlling type 2 diabetes is often
      difficult as pharmacological management routinely requires complex therapy with
      multiple medications, and loses its effectiveness over time. The objective of
      this study was to explore the effectiveness of a novel, non-pharmacological
      approach that uses the application of ultrasound energy to augment insulin
      release from rat INS 832/13 beta cells. The cells were exposed to unfocused
      ultrasound for 5 min at a peak intensity of 1 W/cm2 and frequencies of 400 kHz,
      600 kHz, 800 kHz and 1 MHz. Insulin release was measured with enzyme-linked
      immunosorbent assay and cell viability was assessed via the trypan blue dye
      exclusion test. A marked release (approximately 150 ng/106 cells, p < 0.05) of
      insulin was observed when beta cells were exposed to ultrasound at 400 and 600
      kHz as compared with their initial control values; however, this release was
      accompanied by a substantial loss in cell viability. Ultrasound application at
      frequencies of 800 kHz resulted in 24 ng/106 cells released insulin (p < 0.05) as
      compared with its unstimulated base level, while retaining cell viability.
      Insulin release from beta cells caused by application of 800-kHz ultrasound was
      comparable to that reported by the secretagogue glucose, thus operating within
      physiological secretory capacity of these cells. Ultrasound has potential as a
      novel and alternative method to current approaches aimed at correcting secretory
      deficiencies in patients with type 2 diabetes.

PMID- 28347533
TI  - Influence of Drugs Carried in Lipid Nanoparticles in Coronary Disease of Rabbit
      Transplanted Heart.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Coronary allograft vasculopathy is an inflammatory-proliferative
      process that compromises the long-term success of heart transplantation and
      currently has no effective prevention and treatment. Lipid nanoparticles, termed
      LDE can carry chemotherapeutic agents in the circulation and concentrates them in
      the heart. METHODS: Twenty-eight rabbits fed a cholesterol-rich diet and
      submitted to heterotopic heart transplantation were treated with cyclosporine A
      (10 mg/kg daily) and allocated to four groups of 7 animals treated with
      intravenous LDE-methotrexate (MTX; 4 mg/kg weekly), with LDE-paclitaxel (PACLI; 4
      mg/kg weekly), or with LDE-PACLI (4 mg/kg weekly) and LDE-MTX (4 mg/kg weekly). A
      control group was treated with only weekly intravenous saline solution. Animals
      were euthanized 6 weeks later for morphometric, histologic, immunohistochemical,
      and gene expression analysis of the graft and native hearts. RESULTS: Compared
      with controls, grafts of rabbits treated with LDE-PACLI showed 50% reduction of
      coronary stenosis, and in the LDE-MTX and LDE-MTX/PACLI stenosis was
      approximately 18% less than in control, but this difference was not statistically
      significant. In the three treatment groups, macrophage infiltration was
      decreased. In the LDE-MTX group, gene expression of proinflammatory factors tumor
      necrosis factor-alpha, monocyte chemoattractant protein 1, interleukin 18,
      vascular cellular adhesion molecule 1, and matrix metalloproteinase 12 was
      strongly diminished, whereas expression of antiinflammatory interleukin 10
      increased. In the LDE-PACLI and LDE-PACLI/MTX groups, proinflammatory and
      antiinflammatory gene expressions were not consistently changed by the
      treatments. CONCLUSIONS: LDE-PACLI promoted strong improvement of cardiac
      allograft vasculopathy, but the decrease in coronary stenosis by LDE-MTX and LDE
      MTX/PACLI was not significant. All three treatments decreased macrophage
      infiltration in the graft. These results may encourage future clinical trials to
      test this new therapeutic approach to coronary allograft vasculopathy.

PMID- 28347534
TI  - Interstage Weight Gain Is Associated With Survival After First-Stage Single
      Ventricle Palliation.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Low birth and operative weight have been identified as risk factors
      for death after first-stage single-ventricle palliation. We hypothesize that
      weight gain after the first-stage operation is associated with transplant-free
      interstage survival to admission for the second-stage operation. METHODS: We used
      historical data from the National Pediatric Cardiology Quality Improvement
      Collaborative database to conduct a longitudinal study to assess the association
      between weight gain and transplant-free interstage survival. The primary
      predictor was weight gain. The primary outcome was transplant-free survival. We
      constructed a repeated-measures logistic regression model using the general
      estimating equation method to examine the association between weight gain and
      transplant-free interstage survival. RESULTS: The study population included 1,501
      infants who were discharged alive from the first-stage single-ventricle
      palliation between June 2008 and January 2015. Patients who underwent a hybrid
      operation (n = 132) or were lost to follow-up (n = 11) were excluded. Transplant
      free interstage survival was 90% (1,228 of 1,358). The mean weight gain was 2.5
      (SD, 1.0) kg. Adjusted for age at the time of each measurement, the number of
      measurements, age at discharge from the first-stage operation, sex, diagnosis,
      postoperative arrhythmia, postoperative complications, and discharge antibiotic
      therapy, each 100-g increase in weight was associated with an odds ratio of
      transplant-free interstage survival of 1.03 (95% confidence limit, 1.01, 1.05).
      CONCLUSIONS: After first-stage single-ventricle palliation, interstage weight
      gain is significantly associated with transplant-free interstage survival.

PMID- 28347535
TI  - Incidence and Predictors of Aggravation of Mitral Regurgitation After Atrial
      Septal Defect Closure.
AB  - BACKGROUND: The association between atrial septal defect (ASD) and mitral
      regurgitation (MR) is well known. However, data about the predictors of changes
      in MR after ASD closure are limited. The purpose of this study was to clarify the
      chronological changes in MR after ASD closure and the predictors of aggravation
      of MR. METHODS: In this single-center cohort study, we retrospectively
      investigated 129 consecutive adult patients (mean age, 53 +/- 14 years) who
      underwent surgical ASD closure between 1987 and 2014. The MR grade was
      qualitatively classified as none, mild, moderate, or severe by echocardiography.
      Aggravation of MR was defined as an increase by two or more grades after ASD
      closure. Clinical factors and echocardiographic and catheterization data were
      evaluated. RESULTS: The mean follow-up period was 77 months. Aggravation of MR
      after ASD closure occurred in 16 patients (12%). The rate of perioperative atrial
      fibrillation was higher (odds ratio, 5.89), the anterior mitral leaflet was
      thicker (odds ratio, 1.91), and the posterior mitral leaflet length was shorter
      (odds ratio, 1.58) in patients with aggravation of MR than in the remaining 113
      patients. The mechanism of aggravated MR was poor coaptation associated with
      annular dilatation, thickened anterior mitral leaflet, and shortened posterior
      mitral leaflet. CONCLUSIONS: A thickened anterior mitral leaflet and shortened
      posterior mitral leaflet, combined with mitral annular dilation associated with
      atrial fibrillation and restored left ventricular geometry, may aggravate MR
      after ASD closure. Careful follow-up is needed for patients with atrial
      fibrillation, a thickened anterior mitral leaflet, or a shortened posterior
      mitral leaflet.

PMID- 28347536
TI  - Left Ventricular Unloading by Impella Device Versus Surgical Vent During
      Extracorporeal Life Support.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Patients supported with extracorporeal life support (ECLS) can
      experience severe complications from increased left ventricular (LV) afterload.
      The Impella (Abiomed, Danvers, MA) percutaneous ventricular assist device (PVAD)
      may offer an attractive option for unloading the LV in these patients. This study
      describes the efficacy and outcomes of PVAD use during ECLS compared with
      surgically placed LV vent. METHODS: In this retrospective study, we reviewed
      patients supported by ECLS with PVAD or surgical LV vent for cardiogenic shock
      between April 2010 and May 2016. Included were 23 patients with PVADs and 22 with
      surgical vents. Patients' baseline characteristics, hemodynamic data, and
      outcomes were collected immediately preceding combined support initiation, at 48
      hours, intensive care unit discharge, and 30 days. RESULTS: After 48 hours,
      pulmonary artery diastolic pressure was significantly reduced in the PVAD (23.3
      +/- 8.4 vs 15.6 +/- 4.2, p = 0.02) and surgical vent groups (20.1 +/- 5.9 vs 15.6
      +/- 5.4, p = 0.01), and radiographic evidence of pulmonary edema was reduced or
      unchanged in 90% of PVAD patients and in 76% of surgical vent patients. The
      primary end points of survival to 30 days (43% vs 32%, p = 0.42) and intensive
      care unit discharge (35% vs 23%, p = 0.37) were not different between the two
      methods of support. The PVAD and surgical vent groups were also not significantly
      different in the rate of vascular complications or in the number decannulated
      from ECLS and transitioned to durable LV assist device. CONCLUSIONS: PVAD use in
      ECLS patients is an effective means of LV unloading and preventing worsened
      pulmonary edema, with outcomes and complications that are comparable to surgical
      LV vent.

PMID- 28347537
TI  - Relevance Between Programmed Death Ligand 1 and Radiologic Invasiveness in
      Pathologic Stage I Lung Adenocarcinoma.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Programmed death ligand 1 (PD-L1) was reported to predict the
      response of immunotherapy; however, the association between PD-L1 expression and
      radiologic and pathologic features has yet to be elucidated. METHODS: In all, 292
      patients with resected pathologic stage I adenocarcinoma were analyzed for PD-L1
      expression by immunohistochemistry and evaluated to determine the association
      between PD-L1 expression and the radiologic/pathologic invasiveness.
      Specifically, the radiologic invasiveness and noninvasiveness were determined
      based on the consolidation/tumor ratio, with a cutoff value of 0.25 by thin
      section computed tomography. RESULTS: Among 292 patients, 47 (16.1%) were
      positive for PD-L1 expression; the remaining 245 patients (83.9%) were negative
      for PD-L1 expression. Fisher's exact test demonstrated that PD-L1 expression was
      significantly associated with a higher consolidation/tumor ratio (p = 0.029) and
      higher maximum standardized uptake value (p = 0.004). The mean values of
      consolidation/tumor ratio and maximum standardized uptake in patients with and
      without PD-L1 expression were 0.845 +/- 0.052 and 7.241 +/- 0.795, and 0.607 +/-
      0.023 and 3.60 +/- 0.364, respectively (p < 0.001 and p < 0.001, respectively).
      Among 47 adenocarcinomas harboring PD-L1 expression, the frequencies of PD-L1
      expression for consolidation/tumor ratios of 0, 0.1 to 0.25, 0.26 to 0.5, and
      0.51 or more were 6.4%, 2.1%, 4.3%, and 87.2%, respectively (p = 0.007).
      Pathologically, PD-L1 was identified exclusively only in more invasive subtypes,
      not in less invasive ones, such as atypical adenomatous hyperplasia,
      adenocarcinoma in situ, minimally invasive adenocarcinoma, and lepidic
      predominant ones (p < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: Expression of PD-L1 was significantly
      associated with radiologic/pathologic invasive adenocarcinomas. This study
      provides the first evidence of the radiologic and pathologic invasiveness in
      resected pathologic stage I adenocarcinoma with PD-L1 expression.

PMID- 28347538
TI  - Infant Motor Skills After a Cardiac Operation: The Need for Developmental
      Monitoring and Care.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Neurodevelopmental dysfunction is increasingly recognized as a common
      outcome of congenital heart defects and their treatment in infancy. The effects
      of the intensive care unit (ICU) experience and environment on these infants are
      unknown and potentially modifiable, but no validated metric is available for
      objective evaluation of early motor impairments in the ICU/hospital setting. The
      purpose of this study was to characterize the motor status of hospitalized
      infants after cardiac operations, including the development and field-testing of
      the Congenital Heart Assessment of Sensory and Motor Status (CHASMS) metric.
      METHODS: CHASMS item generation was based on review of the literature, focused
      interviews with parents, and expert consensus. A nurse administered CHASMS to 100
      infants aged younger than 10 months old undergoing cardiac operations.
      Preoperative and postoperative CHASMS scores were compared, and associations
      between CHASMS scores and patient characteristics were examined. Physical
      therapists assessed neuromotor skills by using the Test of Infant Motor
      Performance or the Alberta Infant Motor Scales for correlation with CHASMS
      scores. RESULTS: CHASMS gross motor scores declined postoperatively in 64% (25 of
      39). Lower CHASMS scores, after adjusting for age, were associated with longer
      duration of mechanical ventilation (p < 0.001) and ICU length of stay (p =
      0.001). Gross motor CHASMS scores were significantly correlated with Test of
      Infant Motor Performance (r = 0.70, p < 0.001) and Alberta Infant Motor Scales
      scores (r = 0.88, p < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: Motor impairments in infants after
      cardiac operations are common and may be exacerbated by longer intubation and
      prolonged exposure to the ICU environment. The feasibility, reliability, and
      validity of CHASMS were supported for the evaluation of motor skills in this at
      risk population.

PMID- 28347540
TI  - Study on Perioperative Administration of a Neutrophil Elastase Inhibitor for
      Interstitial Pneumonias.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Although acute exacerbation of idiopathic interstitial pneumonias
      (IIPs) is a lethal complication after pulmonary resection for lung cancer with
      IIPs, there are no established methods to prevent its occurrence. This
      prospective randomized study was conducted to evaluate whether perioperative
      administration of the neutrophil elastase inhibitor sivelestat prevents acute
      exacerbation after surgery. METHODS: The IIP patients with suspected lung cancers
      were randomly assigned to two groups before surgery: in group A (n = 65),
      sivelestat was perioperatively administered for 5 days; in group B (n = 65), no
      medications were administered. The primary endpoint was the frequency of acute
      exacerbation of IIPs. The secondary endpoints were perioperative changes in the
      lactate dehydrogenase, C-reactive protein, sialylated carbohydrate antigen,
      surfactant protein D and surfactant protein A values, and the safety of
      preoperative administration of sivelestat. Multivariate analyses were performed
      using a logistic regression model to identify the factors that predicted acute
      exacerbation. RESULTS: Acute exacerbation developed in 2 patients in group A and
      1 patient in group B (p = 0.559). Administration of sivelestat did not contribute
      to decreasing the acute exacerbation as well as short- and long-term mortality.
      The differences were not statistically significant in perioperative lactate
      dehydrogenase, C-reactive protein, sialylated carbohydrate antigen, and
      surfactant protein D and A levels. No subjective adverse events were observed. A
      preoperative partial pressure oxygen level of less than 70 mm Hg was the only
      predictive factor identified in the logistic analysis (p = 0.019, hazard ratio
      19.2). CONCLUSIONS: Perioperative administration of neutrophil elastase inhibitor
      appeared to be safe; however, it could not prevent the development of acute
      exacerbation after surgery in lung cancer patients with IIPs.

PMID- 28347539
TI  - A Novel Murine Model of Marfan Syndrome Accelerates Aortopathy and
      Cardiomyopathy.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Marfan syndrome (MFS) represents a genetic disorder with variable
      phenotypic expression. The main cardiovascular sequelae of MFS include aortic
      aneurysm/dissection and cardiomyopathy. Although significant advances in the
      understanding of transforming growth factor beta signaling have led to promising
      therapeutic targets for the treatment of aortopathy, clinical studies have
      tempered this optimism. In particular, these studies suggest additional signaling
      pathways that play a significant role in disease progression. To date, studies
      aimed at elucidating molecular mechanisms involved in MFS-induced disease
      progression have been hampered by the lack of an accelerated disease model.
      METHODS: Wild-type B6.129 mice and MFS Fbn1C1039G/+ mice underwent subcutaneous,
      cervical osmotic minipump installation with sodium chloride (wild-type mice, n =
      39; MFS mice, n = 12) or angiotensin II, 4.5 mg/kg daily (wild-type mice, n = 11;
      MFS mice; n = 35) for as long as 28 days. Hemodynamic measurements were obtained
      throughout the experiment. Aortas and hearts were analyzed by transthoracic
      echocardiography and histopathology study. RESULTS: This accelerated murine MFS
      model replicates increased mortality from MFS-related maladies (20.0%, 39.3%, and
      52.9% at 10, 14, and 28 days, respectively). Aortic diameters in accelerated MFS
      mice were significantly enlarged at 10 days after minipump implantation and
      correlated with a higher degree of elastin fragmentation. Accelerated MFS mice
      also demonstrated dilated cardiomyopathy at 14 days, even without aortic
      insufficiency, suggesting an intrinsic etiology. CONCLUSIONS: A novel in vivo
      model consisting of subcutaneously delivered angiotensin II in MFS mice
      reproducibly causes accelerated aortic aneurysm formation and cardiomyopathy.
      This model allows for better investigation of MFS sequelae by rapid experimental
      processes.

PMID- 28347541
TI  - Stroke Volume Ratio Predicts Redilatation of the Right Ventricle After Pulmonary
      Valve Replacement.
AB  - BACKGROUND: This study aimed to identify the prognostic value of the preoperative
      stroke volume ratio (right ventricular stroke volume/left ventricular stroke
      volume) for redilatation of the right ventricle after pulmonary valve replacement
      in patients with repaired tetralogy of Fallot. METHODS: From April 2004 to
      November 2013, 20 patients with repaired tetralogy of Fallot underwent pulmonary
      valve replacement for pulmonary valve regurgitation and right ventricular
      dilatation. Serial changes in ventricular volume were examined by cardiac
      magnetic resonance or computed tomography imaging. The redilatation ratio was
      calculated for right ventricular end-diastolic and end-systolic volume indices by
      dividing the increment in right ventricular volume from the first (median, 1.1
      years) to the second (median, 3.2 years) evaluations after pulmonary valve
      replacement by the first evaluation. The relationships between the stroke volume
      ratio and redilatation ratio were assessed. The degree of right ventricular
      myocardial fibrosis was examined in 13 patients and compared with the stroke
      volume ratio. RESULTS: Right ventricular volume (redilatation) significantly
      increased from a median of 1.1 to 3.2 years after pulmonary valve replacement.
      Significant positive correlations were detected between the stroke volume ratio
      and redilatation ratio of the right ventricular end-diastolic (r = 0.50. p =
      0.02) and end-systolic volume indices (r = 0.49, p = 0.03). The stroke volume
      ratio also showed a significant positive correlation with the degree of right
      ventricular myocardial fibrosis (r = 0.73, p = 0.005). CONCLUSIONS: The
      preoperative stroke volume ratio can predict redilatation of the right ventricle
      after pulmonary valve replacement and the degree of right ventricular myocardial
      fibrosis.

PMID- 28347542
TI  - Managing obesity in pregnancy - An obstetric and midwifery perspective.
AB  - Overweight and obesity during pregnancy and childbirth represent a significant
      health burden, placing women and their infants at increased risk of almost all
      documented adverse outcomes. Research efforts have focused on strategies to limit
      gestational weight gain, including dietary and lifestyle interventions, as well
      as the use of adjuvant therapies such as metformin. However, there remain many
      barriers to behavioural change for women during pregnancy, and current care
      recommendations largely reflect good clinical practice, rather than being based
      on strong evidence.

PMID- 28347543
TI  - Ondrej Krivanek: A pioneering visionary in electron microscopy.
AB  - This article is a short biographical sketch of the life and times of Ondrej
      Krivanek. The story starts with his early days in Prague, Czechia, and briefly
      outlines various events from a PhD in Cambridge to post-docs in Kyoto, Bell Labs,
      and building his first spectrometer at UC Berkeley. Ondrej's pioneering
      contributions to electron microscopy as Assistant Professor at Arizona State
      University and later as Director of R&D at Gatan are covered, as well as his
      return to academia and focusing on aberration correction. The story wraps up with
      the founding of Nion, the early success of the Nion aberration correctors, and
      subsequent progress such as building a complete cutting-edge electron microscope
      and later a record-breaking monochromator. Ondrej continues to be actively
      involved in design and in running Nion, and while this article ends at the
      present, further breakthroughs can be expected from him.

PMID- 28347544
TI  - Ocular involvement in atypical haemolytic uraemic syndrome.
AB  - CASE REPORT: The case is presented of a young man with an atypical haemolytic
      uraemic syndrome (aHUS), complicated with bilateral serous retinal detachment,
      cotton wool spots, and a branch artery occlusion. Treatment with plasmapheresis,
      haemodialysis and systemic eculizumab led to the blood and urine parameters
      returning to normal, as well as resolution of the retinal anomalies. Genetic
      analysis show both mutations in complement factor H and C3. DISCUSSION:
      Haemolytic-uraemic syndrome (HUS) is a thrombotic microangiopathy characterised
      by microangiopathic haemolytic anaemia, thrombocytopenia, and acute renal
      failure. Atypical HUS is caused by genetic mutation of complement system. Ocular
      involvement is an unusual manifestation of this rare syndrome.

PMID- 28347545
TI  - Intraocular tuberculosis.

PMID- 28347546
TI  - Burn-related peripheral neuropathy: A systematic review.
AB  - Peripheral neuropathy is the most frequent disabling neuromuscular complication
      of burns. However, the insidious and progressive onset of burn neuropathy makes
      it often undiagnosed or overlooked. In our study, we reviewed the current studies
      on the burn-related peripheral neuropathy to summarize the morbidity, mechanism,
      detecting method and management of peripheral neuropathy in burn patients. Of the
      1533 burn patients included in our study, 98 cases (6.39%) were presented with
      peripheral neuropathy. Thermal and electrical burns were the most common
      etiologies. Surgical procedures, especially nerve decompression, showed good
      effect on functional recovery of both acute and delayed peripheral neuropathy in
      burn patients. It is noteworthy that, for early detection and prevention of
      peripheral neuropathy, electrodiagnostic examinations should be performed on burn
      patients independent of symptoms. Still, the underlying mechanisms of burn
      related peripheral neuropathy remain to be clarified.

PMID- 28347547
TI  - PACE4 is an important driver of ZR-75-1 estrogen receptor-positive breast cancer
      proliferation and tumor progression.
AB  - Breast cancer is the most frequent and deadly malignancy in women worldwide.
      Despite national screening programs combined with new treatments relapse rate
      remain high and new therapies are needed. From previous work, we identified
      PACE4, a member of the proprotein convertase (PCs) family of endoproteases, as a
      novel therapeutic target in prostate cancer. In the present study we asked the
      question if PACE4 could also be a potential target in breast cancer. In clinical
      samples of breast adenocarcinoma, we observed a specific overexpression of PACE4
      in the estrogen-receptor (ER) positive subtype. We therefore looked for a breast
      cancer cell line model which would be representative and thus focused on the ZR
      75-1 since it both expresses PACE4 and is estrogen-receptor positive. We compared
      stable knockdowns of furin, PACE4 and PC7 in the estrogen-receptor-positive cell
      line ZR-75-1 to evaluate their respective contribution to cell growth and tumor
      progression. PACE4 was the only PC displaying an impact on cell growth. A PACE4
      peptide-based inhibitor (C23) was tested and shown to decrease proliferation of
      ZR-75-1 cells in cell based assays. C23 also had potent effects of tumor
      progression in vivo on xenografts of the ZR-75-1 cell line in athymic nude mice.
      Thus, PACE4-silencing and systemic administration of a PACE4 inhibitor resulted
      in hindered tumor progression with reduction in proliferative indices and
      increased cell quiescence assessed with biomarkers. Our results suggest that
      PACE4 is a promising target for estrogen-receptor-positive breast cancer.

PMID- 28347548
TI  - Rapid detection of enriched uranium in food.
AB  - We have developed a quadrupole ICP-MS method for detecting sub-picogram
      quantities of 235U in contaminated foods. Notable features included elimination
      of the requirement for possessing licensed nuclear materials so that non
      radiochemical laboratories may perform this analysis in the event of a large
      scale nuclear or radiological emergency calling for high sample surge capacity,
      elimination of several extremely hazardous reagents in sample analysis e.g. aqua
      regia and hydrofluoric acid, and the method was developed for applying a
      moderately priced, and widely used quadrupole inductively coupled plasma mass
      spectrometer (Q-ICP-MS). This method could be quickly implemented at many
      laboratories to increase emergency response capability.

PMID- 28347549
TI  - Idiopathic decreased bispectral index during anaesthesia emergence: Possible
      causes for the phenomenon of paradoxical arousal.
AB  - In a small percentage of patients, sound, touch and even nociceptive stimulation
      in the presence of a light anaesthetic depth does not cause an
      electroencephalogram wave pattern of cortical activation (alpha, beta waves) as
      would be expected, but leads to a slowed electroencephalogram pattern instead. We
      report the case of a patient who on emerging from anaesthesia showed very slowed
      brain activity on the electroencephalogram and reduced algorithmic value, that
      lasted approximately 5min coinciding with sound and tactile stimulation. After
      keeping her under observation for 24h during the postoperative period she did not
      present any brain disorder that could justify that event.

PMID- 28347550
TI  - Unexpected obstetric haemorrhage. Krukenberg tumour.
AB  - Obstetric haemorrhage can endanger the lives of mother and foetus. It often
      occurs unexpectedly without clear predictors. A high degree of suspicion helps to
      avoid delaying resuscitation measures. We present the case of a ruptured ovarian
      metastasis that occurred during labour. It caused a massive bleed forcing a
      caesarean section due to non-reassuring foetal status. This was an unprecedented
      and undescribed onset of Krukenberg tumour formation. Malignant tumours in
      pregnancy are rare and difficult to diagnose due to their clinical manifestations
      which often overlap with those of pregnancy itself (dyspepsia, nausea and
      bloating). Despite the available therapeutic measures, a delay in diagnosis is a
      determining factor for long-term prognosis. We review the causes of obstetric
      bleeding, and underline how rare Krukenberg tumours concomitant to pregnancy are.

PMID- 28347551
TI  - Multimodal analgesia and regional anaesthesia.
AB  - Multimodal analgesia provides quality analgesia, with fewer side effects due to
      the use of combined analgesics or analgesic techniques. Regional anaesthesia
      plays a fundamental role in achieving this goal. The different techniques of
      regional anaesthesia that include both peripheral and central blocks in either a
      single dose or in continuous infusion help to modulate the nociceptive stimuli
      that access the central level. The emergence of the ultrasound as an effective
      system to perform regional anaesthesia techniques has allowed the development of
      new regional anaesthesia techniques that formerly could not be carried out since
      only neurostimulation or skin references were used. It is essential to take into
      account that even with effective blocking it is advisable to associate other
      drugs by other routes, in this way we will be able to reduce the required doses
      individually and attempt to achieve a synergistic, not purely additive, effect.

PMID- 28347552
TI  - Learning outcomes evaluation of a simulation-based introductory course to
      anaesthesia.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: An increased number of errors and reduced patient safety have been
      reported during the incorporation of residents, as this period involves learning
      new skills. The objectives were to evaluate the learning outcomes of an immersive
      simulation boot-camp for incoming residents before starting the clinical
      rotations. Airway assessment, airway control with direct laryngoscopy, and
      epidural catheterization competencies were evaluated. MATERIAL AND METHOD: Twelve
      first-year anaesthesiology residents participated. A prospective study to
      evaluate transfer of endotracheal intubation skills learned at the simulation
      centre to clinical practice (primary outcome) was conducted. A checklist of 28
      skills and behaviours was used to assess the first supervised intubation
      performed during anaesthesia induction in ASA I/II patients. Secondary outcome
      was self-efficacy to perform epidural catheterization. A satisfaction survey was
      also performed. RESULTS: Seventy-five percent of residents completed more than 21
      out of 28 skills and behaviours to assess and control the airway during their
      first intubation in patients. Twelve items were performed by all residents and 5
      by half of them. More than 83% of participants reported a high level of self
      efficacy in placing an epidural catheter. All participants would recommend the
      course to their colleagues. CONCLUSIONS: A focused intensive simulation-based
      boot-camp addressing key competencies required to begin anaesthesia residency was
      well received, and led to transfer of airway management skills learned to
      clinical settings when performing for first time on patients, and to increased
      self-reported efficacy in performing epidural catheterization.

PMID- 28347553
TI  - Patent haemostasis prevents radial artery occlusion in patients with an acute
      coronary syndrome.
AB  - BACKGROUND: A haemostatic technique that maintains radial artery flow ("patent
      haemostasis") following transradial catheterization reduces rates of radial
      artery occlusion (RAO) in patients with stable coronary disease. It is unclear
      whether this benefit extends to patients with an acute coronary syndrome (ACS).
      METHODS: Patients undergoing inpatient transradial catheterization for an ACS
      were prospectively enrolled in a consecutive cohort study (n=300). Radial
      haemostasis was obtained using standard radial compression (cohort 1; n=150) or
      patent haemostasis (cohort 2; n=150). An end-of-case activated clotting time
      (ACT) was recorded and radial artery patency assessed within 24 hours of sheath
      removal by reverse Barbeau's test. RESULTS: The incidence of RAO was 16.0%
      following standard radial compression and 5.3% following patent haemostasis
      (p=0.003). Univariate predictors of RAO were patent haemostasis (OR 0.30; [0.13
      0.68], p=0.004), hyperlipidaemia (OR 0.46; [0.21-0.98], p=0.04), history of
      current smoking (OR 2.86; [1.3-6.0], p=0.015) and longer procedure times (OR
      1.03/additional minute; [1.01-1.05], p=0.003). There was no association between
      the end-of-case ACT and RAO (OR 1.00; [0.9-1.01] p=1.00). After adjusting for
      covariates, patent haemostasis reduced the risk of RAO by 70% compared to
      standard compression (OR 0.30; [0.12-0.77], p=0.12). The c-statistic for model
      discrimination was 0.79 (95% CI [0.71-0.86], p<0.001). Inverse probability
      treatment weighted analysis also confirmed patent haemostasis as an independent
      predictor of reduced RAO (OR 0.38 [0.15-0.95], p=0.039). CONCLUSION: Patent
      haemostasis is highly effective in preventing early RAO in patients with ACS.

PMID- 28347554
TI  - Long-Term Mortality of Emergency Medical Services Patients.
AB  - STUDY OBJECTIVE: Emergency medical services (EMS) provides out-of-hospital care
      to patients with life-threatening conditions, but the long-term outcomes of EMS
      patients are unknown. We seek to determine the long-term mortality of EMS
      patients in Denmark. METHODS: We analyzed linked EMS, hospital, and vital status
      data from 3 of 5 geographic regions in Denmark. We included events from July 1,
      2011, to December 31, 2012. We classified EMS events according to primary
      dispatch category (unconsciousness/cardiac arrest, accidents/trauma, chest pain,
      dyspnea, neurologic symptoms, and other EMS patients). The primary outcome was 1
      year mortality adjusted for age, sex, and Charlson comorbidity index. RESULTS:
      Among 142,125 EMS events, primary dispatch categories were unconsciousness or
      cardiac arrest 5,563 (3.9%), accidents or trauma 40,784 (28.7%), chest pain
      20,945 (14.7%), dyspnea 9,607 (6.8%), neurologic symptoms 17,804 (12.5%), and
      other EMS patients 47,422 (33.4%). One-year mortality rates were unconscious or
      cardiac arrest 54.7% (95% confidence interval [CI] 53.4% to 56.1%), accidents or
      trauma 7.8 (95% CI 7.5% to 8.1%), chest pain 8.5% (95% CI 8.1% to 9.0%), dyspnea
      27.7% (95% CI 26.7% to 28.7%), neurologic symptoms 14.1% (95% CI 13.6% to 14.7%),
      and other EMS patients 11.1% (95% CI 10.8% to 11.4%). Compared with other EMS
      conditions, adjusted 1-year mortality was higher in unconsciousness or cardiac
      arrest (risk ratio [RR] 2.6; 95% CI 2.5 to 2.7), dyspnea (RR 1.5; 95% CI 1.4 to
      1.5), and in neurologic symptoms (RR 1.1; 95% CI 1.0 to 1.1), but lower in chest
      pain (RR 0.6; 95% CI 0.6 to 0.7) and accidents or trauma (RR 0.8; 95% CI 0.8 to
      0.8). CONCLUSION: EMS patients with unconsciousness or cardiac arrest, dyspnea,
      and neurologic symptoms are at highest risk of long-term mortality. Our results
      suggest a potential for outcome improvement in these patients.

PMID- 28347555
TI  - Update: D-dimer Test for Excluding the Diagnosis of Pulmonary Embolism.

PMID- 28347556
TI  - Paramedic Intubation Experience Is Associated With Successful Tube Placement but
      Not Cardiac Arrest Survival.
AB  - STUDY OBJECTIVE: Paramedic experience with intubation may be an important factor
      in skill performance and patient outcomes. Our objective is to examine the
      association between previous intubation experience and successful intubation. In
      a subcohort of out-of-hospital cardiac arrest cases, we also measure the
      association between patient survival and previous paramedic intubation
      experience. METHODS: We analyzed data from Ambulance Victoria electronic patient
      care records and the Victorian Ambulance Cardiac Arrest Registry for January 1,
      2008, to September 26, 2014. For each patient case, we defined intubation
      experience as the number of intubations attempted by each paramedic in the
      previous 3 years. Using logistic regression, we estimated the association between
      intubation experience and (1) successful intubation and (2) first-pass success.
      In the out-of-hospital cardiac arrest cohort, we determined the association
      between previous intubation experience and patient survival. RESULTS: During the
      6.7-year study period, 769 paramedics attempted intubation in 14,857 patients.
      Paramedics typically performed 3 intubations per year (interquartile range 1 to
      6). Most intubations were successful (95%), including 80% on the first attempt.
      Previous intubation experience was associated with intubation success (odds ratio
      1.04; 95% confidence interval 1.03 to 1.05) and intubation first-pass success
      (odds ratio 1.02; 95% confidence interval 1.01 to 1.03). In the out-of-hospital
      cardiac arrest subcohort (n=9,751), paramedic intubation experience was not
      associated with patient survival. CONCLUSION: Paramedics in this Australian
      cohort performed few intubations. Previous experience was associated with
      successful intubation. Among out-of-hospital cardiac arrest patients for whom
      intubation was attempted, previous paramedic intubation experience was not
      associated with patient survival.

PMID- 28347557
TI  - HIV Prevention and Treatment: The Evolving Role of the Emergency Department.
AB  - Historically, the role of the emergency physician in HIV care has been
      constrained to treating sick patients with opportunistic infections and
      postexposure prophylaxis for occupational exposures. However, advances in HIV
      care have led to medications that have substantially fewer issues with toxicity
      and resistance, opening up an exciting new opportunity for emergency physicians
      to participate in treating the HIV virus itself. With this new role, it is
      crucial that emergency physicians be familiar with the advances in testing and
      medications for HIV prevention and treatment. To our knowledge, to date there has
      not yet been an article addressing this expansion of practice. We have compiled a
      summary of what the emergency physician needs to know, including misconceptions
      associated with antiretroviral therapy, medication complexity, toxicity,
      resistance, and usability. Additionally, we review potential indications for
      prescribing these drugs in the emergency department, including the role of the
      emergency physician in postexposure prophylaxis, preexposure prophylaxis, and
      treatment of acute HIV, as well as how emergency physicians can engage with
      chronic HIV infection.

PMID- 28347558
TI  - Nursing home-acquired pneumonia, dysphagia and associated diseases in nursing
      home residents: A retrospective, cross-sectional study.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Nursing home-acquired pneumonia (NHAP) is a common infection among
      nursing home residents. There is also a high prevalence of dysphagia in nursing
      home residents and they suffer more often from comorbidity and multimorbidity.
      This puts nursing home residents at higher risk of (mortality from) NHAP.
      Therefore it is important to gain more insight into the incidence of NHAP and the
      associated medical conditions in nursing home residents with dysphagia.
      OBJECTIVE: To investigate possible associations between NHAP and dysphagia in
      nursing home residents and to search for a medical risk profile for NHAP. DESIGN:
      A retrospective cross-sectional study. SETTING: Three nursing homes in The
      Netherlands. PARTICIPANTS: 416 electronic medical files of nursing home residents
      aged 65 or older living in 3 nursing homes. METHODS: Data about age, gender,
      diagnosis of dysphagia and/or pneumonia, medical diagnosis and possible cause of
      death of the nursing home residents were extracted from electronic medical files.
      RESULTS: The data of 373 electronic medical files were analyzed. A significant
      difference in the prevalence of dysphagia was found between the nursing homes (p
      < 0.001). The incidence of NHAP was 5-12% in the participating nursing homes.
      Statistically significant higher incidence of NHAP was found in residents with
      dysphagia (p = 0.046). Residents with dysphagia had statistically significantly
      more diseases compared to residents without dysphagia (p = 0.001). Logistic
      regression analyses revealed no statistically significant associations between
      NHAP and the number of diseases and the ICD-10 diseases. CONCLUSIONS: Dysphagia
      was found to be a risk factor for NHAP. Awareness of the signs of dysphagia by
      nurses and other care providers is important for early recognition and management
      of dysphagia and prevention of NHAP.

PMID- 28347559
TI  - Characteristics of the Chinese rural elderly living in nursing homes who have
      suicidal ideation: A multiple regression model.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Chinese rural elderly are at higher risk of committing suicide.
      However, little is known about the suicidal ideation (SI) of institutional
      elderly residents in rural China. METHODS: 250 participants aged 60 or above
      living in Chinese rural nursing homes were recruited. Data were collected on
      subjects' SI, social-demographic characters, physical illness and psychological
      factors. Univariate comparisons and path analysis were conducted then. RESULTS:
      19.5% (40/205) of the participants reported a current SI. Hopelessness and
      depression had significant direct impacts on SI, and self-esteem and loneliness
      can impact SI through the mediating of depression and hopelessness. Visiting
      frequency of children, number of physical illnesses and social activities can
      also affect SI through the mediating of loneliness or self-esteem. CONCLUSION: As
      the first study on path analysis of SI of rural institutional elderly, the
      findings are significant. All these factors in our model should be considered
      when interventions are being conducted.

PMID- 28347560
TI  - [Can dermoscopy be used in place of capillaroscopy?]

PMID- 28347561
TI  - [The value of reflectance confocal microscopy in detection of Demodex mites].

PMID- 28347562
TI  - Automatic segmentation of liver tumors from multiphase contrast-enhanced CT
      images based on FCNs.
AB  - This paper presents a novel, fully automatic approach based on a fully
      convolutional network (FCN) for segmenting liver tumors from CT images.
      Specifically, we designed a multi-channel fully convolutional network (MC-FCN) to
      segment liver tumors from multiphase contrast-enhanced CT images. Because each
      phase of contrast-enhanced data provides distinct information on pathological
      features, we trained one network for each phase of the CT images and fused their
      high-layer features together. The proposed approach was validated on CT images
      taken from two databases: 3Dircadb and JDRD. In the case of 3Dircadb, using the
      FCN, the mean ratios of the volumetric overlap error (VOE), relative volume
      difference (RVD), average symmetric surface distance (ASD), root mean square
      symmetric surface distance (RMSD) and maximum symmetric surface distance (MSSD)
      were 15.6+/-4.3%, 5.8+/-3.5%, 2.0+/-0.9%, 2.9+/-1.5mm, 7.1+/-6.2mm, respectively.
      For JDRD, using the MC-FCN, the mean ratios of VOE, RVD, ASD, RMSD, and MSSD were
      8.1+/-4.5%, 1.7+/-1.0%, 1.5+/-0.7%, 2.0+/-1.2mm, 5.2+/-6.4mm, respectively. The
      test results demonstrate that the MC-FCN model provides greater accuracy and
      robustness than previous methods.

PMID- 28347563
TI  - Structural and elemental characterization of traditional Indian Siddha
      formulation: Thalagak karuppu.
AB  - BACKGROUND: The traditional Indian medicine 'Siddha' uses metals, metalloids and
      minerals including toxic ones with no proven toxicity. Thalagak karuppu (TK) is
      remarkably stable over a century and used for treating Suram (Fever), Kaasam
      (Cough), Elai (Tuberculosis) and Eraippu Erumal (Bronchial Asthma). OBJECTIVE:
      The present study addresses elemental and morphological characterization of
      therapeutic Siddha formulation: Thalagak karuppu (TK). MATERIALS AND METHODS: TK
      was purchased from the Indian Medical Practitioners Co-operative Pharmacy and
      Stores (IMCOPS) Ltd, Chennai, Tamilnadu, India. The physicochemical properties
      were evaluated using UV-visible spectrophotometer, Fourier Transform Infrared
      Spectrometer (FTIR), Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM) with Energy Dispersive X
      ray analysis (EDX), Zeta sizer and X-ray diffractometer (XRD). RESULTS: The mixed
      nature of arsenic was analyzed using UV-visible spectroscopy. The fingerprint
      region for arsenic derivatives was inferred from IR spectroscopy and X-ray
      diffraction patterns. The shape and size heterogeneity in the anisotropic mixture
      was observed in SEM images and the polydispersity was analyzed by Zeta sizer.
      CONCLUSIONS: The structural, elemental and morphological analyses suggests that
      the arsenic may predominantly exist either as orpiment (As2S2) or realgar (As2S4)
      form. The possibility is less for the toxic arsenolite. Hence, the formulation
      may be considered safe.

PMID- 28347564
TI  - The gut microbiota metabolism of pomegranate or walnut ellagitannins yields two
      urolithin-metabotypes that correlate with cardiometabolic risk biomarkers:
      Comparison between normoweight, overweight-obesity and metabolic syndrome.
AB  - BACKGROUND & AIMS: Urolithins are microbial metabolites produced after
      consumption of ellagitannin-containing foods such as pomegranates and walnuts.
      Parallel to isoflavone-metabolizing phenotypes, ellagitannin-metabolizing
      phenotypes (urolithin metabotypes A, B and 0; UM-A, UM-B and UM-0, respectively)
      can vary among individuals depending on their body mass index (BMI), but
      correlations between urolithin metabotypes (UMs) and cardiometabolic risk (CMR)
      factors are unexplored. We investigated the association between UMs and CMR
      factors in individuals with different BMI and health status. METHODS: UM was
      identified using UPLC-ESI-qToF-MS in individuals consuming pomegranate or nuts.
      The associations between basal CMR factors and the urine urolithin metabolomic
      signature were explored in 20 healthy normoweight individuals consuming walnuts
      (30 g/d), 49 healthy overweight-obese individuals ingesting pomegranate extract
      (450 mg/d) and 25 metabolic syndrome (MetS) patients consuming nuts (15 g
      walnuts, 7.5 g-hazelnuts and 7.5 g-almonds/d). RESULTS: Correlations between CMR
      factors and urolithins were found in overweight-obese individuals. Urolithin-A
      (mostly present in UM-A) was positively correlated with apolipoprotein A-I (P <=
      0.05) and intermediate-HDL-cholesterol (P <= 0.05) while urolithin-B and
      isourolithin-A (characteristic from UM-B) were positively correlated with total
      cholesterol, LDL-cholesterol (P <= 0.001), apolipoprotein B (P <= 0.01), VLDL
      cholesterol, IDL-cholesterol, oxidized-LDL and apolipoprotein B:apolipoprotein A
      I ratio (P <= 0.05). In MetS patients, urolithin-A only correlated inversely with
      glucose (P <= 0.05). Statin-treated MetS patients with UM-A showed a lipid
      profile similar to that of healthy normoweight individuals while a poor response
      to lipid-lowering therapy was observed in MB patients. CONCLUSIONS: UMs are
      potential CMR biomarkers. Overweight-obese individuals with UM-B are at increased
      risk of cardiometabolic disease, whereas urolithin-A production could protect
      against CMR factors. Further research is warranted to explore these associations
      in larger cohorts and whether the effect of lipid-lowering drugs or ellagitannin
      consumption on CMR biomarkers depends on individuals' UM. CLINICAL TRIAL REGISTRY
      NUMBERS AND WEBSITES: NCT01916239
      (https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT01916239) and ISRCTN36468613
      (http://www.isrctn.com/ISRCTN36468613).

PMID- 28347565
TI  - Reply-Letter to the Editor-The lipid accumulation product is a powerful tool to
      predict metabolic syndrome in undiagnosed Brazilian adults.

PMID- 28347566
TI  - Hypercoagulable states: A role in ventricular assist device outcomes?

PMID- 28347567
TI  - Art and historical personages with probable Graves disease.

PMID- 28347568
TI  - How Can We Better Detect Unauthorized GMOs in Food and Feed Chains?
AB  - Current GMO detection systems have limited abilities to detect unauthorized
      genetically modified organisms (GMOs). Here, we propose a new workflow, based on
      next-generation sequencing (NGS) technology, to overcome this problem. In
      providing information about DNA sequences, this high-throughput workflow can
      distinguish authorized and unauthorized GMOs by strengthening the tools commonly
      used by enforcement laboratories with the help of NGS technology. In addition,
      thanks to its massive sequencing capacity, this workflow could be used to monitor
      GMOs present in the food and feed chain. In view of its potential implementation
      by enforcement laboratories, we discuss this innovative approach, its current
      limitations, and its sustainability of use over time.

PMID- 28347569
TI  - Predictors of 9-month hospitalization in patients with first-episode affective
      and non-affective psychosis. Results from the GET UP pragmatic cluster randomized
      controlled trial.

PMID- 28347570
TI  - Nonpharmacologic Strategies to Modulate Nuclear Factor Erythroid 2-related Factor
      2 Pathway in Chronic Kidney Disease.
AB  - Nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 (Nrf2) is a transcription factor with
      a high sensitivity to oxidative stress, which regulates the expression of
      detoxifying enzymes, besides that, can also control antioxidant and anti
      inflammatory cellular responses. Therefore, the modulation of this transcription
      factor can be a new therapeutic approach to reduce complications in chronic
      kidney disease (CKD) patients, like oxidative stress and inflammation, which
      leads to increased risk of developing cardiovascular disease, the major cause of
      death in these patients. Recent studies have shown that nutritional components
      and physical exercises can regulate the activation of Nrf2; however, very few
      studies were performed in CKD patients. This review provides an overview about
      some of the nonpharmacologic strategies that may promote the activation of Nrf2,
      which may have impact on the human health, particularly in CKD, by preventing
      oxidative stress and maintaining cellular redox homeostasis.

PMID- 28347571
TI  - Determination of therapeutic strategy for adhesive small bowel obstruction using
      water-soluble contrast agents: An audit of 776 cases in a single center.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Several studies have investigated the diagnostic and therapeutic role
      of water-soluble contrast agents in adhesive small bowel obstruction, but there
      is no clear diagnostic classification for the determination of therapeutic
      strategy. The aim of this study was to clarify the clinical value of
      classification using water-soluble contrast agents in patients with adhesive
      small bowel obstruction. METHODS: Between January 2009 and December 2015, 776
      consecutive patients with adhesive small bowel obstruction were managed initially
      with water-soluble contrast agents and were included in the study. Abdominal x
      rays were taken 5 hours after administration of 100 mL water-soluble contrast
      agents and classified into 4 types. The medical records of the patients with
      adhesive small bowel obstruction were analyzed retrospectively and divided into 2
      groups of patients with complete obstruction (ie, the absence of contrast agent
      in the colon) with (type I) or without (type II) a detectable point of
      obstruction and a group with an incomplete obstruction (ie, the presence of
      contrast agent in the colon) with (type IIIA) or without (type IIIB) dilated
      small intestine. RESULTS: Types I, II, IIIA, and IIIB were identified in 27, 90,
      358, and 301 patients, respectively. The overall operative rate was 16.6%. In the
      patients treated conservatively (types IIIA and IIIB), 647 patients (98.2%) were
      treated successfully without operative intervention. The operative rate was 3.4%
      (n = 12/358) in type IIIA vs 0% (n = 0/301) in the type IIIB group (P = .001).
      Compared with type IIIA, type IIIB was associated with earlier initiation of oral
      intake (2.1 vs 2.6 days, P < .001) and a lesser hospital stays (9 vs 11 days, P <
      .001). CONCLUSION: This new classification using water-soluble contrast agents is
      a simple and useful diagnostic method for the determination of therapeutic
      strategy for adhesive small bowel obstruction.

PMID- 28347572
TI  - The effect of nefopam on lactation after caesarean section: a single-blind
      randomised trial.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Nefopam is a centrally acting analgesic which has a theoretical risk
      of stopping lactation due to its anticholinergic and dopaminergic effects. The
      aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of nefopam on lactation and to
      investigate potential adverse effects on newborns. METHODS: Seventy-two women,
      scheduled to undergo a caesarean delivery under spinal anaesthesia and wanting to
      breastfeed, were randomised to one of two groups: nefopam (20mg, six hourly) or
      paracetamol (1g, six hourly). In both groups, postoperative analgesia was
      supplemented with ketoprofen (50mg, six hourly) in conjunction with intrathecal
      morphine 0.1mg. The primary outcome was onset of lactation, estimated by weighing
      the newborns before and after feeding; by maternal perception of breast fullness
      and based on serum prolactin concentration 48hours postpartum. Secondary outcomes
      were neonatal adverse effects evaluated by neurobehavioural score at 12, 24, 48,
      and 72hours after birth. Statistical analyses were performed using Chi-squared,
      Fisher exact and Student t tests as appropriate. P<0.05 was considered
      statistically significant. RESULTS: The difference in the weight of the newborn
      before and after each feed, maternal perception of breast fullness and serum
      prolactin did not significantly differ between groups. The volume of artificial
      milk given to newborns of mothers in the nefopam group on days two and three was
      significantly greater than for the paracetamol group. Neurobehavioural scores
      were comparable at each time point. CONCLUSION: Nefopam does not appear to delay
      the onset of lactation or present any clear risk to the newborn.

PMID- 28347573
TI  - Recurrent respiratory papillomatosis in a parturient presenting for cesarean
      delivery.

PMID- 28347574
TI  - What's trending now? An analysis of trends in internet searches for labor
      epidurals.
AB  - BACKGROUND: The study aim was to investigate internet use for obtaining
      information about epidurals for labor and delivery. METHODS: Google Trends for US
      data was queried from 2004 to 2015 to find the most common searches and determine
      temporal trends. The Google Trends query used the term [epidural] and evaluated
      changes in search trends over time. Search comparisons were made for each year
      from 2004 to 2015, and three equal time epochs during the study period (2004-07,
      2008-11, 2012-15) were compared. We also compared searches for epidurals with
      commonly searched birth-related terms. RESULTS: Internet searches are increasing;
      there were 726000 searches for [epidural] in 2015. Search terms with the most
      significant growth in the past 4years (2012-15) were "birth with epidural," "pain
      after epidural," "labor without epidural," "epidural birth video," and "epidural
      vs natural". Searches for epidural side effects, risks, and pain on insertion
      were among the most common and were increasing most rapidly. Searches related to
      epidurals were more common than searches related to "natural births", "home
      births", and "labor pain", but were less common than searches for "midwives" or
      "doulas". CONCLUSION: The findings provide an insight into internet use by those
      seeking information about labor analgesic options. Identifying the most common
      and rapidly increasing online search queries may guide physician-parturient
      interactions and online content creation, to address labor analgesic topics that
      most interest users.

PMID- 28347575
TI  - Validation of a basic neurosonology laboratory for detecting cervical carotid
      artery stenosis.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: Most of the cases of ischaemic stroke in our setting are of
      atherothrombotic origin. Detecting intracranial and cervical carotid artery
      stenosis in patients with ischaemic stroke is therefore essential.
      Ultrasonography has become the tool of choice for diagnosing carotid artery
      stenosis because it is both readily accessibility and reliable. However, use of
      this technique must be validated in each laboratory. The purpose of this study is
      to validate Doppler ultrasound in our laboratory as a means of detecting severe
      carotid artery stenosis. PATIENTS AND METHODS: We conducted an observational
      descriptive study to evaluate diagnostic tests. The results from transcranial and
      cervical carotid Doppler ultrasound scans conducted by neurologists were compared
      to those from carotid duplex scans performed by radiologists in patients
      diagnosed with stroke. Arteriography was considered the gold standard (MR
      angiography, CT angiography, or conventional arteriography). RESULTS: Our sample
      included 228 patients. Transcranial and cervical carotid Doppler ultrasound
      showed a sensitivity of 95% and specificity of 100% for detection of carotid
      artery stenosis > 70%, whereas carotid duplex displayed a sensitivity of 87% and
      a specificity of 94%. Transcranial carotid Doppler ultrasound achieved a
      sensitivity of 78% and a specificity of 98% for detection of intracranial
      stenosis. CONCLUSIONS: Doppler ultrasound in our neurosonology laboratory was
      found to be a useful diagnostic tool for detecting cervical carotid artery
      stenosis and demonstrated superiority to carotid duplex despite the lack of B
      mode. Furthermore, this technique was found to be useful for detecting
      intracranial stenosis.

PMID- 28347576
TI  - Familial classic trigeminal neuralgia.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: The classic form of trigeminal neuralgia is usually sporadic (no
      familial clustering). However, around 2% of all cases of trigeminal neuralgia may
      be familial. Describing this entity may be useful for diagnosing this process and
      may also be key to determining the underlying causes of sporadic classical
      trigeminal neuralgia. We report on cases in a series of 5 families with at least
      2 members with classic trigeminal neuralgia, amounting to a total of 11 cases.
      MATERIAL AND METHODS: We recorded cases of familial classical trigeminal
      neuralgia between March 2014 and March 2015 by systematically interviewing all
      patients with a diagnosis of trigeminal neuralgia who visited the neurology
      department on an outpatient basis. RESULTS: In our sample, most patients with
      familial classic trigeminal neuralgia were women. Mean age at onset was 62.9+/
      13.93 years, decreasing in subsequent generations. V2 was the most frequently
      affected branch. Most of our patients responded well to medical treatment, and
      surgery was not effective in all cases. CONCLUSIONS: These family clusters
      support the hypothesis that classic trigeminal neuralgia may have a genetic
      origin. Several causes have been suggested, including inherited anatomical
      changes affecting the base of the skull which would promote compression of the
      trigeminal nerve by vascular structures, familial AHT (resulting in tortuous
      vessels that would compress the trigeminal nerve), and mutations in the gene
      coding for calcium channels leading to hyperexcitability. Classic trigeminal
      neuralgia may be an autosomal dominant disorder displaying genetic anticipation.

PMID- 28347577
TI  - Utility of ultrasound-guided injection of botulinum toxin type A for muscle
      imbalance in children with obstetric brachial plexus palsy: Description of the
      procedure and action protocol.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: Obstetric brachial plexus palsy (OBPP) usually has a favourable
      prognosis. However, nearly one third of all severe cases have permanent sequelae
      causing a high level of disability. In this study, we explore the effectiveness
      of ultrasound-guided injection of botulinum toxin A (BoNT-A) and describe the
      procedure. PATIENTS AND METHODS: We designed a prospective, descriptive study
      including patients with moderate to severe OBPP who were treated between January
      2010 and December 2014. We gathered demographic data, type of OBPP, and
      progression. Treatment effectiveness was assessed with the Active Movement Scale
      (AMS), the Mallet classification, and video recordings. RESULTS: We gathered a
      total of 14 133 newborns, 15 of whom had OBPP (1.6 per 1000 live births). Forty
      percent of the cases had severe OBPP (0.4/1000), a dystocic delivery, and APGAR
      scores < 5; mean weight was 4038g. Mean age at treatment onset was 11.5 months.
      The muscles most frequently receiving BoNT-A injections were the pronator teres,
      subscapularis, teres major, latissimus dorsi, and pectoralis major. All the
      patients who completed the follow-up period (83%) experienced progressive
      improvements: up to 3 points on the AMS and a mean score of 19.5 points out of 25
      on the Mallet classification at 2 years. Treatment improved muscle function and
      abnormal posture in all cases. Surgery was avoided in 3 patients and delayed in
      one. Adverse events were mild and self-limited. CONCLUSIONS: Due to its safety
      and effectiveness, BoNT-A may be used off-label as an adjuvant to physical
      therapy and/or surgery in moderate to severe OBPP. Ultrasound may increase
      effectiveness and reduce adverse effects.

PMID- 28347578
TI  - Editorial overview: Food biotechnology.

PMID- 28347579
TI  - Treatment Patterns and Differences in Survival of Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer
      Patients Between Academic and Non-Academic Hospitals in the Netherlands.
AB  - BACKGROUND: The aims of this study are to analyze differences in survival between
      academic and non-academic hospitals and to provide insight into treatment
      patterns for non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Results show the state of NSCLC
      survival and care in the Netherlands. METHODS: The Netherlands Cancer Registry
      provided data on NSCLC survival for all Dutch hospitals. We used the Kaplan-Meier
      estimate to calculate median survival time by hospital type and a Cox
      proportional hazards model to estimate the relative risk of mortality (expressed
      as hazard ratios) for patients diagnosed in academic versus non-academic
      hospitals, with adjustment for age, gender, and tumor histology, and stratifying
      for disease stage. Data on treatment patterns in Dutch hospitals was obtained
      from 4 hospitals (2 academic, 2 non-academic). A random sample of patients
      diagnosed with NSCLC from January 2009 until January 2011 was identified through
      hospital databases. Data was obtained on patient characteristics, tumor
      characteristics, and treatments. RESULTS: The Cox proportional hazards model
      shows a significantly decreased hazard ratio of mortality for patients diagnosed
      in academic hospitals, as opposed to patients diagnosed in non-academic
      hospitals. This is specifically true for primary radiotherapy patients and
      patients who receive systemic treatment for non-metastasized NSCLC. CONCLUSION:
      Patients diagnosed in academic hospitals have better median overall survival than
      patients diagnosed in non-academic hospitals, especially for patients treated
      with radiotherapy, systemic treatment, or combinations. This difference may be
      caused by residual confounding since the estimates were not adjusted for
      performance status. A wide variety of surgical, radiotherapeutic, and systemic
      treatments is prescribed.

PMID- 28347580
TI  - Aorto-Right Atrial Fistula After Sutureless Valve Implantation.
AB  - Aortic valve replacement with sutureless valves has many potential applications
      including in redo surgery, minimally invasive scenarios, and heavily calcified
      aortic roots. Herein we report a case of the development of an aorto-right atrial
      fistula after replacement of a Medtronic Freestyle stentless subcoronary
      bioprosthesis (Medtronic Inc, Minneapolis, MN) with a Perceval sutureless valve
      (LivaNova PLC, London, UK). This eventually necessitated repair with repeat
      surgery and aortic valve replacement with a stented valve. For patients with
      failing stentless bioprostheses returning for reintervention, we suggest removal
      of only Freestyle leaflet tissue without supra-annular debridement to avoid
      weakening of the native root tissue.

PMID- 28347581
TI  - Validity of Commercial Activity Trackers in Children With Congenital Heart
      Disease.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Increasing physical activity levels is a high priority to optimize
      long-term health in children with congenital heart disease (CHD). Commercial
      activity trackers have been validated in adults and are increasingly used to
      measure and promote physical activity in pediatric populations, but they have not
      been validated in children. METHODS: In 30 children with CHD aged 10-18 years, we
      assessed the validity of physical activity form the wrist-based Fitbit Charge HR
      (Fitbit, San Francisco, CA) against hip-based ActiGraph (ActiGraph LLC,
      Pensacola, FL) accelerometers under free living conditions for 7 days. We
      assessed the association between devices using intraclass correlation
      coefficients (ICCs) and Bland-Altman plots. Receiver operating curves were used
      to identify Fitbit step cut points. RESULTS: There was a strong association
      between the 2 devices for daily steps across 138 analyzed person-days (ICC =
      0.855; P < 0.001), but poorer agreement for time spent in physical activity
      intensities (ICCs < 0.7). Daily Fitbit steps of >= 12,500 identified meeting
      physical activity guidelines defined as >= 60 minutes of moderate-to-vigorous
      physical activity per day. Fitbit devices recorded more steps than accelerometers
      (-2242 steps per day, 95% limits of agreement of -7738 to 3253). Between-device
      differences were greater in boys vs girls. Fitbit devices were worn for longer
      than accelerometers (-36 minutes per day, 95% limits of agreement, -334 to 261),
      but overall differences in wear time explained little of the variance in step
      differences (7%, P = 0.048). CONCLUSIONS: Commercial activity trackers provide
      opportunities to remotely monitor physical activity in children with CHD, but
      absolute values might differ from accelerometers. These findings are important
      because of the increasing emphasis on physical activity promotion and monitoring
      in children with cardiovascular risk factors.

PMID- 28347582
TI  - Cost Analysis of Patients Referred for Inherited Heart Rhythm Disorder
      Evaluation.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Inherited heart rhythm disorders (IHRDs) are complex and uncommon
      arrhythmogenic conditions that can lead to sudden unexpected death in seemingly
      healthy individuals. Multidisciplinary programs can assist in the diagnostic
      testing of potentially affected individuals and their family members. METHODS:
      Patients evaluated in a specialized adult and pediatric IHRD clinic between April
      2013 and February 2015 were characterized. The total costs per evaluation and
      diagnosis were calculated. Patients were divided according to referral indication
      (primary referral or family member). RESULTS: A total of 618 patients were
      evaluated (age 36 +/- 21 years; 52% male), of which 274 (44%) were primary
      referrals and 344 (56%) were family members referred for cascade screening.
      Overall, 47% had at least 1 follow-up visit. Patients had a median of 3 tests;
      primary referrals required more tests (4 vs 2; P < 0.01). The median cost per
      patient was $1340 CAD. Evaluation of the primary referrals was costlier than
      family members ($3096 vs $983; P < 0.01). A definite or probable diagnosis was
      determined in 464 patients (77%), with no difference according to patient type (P
      = 0.18). The total cost per diagnosis was $4021 in primary referrals compared
      with $1277 in family members (P < 0.01). CONCLUSIONS: Clinical evaluation of
      patients with suspected IHRD results in a high diagnostic yield and costs aligned
      with other complex disorders involving multidisciplinary clinics. Evaluation
      costs are expectedly higher in primary referrals compared with targeted family
      screening.

PMID- 28347583
TI  - Hypereosinophilic Syndrome as a Rare Cause of Reversible Biventricular Heart
      Failure.
AB  - Hypereosinophilic syndrome is a rare entity that can develop secondary to
      overproduction of eosinophilopoietic cytokines or as idiopathic disease. Cardiac
      involvement, which occurs often, is divided into 3 stages, the latter of which is
      nonreversible and leads to severe heart failure. Early detection and treatment of
      the syndrome is essential. For this reason, genetic testing for the FIP1L1-PDGFRA
      fusion gene has recently been added to the diagnostic algorithm. Patients with
      this mutation are at increased risk for the development of cardiac involvement
      and typically respond to treatment with the tyrosine kinase inhibitor imatinib
      mesylate.

PMID- 28347584
TI  - Acute Myocardial Infarction from Coronary Vasospasm Precipitated by
      Pseudoephedrine and Metoprolol Use.
AB  - Pseudoephedrine is a sympathomimetic alpha- and beta-adrenergic receptor agonist
      that causes vasoconstriction and reduction in edema throughout the nasal
      passages. Coronary vasospasm associated with pseudoephedrine has been reported in
      the literature. We discuss the case of a patient with new-onset atrial
      fibrillation receiving metoprolol for rate control on a background of
      pseudoephedrine use for allergic rhinitis leading to acute myocardial infarction
      from multivessel coronary vasospasm. This case illustrates the importance of
      understanding the pharmacology of potential drug-drug interactions when managing
      patients with acute cardiovascular syndromes.

PMID- 28347585
TI  - Characteristics and metal leachability of incinerated sewage sludge ash and air
      pollution control residues from Hong Kong evaluated by different methods.
AB  - The improper disposal of incinerated sewage sludge ash (ISSA) and air pollution
      control residues (APCR) from sewage sludge incinerators has become an
      environmental concern. The physicochemical, morphological and mineralogical
      characteristics of ISSA and APCR from Hong Kong, and the leachability and risk of
      heavy metals, are presented in this paper. The results showed that a low
      hydraulic and pozzolanic potential was associated with the ISSA and APCR due to
      the presence of low contents of SiO2, Al2O3 and CaO and high contents of P, S and
      Cl (especially for APCR). Although high concentrations of Zn and Cu (especially
      for ISSA) followed by Ni, Pb and As, Se were detected, a low leaching rate of
      these metals (especially at neutral and alkaline pH) rendered them classifiable
      as non-hazardous according to the U.S. EPA and Chinese national regulatory
      limits. The leached metals concentrations from ISSA and APCR were mainly pH
      dependent, and metals solubilization occurred mainly at low pH. Different
      leaching tests should be adopted based on the simulated different environmental
      conditions and exposure scenarios for assessing the leachability as contrasting
      results could be obtained due to the differences in complexing abilities and
      final pH of the leaching solutions.

PMID- 28347586
TI  - Recycling of indium from waste LCD: A promising non-crushing leaching with the
      aid of ultrasonic wave.
AB  - The tremendous amount of end-of-life liquid crystal displays (LCDs) has become
      one of the prominent sources of waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE)
      in recent years. Despite the necessity of safe treatment, recycling indium is
      also a focus of waste LCD treatment because of the scarcity of indium. Based on
      the analyses of the structure of Indium Tin Oxide (ITO) glass, crushing is
      demonstrated to be not required. In the present research, a complete non-crushing
      leaching method was firstly adopted to recycle indium from waste LCDs, and the
      ultrasonic waves was applied in the leaching process. The results demonstrated
      that indium can be leached efficiently with even a low concentration of chloride
      acid (HCl) without extra heating. About 96.80% can be recovered in 60mins, when
      the ITO glass was leached by 0.8MHCl with an enhancement of 300W ultrasonic
      waves. The indium leaching process is abridged free from crushing, and proves to
      be of higher efficiency. In addition, the ultrasonic wave influence on leaching
      process was also explained combing with micron-scale structure of ITO glass.

PMID- 28347587
TI  - Effect of hydrothermal pre-treatment (HTP) on poultry slaughterhouse waste (PSW)
      sludge for the enhancement of the solubilization, physical properties, and biogas
      production through anaerobic digestion.
AB  - This study is an assessment of the hydrothermal pre-treatment (HTP) of poultry
      slaughterhouse waste (PSW) sludge for the enhancement of the solubilization,
      physical properties, and biogas production through anaerobic digestion. This
      assessment was carried out to ascertain the optimal HTP temperature. The
      solubilization and physical properties efficacy was investigated by capillary
      suction time (CST), time to filter (TTF), and particle size. In addition, the
      anaerobic digestion was investigated through biochemical methane potential (BMP)
      tests and subsequent statistical analysis using the modified Gompertz model. HTP
      was found to have improved the solubilization of the PSW sludge with increasing
      HTP temperature. In addition, the results of the CST, TTF, and particle size
      decreased with increasing HTP temperature. These results of the assessment that
      was conducted in this study confirm that the HTP process indeed modifies the
      physical properties of PSWs to enhance the solubilization of organic solids.
      Nevertheless, the results of the BMP tests and the modified Gompertz model
      analysis show that the optimal HTP temperature of PSWs for anaerobic digestion is
      190 degrees C. These findings show that to achieve high conversion efficiency, an
      accurately designed pre-treatment step must be included in the overall anaerobic
      digestion process for wastewater treatment.

PMID- 28347588
TI  - Reply to H. Ian Robins.

PMID- 28347589
TI  - The National Violent Death Reporting System: Use of the Restricted Access
      Database and Recommendations for the System's Improvement.

PMID- 28347590
TI  - Draft genome analysis of Dietzia sp. 111N12-1, isolated from the South China Sea
      with bioremediation activity.
AB  - Dietzia sp. 111N12-1, isolated from the seawater of South China Sea, shows strong
      petroleum hydrocarbons degradation activity. Here, we report the draft sequence
      of approximately 3.7-Mbp genome of this strain. To the best of our knowledge,
      this is the first genome sequence of Dietzia strain isolated from the sea. The
      genome sequence may provide fundamental molecular information on elucidating the
      metabolic pathway of hydrocarbons degradation in this strain.

PMID- 28347591
TI  - Variability of late and moderate preterm definitions.

PMID- 28347592
TI  - A review of the established and suspected causes of variations in human sex ratio
      at birth.
AB  - The human sex ratio (proportion male) at birth (SRB) varies with many variables.
      Some of this variation has an established proximate cause. For instance, low SRB
      (more females) at birth are associated with various forms of stressful events or
      circumstances during or prior to pregnancy. These low SRB are almost certainly
      mainly caused by maternal-stress-induced male foetal loss. Other types of SRB
      variation are thought to be caused by hormonal variation in either or both
      parents around the time of conception. One or other of these two types of
      proximate cause seems to be responsible for most of the established variation of
      SRB. This will be illustrated here in respect of some selected forms of SRB
      variation. It seems likely that a clarification of the hormonal causes of SRB
      variation will also help explain the striking (apparent) inconsistencies in the
      results of reported tests of the influential Trivers-Willard hypothesis. It is
      further proposed that an appreciation of the evidence that parental hormones
      influence SRB may enhance understanding of several important pathologies
      (hepatitis B, toxoplasmosis, testicular cancer, prostate cancer and autism).

PMID- 28347593
TI  - Development and validation of a fast SFC method for the analysis of flavonoids in
      plant extracts.
AB  - Flavonoids from plants always show a wide range of biological activities. In the
      present study, a rapid and highly efficient supercritical fluid chromatography
      (SFC) method was developed for the separation of 12 flavonoids. After careful
      optimization, the 12 flavonoids were baseline separated on a ZORBAX RX-SIL column
      using gradient elution. A 0.1% phosphoric acid solution in methanol was found to
      be the most suitable polar mobile phase component for the separation of
      flavonoids. From the viewpoint of retention and resolution, a backpressure of
      200bar and a temperature of 40 degrees C were shown to give the best results.
      Compared with a previously developed reverse phase liquid chromatography method,
      the SFC method could provide flavonoid separations that were about three times
      faster, while maintaining good peak shape and comparable peak efficiency. This
      SFC method was validated and applied to the analysis of five flavonoids
      (kaempferol, luteolin, quercetin, luteoloside, buddleoside) present in
      Chrysanthemum morifolium Ramat. from different cultivars (Chuju, Gongju, Hangju,
      Boju). The results indicated a good repeatability and sensitivity for the
      quantification of the five analytes with RSDs for overall precision lower than
      3%. The limits of detection ranged from 0.73 to 2.34MUg/mL, while the limits of
      quantification were between 2.19 and 5.86MUg/mL. The method showed that SFC could
      be employed as a useful tool for the quality assessment of Traditional Chinese
      medicines (TCMs) containing flavonoids as active components.

PMID- 28347594
TI  - The training of specialists in Family and Community Health Nursing according to
      the supervisors of the teaching units.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: To analyze the current situation of the training of specialists in
      family and community nursing from the perspective of nurses responsible for
      teaching units. METHODS: Exploratory analysis using nominal group technique of
      the contributions made by representatives of 19 multidisciplinary teaching units
      in family and community care from 11 Spanish autonomous communities. They
      categorized and weighted those contributions. RESULTS: The emerging categories on
      the strengths and difficulties encountered related to the tutors, the environment
      where the training took place, the structure of the teaching unit, the
      organization of the teaching and the official programme of the speciality, the
      external supports and the theoretical training. CONCLUSIONS: Training in Family
      and Community Nursing is an opportunity to improve primary health care to train
      in news and necessary but complex skills. Support is required for training to be
      effective and the specialty and training should be made known. Tutors are a key
      part of this process.

PMID- 28347595
TI  - Increased cortisol awakening response after completing the summer treatment
      program in children with ADHD.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: Little is known about the cortisol awakening response (CAR) in
      children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Here, we examined
      the CAR in children with ADHD and their mothers before, immediately after, and
      4months after an intensive summer treatment program (STP). METHODS: Participants
      were 37 children aged 7-12years who completed the STP in 2009 and 2010, and their
      mothers. Daily saliva samples for cortisol measurement were collected twice daily
      at awakening and 30min afterwards at pre-STP, post-STP, and during a follow-up
      measurement period. ADHD symptom scores were evaluated by parents, and
      participants completed the Kid-KINDLR QOL questionnaire. RESULTS: CAR was low in
      children with ADHD before the STP, and increased to the control range 4months
      after STP. Maternal CAR also tended to increase after STP. Changes in the CAR in
      children tended to correlate with an improved ADHD inattention scores (p=0.091),
      physical health (p=0.070), and school life subscales scores in the Kid-KINDLR
      (p=0.079). CONCLUSION: We demonstrated that STP improved the behavior and QOL of
      children with ADHD. Our results indicate that STP could lead to improvements in
      HPA axis function, as reflected by increased CAR after STP.

PMID- 28347596
TI  - Left-sided endocarditis extending to the right chambers: Usefulness of three
      dimensional echocardiography in preoperative assessment.

PMID- 28347597
TI  - Does standing limb alignment after total knee arthroplasty predict dynamic
      alignment and knee loading during gait?
AB  - BACKGROUND: A principle of TKA is to achieve a neutral standing coronal alignment
      of the limb (HKA angle) to reduce risks of implant loosening, reduce polyethylene
      wear, and optimize patellar tracking. Several long-term studies have questioned
      this because the relationship between alignment and implant survivorship is
      weaker than previously reported. We hypothesize that standing HKA poorly predicts
      implant failure because it does not predict dynamic HKA, dynamic adduction
      moment, and loading of the knee during gait. Therefore, the aim of our study is
      to assess the relationship between the standing and the dynamic (gait activity)
      HKAs. METHODS: A prospective study on a cohort of 35 patients treated with a
      posterior-stabilized TKA for primary osteoarthritis. Three months after surgery
      each patient had a long-leg radiograph and the limb was classified as neutrally
      aligned (17 patients), varus aligned (nine patients), or valgus aligned (four
      patients). Patients then performed a gait analysis for level walking. RESULTS:
      Standing HKA has a moderate correlation with the peak dynamic varus (r=0.318,
      p=0.001) and the mean and peak adduction moments (r=0.31 and r=-0.352
      respectively). No significant correlation between standing HKA and the mean
      dynamic coronal alignment (r=0.14, p=0.449). No differences were found for
      dynamic frontal parameters (dynamic HKA and adduction moment) between patients
      defined as neutrally or varus aligned. CONCLUSIONS: The standing HKA after TKA
      was of little value to predict dynamic behaviour of the limb during gait, this
      may explain why standing coronal alignment after TKA may have limited influence
      on long-term implant fixation and wear.

PMID- 28347598
TI  - Patellar tendon reconstruction using an extended gastrocnemius flap following
      cryogenic injury to the knee.
AB  - Cryogenic thermal necrosis after knee surgery is rare. We describe a patient who
      presented with an anterior knee soft tissue defect in conjunction with an
      extensor mechanism deficiency secondary to a cold thermal injury after an
      anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction. We treated the patient with a single
      stage surgical procedure combining patellar tendon reconstruction and soft tissue
      coverage utilizing the superficial portion of the patient's vascularized Achilles
      tendon attached to a medial gastrocnemius flap. The patient returned to
      unrestricted activities and has demonstrated this through a five year follow-up.

PMID- 28347599
TI  - The anti-dermatophyte activity of Zataria multiflora essential oils.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: Dermtophytes are a group of pathogenic fungi and the major cause of
      dermatophytosis in humans and animals. Fighting dermatophytes by natural
      essential oils is one important issue in new researches. MATERIALS AND METHODS:
      In this investigation, we evaluated the anti-dermatophyte activities of three
      samples of Z. multiflora essential oils against dermatophytes along with analysis
      of chemical compositions of the essential oils and their anti-elastase activities
      on elastase production in dermatophytes. RESULTS: Carvacrol (1.5-34.4%), thymol
      (25.8-41.2%), carvacrol methyl ether (1.9-28.3%) and p-cymene (2.3-8.3%) were the
      main components of Z. multiflora essential oils. Z. multiflora essential oils
      (100ppm) inhibited the mycelium growth of dermatophytes (6+/-1.7-47.0+/-1.4%) and
      had the minimal inhibitory concentration (MIC) and minimal fungicidal
      concentration (MFC) values of 0.03-0.25MUl/ml against dermatophytes. Essential
      oils inhibited elastase produced in dermatophytes and pure porcine elastase.
      CONCLUSION: Z. multiflora essential oils can be used as natural anti-dermatophyte
      agent for fighting dermatophytes in further preclinical and clinical studies.

PMID- 28347600
TI  - [Mycological profile of onychomycosis in Yaounde, Cameroon].
AB  - BACKGROUND: The lack of data concerning the mycological spectrum of onychomycosis
      in Cameroon prompted us to conduct the present study, which aimed to determine
      the mycological profile of onychomycosis diagnosed during dermatologic
      consultations in Yaounde, Cameroon. METHODS: This was a cross-sectional study
      held from October 2014 to March 2015 in six hospitals of Yaounde. Patients
      suspected of onychomycosis were consecutively recruited during dermatologic
      consultations; anamnestic and clinical data were recorded and one or several nail
      fragments sampled for mycological examination (direct examination or culture).
      RESULTS: A total of 3457 patients were examined during the study period, 117 of
      whom were suspected of onychomycosis; 133 samplings were performed. The
      distolateral subungual form was the dominating one: 72/110; 65.5%. The diagnosis
      was confirmed with 110 of the 133 samples (82.7%), these collected among 96
      patients, hence a prevalence of 2.8% (96/3457). We isolated 99 germs, among which
      two-co-infestations. Dermatophytes (52/99; 52.5%), especially Trichophyton rubrum
      (23/52; 44.2%) and Trichophyton verrucosum (11/52; 21.2%) were the main pathogens
      causing onychomycois of the toes whereas yeasts (43/99; 43.4%), Candida albicans
      (31/43; 72.1%) in majority, were the prevailing germs incriminated in
      onychomycosis of the fingers. There were few cases of molds infestation (4/99;
      4%). CONCLUSION: Onychomycosis are common in dermatology consultations in
      Yaounde. Candida albicans, Trichophyton rubrum and Trichophyton verrucosum are
      the main pathogens in cause.

PMID- 28347602
TI  - Prognostic significance of extracapsular spread of lymph node metastasis from
      oral squamous cell carcinoma in the clinically negative neck.
AB  - The presence of extracapsular spread (ECS) in patients with oral squamous cell
      carcinoma (OSCC) indicates a poor prognosis and is associated with a higher risk
      of regional recurrence and distant metastasis. The aim of this study was to
      analyse this important feature of cervical lymph nodes in the clinically node
      negative setting. The study included 61 patients with clinically T1-T3N0 OSCC who
      underwent primary surgical treatment; 52 were male and nine were female, and
      their median age was 57 years. The 5-year disease-free survival, disease-specific
      survival, and overall survival rates were 30.6%, 28.3%, and 14.3%, respectively,
      in the ECS group compared to 61.9%, 61.9%, and 48.2%, respectively, in the
      pN+/ECS-negative group and 76.7%, 81.9%, and 47.0%, respectively, in the pN0
      group. The differences between the survival curves were highly significant
      (P=0.023, P=0.003, and P=0.029, respectively). The incidence of local (50% vs.
      14.9%, P=0.011) and regional (28.6% vs. 2.1%, P=0.008) recurrence was
      significantly greater in the ECS group compared to the other subgroups of
      patients. Furthermore, the time to recurrence was significantly shorter in the
      ECS subjects. The presence of ECS in patients with oral cancer indicates a poor
      prognosis. ECS is a frequent feature in clinically node-negative settings and may
      be more common in smaller lymph nodes than is generally appreciated.

PMID- 28347601
TI  - Scoliosis in Rett Syndrome: Progression, Comorbidities, and Predictors.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Scoliosis is prominent in Rett syndrome (RTT). Following the prior
      report from the US Natural History Study, the onset and progression of severe
      scoliosis (>=40 degrees  Cobb angle) and surgery were examined regarding
      functional capabilities and specific genotypes, addressing the hypothesis that
      abnormal muscle tone, poor oral feeding, puberty, and delays or absence of
      sitting balance and ambulation may be responsible for greater risk in RTT.
      METHODS: The multicenter RTT Natural History Study gathered longitudinal data for
      classic RTT, including mutation type, scoliosis, muscle tone, sitting,
      ambulation, hand function, and feeding. Cox regression models were used to
      examine the association between scoliosis and functional characteristics. All
      analyses utilized SAS 9.4; two-sided P values of <0.05 were considered
      significant. RESULTS: A total of 913 females with classic RTT were included.
      Scoliosis frequency and severity increased with age. Severe scoliosis was found
      in 251 participants (27%), 113 of whom developed severe scoliosis during the
      follow-up assessments; 168 (18%) had surgical correction. Severe MECP2 mutations
      (R106W, R168X, R255X, R270X, and large deletions) showed a higher proportion of
      scoliosis. Individuals developing severe scoliosis or requiring surgery were less
      likely to sit, ambulate, or use their hands and were more likely to have begun
      puberty. Significant differences were absent for epilepsy rates, sleep problems,
      or constipation. DISCUSSION: Scoliosis requires vigilance regarding the risk
      factors noted, particularly specific mutations and the role of puberty and motor
      abilities. Bracing is recommended for moderate curves and surgery for severe
      curves in accordance with published guidelines for scoliosis management.

PMID- 28347603
TI  - Liver disease in cystic fibrosis presents as non-cirrhotic portal hypertension.

PMID- 28347604
TI  - The Prognostic Value of HER2-Positive Circulating Tumor Cells in Breast Cancer
      Patients: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: A meta-analysis was conducted to determine the prognostic value of
      HER2-positive circulating tumor cells (CTCs) in patients with breast cancer.
      MATERIALS AND METHODS: MedLine, Central, and Embase databases were searched.
      Inclusion criteria were: (1) randomized controlled trials, 2-arm prospective
      studies, and retrospective studies; (2) patients with breast cancer; (3) HER2
      positive CTCs were examined; and (4) hazard ratio (HR) of survival between
      patients with HER2-positive and HER2-negative CTCs was reported. RESULTS: Four
      studies with a total of 550 patients with stage I to IV breast cancer were
      included. HER2-positive CTCs were not associated with worse overall survival (OS;
      HR, 1.489, 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.873-2.540, P = .144) or progression
      free survival (PFS; HR, 1.543; 95% CI, 0.636-3.744; P = .338). In patients
      without metastasis, HER2-positive CTCs were associated with worse OS (HR, 2.273;
      95% CI, 1.340-3.853; P = .002) and worse PFS (HR, 2.870; 95% CI, 1.298-6.343; P =
      .009). There was no significant relationship between HER2-positive CTCs and
      survival in subgroups of patients with metastasis. CONCLUSION: HER2-positive CTCs
      have prognostic value in patients with breast cancer and without distant
      metastasis.

PMID- 28347605
TI  - A single-center retrospective analysis of patency rates of intraluminal versus
      subintimal endovascular revascularization of long femoropopliteal occlusions.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: The evaluation of patency rates of intraluminal versus subintimal
      endovascular revascularization of long femoropopliteal (FP) lesions. BACKGROUND:
      Chronic total occlusions (CTO) of the FP artery in peripheral interventions are
      crossed either with a support catheter-guidewire based technique or subintimal
      dissection and re-entry device assisted approach. Both techniques have a high
      procedural success rate, but their long term patency is not well studied. There
      is also lack of comparative data addressing the patency of long non-CTO vs. CTO
      occlusions. METHODS: We performed a single center retrospective analysis,
      studying the patency rates in 215 patients (254 limbs) with TASC C and D FP
      lesions treated with stents. There were 3 patient groups: without CTO (non-CTO);
      CTO crossed using support catheter and guide-wire (CTO-SW) and CTO crossed with a
      re-entry device (CTO-RE). RESULTS: There were 155 limbs in CTO-SW group; 50 in
      CTO-RE group and 49 in non-CTO. Lesion length (mean+/-SD) was 251.81+/-7.48mm in
      CTO-SW group; 280+/-13.18mm in CTO-RE group and 248.77+/-13.31 in non-CTO group
      (p=non-significant). In-stent restenosis (ISR) at a mean follow-up of 19.26+/
      16.14months did not differ between groups occurring in 23 (47%) limbs in non-CTO;
      66 (42%) in CTO-SW; and 24 (48%) in CTO-RE. Smoking and stent fracture were
      predictors of ISR by multivariate analysis. CONCLUSION: In patients with long FP
      lesions, ISR rates were similar between patients with and without CTO. In the CTO
      group mid-term vessel patency was not affected by the crossing technique
      utilized.

PMID- 28347606
TI  - New era of infant chest compression.

PMID- 28347607
TI  - Facebook: A last resort for patient contact.

PMID- 28347608
TI  - Sedation effects of intranasal dexmedetomidine delivered as sprays versus drops
      on pediatric response to venous cannulation.
AB  - OBJECTIVES: Mucosal atomization device (MAD) was designed to increase the
      bioavailability of intranasal medications by facilitating absorption, the present
      study aimed to evaluate and compare the sedation effects of intranasal
      dexmedetomidine delivered as drops versus sprays on pediatric responses to
      intravenous cannulation. METHODS: One hundred and six pediatric patients (aged
      from 2 to 5years) scheduled for elective ophthalmic surgery were intranasally
      received a dose of 2MUg/kg in 20MUl/kg of dexmedetomidine for sedation to reduce
      response to venous cannulation. The patients were randomized into syringe group
      and MAD group in which dexmedetomidine was delivered as drops or sprays via
      syringe or MAD respectively. The primary outcome was the response to peripheral
      vein cannulation assessed by the FLACC scores (faces, legs, activity, cry and
      consolability) 30min after intranasal administration of dexmedetomidine. The
      secondary outcomes included acceptance for intranasal medication, sedation onset
      time, and needle insertion times and any adverse event at the preoperative
      holding area. RESULTS: The FLACC scores in MAD group were significantly decreased
      than that treated by drops (P=0.021). The acceptance for intranasal
      administration between both groups was comparable (P>0.05), the onset time and
      the incidences in two and more times of needle insertion did not differ
      significantly between syringe and MAD groups (all P>0.05). None of patients were
      required to clinically intervene in heart rates reduction and none suffered
      respiratory depression after administrations of dexmedetomidine in either group.
      CONCLUSION: Intranasal dexmedetomidine by sprays offers better sedation effects
      to reduce responses to venous cannulation than drops.

PMID- 28347609
TI  - Rhupus and autoimmune hepatitis: A rare association.

PMID- 28347610
TI  - Abundance of antibiotics, antibiotic resistance genes and bacterial community
      composition in wastewater effluents from different Romanian hospitals.
AB  - Antimicrobial resistance represents a growing and significant public health
      threat, which requires a global response to develop effective strategies and
      mitigate the emergence and spread of this phenomenon in clinical and
      environmental settings. We investigated, therefore, the occurrence and abundance
      of several antibiotics and antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs), as well as
      bacterial community composition in wastewater effluents from different hospitals
      located in the Cluj County, Romania. Antibiotic concentrations ranged between
      3.67 and 53.05 MUg L-1, and the most abundant antibiotic classes were beta
      lactams, glycopeptides, and trimethoprim. Among the ARGs detected, 14 genes
      confer resistance to beta-lactams, aminoglycosides, chloramphenicol, macrolide
      lincosamide-streptogramin B (MLSB) antibiotics, sulfonamides, and tetracyclines.
      Genes encoding quaternary ammonium resistance and a transposon-related element
      were also detected. The sulI and qacEDelta1 genes, which confer resistance to
      sulfonamides and quaternary ammonium, had the highest relative abundance with
      values ranging from 5.33 * 10-2 to 1.94 * 10-1 and 1.94 * 10-2 to 4.89 * 10-2
      copies/16 rRNA gene copies, respectively. The dominant phyla detected in the
      hospital wastewater samples were Proteobacteria, Bacteroidetes, Firmicutes, and
      Actinobacteria. Among selected hospitals, one of them applied an activated sludge
      and chlorine disinfection process before releasing the effluent to the municipal
      collector. This conventional wastewater treatment showed moderate removal
      efficiency of the studied pollutants, with a 55-81% decrease in antibiotic
      concentrations, 1-3 order of magnitude lower relative abundance of ARGs, but with
      a slight increase of some potentially pathogenic bacteria. Given this, hospital
      wastewaters (raw or treated) may contribute to the spread of these emerging
      pollutants in the receiving environments. To the best of our knowledge, this
      study quantified for the first time the abundance of antibiotics and ARGs in
      wastewater effluents from different Romanian hospitals.

PMID- 28347612
TI  - Air ionization as a control technology for off-gas emissions of volatile organic
      compounds.
AB  - High energy electron-impact ionizers have found applications mainly in industry
      to reduce off-gas emissions from waste gas streams at low cost and high
      efficiency because of their ability to oxidize many airborne organic pollutants
      (e.g., volatile organic compounds (VOCs)) to CO2 and H2O. Applications of air
      ionizers in indoor air quality management are limited due to poor removal
      efficiency and production of noxious side products, e.g., ozone (O3). In this
      paper, we provide a critical evaluation of the pollutant removal performance of
      air ionizing system through comprehensive review of the literature. In
      particular, we focus on removal of VOCs and odorants. We also discuss the
      generation of unwanted air ionization byproducts such as O3, NOx, and VOC
      oxidation intermediates that limit the use of air-ionizers in indoor air quality
      management.

PMID- 28347611
TI  - Ambient particulate matter and carbon monoxide at an urban site of India:
      Influence of anthropogenic emissions and dust storms.
AB  - Continuous measurements of PM2.5, PM10 and CO were conducted at an urban site of
      Udaipur in India from April 2011 to March 2012. The annual mean concentrations of
      PM2.5, PM10 and CO were 42 +/- 17 MUg m-3, 114 +/- 31 MUg m-3 and 343 +/- 136
      ppbv, respectively. Concentrations of both particulate and CO showed high values
      during winter/pre-monsoon (dry) period and lowest in the monsoon season (wet).
      Local anthropogenic emission and long-range transport from open biomass burning
      sources along with favourable synoptic meteorology led to elevated levels of
      pollutants in the dry season. However, higher values of PM10/PM2.5 ratio during
      pre-monsoon season were caused by the episodes of dust storm. In the monsoon
      season, flow of cleaner air, rainfall and negligible emissions from biomass
      burning resulted in the lowest levels of pollutants. The concentrations of PM2.5,
      PM10 and CO showed highest values during morning and evening rush hours, while
      lowest in the afternoon hours. In winter season, reductions of PM2.5, CO and PM10
      during weekends were highest of 15%, 13% and 9%, respectively. In each season,
      the highest PM2.5/PM10 ratio coincided with the highest concentrations of
      pollutants (CO and NOX) indicating predominant emissions from anthropogenic
      sources. Exceptionally high concentrations of PM10 during the episode of dust
      storm were due to transport from the Arabian Peninsula and Thar Desert. Up to
      ~32% enhancements of PM10 were observed during strong dust storms. Relatively low
      levels of O3 and NOx during the storm periods indicate the role of heterogeneous
      removal.

PMID- 28347613
TI  - Theory of Animal Mind: Human Nature or Experimental Artefact?
AB  - Are animals capable of empathy, problem-solving, or even self-recognition? Much
      research is dedicated to answering these questions and yet few studies have
      considered how humans form beliefs about animal minds. Evidence suggests that our
      mentalising of animals is a natural consequence of Theory of Mind (ToM)
      capabilities. However, where beliefs regarding animal mind have been
      investigated, there has been slow progress in establishing the mechanism
      underpinning how this is achieved. Here, we consider what conclusions can be
      drawn regarding how people theorise about animal minds and the different
      conceptual and methodological issues that might limit the accuracy of conclusions
      currently drawn from this work. We suggest a new empirical framework for better
      capturing the human theory of animal mind, which in turn has significant
      political and social implications.

PMID- 28347614
TI  - Evolution and novel radiological changes of neurodegeneration associated with
      mutations in C19orf12.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: Neurodegeneration with brain iron accumulation (NBIA) comprises a
      heterogeneous group of disorders with accumulation of iron in the brain, mostly
      basal ganglia. NBIA subtype mitochondrial membrane protein-associated
      neurodegeneration (MPAN) is caused by recently discovered mutations in C19orf12,
      which encodes a protein localized in the mitochondrial membrane. METHODS: The
      present and past radiological features of 14 MPAN patients were analyzed.
      RESULTS: Clinical evaluation did not reveal novel findings: spastic para- and
      tetraparesis with muscle atrophy are typical for MPAN. Dysarthria, parkinsonism,
      and dystonia are very common but not present in all cases. Present brain imaging
      demonstrated increased iron levels in the globus pallidus (GP) and substantia
      nigra (SN) in all patients. In two cases first imaging didn't show typical
      hypointensity in GP and SN. A novel finding were white matter hyperintensities
      localized mainly in the periventricular region. CONCLUSIONS: WMH are observed in
      some MPAN patients, they are age dependent and localized periventricular. If they
      are due to altered brain and peripheral lipid metabolism remains unknown.

PMID- 28347616
TI  - The "Overdrive" Mode in the "Complete Vocal Technique": A Preliminary Study.
AB  - "Complete Vocal Technique," or CVT, is an internationally widespread method for
      teaching voice. It classifies voicing into four types, referred to as "vocal
      modes," one of which is called "Overdrive." The physiological correlates of these
      types are unclear. This study presents an attempt to analyze its voice source and
      formant frequency characteristics. A male and a female expert of CVT sang a set
      of "Overdrive" and falsetto tones on the syllable /pae/. The voice source could
      be analyzed by inverse filtering in the case of the male subject. Results showed
      that subglottal pressure, measured as the oral pressure during /p/ occlusion, was
      low in falsetto and high in "Overdrive", and it was strongly correlated with each
      of the voice source parameters. These correlations could be described in terms of
      equations. The deviations from these equations of the different voice source
      parameters for the various voice samples suggested that "Overdrive" phonation was
      produced with stronger vocal fold adduction than the falsetto tones. Further, the
      subject was also found to tune the first formant to the second partial in
      "Overdrive" tones. The results support the conclusion that the method used, to
      compensate for the influence of subglottal pressure on the voice source, seems
      promising to use for analyses of other CVT vocal modes and also for other types
      of phonation.

PMID- 28347615
TI  - The p.Thr11Met mutation in c19orf12 is frequent among adult Turkish patients with
      MPAN.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: Mutations in the C19orf12 gene cause mitochondrial membrane protein
      associated neurodegeneration (MPAN), an autosomal recessive form of
      neurodegeneration with brain iron accumulation (NBIA). A limited number of
      patients with C19orf12 mutations, particularly those with adult onset of
      symptoms, have been reported. METHODS: We sequenced the entire coding region of
      C19orf12 in 15 Turkish adult probands with idiopathic NBIA. We also performed
      haplotype analysis in families with a recurrent C19orf12 mutation. Clinical
      features were collected using a standardized form. RESULTS: Nine of our 15
      probands (60%) carried the homozygous c.32C > T mutation in C19orf12 (predicted
      protein effect: p.Thr11Met). This homozygous mutation co-segregated with the
      disease in all affected relatives available for testing (16 homozygous subjects).
      Haplotypes across the C19orf12 locus were identical for a very small region,
      closest to the mutation, suggesting an old founder, or, two independent founders.
      The clinical phenotype was characterized by adult onset in most cases (mean 24.5
      years, range 10-36), and broad spectrum, including prominent parkinsonism,
      pyramidal signs, psychiatric disturbances, cognitive decline, and motor axonal
      neuropathy, in various combinations. On T2- or susceptibility weighted-MRI
      images, all patients displayed bilateral hypointensities in globus pallidus and
      substantia nigra, without an eye-of-the-tiger sign; however, hyperintense
      streaking of the medial medullary lamina between the external and internal parts
      of globus pallidus was observed frequently. CONCLUSION: The C19orf12 p.Thr11Met
      mutation is frequent among adult Turkish patients with MPAN. These findings
      contribute to the characterization of this important NBIA form, and have direct
      implications for genetic testing of patients of Turkish origin.

PMID- 28347617
TI  - Sensorimotor Mismapping in Poor-pitch Singing.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: This study proposes that there are two types of sensorimotor
      mismapping in poor-pitch singing: erroneous mapping and no mapping. We created
      operational definitions for the two types of mismapping based on the precision of
      pitch-matching and predicted that in the two types of mismapping, phonation
      differs in terms of accuracy and the dependence on the articulation consistency
      between the target and the intended vocal action. The study aimed to test this
      hypothesis by examining the reliability and criterion-related validity of the
      operational definitions. STUDY DESIGN: A within-subject design was used in this
      study. METHODS: Thirty-two participants identified as poor-pitch singers were
      instructed to vocally imitate pure tones and to imitate their own vocal
      recordings with the same articulation as self-targets and with different
      articulation from self-targets. RESULTS: Definitions of the types of mismapping
      were demonstrated to be reliable with the split-half approach and to have good
      criterion-related validity with findings that pitch-matching with no mapping was
      less accurate and more dependent on the articulation consistency between the
      target and the intended vocal action than pitch-matching with erroneous mapping
      was. Furthermore, the precision of pitch-matching was positively associated with
      its accuracy and its dependence on articulation consistency when mismapping was
      analyzed on a continuum. Additionally, the data indicated that the self-imitation
      advantage was a function of articulation consistency. CONCLUSION: Types of
      sensorimotor mismapping lead to pitch-matching that differs in accuracy and its
      dependence on the articulation consistency between the target and the intended
      vocal action. Additionally, articulation consistency produces the self-advantage.

PMID- 28347618
TI  - Implementation of Hysterectomy Pathway: Impact on Complications.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: Hysterectomy is one of the most common surgical procedures in the
      United States. For women who need hysterectomy, it is important to ensure that
      minimally invasive hysterectomy procedures are used appropriately to reduce
      surgical complications and improve value of care. Although we previously
      demonstrated a reduction in total abdominal hysterectomy rates after the
      implementation of hysterectomy pathway treatment algorithm in 2012, this study
      focuses on exploring the effect of pathways implementation on surgical outcomes.
      METHODS: All retrospective medical records for hysterectomy surgeries performed
      for benign indications at University of Pittsburgh Medical Center hospitals
      between the fiscal years (FY) 2012 and 2014 were identified. We analyzed the
      health care outcomes by route of surgery and year using Chi2 test for categorical
      data, and non-parametric approaches for non-normal continuous variables. RESULTS:
      A total of 6,569 hysterectomies for benign indications were performed between FY
      2012 and 2014. In FY 2012, 1,154 patients (59.15%) had a length of stay of 1 day
      or less, whereas in FY 2014 this number increased to 1,791 (74.53%; p < .0001).
      Within 3 years of implementing the pathway, surgical site infections had a
      reduction of 47%, with a considerable trend toward significance (p = .067).
      CONCLUSIONS: Implementation of hysterectomy pathway has been associated with
      reduction of surgical complications in benign hysterectomy settings.
      Implementation of clinical pathways offers an opportunity for improving patient
      outcomes that should be investigated in various health care settings and across
      procedures.

PMID- 28347619
TI  - Investigating the nitrification and denitrification kinetics under aerobic and
      anaerobic conditions by Paracoccus denitrificans ISTOD1.
AB  - Municipal wastewater contains multiple nitrogen contaminants such as ammonia,
      nitrate and nitrite. Two heterotrophic nitrifier and aerobic denitrifiers,
      bacterial isolates ISTOD1 and ISTVD1 were isolated from domestic wastewater. On
      the basis of removal efficiency of ammonia, nitrate and nitrite under both
      aerobic and anaerobic conditions, ISTOD1 was selected and identified as
      Paracoccus denitrificans. Aerobically, NH4+-N had maximum specific nitrogen
      removal rate (Rxi) of 7.6g/gDCW/h and anaerobically, NO3-N showed Rxi of 2.5*10
      1g/g DCW/h. Monod equation described the bioprocess kinetic coefficients, umax
      and Ks, obtained by regression. Error functions were calculated to validate the
      Monod equation experimental data. Aerobic NO3-N showed the highest YW of 0.372mg
      DCW/mg NO3-N among the five conditions. ISTOD1 serves as a potential candidate
      for treating nitrogen rich wastewater using simultaneous nitrification and
      aerobic denitrification. It can be used in bioaugmentation studies under varied
      condition.

PMID- 28347620
TI  - Accumulation of phytoene, a colorless carotenoid by inhibition of phytoene
      desaturase (PDS) gene in Dunaliella salina V-101.
AB  - The aim of this work was to study the accumulation of phytoene in Dunaliella
      salina V-101 by down-regulating its phytoene desaturase (PDS) gene expression
      using RNA interference and Antisense technology. RNAi and antisense constructs
      were introduced into the Dunaliella cells by Agrobacterium-mediated
      transformation. Among thirty-two transformants, six showed positive down
      regulation of PDS expression with RNAi construct and five positive transformants
      were obtained using antisense construct. Characterization of PDS suppression was
      carried out using semi-quantitative RT-PCR and quantitative determination of
      phytoene as well as other carotenoids by HPLC. Both the RNAi and antisense lines
      showed a significant decrease in the expression levels of phytoene desaturase and
      carotenoid content compared to wild type cells. The RNAi line #5 showed maximum
      Phytoene content (108.34+/-22.34ug/100mg DCW) compared to other transgenic lines.
      These phytoene-accumulating phenotypes exhibited slower growth rates and were
      found to be sensitive to high light conditions.

PMID- 28347621
TI  - Effects of temperature and solvent on hydrothermal liquefaction of Sargassum
      tenerrimum algae.
AB  - The influence of various solvents (H2O, CH3OH, and C2H5OH) on product
      distribution and nature of products during hydrothermal liquefaction of sargassum
      tenerrimum algae has been examined. Hydrothermal liquefaction was performed using
      H2O (260, 280 and 300 degrees C) and organic solvents CH3OH and C2H5OH (280
      degrees C) for 15min. The use of organic solvents significantly increased the
      yield of bio-oil. In the case of liquefaction with CH3OH and C2H5OH, the bio-oil
      yield was 22.8 and 23.8wt.% respectively whereas the bio-oil yield was 16.33wt.%
      with H2O. GC-MS analysis of the liquid products indicated the presence of various
      organic compounds including aromatics, nitrogenated and oxygenated compounds and
      higher selectivity amount of ester compounds were observed in the presence of
      alcoholic solvents. NMR and FT-IR showed that present of solvents have an effect
      on the decomposition of sargassum tenerrimum algae.

PMID- 28347622
TI  - An experimental approach aiming the production of a gas mixture composed of
      hydrogen and methane from biomass as natural gas substitute in industrial
      applications.
AB  - This work presents an experimental approach aiming the production of a gas
      mixture composed of H2 and CH4, which should serve as natural gas substitute in
      industrial applications. Therefore, a lab-scale process chain employing a water
      gas shift unit, scrubbing units, and a pressure swing adsorption unit was
      operated with tar-rich product gas extracted from a commercial dual fluidized bed
      biomass steam gasification plant. A gas mixture with a volumetric fraction of
      about 80% H2 and 19% CH4 and with minor fractions of CO and CO2 was produced by
      employing carbon molecular sieve as adsorbent. Moreover, the produced gas mixture
      had a lower heating value of about 15.5MJ.m-3 and a lower Wobbe index of about
      43.4MJ.m-3, which is similar to the typical Wobbe index of natural gas.

PMID- 28347623
TI  - Assessment of pesticides removal using two-stage Integrated Aerobic Treatment
      Plant (IATP) by Bacillus sp. isolated from agricultural field.
AB  - The biodegradation of synthetic wastewater containing Atrazine, Malathion and
      Parathion was studied in two stage Integrated Aerobic Treatment Plant using
      Bacillus sp. (consortia) isolated from agricultural field. The influent stream
      containing these pesticides with initial COD of 1232mg/L were fed to first
      reactor and treated effluent of first reactor was fed to second reactor. The
      maximum removal of pesticides in IATP was found to be greater than 90%. The
      various process parameters such as pH, DO, Redox potential and BOD5/COD were
      monitored during the treatment. The degradation of pesticides and its metabolites
      in the treated effluent were confirmed by GC-MS. Kinetic parameters such as first
      order rate constant (Kobs), cell yield (YX/C) and decay coefficients (Kdp) were
      evaluated and found to be 0.00425 per hr, 0.696mg of COD/mg MLSS and 0.0010 per
      hr respectively. This integrated process was found more effective than physico
      chemical treatment of pesticides.

PMID- 28347624
TI  - Efficacy and safety of normal saline instillation and paediatric endotracheal
      suction: An integrative review.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: To synthesise research findings regarding the efficacy and safety of
      normal saline instillation (NSI) during endotracheal suction in the paediatric
      intensive care unit. DATA SOURCES: The Cochrane Library, PROSPERO, the National
      Health Service Centre for Reviews and Dissemination, PubMed and Cumulative Index
      to Nursing and Allied Health (CINAHL) databases were systematically searched.
      Subject headings included "suctioning, endotracheal", "suction", "sodium
      chloride", "normal saline" and "paediatrics". Additional references were sourced
      from hand searches of journal article reference lists and Google Scholar. METHOD:
      An integrative, systematic approach was used to qualitatively synthesise study
      results in the context of paediatric intensive care nursing practice. Data were
      extracted using a standardised data extraction form. Quality assessment was
      performed independently by two reviewers. RESULTS: Three studies met pre-defined
      inclusion criteria. Quality of all study methods was 75% on the Mixed Method
      Appraisal Tool, although reporting quality varied. Overall, there was a scarcity
      of high quality evidence examining NSI and paediatric endotracheal suction.
      Outcome measures included oxygen saturation (SpO2), serious adverse events
      (author/s defined) and ventilation parameters (author/s defined). Endotracheal
      suction with NSI was associated with a transient decrease in blood oxygen
      saturation; research protocols did not include interventions to mitigate alveolar
      derecruitment. Studies were not powered to detect differences in endotracheal
      tube (ETT) occlusion or ventilator associated pneumonia (VAP). CONCLUSION: NSI
      was associated with a transient decrease in oxygen saturation. In children with
      obstructive mucous, NSI may have a positive effect. Practices which maximise
      secretion removal and mitigate the negative physiological interactions of ETS
      have been poorly evaluated in the paediatric population. High quality, powered,
      clinical trials are needed to determine the safety and efficacy of normal saline
      instillation and to inform clinical practice.

PMID- 28347625
TI  - Combination of radiotherapy and double blockade HER2 with pertuzumab and
      trastuzumab for HER2-positive metastatic or locally recurrent unresectable and/or
      metastatic breast cancer: Assessment of early toxicity.
AB  - BACKGROUND AND PURPOSES: We evaluate the early toxicity of concurrent use of
      radiotherapy, pertuzumab and trastuzumab in patients with HER2-positive
      metastatic or locally recurrent unresectable breast cancer. PATIENTS AND METHODS:
      A retrospective study was performed in a population of 23 consecutive patients
      between 2013 and 2015. Radiotherapy was performed on the chest area or metastatic
      sites during maintenance with pertuzumab and trastuzumab after six cycles of
      pertuzumab, trastuzumab and docetaxel. Toxicity was assessed according to the
      National Cancer Institute Common Toxicity Criteria version 4. RESULTS:
      Irradiation volumes were whole breast (8 patients) and chest wall (9 patients) at
      50Gy in 25 fractions, the supraclavicular nodes (16 patients), the axillary area
      (nine patients) and the internal mammary nodes (9 patients) at 46Gy in 23
      fractions. For five patients, radiotherapy was palliative: bone irradiation (4
      patients), whole brain radiotherapy (one patient). Median follow-up was 12.6
      months (range: 6.1-21.6 months) since the start of pertuzumab and trastuzumab.
      One patient presented an asymptomatic decrease of left ventricular ejection
      fraction below 50%. No symptomatic cardiac events were reported. Two patients
      presented asymptomatic grade I radiation pneumonitis. Acute skin toxicity was
      grade III (one patient), grade II (6 patients), and grade I (5 patients). There
      were two grade II esophagitis. CONCLUSION: Combination of pertuzumab, trastuzumab
      and radiotherapy was well tolerated, which should be confirmed by the results of
      larger studies.

PMID- 28347626
TI  - Achieving equity in maternal health in China: more to be done.

PMID- 28347627
TI  - Simulation-guided navigation for vector control in pediatric mandibular
      distraction osteogenesis.
AB  - AIM: Navigation technology has given surgeons the capacity to know precisely
      where their instruments are during surgery, and simulation-guided navigation is a
      surgical method which is based on the use of navigation technology linked to 3D
      virtual surgery simulation. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the
      absolute accuracy of simulation-guided navigation as an aid to reproduce the
      planned position of the distraction device vector in pediatric mandibular
      distraction osteogenesis. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We retrospectively evaluated
      seven patients affected by unilateral (3 pts.) or bilateral (4 pts.) mandibular
      hypoplasia and treated with this method between 2012 and 2014 at the
      Maxillofacial Surgery Unit of the University of Bologna, Italy. All patients were
      enrolled for mandibular distraction using internal unidirectional devices (11
      distraction devices implanted overall). Patients were studied through a complete
      three-dimensional workflow, which led to obtaining a virtual reconstruction of
      the facial bones and the simulation of the distraction device positioning using a
      specific experimental software. The surgical planning was loaded on the
      navigation system and the distraction device was placed following the virtual
      plan, which is displayed on the navigation system as a guide and tracked with the
      navigation instruments. RESULTS: We analyzed the outcome comparing the recorded
      three-dimensional coordinates of the achieved distractor position and the three
      dimensional coordinates of the planned distractor position. Among the eleven
      placed distractors, we found a mean angular error of 3.74 degrees  +/- 3.30
      degrees  on the axial axis (yaw) and of 6.27 degrees  +/- 5.32 degrees  on the
      sagittal axis (pitch), while median angular errors are 3.72 degrees  on the axial
      axis (yaw) and 4.08 degrees  on the sagittal axis (pitch). CONCLUSION: Our
      preliminary experience seems to support that simulation-guided navigation for
      vector control in mandibular distraction osteogenesis could be a useful procedure
      for reproducing the virtually planned outcome. Nevertheless, our results cannot
      be considered completely satisfactory. There is a lot of room to improve accuracy
      and errors seem to depend mainly on the soft tissues interference during
      distractor placement.

PMID- 28347628
TI  - Factors affecting pain assessment scores in patients on mechanical ventilation.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: To determine how respiratory status and other aspects of the patients'
      condition affect pain assessments. METHODS:  Pain was assessed in 20 patients
      aged >=20 years who underwent cardiovascular surgery, and required postoperative
      mechanical ventilation in an intensive care unit using the Behavioral Pain Scale
      (BPS). A BPS score of >=6 (pain) versus <6 (no pain) was the dependent variable
      for determining the effect on pain. RESULTS:  Multiple logistic regression
      analysis showed that in 99 observations made at rest, pre- and post-turning and
      pre- and post-tracheal suctioning, the BPS score was significantly affected by
      gender, the Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation (APACHE) II score,
      Richmond Agitation-Sedation Scale score, PaCO2, and HCO3-. The associations
      between BPS scores and APACHE II scores and HCO3- demonstrated that pain results
      from biological responses to invasion. Increases in PaCO2 affecting only the
      total BPS score suggests that PaCO2 is associated with other pain responses,
      regardless of respiratory status. CONCLUSION:  The BPS score was significantly
      associated with disease severity and ventilatory capacity, demonstrating a need
      to examine pain assessment methods tailored to the severity of underlying
      disease, degree of respiratory failure and other aspects of individual patient's
      condition for effective pain management.

PMID- 28347629
TI  - The effect of experience, simulator-training and biometric feedback on manual
      ventilation technique.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: To determine the frequency of provision and main providers (veterinary
      surgeons, nurses or trainees) of manual ventilation in UK veterinary practices.
      Furthermore, to determine the variation in peak inspiratory (inflation) pressure
      (PIP), applied to a lung model during manual ventilation, by three different
      groups of operators (inexperienced, experienced and specialist), before and after
      training. STUDY DESIGN: Questionnaire survey, lung model simulator development
      and prospective testing. METHODS: Postal questionnaires were sent to 100 randomly
      selected veterinary practices. The lung model simulator was manually ventilated
      in a staged process over 3 weeks, with and without real-time biometric feedback
      (PIP display), by three groups of volunteer operators: inexperienced, experienced
      and specialist. RESULTS: The questionnaires determined that veterinary nurses
      were responsible for providing the majority of manual ventilation in veterinary
      practices, mainly drawing on theoretical knowledge rather than any specific
      training. Thoracic surgery and apnoea were the main reasons for provision of
      manual ventilation. Specialists performed well when manually ventilating the lung
      model, regardless of feedback training. Both inexperienced and experienced
      operators showed significant improvement in technique when using the feedback
      training tool: variation in PIP decreased significantly until operators provided
      manual ventilation at PIPs within the defined optimum range. Preferences for
      different forms of feedback (graphical, numerical or scale display), revealed
      that the operators' choice was not always the method which gave least variation
      in PIP. CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE: This study highlighted a need for
      training in manual ventilation at an early stage in veterinary and veterinary
      nursing careers and demonstrated how feedback is important in the process of
      experiential learning. A manometer device which can provide immediate feedback
      during training, or indeed in a real clinical setting, should improve patient
      safety.

PMID- 28347630
TI  - Tubulins and brain development - The origins of functional specification.
AB  - The development of the vertebrate central nervous system is reliant on a complex
      cascade of biological processes that include mitotic division, relocation of
      migrating neurons, and the extension of dendritic and axonal processes. Each of
      these cellular events requires the diverse functional repertoire of the
      microtubule cytoskeleton for the generation of forces, assembly of macromolecular
      complexes and transport of molecules and organelles. The tubulins are a multi
      gene family that encode for the constituents of microtubules, and have been
      implicated in a spectrum of neurological disorders. Evidence is building that
      different tubulins tune the functional properties of the microtubule cytoskeleton
      dependent on the cell type, developmental profile and subcellular localisation.
      Here we review of the origins of the functional specification of the tubulin gene
      family in the developing brain at a transcriptional, translational, and post
      transcriptional level. We remind the reader that tubulins are not just loading
      controls for your average Western blot.

PMID- 28347631
TI  - The first serological investigation of Chicken astrovirus infection in China.
AB  - Chicken astrovirus (CAstV) is associated with 'white chick' syndrome, which
      increases embryo mortality and reduces hatchability in chickens. In the present
      study, 1760 sera were collected from 21 provinces in China to detect antibodies
      directed against CAstV with an ELISA. The sera were from different varieties of
      chicken in 85 flocks and all the flocks produced positive reactions. The overall
      seroprevalence in the birds tested was 60.68%. The prevalence increased from
      34.17% to 74.44% with the increase of age. The positivity rates in layer flocks,
      layer parent flocks, broiler flocks, broiler parent flocks, and domestic chicken
      flocks were 70.17%, 89.00%, 31.67%, 59.05%, and 45.79%, respectively. These data
      indicate that CAstV infections are very common in China. This is the first report
      of the seroprevalence of CAstV infections in China.

PMID- 28347632
TI  - Do spiroindolines have the potential to replace vesamicol as lead compound for
      the development of radioligands targeting the vesicular acetylcholine
      transporter?
AB  - The vesicular acetylcholine transporter (VAChT) is an important target for in
      vivo imaging of neurodegenerative processes using positron emission tomography
      (PET). So far the development of VAChT PET radioligands is based on the single
      known lead compound vesamicol. In this study we investigated a recently published
      spiroindoline based compound class (Sluder et al., 2012), which was suggested to
      have potential in the development of VAChT ligands. Therefore, we synthesized a
      small series of N,N-substituted spiro[indoline-3,4'-piperidine] derivatives and
      determined their in vitro binding affinities toward the VAChT. In order to
      investigate the selectivity, the off-target binding toward sigma1 and sigma2
      receptors was determined. The compounds possessed VAChT affinities with Ki values
      in the range of 39-376nM. Binding affinities toward the sigma1 and sigma2
      receptors are in a similar range indicating that the strong structural difference
      between the spiroindolines and vesamicol did not improve the selectivity. The
      observed potential to additionally bind to sigma receptors let us assume that the
      herein investigated spiroindolines are not suitable to replace vesamicol as lead
      compound for the development of VAChT ligands.

PMID- 28347633
TI  - Synthesis and carbonic anhydrase inhibition of a series of SLC-0111 analogs.
AB  - SLC-0111 is a sulfonamide carbonic anhydrase (CA, EC 4.2.1.1) inhibitor (CAI) in
      Phase I/II clinical trials for the treatment of advanced hypoxic tumors
      complicated with metastases. Its antitumor effects are due to inhibition of the
      enzymatic activity of CA IX, an isoform predominantly found in tumors/metastases,
      but it also reduces the cancer stem cells population. Here we report the
      synthesis of analogs of SLC-0111, both of the sulfanilamide and metanilamide
      series, which possess diverse substitution patterns at the terminal ureido-phenyl
      moiety, thus including one or more halogens, trifluoromethyl, perchloro
      /perfluorophenyl groups instead of the 4-fluorophenyl present in SLC-0111. Most
      of the sulfanilamide ureido derivatives were highly effective inhibitors of the
      tumor associated isoform and some showed selective CA IX/XII inhibitory profiles.
      Most of the sulfanilamide ureido derivatives were highly effective and in some
      cases selective CA IX/XII inhibitors, whereas the metanilamide ureido derivatives
      were less effective as transmembrane CA isoforms inhibitors. Structure activity
      relationship for this class of sulfonamides is discussed in detail.

PMID- 28347634
TI  - Ten-year outcomes of monomorphic ventricular tachycardia catheter ablation in
      repaired tetralogy of Fallot.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Monomorphic ventricular tachycardia (MVT) is common in adults with
      repaired tetralogy of Fallot (TOF), and is associated with sudden cardiac death.
      Management of MVT is not defined, and results of catheter ablation (CA) are
      limited. AIMS: To evaluate long-term outcomes of MVT CA in repaired TOF. METHODS:
      Thirty-four patients (mean age 32+/-10.3 years; 59% male) with repaired TOF
      underwent CA for symptomatic MVT between 1990 and 2012 in our centre; direct
      current ablation (DCA) was used in 6%, radiofrequency followed by DCA in 29% and
      radiofrequency alone in 65%. RESULTS: Right ventricular (RV) dysfunction was
      present in 35% and left ventricular (LV) dysfunction in 21%. Mean numbers of
      clinical and induced MVTs were 1 and 2, respectively. Mean VT rate was 225+/
      95bpm. Ablation targeted a single site (range 1-2), which was RV outflow tract in
      85%. Primary success, defined as ventricular tachycardia (VT) termination during
      CA and final non-inducibility, was obtained in 82%. Seven patients (21%) required
      redo ablation in the first 3 months (before 2004; DCA). No death related to CA
      occurred. Mean follow-up time was 9.5+/-5.2 years. Antiarrhythmic therapy was
      discontinued in 71%. There were two cases of sudden cardiac death and four VT
      recurrences. Freedom from death and arrhythmia recurrence was 94% at 5 years, 81%
      at 10 years and 70% at 20 years. Global survival was 91% at 20 years. Baseline LV
      ejection fraction<60% was significantly associated with ventricular arrhythmia
      recurrence (hazard ratio 16.4, 95% confidence interval 1.8-147; P=0.01).
      CONCLUSIONS: CA can safely address macroreentrant MVT in repaired TOF patients
      with an acceptable long-term rate of recurrence in this high-risk population.
      Anatomical classification of isthmuses with electroanatomical mapping provides
      reproducible endpoints for CA. Attention should be given to LV systolic function
      in risk assessment and selection of candidates for implantable cardioverter
      defibrillator.

PMID- 28347635
TI  - Is it necessary to isolate the pulmonary veins in atrial fibrillation ablation?
      An analysis of the evolution of ablation approaches in major studies.

PMID- 28347636
TI  - Knowledge of hepatitis C and treatment willingness amongst people who inject
      drugs in an era of direct acting antivirals.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Knowledge of hepatitis C virus (HCV) is believed to be important in
      altering risk behaviour, improving engagement in care, and promoting willingness
      to initiate HCV treatment. We assessed factors associated with HCV knowledge and
      treatment willingness amongst people who inject drugs (PWID) in an era of direct
      acting antivirals. METHODS: Data were derived from three prospective cohort
      studies of PWID in Vancouver, Canada, between June 2014 and May 2015. HCV
      knowledge and treatment willingness were assessed using a Likert scale.
      Multivariable linear regression identified factors associated with higher HCV
      knowledge and treatment willingness. RESULTS: Amongst 630 participants, mean
      scores for HCV knowledge and treatment willingness were 25.41 (standard deviation
      [SD]: 2.52) out of 30, and 6.83 (SD: 1.83) out of 10, respectively. In
      multivariable analyses, Caucasian ancestry (adjusted linear regression model
      estimate [beta] 0.50; 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.17, 0.82), employment (beta
      0.76; 95% CI: 0.38, 1.13), diagnosed mental health disorder (beta 0.44; 95% CI:
      0.11, 0.78) and previous HCV treatment (beta 0.94; 95% CI: 0.46, 1.43) were
      independently associated with higher knowledge. Downtown Eastside (DTES)
      residence (i.e., epicenter of Vancouver's drug scene) was independently
      associated with lower knowledge (beta -0.48; 95% CI: -0.81, -0.15). Greater HCV
      knowledge (beta 0.12; 95% CI: 0.07, 0.17) was independently associated with
      higher HCV treatment willingness. DTES residence (beta -0.31; 95% CI: -0.56, 
      0.06) and daily crack cocaine smoking (beta -0.52; 95% CI: -0.92, -0.13) were
      independently associated with lower treatment willingness. CONCLUSION:
      Socioeconomic factors, such as neighborhood residence and employment, were
      associated with HCV knowledge. Higher HCV knowledge was associated with more HCV
      treatment willingness. Our findings suggest that increasing HCV knowledge amongst
      PWID may be an integral component of the HCV cascade of care and that efforts
      might be best targeted to individuals with greater socioeconomic disadvantage.

PMID- 28347638
TI  - [Congenital mesenteric band simulating a small-bowel volvulus in a mesenteric
      rotation anomaly].
AB  - A congenital mesenteric band is a rare cause of intestinal obstruction. We
      describe a case of upper gastrointestinal obstruction on a jejunal congenital
      band in a 2-year-old child. The challenge is to make the diagnosis in a patient
      with no history of previous surgery.

PMID- 28347637
TI  - Transient neonatal diabetes mellitus and activating mutation in the KCNJ11 gene
      in two siblings.
AB  - Transient neonatal diabetes mellitus is a rare disease usually associated with
      chromosome 6 abnormalities. Mutations of the genes encoding the potassium channel
      are rarely associated with these transitional forms. Herein, we report the
      clinical features of two siblings with a heterozygous mutation C679 G>A in the
      KCNJ11 gene.

PMID- 28347639
TI  - Neurite outgrowth in cultured mouse pelvic ganglia - Effects of neurotrophins and
      bladder tissue.
AB  - Neurotrophic factors regulate survival and growth of neurons. The urinary bladder
      is innervated via both sympathetic and parasympathetic neurons located in the
      major pelvic ganglion. The aim of the present study was to characterize the
      effects of the neurotrophins nerve growth factor (NGF), brain derived
      neurotrophic factor (BDNF) and neurotrophin 3 (NT-3) on the sprouting rate of
      sympathetic and parasympathetic neurites from the female mouse ganglion. The
      pelvic ganglion was dissected out and attached to a petri dish and cultured in
      vitro. All three factors (BDNF, NT-3 and NGF) stimulated neurite outgrowth of
      both sympathetic and parasympathetic neurites although BDNF and NT-3 had a higher
      stimulatory effect on parasympathetic ganglion cells. The neurotrophin receptors
      TrkA, TrkB and TrkC were all expressed in neurons of the ganglia. Co-culture of
      ganglia with urinary bladder tissue, but not diaphragm tissue, increased the
      sprouting rate of neurites. Active forms of BDNF and NT-3 were detected in
      urinary bladder tissue using western blotting whereas tissue from the diaphragm
      expressed NGF. Neurite outgrowth from the pelvic ganglion was inhibited by a TrkB
      receptor antagonist. We therefore suggest that the urinary bladder releases
      trophic factors, including BDNF and NT-3, which regulate neurite outgrowth via
      activation of neuronal Trk-receptors. These findings could influence future
      strategies for developing pharmaceuticals to improve re-innervation due to
      bladder pathologies.

PMID- 28347640
TI  - A systematic review and meta-analysis of the utility of repeated versus single
      hepatic resection for colorectal cancer liver metastases.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Recurrence of colorectal liver metastases after a first hepatectomy
      is common (4-48% of patients). This review investigates the utility of repeated
      hepatic resection of colorectal liver metastases. METHODS: A systematic search of
      the literature was performed in the Cochrane Library, MEDLINE, EMBASE, and trial
      registers. All studies comparing repeated hepatic resection for colorectal liver
      metastases with patients who underwent only one hepatectomy were eligible.
      Outcome criteria were safety parameters and survival rates. Data were analyzed
      using the random-effects model. RESULTS: In eight observational clinical studies,
      450 patients with repeated hepatic resection were compared with 2669 single
      hepatic resections. Morbidity such as hepatic insufficiency (OR [95% CI] 1.46
      [0.69; 3.08], p = 0.32) and biliary leakage and fistula (OR [95% CI] 1.22 [0.80;
      1.85], p = 0.35) was comparable between the two groups. Mortality (OR [95% CI]
      1.13 [0.46; 2.74], p = 0.79) and overall survival (HR [95% CI] 1.00 [0.63; 1.60],
      p = 0.99) were not significantly different between the two groups. DISCUSSION:
      Repeated hepatic resection for colorectal liver metastases is safe in selected
      patients. A prospective, multicenter high-quality trial or register study of
      repeated hepatic resection will be required to clarify patient-oriented outcomes
      such as overall survival and quality of life.

PMID- 28347641
TI  - Differences in physical health, and health behaviors between family caregivers of
      children with and without disabilities.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Providing care for children with disabilities can negatively
      influence the physical health and health behaviors of family caregivers.
      OBJECTIVES/HYPOTHESIS: The study purposes were to compare the prevalence of
      chronic conditions and health risk behaviors of family caregivers of children
      with and without disabilities and to examine associations between disability
      status of children and family caregivers' chronic conditions and health risk
      behaviors. METHODS: This study compared chronic conditions and health risk
      behaviors across adult family caregivers of children with a disability (FCG-D)
      and family caregivers of children without a disability (FCG) living in a U.S.
      household using 2015 National Health Interview Survey data. Health risk behaviors
      were defined as heavy drinking, current smoking, physical inactivity, and
      unhealthy sleep. Multivariable logistic regression was conducted to compare
      chronic conditions and health risk behaviors between FCG-D and FCG with
      adjustments for demographic and healthcare coverage covariates. RESULTS: FCG-D
      showed significantly greater likelihoods of chronic conditions (e.g., asthma,
      back pain, chronic bronchitis, heart conditions, migraine, and obesity) than FCG.
      FCG-D also exhibited significantly more smoking and unhealthy sleep. CONCLUSIONS:
      Family caregivers of children with a disability reported significantly greater
      likelihoods of various chronic conditions and were more likely to engage in
      health risk behaviors (smoking and unhealthy sleep). Further study is needed to
      develop intervention programs for encouraging effective health-promoting
      behaviors among family caregivers of children with a disability as well as health
      policies for decreasing health disparities experienced by this population.

PMID- 28347642
TI  - The Need for Extracorporeal Support for Lung Transplantation: Why and What Does
      the Future Hold?

PMID- 28347643
TI  - Synchronous association of typical and transient mesenteric panniculitis with
      acute gastrointestinal attack of adult-onset Henoch-Schonlein purpura.

PMID- 28347645
TI  - Evolution of the vertebrate phototransduction cascade activation steps.
AB  - We examine the molecular phylogeny of the proteins underlying the activation
      steps of vertebrate phototransduction, for both agnathan and jawed vertebrate
      taxa. We expand the number of taxa analysed and we update the alignment and tree
      building methodology from a previous analysis. For each of the four primary
      components (the G-protein transducin alpha subunit, GalphaT, the cyclic GMP
      phosphodiesterase, PDE6, and the alpha and beta subunits of the cGMP-gated ion
      channel, CNGC), the phylogenies appear consistent with expansion from an
      ancestral proto-vertebrate cascade during two rounds of whole-genome duplication
      followed by divergence of the agnathan and jawed vertebrate lineages. In each
      case, we consider possible scenarios for the underlying gene duplications and
      losses, and we apply relevant constraints to the tree construction. From tests of
      the topology of the resulting trees, we obtain a scenario for the expansion of
      each component during 2R that accurately fits the observations. Similar analysis
      of the visual opsins indicates that the only expansion to have occurred during 2R
      was the formation of Rh1 and Rh2. Finally, we propose a hypothetical scenario for
      the conversion of an ancestral chordate cascade into the proto-vertebrate
      phototransduction cascade, prior to whole-genome duplication. Together, our
      models provide a plausible account for the origin and expansion of the vertebrate
      phototransduction cascade.

PMID- 28347644
TI  - Genomic determinants of epidermal appendage patterning and structure in domestic
      birds.
AB  - Variation in regional identity, patterning, and structure of epidermal appendages
      contributes to skin diversity among many vertebrate groups, and is perhaps most
      striking in birds. In pioneering work on epidermal appendage patterning, John
      Saunders and his contemporaries took advantage of epidermal appendage diversity
      within and among domestic chicken breeds to establish the importance of mesoderm
      ectoderm signaling in determining skin patterning. Diversity in chickens and
      other domestic birds, including pigeons, is driving a new wave of research to
      dissect the molecular genetic basis of epidermal appendage patterning. Domestic
      birds are not only outstanding models for embryonic manipulations, as Saunders
      recognized, but they are also ideal genetic models for discovering the specific
      genes that control normal development and the mutations that contribute to skin
      diversity. Here, we review recent genetic and genomic approaches to uncover the
      basis of epidermal macropatterning, micropatterning, and structural variation. We
      also present new results that confirm expression changes in two limb identity
      genes in feather-footed pigeons, a case of variation in appendage structure and
      identity.

PMID- 28347646
TI  - Allogeneic islet cells implant on poly-l-lactide matrix to reduce hyperglycaemia
      in streptozotocin-induced diabetic rat.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: To demonstrate the effects of allogeneic islet cell matrix implants
      for glycaemic control in rats with induced diabetes. METHOD: Sprague-Dawley rats
      were used as allogeneic donors of islet cells. Cells were seeded on three
      dimensional proprietary poly-(l-lactide) matrices. Animals were rendered diabetic
      and a week later a matrix seeded with islet cells (IMI group) or a control matrix
      (placebo group) was implanted in the small bowel mesentery. Blood glucose levels
      were measured weekly for 12 weeks. After sacrifice, implant sections were Gomori
      stained for beta-cells and immuno-stained for insulin 3, 4, 5, and 6 months post
      implantation. RESULTS: 82% of seeded islet cells attached to the matrices. In the
      IMI group blood glucose levels were significantly reduced after implantation
      compared with before implantation across several time points. In the IMI group
      beta-cells and insulin-positive cells were identified at the implant site.
      CONCLUSION: The islet cell matrix implant reduced the blood glucose levels
      although complete normo-glycaemia was not established. The islet cell matrix
      implant may serve as an additional option for islet cell transplantation using 3D
      scaffold platforms for better survival and function of the islet cells.

PMID- 28347648
TI  - Sarode honoured by American Society of Hematology.

PMID- 28347647
TI  - Laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy after failed gastric banding: is it really
      effective? Six years of follow-up.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy (LSG) has become a valuable surgical
      option to rescue laparoscopic adjustable gastric banding (LAGB) failures.
      OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study was to determine whether conversion to LSG
      after failed LAGB (CLSG) is a well-tolerated and effective rescue procedure
      compared with primary LSG (PLSG) in the long term. SETTING: University hospital,
      France. METHODS: A retrospective review of data concerning consecutive patients
      receiving a LSG between February 2008 and December 2014 was conducted. Mortality,
      postoperative complications, and weight loss outcomes were analyzed. RESULTS: Of
      701 LSG, 601 (85.7%) were PLSG and 100 (14.3%) were CLSG. The mortality rate was
      0%. Overall morbidity was comparable between the primary and conversion group
      (10% versus 6%, P = .27). The mean percentage of excess weight loss at 3, 36, and
      72 months was 34.9%, 72.1%, and 57.2% after PLSG and 22.6%, 51.2% and 29.8% after
      CLSG (P<.05). The failure rate (mean percentage of excess weight loss<50%) was
      higher in the CLSG group during the first 5 postoperative years (P < .001) with
      more than two thirds of the CLSG considered as having failed at 60 months.
      Patients who underwent band ablation as a result of insufficient weight loss or
      weight regain presented the worst results after conversion to LSG. CONCLUSION: In
      this study, the conversion of failed LAGB to LSG in 2 steps indicated a safety
      profile comparable to that of primary LSG but was significantly less effective
      from the early postoperative course (3 mo) up to 6 years postoperatively. CLSG
      may not be the best option because a third operation may be needed as a result of
      insufficient weight loss.

PMID- 28347649
TI  - The effect of intraarticular serum rich in growth factors (SRGF) on knee
      osteoarthritis in the rat model.
AB  - Osteoarthritis (OA) is a degenerative joint disease with high incidence in world.
      Various treatments have been used for decreasing pain and improving physical
      function without clearly beneficial evidences. Nowadays, platelet-rich therapy is
      used as a novel approach in field of regenerative medicine. The present study
      evaluated the effect of intraarticular serum rich in growth factors (SRGF) on the
      monosodium iodoacetate induced-osteoarthritis in rat model. SRGF was injected 3
      times weekly. Femorotibial joints were examined 2 weeks after last injection.
      Histopathologic results showed remarkable articular regeneration in the SRGF
      treated rats. Our findings were less surface irregularities and articular clefts,
      proliferation of chondrocytes and increasing synthesis of matrix proteoglycan
      with toluidine blue staining. Destroyed articular cartilage was repaired by fibro
      hyaline cartilage in contrast to the OA rats that filled with fibrovascular
      tissues. The microscopic score had decreased in the treatment group. We concluded
      that SRGF, as a source of growth factors, have chondroinductive capacity with
      regard to enhancement of cartilage regeneration.

PMID- 28347650
TI  - Angiopoietin-like protein 8/betatrophin as a new determinant of type 2 diabetes
      remission after bariatric surgery.
AB  - This work aimed to explore the link between angiopoietin-like protein 8 (ANGPTL8)
      and weight loss after metabolic surgery. In the cross-sectional study (n = 100),
      circulating ANGPTL8 concentrations were significantly lower in morbidly obese
      than in lean subjects, and strikingly lower in morbidly obese patients with type
      2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). Conversely, ANGPTL8 expression in subcutaneous
      adipose tissue (SAT) was higher in morbidly obese patients, particularly in those
      with T2DM, whereas its expression in visceral adipose tissue was unchanged. The
      main predictors for circulating levels of ANGPTL8 were BMI and T2DM, whereas
      ANGPTL8 expression in SAT was determined by the presence of T2DM. The prospective
      cohort studies before and 1 year after bariatric surgery in morbidly obese
      patients with (n = 45) and without (n = 30) T2DM, revealed a significant increase
      of circulating ANGPTL8 levels 1 year after the bariatric surgery. Intriguingly,
      this increment, which was predicted by basal ANGPTL8 concentrations, appeared as
      a determinant of T2DM remission. In conclusion, circulating ANGPTL8 levels have
      an inverse relationship with SAT expression. Low basal levels of ANGPTL8 rebound
      after bariatric surgery. The increment in ANGPTL8 concentrations at 1 month of
      follow-up after weight loss emerged as a significant predictor of the T2DM
      remission at 1 year of follow-up.

PMID- 28347651
TI  - Selective Targeting of SH2 Domain-Phosphotyrosine Interactions of Src Family
      Tyrosine Kinases with Monobodies.
AB  - The binding of Src-homology 2 (SH2) domains to phosphotyrosine (pY) sites is
      critical for the autoinhibition and substrate recognition of the eight Src family
      kinases (SFKs). The high sequence conservation of the 120 human SH2 domains poses
      a significant challenge to selectively perturb the interactions of even the SFK
      SH2 family against the rest of the SH2 domains. We have developed synthetic
      binding proteins, termed monobodies, for six of the SFK SH2 domains with
      nanomolar affinity. Most of these monobodies competed with pY ligand binding and
      showed strong selectivity for either the SrcA (Yes, Src, Fyn, Fgr) or SrcB
      subgroup (Lck, Lyn, Blk, Hck). Interactome analysis of intracellularly expressed
      monobodies revealed that they bind SFKs but no other SH2-containing proteins.
      Three crystal structures of monobody-SH2 complexes unveiled different and only
      partly overlapping binding modes, which rationalized the observed selectivity and
      enabled structure-based mutagenesis to modulate inhibition mode and selectivity.
      In line with the critical roles of SFK SH2 domains in kinase autoinhibition and T
      cell receptor signaling, monobodies binding the Src and Hck SH2 domains
      selectively activated respective recombinant kinases, whereas an Lck SH2-binding
      monobody inhibited proximal signaling events downstream of the T-cell receptor
      complex. Our results show that SFK SH2 domains can be targeted with unprecedented
      potency and selectivity using monobodies. They are excellent tools for dissecting
      SFK functions in normal development and signaling and to interfere with aberrant
      SFK signaling networks in cancer cells.

PMID- 28347652
TI  - Reaction-diffusion waves of blood coagulation.
AB  - One of the main characteristics of blood coagulation is the speed of clot growth.
      In the current work we consider a mathematical model of the coagulation cascade
      and study existence, stability and speed of propagation of the reaction-diffusion
      waves of blood coagulation. We also develop a simplified one-equation model that
      reflects the main features of the thrombin wave propagation. For this equation we
      estimate the wave speed analytically. The resulting formulas provide a good
      approximation for the speed of wave propagation in a more complex model as well
      as for the experimental data.

PMID- 28347653
TI  - Cytochrome c oxidase subunit I haplotype diversity of Angiostrongylus cantonensis
      (Nematoda: Angiostrongylidae).
AB  - The rat lungworm Angiostrongylus cantonensis is a food-borne zoonotic parasite of
      public health importance worldwide. It is the primary etiologic agent of
      eosinophilic meningitis and eosinophilic meningoencephalitis in humans in many
      countries. It is highly endemic in Thailand especially in the northeast region.
      In this study, A. cantonensis adult worms recovered from the lungs of wild rats
      in different geographical regions/provinces in Thailand were used to determine
      their haplotype by means of the mitochondrial partial cytochrome c oxidase
      subunit I (COI) gene sequence. The results revealed three additional COI
      haplotypes of A. cantonensis. The geographical isolates of A. cantonensis from
      Thailand and other countries formed a monophyletic clade distinct from the
      closely related A. malaysiensis. In the present study, distinct haplotypes were
      identified in seven regions of Thailand - AC10 in Phitsanulok (northern region),
      AC11 in Nakhon Phanom (northeastern region), AC15 in Trat (eastern region), AC16
      in Chantaburi (eastern region), AC4 in Samut Prakan (central region), AC14 in
      Kanchanaburi (western region), and AC13 in Ranong (southern region). Phylogenetic
      analysis revealed that these haplotypes formed distinct lineages. In general, the
      COI sequences did not differentiate the worldwide geographical isolates of A.
      cantonensis. This study has further confirmed the presence of COI haplotype
      diversity in various geographical isolates of A. cantonensis. The COI gene
      sequence will be a suitable marker for studying population structure,
      phylogeography and genetic diversity of the rat lungworm.

PMID- 28347654
TI  - Efficacy and safety of alirocumab in insulin-treated patients with type 1 or type
      2 diabetes and high cardiovascular risk: Rationale and design of the ODYSSEY DM
      INSULIN trial.
AB  - AIMS: The coadministration of alirocumab, a PCSK9 inhibitor for treatment of
      hypercholesterolaemia, and insulin in diabetes mellitus (DM) requires further
      study. Described here is the rationale behind a phase-IIIb study designed to
      characterize the efficacy and safety of alirocumab in insulin-treated patients
      with type 1 (T1) or type 2 (T2) DM with hypercholesterolaemia and high
      cardiovascular (CV) risk. METHODS: ODYSSEY DM-INSULIN (NCT02585778) is a
      randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, multicentre study that planned to
      enrol around 400 T2 and up to 100 T1 insulin-treated DM patients. Participants
      had low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) levels at screening>=70mg/dL
      (1.81mmol/L) with stable maximum tolerated statin therapy or were statin
      intolerant, and taking (or not) other lipid-lowering therapy; they also had
      established CV disease or at least one additional CV risk factor. Eligible
      patients were randomized 2:1 to 24weeks of alirocumab 75mg every 2weeks (Q2W) or
      a placebo. Alirocumab-treated patients with LDL-C>=70mg/dL at week 8 underwent a
      blinded dose increase to 150mg Q2W at week 12. Primary endpoints were the
      difference between treatment arms in percentage change of calculated LDL-C from
      baseline to week 24, and alirocumab safety. RESULTS: This is an ongoing clinical
      trial, with 76 T1 and 441 T2 DM patients enrolled; results are expected in mid
      2017. CONCLUSION: The ODYSSEY DM-INSULIN study will provide information on the
      efficacy and safety of alirocumab in insulin-treated individuals with T1 or T2 DM
      who are at high CV risk and have hypercholesterolaemia not adequately controlled
      by the maximum tolerated statin therapy.

PMID- 28347655
TI  - Long-term Clinical Outcome of Antibody Replacement Therapy in Humoral
      Immunodeficient Adults With Respiratory Tract Infections.
AB  - In severe humoral immunodeficiency the indication for antibody replacement
      therapy (ART) is clear, and supported by several large studies. However, for
      milder forms of humoral immunodeficiency, the indication for ART is less clear.
      This is a retrospective cohort study of 87 adults with recurrent respiratory
      tract infections who received ART. The patients had severe or mild humoral
      immunodeficiency, and were followed up for a median of 62months. Infection
      frequency, pharmacy-registered antibiotics use and hospital admissions
      significantly decreased under ART compared to the year prior to starting ART
      (median 5.50 (anamnestically)-0.82 (physician-confirmed) infections/year,
      p<0.001; median 4.00-2.05antibioticscourses/year, p<0.001; mean 0.75
      0.44hospitaladmissions/year, p=0.009). These beneficial effects of ART were seen
      in both severe and mild immunodeficiency. Bronchiectasis was present in 27
      patients when ART was started, but was not associated with clinical outcomes. An
      increase in hospital admissions under ART, observed in some patients, was
      significantly associated with pulmonary emphysema and current smoking. In
      conclusion, this study shows that ART is a long-term effective therapy in adults
      with recurrent respiratory tract infections with severe as well as with milder
      forms of humoral immunodeficiency.

PMID- 28347657
TI  - [Disseminated phytodermatitis: A nosological entity to know].

PMID- 28347656
TI  - Telomeres and Cell Senescence - Size Matters Not.
AB  - Telomeres are protective structures present at the ends of linear chromosomes
      that are important in preventing genome instability. Telomeres shorten as a
      result of cellular replication, leading to a permanent cell cycle arrest, also
      known as replicative senescence. Senescent cells have been shown to accumulate in
      mammalian tissue with age and in a number of age-related diseases, suggesting
      that they might contribute to the loss of tissue function observed with age. In
      this review, we will first describe evidence suggesting a key role for senescence
      in the ageing process and elaborate on some of the mechanisms by which telomeres
      can induce cellular senescence. Furthermore, we will present multiple lines of
      evidence suggesting that telomeres can act as sensors of both intrinsic and
      extrinsic stress as well as recent data indicating that telomere-induced
      senescence may occur irrespectively of the length of telomeres.

PMID- 28347658
TI  - Galectin-9 as a prognostic and predictive biomarker in bladder urothelial
      carcinoma.
AB  - PURPOSE: Galectin-9, a member of the "tandem repeat" type galectins performing as
      animal lectins with an affinity for beta-galactosides, has been well documented
      to exert crucial functions in immunomodulation, survival, and growth of various
      tumors. This study aims to reveal the clinical significance of galectin-9 in
      urothelial carcinoma of the bladder (UCB) postoperatively. MATERIALS AND METHODS:
      We retrospectively included 202 patients with UCB who underwent radical
      cystectomy at a single institute from 2002 to 2014. Galectin-9 expression was
      assessed by immunohistochemistry on tissue microarrays. The Kaplan-Meier method
      was conducted to plot survival curves. Prognostic nomograms were constructed via
      integrating all the independent indicators from multivariate Cox analysis for
      recurrence-free survival (RFS) and cancer-specific survival (CSS). In addition,
      we evaluate whether patients with increased or decreased galectin-9 expression
      might benefit from adjuvant chemotherapy. RESULTS: Low galectin-9 expression was
      significantly correlated with lymphovascular invasion (P = 0.002), early
      recurrence (P = 0.010), and short CSS (P = 0.002). Furthermore, multivariate
      analysis identified galectin-9 expression as a potential independent indicator
      for RFS (hazard ratio = 0.62; 95% CI: 0.40-0.95; P = 0.030) and CSS (hazard ratio
      = 0.46; 95% CI: 0.26-0.81; P = 0.008). Moreover, the benefit associated with
      adjuvant chemotherapy was superior among galectin-9 low patients than among
      galectin-9 high patients (P = 0.014). CONCLUSIONS: Expression of galectin-9 is an
      independent prognostic factor for RFS and CSS in patients with UCB. Evaluation of
      galectin-9 expression may predict the benefit from adjuvant chemotherapy.

PMID- 28347659
TI  - Variant histology as a significant predictor of survival after radical
      nephroureterectomy in patients with upper urinary tract urothelial carcinoma.
AB  - OBJECTIVES: To investigate the effect of variant histology (VH) on survival after
      radical nephroureterectomy in patients with upper urinary tract urothelial
      carcinoma (UTUC) and the effect of adjuvant chemotherapy on the survival of
      patients with UTUC with VH. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A total of 452 patients who
      underwent radical nephroureterectomy for UTUC without neoadjuvant chemotherapy in
      our institution between 1991 and 2012 were retrospectively analyzed. We performed
      a comparative analysis between pure UTUC and UTUC with VH groups. The Kaplan
      Meier method was used to calculate survival estimates for cancer-specific
      survival (CSS) and overall survival (OS), and log-rank test was used to conduct
      comparisons between the groups. Univariate and multivariate Cox-proportional
      hazard regression analyses were performed to evaluate significant variables
      associated with CSS and OS. RESULTS: UTUC with VH was present in 41 (9.1%)
      patients. UTUC with VH showed aggressive clinicopathological features in
      comparison with pure UTUC. The Kaplan-Meier curves showed significantly decreased
      5-year CSS and OS (both, P<0.001) in UTUC with VH group. Multivariate analysis
      revealed that VH was an independent predictor of CSS (P<0.001) and OS (P<0.002).
      The Kaplan-Meier curves also showed significantly decreased 5-year CSS and OS in
      UTUC with the VH group compared to the pure UTUC group in patients who received
      adjuvant chemotherapy. CONCLUSIONS: We found that UTUC with VH harbored
      aggressive biologic features, and VH was an independent prognostic factor for CSS
      and OS on both univariate and multivariate analyses. In addition, UTUC with VH
      group had poorer survival outcomes than pure UTUC group in patients who received
      adjuvant chemotherapy. Consequently, adjuvant treatment modalities other than
      adjuvant chemotherapy should be considered in this group.

PMID- 28347660
TI  - Effect of genetic polymorphism on the inhibition of dopamine formation from p
      tyramine catalyzed by brain cytochrome P450 2D6.
AB  - The inhibitory effects of steroid hormones, including glucocorticoids such as
      cortisol, and related compounds on dopamine formation from p-tyramine, catalyzed
      by cytochrome P450 (CYP) 2D6.2 (Arg296Cys, Ser486Thr) and CYP2D6.10 (Pro34Ser,
      Ser486Thr) were compared with the effects of those catalyzed by CYP2D6.1 (wild
      type), to investigate the effect of a CYP2D6 polymorphism on neuroactive amine
      metabolism in the brain. Inhibition constants (Ki) or 50% inhibitory
      concentrations of six steroid hormones (cortisol, cortisone, corticosterone,
      dehydroepiandrosterone, progesterone, and pregnenolone) and quinidine and quinine
      typical potent inhibitors of the human CYP2D6 and rat CYP2D subfamily,
      respectively-toward dopamine formation catalyzed by CYP2D6.1, CYP2D6.2, and
      CYP2D6.10 expressed in recombinant Escherichia coli were compared. Although most
      steroid hormones had no or minor inhibitory effects on the dopamine formation by
      all CYP2D6 variants, progesterone inhibited the metabolism and Ki value against
      CYP2D6.10 was approximately twice that for CYP2D6.1 and CYP2D6.2. Quinidine
      exhibited stronger inhibition than quinine; however, these two compounds
      inhibited the CYP2D6.10-mediated reaction more weakly than the CYP2D6.1 and
      CYP2D6.2 reactions. These results suggest that CYP2D6 polymorphism would affect
      drug interaction through dopamine formation in the brain.

PMID- 28347661
TI  - Functional characterization of a common CYP4F11 genetic variant and
      identification of functionally defective CYP4F11 variants in erythromycin
      metabolism and 20-HETE synthesis.
AB  - CYP4F11, together with CYP4F2, plays an important role in the synthesis of 20
      hydroxyeicosatetraenoic acid (20-HETE) from arachidonic acid. We identified 21
      variants by whole exome sequencing, including 4 non-synonymous variants in Korean
      subjects. The proteins of the wild-type CYP4F11 and the four coding variants
      (C276R, D315N, D374Y, and D446N) were expressed in Escherichia coli DH5alpha
      cells and purified to give cytochrome P450-specific carbon monoxide difference
      spectra. Wild-type CYP4F2 was also expressed and purified to compare its activity
      with the CYP4F11 wild-type. Wild-type CYP4F11 exhibited the highest maximal
      clearance for erythromycin N-demethylase activity followed by the variants D374Y,
      D446N, C276R, and D315N. In particular, the CYP4F11 D315N protein showed about
      50% decrease in intrinsic clearance compared to the wild type. The ability of
      wild-type CYP4F11 and the variants to synthesize 20-HETE from arachidonic acid
      was similar; the CYP4F11 D315N variant, however, showed only 68% of wild-type
      activity. Furthermore, the ability of CYP4F2 to synthesize 20-HETE was 1.7-fold
      greater than that of CYP4F11. Overall, our results suggest that the metabolism of
      CYP4F11 substrates may be reduced in individuals carrying the CYP4F11 D315N
      genetic variant and individuals carrying the common D446N CYP4F11 variant likely
      exhibit comparable 20-HETE synthesis as individuals expressing wild-type CYP4F11.

PMID- 28347662
TI  - An Assessment of the Frequency of Palliative Procedures in Thoracic Surgery.
AB  - OBJECTIVES: Palliative care is a medical specialty focused on improving the
      quality of life of patients and their families with life threatening illness by
      preventing or relieving suffering. An assessment of a thoracic surgery service
      was performed to identify the scope and frequency of care that was considered
      palliative and any implications the findings might have on the current thoracic
      surgery residency curriculum. METHODS: A retrospective review of a prospectively
      collected database of general thoracic surgery procedures performed over a 5-year
      period at a single institution was performed. Procedures considered palliative
      were reviewed for demographics, diagnoses, palliative prognosis score, treatment,
      morbidity, operative mortality, and survival. Excluded were referrals from
      thoracic surgery to other specialties for palliative procedures. RESULTS: During
      the study period, 3842 procedures were performed of which 884 (23%) were
      palliative. Indications included pleural or pericardial effusion or both,
      dysphagia, hemoptysis, tracheobronchial obstruction, bronchopleural fistula, and
      tracheoesophageal fistula. The majority was related to a malignancy. Only 127
      patients (14%) had a palliative care assessment before thoracic surgery
      consultation. Mean survival following thoracic surgery intervention was 110 days
      for patients with malignancy. CONCLUSIONS: This investigation found that thoracic
      surgeons commonly care for patients when the intention or indication or both is
      palliation. Most of these patients have an associated malignancy, a poor
      performance status and a projected significantly decreased survival compared with
      the general population. Thoracic surgeons should be familiar with the concepts of
      palliative care and consideration should be given to expanding exposure to the
      principles of palliative care in the cardiothoracic residency training
      curriculum.

PMID- 28347663
TI  - Prospective Trial of House Staff Time to Response and Intervention in a Surgical
      Intensive Care Unit: Pager vs. Smartphone.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: The objective of the study was to characterize house staff time to
      response and intervention when notified of a patient care issue by pager vs.
      smartphone. We hypothesized that smartphones would reduce house staff time to
      response and intervention. DESIGN: Prospective study of all electronic
      communications was conducted between nurses and house staff between September
      2015 and October 2015. The 4-week study period was randomly divided into two 2
      week study periods where all electronic communications between intensive care
      unit nurses and intensive care unit house staff were exclusively by smartphone or
      by pager, respectively. Time of communication initiation, time of house staff
      response, and time from response to clinical intervention for each communication
      were recorded. Outcomes are time from nurse contact to house staff response and
      intervention. SETTING: Single-center surgical intensive care unit of Cedars-Sinai
      Medical Center in Los Angeles, California, an academic tertiary care and level I
      trauma center. PARTICIPANTS: All electronic communications occurring between
      nurses and house staff in the study unit during the study period were considered.
      During the study period, 205 nurse-house staff electronic communications
      occurred, 100 in the phone group and 105 in the pager group. RESULTS: House staff
      response to communication time was significantly shorter in the phone group (0.5
      [interquartile range = 1.7] vs. 2 [3]min, p < 0.001). Time to house staff
      intervention after response was also significantly more rapid in the phone group
      (0.8 [1.7] vs. 1 [2]min, p = 0.003). CONCLUSIONS: Dedicated clinical smartphones
      significantly decrease time to house staff response after electronic nursing
      communications compared with pagers.

PMID- 28347664
TI  - Venestatin, a Ca++-binding protein from the parasitic nematode Strongyloides
      venezuelensis, is involved in the larval migration process.
AB  - The secretory EF-hand Ca++-binding proteins act as calcium signaling molecules
      for control of cell functions, but those proteins from parasitic helminths are
      poorly understood. Here, we have identified and characterized an EF-hand Ca++
      binding protein from the rodent nematode, Strongyloides venezuelensis, termed
      'venestatin', which is highly conserved in Strongyloides spp. Canonical two EF
      hand domains and a signal peptide are present in venestatin. A gel mobility shift
      assay and Ruthenium red staining indicated that the recombinant venestatin
      possesses binding ability with Ca++ ions. Endogenous venestatin was seemingly
      localized in the hypodermis and gut of the worms and was found in the excretory
      secretory products. Quantitative reverse transcription-PCR data showed that
      venestatin-specific transcript was upregulated in the parasitic stages of S.
      venezuelensis, and the upregulation occurred promptly after larval invasion
      through the host's skin, but not in the case of in vitro incubation. Immunization
      of mice with recombinant venestatin caused a 55% reduction in larval migration to
      the lungs, and lung hemorrhaging was mild compared with non-immunized groups,
      suggesting that anti-venestatin sera may interfere with larval migration from
      skin to lung. Our results suggest that venestatin is secreted from the hypodermis
      and gut of S. venezuelensis, and has pivotal roles in larval migration.

PMID- 28347665
TI  - Discovery of small molecule inhibitors for the snake venom metalloprotease BaP1
      using in silico and in vitro tests.
AB  - Snakebites represent an important public health problem, with a great number of
      victims with permanent sequelae or fatal outcomes, particularly in rural,
      agriculturally active areas. The snake venom metalloproteases (SVMPs) are the
      principal proteins responsible for some clinically-relevant effects, such as
      local and systemic hemorrhage, dermonecrosis, and myonecrosis. Because of the
      difficulties in neutralizing them rapidly and locally by antivenoms, the search
      and design of small molecules as inhibitors of SVMPs are proposed. The Bothrops
      asper metalloprotease P1 (BaP1) is hereby used as a target protein and by High
      Throughput Virtual Screening (HTVS) approach, the free access virtual libraries:
      ZINC, PubChem and ChEMBL, were searched for potent small molecule inhibitors.
      Results from the aforementioned approaches provided strong evidences on the
      structural requirements for the efficient BaP1 inhibition such as the presence of
      the pyrimidine-2,4,6-trione moiety. The two proposed compounds have also shown
      excellent results in performed in vitro interaction studies against BaP1.

PMID- 28347666
TI  - Discovery of a series of 8-(1-phenylpyrrolidin-2-yl)-6-carboxamide-2-morpholino
      4H-chromen-4-one as PI3Kbeta/delta inhibitors for the treatment of PTEN-deficient
      tumours.
AB  - Attempts to lock the active conformation of compound 4, a PI3Kbeta/delta
      inhibitor (PI3Kbeta cell IC50 0.015MUM), led to the discovery of a series of 8-(1
      phenylpyrrolidin-2-yl)-6-carboxamide-2-morpholino-4H-chromen-4-ones, which showed
      high levels of potency and selectivity as PI3Kbeta/delta inhibitors. Compound 10
      proved exquisitely potent and selective: PI3Kbeta cell IC50 0.0011MUM in PTEN
      null MDA-MB-468 cell and PI3Kdelta cell IC50 0.014MUM in Jeko-1 B-cell, and
      exhibited suitable physical properties for oral administration. In vivo, compound
      10 showed profound pharmacodynamic modulation of AKT phosphorylation in a mouse
      PTEN-null PC3 prostate tumour xenograft after a single oral dose and gave
      excellent tumour growth inhibition in the same model after chronic oral dosing.
      Based on these results, compound 10 was selected as one of our PI3Kbeta/delta
      preclinical candidates.

PMID- 28347667
TI  - Discovery of novel BRD4 inhibitors by high-throughput screening, crystallography,
      and cell-based assays.
AB  - As an epigenetic reader, BRD4 regulates the transcription of important downstream
      genes that are essential for the survival of tumor cells. Small molecular
      inhibitors targeting the first bromodomain of BRD4 (BRD4-BD1) have showed
      promising potentials in the therapies of BRD4-related cancers. Through
      AlphaScreen-based high-throughput screening assay, a novel small molecular
      inhibitor was identified, and named DCBD-005, which inhibited the binding between
      BRD4-BD1 and acetylated lysines with an IC50 value of 0.81+/-0.03MUM. The
      compound DCBD-005 effectively inhibited the viability, caused cell cycle arrest,
      and induced apoptosis in human leukemia MV4-11 cells. Moreover, the crystal
      structure of compound DCBD-005 with the BRD4-BD1 was determined at 1.72A
      resolution, which revealed the binding mechanism of the leading compound, and
      also provided solid basis for further structure-based optimization. These results
      indicated that this novel BRD4-BD1 inhibitor DCBD-005 is promising to be
      developed into a drug candidate in the treatment of BRD4-related diseases.

PMID- 28347669
TI  - Microbial Keratitis After Penetrating Keratoplasty.
AB  - PURPOSE: To report the incidence, microbiological profile, graft survival, and
      determining factors of microbial keratitis after penetrating keratoplasty (PK).
      DESIGN: Observational case series. METHODS: The study involved 51 patients (52
      eyes) who were treated at a single tertiary referral center during a 10-year
      period. Retrospective chart review included medical records of all patients
      diagnosed with microbial keratitis after penetrating keratoplasty at the National
      Taiwan University Hospital between January 2000 and December 2009. The main
      outcome measures were incidence of graft infection, microbial profile, and graft
      survival status. RESULTS: There were 871 PKs performed and 67 episodes in 52 eyes
      of culture-positive microbial keratitis during the study period. There were 32
      infectious episodes (47.8%) in the first year post-PK and 35 episodes (52.2%)
      after the first year post-PK. Forty-four gram-positive bacterial isolates
      (57.9%), 17 gram-negative bacterial isolates (22.4%), and 15 fungal isolates
      (19.7%) were found. Twenty-three (34.3%) grafts remained clear after the
      infection episode with a mean follow-up of 1127 days (range, 25-3962 days). There
      was no difference in graft survival rate regarding the original indication of PK
      or offending pathogen. Suture-related infection was associated with decreased
      risk of graft failure (P = .02), while the factor associated with increased risk
      of graft failure was usage of antiglaucoma agents (P = .01). CONCLUSION:
      Infectious keratitis after penetrating keratoplasty leads to a high graft failure
      rate. Such complications can occur before or after the first year post-PK.

PMID- 28347668
TI  - Corrigendum to "Novel GlyT1 inhibitor chemotypes by scaffold hopping. Part 2:
      Development of a [3.3.0]-based series and other piperidine bioisosteres" [Bioorg.
      Med. Chem. Lett. 24 (2014) 1062-1066].

PMID- 28347670
TI  - Oral delivery of [D-Leu-4]-OB3 and MA-[D-Leu-4]-OB3, synthetic peptide leptin
      mimetics: Immunofluorescent localization in the mouse hypothalamus.
AB  - This study describes the localization of [D-Leu-4]-OB3 and MA-[D-Leu-4]-OB3,
      synthetic peptide leptin mimetics, in the hypothalamus of Swiss Webster and
      C57BL/6J wild-type mice, leptin-deficient ob/ob mice, and leptin-resistant diet
      induced obese (DIO) mice. The mice were given [D-Leu-4]-OB3 or MA-[D-Leu-4]-OB3
      in 0.3% dodecyl maltoside by oral gavage. Once peak serum concentrations were
      reached, the mice received a lethal dose of pentobarbital and were subjected to
      intracardiac perfusion fixation. The brains were excised, post-fixed in
      paraformaldehyde, and cryo-protected in sucrose. Free-floating frozen coronal
      sections were cut at 25-um and processed for imaging by immunofluorescence
      microscopy. In all four strains of mice, dense staining was concentrated in the
      area of the median eminence, at the base and/or along the inner wall of the third
      ventricle, and in the brain parenchyma at the level of the arcuate nucleus. These
      results indicate that [D-Leu-4]-OB3 and MA-[D-Leu-4]-OB3 cross the blood-brain
      barrier and concentrate in an area of the hypothalamus known to regulate energy
      balance and glucose homeostasis. Most noteworthy is the localization of [D-Leu-4]
      OB3 immunoreactivity within the hypothalamus of DIO mice via a conduit that is
      closed to leptin in this rodent model, and in most cases of human obesity.
      Together with our previous studies describing the effects of [D-Leu-4]-OB3 and MA
      [D-Leu-4]-OB3 on energy balance, glucose regulation, and signal transduction
      pathway activation, these findings are consistent with a central mechanism of
      action for these synthetic peptide leptin mimetics, and suggest their potential
      usefulness in the management of leptin-resistant obesity and type 2 diabetes in
      humans.

PMID- 28347671
TI  - Deletion of Numb/Numblike in glutamatergic neurons leads to anxiety-like behavior
      in mice.
AB  - Endocytic adaptor protein Numb is the first identified cell fate determinant in
      Drosophila melanogaster. It has been implicated in Notch signaling pathway and
      regulation of neural stem cells proliferation in the central nervous system. Numb
      is also expressed in postmitotic neurons, in vitro studies showed that Numb is
      involved in neuronal morphologic development, such as neurite growth, axonal
      growth and spine development. However, in vivo functions of Numb in the
      postmitotic neurons are largely unknown. Here we show that deletion of
      Numb/Numblike in glutamatergic neurons causes anxiety-like behavior in mouse. In
      this study, we conditionally deleted Numb and its homologous gene Numblike in the
      glutamatergic neurons in dorsal forebrain, and thoroughly characterized the
      behavioral phenotypes of mutant mice. On a battery of tests for anxiety-like
      behavior, the conditional double knockout mice showed increased anxiety-like
      behavior on light/dark exploration and novel open field tests, but not on
      elevated zero maze tests. The conditional double knockout mice also displayed
      novelty induced hyperactivity in novel open field test. Control measures of
      general health, motor functions, startle response, sensorimotor gating,
      depression-related behaviors did not show differences between genotypes. Our
      present findings provide new insight into the indispensable functions of
      Numb/Numblike in the brain and behavior, and suggest that Numb/Numblike may play
      a role in mediating neuronal functions that underlie behaviors related to
      anxiety.

PMID- 28347672
TI  - Structural and kinetic analysis of Schistosoma mansoni Adenylosuccinate Lyase
      (SmADSL).
AB  - Schistosoma mansoni is the parasite responsible for schistosomiasis, a disease
      that affects about 218 million people worldwide. Currently, both direct treatment
      and disease control initiatives rely on chemotherapy using a single drug,
      praziquantel. Concerns over the possibility of resistance developing to
      praziquantel, have stimulated efforts to develop new drugs for the treatment of
      schistosomiasis. Schistosomes do not have the de novo purine biosynthetic
      pathway, and instead depend entirely on the purine salvage pathway to supply its
      need for purines. The purine salvage pathway has been reported as a potential
      target for developing new drugs against schistosomiasis. Adenylosuccinate lyase
      (SmADSL) is an enzyme in this pathway, which cleaves adenylosuccinate (ADS) into
      adenosine 5'-monophosphate (AMP) and fumarate. SmADSL kinetic characterization
      was performed by isothermal titration calorimetry (ITC) using both ADS and SAICAR
      as substrates. Structures of SmADSL in Apo form and in complex with AMP were
      elucidated by x-ray crystallography revealing a highly conserved tetrameric
      structure required for their function since the active sites are formed from
      residues of three different subunits. The active sites are also highly conserved
      between species and it is difficult to identify a potent species-specific
      inhibitor for the development of new therapeutic agents. In contrast, several
      mutagenesis studies have demonstrated the importance of dimeric interface
      residues in the stability of the quaternary structure of the enzyme. The lower
      conservation of these residues between SmADSL and human ADSL could be used to
      lead the development of anti-schistosomiasis drugs based on disruption of subunit
      interfaces. These structures and kinetics data add another layer of information
      to Schistosoma mansoni purine salvage pathway.

PMID- 28347673
TI  - Move me, astonish me... delight my eyes and brain: The Vienna Integrated Model of
      top-down and bottom-up processes in Art Perception (VIMAP) and corresponding
      affective, evaluative, and neurophysiological correlates.
AB  - This paper has a rather audacious purpose: to present a comprehensive theory
      explaining, and further providing hypotheses for the empirical study of, the
      multiple ways by which people respond to art. Despite common agreement that
      interaction with art can be based on a compelling, and occasionally profound,
      psychological experience, the nature of these interactions is still under debate.
      We propose a model, The Vienna Integrated Model of Art Perception (VIMAP), with
      the goal of resolving the multifarious processes that can occur when we perceive
      and interact with visual art. Specifically, we focus on the need to integrate
      bottom-up, artwork-derived processes, which have formed the bulk of previous
      theoretical and empirical assessments, with top-down mechanisms which can
      describe how individuals adapt or change within their processing experience, and
      thus how individuals may come to particularly moving, disturbing, transformative,
      as well as mundane, results. This is achieved by combining several recent lines
      of theoretical research into a new integrated approach built around three
      processing checks, which we argue can be used to systematically delineate the
      possible outcomes in art experience. We also connect our model's processing
      stages to specific hypotheses for emotional, evaluative, and physiological
      factors, and address main topics in psychological aesthetics including
      provocative reactions-chills, awe, thrills, sublime-and difference between
      "aesthetic" and "everyday" emotional response. Finally, we take the needed step
      of connecting stages to functional regions in the brain, as well as broader core
      networks that may coincide with the proposed cognitive checks, and which taken
      together can serve as a basis for future empirical and theoretical art research.

PMID- 28347674
TI  - Serum thioredoxin and in-hospital major adverse events after traumatic brain
      injury.
AB  - BACKGROUND: In-hospital major adverse events (IMAEs), mainly including acute lung
      injury, acute traumatic coagulopathy, progressive hemorrhagic injury and
      posttraumatic cerebral infarction, are associated with poor prognosis after
      traumatic brain injury (TBI). Thioredoxin, a potent anti-oxidant, has been
      identified as an oxidative stress marker. This study was designed to explore the
      association of serum thioredoxin concentrations with IMAEs of patients with
      severe TBI. METHODS: This prospective, observational study recruited a total of
      108 healthy controls and 108 patients with severe TBI. We investigated the
      possible relation of serum thioredoxin concentrations to IMAEs and trauma
      severity (reflected by Glasgow coma scale scores) following TBI using a
      multivariate analysis. RESULTS: Serum thioredoxin concentrations were higher in
      the patients than in the controls. Serum concentrations of thioredoxin
      significantly correlated with admission Glasgow coma scale scores. Thioredoxin in
      serum independently predicted any IMAEs. As compared to admission Glasgow coma
      scale scores, thioredoxin concentrations had similar areas under receiver
      operating characteristic curve for any IMAEs. CONCLUSION: Increased serum
      thioredoxin concentrations are highly associated with trauma severity and IMAEs,
      indicating thioredoxin might be a potential prognostic biomarker after TBI.

PMID- 28347675
TI  - Equal clinical performance of a novel point-of-care cardiac troponin I (cTnI)
      assay with a commonly used high-sensitivity cTnI assay.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Efficient rule-out of acute myocardial infarction (MI) facilitates
      early disposition of chest pain patients in emergency departments (ED). Point-of
      care (POC) cardiac troponin (cTn) may improve patient throughput. We compared the
      diagnostic accuracy of a novel cTnI test (Minicare cTnI, Philips), with current
      POC cTnI (I-Stat, Abbott) and high-sensitivity central laboratory cTnI (hs-cTnI;
      Architect, Abbott) assays. METHODS: The clinical performance of the assays were
      compared in samples from 450 patients from a previous clinical evaluation of
      Minicare cTnI. RESULTS: Minicare cTnI correlated with Architect hs-cTnI (r2=0.85,
      p<0.0001) and I-Stat cTnI (r2=0.93, p<0.0001). Areas under the receiver operating
      characteristics curves were 0.87-0.91 at admission (p=ns) and 0.96-0.97 3h after
      admission (p=ns). The negative predictive values (NPV) at admission were 95% ((92
      97%, 95% CI) for Minicare cTnI and increased to 99% (97-100%) at 2-4h, and
      similar to Architect hs-cTnI (98%, 96-100%), but higher than I-Stat cTnI (95%, 92
      97%; p<0.01). Negative likelihood ratios (LR-) after 2-4h were 0.06 (0.02-0.17,
      95% CI) for Minicare cTnI, 0.11 (0.05-0.24) for Architect hs-cTnI (p=0.02) and
      0.28 (0.18-0.43) for I-Stat cTnI (p<0.0001). The clinical concordances between
      Minicare cTnI and Architect hs-cTnI were 92% (admission) and 95% (2-4h), with
      lower concordances between Minicare cTnI and I-Stat cTnI (83% and 78%,
      respectively; p=0.007). CONCLUSIONS: The Minicare cTnI POC assay may become
      useful for prompt and safe ruling-out of AMI in ED patients with suspected AMI
      using a guideline supported 0/3h sampling protocol.

PMID- 28347677
TI  - Effect of pest management on asthma symptoms.

PMID- 28347676
TI  - Treating Multiple Myeloma Patients With Oral Therapies.
AB  - Recent advances have highlighted the importance of long-term, continuous
      treatment in multiple myeloma (MM) to improve survival. However, treatment burden
      continues to negatively impact the real-world duration of MM therapy, and
      strategies to limit the adverse impact of treatment on patient quality of life
      are therefore particularly important. Oral MM therapies include the
      immunomodulatory drugs lenalidomide, thalidomide, and pomalidomide; the
      alkylating agents melphalan and cyclophosphamide; the histone deacetylase
      inhibitor panobinostat; the corticosteroids prednisone and dexamethasone; and the
      proteasome inhibitor ixazomib. The most commonly reported adverse events with
      these treatments include hematologic events such as thrombocytopenia and
      neutropenia; the gastrointestinal events nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea; venous
      thrombotic events such as deep-vein thrombosis and pulmonary embolism; and events
      such as rash and peripheral neuropathy. It is important that patients receiving
      oral therapies at home report symptoms before they become difficult to manage.
      Appropriate management of these treatment-related adverse events, awareness of
      both food and drug interactions, and assisting patients with out-of-pocket costs
      are all important factors in providing efficacious, sustainable, and convenient
      MM therapy. We outline evidence-based recommendations to provide a practical
      guide for health care providers addressing the effective management of MM
      patients receiving oral therapy.

PMID- 28347678
TI  - One and a half syndrome following penetrating head injury: Case report.
AB  - The authors report a case of a 22-year-old otherwise healthy female who presented
      following a head injury during a bar altercation, with no associated loss of
      consciousness and an unknown mechanism of injury. Examination revealed an
      isolated 1cm laceration on the right upper eyelid, superior to her medial
      canthus. She experienced diplopia on right horizontal gaze due to a left
      internuclear ophthalmoplegia (INO) with an associated left conjugate horizontal
      gaze palsy, collectively described as a left one-and-a-half syndrome. CT and MRI
      demonstrated evidence of a deep penetrating injury above the right medial
      canthus, traversing the ethmoid and sphenoid sinuses, the dorsum sella, narrowly
      missing the basilar artery, penetrating the pons, and extending to the floor of
      the contralateral fourth ventricle. The patient was diagnosed with multiple sinus
      fractures, lesions in her left paramedian pontine reticular formation (PPRF) and
      medial longitudinal fasciculus (MLF), and progressive pneumocephalus. She
      underwent a transsphenoidal endoscopic repair via a vascularized mucosal flap
      without complication. Postoperatively, the patient's pneumocephalus resolved and
      her conjugate gaze markedly improved; however, minimal diplopia remained. This
      case demonstrates the importance of the clinical exam, and its benefit in
      localizing imaging findings and guiding treatment.

PMID- 28347679
TI  - Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy: The cellular sequela to repetitive brain
      injury.
AB  - This review aims to integrate current literature on the pathogenic mechanisms of
      Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy (CTE) to create a multifactorial understanding
      of the disease. CTE is a progressive neurodegenerative disease, classed as a
      tauopathy, although it appears the pathogenic mechanisms are more complex than
      this. It affects those with a history of repetitive mild traumatic brain injury.
      Currently, there are no treatments for CTE and the disease can only be
      affirmatively diagnosed in post mortem. Understanding the pathogenesis of the
      disease will provide an avenue to explore possible treatment and diagnostic
      modalities. The pathological hallmarks of CTE have been well characterised and
      have been linked to the pathophysiologic mechanisms in this review. Human studies
      are limited due to ethical implications of exposing subjects to head trauma.
      Phosphorylation of tau, microglial activation, TAR DNA-binding protein 43 and
      diffuse axonal injury have all been implicated in the pathogenesis of CTE. The
      neuronal loss and axonal dysfunction mediated by these pathognomonic mechanisms
      lead to the broad psycho-cognitive symptoms seen in CTE.

PMID- 28347680
TI  - Top 50 most cited articles on primary tumors of the spine.
AB  - Citation analysis was performed in order to identify the top 50 most cited
      articles pertaining to the field of primary spinal tumors. This collection of
      articles highlights important trends in the neurosurgical literature. We searched
      the Thomson Reuters Web of Knowledge in order to identify articles pertaining to
      primary tumors of the spine. Impertinent articles were removed. The top 50 most
      cited articles were identified. Thereafter, article characteristics were
      determined including article type, article topic, level of evidence, and citation
      rate. The selected articles were published between 1951 and 2008. The most
      productive year was 1997 with 6 publications. The top 50 articles were published
      in twenty-two different journals, most commonly in Neurosurgery (12), Journal of
      Neurosurgery (8), and Spine (6). The most frequently cited article was by Tomita
      et al. written in 1997 which described total en bloc spondylectomy as a novel
      surgical technique in management of primary tumors of the vertebral column. We
      identified the 50 most-cited articles in the field of primary spinal tumors. This
      collection of articles serves as a reference for recognizing impactful studies in
      the field.

PMID- 28347682
TI  - The importance of clinical competence in an age of the more diagnostic tests the
      better.

PMID- 28347681
TI  - Endovascular treatment of ruptured tiny (?3mm) intracranial aneurysms in the
      setting of subarachnoid hemorrhage: A case series of 20 patients and literature
      review.
AB  - Successful endovascular coiling of ruptured tiny saccular intracranial aneurysms
      (?3mm) is technically challenging and traditionally has been associated with
      technical failures, as well as morbidity related to thromboembolic events and
      high intraoperative rupture rates. This study analyzes the feasibility, technical
      efficacy, and clinical outcomes of coil embolization of ruptured tiny
      intracranial aneurysms using current coil and microcatheter technology and
      techniques. We performed a retrospective review of 20 patients with 20 ruptured
      tiny aneurysms treated with endovascular coil embolization from 2013 to 2016 at a
      single high-volume academic tertiary care practice. The mean aneurysm size was
      2.4mm (median 2.5mm, 1-3). Complete occlusion was achieved in 12 of 20 patients
      (60%), the remaining 7 of 20 patients (35%) had a small neck remnant, and there
      was 1 failure (5%) converted to microsurgical clipping. Two patients had a failed
      attempted surgical clip reconstruction and were subsequently coiled. There was 1
      intraprocedural rupture (5%) and 1 severe parent artery vasospasm (5%) during
      coiling. At discharge, 60% of patients were living independently. At follow-up
      three patients were deceased. Mean angiographic follow-up was 139days (SD 120).
      There were no aneurysm recurrences among occluded patients and there were no
      retreatments among those with neck remnants. Coiling of ruptured aneurysms ?3mm
      is feasible with high occlusion rates and low complication rates. The
      availability of softer coils with flexible detachment zones has led to safe and
      effective endovascular treatment of tiny ruptured aneurysms.

PMID- 28347683
TI  - Adult food borne botulism in Australia: The only 2 cases from the last 15years.

PMID- 28347684
TI  - Prognostic model for patients with traumatic brain injuries and abnormal computed
      tomography scans.
AB  - Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is an important cause of death and disability
      worldwide. The prognosis evaluation is a challenge when many variables are
      involved. The authors aimed to develop prognostic model for assessment of
      survival chances after TBI based on admission characteristics, including
      extracranial injuries, which would allow application of the model before in
      hospital therapeutic interventions. A cohort study evaluated 1275 patients with
      TBI and abnormal CT scans upon admission to the emergency unit of Hospital das
      Clinicas of University of Sao Paulo and analyzed the final outcome on mortality.
      A logistic regression analysis was undertaken to determine the adjusted weigh of
      each independent variable in the outcome. Four variables were found to be
      significant in the model: age (years), Glasgow Coma Scale (3-15), Marshall Scale
      (MS, stratified into 2,3 or 4,5,6; according to the best group positive
      predictive value) and anysochoria (yes/no). The following formula is in a
      logistic model (USP index to head injury) estimates the probability of death of
      patients according to characteristics that influence on mortality. We consider
      that our mathematical probability model (USP Index) may be applied to clinical
      prognosis in patients with abnormal CT scans after severe traumatic brain injury.

PMID- 28347685
TI  - Distinguishing age-related cognitive decline from dementias: A study based on
      machine learning algorithms.
AB  - BACKGROUND AND AIM: This study aims to examine the distinguishability of age
      related cognitive decline (ARCD) from dementias based on some neurocognitive
      tests using machine learning. MATERIALS AND METHODS: 106 subjects were divided
      into four groups: ARCD (n=30), probable Alzheimer's disease (AD) (n=20), vascular
      dementia (VD) (n=21) and amnestic mild cognitive impairment (MCI) (n=35). The
      following tests were applied to all subjects: The Wechsler memory scale-revised,
      a clock-drawing, the dual similarities, interpretation of proverbs, word fluency,
      the Stroop, the Boston naming (BNT), the Benton face recognition, a copying
      drawings and Oktem verbal memory processes (O-VMPT) tests. A multilayer
      perceptron, a support vector machine and a classification via regression with M5
      model trees were employed for classification. RESULTS: The pairwise
      classification results show that ARCD is completely separable from AD with a
      success rate of 100% and highly separable from MCI and VD with success rates of
      95.4% and 86.30%, respectively. The neurocognitive tests with the higher merit
      values were O-VMPT recognition (ARCD vs. AD), O-VMPT total learning (ARCD vs.
      MCI) and semantic fluency, proverbs, Stroop interference and naming BNT (ARCD vs.
      VD). CONCLUSION: The findings show that machine learning can be successfully
      utilized for distinguishing ARCD from dementias based on neurocognitive tests.

PMID- 28347686
TI  - A novel US-CAB protocol for ultrasonographic evaluation during cardiopulmonary
      resuscitation.

PMID- 28347688
TI  - Effects of diabetic retinopathy on the barrier functions of the retinal pigment
      epithelium.
AB  - Diabetic retinopathy is a debilitating microvascular complication of diabetes
      mellitus. A rich literature describes the breakdown of retinal endothelial cells
      and the inner blood-retinal barrier, but the effects of diabetes on the retinal
      pigment epithelium (RPE) has received much less attention. RPE lies between the
      choroid and neurosensory retina to form the outer blood-retinal barrier. RPE's
      specialized and dynamic barrier functions are crucial for maintaining retinal
      health. RPE barrier functions include a collection of interrelated structures and
      activities that regulate the transepithelial movement of solutes, including:
      diffusion through the paracellular spaces, facilitated diffusion through the
      cells, active transport, receptor-mediated and bulk phase transcytosis, and
      metabolic processing of solutes in transit. In the later stages of diabetic
      retinopathy, the tight junctions that regulate the paracellular space begin to
      disassemble, but there are earlier effects on the other aspects of RPE barrier
      function, particularly active transport and metabolic processing. With advanced
      understanding of RPE-specific barrier functions, and more in vivo-like culture
      models, the time is ripe for revisiting experiments in the literature to resolve
      controversies and extend our understanding of how diabetes affects the outer
      blood-retinal barrier.

PMID- 28347689
TI  - Intraneural ganglion cysts: A predictable method to their madness.

PMID- 28347687
TI  - Effects of chronic inhalation of electronic cigarettes containing nicotine on
      glial glutamate transporters and alpha-7 nicotinic acetylcholine receptor in
      female CD-1 mice.
AB  - Alteration in glutamate neurotransmission has been found to mediate the
      development of drug dependence, including nicotine. We and others, through using
      western blotting, have reported that exposure to drugs of abuse reduced the
      expression of glutamate transporter-1 (GLT-1) as well as cystine/glutamate
      antiporter (xCT), which consequently increased extracellular glutamate
      concentrations in the mesocorticolimbic area. However, our previous studies did
      not reveal any changes in glutamate/aspartate transporter (GLAST) following
      exposure to drugs of abuse. In the present study, for the first time, we
      investigated the effect of chronic exposure to electronic (e)-cigarette vapor
      containing nicotine, for one hour daily for six months, on GLT-1, xCT, and GLAST
      expression in frontal cortex (FC), striatum (STR), and hippocampus (HIP) in
      outbred female CD1 mice. In this study, we also investigated the expression of
      alpha-7 nicotinic acetylcholine receptor (alpha-7 nAChR), a major pre-synaptic
      nicotinic receptor in the glutamatergic neurons, which regulates glutamate
      release. We found that inhalation of e-cigarette vapor for six months increased
      alpha-7 nAChR expression in both FC and STR, but not in the HIP. In addition,
      chronic e-cigarette exposure reduced GLT-1 expression only in STR. Moreover, e
      cigarette vapor inhalation induced downregulation of xCT in both the STR and HIP.
      We did not find any significant changes in GLAST expression in any brain region.
      Finally, using liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS)
      techniques, we detected high concentrations of nicotine and cotinine, a major
      metabolite of nicotine, in the FC tissues of e-cigarette exposed mice. These data
      provide novel evidence about the effects of chronic nicotine inhalation on the
      expression of key glial glutamate transporters as well as alpha-7 nAChR. Our work
      may suggest that nicotine exposure via chronic inhalation of e-cigarette vapor
      may be mediated in part by alterations in the glutamatergic system.

PMID- 28347690
TI  - Nordic walking versus walking without poles for rehabilitation with
      cardiovascular disease: Randomized controlled trial.
AB  - BACKGROUND: With Nordic walking, or walking with poles, one can travel a greater
      distance and at a higher rate than with walking without poles, but whether the
      activity is beneficial for patients with cardiovascular disease is unknown.
      OBJECTIVE: This randomized controlled trial was undertaken to determine whether
      Nordic walking was more effective than walking without poles on walk distance to
      support rehabilitation training for patients with acute coronary syndrome (ACS)
      and peripheral arterial occlusive disease (PAOD). METHODS: Patients were
      recruited in a private specialized rehabilitation centre for cardiovascular
      diseases. The entire protocol, including patient recruitment, took place over 2
      months, from September to October 2013. We divided patients into 2 groups: Nordic
      Walking Group (NWG, n=21) and Walking Group without poles (WG, n=21). All
      patients followed the same program over 4 weeks, except for the walk performed
      with or without poles. The main outcome was walk distance on the 6-min walk test.
      Secondary outcomes were maximum heart rate during exercise and walk distance and
      power output on a treadmill stress test. RESULTS: We included 42 patients (35
      men; mean age 57.2+/-11 years and BMI 26.5+/-4.5kg/m2). At the end of the
      training period, both groups showed improved walk distance on the 6-min walk test
      and treatment stress test as well as power on the treadmill stress test (P<0.05).
      The NWG showed significantly greater walk distance than the WG (P<0.05). Both ACS
      and PAOD groups showed improvement, but improvement was significant for only PAOD
      patients. CONCLUSIONS: After a 4-week training period, Nordic walking training
      appeared more efficient than training without poles for increasing walk distance
      on the 6-min walk test for patients with ACS and PAOD.

PMID- 28347691
TI  - Workers' perspectives on return to work after total knee arthroplasty.
AB  - OBJECTIVES: Total knee arthroplasty is an effective intervention for people with
      osteoarthritis. However, 15 to 30% of patients do not return to work, and studies
      frequently fail to provide an explanation of what may lead to work disability
      from workers' perspectives of the biopsychosocial factors. This study aimed to
      document workers' representations or understanding of work disability after total
      knee arthroplasty. METHOD: We adopted a qualitative approach with a narrative
      inquiry method. A convenience sample of partially and fully disabled workers was
      interviewed 6 to 12months after surgery with use of a semi-structured interview
      guide and questionnaires on physical work demands and pain. Interviews were
      audiotaped, transcribed verbatim, and anonymized. Consensus was reached on
      coding, and multidisciplinary content analysis was performed. RESULTS: Among the
      8 workers interviewed, all were formally employed before surgery, half were men,
      and the mean age was 55years. Half were not back at work when interviewed and
      felt they had received little support from their workplace, were struggling to
      adapt to their new condition, and had very few adaptive strategies for trying to
      get better (other than waiting), which did not make sense to them. By contrast,
      the other half felt they had experienced greater improvement after surgery and
      received concrete support from their workplace, which facilitated their return to
      work in their view. CONCLUSION: A work disability paradigm, based on a
      biopsychosocial approach, should be considered in rehabilitation when workers
      experience difficulty returning to work after total knee arthroplasty, because
      other factors besides the patient's condition may be involved.

PMID- 28347692
TI  - miR-21-5p/203a-3p promote ox-LDL-induced endothelial cell senescence through down
      regulation of mitochondrial fission protein Drp1.
AB  - This study aims to identify both endothelia-specific/enriched and senescence
      associated miRNAs as well as their functions. The rats were fed on high-fat diet
      to establish a hyperlipidemic model, which showed an increase in plasma lipids
      and acceleration in endothelial senescence and endothelial dysfunction,
      accompanied by alterations in 7 endothelia-specific/enriched and senescence
      associated miRNAs. Among the 7 selected miRNAs, miR-21-5p and miR-203a-3p were
      significantly up-regulated in a human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs)
      senescent model induced by ox-LDL, consistent with their changes in the
      hyperlipidemic rats. After performing the bioinformatic analysis, dynamin-related
      protein 1 (Drp1) was predicted to be a potential target for both miR-21-5p and
      miR-203a-3p. In ox-LDL-induced senescent HUVECs, Drp1 was significantly down
      regulated, concomitant with mitochondrial dysfunctions and the activation of AMPK
      p53/p16 pathway, while these phenomena were attenuated by miR-21-5p or miR-203a
      3p inhibitor. Luciferase reporter gene assay confirmed a direct interaction
      between miR-21-5p and Drp1 but not between miR-203a-3p and Drp1. Based on these
      observations, we conclude that miR-21-5p/203a-3p promote ox-LDL-induced
      endothelial senescence through down-regulation of Drp1 in a direct or indirect
      way. Our findings highlight the plasma levels of miR-21-5p/203a-3p may serve as
      novel biomarkers to evaluate the degree of endothelial senescence in
      hyperlipidemia.

PMID- 28347693
TI  - CTT1 overexpression increases the replicative lifespan of MMS-sensitive
      Saccharomyces cerevisiae deficient in KSP1.
AB  - Ksplp is a nuclear-localized Ser/Thr kinase that is not essential for the
      vegetative growth of yeast. A global gene function analysis in yeast suggested
      that Ksplp was involved in the oxidative stress response; however, the underlying
      mechanism remains unclear. Here, we showed that KSP1-deficient yeast cells
      exhibit hypersensitivity to the DNA alkylating agent methyl methanesulphonate
      (MMS), and treatment of the KSP1-deficient strain with MMS could trigger abnormal
      mitochondrial membrane potential and up-regulate reactive oxygen species (ROS)
      production. In addition, the mRNA expression level of the catalase gene CTT1
      (which encodes cytosolic catalase) and total catalase activity were strongly down
      regulated in the KSP1-deleted strain compared with those in wild-type cells.
      Moreover, the KSP1 deficiency also leads to a shortened replicative lifespan,
      which could be restored by the increased expression of CTT1. On the other hand,
      KSP1-overexpressed (KSP1OX) yeast cells exhibited increased resistance towards
      MMS, an effect that was, at least in part, CTT1 independent. Collectively, these
      findings highlight the involvement of Ksplp in the DNA damage response and
      implicate Ksplp as a modulator of the replicative lifespan.

PMID- 28347694
TI  - Agreement between automated and manual quantification of corneal nerve fiber
      length: Implications for diabetic neuropathy research.
AB  - AIMS: Quantification of corneal nerve fiber length (CNFL) by in vivo corneal
      confocal microscopy represents a promising diabetic neuropathy biomarker, but
      applicability is limited by resource-intensive image analysis. We aimed to
      evaluate, in cross-sectional analysis of non-diabetic controls and patients with
      type 1 and type 2 diabetes with and without neuropathy, the agreement between
      manual and automated analysis protocols. METHODS: Sixty-eight controls, 139 type
      1 diabetes, and 249 type 2 diabetes participants underwent CNFL measurement
      (N=456). Neuropathy status was determined by clinical and electrophysiological
      criteria. CNFL was determined by manual (CNFLManual, reference standard) and
      automated (CNFLAuto) protocols, and results were compared for correlation and
      agreement using Spearman coefficients and the method of Bland and Altman
      (CNFLManual subtracted from CNFLAuto). RESULTS: Participants demonstrated broad
      variability in clinical characteristics associated with neuropathy. The mean age,
      diabetes duration, and HbA1c were 53+/-18years, 15.9+/-12.6years, and 7.4+/-1.7%,
      respectively, and 218 (56%) individuals with diabetes had neuropathy. Mean
      CNFLManual was 15.1+/-4.9mm/mm2, and mean CNFLAuto was 10.5+/-3.7mm/mm2 (CNFLAuto
      underestimation bias, -4.6+/-2.6mm/mm2 corresponding to -29+/-17%). Percent bias
      was similar across non-diabetic controls (-33+/-12%), type 1 (-30+/-20%), and
      type 2 diabetes (-28+/-16%) subgroups (ANOVA, p=0.068), and similarly in diabetes
      participants with and without neuropathy. Levels of CNFLAuto and CNFLManual were
      both inversely associated with neuropathy status. CONCLUSIONS: Although CNFLAuto
      substantially underestimated CNFLManual, its bias was non-differential between
      diverse patient groups and its relationship with neuropathy status was preserved.
      Determination of diagnostic thresholds specific to CNFLAuto should be pursued in
      diagnostic studies of diabetic neuropathy.

PMID- 28347695
TI  - Association of sarcopenia with both latent autoimmune diabetes in adults and type
      2 diabetes: a cross-sectional study.
AB  - BACKGROUND: To investigate the association of both latent autoimmune diabetes in
      adults (LADA) and type 2 diabetes (T2DM) with muscle mass and function
      (sarcopenia). METHODS: Japanese patients with LADA (N=20), T2DM (N=208), and
      control subjects (N=41) were included in this cross-sectional study. The
      definition of LADA was based on age of onset (>=30), positive glutamic acid
      decarboxylase autoantibodies, and insulin requirement within the first 6months
      after diagnosis. Sarcopenia was diagnosed by the criteria for Asians, using
      skeletal muscle index (male <7.0 and female <5.4) and grip strength (male <26.0kg
      and female <18.0kg). The odds ratio (OR) with a 95% confidence interval (CI) was
      estimated using logistic regression. RESULTS: The prevalence of sarcopenia was
      higher in LADA (35.0%) than in either T2DM (13.3%) or control subjects (9.8%).
      LADA was significantly associated with an increased risk for sarcopenia in a
      multivariate model in which age and body mass index were incorporated (OR: 9.57,
      95% CI: 1.86-49.27). In contrast, T2DM tended to be associated with an increased
      risk for sarcopenia (OR: 2.99, 95% CI: 0.83-10.80). CONCLUSIONS: This study
      provides evidence that patients with LADA are at a high risk for sarcopenia
      compared to those with T2DM or to control subjects.

PMID- 28347697
TI  - [Medication safety in nursing home residents with renal insufficiency - Results
      of a qualitative study].
AB  - BACKGROUND: Nursing home residents often suffer from multimorbidity and
      polypharmacy. Impaired renal function and the lack of dose adjustments further
      increase the risk of adverse drug reactions (ADR). The aims of this qualitative
      study were to analyze the reasons for inadequate drug treatment and to identify
      possible intervention options to improve safety of drug treatment in nursing home
      residents with renal insufficiency. METHODS: Using a mixed-method approach a
      cross-sectional study and focus group discussions were performed in the project.
      Focus groups with general practitioners, nursing staff, nephrologists and
      pharmacists were held. Audiotapes were transcribed verbatim, qualitative content
      analysis of the transcripts according to Mayring was conducted using MAXQDA.
      RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONS: Focus groups discussed different aspects and possible
      interventions related to inadequate drug treatment in nursing home residents with
      renal insufficiency. The main topics identified were "health service situation",
      "reasons for ADR" and "interventions". Regarding the current health service
      situation "infrastructure", "role of polypharmacy", "assessment of renal
      function" and the "different role models" were identified as relevant aspects for
      improving the safety of drug treatment in nursing homes. According to the
      participants, there is a lack of evidence-based standards regarding laboratory
      monitoring and estimation of kidney function.

PMID- 28347696
TI  - Workplace mental health: An international review of guidelines.
AB  - The aim of this systematic review was to determine the quality and
      comprehensiveness of guidelines developed for employers to detect, prevent, and
      manage mental health problems in the workplace. An integrated approach that
      combined expertise from medicine, psychology, public health, management, and
      occupational health and safety was identified as a best practice framework to
      assess guideline comprehensiveness. An iterative search strategy of the grey
      literature was used plus consultation with experts in psychology, public health,
      and mental health promotion. Inclusion criteria were documents published in
      English and developed specifically for employers to detect, prevent, and manage
      mental health problems in the workplace. A total of 20 guidelines met these
      criteria and were reviewed. Development documents were included to inform quality
      assessment. This was performed using the AGREE II rating system. Our results
      indicated that low scores were often due to a lack of focus on prevention and
      rather a focus on the detection and treatment of mental health problems in the
      workplace. When prevention recommendations were included they were often
      individually focused and did not include practical tools or advice to implement.
      An inconsistency in language, lack of consultation with relevant population
      groups in the development process and a failure to outline and differentiate
      between the legal/minimum requirements of a region were also observed. The
      findings from this systematic review will inform translation of scientific
      evidence into practical recommendations to prevent mental health problems within
      the workplace. It will also direct employers, clinicians, and policy-makers
      towards examples of best-practice guidelines.

PMID- 28347698
TI  - Postzygotic Mutations in Beta-Actin Are Associated with Becker's Nevus and
      Becker's Nevus Syndrome.

PMID- 28347699
TI  - Effect of adipose-derived stem cells on acellular dermal matrix engraftment in a
      rabbit model of breast reconstruction.
AB  - Acellular dermal matrix (ADM) is frequently used in implant-based breast
      reconstruction. Although there are several advantages, ADM implantation also
      increases the risk of certain complications. Recently, ADM seeded with adipose
      derived stem cells (ADSCs) were shown to induce angiogenesis and improve wound
      healing. This study aimed to investigate the effects of ADSCs on ADM engraftment
      in a rabbit model of implant-based breast reconstruction. Silicone implants were
      inserted to submuscular pocket of 16 female New Zealand rabbits using ADM with or
      without seeding of fluorescent PKH26-labelled rabbit ADSCs. The marginal and
      central ADMs in each group were evaluated at 1 and 3 months after insertion. We
      performed a histological analysis including the number of CD31+ blood vessels,
      vimentin+ fibroblasts and lymphocytes; live/dead analysis; and gene expression
      analysis related to angiogenesis, inflammation and hypoxia. The implant was
      exposed in one rabbit with ADM without ADSCs during the study period. At 1 month,
      a histological analysis revealed more blood vessels and fibroblasts and reduced
      immune cell infiltration in marginal ADM with ADSCs. At 3 months, only
      angiogenesis was histologically different between groups. Conversely, cellularity
      was not significantly different in the central ADM between groups at month 1 or
      3. ADSC supplementation increased the gene expression level associated with
      angiogenesis and inflammation, but not hypoxia. PKH26-labelled ADSCs were
      observed in both marginal and central ADMs at month 3. ADM seeded with ADSCs
      might be useful in promoting early incorporation with recipient tissue. This
      study supports the potential of ADM seeded with ADSCs as a reliable material for
      implant-based breast reconstruction.

PMID- 28347700
TI  - Connexins and Pannexins in cerebral ischemia.
AB  - A common cause of mortality and long-term adult disability, cerebral ischemia or
      brain ischemia imposes a significant health and financial burden on communities
      worldwide. Cerebral ischemia is a condition that arises from a sudden loss of
      blood flow and consequent failure to meet the high metabolic demands of the
      brain. The lack of blood flow initiates a sequelae of cell death mechanisms,
      including the activation of the inflammatory pathway, which can ultimately result
      in irreversible brain tissue damage. In particular, Connexins and Pannexins are
      non-selective channels with a large pore that have shown to play time-dependent
      roles in the perpetuation of ischaemic injury. This review highlights the roles
      of Connexin and Pannexin channels in cell death mechanisms as a promising
      therapeutic target in cerebral ischemia, and in particular connexin hemichannels
      which may contribute most of the ATP release as a result of ischemia as well as
      during reperfusion. This article is part of a Special Issue entitled: Gap
      Junction Proteins edited by Jean Claude Herve.

PMID- 28347701
TI  - Long-term response in patient with recurrent oropharyngeal carcinoma treated with
      cetuximab, docetaxel and cisplatin (TPEx) as first-line treatment followed by
      cetuximab maintenance.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Cetuximab, an anti-EGFR monoclonal antibody in combination with
      platinum and 5FU is the standard of care in first-line treatment of patients with
      recurrent head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC), with an expected median
      outcome of 10months. For this population, development of efficacious and safer
      therapies is still needed. CASE REPORT: A 62-year-old male with a first
      recurrence of human papillomavirus positive stage IVA (T3N2bM0) adenocarcinoma of
      the glossotonsillar sulcus not amenable to locoregional curative treatment was
      offered chemotherapy as part of the TPEx clinical trial. He was treated by
      cetuximab (loading dose 400mg/m2 on day 1 cycle 1, then 250mg/m2 weekly), and
      chemotherapy (cisplatin 75mg/m2 and docetaxel 75mg/m2, on day 1). Cycles were
      repeated every 21days for 4 cycles (TPEx regimen) with systematic granulocyte
      colony-stimulating factor support at each cycle. Bi-monthly maintenance cetuximab
      500mg/m2 was then administered. The patient showed a clinical complete response
      according to RECIST 1.1 criteria after 5months maintenance, with progression-free
      survival of 25months. Relapses that followed were treated with stereotactic
      irradiation, radiofrequency ablation, cetuximab and paclitaxel. The patient is
      alive eleven years after cancer diagnosis and remains controlled for his disease,
      with a cumulative period of 59months of cetuximab administration (equivalence of
      121 injections). CONCLUSION: This case report demonstrated that TPEx regimen, by
      synergistic interaction between taxanes and cetuximab, followed by bimonthly
      cetuximab maintenance may lead to patient complete remission within the first
      year of treatment. Furthermore, prolonged intermittent treatment with cetuximab
      seems to participate in the improved survival associated with preserved quality
      of life. Key favorable prognostic factors may be moderate tumor differentiation,
      oropharyngeal location, HPV p16 positive tumor status.

PMID- 28347702
TI  - Cytokine gene polymorphisms in populations from Parana, Southern Brazil.
AB  - In this study, were genotyped 22 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in 13
      genes that encode the pro-inflammatory (IL-1alpha, IL-1beta, IL-1R, IL-4Ralpha,
      IL-12, IFN-gamma, TNF-alpha, and IL-2) and anti-inflammatory (IL-1RA, TGF-beta,
      IL-4, IL-6 and IL-10) cytokines of 350 individuals by PCR-SSP (polymerase chain
      reaction - sequence specific primer). A total of 473 individuals were genotyped
      for IL17A and IL17F genes by PCR-RFLP (restriction fragment length polymorphism).
      The sample consisted of healthy and unrelated subjects from a mixed population
      from Parana state, in the South region of Brazil. The frequency analyses and
      genotype data are available in the Supplementary materials and are accessible at
      Allele Frequency Net Database (AFND).

PMID- 28347703
TI  - Afidopyropen: New and potent modulator of insect transient receptor potential
      channels.
AB  - The commercial insecticides pymetrozine and pyrifluquinazon control plant-sucking
      pests by disturbing their coordination and ability to feed. We have previously
      shown that these compounds act by overstimulating and eventually silencing
      vanilloid-type transient receptor potential (TRPV) channels, which consist of two
      proteins, Nanchung and Inactive, that are co-expressed exclusively in insect
      chordotonal stretch receptor neurons. Here we show that a new insecticidal
      compound, afidopyropen, modulates chordotonal organs of American grasshoppers
      (Schistocerca americana) in the same fashion. Afidopyropen stimulated
      heterologously expressed TRPV channels from two different insect species - fruit
      fly (Drosophila melanogaster) and pea aphid (Acyrthosiphon pisum) - but did not
      affect function of the mammalian TRPV channel TRPV4. Activation of the insect
      TRPVs required simultaneous expression of both Nanchung and Inactive proteins.
      Tritium-labeled afidopyropen bound fruit fly TRPVs with higher affinity than
      pymetrozine and competed with pymetrozine for binding. Nanchung protein formed
      the main binding interface for afidopyropen, whereas co-expression of Inactive
      dramatically increased binding affinity. Another modulator of chordotonal organs,
      flonicamid, did not activate insect TRPV channels, nor did it compete with
      afidopyropen for binding, indicating that it has a different target site. These
      results define afidopyropen as a new, potent and specific modulator of insect
      TRPV channels, and provide insight into the unique binding mode of these
      compounds.

PMID- 28347704
TI  - High glucose induced endothelial to mesenchymal transition in human umbilical
      vein endothelial cell.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Studies have shown that endothelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EndMT)
      could contribute to the progression of diabetic nephropathy, diabetic renal
      fibrosis, and cardiac fibrosis. The aim of this study was to investigate the
      influence of high glucose and related mechanism of MAPK inhibitor or specific
      antioxidant on the EndMT. METHODS: In vitro human umbilical vein endothelial
      cells (HUVEC) were cultured with 11mM, 30mM, 60mM and 120mM glucose for 0, 24,
      48, 72 and 168h. Endothelial cell morphology was observed with microscope, and RT
      PCR was used to detect mRNA expression of endothelial markers VE-cadherin and
      CD31, mesenchymal markers alpha-SMA and collagen I, and transforming growth
      factor TGF-beta1. Immunofluorescence staining was performed to detect the
      expression of CD31 and alpha-SMA. The concentration of TGF-beta1 in the
      supernatant was detected by ELISA. ERK1/2 phosphorylation level was detected by
      Western blot analysis. RESULTS: High glucose induced EndMT and increased the TGF
      beta1 level in HUVEC cells. Cells in high glucose for 7 days showed a significant
      decrease in mRNA expression of CD31 and VE-cadherin, and a significant increase
      in that of alpha-SMA and collagen I, while lost CD31 staining and acquired alpha
      SMA staining. ERK signaling pathway blocker PD98059 significantly attenuated the
      high glucose-induced increase in the ERK1/2 phosphorylation level. PD98059 and
      NAC both inhibited high glucose-induced TGF-beta1 expression and attenuated EndMT
      marker protein synthesis. CONCLUSION: High glucose could induce HUVEC cells to
      undergo EndMT. NAC and ERK signaling pathway may play important role in the
      regulation of the TGF-beta1 biosynthesis during high glucose-induced EndMT.

PMID- 28347705
TI  - Impact of temperature on sea bass, Dicentrarchus labrax, retina: Fatty acid
      composition, expression of rhodopsin and enzymes of lipid and melatonin
      metabolism.
AB  - Teleost fish are ectothermic vertebrates. Their metabolism, physiology and
      behavior rely on the external temperature. This study, on the retina of the sea
      bass Dicentrarchus labrax, reports on the impact of temperature on the fatty acid
      composition and mRNA abundance of key enzymes of lipid metabolism: fatty acid
      desaturase-2 (FADS2), fatty acid elongase-5 (ELOVL5), sterol regulatory element
      binding protein-1 (SREBP-1), triglyceride lipase and phospholipase A2 (PLA2). We
      also report on the effects on the photopigment molecule rhodopsin and on enzymes
      of the melatonin synthesis pathway, namely arylalkylamine N-acetyltransferases 1a
      and 1b and acetylserotonin methyltransferase. Juvenile fish were placed for 30
      days at 18, 23 or 28  degrees C. At 23  degrees C, the fatty acid composition of
      D. labrax retina showed, as generally reported for the retina of other fish
      species, particularly high amounts of docosahexaenoic (DHA), palmitic and oleic
      acids. The fatty acids composition was not significantly (P > 0.05) altered
      between 23 and 28  degrees C, but did increase at 18  degrees C compared to 23
      and 28  degrees C. At 18  degrees C there were noticeable increases in total DHA,
      ecosapentaenoic, arachidonic, oleic, linoleic, palmitoleic and stearic acids. A
      negative correlation was found in the abundance of neutral (NL) vs. polar (PL)
      lipids: 18  degrees C induced an increase in NL and a decrease in PL, while 28 
      degrees C induced higher PL with decreased NL. In NL the changes affected mainly
      triglycerides. FADS2 and ELOVL5 mRNA abundance decreased from 18 degrees  to 28 
      degrees C while SREBP-1 and triglyceride lipase mRNA remained stable. Conversely
      PLA2 mRNA was more abundant at 23 than at 18 and 28  degrees C. Temperature
      increased and decreased rhodopsin mRNA abundance, at 28  degrees C and 18 
      degrees C respectively, while there was no effect on mRNA from the melatonin
      synthesis enzymes. In conclusion the data indicate a temperature induced
      redistribution of fatty acids among the lipid classes that might affect the
      physical properties of the plasma membranes as well as functions associated with
      photoreception or generation of intracellular second messengers. In addition, the
      results suggest that temperature targets only the proteins and activities of
      retinal melatonin production. This study opens new lines of investigation related
      to the role temperature and fatty acids play in fish visual perception. They are
      relevant in the context of the global warming of seas affecting both the wild and
      the aquaculture species.

PMID- 28347706
TI  - Knowledge, attitudes and practice for Ebola virus disease in the national rapidly
      deployable isolation and treatment facility in Sierra Leone.

PMID- 28347707
TI  - The involvement of sirtuin 1 and heme oxygenase 1 in the hepatoprotective effects
      of quercetin against carbon tetrachloride-induced sub-chronic liver toxicity in
      rats.
AB  - The present study was designed to evaluate the therapeutic potential of quercetin
      in a sub-chronic model of hepatotoxicity. The roles of putative antioxidant
      enzymes, sirtuin 1 (SIRT1) and heme oxygenase 1 (HO-1), in hepatoprotection were
      also addressed. Sub-chronic liver injury was induced in rats by intraperitoneal
      administration of 0.5 ml/kg carbon tetrachloride (CTC), once every 3 days, for 2
      weeks. Some CTC rats were concurrently treated with 100 mg/kg quercetin,
      intragastrically, once every day, for 2 weeks. The effects of these drugs in the
      liver were evaluated by biochemical, histological, immunohistochemical and
      molecular biological studies. CTC triggered oxidative damage to the liver as
      unanimously shown by altered biochemical parameters and liver morphology.
      Furthermore, CTC highly upregulated HO-1 and SIRT1 expression levels. Concomitant
      treatment of rats with quercetin downregulated SIRT1 expression and ameliorated
      the hepatotoxic effects of CTC. However, quercetin did not have any significant
      effect on HO-1 expression and bilirubin levels. Collectively, these results
      suggest that the antioxidant and cytoprotective effects of quercetin in CTC
      treated rats were SIRT1 mediated and less dependent on HO-1. Thus, pharmacologic
      modulation of SIRT1 could provide a logic therapeutic approach in sub-chronic
      hepatotoxicity.

PMID- 28347709
TI  - Reply to the comment of Daron et al. entitled "Occurrence of rheumatic symptoms
      in celiac disease: A meta-analysis".

PMID- 28347708
TI  - Analytical validation of a reverse transcriptase droplet digital PCR (RT-ddPCR)
      for quantitative detection of infectious hematopoietic necrosis virus.
AB  - Infectious hematopoietic necrosis virus (IHNV) is an important pathogen of
      salmonid fishes. A validated universal reverse transcriptase quantitative PCR (RT
      qPCR) assay that can quantify levels of IHNV in fish tissues has been previously
      reported. In the present study, we adapted the published set of IHNV primers and
      probe for use in a reverse-transcriptase droplet digital PCR (RT-ddPCR) assay for
      quantification of the virus in fish tissue samples. The RT-ddPCR and RT-qPCR
      assays detected 13 phylogenetically diverse IHNV strains, but neither assay
      produced detectable amplification when RNA from other fish viruses was used. The
      RT-ddPCR assay had a limit of detection (LOD) equating to 2.2 plaque forming
      units (PFU)/MUl while the LOD for the RT-qPCR was 0.2 PFU/MUl. Good agreement
      (69.4-100%) between assays was observed when used to detect IHNV RNA in cell
      culture supernatant and tissues from IHNV infected rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus
      mykiss) and arctic char (Salvelinus alpinus). Estimates of RNA copy number
      produced by the two assays were significantly correlated but the RT-qPCR
      consistently produced higher estimates than the RT-ddPCR. The analytical
      properties of the N gene RT-ddPCR test indicated that this method may be useful
      to assess IHNV RNA copy number for research and diagnostic purposes. Future work
      is needed to establish the within and between laboratory diagnostic performance
      of the RT-ddPCR assay.

PMID- 28347710
TI  - Prostanoids in the pathophysiology of human coronary artery.
AB  - Coronary artery disease is one of the leading causes of death in wordwide. There
      is growing evidence that prostanoids are involved in the physiology and
      pathophysiology of the human coronary artery by controlling vascular tone,
      remodelling of the vascular wall or angiogenesis. In this review, the production
      of prostanoids and the expression of prostanoid receptors in human coronary
      artery in health or disease are described. In addition, the interactions between
      sex hormones and prostanoids, their participations in the development of coronary
      artery diseases have been addressed. Globally, most of the studies performed in
      human coronary artery preparations have shown that prostacyclin (PGI2) has
      beneficial effects by inducing vasodilatation and promoting angiogenesis while
      reverse effects are confirmed by thromboxane A2 (TxA2). More studies are needed
      to determine the roles of the other prostanoids (PGE2, PGD2 and PGF2alpha) in
      vascular functions of the human coronary artery. Finally, in addition to the in
      vitro data about the human coronary artery, myocardial infarction induced by
      cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) inhibitor and the protective effects of aspirin after
      coronary artery bypass surgery suggest that prostanoids are key mediators in
      coronary homeostasis.

PMID- 28347711
TI  - Magnetic anchor-guided endoscopic submucosal dissection for colonic tumor.

PMID- 28347712
TI  - Novel endoscopic scissors for the treatment of Zenker's diverticulum.

PMID- 28347713
TI  - Fecal microbial transplantation.

PMID- 28347714
TI  - EUS-guided drainage for pancreatic walled-off necrosis by use of a novel large
      diameter metal stent.

PMID- 28347715
TI  - Preeclampsia: novel insights from global RNA profiling of trophoblast
      subpopulations.
AB  - BACKGROUND: The maternal signs of preeclampsia, which include the new onset of
      high blood pressure, can occur because of faulty placentation. We theorized that
      transcriptomic analyses of trophoblast subpopulations in situ would lend new
      insights into the role of these cells in preeclampsia pathogenesis. OBJECTIVE:
      Our goal was to enrich syncytiotrophoblasts, invasive cytotrophoblasts, or
      endovascular cytotrophoblasts from the placentas of severe preeclampsia cases.
      Total RNA was subjected to global transcriptional profiling to identify RNAs that
      were misexpressed compared with controls. STUDY DESIGN: This was a cross
      sectional analysis of placentas from women who had been diagnosed with severe
      preeclampsia. Gestational age-matched controls were placentas from women who had
      a preterm birth with no signs of infection. Laser microdissection enabled
      enrichment of syncytiotrophoblasts, invasive cytotrophoblasts, or endovascular
      cytotrophoblasts. After RNA isolation, a microarray approach was used for global
      transcriptional profiling. Immunolocalization identified changes in messenger RNA
      expression that carried over to the protein level. Differential expression of non
      protein-coding RNAs was confirmed by in situ hybridization. A 2-way analysis of
      variance of non-coding RNA expression identified particular classes that
      distinguished trophoblasts in cases vs controls. Cajal body foci were visualized
      by coilin immunolocalization. RESULTS: Comparison of the trophoblast subtype data
      within each group (severe preeclampsia or noninfected preterm birth) identified
      many highly differentially expressed genes. They included molecules that are
      known to be expressed by each subpopulation, which is evidence that the method
      worked. Genes that were expressed differentially between the 2 groups, in a cell
      type-specific manner, encoded a combination of molecules that previous studies
      associated with severe preeclampsia and those that were not known to be
      dysregulated in this pregnancy complication. Gene ontology analysis of the
      syncytiotrophoblast data highlighted the dysregulation of immune functions,
      morphogenesis, transport, and responses to vascular endothelial growth factor and
      progesterone. The invasive cytotrophoblast data provided evidence of alterations
      in cellular movement, which is consistent with the shallow invasion often
      associated with severe preeclampsia. Other dysregulated pathways included immune,
      lipid, oxygen, and transforming growth factor-beta responses. The data for
      endovascular cytotrophoblasts showed disordered metabolism, signaling, and
      vascular development. Additionally, the transcriptional data revealed the
      differential expression in severe preeclampsia of 2 classes of non-coding RNAs:
      long non-coding RNAs and small nucleolar RNAs. The long non-coding RNA,
      urothelial cancer associated 1, was the most highly up-regulated in this class.
      In situ hybridization confirmed severe preeclampsia-associated expression in
      syncytiotrophoblasts. The small nucleolar RNAs, which chemically modify RNA
      structure, also correlated with severe preeclampsia. Thus, we enumerated Cajal
      body foci, sites of small nucleolar RNA activity, in primary cytotrophoblasts
      that were isolated from control and severe preeclampsia placentas. In severe
      preeclampsia, cytotrophoblasts had approximately double the number of these foci
      as the control samples. CONCLUSION: A laser microdissection approach enabled the
      identification of novel messenger RNAs and non-coding RNAs that were misexpressed
      by various trophoblast subpopulations in severe preeclampsia. The results
      suggested new avenues of investigation, in particular, the roles of PRG2, Kell
      blood group determinants, and urothelial cancer associated 1 in
      syncytiotrophoblast diseases. Additionally, many of the newly identified
      dysregulated molecules might have clinical utility as biomarkers of severe
      preeclampsia.

PMID- 28347717
TI  - Long non-coding RNAs in brain development, synaptic biology, and Alzheimer's
      disease.
AB  - Long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs), which are long transcripts without apparent
      protein-coding roles, interfere with gene expression and signaling events at
      various stages. Increasing evidence has suggested that lncRNAs function in the
      regulation of tissue homeostasis and under pathophysiologic conditions. In the
      nervous system, the expression of lncRNAs has been detected and characterized
      under normal physiologic conditions and in disease states. Some lncRNAs regulate
      brain development and synaptic plasticity. In Alzheimer's disease (AD), several
      lncRNAs have been demonstrated to regulate beta-amyloid production/generation,
      synaptic impairment, neurotrophin depletion, inflammation, mitochondrial
      dysfunction, and stress responses. This review summarizes data on lncRNA
      expression and focuses on neural lncRNAs that may function in AD. Although our
      understanding of lncRNAs remains in its infancy, this review provides insight
      into the contribution of lncRNAs to AD.

PMID- 28347718
TI  - Corrigendum to "Dry eye disease and uveitis: A closer look at immune mechanisms
      in animal models of two ocular autoimmune diseases" [AUTREV 15-12 (2016) 1181
      1192].

PMID- 28347716
TI  - Unique prediction of cannabis use severity and behaviors by delay discounting and
      behavioral economic demand.
AB  - Few studies have simultaneously evaluated delay discounting and behavioral
      economic demand to determine their unique contribution to drug use. A recent
      study in cannabis users found that monetary delay discounting uniquely predicted
      cannabis dependence symptoms, whereas cannabis demand uniquely predicted use
      frequency. This study sought to replicate and extend this research by evaluating
      delay discounting and behavioral economic demand measures for multiple
      commodities and including a use quantity measure. Amazon.com's Mechanical Turk
      was used to sample individuals reporting recent cannabis use (n=64) and controls
      (n=72). Participants completed measures of monetary delay discounting as well as
      alcohol and cannabis delay discounting and demand. Cannabis users and controls
      did not differ on monetary delay discounting or alcohol delay discounting and
      demand. Among cannabis users, regression analyses indicated that cannabis delay
      discounting uniquely predicted use severity, whereas cannabis demand uniquely
      predicted use frequency and quantity. These effects remained significant after
      controlling for other delay discounting and demand measures. This research
      replicates previous outcomes relating delay discounting and demand with cannabis
      use and extends them by accounting for the contribution of multiple commodities.
      This research also demonstrates the ability of online crowdsourcing methods to
      complement traditional human laboratory techniques.

PMID- 28347719
TI  - Controlling coaching and athlete thriving in elite adolescent netballers: The
      buffering effect of athletes' mental toughness.
AB  - OBJECTIVES: The purposes of this study were to examine the association between
      controlling coach behaviours and athlete experiences of thriving and test the
      buffering effect of mental toughness on this relation. DESIGN: A cross-sectional
      survey. METHODS: In total, 232 female netballers aged 11 to 17 years (14.97+1.52)
      with between 1 and 15 years of experience in their sport (7.50+2.28) completed
      measures of controlling coach interpersonal style, mental toughness and thriving.
      RESULTS: Latent moderated structural models indicated that (i) controlling coach
      behaviours were inversely related with experiences of vitality and learning; (ii)
      mental toughness was positively associated with psychological experiences of both
      dimensions of thriving; and (iii) mental toughness moderated the effect of
      coach's controlling interpersonal style on learning but not vitality experiences,
      such that the effect was weaker for individuals who reported higher levels of
      mental toughness. CONCLUSIONS: This study extends past work and theory to show
      that mental toughness may enable athletes to counteract the potentially
      deleterious effect of controlling coach interpersonal styles.

PMID- 28347720
TI  - Very-large-scale production of antibodies in plants: The biologization of
      manufacturing.
AB  - Gene technology has facilitated the biologization of manufacturing, i.e. the use
      and production of complex biological molecules and systems at an industrial
      scale. Monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) are currently the major class of
      biopharmaceutical products, but they are typically used to treat specific
      diseases which individually have comparably low incidences. The therapeutic
      potential of mAbs could also be used for more prevalent diseases, but this would
      require a massive increase in production capacity that could not be met by
      traditional fermenter systems. Here we outline the potential of plants to be used
      for the very-large-scale (VLS) production of biopharmaceutical proteins such as
      mAbs. We discuss the potential market sizes and their corresponding production
      capacities. We then consider available process technologies and scale-down models
      and how these can be used to develop VLS processes. Finally, we discuss which
      adaptations will likely be required for VLS production, lessons learned from
      existing cell culture-based processes and the food industry, and practical
      requirements for the implementation of a VLS process.

PMID- 28347721
TI  - Extra-analytical quality indicators and laboratory performances.
AB  - In the last few years much progress has been made in raising the awareness of
      laboratory medicine professionals about the effectiveness of quality indicators
      (QIs) in monitoring, and improving upon, performances in the extra-analytical
      phases of the Total Testing Process (TTP). An effective system for management of
      QIs includes the implementation of an internal assessment system and
      participation in inter-laboratory comparison. A well-designed internal assessment
      system allows the identification of critical activities and their systematic
      monitoring. Active participation in inter-laboratory comparison provides
      information on the performance level of one laboratory with respect to that of
      other participating laboratories. In order to guarantee the use of appropriate
      QIs and facilitate their implementation, many laboratories have adopted the Model
      of Quality Indicators (MQI) proposed by Working Group "Laboratory Errors and
      Patient Safety" (WG-LEPS) of IFCC, since 2008, which is the result of
      international consensus and continuous experimentation, and updating to meet new,
      constantly emerging needs. Data from participating laboratories are collected
      monthly and reports describing the statistical results and evaluating laboratory
      data, utilizing the Six Sigma metric, issued regularly. Although the results
      demonstrate that the processes need to be improved upon, overall the comparison
      with data collected in 2014 shows a general stability of quality levels and that
      an improvement has been achieved over time for some activities. The continuous
      monitoring of QI data allows identification all possible improvements, thus
      highlighting the value of participation in the inter-laboratory program proposed
      by WG-LEPS. The active participation of numerous laboratories will guarantee an
      ever more significant State-of-the-Art, promote the reduction of errors and
      improve quality of the TTP, thus guaranteeing patient safety.

PMID- 28347722
TI  - Testosterone, the progesterone/estradiol ratio, and female ratings of masculine
      facial fluctuating asymmetry for a long-term relationship.
AB  - Idiosyncratic variation within the normal range of androgens levels in women
      account for significant variations in personality and behavior. We studied if
      testosterone introduces significant biases in women's perception of fluctuating
      symmetry of male faces suitability for a long-term relationship. Participants
      were 145 female college students asked to rate in a two-choice forced paradigm
      the attractiveness, suitability as a long-term partner, and economic success,
      fatherliness and fidelity of an asymmetric and a symmetric male face. Since our
      sample consists of random women interested in participating, whether for personal
      reasons or because they were paid to participate, we controlled for menstrual
      phase. All participants provided salivary samples to determine testosterone (T),
      estradiol (E2) and progesterone (P4) levels. When the P4/E2 was low and T low-to
      normal, the symmetric face was rated as more attractive, and a desirable long
      term partner, but these preferences changed to the opposite when P4/E2 was high.
      In high T women, neither face was rated as more attractive, independently from
      the P4/E2 ratio, but the asymmetric face was preferred as a long-term partner
      when conception risk was high, changing to prefer the symmetric face as the P4/E2
      increased. The overall perception of male faces was that the symmetric face was
      more economical successful but a poor parent and highly unfaithful compared to
      the asymmetric face. A significant interaction between T and P4/E2 for ratings
      success of the asymmetric face suggests that high levels of feminine T might be
      related to inter-sexual competition when conception risk is high.

PMID- 28347723
TI  - Hypothalamic insulin responsiveness is associated with pancreatic insulin
      secretion in humans.
AB  - CONTEXT: Activity of the hypothalamus - the major brain area controlling
      peripheral metabolism - is specifically modulated by insulin. Research in animals
      suggests that brain insulin action influences pancreatic insulin secretion.
      OBJECTIVE: We investigated the association between hypothalamic insulin
      sensitivity and pancreatic insulin secretion in humans. DESIGN AND SETTING: This
      was a clinical-experimental trial in an university hospital setting.
      PARTICIPANTS: 48 healthy volunteers (21 women and 27 men) were included. MAIN
      OUTCOME MEASURES: Insulin sensitivity of the hypothalamus was quantified by
      cerebral blood flow (CBF) using MRI in combination with intranasal insulin
      administration. On a different day, a 75g oral glucose tolerance test with
      glucose, insulin, and C-peptide levels measured at five time points was
      performed. Three established insulin secretion indices (insulinogenic index
      [IGI], corrected insulin response [CIR], and AUCC-peptide0-30/AUCglucose0-30)
      were then analyzed for correlations with hypothalamic insulin sensitivity
      independent of whole-body insulin sensitivity. RESULTS: Hypothalamic insulin
      sensitivity showed a significant association with all three investigated insulin
      secretion indices (IGI p=0.0043; CIR p=0.06; AUCCpep0-30/AUCgluc0-30 p=0.0179).
      Participants with a strong hypothalamic insulin effect (i.e. decreased CBF after
      intranasal insulin administration) had lower insulin secretion during the OGTT,
      whereas participants with hypothalamic insulin resistance had substantially
      higher insulin secretion. No correlations with the occipital cortex, a control
      region, were detected. CONCLUSIONS: Our data suggest that hypothalamic insulin
      resistance might contribute to pancreatic insulin hypersecretion. Alternatively,
      common pathogenetic mechanisms could introduce both brain insulin resistance and
      beta cell hypersecretion.

PMID- 28347724
TI  - Metabolic effects of intermittent access to caloric or non-caloric sweetened
      solutions in mice fed a high-caloric diet.
AB  - Human consumption of obesogenic diets and soft drinks, sweetened with different
      molecules, is increasing worldwide, and increases the risk of metabolic diseases.
      We hypothesized that the chronic consumption of caloric (sucrose, high-fructose
      corn syrup (HFCS), maltodextrin) and non-caloric (sucralose) solutions under 2
      hour intermittent access, alongside the consumption of a high-fat high-sucrose
      diet, would result in differential obesity-associated metabolic abnormalities in
      mice. Male C57BL/6 mice had ad libitum access to an HFHS diet and to water (water
      control group). In addition, some mice had access, 2h/day, 5days/week (randomly
      chosen) for 12weeks, to different solutions: i) a sucrose solution (2.1kJ/ml),
      ii) an HFCS solution (2.1kJ/ml), iii) a maltodextrin solution (2.1kJ/ml) and a
      sucralose solution (60mM) (n=15/group). Despite no changes in total caloric
      intake, 2h-intermittent access to the sucrose, HFCS or maltodextrin solutions led
      to increased body weight and accumulation of lipids in the liver when compared to
      the group consuming water only. The HFCS and sucrose solutions induced a higher
      fat mass in various fat depots, glucose intolerance, increased glucose oxidation
      at the expense of lipid oxidation, and a lower hypothalamic expression of NPY in
      the fasted state. HFCS also reduced proopiomelanocortin expression in the
      hypothalamus. 2h-intermittent access to sucralose did not result in significant
      changes in body composition, but caused a stronger expression of CART in the
      hypothalamus. Finally, sucrose intake showed a trend to increase the expression
      of various receptors in the nucleus accumbens, linked to dopamine, opioid and
      endocannabinoid signaling. In conclusion, 2h-intermittent access to caloric
      solutions (especially those sweetened with sucrose and HFCS), but not sucralose,
      resulted in adverse metabolic consequences in high-fat high-sucrose-fed mice.

PMID- 28347725
TI  - Development of novel monoclonal antibodies directed against catechins for
      investigation of antibacterial mechanism of catechins.
AB  - Catechins are major polyphenolic compounds of green tea. To investigate mechanism
      for antibacterial action of catechins, 11 monoclonal antibodies (MAbs) were
      raised against a 3-succinyl-epicatechin (EC)-keyhole limpet hemocyanin (KLH)
      conjugate. Amino acid sequences of variable regions determined for MAbs b-1058, b
      1565, and b-2106 confirmed their innovative character. MAb b-1058 strongly
      interacted with its target substances in the following order of magnitude:
      theaflavin-3,3'-di-O-gallate (TFDG)>theaflavin-3-O-gallate (TF3G)>=theaflavin-3'
      O-gallate (TF3'G)>gallocatechin gallate (GCg)>penta-O-galloyl-beta-d-glucose
      (PGG)>epigallocatechin gallate (EGCg), as determined using surface plasmon
      resonance (SPR) on MAb-immobilized sensor chips. The affinity profiles of MAbs b
      1058 and b-2106 to the various polyphenols tested suggested that flavan skeletons
      with both carbonyl oxygen and hydroxyl groups are important for this interaction
      to take place. S. aureus cells treated with EGCg showed green fluorescence around
      the cells after incubation with FITC-labeled MAb b-1058. The fluorescence
      intensity increased with increasing concentrations of EGCg. These MAbs are
      effective to investigate antibacterial mechanism of catechins and theaflavins.

PMID- 28347726
TI  - Expanding the cardiac spectrum of Noonan syndrome with RIT1 variant: Left main
      coronary artery atresia causing sudden death.
AB  - Noonan syndrome is a well-known genetic condition associating congenital heart
      defects, short stature, and distinctive facial features. Pulmonary valve stenosis
      and hypertrophic cardiomyopathy are the most frequent cardiac abnormalities, the
      latter being associated with a higher mortality. Here we report for the first
      time, a case of congenital left main coronary artery atresia in a Noonan syndrome
      associated with RIT1 variant, leading to unrescued sudden death. This case-report
      supports the already-suspected severity of the RIT1-related Noonan syndrome
      compared to average Noonan syndrome, and should encourage clinicians to be very
      cautious with these patients.

PMID- 28347727
TI  - A novel method for examining corneal endothelial cell morphology in infants.
AB  - Previous studies have suggested that central corneal endothelial cell density
      (ECD) decreases from 6,100 cells/mm2 in neonates to 3,100 cells/mm2 in 10-year
      olds. Currently data on ECD in young children as well as the trend for ECD
      decrease during childhood is sparse because of the difficulty of examination
      using existing clinic-based specular microscopes. We developed a novel method of
      imaging young children intraoperatively with the goal of beginning to establish
      age-specific normative data for ECD and hexagonality of cells (%HEX). Children
      were imaged using our novel technique under general anesthesia or awake in clinic
      using a child-friendly technique. A total of 58 children were recruited (mean
      age, 5.50; range, 0.44-10.36). Our cohort displayed a significant linear decrease
      in ECD with age (r = -0.56, P < 0.001). No correlation was found between %HEX and
      age (r = -0.10, P = 0.48).

PMID- 28347728
TI  - The extended reciprocity: Strong belief outperforms persistence.
AB  - The existence of cooperation is a mysterious phenomenon and demands explanation,
      and direct reciprocity is one key potential explanation for the evolution of
      cooperation. Direct reciprocity allows cooperation to evolve for cooperators who
      switch their behavior on the basis of information about the opponent's behavior.
      Here, relevant to direct reciprocity is information deficiency. When the
      opponent's last move is unknown, how should players behave? One possibility is to
      choose cooperation with some default probability without using any further
      information. In fact, our previous paper (Kurokawa, 2016a) examined this
      strategy. However, there might be beneficial information other than the
      opponent's last move. A subsequent study of ours (Kurokawa, 2017) examined the
      strategy which uses the own last move when the opponent's last move is unknown,
      and revealed that referring to the own move and trying to imitate it when
      information is absent is beneficial. Is there any other beneficial information
      else? How about strong belief (i.e., have infinite memory and believe that the
      opponent's behavior is unchanged)? Here, we examine the evolution of strategies
      with strong belief. Analyzing the repeated prisoner's dilemma game and using
      evolutionarily stable strategy (ESS) analysis against an invasion by
      unconditional defectors, we find the strategy with strong belief is more likely
      to evolve than the strategy which does not use information other than the
      opponent player's last move and more likely to evolve than the strategy which
      uses not only the opponent player's last move but also the own last move. Strong
      belief produces the extended reciprocity and facilitates the evolution of
      cooperation. Additionally, we consider the two strategies game between strategies
      with strong belief and any strategy, and we consider the four strategies game in
      which unconditional cooperators, unconditional defectors, pessimistic
      reciprocators with strong belief, and optimistic reciprocators with strong belief
      are present.

PMID- 28347730
TI  - Crystal Structures and Vapor-Induced Crystalline Transformation of 7-Ethyl-10
      Hydroxycamptothecin Pseudopolymorphs.
AB  - Solvent-induced 3 frameworks (the monohydrate, methanol solvate, and dimethyl
      formamide [DMF] solvate) of an anticancer drug, 7-ethyl-10-hydroxycamptothecin
      (SN38), were constructed. The crystal structures of the 3 pseudopolymorphs were
      characterized by single-crystal X-ray diffraction technique for the first time.
      Crystal structure analysis of all these polymorphs revealed that the monohydrate
      showed 3D frameworks linked by hydrogen bonds. In the methanol solvate, the 1D
      molecular chains were linked by the methanol molecules through intermolecular
      hydrogen bonds to form a 2D sheet. The DMF solvate exhibits the 1D hydrogen
      bonding-linked chains along b-axis. Vapor-induced transformation has been
      investigated for the monohydrate, the methanol solvate, and the DMF solvate. The
      conversion relationships among the 3 solid frameworks are illustrated. Insights
      regarding transformation mechanisms have been established from consideration of
      the crystal structures.

PMID- 28347729
TI  - Selenoprotein T is required for pathogenic bacteria avoidance in Caenorhabditis
      elegans.
AB  - Selenoprotein T (SELENOT) is an endoplasmatic reticulum (ER)-associated redoxin
      that contains the amino acid selenocysteine (Sec, U) within a CXXU motif within a
      thioredoxin-like fold. Its precise function in multicellular organisms is not
      completely understood although it has been shown in mammals to be involved in
      Ca2+ homeostasis, antioxidant and neuroendocrine functions. Here, we use the
      model organism C. elegans to address SELENOT function in a whole organism
      throughout its life cycle. C. elegans possess two genes encoding SELENOT protein
      orthologues (SELT-1.1 and SELT-1.2), which lack Sec and contain the CXXC redox
      motif instead. Our results show that a Sec->Cys replacement and a gene
      duplication were two major evolutionary events that occurred in the nematode
      lineage. We find that worm SELT-1.1 localizes to the ER and is expressed in
      different cell types, including the nervous system. In contrast, SELT-1.2
      exclusively localizes in the cytoplasm of the AWB neurons. We find that selt-1.1
      and selt-1.2 single mutants as well as the double mutant are viable, but the selt
      1.1 mutant is compromised under rotenone-induced oxidative stress. We demonstrate
      that selt-1.1, but not selt-1.2, is required for avoidance to the bacterial
      pathogens Serratia marcescens and Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Aversion to the noxious
      signal 2-nonanone is also significantly impaired in selt-1.1, but not in selt-1.2
      mutant animals. Our results suggest that selt-1.1 would be a redox transducer
      required for nociception and optimal organismal fitness. The results highlight C.
      elegans as a valuable model organism to study SELENOT-dependent processes.

PMID- 28347731
TI  - Three-Dimensional Printing of Medicinal Products and the Challenge of
      Personalized Therapy.
AB  - By 3-dimensional (3D) printing, solid objects of any shape are fabricated through
      layer-by-layer addition of materials based on a digital model. At present, such a
      technique is broadly exploited in many industrial fields because of major
      advantages in terms of reduced times and costs of development and production. In
      the biomedical and pharmaceutical domains, the interest in 3D printing is growing
      in step with the needs of personalized medicine. Printed scaffolds and prostheses
      have partly replaced medical devices produced by more established techniques, and
      more recently, 3D printing has been proposed for the manufacturing of drug
      products. Notably, the availability of patient-tailored pharmaceuticals would be
      of utmost importance for children, elderly subjects, poor and high metabolizers,
      and individuals undergoing multiple drug treatments. 3D printing encompasses a
      range of differing techniques, each involving advantages and open issues.
      Particularly, solidification of powder, extrusion, and stereolithography have
      been applied to the manufacturing of drug products. The main challenge to their
      exploitation for personalized pharmacologic therapy is likely to be related to
      the regulatory issues involved and to implementation of production models that
      may allow to efficiently turn the therapeutic needs of individual patients into
      small batches of appropriate drug products meeting preset quality requirements.

PMID- 28347732
TI  - Association between the p53 arginine/arginine homozygous genotype at codon 72 and
      human papillomavirus E6/E7 mRNA expression.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the association between p53 polymorphisms and human
      papillomavirus (HPV) E6/E7 mRNA expression. METHODS: We analyzed 175 cervical
      samples from women aged 16-69 years old who were tested for HPV E6/E7 mRNA
      expression (NucliSENS(r) EasyQ(r) HPV). The samples were divided into three
      groups: positive (n=75) those with positive HPV E6/E7 mRNA expression and
      positive high-risk HPV Hybrid Capture (HR-HC) test; negative (n=52) those with
      negative HPV E6/E7 mRNA expression and positive HR-HC; and control (n=48) those
      with negative HPV E6/E7 mRNA expression and negative HR-HC. The p53 polymorphisms
      at codons 11, 72, and 248 were evaluated through polymerase chain reaction
      restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP). RESULTS: The frequency of
      the arginine/arginine homozygous genotype at codon 72 was significantly higher in
      the positive (49.3%) than in the negative (32.7%) and control groups (20.8%,
      p=0.002*). The frequency of the arginine allele was also significantly higher in
      the positive (67.3%) than in the negative (53.8%) and control groups (38.5%,
      p<0.001*). The arginine/arginine homozygous genotype was significantly associated
      with positive HPV E6/E7 mRNA expression (positive group) compared with negative
      and control groups (odds ratio: 2.633; 95% CI, 1.399-4.954, p=0.003). The
      frequency of arginine/arginine homozygous genotype at codon 72 remained
      significantly more frequent in the positive group of women aged >=30 years than
      in the other two groups. CONCLUSION: The presence of the p53 arginine/arginine
      homozygous genotype at codon 72 was significantly associated with the positive
      HPV E6/E7 mRNA expression.

PMID- 28347733
TI  - Neonatal BCG vaccination has no effect on recurrent wheeze in the first year of
      life: A randomized clinical trial.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Recurrent wheeze (RW) is frequent in childhood. Studies have
      suggested that BCG vaccination can have nonspecific effects, reducing general
      nontuberculosis morbidity, including respiratory tract infections and atopic
      diseases. The mechanisms behind these nonspecific effects of BCG are not fully
      understood, but a shift from a TH2 to a TH1 response has been suggested as a
      possible explanation. OBJECTIVE: We hypothesized that BCG at birth would reduce
      the cumulative incidence of RW during the first year of life. METHODS: The Danish
      Calmette Study is a multicenter randomized trial conducted from 2012-2015 at 3
      Danish hospitals. The 4262 newborns of 4184 included mothers were randomized 1:1
      to BCG (SSI strain 1331) or to a no-intervention control group within 7 days of
      birth; siblings were randomized together as one randomization unit. Exclusion
      criteria were gestational age of less than 32 weeks, birth weight of less than
      1000 g, known immunodeficiency, or no Danish-speaking parent. Information was
      collected through telephone interviews and clinical examinations at 3 and 13
      months of age; data collectors were blind to randomization group. RW was defined
      in several ways, with the main definition being physician-diagnosed and medically
      treated RW up to 13 months of age. RESULTS: By 13 months, 211 (10.0%) of 2100
      children in the BCG group and 195 (9.4%) of 2071 children in the control group
      had received a diagnosis of RW from a medical doctor and received antiasthma
      treatment (relative risk, 1.07; 95% CI, 0.89-1.28). Supplementary analyses were
      made, including an analysis of baseline risk factors for development of RW.
      CONCLUSION: Neonatal BCG had no effect on the development of RW before 13 months
      of age.

PMID- 28347734
TI  - Rhinovirus-induced first wheezing episode predicts atopic but not nonatopic
      asthma at school age.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Persistent childhood asthma is mainly atopy driven. However, limited
      data exist on the risk factors for childhood asthma phenotypes. OBJECTIVE: We
      sought to identify risk factors at the first severe wheezing episode for current
      asthma 7 years later and separately for atopic and nonatopic asthma. METHODS: One
      hundred twenty-seven steroid-naive children with the first severe wheezing
      episode (90% hospitalized/10% emergency department treated) were followed for 7
      years. The primary outcome was current asthma at age 8 years, which was also
      analyzed separately as atopic and nonatopic asthma. Risk factors, including
      sensitization, viral cause, and other main asthma risk factors, were analyzed.
      RESULTS: At study entry, median age was 11 months (interquartile range, 6-16
      months); 17% were sensitized, and 98% were virus positive. Current asthma (n =
      37) at 8 years was divided into atopic (n = 19) and nonatopic (n = 18) asthma.
      The risk factors for current atopic asthma at study entry were sensitization
      (adjusted odds ratio [OR], 12; P < .001), eczema (adjusted OR, 4.8; P = .014),
      and wheezing with rhinovirus (adjusted OR, 5.0; P = .035). The risk factors for
      nonatopic asthma were the first severe respiratory syncytial virus/rhinovirus
      negative wheezing episode (adjusted OR, 8.0; P = .001), first wheezing episode at
      age less than 12 months (adjusted OR, 7.3; P = .007), and parental smoking
      (adjusted OR, 3.8; P = .028). CONCLUSIONS: The data suggest diverse asthma
      phenotypes and mechanisms that can be predicted by using simple clinical markers
      at the time of the first severe wheezing episode. These findings are important
      for designing early intervention strategies for secondary prevention of asthma.

PMID- 28347735
TI  - Sensitization trajectories in childhood revealed by using a cluster analysis.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Assessment of sensitization at a single time point during childhood
      provides limited clinical information. We hypothesized that sensitization
      develops as specific patterns with respect to age at debut, development over
      time, and involved allergens and that such patterns might be more biologically
      and clinically relevant. OBJECTIVE: We sought to explore latent patterns of
      sensitization during the first 6 years of life and investigate whether such
      patterns associate with the development of asthma, rhinitis, and eczema. METHODS:
      We investigated 398 children from the at-risk Copenhagen Prospective Studies on
      Asthma in Childhood 2000 (COPSAC2000) birth cohort with specific IgE against 13
      common food and inhalant allergens at the ages of 1/2, 11/2, 4, and 6 years. An
      unsupervised cluster analysis for 3-dimensional data (nonnegative sparse parallel
      factor analysis) was used to extract latent patterns explicitly characterizing
      temporal development of sensitization while clustering allergens and children.
      Subsequently, these patterns were investigated in relation to asthma, rhinitis,
      and eczema. Verification was sought in an independent unselected birth cohort
      (BAMSE) constituting 3051 children with specific IgE against the same allergens
      at 4 and 8 years of age. RESULTS: The nonnegative sparse parallel factor analysis
      indicated a complex latent structure involving 7 age- and allergen-specific
      patterns in the COPSAC2000 birth cohort data: (1) dog/cat/horse, (2) timothy
      grass/birch, (3) molds, (4) house dust mites, (5) peanut/wheat flour/mugwort, (6)
      peanut/soybean, and (7) egg/milk/wheat flour. Asthma was solely associated with
      pattern 1 (odds ratio [OR], 3.3; 95% CI, 1.5-7.2), rhinitis with patterns 1 to 4
      and 6 (OR, 2.2-4.3), and eczema with patterns 1 to 3 and 5 to 7 (OR, 1.6-2.5).
      All 7 patterns were verified in the independent BAMSE cohort (R2 > 0.89).
      CONCLUSION: This study suggests the presence of specific sensitization patterns
      in early childhood differentially associated with development of clinical
      outcomes. Using such patterns in future research might provide more robust and
      clinically relevant results.

PMID- 28347736
TI  - Impact of school peanut-free policies on epinephrine administration.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Children with food allergies spend a large proportion of time in
      school but characteristics of allergic reactions in schools are not well studied.
      Some schools self-designate as peanut-free or have peanut-free areas, but the
      impact of policies on clinical outcomes has not been evaluated. OBJECTIVE: We
      sought to determine the effect of peanut-free policies on rates of epinephrine
      administration for allergic reactions in Massachusetts public schools. METHODS:
      In this retrospective study, we analyzed (1) rates of epinephrine administration
      in all Massachusetts public schools and (2) Massachusetts public school nurse
      survey reports of school peanut-free policies from 2006 to 2011 and whether
      schools self-designated as "peanut-free" based on policies. Rates of epinephrine
      administration were compared for schools with or without peanut-restrictive
      policies. RESULTS: The percentage of schools with peanut-restrictive policies did
      not change significantly in the study time frame. There was variability in
      policies used by schools self-designated as peanut-free. No policy was associated
      with complete absence of allergic reactions. Both self-designated peanut-free
      schools and schools banning peanuts from being served in school or brought from
      home reported allergic reactions to nuts. Policies restricting peanuts from home,
      served in schools, or having peanut-free classrooms did not affect epinephrine
      administration rates. Schools with peanut-free tables, compared to without, had
      lower rates of epinephrine administration (incidence rate per 10,000 students 0.2
      and 0.6, respectively, P = .009). CONCLUSIONS: These data provide a basis for
      evidence-based school policies for children with food allergies. Further studies
      are required before decisions can be made regarding peanut-free policies in
      schools.

PMID- 28347738
TI  - DNA damage-dependent mechanisms of ageing and disease in the macro- and
      microvasculature.
AB  - A decline in the function of the macro- and micro-vasculature occurs with ageing.
      DNA damage also accumulates with ageing, and thus DNA damage and repair have
      important roles in physiological ageing. Considerable evidence also supports a
      crucial role for DNA damage in the development and progression of macrovascular
      disease such as atherosclerosis. These findings support the concept that
      prolonged exposure to risk factors is a major stimulus for DNA damage within the
      vasculature, in part via the generation of reactive oxygen species. Genomic
      instability can directly affect vascular cellular function, leading to cell cycle
      arrest, apoptosis and premature vascular cell senescence. In contrast, the study
      of age-related impaired function and DNA damage mechanisms in the
      microvasculature is limited, although ageing is associated with microvessel
      endothelial dysfunction. This review examines current knowledge on the role of
      DNA damage and DNA repair systems in macrovascular disease such as
      atherosclerosis and microvascular disease. We also discuss the cellular responses
      to DNA damage to identify possible strategies for prevention and treatment.

PMID- 28347737
TI  - Sex differences in alcohol self-administration and relapse-like behavior in Long
      Evans rats.
AB  - Alcohol use disorders are a costly public health dilemma. Complicating this issue
      is the general lack of basic research assessing sex differences in many aspects
      of alcohol seeking and taking behaviors. The current experiments sought to
      decrease this gap in our understanding of sex differences in alcohol use
      disorders by assessing both male and female Long-Evans rats in parallel on
      alcohol self-administration, relapse-like behavior following abstinence and
      extinction, and motivation to respond for the standard alcohol solution and a
      quinine-adulterated alcohol solution. Here, we show that while males tend to have
      greater alcohol-reinforced responses throughout self-administration training,
      females show similar or greater alcohol intake (g/kg). Additionally, when tested
      for reinstatement of alcohol seeking and self-administration, following
      abstinence or extinction, males consistently showed greater reinstatement
      responding than females, which may be related to their training history. However,
      when assessed using the progressive ratio, there were no sex differences in
      motivation to respond for alcohol. Further, the consistent patterns of responding
      across months of self-administration training in both males and females, lend
      support for the feasibility of conducting these studies in male and female rats
      in parallel without concerns about daily variability. Our data also suggest that
      males and females should not be pooled as differences in alcohol lever responses
      and differences in reinstatement, as observed in the current experiments, could
      affect the overall outcome and possibly confound data interpretation. These
      studies demonstrate the importance of assessing males and females in parallel and
      advance the body of preclinical research on sex differences in alcohol self
      administration and relapse.

PMID- 28347739
TI  - Targeting white, brown and perivascular adipose tissue in atherosclerosis
      development.
AB  - Obesity is a well-established risk factor for atherosclerosis. However, the
      mechanistic link between accumulation of adipose tissue and development of
      atherosclerosis is not clear. Adipose tissue comprises various depots including
      white adipose tissue (WAT), brown adipose tissue (BAT) and thoracic and abdominal
      perivascular adipose tissue (PVAT). The phenotype of thoracic PVAT resembles BAT,
      whereas abdominal PVAT is more like WAT. Here, we review the distinct roles of
      the adipose tissue depots in the development of atherosclerosis with the ultimate
      aim to understand how these can be targeted to reduce atherosclerosis. In
      obesity, increased fatty acid release by WAT and decreased lipid combustion by
      BAT and thoracic PVAT lead to hyperlipidaemia, which contributes to
      atherosclerosis development. Besides, obese WAT and abdominal PVAT release pro
      inflammatory factors that further promote atherosclerosis. To discourage
      atherosclerosis development, strategies that reduce the release of pro
      inflammatory factors and fatty acids from WAT and abdominal PVAT, or increase
      combustion of fatty acids by activation of BAT and thoracic PVAT and beiging of
      WAT are probably most efficient. Possible therapies could include anti
      inflammatory compounds such as adiponectin and salicylates to lower inflammation,
      and beta3-adrenergic receptor activators to increase fatty acid combustion.
      Additional and more specific strategies to promote fatty acid combustion are
      currently subject of investigation. In conclusion, different adipose depots
      differentially affect atherosclerosis development, in which atherosclerosis is
      promoted by energy-storing adipose depots and attenuated by energy-combusting
      adipose tissue. In obesity, combining therapies that reduce inflammation and
      increase combustion of lipids are most conceivable to restrain atherogenesis.

PMID- 28347740
TI  - Selective cytotoxicity of the antibacterial peptide ABP-dHC-Cecropin A and its
      analog towards leukemia cells.
AB  - Some cationic antibacterial peptides, with typical amphiphilic alpha-helical
      conformations in a membrane-mimicking environment, exhibit anticancer properties
      as a result of a similar mechanism of action towards both bacteria and cancer
      cells. We previously reported the cDNA sequence of the antimicrobial peptide ABP
      dHC-Cecropin A precursor cloned from drury (Hyphantria cunea) (dHC). In the
      present study, we synthesized and structurally characterized ABP-dHC-Cecropin A
      and its analog, ABP-dHC-Cecropin A-K(24). Circular dichroism spectroscopy showed
      that ABP-dHC-Cecropin A and its analog adopt a well-defined alpha-helical
      structure in a 50% trifluorethanol solution. The cytotoxicity and cell
      selectivity of these peptides were further examined in three leukemia cell lines
      and two non-cancerous cell lines. The MTT assay indicated both of these peptides
      have a concentration-dependent cytotoxic effect in leukemia cells, although the
      observed cytotoxicity was greater with ABP-dHC-Cecropin A-K(24) treatment,
      whereas they were not cytotoxic towards the non-cancerous cell lines. Moreover,
      ABP-dHC-Cecropin A and its analog had a lower hemolytic effect in human red blood
      cells. Together, these results suggest the peptides are selectively cytotoxic
      towards leukemia cells. Confocal laser scanning microscopy determined that the
      peptides were concentrated at the surface of the leukemia cells, and changes in
      the cell membrane were determined with a permeability assay, which suggested that
      the anticancer activity of ABP-dHC-Cecropin A and its analog is a result of its
      presence at the leukemia cell membrane. ABP-dHC-Cecropin A and its analog may
      represent a novel anticancer agent for leukemia therapy, considering its cancer
      cell selectivity and relatively low cytotoxicity in normal cells.

PMID- 28347742
TI  - Corticosteroid responses of snakes to toxins from toads (bufadienolides) and
      plants (cardenolides) reflect differences in dietary specializations.
AB  - Toads are chemically defended by cardiotonic steroids known as bufadienolides.
      Resistance to the acute effects of bufadienolides in snakes that prey on toads is
      conferred by target-site insensitivity of the toxin's target enzyme, the Na+/K+
      ATPase. Previous studies have focused largely on the molecular mechanisms of
      resistance but have not investigated the physiological mechanisms or consequences
      of exposure to the toxins. Adrenal enlargement in snakes often is associated with
      specialization on a diet of toads. These endocrine glands are partly composed of
      interrenal tissue, which produces the corticosteroids corticosterone and
      aldosterone. Corticosterone is the main hormone released in response to stress in
      reptiles, and aldosterone plays an important role in maintaining ion balance
      through upregulation of Na+/K+-ATPase. We tested the endocrine response of select
      species of snakes to acute cardiotonic steroid exposure by measuring circulating
      aldosterone and corticosterone concentrations. We found that Rhabdophis tigrinus,
      which specializes on a diet of toads, responds with lower corticosterone and
      higher aldosterone compared to other species that exhibit target-site resistance
      to the toxins but do not specialize on toads. We also found differences between
      sexes in R. tigrinus, with males generally responding with higher corticosterone
      and aldosterone than females. This study provides evidence of physiological
      adaptations, beyond target-site resistance, associated with tolerance of
      bufadienolides in a specialized toad-eating snake.

PMID- 28347743
TI  - Transcription of CYP19A1 is directly regulated by SF-1 in the theca cells of
      ovary follicles in chicken.
AB  - Many studies have suggested the important role of estrogen in ovarian
      differentiation and development of vertebrates including chicken. Cytochrome P450
      aromatase, encoded by CYP19A1, is a key enzyme in estrogen synthesis, but the
      mechanism of CYP19A1 regulation in chicken remains unknown. Here, we found that
      CYP19A1 was only expressed in the theca cell layers of chicken ovary follicles.
      Steroidogenic factor 1 (SF-1, also named as nuclear receptor subfamily 5 group A
      member 1, NR5A1), a potential regulators, was expressed in both the theca cell
      layers and granulosa cell layers. Forkheadbox L2 (FOXL2), another potential
      regulator, was only expressed in the granulosa cell layers. Using luciferase
      assays in vitro, we found that SF-1 could activate the promoter of CYP19A1 by
      binding to the nuclear receptor half-site (5'-TCAAGGTCA-3') from -280 to -271
      base pairs. FOXL2 did not activate the promoter of chicken CYP19A1 gene in either
      293T or DF-1 cells. Overexpression of SF-1 in DF-1 cells upregulated aromatase
      expression, but FOXL2 could not. Taken together, our results indicated that SF-1
      activates CYP19A1 mRNA expression via a conserved binding site in chicken ovary,
      but FOXL2 may not affect the expression of CYP19A1.

PMID- 28347744
TI  - The development of cellular immune defence in marine medaka Oryzias melastigma.
AB  - Environmentally induced alterations of the immune system during sensitive
      developmental stages may manifest as abnormalities in immune organ configuration
      and/or immune cell differentiation. These not only render the early life stages
      more vulnerable to pathogens, but may also affect the adult immune competence.
      Knowledge of these sensitive periods in fish would provide an important
      prognostic/diagnostic tool for aquatic risk assessment of immunotoxicants. The
      marine medaka Oryzias melastigma is an emerging seawater fish model for
      immunotoxicology. Here, the presence and onset of four potentially sensitive
      periods during the development of innate and adaptive cellular immune defence
      were revealed in O. melastigma: 1.) initiation of phagocyte differentiation, 2.)
      migration and expansion of lymphoid progenitor cells, 3.) colonization of immune
      organs through lymphocyte progenitors and 4.) establishment of immune competence
      in the thymus. By using an established bacterial resistance assay for O.
      melastigma, larval immune competence (from newly hatched 1dph to 14dph) was found
      concomitantly increased with advanced thymus development and the presence of
      mature T-lymphocytes. A comparison between the marine O. melastigma and the
      freshwater counterpart Oryzias latipes disclosed a disparity in the T-lymphocyte
      maturation pattern, resulting in differences in the length of T-lymphocyte
      maturation. The results shed light on a potential difference between seawater and
      freshwater medaka in their sensitivity to environmental immunotoxicants. Further,
      medaka immune system development was compared and contrasted to economically
      important fish. The present study has provided a strong scientific basis for
      advanced investigation of critical windows for immune system development in fish.

PMID- 28347745
TI  - Seasonal and ontogenetic changes modulate oxygen consumption and antioxidant
      defenses in the cutlassfish Trichiurus lepturus (Pisces, Trichiuridae).
AB  - Several oxidative stress markers and liver oxygen consumption were measured in
      different tissues of the marine fish Trichiurus lepturus in late summer and late
      winter, as well as in juveniles and adult females. Oxygen consumption in liver,
      superoxide dismutase (SOD) and catalase (CAT) activity in liver, red cells, lens
      and roe, vitamin E, ubiquinol10, beta-carotene in liver, red cells, and roe, as
      well as contents of reduced glutathione (GSH) and lipoperoxidation (TBARS) in red
      cells were evaluated. Regarding ontogeny, compared to adult fish, juveniles
      showed significant higher SOD activity in liver and lens, as well as higher liver
      contents of vitamin E. In contrast, adult females showed higher contents of
      vitamin E in roe, ubiquinol10 in liver and roe, and higher GSH levels in red
      cells, while the other markers remained unchanged. Regarding seasonal changes, no
      differences were detected in adult females for liver CAT and ubiquinol10, CAT in
      roe, vitamin E in roe and in red cells, liver and red cell ubiquinol10, and in
      GSH in red cells. However, and coinciding with the spawning period of late
      summer, liver oxygen consumption, SOD and CAT activity and ubiquinol10 contents
      in roe and SOD activity in red cells, and red cell TBARS contents were higher
      compared to late winter. These temporal antioxidant adjustments of Trichiurus
      lepturus seem to be parallel to the higher oxygen consumption typical of juvenile
      forms and also to the intense spawning and foraging activities of adult females
      in late summer.

PMID- 28347746
TI  - Matrix metalloproteinases - From the cleavage data to the prediction tools and
      beyond.
AB  - Understanding the physiological role of any protease requires identification of
      both its cleavage substrates and their relative cleavage efficacy as compared
      with other substrates and other proteinases. Our review manuscript is focused on
      the cleavage preferences of the individual matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) and
      the cleavage similarity and distinction that exist in the human MMP family. The
      recent in-depth analysis of MMPs by us and many others greatly increased
      knowledge of the MMP biology and structural-functional relationships among this
      protease family members. A better knowledge of cleavage preferences of MMPs has
      led us to the development of the prediction tools that are now capable of the
      high throughput reliable prediction and ranking the MMP cleavage sites in the
      peptide sequences in silico. Our software unifies and consolidates volumes of the
      pre-existing data. Now this prediction-ranking in silico tool is ready to be used
      by others. The software we developed may facilitate both the identification of
      the novel proteolytic regulatory pathways and the discovery of the previously
      uncharacterized substrates of the individual MMPs. Because now the MMP research
      may be based on the mathematical probability parameters rather than on either
      random luck or common sense alone, the researchers armed with this novel in
      silico tool will be better equipped to fine-tune or, at least, to sharply focus
      their wet chemistry experiments. This article is part of a Special Issue
      entitled: Matrix Metalloproteinases edited by Rafael Fridman.

PMID- 28347747
TI  - Molecular characterization of human osteoblast-derived extracellular vesicle mRNA
      using next-generation sequencing.
AB  - Extracellular vesicles (EVs) are membrane-bound intercellular communication
      vehicles that transport proteins, lipids and nucleic acids with regulatory
      capacity between cells. RNA profiling using microarrays and sequencing
      technologies has revolutionized the discovery of EV-RNA content, which is crucial
      to understand the molecular mechanism of EV function. Recent studies have
      indicated that EVs are enriched with specific RNAs compared to the originating
      cells suggestive of an active sorting mechanism. Here, we present the comparative
      transcriptome analysis of human osteoblasts and their corresponding EVs using
      next-generation sequencing. We demonstrate that osteoblast-EVs are specifically
      depleted of cellular mRNAs that encode proteins involved in basic cellular
      activities, such as cytoskeletal functions, cell survival and apoptosis. In
      contrast, EVs are significantly enriched with 254 mRNAs that are associated with
      protein translation and RNA processing. Moreover, mRNAs enriched in EVs encode
      proteins important for communication with the neighboring cells, in particular
      with osteoclasts, adipocytes and hematopoietic stem cells. These findings provide
      the foundation for understanding the molecular mechanism and function of EV
      mediated interactions between osteoblasts and the surrounding bone
      microenvironment.

PMID- 28347749
TI  - Parents' educational level and second-hand tobacco smoke exposure at home in a
      sample of Portuguese children.
AB  - Second-hand tobacco smoke (SHS) exposure is a major and entirely avoidable health
      risk for children's health, well-being and development. The main objective of the
      current study was to investigate the association between parents' educational
      level and children's SHS home exposure. A self-administered questionnaire was
      conducted within a sample of 949 students in 4th grade (mean age 9.56+/-0.75,
      53.4% male). The sample was randomly selected from all schools located at Lisbon
      District, Portugal. The current study confirmed that Portuguese children are
      exposed to unacceptable high levels of SHS at home, mainly by their parents'
      smoke. Prevalence of smokers was higher amongst parents with low educational
      level. Children of parents with low educational level were more likely to suffer
      SHS exposure at home. These results confirmed the social inequalities associated
      with smoking, support the relevance of more research on this subject and stress
      the need for more interventions to control this problem. Some interventions
      should be specifically aimed at less educated parents, particularly at less
      educated mothers.

PMID- 28347748
TI  - Local and hematological alterations induced by Philodryas olfersii snake venom in
      mice.
AB  - Envenomation by the South American opisthoglyphous snake Philodryas olfersii
      causes local pain, edema, erythema and ecchymosis; systemic envenomation is rare.
      In this work, we examined the inflammatory activity of P. olfersii venom (10, 30
      and 60 MUg) in mouse gastrocnemius muscle 6 h after venom injection.
      Intramuscular injection of venom did not affect hematological parameters such as
      red cell count, hemoglobin, hematocrit, mean corpuscular volume, mean corpuscular
      hemoglobin and mean corpuscular hemoglobin concentration. The venom caused
      thrombocytopenia (at all three doses), leukopenia and lymphopenia (both at the
      two highest doses), as well as neutrophilia (30 MUg), monocytosis (30 MUg) and
      basophilia (10 MUg). Of the cytokines that were screened [IL-1beta, IL-6, IL-10,
      IL-13, IL-17, TNF-alpha, IFN-gamma, MIP-2 and KC] and IGF-1, only IGF-1 showed a
      significant increase in its circulating concentration, seen with 60 MUg of venom;
      there were no significant changes in the cytokines compared to control mice.
      Histological analysis revealed the presence of edema, an inflammatory infiltrate
      and progressive myonecrosis. Edema and myonecrosis were greatest with 60 MUg of
      venom, while the inflammatory infiltrate was greatest with 10 MUg of venom. All
      venom doses caused the migration of polymorphonuclear and mononuclear leukocytes
      into muscle, but with no significant dose-dependence in the response. These
      findings show that, at the doses tested, P. olfersii venom does not cause
      hematological alterations and has limited effect on circulating cytokine
      concentrations. These data also confirm that the principal effects of the venom
      in mice are local edema, inflammatory cell infiltration and myonecrosis.

PMID- 28347750
TI  - Glycoconjugates from extracellular vesicles: Structures, functions and emerging
      potential as cancer biomarkers.
AB  - Extracellular vesicles (EVs) are released by virtually all cells, carry cellular
      molecules to the extracellular environment, and may interact with other cells.
      They are found in body fluids, therefore, constituting useful target sources for
      the identification of disease biomarkers, for example, in cancer. EVs originate
      from the plasma membrane or from multivesicular endosomes. They have the same
      topology as the plasma membrane and are rich in glycoconjugates, displaying
      specific glycosignatures. Surface glycoconjugates play important roles in EVs
      biogenesis and in their interaction with other cells. Changes in glycosylation
      constitute a hallmark of different types of cancer, therefore, the study of
      glycoconjugates and glycosignatures of EVs appear as promising candidates to
      identify novel cancer biomarkers and to increase the specificity and sensitivity
      of the existing clinical biomarkers, many of which are glycosylated.

PMID- 28347751
TI  - The duality of macrophage function in chronic lymphocytic leukaemia.
AB  - Chronic lymphocytic leukaemia (CLL) is the most common adult leukaemia and, in
      some patients, is accompanied by resistance to both chemotherapeutics and
      immunotherapeutics. In this review we will discuss the role of tumour associated
      macrophages (TAMs) in promoting CLL cell survival and resistance to
      immunotherapeutics. In addition, we will discuss mechanisms by which TAMs
      suppress T-cell mediated antitumour responses. Thus, targeting macrophages could
      be used to i) reduce the leukaemic burden via the induction of T-cell-mediated
      antitumour responses, ii) to reduce pro-survival signalling and enhance response
      to conventional chemotherapeutics or iii) enhance the response to therapeutic
      antibodies in current clinical use.

PMID- 28347752
TI  - Expression, purification and characterization of active untagged recombinant
      human leukemia inhibitory factor from E.coli.
AB  - Leukemia inhibitory factor (LIF), a member of the IL-6 cytokine family, is
      considered to be a pleiotropic cytokine and functions in both cell proliferation
      and differentiation. It is widely used in the culture of mouse embryonic stem
      cells and is implicated in the implantation of mouse model and possibly in
      humans. Great efforts have been made on the efficient generation of LIF to meet
      the requirement of this cytokine in biomedical research. However, because of the
      low expression level in the eukaryotic system and poor purification yields,
      recombinant human LIF has usually been expressed either as inclusion body or as
      fusion protein in E. coli (Escherichia coli). Here we introduce a simple method
      to express hLIF in a soluble form in E. coli and a subsequent purification
      method. The expression of hLIF was induced at a low temperature (16  degrees C)
      and most of the expressed hLIF was observed to be in a soluble form. Then by
      using three steps of chromatography, which could be easily scaled-up for
      industrial purposes, active untagged hLIF was purified with similar bioactivity
      compared to that of the commercial product. The endotoxin level of purified hLIF
      protein in our method was determined to be lower than 1EU/MUg, which was also
      comparable to the commercial products. Furthermore, as hLIF was expressed in a
      soluble form, there was no need to develop the denaturation and renaturation
      methods. The yield of hLIF protein was evaluated to be approximately 0.7 mg hLIF
      from 1 g wet weight of E.coli in our method.

PMID- 28347753
TI  - Genetic and physicochemical analyses of a novel ferret hepatitis E virus, and
      clinical signs of infection after birth.
AB  - A novel cluster of five ferret hepatitis E virus (HEV) strains was detected from
      nine laboratory ferrets (Mustela putorius furo) imported from a ferret farm in
      the U.S. Our detection of ferret HEV RNA and anti-HEV antibodies, and alanine
      aminotransferase (ALT) value assessment indicated that all of the 9 ferrets were
      infected with ferret HEV, and that the infection exhibited three patterns: sub
      clinical infection (n=2), acute hepatitis (n=6) and persistent infection (n=1).
      Next-generation sequence analyses of the entire genome sequences of the five
      strains revealed that their nucleotide sequence identities ranged from 99.5% to
      99.9%, indicating that genetically similar ferret HEVs had been circulating at
      this the U.S. ferret farm. In contrast, the strains shared 82% and 89% nucleotide
      sequence identities with other ferret HEV that isolated from the Netherlands
      (JN998607) and the U.S. (AB890374), suggesting that these strains form a novel
      cluster of ferret HEV with diverse genomes depending on the region where their
      host. Particles with a diameter of ~35nm at a density of 1.201g/cm3 were observed
      in the fecal specimens by electron microscopy. There was no evidence that the
      particles were associated with the cell membrane. The ferret HEV RNA was not
      constantly detected in urine, suggesting that the excretion of ferret HEV into
      urine is not a common feature of HEV infection.

PMID- 28347754
TI  - Cadmium disrupts autophagic flux by inhibiting cytosolic Ca2+-dependent
      autophagosome-lysosome fusion in primary rat proximal tubular cells.
AB  - Previous studies have shown that subcellular Ca2+ redistribution is involved in
      Cd-induced autophagy inhibition in primary rat proximal tubular (rPT) cells, but
      the mechanism remains unclear. In this study, the status of autophagic flux was
      monitored by the GFP and RFP tandemly tagged LC3 method. Pharmacological
      inhibition of cytosolic Ca2+ concentration ([Ca2+]c) with 2-APB or BAPTA-AM
      significantly alleviated Cd-elevated yellow puncta formation and restored Cd
      inhibited red puncta formation, while thapsigargin (TG) had the opposite
      regulatory effect, demonstrating that Cd-induced [Ca2+]c elevation inhibited the
      autophagic flux in rPT cells. Resultantly, Cd-induced autophagosomes accumulation
      was obviously modulated by 2-APB, BAPTA-AM and TG, respectively. Meanwhile,
      blockage of autophagosome-lysosome fusion and decreased recruitment of Rab7 to
      autophagosomes by Cd exposure was noticeably restored by 2-APB or BAPTA-AM, but
      co-treatment with Cd and TG further impaired Cd-induced autophagy arrest.
      Moreover, Cd-induced oxidative stress intimately correlated with cytosolic Ca2+
      mobilization, and N-acetylcysteine (NAC) markedly rescued Cd-blocked
      autophagosome-lysosome fusion and recruitment of Rab7 to autophagosomes in rPT
      cells, implying that Cd-induced autophagy inhibition was due to [Ca2+]c elevation
      triggered oxidative stress. In summary, these results suggest that Cd-mediated
      autophagy inhibition in rPT cells is dependent on cytosolic Ca2+ overload.
      Elevation of [Ca2+]c inhibited the autophagosome-lysosome fusion to block the
      degradation of autophagosomes, which aggravated Cd-induced cytotoxicity in rPT
      cells.

PMID- 28347756
TI  - Gaussian modelling characteristics changes derived from finger
      photoplethysmographic pulses during exercise and recovery.
AB  - Gaussian modelling method has been reported as a useful method to analyze
      arterial pulse waveform changes. This study aimed to provide scientific evidence
      on Gaussian modelling characteristics changes derived from the finger
      photoplethysmographic (PPG) pulses during exercise and recovery. 65 healthy
      subjects (18 female and 47 male) were recruited. Finger PPG pulses were digitally
      recorded with 5 different exercise loads (0, 50, 75, 100, 125W) as well as during
      each of 4minute (min) recovery period. The PPG pulses were normalized in both
      width and amplitude for each recording, which were decomposed into three
      independent Gaussian waves with nine parameters determined, including the peak
      amplitude (H1, H2, H3), peak time position (N1, N2, N3) and half-width (W1, W2,
      W3) from each Gaussian wave, and four extended parameters determined, including
      the peak time interval (T1,2, T1,3) and amplitude ratio (R1,2, R1,3) between 1st
      Gaussian wave and 2nd, 3rd Gaussian waves. These derived parameters were finally
      compared between different exercise loads and recovery phases. With gradually
      increased exercise loads, the peak amplitude H2, peak time position N1, N2, N3,
      and half-width W1, W2 increased, peak amplitude H3 decreased significantly (all
      P<0.05). The peak time interval T1,2 and T1,3 increased significantly from 10.6+/
      1.2 and 36.0+/-4.4 at rest to 14.4+/-2.3 and 45.1+/-6.5 at 100W exercise load,
      respectively (both P<0.05). The amplitude ratio R1,2 also increased from 1.07+/
      0.2 at rest to 1.22+/-0.2 at 100W, and the amplitude ratio R1,3 decreased from
      1.10+/-0.3 at rest to 0.42+/-0.2 at 125W (all P<0.05). An opposite changing trend
      of these parameters was observed during recovery phases. In conclusion, this
      study has quantitatively demonstrated significant changes of Gaussian modelling
      characteristics derived from finger PPG pulse with exercise and during recovery,
      providing scientific evidence for the physiological mechanism that exercise
      increases cardiac ejection and vasodilation, and reduces the total peripheral
      vascular resistance.

PMID- 28347755
TI  - Inhibition of inflammation induced shedding of the endothelial glycocalyx with
      low molecular weight heparin.
AB  - The endothelial surface layer (ESL) consists of the endothelial cell (EC)
      glycocalyx and adsorbed proteins, and forms a barrier between blood and the EC.
      Enzymatic shedding of the ESL in response to cytokines may expose receptors for
      leukocyte (WBC) adhesion and increase vascular permeability. Thus, intravital
      microscopy was used to explore stabilization of the ESL with low molecular weight
      heparin (LMWH) to mitigate structural changes with inflammation. Following bolus
      infusions (i.v.) of LMWH (0.12-1.6mg/kg), shedding of glycans in response to 10
      7M fMLP was measured by loss of fluorescently labeled lectins bound to the EC and
      WBC-EC adhesion was monitored in post-capillary venules of rat mesentery. During
      a 30min exposure to fMLP, a 50% reduction in fluorescence (indicative of glycan
      shedding) occurred at the lowest dose of LMWH whereas a 50% increase occurred
      (indicative of ESL compaction) at the highest dose. Shedding was reduced by LMWH
      in a dose dependent manner with an EC50 of 0.6mg/kg. Concomitant WBC-EC adhesion
      increased over 3-fold for all doses of LMWH. However, at a dose of 1.6mg/kg, WBC
      EC adhesion did not rise significantly during the initial 10min exposure to fMLP.
      Correlation of WBC adhesion with intensity of the lectin stain for all
      measurements revealed a significant 40% reduction in adhesion as intensity
      increased 50%. This relationship was attributed to LMWH inhibition of heparanase
      and/or binding to components of the glycocalyx that resulted in mitigation of
      glycan shedding, compaction of the lectin stain and stabilization of the
      glycocalyx.

PMID- 28347757
TI  - TDS exposure project: How and when to consider seasonalityin a total diet study?
AB  - Seasonality is a key issue of total diet studies (TDS), as season may impact
      consumption patterns and concentrations of food chemicals, then exposure levels.
      This work aimed at analyzing the impact on dietary exposure of different options
      of seasonality management, to propose guidelines for TDS sampling. Dietary
      exposure to nine chemicals was assessed for adults and children from the second
      French Individual and National Food Consumption Survey: arsenic, copper,
      manganese, dioxins, furans, dioxin-like and non dioxin-like PCBs, deoxinivalenol
      and ochratoxin A. Seasonality was considered either in both consumption and
      concentration data, consumption data only, or concentration data only. Results
      showed significant differences between exposures during different seasons. For
      most chemicals, the difference between seasonal exposures may not be mainly
      driven by seasonality of consumption, but partly by seasonality of concentration.
      Results on risk assessment remained generally the same. If the main objective of
      the TDS is the risk assessment, considering season for sampling could be costly
      but with a low added value in terms of results. For exposure refinement, season
      has to be considered in the sampling design. More particularly, seasonal samples
      should be kept separately for chemicals with expected seasonal variation in
      concentrations, such as some metals or mycotoxins.

PMID- 28347758
TI  - Structure-activity relationships of flavonoids as natural inhibitors against E.
      coli beta-glucuronidase.
AB  - Bacterial beta-glucuronidases play key roles in the deconjugation of a variety of
      endogenous and drug glucuronides, thus have been recognized as important targets
      to modulate the enterohepatic circulation of various glucuronides. In this study,
      more than 30 natural flavonoids were collected and their inhibitory effects
      against E. coli beta-glucuronidase (EcGUS) were assayed. The results demonstrated
      that some flavonoids including scutellarein, luteolin, baicalein, quercetin and
      scutellarin displayed strong to moderate inhibitory effects against EcGUS, with
      the IC50 values ranging from 5.76 MUM to 29.64 MUM, while isoflavones and
      dihydroflavones displayed weak inhibitory effects against EcGUS. Further
      investigation on inhibition kinetics revealed that scutellarein and luteolin
      functioned as potent competitive inhibitors against EcGUS-mediated PNPG
      hydrolysis, with the Ki values less than 3.0 MUM. Molecular docking simulations
      demonstrated that scutellarein and luteolin could be well-docked into the
      catalytic site of EcGUS, while the binding areas of these two natural inhibitors
      on EcGUS were highly overlapped with that of PNPG on EcGUS. Additionally, the
      structure-inhibition relationships of natural flavonoids against EcGUS are also
      summarized, which will be very helpful for the medicinal chemists to design and
      develop more potent flavonoid-type inhibitors against EcGUS.

PMID- 28347760
TI  - Acute Atraumatic Splenic Hemorrhage: Babesiosis or Acute Infectious
      Mononucleosis.

PMID- 28347759
TI  - Second international symposium on phytochemicals in medicine and food (2-ISPMF).

PMID- 28347761
TI  - Humanizing the Electronic Medical Record with the Personal Fact.

PMID- 28347762
TI  - An in vitro approach for comparative interspecies metabolism of agrochemicals.
AB  - The metabolism and elimination of a xenobiotic has a direct bearing on its
      potential to cause toxicity in an organism. The confidence with which data from
      safety studies can be extrapolated to humans depends, among other factors, upon
      knowing whether humans are systemically exposed to the same chemical entities
      (i.e. a parent compound and its metabolites) as the laboratory animals used to
      study toxicity. Ideally, to understand a metabolite in terms of safety, both the
      chemical structure and the systemic exposure would need to be determined.
      However, as systemic exposure data (i.e. blood concentration/time data of test
      material or metabolites) in humans will not be available for agrochemicals, an in
      vitro approach must be taken. This paper outlines an in vitro experimental
      approach for evaluating interspecies metabolic comparisons between humans and
      animal species used in safety studies. The aim is to ensure, where possible, that
      all potential human metabolites are also present in the species used in the
      safety studies. If a metabolite is only observed in human in vitro samples and is
      not present in a metabolic pathway defined in the toxicological species already,
      the toxicological relevance of this metabolite must be evaluated.

PMID- 28347763
TI  - Risk assessment for pyrrolizidine alkaloids detected in (herbal) teas and plant
      food supplements.
AB  - Pyrrolizidine alkaloids (PAs) are plant metabolites present in some botanical
      preparations, with especially 1,2-unsaturated PAs being of concern because they
      are genotoxic carcinogens. This study presents an overview of tumour data on PAs
      and points of departure (PODs) derived from them, corroborating that the BMDL10
      for lasiocarpine represents a conservative POD for risk assessment. A risk
      assessment using this BMDL10 and mean levels of PAs reported in literature for
      (herbal) teas, indicates that consumption of one cup of tea a day would result in
      MOE values lower than 10 000 for several types of (herbal) teas, indicating a
      priority for risk management for these products A refined risk assessment using
      interim relative potency (REP) factors showed that based on the mean PA levels,
      7(54%) of 13 types of (herbal) teas and 1 (14%) of 7 types of plant food
      supplements (PFS) resulted in MOE values lower than 10 000, indicating a priority
      for risk management also for these products in particular. This includes both
      preparations containing PA-producing and non-PA-producing plants. Our study
      provides insight in the current state-of-the art and limitations in the risk
      assessment of PA-containing food products, especially (herbal) teas and PFS,
      indicating that PAs in food presents a field of interest for current and future
      risk management.

PMID- 28347764
TI  - BDNF is required for taste axon regeneration following unilateral chorda tympani
      nerve section.
AB  - Taste nerves readily regenerate to reinnervate denervated taste buds; however,
      factors required for regeneration have not yet been identified. When the chorda
      tympani nerve is sectioned, expression of brain-derived neurotrophic factor
      (BDNF) remains high in the geniculate ganglion and lingual epithelium, despite
      the loss of taste buds. These observations suggest that BDNF is present in the
      taste system after nerve section and may support taste nerve regeneration. To
      test this hypothesis, we inducibly deleted Bdnf during adulthood in mice. Shortly
      after Bdnf gene recombination, the chorda tympani nerve was unilaterally
      sectioned causing a loss of both taste buds and neurons, irrespective of BDNF
      levels. Eight weeks after nerve section, however, regeneration was differentially
      affected by Bdnf deletion. In control mice, there was regeneration of the chorda
      tympani nerve and taste buds reappeared with innervation. In contrast, few taste
      buds were reinnervated in mice lacking normal Bdnf expression such that taste bud
      number remained low. In all genotypes, taste buds that were reinnervated were
      normal-sized, but non-innervated taste buds remained small and atrophic. On the
      side of the tongue contralateral to the nerve section, taste buds for some
      genotypes became larger and all taste buds remained innervated. Our findings
      suggest that BDNF is required for nerve regeneration following gustatory nerve
      section.

PMID- 28347765
TI  - Spinal cord injury in hypertonic newborns after antenatal hypoxia-ischemia in a
      rabbit model of cerebral palsy.
AB  - While antenatal hypoxia-ischemia (H-I) is a well-established cause of brain
      injury, the effects of H-I on the spinal cord remain undefined. This study
      examined whether hypertonia in rabbits was accompanied by changes in spinal
      architecture. Rabbit dams underwent global fetal H-I at embryonic day 25 for
      40min. High resolution diffusion tensor imaging was performed on fixed neonatal
      CNS. Fractional anisotropy (FA) and regional volumetric measurements were
      compared between kits with and without hypertonia after H-I and sham controls
      using Tract Based Spatial Statistics. Hypertonic kits showed evidence of damage
      from hypoxia not only in the brain, but in spinal cord as well. Hypertonic kits
      showed reduced FA and thickness in corticospinal tracts, external capsule,
      fimbria, and in white and gray matter of both cervical and lumbar spinal cord.
      Dorsal white matter of the spinal cord was the exception, where there was
      thickening and increased FA in hypertonic kits. Direct damage to the spinal cord
      was demonstrated in a subset of dams imaged during H-I with a 3T magnetic
      resonance scanner, where apparent diffusion coefficient in fetal spinal cords
      acutely decreased during hypoxia. Hypertonic kits showed subsequent decreases in
      lumbar motoneuron counts and extensive TUNEL- and Fluoro-Jade C-positive labeling
      was present in the spinal cord 48h after H-I, demonstrating spinal
      neurodegeneration. We speculate that global H-I causes significant loss of both
      spinal white and gray matter in hypertonic newborns due to direct H-I injury to
      the spinal cord as well as due to upstream brain injury and consequent loss of
      descending projections.

PMID- 28347766
TI  - Biosynthesis of an antiviral compound using a stabilized phosphopentomutase by
      multipoint covalent immobilization.
AB  - Ribavirin is a synthetic guanosine analogue with a broad-spectrum of antiviral
      activity. It is clinically effective against several viruses, such as respiratory
      syncytial virus, several hemorrhagic fever viruses and HCV when combined with
      pegylated interferon-alpha. Phosphopentomutase (PPM) catalyzes the transfer of
      intramolecular phosphate (from C1 to C5) on ribose, and is involved in pentose
      phosphate pathway and in purine metabolism. Reactions catalyzed by this enzyme
      are useful for nucleoside analogues production. However, out of its natural
      environment PPM is unstable and its stability is affected by parameters such as
      pH and temperature. Therefore, to irreversibly immobilize this enzyme, it needs
      to be stabilized. In this work, PPM from Escherichia coli ATCC 4157 was
      overexpressed, purified, stabilized at alkaline pH and immobilized on several
      supports. The activity of different additives as stabilizing agents was
      evaluated, and the best result was found using 10% (v/v) glycerol. Under this
      condition, PPM maintained 86% of its initial activity at pH 10 after 18h
      incubation, which allowed further covalent immobilization of this enzyme on
      glyoxyl-agarose with a high yield. This is the first time that PPM has been
      immobilized by multipoint covalent attachment on glyoxyl support, this derivative
      being able to biosynthesize ribavirin from alpha-d-ribose-5-phosphate.

PMID- 28347767
TI  - Characterization of a new UDP-sugar pyrophosphorylase from Hordeum vulgare
      (barley).
AB  - The broad substrate spectrum of UDP-sugar pyrophosphorylases from plant salvage
      pathways is of high interest for the synthesis of expensive nucleotide sugars by
      straightforward enzyme cascade reactions in combination with monosaccharide
      kinases. We here present a new UDP-sugar pyrophosphorylase from Hordeum vulgare
      with favorable biochemical properties like broad pH and temperature tolerances as
      well as a broad substrate spectrum and high synthesis stability. Enzyme
      properties were determined and reaction conditions were optimized by high-through
      put multiplexed capillary electrophoresis analysis. In combination with a
      galactokinase UDP-alpha-d-galactose (UDP-Gal) was efficiently synthesized with a
      space-time-yield of 17g/L*h for full conversion of 10mM substrate within 20min by
      1.2U of each enzyme.

PMID- 28347768
TI  - Identification of a novel phospholipase D with high transphosphatidylation
      activity and its application in synthesis of phosphatidylserine and DHA
      phosphatidylserine.
AB  - Phosphatidylserine (PS) and docosahexaenoic acid-phosphatidylserine (DHA-PS) have
      significant nutritional and biological functions, which are extensively used in
      functional food industries. Phospholipase D (PLD)-mediated transphosphatidylation
      of phosphatidylcholine (PC) or DHA-PC with l-serine, is an effective method for
      PS and DHA-PS preparation. However, because of the hydrolysis activity of PLD, PC
      and DHA-PC would be converted to the undesirable byproduct, phosphatidic acid
      (PA) and DHA-PA. In this study, a novel phospholipase D (PLDa2) was firstly
      cloned from Acinetobacter radioresistens a2 with high transphosphatidylation
      activity and no hydrolysis activity. In the PLD-catalyzed synthesis process
      (12h), both the transphosphatidylation conversion rate and selectivity of PS and
      DHA-PS were about 100%, which is the only PLD enzyme reported with this
      superiority up till now. In comparison with the majority of other known PLDs,
      PLDa2 exerted the highest activity at neutral pH, and it was stable from pH 4.0
      to pH 9.0. In addition, PLDa2 had excellent thermal stability, with an optimum
      reaction temperature of 40 degrees C and keeping more than 80% activity from 20
      degrees C to 60 degrees C. The high catalytic selectivity mechanism of PLDa2 was
      explained by utilizing homology modeling, two-step docking, and binding energy
      and conformation analysis. PLDa2 ensured a stable supply of the biocatalyst with
      its most preponderant transphosphatidylation activity and PS selectivity, and had
      great potential in phospholipids industrial production.

PMID- 28347769
TI  - Probing the acetaldehyde-sensitivity of 2-deoxy-ribose-5-phosphate aldolase
      (DERA) leads to resistant variants.
AB  - The 2-deoxy-d-ribose-5-phosphate aldolase (DERA) is a synthetically attractive
      enzyme because of its ability to perform CC-couplings stereoselectively, the
      enzyme uses acetaldehyde as nucleophile and thus produces true aldols rather than
      ketols, and may add two acetaldehyde molecules onto one electrophile. However,
      DERA produces crotonaldehyde as side reaction from acetaldehyde which is then an
      irreversible inhibitor forming a covalent Michael-adduct within the active site
      in particular with cysteine 47 (Dick et al., 2016). This inhibition can be
      resolved by mutating C47 to non-nucleophile amino acids. Still, the inhibition is
      not an on-off-feature and the present mutagenesis study illustrates that there
      must be a C47-independent inactivation mechanism. As a practical result: The
      virtually fully resistant mutant C47L was found, which shows no loss in
      stereoselectivity, - this renders this variant as promising catalyst.

PMID- 28347770
TI  - Intermediate-Term Outcomes for Men with Very Low/Low and Intermediate/High Risk
      Prostate Cancer Managed by Active Surveillance.
AB  - PURPOSE: We compare intermediate term clinical outcomes among men with favorable
      risk and intermediate/high risk prostate cancer managed by active surveillance.
      MATERIALS AND METHODS: A total of 635 men with localized prostate cancer have
      been on active surveillance since 2002 at a high volume academic hospital in the
      United States. Median followup is 50.5 months (IQR 31.1-80.3). Time to event
      analysis was performed for our clinical end points. RESULTS: Of the cohort 117
      men (18.4%) had intermediate/high risk disease. Overall 5 and 10-year all cause
      survival was 98% and 94%, respectively. Cumulative metastasis-free survival at 5
      and 10 years was 99% and 98%, respectively. To date no cancer specific deaths had
      been observed. Overall freedom from intervention was 61% and 49% at 5 and 10
      years, respectively. Overall cumulative freedom from failure of active
      surveillance, defined as metastasis or biochemical failure after local therapy
      with curative intent, was 97% and 91% at 5 and 10 years, respectively. Of the men
      21 (9.9%) experienced biochemical failure after deferred treatment and the 5-year
      progression-free probability was 92%. Compared to men with favorable risk disease
      those with intermediate/high risk cancer experienced no difference in metastases,
      surveillance failure or curative intervention. However, patients at higher risk
      were at significantly increased risk for all cause mortality, likely reflecting
      patient selection factors. These conclusions may be limited by the small number
      of events and the duration of our study. CONCLUSIONS: Patients with localized
      prostate cancer who are on active surveillance demonstrated a low rate of active
      surveillance failure, prostate cancer specific mortality and metastases
      regardless of baseline risk.

PMID- 28347771
TI  - Comparison of Biochemical Recurrence-Free Survival after Radical Prostatectomy
      Triggered by Grade Reclassification during Active Surveillance and in Men Newly
      Diagnosed with Similar Grade Disease.
AB  - PURPOSE: We compared biochemical recurrence between men on active surveillance
      who underwent radical prostatectomy triggered by grade reclassification and men
      diagnosed with similar grade disease treated with immediate radical
      prostatectomy. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We retrospectively analyzed the records of
      men who underwent surgery from 1995 to 2015 at our institution. We identified 4
      groups, including 94 and 56 men on active surveillance who underwent radical
      prostatectomy following reclassification to Gleason 7 (3 + 4) or greater (grade
      groups 2 or greater) and Gleason 7 (3 + 4) (grade group 2), and 3,504 and 1,979
      in the immediate prostatectomy group diagnosed with grade group 2 or greater and
      2, respectively. Biochemical recurrence was assessed by Kaplan-Meir analysis and
      a multivariable Cox model. RESULTS: Men on active surveillance had a lower
      incidence of biochemical recurrence than men in the immediate radical
      prostatectomy groups for biopsy grade groups 2 or greater and 2 (each p <0.05).
      One, 5 and 10-year biochemical recurrence-free survival for men in the active
      surveillance group vs the immediate radical prostatectomy group was 97.9% vs
      85.5%, 76.6% vs 65.1% and 69.0% vs 54.2% in biopsy grade groups 2 or greater (p =
      0.009) and 96.4% vs 91.2%, 89.6% vs 74.0% and 89.6% vs 63.9%, respectively, in
      biopsy grade group 2 (p = 0.071). For biopsy grade groups 2 or greater there was
      no significant difference in the risk of biochemical recurrence between the
      groups after adjusting for age, biopsy extent of cancer and prostate specific
      antigen density. CONCLUSIONS: Patients on active surveillance reclassified to
      grade groups 2 or greater are at no greater risk for treatment failure than men
      newly diagnosed with similar grades.

PMID- 28347772
TI  - Bifunctional opioid/nociceptin hybrid KGNOP1 effectively attenuates pain-related
      behaviour in a rat model of neuropathy.
AB  - A bifunctional peptide containing an opioid and nociceptin receptor-binding
      pharmacophore, H-Dmt-D-Arg-Aba-beta-Ala-Arg-Tyr-Tyr-Arg-Ile-Lys-NH2 (KGNOP1), was
      tested for its analgesic properties when administered intrathecally in naive and
      chronic constriction injury (CCI)-exposed rats with neuropathy-like symptoms.
      KGNOP1 significantly increased the acute pain threshold, as measured by the tail
      flick test, and also increased the threshold of a painful reaction to mechanical
      and thermal stimuli in CCI-exposed rats. Both of the effects could be blocked by
      pre-administration of [Nphe1]-Nociceptin (1-13)-NH2 (NPhe) or naloxone,
      antagonists for nociceptin and opioid receptors, respectively. This led us to
      conclude that KGNOP1 acts as a dual opioid and nociceptin receptor agonist in
      vivo. The analgesic effect of KGNOP1 proved to be more powerful than clinical
      drugs such as morphine and buprenorphine. Repeated daily intrathecal injections
      of KGNOP1 led to the development of analgesic tolerance, with the antiallodynic
      action being completely abolished on day 6. Nevertheless, the development of
      tolerance to the antihyperalgesic effect was delayed in comparison to morphine,
      which lost its efficacy as measured by the cold plate test after 3days of daily
      intrathecal administration, whereas KGNOP1 was efficient up to day 6. A single
      intrathecal injection of morphine to KGNOP1-tolerant rats did not raise the pain
      threshold in any of the behavioural tests; in contrast, a single intrathecal dose
      of KGNOP1 significantly suppressed allodynia and hyperalgesia in morphine
      tolerant rats.

PMID- 28347773
TI  - Synthesis and biological evaluation of (R)-3,3,3-trifluoro-2-hydroxy-2
      methylpropionamides as pyruvate dehydrogenase kinase 1 (PDK1) inhibitors to
      reduce the growth of cancer cells.
AB  - Most cancer cells exhibit a high rate of glycolysis and reduced capacity in
      mitochondrial oxidative phosphorylation. The expression of pyruvate dehydrogenase
      kinases (PDKs) was found to be increased in many cancer cells. Inhibition of PDKs
      increases the oxidative phosphorylation of glucose, which may disrupt the balance
      between the demand and supply of oxygen in cancer cell, thus leading to cell
      death. Several reports suggested that compounds containing (R)-3,3,3-trifluoro-2
      hydroxy-2-methylpropionamide group could inhibit PDKs in pyruvate dehydrogenase
      primary enzymatic assay. However, none of them were capable of reducing the
      growth of cancer cells. Herein, we report the synthesis and biological evaluation
      of some novel PDK1 inhibitors containing the (R)-3,3,3-trifluoro-2-hydroxy-2
      methylpropionamide warhead. Excitingly, these novel PDK1 inhibitors exhibited
      good potency to reduce the growth of cancer cells. We have demonstrated that
      these compounds could physically associate with PDK1 and activate pyruvate
      dehydrogenase in low micromolar levels.

PMID- 28347774
TI  - Polyanion based controlled release system for the GnRH-receptor antagonist
      degarelix.
AB  - The aim of this study was to investigate the interaction between the positively
      charged gonadotropin releasing hormone receptor antagonist degarelix and the two
      polyanions alginate and carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC). Light as well as
      transmission electron microscopy revealed that complexes formed by simple mixing
      of the peptide with one of the polymers had a nano-structure consisting of
      twisted fibers. The remarkable unique process of complex formation could be
      followed by isothermal titration calorimetry: We found that peptide self
      aggregates dissolved upon the addition of polyanion and peptide-polymer-complexes
      formed thereafter with the anionic polymer as a template. Peptide release from
      the complexes was tested in vitro and in vivo and compared to the dissolution of
      drug from self-aggregates. In vitro the release was monitored over a period of
      three months. We could find only slight differences in the release kinetics for
      the alginate and the CMC complexes compared to the pure drug. An in vivo study in
      Sprague Dawley rats showed similar degarelix plasma concentration levels for the
      complex formulations and an aqueous degarelix solution following subcutaneous
      injection. Overall, our findings suggest a competition between complex formation
      and peptide aggregation, which did not increase the availability of free drug.

PMID- 28347775
TI  - Thermo- and pH-responsive nano-in-micro particles for combinatorial drug delivery
      to cancer cells.
AB  - Drug combinatorial therapy has been gaining the scientific community attention as
      a suitable approach to increase treatments efficacy and promote cancer
      eradication. In this study, a new pH- and thermo- responsive carrier was
      developed by combining doxorubicin-loaded gold-core silica shell nanorods with
      salicylic acid loaded poly (lactic-co-glycolic acid) based microparticles
      (NIMPS). The obtained results showed that the drugs and nanorods release could be
      triggered by the near-infrared (NIR) laser irradiation or by the exposition to an
      acidic environment. The in vitro 2D cell studies showed that the NIMPS are
      biocompatible and easily uptaken by HeLa cells. In addition, 3D cell culture
      models revealed that the NIMPS administration, combined with the NIR laser
      irradiation, was capable of reducing the size of the HeLa spheroids up to 48%.
      Overall, the attained data support the application of the nano-in-micro spheres
      as a dual stimuli responsive drug carrier system for the local administration of
      combined therapies to cervical cancer cells.

PMID- 28347776
TI  - Identification of new SNPs associated with severe toxicity to capecitabine.
AB  - Predicting individual risk of chemotherapy-induced severe adverse reaction is a
      critical issue when selecting the best treatment for cancer patients. SNPs have
      been identified in genes involved in the pharmacodynamics of fluoropyrimidines,
      and guidelines even recommend genotyping some DPYD variants in order to estimate
      the risk of toxicity. However, the predictive value of this approach remains
      insufficient, thus limiting its clinical implementation. The aim of the present
      study was to identify new genetic variants by selecting a group of tag SNPs in
      genes associated with the pharmacodynamics of fluoropyrimidines (CDA, DPYD,
      ENOSF1, CES1, TYMS, SLC22A7, TYMP, and UMPS). For this purpose, 23 selected SNPs
      were genotyped on an OpenArrayTM platform in a cohort of 301 colorectal cancer
      patients receiving capecitabine-based chemotherapy. Univariate and multivariate
      statistical analysis by logistic regression revealed 10 SNPs associated with
      severe adverse reactions to capecitabine (P<0.05): rs1048977, rs12726436, and
      rs2072671 in CDA; rs12119882 in DPYD; rs2853741 in TYMS; rs699517 in TYMS/ENOSF1;
      rs2270860 and rs4149178 in SLC22A7; and rs2279199 and rs4678145 in UMPS. Except
      for rs2072671, no association had previously been reported between these SNPs and
      the risk of capecitabine-induced toxicity. The use of tag SNPs to find new
      polymorphisms related to adverse reactions to capecitabine was successful. These
      new variants could increase the predictive power of currently available tests and
      thus prevent severe adverse reactions to capecitabine.

PMID- 28347777
TI  - What makes dietary restraint problematic? Development and validation of the
      Inflexible Eating Questionnaire.
AB  - This study presents the Inflexible Eating Questionnaire (IEQ), which measures the
      inflexible adherence to subjective eating rules. The scale's structure and
      psychometric properties were examined in distinct samples from the general
      population comprising both men and women. IEQ presented an 11-item one
      dimensional structure, revealed high internal consistency, construct and temporal
      stability, and discriminated eating psychopathology cases from non-cases. The IEQ
      presented significant associations with dietary restraint, eating
      psychopathology, body image inflexibility, general psychopathology symptoms, and
      decreased intuitive eating. IEQ was a significant moderator on the association
      between dietary restraint and eating psychopathology symptoms. Findings suggested
      that the IEQ is a valid and useful instrument with potential implications for
      research on psychological inflexibility in disordered eating.

PMID- 28347778
TI  - Deconstructing family meals: Do family structure, gender and employment status
      influence the odds of having a family meal?
AB  - OBJECTIVES: We assessed the odds of having a family dinner by parental gender,
      family structure and parental employment. METHODS: This study used data from the
      American Time Use Survey (ATUS) (2006-2008). Multivariate analyses assessed the
      odds of two outcomes among parents: 1) eating at all with children and 2) having
      a family dinner. RESULTS: Single men had lower odds of eating at all with
      children and eating a family dinner in comparison to partnered/married males.
      Partnered/married women had increased odds of eating at all with children and
      eating a family dinner compared to their partnered/married male counterparts.
      While single women had increased odds of eating at all with children compared to
      partnered/married males, no difference was detected in the odds of having a
      family dinner. Among dual-headed households, women had lower odds of eating a
      family dinner when both parents were employed compared a dual-headed household
      with employed male/non-employed female. There were no differences among men
      regardless of their employment status or that of their partner/spouse.
      CONCLUSIONS: Family structure, parental gender and employment status all
      influence the odds of having a family dinner. Future research on family meals
      should consider all of these factors to better understand trends and disparities
      across household compositions.

PMID- 28347779
TI  - Consumption of food away from home in Bangladesh: Do rich households spend more?
AB  - While consumption of food away from home (FAFH) is an established phenomenon
      among households in the developed countries, FAFH is a growing phenomenon in many
      middle-income and rapidly growing developing countries. Although, studies are
      available on the factors affecting consumption of FAFH in developed countries,
      there is a paucity of such studies in developing countries. This study examines
      households' choice of and expenditures on FAFH. We used information from
      Bangladeshi households and applied a double-hurdle regression model estimation
      procedure. Findings show that, in general, rich households are spending
      proportionately less on FAFH and, over time, the trend is continuing. Although
      households with female members who work in the non-farm sector are more likely to
      consume FAFH, educated household heads and spouses, and particularly urban
      households are less likely to consume and spend on FAFH. As the problem of food
      adulteration by dishonest sellers is rampant in Bangladesh, perhaps it
      discourages rich, urban and households headed by educated heads and spouses to
      consume and spend more on FAFH. Based on the findings, some points of
      interventions are also prescribed in this study.

PMID- 28347780
TI  - Semaphorin4D promotes axon regrowth and swimming ability during recovery
      following zebrafish spinal cord injury.
AB  - Semaphorins comprise a family of proteins involved in axon guidance during
      development. Semaphorin4D (Sema4D) has both neuroregenerative and neurorepressive
      functions, being able to stimulate both axonal outgrowth and growth cone collapse
      during development, and therefore could play an important role in neurological
      recovery from traumatic injury. Here, we used a zebrafish spinal cord transection
      model to study the role of Sema4D in a system capable of neuroregeneration. Real
      time qPCR and in situ hybridization showed upregulated Sema4D expression in the
      acute response phase (within 3days post SCI), and downregulated levels in the
      chronic response phase (11-21days after SCI). Double-immunostaining for Sema4D
      and either Islet-1 (motoneuron marker) or Iba-1 (microglial marker) showed that
      microglia surrounded Sema4D-positive motoneurons along the central canal at 4h
      post injury (hpi) and 12hpi. Following administration of Sema4D morpholino (MO)
      to transected zebrafish, double-immunostaining showed that Sema4D-positive
      motoneurons surrounded by microglia decreased at 7days and 11days compared with
      standard control MO. Anterograde and retrograde tracing indicate that Sema4D
      participates in axon regeneration in the spinal cord following spinal cord injury
      (SCI) in the zebrafish. Swim tracking shows that MO-mediated inhibition of Sema4D
      retarded the recovery of swimming function when compared to standard control MO.
      The combined results indicate that Sema4D expression in motoneurons enhances
      locomotor recovery and axon regeneration, possibly by regulating microglia
      function, after SCI in adult zebrafish.

PMID- 28347781
TI  - Guillain-Barre syndrome during the Zika virus outbreak in Sucre, Colombia, 2016.

PMID- 28347782
TI  - Aggregation of t10,c12 conjugated linoleic Acid in presence of natural and
      modified cyclodextrins. A physicochemical, thermal and computational analysis.
AB  - In this work the aggregation behavior of t10,c12 Conjugated linoleic acid
      (t10,c12-CLA) is presented for first time. The results show a c.m.c. of 25MUM at
      pH 8 and 25 degrees C. The encapsulation process with cyclodextrins (CDs)
      presented a 1:1 stoichiometry in all cases studied but the complexation constants
      were strongly dependent on the type of CDs used, the pH and temperature.
      Hydroxypropyl-beta-Cyclodextrin (HPbetaCD) was the best CD studied for
      encapsulating t10,c12-CLA. The resulting t10,c12-CLA-HPbetaCD complex showed a
      very high dependency on pH, which explains why a pKa of 4.08 was found for first
      time, which was very close to the simulated value. Furthermore, the effect of
      temperature on the t10,c12-CLA-HPbetaCD was studied. The complexation constant
      (KF) showed an increase behavior with the temperature. In addition, molecular
      docking calculations provided further insights into how the different
      interactions influence the complexation constant. Finally, a comparative study
      with rumenic acid, an isomer, was carried out.

PMID- 28347783
TI  - Osteoarthritis after rotator cuff repair: A 10-year follow-up study.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Joint surgery is often complicated by gradual bone and cartilage
      deterioration that eventually leads to secondary osteoarthritis. The primary
      objective of this study was to identify preoperative risk factors for gleno
      humeral osteoarthritis after rotator cuff repair. The secondary objectives were
      to assess whether the risk of gleno-humeral osteoarthritis was influenced by the
      operative technique, occurrence of postoperative complications, cuff healing, and
      muscle degeneration and to determine whether gleno-humeral osteoarthritis
      affected the clinical outcome. HYPOTHESIS: The development of gleno-humeral
      osteoarthritis affects the postoperative clinical outcome. MATERIAL AND METHOD: A
      retrospective multicentre study of patients who underwent rotator cuff repair in
      2003 and were re-evaluated at least 10 years later was conducted under the aegis
      of the Societe francaise de chirurgie orthopedique et traumatique (SOFCOT).
      Osteoarthritis severity was graded according to the Samilson-Prieto
      classification. RESULTS: Four hundred and one patients were included. At last
      follow-up, at least 10 years after surgery, the radiological Samilson-Prieto
      grades were distributed as follows: 0, n=181 (45%); 1, n=142 (n=35%); 2, n=57
      (14%); 3, n=14 (4%); and 4, n=7 (2%). The mean Constant score was significantly
      higher in the patients without than with osteoarthritis at last follow-up (79/100
      vs. 73/100, P<0.001). MRI assessment of cuff healing showed that the proportion
      of patients with osteoarthritis was significantly higher in the group with
      unhealed or re-torn cuffs (Sugaya type 4 or 5) than in the group with healed
      cuffs (Sugaya type 1, 2, or 3) (46% vs. 25%, P=0.012). DISCUSSION: Our study
      showed no associations linking the risk of gleno-humeral osteoarthritis to the
      patient activity profile, history of shoulder injury, or preoperative symptom
      duration. In contrast, statistically significant associations were identified
      between gleno-humeral osteoarthritis and age, male gender, initial tear severity,
      and the pain and mobility components of the preoperative Constant score.
      Decreased invasiveness of the operative technique probably diminishes the long
      term risk of osteoarthritis. An unhealed or re-torn cuff increases the risk of
      osteoarthritis. Osteoarthritis is associated with poorer final clinical outcomes.
      LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: IV, retrospective non-randomised study.

PMID- 28347784
TI  - A programmable smoke delivery device for PET imaging with cigarettes containing
      11C-nicotine.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: PET imaging with 11C-nicotine-loaded cigarettes is a valuable tool
      to directly assess fast nicotine kinetics and its neuropharmacological role in
      tobacco dependence. To eliminate variations among puffs inhaled by subjects, this
      work aimed to develop a programmable smoke delivery device (SDD) to produce
      highly reproducible and adjustable puffs of cigarette smoke for PET experiments.
      NEW METHOD: The SDD was built around a programmable syringe pump as a smoking
      machine to draw a puff of smoke from a 11C-nicotine-loaded cigarette and make it
      available for a subject to take the smoke into the mouth and then inhale it
      during PET data acquisition. Brain nicotine time activity curves and total body
      absorbed 11C-nicotine doses (TAD) were measured in smokers who inhaled a single
      puff of smoke via the SDD from a 11C-nicotine-loaded cigarette. RESULTS: Nearly
      identical brain nicotine kinetics were observed between participants who inhaled
      a puff of smoke through the SDD and those who inhaled directly from a cigarette.
      COMPARISON WITH EXISTING METHODS: This new device minimizes puff variations that
      exist with earlier smoke delivery apparatuses which could introduce confounding
      factors. CONCLUSIONS: The SDD is effective in delivering 11C-nicotine from the
      study cigarettes. Despite a 2-s increase in aging of smoke delivered through the
      SDD versus smoke taken directly from a cigarette, the difference in brain
      nicotine kinetics after 11C-nicotine delivery with and without use of the SDD is
      negligible. This refined device may be useful for future research on the
      deposition and pharmacokinetics of nicotine inhaled with tobacco smoke.

PMID- 28347785
TI  - 3D chitinous scaffolds derived from cultivated marine demosponge Aplysina
      aerophoba for tissue engineering approaches based on human mesenchymal stromal
      cells.
AB  - The recently discovered chitin-based scaffolds derived from poriferans have the
      necessary prosperities for potential use in tissue engineering. Among the various
      demosponges of the Verongida order, Aplysina aerophoba is an attractive target
      for more in-depth investigations, as it is a renewable source of unique 3D
      microporous chitinous scaffolds. We found these chitinous scaffolds were
      cytocompatible and supported attachment, growth and proliferation of human
      mesenchymal stromal cells (hMSCs) in vitro. Cultivation of hMSCs on the scaffolds
      for 7days resulted in a two-fold increase in their metabolic activity, indicating
      increased cell numbers. Cells cultured onto chitin scaffolds in differentiation
      media were able to differentiate into the chondrogenic, adipogenic and osteogenic
      lineages, respectively. These results indicate A. aerophoba is a novel source of
      chitin scaffolds to futher hMSCs-based tissue engineering strategies.

PMID- 28347786
TI  - Consumption of guava may have beneficial effects in type 2 diabetes: A bioactive
      perspective.
AB  - The objectives of this study were to evaluate the anti-diabetic and anti
      hyperlipidemic effects and relative mechanisms of guava polysaccharides (GPs) in
      rats with type 2 diabetic mellitus (T2DM). The chemical characterization and
      monosaccharide compositions of GPs, named as GP-1, GP-2, GP-3, and GP-4, were
      determined by PMP-HPLC and FT-IR. The results revealed that all GPs had the
      typical saccharide absorptions, and all were heteropolysaccharides. In addition,
      GPs efficiently decreased levels of fasting blood glucose, glucosylated serum
      protein, serum insulin, homeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance, total
      cholesterol, triglyceride and serum alanine transaminase, improved oral glucose
      tolerance, and increased insulin sensitivity in rats with T2DM. Histopathological
      observations suggested that GP-1, GP-3, and GP-4 could alleviate injury in
      pancreatic islet cells, and Western blot analysis showed that these GPs
      upregulated gene expression of the insulin receptor, insulin receptor substrate
      2, Akt, and glucose transporter type 4. Taken together, these data suggest that
      GPs may be beneficial in treating T2DM and reducing the risk of hyperlipidemia,
      vascular disease, and cirrhosis via the PI3K/Akt signaling pathway.

PMID- 28347787
TI  - Expression of chitinase gene in BL21 pET system and investigating the
      biocatalystic performance of chitinase-loaded AlgSep nanocomposite beads.
AB  - Chitin, a polysaccharide, is abundant in nature and this substrate can be easily
      hydrolyzed by chitinase. Pharmaceutical and industrial applications of chitinase
      are considerably noteworthy, therefore in this study, high scale production of
      Chit36 enzyme was targeted using the E. coli pET expression system. The purified
      Chit36 enzyme was immobilized in Ca2+-cross linked alginate/sepiolite (AlgSep)
      nanocomposite beads for improving the catalytic activity and stability of Chit36
      enzyme during the biocatalytic process. Immobilized enzymes require optimal
      conditions different from soluble enzymes. The AlgSep nanocomposite can save
      spatial structure and activity of the enzyme which is critical for enzyme
      immobilization. The catalytic activity and specific activity of the Chit36
      entrapped in alginate nanocomposite beads were evaluated. Results showed that the
      activity of immobilized Chit36 in Ca-Alginate sepiolite composites beads (3.10+/
      0.63U/g gel) was higher than that of immobilized Chit36 in Ca-alginate beads
      (3.95+/-0.40U/g gel). Also, the specific activity of Chit36 in AlgSep
      nanocomposite beads (22.9+/-1.521U/mg protein) was higher than the immobilized
      Chit36 in sepiolite-free alginate beads (8.52+/-0.758U/mg protein). The promising
      results obtained from this study would have beneficial pharmaceutical and
      industrial applications.

PMID- 28347788
TI  - Galactomannan from Schizolobium amazonicum seed and its sulfated derivatives
      impair metabolism in HepG2 cells.
AB  - This study evaluated the effects of native galactomannan from Schizolobium
      amazonicum seeds and its sulfated forms on certain metabolic parameters of HepG2
      cells. Aqueous extraction from S. amazonicum seeds furnished galactomannan with
      3.2:1 Man:Gal ratio (SAGM) and molar mass of 4.34*105g/mol. The SAGM fraction was
      subjected to sulfation using chlorosulfonic acid to obtain SAGMS1 and SAGMS2 with
      DS of 0.4 and 0.6, respectively. Cytotoxicity of SAGM, SAGMS1, and SAGMS2 was
      evaluated in human hepatocellular carcinoma cells (HepG2). After 72h, SAGM
      decreased the viability of HepG2 cells by 50% at 250MUg/mL, while SAGMS1 reduced
      it by 30% at the same concentration. SAGM, SAGMS1, and SAGMS2 promoted a
      reduction in oxygen consumption and an increase in lactate production in non
      permeabilized HepG2 cells after 72h of treatment. These results suggest that
      SAGM, SAGMS1, and SAGMS2 could be recognized by HepG2 cells and might trigger
      alterations that impair its survival. These effects could be implicated in the
      modification of the oxidative phosphorylation process in HepG2 cells and
      activation of the glycolytic pathway.

PMID- 28347790
TI  - Key considerations on nebulization of antimicrobial agents to mechanically
      ventilated patients.
AB  - Nebulized antibiotics have an established role in patients with cystic fibrosis
      or bronchiectasis. Their potential benefit to treat respiratory infections in
      mechanically ventilated patients is receiving increasing interest. In this
      consensus statement of the European Society of Clinical Microbiology and
      Infectious Diseases, the body of evidence of the therapeutic utility of
      aerosolized antibiotics in mechanically ventilated patients was reviewed and
      resulted in the following recommendations: Vibrating-mesh nebulizers should be
      preferred to jet or ultrasonic nebulizers. To decrease turbulence and limit
      circuit and tracheobronchial deposition, we recommend: (a) the use of
      specifically designed respiratory circuits avoiding sharp angles and
      characterized by smooth inner surfaces, (b) the use of specific ventilator
      settings during nebulization including use of a volume controlled mode using
      constant inspiratory flow, tidal volume 8 mL/kg, respiratory frequency 12 to 15
      bpm, inspiratory:expiratory ratio 50%, inspiratory pause 20% and positive end
      expiratory pressure 5 to 10 cm H2O and (c) the administration of a short-acting
      sedative agent if coordination between the patient and the ventilator is not
      obtained, to avoid patient's flow triggering and episodes of peak decelerating
      inspiratory flow. A filter should be inserted on the expiratory limb to protect
      the ventilator flow device and changed between each nebulization to avoid
      expiratory flow obstruction. A heat and moisture exchanger and/or conventional
      heated humidifier should be stopped during the nebulization period to avoid a
      massive loss of aerosolized particles through trapping and condensation. If these
      technical requirements are not followed, there is a high risk of treatment
      failure and adverse events in mechanically ventilated patients receiving
      nebulized antibiotics for pneumonia.

PMID- 28347789
TI  - Induction of cell death in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma by indirubin 3'-oxime
      and 5-methoxyindirubin 3'-oxime in vitro and in vivo.
AB  - Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is an aggressive cancer with a poor
      prognosis. To identify potential effective therapeutic drugs for PDAC, we
      established a screening system based on spheroid formation using 170#3 mouse PDAC
      cells with or without fibroblasts. We found that indirubin 3'-oxime (Indox) and 5
      methoxyindirubin 3'-oxime (5MeOIndox) inhibited PDAC cell proliferation.
      Furthermore, PDAC xenograft growth was also inhibited in BALB/c nu/nu mice after
      administration of Indox and 5MeOIndox. Both phosphorylated CDK1 and cyclin B1
      levels in 170#3 cells were significantly reduced by treatment with Indox and
      5MeOIndox in vitro and in vivo. Cell cycle analysis revealed that 5MeOIndox, but
      not Indox, induced G2/M arrest. Annexin V-propidium iodide double-staining
      analysis demonstrated that Indox induced abundant non-apoptotic cell death of
      170#3 cells, while 5MeOIndox predominantly induced early apoptosis, indicating
      that the cytotoxicity of 5MeOIndox is lower than that of Indox. These results
      suggest that one mechanism of 5MeOIndox is to induce G2/M arrest of PDAC cells
      via inhibition of CDK1/cyclin B1 levels, thereby leading to apoptosis. Our
      findings suggest 5MeOIndox as a potential useful anticancer agent in PDAC.

PMID- 28347791
TI  - Cardiovascular training in 2017: Reshaping tradition to envision the future.

PMID- 28347792
TI  - PPARgamma agonist use and recurrence of atrial fibrillation after successful
      electrical cardioversion.
AB  - Inflammation is associated with atrial fibrillation (AF), and peroxisome
      proliferator-activated receptor-gamma (PPARgamma) agonists have anti-inflammatory
      properties. We tested whether pioglitazone reduced AF recurrence after electrical
      cardioversion (EC) by modifying systemic inflammation. In this randomized and
      prospective trial, patients with persistent AF and type 2 diabetes mellitus were
      randomized into a pioglitazone group (n=48) or a control group (n=49) before EC.
      Treatment was continued for 3 months or until AF recurred. Serum inflammatory
      markers [high sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP), interleukin-6 (IL-6) and
      tumour necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha)] were measured at baseline and follow
      up. During the 3-month follow-up, AF recurred in 22 (45.8%) patients of the
      pioglitazone-treated and 24 (49.0%) patients of the control group (P=0.756).
      However, the 3 inflammatory markers were significantly lowered with pioglitazone
      treatment during follow-up. Cox proportional hazards regression models showed
      that the predictors of recurrence included AF history (relative risk RR 1.002,
      95% CI 1.003-1.061, P =0.037) and the left atrial diameter (RR 1.131, 95% CI
      1.029-1.242, P = 0.010). In conclusion, while reducing some inflammatory markers,
      the PPARgamma agonist pioglitazone did not affect the recurrence of AF after EC.

PMID- 28347793
TI  - Reply by the Author.

PMID- 28347794
TI  - Re: Punjani et al.: Postoperative Urinary Retention and Urinary Tract Infections
      Predict Midurethral Sling Mesh Complications (Urology 2017;99:42-48).

PMID- 28347795
TI  - Clinical Experience With Penile Traction Therapy Among Men Undergoing Collagenase
      Clostridium histolyticum for Peyronie Disease.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the outcomes in men undergoing collagenase Clostridium
      histolyticum (CCH) with concurrent penile traction therapy (PTT) for the
      treatment of Peyronie disease (PD). MATERIALS AND METHODS: We identified patients
      treated with CCH between March 2014 and July 2016. Patients were recommended to
      perform modeling and PTT between injection series. A final curve assessment was
      performed after patients completed CCH. A prospective database was maintained,
      including patient-reported frequency and duration of PTT. Statistical analysis
      was performed to evaluate outcomes based on use and duration of PTT. RESULTS: A
      total of 51 patients completed CCH and had complete objective data available for
      analysis. Mean (standard deviation [SD]) baseline curvature was 66.7 (25.0)
      degrees, and mean (SD) improvement post CCH was 20.9 (17.3) degrees (P < .0001).
      Thirty-five (69%) men reported daily PTT for a mean (SD) of 9.8 (6.3) hours per
      week. No significant difference was identified in the degree of curve improvement
      based on frequency or duration of PTT (P = .40). Similarly, no associations
      between PTT and functional outcomes including intercourse restoration and surgery
      prevention were identified. Stretched penile length increased nonsignificantly by
      a mean (SD) of +0.4 (1.5) cm in the PTT group, compared with -0.35 (1.5) in the
      non-PTT group (P = .21). CONCLUSION: The current series represents a "true-to
      life" experience, wherein utilization patterns, attrition, and compliance issues
      are relevant factors impacting efficacy. PTT use with the Andropenis declined in
      both frequency and duration with subsequent injection series, and there was no
      significant difference in curve improvement or stretched penile length with a
      mean 10 hours of weekly concurrent PTT.

PMID- 28347796
TI  - Systematic Review of Self-Report Measures of Pain Intensity in 3- and 4-Year-Old
      Children: Bridging a Period of Rapid Cognitive Development.
AB  - : Claims are made for the validity of some self-report pain scales for 3- and 4
      year-old children, but little is known about their ability to use such tools.
      This systematic review identified self-report pain intensity measures used with 3
      and/or 4- year-old participants (3-4yo) and considered their reliability and
      validity within this age span. The search protocol identified research articles
      that included 3-4yo, reported use of any pain scale, and included self-reported
      pain intensity ratings. A total of 1,590 articles were screened and 617 articles
      met inclusion criteria. Of the included studies, 98% aggregated self-report data
      for 3-4yo with data for older children, leading to overestimates of the
      reliability and validity of self-report in the younger age group. In the 14
      studies that provided nonaggregated data for 3-4yo, there was no evidence for 3
      year-old and weak evidence for 4-year-old children being able to use published
      self-report pain intensity tools in a valid or reliable way. Preschool-age
      children have been reported to do better with fewer than the 6 response options
      offered on published faces scales. Simplified tools are being developed for young
      children; however, more research is needed before these are adopted. PERSPECTIVE:
      Some self-report pain scales have been promoted for use with 3- and 4-year-old
      children, but this is on the basis of studies that aggregated data for younger
      and older children, resulting in overestimates of reliability and validity for
      the preschool-age children. Scales with fewer response options show promise, at
      least for 4-year-old children.

PMID- 28347797
TI  - Twin Peaks? No Evidence of Bimodal Distribution of Outcomes in Clinical Trials of
      Nonsurgical Interventions for Spinal Pain: An Exploratory Analysis.
AB  - : The presence of bimodal outcome distributions has been used as a justification
      for conducting responder analyses, in addition to, or in place of analyses of the
      mean between-group difference, in clinical trials and systematic reviews of
      interventions for pain. The aim of this study was to investigate the distribution
      of participants' pain outcomes for evidence of bimodal distribution. We sourced
      data on participant outcomes from a convenience sample of 10 trials of
      nonsurgical interventions (exercise, manual therapy, medication) for spinal pain.
      We assessed normality using the Shapiro-Wilk test. When the Shapiro-Wilk test
      suggested non-normality we inspected distribution plots visually and attempted to
      classify them. To test whether responder analyses detected a meaningful number of
      additional patients experiencing substantial improvements we also calculated the
      risk difference and number needed to treat to benefit. We found no compelling
      evidence suggesting that outcomes were bimodally distributed for any of the
      intervention groups. Responder analysis would not meaningfully alter our
      interpretation of these data compared with the mean between group difference. Our
      findings suggest that bimodal distribution of outcomes should not be assumed in
      interventions for spinal pain and do not support the automatic prioritization of
      responder analysis over the between group difference in the evaluation of
      treatment effectiveness for pain. PERSPECTIVE: Secondary analysis of clinical
      trials of nonsurgical interventions for spinal pain found no evidence for
      bimodally distributed outcomes. The findings do not support the automatic
      prioritization of responder analyses over the average between group difference in
      the evaluation of treatment effectiveness for spinal pain.

PMID- 28347798
TI  - Predictors of Prescription Opioid Use 4 Months After Traumatic Musculoskeletal
      Injury and Corrective Surgery: A Prospective Study.
AB  - : The aim of the present study was to examine the incidence and predictors of
      persistent prescription opioid use 4 months after traumatic injury. Adults who
      sustained a traumatic musculoskeletal injury were recruited to participate in
      this observational prospective, longitudinal study within 14 days of injury (T1)
      and followed for 4 months (T2). Measures included questionnaires on pain, opioid
      consumption, pain disability, anxiety, depression, and posttraumatic stress
      symptoms as well as a chart review for injury related information. The sample
      consisted of 122 patients (66.4% male; mean age = 44.8 years, SD = 17.1), of whom
      94.3% (n = 115) were using prescription opioids. At T2, 35.3% (n = 43) patients
      were using prescription opioids. After controlling for age, sex, injury severity,
      T1 pain severity, and T2 symptoms of depression, 2 factors emerged as
      significantly related to T2 prescription opioid use; namely, T2 pain severity
      (odds ratio = 1.248, 95% confidence interval, 1.071-1.742) and T2 pain self
      efficacy (odds ratio = .943, 95% confidence interval, .903-.984). These results
      suggest that opioid use after traumatic musculoskeletal injury is related to pain
      severity and how well patients cope specifically with their pain, over and above
      other psychological factors, such as depression and anxiety. PERSPECTIVE: This
      article identifies predictive factors for prescription opioid use after traumatic
      musculoskeletal injury, namely severe pain and a poor sense of control over the
      pain. These results highlight the importance of using prospective longitudinal
      study designs to understand why patients continue to use prescription opioids
      after major tissue-damaging events.

PMID- 28347799
TI  - Ursolic acid attenuates cigarette smoke-induced emphysema in rats by regulating
      PERK and Nrf2 pathways.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: Ursolic acid (UA) is widely distributed in natural plants to against
      oxidation, virus, inflammation, tumor, and has been widely used in the
      pharmaceutical and cosmetics. However, its effect on emphysema of chronic
      obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is unknown. Unfolded protein response is
      involved in pathogenesis of COPD through PERK pathway. Nuclear erythroid-related
      factor 2 (Nrf2) regulates antioxidant defensive mechanism in COPD. This study was
      to explore effect and mechanism of UA on cigarette smoke (CS)-induced rat
      emphysema. MATERIALS AND METHODS: 50 Wistar rats were divided into 5 groups (n =
      10 each): rats were exposed to CS for 12 weeks in absence (CS group) or presence
      of UA at different doses. Control group was treated with UA vehicle only.
      Histopathology, apoptosis, key protein expression of PERK and Nrf2 pathway were
      determined in lung tissues. Oxidative stress levels in lung were represented by 8
      OHdG, MDA and GSH levels. RESULTS: Emphysema-related pathology, based on inter
      alveolar wall distance and alveolar density, was less severe in UA groups than in
      CS group. Compared with CS group, UA treatment down-regulated PERK pathway
      protein expression, up-regulated expression of Bcl-2 and down-regulated
      expression of Bax, Cleaved-Caspase3 and Cleaved-Caspase12. Moreover, UA decreased
      number of apoptotic cells in rat lungs. UA also up-regulated protein expression
      of Nrf2/ARE pathway and GSH level, decreased expression of oxidant stress factor
      8-OHdG and MDA. These improvements were in accordance with attenuation of
      severity of emphysema. CONCLUSIONS: UA attenuates CS-induced rat emphysema by
      down-regulating PERK pathway to alleviate CS-induced apoptosis in lung, and up
      regulating Nrf2 pathway to improve cigarette smoke-induced oxidant stress in rat
      lungs.

PMID- 28347801
TI  - Proposal of a novel MELD exception point system for hepatocellular carcinoma:
      Dynamics better than tumor characteristics?

PMID- 28347800
TI  - Reply to: "Proposal of a novel MELD exception point system for hepatocellular
      carcinoma: Dynamics better than tumor characteristics?"

PMID- 28347802
TI  - Adding embolization to TIPS implantation: A better therapy to control bleeding
      from ectopic varices?

PMID- 28347803
TI  - Reply to: "Adding embolization to TIPS implantation: A better therapy to control
      bleeding from ectopic varices?"

PMID- 28347804
TI  - O-GlcNAc transferase promotes fatty liver-associated liver cancer through
      inducing palmitic acid and activating endoplasmic reticulum stress.
AB  - BACKGROUND & AIMS: O-GlcNAc transferase (OGT) is a unique glycosyltransferase
      involved in metabolic reprogramming. We investigated the functional role of OGT
      in non-alcoholic fatty liver disease-associated hepatocellular carcinoma (NAFLD
      HCC). METHODS: The biological function of OGT in NAFLD-HCC was determined by gain
      or loss- of OGT functional assays in vitro and in nude mice. OGT target factors
      and pathways were identified by liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry
      (LC-MS), promoter luciferase assay, DNA binding activity assay and Western blot.
      RESULTS: OGT was upregulated in 12 out of 18 (66.7%) NAFLD-HCC tumor tissues by
      transcriptome sequencing, which was confirmed in additional NAFLD-HCC tumor
      tissues and cell lines. Biofunctional investigation demonstrated that OGT
      significantly increased cell growth (p<0.001), clonogenicity (p<0.01), migration
      and invasion (p<0.05) ability in vitro, and promoted xenograft tumor growth as
      well as lung metastasis in nude mice. The oncogenic effect of OGT was
      investigated, we found that OGT significantly induced palmitic acid production
      identified by LC-MS, which enhanced the protein expression of endoplasmic
      reticulum (ER) stress masters of glucose-regulated protein 78 and inositol
      requiring enzyme 1alpha. Consequently, OGT significantly activated JNK/c-jun/AP-1
      cascade by increasing protein expression of p-JNK, p-c-Jun and activation of AP
      1; and induced NF-kappaB pathway through enhancing the protein levels of p
      IKKalpha/ p-IKKbeta, p-p65, p-p50 and the NF-kappaB DNA binding activity.
      Notably, OGT inhibition by its antagonist (ST045849) suppressed cell
      proliferation in vitro (p<0.001) and in xenograft mice models (p<0.05).
      CONCLUSIONS: OGT plays an oncogenic role in NAFLD-associated HCC through
      regulating palmitic acid and inducing ER stress, consequently activating
      oncogenic JNK/c-jun/AP-1 and NF-kappaB cascades. LAY SUMMARY: OGT, a unique
      glycosyltransferase enzyme, was identified to be upregulated in non-alcoholic
      fatty liver disease-associated hepatocellular carcinoma tissues by transcriptome
      sequencing. Here, we found that OGT plays a role in cancer by promoting tumor
      growth and metastasis in both cell models and animal models. This effect is
      mediated by the induction of palmitic acid.

PMID- 28347805
TI  - beta2-glycoprotein I and its antibodies involve in the pathogenesis of the
      antiphospholipid syndrome.
AB  - The antiphospholipid syndrome (APS) is characterized by venous or arterial
      thrombosis, and associated with dysfunctions of endothelial cells and monocytes.
      beta2-glycoprotein I is a phospholipid-binding glycoprotein, and its antibodies
      have been reported to correlate strongly with thrombotic risk and play putative
      role in the pathogenesis of APS, whereas the biofunctions of anti-beta2
      glycoprotein I antibodies remain largely uncertain. It is noted that beta2
      glycoprotein I exhibits direct interaction with membrane Toll-like receptors, and
      through this interaction, the complex of beta2-glycoprotein I and its antibodies
      induces intracellular signals via Toll-like receptors, resulting in activation of
      endothelial cells and monocytes, and expression of proinflammatory cytokines. In
      this review, we further discussed the recent findings of beta2-glycoprotein
      I/antibody complex. Once activated by beta2-glycoprotein I/antibody and their
      signals, endothelial cells release microparticle/extracellular vesicles which can
      further stimulate the surrounding rest cells with procoagulant and pro
      inflammatory properties in a paracrine or/and autocrine manner. Novel evidence of
      beta2-glycoprotein I/antibody complex bioactivities may provide insight into the
      molecular mechanisms that the complex regulates cell function and involves in APS
      pathogenesis.

PMID- 28347806
TI  - Narratives of focal brain injured individuals: A macro-level analysis.
AB  - Focal brain injury can have detrimental effects on the pragmatics of
      communication. This study examined narrative production by unilateral brain
      damaged people (n=36) and healthy controls and focused on the complexity (content
      and coherence) and the evaluative aspect of their narratives to test the general
      hypothesis that the left hemisphere is biased to process microlinguistic
      information and the right hemisphere is biased to process macrolinguistic
      information. We found that people with left hemisphere damage's (LHD) narratives
      were less likely to maintain the overall theme of the story and produced fewer
      evaluative comments in their narratives. These deficits correlated with their
      performances on microlinguistic linguistic tasks. People with the right
      hemisphere damage (RHD) seemed to be preserved in expressing narrative complexity
      and evaluations as a group. Yet, single case analyses revealed that particular
      regions in the right hemisphere such as damage to the dorsolateral prefrontal
      cortex (DLPFC), the anterior and superior temporal gyrus, the middle temporal
      gyrus, and the supramarginal gyrus lead to problems in creating narratives. Our
      findings demonstrate that both hemispheres are necessary to produce competent
      narrative production. LHD people's poor production is related to their
      microlinguistic language problems whereas RHD people's impaired abilities can be
      associated with planning and working memory abilities required to relate events
      in a narrative.

PMID- 28347807
TI  - Retinal gene delivery enhancement by lycopene incorporation into cationic
      niosomes based on DOTMA and polysorbate 60.
AB  - The present study aimed to evaluate the incorporation of the natural lipid
      lycopene into niosome formulations based on cationic lipid DOTMA and polysorbate
      60 non-ionic surfactant to analyze the potential application of this novel
      formulation to deliver genetic material into the rat retina. Both niosomes with
      and without lycopene were prepared by the reverse phase evaporation method and
      physicochemically characterized in terms of size, zeta potential, polydispersity
      index and capacity to condense, release and protect the DNA against enzymatic
      digestion. In vitro experiments were performed in ARPE-19 cells after complexion
      of niosomes with pCMS-EGFP plasmid at appropriate cationic lipid/DNA ratios. At
      18/1 mass ratio, nioplexes containing lycopene had nanometric size, positive zeta
      potential, low polydispersity and were able to condense, release and protect DNA.
      Percentage of transfected cell was around 35% without compromising cell
      viability. The internalization pathways studies revealed a preference to caveolae
      mediated endocytosis and macropinocytosis, which could circumvent lysosomal
      degradation. Both subretinal and intravitreal administrations to the rat retina
      showed that nioplexes were able to transfect efficiently the outer segments of
      the retina, which offer reasonable hope for the treatment of many inherited
      retinal diseases by a safe non-viral vector formulation after the less invasive
      intravitreal administration.

PMID- 28347808
TI  - Optimizing CLEM protocols for plants cells: GMA embedding and cryosections as
      alternatives for preservation of GFP fluorescence in Arabidopsis roots.
AB  - Recently, a number of diverse correlative light and electron microscopy (CLEM)
      protocols have been developed for several model organisms. However, these CLEM
      methods have largely bypassed plant cell research, with most protocols having
      little application to plants. Using autophagosome identification as a biological
      background, we propose and compare two CLEM protocols that can be performed in
      most plant research laboratories, providing a good compromise that preserves
      fluorescent signals as well as ultrastructural features. These protocols are
      based on either the adaptation of a high pressure fixation/GMA acrylic resin
      embedding method, or on the Tokuyasu approach. Both protocols suitably preserved
      GFP fluorescence while allowing the observation of cell ultrastructure in plants.
      Finally, the advantages and disadvantages of these protocols are discussed in the
      context of multiscale imaging of plant cells.

PMID- 28347809
TI  - Developmental defects of enamel and dental caries in the primary dentition: A
      systematic review and meta-analysis.
AB  - OBJECTIVES: This systematic review and meta-analysis evaluated the association
      between developmental defects of enamel and dental caries in the primary
      dentition. SOURCES: Electronic searches were performed in PubMed, Web of
      Knowledge, Scopus and Scielo for the identification of relevant studies. STUDY
      SELECTION: Observational studies that examined the association between
      developmental defects of enamel and dental caries in the deciduous dentition were
      included. Additionally, meta-analysis, funnel plots and sensitivity analysis were
      employed to synthesize the available evidence. Multivariable meta-regression
      analysis was performed to explore heterogeneity among studies. DATA: A total of
      318 articles were identified in the electronic searches. Of those, 16 studies
      were included in the meta-analysis. Pooled estimates revealed that children with
      developmental defects of enamel had higher odds of having dental caries (OR 3.32;
      95%CI 2.41-4.57), with high heterogeneity between studies (I2 80%).
      Methodological characteristic of the studies, such as where it was conducted, the
      examined teeth and the quality of the study explained about 30% of the
      variability. Concerning type of defect, children with hypoplasia and diffuse
      opacities had higher odds of having dental caries (OR 4.28; 95%CI 2.24-8.15;
      OR1.42; 95%CI 1.15-1.76, respectively). CONCLUSIONS: This systematic review and
      meta-analysis demonstrates a clear association between developmental defects of
      enamel and dental caries in the primary dentition.

PMID- 28347810
TI  - Plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 4G/5G genotype and residual venous occlusion
      following acute unprovoked deep vein thrombosis of the lower limb: A prospective
      cohort study.
AB  - BACKGROUND: A recent study suggested that the plasminogen activator inhibitor
      (PAI)-1 4G/5G genotype may play a role in the resolution of deep vein thrombosis
      (DVT) after surgery. In the present study, we investigated the association
      between PAI-1 4G/5G genotype and the persistence of venous occlusion after acute
      idiopathic DVT of the lower limb. METHODS: The PAI-1 4G/5G genotype was
      determined by real-Time PCR in 43 patients with unprovoked DVT of the lower limb.
      Residual venous occlusion was assessed by duplex sonography 1, 3, 6, 12 and
      24months after the acute event. The PAI-1 Activity was determined by ELISA.
      RESULTS: Ten patients (23%) were homozygous for 4G (4G/4G), 27 patients (63%)
      were heterozygous 4G/5G and 6 patients (14%) were homozygous for 5G (5G/5G).
      Residual venous occlusion (RVO) was found in 77%, 65%, 58%, 56% and 37% of the
      overall study population, at 1, 3, 6, 12 and 24months after acute DVT,
      respectively. The presence of residual venous occlusion at 1, 3, 6, 12 and
      24months after acute unprovoked DVT did not differ significantly between
      genotypes, but age was associated with RVO. Plasma levels of PAI-1 activity
      correlated with body mass index but was not associated with genotypes in our
      study. CONCLUSION: The PAI-1 4G/5G genotype was not a relevant predictor of
      persistent residual venous occlusion after idiopathic DVT, which however was
      associated with age.

PMID- 28347811
TI  - Whole blood coagulation assays ROTEM and T-TAS to monitor dabigatran treatment.
AB  - BACKGROUND: A rapid and reliable assessment of the dabigatran effect is desirable
      in dabigatran treated patients with uncontrolled bleeding or before acute
      surgery. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate how the viscoelastic point-of-care test
      Rotational thromboelastometry (ROTEM) and Total Thrombus-formation system (T
      TAS), which studies thrombus formation under flowing conditions, correlate with
      dabigatran concentrations in patients with atrial fibrillation (AF). METHOD:
      ROTEM using the reagents In-tem, Ex-tem, Fib-tem or low tissue factor
      concentration (TF), and T-TAS with the AR-chip (shear rate 600s-1, representing
      flow in large arteries) were investigated in whole blood samples. Plasma
      concentrations were determined by mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) at trough and post
      dose in 30 patients on dabigatran 150mg BID. RESULTS: Median plasma dabigatran
      concentrations at trough were 86ng/mL (29-150) and post-dose (2.8h after
      ingestion) 175ng/mL (67-490). The ROTEM clotting time (CT) correlated strongly
      with dabigatran concentrations when activated with the reagents Ex-tem (r=0.92,
      p<0.01) and Fib-tem (r=0.93, p<0.01), while with In-tem and low TF the
      correlation was weaker (r=0.72 and r=0.36, p<0.01). There were significant but
      weaker correlations also between dabigatran concentrations and T-TAS variables (r
      values 0.39-0.41, p<0.01), aPTT (r=0.70, p<0.01) and PT-INR (r=0.43, p<0.01)
      respectively. CONCLUSIONS: ROTEM Ex-tem and Fib-tem CT shows a strong correlation
      with dabigatran concentrations in real-life AF-patients, and results are obtained
      within minutes. This could make ROTEM useful in acute situations. T-TAS detect
      differences in hemostasis caused by dabigatran, but the relationships to plasma
      concentrations of dabigatran are weaker than for ROTEM CT with the settings used
      in this study.

PMID- 28347813
TI  - Letter to the Editor Regarding Article, "Assembling a Functional Clitoris and
      Vulva from a Pseudo-Penis: A Surgical Technique for an Adult Woman with
      Congenital Adrenal Hyperplasia".

PMID- 28347812
TI  - Detection of antibodies against domain 1 of beta2-glycoprotein I is key in
      predicting thromboembolic complications in patients with systemic lupus
      erythematosus.

PMID- 28347814
TI  - The Blessings of Erectile Bodies.

PMID- 28347815
TI  - Sigma-2 ligands and PARP inhibitors synergistically trigger cell death in breast
      cancer cells.
AB  - The sigma-2 receptor is overexpressed in proliferating cells compared to
      quiescent cells and has been used as a target for imaging solid tumors by
      positron emission tomography. Recent work has suggested that the sigma-2 receptor
      may also be an effective therapeutic target for cancer therapy. Poly (ADP-ribose)
      polymerase (PARP) is a family of enzymes involved in DNA damage response. In this
      study, we looked for potential synergy of cytotoxicity between PARP inhibitors
      and sigma-2 receptor ligands in breast cancer cell lines. We showed that the PARP
      inhibitor, YUN3-6, sensitized mouse breast cancer cell line, EMT6, to sigma-2
      receptor ligand (SV119, WC-26, and RHM-138) induced cell death determined by cell
      viability assay and colony forming assay. The PARP inhibitor, olaparib,
      sensitized tumor cells to a different sigma-2 receptor ligand SW43-induced
      apoptosis and cell death in human triple negative cell line, MDA-MB-231. Olaparib
      inhibited PARP activity and cell proliferation, and arrested cells in G2/M phase
      of the cell cycle in MDA-MB-231 cells. Subsequently cells became sensitized to
      SW43 induced cell death. In conclusion, the combination of sigma-2 receptor
      ligands and PARP inhibitors appears to hold promise for synergistically
      triggering cell death in certain types of breast cancer cells and merits further
      investigation.

PMID- 28347816
TI  - Evolutionary conservation of Notch signaling inhibition by TMEM131L
      overexpression.
AB  - Human KIAA0922/TMEM131L encodes a transmembrane protein, TMEM131L, that regulates
      the canonical Wnt/beta-catenin signaling pathway by eliciting the lysosome
      dependent degradation of phosphorylated LRP6 co-receptor. Here, we use a
      heterospecific Drosophila transgenic model to examine the potential evolutionary
      conservation of TMEM131L function. Analysis of TMEM131L transgenic flies shows
      that TMEM131L interference with the Wnt pathway results primarily from a Notch
      dependent decrease in Wingless production. Consistently, lentivirus-mediated
      overexpression of TMEM131L in human CD34+ hematopoietic progenitor cells leads to
      decreased susceptibility to Notch1 ligation and defective commitment toward the T
      lineage. These results show that TMEM131L corresponds to an evolutionary
      conserved regulator of the Notch signaling pathway.

PMID- 28347817
TI  - Activation of Wnt3alpha/beta-catenin signal pathway attenuates apoptosis of the
      cerebral microvascular endothelial cells induced by oxygen-glucose deprivation.
AB  - Brain microvascular endothelial cells (BMECs) play vital roles in cerebral
      ischemia, during which many signal pathways mediate BMECs apoptosis. In this
      study, we explored the potential role of Wnt3alpha/beta-catenin signal in BMECs
      apoptosis induced by ischemia. Here, we found that oxygen-glucose deprivation
      (OGD) could induce apoptosis of BMECs with Wnt3a mRNA expression decrease.
      Meanwhile, activation Wnt3a/beta-catenin signal with exogenous Wnt3alpha protein
      (100 ng/ml) or Lithium Chloride (LiCl, 4 mM) decreased significantly apoptosis of
      BMECs induced by OGD with increasing expression of Bcl-2 in the whole cell and
      beta-catenin in the nucleus. But, inhibition Wnt3a/beta-catenin signal with DKK1
      (100 ng/ml) or 2.4-diamino quinazoline (DQ, 0.2 MUM) increased apoptosis of BMECs
      with decreasing expression of Bcl-2. These results suggest that activation
      Wnt3alpha/beta-catenin signal attenuate apoptosis of BMECs induced by ischemia.

PMID- 28347818
TI  - A xenograft model reveals that PU.1 functions as a tumor suppressor for multiple
      myeloma in vivo.
AB  - We previously demonstrated that PU.1 expression is down-regulated in the majority
      of myeloma cell lines and primary myeloma cells from patients. We introduced the
      tet-off system into the human myeloma cell lines U266 and KMS12PE that
      conditionally express PU.1 and demonstrated that PU.1 induces cell cycle arrest
      and apoptosis in myeloma cells in vitro. Here, we established a mouse xenograft
      model of myeloma using these cell lines to analyze the effects of PU.1 on the
      phenotype of myeloma cells in vivo. When doxycycline was added to the drinking
      water of mice engrafted with these myeloma cells, all mice had continuous growth
      of subcutaneous tumors and could not survived more than 65 days. In contrast,
      mice that were not exposed to doxycycline did not develop subcutaneous tumors and
      survived for at least 100 days. We next generated mice engrafted with
      subcutaneous tumors 5-10 mm in diameter that were induced by exposure to
      doxycycline. Half of the mice stopped taking doxycycline-containing water,
      whereas the other half kept taking the water. Although the tumors in the mice
      taking doxycycline continued to grow, tumor growth in the mice not taking
      doxycycline was significantly suppressed. The myeloma cells in the tumors of the
      mice not taking doxycycline expressed PU.1 and TRAIL and many of such cells were
      apoptotic. Moreover, the expression of a cell proliferation marker Ki67 was
      significantly decreased in tumors from the mice not taking doxycycline, compared
      with that of tumors from the mice continuously taking doxycycline. The present
      data strongly suggest that PU.1 functions as a tumor suppressor of myeloma cells
      in vivo.

PMID- 28347819
TI  - Deferiprone attenuates inflammation and myocardial fibrosis in diabetic
      cardiomyopathy rats.
AB  - We attempted to investigate the therapeutic effects of deferiprone on DC rats and
      explore the underlying mechanism. Total 24 6-week-old male Wistar rats (weighing
      from 180 g to 220 g) were subjected to DC model construction and then randomly
      divided to three groups (8 rats per group): DC group, DC + 50 mg, and DC + 100 mg
      deferiprone treatment group. The 8 normal rats were considered as controls. After
      deferiprone treatment for 20 weeks, the blood samples were collected for the
      biochemical parameters test, including fasting glucose, HOMA-IR (homeostasis
      model assessment of the insulin resistance), serum iron, ferritin and transferrin
      saturation (TS). The oxidative stress was assessed by detecting the level of
      malondialdehyde (MDA) and superoxide dismutase (SOD). Histopathologic changes
      were determined by Masson's trichrome staining and electron microscopy imaging.
      The expression levels of NF-kappaB (nuclear factor kappa B), COX2 (cytochrome c
      oxidase), tenascin C, collagen IV were measured by RT-PCR and western blotting.
      The expression of nitrotyrosine and MCP-1 (monocyte chemotactic protein 1) were
      determined by immunohistochemistry. Deferiprone treatment reduced iron deposition
      and IR in DC rats except for blood glucose. After deferiprone treatment, MDA
      level was significantly decreased and SOD level was increased significantly. The
      level of NF-kappaB, cyclooxygenase-2, tenascin C, collagen IV MCP-1 and
      nitrotyrosine were significantly reduced. There was no significant difference in
      the effect of deferiprone at 50 and 100 mg doses. Deferiprone showed therapeutic
      effects on DC by regulating the pro-inflammatory and pro-fibrotic factors.

PMID- 28347820
TI  - Functional characterization of the Arabidopsis universal stress protein AtUSP
      with an antifungal activity.
AB  - An antifungal protein, AtUSP protein (At3g53990), was isolated from Arabidopsis
      thaliana leaves by ion and size chromatography and sequenced by N-terminal
      sequencing. The AtUSP gene amplified from an Arabidopsis leaf cDNA library was
      transformed to Escherichia coli to express the AtUSP protein. The recombinant
      protein inhibited the cell growth of various pathogenic fungal strains. The
      levels of the AtUSP transcripts were increased by various stresses, including
      pathogenic infection and salt stress. These results suggest that Arabidopsis
      AtUSP plays a critical role in the plant tolerance to diverse pathogenic
      infections. The potent antifungal action, which is a new function of AtUSP, was
      attributed to fungal reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation and mitochondrial
      potential alteration.

PMID- 28347821
TI  - Pretreatment with light-emitting diode therapy reduces ischemic brain injury in
      mice through endothelial nitric oxide synthase-dependent mechanisms.
AB  - Photostimulation with low-level light emitting diode therapy (LED-T) modulates
      neurological and psychological functions. The purpose of this study was to
      evaluate the effects of LED-T pretreatment on the mouse brain after
      ischemia/reperfusion and to investigate the underlying mechanisms.
      Ischemia/reperfusion brain injury was induced by middle cerebral artery
      occlusion. The mice received LED-T twice a day for 2 days prior to cerebral
      ischemia. After reperfusion, the LED-T group showed significantly smaller infarct
      and edema volumes, fewer behavioral deficits compared to injured mice that did
      not receive LED-T and significantly higher cerebral blood flow compared to the
      vehicle group. We observed lower levels of endothelial nitric oxide synthase
      (eNOS) phosphorylation in the injured mouse brains, but significantly higher eNOS
      phosphorylation in LED-T-pretreated mice. The enhanced phospho-eNOS was inhibited
      by LY294002, indicating that the effects of LED-T on the ischemic brain could be
      attributed to the upregulation of eNOS phosphorylation through the
      phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3K)/Akt pathway. Moreover, no reductions in infarct
      or edema volume were observed in LED-T-pretreated eNOS-deficient (eNOS-/-) mice.
      Collectively, we found that pretreatment with LED-T reduced the amount of
      ischemia-induced brain damage. Importantly, we revealed that these effects were
      mediated by the stimulation of eNOS phosphorylation via the PI3K/Akt pathway.

PMID- 28347822
TI  - OsMYC2 mediates numerous defence-related transcriptional changes via jasmonic
      acid signalling in rice.
AB  - Jasmonic acid (JA) plays central roles in various events in plants, especially
      defence against pathogens and insects. The basic helix-loop-helix (bHLH)
      transcription factor MYC2 has attracted attention as a master regulator of JA
      signalling in dicotyledonous plants. However, how MYC2 functions in
      monocotyledonous plants, including agriculturally important crops such as
      cultivated rice, has been poorly understood. To elucidate the comprehensive
      effects of rice MYC2 (OsMYC2) on the JA-inducible transcriptional modifications,
      we performed RNA-sequencing by using OsMYC2-knockdown plants (osmyc2RNAi). In
      osmyc2RNAi, JA-inducible expression of many defence-related genes, for example
      chitinases and proteinase inhibitors, was compromised. Decrease in JA-dependent
      activation of the biosynthetic pathways of specialised metabolites, especially
      defence compounds, was also evident in the osmyc2RNAi line. Furthermore, a
      substantial change was noted in the expression of distinct types of transcription
      factors, such as MYB-type factors, likely depicting the importance of OsMYC2 in
      not only defence responses but also other morphogenetic events. Our findings
      provide fundamental information to understand the overall functions of MYC2 in JA
      signalling in monocotyledonous plants, which might yield agricultural benefits.

PMID- 28347823
TI  - Delay in diagnosis affects the clinical outcome in a cohort of cvid patients with
      marked reduction of iga serum levels.
AB  - Common variable immunodeficiency disorders (CVID) represent a collection of
      diseases leading to an absent or strongly impaired antibody production. CVID
      presents a wide range of immunological abnormalities and clinical manifestations,
      including infections, inflammatory and autoimmune diseases, and malignancies. The
      aim of this observational study was to analyze the epidemiological and clinical
      features of a cohort of 75 Italian CVID patients, and evaluate the correlation
      with comorbidity and mortality. Clinical data were retrospectively collected: the
      cohort was followed-up for a maximum of 30years (mean time of 10.24years, median
      of 9years). An higher age at the diagnosis of CVID and an higher age at onset of
      symptoms were significantly associated with a reduction of patients survival if
      stratified per median of IgA (less than or >8.00mg/dl). Thus IgA levels at
      diagnosis are correlated with patients survival contributing to identify a subset
      with a worse prognostic outcome.

PMID- 28347824
TI  - Participation of dorsal periaqueductal gray 5-HT1A receptors in the panicolytic
      like effect of the kappa-opioid receptor antagonist Nor-BNI.
AB  - Panic patients may have abnormalities in serotonergic and opioidergic
      neurotransmission. The dorsal periaqueductal gray (dPAG) plays an important role
      in organizing proximal defense, related to panic attacks. The 5-HT1A receptor (5
      HT1A-R) is involved in regulating escape behavior that is organized in the dPAG.
      Activation of kappa-opioid receptor (KOR) in this region causes anxiogenic
      effects. In this study, we investigated the involvement of KOR in regulating
      escape behavior, using systemic and intra-dPAG injection of the KOR antagonist
      Nor-BNI. As panic models, we used the elevated T-maze (ETM) and the dPAG
      electrical stimulation test (EST). We also evaluated whether activation of the 5
      HT1A-R or the MU-opioid receptor (MOR) in the dPAG contributes to the Nor-BNI
      effects. The results showed that systemic administration of Nor-BNI, either
      subcutaneously (2.0 and 4.0mg/kg) or intraperitoneally (2.0mg/kg), impaired
      escape in the EST, indicating a panicolytic-like effect. Intra-dPAG injection of
      this antagonist (6.8nmol) caused the same effect in the EST and in the ETM.
      Association of ineffective doses of Nor-BNI and the 5-HT1A-R agonist 8-OH-DPAT
      caused panicolytic-like effect in these two tests. Previous administration of the
      5-HT1A-R antagonist WAY-100635, but not of the MOR antagonist CTOP, blocked the
      panicolytic-like effect of Nor-BNI. These results indicate that KOR enhances
      proximal defense in the dPAG through 5-HT1A-R modulation, independently of MOR.
      Because former results indicate that the 5-HT1A-R is involved in the antipanic
      action of antidepressants, KOR antagonists may be useful as adjunctive or
      alternative drug treatment of panic disorder.

PMID- 28347826
TI  - Changes in cerebral [18F]-FDG uptake induced by acute alcohol administration in a
      rat model of alcoholism.
AB  - Several [18F]-FDG positron emission tomography (PET) studies in alcoholics have
      consistently reported decreases in overall brain glucose metabolism at rest and
      following acute alcohol administration. However, changes in cerebral glucose
      utilization associated with the transition to addiction are not well understood
      and require longitudinal translational imaging studies in animal models of
      alcoholism. Here, we studied brain glucose uptake in alcohol drinking rats in
      order to provide convergent evidence to what has previously been reported in
      human studies. Brain glucose metabolism was measured by [18F]-FDG microPET
      imaging in different male Wistar rat groups: short-term drinking (three months),
      long-term drinking (twelve months) and alcohol-naive. Global and regional
      cerebral glucose uptake was measured at rest and following acute alcohol
      administration. We showed that alcohol significantly reduced the whole-brain
      glucose metabolism. This effect was most pronounced in the parietal cortex and
      cerebellum. Alcohol-induced decreases in brain [18F]-FDG uptake was most apparent
      in alcohol-naive rats, less intense in short-term drinkers and absent in long
      term drinkers. The latter finding indicates the occurrence of tolerance to the
      intoxicating effects of alcohol in long-term drinking individuals. In contrast,
      some regions, like the ventral striatum and entorhinal cortex, showed enhanced
      metabolic activity, an effect that did not undergo tolerance during long-term
      alcohol consumption. Our findings are comparable to those described in human
      studies using the same methodology. We conclude that [18F]-FDG PET studies in rat
      models of alcoholism provide good translation and can be used for future
      longitudinal studies investigating alterations in brain function during different
      stages of the addiction cycle.

PMID- 28347825
TI  - Brain monoamine levels and behaviour of young and adult chickens genetically
      selected on feather pecking.
AB  - Severe feather pecking (SFP) in chickens is a detrimental behaviour with possibly
      neurochemical deficits at its base. Recent neurological studies depicted
      conflicting results on the role of serotonin (5-hydroxytryptamine, 5-HT) and
      dopamine (DA) in the development and display of feather pecking. We studied brain
      monoamine levels and behaviour in domestic chickens divergently genetically
      selected on feather pecking behaviour, the Low Feather Pecking (LFP) and High
      Feather Pecking (HFP) lines, both at a young age and when adult, to elucidate the
      role of 5-HT and DA in feather pecking. Also pecking behaviour and the
      behavioural response to challenging test situations was determined. At 8 weeks of
      age, HFP had lower 5-HT and DA turnover in several brain areas than LFP, whereas
      these differences had disappeared or were even reversed at 25 weeks of age. Line
      differences in central monoamine activity were found both in emotion-regulating
      and motor-regulating areas. As expected from previous generations, HFP exceeded
      LFP in most types of pecking at other birds, including severe feather pecking.
      Furthermore, HFP responded more actively in most behavioural tests conducted, and
      seem more impulsive or (hyper)active in their way of coping with challenges. This
      paper shows different developmental trajectories of the neurochemical systems (5
      HT and DA) for chickens divergently selected on feather pecking behaviour, and a
      remarkable reversion of differences in monoamine activity at a later stage of
      life. Whether this is a cause or consequence of SFP needs further investigation.

PMID- 28347827
TI  - Computational prediction of functional abortive RNA in E. coli.
AB  - Failure by RNA polymerase to break contacts with promoter DNA results in release
      of bound RNA and re-initiation of transcription. These abortive RNAs were assumed
      to be non-functional but have recently been shown to affect termination in
      bacteriophage T7. Little is known about the functional role of these RNA in other
      genetic models. Using a computational approach, we investigated whether abortive
      RNA could exert function in E. coli. Fragments generated from 3780 transcription
      units were used as query sequences within their respective transcription units to
      search for possible binding sites. Sites that fell within known regulatory
      features were then ranked based upon the free energy of hybridization to the
      abortive. We further hypothesize about mechanisms of regulatory action for a
      select number of likely matches. Future experimental validation of these putative
      abortive-mRNA pairs may confirm our findings and promote exploration of
      functional abortive RNAs (faRNAs) in natural and synthetic systems.

PMID- 28347828
TI  - Protective effects of Cinnamomum cassia (Lamaceae) against gout and septic
      responses via attenuation of inflammasome activation in experimental models.
AB  - ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE: Cinnamomum cassia (C. cassia, Lauraceae family),
      commonly used for treating dyspepsia, gastritis, blood circulation, and
      inflammatory diseases is considered as one of the 50 fundamental herbs in
      traditional Chinese medicine. AIM OF THE STUDY: The anti-inflammatory action of
      an ethanol extract of C. cassia (CA), and its underlying mechanisms were explored
      in both in vitro cellular and in vivo murine models. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Bone
      marrow-derived macrophages (BMDMs) were used to study the regulatory effect of CA
      on inflammasome activation. A lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced sepsis mouse model
      and a monosodium urate (MSU)-induced gout model were employed to study the effect
      of CA on in vivo efficacy. RESULTS: CA improved the survival rate in the LPS
      induced septic shock mouse model and inhibited inflammasome activation including
      NLRP3, NLRC4, and AIM2, leading to suppression of interleukin-1beta secretion.
      Further, ASC oligomerization and its speck formation in cytosol were attenuated
      by CA treatment. Furthermore, CA improved both survival rate of LPS-induced
      septic shock and gout murine model. CONCLUSIONS: CA treatment significantly
      attenuated danger signals-induced inflammatory responses via regulation of
      inflammasome activation, substantiating the traditional claims of its use in the
      treatment of inflammation-related disorders.

PMID- 28347829
TI  - As vivid as a weed... Medicinal and cosmetic plant uses amongst the urban youth
      in French Guiana.
AB  - ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE: French Guiana is a French overseas territory with
      a rich history of migration that has led to a highly intercultural society.
      Today, its population is one of the youngest in the French territory and is
      rapidly increasing. Despite a context of cultural revival seeking "tradition", a
      distanced baseline of local practices is still lacking. This work addresses some
      aspects of the cultural hybridizations in progress in urban areas. METHODS: Semi
      directed interviews were conducted with willing participants aged between 18 and
      40. Interviews took place in French Guiana's two main urban centres: Cayenne and
      Saint Laurent du Maroni. People were interviewed about the last medicinal plant
      they used in the preceding year. Due to the high use of plant baths in French
      Guiana, a focus was made on baths. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION: Eighty-three people
      answered: 43 women and 40 men (mean age of 28.7 years old). In total, 226
      remedies were counted in our study, 155 single plant remedies and 71 compound
      remedies leading to 316 use reports of plants from 16 cultural groups. A
      surprising number of 108 botanical species were recorded. Eighty-one recipes for
      baths were also collected. Despite this high citation rate, a rather low
      proportion of people declare a systematic and regular recourse upon local
      pharmacopoeia (46%; 38/83). Although many interviewees used plants, far from the
      majority used them on a regular basis. In practice, 50% of the species (54/108
      spp.; 99/316 URs) are non-native but domesticated exotic species, imported from
      Asia, Europe, Africa or remote parts of America, either during colonization, the
      slave trade era, or more recently with the latest migrations. CONCLUSION:
      Although phytotherapy use is often thought to be related to countryside dwellers
      and older people, medicinal plants seem to play an important role in the lives of
      urban French Guianese youth. Research shows a large diversity of medicinal
      species used linked with the great cultural diversity of the Guianese cities. One
      characteristic of this population is the hybridization process leading to a
      perpetual renewal of practices, both in terms of species and practice.

PMID- 28347830
TI  - Inhibitory effect of Patrinia scabiosifolia Link on the development of atopic
      dermatitis-like lesions in human keratinocytes and NC/Nga mice.
AB  - ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE: Atopic dermatitis (AD) is a chronic pruritic and
      inflammatory disease occurring in skin. Patrinia scabiosifolia Link (PS), a
      member of the Patrinia genus (Caprifoliaceae family), has traditionally been used
      in folk medicines to treat various inflammatory diseases such as acute
      appendicitis, ulcerative colitis, and pelvic inflammation in Korea and other
      parts of East Asia. AIM OF THE STUDY: This study investigated the anti
      inflammatory effects of PS on AD in vitro and in vivo. MATERIALS AND METHODS:
      Whole PS plants were dried, powdered, and then underwent extraction with DMSO.
      Both ELISA and western blotting were performed to evaluate cytokine concentration
      and the expression and activation of filaggrin and signaling proteins. Five-week
      old female NC/Nga mice were used as an AD-like mouse model by treating them with
      2,4-dinitrochlorobenzene (DNCB). RESULTS: In human keratinocytic HaCaT cells, PS
      extract inhibited the production of IL-8, and TARC, which had been increased by
      TNF-alpha and IFN-gamma. The TNF-alpha and IFN-gamma suppressed filaggrin
      expression was associated with phosphorylation of JNK1 and JNK2, and NF-kappaB
      translocation. PS recovered the inhibition of filaggrin expression induced by TNF
      alpha and IFN-gamma by blocking the activation of JNK1/2, and NF-kappaB by the
      IFN-gamma and TNF-alpha treatment. The in vivo experiment results showed that,
      compared to DNCB treatment PS administration reduced thickening of the epidermis
      and infiltration of inflammatory cells into the dermis. Moreover, the decrease of
      filaggrin expression due to DNCB treatment was recovered by PS administration.
      The serum IgE level was decreased by PS treatment. Additionally, secretions of IL
      4, IL-5, IL-13, and eotaxin in splenocytes were lower in the PS-treated group
      than in the DNCB group. CONCLUSION: PS may attenuate the development of AD-like
      lesions by increasing filaggrin expression and lowering IgE and inflammatory
      cytokine levels. These results indicate the potential for development of a PS
      based drug treatment for AD.

PMID- 28347831
TI  - Rapid antidepressant effects of Yueju: A new look at the function and mechanism
      of an old herbal medicine.
AB  - ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE: Yueju is a traditional herbal medicine which
      consists of five herbs and formulated to treat depression-related syndromes 800
      years ago. Yueju is still widely prescribed to treat conditions which include
      digestive dysfunction and depression. Recently, Yueju has been shown to promote a
      fast-onset antidepressant effect clinically and in preclinical studies. Because
      conventional antidepressants have a delayed onset in treating depression, the
      novelty of Yueju's rapid antidepressant effect and its underlying mechanism are
      of great significance both clinically and scientifically. AIM OF THE STUDY: To
      review the use of Yueju for treatment of mood-related syndromes, and particularly
      its use in depression. To evaluate recent evidence of Yueju rapid antidepressant
      actions, based on new findings at behavioral and molecular levels. To suggest
      direction for future studies to address further scientific issues. MATERIALS AND
      METHODS: Reports regarding to the history and current use of Yueju are
      summarized. Recent progress on rapid antidepressant effects of Yueju, the crucial
      constituent, Gardenia jasminoides J.Ellis (GJ) and other herbs, are reviewed.
      RESULTS: The medical need for rapid antidepressant actions, as well as
      breakthrough findings using ketamine and its limitations are introduced. Studies
      with Yueju using a number of acute, subacute and chronic behavioral paradigms are
      compared with ketamine. Findings from clinical reports also support the rapid
      action of Yueju. Studies examine the contribution of the constituent herb GJ, in
      rapid antidepressant effects. Importantly, research into the mechanism of Yueju
      or GJ's antidepressant response indicate the importance of up-regulation in the
      neural circuit responsible for antidepressant activity, and highlight common and
      specific molecular signaling by Yueju that may explain why this herb formula has
      unique antidepressant activity. CONCLUSION: Preclinical and clinical studies
      demonstrate that Yueju confers rapid antidepressant effects. The common
      mechanisms shared both for ketamine and Yueju, as well as the novel mechanism
      specific to Yueju are examined. Yueju and GJ may have great clinic applicability
      and further more detailed studies are warranted.

PMID- 28347832
TI  - The genus Achyranthes: A review on traditional uses, phytochemistry, and
      pharmacological activities.
AB  - ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE: Achyranthes L. (Amaranthaceae), also known as
      Chaff Flower and Niuxi/, mainly includes two famous medicinal species namely A.
      bidentata and A. aspera. A. bidentata has been widely used as blood-activating
      and stasis-resolving medicine for the treatment of various diseases including
      amenorrhea, dysmenorrhea, lumbago, gonalgia, paraplegia, edema, stranguria,
      headache, dizziness, odontalgia, oral ulcer, hematemesis, and epistaxis. A.
      aspera has been widely used to treat various diseases, including gynecological
      disorder, asthma, ophthalmia, odontalgia, haemorrhoids, and abdominal tumor, and
      has been applied to difficult labour, wound healing, insect and snake bites. AIM
      OF THIS REVIEW: This review aims to provide systematically reorganized
      information on distributions, botanical characteristics, ethnopharmacology,
      chemical constituents, qualitative and quantitative analysis, pharmacological
      activities, and toxicity of Achyranthes species to support their therapeutic
      potential. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The relevant information on Achyranthes species
      was gathered from worldwide accepted scientific databases via electronic search
      (Google Scholar, Web of Science, ScienceDirect, ACS Publications, PubMed, Wiley
      Online Library, SciFinder, CNKI). Information was also obtained from
      International Plant Names Index, Chinese Pharmacopoeia, Chinese herbal classic
      books, PhD and MSc dissertations, etc. RESULTS: A comprehensive analysis of
      literatures obtained through the above- mentioned sources confirms that the
      ethnomedicinal uses of Achyranthes species are mainly recorded in China, India,
      Korea, Pakistan, Ethiopia, Kenya, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Philippines, etc.
      Phytochemical investigations revealed that the major bioactive substances of
      Achyranthes plants are polysaccharides, polypeptides, triterpenoid saponins, and
      ketosteroids. Achyranthes plants have been shown to not only act on immune
      system, nervous system, bone metabolism, and reproduction, but also possess a
      wide range of biological activities, including blood-activating, anti-tumor, anti
      inflammation, anti-arthritis, anti-oxidation, anti-aging, wound healing, etc.
      Toxicity studies indicated that A. bidentata and A. aspera seem non-toxic at the
      common therapeutic doses. CONCLUSIONS: A. bidentata and A. aspera are very
      promising to be fully utilized in the development of nutraceutical and
      pharmaceutical products. There are, however, needs for further in-depth studies
      to confirm some ethnomedicinal uses of Achyranthes plants and to elucidate the
      scientific connotation of the widely documented property of conducting drug
      downward of A. bidentata. In addition, other widespread Achyranthes species like
      A. japonica and A. rubrofusca ought to be studied. Likewise, systematic
      comparative studies of the chemical constituents of medicinal Achyranthes plants
      resources with the same local name are also needed. Furthermore, not only should
      the investigations on the structure-activity relationship of the main bioactive
      compounds triterpenoid saponins and ketosteroids be carried out, but the pathways
      of absorption, distribution, metabolism, and excretion ought to be clarified.
      Last but not least, there is also a need to evaluate the long-term chronic
      toxicity and acute toxicity in vivo of the main bioactive compounds.

PMID- 28347834
TI  - Catheter ablation of para-Hisian atrial tachycardias: Is "earliest" still
      synonymous with "best"?

PMID- 28347833
TI  - Skin sympathetic nerve activity precedes the onset and termination of paroxysmal
      atrial tachycardia and fibrillation.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Skin sympathetic nerve activity (SKNA) is useful for estimating
      sympathetic tone in humans. OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to test the
      hypotheses that (1) increased SKNA is associated with the onset and termination
      of paroxysmal atrial tachycardia (AT) and atrial fibrillation (AF) and (2)
      sinoatrial node response to SKNA is reduced in patients with more frequent AT or
      AF episodes. METHODS: SKNA and electrocardiogram were recorded in 11 patients (4
      men and 7 women; average age 66 +/- 10 years), including 3 patients with AT (11
      +/- 18 episodes per patient) and 8 patients with AF (24 +/- 26 episodes per
      patient). RESULTS: The average SKNA (aSKNA) 10 seconds before AT onset was 1.07
      +/- 0.10 MUV and 10 seconds after termination was 1.27 +/- 0.10 MUV; both were
      significantly (P = .032 and P < .0001) higher than that during sinus rhythm (0.97
      +/- 0.09 MUV). The aSKNA 10 seconds before AF onset was 1.34 +/- 0.07 MUV and 10
      seconds after termination was 1.31 +/- 0.07 MUV; both were significantly (P <
      .0001) higher than that during sinus rhythm (1.04 +/- 0.07 MUV). The aSKNA before
      onset (P < .0001) and after termination (P = .0011) was higher in AF than in AT.
      The sinus rate correlated (P < .0001) with aSKNA in each patient (average r =
      0.74; 95% confidence interval 0.65-0.84). The r value in each patient negatively
      correlated with the number of AT and AF episodes (r = -0.6493; 95% confidence
      interval -0.8990 to -0.08073; P = .0306). CONCLUSION: Increased SKNA was observed
      both at the onset and termination of AT and AF. Patients with more frequent AT
      and AF episodes had a weak correlation between sinus rate and aSKNA, suggesting
      sinoatrial node remodeling by tachycardia.

PMID- 28347835
TI  - Predictive value of device-derived activity level for short-term outcomes in
      MADIT-CRT.
AB  - BACKGROUND: There are limited data on the prognostic importance of declining
      activity level in patients with heart failure. OBJECTIVE: We aimed to assess the
      association of reduced activity level with adverse cardiovascular outcomes in the
      Multicenter Automatic Defibrillator Implantation Trial with Cardiac
      Resynchronization Therapy (MADIT-CRT). METHODS: Final device interrogations from
      patients enrolled in the MADIT-CRT with cardiac resynchronization devices capable
      of recording percent daily activity level were assessed. To determine temporal
      change, standardized activity levels (SALs) comparing each week to the monthly
      activity 3 months prior were obtained. Death, heart failure events (HFEs)/death,
      and ventricular tachyarrhythmias (VTAs)/death were the primary end points of this
      study. RESULTS: The average absolute activity level and SAL of the final week
      prior to death or end of study were significantly lower in patients who died
      compared with those in patients who did not. The total cohort (N = 1008) was
      further randomized into 2 subgroups to identify (group 1) and validate an optimal
      threshold (group 2). Patients with >40% reduced SAL had a significantly increased
      77-day short-term cumulative incidence of death (P = .0006), HFE/death (P <
      .0001), or VTA/death (P = .0248). After adjustment for clinical covariates, these
      patients remained at an increased risk for death (hazard ratio [HR], 2.7; 95%
      confidence interval [CI], 1.5-4.9; P = .001), HFE/death (HR, 2.7; 95% CI, 1.8
      3.9; P <= .001) and VTA/death (HR, 1.9; 95% CI, 1.31-2.6; P = .001). A decline in
      SAL following a nonfatal VTA and HFE was also associated with an increased
      probability of death. CONCLUSIONS: Decline in activity level is a short-term
      predictor for adverse cardiovascular events in patients with mild to moderate
      heart failure undergoing cardiac resynchronization.

PMID- 28347837
TI  - A novel therapeutic with two SNAP-25 inactivating proteases shows long-lasting
      anti-hyperalgesic activity in a rat model of neuropathic pain.
AB  - A pressing need exists for long-acting, non-addictive medicines to treat chronic
      pain, a major societal burden. Botulinum neurotoxin type A (BoNT/A) complex - a
      potent, specific and prolonged inhibitor of neuro-exocytosis - gives some relief
      in several pain disorders, but not for all patients. Our study objective was to
      modify BoNT/A to overcome its inability to block transmitter release elicited by
      high [Ca2+]i and increase its limited analgesic effects. This was achieved by
      fusing a BoNT/A gene to that for the light chain (LC) of type/E. The resultant
      purified protein, LC/E-BoNT/A, entered cultured sensory neurons and, unlike
      BoNT/A, inhibited release of calcitonin gene-related peptide evoked by capsaicin.
      Western blotting revealed that this improvement could be due to a more extensive
      truncation by LC/E of synaptosomal-associated protein of Mr = 25 k, essential for
      neuro-exocytosis. When tested in a rat spared nerve injury (SNI) model, a single
      intra-plantar (IPL) injection of LC/E-BoNT/A alleviated for ~2 weeks mechanical
      and cold hyper-sensitivities, in a dose-dependent manner. The highest non
      paralytic dose (75 U/Kg, IPL) proved significantly more efficacious than BoNT/A
      (15 U/Kg, IPL) or repeated systemic pregabalin (10 mg/Kg, intraperitoneal), a
      clinically-used pain modulator. Effects of repeated or delayed injections of this
      fusion protein highlighted its analgesic potential. Attenuation of mechanical
      hyperalgesia was extended by a second administration when the effect of the first
      had diminished. When injected 5 weeks after injury, LC/E-BoNT/A also reversed
      fully-established mechanical and cold hyper-sensitivity. Thus, combining
      advantageous features of BoNT/E and/A yields an efficacious, locally-applied and
      long-acting anti-hyperalgesic.

PMID- 28347836
TI  - Intranasal administration of recombinant Netrin-1 attenuates neuronal apoptosis
      by activating DCC/APPL-1/AKT signaling pathway after subarachnoid hemorrhage in
      rats.
AB  - Neuronal apoptosis is a crucial pathological process in early brain injury after
      subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH). The effective therapeutic strategies to ameliorate
      neuronal apoptosis are still absent. We intended to determine whether intranasal
      administration of exogenous Netrin-1 (NTN-1) could attenuate neuronal apoptosis
      after experimental SAH, specifically via activating DCC-dependent APPL-1/AKT
      signaling cascade. Two hundred twenty-five male Sprague-Dawley rats were
      subjected to the endovascular perforation model of SAH. Recombinant human NTN-1
      (rNTN-1) was administered intranasally. NTN-1 small interfering RNA (siRNA), APPL
      1 siRNA, and AKT inhibitor MK2206 were administered through
      intracerebroventricular (i.c.v.) injection. SAH grade, neurological score,
      neuronal apoptosis assessed by cleaved caspase-3 (CC-3) expression and Fluoro
      Jade C (FJC) staining, double immunofluorescence staining, and Western blot were
      examined. Our results revealed that endogenous NTN-1 level was increased after
      SAH. Administration of rNTN-1 improved neurological outcomes at 24 h and 72 h
      after SAH, while knockdown of endogenous NTN-1 worsened neurological impairments.
      Furthermore, exogenous rNTN-1 treatment promoted APPL-1 activation, increased
      phosphorylated-AKT and Bcl-2 expression, as well as decreased apoptotic marker CC
      3 expression and the number of FJC-positive neurons, thereby alleviated neuronal
      apoptosis. Conversely, APPL-1 siRNA and MK2206 abolished the anti-apoptotic
      effect of exogenous rNTN-1 at 24 h after SAH. Collectively, intranasal
      administration of exogenous rNTN-1 attenuated neuronal apoptosis and improved
      neurological function in SAH rats, at least in apart via activating DCC/APPL
      1/AKT signaling pathway.

PMID- 28347839
TI  - Cellular response to star-shaped polyacids. Solution behavior and conjugation
      advantages.
AB  - The nanosized (~10nm in 0.01M PBS and 210nm in water) star-shaped
      polymethacrylates with various content of pendant carboxyl groups were
      characterized via basic physicochemical and biological properties toward their
      use as drug carriers for intravenous administration. The carboxyl groups in
      polymer were employed to conjugate fluorescein (FA) or doxorubicin (DOX) via
      amide bond formation. In case of DOX, the conjugation efficiency was higher (4.0
      16.0%) than of FA conjugation (1.5-4.5%) for corresponding copolymers. The
      solubility of conjugates strongly depended on the type of attached compound, that
      is free carriers and their FA conjugates were water-soluble, whereas DOX
      conjugates were insoluble in water. Cytotoxicity tests performed on model
      fibroblast and epithelial cell lines showed that negatively charged copolymers
      (ZP ranged from -75 to -25mV) were slightly toxic for normal cells (NHDF) and non
      toxic for cancer cell lines (HCT-116 and MCF-7/R). The copolymer dose equal to
      125MUg/mL resulted in cell viability 118% towards NHDF and 90% for HCT116 cells.
      The internalization of a representative polymer-fluorescein conjugate by HCT-116
      and its accumulation in cytoplasm was proven via fluorescence microscopy. MMA/MAA
      stars showed no adverse effect on HCT-116 cells, hence fluorescein-tagged
      polymers might be applied as fluorescence probes for in vitro imaging, whereas
      doxorubicin-tagged polymers might be developed as a new polymeric drug carriers.

PMID- 28347840
TI  - Enhanced action tendencies in obsessive-compulsive disorder: An ERP study.
AB  - Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is characterized by repeated thoughts and
      behaviors. This study explored the stages of motor response preparation that
      precede action performance or inhibition: We investigated whether OCD is related
      to enhanced action tendencies in response to external stimuli. Response
      preparation processes were assessed using the event-related potential (ERP)
      component of the readiness potential (RP). ERPs were recorded while 15
      participants with OCD and 16 healthy controls performed a variation of the go/no
      go task and the stop-signal task using schematic faces (angry and neutral). The
      OCD group presented with a greater RP slope gradient and amplitude over bilateral
      frontoparietal areas corresponding to the motor cortex. The amplitude effect was
      further enhanced under negative valence, compared to the neutral condition.
      Results support the hypothesis that stronger readiness for action might
      characterize OCD, especially in the presence of threatening stimuli. These
      findings - specifically correlated with OCD and not with anxiety and depression
      symptoms - may underlie habitual behavior and embodiment tendencies in OCD. This
      study suggests that early stages of motor preparation might be important to the
      etiology and maintenance of OCD.

PMID- 28347838
TI  - Studies using macaque monkeys to address excessive alcohol drinking and stress
      interactions.
AB  - The use of non-human primates (NHPs) in studies of volitional, oral self
      administration of alcohol can help address the complex interplay between stress
      and excessive alcohol consumption. There are aspects to brain, endocrine and
      behavior of NHPs, particularly macaques, that provide a critical translational
      link towards understanding the risks and consequences of alcohol use disorders
      (AUDs) in humans. These include wide individual differences in escalating daily
      alcohol intake, accurate measures of hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis
      hormonal interactions, neuroanatomical specificity of synaptic adaptations to
      chronic alcohol, genetic similarities to humans, and the ability to conduct in
      vivo brain imaging. When placed in a framework that alcohol addiction is a
      sequence of dysregulations in motivational circuitry associated with severity of
      AUD, the NHP can provide within-subject information on both risks for and
      consequences of repeatedly drinking to intoxication. Notably, long-term
      adaptations in neurocircuitry that mediate behavioral reinforcement, stress
      responses and executive functions are possible with NHPs. We review here the
      substantial progress made using NHPs to address the complex relationship between
      alcohol and stress as risk factors and consequences of daily drinking to
      intoxication. This review also highlights areas where future studies of brain and
      HPA axis adaptations are needed to better understand the mechanisms involved in
      stress leading to excessive alcohol consumption. This article is part of the
      Special Issue entitled "Alcoholism".

PMID- 28347841
TI  - Impaired memory updating associated with impaired recall of negative words in
      dysphoric rumination-Evidence for a removal deficit.
AB  - We present evidence that dysphoric rumination involves a working memory (WM)
      updating deficit. Sixty-one undergraduates-pre-screened with rumination and
      depression scales-completed a novel task providing a specific measure of WM
      updating. This task involved the substitution of emotionally-valenced words, and
      provided an online measure of the time taken to remove outdated items from WM.
      Results showed that dysphoric ruminators spent less time removing outdated words
      from WM when the new to-be-remembered word was negative. This effect was (1)
      associated with impaired subsequent recall of negative words, arguably caused by
      interference from the insufficiently removed outdated words; and (2) correlated
      with participants' rumination scores. This is the first study to use the novel
      removal task to investigate the nature of WM-updating impairments in rumination.
      The findings are consistent with a negative attentional bias in rumination, and
      provide preliminary evidence that rumination is associated with a valence-generic
      removal deficit during WM updating. Reducing the attentional bias could thus be
      an intervention target in the treatment of dysphoric rumination.

PMID- 28347842
TI  - Potential role of heme metabolism in the inducible expression of heme oxygenase
      1.
AB  - BACKGROUND: The degradation of heme significantly contributes to cytoprotective
      effects against oxidative stress and inflammation. The enzyme heme oxygenase-1
      (HO-1), involved in the degradation of heme, forms carbon monoxide (CO), ferrous
      iron, and bilirubin in conjunction with biliverdin reductase, and is induced by
      various stimuli including oxidative stress and heavy metals. We examined the
      involvement of heme metabolism in the induction of HO-1 by the inducers
      sulforaphane and sodium arsenite. METHODS: We examined the expression of HO-1 in
      sulforaphane-, sodium arsenite- and CORM3-treated HEK293T cells, by measuring the
      transcriptional activity and levels of mRNA and protein. RESULTS: The blockade of
      heme biosynthesis by succinylacetone and N-methyl protoporphyrin, which are
      inhibitors of heme biosynthesis, markedly decreased the induction of HO-1. The
      knockdown of the first enzyme in the biosynthesis of heme, 5-aminolevulinic acid
      synthase, also decreased the induction of HO-1. The cessation of HO-1 induction
      occurred at the transcriptional and translational levels, and was mediated by the
      activation of the heme-binding transcriptional repressor Bach1 and translational
      factor HRI. CO appeared to improve the expression of HO-1 at the transcriptional
      and translational levels. CONCLUSIONS: We demonstrated the importance of heme
      metabolism in the stress-inducible expression of HO-1, and also that heme and its
      degradation products are protective factors for self-defense responses. GENERAL
      SIGNIFICANCE: The key role of heme metabolism in the stress-inducible expression
      of HO-1 may promote further studies on heme and its degradation products as
      protective factors of cellular stresses and iron homeostasis in specialized
      cells, organs, and whole animal systems.

PMID- 28347843
TI  - Engineered N-acetylhexosamine-active enzymes in glycoscience.
AB  - BACKGROUND: In recent years, enzymes modifying N-acetylhexosamine substrates have
      emerged in numerous theoretical studies as well as practical applications from
      biology, biomedicine, and biotechnology. Advanced enzyme engineering techniques
      converted them into potent synthetic instruments affording a variety of valuable
      glycosides. SCOPE OF REVIEW: This review presents the diversity of engineered
      enzymes active with N-acetylhexosamine carbohydrates: from popular glycoside
      hydrolases and glycosyltransferases to less known oxidases, epimerases, kinases,
      sulfotransferases, and acetylases. Though hydrolases in natura, engineered
      chitinases, beta-N-acetylhexosaminidases, and endo-beta-N-acetylglucosaminidases
      were successfully employed in the synthesis of defined natural and derivatized
      chitooligomers and in the remodeling of N-glycosylation patterns of therapeutic
      antibodies. The genes of various N-acetylhexosaminyltransferases were cloned into
      metabolically engineered microorganisms for producing human milk
      oligosaccharides, Lewis X structures, and human-like glycoproteins. Moreover,
      mutant N-acetylhexosamine-active glycosyltransferases were applied, e.g., in the
      construction of glycomimetics and complex glycostructures, industrial production
      of low-lactose milk, and metabolic labeling of glycans. In the synthesis of
      biotechnologically important compounds, several innovative glycoengineered
      systems are presented for an efficient bioproduction of GlcNAc, UDP-GlcNAc, N
      acetylneuraminic acid, and of defined glycosaminoglycans. MAJOR CONCLUSIONS: The
      above examples demonstrate that engineering of N-acetylhexosamine-active enzymes
      was able to solve complex issues such as synthesis of tailored human-like
      glycoproteins or industrial-scale production of desired oligosaccharides. Due to
      the specific catalytic mechanism, mutagenesis of these catalysts was often
      realized through rational solutions. GENERAL SIGNIFICANCE: Specific N
      acetylhexosamine glycosylation is crucial in biological, biomedical and
      biotechnological applications and a good understanding of its details opens new
      possibilities in this fast developing area of glycoscience.

PMID- 28347844
TI  - Complex inhibition of autophagy by mitochondrial aldehyde dehydrogenase shortens
      lifespan and exacerbates cardiac aging.
AB  - Autophagy, a conservative degradation process for long-lived and damaged
      proteins, participates in a cascade of biological processes including aging. A
      number of autophagy regulators have been identified. Here we demonstrated that
      mitochondrial aldehyde dehydrogenase (ALDH2), an enzyme with the most common
      single point mutation in humans, governs cardiac aging through regulation of
      autophagy. Myocardial mechanical and autophagy properties were examined in young
      (4months) and old (26-28months) wild-type (WT) and global ALDH2 transgenic mice.
      ALDH2 overexpression shortened lifespan by 7.7% without affecting aging
      associated changes in plasma metabolic profiles. Myocardial function was
      compromised with aging associated with cardiac hypertrophy, the effects were
      accentuated by ALDH2. Aging overtly suppressed autophagy and compromised
      autophagy flux, the effects were exacerbated by ALDH2. Aging dampened
      phosphorylation of JNK, Bcl-2, IKKbeta, AMPK and TSC2 while promoting
      phosphorylation of mTOR, the effects of which were exaggerated by ALDH2. Co
      immunoprecipitation revealed increased dissociation between Bcl-2 and Beclin-1
      (result of decreased Bcl-2 phosphorylation) in aging, the effect of which was
      exacerbated with ALDH2. Chronic treatment of the autophagy inducer rapamycin
      alleviated aging-induced cardiac dysfunction in both WT and ALDH2 mice. Moreover,
      activation of JNK and inhibition of either Bcl-2 or IKKbeta overtly attenuated
      ALDH2 activation-induced accentuation of cardiomyocyte aging. Examination of the
      otherwise elderly individuals revealed a positive correlation between cardiac
      function/geometry and ALDH2 gene mutation. Taken together, our data revealed that
      ALDH2 enzyme may suppress myocardial autophagy possibly through a complex JNK-Bcl
      2 and IKKbeta-AMPK-dependent mechanism en route to accentuation of myocardial
      remodeling and contractile dysfunction in aging. This article is part of a
      Special Issue entitled: Genetic and epigenetic control of heart failure - edited
      by Jun Ren & Megan Yingmei Zhang.

PMID- 28347845
TI  - Global assessment of oxidized free fatty acids in brain reveals an enzymatic
      predominance to oxidative signaling after trauma.
AB  - Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is a major health problem associated with
      significant morbidity and mortality. The pathophysiology of TBI is complex
      involving signaling through multiple cascades, including lipid peroxidation.
      Oxidized free fatty acids, a prominent product of lipid peroxidation, are potent
      cellular mediators involved in induction and resolution of inflammation and
      modulation of vasomotor tone. While previous studies have assessed lipid
      peroxidation after TBI, to our knowledge no studies have used a systematic
      approach to quantify the global oxidative changes in free fatty acids. In this
      study, we identified and quantified 244 free fatty acid oxidation products using
      a newly developed global liquid chromatography tandem-mass spectrometry (LC
      MS/MS) method. This methodology was used to follow the time course of these lipid
      species in the contusional cortex of our pediatric rat model of TBI. We show that
      oxidation peaked at 1h after controlled cortical impact and was progressively
      attenuated at 4 and 24h time points. While enzymatic and non-enzymatic pathways
      were activated at 1h post-TBI, enzymatic lipid peroxidation was the predominant
      mechanism with 15-lipoxygenase (LOX) contributing to the majority of total
      oxidized fatty acid content. Pro-inflammatory lipid mediators were significantly
      increased at 1 and 4h after TBI with return to basal levels by 24h. Anti
      inflammatory lipid mediators remained significantly increased across all three
      time points, indicating an elevated and sustained anti-inflammatory response
      following TBI.

PMID- 28347847
TI  - Dry powder inhaler performance of spray dried mannitol with tailored surface
      morphologies as carrier and salbutamol sulphate.
AB  - Nowadays, dry powder inhalation as applied in the therapy of pulmonary diseases
      is known as a very effective route of drug delivery to the lungs. Here, the
      system of coarse carrier and fine drug particles attached to the carrier surface
      has successfully been applied to overcome the cohesiveness of small drug
      particles. Particle properties of both carrier and drug are known to affect drug
      dispersion as has widely been discussed for lactose monohydrate and various
      drugs. This study utilises particle-engineered mannitol as an alternative carrier
      to discover the effect of mannitol carrier particle properties like particle
      shape, surface roughness, flowability or particle size on aerodynamic performance
      during inhalation. Spray drying as a technique to accurately control those
      properties was chosen for the generation of carrier sizes between 50 and 80 MUm
      and different morphologies and therefore various carrier flowabilities. A set of
      these carriers has then been blended with different spray dried and jet-milled
      qualities of salbutamol sulphate as model drug to examine the influence of
      carrier particle properties on aerodynamic behaviour and at the same time to
      cover the effect of drug particle properties on particle-particle interactions.
      This experimental setup allowed a general view on how drug and carrier properties
      affect the Fine Particle Fraction (FPF) as indicator for inhalation performance
      and gave the first study to distinguish between mannitol carrier particle shape
      and surface roughness. Further it was possible to relate carrier particle size
      and shape to drug accumulation and detachment mechanisms during inhalation as
      size and shape had the main influence on drug detachment. The addition of jet
      milled mannitol fines provided an initial insight into the improving effect of
      ternary powder blends as has been intensively studied for lactose monohydrate but
      not for mannitol yet.

PMID- 28347846
TI  - Supercritical anti-solvent technique assisted synthesis of thymoquinone liposomes
      for radioprotection: Formulation optimization, in-vitro and in-vivo studies.
AB  - The aim of this study was to develop Thymoquinone (TQ) loaded PEGylated liposomes
      using supercritical anti-solvent (SAS) process for enhanced blood circulation,
      and greater radioprotection. The SAS process of PEGylated liposomes synthesis was
      optimized by Box-Behnken design. Spherical liposomes with a particle size of
      195.6+/-5.56nm and entrapment efficiency (%EE) of 89.4+/-3.69% were obtained.
      Optimized SAS process parameters; temperature, pressure and solution flow rate
      were 35 degrees C, 140bar and 0.18mL/min, respectively, while 7.5mmol
      phospholipid, 0.75mmol of cholesterol, and 1mmol TQ were optimized formulation
      ingredients. Incorporation of MPEG-2000-DSPE (5% w/w) provided the PEGylated
      liposomes (FV-17B; particle size=231.3+/-6.74nm, %EE=91.9+/-3.45%, maximum TQ
      release >70% in 24h). Pharmacokinetics of FV-17B in mice demonstrated distinctly
      superior systemic circulation time for TQ in plasma. Effectiveness of
      radioprotection by FV-17B in mice model was demonstrated by non-significant body
      weight change, normal vital blood components (WBCs, RBCs, and Platelets),
      micronuclei and spleen index and increased survival probability in post
      irradiation animal group as compared to controls (plain TQ and marketed
      formulation). Altogether, the results anticipated that the SAS process could
      serve as a single step environmental friendly technique for the development of
      stable long circulating TQ loaded liposomes for effective radioprotection.

PMID- 28347848
TI  - Comparison of the protective effect of self-emulsifying peptide drug delivery
      systems towards intestinal proteases and glutathione.
AB  - AIM: The aim of this study was to evaluate the protective effect of self
      emulsifying drug delivery systems (SEDDS) for therapeutic peptides towards
      intestinal proteases and reduced glutathione (GSH). METHODS: Sodium docusate was
      applied as anionic surfactant for hydrophobic ion pairing with leuprorelin (LEU),
      insulin (INS) and desmopressin (DES). The complexes were loaded into SEDDS that
      were characterized regarding droplet size distribution and zeta potential. The
      release profile of the peptides was examined by dialysis membrane method.
      Enzymatic digestion studies were performed by applying alpha-chymotrypsin,
      trypsin and elastase. Furthermore, the protective effect of SEDDS towards
      degradation through thiol-disulfide exchange reactions was examined by addition
      of GSH. RESULTS: SEDDS showed a mean droplet size of 0.27-3.9MUm and a zeta
      potential of -25 to -33mV. All formulations provided a sustained release of the
      peptides over 6h. Degradation of the model peptides by intestinal proteases and
      GSH could only be observed in the release medium. In the oily phase of SEDDS
      neither any of the proteases nor GSH was soluble (<=0.1%). Furthermore, no
      degradation of the model peptides by proteases and GSH took place in the oily
      phase of SEDDS. CONCLUSION: SEDDS can provide a 100% protective effect towards
      protease degradation and deactivation by GSH. According to this, SEDDS might be
      promising tools for oral delivery of peptide drugs.

PMID- 28347849
TI  - Prediction of solid fraction from powder mixtures based on single component
      compression analysis.
AB  - The aim of this study was to provide a systematic evaluation of various
      compression models (Percolation, Kawakita, Exponential model) in respect to
      predict tablets solid fraction for direct compression mixtures, based on single
      component compression analysis. Four mixtures were compressed over a wide
      pressure range at various fractions of microcrystalline cellulose (MCC) and pre
      agglomerated lactose monohydrate (LAC) to compare an adjusted Percolation,
      Kawakita and a simple Exponential model. Based on single compression analysis of
      the pure excipients and application of these models, it was possible to predict
      the solid fraction of all mixtures. The Kawakita model showed overall superior
      prediction accuracy, whereas the Percolation model resulted in the best fit for
      mixtures containing microcrystalline cellulose in a range of 72%-48%. Both models
      were in good agreement at residuals below 3%.

PMID- 28347850
TI  - Clinical features and treatment of patients with Vibrio vulnificus infection.
AB  - OBJECTIVES: Infections with Vibrio vulnificus are commonly fatal, and the speed
      and accuracy of diagnosis and treatment is directly linked to mortality. The main
      aims of this study were to investigate the clinical characteristics of six
      patients with V. vulnificus infections retrospectively and to determine the
      effect of treatment with tigecycline (TGC) alone compared with doxycycline plus
      ceftazidime (DOX/CAZ). METHODS: The medical records of patients were reviewed.
      The species-specific and pathogenic gene markers were detected by PCR, and
      multilocus sequence typing (MLST) was performed. Furthermore, the effects of TGC
      and of DOX/CAZ were determined using time-kill assays. RESULTS: MLST revealed six
      different sequence types and five of them were novel. The complete clinical
      pattern (vcg type C, CPS operon allele 1, 16S-rRNA type B) was found in one
      strain and the others had a mixed pattern. The lesion was mainly located at the
      distal end of the extremities and the most common clinical symptoms were fever,
      pain, erythema, and local swelling. The in vitro time-kill assay indicated that
      TGC monotherapy at a concentration of 0.1mg/l had a rapid bactericidal effect
      against the six tested V. vulnificus strains at 24h. CONCLUSIONS: TGC alone might
      be a better potential therapeutic option than the traditional combination of
      DOX/CAZ against V. vulnificus.

PMID- 28347851
TI  - Implementation of an antibiotic checklist increased appropriate antibiotic use in
      the hospital on Aruba.
AB  - OBJECTIVES: No interventions have yet been implemented to improve antibiotic use
      on Aruba. In the Netherlands, the introduction of an antibiotic checklist
      resulted in more appropriate antibiotic use in nine hospitals. The aim of this
      study was to introduce the antibiotic checklist on Aruba, test its effectiveness,
      and evaluate the possibility of implementing this checklist outside the
      Netherlands. METHODS: The antibiotic checklist includes seven quality indicators
      (QIs) that define appropriate antibiotic use. It applies to adult patients with a
      suspected bacterial infection, treated with intravenous antibiotics. The primary
      endpoint was the QI sum score, calculated by the patient's sum of performed
      checklist-items divided by the total number of QIs that applied to that specific
      patient. Outcomes before and after the introduction of the checklist were
      compared. RESULTS: The percentage of patients with a QI sum score >=50% increased
      significantly during the intervention (n=173) compared to baseline (n=150) (odds
      ratio 3.67, p<0.001). However, performance did not improve on each individual QI.
      The checklist was used in 63.3% of the eligible patients. CONCLUSIONS: The
      introduction of the antibiotic checklist increased appropriate antibiotic use on
      Aruba. Additional initiatives are necessary for further improvement per QI. These
      results suggest that the antibiotic checklist could be used internationally.

PMID- 28347852
TI  - First report of human parechovirus type 3 infection in a pregnant woman.
AB  - Human parechovirus type 3 (HPeV3) can cause serious conditions in neonates, such
      as sepsis and encephalitis, but data for adults are lacking. The case of a
      pregnant woman with HPeV3 infection is reported herein. A 28-year-old woman at 36
      weeks of pregnancy was admitted because of myalgia and muscle weakness. Her grip
      strength was 6.0kg for her right hand and 2.5kg for her left hand. The patient's
      symptoms, probably due to fasciitis and not myositis, improved gradually with
      conservative treatment, however labor pains with genital bleeding developed
      unexpectedly 3 days after admission. An obstetric consultation was obtained and a
      cesarean section was performed, with no complications. A real-time PCR assay for
      the detection of viral genomic ribonucleic acid against HPeV showed positive
      results for pharyngeal swabs, feces, and blood, and negative results for the
      placenta, umbilical cord, umbilical cord blood, amniotic fluid, and breast milk.
      The HPeV3 was genotyped by sequencing of the VP1 region. The woman made a full
      recovery and was discharged with her infant in a stable condition.

PMID- 28347853
TI  - Exposure to traumatic events at work, posttraumatic symptoms and professional
      quality of life among midwives.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: in their line of duty, midwives are often exposed to traumatic births
      that may lead to symptoms of compassion fatigue (CF), which includes burnout (BO)
      and secondary traumatic stress (STS).Conversely, midwives derive pleasure and
      great satisfaction in seeing the positive effect they have on their clients. This
      experience is known as compassion satisfaction (CS). Together, CS and CF comprise
      the professional quality of life (ProQOL). The aim of this paper was to study
      midwives' professional quality of life and traumatic experiences. The highly
      stressful environment of midwives may also include primary exposure to traumatic
      experiences and therefore PTSD levels were also assessed. METHOD: the
      participants (N=93) were professional midwives from four medical centers in
      Israel. The participants answered selfreport questionnaires that assessed their
      ProQOL and PTSD symptoms. FINDINGS: results indicated relatively high levels of
      CS which may mitigate, at least to some degree, the negative aspects of CF. PTSD
      levels significantly and positively correlated with STS and BO. Sixteen per cent
      presented with PTSD symptoms of clinical significance. Also, seniority was
      significantly and positively correlated with BO and PTSD symptoms. CONCLUSIONS:
      high ProQOL was found amongst the participants, with more than 74% scoring on the
      high range of CS. Nevertheless, we recommend further research and implementing
      strategies to maintain or further enhance CS and decrease CF levels. Finally, a
      more comprehensive understanding of the development of PTSD amongst midwives is
      vital in order to minimize its occurrence in the future.

PMID- 28347855
TI  - Role of high resolution optical coherence tomography in diagnosing ocular surface
      squamous neoplasia with coexisting ocular surface diseases.
AB  - PURPOSE: Coexistence of an ocular surface disease can mask the typical features
      of ocular surface squamous neoplasia (OSSN). The purpose of this study was to
      evaluate high resolution optical coherence tomography (HR-OCT) as an adjunct in
      the detection and differentiation of OSSN within coexisting ocular surface
      pathologies. METHODS: Retrospective study of 16 patients with ocular surface
      disease and lesions suspicious for OSSN that were evaluated with HR-OCT. HR-OCT
      images of the lesions were taken to look for evidence of OSSN. Biopsies were
      performed in all cases, and the HR-OCT findings were compared to the histological
      results. RESULTS: Of the 16 patients with OSSN and a coexisting ocular surface
      disease, 12 were found to have OSSN by HR-OCT and all were subsequently confirmed
      by biopsy. Two patients had OSSN with rosacea, one with pingueculum, two within
      pterygia, one with Salzmann' nodular degeneration, six with limbal stem cell
      deficiency (LSCD)/scarring. In all 12 cases HR-OCT images revealed classical
      findings of hyper-reflective, thickened epithelium and an abrupt transition from
      normal to abnormal epithelium. OSSN was ruled out by HR-OCT in four cases (2
      Salzmann's, 1 mucous membrane pemphigoid, and 1 LSCD). Negative findings were
      confirmed by biopsy. HR-OCT was used to follow resolution of the OSSN in positive
      cases, and it detected recurrence in 1 case. CONCLUSIONS: While histopathology is
      the gold standard in the diagnosis of OSSN, HR-OCT can be used to noninvasively
      detect the presence of OSSN in patients with coexisting ocular conditions.

PMID- 28347857
TI  - What do genetic studies tell us about the heritable basis of common epilepsy?
      Polygenic or complex epilepsy?
AB  - The search for genes associated with common epilepsy, including both focal and
      generalised epilepsies, has been intensive in the past few decades. Consequently,
      our understanding of the genetic background of common epilepsy has improved
      considerably, and current genetic studies have optimised their design
      accordingly, showing much promise for the future. Nevertheless, we can only
      explain a fraction of the heritability of common epilepsy with the currently
      known genetic factors. These factors have been identified with a range of
      different gene mapping techniques, including linkage analysis of epilepsy
      families, association studies, and recent large scale sequencing studies, which
      individually are optimal to detect a certain class of genetic variation. Here, we
      give a selected overview of the genetic studies that illustrate the evolution of
      epilepsy genetics and contribute to the evidence for a polygenic basis of common
      epilepsy that likely involves both rare and common disease variants.

PMID- 28347856
TI  - A multidisciplinary approach to designing and evaluating Electronic Medical
      Record portal messages that support patient self-care.
AB  - We describe a project intended to improve the use of Electronic Medical Record
      (EMR) patient portal information by older adults with diverse numeracy and
      literacy abilities, so that portals can better support patient-centered care.
      Patient portals are intended to bridge patients and providers by ensuring
      patients have continuous access to their health information and services.
      However, they are underutilized, especially by older adults with low health
      literacy, because they often function more as information repositories than as
      tools to engage patients. We outline an interdisciplinary approach to designing
      and evaluating portal-based messages that convey clinical test results so as to
      support patient-centered care. We first describe a theory-based framework for
      designing effective messages for patients. This involves analyzing shortcomings
      of the standard portal message format (presenting numerical test results with
      little context to guide comprehension) and developing verbally, graphically,
      video- and computer agent-based formats that enhance context. The framework
      encompasses theories from cognitive and behavioral science (health literacy,
      fuzzy trace memory, behavior change) as well as computational/engineering
      approaches (e.g., image and speech processing models). We then describe an
      approach to evaluating whether the formats improve comprehension of and responses
      to the messages about test results, focusing on our methods. The approach
      combines quantitative (e.g., response accuracy, Likert scale responses) and
      qualitative (interview) measures, as well as experimental and individual
      difference methods in order to investigate which formats are more effective, and
      whether some formats benefit some types of patients more than others. We also
      report the results of two pilot studies conducted as part of developing the
      message formats.

PMID- 28347854
TI  - Twenty years of the G protein-coupled estrogen receptor GPER: Historical and
      personal perspectives.
AB  - Estrogens play a critical role in many aspects of physiology, particularly female
      reproductive function, but also in pathophysiology, and are associated with
      protection from numerous diseases in premenopausal women. Steroids and the
      effects of estrogen have been known for ~90 years, with the first evidence for a
      receptor for estrogen presented ~50 years ago. The original ancestral steroid
      receptor, extending back into evolution more than 500 million years, was likely
      an estrogen receptor, whereas G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) trace their
      origins back into history more than one billion years. The classical estrogen
      receptors (ERalpha and ERbeta) are ligand-activated transcription factors that
      confer estrogen sensitivity upon many genes. It was soon apparent that these, or
      novel receptors may also be responsible for the "rapid"/"non-genomic" membrane
      associated effects of estrogen. The identification of an orphan GPCR (GPR30,
      published in 1996) opened a new field of research with the description in 2000
      that GPR30 expression is required for rapid estrogen signaling. In 2005-2006, the
      field was greatly stimulated by two studies that described the binding of
      estrogen to GPR30-expressing cell membranes, followed by the identification of a
      GPR30-selective agonist (that lacked binding and activity towards ERalpha and
      ERbeta). Renamed GPER (G protein-coupled estrogen receptor) by IUPHAR in 2007,
      the total number of articles in PubMed related to this receptor recently
      surpassed 1000. In this article, the authors present personal perspectives on how
      they became involved in the discovery and/or advancement of GPER research. These
      areas include non-genomic effects on vascular tone, receptor cloning, molecular
      and cellular biology, signal transduction mechanisms and pharmacology of GPER,
      highlighting the roles of GPER and GPER-selective compounds in diseases such as
      obesity, diabetes, and cancer and the obligatory role of GPER in propagating
      cardiovascular aging, arterial hypertension and heart failure through the
      stimulation of Nox expression.

PMID- 28347859
TI  - The sensory arrays of the ant, Temnothorax rugatulus.
AB  - Individual differences in response thresholds to task-related stimuli may be one
      mechanism driving task allocation among social insect workers. These differences
      may arise at various stages in the nervous system. We investigate variability in
      the peripheral nervous system as a simple mechanism that can introduce inter
      individual differences in sensory information. In this study we describe size
      dependent variation of the compound eyes and the antennae in the ant Temnothorax
      rugatulus. Head width in T. rugatulus varies between 0.4 and 0.7 mm (2.6-3.8 mm
      body length). But despite this limited range of worker sizes we find sensory
      array variability. We find that the number of ommatidia and of some, but not all,
      antennal sensilla types vary with head width. The antennal array of T. rugatulus
      displays the full complement of sensillum types observed in other species of
      ants, although at much lower quantities than other, larger, studied species. In
      addition, we describe what we believe to be a new type of sensillum in
      hymenoptera that occurs on the antennae and on all body segments. T. rugatulus
      has apposition compound eyes with 45-76 facets per eye, depending on head width,
      with average lens diameters of 16.5 MUm, rhabdom diameters of 5.7 MUm and inter
      ommatidial angles of 16.8 degrees . The optical system of T. rugatulus ommatidia
      is severely under focussed, but the absolute sensitivity of the eyes is unusually
      high. We discuss the functional significance of these findings and the extent to
      which the variability of sensory arrays may correlate with task allocation.

PMID- 28347858
TI  - Higher interference susceptibility in reaction time task is accompanied by
      weakened functional dissociation between salience and default mode network.
AB  - BACKGROUND: The relationship between task-positive and task-negative components
      of brain networks has repeatedly been shown to be characterized by dissociated
      fluctuations of spontaneous brain activity. We tested whether the interaction
      between task-positive and task-negative brain areas during resting-state predicts
      higher interference susceptibility, i.e. increased reaction times (RTs), during
      an Attention Modulation by Salience Task (AMST). METHODS: 29 males underwent 3T
      resting-state Magnetic Resonance Imaging scanning. Subsequently, they performed
      the AMST, which measures RTs to early- and late-onset auditory stimuli while
      perceiving high- or low-salient visual distractors. We conducted seed-based
      resting-state functional connectivity (rsFC) analyses using global signal
      correction. We assessed general responsiveness and salience related interference
      in the AMST and set this into context of the resting-state functional
      connectivity (rsFC) between a key salience network region (dACC; task-positive
      region) and a key default mode network region (precuneus; task-negative region).
      RESULTS: With increasing RTs to high- but not low-salient pictures dACC shows
      significantly weakened functional dissociation to a cluster in precuneus. This
      cluster overlaps with a cluster that correlates in its dACC rsFC with subjects'
      interference, as measured of high-salient RTs relative to low-salient RTs.
      CONCLUSION: Our findings suggest that the interaction between salience network
      (SN) and default mode network (DMN) at rest predicts susceptibility to
      distraction. Subjects, that are more susceptible to high-salient stimuli - task
      irrelevant external information - showed increased dACC rsFC toward precuneus.
      This is consistent with prior work in individuals with impaired attentional
      focus. Future studies might help to conclude whether an increased rsFC between a
      SN region and DMN region may serve as a predictor for clinical syndromes
      characterized by attentional impairments, e.g. ADHD. This could lead to an
      alternative, objective diagnosis and treatment of such disorders by decreasing
      the rsFC of these regions.

PMID- 28347860
TI  - Ultrastructure of spermiogenesis and spermatozoa in Marchalina hellenica
      (Gennadius) (Hemiptera: Sternorrhyncha, Marchalinidae).
AB  - The spermiogenesis, the sperm structure and the sperm motility of Marchalina
      hellenica (Gennadius) were examined. In the early spermiogenesis a centriolar
      apparatus was identified, but this structure is not involved in the production of
      the sperm flagellum. As in other Coccoidea, the flagellar axoneme originates by
      the activity of the thickened tip of the numerous microtubules surrounding the
      nuclear anterior region close to the periphery of the cell. This region pushes
      against a narrow cytoplasmic layer, giving rise to a papilla. In this region a
      novel structure, consisting of a regular network of thin filaments, arranged
      orthogonally to the bundle of microtubules, is visible. The sperm flagellum
      consists of a series of about 260 microtubules, regularly arranged in rings
      around the axial nucleus. This latter extends in the middle part of the sperm
      length. As usual in scale insects, sperm form a bundle, which in M. hellenica is
      composed of 64 sperm cells, surrounded by somatic cyst cells. The sperm bundle
      has an helicoidal array, with a cap of dense material at its apex, lending the
      anterior and the posterior region of the sperm bundle with a different structural
      organization. This difference is responsible of the different speed gradient
      observed in the helical wave propagating along the sperm bundle.

PMID- 28347862
TI  - Cell sheet engineering using the stromal vascular fraction of adipose tissue as a
      vascularization strategy.
AB  - : Current vascularization strategies for Tissue Engineering constructs, in
      particular cell sheet-based, are limited by time-consuming and expensive
      endothelial cell isolation and/or by the complexity of using extrinsic growth
      factors. Herein, we propose an alternative strategy using angiogenic cell sheets
      (CS) obtained from the stromal vascular fraction (SVF) of adipose tissue that can
      be incorporated into more complex constructs. Cells from the SVF were cultured in
      normoxic and hypoxic conditions for up to 8days in the absence of extrinsic
      growth factors. Immunocytochemistry against CD31 and CD146 revealed spontaneous
      organization in capillary-like structures, more complex after hypoxic
      conditioning. Inhibition of HIF-1alpha pathway hindered capillary-like structure
      formation in SVF cells cultured in hypoxia, suggesting a role of HIF-1alpha.
      Moreover, hypoxic SVF cells showed a trend for increased secretion of angiogenic
      factors, which was reflected in increased network formation by endothelial cells
      cultured on matrigel using that conditioned medium. In vivo implantation of SVF
      CS in a mouse hind limb ischemia model revealed that hypoxia-conditioned CS led
      to improved restoration of blood flow. Both in vitro and in vivo data suggest
      that SVF CS can be used as simple and cost-efficient tools to promote functional
      vascularization of TE constructs. STATEMENT OF SIGNIFICANCE: Neovascularization
      after implantation is a major obstacle for producing clinically viable cell sheet
      based tissue engineered constructs. Strategies using endothelial cells and
      extrinsic angiogenic growth factors are expensive and time consuming and may
      raise concerns of tumorigenicity. In this manuscript, we describe a simplified
      approach using angiogenic cell sheets fabricated from the stromal vascular
      fraction of adipose tissue. The strong angiogenic behavior of these cell sheets,
      achieved without the use of external growth factors, was further stimulated by
      low oxygen culture. When implanted in an in vivo model of hind limb ischemia, the
      angiogenic cell sheets contributed to blood flux recovery. These cell sheets can
      therefore be used as a straightforward tool to increase the neovascularization of
      cell sheet-based thick constructs.

PMID- 28347861
TI  - Activatable bispecific liposomes bearing fibroblast activation protein directed
      single chain fragment/Trastuzumab deliver encapsulated cargo into the nuclei of
      tumor cells and the tumor microenvironment simultaneously.
AB  - : Molecular targeting plays a significant role in cancer diagnosis and therapy.
      However, the heterogeneity of tumors is a limiting obstacle for molecular
      targeting. Consequently, clinically approved drug delivery systems such as
      liposomes still rely on passive targeting to tumors, which does not address tumor
      heterogeneity. In this work, we therefore designed and elucidated the potentials
      of activatable bispecific targeted liposomes for simultaneous detection of
      fibroblast activation protein (FAP) and the human epidermal growth factor
      receptor 2 (HER2). The bispecific liposomes were encapsulated with fluorescence
      quenched concentrations of the near-infrared fluorescent dye, DY-676-COOH, making
      them detectable solely post processing within target cells. The liposomes were
      endowed with a combination of single chain antibody fragments specific for FAP
      and HER2 respectively, or with the FAP single chain antibody fragment in
      combination with Trastuzumab, which is specific for HER2. The Trastuzumab based
      bispecific formulation, termed Bi-FAP/Tras-IL revealed delivery of the
      encapsulated dye into the nuclei of HER2 expressing cancer cells and caused cell
      death at significantly higher rates than the free Trastuzumab. Furthermore,
      fluorescence imaging and live microscopy of tumor models in mice substantiated
      the delivery of the encapsulated cargo into the nuclei of target tumor cells and
      tumor stromal fibroblasts. Hence, they convey potentials to address tumor
      plasticity, to improve targeted cancer therapy and reduce Trastuzumab resistance
      in the future. STATEMENT OF SIGNIFICANCE: This work demonstrates the design of
      activatable bispecific liposomes aimed to target HER2, a poor prognosis tumor
      marker in many tumor types, and fibroblast activation protein (FAP), a universal
      tumor marker overexpressed on tumor fibroblasts and pericytes of almost all solid
      tumors. Encapsulating liposomes with a quenched concentration of a NIRF dye which
      only fluoresced after cellular degradation and activation enabled reliable
      visualization of the destination of the cargo in cells and animal studies.
      Conjugating single chain antibody fragments directed to FAP, together with
      Trastuzumab, a humanized monoclonal antibody for HER2 resulted in the activatable
      bispecific liposomes. In animal models of xenografted human breast tumors, the
      remarkable ability of the bispecific probes to simultaneously deliver the
      encapsulated dye into the nuclei of target tumor cells and tumor fibroblasts
      could be demonstrated. Hence, the bispecific probes represent model tools with
      high significance to address tumor heterogeneity and manage Trastuzumab
      resistance in the future.

PMID- 28347863
TI  - Common bean proteomics: Present status and future strategies.
AB  - : Common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) is a legume of appreciable importance and
      usefulness worldwide to the human population providing food and feed. It is rich
      in high-quality protein, energy, fiber and micronutrients especially iron, zinc,
      and pro-vitamin A; and possesses potentially disease-preventing and health
      promoting compounds. The recently published genome sequence of common bean is an
      important landmark in common bean research, opening new avenues for understanding
      its genetics in depth. This legume crop is affected by diverse biotic and abiotic
      stresses severely limiting its productivity. Looking at the trend of increasing
      world population and the need for food crops best suited to the health of
      humankind, the legumes will be in great demand, including the common bean mostly
      for its nutritive values. Hence the need for new research in understanding the
      biology of this crop brings us to utilize and apply high-throughput omics
      approaches. In this mini-review our focus will be on the need for proteomics
      studies in common bean, potential of proteomics for understanding genetic
      regulation under abiotic and biotic stresses and how proteogenomics will lead to
      nutritional improvement. We will also discuss future proteomics-based strategies
      that must be adopted to mine new genomic resources by identifying molecular
      switches regulating various biological processes. SIGNIFICANCE: Common bean is
      regarded as "grain of hope" for the poor, being rich in high-quality protein,
      energy, fiber and micronutrients (iron, zinc, pro-vitamin A); and possesses
      potentially disease-preventing and health-promoting compounds. Increasing world
      population and the need for food crops best suited to the health of humankind,
      puts legumes into great demand, which includes the common bean mostly. An
      important landmark in common bean research was the recent publication of its
      genome sequence, opening new avenues for understanding its genetics in depth.
      This legume crop is affected by diverse biotic and abiotic stresses severely
      limiting its productivity. Therefore, the need for new research in understanding
      the biology of this crop brings us to utilize and apply high-throughput omics
      approaches. Proteomics can be used to track all the candidate proteins/genes
      responsible for a biological process under specific conditions in a particular
      tissue. The potential of proteomics will not only help in determining the
      functions of a large number of genes in a single experiment but will also be a
      useful tool to mine new genes that can provide solution to various problems
      (abiotic stress, biotic stress, nutritional improvement, etc). We believe that a
      combined approach including breeding along with omics tools will lead towards
      attaining sustainability in legumes, including common bean.

PMID- 28347864
TI  - iTRAQ-based quantitative proteomic analysis reveals proteomic changes in three
      fenoxaprop-P-ethyl-resistant Beckmannia syzigachne biotypes with differing ACCase
      mutations.
AB  - : American sloughgrass (Beckmannia syzigachne Steud.) is a weed widely
      distributed in wheat fields of China. In recent years, the evolution of herbicide
      (fenoxaprop-P-ethyl)-resistant populations has decreased the susceptibility of B.
      syzigachne. This study compared 4 B. syzigachne populations (3 resistant and 1
      susceptible) using iTRAQ to characterize fenoxaprop-P-ethyl resistance in B.
      syzigachne at the proteomic level. Through searching the UniProt database, 3104
      protein species were identified from 13,335 unique peptides. Approximately 2834
      protein species were assigned to 23 functional classifications provided by the
      COG database. Among these, 2299 protein species were assigned to 125 predicted
      pathways. The resistant biotype contained 8 protein species that changed in
      abundance relative to the susceptible biotype; they were involved in
      photosynthesis, oxidative phosphorylation, and fatty acid biosynthesis pathways.
      In contrast to previous studies comparing only 1 resistant and 1 susceptible
      population, our use of 3 fenoxaprop-resistant B. syzigachne populations with
      different genetic backgrounds minimized irrelevant differential expression and
      eliminated false positives. Therefore, we could more confidently link the
      differentially expressed proteins to herbicide resistance. Proteomic analysis
      demonstrated that fenoxaprop-P-ethyl resistance is associated with photosynthetic
      capacity, a connection that might be related to the target-site mutations in
      resistant B. syzigachne. This is the first large-scale proteomics study examining
      herbicide stress responses in different B. syzigachne biotypes. BIOLOGICAL
      SIGNIFICANCE: This study has biological relevance because it is the first to
      employ proteomic analysis for understanding the mechanisms underlying Beckmannia
      syzigachne herbicide resistance. The plant is a major weed in China and
      negatively affects crop yield, but has developed considerable resistance to the
      most common herbicide, fenoxaprop-P-ethyl. Through comparisons of resistant and
      sensitive biotypes, our study identified multiple proteins (involved in
      photosynthesis, oxidative phosphorylation, and fatty acid biosynthesis) that are
      putatively linked to B. syzigachne herbicide response. This large-scale
      proteomics study, sorely lacking in weed science, contributes valuable data that
      can be applied to more fine-tuned analyses on the functions of specific proteins
      in herbicide resistance.

PMID- 28347865
TI  - Efficacy of periimplant mechanical curettage with and without adjunct
      antimicrobial photodynamic therapy in smokeless-tobacco product users.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: The aim was to investigate the effectiveness of antimicrobial
      photodynamic therapy (aPDT) as an adjuvant to mechanical curettage (MC) in the
      treatment of periimplant mucositis in smokeless tobacco (ST) product users.
      METHODS: Forty-eight ST product users with periimplant mucositis were randomly
      divided into 2 groups. In the test-group, participants underwent periimplant MC
      with adjunct aPDT; and in the control-group, the patients underwent MC alone.
      Periimplant plaque index (PI), bleeding on probing (BOP), and probing depth (PD)
      were measured at baseline and after 3-months of follow-up. Statistical analysis
      was performed using the Kruskal-Wallis test. Level of significance was set at
      P<0.05. RESULTS: At baseline, periimplant PI, BOP and PD were comparable among
      individuals in the test- and control groups. At 3-months follow-up, scores of
      periimplant PI (P<0.05), BOP (P<0.05) and PD (P<0.05) were statistically
      significantly higher among patients in the control-group compared with the test
      group. At 3-months follow-up, the percentages of sites of PI, BOP and PD were
      statistically significantly higher in the control-sites as compared to the test
      sites. CONCLUSION: Among patients with periimplant mucositis, MC with adjunct
      aPDT is more effective in reducing periimplant inflammation in ST product users
      as compared to MC alone; however, the present result should be interpreted with
      caution as they were based on a short-term follow-up. Further long-term studies
      are needed in this regard.

PMID- 28347866
TI  - Long-term changes in optic coherence tomography in a child with laser pointer
      maculopathy: A case report and mini review.
AB  - With a wide range of applications, laser pointers used as toys by children has
      become a major public safety problem worldwide. Here we present a long term
      followup of a ten-year-old boy retina injured patient who suffered from green
      light laser pointer. Retina injured patients caused by green light laser pointer
      were traditionally treated by steroid. We gave Lutein treatment prescription
      according to the wishes of the patient's parents. Over 12 months followup, the
      patient's visual acuity and retinal recovery outcomes were similar as in cases
      with steroid treatment. Primary school teacher and parents should pay more
      attention to children playing with laser pointer to prevent laser injury accident
      through school and family education.

PMID- 28347867
TI  - Microbiota differences between commercial breeders impacts the post-stroke immune
      response.
AB  - Experimental reproducibility between laboratories is a major translational
      obstacle worldwide, particularly in studies investigating immunomodulatory
      therapies in relation to brain disease. In recent years increasing attention has
      been drawn towards the gut microbiota as a key factor in immune cell
      polarization. Moreover, manipulation of the gut microbiota has been found
      effective in a diverse range of brain disorders. Within this study we aimed to
      test the impact of microbiota differences between mice from different sources on
      the post-stroke neuroinflammatory response. With this rationale, we have
      investigated the correlation between microbiota differences and the immune
      response in mice from three commercial breeders with the same genetic background
      (C57BL/6). While overall bacterial load was comparable, we detected substantial
      differences in species diversity and microbiota composition on lower taxonomic
      levels. Specifically, we investigated segmented filamentous bacteria (SFB)-which
      have been shown to promote T cell polarization-and found that they were absent in
      mice from one breeder but abundant in others. Our experiments revealed a breeder
      specific correlation between SFB presence and the ratio of Treg to Th17 cells.
      Moreover, recolonization of SFB-negative mice with SFB resulted in a T cell shift
      which mimicked the ratios found in SFB-positive mice. We then investigated the
      response to a known experimental immunotherapeutic approach, CD28 superagonist
      (CD28SA), which has been previously shown to expand the Treg population. CD28SA
      treatment had differing effects between mice from different breeders and was
      found to be ineffective at inducing Treg expansion in SFB-free mice. These
      changes directly corresponded to stroke outcome as mice lacking SFB had
      significantly larger brain infarcts. This study demonstrates the major impact of
      microbiota differences on T cell polarization in mice during ischemic stroke
      conditions, and following immunomodulatory therapies.

PMID- 28347868
TI  - Teneligliptin, a dipeptidyl peptidase-4 inhibitor, attenuated pro-inflammatory
      phenotype of perivascular adipose tissue and inhibited atherogenesis in
      normoglycemic apolipoprotein-E-deficient mice.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Dipeptidyl peptidase-4 (DPP-4) inhibitors have various cellular
      effects that are associated with vascular protection. Here, we examined whether
      teneligliptin alters the pro-inflammatory phenotype of perivascular adipose
      tissue (PVAT) and inhibits atherogenesis. METHODS AND RESULTS: Teneligliptin
      (60mg/kg/day) was administered orally to apolipoprotein-E-deficient (ApoE-/-)
      mice for 20weeks. Teneligliptin significantly inhibited the development of
      atherosclerosis in the aortic arch compared with vehicle (P<0.05), without
      alteration of blood glucose level or blood pressure. Histological analyses
      demonstrated that teneligliptin decreased lipid deposition and MCP-1 expression
      (P<0.05, respectively), and tended to decrease macrophage accumulation in
      atherosclerotic plaques. The results of quantitative RT-PCR analysis demonstrated
      that teneligliptin reduced the expression of inflammatory molecules such as TNF
      alpha and MCP-1 in the abdominal aorta. Furthermore, teneligliptin reduced the
      expression of a macrophage marker and Nox-4, a major NADPH oxidase subunit in
      adipocytes, in PVAT around the aortic arch. Administration of teneligliptin for
      8weeks ameliorated endothelium-dependent vasodilation and reduced oxidative
      stress as determined by urinary 8-OHdG excretion (P<0.05) compared with vehicle.
      In vitro experiments demonstrated that exendin-4 (Ex-4), a GLP-1 analog,
      decreased the expression of inflammatory molecules in RAW264.7 cells. Also, Ex-4
      decreased Nox4 expression in 3T3-L1 adipocytes. CONCLUSION: Teneligliptin
      inhibited atherogenesis with attenuation of the inflammatory phenotype in PVAT. A
      GLP-1 analog suppressed pro-inflammatory activation of macrophages and
      adipocytes. Suppression of the pro-inflammatory phenotype of PVAT might
      contribute, at least partially, to the cardioprotective effects of teneligliptin.

PMID- 28347869
TI  - Retrospective review of postoperative glycemic control in patients after distal
      pancreatectomy.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Distal pancreatectomy (DP) is carried out for resection of lesions in
      the body and tail of the pancreas. DP may lead to both insulin and glucagon
      deficiency, which may worsen diabetes mellitus and render patients more
      vulnerable to severe hypoglycemia. Maintaining glycemic control can be
      challenging after DP, and no guidelines have been established for clinicians. The
      objective of this study was to investigate postoperative glycemic control and
      insulin dose among patients after DP. METHODS: The medical records from 82
      eligible adult patients after DP between 2013 and 2014 were reviewed
      retrospectively. RESULTS: Twenty-one (25.6%) patients had pre-existing diabetes.
      The average length of stay was 5.8 +/- 2.6 days. The average resected volume was
      193 +/- 313 cm3. Of 2124 blood glucose (BG) values, only 0.3% were <70 mg/dL (3.9
      mmol/L); 45% were 140-180 mg/dL (7.8-10.0 mmol/L); and 14% were >180 mg/dL.
      Postoperatively, insulin was the most common agent prescribed for glycemic
      control. Among those who received insulin, 86.8% used rapid-acting correction
      insulin, 4.4% prandial insulin, and 8.8% long-acting insulin. On postoperative
      day 1 through 6 and on the day before hospital discharge, <30% of patients
      received insulin, and a total daily dose (TDD) of <0.10 units/kg was frequently
      needed for glycemic control. At discharge, 35.3% of patients with pre-existing
      diabetes improved; 23.2% required diabetic medications, of whom 50% took insulin.
      Only 2 patients without pre-existing diabetes required medications. CONCLUSION:
      Postoperative BG levels were relatively well controlled. The majority of BG
      levels were in the optimal range, and the incidence of hypoglycemia or clinically
      significant hypoglycemia was minimal with our current regimen. Postoperative
      patients required small TDD of insulin for glycemic control. Our data suggested
      that 0.05-0.20 units/kg was an appropriate dose range for postoperative glycemic
      control among the vulnerable population. Our findings provide guidance for
      clinicians to dose insulin safely for postoperative patients with DP in a
      hospital setting.

PMID- 28347870
TI  - Mediator lipidomics by liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry.
AB  - Comprehensive quantitative analysis of lipid mediators using liquid
      chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry is an effective strategy in the
      elucidation of disease mechanisms; but technically, it has been and is still a
      great challenge to achieve reliable datasets that cover variety of lipid
      metabolites contained at trace levels in complex biological matrices. In this
      opinion article, we introduce our experiences in developing lipid mediator
      profiling systems, and deliver some comments on limitations of current
      methodology.

PMID- 28347871
TI  - Acoustic emission source localization in thin metallic plates: A single-sensor
      approach based on multimodal edge reflections.
AB  - This paper presents a new acoustic emission (AE) source localization for
      isotropic plates with reflecting boundaries. This approach that has no blind spot
      leverages multimodal edge reflections to identify AE sources with only a single
      sensor. The implementation of the proposed approach involves three main steps.
      First, the continuous wavelet transform (CWT) and the dispersion curves of the
      fundamental Lamb wave modes are utilized to estimate the distance between an AE
      source and a sensor. This step uses a modal acoustic emission approach. Then, an
      analytical model is proposed that uses the estimated distances to simulate the
      edge-reflected waves. Finally, the correlation between the experimental and the
      simulated waveforms is used to estimate the location of AE sources. Hsu-Nielsen
      pencil lead break (PLB) tests were performed on an aluminum plate to validate
      this algorithm and promising results were achieved. Based on these results, the
      paper reports the statistics of the localization errors.

PMID- 28347872
TI  - Ultrasonic method for monitoring the clotting process during whole blood
      coagulation.
AB  - The purpose of this work was to develop a multichannel ultrasonic measurement
      method for monitoring a spatially non-uniform blood clotting process. This novel
      method is based on simultaneous multi-channel measurements of ultrasound
      propagation velocities in different horizontal cross-sections of clotting blood.
      The most common method used for determining blood-clotting time is the capillary
      tube method. For this purpose ultrasonic methods based on measurements of the
      velocities of ultrasound waves in clotting blood are also used. Measurement
      results essentially depend on the propagation path of the ultrasonic wave in a
      blood sample. The ultrasound velocity changes as fresh blood transforms into clot
      plus serum. The objective of this work was to develop a measurement method that
      allows one to measure ultrasound velocity and its evolution in time and space in
      an evolving clot while avoiding the influence of serum. To achieve this
      objective, a novel method has been proposed that is based on ultrasound
      propagation velocity measurements in different horizontal cross-sections of
      clotting blood using a pulse-echo mode. Such a technique enables researchers to
      monitor the clotting process and a clot's spatial structure, which are different
      in different layers due to the influence of gravity. The four-channel measurement
      chamber utilizing this method has been designed and manufactured. For the
      generation and reception of ultrasonic waves of high frequency, wide band (3
      20MHz at -6dB) ultrasonic transducers were developed. To verify that the multi
      channel measurement system was operational, a special procedure based on
      monitoring of a polymerisation process in the acrylamide solution was proposed.
      Performance of the developed method was investigated by measuring clotting blood
      (sample volumes of less than 0.6ml) at the frequency of 12MHz. The results
      revealed that a clot structure indeed varies within a blood sample due to the
      influence of gravity; clotting times are different in different horizontal layers
      of the clot and range from 9 to 15min, defined by the standard capillary method.
      Clotting times are determined precisely from abrupt increases in ultrasound
      velocity. Uncertainty of the ultrasound velocity measurements was less than +/
      0.05m/s. The experiments were performed at 36.90+/-0.01 degrees C. The proposed
      method may be exploited for monitoring polymerisation reactions in the chemistry
      field, as well.

PMID- 28347873
TI  - The DRY motif and the four corners of the cubic ternary complex model.
AB  - Recent structural data on GPCRs using a variety of spectroscopic approaches
      suggest that GPCRs adopt a dynamic conformational landscape, with ligands
      stabilizing subsets of these states to activate one or more downstream signaling
      effectors. A key outstanding question posed by this emerging dynamic structural
      model of GPCRs is what states, active, inactive, or intermediate are captured by
      the numerous crystal structures of GPCRs complexed with a variety of agonists,
      partial agonists, and antagonists. In the early nineties the discovery of inverse
      agonists and constitutive activity led to the idea that the active receptor state
      (R*) is an intrinsic property of the receptor itself rather than of the RG
      complex, eventually leading to the formulation of the cubic ternary complex model
      (CTC). Here, by a careful analysis of a series of data obtained with a number of
      mutants of the highly conserved E/DRY motif, we show evidences for the existence
      of all the receptor states theorized by the CTC, four 'uncoupled (R, R* and HR
      and HR*), and, consequently four 'coupled' (RG, R*G, HRG and HR*G). The E/DRY
      motif located at the cytosolic end of transmembrane helix III of Class A GPCRs
      has been widely studied and analyzed because it forms a network of interactions
      believed to lock receptors in the inactive conformation (R), and, thus, to play a
      key role in receptor activation. Our conclusions are supported by recent crystal
      and NMR spectra, as well as by results obtained with two prototypical GPCRs using
      a new FRET technology that de-couples G protein binding to the receptor from
      signal transduction. Thus, despite its complexity and limitations, we propose
      that the CTC is a useful framework to reconcile pharmacological, biochemical and
      structural data.

PMID- 28347874
TI  - Nucleotide P2Y13-stimulated phosphorylation of CREB is required for ADP-induced
      proliferation of late developing retinal glial progenitors in culture.
AB  - Nucleotides stimulate phosphorylation of CREB to induce cell proliferation and
      survival in diverse cell types. We report here that ADP induces the
      phosphorylation of CREB in a time- and concentration-dependent manner in chick
      embryo retinal progenitors in culture. ADP-induced increase in phospho-CREB is
      mediated by P2 receptors as it is blocked by PPADS but not by the adenosine
      antagonists DPCPX or ZM241385. Incubation of the cultures with the CREB inhibitor
      KG-501 prevents ADP-induced incorporation of [3H]-thymidine, indicating that CREB
      is involved in retinal cell proliferation. No effect of this compound is observed
      on the viability of retinal progenitors. While no significant increase in CREB
      phosphorylation is observed with the P2Y1 receptor agonist MRS2365, ADP-induced
      phosphorylation of CREB is blocked by the P2Y13 receptor selective antagonist
      MRS2211, but not by MRS2179 or PSB0739, two antagonists of the P2Y1 and P2Y12
      receptors, respectively, suggesting that ADP-induced CREB phosphorylation is
      mediated by P2Y13 receptors. ADP-induced increase in phospho-CREB is attenuated
      by the PI3K inhibitor LY294002 and completely prevented by the MEK inhibitor
      U0126, suggesting that at least ERK is involved in ADP-induced CREB
      phosphorylation. A pharmacological profile similar to the activation and
      inhibition of CREB phosphorylation is observed in the phosphorylation of ERK,
      suggesting that P2Y13 receptors mediate ADP induced ERK/CREB pathway in the
      cultures. While no increase in [3H]-thymidine incorporation is observed with the
      P2Y1 receptor agonist MRS2365, both MRS2179 and MRS2211 prevent ADP-mediated
      increase in [3H]-thymidine incorporation, but not progenitor's survival,
      suggesting that both P2Y1 and P2Y13 receptor subtypes are involved in ADP-induced
      cell proliferation. P2Y1 receptor-mediated increase in [Ca2+]i is observed in
      glial cells only when cultures maintained for 9days are used. In glia from
      cultures cultivated for only 2days, no increase in [Ca2+]i is detected with
      MRS2365 and no inhibition of ADP-mediated calcium response is observed with
      MRS2179. In contrast, MRS2211 attenuates ADP-mediated increase in [Ca2+]i in
      glial cells from cultures at both stages, suggesting the presence of P2Y13
      receptors coupled to calcium mobilization in proliferating retinal glial
      progenitors in culture.

PMID- 28347875
TI  - Therapeutic implication of 'Iturin A' for targeting MD-2/TLR4 complex to overcome
      angiogenesis and invasion.
AB  - Tumor angiogenesis and invasion are deregulated biological processes that drive
      multistage transformation of tumors from a benign to a life-threatening malignant
      state activating multiple signaling pathways including MD-2/TLR4/NF-kappaB.
      Development of potential inhibitors of this signaling is emerging area for
      discovery of novel cancer therapeutics. In the current investigation, we
      identified Iturin A (A lipopeptide molecule from Bacillus megaterium) as a potent
      inhibitor of angiogenesis and cancer invasion by various in vitro and in vivo
      methods. Iturin A was found to suppress VEGF, a powerful inducer of angiogenesis
      and key player in tumor invasion, as confirmed by ELISA, western blot and real
      time PCR. Iturin A inhibited endothelial tube arrangement, blood capillary
      formation, endothelial sprouting and vascular growth inside the matrigel. In
      addition, Iturin A inhibited MMP-2/9 expression in MDA-MB-231 and HUVEC cells.
      Cancer invasion, migration and colony forming ability were significantly hampered
      by Iturin A. Expressions of MD-2/TLR4 and its downstream MyD88, IKK-alpha and NF
      kappaB were also reduced in treated MDA-MB-231 and HUVEC cells. Western blot and
      immunofluorescence study showed that nuclear accumulation of NF-kappaB was
      hampered by Iturin A. MD-2 siRNA or plasmid further confirmed the efficacy of
      Iturin A by suppressing MD-2/TLR4 signaling pathway. The in silico docking study
      showed that the Iturin A interacted well with the MD-2 in MD-2/TLR4 receptor
      complex. Conclusively, inhibition of MD-2/TLR4 complex with Iturin A offered
      strategic advancement in cancer therapy.

PMID- 28347876
TI  - Parietal lobe critically supports successful paired immediate and single-item
      delayed memory for targets.
AB  - The parietal lobe is important for successful recognition memory, but its role is
      not yet fully understood. We investigated the parietal lobes' contribution to
      immediate paired-associate memory and delayed item-recognition memory separately
      for hits (targets) and correct rejections (distractors). We compared the
      behavioral performance of 56 patients with known parietal and medial temporal
      lobe dysfunction (i.e. early Alzheimer's Disease) to 56 healthy control
      participants in an immediate paired and delayed single item object memory task.
      Additionally, we performed voxel-based morphometry analyses to investigate the
      functional-neuroanatomic relationships between performance and voxel-based
      estimates of atrophy in whole-brain analyses. Behaviorally, all participants
      performed better identifying targets than rejecting distractors. The voxel-based
      morphometry analyses associated atrophy in the right ventral parietal cortex with
      fewer correct responses to familiar items (i.e. hits) in the immediate and
      delayed conditions. Additionally, medial temporal lobe integrity correlated with
      better performance in rejecting distractors, but not in identifying targets, in
      the immediate paired-associate task. Our findings suggest that the parietal lobe
      critically supports successful immediate and delayed target recognition memory,
      and that the ventral aspect of the parietal cortex and the medial temporal lobe
      may have complementary preferences for identifying targets and rejecting
      distractors, respectively, during recognition memory.

PMID- 28347877
TI  - The role of GABAA in the expression of updated information through the
      reconsolidation process in humans.
AB  - Consolidated memory can be again destabilized by the presentation of a memory cue
      (reminder) of the previously acquired information. During this process of
      labilization/restabilization memory traces can be either impaired, strengthened
      or updated in content. Here, we study if a consolidated memory can be updated by
      linking one original cue to two different outcomes and whether this process was
      modulated by the GABAergic system. To aim that, we designed two experiments
      carried out in three consecutive days. All participants learned a list of non
      sense syllable pairs on day 1. On day 2 the new information was introduced after
      the reminder or no-reminder presentation. Participants were tested on day 3 for
      the updated or original list (Exp. 1). In Exp. 2 we tested whether this new
      information was incorporated by an inhibitory process mediated by the GABAergic
      system. For that, participants retrieved the original information before being
      taken Clonazepam 0.25mg (GABAA agonist) or Placebo pill. We found that the groups
      that received the reminder correctly recalled the old and new information.
      However, the no reminder groups only correctly recalled the original information.
      Furthermore, when testing occurred in the presence of Clonazepam, the group that
      received the reminder plus the new information showed an impaired original memory
      performance compared to the group that received only Clonazepam (without
      reminder) or the reminder plus Placebo pill. These results show that new
      information can be added to a reactivated declarative memory in humans by linking
      one cue to two different outcomes. Furthermore, we shed light on the mechanisms
      of memory updating being the GABAergic system involved in the modulation of the
      old and new information expression.

PMID- 28347878
TI  - Memory-guided drawing training increases Granger causal influences from the
      perirhinal cortex to V1 in the blind.
AB  - The perirhinal cortex (PRC) is a medial temporal lobe structure that has been
      implicated in not only visual memory in the sighted, but also tactile memory in
      the blind (Cacciamani & Likova, 2016). It has been proposed that, in the blind,
      the PRC may contribute to modulation of tactile memory responses that emerge in
      low-level "visual" area V1 as a result of training-induced cortical
      reorganization (Likova, 2012, 2015). While some studies in the sighted have
      indicated that the PRC is indeed structurally and functionally connected to the
      visual cortex (Clavagnier, Falchier, & Kennedy, 2004; Peterson, Cacciamani,
      Barense, & Scalf, 2012), the PRC's direct modulation of V1 is unknown
      particularly in those who lack the visual input that typically stimulates this
      region. In the present study, we tested Likova's PRC modulation hypothesis;
      specifically, we used fMRI to assess the PRC's Granger causal influence on V1
      activation in the blind during a tactile memory task. To do so, we trained
      congenital and acquired blind participants on a unique memory-guided drawing
      technique previously shown to result in V1 reorganization towards tactile memory
      representations (Likova, 2012). The tasks (20s each) included: tactile
      exploration of raised line drawings of faces and objects, tactile memory
      retrieval via drawing, and a scribble motor/memory control. FMRI before and after
      a week of the Cognitive-Kinesthetic training on these tasks revealed a
      significant increase in PRC-to-V1 Granger causality from pre- to post-training
      during the memory drawing task, but not during the motor/memory control. This
      increase in causal connectivity indicates that the training strengthened the top
      down modulation of visual cortex from the PRC. This is the first study to
      demonstrate enhanced directed functional connectivity from the PRC to the visual
      cortex in the blind, implicating the PRC as a potential source of the
      reorganization towards tactile representations that occurs in V1 in the blind
      brain (Likova, 2012).

PMID- 28347879
TI  - Encountering the Accessory Polar Renal Artery during Laparoscopic Para-Aortic
      Lymphadenectomy.
AB  - A 60-year-old Korean woman underwent laparoscopic bilateral salpingo-oophorectomy
      and was confirmed to have high-grade serous carcinoma of both ovaries with a huge
      omental cake, extensive agglutinated intra-abdominal metastatic masses, extensive
      serosa invasion of the intestines, and mesenterial deposits. She underwent 3
      cycles of neoadjuvant chemotherapy followed by laparoscopic interval debulking
      surgery, including hysterectomy, pelvic and para-aortic lymphadenectomy,
      appendectomy, partial peritonectomy, and omentectomy. We encountered the right
      accessory polar renal artery (APRA) during the surgery and carefully preserved
      the right APRA from the abdominal aorta to the right kidney (Fig. 1).
      Postoperative computed tomography angiography showed an intact right APRA and
      normal-appearing kidney (Fig. 2). The patient had adjuvant chemotherapy and is
      alive without disease recurrence. Because APRA is a functional end artery, it is
      important to preserve it during surgery to prevent ischemic damage and renal
      failure [1]. It is very important for the gynecologic-oncologist to have
      knowledge of the retroperitoneal vascular anatomy, experience in laparoscopic
      surgery, and an accurate surgical technique to avoid vascular injury during
      laparoscopic para-aortic lymphadenectomy.

PMID- 28347881
TI  - Can mindfulness influence weight management related eating behaviors? If so, how?
AB  - Mindfulness is increasingly being used for weight management. However, the
      strength of the evidence for such an approach is unclear; although mindfulness
      based weight management programs have had some success, it is difficult to
      conclude that the mindfulness components were responsible. Research in this area
      is further complicated by the fact that the term 'mindfulness' is used to refer
      to a range of different practices. Additionally, we have little understanding of
      the mechanisms by which mindfulness might exert its effects. This review
      addresses these issues by examining research that has looked at the independent
      effects of mindfulness and mindfulness-related strategies on weight loss and
      weight management related eating behaviors. As well as looking at evidence for
      effects, the review also considers whether effects may vary with different types
      of strategy, and the kinds of mechanisms that may be responsible for any change.
      It is concluded that there is some evidence to support the effects of (a) present
      moment awareness, when applied to the sensory properties of food, and (b)
      decentering. However, research in these areas has yet to be examined in a
      controlled manner in relation to weight management.

PMID- 28347882
TI  - Subsyndromal psychosomatic concepts and personality traits in community adults.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: To investigate the prevalence of features of the Diagnostic Criteria
      for Psychosomatic Research (DCPR) in the Taiwanese community and to explore their
      relationships with psychological states and personality traits. METHOD: The
      participants were 153 individuals without a DSM-5 psychiatric diagnosis who were
      grouped according to whether they had a DCPR diagnosis (at least one DCPR
      diagnosis, DCPR(+): n=66; no DCPR diagnosis, DCPR(-): n=87). The groups were
      compared with respect to psychological states (measured with Patient Health
      Questionnaire-15 [PHQ-15], Health Anxiety Questionnaire [HAQ], Beck Depression
      Inventory-II [BDI-II], Beck Anxiety Inventory [BAI)]) and personality (measured
      with Tridimensional Personality Questionnaire). Multiple logistic and linear
      regressions were used to examine associations among demographic, personality,
      DCPR, and psychological states. RESULTS: The DCPR(+) group had higher BDI-II,
      BAI, PHQ-15 and HAQ scores than the DCPR(-) group and also had a higher
      anticipatory worry. The most common DCPR diagnoses were health anxiety (42.42%)
      and alexithymia (37.88%). Anticipatory worry was the variable most closely
      associated with all the DCPR diagnoses. Health anxiety was related to
      anticipatory worry and age, whereas alexithymia was associated with dependence
      and fatiguability. PHQ-15, HAQ, and BDI-II scores were related to health anxiety
      but not alexithymia. CONCLUSION: DCPR has clinical utility in the community
      samples without DSM-5 diagnoses. DCPR may be a valid mediator between
      psychological trait and state.

PMID- 28347880
TI  - Impact of Surgical Route in Influencing the Risk of Lymphatic Complications After
      Ovarian Cancer Staging.
AB  - Lymphatic complications are a common occurrence after staging surgery for early
      stage ovarian cancer (eEOC). We investigated whether the introduction of
      minimally invasive surgery influences the risk of developing lymphoceles and
      lymphorrhea in patients undergoing staging for eEOC. For this purpose, data of
      consecutive patients affected by eEOC undergoing staging surgery between January
      1980 and January 2016 were retrospectively reviewed, and a systematic review and
      meta-analysis was performed. This systematic review was registered in the
      International Prospective Register of Systematic Review. Among 341 patients
      included in the present study, 47 severe postoperative complications occurred
      (13.7%), including 40 lymphatic complications: 31 symptomatic lymphoceles (9%)
      and 9 cases of lymphorrhea (2.6%), respectively. Laparoscopic staging correlated
      with a lower risk of developing any severe lymphatic complications in comparison
      with open surgery (p = .02). In particular, the laparoscopic approach and para
      aortic node involvement were associated with a trend toward lower lymphoceles
      (odds ratio, .13; 95% confidence interval, .07-2.20; p = .05) and a trend toward
      higher risk of lymphorrhea developing (odds ratio, 4.02; 95% confidence interval,
      .93-17.3; p = .06), respectively. In conclusion, the implementation of a
      minimally invasive approach might result in a slight reduction of lymphatic
      complications after eEOC staging.

PMID- 28347883
TI  - Is it possible to produce a low-fat burger with a healthy n-6/n-3 PUFA ratio
      without affecting the technological and sensory properties?
AB  - Burgers subjected to lipid reformulation were made by replacing 50% of the fat
      component by microparticles containing chia (CO) and linseed (LO) oils obtained
      by external ionic gelation. The microparticles presented high n-3 PUFAs levels
      and were resistant to the pH and temperature conditions commonly used in burger
      processing. The lipid reformulation did not affect hardness and improved
      important technological properties, such as cooking loss and fat retention. In
      addition to reducing the fat content of burgers by up to 50%, the lipid
      reformulation led to healthier PUFA/SFA and n-6/n-3 ratios, and lower
      atherogenicity and thrombogenicity indices. The burgers with CO microparticles
      showed a higher lipid oxidation and a lower sensory quality compared to the other
      treatments. However, the substitution of pork back fat by LO microparticles did
      not impair the sensory quality of burgers. Therefore, the microencapsulation of n
      3 PUFA-rich oils by external ionic gelation can be considered an effective
      strategy to produce healthier burgers.

PMID- 28347884
TI  - Porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus (PRRSV) up-regulates IL-8
      expression through TAK-1/JNK/AP-1 pathways.
AB  - The acute phase of respiratory distress caused by porcine reproductive and
      respiratory syndrome virus (PRRSV) is likely a consequence of the release of
      inflammatory cytokines in the lung. IL-8, the main chemokine and activator of
      neutrophils, might be related to the lung injury upon PRRSV infection. In this
      study, we showed that PRRSV induced IL-8 expression in vivo and in vitro.
      Subsequently, we demonstrated that JNK and NF-kappaB pathways were activated upon
      PRRSV infection and required for the enhancement of IL-8 expression. We further
      verified that PRRSV-activated TAK-1 was essential for the activation of JNK and
      NF-kappaB pathways and IL-8 expression. Moreover, we revealed an AP-1 binding
      motif in the cloned porcine IL-8 (pIL-8) promoter, and deletion of this motif
      abolished the pIL-8 promoter activity. Finally, we found that the JNK-activated
      AP-1 subunit c-Jun was critical for the up-regulation of IL-8 expression by
      PRRSV. These data suggest that PRRSV-induced IL-8 production is likely through
      the TAK-1/JNK/AP-1 pathways.

PMID- 28347885
TI  - Selective activation of a few limbic structures during paradoxical (REM) sleep by
      the claustrum and the supramammillary nucleus: evidence and function.
AB  - We review here classical and recent knowledge on the state of the cortex during
      paradoxical (REM) sleep (PS). Recent data indicate that only a few limbic
      cortical structures including the anterior cingulate, retrosplenial and medial
      entorhinal cortices and the dentate gyrus are strongly activated during PS. In
      contrast, most of the other cortices including the somatosensory ones are rather
      deactivated during PS. Further, recent results suggest that tonic activation of
      limbic cortical neurons during PS is due to projections from glutamate neurons of
      the claustrum and GABA/glutamate neurons of the supramammillary nucleus while
      their pacing with theta is induced by projections from GABAergic neurons of the
      medial septum. The limbic structures activated during PS have all been implicated
      in spatial memory and it is therefore likely that such activation is crucial for
      memory consolidation.

PMID- 28347886
TI  - Immunohistochemical expression of epithelial cell adhesion molecule (EpCAM) in
      mucoepidermoid carcinoma compared to normal salivary gland tissues.
AB  - OBJECTIVES: Mucoepidermoid carcinoma (MEC) is the most common malignant salivary
      gland tumor which displays biological, histological and clinical diversity thus
      representing a challenge for its diagnosis and management. Epithelial cell
      adhesion molecule (EpCAM) is a transmembrane glycoprotein identified as a tumor
      specific antigen due to its frequent overexpression in the majority of epithelial
      carcinomas and its correlation with prognosis. It is considered to be a promising
      biomarker used as a therapeutic target already in ongoing clinical trials. The
      purpose of this study was to investigate the pattern, cellular characterization
      and level of EpCAM expression in MEC and demonstrate its correlation with
      histologic grading which may benefit future clinical trials using EpCAM targeted
      therapy. MATERIALS AND METHODS: 48 specimens (12 normal salivary gland tissue and
      36 MEC) were collected and EpCAM membranous expression was evaluated by
      immunohistochemistry. Total immunoscore (TIS) was evaluated, the term 'EpCAM
      overexpression' was given for tissues showing a total immunoscore >4. RESULTS: A
      highly significant difference was observed between TIS percent values in control
      and different grades of MEC (p<0.001). High grade MEC (HG-MEC) was the highest
      EpCAM expressor. In addition, EpCAM expression pattern differed among the
      different grades. CONCLUSION: EpCAM expression was detected in MEC, and its
      overexpression correlated with increasing the histological grade. The diffuse
      membranous expression in HG-MEC could be of diagnostic value in relation to the
      patchy expression observed in both low grade and intermediate grade MEC.

PMID- 28347887
TI  - Using phylogenomics to understand the link between biogeographic origins and
      regional diversification in ratsnakes.
AB  - Globally distributed groups may show regionally distinct rates of
      diversification, where speciation is elevated given timing and sources of
      ecological opportunity. However, for most organisms, nearly complete sampling at
      genomic-data scales to reduce topological error in all regions is unattainable,
      thus hampering conclusions related to biogeographic origins and rates of
      diversification. We explore processes leading to the diversity of global
      ratsnakes and test several important hypotheses related to areas of origin and
      enhanced diversification upon colonizing new continents. We estimate species
      trees inferred from phylogenomic scale data (304 loci) while exploring several
      strategies that consider topological error from each individual gene tree. With a
      dated species tree, we examine taxonomy and test previous hypotheses that suggest
      the ratsnakes originated in the Old World (OW) and dispersed to New World (NW).
      Furthermore, we determine if dispersal to the NW represented a source of
      ecological opportunity, which should show elevated rates of species
      diversification. We show that ratsnakes originated in the OW during the mid
      Oligocene and subsequently dispersed to the NW by the mid-Miocene;
      diversification was also elevated in a subclade of NW taxa. Finally, the optimal
      biogeographic region-dependent speciation model shows that the uptick in ratsnake
      diversification was associated with colonization of the NW. We consider several
      alternative explanations that account for regionally distinct diversification
      rates.

PMID- 28347888
TI  - On the importance of geographic and taxonomic sampling in phylogeography: A
      reevaluation of diversification and species limits in a Neotropical thrush (Aves,
      Turdidae).
AB  - Phylogeographic studies seeking to describe biogeographic patterns, infer
      evolutionary processes, and revise species-level classification should properly
      characterize the distribution ranges of study species, and thoroughly sample
      genetic variation across taxa and geography. This is particularly necessary for
      widely distributed organisms occurring in complex landscapes, such as the
      Neotropical region. Here, we clarify the geographic range and revisit the
      phylogeography of the Black-billed Thrush (Turdus ignobilis), a common passerine
      bird from lowland tropical South America, whose evolutionary relationships and
      species limits were recently evaluated employing phylogeographic analyses based
      on partial knowledge of its distribution and incomplete sampling of populations.
      Our work employing mitochondrial and nuclear DNA sequences sampled all named
      subspecies and multiple populations across northern South America, and uncovered
      patterns not apparent in earlier work, including a biogeographic interplay
      between the Amazon and Orinoco basins and the occurrence of distinct lineages
      with seemingly different habitat affinities in regional sympatry in the Colombian
      Amazon. In addition, we found that previous inferences about the affinities and
      taxonomic status of Andean populations assumed to be allied to populations from
      the Pantepui region were incorrect, implying that inferred biogeographic and
      taxonomic scenarios need re-evaluation. We propose a new taxonomic treatment,
      which recognizes two distinct biological species in the group. Our findings
      illustrate the importance of sufficient taxon and geographic sampling to
      reconstruct evolutionary history and to evaluate species limits among Neotropical
      organisms. Considering the scope of the questions asked, advances in Neotropical
      phylogeography will often require substantial cross-country scientific
      collaboration.

PMID- 28347889
TI  - Genome-wide data delimits multiple climate-determined species ranges in a
      widespread Australian fish, the golden perch (Macquaria ambigua).
AB  - Species range limits often fluctuate in space and time in response to variation
      in environmental factors and to gradual niche evolution due to changes in
      adaptive traits. We used genome-wide data to investigate evolutionary divergence
      and species range limits in a generalist and highly dispersive fish species that
      shows an unusually wide distribution across arid and semi-arid regions of
      Australia. We generated ddRAD data (18,979 filtered SNPs and 1.725million bp of
      sequences) for samples from 27 localities spanning the native range of golden
      perch, Macquaria ambigua (Teleostei; Percichthyidae). Our analytical framework
      uses population genomics to assess connectivity and population structure using
      model-based and model-free approaches, phylogenetics to clarify evolutionary
      relationships, and a coalescent-based Bayesian species delimitation method to
      assess statistical support of inferred species boundaries. Addressing
      uncertainties regarding range limits and taxonomy is particularly relevant for
      this iconic Australian species because of the intensive stocking activities
      undertaken to support its recreational fishery and its predicted range shifts
      associated with ongoing climate change. Strong population genomic, phylogenetic,
      and coalescent species delimitation support was obtained for three separately
      evolving metapopulation lineages, each lineage should be considered a distinct
      cryptic species of golden perch. Their range limits match the climate-determined
      boundaries of main river basins, despite the ability of golden perch to cross
      drainage divides. We also identified cases suggestive of anthropogenic
      hybridization between lineages due to stocking of this recreationally important
      fish, as well as a potential hybrid zone with a temporally stable pattern of
      admixture. Our work informs on the consequences of aridification in the evolution
      of aquatic organisms, a topic poorly represented in the literature. It also shows
      that genome-scale data can substantially improve and rectify inferences about
      taxonomy, hybridization and conservation management previously proposed by
      detailed genetic studies.

PMID- 28347890
TI  - MicroRNA-328 is involved in wound repair process in human bronchial epithelial
      cells.
AB  - Our aim was to investigate the role of microRNA on epithelial wound repair by
      global microRNA silencing. We have also analysed the influence of five miRNAs
      (miR-328, miR-342, miR-411, miR-609, miR-888, previously identified) on wound
      repair in 16HBE14o-bronchial epithelial cell line. Cells were transfected with
      siRNAs against human DROSHA and DICER1 or miRNA mimics or inhibitors. Wounding
      assays were performed and the cells were observed using time-lapse microscopy.
      The area of damage was calculated at chosen time points, followed by data
      analysis. Cells with silenced global miRNA expression showed a significantly
      slower repair rate compared to the control cells (p=0.001). For miR-328, we
      observed significantly delayed repair in cells transfected with the inhibitor
      compared to control (p=0.02). Global microRNA silencing significantly decreased
      the repair rate of airway epithelial cells in vitro, indicating an important role
      of miRNA in the regulation of wound repair and that miR-328, possibly involved in
      actin pathway, may be a potent modifier of this process.

PMID- 28347891
TI  - Intracerebral Masson's Tumor-Slow-Filling Vascular Lesion Demonstrated by
      Indocyanine Green Video Angiography.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Intravascular papillary endothelial hyperplasia, or Masson's tumors,
      are benign vascular lesions that are rarely seen intracranially. The vascular
      characteristics of these lesions are also unknown. CASE DESCRIPTION: We report
      the case of a 24-year-old male patient with a 3-year history of headache and
      dizziness. Neuroradiologic imaging showed a slow-growing lesion consistent with a
      low-grade glioma. Intraoperative appearance was of a vascular lesion that was
      slow filling as demonstrated with indocyanine green video angiography. Histologic
      analysis following resection revealed intravascular papillary endothelial
      hyperplasia (Masson's tumor). CONCLUSION: Masson's tumors are slow-filling
      vascular lesions. The preoperative diagnosis of this lesion is difficult as it
      can mimic a neoplastic lesion. Conservative and surgical treatment options should
      therefore be carefully considered. Patients with subtotal resection must undergo
      long-term follow-up surveillance imaging as recurrence is a possibility.

PMID- 28347892
TI  - Transcranial Evacuation of Atypical Progressive Supradiaphragmatic Hematoma After
      Transsphenoidal Complete Resection of Pituitary Adenoma.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: Supradiaphragmatic hematoma is a type of hematoma that occurs after
      transsphenoidal (TS) resection of pituitary adenoma and requires special
      management. METHODS: Two patients had symptomatic supradiaphragmatic hematomas
      after total TS resection of pituitary adenomas in the absence of vascular
      anomalies. Both patients also had hydrocephalus at the time of diagnosis of the
      hematoma. The initial endoscopic endonasal inspection showed no subdiaphragmatic
      bleeding. The hematoma was evacuated via a frontolateral approach after insertion
      of an external ventricular drain (EVD). RESULTS: The supradiaphragmatic hematoma
      could be clinically and radiologically distinguished. It presented early with
      visual deterioration without headache. The patients developed hydrocephalus,
      which was associated with deterioration of level of consciousness.
      Radiologically, the hematoma filled the suprasellar space and was associated with
      the extension of bleeding in the basal cisterns. Recovery was good in both
      patients. There were no permanent neurologic deficits. The EVD was removed in
      both patients. One patient required a ventriculoperitoneal shunt because of
      delayed hydrocephalus. CONCLUSIONS: Supradiaphragmatic hematoma can be clinically
      and radiologically distinguished from other types of hematoma occurring after TS
      resection of pituitary adenoma. Transcranial surgery should be performed to
      manage supradiaphragmatic hematoma, when symptomatic. Insertion of an EVD at the
      time of evacuation is mandatory to relax the brain and to alleviate the
      hydrocephalus.

PMID- 28347893
TI  - Demographics and Short-Term Outcomes of Spontaneous Subarachnoid Hemorrhage in
      Young Adults.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: Spontaneous subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH) is a catastrophic disease
      with a high mortality. Although it is associated with poor prognosis in older
      patients, the socioeconomic consequences in younger patients with stroke may be
      more severe. We aimed to focus on the demographics and short-term outcomes of SAH
      in a population younger than 50 years. METHODS: We retrospectively enrolled 1689
      patients with a primary diagnosis of SAH from 1993 to 2010. We identified
      intergroup differences in clinical variables between the patients aged 18-49
      years (n = 531) and those aged >=50 years (n = 1158). RESULTS: The patients with
      SAH included 688 men and 1001 women (an overall male/female ratio of 1:1.45), of
      whom 31.4% were aged 18-49 years. Men comprised 53.5% of the younger patients and
      34.9% of the older patients (P < 0.01). The post-SAH sequela of hemiplegia was
      more common in the younger patients (P < 0.01), whereas the incidences of in
      hospital mortality in the younger and older groups were 25.4% and 32.4%,
      respectively (P < 0.01). CONCLUSIONS: Adults younger than 50 years account for a
      significant portion of the population with SAH. There is a male predominance in
      this age group, probably related to early and substantial risk exposure. Although
      younger age imparts a higher probability of survival, it is also accompanied by a
      greater incidence of resultant sequelae. A better understanding of the age
      related variability of SAH will assist in guidance for public health and
      adjustment of clinical management.

PMID- 28347894
TI  - Recurrent Malignant Gliomas: Treatment Options and Their Effect on Patient's
      Quality of Life.

PMID- 28347895
TI  - Metabolomic Changes in Rat Model of Cauda Equina Injury.
AB  - BACKGROUND: To show the differences of metabolomic changes in a rat model of
      cauda equina injury (CEI) and find potent metabolic biomarkers of CEI. METHODS: A
      total of 28 Sprague-Dawley rats were used in this study. After the rats were
      given anesthesia and fixed in a prone position, a piece of silicone block was
      placed into the epidural space below the lamina. Behavior tests including the
      Basso, Beattie, and Bresnahan open field locomotor scale and an inclined plane
      test were conducted 1 day and 2 days after surgery. The cauda equina tissue was
      collected 12 hours, 1 day, and 2 days after surgery. Ultraperformance liquid
      chromatography coupled with quadruple time-of-flight mass spectrometry was used
      for a quantitative analysis of cauda equine metabolic changes in rats from
      different groups. The differences between the metabolic profiles of the rats in 4
      groups were analyzed using partial least squares discriminant analysis. RESULTS:
      In behavior tests and histologic analyses given 2 days after surgery, the animals
      showed remarkable organ dysfunction and pathologic damage. Metabolic profiles
      showed remarkable differences between the control and model groups. Thirty-four
      potential CEI metabolite biomarkers were identified between the control group and
      different time-point model groups. These potential biomarkers appeared in 15
      metabolic pathways. CONCLUSIONS: Our results may improve the cause of CEI and
      provide a basis for clinical diagnosis and locating biomarkers in the early
      stages of the pathologic process of CEI.

PMID- 28347896
TI  - Medical Missions: Mission Accomplished or Mission Impossible?

PMID- 28347897
TI  - The Changing Health Care Landscape and Implications of Organizational Ethics on
      Modern Medical Practice.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: Medicine is rapidly changing, both in the level of collective
      medical knowledge and in how it is being delivered. The increased presence of
      administrators in hospitals helps to facilitate these changes and ease
      administrative workloads on physicians; however, tensions sometimes form between
      physicians and administrators. ANALYSIS: This situation is based on perceptions
      from both sides that physicians obstruct cost-saving measures and administrators
      put profits before patients. In reality, increasing patient populations and
      changes in health care are necessitating action by hospitals to prevent excessive
      spending as health care systems become larger and more difficult to manage.
      Recognizing the cause of changes in health care, which do not always originate
      with physicians and administrators, along with implementing changes in hospitals
      such as increased physician leadership, could help to ease tensions and promote a
      more collaborative atmosphere. Ethically, there is a need to preserve physician
      autonomy, which is a tenet of medical professionalism, and a need to rein in
      spending costs and ensure that patients receive the best possible care.
      CONCLUSION: Physicians and administrators both need to have a well-developed
      personal ethic to achieve these goals. Physicians need be allowed to retain
      relative autonomy over their practices as they support and participate in
      administrator-led efforts toward distributive justice.

PMID- 28347899
TI  - Measurement of the gamma-ray energy spectrum of the educational Kinki University
      Reactor (UTR-KINKI).
AB  - The gamma-ray energy spectrum of the Kinki University Reactor (UTR-KINKI) was
      estimated from Ge detector measurements combined with Monte Carlo N-particle
      transport criticality calculations. The gamma rays mainly originated from prompt
      fission components, although small amounts of gamma rays from (n,gamma)
      reactions, fission product gamma rays, and activation gamma rays were detected.
      The averaged gamma-ray tissue kerma rate in the irradiation port during UTR-KINKI
      operation at 1W was calculated as 10.5cGy/h based on the estimated gamma-ray
      energy spectrum. This value is consistent with a previous measurement with paired
      ionization chambers and a tissue equivalent gas proportional counter. This result
      demonstrates the reliability of the estimated gamma-ray energy spectrum.

PMID- 28347898
TI  - Stentriever Thrombectomy Failure: A Challenge in Stroke Management.
AB  - BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: Stentriever thrombectomy failure in patients with acute
      ischemic stroke caused by anterior circulation large artery occlusion is not a
      rare event. The purpose of this study was to investigate whether other procedures
      (tirofiban, permanent stenting) are able to recanalize the occluded vessel and
      determine a better outcome without increasing mortality and intracranial
      hemorrhage rates. METHODS: Among 513 patients consecutively admitted with
      anterior circulation stroke, 109 underwent stentriever thrombectomy. Modified
      Thrombolysis in Cerebral Ischemia (mTICI) 2b-3 recanalization was achieved in 60
      patients (55.0%, group 1). Only 3 of 19 patients (group 2) obtained additional
      recanalization with intra-arterial infusion of tirofiban. The remaining 46 either
      underwent permanent stenting (n = 23, group 3) or were left nonrecanalized (n =
      23, group 4). The rate of mTICI 2b-3 and clinical outcomes were analyzed in the
      different groups. RESULTS: A successful recanalization (mTICI 2b-3) was achieved
      in 17 patients of group 3 (73.9%). A significantly better outcome was observed in
      group 3 (modified Rankin Scale [mRS] score, 0-2) than in group 4 at 3 months
      (56.5% vs. 17.4%). Symptomatic intracranial hemorrhage rates were not different
      between group 3 and group 4 (4.3% vs. 4.3%), whereas there was a significantly
      higher mortality in group 4 than in group 3 (39.1% vs. 4.3%). On multivariate
      analysis, permanent stenting was the only factor independently associated with
      favorable outcome and mortality. CONCLUSIONS: Permanent stenting might be a
      feasible solution in patients with acute large artery occlusion after stentriever
      thrombectomy failure.

PMID- 28347900
TI  - William M. Fowler, Jr, MD, 1926-2017.

PMID- 28347901
TI  - PAH emissions from old and new types of domestic hot water boilers.
AB  - Five different domestic heating boilers (automatic, over-fire, with down-draft
      combustion and gasification) and three types of fuel (lignite, wood and mixed
      fuel) were examined in 25 combustion tests and correlated with the emissions of
      particulate matter (PM), carbon monoxide (CO), total organic carbon (TOC) and 12
      polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs with MW = 178-278 g/mol) focusing on
      particle phase. However, the distribution of 12 PAHs in gas phase was considered
      as well due to the presence mainly of lighter PAHs in gas phase. The PAHs, as
      well as the CO and TOC, are the indicators of incomplete combustion, and in this
      study PAH emission increased significantly with increasing emissions of CO and
      TOC. The PAHs were mainly detected on PM2.5, their contents were increasing
      linearly with increasing PM2.5 emissions. The highest emission factors of PAHs
      were measured for boilers of old construction, such as over-fire boiler (5.8-929
      mg/kg) and boiler with down-draft combustion (3.1-54.1 mg/kg). Modern types of
      boilers produced much lower emissions of PAHs, in particular, automatic boiler
      (0.3-3.3 mg/kg) and gasification boilers (0.2-6.7 mg/kg). In general, the
      inefficient combustion at reduced output of boilers generated 1.4-17.7 times more
      emissions of PAHs than the combustion at nominal output of boilers. It is
      recommended to operate boilers at nominal output with sufficient air supply and
      to use the proper fuel to minimise PAHs emissions from domestic heating
      appliances.

PMID- 28347902
TI  - Rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) detection, avoidance, and chemosensory
      effects of oil sands process-affected water.
AB  - Oil sands process-affected water (OSPW) - a byproduct of the oil sands industry
      in Northern Alberta, Canada - is currently stored in on-site tailings ponds. The
      goal of the present study was to investigate the interaction of OSPW with the
      olfactory system and olfactory-mediated behaviours of fish upon the first
      encounter with OSPW. The response of rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) to
      different concentrations (0.1, 1, and 10%) of OSPW was studied using a choice
      maze and electro-olfactography (EOG), respectively. The results of the present
      study showed that rainbow trout are capable of detecting and avoiding OSPW at a
      concentration as low as 0.1%. Exposure to 1% OSPW impaired (i.e. reduced
      sensitivity) the olfactory response of rainbow trout to alarm and food cues
      within 5 min or less. The results of the present study demonstrated that fish
      could detect and avoid minute concentrations of OSPW. However, if fish were
      exposed to OSPW-contaminated water and unable to escape, their olfaction would be
      impaired.

PMID- 28347903
TI  - Detoxification of hexavalent chromate by growing Paecilomyces lilacinus XLA.
AB  - In the study, the capability of Paecilomyces lilacinus XLA (CCTCC: M2012135) to
      reduce Cr6+ and its main antagonistic mechanisms to Cr6+ were experimentally
      evaluated. Activated growing fungus XLA efficiently reduced over 90% Cr6+ in the
      media with Cr6+ concentration below 100 mg L-1 at pH 6 after 14 days. After 1-day
      exposure to 100 mg L-1 Cr6+, nearly 50% of Cr6+ was reduced. Moreover, SO42-
      stimulated Cr6+ reduction, whereas other interferential ions inhibited Cr6+
      reduction. The interaction mechanisms between XLA and Cr6+ mainly involve
      biotransformation, biosorption, and bioaccumulation, as detected by electron
      microscopy and chemical methods. The lower concentrations of Cr6+ (5 and 50 mg L
      1) stimulated the activities of superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT) and
      glutathione (GSH) level in XLA, respectively, but the higher concentration of
      Cr6+ (150 mg L-1) decreased the enzymatic activities and GSH concentration. The
      results implied that SOD, CAT and GSH were defensive guards to the oxidant stress
      produced by Cr6+. All these extracellular/intracellular defense systems endowed
      XLA with the ability to resist and detoxify Cr6+ by transforming its valent
      species. The fungus XLA could efficiently reduce Cr6+ under different
      environmental conditions (pH, interferential ions, and concentration). Moreover,
      XLA could endure the high concentration of Cr6+ probably due to its high
      biotransformation capability of Cr6+ and intracellular antioxidant systems for
      the detoxification of ROS generated by external Cr6+. All these results suggested
      that the fungus XLA can be applied to remediation of Cr6+-contaminated
      environments.

PMID- 28347904
TI  - Bioaccumulation and biomagnification of ultraviolet absorbents in marine wildlife
      of the Pearl River Estuarine, South China Sea.
AB  - Bioaccumulation and trophic transfer in ecosystems is an important criterion for
      assessing environmental risks of contaminants. This study investigated
      bioaccumulation and biomagnification of 13 organic ultraviolet absorbents (UVAs)
      in marine wildlife organisms in the Pearl River Estuary, South China Sea. The
      UVAs could accumulate in the organisms with biota - sediment accumulation factors
      (BSAF) of 0.003-2.152. UV531 was the most abundant and showed the highest
      tendency to accumulate in the organisms with a median BSAF of 1.105. The UVAs
      demonstrated species - and compound-specific accumulation in the marine organism.
      Fishes showed significantly higher capability than the cephalopods and
      crustaceans in accumulation of the UVAs. Habitat did not demonstrate obvious
      impact on accumulation of the UVA. On the other hand, benzophenone-3, UV328, and
      UV234 showed significantly higher concentration in the detritus feeding fishes
      than carnivorous and planktivorous fishes, suggesting governing effect of dietary
      habits of the organisms on bioaccumulation of these UVAs. Direct uptake from
      growth media was a significant exposure pathway of the organisms to the UVAs. The
      estimated trophic magnification factors and biomagnification factors revealed
      that UV329, UV531, and octocrylene could potentially biomagnify in the marine
      food web.

PMID- 28347905
TI  - Detection of intermolecular homonuclear dipolar coupling in organic rich shale by
      transverse relaxation exchange.
AB  - The mechanism behind surface relaxivity within organic porosity in shales has
      been an unanswered question. Here, we present results that confirm the existence
      of intermolecular homonuclear dipolar coupling between solid and liquid phases in
      sedimentary organic matter. Transverse magnetization exchange measurements were
      performed on an organic-rich shale saturated with liquid hydrocarbon. Liquid and
      solid constituents were identified through both sample resaturation and through
      their T1/T2 ratios. Extensive cross peaks are observed in the T2-T2 exchange
      spectra between the solid and liquid constituents, indicating an exchange of
      magnetization between the two phases. This result cannot arise from physical
      molecular diffusion, and the dissolution energies are too high for chemical
      exchange, such that the magnetization exchange must arise from intermolecular
      homonuclear dipolar coupling. These results both confirm a possible source of
      surface relaxivity in organic matter and emphasize caution in the use of standard
      porous media interpretations of relaxation results in shales because of coupling
      between different magnetization environments.

PMID- 28347906
TI  - Coherent evolution of parahydrogen induced polarisation using laser pump, NMR
      probe spectroscopy: Theoretical framework and experimental observation.
AB  - We recently reported a pump-probe method that uses a single laser pulse to
      introduce parahydrogen (p-H2) into a metal dihydride complex and then follows the
      time-evolution of the p-H2-derived nuclear spin states by NMR. We present here a
      theoretical framework to describe the oscillatory behaviour of the resultant
      hyperpolarised NMR signals using a product operator formalism. We consider the
      cases where the p-H2-derived protons form part of an AX, AXY, AXYZ or AA'XX' spin
      system in the product molecule. We use this framework to predict the patterns for
      2D pump-probe NMR spectra, where the indirect dimension represents the evolution
      during the pump-probe delay and the positions of the cross-peaks depend on the
      difference in chemical shift of the p-H2-derived protons and the difference in
      their couplings to other nuclei. The evolution of the NMR signals of the p-H2
      derived protons, as well as the transfer of hyperpolarisation to other NMR-active
      nuclei in the product, is described. The theoretical framework is tested
      experimentally for a set of ruthenium dihydride complexes representing the
      different spin systems. Theoretical predictions and experimental results agree to
      within experimental error for all features of the hyperpolarised 1H and 31P pump
      probe NMR spectra. Thus we establish the laser pump, NMR probe approach as a
      robust way to directly observe and quantitatively analyse the coherent evolution
      of p-H2-derived spin order over micro-to-millisecond timescales.

PMID- 28347907
TI  - Through babies' eyes: Practical and theoretical considerations of using wearable
      technology to measure parent-infant behaviour from the mothers' and infants' view
      points.
AB  - AIMS: To explore the utility of first-person viewpoint cameras at home, for
      recording mother and infant behaviour, and for reducing problems associated with
      participant reactivity, which represent a fundamental bias in observational
      research. METHODS: We compared footage recording the same play interactions from
      a traditional third-person point of view (3rd PC) and using cameras worn on
      headbands (first-person cameras [1st PCs]) to record first-person points of view
      of mother and infant simultaneously. In addition, we left the dyads alone with
      the 1st PCs for a number of days to record natural mother-child behaviour at
      home. Fifteen mothers with infants (3-12 months of age) provided a total of 14h
      of footage at home alone with the 1st PCs. RESULTS: Codings of maternal behaviour
      from footage of the same scenario captured from 1st PCs and 3rd PCs showed high
      concordance (kappa >0.8). Footage captured by the 1st PCs also showed strong
      inter-rater reliability (kappa=0.9). Data from 1st PCs during sessions recorded
      alone at home captured more 'negative' maternal behaviours per min than
      observations using 1st PCs whilst a researcher was present (mean difference=0.90
      (95% CI 0.5-1.2, p<0.001 representing 1.5 SDs). CONCLUSION: 1st PCs offer a
      number of practical advantages and can reliably record maternal and infant
      behaviour. This approach can also record a higher frequency of less socially
      desirable maternal behaviours. It is unclear whether this difference is due to
      lack of need of the presence of researcher or the increased duration of
      recordings. This finding is potentially important for research questions aiming
      to capture more ecologically valid behaviours and reduce demand characteristics.

PMID- 28347908
TI  - Decreased attention to object size information in scale errors performers.
AB  - Young children sometimes make serious attempts to perform impossible actions on
      miniature objects as if they were full-size objects. The existing explanations of
      these curious action errors assume (but never explicitly tested) children's
      decreased attention to object size information. This study investigated the
      attention to object size information in scale errors performers. Two groups of
      children aged 18-25 months (N=52) and 48-60 months (N=23) were tested in two
      consecutive tasks: an action task that replicated the original scale errors
      elicitation situation, and a looking task that involved watching on a computer
      screen actions performed with adequate to inadequate size object. Our key finding
      - that children performing scale errors in the action task subsequently pay less
      attention to size changes than non-scale errors performers in the looking task -
      suggests that the origins of scale errors in childhood operate already at the
      perceptual level, and not at the action level.

PMID- 28347909
TI  - Bone marrow perfusion measured with dynamic contrast enhanced magnetic resonance
      imaging is correlated to body mass index in adults.
AB  - Bone marrow metabolism is complex and far from being fully understood. Novel
      aspects, such as the roles of bone marrow adiposity and vascularisation in bone
      metabolism currently attract attention. There is also a growing interest in the
      influence obesity might have on bone metabolism. Our objective was to determine
      the effect of BMI on bone marrow perfusion parameters using dynamic contrast
      enhanced magnetic resonance imaging. This prospective monocentric study was
      approved by our local Ethics committee. Written consent was obtained. The right
      hip of 59 adults under 60years old (mean age 37.5) was imaged with a dynamic 3D
      T1 spoiled gradient echo magnetic resonance imaging sequence. Mean BMI was 24.8
      (+/-4.4). Perfusion parameters were measured in the acetabulum and femoral neck,
      in the greater trochanter, in the femoral head epiphysis and in the subcutaneous
      adipose tissue. Associations between perfusion parameters and BMI were studied
      using a linear mixed model adjusted for age and sex effects. Our results showed
      that as the BMI increased, the exchanges between blood and bone marrow appeared
      more important (increased Ktrans and Kep values, p=0.018 and p=0.002
      respectively) and the intramedullary blood flow appeared increased (lower time to
      peak values, p=0.0002). In the subcutaneous fat, as the BMI increased, the
      vascularization decreased (lower area under the curve and initial slope values,
      p=0.019 and p=0.013 respectively). These results suggest that there is a relation
      between bone marrow perfusion and BMI, and that subcutaneous fat and bone marrow
      fat have different microvascular behaviours. Researchers must be aware of the
      effect of BMI on bone marrow perfusion parameters when they build a MR research
      protocol and analyse their data. A better understanding of these findings may
      provide the basis for the management of obesity-related bone changes.

PMID- 28347911
TI  - A simultaneous stabilization and solidification of the top five most toxic heavy
      metals (Hg, Pb, As, Cr, and Cd).
AB  - A novel chemically bonded phosphate ceramic (CBPC) binder was developed for the
      simultaneous treatment of the top five most toxic heavy metals (Hg, Pb, As, Cr,
      and Cd). Various CBPC binders were synthesized and tested, and their toxicity
      characteristic leaching procedure (TCLP) values were obtained. A
      magnesium/calcium-potassium phosphate ceramic binder with FeCl2 (M/C-KP-FeCl2)
      simultaneously stabilized multiple heavy metals. The TCLP value of the final
      product for industrial waste (IW) treatment using the M/C-KP-FeCl2 technology was
      well below the Universal Treatment Standard (UTS). Additionally, the compressive
      strength of the final product was below the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission
      Standard.

PMID- 28347910
TI  - Acute lung injury complicating acute kidney injury: A model of endogenous
      alphaKlotho deficiency and distant organ dysfunction.
AB  - The lung interfaces with atmospheric oxygen via a large surface area and is
      perfused by the entire venous return bearing waste products collected from the
      whole body. It is logical that the lung is endowed with generous anti-oxidative
      capacity derived both locally and from the circulation. The single-pass
      pleiotropic alpha-Klotho (alphaKlotho) protein was discovered when its genetic
      disruption led to premature multi-organ degeneration and early death. The
      extracellular domain of alphaKlotho is cleaved by secretases and released into
      circulation as endocrine soluble alphaKlotho protein, exerting wide-ranging
      cytoprotective effects including anti-oxidation on distant organs including the
      lung, which exhibits high sensitivity to circulating alphaKlotho insufficiency.
      Because circulating alphaKlotho is derived mainly from the kidney, acute kidney
      injury (AKI) leads to systemic alphaKlotho deficiency that in turn increases the
      risks of pulmonary complications, i.e., edema and inflammation, culminating in
      the acute respiratory distress syndrome. Exogenous alphaKlotho increases
      endogenous anti-oxidative capacity partly via activation of the Nrf2 pathway to
      protect lungs against injury caused by direct hyperoxia exposure or AKI. This
      article reviews the current knowledge of alphaKlotho antioxidation in the lung in
      the setting of AKI as a model of circulating alphaKlotho deficiency, an under
      recognized condition that weakens innate cytoprotective defenses and contributes
      to the dysfunction in distant organs.

PMID- 28347912
TI  - On-site removal of antibiotics and antibiotic resistance genes from leachate by
      aged refuse bioreactor: Effects of microbial community and operational
      parameters.
AB  - The abuse of antibiotics has raised the prevalence of antibiotic resistance,
      which will pose potential risk to human health. Leachate, generated during the
      landfill treatment of municipal solid waste, is the important hotspot of the
      antibiotics and antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs), and no effective on-site
      treatment has been put forward for preventing ARGs dissemination. Herein, the
      aged refuse bioreactor was employed to remove antibiotics and ARGs from leachate,
      and the great removal performance was observed. For the detected antibiotics, the
      total removal efficiency was about 76.75%, and sulfanilamide and macrolide were
      removed with high efficiencies (>80%). Among the target ARGs, tetracycline and
      macrolide resistance genes (tetM, tetQ and ermB) were eliminated with 1.2-2.0
      orders of magnitude. The occurrences of ARGs did not correlated with water
      quality parameters such as COD, total nitrogen, ammonia, nitrate and nitrite, but
      closely linked to the variations of the bacterial community structure. Redundancy
      analysis (RDA) indicated the significant correlations between four genera and the
      distribution of ARGs, which implied that these key genera (including potential
      pathogens) drove the ARGs removal. Furthermore, the hydraulic loading test
      confirmed that the aged refuse bioreactor was capable of achieving high removal
      efficiencies even under shock loading for the higher loading was negative for the
      proliferations of potential ARGs hosts. This study suggested that aged refuse
      bioreactor could be a promising way for antibiotics and ARGs on-site removal from
      leachate.

PMID- 28347913
TI  - Toxicity and sublethal effects of chlorantraniliprole on the development and
      fecundity of a non-specific predator, the multicolored Asian lady beetle,
      Harmonia axyridis (Pallas).
AB  - In order to further develop integrated pest management (IPM) approaches for
      controlling insect pests, it is important to estimate the effects of pesticides.
      In this study, the toxicity and sublethal effects of the insecticide
      chlorantraniliprole on a non-specific predator, the multicolored Asian lady
      beetle Harmonia axyridis, were evaluated and life table parameter data were
      analyzed statistically using the age-stage, two-sex life table procedure. The
      results of this study show that the development time of second and fourth instar
      larvae as well as pupa was significantly prolonged in populations treated with
      LC10 (2.42 mg (a.i.) L-1) and LC30 (12.06 mg (a.i.) L-1), while adult longevity
      and fecundity were both significantly reduced and the preoviposition period (POP)
      was significantly prolonged following treatment compared to the control. In
      addition, the net reproductive rate (R0), as well as the intrinsic (r) and finite
      rate of increase (lambda) were significantly decreased in groups treated with the
      insecticide. These results reveal that because sublethal concentrations of
      chlorantraniliprole impair the population growth of H. axyridis, more attention
      should be paid to the use of this chemical as a component of IPM strategies.

PMID- 28347914
TI  - Elemental analysis of tree leaves by total reflection X-ray fluorescence: New
      approaches for air quality monitoring.
AB  - This work shows that total reflection X-ray fluorescence (TXRF) is a fast, easy
      and successful tool to determine the presence of potentially toxic elements in
      atmospheric aerosols precipitations on tree leaves. Leaves are collected in
      eleven parks of different geographical areas of the Brescia city, Northern Italy,
      for environmental monitoring purposes. Two sample preparation procedures are
      considered: microwave acid digestion and the novel SMART STORE method for direct
      analysis. The latter consists in sandwiching a portion of the leaf between two
      organic foils, metals free, to save it from contamination and material loss. Mass
      composition of macro, micro and trace elements is calculated for digested
      samples, while relative elemental amount are obtained from direct analysis.
      Washed and unwashed leaves have a different composition in terms of trace
      elements. Differentiation occurs according to Fe, Pb and Cu contributions,
      considered as most representative of air depositions, and probably related to
      anthropogenic sources. Direct analysis is more representative of the composition
      of air precipitations. Advantages and drawbacks of the presented methods of
      sample preparation and TXRF analysis are discussed. Results demonstrate that TXRF
      allows to perform accurate and precise quantitative analysis of digested samples.
      In addition, direct analysis of leaves may be used as a fast and simple method
      for screening in the nanograms range.

PMID- 28347915
TI  - Chromium speciation, bioavailability, uptake, toxicity and detoxification in soil
      plant system: A review.
AB  - Chromium (Cr) is a potentially toxic heavy metal which does not have any
      essential metabolic function in plants. Various past and recent studies highlight
      the biogeochemistry of Cr in the soil-plant system. This review traces a
      plausible link among Cr speciation, bioavailability, phytouptake, phytotoxicity
      and detoxification based on available data, especially published from 2010 to
      2016. Chromium occurs in different chemical forms (primarily as chromite
      (Cr(III)) and chromate (Cr(VI)) in soil which vary markedly in term of their
      biogeochemical behavior. Chromium behavior in soil, its soil-plant transfer and
      accumulation in different plant parts vary with its chemical form, plant type and
      soil physico-chemical properties. Soil microbial community plays a key role in
      governing Cr speciation and behavior in soil. Chromium does not have any specific
      transporter for its uptake by plants and it primarily enters the plants through
      specific and non-specific channels of essential ions. Chromium accumulates
      predominantly in plant root tissues with very limited translocation to shoots.
      Inside plants, Cr provokes numerous deleterious effects to several physiological,
      morphological, and biochemical processes. Chromium induces phytotoxicity by
      interfering plant growth, nutrient uptake and photosynthesis, inducing enhanced
      generation of reactive oxygen species, causing lipid peroxidation and altering
      the antioxidant activities. Plants tolerate Cr toxicity via various defense
      mechanisms such as complexation by organic ligands, compartmentation into the
      vacuole, and scavenging ROS via antioxidative enzymes. Consumption of Cr
      contaminated-food can cause human health risks by inducing severe clinical
      conditions. Therefore, there is a dire need to monitor biogeochemical behavior of
      Cr in soil-plant system.

PMID- 28347916
TI  - Cimicifugamide from Cimicifuga rhizomes functions as a nonselective beta-AR
      agonist for cardiac and sudorific effects.
AB  - Cimicifuga rhizomes (CR) are used in the treatment of respiratory and
      cardiovascular diseases in traditional Chinese medicine, but their key effective
      components and mechanism of action have not yet been reported. In this study, the
      cardiac, antipyretic and sudorific effects of CR were evaluated using the toad
      heart failure in vitro model and mice fever and sweating in vivo models.
      Moreover, the UPLC/Q-TOF-MS-integrated beta2-AR luciferase reporter gene assay
      system was used to screen the bioactive ingredients from CR extract, and the
      activity of this ingredient were verified using the above-mentioned in vitro and
      vivo models. Our results showed that CR had anti-heart failure, antipyretic and
      sweating effects, which could be antagonized by propranolol. On the other hand,
      cimicifugamide was screened as beta2-AR agonist from CR and cimicifugamide could
      activate beta1, 2-ARs more significantly than beta3-AR in beta-ARs selectivity
      assessment. The results not only revealed the key effective components and
      mechanism of CR in traditional use but also supplied a characteristic
      complementary ingredient for quality control of CR.

PMID- 28347917
TI  - Induction of apoptotic DNA fragmentation mediated by mitochondrial pathway with
      caspase-3-dependent BID cleavage in human gastric cancer cells by a new nitroxyl
      spin-labeled derivative of podophyllotoxin.
AB  - PURPOSE: 4-[4''-(2'', 2'', 6'', 6''-tetramethyl-l''-piperidinyloxy) amino]-4'
      demethyl-epipodophyllotoxin (GP7) is a new semi-synthesized nitroxyl spin-labeled
      derivative of podophyllotoxin with anti-leukemic and anti-osteosarcoma effects.
      The purpose of the present study is to investigate the anti-gastric cancer (GC)
      effects of GP7 and the possible involvement of caspase pathway in GP7-induced
      apoptotic DNA fragmentation in human GC cells. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Effects of
      GP7 on the proliferation of human GC cell lines MKN28, AGS, BGC-823 and HGC-27 in
      different degrees of differentiation and normal human gastric epithelial cell
      line GES-1 were studied by MTT assay and compared with the effects of etoposide.
      Effects of GP7 on cell viability and heat shock protein 90 expression of BGC-823
      and HGC-27 cells were analyzed by trypan blue exclusion test and western
      blotting, respectively. Effects of GP7 on apoptotic DNA fragmentation and caspase
      pathway of BGC-823 and HGC-27 cells were detected by agarose gel electrophoresis,
      colorimetric assay and western blotting. Caspase-3 inhibitor was used to
      manipulate the activity of caspase-3. RESULTS: GP7 inhibited concentration- and
      time-dependently the proliferation of human GC cells, and the inhibitory effect
      of GP7 on the proliferation of BGC-823 or HGC-27 cells was 1.15- or 1.21-fold
      higher than that of etoposide. GP7 downregulated heat shock protein 90, improved
      the anti-GC effects of adriamycin, cisplatin, 5-fluorouracil and their
      combinations, induced apoptotic DNA fragmentation, activations of caspase-9 and 
      3 but not -8, cytochrome-c release and BID cleavage in BGC-823 and HGC-27 cells.
      Caspase-3 inhibitor abrogated GP7-induced BID cleavage, decreased cytochrome-c
      release, caspase-9 and -3 activities and apoptotic DNA fragmentation but
      increased cell viability in BGC-823 and HGC-27 cells. CONCLUSION: Our findings
      indicate that GP7 is a promising anti-GC derivative of podophyllotoxin, and GP7
      induced apoptosis in human GC cells may be mediated by mitochondrial pathway with
      caspase-3-dependent BID cleavage.

PMID- 28347918
TI  - Response to letter entitled: Distinct metastatic patterns in colorectal cancer
      patients.

PMID- 28347919
TI  - Autophagy-related polymorphisms predict hypertension in patients with metastatic
      colorectal cancer treated with FOLFIRI and bevacizumab: Results from TRIBE and
      FIRE-3 trials.
AB  - PURPOSE: The most frequent bevacizumab-related side-effects are hypertension,
      proteinuria, bleeding and thromboembolism. To date, there is no biomarker that
      predicts anti-VEGF-associated toxicity. As autophagy inhibits angiogenesis, we
      hypothesised that single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) within autophagy-related
      genes may predict bevacizumab-mediated toxicity in patients with metastatic
      colorectal cancer (mCRC). PATIENTS AND METHODS: Patients with mCRC treated with
      first-line FOLFIRI and bevacizumab in two phase III randomised trials, namely the
      TRIBE trial (n = 219, discovery cohort) and the FIRE-3 trial (n = 234, validation
      cohort) were included in this study. Patients receiving treatment with FOLFIRI
      and cetuximab (FIRE-3, n = 204) served as a negative control. 12 SNPs in eight
      autophagy-related genes (ATG3/5/8/13, beclin 1, FIP200, unc-51-like kinase 1,
      UVRAG) were analysed by PCR-based direct sequencing. RESULTS: The FIP200
      rs1129660 variant showed significant associations with hypertension in the TRIBE
      cohort. Patients harbouring any G allele of the FIP200 rs1129660 SNP showed a
      significantly lower rate of grade 2-3 hypertension compared with the A/A genotype
      (3% versus 15%, odds ratio [OR] 0.17; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.02-0.73; P
      = 0.009). Similarly, G allele carriers of the FIP200 rs1129660 SNP were less
      likely to develop grade 2-3 hypertension than patients with an A/A genotype in
      the FIRE-3 validation cohort (9% versus 20%, OR 0.43; 95% CI, 0.14-1.11; P =
      0.077), whereas this association could not be observed in the control cohort (12%
      versus 9%, OR 1.40; 95% CI, 0.45-4.04; P = 0.60). CONCLUSION: This is the first
      report demonstrating that polymorphisms in the autophagy-related FIP200 gene may
      predict hypertension in patients with mCRC treated with FOLFIRI and bevacizumab.

PMID- 28347921
TI  - Experimental and DFT dimer modeling studies of the H-bond induced-vibration modes
      of l-beta-Homoserine.
AB  - The vibrational spectra for l-beta-Homoserine have been measured (IR absorption:
      4000-400cm-1/Raman spectra: 4000-200cm-1). Characteristic vibrational modes of
      ammonium (-NH3+), carboxylate (-CO2-) and hydroxyl (-OH) groups across the 3700
      1400cm-1 are all identified to have originated in inter-molecular hydrogen
      bonding involving these functional groups. DFT calculations at B3LYP/6-311++G(d,
      p) level have yielded a single neutral monomer in the gas phase. Since as a
      member of the amino acids which are known to possess zwitterionic structure in
      condensed phase, the neutral monomer of l-beta-Homoserine is optimized to a
      zwitterionic structure in a water medium. Consideration of two dimer structures,
      one dimer with -NH???O bond and another -OH???O bond, has given rise to
      vibrational modes that satisfactorily fit to all the observed absorption and
      Raman bands. It is found that the dimer with -OH???O bond (binding energy,
      8.896kcal/mol) is more tightly bound than the dimer with -NH???O bond
      (8.363kcal/mol).

PMID- 28347920
TI  - MiR-200b and miR-155 as predictive biomarkers for the efficacy of chemoradiation
      in locally advanced head and neck squamous cell carcinoma.
AB  - BACKGROUND: The predictive value of microRNAs (miRNAs) in tumour cells and
      infiltrating immune cells for the efficacy of chemoradiation (CRTX) in locally
      advanced head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) was evaluated. METHODS:
      Formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded tumour material was collected from patients
      with locally advanced HNSCC treated within the ARO-0401 phase III trial with
      radiotherapy in combination with either 5-fluorouracil/cisplatin (CDDP-CRTX) or 5
      fluorouracil/mitomycin C (MMC-CRTX). MiRNA and immune profiles were established
      in a test cohort of 48 oropharyngeal carcinoma (OPSCC) cases by Affymetrix miRNA
      microarrays and the nanoString PanCancer Immune Panel, respectively. Expression
      of miRNA candidates was measured in 149 HNSCC patients by real-time PCR.
      Interference of miRNA profiles with CRTX efficacy was determined by Kaplan-Meier
      and Cox regression analysis. RESULTS: Expression levels of five miRNAs (miR-27b, 
      130b, -200b, -451 and -532-5p) were significantly associated with overall
      survival after MMC-CRTX. Six different miRNAs (miR-125b, -146a, -150, -155, -187
      and -342-5p) were correlated with overall survival after CDDP-CRTX. Validation by
      real-time PCR confirmed the predictive value of miR-200b and miR-155 in OPSCC,
      which was absent in hypopharyngeal carcinomas. MiR-146a was revealed as a
      prognostic marker for both CRTX regimens. MiR-200b expression was mainly
      associated with distant metastasis, whereas miR-155 correlated with local
      recurrence. MiR-155 and miR-146a were identified as surrogate markers for tumour
      infiltrating lymphocytes. CONCLUSIONS: MiR-200b and miR-155 were established as
      potential markers for personalised treatment selection of two standard regimens
      of CRTX. The predictive role of miR-155 deserves further investigation,
      especially within the framework of clinical trials of CRTX/immune checkpoint
      inhibitor combinations.

PMID- 28347922
TI  - Cooperative effect on phenolic nuO-H frequencies in 1:1 hydrogen bonded complexes
      of o-fluorophenols with water: A matrix isolation infrared spectroscopic study.
AB  - Matrix isolation infrared spectra of 1:1 complexes of two ortho-fluorophenols, 2
      fluorophenol (2-FPh) and 2,6-difluorophenol (2,6-DFPh), with water and benzene
      have been analyzed in combination with electronic structure calculations to
      investigate cooperative effect in O-H...O-H...F hydrogen bonded linkage, which
      manifests as large spectral shifts of the phenolic O-H stretching fundamental.
      Calculation predicts that a nearly planar cyclic geometry is preferred by the
      binary water complexes of the syn conformer of 2-FPh as well as 2,6-DFPh, and the
      observed spectral shifts are in good agreement with the predicted shifts for such
      conformers. On the other hand, for other possible isomeric structures, the
      molecular plane of water moiety is oriented perpendicular to that of the
      fluorophenols, and the observed as well as predicted shifts are smaller than
      those of the ortho substituted fluorophenols, although the total binding energies
      are predicted to be larger for the former. The observed spectral shifts are
      however consistent with local interaction energy parameters, like
      hyperconjugative charge transfer and accumulation of electron density (rho) along
      the O-H...O hydrogen bond path. For the binary O-H...pi hydrogen bonded benzene
      complexes of the fluorophenols, where cooperative interaction is not possible,
      the observed shifts are consistent with the conformers preferred according to
      total binding energies as well as local charge transfer effects of the complexes.

PMID- 28347923
TI  - Biocompatible 3D SERS substrate for trace detection of amino acids and melamine.
AB  - A novel, low-cost and biocompatible three-dimensional (3D) substrate for surface
      enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) is fabricated using gold nanoparticles (AuNPs)
      loaded on cellulose paper for detection of amino acids and melamine. Dysosma
      pleiantha rhizome (Dp-Rhi) capped AuNPs (Dp-Rhi_AuNPs) were prepared by in situ
      using aqueous extract of Dp-Rhi and in situ functionalized Dp-Rhi on AuNPs
      surface was verified by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and zeta
      potentials analysis shows a negative (-18.4mV) surface charges, which confirm
      that presence of Dp-Rhi on AuNPs. The biocompatibility of Dp-Rhi_AuNPs is also
      examined by cell viability of FaDu cells using MTS assay and compared to control
      group. In conclusion, the SERS performance of AuNPs@cellulose paper substrates
      were systematically demonstrated and examined with different excitation
      wavelengths (i.e. 532, 632.8 and 785nm lasers) and the as-prepared 3D substrates
      provided an enhancement factor approaching 7 orders of magnitude compared with
      conventional Raman intensity using para-nitrothiophenol (p-NTP), para
      aminothiophenol (p-ATP) and para-mercaptobenzoic acid (p-MBA) as probe molecules.
      The strong electromagnetic effect was generated at the interface of AuNPs and pre
      treated roughened cellulose paper is also investigated by simulation in which the
      formation of possible Raman hot-spot zone in fiber-like microstructure of
      cellulose paper decorated with AuNPs. Notably, with optimized condition of as
      prepared 3D AuNPs@cellulose paper is highly sensitive in the SERS detection of
      aqueous tyrosine (10-10M) and melamine (10-9M).

PMID- 28347924
TI  - Cyclic cooperative intramolecular hydrogen bond in p-tert-butylcalix[6]arene
      according to FTIR spectroscopy and DFT studies.
AB  - This article describes a comparative research of IR spectra and H-bonds in the p
      tert-butylcalix[6]arene (TB6) and calix[6]arene (C6). IR spectra were computed
      for compressed cone conformation by DFT method. The assignment of the bands in
      the IR spectra of the TB6 and C6 was made. The effect of the bulky tert-butyl
      substituents on the structure and H-bonding in TB6 was established. Our research
      has shown that in TB6 and C6 the cyclic H-bond is realized, which ensures the
      existence of a compressed cone conformation. Introduction of tert-butyl
      substituents in TB6 leads to hardening of H-bonds. Examination of IR spectra
      showed that when heated TB6 remains in a compressed cone conformation. In a
      molecule of TB6 and C6 oxygen atoms are in a "boat" conformation.

PMID- 28347925
TI  - Life threatening presentation of thoracic duct injury post thyroid surgery; a
      case report.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Injury to thoracic duct is a rare potential complication of time
      honored conventional thyroidectomy. Nevertheless, it can be a cause of
      significant morbidity, and sometimes life-threatening. PATIENT FINDINGS: A 78
      year-old female patient with a previous surgical history of thyroid lobectomy for
      nodular disease presented with primary hyperparathyroidism, and a nodule in the
      remaining thyroid lobe. The patient underwent completion thyroidectomy and
      parathyroidectomy. Less than 24h post operatively, the patient developed
      progressive shortness of breath and neck swelling requiring immediate intubation
      and re-exploration. A large amount of chyle was drained and an injured thoracic
      duct was identified and ligated. SUMMARY: In experienced hands thyroid surgery is
      safe. Nevertheless, factors such as the type of pathology and its extent, the
      level of surgery, and re-operative surgery increase the risk of postoperative
      complications. Immediate surgical exploration is necessary when patients present
      with neck swelling and respiratory distress. In our case, a high output chyle
      leak in a confined space was life threatening. CONCLUSION: Timely re-exploration
      following thyroid surgery and thorough knowledge of the anatomy of neck
      structures is crucial in sparing patients potential morbidity and/or mortality.

PMID- 28347926
TI  - Neglected dorsolateral dislocation of the first metatarsophalangeal joint: A case
      report.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: Although the first metatarsophalangeal (MTP) joint is frequently
      injured, Complete dislocation of the first MTP joint represents a relatively rare
      traumatic injury. PRESENTATION OF CASE: A 46-year-old gentleman presented with a
      traumatic first MTP joint dislocation resulting from an automobile accident. Due
      to coronavirus outbreak in the hospital at that time, patient was referred to
      another hospital. Six months later, reduction was achieved surgically and
      fixation of the MTP with K-wires was done. DISCUSSION: Only few case reports have
      described the injury, and the ideal treatment along with the long-term result of
      the injury has yet to be further studied because reports are rare in this regard.
      CONCLUSION: Functional range of motion may result even after 6 months of delayed
      treatment with ORIF and osteopenia may result.

PMID- 28347927
TI  - A systematic approach towards the development of quality indicators for postnatal
      care after discharge in Flanders, Belgium.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: to develop a set of quality indicators for postnatal care after
      discharge from the hospital, using a systematic approach. DESIGN: key elements of
      qualitative postnatal care were defined by performing a systematic review and the
      literature was searched for potential indicators (step 1). The potential
      indicators were evaluated by five criteria (validity, reliability, sensitivity,
      feasibility and acceptability) and by making use of the 'Appraisal of Guidelines
      for Research and Evaluation', the AIRE-instrument (step 2). In a modified Delphi
      survey, the quality indicators were presented to a panel of experts in the field
      of postnatal care using an online tool (step 3). The final results led to a
      Flemish model of postnatal care (step 4). SETTING: Flanders, Belgium
      PARTICIPANTS: health care professionals, representatives of health care
      organisations and policy makers with expertise in the field of postnatal care.
      FINDINGS: after analysis 57 research articles, 10 reviews, one book and eight
      other documents resulted in 150 potential quality indicators in seven critical
      care domains. Quality assessment of the indicators resulted in 58 concept quality
      indicators which were presented to an expert-panel of health care professionals.
      After two Delphi-rounds, 30 quality indicators (six structure, 17 process, and
      seven outcome indicators) were found appropriate to monitor and improve the
      quality of postnatal care after discharge from the hospital. KEY CONCLUSIONS AND
      IMPLICATIONS FOR CLINICAL PRACTICE: the quality indicators resulted in a Flemish
      model of qualitative postnatal care that was implemented by health authorities as
      a minimum standard in the context of shortened length of stay. Postnatal care
      should be adjusted to a flexible length of stay and start in pregnancy with an
      individualised care plan that follows mother and new-born throughout pregnancy,
      childbirth and postnatal period. Criteria for discharge and local protocols about
      the organisation and content of care are essential to facilitate continuity of
      care.

PMID- 28347928
TI  - Maintenance of membrane organization in the aging mouse brain as the determining
      factor for preventing receptor dysfunction and for improving response to anti
      Alzheimer treatments.
AB  - Although a major risk factor for Alzheimer's disease (AD), the "aging" parameter
      is not systematically considered in preclinical validation of anti-AD drugs. To
      explore how aging affects neuronal reactivity to anti-AD agents, the ciliary
      neurotrophic factor (CNTF)-associated pathway was chosen as a model. Comparison
      of the neuroprotective properties of CNTF in 6- and 18-month old mice revealed
      that CNTF resistance in the older animals is associated with the exclusion of the
      CNTF-receptor subunits from rafts and their subsequent dispersion to non-raft
      cortical membrane domains. This age-dependent membrane remodeling prevented both
      the formation of active CNTF-receptor complexes and the activation of prosurvival
      STAT3 and ERK1/2 pathways, demonstrating that age-altered membranes impaired the
      reactivity of potential therapeutic targets. CNTF-receptor distribution and CNTF
      signaling responses were improved in older mice receiving dietary docosahexaenoic
      acid, with CNTF-receptor functionality being similar to those of younger mice,
      pointing toward dietary intervention as a promising adjuvant strategy to maintain
      functional neuronal membranes, thus allowing the associated receptors to respond
      appropriately to anti-AD agents.

PMID- 28347930
TI  - Monetary cost of family caregiving for people with dementia in Singapore.
AB  - This study quantified the monetary cost of family caregiving for 51 patients with
      different severity of dementia. The mean annual informal cost of care was higher
      (M=SG$44,530.55, SD=SG$31,354.82) compared to the mean annual formal cost of care
      (M=SG$25,654.11, SD=SG$10,016.48). Costs were found to increase with severity of
      dementia (Severe: SG$47,251.30; Moderate: SG$38,607.84; Mild: SG$13,847.68). For
      each point increase in CMMSE scores, the informal cost lowered by SG$1,173.94.
      There was a significant negative correlation of cost and cognitive impairment but
      not functional impairment. The informal cost of care did not vary much with or
      without the use of day care centres, however the costs for those who did not have
      domestic helpers (DHs) was more than twice the costs for those with DHs. Results
      from this study show there were cost savings in care of people with dementia with
      DHs.

PMID- 28347929
TI  - Cerebral microbleeds and risk of incident dementia: the Framingham Heart Study.
AB  - Cerebral microbleeds (CMBs) are MRI markers attributed to the most common
      cerebral angiopathies in the elderly and in patients with dementia: hypertensive
      and cerebral amyloid angiopathy. CMB detection in asymptomatic persons may help
      identify those at risk for dementia and may influence preventive strategies and
      design of clinical trials testing treatments for dementia. We studied the
      association of CMB with risk of incident dementia in community dwelling
      individuals. A total of 1296 dementia-free Framingham Heart Study participants
      (mean age 72 years; 54% women) with available brain MRI and incident dementia
      data during a mean follow-up period of 6.7 years were included. Using Cox
      proportional hazards models, we related CMB presence to incident dementia.
      Multivariable models were adjusted for age, sex, APOE status, and education, with
      additional models adjusting for vascular risk factors and MRI markers of ischemic
      brain injury. CMBs were observed in 10.8% and incident dementia in 85
      participants (6.6% over study period). Participants with any CMB had 1.74 times
      higher risk of dementia (hazard ratio [HR] 1.74, 95% confidence interval [CI]
      1.00-3.01), whereas those with deep and mixed CMB had a three-fold increased risk
      (HR 2.99, 95% CI 1.52-5.90). The associations were independent of vascular risk
      factors, and for deep and mixed CMB also independent of MRI markers of ischemia
      (HR 2.44, 95% CI 1.22-4.88). Purely lobar CMBs were not associated with incident
      dementia. Our findings support a role for hypertensive vasculopathy and the
      interplay of hypertensive and cerebral amyloid angiopathy in risk of dementia and
      suggest that CMB presence can identify individuals at risk of dementia.

PMID- 28347931
TI  - Root branching plasticity: collective decision-making results from local and
      global signalling.
AB  - Cells within tissues can be regarded as autonomous entities that respond to their
      local environment and to signals from neighbours. Coordination between cells is
      particularly important in plants, as the architecture of the plant adapts to
      environmental cues. To explain the architectural plasticity of the root, we
      propose to view it as a swarm of coupled multi-cellular structures, rhizomers,
      rather than a large set of autonomous cells. Each rhizomer contains a primed site
      with the potential to develop a single lateral root. Rhizomers are spaced through
      oscillatory genetic events that occur at the basal root tip. The decision whether
      or not to develop a lateral root primordium results from the interplay between
      local interactions of the rhizomer with its immediate environment, such as local
      nutrient availability, long-range interactions between the rhizomers and global
      cues, such as overall nutrient uptake. It can halt lateral root progression
      through its developmental stages, resulting in the observed complex root
      architecture.

PMID- 28347932
TI  - The impact of child maltreatment on the risk of deliberate self-harm among
      adolescents: A population-wide cohort study using linked administrative records.
AB  - Adolescents exposed to maltreatment have an elevated risk of deliberate self-harm
      (DSH). The aim of this study was to investigate longitudinally the effects of the
      number, timing, and type of maltreatment allegations on adolescent risk of having
      a DSH-related hospital admission, using linked data in Western Australia. A total
      of 351,372 children born between 1986 and 2000 were followed from birth up to the
      year 2010. Cox regression models were utilized, while controlling for a range of
      psychosocial covariates. Compared to children without allegations of
      maltreatment, children with unsubstantiated allegations only (aHR=1.04, 95%CI:
      1.00-1.08, p<.01) and children with a substantiated allegation (aHR=1.10, 95%CI:
      1.06-1.15, p<.001) all had significantly increased risk of DSH in adolescence.
      Among children with a substantiated allegation of maltreatment, the greater the
      number of allegations, the longer the exposure to maltreatment, and the more
      types of maltreatment experienced by a child, the higher the child's risk of DSH.
      However, this dose-response pattern was not found among children with
      unsubstantiated allegations only. This study calls for the early identification
      of children who are vulnerable to maltreatment, the better identification of the
      duration and severity of maltreatment experiences, and the provision of continued
      care and support, to reduce the child's DSH risk in adolescence.

PMID- 28347933
TI  - Mechanical effects of traction on lumbar intervertebral discs: A magnetic
      resonance imaging study.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Although traction has long been used for treating patients with low
      back pain (LBP), its effects are still inconclusive mainly because of limited
      high-quality evidence. OBJECTIVE: To provide evidence of the mechanism of
      traction on lumbar intervertebral discs. DESIGN: A quantitative approach with a
      repeated measurement protocol. METHOD: Nine participants (mean age = 22.1 +/- 0.8
      years) without any LBP history were recruited. Magnetic Resonance Images of the
      lumbar spine of each participant were recorded before and after 30 min of
      horizontal lying and directly after 30 min of horizontal traction of 42% body
      weight. The average, anterior, central, and posterior disc height and tilt angle
      of each lumbar disc and lumbar lordosis were measured. RESULTS: A significant
      increase in the average disc height for all lumbar discs, a significant reduction
      of lumbar lordosis and changes in tilt angle were observed after the application
      of 30 min of resting followed by 30 min of traction. A significant increase in
      the average disc height was observed only in lower lumbar discs after 30 min of
      traction. The increase in the posterior disc height was more apparent than that
      in the anterior disc height. CONCLUSIONS: Horizontal traction was evidently
      effective in increasing the disc height of lower lumbar levels, particularly in
      the posterior regions of the discs. Further evidence of the effects of traction
      of different modes, magnitudes, and durations on the change in disc height is
      required for proper control of traction applied to specific disc levels.

PMID- 28347934
TI  - Kinematic analysis of the shoulder complex after anatomic and reverse total
      shoulder arthroplasty: A cross-sectional study.
AB  - BACKGROUND: The movement of the arm relative to the trunk results from
      coordinated 3D glenohumeral and scapulothoracic movements. Changes in scapula
      kinematics may occur after total shoulder arthroplasty and could affect clinical
      and functional outcomes. OBJECTIVES: To assess the 3D movement of the scapula
      during arm elevation after anatomic and reverse total shoulder arthroplasty.
      DESIGN/METHODS: This was a single-centre, non-randomized, controlled cross
      sectional study. Patients with anatomic (n = 14) and reverse total shoulder
      arthroplasty (n = 9) were prospectively enrolled and were compared to age-matched
      asymptomatic controls (n = 23). 3D scapular kinematics were assessed by a non
      invasive, electromagnetic method during arm abduction and flexion. 3D scapular
      rotations and 3D linear displacements of the barycentre (geometrical centre) at
      rest and at 30 degrees , 60 degrees  and 90 degrees  arm elevation; as well as
      scapulohumeral rhythm were analysed. Participant groups were compared using one
      way ANOVA and Bonferroni post-hoc testing for normally distributed data, and Mann
      Whitney U test for non-normally distributed data. RESULTS/FINDINGS: Total range
      of scapular lateral rotation and barycentre displacement were increased, and
      scapulohumeral rhythm was reduced, in patients with anatomic and reverse total
      shoulder arthroplasty compared with age-matched controls; however, the global
      scapular kinematic pattern was preserved. CONCLUSION/INTERPRETATION: For patients
      after total shoulder arthroplasty, the increased contribution of the scapula to
      arm elevation is consistent with a compensatory mechanism for the reduced
      glenohumeral mobility. The stability of the global scapula kinematic pattern
      reflects its mechanical and neuromotor strength.

PMID- 28347935
TI  - Clinical characteristics and outcomes of treatment of the cervical spine in
      patients with persistent post-concussion symptoms: A retrospective analysis.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Concussion is typically defined as a mild brain injury, and yet the
      brain is unlikely to be the only source of persistent post-concussion symptoms.
      Concurrent injury to the cervical spine in particular is acknowledged as a
      potential source of common persistent symptoms such as headache, dizziness and
      neck pain. OBJECTIVES: To describe the cervical spine findings and outcomes of
      treatment in a series of patients with persistent post-concussion symptoms, and
      describe the clinical characteristics of a cervicogenic component when it is
      present. DESIGN: Retrospective chart review of a consecutive series of patients
      with concussion referred to a physiotherapist for cervical spine assessment.
      METHOD: Patient charts for all patients over a calendar year referred by a
      concussion service provider to a physiotherapist for cervical spine assessment
      were de-identified and transferred to the research team. Clinical data were
      independently extracted by two research assistants and analysed using descriptive
      statistics. RESULTS/FINDINGS: Data were analysed from 46 patient charts. Those
      with a cervicogenic component (n = 32) were distinguished from those without a
      cervicogenic component (n = 14) by physical examination findings, particularly
      pain on manual segmental examination. Physiotherapy treatment of the cervicogenic
      component (n = 21) achieved improvements in function (mean increase of 3.8 in the
      patient-specific functional scale), and pain (mean decrease of 4.6 in the numeric
      pain-rating scale). CONCLUSIONS: The clinical characteristics described give
      preliminary support to the idea that the cervical spine may contribute to
      persistent post-concussion symptoms, and highlight the value of physiotherapy
      assessment and treatment of the cervical spine following a concussive injury.

PMID- 28347936
TI  - Developmental differences in aversive conditioning, extinction, and
      reinstatement: A study with children, adolescents, and adults.
AB  - This study investigated developmental differences in aversive conditioning,
      extinction, and reinstatement (i.e., the recovery of conditioned aversive
      associations following reexposure to the unconditioned stimulus [US] post
      extinction). This study examined these mechanisms in children (Mage=8.8years),
      adolescents (Mage=16.1years), and adults (Mage=32.3years) using differential
      aversive conditioning with a geometric shape conditional stimulus (CS+) paired
      with an aversive sound US and another shape (CS-) presented alone. Following an
      extinction phase in which both CSs were presented alone, half of the participants
      in each age group received three US exposures (reinstatement condition) and the
      other half did not (control condition), followed by all participants completing
      an extinction retest phase on the same day. Findings indicated (a) significant
      differences in generalizing aversive expectancies to safe stimuli during
      conditioning and extinction that persisted during retest in children relative to
      adults and adolescents, (b) significantly less positive CS reevaluations during
      extinction that persisted during retest in adolescents relative to adults and
      children, and (c) reinstatement of US expectancies to the CS+ relative to the CS-
      in all age groups. Results suggest important differences in stimulus safety
      learning in children and stimulus valence reevaluation in adolescents relative to
      adults.

PMID- 28347937
TI  - Direct and indirect admission of ignorance by children.
AB  - Research has shown that children are able to admit their own ignorance directly
      (i.e., verbally) by 3years of age when they are totally ignorant about what is
      hidden in a box (total ignorance task) but fail to do so until 5 or 6years of age
      when having seen different objects without seeing which of them is being hidden
      (partial exposure task). This study investigated whether an earlier understanding
      of own ignorance in the partial exposure task is found when using an indirect
      measure-when children are allowed to either opt out from a risky decision
      (Experiment 1) or seek clarifying information by peeking inside (Experiment 2).
      No evidence for an earlier understanding was found in Experiment 1. In Experiment
      2, however, 3- and 4-year-olds searched for clarifying information under partial
      exposure more often when being ignorant than when being knowledgeable. We argue
      that this discrepancy is related to whether spontaneous information seeking
      involves metacognitive processes or not.

PMID- 28347938
TI  - Varying cognitive targets and response rates to enhance the question-behaviour
      effect: An 8-arm Randomized Controlled Trial on influenza vaccination uptake.
AB  - RATIONALE: The question-behaviour effect (QBE) refers to the finding that survey
      questions about a behaviour can change that behaviour. However, little research
      has tested how the QBE can be maximized in behavioural medicine settings. The
      present research tested manipulations of cognitive targets (questions about
      anticipated regret or beneficence) and survey return rates (presence vs. absence
      of a sticky note requesting completion of the questionnaire) on the magnitude of
      the QBE for influenza vaccination in older adults. METHOD: Participants (N =
      13,803) were recruited from general practice and randomly allocated to one of
      eight conditions: control 1 (no questionnaire); control 2 (demographics
      questionnaire); intention and attitude questionnaire (with or without a sticky
      note); intention and attitude plus anticipated regret questionnaire (with or
      without a sticky note); intention and attitude plus beneficence questionnaire
      (with or without a sticky note). Objective records of subsequent influenza
      vaccination from general practice records formed the dependent variable. RESULTS:
      Intention-to-treat analyses indicated that receiving an influenza vaccination
      questionnaire significantly increased vaccination rates compared to the no
      questionnaire, OR = 1.17, 95% CI = 1.01, 1.36 and combined control conditions, OR
      = 1.13, 95% CI = 1.01, 1.25. Including the sticky note significantly increased
      questionnaire return rates, OR = 1.25, 95% CI = 1.04, 1.50. However, there were
      no differences in vaccination rates between questionnaires containing different
      cognitive targets, a sticky note or not, and no interactions. There were no
      significant differences in the per-protocol analyses, i.e. among respondents who
      completed and returned the questionnaires. CONCLUSION: The QBE is a simple, low
      cost intervention to increase influenza vaccination rates. Increasing
      questionnaire return rates or asking anticipated regret or beneficence questions
      in addition to intention and attitude questions did not enhance the QBE.

PMID- 28347939
TI  - The more the heavier? Family size and childhood obesity in the U.S.
AB  - Childhood obesity remains a top public health concern and understanding its
      drivers is important for combating this epidemic. Contemporaneous trends in
      declining family size and increasing childhood obesity in the U.S. suggest that
      family size may be a potential contributor, but limited evidence exists. Using
      data from a national sample of children in the U.S. this study examines whether
      family size, measured by the number of siblings a child has, is associated with
      child BMI and obesity, and the possible mechanisms at work. The potential
      endogeneity of family size is addressed by using several complementary approaches
      including sequentially introducing of a rich set of controls, subgroup analyses,
      and estimating school fixed-effects and child fixed-effects models. Results
      suggest that having more siblings is associated with significantly lower BMI and
      lower likelihood of obesity. Children with siblings have healthier diets and
      watch less television. Family mealtimes, less eating out, reduced maternal work,
      and increased adult supervision of children are potential mechanisms through
      which family size is protective of childhood obesity.

PMID- 28347940
TI  - Does the media matter to suicide?: Examining the social dynamics surrounding
      media reporting on suicide in a suicide-prone community.
AB  - Despite the widespread acknowledgement by public health organizations that media
      reporting matters to suicide, this link has been much debated and the mechanisms
      undergirding it poorly understood. With this study, I combine a media analysis
      with ethnographic data collected during 2014-2016 (N = 91) to examine the social
      dynamics surrounding media reporting on suicide in a community (that I call
      Poplar Grove, USA) with an enduring adolescent suicide problem. I illustrate how
      the media crafted a particular story about why youth die by suicide that
      emphasized academic pressure over other plausible causes. In so doing, the media
      may have broadened ideas about when suicide is seen as an option. However, I also
      provide evidence that cautions against attributing too much causal power to the
      media. The media coverage in Poplar Grove reflected conditions that were already
      present in the community; it was already a high-pressure place for youth to live
      with widespread mental health stigma. These factors likely shaped media
      reporting, while also contributing independently to the suicide problem. Finally,
      I found that the suicide deaths that received media coverage were those that
      triggered significant cognitive dissonance and thus were much discussed among
      youth, independent of the media reporting. This generated ample opportunities for
      peer role modeling of suicide. Thus, while the media may have helped solidify a
      certain view of suicide in the community, it was not the only social force
      contributing to suicide in Poplar Grove. While the findings from this study do
      not negate the importance of responsible reporting on suicide, they do
      contextualize the role of the media in suicide and suggest that researchers must
      take a broader view of how suicide suggestion operates in the media and in social
      contexts.

PMID- 28347941
TI  - The role of metabolic states in development and disease.
AB  - During development, cells adopt distinct metabolic strategies to support growth,
      produce energy, and meet the demands of a mature tissue. Some of these metabolic
      states maintain a constrained program of nutrient utilization, while others
      providing metabolic flexibility as a means to couple developmental progression
      with nutrient availability. Here we discuss our understanding of metabolic
      programs, and how they support specific aspects of animal development. During
      phases of rapid proliferation a subset of metabolic programs provide the building
      blocks to support growth. During differentiation, metabolic programs shift to
      support the unique demands of each tissue. Finally, we discuss how a model
      system, such as Drosophila egg development, can provide a versatile platform to
      discover novel mechanisms controlling programmed shift in metabolism.

PMID- 28347942
TI  - Cross-kingdom comparison of the developmental hourglass.
AB  - The developmental hourglass model has its foundations in classic anatomical
      studies by von Baer and Haeckel. In this context, even the conservation of animal
      body plans has been explained by evolutionary constraints acting on mid
      embryogenic development. Recent studies have shown that developmental hourglass
      patterns also exist on the transcriptomic level, mirroring the corresponding
      morphological patterns. The identification of similar patterns in embryonic, post
      embryonic, and life cycle spanning transcriptomes in plant and fungus
      development, however, contradict the notion of a direct coupling between
      morphological and molecular patterns. To explain the existence of hourglass
      patterns across kingdoms and developmental processes, we propose the
      organizational checkpoint model that integrates the developmental hourglass model
      into a framework of transcriptome switches.

PMID- 28347943
TI  - The association between sodium fluctuations and mortality in surgical patients
      requiring intensive care.
AB  - PURPOSE: Serum sodium derangement is the most common electrolyte disturbance
      among patients admitted to intensive care. This study aims to validate the
      association between dysnatremia and serum sodium fluctuation with mortality in
      surgical intensive care patients. METHOD: We performed a retrospective analysis
      of the Medical Information Mart for Intensive Care II database. Dysnatremia was
      defined as a sodium concentration outside physiologic range (135-145mmol/L) and
      subjects were categorized by severity of dysnatremia and sodium fluctuation.
      Univariate and multivariable logistic regressions were used to test for
      associations between sodium fluctuations and mortality. RESULTS: We identified
      8600 subjects, 39% of whom were female, with a median age of 66years for
      analysis. Subjects with dysnatremia were more likely to be dead at 28 days (17%
      vs 7%; P<.001). There was a significant association between sodium fluctuation
      and mortality at 28 days (adjusted odds ratio per 1mmol/L change, 1.10 [95%
      confidence interval, 1.08-1.12; P<.001]), even in patients who remained
      normotremic during their intensive care unit stay (1.12 [95% confidence interval,
      1.09-1.16; P<.001]) CONCLUSIONS: This observational study validates previous
      findings of an association between serum sodium fluctuations and mortality in
      surgical intensive care patients. This association was also present in subjects
      who remained normonatremic throughout their intensive care unit admission.

PMID- 28347944
TI  - Regulating the gaps between folds on the surface of silk fibroin membranes via
      LBL deposition for improving their biomedical properties.
AB  - Silk fibroin (SF) has become a promising biomaterial in guided bone regeneration
      (GBR). In an attempt to modify the size of the gaps on the surface of SF barrier
      membrane and improve its antibacterial activity, biological and mechanical
      properties, positively charged Lysozyme (LY)-Collagen Type-I (COL) composites and
      negatively charged SF were introduced to the negatively charged surface of SF
      substrates utilizing the electrostatic layer-by-layer (LBL) self-assembly
      technique. The morphology, chemical structures and element content of the LBL
      structured membranes were investigated. The results suggested that LY and COL
      were successfully assembled and the gaps between the folds on the surface of the
      membranes became smaller gradually with the increase of coated film numbers.
      Besides, the content of beta-sheets of the membranes increased after deposition,
      which indicated the improvement of their mechanical properties. Moreover, the
      results of the measurement of immobilized LY and antibacterial assay not only
      revealed that the enzymatic catalysis and antibacterial activity of the samples
      enhanced with the increase of coated bilayer numbers but also implied that LBL
      modified membranes had better antibacterial activity when LY-COL was on the
      outermost layer. Furthermore, CCK-8 assay certified both SF membrane and LBL
      structured membranes could facilitate cell growth and proliferation, and the
      introduction of COL could further promote this ability. Finally, cell attachment
      and morphology examination provided intuitional evidence that SF membrane and LBL
      modified membranes have excellent biocompatibility.

PMID- 28347945
TI  - Structural effect of Fe3O4 nanoparticles on peroxidase-like activity for cancer
      therapy.
AB  - Ferromagnetic nanoparticles (Fe3O4 NPs) have been proven to have the intrinsic
      peroxidase-like activity. This property has been used for analyte detection,
      tumor tissue visualization, and cancer therapy, etc. However, the effect of
      particle structure and morphology on its peroxidase-like activity has been rarely
      reported. In this work, we fabricated Fe3O4 nanoparticles with different
      structures (nanoclusters, nanoflowers, and nanodiamonds) by facilely tuning the
      pH values in the hydrothermal reaction. Their in vitro peroxidase-like activity
      was evaluated via chromogenic reaction of 3,3',5,5'-tetramethylbenzidine (TMB) by
      the reduction of H2O2 to H2O. It was found the nanostructures had a great
      influence on their peroxidase-like activity, following the order of
      nanoclusters>nanoflowers>nanodiamonds. With this activity, the peroxidase-like
      activity of Fe3O4 NPs was used for cancer therapy with the addition of low
      concentration H2O2. The cancer cell-killing activity was due to the intracellular
      generated reactive oxygen species (ROS) after endocytosis of Fe3O4 NPs into the
      Hela cells. It was interesting that the cell killing ability of these three kinds
      of Fe3O4 NPs was not consistent with the in vitro enzyme-like activity. It was
      deduced that the cell endocytosis of the nanoparticles along with their enzyme
      like activity co-determined their cancer cell-killing performance.

PMID- 28347946
TI  - A two-component micelle with emergent pH responsiveness by mixing dilauroyl
      phosphocholine and deoxycholic acid and its delivery of proteins into the
      cytosol.
AB  - Providing appropriate pH responsiveness for drug delivery nanoparticles is one of
      the major issues in developing a new generation of delivery systems. This paper
      reports that, when phosphocholine and a bile acid were mixed, the resultant two
      component micelle gained pH responsiveness, while the individual components did
      not show any such responsiveness. The pH responsiveness was shown to be
      determined by the chemical structure, especially the positions and chirality of
      the OH groups, of the bile acid, and the sensitivity was determined by the alkyl
      chain length of the phosphocholine. The best combination for evading endocytosis
      was dilauroyl phosphocholine (DLPC) and deoxycholic acid (DA). Small-angle X-ray
      scattering revealed that the pH responsiveness was related to the change of
      surface hydrophobicity, namely, decreasing pH led to protonation of the
      carboxylic acid, resulting in aggregation of the preceding micelles. We assume
      that particles that become hydrophobic in this way can start interacting with the
      endocytotic bilayer, which eventually leads to rupture of the endocytotic
      vesicle. This mechanism is well supported by the finding that fluorescein
      conjugated ovalbumin proteins were transported into the cytosol when they were co
      administered with DLPC/DA.

PMID- 28347947
TI  - Thermosensitive hydrogel loaded with chitosan-carbon nanotubes for near infrared
      light triggered drug delivery.
AB  - Controlled drug release with on demand is an important challenge for drug
      delivery. Near-infrared (NIR) light triggered drug delivery reflected the
      development of a significant strategy to control drug release based on
      photothermal effects. Herein, a sustained and controlled drug delivery system was
      developed based on a PCL-PEG-PCL thermosensitive hydrogel combined with chitosan
      multiwalled carbon nanotubes for a near infrared light triggered drug delivery.
      Carbon nanotubes that incorporate hydrogel can enhance the sustained effect of
      drug delivery by a dual-stage release and allow drug delivery by controlling
      light irradiation. This in situ photothermal process was monitored by thermal
      imaging and the controlled drug delivery of doxorubicin was tracked in real-time
      by fluorescence imaging in vivo based on the fluorescence ability of the drug
      using nude mice as models. The results suggest that the photothermal effect of
      the carbon nanotubes can disrupt the structure of the hydrogel with a gel-sol
      transition, triggering the release of the drug from the sustained drug delivery
      system by NIR irradiation while responding on demand. The sustained and
      controlled drug delivery has the potential to implement the accurate
      administration of hydrogel-based drug delivery systems.

PMID- 28347948
TI  - Laser microfabrication of a microheater chip for cell culture outside a cell
      incubator.
AB  - Microfluidic chips have demonstrated their significant application potentials in
      microbiological processing and chemical reactions, with the goal of developing
      monolithic and compact chip-sized multifunctional systems. Heat generation and
      thermal control are critical in some of the biochemical processes. The paper
      presents a laser direct-write technique for rapid prototyping and manufacturing
      of microheater chips and its applicability for lab-on-a-chip cell culture outside
      a cell incubator. The aim of the microheater is to take the role of conventional
      incubators for cell culture for facilitating microscopic observation and/or other
      online monitoring activities during cell culture and provides portability of cell
      culture operation. Microheaters (5mm*5mm) have been successfully fabricated on
      soda-lime glass substrates covered with aluminium layer of thickness 120nm.
      Experimental results show that the microheaters exhibit good performance in
      temperature rise and decay characteristics, with localized heating at targeted
      spatial domains. These microheaters were suitable for a maximum long-term
      operation temperature of 120 degrees C and validated for operation at 37 degrees
      C for 48h. Results demonstrated that the microheaters are suitable for the
      culture of immortalised cell lines. The growth and viability of SW480 colon
      adenocarcinoma cells cultured the developed microheater chip were comparable to
      the results obtained in a conventional cell incubator.

PMID- 28347949
TI  - Perinatal and postnatal risk factors for disruptive mood dysregulation disorder
      at age 11: 2004 Pelotas Birth Cohort Study.
AB  - BACKGROUND: To date, there have been few studies of DMDD examining the risk
      factors during gestation and during the first years of life. We assessed the
      perinatal and postnatal risk factors associated with the occurrence of disruptive
      mood dysregulation disorder (DMDD) by 11 years of age. METHODS: Prospective
      longitudinal study. Mothers completed a standardized questionnaire shortly after
      childbirth. We used the Development and Well-Being Assessment, administered to
      the mothers or legal guardians, to identify DMDD among the 11-year-old subjects.
      We also employed logistic regression to perform bivariate and multivariate
      analyses, using a theoretical model of conceptual analysis. RESULTS: We evaluated
      data related to 3563 subjects at 11 years of age. The prevalence of DMDD was 2.5%
      (95% CI=2.0-3.0). After adjusting for potential confounders, we found that the
      early risk factors for the development of DMDD by 11 years of age were maternal
      mood symptoms during pregnancy, maternal depression during the first years after
      childbirth, and low maternal level of education. LIMITATIONS: We were unable to
      evaluate the genetic characteristics of the family at the birth of each subject,
      and there were no data available regarding the prenatal or postnatal mental
      health of the fathers. CONCLUSIONS: The prevalence of DMDD in early adolescence
      is low and its risk factors are related to potentially modifiable maternal
      characteristics. Scientific evidence indicates that DMDD is a major predictor of
      other psychiatric disorders, especially depression and anxiety. Effective
      prenatal and postnatal mental health care could prevent mental disorders in
      offspring.

PMID- 28347950
TI  - A mechanistic model for anaerobic phototrophs in domestic wastewater
      applications: Photo-anaerobic model (PAnM).
AB  - Purple phototrophic bacteria (PPB) have been recently proposed as a key potential
      mechanism for accumulative biotechnologies for wastewater treatment with total
      nutrient recovery, low greenhouse gas emissions, and a neutral to positive energy
      balance. Purple phototrophic bacteria have a complex metabolism which can be
      regulated for process control and optimization. Since microbial processes
      governing PPB metabolism differ from traditional processes used for wastewater
      treatment (e.g., aerobic and anaerobic functional groups in ASM and ADM1), a
      model basis has to be developed to be used as a framework for further detailed
      modelling under specific situations. This work presents a mixed population
      phototrophic model for domestic wastewater treatment in anaerobic conditions. The
      model includes photoheterotrophy, which is divided into acetate consumption and
      other organics consumption, chemoheterotrophy (including simplified fermentation
      and anaerobic oxidation) and photoautotrophy (using hydrogen as an electron
      donor), as microbial processes, as well as hydrolysis and biomass decay as
      biochemical processes, and is single-biomass based. The main processes have been
      evaluated through targeted batch experiments, and the key kinetic and
      stoichiometric parameters have been determined. The process was assessed by
      analyzing a continuous reactor simulation scenario within a long-term wastewater
      treatment system in a photo-anaerobic membrane bioreactor.

PMID- 28347951
TI  - Comment on "Thermodynamically enhancing propionic acid degradation by using
      sulfate as an external electron acceptor in a thermophilic anaerobic membrane
      reactor" by Qiao, W., Takayanagi, K., Li, Q., Shofie, M., Gao, F., Dong, R., Li,
      Y-Y. Water Res. (2016).

PMID- 28347952
TI  - Anaerobic biodegradation of (emerging) organic contaminants in the aquatic
      environment.
AB  - Although strictly anaerobic conditions prevail in several environmental
      compartments, up to now, biodegradation studies with emerging organic
      contaminants (EOCs), such as pharmaceuticals and personal care products, have
      mainly focused on aerobic conditions. One of the reasons probably is the
      assumption that the aerobic degradation is more energetically favorable than
      degradation under strictly anaerobic conditions. Certain aerobically recalcitrant
      contaminants, however, are biodegraded under strictly anaerobic conditions and
      little is known about the organisms and enzymatic processes involved in their
      degradation. This review provides a comprehensive survey of characteristic
      anaerobic biotransformation reactions for a variety of well-studied, structurally
      rather simple contaminants (SMOCs) bearing one or a few different functional
      groups/structural moieties. Furthermore it summarizes anaerobic degradation
      studies of more complex contaminants with several functional groups (CMCs), in
      soil, sediment and wastewater treatment. While strictly anaerobic conditions are
      able to promote the transformation of several aerobically persistent
      contaminants, the variety of observed reactions is limited, with reductive
      dehalogenations and the cleavage of ether bonds being the most prevalent. Thus,
      it becomes clear that the transferability of degradation mechanisms deduced from
      culture studies of SMOCs to predict the degradation of CMCs, such as EOCs, in
      environmental matrices is hampered due the more complex chemical structure
      bearing different functional groups, different environmental conditions (e.g.
      matrix, redox, pH), the microbial community (e.g. adaptation, competition) and
      the low concentrations typical for EOCs.

PMID- 28347953
TI  - Maximum specific growth rate of anammox bacteria revisited.
AB  - Anammox bacteria have long been considered to be slow-growing bacteria. However,
      it has recently been reported that they could grow much faster than previously
      thought when they were cultivated in a membrane bioreactor (MBR) with a step-wise
      decrease in the solid retention time (SRT). Here, we reevaluated the maximum
      specific growth rates (MUmax) of three phylogenetically distant anammox bacterial
      species (i.e. "Ca. Brocadia sinica", "Ca. Jettenia caeni" and "Ca. Scalindua
      sp.") by directly measuring 16S rRNA gene copy numbers using newly developed
      quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) assays. When free-living planktonic
      "Ca. B. sinica" and "Ca. J. caeni" cells were immobilized in polyvinyl alcohol
      (PVA) and sodium alginate (SA) gel beads and cultivated in an up-flow column
      reactor with high substrate loading rates at 37  degrees C, the MUmax were
      determined to be 0.33 +/- 0.02 d-1 and 0.18 d-1 (corresponding doubling time of
      2.1 day and 3.9 day) from the exponential increases in 16S rRNA genes copy
      numbers, respectively. These values were faster than the fastest growth rates
      reported for these species so far. The cultivation of anammox bacteria in gel
      beads was achieved less than one month without special cultivation method and
      selection pressure, and the exponential increase in 16S rRNA gene numbers was
      directly measured by qPCR with high reproducibility; therefore, the resulting
      MUmax values were considered accurate. Taken together, the fast growth is,
      therefore, considered to be an intrinsic kinetic property of anammox bacteria.

PMID- 28347954
TI  - Interaction of IRF9 and STAT2 synergistically up-regulates IFN and PKR
      transcription in Ctenopharyngodon idella.
AB  - IRF9 is a key factor in the JAK-STAT pathway. Under the stimulation of type I
      IFN, IRF9 interacts with STAT1 and STAT2 to form the IFN-I-stimulated gene factor
      3 (ISGF3) which activates the transcription of ISG. However, many studies also
      showed that the dimmer IRF9/STAT2 rather than the tripolymer IRF9/STAT1/STAT2
      acts as the ISGF3 in cells in response to IFN signals. In the present study, the
      full-length cDNA sequence of IRF9 (termed CiIRF9, KT601055) and STAT2 (term
      CiSTAT2, KT781914) from grass carp were cloned and identified. A low level of
      constitutive expression of CiIRF9 was detected by RT-PCR in grass carp tissues,
      but it was significantly up-regulated by LPS and poly I:C stimulation. In vitro,
      a high-affinity interaction between CiIRF9 and the promoter of CiIFN or CiPKR was
      demonstrated by gel mobility shift assay. In vivo, the promoter activities of
      CiIFN and CiPKR were not only increased by transient transfection of CiIRF9, but
      also prominently increased by co-transfection of CiIRF9 and CiSTAT2. Moreover,
      the interaction of CiIRF9 and CiSTAT2 was further investigated by in vivo and in
      vitro protein interaction assays. Recombinant CiIRF9 and CiSTAT2, both tagged
      with FLAG (or HA), were expressed in HEK 293T cells by transient transfection
      experiment. Co-immunoprecipitation assays showed that CiIRF9 can interact with
      CiSTAT2 in vivo. Soluble GST-ST2-936 (containing the N-terminal and coiled-coil
      domain of CiSTAT2) was expressed and purified from E. coli. A GST pull-down assay
      suggested that GST-tagged ST2-936 efficiently bound to FLAG-tagged IRF9. The data
      indicated that interaction of IRF9 and STAT2 synergistically up-regulated the
      transcriptional level of IFN and ISG genes.

PMID- 28347955
TI  - A comparison of the material properties of natural and synthetic vascular walls.
AB  - Characterization of the mechanical properties of native and synthetic vascular
      grafts is an essential task in the process of designing novel vascular
      constructs. The aim in this study was to compare the mechanical behavior of ovine
      left Subclavian artery with that of POSS-PCU (a commercial biomaterial which is
      currently under clinical investigation. ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier:
      NCT02301312). We used Delfino's strain energy potential within the framework of
      quasilinear viscoelasticity theory to capture the viscoelastic response of the
      considered materials. The material parameters of the quasilinear viscoelastic
      constitutive equation were determined through a combination of experimental and
      computational method. First, a uniaxial tensile testing device was used to
      perform a series of stress relaxation tests on ring samples. Then, the derived
      quasilinear viscoelastic models were implemented into finite element system. With
      the aid of mechanical experimentation and finite element simulation, the material
      parameters were obtained, modified and used for comparison of the mechanical
      properties of vascular walls. The results showed that the stiffness and the long
      term viscoelastic parameters of POSS-PCU may lead to different stress responses
      of the vascular walls. These two factors can be improved by modifications in
      manufacturing parameters of the synthetic vessel.

PMID- 28347956
TI  - A foam model highlights the differences of the macro- and microrheology of
      respiratory horse mucus.
AB  - Native horse mucus is characterized with micro- and macrorheology and compared to
      hydroxyethylcellulose (HEC) gel as a model. Both systems show comparable
      viscoelastic properties on the microscale and for the HEC the macrorheology is in
      good agreement with the microrheology. For the mucus, the viscoelastic moduli on
      the macroscale are several orders of magnitude larger than on the microscale.
      Large amplitude oscillatory shear experiments show that the mucus responds
      nonlinearly at much smaller deformations than HEC. This behavior fosters the
      assumption that the mucus has a foam like structure on the microscale compared to
      the typical mesh like structure of the HEC, a model that is supported by
      cryogenic-scanning-electron-microscopy (CSEM) images. These images allow also to
      determine the relative amount of volume that is occupied by the pores and the
      scaffold. Consequently, we can estimate the elastic modulus of the scaffold. We
      conclude that this particular foam like microstructure should be considered as a
      key factor for the transport of particulate matter which plays a central role in
      mucus function with respect to particle penetration.

PMID- 28347957
TI  - Ventriculoatrial versus ventriculoperitoneal shunt complications in idiopathic
      normal pressure hydrocephalus.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Idiopathic normal pressure hydrocephalus (iNPH) is a devastating
      condition that affects the elderly population. Although ventriculoatrial (VA)
      shunts can be used to manage iNPH, concerns for associated cardiopulmonary and
      renal complications have decreased their use. However, the rate of these
      complications is not well understood within this population of patients. PATIENTS
      AND METHODS: A retrospective review of the electronic medical records of patients
      diagnosed with iNPH by the senior author between 1993 and 2015 was performed.
      Demographic information and baseline symptoms were assessed. Complications
      including infection, shunt obstruction, overdrainage, cardiopulmonary events,
      renal dysfunction, and shunt revision were recorded. Complication rates were
      compared between VA and VP shunted patients. Statistical analysis using Chi
      square test, Fisher's exact test, logistic regression, Wald t-test, Poisson
      regression, ANOVA, and ANCOVA was performed. RESULTS: 496 Patients, including 150
      receiving VA shunts and 346 receiving VP shunts, were included in the study. The
      median age was 74 and 73 for VA and VP shunted patients, respectively, with
      slight male predominance in both (58.0% and 58.4% for VA and VP groups,
      respectively). A total of 36.0% of VA shunted patients and 42.5% of VP shunted
      patients experienced at least one post-operative complication. Overdrainage was
      the most commonly experienced complication in both VA (27.4%) and VP patients
      (19.9%). Infection occurred in only 2.0% of patients, and renal complications
      occurred in 1.3%. No patients had cardiopulmonary complications. VA shunted
      patients were significantly less likely to experience shunt obstruction and
      require shunt revision compared to VP shunted patients (p=0.008 and <0.001,
      respectively). Only dizziness and gait disturbance at baseline were correlated
      with a shorter time to revision in VA shunted patients (p=0.002 for both).
      CONCLUSION: Although cardiopulmonary and renal complications are serious concerns
      associated with VA shunt placement, they were uncommon in patients with iNPH. VA
      shunted patients were less likely to experience shunt obstruction and require
      shunt revision compared to VP shunted patients. Therefore, VA shunts should be
      considered as an alternative primary treatment option in the iNPH population.

PMID- 28347958
TI  - Green synthesis of Ag nanoparticles using Tamarind fruit extract for the
      antibacterial studies.
AB  - In the present study, first time we report the microwave-assisted green synthesis
      of silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) using Tamarindus indica natural fruit extract.
      The plant extract plays a dual role of reducing and capping agent for the
      synthesis of AgNPs. The formation of spherical shape AgNPs is confirmed by XRD,
      HR-SEM, and HR-TEM. The presence of face-centered cubic (FCC) silver is confirmed
      by XRD studies and the average crystallite size of AgNPs is calculated to be
      around 6-8nm. The average particle diameter is found to be around 10nm, which is
      identified from HR-TEM images. The purity of AgNPs is confirmed by EDX analysis.
      The presence of sigmoid curve in UV-Visible absorption spectra suggests that the
      reaction has complicated kinetic features. To investigate the functional groups
      of the extract and their involvement in the reduction of AgNO3 to form AgNPs, FT
      IR studies are carried out. The redox peaks are observed in cyclic voltammetry in
      the potential range of -1.2 to +1.2V, due to the redox active components of the
      T. indica fruit extract. In photoluminescence spectroscopy, the excited and
      emission peaks were obtained at 432nm and 487nm, respectively. The as-prepared
      AgNPs showed good results towards antibacterial activities. Hence, the present
      approach is a facile, cost- effective, reproducible, eco-friendly, and green
      method.

PMID- 28347959
TI  - The impact of succinate trace on pWW0 and ortho-cleavage pathway transcription in
      Pseudomonas putida mt-2 during toluene biodegradation.
AB  - Toluene is a pollutant catabolised through the interconnected pWW0 (TOL) and
      ortho-cleavage pathways of Pseudomonas putida mt-2, while upon succinate and
      toluene mixtures introduction in batch cultures grown on M9 medium, succinate was
      previously reported as non-repressing. The effect of a 40 times lower succinate
      concentration, as compared to literature values, was explored through systematic
      real-time qPCR monitoring of transcriptional kinetics of the key TOL Pu, Pm and
      ortho-cleavage PbenR, PbenA promoters in mixed-substrate experiments. Even
      succinate trace inhibited transcription leading to bi-modal promoters expression.
      Potential carbon catabolite repression mechanisms and novel expression patterns
      of promoters were unfolded. Lag phase was shortened and biomass growth levels
      increased compared to sole toluene biodegradation suggesting enhanced pollutant
      removal efficiency. The study stressed the noticeable effect of a preferred
      compound's left-over on the main route of a bioprocess, revealing the beneficiary
      supply of low preferred substrates concentrations to design optimal
      bioremediation strategies.

PMID- 28347960
TI  - Pretreatment of eucalyptus with recycled ionic liquids for low-cost biorefinery.
AB  - It is urgent to develop recycled ionic liquids (ILs) as green solvents for
      sustainable biomass pretreatment. The goal of this study is to explore the
      availability and performance of reusing 1-allyl-3-methylimidazolium chloride
      ([amim]Cl) and 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium acetate ([bmim]OAc) for pretreatment,
      structural evolution, and enzymatic hydrolysis of eucalyptus. Cellulose enzymatic
      digestibility slightly decreased with the increased number of pretreatment
      recycles. The hydrolysis efficiencies of eucalyptus pretreated via 4th recycled
      ILs were 54.3% for [amim]Cl and 72.8% for [bmim]OAc, which were 5.0 and 6.7-folds
      higher than that of untreated eucalyptus. Deteriorations of ILs were observed by
      the relatively lower sugar conversion and lignin removal from eucalyptus after
      4th reuse. No appreciable changes in fundamental framework and thermal stability
      of [amim]Cl were observed even after successive pretreatments, whereas the
      anionic structure of [bmim]OAc was destroyed or replaced. This study suggested
      that the biomass pretreatment with recycled ILs was a potential alternative for
      low-cost biorefinery.

PMID- 28347961
TI  - A self-sustaining high-strength wastewater treatment system using solar-bio
      hybrid power generation.
AB  - This study focuses on system analysis of a self-sustaining high-strength
      wastewater treatment concept combining solar technologies, anaerobic digestion,
      and aerobic treatment to reclaim water. A solar bio-hybrid power generation unit
      was adopted to power the wastewater treatment. Concentrated solar power (CSP) and
      photovoltaics (PV) were combined with biogas energy from anaerobic digestion.
      Biogas is also used to store the extra energy generated by the hybrid power unit
      and ensure stable and continuous wastewater treatment. It was determined from the
      energy balance analysis that the PV-bio hybrid power unit is the preferred energy
      unit to realize the self-sustaining high-strength wastewater treatment. With
      short-term solar energy storage, the PV-bio-hybrid power unit in Phoenix, AZ
      requires solar collection area (4032m2) and biogas storage (35m3), while the same
      unit in Lansing, MI needs bigger solar collection area and biogas storage (5821m2
      and 105m3, respectively) due to the cold climate.

PMID- 28347962
TI  - Effective depolymerization of concentrated acid hydrolysis lignin using a carbon
      supported ruthenium catalyst in ethanol/formic acid media.
AB  - Lignin isolated by two-step concentrated acid hydrolysis of empty fruit bunch
      (EFB) was effectively depolymerized into a high-quality bio-oil using formic acid
      (FA) as an in-situ hydrogen source and Ru/C as a catalyst in supercritical
      ethanol. A bio-oil yield of 66.3wt% with an average molecular weight of 822g/mol
      and an aromatic monomer content of 6.1wt% was achieved at 350 degrees C and a FA
      to-lignin mass ratio of 3 after a reaction time of 60min. The combination of Ru/C
      and FA also resulted in a significant reduction in the oxygen content of the bio
      oil by ~60% and a corresponding increase in the higher heating value (HHV) to
      32.7MJ/kg due to the enhanced hydrodeoxygenation activity. An examination of the
      FA decomposition characteristics revealed that Ru/C provides a greater increase
      in the rate of hydrogen production from FA, explaining the efficient
      depolymerization of lignin in a combined system.

PMID- 28347963
TI  - Comparison of batch cultivation strategies for cost-effective biomass production
      of Micractinium inermum NLP-F014 using a blended wastewater medium.
AB  - Two competitive strategies, fed-batch and sequencing-batch cultivation, were
      compared in cost-effective biomass production of a high lipid microalgae,
      Micractinium inermum NLP-F014 using a blended wastewater medium. For fed-batch
      cultivations, additional nutrient was supplemented at day 2 (FB1) or
      consecutively added at day 2 and 4 (FB2). Through inoculum size test, 1.0g-DCWL-1
      was selected for the sequencing-batch cultivation (SB) where about 65% of culture
      was replaced with fresh medium every 2days. Both fed-batch cultivations showed
      the maximum biomass productivity of 0.95g-DCWL-1d-1, while average biomass
      productivity in SB was slightly higher as 0.96+/-0.08g-DCWL-1d-1. Furthermore,
      remained concentrations of organics (426mg-CODL-1), total nitrogen (15.4mg-NL-1)
      and phosphorus (0.6mg-PL-1) in SB were much lower than those of fed-batch
      conditions. The results suggested that SB could be a promising strategy to
      cultivate M. inermum NLP-F014 with the blended wastewater medium.

PMID- 28347964
TI  - Effects of shearing on biogas production and microbial community structure during
      anaerobic digestion with recuperative thickening.
AB  - Recuperative thickening can intensify anaerobic digestion to produce more biogas
      and potentially reduce biosolids odour. This study elucidates the effects of
      sludge shearing during the thickening process on the microbial community
      structure and its effect on biogas production. Medium shearing resulted in
      approximately 15% increase in biogas production. By contrast, excessive or high
      shearing led to a marked decrease in biogas production, possibly due to sludge
      disintegration and cell lysis. Microbial analysis using 16S rRNA gene amplicon
      sequencing showed that medium shearing increased the evenness and diversity of
      the microbial community in the anaerobic digester, which is consistent with the
      observed improved biogas production. By contrast, microbial diversity decreased
      under either excessive shearing or high shearing condition. In good agreement
      with the observed decrease in biogas production, the abundance of Bacteroidales
      and Syntrophobaterales (which are responsible for hydrolysis and acetogenesis)
      decreased due to high shearing during recuperative thickening.

PMID- 28347965
TI  - Transport, fate, and long-term impacts of metal oxide nanoparticles on the
      stability of an anaerobic methanogenic system with anaerobic granular sludge.
AB  - The fate and long-term effect of different metal oxide (TiO2, CuO and ZnO)
      nanoparticles (NPs) on anaerobic granular sludge (AGS) was evaluated in an
      anaerobic methanogenic system. Operation stability and structural characteristics
      of the granules were compared, the metabolism changes in the microbial community
      were quantified, and NPs fate were investigated. CuO NPs had greatest toxic
      effect on AGS after extended exposure, whereas ZnO NPs benefited methanogenesis
      temporarily (no more than 5d). The inhibition on AGS caused by NPs varied due to
      the unique structure of AGS and different toxic mechanism. Structural changes of
      AGS provided new evidence that tested NPs have different toxicity.

PMID- 28347966
TI  - A novel aptasensor for lysozyme based on electrogenerated chemiluminescence
      resonance energy transfer between luminol and silicon quantum dots.
AB  - In the present work, electrogenerated chemiluminescence (ECL) of luminol was
      investigated in neutral condition at a gold electrode in the presence of silicon
      quantum dots (SiQDs). The results revealed that SiQDs can not only greatly
      enhance luminol ECL, but also act as energy acceptor to construct a novel ECL
      resonance energy transfer (ECL-RET) system with luminol. As a result, strong
      anodic ECL signal was obtained in neutral condition at the bare gold electrode,
      which is suitable for biosensing application. Lysozyme exhibited apparent
      inhibiting effect on the ECL-RET system, based on which an ECL aptasensor was
      fabricated for the sensitive detection of lysozyme. The proposed method showed
      high sensitivity, good selectivity, and wide linearity for the detection of
      lysozyme in the range of 5.0*10-14-5.0*10-9gmL-1 with a detection limit of 5.8*10
      15gmL-1 (3sigma). The results suggested that as-proposed luminol/SiQDs ECL
      biosensor will be promising in the detection enzyme.

PMID- 28347967
TI  - A two-photon NIR-to-NIR fluorescent probe for imaging hydrogen peroxide in living
      cells.
AB  - Hydrogen peroxide (H2O2), one of the reactive oxygen species (ROS), plays vital
      roles in diverse physiological processes. Imbalance of the H2O2 is concerned with
      serious diseases such as cardiovascular disorders, neurodegenerative diseases,
      Alzheimer's disease and cancer. Therefore, it is critical to develop efficient
      methods for monitoring H2O2 in vivo. In this work, a two-photon excitation
      (860nm) NIR fluorescent turn-on probe TPNR-H2O2 for H2O2 based on
      Dicyanomethylene-4H-pyran fluorophore is reported, which can be used in solution
      detection with 13.2-fold NIR fluorescence enhancement, fast response (completed
      within 40min), excellent sensitivity (DL 72.48nM), and lower cellular auto
      fluorescence interference. Importantly, the perfect photostability of TPNR-H2O2
      clearly demonstrated that the probe could be applied to imaging intracellular
      H2O2 for a long time without photobleaching. In addition, through two-photon
      imaging, this probe was cell permeable and used to monitor the level of
      endogenous and exogenous H2O2 with promising biological application.

PMID- 28347968
TI  - Assessing wildfire exposure in the Wildland-Urban Interface area of the mountains
      of central Argentina.
AB  - Wildfires are a major threat to people and property in Wildland Urban Interface
      (WUI) communities worldwide, but while the patterns of the WUI in North America,
      Europe and Oceania have been studied before, this is not the case in Latin
      America. Our goals were to a) map WUI areas in central Argentina, and b) assess
      wildfire exposure for WUI communities in relation to historic fires, with special
      emphasis on large fires and estimated burn probability based on an empirical
      model. We mapped the WUI in the mountains of central Argentina (810,000 ha),
      after digitizing the location of 276,700 buildings and deriving vegetation maps
      from satellite imagery. The areas where houses and wildland vegetation
      intermingle were classified as Intermix WUI (housing density > 6.17 hu/km2 and
      wildland vegetation cover > 50%), and the areas where wildland vegetation abuts
      settlements were classified as Interface WUI (housing density > 6.17 hu/km2,
      wildland vegetation cover < 50%, but within 600 m of a vegetated patch larger
      than 5 km2). We generated burn probability maps based on historical fire data
      from 1999 to 2011; as well as from an empirical model of fire frequency. WUI
      areas occupied 15% of our study area and contained 144,000 buildings (52%). Most
      WUI area was Intermix WUI, but most WUI buildings were in the Interface WUI. Our
      findings suggest that central Argentina has a WUI fire problem. WUI areas
      included most of the buildings exposed to wildfires and most of the buildings
      located in areas of higher burn probability. Our findings can help focus fire
      management activities in areas of higher risk, and ultimately provide support for
      landscape management and planning aimed at reducing wildfire risk in WUI
      communities.

PMID- 28347969
TI  - Effectiveness of management interventions on forest carbon stock in planted
      forests in Nepal.
AB  - Nepal has successfully established more than 370,000 ha of plantations, mostly
      with Pinus patula, in the last three and a half decades. However, intensive
      management of these planted forests is very limited. Despite the fact that the
      Kyoto Convention in 1997 recognized the role of plantations for forest-carbon
      sequestration, there is still limited knowledge on the effects of management
      practices and stand density on carbon-sequestration of popular plantation species
      (i.e. Pinus patula) in Nepal. We carried out case studies in four community
      forests planted between 1976 and 1990 to assess the impacts of management on
      forest carbon stocks. The study found that the average carbon stock in the pine
      plantations was 217 Mg C ha-1, and was lower in forests with intensively managed
      plantations (214.3 Mg C ha-1) than in traditionally managed plantations (219 Mg C
      ha-1). However, it was the reverse in case of soil carbon, which was higher
      (78.65 Mg C ha-1) in the forests with intensive management. Though stand density
      was positively correlated with carbon stock, the proportionate increment in
      carbon stock was lower with increasing stand density, as carbon stock increased
      by less than 25% with a doubling of stand density (300-600). The total carbon
      stock was higher in plantations aged between 25 and 30 years compared to those
      aged between 30 and 35 years.

PMID- 28347970
TI  - Sulfate removal from wastewater using ettringite precipitation: Magnesium ion
      inhibition and process optimization.
AB  - One of the main challenges in industrial wastewater treatment and recovery is the
      removal of sulfate, which usually coexists with Ca2+ and Mg2+. The effect of Mg2+
      on sulfate removal by ettringite precipitation was investigated, and the process
      was optimized in the absence and presence of Mg2+. In the absence of Mg2+, the
      optimum conditions with sulfate removal of 99.7% were obtained at calcium-to
      sulfate ratio of 3.20, aluminum-to-sulfate ratio of 1.25 and pH of 11.3 using
      response surface methodology. In the presence of Mg2+, sulfate removal efficiency
      decreased with increasing Mg2+ concentration, and the inhibitory effect of Mg2+
      matched the competitive inhibition Monod model with half maximum inhibition
      concentration of 57.4 mmol/L. X-ray diffraction and Fourier transform infrared
      spectroscopy analyses of precipitates revealed that ettringite was converted to
      hydrotalcite-type (HT) compound in the presence of Mg2+. The morphology of
      precipitates was transformed from prismatic crystals to stacked layered crystals,
      which confirmed that Mg2+ competes with Ca2+ for Al3+ to form HT compound. A two
      stage process was designed with Mg2+ removal before ettringite precipitation to
      eliminate the inhibitory effect, and is potential to realize sludge recovery at
      the same time of effective removal of sulfate and hardness.

PMID- 28347971
TI  - Projected impacts of urbanisation on hydrological resource flows: A case study
      within the uMngeni Catchment, South Africa.
AB  - Significant land use changes from natural/agricultural to urban land uses have
      been proposed within the Mpushini/Mkhondeni sub-catchments of the uMngeni
      Catchment in South Africa. A better understanding of the influences which such
      land use changes are likely to have on hydrological flows, is required, in order
      to make informed land use decisions for a sustainable future. As a point of
      departure, an overview of linkages between urbanisation and hydrological flow
      responses within this sub-humid study area is given. The urban characteristics of
      increased impervious areas and the potential return flows from transfers of
      potable water from outside the catchment were identified as being important in
      regard to hydrological flow responses. A methodology was developed to model urban
      response scenarios with urban characteristics as variables, using the daily time
      step process based ACRU model. This is a hydrological multi-process model and not
      an urban hydraulic model and it addresses the landscape as well as the channel
      components of a catchment, and in addition to runoff components includes
      evaporation and transpiration losses as outputs. For the study area strong links
      between proposed urbanisation and hydrological resource flow responses were
      found, with increases in stormflows, together with increased and more regulated
      baseflows, and with impacts varying markedly between dry or wet years and by
      season. The impacts will depend on the fractions of impervious areas, whether or
      not these are connected to permeable areas, the amount of imported water and
      water system leaks. Furthermore, the urban hydrological impacts were found to be
      relatively greater in more arid than humid areas because of changes in the
      rainfall to runoff conversion. Flow changes due to urbanisation are considered to
      have important environmental impacts, requiring mitigation. The methodology used
      in this paper could be used for other urbanising areas.

PMID- 28347973
TI  - A Software Framework for Remote Patient Monitoring by Using Multi-Agent Systems
      Support.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Although there have been significant advances in network, hardware,
      and software technologies, the health care environment has not taken advantage of
      these developments to solve many of its inherent problems. Research activities in
      these 3 areas make it possible to apply advanced technologies to address many of
      these issues such as real-time monitoring of a large number of patients,
      particularly where a timely response is critical. OBJECTIVE: The objective of
      this research was to design and develop innovative technological solutions to
      offer a more proactive and reliable medical care environment. The short-term and
      primary goal was to construct IoT4Health, a flexible software framework to
      generate a range of Internet of things (IoT) applications, containing components
      such as multi-agent systems that are designed to perform Remote Patient
      Monitoring (RPM) activities autonomously. An investigation into its full
      potential to conduct such patient monitoring activities in a more proactive way
      is an expected future step. METHODS: A framework methodology was selected to
      evaluate whether the RPM domain had the potential to generate customized
      applications that could achieve the stated goal of being responsive and flexible
      within the RPM domain. As a proof of concept of the software framework's
      flexibility, 3 applications were developed with different implementations for
      each framework hot spot to demonstrate potential. Agents4Health was selected to
      illustrate the instantiation process and IoT4Health's operation. To develop more
      concrete indicators of the responsiveness of the simulated care environment, an
      experiment was conducted while Agents4Health was operating, to measure the number
      of delays incurred in monitoring the tasks performed by agents. RESULTS:
      IoT4Health's construction can be highlighted as our contribution to the
      development of eHealth solutions. As a software framework, IoT4Health offers
      extensibility points for the generation of applications. Applications can extend
      the framework in the following ways: identification, collection, storage,
      recovery, visualization, monitoring, anomalies detection, resource notification,
      and dynamic reconfiguration. Based on other outcomes involving observation of the
      resulting applications, it was noted that its design contributed toward more
      proactive patient monitoring. Through these experimental systems, anomalies were
      detected in real time, with agents sending notifications instantly to the health
      providers. CONCLUSIONS: We conclude that the cost-benefit of the construction of
      a more generic and complex system instead of a custom-made software system
      demonstrated the worth of the approach, making it possible to generate
      applications in this domain in a more timely fashion.

PMID- 28347972
TI  - The Effect of Technology-Mediated Diabetes Prevention Interventions on Weight: A
      Meta-Analysis.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Lifestyle interventions targeting weight loss, such as those
      delivered through the Diabetes Prevention Program, reduce the risk of developing
      type 2 diabetes. Technology-mediated interventions may be an option to help
      overcome barriers to program delivery, and to disseminate diabetes prevention
      programs on a larger scale. OBJECTIVE: We conducted a meta-analysis to evaluate
      the effect of such technology-mediated interventions on weight loss. METHODS: In
      this meta-analysis, six databases were searched to identify studies reporting
      weight change that used technology to mediate diet and exercise interventions,
      and targeted individuals at high risk for developing type 2 diabetes. Studies
      published between January 1, 2002 and August 4, 2016 were included. RESULTS: The
      search identified 1196 citations. Of those, 15 studies met the inclusion criteria
      and evaluated 18 technology-mediated intervention arms delivered to a total of
      2774 participants. Study duration ranged from 12 weeks to 2 years. A random
      effects meta-analysis showed a pooled weight loss effect of 3.76 kilograms (95%
      CI 2.8-4.7; P<.001) for the interventions. Several studies also reported improved
      glycemic control following the intervention. The small sample sizes and
      heterogeneity of the trials precluded an evaluation of which technology-mediated
      intervention method was most efficacious. CONCLUSIONS: Technology-mediated
      diabetes prevention programs can result in clinically significant amounts of
      weight loss, as well as improvements in glycaemia in patients with prediabetes.
      Due to their potential for large-scale implementation, these interventions will
      play an important role in the dissemination of diabetes prevention programs.

PMID- 28347976
TI  - Arthur "Sam" Davidson.

PMID- 28347975
TI  - Automated Adherence Reminders for High Risk Children With Asthma: A Research
      Protocol.
AB  - BACKGROUND: The use of inhaled corticosteroid (ICS) medications has been shown to
      improve asthma control and reduce asthma-related morbidity and mortality. Two
      recent randomized trials demonstrated dramatic improvements in ICS adherence by
      monitoring adherence with electronic sensors and providing automated reminders to
      participants to take their ICS medications. Given their lower levels of adherence
      and higher levels of asthma-related emergency department (ED) visits,
      hospitalizations, and death, urban minority populations could potentially benefit
      greatly from these types of interventions. OBJECTIVE: The principal objective of
      this study will be to evaluate the feasibility, acceptability, and limited
      efficacy of a text message (short message service, SMS) reminder intervention to
      enhance ICS adherence in an urban minority population of children with asthma. We
      will also assess trajectories of ICS adherence in the 2 months following asthma
      hospitalization. METHODS: Participants will include 40 children aged 2-13 years,
      who are currently admitted to the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP) for
      asthma, and their parent or legal guardian. Participants will be assigned to
      intervention and control arms using a 1:1 randomization scheme. The intervention
      arm will receive daily text message reminders for a 30-day intervention phase
      following hospitalization. This will be followed by a 30-day follow-up phase, in
      which all participants may choose whether or not to receive the text messages.
      Feasibility will be assessed by measuring (1) retention of the participants
      through the study phases and (2) perceived usefulness, acceptability, and
      preferences regarding the intervention components. Limited efficacy outcomes will
      include percent adherence to prescribed ICS regimen measured using Propeller
      Health sensors and change in parent-reported asthma control. We will perform an
      exploratory analysis to assess for discrete trajectories of adherence using group
      based trajectory modeling (GBTM). RESULTS: Study enrollment began in December
      2015 and the intervention and follow-up phases are ongoing. Results of the data
      analysis are expected to be available by December 2016. CONCLUSIONS: This study
      will add to the literature by providing foundational feasibility data on which
      elements of a mobile health text-message reminder intervention may need to be
      modified to suit the needs and constraints of high-risk urban minority
      populations. TRIAL REGISTRATION: Clinicaltrials.gov NCT02615743;
      https://www.clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/study/NCT02615743 (Archived with WebCite
      at http://www.webcitation.org/6ji59rAXN).

PMID- 28347974
TI  - Whiplash Syndrome Reloaded: Digital Echoes of Whiplash Syndrome in the European
      Internet Search Engine Context.
AB  - BACKGROUND: In many Western countries, after a motor vehicle collision, those
      involved seek health care for the assessment of injuries and for insurance
      documentation purposes. In contrast, in many less wealthy countries, there may be
      limited access to care and no insurance or compensation system. OBJECTIVE: The
      purpose of this infodemiology study was to investigate the global pattern of
      evolving Internet usage in countries with and without insurance and the
      corresponding compensation systems for whiplash injury. METHODS: We used the
      Internet search engine analytics via Google Trends to study the health
      information-seeking behavior concerning whiplash injury at national population
      levels in Europe. RESULTS: We found that the search for "whiplash" is strikingly
      and consistently often associated with the search for "compensation" in countries
      or cultures with a tort system. Frequent or traumatic painful injuries; diseases
      or disorders such as arthritis, headache, radius, and hip fracture; depressive
      disorders; and fibromyalgia were not associated similarly with searches on
      "compensation." CONCLUSIONS: In this study, we present evidence from the evolving
      viewpoint of naturalistic Internet search engine analytics that the expectations
      for receiving compensation may influence Internet search behavior in relation to
      whiplash injury.

PMID- 28347977
TI  - Whatever happened to the polypill?

PMID- 28347979
TI  - David Ruston Childs.

PMID- 28347980
TI  - Penny Taylor.

PMID- 28347981
TI  - US doctors' groups call for parties to work together on healthcare reform.

PMID- 28347978
TI  - Intra-articular implantation of collagen scaffold carriers is safe in both native
      and arthrofibrotic rabbit knee joints.
AB  - OBJECTIVES: Sustained intra-articular delivery of pharmacological agents is an
      attractive modality but requires use of a safe carrier that would not induce
      cartilage damage or fibrosis. Collagen scaffolds are widely available and could
      be used intra-articularly, but no investigation has looked at the safety of
      collagen scaffolds within synovial joints. The aim of this study was to determine
      the safety of collagen scaffold implantation in a validated in vivo animal model
      of knee arthrofibrosis. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A total of 96 rabbits were
      randomly and equally assigned to four different groups: arthrotomy alone;
      arthrotomy and collagen scaffold placement; contracture surgery; and contracture
      surgery and collagen scaffold placement. Animals were killed in equal numbers at
      72 hours, two weeks, eight weeks, and 24 weeks. Joint contracture was measured,
      and cartilage and synovial samples underwent histological analysis. RESULTS:
      Animals that underwent arthrotomy had equivalent joint contractures regardless of
      scaffold implantation (-13.9 degrees  versus -10.9 degrees , equivalence limit 15
      degrees ). Animals that underwent surgery to induce contracture did not
      demonstrate equivalent joint contractures with (41.8 degrees ) or without (53.9
      degrees ) collagen scaffold implantation. Chondral damage occurred in similar
      rates with (11 of 48) and without (nine of 48) scaffold implantation. No
      significant difference in synovitis was noted between groups. Absorption of the
      collagen scaffold occurred within eight weeks in all animals CONCLUSION: Our data
      suggest that intra-articular implantation of a collagen sponge does not induce
      synovitis or cartilage damage. Implantation in a native joint does not seem to
      induce contracture. Implantation of the collagen sponge in a rabbit knee model of
      contracture may decrease the severity of the contracture.Cite this article: J. A.
      Walker, T. J. Ewald, E. Lewallen, A. Van Wijnen, A. D. Hanssen, B. F. Morrey, M.
      E. Morrey, M. P. Abdel, J. Sanchez-Sotelo. Intra-articular implantation of
      collagen scaffold carriers is safe in both native and arthrofibrotic rabbit knee
      joints. Bone Joint Res 2016;6:162-171. DOI: 10.1302/2046-3758.63.BJR-2016-0193.

PMID- 28347983
TI  - Jorgen Kieler.

PMID- 28347982
TI  - Consultant who acted as loan shark must repay L525 000 or face jail term.

PMID- 28347984
TI  - Trends in the diagnosis and management of hypertension: repeated primary care
      survey in South West England.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Previous surveys identified a shift to nurse-led care in hypertension
      in 2010. In 2011 the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE)
      recommended ambulatory (ABPM) or home (HBPM) blood pressure (BP) monitoring for
      diagnosis of hypertension. AIM: To survey the organisation of hypertension care
      in 2016 to identify changes, and to assess uptake of NICE diagnostic guidelines.
      DESIGN AND SETTING: Questionnaires were distributed to all 305 general practices
      in South West England. METHOD: Responses were compared with previous rounds (2007
      and 2010). Data from the 2015 Quality and Outcomes Framework (QOF) were used to
      compare responders with non-responders, and to explore associations of care
      organisation with QOF achievement. RESULTS: One-hundred-and-seventeen practices
      (38%) responded. Responders had larger list sizes and greater achievement of the
      QOF target BP <=150/90 mmHg. Healthcare assistants (HCAs) now monitor BP in 70%
      of practices, compared with 37% in 2010 and 19% in 2007 (P<0.001). Nurse
      prescribers alter BP medication in 26% of practices (11% in 2010, none in 2007;
      P<0.001). Of the practices, 89% have access to ABPM, but only 71% report
      confidence in interpreting results. Also, 87% offer HBPM, with 93% of these
      confident in interpreting results. CONCLUSION: In primary care BP monitoring has
      devolved from GPs and nurses to HCAs. One in 10 practices are not implementing
      NICE guidelines on ABPM and HBPM for diagnosis of hypertension. Most practices
      express confidence interpreting HBPM results but less so with ABPM. The need for
      education and quality assurance for allied health professionals is highlighted,
      and for training in ABPM interpretation for GPs.

PMID- 28347985
TI  - Clinical features of bowel disease in patients aged <50 years in primary care: a
      large case-control study.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Incidences of colorectal cancer (CRC) and inflammatory bowel disease
      (IBD) are increasing in those aged <50 years. AIM: To identify and quantify
      clinical features in primary care of CRC/IBD in those aged <50 years. This study
      considered the two conditions together and aimed to determine which younger
      patients, presenting in primary care with symptoms, would benefit from
      investigation for potentially serious colorectal disease. DESIGN AND SETTING:
      Matched case-control study using primary care records from the Clinical Practice
      Research Datalink, UK. METHOD: Incident cases (aged <50 years) of CRC (n = 1661)
      and IBD (n = 9578) diagnosed between 2000 and 2013 were each matched with up to
      three controls (n = 3979 CRC; n = 22 947 IBD). Odds ratios (OR) and positive
      predictive values (PPV) were estimated for features of CRC/IBD in the year before
      diagnosis. RESULTS: Ten features were independently associated with CRC/IBD (all
      P<0.001): rectal bleeding, change in bowel habit, diarrhoea, raised inflammatory
      markers, thrombocytosis, abdominal pain, low mean cell volume (MCV), low
      haemoglobin, raised white cell count, and raised hepatic enzymes. PPVs were >3%
      for rectal bleeding with diarrhoea, thrombocytosis, low MCV, low haemoglobin or
      raised inflammatory markers; for change in bowel habit with low MCV,
      thrombocytosis or low haemoglobin; and for diarrhoea with thrombocytosis.
      CONCLUSION: This study quantified the risk of serious bowel disease in
      symptomatic patients aged <50 years in primary care. Rectal bleeding and change
      in bowel habit are strongly predictive of CRC/IBD when combined with abnormal
      haematology. The present findings help prioritise patients for colonoscopy where
      the diagnosis is not immediately apparent.

PMID- 28347986
TI  - Evaluation of a complex intervention to improve primary care prescribing: a phase
      IV segmented regression interrupted time series analysis.
AB  - BACKGROUND: It is uncertain whether improvements in primary care high-risk
      prescribing seen in research trials can be realised in the real-world setting.
      AIM: To evaluate the impact of a 1-year system-wide phase IV prescribing safety
      improvement initiative, which included education, feedback, support to identify
      patients to review, and small financial incentives. DESIGN AND SETTING: An
      interrupted time series analysis of targeted high-risk prescribing in all 56
      general practices in NHS Forth Valley, Scotland, was performed. In 2013-2014,
      this focused on high-risk non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) in older
      people and NSAIDs with oral anticoagulants; in 2014-2015, it focused on
      antipsychotics in older people. METHOD: The primary analysis used segmented
      regression analysis to estimate impact at the end of the intervention, and 12
      months later. The secondary analysis used difference-in-difference methods to
      compare Forth Valley changes with those in NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde (GGC).
      RESULTS: In the primary analysis, downward trends for all three NSAID measures
      that were existent before the intervention statistically significantly steepened
      following implementation of the intervention. At the end of the intervention
      period, 1221 fewer patients than expected were prescribed a high-risk NSAID. In
      contrast, antipsychotic prescribing in older people increased slowly over time,
      with no intervention-associated change. In the secondary analysis, reductions at
      the end of the intervention period in all three NSAID measures were statistically
      significantly greater in NHS Forth Valley than in NHS GGC, but only significantly
      greater for two of these measures 12 months after the intervention finished.
      CONCLUSION: There were substantial and sustained reductions in the high-risk
      prescribing of NSAIDs, although with some waning of effect 12 months after the
      intervention ceased. The same intervention had no effect on antipsychotic
      prescribing in older people.

PMID- 28347988
TI  - Basil C S Slater.

PMID- 28347987
TI  - Outcome prioritisation tool for medication review in older patients with
      multimorbidity: a pilot study in general practice.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Several methods have been developed to conduct and support medication
      reviews in older persons with multimorbidity. Assessing the patient's priorities
      for achieving specific health outcomes can guide the medication review process.
      Little is known about the impact of conducting such assessments. AIM: This pilot
      study aimed to determine proposed and observed medication changes when using an
      outcome prioritisation tool (OPT) during a medication review in general practice.
      DESIGN AND SETTING: Participants were older patients with multimorbidity (aged
      >=69 years) with polypharmacy (five or more chronic medications) from the
      practices of 14 GPs. METHOD: Patients were asked to prioritise four universal
      health outcomes - remaining alive, maintaining independence, reducing pain, and
      reducing other symptoms - using an OPT. GPs used this prioritisation to review
      the medication and to propose and discuss medication changes with the patient.
      The outcomes included the proposed medication change as documented by the GP, and
      the observed medication change in the electronic health record at follow-up.
      Descriptive analyses were conducted to determine medication changes according to
      the prioritised health outcomes. RESULTS: A total of 59 patients using 486
      medications prioritised the four health outcomes. GPs proposed 34 changes of
      medication, mainly stopping, for 20 patients. At follow-up, 14 medication changes
      were observed for 10 patients. The stopping of medication (mostly preventive) was
      particularly observed in patients who prioritised 'reducing other symptoms' as
      most important. CONCLUSION: Using an OPT leads mainly to the stopping of
      medication. Medication changes appeared to be easiest for patients who
      prioritised 'reducing other symptoms' as most important.

PMID- 28347989
TI  - WRN conditioned media is sufficient for in vitro propagation of intestinal
      organoids from large farm and small companion animals.
AB  - Recent years have seen significant developments in the ability to continuously
      propagate organoids derived from intestinal crypts. These advancements have been
      applied to mouse and human samples providing models for gastrointestinal tissue
      development and disease. We adapt these methods for the propagation of intestinal
      organoids (enteroids) from various large farm and small companion (LF/SC)
      animals, including cat, dog, cow, horse, pig, sheep and chicken. We show that
      LF/SC enteroids propagate and expand in L-WRN conditioned media containing
      signaling factors Wnt3a, R-spondin-3, and Noggin (WRN). Multiple successful
      isolations were achieved for each species, and the growth of LF/SC enteroids was
      maintained to high passage number. LF/SC enteroids expressed crypt stem cell
      marker LGR5 and low levels of mesenchymal marker VIM. Labeling with EdU also
      showed distinct regions of cell proliferation within the enteroids marking crypt
      like regions. The ability to grow and maintain LF/SC enteroid cell lines provides
      additional models for the study of gastrointestinal developmental biology as well
      as platforms for the study of host-pathogen interactions between intestinal cells
      and zoonotic enteric pathogens of medical importance.

PMID- 28347990
TI  - Reduced beta-catenin expression affects patterning of bone primordia, but not
      bone maturation.
AB  - Wnt/beta-catenin signaling is involved in patterning of bone primordia, but also
      plays an important role in the differentiation of chondrocytes and osteoblasts.
      During these processes the level of beta-catenin must be tightly regulated.
      Excess beta-catenin leads to conditions with increased bone mass, whereas loss of
      beta-catenin is associated with osteoporosis or, in extreme cases, the absence of
      limbs. In this study, we examined skeletogenesis in mice, which retain only 25%
      of beta-catenin. These embryos showed severe morphological abnormalities of which
      the lack of hindlimbs and misshaped front paws were the most striking.
      Surprisingly however, calcification of bone primordia occurred normally.
      Moreover, the Wnt-dependent regulatory network of transcription factors driving
      the differentiation of cartilage and bone, as well as the expression of
      extracellular matrix components, were preserved. These findings show that 25%
      beta-catenin is insufficient for the correct patterning of bone primordia, but
      sufficient for their mineralization. Our approach helps to identify bone
      morphogenetic processes that can proceed normally even at low beta-catenin
      levels, in contrast to those that require high beta-catenin dosages. This
      information could be exploited to improve the treatment of bone diseases by fine
      tuning the individual beta-catenin dosage requirements.

PMID- 28347992
TI  - 2016 update of the EULAR recommendations for the management of rheumatoid
      arthritis: a utopia beyond patients in low/middle income countries?

PMID- 28347991
TI  - Patients with gout have short telomeres compared with healthy participants:
      association of telomere length with flare frequency and cardiovascular disease in
      gout.
AB  - AIM AND BACKGROUND: Chronic inflammation associates with increased senescence,
      which is a strong predictor for cardiovascular disease. We hypothesised that
      inflammation accelerates senescence and thereby enhances the risk of
      cardiovascular disease in gout. METHODS: We assessed replicative senescence by
      quantifying telomere length (TL) in a discovery cohort of 145 Dutch patients with
      gout and 273 healthy individuals and validated our results in 474 patients with
      gout and 293 healthy participants from New Zealand. Subsequently, we investigated
      the effect of cardiovascular disease on TL of all participants. Also, we measured
      TL of CD4+ and CD8+ T lymphocytes, B lymphocytes, monocytes, natural killer cells
      and plasmacytoid dendritic cells. Additionally, we assessed the potential
      temporal difference in TL and telomerase activity. RESULTS: TL in PBMCs of
      healthy donors decreased over time, reflecting normal ageing. Patients with gout
      demonstrated shorter telomeres (p=0.001, R2=0.01873). In fact, the extent of
      telomere erosion in patients with gout was higher at any age compared with
      healthy counterparts at any age (p<0.0001, R2=0.02847). Patients with gout with
      cardiovascular disease had the shortest telomeres and TL was an independent risk
      factor for cardiovascular disease in patients with gout (p=0.001). TL was
      inversely associated with the number of gouty flares (p=0.005). CONCLUSIONS:
      Patients with gout have shorter telomeres than healthy participants, reflecting
      increased cellular senescence. Telomere shortening was associated with the number
      of flares and with cardiovascular disease in people with gout.

PMID- 28347993
TI  - EULAR gout treatment guidelines by Richette et al.: uric acid and neurocognition.

PMID- 28347994
TI  - Longer-term quality of life following ACL injury and reconstruction.

PMID- 28347995
TI  - Evidence-based exercise prescription is facilitated by the Consensus on Exercise
      Reporting Template (CERT).

PMID- 28347996
TI  - Generic drugs have lost their profitability.

PMID- 28347997
TI  - Roop Mallik: From machines to molecular motors.
AB  - Roop Mallik studies how molecular motors and lipids interact to drive
      intracellular transport.

PMID- 28347998
TI  - Opioid rotation to alfentanil: comparative evaluation of conversion ratios.

PMID- 28348000
TI  - The impact of environment on abnormal behavior and mental disease: To alleviate
      the prevalence of mental disorders, we need to phenotype the environment for risk
      factors.

PMID- 28347999
TI  - Lipin-1 regulation of phospholipid synthesis maintains endoplasmic reticulum
      homeostasis and is critical for triple-negative breast cancer cell survival.
AB  - Cancer cells reprogram their metabolism to increase the synthesis of
      macromolecules for rapid proliferation. Compared to fatty acids, much less is
      known about the synthesis of phospholipids, which is essential for membrane
      biogenesis in cancer cells. We found that LPIN1, which encodes lipin-1, a
      phosphatidic acid phosphatase (PAP) controlling the rate-limiting step in the
      phospholipid synthesis pathway, is highly up-regulated in basal-like triple
      negative breast cancer (TNBC). Moreover, high LPIN1 expression correlates with
      the poor prognosis of these patients. Knockdown of LPIN1 increases apoptosis in
      basal-like TNBC cell lines, whereas it has minimal or less effect on normal human
      mammary gland epithelial cells (HMECs) and estrogen receptor-positive breast
      cancer cell lines. Fatty acid incorporation and lipidomics analyses showed that
      LPIN1 knockdown blocks phospholipid synthesis and changes membrane lipid
      compositions that ultimately induce the activation of 1 of the 3 branches of
      unfolded protein responses, the inositol-requiring enzyme-1alpha pathway. We also
      show for the first time, to our knowledge, that lipin-1 knockdown significantly
      inhibits tumor growth in vivo using an orthotopic xenograft breast mouse model.
      Our results suggest that lipin-1 is a potential target for cancer therapy.-He,
      J., Zhang, F., Tay, L. W. R., Boroda, S., Nian, W., Levental, K. R., Levental,
      I., Harris, T. E., Chang, J. T., Du, G. Lipin-1 regulation of phospholipid
      synthesis maintains endoplasmic reticulum homeostasis and is critical for triple
      negative breast cancer cell survival.

PMID- 28348002
TI  - Thyroid function in children and adolescents with Hashimoto's thyroiditis after l
      thyroxine discontinuation.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: Thyroid function may recover in patients with Hashimoto's thyroiditis
      (HT). DESIGN: To investigate thyroid function and the need to resume l-thyroxine
      treatment after its discontinuation. SETTING: Nine Italian pediatric
      endocrinology centers. PATIENTS: 148 children and adolescents (25 m and 123 f)
      with HT on treatment with l-thyroxine for at least one year. INTERVENTION AND
      MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE: Treatment was discontinued in all patients, and serum TSH
      and fT4 concentrations were measured at the time of treatment discontinuation and
      then after 2, 6, 12 and 24 months. Therapy with l-thyroxine was re-instituted
      when TSH rose >10 U/L and/or fT4 was below the normal range. The patients were
      followed up when TSH concentrations were between 5 and 10 U/L and fT4 was in the
      normal range. RESULTS: At baseline, TSH was in the normal range in 139 patients,
      and was between 5 and 10 U/L in 9 patients. Treatment was re-instituted after 2
      months in 37 (25.5%) patients, after 6 months in 13 patients (6.99%), after 12
      months in 12 patients (8.6%), and after 24 months in an additional 3 patients
      (3.1%). At 24 months, 34 patients (34.3%) still required no treatment. TSH
      concentration >10 U/L at the time of diagnosis was the only predictive factor for
      the deterioration of thyroid function after l-thyroxine discontinuation.
      CONCLUSIONS: This study confirms that not all children with HT need life-long
      therapy with l-thyroxine, and the discontinuation of treatment in patients with a
      TSH level <10 U/L at the time of diagnosis should be considered.

PMID- 28348003
TI  - The health of prisoners: summary of NICE guidance.

PMID- 28348001
TI  - Dissecting carboxypeptidase E: properties, functions and pathophysiological roles
      in disease.
AB  - Since discovery in 1982, carboxypeptidase E (CPE) has been shown to be involved
      in the biosynthesis of a wide range of neuropeptides and peptide hormones in
      endocrine tissues, and in the nervous system. This protein is produced from pro
      CPE and exists in soluble and membrane forms. Membrane CPE mediates the targeting
      of prohormones to the regulated secretory pathway, while soluble CPE acts as an
      exopeptidase and cleaves C-terminal basic residues from peptide intermediates to
      generate bioactive peptides. CPE also participates in protein internalization,
      vesicle transport and regulation of signaling pathways. Therefore, in two types
      of CPE mutant mice, Cpefat/Cpefat and Cpe knockout, loss of normal CPE leads to a
      lot of disorders, including diabetes, hyperproinsulinemia, low bone mineral
      density and deficits in learning and memory. In addition, the potential roles of
      CPE and DeltaN-CPE, an N-terminal truncated form, in tumorigenesis and diagnosis
      were also addressed. Herein, we focus on dissecting the pathophysiological roles
      of CPE in the endocrine and nervous systems, and related diseases.

PMID- 28348004
TI  - Peripheral fundus findings in X-linked retinoschisis.
AB  - BACKGROUND/AIMS: Vitreous haemorrhage (VH) and retinal detachment (RD) cause a
      precipitous decline in vision in a subset of patients with X-linked retinoschisis
      (XLRS), an otherwise a slowly progressive condition. This study aims to report
      the frequency of macular and peripheral retinal findings in a large cohort of
      patients with XLRS and to determine whether peripheral retinal findings are
      associated with VH and RD. METHODS: A retrospective observational case series was
      performed in 65 patients with XLRS with a pathogenic variant in retinoschisin 1.
      Chart review included examination notes, fundus photographs and optical coherence
      tomography (OCT). Fisher exact tests and univariable logistic regression analysis
      were used to determine the association between peripheral retinal findings
      (including retinoschisis, metallic sheen, vascular sheathing, pigmentary changes,
      white spiculations and vitreous veils) and complications (including VH and RD).
      RESULTS: Seven eyes (8%) showed normal macular structure on OCT. Peripheral
      retinoschisis was significantly associated with both VH and RD. Out of 10 eyes
      with complications, 9 (90%) had peripheral retinoschisis, compared with 33 out of
      116 eyes (28%) without complications (p=0.0014). In addition, each additional
      peripheral finding increased the odds of RD by a factor of 4.06 (95% CI 1.58 to
      10.39, p=0.028). There were no complications in the 28 eyes with a normal
      periphery (p=0.84) or in the 35 eyes with metallic sheen (p=0.42). CONCLUSION:
      The data suggest that patients with peripheral retinoschisis are at increased
      risk for VH and RD. Furthermore, patients with additional peripheral retinal
      findings together with peripheral schisis may carry additional risk for RD.

PMID- 28348005
TI  - Vascular basement membrane alterations and beta-amyloid accumulations in an
      animal model of cerebral small vessel disease.
AB  - Non-amyloid cerebral small vessel disease (CSVD) and cerebral amyloid angiopathy
      (CAA) may be interrelated through the damaged basement membranes (BMs) and
      extracellular matrix changes of small vessels, resulting in a failure of beta
      amyloid (Abeta) transport and degradation. We analyzed BM changes and the pattern
      of deposition of Abeta in the walls of blood vessels in spontaneously
      hypertensive stroke-prone rats (SHRSP), a non-transgenic CSVD model. In 45 SHRSP
      and 38 Wistar rats aged 18 to 32 weeks: (i) the percentage area immunostained for
      vascular collagen IV and laminin was quantified; (ii) the capillary BM thickness
      as well as endothelial and pericyte pathological changes were analysed using
      transmission electron microscopy (TEM); and (iii) the presence of vascular Abeta
      was assessed. Compared with controls, SHRSP exhibited a significantly higher
      percentage area immunostained with collagen IV in the striatum and thalamus.
      SHRSP also revealed an age-dependent increase of the capillary BM thickness and
      of endothelial vacuoles (caveolae) within subcortical regions. Endogenous Abeta
      deposits in the walls of small blood vessels were observed in the cortex (with
      the highest incidence found within fronto-parietal areas), striatum, thalamus and
      hippocampus. Vascular beta-amyloid accumulations were frequently detected at
      sites of small vessel wall damage. Our data demonstrate changes in the expression
      of collagen IV and of the ultrastructure of BMs in the small vessels of SHRSP.
      Alterations are accompanied by vascular deposits of endogenous Abeta. Impaired
      beta-amyloid clearance along perivascular and endothelial pathways and failure of
      extracellular Abeta degradation may be the key mechanisms connecting non-amyloid
      CSVD and CAA.

PMID- 28348006
TI  - GABAB receptor attenuation of GABAA currents in neurons of the mammalian central
      nervous system.
AB  - Ionotropic receptors are tightly regulated by second messenger systems and are
      often present along with their metabotropic counterparts on a neuron's plasma
      membrane. This leads to the hypothesis that the two receptor subtypes can
      interact, and indeed this has been observed in excitatory glutamate and
      inhibitory GABA receptors. In both systems the metabotropic pathway augments the
      ionotropic receptor response. However, we have found that the metabotropic GABAB
      receptor can suppress the ionotropic GABAA receptor current, in both the in vitro
      mouse retina and in human amygdala membrane fractions. Expression of amygdala
      membrane microdomains in Xenopus oocytes by microtransplantation produced
      functional ionotropic and metabotropic GABA receptors. Most GABAA receptors had
      properties of alpha-subunit containing receptors, with ~5% having rho-subunit
      properties. Only GABAA receptors with alpha-subunit-like properties were
      regulated by GABAB receptors. In mouse retinal ganglion cells, where only alpha
      subunit-containing GABAA receptors are expressed, GABAB receptors suppressed
      GABAA receptor currents. This suppression was blocked by GABAB receptor
      antagonists, G-protein inhibitors, and GABAB receptor antibodies. Based on the
      kinetic differences between metabotropic and ionotropic receptors, their
      interaction would suppress repeated, rapid GABAergic inhibition.

PMID- 28348007
TI  - Genome-Wide Analysis of DNA Methylation and Acute Coronary Syndrome.
AB  - RATIONALE: Acute coronary syndrome (ACS) is a leading cause of death worldwide.
      Immune functions play a vital role in ACS development; however, whether
      epigenetic modulation contributes to the regulation of blood immune cells in this
      disease has not been investigated. OBJECTIVE: We conducted an epigenome-wide
      analysis with circulating immune cells to identify differentially methylated
      genes in ACS. METHODS AND RESULTS: We examined genome-wide methylation of whole
      blood in 102 ACS patients and 101 controls using HumanMethylation450 array, and
      externally replicated significant discoveries in 100 patients and 102 controls.
      For the replicated loci, we further analyzed their association with ACS in 6
      purified leukocyte subsets, their correlation with the expressions of annotated
      genes, and their association with cardiovascular traits/risk factors. We found
      novel and reproducible association of ACS with blood methylation at 47 cytosine
      phosphoguanine sites (discovery: false discovery rate <0.005; replication:
      Bonferroni corrected P<0.05). The association of methylation levels at these
      cytosine-phosphoguanine sites with ACS was further validated in at least 1 of the
      6 leukocyte subsets, with predominant contributions from CD8+ T cells, CD4+ T
      cells, and B cells. Blood methylation of 26 replicated cytosine-phosphoguanine
      sites showed significant correlation with expressions of annotated genes
      (including IL6R, FASLG, and CCL18; P<5.9*10-4), and differential gene expression
      in case versus controls corroborated the observed differential methylation. The
      replicated loci suggested a role in ACS-relevant functions including chemotaxis,
      coronary thrombosis, and T-cell-mediated cytotoxicity. Functional analysis using
      the top ACS-associated methylation loci in purified T and B cells revealed vital
      pathways related to atherogenic signaling and adaptive immune response.
      Furthermore, we observed a significant enrichment of the replicated cytosine
      phosphoguanine sites associated with smoking and low-density lipoprotein
      cholesterol (Penrichment<=1*10-5). CONCLUSIONS: Our study identified novel blood
      methylation alterations associated with ACS and provided potential clinical
      biomarkers and therapeutic targets. Our results may suggest that immune signaling
      and cellular functions might be regulated at an epigenetic level in ACS.

PMID- 28348008
TI  - Impaired Hydrogen Sulfide-Mediated Vasodilation Contributes to Microvascular
      Endothelial Dysfunction in Hypertensive Adults.
AB  - Reductions in hydrogen sulfide (H2S) production have been implicated in the
      pathogenesis of vascular dysfunction in animal models of hypertension; however,
      no studies have examined a functional role for H2S in contributing to
      microvascular dysfunction in hypertensive (HTN) adults. We hypothesized that
      endogenous production of H2S would be reduced, impaired endothelium-dependent
      vasodilation would be mediated by reductions in H2S-dependent vasodilation, and
      vascular responsiveness to exogenous H2S (sodium sulfide) would be attenuated in
      HTN compared to normotensive adults. Fifteen normotensive (51+/-2 years; blood
      pressure, 116+/-3/76+/-3 mm Hg) and 14 HTN adults (57+/-2 years; blood pressure
      140+/-3/89+/-2 mm Hg) participated. H2S biosynthetic enzyme expression (Western
      blot) and substrate-dependent H2S production (amperometric probe) were measured
      in cutaneous tissue homogenates. Red cell flux (laser Doppler flowmetry) was
      measured during graded perfusions of acetylcholine (ACh; 10-6-10-1 mol/L) and
      sodium sulfide (10-5-101 mol/L) using intradermal microdialysis; the functional
      role of H2S was determined using pharmacological inhibition with aminooxyacetic
      acid (0.5 mmol/L). H2S biosynthetic enzyme expression and substrate-dependent H2S
      production were reduced in HTN adults (all P<0.05). ACh-induced endothelium
      dependent vasodilation was blunted in HTN adults (P=0.012). Aminooxyacetic acid
      attenuated ACh-induced vasodilation in normotensive adults (ACh, 1.31+/-0.13
      versus ACh+aminooxyacetic acid, 1.07+/-0.09 flux/mm Hg; P=0.025) but had no
      effect on vasodilation in HTN adults (ACh, 1.16+/-0.10 versus ACh+aminooxyacetic
      acid, 1.37+/-0.11 flux/mm Hg; P=0.47). Sodium sulfide-induced vasodilation was
      not different between groups. Collectively, these findings indicate that while
      the microvasculature maintains the ability to vasodilate in response to exogenous
      H2S, reductions in endogenous synthesis and H2S-dependent vasodilation contribute
      to endothelial dysfunction in human hypertension.

PMID- 28348009
TI  - Polymerization-Incompetent Uromodulin in the Pregnant Stroke-Prone Spontaneously
      Hypertensive Rat.
AB  - The kidney is centrally involved in blood pressure regulation and undergoes
      extensive changes during pregnancy. Hypertension during pregnancy may result in
      an altered urinary peptidome that could be used to indicate new targets of
      therapeutic or diagnostic interest. The stroke-prone spontaneously hypertensive
      rat (SHRSP) is a model of maternal chronic hypertension. Capillary
      electrophoresis-mass spectrometry was conducted to interrogate the urinary
      peptidome in SHRSP and the control Wistar-Kyoto strain at three time points:
      prepregnancy and gestational days 12 and 18. The comparison within and between
      the Wistar-Kyoto and SHRSP peptidome at all time points detected 123
      differentially expressed peptides (fold change >1.5; P<0.05). Sequencing of these
      peptides identified fragments of collagen alpha-chains, albumin, prothrombin,
      actin, serpin A3K, proepidermal growth factor, and uromodulin. Uromodulin
      peptides showed a pregnancy-specific alteration in SHRSP with a 7.8-fold (P<0.01)
      and 8.8-fold (P<0.05) increase at gestational days 12 and 18, respectively,
      relative to the Wistar-Kyoto. Further investigation revealed that these peptides
      belonged to the polymerization-inhibitory region of uromodulin. Two forms of
      uromodulin (polymerization competent and polymerization incompetent) were found
      in urine from both Wistar-Kyoto and SHRSP, where the polymerization-incompetent
      form was increased in a pregnancy-specific manner in SHRSP. Nifedipine-treated
      pregnant SHRSP showed only polymerization-competent uromodulin, indicating that
      calcium may be mechanistically involved in uromodulin polymerization. This study
      highlights, for the first time, a potential role of uromodulin and its
      polymerization in hypertensive pregnancy.

PMID- 28348011
TI  - Office Blood Pressure and Cardiovascular Disease: Pathophysiologic Implications
      for Diagnosis and Treatment.

PMID- 28348012
TI  - Age at First Childbirth and Hypertension in Postmenopausal Women.
AB  - Whether age at first childbirth has an effect on hypertension incidence is
      unclear. The objectives of this study were to examine the relationship between
      age at first childbirth and hypertension and to examine whether degree of
      obesity, measured as body mass index, mediates age at first childbirth-related
      hypertension in postmenopausal women. This study analyzed 4779 postmenopausal
      women data from the Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 2010
      to 2012. Logistic regression analyses were used to investigate relationship
      between age at first childbirth and hypertension. Mediation analysis was
      performed to examine the contribution of body mass index to age at first
      childbirth-related hypertension. Mean of participants' age at first childbirth
      and current age were 23.8 and 63.4 years, respectively. The prevalence of
      hypertension was 51.1%. Age at first childbirth was significantly associated with
      the prevalence of hypertension (odds ratio, 0.963; 95% confidence interval, 0.930
      0.998; P=0.036). Women with age at first childbirth <=19 years had significantly
      higher risk of hypertension (odds ratio, 1.61; 95% confidence interval, 1.17
      2.23; P=0.004) compared with those >19 years. Multivariable-adjusted prevalence
      of hypertension was significantly lower in women who delivered the first infant
      at 20 to 24 (45.5%), 25 to 29 (46.1%), and >=30 (39.9%) years compared with those
      at <=19 years (58.4%). Body mass index completely mediated age at first
      childbirth-hypertension relationship (indirect effect: odds ratio, 0.992; 95%
      confidence interval, 0.987-0.998; P=0.008). Age at first childbirth was
      significantly associated with hypertension in postmenopausal women. Body mass
      index mediated the effects of age at first childbirth on hypertension.

PMID- 28348010
TI  - Distinctive Risk Factors and Phenotype of Younger Patients With Resistant
      Hypertension: Age Is Relevant.
AB  - Resistant hypertension, defined as blood pressure >140/90 mm Hg despite using >=3
      antihypertensive medications, is a well-recognized clinical entity. Patients with
      resistant hypertension are at an increased risk of cardiovascular disease
      compared with those with more easily controlled hypertension. Coronary heart
      disease mortality rates of younger adults are stagnating or on the rise. The
      purpose of our study was to characterize the phenotype and risk factors of
      younger patients with resistant hypertension, given the dearth of data on
      cardiovascular risk profile in this cohort. We conducted a cross-sectional
      analysis with predefined age groups of a large, ethnically diverse cohort of 2170
      patients referred to the Hypertension Clinic at the University of Alabama at
      Birmingham. Patients (n=2068) met the inclusion criteria and were classified by
      age groups, that is, <=40 years (12.7% of total cohort), 41 to 55 years (32.1%),
      56 to 70 years (36.1%), and >=71 years (19.1%). Patients aged <=40 years compared
      with those aged >=71 years had significantly earlier onset of hypertension
      (24.7+/-7.4 versus 55.0+/-14.1 years; P<0.0001), higher rates of obesity (53.4%
      versus 26.9%; P<0.0001), and significantly higher levels of plasma aldosterone
      (11.3+/-9.8 versus 8.9+/-7.4 ng/dL; P=0.005), plasma renin activity (4.9+/-10.2
      versus 2.5+/-5.0 ng/mL per hour; P=0.001), 24-hour urinary aldosterone (13.4+/
      10.0 versus 8.2+/-6.2 ug/24 h; P<0.0001), and sodium excretion (195.9+/-92.0
      versus 146.8+/-67.1 mEq/24 h; P<0.0001). Among patients with resistant
      hypertension, younger individuals have a distinct phenotype characterized by
      overlapping risk factors and comorbidities, including obesity, high aldosterone,
      and high dietary sodium intake compared with elderly.

PMID- 28348013
TI  - New Intermediate Phenotype of Resistant Hypertension.

PMID- 28348014
TI  - Hypoxia-Induced Mitogenic Factor Acts as a Nonclassical Ligand of Calcium-Sensing
      Receptor, Therapeutically Exploitable for Intermittent Hypoxia-Induced Pulmonary
      Hypertension.
AB  - Hypoxia-induced mitogenic factor (HIMF) is an inflammatory cytokine playing
      important role(s) in the development of hypoxic pulmonary hypertension. The
      molecular target mediating HIMF-stimulated downstream events remains unclear. The
      coimmunoprecipitation screen identified extracellular calcium-sensing receptor
      (CaSR) as the binding partner for HIMF in pulmonary artery smooth muscle cells.
      The yeast 2-hybrid assay then revealed the binding of HIMF to the intracellular,
      not the extracellular, domain of extracellular CaSR. The binding of HIMF enhanced
      the activity of extracellular CaSR and mediated hypoxia-evoked proliferation of
      pulmonary artery smooth cells and the development of pulmonary vascular
      remodeling and pulmonary hypertension, all of which was specifically attenuated
      by a synthesized membrane-permeable peptide flanking the core amino acids of the
      intracellular binding domain of extracellular CaSR. Thus, HIMF induces pulmonary
      hypertension as a nonclassical ligand of extracellular CaSR, and the binding
      motif of extracellular CaSR can be therapeutically exploitable.

PMID- 28348015
TI  - Sympathetic Nerve Activity in Monozygotic Twins: Identical at Rest but Not During
      Arousal.
AB  - Microneurographic recordings of human muscle sympathetic nerve activity responses
      to sudden sensory stimuli (ie, arousal) have revealed 2 intraindividually
      reproducible response profiles in healthy young males that predict different
      neural and blood pressure responses to more sustained stress. Approximately 50%
      of subjects inhibit muscle sympathetic nerve activity during arousal, whereas the
      remaining 50% do not, and the latter group displays a markedly greater blood
      pressure increase in response to arousal, as well as during and after 3 minutes
      of mental arithmetic. Studying a group of monozygotic twins (10 pairs, 2 excluded
      from analysis), the aim of the present study was to evaluate the degree of
      genetic determination of these sympathetic response profiles. Muscle sympathetic
      burst incidence at rest was similar in twins, with a within-pair burst incidence
      ratio of 0.87+/-0.02 (SEM) compared with 0.73+/-0.07 found in unrelated pairs
      (P=0.002), confirming a previous study from our laboratory. In contrast, the
      sympathetic responses to arousal showed large twin within-pair variance (arousal
      inhibition ratio 0.56+/-0.11), which did not significantly differ (P=0.939) from
      the variance in pairs of unrelated subjects (0.46+/-0.11). The finding that human
      muscle sympathetic nerve responses to arousal are less determined by genotype
      than the resting level of corresponding sympathetic nerve activity suggests that
      the arousal response pattern is more prone to be altered by environmental
      factors. This raises the possibility that these intraindividually reproducible
      sympathetic neural response profiles can be modified in a positive direction from
      a cardiovascular risk perspective.

PMID- 28348016
TI  - Dose-Response Association Between Physical Activity and Incident Hypertension: A
      Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Cohort Studies.
AB  - Despite the inverse association between physical activity (PA) and incident
      hypertension, a comprehensive assessment of the quantitative dose-response
      association between PA and hypertension has not been reported. We performed a
      meta-analysis, including dose-response analysis, to quantitatively evaluate this
      association. We searched PubMed and Embase databases for articles published up to
      November 1, 2016. Random effects generalized least squares regression models were
      used to assess the quantitative association between PA and hypertension risk
      across studies. Restricted cubic splines were used to model the dose-response
      association. We identified 22 articles (29 studies) investigating the risk of
      hypertension with leisure-time PA or total PA, including 330 222 individuals and
      67 698 incident cases of hypertension. The risk of hypertension was reduced by 6%
      (relative risk, 0.94; 95% confidence interval, 0.92-0.96) with each 10 metabolic
      equivalent of task h/wk increment of leisure-time PA. We found no evidence of a
      nonlinear dose-response association of PA and hypertension (Pnonlinearity=0.094
      for leisure-time PA and 0.771 for total PA). With the linear cubic spline model,
      when compared with inactive individuals, for those who met the guidelines
      recommended minimum level of moderate PA (10 metabolic equivalent of task h/wk),
      the risk of hypertension was reduced by 6% (relative risk, 0.94; 95% confidence
      interval, 0.92-0.97). This meta-analysis suggests that additional benefits for
      hypertension prevention occur as the amount of PA increases.

PMID- 28348019
TI  - Should research ethics committees police reporting bias?

PMID- 28348020
TI  - Simon J Newell.

PMID- 28348017
TI  - Long-Term Effects of Ambient PM2.5 on Hypertension and Blood Pressure and
      Attributable Risk Among Older Chinese Adults.
AB  - Long-term exposure to ambient fine particulate pollution (PM2.5) has been
      associated with cardiovascular diseases. Hypertension, a major risk factor for
      cardiovascular diseases, has also been hypothesized to be linked to PM2.5
      However, epidemiological evidence has been mixed. We examined long-term
      association between ambient PM2.5 and hypertension and blood pressure. We
      interviewed 12 665 participants aged 50 years and older and measured their blood
      pressures. Annual average PM2.5 concentrations were estimated for each community
      using satellite data. We applied 2-level logistic regression models to examine
      the associations and estimated hypertension burden attributable to ambient PM2.5
      For each 10 MUg/m3 increase in ambient PM2.5, the adjusted odds ratio of
      hypertension was 1.14 (95% confidence interval, 1.07-1.22). Stratified analyses
      found that overweight and obesity could enhance the association, and consumption
      of fruit was associated with lower risk. We further estimated that 11.75% (95%
      confidence interval, 5.82%-18.53%) of the hypertension cases (corresponding to
      914, 95% confidence interval, 453-1442 cases) could be attributable to ambient
      PM2.5 in the study population. Findings suggest that long-term exposure to
      ambient PM2.5 might be an important risk factor of hypertension and is
      responsible for significant hypertension burden in adults in China. A higher
      consumption of fruit may mitigate, whereas overweight and obesity could enhance
      this effect.

PMID- 28348018
TI  - Synergistic Interaction of Hypertension and Diabetes in Promoting Kidney Injury
      and the Role of Endoplasmic Reticulum Stress.
AB  - Diabetes mellitus and hypertension are major risk factors for chronic kidney
      injury, together accounting for >70% of end-stage renal disease. In this study,
      we assessed interactions of hypertension and diabetes mellitus in causing kidney
      dysfunction and injury and the role of endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress.
      Hypertension was induced by aorta constriction (AC) between the renal arteries in
      6-month-old male Goto-Kakizaki (GK) type 2 diabetic and control Wistar rats.
      Fasting plasma glucose averaged 162+/-11 and 87+/-2 mg/dL in GK and Wistar rats,
      respectively. AC produced hypertension in the right kidney (above AC) and near
      normal blood pressure in the left kidney (below AC), with both kidneys exposed to
      the same levels of glucose, circulating hormones, and neural influences. After 8
      weeks of AC, blood pressure above the AC (and in the right kidney) increased from
      109+/-1 to 152+/-5 mm Hg in GK rats and from 106+/-4 to 141+/-5 mm Hg in Wistar
      rats. The diabetic-hypertensive right kidneys in GK-AC rats had much greater
      increases in albumin excretion and histological injury compared with left kidneys
      (diabetes mellitus only) of GK rats or right kidneys (hypertension only) of
      Wistar-AC rats. Marked increases in ER stress and oxidative stress indicators
      were observed in diabetic-hypertensive kidneys of GK-AC rats. Inhibition of ER
      stress with tauroursodeoxycholic acid for 6 weeks reduced blood pressure (135+/-4
      versus 151+/-4 mm Hg), albumin excretion, ER and oxidative stress, and glomerular
      injury, while increasing glomerular filtration rate in hypertensive-diabetic
      kidneys. These results suggest that diabetes mellitus and hypertension interact
      synergistically to promote kidney dysfunction and injury via ER stress.

PMID- 28348021
TI  - HIV, sexual risk and ethnicity among gay and bisexual men in England: survey
      evidence for persisting health inequalities.
AB  - OBJECTIVES: To examine ethnic group differences in HIV testing and sexual
      behaviours among a large sample of gay and bisexual men (GBM), 13 years after
      similar observations were made, assess national HIV prevention responses and
      inform planning priorities. METHODS: Cross-sectional convenience self-completion
      online survey in summer 2014, designed and recruited in collaboration with
      community-based health promoters and gay internet services; comparison with
      earlier findings reporting on similarly designed survey in 2001. RESULTS: We
      recruited 15 388 GBM living in England who self-reported as follows: 18.5% from
      ethnic minorities; 9.0% tested HIV positive (cf. 17.0% and 5.4% in 2001).
      Compared with the white British, Asian men were no longer less likely to report
      diagnosed HIV but had an equal probability of doing so (2001 OR=0.32, 95% CI 0.13
      to 0.79; 2014 OR=1.04, 95% CI 0.71 to 1.54); black men remained significantly
      more likely to report diagnosed HIV (2001 OR=2.06, 95% CI 1.56 to 3.29; 2014
      OR=1.62, 95% CI 1.10 to 2.36) as did men in the other white group (2001 OR=1.54,
      95% CI 1.23 to 1.93; 2014 OR=1.31, 95% CI 1.10 to 1.55). Overall annual incidence
      of reported HIV diagnoses in 2014 was 1.1%. Black men were significantly more
      likely to report diagnosis with HIV in the last 12 months than the white British
      (adjusted odds ratios (AOR) 2.57, 95% CI 1.22 to 5.39). No minority ethnic group
      was more or less likely to report condom unprotected anal intercourse (CUAI) in
      the last year but men in the Asian, black and all others groups were more likely
      than the white British to report CUAI with more than one non-steady partners.
      CONCLUSIONS: Among GBM in England, HIV prevalence continues to be higher among
      black men and other white men compared with the white British. The protective
      effect of being from an Asian background appears no longer to pertain. Sexual
      risk behaviours may account for some of these differences.

PMID- 28348022
TI  - Increase in thyroglobulin antibody and thyroid peroxidase antibody levels, but
      not preterm birth-rate, in pregnant Danish women upon iodine fortification.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: The presence of thyroid antibodies in pregnancy has been associated
      with preterm birth. In the non-pregnant population, the implementation of the
      Danish iodine fortification program has increased the prevalence of thyroid
      antibodies. This study investigated the prevalence of thyroid peroxidase
      antibodies (TPOAbs) and thyroglobulin antibodies (TgAbs) in pregnant Danish women
      before, during and after implementation of the iodine fortification program and
      association with preterm birth. DESIGN: Comparative cohort study of 1368
      pregnancies from three cohorts gathered before (1996-1998), during (2000-2003)
      and after (2008-2009) the iodine fortification program. METHODS: In cohort 1 (n =
      297), TPOAbs were measured (DYNOtest (BRAHMS)). In cohorts 2 (n = 148) and 3 (n =
      923), both TPOAbs and TgAbs were measured (Kryptor immunofluorescent assay
      (BRAHMS)). The prevalence and effect of antibody positivity were explored using
      three cut-offs: TPOAbs and/or TgAbs >100 kU/L, TPOAbs and/or TgAbs >60 kU/L and
      TPOAbs >30 and/or TgAbs >20 kU/L. National preterm birth data were extracted from
      the National Birth Registry. RESULTS: In the three cohorts, TPOAb levels >60 kU/L
      were found in 5.4, 8.1 and 12.0% (chi2(2, n = 1367) = 11.7, P = 0.003)
      respectively, and TPOAbs and/or TgAbs >60 kU/L in 8.1 and 16.2% in cohorts 2 and
      3 respectively (chi2(2, n = 1070) = 6.5, P = 0.01). TgAb levels (>20 kU/L) had
      increased plenty-fold from cohort 2 to 3 (chi2(1, n = 1071) = 136.5, P < 0.001).
      Preterm birth occurred in 4.1% of all pregnancies with no effect from antibody
      positivity (TPOAbs and/or TgAbs >60 kU/L, chi2(1, n = 1039) = 0.0, P = 0.98, aOR
      = 1.1, 95% CI (0.4-2.7)). The national preterm birth-rate showed no increase over
      the same period. CONCLUSIONS: Thyroid antibody positivity in Danish pregnant
      women has more than doubled upon the implementation of the iodine fortification
      program without an increase in preterm birth-rate.

PMID- 28348023
TI  - A homozygous mutation of GNRHR in a familial case diagnosed with polycystic ovary
      syndrome.
AB  - CONTEXT: PCOS is a heterogeneous condition characterized by hyperandrogenism and
      chronic anovulation and affects about 10% of women. Its etiology is poorly known,
      but a dysregulation of gonadotropin secretion is one of its hallmarks. OBJECTIVE:
      As the etiology of PCOS is unclear, we have performed a genome-wide analysis of a
      consanguineous family with three sisters diagnosed with PCOS. METHODS: Whole
      exome sequencing and Sanger sequencing confirmation. RESULTS: Whole-exome
      sequencing allowed the detection of the missense variant rs104893836 located in
      the first coding exon of the GNRHR gene and leading to the p.Gln106Arg (p.Q106R)
      substitution. Sanger sequencing of all available individuals of the family
      confirmed that the variant was homozygous in the three affected sisters and
      heterozygous in both parents. CONCLUSIONS: This is the first description of a
      GNRHR gene mutation in patients diagnosed with PCOS. Although we do not exclude a
      possible interaction of the identified variant with the genetic background and/or
      the environment, our result suggests that genetic alterations in the hypothalamo
      pituitary axis may play role in the pathogenesis of PCOS.

PMID- 28348024
TI  - Regulation of Sporangium Formation by BldD in the Rare Actinomycete Actinoplanes
      missouriensis.
AB  - The rare actinomycete Actinoplanes missouriensis forms sporangia, including
      hundreds of flagellated spores that start swimming as zoospores after their
      release. Under conditions suitable for vegetative growth, zoospores stop swimming
      and germinate. A comparative proteome analysis between zoospores and germinating
      cells identified 15 proteins that were produced in larger amounts in germinating
      cells. They include an orthologue of BldD (herein named AmBldD [BldD of A.
      missouriensis]), which is a transcriptional regulator involved in morphological
      development and secondary metabolism in Streptomyces AmBldD was detected in
      mycelia during vegetative growth but was barely detected in mycelia during the
      sporangium-forming phase, in spite of the constant transcription of AmbldD
      throughout growth. An AmbldD mutant started to form sporangia much earlier than
      the wild-type strain, and the resulting sporangia were morphologically abnormal.
      Recombinant AmBldD bound a palindromic sequence, the AmBldD box, located upstream
      from AmbldD 3',5'-Cyclic di-GMP significantly enhanced the in vitro DNA-binding
      ability of AmBldD. A chromatin immunoprecipitation-sequencing analysis and an in
      silico search for AmBldD boxes revealed that AmBldD bound 346 genomic loci that
      contained the 19-bp inverted repeat 5'-NN(G/A)TNACN(C/G)N(G/C)NGTNA(C/T)NN-3' as
      the consensus AmBldD-binding sequence. The transcriptional analysis of 27
      selected AmBldD target gene candidates indicated that AmBldD should repress 12 of
      the 27 genes, including bldM, ssgB, whiD, ddbA, and wblA orthologues. These genes
      are involved in morphological development in Streptomyces coelicolor A3(2). Thus,
      AmBldD is a global transcriptional regulator that seems to repress the
      transcription of tens of genes during vegetative growth, some of which are likely
      to be required for sporangium formation.IMPORTANCE The rare actinomycete
      Actinoplanes missouriensis undergoes complex morphological differentiation,
      including sporangium formation. However, almost no molecular biological studies
      have been conducted on this bacterium. BldD is a key global regulator involved in
      the morphological development of streptomycetes. BldD orthologues are highly
      conserved among sporulating actinomycetes, but no BldD orthologues, except one in
      Saccharopolyspora erythraea, have been studied outside the streptomycetes. Here,
      it was revealed that the BldD orthologue AmBldD is essential for normal
      developmental processes in A. missouriensis The AmBldD regulon seems to be
      different from the BldD regulon in Streptomyces coelicolor A3(2), but they share
      four genes that are involved in morphological differentiation in S. coelicolor
      A3(2).

PMID- 28348025
TI  - Vibrio cholerae VciB Mediates Iron Reduction.
AB  - Vibrio cholerae is the causative agent of the severe diarrheal disease cholera.
      V. cholerae thrives within the human host, where it replicates to high numbers,
      but it also persists within the aquatic environments of ocean and brackish water.
      To survive within these nutritionally diverse environments, V. cholerae must
      encode the necessary tools to acquire the essential nutrient iron in all forms it
      may encounter. A prior study of systems involved in iron transport in V. cholerae
      revealed the existence of vciB, which, while unable to directly transport iron,
      stimulates the transport of iron through ferrous (Fe2+) iron transport systems.
      We demonstrate here a role for VciB in V. cholerae in which VciB stimulates the
      reduction of Fe3+ to Fe2+, which can be subsequently transported into the cell
      with the ferrous iron transporter Feo. Iron reduction is independent of
      functional iron transport but is associated with the electron transport chain.
      Comparative analysis of VciB orthologs suggests a similar role for other proteins
      in the VciB family. Our data indicate that VciB is a dimer located in the inner
      membrane with three transmembrane segments and a large periplasmic loop. Directed
      mutagenesis of the protein reveals two highly conserved histidine residues
      required for function. Taken together, our results support a model whereby VciB
      reduces ferric iron using energy from the electron transport
      chain.IMPORTANCEVibrio cholerae is a prolific human pathogen and environmental
      organism. The acquisition of essential nutrients such as iron is critical for
      replication, and V. cholerae encodes a number of mechanisms to use iron from
      diverse environments. Here, we describe the V. cholerae protein VciB that
      increases the reduction of oxidized ferric iron (Fe3+) to the ferrous form
      (Fe2+), thus promoting iron acquisition through ferrous iron transporters.
      Analysis of VciB orthologs in Burkholderia and Aeromonas spp. suggest that they
      have a similar activity, allowing a functional assignment for this previously
      uncharacterized protein family. This study builds upon our understanding of
      proteins known to mediate iron reduction in bacteria.

PMID- 28348027
TI  - Actinoplanes Swims into the Molecular Age.
AB  - The survival strategy of Actinoplanes is fascinating from an evolutionary
      perspective, combining a short motile phase in an otherwise nonmotile,
      filamentous life cycle and the somewhat paradoxical concept of spores-normally
      thought of as a resting stage-that swim. In the first paper to report a molecular
      genetic analysis of development in Actinoplanes, the authors identify a key
      regulator of the entry into development (Y. Mouri, K. Konishi, A. Fujita, T.
      Tezuka, Y. Ohnishi, J Bacteriol 199:e00840-16, 2017,
      https://doi.org/10.1128/JB.00840-16).

PMID- 28348026
TI  - Cooperative Metabolism in a Three-Partner Insect-Bacterial Symbiosis Revealed by
      Metabolic Modeling.
AB  - An important factor determining the impact of microbial symbionts on their animal
      hosts is the balance between the cost of nutrients consumed by the symbionts and
      the benefit of nutrients released back to the host, but the quantitative
      significance of nutrient exchange in symbioses involving multiple microbial
      partners has rarely been addressed. In this study on the association between two
      intracellular bacterial symbionts, "Candidatus Portiera aleyrodidarum" and
      "Candidatus Hamiltonella defensa," and their animal host, the whitefly Bemisia
      tabaci, we apply metabolic modeling to investigate host-symbiont nutrient
      exchange. Our in silico analysis revealed that >60% of the essential amino acids
      and related metabolites synthesized by "Candidatus Portiera aleyrodidarum" are
      utilized by the host, including a substantial contribution of nitrogen recycled
      from host nitrogenous waste, and that these interactions are required for host
      growth. In contrast, "Candidatus Hamiltonella defensa" retains most or all of the
      essential amino acids and B vitamins that it is capable of synthesizing.
      Furthermore, "Candidatus Hamiltonella defensa" suppresses host growth in silico
      by competition with "Candidatus Portiera aleyrodidarum" for multiple host
      nutrients, by suppressing "Candidatus Portiera aleyrodidarum" growth and
      metabolic function, and also by consumption of host nutrients that would
      otherwise be allocated to host growth. The interpretation from these modeling
      outputs that "Candidatus Hamiltonella defensa" is a nutritional parasite could
      not be inferred reliably from gene content alone but requires consideration of
      constraints imposed by the structure of the metabolic network. Furthermore, these
      quantitative models offer precise predictions for future experimental study and
      the opportunity to compare the functional organization of metabolic networks in
      different symbioses.IMPORTANCE The metabolic functions of unculturable
      intracellular bacteria with much reduced genomes are traditionally inferred from
      gene content without consideration of how the structure of the metabolic network
      may influence flux through metabolic reactions. The three-compartment model of
      metabolic flux between two bacterial symbionts and their insect host constructed
      in this study revealed that one symbiont is structured to overproduce essential
      amino acids for the benefit of the host, but the essential amino acid production
      in the second symbiont is quantitatively constrained by the structure of its
      network, rendering it "selfish" with respect to these nutrients. This study
      demonstrates the importance of quantitative flux data for elucidation of the
      metabolic function of symbionts. The in silico methodology can be applied to
      other symbioses with intracellular bacteria.

PMID- 28348029
TI  - Noninvasive Imaging of Bone Microarchitecture in Patients Receiving Renal
      Transplant: Can it Replace Histology?

PMID- 28348028
TI  - Examination of Enterococcus faecalis Toxin-Antitoxin System Toxin Fst Function
      Utilizing a Pheromone-Inducible Expression Vector with Tight Repression and Broad
      Dynamic Range.
AB  - Tools for regulated gene expression in Enterococcus faecalis are extremely
      limited. In this report, we describe the construction of an expression vector for
      E. faecalis, designated pCIE, utilizing the PQ pheromone-responsive promoter of
      plasmid pCF10. We demonstrate that this promoter is tightly repressed, responds
      to nanogram quantities of the peptide pheromone, and has a large dynamic range.
      To demonstrate its utility, the promoter was used to control expression of the
      toxic peptides of two par family toxin-antitoxin (TA) loci present in E.
      faecalis, parpAD1 of the pAD1 plasmid and parEF0409 located on the E. faecalis
      chromosome. The results demonstrated differences in the modes of regulation of
      toxin expression and in the effects of toxins of these two related systems. We
      anticipate that this vector will be useful for further investigation of par TA
      system function as well as the regulated expression of other genes in E.
      faecalisIMPORTANCEE. faecalis is an important nosocomial pathogen and a model
      organism for examination of the genetics and physiology of Gram-positive cocci.
      While numerous genetic tools have been generated for the manipulation of this
      organism, vectors for the regulated expression of cloned genes remain limited by
      high background expression and the use of inducers with undesirable effects on
      the cell. Here we demonstrate that the PQ pheromone-responsive promoter is
      repressed tightly enough to allow cloning of TA system toxins and evaluate their
      effects at very low induction levels. This tool will allow us to more fully
      examine TA system function in E. faecalis and to further elucidate its potential
      roles in cell physiology.

PMID- 28348030
TI  - Association between Monocyte Count and Risk of Incident CKD and Progression to
      ESRD.
AB  - BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Experimental evidence suggests a role for monocytes in
      the biology of kidney disease progression; however, whether monocyte count is
      associated with risk of incident CKD, CKD progression, and ESRD has not been
      examined in large epidemiologic studies. DESIGN, SETTINGS, PARTICIPANTS, &
      MEASUREMENTS: We built a longitudinal observational cohort of 1,594,700 United
      States veterans with at least one eGFR during fiscal year 2004 (date of last eGFR
      during this period designated time zero) and no prior history of ESRD, dialysis,
      or kidney transplant. Cohort participants were followed until September 30, 2013
      or death. Monocyte count closest to and before time zero was categorized in
      quartiles: quartile 1, >0.00 to <=0.40 thousand cells per cubic millimeter
      (k/cmm); quartile 2, >0.40 to <=0.55 k/cmm; quartile 3, >0.55 to <=0.70 k/cmm;
      and quartile 4, >0.70 k/cmm. Survival models were built to examine the
      association between monocyte count and risk of incident eGFR<60 ml/min per 1.73
      m2, risk of incident CKD, and risk of CKD progression defined as doubling of
      serum creatinine, eGFR decline >=30%, or the composite outcome of ESRD, dialysis,
      or renal transplantation. RESULTS: Over a median follow-up of 9.2 years
      (interquartile range, 8.3-9.4); in adjusted survival models, there was a graded
      association between monocyte counts and risk of renal outcomes. Compared with
      quartile 1, quartile 4 was associated with higher risk of incident eGFR<60 ml/min
      per 1.73 m2 (hazard ratio, 1.13; 95% confidence interval, 1.12 to 1.14) and risk
      of incident CKD (hazard ratio, 1.15; 95% confidence interval, 1.13 to 1.16).
      Quartile 4 was associated with higher risk of doubling of serum creatinine
      (hazard ratio, 1.22; 95% confidence interval, 1.20 to 1.24), >=30% eGFR decline
      (hazard ratio, 1.18; 95% confidence interval, 1.17 to 1.19), and the composite
      renal end point (hazard ratio, 1.19; 95% confidence interval, 1.16 to 1.22).
      Cubic spline analyses of the relationship between monocyte count levels and renal
      outcomes showed a linear relationship, in which risk was higher with higher
      monocyte count. Results were robust to changes in sensitivity analyses.
      CONCLUSIONS: Our results show a significant association between higher monocyte
      count and risks of incident CKD and CKD progression to ESRD.

PMID- 28348034
TI  - What Is the Predictive Value of Animal Models for Vaccine Efficacy in Humans?
      Rigorous Simian Immunodeficiency Virus Vaccine Trials Can Be Instructive.
AB  - Simian immunodeficiency virus (SIV) challenge of rhesus macaques provides an
      invaluable tool to evaluate the clinical prospects of HIV-1 vaccine concepts.
      However, as with any animal model of human disease, it is crucial to understand
      the advantages and limitations of this system to maximize the translational value
      of SIV vaccine studies. Here, we discuss the importance of assessing the efficacy
      of vaccine prototypes using stringent SIV challenge regimens that mimic HIV-1
      transmission and pathogenesis. We also review some of the cautionary tales of HIV
      1 vaccine research because they provide general lessons for the preclinical
      assessment of vaccine candidates.

PMID- 28348033
TI  - Minimal Cells-Real and Imagined.
AB  - A minimal cell is one whose genome only encodes the minimal set of genes
      necessary for the cell to survive. Scientific reductionism postulates the best
      way to learn the first principles of cellular biology would be to use a minimal
      cell in which the functions of all genes and components are understood. The genes
      in a minimal cell are, by definition, essential. In 2016, synthesis of a genome
      comprised of only the set of essential and quasi-essential genes encoded by the
      bacterium Mycoplasma mycoides created a near-minimal bacterial cell. This
      organism performs the cellular functions common to all organisms. It replicates
      DNA, transcribes RNA, translates proteins, undergoes cell division, and little
      else. In this review, we examine this organism and contrast it with other
      bacteria that have been used as surrogates for a minimal cell.

PMID- 28348031
TI  - Spine Trabecular Bone Score as an Indicator of Bone Microarchitecture at the
      Peripheral Skeleton in Kidney Transplant Recipients.
AB  - BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Studies using high-resolution peripheral quantitative
      computed tomography showed progressive abnormalities in cortical and trabecular
      microarchitecture and biomechanical competence over the first year after kidney
      transplantation. However, high-resolution peripheral computed tomography is a
      research tool lacking wide availability. In contrast, the trabecular bone score
      is a novel and widely available tool that uses gray-scale variograms of the spine
      image from dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry to assess trabecular quality. There
      are no studies assessing whether trabecular bone score characterizes bone quality
      in kidney transplant recipients. DESIGN, SETTINGS, PARTICIPANTS, & MEASUREMENTS:
      Between 2009 and 2010, we conducted a study to assess changes in peripheral
      skeletal microarchitecture, measured by high-resolution peripheral computed
      tomography, during the first year after transplantation in 47 patients managed
      with early corticosteroid-withdrawal immunosuppression. All adult first-time
      transplant candidates were eligible. Patients underwent imaging with high
      resolution peripheral computed tomography and dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry
      pretransplantation and 3, 6, and 12 months post-transplantation. We now test if,
      during the first year after transplantation, trabecular bone score assesses the
      evolution of bone microarchitecture and biomechanical competence as determined by
      high-resolution peripheral computed tomography. RESULTS: At baseline and follow
      up, among the 72% and 78%, respectively, of patients having normal bone mineral
      density by dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry, 53% and 50%, respectively, were
      classified by trabecular bone score as having high fracture risk. At baseline,
      trabecular bone score correlated with spine, hip, and ultradistal radius bone
      mineral density by dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry and cortical area, density,
      thickness, and porosity; trabecular density, thickness, separation, and
      heterogeneity; and stiffness and failure load by high-resolution peripheral
      computed tomography. Longitudinally, each percentage increase in trabecular bone
      score was associated with increases in trabecular number (0.35%+/-1.4%);
      decreases in trabecular thickness (-0.45%+/-0.15%), separation (-0.40%+/-0.15%),
      and network heterogeneity (-0.48%+/-0.20%); and increases in failure load
      (0.22%+/-0.09%) by high-resolution peripheral computed tomography (all P<0.05).
      CONCLUSIONS: Trabecular bone score may be a useful method to assess and monitor
      bone quality and strength and classify fracture risk in kidney transplant
      recipients.

PMID- 28348035
TI  - What Is the Predictive Value of Animal Models for Vaccine Efficacy in Humans? The
      Importance of Bridging Studies and Species-Independent Correlates of Protection.
AB  - Animal models have played a pivotal role in all stages of vaccine development.
      Their predictive value for vaccine effectiveness depends on the pathogen, the
      robustness of the animal challenge model, and the correlates of protection (if
      known). This article will cover key questions regarding bridging animal studies
      to efficacy trials in humans. Examples include human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine
      in which animal protection after vaccination with heterologous prototype virus
      like particles (VLPs) predicted successful efficacy trials in humans, and a
      recent approval of anthrax vaccine in accordance with the "Animal Rule." The
      establishment of animal models predictive of vaccine effectiveness in humans has
      been fraught with difficulties with low success rate to date. Challenges facing
      the use of animal models for vaccine development against Ebola and HIV will be
      discussed.

PMID- 28348036
TI  - TGF-beta Signaling in Control of Cardiovascular Function.
AB  - Genetic studies in animals and humans indicate that gene mutations that
      functionally perturb transforming growth factor beta (TGF-beta) signaling are
      linked to specific hereditary vascular syndromes, including Osler-Rendu-Weber
      disease or hereditary hemorrhagic telangiectasia and Marfan syndrome. Disturbed
      TGF-beta signaling can also cause nonhereditary disorders like atherosclerosis
      and cardiac fibrosis. Accordingly, cell culture studies using endothelial cells
      or smooth muscle cells (SMCs), cultured alone or together in two- or three
      dimensional cell culture assays, on plastic or embedded in matrix, have shown
      that TGF-beta has a pivotal effect on endothelial and SMC proliferation,
      differentiation, migration, tube formation, and sprouting. Moreover, TGF-beta can
      stimulate endothelial-to-mesenchymal transition, a process shown to be of key
      importance in heart valve cushion formation and in various pathological vascular
      processes. Here, we discuss the roles of TGF-beta in vasculogenesis,
      angiogenesis, and lymphangiogenesis and the deregulation of TGF-beta signaling in
      cardiovascular diseases.

PMID- 28348037
TI  - What Is the Predictive Value of Animal Models for Vaccine Efficacy in Humans?
      Consideration of Strategies to Improve the Value of Animal Models.
AB  - Animal models are an essential feature of the vaccine design toolkit. Although
      animal models have been invaluable in delineating the mechanisms of immune
      function, their precision in predicting how well specific vaccines work in humans
      is often suboptimal. There are, of course, many obvious species differences that
      may limit animal models from predicting all details of how a vaccine works in
      humans. However, careful consideration of which animal models may have
      limitations should also allow more accurate interpretations of animal model data
      and more accurate predictions of what is to be expected in clinical trials. In
      this article, we examine some of the considerations that might be relevant to
      cross-species extrapolation of vaccine-related immune responses for the
      prediction of how vaccines will perform in humans.

PMID- 28348038
TI  - Bone Morphogenetic Proteins in Vascular Homeostasis and Disease.
AB  - It is well established that control of vascular morphogenesis and homeostasis is
      regulated by vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), fibroblast growth factor
      (FGF), Delta-like 4 (Dll4), angiopoietin, and ephrin signaling. It has become
      clear that signaling by bone morphogenetic proteins (BMPs), which have a long
      history of studies in bone and early heart development, are also essential for
      regulating vascular function. Indeed, mutations that cause deregulated BMP
      signaling are linked to two human vascular diseases, hereditary hemorrhagic
      telangiectasia and pulmonary arterial hypertension. These observations are
      corroborated by data obtained with vascular cells in cell culture and in mouse
      models. BMPs are required for normal endothelial cell differentiation and for
      venous/arterial and lymphatic specification. In adult life, BMP signaling
      orchestrates neo-angiogenesis as well as vascular inflammation, remodeling, and
      calcification responses to shear and oxidative stress. This review emphasizes the
      pivotal role of BMPs in the vascular system, based on studies of mouse models and
      human vascular disorders.

PMID- 28348039
TI  - What Is the Predictive Value of Animal Models for Vaccine Efficacy in Humans?
      Reevaluating the Potential of Mouse Models for the Human Immune System.
AB  - Much of what we understand about immunology, including the response to vaccines,
      come from studies in mice because they provide many practical advantages compared
      with research in higher mammals and humans. Nevertheless, modalities for
      preventing or treating disease do not always translate from mouse to humans,
      which has led to increasing scrutiny of the continued merits of mouse research.
      Here, we summarize the pros and cons of current laboratory mouse models for
      immunology research and discuss whether overreliance on nonphysiological, ultra
      hygienic animal husbandry approaches has limited the ultimate translation
      potential of mouse-derived data to humans. Alternative approaches are discussed
      that may extend the use of the mouse model for preclinical studies.

PMID- 28348040
TI  - Escape path complexity and its context dependency in Pacific blue-eyes
      (Pseudomugil signifer).
AB  - The escape paths prey animals take following a predatory attack appear to be
      highly unpredictable - a property that has been described as 'protean behaviour'.
      Here, we present a method of quantifying the escape paths of individual animals
      using a path complexity approach. When individual fish (Pseudomugil signifer)
      were attacked, we found that a fish's movement path rapidly increased in
      complexity following the attack. This path complexity remained elevated
      (indicating a more unpredictable path) for a sustained period (at least 10 s)
      after the attack. The complexity of the path was context dependent: paths were
      more complex when attacks were made closer to the fish, suggesting that these
      responses are tailored to the perceived level of threat. We separated out the
      components of speed and turning rate changes to determine which of these
      components contributed to the overall increase in path complexity following an
      attack. We found that both speed and turning rate measures contributed similarly
      to an individual's path complexity in absolute terms. Overall, our work
      highlights the context-dependent escape responses that animals use to avoid
      predators, and also provides a method for quantifying the escape paths of
      animals.

PMID- 28348041
TI  - High-speed surface reconstruction of a flying bird using structured light.
AB  - Birds fly effectively and maneuver nimbly by dynamically changing the shape of
      their wings during each wingbeat. These shape changes have yet to be quantified
      automatically at high temporal and spatial resolution. Therefore, we developed a
      custom 3D surface reconstruction method, which uses a high-speed camera to
      identify spatially encoded binary striped patterns that are projected on a flying
      bird. This non-invasive structured-light method allows automated 3D
      reconstruction of each stand-alone frame and can be extended to multiple views.
      We demonstrate this new technique by automatically reconstructing the dorsal
      surface of a parrotlet wing at 3200 frames s-1 during flapping flight. From this
      shape we analyze key parameters such as wing twist and angle of attack
      distribution. While our binary 'single-shot' algorithm is demonstrated by
      quantifying dynamic shape changes of a flying bird, it is generally applicable to
      moving animals, plants and deforming objects.

PMID- 28348042
TI  - Hearing on the fly: the effects of wing position on noctuid moth hearing.
AB  - The ear of the noctuid moth has only two auditory neurons, A1 and A2, which
      function in detecting predatory bats. However, the noctuid's ears are located on
      the thorax behind the wings. Therefore, as these moths need to hear during
      flight, it was hypothesized that wing position may affect their hearing. The wing
      was fixed in three different positions: up, flat and down. An additional subset
      of animals was measured with freely moving wings. In order to negate any possible
      acoustic shadowing or diffractive effects, all wings were snipped, leaving the
      proximal-most portion and the wing hinge intact. Results revealed that wing
      position plays a factor in threshold sensitivity of the less sensitive auditory
      neuron A2, but not in the more sensitive neuron A1. Furthermore, when the wing
      was set in the down position, fewer A1 action potentials were generated prior to
      the initiation of A2 activity. Analyzing the motion of the tympanal membrane did
      not reveal differences in movement due to wing position. Therefore, these neural
      differences arising from wing position are proposed to be due to other factors
      within the animal such as different muscle tensions.

PMID- 28348043
TI  - Olfactory sensitivity of the marine flatfish Solea senegalensis to conspecific
      body fluids.
AB  - Chemical communication is better understood in freshwater fish than marine fish.
      The Senegalese sole (Solea senegalensis) is a marine flatfish wherein one of the
      problems in aquaculture is the poor reproductive performance of hatchery-bred
      males. Is chemical communication involved in the reproduction of this species?
      Urine, intestinal fluid and mucus samples were taken from adult fish (wild-caught
      and hatchery-bred) over the spawning season (March-May), and assessed for
      olfactory potency using the electro-olfactogram (EOG). The effect of stimulation
      of the olfactory system with adult female urine on circulating luteinizing
      hormone (LH) levels was also tested in males. Intestinal fluid and urine were
      potent olfactory stimuli for both juvenile and adult conspecifics, evoking large
      amplitude, concentration-dependent EOG responses, with thresholds of detection at
      approximately 1:106 However, the amplitude of the response to urine depended on
      the sex and state of maturity of both the donor and the receiver. Most olfactory
      activity could be extracted by C18 solid-phase cartridges. Urine from mature
      females evoked a slight, but significant, increase in circulating LH levels in
      mature males 30 min after exposure. Furthermore, the olfactory potency of urine
      differed between wild-caught and hatchery-bred fish; however, contrary to
      expectations, urine from wild-caught females was less potent than that from
      hatchery-bred females. Taken together, these results strongly suggest that faeces
      and urine-released odorants are involved in reproduction in the Senegalese sole,
      and establish a basis for further investigation into pheromonal communication in
      marine teleosts.

PMID- 28348044
TI  - Model-assisted measurements of suspension-feeding flow velocities.
AB  - Benthic marine suspension feeders provide an important link between benthic and
      pelagic ecosystems. The strength of this link is determined by suspension-feeding
      rates. Many studies have measured suspension-feeding rates using indirect
      clearance-rate methods, which are based on the depletion of suspended particles.
      Direct methods that measure the flow of water itself are less common, but they
      can be more broadly applied because, unlike indirect methods, direct methods are
      not affected by properties of the cleared particles. We present pumping rates for
      three species of suspension feeders, the clams Mya arenaria and Mercenaria
      mercenaria and the tunicate Ciona intestinalis, measured using a direct method
      based on particle image velocimetry (PIV). Past uses of PIV in suspension-feeding
      studies have been limited by strong laser reflections that interfere with
      velocity measurements proximate to the siphon. We used a new approach based on
      fitting PIV-based velocity profile measurements to theoretical profiles from
      computational fluid dynamic (CFD) models, which allowed us to calculate inhalant
      siphon Reynolds numbers (Re). We used these inhalant Re and measurements of
      siphon diameters to calculate exhalant Re, pumping rates, and mean inlet and
      outlet velocities. For the three species studied, inhalant Re ranged from 8 to
      520, and exhalant Re ranged from 15 to 1073. Volumetric pumping rates ranged from
      1.7 to 7.4 l h-1 for M. arenaria, 0.3 to 3.6 l h-1 for M. mercenaria and 0.07 to
      0.97 l h-1 for C. intestinalis We also used CFD models based on measured pumping
      rates to calculate capture regions, which reveal the spatial extent of pumped
      water. Combining PIV data with CFD models may be a valuable approach for future
      suspension-feeding studies.

PMID- 28348045
TI  - Stratification of Pancreatic Ductal Adenocarcinoma: Combinatorial Genetic,
      Stromal, and Immunologic Markers.
AB  - Purpose: Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is associated with an
      immunosuppressive milieu that supports immune system evasion and disease
      progression. Here, we interrogated genetic, stromal, and immunologic features of
      PDAC to delineate impact on prognosis and means to more effectively employ
      immunotherapy.Experimental Design: A cohort of 109 PDAC cases annotated for
      overall survival was utilized as a primary discovery cohort. Gene expression
      analysis defined immunologic subtypes of PDAC that were confirmed in the Cancer
      Genome Atlas dataset. Stromal and metabolic characteristics of PDAC cases were
      evaluated by histologic analysis and immunostaining. Enumeration of lymphocytes,
      as well as staining for CD8, FOXP3, CD68, CD163, PDL1, and CTLA4 characterized
      immune infiltrate. Neoantigens were determined by analysis of whole-exome
      sequencing data. Random-forest clustering was employed to define multimarker
      subtypes, with univariate and multivariate analyses interrogating prognostic
      significance.Results: PDAC cases exhibited distinct stromal phenotypes that were
      associated with prognosis, glycolytic and hypoxic biomarkers, and immune
      infiltrate composition. Immune infiltrate was diverse among PDAC cases and
      enrichment for M2 macrophages and select immune checkpoints regulators were
      specifically associated with survival. Composite analysis with neoantigen burden,
      immunologic, and stromal features defined novel subtypes of PDAC that could have
      bearing on sensitivity to immunologic therapy approaches. In addition, a subtype
      with low levels of neoantigens and minimal lymphocyte infiltrate was associated
      with improved overall survival.Conclusions: The mutational burden of PDAC is
      associated with distinct immunosuppressive mechanisms that are conditioned by the
      tumor stromal environment. The defined subtypes have significance for utilizing
      immunotherapy in the treatment of PDAC. Clin Cancer Res; 23(15); 4429-40. (c)2017
      AACR.

PMID- 28348049
TI  - In children 7 years of age, prenatal antidepressant exposure is not associated
      with increased risk of poor behavioural outcomes after adjusting for maternal
      factors including antenatal mood.

PMID- 28348048
TI  - OSNA testing for lymph node staging in colorectal cancer.

PMID- 28348046
TI  - B-Cell Lymphoma Patient-Derived Xenograft Models Enable Drug Discovery and Are a
      Platform for Personalized Therapy.
AB  - Purpose: Patients with B-cell lymphomas often relapse after frontline therapy,
      and novel therapies are urgently needed to provide long-term remission. We
      established B-cell lymphoma patient-derived xenograft (PDX) models to assess
      their ability to mimic tumor biology and to identify B-cell lymphoma patient
      treatment options.Experimental Design: We established the PDX models from 16
      patients with diffuse large B-cell lymphoma, mantle cell lymphoma, follicular
      lymphoma, marginal zone lymphoma, or Burkitt lymphoma by inoculating the patient
      tumor cells into a human bone chip implanted into mice. We subjected the PDX
      models to histopathologic and phenotypical examination, sequencing, and drug
      efficacy analysis. Primary and acquired resistance to ibrutinib, an oral covalent
      inhibitor of Bruton tyrosine kinase, were investigated to elucidate the
      mechanisms underlying ibrutinib resistance and to identify drug treatments to
      overcome resistance.Results: The PDXs maintained the same biological,
      histopathologic, and immunophenotypical features, retained similar genetic
      mutations, and produced comparable drug responses with the original patient
      tumors. In the acquired ibrutinib-resistant PDXs, PLC-gamma2, p65, and Src were
      downregulated; however, a PI3K signaling pathway member was upregulated.
      Inactivation of the PI3K pathway with the inhibitor idelalisib in combination
      with ibrutinib significantly inhibited the growth of the ibrutinib-resistant
      tumors. Furthermore, we used a PDX model derived from a clinically ibrutinib
      relapsed patient to evaluate various therapeutic choices, ultimately eliminating
      the tumor cells in the patient's peripheral blood.Conclusions: Our results
      demonstrate that the B-cell lymphoma PDX model is an effective system to predict
      and personalize therapies and address therapeutic resistance in B-cell lymphoma
      patients. Clin Cancer Res; 23(15); 4212-23. (c)2017 AACR.

PMID- 28348047
TI  - Genome-Wide Association Study Meta-Analysis of Long-Term Average Blood Pressure
      in East Asians.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Genome-wide single marker and gene-based meta-analyses of long-term
      average (LTA) blood pressure (BP) phenotypes may reveal novel findings for BP.
      METHODS AND RESULTS: We conducted genome-wide analysis among 18 422 East Asian
      participants (stage 1) followed by replication study of <=46 629 participants of
      European ancestry (stage 2). Significant single-nucleotide polymorphisms and
      genes were determined by a P<5.0*10-8 and 2.5*10-6, respectively, in joint
      analyses of stage-1 and stage-2 data. We identified 1 novel ARL3 variant,
      rs4919669 at 10q24.32, influencing LTA systolic BP (stage-1 P=5.03*10-8, stage-2
      P=8.64*10-3, joint P=2.63*10-8) and mean arterial pressure (stage-1 P=3.59*10-9,
      stage-2 P=2.35*10-2, joint P=2.64*10-8). Three previously reported BP loci
      (WBP1L, NT5C2, and ATP2B1) were also identified for all BP phenotypes. Gene-based
      analysis provided the first robust evidence for association of KCNJ11 with LTA
      systolic BP (stage-1 P=8.55*10-6, stage-2 P=1.62*10-5, joint P=3.28*10-9) and
      mean arterial pressure (stage-1 P=9.19*10-7, stage-2 P=9.69*10-5, joint P=2.15*10
      9) phenotypes. Fourteen genes (TMEM180, ACTR1A, SUFU, ARL3, SFXN2, WBP1L,
      CYP17A1, C10orf32, C10orf32-ASMT, AS3MT, CNNM2, and NT5C2 at 10q24.32; ATP2B1 at
      12q21.33; and NCR3LG1 at 11p15.1) implicated by previous genome-wide association
      study meta-analyses were also identified. Among the loci identified by the
      previous genome-wide association study meta-analysis of LTA BP, we
      transethnically replicated associations of the KCNK3 marker rs1275988 at 2p23.3
      with LTA systolic BP and mean arterial pressure phenotypes (P=1.27*10-4 and
      3.30*10-4, respectively). CONCLUSIONS: We identified 1 novel variant and 1 novel
      gene and present the first direct evidence of relevance of the KCNK3 locus for
      LTA BP among East Asians.

PMID- 28348050
TI  - Differential Gamma Interferon- and Tumor Necrosis Factor Alpha-Driven Cytokine
      Response Distinguishes Acute Infection of a Metatherian Host with Toxoplasma
      gondii and Neospora caninum.
AB  - Toxoplasma gondii and Neospora caninum (both Apicomplexa) are closely related
      cyst-forming coccidian parasites that differ significantly in their host ranges
      and ability to cause disease. Unlike eutherian mammals, Australian marsupials
      (metatherian mammals) have long been thought to be highly susceptible to
      toxoplasmosis and neosporosis because of their historical isolation from the
      parasites. In this study, the carnivorous fat-tailed dunnart (Sminthopsis
      crassicaudata) was used as a disease model to investigate the immune response and
      susceptibility to infection of an Australian marsupial to T. gondii and N.
      caninum The disease outcome was more severe in N. caninum-infected dunnarts than
      in T. gondii-infected dunnarts, as shown by the severity of clinical and
      histopathological features of disease and higher tissue parasite burdens in the
      tissues evaluated. Transcriptome sequencing (RNA-seq) of spleens from infected
      dunnarts and mitogen-stimulated dunnart splenocytes was used to define the
      cytokine repertoires. Changes in mRNA expression during the time course of
      infection were measured using quantitative reverse transcription-PCR (qRT-PCR)
      for key Th1 (gamma interferon [IFN-gamma] and tumor necrosis factor alpha [TNF
      alpha]), Th2 (interleukin 4 [IL-4] and IL-6), and Th17 (IL-17A) cytokines. The
      results show qualitative differences in cytokine responses by the fat-tailed
      dunnart to infection with N. caninum and T. gondii Dunnarts infected with T.
      gondii were capable of mounting a more effective Th1 immune response than those
      infected with N. caninum, indicating the role of the immune response in the
      outcome scenarios of parasite infection in this marsupial mammal.

PMID- 28348051
TI  - Iron Efflux by PmtA Is Critical for Oxidative Stress Resistance and Contributes
      Significantly to Group A Streptococcus Virulence.
AB  - Group A Streptococcus (GAS) is a human-only pathogen that causes a spectrum of
      disease conditions. Given its survival in inflamed lesions, the ability to sense
      and overcome oxidative stress is critical for GAS pathogenesis. PerR senses
      oxidative stress and coordinates the regulation of genes involved in GAS
      antioxidant defenses. In this study, we investigated the role of PerR-controlled
      metal transporter A (PmtA) in GAS pathogenesis. Previously, PmtA was implicated
      in GAS antioxidant defenses and suggested to protect against zinc toxicity. Here,
      we report that PmtA is a P1B4-type ATPase that functions as an Fe(II) exporter
      and aids GAS defenses against iron intoxication and oxidative stress. The
      expression of pmtA is specifically induced by excess iron, and this induction
      requires PerR. Furthermore, a pmtA mutant exhibited increased sensitivity to iron
      toxicity and oxidative stress due to an elevated intracellular accumulation of
      iron. RNA-sequencing analysis revealed that GAS undergoes significant alterations
      in gene expression to adapt to iron toxicity. Finally, using two mouse models of
      invasive infection, we demonstrated that iron efflux by PmtA is critical for
      bacterial survival during infection and GAS virulence. Together, these data
      demonstrate that PmtA is a key component of GAS antioxidant defenses and
      contributes significantly to GAS virulence.

PMID- 28348053
TI  - Acanthamoeba Activates Macrophages Predominantly through Toll-Like Receptor 4-
      and MyD88-Dependent Mechanisms To Induce Interleukin-12 (IL-12) and IL-6.
AB  - Acanthamoeba castellanii is a ubiquitous free-living amoeba with a worldwide
      distribution that can occasionally infect humans, causing particularly severe
      infections in immunocompromised individuals. Dissecting the immunology of
      Acanthamoeba infections has been considered problematic due to the very low
      incidence of disease, despite the high exposure rates. While macrophages are
      acknowledged as playing a significant role in Acanthamoeba infections, little is
      known about how this facultative parasite influences macrophage activity.
      Therefore, in this study we investigated the effects of Acanthamoeba on the
      activation of resting macrophages. Consequently, murine bone marrow-derived
      macrophages were cocultured with trophozoites of either the laboratory Neff
      strain or a clinical isolate of A. castellaniiIn vitro real-time imaging
      demonstrated that trophozoites of both strains often established evanescent
      contact with macrophages. Both Acanthamoeba strains induced a proinflammatory
      macrophage phenotype characterized by the significant production of interleukin
      12 (IL-12) and IL-6. However, macrophages cocultured with the clinical isolate of
      Acanthamoeba produced significantly less IL-12 and IL-6 than the Neff strain. The
      utilization of macrophages derived from MyD88-, TRIF-, Toll-like receptor 2
      (TLR2)-, TLR4-, and TLR2/4-deficient mice indicated that Acanthamoeba-induced
      proinflammatory cytokine production was through MyD88-dependent, TRIF
      independent, TLR4-induced events. This study shows for the first time the
      involvement of TLRs expressed on macrophages in the recognition of and response
      to Acanthamoeba trophozoites.

PMID- 28348054
TI  - The oppD Gene and Putative Peptidase Genes May Be Required for Virulence in
      Mycoplasma gallisepticum.
AB  - Relatively few virulence genes have been identified in pathogenic mycoplasmas, so
      we used signature-tagged mutagenesis to identify mutants of the avian pathogen
      Mycoplasma gallisepticum with a reduced capacity to persist in vivo and compared
      the levels of virulence of selected mutants in experimentally infected chickens.
      Four mutants had insertions in one of the two incomplete oppABCDF operons, and a
      further three had insertions in distinct hypothetical genes, two containing
      peptidase motifs and one containing a member of a gene family. The three
      hypothetical gene mutants and the two with insertions in oppD1 were used to
      infect chickens, and all five were shown to have a reduced capacity to induce
      respiratory tract lesions. One oppD1 mutant and the MGA_1102 and MGA_1079 mutants
      had a greatly reduced capacity to persist in the respiratory tract and to induce
      systemic antibody responses against M. gallisepticum The other oppD1 mutant and
      the MGA_0588 mutant had less capacity than the wild type to persist in the
      respiratory tract but did elicit systemic antibody responses. Although M.
      gallisepticum carries two incomplete opp operons, one of which has been acquired
      by horizontal gene transfer, our results suggest that one of the copies of oppD
      may be required for full expression of virulence. We have also shown that three
      hypothetical genes, two of which encode putative peptidases, may be required for
      full expression of virulence in M. gallisepticum. None of these genes has
      previously been shown to influence virulence in pathogenic mycoplasmas.

PMID- 28348052
TI  - Bile Acid Administration Elicits an Intestinal Antimicrobial Program and Reduces
      the Bacterial Burden in Two Mouse Models of Enteric Infection.
AB  - In addition to their chemical antimicrobial nature, bile acids are thought to
      have other functions in the homeostatic control of gastrointestinal immunity.
      However, those functions have remained largely undefined. In this work, we used
      ileal explants and mouse models of bile acid administration to investigate the
      role of bile acids in the regulation of the intestinal antimicrobial response.
      Mice fed on a diet supplemented with 0.1% chenodeoxycholic acid (CDCA) showed an
      upregulated expression of Paneth cell alpha-defensins as well as an increased
      synthesis of the type-C lectins Reg3b and Reg3g by the ileal epithelium. CDCA
      acted on several epithelial cell types, by a mechanism independent from farnesoid
      X receptor (FXR) and not involving STAT3 or beta-catenin activation. CDCA feeding
      did not change the relative abundance of major commensal bacterial groups of the
      ileum, as shown by 16S analyses. However, administration of CDCA increased the
      expression of ileal Muc2 and induced a change in the composition of the mucosal
      immune cell repertoire, decreasing the proportion of Ly6G+ and CD68+ cells, while
      increasing the relative amount of IgGkappa+ B cells. Oral administration of CDCA
      to mice attenuated infections with the bile-resistant pathogens Salmonella
      enterica serovar Typhimurium and Citrobacter rodentium, promoting lower systemic
      colonization and faster bacteria clearance, respectively. Our results demonstrate
      that bile acid signaling in the ileum triggers an antimicrobial program that can
      be potentially used as a therapeutic option against intestinal bacterial
      infections.

PMID- 28348055
TI  - The Enigmatic PE/PPE Multigene Family of Mycobacteria and Tuberculosis
      Vaccination.
AB  - The genome of Mycobacterium tuberculosis, the bacterium responsible for the
      disease tuberculosis, contains an unusual family of abundant antigens (PE/PPEs).
      To date, certain members of this multigene family occur only in mycobacteria that
      cause disease. It is possible that the numerous proteins encoded by these
      mycobacterial genes dictate the immune pathogenesis of this bacterial pathogen.
      There is also evidence that some of these antigens are present at the cell
      surface and that they affect the pathology and immunology of the organism in many
      ways. Also, they elicit both antibodies and T cells, they may be involved in
      antigenic variation, and they may be good candidates for vaccines and drugs.
      However, since they are plentiful and extremely homologous, these PE/PPEs are
      very challenging to study, and it is difficult to be certain what role(s) they
      have in the pathogenesis of tuberculosis. Consequently, how to develop treatments
      like vaccines using these antigens as candidates is complex.

PMID- 28348058
TI  - Edema and Nociception Induced by Philodryas patagoniensis Venom in Mice: A
      Pharmacological Evaluation with Implications for the Accident Treatment.
AB  - We have investigated the mechanisms involved in the genesis of edema and
      nociception induced by Philodryas patagoniensis venom (PpV) injected into the
      footpad of mice. PpV induced dose-related edema and nociceptive effects.
      Pretreatment of mice with cyclooxygenase inhibitor (indomethacin), but not with
      cyclooxygenase 2 inhibitor (celecoxib) markedly inhibited both effects.
      Pretreatments with H1 receptor antagonist (promethazine) or with dual histamine
      serotonin inhibitor (cyproheptadine) failed in inhibiting both effects. In groups
      pretreated with captopril (angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor) the edema was
      unaltered, but nociception was clearly increased, suggesting the participation of
      kinins in the pathophysiology of the nociception but not of the edema-forming
      effect of PpV. When PpV was treated with EDTA, the nociception was similar to the
      one induced by untreated venom, but edema was markedly reduced. We concluded that
      PpV-induced edema and nociception have cyclooxygenase eicosanoids as the main
      mediators and no participation of vasoactive amines. Kinins seem to participate
      in nociception but not in edema induced by PpV. The results also suggest that
      metalloproteinases are the main compounds responsible for the edema, but not for
      the nociception induced by this venom.

PMID- 28348056
TI  - Analysis of Shigella flexneri Resistance, Biofilm Formation, and Transcriptional
      Profile in Response to Bile Salts.
AB  - The Shigella species cause millions of cases of watery or bloody diarrhea each
      year, mostly in children in developing countries. While many aspects of Shigella
      colonic cell invasion are known, crucial gaps in knowledge regarding how the
      bacteria survive, transit, and regulate gene expression prior to infection
      remain. In this study, we define mechanisms of resistance to bile salts and build
      on previous research highlighting induced virulence in Shigella flexneri strain
      2457T following exposure to bile salts. Typical growth patterns were observed
      within the physiological range of bile salts; however, growth was inhibited at
      higher concentrations. Interestingly, extended periods of exposure to bile salts
      led to biofilm formation, a conserved phenotype that we observed among members of
      the Enterobacteriaceae Characterization of S. flexneri 2457T biofilms determined
      that both bile salts and glucose were required for formation, dispersion was
      dependent upon bile salts depletion, and recovered bacteria displayed induced
      adherence to HT-29 cells. RNA-sequencing analysis verified an important bile salt
      transcriptional profile in S. flexneri 2457T, including induced drug resistance
      and virulence gene expression. Finally, functional mutagenesis identified the
      importance of the AcrAB efflux pump and lipopolysaccharide O-antigen synthesis
      for bile salt resistance. Our data demonstrate that S. flexneri 2457T employs
      multiple mechanisms to survive exposure to bile salts, which may have important
      implications for multidrug resistance. Furthermore, our work confirms that bile
      salts are important physiological signals to activate S. flexneri 2457T
      virulence. This work provides insights into how exposure to bile likely regulates
      Shigella survival and virulence during host transit and subsequent colonic
      infection.

PMID- 28348059
TI  - The Glycolytic Enzyme PFKFB3 Is Involved in Estrogen-Mediated Angiogenesis via
      GPER1.
AB  - The endogenous estrogen 17beta-estradiol (E2) is a key factor in promoting
      endothelial healing and angiogenesis. Recently, proangiogenic signals including
      vascular endothelial growth factor and others have been shown to converge in
      endothelial cell metabolism. Because inhibition of the glycolytic enzyme
      activator phosphofructokinase-2/fructose-2,6-bisphosphatase 3 (PFKFB3) reduces
      pathologic angiogenesis and estrogen receptor (ER) signaling stimulates glucose
      uptake and glycolysis by inducing PFKFB3 in breast cancer, we hypothesized that
      E2 triggers angiogenesis in endothelial cells via rapid ER signaling that
      requires PFKFB3 as a downstream effector. We report that treatment with the
      selective G protein-coupled estrogen receptor (GPER1) agonist G-1 (10-10 to 10-7
      M) mimicked the chemotactic and proangiogenic effect of E2 as measured in a
      number of short-term angiogenesis assays in human umbilical vein endothelial
      cells (HUVECs); in addition, E2 treatment upregulated PFKFB3 expression in a time
      and concentration-dependent manner. Such an effect peaked at 3 hours and was
      also induced by G-1 and abolished by pretreatment with the GPER1 antagonist G-15
      or GPER1 siRNA, consistent with engagement of membrane ER. Experiments with the
      PFKFB3 inhibitor 3-(3-pyridinyl)-1-(4-pyridinyl)-2-propen-1-one showed that
      PFKFB3 activity was required for estrogen-mediated HUVEC migration via GPER1. In
      conclusion, E2-induced angiogenesis was mediated at least in part by the membrane
      GPER1 and required upregulation of the glycolytic activator PFKFB3 in HUVECs.
      These findings unravel a previously unrecognized mechanism of estrogen-dependent
      endocrine-metabolic crosstalk in HUVECs and may have implications in angiogenesis
      occurring in ischemic or hypoxic tissues.

PMID- 28348057
TI  - Immune Recognition of the Epidemic Cystic Fibrosis Pathogen Burkholderia dolosa.
AB  - Burkholderia dolosa caused an outbreak in the cystic fibrosis (CF) clinic at
      Boston Children's Hospital from 1998 to 2005 and led to the infection of over 40
      patients, many of whom died due to complications from infection by this organism.
      To assess whether B. dolosa significantly contributes to disease or is recognized
      by the host immune response, mice were infected with a sequenced outbreak B.
      dolosa strain, AU0158, and responses were compared to those to the well-studied
      CF pathogen Pseudomonas aeruginosa In parallel, mice were also infected with a
      polar flagellin mutant of B. dolosa to examine the role of flagella in B. dolosa
      lung colonization. The results showed a higher persistence in the host by B.
      dolosa strains, and yet, neutrophil recruitment and cytokine production were
      lower than those with P. aeruginosa The ability of host immune cells to recognize
      B. dolosa was then assessed, B. dolosa induced a robust cytokine response in
      cultured cells, and this effect was dependent on the flagella only when bacteria
      were dead. Together, these results suggest that B. dolosa can be recognized by
      host cells in vitro but may avoid or suppress the host immune response in vivo
      through unknown mechanisms. B. dolosa was then compared to other Burkholderia
      species and found to induce similar levels of cytokine production despite being
      internalized by macrophages more than Burkholderia cenocepacia strains. These
      data suggest that B. dolosa AU0158 may act differently with host cells and is
      recognized differently by immune systems than are other Burkholderia strains or
      species.

PMID- 28348060
TI  - GeneImp: Fast Imputation to Large Reference Panels Using Genotype Likelihoods
      from Ultralow Coverage Sequencing.
AB  - We address the task of genotype imputation to a dense reference panel given
      genotype likelihoods computed from ultralow coverage sequencing as inputs. In
      this setting, the data have a high-level of missingness or uncertainty, and are
      thus more amenable to a probabilistic representation. Most existing imputation
      algorithms are not well suited for this situation, as they rely on prephasing for
      computational efficiency, and, without definite genotype calls, the prephasing
      task becomes computationally expensive. We describe GeneImp, a program for
      genotype imputation that does not require prephasing and is computationally
      tractable for whole-genome imputation. GeneImp does not explicitly model
      recombination, instead it capitalizes on the existence of large reference panels
      comprising thousands of reference haplotypes-and assumes that the reference
      haplotypes can adequately represent the target haplotypes over short regions
      unaltered. We validate GeneImp based on data from ultralow coverage sequencing
      (0.5*), and compare its performance to the most recent version of BEAGLE that can
      perform this task. We show that GeneImp achieves imputation quality very close to
      that of BEAGLE, using one to two orders of magnitude less time, without an
      increase in memory complexity. Therefore, GeneImp is the first practical choice
      for whole-genome imputation to a dense reference panel when prephasing cannot be
      applied, for instance, in datasets produced via ultralow coverage sequencing. A
      related future application for GeneImp is whole-genome imputation based on the
      off-target reads from deep whole-exome sequencing.

PMID- 28348061
TI  - Alternative Polyadenylation Directs Tissue-Specific miRNA Targeting in
      Caenorhabditis elegans Somatic Tissues.
AB  - mRNA expression dynamics promote and maintain the identity of somatic tissues in
      living organisms; however, their impact in post-transcriptional gene regulation
      in these processes is not fully understood. Here, we applied the PAT-Seq approach
      to systematically isolate, sequence, and map tissue-specific mRNA from five
      highly studied Caenorhabditis elegans somatic tissues: GABAergic and NMDA
      neurons, arcade and intestinal valve cells, seam cells, and hypodermal tissues,
      and studied their mRNA expression dynamics. The integration of these datasets
      with previously profiled transcriptomes of intestine, pharynx, and body muscle
      tissues, precisely assigns tissue-specific expression dynamics for 60% of all
      annotated C. elegans protein-coding genes, providing an important resource for
      the scientific community. The mapping of 15,956 unique high-quality tissue
      specific polyA sites in all eight somatic tissues reveals extensive tissue
      specific 3'untranslated region (3'UTR) isoform switching through alternative
      polyadenylation (APA) . Almost all ubiquitously transcribed genes use APA and
      harbor miRNA targets in their 3'UTRs, which are commonly lost in a tissue
      specific manner, suggesting widespread usage of post-transcriptional gene
      regulation modulated through APA to fine tune tissue-specific protein expression.
      Within this pool, the human disease gene C. elegans orthologs rack-1 and tct-1
      use APA to switch to shorter 3'UTR isoforms in order to evade miRNA regulation in
      the body muscle tissue, resulting in increased protein expression needed for
      proper body muscle function. Our results highlight a major positive regulatory
      role for APA, allowing genes to counteract miRNA regulation on a tissue-specific
      basis.

PMID- 28348064
TI  - Acidosis and Kidney Allograft Survival.

PMID- 28348062
TI  - Regulation of Hyphal Growth and N-Acetylglucosamine Catabolism by Two
      Transcription Factors in Candida albicans.
AB  - The amino sugar N-acetylglucosamine (GlcNAc) is increasingly recognized as an
      important signaling molecule in addition to its well-known structural roles at
      the cell surface. In the human fungal pathogen Candida albicans, GlcNAc
      stimulates several responses including the induction of the genes needed for its
      catabolism and a switch from budding to filamentous hyphal growth. We identified
      two genes needed for growth on GlcNAc (RON1 and NGS1) and found that mutants
      lacking these genes fail to induce the genes needed for GlcNAc catabolism. NGS1
      was also important for growth on other sugars, such as maltose, but RON1 appeared
      to be specific for GlcNAc. Both mutants could grow on nonfermentable carbon
      sources indicating that they do not affect mitochondrial function, which we show
      is important for growth on GlcNAc but not for GlcNAc induction of hyphal
      morphogenesis. Interestingly, both the ron1Delta and ngs1Delta mutants were
      defective in forming hyphae in response to GlcNAc, even though GlcNAc catabolism
      is not required for induction of hyphal morphogenesis. The ron1Delta mutant
      showed a partial defect in forming hyphae, which was surprising since it
      displayed an elevated level of filamentous cells under noninducing conditions.
      The ron1Delta mutant also displayed an elevated basal level of expression of
      genes that are normally upregulated during hyphal growth. Consistent with this,
      Ron1 contains an Ndt80-like DNA-binding domain, indicating that it regulates gene
      expression. Thus, Ron1 is a key new component of the GlcNAc response pathway that
      acts as both an activator and a repressor of hyphal morphogenesis.

PMID- 28348063
TI  - Long-Term Endothelin-A Receptor Antagonism Provides Robust Renal Protection in
      Humanized Sickle Cell Disease Mice.
AB  - Sickle cell disease (SCD)-associated nephropathy is a major source of morbidity
      and mortality in patients because of the lack of efficacious treatments targeting
      renal manifestations of the disease. Here, we describe a long-term treatment
      strategy with the selective endothelin-A receptor (ETA) antagonist, ambrisentan,
      designed to interfere with the development of nephropathy in a humanized mouse
      model of SCD. Ambrisentan preserved GFR at the level of nondisease controls and
      prevented the development of proteinuria, albuminuria, and nephrinuria.
      Microscopy studies demonstrated prevention of podocyte loss and structural
      alterations, the absence of vascular congestion, and attenuation of
      glomerulosclerosis in treated mice. Studies in isolated glomeruli showed that
      treatment reduced inflammation and oxidative stress. At the level of renal
      tubules, ambrisentan treatment prevented the increased excretion of urinary
      tubular injury biomarkers. Additionally, the treatment strategy prevented tubular
      brush border loss, diminished tubular iron deposition, blocked the development of
      interstitial fibrosis, and prevented immune cell infiltration. Furthermore, the
      prevention of albuminuria in treated mice was associated with preservation of
      cortical megalin expression. In a separate series of identical experiments,
      combined ETA and ETB receptor antagonism provided only some of the protection
      observed with ambrisentan, highlighting the importance of exclusively targeting
      the ETA receptor in SCD. Our results demonstrate that ambrisentan treatment
      provides robust protection from diverse renal pathologies in SCD mice, and
      suggest that long-term ETA receptor antagonism may provide a strategy for the
      prevention of renal complications of SCD.

PMID- 28348065
TI  - Genomic Disorders and Neurocognitive Impairment in Pediatric CKD.
AB  - Children with CKD are at increased risk for neurocognitive impairment, but
      whether neurocognitive dysfunction is solely attributable to impaired renal
      function is unclear. Data from the CKD in Children Study Chronic Kidney Disease
      in Children (CKiD) Study indicate that a subset of children with CKD have
      unsuspected genomic disorders that predispose them to organ malformations and
      neurocognitive impairment. We therefore tested whether the CKiD Study
      participants with genomic disorders had impaired neurocognitive performance at
      enrollment. Compared with noncarriers (n=389), children with genomic disorders
      (n=31) scored significantly poorer on all measures of intelligence,
      anxiety/depressive symptoms, and executive function (differences of 0.6-0.7 SD;
      P=1.2*10-3-2.4*10-4). These differences persisted after controlling for known
      modifiers, including low birth weight, maternal education, seizure disorder,
      kidney disease duration, and genetically defined ancestry. The deleterious effect
      of genomic disorders on neurocognitive function was significantly attenuated in
      offspring of mothers with higher education, indicating the potential for
      modification by genetic and/or environmental factors. These data indicate that
      impaired neurocognitive function in some children with CKD may be attributable to
      genetic lesions that affect both kidney and neurocognitive development. Early
      identification of genomic disorders may provide opportunity for early diagnosis
      and personalized interventions to mitigate the effect on neurocognitive function.

PMID- 28348068
TI  - Focal Macroscopic Cortical Lesions in Cerebral Autosomal-Dominant Arteriopathy
      With Subcortical Infarcts and Leukoencephalopathy.
AB  - BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Cortical microinfarcts and secondary cortical
      degeneration have been demonstrated in cerebral autosomal-dominant arteriopathy
      with subcortical infarcts and leukoencephalopathy (CADASIL), a severe monogenic
      cerebral small vessel disease. The aim of this study was to determine whether
      focal macroscopic cortical lesions can be detected using a specific in vivo
      magnetic resonance imaging approach. METHODS: Three-dimensional T1 magnetic
      resonance imaging scans were obtained in 28 nondemented nondisabled CADASIL
      patients and 29 age- and sex-matched controls. The cortical mantle of patients
      and controls were extracted using Brainvisa by an experienced user and then
      evaluated during a dedicated reading session by a second reader after removing
      the white matter to stay blind to the clinical status. Thereafter, confirmed
      focal macroscopic cortical lesions were characterized using all available imaging
      data, including 7-T magnetic resonance imaging in some patients. RESULTS: Three
      focal macroscopic cortical lesions were confirmed in 3 of 28 patients (11%) but
      none in controls. All lesions were observed in the close vicinity of severe
      signal changes in the underlying white matter. CONCLUSIONS: Focal macroscopic
      cortical lesions can be detected using specific magnetic resonance imaging
      approaches in CADASIL patients long before the end stage of the disorder. The
      underlying mechanisms and precise clinical consequences of these cortical changes
      still need to be determined.

PMID- 28348066
TI  - Poplar MYB115 and MYB134 Transcription Factors Regulate Proanthocyanidin
      Synthesis and Structure.
AB  - The accumulation of proanthocyanidins is regulated by a complex of transcription
      factors composed of R2R3 MYB, basic helix-loop-helix, and WD40 proteins that
      activate the promoters of biosynthetic genes. In poplar (genus Populus), MYB134
      is known to regulate proanthocyanidin biosynthesis by activating key flavonoid
      genes. Here, we characterize a second MYB regulator of proanthocyanidins, MYB115.
      Transgenic poplar overexpressing MYB115 showed a high-proanthocyanidin phenotype
      and reduced salicinoid accumulation, similar to the effects of MYB134
      overexpression. Transcriptomic analysis of MYB115- and MYB134-overexpressing
      poplar plants identified a set of common up-regulated genes encoding
      proanthocyanidin biosynthetic enzymes and several novel uncharacterized MYB
      transcriptional repressors. Transient expression experiments demonstrated the
      capacity of both MYB134 and MYB115 to activate flavonoid promoters, but only in
      the presence of a basic helix-loop-helix cofactor. Yeast two-hybrid experiments
      confirmed the direct interaction of these transcription factors. The unexpected
      identification of dihydromyricetin in leaf extracts of both MYB115- and MYB134
      overexpressing poplar led to the discovery of enhanced flavonoid B-ring
      hydroxylation and an increased proportion of prodelphinidins in proanthocyanidin
      of the transgenics. The dramatic hydroxylation phenotype of MYB115 overexpressors
      is likely due to the up-regulation of both flavonoid 3',5'-hydroxylases and
      cytochrome b5 Overall, this work provides new insight into the complexity of the
      gene regulatory network for proanthocyanidin synthesis in poplar.

PMID- 28348067
TI  - Proteomics and integrative omic approaches for understanding host-pathogen
      interactions and infectious diseases.
AB  - Organisms are constantly exposed to microbial pathogens in their environments.
      When a pathogen meets its host, a series of intricate intracellular interactions
      shape the outcome of the infection. The understanding of these host-pathogen
      interactions is crucial for the development of treatments and preventive measures
      against infectious diseases. Over the past decade, proteomic approaches have
      become prime contributors to the discovery and understanding of host-pathogen
      interactions that represent anti- and pro-pathogenic cellular responses. Here, we
      review these proteomic methods and their application to studying viral and
      bacterial intracellular pathogens. We examine approaches for defining spatial and
      temporal host-pathogen protein interactions upon infection of a host cell.
      Further expanding the understanding of proteome organization during an infection,
      we discuss methods that characterize the regulation of host and pathogen
      proteomes through alterations in protein abundance, localization, and post
      translational modifications. Finally, we highlight bioinformatic tools available
      for analyzing such proteomic datasets, as well as novel strategies for
      integrating proteomics with other omic tools, such as genomics, transcriptomics,
      and metabolomics, to obtain a systems-level understanding of infectious diseases.

PMID- 28348070
TI  - Syndecan 1 represses cell growth and FSH responsiveness in human granulosa cells.
AB  - Albeit devoid of intrinsic catalytic activity, the transmembrane heparan sulphate
      proteoglycan syndecan 1 plays critical roles in cellular processes such as
      extracellular matrix crosstalk, cytoskeletal organization, cell spreading,
      proliferation and differentiation. During the ovarian cycle, the expression of
      syndecan 1 in granulosa cells shows cyclic variation suggesting that it might
      fulfil specific roles in follicle development. To investigate its physiological
      roles on granulosa cells, syndecan 1 was overexpressed in human granulosa cell
      line KGN which retains features of granulosa cells from small antral follicle
      such as estradiol (E2) synthesis and low expression of functional FSH receptor
      (FSHR). We demonstrated that overexpression of syndecan 1 in immature granulosa
      cells (KGN-SDC1) induces a profound alteration in their intrinsic characteristics
      including enhanced spreading and attachment, both associated with a reduced
      growth rate. Flow cytometry analysis revealed that syndecan 1 overexpression
      increases the percentage of KGN cells in quiescent phase. This partial cell cycle
      exit is concordant with downregulated levels of CCND1 and CDK4 and upregulated
      expression of CDK inhibitor CDKN1A In parallel both unstimulated and FSH-induced
      E2 synthesis are reduced in KGN-SDC1 through both repression of CYP19A1 and FSHR
      mRNA associated with decreased levels of potential regulators NR5A1 and ESR2
      Additionally, we provide evidence that transient cAMP accumulation reduction in
      cells overexpressing syndecan 1 is accompanied by an increase in cAMP-hydrolysing
      PDE activity. Our results demonstrated that syndecan 1 might regulate
      differentiation of granulosa cells and follicular development by means of various
      mechanisms involving morphological changes, control of signalling pathways and
      alterations in gene expressions.Free French abstract: A French translation of
      this abstract is freely available at http://www.reproduction
      online.org/content/153/6/797/suppl/DC1.Reproduction.

PMID- 28348069
TI  - Hypoxia-inducible factor-1alpha promotes endometrial stromal cells migration and
      invasion by upregulating autophagy in endometriosis.
AB  - Endometriosis is a benign gynecological disease that shares some characteristics
      with malignancy like migration and invasion. It has been reported that both
      hypoxia-inducible factor-1alpha (HIF-1alpha) and autophagy were upregulated in
      ectopic endometrium of patients with ovarian endometriosis. However, the
      crosstalk between HIF-1alpha and autophagy in the pathogenesis of endometriosis
      remains to be clarified. Accordingly, we investigated whether autophagy was
      regulated by HIF-1alpha, as well as whether the effect of HIF-1alpha on cell
      migration and invasion is mediated through autophagy upregulation. Here, we found
      that ectopic endometrium from patients with endometriosis highly expressed HIF
      1alpha and autophagy-related protein LC3. In cultured human endometrial stromal
      cells (HESCs), autophagy was induced by hypoxia in a time-dependent manner and
      autophagy activation was dependent on HIF-1alpha. In addition, migration and
      invasion ability of HESCs were enhanced by hypoxia treatment, whereas knockdown
      of HIF-1alpha attenuated this effect. Furthermore, inhibiting autophagy with
      specific inhibitors and Beclin1 siRNA attenuated hypoxia triggered migration and
      invasion of HESCs. Taken together, these results suggest that HIF-1alpha promotes
      HESCs invasion and metastasis by upregulating autophagy. Thus, autophagy may be
      involved in the pathogenesis of endometriosis and inhibition of autophagy might
      be a novel therapeutic approach to the treatment of endometriosis.

PMID- 28348071
TI  - Acromegalic arthropathy in various stages of the disease: an MRI study.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Arthropathy is a prevalent and invalidating complication of
      acromegaly with a characteristic radiographic phenotype. We aimed to further
      characterize cartilage and bone abnormalities associated with acromegalic
      arthropathy using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). METHODS: Twenty-six patients
      (23% women, mean age 56.8 +/- 13.4 years), with active (n = 10) and controlled
      acromegaly (n = 16) underwent a 3.0 T MRI of the right knee. Osteophytes,
      cartilage defects, bone marrow lesions and subchondral cysts were assessed by the
      Knee Osteoarthritis Scoring System (KOSS) method. Cartilage thickness and
      cartilage T2 relaxation times, in which higher values reflect increased water
      content and/or structural changes, were measured. Twenty-five controls (52%
      women, mean age: 59.6 +/- 8.0 years) with primary knee OA were included for
      comparison. RESULTS: Both in active and controlled acromegaly, structural OA
      defects were highly prevalent, with thickest cartilage and highest cartilage T2
      relaxation times in the active patients. When compared to primary OA subjects,
      patients with acromegaly seem to have less cysts (12% vs 48%, P = 0.001) and bone
      marrow lesions (15% vs 80%, P = 0.006), but comparable prevalence of
      osteophytosis and cartilage defects. Patients with acromegaly had 31% thicker
      total joint cartilage (P < 0.001) with higher cartilage T2 relaxation times at
      all measured sites than primary OA subjects (P < 0.01). CONCLUSIONS: Patients
      with active acromegaly have a high prevalence of structural OA abnormalities in
      combination with thick joint cartilage. In addition, T2 relaxation times of
      cartilage are high in active patients, indicating unhealthy cartilage with
      increased water content, which is (partially) reversible by adequate treatment.
      Patients with acromegaly have a different distribution of structural OA
      abnormalities visualized by MRI than primary OA subjects, especially of cartilage
      defects.

PMID- 28348072
TI  - The follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) and luteinizing hormone (LH) response to a
      gonadotropin-releasing hormone analogue test in healthy prepubertal girls aged 10
      months to 6 years.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: Premature thelarche and precocious puberty are frequently diagnosed in
      girls even below 6 years of age and may be difficult to differentiate in the
      early stages. A GnRH test is often included in the diagnostic work-up, although
      interpretation of the GnRH test in girls below 6 years of age is challenging, as
      no reference interval exists for this age group. The objective is to determine
      the normal FSH and LH response to a GnRH test in healthy prepubertal girls below
      6 years of age. DESIGN AND METHODS: A standardized GnRH test, baseline
      reproductive hormones, clinical evaluation and bone age were determined in all
      participants. Forty-eight healthy normal-weight girls aged 3.5 +/- 0.2 years
      (range: 0.8-5.9 years) were included. Serum concentrations of LH and FSH were
      measured before and 30 min after the gonadorelin injection. RESULTS: The 30-min
      LH responses (mean +/- 2 s.d.) were 5.2 +/- 4.0 and 2.9 +/- 2.5 IU/L and the FSH
      responses were 23.3 +/- 16.2 and 14.5 +/- 10.3 IU/L in girls aged 0.8-3.0 years
      and 3.0-5.9 years respectively. This corresponds to upper cut-off limits for LH
      of 9.2 IU/L (<3 years) and 5.3 IU/L (3-6 years). The stimulated LH/FSH ratio was
      0.23 +/- 0.19 (range 0.06-0.43) and did not correlate with age. CONCLUSIONS: We
      found that LH increases up to 9.2 IU/L during GnRH test in healthy normal-weight
      girls below 3 years of age and that the stimulated LH/FSH ratio did not exceed
      0.43. Our findings have important implications for appropriate diagnosis of
      central precocious puberty in girls below 6 years of age.

PMID- 28348073
TI  - From benign adrenal incidentaloma to adrenocortical carcinoma: an exceptional
      random event.
AB  - New European guidelines for the management of adrenal incidentalomas were
      recently released. One of the most novel recommendations is to stop following
      patients when they present a typical, small and non-secreting adenoma. We report
      here the case of a 71-year-old man with such an adenoma, who developed an
      adrenocortical carcinoma (ACC) fourteen years later, with subsequent metastases
      and death. Clinically, he had a normal blood pressure and no sign of hormonal
      hypersecretion. The hormonal work-up showed no hormone excess: urinary free
      cortisol level was normal, the diurnal cortisol rhythm was respected and urinary
      catecholamine metabolites levels were normal. Computed tomography (CT) scan
      showed a homogeneous lesion, with a low density. The lesion remained unchanged
      during the five years of follow-up. Eight years after the last CT, a large right
      heterogeneous adrenal mass was incidentally discovered during an ultrasound
      examination. On CT scan, it was a 6 cm heterogeneous tumor. On hormonal work-up,
      there was no secretion. The patient was operated of an adrenalectomy, and the
      histology described an ACC with a Weiss score at 8, with no benign contingent. To
      our knowledge, this is the first case of an ACC occurring in a patient with prior
      adrenal imaging showing a typical benign adenoma.

PMID- 28348074
TI  - Prognostic Value of Inflammatory and Cardiovascular Biomarkers for Prediction of
      90-Day All-Cause Mortality after Acute Ischemic Stroke-Results from the Linz
      Stroke Unit Study.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Early outcome prediction after acute ischemic stroke is of great
      interest. The aim of our study was to evaluate the prognostic value of blood
      biomarkers in patients with acute ischemic stroke. METHODS: We measured
      interleukin-6 (IL-6), d-dimer, amino-terminal pro-B-type natriuretic peptide (NT
      proBNP), high-sensitivity cardiac troponin T, and soluble ST2 plasma
      concentrations within 24 h after admission to our stroke unit in 721 consecutive
      acute ischemic stroke patients. End point was 90-day all-cause mortality.
      RESULTS: During follow-up 81 patients died (11%). In univariate Cox proportional
      hazards regression analyses with the biochemical markers dichotomized according
      to median values, all baseline blood biomarkers were strong prognostic markers.
      However, in the multivariate analysis after adjustment for several clinical
      variables and the NIH Stroke Scale (NIHSS), only NIHSS >3 [risk ratio (RR) 7.87,
      95% CI, 3.61-17.16; P < 0.001], IL-6 > 7 pg/mL (RR 4.09, 95% CI, 2.02-8.29; P <
      0.001), and NT-proBNP >447 ng/L (RR 4.88, 95% CI, 2.41-9.88; P < 0.001) remained
      independent predictors. Using a simple multimarker approach combining these 3
      complementary markers, we demonstrated that patients with increased NIHSS, IL-6,
      and NT-proBNP had the poorest outcome with a mortality rate of 38%, whereas no
      patient with negative readings for all 3 markers died during follow-up.
      CONCLUSIONS: In this large cohort of patients with acute ischemic stroke, IL-6
      and NT-proBNP at admission were strong and independent prognostic markers for 90
      day all-cause mortality, and provided complementary prognostic information to the
      routinely used stroke severity score NIHSS.

PMID- 28348075
TI  - Computational and structural evidence for neurotransmitter-mediated modulation of
      the oligomeric states of human insulin in storage granules.
AB  - Human insulin is a pivotal protein hormone controlling metabolism, growth, and
      aging and whose malfunctioning underlies diabetes, some cancers, and
      neurodegeneration. Despite its central position in human physiology, the in vivo
      oligomeric state and conformation of insulin in its storage granules in the
      pancreas are not known. In contrast, many in vitro structures of hexamers of this
      hormone are available and fall into three conformational states: T6, T3Rf3, and
      R6 As there is strong evidence for accumulation of neurotransmitters, such as
      serotonin and dopamine, in insulin storage granules in pancreatic beta-cells, we
      probed by molecular dynamics (MD) and protein crystallography (PC) if these
      endogenous ligands affect and stabilize insulin oligomers. Parallel studies
      independently converged on the observation that serotonin binds well within the
      insulin hexamer (site I), stabilizing it in the T3R3 conformation. Both methods
      indicated serotonin binding on the hexamer surface (site III) as well. MD, but
      not PC, indicated that dopamine was also a good site III ligand. Some of the PC
      studies also included arginine, which may be abundant in insulin granules upon
      processing of pro-insulin, and stable T3R3 hexamers loaded with both serotonin
      and arginine were obtained. The MD and PC results were supported further by in
      solution spectroscopic studies with R-state-specific chromophore. Our results
      indicate that the T3R3 oligomer is a plausible insulin pancreatic storage form,
      resulting from its complex interplay with neurotransmitters, and pro-insulin
      processing products. These findings may have implications for clinical insulin
      formulations.

PMID- 28348076
TI  - The crystal structure of a multidomain protease inhibitor (HAI-1) reveals the
      mechanism of its auto-inhibition.
AB  - Hepatocyte growth factor activator inhibitor 1 (HAI-1) is a membrane-bound
      multidomain protein essential to the integrity of the basement membrane during
      placental development and is also important in maintaining postnatal homeostasis
      in many tissues. HAI-1 is a Kunitz-type serine protease inhibitor, and soluble
      fragments of HAI-1 with variable lengths have been identified in vivo The full
      length extracellular portion of HAI-1 (sHAI-1) shows weaker inhibitory activity
      toward target proteases than the smaller fragments, suggesting auto-inhibition of
      HAI-1. However, this possible regulatory mechanism has not yet been evaluated.
      Here, we solved the crystal structure of sHAI-1 and determined the solution
      structure by small-angle X-ray scattering. These structural analyses revealed
      that, despite the presence of long linkers, sHAI-1 exists in a compact
      conformation in which sHAI-1 active sites in Kunitz domain 1 are sterically
      blocked by neighboring structural elements. We also found that in the presence of
      target proteases, sHAI-1 adopts an extended conformation that disables the auto
      inhibition effect. Our results also reveal the roles of non-inhibitory domains of
      this multidomain protein and explain the low activity of the full-length protein.
      The structural insights gained here improve our understanding of the regulation
      of HAI-1 inhibitory activities and point to new approaches for better controlling
      these activities.

PMID- 28348077
TI  - Structural and thermodynamic basis of a frontometaphyseal dysplasia mutation in
      filamin A.
AB  - Filamin-mediated linkages between transmembrane receptors (TR) and the actin
      cytoskeleton are crucial for regulating many cytoskeleton-dependent cellular
      processes such as cell shape change and migration. A major TR binding site in the
      immunoglobulin repeat 21 (Ig21) of filamin is masked by the adjacent repeat Ig20,
      resulting in autoinhibition. The TR binding to this site triggers the relief of
      Ig20 and protein kinase A (PKA)-mediated phosphorylation of Ser-2152, thereby
      dynamically regulating the TR-actin linkages. A P2204L mutation in Ig20
      reportedly cause frontometaphyseal dysplasia, a skeletal disorder with unknown
      pathogenesis. We show here that the P2204L mutation impairs a hydrophobic core of
      Ig20, generating a conformationally fluctuating molten globule-like state.
      Consequently, unlike in WT filamin, where PKA-mediated Ser-2152 phosphorylation
      is ligand-dependent, the P2204L mutant is readily accessible to PKA, promoting
      ligand-independent phosphorylation on Ser-2152. Strong TR peptide ligands from
      platelet GP1balpha and G-protein-coupled receptor MAS effectively bound Ig21 by
      displacing Ig20 from autoinhibited WT filamin, but surprisingly, the capacity of
      these ligands to bind the P2204L mutant was much reduced despite the mutation
      induced destabilization of the Ig20 structure that supposedly weakens the
      autoinhibition. Thermodynamic analysis indicated that compared with WT filamin,
      the conformationally fluctuating state of the Ig20 mutant makes Ig21
      enthalpically favorable to bind ligand but with substantial entropic penalty,
      resulting in total higher free energy and reduced ligand affinity. Overall, our
      results reveal an unusual structural and thermodynamic basis for the P2204L
      induced dysfunction of filamin and frontometaphyseal dysplasia disease.

PMID- 28348078
TI  - pH regulation in glycosomes of procyclic form Trypanosoma brucei.
AB  - Here we report the use of a fluorescein-tagged peroxisomal targeting sequence
      peptide (F-PTS1, acetyl-C{K(FITC)}GGAKL) for investigating pH regulation of
      glycosomes in live procyclic form Trypanosoma brucei When added to cells, this
      fluorescent peptide is internalized within vesicular structures, including
      glycosomes, and can be visualized after 30-60 min. Using F-PTS1 we are able to
      observe the pH conditions inside glycosomes in response to starvation conditions.
      Previous studies have shown that in the absence of glucose, the glycosome
      exhibits mild acidification from pH 7.4 +/- 0.2 to 6.8 +/- 0.2. Our results
      suggest that this response occurs under proline starvation as well. This pH
      regulation is found to be independent from cytosolic pH and requires a source of
      Na+ ions. Glycosomes were also observed to be more resistant to external pH
      changes than the cytosol; placement of cells in acidic buffers (pH 5) reduced the
      pH of the cytosol by 0.8 +/- 0.1 pH units, whereas glycosomal pH decreases by 0.5
      +/- 0.1 pH units. This observation suggests that regulation of glycosomal pH is
      different and independent from cytosolic pH regulation. Furthermore, pH
      regulation is likely to work by an active process, because cells depleted of ATP
      with 2-deoxyglucose and sodium azide were unable to properly regulate pH.
      Finally, inhibitor studies with bafilomycin and EIPA suggest that both V-ATPases
      and Na+/H+ exchangers are required for glycosomal pH regulation.

PMID- 28348079
TI  - Structure of human promyeloperoxidase (proMPO) and the role of the propeptide in
      processing and maturation.
AB  - Myeloperoxidase (MPO) is synthesized by neutrophil and monocyte precursor cells
      and contributes to host defense by mediating microbial killing. Although several
      steps in MPO biosynthesis and processing have been elucidated, many questions
      remained, such as the structure-function relationship of monomeric unprocessed
      proMPO versus the mature dimeric MPO and the functional role of the propeptide.
      Here we have presented the first and high resolution (at 1.25 A) crystal
      structure of proMPO and its solution structure obtained by small-angle X-ray
      scattering. Promyeloperoxidase hosts five occupied glycosylation sites and six
      intrachain cystine bridges with Cys-158 of the very flexible N-terminal
      propeptide being covalently linked to Cys-319 and thereby hindering
      homodimerization. Furthermore, the structure revealed (i) the binding site of
      proMPO-processing proconvertase, (ii) the structural motif for subsequent
      cleavage to the heavy and light chains of mature MPO protomers, and (iii) three
      covalent bonds between heme and the protein. Studies of the mutants C158A, C319A,
      and C158A/C319A demonstrated significant differences from the wild-type protein,
      including diminished enzymatic activity and prevention of export to the Golgi due
      to prolonged association with the chaperone calnexin. These structural and
      functional findings provide novel insights into MPO biosynthesis and processing.

PMID- 28348081
TI  - The herpes simplex virus 1 UL36USP deubiquitinase suppresses DNA repair in host
      cells via deubiquitination of proliferating cell nuclear antigen.
AB  - Herpes simplex virus 1 (HSV-1) infection manipulates distinct host DNA-damage
      responses to facilitate virus proliferation, but the molecular mechanisms remain
      to be elucidated. One possible HSV-1 target might be DNA damage-tolerance
      mechanisms, such as the translesion synthesis (TLS) pathway. In TLS,
      proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA) is monoubiquitinated in response to DNA
      damage-caused replication fork stalling. Ubiquitinated PCNA then facilitates the
      error-prone DNA polymerase eta (poleta)-mediated TLS, allowing the fork to bypass
      damaged sites. Because of the involvement of PCNA ubiquitination in DNA-damage
      repair, we hypothesized that the function of PCNA might be altered by HSV-1. Here
      we show that PCNA is a substrate of the HSV-1 deubiquitinase UL36USP, which has
      previously been shown to be involved mainly in virus uptake and maturation. In
      HSV-1-infected cells, viral infection-associated UL36USP consistently reduced
      PCNA ubiquitination. The deubiquitination of PCNA inhibited the formation of
      poleta foci and also increased cell sensitivity to DNA-damage agents. Moreover,
      the catalytically inactive mutant UL36C40A failed to deubiquitinate PCNA. Of
      note, the levels of virus marker genes increased strikingly in cells infected
      with wild-type HSV-1, but only moderately in UL36C40A mutant virus-infected
      cells, indicating that the UL36USP deubiquitinating activity supports HSV-1 virus
      replication during infection. These findings suggest a role of UL36USP in the DNA
      damage-response pathway.

PMID- 28348080
TI  - A positive feedback loop between Pim-1 kinase and HBP1 transcription factor
      contributes to hydrogen peroxide-induced premature senescence and apoptosis.
AB  - Oxidative stress can induce cell dysfunction and lead to a broad range of
      degenerative alterations, including carcinogenesis, aging, and other oxidative
      stress-related conditions. To avoid undergoing carcinogenesis in response to
      oxidative stress, cells trigger a succession of checkpoint responses, including
      premature senescence and apoptosis. Increasing evidence indicates that H2O2, an
      important cause of oxidative stress, functions as an important physiological
      regulator of intracellular signaling pathways that participate in regulation of
      cell premature senescence and apoptosis. However, the precise mechanisms
      underlying this process remain to be studied extensively. In this study, we
      describe the importance of Pim-1 kinase in this checkpoint response to oxidative
      stress. Pim-1 binds to and phosphorylates the transcription factor high mobility
      group box transcription factor 1 (HBP1), activating it. H2O2 enhances the
      interaction between Pim-1 and HBP1 and promotes HBP1 accumulation. In turn, HBP1
      rapidly and selectively up-regulates Pim-1 expression in H2O2-stimulated cells,
      thereby creating a Pim-1-HBP1 positive feedback loop that regulates H2O2-induced
      premature senescence and apoptosis. Furthermore, the Pim-1-HBP1 positive feedback
      loop exerts its effect by regulating the senescence markers DNMT1 and p16 and the
      apoptosis marker Bax. The Pim-1-HBP1 axis thus constitutes a novel checkpoint
      pathway critical for the inhibition of tumorigenesis.

PMID- 28348082
TI  - Urate hydroperoxide oxidizes human peroxiredoxin 1 and peroxiredoxin 2.
AB  - Urate hydroperoxide is a product of the oxidation of uric acid by inflammatory
      heme peroxidases. The formation of urate hydroperoxide might be a key event in
      vascular inflammation, where there is large amount of uric acid and inflammatory
      peroxidases. Urate hydroperoxide oxidizes glutathione and sulfur-containing amino
      acids and is expected to react fast toward reactive thiols from peroxiredoxins
      (Prxs). The kinetics for the oxidation of the cytosolic 2-Cys Prx1 and Prx2
      revealed that urate hydroperoxide oxidizes these enzymes at rates comparable with
      hydrogen peroxide. The second-order rate constants of these reactions were 4.9 *
      105 and 2.3 * 106 m-1 s-1 for Prx1 and Prx2, respectively. Kinetic and simulation
      data suggest that the oxidation of Prx2 by urate hydroperoxide occurs by a three
      step mechanism, where the peroxide reversibly associates with the enzyme; then it
      oxidizes the peroxidatic cysteine, and finally, the rate-limiting disulfide bond
      is formed. Of relevance, the disulfide bond formation was much slower in Prx2 (k3
      = 0.31 s-1) than Prx1 (k3 = 14.9 s-1). In addition, Prx2 was more sensitive than
      Prx1 to hyperoxidation caused by both urate hydroperoxide and hydrogen peroxide.
      Urate hydroperoxide oxidized Prx2 from intact erythrocytes to the same extent as
      hydrogen peroxide. Therefore, Prx1 and Prx2 are likely targets of urate
      hydroperoxide in cells. Oxidation of Prxs by urate hydroperoxide might affect
      cell function and be partially responsible for the pro-oxidant and pro
      inflammatory effects of uric acid.

PMID- 28348083
TI  - Mechanical forces regulate the reactivity of a thioester bond in a bacterial
      adhesin.
AB  - Bacteria must withstand large mechanical shear forces when adhering to and
      colonizing hosts. Recent structural studies on a class of Gram-positive bacterial
      adhesins have revealed an intramolecular Cys-Gln thioester bond that can react
      with surface-associated ligands to covalently anchor to host surfaces. Two other
      examples of such internal thioester bonds occur in certain anti-proteases and in
      the immune complement system, both of which react with the ligand only after the
      thioester bond is exposed by a proteolytic cleavage. We hypothesized that
      mechanical forces in bacterial adhesion could regulate thioester reactivity to
      ligand analogously to such proteolytic gating. Studying the pilus tip adhesin
      Spy0125 of Streptococcus pyogenes, we developed a single molecule assay to
      unambiguously resolve the state of the thioester bond. We found that when Spy0125
      was in a folded state, its thioester bond could be cleaved with the small
      molecule nucleophiles methylamine and histamine, but when Spy0125 was
      mechanically unfolded and subjected to forces of 50-350 piconewtons, thioester
      cleavage was no longer observed. For folded Spy0125 without mechanical force
      exposure, thioester cleavage was in equilibrium with spontaneous thioester
      reformation, which occurred with a half-life of several minutes. Functionally,
      this equilibrium reactivity allows thioester-containing adhesins to sample
      potential substrates without irreversible cleavage and inactivation. We propose
      that such reversible thioester reactivity would circumvent potential soluble
      inhibitors, such as histamine released at sites of inflammation, and allow the
      bacterial adhesin to selectively associate with surface-bound ligands.

PMID- 28348084
TI  - Delineating distinct heme-scavenging and -binding functions of domains in
      MF6p/helminth defense molecule (HDM) proteins from parasitic flatworms.
AB  - MF6p/FhHDM-1 is a small protein secreted by the parasitic flatworm (trematode)
      Fasciola hepatica that belongs to a broad family of heme-binding proteins
      (MF6p/helminth defense molecules (HDMs)). MF6p/HDMs are of interest for
      understanding heme homeostasis in trematodes and as potential targets for the
      development of new flukicides. Moreover, interest in these molecules has also
      increased because of their immunomodulatory properties. Here we have extended our
      previous findings on the mechanism of MF6p/HDM-heme interactions and mapped the
      protein regions required for heme binding and for other biological functions. Our
      data revealed that MF6p/FhHDM-1 forms high-molecular-weight complexes when
      associated with heme and that these complexes are reorganized by a stacking
      procedure to form fibril-like and granular nanostructures. Furthermore, we showed
      that MF6p/FhHDM-1 is a transitory heme-binding protein as protein.heme complexes
      can be disrupted by contact with an apoprotein (e.g. apomyoglobin) with higher
      affinity for heme. We also demonstrated that (i) the heme-binding region is
      located in the MF6p/FhHDM-1 C-terminal moiety, which also inhibits the peroxidase
      like activity of heme, and (ii) MF6p/HDMs from other trematodes, such as
      Opisthorchis viverrini and Paragonimus westermani, also bind heme. Finally, we
      observed that the N-terminal, but not the C-terminal, moiety of MF6p/HDMs has a
      predicted structural analogy with cell-penetrating peptides and that both the
      entire protein and the peptide corresponding to the N-terminal moiety of
      MF6p/FhHDM-1 interact in vitro with cell membranes in hemin-preconditioned
      erythrocytes. Our findings suggest that MF6p/HDMs can transport heme in
      trematodes and thereby shield the parasite from the harmful effects of heme.

PMID- 28348087
TI  - Site Principal Investigators in Multicenter Clinical Trials: Appropriately
      Recognizing Key Contributors.

PMID- 28348085
TI  - The extent of the temperature-induced membrane remodeling in two closely related
      Bordetella species reflects their adaptation to diverse environmental niches.
AB  - Changes in environmental temperature represent one of the major stresses faced by
      microorganisms as they affect the function of the cytoplasmic membrane. In this
      study, we have analyzed the thermal adaptation in two closely related respiratory
      pathogens Bordetella pertussis and Bordetella bronchiseptica Although B.
      pertussis represents a pathogen strictly adapted to the human body temperature,
      B. bronchiseptica causes infection in a broad range of animals and survives also
      outside of the host. We applied GC-MS to determine the fatty acids of both
      Bordetella species grown at different temperatures and analyzed the membrane
      fluidity by fluorescence anisotropy measurement. In parallel, we also monitored
      the effect of growth temperature changes on the expression and production of
      several virulence factors. In response to low temperatures, B. pertussis adapted
      its fatty acid composition and membrane fluidity to a considerably lesser extent
      when compared with B. bronchiseptica Remarkably, B. pertussis maintained the
      production of virulence factors at 24  degrees C, whereas B. bronchiseptica cells
      resumed the production only upon temperature upshift to 37  degrees C. This
      growth temperature-associated differential modulation of virulence factor
      production was linked to the phosphorylation state of transcriptional regulator
      BvgA. The observed differences in low-temperature adaptation between B. pertussis
      and B. bronchiseptica may result from selective adaptation of B. pertussis to the
      human host. We propose that the reduced plasticity of the B. pertussis membranes
      ensures sustained production of virulence factors at suboptimal temperatures and
      may play an important role in the transmission of the disease.

PMID- 28348088
TI  - Public Health Urgency Created by the Success of Mechanical Thrombectomy Studies
      in Stroke.

PMID- 28348086
TI  - The DEAD-box RNA helicase DDX41 is a novel repressor of p21WAF1/CIP1 mRNA
      translation.
AB  - The cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitor p21 is an important player in stress
      pathways exhibiting both tumor-suppressive and oncogenic functions. Thus,
      expression of p21 has to be tightly controlled, which is achieved by numerous
      mechanisms at the transcriptional, translational, and posttranslational level.
      Performing immunoprecipitation of bromouridine-labeled p21 mRNAs that had been
      incubated before with cytoplasmic extracts of untreated HCT116 colon carcinoma
      cells, we identified the DEAD-box RNA helicase DDX41 as a novel regulator of p21
      expression. DDX41 specifically precipitates with the 3'UTR, but not with the
      5'UTR, of p21 mRNA. Knockdown of DDX41 increases basal and gamma irradiation
      induced p21 protein levels without affecting p21 mRNA expression. Conversely,
      overexpression of DDX41 strongly inhibits expression of a FLAG-p21 and a
      luciferase construct, but only in the presence of the p21 3'UTR. Together, these
      data suggest that this helicase regulates p21 expression at the translational
      level independent of the transcriptional activity of p53. However, knockdown of
      DDX41 completely fails to increase p21 protein levels in p53-deficient HCT116
      cells. Moreover, posttranslational up-regulation of p21 achieved in both p53+/+
      and p53-/- HCT116 cells in response to pharmaceutical inhibition of the
      proteasome (by MG-132) or p90 ribosomal S6 kinases (by BI-D1870) is further
      increased by knockdown of DDX41 only in p53-proficient but not in p53-deficient
      cells. Although our data demonstrate that DDX41 suppresses p21 translation
      without disturbing the function of p53 to directly induce p21 mRNA expression,
      this process indirectly requires p53, perhaps in the form of another p53 target
      gene or as a still undefined posttranscriptional function of p53.

PMID- 28348089
TI  - The Development of Cardiac Arrhythmia Ablation: A Conversation With Melvin A.
      Scheinman, MD.
AB  - Dr Melvin A. Scheinman is Professor of Medicine and holds the Walter H.
      Shorenstein Endowed Chair in Cardiology at the University of California, San
      Francisco. He has received awards including the Paul Dudley White Award for
      Excellence in Teaching by the American Heart Association and the Distinguished
      Science Award of the American College of Cardiology. He grew up in Brooklyn, New
      York, and took his undergraduate degree at Johns Hopkins University, where he
      graduated first in his class. Postgraduate medical education included the Albert
      Einstein College of Medicine, residency training at the University of North
      Carolina (Chapel Hill), and cardiology training at the University of California,
      San Francisco Medical Center.

PMID- 28348090
TI  - Increased Risk of Cerebrovascular Events in Young Cancer Survivors: The Downside
      of Surviving Cancer.

PMID- 28348091
TI  - Trends in Heart Failure Incidence in the Community: A Gathering Storm.

PMID- 28348093
TI  - Value-Based Payments Likely to Survive Affordable Care Act Repeal: Coverage,
      Patient Protections May Be at Risk.

PMID- 28348092
TI  - Highlights from the Circulation Family of Journals.

PMID- 28348094
TI  - Letter by Kalavrouziotis et al Regarding Article, "Temporal Trends in Predictors
      of Early and Late Mortality After Emergency Coronary Artery Bypass Grafting for
      Cardiogenic Shock Complicating Acute Myocardial Infarction".

PMID- 28348095
TI  - Response by Davierwala and Leontyev to Letter Regarding Article, "Temporal Trends
      in Predictors of Early and Late Mortality after Emergency Coronary Artery Bypass
      Grafting for Cardiogenic Shock Complicating Acute Myocardial Infarction".

PMID- 28348096
TI  - Letter by Koh Regarding Articles, "Predicting the 10-Year Risks of
      Atherosclerotic Cardiovascular Disease in Chinese Population: The China-PAR
      Project (Prediction for ASCVD Risk in China)" and "Distribution of Estimated 10
      Year Risk of Recurrent Vascular Events and Residual Risk in a Secondary
      Prevention Population".

PMID- 28348097
TI  - Response by Kaasenbrood et al to Letter Regarding Article, "Distribution of
      Estimated 10-Year Risk of Recurrent Vascular Events and Residual Risk in a
      Secondary Prevention Population".

PMID- 28348098
TI  - Response by Yang and Gu to Letter Regarding Article, "Predicting the 10-Year
      Risks of Atherosclerotic Cardiovascular Disease in Chinese Population: The China
      PAR Project (Prediction for ASCVD Risk in China)".

PMID- 28348099
TI  - Correction to: Estimating Longitudinal Risks and Benefits From Cardiovascular
      Preventive Therapies Among Medicare Patients: The Million Hearts Longitudinal
      ASCVD Risk Assessment Tool: A Special Report From the American Heart Association
      and American College of Cardiology.

PMID- 28348100
TI  - Effects of Conversion to a Bicarbonate/Lactate-Buffered, Neutral-pH, Low-GDP PD
      Regimen in Prevalent PD: A 2-Year Randomized Clinical Trial.
AB  - ? BACKGROUND: The use of pH-neutral peritoneal dialysis (PD) fluids low in
      glucose degradation products (GDP) may better preserve the peritoneal membrane
      and have fewer systemic effects. The effects of conversion from conventional to
      neutral-pH, low-GDP PD fluids in prevalent patients are unclear. Few studies on
      the role of neutral-pH, low-GDP PD have studied residual renal function,
      ultrafiltration, peritonitis incidence and technique failure, transport
      characteristics, and local and systemic markers of inflammation in prevalent PD
      patients. ? METHODS: In a multi-center open-label randomized clinical trial
      (RCT), we randomly assigned 40 of 78 stable continuous ambulatory PD (CAPD) and
      automated PD (APD) patients to treatment with bicarbonate/lactate, neutral-pH,
      low-GDP PD fluid (Physioneal; Baxter Healthcare Corporation, Deerfield, IL, USA)
      and compared them with 38 patients continuing their current standard lactate
      buffered PD fluid (PDF) (Dianeal; Baxter Healthcare Corporation, Deerfield, IL,
      USA) during 2 years. Primary outcome was residual renal function (RRF) and
      ultrafiltration (UF) during peritoneal equilibration test (PET); peritonitis
      incidence was a secondary outcome. Furthermore, clinical parameters as well as
      several biomarkers in effluents and serum were measured. ? RESULTS: During follow
      up, RRF did not differ between the groups. In the Physioneal group
      ultrafiltration (UF) during PET remained more or less stable (-20 mL [confidence
      interval (CI): -163.5 - 123.5 mL]; p = 0.7 over 24 months), whereas it declined
      in the Dianeal group (-243 mL [CI: -376.6 to -109.4 mL]; p < 0.0001 over 24
      months), resulting in a difference of 233.7 mL [95% CI 41.0 - 425.5 mL]; p =
      0.017 between the groups at 24 months. The peritonitis rate was lower in the
      Physioneal group: adjusted odds ratio (OR) 0.38 (0.15 - 0.97) p = 0.043. No
      differences were observed between the 2 groups in peritoneal adequacy or
      transport characteristics nor effluent markers of local inflammation (cancer
      antigen [CA]125, hyaluronan [HA], vascular endothelial growth factor [VEGF],
      macrophage chemo-attractant protein [MCP]-1, HA and transforming growth factor
      [TGF]beta-1). ? CONCLUSION: In prevalent PD patients, our study did not find a
      difference in RRF after conversion from conventional to neutral-pH, low-GDP PD
      fluids, although there is a possibility that the study was underpowered to detect
      a difference. Decline in UF during standardized PET was lower after 2 years in
      the Physioneal group.

PMID- 28348101
TI  - In-Hospital Mortality in Cirrhotic Patients with End-Stage Renal Disease Treated
      with Hemodialysis Versus Peritoneal Dialysis: A Nationwide Study.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Cirrhotic patients often develop end-stage renal disease (ESRD)
      requiring renal replacement therapy in the form of hemodialysis (HD) or
      peritoneal dialysis (PD). Studies comparing the outcomes and difference in in
      hospital mortality between these 2 groups, particularly among those with ascites,
      are sparse. We set our objective to determine the dialysis modality with a better
      in-hospital survival rate among cirrhotic patients with ESRD (ESRD-cirrhosis).
      METHODS: Data was extracted from the 2005 to 2012 Nationwide Inpatient Sample
      (NIS). Using propensity score matching, ESRD-cirrhosis patients on PD were
      matched with patients on HD at a 1:1 ratio. Another subgroup analysis of ESRD
      cirrhosis patients with ascites was performed using the same matching algorithm.
      Analyses were performed using SAS version 9.3 (SAS Institute, Cary, NC, USA).
      RESULTS: Among 26,135 cirrhotic patients with incident ESRD, 25,686 (98.3%) and
      449 (1.7%) were initiated on HD and PD, respectively, during the hospitalization.
      There was a nonsignificant mortality difference between the ESRD-cirrhosis
      patients treated with PD and those treated with HD. In a subgroup analysis of
      these patients with ascites, 18 patients underwent PD while 1,878 patients
      required HD. Also, PD had a significantly lower in-hospital mortality compared
      with HD in this subgroup (0% vs 26.67%, p = 0.03). Mean length of stay for those
      who received HD was 8.34 days compared with 7.06 days for the PD group (p <
      0.0001). Similarly, mean hospital charges were greater for those who had HD
      compared with PD ($74,501 vs $57,460; p < 0.001). CONCLUSION: Cirrhotic patients
      with ESRD and ascites who undergo PD have a significantly lower mortality than
      those who are started on HD. However PD is rarely initiated for ESRD in cirrhotic
      patients with ascites during hospitalization in the United States. Due to the
      potential advantages of PD, nephrologists should encourage PD when selecting
      dialysis modality in this subgroup of patients whenever possible.

PMID- 28348102
TI  - Acute Peritoneal Dialysis in Patients with Acute Kidney Injury.
AB  - BACKGROUND: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the efficacy,
      complications, and mortality rate associated with acute peritoneal dialysis (PD)
      in patients with acute kidney injury (AKI). METHODS: A total of 75 patients who
      were treated at Samsung Changwon Hospital between February 2005 and March 2016
      were included in the study sample. The outcomes included in-hospital survival,
      renal recovery, metabolic and fluid control rates, and technical success rates.
      RESULTS: Refractory heart failure was the most frequent cause of acute PD
      (49.3%), followed by hepatic failure (20.0%), septic shock (14.7%), acute
      pancreatitis (9.3%), and unknown causes (6.7%). The hospital survival of patients
      in the acute PD was 48.0%. Etiologies of acute kidney injury (AKI) (refractory
      heart failure, acute pancreatitis compared with hepatic failure, septic shock or
      miscellaneous causes), use of inotropes, use of a ventilator, and simplified
      acute physiology score (SAPS) II were associated with survival differences.
      Maintenance dialysis required after survival was high (80.1% [29/36]) due to AKI
      etiologies (heart or hepatic failures). Metabolic and fluid control rates were
      77.3%. The technical success rate for acute PD was 93.3%. CONCLUSION: Acute PD
      remains a suitable treatment modality for patients with AKI in the era of
      continuous renal replacement therapy (CRRT). Nearly all patients who require
      dialysis can be dialyzed with acute PD without mechanical difficulties. This is
      particularly true in patients with refractory heart failure and acute
      pancreatitis who had a weak requirement for inotropes.

PMID- 28348103
TI  - Risk Factors and Outcomes of Vancomycin-Resistant Enterococcus Colonization in
      Patients on Peritoneal Dialysis: A Single-Center Study in Hong Kong.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus (VRE) colonization is common among
      patients with chronic kidney disease. However, data concerning VRE colonization
      among patients receiving peritoneal dialysis (PD) is lacking. The aim of this
      study is to evaluate the risk factors and various clinical outcomes for VRE
      colonization among PD patients. METHODS: This is a retrospective cohort study of
      166 PD patients who were hospitalized between 1 August 2013 and 31 July 2014.
      They were screened for VRE colonization status during a major VRE outbreak in
      Hong Kong in 2013 and were then categorized into 2 groups: VRE-positive and VRE
      negative. The primary outcome was all-cause mortality while the secondary
      outcomes included VRE infection, PD-related peritonitis, and length of
      hospitalization. RESULTS: Twenty-eight patients (16.9%) belonged to the VRE
      positive group. Multivariate analysis showed that previous contact with VRE
      positive patients (odds ratio [OR]: 417.86; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 17.21 -
      10,147.26, p < 0.01), vancomycin use in previous 3 months (OR: 130.32; 95% CI:
      5.35 - 3,176.30, p < 0.01), and old age (OR: 1.13; 95% CI: 1.02 - 1.24, p = 0.02)
      were the independent risk factors for VRE colonization. Patients in the VRE
      positive group had significantly longer length of hospitalization, but there was
      no significant difference in all-cause mortality and peritonitis-free survival.
      CONCLUSION: Vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus colonization is important among
      hospitalized PD patients. Cautious use of antibiotics and infection control
      measures are necessary to prevent VRE spreading, especially in high-risk
      patients.

PMID- 28348104
TI  - Non-canonical activity of the podosomal formin FMNL1gamma supports immune cell
      migration.
AB  - Having previously located the formin FMNL1 in macrophage podosomes, we developed
      an in vivo model to assess the role of FMNL1 in the migration activities of
      primary macrophages. Deletion of FMNL1 in mice was genetically lethal; however,
      targeted deletion in macrophages was achieved by employing macrophage-specific
      Cre. Unchallenged FMNL1-deficient mice exhibited an unexpected reduction in
      tissue-resident macrophages despite normal blood monocyte numbers. Upon immune
      stimulus, the absence of FMNL1 resulted in reduced macrophage recruitment in
      vivo, decreased migration in two-dimensional in vitro culture and a decrease in
      the number of macrophages exhibiting podosomes. Of the three described isoforms
      of FMNL1 - alpha, beta and gamma - only FMNL1gamma rescued macrophage migration
      when expressed exogenously in depleted macrophages. Surprisingly, mutation of
      residues in the FH2 domain of FMNL1gamma that disrupt barbed-end actin binding
      did not limit rescue of macrophage migration and podosome numbers. These
      observations suggest that FMNL1 contributes to macrophage migration activity by
      stabilizing the lifespan of podosomes without interaction of fast-growing actin
      termini.

PMID- 28348106
TI  - Unphosphorylated STAT1 represses apoptosis in macrophages during
      Mycobacteriumtuberculosis infection.
AB  - In murine macrophages infected with Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb), the level
      of phosphorylated STAT1 (P-STAT1), which drives the expression of many pro
      apoptosis genes, increases quickly but then declines over a period of hours. By
      contrast, infection induces a continued increase in the level of unphosphorylated
      STAT1 that persists for several days. Here, we found that the level of
      unphosphorylated STAT1 correlated with the intracellular bacterial burden during
      the later stages of infection. To investigate the significance of a high level of
      unphosphorylated STAT1, we increased its concentration exogenously, and found
      that the apoptosis rate induced by Mtb was sufficiently decreased. Further
      experiments confirmed that unphosphorylated STAT1 affects the expression of
      several immune-associated genes and lessens the sensitivity of macrophages to
      CD95 (FAS)-mediated apoptosis during Mtb infection. Furthermore, we characterized
      149 proteins that interacted with unphosphorylated STAT1 and the interactome
      network. The cooperation between unphosphorylated STAT1 and STAT3 results in
      downregulation of CD95 expression. Additionally, we verified that
      unphosphorylated STAT1 and IFIT1 competed for binding to eEF1A. Taken together,
      our data show that the role of unphosphorylated STAT1 differs from that of P
      STAT1, and represses apoptosis in macrophages to promote immune evasion during
      Mtb infection.

PMID- 28348105
TI  - Nuclear alpha-catenin mediates the DNA damage response via beta-catenin and
      nuclear actin.
AB  - alpha-Catenin is an F-actin-binding protein widely recognized for its role in
      cell-cell adhesion. However, a growing body of literature indicates that alpha
      catenin is also a nuclear protein. In this study, we show that alpha-catenin is
      able to modulate the sensitivity of cells to DNA damage and toxicity.
      Furthermore, nuclear alpha-catenin is actively recruited to sites of DNA damage.
      This recruitment occurs in a beta-catenin-dependent manner and requires nuclear
      actin polymerization. These findings provide mechanistic insight into the WNT
      mediated regulation of the DNA damage response and suggest a novel role for the
      alpha-catenin-beta-catenin complex in the nucleus.

PMID- 28348107
TI  - MCSF orchestrates branching morphogenesis in developing submandibular gland
      tissue.
AB  - The importance of macrophages in tissue development and regeneration has been
      strongly emphasized. However, the specific roles of macrophage colony-stimulating
      factor (MCSF), the key regulator of macrophage differentiation, in glandular
      tissue development have been unexplored. Here, we disclose new macrophage
      independent roles of MCSF in tissue development. We initially found that MCSF is
      markedly upregulated at embryonic day (E)13.5, at a stage preceding the
      colonization of macrophages (at E15.5), in mouse submandibular gland (SMG)
      tissue. Surprisingly, MCSF-induced branching morphogenesis was based on a direct
      effect on epithelial cells, as well as indirectly, by modulating the expression
      of major growth factors of SMG growth, FGF7 and FGF10, via the phosphoinositide 3
      kinase (PI3K) pathway. Additionally, given the importance of neurons in SMG
      organogenesis, we found that MCSF-induced SMG growth was associated with
      regulation of neurturin expression and neuronal network development during early
      SMG development in an in vitro organogenesis model as well as in vivo These
      results indicate that MCSF plays pleiotropic roles and is an important regulator
      of early SMG morphogenesis.

PMID- 28348108
TI  - Comprehensive somatic genome alterations of urachal carcinoma.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Urachal cancer is a rare cancer that develops in the urachus. Because
      of its rarity, standard treatment therapies for urachal cancer are not
      established, and chemotherapeutic regimens for bladder cancer have been
      unsuccessful for patients with urachal cancer. Hence, we aim to understand a
      systematic molecular characterisation of urachal cancer. METHODS: We identified
      somatic single-nucleotide variations (SNVs)/indels and somatic copy number
      aberrations (SCNAs) in the 17 patients by using whole-exome sequencing (WES) and
      OncoScan platform (Affymetrix) as follows: tumour-normal paired sequencing (WES,
      n=10), tumour-only sequencing (WES, n=1; targeted deep sequencing, n=16), and
      OncoScan (n=17). RESULTS: Our analyses identified 27 genes with somatic SNVs and
      indels, as well as six genes (APC, COL5A1, KIF26B, LRP1B, SMAD4 and TP53) that
      were recurrent in at least two patients. By analysing the SCNAs, we found that
      the extent of chromosomal amplification was highly associated with the patient's
      cancer stage. Interestingly, 35% (6/17) of the patients had focal DNA
      amplifications in fibroblast growth factor receptor family genes. The integration
      of somatic SNVs, indels and SCNAs revealed significant alterations in the mitogen
      activated protein kinase signalling pathways. CONCLUSIONS: Our genome-wide
      analysis of urachal cancer suggests that molecular characteristics may be
      important for the treatment of urachal cancer.

PMID- 28348109
TI  - Consultant productivity drops as result of poor workforce planning.

PMID- 28348110
TI  - Low intensity pulsed ultrasound for bone healing: systematic review of randomized
      controlled trials.
AB  - Objective To determine the efficacy of low intensity pulsed ultrasound (LIPUS)
      for healing of fracture or osteotomy.Design Systematic review and meta
      analysis.Data sources Medline, Embase, CINAHL, Cochrane Central Register of
      Controlled Trials, and trial registries up to November 2016.Study selection
      Randomized controlled trials of LIPUS compared with sham device or no device in
      patients with any kind of fracture or osteotomy.Review methods Two independent
      reviewers identified studies, extracted data, and assessed risk of bias. A
      parallel guideline committee (BMJ Rapid Recommendation) provided input on the
      design and interpretation of the systematic review, including selection of
      outcomes important to patients. The GRADE system was used to assess the quality
      of evidence.Results 26 randomized controlled trials with a median sample size of
      30 (range 8-501) were included. The most trustworthy evidence came from four
      trials at low risk of bias that included patients with tibia or clavicle
      fractures. Compared with control, LIPUS did not reduce time to return to work
      (percentage difference: 2.7% later with LIPUS, 95% confidence interval 7.7%
      earlier to 14.3% later; moderate certainty) or the number of subsequent
      operations (risk ratio 0.80, 95% confidence interval 0.55 to 1.16; moderate
      certainty). For pain, days to weight bearing, and radiographic healing, effects
      varied substantially among studies. For all three outcomes, trials at low risk of
      bias failed to show a benefit with LIPUS, while trials at high risk of bias
      suggested a benefit (interaction P<0.001). When only trials at low risk of bias
      trials were considered, LIPUS did not reduce days to weight bearing (4.8% later,
      4.0% earlier to 14.4% later; high certainty), pain at four to six weeks (mean
      difference on 0-100 visual analogue scale: 0.93 lower, 2.51 lower to 0.64 higher;
      high certainty), and days to radiographic healing (1.7% earlier, 11.2% earlier to
      8.8% later; moderate certainty).Conclusions Based on moderate to high quality
      evidence from studies in patients with fresh fracture, LIPUS does not improve
      outcomes important to patients and probably has no effect on radiographic bone
      healing. The applicability to other types of fracture or osteotomy is open to
      debate.Systematic review registration PROSPERO CRD42016050965.

PMID- 28348111
TI  - GPs challenge claim that they fail to take women's health seriously.

PMID- 28348112
TI  - Hypophysectomy abolishes rhythms in rat thyroid hormones but not in the thyroid
      clock.
AB  - The endocrine body rhythms including the hypothalamic-pituitary-thyroid axis seem
      to be regulated by the circadian timing system, and daily rhythmicity of
      circulating thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) is well established. The circadian
      rhythms are generated by endogenous clocks in the central brain oscillator
      located in the hypothalamic suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN) as well as multiple
      peripheral clocks, but information on the existence and function of a thyroid
      clock is limited. The molecular machinery in all clock cells is composed of a
      number of clock genes and their gene products are connected by autoregulatory
      feedback loops. Here, we provide evidence for a thyroid clock in the rat by
      demonstrating 24-h antiphase oscillations for the mRNA of the canonical clock
      genes Per1 and Bmal1, which was unaffected by hypophysectomy. By immunostaining,
      we supported the existence of a core oscillator in the individual thyroid cells
      by demonstrating a daily cytoplasmatic-nuclear shuttling of PER1 protein. In
      normal rats, we found a significant daily rhythmicity in the circulating thyroid
      hormones preceded by a peak in TSH. In hypophysectomised rats, although the
      thyroid clock was not affected, the oscillations in circulating thyroid hormones
      were abolished and the levels were markedly lowered. No daily oscillations in the
      expression of TSH receptor mRNA were observed in neither control rats nor
      hypophysectomised rats. Our findings indicate that the daily rhythm of thyroid
      hormone secretion is governed by SCN signalling via the rhythmic TSH secretion
      rather than by the local thyroid clock, which was still ticking after
      hypophysectomy.

PMID- 28348113
TI  - 30 YEARS OF THE MINERALOCORTICOID RECEPTOR: Nongenomic effects via the
      mineralocorticoid receptor.
AB  - The mineralocorticoid receptor (MR) belongs to the steroid hormone receptor
      family and classically functions as a ligand-dependent transcription factor. It
      is involved in water-electrolyte homeostasis and blood pressure regulation but
      independent from these effects also furthers inflammation, fibrosis, hypertrophy
      and remodeling in cardiovascular tissues. Next to genomic effects, aldosterone
      elicits very rapid actions within minutes that do not require transcription or
      translation and that occur not only in classical MR epithelial target organs like
      kidney and colon but also in nonepithelial tissues like heart, vasculature and
      adipose tissue. Most of these effects can be mediated by classical MR and its
      crosstalk with different signaling cascades. Near the plasma membrane, the MR
      seems to be associated with caveolin and striatin as well as with receptor
      tyrosine kinases like EGFR, PDGFR and IGF1R and G protein-coupled receptors like
      AT1 and GPER1, which then mediate nongenomic aldosterone effects. GPER1 has also
      been named a putative novel MR. There is a close interaction and functional
      synergism between the genomic and the nongenomic signaling so that nongenomic
      signaling can lead to long-term effects and support genomic actions. Therefore,
      understanding nongenomic aldosterone/MR effects is of potential relevance for
      modulating genomic aldosterone effects and may provide additional targets for
      intervention.

PMID- 28348114
TI  - 30 YEARS OF THE MINERALOCORTICOID RECEPTOR: Mineralocorticoid receptor mutations.
AB  - Aldosterone and the mineralocorticoid receptor (MR) are key elements for
      maintaining fluid and electrolyte homeostasis as well as regulation of blood
      pressure. Loss-of-function mutations of the MR are responsible for renal
      pseudohypoaldosteronism type 1 (PHA1), a rare disease of mineralocorticoid
      resistance presenting in the newborn with weight loss, failure to thrive,
      vomiting and dehydration, associated with hyperkalemia and metabolic acidosis,
      despite extremely elevated levels of plasma renin and aldosterone. In contrast, a
      MR gain-of-function mutation has been associated with a familial form of
      inherited mineralocorticoid hypertension exacerbated by pregnancy. In addition to
      rare variants, frequent functional single nucleotide polymorphisms of the MR are
      associated with salt sensitivity, blood pressure, stress response and depression
      in the general population. This review will summarize our knowledge on MR
      mutations in PHA1, reporting our experience on the genetic diagnosis in a large
      number of patients performed in the last 10 years at a national reference center
      for the disease. We will also discuss the influence of rare MR variants on blood
      pressure and salt sensitivity as well as on stress and cognitive functions in the
      general population.

PMID- 28348117
TI  - Spotlight on the March 28 issue.

PMID- 28348116
TI  - Increased vimentin in human alpha- and beta-cells in type 2 diabetes.
AB  - Type 2 diabetes (T2DM) is associated with pancreatic islet dysfunction. Loss of
      beta-cell identity has been implicated via dedifferentiation or conversion to
      other pancreatic endocrine cell types. How these transitions contribute to the
      onset and progression of T2DM in vivo is unknown. The aims of this study were to
      determine the degree of epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition occurring in alpha
      and beta cells in vivo and to relate this to diabetes-associated
      (patho)physiological conditions. The proportion of islet cells expressing the
      mesenchymal marker vimentin was determined by immunohistochemistry and
      quantitative morphometry in specimens of pancreas from human donors with T2DM (n
      = 28) and without diabetes (ND, n = 38) and in non-human primates at different
      stages of the diabetic syndrome: normoglycaemic (ND, n = 4), obese,
      hyperinsulinaemic (HI, n = 4) and hyperglycaemic (DM, n = 8). Vimentin co
      localised more frequently with glucagon (alpha-cells) than with insulin (beta
      cells) in the human ND group (1.43% total alpha-cells, 0.98% total beta-cells,
      median; P < 0.05); these proportions were higher in T2DM than ND (median 4.53%
      alpha-, 2.53% beta-cells; P < 0.05). Vimentin-positive beta-cells were not
      apoptotic, had reduced expression of Nkx6.1 and Pdx1, and were not associated
      with islet amyloidosis or with bihormonal expression (insulin + glucagon). In non
      human primates, vimentin-positive beta-cell proportion was larger in the diabetic
      than the ND group (6.85 vs 0.50%, medians respectively, P < 0.05), but was
      similar in ND and HI groups. In conclusion, islet cell expression of vimentin
      indicates a degree of plasticity and dedifferentiation with potential loss of
      cellular identity in diabetes. This could contribute to alpha- and beta-cell
      dysfunction in T2DM.

PMID- 28348115
TI  - Decrease in Ins+Glut2LO beta-cells with advancing age in mouse and human
      pancreas.
AB  - The presence and location of resident pancreatic beta-cell progenitors is
      controversial. A subpopulation of insulin-expressing but glucose transporter-2
      low (Ins+Glut2LO) cells may represent multipotent pancreatic progenitors in adult
      mouse and in human islets, and they are enriched in small, extra-islet beta-cell
      clusters (<5 beta cells) in mice. Here, we sought to identify and compare the
      ontogeny of these cells in mouse and human pancreata throughout life. Mouse
      pancreata were collected at postnatal days 7, 14, 21, 28, and at 3, 6, 12, and 18
      months of age, and in the first 28 days after beta-cell mass depletion following
      streptozotocin (STZ) administration. Samples of human pancreas were examined
      during fetal life (22-30 weeks gestation), infancy (0-1 year), childhood (2-9),
      adolescence (10-17), and adulthood (18-80). Tissues were analyzed by
      immunohistochemistry for the expression and location of insulin, GLUT2 and Ki67.
      The proportion of beta cells within clusters relative to that in islets was
      higher in pancreas of human than of mouse at all ages examined, and decreased
      significantly at adolescence. In mice, the total number of Ins+Glut2LO cells
      decreased after 7 days concurrent with the proportion of clusters. These cells
      were more abundant in clusters than in islets in both species. A positive
      association existed between the appearance of new beta cells after the STZ
      treatment of young mice, particularly in clusters and smaller islets, and an
      increased proportional presence of Ins+Glut2LO cells during early beta-cell
      regeneration. These data suggest that Ins+Glut2LO cells are preferentially
      located within beta-cell clusters throughout life in pancreas of mouse and human,
      and may represent a source of beta-cell plasticity.

PMID- 28348119
TI  - Editors' Note.

PMID- 28348118
TI  - Spontaneous intracranial hypotension diagnosed as Chiari I malformation.

PMID- 28348120
TI  - Letter re: Zoonotic bacterial meningitis in human adults.

PMID- 28348121
TI  - Author response: Zoonotic bacterial meningitis in human adults.

PMID- 28348122
TI  - Letter re: A genome-wide association study in multiple system atrophy.

PMID- 28348123
TI  - Author response: A genome-wide association study in multiple system atrophy.

PMID- 28348124
TI  - Recovering.

PMID- 28348125
TI  - Clinical Reasoning: A 13-year-old boy with chronic ataxia and developmental
      delay.

PMID- 28348126
TI  - Emerging Subspecialties in Neurology: Headache medicine.

PMID- 28348127
TI  - Comment: Headache medicine as an emerging subspecialty-Irony and reality.

PMID- 28348128
TI  - Teaching Video NeuroImages: Hyperekplexia: A syndrome of pathologic startle
      responses.

PMID- 28348129
TI  - Migraine relief: Nonpainful stimulation for acute attacks.

PMID- 28348132
TI  - Correction to: Successful Reperfusion With Mechanical Thrombectomy Is Associated
      With Reduced Disability and Mortality in Patients With Pretreatment Diffusion
      Weighted Imaging-Alberta Stroke Program Early Computed Tomography Score <=6.

PMID- 28348131
TI  - Correction to: Early Trajectory of Stroke Severity Predicts Long-Term Functional
      Outcomes in Ischemic Stroke Subjects: Results From the ESCAPE Trial (Endovascular
      Treatment for Small Core and Anterior Circulation Proximal Occlusion With
      Emphasis on Minimizing CT to Recanalization Times).

PMID- 28348133
TI  - Correction to: Cerebral Aneurysm Morphology Before and After Rupture: Nationwide
      Case Series of 29 Aneurysms.

PMID- 28348134
TI  - BMA condemns failure to deliver rescue funding to GPs.

PMID- 28348135
TI  - BK Channels Mediate Synaptic Plasticity Underlying Habituation in Rats.
AB  - Habituation is a basic form of implicit learning and represents a sensory filter
      that is disrupted in autism, schizophrenia, and several other mental disorders.
      Despite extensive research in the past decades on habituation of startle and
      other escape responses, the underlying neural mechanisms are still not fully
      understood. There is evidence from previous studies indicating that BK channels
      might play a critical role in habituation. We here used a wide array of
      approaches to test this hypothesis. We show that BK channel activation and
      subsequent phosphorylation of these channels are essential for synaptic
      depression presumably underlying startle habituation in rats, using patch-clamp
      recordings and voltage-sensitive dye imaging in slices. Furthermore, positive
      modulation of BK channels in vivo can enhance short-term habituation. Although
      results using different approaches do not always perfectly align, together they
      provide convincing evidence for a crucial role of BK channel phosphorylation in
      synaptic depression underlying short-term habituation of startle. We also show
      that this mechanism can be targeted to enhance short-term habituation and
      therefore to potentially ameliorate sensory filtering deficits associated with
      psychiatric disorders.SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT Short-term habituation is the most
      fundamental form of implicit learning. Habituation also represents a filter for
      inundating sensory information, which is disrupted in autism, schizophrenia, and
      other psychiatric disorders. Habituation has been studied in different organisms
      and behavioral models and is thought to be caused by synaptic depression in
      respective pathways. The underlying molecular mechanisms, however, are poorly
      understood. We here identify, for the first time, a BK channel-dependent
      molecular synaptic mechanism leading to synaptic depression that is crucial for
      habituation, and we discuss the significance of our findings for potential
      treatments enhancing habituation.

PMID- 28348137
TI  - Early Golgi Abnormalities and Neurodegeneration upon Loss of Presynaptic Proteins
      Munc18-1, Syntaxin-1, or SNAP-25.
AB  - The loss of presynaptic proteins Munc18-1, syntaxin-1, or SNAP-25 is known to
      produce cell death, but the underlying features have not been compared
      experimentally. Here, we investigated these features in cultured mouse CNS and
      DRG neurons. Side-by-side comparisons confirmed massive cell death, before
      synaptogenesis, within 1-4 DIV upon loss of t-SNAREs (syntaxin-1, SNAP-25) or
      Munc18-1, but not v-SNAREs (synaptobrevins/VAMP1/2/3 using tetanus neurotoxin
      (TeNT), also in TI-VAMP/VAMP7 knock-out (KO) neurons). A condensed cis-Golgi was
      the first abnormality observed upon Munc18-1 or SNAP-25 loss within 3 DIV. This
      phenotype was distinct from the Golgi fragmentation observed in apoptosis. Cell
      death was too rapid after syntaxin-1 loss to study Golgi abnormalities. Syntaxin
      1 and Munc18-1 depend on each other for normal cellular levels. We observed that
      endogenous syntaxin-1 accumulates at the Golgi of Munc18-1 KO neurons. However,
      expression of a non-neuronal Munc18 isoform that does not bind syntaxin-1, Munc18
      3, in Munc18-1 KO neurons prevented cell death and restored normal cis-Golgi
      morphology, but not synaptic transmission or syntaxin-1 targeting. Finally, we
      observed that DRG neurons are the only Munc18-1 KO neurons that do not degenerate
      in vivo or in vitro In these neurons, cis-Golgi abnormalities were less severe,
      with no changes in Golgi shape. Together, these data demonstrate that cell death
      upon Munc18-1, syntaxin-1, or SNAP-25 loss occurs via a degenerative pathway
      unrelated to the known synapse function of these proteins and involving early cis
      Golgi abnormalities, distinct from apoptosis.SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT This study
      provides new insights in a neurodegeneration pathway triggered by the absence of
      specific proteins involved in synaptic transmission (syntaxin-1, Munc18-1, SNAP
      25), whereas other proteins involved in the same molecular process
      (synaptobrevins, Munc13-1/2) do not cause degeneration. Massive cell death occurs
      in cultured neurons upon depleting syntaxin-1, Munc18-1, and/or SNAP-25, well
      before synapse formation. This study characterizes several relevant cellular
      phenotypes, especially early cis-Golgi abnormalities, distinct from abnormalities
      observed during apoptosis, and rules out several other phenotypes as causal
      (defects in syntaxin-1 targeting and synaptic transmission). As proteins, such as
      syntaxin-1, Munc18-1, or SNAP-25, modulate alpha-synuclein neuropathy and/or are
      dysregulated in Alzheimer's disease, understanding this type of neurodegeneration
      may provide new links between synaptic defects and neurodegeneration in humans.

PMID- 28348138
TI  - Dynamical Timescale Explains Marginal Stability in Excitability Dynamics.
AB  - Action potentials, taking place over milliseconds, are the basis of neural
      computation. However, the dynamics of excitability over longer, behaviorally
      relevant timescales remain underexplored. A recent experiment used long-term
      recordings from single neurons to reveal multiple timescale fluctuations in
      response to constant stimuli, along with more reliable responses to variable
      stimuli. Here, we demonstrate that this apparent paradox is resolved if neurons
      operate in a marginally stable dynamic regime, which we reveal using a novel
      inference method. Excitability in this regime is characterized by large
      fluctuations while retaining high sensitivity to external varying stimuli. A new
      model with a dynamic recovery timescale that interacts with excitability captures
      this dynamic regime and predicts the neurons' response with high accuracy. The
      model explains most experimental observations under several stimulus statistics.
      The compact structure of our model permits further exploration on the network
      level.SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT Excitability is the basis for all neural
      computations and its long-term dynamics reveal a complex combination of many
      timescales. We discovered that neural excitability operates under a marginally
      stable regime in which the system is dominated by internal fluctuation while
      retaining high sensitivity to externally varying stimuli. We offer a novel
      approach to modeling excitability dynamics by assuming that the recovery
      timescale is itself a dynamic variable. Our model is able to capture a wide range
      of experimental phenomena using few parameters with significantly higher
      predictive power than previous models.

PMID- 28348139
TI  - Potential effect of centre size on continuity of care and healthcare performance.

PMID- 28348136
TI  - Driving Human Motor Cortical Oscillations Leads to Behaviorally Relevant Changes
      in Local GABAA Inhibition: A tACS-TMS Study.
AB  - Beta and gamma oscillations are the dominant oscillatory activity in the human
      motor cortex (M1). However, their physiological basis and precise functional
      significance remain poorly understood. Here, we used transcranial magnetic
      stimulation (TMS) to examine the physiological basis and behavioral relevance of
      driving beta and gamma oscillatory activity in the human M1 using transcranial
      alternating current stimulation (tACS). tACS was applied using a sham-controlled
      crossover design at individualized intensity for 20 min and TMS was performed at
      rest (before, during, and after tACS) and during movement preparation (before and
      after tACS). We demonstrated that driving gamma frequency oscillations using tACS
      led to a significant, duration-dependent decrease in local resting-state GABAA
      inhibition, as quantified by short interval intracortical inhibition. The
      magnitude of this effect was positively correlated with the magnitude of GABAA
      decrease during movement preparation, when gamma activity in motor circuitry is
      known to increase. In addition, gamma tACS-induced change in GABAA inhibition was
      closely related to performance in a motor learning task such that subjects who
      demonstrated a greater increase in GABAA inhibition also showed faster short-term
      learning. The findings presented here contribute to our understanding of the
      neurophysiological basis of motor rhythms and suggest that tACS may have similar
      physiological effects to endogenously driven local oscillatory activity.
      Moreover, the ability to modulate local interneuronal circuits by tACS in a
      behaviorally relevant manner provides a basis for tACS as a putative therapeutic
      intervention.SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT Gamma oscillations have a vital role in motor
      control. Using a combined tACS-TMS approach, we demonstrate that driving gamma
      frequency oscillations modulates GABAA inhibition in the human motor cortex.
      Moreover, there is a clear relationship between the change in magnitude of GABAA
      inhibition induced by tACS and the magnitude of GABAA inhibition observed during
      task-related synchronization of oscillations in inhibitory interneuronal
      circuits, supporting the hypothesis that tACS engages endogenous oscillatory
      circuits. We also show that an individual's physiological response to tACS is
      closely related to their ability to learn a motor task. These findings contribute
      to our understanding of the neurophysiological basis of motor rhythms and their
      behavioral relevance and offer the possibility of developing tACS as a
      therapeutic tool.

PMID- 28348141
TI  - Venous lactate, pH and partial pressure of carbon dioxide levels as prognostic
      indicators in 110 premature calves with respiratory distress syndrome.
AB  - Hyperlactatemia, hypercapnia, low pH and low oxygen saturation (SatO2) are
      commonly observed in premature calves. These clinical indicators are associated
      with increased mortality in preterm human newborns with respiratory distress
      syndrome (RDS). The aim of this study was to investigate the prognostic
      importance of venous pH, partial pressure of carbon dioxide (pCO2) and lactate
      level and which parameters are related with mortality in premature calves with
      RDS. All premature calves (52 male/58 female) were admitted to clinic within 12
      24 hours after birth and blood samples were also taken into heparinised plastic
      syringes from the jugular vein within 30 minutes following admission. Diagnosis
      of RDS was made by both clinical signs and blood gas results. For the evaluation
      of independent samples, t test was used to compare the venous blood gas
      indicators of surviving and non-surviving premature calves. Receiver operating
      characteristics curves were used to determine a cut-off value in terms of lactate
      and pCO2 measurements among non-surviving and surviving calves. Venous pH, pCO2,
      SatO2, base deficit, bicarbonate (HCO3) and lactate levels showed a significant
      variance between surviving and non-surviving calves. Mean venous pH, pCO2, SatO2,
      lactate levels in non-surviving premature calves was 7.05, 78.9 mm Hg, 16.1 per
      cent and 9.50 mmol/l, respectively. Mean pH, pCO2, SatO2 and lactate levels in
      surviving premature calves were 7.29, 56.3 mm Hg, 25.5 per cent and 5.1 mmol/l,
      respectively. The cut-off values for lactate and pCO2 were 7.5 mmol/l and 63.5 mm
      Hg, respectively. In conclusion, the results of the study show that venous blood
      lactate and pCO2 have prognostic importance in premature calves with RDS.

PMID- 28348140
TI  - A classification system for zebrafish adipose tissues.
AB  - The zebrafish model system offers significant utility for in vivo imaging of
      adipose tissue (AT) dynamics and for screening to identify chemical and genetic
      modifiers of adiposity. In particular, AT can be quantified accurately in live
      zebrafish using fluorescent lipophilic dyes. Although this methodology offers
      considerable promise, the comprehensive identification and classification of
      zebrafish ATs has not been performed. Here, we use fluorescent lipophilic dyes
      and in vivo imaging systematically to identify, classify and quantify the
      zebrafish AT pool. We identify 34 regionally distinct zebrafish ATs, including
      five visceral ATs and 22 subcutaneous ATs. For each of these ATs, we describe
      detailed morphological characteristics to aid their identification in future
      studies. Furthermore, we quantify the areas for each AT and construct regression
      models to allow prediction of expected AT size and variation across a range of
      developmental stages. Finally, we demonstrate the utility of this resource for
      identifying effects of strain variation and high-fat diet on AT growth.
      Altogether, this resource provides foundational information on the identity,
      dynamics and expected quantities of zebrafish ATs for use as a reference for
      future studies.

PMID- 28348142
TI  - Survey of susceptibility to marbofloxacin in bacteria isolated from diseased pigs
      in Europe.
AB  - A monitoring programme of marbofloxacin susceptibility of bacteria from Europe
      causing respiratory tract infection and meningitis in pigs has been active since
      1994 and 2002, respectively. Monitoring digestive, metritis and urinary tract
      infection (UTI) in pigs has been active since 2005 and susceptibility results
      until 2013 are presented. Minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) was determined
      by broth microdilution. For MIC interpretation, Vetoquinol-evaluated breakpoints
      were applied. For digestive pathogens, Escherichia coli and Salmonella species
      (1717 and 300 isolates, respectively) exhibited 7.5 per cent resistance in E coli
      and no resistance in Salmonella species. Similarly, E coli from metritis (369
      isolates) had 7.0 per cent resistance to marbofloxacin. However, E coli from UTI
      (633 isolates) had higher resistance (10.4 per cent). For Streptococcus suis
      causing meningitis (585 isolates), marbofloxacin susceptibility was very high
      with only 0.5 per cent resistance and 0.4 per cent resistance was observed with S
      suis causing respiratory disease (729 isolates). Other respiratory pathogens were
      also highly susceptible to marbofloxacin with no resistance in Actinobacillus
      pleuropneumoniae (647 isolates) or Bordetella bronchiseptica (504 isolates), 0.1
      per cent resistance in Pasteurella multocida (1373 isolates) and 1.4 per cent
      resistance in Haemophilus parasuis (145 isolates). There was no apparent change
      in marbofloxacin MIC over time for any bacterial pathogen based on MIC50/90 These
      data confirm previously published MIC results from porcine and other animal
      infections.

PMID- 28348144
TI  - John Vavasour Earle.

PMID- 28348143
TI  - Daily salivary cortisol levels in response to stress factors in captive common
      bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus): a potential welfare indicator.

PMID- 28348145
TI  - The Complete Guide to Fertility Awareness.

PMID- 28348146
TI  - Denying contraceptive choice to women with a previous ectopic pregnancy.

PMID- 28348147
TI  - How do messenger RNA splicing alterations drive myelodysplasia?
AB  - Mutations in RNA splicing factors are the single most common class of genetic
      alterations in myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS) patients. Although much has been
      learned about how these mutations affect splicing at a global- and transcript
      specific level, critical questions about the role of these mutations in MDS
      development and maintenance remain. Here we present the questions to be addressed
      in order to understand the unique enrichment of these mutations in MDS.

PMID- 28348148
TI  - Inhibition of WNT signaling in the bone marrow niche prevents the development of
      MDS in the Apcdel/+ MDS mouse model.
AB  - There is accumulating evidence that functional alteration(s) of the bone marrow
      (BM) microenvironment contribute to the development of some myeloid disorders,
      such as myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS) and acute myeloid leukemia (AML). In
      addition to a cell-intrinsic role of WNT activation in leukemia stem cells, WNT
      activation in the BM niche is also thought to contribute to the pathogenesis of
      MDS and AML. We previously showed that the Apc-haploinsufficient mice (Apcdel/+ )
      model MDS induced by an aberrant BM microenvironment. We sought to determine
      whether Apc, a multifunctional protein and key negative regulator of the
      canonical beta-catenin (Ctnnb1)/WNT-signaling pathway, mediates this disease
      through modulating WNT signaling, and whether inhibition of WNT signaling
      prevents the development of MDS in Apcdel/+ mice. Here, we demonstrate that loss
      of 1 copy of Ctnnb1 is sufficient to prevent the development of MDS in Apcdel/+
      mice and that altered canonical WNT signaling in the microenvironment is
      responsible for the disease. Furthermore, the US Food and Drug Administration
      (FDA)-approved drug pyrvinium delays and/or inhibits disease in Apcdel/+ mice,
      even when it is administered after the presentation of anemia. Other groups have
      observed increased nuclear CTNNB1 in stromal cells from a high frequency of
      MDS/AML patients, a finding that together with our results highlights a potential
      new strategy for treating some myeloid disorders.

PMID- 28348149
TI  - Pharmacokinetics and Placental Transfer of Elvitegravir, Dolutegravir, and Other
      Antiretrovirals during Pregnancy.
AB  - The integrase inhibitors elvitegravir (EVG) and dolutegravir (DTG) rapidly
      decrease the plasma HIV-1 viral load, a key factor in the prevention of maternal
      to-fetal transmission of HIV-1. No data have been reported on the concentrations
      of these drugs in cord blood, maternal peripheral blood mononuclear cells
      (PBMCs), or placental tissue in pregnant women. We present in vivo
      pharmacokinetic data on antiretrovirals (ARV) within maternal and cord blood and
      within placentae from HIV-1-infected pregnant women. Maternal blood and cord
      blood were obtained from women receiving EVG, cobicistat, tenofovir disoproxil
      fumarate, and emtricitabine as a single fixed-dose combination formulation or DTG
      as part of a combination regimen. Plasma and PBMCs from maternal and cord blood
      were obtained along with villous placental samples. Drug concentrations were
      simultaneously determined by liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC
      MS/MS). Utilizing medians and ranges to interpret our data, we compared the drug
      concentration ratios between different matrices (maternal and cord blood plasma,
      PBMCs, and placenta). All five agents transferred from maternal into fetal
      circulation via the placenta. Concentration ratios for EVG, cobicistat,
      tenofovir, and emtricitabine (n = 10) and DTG (n = 3) were determined between
      cord plasma and placenta, cord and maternal plasma, and cord PBMCs and maternal
      PBMCs. TFV moves from maternal plasma through the placenta to the cord blood and
      then into cord PBMCs, where it is phosphorylated into its active forms (TFV
      diphosphate). These five ARVs were detected in each of the compartments,
      highlighting transfer of these agents from the maternal into the fetal
      circulation.

PMID- 28348151
TI  - Effect of a Health Care System Respiratory Fluoroquinolone Restriction Program To
      Alter Utilization and Impact Rates of Clostridium difficile Infection.
AB  - Fluoroquinolones are one of the most commonly prescribed antibiotic classes in
      the United States despite their association with adverse consequences, including
      Clostridium difficile infection (CDI). We sought to evaluate the impact of a
      health care system antimicrobial stewardship-initiated respiratory
      fluoroquinolone restriction program on utilization, appropriateness of quinolone
      based therapy based on institutional guidelines, and CDI rates. After
      implementation, respiratory fluoroquinolone utilization decreased from a monthly
      mean and standard deviation (SD) of 41.0 (SD = 4.4) days of therapy (DOT) per
      1,000 patient days (PD) preintervention to 21.5 (SD = 6.4) DOT/1,000 PD and 4.8
      (SD = 3.6) DOT/1,000 PD posteducation and postrestriction, respectively. Using
      segmented regression analysis, both education (14.5 DOT/1,000 PD per month
      decrease; P = 0.023) and restriction (24.5 DOT/1,000 PD per month decrease; P <
      0.0001) were associated with decreased utilization. In addition, the CDI rates
      decreased significantly (P = 0.044) from preintervention using education (3.43
      cases/10,000 PD) and restriction (2.2 cases/10,000 PD). Mean monthly CDI
      cases/10,000 PD decreased from 4.0 (SD = 2.1) preintervention to 2.2 (SD = 1.35)
      postrestriction. A significant increase in appropriate respiratory
      fluoroquinolone use occurred postrestriction versus preintervention in patients
      administered at least one dose (74/130 [57%] versus 74/232 [32%]; P < 0.001), as
      well as in those receiving two or more doses (47/65 [72%] versus 67/191 [35%]; P
      < 0.001). A significant reduction in the annual acquisition cost of moxifloxacin,
      the formulary respiratory fluoroquinolone, was observed postrestriction compared
      to preintervention within the health care system ($123,882 versus $12,273; P =
      0.002). Implementation of a stewardship-initiated respiratory fluoroquinolone
      restriction program can increase appropriate use while reducing overall
      utilization, acquisition cost, and CDI rates within a health care system.

PMID- 28348150
TI  - Efficient Hepatitis C Virus Genotype 1b Core-NS5A Recombinants Permit Efficacy
      Testing of Protease and NS5A Inhibitors.
AB  - Hepatitis C virus (HCV) strains belong to seven genotypes with numerous subtypes
      that respond differently to antiviral therapies. Genotype 1, and primarily
      subtype 1b, is the most prevalent genotype worldwide. The development of
      recombinant HCV infectious cell culture systems for different variants, permitted
      by the high replication capacity of strain JFH1 (genotype 2a), has advanced
      efficacy and resistance testing of antivirals. However, efficient infectious JFH1
      based cell cultures of subtype 1b are limited and comprise only the 5'
      untranslated region (5'UTR)-NS2, NS4A, or NS5A regions. Importantly, it has not
      been possible to develop efficient 1b infectious systems expressing the NS3/4A
      protease, an important target of direct-acting antivirals. We developed efficient
      infectious JFH1-based cultures with genotype 1b core-NS5A sequences of strains
      DH1, Con1, and J4 by using previously identified HCV cell culture adaptive
      substitutions A1226G, R1496L, and Q1773H. These viruses spread efficiently in
      Huh7.5 cells by acquiring additional adaptive substitutions, and final
      recombinants yielded peak supernatant infectivity titers of 4 to 5 log10 focus
      forming units (FFU)/ml. We subsequently succeeded in adapting a JFH1-based 5'UTR
      NS5A DH1 recombinant to efficient growth in cell culture. We evaluated the
      efficacy of clinically relevant NS3/4A protease and NS5A inhibitors against the
      novel genotype 1b viruses, as well as against previously developed 1a viruses.
      The inhibitors were efficient against all tested genotype 1 viruses, with NS5A
      inhibitors showing half-maximal effective concentrations several orders of
      magnitude lower than NS3/4A protease inhibitors. In summary, the developed HCV
      genotype 1b culture systems represent valuable tools for assessing the efficacy
      of various classes of antivirals and for other virological studies requiring
      genotype 1b infectious viruses.

PMID- 28348152
TI  - Pharmacokinetics and Tolerance of the Phage Endolysin-Based Candidate Drug SAL200
      after a Single Intravenous Administration among Healthy Volunteers.
AB  - This study was a phase 1, single-center, randomized, double-blind, placebo
      controlled, single-dosing, and dose-escalating study of intravenous SAL200. It is
      a new candidate drug for the treatment of antibiotic-resistant staphylococcal
      infections based on a recombinant form of the phage endolysin SAL-1. The study
      evaluated the pharmacokinetics, pharmacodynamics, and tolerance among healthy
      male volunteers after the intravenous infusion of single ascending doses of
      SAL200 (0.1, 0.3, 1, 3, and 10 mg/kg of body weight). SAL200 was well tolerated,
      and no serious adverse events (AEs) were observed in this clinical study. Most
      AEs were mild, self-limiting, and transient. The AEs reported in more than three
      participants were fatigue, rigors, headache, and myalgia. No clinically
      significant values with respect to the findings of clinical chemistry,
      hematology, and coagulation analyses, urinalysis, vital signs, and physical
      examinations were observed, and no notable trends in our electrocardiogram (ECG)
      results for any tested dose were noticed. A greater-than-dose-proportional
      increase with regard to systemic exposure and the maximum serum concentration was
      observed when the SAL200 dose was increased from 0.1 mg/kg to 10 mg/kg. This
      investigation constitutes the first-in-human phase 1 study of an intravenously
      administered, phage endolysin-based drug. (This study has been registered at
      ClinicalTrials.gov under identifier NCT01855048 and at the Clinical Research
      Information Service [https://cris.nih.go.kr/cris/] under identifier KCT0000968.).

PMID- 28348153
TI  - Clofazimine-Containing Regimen for the Treatment of Mycobacterium abscessus Lung
      Disease.
AB  - Patients with lung disease caused by Mycobacterium abscessus subsp. abscessus
      (here M. abscessus) typically have poor treatment outcomes. Although clofazimine
      (CFZ) has been increasingly used in the treatment of M. abscessus lung disease in
      clinical practice, there are no reported data on its effectiveness for this
      disease. This study sought to evaluate the clinical efficacy of a CFZ-containing
      regimen for the treatment of M. abscessus lung disease. We performed a
      retrospective review of the medical records of 42 patients with M. abscessus lung
      disease who were treated with CFZ-containing regimens between November 2013 and
      January 2015. CFZ was administered in combination with other antibiotics as an
      initial antibiotic regimen in 15 (36%) patients (initial treatment group), and it
      was added to an existing antibiotic regimen for refractory M. abscessus lung
      disease in 27 (64%) patients (salvage treatment group). Overall, there was an 81%
      treatment response rate based on symptoms and a 31% response rate based on
      radiographic findings. Conversion to culture-negative sputum samples was achieved
      in 10 (24%) patients after CFZ-containing antibiotic treatment, and during
      treatment, there were significant decreases in the positivity of semiquantitative
      sputum cultures for acid-fast bacilli in both the initial (P = 0.018) and salvage
      (P = 0.001) treatment groups. Our study suggests that CFZ-containing regimens may
      improve treatment outcomes in patients with M. abscessus lung disease and that a
      prospective evaluation of CFZ in M. abscessus lung disease is warranted.

PMID- 28348154
TI  - Mechanisms of Vesicular Stomatitis Virus Inactivation by Protoporphyrin IX, Zinc
      Protoporphyrin IX, and Mesoporphyrin IX.
AB  - Virus resistance to antiviral therapies is an increasing concern that makes the
      development of broad-spectrum antiviral drugs urgent. Targeting of the viral
      envelope, a component shared by a large number of viruses, emerges as a promising
      strategy to overcome this problem. Natural and synthetic porphyrins are good
      candidates for antiviral development due to their relative hydrophobicity and pro
      oxidant character. In the present work, we characterized the antiviral activities
      of protoprophyrin IX (PPIX), Zn-protoporphyrin IX (ZnPPIX), and mesoporphyrin IX
      (MPIX) against vesicular stomatitis virus (VSV) and evaluated the mechanisms
      involved in this activity. Treatment of VSV with PPIX, ZnPPIX, and MPIX promoted
      dose-dependent virus inactivation, which was potentiated by porphyrin
      photoactivation. All three porphyrins inserted into lipid vesicles and disturbed
      the viral membrane organization. In addition, the porphyrins also affected viral
      proteins, inducing VSV glycoprotein cross-linking, which was enhanced by
      porphyrin photoactivation. Virus incubation with sodium azide and alpha
      tocopherol partially protected VSV from inactivation by porphyrins, suggesting
      that singlet oxygen (1O2) was the main reactive oxygen species produced by
      photoactivation of these molecules. Furthermore, 1O2 was detected by 9,10
      dimethylanthracene oxidation in photoactivated porphyrin samples, reinforcing
      this hypothesis. These results reveal the potential therapeutic application of
      PPIX, ZnPPIX, and MPIX as good models for broad antiviral drug design.

PMID- 28348155
TI  - Molecular beta-Lactamase Characterization of Aerobic Gram-Negative Pathogens
      Recovered from Patients Enrolled in the Ceftazidime-Avibactam Phase 3 Trials for
      Complicated Intra-abdominal Infections, with Efficacies Analyzed against
      Susceptible and Resistant Subsets.
AB  - The correlation of the clinical efficacy of ceftazidime-avibactam (plus
      metronidazole) with that of meropenem was evaluated in subjects infected with
      Gram-negative isolates having characterized beta-lactam resistance mechanisms
      from the complicated intra-abdominal infection (cIAI) phase 3 clinical trials.
      Enterobacteriaceae isolates displaying ceftriaxone and/or ceftazidime MIC values
      of >=2 MUg/ml and Pseudomonas aeruginosa isolates with ceftazidime MIC values of
      >=16 MUg/ml were characterized for extended-spectrum-beta-lactamase (ESBL)
      content. Enterobacteriaceae and P. aeruginosa isolates with imipenem and
      meropenem MIC values of >=2 and >=8 MUg/ml, respectively, were tested for
      carbapenemase genes. The primary efficacy endpoint was clinical cure at test of
      cure (TOC) among the members of the microbiologically modified intention-to-treat
      (mMITT) population. A total of 14.5% (56/387) and 18.8% (74/394) of patients in
      the ceftazidime-avibactam and meropenem arms had isolates that met the MIC
      screening criteria at the baseline visit, respectively. CTX-M variants alone
      (29.7%; 41/138) or in combination with OXA-1/30 (35.5%; 49/138), most commonly,
      blaCTX-M group 1 variants (79/90; 87.8%), represented the beta-lactamases most
      frequently observed among Enterobacteriaceae isolates. Among the patients
      infected with pathogens that did not meet the screening criteria, 82.2% showed
      clinical cure in the ceftazidime-avibactam group versus 85.9% in the meropenem
      group. Among patients infected with any pathogens that met the MIC screening
      criteria, clinical cure rates at TOC were 87.5% and 86.5% for the ceftazidime
      avibactam and meropenem groups, respectively. Ceftazidime-avibactam had clinical
      cure rates of 92.5% to 90.5% among patients infected with ESBL- and/or
      carbapenemase-producing Enterobacteriaceae strains at the baseline visit, while
      meropenem showed rates of 84.9% to 85.4%. The ceftazidime-avibactam and meropenem
      groups had cure rates of 75.0% and 86.7%, respectively, among patients having any
      pathogens producing AmpC enzymes. The efficacy of ceftazidime-avibactam was
      similar to that of meropenem for treatment of cIAI caused by ESBL-producing
      organisms. (This study has been registered at ClinicalTrials.gov under
      registration no. NCT01499290 and NCT01500239.).

PMID- 28348156
TI  - Bioluminescence Method for In Vitro Screening of Plasmodium Transmission-Blocking
      Compounds.
AB  - The sporogonic stage of the life cycle of Plasmodium spp., the causative agents
      of malaria, occurs inside the parasite's mosquito vector, where a process of
      fertilization, meiosis, and mitotic divisions culminates in the generation of
      large numbers of mammalian-infective sporozoites. Efforts to cultivate Plasmodium
      mosquito stages in vitro have proved challenging and yielded only moderate
      success. Here, we describe a methodology that simplifies the in vitro screening
      of much-needed transmission-blocking (TB) compounds employing a bioluminescence
      based method to monitor the in vitro development of sporogonic stages of the
      rodent malaria parasite Plasmodium berghei Our proof-of-principle assessment of
      the in vitro TB activity of several commonly used antimalarial compounds
      identified cycloheximide, thiostrepton, and atovaquone as the most active
      compounds against the parasite's sporogonic stages. The TB activity of these
      compounds was further confirmed by in vivo studies that validated our newly
      developed in vitro approach to TB compound screening.

PMID- 28348158
TI  - GES-14-Producing Acinetobacter baumannii Isolates in a Neonatal Intensive Care
      Unit in Tunisia Are Associated with a Typical Middle East Clone and a
      Transferable Plasmid.

PMID- 28348157
TI  - Exploring the Landscape of Diazabicyclooctane (DBO) Inhibition: Avibactam
      Inactivation of PER-2 beta-Lactamase.
AB  - PER beta-lactamases are an emerging family of extended-spectrum beta-lactamases
      (ESBL) found in Gram-negative bacteria. PER beta-lactamases are unique among
      class A enzymes as they possess an inverted omega (Omega) loop and extended B3
      beta-strand. These singular structural features are hypothesized to contribute to
      their hydrolytic profile against oxyimino-cephalosporins (e.g., cefotaxime and
      ceftazidime). Here, we tested the ability of avibactam (AVI), a novel non-beta
      lactam beta-lactamase inhibitor to inactivate PER-2. Interestingly, the PER-2
      inhibition constants (i.e., k2/K = 2 * 103 +/- 0.1 * 103 M-1 s-1, where k2 is the
      rate constant for acylation (carbamylation) and K is the equilibrium constant)
      that were obtained when AVI was tested were reminiscent of values observed
      testing the inhibition by AVI of class C and D beta-lactamases (i.e., k2/K range
      of ~103 M-1 s-1) and not class A beta-lactamases (i.e., k2/K range, 104 to 105 M
      1 s-1). Once AVI was bound, a stable complex with PER-2 was observed via mass
      spectrometry (e.g., 31,389 +/- 3 atomic mass units [amu] -> 31,604 +/- 3 amu for
      24 h). Molecular modeling of PER-2 with AVI showed that the carbonyl of AVI was
      located in the oxyanion hole of the beta-lactamase and that the sulfate of AVI
      formed interactions with the beta-lactam carboxylate binding site of the PER-2
      beta-lactamase (R220 and T237). However, hydrophobic patches near the PER-2
      active site (by Ser70 and B3-B4 beta-strands) were observed and may affect the
      binding of necessary catalytic water molecules, thus slowing acylation (k2/K) of
      AVI onto PER-2. Similar electrostatics and hydrophobicity of the active site were
      also observed between OXA-48 and PER-2, while CTX-M-15 was more hydrophilic. To
      demonstrate the ability of AVI to overcome the enhanced cephalosporinase activity
      of PER-2 beta-lactamase, we tested different beta-lactam-AVI combinations. By
      lowering MICs to <=2 mg/liter, the ceftaroline-AVI combination could represent a
      favorable therapeutic option against Enterobacteriaceae expressing blaPER-2 Our
      studies define the inactivation of the PER-2 ESBL by AVI and suggest that the
      biophysical properties of the active site contribute to determining the
      efficiency of inactivation.

PMID- 28348159
TI  - An Azole-Tolerant Endosomal Trafficking Mutant of Candida albicans Is Susceptible
      to Azole Treatment in a Mouse Model of Vaginal Candidiasis.
AB  - We recently reported that a Candida albicans endosomal trafficking mutant
      continues to grow after treatment with the azole antifungals. Herein, we report
      that the vps21Delta/Delta mutant does not have a survival advantage over wild
      type isolates after fluconazole treatment in a mouse model of vaginal
      candidiasis. Furthermore, loss of VPS21 does not synergize with established
      mechanisms of azole resistance, such as overexpression of efflux pumps or of
      Erg11p, the target enzyme of the azoles. In summary, although loss of VPS21
      function enhances C. albicans survival after azole treatment in vitro, it does
      not seem to affect azole susceptibility in vivo.

PMID- 28348162
TI  - Why health services research needs bioethics.

PMID- 28348161
TI  - Loss of Methyltransferase Function and Increased Efflux Activity Leads to
      Doxycycline Resistance in Burkholderia pseudomallei.
AB  - The soil-dwelling bacterium Burkholderia pseudomallei is the causative agent of
      the potentially fatal disease melioidosis. The lack of a vaccine toward B.
      pseudomallei means that melioidosis treatment relies on prolonged antibiotic
      therapy, which can last up to 6 months in duration or longer. Due to intrinsic
      resistance, few antibiotics are effective against B. pseudomallei The lengthy
      treatment regimen required increases the likelihood of resistance development,
      with subsequent potentially fatal relapse. Doxycycline (DOX) has historically
      played an important role in the eradication phase of melioidosis treatment. Both
      primary and acquired DOX resistances have been documented in B. pseudomallei;
      however, the molecular mechanisms underpinning DOX resistance have remained
      elusive. Here, we identify and functionally characterize the molecular mechanisms
      conferring acquired DOX resistance in an isogenic B. pseudomallei pair. Two
      synergistic mechanisms were identified. The first mutation occurred in a putative
      S-adenosyl-l-methionine-dependent methyltransferase (encoded by BPSL3085), which
      we propose leads to altered ribosomal methylation, thereby decreasing DOX binding
      efficiency. The second mutation altered the function of the efflux pump repressor
      gene, amrR, resulting in increased expression of the resistance-nodulation
      division efflux pump, AmrAB-OprA. Our findings highlight the diverse mechanisms
      by which B. pseudomallei can become resistant to antibiotics used in melioidosis
      therapy and the need for resistance monitoring during treatment regimens,
      especially in patients with prolonged or recrudesced positive cultures for B.
      pseudomallei.

PMID- 28348163
TI  - Process factors facilitating and inhibiting medical ethics teaching in small
      groups.
AB  - PURPOSE: To examine process factors that either facilitate or inhibit learning
      medical ethics during case-based learning. METHODS: A qualitative research
      approach using microanalysis of transcribed videotaped discussions of three
      consecutive small-group learning (SGL) sessions on medical ethics teaching (MET)
      for three groups, each with 10 students. RESULTS: This research effort revealed
      12 themes of learning strategies, divided into 6 coping and 6 evasive strategies.
      Cognitive-based strategies were found to relate to Kamin's model of critical
      thinking in medical education, thereby supporting our distinction between the
      themes of coping and evasive strategies. The findings also showed that cognitive
      efforts as well as emotional strategies are involved in discussions of ethical
      dilemmas. Based on Kamin's model and the constructivist learning theory, an
      examination of the different themes within the two learning strategies-coping and
      evasive-revealed that these strategies may be understood as corresponding to
      process factors either facilitating or inhibiting MET in SGL, respectively.
      CONCLUSIONS: Our classification offers a more nuanced observation, specifically
      geared to pinpointing the desired and less desired process factors in the
      learning involved in MET in the SGL environment. Two key advantages of this
      observation are: (1) it brings to the forefront process factors that may inhibit
      and not merely facilitate MET in SGL and (2) it acknowledges the existence of
      emotional and not just cognitive process factors. Further enhancement of MET in
      SGL may thus be achieved based on these observations.

PMID- 28348160
TI  - The Race To Find Antivirals for Zika Virus.
AB  - Zika virus (ZIKV), a flavivirus transmitted by mosquitoes, was an almost
      neglected pathogen until its introduction in the Americas in 2015 and its
      subsequent explosive spread throughout the continent, where it has infected
      millions of people. The virus has caused social and sanitary alarm, mainly due to
      its association with severe neurological disorders (Guillain-Barre syndrome and
      microcephaly in fetuses and newborns). Nowadays, no specific antiviral therapy
      against ZIKV is available. However, during the past months, a great effort has
      been made to search for antiviral candidates using different approaches and
      methodologies, ranging from testing specific compounds with known antiviral
      activity to the screening of libraries with hundreds of bioactive molecules. The
      identified antiviral candidates include drugs targeting viral components as well
      as cellular ones. Here, an updated review of what has been done in this line is
      presented.

PMID- 28348164
TI  - Undue inducement: a case study in CAPRISA 008.
AB  - : Participant safety and data integrity, critical in trials of new
      investigational drugs, are achieved through honest participant report and
      precision in the conduct of procedures. HIV prevention post-trial access studies
      in middle-income countries potentially offer participants many benefits including
      access to proven efficacious but unlicensed technologies, ancillary care that
      often exceeds local standards-of-care, financial reimbursement for participation
      and possibly unintended benefits if participants choose to share or sell
      investigational drugs. This case study examines the possibility that this
      combination of benefits may constitute an undue inducement for some participants
      in middle-income countries, where economic challenges are prevalent. A case study
      is presented of a single participant in a cohort of 382 participants who used
      concealment, fabrication and deception to ensure eligibility for a post-trial
      access study of an unlicensed HIV prevention technology at potential risk to her
      health and that of her fetus. A root cause analysis revealed her desire to access
      HIV prevention during an unplanned pregnancy with a partner whose faithfulness
      was in question. Researchers should consider implementation of systems to
      efficiently identify similar cases without inconveniencing the majority of
      participants TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER: NCT01691768.

PMID- 28348165
TI  - Combinatorial DNA methylation codes at repetitive elements.
AB  - DNA methylation is an essential epigenetic modification, present in both unique
      DNA sequences and repetitive elements, but its exact function in repetitive
      elements remains obscure. Here, we describe the genome-wide comparative analysis
      of the 5mC, 5hmC, 5fC, and 5caC profiles of repetitive elements in mouse
      embryonic fibroblasts and mouse embryonic stem cells. We provide evidence for
      distinct and highly specific DNA methylation/oxidation patterns of the repetitive
      elements in both cell types, which mainly affect CA repeats and evolutionarily
      conserved mouse-specific transposable elements including IAP-LTRs, SINEs B1m/B2m,
      and L1Md-LINEs. DNA methylation controls the expression of these retroelements,
      which are clustered at specific locations in the mouse genome. We show that TDG
      is implicated in the regulation of their unique DNA methylation/oxidation
      signatures and their dynamics. Our data suggest the existence of a novel
      epigenetic code for the most recently acquired evolutionarily conserved repeats
      that could play a major role in cell differentiation.

PMID- 28348166
TI  - Mfn2 is critical for brown adipose tissue thermogenic function.
AB  - Mitochondrial fusion and fission events, collectively known as mitochondrial
      dynamics, act as quality control mechanisms to ensure mitochondrial function and
      fine-tune cellular bioenergetics. Defective mitofusin 2 (Mfn2) expression and
      enhanced mitochondrial fission in skeletal muscle are hallmarks of insulin
      resistant states. Interestingly, Mfn2 is highly expressed in brown adipose tissue
      (BAT), yet its role remains unexplored. Using adipose-specific Mfn2 knockout
      (Mfn2-adKO) mice, we demonstrate that Mfn2, but not Mfn1, deficiency in BAT leads
      to a profound BAT dysfunction, associated with impaired respiratory capacity and
      a blunted response to adrenergic stimuli. Importantly, Mfn2 directly interacts
      with perilipin 1, facilitating the interaction between the mitochondria and the
      lipid droplet in response to adrenergic stimulation. Surprisingly, Mfn2-adKO mice
      were protected from high-fat diet-induced insulin resistance and hepatic
      steatosis. Altogether, these results demonstrate that Mfn2 is a mediator of
      mitochondria to lipid droplet interactions, influencing lipolytic processes and
      whole-body energy homeostasis.

PMID- 28348167
TI  - Wnt proteins contribute to neuromuscular junction formation through distinct
      signaling pathways.
AB  - Understanding the developmental steps that shape formation of the neuromuscular
      junction (NMJ) connecting motoneurons to skeletal muscle fibers is crucial. Wnt
      morphogens are key players in the formation of this specialized peripheral
      synapse, but their individual and collaborative functions and downstream pathways
      remain poorly understood at the NMJ. Here, we demonstrate through Wnt4 and Wnt11
      gain-of-function studies in cell culture or in mice that Wnts enhance
      acetylcholine receptor (AChR) clustering and motor axon outgrowth. By contrast,
      loss of Wnt11 or Wnt-dependent signaling in vivo decreases AChR clustering and
      motor nerve terminal branching. Both Wnt4 and Wnt11 stimulate AChR mRNA levels
      and AChR clustering downstream of activation of the beta-catenin pathway.
      Strikingly, Wnt4 and Wnt11 co-immunoprecipitate with Vangl2, a core component of
      the planar cell polarity (PCP) pathway, which accumulates at embryonic NMJs.
      Moreover, mice bearing a Vangl2 loss-of-function mutation (loop-tail) exhibit
      fewer AChR clusters and overgrowth of motor axons bypassing AChR clusters.
      Together, our results provide genetic and biochemical evidence that Wnt4 and
      Wnt11 cooperatively contribute to mammalian NMJ formation through activation of
      both the canonical and Vangl2-dependent core PCP pathways.

PMID- 28348168
TI  - FGFR2 is required for airway basal cell self-renewal and terminal
      differentiation.
AB  - Airway stem cells slowly self-renew and produce differentiated progeny to
      maintain homeostasis throughout the lifespan of an individual. Mutations in the
      molecular regulators of these processes may drive cancer or degenerative disease,
      but are also potential therapeutic targets. Conditionally deleting one copy of
      FGF receptor 2 (FGFR2) in adult mouse airway basal cells results in self-renewal
      and differentiation phenotypes. We show that FGFR2 signalling correlates with
      maintenance of expression of a key transcription factor for basal cell self
      renewal and differentiation: SOX2. This heterozygous phenotype illustrates that
      subtle changes in receptor tyrosine kinase signalling can have significant
      effects, perhaps providing an explanation for the numerous changes seen in
      cancer.

PMID- 28348169
TI  - Developmental patterning of the sub-epidermal integument cell layer in
      Arabidopsis seeds.
AB  - Angiosperm seed development is a paradigm of tissue cross-talk. Proper seed
      formation requires spatial and temporal coordination of the fertilization
      products - embryo and endosperm - and the surrounding seed coat maternal tissue.
      In early Arabidopsis seed development, all seed integuments were thought to
      respond homogenously to endosperm growth. Here, we show that the sub-epidermal
      integument cell layer has a unique developmental program. We characterized the
      cell patterning of the sub-epidermal integument cell layer, which initiates a
      previously uncharacterized extra cell layer, and identified TRANSPARENT TESTA 16
      and SEEDSTICK MADS box transcription factors as master regulators of its polar
      development and cell architecture. Our data indicate that the differentiation of
      the sub-epidermal integument cell layer is insensitive to endosperm growth alone
      and to the repressive mechanism established by FERTILIZATION INDEPENDENT
      ENDOSPERM and MULTICOPY SUPPRESSOR OF IRA1 Polycomb group proteins. This work
      demonstrates the different responses of epidermal and sub-epidermal integument
      cell layers to fertilization.

PMID- 28348170
TI  - Crystal structure of U2 snRNP SF3b components: Hsh49p in complex with Cus1p
      binding domain.
AB  - Spliceosomal proteins Hsh49p and Cus1p are components of SF3b, which together
      with SF3a, Msl1p/Lea1p, Sm proteins, and U2 snRNA, form U2 snRNP, which plays a
      crucial role in pre-mRNA splicing. Hsh49p, comprising two RRMs, forms a
      heterodimer with Cus1p. We determined the crystal structures of Saccharomyces
      cerevisiae full-length Hsh49p as well as its RRM1 in complex with a minimal
      binding region of Cus1p (residues 290-368). The structures show that the Cus1
      fragment binds to the alpha-helical surface of Hsh49p RRM1, opposite the four
      stranded beta-sheet, leaving the canonical RNA-binding surface available to bind
      RNA. Hsh49p binds the 5' end region of U2 snRNA via RRM1. Its affinity is
      increased in complex with Cus1(290-368)p, partly because an extended RNA-binding
      surface forms across the protein-protein interface. The Hsh49p RRM1-Cus1(290
      368)p structure fits well into cryo-EM density of the Bact spliceosome,
      corroborating the biological relevance of our crystal structure.

PMID- 28348171
TI  - The Identification of Macrophage-enriched Glycoproteins Using Glycoproteomics.
AB  - Prostate cancer is a leading cause of cancer-related deaths of men in the United
      States. Whereas the localized disease is highly treatable by surgical resection
      and radiation, cancer that has metastasized remains incurable. Immune cells that
      primarily scavenge debris and promote prostate cancer angiogenesis and wound
      repair are M2 macrophages. They are phenotypically similar to M2 tumor-associated
      macrophages (M2-TAMs) and have been reported to associate with solid tumors and
      aide in proliferation, metastasis, and resistance to therapy. As an invasive
      species within the tumor microenvironment, this makes M2-TAMs an ideal
      therapeutic target in prostate cancer. To identify novel surface glycoproteins
      expressed on M2 macrophages, we developed a novel method of creating homogeneous
      populations of human macrophages from human CD14+ monocytes in vitro These
      homogeneous M1 macrophages secrete pro-inflammatory cytokines, and our M2
      macrophages secrete anti-inflammatory cytokines as well as vascular endothelial
      growth factor (VEGF). To identify enriched surface glycoproteins, we then
      performed solid-phase extraction of N-linked glycopeptides followed by liquid
      chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) on our homogeneous macrophage
      populations. We discovered five novel peptides that are enriched exclusively on
      human M2 macrophages relative to human M1 macrophages and human CD14+ monocytes.
      Finally, we determined whether these surface glycoproteins, found enriched on M2
      macrophages, were also expressed in human metastatic castrate-resistant prostate
      cancer (mCRPC) tissues. Using mCRPC tissues from rapid autopsies, we were able to
      determine M2 macrophage infiltration by using immunohistochemistry and flow
      cytometry. These findings highlight the presence of macrophage infiltration in
      human mCRPC but also surface glycoproteins that could be used for prognosis of
      localized disease and for targeting strategies.

PMID- 28348172
TI  - Database-independent Protein Sequencing (DiPS) Enables Full-length de Novo
      Protein and Antibody Sequence Determination.
AB  - Traditional "bottom-up" proteomic approaches use proteolytic digestion, LC-MS/MS,
      and database searching to elucidate peptide identities and their parent proteins.
      Protein sequences absent from the database cannot be identified, and even if
      present in the database, complete sequence coverage is rarely achieved even for
      the most abundant proteins in the sample. Thus, sequencing of unknown proteins
      such as antibodies or constituents of metaproteomes remains a challenging
      problem. To date, there is no available method for full-length protein
      sequencing, independent of a reference database, in high throughput. Here, we
      present Database-independent Protein Sequencing, a method for unambiguous, rapid,
      database-independent, full-length protein sequencing. The method is a novel
      combination of non-enzymatic, semi-random cleavage of the protein, LC-MS/MS
      analysis, peptide de novo sequencing, extraction of peptide tags, and their
      assembly into a consensus sequence using an algorithm named "Peptide Tag
      Assembler." As proof-of-concept, the method was applied to samples of three known
      proteins representing three size classes and to a previously un-sequenced,
      clinically relevant monoclonal antibody. Excluding leucine/isoleucine and
      glutamic acid/deamidated glutamine ambiguities, end-to-end full-length de novo
      sequencing was achieved with 99-100% accuracy for all benchmarking proteins and
      the antibody light chain. Accuracy of the sequenced antibody heavy chain,
      including the entire variable region, was also 100%, but there was a 23-residue
      gap in the constant region sequence.

PMID- 28348173
TI  - Rate Coding and the Control of Muscle Force.
AB  - The force exerted by a muscle during a voluntary contraction depends on the
      number of motor units recruited for the action and the rates at which they
      discharge action potentials (rate coding). Over most of the operating range of a
      muscle, the nervous system controls muscle force by varying both motor unit
      recruitment and rate coding. Except at relatively low forces, however, the
      control of muscle force depends primarily on rate coding, especially during fast
      contractions. This review provides five examples of how the modulation of rate
      coding influences the force exerted by muscle during voluntary actions. The five
      examples comprise fast contractions, lengthening and shortening contractions,
      steady isometric contractions, fatiguing contractions, and contractions performed
      after a change in the daily level of physical activity.

PMID- 28348175
TI  - Omics and Exercise: Global Approaches for Mapping Exercise Biological Networks.
AB  - The application of global "-omics" technologies to exercise has introduced new
      opportunities to map the complexity and interconnectedness of biological networks
      underlying the tissue-specific responses and systemic health benefits of
      exercise. This review will introduce major research tracks and recent
      advancements in this emerging field, as well as critical gaps in understanding
      the orchestration of molecular exercise dynamics that will benefit from unbiased
      omics investigations. Furthermore, significant research hurdles that need to be
      overcome to effectively fill these gaps related to data collection, computation,
      interpretation, and integration across omics applications will be discussed.
      Collectively, a cross-disciplinary physiological and omics-based systems approach
      will lead to discovery of a wealth of novel exercise-regulated targets for future
      mechanistic validation. This frontier in exercise biology will aid the
      development of personalized therapeutic strategies to improve athletic
      performance and human health through precision exercise medicine.

PMID- 28348174
TI  - The Self-Assembling Process and Applications in Tissue Engineering.
AB  - Tissue engineering strives to create neotissues capable of restoring function.
      Scaffold-free technologies have emerged that can recapitulate native tissue
      function without the use of an exogenous scaffold. This review will survey, in
      particular, the self-assembling and self-organization processes as scaffold-free
      techniques. Characteristics and benefits of each process are described, and key
      examples of tissues created using these scaffold-free processes are examined to
      provide guidance for future tissue-engineering developments. We aim to explore
      the potential of self-assembly and self-organization scaffold-free approaches,
      detailing the recent progress in the in vitro tissue engineering of biomimetic
      tissues with these methods toward generating functional tissue replacements.

PMID- 28348176
TI  - Honing Cell and Tissue Culture Conditions for Bone and Cartilage Tissue
      Engineering.
AB  - An avenue of tremendous interest and need in health care encompasses the
      regeneration of bone and cartilage. Over the years, numerous tissue engineering
      strategies have contributed substantial progress toward the realization of
      clinically relevant therapies. Cell and tissue culture protocols, however, show
      many variations that make experimental results among different publications
      challenging to compare. This collection surveys prevalent cell sources, soluble
      factors, culture medium formulations, environmental factors, and genetic
      modification approaches in the literature. The intent of consolidating this
      information is to provide a starting resource for scientists considering how to
      optimize the parameters for cell differentiation and tissue culture procedures
      within the context of bone and cartilage tissue engineering.

PMID- 28348177
TI  - Historical Perspective and Future Direction of Blood Vessel Developments.
AB  - Over the past 40 years, remarkable advances have been made in our understanding
      of successful blood vessel regeneration, starting with the failures of early
      tissue-engineered vascular grafts designed using isolated components or
      molecules, such as collagen gels. The vascular tissue engineers are today better
      educated and have steered ongoing research developments toward clinical
      developments of more complete vascular grafts that replicate the multitude of
      specialized arterial aspects required for function.

PMID- 28348178
TI  - Craniofacial Tissue Engineering.
AB  - The craniofacial complex is composed of fundamental components such as blood
      vessels and nerves, and also a variety of specialized tissues such as
      craniofacial bones, cartilages, muscles, ligaments, and the highly specialized
      and unique organs, the teeth. Together, these structures provide many functions
      including speech, mastication, and aesthetics of the craniofacial complex.
      Craniofacial defects not only influence the structure and function of the jaws
      and face, but may also result in deleterious psychosocial issues, emphasizing the
      need for rapid and effective, precise, and aesthetic reconstruction of
      craniofacial tissues. In a broad sense, craniofacial tissue reconstructions share
      many of the same issues as noncraniofacial tissue reconstructions. Therefore,
      many concepts and therapies for general tissue engineering can and have been used
      for craniofacial tissue regeneration. Still, repair of craniofacial defects
      presents unique challenges, mainly because of their complex and unique 3D
      geometry.

PMID- 28348179
TI  - The BMJ Awards 2017: Anaesthesia.

PMID- 28348180
TI  - Experience of miscarriage: an interpretative phenomenological analysis.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: The objective of the study was to explore the experiences of those who
      have experienced miscarriage, focusing on men's and women's accounts of
      miscarriage. DESIGN: This was a qualitative study using a phenomenological
      framework. Following in-depth semistructured interviews, analysis was undertaken
      in order to identify superordinate themes relating to their experience of
      miscarriage. SETTING: A large tertiary-level maternity hospital in Ireland.
      PARTICIPANTS: A purposive sample of 16 participants, comprising 10 women and 6
      men, was recruited. RESULTS: 6 superordinate themes in relation to the
      participant's experience of miscarriage were identified: (1) acknowledgement of
      miscarriage as a valid loss; (2) misperceptions of miscarriage; (3) the hospital
      environment, management of miscarriage; (4) support and coping; (5) reproductive
      history; and (6) implications for future pregnancies. CONCLUSIONS: One of the key
      findings illustrates a need for increased awareness in relation to miscarriage.
      The study also indicates that the experience of miscarriage has a considerable
      impact on men and women. This study highlights that a thorough investigation of
      the underlying causes of miscarriage and continuity of care in subsequent
      pregnancies are priorities for those who experience miscarriage. Consideration
      should be given to the manner in which women who have not experienced recurrent
      miscarriage but have other potential risk factors for miscarriage could be
      followed up in clinical practice.

PMID- 28348181
TI  - Trajectories of CKD-MBD biochemical parameters over a 2-year period following
      diagnosis of secondary hyperparathyroidism: a pharmacoepidemiological study.
AB  - OBJECTIVES: To define groups of patients according to the changes of biochemical
      parameters, that is, serum calcium, phosphate and parathyroid hormone (PTH), over
      a 2-year follow-up period using group-based multi-trajectory modeling (GBMM)
      among a cohort of dialysis patients with newly diagnosed secondary
      hyperparathyroidism (SHPT) (ie, PTH>=500 ng/L for the first time) and to compare
      their patient characteristics and treatments. DESIGN: Pharmacoepidemiological
      study. SETTING: In the 12 dialysis units located in the French region of
      Lorraine. PARTICIPANTS: A total of 269 dialysis patients with newly diagnosed
      SHPT were prospectively included from December 2009 to May 2012 and followed-up
      for 2 years. RESULTS: We identified four distinct trajectory groups: 'rapid PTH
      drop' experiencing a rapid and sharp decrease (over weeks) in PTH level
      associated with decreasing phosphate level within normal range (n=34; 12.7%),
      'gradual PTH decrease' experiencing a gradual and continuous decrease (over
      months) in PTH level and maintaining phosphate at a middle level throughout the
      study (n=98; 36.4%), 'slow PTH decrease with high phosphate' experiencing a slow
      decrease in PTH level associated with a relatively high phosphate level (n=105;
      39.0%) and 'uncontrolled SHPT' with high levels of PTH and phosphate throughout
      the study (n=32; 11.9%). Patients in the 'uncontrolled SHPT' group were
      significantly (p<0.00001) younger than patients in other groups. Kidney Disease
      Improving Global Outcomes (KDIGO) targets for PTH, phosphate and calcium were
      reached simultaneously for 14.9% of patients at baseline and 16.7% at the end of
      the study. Patients were given cinacalcet more frequently at months 3 and 6 in
      the 'rapid PTH drop' and at month 24 in the 'uncontrolled SHPT' groups.
      CONCLUSIONS: Over 2 years following a new SHPT diagnosis, a younger age and a
      higher rate of alkaline phosphatase were associated to a continuous uncontrolled
      SHPT. Patients with the lowest PTH at the end of the follow-up tended to receive
      more often cinacalcet. TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER: ClinicalTrials.gov number,
      NCT02888639, post results.

PMID- 28348182
TI  - Constraint choice in revision knee arthroplasty: study protocol of a randomised
      controlled trial assessing the effect of level of constraint on postoperative
      outcome.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: The proper management of total knee arthroplasty (TKA) in patients
      with severe deformities regarding the preferable prosthetic design and the
      required amount of constraint is a controversial subject. In the absence of any
      high-level clinical evidence, we designed a randomised clinical trial to
      investigate if rotating hinged (RTH) and constrained condylar knee (CCK) designs
      yield similar outcomes. METHODS AND ANALYSIS: This study is a multicentre,
      randomised clinical trial including two groups of 85 patients. Patients will be
      randomised to a CCK knee design group or an RTH knee design group. Patients will
      be followed for 2 years. The study will be designed as an equivalence trial. The
      primary study outcome will be the postoperative functional outcome as measured by
      the self-administered Knee Injury and Osteoarthritis Outcome Score. Secondary
      outcomes will be postoperative joint awareness during various activities of daily
      living as measured by the Forgotten Joint Score-12, the Knee Society Score, along
      with the incidence and location of radiolucent lines using the Knee Society TKA
      radiographic evaluation system. ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION: This study is approved
      by the ethics committee of the Landesarztekammer Brandenburg ((S 10(a)/2013) from
      27.08.2013, amended on 25.04.2016) and will be conducted according to the
      principles of the World Medical Association Declaration of Helsinki and the
      ISO14155:2011. TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER: DRKS00010539.

PMID- 28348184
TI  - Comparison of the prognostic values of inflammation markers in patients with
      acute pancreatitis: a retrospective cohort study.
AB  - OBJECTIVES: Inflammation-based prognostic markers (neutrophil-lymphocyte ratio
      (NLR), prognostic nutritional index (PNI), red cell distribution width (RDW) and
      lymphocyte-monocyte ratio (LMR)) are associated with overall survival in some
      diseases. This study assessed their prognostic value in mortality and severity in
      acute pancreatitis (AP). DESIGN: A retrospective cohort study. SETTING: Patients
      with AP were recruited from the emergency department at our hospital.
      PARTICIPANTS: A total of 359 patients with AP (31 non-survivors) were enrolled.
      PRIMARY AND SECONDARY OUTCOME MEASURES: Mortality and severity of AP were the
      primary and secondary outcome measures, respectively. Biochemistry and
      haematology results of the first test after admission were collected. Independent
      relationships between severe AP (SAP) and markers were assessed using
      multivariate logistic regression models. Mortality prediction ability was
      evaluated using receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves. Overall survival
      was evaluated using the Kaplan-Meier method, with differences compared using the
      log-rank test. Independent relationships between mortality and each predictor
      were estimated using the Cox proportional hazard models. RESULTS: Compared with
      survivors of AP, non-survivors had higher RDW (p<0.001), higher NLR (p<0.001),
      lower LMR (p<0.001) and lower PNI (p<0.001) at baseline. C reactive protein (CRP;
      OR=8.251, p<0.001), RDW (OR=2.533, p=0.003) and PNI (OR=7.753, p<0.001) were
      independently associated with the occurrence of SAP. For predicting mortality,
      NLR had the largest area under the ROC curve (0.804, p<0.001), with a 16.64 cut
      off value, 82.4% sensitivity and 75.6% specificity. RDW was a reliable marker for
      excluding death owing to its lowest negative likelihood ratio (0.11). NLR
      (HR=4.726, p=0.004), CRP (HR=3.503, p=0.003), RDW (HR=3.139, p=0.013) and PNI
      (HR=2.641, p=0.011) were independently associated with mortality of AP.
      CONCLUSIONS: NLR was the most powerful marker of overall survival in this patient
      series.

PMID- 28348183
TI  - Smartphone application for women with gestational diabetes mellitus: a study
      protocol for a multicentre randomised controlled trial.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: The promotion of a healthy diet, physical activity and measurement
      of blood glucose levels are essential components in the care for women with
      gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM). Smartphones offer a new way to promote
      health behaviour. The main aim is to investigate if the use of the Pregnant+ app,
      in addition to standard care, results in better blood glucose levels compared
      with current standard care only, for women with GDM. METHODS AND ANALYSIS: This
      randomised controlled trial will include 230 pregnant women with GDM followed up
      at 5 outpatient departments (OPD) in the greater Oslo Region. Women with a 2-hour
      oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT) >=9 mmol/L, who own a smartphone, understand
      Norwegian, Urdu or Somali and are <33 weeks pregnant, are invited. The
      intervention group receives the Pregnant+ app and standard care. The control
      group receives standard care only. Block randomisation is performed
      electronically. Data are collected using self-reported questionnaires and
      hospital records. Data will be analysed according to the intention-to-treat
      principle. Groups will be compared using linear regression for the main outcome
      and chi2 test for categorical data and Student's t-test or Mann-Whitney-Wilcoxon
      test for skewed distribution. The main outcome is the glucose level measured at
      the 2-hour OGTT 3 months postpartum. Secondary outcomes are a change in health
      behaviour and knowledge about GDM, quality of life, birth weight, mode of
      delivery and complications for mother and child. ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION: The
      study is exempt from regional ethics review due to its nature of quality
      improvement in patient care. Our study has been approved by the Norwegian Social
      Science Data Services and the patient privacy protections boards governing over
      the recruitment sites. Findings will be presented in peer-reviewed journals and
      at conferences. TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER: NCT02588729, Post-results.

PMID- 28348186
TI  - Biological rationale and potential clinical use of gabapentin and pregabalin in
      bipolar disorder, insomnia and anxiety: protocol for a systematic review and meta
      analysis.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: Gabapentin has been extensively prescribed off-label for
      psychiatric indications, with little established evidence of efficacy. Gabapentin
      and pregabalin, a very similar drug with the same mechanism of action, bind to a
      subunit of voltage-dependent calcium channels which are implicated in the
      aetiopathogenesis of bipolar disorder, anxiety and insomnia. This systematic
      review and meta-analysis aims to collect and critically appraise all the
      available evidence about the efficacy and tolerability of gabapentin and
      pregabalin in the treatment of bipolar disorder, insomnia and anxiety. METHODS
      AND ANALYSIS: We will include all randomised controlled trials (RCTs) reported as
      double-blind and comparing gabapentin or pregabalin with placebo or any other
      active pharmacological treatment (any preparation, dose, frequency, route of
      delivery or setting) in patients with bipolar disorder, anxiety or insomnia. For
      consideration of adverse effects (tolerability), single-blind or open-label RCTs
      and non-randomised evidence will also be summarised. The main outcomes will be
      efficacy (measured as dichotomous and continuous outcome) and acceptability
      (proportion of patients who dropped out of the allocated treatment). Published
      and unpublished studies will be sought through relevant database searches, trial
      registries and websites; all reference selection and data extraction will be
      conducted by at least 2 independent reviewers. We will conduct a random-effects
      meta-analysis to synthesise all evidence for each outcome. Heterogeneity between
      studies will be investigated by the I2 statistic. Data from included studies will
      be entered into a funnel plot for investigation of small-study effects. No
      subgroup analysis will be undertaken, but we will carry out sensitivity analyses
      about combination treatment, psychiatric comorbidity, use of rescue medications
      and fixed versus random-effects model. ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION: This review does
      not require ethical approval. This protocol has been registered on PROSPERO
      (CRD42016041802). The results of the systematic review will be disseminated via
      publication in a peer-reviewed journal.

PMID- 28348187
TI  - Protocol for systematic review of school-based interventions to prevent and
      control obesity in African learners.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: The increasing prevalence of obesity and overweight in childhood in
      developing countries is a public health concern to many governments. Schools play
      a significant role in the obesity epidemic as well as provide favourable
      environments for change in behaviours in childhood which can be carried on into
      adulthood. There is dearth of information on intervention studies in poor
      resource settings. This review will summarise the available evidence on school
      based interventions that focused on promoting healthy eating and physical
      activity among learners aged 6-15 years in Africa and to identify factors that
      lead to successful interventions or potential barriers to success of these
      programmes within the African context. METHODS AND ANALYSIS: This protocol is
      developed following the guidelines of PRIMSA-P 2015. Relevant search terms and
      keywords generated from the subject headings and the African search filter will
      be used to conduct a comprehensive search of MEDLINE (PubMed), MEDLINE
      (EbscoHost), CINAHL (EbscoHost), Register Academic Search Complete (EbscoHost)
      and ISI Web of Science (Science Citation Index) for published literature on
      school-based interventions to prevent and control obesity in learners in Africa.
      Grey literature will be also be obtained. The searches will cover 1 January 2000
      to 30 June 2016. No language limitations will be applied. Full-text articles of
      eligible studies will be screened. Risk of bias and quality of reporting will be
      assessed. Data will be extracted, synthesised and presented by country and major
      regional groupings. Meta-analysis will be conducted for identical variables
      across studies, where data allow. This protocol is developed following the
      guidelines of PRISMA-P 2015. ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION: No primary data will be
      collected hence ethics is not a requirement. The findings will be submitted for
      publication in peer-reviewed journals, in conferences and in policy documents for
      decision-making, where needed.

PMID- 28348185
TI  - Surgery for Type B Ankle Fracture Treatment: a Combined Randomised and
      Observational Study (CROSSBAT).
AB  - BACKGROUND: Isolated type B ankle fractures with no injury to the medial side are
      the most common type of ankle fracture. OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to determine
      if surgery is superior to non-surgical management for the treatment of these
      fractures. METHODS: A pragmatic, multicentre, single-blinded, combined randomised
      controlled trial and observational study. Setting Participants between 18 and 65
      years with a type B ankle fracture and minimal talar shift were recruited from 22
      hospitals in Australia and New Zealand. Participants willing to be randomised
      were randomly allocated to undergo surgical fixation followed by mobilisation in
      a walking boot for 6 weeks. Those treated non-surgically were managed in a
      walking boot for 6 weeks. Participants not willing to be randomised formed the
      observational cohort. Randomisation stratified by site and using permuted
      variable blocks was administered centrally. Outcome assessors were blinded for
      the primary outcomes. Primary outcomes Patient-reported ankle function using the
      American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons Foot and Ankle Outcomes Questionnaire
      (FAOQ) and the physical component score (PCS) of the SF-12v2 General Health
      Survey at 12 months postinjury. Primary analysis was intention to treat; the
      randomised and observational cohorts were analysed separately. RESULTS: From
      August 2010 to October 2013, 160 people were randomised (80 surgical and 80 non
      surgical); 139 (71 surgical and 68 non-surgical) were analysed as intention to
      treat. 276 formed the observational cohort (19 surgical and 257 non-surgical);
      220 (18 surgical and 202 non-surgical) were analysed. The randomised cohort
      demonstrated that surgery was not superior to non-surgery for the FAOQ (49.8 vs
      53.0; mean difference 3.2 (95% CI 0.4 to 5.9), p=0.028), or the PCS (53.7 vs
      53.2; mean difference 0.6 (-2.9 to 1.8), p=0.63). 23 (32%) and 10 (14%)
      participants had an adverse event in the surgical and non-surgical groups,
      respectively. Similar results were found in the observational cohort.
      CONCLUSIONS: Surgery is not superior to non-surgical management for 44-B1 ankle
      fractures in the short term, and is associated with increased adverse events.
      TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER: NCT01134094.

PMID- 28348188
TI  - Influencing factors on compliance of timely visits among patients with
      proliferative diabetic retinopathy in southern China: a qualitative study.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: To identify the reasons for low adherence among patients with diabetic
      retinopathy (DR) in southern China using a qualitative method. METHODS:
      Exploratory indepth interviews were conducted in 27 diabetic patients with
      proliferative diabetic retinopathy who required vitrectomy surgery at Zhongshan
      Ophthalmic Centre, Sun Yat-sen University, from March to August 2015. Qualitative
      data analysis and research software (ATLAS.ti7) was used for data processing and
      analysis. RESULTS: Factors influencing the occurrence of timely visits included
      lack of DR related knowledge, fear and worries about insulin, interactions
      between patients and society combined with the complexity of emotions and social
      culture, and the economic burden of treatment. CONCLUSIONS: Although the reasons
      for low adherence involved social, emotional, cultural and economic factors, the
      key issue was the lack of awareness and knowledge of DR. Our findings have
      several practical implications for health policymakers and programme planners in
      China.

PMID- 28348189
TI  - Global systematic review of Indigenous community-led legal interventions to
      control alcohol.
AB  - OBJECTIVES: The national and subnational governments of most developed nations
      have adopted cost-effective regulatory and legislative controls over alcohol
      supply and consumption with great success. However, there has been a lack of
      scrutiny of the effectiveness and appropriateness of these laws in shaping the
      health-related behaviours of Indigenous communities, who disproportionately
      experience alcohol-related harm. Further, such controls imposed unilaterally
      without Indigenous consultation have often been discriminatory and harmful in
      practice. SETTING, PARTICIPANTS AND OUTCOME MEASURES: In this systematic review
      of quantitative evaluations of Indigenous-led alcohol controls, we aim to
      investigate how regulatory responses have been developed and implemented by
      Indigenous communities worldwide, and evaluate their effectiveness in improving
      health and social outcomes. We included articles from electronic databases
      MEDLINE, EMBASE, CINAHL, PsycINFO and Web of Science from inception to December
      2015. RESULTS: Our search yielded 1489 articles from which 18 met the inclusion
      criteria. Controls were implemented in rural and remote populations of high
      income nations. Communities employed a range of regulatory options including
      alcohol rationing, prohibition of sale, importation or possession, restrictions
      on liquor sold, times of sale or mode of sale, Indigenous-controlled liquor
      licensing, sin tax and traditional forms of control. 11 studies reported
      interventions that were effective in reducing crime, injury deaths, injury,
      hospitalisations or lowering per capita consumption. In six studies interventions
      were found to be ineffective or harmful. The results were inconclusive in one.
      CONCLUSIONS: Indigenous-led policies that are developed or implemented by
      communities can be effective in improving health and social outcomes.

PMID- 28348190
TI  - Improving swallowing outcomes in patients with head and neck cancer using a
      theory-based pretreatment swallowing intervention package: protocol for a
      randomised feasibility study.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: The incidence of head and neck cancer (HNC) in the UK is rising,
      with an average of 31 people diagnosed daily. Patients affected by HNC suffer
      significant short-term and long-term post-treatment morbidity as a result of
      dysphagia, which affects daily functioning and quality of life (QOL).
      Pretreatment swallowing exercises may provide additional benefit over standard
      rehabilitation in managing dysphagia after primary HNC treatments, but
      uncertainty about their effectiveness persists. This study was preceded by an
      intervention development phase to produce an optimised swallowing intervention
      package (SIP). The aim of the current study is to assess the feasibility of this
      new intervention and research processes within a National Health Service (NHS)
      setting. METHOD AND ANALYSIS: A two-arm non-blinded randomised controlled
      feasibility study will be carried out at one tertiary referral NHS centre
      providing specialist services in HNC. Patients newly diagnosed with stage III and
      IV disease undergoing planned surgery and/or chemoradiation treatments will be
      eligible. The SIP will be delivered pre treatment, and a range of swallowing
      related and QOL measures will be collected at baseline, 1, 3 and 6 months post
      treatment. Outcomes will test the feasibility of a future randomised controlled
      trial (RCT), detailing rate of recruitment and patient acceptance to
      participation and randomisation. Salient information relating to protocol
      implementation will be collated and study material such as the case report form
      will be tested. A range of candidate outcome measures will be examined for
      suitability in a larger RCT. ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION: Ethical approval was
      obtained from an NHS Research Ethics Committee. Findings will be published open
      access in a peer-reviewed journal, and presented at relevant conferences and
      research meetings. TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER: ISRCTN40215425; Pre-results.

PMID- 28348191
TI  - Elucidating challenges that electronic cigarettes pose to tobacco control in
      Asia: a population-based national survey in Taiwan.
AB  - OBJECTIVES: This study investigated the prevalence and correlates of electronic
      cigarettes (e-cigarettes) use in Taiwan. DESIGN AND SETTING: We studied a
      nationally representative random sample in the 2015 Taiwan Adult Smoking Behavior
      Survey. PARTICIPANTS: This study included 26 021 participants aged 15 years or
      older (51% women, 79% non-smokers, 16% aged 15-24 years), after excluding 31
      persons (0.1%) who had missing information on e-cigarette use. PRIMARY OUTCOME
      MEASURES: The prevalence of ever having used e-cigarettes was calculated in the
      overall sample and by smoking status (current, former and never) or age (15-24,
      25-44 and >=45 years). We performed multivariable log-binomial regression to
      assess correlates of ever having used e-cigarettes among all participants and
      separately for subgroups by smoking status and age. RESULTS: Approximately 3% of
      all participants had ever used e-cigarettes. The prevalence of ever having used e
      cigarettes was high in current smokers (14%) and people aged 18-24 years (7%). E
      cigarette use was particularly common in people aged 15-24 years who were current
      (49-52%) or former (22-39%) smokers. Ever having used e-cigarettes was positively
      associated with tobacco smoking (adjusted prevalence ratio (aPR): 21.5, 95% CI
      15.4 to 29.8, current smokers; aPR: 8.3, 95% CI 15.2 to 13.1, former smokers),
      younger age and high socioeconomic status. Age remained a significant factor of
      ever having used e-cigarettes across smoking status groups. Among non-smokers,
      men had a 2.4-fold (95% CI 1.5 to 3.8) greater prevalence of e-cigarette use than
      women. CONCLUSIONS: E-cigarette use was uncommon in the general population in
      Taiwan, but prevalence was high among smokers and young people. This study
      highlights challenges that e-cigarettes pose to tobacco control, which warrant
      high priority action by policymakers and public health professionals. E-cigarette
      regulations should focus on young people.

PMID- 28348192
TI  - Surveillance Systems from Public Health Institutions and Scientific Societies for
      Antimicrobial Resistance and Healthcare-Associated Infections in Europe
      (SUSPIRE): protocol for a systematic review.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: The worldwide spread of antimicrobial resistance is now recognised
      as a global public health threat. Owing to the geographical heterogeneity,
      complexity and continuously evolving dynamics of resistant organisms and genes,
      surveillance is a key tool for understanding, measuring and informing actions in
      the fight against this problem. To date there is no harmonisation of key
      indicators or of methodologies used to obtain them. METHODS AND ANALYSIS: The
      main objective of this project is to systematically review and analyse the
      current publicly available surveillance activities on antimicrobial resistance
      and healthcare-associated infections in Europe. Eligible activities are those
      endorsed by regional, national or transnational health organisations and
      scientific societies providing data on a periodic basis. Grey and peer-reviewed
      literature will be searched with no language restrictions. Three independent
      reviewers will perform a two-step selection process using a previously piloted,
      tailored electronic data extraction form. Descriptive summaries and tables of all
      relevant findings will be performed and reported according to PRISMA guidelines.
      ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION: We did not seek ethical approval for this study because
      the data to be collected are not linked to individuals. Data will be presented at
      international conferences and published in peer-reviewed journals. TRIAL
      REGISTRATION NUMBER: CRD42016033867.

PMID- 28348193
TI  - Determinants of second pregnancy among pregnant women: a hospital-based cross
      sectional survey in China.
AB  - OBJECTIVES: This study aimed to explore determinants of second pregnancy and
      underlying reasons among pregnant Chinese women. DESIGN: The study was a
      population-based cross-sectional survey. SETTING: 16 hospitals in 5 provinces of
      Mainland China were included. PARTICIPANTS: A total of 2345 pregnant women aged
      18 years or above were surveyed face to face by investigators between June and
      August 2015. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: The pregnancy statuses (first or second
      pregnancy) and reasons for entering second pregnancy. RESULTS: A total of 1755
      (74.8%) and 590 (25.2%) women in their respective first and second pregnancies
      were enrolled in this study. The most common self-reported reasons for entering
      second pregnancy among participants included the benefits to the first child
      (26.1%), love of children (25.8%), adoption of the 2-child policy (11.5%),
      concerns about losing the first child (7.5%) and suggestions from parents (7.5%).
      Pregnant women with low (prevalence ratio (PR) 1.96; 95% CI 1.62 to 2.36) and
      moderate education level (PR 1.97; 95% CI 1.65 to 2.36) were more likely to have
      a second pregnancy than their higher educated counterparts. Income was inversely
      associated with second pregnancy. However, unemployed participants (PR 0.79; 95%
      CI 0.66 to 0.95) were less likely to enter a second pregnancy than those
      employed. Women with moderate education were 3 times more likely to have a second
      child following the '2-child policy' than the low education level subgroup.
      CONCLUSIONS: 1 in every 4 pregnant women is undergoing a second pregnancy. The
      benefits of the firstborn or the love of children were the key drivers of a
      second pregnancy. Low socioeconomic status was positively associated with a
      second pregnancy as well. The new 2-child policy will have an influence on
      China's demographics.

PMID- 28348194
TI  - Cross-sectional observational assessment of quality of newborn care immediately
      after birth in health facilities across six sub-Saharan African countries.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: To present information on the quality of newborn care services and
      health facility readiness to provide newborn care in 6 African countries, and to
      advocate for the improvement of providers' essential newborn care knowledge and
      skills. DESIGN: Cross-sectional observational health facility assessment.
      SETTING: Ethiopia, Kenya, Madagascar, Mozambique, Rwanda and Tanzania.
      PARTICIPANTS: Health workers in 643 facilities. 1016 health workers were
      interviewed, and 2377 babies were observed in the facilities surveyed. MAIN
      OUTCOME MEASURES: Indicators of quality of newborn care included (1) provision of
      immediate essential newborn care: thermal care, hygienic cord care, and early and
      exclusive initiation of breast feeding; (2) actual and simulated resuscitation of
      asphyxiated newborn infants; and (3) knowledge of health workers on essential
      newborn care, including resuscitation. RESULTS: Sterile or clean cord cutting
      instruments, suction devices, and tables or firm surfaces for resuscitation were
      commonly available. 80% of newborns were immediately dried after birth and
      received clean cord care in most of the studied facilities. In all countries
      assessed, major deficiencies exist for essential newborn care supplies and
      equipment, as well as for health worker knowledge and performance of key routine
      newborn care practices, particularly for immediate skin-to-skin contact and
      breastfeeding initiation. Of newborns who did not cry at birth, 89% either
      recovered on their own or through active steps taken by the provider through
      resuscitation with initial stimulation and/or ventilation. 11% of newborns died.
      Assessment of simulated resuscitation using a NeoNatalie anatomic model showed
      that less than a third of providers were able to demonstrate ventilation skills
      correctly. CONCLUSIONS: The findings shared in this paper call attention to the
      critical need to improve health facility readiness to provide quality newborn
      care services and to ensure that service providers have the necessary equipment,
      supplies, knowledge and skills that are critical to save newborn lives.

PMID- 28348197
TI  - Neutrophils diminish T-cell immunity to foster gastric cancer progression: the
      role of GM-CSF/PD-L1/PD-1 signalling pathway.

PMID- 28348198
TI  - The changing role of the chief medical officer for England.

PMID- 28348196
TI  - Secondary prevention and cognitive function after stroke: a study protocol for a
      5-year follow-up of the ASPIRE-S cohort.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: Cognitive impairment is common following stroke and can increase
      disability and levels of dependency of patients, potentially leading to greater
      burden on carers and the healthcare system. Effective cardiovascular risk factor
      control through secondary preventive medications may reduce the risk of cognitive
      decline. However, adherence to medications is often poor and can be adversely
      affected by cognitive deficits. Suboptimal medication adherence negatively
      impacts secondary prevention targets, increasing the risk of recurrent stroke and
      further cognitive decline. The aim of this study is to profile cognitive function
      and secondary prevention, including adherence to secondary preventive medications
      and healthcare usage, 5 years post-stroke. The prospective associations between
      cognition, cardiovascular risk factors, adherence to secondary preventive
      medications, and rates of recurrent stroke or other cardiovascular events will
      also be explored. METHODS AND ANALYSIS: This is a 5-year follow-up of a
      prospective study of the Action on Secondary Prevention Interventions and
      Rehabilitation in Stroke (ASPIRE-S) cohort of patients with stroke. This cohort
      will have a detailed assessment of cognitive function, adherence to secondary
      preventive medications and cardiovascular risk factor control. ETHICS AND
      DISSEMINATION: Ethical approval for this study was granted by the Research Ethics
      Committees at Beaumont Hospital, Dublin and Connolly Hospital, Dublin, Mater
      Misericordiae University Hospital, Dublin, and the Royal College of Surgeons in
      Ireland. Findings will be disseminated through presentations and peer-reviewed
      publications.

PMID- 28348199
TI  - Needs of Kinship Care Families and Pediatric Practice.
AB  - As many as 3% of children in the United States live in kinship care arrangements
      with caregivers who are relatives but not the biological parents of the child. A
      growing body of evidence suggests that children who cannot live with their
      biological parents fare better, overall, when living with extended family than
      with nonrelated foster parents. Acknowledging this, federal laws and public
      policies increasingly favor kinship care over nonrelative foster care when
      children are unable to live with their biological parents. Despite overall better
      outcomes, families providing kinship care experience many hardships, and the
      children experience many of the same adversities of children in traditional
      foster care. This policy statement reviews both the strengths and vulnerabilities
      of kinship families and suggests strategies for pediatricians to use to address
      the needs of individual patients and families. Strategies are also outlined for
      community, state, and federal advocacy on behalf of these children and their
      families.

PMID- 28348195
TI  - Impact of the Early Start Denver Model on the cognitive level of children with
      autism spectrum disorder: study protocol for a randomised controlled trial using
      a two-stage Zelen design.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: Early intervention for autism spectrum disorder (ASD) in the
      European French-speaking countries is heterogeneous and poorly evaluated to date.
      Early intervention units applying the Early Start Denver Model (ESDM) for
      toddlers and young children with ASD have been created in France and Belgium to
      improve this situation. It is essential to evaluate this intervention for the
      political decision-making process regarding ASD interventions in European French
      speaking countries. We will evaluate the effectiveness of 12 hours per week ESDM
      intervention on the cognitive level of children with ASD, over a 2-year period.
      METHODS AND ANALYSIS: The study will be a multicentre, randomised controlled
      trial, using a two-stage Zelen design. Children aged 15-36 months, diagnosed with
      ASD and with a developmental quotient (DQ) of 30 or above on the Mullen Scale of
      Early Learning (MSEL) will be included. We will use a stratified minimisation
      randomisation at a ratio 1:2 in favour of the control group. The sample size
      required is 180 children (120 in the control and 60 in the intervention group).
      The experimental group will receive 12 hours per week ESDM by trained therapists
      10 hours per week in the centre and 2 hours in the toddlers' natural environment
      (alternatively by the therapist and the parent). The control group will receive
      care available in the community. The primary outcome will be the change in
      cognitive level measured with the DQ of the MSEL scored at 2 years. Secondary
      outcomes will include change in autism symptoms, behavioural adaptation,
      communicative and productive language level, sensory profile and parents' quality
      of life. The primary analysis will use the intention-to-treat principle. An
      economic evaluation will be performed. DISSEMINATION: Findings from the study
      will be disseminated through peer reviewed publications and meetings. TRIAL
      REGISTRATION NUMBER: NCT02608333 (clinicaltrials.gov); Pre-results.

PMID- 28348200
TI  - Breastfeeding, Cognitive and Noncognitive Development in Early Childhood: A
      Population Study.
AB  - BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: There is mixed evidence from correlational studies
      that breastfeeding impacts children's development. Propensity score matching with
      large samples can be an effective tool to remove potential bias from observed
      confounders in correlational studies. The aim of this study was to investigate
      the impact of breastfeeding on children's cognitive and noncognitive development
      at 3 and 5 years of age. METHODS: Participants included ~8000 families from the
      Growing Up in Ireland longitudinal infant cohort, who were identified from the
      Child Benefit Register and randomly selected to participate. Parent and teacher
      reports and standardized assessments were used to collect information on
      children's problem behaviors, expressive vocabulary, and cognitive abilities at
      age 3 and 5 years. Breastfeeding information was collected via maternal report.
      Propensity score matching was used to compare the average treatment effects on
      those who were breastfed. RESULTS: Before matching, breastfeeding was associated
      with better development on almost every outcome. After matching and adjustment
      for multiple testing, only 1 of the 13 outcomes remained statistically
      significant: children's hyperactivity (difference score, -0.84; 95% confidence
      interval, -1.33 to -0.35) at age 3 years for children who were breastfed for at
      least 6 months. No statistically significant differences were observed
      postmatching on any outcome at age 5 years. CONCLUSIONS: Although 1 positive
      benefit of breastfeeding was found by using propensity score matching, the effect
      size was modest in practical terms. No support was found for statistically
      significant gains at age 5 years, suggesting that the earlier observed benefit
      from breastfeeding may not be maintained once children enter school.

PMID- 28348201
TI  - Tobacco Product Use Among Lesbian, Gay, and Bisexual Adolescents.
AB  - OBJECTIVES: Sexual minority youth face health disparities and a high risk of
      substance abuse. This study sought to fully characterize the disparity of tobacco
      use and risk factors in this high-risk subpopulation. METHODS: Using data from
      the 2015 Youth Risk Behavior Survey, the current use of various tobacco products
      (cigarettes, smokeless tobacco, cigars, and e-cigarettes) was compared according
      to sex and distinct sexual identities (lesbian, gay, bisexual, and unsure).
      Heterosexual/straight adolescents served as the control group. RESULTS: Of 14 703
      respondents, 88.8% were heterosexual/straight, 2.0% were lesbian or gay, 6.0%
      were bisexual, and 3.2% were unsure about their sexual identity. Sexual
      minorities had a higher prevalence of tobacco product use than their
      heterosexual/straight counterparts. Sex had a significant effect on the
      disparities of tobacco use. Lesbian and bisexual girls had higher odds of
      reporting current use of any tobacco product, cigarettes, cigars, and e
      cigarettes than did straight girls, whereas sexual minority boys had similar
      smoking behaviors compared with straight boys. Substance use, including marijuana
      use, drinking, and binge drinking, was significantly associated with any tobacco
      use. CONCLUSIONS: Tobacco use differs among subgroups of sexual minority youth,
      with lesbians and bisexual girls having a higher prevalence of tobacco use than
      their straight peers. Heterogeneity of tobacco use across distinct sexual
      identity groups underscores the need to develop evidence-based tobacco control
      strategies for sexual minority youth.

PMID- 28348203
TI  - Breastfeeding: What Do We Know, and Where Do We Go From Here?

PMID- 28348202
TI  - Parent-Physician Partnership at the Edge of Viability.

PMID- 28348204
TI  - HIV: Persistence through division.
AB  - A long-lived latent reservoir for HIV-1 persists in CD4+ T cells despite
      antiretroviral therapy and is the major barrier to cure. In this issue of JEM,
      Hosmane et al. show that T cell proliferation could explain the long-term
      persistence of this reservoir.

PMID- 28348205
TI  - Association between socioeconomic position and the prevalence of type 2 diabetes
      in Ghanaians in different geographic locations: the RODAM study.
AB  - BACKGROUND: The prevalence of diabetes has been shown to be socially patterned
      but the direction of the association in low-income countries and among migrant
      populations in Europe has varied in the literature. This study examined the
      association between socioeconomic position (SEP) and diabetes in Ghanaians in
      Europe and in Ghana. METHODS: Data were derived from the multicentre Research on
      Obesity and Diabetes among African Migrants (RODAM) study of Ghanaian adults aged
      25-70 years residing in Europe (Amsterdam, Berlin and London) and in urban and
      rural Ghana. Educational attainment (elementary, secondary or higher) and
      occupational class (low or high) were used as indicators of SEP. Age-standardised
      prevalence of diabetes and prevalence ratios were evaluated separately for men
      and women of different SEP in Ghana and Europe. RESULTS: A total of 5290
      participants were included in the analyses. The prevalence of diabetes decreased
      with increasing level of education in Ghanaian men and women in Europe and in men
      in urban Ghana, whereas diabetes prevalence increased with increasing level of
      education in men and women in rural Ghana. The association between occupational
      class and the prevalence of diabetes followed a less consistent pattern in men
      and women in the different locations. CONCLUSIONS: The association of diabetes
      and SEP differed in rural Ghana compared with urban settings in Ghana and Europe
      and comparing men and women, highlighting the complex interaction of SEP and the
      development of diabetes. These findings have important implications for diabetes
      prevention strategies in Ghanaians in different locations.

PMID- 28348206
TI  - High-throughput identification of small molecules that affect human embryonic
      vascular development.
AB  - Birth defects, which are in part caused by exposure to environmental chemicals
      and pharmaceutical drugs, affect 1 in every 33 babies born in the United States
      each year. The current standard to screen drugs that affect embryonic development
      is based on prenatal animal testing; however, this approach yields low-throughput
      and limited mechanistic information regarding the biological pathways and
      potential adverse consequences in humans. To develop a screening platform for
      molecules that affect human embryonic development based on endothelial cells
      (ECs) derived from human pluripotent stem cells, we differentiated human
      pluripotent stem cells into embryonic ECs and induced their maturation under
      arterial flow conditions. These cells were then used to screen compounds that
      specifically affect embryonic vasculature. Using this platform, we have
      identified two compounds that have higher inhibitory effect in embryonic than
      postnatal ECs. One of them was fluphenazine (an antipsychotic), which inhibits
      calmodulin kinase II. The other compound was pyrrolopyrimidine (an
      antiinflammatory agent), which inhibits vascular endothelial growth factor
      receptor 2 (VEGFR2), decreases EC viability, induces an inflammatory response,
      and disrupts preformed vascular networks. The vascular effect of the
      pyrrolopyrimidine was further validated in prenatal vs. adult mouse ECs and in
      embryonic and adult zebrafish. We developed a platform based on human pluripotent
      stem cell-derived ECs for drug screening, which may open new avenues of research
      for the study and modulation of embryonic vasculature.

PMID- 28348207
TI  - Nurr1:RXRalpha heterodimer activation as monotherapy for Parkinson's disease.
AB  - Parkinson's disease (PD) is a progressive neurodegenerative disorder
      characterized by the loss of dopaminergic (DAergic) neurons in the substantia
      nigra and the gradual depletion of dopamine (DA). Current treatments replenish
      the DA deficit and improve symptoms but induce dyskinesias over time, and
      neuroprotective therapies are nonexistent. Here we report that Nuclear receptor
      related 1 (Nurr1):Retinoid X receptor alpha (RXRalpha) activation has a double
      therapeutic potential for PD, offering both neuroprotective and symptomatic
      improvement. We designed BRF110, a unique in vivo active Nurr1:RXRalpha-selective
      lead molecule, which prevents DAergic neuron demise and striatal DAergic
      denervation in vivo against PD-causing toxins in a Nurr1-dependent manner. BRF110
      also protects against PD-related genetic mutations in patient induced pluripotent
      stem cell (iPSC)-derived DAergic neurons and a genetic mouse PD model.
      Remarkably, besides neuroprotection, BRF110 up-regulates tyrosine hydroxylase
      (TH), aromatic l-amino acid decarboxylase (AADC), and GTP cyclohydrolase I (GCH1)
      transcription; increases striatal DA in vivo; and has symptomatic efficacy in two
      postneurodegeneration PD models, without inducing dyskinesias on chronic daily
      treatment. The combined neuroprotective and symptomatic effects of BRF110
      identify Nurr1:RXRalpha activation as a potential monotherapeutic approach for
      PD.

PMID- 28348208
TI  - MYO6 is targeted by Salmonella virulence effectors to trigger PI3-kinase
      signaling and pathogen invasion into host cells.
AB  - To establish infections, Salmonella injects virulence effectors that hijack the
      host actin cytoskeleton and phosphoinositide signaling to drive pathogen
      invasion. How effectors reprogram the cytoskeleton network remains unclear. By
      reconstituting the activities of the Salmonella effector SopE, we recapitulated
      Rho GTPase-driven actin polymerization at model phospholipid membrane bilayers in
      cell-free extracts and identified the network of Rho-recruited cytoskeleton
      proteins. Knockdown of network components revealed a key role for myosin VI
      (MYO6) in Salmonella invasion. SopE triggered MYO6 localization to invasion foci,
      and SopE-mediated activation of PAK recruited MYO6 to actin-rich membranes. We
      show that the virulence effector SopB requires MYO6 to regulate the localization
      of PIP3 and PI(3)P phosphoinositides and Akt activation. SopE and SopB target
      MYO6 to coordinate phosphoinositide production at invasion foci, facilitating the
      recruitment of cytoskeleton adaptor proteins to mediate pathogen uptake.

PMID- 28348209
TI  - Strategic siting and regional grid interconnections key to low-carbon futures in
      African countries.
AB  - Recent forecasts suggest that African countries must triple their current
      electricity generation by 2030. Our multicriteria assessment of wind and solar
      potential for large regions of Africa shows how economically competitive and low
      environmental-impact renewable resources can significantly contribute to meeting
      this demand. We created the Multicriteria Analysis for Planning Renewable Energy
      (MapRE) framework to map and characterize solar and wind energy zones in 21
      countries in the Southern African Power Pool (SAPP) and the Eastern Africa Power
      Pool (EAPP) and find that potential is several times greater than demand in many
      countries. Significant fractions of demand can be quickly served with "no
      regrets" options-or zones that are low-cost, low-environmental impact, and highly
      accessible. Because no-regrets options are spatially heterogeneous, international
      interconnections are necessary to help achieve low-carbon development for the
      region as a whole, and interconnections that support the best renewable options
      may differ from those planned for hydropower expansion. Additionally,
      interconnections and selecting wind sites to match demand reduce the need for
      SAPP-wide conventional generation capacity by 9.5% in a high-wind scenario,
      resulting in a 6-20% cost savings, depending on the avoided conventional
      technology. Strategic selection of low-impact and accessible zones is more cost
      effective with interconnections compared with solutions without interconnections.
      Overall results are robust to multiple load growth scenarios. Together, results
      show that multicriteria site selection and deliberate planning of
      interconnections may significantly increase the economic and environmental
      competitiveness of renewable alternatives relative to conventional generation.

PMID- 28348211
TI  - Evolution of the early Antarctic ice ages.
AB  - Understanding the stability of the early Antarctic ice cap in the geological past
      is of societal interest because present-day atmospheric CO2 concentrations have
      reached values comparable to those estimated for the Oligocene and the Early
      Miocene epochs. Here we analyze a new high-resolution deep-sea oxygen isotope
      (delta18O) record from the South Atlantic Ocean spanning an interval between 30.1
      My and 17.1 My ago. The record displays major oscillations in deep-sea
      temperature and Antarctic ice volume in response to the ~110-ky eccentricity
      modulation of precession. Conservative minimum ice volume estimates show that
      waxing and waning of at least ~85 to 110% of the volume of the present East
      Antarctic Ice Sheet is required to explain many of the ~110-ky cycles. Antarctic
      ice sheets were typically largest during repeated glacial cycles of the mid
      Oligocene (~28.0 My to ~26.3 My ago) and across the Oligocene-Miocene Transition
      (~23.0 My ago). However, the high-amplitude glacial-interglacial cycles of the
      mid-Oligocene are highly symmetrical, indicating a more direct response to
      eccentricity modulation of precession than their Early Miocene counterparts,
      which are distinctly asymmetrical-indicative of prolonged ice buildup and
      delayed, but rapid, glacial terminations. We hypothesize that the long-term
      transition to a warmer climate state with sawtooth-shaped glacial cycles in the
      Early Miocene was brought about by subsidence and glacial erosion in West
      Antarctica during the Late Oligocene and/or a change in the variability of
      atmospheric CO2 levels on astronomical time scales that is not yet captured in
      existing proxy reconstructions.

PMID- 28348210
TI  - Myosin-1E interacts with FAK proline-rich region 1 to induce fibronectin-type
      matrix.
AB  - Focal adhesion kinase (FAK) is a nonreceptor tyrosine kinase involved in
      development and human disease, including cancer. It is currently thought that the
      four-point one, ezrin, radixin, moesin (FERM)-kinase domain linker, which
      contains autophosphorylation site tyrosine (Y) 397, is not required for in vivo
      FAK function until late midgestation. Here, we directly tested this hypothesis by
      generating mice with FAK Y397-to-phenylalanine (F) mutations in the germline. We
      found that Y397F embryos exhibited reduced mesodermal fibronectin (FN) and
      osteopontin expression and died during mesoderm development akin to FAK kinase
      dead mice. We identified myosin-1E (MYO1E), an actin-dependent molecular motor,
      to interact directly with the FAK FERM-kinase linker and induce FAK kinase
      activity and Y397 phosphorylation. Active FAK in turn accumulated in the nucleus
      where it led to the expression of osteopontin and other FN-type matrix in both
      mouse embryonic fibroblasts and human melanoma. Our data support a model in which
      FAK Y397 autophosphorylation is required for FAK function in vivo and is
      positively regulated by MYO1E.

PMID- 28348213
TI  - Correction for Lee et al., MicroRNA-10a is crucial for endothelial response to
      different flow patterns via interaction of retinoid acid receptors and histone
      deacetylases.

PMID- 28348212
TI  - Climate change both facilitates and inhibits invasive plant ranges in New
      England.
AB  - Forecasting ecological responses to climate change, invasion, and their
      interaction must rely on understanding underlying mechanisms. However, such
      forecasts require extrapolation into new locations and environments. We linked
      demography and environment using experimental biogeography to forecast invasive
      and native species' potential ranges under present and future climate in New
      England, United States to overcome issues of extrapolation in novel environments.
      We studied two potentially nonequilibrium invasive plants' distributions,
      Alliaria petiolata (garlic mustard) and Berberis thunbergii (Japanese barberry),
      each paired with their native ecological analogs to better understand demographic
      drivers of invasions. Our models predict that climate change will considerably
      reduce establishment of a currently prolific invader (A. petiolata) throughout
      New England driven by poor demographic performance in warmer climates. In
      contrast, invasion of B. thunbergii will be facilitated because of higher growth
      and germination in warmer climates, with higher likelihood to establish farther
      north and in closed canopy habitats in the south. Invasion success is in high
      fecundity for both invasive species and demographic compensation for Apetiolata
      relative to native analogs. For A. petiolata, simulations suggest that
      eradication efforts would require unrealistic efficiency; hence, management
      should focus on inhibiting spread into colder, currently unoccupied areas,
      understanding source-sink dynamics, and understanding community dynamics should
      A. petiolata (which is allelopathic) decline. Our results-based on considerable
      differences with correlative occurrence models typically used for such
      biogeographic forecasts-suggest the urgency of incorporating mechanism into range
      forecasting and invasion management to understand how climate change may alter
      current invasion patterns.

PMID- 28348215
TI  - PLP and GABA trigger GabR-mediated transcription regulation in Bacillus subtilis
      via external aldimine formation.
AB  - The Bacillus subtilis protein regulator of the gabTD operon and its own gene
      (GabR) is a transcriptional activator that regulates transcription of gamma
      aminobutyric acid aminotransferase (GABA-AT; GabT) upon interactions with
      pyridoxal-5'-phosphate (PLP) and GABA, and thereby promotes the biosynthesis of
      glutamate from GABA. We show here that the external aldimine formed between PLP
      and GABA is apparently responsible for triggering the GabR-mediated transcription
      activation. Details of the "active site" in the structure of the GabR effector
      binding/oligomerization (Eb/O) domain suggest that binding a monocarboxylic gamma
      amino acid such as GABA should be preferred over dicarboxylic acid ligands. A
      reactive GABA analog, (S)-4-amino-5-fluoropentanoic acid (AFPA), was used as a
      molecular probe to examine the reactivity of PLP in both GabR and a homologous
      aspartate aminotransferase (Asp-AT) from Escherichia coli as a control. A
      comparison between the structures of the Eb/O-PLP-AFPA complex and Asp-AT-PLP
      AFPA complex revealed that GabR is incapable of facilitating further steps of the
      transamination reaction after the formation of the external aldimine. Results of
      in vitro and in vivo assays using full-length GabR support the conclusion that
      AFPA is an agonistic ligand capable of triggering GabR-mediated transcription
      activation via formation of an external aldimine with PLP.

PMID- 28348214
TI  - Spemann organizer transcriptome induction by early beta-catenin, Wnt, Nodal, and
      Siamois signals in Xenopus laevis.
AB  - The earliest event in Xenopus development is the dorsal accumulation of nuclear
      beta-catenin under the influence of cytoplasmic determinants displaced by
      fertilization. In this study, a genome-wide approach was used to examine
      transcription of the 43,673 genes annotated in the Xenopus laevis genome under a
      variety of conditions that inhibit or promote formation of the Spemann organizer
      signaling center. Loss of function of beta-catenin with antisense morpholinos
      reproducibly reduced the expression of 247 mRNAs at gastrula stage.
      Interestingly, only 123 beta-catenin targets were enriched on the dorsal side and
      defined an early dorsal beta-catenin gene signature. These genes included several
      previously unrecognized Spemann organizer components. Surprisingly, only 3 of
      these 123 genes overlapped with the late Wnt signature recently defined by two
      other groups using inhibition by Dkk1 mRNA or Wnt8 morpholinos, which indicates
      that the effects of beta-catenin/Wnt signaling in early development are
      exquisitely regulated by stage-dependent mechanisms. We analyzed transcriptome
      responses to a number of treatments in a total of 46 RNA-seq libraries. These
      treatments included, in addition to beta-catenin depletion, regenerating dorsal
      and ventral half-embryos, lithium chloride treatment, and the overexpression of
      Wnt8, Siamois, and Cerberus mRNAs. Only some of the early dorsal beta-catenin
      signature genes were activated at blastula whereas others required the induction
      of endomesoderm, as indicated by their inhibition by Cerberus overexpression.
      These comprehensive data provide a rich resource for analyzing how the dorsal and
      ventral regions of the embryo communicate with each other in a self-organizing
      vertebrate model embryo.

PMID- 28348216
TI  - Splicing variation of Long-IRBIT determines the target selectivity of IRBIT
      family proteins.
AB  - IRBIT [inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate receptor (IP3R) binding protein released with
      inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate (IP3)] is a multifunctional protein that regulates
      several target molecules such as ion channels, transporters, polyadenylation
      complex, and kinases. Through its interaction with multiple targets, IRBIT
      contributes to calcium signaling, electrolyte transport, mRNA processing, cell
      cycle, and neuronal function. However, the regulatory mechanism of IRBIT binding
      to particular targets is poorly understood. Long-IRBIT is an IRBIT homolog with
      high homology to IRBIT, except for a unique N-terminal appendage. Long-IRBIT
      splice variants have different N-terminal sequences and a common C-terminal
      region, which is involved in multimerization of IRBIT and Long-IRBIT. In this
      study, we characterized IRBIT and Long-IRBIT splice variants (IRBIT family). We
      determined that the IRBIT family exhibits different mRNA expression patterns in
      various tissues. The IRBIT family formed homo- and heteromultimers. In addition,
      N-terminal splicing of Long-IRBIT changed the protein stability and selectivity
      to target molecules. These results suggest that N-terminal diversity of the IRBIT
      family and various combinations of multimer formation contribute to the
      functional diversity of the IRBIT family.

PMID- 28348217
TI  - In situ characterization of cofacial Co(IV) centers in Co4O4 cubane: Modeling the
      high-valent active site in oxygen-evolving catalysts.
AB  - The Co4O4 cubane is a representative structural model of oxidic cobalt oxygen
      evolving catalysts (Co-OECs). The Co-OECs are active when residing at two
      oxidation levels above an all-Co(III) resting state. This doubly oxidized Co(IV)2
      state may be captured in a Co(III)2(IV)2 cubane. We demonstrate that the
      Co(III)2(IV)2 cubane may be electrochemically generated and the electronic
      properties of this unique high-valent state may be probed by in situ
      spectroscopy. Intervalence charge-transfer (IVCT) bands in the near-IR are
      observed for the Co(III)2(IV)2 cubane, and spectroscopic analysis together with
      electrochemical kinetics measurements reveal a larger reorganization energy and a
      smaller electron transfer rate constant for the doubly versus singly oxidized
      cubane. Spectroelectrochemical X-ray absorption data further reveal systematic
      spectral changes with successive oxidations from the cubane resting state.
      Electronic structure calculations correlated to experimental data suggest that
      this state is best represented as a localized, antiferromagnetically coupled
      Co(IV)2 dimer. The exchange coupling in the cofacial Co(IV)2 site allows for
      parallels to be drawn between the electronic structure of the Co4O4 cubane model
      system and the high-valent active site of the Co-OEC, with specific emphasis on
      the manifestation of a doubly oxidized Co(IV)2 center on O-O bond formation.

PMID- 28348218
TI  - Ancient palace complex (300-100 BC) discovered in the Valley of Oaxaca, Mexico.
AB  - Recently completed excavations at the site of El Palenque in Mexico's Valley of
      Oaxaca have recovered the well-preserved remains of a palace complex dated by
      associated radiocarbon samples and ceramics to the Late Formative period or Late
      Monte Alban I phase (300-100 BC), the period of archaic state emergence in the
      region. The El Palenque palace exhibits certain architectural and organizational
      features similar to the royal palaces of much later Mesoamerican states described
      by Colonial-period sources. The excavation data document a multifunctional palace
      complex covering a maximum estimated area of 2,790 m2 on the north side of the
      site's plaza and consisting of both governmental and residential components. The
      data indicate that the palace complex was designed and built as a single
      construction. The palace complex at El Palenque is the oldest multifunctional
      palace excavated thus far in the Valley of Oaxaca.

PMID- 28348220
TI  - Communicating the deadly consequences of global warming for human heat stress.
AB  - In December of 2015, the international community pledged to limit global warming
      to below 2  degrees C above preindustrial (PI) to prevent dangerous climate
      change. However, to what extent, and for whom, is danger avoided if this
      ambitious target is realized? We address these questions by scrutinizing heat
      stress, because the frequency of extremely hot weather is expected to continue to
      rise in the approach to the 2  degrees C limit. We use analogs and the extreme
      South Asian heat of 2015 as a focusing event to help interpret the increasing
      frequency of deadly heat under specified amounts of global warming. Using a large
      ensemble of climate models, our results confirm that global mean air temperature
      is nonlinearly related to heat stress, meaning that the same future warming as
      realized to date could trigger larger increases in societal impacts than
      historically experienced. This nonlinearity is higher for heat stress metrics
      that integrate the effect of rising humidity. We show that, even in a climate
      held to 2  degrees C above PI, Karachi (Pakistan) and Kolkata (India) could
      expect conditions equivalent to their deadly 2015 heatwaves every year. With only
      1.5  degrees C of global warming, twice as many megacities (such as Lagos,
      Nigeria, and Shanghai, China) could become heat stressed, exposing more than 350
      million more people to deadly heat by 2050 under a midrange population growth
      scenario. The results underscore that, even if the Paris targets are realized,
      there could still be a significant adaptation imperative for vulnerable urban
      populations.

PMID- 28348219
TI  - Mouse-adapted MERS coronavirus causes lethal lung disease in human DPP4 knockin
      mice.
AB  - The Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS) emerged in Saudi Arabia in 2012,
      caused by a zoonotically transmitted coronavirus (CoV). Over 1,900 cases have
      been reported to date, with ~36% fatality rate. Lack of autopsies from MERS cases
      has hindered understanding of MERS-CoV pathogenesis. A small animal model that
      develops progressive pulmonary manifestations when infected with MERS-CoV would
      advance the field. As mice are restricted to infection at the level of DPP4, the
      MERS-CoV receptor, we generated mice with humanized exons 10-12 of the mouse Dpp4
      locus. Upon inoculation with MERS-CoV, human DPP4 knockin (KI) mice supported
      virus replication in the lungs, but developed no illness. After 30 serial
      passages through the lungs of KI mice, a mouse-adapted virus emerged (MERSMA)
      that grew in lungs to over 100 times higher titers than the starting virus. A
      plaque-purified MERSMA clone caused weight loss and fatal infection. Virus
      antigen was observed in airway epithelia, pneumocytes, and macrophages.
      Pathologic findings included diffuse alveolar damage with pulmonary edema and
      hyaline membrane formation associated with accumulation of activated inflammatory
      monocyte-macrophages and neutrophils in the lungs. Relative to the parental MERS
      CoV, MERSMA viruses contained 13-22 mutations, including several within the spike
      (S) glycoprotein gene. S-protein mutations sensitized viruses to entry-activating
      serine proteases and conferred more rapid entry kinetics. Recombinant MERSMA
      bearing mutant S proteins were more virulent than the parental virus in hDPP4 KI
      mice. The hDPP4 KI mouse and the MERSMA provide tools to investigate disease
      causes and develop new therapies.

PMID- 28348221
TI  - Transfer of pathogenic and nonpathogenic cytosolic proteins between spinal cord
      motor neurons in vivo in chimeric mice.
AB  - Recent studies have reported spread of pathogenic proteins in the mammalian
      nervous system, but whether nonpathogenic ones spread is unknown. We initially
      investigated whether spread of a mutant amyotrophic lateral sclerosis-associated
      cytosolic superoxide dismutase 1 (SOD1) protein between motor neurons could be
      detected in intact chimeric mice. Eight-cell embryos from G85R SOD1YFP and G85R
      SOD1CFP mice were aggregated, and spinal cords of adult chimeric progeny were
      examined for motor neurons with cytosolic double fluorescence. By 3 mo of age, we
      observed extensive double fluorescence, including in amyotrophic lateral
      sclerosis-affected cranial nerve motor nuclei but not in the relatively spared
      extraocular nuclei. Chimeras of nonpathogenic wtSOD1YFP and G85R SOD1CFP also
      exhibited double fluorescence. In a third chimera, mitochondrial mCherry did not
      transfer to G85R SOD1YFP motor neurons, suggesting that neither RNA nor
      organelles transfer, but mito-mCherry neurons received G85R SOD1YFP. In a chimera
      of ChAT promoter-EGFP and mito-mCherry, EGFP efficiently transferred to mito
      mCherry+ cells. Thus, nonpathogenic cytosolic proteins appear capable of
      transfer. During study of both the SOD1FP and EGFP chimeras, we observed
      fluorescence also in small cells neighboring the motor neurons, identified as
      mature gray matter oligodendrocytes. Double fluorescence in the G85R SOD1FP
      chimera and observation of the temporal development of fluorescence first in
      motor neurons and then in these oligodendrocytes suggest that they may be
      mediators of transfer of cytosolic proteins between motor neurons.

PMID- 28348222
TI  - Form and function of topologically associating genomic domains in budding yeast.
AB  - The genome of metazoan cells is organized into topologically associating domains
      (TADs) that have similar histone modifications, transcription level, and DNA
      replication timing. Although similar structures appear to be conserved in fission
      yeast, computational modeling and analysis of high-throughput chromosome
      conformation capture (Hi-C) data have been used to argue that the small, highly
      constrained budding yeast chromosomes could not have these structures. In
      contrast, herein we analyze Hi-C data for budding yeast and identify 200-kb scale
      TADs, whose boundaries are enriched for transcriptional activity. Furthermore,
      these boundaries separate regions of similarly timed replication origins
      connecting the long-known effect of genomic context on replication timing to
      genome architecture. To investigate the molecular basis of TAD formation, we
      performed Hi-C experiments on cells depleted for the Forkhead transcription
      factors, Fkh1 and Fkh2, previously associated with replication timing. Forkhead
      factors do not regulate TAD formation, but do promote longer-range genomic
      interactions and control interactions between origins near the centromere. Thus,
      our work defines spatial organization within the budding yeast nucleus,
      demonstrates the conserved role of genome architecture in regulating DNA
      replication, and identifies a molecular mechanism specifically regulating
      interactions between pericentric origins.

PMID- 28348224
TI  - High-numerical-aperture cryogenic light microscopy for increased precision of
      superresolution reconstructions.
AB  - Superresolution microscopy has fundamentally altered our ability to resolve
      subcellular proteins, but improving on these techniques to study dense structures
      composed of single-molecule-sized elements has been a challenge. One possible
      approach to enhance superresolution precision is to use cryogenic fluorescent
      imaging, reported to reduce fluorescent protein bleaching rates, thereby
      increasing the precision of superresolution imaging. Here, we describe an
      approach to cryogenic photoactivated localization microscopy (cPALM) that permits
      the use of a room-temperature high-numerical-aperture objective lens to image
      frozen samples in their native state. We find that cPALM increases photon yields
      and show that this approach can be used to enhance the effective resolution of
      two photoactivatable/switchable fluorophore-labeled structures in the same frozen
      sample. This higher resolution, two-color extension of the cPALM technique will
      expand the accessibility of this approach to a range of laboratories interested
      in more precise reconstructions of complex subcellular targets.

PMID- 28348223
TI  - Quantification of circulating Mycobacterium tuberculosis antigen peptides allows
      rapid diagnosis of active disease and treatment monitoring.
AB  - Tuberculosis (TB) is a major global health threat, resulting in an urgent unmet
      need for a rapid, non-sputum-based quantitative test to detect active
      Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb) infections in clinically diverse populations and
      quickly assess Mtb treatment responses for emerging drug-resistant strains. We
      have identified Mtb-specific peptide fragments and developed a method to rapidly
      quantify their serum concentrations, using antibody-labeled and energy-focusing
      porous discoidal silicon nanoparticles (nanodisks) and high-throughput mass
      spectrometry (MS) to enhance sensitivity and specificity. NanoDisk-MS diagnosed
      active Mtb cases with high sensitivity and specificity in a case-control study
      with cohorts reflecting the complexity of clinical practice. Similar robust
      sensitivities were obtained for cases of culture-positive pulmonary TB (PTB;
      91.3%) and extrapulmonary TB (EPTB; 92.3%), and the sensitivities obtained for
      culture-negative PTB (82.4%) and EPTB (75.0%) in HIV-positive patients
      significantly outperformed those reported for other available assays. NanoDisk-MS
      also exhibited high specificity (87.1-100%) in both healthy and high-risk groups.
      Absolute quantification of serum Mtb antigen concentration was informative in
      assessing responses to antimycobacterial treatment. Thus, a NanoDisk-MS assay
      approach could significantly improve the diagnosis and management of active TB
      cases, and perhaps other infectious diseases as well.

PMID- 28348225
TI  - Origins of house mice in ecological niches created by settled hunter-gatherers in
      the Levant 15,000 y ago.
AB  - Reductions in hunter-gatherer mobility during the Late Pleistocene influenced
      settlement ecologies, altered human relations with animal communities, and played
      a pivotal role in domestication. The influence of variability in human mobility
      on selection dynamics and ecological interactions in human settlements has not
      been extensively explored, however. This study of mice in modern African villages
      and changing mice molar shapes in a 200,000-y-long sequence from the Levant
      demonstrates competitive advantages for commensal mice in long-term settlements.
      Mice from African pastoral households provide a referential model for habitat
      partitioning among mice taxa in settlements of varying durations. The data reveal
      the earliest known commensal niche for house mice in long-term forager
      settlements 15,000 y ago. Competitive dynamics and the presence and abundance of
      mice continued to fluctuate with human mobility through the terminal Pleistocene.
      At the Natufian site of Ain Mallaha, house mice displaced less commensal wild
      mice during periods of heavy occupational pressure but were outcompeted when
      mobility increased. Changing food webs and ecological dynamics in long-term
      settlements allowed house mice to establish durable commensal populations that
      expanded with human societies. This study demonstrates the changing magnitude of
      cultural niche construction with varying human mobility and the extent of
      environmental influence before the advent of farming.

PMID- 28348227
TI  - Statistical significance of seasonal warming/cooling trends.
AB  - The question whether a seasonal climate trend (e.g., the increase of summer
      temperatures in Antarctica in the last decades) is of anthropogenic or natural
      origin is of great importance for mitigation and adaption measures alike. The
      conventional significance analysis assumes that (i) the seasonal climate trends
      can be quantified by linear regression, (ii) the different seasonal records can
      be treated as independent records, and (iii) the persistence in each of these
      seasonal records can be characterized by short-term memory described by an
      autoregressive process of first order. Here we show that assumption ii is not
      valid, due to strong intraannual correlations by which different seasons are
      correlated. We also show that, even in the absence of correlations, for Gaussian
      white noise, the conventional analysis leads to a strong overestimation of the
      significance of the seasonal trends, because multiple testing has not been taken
      into account. In addition, when the data exhibit long-term memory (which is the
      case in most climate records), assumption iii leads to a further overestimation
      of the trend significance. Combining Monte Carlo simulations with the Holm
      Bonferroni method, we demonstrate how to obtain reliable estimates of the
      significance of the seasonal climate trends in long-term correlated records. For
      an illustration, we apply our method to representative temperature records from
      West Antarctica, which is one of the fastest-warming places on Earth and belongs
      to the crucial tipping elements in the Earth system.

PMID- 28348226
TI  - ERRalpha induces H3K9 demethylation by LSD1 to promote cell invasion.
AB  - Lysine Specific Demethylase 1 (LSD1) removes mono- and dimethyl groups from
      lysine 4 of histone H3 (H3K4) or H3K9, resulting in repressive or activating
      (respectively) transcriptional histone marks. The mechanisms that control the
      balance between these two antagonist activities are not understood. We here show
      that LSD1 and the orphan nuclear receptor estrogen-related receptor alpha
      (ERRalpha) display commonly activated genes. Transcriptional activation by LSD1
      and ERRalpha involves H3K9 demethylation at the transcriptional start site (TSS).
      Strikingly, ERRalpha is sufficient to induce LSD1 to demethylate H3K9 in vitro.
      The relevance of this mechanism is highlighted by functional data. LSD1 and
      ERRalpha coregulate several target genes involved in cell migration, including
      the MMP1 matrix metallo-protease, also activated through H3K9 demethylation at
      the TSS. Depletion of LSD1 or ERRalpha reduces the cellular capacity to invade
      the extracellular matrix, a phenomenon that is rescued by MMP1 reexpression.
      Altogether our results identify a regulatory network involving a direct switch in
      the biochemical activities of a histone demethylase, leading to increased cell
      invasion.

PMID- 28348228
TI  - AMPA glutamate receptors are required for sensory-organ formation and
      morphogenesis in the basal chordate.
AB  - AMPA-type glutamate receptors (GluAs) mediate fast excitatory transmission in the
      vertebrate central nervous system (CNS), and their function has been extensively
      studied in the mature mammalian brain. However, GluA expression begins very early
      in developing embryos, suggesting that they may also have unidentified
      developmental roles. Here, we identify developmental roles for GluAs in the
      ascidian Ciona intestinalis Mammals express Ca2+-permeable GluAs (Ca-P GluAs) and
      Ca2+-impermeable GluAs (Ca-I GluAs) by combining subunits derived from four
      genes. In contrast, ascidians have a single gluA gene. Taking advantage of the
      simple genomic GluA organization in ascidians, we knocked down (KD) GluAs in
      Ciona and observed severe impairments in formation of the ocellus, a
      photoreceptive organ used during the swimming stage, and in resorption of the
      tail and body axis rotation during metamorphosis to the adult stage. These
      defects could be rescued by injection of KD-resistant GluAs. GluA KD phenotypes
      could also be reproduced by expressing a GluA mutant that dominantly inhibits
      glutamate-evoked currents. These results suggest that, in addition to their role
      in synaptic communication in mature animals, GluAs also have critical
      developmental functions.

PMID- 28348229
TI  - Structural basis of mitochondrial dysfunction in response to cytochrome c
      phosphorylation at tyrosine 48.
AB  - Regulation of mitochondrial activity allows cells to adapt to changing conditions
      and to control oxidative stress, and its dysfunction can lead to hypoxia
      dependent pathologies such as ischemia and cancer. Although cytochrome c
      phosphorylation-in particular, at tyrosine 48-is a key modulator of mitochondrial
      signaling, its action and molecular basis remain unknown. Here we mimic
      phosphorylation of cytochrome c by replacing tyrosine 48 with p-carboxy-methyl-l
      phenylalanine (pCMF). The NMR structure of the resulting mutant reveals
      significant conformational shifts and enhanced dynamics around pCMF that could
      explain changes observed in its functionality: The phosphomimetic mutation
      impairs cytochrome c diffusion between respiratory complexes, enhances
      hemeprotein peroxidase and reactive oxygen species scavenging activities, and
      hinders caspase-dependent apoptosis. Our findings provide a framework to further
      investigate the modulation of mitochondrial activity by phosphorylated cytochrome
      c and to develop novel therapeutic approaches based on its prosurvival effects.

PMID- 28348230
TI  - Deficiency of transcription factor RelB perturbs myeloid and DC development by
      hematopoietic-extrinsic mechanisms.
AB  - RelB is an NF-kappaB family transcription factor activated in the noncanonical
      pathway downstream of NF-kappaB-inducing kinase (NIK) and TNF receptor family
      members including lymphotoxin-beta receptor (LTbetaR) and CD40. Early analysis
      suggested that RelB is required for classical dendritic cell (cDC) development
      based on a severe reduction of cDCs in Relb-/- mice associated with profound
      myeloid expansion and perturbations in B and T cells. Subsequent analysis of
      radiation chimeras generated from wild-type and Relb-/- bone marrow showed that
      RelB exerts cell-extrinsic actions on some lineages, but it has remained unclear
      whether the impact of RelB on cDC development is cell-intrinsic or -extrinsic.
      Here, we reevaluated the role of RelB in cDC and myeloid development using a
      series of radiation chimeras. We found that there was no cell-intrinsic
      requirement for RelB for development of most cDC subsets, except for the Notch2-
      and LTbetaR-dependent subset of splenic CD4+ cDC2s. These results identify a
      relatively restricted role of RelB in DC development. Moreover, the myeloid
      expansion in Relb-/- mice resulted from hematopoietic-extrinsic actions of RelB.
      This result suggests that there is an unrecognized but critical role for RelB
      within the nonhematopoietic niche that controls normal myelopoiesis.

PMID- 28348231
TI  - Metabolic evolution and the self-organization of ecosystems.
AB  - Metabolism mediates the flow of matter and energy through the biosphere. We
      examined how metabolic evolution shapes ecosystems by reconstructing it in the
      globally abundant oceanic phytoplankter Prochlorococcus To understand what drove
      observed evolutionary patterns, we interpreted them in the context of its
      population dynamics, growth rate, and light adaptation, and the size and
      macromolecular and elemental composition of cells. This multilevel view suggests
      that, over the course of evolution, there was a steady increase in
      Prochlorococcus' metabolic rate and excretion of organic carbon. We derived a
      mathematical framework that suggests these adaptations lower the minimal
      subsistence nutrient concentration of cells, which results in a drawdown of
      nutrients in oceanic surface waters. This, in turn, increases total ecosystem
      biomass and promotes the coevolution of all cells in the ecosystem. Additional
      reconstructions suggest that Prochlorococcus and the dominant cooccurring
      heterotrophic bacterium SAR11 form a coevolved mutualism that maximizes their
      collective metabolic rate by recycling organic carbon through complementary
      excretion and uptake pathways. Moreover, the metabolic codependencies of
      Prochlorococcus and SAR11 are highly similar to those of chloroplasts and
      mitochondria within plant cells. These observations lead us to propose a general
      theory relating metabolic evolution to the self-amplification and self
      organization of the biosphere. We discuss the implications of this framework for
      the evolution of Earth's biogeochemical cycles and the rise of atmospheric
      oxygen.

PMID- 28348232
TI  - Symplastic communication spatially directs local auxin biosynthesis to maintain
      root stem cell niche in Arabidopsis.
AB  - Stem cells serve as the source of new cells for plant development. A group of
      stem cells form a stem cell niche (SCN) at the root tip and in the center of the
      SCN are slowly dividing cells called the quiescent center (QC). QC is thought to
      function as a signaling hub that inhibits differentiation of surrounding stem
      cells. Although it has been generally assumed that cell-to-cell communication
      provides positional information for QC and SCN maintenance, the tools for testing
      this hypothesis have long been lacking. Here we exploit a system that effectively
      blocks plasmodesmata (PD)-mediated signaling to explore how cell-to-cell
      communication functions in the SCN. We showed that the symplastic signaling
      between the QC and adjacent cells directs the formation of local auxin maxima and
      establishment of AP2-domain transcription factors, PLETHORA gradients.
      Interestingly we found symplastic signaling is essential for local auxin
      biosynthesis, which acts together with auxin polar transport to provide the
      guidance for local auxin enrichment. Therefore, we demonstrate the crucial role
      of cell-to-cell communication in the SCN maintenance and further uncover a
      mechanism by which symplastic signaling initiates and reinforces the positional
      information during stem cell maintenance via auxin regulation.

PMID- 28348233
TI  - Complement modulation in the retinal pigment epithelium rescues photoreceptor
      degeneration in a mouse model of Stargardt disease.
AB  - Recessive Stargardt macular degeneration (STGD1) is caused by mutations in the
      gene for the ABCA4 transporter in photoreceptor outer segments. STGD1 patients
      and Abca4-/- (STGD1) mice exhibit buildup of bisretinoid-containing lipofuscin
      pigments in the retinal pigment epithelium (RPE), increased oxidative stress,
      augmented complement activation and slow degeneration of photoreceptors. A
      reduction in complement negative regulatory proteins (CRPs), possibly owing to
      bisretinoid accumulation, may be responsible for the increased complement
      activation seen on the RPE of STGD1 mice. CRPs prevent attack on host cells by
      the complement system, and complement receptor 1-like protein y (CRRY) is an
      important CRP in mice. Here we attempted to rescue the phenotype in STGD1 mice by
      increasing expression of CRRY in the RPE using a gene therapy approach. We
      injected recombinant adeno-associated virus containing the CRRY coding sequence
      (AAV-CRRY) into the subretinal space of 4-wk-old Abca4-/- mice. This resulted in
      sustained, several-fold increased expression of CRRY in the RPE, which
      significantly reduced the complement factors C3/C3b in the RPE. Unexpectedly, AAV
      CRRY-treated STGD1 mice also showed reduced accumulation of bisretinoids compared
      with sham-injected STGD1 control mice. Furthermore, we observed slower
      photoreceptor degeneration and increased visual chromophore in 1-y-old AAV-CRRY
      treated STGD1 mice. Rescue of the STGD1 phenotype by AAV-CRRY gene therapy
      suggests that complement attack on the RPE is an important etiologic factor in
      STGD1. Modulation of the complement system by locally increasing CRP expression
      using targeted gene therapy represents a potential treatment strategy for STGD1
      and other retinopathies associated with complement dysregulation.

PMID- 28348234
TI  - KETCH1 imports HYL1 to nucleus for miRNA biogenesis in Arabidopsis.
AB  - MicroRNA (miRNA) is processed from primary transcripts with hairpin structures
      (pri-miRNAs) by microprocessors in the nucleus. How cytoplasmic-borne
      microprocessor components are transported into the nucleus to fulfill their
      functions remains poorly understood. Here, we report KETCH1 (karyopherin enabling
      the transport of the cytoplasmic HYL1) as a partner of hyponastic leaves 1 (HYL1)
      protein, a core component of microprocessor in Arabidopsis and functional
      counterpart of DGCR8/Pasha in animals. Null mutation of ketch1 is embryonic
      lethal, whereas knockdown mutation of ketch1 caused morphological defects,
      reminiscent of mutants in the miRNA pathway. ketch1 knockdown mutation also
      substantially reduced miRNA accumulation, but did not alter nuclear-cytoplasmic
      shuttling of miRNAs. Rather, the mutation significantly reduced nuclear portion
      of HYL1 protein and correspondingly compromised the pri-miRNA processing in the
      nucleus. We propose that KETCH1 transports HYL1 from the cytoplasm to the nucleus
      to constitute functional microprocessor in Arabidopsis This study provides
      insight into the largely unknown nuclear-cytoplasmic trafficking process of miRNA
      biogenesis components through eukaryotes.

PMID- 28348235
TI  - Live imaging of root-bacteria interactions in a microfluidics setup.
AB  - Plant roots play a dominant role in shaping the rhizosphere, the environment in
      which interaction with diverse microorganisms occurs. Tracking the dynamics of
      root-microbe interactions at high spatial resolution is currently limited because
      of methodological intricacy. Here, we describe a microfluidics-based approach
      enabling direct imaging of root-bacteria interactions in real time. The
      microfluidic device, which we termed tracking root interactions system (TRIS),
      consists of nine independent chambers that can be monitored in parallel. The
      principal assay reported here monitors behavior of fluorescently labeled Bacillus
      subtilis as it colonizes the root of Arabidopsis thaliana within the TRIS device.
      Our results show a distinct chemotactic behavior of B. subtilis toward a
      particular root segment, which we identify as the root elongation zone, followed
      by rapid colonization of that same segment over the first 6 h of root-bacteria
      interaction. Using dual inoculation experiments, we further show active exclusion
      of Escherichia coli cells from the root surface after B. subtilis colonization,
      suggesting a possible protection mechanism against root pathogens. Furthermore,
      we assembled a double-channel TRIS device that allows simultaneous tracking of
      two root systems in one chamber and performed real-time monitoring of bacterial
      preference between WT and mutant root genotypes. Thus, the TRIS microfluidics
      device provides unique insights into the microscale microbial ecology of the
      complex root microenvironment and is, therefore, likely to enhance the current
      rate of discoveries in this momentous field of research.

PMID- 28348237
TI  - Correction for Tang et al., High-throughput screening of rare metabolically
      active tumor cells in pleural effusion and peripheral blood of lung cancer
      patients.

PMID- 28348236
TI  - Optical visualization and quantification of enzyme activity using dynamic droplet
      lenses.
AB  - In this paper, we describe an approach to measuring enzyme activity based on the
      reconfiguration of complex emulsions. Changes in the morphology of these complex
      emulsions, driven by enzyme-responsive surfactants, modulate the transmission of
      light through a sample. Through this method we demonstrate how simple
      photodetector measurements may be used to monitor enzyme kinetics. This approach
      is validated by quantitative measurements of enzyme activity for three different
      classes of enzymes (amylase, lipase, and sulfatase), relying on two distinct
      mechanisms for coupling droplet morphology to enzyme activity (host-guest
      interactions with uncaging and molecular cleavage).

PMID- 28348238
TI  - Evolving polycentric governance of the Great Barrier Reef.
AB  - A growing field of sustainability science examines how environments are
      transformed through polycentric governance. However, many studies are only
      snapshot analyses of the initial design or the emergent structure of polycentric
      regimes. There is less systematic analysis of the longitudinal robustness of
      polycentric regimes. The problem of robustness is approached by focusing not only
      on the structure of a regime but also on its context and effectiveness. These
      dimensions are examined through a longitudinal analysis of the Great Barrier Reef
      (GBR) governance regime, drawing on in-depth interviews and demographic,
      economic, and employment data, as well as organizational records and participant
      observation. Between 1975 and 2011, the GBR regime evolved into a robust
      polycentric structure as evident in an established set of multiactor, multilevel
      arrangements addressing marine, terrestrial, and global threats. However, from
      2005 onward, multiscale drivers precipitated at least 10 types of regime change,
      ranging from contextual change that encouraged regime drift to deliberate changes
      that threatened regime conversion. More recently, regime realignment also has
      occurred in response to steering by international organizations and shocks such
      as the 2016 mass coral-bleaching event. The results show that structural density
      and stability in a governance regime can coexist with major changes in that
      regime's context and effectiveness. Clear analysis of the vulnerability of
      polycentric governance to both diminishing effectiveness and the masking effects
      of increasing complexity provides sustainability science and governance actors
      with a stronger basis to understand and respond to regime change.

PMID- 28348239
TI  - Why the US science and engineering workforce is aging rapidly.
AB  - The science and engineering workforce has aged rapidly in recent years, both in
      absolute terms and relative to the workforce as a whole. This is a potential
      concern if the large number of older scientists crowds out younger scientists,
      making it difficult for them to establish independent careers. In addition,
      scientists are believed to be most creative earlier in their careers, so the
      aging of the workforce may slow the pace of scientific progress. We develop and
      simulate a demographic model, which shows that a substantial majority of recent
      aging is a result of the aging of the large baby boom cohort of scientists.
      However, changes in behavior have also played a significant role, in particular,
      a decline in the retirement rate of older scientists, induced in part by the
      elimination of mandatory retirement in universities in 1994. Furthermore, the age
      distribution of the scientific workforce is still adjusting. Current retirement
      rates and other determinants of employment in science imply a steady-state mean
      age 2.3 y higher than the 2008 level of 48.6.

PMID- 28348240
TI  - Endothelial transcription factor KLF2 negatively regulates liver regeneration via
      induction of activin A.
AB  - Endothelial cells (ECs) not only are important for oxygen delivery but also act
      as a paracrine source for signals that determine the balance between tissue
      regeneration and fibrosis. Here we show that genetic inactivation of flow-induced
      transcription factor Kruppel-like factor 2 (KLF2) in ECs results in reduced liver
      damage and augmentation of hepatocyte proliferation after chronic liver injury by
      treatment with carbon tetrachloride (CCl4). Serum levels of GLDH3 and ALT were
      significantly reduced in CCl4-treated EC-specific KLF2-deficient mice. In
      contrast, transgenic overexpression of KLF2 in liver sinusoidal ECs reduced
      hepatocyte proliferation. KLF2 induced activin A expression and secretion from
      endothelial cells in vitro and in vivo, which inhibited hepatocyte proliferation.
      However, loss or gain of KLF2 expression did not change capillary density and
      liver fibrosis, but significantly affected hepatocyte proliferation. Taken
      together, the data demonstrate that KLF2 induces an antiproliferative secretome,
      including activin A, which attenuates liver regeneration.

PMID- 28348241
TI  - Structure of the MeCP2-TBLR1 complex reveals a molecular basis for Rett syndrome
      and related disorders.
AB  - Rett syndrome (RTT) is an X-linked neurological disorder caused by mutations in
      the methyl-CpG-binding protein 2 (MeCP2) gene. The majority of RTT missense
      mutations disrupt the interaction of the MeCP2 with DNA or the nuclear receptor
      corepressor (NCoR)/silencing mediator of retinoic acid and thyroid receptors
      (SMRT) corepressor complex. Here, we show that the "NCoR/SMRT interaction domain"
      (NID) of MeCP2 directly contacts transducin beta-like 1 (TBL1) and TBL1 related
      (TBLR1), two paralogs that are core components of NCoR/SMRT. We determine the
      cocrystal structure of the MeCP2 NID in complex with the WD40 domain of TBLR1 and
      confirm by in vitro and ex vivo assays that mutation of interacting residues of
      TBLR1 and TBL1 disrupts binding to MeCP2. Strikingly, the four MeCP2-NID residues
      mutated in RTT are those residues that make the most extensive contacts with
      TBLR1. Moreover, missense mutations in the gene for TBLR1 that are associated
      with intellectual disability also prevent MeCP2 binding. Our study therefore
      reveals the molecular basis of an interaction that is crucial for optimal brain
      function.

PMID- 28348244
TI  - Opinion: Let's march to stress the value of science for the public good, not to
      engage in partisan politics.

PMID- 28348243
TI  - Frequency and potential dependence of reversible electrocatalytic hydrogen
      interconversion by [FeFe]-hydrogenases.
AB  - The kinetics of hydrogen oxidation and evolution by [FeFe]-hydrogenases have been
      investigated by electrochemical impedance spectroscopy-resolving factors that
      determine the exceptional activity of these enzymes, and introducing an unusual
      and powerful way of analyzing their catalytic electron transport properties.
      Attached to an electrode, hydrogenases display reversible electrocatalytic
      behavior close to the 2H+/H2 potential, making them paradigms for efficiency: the
      electrocatalytic "exchange" rate (measured around zero driving force) is
      therefore an unusual parameter with theoretical and practical significance.
      Experiments were carried out on two [FeFe]-hydrogenases, CrHydA1 from the green
      alga Chlamydomonas reinhardtii, which contains only the active-site "H cluster,"
      and CpI from the fermentative anaerobe Clostridium pasteurianum, which contains
      four low-potential FeS clusters that serve as an electron relay in addition to
      the H cluster. Data analysis yields catalytic exchange rates (at the formal
      2H+/H2 potential, at 0  degrees C) of 157 electrons (78 molecules H2) per second
      for CpI and 25 electrons (12 molecules H2) per second for CrHydA1. The
      experiments show how the potential dependence of catalytic electron flow
      comprises frequency-dependent and frequency-independent terms that reflect the
      proficiencies of the catalytic site and the electron transfer pathway in each
      enzyme. The results highlight the "wire-like" behavior of the Fe-S electron relay
      in CpI and a low reorganization energy for electron transfer on/off the H
      cluster.

PMID- 28348242
TI  - Structures of closed and open states of a voltage-gated sodium channel.
AB  - Bacterial voltage-gated sodium channels (BacNavs) serve as models of their
      vertebrate counterparts. BacNavs contain conserved voltage-sensing and pore
      forming domains, but they are homotetramers of four identical subunits, rather
      than pseudotetramers of four homologous domains. Here, we present structures of
      two NaVAb mutants that capture tightly closed and open states at a resolution of
      2.8-3.2 A. Introduction of two humanizing mutations in the S6 segment (NaVAb/FY:
      T206F and V213Y) generates a persistently closed form of the activation gate in
      which the intracellular ends of the four S6 segments are drawn tightly together
      to block ion permeation completely. This construct also revealed the complete
      structure of the four-helix bundle that forms the C-terminal domain. In contrast,
      truncation of the C-terminal 40 residues in NavAb/1-226 captures the activation
      gate in an open conformation, revealing the open state of a BacNav with intact
      voltage sensors. Comparing these structures illustrates the full range of motion
      of the activation gate, from closed with its orifice fully occluded to open with
      an orifice of ~10 A. Molecular dynamics and free-energy simulations confirm
      designation of NaVAb/1-226 as an open state that allows permeation of hydrated
      Na+, and these results also support a hydrophobic gating mechanism for control of
      ion permeation. These two structures allow completion of a closed-open
      inactivated conformational cycle in a single voltage-gated sodium channel and
      give insight into the structural basis for state-dependent binding of sodium
      channel-blocking drugs.

PMID- 28348245
TI  - Alpha-1 antitrypsin dysfunction and large artery stroke.

PMID- 28348248
TI  - Imaging morphogenesis.
AB  - The hostile environment of the microscope stage poses numerous challenges to
      successful imaging of morphogenesis in live tissues. This review aims to
      highlight some of the main practical considerations to take into account when
      embarking on a project to image cell behaviour in the context of cells' normal
      surroundings. Scrutiny of these activities is likely to be the most informative
      approach to understanding mechanical morphogenesis but is often confounded by the
      substantial technical difficulties involved in imaging samples over extended
      periods of time. Repeated observation of cells in live tissue requires that
      strategies be adopted to prioritize the stability of the sample, ensuring that it
      remains viable and develops normally while being held in a manner accessible to
      microscopic examination. Key considerations when creating reliable protocols for
      time-lapse imaging may be broken down into three main criteria; labelling,
      mounting and image acquisition. Choices and compromises made here, however, will
      directly influence image quality, and even small refinements can substantially
      improve what information may be extracted from images. Live imaging of tissue is
      difficult but paying close attention to the basics along with a little innovation
      is likely to be well rewarded.This article is part of the themed issue 'Systems
      morphodynamics: understanding the development of tissue hardware'.

PMID- 28348247
TI  - Entropy redistribution controls allostery in a metalloregulatory protein.
AB  - Allosteric communication between two ligand-binding sites in a protein is a
      central aspect of biological regulation that remains mechanistically unclear.
      Here we show that perturbations in equilibrium picosecond-nanosecond motions
      impact zinc (Zn)-induced allosteric inhibition of DNA binding by the Zn efflux
      repressor CzrA (chromosomal zinc-regulated repressor). DNA binding leads to an
      unanticipated increase in methyl side-chain flexibility and thus stabilizes the
      complex entropically; Zn binding redistributes these motions, inhibiting
      formation of the DNA complex by restricting coupled fast motions and concerted
      slower motions. Allosterically impaired CzrA mutants are characterized by
      distinct nonnative fast internal dynamics "fingerprints" upon Zn binding, and DNA
      binding is weakly regulated. We demonstrate the predictive power of the wild-type
      dynamics fingerprint to identify key residues in dynamics-driven allostery. We
      propose that driving forces arising from dynamics can be harnessed by nature to
      evolve new allosteric ligand specificities in a compact molecular scaffold.

PMID- 28348246
TI  - Mechanism of transcription initiation and promoter escape by E. coli RNA
      polymerase.
AB  - To investigate roles of the discriminator and open complex (OC) lifetime in
      transcription initiation by Escherichia coli RNA polymerase (RNAP;
      alpha2betabeta'omegasigma70), we compare productive and abortive initiation
      rates, short RNA distributions, and OC lifetime for the lambdaPR and T7A1
      promoters and variants with exchanged discriminators, all with the same
      transcribed region. The discriminator determines the OC lifetime of these
      promoters. Permanganate reactivity of thymines reveals that strand backbones in
      open regions of long-lived lambdaPR-discriminator OCs are much more tightly held
      than for shorter-lived T7A1-discriminator OCs. Initiation from these OCs exhibits
      two kinetic phases and at least two subpopulations of ternary complexes. Long RNA
      synthesis (constrained to be single round) occurs only in the initial phase (<10
      s), at similar rates for all promoters. Less than half of OCs synthesize a full
      length RNA; the majority stall after synthesizing a short RNA. Most abortive
      cycling occurs in the slower phase (>10 s), when stalled complexes release their
      short RNA and make another without escaping. In both kinetic phases, significant
      amounts of 8-nt and 10-nt transcripts are produced by longer-lived, lambdaPR
      discriminator OCs, whereas no RNA longer than 7 nt is produced by shorter-lived
      T7A1-discriminator OCs. These observations and the lack of abortive RNA in
      initiation from short-lived ribosomal promoter OCs are well described by a
      quantitative model in which ~1.0 kcal/mol of scrunching free energy is generated
      per translocation step of RNA synthesis to overcome OC stability and drive
      escape. The different length-distributions of abortive RNAs released from OCs
      with different lifetimes likely play regulatory roles.

PMID- 28348249
TI  - Deciphering tissue morphodynamics using bioimage informatics.
AB  - In recent years developmental biology has greatly benefited from the latest
      advances in fluorescence microscopy techniques. Consequently, quantitative and
      automated analysis of this data is becoming a vital first step in the quest for
      novel insights into the various aspects of development. Here we present an
      introductory overview of the various image analysis methods proposed for
      developmental biology images, with particular attention to openly available
      software packages. These tools, as well as others to come, are rapidly paving the
      way towards standardized and reproducible bioimaging studies at the whole-tissue
      level. Reflecting on these achievements, we discuss the remaining challenges and
      the future endeavours lying ahead in the post-image analysis era.This article is
      part of the themed issue 'Systems morphodynamics: understanding the development
      of tissue hardware'.

PMID- 28348250
TI  - Taking the strain: quantifying the contributions of all cell behaviours to
      changes in epithelial shape.
AB  - Computer-assisted tracking of the shapes of many cells over long periods of
      development has driven the exploration of novel ways to quantify the
      contributions of different cell behaviours to morphogenesis. A handful of similar
      methods have now been published that are used to calculate tissue deformations
      (strain rates) in epithelia. These methods are further used to quantify strain
      rates attributable to each of the cell behaviours in the tissue, such as cell
      shape change, cell rearrangement and cell division, that together sum to the
      tissue strain rates. In this review, aimed at developmental biologists, I will
      introduce the general approach, characterize differences in current approaches
      and highlight extensions of these methods that remain to be fully explored. The
      methods will make a major contribution to the emerging field of tissue mechanics.
      Precisely quantified strain rates are an essential first step towards exploring
      constitutive equations relating stress to strain via tissue mechanical
      properties.This article is part of the themed issue 'Systems morphodynamics:
      understanding the development of tissue hardware'.

PMID- 28348251
TI  - Complex structures from patterned cell sheets.
AB  - The formation of three-dimensional structures from patterned epithelial sheets
      plays a key role in tissue morphogenesis. An important class of morphogenetic
      mechanisms relies on the spatio-temporal control of apical cell contractility,
      which can result in the localized bending of cell sheets and in-plane cell
      rearrangements. We have recently proposed a modified vertex model that can be
      used to systematically explore the connection between the two-dimensional
      patterns of cell properties and the emerging three-dimensional structures. Here
      we review the proposed modelling framework and illustrate it through the
      computational analysis of the vertex model that captures the salient features of
      the formation of the dorsal appendages during Drosophila oogenesis.This article
      is part of the themed issue 'Systems morphodynamics: understanding the
      development of tissue hardware'.

PMID- 28348252
TI  - Mechanical design in embryos: mechanical signalling, robustness and developmental
      defects.
AB  - Embryos are shaped by the precise application of force against the resistant
      structures of multicellular tissues. Forces may be generated, guided and resisted
      by cells, extracellular matrix, interstitial fluids, and how they are organized
      and bound within the tissue's architecture. In this review, we summarize our
      current thoughts on the multiple roles of mechanics in direct shaping, mechanical
      signalling and robustness of development. Genetic programmes of development
      interact with environmental cues to direct the composition of the early embryo
      and endow cells with active force production. Biophysical advances now provide
      experimental tools to measure mechanical resistance and collective forces during
      morphogenesis and are allowing integration of this field with studies of
      signalling and patterning during development. We focus this review on concepts
      that highlight this integration, and how the unique contributions of mechanical
      cues and gradients might be tested side by side with conventional signalling
      systems. We conclude with speculation on the integration of large-scale
      programmes of development, and how mechanical responses may ensure robust
      development and serve as constraints on programmes of tissue self-assembly.This
      article is part of the themed issue 'Systems morphodynamics: understanding the
      development of tissue hardware'.

PMID- 28348253
TI  - Mechanocellular models of epithelial morphogenesis.
AB  - Embryonic epithelia achieve complex morphogenetic movements, including in-plane
      reshaping, bending and folding, through the coordinated action and rearrangement
      of individual cells. Technical advances in molecular and live-imaging studies of
      epithelial dynamics provide a very real opportunity to understand how cell-level
      processes facilitate these large-scale tissue rearrangements. However, the large
      datasets that we are now able to generate require careful interpretation. In
      combination with experimental approaches, computational modelling allows us to
      challenge and refine our current understanding of epithelial morphogenesis and to
      explore experimentally intractable questions. To this end, a variety of cell
      based modelling approaches have been developed to describe cell-cell mechanical
      interactions, ranging from vertex and 'finite-element' models that approximate
      each cell geometrically by a polygon representing the cell's membrane, to
      immersed boundary and subcellular element models that allow for more arbitrary
      cell shapes. Here, we review how these models have been used to provide insights
      into epithelial morphogenesis and describe how such models could help future
      efforts to decipher the forces and mechanical and biochemical feedbacks that
      guide cell and tissue-level behaviour. In addition, we discuss current challenges
      associated with using computational models of morphogenetic processes in a
      quantitative and predictive way.This article is part of the themed issue 'Systems
      morphodynamics: understanding the development of tissue hardware'.

PMID- 28348254
TI  - Vertex models: from cell mechanics to tissue morphogenesis.
AB  - Tissue morphogenesis requires the collective, coordinated motion and deformation
      of a large number of cells. Vertex model simulations for tissue mechanics have
      been developed to bridge the scales between force generation at the cellular
      level and tissue deformation and flows. We review here various formulations of
      vertex models that have been proposed for describing tissues in two and three
      dimensions. We discuss a generic formulation using a virtual work differential,
      and we review applications of vertex models to biological morphogenetic
      processes. We also highlight recent efforts to obtain continuum theories of
      tissue mechanics, which are effective, coarse-grained descriptions of vertex
      models.This article is part of the themed issue 'Systems morphodynamics:
      understanding the development of tissue hardware'.

PMID- 28348255
TI  - The temporal basis of angiogenesis.
AB  - The process of new blood vessel growth (angiogenesis) is highly dynamic,
      involving complex coordination of multiple cell types. Though the process must
      carefully unfold over time to generate functional, well-adapted branching
      networks, we seldom hear about the time-based properties of angiogenesis, despite
      timing being central to other areas of biology. Here, we present a novel, time
      based formulation of endothelial cell behaviour during angiogenesis and discuss a
      flurry of our recent, integrated in silico/in vivo studies, put in context to the
      wider literature, which demonstrate that tissue conditions can locally adapt the
      timing of collective cell behaviours/decisions to grow different vascular network
      architectures. A growing array of seemingly unrelated 'temporal regulators' have
      recently been uncovered, including tissue derived factors (e.g. semaphorins or
      the high levels of VEGF found in cancer) and cellular processes (e.g. asymmetric
      cell division or filopodia extension) that act to alter the speed of cellular
      decisions to migrate. We will argue that 'temporal adaptation' provides a novel
      account of organ/disease-specific vascular morphology and reveals 'timing' as a
      new target for therapeutics. We therefore propose and explain a conceptual shift
      towards a 'temporal adaptation' perspective in vascular biology, and indeed other
      areas of biology where timing remains elusive.This article is part of the themed
      issue 'Systems morphodynamics: understanding the development of tissue hardware'.

PMID- 28348256
TI  - Cellular systems for epithelial invagination.
AB  - Epithelial invagination is a fundamental module of morphogenesis that iteratively
      occurs to generate the architecture of many parts of a developing organism. By
      changing the physical properties such as the shape and/or position of a
      population of cells, invagination drives processes ranging from reconfiguring the
      entire body axis during gastrulation, to forming the primordia of the eyes, ears
      and multiple ducts and glands, during organogenesis. The epithelial bending
      required for invagination is achieved through a variety of mechanisms involving
      systems of cells. Here we provide an overview of the different mechanisms, some
      of which can work in combination, and outline the circumstances in which they
      apply.This article is part of the themed issue 'Systems morphodynamics:
      understanding the development of tissue hardware'.

PMID- 28348258
TI  - Flower development: from morphodynamics to morphomechanics.
AB  - The shoot apical meristem (SAM) is a small population of stem cells that
      continuously generates organs and tissues. We will discuss here flower formation
      at the SAM, which involves a complex network of regulatory genes and signalling
      molecules. A major downstream target of this network is the extracellular matrix
      or cell wall, which is a local determinant for both growth rates and growth
      directions. We will discuss here a number of recent studies aimed at analysing
      the link between cell wall structure and molecular regulation. This has involved
      multidisciplinary approaches including quantitative imaging, molecular genetics,
      computational biology and biophysics. A scenario emerges where molecular networks
      impact on both cell wall anisotropy and synthesis, thus causing the rapid
      outgrowth of organs at specific locations. More specifically, this involves two
      interdependent processes: the activation of wall remodelling enzymes and changes
      in microtubule dynamics.This article is part of the themed issue 'Systems
      morphodynamics: understanding the development of tissue hardware'.

PMID- 28348259
TI  - Inferring cellular forces from image stacks.
AB  - Although the importance of cellular forces to a wide range of embryogenesis and
      disease processes is widely recognized, measuring these forces is challenging,
      especially in three dimensions. Here, we introduce CellFIT-3D, a force inference
      technique that allows tension maps for three-dimensional cellular systems to be
      estimated from image stacks. Like its predecessors, video force microscopy and
      CellFIT, this cell mechanics technique assumes boundary-specific interfacial
      tensions to be the primary drivers, and it constructs force-balance equations
      based on triple junction (TJ) dihedral angles. The technique involves image
      processing, segmenting of cells, grouping of cell outlines, calculation of
      dihedral planes, averaging along three-dimensional TJs, and matrix equation
      assembly and solution. The equations tend to be strongly overdetermined, allowing
      indistinct TJs to be ignored and solution error estimates to be determined.
      Application to clean and noisy synthetic data generated using Surface Evolver
      gave tension errors of 1.6-7%, and analyses of eight-cell murine embryos gave
      estimated errors smaller than the 10% uncertainty of companion aspiration
      experiments. Other possible areas of application include morphogenesis, cancer
      metastasis and tissue engineering.This article is part of the themed issue
      'Systems morphodynamics: understanding the development of tissue hardware'.

PMID- 28348260
TI  - Systems morphodynamics: understanding the development of tissue hardware.
AB  - Systems morphodynamics describes a multi-level analysis of mechanical
      morphogenesis that draws on new microscopy and computational technologies and
      embraces a systems biology-informed scope. We present a selection of articles
      that illustrate and explain this rapidly progressing field.This article is part
      of the themed issue 'Systems morphodynamics: understanding the development of
      tissue hardware'.

PMID- 28348261
TI  - Fungal malignant otitis externa.
AB  - An 89-year-old man presented to the outpatient clinic with a 2-month history of
      persistent unilateral left-sided otalgia, otorrhoea and reduced hearing despite
      oral and topical antibiotics. Treatment was protracted, requiring a 4-month
      hospital admission for intravenous antifungal medication as well as 3 further
      months of oral antifungal treatment. We describe the clinical presentation,
      complications and treatment of this potentially fatal condition in the context of
      an unusual, and easily missed, causative organism.

PMID- 28348262
TI  - Rare progression of cholangiocarcinoma: distal femoral metastasis.
AB  - Cholangiocarcinoma (CCA) is a rare cancer of the bile duct epithelial cells, with
      metastases to long bones rarely reported. We present the case of a woman aged 61
      years, diagnosed with CCA 6 years previously. She presented with right thigh
      discomfort, rapidly progressing to immobility with severe pain. Radiological
      investigations revealed a lytic lesion in her right distal femur, most likely a
      metastatic deposit, at high risk of pathological fracture. This was managed with
      an en bloc resection and implantation of a distal femoral replacement. Pathology
      specimens from theatre confirmed metastatic CCA. Despite sustaining a subsequent
      fractured neck of femur on the operative side, she recovered well from surgery,
      with minimal pain and improved mobility on discharge. She restarted palliative
      chemotherapy. This case illustrates the option of definitive major surgery for
      the management of metastatic bone disease. As in this case, this can lead to
      improved symptom control and quality of remaining life.

PMID- 28348257
TI  - Building branched tissue structures: from single cell guidance to coordinated
      construction.
AB  - Branched networks are ubiquitous throughout nature, particularly found in tissues
      that require large surface area within a restricted volume. Many tissues with a
      branched architecture, such as the vasculature, kidney, mammary gland, lung and
      nervous system, function to exchange fluids, gases and information throughout the
      body of an organism. The generation of branched tissues requires regulation of
      branch site specification, initiation and elongation. Branching events often
      require the coordination of many cells to build a tissue network for material
      exchange. Recent evidence has emerged suggesting that cell cooperativity scales
      with the number of cells actively contributing to branching events. Here, we
      compare mechanisms that regulate branching, focusing on how cell cohorts behave
      in a coordinated manner to build branched tissues.This article is part of the
      themed issue 'Systems morphodynamics: understanding the development of tissue
      hardware'.

PMID- 28348263
TI  - Pure motor axonal neuropathy triggered by antituberculous therapy in an
      undiagnosed case of acute intermittent porphyria.
AB  - A man aged 22 years misdiagnosed as suffering from recurrent abdominal
      tuberculosis, in view of recurrent abdominal pain was treated for abdominal
      tuberculosis in the past. The patient was prescribed antituberculous therapy. 2
      months after starting treatment, he developed progressive weakness of all 4
      limbs. Electrodiagnostic examination revealed an acute severe motor axonal
      neuropathy. Further workup revealed elevated porphyrin precursors in urine.

PMID- 28348264
TI  - Unusual metallic penile foreign body.

PMID- 28348265
TI  - Group G Streptococcus dysgalactiae subspecies equisimilis, the clinical
      significance of a rare infection: endocarditis, polyarteritis, septic bursitis
      and pneumonia with complicated parapneumonic effusion.

PMID- 28348266
TI  - It's not what it looks like: atypical rash in cryoglobulinaemic vasculitis.
AB  - A 48-year-old man with a history of intravenous drug use and chronic, untreated
      hepatitis C presented to the emergency room with acute bilateral lower extremity
      swelling, erythema and maculopapular rash. Serum C4 levels were low, but
      dermatology felt the rash was due to venous stasis dermatitis. The patient was
      discharged with compression stockings, but returned to the hospital 5 days later
      with no improvement in his symptoms. A more extensive laboratory workup revealed
      hepatitis C viral load of 4 million, elevated serum cryoglobulins, and skin
      biopsy showing leucocytoclastic vasculitis. He was treated with oral prednisone,
      with complete resolution of his symptoms after 2 weeks. He was scheduled for
      follow-up in gastroenterology clinic for treatment of his hepatitis C for
      definitive cure of his mixed cryoglobulinaemia, but failed to get insurance
      authorisation to begin treatment with Harvoni. He presented to the hospital 4
      months later with diffuse alveolar haemorrhage.

PMID- 28348267
TI  - Unilateral optic disc swelling associated with idiopathic hypertrophic
      pachymeningitis: a rare cause for a rare clinical finding.

PMID- 28348268
TI  - Cutting Edge: Class II-like Structural Features and Strong Receptor Binding of
      the Nonclassical HLA-G2 Isoform Homodimer.
AB  - HLA-G is a natural tolerogenic molecule and has the following unique features:
      seven isoforms (HLA-G1 to HLA-G7), formation of disulfide-linked homodimers, and
      beta2-microglobulin (beta2m)-free forms. Interestingly, individuals null for the
      major isoform, HLA-G1, are healthy and expressed the alpha2 domain-deleted
      isoform, HLA-G2, which presumably compensates for HLA-G1 function. However, the
      molecular characteristics of HLA-G2 are largely unknown. In this study, we
      unexpectedly found that HLA-G2 naturally forms a beta2m-free and nondisulfide
      linked homodimer, which is in contrast to the disulfide-bonded beta2m-associated
      HLA-G1 homodimer. Furthermore, single-particle analysis, using electron
      microscopy, revealed that the overall structure and domain organization of the
      HLA-G2 homodimer resemble those of the HLA class II heterodimer. The HLA-G2
      homodimer binds to leukocyte Ig-like receptor B2 with slow dissociation and a
      significant avidity effect. These findings provide novel insights into leukocyte
      Ig-like receptor B2-mediated immune regulation by the HLA-G2 isoform, as well as
      the gene evolution of HLA classes.

PMID- 28348270
TI  - Characterization of the B Cell Receptor Repertoire in the Intestinal Mucosa and
      of Tumor-Infiltrating Lymphocytes in Colorectal Adenoma and Carcinoma.
AB  - The B cells inhabited in mucosa play a vital role in mediating homeostasis with
      autoantigens and external Ags. Tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes are potential
      prognostic markers and therapeutic agents for cancer. However, the spatial
      heterogeneity of the B cell repertoire in intestinal mucosa and the tumor
      infiltrating lymphocytes in colorectal cancer (CRC) remain poorly understood. In
      this study, we developed an unbiased method to amplify the IgH repertoire, as
      well as a bioinformatic pipeline to process these high-throughput sequencing
      data. With biopsies from seven intestinal mucosal segments, we uncovered their
      strong spatial homogeneity among the large intestine, where the clone overlap
      rate was up to 62.21%. The heterogeneity between terminal ileum and large
      intestine was also observed, including discrepant isotype distribution and low
      clone overlap rate. With tumor and adjacent normal mucosal tissues from CRC and
      colorectal advanced adenoma (AD) patients, we observed a similar IgH profile
      between tumor and adjacent normal mucosal tissues in AD, as well as a slight
      difference in CRC. Interestingly, we found distinct repertoire properties in the
      CRC tumor from AD and normal mucosa. Finally, we identified 1445 public clones
      for the normal mucosa, and 22 public clones for the CRC tumor with characteristic
      features. These data may be of potential use in clinical prognosis, diagnosis,
      and treatment of CRC.

PMID- 28348271
TI  - Identification of Novel STAT6-Regulated Proteins in Mouse B Cells by Comparative
      Transcriptome and Proteome Analysis.
AB  - The transcription factor STAT6 plays a key role in mediating signaling downstream
      of the receptors for IL-4 and IL-13. In B cells, STAT6 is required for class
      switch recombination to IgE and for germinal center formation during type 2
      immune responses directed against allergens or helminths. In this study, we
      compared the transcriptomes and proteomes of primary mouse B cells from wild-type
      and STAT6-deficient mice cultured for 4 d in the presence or absence of IL-4.
      Microarray analysis revealed that 214 mRNAs were upregulated and 149 were
      downregulated >3-fold by IL-4 in a STAT6-dependent manner. Across all samples,
      ~5000 proteins were identified by label-free quantitative liquid
      chromatography/mass spectrometry. A total of 149 proteins was found to be
      differentially expressed >3-fold between IL-4-stimulated wild-type and STAT6-/- B
      cells (75 upregulated and 74 downregulated). Comparative analysis of the proteome
      and transcriptome revealed that expression of these proteins was mainly regulated
      at the transcriptional level, which argues against a major role for
      posttranscriptional mechanisms that modulate the STAT6-dependent proteome. Nine
      proteins were selected for confirmation by flow cytometry or Western blot. We
      show that CD30, CD79b, SLP-76, DEC205, IL-5Ralpha, STAT5, and Thy1 are induced by
      IL-4 in a STAT6-dependent manner. In contrast, Syk and Fc receptor-like 1 were
      downregulated. This dataset provides a framework for further functional analysis
      of newly identified IL-4-regulated proteins in B cells that may contribute to
      germinal center formation and IgE switching in type 2 immunity.

PMID- 28348269
TI  - Bonobos Maintain Immune System Diversity with Three Functional Types of MHC-B.
AB  - Fast-evolving MHC class I polymorphism serves to diversify NK cell and CD8 T cell
      responses in individuals, families, and populations. Because only chimpanzee and
      bonobo have strict orthologs of all HLA class I, their study gives unique
      perspectives on the human condition. We defined polymorphism of Papa-B, the
      bonobo ortholog of HLA-B, for six wild bonobo populations. Sequences for Papa-B
      exon 2 and 3 were determined from the genomic DNA in 255 fecal samples, minimally
      representing 110 individuals. Twenty-two Papa-B alleles were defined, each
      encoding a different Papa-B protein. No Papa-B is identical to any chimpanzee
      Patr-B, human HLA-B, or gorilla Gogo-B. Phylogenetic analysis identified a clade
      of MHC-B, defined by residues 45-74 of the alpha1 domain, which is broadly
      conserved among bonobo, chimpanzee, and gorilla. Bonobo populations have 3-14
      Papa-B allotypes. Three Papa-B are in all populations, and they are each of a
      different functional type: allotypes having the Bw4 epitope recognized by killer
      cell Ig-like receptors of NK cells, allotypes having the C1 epitope also
      recognized by killer cell Ig-like receptors, and allotypes having neither
      epitope. For population Malebo, these three Papa-B are the only Papa-B allotypes.
      Although small in number, their sequence divergence is such that the nucleotide
      diversity (mean proportional distance) of Papa-B in Malebo is greater than in the
      other populations and is also greater than expected for random combinations of
      three Papa-B Overall, Papa-B has substantially less diversity than Patr-B in
      chimpanzee subspecies and HLA-B in indigenous human populations, consistent with
      bonobo having experienced narrower population bottlenecks.

PMID- 28348272
TI  - Cutting Edge: beta-Catenin-Interacting Tcf1 Isoforms Are Essential for Thymocyte
      Survival but Dispensable for Thymic Maturation Transitions.
AB  - T cell factor 1 (Tcf1) is essential for T cell development; however, it remains
      controversial whether beta-catenin, a known coactivator of Tcf1, has a role. Tcf1
      is expressed in multiple isoforms in T lineage cells, with the long isoforms
      interacting with beta-catenin through an N-terminal domain. In this study, we
      specifically ablated Tcf1 long isoforms in mice (p45-/-mice) to abrogate beta
      catenin interaction. Although thymic cellularity was diminished in p45-/- mice,
      transition of thymocytes through the maturation stages was unaffected, with no
      overt signs of developmental blocks. p45-/- thymocytes showed increased apoptosis
      and alterations in transcriptome, but these changes were substantially more
      modest than in thymocytes lacking all Tcf1 isoforms. These data indicate that
      Tcf1-beta-catenin interaction is necessary for promoting thymocyte survival to
      maintain thymic output. Rather than being dominant-negative regulators, Tcf1
      short isoforms are adequate in supporting developing thymocytes to traverse
      through maturation steps and in regulating the expression of most Tcf1 target
      genes.

PMID- 28348273
TI  - Cutting Edge: Loss of T Cell RIAM Precludes Conjugate Formation with APC and
      Prevents Immune-Mediated Diabetes.
AB  - Rap1-interacting adaptor molecule (RIAM) is a Rap1 effector that mediates the
      recruitment of talin to integrins, thereby supporting their activation. In this
      study, we investigated the role of RIAM in an adoptive transfer model for type I
      diabetes and report that RIAM expression in T cells is necessary for diabetes
      development. Loss of RIAM did not prevent lymphocyte recruitment to draining
      lymph nodes 24 h after transfer, but it was required for Ag-driven proliferation
      and cytotoxic killing. RIAM is recruited to immune synapses along with talin and
      LFA-1, and loss of RIAM profoundly suppresses Ag-dependent conjugate formation in
      primary naive and effector T cells. These data identify the requirement of RIAM
      for formation of immunological synapses and in resulting T cell functions in
      autoimmunity. Moreover, because RIAM-null mice are healthy, fertile, and display
      no bleeding abnormalities, our results identify RIAM and its regulators as
      potential targets for therapies of T cell-mediated autoimmunity.

PMID- 28348275
TI  - Strontium-doped calcium silicate bioceramic with enhanced in vitro osteogenic
      properties.
AB  - Gehlenite (GLN, Ca2SiAl2O7) is a bioceramic that has been recently shown to
      possess excellent mechanical strength and in vitro osteogenic properties for bone
      regeneration. Substitutional incorporation of strontium in place of calcium is an
      effective way to further enhance biological properties of calcium-based
      bioceramics and glasses. However, such strategy has the potential to affect other
      important physicochemical parameters such as strength and degradation due to
      differences in the ionic radius of strontium and calcium. This study is the first
      to investigate the effect of a range of concentrations of strontium substitution
      of calcium at 1, 2, 5, 10 mol% (S1-GLN, S2-GLN, S5-GLN and S10-GLN) on the
      physicochemical and biological properties of GLN. We showed that up to 2 mol%
      strontium ion substitution retains the monophasic GLN structure when sintered at
      1450  degrees C, whereas higher concentrations resulted in presence of calcium
      silicate impurities. Increased strontium incorporation resulted in changes in
      grain morphology and reduced densification when the ceramics were sintered at
      1450  degrees C. Porous GLN, S1-GLN and S2-GLN scaffolds (~80% porosity) showed
      compressive strengths of 2.05 +/- 0.46 MPa, 1.76 +/- 0.79 MPa and 1.57 +/- 0.52
      MPa respectively. S1-GLN and S2-GLN immersed in simulated body fluid showed
      increased strontium ion release but reduced calcium and silicon ion release
      compared to GLN without affecting overall weight loss and pH over a 21 d period.
      The bioactivity of the S2-GLN ceramics was significantly improved as reflected in
      the significant upregulation of HOB proliferation and differentiation compared to
      GLN. Overall, these results suggest that increased incorporation of strontium
      presents a trade-off between bioactivity and mechanical strength for GLN
      bioceramics. This is an important consideration in the development of strontium
      doped bioceramics.

PMID- 28348276
TI  - Another Journal on Nanomaterials?
AB  - It is my great pleasure to welcome you to Nanomaterials, a new open access
      journal, which is dedicated to the fabrication, characterization,
      functionalization, modeling and application of nanomaterials. In answer to the
      title question, I would like to (mis)quote one of my favourite pieces of
      literature: I "[We] hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men ... are
      endowed ... with certain unalienable rights, that among these are ..." free
      access to information and education. The prime goal of Nanomaterials is to
      publish first-class, original research articles under an open access policy with
      minimal fees for the authors. The quality of the published articles will be
      assured by a fast yet rigorous peer-review process. [...].

PMID- 28348274
TI  - Low Antigen Dose in Adjuvant-Based Vaccination Selectively Induces CD4 T Cells
      with Enhanced Functional Avidity and Protective Efficacy.
AB  - T cells with high functional avidity can sense and respond to low levels of
      cognate Ag, a characteristic that is associated with more potent responses
      against tumors and many infections, including HIV. Although an important
      determinant of T cell efficacy, it has proven difficult to selectively induce T
      cells of high functional avidity through vaccination. Attempts to induce high
      avidity T cells by low-dose in vivo vaccination failed because this strategy
      simply gave no response. Instead, selective induction of high-avidity T cells has
      required in vitro culturing of specific T cells with low Ag concentrations. In
      this study, we combined low vaccine Ag doses with a novel potent cationic
      liposomal adjuvant, cationic adjuvant formulation 09, consisting of
      dimethyldioctadecylammonium liposomes incorporating two immunomodulators
      (monomycolyl glycerol analog and polyinosinic-polycytidylic acid) that
      efficiently induces CD4 Th cells, as well as cross-primes CD8 CTL responses. We
      show that vaccination with low Ag dose selectively primes CD4 T cells of higher
      functional avidity, whereas CD8 T cell functional avidity was unrelated to
      vaccine dose in mice. Importantly, CD4 T cells of higher functional avidity
      induced by low-dose vaccinations showed higher cytokine release per cell and
      lower inhibitory receptor expression (PD-1, CTLA-4, and the apoptosis-inducing
      Fas death receptor) compared with their lower-avidity CD4 counterparts. Notably,
      increased functional CD4 T cell avidity improved antiviral efficacy of CD8 T
      cells. These data suggest that potent adjuvants, such as cationic adjuvant
      formulation 09, render low-dose vaccination a feasible and promising approach for
      generating high-avidity T cells through vaccination.

PMID- 28348277
TI  - Films, Buckypapers and Fibers from Clay, Chitosan and Carbon Nanotubes.
AB  - The mechanical and electrical characteristics of films, buckypapers and fiber
      materials from combinations of clay, carbon nanotubes (CNTs) and chitosan are
      described. The rheological time-dependent characteristics of clay are maintained
      in clay-carbon nanotube-chitosan composite dispersions. It is demonstrated that
      the addition of chitosan improves their mechanical characteristics, but decreases
      electrical conductivity by three-orders of magnitude compared to clay-CNT
      materials. We show that the electrical response upon exposure to humid atmosphere
      is influenced by clay-chitosan interactions, i.e., the resistance of clay-CNT
      materials decreases, whereas that of clay-CNT-chitosan increases.

PMID- 28348278
TI  - Metallic Nanoparticle Block Copoloymer Vesicles with Enhanced Optical Properties.
AB  - The fabrication and characterization of template silver nanoshell structures and
      the encapsulation of gold nanoparticles using biocompatible poly(oxyethylene)
      poly(butylene) diblock co-polymer vesicles is described in this work. These
      vesicles have a narrow diameter size distribution around 200 nm. Silver
      nanoparticles (O = 1-10 nm) functionalized with decanethiol were successfully
      entrapped in the hydrophobic membrane and non-functionalized gold nanoparticles
      (O = 3.0-5.5 nm) were encapsulated in the vesicle core. Transmission Electron
      Microscopy confirms the localisation of the particles; silver functionalized
      nanoparticles appear to thicken the vesicle membrane as shown with TEM image
      analysis. The enhancement of the optical properties is confirmed using
      transmission spectrophotometry; the 430 nm plasmon resonance peak of the silver
      nanoparticles was replaced by a broader extinction spectrum to beyond 700 nm
      (O.D. = 0.8). For a number density of 4.8 x 1012 mL-1 the scattering cross
      section was calculated to be 0.92 x 10-4 MUm2 with a scattering coefficient of
      0.44 mm-1. The measurements indicate scattering cross section of 3.8 x 10-5 MUm2,
      attenuation coefficient of 0.18 mm-1 and extinction efficiency equal to 1.2 x 10
      3. Stable and biocompatible block co-polymer vesicles can potentially be used as
      plasmon-resonant optical contrast agents for biomedical applications.

PMID- 28348281
TI  - Quantum Dot Sensitized Photoelectrodes.
AB  - Quantum Dots (QDs) are promising alternatives to organic dyes as sensitisers for
      photocatalytic electrodes. This review article provides an overview of the
      current state of the art in this area. More specifically, different types of QDs
      with a special focus on heavy-metal free QDs and the methods for preparation and
      adsorption onto metal oxide electrodes (especially titania and zinc oxide) are
      discussed. Eventually, the key areas of necessary improvements are identified and
      assessed.

PMID- 28348280
TI  - Fabrication of Size-Tunable Metallic Nanoparticles Using Plasmid DNA as a
      Biomolecular Reactor.
AB  - Plasmid DNA can be used as a template to yield gold, palladium, silver, and
      chromium nanoparticles of different sizes based on variations in incubation time
      at 70  degrees C with gold phosphine complexes, with the acetates of silver or
      palladium, or chromium acetylacetonate. The employment of mild synthetic
      conditions, minimal procedural steps, and aqueous solvents makes this method
      environmentally greener and ensures general feasibility. The use of plasmids
      exploits the capabilities of the biotechnology industry as a source of
      nanoreactor materials.

PMID- 28348282
TI  - Composite Electrolyte Membranes from Partially Fluorinated Polymer and
      Hyperbranched, Sulfonated Polysulfone.
AB  - Macromolecular modification of poly(vinylidene fluoride-co-hexafluoropropylene)
      (PVDF) was done with various proportions of sulfonic acid terminated,
      hyperbranched polysulfone (HPSU) with a view to prepare ion conducting membranes.
      The PVDF-co-HFP was first chemically modified by dehydrofluorination and
      chlorosulfonation in order to make the membrane more hydrophilic as well as to
      introduce unsaturation, which would allow crosslinking of the PVDF-co-HFP matrix
      to improve the stability of the membrane. The modified samples were characterized
      for ion exchange capacity, morphology, and performance. The HPSU modified S-PVDF
      membrane shows good stability and ionic conductivity of 5.1 mS cm-1 at 80 
      degrees C and 100% RH for blends containing 20% HPSU, which is higher than the
      literature values for equivalent blend membranes using Nafion. SEM analysis of
      the blend membranes containing 15% or more HPSU shows the presence of spherical
      domains with a size range of 300-800 nm within the membranes, which are believed
      to be the HPSU-rich area.

PMID- 28348279
TI  - Functionalized Gold Nanoparticles and Their Biomedical Applications.
AB  - Metal nanoparticles are being extensively used in various biomedical applications
      due to their small size to volume ratio and extensive thermal stability. Gold
      nanoparticles (GNPs) are an obvious choice due to their amenability of synthesis
      and functionalization, less toxicity and ease of detection. The present review
      focuses on various methods of functionalization of GNPs and their applications in
      biomedical research. Functionalization facilitates targeted delivery of these
      nanoparticles to various cell types, bioimaging, gene delivery, drug delivery and
      other therapeutic and diagnostic applications. This review is an amalgamation of
      recent advances in the field of functionalization of gold nanoparticles and their
      potential applications in the field of medicine and biology.

PMID- 28348284
TI  - Effect of Low-Frequency AC Magnetic Susceptibility and Magnetic Properties of
      CoFeB/MgO/CoFeB Magnetic Tunnel Junctions.
AB  - In this investigation, the low-frequency alternate-current (AC) magnetic
      susceptibility (chiac) and hysteresis loop of various MgO thickness in
      CoFeB/MgO/CoFeB magnetic tunneling junction (MTJ) determined coercivity (Hc) and
      magnetization (Ms) and correlated that with chiac maxima. The multilayer films
      were sputtered onto glass substrates and the thickness of intermediate barrier
      MgO layer was varied from 6 to 15 A. An experiment was also performed to examine
      the variation of the highest chiac and maximum phase angle (thetamax) at the
      optimal resonance frequency (fres), at which the spin sensitivity is maximal. The
      results reveal that chiac falls as the frequency increases due to the
      relationship between magnetization and thickness of the barrier layer. The
      maximum chiac is at 10 Hz that is related to the maximal spin sensitivity and
      that this corresponds to a MgO layer of 11 A. This result also suggests that the
      spin sensitivity is related to both highest chiac and maximum phase angle. The
      corresponding maximum of chiac is related to high exchange coupling. High
      coercivity and saturation magnetization contribute to high exchange-coupling
      chiac strength.

PMID- 28348283
TI  - Multiple Exciton Generation in Colloidal Nanocrystals.
AB  - In a conventional solar cell, the energy of an absorbed photon in excess of the
      band gap is rapidly lost as heat, and this is one of the main reasons that the
      theoretical efficiency is limited to ~33%. However, an alternative process,
      multiple exciton generation (MEG), can occur in colloidal quantum dots. Here,
      some or all of the excess energy is instead used to promote one or more
      additional electrons to the conduction band, potentially increasing the
      photocurrent of a solar cell and thereby its output efficiency. This review will
      describe the development of this field over the decade since the first
      experimental demonstration of multiple exciton generation, including the
      controversies over experimental artefacts, comparison with similar effects in
      bulk materials, and the underlying mechanisms. We will also describe the current
      state-of-the-art and outline promising directions for further development.

PMID- 28348285
TI  - Enhanced Upconversion Luminescence in Yb3+/Tm3+-Codoped Fluoride Active
      Core/Active Shell/Inert Shell Nanoparticles through Directed Energy Migration.
AB  - The luminescence efficiency of lanthanide-doped upconversion nanoparticles is of
      particular importance for their embodiment in biophotonic and photonic
      applications. Here, we show that the upconversion luminescence of typically used
      NaYF4:Yb3+30%/Tm3+0.5% nanoparticles can be enhanced by ~240 times through a
      hierarchical active core/active shell/inert shell
      (NaYF4:Yb3+30%/Tm3+0.5%)/NaYbF4/NaYF4 design, which involves the use of directed
      energy migration in the second active shell layer. The resulting active
      core/active shell/inert shell nanoparticles are determined to be about 11 times
      brighter than that of well-investigated (NaYF4:Yb3+30%/Tm3+0.5%)/NaYF4 active
      core/inert shell nanoparticles when excited at ~980 nm. The strategy for enhanced
      upconversion in Yb3+/Tm3+-codoped NaYF4 nanoparticles through directed energy
      migration might have implications for other types of lanthanide-doped
      upconversion nanoparticles.

PMID- 28348286
TI  - One-Pot Solvothermal Synthesis of Highly Emissive, Sodium-Codoped, LaF3 and
      BaLaF5 Core-Shell Upconverting Nanocrystals.
AB  - We report a one-pot solvothermal synthesis of sub-10 nm, dominant ultraviolet
      (UV) emissive upconverting nanocrystals (UCNCs), based on sodium-codoped LaF3 and
      BaLaF5 (0.5%Tm; 20%Yb) and their corresponding core@shell derivatives. Elemental
      analysis shows a Na-codopant in these crystal systems of ~20% the total cation
      content; X-ray diffraction (XRD) data indicate a shift in unit cell dimensions
      consistent with these small codopant ions. Similarly, X-ray photoelectron
      spectroscopic (XPS) analysis reveals primarily substitution of Na+ for La3+ ions
      (97% of total Na+ codopant) in the crystal system, and interstitial Na+ (3% of
      detected Na+) and La3+ (3% of detected La3+) present in (Na)LaF3 and only direct
      substitution of Na+ for Ba2+ in Ba(Na)LaF5. In each case, XPS analysis of La 3d
      lines show a decrease in binding energy (0.08-0.25 eV) indicating a reduction in
      local crystal field symmetry surrounding rare earth (R.E.3+) ions, permitting
      otherwise disallowed R.E. UC transitions to be enhanced. Studies that examine the
      impact of laser excitation power upon luminescence intensity were conducted over
      2.5-100 W/cm2 range to elucidate UC mechanisms that populate dominant UV emitting
      states. Low power saturation of Tm3+ 3F3 and 3H4 states was observed and noted as
      a key initial condition for effective population of the 1D2 and 1I6 UV emitting
      states, via Tm-Tm cross-relaxation.

PMID- 28348287
TI  - Numerical Modeling of Sub-Wavelength Anti-Reflective Structures for Solar Module
      Applications.
AB  - This paper reviews the current progress in mathematical modeling of anti
      reflective subwavelength structures. Methods covered include effective medium
      theory (EMT), finite-difference time-domain (FDTD), transfer matrix method (TMM),
      the Fourier modal method (FMM)/rigorous coupled-wave analysis (RCWA) and the
      finite element method (FEM). Time-based solutions to Maxwell's equations, such as
      FDTD, have the benefits of calculating reflectance for multiple wavelengths of
      light per simulation, but are computationally intensive. Space-discretized
      methods such as FDTD and FEM output field strength results over the whole
      geometry and are capable of modeling arbitrary shapes. Frequency-based solutions
      such as RCWA/FMM and FEM model one wavelength per simulation and are thus able to
      handle dispersion for regular geometries. Analytical approaches such as TMM are
      appropriate for very simple thin films. Initial disadvantages such as neglect of
      dispersion (FDTD), inaccuracy in TM polarization (RCWA), inability to model
      aperiodic gratings (RCWA), and inaccuracy with metallic materials (FDTD) have
      been overcome by most modern software. All rigorous numerical methods have
      accurately predicted the broadband reflection of ideal, graded-index anti
      reflective subwavelength structures; ideal structures are tapered nanostructures
      with periods smaller than the wavelengths of light of interest and lengths that
      are at least a large portion of the wavelengths considered.

PMID- 28348290
TI  - Percolation Diffusion into Self-Assembled Mesoporous Silica Microfibres.
AB  - Percolation diffusion into long (11.5 cm) self-assembled, ordered mesoporous
      microfibres is studied using optical transmission and laser ablation inductive
      coupled mass spectrometry (LA-ICP-MS). Optical transmission based diffusion
      studies reveal rapid penetration (<5 s, D > 80 MUm2?s-1) of Rhodamine B with very
      little percolation of larger molecules such as zinc tetraphenylporphyrin (ZnTPP)
      observed under similar loading conditions. The failure of ZnTPP to enter the
      microfibre was confirmed, in higher resolution, using LA-ICP-MS. In the latter
      case, LA-ICP-MS was used to determine the diffusion of zinc acetate dihydrate,
      D~3 * 10-4 nm2?s-1. The large differences between the molecules are accounted for
      by proposing ordered solvent and structure assisted accelerated diffusion of the
      Rhodamine B based on its hydrophilicity relative to the zinc compounds. The
      broader implications and applications for filtration, molecular sieves and a
      range of devices and uses are described.

PMID- 28348288
TI  - Recent Advance of Biological Molecular Imaging Based on Lanthanide-Doped
      Upconversion-Luminescent Nanomaterials.
AB  - Lanthanide-doped upconversion-luminescent nanoparticles (UCNPs), which can be
      excited by near-infrared (NIR) laser irradiation to emit multiplex light, have
      been proven to be very useful for in vitro and in vivo molecular imaging studies.
      In comparison with the conventionally used down-conversion fluorescence imaging
      strategies, the NIR light excited luminescence of UCNPs displays high
      photostability, low cytotoxicity, little background auto-fluorescence, which
      allows for deep tissue penetration, making them attractive as contrast agents for
      biomedical imaging applications. In this review, we will mainly focus on the
      latest development of a new type of lanthanide-doped UCNP material and its main
      applications for in vitro and in vivo molecular imaging and we will also discuss
      the challenges and future perspectives.

PMID- 28348291
TI  - Magnetite Nanoparticles Induce Genotoxicity in the Lungs of Mice via Inflammatory
      Response.
AB  - Nanomaterials are useful for their characteristic properties and are commonly
      used in various fields. Nanosized-magnetite (MGT) is widely utilized in medicinal
      and industrial fields, whereas their toxicological properties are not well
      documented. A safety assessment is thus urgently required for MGT, and
      genotoxicity is one of the most serious concerns. In the present study, we
      examined genotoxic effects of MGT using mice and revealed that DNA damage
      analyzed by a comet assay in the lungs of imprinting control region (ICR) mice
      intratracheally instilled with a single dose of 0.05 or 0.2 mg/animal of MGT was
      approximately two- to three-fold higher than that of vehicle-control animals.
      Furthermore, in gpt delta transgenic mice, gpt mutant frequency (MF) in the lungs
      of the group exposed to four consecutive doses of 0.2 mg MGT was significantly
      higher than in the control group. Mutation spectrum analysis showed that base
      substitutions were predominantly induced by MGT, among which G:C to A:T
      transition and G:C to T:A transversion were the most significant. To clarify the
      mechanism of mutation caused by MGT, we analyzed the formation of DNA adducts in
      the lungs of mice exposed to MGT. DNA was extracted from lungs of mice 3, 24, 72
      and 168 h after intratracheal instillation of 0.2 mg/body of MGT, and digested
      enzymatically. 8-Oxo-7,8-dihydro-2'-deoxyguanosine (8-oxodG) and lipid peroxide
      related DNA adducts were quantified by stable isotope dilution liquid
      chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS). Compared with vehicle control, these
      DNA adduct levels were significantly increased in the MGT-treated mice. In
      addition to oxidative stress- and inflammation related-DNA adduct formations,
      inflammatory cell infiltration and focal granulomatous formations were also
      observed in the lungs of MGT-treated mice. Based on these findings, it is
      suggested that inflammatory responses are probably involved in the genotoxicity
      induced by MGT in the lungs of mice.

PMID- 28348292
TI  - Mesoporous Silica Nanoparticles with Co-Condensed Gadolinium Chelates for
      Multimodal Imaging.
AB  - Several mesoporous silica nanoparticle (MSN) contrast agents have been
      synthesized using a co-condensation method to incorporate two different Gd3+
      complexes at very high loadings (15.5-28.8 wt %). These MSN contrast agents, with
      an MCM-41 type pore structure, were characterized using a variety of methods
      including SEM and TEM, nitrogen adsorption measurements, thermogravimetric
      analysis (TGA), direct current plasma (DCP) spectroscopy, and powder X-ray
      diffraction (PXRD). The magnetic resonance (MR) relaxivities of these contrast
      agents were determined using a 3 T MR scanner. The r1 relaxivities of these
      nanoparticles range from 4.1 to 8.4 mM-1s-1 on a per Gd basis. Additionally, the
      MSN particles were functionalized with an organic fluorophore and cancer cell
      targeting peptide to allow for demonstration of both the optical and MR contrast
      enhancing capabilities in vitro.

PMID- 28348293
TI  - Accurate Size and Size-Distribution Determination of Polystyrene Latex
      Nanoparticles in Aqueous Medium Using Dynamic Light Scattering and Asymmetrical
      Flow Field Flow Fractionation with Multi-Angle Light Scattering.
AB  - Accurate determination of the intensity-average diameter of polystyrene latex (PS
      latex) by dynamic light scattering (DLS) was carried out through extrapolation of
      both the concentration of PS-latex and the observed scattering angle. Intensity
      average diameter and size distribution were reliably determined by asymmetric
      flow field flow fractionation (AFFFF) using multi-angle light scattering (MALS)
      with consideration of band broadening in AFFFF separation. The intensity-average
      diameter determined by DLS and AFFFF-MALS agreed well within the estimated
      uncertainties, although the size distribution of PS-latex determined by DLS was
      less reliable in comparison with that determined by AFFFF-MALS.

PMID- 28348294
TI  - Study of Alginate-Supported Ionic Liquid and Pd Catalysts.
AB  - New catalytic materials, based on palladium immobilized in ionic liquid supported
      on alginate, were elaborated. Alginate was associated with gelatin for the
      immobilization of ionic liquids (ILs) and the binding of palladium. These
      catalytic materials were designed in the form of highly porous monoliths (HPMs),
      in order to be used in a column reactor. The catalytic materials were tested for
      the hydrogenation of 4-nitroaniline (4-NA) in the presence of formic acid as
      hydrogen donor. The different parameters for the elaboration of the catalytic
      materials were studied and their impact analyzed in terms of microstructures,
      palladium sorption properties and catalytic performances. The characteristics of
      the biopolymer (proportion of beta-D-mannuronic acid (M) and alpha-L-guluronic
      acid (G) in the biopolymer defined by the M/G ratio), the concentration of the
      porogen agent, and the type of coagulating agent significantly influenced
      catalytic performances. The freezing temperature had a significant impact on
      structural properties, but hardly affected the catalytic rate. Cellulose fibers
      were incorporated as mechanical strengthener into the catalytic materials, and
      allowed to enhance mechanical properties and catalytic efficiency but required
      increasing the amount of hydrogen donor for catalysis.

PMID- 28348295
TI  - Synthesis and Size Dependent Reflectance Study of Water Soluble SnS
      Nanoparticles.
AB  - Near-monodispersed water soluble SnS nanoparticles in the diameter range of 3-6
      nm are synthesized by a facile, solution based one-step approach using
      ethanolamine ligands. The optimal amount of triethanolamine is investigated. The
      effect of further heat treatment on the size of these SnS nanoparticles is
      discussed. Diffuse reflectance study of SnS nanoparticles agrees with predictions
      from quantum confinement model.

PMID- 28348296
TI  - Wettability of Y2O3: A Relative Analysis of Thermally Oxidized, Reactively
      Sputtered and Template Assisted Nanostructured Coatings.
AB  - The wettability of reactively sputtered Y2O3, thermally oxidized Y-Y2O3 and Cd
      CdO template assisted Y2O3 coatings has been studied. The wettability of as
      deposited Y2O3 coatings was determined by contact angle measurements. The water
      contact angles for reactively sputtered, thermally oxidized and template assisted
      Y2O3 nanostructured coatings were 99 degrees , 117 degrees  and 155 degrees ,
      respectively. The average surface roughness values of reactively sputtered,
      thermally oxidized and template assisted Y2O3 coatings were determined by using
      atomic force microscopy and the corresponding values were 3, 11 and 180 nm,
      respectively. The low contact angle of the sputter deposited Y2O3 and thermally
      oxidized Y-Y2O3 coatings is attributed to a densely packed nano-grain like
      microstructure without any void space, leading to low surface roughness. A water
      droplet on such surfaces is mostly in contact with a solid surface relative to a
      void space, leading to a hydrophobic surface (low contact angle). Surface
      roughness is a crucial factor for the fabrication of a superhydrophobic surface.
      For Y2O3 coatings, the surface roughness was improved by depositing a thin film
      of Y2O3 on the Cd-CdO template (average roughness = 178 nm), which resulted in a
      contact angle greater than 150 degrees . The work of adhesion of water was very
      high for the reactively sputtered Y2O3 (54 mJ/m2) and thermally oxidized Y-Y2O3
      coatings (43 mJ/m2) compared to the Cd-CdO template assisted Y2O3 coating (7
      mJ/m2).

PMID- 28348297
TI  - A New Method for Characterization of Natural Zeolites and Organic Nanostructure
      Using Atomic Force Microscopy.
AB  - In order to study and develop an economical solution to environmental pollution
      in water, a wide variety of materials have been investigated. Natural zeolites
      emerge from that research as the best in class of this category. Zeolites are
      natural materials which are relatively abundant and non biodegradable, economical
      and serve to perform processes of environmental remediation. This paper contains
      a full description of a new method to characterize the superficial properties of
      natural zeolites of exotic provenience (Caribbean Islets) with atomic force
      microscopy (AFM). AFM works with the simplicity of the optical microscope and the
      high resolution typical of a transmission electron microscope (TEM). If the
      sample is conductive, structural information of mesoporous material is obtained
      using scanning and transmission electron microscopy (SEM and TEM), otherwise the
      sample has to be processed through the grafitation technique, but this procedure
      induces errors of topography. Therefore, the existing AFM method, to observe
      zeolite powders, is made in a liquid cell-head scanner. This work confirms that
      it is possible to use an ambient air-head scanner to obtain a new kind of
      microtopography. Once optimized, this new method will allow investigation of
      organic micelles, a very soft nanostructure of cetyltriammonium bromide (CTAB),
      upon an inorganic surface such as natural zeolites. The data also demonstrated
      some correlation between SEM microphotographies and AFM 3D images.

PMID- 28348299
TI  - From Metal Thiobenzoates to Metal Sulfide Nanocrystals: An Experimental and
      Theoretical Investigation.
AB  - A simple preparation of metal sulfide nanoparticles via the decomposition of
      thiobenzoate precursors at room temperature is presented and discussed. Long
      chain alkylamines were found to mediate the breakdown of metal thiobenzoates,
      such as those containing Ag, Cu, In and Cd, to produce uniform Ag2S, Cu2-xS,
      In2S3 and CdS nanoparticles respectively. The long chain amines are assumed to
      play dual roles as the nucleophilic reagent and the capping agent. It was found
      that sizes of the nanoparticles can be controlled by changing the type of amine
      used, as well as the molar ratio between amine and the precursor. We performed
      DFT calculations on a proposed mechanism involving an initial nucleophilic
      addition of amine molecule onto the thiocarboxylates. The proposed reaction was
      also confirmed through the analysis of by-products via infrared spectroscopy. On
      the basis of this understanding, we propose to manipulate the stability of the
      precursors by coordination with suitable stabilizing groups, such that the
      reaction kinetics can be modified to generate different nanostructures of
      interest.

PMID- 28348298
TI  - Near-Infrared Fluorescent Nanoprobes for in Vivo Optical Imaging.
AB  - Near-infrared (NIR) fluorescent probes offer advantages of high photon
      penetration, reduced light scattering and minimal autofluorescence from living
      tissues, rendering them valuable for noninvasive mapping of molecular events,
      assessment of therapeutic efficacy, and monitoring of disease progression in
      animal models. This review provides an overview of the recent development of the
      design and optical property of the different classes of NIR fluorescent
      nanoprobes associated with in vivo imaging applications.

PMID- 28348300
TI  - Iron Oxide Nanocrystals for Magnetic Hyperthermia Applications.
AB  - Magnetic nanocrystals have been investigated extensively in the past several
      years for several potential applications, such as information technology, MRI
      contrast agents, and for drug conjugation and delivery. A specific property of
      interest in biomedicine is magnetic hyperthermia-an increase in temperature
      resulting from the thermal energy released by magnetic nanocrystals in an
      external alternating magnetic field. Iron oxide nanocrystals of various sizes and
      morphologies were synthesized and tested for specific losses (heating power)
      using frequencies of 111.1 kHz and 629.2 kHz, and corresponding magnetic field
      strengths of 9 and 25 mT. Polymorphous nanocrystals as well as spherical
      nanocrystals and nanowires in paramagnetic to ferromagnetic size range exhibited
      good heating power. A remarkable 30  degrees C temperature increase was observed
      in a nanowire sample at 111 kHz and magnetic field of 25 mT (19.6 kA/m), which is
      very close to the typical values of 100 kHz and 20 mT used in medical treatments.

PMID- 28348301
TI  - Al2O3 Nanoparticle Addition to Commercial Magnesium Alloys: Multiple Beneficial
      Effects.
AB  - The multiple beneficial effects of Al2O3 nanoparticle addition to cast magnesium
      based systems (followed by extrusion) were investigated, constituting either: (a)
      enhanced strength; or (b) simultaneously enhanced strength and ductility of the
      corresponding magnesium alloys. AZ31 and ZK60A nanocomposites containing Al2O3
      nanoparticle reinforcement were each fabricated using solidification processing
      followed by hot extrusion. Compared to monolithic AZ31 (tension levels), the
      corresponding nanocomposite exhibited higher yield strength (0.2% tensile yield
      strength (TYS)), ultimate strength (UTS), failure strain and work of fracture
      (WOF) (+19%, +21%, +113% and +162%, respectively). Compared to monolithic AZ31
      (compression levels), the corresponding nanocomposite exhibited higher yield
      strength (0.2% compressive yield strength (CYS)) and ultimate strength (UCS),
      lower failure strain and higher WOF (+5%, +5%, -4% and +11%, respectively).
      Compared to monolithic ZK60A (tension levels), the corresponding nanocomposite
      exhibited lower 0.2% TYS and higher UTS, failure strain and WOF (-4%, +13%, +170%
      and +200%, respectively). Compared to monolithic ZK60A (compression levels), the
      corresponding nanocomposite exhibited lower 0.2% CYS and higher UCS, failure
      strain and WOF (-10%, +7%, +15% and +26%, respectively). The capability of Al2O3
      nanoparticles to enhance the properties of cast magnesium alloys in a way never
      seen before with micron length scale reinforcements is clearly demonstrated.

PMID- 28348302
TI  - Porous Copolymer Resins: Tuning Pore Structure and Surface Area with Non Reactive
      Porogens.
AB  - In this review, the preparation of porous copolymer resin (PCR) materials via
      suspension polymerization with variable properties are described by tuning the
      polymerization reaction, using solvents which act as porogens, to yield
      microporous, mesoporous, and macroporous materials. The porogenic properties of
      solvents are related to traditional solubility parameters which yield significant
      changes in the surface area, porosity, pore volume, and morphology of the
      polymeric materials. The mutual solubility characteristics of the solvents,
      monomer units, and the polymeric resins contribute to the formation of porous
      materials with tunable pore structures and surface areas. The importance of the
      initiator solubility, surface effects, the temporal variation of solvent
      composition during polymerization, and temperature effects contribute to the
      variable physicochemical properties of the PCR materials. An improved
      understanding of the factors governing the mechanism of formation for PCR
      materials will contribute to the development and design of versatile materials
      with tunable properties for a wide range of technical applications.

PMID- 28348303
TI  - Amino Acid and Peptide Immobilization on Oxidized Nanocellulose: Spectroscopic
      Characterization.
AB  - In this work, oxidized nanocellulose (ONC) was synthesized and chemically coupled
      with amino acids and peptides using a two step coupling method at room
      temperature. First, ONC was activated by N-ethyl-N'-(3-dimethylaminopropyl)
      carbodiimide hydrochloride, forming a stable active ester in the presence of N
      hydroxysuccinimide. Second, the active ester was reacted with the amino group of
      the amino acid or peptide, forming an amide bond between ONC and the grafted
      molecule. Using this method, the intermolecular interaction of amino acids and
      peptides was avoided and uniform coupling of these molecules on ONC was achieved.
      The coupling reaction was very fast in mild conditions and without alteration of
      the polysaccharide. The coupling products (ONC-amino acids and ONC-peptides) were
      characterized by transmission electron microscopy and by the absorption,
      emission, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and X-ray photoelectron
      spectroscopy (XPS) spectroscopic techniques.

PMID- 28348304
TI  - Preparation and Characteristics of SiOx Coated Carbon Nanotubes with High Surface
      Area.
AB  - An easy method to synthesize SiOx coated carbon nanotubes (SiOx-CNT) through
      thermal decomposition of polycarbomethylsilane adsorbed on the surface of CNTs is
      reported. Physical properties of SiOx-CNT samples depending on various Si
      contents and synthesis conditions are examined by X-ray diffraction (XRD), X-ray
      photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), nitrogen isotherm, scanning electron microscope
      (SEM), and transmission electron microscope (TEM). Morphology of the SiOx-CNT
      appears to be perfectly identical to that of the pristine CNT. It is confirmed
      that SiOx is formed in a thin layer of approximately 1 nm thickness over the
      surface of CNTs. The specific surface area is significantly increased by the
      coating, because thin layer of SiOx is highly porous. The surface properties such
      as porosity and thickness of SiOx layers are found to be controlled by SiOx
      contents and heat treatment conditions. The preparation method in this study is
      to provide useful nano-hybrid composite materials with multi-functional surface
      properties.

PMID- 28348306
TI  - Effects of Varied Cleaning Methods on Ni-5% W Substrate for Dip-Coating of Water
      based Buffer Layers: An X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy Study.
AB  - This work describes various combinations of cleaning methods involved in the
      preparation of Ni-5% W substrates for the deposition of buffer layers using water
      based solvents. The substrate has been studied for its surface properties using X
      ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). The contaminants in the substrates have
      been quantified and the appropriate cleaning method was chosen in terms of
      contaminants level and showing good surface crystallinity to further consider
      them for depositing chemical solution-based buffer layers for Y1Ba2Cu3Oy (YBCO)
      coated conductors.

PMID- 28348307
TI  - All-Solid-State Textile Batteries Made from Nano-Emulsion Conducting Polymer Inks
      for Wearable Electronics.
AB  - A rollable and all-solid-state textile lithium battery based on fabric matrix and
      polymer electrolyte that allows flexibility and fast-charging capability is
      reported. When immerged into poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) (PEDOT) nano
      emulsion inks, an insulating fabric is converted into a conductive battery
      electrode for a fully solid state lithium battery with the highest specific
      energy capacity of 68 mAh/g. This is superior to most of the solid-state
      conducting polymer primary and/or secondary batteries reported. The bending
      radius of such a textile battery is less than 1.5 mm while lightening up an LED.
      This new material combination and inherent flexibility is well suited to provide
      an energy source for future wearable and woven electronics.

PMID- 28348309
TI  - Influence of High Shear Dispersion on the Production of Cellulose Nanofibers by
      Ultrasound-Assisted TEMPO-Oxidation of Kraft Pulp.
AB  - Cellulose nanofibers can be produced using a combination of TEMPO, sodium bromide
      (NaBr) and sodium hypochlorite, and mechanical dispersion. Recently, this process
      has been the subject of intensive investigation. However, studies on the aspects
      of mechanical treatment of this process remain marginal. The main objective of
      this study is to evaluate the high shear dispersion parameters (e.g.,
      consistency, stator-rotor gap, recirculation rate and pH) and determine their
      influences on nanocellulose production using ultrasound-assisted TEMPO-oxidation
      of Kraft pulp. All nanofiber gels produced in this study exhibited rheological
      behaviors known as shear thinning. From all the dispersion parameters, the
      following conditions were identified as optimal: 0.042 mm stator-rotor gap, 200
      mL/min recycle rate, dispersion pH of 7 and a feed consistency of 2%. High
      quality cellulose gel could be produced under these conditions. This finding is
      surely of great interest for the pulp and paper industry.

PMID- 28348308
TI  - Assembly of DNA Architectures in a Non-Aqueous Solution.
AB  - In the present work, the procedures for the creation of self-assembled DNA
      nanostructures in aqueous and non-aqueous media are described. DNA-Surfactant
      complex formation renders the DNA soluble in organic solvents offering an
      exciting way to bridge the transition of DNA origami materials electronics
      applications. The DNA retains its structural features, and these unique
      geometries provide an interesting candidate for future electronics and
      nanofabrication applications with potential for new properties. The DNA
      architectures were first assembled under aqueous conditions, and then
      characterized in solution (using circular dichroism (CD) spectroscopy) and on the
      surface (using atomic force microscopy (AFM)). Following aqueous assembly, the
      DNA nanostructures were transitioned to a non-aqueous environment, where butanol
      was chosen for optical compatibility and thermal properties. The retention of DNA
      hierarchical structure and thermal stability in non-aqueous conditions were
      confirmed via CD spectroscopy. The formation and characterization of these higher
      order DNA-surfactant complexes is described in this paper.

PMID- 28348310
TI  - Aqueous Chemical Solution Deposition of Novel, Thick and Dense Lattice-Matched
      Single Buffer Layers Suitable for YBCO Coated Conductors: Preparation and
      Characterization.
AB  - In this work we present the preparation and characterization of cerium doped
      lanthanum zirconate (LCZO) films and non-stoichiometric lanthanum zirconate (LZO)
      buffer layers on metallic Ni-5% W substrates using chemical solution deposition
      (CSD), starting from aqueous precursor solutions. La2Zr2O7 films doped with
      varying percentages of Ce at constant La concentration (La0.5CexZr1-xOy) were
      prepared as well as non-stoichiometric La0.5+xZr0.5-xOy buffer layers with
      different percentages of La and Zr ratios. The variation in the composition of
      these thin films enables the creation of novel buffer layers with tailored
      lattice parameters. This leads to different lattice mismatches with the YBa2Cu3O7
      x (YBCO) superconducting layer on top and with the buffer layers or substrate
      underneath. This possibility of minimized lattice mismatch should allow the use
      of one single buffer layer instead of the current complicated buffer
      architectures such as Ni-(5% W)/LZO/LZO/CeO2. Here, single, crack-free LCZO and
      non-stoichiometric LZO layers with thicknesses of up to 140 nm could be obtained
      in one single CSD step. The crystallinity and microstructure of these layers were
      studied by XRD, and SEM and the effective buffer layer action was studied using
      XPS depth profiling.

PMID- 28348305
TI  - Rafts, Nanoparticles and Neural Disease.
AB  - This review examines the role of membrane rafts in neural disease as a rationale
      for drug targeting utilizing lipid-based nanoparticles. The article begins with
      an overview of methodological issues involving the existence, sizes, and
      lifetimes of rafts, and then examines raft function in the etiologies of three
      major neural diseases-epilepsy, Parkinson's disease, and Alzheimer's disease
      selected as promising candidates for raft-based therapeutics. Raft-targeting drug
      delivery systems involving liposomes and solid lipid nanoparticles are then
      examined in detail.

PMID- 28348311
TI  - Simultaneous Patterning of Independent Metal/Metal Oxide Multi-Layer Films Using
      Two-Tone Photo-Acid Generating Compound Systems.
AB  - (1) The photo-induced solubility and positive-tone direct photo-patterning of
      iron, copper and lanthanides chelated with 4-(2-nitrobenzyloxycarbonyl)catechol
      (NBOC) or 4-(6-nitroveratryloxycarbonyl)catechol (NVOC) was investigated. Photo
      patterning of iron, copper, cerium, samarium, europium, terbium, dysprosium,
      holmium, erbium and lutetium complexes was accomplished. Continuous films were
      formed by the pyrolysis of metal complex films at 500 &deg;C. (2) Based on the
      difference in the photo-reaction excitation wavelength profile of NBOC and NVOC
      complexes, a short and simple method for simultaneous micro-patterning of two
      independent films on each side of a transparent glass substrate was developed.
      Using the developed procedure, indium tin oxide and/or titanium oxide films were
      formed on each side of a quartz substrate without use of resist or etching.

PMID- 28348312
TI  - Improved Dispersion of Carbon Nanotubes in Polymers at High Concentrations.
AB  - The polymer nanocomposite used in this work comprises elastomer
      poly(dimethylsiloxane) (PDMS) as a polymer matrix and multi-walled carbon
      nanotubes (MWCNTs) as a conductive nanofiller. To achieve uniform distribution of
      carbon nanotubes within the polymer, an optimized dispersion process was
      developed, featuring a strong organic solvent-chloroform, which dissolved PDMS
      base polymer easily and allowed high quality dispersion of MWCNTs. At
      concentrations as high as 9 wt.%, MWCNTs were dispersed uniformly through the
      polymer matrix, which presented a major improvement over prior techniques. The
      dispersion procedure was optimized via extended experimentation, which is
      discussed in detail.

PMID- 28348314
TI  - Evaluation of the Mechanism of the Gold Cluster Growth during Heating of the
      Composite Gold-Polytetrafluoroethylene Thin Film.
AB  - Nanocomposite films consisting of gold inclusions in the polytetrafluoroethylene
      (PTFE) matrix were obtained by thermal vacuum deposition. Annealing of the
      obtained films with different temperatures was used to measure varying of film
      morphologies. The dependence of optical properties of the films on their
      morphology was studied. It was established that absorption and profile of the
      nanocomposite film obtained by thermal vacuum deposition can be changed with
      annealing owing to the fact that different annealing temperatures lead to
      different average particle sizes. A method to calculate the optical properties of
      nanocomposite thin films with inclusions of different sizes was proposed. Thus,
      comparison of experimental optical spectra with the spectra obtained during the
      simulation enables estimating average sizes of inclusions. The calculations give
      the possibility of understanding morphological changes in the structures.

PMID- 28348313
TI  - Characterization of Hybrid Epoxy Nanocomposites.
AB  - This study focused on the effect of Multi Wall Carbon Nanotubes (MWCNT) content
      and its surface treatment on thermo-mechanical properties of epoxy
      nanocomposites. MWCNTs were surface treated and incorporated into two epoxy
      systems. MWCNT's surface treatments were based on: (a) Titania coating obtained
      by sol-gel process and (b) a nonionic surfactant. Thermo-mechanical properties
      improvement was obtained following incorporation of treated MWCNT. It was noticed
      that small amounts of titania coated MWCNT (0.05 wt %) led to an increase in the
      glass transition temperature and stiffness. The best performance was achieved
      adding 0.3 wt % titania coated MWCNT where an increase of 10  degrees C in the
      glass transition temperature and 30% in storage modulus were obtained.

PMID- 28348315
TI  - Recent Advances in Nanostructured Thermoelectric Half-Heusler Compounds.
AB  - Half-Heusler (HH) alloys have attracted considerable interest as promising
      thermoelectric (TE) materials in the temperature range around 700 K and above,
      which is close to the temperature range of most industrial waste heat sources.
      The past few years have seen nanostructuing play an important role in
      significantly enhancing the TE performance of several HH alloys. In this article,
      we briefly review the recent progress and advances in these HH nanocomposites. We
      begin by presenting the structure of HH alloys and the different strategies that
      have been utilized for improving the TE properties of HH alloys. Next, we review
      the details of HH nanocomposites as obtained by different techniques. Finally,
      the review closes by highlighting several promising strategies for further
      research directions in these very promising TE materials.

PMID- 28348316
TI  - Maghemite Intercalated Montmorillonite as New Nanofillers for Photopolymers.
AB  - In this work, maghemite intercalated montmorillonite (gammaFe2O3-MMT)/polymer
      nanocomposites loaded with 1 or 2 wt.% of nanofillers were obtained by
      photopolymerization of difunctional acrylate monomers. The gammaFe2O3-MMT
      nanofillers were prepared by a new method based on the in situ formation of
      maghemite in the interlayer space of Fe-MMT using a three step process. X-ray
      diffraction (XRD), chemical analysis, TG/DTA and transmission electron microscopy
      (TEM) characterization of these nanofillers indicated the efficiency of the
      synthesis. When following the kinetics of the photopolymerization of diacrylate
      gammaFe2O3-MMT nanocomposites using FTIR spectroscopy no significant inhibition
      effect of the nanofillers was observed at a loading up to 2 wt.%. These
      innovative nanocomposites exhibit improved mechanical properties compared to the
      crude polymer.

PMID- 28348317
TI  - Spontaneous Deposition of Prussian Blue on Multi-Walled Carbon Nanotubes and the
      Application in an Amperometric Biosensor.
AB  - A simple method has been developed for the spontaneous deposition of Prussian
      blue (PB) particles from a solution containing only ferricyanide ions onto
      conducting substrates such as indium tin oxide glass, glassy carbon disk and
      carbon nanotube (CNT) materials. Formation of PB deposits was confirmed by
      ultraviolet-visible absorption spectrometry and electrochemical techniques. The
      surface morphology of the PB particles deposited on the substrates was examined
      by atomic force microscopy and scanning electron microscopy. CNT/PB composite
      modified glassy carbon electrodes exhibited an electrocatalytic property for
      hydrogen peroxide reduction. These modified electrodes exhibited a high
      sensitivity for electrocatalytic reduction of hydrogen peroxide at -0.05 V (vs.
      Ag|AgCl), probably due to the synergistic effect of CNT with PB. Then, CNT/PB
      modified electrodes were further developed as amperometric glucose biosensors.
      These biosensors offered a linear response to glucose concentration from 0.1 to
      0.9 mM with good selectivity, high sensitivity of 0.102 A M-1 cm-2 and short
      response time (within 2 s) at a negative operation potential of -0.05 V (vs.
      Ag|AgCl). The detection limit was estimated to be 0.01 mM at a signal-to-noise
      ratio of 3.

PMID- 28348318
TI  - Polyhedral Oligomeric Silsesquioxane (POSS)-Containing Polymer Nanocomposites.
AB  - Hybrid materials with superior structural and functional properties can be
      obtained by incorporating nanofillers into polymer matrices. Polyhedral
      oligomeric silsesquioxane (POSS) nanoparticles have attracted much attention
      recently due to their nanometer size, the ease of which these particles can be
      incorporated into polymeric materials and the unique capability to reinforce
      polymers. We review here the state of POSS-containing polymer nanocomposites. We
      discuss the influence of the incorporation of POSS into polymer matrices via
      chemical cross-linking or physical blending on the structure of nanocomposites,
      as affected by surface functional groups, and the POSS concentration.

PMID- 28348319
TI  - Empirical Equation Based Chirality (n, m) Assignment of Semiconducting Single
      Wall Carbon Nanotubes from Resonant Raman Scattering Data.
AB  - This work presents a technique for the chirality (n, m) assignment of
      semiconducting single wall carbon nanotubes by solving a set of empirical
      equations of the tight binding model parameters. The empirical equations of the
      nearest neighbor hopping parameters, relating the term (2n, m) with the first and
      second optical transition energies of the semiconducting single wall carbon
      nanotubes, are also proposed. They provide almost the same level of accuracy for
      lower and higher diameter nanotubes. An algorithm is presented to determine the
      chiral index (n, m) of any unknown semiconducting tube by solving these empirical
      equations using values of radial breathing mode frequency and the first or second
      optical transition energy from resonant Raman spectroscopy. In this paper, the
      chirality of 55 semiconducting nanotubes is assigned using the first and second
      optical transition energies. Unlike the existing methods of chirality assignment,
      this technique does not require graphical comparison or pattern recognition
      between existing experimental and theoretical Kataura plot.

PMID- 28348321
TI  - Hydrothermal Synthesis and Characterization of Ni-Al Montmorillonite-Like
      Phyllosilicates.
AB  - This work describes the first hydrothermal synthesis in fluoride medium of Ni-Al
      montmorillonite-like phyllosilicates, in which the only metallic elements in the
      octahedral sheet are Ni and Al. X-ray diffraction, chemical analysis,
      thermogravimetric and differential thermal analysis, scanning electron microscopy
      and transmission electron microscopy confirm that the synthesized samples are
      montmorillonite-like phyllosilicates having the expected chemical composition.
      The specific surface areas of the samples are relatively large (>100 m2 g-1)
      compared to naturally occurring montmorillonites. 29Si and 27Al nuclear magnetic
      resonance (NMR) indicate substitutions of Al for Si in the tetrahedral sheet. 19F
      NMR and Ni K-edge extended X-ray absorption fine structure (EXAFS) local probes
      highlight a clustering of the metal elements and of the vacancies in the
      octahedral sheet of the samples. These Ni-Al phyllosilicates exhibit a higher
      local order than in previously synthesized Zn-Al phyllosilicates. Unlike natural
      montmorillonites, where the distribution of transition metal cations ensures a
      charge equilibrium allowing a stability of the framework, synthetic
      montmorillonites entail clustering and instability of the lattice when the
      content of divalent element in the octahedral sheet exceeds ca. 20%. Synthesis of
      Ni-Al montmorillonite-like phyllosilicates, was successfully achieved for the
      first time. These new synthetic materials may find potential applications as
      catalysts or as materials with magnetic, optical or staining properties.

PMID- 28348320
TI  - Harnessing Sun's Energy with Quantum Dots Based Next Generation Solar Cell.
AB  - Our energy consumption relies heavily on the three components of fossil fuels
      (oil, natural gas and coal) and nearly 83% of our current energy is consumed from
      those sources. The use of fossil fuels, however, has been viewed as a major
      environmental threat because of their substantial contribution to greenhouse
      gases which are responsible for increasing the global average temperature. Last
      four decades, scientists have been searching for alternative sources of energy
      which need to be environmentally clean, efficient, cost-effective, renewable, and
      sustainable. One of the promising sustainable sources of energy can be achieved
      by harnessing sun energy through silicon wafer, organic polymer, inorganic dye,
      and quantum dots based solar cells. Among them, quantum dots have an exceptional
      property in that they can excite multiple electrons using only one photon. These
      dots can easily be synthesized, processed in solution, and incorporated into
      solar cell application. Interestingly, the quantum dots solar cells can exceed
      the Shockley-Queisser limit; however, it is a great challenge for other solar
      cell materials to exceed the limit. Theoretically, the quantum dots solar cell
      can boost the power conversion efficiency up to 66% and even higher to 80%.
      Moreover, in changing the size of the quantum dots one can utilize the Sun's
      broad spectrum of visible and infrared ranges. This review briefly overviews the
      present performance of different materials-based solar cells including silicon
      wafer, dye-sensitized, and organic solar cells. In addition, recent advances of
      the quantum dots based solar cells which utilize cadmium sulfide/selenide, lead
      sulfide/selenide, and new carbon dots as light harvesting materials has been
      reviewed. A future outlook is sketched as to how one could improve the efficiency
      up to 10% from the current highest efficiency of 6.6%.

PMID- 28348322
TI  - Influence of the Sonication Temperature on the Debundling Kinetics of Carbon
      Nanotubes in Propan-2-ol.
AB  - The effect of sonication temperature on the debundling of carbon nanotube (CNT)
      macro-bundles is reported and demonstrated by analysis with different particle
      sizing methods. The change of bundle size over time and after several
      comparatively gentle sonication cycles of suspensions at various temperatures is
      reported. A novel technique is presented that produces a more homogeneous
      nanotube dispersion by lowering the temperature during sonication. We produce
      evidence that temperature influences the suspension stability, and that low
      temperatures are preferable to obtain better dispersion without increasing damage
      to the CNT walls.

PMID- 28348324
TI  - Assembl y of Poly-3-Hexylthiophene Nano-Crystallites into Low Dimensional
      Structures Using Indandione Derivatives.
AB  - Conductive polymer poly-3-hexylthiophene (P3HT) needles were self-assembled using
      a second component (indandione derivatives) as a linking agent to enhance their
      long range alignment. The morphologies of the hybrid organic/organic materials
      were characterized by transmission electron microscopy (TEM). Both linear and
      branched structures could be produced, with the degree of branching depending
      upon the linker used. Incorporation of indandione derivatives broadened the UV
      absorbance band of P3HT without significant change to its photoluminescence. This
      hybrid material could open a promising avenue in photovoltaic applications due to
      its interesting morphologies and optical properties.

PMID- 28348323
TI  - Investigation of Sub-100 nm Gold Nanoparticles for Laser-Induced Thermotherapy of
      Cancer.
AB  - Specialized gold nanostructures are of interest for the development of
      alternative treatment methods in medicine. Photothermal therapy combined with
      gene therapy that supports hyperthermia is proposed as a novel multimodal
      treatment method for prostate cancer. In this work, photothermal therapy using
      small (<100 nm) gold nanoparticles and near-infrared (NIR) laser irradiation
      combined with gene therapy targeting heat shock protein (HSP) 27 was
      investigated. A series of nanoparticles: nanoshells, nanorods, core-corona
      nanoparticles and hollow nanoshells, were synthesized and examined to compare
      their properties and suitability as photothermal agents. In vitro cellular uptake
      studies of the nanoparticles into prostate cancer cell lines were performed using
      light scattering microscopy to provide three-dimensional (3D) imaging. Small gold
      nanoshells (40 nm) displayed the greatest cellular uptake of the nanoparticles
      studied and were used in photothermal studies. Photothermal treatment of the
      cancer cell lines with laser irradiation at 800 nm at 4 W on a spot size of 4 mm
      (FWHM) for 6 or 10 min resulted in an increase in temperature of ~12  degrees C
      and decrease in cell viability of up to 70%. However, in vitro studies combining
      photothermal therapy with gene therapy targeting HSP27 did not result in
      additional sensitization of the prostate cancer cells to hyperthermia.

PMID- 28348325
TI  - A Novel Fluoride Route for the Synthesis of Aluminosilicate Nanotubes.
AB  - In this work we present a novel method for synthesis of aluminosilicate
      nanotubes: the fluoride route. F-containing imogolite (F-IMO) exhibits an
      improved crystallization rate and improved yield. The structure of F-IMO was
      investigated and compared with F-free imogolite (IMO) by means of X-ray
      diffraction (XRD) and Fourier transformed infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) confirming
      imogolite structure. Solid state nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) analyses show
      an increased crystallization rate for F-IMO and confirm the incorporation of
      fluorine ion in the structure.

PMID- 28348326
TI  - Kinetic and Surface Study of Single-Walled Aluminosilicate Nanotubes and Their
      Precursors.
AB  - The structural and surface changes undergone by the different precursors that are
      produced during the synthesis of imogolite are reported. The surface changes that
      occur during the synthesis of imogolite were determined by electrophoretic
      migration (EM) measurements, which enabled the identification of the time at
      which the critical precursor of the nanoparticles was generated. A critical
      parameter for understanding the evolution of these precursors is the isoelectric
      point (IEP), of which variation revealed that the precursors modify the number of
      active =Al-OH and =Si-OH sites during the formation of imogolite. We also found
      that the IEP is displaced to a higher pH level as a consequence of the surface
      differentiation that occurs during the synthesis. At the same time, we
      established that the pH of the reaction (pHrx) decreases with the evolution and
      condensation of the precursors during aging. Integration of all of the obtained
      results related to the structural and surface properties allows an overall
      understanding of the different processes that occur and the products that are
      formed during the synthesis of imogolite.

PMID- 28348327
TI  - Grafting of Polycaprolactone on Oxidized Nanocelluloses by Click Chemistry.
AB  - The main objective of this work is the grafting of polycaprolactone diol (PCL) on
      the surface of oxidized nanocelluloses (ONC) in order to enhance the
      compatibility between the hydrophilic cellulose nanofibres and the hydrophobic
      polymer matrix. This grafting was successfully realized with a new strategy known
      as click chemistry. In this context, the oxidized nanocelluloses bearing alkyl
      groups (ONC-PR) were prepared by reacting amino groups of propargylamine (PR)
      with carboxyl groups of ONC. In parallel, PCL was converted into azido
      polycaprolactone (PCL-N3) in two steps: (i) tosylation of polycaprolactone (PCL
      OTs) and (ii) conversion of PCL-OTs into PCL-N3 by nucleophilic displacement
      using sodium azide. Finally, ONC-PR was reacted with PCL-N3 in heterogeneous
      conditions through click chemistry in order to prepare polycaprolactone grafted
      oxidized nanocellulose (ONC-g-PCL), which could be suitable for improving the
      interfacial adhesion in the composite materials. The grafted samples were
      characterized by transmission electron microscopy and by Fourier transform
      infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and Carbon
      13 nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy (13C-NMR) spectroscopic techniques.

PMID- 28348328
TI  - Surface Enhanced Raman Scattering (SERS) Studies of Gold and Silver Nanoparticles
      Prepared by Laser Ablation.
AB  - Gold and silver nanoparticles (NPs) were prepared in water, acetonitrile and
      isopropanol by laser ablation methodologies. The average characteristic (longer)
      size of the NPs obtained ranged from 3 to 70 nm. 4-Aminobenzebethiol (4-ABT) was
      chosen as the surface enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) probe molecule to
      determine the optimum irradiation time and the pH of aqueous synthesis of the
      laser ablation-based synthesis of metallic NPs. The synthesized NPs were used to
      evaluate their capacity as substrates for developing more analytical applications
      based on SERS measurements. A highly energetic material, TNT, was used as the
      target compound in the SERS experiments. The Raman spectra were measured with a
      Raman microspectrometer. The results demonstrate that gold and silver NP
      substrates fabricated by the methods developed show promising results for SERS
      based studies and could lead to the development of micro sensors.

PMID- 28348329
TI  - Liquid-State and Solid-State Properties of Nanotube/Polypropylene Nanocomposites
      Elaborated via a Simple Procedure.
AB  - Non-modified Multiwalled Carbon Nanotubes (MWCNT) and polypropylene (PP) in
      absence of compatibilizer have been chosen to elaborate MWCNT/PP nanocomposites
      using a simple melt-mixing dispersing method. Calorimetry results indicate little
      effect of MWCNTs on crystallinity of PP, revealing not much interaction between
      nanotubes and PP chains, which is compatible with the employed manufacturing
      procedure. In any case, a hindering of polymer chains motion by MWCNTs is
      observed in the molten state, using oscillatory flow experiments, and a
      rheological percolation threshold is determined. The percolation limit is not
      noticed by Pressure-Volume-Temperature (PVT) measurements in the melt, because
      this technique rather detects local motions. Keeping the nanocomposites in the
      molten state provokes an electrical conductivity increase of several orders of
      magnitude, but on ulterior crystallization, the conductivity decreases, probably
      due to a reduction of the ionic conductivity. For a concentration of 2% MWCNTs,
      in the limit of percolation, the conductivity decreases considerably more,
      because percolation network constituted in the molten state is unstable and is
      destroyed during crystallization.

PMID- 28348330
TI  - Controlling the Nanoscale Patterning of AuNPs on Silicon Surfaces.
AB  - This study evaluates the effectiveness of vapour-phase deposition for creating
      sub-monolayer coverage of aminopropyl triethoxysilane (APTES) on silicon in order
      to exert control over subsequent gold nanoparticle deposition. Surface coverage
      was evaluated indirectly by observing the extent to which gold nanoparticles
      (AuNPs) deposited onto the modified silicon surface. By varying the distance of
      the silicon wafer from the APTES source and concentration of APTES in the
      evaporating media, control over subsequent gold nanoparticle deposition was
      achievable to an extent. Fine control over AuNP deposition (AuNPs/MUm2) however,
      was best achieved by adjusting the ionic concentration of the AuNP-depositing
      solution. Furthermore it was demonstrated that although APTES was fully removed
      from the silicon surface following four hours incubation in water, the gold
      nanoparticle-amino surface complex was stable under the same conditions. Atomic
      force microscopy (AFM) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) were used to
      study these affects.

PMID- 28348331
TI  - Effects of Microstructure on Electrode Properties of Nanosheet-Derived
      Hx(Ni1/3Co1/3Mn1/3)O2 for Electrochemical Capacitors.
AB  - Nanosheet-derived Hx(Ni1/3Co1/3Mn1/3)O2 was prepared by restacking
      (Ni1/3Co1/3Mn1/3)O2 nanosheets with large or small lateral sizes and their
      electrochemical properties in a 1 M KOH aqueous solution; microstructural factors
      were compared with those of bulk Hx(Ni1/3Co1/3Mn1/3)O2 (HNCM). The electrodes
      composed of small nanosheets exhibited very large capacitances of 1241 F.g-1 (395
      mAh.g-1) at a current density of 50 mA.g-1, and 430 F.g-1 (100 mAh.g-1) at a
      large current density of 1000 mA.g-1. These large capacitances resulted from a
      heterogeneous layer structure with a large surface area and pore volume. The
      electrodes of large nanosheets, with a strongly interconnected microstructure and
      a surface area slightly larger than that of HNCM, exhibited good cycle stability
      and capacitances larger than that of HNCM. Microstructural control through the
      restacking of (Ni1/3Co1/3Mn1/3)O2 nanosheets improved the electrochemical
      properties of Hx(Ni, Co, Mn)O2.

PMID- 28348332
TI  - Separation of Short Single- and Double-Stranded DNA Based on Their Adsorption
      Kinetics Difference on Graphene Oxide.
AB  - Separation of short single- and double-stranded DNA typically requires gel
      electrophoresis followed by DNA extraction, which is a time consuming process.
      Graphene oxide adsorbs single-stranded DNA more quickly than double-stranded
      ones, allowing for selective removal of the former with a simple mixing and
      centrifugation operation. The effect of DNA length and salt on adsorption
      selectivity has been characterized and its application in DNA melting curve
      measurement has been demonstrated.

PMID- 28348333
TI  - A Thermal Model for Carbon Nanotube Interconnects.
AB  - In this work, we have studied Joule heating in carbon nanotube based very large
      scale integration (VLSI) interconnects and incorporated Joule heating influenced
      scattering in our previously developed current transport model. The theoretical
      model explains breakdown in carbon nanotube resistance which limits the current
      density. We have also studied scattering parameters of carbon nanotube (CNT)
      interconnects and compared with the earlier work. For 1 um length single-wall
      carbon nanotube, 3 dB frequency in S12 parameter reduces to ~120 GHz from 1 THz
      considering Joule heating. It has been found that bias voltage has little effect
      on scattering parameters, while length has very strong effect on scattering
      parameters.

PMID- 28348335
TI  - Electrophoretic Deposition of Carbon Nanotubes on 3-Amino-Propyl-Triethoxysilane
      (APTES) Surface Functionalized Silicon Substrates.
AB  - Fabrication of uniform thin coatings of multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) by
      electrophoretic deposition (EPD) on semiconductor (silicon) substrates with 3
      aminopropyl-triethoxysilane (APTES) surface functionalization has been studied
      extensively in this report. The gradual deposition and eventual film formation of
      the carbon nanotubes (CNTs) is greatly assisted by the Coulombic force of
      attraction existing between the positively charged -NH2 surface groups of APTES
      and the acid treated, negatively charged nanotubes migrating towards the
      deposition surfaces. The remarkable deposition characteristics of the CNT
      coatings by EPD in comparison to the dip coating method and the influence of
      isopropyl (IPA)-based CNT suspension in the fabricated film quality has also been
      revealed in this study. The effect of varying APTES concentration (5%-100%) on
      the Raman spectroscopy and thickness of the deposited CNT film has been discussed
      in details, as well. The deposition approach has eliminated the need of metal
      deposition in the electrophoretic deposition approach and, therefore, establishes
      a cost-effective, fast and entirely room temperature-based fabrication strategy
      of CNT thin films for a wide range of next generation electronic applications.

PMID- 28348334
TI  - Nanostructured Biomaterials and Their Applications.
AB  - Some of the most important advances in the life sciences have come from
      transitioning to thinking of materials and their properties on the nanoscale
      rather than the macro or even microscale. Improvements in imaging technology have
      allowed us to see nanofeatures that directly impact chemical and mechanical
      properties of natural and man-made materials. Now that these can be imaged and
      quantified, substantial advances have been made in the fields of biomimetics,
      tissue engineering, and drug delivery. For the first time, scientists can
      determine the importance of nanograins and nanoasperities in nacre, direct the
      nucleation of apatite and the growth of cells on nanostructured scaffolds, and
      pass drugs tethered to nanoparticles through the blood-brain barrier. This review
      examines some of the most interesting materials whose nanostructure and
      hierarchical organization have been shown to correlate directly with favorable
      properties and their resulting applications.

PMID- 28348336
TI  - Desorption of 1,3,5-Trichlorobenzene from Multi-Walled Carbon Nanotubes: Impact
      of Solution Chemistry and Surface Chemistry.
AB  - The strong affinity of carbon nanotubes (CNTs) to environmental contaminants has
      raised serious concern that CNTs may function as a carrier of environmental
      pollutants and lead to contamination in places where the environmental pollutants
      are not expected. However, this concern will not be realized until the
      contaminants are desorbed from CNTs. It is well recognized that the desorption of
      environmental pollutants from pre-laden CNTs varies with the environmental
      conditions, such as the solution pH and ionic strength. However, comprehensive
      investigation on the influence of solution chemistry on the desorption process
      has not been carried out, even though numerous investigations have been conducted
      to investigate the impact of solution chemistry on the adsorption of
      environmental pollutants on CNTs. The main objective of this study was to
      determine the influence of solution chemistry (e.g., pH, ionic strength) and
      surface functionalization on the desorption of preloaded 1,3,5-trichlorobenzene
      (1,3,5-TCB) from multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWNTs). The results suggested
      that higher pH, ionic strength and natural organic matter in solution generally
      led to higher desorption of 1,3,5-TCB from MWNTs. However, the extent of change
      varied at different values of the tested parameters (e.g., pH < 7 vs. pH > 7). In
      addition, the impact of these parameters varied with MWNTs possessing different
      surface functional groups, suggesting that surface functionalization could
      considerably alter the environmental behaviors and impact of MWNTs.

PMID- 28348337
TI  - Nano-Electrochemistry and Nano-Electrografting with an Original Combined AFM
      SECM.
AB  - This study demonstrates the advantages of the combination between atomic force
      microscopy and scanning electrochemical microscopy. The combined technique can
      perform nano-electrochemical measurements onto agarose surface and nano
      electrografting of non-conducting polymers onto conducting surfaces. This work
      was achieved by manufacturing an original Atomic Force Microscopy-Scanning
      ElectroChemical Microscopy (AFM-SECM) electrode. The capabilities of the AFM-SECM
      electrode were tested with the nano-electrografting of vinylic monomers initiated
      by aryl diazonium salts. Nano-electrochemical and technical processes were
      thoroughly described, so as to allow experiments reproducing. A plausible
      explanation of chemical and electrochemical mechanisms, leading to the nano
      grafting process, was reported. This combined technique represents the first step
      towards improved nano-processes for the nano-electrografting.

PMID- 28348338
TI  - A Strategy for Hydroxide Exclusion in Nanocrystalline Solid-State Metathesis
      Products.
AB  - We demonstrate a simple strategy to either prevent or enhance hydroxide
      incorporation in nanocrystalline solid-state metathesis reaction products
      prepared in ambient environments. As an example, we show that ZnCO3 (smithsonite)
      or Zn5(CO3)2(OH)6 (hydrozincite) forms extremely rapidly, in less than two
      minutes, to form crystalline domains of 11 +/- 2 nm and 6 +/- 2 nm, respectively.
      The phase selectivity between these nanocrystalline products is dominated by the
      alkalinity of the hydrated precursor salts, which may in turn affect the
      availability of carbon dioxide during the reaction. Thus, unlike traditional
      aqueous precipitation reactions, our solid-state method offers a way to produce
      hydroxide-free, nanocrystalline products without active pH control.

PMID- 28348339
TI  - Photoelectrochemical Properties of Graphene and Its Derivatives.
AB  - Graphene and its derivatives combine a numerous range of supreme properties that
      can be useful in many applications. The purpose of this review is to analyse the
      photoelectrochemical properties of pristine graphene, graphene oxide (GO) and
      reduced graphene oxide (rGO) and their impact on semiconductor catalysts/quantum
      dots. The mechanism that this group of materials follows to improve their
      performance will be cleared by explaining how those properties can be exploited
      in several applications such as photo-catalysts (degradation of pollutants) and
      photovoltaics (solar cells).

PMID- 28348340
TI  - CO and NO2 Selective Monitoring by ZnO-Based Sensors.
AB  - ZnO nanomaterials with different shapes were synthesized, characterized and
      tested in the selective monitoring of low concentration of CO and NO2 in air. ZnO
      nanoparticles (NPs) and nanofibers (NFs) were synthesized by a modified sol-gel
      method in supercritical conditions and electrospinning technique, respectively.
      CO and NO2 sensing tests have demonstrated that the annealing temperature and
      shape of zinc oxide nanomaterials are the key factors in modulating the
      electrical and sensing properties. Specifically, ZnO NPs annealed at high
      temperature (700  degrees C) have been found sensitive to CO, while they
      displayed negligible response to NO2. The opposite behavior has been registered
      for the one-dimensional ZnO NFs annealed at medium temperature (400  degrees C).
      Due to their adaptable sensitivity/selectivity characteristics, the developed
      sensors show promising applications in dual air quality control systems for
      closed ambient such as automotive cabin, parking garage and tunnels.

PMID- 28348341
TI  - Alkyl and Aromatic Amines as Digestive Ripening/Size Focusing Agents for Gold
      Nanoparticles.
AB  - Both long chain alkyl thiols and alkyl amines behave as size focusing agents for
      gold nanoparticles, a process that is under thermodynamic control. However,
      amines do not oxidize surface gold atoms while thiols do oxidize surface gold to
      gold(I) with evolution of hydrogen gas. Therefore, alkyl amines participate in
      digestive ripening by a different mechanism. The efficiency of alkyl amines for
      this process is described and compared, and ultimate gold particle size
      differences are discussed. Reported herein is a detailed investigation of alkyl
      chain lengths for alkyl amines, aromatic amines (aniline), and unusually reactive
      amines (2-phenylethyl amine). Also, two methods of preparation of the crude gold
      nanoparticles were employed: gold ion reduction/inverse micelle vs. metal
      vaporization (Solvated Metal Atom Dispersion-SMAD).

PMID- 28348342
TI  - Theory of Carbon Nanotube (CNT)-Based Electron Field Emitters.
AB  - Theoretical problems arising in connection with development and operation of
      electron field emitters on the basis of carbon nanotubes are reviewed. The
      physical aspects of electron field emission that underlie the unique emission
      properties of carbon nanotubes (CNTs) are considered. Physical effects and
      phenomena affecting the emission characteristics of CNT cathodes are analyzed.
      Effects given particular attention include: the electric field amplification near
      a CNT tip with taking into account the shape of the tip, the deviation from the
      vertical orientation of nanotubes and electrical field-induced alignment of
      those; electric field screening by neighboring nanotubes; statistical spread of
      the parameters of the individual CNTs comprising the cathode; the thermal effects
      resulting in degradation of nanotubes during emission. Simultaneous consideration
      of the above-listed effects permitted the development of the optimization
      procedure for CNT array in terms of the maximum reachable emission current
      density. In accordance with this procedure, the optimum inter-tube distance in
      the array depends on the region of the external voltage applied. The phenomenon
      of self-misalignment of nanotubes in an array has been predicted and analyzed in
      terms of the recent experiments performed. A mechanism of degradation of CNT
      based electron field emitters has been analyzed consisting of the bombardment of
      the emitters by ions formed as a result of electron impact ionization of the
      residual gas molecules.

PMID- 28348343
TI  - Synthesis of Microspherical LiFePO4-Carbon Composites for Lithium-Ion Batteries.
AB  - This paper reports an "all in one" procedure to produce mesoporous, micro
      spherical LiFePO4 composed of agglomerated crystalline nanoparticles. Each
      nanoparticle is individually coated with a thin glucose-derived carbon layer. The
      main advantage of the as-synthesized materials is their good performance at high
      charge-discharge rates. The nanoparticles and the mesoporosity guarantee a short
      bulk diffusion distance for both lithium ions and electrons, as well as
      additional active sites for the charge transfer reactions. At the same time, the
      thin interconnected carbon coating provides a conductive framework capable of
      delivering electrons to the nanostructured LiFePO4.

PMID- 28348344
TI  - Inkjet Printing of Carbon Nanotubes.
AB  - In an attempt to give a brief introduction to carbon nanotube inkjet printing,
      this review paper discusses the issues that come along with preparing and
      printing carbon nanotube ink. Carbon nanotube inkjet printing is relatively new,
      but it has great potential for broad applications in flexible and printable
      electronics, transparent electrodes, electronic sensors, and so on due to its low
      cost and the extraordinary properties of carbon nanotubes. In addition to the
      formulation of carbon nanotube ink and its printing technologies, recent progress
      and achievements of carbon nanotube inkjet printing are reviewed in detail with
      brief discussion on the future outlook of the technology.

PMID- 28348345
TI  - Nanostructure-Directed Chemical Sensing: The IHSAB Principle and the Effect of
      Nitrogen and Sulfur Functionalization on Metal Oxide Decorated Interface
      Response.
AB  - The response matrix, as metal oxide nanostructure decorated n-type semiconductor
      interfaces are modified in situ through direct amination and through treatment
      with organic sulfides and thiols, is demonstrated. Nanostructured TiO2, SnOx, NiO
      and CuxO (x = 1,2), in order of decreasing Lewis acidity, are deposited to a
      porous silicon interface to direct a dominant electron transduction process for
      reversible chemical sensing in the absence of significant chemical bond
      formation. The metal oxide sensing sites can be modified to decrease their Lewis
      acidity in a process appearing to substitute nitrogen or sulfur, providing a weak
      interaction to form the oxynitrides and oxysulfides. Treatment with triethylamine
      and diethyl sulfide decreases the Lewis acidity of the metal oxide sites.
      Treatment with acidic ethane thiol modifies the sensor response in an opposite
      sense, suggesting that there are thiol (SH) groups present on the surface that
      provide a Bronsted acidity to the surface. The in situ modification of the metal
      oxides deposited to the interface changes the reversible interaction with the
      analytes, NH3 and NO. The observed change for either the more basic oxynitrides
      or oxysulfides or the apparent Bronsted acid sites produced from the interaction
      of the thiols do not represent a simple increase in surface basicity or acidity,
      but appear to involve a change in molecular electronic structure, which is well
      explained using the recently developed inverse hard and soft acids and bases
      (IHSAB) model.

PMID- 28348346
TI  - Magnetism of Amorphous and Nano-Crystallized Dc-Sputter-Deposited MgO Thin Films.
AB  - We report a systematic study of room-temperature ferromagnetism (RTFM) in
      pristine MgO thin films in their amorphous and nano-crystalline states. The as
      deposited dc-sputtered films of pristine MgO on Si substrates using a metallic Mg
      target in an O2 containing working gas atmosphere of (N2 + O2) are found to be X
      ray amorphous. All these films obtained with oxygen partial pressure (PO2) ~10%
      to 80% while maintaining the same total pressure of the working gas are found to
      be ferromagnetic at room temperature. The room temperature saturation
      magnetization (MS) value of 2.68 emu/cm3 obtained for the MgO film deposited in
      PO2 of 10% increases to 9.62 emu/cm3 for film deposited at PO2 of 40%. However,
      the MS values decrease steadily for further increase of oxygen partial pressure
      during deposition. On thermal annealing at temperatures in the range 600 to 800 
      degrees C, the films become nanocrystalline and as the crystallite size grows
      with longer annealing times and higher temperature, MS decreases. Our study
      clearly points out that it is possible to tailor the magnetic properties of thin
      films of MgO. The room temperature ferromagnetism in MgO films is attributed to
      the presence of Mg cation vacancies.

PMID- 28348349
TI  - Influence of Nanoclay Dispersion Methods on the Mechanical Behavior of E
      Glass/Epoxy Nanocomposites.
AB  - Common dispersion methods such as ultrasonic sonication, planetary centrifugal
      mixing and magnetic dispersion have been used extensively to achieve moderate
      exfoliation of nanoparticles in polymer matrix. In this study, the effect of
      adding three roll milling to these three dispersion methods for nanoclay
      dispersion into epoxy matrix was investigated. A combination of each of these
      mixing methods with three roll milling showed varying results relative to the
      unmodified polymer laminate. A significant exfoliation of the nanoparticles in
      the polymer structure was obtained by dispersing the nanoclay combining three
      roll milling to magnetic and planetary centrifugal mixing methods. This
      exfoliation promoted a stronger interfacial bond between the matrix and the
      fiber, which increased the final properties of the E-glass/epoxy nanocomposite.
      However, a combination of ultrasound sonication and three roll milling on the
      other hand, resulted in poor clay exfoliation; the sonication process degraded
      the polymer network, which adversely affected the nanocomposite final properties
      relative to the unmodified E-glass/epoxy polymer.

PMID- 28348347
TI  - Conducting Polyaniline Nanowire and Its Applications in Chemiresistive Sensing.
AB  - One dimensional polyaniline nanowire is an electrically conducting polymer that
      can be used as an active layer for sensors whose conductivity change can be used
      to detect chemical or biological species. In this review, the basic properties of
      polyaniline nanowires including chemical structures, redox chemistry, and method
      of synthesis are discussed. A comprehensive literature survey on
      chemiresistive/conductometric sensors based on polyaniline nanowires is presented
      and recent developments in polyaniline nanowire-based sensors are summarized.
      Finally, the current limitations and the future prospect of polyaniline nanowires
      are discussed.

PMID- 28348348
TI  - Current Trends in Sensors Based on Conducting Polymer Nanomaterials.
AB  - Conducting polymers represent an important class of functional organic materials
      for next-generation electronic and optical devices. Advances in nanotechnology
      allow for the fabrication of various conducting polymer nanomaterials through
      synthesis methods such as solid-phase template synthesis, molecular template
      synthesis, and template-free synthesis. Nanostructured conducting polymers
      featuring high surface area, small dimensions, and unique physical properties
      have been widely used to build various sensor devices. Many remarkable examples
      have been reported over the past decade. The enhanced sensitivity of conducting
      polymer nanomaterials toward various chemical/biological species and external
      stimuli has made them ideal candidates for incorporation into the design of
      sensors. However, the selectivity and stability still leave room for improvement.

PMID- 28348350
TI  - Hydrothermal Synthesis of Nanoclusters of ZnS Comprised on Nanowires.
AB  - Cetyltrimethyl ammonium bromide cationic (CTAB) surfactant was used as template
      for the synthesis of nanoclusters of ZnS composed of nanowires, by hydrothermal
      method. The structural and morphological studies were performed by using X-ray
      diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and high resolution
      transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM) techniques. The synthesized ZnS
      nanoclusters are composed of nanowires and high yield on the substrate was
      observed. The ZnS nanocrystalline consists of hexagonal phase and polycrystalline
      in nature. The chemical composition of ZnS nanoclusters composed of nanowires was
      studied by X-ray photo electron microscopy (XPS). This investigation has shown
      that the ZnS nanoclusters are composed of Zn and S atoms.

PMID- 28348351
TI  - Nanomaterials in Sensors.
AB  - This Special Issue of Nanomaterials is focused on the continuing implementation
      of nanomaterials and nanostructures in the development of more sensitive and more
      specific sensing devices. As a result, these new devices employ smaller sensing
      elements and provide more "real time" capability. Often, the inclusion of
      nanomaterials leads to sensing elements for targets that were previously
      inaccessible. [...].

PMID- 28348352
TI  - Susceptibility of CoFeB/AlOx/Co Magnetic Tunnel Junctions to Low-Frequency
      Alternating Current.
AB  - This investigation studies CoFeB/AlOx/Co magnetic tunneling junction (MTJ) in the
      magnetic field of a low-frequency alternating current, for various thicknesses of
      the barrier layer AlOx. The low-frequency alternate-current magnetic
      susceptibility (chiac) and phase angle (theta) of the CoFeB/AlOx/Co MTJ are
      determined using an cac analyzer. The driving frequency ranges from 10 to 25,000
      Hz. These multilayered MTJs are deposited on a silicon substrate using a DC and
      RF magnetron sputtering system. Barrier layer thicknesses are 22, 26, and 30 A.
      The X-ray diffraction patterns (XRD) include a main peak at 2theta = 44.7 degrees
      from hexagonal close-packed (HCP) Co with a highly (0002) textured structure,
      with AlOx and CoFeB as amorphous phases. The full width at half maximum (FWHM) of
      the Co(0002) peak, decreases as the AlOx thickness increases; revealing that the
      Co layer becomes more crystalline with increasing thickness. chiac result
      demonstrates that the optimal resonance frequency (fres) that maximizes the chiac
      value is 500 Hz. As the frequency increases to 1000 Hz, the susceptibility
      decreases rapidly. However, when the frequency increases over 1000 Hz, the
      susceptibility sharply declines, and almost closes to zero. The experimental
      results reveal that the mean optimal susceptibility is 1.87 at an AlOx barrier
      layer thickness of 30 A because the Co(0002) texture induces magneto-anisotropy,
      which improves the indirect CoFeB and Co spin exchange-coupling strength and the
      chiac value. The results concerning magnetism indicate that the magnetic
      characteristics are related to the crystallinity of Co.

PMID- 28348353
TI  - Tuning NaYF4 Nanoparticles through Alkaline Earth Doping.
AB  - Phase and size of lanthanide-doped nanoparticles are the most important
      characteristics that dictate optical properties of these nanoparticles and affect
      their technological applications. Herein, we present a systematic study to
      examine the effect of alkaline earth doping on the formation of NaYF4
      upconversion nanoparticles. We show that alkaline earth doping has a dual
      function of tuning particle size of hexagonal phase NaYF4 nanoparticles and
      stabilizing cubic phase NaYF4 nanoparticles depending on composition and
      concentration of the dopant ions. The study described here represents a facile
      and general strategy to tuning the properties of NaYF4 upconversion
      nanoparticles.

PMID- 28348354
TI  - Formation of Gold Microparticles by Ablation with Surface Plasmons.
AB  - The formation of gold microparticles on a silicon substrate through the use of
      energetic surface plasmons is reported. A laser-assisted plasmonics system was
      assembled and tested to synthesize gold particles from gold thin film by
      electrical field enhancement mechanism. A mask containing an array of 200 nm
      diameter holes with a periodicity of 400 nm was prepared and placed on a silicon
      substrate. The mask was composed of 60 um thick porous alumina membrane sputter
      coated with 100 nm thin gold film. A Nd:YAG laser with 1064 nm wavelength and 230
      us pulse width (free-running mode) was then passed through the mask at an energy
      fluence of 0.35 J/cm2. The extraordinary transmission of laser light through
      alumina/gold micro-hole optical antenna created both extended and localized
      surface plasmons that caused the gold film at the bottom of the mask to fragment
      into microparticles and deposit on the silicon substrate that is in direct
      contact with the mask. The surface plasmon method is simpler, quicker, more
      energy efficient, and environmentally safer than existing physical and chemical
      methods, as well as being contamination-free, and can be extended to all types of
      materials that will in turn allow for new possibilities in the formation of
      structured surfaces.

PMID- 28348355
TI  - Fabrication and Characterization of SnO2/Graphene Composites as High Capacity
      Anodes for Li-Ion Batteries.
AB  - Tin-oxide and graphene (TG) composites were fabricated using the Electrostatic
      Spray Deposition (ESD) technique, and tested as anode materials for Li-ion
      batteries. The electrochemical performance of the as-deposited TG composites were
      compared to heat-treated TG composites along with pure tin-oxide films. The heat
      treated composites exhibited superior specific capacity and energy density than
      both the as-deposited TG composites and tin oxide samples. At the 70th cycle, the
      specific capacities of the as-deposited and post heat-treated samples were 534
      and 737 mA.h/g, respectively, and the corresponding energy densities of the as
      deposited and heat-treated composites were 1240 and 1760 W.h/kg, respectively.
      This improvement in the electrochemical performance of the TG composite anodes as
      compared to the pure tin oxide samples is attributed to the synergy between tin
      oxide and graphene, which increases the electrical conductivity of tin oxide and
      helps alleviate volumetric changes in tin-oxide during cycling.

PMID- 28348356
TI  - Molecularly Imprinted Nanomaterials for Sensor Applications.
AB  - Molecular imprinting is a well-established technology to mimic antibody-antigen
      interaction in a synthetic platform. Molecularly imprinted polymers and
      nanomaterials usually possess outstanding recognition capabilities. Imprinted
      nanostructured materials are characterized by their small sizes, large reactive
      surface area and, most importantly, with rapid and specific analysis of analytes
      due to the formation of template driven recognition cavities within the matrix.
      The excellent recognition and selectivity offered by this class of materials
      towards a target analyte have found applications in many areas, such as
      separation science, analysis of organic pollutants in water, environmental
      analysis of trace gases, chemical or biological sensors, biochemical assays,
      fabricating artificial receptors, nanotechnology, etc. We present here a concise
      overview and recent developments in nanostructured imprinted materials with
      respect to various sensor systems, e.g., electrochemical, optical and mass
      sensitive, etc. Finally, in light of recent studies, we conclude the article with
      future perspectives and foreseen applications of imprinted nanomaterials in
      chemical sensors.

PMID- 28348358
TI  - Effect of Nanotube Film Thickness on the Performance of Nanotube-Silicon Hybrid
      Solar Cells.
AB  - The results of measurements on solar cells made from randomly aligned thin films
      of single walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs) on n-type monocrystalline silicon are
      presented. The films are made by vacuum filtration from aqueous TritonX-100
      suspensions of large diameter arc-discharge SWCNTs. The dependence of the solar
      cell performance on the thickness of the SWCNT film is shown in detail, as is the
      variation in performance due to doping of the SWCNT film with SOCl2.

PMID- 28348357
TI  - Study of the Effect of Grafting Method on Surface Polarity of Tempo-Oxidized
      Nanocellulose Using Polycaprolactone as the Modifying Compound: Esterification
      versus Click-Chemistry.
AB  - Esterification and click-chemistry were evaluated as surface modification
      treatments for TEMPO-oxidized nanocelluloses (TONC) using Polycaprolactone-diol
      (PCL) as modifying compound in order to improve the dispersion of nanofibers in
      organic media. These two grafting strategies were analyzed and compared. The
      first consists of grafting directly the PCL onto TONC, and was carried out by
      esterification between hydroxyl groups of PCL and carboxyl groups of TONC. The
      second strategy known as click-chemistry is based on the 1,3-dipolar
      cycloaddition reaction between azides and alkyne terminated moieties to form the
      triazole ring between PCL and TONC. The grafted samples were characterized by
      transmission electron microscopy (TEM), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy
      (FTIR), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), and Thermogravimetry analysis
      (TGA). Further, the effects of the two treatments on the surface hydrophobization
      of TONC were investigated by contact angle measurements. The results show that
      both methods confirm the success of such a modification and the click reaction
      was significantly more effective than esterification.

PMID- 28348359
TI  - Dynamics of Fukuoka Criteria and Patient Management in Pancreatic Intraductal
      Papillary Mucinous Neoplasms (IPMNs) During Follow-Up.
AB  - BACKGROUND Pancreatic intraductal papillary mucinous neoplasms (IPMNs) present a
      clinical challenge. Evidence-based guidelines are lacking. The so-called "Fukuoka
      criteria" were developed to assess the risk of malignancy in IPMNs upon imaging.
      However, little is known about their diagnostic value and the natural course of
      IPMNs. Thus, the aim of this study was the assessment of Fukuoka criteria and
      patient management in pancreatic IPMNs -during follow-up. MATERIAL AND METHODS
      IPMNs were identified via retrospective survey of endoscopic ultrasound (EUS)
      examinations. Fukuoka criteria were assessed on EUS findings and additional
      imaging (CT, MRI, ultrasound). Patients' symptoms and comorbidities were
      recorded. Dynamics of Fukuoka criteria and patient management were compared at
      first presentation and during follow-up. RESULTS We screened 1324 EUS
      examinations. Sixty-five patients (male/female, 14/37; mean age, 68.8 years;
      range, 48-85 years) with IPMNs were identified (57 branch duct (BD-)IPMNs, 3 main
      duct (MD-) IPMNs, 5 mixed-type (MT)-IPMNs). Seven patients received surgical
      resection (4 BD-IPMNs, 2 MD-IPMNs, 1 MT-IPMN). Nine BD-IPMNs had neither surgery
      nor follow-up. Fifty-one patients (44 BD-IPMNs, 2 MD-IPMNs, 5 MT-IPMNs) underwent
      follow-up (mean duration, 18.7 months; range, 3-139 months). There were 15/51
      patients who were initially Fukuoka-positive. One MD-IPMN, 4/5 MT-IPMNs, and
      13/44 BD-IPMNs showed progressive changes but were not resected due to patients'
      refusal or comorbidities. Four BD-IPMNs converted to Fukuoka-positive.
      CONCLUSIONS Evidence-based guidelines for non-invasive dignity assessment of
      IPMNs are lacking. In our study, MD-IPMNs displayed greater dynamics than BD
      IPMNs and MT-IPMNs concerning Fukuoka criteria. Prospective long-term studies are
      needed to clarify prognostic significance of the single Fukuoka criteria and
      sensible duration of follow-up.

PMID- 28348360
TI  - An Uncommon Case of Lower Limb Deep Vein Thrombosis with Multiple Etiological
      Causes.
AB  - BACKGROUND Deep vein thrombosis (DVT) is a type of venous thromboembolism with
      diverse clinical and environmental risk factors. Very few cases of DVT with
      multiple high risk factors have been reported. Here, we report an uncommon DVT
      case with multiple etiological causes, including appendicitis/appendectomy,
      morbid obesity, immobilization, positive phosphatidylserine IgG, and heterozygous
      factor V Leiden mutation. CASE REPORT A 43-year-old female was brought to the
      emergency room because of 2-week history of pain and swelling and ultrasound
      revealing evidence of DVT in the right leg. One month ago, she underwent an
      exploratory laparotomy because of subacute appendicitis. After surgery, the
      patient stayed at home in bed with very limited activity. She did not have a
      cough, hemoptysis, chest pain, or shortness of breath. She was morbidly obese,
      and had a past medical history of diabetes, hypertension, and hyperlipidemia. A
      full coagulation workup was completed, including Protein C, Protein S, and
      antiphospholipid antibody, as well as factor V and prothrombin gene mutation
      screen. Her D-dimer was positive. Computed tomography (CT) angiography of the
      lungs ruled out major emboli but was unable to rule out minor emboli. A
      heterozygous factor V Leiden R506Q mutation was detected. Of interest was a
      significantly positive phosphatidylserine IgG with a value of over 42. She was
      started with enoxaparin (120 mg, twice a day), and warfarin was added on day 2
      when pulmonary embolism was ruled out by CT angiography. The International
      Normalized Ratio (INR) was monitored daily to adjust warfarin dose. CONCLUSIONS
      Multiple etiological factors present in this patient may have contributed to her
      lower-limb DVT, including appendicitis/appendectomy, morbid obesity,
      immobilization, positive phosphatidylserine IgG, and factor V Leiden mutation.
      Therefore, it is important to follow the complete workup for hypercoagulable
      states. This can help with diagnosis and therapy, and also give insight into the
      pathogenicity, which can help with prevention of recurrence and severe
      complications of DVT.

PMID- 28348361
TI  - The Impact of Donor-Specific Anti-Human Leukocyte Antigen (HLA) Antibody Rebound
      on the Risk of Antibody Mediated Rejection in Sensitized Kidney Transplant
      Recipients.
AB  - BACKGROUND Donor-specific anti-HLA antibody (DSA) detected on Luminex-based
      single antigen assay (LSA) has become the subject of desensitization based upon
      the results of previous studies. We retrospectively investigated the impact of
      preoperative DSA on the incidence of antibody mediated rejection (AMR) in
      patients desensitized using a protocol based on rituximab and rabbit
      antithymocyte globulin (rATG). MATERIAL AND METHODS Nine patients (Group 1,
      9/327, 2.8%) were complement dependent cytotoxicity crossmatch (CDC-XM) positive
      and underwent desensitization with rituximab (375 mg/m2), intravenous
      immunoglobulin (IVIG; 400 mg/kg), plasmapheresis, and rATG. Twenty-two patients
      (Group 2, 22/327, 6.7%) were CDC-XM negative but DSA positive on LSA and had
      received desensitization with rituximab and rATG, while 55 patients (Group 3,
      55/327, 16.8%) were CDC-XM and DSA negative with a calculated panel reactive
      antibody (cPRA) >=50%. Another 241 patients (Group 4, 241/327, 73.7%) were CDC-XM
      and DSA negative with a cPRA <50%. RESULTS Recipients with DSA (Group 2)
      experienced more AMR than other groups (p<0.01). More de novo DSAs also developed
      in Group 2 (p<0.001). The mean fluorescence intensity (MFI) of DSA of patients
      with AMR tended to rebound (p=0.01). CONCLUSIONS Patients who were CDC-XM
      negative but DSA positive status were at a higher risk of developing AMR even
      though they had received desensitization with rATG and rituximab. A more intense
      desensitization protocol is needed for these recipients. Patients with MFI
      rebound of DSA should be carefully monitored for the risk of AMR.

PMID- 28348362
TI  - Interspecific differences in how habitat degradation affects escape response.
AB  - Degradation of habitats is widespread and a leading cause of extinctions. Our
      study determined whether the change in the chemical landscape associated with
      coral degradation affected the way three fish species use olfactory information
      to optimize their fast-start escape response. Water from degraded coral habitats
      affected the fast-start response of the three closely-related damselfishes, but
      its effect differed markedly among species. The Ward's damselfish (Pomacentrus
      wardi) was most affected by water from degraded coral, and displayed shorter
      distances covered in the fast-start and slower escape speeds compared to fish in
      water from healthy coral. In the presence of alarm odours, which indicate an
      imminent threat, the Ambon damsel (P. amboinensis) displayed enhanced fast-start
      performance in water from healthy coral, but not when in water from degraded
      coral. In contrast, while the white-tailed damsel (P. chrysurus) was similarly
      primed by its alarm odour, the elevation of fast start performance was not
      altered by water from degraded coral. These species-specific responses to the
      chemistry of degraded water and alarm odours suggest differences in the way alarm
      odours interact with the chemical landscape, and differences in the way species
      balance information about threats, with likely impacts on the survival of
      affected species in degraded habitats.

PMID- 28348363
TI  - High performance lithium-sulfur batteries for storing pulsed energy generated by
      triboelectric nanogenerators.
AB  - Storing pulsed energy harvested by triboelectric nanogenerators (TENGs) from
      ambient mechanical motion is an important technology for obtaining sustainable,
      low-cost, and green power. Here, we introduce high-energy-density Li-S batteries
      with excellent performance for storing pulsed output from TENGs. The sandwich
      structured sulfur composites with multi-walled carbon nanotubes and polypyrrole
      serve as cathode materials that suppress the shuttle effect of polysulfides and
      thus preserve the structural stability of the cathode during Li-ion insertion and
      extraction. The charging time and energy storage efficiency of the Li-S batteries
      are directly affected by the rotation rates of the TENGs. The average storage
      efficiency of the batteries for pulsed output from TENGs can exceed 80% and even
      reach 93% at low discharge currents. The Li-S batteries also show excellent rate
      performance for storing pulsed energy at a high discharge current rate of 5 C.
      The high storage efficiency and excellent rate capability and cyclability
      demonstrate the feasibility of storing and exploiting pulsed energy provided by
      TENGs and the potential of Li-S batteries with high energy storage efficiency for
      storing pulsed energy harvested by TENGs.

PMID- 28348364
TI  - Earthquake-Related Changes in Species Spatial Niche Overlaps in Spring
      Communities.
AB  - Species interactions between stygobites (obligate groundwater organisms) are
      poorly known, reflecting the difficulty in studying such organisms in their
      natural environments. Some insight can be gained from the study of the spatial
      variability in microcrustacean communities in groundwater-fed springs.
      Earthquakes can increase hydraulic conductivity in the recharge area of karstic
      aquifers and flow rates in discharge zones, thus dislodging stygobites from their
      original habitats to the spring outlets. Earthquakes are expected to alter
      species spatial niche overlap at the spring outlets, where stygobites coexist
      with non-stygobites living in benthic and subsurface habitats. We compared the
      abundance of stygobiotic and non-stygobiotic microcrustaceans in groundwater-fed
      springs before and after the 6.3-Mw earthquake that hit the karstic Gran Sasso
      Aquifer (Italy) in 2009. Pre-seismic (1997, 2005) overall niche overlaps were not
      different from null expectations, while post-seismic (2012) species mean niche
      overlaps were higher, following the redistribution of animals caused by the
      earthquake-triggered discharge. The reduced abundance of stygobites following
      their dislodgement from the aquifer and the concomitant displacement of non
      stygobites led to a higher post-seismic co-occurrence of stygobites and non
      stygobites. Changes in aquifer structure destroyed pre-seismic species
      segregation patterns by creating new or strengthening already existing
      interactions.

PMID- 28348365
TI  - EMU and 3'RR IgH enhancers show hierarchic unilateral dependence in mature B
      cells.
AB  - Enhancer and super-enhancers are master regulators of cell fate. While they act
      at long-distances on adjacent genes, it is unclear whether they also act on one
      another. The immunoglobulin heavy chain (IgH) locus is unique in carrying two
      super-enhancers at both ends of the constant gene cluster: the 5'EMU super
      enhancer promotes VDJ recombination during the earliest steps of B-cell ontogeny
      while the 3' regulatory region (3'RR) is essential for late differentiation.
      Since they carry functional synergies in mature B-cells and physically interact
      during IgH locus DNA looping, we investigated if they were independent engines of
      locus remodelling or if their function was more intimately intermingled, their
      optimal activation then requiring physical contact with each other. Analysis of
      chromatin marks, enhancer RNA transcription and accessibility in EMU- and 3'RR
      deficient mice show, in mature activated B-cells, an unilateral dependence of
      this pair of enhancers: while the 3'RR acts in autonomy, EMU in contrast likely
      falls under control of the 3'RR.

PMID- 28348366
TI  - A novel technique to determine the cell type specific response within an in vitro
      co-culture model via multi-colour flow cytometry.
AB  - Determination of the cell type specific response is essential towards
      understanding the cellular mechanisms associated with disease states as well as
      assessing cell-based targeting of effective therapeutic agents. Recently, there
      have been increased calls for advanced in vitro multi-cellular models that
      provide reliable and valuable tools correlative to in vivo. In this pursuit the
      ability to assess the cell type specific response is imperative. Herein, we
      report a novel approach towards resolving each specific cell type of a multi
      cellular model representing the human lung epithelial tissue barrier via multi
      colour flow cytometry (FACS). We proved via <= five-colour FACS that the
      manipulation of this in vitro model allowed each cell type to be resolved with no
      impact upon cell viability. Subsequently, four-colour FACS verified the ability
      to determine the biochemical effect (e.g. oxidative stress) of each specific cell
      type. This technique will be vital in gaining information upon cellular mechanics
      when using next-level, multi-cellular in vitro strategies.

PMID- 28348367
TI  - A Strategy to Delay the Development of Cisplatin Resistance by Maintaining a
      Certain Amount of Cisplatin-Sensitive Cells.
AB  - Cisplatin (ddp), which is commonly employed in the treatment of many advanced
      cancers, often results in initial therapeutic success; however, rapid progression
      of ddp-resistant cells remains the main reason for treatment failure. Facd with
      such a problem, we investigated the fitness differences between ddp-sensitive and
      ddp-resistant cell lines. We found that the growth of ddp-resistant cells was
      significantly slower than that of sensitive cells due to elevated ROS levels,
      which suggested that the ddp resistance mechanisms may have negative impacts on
      the growth of resistant cells. Furthermore, we observed that, when mixed with ddp
      sensitive cells, ddp-resistant cells failed to compete, and the growth of ddp
      resistant cells could therefore be suppressed by treatment in vivo. We propose a
      mathematical model parameterized based on in vivo experiments to describe the
      allometric growth of tumors consisting of two competing subclones. According to
      our model, a quantitative strategy with a variant drug-dosing interval is
      proposed to control tumor growth. Taking advantage of intratumoral competition,
      our strategy with appropriate dosing intervals could remarkably delay the
      development of ddp resistance and prolong overall survival. Maintaining a certain
      number of ddp-sensitive cells rather than eradicating the tumor with continuous
      treatment is feasible for future tumor treatment.

PMID- 28348368
TI  - Plasmonic photoluminescence for recovering native chemical information from
      surface-enhanced Raman scattering.
AB  - Surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) spectroscopy has attracted tremendous
      interests as a highly sensitive label-free tool. The local field produced by the
      excitation of localized surface plasmon resonances (LSPRs) dominates the overall
      enhancement of SERS. Such an electromagnetic enhancement is unfortunately
      accompanied by a strong modification in the relative intensity of the original
      Raman spectra, which highly distorts spectral features providing chemical
      information. Here we propose a robust method to retrieve the fingerprint of
      intrinsic chemical information from the SERS spectra. The method is established
      based on the finding that the SERS background originates from the LSPR-modulated
      photoluminescence, which contains the local field information shared also by
      SERS. We validate this concept of retrieval of intrinsic fingerprint information
      in well controlled single metallic nanoantennas of varying aspect ratios. We
      further demonstrate its unambiguity and generality in more complicated systems of
      tip-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (TERS) and SERS of silver nanoaggregates.

PMID- 28348369
TI  - Novel molecular approach to define pest species status and tritrophic
      interactions from historical Bemisia specimens.
AB  - Museum specimens represent valuable genomic resources for understanding host
      endosymbiont/parasitoid evolutionary relationships, resolving species complexes
      and nomenclatural problems. However, museum collections suffer DNA degradation,
      making them challenging for molecular-based studies. Here, the mitogenomes of a
      single 1912 Sri Lankan Bemisia emiliae cotype puparium, and of a 1942 Japanese
      Bemisia puparium are characterised using a Next-Generation Sequencing approach.
      Whiteflies are small sap-sucking insects including B. tabaci pest species
      complex. Bemisia emiliae's draft mitogenome showed a high degree of homology with
      published B. tabaci mitogenomes, and exhibited 98-100% partial mitochondrial DNA
      Cytochrome Oxidase I (mtCOI) gene identity with the B. tabaci species known as
      Asia II-7. The partial mtCOI gene of the Japanese specimen shared 99% sequence
      identity with the Bemisia 'JpL' genetic group. Metagenomic analysis identified
      bacterial sequences in both Bemisia specimens, while hymenopteran sequences were
      also identified in the Japanese Bemisia puparium, including complete mtCOI and
      rRNA genes, and various partial mtDNA genes. At 88-90% mtCOI sequence identity to
      Aphelinidae wasps, we concluded that the 1942 Bemisia nymph was parasitized by an
      Eretmocerus parasitoid wasp. Our approach enables the characterisation of genomes
      and associated metagenomic communities of museum specimens using 1.5 ng gDNA, and
      to infer historical tritrophic relationships in Bemisia whiteflies.

PMID- 28348371
TI  - Dust outpaces bedrock in nutrient supply to montane forest ecosystems.
AB  - Dust provides ecosystem-sustaining nutrients to landscapes underlain by
      intensively weathered soils. Here we show that dust may also be crucial in
      montane forest ecosystems, dominating nutrient budgets despite continuous
      replacement of depleted soils with fresh bedrock via erosion. Strontium and
      neodymium isotopes in modern dust show that Asian sources contribute 18-45% of
      dust deposition across our Sierra Nevada, California study sites. The remaining
      dust originates regionally from the nearby Central Valley. Measured dust fluxes
      are greater than or equal to modern erosional outputs from hillslopes to
      channels, and account for 10-20% of estimated millennial-average inputs of
      bedrock P. Our results demonstrate that exogenic dust can drive the evolution of
      nutrient budgets in montane ecosystems, with implications for predicting forest
      response to changes in climate and land use.

PMID- 28348370
TI  - Non-classical monocytes are biased progenitors of wound healing macrophages
      during soft tissue injury.
AB  - Successful tissue repair requires the activities of myeloid cells such as
      monocytes and macrophages that guide the progression of inflammation and healing
      outcome. Immunoregenerative materials leverage the function of endogenous immune
      cells to orchestrate complex mechanisms of repair; however, a deeper
      understanding of innate immune cell function in inflamed tissues and their
      subsequent interactions with implanted materials is necessary to guide the design
      of these materials. Blood monocytes exist in two primary subpopulations,
      characterized as classical inflammatory or non-classical. While classical
      monocytes extravasate into inflamed tissue and give rise to macrophages or
      dendritic cells, the recruitment kinetics and functional role of non-classical
      monocytes remains unclear. Here, we demonstrate that circulating non-classical
      monocytes are directly recruited to polymer films within skin injuries, where
      they home to a perivascular niche and generate alternatively activated, wound
      healing macrophages. Selective labeling of blood monocyte subsets indicates that
      non-classical monocytes are biased progenitors of alternatively activated
      macrophages. On-site delivery of the immunomodulatory small molecule FTY720
      recruits S1PR3-expressing non-classical monocytes that support vascular
      remodeling after injury. These results elucidate a previously unknown role for
      blood-derived non-classical monocytes as contributors to alternatively activated
      macrophages, highlighting them as key regulators of inflammatory response and
      regenerative outcome.

PMID- 28348372
TI  - Infrared broadband metasurface absorber for reducing the thermal mass of a
      microbolometer.
AB  - We demonstrate an infrared broadband metasurface absorber that is suitable for
      increasing the response speed of a microbolometer by reducing its thermal mass. A
      large fraction of holes are made in a periodic pattern on a thin lossy metal
      layer characterised with a non-dispersive effective surface impedance. This can
      be used as a non-resonant metasurface that can be integrated with a Salisbury
      screen absorber to construct an absorbing membrane for a microbolometer that can
      significantly reduce the thermal mass while maintaining high infrared broadband
      absorption in the long wavelength infrared (LWIR) band. The non-dispersive
      effective surface impedance can be matched to the free space by optimising the
      surface resistance of the thin lossy metal layer depending on the size of the
      patterned holes by using a dc approximation method. In experiments a high
      broadband absorption was maintained even when the fill factor of the absorbing
      area was reduced to 28% (hole area: 72%), and it was theoretically maintained
      even when the fill factor of the absorbing area was reduced to 19% (hole area:
      81%). Therefore, a metasurface with a non-dispersive effective surface impedance
      is a promising solution for reducing the thermal mass of infrared microbolometer
      pixels.

PMID- 28348373
TI  - The role of rhizobial (NifV) and plant (FEN1) homocitrate synthases in
      Aeschynomene/photosynthetic Bradyrhizobium symbiosis.
AB  - In the most studied rhizobium-legume interactions, the host plant supplies the
      symbiont with homocitrate, an essential co-factor of the nitrogenase enzyme
      complex, via the expression of a nodule-specific homocitrate synthase FEN1.
      Photosynthetic bradyrhizobia interacting with Nod factor (NF) dependent and NF
      independent Aeschynomene legumes are able to synthesize homocitrate themselves as
      they contain a nifV gene encoding a homocitrate synthase. Here, we show that in
      the model strain ORS285, nifV is required for free-living and symbiotic
      dinitrogen fixation with NF-independent Aeschynomene species. In contrast, in
      symbiosis with NF-dependent Aeschynomene species, the nifV requirement for
      efficient nitrogen fixation was found to be host plant dependent. Interestingly,
      orthologs of FEN1 were found in both NF-dependent and NF-independent Aeschynomene
      species. However, a high nodule specific induction of FEN1 expression was only
      observed in A. afraspera, a host plant in which nifV is not required for
      symbiotic dinitrogen fixation. These data indicate that efficient symbiotic
      nitrogen fixation in many of the tested Aeschynomene species requires rhizobial
      homocitrate synthesis. Considering that more than 10% of the fully sequenced
      rhizobium strains do contain a nifV gene, the Aeschynomene/photosynthetic
      Bradyrhizobium interaction is likely not the only rhizobium/legume symbiosis
      where rhizobial nifV expression is required.

PMID- 28348374
TI  - One-step fabrication of crystalline metal nanostructures by direct nanoimprinting
      below melting temperatures.
AB  - Controlled fabrication of metallic nanostructures plays a central role in much of
      modern science and technology, because changing the dimensions of a nanocrystal
      enables tailoring of its mechanical, electronic, optical, catalytic and
      antibacterial properties. Here we show direct superplastic nanoimprinting (SPNI)
      of crystalline metals well below their melting temperatures, generating ordered
      nanowire arrays with aspect ratios up to ~2,000 and imprinting features as small
      as 8 nm. Surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) spectra reveal strongly
      enhanced electromagnetic signals from the prepared nanorod arrays with sizes up
      to ~100 nm, which indicates that our technique can provide an ideal way to
      fabricate robust SERS substrates. SPNI, as a one-step, controlled and
      reproducible nanofabrication method, could facilitate the applications of metal
      nanostructures in bio-sensing, diagnostic imaging, catalysis, food industry and
      environmental conservation.

PMID- 28348375
TI  - A redox-mediated Kemp eliminase.
AB  - The acid/base-catalysed Kemp elimination of 5-nitro-benzisoxazole forming 2-cyano
      4-nitrophenol has long served as a design platform of enzymes with non-natural
      reactions, providing new mechanistic insights in protein science. Here we
      describe an alternative concept based on redox catalysis by P450-BM3, leading to
      the same Kemp product via a fundamentally different mechanism. QM/MM computations
      show that it involves coordination of the substrate's N-atom to haem-Fe(II) with
      electron transfer and concomitant N-O heterolysis liberating an intermediate
      having a nitrogen radical moiety Fe(III)-N. and a phenoxyl anion. Product
      formation occurs by bond rotation and H-transfer. Two rationally chosen point
      mutations cause a notable increase in activity. The results shed light on the
      prevailing mechanistic uncertainties in human P450-catalysed metabolism of the
      immunomodulatory drug leflunomide, which likewise undergoes redox-mediated Kemp
      elimination by P450-BM3. Other isoxazole-based pharmaceuticals are probably also
      metabolized by a redox mechanism. Our work provides a basis for designing future
      artificial enzymes.

PMID- 28348376
TI  - A missense single nucleotide polymorphism in the ALDH2 gene, rs671, is associated
      with hip fracture.
AB  - Hip fracture is the most severe bone fragility fracture among osteoporotic
      injuries. Family history is a known risk factor for fracture and now included
      among criteria for osteoporosis diagnosis and treatment; however, genetic factors
      underlying family history favoring fracture remain to be elucidated. Here we
      demonstrate that a missense SNP in the ALDH2 gene, rs671 (ALDH2*2), is
      significantly associated with hip fracture (odds ratio = 2.48, 95% confidence
      interval: 1.20-5.10, p = 0.021). The rs671 SNP was also significantly associated
      with osteoporosis development (odds ratio = 2.04, 95% confidence interval: 1.07
      3.88, p = 0.040). For analysis we enrolled 92 hip fracture patients plus 48
      control subjects without bone fragility fractures with higher than -2.5 SD bone
      mineral density. We also recruited 156 osteoporosis patients diagnosed as below 
      2.5 SD in terms of bone mineral density but without hip fracture. Association of
      rs671 with hip fracture and osteoporosis was significant even after adjustment
      for age and body mass index. Our results provide new insight into the
      pathogenesis of hip fracture.

PMID- 28348377
TI  - Bilirubin augments Ca2+ load of developing bushy neurons by targeting specific
      subtype of voltage-gated calcium channels.
AB  - Neonatal brain is particularly vulnerable to pathological levels of bilirubin
      which elevates and overloads intracellular Ca2+, leading to neurotoxicity.
      However, how voltage-gated calcium channels (VGCCs) are functionally involved in
      excess calcium influx remains unknown. By performing voltage-clamp recordings
      from bushy cells in the ventral cochlear nucleus (VCN) in postnatal rat pups (P4
      17), we found the total calcium current density was more than doubled over P4-17,
      but the relative weight of VGCC subtypes changed dramatically, being relatively
      equal among T, L, N, P/Q and R-type at P4-6 to predominantly L, N, R over T and
      P/Q at P15-17. Surprisingly, acute administration of bilirubin augmented the VGCC
      currents specifically mediated by high voltage-activated (HVA) P/Q-type calcium
      currents. This augment was attenuated by intracellular loading of Ca2+ buffer
      EGTA or calmodulin inhibitory peptide. Our findings indicate that acute exposure
      to bilirubin increases VGCC currents, primarily by targeting P/Q-type calcium
      channels via Ca2+ and calmodulin dependent mechanisms to overwhelm neurons with
      excessive Ca2+. Since P/Q-subtype calcium channels are more prominent in neonatal
      neurons (e.g. P4-6) than later stages, we suggest this subtype-specific
      enhancement of P/Q-type Ca2+ currents likely contributes to the early neuronal
      vulnerability to hyperbilirubinemia in auditory and other brain regions.

PMID- 28348378
TI  - Endocannabinoid signalling modulates susceptibility to traumatic stress exposure.
AB  - Stress is a ubiquitous risk factor for the exacerbation and development of
      affective disorders including major depression and posttraumatic stress disorder.
      Understanding the neurobiological mechanisms conferring resilience to the adverse
      consequences of stress could have broad implications for the treatment and
      prevention of mood and anxiety disorders. We utilize laboratory mice and their
      innate inter-individual differences in stress-susceptibility to demonstrate a
      critical role for the endogenous cannabinoid 2-arachidonoylglycerol (2-AG) in
      stress-resilience. Specifically, systemic 2-AG augmentation is associated with a
      stress-resilient phenotype and enhances resilience in previously susceptible
      mice, while systemic 2-AG depletion or CB1 receptor blockade increases
      susceptibility in previously resilient mice. Moreover, stress-resilience is
      associated with increased phasic 2-AG-mediated synaptic suppression at ventral
      hippocampal-amygdala glutamatergic synapses and amygdala-specific 2-AG depletion
      impairs successful adaptation to repeated stress. These data indicate amygdala 2
      AG signalling mechanisms promote resilience to adverse effects of acute traumatic
      stress and facilitate adaptation to repeated stress exposure.

PMID- 28348380
TI  - Preventing intrusive memories after trauma via a brief intervention involving
      Tetris computer game play in the emergency department: a proof-of-concept
      randomized controlled trial.
AB  - After psychological trauma, recurrent intrusive visual memories may be
      distressing and disruptive. Preventive interventions post trauma are lacking.
      Here we test a behavioural intervention after real-life trauma derived from
      cognitive neuroscience. We hypothesized that intrusive memories would be
      significantly reduced in number by an intervention involving a computer game with
      high visuospatial demands (Tetris), via disrupting consolidation of sensory
      elements of trauma memory. The Tetris-based intervention (trauma memory reminder
      cue plus c. 20 min game play) vs attention-placebo control (written activity log
      for same duration) were both delivered in an emergency department within 6 h of a
      motor vehicle accident. The randomized controlled trial compared the impact on
      the number of intrusive trauma memories in the subsequent week (primary outcome).
      Results vindicated the efficacy of the Tetris-based intervention compared with
      the control condition: there were fewer intrusive memories overall, and time
      series analyses showed that intrusion incidence declined more quickly. There were
      convergent findings on a measure of clinical post-trauma intrusion symptoms at 1
      week, but not on other symptom clusters or at 1 month. Results of this proof-of
      concept study suggest that a larger trial, powered to detect differences at 1
      month, is warranted. Participants found the intervention easy, helpful and
      minimally distressing. By translating emerging neuroscientific insights and
      experimental research into the real world, we offer a promising new low-intensity
      psychiatric intervention that could prevent debilitating intrusive memories
      following trauma.

PMID- 28348379
TI  - Genetic evidence for role of integration of fast and slow neurotransmission in
      schizophrenia.
AB  - The most recent genome-wide association studies (GWAS) of schizophrenia (SCZ)
      identified hundreds of risk variants potentially implicated in the disease.
      Further, novel statistical methodology designed for polygenic architecture
      revealed more potential risk variants. This can provide a link between individual
      genetic factors and the mechanistic underpinnings of SCZ. Intriguingly, a large
      number of genes coding for ionotropic and metabotropic receptors for various
      neurotransmitters-glutamate, gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA), dopamine, serotonin,
      acetylcholine and opioids-and numerous ion channels were associated with SCZ.
      Here, we review these findings from the standpoint of classical neurobiological
      knowledge of neuronal synaptic transmission and regulation of electrical
      excitability. We show that a substantial proportion of the identified genes are
      involved in intracellular cascades known to integrate 'slow' (G-protein-coupled
      receptors) and 'fast' (ionotropic receptors) neurotransmission converging on the
      protein DARPP-32. Inspection of the Human Brain Transcriptome Project database
      confirms that that these genes are indeed expressed in the brain, with the
      expression profile following specific developmental trajectories, underscoring
      their relevance to brain organization and function. These findings extend the
      existing pathophysiology hypothesis by suggesting a unifying role of
      dysregulation in neuronal excitability and synaptic integration in SCZ. This
      emergent model supports the concept of SCZ as an 'associative' disorder-a
      breakdown in the communication across different slow and fast neurotransmitter
      systems through intracellular signaling pathways-and may unify a number of
      currently competing hypotheses of SCZ pathophysiology.

PMID- 28348381
TI  - Greater extracellular free-water in first-episode psychosis predicts better
      neurocognitive functioning.
AB  - Free Water Imaging is a novel diffusion magnetic resonance (MR) imaging method
      that is able to separate changes affecting the extracellular space from those
      that reflect changes in neuronal cells and processes. A previous Free Water
      Imaging study in schizophrenia identified significantly greater extracellular
      water volume in the early stages of the disorder; however, its clinical and
      functional sequelae have not yet been investigated. Here, we applied Free Water
      Imaging to a larger cohort of 63 first-episode patients with psychosis and 70
      healthy matched controls to better understand the functional significance of
      greater extracellular water. We used diffusion MR imaging data and the Tract
      Based Spatial Statistics analytic pipeline to first analyze fractional anisotropy
      (FA), the most commonly employed metric for assessing white matter. This
      comparison was then followed by Free Water Imaging analysis, where two
      parameters, the fractional volume of extracellular free-water (FW) and cellular
      tissue FA (FA-t), were estimated and compared across the entire white matter
      skeleton between groups, and correlated with cognitive measures at baseline and
      following 12 weeks of antipsychotic treatment. Our results indicated lower FA
      across the whole brain in patients compared with healthy controls that overlap
      with significant increases in FW, with only limited decreases in FA-t. In
      addition, higher FW correlated with better neurocognitive functioning following
      12 weeks of antipsychotic treatment. We believe this is the first study to
      suggest that an extracellular water increase during the first-episode of
      psychosis, which may be indicative of an acute neuroinflammatory process, and/or
      cerebral edema may predict better functional outcome.

PMID- 28348382
TI  - Delta-frequency stimulation of cerebellar projections can compensate for
      schizophrenia-related medial frontal dysfunction.
AB  - Schizophrenia involves abnormalities in the medial frontal cortex that lead to
      cognitive deficits. Here we investigate a novel strategy to normalize medial
      frontal brain activity by stimulating cerebellar projections. We used an interval
      timing task to study elementary cognitive processing that requires both frontal
      and cerebellar networks that are disrupted in patients with schizophrenia. We
      report three novel findings. First, patients with schizophrenia had dysfunctional
      delta rhythms between 1-4 Hz in the medial frontal cortex. We explored cerebellar
      frontal interactions in animal models and found that both frontal and cerebellar
      neurons were modulated during interval timing and had delta-frequency
      interactions. Finally, delta-frequency optogenetic stimulation of thalamic
      synaptic terminals of lateral cerebellar projection neurons rescued timing
      performance as well as medial frontal activity in a rodent model of schizophrenia
      related frontal dysfunction. These data provide insight into how the cerebellum
      influences medial frontal networks and the role of the cerebellum in cognitive
      processing.

PMID- 28348383
TI  - Prefrontal gray matter volume mediates genetic risks for obesity.
AB  - Genetic and neuroimaging research has identified neurobiological correlates of
      obesity. However, evidence for an integrated model of genetic risk and brain
      structural alterations in the pathophysiology of obesity is still absent. Here we
      investigated the relationship between polygenic risk for obesity, gray matter
      structure and body mass index (BMI) by the use of univariate and multivariate
      analyses in two large, independent cohorts (n=330 and n=347). Higher BMI and
      higher polygenic risk for obesity were significantly associated with medial
      prefrontal gray matter decrease, and prefrontal gray matter was further shown to
      significantly mediate the effect of polygenic risk for obesity on BMI in both
      samples. Building on this, the successful individualized prediction of BMI by
      means of multivariate pattern classification algorithms trained on whole-brain
      imaging data and external validations in the second cohort points to potential
      clinical applications of this imaging trait marker.

PMID- 28348384
TI  - Microglia and schizophrenia: where next?

PMID- 28348385
TI  - Depression, telomeres and mitochondrial DNA: between- and within-person
      associations from a 10-year longitudinal study.
AB  - Alterations in cellular aging, indexed by leukocyte telomere length (LTL) and
      mitochondrial DNA copy number (mtDNAcn), might partly account for the increased
      health risks in persons with depression. Although some studies indeed found cross
      sectional associations of depression with LTL and mtDNAcn, the longitudinal
      associations remain unclear. This 10-year longitudinal study examined between-
      and within-person associations of depressive symptoms with LTL and mtDNAcn in a
      large community sample. Data are from years 15, 20 and 25 follow-up evaluations
      in 977 subjects from the Coronary Artery Risk Development in Young Adults study.
      Depressive symptoms (years 15, 20, 25) were assessed with the Center for
      Epidemiologic Studies Depression (CES-D) scale; LTL (years 15, 20, 25) and
      mtDNAcn (years 15, 25) were measured in whole blood by quantitative PCR. With
      mixed-model analyses, we explored between- and within-person associations between
      CES-D scores and cellular aging markers. Results showed that high levels of
      depressive symptomatology throughout the 10-year time span was associated with
      shorter average LTL over 10 years (B=-4.2; P=0.014) after covarying for age, sex,
      race and education. However, no within-person association was found between
      depressive symptoms and LTL at each year (B=-0.8; P=0.548). Further, we found no
      between-person (B=-0.2; P=0.744) or within-person (B=0.4; P=0.497) associations
      between depressive symptomatology and mtDNAcn. Our results provide evidence for a
      long-term, between-person relationship of depressive symptoms with LTL, rather
      than a dynamic and direct within-person relationship. In this study, we found no
      evidence for an association between depressive symptoms and mtDNAcn.

PMID- 28348387
TI  - A synthetic small-molecule Isoxazole-9 protects against methamphetamine relapse.
AB  - Adult neurogenesis in the dentate gyrus (DG) is strongly influenced by drug
      taking behavior and may have a role in the etiology of drug-seeking behavior.
      However, mechanistic studies on the relationship of neurogenesis on drug seeking
      are limited. Outbred Wistar rats experienced extended access methamphetamine self
      administration and individual differences in drug taking defined animals with
      higher preferred and lower preferred levels of drug intake. Forced abstinence
      from higher preferred levels of drug taking enhanced neurogenesis and neuronal
      activation of granule cell neurons (GCNs) in the DG and produced compulsive-like
      drug reinstatement. Systemic treatment with the drug Isoxazole-9 (a synthetic
      small molecule known to modulate neurogenesis in the adult rodent brain) during
      abstinence blocked compulsive-like context-driven methamphetamine reinstatement.
      Isoxazole-9 modulated neurogenesis, neuronal activation and structural plasticity
      of GCNs, and expression of synaptic proteins associated with learning and memory
      in the DG. These findings identify a subset of newly born GCNs within the DG that
      could directly contribute to drug-seeking behavior. Taken together, these results
      support a direct role for the importance of adult neurogenesis during abstinence
      in compulsive-like drug reinstatement.

PMID- 28348386
TI  - Perinatal risk factors in Tourette's and chronic tic disorders: a total
      population sibling comparison study.
AB  - Adverse perinatal events may increase the risk of Tourette's and chronic tic
      disorders (TD/CTD), but previous studies have been unable to control for
      unmeasured environmental and genetic confounding. We aimed to prospectively
      investigate potential perinatal risk factors for TD/CTD, taking unmeasured
      factors shared between full siblings into account. A population-based birth
      cohort, consisting of all singletons born in Sweden in 1973-2003, was followed
      until December 2013. A total of 3 026 861 individuals were identified, 5597 of
      which had a registered TD/CTD diagnosis. We then studied differentially exposed
      full siblings from 947 942 families; of these, 3563 families included siblings
      that were discordant for TD/CTD. Perinatal data were collected from the Medical
      Birth Register and TD/CTD diagnoses were collected from the National Patient
      Register, using a previously validated algorithm. In the fully adjusted models,
      impaired fetal growth, preterm birth, breech presentation and cesarean section
      were associated with a higher risk of TD/CTD, largely independent from shared
      family confounders and measured covariates. Maternal smoking during pregnancy was
      associated with risk of TD/CTD in a dose-response manner but the association was
      no longer statistically significant in the sibling comparison models or after the
      exclusion of comorbid attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder. A dose-response
      relationship between the number of adverse perinatal events and increased risk
      for TD/CTD was also observed, with hazard ratios ranging from 1.41 (95%
      confidence interval (CI): 1.33-1.50) for one event to 2.42 (95% CI: 1.65-3.53)
      for five or more events. These results pave the way for future gene by
      environment interaction and epigenetic studies in TD/CTD.

PMID- 28348389
TI  - Stable and solubilized active Au atom clusters for selective epoxidation of cis
      cyclooctene with molecular oxygen.
AB  - The ability of Au catalysts to effect the challenging task of utilizing molecular
      oxygen for the selective epoxidation of cyclooctene is fascinating. Although
      supported nanometre-size Au particles are poorly active, here we show that
      solubilized atomic Au clusters, present in ng ml-1 concentrations and stabilized
      by ligands derived from the oxidized hydrocarbon products, are active. They can
      be formed from various Au sources. They generate initiators and propagators to
      trigger the onset of the auto-oxidation reaction with an apparent turnover
      frequency of 440 s-1, and continue to generate additional initiators throughout
      the auto-oxidation cycle without direct participation in the cycle. Spectroscopic
      characterization suggests that 7-8 atom clusters are effective catalytically.
      Extension of work based on these understandings leads to the demonstration that
      these Au clusters are also effective in selective oxidation of cyclohexene, and
      that solubilized Pt clusters are also capable of generating initiators for
      cyclooctene epoxidation.

PMID- 28348388
TI  - Nano-silver-decorated microfibrous eggshell membrane: processing, cytotoxicity
      assessment and optimization, antibacterial activity and wound healing.
AB  - An ideal wound dressing can both promote wound healing and prevent bacterial
      infection. Here, we report a potential dressing prepared by incorporating an
      optimized concentration of silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) into the microfibers of a
      natural eggshell membrane (EM) using environmentally friendly and mussel-inspired
      dopamine. Briefly, acid-treated EM was used as a porous membrane for polydopamine
      reduced AgNPs synthesis. To obtain the optimal cytocompatible silver
      concentration, cellular attachment and MTT assay were performed with different
      concentrations of AgNPs. The morphology of the EM and AgNPs was confirmed by
      scanning electronic microscopy, scanning transmission electronic microscopy and
      Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. The synthesized EM/AgNPs exhibited
      steady and safe AgNPs release, which was further tested for antibacterial
      activity against Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus by disc diffusion
      method and bacterial suspension assay. Finally, in a murine full-thickness skin
      wound model, we found that EM/AgNPs could promote re-epithelialization,
      granulation tissue formation and wound healing via enhancing cell proliferation,
      as demonstrated by the expression of proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA),
      and controlling inflammation response, as demonstrated by the expression of
      interleukin-1beta (IL-1beta). These findings suggest that EM/AgNPs may have a
      promising application in wound management.

PMID- 28348390
TI  - Donor cell leukemia: evidence for multiple preleukemic clones and parallel long
      term clonal evolution in donor and recipient.

PMID- 28348392
TI  - Augmented reality with image registration, vision correction and sunlight
      readability via liquid crystal devices.
AB  - Augmented reality (AR), which use computer-aided projected information to augment
      our sense, has important impact on human life, especially for the elder people.
      However, there are three major challenges regarding the optical system in the AR
      system, which are registration, vision correction, and readability under strong
      ambient light. Here, we solve three challenges simultaneously for the first time
      using two liquid crystal (LC) lenses and polarizer-free attenuator integrated in
      optical-see-through AR system. One of the LC lens is used to electrically adjust
      the position of the projected virtual image which is so-called registration. The
      other LC lens with larger aperture and polarization independent characteristic is
      in charge of vision correction, such as myopia and presbyopia. The linearity of
      lens powers of two LC lenses is also discussed. The readability of virtual images
      under strong ambient light is solved by electrically switchable transmittance of
      the LC attenuator originating from light scattering and light absorption. The
      concept demonstrated in this paper could be further extended to other electro
      optical devices as long as the devices exhibit the capability of phase
      modulations and amplitude modulations.

PMID- 28348391
TI  - Functional cis-regulatory modules encoded by mouse-specific endogenous
      retrovirus.
AB  - Cis-regulatory modules contain multiple transcription factor (TF)-binding sites
      and integrate the effects of each TF to control gene expression in specific
      cellular contexts. Transposable elements (TEs) are uniquely equipped to deposit
      their regulatory sequences across a genome, which could also contain cis
      regulatory modules that coordinate the control of multiple genes with the same
      regulatory logic. We provide the first evidence of mouse-specific TEs that encode
      a module of TF-binding sites in mouse embryonic stem cells (ESCs). The majority
      (77%) of the individual TEs tested exhibited enhancer activity in mouse ESCs. By
      mutating individual TF-binding sites within the TE, we identified a module of TF
      binding motifs that cooperatively enhanced gene expression. Interestingly, we
      also observed the same motif module in the in silico constructed ancestral TE
      that also acted cooperatively to enhance gene expression. Our results suggest
      that ancestral TE insertions might have brought in cis-regulatory modules into
      the mouse genome.

PMID- 28348393
TI  - Combination of volume and perfusion parameters reveals different types of grey
      matter changes in schizophrenia.
AB  - Diverse brain structural and functional changes have been reported in
      schizophrenia. Identifying different types of brain changes may help to
      understand the neural mechanisms and to develop reliable biomarkers in
      schizophrenia. We aimed to categorize different grey matter changes in
      schizophrenia based on grey matter volume (GMV) and cerebral blood flow (CBF).
      Structural and perfusion magnetic resonance imaging data were acquired in 100
      schizophrenia patients and 95 healthy comparison subjects. Voxel-based GMV
      comparison was used to show structural changes, CBF analysis was used to
      demonstrate functional changes. We identified three types of grey matter changes
      in schizophrenia: structural and functional impairments in the anterior cingulate
      cortex and insular cortex, displaying reduction in both GMV and CBF; structural
      impairment with preserved function in the frontal and temporal cortices,
      demonstrating decreased GMV with normal CBF; pure functional abnormality in the
      anterior cingulate cortex and lateral prefrontal cortex and putamen, showing
      altered CBF with normal GMV. By combination of GMV and CBF, we identified three
      types of grey matter changes in schizophrenia. These findings may help to
      understand the complex manifestations and to develop reliable biomarkers in
      schizophrenia.

PMID- 28348395
TI  - The Role of Local Instabilities in Fluid Invasion into Permeable Media.
AB  - Wettability is an important factor which controls the displacement of immiscible
      fluids in permeable media, with far reaching implications for storage of CO2 in
      deep saline aquifers, fuel cells, oil recovery, and for the remediation of oil
      contaminated soils. Considering the paradigmatic case of random piles of
      spherical beads, fluid front morphologies emerging during slow immiscible
      displacement are investigated in real time by X-ray micro-tomography and
      quantitatively compared with model predictions. Controlled by the wettability of
      the bead matrix two distinct displacement patterns are found. A compact front
      morphology emerges if the invading fluid wets the beads while a fingered
      morphology is found for non-wetting invading fluids, causing the residual amount
      of defending fluid to differ by one order of magnitude. The corresponding
      crossover between these two regimes in terms of the advancing contact angle is
      governed by an interplay of wettability and pore geometry and can be predicted on
      the basis of a purely quasi-static consideration of local instabilities that
      control the progression of the invading interface.

PMID- 28348394
TI  - The G2A receptor (GPR132) contributes to oxaliplatin-induced mechanical pain
      hypersensitivity.
AB  - Chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathic pain (CIPN) is a common and severe
      debilitating side effect of many widely used cytostatics. However, there is no
      approved pharmacological treatment for CIPN available. Among other substances,
      oxaliplatin causes CIPN in up to 80% of treated patients. Here, we report the
      involvement of the G-protein coupled receptor G2A (GPR132) in oxaliplatin-induced
      neuropathic pain in mice. We found that mice deficient in the G2A-receptor show
      decreased mechanical hypersensitivity after oxaliplatin treatment. Lipid ligands
      of G2A were found in increased concentrations in the sciatic nerve and dorsal
      root ganglia of oxaliplatin treated mice. Calcium imaging and patch-clamp
      experiments show that G2A activation sensitizes the ligand-gated ion channel
      TRPV1 in sensory neurons via activation of PKC. Based on these findings, we
      conclude that targeting G2A may be a promising approach to reduce oxaliplatin
      induced TRPV1-sensitization and the hyperexcitability of sensory neurons and
      thereby to reduce pain in patients treated with this chemotherapeutic agent.

PMID- 28348396
TI  - Cooperation and competition shape ecological resistance during periodic spatial
      disturbance of engineered bacteria.
AB  - Cooperation is fundamental to the survival of many bacterial species. Previous
      studies have shown that spatial structure can both promote and suppress
      cooperation. Most environments where bacteria are found are periodically
      disturbed, which can affect the spatial structure of the population. Despite the
      important role that spatial disturbances play in maintaining ecological
      relationships, it remains unclear as to how periodic spatial disturbances affect
      bacteria dependent on cooperation for survival. Here, we use bacteria engineered
      with a strong Allee effect to investigate how the frequency of periodic spatial
      disturbances affects cooperation. We show that at intermediate frequencies of
      spatial disturbance, the ability of the bacterial population to cooperate is
      perturbed. A mathematical model demonstrates that periodic spatial disturbance
      leads to a tradeoff between accessing an autoinducer and accessing nutrients,
      which determines the ability of the bacteria to cooperate. Based on this
      relationship, we alter the ability of the bacteria to access an autoinducer. We
      show that increased access to an autoinducer can enhance cooperation, but can
      also reduce ecological resistance, defined as the ability of a population to
      resist changes due to disturbance. Our results may have implications in
      maintaining stability of microbial communities and in the treatment of infectious
      diseases.

PMID- 28348397
TI  - Nanostructure Introduces Artifacts in Quantitative Immunofluorescence by
      Influencing Fluorophore Intensity.
AB  - Quantitative analysis of fluorescence signals from cells reacted with
      fluorescently labeled probes is a widely-used method for assessing cell biology.
      This method has become especially powerful for screening novel nanostructured
      materials for their influence on cell behavior. However, the effect of
      nanostructured surface on fluorescence intensity has largely been ignored, which
      likely leads to erroneous conclusions about cell behavior. This paper
      investigates this possibility by using fibroblasts cultured on nanoporous gold
      (np-Au) as a model nanostructured material system. We found that fibroblasts
      stained for f-actin using phalloidin conjugated with common fluorophores display
      different levels of fluorescence on np-Au, planar gold, and glass, suggesting
      different levels of f-actin composition. However, direct quantification via
      western blots indicates that the actin expression is the same across all
      conditions. We further investigated whether the fluorescence intensity depended
      on np-Au feature size, complementing the findings with reflection dark field
      measurements from different np-Au surfaces. Overall, our experimental
      measurements in agreement with our electrodynamic simulations suggest that
      nanostructured surfaces alter the fluorescence intensity of fluorophores by
      modulating both the excitation and light emission processes. We conclude that
      comparison of fluorescence on materials with different nanostructures should be
      done with a quantification method decoupled from the nanostructure's influence.

PMID- 28348398
TI  - Depleting Mycobacterium tuberculosis of the transcription termination factor Rho
      causes pervasive transcription and rapid death.
AB  - Rifampicin, which inhibits bacterial RNA polymerase, provides one of the most
      effective treatments for tuberculosis. Inhibition of the transcription
      termination factor Rho is used to treat some bacterial infections, but its
      importance varies across bacteria. Here we show that Rho of Mycobacterium
      tuberculosis functions to both define the 3' ends of mRNAs and silence
      substantial fragments of the genome. Brief inactivation of Rho affects over 500
      transcripts enriched for genes of foreign DNA elements and bacterial virulence
      factors. Prolonged inactivation of Rho causes extensive pervasive transcription,
      a genome-wide increase in antisense transcripts, and a rapid loss of viability of
      replicating and non-replicating M. tuberculosis in vitro and during acute and
      chronic infection in mice. Collectively, these data suggest that inhibition of
      Rho may provide an alternative strategy to treat tuberculosis with an efficacy
      similar to inhibition of RNA polymerase.

PMID- 28348399
TI  - Regioregular narrow-bandgap-conjugated polymers for plastic electronics.

PMID- 28348400
TI  - Faster phonological processing and right occipito-temporal coupling in deaf
      adults signal poor cochlear implant outcome.
AB  - The outcome of adult cochlear implantation is predicted positively by the
      involvement of visual cortex in speech processing, and negatively by the cross
      modal recruitment of the right temporal cortex during and after deafness. How
      these two neurofunctional predictors concur to modulate cochlear implant (CI)
      performance remains unclear. In this fMRI study, we explore the joint involvement
      of occipital and right hemisphere regions in a visual-based phonological task in
      post-lingual deafness. Intriguingly, we show that some deaf subjects perform
      faster than controls. This behavioural effect is associated with reorganized
      connectivity across bilateral visual, right temporal and left inferior frontal
      cortices, but with poor CI outcome. Conversely, preserved normal-range reaction
      times are associated with left-lateralized phonological processing and good CI
      outcome. These results suggest that following deafness, involvement of visual
      cortex in the context of reorganized right-lateralized phonological processing
      compromises its availability for audio-visual synergy during adaptation to CI.

PMID- 28348401
TI  - X-ray ptychographic and fluorescence microscopy of frozen-hydrated cells using
      continuous scanning.
AB  - X-ray microscopy can be used to image whole, unsectioned cells in their native
      hydrated state. It complements the higher resolution of electron microscopy for
      submicrometer thick specimens, and the molecule-specific imaging capabilites of
      fluorescence light microscopy. We describe here the first use of fast, continuous
      x-ray scanning of frozen hydrated cells for simultaneous sub-20 nm resolution
      ptychographic transmission imaging with high contrast, and sub-100 nm resolution
      deconvolved x-ray fluorescence imaging of diffusible and bound ions at native
      concentrations, without the need to add specific labels. By working with cells
      that have been rapidly frozen without the use of chemical fixatives, and imaging
      them under cryogenic conditions, we are able to obtain images with well preserved
      structural and chemical composition, and sufficient stability against radiation
      damage to allow for multiple images to be obtained with no observable change.

PMID- 28348402
TI  - Plasmonic hot electron transport drives nano-localized chemistry.
AB  - Nanoscale localization of electromagnetic fields near metallic nanostructures
      underpins the fundamentals and applications of plasmonics. The unavoidable energy
      loss from plasmon decay, initially seen as a detriment, has now expanded the
      scope of plasmonic applications to exploit the generated hot carriers. However,
      quantitative understanding of the spatial localization of these hot carriers,
      akin to electromagnetic near-field maps, has been elusive. Here we spatially map
      hot-electron-driven reduction chemistry with 15 nm resolution as a function of
      time and electromagnetic field polarization for different plasmonic
      nanostructures. We combine experiments employing a six-electron photo-recycling
      process that modify the terminal group of a self-assembled monolayer on plasmonic
      silver nanoantennas, with theoretical predictions from first-principles
      calculations of non-equilibrium hot-carrier transport in these systems. The
      resulting localization of reactive regions, determined by hot-carrier transport
      from high-field regions, paves the way for improving efficiency in hot-carrier
      extraction science and nanoscale regio-selective surface chemistry.

PMID- 28348403
TI  - Transcriptome and functional analysis reveals hybrid vigor for oil biosynthesis
      in oil palm.
AB  - Oil palm is the most productive oil crop in the world and composes 36% of the
      world production. However, the molecular mechanisms of hybrids vigor (or
      heterosis) between Dura, Pisifera and their hybrid progeny Tenera has not yet
      been well understood. Here we compared the temporal and spatial compositions of
      lipids and transcriptomes for two oil yielding organs mesocarp and endosperm from
      Dura, Pisifera and Tenera. Multiple lipid biosynthesis pathways are highly
      enriched in all non-additive expression pattern in endosperm, while cytokinine
      biosynthesis and cell cycle pathways are highly enriched both in endosperm and
      mesocarp. Compared with parental palms, the high oil content in Tenera was
      associated with much higher transcript levels of EgWRI1, homolog of Arabidopsis
      thaliana WRINKLED1. Among 338 identified genes in lipid synthesis, 207 (61%) has
      been identified to contain the WRI1 specific binding AW motif. We further
      functionally identified EgWRI1-1, one of three EgWRI1 orthologs, by genetic
      complementation of the Arabidopsis wri1 mutant. Ectopic expression of EgWRI1-1 in
      plant produced dramatically increased seed mass and oil content, with oil profile
      changed. Our findings provide an explanation for EgWRI1 as an important gene
      contributing hybrid vigor in lipid biosynthesis in oil palm.

PMID- 28348405
TI  - Isolation and Characterization of Encephalomyocarditis Virus from Dogs in China.
AB  - Encephalomyocarditis virus (EMCV) is as a potential zoonotic agent with a wide
      host range. Here, we describe an EMC virus isolate, identified as EMCV C15, which
      was successfully obtained from the serum of dogs from animal hospitals. Virus
      production in cell culture was confirmed by EMCV-specific real-time RT-PCR,
      indirect immunofluorescence assays and electron microscopy. In addition, the open
      reading frame sequence (ORF) of the EMCV C15 virus was determined. From sequence
      comparison and phylogenetic analysis among 24 reference EMCV strains, it appears
      that the EMCV C15 strain is closely genetically related to strain BEL2887A/91
      (>99.0% nucleotide identity). In artificially challenged dogs, the heart and
      brain were important targets of EMCV C15. This study provides genetic and
      pathogenic characterization of the EMCV C15 strain isolated in Beijing and calls
      for sustained surveillance of EMCV infection in China to support better
      prevention and control of the disease.

PMID- 28348406
TI  - Cross shelf benthic biodiversity patterns in the Southern Red Sea.
AB  - The diversity of coral reef and soft sediment ecosystems in the Red Sea has to
      date received limited scientific attention. This study investigates changes in
      the community composition of both reef and macrobenthic communities along a cross
      shelf gradient. Coral reef assemblages differed significantly in species
      composition and structure with location and depth. Inner shelf reefs harbored
      less abundant and less diverse coral assemblages with higher percentage
      macroalgae cover. Nutrient availability and distance from the shoreline were
      significantly related to changes in coral composition and structure. This study
      also observed a clear inshore offshore pattern for soft sediment communities. In
      contrast to the coral reef patterns the highest diversity and abundance of soft
      sediment communities were recorded at the inshore sites, which were characterized
      by a higher number of opportunistic polychaete species and bivalves indicative of
      mild disturbance. Sediment grain size and nutrient enrichment were important
      variables explaining the variability. This study aims to contribute to our
      understanding of ecosystem processes and biodiversity in the Red Sea region in an
      area that also has the potential to provide insight into pressing topics, such as
      the capacity of reef systems and benthic macrofaunal organisms to adapt to global
      climate change.

PMID- 28348404
TI  - Proteogenomic integration reveals therapeutic targets in breast cancer
      xenografts.
AB  - Recent advances in mass spectrometry (MS) have enabled extensive analysis of
      cancer proteomes. Here, we employed quantitative proteomics to profile protein
      expression across 24 breast cancer patient-derived xenograft (PDX) models.
      Integrated proteogenomic analysis shows positive correlation between expression
      measurements from transcriptomic and proteomic analyses; further, gene expression
      based intrinsic subtypes are largely re-capitulated using non-stromal protein
      markers. Proteogenomic analysis also validates a number of predicted genomic
      targets in multiple receptor tyrosine kinases. However, several
      protein/phosphoprotein events such as overexpression of AKT proteins and ARAF,
      BRAF, HSP90AB1 phosphosites are not readily explainable by genomic analysis,
      suggesting that druggable translational and/or post-translational regulatory
      events may be uniquely diagnosed by MS. Drug treatment experiments targeting HER2
      and components of the PI3K pathway supported proteogenomic response predictions
      in seven xenograft models. Our study demonstrates that MS-based proteomics can
      identify therapeutic targets and highlights the potential of PDX drug response
      evaluation to annotate MS-based pathway activities.

PMID- 28348407
TI  - Fabrication of nanotweezers and their remote actuation by magnetic fields.
AB  - A new kind of nanodevice that acts like tweezers through remote actuation by an
      external magnetic field is designed. Such device is meant to mechanically grab
      micrometric objects. The nanotweezers are built by using a top-down approach and
      are made of two parallelepipedic microelements, at least one of them being
      magnetic, bound by a flexible nanohinge. The presence of an external magnetic
      field induces a torque on the magnetic elements that competes with the elastic
      torque provided by the nanohinge. A model is established in order to evaluate the
      values of the balanced torques as a function of the tweezers opening angles. The
      results of the calculations are confronted to the expected values and validate
      the overall working principle of the magnetic nanotweezers.

PMID- 28348408
TI  - Feasible attack on detector-device-independent quantum key distribution.
AB  - Recently, to bridge the gap between security of Measurement-device-independent
      quantum key distribution (MDI-QKD) and a high key rate, a novel protocol, the so
      called detector-device-independent QKD (DDI-QKD), has been independently proposed
      by several groups and has attracted great interest. A higher key rate is
      obtained, since a single photon bell state measurement (BSM) setup is applied to
      DDI-QKD. Subsequently, Qi has proposed two attacks for this protocol. However,
      the first attack, in which Bob's BSM setup is assumed to be completely a "black
      box", is easily prevented by using some additional monitoring devices or by
      specifically characterizing the BSM. The second attack, which combines the
      blinding attack and the detector wavelength-dependent efficiency, is not
      explicitly discussed, and its feasibility is not experimentally confirmed. Here,
      we show that the second attack is not technically viable because of an
      intrinsically wavelength-dependent property of a realistic beam splitter, which
      is an essential component in DDI-QKD. Moreover, we propose a feasible attack that
      combines a well-known attack-detector blinding attack with intrinsic
      imperfections of single-photon detectors. The experimental measurement and proof
      of-principle test results confirm that our attack can allow Eve to get a copy of
      quantum keys without being detected and that it is feasible with current
      technology.

PMID- 28348409
TI  - Inhibiting the system xC-/glutathione axis selectively targets cancers with
      mutant-p53 accumulation.
AB  - TP53, a critical tumour suppressor gene, is mutated in over half of all cancers
      resulting in mutant-p53 protein accumulation and poor patient survival.
      Therapeutic strategies to target mutant-p53 cancers are urgently needed. We show
      that accumulated mutant-p53 protein suppresses the expression of SLC7A11, a
      component of the cystine/glutamate antiporter, system xC-, through binding to the
      master antioxidant transcription factor NRF2. This diminishes glutathione
      synthesis, rendering mutant-p53 tumours susceptible to oxidative damage. System
      xC- inhibitors specifically exploit this vulnerability to preferentially kill
      cancer cells with stabilized mutant-p53 protein. Moreover, we demonstrate that
      SLC7A11 expression is a novel and robust predictive biomarker for APR-246, a
      first-in-class mutant-p53 reactivator that also binds and depletes glutathione in
      tumours, triggering lipid peroxidative cell death. Importantly, system xC-
      antagonism strongly synergizes with APR-246 to induce apoptosis in mutant-p53
      tumours. We propose a new paradigm for targeting cancers that accumulate mutant
      p53 protein by inhibiting the SLC7A11-glutathione axis.

PMID- 28348410
TI  - A Pseudomonas T6SS effector recruits PQS-containing outer membrane vesicles for
      iron acquisition.
AB  - Iron sequestration by host proteins contributes to the defence against bacterial
      pathogens, which need iron for their metabolism and virulence. A Pseudomonas
      aeruginosa mutant lacking all three known iron acquisition systems retains the
      ability to grow in media containing iron chelators, suggesting the presence of
      additional pathways involved in iron uptake. Here we screen P. aeruginosa mutants
      defective in growth in iron-depleted media and find that gene PA2374, proximal to
      the type VI secretion system H3 (H3-T6SS), functions synergistically with known
      iron acquisition systems. PA2374 (which we have renamed TseF) appears to be
      secreted by H3-T6SS and is incorporated into outer membrane vesicles (OMVs) by
      directly interacting with the iron-binding Pseudomonas quinolone signal (PQS), a
      cell-cell signalling compound. TseF facilitates the delivery of OMV-associated
      iron to bacterial cells by engaging the Fe(III)-pyochelin receptor FptA and the
      porin OprF. Our results reveal links between type VI secretion, cell-cell
      signalling and classic siderophore receptors for iron acquisition in P.
      aeruginosa.

PMID- 28348413
TI  - THE BLOODY AMPUTATION: A DISCUSSION OF A FIRST DREAM IN AN ANALYSIS.

PMID- 28348412
TI  - Pentameric ligand-gated ion channels exhibit distinct transmembrane domain
      archetypes for folding/expression and function.
AB  - Although transmembrane helix-helix interactions must be strong enough to drive
      folding, they must still permit the inter-helix movements associated with
      conformational change. Interactions between the outermost M4 and adjacent M1 and
      M3 alpha-helices of pentameric ligand-gated ion channels have been implicated in
      folding and function. Here, we evaluate the role of different physical
      interactions at this interface in the function of two prokaryotic homologs, GLIC
      and ELIC. Strikingly, disruption of most interactions in GLIC lead to either a
      reduction or a complete loss of expression and/or function, while analogous
      disruptions in ELIC often lead to gains in function. Structural comparisons
      suggest that GLIC and ELIC represent distinct transmembrane domain archetypes.
      One archetype, exemplified by GLIC, the glycine and GABA receptors and the
      glutamate activated chloride channel, has extensive aromatic contacts that govern
      M4-M1/M3 interactions and that are essential for expression and function. The
      other archetype, exemplified by ELIC and both the nicotinic acetylcholine and
      serotonin receptors, has relatively few aromatic contacts that are detrimental to
      function. These archetypes likely have evolved different mechanisms to balance
      the need for strong M4 "binding" to M1/M3 to promote folding/expression, and the
      need for weaker interactions that allow for greater conformational flexibility.

PMID- 28348411
TI  - Global site-specific N-glycosylation analysis of HIV envelope glycoprotein.
AB  - HIV-1 envelope glycoprotein (Env) is the sole target for broadly neutralizing
      antibodies (bnAbs) and the focus for design of an antibody-based HIV vaccine. The
      Env trimer is covered by ~90N-linked glycans, which shield the underlying protein
      from immune surveillance. bNAbs to HIV develop during infection, with many
      showing dependence on glycans for binding to Env. The ability to routinely assess
      the glycan type at each glycosylation site may facilitate design of improved
      vaccine candidates. Here we present a general mass spectrometry-based proteomics
      strategy that uses specific endoglycosidases to introduce mass signatures that
      distinguish peptide glycosites that are unoccupied or occupied by high
      mannose/hybrid or complex-type glycans. The method yields >95% sequence coverage
      for Env, provides semi-quantitative analysis of the glycosylation status at each
      glycosite. We find that most glycosites in recombinant Env trimers are fully
      occupied by glycans, varying in the proportion of high-mannose/hybrid and complex
      type glycans.

PMID- 28348415
TI  - Potential role of fecal microbiota from patients with slow transit constipation
      in the regulation of gastrointestinal motility.
AB  - The gut microbiota is involved in various physiological functions, and
      disturbances in the host-microbiome have been proven to contribute to the
      dysfunction of gut; however, whether microbiota participates in the pathogenesis
      of constipation remains unclear. In this study, we extracted and analyzed
      microbiota in feces from constipated donors who had undergone effective therapy
      with fecal microbiota transplantation, transplanted microbiota into pseudo-germ
      free mice, and measured gut motility. These mice presented with lower pellet
      frequency and water percentage, smaller pellet size, delayed gastrointestinal
      transit time, and weaker spontaneous contractions of colonic smooth muscle. To
      determine the mechanism underlying delayed gut motility, microbial metabolites
      were measured. Short chain fatty acids and secondary bile acids were decreased in
      mice receiving microbiota from constipated donors. Moreover, the compositional
      changes of gut microbiota in constipated patients were identified, including the
      operational taxonomic unit, and the species richness and alpha diversity were
      much greater than those in healthy volunteers. These findings suggest that
      alterations of the microbiome might affect gut motility via altered microbial
      derived metabolites in the development of constipation, and the restoration of
      disturbed microbiota might improve the clinical phenotype. This study indicates
      that regulating the intestinal environment may be a novel therapy strategy for
      constipation.

PMID- 28348417
TI  - Effects of cadmium on the glial architecture in lizard brain.
AB  - The glial cells are positioned to be the first cells of the brain parenchyma to
      face molecules crossing the blood-brain barrier with a relevant neuroprotective
      role from cytotoxic action of heavy metals on the nervous system. Cadmium is a
      highly toxic metal and its levels in the environment are increasing due to
      industrial activities. This element can pass the blood-brain barrier and have
      neurotoxic activity. For this reason we have studied the effects of cadmium on
      the glial architecture in the lizard Podarcis siculus, a significant bioindicator
      of chemical exposure due to its persistence in a variety of habitats. The study
      was performed on two groups of lizards. The first group of P. siculus was exposed
      to an acute treatment by a single i.p. injection (2 mg/kg-BW) of CdCl2 and
      sacrificed after 2, 7 and 16 days. The second one was used as control. The
      histology of the brain was studied by Hematoxylin/Eosin and Cresyl/Violet stains
      while the glial structures were analyzed by immunodetection of the glial
      fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP), the most widely accepted marker for astroglial
      cells. Evident morphological alterations of the brain were observed at 7 and 16
      days from the injection, when we revealed also a decrease of the GFAP
      immunopositive structures in particular in the rhombencephalic ventricle,
      telencephalon and optic tectum. These results show that in the lizards an acute
      exposure to cadmium provokes morphological cellular alterations in the brain but
      also a decrement of the expression of GFAP marker with possible consequent damage
      of glial cells functions.

PMID- 28348416
TI  - Cannabinoid CB2 receptors are involved in the protection of RAW264.7 macrophages
      against the oxidative stress: an in vitro study.
AB  - Research in the last decades has widely investigated the anti-oxidant properties
      of natural products as a therapeutic approach for the prevention and the
      treatment of oxidative-stress related disorders. In this context, several studies
      were aimed to evaluate the therapeutic potential of phytocannabinoids, the
      bioactive compounds of Cannabis sativa. Here, we examined the anti-oxidant
      ability of Cannabigerol (CBG), a non-psychotropic cannabinoid, still little
      known, into counteracting the hydrogen peroxide (H2O2)-induced oxidative stress
      in murine RAW264.7 macrophages. In addition, we tested selective receptor
      antagonists for cannabinoid receptors and specifically CB1R (SR141716A) and CB2R
      (AM630) in order to investigate through which CBG may exert its action. Taken
      together, our in vitro results showed that CBG is able to counteract oxidative
      stress by activation of CB2 receptors. CB2 antagonist pre-treatment indeed
      blocked the protective effects of CBG in H2O2 stimulated macrophages, while CB1R
      was not involved. Specifically, CBG exhibited a potent action in inhibiting
      oxidative stress, by down-regulation of the main oxidative markers (iNOS,
      nitrotyrosine and PARP-1), by preventing IkappaB-alpha phosphorylation and
      translocation of the nuclear factor-kappaB (NF-kappaB) and also via the
      modulation of MAP kinases pathway. On the other hand, CBG was found to increase
      anti-oxidant defense of cells by modulating superoxide dismutase-1 (SOD-1)
      expression and thus inhibiting cell death (results focused on balance between Bax
      and Bcl-2). Based on its antioxidant activities, CBG may hold great promise as an
      anti-oxidant agent and therefore used in clinical practice as a new approach in
      oxidative-stress related disorders.

PMID- 28348418
TI  - Expression of CGRP, vasculogenesis and osteogenesis associated mRNAs in the
      developing mouse mandible and tibia.
AB  - The neuropeptide Calcitonin Gene-Related Peptide (CGRP) is a well-characterized
      neurotransmitter. However, little is known about the role of CGRP in osteogenesis
      and vascular genesis during the developmental formation of bone. In the present
      study, we assessed the abundance of CGRP mRNA and the mRNA of osteogenesis and
      vascular genesis markers in the foetal mouse mandible and leg bone (tibia). We
      also analysed the expression and localization of CGRP, osteopontin (OPN) and
      vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF-A) using in situ hybridization and
      immunohistochemical localization in the mouse mandible and tibia at embryonic
      days 12.5 (E12.5), E14.5, E17.5, and postnatal day 1 (P1). CGRP was clearly
      detected in the mandible relative to the tibia at E14.5. Hybridization using an
      anti-sense probe for CGRP was not detected in the mandible at P1. Hybridization
      with an anti-sense probe for OPN was detected at E14.5, later in the mandible and
      at P1 in Meckel's cartilage. However, OPN was only detected in the tibia at E17.5
      and later. The abundance of CGRP mRNA differed between the mandible and tibia.
      The level of vasculogenesis markers, such as VEGF-A, was similar to that of CGRP
      in the mandible. The levels of VEGF-A, cluster of differentiation 31 (CD31) and
      lymphatic vessel endothelial hyaluronan receptor 1 (LIVE-1) differed from that of
      OPN in the mandible. In contrast, the levels of VEGF-A, CD31, matrix
      metalloproteinase-2 (MMP-2), collagen I (Col I), collagen II (Col II) and OPN
      mRNA differed from E12.5 to P1 (P<0.001) in the tibia. The abundance of mRNA of
      CGRP and bone matrix markers (Col I, Col II, and OPN) was low at P5 in the tibia.
      These differences in CGRP and other mRNAs may induce a different manner of
      ossification between the mandible and tibia. Therefore, a time lag of
      ossification occurs between the mandible and tibia during foetal development.

PMID- 28348419
TI  - Functional topography of the fully grown human oocyte.
AB  - In vivo maturation (IVM) of human oocytes is a technique used to increase the
      number of usable oocytes for in vitro fertilization (IVF) and represents a
      necessity for women with different ovarian pathologies. During IVM the oocytes
      progress from the germinal vesicle stage (GV) through the metaphase II and during
      this journey both nuclear and cytoplasmic rearrangements must be obtained to
      increase the probability to get viable and healthy zygotes/embryos after IVF. As
      the successful clinical outcomes of this technique are a reality, we wanted to
      investigate the causes behind oocytes maturation arrest. For obvious ethical
      reasons, we were able to analyze only few human immature oocytes discarded and
      donated to research by transmission electron microscopy showing that, as in the
      mouse, they have different chromatin and cytoplasmic organizations both essential
      for further embryo development.

PMID- 28348420
TI  - Reelin expression in human liver of patients with chronic hepatitis C infection.
AB  - Reelin is a secreted extracellular glycoprotein that plays a critical role during
      brain development. Several studies have described Reelin expression in hepatic
      stellate cells of the human liver. In order to investigate the possible role of
      Reelin in the process of hepatic fibrogenesis, in this study we investigated
      Reelin expression in the liver tissue of patients infected with the Hepatitis C
      Virus (HCV). On this basis, Reelin expression was analysed by
      immunohistochemistry during liver biopsies of 81 patients with HCV-related
      chronic hepatitis. A Knodell score was used to stage liver fibrosis. Hepatic
      stellate cells/myofibroblast immunohistochemical markers (CRBP-1, alpha-SMA) were
      also evaluated. As further confirmed by co-localization experiments (Reelin +CRBP
      1), Reelin protein was expressed by hepatic stellate cells/myofibroblasts, and a
      significant positive correlation was found between Reelin expression and the
      stage of liver fibrosis (P=0.002). Moreover, Reelin correlated with CRBP-1
      positive cells (P=0.002), but not with alpha-SMA, suggesting that Reelin should
      not be regarded as a marker of hepatic stellate cells/myofibroblasts
      differentiation but rather as a functional protein expressed during some phases
      of liver fibrosis. Furthermore, Disabled-1 (Dab1), a Reelin adaptor protein, was
      expressed in cells of ductular reaction suggesting a paracrine role for Reelin
      with regards these elements. In conclusion, Reelin was expressed by human hepatic
      stellate cells/myofibroblasts and the number of these cells increased
      significantly in the lobule as the liver fibrosis progressed, suggesting a role
      for Reelin in the activation of hepatic stellate cells/myofibroblasts during
      liver injury. Reelin may potentially be incorporated into liver injury
      evaluations in combination with other histological data.

PMID- 28348421
TI  - The multifaceted role of podoplanin expression in hepatocellular carcinoma.
AB  - The role of podoplanin in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is not clear yet. The
      aim of our study was to evaluate the expression of podoplanin in HCC and to
      determine its role in hepatocarcinogenesis. We performed immunohistochemistry
      with monoclonal D2-40 antibody, on paraffin-embedded tissue sections of 72
      patients diagnosed with HCC. Lymphatic vessels density (LVD) was increased in
      patients who had vascular invasion at the time of diagnosis (P=0.018) and in
      those with associated cirrhosis (P=0.006). Tumor cells showing podoplanin
      expression were correlated with histological grade (P=0.040). Podoplanin
      expressing cancer associated fibroblasts (CAFs) were correlated with both LVD
      (P=0.019) and tumor cells (P=0.015). Our results sustain the dual role of
      podoplanin in HCC by its involvement in both HCC tumorigenesis, lymphatic
      neovascularization and tumor invasion invasiveness. A possible crosstalk between
      epithelial and stromal tumor cells in HCC tumor microenvironment may be mediated
      by podoplanin, but this hypothesis needs further studies to elucidate this
      interrelation.

PMID- 28348422
TI  - Lectin-like, oxidized low-density lipoprotein receptor-1-deficient mice show
      resistance to age-related knee osteoarthritis.
AB  - The lectin-like, oxidized low-density lipoprotein (ox-LDL) receptor-1 (LOX-1)/ox
      LDL system contributes to atherosclerosis and may be involved in cartilage
      degeneration. The purpose of this study was to determine whether the LOX-1/ox-LDL
      system contributes to age-related osteoarthritis (OA) in vivo, using LOX-1
      knockout (LOX-1 KO) mice. Knee cartilage from 6, 12, and 18-month old (n =
      10/group) C57Bl/6 wild-type (WT) and LOX-1 KO mice was evaluated by determining
      the Osteoarthritis Research Society International (OARSI) score of Safranin-O
      stained samples. The prevalence of knee OA in both mouse strains was also
      investigated. Expression levels of LOX-1, ox-LDL, runt-related transcription
      factor-2 (Runx2), type-X collagen (COL X), and matrix metalloproteinase-13 (MMP
      13) in the articular chondrocytes were analyzed immunohistologically. No
      significant difference was observed in the mean scores of WT (2.00+/-0.61) and
      LOX-1 KO mice (2.00+/-0.49) at 6 months of age (P=1.00, n=10). At 12 and 18
      months of age, the mean scores of LOX-1 KO mice (3.75+/-0.93 and 5.50+/-0.78)
      were significantly lower than those of WT mice (5.25+/-1.14 and 9.00+/-1.01;
      P<0.001 in both cases; n=10). The prevalence of OA in LOX-1 KO mice was lower
      than that in WT mice at 12 and 18 months of age (40 vs 70%, 70 vs 90%,
      respectively; n=10). The expression levels of Runx2, COL X, and MMP-13 in
      articular chondrocytes significantly decreased in LOX-1 KO, mice compared with
      those in WT mice. The study indicated that the LOX-1/ox-LDL system in
      chondrocytes plays a role in the pathogenesis of age-related knee OA, which is
      potentially a target for preventing OA progression.

PMID- 28348423
TI  - OTX1 and OTX2 as possible molecular markers of sinonasal carcinomas and olfactory
      neuroblastomas.
AB  - OTX Homeobox genes are involved in embryonic morphogenesis and in the development
      of olfactory epithelium in adult. Mutations occurring in the OTX genes are
      reported to be associated to tumorigenisis in human. No reports correlate the
      expression of OTX genes and neoplasms of the nasal cavity. Thus, through
      immunohistochemical and Real-time PCR analysis we investigated OTX1 and OTX2
      expression in the more frequent types of nasal and sinonasal tumours. Variable
      expression of both genes were found in normal sinonasal mucosa and in tumours.
      Interestingly, no expression of both OTX genes were detected in sinonasal
      intestinal-type adenocarcinomas; only OTX1 was found in non-intestinal-type
      adenocarcinomas and OTX2 was selectively expressed in olfactory neuroblastomas.
      In conclusion, OTX1 and OTX2 genes might have a role in the pathogenesis of
      different types of sinonasal neoplasms.

PMID- 28348425
TI  - The Roles We Have as Hospital Pharmacists.

PMID- 28348426
TI  - ?

PMID- 28348424
TI  - Immunohistochemistry detected and localized cannabinoid receptor type 2 in bovine
      fetal pancreas at late gestation.
AB  - At present, data on the endocannabinoid system expression and distribution in the
      pancreatic gland appear scarce and controversial as descriptions are limited to
      humans and laboratory animals. Since the bovine pancreas is very similar to the
      human in endocrine portion development and control, studies on the fetal gland
      could prove to be very interesting, as an abnormal maternal condition during late
      pregnancy may be a predisposing trigger for adult metabolic disorders. The
      present investigation studied cannabinoid receptor type 2 presence and
      distribution in the bovine fetal pancreas towards the end of gestation.
      Histological analyses revealed numerous endocrinal cell clusters or islets which
      were distributed among exocrine adenomeri in connectival tissue.
      Immunohistochemistry showed that endocrine-islets contained some CB2-positive
      cells with a very peculiar localization that is a few primarily localized at the
      edges of islets and some of them also scattered in the center of the cluster.
      Characteristically, also the epithelium of the excretory ducts and the smooth
      muscle layers of the smaller arteries, in the interlobular glandular septa,
      tested positive for the CB2 endocannabinoid receptor. Conse - quently, the
      endocannabinoid system, via the cannabinoid receptor type 2, was hypothesized to
      play a major role in controlling pancreas function from normal fetal development
      to correct metabolic functioning in adulthood.

PMID- 28348427
TI  - Extended Stability of Sodium Phosphate Solutions in Polyvinyl Chloride Bags.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Sodium phosphate injection is used to treat moderate to severe
      hypophosphatemia. There have been no published reports documenting the physical
      compatibility or chemical stability of sodium phosphate injection in IV
      solutions. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the physical compatibility and chemical
      stability of 30 and 150 mmol/L solutions of phosphate, prepared from sodium
      phosphate injection, in 5% dextrose in water (D5W) and in 0.9% sodium chloride
      (normal saline [NS]) and stored in polyvinyl chloride (PVC) bags at 23 degrees C
      or 4 degrees C over 63 days. METHODS: On study day 0, solutions of phosphate 30
      and 150 mmol/L in D5W or NS were prepared in PVC bags and stored at 4 degrees C
      and 23 degrees C. On prespecified days during the 63-day study period, the
      concentrations of sodium and phosphate were determined, and admixture weight was
      checked to assess moisture loss during storage without a plastic overwrap.
      Chemical stability was calculated from the intersection of the lower 95%
      confidence limit of the degradation rate and the lower limit of acceptability
      (90%) for concentration remaining. RESULTS: The analytical methods for both
      sodium and phosphate were found to be precise (coefficient of variation averaging
      less than 1% for pre-study validation samples). Both sodium and phosphate
      retained more than 94% of the initial concentration over the 63-day study period.
      With 95% confidence, the time to achieve 90% of the initial concentration of both
      sodium and phosphate approached or exceeded the 63-day study period, regardless
      of temperature, concentration, or base solution. CONCLUSIONS: Sodium phosphate
      solutions at a phosphate concentration of 30 or 150 mmol/L in either NS or D5W
      retained more than 94% of the initial concentration of both sodium and phosphate
      over 63 days when stored at 23 degrees C or 4 degrees C. In compliance with
      United States Pharmacopeia General Chapter <797> recommendations, a beyond-use
      date of 14 days (with refrigeration) or 48 h (room temperature) may be applied.
      Extending the beyond-use date beyond these limits may be considered, if a
      validated sterility test is performed.

PMID- 28348428
TI  - Respiratory Syncytial Virus Infection Rates with Limited Use of Palivizumab for
      Infants Born at 29 to 31+6/7 Weeks Gestational Age.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Immunoprophylaxis with palivizumab can reduce respiratory syncytial
      virus (RSV) infections and hospitalizations. Criteria in British Columbia limit
      the use of palivizumab to infants born at 29 to 31+6/7 weeks gestational age,
      which differ from guidelines of the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) and the
      Canadian Paediatric Society (CPS). OBJECTIVE: To determine whether the limited
      use of palivizumab affected the frequency of hospital visits by RSV-positive
      infants (termed "RSV-positive hospital visits") who received approval for
      palivizumab and those who met the AAP/CPS criteria but did not receive approval
      for palivizumab. METHODS: Data sets were generated for the period May 1, 2008, to
      April 30, 2011, to identify infants with gestational age of 29 to 31+6/7 weeks
      who were born in or transferred to the Fraser Health authority, RSV-positive
      results for infants less than 12 months of age who had visited Fraser Health
      sites and BC Children's Hospital, and palivizumab approvals. Infants were matched
      across these 3 data sets through their personal health numbers. RESULTS: The
      study included 359 infants born at 29 to 31+6/7 weeks, of whom 297 met the
      AAP/CPS criteria. However, only 46 of these 297 received approval for palivizumab
      according to the BC criteria. Sixteen (4.5%) of the 359 infants had RSV-positive
      hospital visits during the RSV season (November through March). Of the 46 infants
      who received approval for palivizumab, 2 (4.3%) had RSV-positive hospital visits,
      and of the 251 who met the AAP/CPS criteria but did not receive palivizumab
      approval, 14 (5.6%) had RSV-positive hospital visits. Of the 359 infants, 6
      (1.7%) had RSV-positive results while admitted to the neonatal intensive care
      unit, and 10 (2.8%) tested positive for RSV during a subsequent hospital visit.
      CONCLUSIONS: The frequency of RSV-positive hospital visits did not differ between
      infants who received and those who did not receive approval for palivizumab in
      the Fraser Health authority. Limited use of palivizumab for RSV prophylaxis led
      to reasonable rates of RSV-positive hospital visits in the study population.

PMID- 28348429
TI  - Implementation and Assessment of a Pharmacy Educational Program Concerning
      Laboratory Monitoring for Medications.
AB  - BACKGROUND: The pharmacist's role in monitoring medication therapy, including the
      ability to order laboratory tests as a delegated medical function, has increased
      dramatically over the past 20 years. OBJECTIVES: To implement and assess the
      impact of an intervention designed to educate pharmacists about appropriate
      medication-related laboratory monitoring and clinical interpretation of results.
      METHODS: This pilot project had a pretest-posttest study design. The intervention
      was an educational program comprising 8 self-directed learning modules, each with
      a corresponding seminar. Evaluation of the program included scoring of the
      appropriateness and significance of clinical interventions related to laboratory
      monitoring, pre- and post-program test scores, and participants' subjective
      assessments of their abilities to order and assess the results of medication
      related laboratory investigations. Descriptive statistics, the Wilcoxon signed
      rank test, the Student t-test, and the paired Student t-test were used where
      appropriate. Associations were assessed with the Pearson or Spearman rho
      correlation coefficient. All statistical tests were 2-tailed, and the p value for
      significance was established a priori at 0.05. RESULTS: There was no
      statistically significant difference with regard to the appropriateness (p =
      0.70) or significance (p = 0.94) of clinical interventions undertaken before and
      after the educational program. Among the 21 pharmacists who completed the
      program, the average test score (+/- standard deviation) was 27.2 +/- 8.1 before
      the program, increasing to 39.2 +/- 8.7 after the program (p < 0.001). There was
      a statistically significant improvement in the perceived level of knowledge for
      each individual module (p < 0.05 for all). CONCLUSIONS: The establishment of an
      educational program led to improvements in both subjective and objective measures
      of knowledge and perceived abilities to order and assess the results of
      medication-related laboratory tests.

PMID- 28348431
TI  - Use of the 2008 Basel Consensus Statements to Assess, Realign, and Monitor
      Pharmacy Practice at a Tertiary Care Hospital in Northern Uganda: Illustrative
      Case Study, Part 2.

PMID- 28348432
TI  - Should Institutional Pharmacy Managers Maintain an Active Clinical Practice?

PMID- 28348430
TI  - Influenza Vaccination for Secondary Prevention of Cardiovascular Events: A
      Systematic Review.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Influenza is a common respiratory infection that may cause
      complications, including cardiovascular events. Influenza illness has been shown
      to double the risk of myocardial infarction, with the highest risk among patients
      with established cardiovascular disease. Vaccination against influenza has been
      associated with reductions in myocardial infarction, cerebrovascular disease, and
      death. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the evidence for influenza vaccination as a
      strategy to reduce cardiovascular events specifically in patients with
      established cardiovascular disease. DATA SOURCES AND STUDY SELECTION: MEDLINE,
      Embase, and the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials were searched with
      the terms "influenza vaccine" and "cardiovascular disease". Included in this
      review were randomized controlled trials (RCTs), nonrandomized studies, and meta
      analyses that compared influenza vaccination against control in patients with
      established cardiovascular disease and that reported clinically meaningful
      cardiovascular outcomes (defined as cardiovascular death, myocardial infarction,
      and stroke). DATA EXTRACTION AND SYNTHESIS: The search yielded 10 studies (3
      nonrandomized studies, 5 RCTs, and 2 meta-analyses). The nonrandomized studies
      and the RCTs had inconsistent results with respect to cardiovascular death and
      adverse cardiovascular events. The 2 meta-analyses, which included the same 4
      RCTs involving patients with established cardiovascular disease, showed that the
      influenza vaccine reduced cardiovascular death by about 50% relative to control.
      Vaccination also reduced major cardiovascular events by about 43%; the reduction
      was greater (54%) in the subgroup of patients with recent (<= 1 year) acute
      coronary syndrome. However, these data are potentially confounded by small sample
      sizes, low event rates, and variable outcome reporting. There was also high
      clinical heterogeneity among the studies, which may not reflect contemporary
      practice. CONCLUSIONS: Given the limitations of these data, it is unclear whether
      the cardiovascular benefit with influenza vaccination in patients with
      cardiovascular disease is a true effect. Nevertheless, because of the potential
      benefit and the low risk of adverse events, the annual influenza vaccine should
      be recommended for all patients with established cardiovascular disease.

PMID- 28348433
TI  - Stability of Extemporaneously Compounded Tacrolimus in Glass Bottles and Plastic
      Syringes.

PMID- 28348434
TI  - "You Want To Go Where?" A Perspective on Skills and Competencies Developed
      through International Pharmacy Education Experiences.

PMID- 28348435
TI  - Tribute to the Reviewers of the Canadian Journal of Hospital Pharmacy.

PMID- 28348436
TI  - The Year of the Cat.

PMID- 28348438
TI  - ?

PMID- 28348437
TI  - ?

PMID- 28348439
TI  - The Pursuit of Professional Practice Excellence and the Achievement of Peer
      Recognition.

PMID- 28348440
TI  - Family Structure, Residential Mobility, and Environmental Inequality.
AB  - This study combines micro-level data on families with children from the Panel
      Study of Income Dynamics with neighborhood-level industrial hazard data from the
      Environmental Protection Agency and neighborhood-level U.S. census data to
      examine both the association between family structure and residential proximity
      to neighborhood pollution and the micro-level, residential mobility processes
      that contribute to differential pollution proximity across family types. Results
      indicate the existence of significant family structure differences in household
      proximity to industrial pollution in U.S. metropolitan areas between 1990 and
      1999, with single-mother and single-father families experiencing neighborhood
      pollution levels that are on average 46% and 26% greater, respectively, than
      those experienced by two-parent families. Moreover, the pollution gap between
      single-mother and two-parent families persists with controls for household and
      neighborhood socioeconomic, sociodemographic, and race/ethnic characteristics.
      Examination of underlying migration patterns reveals that single-mother, single
      father, and two-parent families are equally likely to move in response to
      pollution. However, mobile single-parent families move into neighborhoods with
      significantly higher pollution levels than do mobile two-parent families. Thus,
      family structure differences in pollution proximity are maintained more by these
      destination neighborhood differences than by family structure variations in the
      likelihood of moving out of polluted neighborhoods.

PMID- 28348441
TI  - Educational Pathways and Change in Crime Between Adolescence and Early Adulthood.
AB  - OBJECTIVES: This article examines the relationship between intergenerational
      educational pathways and change in crime. Moreover, it examines the potential
      mediating roles of family and employment transitions, economic stressors, and
      social psychological factors. METHOD: Data from the National Longitudinal Study
      of Adolescent to Adult Health (N = 14,742) and negative binomial models are used
      to assess associations between educational pathways (i.e., upward, downward, and
      stable) and change in crime between adolescence and early adulthood. Selection
      effects are assessed with lagged dependent variables and controls for self
      control, grades, and the Add Health Picture Vocabulary Test. RESULTS:
      Intergenerational educational pathways are significantly associated with changes
      in crime. Downward educational pathways were predictive of increases in crime,
      whereas upward pathways were associated with decreases in crime. These
      associations were partly mediated by family transitions, and more strongly by
      economic stressors. These results were robust to controls for selection related
      variables. CONCLUSIONS: This study is among the first to examine the relationship
      between intergenerational educational pathways and crime in the United States.
      Both upward and downward changes in educational attainments were found to be
      significant for crime. These findings are notable given the continuing expansion
      of higher education as well as concerns regarding increasing stratification and
      downward mobility in the United States.

PMID- 28348442
TI  - Learning Additional Languages as Hierarchical Probabilistic Inference: Insights
      From First Language Processing.
AB  - We present a framework of second and additional language (L2/Ln) acquisition
      motivated by recent work on socio-indexical knowledge in first language (L1)
      processing. The distribution of linguistic categories covaries with socio
      indexical variables (e.g., talker identity, gender, dialects). We summarize
      evidence that implicit probabilistic knowledge of this covariance is critical to
      L1 processing, and propose that L2/Ln learning uses the same type of socio
      indexical information to probabilistically infer latent hierarchical structure
      over previously learned and new languages. This structure guides the acquisition
      of new languages based on their inferred place within that hierarchy, and is
      itself continuously revised based on new input from any language. This proposal
      unifies L1 processing and L2/Ln acquisition as probabilistic inference under
      uncertainty over socio-indexical structure. It also offers a new perspective on
      crosslinguistic influences during L2/Ln learning, accommodating gradient and
      continued transfer (both negative and positive) from previously learned to novel
      languages, and vice versa.

PMID- 28348444
TI  - Sirolimus on Gorham-Stout disease. Case report.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Gorham-Stout disease (GSD) is a rare disease of unknown etiology
      characterized by vascular proliferation that produces destruction of bone matrix.
      CASE DESCRIPTION: This case is about 43 year old woman who begins with pain in
      sternum, dyspnea, abdominal mass and, serous-hematic pleural effusion. Imaging
      tests were performed showing lesions on 6th and 10th left ribs archs. Later, a
      thoracotomy was performed observed absence of the end of the 6th and lung,
      pleural and costal biopsy was token. The histologic features described lymphatic
      vascular proliferation in bone tissue of chest wall. Other pathologies were
      excluded and in view of the findings, GSD diagnosis was made. TREATMENT AND
      OUTCOME: treatment was initiated with sirolimus achieving remission of the
      disease after the first month; however, because the presence of metrorrhagia the
      treatment was discontinued, reappearing symptoms afterwards. For that reason the
      treatment was restarted getting disappearance of the symptoms again, 4 weeks
      later. CLINICAL RELEVANCE: we present the first clinical cases of EGS with
      pleural effusion with response to sirolimus treatment that could be an
      alternative to the current therapy.

PMID- 28348445
TI  - Concurrent and longitudinal associations of peers' acceptance with emotion and
      effortful control in kindergarten.
AB  - The purpose of the study was to evaluate bidirectional associations between peer
      acceptance and both emotion and effortful control during kindergarten (N = 301).
      In both the fall and spring semesters, we obtained peer nominations of
      acceptance, measures of positive and negative emotion based on naturalistic
      observations in school (i.e., classroom, lunch/recess), and observers' reports of
      effortful control (i.e., inhibitory control, attention focusing) and emotions
      (i.e., positive, negative). In structural equation panel models, peer acceptance
      in fall predicted higher effortful control in spring. Effortful control in fall
      did not predict peer acceptance in spring. Negative emotion predicted lower peer
      acceptance across time for girls but not for boys. Peer acceptance did not
      predict negative or positive emotion over time. In addition, we tested
      interactions between positive or negative emotion and effortful control
      predicting peer acceptance. Positive emotion predicted higher peer acceptance for
      children low in effortful control.

PMID- 28348443
TI  - Role of Mechanical Factors in Applications of Stimuli-Responsive Polymer Gels -
      Status and Prospects.
AB  - Due to their unique characteristics such as multifold change of volume in
      response to minute change in the environment, resemblance of soft biological
      tissues, ability to operate in wet environments, and chemical tailorability,
      stimuli responsive gels represent a versatile and very promising class of
      materials for sensors, muscle-type actuators, biomedical applications, and
      autonomous intelligent structures. Success of these materials in practical
      applications largely depends on their ability to fulfill application-specific
      mechanical requirements. This article provides an overview of recent application
      driven development of covalent polymer gels with special emphasis on the relevant
      mechanical factors and properties. A short account of mechanisms of gel swelling
      and mechanical characteristics of importance to stimuli-responsive gels is
      presented. The review highlights major barriers for wider application of these
      materials and discusses latest advances and potential future directions toward
      overcoming these barriers, including interpenetrating networks, homogeneous
      networks, nanocomposites, and nanofilamentary gels.

PMID- 28348447
TI  - Fos Expression in the Olfactory Pathway of High- and Low-Sexually Performing Rams
      Exposed to Urine from Estrous or Ovariectomized Ewes.
AB  - Exposure to estrous ewe urine stimulates investigation and mounting activity in
      sexually active but not sexually inactive rams. It was hypothesized sexual
      indifference may result from an inability to detect olfactory cues or an
      interruption of the pathway from detection of the olfactory stimulus to the motor
      response. Sexually active (n=4) and inactive (n=3) rams were exposed to urine
      from estrous ewes. An additional group of sexually active rams (n=3) were exposed
      to urine from ovariectomized ewes. Rams were exsanguinated following 1 h of
      exposure to stimulus. Neural activity was determined in tissues of interest by
      the presence of fos and fos-related proteins detected by immunohistochemistry
      procedures. Sexually active rams exposed to urine from ovariectomized ewes had
      more (P <= 0.05) fos-positive cells in the olfactory bulb, but fewer (P = 0.03)
      fos-positive cells in the cortical amygdala compared to sexually active rams
      exposed to urine from estrous ewes. Sexually inactive rams had similar (P >=
      0.13) numbers of fos positive neurons in the olfactory bulb and medial amygdala
      but fewer (P <= 0.04) in the central amygdala, bed nucleus of the stria
      terminalis and the medial preoptic area compared to sexually active rams exposed
      to urine from estrous ewes. Sexual inactivity was not associated with decreased
      hypothalamic function since fos activity was similar (P >= 0.14) among groups in
      the suprachiasmatic and ventral medial nucleus. Sexual inactivity is not likely
      due to an impaired ability to detect or process olfactory stimuli by the main
      olfactory bulb and medial-cortical amygdala. Sexually inactive rams may have
      reduced attentiveness to sexual stimuli and/or decreased responsiveness of
      regions in the brain which regulate reproductive behaviors.

PMID- 28348448
TI  - Parenting and Adolescent Self-Regulation Mediate between Family Socioeconomic
      Status and Adolescent Adjustment.
AB  - Using two waves of longitudinal data, we utilized the family stress model of
      economic hardship (Conger & Conger, 2002) to test whether family socioeconomic
      status is related to adolescent adjustment (substance use and academic
      achievement) through parental knowledge and adolescent self-regulation
      (behavioral self-control and delay discounting). Participants included 220
      adolescent (55% male, mean age = 13 years at Wave 1, mean age = 15 years at Wave
      2) and primary caregiver dyads. Results of Structural Equation Modeling revealed
      significant three-path mediation effects such that low family socioeconomic
      status at Wave 1 is associated with low parental knowledge at Wave 1, which in
      turn was related to low academic performance and high substance use at Wave 2
      mediated through low adolescent behavioral self-control at Wave 2. The results
      illustrate how parental knowledge, influenced by family economic status, may play
      an important role in the development of adolescent behavioral self-control and
      adjustment.

PMID- 28348450
TI  - A Novel Panel of Serum Biomarkers for MPM Diagnosis.
AB  - Exposure to asbestos is the main cause of malignant pleural mesothelioma (MPM), a
      highly aggressive cancer of the pleura. Since the only tools for early detection
      are based on radiological tests, some authors focused on serum markers (i.e.,
      mesothelin). The aim of this study was the evaluation of new serum biomarkers to
      be used individually or in combination, in order to improve the outcome of
      patients whose disease would be diagnosed at an earlier stage. Serum and plasma
      were available from 43 subjects previously exposed to asbestos and 27 MPM
      patients, all being epithelioid type. All the new markers found differentially
      expressed in MPM and healthy subjects, by proteomic and genomic approaches, have
      been validated in the serum by the use of specific ELISA. The combined approach,
      using tools of genomics and proteomics, is found to be highly innovative for this
      type of disease and led to the identification of new serum markers in the
      diagnosis of MPM. These results, if confirmed in a larger series, may have a
      strong impact in this area, because early detection of this cancer in people at
      high risk could significantly improve the course of the disease and the clinical
      approach to an individualized therapy.

PMID- 28348449
TI  - Combined Genetic Biomarkers Confer Susceptibility to Risk of Urothelial Bladder
      Carcinoma in a Saudi Population.
AB  - We evaluated the associations between seven single nucleotide polymorphisms and
      susceptibility to urothelial bladder carcinoma (UBC) in a Saudi population.
      Genomic DNA was taken from buccal cells of 52 patients with UBC and 104 controls
      for genotyping of GSTT1, GSTM1, rs4646903, rs1048943, TP53 rs1042522, rs1801133,
      and rs1801394 using PCR and TaqMan(r) assays. The rs1801133 and rs1801394
      variants showed strong associations with UBC (OR = 2.3, P = 0.0002; OR = 2.6, P =
      0.0001, resp.). Homozygosity of Pro72 conferred a significant double risk in
      cases compared with controls (30.8% versus 15.4%), but the homozygote Arg/Arg had
      no effect on risk. Genotypic combinations of GSTM1/GSTT1, rs4646903/rs1048943,
      and rs1801133/rs1801394 exhibited significant linkage with the disease (chi2 =
      10.3, P = 0.006; chi2 = 13.9, P = 0.003; and chi2 = 20.4, P = 0.0004, resp.). The
      GSTM1 and rs1042522Arg and rs1801394G variant alleles were more frequent in
      current smokers with UBC (52.4%, 52.5%, and 64.3%, resp.) than were the
      corresponding wild-types. Despite some variants having only a slight effect on
      UBC risk, the interaction effect of combined genetic biomarkers-or even the
      presence of one copy of a variant allele-is potentially much greater. Perhaps
      more studies regarding next-generation genetic sequencing and its utility can add
      to the risk of UBC.

PMID- 28348446
TI  - Exploring the genomic diversity of black yeasts and relatives (Chaetothyriales,
      Ascomycota).
AB  - The order Chaetothyriales (Pezizomycotina, Ascomycetes) harbours obligatorily
      melanised fungi and includes numerous etiologic agents of chromoblastomycosis,
      phaeohyphomycosis and other diseases of vertebrate hosts. Diseases range from
      mild cutaneous to fatal cerebral or disseminated infections and affect humans and
      cold-blooded animals globally. In addition, Chaetothyriales comprise species with
      aquatic, rock-inhabiting, ant-associated, and mycoparasitic life-styles, as well
      as species that tolerate toxic compounds, suggesting a high degree of versatile
      extremotolerance. To understand their biology and divergent niche occupation, we
      sequenced and annotated a set of 23 genomes of main the human opportunists within
      the Chaetothyriales as well as related environmental species. Our analyses
      included fungi with diverse life-styles, namely opportunistic pathogens and
      closely related saprobes, to identify genomic adaptations related to
      pathogenesis. Furthermore, ecological preferences of Chaetothyriales were
      analysed, in conjuncture with the order-level phylogeny based on conserved
      ribosomal genes. General characteristics, phylogenomic relationships,
      transposable elements, sex-related genes, protein family evolution, genes related
      to protein degradation (MEROPS), carbohydrate-active enzymes (CAZymes), melanin
      synthesis and secondary metabolism were investigated and compared between
      species. Genome assemblies varied from 25.81 Mb (Capronia coronata) to 43.03 Mb
      (Cladophialophora immunda). The bantiana-clade contained the highest number of
      predicted genes (12 817 on average) as well as larger genomes. We found a low
      content of mobile elements, with DNA transposons from Tc1/Mariner superfamily
      being the most abundant across analysed species. Additionally, we identified a
      reduction of carbohydrate degrading enzymes, specifically many of the Glycosyl
      Hydrolase (GH) class, while most of the Pectin Lyase (PL) genes were lost in
      etiological agents of chromoblastomycosis and phaeohyphomycosis. An expansion was
      found in protein degrading peptidase enzyme families S12 (serine-type D-Ala-D-Ala
      carboxypeptidases) and M38 (isoaspartyl dipeptidases). Based on genomic
      information, a wide range of abilities of melanin biosynthesis was revealed;
      genes related to metabolically distinct DHN, DOPA and pyomelanin pathways were
      identified. The MAT (MAting Type) locus and other sex-related genes were
      recognized in all 23 black fungi. Members of the asexual genera Fonsecaea and
      Cladophialophora appear to be heterothallic with a single copy of either MAT-1-1
      or MAT-1-2 in each individual. All Capronia species are homothallic as both MAT1
      1 and MAT1-2 genes were found in each single genome. The genomic synteny of the
      MAT-locus flanking genes (SLA2-APN2-COX13) is not conserved in black fungi as is
      commonly observed in Eurotiomycetes, indicating a unique genomic context for MAT
      in those species. The heterokaryon (het) genes expansion associated with the low
      selective pressure at the MAT-locus suggests that a parasexual cycle may play an
      important role in generating diversity among those fungi.

PMID- 28348451
TI  - Serum HMGB1 as a Potential Biomarker for Patients with Asbestos-Related Diseases.
AB  - High-mobility group box 1 (HMGB1) functions as a proinflammatory cytokine and is
      one of the most intriguing molecules in inflammatory disorders and cancers.
      Notably, HMGB1 is a potential therapeutic target and novel biomarker in related
      diseases. However, the diagnostic value of HMGB1 for benign and malignant
      asbestos-related diseases (ARDs) remains unclear. In this work, we detected
      preoperative serum HMGB1 levels in Chinese asbestos-exposed (AE) and ARDs
      populations and further evaluated the diagnostic value of HMGB1 in patients with
      certain types of ARDs, including those with pleural plaques, asbestosis, or
      malignant mesothelioma (MM). The experimental data presented that the serum level
      of HMGB1 was significantly elevated in AE and ARDs subjects. Our findings
      indicated that serum HMGB1 is a sensitive and specific biomarker for
      discriminating asbestosis- and MM-affected individuals from healthy or AE
      individuals. In addition, serum matrix metalloproteinases 2 and 9 are not
      correlated with HMGB1 in ARDs. Thus, our study provides supporting evidence for
      HMGB1 as a potential biomarker either for the clinical diagnosis of high-risk AE
      cohorts or for evaluating ARDs.

PMID- 28348452
TI  - Hyperferritinemia as a Diagnostic Marker for Severe Fever with Thrombocytopenia
      Syndrome.
AB  - Severe fever with thrombocytopenia syndrome (SFTS) is an emerging viral disease
      in East Asia with high mortality. Few studies have examined markers that suggest
      SFTS in febrile patients. To determine useful biochemical markers for SFTS,
      patients aged 18 years or older with SFTS or microbiologically confirmed
      community-onset bacteremia with thrombocytopenia (BT) at presentation between
      June 2013 and December 2015 were included from two tertiary university hospitals
      in Republic of Korea retrospectively. Eleven patients with SFTS and 62 patients
      with bacteremia and thrombocytopenia were identified in the study period. Age and
      sex did not show significant difference among two groups. Fever was more commonly
      observed but comorbidities were less common in SFTS than in BT (P < 0.05, each).
      The areas under the curves of serum ferritin, C-reactive protein, white blood
      cell count, serum procalcitonin, and fibrinogen were above 0.9, indicating the
      discriminative power of these biomarkers (1.000, 0.991, 0.963, 0.931, and 0.934,
      resp., all P < 0.05). The optimal cutoff value of serum ferritin was 3,822 ng/mL
      in this study. These results suggest that hyperferritinemia is a typical
      laboratory feature of SFTS, and the serum ferritin level can be used as a marker
      for clinicians suspecting SFTS.

PMID- 28348453
TI  - Probability-scale residuals for continuous, discrete, and censored data.
AB  - We describe a new residual for general regression models, defined as pr(Y* < y) -
      pr(Y* > y), where y is the observed outcome and Y* is a random variable from the
      fitted distribution. This probability-scale residual can be written as E {sign(y,
      Y*)} whereas the popular observed-minus-expected residual can be thought of as
      E(y - Y*). Therefore, the probability-scale residual is useful in settings where
      differences are not meaningful or where the expectation of the fitted
      distribution cannot be calculated. We present several desirable properties of the
      probability-scale residual that make it useful for diagnostics and measuring
      residual correlation, especially across different outcome types. We demonstrate
      its utility for continuous, ordered discrete, and censored outcomes, including
      current status data, and with various models including Cox regression, quantile
      regression, and ordinal cumulative probability models, for which fully specified
      distributions are not desirable or needed, and in some cases suitable residuals
      are not available. The residual is illustrated with simulated data and real
      datasets from HIV-infected patients on therapy in the southeastern United States
      and Latin America.

PMID- 28348454
TI  - Division of Household and Childcare Labor and Relationship Conflict Among Low
      Income New Parents.
AB  - We examine the relationships among the division of housework and childcare labor,
      perceptions of its fairness for two types of family labor (housework and
      childcare), and parents' relationship conflict across the transition to
      parenthood. Perceived fairness is examined as a mediator of the relationships
      between change in the division of housework and childcare and relationship
      conflict. Working-class, dual-earner couples (n = 108) in the U.S Northeast were
      interviewed at five time points from the third trimester of pregnancy and across
      the first year of parenthood. Research questions addressed whether change in the
      division of housework and childcare across the transition to parenthood predicted
      mothers' and fathers' relationship conflict, with attention to the mediating role
      of perceived fairness of these chores. Findings for housework indicated that
      perceived fairness was related to relationship conflict for mothers and fathers,
      such that when spouses perceived the change in the division of household tasks to
      be unfair to either partner, they reported more conflict, However, fairness did
      not significantly mediate relations between changes in division of household
      tasks and later relationship conflict. For childcare, fairness mediated relations
      between mothers' violated expectations concerning the division of childcare and
      later conflict such that mothers reported less conflict when they perceived the
      division of childcare as less unfair to themselves; there was no relationship for
      fathers. Findings highlight the importance of considering both childcare and
      household tasks independently in our models and suggest that the division of
      housework and childcare holds different implications for mothers' and fathers'
      assessments of relationship conflict.

PMID- 28348456
TI  - Positively Biased Processing of Mother's Emotions Predicts Children's Social and
      Emotional Functioning.
AB  - Risk for internalizing problems and social skills deficits likely emerges in
      early childhood when emotion processing and social competencies are developing.
      Positively biased processing of social information is typical during early
      childhood and may be protective against poorer psychosocial outcomes. We tested
      the hypothesis that young children with relatively less positively biased
      attention to, interpretations of, and attributions for their mother's emotions
      would exhibit poorer prosocial skills and more internalizing problems. A sample
      of 4- to 6-year-old children (N=82) observed their mothers express happiness,
      sadness and anger during a simulated emotional phone conversation. Children's
      attention to their mother when she expressed each emotion was rated from video.
      Immediately following the phone conversation, children were asked questions about
      the conversation to assess their interpretations of the intensity of mother's
      emotions and misattributions of personal responsibility for her emotions.
      Children's prosocial skills and internalizing problems were assessed using mother
      report rating scales. Interpretations of mother's positive emotions as relatively
      less intense than her negative emotions, misattributions of personal
      responsibility for her negative emotions, and lack of misattributions of personal
      responsibility for her positive emotions were associated with poorer prosocial
      skills. Children who attended relatively less to mother's positive than her
      negative emotions had higher levels of internalizing problems. These findings
      suggest that children's attention to, interpretations of, and attributions for
      their mother's emotions may be important targets of early interventions for
      preventing prosocial skills deficits and internalizing problems.

PMID- 28348455
TI  - Reflection on Molecular Approaches Influencing State-of-the-Art Bioremediation
      Design: Culturing to Microbial Community Fingerprinting to Omics.
AB  - Bioremediation is generally viewed as a cost effective and sustainable technology
      because it relies on microbes to transform pollutants into benign compounds.
      Advances in molecular biological analyses allow unprecedented microbial detection
      and are increasingly incorporated into bioremediation. Throughout history, state
      of-the-art techniques have informed bioremediation strategies. However, the
      insights those techniques provided were not as in depth as those provided by
      recently developed omics tools. Advances in next generation sequencing (NGS) have
      now placed metagenomics and metatranscriptomics within reach of environmental
      engineers. As NGS costs decrease, metagenomics and metatranscriptomics have
      become increasingly feasible options to rapidly scan sites for specific
      degradative functions and identify microorganisms important in pollutant
      degradation. These omic techniques are capable of revolutionizing biological
      treatment in environmental engineering by allowing highly sensitive
      characterization of previously uncultured microorganisms. Omics enables the
      discovery of novel microorganisms for use in bioaugmentation and supports
      systematic optimization of biostimulation strategies. This review describes the
      omics journey from roots in biology and medicine to its current status in
      environmental engineering including potential future directions in commercial
      application.

PMID- 28348457
TI  - Validation of Dual-energy X-Ray Absorptiometry to Predict Body Composition of
      Channel Catfish, Ictalurus punctatus.
AB  - Dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) provides a noninvasive way to determine
      lean tissue mass (LTM), fat mass (FM), bone mineral content (BMC), and bone
      mineral density (BMD) in humans and small mammals. Live channel catfish (n=74,
      78g - 1200 g) were anesthetized and scanned in both a lateral position and a
      dorsa-ventral position. Six individual fish (300g - 600g) were scanned five times
      each to determine precision by the coefficient of variation. Precision was good
      for LTM (0.75-1.06%) and for BMC and BMD (2-2.6%). Precision for FM was not good
      (27-34%), which was due to the very low FM (0-1g) recorded by the DXA. However,
      using the predicted values, FM precision improved to 5-5.5%. DXA values for LTM,
      FM, and BMC were significantly different from chemical analysis (P< 0.001). DXA
      overestimated LTM and underestimated FM and BMC. However, all three compartments
      were strongly correlated with carcass values (P <0.0001). Using the prediction
      equations and the jackknife procedure, predicted values of LTM, FM, and BMC were
      not significantly different from the carcass values (P >0.05). DXA may also be a
      valuable tool for evaluating body condition longitudinally in commercial or in
      threatened or endangered fish species, where non-invasive procedures would be
      invaluable.

PMID- 28348458
TI  - Vascular Cognitive Impairment through the Looking Glass of Transcranial Magnetic
      Stimulation.
AB  - In the last years, there has been a significant growth in the literature
      exploiting transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) with the aim at gaining
      further insights into the electrophysiological and neurochemical basis underlying
      vascular cognitive impairment (VCI). Overall, TMS points at enhanced brain
      cortical excitability and synaptic plasticity in VCI, especially in patients with
      overt dementia, and neurophysiological changes seem to correlate with disease
      process and progress. These findings have been interpreted as part of a glutamate
      mediated compensatory effect in response to vascular lesions. Although a single
      TMS parameter owns low specificity, a panel of measures can support the VCI
      diagnosis, predict progression, and possibly identify early markers of "brain at
      risk" for future dementia, thus making VCI a potentially preventable cause of
      both vascular and degenerative dementia in late life. Moreover, TMS can be also
      exploited to select and evaluate the responders to specific drugs, as well as to
      become an innovative rehabilitative tool in the attempt to restore impaired
      neural plasticity. The present review provides a perspective of the different TMS
      techniques by further understanding the cortical electrophysiology and the role
      of distinctive neurotransmission pathways and networks involved in the
      pathogenesis and pathophysiology of VCI and its subtypes.

PMID- 28348459
TI  - Lysophosphatidic Acid Triggers Apoptosis in HeLa Cells through the Upregulation
      of Tumor Necrosis Factor Receptor Superfamily Member 21.
AB  - Lysophosphatidic acid (LPA), a naturally occurring bioactive phospholipid,
      activates G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs), leading to regulation of diverse
      cellular events including cell survival and apoptosis. Despite extensive studies
      of the signaling pathways that mediate LPA-regulated cell growth and survival,
      the mechanisms underlying the apoptotic effect of LPA remain largely unclear. In
      this study, we investigated this issue in HeLa cells. Our data demonstrate that
      LPA induces apoptosis in HeLa cells at pathologic concentrations with a
      concomitant upregulation of the expression of TNFRSF21 (tumor necrosis factor
      receptor superfamily member 21), also known as death receptor number 6 (DR6)
      involved in inflammation. Moreover, treatment of cells with LPA receptor (LPAR)
      antagonist abolished the DR6 upregulation by LPA. LPA-induced DR6 expression was
      also abrogated by pertussis toxin (PTX), an inhibitor of GPCRs, and by inhibitors
      of PI3K, PKC, MEK, and ERK. Intriguingly, LPA-induced DR6 expression was
      specifically blocked by dominant-negative form of PKCdelta (PKCdelta-DN). LPA
      induced DR6 expression was also dramatically inhibited by knockdown of ERK or
      CREB. These results suggest that activation of the MEK/ERK pathway and the
      transcription factor CREB mediate LPA-induced DR6 expression. More interestingly,
      knockdown of DR6 using siRNA approach remarkably attenuated LPA-induced
      apoptosis. In conclusion, our results suggest that LPA-induced apoptosis in HeLa
      cells is mediated by the upregulation of DR6 expression.

PMID- 28348460
TI  - Epac1 Blocks NLRP3 Inflammasome to Reduce IL-1beta in Retinal Endothelial Cells
      and Mouse Retinal Vasculature.
AB  - Inflammation is an important component of diabetic retinal damage. We previously
      reported that a novel beta-adrenergic receptor agonist, Compound 49b, reduced
      Toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4) signaling in retinal endothelial cells (REC) grown in
      high glucose. Others reported that TLR4 activates high-mobility group box 1
      (HMGB1), which has been associated with the NOD-like receptor 3 (NLRP3)
      inflammasome. Thus, we hypothesized that Epac1, a downstream mediator of beta
      adrenergic receptors, would block TLR4/HMGB1-mediated stimulation of the NLRP3
      inflammasome, leading to reduced cleavage of caspase-1 and interleukin-1 beta (IL
      1beta). We generated vascular specific conditional knockout mice for Epac1 and
      used REC grown in normal and high glucose treated with an Epac1 agonist and/or
      NLRP3 siRNA. Protein analyses were done for Epac1, TLR4, HMGB1, NLRP3, cleaved
      caspase-1, and IL-1beta. Loss of Epac1 in the mouse retinal vasculature
      significantly increased all of the inflammatory proteins. Epac1 effectively
      reduced high glucose-induced increases in TLR4, HMGB1, cleaved caspase-1, and IL
      1beta in REC. Taken together, the data suggest that Epac1 reduces formation of
      the NLRP3 inflammasome to reduce inflammatory responses in the retinal
      vasculature.

PMID- 28348462
TI  - NLRP3 Deficiency Attenuates Renal Fibrosis and Ameliorates Mitochondrial
      Dysfunction in a Mouse Unilateral Ureteral Obstruction Model of Chronic Kidney
      Disease.
AB  - Background and Aims. The nucleotide-binding domain and leucine-rich repeat
      containing PYD-3 (NLRP3) inflammasome has been implicated in the pathogenesis of
      chronic kidney disease (CKD); however, its exact role in glomerular injury and
      tubulointerstitial fibrosis is still undefined. The present study was performed
      to identify the function of NLRP3 in modulating renal injury and fibrosis and the
      potential involvement of mitochondrial dysfunction in the murine unilateral
      ureteral obstruction (UUO) model of CKD. Methods. Employing wild-type (WT) and
      NLRP3-/- mice with or without UUO, we evaluated renal structure, tissue injury,
      and mitochondrial ultrastructure, as well as expression of some vital molecules
      involved in the progression of fibrosis, apoptosis, inflammation, and
      mitochondrial dysfunction. Results. The severe glomerular injury and
      tubulointerstitial fibrosis induced in WT mice by UUO was markedly attenuated in
      NLRP3-/- mice as evidenced by blockade of extracellular matrix deposition,
      decreased cell apoptosis, and phenotypic alterations. Moreover, NLRP3 deletion
      reversed UUO-induced impairment of mitochondrial morphology and function.
      Conclusions. NLRP3 deletion ameliorates mitochondrial dysfunction and alleviates
      renal fibrosis in a murine UUO model of CKD.

PMID- 28348461
TI  - AM966, an Antagonist of Lysophosphatidic Acid Receptor 1, Increases Lung
      Microvascular Endothelial Permeability through Activation of Rho Signaling
      Pathway and Phosphorylation of VE-Cadherin.
AB  - Maintenance of pulmonary endothelial barrier integrity is important for reducing
      severity of lung injury. Lysophosphatidic acid (LPA) regulates cell motility,
      cytoskeletal rearrangement, and cell growth. Knockdown of LPA receptor 1 (LPA1)
      has been shown to mitigate lung injury and pulmonary fibrosis. AM966, an LPA1
      antagonist exhibiting an antifibrotic property, has been considered to be a
      future antifibrotic medicine. Here, we report an unexpected effect of AM966,
      which increases lung endothelial barrier permeability. An electric cell-substrate
      sensing (ECIS) system was used to measure permeability in human lung
      microvascular endothelial cells (HLMVECs). AM966 decreased the transendothelial
      electrical resistance (TEER) value immediately in a dose-dependent manner. VE
      cadherin and f-actin double immunostaining reveals that AM966 increases stress
      fibers and gap formation between endothelial cells. AM966 induced phosphorylation
      of myosin light chain (MLC) through activation of RhoA/Rho kinase pathway. Unlike
      LPA treatment, AM966 had no effect on phosphorylation of extracellular signal
      regulated kinases (Erk). Further, in LPA1 silencing cells, we observed that AM966
      increased lung endothelial permeability as well as phosphorylation of VE-cadherin
      and focal adhesion kinase (FAK) were attenuated. This study reveals that AM966
      induces lung endothelial barrier dysfunction, which is regulated by LPA1-mediated
      activation of RhoA/MLC and phosphorylation of VE-cadherin.

PMID- 28348463
TI  - Human beta-Defensin 3 Reduces TNF-alpha-Induced Inflammation and Monocyte
      Adhesion in Human Umbilical Vein Endothelial Cells.
AB  - The aim of this study was to investigate the role of human beta-defensin 3 (hBD3)
      in the initiation stage of atherosclerosis with human umbilical vein endothelial
      cells (HUVECs) triggered by tumor necrosis factor- (TNF-) alpha. The effects of
      hBD3 on TNF-alpha-induced endothelial injury and inflammatory response were
      evaluated. Our data revealed that first, hBD3 reduced the production of
      interleukin-6 (IL-6), IL-8, monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 (MCP-1), and
      macrophage migration inhibitory factor (MIF) in HUVECs in a dose-dependent
      manner. In addition, hBD3 significantly prevented intracellular reactive oxygen
      species (ROS) production by HUVECs. Second, western blot analysis demonstrated
      that hBD3 dose-dependently suppressed the protein levels of intracellular
      adhesion molecule-1 (ICAM-1) and vascular cell adhesion molecule-1 (VCAM-1) in
      TNF-alpha-induced HUVECs. As a result, hBD3 inhibited monocyte adhesion to TNF
      alpha-treated endothelial cells. Additionally, hBD3 suppressed TNF-alpha-induced
      F-actin reorganization in HUVECs. Third, hBD3 markedly inhibited NF-kappaB
      activation by decreasing the phosphorylation of IKK-alpha/beta, IkappaB, and p65
      subunit within 30 min. Moreover, the phosphorylation of p38 and c-Jun N-terminal
      protein kinase (JNK) in the mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) pathway were
      also inhibited by hBD3 in HUVECs. In conclusion, hBD3 exerts anti-inflammatory
      and antioxidative effects in endothelial cells in response to TNF-alpha by
      inhibiting NF-kappaB and MAPK signaling.

PMID- 28348465
TI  - Impact of Hepatic and Extrahepatic Insults on the Outcome of Acute-on-Chronic
      Liver Failure.
AB  - BACKGROUND: To study the differences in outcome and predictors of mortality in
      acute-on-chronic liver failure (ACLF) precipitated by hepatic or extrahepatic
      insults. METHODS: Consecutive patients of cirrhosis with acute decompensation
      were prospectively included and followed up for 90 days from admission. ACLF was
      defined based on chronic liver failure (CLIF) acute-on-chronic liver failure in
      cirrhosis (CANONIC study) criteria. Acute worsening due to acute viral hepatitis
      A and E, hepatitis B flare, alcoholic hepatitis, autoimmune hepatitis flare, or
      drug-induced liver injury were categorized as hepatic ACLF and that due to
      bacterial infection, upper gastrointestinal bleed or surgery as extrahepatic
      ACLF. Patients with both hepatic and extrahepatic insults were included in
      combined insult group. RESULTS: Of 179 patients of acute decompensation, 122 had
      ACLF (hepatic insults 47 and extrahepatic insults 51). Alcohol (64.8%) was the
      most common etiology of cirrhosis while infection (36%) was the most common acute
      insult followed by alcoholic hepatitis (24.6%). Higher proportion of extrahepatic
      ACLF patients had history of prior decompensation than hepatic ACLF patients
      (62.7% vs. 27.7%, P < 0.001). There was no difference in mortality among hepatic
      and extrahepatic ACLF groups at 28 and 90 days (53.2% vs. 56.9%, P = 0.715 and
      85% vs. 74.5%, P = 0.193, respectively). Area under receiver-operating curve
      (AUROC) for 28-day mortality in extrahepatic ACLF group was 0.788, 0.724, 0.718,
      0.634, and 0.726 and in hepatic-ACLF group was 0.786, 0.625, 0.802, 0.761, and
      0.648 for chronic liver failure-sequential organ failure assessment (CLIF-SOFA),
      model for end stage liver disease (MELD), integrated MELD score (iMELD), acute
      physiology and chronic health evaluation score (APACHE-II), and Child-Turcotte
      Pugh score scores, respectively. CONCLUSION: There is no difference in mortality
      among hepatic and extrahepatic ACLF groups at 28 and 90 days. iMELD and CLIF-SOFA
      have highest AUROC to predict 28-day mortality in hepatic and extrahepatic ACLF
      groups, respectively.

PMID- 28348464
TI  - Liver Function Tests Abnormalities and Hepatitis B Virus & Hepatitis C Virus Co
      infection in Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV)-infected Patients in India.
AB  - BACKGROUND: While highly active anti-retroviral therapy (HAART) has improved
      survival of HIV-infected patients, there is increasing liver disease and
      progressive Hepatitis B Virus (HBV) and Hepatitis C Virus (HCV) related liver
      disease. AIMS: To study the liver function tests (LFT) and HBV and HCV co
      infection in HIV-infected patients. MATERIAL AND METHODS: All HIV-positive
      patients presenting to a tertiary level hospital from April 2009 to April 2011
      were evaluated. Baseline LFT, CD4/CD8 counts, ultrasound abdomen, HBsAg, IgG anti
      HBc, HBVDNA, Anti-HCV and HCVRNA were done in all patients. LFT was repeated
      monthly or more frequently with anti-tubercular therapy (ATT)/HAART. RESULTS:
      Abnormal LFT were seen in 143/320 (44.6%) HIV-infected patients (n = 320; M-282,
      F-38; mean age-35.4 +/- 7.3 years). Baseline LFT was abnormal in 48 (15%)
      [hepatotropic viruses-19, alcohol-24, NAFLD-1, disseminated TB-1, idiopathic-03).
      Subsequent LFT derangement developed in 95/272 (34.9%). In the majority, the LFT
      abnormality was mild (119/143-83.2%) and multi-factorial [HAART 132 (76.4%),
      alcohol 69 (48.2%), ATT 31 (21.7%), HBV 16 (11.2%), HCV 15 (10.4%)]. Using
      multivariate analysis, abnormal LFT were associated with HAART (OR, 5.92; 95%CI,
      2.83-12.37), ATT (OR, 2.06; 95%CI, 1.06-3.99) or HCV infection (OR, 2.54; 95%CI,
      1.03-6.26). Significant hepatotoxicity requiring drug modification was seen in
      only 7 cases. HBV, HCV and HBV + HCV co-infection were seen in 37 (11.6%), 28
      (8.8%) and 2 (0.6%) respectively. Occult co-infections were rare [HBV-1 (0.3%);
      HCV-3 (0.9%)]. CONCLUSION: While LFT abnormalities in HIV are common, they are
      usually mild and multifactorial. HBV and HCV co-infections were seen in 11.6% and
      8.8%, respectively. Occult HBV and HCV infections were rare.

PMID- 28348466
TI  - Handgrip Strength as an Important Bed Side Tool to Assess Malnutrition in Patient
      with Liver Disease.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Malnutrition is frequently present in patients with cirrhosis.
      Anthropometric measures such as body mass index (BMI), mid arm muscle
      circumference (MAMC), triceps skin fold thickness (TST) and subjective global
      assessment (SGA) have some limitations in assessment of malnutrition. This study
      aims to determine the prevalence of malnutrition in non-hospitalized cirrhotic
      and chronic hepatitis patients and to assess handgrip (HG) strength as a tool for
      identifying malnutrition. METHODS: Consecutive patients of cirrhosis (n = 352),
      chronic hepatitis (n = 189) and healthy controls (n = 159) were enrolled. All
      patients underwent MAMC, TST, HG and SGA assessment. Malnutrition was diagnosed
      on basis of SGA score. Values of MAMC, TST and HG below the 5th percentile or
      less than 60% of healthy controls were considered as abnormal. RESULTS: According
      to SGA (taken as standard) 24% patients with chronic hepatitis and 56% of
      patients with cirrhosis had malnutrition (P = 0.001). In patients with chronic
      hepatitis prevalence of malnutrition according to MAMC (12%), TST (31%) and HG
      (18%). In patients with cirrhosis prevalence of malnutrition according to MAMC
      (27%), TST (60%) and HG (42%). HG exercise strength had the highest area under
      curve 0.82 (95% confidence interval (CI) 0.78-0.86, P = 0.001) compared to MAMC
      0.60 (95% CI 0.55-0.64, P = 0.001) and TST 0.65 (95% CI 0.61-0.69, P = 0.001) for
      assessing malnutrition. On comparison of HG, TST and MAMC, the sensitivity was
      67%, 60% and 31%, respectively, Specificity was 95%, 71% and 89%, respectively,
      and diagnostic accuracy was 87%, 67% and 71%, respectively. CONCLUSION: HG
      strength is an excellent tool to assess at bed side the nutrition status in
      patients with cirrhosis and has the highest diagnostic accuracy compared to other
      anthropometric tests such as MAMC and TST.

PMID- 28348467
TI  - 2D Shear Wave Elastography of Liver in Patients with Primary Extrahepatic Portal
      Vein Obstruction.
AB  - AIMS: To evaluate liver stiffness (LS) in patients of primary extrahepatic portal
      vein obstruction (EHPVO) using 2D shear wave elastography (SWE) and compare it
      with healthy volunteers. METHODS: Fifty patients (mean age: 22.4 years) of EHPVO
      and 25 healthy volunteers were included in the study. Liver function tests and
      viral markers were done in both groups and endoscopy in EHPVO group, followed by
      ultrasonography and SWE of liver. Liver elastography was done with
      patients/volunteers in supine position through right intercostal space. The LS
      for right lobe of liver was recorded in kilopascals. Three such measurements were
      taken and the mean of both groups were compared. The variables were also
      correlated with mean LS using Pearson's correlation coefficient in EHPVO group.
      RESULTS: There was no significant difference in the mean LS in patients of EHPVO
      (5.96 kPa) and healthy volunteers (5.47 kPa) (P = 0.093). There was no
      significant correlation between LS with duration of symptoms, hematemesis,
      esophageal varices, total bilirubin, serum alkaline phosphatase and aspartate
      aminotranferase levels in EHPVO group. CONCLUSION: SWE of liver may be used as a
      simple additional tool in the diagnosis of patients of EHPVO who show LS values
      similar to normal liver.

PMID- 28348468
TI  - Early Acute Severe HCV Recurrence After Transplantation: From Universal Mortality
      to Cure.
AB  - Acute severe recurrence of hepatitis C virus (HCV) after solid organ transplant
      is associated with high mortality. Pegylated interferon and ribavirin are
      suboptimal in treatment of this severe form of recurrence. We report 4 cases of
      acute severe HCV recurrence (within 6 months after transplant), including 3 cases
      with fibrosing cholestatic hepatitis treated with sofosbuvir and ribavirin. All
      four patients achieved a rapid suppression of HCV RNA with a normalization of
      liver function tests within 4 weeks of starting therapy. All patients were HCV
      RNA negative at 12 weeks after stopping therapy. The combination was found to be
      safe as anemia was the only adverse effect, which developed in 2 patients (1
      patient required blood transfusion, while another managed with erythropoietin).
      Sofosbuvir and ribavirin appear to be safe and efficacious in treatment of acute
      severe HCV recurrence after organ transplant.

PMID- 28348469
TI  - The Preliminary Study on Procurement Biliary Convergence from Donors with
      Complicated Bile Duct Variant in Emergency Right Lobe Living Donor Liver
      Transplantation.
AB  - BACKGROUND: The incidence of biliary complications after living donor adult liver
      transplantation (LDALT) is still high due to the bile duct variation and
      necessity reconstruction of multiple small bile ducts. The current surgical
      management of the biliary variants is unsatisfactory. We evaluated the role of a
      new surgical approach in a complicated hilar bile duct variant (Nakamura type IV
      and Nakamura type II) under emergent right lobe LDALT for high model for end
      stage liver disease score patients. METHODS: The common hepatic duct (CHD) and
      the left hepatic duct (LHD) of the donor were transected in a right-graft
      including short common trunks with right posterior and anterior bile ducts,
      whereas the LHD of the donor was anastomosed to the CHD and the common trunks of
      a right-graft bile duct and the recipient CHD was end-to-end anastomosed.
      RESULTS: Ten of 13 grafts (Nakamura types II, III, and IV) had two or more
      biliary orifices after right graft lobectomy; seven patients had biliary
      complications (53.8%). Later, the surgical innovation was carried out in five
      donors with variant bile duct (four Nakamura type IV and one type II), and,
      consequently, no biliary or other complications were observed in donors and
      recipients during 47-53 months of follow-up; significant differences (P < 0.05)
      were found when two stages were compared. CONCLUSION: Our initial experience
      suggests that, in the urgent condition of LDALT when an alternative live donor
      was unavailable, a surgical innovation of cutting part of the CHD trunks
      including variant right hepatic ducts in a complicated donor bile duct variant
      may facilitate biliary reconstruction and reduce long-term biliary complications.

PMID- 28348472
TI  - Portal Inflow in Extensive Portomesenteric Thrombosis: Using the Pericholedochal
      Varix in Living Donor Liver Transplantation.
AB  - Extensive portomesenteric thrombosis presents a technical challenge in liver
      transplantation. Establishing portal inflow in living donor liver transplantation
      (LDLT) is indispensable to ensure regeneration of the graft. The use of a
      pericholedochal varix for inflow has been described only in a few case reports.
      Described herein is one such instance in the setting of LDLT, highlighting the
      nuances of this procedure in the light of available literature.

PMID- 28348471
TI  - Role of Allopurinol in Optimizing Thiopurine Therapy in Patients with Autoimmune
      Hepatitis: A Review.
AB  - Autoimmune hepatitis (AIH) is a chronic immune mediated liver disease
      characterized by elevated transaminases, hyper gammaglobulinemia, presence of
      autoantibodies and interface hepatitis in the absence of a known etiology of
      liver disease. Thiopurines (azathioprine [AZA]/6-mercaptopurine [6MP]) and
      steroids remain the first line of treatment of AIH in both children and adults.
      However, a small proportion of AIH patients are either non-responders or develop
      side effects with AZA. The metabolism of AZA is complex and mediated by multiple
      enzymes. After absorption and getting converted to 6MP, it is converted to 6
      thiouric acid, 6-methyl mercaptopurine (6MMP) and 6-thioguanine (6TG) by
      different enzymes. Elevated 6MMP levels are associated with hepatotoxicity and
      also poor efficacy due to simultaneous lower levels of 6TG, which is the active
      drug metabolite related to both efficacy and myelosuppression. Allopurinol, a
      xanthine oxidase inhibitor shifts the metabolism of AZA away from 6MMP toward
      6TG. This combination of allopurinol with reduced dose of AZA is an alternative
      to more expensive and toxic second line therapy to induce remission in patients
      with AIH. This article discusses the mechanism of action of allopurinol in
      inducing response to AZA, reviews the published literature on this combination
      therapy and gives guidelines on the use of allopurinol in patients with AIH.

PMID- 28348470
TI  - Potential Liver Transplant Recipients with Hepatitis C: Should They Be Treated
      Before or After Transplantation?
AB  - Treatment of hepatitis C virus (HCV) with newer directly acting antivirals (DAAs)
      and lead to sustained viral response (SVR) in majority of patients and SVR has
      been documented to be associated with reversal of liver cirrhosis. The improved
      SVR rates and safety profiles of DAAs have led to the treatment of patients with
      decompensated cirrhosis awaiting liver transplantation (LT). Several clinical
      trials of DAAs in decompensated HCV patients have recently demonstrated SVR rates
      above 80%, which have been associated with significant improvements, in the Child
      Pugh-Turcotte scores/or model for end-stage liver disease scores in a proportion
      of patients. Moreover, it has been shown that HCV RNA becomes negative after 2-4
      weeks of treatment, and those who are transplanted after becoming HCV RNA
      negative will be have very low the risk of HCV recurrence after transplantation.
      Some of the patients may have reached the "point of no return" and may proceed to
      worsening of decomposition over time. To avoid the risk of worsening, there is an
      additional option of treating these patients after LT should they develop
      recurrent HCV infection. Currently there are no guidelines as to select patients
      who would benefit from treatment prior to LT as opposed to those who will be
      better off being treated after the transplant surgery. The article discusses a
      possible approach for such selection.

PMID- 28348473
TI  - Acute Onset Significant Muscle Weakness in a Patient Awaiting Liver
      Transplantation: Look for Statins.
AB  - Statins are commonly used drugs in patients with liver and cardiac disease.
      Statin-induced severe myopathy is a very uncommon presentation and rhabdomyolysis
      may occur in extreme cases which leads to renal failure. Patients with
      comorbidities like diabetes, hypothyroidism, and liver disease have higher
      chances of development of statin-induced myopathy. We describe a case of Child's
      C cirrhosis wherein the patient had acute onset significant muscle weakness and
      improved on statin discontinuation.

PMID- 28348474
TI  - Malignant Hepatic Epithelioid Hemangioendothelioma with Villaret Syndrome.
AB  - Malignant hepatic epithelioid hemangioendothelioma is a rare, vascular tumor of
      the liver with peak incidence in the middle age with a female preponderance and
      of unknown etiology. Majority of the tumors are asymptomatic. The gold standard
      for diagnosis of the tumor is liver histology showing presence of epithelioid
      tumor cells on a background of a hyaline stroma. Immunohistochemical positivity
      for CD31, CD34, Factor VIII, and Podoplanin (D2-40) is confirmatory. The
      treatment of choice is liver transplantation.

PMID- 28348475
TI  - Giant Intrahepatic Portal Vein Aneurysm: Leave it or Treat it?
AB  - Portal vein aneurysm (PVA) is a rare vascular dilatation of the portal vein. It
      is a rare vascular anomaly representing less than 3% of all visceral aneurysms
      and is not well understood. Usually, PVA are incidental findings, are
      asymptomatic, and clinical symptoms are proportionally related to size. Patients
      present with nonspecific epigastric pain or gastrointestinal bleeding with
      underlying portal hypertension. PVA may be associated with various complications
      such as biliary tract compression, portal vein thrombosis/rupture, duodenal
      compression, gastrointestinal bleeding, and inferior vena cava obstruction.
      Differential diagnoses of portal vein aneurysms are solid, cystic, and
      hypervascular abdominal masses, and it is important that the radiologists be
      aware of their multi-modality appearance; hence, the aim of this article was to
      provide an overview of the available literature to better simplify various
      aspects of this rare entity and diagnostic appearance on different modality with
      available treatment options. In our case, a 55-year-old male patient came to the
      gastroenterology OPD for further management of pancreatitis with portal
      hypertension and biliary obstruction with plastic stents in CBD and PD for the
      same. In this article, we have reported a case of largest intrahepatic portal
      vein aneurysm and its management by endovascular technique. As per our knowledge,
      this is the largest intrahepatic portal vein aneurysm and first case where the
      endovascular technique was used for the treatment of the same.

PMID- 28348476
TI  - Unusual Presentation of Tubercular Liver Abscess in an Immune-Competent Adult.
AB  - Isolated hepatobiliary tuberculosis (TB) has been uncommonly described with or
      without biliary involvement and accounts for less than 1% of all tubercular
      infections. Isolated hepatic TB is even rare and poses a great diagnostic
      challenge. We report a case of isolated tubercular liver abscess with extension
      into the chest wall in an immune-competent adult, which was diagnosed and managed
      successfully with antitubercular treatment.

PMID- 28348477
TI  - Rapid Onset of Fatal Lactic Acidosis Complicating Tenofovir Therapy in a Diabetic
      Patient with Cirrhosis: A Cautionary Tale.

PMID- 28348478
TI  - Portal hypertension: Imaging of portosystemic collateral pathways and associated
      image-guided therapy.
AB  - Portal hypertension is a common clinical syndrome, defined by a pathologic
      increase in the portal venous pressure. Increased resistance to portal blood
      flow, the primary factor in the pathophysiology of portal hypertension, is in
      part due to morphological changes occurring in chronic liver diseases. This
      results in rerouting of blood flow away from the liver through collateral
      pathways to low-pressure systemic veins. Through a variety of computed
      tomographic, sonographic, magnetic resonance imaging and angiographic examples,
      this article discusses the appearances and prevalence of both common and less
      common portosystemic collateral channels in the thorax and abdomen. A brief
      overview of established interventional radiologic techniques for treatment of
      portal hypertension will also be provided. Awareness of the various imaging
      manifestations of portal hypertension can be helpful for assessing overall
      prognosis and planning proper management.

PMID- 28348480
TI  - Ghrelin and gastrointestinal stromal tumors.
AB  - Ghrelin, as a kind of multifunctional protein polypeptide, is mainly produced in
      the fundus of the stomach and can promote occurrence and development of many
      tumors, including gastrointestinal tumors, which has been proved by the relevant
      researches. Most gastrointestinal stromal tumors (GISTs, about 80%), as the most
      common mesenchymal tumor, also develop in the fundus. Scientific research has
      confirmed that ghrelin, its receptors and mRNA respectively can be found in
      GISTs, which demonstrated the existence of a ghrelin autocrine/paracrine loop in
      GIST tissues. However, no reports to date have specified the mechanism whether
      ghrelin can promote the occurrence and development of GISTs. Studies of pulmonary
      artery endothelial cells in a low-oxygen environment and cardiac muscle cells in
      an ischemic environment have shown that ghrelin can activate the
      phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase/AKT/mammalian target of rapamycin (PI3K/AKT/mTOR)
      signaling pathway. Moreover, some studies of GISTs have confirmed that activation
      of the PI3K/AKT/mTOR pathway can indeed promote the growth and progression of
      GISTs. Whether ghrelin is involved in the development or progression of GISTs
      through certain pathways remains unknown. Can we find a new target for the
      treatment of GISTs? This review explores and summaries the relationship among
      ghrelin, the PI3K/AKT/mTOR pathway and the development of GISTs.

PMID- 28348479
TI  - Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease connections with fat-free tissues: A focus on
      bone and skeletal muscle.
AB  - The estimates of global incidence and prevalence of non-alcoholic fatty liver
      disease (NAFLD) are worrisome, due to the parallel burden of obesity and its
      metabolic complications. Indeed, excess adiposity and insulin resistance
      represent two of the major risk factors for NAFLD; interestingly, in the last
      years a growing body of evidence tended to support a novel mechanistic
      perspective, in which the liver is at the center of a complex interplay involving
      organs and systems, other than adipose tissue and glucose homeostasis. Bone and
      the skeletal muscle are fat- free tissues which appeared to be independently
      associated with NAFLD in several cross-sectional studies. The deterioration of
      bone mineral density and lean body mass, leading to osteoporosis and sarcopenia,
      respectively, are age-related processes. The prevalence of NAFLD also increases
      with age. Beyond physiological aging, the three conditions share some common
      underlying mechanisms, and their elucidations could be of paramount importance to
      design more effective treatment strategies for the management of NAFLD. In this
      review, we provide an overview on epidemiological data as well as on potential
      contributors to the connections of NAFLD with bone and skeletal muscle.

PMID- 28348481
TI  - Hyperplasia vs hypertrophy in tissue regeneration after extensive liver
      resection.
AB  - AIM: To address to what extent hypertrophy and hyperplasia contribute to liver
      mass restoration after major tissue loss. METHODS: The ability of the liver to
      regenerate is remarkable on both clinical and biological grounds. Basic
      mechanisms underlying this process have been intensively investigated. However,
      it is still debated to what extent hypertrophy and hyperplasia contribute to
      liver mass restoration after major tissue loss. We addressed this issue using a
      genetically tagged system. We were able to follow the fate of single transplanted
      hepatocytes during the regenerative response elicited by 2/3 partial surgical
      hepatectomy (PH) in rats. Clusters of transplanted cells were 3D reconstructed
      and their size distribution was evaluated over time after PH. RESULTS: Liver size
      and liver DNA content were largely recovered 10 d post-PH, as expected (e.g.,
      total DNA/liver/100 g b.w. was 6.37 +/- 0.21 before PH and returned to 6.10 +/-
      0.36 10 d after PH). Data indicated that about 2/3 of the original residual
      hepatocytes entered S-phase in response to PH. Analysis of cluster size
      distribution at 24, 48, 96 h and 10 d after PH revealed that about half of the
      remnant hepatocytes completed at least 2 cell cycles. Average size of hepatocytes
      increased at 24 h (248.50 MUm2 +/- 7.82 MUm2, P = 0.0015), but returned to
      control values throughout the regenerative process (up to 10 d post-PH, 197.9
      MUm2 +/- 6.44 MUm2, P = 0.11). A sizeable fraction of the remnant hepatocyte
      population does not participate actively in tissue mass restoration. CONCLUSION:
      Hyperplasia stands as the major mechanism contributing to liver mass restoration
      after PH, with hypertrophy playing a transient role in the process.

PMID- 28348482
TI  - Catheterization of the gallbladder: A novel mouse model of severe acute
      cholangitis.
AB  - AIM: To establish a severe acute cholangitis (SAC) model in mice. METHODS:
      Cholecystic catheterization was performed under the condition of bile duct
      ligation (BDL). Trans-cholecystic injection of lipopolysaccharide (LPS) was
      defined as the SAC animal model. Sham operation group, intraperitoneal injection
      of LPS without BDL group, intraperitoneal injection of LPS with BDL group and
      trans-cholecystic injection of normal saline with BDL group were defined as
      control groups. The survival rates and tissue injuries in liver, lungs and kidney
      were evaluated. RESULTS: Mice in the SAC group showed a time-dependent mortality
      and much more severe tissue injuries in liver, lungs and kidney, compared with
      other groups. However, relieving biliary obstruction could effectively reduce
      mortality and attenuate liver injury in the SAC mouse model. CONCLUSION: Trans
      cholecystic injection of LPS under the condition of biliary obstruction could
      establish a repeatable and reversible mouse model of SAC.

PMID- 28348483
TI  - Clinicopathological significance of overexpression of interleukin-6 in colorectal
      cancer.
AB  - AIM: To compare the expression levels of interleukin (IL)-6 in colorectal cancer
      (CRC) tissues and adjacent non-cancerous tissues, and analyse the correlation of
      IL-6 expression with the clinicopathological parameters of CRC. METHODS: Fifty
      CRC tissue specimens and 50 matched adjacent mucosa specimens were collected. The
      expression of IL-6 in these clinical samples was examined by immunohistochemical
      staining. The correlation between IL-6 expression and clinicopathological
      parameters was assessed by statistical analysis. RESULTS: IL-6 expression was
      significantly elevated in CRC tissues compared with noncancerous tissues (P <
      0.001). IL-6 expression was positively correlated with tumour TNM stage (P <
      0.001), but a negative correlation was detected between IL-6 expression and tumor
      histological differentiation in CRC (P < 0.05). Furthermore, IL-6 expression was
      associated with invasion depth and lymph node metastasis in CRC. CONCLUSION: IL-6
      might be a useful marker for predicting a poor prognosis in patients with CRC and
      might be used as a potential therapeutic target in CRC.

PMID- 28348484
TI  - Integrated analysis of microRNA and mRNA expression profiles in HBx-expressing
      hepatic cells.
AB  - AIM: To identify the miRNA-mRNA regulatory network in hepatitis B virus X (HBx)
      expressing hepatic cells. METHODS: A stable HBx-expressing human liver cell line
      L02 was established. The mRNA and miRNA expression profiles of L02/HBx and
      L02/pcDNA liver cells were identified by RNA-sequencing analysis. Kyoto
      Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes pathway enrichment analysis was performed to
      investigate the function of candidate biomarkers, and the relationship between
      miRNA and mRNA was studied by network analysis. RESULTS: Compared with L02/pcDNA
      cells, 742 unregulated genes and 501 downregulated genes were determined as
      differentially expressed in L02/HBx cells. Gene ontology analysis suggested that
      the differentially expressed genes were relevant to different biological
      processes. Concurrently, 22 differential miRNAs were also determined in L02/HBx
      cells. Furthermore, integrated analysis of miRNA and mRNA expression profiles
      identified a core miRNA-mRNA regulatory network that is correlated with the
      carcinogenic role of HBx. CONCLUSION: Collectively, the miRNA-mRNA network-based
      analysis could be useful to elucidate the potential role of HBx in liver cell
      malignant transformation and shed light on the underlying molecular mechanism and
      novel therapy targets for hepatocellular carcinoma.

PMID- 28348485
TI  - ECRG2 enhances the anti-cancer effects of cisplatin in cisplatin-resistant
      esophageal cancer cells via upregulation of p53 and downregulation of PCNA.
AB  - AIM: To explore the anti-tumor effects of esophageal cancer-related gene 2
      (ECRG2) in combination with cisplatin (DDP) in DDP-resistant esophageal cancer
      cells (EC9706/DDP). METHODS: A drug-resistant cell model was established, with
      EC9706/DDP cells being treated with ECRG2 and/or DDP. Cell viability was examined
      by MTT assay. The rate of cell apoptosis was determined by flow cytometry. The
      mRNA expression levels of proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA),
      metallothionein (MT), and p53 were determined by RT-PCR and PCNA, while MT and
      p53 protein expression levels were determined by western blotting. RESULTS: The
      anti-proliferative effect of ECRG2 in combination with DDP was superior when
      compared to ECRG2 or DDP alone. The inhibition rate for the combination reached
      its peak (51.33%) at 96 h. The early apoptotic rates of the control, ECRG2 alone,
      DDP alone, and ECRG2 plus DDP groups were 5.71% +/- 0.27%, 12.68% +/- 0.61%,
      14.15% +/- 0.87%, and 27.96% +/- 0.36%, respectively. Although all treatment
      groups were significantly different from the control group (P < 0.05), the
      combination treatment of ECRG2 plus DDP performed significantly better when
      compared to either ECRG2 or DDP alone (P < 0.05). The combination of ECRG2 and
      DDP significantly upregulated p53 mRNA and protein levels and downregulated PCNA
      mRNA and protein levels compared to ECRG2 or DDP alone (P < 0.05). However, no
      changes were seen in the expression of MT mRNA or protein. CONCLUSION: ECRG2 in
      combination with DDP can inhibit viability and induce apoptosis in esophageal
      cancer DDP-resistant cells, possibly via upregulation of p53 expression and
      downregulation of PCNA expression. These findings suggest that the combination of
      ECRG2 and DDP may be a promising strategy for the clinical treatment of
      esophageal cancers that are resistant to DDP.

PMID- 28348486
TI  - Therapeutic effect of curcumin on experimental colitis mediated by inhibiting
      CD8+CD11c+ cells.
AB  - AIM: To verify whether curcumin (Cur) can treat inflammatory bowel disease by
      regulating CD8+CD11c+ cells. METHODS: We evaluated the suppressive effect of Cur
      on CD8+CD11c+ cells in spleen and Peyer's patches (PPs) in colitis induced by
      trinitrobenzene sulfonic acid. Mice with colitis were treated by 200 mg/kg Cur
      for 7 d. On day 8, the therapeutic effect of Cur was evaluated by visual
      assessment and histological examination, while co-stimulatory molecules of
      CD8+CD11c+ cells in the spleen and PPs were measured by flow cytometry. The
      levels of interleukin (IL)-10, interferon (IFN)-gamma and transforming growth
      factor (TGF)-beta1 in spleen and colonic mucosa were determined by ELISA.
      RESULTS: The disease activity index, colon weight, weight index of colon and
      histological score of experimental colitis were obviously decreased after Cur
      treatment, while the body weight and colon length recovered. After treatment with
      Cur, CD8+CD11c+ cells were decreased in the spleen and PPs, and the expression of
      major histocompatibility complex II, CD205, CD40, CD40L and intercellular
      adhesion molecule-1 was inhibited. IL-10, IFN-gamma and TGF-beta1 levels were
      increased compared with those in mice with untreated colitis. CONCLUSION: Cur can
      effectively treat experimental colitis, which is realized by inhibiting
      CD8+CD11c+ cells.

PMID- 28348487
TI  - miR-34a mediates oxaliplatin resistance of colorectal cancer cells by inhibiting
      macroautophagy via transforming growth factor-beta/Smad4 pathway.
AB  - AIM: To investigate whether microRNA (miR)-34a mediates oxaliplatin (OXA)
      resistance of colorectal cancer (CRC) cells by inhibiting macroautophagy via the
      transforming growth factor (TGF)-beta/Smad4 pathway. METHODS: miR-34a expression
      levels were detected in CRC tissues and CRC cell lines by quantitative real-time
      polymerase chain reaction. Computational search, functional luciferase assay and
      western blotting were used to demonstrate the downstream target of miR-34a in CRC
      cells. Cell viability was measured with Cell Counting Kit-8. Apoptosis and
      macroautophagy of CRC cells were analyzed by flow cytometry and transmission
      electron microscopy, and expression of beclin I and LC3-II was detected by
      western blotting. RESULTS: Expression of miR-34a was significantly reduced while
      expression of TGF-beta and Smad4 was increased in CRC patients treated with OXA
      based chemotherapy. OXA treatment also resulted in decreased miR-34a levels and
      increased TGF-beta and Smad4 levels in both parental cells and the OXA-resistant
      CRC cells. Activation of macroautophagy contributed to OXA resistance in CRC
      cells. Expression levels of Smad4 and miR-34a in CRC patients had a significant
      inverse correlation and overexpressing miR-34a inhibited macroautophagy
      activation by directly targeting Smad4 through the TGF-beta/Smad4 pathway. OXA
      induced downregulation of miR-34a and increased drug resistance by activating
      macroautophagy in CRC cells. CONCLUSION: miR-34a mediates OXA resistance of CRC
      by inhibiting macroautophagy via the TGF-beta/Smad4 pathway.

PMID- 28348488
TI  - Experimental porcine model of complex fistula-in-ano.
AB  - AIM: To establish and evaluate an experimental porcine model of fistula-in-ano.
      METHODS: Twelve healthy pigs were randomly divided into two groups. Under general
      anesthesia, the experimental group underwent rubber band ligation surgery, and
      the control group underwent an artificial damage technique. Clinical magnetic
      resonance imaging (MRI) and histopathological evaluation were performed on the
      38th d and 48th d after surgery in both groups, respectively. RESULTS: There were
      no significant differences between the experimental group and the control group
      in general characteristics such as body weight, gender, and the number of fistula
      (P > 0.05). In the experimental group, 15 fistulas were confirmed clinically, 13
      complex fistulas were confirmed by MRI, and 11 complex fistulas were confirmed by
      histopathology. The success rate in the porcine complex fistula model
      establishment was 83.33%. Among the 18 fistulas in the control group, 5 fistulas
      were confirmed clinically, 4 complex fistulas were confirmed by MRI, and 3
      fistulas were confirmed by histopathology. The success rate in the porcine
      fistula model establishment was 27.78%. Thus, the success rate of the rubber band
      ligation group was significantly higher than the control group (P < 0.05).
      CONCLUSION: Rubber band ligation is a stable and reliable method to establish
      complex fistula-in-ano models. Large animal models of complex anal fistulas can
      be used for the diagnosis and treatment of anal fistulas.

PMID- 28348489
TI  - Serum HER2 as a predictive biomarker for tissue HER2 status and prognosis in
      patients with gastric cancer.
AB  - AIM: To investigate the association between serum human epidermal growth factor
      receptor 2 (HER2) extracellular domain (ECD) and tissue HER2 status, and the
      prognostic value of serum HER2 ECD in patients with gastric cancer. METHODS: A
      total of 239 patients with gastric cancer were enrolled from December 2012 to
      June 2013. Serum HER2 ECD was determined by chemiluminescent assay, and tissue
      HER2 status was evaluated by immunohistochemistry and fluorescence in situ
      hybridization assay. A receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve was plotted
      to identify the optimal cut-off value for serum HER2 ECD assay for predicting
      survival in gastric cancer patients. RESULTS: Serum HER2 ECD was significantly
      correlated with tissue HER2 status (P < 0.001), tumor size (P < 0.001), and
      intestinal type of gastric cancer (P = 0.021). Serum HER2 ECD levels differed
      significantly between patients with HER2-positive tissue expression and those
      with HER2-negative tissue expression. ROC analysis yielded an area under the
      curve value of 0.79 (95%CI: 0.71-0.87, P < 0.001), with a sensitivity and
      specificity of 0.54 (95%CI: 0.37-0.70) and 0.93 (95%CI: 0.88-0.96), respectively.
      With a cut-off value of 24.75 ng/mL, high serum HER2 ECD had a negative impact on
      overall survival of the patients (HR: 1.93, 95%CI: 1.32-4.38, P = 0.006).
      CONCLUSION: Serum HER2 ECD could be a highly specific surrogate biomarker for
      tissue HER2 status in gastric cancer. Optimal cut-off criteria for predicting
      survival should be established.

PMID- 28348490
TI  - Endoscopic submucosal tunnel dissection of upper gastrointestinal submucosal
      tumors: A comparative study of hook knife vs hybrid knife.
AB  - AIM: To compare the efficacy and safety of a hook knife (HO) with a hybrid knife
      (HK) during endoscopic submucosal tunnel dissection (ESTD) procedure. METHODS:
      Between August 2012 and December 2015, the ESTD procedure was performed for 83
      upper GI submucosal lesions, which originated from the muscularis propria layer
      identified by upper endoscopy and endoscopic ultrasonography. Of these, 34
      lesions were treated by a HO, whereas 49 lesions were treated by a HK. Data
      regarding age, gender, presenting symptoms, tumor location and size, procedure
      time, complications, en bloc resection rate and others were analyzed and compared
      between the two groups. RESULTS: There were no significant differences in the
      age, gender, presenting symptoms and tumor location between the two groups. ESTD
      was successfully completed in all the patients, and no case was converted to
      laparoscopy. The mean procedure time was significantly shorter in the HK group
      than in the HO group (41.3 +/- 20.3 min vs 57.2 +/- 28.0 min, P = 0.004). The
      mean frequency of device exchange was 1.4 +/- 0.6 in the HK group and
      significantly less than 3.3 +/- 0.6 in the HO group (P < 0.001). The differences
      in tumor size and histopathological diagnoses were not significant between the
      two groups (P = 0.813, P = 0.363, respectively). Both groups had an equal en bloc
      resection rate and complete resection rate. Additionally, the complication rate
      was similar between the two groups (P = 0.901). During the follow-up, no
      recurrence occurred in either group. CONCLUSION: We demonstrate for the first
      time that HO and HK do not differ in efficacy or safety, but HK reduces the
      frequency of device exchange and procedure time.

PMID- 28348491
TI  - Percutaneous intraductal radiofrequency ablation for treatment of biliary stent
      occlusion: A preliminary result.
AB  - AIM: To assess the feasibility and effectiveness of a novel application of
      percutaneous intraductal radiofrequency (RF) for the treatment of biliary stent
      obstruction. METHODS: We specifically report a retrospective study presenting the
      results of percutaneous intraductal RF in patients with biliary stent occlusion.
      A total of 43 cases involving biliary stent obstruction were treated by placing
      an EndoHPB catheter and percutaneous intraductal RF was performed to clean
      stents. The stent patency was evaluated by cholangiography and follow-up by
      contrast enhanced computed tomography or ultrasound after the removal of the
      drainage catheter. RESULTS: Following the procedures, of the 43 patients, 40
      survived and 3 died with a median survival of 80.5 (range: 30-243) d. One patient
      was lost to follow-up. One patient had the stent patent at the time of last
      follow-up. Two patients with stent blockage at 35 d and 44 d after procedure
      underwent percutaneous transhepatic drain insertion only. The levels of bilirubin
      before and after the procedure were 128 +/- 65 MUmol/L and 63 +/- 29 MUmol/L,
      respectively. There were no related complications (haemorrhage, bile duct
      perforation, bile leak or pancreatitis) and all patients' stent patency was
      confirmed by cholangiography after the procedure, with a median patency time of
      107 (range: 12-180) d. CONCLUSION: This preliminary clinical study demonstrated
      that percutaneous intraductal RF is safe and effective for the treatment of
      biliary stent obstruction, increasing the duration of stent patency, although
      randomized controlled trials are needed to confirm the effectiveness of this
      approach.

PMID- 28348492
TI  - Hospital resource intensity and cirrhosis mortality in United States.
AB  - AIM: To determine whether hospital characteristics predict cirrhosis mortality
      and how much variation in mortality is attributable to hospital differences.
      METHODS: We used data from the 2005-2011 Nationwide Inpatient Sample and the
      American Hospital Association Annual survey to identify hospitalizations for
      decompensated cirrhosis and corresponding facility characteristics. We created
      hospital-specific risk and reliability-adjusted odds ratios for cirrhosis
      mortality, and evaluated patient and facility differences based on hospital
      performance quintiles. We used hierarchical regression models to determine the
      effect of these factors on mortality. RESULTS: Seventy-two thousand seven hundred
      and thirty-three cirrhosis admissions were evaluated in 805 hospitals. Hospital
      mean cirrhosis annual case volume was 90.4 (range 25-828). Overall hospital
      cirrhosis mortality rate was 8.00%. Hospital-adjusted odds ratios (aOR) for
      mortality ranged from 0.48 to 1.89. Patient characteristics varied significantly
      by hospital aOR for mortality. Length of stay averaged 6.0 +/- 1.6 days, and
      varied significantly by hospital performance (P < 0.001). Facility level
      predictors of risk-adjusted mortality were higher Medicaid case-mix (OR = 1.00, P
      = 0.029) and LPN staffing (OR = 1.02, P = 0.015). Higher cirrhosis volume (OR =
      0.99, P = 0.025) and liver transplant program status (OR = 0.83, P = 0.026) were
      significantly associated with survival. After adjusting for patient differences,
      era, and clustering effects, 15.3% of variation between hospitals was
      attributable to differences in facility characteristics. CONCLUSION: Hospital
      characteristics account for a significant proportion of variation in cirrhosis
      mortality. These findings have several implications for patients, providers, and
      health care delivery in liver disease care and inpatient health care design.

PMID- 28348493
TI  - Mortality associated with hepatitis C and hepatitis B virus infection: A
      nationwide study on multiple causes of death data.
AB  - AIM: To analyze mortality associated with hepatitis C virus (HCV) and hepatitis B
      virus (HBV) infection in Italy. METHODS: Death certificates mentioning either HBV
      or HCV infection were retrieved from the Italian National Cause of Death Register
      for the years 2011-2013. Mortality rates and proportional mortality (percentage
      of deaths with mention of HCV/HBV among all registered deaths) were computed by
      gender and age class. The geographical variability in HCV-related mortality rates
      was investigated by directly age-standardized rates (European standard
      population). Proportional mortality for HCV and HBV among subjects aged 20-59
      years was assessed in the native population and in different immigrant groups.
      RESULTS: HCV infection was mentioned in 1.6% (n = 27730) and HBV infection in
      0.2% (n = 3838) of all deaths among subjects aged >= 20 years. Mortality rates
      associated with HCV infection increased exponentially with age in both genders,
      with a male to female ratio close to unity among the elderly; a further peak was
      observed in the 50-54 year age group especially among male subjects. HCV-related
      mortality rates were higher in Southern Italy among elderly people (45/100000 in
      subjects aged 60-79 and 125/100000 in subjects aged >= 80 years), and in North
      Western Italy among middle-aged subjects (9/100000 in the 40-59 year age group).
      Proportional mortality was higher among Italian citizens and North African
      immigrants for HCV, and among Sub-Saharan African and Asian immigrants for HBV.
      CONCLUSION: Population ageing, immigration, and new therapeutic approaches are
      shaping the epidemiology of virus-related chronic liver disease. In spite of
      limits due to the incomplete reporting and misclassification of the etiology of
      liver disease, mortality data represent an additional source of information for
      surveillance.

PMID- 28348494
TI  - Prognostic value of site-specific metastases in pancreatic adenocarcinoma: A
      Surveillance Epidemiology and End Results database analysis.
AB  - AIM: To evaluate the prognostic value of site-specific metastases among patients
      with metastatic pancreatic carcinoma registered within the Surveillance,
      Epidemiology and End Results (SEER) database. METHODS: SEER database (2010-2013)
      has been queried through SEER*Stat program to determine the presentation,
      treatment outcomes and prognostic outcomes of metastatic pancreatic
      adenocarcinoma according to the site of metastasis. In this study, metastatic
      pancreatic adenocarcinoma patients were classified according to the site of
      metastases (liver, lung, bone, brain and distant lymph nodes). We utilized chi
      square test to compare the clinicopathological characteristics among different
      sites of metastases. We used Kaplan-Meier analysis and log-rank testing for
      survival comparisons. We employed Cox proportional model to perform multivariate
      analyses of the patient population; and accordingly hazard ratios with
      corresponding 95%CI were generated. Statistical significance was considered if a
      two-tailed P value < 0.05 was achieved. RESULTS: A total of 13233 patients with
      stage IV pancreatic cancer and known sites of distant metastases were identified
      in the period from 2010-2013 and they were included into the current analysis.
      Patients with isolated distant nodal involvement or lung metastases have better
      overall and pancreatic cancer-specific survival compared to patients with
      isolated liver metastases (for overall survival: lung vs liver metastases: P <
      0.0001; distant nodal vs liver metastases: P < 0.0001) (for pancreatic cancer
      specific survival: lung vs liver metastases: P < 0.0001; distant nodal vs liver
      metastases: P < 0.0001). Multivariate analysis revealed that age < 65 years,
      white race, being married, female gender; surgery to the primary tumor and
      surgery to the metastatic disease were associated with better overall survival
      and pancreatic cancer-specific survival. CONCLUSION: Pancreatic adenocarcinoma
      patients with isolated liver metastases have worse outcomes compared to patients
      with isolated lung or distant nodal metastases. Further research is needed to
      identify the highly selected subset of patients who may benefit from local
      treatment of the primary tumor and/or metastatic disease.

PMID- 28348495
TI  - Role of illness perception and self-efficacy in lifestyle modification among non
      alcoholic fatty liver disease patients.
AB  - AIM: To describe the relationships between non-alcoholic fatty-liver disease
      (NAFLD) patient's disease consequences and treatment perceptions, self-efficacy,
      and healthy lifestyle maintenance. METHODS: A cross-sectional study among 146
      ultrasound diagnosed NAFLD patients who visited the fatty liver clinic at the Tel
      Aviv Medical Center. Eighty-seven of these individuals, participated in a
      clinical trial of physical activity and underwent fasting blood tests, analyzed
      at the same lab. Exclusion criteria included positivity for serum HBsAg or anti
      HCV antibodies; fatty liver suspected to be secondary to hepatotoxic drugs;
      excessive alcohol consumption (>= 30 g/d in men or >= 20 g/d in women) and
      positive markers of genetic or immune-mediated liver diseases. Patients were
      asked to complete a self-report structured questionnaire, assembled by the
      Israeli Center for Disease Control. Nutrition habits were measured using six
      yes/no questions (0 = no, 1 = yes) adopted from the national survey
      questionnaire. Participants in the clinical trial completed a detailed semi
      quantitative food frequency questionnaire (FFQ) reporting their habitual
      nutritional intake during the past year. Self-efficacy was assessed by the Self
      Efficacy Scale questionnaire, emotional representation, degree of illness
      understanding, timeline perception, treatment perception and symptoms were
      measured by the Brief Illness Perception questionnaire. Illness consequences were
      measured by the Personal Models of Diabetes Interview questionnaire. A path
      analysis was performed to describe the interrelationships between the patients'
      illness perceptions, and assess the extent to which the data fit a prediction of
      nutritional habits. RESULTS: The study sample included 54.1% men, with a mean age
      of 47.76 +/- 11.68 years (range: 20-60) and mean body mass index of 31.56 +/-
      4.6. The average perceived nutrition habits score was 4.73 +/- 1.45 on a scale
      between 0-6, where 6 represents the healthiest eating habits. Most of the study
      participants (57.2%) did not feel they fully understood what NAFLD is. Better
      nutritional habits were positively predicted by the degree of illness
      understanding (beta = 0.26; P = 0.002) and self-efficacy (beta = 0.25; P =
      0.003). Perceptions of more severe illness consequences were related with higher
      emotional representation (beta = 0.55; P < 0.001), which was related with lower
      self-efficacy (beta = -0.17; P = 0.034). The perception of treatment
      effectiveness was positively related with self-efficacy (beta = 0.32; P < 0.001).
      In accordance with the correlation between self-efficacy and the perceived
      nutrition habits score, self-efficacy was also correlated with nutrient intake
      evaluated by the FFQ; negatively with saturated fat (percent of saturated fat
      calories from total calories) (r = -0.28, P = 0.010) and positively with fiber (r
      = 0.22, P = 0.047) and vitamin C intake (r = 0.34, P = 0.002). In a sub analysis
      of the clinical trial participants, objectively measured compliance to physical
      activity regimen was positively correlated with the self-efficacy level (r =
      0.34, P = 0.046). CONCLUSION: Self-efficacy and illness understanding are major
      determinants of lifestyle-modification among NAFLD patients. This information can
      assist clinicians in improving compliance with lifestyle changes among these
      patients.

PMID- 28348496
TI  - Validation of the chinese version of the EORTC QLQ-CR29 in patients with
      colorectal cancer.
AB  - AIM: To assess the validity and reliability of the European Organization for
      Research and Treatment of Cancer Quality of Life Questionnaire-Colorectal Cancer
      29 (EORTC QLQ-CR29) in Chinese patients with colorectal cancer (CRC). METHODS:
      From March 2014 to January 2015, 356 patients with CRC from four different
      hospitals in China were enrolled in the study, and all patients self-administered
      the EORTC QLQ-CR29 and the quality of life core questionnaire (EORTC QLQ-C30).
      Evaluation of the scores was based on the Karnofsky Performance Scale (KPS). The
      reliability and validity of the questionnaires were assessed by Cronbach's alpha
      coefficient, the Spearman correlation test and Wilcoxon rank sum test. RESULTS:
      The EORTC QLQ-CR29 showed satisfactory reliability (alpha > 0.7), although the
      urinary frequency and blood and mucus in stool dimensions had only moderate
      reliability (alpha = 0.608). The multitrait scaling analyses showed good
      convergent (r > 0.4) and discriminant validity. Significant differences were
      obtained for each item in the different KPS subgroups (KPS <= 80; KPS > 80). Body
      image and most single-item dimensions showed statistically significant
      differences in patients with a stoma compared with the rest of the patients.
      CONCLUSION: The EORTC QLQ-CR29 exhibits high validity and reliability in Chinese
      patients with CRC, and can therefore be recommended as a valuable tool for the
      assessment of quality of life in these patients.

PMID- 28348497
TI  - Microbiome and pancreatic cancer: A comprehensive topic review of literature.
AB  - AIM: To review microbiome alterations associated with pancreatic cancer, its
      potential utility in diagnostics, risk assessment, and influence on disease
      outcomes. METHODS: A comprehensive literature review was conducted by all
      inclusive topic review from PubMed, MEDLINE, and Web of Science. The last search
      was performed in October 2016. RESULTS: Diverse microbiome alterations exist
      among several body sites including oral, gut, and pancreatic tissue, in patients
      with pancreatic cancer compared to healthy populations. CONCLUSION: Pilot study
      successes in non-invasive screening strategies warrant further investigation for
      future translational application in early diagnostics and to learn modifiable
      risk factors relevant to disease prevention. Pre-clinical investigations exist in
      other tumor types that suggest microbiome manipulation provides opportunity to
      favorably transform cancer response to existing treatment protocols and improve
      survival.

PMID- 28348500
TI  - Regression Models For Multivariate Count Data.
AB  - Data with multivariate count responses frequently occur in modern applications.
      The commonly used multinomial-logit model is limiting due to its restrictive mean
      variance structure. For instance, analyzing count data from the recent RNA-seq
      technology by the multinomial-logit model leads to serious errors in hypothesis
      testing. The ubiquity of over-dispersion and complicated correlation structures
      among multivariate counts calls for more flexible regression models. In this
      article, we study some generalized linear models that incorporate various
      correlation structures among the counts. Current literature lacks a treatment of
      these models, partly due to the fact that they do not belong to the natural
      exponential family. We study the estimation, testing, and variable selection for
      these models in a unifying framework. The regression models are compared on both
      synthetic and real RNA-seq data.

PMID- 28348499
TI  - Supraclavicular lymph node metastases from malignant gastrointestinal stromal
      tumor of the jejunum: A case report with review of the literature.
AB  - Gastrointestinal stromal tumors (GISTs) represent the most common mesenchymal
      tumors of the alimentary tract. These tumors may have different clinical and
      biological behaviors. Malignant forms usually spread via a hematogenous route,
      and lymph node metastases rarely occur. Herein, we report a patient with a
      jejunal GIST who developed supraclavicular lymph node metastasis. We conclude
      that lymphatic diffusion via the mediastinal lymphatic station to the
      supraclavicular lymph nodes can be a potential metastatic route for GISTs.

PMID- 28348498
TI  - Markers of systemic inflammation and colorectal adenoma risk: Meta-analysis of
      observational studies.
AB  - AIM: To perform a meta-analysis of observational studies on inflammatory markers
      levels and occurrence of colorectal adenoma. METHODS: PubMed and EMBASE databases
      were searched until March 2016 for the articles reporting on the circulating
      levels of inflammatory markers, including: C-reactive protein (CRP), interleukin
      6 (IL-6), and tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) and risk of colorectal
      adenoma. Random-effects models were used to calculate summary odds ratios (ORs)
      with 95%CIs for the highest vs lowest category of exposure. Heterogeneity was
      assessed by using the Q test and I2 statistic. Subgroup analyses were also
      performed to test for potential source of heterogeneity. RESULTS: A total of 14
      case-control studies were included. Ten studies on CRP including a total of 3350
      cases and 4168 controls showed non-significant summary (OR = 1.23, 95%CI: 0.98
      1.54; I2 = 54%, Pheterogeneity = 0.01) in the general analysis, but significant
      increased odds when considering only advanced adenoma (OR = 1.59, 95%CI: 1.09
      2.32; I2 = 44%, Pheterogeneity = 0.15). Subgroup and stratified analyses revealed
      a potential influence of smoking status and aspirin use on the association
      between CRP levels and colorectal adenoma. Five studies examined the association
      between circulating levels of TNF-alpha and colorectal adenoma risk, including a
      total of 1,568 cases and 2,832 controls. The summary OR for the highest vs the
      lowest category of exposure was 1.00 (95%CI: 0.77-1.29). The relationship between
      circulating IL-6 levels and colorectal adenoma risk was investigated in 7 studies
      including a total of 1936 cases and 3611 controls. The summary OR for the highest
      vs the lowest category of exposure was 1.19 (95%CI: 0.92-1.55). CONCLUSION:
      Summary of current evidence suggests a positive association of CRP levels and
      advanced colorectal adenoma risk. The role of potential confounding factors
      should be further evaluated.

PMID- 28348501
TI  - An Investigation into the Relation between the Technique of Movement and Overload
      in Step Aerobics.
AB  - The aim of this research was to determine the features of a step workout
      technique which may be related to motor system overloading in step aerobics.
      Subjects participating in the research were instructors (n = 15) and students (n
      = 15) without any prior experience in step aerobics. Kinematic and kinetic data
      was collected with the use of the BTS SMART system comprised of 6 calibrated
      video cameras and two Kistler force plates. The subjects' task was to perform
      basic steps. The following variables were analyzed: vertical, anteroposterior,
      and mediolateral ground reaction forces; foot flexion and abduction and adduction
      angles; knee joint flexion angle; and trunk flexion angle in the sagittal plane.
      The angle of a foot adduction recorded for the instructors was significantly
      smaller than that of the students. The knee joint angle while stepping up was
      significantly higher for the instructors compared to that for the students. Our
      research confirmed that foot dorsal flexion and adduction performed while
      stepping up increased load on the ankle joint. Both small and large angles of
      knee flexion while stepping up and down resulted in knee joint injuries. A small
      trunk flexion angle in the entire cycle of step workout shut down dorsal muscles,
      which stopped suppressing the load put on the spine.

PMID- 28348502
TI  - Nontuberculous Mycobacteria in Saudi Arabia and Gulf Countries: A Review.
AB  - Nontuberculous Mycobacteria (NTM) are causing growing health problems worldwide.
      This is indicated by an increasing amount of scientific reports showing not only
      well-identified species reemerging but also emergence of new species. The
      emergence and reemergence of NTM are particularly worrying in developing
      countries due to scarce published data and improper identification. Here we aimed
      to examine the main epidemiological aspects and diagnostic challenges associated
      with NTM in countries of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) and compare these
      findings to the international arena findings. Data revealed that countries of the
      GCC are largely dominated by rapidly growing mycobacteria species such as M.
      fortuitum (29%) and M. abscessus (17%) with high rate of definitive respiratory
      diseases. On the other hand, most of the developed countries are dominated by
      slowly growing mycobacteria such as MAC, M. kansasii, and M. gordonae. More
      efforts are needed, however, to gain insights into NTM issues in countries of the
      GCC.

PMID- 28348503
TI  - Gabapentin Does Not Appear to Improve Postoperative Pain and Sleep Patterns in
      Patients Who Concomitantly Receive Regional Anesthesia for Lower Extremity
      Orthopedic Surgery: A Randomized Control Trial.
AB  - In recent years, gabapentin has gained popularity as an adjuvant therapy for the
      treatment of postoperative pain. Numerous studies have shown a decrease in pain
      score, even with immediate postoperative activity, which is significant for early
      post-op ambulation and regaining functionality sooner. However, studies have been
      in conclusive in patients undergoing lower extremity orthopedic surgery. For this
      reason, we hoped to study the effect of gabapentin on postoperative pain in
      patients undergoing total knee arthroplasty, total hip arthroplasty, or a hip
      fracture repair. This was done in the setting of ensuring adequate postoperative
      analgesia with regional blocks and opioid PCA, as is protocol at our institution.
      Given the sedative effects of gabapentin and the potential for improving
      postoperative sleep patterns, we also studied the drug's effect on this aspect of
      our patient's postoperative course. We utilized the Pittsburg Sleep Quality Index
      and Visual Analog Scale for pain to obtain a more objective standardized score
      amongst our study population. Our results indicate that gabapentin does not offer
      any additional relief in pain or improve sleep habits in patients who have
      received either a femoral or lumbar plexus block for lower extremity orthopedic
      surgery. This trial is registered with NCT01546857.

PMID- 28348504
TI  - Epidural Dexamethasone for Postoperative Analgesia in Patients Undergoing
      Unilateral Inguinal Herniorrhaphy: A Comparative Study.
AB  - Background. This study was designed to evaluate the effect of adding
      dexamethasone to epidural bupivacaine on postoperative analgesia in unilateral
      inguinal herniorrhaphy. Methods. Forty-four patients were enrolled in this double
      blind, clinical trial study. Patients were randomly allocated into dexamethasone
      or control group. In the dexamethasone group, patients received 18 ml of
      bupivacaine 0.5% and 2 ml (8 mg) of dexamethasone; in the control group, patients
      received 18 ml of bupivacaine 0.5% and 2 ml of normal saline. The onset of
      sensory block and its duration and incidence of nausea and vomiting were
      recorded. Results. The onset of epidural anesthesia was significantly more rapid
      in the dexamethasone group than in the control group (P < 0.001). Duration of
      analgesia was markedly prolonged in the dexamethasone group than in the control
      group (P < 0.001). Five patients (22.7%) in the control group had nausea in the
      first hour after the procedure (P = 0.048). None of the patients in the
      dexamethasone group had nausea. None of our patients had vomiting in the two
      groups. Conclusions. This study showed that adding dexamethasone to bupivacaine
      significantly prolongs the duration of postoperative analgesia. This trial is
      registered with Iranian Registry of Clinical Trials (IRCT) number
      IRCT2012062910137N1.

PMID- 28348506
TI  - Pain Catastrophizing and Its Relationship with Health Outcomes: Does Pain
      Intensity Matter?
AB  - Pain catastrophizing is known to contribute to physical and mental functioning,
      even when controlling for the effect of pain intensity. However, research has yet
      to explore whether the strength of the relationship between pain catastrophizing
      and pain-related outcomes varies across pain intensity levels (i.e., moderation).
      If this was the case, it would have important implications for existing models of
      pain and current interventions. The present investigation explored whether pain
      intensity moderates the relationship between pain catastrophizing and pain
      related outcomes. Participants were 254 patients (62% women) with heterogeneous
      chronic pain. Patients completed a measure of pain intensity, pain interference,
      pain catastrophizing, and physical and mental health. Pain intensity moderated
      the relationship between pain catastrophizing and pain interference and between
      pain catastrophizing and physical health status. Specifically, the strength of
      the correlation between pain catastrophizing and these outcomes decreased
      considerably as pain intensity increased. In contrast, pain intensity did not
      moderate the relationship between pain catastrophizing and mental health. Study
      findings provide a new insight into the role of pain intensity (i.e., moderator)
      in the relationship between pain catastrophizing and various pain-related
      outcomes, which might help develop existent models of pain. Clinical implications
      are discussed in the context of personalized therapy.

PMID- 28348505
TI  - Effects of a Pain Catastrophizing Induction on Sensory Testing in Women with
      Chronic Low Back Pain: A Pilot Study.
AB  - Pain catastrophizing, a pattern of negative cognitive-emotional responses to
      actual or anticipated pain, maintains chronic pain and undermines response to
      treatments. Currently, precisely how pain catastrophizing influences pain
      processing is not well understood. In experimental settings, pain catastrophizing
      has been associated with amplified pain processing. This study sought to clarify
      pain processing mechanisms via experimental induction of pain catastrophizing.
      Forty women with chronic low back pain were assigned in blocks to an experimental
      condition, either a psychologist-led 10-minute pain catastrophizing induction or
      a control (10-minute rest period). All participants underwent a baseline round of
      several quantitative sensory testing (QST) tasks, followed by the pain
      catastrophizing induction or the rest period, and then a second round of the same
      QST tasks. The catastrophizing induction appeared to increase state pain
      catastrophizing levels. Changes in QST pain were detected for two of the QST
      tasks administered, weighted pin pain and mechanical allodynia. Although there is
      a need to replicate our preliminary results with a larger sample, study findings
      suggest a potential relationship between induced pain catastrophizing and central
      sensitization of pain. Clarification of the mechanisms through which
      catastrophizing affects pain modulatory systems may yield useful clinical
      insights into the treatment of chronic pain.

PMID- 28348507
TI  - Variations of Surveillance Practice for Patients with Bone Sarcoma: A Survey of
      Australian Sarcoma Clinicians.
AB  - Introduction. After treatment, bone sarcoma patients carry a high chance of
      relapse and late effects from multimodal therapy. We hypothesize that significant
      variation in surveillance practice exists between pediatric medical oncology (PO)
      and nonpediatric medical oncology (NP) sarcoma disciplines. Methods. Australian
      sarcoma clinicians were approached to do a web based survey that assessed
      radiologic surveillance (RS) strategies, late toxicity assessment, and
      posttreatment psychosocial interventions. Results. In total, 51 clinicians
      responded. No differences were identified in local disease RS. In metastatic
      disease response assessment, 100% of POs (23/23) and 93% of NPs (24/26) conducted
      CT chest. However, this was more likely to occur for NPs in the context of a CT
      chest/abdomen/pelvis (NP: 10/26; PO: 1/23; p = 0.006). POs were more likely to
      use CXR for RS (p = 0.006). POs showed more prescriptive intensity in assessment
      of heart function (p = 0.001), hearing (p < 0.001), and fertility (p = 0.02). POs
      were more likely to deliver written information for health maintenance/treatment
      summary (p = 0.04). The majority of respondents described enquiring about
      psychosocial aspects of health (n = 33/37, 89%), but a routine formal
      psychosocial screen was only used by 23% (n = 6/26). Conclusion. There is high
      variability in bone sarcoma surveillance between PO and NP clinicians. Efforts to
      harmonize approaches would allow early and late effects recognition/intervention
      and facilitate improved patient care/transition and research.

PMID- 28348508
TI  - Construction of Expression Shuttle Vectors for the Haloarchaeon Natrinema sp. J7
      Based on Its Chromosomal Origins of Replication.
AB  - Haloarchaeon Natrinema sp. J7, the first reported archaeon harboring both plasmid
      and chromosome-based temperate viruses, is a useful model for investigating
      archaeal virus-host and virus-virus interactions. However, the lack of genetic
      tools has limited such studies. On the basis of the automatically replicating
      sequences of the J7 chromosome and the pyrF marker, we constructed seven vectors,
      six of which were confirmed to possess replication ability in a pyrF-deletion
      derivative of J7 (J7-F). Among these vectors, pFJ1, pFJ4, and pFJ6 could be
      transformed into the host strain with relatively high efficiency (approximately
      103 colony-forming units/MUg DNA) and were present at about one copy per
      chromosome. These three vectors could be stably maintained in J7-F without
      selection and were used for heterologous protein expression. Only pFJ6 was found
      to be present in the transformed cells in an exclusively episomal, nonintegrated
      state (one copy per chromosome). In contrast, some pFJ1 and pFJ4 DNA was probably
      integrated into the J7-F chromosome. In addition, pFJ6 was found to be compatible
      with pYCJ in J7 cells, suggesting that these two vectors could be used for
      further studies of virus-virus and virus-host interactions.

PMID- 28348509
TI  - Equilibrium, Kinetic, and Thermodynamic Studies on the Adsorption of Cadmium from
      Aqueous Solution by Modified Biomass Ash.
AB  - Natural biomass ash of agricultural residuals was collected from a power plant
      and modified with hexagonal mesoporous silica and functionalized with 3
      aminopropyltriethoxysilane. The physicochemical and morphological properties of
      the biomass ash were analyzed by ICP-OES, SEM, TEM-EDS, FTIR, and BET analysis.
      The adsorption behavior of the modified product for Cd2+ in aqueous solution was
      studied as a function of pH, initial metal concentration, equilibrium time, and
      temperature. Results showed that the specific surface area of the modified
      product was 9 times that of the natural biomass ash. The modified biomass ash
      exhibited high affinity for Cd2+ and its adsorption capacity increased sharply
      with increasing pH from 4.0 to 6.0. The maximum adsorption capacity was 23.95
      mg/g in a pH 5 solution with an initial metal concentration of 50 mg/L and a
      contact time of 90 min. The adsorption of Cd2+ onto the modified biomass ash was
      well fitted to the Langmuir model and it followed pseudo-second-order kinetics.
      Thermodynamic analysis results showed that the adsorption of Cd2+ was spontaneous
      and endothermic in nature. The results suggest that the modified biomass ash is
      promising for use as an inexpensive and effective adsorbent for Cd2+ removal from
      aqueous solution.

PMID- 28348510
TI  - Comprehensive Optimization of LC-MS Metabolomics Methods Using Design of
      Experiments (COLMeD).
AB  - INTRODUCTION: Both reverse-phase and HILIC chemistries are deployed for liquid
      chromatography mass spectrometry (LC-MS) metabolomics analyses, however HILIC
      methods lag behind reverse-phase methods in reproducibility and versatility.
      Comprehensive metabolomics analysis is additionally complicated by the
      physiochemical diversity of metabolites and array of tunable analytical
      parameters. OBJECTIVE: Our aim was to rationally and efficiently design
      complementary HILIC-based polar metabolomics methods on multiple instruments
      using Design of Experiments (DoE). METHODS: We iteratively tuned LC and MS
      conditions on ion-switching triple quadrupole (QqQ) and quadrupole-time-of-flight
      (qTOF) mass spectrometers through multiple rounds of a workflow we term COLMeD
      (Comprehensive optimization of LC-MS metabolomics methods using design of
      experiments). Multivariate statistical analysis guided our decision process in
      the method optimizations. RESULTS: LC-MS/MS tuning for the QqQ method on serum
      metabolites yielded a median response increase of 161.5% (p<0.0001) over initial
      conditions with a 13.3% increase in metabolite coverage. The COLMeD output was
      benchmarked against two widely used polar metabolomics methods, demonstrating
      total ion current increases of 105.8% and 57.3%, with median metabolite response
      increases of 106.1% and 10.3% (p<0.0001 and p<0.05 respectively). For our
      optimized qTOF method, 22 solvent systems were compared on a standard mix of
      physiochemically diverse metabolites, followed by COLMeD optimization, yielding a
      median 29.8% response increase (p<0.0001) over initial conditions. CONCLUSIONS:
      The COLMeD process elucidated response tradeoffs, facilitating improved
      chromatography and MS response without compromising separation of isobars. COLMeD
      is efficient, requiring no more than 20 injections in a given DoE round, and
      flexible, capable of class-specific optimization as demonstrated through
      acylcarnitine optimization within the QqQ method.

PMID- 28348511
TI  - Constraints and Adaptation of Closed-Loop Neuroprosthetics for Functional
      Restoration.
AB  - Closed-loop neuroprosthetics aim to compensate for lost function, e.g., by
      controlling external devices such as prostheses or wheelchairs. Such assistive
      approaches seek to maximize speed and classification accuracy for high
      dimensional control. More recent approaches use similar technology, but aim to
      restore lost motor function in the long term. To achieve this goal, restorative
      neuroprosthetics attempt to facilitate motor re-learning and to strengthen
      damaged and/or alternative neural connections on the basis of neurofeedback
      training within rehabilitative environments. Such a restorative approach requires
      reinforcement learning of self-modulated brain activity which is considered to be
      beneficial for functional rehabilitation, e.g., improvement of beta-power
      modulation over sensorimotor areas for post-stroke movement restoration. Patients
      with motor impairments, however, may also have a compromised ability for motor
      task-related regulation of the targeted brain activity. This would affect the
      estimation of feature weights and hence the classification accuracy of the
      feedback device. This, in turn, can frustrate the patients and compromise their
      motor learning. Furthermore, the feedback training may even become erroneous when
      unconstrained classifier adaptation-which is often used in assistive approaches
      is also applied in this rehabilitation context. In conclusion, the conceptual
      switch from assistance toward restoration necessitates a methodological paradigm
      shift from classification accuracy toward instructional efficiency. Furthermore,
      a constrained feature space, a priori regularized feature weights, and difficulty
      adaptation present key elements of restorative brain interfaces. These factors
      need, therefore, to be addressed within a therapeutic framework to facilitate
      reinforcement learning of brain self-regulation for restorative purposes.

PMID- 28348512
TI  - Using Dual Regression to Investigate Network Shape and Amplitude in Functional
      Connectivity Analyses.
AB  - Independent Component Analysis (ICA) is one of the most popular techniques for
      the analysis of resting state FMRI data because it has several advantageous
      properties when compared with other techniques. Most notably, in contrast to a
      conventional seed-based correlation analysis, it is model-free and multivariate,
      thus switching the focus from evaluating the functional connectivity of single
      brain regions identified a priori to evaluating brain connectivity in terms of
      all brain resting state networks (RSNs) that simultaneously engage in oscillatory
      activity. Furthermore, typical seed-based analysis characterizes RSNs in terms of
      spatially distributed patterns of correlation (typically by means of simple
      Pearson's coefficients) and thereby confounds together amplitude information of
      oscillatory activity and noise. ICA and other regression techniques, on the other
      hand, retain magnitude information and therefore can be sensitive to both changes
      in the spatially distributed nature of correlations (differences in the spatial
      pattern or "shape") as well as the amplitude of the network activity.
      Furthermore, motion can mimic amplitude effects so it is crucial to use a
      technique that retains such information to ensure that connectivity differences
      are accurately localized. In this work, we investigate the dual regression
      approach that is frequently applied with group ICA to assess group differences in
      resting state functional connectivity of brain networks. We show how ignoring
      amplitude effects and how excessive motion corrupts connectivity maps and results
      in spurious connectivity differences. We also show how to implement the dual
      regression to retain amplitude information and how to use dual regression outputs
      to identify potential motion effects. Two key findings are that using a technique
      that retains magnitude information, e.g., dual regression, and using strict
      motion criteria are crucial for controlling both network amplitude and motion
      related amplitude effects, respectively, in resting state connectivity analyses.
      We illustrate these concepts using realistic simulated resting state FMRI data
      and in vivo data acquired in healthy subjects and patients with bipolar disorder
      and schizophrenia.

PMID- 28348513
TI  - Commentary: Microstructure, length, and connection of limbic tracts in normal
      human brain development.

PMID- 28348514
TI  - Postnatal Dendritic Growth and Spinogenesis of Layer-V Pyramidal Cells Differ
      between Visual, Inferotemporal, and Prefrontal Cortex of the Macaque Monkey.
AB  - Pyramidal cells in the primate cerebral cortex, particularly those in layer III,
      exhibit regional variation in both the time course and magnitude of postnatal
      growth and pruning of dendrites and spines. Less is known about the development
      of pyramidal cell dendrites and spines in other cortical layers. Here we studied
      dendritic morphology of layer-V pyramidal cells in primary visual cortex (V1,
      sensory), cytoarchitectonic area TE in the inferotemporal cortex (sensory
      association), and granular prefrontal cortex (Walker's area 12, executive) of
      macaque monkeys at the ages of 2 days, 3 weeks, 3.5 months, and 4.5 years. We
      found that changes in the basal dendritic field area of pyramidal cells were
      different across the three areas. In V1, field size became smaller over time
      (largest at 2 days, half that size at 4.5 years), in TE it did not change, and in
      area 12 it became larger over time (smallest at 2 days, 1.5 times greater at 4.5
      years). In V1 and TE, the total number of branch points in the basal dendritic
      trees was similar between 2 days and 4.5 years, while in area 12 the number was
      greater in the adult monkeys than in the younger ones. Spine density peaked at 3
      weeks and declined in all areas by adulthood, with V1 exhibiting a faster decline
      than area TE or area 12. Estimates of the total number of spines in the dendritic
      trees revealed that following the onset of visual experience, pyramidal cells in
      V1 lose more spines than they grow, whereas those in TE and area 12 grow more
      spines than they lose during the same period. These data provide further evidence
      that the process of synaptic refinement in cortical pyramidal cells differs not
      only according to time, but also location within the cortex. Furthermore, given
      the previous finding that layer-III pyramidal cells in all these areas exhibit
      the highest density and total number of spines at 3.5 months, the current results
      indicate that pyramidal cells in layers III and V develop spines at different
      rates.

PMID- 28348515
TI  - Transcriptome Analysis of Hypothalamic Gene Expression during Daily Torpor in
      Djungarian Hamsters (Phodopus sungorus).
AB  - Animals living at high or temperate latitudes are challenged by extensive changes
      in environmental conditions over seasons. Djungarian hamsters (Phodopus sungorus)
      are able to cope with extremely cold ambient temperatures and food scarcity in
      winter by expressing spontaneous daily torpor. Daily torpor is a circadian
      controlled voluntary reduction of metabolism that can reduce energy expenditure
      by up to 65% when used frequently. In the past decades it has become more and
      more apparent, that the hypothalamus is likely to play a key role in regulating
      induction and maintenance of daily torpor, but the molecular signals, which lead
      to the initiation of daily torpor, are still unknown. Here we present the first
      transcriptomic study of hypothalamic gene expression patterns in Djungarian
      hamsters during torpor entrance. Based on Illumina sequencing we were able to
      identify a total number of 284 differentially expressed genes, whereby 181 genes
      were up- and 103 genes down regulated during torpor entrance. The 20 most up
      regulated group contained eight genes coding for structure proteins, including
      five collagen genes, dnha2 and myo15a, as well as the procoagulation factor vwf.
      In a proximate approach we investigated these genes by quantitative real-time PCR
      (qPCR) analysis over the circadian cycle in torpid and normothermic animals at
      times of torpor entrance, mid torpor, arousal and post-torpor. These qPCR data
      confirmed up regulation of dnah2, myo15a, and vwf during torpor entrance, but a
      decreased mRNA level for all other investigated time points. This suggests that
      gene expression of structure genes as well as the procoagulation factor are
      specifically initiated during the early state of torpor and provides evidence for
      protective molecular adaptions in the hypothalamus of Djungarian hamsters
      including changes in structure, transport of biomolecules and coagulation.

PMID- 28348517
TI  - Inhibition of H3K27me3 Histone Demethylase Activity Prevents the Proliferative
      Regeneration of Zebrafish Lateral Line Neuromasts.
AB  - The H3K27 demethylases are involved in a variety of biological processes,
      including cell differentiation, proliferation, and cell death by regulating
      transcriptional activity. However, the function of H3K27 demethylation in the
      field of hearing research is poorly understood. Here, we investigated the role of
      H3K27me3 histone demethylase activity in hair cell regeneration using an in vivo
      animal model. Our data showed that pharmacologic inhibition of H3K27 demethylase
      activity with the specific small-molecule inhibitor GSK-J4 decreased the number
      of regenerated hair cells in response to neomycin damage. Furthermore, inhibition
      of H3K27me3 histone demethylase activity dramatically suppressed cell
      proliferation and activated caspase-3 levels in the regenerating neuromasts of
      the zebrafish lateral line. GSK-J4 administration also increased the expression
      of p21 and p27 in neuromast cells and inhibited the ERK signaling pathway.
      Collectively, our findings indicate that H3K27me3 demethylation is a key
      epigenetic regulator in the process of hair cell regeneration in zebrafish and
      suggest that H3K27me3 histone demethylase activity might be a novel therapeutic
      target for the treatment of hearing loss.

PMID- 28348516
TI  - Molecular Mechanisms for the Coupling of Endocytosis to Exocytosis in Neurons.
AB  - Neuronal communication and brain function mainly depend on the fundamental
      biological events of neurotransmission, including the exocytosis of presynaptic
      vesicles (SVs) for neurotransmitter release and the subsequent endocytosis for SV
      retrieval. Neurotransmitters are released through the Ca2+- and SNARE-dependent
      fusion of SVs with the presynaptic plasma membrane. Following exocytosis,
      endocytosis occurs immediately to retrieve SV membrane and fusion machinery for
      local recycling and thus maintain the homeostasis of synaptic structure and
      sustained neurotransmission. Apart from the general endocytic machinery, recent
      studies have also revealed the involvement of SNARE proteins (synaptobrevin,
      SNAP25 and syntaxin), synaptophysin, Ca2+/calmodulin, and members of the
      synaptotagmin protein family (Syt1, Syt4, Syt7 and Syt11) in the balance and
      tight coupling of exo-endocytosis in neurons. Here, we provide an overview of
      recent progress in understanding how these neuron-specific adaptors coordinate to
      ensure precise and efficient endocytosis during neurotransmission.

PMID- 28348518
TI  - Combination of Endothelial-Monocyte-Activating Polypeptide-II with Temozolomide
      Suppress Malignant Biological Behaviors of Human Glioblastoma Stem Cells via miR
      590-3p/MACC1 Inhibiting PI3K/AKT/mTOR Signal Pathway.
AB  - This study aims to investigate the effect of Endothelial-Monocyte-Activating
      Polypeptide-II (EMAP-II) combined with temozolomide (TMZ) upon glioblastoma stem
      cells (GSCs) and its possible molecular mechanisms. In this study, combination of
      EMAP-II with TMZ inhibited cell viability, migration and invasion in GSCs, and
      autophagy inhibitor 3-methyl adenine (3-MA) and chloroquine (CQ) partly reverse
      the anti-proliferative effect of the combination treatment. Autophagic vacuoles
      were formed in GSCs after the combination therapy, accompanied with the up
      regulation of LC3-II and Beclin-1 as well as the down-regulation of p62/SQSTM1.
      Further, miR-590-3p was up-regulated and Metastasis-associated in colon cancer 1
      (MACC1) was down-regulated by the combination treatment in GSCs; MiR-590-3p
      overexpression and MACC1 knockdown up-regulated LC3-II and Beclin-1 as well as
      down-regulated p62/SQSTM1 in GSCs; MACC1 was identified as a direct target of miR
      590-3p, mediating the effects of miR-590-3p in the combination treatment.
      Furthermore, the combination treatment and MACC1 knockdown decreased p-PI3K, p
      Akt, p-mTOR, p-S6 and p-4EBP in GSCs; PI3K/Akt agonist insulin-like growth factor
      1(IGF-1) partly blocked the effect of the combination treatment. Moreover, in
      vivo xenograft models, the mice given stable overexpressed miR-590-3p cells and
      treated with EMAP-II and TMZ had the smallest tumor sizes, besides, miR-590-3p +
      EMAP-II + TMZ up-regulated the expression level of miR-590-3p, LC3-II and Beclin
      1 as well as down-regulated p62/SQSTM1. In conclusion, these results elucidated
      anovel molecular mechanism of EMAP-II in combination with TMZ suppressed
      malignant biological behaviors of GSCs via miR-590-3p/MACC1 inhibiting
      PI3K/AKT/mTOR signaling pathway, and might provide potential therapeutic
      approaches for human GSCs.

PMID- 28348519
TI  - Strings on a Violin: Location Dependence of Frequency Tuning in Active Dendrites.
AB  - Strings on a violin are tuned to generate distinct sound frequencies in a manner
      that is firmly dependent on finger location along the fingerboard. Sound
      frequencies emerging from different violins could be very different based on
      their architecture, the nature of strings and their tuning. Analogously, active
      neuronal dendrites, dendrites endowed with active channel conductances, are tuned
      to distinct input frequencies in a manner that is dependent on the dendritic
      location of the synaptic inputs. Further, disparate channel expression profiles
      and differences in morphological characteristics could result in dendrites on
      different neurons of the same subtype tuned to distinct frequency ranges.
      Alternately, similar location-dependence along dendritic structures could be
      achieved through disparate combinations of channel profiles and morphological
      characteristics, leading to degeneracy in active dendritic spectral tuning. Akin
      to strings on a violin being tuned to different frequencies than those on a viola
      or a cello, different neuronal subtypes exhibit distinct channel profiles and
      disparate morphological characteristics endowing each neuronal subtype with
      unique location-dependent frequency selectivity. Finally, similar to the
      tunability of musical instruments to elicit distinct location-dependent sounds,
      neuronal frequency selectivity and its location-dependence are tunable through
      activity-dependent plasticity of ion channels and morphology. In this morceau, we
      explore the origins of neuronal frequency selectivity, and survey the literature
      on the mechanisms behind the emergence of location-dependence in distinct forms
      of frequency tuning. As a coda to this composition, we present some future
      directions for this exciting convergence of biophysical mechanisms that endow a
      neuron with frequency multiplexing capabilities.

PMID- 28348520
TI  - The Role of Serotonin beyond the Central Nervous System during Embryogenesis.
AB  - Serotonin, or 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT), is a well-known neurotransmitter that
      plays vital roles in neural activities and social behaviors. Clinically,
      deficiency of serotonin is linked with many psychiatric disorders. Interestingly,
      a large proportion of serotonin is also produced outside the central nervous
      system (CNS). There is increasing evidence demonstrating important roles of
      serotonin in the peripheral tissues. Here, we will describe the multiple
      biological functions of serotonin in hematopoietic system, such as development of
      hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells (HSPCs), differentiation of hematopoietic
      cells, maintenance of vascular system, and relationship with hematological
      diseases. The roles of serotonin in inflammatory responses mediated by
      hematopoietic cells as well as in liver regeneration are also discussed. Our
      recent understandings of the impact of serotonin on hematopoietic system, immune
      responses, and tissue regeneration support utilization of serotonin as a
      potential therapeutic target for the treatment of hematological diseases and
      organ repair in clinic.

PMID- 28348521
TI  - Intrinsic Brain Activity Responsible for Sex Differences in Shyness and Social
      Anxiety.
AB  - Male and female show significant differences in important behavioral features
      such as shyness, yet the neural substrates of these differences remain poorly
      understood. Previous neuroimaging studies have demonstrated that both shyness and
      social anxiety in healthy subjects are associated with increased activation in
      the fronto-limbic and cognitive control areas. However, it remains unknown
      whether these brain abnormalities would be shared by different genders.
      Therefore, in the current study, we used resting-state fMRI (r-fMRI) to
      investigate sex differences in intrinsic cerebral activity that may contribute to
      shyness and social anxiety. Sixty subjects (28 males, 32 females) participated in
      r-fMRI scans, and the amplitude of low-frequency fluctuations (ALFF) and
      fractional ALFF (fALFF) were used to measure the spontaneous regional cerebral
      activity in all subjects. We first compared the differences between male and
      female both in the ALFF and fALFF and then we also examined the whole brain
      correlation between the ALFF/fALFF and the severity of shyness as well as social
      anxiety by genders. Referring to shyness measure, we found a significant positive
      correlation between shyness scores (CBSS) and ALFF/fALFF value in the
      frontoparietal control network and a negative correlation in the cingulo-insular
      network in female; while in male, there is no such correlation. For the social
      anxiety level, we found positive correlations between Leibowitz Social Anxiety
      Scale (LSAS) scores and spontaneous activity in the frontal-limbic network in
      male and negative correlation between the frontal-parietal network; however, such
      correlation was not prominent in female. This pattern suggests that shy female
      individuals engaged a proactive control process, driven by a positive association
      with activity in frontoparietal network and negative association in cingulo
      insular network, whereas social anxiety males relied more on a reactive control
      process, driven by a positive correlation of frontal-limbic network and negative
      correlation of frontoparietal network. Our results reveal that shyness or social
      anxiety is associated with disrupted spontaneous brain activity patterns and that
      these patterns are influenced by sex.

PMID- 28348523
TI  - A-Book: A Feedback-Based Adaptive System to Enhance Meta-Cognitive Skills during
      Reading.
AB  - In the digital era, tech devices (hardware and software) are increasingly within
      hand's reach. Yet, implementing information and communication technologies for
      educational contexts that have robust and long-lasting effects on student
      learning outcomes is still a challenge. We propose that any such system must a)
      be theoretically motivated and designed to tackle specific cognitive skills
      (e.g., inference making) supporting a given cognitive task (e.g., reading
      comprehension) and b) must be able to identify and adapt to the user's profile.
      In the present study, we implemented a feedback-based adaptive system called A
      book (assisted-reading book) and tested it in a sample of 4th, 5th, and 6th
      graders. To assess our hypotheses, we contrasted three experimental assisted
      reading conditions; one that supported meta-cognitive skills and adapted to the
      user profile (adaptive condition), one that supported meta-cognitive skills but
      did not adapt to the user profile (training condition) and a control condition.
      The results provide initial support for our proposal; participants in the
      adaptive condition improved their accuracy scores on inference making questions
      over time, outperforming both the training and control groups. There was no
      evidence, however, of significant improvements on other tested meta-cognitive
      skills (i.e., text structure knowledge, comprehension monitoring). We discussed
      the practical implications of using the A-book for the enhancement of meta
      cognitive skills in school contexts, as well as its current limitations and
      future developments that could improve the system.

PMID- 28348522
TI  - Lack of beta2-AR Increases Anxiety-Like Behaviors and Rewarding Properties of
      Cocaine.
AB  - It is well known that beta-adrenoceptors (beta-ARs) play a critical role in
      emotional arousal and stressful events, but the specific contributions of the
      beta2-AR subtype to the psychological disorders are largely unknown. To
      investigate whether beta2-AR are involved in anxiety-like behavior and reward to
      addictive drugs, we conducted a series of behavioral tests on beta2-AR knock-out
      (KO) mice. beta2-AR KO mice exhibited increased preference for the dark
      compartment and closed arm in tests of Light/Dark box and elevated plus maze,
      indicating that beta2-AR deletion elevates level of anxiety or innate fear. beta2
      AR KO mice also showed decreased immobility in tail suspension test (TST),
      suggesting that beta2-AR deletion inhibits depression-like behavior.
      Interestingly, beta2-AR ablation did not change basal locomotion but
      significantly increased locomotor activity induced by acute cocaine
      administration. beta2-AR KO mice showed enhanced place preference for cocaine,
      which could be attenuated by beta1-selective AR antagonist betaxolol.
      Consistently, beta2-AR agonist suppressed cocaine-conditioned place preference
      (CPP). These data indicate that beta2-AR deletion enhances acute response and
      reward to cocaine. Our results suggest that beta2-AR regulates anxiety level,
      depression-like behavior and hedonic properties of cocaine, implicating that
      beta2-AR are the potential targets for the treatment of emotional disorders and
      cocaine addiction.

PMID- 28348524
TI  - Recovery of Sentence Production Processes Following Language Treatment in
      Aphasia: Evidence from Eyetracking.
AB  - Introduction: Sentence production impairments in aphasia often improve with
      treatment. However, little is known about how cognitive processes supporting
      sentence production, such as sentence planning, are impacted by treatment.
      Methods: The present study used eyetracking to examine changes in sentence
      production resulting from a 12-week language treatment program focused on passive
      sentences (Treatment of Underlying Forms (TUF); Thompson and Shapiro, 2005). In
      two pre-treatment and two post-treatment sessions, nine participants with mild-to
      moderate agrammatic aphasia performed a structural priming task, which involved
      repeating primed sentences (actives or passives) and then, using the same verb,
      producing sentences describing pictured events. Two individuals with aphasia
      performed the eyetracking task on the same schedule without intervening language
      treatment. Ten unimpaired older adults also performed the task to identify normal
      performance patterns. Sentence production accuracy and speech onset latencies
      were examined, and eye movements to the pictured Agent and Theme characters were
      analyzed in the first 400 ms after picture onset, reflecting early sentence
      planning, and in the regions preceding the production of the sentence subject and
      post-verbal noun, reflecting lexical encoding. Results: Unimpaired controls
      performed with high accuracy. Their early eye movements (first 400 ms) indicated
      equal fixations to the Agent and Theme, consistent with structural sentence
      planning (i.e., initial construction of an abstract structural frame). Subsequent
      eye movements occurring prior to speech onset were consistent with encoding of
      the correct sentence subject (i.e., the Agent in actives, Theme in passives),
      with encoding of the post-verbal noun beginning at speech onset. In participants
      with aphasia, accuracy improved significantly with treatment, and post-treatment
      (but not pre-treatment) eye movements were qualitatively similar to those of
      unimpaired controls, indicating correct encoding of the Agent and Theme nouns for
      both active and passive sentences. Analysis of early eye movements also showed a
      treatment-induced increase in structural planning. No changes in sentence
      production accuracy or eye movements were found in the aphasic participants who
      did not receive treatment. Conclusion: These findings indicate that treatment
      improves sentence production and results in the emergence of normal-like
      cognitive processes associated with successful sentence production, including
      structural planning.

PMID- 28348525
TI  - Heterogeneity in Autonomic Arousal Level in Perseverative Worry: The Role of
      Cognitive Control and Verbal Thought.
AB  - One puzzle in high worry and generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) is the
      heterogeneity in the level of autonomic arousal symptoms seen among affected
      individuals. While current models agree that worry persists, in part, because it
      fosters avoidance of unpleasant internal experiences, they disagree as to whether
      worry does so by suppressing activation of autonomic arousal or by fostering
      persistent autonomic hyperarousal. Our Cognitive Control Model predicts that
      which pattern of autonomic arousal occurs depends on whether or not a worrier has
      sufficient cognitive control capacity to worry primarily in a verbal versus
      imagery-based manner. Because this model has been supported by only one study to
      date, the present study sought to replicate and extend that study's findings.
      Results from an online survey in an unselected sample of over 900 college
      students provide further support for our model's central tenet and initial
      support for its prediction that higher effortful control is associated with a
      higher percentage of verbal thought during worry. Finally, we report tentative
      evidence that autonomic arousal symptoms in worry and GAD vary as a function of
      individual differences in cognitive control capacity because higher capacity is
      linked to a greater predominance of verbal thought during worry.

PMID- 28348527
TI  - Tuning Up the Old Brain with New Tricks: Attention Training via Neurofeedback.
AB  - Neurofeedback (NF) is a form of biofeedback that uses real-time (RT) modulation
      of brain activity to enhance brain function and behavioral performance. Recent
      advances in Brain-Computer Interfaces (BCI) and cognitive training (CT) have
      provided new tools and evidence that NF improves cognitive functions, such as
      attention and working memory (WM), beyond what is provided by traditional CT.
      More published studies have demonstrated the efficacy of NF, particularly for
      treating attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in children. In
      contrast, there have been fewer studies done in older adults with or without
      cognitive impairment, with some notable exceptions. The focus of this review is
      to summarize current success in RT NF training of older brains aiming to match
      those of younger brains during attention/WM tasks. We also outline potential
      future advances in RT brainwave-based NF for improving attention training in
      older populations. The rapid growth in wireless recording of brain activity,
      machine learning classification and brain network analysis provides new tools for
      combating cognitive decline and brain aging in older adults. We optimistically
      conclude that NF, combined with new neuro-markers (event-related potentials and
      connectivity) and traditional features, promises to provide new hope for brain
      and CT in the growing older population.

PMID- 28348528
TI  - Development of Near-Isogenic Lines in a Parthenogenetically Reproduced Thrips
      Species, Frankliniella occidentalis.
AB  - Although near-isogenic lines (NILs) can standardize genetic backgrounds among
      individuals, it has never been applied in parthenogenetically reproduced animals.
      Here, through multiple rounds of backcrossing and spinosad screening, we
      generated spinosad resistant NILs in the western flower thrips, Frankliniella
      occidentalis (Pergande) (Thysanoptera: Thripidae), with a haplo-diploid
      reproduction system. The resultant F. occidentalis NIL-R strain maintained a
      resistance ratio over 30,000-fold, which was comparable to its parental resistant
      strain, Spin-R. More importantly, F. occidentalis NIL-R shared 98.90% genetic
      similarity with its susceptible parental strain Ivf03. By developing this
      toolset, we are able to segregate individual resistance and facilitate the
      mechanistic study of insecticide resistances in phloem-feeding arthropods, a
      group of devastating pest species reproducing sexually as well as asexually.

PMID- 28348526
TI  - Exteroceptive and Interoceptive Body-Self Awareness in Fibromyalgia Patients.
AB  - Fibromyalgia is a widespread chronic pain disease characterized by generalized
      musculoskeletal pain and fatigue. It substantially affects patients' relationship
      with their bodies and quality of life, but few studies have investigated the
      relationship between pain and body awareness in fibromyalgia. We examined
      exteroceptive and interoceptive aspects of body awareness in 30 women with
      fibromyalgia and 29 control participants. Exteroceptive body awareness was
      assessed by a body-scaled action-anticipation task in which participants
      estimated whether they could pass through apertures of different widths.
      Interoceptive sensitivity (IS) was assessed by a heartbeat detection task where
      participants counted their heartbeats during different time intervals.
      Interoceptive awareness was assessed by the Multidimensional Assessment of
      Interoceptive Awareness (MAIA). The "passability ratio" (the aperture size for a
      50% positive response rate, divided by shoulder width), assessed by the body
      scaled action-anticipation task, was higher for fibromyalgia participants,
      indicating disrupted exteroceptive awareness. Overestimating body size correlated
      positively with pain and its impact on functionality, but not with pain
      intensity. There was no difference in IS between groups. Fibromyalgia patients
      exhibited a higher tendency to note bodily sensations and decreased body
      confidence. In addition, the passability ratio and IS score correlated negatively
      across the whole sample, suggesting an inverse relationship between exteroceptive
      and interoceptive body awareness. There was a lower tendency to actively listen
      to the body for insight, with higher passability ratios across the whole sample.
      Based on our results and building on the fear-avoidance model, we outline a
      proposal that highlights possible interactions between exteroceptive and
      interoceptive body awareness and pain. Movement based contemplative practices
      that target sensory-motor integration and foster non-judgmental reconnection with
      bodily sensations are suggested to improve body confidence, functionality, and
      quality of life.

PMID- 28348529
TI  - Sport-Specific Capacity to Use Elastic Energy in the Patellar and Achilles
      Tendons of Elite Athletes.
AB  - Introduction: During running and jumping activities, elastic energy is utilized
      to enhance muscle mechanical output and efficiency. However, training-induced
      variations in tendon spring-like properties remain under-investigated. The
      present work extends earlier findings on sport-specific profiles of tendon
      stiffness and cross-sectional area to examine whether years of distinct loading
      patterns are reflected by tendons' ability to store and return energy.
      Methods:Ultrasound scans were performed to examine the morphological features of
      knee extensor and plantar flexor muscle-tendon units in elite ski jumpers,
      distance runners, water polo players, and sedentary controls. Tendon strain
      energy and hysteresis were measured with combined motion capture,
      ultrasonography, and dynamometry. Results: Apart from the fractional muscle-to
      tendon cross-sectional area ratio being lower in the knee extensors of ski
      jumpers (-31%) and runners (-33%) than in water polo players, no difference in
      the considered muscle-tendon unit morphological features was observed between
      groups. Similarly, no significant difference in tendon energy storage or energy
      return was detected between groups. In contrast, hysteresis was lower in the
      patellar tendon of ski jumpers (-33%) and runners (-30%) compared to controls,
      with a similar trend for the Achilles tendon (significant interaction effect and
      large effect sizes eta2 = 0.2). Normalized to body mass, the recovered strain
      energy of the patellar tendon was ~50% higher in ski jumpers than in water polo
      players and controls. For the Achilles tendon, recovered strain energy was ~40%
      higher in ski jumpers and runners than in controls. Discussion: Advantageous
      mechanical properties related to tendon spring-like function are observed in
      elite athletes whose sport require effective utilization of elastic energy.
      However, the mechanisms underpinning the better tendon capacity of some athletes
      to retain elastic energy could not be ascribed to intrinsic or morphological
      features of the lower limb muscle-tendon unit.

PMID- 28348530
TI  - Paradigm Shifts in Voluntary Force Control and Motor Unit Behaviors with the
      Manipulated Size of Visual Error Perception.
AB  - The detection of error information is an essential prerequisite of a feedback
      based movement. This study investigated the differential behavior and
      neurophysiological mechanisms of a cyclic force-tracking task using error
      reducing and error-enhancing feedback. The discharge patterns of a relatively
      large number of motor units (MUs) were assessed with custom-designed multi
      channel surface electromyography following mathematical decomposition of the
      experimentally-measured signals. Force characteristics, force-discharge relation,
      and phase-locking cortical activities in the contralateral motor cortex to
      individual MUs were contrasted among the low (LSF), normal (NSF), and high
      scaling factor (HSF) conditions, in which the sizes of online execution errors
      were displayed with various amplification ratios. Along with a spectral shift of
      the force output toward a lower band, force output with a more phase-lead became
      less irregular, and tracking accuracy was worse in the LSF condition than in the
      HSF condition. The coherent discharge of high phasic (HP) MUs with the target
      signal was greater, and inter-spike intervals were larger, in the LSF condition
      than in the HSF condition. Force-tracking in the LSF condition manifested with
      stronger phase-locked EEG activity in the contralateral motor cortex to discharge
      of the (HP) MUs (LSF > NSF, HSF). The coherent discharge of the (HP) MUs during
      the cyclic force-tracking predominated the force-discharge relation, which
      increased inversely to the error scaling factor. In conclusion, the size of
      visualized error gates motor unit discharge, force-discharge relation, and the
      relative influences of the feedback and feedforward processes on force control. A
      smaller visualized error size favors voluntary force control using a feedforward
      process, in relation to a selective central modulation that enhance the coherent
      discharge of (HP) MUs.

PMID- 28348533
TI  - Clinical Characteristics of Diabetes Mellitus and Suicide Risk.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Diabetes mellitus (DM) is a chronic illness with impaired health
      related quality of life and a high risk of psychiatric disorders. We carried out
      a systematic review analyzing the relationship between DM and suicide by
      providing a qualitative data synthesis of the studies. METHODS: We conducted, in
      accordance with Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta
      Analyses guidelines, a systematic search of the literature in PubMed, Scopus, ISI
      Web of Science, PsycINFO, Google Scholar, and ScienceDirect. Search terms were
      "suicid*" combined with the Boolean "AND" operator with "diabetes." RESULTS: The
      initial search identified 568 citations. A total of 17 research reports met the
      predefined inclusion criteria and were analyzed. DM was found to be significantly
      associated with a marked increase in suicidal behaviors and suicidal ideation
      (SI), especially in patients with depressive symptoms. Insulin therapy, DM of
      long duration, and unsatisfactory glycemic control were identified as risk
      factors for SI in Type 1 (T1DM) and Type 2 (T2DM). CONCLUSION: Health-care
      professionals need to be aware of the higher suicidal risk in patient subgroups
      based on the clinical characteristics of DM; thus, patients with these
      characteristics warrant special attention. In this regard, clinical management
      should include efforts to manage emotional distress in DM care.

PMID- 28348532
TI  - Ethical Implications of the Mild Encephalitis Hypothesis of Schizophrenia.
AB  - Schizophrenia is a serious mental disease with a high mortality rate and severe
      social consequences. Due to insufficient knowledge about its etiopathogenesis,
      curative treatments are not available. One of the most promising new research
      concepts is the mild encephalitis hypothesis of schizophrenia, developed mainly
      by Karl Bechter and Norbert Muller. According to this hypothesis, a significant
      subgroup of schizophrenia patients suffer from a mild, but chronic, form of
      encephalitis with markedly different etiologies ranging from viral infections,
      traumas to autoimmune diseases. This inflammatory process is thought to occur in
      the beginning or during the course of the disease. In this article, we
      investigate the consequences of the mild encephalitis hypothesis of schizophrenia
      for the scientific community, and evaluate these consequences ethically. The mild
      encephalitis hypothesis implies that schizophrenia would no longer be considered
      an incurable psychiatric disorder. Instead, it would be considered a chronic, but
      treatable, neurological disease. This paradigm shift would doubtlessly have
      significant consequences: (1) major reforms would be necessary in the theoretical
      conceptualization of schizophrenia, which would challenge the psychiatric
      diagnostic systems, Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders version
      5 and ICD-10. (2) Psychotic patients should be treated in interdisciplinary
      teams, optimally in neuropsychiatric units; additionally, specialists for
      endocrinology, diabetology, and cardiology should be consulted for the frequently
      occuring somatic comorbidities. (3) Current diagnostic procedures and (4)
      therapies would have to be modified significantly. (5) There might be
      repercussions for the pharmaceutical industry as well: first, because old drugs
      with expired patent protection could partly replace expensive drugs and, second,
      because there would be a demand for the development of new anti-inflammatory
      drugs. (6) Legal evaluation of compulsory treatment orders might have to be
      reconsidered in light of causal therapies; leading to increased legal approval
      and reduced need for compulsory treatment orders due to better patient
      compliance. (7) The social inclusion of patients might improve, if treatment
      became more effective regarding cognitive and social functioning. (8) The
      stigmatization of patients and their relatives might decrease.

PMID- 28348534
TI  - The "Emotional Side" of Entrepreneurship: A Meta-Analysis of the Relation between
      Positive and Negative Affect and Entrepreneurial Performance.
AB  - The experience of work in an entrepreneurial context is saturated with emotional
      experiences. While the literature on the relation between affect and
      entrepreneurial performance (EP) is growing, there was no quantitative
      integration of the results so far. This study addresses this gap and meta
      analytically integrates the results from 17 studies (N = 3810) in order to
      estimate the effect size for the relation between positive (PA) and negative
      affect (NA), on the one hand, and EP, on the other hand. The meta-analysis
      includes studies in English language, published until August 2016. The results
      indicate a significant positive relation between PA and EP, r = 0.18. The overall
      NA - EP relation was not significant, r = -0.12. Only state NA has a significant
      negative relation with EP (r = -0.16). The moderating role of several conceptual
      (i.e., emotion duration, integrality etc.), sample (i.e., gender, age, education)
      and methodological characteristics of the studies (i.e., type of measurements
      etc.) are explored and implications for future research are discussed.

PMID- 28348531
TI  - Mitochondrial Bioenergetics in the Metabolic Myopathy Accompanying Peripheral
      Artery Disease.
AB  - Peripheral artery disease (PAD) is a serious but relatively underdiagnosed and
      undertreated clinical condition associated with a marked reduction in functional
      capacity and a heightened risk of morbidity and mortality. The pathophysiology of
      lower extremity PAD is complex, and extends beyond the atherosclerotic arterial
      occlusion and subsequent mismatch between oxygen demand and delivery to skeletal
      muscle mitochondria. In this review, we evaluate and summarize the available
      evidence implicating mitochondria in the metabolic myopathy that accompanies PAD.
      Following a short discussion of the available in vivo and in vitro methodologies
      to quantitate indices of muscle mitochondrial function, we review the current
      evidence implicating skeletal muscle mitochondrial dysfunction in the
      pathophysiology of PAD myopathy, while attempting to highlight questions that
      remain unanswered. Given the rising prevalence of PAD, the detriment in quality
      of life for patients, and the associated significant healthcare resource
      utilization, new alternate therapies that ameliorate lower limb symptoms and the
      functional impairment associated with PAD are needed. A clear understanding of
      the role of mitochondria in the pathophysiology of PAD may contribute to the
      development of novel therapeutic interventions.

PMID- 28348535
TI  - Neurophysiological Correlates of Featural and Spacing Processing for Face and Non
      face Stimuli.
AB  - The peculiar ability of humans to recognize hundreds of faces at a glance has
      been attributed to face-specific perceptual mechanisms known as holistic
      processing. Holistic processing includes the ability to discriminate individual
      facial features (i.e., featural processing) and their spatial relationships
      (i.e., spacing processing). Here, we aimed to characterize the spatio-temporal
      dynamics of featural- and spacing-processing of faces and objects. Nineteen
      healthy volunteers completed a newly created perceptual discrimination task for
      faces and objects (i.e., the "University of East London Face Task") while their
      brain activity was recorded with a high-density (128 electrodes)
      electroencephalogram. Our results showed that early event related potentials at
      around 100 ms post-stimulus onset (i.e., P100) are sensitive to both facial
      features and spacing between the features. Spacing and features discriminability
      for objects occurred at circa 200 ms post-stimulus onset (P200). These findings
      indicate the existence of neurophysiological correlates of spacing vs. features
      processing in both face and objects, and demonstrate faster brain processing for
      faces.

PMID- 28348536
TI  - The Interaction between Central and Peripheral Processing in Chinese Handwritten
      Production: Evidence from the Effect of Lexicality and Radical Complexity.
AB  - The interaction between central and peripheral processing in written word
      production remains controversial. This study aims to investigate whether the
      effects of radical complexity and lexicality in central processing cascade into
      peripheral processing in Chinese written word production. The participants were
      asked to write characters and non-characters (lexicality) with different radical
      complexity (few- and many-strokes). The findings indicated that regardless of the
      lexicality, the writing latencies were longer for characters with higher
      complexity (the many-strokes condition) than for characters with lower complexity
      (the few-strokes condition). The participants slowed down their writing execution
      at the radicals' boundary strokes, which indicated a radical boundary effect in
      peripheral processing. Interestingly, the lexicality and the radical complexity
      affected the pattern of shift velocity and writing velocity during the execution
      of writing. Lexical processing cascades into peripheral processing but only at
      the beginning of Chinese characters. In contrast, the radical complexity
      influenced the execution of handwriting movement throughout the entire character,
      and the pattern of the effect interacted with the character frequency. These
      results suggest that the processes of the lexicality and the radical complexity
      function during the execution of handwritten word production, which suggests that
      central processing cascades over peripheral processing during Chinese characters
      handwriting.

PMID- 28348537
TI  - Graphemes Sharing Phonetic Features Tend to Induce Similar Synesthetic Colors.
AB  - Individuals with grapheme-color synesthesia experience idiosyncratic colors when
      viewing achromatic letters or digits. Despite large individual differences in
      grapheme-color association, synesthetes tend to associate graphemes sharing a
      perceptual feature with similar synesthetic colors. Sound has been suggested as
      one such feature. In the present study, we investigated whether graphemes of
      which representative phonemes have similar phonetic features tend to be
      associated with analogous synesthetic colors. We tested five Korean multilingual
      synesthetes on a color-matching task using graphemes from Korean, English, and
      Japanese orthography. We then compared the similarity of synesthetic colors
      induced by those characters sharing a phonetic feature. Results showed that
      graphemes associated with the same phonetic feature tend to induce synesthetic
      color in both within- and cross-script analyses. Moreover, this tendency was
      consistent for graphemes that are not transliterable into each other as well as
      graphemes that are. These results suggest that it is the perceptual-i.e.,
      phonetic-properties associated with graphemes, not just conceptual associations
      such as transliteration, that determine synesthetic color.

PMID- 28348538
TI  - If You Don't Have Valence, Ask Your Neighbor: Evaluation of Neutral Words as a
      Function of Affective Semantic Associates.
AB  - How do humans perform difficult forced-choice evaluations, e.g., of words that
      have been previously rated as being neutral? Here we tested the hypothesis that
      in this case, the valence of semantic associates is of significant influence.
      From corpus based co-occurrence statistics as a measure of association strength
      we computed individual neighborhoods for single neutral words comprised of the 10
      words with the largest association strength. We then selected neutral words
      according to the valence of the associated words included in the neighborhoods,
      which were either mostly positive, mostly negative, mostly neutral or mixed
      positive and negative, and tested them using a valence decision task (VDT). The
      data showed that the valence of semantic neighbors can predict valence judgments
      to neutral words. However, all but the positive neighborhood items revealed a
      high tendency to elicit negative responses. For the positive and negative
      neighborhood categories responses congruent with the neighborhood's valence were
      faster than incongruent responses. We interpret this effect as a semantic network
      process that supports the evaluation of neutral words by assessing the valence of
      the associative semantic neighborhood. In this perspective, valence is considered
      a semantic super-feature, at least partially represented in associative
      activation patterns of semantic networks.

PMID- 28348540
TI  - New Empirical Evidence on the Validity and the Reliability of the Early Life
      Stress Questionnaire in a Polish Sample.
AB  - Background: The Early Life Stress Questionnaire (ELSQ) is widely used to estimate
      the prevalence of negative events during childhood, including emotional,
      physical, verbal, sexual abuse, negligence, severe conflicts, separation,
      parental divorce, substance abuse, poverty, and so forth. Objective: This study
      presents the psychometric properties of the Polish adaptation of the ELSQ. It
      also verifies if early life stress (ELS) is a good predictor of psychopathology
      symptoms during adulthood. Materials and Methods: We analyzed data from two
      samples. Sample 1 was selected by random quota method from across the country and
      included 609 participants aged 18-50 years, 306 women (50.2%) and 303 men
      (49.8%). Sample 2 contained 503 young adults (253 women and 250 men) aged 18-25.
      Confirmatory and exploratory factor analyses were used to measure ELSQ internal
      consistency. The validity was based on the relation to psychopathological
      symptoms and substance misuse. Results: Results showed good internal consistency
      and validity. Exploratory factor analysis indicates a six-factor structure of the
      ELSQ. ELS was related to psychopathology in adulthood, including depressive,
      sociophobic, vegetative as well as pain symptoms. ELSQ score correlated also with
      alcohol use, but not nicotine dependence. Moreover, ELS was correlated with
      stress in adulthood. Conclusion: The findings indicate that the Polish version of
      the ELSQ is a valid and reliable instrument for assessing ELS in the Polish
      population and may be applied in both clinical and community samples.

PMID- 28348539
TI  - Autonomic Reactivity to Arousing Stimuli with Social and Non-social Relevance in
      Alexithymia.
AB  - Emotional difficulties in alexithymia and their social consequences have been
      linked to alterations in autonomic nervous system. However, most of previous
      studies did not take into account the distinction between the affective and the
      cognitive dimensions of the alexithymia, leading to inconsistent results. Aim: In
      this study, we compared the effects of both dimensions of alexithymia on the
      autonomic arousal to emotional and social visual stimulations. Methods: Skin
      conductance responses (SCRs) to items of the International Affective Pictures
      System characterized by emotional (unpleasant, neutral, and pleasant), social
      (with humans) or non-social (without humans) content were recorded in non
      alexithymic (NA), affective (AA) and cognitive alexithymic (CA) participants,
      selected on the basis of the Toronto Alexithymia Scale and the Bermond-Vorst
      Alexithymia Questionnaire. All participants responded to questionnaires of
      empathy, social phobia, depression, and anxiety before the experiment and
      evaluated the arousal of the pictures after it. Results: Cognitive alexithymic
      group showed lower amplitudes of SCRs to pictures with social than without social
      relevance whereas the opposite pattern was observed for the NA group. Arousal
      emotional effects of the pictures on SCRs did not differ among groups. In
      addition, CA participants showed lower scores than NA in the Personal Taking sub
      scale of the empathy questionnaire, while AA showed lower scores than NA in the
      fantasy sub-scale. The CA group showed higher social phobia, depression and
      anxiety scores, than the other two groups. Conclusion: This work has two original
      outcomes: first, affective alexithymics expressed lower empathic affective scores
      than other groups; second, alexithymia modulated the impact of the social
      relevance of the stimuli on the autonomic reactivity, this impact vanishing in
      affective alexithymics and reversing in cognitive alexithymics. Thus, though the
      groups could not be distinguished on the basis of emotional effect on SCRs, they
      clearly differed when the empathic characteristics and the autonomic impact of
      social relevance were considered. Finally, the described autonomic signature to
      social relevant information could contribute to elucidate the difficulty of
      alexithymics to deal with emotions during social transactions.

PMID- 28348541
TI  - Sensory and Emotional Perception of Wooden Surfaces through Fingertip Touch.
AB  - Previous studies on tactile experiences have investigated a wide range of
      material surfaces across various skin sites of the human body in self-touch or
      other touch modes. Here, we investigate whether the sensory and emotional aspects
      of touch are related when evaluating wooden surfaces using fingertips in the
      absence of other sensory modalities. Twenty participants evaluated eight
      different pine and oak wood surfaces, using sensory and emotional touch
      descriptors, through the lateral motion of active fingertip exploration. The data
      showed that natural and smooth wood surfaces were perceived more positively in
      emotional touch than coated surfaces. We highlight the importance of preserving
      the naturalness of the surface texture in the process of wood-surface treatment
      so as to improve positive touch experiences, as well as avoid negative ones. We
      argue that the results may offer possibilities in the design of wood-based
      interior products with a view to improving consumer touch experiences.

PMID- 28348542
TI  - The Efficacy of Short-term Gated Audiovisual Speech Training for Improving
      Auditory Sentence Identification in Noise in Elderly Hearing Aid Users.
AB  - : This study aimed to examine the efficacy and maintenance of short-term (one
      session) gated audiovisual speech training for improving auditory sentence
      identification in noise in experienced elderly hearing-aid users. Twenty-five
      hearing aid users (16 men and 9 women), with an average age of 70.8 years, were
      randomly divided into an experimental (audiovisual training, n = 14) and a
      control (auditory training, n = 11) group. Participants underwent gated speech
      identification tasks comprising Swedish consonants and words presented at 65 dB
      sound pressure level with a 0 dB signal-to-noise ratio (steady-state broadband
      noise), in audiovisual or auditory-only training conditions. The Hearing-in-Noise
      Test was employed to measure participants' auditory sentence identification in
      noise before the training (pre-test), promptly after training (post-test), and 1
      month after training (one-month follow-up). The results showed that audiovisual
      training improved auditory sentence identification in noise promptly after the
      training (post-test vs. pre-test scores); furthermore, this improvement was
      maintained 1 month after the training (one-month follow-up vs. pre-test scores).
      Such improvement was not observed in the control group, neither promptly after
      the training nor at the one-month follow-up. However, no significant between
      groups difference nor an interaction between groups and session was observed.
      CONCLUSION: Audiovisual training may be considered in aural rehabilitation of
      hearing aid users to improve listening capabilities in noisy conditions. However,
      the lack of a significant between-groups effect (audiovisual vs. auditory) or an
      interaction between group and session calls for further research.

PMID- 28348543
TI  - The Predictive Validity of Four Intelligence Tests for School Grades: A Small
      Sample Longitudinal Study.
AB  - Intelligence is considered the strongest single predictor of scholastic
      achievement. However, little is known regarding the predictive validity of well
      established intelligence tests for school grades. We analyzed the predictive
      validity of four widely used intelligence tests in German-speaking countries: The
      Intelligence and Development Scales (IDS), the Reynolds Intellectual Assessment
      Scales (RIAS), the Snijders-Oomen Nonverbal Intelligence Test (SON-R 6-40), and
      the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children (WISC-IV), which were individually
      administered to 103 children (Mage = 9.17 years) enrolled in regular school.
      School grades were collected longitudinally after 3 years (averaged school
      grades, mathematics, and language) and were available for 54 children (Mage =
      11.77 years). All four tests significantly predicted averaged school grades.
      Furthermore, the IDS and the RIAS predicted both mathematics and language, while
      the SON-R 6-40 predicted mathematics. The WISC-IV showed no significant
      association with longitudinal scholastic achievement when mathematics and
      language were analyzed separately. The results revealed the predictive validity
      of currently used intelligence tests for longitudinal scholastic achievement in
      German-speaking countries and support their use in psychological practice, in
      particular for predicting averaged school grades. However, this conclusion has to
      be considered as preliminary due to the small sample of children observed.

PMID- 28348544
TI  - Substance P/Neurokinin 1 and Trigeminal System: A Possible Link to the
      Pathogenesis in Sudden Perinatal Deaths.
AB  - Sudden demise of a healthy fetus or a neonate is a very tragic episode in the
      life of parents. These deaths have been a mystery since ages but still remain
      unexplained. This review proposes the involvement of trigeminal nerve,
      neurotransmitter substance P (SP), and its receptor neurokinin 1 (NK-1R) in
      regulation of cardiorespiratory control in fetuses and newborns. Anomalies and
      immaturity of neuroregulatory systems such as trigeminal system in medulla
      oblongata of brainstem may provide a possible mechanism of sudden perinatal
      deaths. Vulnerable infants are born with respiratory center immaturity which in
      combination with any stressor such as cold, hypoxia, and smoking may lead to
      cessation of breathing and ventilatory response. SP/NK-1R may be involved in
      regulating the ventilatory control in neonates while it is decreased in fetal and
      adult life in humans, and any alterations from these may lead to irreversible
      sleep apnea and fatal breathing, ultimately sudden death. This review summarizes
      the studies performed to highlight the expression of SP or NK-1R in sudden
      perinatal deaths and proposes the involvement of trigeminal ganglion along with
      its nerve and SP/NK-1R expression alteration as one of the possible
      pathophysiological underlying mechanism. However, further studies are required to
      explore the role of SP, NK-1R, and trigeminal system in the pathogenesis of
      sudden infant deaths, sudden intrauterine deaths, stillbirths, and sudden deaths
      later in human life.

PMID- 28348545
TI  - Extracerebral Tissue Damage in the Intraluminal Filament Mouse Model of Middle
      Cerebral Artery Occlusion.
AB  - Middle cerebral artery occlusion is the most common model of focal cerebral
      ischemia in the mouse. In the surgical procedure, the external carotid artery
      (ECA) is ligated; however, its effect on the tissue supplied by the vessel has
      not been described so far. C57BL/6 mice underwent 1 h of transient MCAO (tMCAO)
      or sham surgery. Multi-spectral optoacoustic tomography was employed at 30 min
      after surgery to assess oxygenation in the temporal muscles. Microstructural
      changes were assessed with magnetic resonance imaging and histological
      examination at 24 h and 48 h after surgery. Ligation of the ECA resulted in
      decreased oxygenation of the left temporal muscle in most sham-operated and tMCAO
      animals. Susceptible mice of both groups exhibited increased T2 relaxation times
      in the affected muscle with histological evidence of myofibre degeneration,
      interstitial edema, and neutrophil influx. Ligatures had induced an extensive
      neutrophil-dominated inflammatory response. ECA ligation leads to distinct
      hypoxic degenerative changes in the tissue of the ECA territory and to ligature
      induced inflammatory processes. An impact on outcome needs to be considered in
      this stroke model.

PMID- 28348548
TI  - Response of Human Immunodeficiency Virus-Associated Cerebral Angiitis to the
      Combined Antiretroviral Therapy.
AB  - When secondary causes are excluded, mechanisms underlying central nervous system
      angiitis (ACNS) in human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-infected patients are still
      not understood and optimal treatment remains undefined. We report here a patient
      with an untreated HIV infection who presented multiple ischemic strokes probably
      due to HIV-ACNS. ACNS signs on vessel-wall imaging magnetic resonance monitoring
      retracted with combined antiretroviral therapy without adjunct immunosuppressive
      drugs.

PMID- 28348547
TI  - Altered Cervical Vestibular-Evoked Myogenic Potential in Children with Attention
      Deficit and Hyperactivity Disorder.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: Emerging evidence suggests that children with attention deficit and
      hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) present more difficulties in standing and walking
      balance than typically developing children. Most of previous studies have
      assessed these functions using postural and sensory organization tests showing
      differences in balance performance between control and ADHD children. However, to
      date, it is unknown whether these balance alterations are accompanied with
      vestibular dysfunction. The principal aim of this study is to evaluate vestibular
      otolith function in ADHD and matched control children. METHODS: We assessed
      vestibular otolith function in children with ADHD and controls using the
      subjective visual vertical (SVV) bucket test and cervical vestibular-evoked
      myogenic potentials (cVEMPs). In addition, gait and balance were evaluated using
      the dynamic gait index (DGI) and computerized posturography. RESULTS: Non
      significant differences between groups were obtained in SVV evaluation. DGI
      results show lower scores for overall test performance in children with ADHD (p <
      0.001), while computerized postural recordings showed significant differences for
      the limit of stability between groups (p = 0.02). cVEMPs in response to 500 Hz
      tone bursts presented at 100 dB were absent or reduced in children with ADHD, as
      revealed by differences in P1 and N1 peak-to-peak amplitudes between groups (p <
      0.01). CONCLUSION: These findings suggest that vestibular brainstem reflexes are
      altered in a subset of children with ADHD. We propose to include cVEMP reflexes
      in the clinical evaluation of ADHD patients.

PMID- 28348549
TI  - A Comparative Analysis of the Lyve-SET Phylogenomics Pipeline for Genomic
      Epidemiology of Foodborne Pathogens.
AB  - Modern epidemiology of foodborne bacterial pathogens in industrialized countries
      relies increasingly on whole genome sequencing (WGS) techniques. As opposed to
      profiling techniques such as pulsed-field gel electrophoresis, WGS requires a
      variety of computational methods. Since 2013, United States agencies responsible
      for food safety including the CDC, FDA, and USDA, have been performing whole
      genome sequencing (WGS) on all Listeria monocytogenes found in clinical, food,
      and environmental samples. Each year, more genomes of other foodborne pathogens
      such as Escherichia coli, Campylobacter jejuni, and Salmonella enterica are being
      sequenced. Comparing thousands of genomes across an entire species requires a
      fast method with coarse resolution; however, capturing the fine details of highly
      related isolates requires a computationally heavy and sophisticated algorithm.
      Most L. monocytogenes investigations employing WGS depend on being able to
      identify an outbreak clade whose inter-genomic distances are less than an
      empirically determined threshold. When the difference between a few single
      nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) can help distinguish between genomes that are
      likely outbreak-associated and those that are less likely to be associated, we
      require a fine-resolution method. To achieve this level of resolution, we have
      developed Lyve-SET, a high-quality SNP pipeline. We evaluated Lyve-SET by
      retrospectively investigating 12 outbreak data sets along with four other SNP
      pipelines that have been used in outbreak investigation or similar scenarios. To
      compare these pipelines, several distance and phylogeny-based comparison methods
      were applied, which collectively showed that multiple pipelines were able to
      identify most outbreak clusters and strains. Currently in the US PulseNet system,
      whole genome multi-locus sequence typing (wgMLST) is the preferred primary method
      for foodborne WGS cluster detection and outbreak investigation due to its ability
      to name standardized genomic profiles, its central database, and its ability to
      be run in a graphical user interface. However, creating a functional wgMLST
      scheme requires extended up-front development and subject-matter expertise. When
      a scheme does not exist or when the highest resolution is needed, SNP analysis is
      used. Using three Listeria outbreak data sets, we demonstrated the concordance
      between Lyve-SET SNP typing and wgMLST. Availability: Lyve-SET can be found at
      https://github.com/lskatz/Lyve-SET.

PMID- 28348546
TI  - Dementia with Lewy Bodies: Molecular Pathology in the Frontal Cortex in Typical
      and Rapidly Progressive Forms.
AB  - OBJECTIVES: The goal of this study was to assess mitochondrial function, energy,
      and purine metabolism, protein synthesis machinery from the nucleolus to the
      ribosome, inflammation, and expression of newly identified ectopic olfactory
      receptors (ORs) and taste receptors (TASRs) in the frontal cortex of typical
      cases of dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB) and cases with rapid clinical course
      (rpDLB: 2 years or less) compared with middle-aged non-affected individuals, in
      order to learn about the biochemical abnormalities underlying Lewy body
      pathology. METHODS: Real-time quantitative PCR, mitochondrial enzymatic assays,
      and analysis of beta-amyloid, tau, and synuclein species were used. RESULTS: The
      main alterations in DLB and rpDLB, which are more marked in the rapidly
      progressive forms, include (i) deregulated expression of several mRNAs and
      proteins of mitochondrial subunits, and reduced activity of complexes I, II, III,
      and IV of the mitochondrial respiratory chain; (ii) reduced expression of
      selected molecules involved in energy metabolism and increased expression of
      enzymes involved in purine metabolism; (iii) abnormal expression of nucleolar
      proteins, rRNA18S, genes encoding ribosomal proteins, and initiation factors of
      the transcription at the ribosome; (iv) discrete inflammation; and (v) marked
      deregulation of brain ORs and TASRs, respectively. Severe mitochondrial
      dysfunction involving activity of four complexes, minimal inflammatory responses,
      and dramatic altered expression of ORs and TASRs discriminate DLB from
      Alzheimer's disease. Altered solubility and aggregation of alpha-synuclein,
      increased beta-amyloid bound to membranes, and absence of soluble tau oligomers
      are common in DLB and rpDLB. Low levels of soluble beta-amyloid are found in DLB.
      However, increased soluble beta-amyloid 1-40 and beta-amyloid 1-42, and increased
      TNFalpha mRNA and protein expression, distinguish rpDLB. CONCLUSION: Molecular
      alterations in frontal cortex in DLB involve key biochemical pathways such as
      mitochondria and energy metabolism, protein synthesis, purine metabolism, among
      others and are accompanied by discrete innate inflammatory response.

PMID- 28348551
TI  - Evolutionary Constraints on the Norovirus Pandemic Variant GII.4_2006b over the
      Five-Year Persistence in Japan.
AB  - Norovirus GII.4 is a major cause of global outbreaks of viral gastroenteritis in
      humans, and has evolved by antigenic changes under the constantly changing human
      herd immunity. Major shift in the pandemic GII.4 strain periodically occurs
      concomitant with changes in the antigenic capsid protein VP1. However, how the
      newly emerged strain evolves after the onset of pandemic remains unclear. To
      address this issue, we examined molecular evolution of a pandemic lineage, termed
      the GII.4_2006b, by using the full-length viral genome and VP1 sequences (n =
      317) from stools collected at 20 sites in Japan between 2006 and 2011.
      Phylogenetic tree showed a radial diversification of the genome sequences of
      GII.4_2006b, suggesting a rapid genetic diversification of the GII.4_2006b
      population from a few ancestral variants. Impressively, amino acid sequences of
      the variable VP1 in given seasons remained as homogeneous as those of viral
      enzymes under annual increase in the nucleotide diversity in the VP1 coding
      region. The Hamming distances between the earliest and subsequent variants
      indicate strong constraints on amino acid changes even for the highly variable P2
      subdomain. These results show the presence of evolutionary constraints on the VP1
      protein and viral enzymes, and suggest that these proteins gain near maximal
      levels of fitness benefits in humans around the onset of the outbreaks. These
      findings have implications for our understanding of molecular evolution,
      mechanisms of the periodic shifts in the pandemic NoV GII.4 strains, and control
      of the NoV GII.4 pandemic strain.

PMID- 28348550
TI  - An In vitro Study of Bio-Control and Plant Growth Promotion Potential of
      Salicaceae Endophytes.
AB  - Microbial communities in the endosphere of Salicaceae plants, poplar (Populus
      trichocarpa) and willow (Salix sitchensis), have been demonstrated to be
      important for plant growth promotion, protection from biotic and abiotic
      stresses, and degradation of toxic compounds. Our study aimed to investigate bio
      control activities of Salicaceae endophytes against various soil borne plant
      pathogens including Rhizoctonia solani AG-8, Fusarium culmorum, Gaeumannomyces
      graminis var. tritici, and Pythium ultimum. Additionally, different plant growth
      promoting traits such as biological nitrogen fixation (BNF), indole-3-acetic acid
      (IAA) biosynthesis, phosphate solubilization, and siderophore production were
      assessed in all bio-control positive strains. Burkholderia, Rahnella,
      Pseudomonas, and Curtobacterium were major endophyte genera that showed bio
      control activities in the in-vitro assays. The bio-control activities of
      Burkholderia strains were stronger across all tested plant pathogens as compared
      to other stains. Genomes of sequenced Burkholderia strains WP40 and WP42 were
      surveyed to identify the putative genes involved in the bio-control activities.
      The ocf and hcnABC gene clusters responsible for biosynthesis of the anti-fungal
      metabolites, occidiofungin and hydrogen cyanide, are present in the genomes of
      WP40 and WP42. Nearly all endophyte strains showing the bio-control activities
      produced IAA, solubilized tricalcium phosphate, and synthesized siderophores in
      the culture medium. Moreover, some strains reduced acetylene into ethylene in the
      acetylene reduction assay, a common assay used for BNF. Salicaceae endophytes
      could be useful for bio-control of various plant pathogens, and plant growth
      promotion possibly through the mechanisms of BNF, IAA production, and nutrient
      acquisition.

PMID- 28348552
TI  - FurIOS: A Web-Based Tool for Identification of Vibrionaceae Species Using the fur
      Gene.
AB  - Gene based methods for identification of species from the Vibrionaceae family
      have been developed during the last decades to address the limitations of the
      commonly used 16S rRNA gene phylogeny. Recently, we found that the ferric-uptake
      regulator gene (fur) can be used as a single identification marker providing
      species discrimination, consistent with multi-locus sequencing analyses and whole
      genome phylogenies. To allow for broader and easy use of this marker, we have
      developed an online prediction service that allows the identification of
      Vibrionaceae species based on their fur-sequence. The input is a DNA sequence
      that can be uploaded on the web service; the output is a table containing the
      strain identifier, e-value, and percentage of identity for each of the matches
      with rows colored in green for hits with high probability of being the same
      species. The service is available on the web at:
      http://www.cbs.dtu.dk/services/furIOS-1.0/. The fur-sequences can be derived
      either from genome sequences or from PCR-amplification of the genomic region
      encoding the fur gene. We have used 191 strains identified as Vibrionaceae based
      on 16S rRNA gene sequence to test the PCR method and the web service on a large
      dataset. We were able to classify 171 of 191 strains at the species level and 20
      strains remained unclassified. Furthermore, the fur phylogenetics and subsequent
      in silico DNA-DNA hybridization demonstrated that two strains (ATCC 33789 and ZS
      139) previously identified as Vibrio splendidus are more closely related to V.
      tasmaniensis and V. cyclitrophicus, respectively. FurIOS is an easy-to-use online
      service that allows the identification of bacteria from the Vibrionaceae family
      at the species level using the fur gene as a single marker. Its simplistic design
      and straightforward pipeline makes it suitable for any research environment, from
      academia to industry.

PMID- 28348553
TI  - Exploring the Antimicrobial and Antitumor Potentials of Streptomyces sp. AGM12-1
      Isolated from Egyptian Soil.
AB  - The occurrence of extensive antibiotics resistant bacteria increased the demands
      for mining out new sources of antimicrobial agents. Actinomycetes, especially
      Streptomyces sp. have grasped considerable attention worldwide due to production
      of many useful bioactive metabolites. In the present study, a total of 52
      actinomycetes were isolated from agricultural soil samples in Beni-Suef, Egypt.
      All isolates were characterized based on colony morphology, mycelium coloration,
      and pigment diffusion. They were screened for their capabilities to show
      antimicrobial activities against different indicator microorganisms, and only 20
      isolates have shown significant antimicrobial activities against at least one of
      the tested indicator microorganisms. The isolate AGM12-1 was active against all
      tested microorganisms and showed a marked antitumor activity with IC50 3.3 and
      1.1 MUg/ml against HCT-116 and HepG-2 cell lines respectively. It was
      genotypically characterized as Streptomyces sp. with the presence of PKS Pi
      biosynthetic gene cluster. Mannitol, ammonium sulfate, pH 7, 2% inoculum size and
      incubation for 11 days at 30 degrees C were the optimum conditions that used to
      maximize the production and hence allowed purification of one active
      antimicrobial compound to homogeneity using high performance liquid
      chromatography with a molecular mass of m/z 488.05. Nuclear magnetic resonance
      structural elucidation showed that this compound was a diketopiperazine
      derivative.

PMID- 28348554
TI  - Barriers to Radiation-Induced In Situ Tumor Vaccination.
AB  - The immunostimulatory properties of radiation therapy (RT) have recently
      generated widespread interest due to preclinical and clinical evidence that tumor
      localized RT can sometimes induce antitumor immune responses mediating regression
      of non-irradiated metastases (abscopal effect). The ability of RT to activate
      antitumor T cells explains the synergy of RT with immune checkpoint inhibitors,
      which has been well documented in mouse tumor models and is supported by
      observations of more frequent abscopal responses in patients refractory to
      immunotherapy who receive RT during immunotherapy. However, abscopal responses
      following RT remain relatively rare in the clinic, and antitumor immune responses
      are not effectively induced by RT against poorly immunogenic mouse tumors. This
      suggests that in order to improve the pro-immunogenic effects of RT, it is
      necessary to identify and overcome the barriers that pre-exist and/or are induced
      by RT in the tumor microenvironment. On the one hand, RT induces an immunogenic
      death of cancer cells associated with release of powerful danger signals that are
      essential to recruit and activate dendritic cells (DCs) and initiate antitumor
      immune responses. On the other hand, RT can promote the generation of
      immunosuppressive mediators that hinder DCs activation and impair the function of
      effector T cells. In this review, we discuss current evidence that several
      inhibitory pathways are induced and modulated in irradiated tumors. In
      particular, we will focus on factors that regulate and limit radiation-induced
      immunogenicity and emphasize current research on actionable targets that could
      increase the effectiveness of radiation-induced in situ tumor vaccination.

PMID- 28348556
TI  - T Cell Polarization toward TH2/TFH2 and TH17/TFH17 in Patients with IgG4-Related
      Disease.
AB  - IgG4-related disease (IgG4-RD) is a fibro-inflammatory disorder involving
      virtually every organ with a risk of organ dysfunction. Despite recent studies
      regarding B cell and T cell compartments, the disease's pathophysiology remains
      poorly understood. We examined and characterized subsets of circulating
      lymphocytes in untreated patients with active IgG4-RD. Twenty-eight consecutive
      patients with biopsy-proven IgG4-RD were included in a prospective, multicentric
      study. Lymphocytes' subsets were analyzed by flow cytometry, with analysis of
      TH1/TH2/TH17, TFH cells, and cytokine release by peripheral blood mononuclear
      cells. Results were compared to healthy controls and to patients with primary
      Sjogren's syndrome. Patients with IgG4-RD showed an increase of circulating T
      regulatory, TH2, TH17, and CD4+CXCR5+PD1+ TFH cell subsets. Accordingly,
      increased levels of IL-10 and IL-4 were measured in IgG-RD patients. TFH increase
      was characterized by the specific expansion of TFH2 (CCR6-CXCR3-), and to a
      lesser extent of TFH17 (CCR6+CXCR3-) cells. Interestingly, CD4+CXCR5+PD1+ TFH
      cells normalized under treatment. IgG4-RD is characterized by a shift of
      circulating T cells toward a TH2/TFH2 and TH17/TFH17 polarization. This
      immunological imbalance might be implicated in the disease's pathophysiology.
      Treatment regimens targeting such T cells warrant further evaluation.

PMID- 28348557
TI  - Dendritic Cell Response to HIV-1 Is Controlled by Differentiation Programs in the
      Cells and Strain-Specific Properties of the Virus.
AB  - Dendritic cells (DCs) are potent antigen-presenting cells that might play
      contradictory roles during HIV-1 infection, contributing not only to antiviral
      immunity but also to viral dissemination and immune evasion. Although DCs are
      characterized by enormous functional diversity, it has not been analyzed how
      differentially programmed DCs interact with HIV-1. We have previously described
      the reprogramming of DC development by endogenously produced lactic acid that
      accumulated in a cell culture density-dependent manner and provided a long
      lasting anti-inflammatory signal to the cells. By exploiting this mechanism, we
      generated immunostimulatory DCs characterized by the production of TH1 polarizing
      and inflammatory mediators or, alternatively, suppressed DCs that produce IL-10
      upon activation, and we tested the interaction of these DC types with different
      HIV-1 strains. Cytokine patterns were monitored in HIV-1-exposed DC cultures. Our
      results showed that DCs receiving suppressive developmental program strongly
      upregulated their capacity to produce the TH1 polarizing cytokine IL-12 and the
      inflammatory chemokines CCL2 and CCL7 upon interaction with HIV-1 strains IIIB
      and SF162. On the contrary, HIV-1 abolished cytokine production in the more
      inflammatory DC types. Preincubation of the cells with the HIV-1 proteins gp120
      and Nef could inhibit IL-12 production irrespectively of the tested DC types,
      whereas MyD88- and TRIF-dependent signals stimulated IL-12 production in the
      suppressed DC type only. Rewiring of DC cytokines did not require DC infections
      or ligation of the HIV-1 receptor CD209. A third HIV-1 strain, BaL, could not
      modulate DC cytokines in a similar manner indicating that individual HIV-1
      strains can differ in their capacity to influence DCs. Our results demonstrated
      that HIV-1 could not induce definite and invariable modulatory programs in DCs.
      Instead, interaction with the virus triggered different responses in different DC
      types. Thus, the outcome of DC-HIV-1 interactions might be highly variable,
      shaped by endogenous features of the cells and diversity of the virus.

PMID- 28348555
TI  - A Systematic Review of Immunological Studies of Erythema Nodosum Leprosum.
AB  - Erythema nodosum leprosum (ENL) is a painful inflammatory complication of leprosy
      occurring in 50% of lepromatous leprosy patients and 5-10% of borderline
      lepromatous patients. It is a significant cause of economic hardship, morbidity
      and mortality in leprosy patients. Our understanding of the causes of ENL is
      limited. We performed a systematic review of the published literature and
      critically evaluated the evidence for the role of neutrophils, immune complexes
      (ICs), T-cells, cytokines, and other immunological factors that could contribute
      to the development of ENL. Searches of the literature were performed in PubMed.
      Studies, independent of published date, using samples from patients with ENL were
      included. The search revealed more than 20,000 articles of which 146 eligible
      studies were included in this systematic review. The studies demonstrate that ENL
      may be associated with a neutrophilic infiltrate, but it is not clear whether it
      is an IC-mediated process or that the presence of ICs is an epiphenomenon.
      Increased levels of tumor necrosis factor-alpha and other pro-inflammatory
      cytokines support the role of this cytokine in the inflammatory phase of ENL but
      not necessarily the initiation. T-cell subsets appear to be important in ENL
      since multiple studies report an increased CD4+/CD8+ ratio in both skin and
      peripheral blood of patients with ENL. Microarray data have identified new
      molecules and whole pathophysiological pathways associated with ENL and provides
      new insights into the pathogenesis of ENL. Studies of ENL are often difficult to
      compare due to a lack of case definitions, treatment status, and timing of
      sampling as well as the use of different laboratory techniques. A standardized
      approach to some of these issues would be useful. ENL appears to be a complex
      interaction of various aspects of the immune system. Rigorous clinical
      descriptions of well-defined cohorts of patients and a systems biology approach
      using available technologies such as genomics, epigenomics, transcriptomics, and
      proteomics could yield greater understanding of the condition.

PMID- 28348559
TI  - miR-31 Links Lipid Metabolism and Cell Apoptosis in Bacteria-Challenged
      Apostichopus japonicus via Targeting CTRP9.
AB  - The biological functions of microRNAs (miRNAs) have been studied in a number of
      eukaryotic species. Recent studies on vertebrate animals have demonstrated
      critical roles of miRNA in immune and metabolic activities. However, studies on
      the functions of miRNA in invertebrates are very limited. Here, we demonstrated
      that miR-31 from Apostichopus japonicus disrupts the balance of lipid metabolism,
      thus resulting in cell apoptosis by targeting complement C1q tumor necrosis
      factor-related protein 9 (AjCTRP9), a novel adipokine with pleiotropic functions
      in immunity and metabolism. Lipidomic analysis suggested that the intercellular
      lipid metabolites were markedly altered, and three ceramide (Cer) species
      synchronously increased in the AjCTRP9-silenced coelomocytes. Moreover, exogenous
      Cer exposure significantly induced apoptosis in the coelomocytes in vivo, in
      agreement with findings from miR-31 mimic- or AjCTRP9 small-interfering RNA
      transfected coelomocytes. Furthermore, we found that the imbalance in
      sphingolipid metabolism triggered by the overproduction of Cers ultimately
      resulted in the activation of the apoptosis initiator caspase-8 and executioner
      caspase-3. Our findings provide the first direct evidence that miR-31 negatively
      modulates the expression of AjCTRP9 and disturbance of Cer channels, thus leading
      to caspase-3- and caspase-8-dependent apoptosis, during the interactions between
      pathogens and host.

PMID- 28348558
TI  - Microbiota, Immune Subversion, and Chronic Inflammation.
AB  - Several host-adapted pathogens and commensals have evolved mechanisms to evade
      the host innate immune system inducing a state of low-grade inflammation.
      Epidemiological studies have also documented the association of a subset of these
      microorganisms with chronic inflammatory disorders. In this review, we summarize
      recent studies demonstrating the role of the microbiota in chronic inflammatory
      diseases and discuss how specific microorganisms subvert or inhibit protective
      signaling normally induced by toll-like receptors (TLRs). We highlight our work
      on the oral pathogen Porphyromonas gingivalis and discuss the role of microbial
      modulation of lipid A structures in evasion of TLR4 signaling and resulting
      systemic immunopathology associated with atherosclerosis. P. gingivalis
      intrinsically expresses underacylated lipid A moieties and can modify the
      phosphorylation of lipid A, leading to altered TLR4 signaling. Using P.
      gingivalis mutant strains expressing distinct lipid A moieties, we demonstrated
      that expression of antagonist lipid A was associated with P. gingivalis-mediated
      systemic inflammation and immunopathology, whereas strains expressing agonist
      lipid A exhibited modest systemic inflammation. Likewise, mice deficient in TLR4
      were more susceptible to vascular inflammation after oral infection with P.
      gingivalis wild-type strain compared to mice possessing functional TLR4.
      Collectively, our studies support a role for P. gingivalis-mediated dysregulation
      of innate and adaptive responses resulting in immunopathology and systemic
      inflammation. We propose that anti-TLR4 interventions must be designed with
      caution, given the balance between the protective and destructive roles of TLR
      signaling in response to microbiota and associated immunopathologies.

PMID- 28348560
TI  - Specific Strains of Lactic Acid Bacteria Differentially Modulate the Profile of
      Adipokines In Vitro.
AB  - Obesity induces local/systemic inflammation accompanied by increases in
      macrophage infiltration into adipose tissue and production of inflammatory
      cytokines, chemokines, and hormones. Previous studies have shown that probiotics
      could improve the intestinal dysbiosis induced by metabolic diseases such as
      obesity, diabetes, and metabolic syndrome. Microorganisms could (directly or
      indirectly) affect adipokine levels due to their capacity to induce translocation
      of several intestinal microbial antigens into systemic circulation, which could
      lead to metabolic endotoxemia or produce immunomodulation in different organs.
      The aim of the present study was to select non-inflammatory lactic acid bacteria
      (LAB) strains with the capacity to modulate adipokine secretion by the adipose
      tissue. We wish to elucidate the role of potential probiotic strains in the
      regulation of the cross talking between immune cells such as macrophages and
      adipose cells. Mouse macrophage cell line RAW 264.7 was used for evaluating the
      ability of 14 LAB strains to induce cytokine production. The LAB strains were
      chosen based on their previously studied beneficial properties in health. Then,
      in murine adipocyte culture and macrophage-adipocyte coculture, we determined the
      ability of these strains to induce cytokines and leptin secretion. Tumor necrosis
      factor alpha, interleukin 6 (IL-6), IL-10, monocyte chemoattractant protein-1,
      and leptin levels were measured in cell supernatants. We also performed the
      detection and quantification of leptin receptor (Ob-Rb) expression in macrophage
      cell lines stimulated by these LAB strains. Differential secretion profile of
      cytokines in macrophage cells induced by LAB strains was observed. Also, the
      levels of Ob-Rb expression diverged among different LAB strains. In LAB
      stimulated coculture cells (adipocytes and macrophages), we observed differential
      production of leptin and cytokines. Furthermore, we detected lower production
      levels in single culture than cocultured cells. The principal component analysis
      showed an association between the four clusters of strains established according
      to their inflammatory profiles and leptin adipocyte production and leptin
      receptor expression in macrophages. We conclude that coculture is the most
      appropriate system for selecting strains with the ability to modulate adipokine
      secretion. The use of microorganisms with low and medium inflammatory properties
      and ability to modulate leptin levels could be a strategy for the treatment of
      some metabolic diseases associated with dysregulation of immune response.

PMID- 28348561
TI  - CIMAvax-EGF: A New Therapeutic Vaccine for Advanced Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer
      Patients.
AB  - Lung cancer is the common fatal illness with the highest incidence and mortality
      globally. Epidermal growth factor receptor overexpression by tumor cells is
      associated with uncontrolled proliferation, angiogenesis, anti-apoptotic signals,
      metastization, and invasiveness. CIMAvax-EGF vaccine consists of a chemical
      conjugate of the EGF with the P64 protein derived from the Meningitis B bacteria
      and Montanide ISA 51, as adjuvant. The vaccine is projected to induce antibodies
      against EGF that results in EGF withdrawal. CIMAvax-EGF demonstrated to be safe
      and immunogenic in advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients. The
      efficacy study was an open-label, multicentric Phase III clinical trial, which
      enrolled 405 advanced NSCLC patients. Patients with proven stage IIIB/IV NSCLC,
      who had completed four to six cycles of chemotherapy (CTP) were randomized to
      receive CIMAvax-EGF or best supportive care. CIMAvax-EGF resulted in a
      significantly larger overall survival in patients receiving at least four doses.
      High EGF concentration at baseline was a good predictive biomarker of the vaccine
      activity and a poor prognostic biomarker for the non-treated population. The
      proportion of CD8+CD28- cells, CD4 cells, and the CD4/CD8 ratio after first-line
      CTP was also associated with CIMAvax-EGF clinical benefit. After completing the
      Phase III, a Phase IV trial was done where the vaccine was administered in
      primary care units. Administering the vaccine at primary care institutions
      granted better access and treatment compliance. Safety was confirmed. Several
      clinical trials are currently ongoing to validate EGF as a predictive biomarker
      of CIMAvax-EGF efficacy.

PMID- 28348563
TI  - Perturbations of Monocyte Subsets and Their Association with T Helper Cell
      Differentiation in Acute and Chronic HIV-1-Infected Patients.
AB  - Monocytes have been recently subdivided into three subsets: classical (CD14++CD16
      ), intermediate (CD14++CD16+), and non-classical (CD14+CD16++) subsets, but
      phenotypic and functional abnormalities of the three monocyte subsets in HIV-1
      infection have not been fully characterized, especially in acute HIV-1 infection
      (AHI). In the study, we explored the dynamic changes of monocyte subsets and
      their surface markers, and the association between monocyte subsets and the IFN
      gamma, interleukin (IL)-4, IL-17, and TNF-alpha producing CD4+ T cells in acute
      and chronic HIV-1-infected patients. We found that, in the acute HIV-1-infected
      individuals, the frequency of the intermediate CD14++CD16+ monocyte subsets, the
      CD163 density and HLA-DR density on intermediate CD14++CD16+ monocytes, and
      plasma soluble form of CD163 (sCD163) were significantly higher than that in
      healthy controls. Intermediate CD14++CD16+ monocyte subsets and their HLA-DR
      expression levels were inversely correlated with the CD4+ T cell counts, and the
      intermediate CD14++CD16+ monocytes were positively correlated with plasma sCD163.
      In contrast to the non-classical CD14+CD16++ and classical CD14++CD16- monocyte
      subsets, the frequency of the intermediate CD14++CD16+ monocytes was positively
      associated with the frequency of IFN-gamma and IL-4 producing CD4+ T cells in HIV
      1-infected patients. Taken together, our observations provide new insight into
      the roles of the monocyte subsets in HIV pathogenesis, particularly during AHI,
      and our findings may be helpful for the treatment of HIV-related immune
      activation.

PMID- 28348565
TI  - A Novel Heterozygous Mutation in the STAT1 SH2 Domain Causes Chronic
      Mucocutaneous Candidiasis, Atypically Diverse Infections, Autoimmunity, and
      Impaired Cytokine Regulation.
AB  - Chronic mucocutaneous candidiasis (CMC) is a primary immunodeficiency
      characterized by persistent or recurrent skin and mucosal surface infections with
      Candida species. Different gene mutations leading to CMC have been identified.
      These include various heterozygous gain-of-function (GOF) mutations in signal
      transducer and activator of transcription 1 (STAT1) that are not only associated
      with infections but also with autoimmune manifestations. Recently, two STAT1 GOF
      mutations involving the Src homology 2 (SH2) domain have been reported, while so
      far, over 50 mutations have been described mainly in the coiled coil and the DNA
      binding domains. Here, we present two members of a Dutch family with a novel
      STAT1 mutation located in the SH2 domain. T lymphocytes of these patients
      revealed STAT1 hyperphosphorylation and higher expression of STAT1 target genes.
      The clinical picture of CMC in our patients could be explained by diminished
      production of interleukin (IL)-17 and IL-22, cytokines important in the
      protection against fungal infections.

PMID- 28348562
TI  - Impact of Metabolism on T-Cell Differentiation and Function and Cross Talk with
      Tumor Microenvironment.
AB  - The immune system and metabolism are highly integrated and multilevel
      interactions between metabolic system and T lymphocyte signaling and fate exist.
      Accumulating evidence indicates that the regulation of nutrient uptake and
      utilization in T cells is critically important for the control of their
      differentiation and manipulating metabolic pathways in these cells can shape
      their function and survival. This review will discuss some potential cell
      metabolism pathways involved in shaping T lymphocyte function and
      differentiation. It will also describe show subsets of T cells have specific
      metabolic requirements and signaling pathways that contribute to their respective
      function. Examples showing the apparent similarity between cancer cell metabolism
      and T cells during activation are illustrated and finally some mechanisms being
      used by tumor microenvironment to orchestrate T-cell metabolic dysregulation and
      the subsequent emergence of immune suppression are discussed. We believe that
      targeting T-cell metabolism may provide an additional opportunity to manipulate T
      cell function in the development of novel therapeutics.

PMID- 28348564
TI  - Lower Serum Vitamin D Metabolite Levels in Relation to Circulating
      Cytokines/Chemokines and Metabolic Hormones in Pregnant Women with Hypertensive
      Disorders.
AB  - The aim of this study was to investigate whether lower serum vitamin D metabolite
      levels were associated with altered cytokine/chemokine and metabolic hormone
      levels in three different hypertensive disorders in pregnancy (HDP). Healthy
      pregnancy (n = 30) and hypertensive disorders in pregnancy (HDP) (n = 30), i.e.,
      gestational hypertension (GH), preeclampsia (PE), and eclampsia (EC) subjects
      were enrolled. Vitamin D metabolites were measured by UPLC/APCI/HRMS method.
      Circulatory 27 cytokines/chemokines and 10 metabolic hormones were measured.
      Significantly decreased 25(OH)D and 1,25(OH)2D levels were observed in HDP. The
      levels of 25(OH)D were significantly lower in PE and EC, whereas the serum levels
      of 1,25(OH)2D significantly decreased only in EC subjects. Serum 25(OH)D and
      1,25(OH)2D levels were negatively correlated with systolic- and diastolic blood
      pressure, creatinine, and uric acid levels. Serum interleukin (IL)-6 and IL-13
      decreased, and GIP levels were increased in gestational hypertensive subjects.
      Platelet-derived growth factor-BB and IL-8 levels were increased and macrophage
      inflammatory protein-1beta levels were decreased in EC subjects. IL-8 and IL-10
      increased, and rantes and GIP levels decreased in the EC group as compared with
      the GH group. Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that eotaxin,
      monocyte chemotactic protein-1, 25(OH)D, and 1,25(OH)2D were predictors of HDP.
      Our analyses suggest that lower vitamin D metabolites are associated with altered
      cytokines/chemokines and metabolic hormones in HDP.

PMID- 28348567
TI  - Natural Killers Are Made Not Born: How to Exploit NK Cells in Lung Malignancies.
AB  - In recent years, progress has been made in the characterization of natural killer
      (NK) cells in lung malignancies, and we have now gained a better understanding of
      the frequency, localization, phenotype, and functional status of NK cells
      infiltrating these tumors. NK cell subset recruited in lung cancer is mainly
      capable of producing relevant cytokines rather than exerting direct cancer cell
      killing. Thus, the relevance of NK cells in tumor microenvironment might also go
      beyond the killing of tumor cells, being NK cells endowed with regulatory
      functions toward an ample array of immune effectors. Nevertheless, boosting their
      cytotoxic functions and redirecting the migration of cytotoxic NK cell subset to
      the tumor site might open new therapeutic avenues for lung cancer. Also, we
      believe that a deeper investigation into the impact of both conventional (e.g.,
      chemotherapy) or new therapies (e.g., anti-immune checkpoints mAbs) on NK cell
      homeostasis in lung cancer patients is now required.

PMID- 28348569
TI  - Combined Application of Biofertilizers and Inorganic Nutrients Improves Sweet
      Potato Yields.
AB  - Sweet potato [Ipomoea batatas (L) Lam] yields currently stand at 4.5 t ha-1 on
      smallholder farms in Uganda, despite the attainable yield (45-48 t ha-1) of
      NASPOT 11 cultivar comparable to the potential yield (45 t ha-1) in sub-Saharan
      Africa (SSA). On-farm field experiments were conducted for two seasons in the Mt
      Elgon High Farmlands and Lake Victoria Crescent agro-ecological zones in Uganda
      to determine the potential of biofertilizers, specifically arbuscular mycorrhizal
      fungi (AMF), to increase sweet potato yields (NASPOT 11 cultivar). Two kinds of
      biofertilizers were compared to different rates of phosphorus (P) fertilizer when
      applied with or without nitrogen (N) and potassium (K). The sweet potato response
      to treatments was variable across sites (soil types) and seasons, and significant
      tuber yield increase (p < 0.05) was promoted by biofertilizer and NPK treatments
      during the short-rain season in the Ferralsol. Tuber yields ranged from 12.8 to
      20.1 t ha-1 in the Rhodic Nitisol (sandy-clay) compared to 7.6 to 14.9 t ha-1 in
      the Ferralsol (sandy-loam) during the same season. Root colonization was greater
      in the short-rain season compared to the long-rain season. Biofertilizers
      combined with N and K realized higher biomass and tuber yield than biofertilizers
      alone during the short-rain season indicating the need for starter nutrients for
      hyphal growth and root colonization of AMF. In this study, N0.25PK (34.6 t ha-1)
      and N0.5PK (32.9 t ha-1) resulted in the highest yield during the long and the
      short-rain season, respectively, but there was still a yield gap of 11.9 and 13.6
      t ha-1 for the cultivar. Therefore, a combination of 90 kg N ha-1 and 100 kg K ha
      1 with either 15 or 30 kg P ha-1 can increase sweet potato yield from 4.5 to >30
      t ha-1. The results also show that to realize significance of AMF in nutrient
      depleted soils, starter nutrients should be included.

PMID- 28348568
TI  - A Bacterial Artificial Chromosome Reporter System for Expression of the Human
      FOXP3 Gene in Mouse Regulatory T-Cells.
AB  - The transcription factor FOXP3 plays key roles in the development and function of
      regulatory T cells (Treg) capable of preventing and correcting immunopathology.
      There has been much interest in exploiting Treg as adoptive cell therapy in man,
      but issues of lack of nominal antigen-specificity and stability of FoxP3
      expression in the face of pro-inflammatory cytokines have been a concern. In
      order to enable fundamental studies of human FOXP3 (hFOXP3) gene regulation and
      to provide preclinical tools to guide the selection of drugs that might modulate
      hFOXP3 expression for therapeutic purposes, we generated hFOXP3/AmCyan bacterial
      artificial chromosome (BAC) transgenic mice and transfectants, wherein hFOXP3
      expression was read out as AmCyan expression. Using the transgenic mice, one can
      now investigate hFOXP3 gene expression under defined experimental conditions used
      for mouse Foxp3 (mFoxp3) studies. Here, we demonstrate that hFOXP3 gene
      expression in BAC transgenic mice is solely restricted to CD4+ T-cells, as for
      mFoxp3 gene expression, showing that hFOXP3 expression in Treg cells depends on
      fundamentally similar processes to mFoxp3 expression in these cells. Similarly,
      hFOXP3 expression could be observed in mouse T-cells through TCR stimulation in
      the presence of TGF-beta. These data suggest that, at least in part, cell type
      specific human and mouse foxp3 gene expression is regulated by common regulatory
      regions which for the human, are located within the 110-kb human FOXP3 BAC DNA.
      To investigate hFOXP3 gene expression further and to screen potential
      therapeutics in modulating hFOXP3 gene expression in vitro, we also generated
      hFOXP3/AmCyan expression reporter cell lines. Using the reporter cells and
      transcription factor inhibitors, we showed that, just as for mFoxp3 expression,
      inhibitors of NF-kappaB, AP1, STAT5, Smad3, and NFAT also block hFOXP3
      expression. hFOXP3 induction in the reporter cells was also TGF-beta dependent,
      and substantially enhanced by an mTOR inhibitor, Torin1. In both the reporter
      transgenic mice and cell lines, histone H4 molecules in the hFOXP3 promoter and
      enhancers located in human CNS1 and CNS2 regions were highly acetylated in
      natural Treg and TCR/TGF-beta-induced Treg, indicating hFOXP3 gene expression is
      regulated by mechanisms similar to those previously identified for the mFoxp3
      gene.

PMID- 28348570
TI  - DNA Methylation Affects the Efficiency of Transcription Activator-Like Effector
      Nucleases-Mediated Genome Editing in Rice.
AB  - Genome editing in plants becomes popular since the advent of sequence-specific
      nucleases (SSNs) that are simple to set up and efficient in various plant
      species. Although transcription activator-like effector nucleases (TALENs) are
      one of the most prevalent SSNs and have a potential to provide higher target
      specificity by their dimeric property, TALENs are sensitive to methylated
      cytosines that are present not only in transposons but also in active genes in
      plants. In mammalian cells, the methylation sensitivity of TALENs could be
      overcome by using a base-recognition module (N*) that has a higher affinity to
      methylated cytosine. In contrast to mammals, plants carry DNA methylation at all
      cytosine contexts (CG, CHG, and CHH, where H represents A, C, or T) with various
      degrees and effectiveness of N* module in genome editing in plants has not been
      explored. In this study, we designed sets of TALENs with or without N* modules
      and examined their efficiency in genome editing of methylated regions in rice.
      Although improvement in genome editing efficiency was observed with N*-TALENs
      designed to a stably methylated target, another target carrying cytosines with
      various levels of methylation showed resistance to both normal and N*-TALENs. The
      results suggest that variability of cytosine methylation in target regions is an
      additional factor affecting the genome editing efficiency of TALENs.

PMID- 28348571
TI  - Population Structure and Phylogenetic Relationships in a Diverse Panel of
      Brassica rapa L.
AB  - The crop species Brassica rapa L. has significant economic importance around the
      world. However, the global distribution and complex evolutionary history of the
      species has made investigating its genetic population structure difficult. Crop
      domestication and improvement has resulted in extreme phenotypic diversity and
      subspecies that are used for oilseed, food for human consumption, and fodder for
      livestock. These subspecies include the oilseed morphotypes. oleifera (turnip
      rape), ssp. dichotoma (brown sarson/toria), ssp. trilocularis (yellow sarson);
      ssp. rapa (turnip); and Asian leafy vegetables ssp. pekinensis (Chinese cabbage),
      ssp. chinensis (bok choy), ssp. nipposinica (mizuna/mibuna), ssp. rapifera
      (rapini/broccoli rabe), ssp. narinosa (tatsoi), ssp parachinensis (choy sum), and
      ssp. perviridis (komatsuna). To date, studies have had insufficient sampling to
      determine the relationship of all morphotypes, especially oilseed morphotypes,
      and questions remain over the contribution of morphotype and geographic origin to
      population structure. We used genotyping-by-sequencing to score 18,272 single
      nucleotide polymorphism markers in a globally diverse panel of 333 B. rapa
      National Plant Germplasm System accessions that included 10 recognized
      subspecies. Our population genetic and phylogenetic analyses were broadly
      congruent and revealed five subpopulations that were largely reflective of
      morphotype and geography. These subpopulations were 1. European turnips/oilseed,
      2. Asian turnips/oilseed, 3. yellow/brown sarson (ssp. trilocularis and ssp.
      dichotoma), 4. Chinese cabbage (ssp. pekinensis), and 5. bok choy, choy sum, and
      tatsoi (ssp. chinensis, ssp. parachinensis, ssp. narinosa). Additionally, we
      found evidence of polyphyly and/or paraphyly, particularly for oilseed
      morphotypes (ssp. oleifera and ssp. dichotoma) and turnips. The results of this
      study have provided improved resolution to the genetic and phylogenetic
      relationships of subspecies within the species B. rapa. Understanding of these
      relationships is key to the future genetic study and improvement of this globally
      important crop species.

PMID- 28348572
TI  - A Casein Kinase II Phosphorylation Site in AtYY1 Affects Its Activity, Stability,
      and Function in the ABA Response.
AB  - The phosphorylation and dephosphorylation of proteins are crucial in the
      regulation of protein activity and stability in various signaling pathways. In
      this study, we identified an ABA repressor, Arabidopsis Ying Yang 1 (AtYY1) as a
      potential target of casein kinase II (CKII). AtYY1 physically interacts with two
      regulatory subunits of CKII, CKB3, and CKB4. Moreover, AtYY1 can be
      phosphorylated by CKII in vitro, and the S284 site is the major CKII
      phosphorylation site. Further analyses indicated that S284 phosphorylation can
      enhance the transcriptional activity and protein stability of AtYY1 and hence
      strengthen the effect of AtYY1 as a negative regulator in the ABA response. Our
      study provides novel insights into the regulatory mechanism of AtYY1 mediated by
      CKII phosphorylation.

PMID- 28348573
TI  - Characterization of the FAD2 Gene Family in Soybean Reveals the Limitations of
      Gel-Based TILLING in Genes with High Copy Number.
AB  - Soybean seed oil typically contains 18-20% oleic acid. Increasing the content of
      oleic acid is beneficial for health and biodiesel production. Mutations in FAD2-1
      genes have been reported to increase seed oleic acid content. A subset of 1,037
      mutant families from a mutagenized soybean cultivar (cv.) Forrest population was
      screened using reverse genetics (TILLING) to identify mutations within FAD2
      genes. Although no fad2 mutants were identified using gel-based TILLING, four
      fad2-1A and one fad2-1B mutants were identified to have high seed oleic acid
      content using forward genetic screening and subsequent target sequencing. TILLING
      has been successfully used as a non-transgenic reverse genetic approach to
      identify mutations in genes controlling important agronomic traits. However, this
      technique presents limitations in traits such as oil composition due to gene copy
      number and similarities within the soybean genome. In soybean, FAD2 are present
      as two copies, FAD2-1 and FAD2-2. Two FAD2-1 members: FAD2-1A and FAD2-1B; and
      three FAD2-2 members: FAD2-2A, FAD2-2B, and FAD2-2C have been reported. Syntenic,
      phylogenetic, and in silico analysis revealed two additional members constituting
      the FAD2 gene family: GmFAD2-2D and GmFAD2-2E, located on chromosomes 09 and 15,
      respectively. They are presumed to have diverged from other FAD2-2 members
      localized on chromosomes 19 (GmFAD2-2A and GmFAD2-2B) and 03 (GmFAD2-2C). This
      work discusses alternative solutions to the limitations of gel-based TILLING in
      functional genomics due to high copy number and multiple paralogs of the FAD2
      gene family in soybean.

PMID- 28348566
TI  - Lifetime Modulation of the Pain System via Neuroimmune and Neuroendocrine
      Interactions.
AB  - Chronic pain is a debilitating condition that still is challenging both
      clinicians and researchers. Despite intense research, it is still not clear why
      some individuals develop chronic pain while others do not or how to heal this
      disease. In this review, we argue for a multisystem approach to understand
      chronic pain. Pain is not only to be viewed simply as a result of aberrant
      neuronal activity but also as a result of adverse early-life experiences that
      impact an individual's endocrine, immune, and nervous systems and changes which
      in turn program the pain system. First, we give an overview of the ontogeny of
      the central nervous system, endocrine, and immune systems and their windows of
      vulnerability. Thereafter, we summarize human and animal findings from our
      laboratories and others that point to an important role of the endocrine and
      immune systems in modulating pain sensitivity. Taking "early-life history" into
      account, together with the past and current immunological and endocrine status of
      chronic pain patients, is a necessary step to understand chronic pain
      pathophysiology and assist clinicians in tailoring the best therapeutic approach.

PMID- 28348574
TI  - Proteome Profiling of Wheat Shoots from Different Cultivars.
AB  - Wheat is a cereal grain and one of the world's major food crops. Recent advances
      in wheat genome sequencing are by now facilitating its genomic and proteomic
      analyses. However, little is known about possible differences in total protein
      levels of hexaploid versus tetraploid wheat cultivars, and also knowledge of
      phosphorylated wheat proteins is still limited. Here, we performed a detailed
      analysis of the proteome of seedling leaves from two hexaploid wheat cultivars
      (Triticum aestivum L. Pavon 76 and USU-Apogee) and one tetraploid wheat (T.
      turgidum ssp. durum cv. Senatore Cappelli). Our shotgun proteomics data revealed
      that, whereas we observed some significant differences, overall a high similarity
      between hexaploid and tetraploid varieties with respect to protein abundance was
      observed. In addition, already at the seedling stage, a small set of proteins was
      differential between the small (USU-Apogee) and larger hexaploid wheat cultivars
      (Pavon 76), which could potentially act as growth predictors. Finally, the
      phosphosites identified in this study can be retrieved from the in-house
      developed plant PTM-Viewer (bioinformatics.psb.ugent.be/webtools/ptm_viewer/),
      making this the first searchable repository for phosphorylated wheat proteins.
      This paves the way for further in depth, quantitative (phospho)proteome-wide
      differential analyses upon a specific trigger or environmental change.

PMID- 28348575
TI  - A Member of the 14-3-3 Gene Family in Brachypodium distachyon, BdGF14d, Confers
      Salt Tolerance in Transgenic Tobacco Plants.
AB  - Plant 14-3-3 proteins are involved in diverse biological processes, but for the
      model monocotyledonous species, Brachypodium distachyon, their roles in abiotic
      stress tolerance are not well understood. In this study, a total of eight Bd14-3
      3 genes were identified from B. distachyon and these were designated respectively
      as BdGF14a-BdGF14g. The qRT-PCR analyses of 3-month-old plants of B. distachyon
      showed that these genes were all expressed in the stems, leaves, and spikelets.
      By contrast, most of the plants had relatively lower transcriptional levels in
      their roots, except for the BdGF14g gene. The different expression profiles of
      the Bd14-3-3s under various stress treatments, and the diverse interaction
      patterns between Bd14-3-3s and BdAREB/ABFs, suggested that these gene products
      probably had a range of functions in the stress responses. The NaCl-induced Bd14
      3-3 gene, BdGF14d, was selected for overexpression in tobacco. BdGF14d was found
      to be localized throughout the cell and it conferred enhanced tolerance to salt
      in the transgenic plants. Lowered contents of malondialdehyde, H2O2, and Na+, and
      lower relative electronic conductance (Rec%), yet greater activities of catalase
      and peroxidase, were observed in the overexpressing plants. Higher photosynthetic
      rate, transpiration rate, stomatal conductance, and water use efficiency were
      measured in the transgenic lines. Following abscisic acid (ABA) or NaCl
      treatment, stomatal aperture in leaves of the BdGF14d-overexpression plants was
      significantly lower than in leaves of the wild type (WT) controls. The stress
      related marker genes involved in the ABA signaling pathway, the reactive oxygen
      species (ROS)-scavenging system, and the ion transporters were all up-regulated
      in the BdGF14d-overexpressing plants as compared with WT. Taken together, these
      results demonstrate that the Bd14-3-3 genes play important roles in abiotic
      stress tolerance. The ABA signaling pathway, the ROS-scavenging system, and ion
      transporters were all involved in enhancing the tolerance to salt stress in the
      BdGF14d-overexpression plants.

PMID- 28348576
TI  - Temporal Genetic Dynamics of an Experimental, Biparental Field Population of
      Phytophthora capsici.
AB  - Defining the contributions of dispersal, reproductive mode, and mating system to
      the population structure of a pathogenic organism is essential to estimating its
      evolutionary potential. After introduction of the devastating plant pathogen,
      Phytophthora capsici, into a grower's field, a lack of aerial spore dispersal
      restricts migration. Once established, coexistence of both mating types results
      in formation of overwintering recombinant oospores, engendering persistent
      pathogen populations. To mimic these conditions, in 2008, we inoculated a field
      with two P. capsici isolates of opposite mating type. We analyzed pathogenic
      isolates collected in 2009-2013 from this experimental population, using genome
      wide single-nucleotide polymorphism markers. By tracking heterozygosity across
      years, we show that the population underwent a generational shift; transitioning
      from exclusively F1 in 2009-2010, to multi-generational in 2011, and ultimately
      all inbred in 2012-2013. Survival of F1 oospores, characterized by heterozygosity
      excess, coupled with a low rate of selfing, delayed declines in heterozygosity
      due to inbreeding and attainment of equilibrium genotypic frequencies. Large
      allele and haplotype frequency changes in specific genomic regions accompanied
      the generational shift, representing putative signatures of selection. Finally,
      we identified an approximately 1.6 Mb region associated with mating type
      determination, constituting the first detailed genomic analysis of a mating type
      region (MTR) in Phytophthora. Segregation patterns in the MTR exhibited tropes of
      sex-linkage, where maintenance of allele frequency differences between isolates
      of opposite mating type was associated with elevated heterozygosity despite
      inbreeding. Characterizing the trajectory of this experimental system provides
      key insights into the processes driving persistent, sexual pathogen populations.

PMID- 28348578
TI  - Contrast-Enhanced Magnetic Resonance Cholangiography: Practical Tips and Clinical
      Indications for Biliary Disease Management.
AB  - Since its introduction, MRCP has been improved over the years due to the
      introduction of several technical advances and innovations. It consists of a
      noninvasive method for biliary tree representation, based on heavily T2-weighted
      images. Conventionally, its protocol includes two-dimensional single-shot fast
      spin-echo images, acquired with thin sections or with multiple thick slabs. In
      recent years, three-dimensional T2-weighted fast-recovery fast spin-echo images
      have been added to the conventional protocol, increasing the possibility of
      biliary anatomy demonstration and leading to a significant benefit over
      conventional 2D imaging. A significant innovation has been reached with the
      introduction of hepatobiliary contrasts, represented by gadoxetic acid and
      gadobenate dimeglumine: they are excreted into the bile canaliculi, allowing the
      opacification of the biliary tree. Recently, 3D interpolated T1-weighted spoiled
      gradient echo images have been proposed for the evaluation of the biliary tree,
      obtaining images after hepatobiliary contrast agent administration. Thus, the
      acquisition of these excretory phases improves the diagnostic capability of
      conventional MRCP-based on T2 acquisitions. In this paper, technical features of
      contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance cholangiography are briefly discussed; main
      diagnostic tips of hepatobiliary phase are showed, emphasizing the benefit of
      enhanced cholangiography in comparison with conventional MRCP.

PMID- 28348579
TI  - Risk Factors for an Iatrogenic Mallory-Weiss Tear Requiring Bleeding Control
      during a Screening Upper Endoscopy.
AB  - Background and Aim. In some cases of iatrogenic Mallory-Weiss tears (MWTs),
      hemostasis is needed due to severe mucosal tearing with bleeding. Therefore, we
      aimed to evaluate the risk factors for severe iatrogenic MWTs and the methods of
      endoscopic bleeding control. Materials and Methods. Between January 2008 and
      December 2012, 426,085 cases of screening upper endoscopy were performed at the
      Asan Medical Center. We retrospectively analyzed the risk factors for severe
      iatrogenic MWTs requiring an endoscopic procedure and the treatment modalities of
      bleeding control. Results. Iatrogenic MWTs occurred in 546 cases (0.13%) of
      screening upper endoscopy in 539 patients. Bleeding control due to severe
      bleeding was applied in 71 cases (13.0%), and rebleeding after initial bleeding
      control occurred in 1 case. Multivariate analysis showed that old age, a history
      of distal gastrectomy, and a less-experienced endoscopist (fewer than 2,237.5
      endoscopic procedures at the time of the MWT) were associated with severe
      iatrogenic MWTs requiring an endoscopic procedure. Among 71 cases requiring
      bleeding control, a hemoclip was used in 81.7% (58 cases). Conclusions. Screening
      endoscopy procedures should be carefully performed when patients are in their old
      age and have a history of distal gastrectomy, particularly if the endoscopist is
      less experienced.

PMID- 28348577
TI  - Deciphering the Roles of Thiazolidinediones and PPARgamma in Bladder Cancer.
AB  - The use of thiazolidinedione (TZD) therapy in type II diabetic patients has
      proven useful in the lowering of blood glucose levels. However, recent
      investigations have shown that there may be potential health concerns associated,
      including the risk of developing bladder cancer as well as complications in the
      cardiovasculature. TZDs are ligands for the nuclear receptor PPARgamma, and
      activation causes lipid uptake and insulin sensitization, both of which are
      critical processes for diabetic patients whose bodies are unable to utilize
      insulin effectively. Several studies have shown that PPARgamma/TZDs decrease IGF
      1 levels and, thus, reduce cancer growth in carcinomas such as the pancreas,
      colon, liver, and prostate. However, other studies have shed light on the
      potential of the receptor as a biomarker for uroepithelial carcinomas,
      particularly due to its stimulatory effect on migration of bladder cancer cells.
      Furthermore, PPARgamma may provide the tumor-promoting microenvironment by de
      novo synthesis of nutrients that are needed for bladder cancer development. In
      this review, we closely examine the TZD class of drugs and their effects on
      PPARgamma in patient studies along with additional molecular factors that are
      positive modulators, such as protein phosphatase 5 (PP5), which may have
      considerable implications for bladder cancer therapy.

PMID- 28348580
TI  - Outcome and Genetic Factors in IgG4-Associated Autoimmune Pancreatitis and
      Cholangitis: A Single Center Experience.
AB  - Introduction. Most investigations on autoimmune pancreatitis (AIP) were published
      on Asian cohorts while those on Caucasians are limited. However, there might be
      differences related to the origin. Patients and Methods. We analyzed 36 patients
      and compared type 1 (AIP1) with type 2 (AIP2). Results. The majority of patients
      suffered from AIP1 (55.6%). AIP1 patients were significantly older than AIP2
      patients (54.4 versus 40.8 years). Moreover, 85.0% of AIP1 patients had
      concurrent autoimmune cholangitis (AIC) while 18.8% of AIP2 patients suffered
      from overlap to ulcerative colitis (UC). However, AIP1 patients revealed a
      cholestatic course and had significantly higher immunoglobulin G4 levels (IgG4).
      When compared to allele frequencies in healthy controls, in patients with AIP1
      HLA-B8 reached statistical significance. Response to steroids was excellent in
      both groups, but we noticed high rates of relapse especially in AIP1 patients.
      Finally, 3 patients with AIP1 were diagnosed with cholangiocellular carcinoma
      (CCC). Conclusion. In contrast to Asian studies, we found an almost equal
      distribution of AIP1 and AIP2 patients in our German cohort. AIP2 patients were
      younger and mostly of female gender whereas AIP1 patients revealed higher IgG4
      levels and involvement of the biliary tract in sense of IgG4-associated
      cholangitis.

PMID- 28348581
TI  - TFCP2 Genetic Polymorphism Is Associated with Predisposition to and Transplant
      Prognosis of Hepatocellular Carcinoma.
AB  - TFCP2 is an oncogene and plays crucial roles in the incidence and progression of
      hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). However, no reports are available on the impact
      of TFCP2 genetic polymorphism on the susceptibility to and the transplant
      prognosis of HCC. Here, we genotyped 7 SNPs of TFCP2 in a case-control study of
      119 patients with HCC and 200 patients with chronic liver disease. Of the 7 SNPs
      in TFCP2, rs7959378 distributed differentially between patients with versus
      patients without HCC. The patients with the CA (OR = 0.58, 95% CI = 0.35-0.96),
      the CC (OR = 0.39, 95% CI = 0.20-0.76), and the CA/CC (OR = 0.52, 95% CI = 0.32
      0.83) genotypes had significantly decreased risk for HCC compared with those
      carrying the rs7959378 AA genotype. After adjusting for confounding factors,
      rs7959378 still conferred significant risk for HCC. Furthermore, the patients who
      carried rs7959378 AC/CC had a higher overall survival and lower relapse-free
      survival than those with the rs7959378 AA genotype. Similar results were found in
      the multivariate analysis adjusted by AFP, tumor size and tumor number, and
      differentiation. These findings indicate that rs7959378 is associated with the
      risk of HCC in patient with chronic liver disease and prognosis of HCC patients
      after liver transplantation.

PMID- 28348582
TI  - Genetic Background and Clinical Characters of Pediatric Chronic Pancreatitis:
      Data and Implications from the East.
AB  - Background. The clinical pattern and genetic background of juvenile idiopathic
      chronic pancreatitis (ICP) are yet unclear. Methods. A retrospective study of 73
      Chinese juvenile ICP patients was performed, and genetic tests were carried out
      to detect relevant mutations using direct sequencing technique and high
      resolution melting technique. Subjects without pancreatitis served as controls.
      Results. The SPINK1 c.194+2T>C variant was present in 56.16% and 42.00% of
      juvenile and adult ICP patients, respectively (p = 0.020), but was not present in
      any of the control subjects. Thirty-four (46.58%) of the 73 juvenile ICP patients
      were male, and a significantly higher ratio of male patients in the adult group
      was identified (46.58% versus 64.00%, p = 0.022). Although most of the juvenile
      patients presented with abdominal pain (70/73, 95.89%), the patterns of pain
      attack are significantly different in patients with or without SPINK1 c.194+2T>C
      mutation. Patients carrying the mutation are more likely to present with
      recurrent acute pancreatitis (70.70%). Conclusions. The main symptom of pediatric
      ICP was abdominal pain. SPINK1 c.194+2T>C mutation had a higher occurrence in
      juvenile ICP patients than in adult group and typically presented with recurrent
      acute pancreatitis. There may be unidentified factors that lead to a greater
      incidence rate of ICP in adult male population.

PMID- 28348583
TI  - Distribution of Neuroendocrine Cells in the Transition Zone of the Prostate.
AB  - Objectives. To evaluate the distribution of neuroendocrine (NE) cells which may
      influence the development of benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) in the transition
      zone (TZ). Methods. We reviewed specimens from 80 patients who underwent radical
      prostatectomy in our institution and evaluated the density of NE cells in the TZ.
      They were histologically classified into 3 groups: those with no adenomatous
      nodule in the TZ (group A), those with small nodules with normal epithelium and
      stroma around them in the TZ (group B), and those with large nodules occupying
      the TZ (group C). In the patients of group B, intra-adenoma (adenomatous nodules)
      and extra-adenoma (normal tissue) NE cells in the TZ were separately counted.
      Results. There were 22, 23, and 35 patients in groups A, B, and C, respectively.
      The median density of NE cells in the TZ of group B patients, 2.80/mm2, was
      significantly higher than that of NE cells in group A, 1.43/mm2, and group C,
      0.61/mm2 (p < 0.001). In group B, the median density of extra-adenoma NE cells
      was significantly higher than that of intra-adenoma. Conclusions. Many NE cells
      exist around small adenoma in the TZ. NE cells may influence the initial growth
      of BPH in a paracrine fashion. Trial Registration. This study approved by our
      institutional review board was retrospectively registered (#272-14).

PMID- 28348584
TI  - Age-Friendliness and Life Satisfaction of Young-Old and Old-Old in Hong Kong.
AB  - Age-friendliness, promoted by the World Health Organization (WHO), aims to enable
      and support individuals in different aspects of life for fostering life
      satisfaction and personal well-being as they age. We identified specific
      aspect(s) of age-friendliness associated with life satisfaction and examined
      similarities and differences in age-friendliness and life satisfaction in young
      old and old-old adults. Six hundred and eighty-two ageing adults were asked to
      complete a survey questionnaire consisting of the Age-friendly City Scale,
      Satisfaction with Life Scale, and sociodemographic variables. Multiple linear
      regression analysis was used to examine the effects of various domains of age
      friendliness on life satisfaction among the young-old adults (aged 65 to 74, n =
      351) and the old-old adults (aged 75 to 97, n = 331). Common domains associated
      with life satisfaction in both young-old and old-old groups were transportation
      and social participation. Community and health services were associated with life
      satisfaction for the young-old group only. On the other hand, civic participation
      and employment was significantly associated with the old-old group only. Social
      participation is important for the young-old and the old-old. Ageing older adults
      can be a resource to the society. Implications for promoting and implementing age
      friendliness were discussed in the context of successful and productive ageing
      and the need for a more refined taxonomy of social activities.

PMID- 28348585
TI  - The Determinants of Leptin Levels in Diabetic and Nondiabetic Saudi Males.
AB  - Objective. This study aimed to identify the main determinants of serum leptin
      levels. Methods. A sample of 113 Saudi adult males (55 diabetic and 58
      nondiabetic) was selected according to the inclusion and exclusion criteria
      identified below. Blood samples were taken from participants after fasting for 12
      hours. For diabetic patients, the insulin dose was given 12 hours before. In
      general, the study instrument consisted of blood biochemical tests. Metabolic
      parameters, glycosylated hemoglobin (HbA1c), low-density lipoprotein (LDL), high
      density lipoprotein (HDL), cholesterol, and triglyceride (TG), and adipokines,
      leptin, adiponectin, visfatin, and resistin, were measured. Multivariate model
      was utilized to identify the relationship between leptin levels and the
      independent variables. Results. When adjusted for resistin in the diabetic group,
      the results demonstrated a significant relationship between visfatin, LDL and TG,
      and leptin levels (p < 0.05). However, when controlled for resistin, the effect
      of LDL and TG disappeared while that of visfatin stayed in the model. For the
      nondiabetic group, the results indicated a significant relationship between
      insulin, BMI, and leptin levels when adjusted for resistin (p < 0.05). However,
      the effect of insulin disappeared when the model was controlled for resistin. The
      study results found no relationship between leptin and adiponectin levels in
      either the diabetic or nondiabetic group and whether adjusted or controlled for
      resistin. Conclusion. This study provided better understanding of the metabolism
      of leptin and unveiled the major determinants of leptin levels in diabetic and
      nondiabetic males. In conclusion, these results show that the association between
      leptin and metabolic parameters decreases with the progress of disease.

PMID- 28348586
TI  - Inositol and In Vitro Fertilization with Embryo Transfer.
AB  - Recently, studies on inositol supplementation during in vitro fertilization
      program (IVF) have gained particular importance due to the effect of this
      molecule on reducing insulin resistance improving ovarian function, oocyte
      quality, and embryo and pregnancy rates and reducing gonadotropin amount during
      stimulation. Inositol and its isoforms, especially myoinositol (MYO), are often
      used as prestimulation therapy in infertile patients undergoing IVF cycle.
      Inositol supplementation started three months before ovarian stimulation,
      resulting in significant improvements in hormonal responses, reducing the amount
      of FSH necessary for optimal follicle development and serum levels of 17beta
      estradiol measured the day of hCG injection. As shown by growing number of
      trials, MYO supplementation improves oocyte quality by reducing the number of
      degenerated and immature oocytes, in this way increasing the quality of embryos
      produced. Inositol can also improve the quality of sperm parameters in those
      patients affected by oligoasthenoteratozoospermia.

PMID- 28348588
TI  - Thyroid Cancer in Saudi Arabia: A Histopathological and Outcome Study.
AB  - Most data on differentiated thyroid cancer (DTC) came from the Western world. We
      describe its salient characteristics and outcome from a Middle Eastern country.
      Patients and Methods. We studied all cases of TC seen during a 2-year period
      (2004-2005) seen at our institution. Results. A total of 600 consecutive cases of
      DTC with a median age at diagnosis of 39 years (5-85) and the female : male ratio
      of 459 : 141 (76.5% : 23.5%). The cases included classical papillary thyroid
      cancer (PTC) in 77%, follicular variant PTC in 13.3%, follicular thyroid cancer
      in 3.2%, and other rare subtypes 6.5%. Total or near-total thyroidectomy was
      performed in 93%, central and/or lateral neck dissection in 64.5% of cases, and
      radioactive iodine ablation in 82% of cases. Additional therapies were
      administered to 154 patients (25.7%). At a median follow-up period of 7.63 years
      (0.22-13.1), 318 patients (53.3%) were in excellent response, 147 (24.5%) having
      an indeterminate response, 55 (9.2%) biochemically incomplete, 33 (5.5%)
      structurally incomplete, and 27 (4.5%) unclassifiable. Twenty cases died
      secondary to DTC (disease-specific mortality 3.3%). Conclusions. In Saudi Arabia,
      DTC is common and occurs at young age and predominantly in females. Although
      remission is common, persistent disease is also common but disease-specific
      mortality is low.

PMID- 28348587
TI  - Metabolomic Signature of Coronary Artery Disease in Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus.
AB  - Coronary artery disease (CAD) is a common complication of type 2 diabetes
      mellitus (T2D). This case-control study was done to identify metabolites with
      different concentrations between T2D patients with and without CAD and to
      characterise implicated metabolic mechanisms relating to CAD. Fasting serum
      samples of 57 T2D subjects, 26 with (cases) and 31 without CAD (controls), were
      targeted for metabolite profiling of 163 metabolites. To assess the association
      between metabolite levels and CAD, partial least squares (PLS) analysis and
      multivariate logistic regression analysis with adjustment for CAD risk factors
      and medications were performed. We observed a separation of cases and controls
      with two classes of metabolites being significantly associated with CAD,
      including phosphatidylcholines, and serine. Four metabolites being independent
      from the common CAD risk factors displaying best separation between cases and
      controls were further selected. Addition of the metabolite concentrations to risk
      factor analysis raised the area under the receiver-operating-characteristic curve
      from 0.72 to 0.88 (p = 0.020), providing improved sensitivity and specificity for
      CAD classification. Serum phospholipid and serine levels independently
      discriminate T2D patients with and without CAD. Oxidative stress and reduced
      antioxidative capacity lead to lower metabolite concentrations probably due to
      changes in membrane composition and accelerated phospholipid degradation.

PMID- 28348589
TI  - Thyroid Imaging Reporting and Data System Score Combined with the New Italian
      Classification for Thyroid Cytology Improves the Clinical Management of
      Indeterminate Nodules.
AB  - The new Italian cytological classification (2014) of thyroid nodules replaced the
      TIR3 category of the old classification (2007) with two subclasses, TIR3A and
      TIR3B, with the aim of reducing the rate of surgery for benign diseases.
      Moreover, thyroid imaging reporting and data system (TI-RADS) score appears to
      ameliorate the stratification of the malignancy risk. We evaluated whether the
      new Italian classification has improved diagnostic accuracy and whether its
      association with TI-RADS score could improve malignancy prediction. We
      retrospectively analyzed 70 nodules from 70 patients classified as TIR3 according
      to the old Italian classification who underwent surgery for histological
      diagnosis. Of these, 51 were available for cytological revision according to the
      new Italian cytological classification. Risk of malignancy was determined for
      TIR3A and TIR3B, TI-RADS score, and their combination. A different rate of
      malignancy (p = 0.0286) between TIR3A (13.04%) and TIR3B (44.44%) was observed.
      Also TI-RADS score is significantly (p = 0.003) associated with malignancy. By
      combining cytology and TI-RADS score, patients could be divided into three groups
      with low (8.3%), intermediate (21.4%), and high (80%) risk of malignancy. In
      conclusion, the new Italian cytological classification has an improved diagnostic
      accuracy. Interestingly, the combination of cytology and TI-RADS score offers a
      better stratification of the malignancy risk.

PMID- 28348590
TI  - Patterns of Human Respiratory Viruses and Lack of MERS-Coronavirus in Patients
      with Acute Upper Respiratory Tract Infections in Southwestern Province of Saudi
      Arabia.
AB  - We undertook enhanced surveillance of those presenting with respiratory symptoms
      at five healthcare centers by testing all symptomatic outpatients between
      November 2013 and January 2014 (winter time). Nasal swabs were collected from 182
      patients and screened for MERS-CoV as well as other respiratory viruses using RT
      PCR and multiplex microarray. A total of 75 (41.2%) of these patients had
      positive viral infection. MERS-CoV was not detected in any of the samples. Human
      rhinovirus (hRV) was the most detected pathogen (40.9%) followed by non-MERS-CoV
      human coronaviruses (19.3%), influenza (Flu) viruses (15.9%), and human
      respiratory syncytial virus (hRSV) (13.6%). Viruses differed markedly depending
      on age in which hRV, Flu A, and hCoV-OC43 were more prevalent in adults and RSV,
      hCoV-HKU1, and hCoV-NL63 were mostly restricted to children under the age of 15.
      Moreover, coinfection was not uncommon in this study, in which 17.3% of the
      infected patients had dual infections due to several combinations of viruses.
      Dual infections decreased with age and completely disappeared in people older
      than 45 years. Our study confirms that MERS-CoV is not common in the southwestern
      region of Saudi Arabia and shows high diversity and prevalence of other common
      respiratory viruses. This study also highlights the importance and contribution
      of enhanced surveillance systems for better infection control.

PMID- 28348591
TI  - Microbiological Sealing Analysis of a Tapered Connection and External Hexagon
      System.
AB  - Considering the variety of implant connection systems available in the market and
      the contrasting literature regarding tapered connection systems in terms of
      bacterial leakage, the aim of this in vitro study was to compare the
      effectiveness of the bacterial seal at the implant/abutment interface between an
      external hexagon and a tapered connection system. Twelve sets of indexed tapered
      connection components and twelve sets of external hexagon connection components
      were used for microbiological analysis. In addition, for each model, an implant
      with its respective prosthetic abutment was used as a negative control and
      another as a positive control of microbial contamination. Failure of the
      abutment/implant interface seal was observed via turbidity or presence of
      deposits in the culture. Descriptive analysis of the data and relative frequency
      (percentage) as well as Fisher's exact test were used at a significance level of
      5%. Two of ten (20%) external hexagon specimens showed contamination against 0/10
      (0%) tapered connection implants. In conclusion, both implant/abutment
      connections were able to prevent bacterial leakage in vitro.

PMID- 28348592
TI  - Polymorphisms of Il-10 (-1082) and RANKL (-438) Genes and the Failure of Dental
      Implants.
AB  - Background. Genetic polymorphisms in certain cytokines and chemokines have been
      investigated to understand why some individuals display implant flaws despite
      having few risk factors at the time of implant. Purpose. To investigate the
      association of genetic polymorphisms in interleukin- (IL-) 10 [-1082 region
      (A/G)] and RANKL [-438 region (A/G)] with the failure of dental implants.
      Materials and Methods. This study included 90 partially edentulous male and
      female patients who were rehabilitated with a total of 245 Straumann dental
      implants. An implant was considered a failure if any of the following occurred:
      mobility, persistent subjective complaint, recurrent peri-implant infection with
      suppuration, continuous radiolucency around the implant, probing depth >= 5 mm,
      and bleeding on probing. Buccal mucosal cells were collected for analysis of
      RANKL438 and IL-10. Results. The implant success rate in this population was
      34.4%. The mutant allele (G) in RANKL had an incidence of 52.3% and mutant allele
      (A) in IL-10 was observed in 37.8%. No statistically significant difference was
      detected between the failure of the implant and the genotypes and allelic
      frequencies. Conclusion. No association was detected between the genetic
      polymorphisms of RANKL (-438) and IL-10 (-1082) and the failure of dental
      implants in the population studied.

PMID- 28348593
TI  - Dental Anxiety among Medical and Paramedical Undergraduate Students of Malaysia.
AB  - Aim. To assess the dental anxiety level among dental, medical, and pharmacy
      students of MAHSA University, Malaysia. Materials and Methods. A cross-sectional
      questionnaire study was conducted among 1500 undergraduate students of MAHSA
      University. The Modified Dental Anxiety Scale (MDAS) was used to measure dental
      anxiety among the study population. The responses were assessed by 5-point likert
      scale ranging from 1 to 5. The level of anxiety was categorized into lowly
      anxious (5-11), moderately anxious (12-18), and severely anxious >=19. Out of
      1500 students enrolled, 1024 students (342 males and 682 females) completed and
      returned the questionnaire having response rate of 68.26%. Results. There was a
      statistically significant difference (P < 0.001) when the mean dental anxiety
      scores were compared among the three faculties and dental students had lowest
      mean score (11.95 +/- 4.21). The fifth year (senior) dental students scored
      significantly (P = 0.02) lower mean anxiety score as compared to the first dental
      students (junior). The students were anxious mostly about tooth drilling and
      local anesthetic injection. Conclusions. Dental students have a significantly low
      level of dental anxiety as compared with medical and pharmacy students.
      Incorporation of dental health education in preuniversity and other nondental
      university curriculums may reduce dental anxiety among the students.

PMID- 28348594
TI  - Randomized Clinical Trial of a Self-Adhering Flowable Composite for Class I
      Restorations: 2-Year Results.
AB  - Objectives. To compare the clinical performances of a self-adhering resin
      composite and a conventional flowable composite with a self-etch bonding system
      on permanent molars. The influence of using rubber dam versus cotton roll
      isolation was also investigated. Materials and Methods. Patients aged between 6
      and 12 years and presenting at least two permanent molars in need of small class
      I restorations were selected. Thirty-four pairs of restorations were randomly
      placed by the same operator. Fifteen patients were treated under rubber dam and
      nineteen using cotton rolls isolation and saliva ejector. They were evaluated
      according to the modified USPHS criteria at baseline, 6 months, and 1 and 2 years
      by two independent evaluators. Results. All patients attended the two-year
      recall. For all measured variables, there was no significant difference between
      rubber dam and cotton after 2 years of restoration with Premise Flowable or
      Vertise Flow (p value > 0.05). The percentage of restorations scored alpha
      decreased significantly over time with Premise Flowable and Vertise Flow for
      marginal adaptation and surface texture as well as marginal discoloration while
      it did not vary significantly for color matching. After 2 years, Vertise Flow
      showed a similar behaviour to the Premise Flowable used with a self-adhesive
      resin system.

PMID- 28348595
TI  - In Vitro Comparative Evaluation of Different Types of Impression Trays and
      Impression Materials on the Accuracy of Open Tray Implant Impressions: A Pilot
      Study.
AB  - Purpose. For a precise fit of multiple implant framework, having an accurate
      definitive cast is imperative. The present study evaluated dimensional accuracy
      of master casts obtained using different impression trays and materials with open
      tray impression technique. Materials and Methods. A machined aluminum reference
      model with four parallel implant analogues was fabricated. Forty implant level
      impressions were made. Eight groups (n = 5) were tested using impression
      materials (polyether and vinylsiloxanether) and four types of impression trays,
      two being custom (self-cure acrylic and light cure acrylic) and two being stock
      (plastic and metal). The interimplant distances were measured on master casts
      using a coordinate measuring machine. The collected data was compared with a
      standard reference model and was statistically analyzed using two-way ANOVA.
      Results. Statistically significant difference (p < 0.05) was found between the
      two impression materials. However, the difference seen was small (36 MUm)
      irrespective of the tray type used. No significant difference (p > 0.05) was
      observed between varied stock and custom trays. Conclusions. The polyether
      impression material proved to be more accurate than vinylsiloxanether impression
      material. The rigid nonperforated stock trays, both plastic and metal, could be
      an alternative for custom trays for multi-implant impressions when used with
      medium viscosity impression materials.

PMID- 28348597
TI  - Prevalence of Bacteriuria and Antimicrobial Susceptibility Patterns among
      Diabetic and Nondiabetic Patients Attending at Debre Tabor Hospital, Northwest
      Ethiopia.
AB  - Background. Urinary tract infection is a major health problem especially in
      developing countries. Information about bacterial pathogens isolated from urinary
      tract infection in diabetic patients and their antimicrobial susceptibility
      patterns is limited in Ethiopia. Therefore, this study aimed at isolating
      bacterial pathogens and their antimicrobial susceptibility patterns. Methods. A
      hospital based comparative cross-sectional study was conducted at Debre Tabor.
      Urine sample was inoculated onto cysteine lysine electrolyte deficient (CLED)
      medium. Bacterial pathogens were identified using standard bacteriological
      methods. The data were cleaned and entered into SPSS version 20. P value less
      than 0.05 is considered statistically significant. Result. A total of 384 study
      participants were included in the study. Of them, 21 (10.9%) were from diabetics
      and 9 (4.7%) of them were from nondiabetics. Large proportion of gram positive
      bacteria at 18 (58.1%) were isolated compared to gram negatives at 13 (41.9%).
      Gram positive isolates were resistant to cotrimoxazole 10 (58.8%). Conclusion.
      The isolation rates of bacterial pathogens were higher in diabetic than
      nondiabetic patients. Bacteriuria was significantly associated with sex and type
      of diabetes. Multidrug resistance to two or more antibiotics was observed in
      56.7% of bacterial isolates. Rational use of antimicrobial agent should be
      thought of to prevent the emergence of multidrug resistance.

PMID- 28348596
TI  - Genetic Association of MMP10, MMP14, and MMP16 with Dental Caries.
AB  - Matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs), which degrade extracellular proteins as part of
      a variety of physiological processes, and their inhibitors have been implicated
      in the dental caries process. Here we investigated 28 genetic variants spanning
      the MMP10, MMP14, and MMP16 genes to detect association with dental caries
      experience in 13 age- and race-stratified (n = 3,587) samples from 6 parent
      studies. Analyses were performed separately for each sample, and results were
      combined across samples by meta-analysis. Two SNPs (rs2046315 and rs10429371)
      upstream of MMP16 were significantly associated with caries in an individual
      sample of white adults and via meta-analysis across 8 adult samples after gene
      wise adjustment for multiple comparisons. Noteworthy is SNP rs2046315 (p = 8.14 *
      10-8) association with caries in white adults. This SNP was originally nominated
      in a genome-wide-association study (GWAS) of dental caries in a sample of white
      adults and yielded associations in a subsequent GWAS of surface level caries in
      white adults as well. Therefore, in our study, we were able to recapture the
      association between rs2046315 and dental caries in white adults. Although we did
      not strengthen evidence that MMPs 10, 14, and 16 influence caries risk, MMP16 is
      still a likely candidate gene to pursue.

PMID- 28348598
TI  - Paratesticular Angiomyofibroblastoma-Like Tumor: Unusual Case of a Solidocystic
      Form.
AB  - The angiomyofibroblastoma-like tumor of the male genital tract is a rare benign
      tumor. A total of 34 cases have been reported in the literature. We herein report
      an exceptional case of solidocystic form in its paratesticular location, in a 79
      year-old man. Clinical examination objectified a right testicular induration.
      Macroscopic examination of the orchidectomy objectified a paratesticular
      solidocystic tumor formation. Microscopically, the solid area was composed of
      vessels with small caliber and turgidity of endothelial cells. These vessels were
      surrounded by clusters of epithelioid cells, sometimes having the appearance of
      giant cells. They were associated with spindle cells. The cystic area was
      uncoated. Immunohistochemically, the fusiform cells expressed Desmin and Smooth
      Muscle Actin. Endothelial cells and clusters of cells surrounding large vessels
      expressed CD34. The expression of receptors for estrogen and progesterone was
      negative. To our knowledge, this is the second solidocystic case of
      angiomyofibroblastoma-like tumor of male genital tract.

PMID- 28348599
TI  - A Rare Case of Stroke Secondary to Iron Deficiency Anemia in a Young Female
      Patient.
AB  - Ischemic strokes occur when there is a sudden obstruction of an artery supplying
      blood flow to an area of the brain, leading to a focal neurological deficit.
      Strokes can be thrombotic or embolic in etiology and are associated with
      underlying conditions such as hypertension and atherosclerosis. Possible
      etiologies of strokes include cardioembolic disease, hematologic disorders,
      connective tissue disorders, and substance abuse or can be cryptogenic. Most
      stroke cases are seen in patients over 65 years of age. However, about one-fourth
      of strokes occur in young adults. Iron deficiency anemia (IDA) has been described
      as a known cause for strokes in children, but very few case reports describe this
      association in adults. We describe a 20-year-old female who presented with sudden
      onset left side weakness. Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) of the brain
      demonstrated ischemic infarctions. Patient was also found to be severely anemic.
      Patient had a thorough work-up including Magnetic Resonance Angiography (MRA) of
      the brain, echocardiogram, and an extensive screen for thrombophilia disorders.
      This, however, did not demonstrate a clear etiology. As it has been suggested
      that IDA is a potential cause for stroke, it is possible the stroke in this young
      patient was attributable to severe IDA.

PMID- 28348600
TI  - Delivery of Bone Marrow-Derived Mesenchymal Stem Cells Improves Tear Production
      in a Mouse Model of Sjogren's Syndrome.
AB  - The purpose of the present study was to test the potential of mouse bone marrow
      derived mesenchymal stem cells (BD-MSCs) in improving tear production in a mouse
      model of Sjogren's syndrome dry eye and to investigate the underlying mechanisms
      involved. NOD mice (n = 20) were randomized to receive i.p. injection of sterile
      phosphate buffered saline (PBS, control) or murine BD-MSCs (1 * 106 cells). Tears
      production was measured at baseline and once a week after treatment using phenol
      red impregnated threads. Cathepsin S activity in the tears was measured at the
      end of treatment. After 4 weeks, animals were sacrificed and the lacrimal glands
      were excised and processed for histopathology, immunohistochemistry, and RNA
      analysis. Following BD-MSC injection, tears production increased over time when
      compared to both baseline and PBS injected mice. Although the number of
      lymphocytic foci in the lacrimal glands of treated animals did not change, the
      size of the foci decreased by 40.5% when compared to control animals. The mRNA
      level of the water channel aquaporin 5 was significantly increased following
      delivery of BD-MSCs. We conclude that treatment with BD-MSCs increases tear
      production in the NOD mouse model of Sjogren's syndrome. This is likely due to
      decreased inflammation and increased expression of aquaporin 5.

PMID- 28348601
TI  - Diversity of Leptospira spp. in Rats and Environment from Urban Areas of Sarawak,
      Malaysia.
AB  - Various prevalence studies on Leptospira in animals and humans, as well as
      environmental samples, had been conducted worldwide, including Malaysia. However,
      limited studies have been documented on the presence of pathogenic, intermediate,
      and saprophytic Leptospira in selected animals and environments. This study was
      therefore conducted to detect Leptospira spp. in rats, soil, and water from urban
      areas of Sarawak using the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) method. A total of 107
      rats, 292 soil samples, and 324 water samples were collected from April 2014 to
      February 2015. Pathogenic Leptospira was present in 5.6% (6/107) of rats, 11.6%
      (34/292) of soil samples, and 1.9% (6/324) of water samples. Intermediate
      Leptospira was present in 2.7% (8/292) of soil samples and 1.9% (6/324) of water
      samples. Saprophytic Leptospira was present in 10.3% (11/107) of rats, 1.4%
      (4/292) of soil samples, and 0.3% (1/324) of water samples. From this study, 76
      Leptospira spp. were isolated. Based on DNA sequencing, the dominant Leptospira
      spp. circulating in urban areas of Sarawak are pathogenic Leptospira noguchii,
      intermediate Leptospira wolffii serovar Khorat, and saprophytic Leptospira
      meyeri, respectively. Overall, this study provided important surveillance data on
      the prevalence of Leptospira spp. from rats and the environment, with dominant
      local serovars in urban areas of Sarawak.

PMID- 28348602
TI  - Incidence and Predictors of Antiretroviral Treatment Modification in HIV-Infected
      Adults: A Brazilian Historical Cohort from 2001 to 2010.
AB  - This study estimated the incidence of and time to first antiretroviral therapy
      (ART) modification. This longitudinal analysis comprised a sample of 236 patients
      from three HIV/AIDS referral centers in Belo Horizonte, Brazil-part of a major
      historical cohort. Inclusion criteria were as follows: having been treatment
      naive patient >=18 years old who initiated ART between 2001 and 2005 in these
      three referral centers. The main endpoint was time to first ART modification.
      Patients were followed up for five years, covering the period 2001-2010, during
      which time Pearson's chi-square test was performed to compare ART modification
      between groups. Kaplan-Meier inverse survival curves were employed to describe
      the probability of ART modification and Cox proportional hazard regression was
      used to estimate the adjusted hazard ratio (aHR) of ART modification. Among 247
      patients from the major cohort, 236 were eligible. Median follow-up time was 37.2
      months and the contribution in person-months was 7,615.4 months. A total of 108
      (45.8%) patients had their ART regimen modified at least once (incidence rate:
      1.42 per 100 person-months). Adverse drug reactions were the main reason for ART
      modification. Women (aHR = 1.62; p = 0.022) and patients on protease inhibitor-
      (PI-) based regimens (aHR = 2.70; p < 0.001) were at higher risk of ART
      modification.

PMID- 28348603
TI  - Prevalence and Associated Factors of Peer Victimization (Bullying) among Grades 7
      and 8 Middle School Students in Kuwait.
AB  - Background. Peer victimization (bullying) is a universal phenomenon with
      detrimental effects. The aim of this study is to determine the prevalence and
      factors of bullying among grades 7 and 8 middle school students in Kuwait.
      Methods. The study is a cross-sectional study that includes a sample of 989 7th
      and 8th grade middle school students randomly selected from schools. The Revised
      Olweus Bully/Victim Questionnaire was used to measure different forms of
      bullying. After adjusting for confounding, logistic regression identified the
      significant associated factors related to bullying. Results. Prevalence of
      bullying was 30.2 with 95% CI 27.4 to 33.2% (3.5% bullies, 18.9% victims, 7.8%
      bully victims). Children with physical disabilities and one or both non-Kuwaiti
      parents or children with divorced/widowed parents were more prone to be victims.
      Most victims and bullies were found to be current smokers. Bullies were mostly in
      the fail/fair final school grade category, whereas victims performed better. The
      logistic regression showed that male gender (adjusted odds ration = 1.671, p =
      0.004), grade 8 student (adjusted odds ratio = 1.650, p = 0.004), and student
      with physical disabilities (adjusted odds ratio = 1.675, p = 0.003), were
      independently associated with bullying behavior. Conclusions. There is a need for
      a school-wide professional intervention program and improvement in the students'
      adjustment to school environment to control bullying behavior.

PMID- 28348604
TI  - Urinary Lactate Dehydrogenase Activity and Its Isozyme Patterns in Kawasaki
      Disease.
AB  - Abnormal urinary findings, such as sterile pyuria, proteinuria, and microscopic
      hematuria, are often seen in the acute phase of Kawasaki disease (KD). We
      investigated the potential significance of urinary lactate dehydrogenase (U-LDH)
      activity and its isozyme patterns in KD. Total U-LDH activity and its isozymes (U
      LDH1-5) levels were compared among 120 patients with KD, 18 patients with viral
      infection (VI), and 43 patients with upper urinary tract infection (UTI) and
      additionally compared between intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG) responders (n =
      89) and nonresponders (n = 31) with KD. Total U-LDH activity was higher in KD
      (35.4 +/- 4.8 IU/L, P < 0.05) and UTI patients (66.0 +/- 8.0 IU/L, P < 0.01) than
      in VI patients (17.0 +/- 6.2 IU/L). In the isozyme pattern analysis, KD patients
      had high levels of U-LDH1 and U-LDH2, while UTI patients had high levels of U
      LDH3, U-LDH4, and U-LDH5. Furthermore, IVIG nonresponders of KD had significantly
      higher levels of total U-LDH activity (45.1 +/- 4.7 IU/L, P < 0.05), especially U
      LDH1 and U-LDH2 (P < 0.05), than IVIG responders (32.0 +/- 2.8 IU/L). KD patients
      have increased levels of total U-LDH activity, especially U-LDH-1 and U-LDH2,
      indicating a unique pattern of U-LDH isozymes different from that in UTI
      patients.

PMID- 28348605
TI  - Associations between Parental and Friend Social Support and Children's Physical
      Activity and Time Spent outside Playing.
AB  - The purpose of this study was to examine the structural validity of a parent and
      a child questionnaire that assessed parental and friends' influences on
      children's physical activity and investigate the associations between the derived
      factors, physical activity, and time spent outside. Children (N = 154, mean age =
      11.7) and 144 of their parents completed questionnaires assessing parental and
      friends' influences on children's physical activity. Children wore a pedometer
      for six days. Exploratory factor analyses revealed four factors for the parental
      and five for the child's questionnaire that explained 66.71% and 63.85% of the
      variance, respectively. Five factors were significantly associated with physical
      activity and five significantly associated with time spent outside. Higher
      correlations were revealed between "general friend support," "friends' activity
      norms," and physical activity (r = 0.343 and 0.333 resp., p < 0.001) and between
      "general friend support" and time spent outside (r = 0.460, p < 0.001). Obtaining
      information relating to parental and friends' influences on physical activity
      from both parents and children may provide a more complete picture of influences.
      Parents and friends seem to influence children's physical activity behavior and
      time spent outside, but friends' influences may have a stronger impact on
      children's behaviors.

PMID- 28348606
TI  - A Simulation Study on Hypothetical Ebola Virus Transmission in India Using
      Spatiotemporal Epidemiological Modeler (STEM): A Way towards Precision Public
      Health.
AB  - Background. Precision public health is a state-of-the-art concept in public
      health research and its application in health care. Application of information
      technology in field of epidemiology paves the way to its transformation to
      digital epidemiology. A geospatial epidemiological model was simulated to
      estimate the spread of Ebola virus disease after a hypothetical outbreak in
      India. Methods. It was a simulation study based on SEIR (Susceptible-Exposed
      Infectious-Recovered) compartmental model. Simulation was done in Spatiotemporal
      Epidemiological Modeler (STEM). Epidemiological profile of Ebola virus, that
      transmitted throughout the Sierra Leon in 2014-2016, was fitted into the SEIR
      deterministic compartment model designed for India. Result. Spatiotemporal
      distribution of EVD exposed, infectious, and recovered population at 4-month
      interval represented by different figures. It is estimated that if no
      intervention is taken to stop the spread, within 2 years, almost half of the
      country will be effected by EVD and cumulative number of exposed individuals,
      infectious persons, and deaths will be 106947760, 30651674, and 18391005,
      respectively. Conclusion. Precision public health may play the key role to
      achieve the health related targets in the Sustainable Development Goals. Policy
      makers, public health specialists, and data scientists need to put their hands
      together to make precision public health a reality.

PMID- 28348608
TI  - Erratum to: Lukasz Maciej Czarnecki. Assessment of chest X-ray images in newborns
      with respiratory disorders. Kardiochirurgia i Torakochirurgia Polska 2015; 12
      (1): 83-86.
AB  - [This corrects the article DOI: 10.5114/kitp.2015.50578.].

PMID- 28348609
TI  - Erratum to: Cezary Danielecki. Implantation of mitral, aortic, and tricuspid
      bioprostheses due to infective endocarditis with necessary reimplantation of the
      bioprosthetic aortic valve. Kardiochirurgia i Torakochirurgia Polska 2016; 13
      (3): 248-250.
AB  - [This corrects the article DOI: 10.5114/kitp.2016.62615.].

PMID- 28348607
TI  - Epidemiology and Outcomes in Critically Ill Patients with Human Immunodeficiency
      Virus Infection in the Era of Combination Antiretroviral Therapy.
AB  - Purpose. The impact of critical illness on survival of HIV-infected patients in
      the era of antiretroviral therapy remains uncertain. We describe the epidemiology
      of critical illness in this population and identify predictors of mortality.
      Materials and Methods. Retrospective cohort of HIV-infected patients was admitted
      to intensive care from 2002 to 2014. Patient sociodemographics, comorbidities,
      case-mix, illness severity, and 30-day mortality were captured. Multivariable Cox
      regression analyses were performed to identify predictors of mortality. Results.
      Of 282 patients, mean age was 44 years (SD 10) and 169 (59%) were male. Median
      (IQR) CD4 count and plasma viral load (PVL) were 125 cells/mm3 (30-300) and
      28,000 copies/mL (110-270,000). Fifty-five (20%) patients died within 30 days.
      Factors independently associated with mortality included APACHE II score
      (adjusted hazard ratio [aHR] 1.12; 95% CI 1.08-1.16; p < 0.001), cirrhosis (aHR
      2.30; 95% CI 1.12-4.73; p = 0.024), coronary artery disease (aHR 6.98; 95% CI
      2.20-22.13; p = 0.001), and duration of HIV infection (aHR 1.07 per year; 95% CI
      1.02-1.13; p = 0.01). CD4 count and PVL were not associated with mortality.
      Conclusions. Mortality from an episode of critical illness in HIV-infected
      patients remains high but appears to be driven by acute illness severity and HIV
      unrelated comorbid disease rather than degree of immune suppression.

PMID- 28348610
TI  - Comparison of anti-inflammatory and analgesic effects of Ginger powder and
      Ibuprofen in postsurgical pain model: A randomized, double-blind, case-control
      clinical trial.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Ginger has been used as an herbal drug for a long time for the
      treatment of chronic inflammatory conditions. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This
      randomized, double-blind clinical trial was conducted on 67 healthy adults with
      at least one impacted lower third molar. Participants were randomly allocated
      into three groups: Ibuprofen, Ginger, and placebo. Evaluation of inflammation was
      done by measuring cheek swelling, mouth opening ability, serum C-reactive protein
      (CRP) levels, and visual analog scale (for pain scoring). The number and the time
      of using rescue medication were recorded too. RESULTS: Sixty patients completed
      the study. In all three groups, there was a significant increase in the mean
      cheek swelling measures, compared with the baseline, until day 5. The reduction
      in mouth opening ability was significant in all three groups, compared with the
      baseline, until day 5. There was no significant difference between ibuprofenand
      ginger groups in pain scores in all follow-up days. Number of required rescue
      medication on the day of surgery was significantly more in the placebo group. No
      significant or strong correlations were found between CRP levels and clinical
      findings. CONCLUSION: Within the limitations of this study, it can ban be
      concluded that gingerpowder is as effective as ibuprofenin the management of
      postsurgical sequelae. Furthermore, CRP levels alone are not suggested for the
      assessment of anti-inflammatory effects of drugs.

PMID- 28348611
TI  - Can tert-butylhydroquinone improve the healing of extracted tooth socket in rats?
AB  - BACKGROUND: Tooth extraction causes an open wound in the soft and hard tissues.
      During the inflammatory phase of the healing process, a large amount of free
      radicals are produced and cause oxidative stress, which leads to tissue damage
      and delayed wound healing. Thus, in this study, we evaluated the effect of tert
      butylhydroquinone (TBHQ), as an antioxidant, on the healing process of tooth
      sockets in rats. MATERIALS AND METHODS: To conduct this experimental study, male
      Wistar rats (n = 42) were divided into two groups. In each case, one upper second
      molar was extracted under general anesthesia. After the extraction, the tooth
      sockets of the experimental group were treated with a 0.02% TBHQ solution (0.1
      ml) while the same volume of distilled water placed in the sockets of the control
      group. On days 3, 7, and 21 postoperatively, 7 rats from each group were
      euthanized, and histological slides were prepared from their tooth sockets. The
      prepared slides were examined histopathologically using a light microscope and
      compared using an independent two-sample t-test. The significance level was set
      at 0.05. RESULTS: In the experimental group, a statistically significant (P =
      0.003) increase in granulation tissue was observed on day 3, in comparison to the
      control group. The extent of bony trabeculation was also significantly higher in
      the TBHQ-treated group than in the control group on day 21 (P < 0.001).
      CONCLUSION: Considering the limitations of an experimental study, it can be
      concluded that TBHQ may enhance the healing of the hard tissue in the tooth
      sockets.

PMID- 28348612
TI  - Diagnostic accuracy of salivary creatinine, urea, and potassium levels to assess
      dialysis need in renal failure patients.
AB  - BACKGROUND: The prevalence of chronic renal failure is increasing because of
      increase in chronic debilitating diseases and progressing age of population.
      These patients experience accumulation of metabolic byproducts and electrolyte
      imbalance, which has harmful effects on their health. Timely hemodialysis at
      regular intervals is a life-saving procedure for these patients. Salivary
      diagnostics is increasingly used as an alternative to the traditional methods.
      Thus, the aim of the present study was to determine the diagnostic efficacy of
      saliva in chronic renal failure patients. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This case
      control study included 82 individuals, of which 41 were chronic renal failure
      patients and 41 were age- and sex-matched controls. Blood and saliva were
      collected and centrifuged. Serum and supernatant saliva were used for biochemical
      analysis. Serum and salivary urea, creatinine, sodium, potassium, calcium, and
      phosphorus were evaluated and correlated in chronic renal failure patients using
      unpaired t-test, Pearson's correlation coefficient, diagnostic validity tests,
      and receiver operative curve. RESULTS: When compared to serum; salivary urea,
      creatinine, sodium, and potassium showed diagnostic accuracy of 93%, 91%, 73%,
      and 89%, respectively, based on the findings of study. CONCLUSION: It can be
      concluded that salivary investigation is a dependable, noninvasive,
      noninfectious, simple, and quick method for screening the mineral and metabolite
      values of high-risk patients and monitoring the renal failure patients.

PMID- 28348613
TI  - Histopathological changes in dental pulp of rats following radiotherapy.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Radiotherapy is one of the oral and pharyngeal cancer treatment
      methods that can cause damage to the tissues in the radiation area; the purpose
      of this study is to evaluate the effects of radiotherapy on dental pulp tissue in
      rats. MATERIALS AND METHODS: In this interventional, experimental double-blind
      study, 30 rats were studied in three groups (n = 10 each). The first group
      received 12 gray (Gy), the second group received 18 Gy in one session, and the
      third group was not exposed to radiation (control group). The 5 MUm sections of
      mandibular molar tooth were prepared and stained with hematoxylin and eosin.
      Samples were studied under optical microscope to evaluate and score inflammation,
      necrosis, hyalinization, and vascular congestion. The data were coded and
      analyzed by statistical tests of chi2 and Fisher's exact tests. The significant
      level of P = 0.05. RESULTS: In Group 1, necrosis in two cases, inflammation in
      one case, hyalinization in one case, and vascular congestion in four cases were
      observed. In Group 2, inflammation in four cases, hyalinization in two cases, and
      vascular congestion in five cases were observed. In Group 3, inflammation was
      observed only in one case. In comparison between the groups, no significant
      differences were observed in inflammation (P > 0.05), necrosis (P > 0.05), and
      hyalinization (P > 0.05). However, the difference was significant for vascular
      congestion (P < 0.05). CONCLUSION: Radiotherapy with doses of 12 and 18 Gy had no
      significant effect on inflammation, necrosis, and hyalinization in all groups;
      however, the difference was significant for vascular congestion.

PMID- 28348614
TI  - Influence of sodium chloride content in electrolyte solution on electrochemical
      impedance measurements of human dentin.
AB  - BACKGROUND: The aim of this study was to investigate the influence of sodium
      chloride (NaCl) content in electrolyte solution on electrochemical impedance
      measurements of human dentin by employing electrochemical impedance spectroscopy.
      MATERIALS AND METHODS: Dentin samples were prepared from extracted molars.
      Electrochemical impedance measurements were carried out over a wide frequency
      range (0.01Hz-10MHz). After measurements, samples were characterized using
      scanning electron microscopy. RESULTS: Electrochemical impedance measurements
      showed that the mean values of dentin electrical resistance were 4284, 2062,
      1336, 53 and 48kOmega at different NaCl contents in electrolyte solution. One-way
      ANOVA test of mean values of dentin electrical resistance revealed a significant
      difference (P < 0.0001) as a function of NaCl content in electrolyte solution.
      Comparing electrical resistance values of dentin samples at 0.05% w/v and 0.9%
      w/v concentrations were found to be significantly different (P < 0.05 at 95%
      confidence level). Scanning electron microscopy revealed structure of dentin
      sample with intertubular dentin matrix and distribution of patent dentinal
      tubules. CONCLUSION: This in vitro study indicated, through electrochemical
      impedance spectroscopy measurements, that electrical resistance of dentin was
      affected by the concentration of NaCl in electrolyte solution. It is clear from
      the current study that NaCl concentration in electrolyte solution has a marked
      influence on dentin electrical resistance. Therefore, this baseline data need to
      be considered in any future study on dental samples.

PMID- 28348615
TI  - Assessment of digital panoramic radiography's diagnostic value in angular bony
      lesions with 5 mm or deeper pocket depth in mandibular molars.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Assessment of alveolar bone level in periodontitis is very important
      in determining prognosis and treatment plan. Panoramic radiography is a
      diagnostic tool used to screen patients. The aim of the present study was to
      assess the diagnostic value of digital panoramic radiography in angular bony
      defects with 5 mm or deeper pocket depth in mandibular molars. MATERIALS AND
      METHODS: In this cross-sectional study, ninety angular bony defects in mandibular
      molars teeth with 5 mm or deeper pocket depth were selected in sixty patients
      with the diagnosis of chronic periodontitis. Before surgery, bone probing was
      performed. During the surgery, the vertical distance from cementoenamel junction
      to the most apical part of bony defect was measured using a Williams probe and
      this measurements were employed as gold standard. This distance was measured on
      the panoramic radiographs by a Digital Calliper and Digital Ruler. All data were
      compare dusing independent samples t-test and Pearson's correlation coefficient.
      RESULTS: No significant difference was found between the results of bone probing
      and intra-surgical measurements (P = 0.377). The mean defect depth determined by
      Digital Caliper and Digital Ruler on panoramic radiographs was significantly less
      than surgical measurements (P < 0.001). The correlation between bone probing and
      surgical measurements in determining the defect depth was strong (r = 0.98, P <
      0.001). Radiographic measurements made by Digital Ruler (r = 0.86), comparing to
      Digital Caliper (r = 0.79), showed a higher degree of correlation with surgical
      measurements. CONCLUSION: Based on this study, bone probing is a reliable method
      in vertical alveolar bone defect measurements. While the information obtained
      from digital panoramic radiographs should be used with caution and the ability of
      digital panoramic radiography in the determination of defect depth is limited.

PMID- 28348616
TI  - Correlation coefficients of three self-perceived orthodontic treatment need
      indices.
AB  - BACKGROUND: To determine patient orthodontic treatment need, appropriate self
      perceived indices are required. The aim of this study was to assess the
      sensitivity and specificity of esthetic component (AC) of the index of
      orthodontic treatment need (IOTN), oral esthetic subjective index scale (OASIS),
      and visual analog scale (VAS) through dental health component (DHC) IOTN as a
      normative index to determine the more appropriate self-perceived index among
      young adults. MATERIALS AND METHODS: In this cross-sectional study, a sample of
      993 was randomly selected from freshman students of Isfahan University. Those
      with a history of orthodontic treatment or current treatment were excluded. DHC
      was evaluated by two inter- and intra-calibrated examiners. Data for AC, OASIS,
      and VAS were collected through a questionnaire completed by students. Descriptive
      statistics, Mann-Whitney U-test, and Spearman correlation test, were used for
      data analyses. Sensitivity, specificity, positive and negative predictive values
      of self-perceived indices were calculated through DHC. RESULTS: Sensitivity of
      AC, OASIS, and VAS for evaluating definite orthodontic treatment need was
      calculated at 15.4%, 22.3%, and 44.6%, respectively. Specificity of these indices
      for evaluating definite orthodontic treatment need was calculated at 92.7%,
      90.5%, and 76.2% percent, respectively. All self-perceived indices had a
      significant correlation with together and with DHC (P < 0.01). Among demographic
      factors, there was weak but significant correlation only between mother's
      educational level and VAS (P < 0.01). CONCLUSION: Due to the sensitivity and
      specificity of the three self-perceived indices, these indices are not
      recommended for population screening and should be used as adjuncts to a
      normative index for decision-making in orthodontic treatment planning.

PMID- 28348617
TI  - Assessment of oral health-related quality of life in 9-15 year old children with
      visual impairment in Uttarakhand, India.
AB  - BACKGROUND: To assess the prevalence of dental diseases among 9-15-year-old
      visually impaired children and find out its impact on their daily activities
      using the Child-Oral Impact on Daily Performance (C-OIDP) questionnaire in
      districts of Uttarakhand, India. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A total of 423 visually
      impaired institutionalized children between the age group of 9-15 years were
      included in the study. Stratified random sampling technique was used to obtain
      the study population. Dental caries was recorded using dmft for primary dentition
      and DMFT for permanent dentition, traumatic dental injuries were assessed using
      traumatic dental injury index, and dentofacial anomalies were recorded using
      Angle's classification of malocclusion. The Hindi braille version of C-OIDP
      questionnaire was used to gather information regarding oral health-related
      quality of life (OHRQoL). RESULTS: There was a high dental caries prevalence of
      57.7% in visually impaired children. The prevalence of traumatic dental injuries
      was 50.6%. Crowding (61.5%) was the most commonly seen dentofacial anomaly and
      the most commonly perceived oral health problem was toothache. There was less
      favorable OHRQoL in males as compared to females. CONCLUSION: There was a high
      prevalence of dental diseases in this group and higher C-OIDP scores suggestive
      of unfavorable OHRQoL.

PMID- 28348619
TI  - Comparative study of substance P and neurokinin A in gingival crevicular fluid of
      healthy and painful carious permanent teeth.
AB  - BACKGROUND: It is shown that neuropeptides can be transported from pulp chamber
      to periodontal ligament through apical foramen and accessory canals. Therefore,
      clinical pulpal pain leads to expression of preinflammatory neuropeptides such as
      substance P (SP) and neurokinin A (NKA) in gingival crevicular fluid (GCF). This
      study aimed to evaluate levels of SP and NKA in GCF of carious and healthy
      permanent teeth, comparatively. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This cross-sectional study
      was performed on twenty children referred to Department of Pediatric Dentistry,
      Tehran University of Medical Sciences, who had a painful permanent first molar.
      Sampling was done by sterile paper cone from GCF of the mentioned teeth and the
      intact tooth of the other side of the jaw in the same patient. Values of SP and
      NKA were measured by ELISA test. RESULTS: The mean concentration of SP in GCF of
      painful carious and healthy teeth was 2.65 +/- 0.56 and 1.83 +/- 0.65 pcgr/ml,
      respectively. This value was 2.29 +/- 0.29 and 1.61 +/- 0.35 pcgr/ml for NKA
      concentration in carious and healthy teeth as well. CONCLUSION: Significant
      higher levels of both SP and NKA in GCF of painful carious teeth were observed,
      which is in line with previous studies' findings.

PMID- 28348618
TI  - Toothbrushing frequency among 4-6-year-old Iranian children and associated
      maternal attitude and sociobehavioral factors.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Toothbrushing is an important aspect of children's oral health self
      care. This study aimed to explore toothbrushing frequency among 4-6-year-old
      Iranian children and associated maternal attitude and sociobehavioral factors.
      MATERIALS AND METHODS: This cross-sectional study was conducted on 407 mother
      child (aged 4-6 years) pairs through stratified random sampling in Tabriz, Iran.
      Data were collected using self-reported questionnaires including demographic
      characteristic, maternal attitude, and toothbrushing frequency of both mothers
      and children. Logistic regression was used to determine the predicators of
      children's toothbrushing. Statistical significance was set at P < 0.05 for all
      tests. RESULTS: The mean ages were 32.6 +/- 4.8 and 5.3 +/- 1.1 years for mothers
      and children respectively. Twice-daily toothbrushing was observed at a relative
      frequency of 12.8% in children and 18.4% in mothers. About 43.7% of children
      brushed their teeth once daily. Nearly 38.7% of children started toothbrushing
      behavior regularly at 4 years of age, and 41% had dental visits. Multiple
      logistic regression analysis indicated that children's toothbrushing (once daily
      or more) was associated with maternal brushing frequency (odds ratio [OR] =2.0,
      95% confidence interval [CI] =1.53-2.86), maternal attitude toward oral health
      (OR = 1.15, CI = 1.08-1.22), and children's age (OR = 1.21, 95% CI = 1.02-1.77).
      CONCLUSION: The descriptive results indicated that maternal and children
      toothbrushing behaviors are unfavorable. Furthermore, maternal toothbrushing
      behavior is a strong predicator of children's brushing behavior. Health
      promotional activities seem necessary for mothers to enhance oral health behavior
      of their children.

PMID- 28348620
TI  - In vitro evaluation of the antibacterial activity of five sealers used in root
      canal therapy.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Antibacterial activity is one of the important characteristics of an
      ideal root canal sealer. The aim of this study was to investigate the
      antibacterial activity of five different sealers against Enterococcus faecalis
      using two different methods. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The mineral trioxide
      aggregate (MTA) Fillapex, Tg-sealer, Endomethasone, AH-26, and RoekoSeal sealers
      were placed into the brain heart infusion (BHI) culture medium containing E.
      faecalis (PTCC1393). The diameter of the bacterial zone of inhibition was
      measured. In the direct contact test, a suspension containing grinded set sealers
      and E. faecalis bacteria was cultured in BHI after 6, 15, and 60 min. The number
      of colonies in milliliter was calculated. Data were subjected to one-way ANOVA
      and Tukey's multiple comparisons test (P < 0.05). RESULTS: In the agar diffusion
      test, Endomethasone had the highest antibacterial activity against E. faecalis
      compared to other sealers (P < 0.001). In the direct test, the antibacterial
      effect of MTA Fillapex was significantly higher than that of all other sealers (P
      < 0.001). CONCLUSION: The technique and components of the tested sealers affect
      the antibacterial activity results. This study showed that all of sealers had
      antimicrobial effect.

PMID- 28348621
TI  - Synergic effect of salivary pH baselines and low pH intakes on the force
      relaxation of orthodontic latex elastics.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Latex elastics are still in common use due to their low cost and high
      flexibility to improve sagittal discrepancies or interdigitation of teeth.
      Mechanical properties of elastics are influenced by several environmental factors
      such as pH changes. This study evaluated similar latex elastics to define the
      influence of synergic effect of intermittent low pH and various baselines pH of
      saliva. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Four groups of latex elastics (3-M Unitek, 3/16
      inch) were tested (n = 15 in each group). Two groups of elastics were immersed in
      two tanks of artificial saliva with different pH levels of 7 and 5, and two
      groups were immersed in two tanks of artificial saliva with intermittent drop of
      pH to 4. The force was measured when the elastics were stretched to 25 mm. These
      measurements were taken in 0, 4, 8, 12, 24, 36, and 48 h for each group. Repeated
      measures analysis of variance (RMANOVA) and post-hoc Tukey's test were used to
      assess the findings. The level of significance was 0.05%. RESULTS: The
      interaction between pH and time analyzed with RMANOVA showed no significant
      differences (P > 0.05) except in 36 h (P = 0.014). The Tukey's analysis showed
      that each comparison between any two groups did not indicate significant
      differences (P > 0.05) except between Groups 1 and 3 and between Groups 2 and 3
      (P < 0.05). CONCLUSION: No significant correlation was seen between fluctuation
      of pH and force degradation in latex elastic band except in 36 h.

PMID- 28348622
TI  - Cervical lymphadenopathy: Unwinding the hidden truth.
AB  - Lymphadenopathy is a common clinical finding in a patient seeking oral health
      care. It may be in a localized, limited, or generalized form. Malignancies,
      infections, autoimmune disorders, iatrogenic, and other miscellaneous conditions
      are considered as the causes for cervical lymphadenopathy. Unexplained cervical
      lymphadenopathy is a cause of concern for physician and patient because sometimes
      it could be the manifestation of an underlying malignancy. However, a
      methodological approach to lymphadenopathy can disclose the accurate diagnosis
      causing minimal discomfort for the patient and in a short time. This paper
      reports the significance of cervical lymph node examination and ensuing
      investigations, which led to a diagnosis of non-Hodgkins lymphoma.

PMID- 28348623
TI  - Involvement of Normalized Glial Fibrillary Acidic Protein Expression in the
      Hippocampi in Antidepressant-Like Effects of Xiaoyaosan on Chronically Stressed
      Mice.
AB  - The research has only yielded a partial comprehension of MDD and the mechanisms
      underlying the antidepressant-like effects of XYS. Therefore, in this study, we
      aimed to explore the effects of XYS on chronic unpredictable mild stress- (CUMS-)
      induced changes in the neuronal and the astrocytic markers in the mouse
      hippocampus. The physical states and depressive-like behaviors in mice with CUMS
      were recorded. The serum contents of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) and
      glial cell line-derived neurotrophic factor (GDNF) were measured. The protein and
      mRNA expressions and the immunoreactivities of glial fibrillary acidic protein
      (GFAP) and neuronal nuclei (NeuN) in mouse hippocampus were detected using a
      Western blot, qRT-PCR, and immunohistochemical staining, respectively. XYS
      treatment markedly improved the physical state and depressive-like behaviors in
      mice subjected to CUMS compared with the model group, and the serum contents of
      BDNF and GDNF were significantly upregulated. XYS treatment also elevated the
      protein and mRNA levels, as well as the immunoreactivity of GFAP in the
      hippocampus. However, CUMS did not influence NeuN expression. In conclusion,
      these results reveal that chronic administration of XYS elicits antidepressant
      like effects in a mouse model of depression and may normalize glial fibrillary
      acidic protein expression in the hippocampi of mice with CUMS.

PMID- 28348624
TI  - Antioxidative and Anti-Inflammatory Activities of Galloyl Derivatives and
      Antidiabetic Activities of Acer ginnala.
AB  - Chromatographic isolation of the 80% MeOH extract of Acer ginnala (AG) yielded
      seven galloyl derivatives: gallic acid (1), ginnalin B (2), acertannin (3),
      maplexin D (4), maplexin E (5), quercetin-3-O-(2''-galloyl)-alpha-L
      rhamnopyranoside (6), and kaempferol-3-O-(2''-galloyl)-alpha-L-rhamnopyranoside
      (7). This is the first study to report the isolation of compounds 4 and 5 from
      AG. Galloyl derivatives 3-7 exhibited potent radical scavenging activities, with
      5 and 7 showing particularly strong inhibitory activities against nitric oxide
      production in lipopolysaccharides- (LPS-) stimulated RAW264.7 cells. In addition,
      oral administration of AG extract (500 mg/kg b.w.) improved symptoms of
      hyperglycemia and blunted the increases in serum GOT/GPT levels in a rat model of
      streptozotocin-induced diabetes. These results suggest that galloyl derivatives
      (1-7) are antioxidant and anti-inflammatory agents and that AG extract has
      potential as a functional material or novel herbal medicine for treating diabetes
      mellitus.

PMID- 28348625
TI  - Components of Goutengsan in Rat Plasma by Microdialysis Sampling and Its
      Protection on Abeta1-42-Induced PC12 Cells Injury.
AB  - Goutengsan, a Chinese herbal formula, potential protection on Alzheimer's disease
      (AD) has been less reported. In current study, we investigated the protection of
      Goutengsan on Abeta1-42-induced pheochromocytoma-derived cells (PC12).
      Furthermore, the components from Goutengsan in rat plasma were identified by
      microdialysis (MD) for in vivo sampling. Meanwhile, the protection of components
      identified was also verified. At last, we found that Goutengsan has a potential
      protective effect on Abeta1-42-induced PC12 cells via reducing cells damage and
      increasing cells vitality as well as six components (pachymic acid, liquiritin,
      rhynchophylline, isorhynchophylline, corynoxeine, and isocorynoxeine) which may
      be effective components. This study helps to understand the treatment of
      Goutengsan for AD and would facilitate the clinical and further studies for this
      formula.

PMID- 28348626
TI  - Amiodarone-Associated Optic Neuropathy: Clinical Review.
AB  - Amiodarone, an antiarrhythmic agent, has been associated with visual loss
      secondary to optic neuropathy. The reported mean duration of amiodarone use
      before visual loss is about 9 months. Patients receiving amiodarone have a 2-fold
      increased risk of developing optic neuropathy, especially in males and possibly
      in patients with longer duration of treatment. Amiodarone-associated optic
      neuropathy is characterised by an insidious onset, slow progression, bilateral
      simultaneous visual loss, and protracted disc swelling. After discontinuing
      amiodarone use, visual acuity and visual field deficits tend to improve or
      stabilise in most patients, with about 20% of the patients getting worse.

PMID- 28348627
TI  - Visual Field Losses in Patients with Migraine without Aura and Tension-Type
      Headache.
AB  - The aim of the study was to compare the visual fields during pain attacks in the
      patients with migraine without aura and tension-type headache using automated
      perimetry. In this study 25 patients with migraine and 25 patients with tension
      type headache were evaluated.The optic disc, macula and retina were assessed and
      patients with normal values were enrolled into the study. Intraocular pressure of
      all patients were measured. Furthermore, visual field test was applied to both
      groups using Humphrey field analyzer (Carl-Zeiss Meditec, model-745 i, Dublin,
      CA, USA). Both mean deviation and pattern standart deviation values of these two
      goups were not statistically significant.

PMID- 28348628
TI  - Risk Factors for Non-arteritic Anterior Ischaemic Optic Neuropathy in a Korean
      Population.
AB  - To determine the risk factors for non-arteritic anterior ischaemic optic
      neuropathy (NAION) in Korean patients, medical records from 45 Korean patients
      group and 45 healthy controls group were retrospectively reviewed. 10 NAION risk
      factors, including age, sex, associated systemic disease, past medical/social
      history, and fundus findings were analyzed. Significant risk factors for NAION in
      Korean patients were diabetes mellitus (odds ratio (OR) = 3.613, p = 0.020),
      hypercholesterolaemia (OR = 5.200, p = 0.001), smoking (OR = 3.58, p = 0.014),
      microaneurysm/haemorrhage (OR = 5.375, p = 0.024), and crowded small cup (OR =
      17.200, p < 0.001).

PMID- 28348630
TI  - Intracanalicular Optic Nerve Swelling and Signal Change in Fulminant Untreated
      Idiopathic Intracranial Hypertension.
AB  - The role of the optic canal in the pathogenesis of papilloedema has been under
      scrutiny recently. Whether a larger canal precedes more severe papilloedema or is
      the result of bone remodelling from chronically raised pressure across a pressure
      gradient is not clear. The authors present the magnetic resonance imaging
      findings of a 29-year-old female with fulminant and untreated idiopathic
      intracranial hypertension. Imaging showed focal expansion and intrinsic signal
      changes of the intracanalicular optic nerve. The authors discuss the possibility
      of either fluid accumulation within the optic nerves from a water hammer effect
      across blocked optic canals resulting from the steep pressure gradient or
      opticomalacia (optic nerve softening) from chronic ischaemia.

PMID- 28348629
TI  - Optical Coherence Angiographic Demonstration of Retinal Changes From Chronic
      Optic Neuropathies.
AB  - Glaucoma causes a decrease in peripapillary perfused capillary density on optical
      coherence tomography (OCT) angiography. However, other chronic optic neuropathies
      have not been explored with OCT angiography to see if these changes were specific
      to glaucoma. The authors evaluated OCT angiography in 10 patients who suffered
      various kinds of chronic optic neuropathies, including optic neuritis and
      ischaemic optic neuropathy, and found that all optic neuropathies showed a
      decrease in peripapillary vessel density on OCT angiography, regardless of the
      aetiology of the optic neuropathy. The peripapillary vessel loss on OCT
      angiography correlated well with the areas of retinal nerve fibre layer thinning
      seen on OCT.

PMID- 28348631
TI  - Optic Neuropathy As the Initial Presenting Sign of N-methyl-d-aspartate (NMDA)
      Encephalitis.
AB  - A 52-year-old woman presented with painless vision loss for 3 months. She was in
      custody for allegedly robbing a bank and had recently been diagnosed with
      paranoid schizophrenia. She had 20/100 VA OD, a 2+RAPD, and optic atrophy.
      Extensive diagnostic workup including MRI, Fluorescein Angiography, Infectious
      Disease Panel, lumbar puncture, and leptomeningeal biopsy were unrevealing.
      Vision in her right eye declined to NLP and her left eye declined to 20/200 VA.
      Anti N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) Autoimmune Encephalitis was diagnosed based on
      CSF serology and clinical suspicion. Her clinical course improved as she was
      treated with corticosteroids and rituximab.

PMID- 28348632
TI  - Primary Ocular Adnexal Extranodal Marginal Zone Mucosa-Associated Lymphoid Tissue
      (MALT) Lymphoma Presenting as Orbital Apex Syndrome.
AB  - A 75-year-old female with a past medical history significant for prior stroke and
      atrial fibrillation presented with acute onset of orbital apex syndrome with
      chemosis and periorbital ecchymosis. Following initial treatment to relieve
      intraocular pressure, she began spontaneously haemorrhaging retro-orbitally.
      Preliminary investigation with neuroimaging demonstrated a left orbital mass with
      extension into the orbital apex. A provisional diagnosis of cavernous haemangioma
      was made. She was treated with transorbital resection of the orbital mass.
      Subsequent histopathology revealed a diagnosis of ocular adnexal non-Hodgkin
      lymphoma of histologic type extranodal marginal zone of mucosa-associated
      lymphoid tissue (MALT lymphoma). MALT lymphoma should be considered in cases of
      orbital apex syndrome.

PMID- 28348633
TI  - Differentiating Leber Hereditary Optic Neuropathy from Normal-Tension Glaucoma.
AB  - Glaucoma is a neurodegenerative disorder characterized by thinning of
      neuroretinal rim, enlarged cup-to-disc ratio (CDR) and visual field damage.
      Although raised intraocular pressure is main risk factor for development of
      glaucoma, it can occur with consistently normal measurements in the intraocular
      pressure as normal tension glaucoma (NTG). Enlargement of CDR is a classical sign
      of glaucoma, but it can also result from non-glaucomatous optic neuropathies such
      as Leber hereditary optic neuropathy (LHON). We describe a case of LHON with
      increased CDR, discuss its differential diagnosis with NTG and highlight the
      reasons for misdiagnoses between these two entities.

PMID- 28348634
TI  - Trans-synaptic Retrograde Degeneration Following Hemispherectomy in Childhood.
AB  - Trans-synaptic retrograde degeneration (TRD) in the human visual system has been
      established. However there are few studies demonstrating macular thinning of the
      Retinal Ganglion cell Layer and/or Inner Plexiform layer (RGCL-IPL),
      corresponding to an acquired homonymous hemianopia. We report a 17 year old with
      a homonymous hemianopia, secondary to a hemispherectomy for intractable epilepsy.
      Three years following hemispherectomy, Optical Coherence Tomography (OCT)
      revealed evidence of TRD, corresponding to his complete homonymous hemianopia.
      Macular maps of the RGCL-IPL thickness provides useful additional information to
      measurements of optic nerve Retinal Nerve Fibre Layer Thickness (RNFL) in
      identifying TRD in acquired homonymous hemianopia.

PMID- 28348635
TI  - Re: Unusual Cause of Horner Syndrome 13 Years After In Situ Ductal Carcinoma.

PMID- 28348636
TI  - HIV and reproductive healthcare in pregnant and postpartum HIV-infected women:
      adapting successful strategies.
AB  - Linkage and retention in care for many HIV-infected women in the postpartum
      period is suboptimal, which compromises long-term virologic suppression and the
      HIV Care Continuum. Efforts are needed to improve individual outcomes by
      addressing transitions in care. We summarize some successful strategies to engage
      and retain HIV-infected women in care during the postpartum period.

PMID- 28348637
TI  - Automated Classification of Severity in Cardiac Dyssynchrony Merging Clinical
      Data and Mechanical Descriptors.
AB  - Cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT) improves functional classification among
      patients with left ventricle malfunction and ventricular electric conduction
      disorders. However, a high percentage of subjects under CRT (20%-30%) do not show
      any improvement. Nonetheless the presence of mechanical contraction dyssynchrony
      in ventricles has been proposed as an indicator of CRT response. This work
      proposes an automated classification model of severity in ventricular contraction
      dyssynchrony. The model includes clinical data such as left ventricular ejection
      fraction (LVEF), QRS and P-R intervals, and the 3 most significant factors
      extracted from the factor analysis of dynamic structures applied to a set of
      equilibrium radionuclide angiography images representing the mechanical behavior
      of cardiac contraction. A control group of 33 normal volunteers (28 +/- 5 years,
      LVEF of 59.7% +/- 5.8%) and a HF group of 42 subjects (53.12 +/- 15.05 years,
      LVEF < 35%) were studied. The proposed classifiers had hit rates of 90%, 50%, and
      80% to distinguish between absent, mild, and moderate-severe interventricular
      dyssynchrony, respectively. For intraventricular dyssynchrony, hit rates of 100%,
      50%, and 90% were observed distinguishing between absent, mild, and moderate
      severe, respectively. These results seem promising in using this automated method
      for clinical follow-up of patients undergoing CRT.

PMID- 28348638
TI  - Cardioprotection Effects of Sevoflurane by Regulating the Pathway of Neuroactive
      Ligand-Receptor Interaction in Patients Undergoing Coronary Artery Bypass Graft
      Surgery.
AB  - This study was designed to identify attractor modules and further reveal the
      potential biological processes involving in sevoflurane-induced anesthesia in
      patients treated with coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) surgery. Microarray
      profile data (ID: E-GEOD-4386) on atrial samples obtained from patients receiving
      anesthetic gas sevoflurane prior to and following CABG procedure were downloaded
      from EMBL-EBI database for further analysis. Protein-protein interaction (PPI)
      networks of baseline and sevoflurane groups were inferred and reweighted
      according to Spearman correlation coefficient (SCC), followed by systematic
      modules inference using clique-merging approach. Subsequently, attract method was
      utilized to explore attractor modules. Finally, pathway enrichment analyses for
      genes in the attractor modules were implemented to illuminate the biological
      processes in sevoflurane group. Using clique-merging approach, 27 and 36 modules
      were obtained from the PPI networks of baseline and sevoflurane-treated samples,
      respectively. By comparing with the baseline condition, 5 module pairs with the
      same gene composition were identified. Subsequently, 1 out of 5 modules was
      identified as an attractor based on attract method. Additionally, pathway
      analysis indicated that genes in the attractor module were associated with
      neuroactive ligand-receptor interaction. Accordingly, sevoflurane might exert
      important functions in cardioprotection in patients following CABG, partially
      through regulating the pathway of neuroactive ligand-receptor interaction.

PMID- 28348639
TI  - Brushed polyethylene glycol and phosphorylcholine for grafting nanoparticles
      against protein binding.
AB  - To provide a molecular insight for guiding polymer coating in surface science and
      nanotechnology, here we examined the structures of brushed polyethylene
      glycol(bPEG)- and phosphorylcholine(bPC)-grafted iron oxide nanoparticles and
      analyzed their protein avoiding properties. We show bPC as an advantageous
      biomimetic alternative to PEG in rendering stealth nanostructures.

PMID- 28348640
TI  - Exploration of small RNA-seq data for small non-coding RNAs in Human Colorectal
      Cancer.
AB  - Background: Improved healthcare and recent breakthroughs in technology have
      substantially reduced cancer mortality rates worldwide. Recent advancements in
      next-generation sequencing (NGS) have allowed genomic analysis of the human
      transcriptome. Now, using NGS we can further look into small non-coding regions
      of RNAs (sncRNAs) such as microRNAs (miRNAs), Piwi-interacting-RNAs (piRNAs),
      long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs), and small nuclear/nucleolar RNAs (sn/snoRNAs)
      among others. Recent studies looking at sncRNAs indicate their role in important
      biological processes such as cancer progression and predict their role as
      biomarkers for disease diagnosis, prognosis, and therapy. Results: In the present
      study, we data mined publically available small RNA sequencing data from
      colorectal tissue samples of eight matched patients (benign, tumor, and
      metastasis) and remapped the data for various small RNA annotations. We
      identified aberrant expression of 13 miRNAs in tumor and metastasis specimens
      [tumor vs benign group (19 miRNAs) and metastasis vs benign group (38 miRNAs)] of
      which five were upregulated, and eight were downregulated, during disease
      progression. Pathway analysis of aberrantly expressed miRNAs showed that the
      majority of miRNAs involved in colon cancer were also involved in other cancers.
      Analysis of piRNAs revealed six to be over-expressed in the tumor vs benign
      cohort and 24 in the metastasis vs benign group. Only two piRNAs were shared
      between the two cohorts. Examining other types of small RNAs [sn/snoRNAs,
      mt_rRNA, miscRNA, nonsense mediated decay (NMD), and rRNAs] identified 15 sncRNAs
      in the tumor vs benign group and 104 in the metastasis vs benign group, with only
      four others being commonly expressed. Conclusion: In summary, our comprehensive
      analysis on publicly available small RNA-seq data identified multiple
      differentially expressed sncRNAs during colorectal cancer progression at
      different stages compared to normal colon tissue. We speculate that deciphering
      and validating the roles of sncRNAs may prove useful in colorectal cancer
      prognosis, diagnosis, and therapy.

PMID- 28348641
TI  - Complete genome sequence and functional study of the fibrinolytic enzyme
      producing bacterium Leuconostoc holzapfelii 5H4, a silage probiotic.
AB  - To process silage, rye is usually removed before the heading stage but the rye
      biomass increased up to 30% after the heading stage. However, after the heading
      stage, lignification rapidly accelerated and it resulted in a poor NDF
      digestibility problem. This has led to a demand for a strong fibrinolytic enzyme
      producing probiotic for rye silage. The Gram-positive Leuconostoc holzapfelii 5H4
      was selected as a fibrinolytic enzyme-producing probiotic to overcome
      lignification of rye silage. The L. holzapfelii 5H4 has a relatively small
      circular chromosome (1,885,398 bp), but the strain has one cellulase, two
      xylanase, and five esterase in its genome sequence. All fibrinolytic enzyme genes
      were relatively highly expressed compared to housekeeping genes, and this was
      confirmed by qRT-PCR. In this study, we report the complete genome sequence of
      the bacterium so that fibrinolytic enzyme production and its fibrinolytic
      activity mechanism are better understood.

PMID- 28348642
TI  - Metagenomic Analysis of a Complex Community Present in Pond Sediment.
AB  - The metagenomic profiling of complex communities is gaining immense interest
      across the scientific community. A complex community present in the pond sediment
      of a water body located close to a hexachlorocyclohexane (HCH) production site of
      the Indian Pesticide Limited (IPL) (Chinhat, Lucknow) was selected in an attempt
      to identify and analyze the unique microbial diversity and functional profile of
      the site. In this study, we supplement the metagenomic study of pond sediment
      with a variety of binning approaches along with an in depth functional analysis.
      Our results improve the understanding of ecology, in terms of community dynamics.
      The findings are crucial with respect to the mechanisms such as those involving
      the lin group of genes that are known to be implicated in the HCH degradation
      pathway or the Type VI secretory system (T6SS) and its effector molecules.
      Metagenomic studies using the comparative genomics approach involving the
      isolates from adjacent HCH contaminated soils have contributed significantly
      towards improving our understanding of unexplored concepts, while simultaneously
      uncovering the novel mechanisms of microbial ecology.

PMID- 28348643
TI  - Whole-genome Sequencing of Vibrio sinaloensis T47, a Tropical Marine Isolate with
      Quorum Sensing Properties.
AB  - A large number of Vibrio sp. thrive in the marine environment and they are
      notable to cause food borne infection associated with undercooked seafood. In
      this study, we report the whole genome sequence of Vibrio sinaloensis T47 which
      was isolated from coastal marine water in Morib Beach, Hulu Selangor. The genome
      is made up of approximately 4.59 Mbp with 80 contigs and 46% G+C content. From
      the annotated genome, genes associated with quorum sensing (QS) were identified.
      This research provides a genetic basis for better understanding of QS pathway
      which contributes to the physiological traits of strain T47 to thrive in the
      marine environment.

PMID- 28348644
TI  - Navigation-synchronized multimodal control wheelchair from brain to alternative
      assistive technologies for persons with severe disabilities.
AB  - Currently, electric wheelchairs are commonly used to improve mobility in disabled
      people. In severe cases, the user is unable to control the wheelchair by
      themselves because his/her motor functions are disabled. To restore mobility
      function, a brain-controlled wheelchair (BCW) would be a promising system that
      would allow the patient to control the wheelchair by their thoughts. P300 is a
      reliable brain electrical signal, a component of visual event-related potentials
      (ERPs), that could be used for interpreting user commands. This research aimed to
      propose a prototype BCW to allowed severe motor disabled patients to practically
      control a wheelchair for use in their home environment. The users were able to
      select from 9 possible destination commands in the automatic mode and from 4
      directional commands (forward, backward, turn left and right) in the shared
      control mode. These commands were selected via the designed P300 processing
      system. The wheelchair was steered to the desired location by the implemented
      navigation system. Safety of the user was ensured during wheelchair navigation
      due to the included obstacle detection and avoidance features. A combination of
      P300 and EOG was used as a hybrid BCW system. The user could fully operate the
      system such as enabling P300 detection system, mode shifting and stop/cancelation
      command by performing a different consecutive blinks to generate eye blinking
      patterns. The results revealed that the prototype BCW could be operated in either
      of the proposed modes. With the new design of the LED-based P300 stimulator, the
      average accuracies of the P300 detection algorithm in the shared-control and
      automatic modes were 95.31 and 83.42% with 3.09 and 3.79 bits/min, respectively.
      The P300 classification error was acceptable, as the user could cancel an
      incorrect command by blinking 2 times. Moreover, the proposed navigation system
      had a flexible design that could be interfaced with other assistive technologies.
      This research developed 3 alternative input modules: an eye tracker module and
      chin and hand controller modules. The user could select the most suitable
      assistive technology based on his/her level of disability. Other existing
      assistive technologies could also be connected to the proposed system in the
      future using the same protocol.

PMID- 28348645
TI  - The feeling of understanding: an exploration with neural models.
AB  - There exists a dynamic interaction between the world of information and the world
      of concepts, which is seen as a quintessential byproduct of the cultural
      evolution of individuals as well as of human communities. The feeling of
      understanding (FU) is that subjective experience that encompasses all the
      emotional and intellectual processes we undergo in the process of gathering
      evidence to achieve an understanding of an event. This experience is part of
      every person that has dedicated substantial efforts in scientific areas under
      constant research progress. The FU may have an initial growth followed by a quasi
      stable regime and a possible decay when accumulated data exceeds the capacity of
      an individual to integrate them into an appropriate conceptual scheme. We propose
      a neural representation of FU based on the postulate that all cognitive
      activities are mapped onto dynamic neural vectors. Two models are presented that
      incorporate the mutual interactions among data and concepts. The first one shows
      how in the short time scale, FU can rise, reach a temporary steady state and
      subsequently decline. The second model, operating over longer scales of time,
      shows how a reorganization and compactification of data into global categories
      initiated by conceptual syntheses can yield random cycles of growth, decline and
      recovery of FU.

PMID- 28348646
TI  - Complexity of resting-state EEG activity in the patients with early-stage
      Parkinson's disease.
AB  - To investigate the abnormal brain activities in the early stage of Parkinson's
      disease (PD), the electroencephalogram (EEG) signals were recorded with 20
      channels from non-dementia PD patients (18 patients, 8 females) and age matched
      healthy controls (18 subjects, 8 females) during the resting state. Two methods
      based on the ordinal patterns of the recorded series, i.e., permutation entropy
      (PE) and order index (OI), were introduced to characterize the complexity of the
      cortical activities for two groups. It was observed that the resting-state EEG of
      PD patients showed lower PE and higher OI than healthy controls, which indicated
      that the early-stage PD caused the reduced complexity of EEG. We further applied
      two methods to determine the complexity of EEG rhythms in five sub-bands. The
      results showed that the gamma, beta and alpha rhythms of PD patients were
      characterized by lower PE and higher OI, i.e., reduced complexity, than healthy
      subjects. No significant differences were observed in theta or delta rhythms
      between two groups. The findings suggested that PE and OI were promising methods
      to detect the abnormal changes in the dynamics of EEG signals associated with
      early-stage PD. Further, such changes in EEG complexity may be the early markers
      of the cortical or subcortical dysfunction caused by PD.

PMID- 28348647
TI  - An EEG-based machine learning method to screen alcohol use disorder.
AB  - Screening alcohol use disorder (AUD) patients has been challenging due to the
      subjectivity involved in the process. Hence, robust and objective methods are
      needed to automate the screening of AUD patients. In this paper, a machine
      learning method is proposed that utilized resting-state electroencephalography
      (EEG)-derived features as input data to classify the AUD patients and healthy
      controls and to perform automatic screening of AUD patients. In this context, the
      EEG data were recorded during 5 min of eyes closed and 5 min of eyes open
      conditions. For this purpose, 30 AUD patients and 15 aged-matched healthy
      controls were recruited. After preprocessing the EEG data, EEG features such as
      inter-hemispheric coherences and spectral power for EEG delta, theta, alpha, beta
      and gamma bands were computed involving 19 scalp locations. The selection of most
      discriminant features was performed with a rank-based feature selection method
      assigning a weight value to each feature according to a criterion, i.e., receiver
      operating characteristics curve. For example, a feature with large weight was
      considered more relevant to the target labels than a feature with less weight.
      Therefore, a reduced set of most discriminant features was identified and further
      be utilized during classification of AUD patients and healthy controls. As
      results, the inter-hemispheric coherences between the brain regions were found
      significantly different between the study groups and provided high classification
      efficiency (Accuracy = 80.8, sensitivity = 82.5, and specificity = 80, F-Measure
      = 0.78). In addition, the power computed in different EEG bands were found
      significant and provided an overall classification efficiency as (Accuracy =
      86.6, sensitivity = 95, specificity = 82.5, and F-Measure = 0.88). Further, the
      integration of these EEG feature resulted into even higher results (Accuracy =
      89.3 %, sensitivity = 88.5 %, specificity = 91 %, and F-Measure = 0.90). Based on
      the results, it is concluded that the EEG data (integration of the theta, beta,
      and gamma power and inter-hemispheric coherence) could be utilized as objective
      markers to screen the AUD patients and healthy controls.

PMID- 28348648
TI  - Regularized common spatial patterns with subject-to-subject transfer of EEG
      signals.
AB  - In the context of brain-computer interface (BCI) system, the common spatial
      patterns (CSP) method has been used to extract discriminative spatial filters for
      the classification of electroencephalogram (EEG) signals. However, the
      classification performance of CSP typically deteriorates when a few training
      samples are collected from a new BCI user. In this paper, we propose an approach
      that maintains or improves the recognition accuracy of the system with only a
      small size of training data set. The proposed approach is formulated by
      regularizing the classical CSP technique with the strategy of transfer learning.
      Specifically, we incorporate into the CSP analysis inter-subject information
      involving the same task, by minimizing the difference between the inter-subject
      features. Experimental results on two data sets from BCI competitions show that
      the proposed approach greatly improves the classification performance over that
      of the conventional CSP method; the transformed variant proved to be successful
      in almost every case, based on a small number of available training samples.

PMID- 28348649
TI  - Down-regulated expression of aquaporin-4 in the cerebellum after status
      epilepticus.
AB  - Status epilepticus (SE) is a common neurological condition associated with high
      rates of mortality and permanent brain injury. SE usually leads to neuronal death
      which may be accompanied by edema, epileptogenesis and learning impairment.
      Aquaporin-4 (AQP4), is a transmembrane water channel protein in the neuropil of
      the central nervous system that has an important role in water transport in the
      brain; AQP4 expression is altered in many pathological conditions such as changes
      in the blood- brain barrier and/or astrocytic activation, including seizures.
      AQP4 was shown to be downregulated in the piriform cortex and the hippocampus
      after SE. Although it is normally expressed at a high level in the cerebellum,
      little is known about AQP4 levels in the cerebellum following SE. We addressed
      this in the present study in a mouse model of pilocarpine-induced SE. We found
      that AQP4 expression was reduced from 3 h to 3 days after SE, with the levels
      recovering on day 7. Moreover, mice in the acute post-SE stages exhibited
      impaired motor coordination and learning. These results indicate that cerebellar
      damage following SE involves changes in AQP4 expression.

PMID- 28348650
TI  - A basic bifurcation structure from bursting to spiking of injured nerve fibers in
      a two-dimensional parameter space.
AB  - Two different bifurcation scenarios of firing patterns with decreasing
      extracellular calcium concentrations were observed in identical sciatic nerve
      fibers of a chronic constriction injury (CCI) model when the extracellular 4
      aminopyridine concentrations were fixed at two different levels. Both processes
      proceeded from period-1 bursting to period-1 spiking via complex or simple
      processes. Multiple typical experimental examples manifested dynamics closely
      matching those simulated in a recently proposed 4-dimensional model to describe
      the nonlinear dynamics of the CCI model, which included most cases of the
      bifurcation scenarios. As the extracellular 4-aminopyridine concentrations is
      increased, the structure of the bifurcation scenario becomes more complex. The
      results provide a basic framework for identifying the relationships between
      different neural firing patterns and different bifurcation scenarios and for
      revealing the complex nonlinear dynamics of neural firing patterns. The potential
      roles of the basic bifurcation structures in identifying the information process
      mechanism are discussed.

PMID- 28348651
TI  - Erratum to: Noise effects on robust synchronization of a small pacemaker neuronal
      ensemble via nonlinear controller: electronic circuit design.
AB  - [This corrects the article DOI: 10.1007/s11571-016-9393-1.].

PMID- 28348652
TI  - Nasal Septal Deviation and Concha Bullosa - Do They Have an Impact on Maxillary
      Sinus Volumes and Prevalence of Maxillary Sinusitis?
AB  - BACKGROUND: The aim of the study was to assess if the presence of nasal septal
      deviation and concha bullosa is connected with the development of sinuses and the
      incidence of inflammation within them. MATERIAL/METHODS: We retrospectively
      analysed 214 patients who underwent paranasal sinus computed tomography. There
      were 125 females and 89 males, the mean age being 47.67+/-16.74 years (range 18
      97). Exclusion criteria included: age under 18 years, prior sinonasal surgery and
      S-shaped septum. RESULTS: Mean volume of the right maxillary sinus was 17.794
      cm3, while for the left one it was 17.713 cm3. Nasal septal deviation was found
      in 79.9% of computed tomography examinations and concha bullosa was observed in
      42.1% of the patients' examinations. There was an association between the
      presence of unilateral or dominant concha bullosa and contralateral direction of
      septal deviation [right-sided (p=0.039), left-sided (p=0.003)]. There was higher
      incidence of bilateral maxillary sinusitis in patients with septal deviation
      (p=0.007). Bilateral concha bullosa did not influence the incidence of bilateral
      maxillary sinusitis (p=0.495). Neither septal deviation (right sided: p=0.962;
      left-sided: p=0.731), nor unilateral/dominant concha bullosa (right: p=0.512;
      left: p=0,430) affected the asymmetry in volumes of maxillary sinuses. Bilateral
      concha bullosa was connected with larger volume of maxillary sinuses (right
      sinus: p=0.005; left sinus: p=0.048). CONCLUSIONS: Nasal septal deviation,
      contrary to concha bullosa, has influence on the development of maxillary
      sinusitis. There is a connection between the presence of concha bullosa and
      direction of septal deviation. Only bilateral concha bullosa affects maxillary
      sinus volumes.

PMID- 28348653
TI  - Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) Depiction of Robert's Uterus: A Rare Mullerian
      Duct Anomaly Presenting with Cyclical Pain in Young Menstruating Woman.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Robert's uterus is a very rare mullerian duct anomaly which is
      characterised by septate uterus with obstruction of a one-sided cavity and
      formation of hematometra. Therefore, patients present with cyclical abdominal
      pain during menstruation along with normal menstrual flow. CASE REPORT: We
      present magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) findings in a case of Robert's uterus in
      a young woman. CONCLUSIONS: Robert's uterus is a very rare anomaly which can be
      very well characterized by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). MRI can also show
      any associated hematometra and endometriomas complicating this condition and aid
      in the institution of appropriate management in such cases.

PMID- 28348654
TI  - Underutilization of Implantable Cardioverter Defibrillator in Primary Prevention
      of Sudden Cardiac Arrest.
AB  - BACKGROUND: The aim of this study was to evaluate the overall use of implantable
      cardioverter defibrillators (ICD) for primary prevention of sudden cardiac arrest
      (SCA), among eligible patients from an outpatient cardiology clinic and to
      determine what factors might contribute to underutilization of ICDs. METHODS:
      This report was a retrospective chart review of patients with ischemic or non
      ischemic cardiomyopathy and left ventricular ejection fraction <= 35% from an
      outpatient cardiology practice from January 2005 to May 2008. These patients met
      the eligibility criteria for ICD implantation for primary prevention of SCA. A
      detailed review of medical records captured distribution of ICD implantation
      including future plans for ICD implant, patient preference against ICD use,
      presence of severe co-morbidities, and any other documented
      reasons/contraindications regarding ICD implantation. RESULTS: Of the 275
      patients who were eligible for ICD for primary prevention of SCA, 119 (43%) had
      an ICD implantation. ICDs were used in 84 (48%) eligible men and 35 (35%)
      eligible women (P 0.02). Among 156 (57%) patients who did not receive ICD, 79
      (28%) had severe co-morbidities precluding them from having ICD. Twenty-six
      patients (10%) refused to have ICD implanted. The remaining 51 (19%) patient
      charts did not include any documentation regarding ICD use (future plan or
      contraindication). CONCLUSIONS: ICDs are underutilized for primary prevention of
      SCA, with rates of use being lowest among eligible women. This underutilization
      exists even after accounting for patient preferences and presence of severe co
      morbid conditions that might make an otherwise eligible patient not a suitable
      candidate for ICD implantation.

PMID- 28348655
TI  - Closure of Interatrial Septal Communications: Adverse Events and Lessons Learned.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Percutaneous closure of interatrial septal communications (IASC) is
      generally being regarded as a safe and straightforward intervention. Reporting
      and classification of adverse events (AE) as is the case for percutaneous
      coronary intervention (PCI) is not standardized. Also, the focus of reported
      larger studies has not been primarily on AE and strategies to avoid them.
      METHODS: The data of all 112 consecutive patients undergoing IASC by a single
      operator were reviewed. In analogy to classification for PCI, an AE was
      considered to be major if any of the following occurred: death, major or minor
      stroke, myocardial infarction, the need for an originally unplanned additional
      surgery or intervention or blood transfusion. Every AE and how it may have been
      avoided is reviewed in detail. RESULTS: Major AE according to the suggested
      classification occurred in 2.7% of patients, including tamponade in 1 patient
      necessitating thoracotomy 7 months after IASC, percutaneous retrieval of an
      embolized device in 1 patient, and ambulatory same day surgical treatment of an
      arteriovenous fistula in 1 patient. CONCLUSIONS: The proposed new classification
      of AE provides a unified and comparable approach for IASC procedures.
      Retrospectively, two of the 3 major AE could have probably been avoided by more
      thoughtful patient and material selection.

PMID- 28348656
TI  - Mitral Annular Systolic Velocities Predict Left Ventricular Wall Motion
      Abnormality During Dobutamine Stress Echocardiography.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Longitudinal systolic left ventricular contraction is complementary
      to the radial performance and can be assessed using tissue Doppler imaging (TDI).
      This study was performed to evaluate the contribution of mitral annular systolic
      velocities using TDI after dobutamine stress echocardiography (DSE). METHODS AND
      RESULTS: Fifty subjects with suspected coronary artery disease and chest pain
      were examined, using DSE as usual, as well as TDI imaging of the mitral annulus
      at the septal, lateral, inferior, anterior, posterior regions and the proximal
      anteroseptal region from the apical views, before and immediately after DSE. In
      24 subjects the study was normal, while wall motion abnormality was seen in 26, 9
      of them only after DSE. Mitral annular systolic velocity at the 6 locations
      increased significantly after DSE both in normal subjects and in those with wall
      motion abnormality (WMA). After DSE mitral annular septal systolic velocity in
      normals, 19.2 +/- 3.8 cm/sec, was higher than in those with WMA, 14.6 +/- 2.5
      cm/sec, P < 0.0003. Post-DSE mitral systolic velocity was senstive and accurate
      in predicting WMA. CONCLUSIONS: Systolic mitral TDI velocities increase after
      DSE, however to a lesser extent in those with wall motion abnormality, and can
      differentiate them from normal subjects.

PMID- 28348657
TI  - Ultra-Sensitive C-Reactive Protein (US-CRP) in Patients With Periodontal Disease
      and Risk of Acute Myocardial Infarction.
AB  - BACKGROUND: The purpose of this study was to determine if the US-CRP values
      associated with periodontal disease are risk markers for Acute Myocardial
      Infarction (AMI) and to determine if the US-CRP levels associated with recent AMI
      are higher in patients with Periodontal disease. METHODS: In order to meet the
      goal of the study, a case control study design was conducted. The analysis sample
      consisted of 401 adults (30 - 75 years old), living in Bogota D.C., Colombia,
      from the Hospital Universitario San Ignacio, the Faculty of Dentistry at the
      Pontificia Universidad Javeriana, and the Fundacion Cardio Infantil. Patients
      with current infections, antibiotic use in the last 3 months, periodontal
      treatment at least six months before the baseline of this study, mouth
      ulcerations caused by any type of prosthesis, candidiasis, stomatitis, or less
      than 7 teeth in mouth were excluded. Periodontal examination for the case group
      and the control group was conducted by three previously calibrated examiners.
      Periodontal disease was diagnosed by the presence of bleeding on probing and
      attachment loss. The Chronic Periodontitis diagnosis was confirmed with these
      clinical signs, according to the 1999 Armitage classification. The assessment of
      the US-CRP was performed using the IMMULITE method containing one monoclonal and
      one polyclonal anti-CRP antibody. This method provides a measurement range of 0.1
      - 500 mg/L. Statistical analysis of variables was performed with OR and
      confidence intervals. A multivariate analysis was performed to determine the
      association between the US-CRP increase, periodontal disease and acute myocardial
      infarction, adjusting for smoking and other confounding factors identified in the
      analysis. RESULTS: The study population was constituted by 401 patients, 56.1%
      (225) males, with a mean age of 52.6. When groups were compared it was observed
      that, in those patients with AMI and chronic severe or moderate periodontitis,
      24.2% had HDL-C values lower than 40 mg/dl, 78.8% had LDL-C values higher than
      100 mg/dl, 55.2% had triglycerides over 150 mg/dl, and US-CRP over 2 mg/L in
      53.3%. CONCLUSIONS: Periodontal disease (moderate, severe, and chronic
      periodontal disease) may increase the risk of Acute Myocardial Infarction (AMI)
      by increasing the US-CRP levels.

PMID- 28348658
TI  - Application of Mitral Annular Systolic Displacements and Velocities for the
      Evaluation of Left Ventricular Systolic Function and Reserve.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Mitral annular systolic displacement from M-mode echocardiography and
      velocity from tissue Doppler imaging reflect subendocardial longitudinal systolic
      LV performance and may precede radial abnormalities. The aim of this study is to
      evaluate the utility of mitral annular systolic displacement (D) and velocity (V)
      during dobutamine stress echocardiography (DSE) in detecting left ventricular
      (LV) functional reserve and wall motion abnormality (WMA). METHODS AND RESULTS:
      Fifty-nine subjects, 15 with resting WMA, underwent DSE and measurement of mitral
      systolic (D) and (V) before and immediately after DSE. Annular septal (D) was
      lower in those with WMA than in those without, at rest 10.5 +/- 4 cm versus 13.2
      +/- 2 cm, p = 0.015, and after DSE, 11.7 +/- 3.8 cm versus 14 +/- 2.25 cm, p =
      0.036, but without significant change after stress. Annular systolic (V) at rest
      with WMA was 9.7 +/- 1.8 cm/sec and similar to those without, 11.25 +/- 2.7
      cm/sec. In both groups the velocity increased after DSE, 14.5 +/- 4.5 cm/sec, p =
      0.025 with WMA and 17.8 +/- 3.2 cm/sec, p = 1.99 x 10-10 in those without WMA.
      Velocities after DSE were lower in those with WMA, p = 2.25 x 10-6. CONCLUSIONS:
      To evaluate LV systolic performance mitral annular systolic longitudinal
      displacement is valuable at rest, but for assessment of LV functional reserve
      after stress velocities are better.

PMID- 28348659
TI  - Acute ST Elevation Myocardial Infarction in Patients With Immune Thrombocytopenia
      Purpura: A Case Report.
AB  - Acute myocardial infarction (AMI) in patients with immune thrombocytopenic
      purpura (ITP) is rare. We describe a case of AMI in patient with ITP. An 81-year
      old woman presented with acute inferoposterior MI with low platelet count on
      admission (34,000/ul). Coronary angiography revealed significant mid right
      coronary artery (RCA) stenosis with thrombus, subsequently underwent successful
      percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). In some patients with immune
      thrombocytopenia purpura and acute myocardial infarction, percutaneous coronary
      intervention is a therapeutic option.

PMID- 28348660
TI  - The Electrocardiogram of an ER Patient With Chest Pain.
AB  - The electrocardiogram (ECG) is an essential investigation in the evaluation of
      chest pain in the emergency room (ER). Correct interpretation of the ECG
      findings, determines the diagnosis and management strategy. This ECG spot
      diagnosis will improve the skills of the residents and physicians working in ER.

PMID- 28348661
TI  - Right Ventricle Failure in Sepsis: A Case Report.
AB  - Sepsis could produce myocardial depression and typically it affects the left
      ventricle (LV). Sepsis could also affect right ventricle (RV), in addition to the
      interdependence with LV. RV pressure may be elevated secondary to pulmonary
      vasoconstriction, leading to RV dysfunction. Unlike LV, RV is poorly prepared to
      compensate for acute overload. Aggressive volume replacement may be vital to
      maintain RV function, but excess hydration can cause RV dilation, decreased LV
      diastolic filling, and reduced cardiac output. In patients having signs of
      inadequate cardiac output even after initial volume resuscitation, RV function
      should be assessed with echocardiogram. If RV dysfunction is noted, then fluid
      therapy should be guided by CVP measurements. If cardiac output increases with
      increasing CVP, maintaining higher filling pressures on the right side is
      indicated. On the other hand, increasing CVP with worsening of the cardiac output
      could worsen the RV dysfunction. In addition to the fluid management, treatment
      of other reversible causes like acidosis and hypoxia is also a key.

PMID- 28348662
TI  - Use of Bioimpedance to Assess Changes in Hemodynamics During Acute Administration
      of CPAP.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Attempts to investigate the mechanisms by which continuous positive
      airway pressure (CPAP) therapy improves heart function in patients with
      obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) have been limited by the lack of non-invasive
      methods to assess cardiac performance. We used transthoracic electrical
      bioimpedance (TEB) to assess acute hemodynamic changes including heart rate (HR),
      stroke volume (SV), cardiac output (CO) and cardiac index (CI) during PAP
      titration in (1) post-operative cardiac surgery patients, (2) patients with
      severe OSA, and (3) normal healthy volunteers. METHODS: Post-operative cardiac
      surgery patients were studied via TEB and pulmonary artery catheter (PAC) during
      acute titration of positive end-expiratory pressure (PEEP) while mechanically
      ventilated. Patients with severe OSA were studied non-invasively by TEB during
      acute CPAP titration in supine stage 2 sleep, and normal subjects while awake and
      recumbent. RESULTS: In post-operative cardiac surgery patients (n = 3),
      increasing PEEP to 18 cmH2O significantly reduced SV and CI relative to baseline.
      There was no difference between TEB and PAC in terms of ability to assess
      variations in hemodynamic parameters. In patients with severe OSA (n = 3), CPAP
      titration to optimal pressure to alleviate obstructive apneas reduced HR, SV, CO
      and CI significantly compared to without CPAP. In three healthy subjects, maximal
      tolerated CPAP reduced SV and CO significantly compared to baseline. CONCLUSIONS:
      Acute administration of CPAP causes a decrease in CO and CI, apparently a
      consequence of a reduction in SV. TEB appears to be an accurate and reproducible
      non-invasive method of detecting changes in hemodynamics.

PMID- 28348663
TI  - The Acute Impact of Smoking One Cigarette on Cardiac Hemodynamic Parameters.
AB  - BACKGROUND: The acute impact of tobacco smoking on the cardiac hemodynamic
      parameters and its pathological implication in the process of arterial
      atherosclerosis need further exploration. This investigation was purposed to
      assess the acute impact of tobacco smoke on blood pressure and cardiac
      hemodynamic parameters. METHODS: Using an Ultrasonic Cardiac Output Monitor, and
      DINAMAP Pro 400 Series V2 blood pressure monitor, several cardiac hemodynamic
      parameters and the blood pressure were assessed in 14 smokers, 11 females and 3
      males, at 2 time points, before and after smoking of one cigarette. Data, in
      terms of ratio of the means and 95% confidence interval were analyzed using
      ANOVA. RESULTS: Single-subject design in which the subject has served as his/her
      own control has been used. Tobacco smoking led to statistically significant acute
      increase in the means of all hemodynamic parameters, except for heart rate in
      female subjects, as compared to the means obtained before smoking. CONCLUSIONS:
      Cigarette smoking induces acute non-physiologic alteration in cardiac outflow
      forces, exposing the aortic valve and arch to mechanical injury that might be
      implicated in initiating and promoting the process of aortic arch atherosclerosis
      and associated pathological lesions.

PMID- 28348664
TI  - Upper Digestive Bleeding in Atrial Fibrillation: Evaluation of Gastroscopy Prior
      to Oral Anticoagulant Therapy (GOAT), Prospective, Randomized, Double Blind Study
      on a Community Population.
AB  - BACKGROUND: The aim of this study was to investigate the incidence of digestive
      hemorrhages in patients with non-valvular atrial fibrillation (NVAF), scheduled
      for oral anticoagulant therapy. METHODS: We conducted, over 24 months, a
      prospective, randomized, population-based observational study on consecutive
      patients with recurrent paroxysmal, persistent, or permanent NVAF, scheduled for
      oral anticoagulant therapy. The study initially included 268 patients with NVAF
      (162 males and 106 females) with a mean age of 74 years (range 42-86 years).
      Patients were split into two groups: those undergoing preventive Esophago-Gastro
      Duodenoscopy (EGD) (Group A) and those who did not (Group B). All patients
      positive by EGD underwent medical treatment and subsequent 30-day endoscopic
      controls showed complete healing. The primary outcome of the study was to
      determine if previous EGD in patients with NVAF resulted in a low risk of
      bleeding during oral anticoagulant therapy. The two groups were comparable for
      most variables. RESULTS: Significant differences were found between groups for
      the incidence of antiarrhythmic drugs and for early hemorrhage (P <0.001). The
      incidences of early hemorrhages were significantly different between the two
      groups with 12 in group B (12%) and 2 in group A (1.7%). CONCLUSIONS: Preventive
      EGD can identify hidden digestive diseases, which may increase the incidence of
      early hemorrhages.

PMID- 28348665
TI  - Alteration of Time Intervals in Patients With Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy During
      an Exercise Echocardiography.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) is often associated with diastolic
      dysfunction. Theoretically, a more marked alteration of diastolic function is
      revealed during exercise. METHODS AND RESULTS: We studied 84 persons: 1) 25
      patients with HCM, 2) 25 patients with essential arterial hypertension (AH) and
      3) 34 healthy controls. Each person performed a treadmill echocardiography.
      Before and after work, the following parameters were measured: the time interval
      between the QRS complex and the onset of mitral early diastolic filling velocity
      (TE), the interval between the QRS complex and the onset of peak early tissue
      mitral annular velocity (Te'), the isovolumetric relaxation time over the
      difference of TE and Te' ratio (IVRT/(TE-Te')), and changes of the time
      parameters during the stress test. In comparison with hypertensive and control
      groups, HCM patients at rest showed a significantly longer TE (448 +/- 55 vs. 423
      +/- 33 vs. 417 +/- 24 ms, P < 0.04) and Te' (446 +/- 48 vs. 403 +/- 44 vs. 416 +/
      38 ms, P < 0.003). After stress the HCM group had a longer Te' (355 +/- 59 vs.
      299 +/- 40 vs. 292 +/- 30 ms, P < 0.000004) and a higher IVRT/(TE-Te') ratio (3.1
      +/- 1.5 vs. 0.9 +/- 2.4 vs. 1.7 +/- 1.2, P < 0.002). CONCLUSIONS: HCM patients
      show an alteration in the time parameters not only compared to healthy persons
      but to hypertensive patients as well.

PMID- 28348666
TI  - Does the Cardiologist Have a Key Role in Long-Term Management of Hypertension?
AB  - BACKGROUND: Hypertension is a widespread chronic condition which is usually
      treated with hypertensive drugs. However, 50% of hypertensive patients do not
      achieve control of their blood pressure below the standard target of 140/90 mmHg
      when treated with a single antihypertensive drug. Generally, hypertension
      specialists have a key role in managing hypertensive patients. METHODS: A
      retrospective case note review based on observations made in a cardiological
      outpatient clinic in Germany was carried out to assess whether the recommendation
      given by hypertension specialists were followed. The aim was to lower the blood
      pressure to < 130/85 mmHg over a period of six months by administering the new
      antihypertensive drug Zaneril(r) (lercanidipine/enalapril). Twenty-four hour
      blood pressure profiles were monitored a fortnight and six months later. RESULTS:
      Of the 130 patients, whose average blood pressure was 163/87 mmHg before
      receiving hypertensive treatment, only 44 (34%) were still on Zaneril(r) therapy
      six months later. Eighty-four patients (65%) did not turn up for follow-up
      examinations. The blood pressure of patients who were under Zaneril(r) therapy
      for the whole six months was better adjusted than that of patients who changed
      their treatment in the meantime (133/78 mmHg vs. 139/80 mmHg). CONCLUSIONS:
      Specialists have only little influence on the long-term therapy of hypertensive
      patients.

PMID- 28348667
TI  - Takotsubo Cardiomyopathy: A Cardiac Syndrome Mimicking Acute Myocardial
      Infarction in a Liver Transplant Recipient.
AB  - Takotsubo cardiomyopathy (TTC) is a rare clinical syndrome defined as a profound
      but reversible left ventricular dysfunction in the absence of coronary artery
      disease. We describe the clinical features and management of TC manifesting in
      the postoperative period in a patient undergoing liver transplantation. Two days
      after surgery, the patient developed clinical features of acute myocardial
      infarction. Ecochardiography revealed hypokinesis of the left ventricle. Coronary
      angiography revealed normal arteries without any stenosis or obstruction. The
      patient required vasopressor and inotropic support. The placement of intra-aortic
      balloon pump had a beneficial effect on the management of heart failure. The
      patient had a complete recovery of cardiac function 40 days after surgery. TC is
      a possible occurrence after liver transplant. Awareness of this condition is
      essential as early diagnosis and prompt management can save the patient's life.

PMID- 28348668
TI  - Prolonged Respiratory Failure Following Acute Myocardial Infarction: A Case
      Report.
AB  - We have recently treated a case of acute anterior wall myocardial infarction who
      developed prolonged respiratory failure. The clinical details and possible
      mechanism are discussed.

PMID- 28348669
TI  - Transesophageal Echocardiographic Diagnosis and Management of Circumflex Artery
      Injury Following Mitral Valve Repair.
AB  - A 16-year-old woman with severe mitral regurgitation as a result of rheumatic
      heart disease underwent mitral valve repair with posterior mitral annuloplasty.
      ST elevation was observed in leads II, III and aVF after weaning from
      cardiopulmonary bypass. On transesophageal echocardiography, the stenosis of the
      circumflex artery was suggested by a modified midesophageal long axis. Since the
      patient was hemodynamically unstable, an emergency coronary angiography could not
      be considered. An urgent cardiopulmonary bypass was re-instituted; the first two
      sutures in the P1 region of the posterior mitral annulus were translocated more
      superficially. Transesophageal echocardiography revealed good opening of the
      circumflex artery and improvement in regional wall motion abnormality following
      the corrected procedure.

PMID- 28348670
TI  - Incidental Finding of Cor Triatriatum Sinister in an Asymptomatic Woman With
      Ankylosing Spondylitis.
AB  - We present a 24-year-old woman with symptoms of backache, acute peripheral
      arthritis, joint swelling, and erythema, diagnosed with ankylosing spondylitis
      (AS) and determined to have cor triatriatum sinister (CTS) without cardiac
      symptoms. On physical examination, the patient had a rythmic S1 with a loud
      pulmonic component to her S2 and a grade 2/6 systolic murmur along the left
      sternal edge. Pulmonary examination was normal. Also her left knee and left
      metacarpophalangeal joints were swollen. Chest radiography revealed a slight
      prominence of the pulmonary arteries. Her echocardiogram showed a normal left
      ventricle and that the left atrium was divided into 2 distinct chambers by a
      membranous septum. In the left atrium, a moderately obstructive fibromuscular
      membrane was imaged, resulting in a transmembrane mean pressure gradient of 6 mm
      Hg. Pulmonary artery pressure was increased (peak systolic pulmonary pressure: 44
      mm Hg). There was also mild mitral regurgitation and the atrial septum was
      intact. Cardiac MRI demonstrated CTS. Cardiovascular involvement is a common
      finding in patients with AS. Thus, careful cardiac evaluation appears to be
      mandatory in all cases of AS. Our case may be interesting in that to the best of
      our knowledge, AS with CTS has not been previously reported. Also a patient with
      CTS who has no cardiac symptoms is a very rare occurrence in the literature.

PMID- 28348671
TI  - Basic Concepts in Metastatic Cardiac Disease.
AB  - The involvement of the heart in metastatic cancer is a rare clinical diagnosis,
      as it may be asymptomatic or symptoms, when present, may be attributed to other
      causes. Issues regarding incidence, intracardiac location, clinical presentation,
      diagnosis and treatment of metastatic cardiac tumors will be discussed here.

PMID- 28348672
TI  - Percutaneous Closure of the Left Atrial Appendage in Atrial Fibrillation, Second
      Thoughts?
AB  - Life expectancy of the population is steadily increasing world wide.
      Consequently, the incidence and ultimately the prevalence of atrial fibrillation
      (AF) and it's sequelae will be rising proportionately. It is estimated that 3-5%
      of persons above 65 years of age have chronic AF, 30% of which will suffer at
      least one stroke. On the other hand, chronic AF is responsible for about 20% of
      all cerebrovascular accidents. Predictors of stroke in AF have been defined by
      the CHADS2 score, and in these patients, oral anticoagulation has been the
      cornerstone of thromboembolic disease prevention. Because elderly patients have
      an increased risk of bleeding complications even under the newer antagonists of
      Factor Xa and direct Thrombin inhibitors, percutaneous occlusion of the left
      atrial appendage (LAA) as the main thrombogenic source offers an attractive
      alternative to permanent anticoagulation. This promising new therapeutic approach
      is put into clinical real world perspective.

PMID- 28348673
TI  - Treating Refractory Cardiogenic Shock With the TandemHeart and Impella Devices: A
      Single Center Experience.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Patients with cardiogenic shock (CS) are routinely treated with intra
      aortic balloon pumps (IABPs). The utility of 2 new percutaneous left ventricular
      assist devices (PLVADs), the Impella and TandemHeart, is unknown. The objective
      of this study was to describe the use of PLVADs for patients with CS at our
      institution. METHODS: All cases involving PLVADs in patients with CS between
      between January 1, 2008 and June 30, 2010 at a private, tertiary referral
      hospital were reviewed retrospectively. RESULTS: All 76 cases were identified (50
      IABP only, 7 Impella, 19 TandemHeart). Most Impella (5/7) and TandemHeart (10/19)
      patients were initially treated with an IABP before "upgrading" for increased
      hemodynamic support. All 76 devices (100%) were initiated successfully.
      Percutaneous revascularization was attempted in 63 patients with angiographic
      success in 57 (90%). The incidences of major complications were similar between
      groups, except bleeding occurred less frequently with the IABP. Mean ejection
      fraction on presentation was 30.4+/-16.5% and increased by a mean of 6.6+/-11.4%
      (P < 0.001). With the institutional approach of treating patients with CS
      initially with vasopressors and IABPs, then upgrading to an Impella or
      TandemHeart device for patients refractory to IABP therapy, the overall mortality
      rate was 40%. CONCLUSION: The Impella and TandemHeart devices can be initiated
      successfully in patients with CS, are associated with high rates of angiographic
      success during high risk percutaneous interventions and may benefit the
      myocardium during myocardial infarction. Randomized trials are warranted
      investigating use of the Impella and TandemHeart devices in patients with CS and
      in patients refractory to conventional IABP therapy.

PMID- 28348674
TI  - Clopidogrel Therapy Discontinuation Following Drug Eluting Stent Implantation in
      Real World Practice in Israel.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Incidence and predictors of clopidogrel discontinuation after drug
      eluting stent (DES) implantation, in real world practice, are poorly known.
      METHODS: Prospective study included all patients who underwent implantation of at
      least one DES between February 2006 and January 2007. Predictors of clopidogrel
      discontinuation were assessed by a multivariable analysis. RESULTS: In 269
      patients, mean period for clopidogrel therapy was 13.2 +/- 7.2 month. Twenty
      eight patients (10.4%) discontinued clolopidogrel prematurely (< 3 months). Early
      clopidogrel discontinuation was a predictor of late stent thrombosis (P = 0.005)
      and urgent target vessel revascularization (P = 0.05). There was a trend for
      higher cardiac mortality among that group (P = 0.07). By 12 months, 173 patients
      (64.3%) have discontinued clopidogrel therapy. The most frequent circumstance to
      stop clopidogrel before 12 months was recommendation of family physician.
      Patients that were followed by cardiologist were more encouraged to longer
      clopidogrel therapy. In multivariable analysis being non Jew (OR 19.2, 95% CI 2.4
      to 142, P = 0.005), not followed by cardiologist (OR 4.7, 95% CI 1 to 23.1, P =
      0.05) and lack of information regarding the importance of clopidogrel maintenance
      at discharge from hospital (OR 10.8, 95% CI 2.7 to 42.9, P = 0.001) were
      independent predictors of early clopidogrel discontinuation. CONCLUSIONS:
      Clopidogrel discontinuation, in real world practice is not unusual and related to
      poor outcome. Education for general physicians, clear instructions about the
      importance of antiplatelet maintenance at discharge and follow up by an expert
      cardiologist are opportunities to improve adherence do antiplatelet therapy
      following DES implantation.

PMID- 28348675
TI  - Quality Assessment in Dobutamine Stress Echocardiography: What are the Clinical
      Predictors Associated With a Non-Diagnostic Test?
AB  - BACKGROUND: Non-diagnostic dobutamine stress echocardiography (ndDSE, failure to
      achieve 85% of maximal predicted heart rate (HR) without evidence of inducible
      ischemia) is an important limitation affecting quality of DSE testing. The
      objectives of this study were to identify the clinical variables associated with
      a non-diagnostic Dobutamine Stress Echocardiogram (ndDSE) and further evaluate
      the patterns of subsequent testing for myocardial ischemia. METHODS: Consecutive
      DSE's over a 17 month period (January 2008 to June 2009) were studied. Baseline
      demographics, medical history, and vital signs were collected. Subsequent testing
      was determined for up to 6 months after the initial DSE. Univariate and
      multivariate logistic regression analysis was performed to identify clinical
      factors associated with ndDSE. RESULTS: Of 467 total DSE, 314 (67%) were negative
      for ischemia, 69 (15%) were positive, and 84 (18%) were ndDSE. Of those
      recommended for further nuclear MPI testing 12 (14%) had an ndDSE compared to 16
      (4%) patients with a diagnostic DSE (P = 0.001). Fifty percent of the ndDSE
      nuclear MPI tests were positive for ischemia. In the univariate analysis,
      Diabetes Mellitus (DM; P = 0.003), calcium channel antagonist (CCA) use (P =
      0.047), Hypertension (HTN; P = 0.06), low baseline HR (P < 0.001), and younger
      age group (P = 0.02) were predictive of ndDSE. Of these, all except CCA use
      remained independent predictors of ndDSE in multivariate analysis. A 4 variable
      model for predicting ndDSE was developed from the multivariate logistic
      regression displayed in Table 1 (age and baseline HR were categorized and scored
      0-2; DM and HTN were scored as 0 (absent) or 1 (present)). Figure 2 demonstrates
      how risk of ndDSE correlated with a higher score, with each increment having an
      odds ratio of 2.1 (P < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: DM, HTN, younger age, and lower
      baseline HR affect the quality of DSE testing, resulting in non-diagnostic tests.
      A model combining these factors can identify patients most likely to have this
      outcome. Identification of this cohort may improve referral patterns and improve
      the quality of stress testing.

PMID- 28348676
TI  - The Effects of Lowering Uric Acid Levels Using Allopurinol on Components of
      Metabolic Syndrome.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Researchers have reported an independent direct relationship between
      lipid levels and hyperuricemia with MetS. The purpose of this study was to
      determine the relationship between serum uric acid levels and lipids among
      patients on allopurinol. METHODS: A retrospective secondary data analysis was
      conducted on 66 adult patients from a family health clinic in Central Texas.
      Medical records used were recorded during a nine year period (2002 - 2010)
      ascertaining the relationship between uric acid and lipids. RESULTS: Spearman
      correlations revealed a weak correlation between uric acid and total cholesterol,
      a weak correlation between uric acid and triglycerides and LDL-C. A weak inverse
      correlation was discovered between uric acid and HDL-C. A moderate correlation
      was discovered when all lipid variables combined were compared to uric acid.
      CONCLUSIONS: We discovered LDL-C and triglycerides to be significant predictors
      of uric acid with weak correlations. Additionally, weak correlations existed
      between uric acid and total cholesterol and HDL-C with an inverse relationship
      discovered with HDL-C. These findings support the literature suggesting that uric
      acid is more likely to be associated with total cholesterol and triglycerides. In
      addition, new discoveries serve as an indication that LDL-C may also be
      associated with uric acids levels. The mechanism by which uric acid may regulate
      lipids is elusive but suggestions have included suppression of lipid peroxidase
      and decreases in critical lipase activity.

PMID- 28348677
TI  - Smoking was a Possible Negative Predictor of Incident Hypertension After a Five
      Year Follow-up Among a General Japanese Population.
AB  - BACKGROUNDS: The association between cigarette smoking and hypertension is
      controversial. The aim of this study is to investigate the association between
      smoking and incident hypertension. METHODS: This is a post-hoc five-year follow
      up study in a general Japanese population. Logistic regressions were performed
      using incident hypertension as an outcome and smoking status as an independent
      predictor adjusting for sex, age, body mass index (BMI), total cholesterol, high
      density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol, triglycerides, fasting plasma glucose
      (FPG), drinking status, and diabetes in 1,297 subjects without hypertension at
      baseline. RESULTS: The incidence of hypertension was 16.9% vs. 27.6% (smokers vs.
      nonsmokers, P = 0.01) in men and 0.0% vs. 16.9% (smokers vs. nonsmokers, P =
      0.03) in women. The odds ratio (OR) (95% confidence interval (CI)) of incident
      hypertension was 0.38 (0.19 - 0.76) (P = 0.006) for smokers at baseline, 0.33
      (0.16 - 0.68) (P = 0.003) for continuing smokers, and 2.11 (0.33 - 13.45) (P =
      0.4) for ex-smokers. Age (OR = 1.52, P < 0.0001), BMI (OR = 1.46, P < 0.0001),
      and FPG (OR = 1.23, P = 0.007) were other independent predictors of incident
      hypertension. CONCLUSIONS: Smoking was a possible significant negative predictor
      of incident hypertension in a general Japanese population.

PMID- 28348678
TI  - A Type A Aortic Dissection Mimicking an Acute Myocardial Infarction.
AB  - We describe a case of a 54 years old man in whom an initial diagnosis of acute
      coronary syndrome (ACS) revealed to be finally an acute aortic dissection. This
      case report stresses the importance to maintain a high grade of suspicion of
      aortic dissection as a possible alternative in presence of eletrocardiographic
      myocardial ischemic signs. In many medical centers where thrombolitic therapy,
      antiplatelets receptor blockers, heparin or percutaneous coronary angioplasty is
      the first line therapy for ACS the outcome may be catastrophic in situation such
      as aortic dissection.

PMID- 28348679
TI  - Aliskiren in Patients Failing to Achieve Blood Pressure Targets With Angiotensin
      Converting Enzyme Inhibitors or Angiotensin Receptor Blockers.
AB  - BACKGROUND: To assess the efficacy of aliskiren in patients failing to reach
      blood pressure (BP) goals with angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitor (ACEI) or
      angiotensin receptor blocker (ARB). METHODS: A total of 107 patients who failed
      to reach BP goals on ACEI or ARB were switched to aliskiren. Changes in BP were
      determined during maximal ACEI, ARB, or aliskiren therapy. RESULTS: Mean
      reduction in sBP and dBP with ACEI was 8.5 +/- 6.3 mmHg and 6.0 +/- 4.7 mmHg,
      respectively. Mean reduction in sBP and dBP with ARB was 8.3 +/- 6.7 mmHg and 5.0
      +/- 5.2 mmHg, respectively. Mean reduction in sBP and dBP with aliskiren 150 mg/d
      was 6.7 +/- 5.4 mmHg and 5.4 +/- 4.8 mmHg, respectively. Mean reduction in sBP
      and dBP with aliskiren 300 mg/d was 8.6 +/- 6.3 mmHg and 6.0 +/- 4.9 mmHg,
      respectively. BP reductions between ACEI, ARB, and aliskiren were not
      significantly different. CONCLUSIONS: Aliskiren is ineffective in patients
      failing ACEI or ARB therapy. Given the label changes restricting the use of
      aliskiren in combination with ACEI and ARB, excess cost compared to ACEI and ARB,
      and a paucity of outcome data, there is a limited role for aliskiren in practice.

PMID- 28348680
TI  - The Duration of Impella 2.5 Circulatory Support and Length of Hospital Stay of
      Patients Undergoing High-risk Percutaneous Coronary Interventions.
AB  - BACKGROUND: To evaluate the impact of duration of Impella 2.5 support (Abiomed,
      Danvers, MA) on hospitalization of patients after high-risk percutaneous coronary
      intervention (PCI). There has been a continuous increase in prevalence of
      coronary artery disease with more patients needing PCI during acute myocardial
      infarction. Some of these patients have to undergo high-risk revascularization
      with circulatory support like the Impella 2.5 device. METHODS: This study was a
      single center retrospective study of patients admitted to our hospital who
      required Impella circulatory support during percutaneous coronary intervention.
      Patients' medical records, cardiac catheterization laboratory and 2-D
      echocardiography reports were reviewed to ascertain left ventricular ejection
      fraction, duration of Impella support, Coronary Care Unit (CCU) days and the
      length of stay in the hospital. A P-value of <= 0.05 was considered statistically
      significant. RESULTS: Over a 15-month period, we had 25 patients with 19 males
      and 6 females. Mean age of the patient cohort was 68 +/- 10 years. Mean LVEF of
      the group was 32 +/- 16%. Mean length of hospital stay was 8 +/- 8 days and mean
      CCU stay was 4 +/- 4 days. The Impella was successfully inserted in all cases
      with a median duration of support of 70 minutes (range, 4 - 5760 minutes).
      Bleeding complication occurred in 8%. Spearman's rank correlation coefficient
      between the duration of Impella support and hospital stay was 0.49 (P = 0.023)
      while it was 0.71 (P = 0.001) between Impella support duration and CCU days.
      CONCLUSIONS: Our study suggests that there is a positive correlation between the
      duration of Impella 2.5 circulatory support and hospital stay and/or CCU days.
      The correlation seems to be stronger with CCU days.

PMID- 28348681
TI  - Adjunctive Pharmacotherapy for Elective Direct Current Cardioversion in Patients
      With Atrial Fibrillation.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Direct current cardioversion (DCCV) can restore sinus rhythm in
      patients with atrial fibrillation (AF), but the long term efficacy is poor.
      Pharmacological therapies may improve the initial success of the procedure, but
      whether long term maintenance of sinus rhythm can be improved is unclear. The aim
      of this study was to evaluate which pharmacotherapies, including antiarrhythmic
      and renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system (RAAS) inhibiting drugs, most
      successfully promotes sinus rhythm after elective DCCV in unselected patients
      with atrial fibrillation. METHODS: A retrospective cohort was to study of AF
      patients attending or DCCV between Jan 2010 and Feb 2012. The data were analysed
      using multivariate logistical regression models. Initial success of DCCV was the
      dependent variable in the first analysis. Maintenance of sinus rhythm at follow
      up was the dependent variable in the second analysis. RESULTS: One hundred and
      thirty patients were included in the first analysis, and 71 patients were
      included in the second analysis. The only association observed was a positive
      association between flecainide and an increased odds of maintaining sinus rhythm
      at follow up (OR 2.14, SE +/- 0.93, P = 0.02) .Other antiarrhythmic drugs and
      RAAS inhibiting drugs had no association with an increased odds of successful
      DCCV or maintenance of sinus rhythm thereafter. CONCLUSIONS: This is the first
      study to demonstrate an association between flecainide and a increased odds of
      maintaining sinus rhythm after DCCV in the long term. This warrants further
      research, and should be taken into account when choosing adjunctive
      antiarrhythmic therapy for elective DCCV for AF.

PMID- 28348682
TI  - Depressed Exercise Peak Ejection Rate Detected on Ambulatory Radionuclide
      Monitoring Reflects End-Stage Cardiac Inotropic Reserve and Predicts Mortality in
      Ischaemic Cardiomyopathy.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Fifteen patients with ischaemic cardiomyopathy and inducible
      ischaemia were studied to determine the mechanisms of mortality. Failure of the
      contractile reserve during daily life activities may reflect a prognostic index.
      METHODS: Single photon emission cardiac tomography and radionuclide ambulatory
      monitoring (Vest) data were analysed in all patients with a 7-year follow-up.
      RESULTS: At peak exercise on Vest, the 7 non-survivors (N-SURV) showed worse peak
      ejection rates (PERs) and ejection fractions (EFs) compared with the 8 survivors
      (SURV), (2 +/- 0.6 vs. 3.3 +/- 0.7; end-diastolic volumes (EDVs), P < 0.003), and
      (34 +/- 10% vs. 50 +/- 13%; P < 0.02), respectively. However, exercise peak
      filling rates (PFRs) (1.9 +/- 0.6 vs. 2.7 +/- 0.9; EDVs/s) and exercise heart
      rates (HRs), (97 +/- 17 vs. 106 +/- 10), did not differ between the two groups (P
      > 0.05). In SURV, exercise PERs, which represented rapid left ventricular (LV)
      emptying, were significantly correlated with exercise PFRs, representing rapid LV
      filling, (r = 0.71, P < 0.04) but not in N-SURV (r = 0.66, P > 0.05). Among SURV,
      the Frank-Starling mechanism was thus preserved but not in N-SURV. Upon Cox
      analysis, overall LV function parameters, exercise PER was the only predictive
      measure associated with mortality (b = - 0.018, relative hazard ratio = 0.98, P =
      0.02). CONCLUSIONS: Exercise PER reduced values reflected failure of the Frank
      Starling mechanism, the incapacity of the heart to perform rapid contractile
      adaptations to daily life activities and a poor prognosis.

PMID- 28348684
TI  - Endothelial Function and Carotid Intimal Medial Thickness in Asymptomatic
      Subjects With and Without Cardiovascular Risk Factors.
AB  - BACKGROUND: The study was performed to assess endothelial function and carotid
      intimal-medial thickness (IMT) in asymptomatic patients, with and without risk
      factors for cardiovascular disease. METHODS: A cross sectional survey of
      asymptomatic patients, aged 21 - 60 years, with and without risk factors for
      cardiovascular disease was recruited from the outpatient department of
      Cardiology. Endothelial function was evaluated by flow mediated dilatation (FMD)
      of the brachial artery and carotid IMT was determined using a high resolution B
      mode ultrasonography system. RESULTS: A total of 104 patients were included in
      the study. The mean carotid IMT was 0.67 +/- 0.05 mm in the group without risk
      factors and 0.78 +/- 0.12 mm in the group with risk factors (P value < 0.05).
      Endothelial dysfunction (ED) and increased carotid IMT were more significant in
      the group with risk factors (P value < 0.001). Age, total cholesterol, LDL
      cholesterol, HDL cholesterol, triglycerides, blood pressure, body mass index and
      HbA1c had a significant correlation with both IMT and FMD response. A higher
      proportion of subjects with diabetes mellitus (87%), metabolic syndrome (86%) and
      family history of premature coronary artery disease (78%) had ED. In subjects
      with normal coronary angiogram, 71% had abnormal FMD response and 36% had
      increased carotid IMT. CONCLUSION: In asymptomatic subjects, risk factors for
      cardiovascular disease are significantly associated with objective evidence of ED
      and increased carotid IMT. FMD response and carotid IMT values are likely to
      yield additional information beyond traditional risk factors for classifying
      patients in regard to the likelihood of cardiovascular event. Therapeutic
      measures with the aim of improving endothelial function and reducing carotid IMT
      may reduce the burden of cardiovascular disease.

PMID- 28348683
TI  - Assessment of Cardiovascular Risk Factors Among University Students: The Gender
      Factor.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Evidence indicates that the pathophysiological process of
      cardiovascular (CV) disease begins at early age, though the manifestations of the
      disease do not appear until middle age adulthood. Risk factors for CV disease,
      particularly lipoprotein profiles, are affected by physiological abnormalities,
      and lifestyle related issues. To evaluate prevalence of CV diseases risk factors
      among university students and to investigate relation between number of risk
      factors and body anthropometric, hematological and biochemical indices
      parameters. METHODS: In this cross sectional study, 348 students were randomly
      recruited. Blood glucose, cholesterol profile (total, HDL, and LDL cholesterol),
      and triglyceride were measured using standard protocols. Physical activity (PA)
      level was assessed using the short-form Arabic version of the International
      Physical Activity Questionnaires (IPAQ). RESULTS: The most commonly encountered
      CV disease risk factor was low levels of HDL-C, followed by physical inactivity,
      high levels TG, and obese BMI. When stratified by gender, females were less
      likely to have low HDL-C, and high TG, whereas, males were more likely to have
      overweight or obese BMI (P < 0.001). About 49% of the participants had at least
      one CV disease risk factor, where as the prevalence of having one, two and three
      or more CV disease risk factors were 35.7%, 9.3% and 4%, respectively.
      Additionally, the number of CV disease risk factors showed strong positive
      correlation with increases in body fat and bone percentages, glucose, total
      cholesterol, TG, LDL-C, BMI, and WHR (range of R2: 0.17 to 0.603). On the other
      hand, physical activity, percentages of body water and muscle, HDL-C showed
      inverse strong correlation with cardiovascular risk factors (range of R2: -0.239
      to -0.412). CONCLUSIONS: Results indicate the high prevalence of CV disease risk
      factors among university students, and stress the need for early intervention
      programs to counteract these risks.

PMID- 28348685
TI  - Incidental Finding of Malpositioned Pacing Lead in the Left Ventricle in a
      Patient With Subacute Subdural Hematoma.
AB  - Malposition of the right ventricular lead into the left ventricle is an unusual
      complication of challenging management. We report a case of an elderly woman with
      a dual chamber permanent pacemaker implanted 2 months before admission because of
      high grade AV block, who presented to our institution with sub acute subdural
      hematoma along the left fronto-parietal area. Incidental ventricular pacemaker
      lead in the left ventricle was found on chest CT scan. The patient was not
      candidate for anticoagulation due to her recent subdural hematoma, hence a
      discussion about the risks of explantation of the pacemaker lead led to patient's
      lead extraction without any complication.

PMID- 28348686
TI  - Recent Toxoplasmosis Infection With Acute Myopericarditis and Persistent Troponin
      Elevation in an Immunocompetent Patient.
AB  - Although often considered as "begnin", acute infections in young healthy adults
      can lead to heart inflammation, including acute myocarditis. We report a rare
      case of myopericarditis in a young immunocompetent adult, in the context of
      recent toxoplasmosis infection. Clinical presentation was common acute
      pericarditis, but with risk biomarkers: high troponin I levels and multiple
      inflammation-compatible images on MR-scan. Diagnosis of myopericarditis was
      established. In spite of spontaneous favourable clinical evolution, troponin
      remained elevated. MR-scan is shown; acute myocarditis in the context of an acute
      toxoplasmosis infection is discussed.

PMID- 28348688
TI  - Seasonal Variations in Hospital Admissions for ST-Elevation Myocardial Infarction
      in New Zealand.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Increased numbers of ST Elevation Myocardial Infarction (STEMI)
      admissions have been observed during winter in many countries. Our aim was to
      assess if seasonal variation of STEMI was present in the Waikato region of New
      Zealand. METHODS: Case notes of patients admitted to Waikato hospital with STEMI
      between July 1998 and December 2007 were analysed. The incidence of STEMI during
      summer (December to February), autumn (March to May), winter (June to August) and
      spring (September to November) were calculated. The individuals were divided into
      2 age groups of <= 70 and > 70 years of age. RESULTS: A total of 3,569 patients
      (mean age 66.9 +/- 14.1 years, 64% men) were included. STEMI presentation during
      winter was significantly higher compared with summer (35 +/- 13 versus 27.3 +/-
      11.3 cases per month, P < 0.02) with 3 additional STEMI admissions per fortnight
      during winter months. The increase in STEMI in winter was more apparent in
      patients > 70 years of age, with an 8.5% increase in winter admissions compared
      to summer (P < 0.01). There was no significant difference in the incidence of
      STEMI between other seasons. CONCLUSION: There is a higher incidence of STEMI
      during winter in the Waikato region compared with summer. This increased
      incidence is particularly pronounced in patients over 70 years of age. Further
      investigations are necessary to elicit potential causes.

PMID- 28348687
TI  - Age- and Gender-Normalized Coronary Incidence and Mortality Risks in Primary and
      Secondary Prevention.
AB  - Epidemiologic differences in ischemic heart disease incidence between women and
      men remain largely unexplained. The reasons of women's "protection" against
      coronary artery disease (CAD) are not still clear. However, there are subsets
      more likely to die of a first myocardial infarction. The purpose of this review
      is to underline different treatment strategies between genders and describe the
      role of classical and novel factors defined to evaluate CAD risk and mortality,
      aimed at assessing applicability and relevance for primary and secondary
      prevention. Women and men present different age-related risk patterns: it should
      be important to understand whether standard factors may index CAD risk, including
      mortality, in different ways and/or whether specific factors might be targeted
      gender-wise. Take home messages include: HDL-cholesterol levels, higher in pre
      menopausal women than in men, are more strictly related to CAD. The same is true
      for high triglycerides and Lp(a). HDL-cholesterol levels are inversely related to
      incidence and mortality. In primary prevention the role of statins is not
      completely ascertained in women although in secondary prevention these agents are
      equally effective in both genders. Weight and glycemic control are effective to
      reduce cardiovascular disease (CVD) mortality in women from middle to older age.
      Blood pressure is strongly and directly related to CVD mortality, from middle to
      older age, particularly in diabetic and over weighted women. Kidney dysfunction,
      defined using UAE and eGFR predicts primary CVD incidence and risk in both
      genders. In secondary prediction, kidney dysfunction predicts sudden death in
      women in conjunction with left ventricular ejection fraction evaluation. Serum
      uric acid does not differentiate gender-related CVD incidences, although it
      increases with age. Age-related differences between genders have been related to
      loss of ovarian function traditionally and to lower iron stores more recently. QT
      interval, physiologically longer in women than men, may be an index of arrhythmic
      risk in patients with mitral valve prolapse and increased circulating levels of
      catecholamines. However, there are no large population-based studies to assess
      this. In conjunction with novel parameters, such as inflammatory markers and
      reproductive hormones, classical risk score in women may be implemented in the
      future.

PMID- 28348689
TI  - Clopidogrel Within Few Hours of Coronary Artery Bypass Grafting Does
      Significantly Increase the Risk of Bleeding.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Postoperative bleeding after coronary artery surgery is partly
      related to platelet dysfunction. The aim of this study was to evaluate the
      effects of a single loading dose of clopidogrel (300 mg) before coronary
      angiography on bleeding and use of blood and blood products after emergency
      coronary artery bypass surgery (CABG). METHODS: This is a nonrandomized
      observational prospective study between January, 2006 till December 2009, at a
      university hospital, we compare the results of a cohort of 65 patients who
      received 300 mg clopidogrel during coronary angiography that was followed by
      emergency CABG (group A or study group) to a cohort of 206 patients who underwent
      elective coronary artery bypass surgery during the same period by the same
      surgeons in whom clopidogrel was stopped 7 days before surgery (Group B or
      control group). Emergency surgery was done because of critical coronary anatomy
      or because of ongoing chest pain. All patients in the two groups were kept on 100
      mg of aspirin until the day of surgery. Outcome data used to compare the two
      groups, Chest tube drainage in first 12 hours (12 h), need for re-exploration and
      use of blood and blood product transfusion were prospectively collected. RESULTS:
      Postoperative bleeding, reoperation rates for bleeding and use of blood products
      are significantly more in those who received a loading dose of clopedogril within
      few hours of CABG (group A) compared to those who stopped clopedogril for a week
      before CABG. CONCLUSIONS: Preoperative 300 mg of clopidogrel is associated with
      significant increase in post operative bleeding, need for surgical exploration
      and use of blood and blood product transfusion after CABG.

PMID- 28348690
TI  - Relationship Between Brachial Artery Flow-Mediated Dilation, Carotid Artery
      Intima-Media Thickness and Coronary Flow Reserve in Patients With Coronary Artery
      Disease.
AB  - BACKGROUND: The aim of this study was to assess the relationship between brachial
      artery flow mediated dilation (FMD), carotid artery intima-media thickness (IMT)
      and coronary flow reserve (CFR) in patients with coronary artery disease (CAD).
      METHODS: Fifty patients with coronary artery disease, except left anterior
      descending artery (LAD), who showed no cardiac symptoms and 45 control subjects
      underwent assessment of brachial artery FMD, carotid artery intima-media
      thickness by high-resolution ultrasound. In addition, transthoracic second
      harmonic Doppler echocardiography was used to measure CFR. RESULTS: All of the
      parameters were found to be correlated with each other. CFR correlated with
      brachial artery FMD (r = 0.232, P < 0.05) and with carotid IMT (r = -0.403, P <
      0.001). Carotid IMT correlated with brachial artery FMD (r = -0.211, P < 0.05).
      CONCLUSION: Transthoracic CFR correlated with well-established noninvasive
      predictors of atherosclerosis and we suggest that it can be used as a surrogate
      for coronary atherosclerosis.

PMID- 28348691
TI  - Association Between High Serum Matrix Metalloproteinase-9 and MMP-9 (-1562C>T)
      Polymorphism in Patients With ST-Elevation Acute Myocardial Infarction.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Matrix metalloproteinase (MMP)-9 is excessively expressed in frail
      region of atherosclerotic plaque and released in circulation following plaque
      rupture. High MMP-9 level associated with severity of occluded thrombus and
      subsequent myocardial infarction. MMP-9 (-1562C>T) polymorphism associated with
      acute myocardial infarction, however conflicting data present regarding impact of
      MMP-9 (-1562C>T) polymorphism on circulating MMP-9 level in acute myocardial
      infarction with ST-elevation (STEMI), clinical entity represents totally occluded
      coronary thrombus. METHODS: We enrolled consecutively subjects with acute
      coronary syndrome treated in intensive coronary care unit. Acute coronary
      syndrome diagnosis were classified into STEMI and non-ST-elevation acute coronary
      syndrome (NSTEACS). Seventy consecutive subjects were enrolled for this study, 31
      subjects with STEMI and 39 subjects with NSTEACS. RESULTS: On admission serum MMP
      9 level, measured with sandwich enzyme immunoassay, were higher in STEMI as
      compared with NSTEACS (1,574.2 +/- 604.1 ng/mL vs. 1,104.4 +/- 591.5 ng/mL, P <
      0.01). Proportion of subjects with MMP-9 (-1562C>T) polymorphism, analyzed with
      PCR-RFLP, were higher in STEMI as compared with NSTEACS (66.7% vs. 33.3%, P =
      0.15). T allele frequency was almost twice in STEMI as compared to in NSTEACS.
      Almost all (83%) subjects with MMP-9 (-1562C>T) polymorphism had high serum MMP-9
      level (> 1,334.5 ng/mL) during STEMI, whereas in NSTEACS all subjects had low
      level. CONCLUSION: MMP-9 (-1562C>T) polymorphism associated with high serum MMP-9
      level in patients with STEMI.

PMID- 28348692
TI  - Externalized Conductor Cables in QuickSite Left Ventricular Pacing Lead and Riata
      Right Ventricular Lead in a Single Patient: A Common Problem With Silicone
      Insulation.
AB  - QuickSite (St Jude Medical, Sylmar, CA, USA) is a silicone and polyurethane
      insulated coronary sinus pacing lead. Riata lead (St Jude Medical, Sylmar, CA,
      USA) is a silicone insulated right ventricular shock lead. Recently, insulation
      breach of silicone based leads raised a huge concern. Fluoroscopic examination of
      these two leads in the same patient revealed externalization of these two leads.
      Same mechanism producing insulation breach of Riata lead may be involved in
      externalization of QuickSite LV lead as distal part of insulation is also made of
      silicone.

PMID- 28348693
TI  - A Case of Acute Myocardial Infarction due to Left Main Trunk Occlusion
      Complicated With Aortic Dissection as Diagnosed by Intravascular Ultrasound.
AB  - A 52-year-old man was transferred to our hospital with a sudden onset of severe
      chest pains. His electrocardiogram revealed ST-segment elevation suggestive of
      acute myocardial infarction. Emergency coronary angiography showed subtotal
      occlusion of left main trunk (LMT) with delayed coronary flow. Because
      intravascular ultrasound revealed a large intimal flap, we diagnosed aortic
      dissection involving the LMT. After stenting of the LMT, the patient underwent
      surgical repair of the aortic dissection. Although it is difficult to obtain a
      correct diagnosis of aortic dissection complicated with myocardial ischemia, we
      succeeded in diagnosing this rare condition by use of a intravascular ultrasound.

PMID- 28348694
TI  - Severe Hypokalemia Masquerading Myocardial Ischemia.
AB  - An advanced degree of body potassium deficit may produce striking changes in the
      electrocardiogram (ECG). These changes can result in incidental findings on the
      12-lead ECG or precipitate potentially life-threatening dysrhythmias. Although
      usually readily recognized, at times these abnormalities may be confused with
      myocardial ischemia. The object was to report a case of severe hypokalemia
      mimicking myocardial ischemia. A 33-year-old, previously healthy man, presented
      to the Emergency Department (ED) with a progressive weakness and chest
      discomfort. The electrocardiogram showed a marked ST-segment depression in leads
      II, III, aVF, V1-V6. The initial diagnosis was non ST-elevation myocardial
      infarction. Echocardiography was normal and troponin levels were within normal
      limits. A more detailed history revealed that the patient had an episode of acute
      gastroenteritis with diarrhea and vomiting. Serum chemistries were notable for a
      potassium concentration of 1,8 mmol per liter. With aggressive electrolyte
      correction, the ECG abnormalities reverted as potassium levels normalized.
      Hypokalemia induced ST-segment depression may simulate myocardial ischemia. The
      differential diagnosis might be difficult, especially in the cases when ST
      changes are accompanied with chest discomfort.

PMID- 28348695
TI  - Complete Atrioventricular Block Presenting With Syncope Caused by Severe
      Hypothyroidism.
AB  - A 75-year-old man was admitted to our hospital with syncope. Electrocardiogram
      showed complete atrioventricular block and bradycardia with the minimum heart
      rate of 22 beats/ min. There was a possible indication for temporary cardiac
      pacemaker implantation. Laboratory data on admission revealed high TSH level with
      low free T4 level. To rule out functional atrioventricular block, we treated
      several days with thyroxine. A follow-up electrocardiogram showed improved heart
      rate without any atrioventricular block. We found that severe hypothyroidism
      caused a complete atrioventricular block with syncope, and thyroxine replacement
      completely improved these conditions.

PMID- 28348697
TI  - Carotid Artery Stenting 2013: Thumbs up.
AB  - It has been customary for interventional cardiologists involved in carotid artery
      stenting, to underline non-inferiority of the percutaneous technique versus
      surgical carotid endarterectomy. To that end, all cause morbidity and mortality
      figures of both methods are compared. Surgery has, in most large randomized
      studies, had an edge over stenting in terms of cerebrovascular adverse events.
      This may have partly been due to occasional indiscriminate indication for
      stenting in lesions and/or vessels with unfavourable characteristics (severe
      target vessel tortuosity and calcification, Type III aortic arch, and so on). On
      one hand, the author pleads for improvement of the excellent results of
      endarterectomy, by subjecting all patients planned for surgery to a thorough
      preoperative cardiological work up, including generous invasive investigation,
      thus reducing the incidence of perioperative myocardial infarction, heart failure
      and cardiac death. On the other hand, we are convinced that the results of
      carotid stenting should then be compared to best practice surgery. The rate of
      neurological adverse event rate after carotid endarterectomy at our institution
      lies under 0.7% at 30 days postoperatively. Specifically, the goal should be that
      carotid stenting underbids surgical endarterectomy, also and mainly, in terms of
      cerebral and cerebrovascular adverse events. Cardiac morbidity and mortality as
      well as laryngeal nerve palsy should no more be the main arguments for the
      percutaneous approach. This should easily be possible if patient selection for
      carotid revascularisation would be approached according to morphological
      criteria, in analogy with the "Syntax"-score used to optimise revascularisation
      strategies in coronary artery disease.

PMID- 28348696
TI  - Is There Still a Role for Glycoprotein IIb/IIIa Antagonists in Acute Coronary
      Syndromes?
AB  - The role played by glycoprotein (GP) IIb/IIIa inhibitors has continuously evolved
      from the initial introduction in mid 90 s until the most recent guidelines for
      treating acute coronary syndromes, and competed with a wider use of ADP
      inhibitors and novel anticoagulant drugs, to the extent that they stepped down
      from class I to class II recommendation in the routine setting of acute coronary
      syndromes. As a consequence, GP IIb/IIIa use was greatly narrowed. The purpose of
      this review is to define the roles that GP IIb/IIIa inhibitors may still have in
      acute ischemic settings by explaining why in high risk patients they might be
      preferable and/or whether they might be added to ADP inhibitors also emphasizing
      the underlying mechanistic actions. It is concluded that there might be a more
      extensive use of GP IIb/IIIa inhibitors in patients presenting with acute
      coronary syndromes, strictly based on the definition for a high risk procedure:
      complexity, angiographic characteristics and patient's risk profile, regardless
      whether STEMI or NSTEMI. The positive elements one should appreciate in GP
      IIb/IIIa inhibitors are: efficacy, rapid onset and reversibility of action,
      absence of pharmacogenomic variability, pharmacoeconomic considerations and the
      possibility of intracoronary administration.

PMID- 28348698
TI  - Using Novel Technology to Determine Mobility Among Hospitalized Heart Failure
      Patients: A Pilot Study.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Patients with heart failure (HF) experience frequent
      rehospitalizations and poor functional capacity. Early hospital mobility may
      prevent functional decline, but mobility patterns among hospitalized HF patients
      are not yet known. Accelerometers may provide a method to monitor and measure
      patient mobility objectively. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to
      describe mobility and function using accelerometers among hospitalized HF
      patients. METHODS: Wireless accelerometers were attached to the thigh and ankle
      of previously ambulatory hospitalized HF patients (n = 32) continuously for up to
      5 days, beginning on the second day of hospitalization. The mean proportion of
      time spent lying, sitting, and standing or walking daily was measured. Ability to
      perform activities of daily living (ADLs) and physical function was measured
      using the Katz Index and Short Physical Performance Battery (SPPB). RESULTS:
      Patients' mean age was 58.2 +/- 13.6 and 78% (n = 25) were male. Mean New York
      Heart Association Class upon enrollment and at the end of the study period was
      2.9 +/- 0.8 and 2.2 +/- 0.8 respectively. A mean Katz Index of 5.6 +/- 1.1 upon
      enrollment demonstrated minimal dependence on assistance for completion of ADLs
      (possible scores 0 - 6). However, mobility testing revealed low physical
      function, with mean SPPB scores of 6.4 +/- 3.1 (possible scores 0 - 12). During
      hospitalization, 70% of the measured hospital stay (16.8 hours/day) was spent
      lying in bed. The average time spent standing or walking was 4.1%, or 59 minutes
      per day and the range was 0-10% (0 - 150 minutes). CONCLUSIONS: Immobility was
      pervasive as HF patients spent almost all of their time sitting or lying in bed
      despite their baseline ambulatory status and improved NYHA class.

PMID- 28348699
TI  - Diastolic Function Evaluations by Tissue Doppler Imaging in Patients With Mitral
      Valve Prolapse.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Tissue Doppler imaging (TDI) is a new echocardiographic imaging
      technique that is believed to be superior to older conventional techniques in
      assessing abnormalities of cardiac function in many conditions affecting the
      heart. There are very limited data regarding the role of TDI in evaluating
      patients with mitral valve prolapse (MVP). Current study evaluates diastolic
      function in patients with MVP by this method. METHODS: From November 2009 to
      April 2011, one hundred and ten adults matched for age and sex and without
      structural heart disease were studied in two groups, with and without MVP, at
      Madani Heart Center, Tabriz, Iran. TDI was performed at the basal-lateral wall
      and S, E, E', A, and A' velocities, as well as the E/A and E'/A' ratios were
      measured. Mitral annular systolic velocity and early diastolic (E') velocities
      were measured lateral corner of mitral valve in apical 4-chamber view. RESULTS:
      Patients with MVP had higher left atrium volume (42.31 +/- 10.47 vs. 35.19 +/-
      9.15 cm3; P < 0.001) and deceleration time (186.70 +/- 26.00 vs. 176.89 +/- 20.36
      ms; P = 0.03). Diastolic dysfunction, although seemed more prevalent in MVP group
      (14.54%) than normal subjects (5.45%), the difference was not statistically
      significant between groups (P = 0.11). CONCLUSION: Left atrial volume and
      deceleration time of mitral valve inflow was significantly higher in MVP which
      could be indicative of early stages of diastolic dysfunction in patients with
      MVP. However, larger follow-up studies are required to evaluate clinical
      significance of our findings in these patients.

PMID- 28348700
TI  - Left Ventricle Hypertrophy, Dilatation and Ejection Fraction Changes Before and
      After Kidney Transplantation.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Patients with end stage renal disease (ESRD) are at risk of
      complications in different organs including cardiovascular system. Renal
      transplantation is the best choice in these patients which diminishes these
      complications. It is observed that after renal transplantation, cardiac
      parameters have appropriate improvement. Current study evaluates
      echocardiographic findings in renal transplant recipients before and after kidney
      transplantation. METHODS: In an analytic cross sectional study, 30 patients (50%
      male, mean age of 45.57 +/- 13.32 years) with ESRD who underwent renal
      transplantation were studied. All patients had echocardiographic studies after
      the last dialysis before and 6 months after transplantation. Echocardiographic
      study was done by Color Doppler two dimension methods and left ventricle ejection
      fraction was measured by Simpson method. All echocardiograms before and after
      transplantation were interpreted by the same cardiologist. RESULTS: Mean left
      ventricle ejection fraction before and after renal transplantation was 53.83+/
      10.14% and 57.33+/-4.49%, respectively (P = 0.09). Left ventricle hypertrophy,
      mitral regurgitation and tricuspid regurgitation existed in 46.7%, 76.7% and
      33.3% respectively, which was improved in 30%, 50% and 33.3% after renal
      transplantation. CONCLUSION: According to the results of current study it is
      suggested that renal transplantation could improve left ventricle parameters in
      patients with end stage renal disease.

PMID- 28348702
TI  - Atrial Septal Defect in a Very Old Woman.
AB  - Atrial Septal Defect (ASD) is one of the most frequently congenital heart
      diseases in adults and it is often asymptomatic until adulthood. We report a case
      of a 90-year-old woman admitted to hospital with dyspnea and orthopnea
      insidiously progressing over the preceding 5 years and becoming severe with
      dyspnea on minimal activities, orthopnea and paroxysmal nocturnal dyspnea, in the
      last 2 weeks. The transthoracic echocardiogram revealed an atrial septal defect
      ostium secundum type, with left-to-right shunt, moderate to severe tricuspid
      insufficiency, severe pulmonary hypertension (72 mmHg) and preserved
      biventricular function. With diuretic therapy optimization the patient showed
      symptomatic improvement. This present case represents and unusual and very late
      presentation of an atrial septal defect ostium secundum type, which is usually
      diagnosed at the mild adult age. Our patient lived symptom-free for over 80
      years.

PMID- 28348701
TI  - Potential for Infra-Nodal Heart Block and Cardiogenic Shock With Propofol
      Administration.
AB  - We report a case of infra-nodal complete heart block and cardiogenic shock in a
      previously healthy 64-year-old man after administration of 180 mg of intravenous
      Propofol. Although bradycardia, hypotension, and heart block are commonly seen
      with propofol administration, such findings are transient and respond quickly to
      administration of vagolytic or sympathomimetic agents suggesting an AV nodal
      mechanism of heart block. Sustained left ventricular systolic dysfunction and
      cardiogenic shock by an alternative, non-autonomic mechanism has also been
      described in the setting of Propofol administration. Our case is the first to
      note sustained complete infra-nodal heart block in this setting. Early
      recognition of such a complication, restoration of atrio-ventricular (A-V)
      synchrony with dual chamber pacing, and aggressive circulatory support is
      essential in bridging such patients to recovery.

PMID- 28348703
TI  - Telomeres and Estrogens: The Unholy Nexus in Pathogenesis of Atherosclerosis.
AB  - Atherosclerosis (AS) is a complex inflammatory process and is categorized as a
      multifactorial disease involving the interplay of genetic and environmental
      factors. There are many factors which play role in predisposition and development
      of AS. In this review we have tried to address the basic pathophysiology of AS
      lesions and the role played by two important factors - telomeres and estrogens in
      the development of this disease.

PMID- 28348704
TI  - A Culturally Appropriate Educational Intervention Can Improve Self-Care in
      Hispanic Patients With Heart Failure: A Pilot Randomized Controlled Trial.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Hispanics constitute the largest US ethnic group and have been shown
      to have more frequent heart failure (HF) hospitalizations than non-Hispanic
      whites. Disease management programs can reduce HF hospitalizations and mortality
      by increasing patient self-care, but most programs are limited to patients who
      speak English. Therefore, we hypothesize that Project Fluido, a culturally
      appropriate self-care education intervention, will improve self-care behaviors
      and knowledge in Hispanic patients with HF compared with usual care (UC).
      METHODS: Project Fluido (N = 42) was a randomized controlled pilot trial over 3
      months. Patients in the experimental group (n = 22) received individualized
      education in Spanish using the "teach-back" method on the following: high salt
      foods, when to call the physician, when to report weight gain and the use of
      diuretics. They also received a nurse-initiated phone call every 2 weeks, a
      script for calling their physician with increased symptoms, a weight scale and a
      daily diary to complete. The UC group (n = 20) received a scale and written
      information. Self-care was measured using the self-care heart failure index and
      knowledge using teach-back scores. Four knowledge topics were included when using
      teach-back. RESULTS: Participants' mean age was 57 +/- 14 years, 57% (24) were
      male, 64% (27) had hypertension, 86% (36) were New York Heart Association Class I
      III and 65% (26) had HF with reduced ejection fraction. Participant health
      literacy scores showed poor health literacy in 31% (n = 13) and 67% (n = 28)
      spoke Spanish only. Household income was reported as < $20,000 in 93% (n = 39).
      Self-care and knowledge scores significantly improved (P < 0.04 and P < 0.02,
      respectively) in the intervention group compared to UC. CONCLUSION: The
      intervention utilized in Project Fluido was a remarkably effective method to
      improve self-care and HF knowledge in a group of Spanish-speaking HF patients.
      This improvement is in spite of low physical function, health literacy,
      acculturation and economic challenges. In addition, teach-back was an effective
      teaching strategy to improve HF knowledge. Future work is needed to investigate
      the relationship between increased self-care knowledge, readmissions, and
      mortality in Spanish-speaking patients with HF.

PMID- 28348705
TI  - Evaluation of a New Shirt-Based Electrocardiogram Device for Cardiac Screening in
      Soccer Players: Comparative Study With Treadmill Ergospirometry.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Prevention of cardiac events during competitive sports is
      fundamental. New technologies with remote monitoring systems integrated into
      clothing could facilitate the screening of heart disease. Our aim was to evaluate
      the feasibility of Nuubo system during a field stress test performed by soccer
      players, comparing results with treadmill ergospirometry as test reference.
      METHODS: Nineteen male professional soccer players (19.2 +/- 1.6 years) were
      studied. Wireless electrocardiographic monitoring during a Yo-Yo intermittent
      recovery test level 1 in soccer field and subsequent analysis of arrhythmias were
      firstly performed. Subsequently, in a period no longer than 4 weeks, each player
      underwent cardiopulmonary exercise testing in hospital. RESULTS: During Yo-Yo
      test, electrocardiogram (ECG) signal was interpretable in 16 players (84.2%). In
      the other three players, ECG artifacts did not allow a proper analysis.
      Estimation of maximum oxygen consumption was comparable between two exercise
      tests (VO2 max 53.3 +/- 2.4 vs. 53.7 +/- 3.0 mL/kg/min for Yo-Yo test and
      ergometry respectively; intra-class correlation coefficient 0.84 (0.63 - 0.93), P
      < 0.001). No arrhythmias were detected in any player during both tests.
      CONCLUSIONS: The use of Nuubo's technology allows an accurate single-lead
      electrocardiographic recording and estimation of reliable performance variables
      during exercise testing in field, and provides a new perspective to cardiac
      remote monitoring in collective sports.

PMID- 28348706
TI  - Acute Myocardial Infarction in Patient With Triple Negative Breast Cancer After
      Paclitaxel Infusion: A Case Report.
AB  - A 47-year-old woman with breast cancer suffered progressive chest pain and
      flushing within 5 minutes of her second exposure to paclitaxel. Her symptoms
      progressed and she became pulseless. Advanced cardiac life support (ACLS) was
      initiated, and after a series of chest compressions the cardiac monitor revealed
      ventricular fibrillation. With ongoing ACLS she was transferred to the emergency
      department where she regained a pulse. Review of electrocardiogram revealed
      prominent ST elevation in leads V1, V2 and V3 with reciprocal ST depression. She
      was transferred urgently to the catheterization laboratory. Angiography revealed
      a high-grade stenosis in the proximal left anterior descending artery (LAD), and
      drug-eluting stents were placed without complications. She was then transferred
      to the floor and shortly thereafter suffered pulseless electrical activity and
      died despite prolonged attempts at resuscitation. Herein, we describe the
      development of acute myocardial infarction after paclitaxel administration,
      discuss potential etiologies and review evidence for an allergic component.

PMID- 28348707
TI  - Paradoxical Thromboembolism/ST-Elevation Myocardial Infarction via a Patent
      Foramen Ovale in Sub-Massive Pulmonary Embolism Following an Upper Extremity Deep
      Venous Thrombosis: Is It Time for a Change in the Standard of Care?
AB  - The objective of this case study is to discuss a rare case of proven paradoxical
      thromboembolism captured in-transit. A 23-year-old female with a diagnosis of
      right internal jugular deep vein thrombus who developed acute onset chest pain,
      dyspnea and hypotension, was selected for the study. Sub-massive PE and STEMI
      were diagnosed. Transthoracic echocardiogram revealed a left ventricular (LV)
      mass moving across the aortic valve. Soon after, the patient developed numbness
      of right extremities with non-palpable pulses. A transesophageal echocardiogram
      revealed absent LV mass, PFO, left atrial mass entering through the PFO and
      emboli in bilateral pulmonary arteries. We report a case of sub-massive PE and
      paradoxical proven coronary and upper extremity embolism, captured in-transit,
      following destabilization of an UEDVT in a patient with PFO.

PMID- 28348708
TI  - Myocardial Scar Detection by Standard CT Coronary Angiography.
AB  - We have described a myocardial infarct scar identified by a standard dual source
      CT coronary angiography (CTCA). We were able to detect the scar during the
      routine coronary assessment without contrast late enhancement and without
      additional radiation exposure. It is therefore feasible to assess chronic scar
      using a standard CTCA technique.

PMID- 28348709
TI  - Evolution of Artificial Hearts: An Overview and History.
AB  - The heart is a muscular organ which pumps blood through blood vessels to
      different organs of the body. It is the most significant and vital organ in the
      human body. Without this organ, life is unimaginable. Doctors and scientists have
      been trying for a long time to create something similar or equivalent to the
      heart. The purpose is to develop a temporary machine or pump for a person who has
      a disease of the heart and their survival without transplant is impossible. These
      temporary devices can provide enough time for the patient until a donor heart is
      available. The purpose of this review is to provide an overview and history of
      how man has developed an artificial heart for survival.

PMID- 28348711
TI  - Takotsubo Cardiomyopathy: Typical and Atypical Variants, A Two-Year Retrospective
      Cohort Study.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Typical or classical takotsubo cardiomyopathy (TCM) is associated
      with the characteristic abnormality of a ballooned left ventricular apex with
      basal segmental hyperkinesis. TCM may not present with the "classical" wall
      motion abnormalities but can have a variety of segmental wall motion
      abnormalities. The aim of our work was to assess for any unique identifying
      factors that can help distinguish typical and atypical variants of TCM. METHODS:
      We studied 11 consecutive patients between 2010 and 2012 admitted with chest
      pain, electrocardiographic and cardiac biomarker changes consistent with acute
      coronary syndrome (ACS) who underwent left heart angiography and were clinically
      diagnosed to have TCM. RESULTS: Our study found no specific features
      distinguishing typical and atypical variants of TCM. In our study, all patients
      were female and all had excellent outcome. One patient was in fourth decade of
      life, three patients in fifth and sixth decade of life, while remaining were
      older. One patient had diabetes mellitus, five had hypertension, four had
      concurrent coronary artery disease, but no patient had any family history of TCM.
      Nine of 11 patients had immediate clear-cut stressors. Three patients had normal
      ECG, two with ST segment elevation, with nine patients having only modest
      troponin elevations. One patient had an anomalous RCA take-off from the right
      coronary cusp, otherwise remaining patients had normal anatomy. One patient had
      only apical involvement, remaining had multiple wall motion abnormalities, and
      all patients had involvement of the anterior wall. Four patients had apical
      sparing. No inverted TCM pattern with basal akinesis with normal wall motion in
      the midventricular and apical regions was found among our patients. CONCLUSIONS:
      We report that the classification of TCM as typical versus atypical is probably
      not clinically meaningful. The regional wall motion abnormalities are related to
      catecholamine excess and to the susceptibility of that particular region to
      excess catecholamine. We do not know why such differences in regional
      susceptibility exist, and agree with the other authors that sub-classification
      would only add to confusion, and a delay in understanding of the disease process.

PMID- 28348710
TI  - Reducing Heart Failure Hospital Readmissions: A Systematic Review of Disease
      Management Programs.
AB  - The recent enactment of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act which
      established the federal Hospital Readmissions Reduction Program (HRRP) has
      accelerated efforts to develop heart failure (HF) disease management programs
      (DMPs) that reduce readmissions in patients hospitalized for HF. This systematic
      review identified randomized controlled trials of HF DMPs which included home
      care, outpatient clinic interventions, structured telephone support, and non
      invasive and invasive telemonitoring. These different types of DMPs have been
      associated with conflicting results. No specific type of DMP has produced
      consistent benefit in reducing HF hospitalizations. Although probably effective
      at reducing readmissions, home visits and outpatient clinic interventions have
      substantial limitations including cost and accessibility. Telemanagement has the
      potential to reach a large number of patients at a reasonable cost. Structured
      telephone support follow-up has been shown to significantly reduce HF
      readmissions, but does not significantly reduce all-cause mortality or all-cause
      hospitalization. A meta-analysis of 11 non-invasive telemonitoring studies
      demonstrated significant reductions in all-cause mortality and HF
      hospitalizations. Invasive telemonitoring is a potentially effective means of
      reducing HF hospitalizations, but only one study using pulmonary artery pressure
      monitoring was able to demonstrate a reduction in HF hospitalizations. Other
      studies using invasive hemodynamic monitoring have failed to demonstrate changes
      in rates of readmission or mortality. The efficacy of HF DMPs is associated with
      inconsistent results. Our review should not be interpreted to indicate that HF
      DMPs are universally ineffective. Rather, our data suggest that one approach
      applied to a broad spectrum of different patient types may produce an erratic
      impact on readmissions and clinical outcomes. HF DMPs should include the
      flexibility to meet the individualized needs of specific patients.

PMID- 28348712
TI  - Azelnidipine, Not Amlodipine, Induces Secretion of Vascular Endothelial Growth
      Factor From Smooth Muscle Cells and Promotes Endothelial Tube Formation.
AB  - BACKGROUND: We previously reported that the calcium channel blocker (CCB)
      nifedipine-induced secretion of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) from
      human coronary smooth muscle cells (HCSMCs) promoted human coronary endothelial
      cell (HCEC) tube formation. Therefore, we analyzed whether other CCBs,
      azelnidipine and amlodipine, also induced the secretion of VEGF and promoted HCEC
      tube formation, and the underlying molecular mechanisms. METHODS: To evaluate the
      tube formation, HCECs were grown on Matrigel for 18 hours in the supernatants
      from HCSMCs that had been treated with different kinds of reagents.
      Concentrations of VEGF in cultured HCSMCs were determined by specific enzyme
      immunoassays. Nuclear extracts from HCSMCs were prepared, and nuclear factor
      kappa B (NF-kappaB) activation was measured by EZ-DetectTM Transcription Factor
      Kits for NF-kappaB p50 or p65. RESULTS: Although azelnidipine dose-dependently
      stimulated the significant secretion of VEGF from HCSMCs and this stimulation was
      abolished by a protein kinase C inhibitor, amlodipine-induced secretion of VEGF
      was significantly lower than that induced by azelnidipine. The medium derived
      from azelnidipine (at up to 2 MUM)-treated HCSMCs led to HCEC tube formation,
      whereas that obtained with amlodipine did not. Azelnidipine-induced tube
      formation was blocked by an inhibitor of kinase insert domain-containing
      receptor/fetal liver kinase-1 tyrosine kinase. Azelnidipine at up to 2 MUM
      induced NF-kappaB activation. CONCLUSIONS: Azelnidipine, but not amlodipine,
      stimulated the secretion of VEGF from HCSMCs and induced HCEC tube formation.
      This secretion is mediated at least in part via the activation of NF-kappaB.
      Azelnidipine may have a novel beneficial effect in improving coronary
      microvascular blood flow in addition to its main effect of lowering blood
      pressure.

PMID- 28348713
TI  - The Relationship Between Blood Monocyte Count and Coronary Artery Ectasia.
AB  - BACKGROUND: The pathophysiology of coronary artery ectasia (CAE) has not been
      clearly identified, although multiple abnormalities including arteritis,
      endothelial dysfunction, and atherothrombosis have been reported. It is known
      that monocytes play an important role in inflammation, atherosclerosis and
      cardiovascular disease. We aimed to compare the numbers of monocyte counts of the
      CAE patients versus controls. METHOD: This study included 84 CAE patients (40
      male, mean age 55.4 +/- 9.7 years) and 30 controls (10 male, mean age 57.86 +/-
      11.6 years). Concurrent routine biochemical tests and neutrophil, lymphocyte,
      monocyte count and mean platelet volume (MPV) on whole blood count were performed
      for these participants. These parameters were compared between groups. RESULTS:
      Baseline characteristics of the study groups were comparable. CAE patients had a
      higher MPV value and monocyte count than controls (8.8 +/- 0.2 vs. 6.2 +/- 1.6 fL
      and 732 +/- 88 vs. 321 +/- 75 cell/MUL; both P < 0.001, respectively).
      CONCLUSION: As a result, our study revealed a relationship between monocyte count
      and MPV in patients with CAE.

PMID- 28348714
TI  - A One-Sided Affair: Unoriginal Origin of the Left Coronary Artery, a Case Report.
AB  - Coronary artery anomalies constitute a group of congenital malformations that
      have a multitude of clinical manifestations and highly variable pathophysiology.
      We report a 56-year-old male with angina due to an anomalous origin of the left
      main coronary artery; approach and management.

PMID- 28348715
TI  - 3-Methylglutaconyl-Coenzyme-A Hydratase Deficiency and the Development of Dilated
      Cardiomyopathy.
AB  - A 25-year-old Canadian male with a history of 3-methylglutaconyl-coenzyme-A
      hydratase deficiency, also known as 3-methylglutaconic aciduria type I, a very
      rare inborn error of metabolism, presented with respiratory distress, nausea,
      vomiting and signs of multisystem organ failure due to a suspected underlying
      infectious process. An electrocardiogram revealed bilateral atrial enlargement
      and an elevated brain natriuretic peptide on the initial laboratory studies,
      which prompted a more thorough cardiac workup. The transthoracic echocardiogram
      revealed a dilated cardiomyopathy with severe systolic dysfunction. The deficient
      enzyme present in this patient is involved in the pathway of leucine catabolism
      and is particularly important in various tissues for energy production and sterol
      synthesis. The dilated cardiomyopathy in this patient possibly had a variety of
      potential mechanisms including: a mitochondrial myopathy due to the deficiency of
      this enzyme leading to a defect in energy production inside cardiac myocytes; or
      a direct toxicity from 3-methylglutaconic acid (3-MGA) and its toxic metabolites;
      or a cardiac dysfunction due to a variety of other potential mechanisms. In
      conclusion, this patient's clinical presentation suggested that 3
      methylglutaconyl-CoA hydratase deficiency could cause a severe dilated
      cardiomyopathy and heart failure.

PMID- 28348716
TI  - Understanding Protein Structure Deformation on the Surface of Gold Nanoparticles
      of Varying Size.
AB  - Gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) have been of recent interest due to their unique
      optical properties and their biocompatibility. Biomolecules spontaneously adsorb
      to their surface, a trait that could potentially be exploited for drug targeting.
      Currently, it is unclear whether protein-AuNP interactions at the nanoparticle
      surface are dependent on nanoparticle size. In this work, we investigate whether
      varying surface curvature can induce protein unfolding and multilayer binding in
      citrate-coated AuNPs of various sizes. A recently developed NMR-based approach
      was utilized to determine the adsorption capacity, and protein NMR spectra were
      compared to determine whether nanoparticle size influences protein interactions
      at the surface. In addition, transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and dynamic
      light scattering (DLS) were employed to corroborate the NMR studies. Over a broad
      range of AuNP sizes (14-86 nm), we show that adsorption capacity can be predicted
      by assuming that proteins are compact and globular on the nanoparticle surface.
      Additionally, roughly one layer of proteins is adsorbed regardless of AuNP size.
      Our results hold for two proteins of significantly different sizes, GB3 (6 kDa)
      and bovine carbonic anhydrase (BCA, 29 kDa). However, the unstable drkN SH3
      domain (DeltaG0 ~ 0, 7 kDa) does not appear to follow the same trend seen for
      stable, globular proteins. This observation suggests that unstable proteins can
      deform significantly when bound to AuNP surfaces. Taken together, the results of
      this work can be used to improve our knowledge of the mechanism of protein-AuNP
      interactions to optimize their use in the biomedical field.

PMID- 28348717
TI  - Cephalomedullary nail versus sliding hip screw for fixation of AO 31 A1/2
      intertrochanteric femoral fracture: a 12-year comparison of failure,
      complications, and mortality.
AB  - BACKGROUND: In the United States intertrochanteric and pertrochanteric fractures
      occur at a rate of more than 150,000 cases annually. Current standard of care for
      these fractures includes fixation with either a cephalomedullary nail (CMN) or a
      sliding hip screw (SHS). The purpose of this study was to compare failure and
      medical complications of intertrochanteric femoral fractures repaired by CMN or
      SHS. METHODS: This study is a retrospective cohort study that included 249
      patients with AO/OTA 31 A1.1-3, 31 A2.1-3 nonpathological fractures of the femur,
      of which 137 received CMN and 112 received SHS. Analysis was stratified by
      fracture type as stable (AO 31A1.1-2.1) or unstable (AO 31A2.2-3). RESULTS: The
      tip-apex distance in stable fractures fixed with CMN was 17.3 +/- 5.9 compared to
      26.2 +/- 7.9 in the stable SHS group (p<0.001) while it was 19.0 +/- 5.3 in the
      unstable CMN group compared to 24.0 +/- 6.7 in the unstable SHS patients (P =
      0.004). Among patients with stable fracture patterns there was no difference in
      collapse, complications, failure, or mortality (all P > 0.05). Among patients
      with unstable fractures CMN had significantly less collapse (P < 0.001) and
      failure (P = 0.046) but no difference in complications (P = 0.126) or mortality
      (P = 0.586). CONCLUSIONS: There were no significant differences in failure or
      complication rates when comparing the CMN to the SHS in stable intertrochanteric
      fractures. CMN demonstrated significantly reduced failure and collapse rates in
      unstable intertrochanteric fractures when compared to SHS; however, this study
      had a relatively small sample size of unstable fractures and all results must be
      interpreted within this context.

PMID- 28348718
TI  - Intramyocardial Injection of Recombinant Adeno-Associated Viral Vector
      Coexpressing PR39/Adrenomedullin Enhances Angiogenesis and Reduces Apoptosis in a
      Rat Myocardial Infarction Model.
AB  - Cotransfer of angiogenic and antiapoptotic genes could be the basis of new gene
      therapy strategies for myocardial infarction. In this study, rAAV-PR39-ADM,
      coexpressing antimicrobial peptide (PR39) and adrenomedullin (ADM), was designed
      with the mediation of recombinant adeno-associated virus. In vitro, CRL-1730
      cells were divided into four groups, namely, the sham group, the AAV-null group,
      the NS (normal saline) group, and the PR39-ADM group. Immunocytochemistry
      analysis, CCK-8 assays, Matrigel assays, and apoptotic analysis were performed;
      in vivo, myocardial infarction model was established through ligation of the left
      coronary artery on rats, and treatment groups corresponded to those used in
      vitro. Myocardial injury, cardiac performance, and the extent of myocardial
      apoptosis were assessed. Results suggested that rAAV-PR39-ADM administration
      after myocardial infarction improved cell viability and cardiac function,
      attenuated apoptosis and myocardial injury, and promoted angiogenesis.
      Subsequently, levels of 6*His, HIF-1alpha, VEGF, p-Akt, Akt, ADM, Bcl-2, and Bax
      were measured by western blot. rAAV-PR39-ADM increased p-Akt, HIF-1alpha, and
      VEGF levels and induced higher Bcl-2 expression and lower Bax expression. In
      conclusion, our results demonstrate that rAAV-PR39-ADM mitigates myocardial
      injury by promoting angiogenesis and reducing apoptosis. This study suggests a
      potential novel gene therapy-based method that could be used clinically for
      myocardial infarction.

PMID- 28348719
TI  - BAG5 Interacts with DJ-1 and Inhibits the Neuroprotective Effects of DJ-1 to
      Combat Mitochondrial Oxidative Damage.
AB  - Loss-of-function mutations in gene encoding DJ-1 contribute to the pathogenesis
      of autosomal recessive early-onset familial forms of Parkinson's disease (PD). DJ
      1 is a multifunctional protein and plays a protective role against oxidative
      stress-induced mitochondrial damage and cell death, but the exact mechanism
      underlying this is not yet clearly understood. Here, using coimmunoprecipitation
      (Co-IP) and immunofluorescence methods, we prove that Bcl-2-associated athanogene
      5 (BAG5), a BAG family member, interacts with DJ-1 in mammalian cells. Moreover,
      we show that BAG5 could decrease stability of DJ-1 and weaken its role in
      mitochondrial protection probably by influencing dimerization in stress
      condition. Our study reveals the relationship of BAG5 and DJ-1 suggesting a
      potential role for BAG5 in the pathogenesis of PD through its functional
      interactions with DJ-1.

PMID- 28348720
TI  - The OptiMUM-study: EMDR therapy in pregnant women with posttraumatic stress
      disorder after previous childbirth and pregnant women with fear of childbirth:
      design of a multicentre randomized controlled trial.
AB  - Background: Approximately 3% of women develop posttraumatic stress disorder
      (PTSD) after giving birth, and 7.5% of pregnant women show a pathological fear of
      childbirth (FoC). FoC or childbirth-related PTSD during (a subsequent) pregnancy
      can lead to a request for an elective caesarean section as well as adverse
      obstetrical and neonatal outcomes. For PTSD in general, and several subtypes of
      specific phobia, eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR) therapy has
      been proven effective, but little is known about the effects of applying EMDR
      during pregnancy. Objective: To describe the protocol of the OptiMUM-study. The
      main aim of the study is to determine whether EMDR therapy is an effective and
      safe treatment for pregnant women with childbirth-related PTSD or FoC. In
      addition, the cost-effectiveness of this approach will be analysed. Method: The
      single-blind OptiMUM-study consists of two two-armed randomized controlled trials
      (RCTs) with overlapping design. In several hospitals and community midwifery
      practices in Amsterdam, the Netherlands, all eligible pregnant women with a
      gestational age between eight and 20 weeks will be administered the Wijma
      delivery expectations questionnaire (WDEQ) to asses FoC. Multiparous women will
      also receive the PTSD checklist for DSM-5 (PCL-5) to screen for possible PTSD.
      The clinician administered PTSD scale (CAPS-5) will be used for assessing PTSD
      according to DSM-5 in women scoring above the PCL-5 cut-off value. Fifty women
      with childbirth-related PTSD and 120 women with FoC will be randomly allocated to
      either EMDR therapy carried out by a psychologist or care-as-usual. Women
      currently undergoing psychological treatment or women younger than 18 years will
      not be included. Primary outcome measures are severity of childbirth-related PTSD
      or FoC symptoms. Secondary outcomes are percentage of PTSD diagnoses, percentage
      caesarean sections, subjective childbirth experience, obstetrical and neonatal
      complications, and health care costs. Results: The results are meant to provide
      more insight about the safety and possible effectiveness of EMDR therapy during
      pregnancy for women with PTSD or FoC. Conclusion: This study is the first RCT
      studying efficacy and safety of EMDR in pregnant women with PTSD after childbirth
      or Fear of Childbirth.

PMID- 28348721
TI  - Geographical Disparities in the Health of Iranian Women: Health Outcomes,
      Behaviors, and Health-care Access Indicators.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Women's health is a key factor affecting the health of the whole
      population. Tackling inequality in determinants of health is recognized as the
      main path toward reducing the inequality in health outcomes. This study aimed to
      analyze the provincial inequality in determinants of women's health and health
      care in Iran. METHODS: Using the Moss's model (2002) as a comprehensive framework
      of determinants of women's health, including "geopolitical environment,"
      "culture, norms, sanctions," "women's roles in reproduction and production,"
      "health-related mediators," and "health outcome" categories, we chose 13
      indicators. Afterward, using data sources including the Iranian Multiple
      Indicators of Demographics and Health Survey, the National Organization for Civil
      Registration, and Statistics Centre of Iran, we analyzed provincial inequality in
      these indicators in Iran (2011). Gini coefficient and Lorenz curve were used for
      measuring inequality. RESULTS: Gini coefficients calculated as follows; life
      satisfaction level (0.027), literate women (0.398), women with proper knowledge
      about HIV/AIDS prevention (0.483), unemployed women (0.380), women without an
      income (0.384), women who use at least one type of mass media (0.389), women who
      used computer or internet (0.467), women who had received pregnancy care from a
      skill birth attendant (SBA) (0.420), women who had delivered with the help of an
      SBA (0.426), women who currently smoke cigarettes (0.603), women who currently
      consume hookah (0.561), women with at least one chronic disease (0.438), and
      women's deaths in 2010 and 2011 (0.393 and 0.359, respectively). CONCLUSIONS: We
      found large provincial disparities in determinants of women's health in Iran.
      Determinants such as lifestyle, health behavior, health knowledge, and health
      care services availability should be considered by health policymakers in
      addressing the inequality in women's health at a provincial level.

PMID- 28348722
TI  - Prevalence and Risk Factors of Low Birth Weight in the Southeast of Iran.
AB  - BACKGROUND: The purpose of this study was to determine the prevalence and related
      factors of low birth weight (LBW) in the Southeast of Iran. METHODS: This cross
      sectional study was carried out in Kerman province. Data were collected from
      Iranian Maternal and Neonatal Network at public and private hospitals. All live
      births from March 2014 to March 2015 considered as the source population. The
      risk factors including maternal age, gravida, parity, abortion, pregnancy risk
      factors, maternal nationality, maternal education, maternity insurance, place of
      living, consanguinity, neonate sex, preterm labor, place of birth, delivery
      manager, and delivery type were compared between LBW and normal birth weight
      groups. RESULTS: The prevalence of LBW was 9.4% in the present study. Preterm
      labor (odds ratio [OR]: 22.06; P < 0.001), neonate female sex (OR: 1.41; P <
      0.001), low parity (OR: 0.85; P < 0.001), pregnancy age <18 years (OR: 1.26; P =
      0.012), pregnancy age >35 years (OR: 1.21; P = 0.001), delivery by cesarean
      section (OR: 1.17; P = 0.002), pregnancy risk factors (OR: 1.67; P < 0.001),
      maternal illiteracy (OR: 1.91; P < 0.001), living in the rural area (OR: 1.19; P
      < 0.001), consanguineous (OR: 1.08; P = 0.025), and delivery by obstetrician (OR:
      1.12; P = 0.029) were identified as significant factors associated with LBW in
      this study. CONCLUSIONS: Prevention of preterm labor, consanguineous marriage,
      pregnancy age <18 and >35 years old, and maternal medical risk factors are some
      critical interventions to reduce its burden. Increasing the access to high
      quality health-care services in rural and deprived areas is another effective
      strategy for the prevention of LBW.

PMID- 28348723
TI  - Nurse Staffing Norm in Iran Hospitals: What Features Should be Included for
      Success?
AB  - BACKGROUND: Designing and implementing a model for estimation and distribution of
      required nurse is one of strategies to prevent unequal distribution of nurses
      within and between hospitals. The purpose of this research was to determine
      required features for hospital nursing staff estimation model. METHODS: We
      conducted a qualitative study using a Colaizzi analysis approach. We used semi
      structure and in-depth interviews by purposive, quota, and snowball sampling of
      32 participants (10 informed experts in area of policy making in human resources
      in Ministry of Health, 10 decisions making in employment and distribution of
      human resources in treatment and administrative chancellors of medical
      universities, and 12 process owners in hospitals). The data were analyzed using
      ATLAS.ti software version 6.0.15. RESULTS: The ten following sub-themes emerged
      from data analysis: Skill mix and task shifting, work measurement, legal support,
      stakeholder involvement in designing a model, considering the ward activity,
      considering type and extent of care patients required, model development by
      experts predominate in nursing process, considering the nurses availability,
      considering the capabilities and professional merits of nurses, fitness with
      social, cultural, and belief of people. The main themes were occupation analysis,
      planning and policy making, real workload, acceptability, nurses' efficiency, and
      being a native. CONCLUSIONS: Given that standardization of nursing staff
      estimation is announced as one of the challenges in reaching Iran's 20-year
      vision plan. Hence, design and implementation of a nursing staff estimation model
      in regard to identified features could be part of priorities in Ministry of
      Health in Iran.

PMID- 28348725
TI  - Elimination of Maternal and Neonatal Tetanus in India: A Triumph Tale.

PMID- 28348724
TI  - The Persian Version of Orebro Musculoskeletal Pain Screening Questionnaire:
      Translation and Evaluation of its Psychometric Properties.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Screening of psychosocial risk factors for chronic low back pain
      (LBP) is essential. The Orebro Musculoskeletal Pain Screening Questionnaire
      (OMPSQ) is one of the most recognized and widely used instruments for this
      purpose. This study aimed to translate the OMPSQ into Persian, to adapt it for
      Iranian culture, and to investigate its psychometric properties. METHODS: Using a
      linguistic methodology, the OMPSQ was translated into Persian according to the
      World Health Organization guideline. A total of 106 patients with LBP
      participated in the study. Internal consistency and test-retest reliability were
      evaluated. Concurrent validity was estimated with Pearson's correlation between
      the OMPSQ and short form health survey (SF-12), Hospital Anxiety and Depression
      Scale (HADS), and visual analog scale (VAS). Factor analysis was used to evaluate
      dimensionality. RESULTS: The content validity index was 0.80. The instrument had
      a good test-retest reliability (intraclass correlation coefficient = 0.82) and
      internal consistency (Cronbach's alpha =0.82). Factor analysis indicates that
      factorial structure of Persian version was similar to original questionnaire.
      There was a significant correlation (r = 0.252-0.639, P < 0.01) between VAS score
      and all the OMPSQ domains. Physical component summary of SF-12 was positively
      correlated with miscellaneous domain (r = 384, P < 0.05) and negatively
      correlated with psychology domain of OMPSQ (r = -0.364, P < 0.05). A significant
      correlation between total score and anxiety component of HADS and psychology
      domain of OMPSQ was found (r = 0.49, P < 0.01 and r = 0.442, P < 0.05,
      respectively). Correlations between the OMPSQ and SF-12 and HADS and VAS indicate
      acceptable concurrent validity. CONCLUSIONS: The Persian version of OMPSQ was as
      a valid and reliable instrument and also a good cross-cultural equivalent for
      original English version.

PMID- 28348726
TI  - Targeting patients with asthma for omalizumab therapy: choosing the right patient
      to get the best value for money.
AB  - The asthma syndrome has many manifestations, termed phenotypes, that arise by
      specific cellular and molecular mechanisms, termed endotypes. Understanding an
      individual's asthma phenotype helps clinicians make rational therapeutic
      decisions while the understanding of endotypes has led to the development of
      specific precision medications. Allergic asthma is an example of an asthma
      phenotype and omalizumab, a monoclonal antibody that neutralizes serum
      immunoglobulin (Ig)E, is a specific targeted treatment which was developed as a
      result of an understanding of the endotype of allergic asthma. Omalizumab has
      been widely used in clinical practice in Europe for over a decade as an add-on
      therapy to treat patients who have severe refractory allergic asthma. Over this
      period, many centres have reported their experience with omalizumab as an add-on
      therapy in patients with severe asthma. These 'real world' clinical effectiveness
      studies have confirmed the benefits, cost-effectiveness and clinical utility of
      this medication. Combining the outcomes of both sources of research has yielded
      important insights that may benefit patients with severe asthma, clinicians who
      treat them, as well as the funding agencies that reimburse the cost of this
      medication. The purpose of this review is to describe how to identify and
      evaluate a patient with asthma for whom treatment with omalizumab may be of
      clinical and cost-effective benefit. The assessment and investigations used to
      confirm allergic asthma, the objective assessment of adherence to asthma therapy
      and the expected benefits of add-on omalizumab treatment are described.

PMID- 28348728
TI  - Citrate-based fluorescent materials for low-cost chloride sensing in the
      diagnosis of Cystic Fibrosis.
AB  - Chloride is an essential electrolyte that maintains homeostasis within the body,
      where abnormal chloride levels in biological fluids may indicate various diseases
      such as Cystic Fibrosis. However, current analytical solutions for chloride
      detection fail to meet the clinical needs of both high performance and low
      material or labor costs, hindering translation into clinical settings. Here we
      present a new class of fluorescence chloride sensors derived from a facile
      citrate -based synthesis platform that utilize dynamic quenching mechanisms.
      Based on this low-cost platform, we demonstrate for the first time a selective
      sensing strategy that uses a single fluorophore to detect multiple halides
      simultaneously, promising both selectivity and automation to improve performance
      and reduce labor costs. We also demonstrate the clinical utility of citrate-based
      sensors as a new sweat chloride test method for the diagnosis of Cystic Fibrosis
      by performing analytical validation with sweat controls and clinical validation
      with sweat from individuals with or without Cystic Fibrosis. Lastly, molecular
      modeling studies reveal the structural mechanism behind chloride sensing, serving
      to expand this class of fluorescence sensors with improved chloride
      sensitivities. Thus citrate-based fluorescent materials may enable low-cost,
      automated multi-analysis systems for simpler, yet accurate, point-of-care
      diagnostics that can be readily translated into clinical settings. More broadly,
      a wide range of medical, industrial, and environmental applications can be
      achieved with such a facile synthesis platform, demonstrated in our citrate-based
      biodegradable polymers with intrinsic fluorescence sensing.

PMID- 28348727
TI  - Steps forward in the treatment of pulmonary arterial hypertension: latest
      developments and clinical opportunities.
AB  - Pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) is a chronic disease that results in
      narrowing of the small pre-capillary pulmonary arteries leading to elevation of
      pulmonary artery pressure and pulmonary vascular resistance, subsequent right
      ventricular failure, and if unchecked, death. Advances in the treatment of PAH
      over the last two decades have markedly improved survival. These improvements
      reflect a combination of changes in treatments, improved patient care strategies,
      and varying disease phenotypes in the PAH population. Currently approved
      therapies for PAH are directed at the recognized abnormalities within the
      pulmonary vasculature and include endothelin receptor antagonists,
      phosphodiesterase-5 inhibitors, soluble guanylate cyclase stimulators, and
      prostacyclin pathway agents. Most of these drugs have been approved on the basis
      of short-term trials that mainly demonstrated improvements in exercise capacity.
      More recently, long-term, event-driven trials of novel drugs have been performed,
      demonstrating new efficacy parameters. There have also been exciting advances in
      the understanding of right heart failure pathophysiology in PAH that have the
      potential to inspire the development of right ventricular targeted therapy and
      continued discoveries in the heterogeneity of disease and response to treatment
      has great potential for developing more 'personalized' therapeutic options. In
      this article, we review the current available data regarding the management of
      PAH, with an emphasis on the pharmacologic therapies and discussion of novel
      therapeutic directions for the treatment of this fatal disease.

PMID- 28348729
TI  - Copper-Catalyzed Click Reaction on/in Live Cells.
AB  - We demonstrated that copper-catalyzed azide-alkyne cycloaddition (CuAAC) reaction
      could be performed inside live mammalian cells without using a chelating azide.
      Under optimized conditions, the reaction was performed in human ovary cancer cell
      line OVCAR5 in which newly synthesized proteins were metabolically modified with
      homopropargylglycine (HPG). This model system allowed us to estimate the
      efficiency of the reaction on the cell membranes and in the cytosol using mass
      spectrometry. We found that the reaction was greatly promoted by a
      tris(triazolylmethyl)amine CuI ligand tethering a cell-penetrating peptide.
      Uptake of the ligand, copper, and a biotin-tagged azide in the cells was
      determined to be 69 +/- 2, 163 +/- 3 and 1.3 +/- 0.1 uM, respectively. After 10
      minutes of reaction, the product yields on the membrane and cytosolic proteins
      were higher than 18% and 0.8%, respectively, while 75% cells remained viable. By
      reducing the biothiols in the system by scraping or treatment with N
      ethylmalemide, the reaction yield on the cytosolic proteins was greatly improved
      to ~9% and ~14%, respectively, while the yield on the membrane proteins remained
      unchanged. The results indicate that out of many possibilities, deactivation of
      the current copper catalysts by biothiols is the major reason for the low yield
      of CuAAC reaction in the cytosol. Overall, we have improved the efficiency for
      CuAAC reaction on live cells by 3-fold. Despite the low yielding inside live
      cells, the products that strongly bind to the intracellular targets can be
      detected by mass spectrometry. Hence, the in situ CuAAC reaction can be
      potentially used for screening of cell-specific enzyme inhibitors or biomarkers
      containing 1,4-substituted 1,2,3-triazoles.

PMID- 28348730
TI  - Prescribing pattern of clozapine and other antipsychotics for patients with first
      episode psychosis: a cross-sectional survey of early intervention teams.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: To describe the pattern of antipsychotic drug prescribing in patients
      with first episode psychosis, with more emphasis in the use of clozapine in this
      group of patients. METHOD: A cross-sectional survey involving six early
      intervention service (EIS) teams in the West Midlands was conducted. Data was
      extracted from case notes and electronic records by clinicians working in each
      participating team. The pattern of antipsychotic prescribing and the changes that
      took place after being accepted in EIS, including the use of clozapine, was
      established. Clinicians involved in the treatment of patients in each team rated
      the overall clinical response to treatment based on the presence or absence of
      positive psychotic symptoms. RESULT: 431 patients with FEP were included in the
      final analysis. Low antipsychotic discontinuation rate was observed, with the
      majority (88.2%) still being prescribed antipsychotics. Most (77.3%) were
      prescribed second-generation antipsychotic drugs, with olanzapine (21.8%) and
      aripiprazole (19.7%) being the most frequently prescribed antipsychotics. There
      was low rate use of antipsychotic combinations (7.4%), high dose antipsychotic
      regime (3.9%), low depot antipsychotic prescribing (9.3%), and clozapine use was
      low (9.7%). On average, three antipsychotics were tried before clozapine was
      initiated and it took on average 19.5 months from being accepted into EIS to
      clozapine being initiated. CONCLUSION: The majority of patients were prescribed
      antipsychotics within the guidelines. EIS was associated with an overall low
      antipsychotic discontinuation. There was also a short waiting time before
      clozapine was initiated following patients being accepted into EIS.

PMID- 28348731
TI  - Clonazepam improves dopamine supersensitivity in a schizophrenia patient: a case
      report.
AB  - Dopamine supersensitivity is an important consideration for assessing treatment
      resistant schizophrenia. The emergence of dopamine supersensitivity might be
      related to upregulation of dopamine D2 receptor, which engenders tolerance to
      antipsychotics, rebound psychosis, and tardive dyskinesia (TD). A 24-year-old man
      with a history of treatment-resistant schizophrenia was hospitalized for
      treatment of bone fracture sustained during a suicide attempt. After the
      operation, his clinical symptoms implied malignant catatonia. The patient
      discontinued antipsychotics without rebound psychosis under clonazepam treatment.
      His psychotic symptoms were controlled further with 24 mg/day aripiprazole
      without relapse or worsening. Clonazepam might be an effective option for the
      management of dopamine supersensitivity psychosis (DSP).

PMID- 28348733
TI  - Complications after implantation of subcutaneous central venous ports
      (PowerPortR).
AB  - BACKGROUND: The aim of our study was revised as follows: to clarify the
      postoperative complications of multifunctional central venous ports and the risk
      factors for such complications to promote the safe use of the PowerPort system in
      the hospital. METHODS: The study group comprised 132 patients in whom implantable
      central venous access ports (PowerPortR) were placed in our hospital from March
      2014 through December 2015. The approach used for port placement was the
      subclavian vein in 43 patients (33%), the internal jugular vein in 87 patients
      (66%), and the femoral vein in 2 patients (1%). RESULTS: Postoperative
      complications occurred in 8 patients (6%). The catheter was removed because of
      infection in 4 patients and catheter kinking in 1 patient. Port extravasation
      occurred in 3 patients. No patient had catheter pinch-off. The mean operation
      time was 74 min (range, 32 to 171). No patients had intraoperative bleeding or
      pneumothorax. Benign disease was a risk factor for postoperative complications (p
      = 0.009). CONCLUSION: PowerPort is a multifunctional port. Benign disease was a
      risk factor for postoperative complications. Because many types of subcutaneously
      implanted ports are used in our hospital, we had to inform the hospital staff
      about the functions of PowerPort.

PMID- 28348732
TI  - Probuphine(r) (buprenorphine implant): a promising candidate in opioid
      dependence.
AB  - Opioid dependence leads to physical dependence and addiction which finally
      results in profound medical, psychological and social dysfunction. One of the
      useful medications for opioid dependence is buprenorphine, the partial opioid
      agonist, which is used alone or in combination with naloxone. However,
      buprenorphine is the victim of its own success due to its illicit use and
      accidental poisoning in children. Also, buprenorphine typically requires daily
      self-administration and its effectiveness heavily depends on patient adherence.
      So, poor treatment adherence results in ineffective treatment manifesting as
      craving and withdrawal symptoms. Short-term use of buprenorphine in opioid
      dependence is also often followed by relapse. Buprenorphine when used
      sublingually often results in inadequate or fluctuating blood concentrations and
      poorer treatment retention compared with methadone. All of these led to the
      development of Probuphine(r), a polymeric matrix composed of ethylene vinyl
      acetate and buprenorphine in the form of implants, that are implanted subdermally
      in office practice and deliver the active drug over 6 months. Buprenorphine
      release from such implant is fairly consistent, avoiding plasma peaks and
      troughs, and the implant is also reported to be safe. In this review article, we
      have highlighted these aspects of treatment of opioid addiction, stressing on the
      pharmacology of buprenorphine and Probuphine(r), and relevant clinical trials
      addressing the efficacy and safety of Probuphine(r). This sustained-release
      implantable formulation of buprenorphine has the potential to be a suitable
      alternative to daily or alternate day sublingual buprenorphine which can thereby
      eliminate the need for daily supervision, minimizing fluctuations in plasma
      concentrations, and allowing these patients to reduce clinic or pharmacy visits.

PMID- 28348735
TI  - A multimodal approach to improving human papillomavirus vaccination in a
      community pharmacy setting.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Community pharmacy has become a major access point for several types
      of vaccinations. Despite the success of vaccination programs like influenza,
      pneumococcal, and herpes zoster, the rates of human papillomavirus vaccination
      continue to lag. OBJECTIVES: The primary objective is to describe and report on
      the impact of a multimodal series of pharmacist-led educational interventions on
      human papillomavirus vaccination rates in a community pharmacy setting. The
      primary outcome of this study was change in pharmacist-delivered human
      papillomavirus vaccination throughout a corresponding 8-week period in 2014 and
      2015. METHODS: A single-center, quasi-experimental interrupted time series mixed
      methods pilot study was used to investigate a pharmacist-led, multimodal
      educational intervention approach to improve human papillomavirus vaccination
      rates in the community. RESULTS: During the 2014 control period, there were no
      human papillomavirus vaccines dispensed or administered according to the internal
      prescription dispensing software. In 2015, a total of 10 patients indicated that
      they were vaccinated, with 9 patients receiving their first dose and 1 patient
      receiving his or her second dose at the pharmacy. Pharmacist recommendation was
      the most reported education method for increasing patient awareness of the human
      papillomavirus vaccine (n = 10). CONCLUSION: This study demonstrates pharmacist
      designed, educational interventions may impact human papillomavirus vaccination
      rates in the community. Further community-based research with larger sample sizes
      is warranted to verify these results. Due to the unique barriers to human
      papillomavirus vaccination, a multimodal and inter-professional approach such as
      the one presented here is warranted.

PMID- 28348734
TI  - A retrospective study on how primary care providers manage specialists'
      recommendations after an e-consultation.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: E-consultations are asynchronous text-based consultations between
      providers which can facilitate patient access to timely specialty care. In
      contrast to traditional face-to-face consults, conveying and completing
      recommendations of the specialist is the responsibility of the referring
      provider. This presents a new workflow for primary care providers who have
      multiple options (face-to-face, telephone, letter, secure message) to communicate
      the e-consultation recommendations. This study examines how primary care
      providers are managing this new workflow. METHODS: We performed a retrospective
      random sampling of e-consultations with individual medical record review and
      classified e-consultations by type of recommendation, how recommendations were
      communicated to patients, and whether recommendations were carried out. RESULTS:
      We randomly selected 220 e-consultations in 13 different specialties for review.
      In all, 85% of e-consultations contained recommendations for referring providers.
      Recommendations on medication(s) were most common (35%) followed by
      recommendations on ordering laboratory tests (29%). In all, 25% of the time e
      consultants gave multiple possible courses of action for referring providers to
      choose from. Patient notification of recommendations was found for 192 (87%) of e
      consultations with providers performing the notification 63% of the time and
      nursing staff performing the notification 37% of the time. The communication back
      to the patients included communication via nurse telephone calls (37%), provider
      telephone calls (23%), secure messages (24%), face-to-face visits (11%), and by
      written correspondence (5%). DISCUSSION: Managing recommendations from e
      consultations results in a new workflow for primary care providers. Healthcare
      institutions that utilize e-consults should be aware of this new workflow.
      Further study is needed to determine best practices for this task that is now
      increasing in primary care.

PMID- 28348736
TI  - Effect of high-intensity training on endothelial function in patients with
      cardiovascular and cerebrovascular disease: A systematic review.
AB  - OBJECTIVES: Exercise improves endothelial dysfunction, the key manifestation of
      cardiovascular and cerebrovascular disease, and is recommended in both
      cardiovascular and cerebrovascular rehabilitation. Disagreement remains, however,
      on the role of intensity of exercise. The purpose of this review was to gather
      current knowledge on the effects of high-intensity training versus moderate
      intensity continuous exercise on endothelial function in cardiovascular and
      cerebrovascular patients. METHODS: A systematic review was performed in PubMed
      database, Embase and Cochrane libraries and on PEDro using the Preferred
      Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines. Studies were
      restricted to cardiovascular and cerebrovascular patients, and healthy subjects
      as general reference. Interventions comprised of high-intensity training alone,
      high-intensity training compared to moderate-intensity continuous exercise, or no
      training, with endothelial function as outcome measure. Endothelial function was
      measured either physiologically by flow-mediated dilatation and/or by systemic
      biomarkers. Data were analyzed descriptively due to non-comparability for a meta
      analysis to be performed. RESULTS: A total of 20 studies were included in the
      review. Although there was great heterogenecity in design, population and
      exercise protocols, all studies found high-intensity training to be safe. High
      intensity training was equal to moderate-intensity continuous exercise through
      improvement in endothelial function in 15 of the 20 selected studies, as measured
      by flow-mediated dilatation, nitric oxide bioavailability and circulating
      biomarkers. Only a few studies examined high-intensity training in
      cerebrovascular patients, none with endothelial function as outcome. CONCLUSION:
      High-intensity training is promising as a time-efficient exercise strategy in
      cardiovascular rehabilitation, but data on endothelial effects in cerebrovascular
      rehabilitation are warranted. Agreement on a more uniform exercise protocol is
      essential to further investigate the optimal exercise mode for cerebrovascular
      rehabilitation.

PMID- 28348737
TI  - Performance of a cognitive load inventory during simulated handoffs: Evidence for
      validity.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Advancing patient safety during handoffs remains a public health
      priority. The application of cognitive load theory offers promise, but is
      currently limited by the inability to measure cognitive load types. OBJECTIVE: To
      develop and collect validity evidence for a revised self-report inventory that
      measures cognitive load types during a handoff. METHODS: Based on prior published
      work, input from experts in cognitive load theory and handoffs, and a think-aloud
      exercise with residents, a revised Cognitive Load Inventory for Handoffs was
      developed. The Cognitive Load Inventory for Handoffs has items for intrinsic,
      extraneous, and germane load. Students who were second- and sixth-year students
      recruited from a Dutch medical school participated in four simulated handoffs
      (two simple and two complex cases). At the end of each handoff, study
      participants completed the Cognitive Load Inventory for Handoffs, Paas' Cognitive
      Load Scale, and one global rating item for intrinsic load, extraneous load, and
      germane load, respectively. Factor and correlational analyses were performed to
      collect evidence for validity. RESULTS: Confirmatory factor analysis yielded a
      single factor that combined intrinsic and germane loads. The extraneous load
      items performed poorly and were removed from the model. The score from the
      combined intrinsic and germane load items associated, as predicted by cognitive
      load theory, with a commonly used measure of overall cognitive load (Pearson's r
      = 0.83, p < 0.001), case complexity (beta = 0.74, p < 0.001), level of experience
      (beta = -0.96, p < 0.001), and handoff accuracy (r = -0.34, p < 0.001).
      CONCLUSION: These results offer encouragement that intrinsic load during handoffs
      may be measured via a self-report measure. Additional work is required to develop
      an adequate measure of extraneous load.

PMID- 28348738
TI  - Use of selective-serotonin reuptake inhibitors and platelet aggregation
      inhibitors among individuals with co-occurring atherosclerotic cardiovascular
      disease and depression or anxiety.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: Medications commonly used to treat heart disease, anxiety, and
      depression can interact resulting in an increased risk of bleeding, warranting a
      cautious approach in medical decision making. This retrospective, descriptive
      study examined the prevalence and the factors associated with the use of both
      selective-serotonin reuptake inhibitor and platelet aggregation inhibitor among
      individuals with co-occurring atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease and anxiety
      or depression. METHODS: Respondents aged 22 years and older, alive throughout the
      study period, and diagnosed with co-occurring atherosclerotic cardiovascular
      disease and anxiety or depression (n = 1507) in years 2007 through 2013 of the
      Medical Expenditures Panel Survey were included. The use of treatment was grouped
      as follows: selective-serotonin reuptake inhibitor and platelet aggregation
      inhibitor, selective-serotonin reuptake inhibitor or platelet aggregation
      inhibitor, and neither selective-serotonin reuptake inhibitor nor platelet
      aggregation inhibitor. RESULTS: Overall, 16.5% used both selective-serotonin
      reuptake inhibitor and platelet aggregation inhibitor, 61.2% used selective
      serotonin reuptake inhibitor or platelet aggregation inhibitor, and 22.3% used
      neither selective-serotonin reuptake inhibitor nor platelet aggregation
      inhibitor. Respondents aged over 65 years (adjusted odds ratio = 1.93 (95%
      confidence interval = 1.08-3.45)) and having a diagnosis of diabetes (adjusted
      odds ratio = 1.63 (95% confidence interval = 1.15-2.31)) and hypertension
      (adjusted odds ratio = 1.84 (95% confidence interval = 1.04-3.27)) were more
      likely to be prescribed the combination. CONCLUSION: The drug interaction was
      prevalent in patients who are already at higher risk of health disparities and
      worse outcomes thus requiring vigilant evaluation.

PMID- 28348739
TI  - Effectiveness of an early mobilization program on functional capacity after
      coronary artery bypass surgery: A randomized controlled trial protocol.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Muscle atrophy and prolonged inactivity are associated with an
      increased sensation of fatigue and reduced functional capacity in the
      postoperative period in patients undergoing coronary artery bypass grafting.
      Cardiac rehabilitation after hospital discharge is highly recommended and
      contributes to improvement in functional capacity and quality of life. However,
      few studies have evaluated the effectiveness of early mobilization protocols
      during hospitalization on the patterns of physical activity and functional
      capacity after coronary artery bypass grafting. OBJECTIVE: To investigate the
      effectiveness of an early mobilization program on the functional capacity of
      patients undergoing coronary artery bypass grafting in the short and long term.
      METHODS: This is a prospective, randomized, controlled, single-blind trial
      protocol that will evaluate 66 consecutive patients undergoing coronary artery
      bypass grafting. Patients will be randomized into two training groups: the
      control group (N = 33), which will perform breathing exercises and the
      intervention group (N = 33), which will perform breathing exercises and aerobic
      exercises. The groups will receive treatment from first to the seventh
      postoperative day, twice daily. In the preoperative period, the following
      outcomes will be assessed: physical activity level (Baecke Questionnaire),
      Functional Independence Measure, and functional capacity (6-min walking test).
      Functional capacity will be reassessed after the 7th and 60th postoperative day.
      Pulmonary complications and length of hospital stay will also be evaluated.
      Statistical analysis will be calculated using linear mixed models and will be
      based on intention-to-treat. The level of significance will be set at alpha = 5%.

PMID- 28348740
TI  - Type 2 diabetes mellitus is associated with increased risk of pancreatic cancer:
      A veteran administration registry study.
AB  - BACKGROUND: The etiology of pancreatic cancer remains elusive. Several studies
      have suggested a role for diabetes mellitus, but the magnitude of its
      contribution remains controversial. OBJECTIVES: Utilizing a large administrative
      database, this retrospective cohort study was designed to investigate the
      relationship between type 2 diabetes mellitus and pancreatic cancer. PATIENTS AND
      DESIGN: Using the Veterans Integrated Services Network 16 database, 322,614
      subjects were enrolled in the study, including 110,919 with type 2 diabetes
      mellitus and 211,695 diabetes-free controls matched by gender, year of birth and
      healthcare facility. RESULTS: A significantly higher incidence of pancreatic
      cancer was observed in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus, with an adjusted
      hazard ratio (95% confidence interval) of 2.17 (1.70-2.77) for type 2 diabetes
      mellitus compared to controls (p < 10-9) after controlling for the matching
      factors. CONCLUSION: The association between type 2 diabetes mellitus and
      pancreatic cancer was statistically significant and may, in part, explain the
      rising incidence of pancreatic cancer.

PMID- 28348741
TI  - Fructose: Toxic effect on cardiorenal risk factors and redox state.
AB  - AIM: To investigate the effects of fructose consumption on the antioxidant
      capacity in heart and kidney, cardiovascular disease risk factors, and evaluation
      of these variables after its removal. METHODS: Male Wistar rats (n = 36) were
      divided into control group (n = 12): standard chow + water or F group: standard
      chow + fructose in drinking water (30%) for 15 weeks. After, F group was divided
      to continue receiving standard chow + fructose in drinking water (30%) (n = 12)
      or standard chow + water (Ex group, n = 12) for 9 weeks. Water, chow and caloric
      diaries intake, final body weight, adiposity index, plasma glucose and
      triacylglycerol, systolic blood pressure, and cardiac and renal hydrophilic
      antioxidant capacity were analyzed. RESULTS: Control and Ex groups consumed less
      chow and water compared to F group. Caloric intake was higher in control group.
      There was no difference in final body weight and adiposity index. Systolic blood
      pressure and cardiac and renal hydrophilic antioxidant capacity were worst in F
      group. CONCLUSION: Prolonged exposure to fructose induces oxidative stress,
      systolic blood pressure, and increase in triacylglycerol. When stopped fructose
      consumption, Ex group presented improvement in these variables, suggesting the
      toxicity effect of fructose when consumed in high amounts and prolonged exposure.

PMID- 28348742
TI  - Risk factors for Clostridium difficile infection in HIV-infected patients.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Clostridium difficile infection is a healthcare-associated infection
      resulting in significant morbidity. Although immunosuppression is associated with
      Clostridium difficile infection acquisition and adverse outcomes, the
      epidemiology of Clostridium difficile infection in HIV-infected patients has been
      little studied in the era of antiretroviral therapy. This study identifies the
      risk factors for acquisition of Clostridium difficile infection in HIV-infected
      patients. METHODS: A retrospective, propensity score-matched case-control study
      design was employed, with patients selected from our institution's outpatient HIV
      clinic. Clostridium difficile infection cases were defined as having positive
      stool testing plus an appropriate clinical presentation. The propensity score was
      generated via multiple logistic regression from year of HIV diagnosis, age at
      first contact, duration of follow-up, gender, and initial CD4 count. RESULTS: The
      46 cases included were matched to a total of 180 controls. Prior antibiotic
      treatment was a significant predictor of Clostridium difficile infection (odds
      ratio: 13, 95% confidence interval: 3.49-48.8, p < .001) as was number of
      hospital admissions in the preceding year (odds ratio: 4.02, confidence interval:
      1.81-8.94, p < .001). Having both proton pump inhibitor use and CD4 count <200
      cells/uL significantly increased odds of Clostridium difficile infection in the
      multivariable model (odds ratio: 15.17, confidence interval: 1.31-175.9, p =
      .021). CONCLUSION: As in the general population, frequent hospitalizations and
      exposure to antimicrobials are independent predictors of Clostridium difficile
      infection acquisition in patients with HIV. Additionally, low CD4 count and
      proton pump inhibitor use are new potentially modifiable variables that can be
      targeted for prevention of Clostridium difficile infection in future
      interventional studies.

PMID- 28348743
TI  - Management of upper ureteral stones exceeding 15 mm in diameter: Shock wave
      lithotripsy versus semirigid ureteroscopy with holmium:yttrium-aluminum-garnet
      laser lithotripsy.
AB  - OBJECTIVES: We conducted a retrospective study to evaluate the efficacy and
      outcome of shock wave lithotripsy versus semirigid ureteroscopy in the management
      of the proximal ureteral stones of diameter exceeding 15 mm. METHODS: During the
      2009-2014 study period, 147 patients presenting with the proximal ureteral stones
      exceeding 15 mm in diameter were treated. Both shock wave lithotripsy and
      ureteroscopy with laser lithotripsy were offered for our patients. A 6/8.9 Fr
      semirigid ureteroscope was used in conjunction with a holmium:yttrium-aluminum
      garnet laser. The stone-free rate was assessed at 2 weeks and 3 months post
      treatment. All patients were evaluated for stone-free status, operation time,
      hospital stay, perioperative complications, and auxiliary procedures. RESULTS: Of
      the 147 patients who took part in this study, 66 (45%) had undergone shock wave
      lithotripsy and 81 (55%) underwent ureteroscopy. At the 3-month follow-up, the
      overall stone-free rate in the shock wave lithotripsy group was 39/66 (59%)
      compared to 70/81 (86.4%) in the ureteroscopic laser lithotripsy group.
      Ureteroscopic laser lithotripsy achieved a highly significant stone-free rate (p
      = 0.0002), and the mean operative time, auxiliary procedures, and postoperative
      complication rates were comparable between the two groups. CONCLUSION: In terms
      of the management of proximal ureteral stones exceeding 15 mm in diameter,
      ureteroscopy achieved a greater stone-free rate and is considered the first-line
      of management. Shock wave lithotripsy achieved lower stone-free rate, and it
      could be used in selected cases.

PMID- 28348744
TI  - Urinary infection due to Balantioides coli: a rare accidental zoonotic disease in
      an addicted and diabetic young female in Iran.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Balantiosis, a rare zoonotic infection resulting in dysentery, is
      caused by the large ciliated protozoan parasite Balantioides coli. Humans acquire
      this organism via the faecal-oral route. Very rarely, extraintestinal infections
      can occur in the urinary tract system. There are very few case reports of urinary
      balantiosis in humans. CASE PRESENTATION: Here, an interesting case of urinary
      balantiosis in a 35-year-old addicted woman with multiple health problems
      including spontaneous abortion and diabetes is reported. Her midstream urine
      sample, collected while all sterile precautions were being taken, demonstrated B.
      coli along with Trichomonas vaginalis and bacteria. B. coli was identified by its
      characteristic morphology and rapid rotary motility in the urinary tract, which
      is an abnormal site for invasion by this parasite. CONCLUSION: To the best of our
      knowledge, this is only the eighth case described in literature in which B. coli
      was detected in urine sediment; it is reported for its rarity and for future
      reference.

PMID- 28348745
TI  - Use of a serotype-specific urine immunoassay to determine the course of a
      hospital outbreak of Streptococcus pneumoniae complicated by influenza A.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: An outbreak of Streptococcus pneumoniae (pneumococcal) infection
      complicated by concomitant influenza A on an elderly care ward was detected. CASE
      PRESENTATION: Thirteen patients with hospital-acquired respiratory infections
      were investigated during the course of the outbreak investigation. Six had a
      positive BinaxNOW S. pneumoniae urinary antigen test and two patients had culture
      confirmed pneumococcal bacteraemia and a positive urine antigen test. Five
      patients gave positive influenza A PCR results of which two were also positive
      for S. pneumoniae antigen. CONCLUSION: The concurrence of influenza and
      pneumococcal infections made tracking the course of the infection difficult. This
      case study shows how the use of a sensitive, S. pneumoniae serotype-specific
      urine antigen assay, in the absence of cultured isolates, helped determine
      whether patients were infected with the same pneumococcal serotype. This was
      particularly useful when additional respiratory symptoms were seen following the
      administration of chemoprophylaxis.

PMID- 28348746
TI  - An unusual presentation of leishmaniasis in a human immunodeficiency virus
      positive individual.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: Leishmaniasis is a neglected tropical disease caused by vector
      borne protozoa of the genus Leishmania. Cutaneous and mucocutaneous forms result
      in disfiguration or mutilation, whilst visceral leishmaniasis (VL) affects
      multiple organs and is fatal if untreated. Notably, Leishmania are capable of
      establishing a chronic infection, which may reactivate years after initial
      infection when the host becomes immune-suppressed. CASE PRESENTATION: A 24-year
      old human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-positive male presented for excision of
      anal condylomas. At the time of his current condyloma excision, the patient had
      no additional symptoms or cutaneous findings, but was noted to have been only
      intermittently compliant with his antiretroviral therapy. Microscopic examination
      of the haematoxylin and eosin-stained anal condyloma tissue revealed koilocytic
      change, ulceration and brisk histiocytic inflammation containing numerous small
      intracellular bodies suggestive of Leishmania amastigotes. A bone marrow biopsy
      was performed and demonstrated similar intracellular forms. Anal condyloma tissue
      and bone marrow aspirate were sent to the Centers for Disease Control and
      Prevention's Parasitic Diseases Branch for confirmation of Leishmania and
      speciation. Specific immunohistochemical staining for Leishmania in the tissue
      section was positive and the species was confirmed as Leishmania donovani by PCR.
      Subsequently, the patient resumed highly active antiretroviral therapy and
      received anti-Leishmania therapy. CONCLUSION: Whilst the presentation of VL in
      HIV-positive patients is often similar to those without HIV, here we describe an
      unusual initial presentation of leishmaniasis in an HIV-positive patient where
      the parasite was found in an anal condyloma. VL is a critical diagnosis that
      should be considered and pursued when leishmaniasis is encountered in seemingly
      illogical clinical settings.

PMID- 28348747
TI  - Haemolytic differential identification of Arcanobacterium haemolyticum isolated
      from a patient with diabetic foot ulcers.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: Arcanobacterium haemolyticum (formerly known as Corynebacterium
      haemolyticum) is the causative agent of sore throat and also causes skin and soft
      tissue infections in diabetes patients. A. haemolyticum is a Gram-positive,
      catalase-negative, beta-haemolytic bacillus. A. haemolyticum poses a diagnostic
      challenge in the hospital laboratory because most coryneform bacilli are
      considered as normal flora or contaminants, and it is therefore difficult to
      differentiate from beta-haemolytic streptococci by colony characteristics. CASE
      PRESENTATION: A. haemolyticum was isolated from a diabetic patient with foot
      ulcers and the isolate was identified by using a VITEK-2 system, CAMP inhibition
      test, reverse CAMP test and a 23S rRNA gene sequence analysis. The isolated A.
      haemolyticum inhibited haemolysis of Staphylococcus aureus in the CAMP test and
      enhanced haemolysis of Streptococcus agalactiae in the reverse CAMP test. The
      diabetic patient was treated with teicoplanin and imipenem, and the ulcers healed
      within 2 weeks. CONCLUSION: The present study suggests that a haemolytic
      differential method using the CAMP inhibition and reverse CAMP tests can be
      useful for differentiating A. haemolyticum from beta-haemolytic streptococci.

PMID- 28348749
TI  - Aspergillus fumigatus native valve infective endocarditis in an otherwise healthy
      adult.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: Fungal endocarditis is a rare cause of infective endocarditis, and
      Aspergillus spp. account for up to 30 % of all cases. Risk factors include
      intravenous drug use, immunosuppression, malignancy and the presence of
      prosthetic valves. CASE PRESENTATION: We present a case of A. fumigatus
      endocarditis in a patient without any known or described risk factors.
      CONCLUSION: Diagnosis of Aspergillus endocarditis requires a high clinical index
      of suspicion, given the initial non-specific presentation, and treatment may
      require both medical and surgical therapies to ensure improved outcomes, but
      mortality rates still approach 80 %. Voriconazole remains the antifungal agent of
      choice.

PMID- 28348748
TI  - Paediatric meningococcaemia in northwestern Ontario, Canada: a case for publicly
      funded meningococcal B vaccination.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: Neisseria meningitidis serogroup B is an important infectious agent
      in developed countries, including Canada. Infants are particularly susceptible to
      infection with serogroup B because of immature immune systems, pathogen virulence
      factors and changing serogroup dynamics in the post-vaccination era. Currently,
      the Ontario provincial government does not include serogroup B in its routine
      publicly funded meningococcal vaccination program. CASE PRESENTATION: A formerly
      well 14-month-old male presented to a tertiary hospital emergency department with
      fever, minor respiratory problems, diffuse purpuric rash, distended abdomen,
      tachycardia, and history of one episode of vomiting and melena each.
      Meningococcaemia was immediately suspected, and he was treated with ceftriaxone,
      cefotaxime and vancomycin before transfer to a different acute care facility
      within 12 h. N. meningitidis serogroup B, sensitive to ceftriaxone and
      penicillin, was identified in his blood. The patient developed gangrene of the
      lower legs and underwent bilateral below-knee amputation 8 days post-admission.
      CONCLUSION: This instance of meningococcaemia with extensive sequelae is an
      example of the various serious outcomes of meningococcal infection. It provides
      persuasive reason for routine publicly funded vaccination against N. meningitidis
      serogroup B in Ontario.

PMID- 28348750
TI  - Comprehensive pathogen detection associated with four recurrent episodes of
      Kawasaki disease in a patient during a single year using next-generation
      sequencing.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: Kawasaki disease (KD) is the most common multisystem vasculitis in
      childhood. Pathogens can be associated with the onset of KD. However, a lack of
      consistency prevails among reports about this disease. CASE PRESENTATION: For
      this case of a 1-year-old boy with four recurrent episodes of KD within a year,
      we analysed profiles of pathogen reads in his serum and pharynx specimens using
      next-generation sequencing. Comparative analysis of the identified bacterial
      reads from serum samples found significant correlation of bacteria such as
      Streptococcus and Haemophilus spp. with the first and fourth episodes (R2 =
      0.9506) before treatment. In the first convalescent phase, the number of
      Streptococcus spp. was reduced remarkably (P < 0.0001). From sequencing of the
      pharynx specimen from the fourth episode, a similar correlation was found with
      serum from the fourth episode (R2 = 0.6633). CONCLUSION: In this case,
      Streptococcus spp. may have been associated with onset of KD. Further studies
      must be undertaken to evaluate the putative association of micro-organism
      infection with KD pathogenesis.

PMID- 28348751
TI  - Enteroccocus pallens as a potential novel human pathogen: three cases of
      spontaneous bacterial peritonitis.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: Enterococcus pallens is one of the four yellow-pigmented members of
      the genus Enterococcus. To date, a single report of E. pallens isolated from a
      human sample has been published. CASE PRESENTATION: We report three cases of E.
      pallens spontaneous bacterial peritonitis in patients with liver cirrhosis that
      all occurred in Quebec, Canada. Ascitic fluid analysis revealed the presence of
      E. pallens in culture. Identification was made by classical biochemical testing
      and MALDI-TOF MS, as well as 16S rRNA and elongation factor (tuf) gene
      sequencing. Two of the three patients recovered after antimicrobial treatment.
      CONCLUSION: This report identifies E. pallens as a novel human pathogen that
      appears to possess particular but as-yet unidentified virulence factors that
      favour the development of peritoneal fluid infections, as previously reported for
      other Enterococcus species. Clinical microbiologist should be aware of this micro
      organism which can be identified by phenotypic and molecular methods.

PMID- 28348752
TI  - Rhodococcus fascians infection after haematopoietic cell transplantation: not
      just a plant pathogen?
AB  - INTRODUCTION: Rhodococcus spp. have been implicated in a variety of infections in
      immunocompromised and immunocompetent hosts. Rhodococcus equi is responsible for
      the majority of reported cases, but Rhodococcus erythropolis,
      Rhodococcusgordoniae and Rhodococcusruber infections have been described. There
      are no prior reports of human infection with Rhodococcus fascians. CASE
      PRESENTATION: We describe the unexpected finding of R. fascians in liver lesions
      incidentally noted at autopsy in an immunosuppressed patient status after bone
      marrow transplant for acute lymphoblastic leukaemia who died of unrelated causes
      (septic shock due to Clostridium difficile colitis). At autopsy, an otherwise
      unremarkable liver contained several dozen well-demarcated sclerotic-appearing
      lesions measuring 0.1-0.3 cm in size. The absence of other bacterial or fungal
      DNA in the setting of histologically visible organisms argues against its
      presence as a contaminant and raises the consideration that R. fascians
      represents a human pathogen for the immunocompromised. CONCLUSION: Whether it
      represents the sole infectious agent responsible for the miliary lesions or a
      partially treated co-infection is impossible to determine, but our finding
      continues to reinforce the importance of molecular techniques in associating
      organisms with sites of infection and optimizing treatment of infectious
      diseases.

PMID- 28348753
TI  - Delayed recognition of fatal invasive meningococcal disease in adults.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: Invasive meningococcal disease can be difficult to detect early in
      its course when patients may appear well and the severity of their illness is
      obscured by non-specific complaints. CASE PRESENTATION: We report five cases of
      meningococcal sepsis in adult patients who presented to an emergency department
      early in the course of their disease, but whose severity of illness was not
      recognized. CONCLUSION: Suspicion of meningococcal sepsis should be heightened in
      the setting of hypotension, tachycardia, elevated shock index, leukopaenia with
      left shift, thrombocytopaenia and hypokalaemia, prompting early sepsis care.

PMID- 28348754
TI  - Actinobacillus hominis osteomyelitis: First reported case in the English language
      medical literature.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: Actinobacillus hominis is currently a rarely reported pathogen. It
      has previously been associated with respiratory tract infections and bacteraemia
      in debilitated patients. However, under-reporting may occur due to
      misidentification by commonly used laboratory bacterial identification systems.
      This case is, to the best of our knowledge, the first reported case of A. hominis
      osteomyelitis in the English language medical literature. CASE PRESENTATION: A 37
      year-old male presented with a painful foot. He had no previous foot problems,
      history of injury or animal contact. Osteomyelitis was confirmed by magnetic
      resonance imaging (MRI), and blood cultures were positive for Gram-variable
      bacilli. The organism was identified initially as Pasteurella pneumotropica by
      the local routine diagnostic laboratory and as a Pasteurella species by the UK
      National Reference Laboratory (Colindale, London, UK), using standard operating
      procedures at the time. It was finally identified as an A. hominis using 16S rRNA
      gene sequence analysis. Difficulties in the accurate identification of this
      organism remain current, as other biochemical identification systems have also
      resulted in misidentifications. The patient refused admission and intravenous
      antibiotics. He was successfully treated using an 8-week course of oral
      ciprofloxacin and amoxicillin based on antibiotic disc susceptibility testing
      resulting in clinical, serological and radiological resolution. CONCLUSION:
      Laboratories should maintain a high index of suspicion for A. hominis as several
      commonly used bacterial identification systems may not accurately identify the
      organism. Colonial morphology and absence of animal contact should prompt
      consideration of this organism in appropriate clinical situations. Oral
      ciprofloxacin and amoxicillin treatment was successful in this case.

PMID- 28348755
TI  - A Balamuthia survivor.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: This case report describes a human survivor of Balamuthia
      mandrillaris infection. This is a free-living amoeba that can cause infection
      with the devastating consequence of near universally fatal encephalitis. We
      report this case to demonstrate the possibility of recovery. CASE PRESENTATION: A
      26-year-old Hispanic male, a landscape gardener, presented to the hospital in
      March 2010 with a two month history of headache, visual disturbances and new
      onset seizures. Brain imaging identified two enhancing central lesions and
      Balamuthia mandrillaris was later identified by brain biopsy. He received several
      months of various antimicrobials including miltefosine, a novel use of the drug
      in this disease at the time. Seven weeks into therapy, considerations were made
      to switch him to 'comfort care' because of worsening clinical status and
      seemingly lack of response to treatment. The patient finally demonstrated
      clinical and radiological improvement after eight weeks with modified therapy,
      despite experiencing some debilitating toxic effects likely to be related to
      antibiotics. Two years after his initial presentation he made a complete
      recovery. CONCLUSION: Balamuthia mandrillaris amoebic encephalitis is considered
      an almost universally fatal disease; this case demonstrates the possibility of
      recovery. This report outlines his treatment, drug toxicities and includes
      additional information regarding the therapeutic use of the drug miltefosine.
      Whether his survival is related to the specific antimicrobials used in this case
      is unknown and further investigation is warranted.

PMID- 28348756
TI  - Amoeboma in a Saudi resident: a case report.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: Amoebiasis is the third most frequent cause of mortality after
      malaria and schistosomiasis. In developed countries, amebiasis is also seen in
      migrants who have travelled to endemic areas. The factors responsible for its
      progression from intestinal amebiasis to an amebic liver abscess are not fully
      understood. CASE PRESENTATION: A 54-year-old man presented with abdominal pain,
      fever and diarrhoea. Laparotomy confirmed an inflammatory mass involving the
      right colon, and he underwent a right hemicolectomy. He later developed abdominal
      distenstion due to an amoebic liver abscess and died from secondary nosocomial
      bacterial infection and surgical complications. CONCLUSION: Amoeboma is an
      uncommon manifestation of amoebiasis, and can mimic both carcinoma and
      inflammatory bowel disease; so, distinguishing between these two conditions is
      the key to providing appropriate therapy. Hepatic amoebiasis is the most common
      extraintestinal disease of invasive amoebiasis. This clinical report presents a
      case of an uncommon parasitic disease in Saudi Arabia and discusses the
      difficulties encountered while attempting to establish the correct diagnosis.
      Hence, a high index of suspicion is crucial for diagnosing Entamoeba histolytica
      to avoid unnecessary surgery and further complications.

PMID- 28348757
TI  - Zika virus infection as an unexpected finding in a Leptospirosis patient.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: Areas where leptospirosis and arboviruses are endemic largely
      overlap in the tropics. However, the number of arbovirus infections is usually
      much higher. The initial clinical presentation can be highly confusing;
      therefore, laboratory confirmation is key to an accurate diagnosis. CASE
      PRESENTATION: A 19-year-old man presented to a peripheral health centre with an
      acute febrile illness. Dengue was initially suspected, but the patient
      deteriorated to a shock syndrome. Leptospirosis as well as a co-infection with
      Zika virus were both confirmed in the laboratory, the latter being clinically
      masked in this dual infection. CONCLUSION: This case highlights the importance of
      not only considering the differential diagnosis of acute febrile syndromes, but
      also to consider the possibility of dual infections in the context of global
      spread of arboviruses. The specific context of travellers returning from endemic
      areas and pregnant women is also highlighted and discussed.

PMID- 28348758
TI  - Recurrent sepsis and neuroinvasive disease in a neonate culture-positive for a
      Group B Streptococcus CPS III serotype, hvgA+ strain.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: Late-onset disease with Group B Streptococcus (GBS LOD) remains a
      significant problem in neonates. Unlike early-onset disease, rates of GBS LOD
      have not changed with prenatal testing. Effects of GBS LOD can be severe and thus
      identifying risk factors for severe GBS LOD, such as hypervirulence genes, may
      help in managing these infants. CASE PRESENTATION: We present a case of a neonate
      with capsular serotype III GBS sepsis without meningitis that recurred 6 days
      after a 10-day-treatment period with IV ampicillin. The second episode was
      characterized by sepsis, neuroinvasion, meningitis and subsequent profound
      encephalomalacia. The short duration between the two episodes suggested
      recrudescence rather than reinfection. The GBS isolate was ultimately found to be
      positive for hypervirulence gene hvgA+, which encodes for a protein known to
      mediate meningeal tropism and neuroinvasion. CONCLUSION: hvgA positivity may thus
      potentially serve as an important biomarker for severe and neuroinvasive GBS LOD
      that can influence treatment decisions.

PMID- 28348759
TI  - Positive blood cultures in a patient recovering from febrile neutropenia.

PMID- 28348760
TI  - Report of two paediatric cases of central line infections caused by species of
      the genus Kocuria.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: Species of the genus Kocuria are Gram-positive cocci of the family
      Micrococcacceae that are ubiquitous in the environment and part of the normal
      skin and oral flora in humans. A paucity of cases have been reported of Kocuria
      as human pathogens and there are currently no evidence-based guidelines for
      managing these uncommon infections. CASE PRESENTATION: We present two paediatric
      cases of central line infections with species of the genus Kocuria that required
      line removal despite antimicrobial therapy. CONCLUSION: Species of the genus
      Kocuria are uncommon human pathogens that have rarely been reported to cause
      opportunistic infections in both adult and paediatric populations. The cases
      presented here add to the growing body of literature documenting the
      pathogenicity of these organisms and the possible need for line removal to
      achieve clinical cure in central line-associated bacteraemia caused by species of
      the genus Kocuria.

PMID- 28348761
TI  - Fatal primary amoebic meningoencephalitis in a Norwegian tourist returning from
      Thailand.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: Primary amoebic meningoencephalitis (PAM) is a rare disease caused
      by the free-living amoeba Naegleria fowleri. Infection occurs by insufflation of
      water containing amoebae into the nasal cavity, and is usually associated with
      bathing in freshwater. Nasal irrigation is a more rarely reported route of
      infection. CASE PRESENTATION: A fatal case of PAM in a previously healthy
      Norwegian woman, acquired during a holiday trip to Thailand, is described.
      Clinical findings were consistent with rapidly progressing meningoencephalitis.
      The cause of infection was discovered by chance, owing to the unexpected
      detection of N. fowleri DNA by a PCR assay targeting fungi. A conclusive
      diagnosis was established based on sequencing of N. fowleri DNA from brain
      biopsies, supported by histopathological findings. Nasal irrigation using
      contaminated tap water is suspected as the source of infection. CONCLUSION: The
      clinical presentation of PAM is very similar to severe bacterial meningitis. This
      case is a reminder that when standard investigations fail to identify a cause of
      infection in severe meningoencephalitis, it is of crucial importance to continue
      a broad search for a conclusive diagnosis. PAM should be considered as a
      diagnosis in patients with symptoms of severe meningoencephalitis returning from
      endemic areas.

PMID- 28348762
TI  - A case of Ignatzschineria bacteraemia in an unconscious man from the Netherlands.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: Ignatzschineria species were previously known as Schineria species
      and are well known inhabitants of the larvae of the parasitic fly Wohlfahrtia
      magnifica. CASE PRESENTATION: We report a case of Ignatzschineria species
      bacteraemia in a Dutch patient with a wound infested with maggots. CONCLUSION: In
      the past, these bacteria have been isolated from Wohlfahrtia magnifica, a fly not
      indigenous to The Netherlands. Other fly larvae such as the blowfly larvae
      probably infested the wound and harboured this Ignatzschineria strain which
      subsequently caused this bacteraemia. A two-week course of amoxicillin/clavulanic
      acid was given with good clinical response.

PMID- 28348763
TI  - Granulicatella adiacens prosthetic hip joint infection after dental treatment.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: Granulicatella adiacens is a Gram-positive bacteria and a normal
      component of oral flora. It is also found in dental plaques, endodontic abscesses
      and can rarely cause more serious infections. CASE PRESENTATION: We describe a
      prosthetic hip joint infection in an 81-year-old fit and healthy man due to
      Granulicatella adiacens who underwent a prolonged dental intervention two days
      earlier without antibiotic prophylaxis. The infection was successfully treated
      with surgical intervention and a combination of antibiotics. The patient
      eventually succumbed to severe community-acquired pneumonia two months later.
      CONCLUSION: Current guidelines recommend avoidance of antibiotic prophylaxis
      prior to dental treatment in patients who have no co-morbidities and no prior
      operation on the index prosthetic joint. This case report indicates that
      infections of prosthetic joints may be associated with dental procedures even in
      fit and healthy patients without the recognized risk factors.

PMID- 28348764
TI  - First reported case of Campylobacter lanienae enteritis in a human.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: Campylobacters are the most frequently identified bacteria causing
      diarrhoea in humans worldwide. Campylobacter lanienae was isolated for the first
      time in 2000 from faecal samples of two asymptomatic abattoir workers in
      Switzerland during a routine hygiene screen, but has never been associated with
      human disease. CASE PRESENTATION: At hospital admission, the patient reported
      diarrhoea, lower abdominal cramps, nausea, one episode of bilious vomiting and
      low-grade fever of 38  degrees C. The patient was having 10 or more diarrheic
      stools per day as well as during the night, and had noticed blood mixed with the
      stools on several occasions. Stool cultures were negative for species of
      Salmonella and Shigella, Escherichia coli O157:H7 and Yersinia enterocolitica,
      but were positive for C. lanienae. Identification was made by classical
      biochemical testing, as well as 16S rRNA gene and cpn60 sequencing. The patient
      slowly improved without antibiotic treatment and was discharged nine days after
      admission with complete resolution of symptoms. CONCLUSION: On the whole it seems
      very likely that C. lanienae was the causative agent. Clinical microbiologists
      should be aware of this micro-organism which can be identified by phenotypic and
      molecular methods. The real burden of C. lanienae infection in humans might be
      underestimated and should be further investigated as a potential cause of human
      diarrhoea disease.

PMID- 28348765
TI  - Progressive disseminated histoplasmosis mimicking a flare of systemic lupus
      erythematosus: a European case report.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: Diagnosing progressive disseminated histoplasmosis (PDH) in
      patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is diagnostically challenging.
      Since PDH is lethal when untreated, awareness of this infection in patients with
      SLE is of utmost importance. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first
      description of a case of PDH in a patient with SLE in Europe. CASE PRESENTATION:
      A 56-year-old woman of Surinamese descent with a history of SLE, presented with
      fever and polyarthritis. Although a flare of SLE was suspected initially,
      cultures of bone marrow and broncho-alveolar lavage fluid grew Histoplasma
      capsulatum. CONCLUSION: This case report highlights that physicians should be
      aware of progressive disseminated histoplasmosis in patients with SLE treated
      with immunosuppressive agents. The signs and symptoms can easily mimic a SLE
      flare, which would then be treated with more aggressive immunosuppression.
      Failure to recognize the infection will therefore invariably lead to death of the
      patient. Progressive disseminated histoplasmosis is usually not recognized by
      doctors in non-endemic areas such as Europe. However, globalisation and more
      frequent intercontinental traffic of immunocompromised patients currently
      increases the incidence of histoplasmosis in these areas. It is therefore of life
      saving importance that doctors are aware of the features of the infection in
      areas where H. capsulatum is not endemic.

PMID- 28348766
TI  - Can anaerobes be acid fast? A novel, clinically relevant acid fast anaerobe.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: Anaerobic acid fast bacilli (AFB) have not been previously reported
      in clinical microbiology. This is the second case report of a novel anaerobic AFB
      causing disease in humans. CASE PRESENTATION: An anaerobic AFB was isolated from
      an abdominal wall abscess in a 64-year-old Caucasian diabetic male, who underwent
      distal pancreatectomy and splenectomy for resection of a pancreatic
      neuroendocrine tumour. The isolated bacteria were gram-variable and acid-fast,
      consisting of small irregular rods. The 16S rRNA gene sequence analysis showed
      that the isolate is a novel organism described in the literature only once
      before. The organism was studied at the CDC (Centers for Disease Control and
      Prevention) by the same group that worked with the isolates from the previous
      report; their findings suggest that the strain belongs to the suborder
      Corynebacterineae. CONCLUSION: This is the fifth reported case of an anaerobic
      AFB involved in clinical disease; its microbiological features and 16S RNA
      sequence are identical to previously reported cases. Clinical disease with this
      organism seems to be associated with recent history of surgery and abscess
      formation in deep soft tissues. Acquisition from surgical material is uncertain
      but seems unlikely.

PMID- 28348768
TI  - Myocarditis in Mediterranean spotted fever: a case report and a review of the
      literature.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: Mediterranean spotted fever (MSF) is a tick-borne acute febrile
      disease caused by Rickettsia conorii. Most cases follow a benign course, with a
      case fatality rate of 3-7 % among hospitalized patients. Complications are
      described mainly in adult patients and include hepatic, renal, neurological and
      cardiac impairment. Among cardiac complications, pericarditis, myocarditis and
      heart rhythm disorders are uncommon complications in MSF and only a few cases
      have been reported in the literature. CASE PRESENTATION: We describe a new case
      of acute myocarditis complicating MSF in an immunocompetent adult patient without
      risk factors for severe MSF. CONCLUSION: Myocarditis is an uncommon but severe
      complication of MSF. Clinicians should be aware of a possible cardiac involvement
      in patients with MSF. Close monitoring and an aggressive approach are essential
      to reduce mortality rates of MSF.

PMID- 28348767
TI  - First case of mixed infection with Cryptococcus deuterogattii and Cryptococcus
      neoformans VNI in an Ivorian HIV-positive patient.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: Cryptococcal meningitis (CM) may be caused by several species of
      Cryptococcus. CASE PRESENTATION: We describe a fatal case of CM in a HIV-positive
      patient from Ivory Coast infected by Cryptococcus neoformans VNI and
      Cryptococcusdeuterogattii. Isolates were recovered from cerebrospinal fluid (CSF)
      prior to systemic antifungal treatment. Six isolates were studied (the entire
      culture plus five isolated colonies from it). Serotyping was performed via LAC 1
      and CAP 64 gene amplification. Genotyping was performed using restriction
      fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) analysis of the URA5 gene, (GACA)4, (GTG)5
      and M13 PCR fingerprinting. URA5-RFLP analysis identified the original culture
      with two different molecular type combinations. However, URA5-RFLP profiles of
      the five colonies isolated from the original sample revealed two different
      species. Four colonies were identified as C.deuterogattii and the last isolate as
      C.neoformans VNI. The in vitro susceptibility profile was determined using the
      standard method according to the CLSI M27-A3 protocol. The isolates were
      susceptible to the tested antifungals (fluconazole, flucytosine and amphotericin
      B). Treatment with fluconazole (1200  mg day-1) was initiated; however, the
      patient died 17 days after the onset of antifungal therapy. CONCLUSION: This is
      the first reported case of mixed infection with C. neoformans and C.deuterogattii
      in a HIV-positive patient.

PMID- 28348769
TI  - Clostridium baratii: a rare case of pneumonia associated with an Alzheimer
      patient in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: Clostridium baratii is rarely associated with human diseases.
      Infection is usuallcaused by ingestion of contaminated food, and infant botulism
      is the most common clinical presentation. CASE REPORT: Here we report a case of
      pneumonia by a non-toxigenic strain of C. baratii in an Alzheimer 70-year-old
      male with sepsis in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. The micro-organism was identified by
      phenotypical tests, mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF), DNA amplification (PCR) and
      sequencing of the 16S rRNA gene. Testing for the presence of botulinum F toxin
      was made using multiplex PCR. Bioassay for a large number of colonies was
      performed in mice to evaluate the production of any lethal toxin, but the results
      were negative. CONCLUSION: To our knowledge, there are no cases of C. baratii
      infection reported in Brazil and we highlight the importance of anaerobic lab
      tests in the standard routine of diagnosis.

PMID- 28348770
TI  - Non-traumatic keratitis due to Colletotrichum truncatum.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: The fungal genus Colletotrichum is an uncommon cause of human
      infections. It has been implicated in cutaneous phaeohyphomycosis, artritis and
      keratitis secondary to traumatic implantation. CASE PRESENTATION: We report two
      cases of keratitis due Colletotrichum truncatum in middle-aged, immunocompetent
      persons without history of trauma. The aetiological agents were identified based
      on DNA sequencing. Azoles and echinocandins showed high minimal inhibitory
      concentrations while amphotericin B was <= 0.25  mg l-1. Both patients failed
      topical antifungal treatment and needed penetrating keratoplasty with a
      favourable outcome. CONCLUSION: C. truncatum caused keratomycosis which did not
      respond to topical antifungal agents. To the best of our knowledge these are the
      first reported cases of keratitis due to this fungus in Cuba and Latin-America
      and highlights the expanding spectrum of fungal agents causing eye infections.

PMID- 28348771
TI  - Angioinvasive mucormycosis and paradoxical stroke: a case report.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: Rhizopus typically results in acute, aggressive and angioinvasive
      infection, particularly in immunosuppressed individuals. Risk factors include
      immunosuppression in haematologic malignancy, uncontrolled hyperglycemia, iron
      overload states, and older chelator agents such as deferoxamine. CASE
      PRESENTATION: We describe a case of a 33-year-old female with transfusion
      dependent beta thalassemia who was started on intravenous deferiprone therapy and
      subsequently presented with a retropharyngeal abscess. Despite intravenous broad
      spectrum antibiotics, she continued to deteriorate and developed aphasia. A CT
      scan of her head showed multiple hypodensities. Blood cultures grew Rhizopus
      species and a subsequent transesophageal echocardiogram showed a mass in the
      right atrium with a patent foramen ovale. CONCLUSION: Although deferiprone, a
      newer iron chelator agent, has antifungal properties in vivo, this case
      illustrates that angioinvasive Rhizopus infections can occur in patients treated
      with deferiprone.

PMID- 28348772
TI  - Case series of Bartonella quintana blood culture-negative endocarditis in
      Washington, DC.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: Prior studies (predominantly from Europe) have demonstrated blood
      culture-negative endocarditis due to Bartonella. Our objective was to describe
      three cases of Bartonella quintana endocarditis identified within one year at a
      large hospital in Washington, DC, USA. CASE PRESENTATION: We constructed a
      descriptive case series from a retrospective review of medical records from April
      to December 2013 at an 800-bed urban hospital. All three patients (ages: 52, 55
      and 57 years) were undomiciled/homeless men with a history of alcoholism.
      Although they had negative blood cultures, echocardiography demonstrated
      aortic/mitral valve perforation and regurgitation in one patient, aortic/mitral
      valve vegetation with mitral regurgitation in the second patient, and aortic
      valve vegetation with regurgitation in the third patient. The patients had
      positive Bartonella quintana serum immunoglobulin G (IgG) with negative
      immunoglobulin M (IgM). PCR on DNA extracted from cardiac valves was positive for
      Bartonella, and DNA sequencing of PCR amplicons identified Bartonella quintana.
      Patients received treatment with doxycycline/rifampin or doxycycline/gentamicin.
      CONCLUSION: Clinicians should consider Bartonella endocarditis as a differential
      diagnosis in patients who fit elements of the Duke Criteria, as well as having a
      history of homelessness and alcoholism.

PMID- 28348773
TI  - Pleural empyema due to Salmonella enterica serovar Enteritidis in an
      immunocompetent elderly patient: a case report.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: Pleural empyema as a focal infection due to Salmonella enterica
      serovar Enteritidis is rare and most commonly described among immunosuppressed
      patients or patients who suffer from sickle cell anaemia and lung malignancies.
      CASE PRESENTATION: Here, we present an 81-year-old immunocompetent Greek woman
      with bacteraemia and pleural empyema due to Salmonella Enteritidis without any
      gastrointestinal symptoms. CONCLUSION: In our case, we suggest that patient's
      pleural effusion secondary to heart failure was complicated by empyema and that
      focal intravascular infection was the cause of bacteraemia.

PMID- 28348774
TI  - Latent infection of human bocavirus accompanied by flare of chronic cough,
      fatigue and episodes of viral replication in an immunocompetent adult patient,
      Cologne, Germany.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: The human bocavirus (HBoV) is a parvovirus and is associated with
      mild to life-threatening acute or persisting respiratory infections, frequently
      accompanied by further pathogens. So far, there is limited knowledge on the
      mechanisms of persistence, and no reports on chronic infections or latency have
      been published so far. CASE PRESENTATION: An immunocompetent male patient suffers
      from a chronic HBoV1 infection, i.e. viral DNA was detected in both serum and
      bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) for >5 months without co-infections and with
      respiratory symptoms resolved spontaneously while receiving symptomatic treatment
      with montelukast and corticosteroids. Following the symptomatic medication of a
      chronic infection with HBoV1 viraemia indicating active viral replication lasting
      over 5 months, the patient cleared the viraemia and no further viral DNA was
      detectable in the BAL. However, by fluorescence in situ hybridization analyses of
      mucosal biopsies, it was shown that the virus genome still persisted in the
      absence of viral shedding but in a more compact manner possibly representing a
      supercoiled episomal form of this otherwise linear single-stranded DNA genome.
      This indicated the entry into a latency phase. Moreover, the cytokine profile and
      the IP-10/TARC ratio, a marker for fibrotization, seem to have been altered by
      HBoV1 replication. Although specific IgG antibodies were detectable during the
      whole observation period, they showed an apparently insufficient neutralising
      activity. CONCLUSION: On the one hand, these findings suggest that the
      symptomatic medication may have led to clearance of the virus from blood and
      airways and, moreover, that the viral DNA persists in the tissue as an altered
      episomal form favoured by lacking neutralising antibodies. This appears to be
      important in order to reduce possible long-term effects such as lung fibrosis.

PMID- 28348775
TI  - Progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy and black fungus in a patient with
      rheumatoid arthritis without severe lymphocytopenia.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: Progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy (PML) is a rare
      demyelinating brain infection caused by JC polyomavirus (JCV), primarily seen in
      patients with severely compromised cellular immunity. Clinical presentation
      varies depending on the affected white matter. PML prognosis is variable and
      effective treatments are lacking. CASE PRESENTATION: A 75-year-old Chinese woman
      with type 2 diabetes mellitus, chronic kidney disease and rheumatoid arthritis,
      treated with low-dose methotrexate and prednisolone for 2.5 years, developed a
      Pleurostomophora richardsiae infection of her left arm. After 6 months of
      treating this rare black fungus infection with voriconazole, surgery and
      immunosuppression discontinuation, she presented with progressive afebrile
      encephalopathy with right-sided hemiparesis. There were no signs of inflammation
      or metabolic abnormalities. Brain magnetic resonance imaging revealed diffuse
      frontal white matter lesions and a cerebrospinal fluid PCR confirmed PML due to
      JC virus. Severe lymphopenia was never present, and at PML diagnosis, CD4 and CD8
      T-cell counts were 454 mm-3 and 277 mm-3. CD8 T-cells were able to respond to JCV
      VP1 peptide stimulation with TNFalpha secretion. Peripheral B-cell count was only
      8 mm-3. Mirtazapine and Maraviroc were started, but unfortunately, she rapidly
      deteriorated and died 5 weeks after PML diagnosis. CONCLUSION: Although
      peripheral lymphocyte counts were never low and CD4 T-cell count was close to
      normal, the persistent black fungus infection was a hallmark of severely
      compromised cellular immunity. The unexpected extremely low absolute B-cell count
      might suggest a protective role for B-cells. The paradoxical, clinical PML onset
      months after immunosuppressive discontinuation suggests that it was only
      discovered in the context of an immune reconstitution inflammatory syndrome.

PMID- 28348776
TI  - First case report of pulmonary nocardiosis caused by Nocardia mexicana.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: Nocardia species usually cause opportunistic infections, and the
      frequency of these infections is increasing owing to the growing population of
      immunocompromised hosts. However, Nocardia species may sometimes cause an
      infection disease in immunocompetent hosts. Nocardia mexicana infections are the
      least common and are very rare. CASE PRESENTATION: Herein, we report the first
      case of a pulmonary infection with N. mexicana in a 61-year-old Japanese woman
      with a history of hyperlipidaemia and bronchiectasis and a 6-month history of non
      productive hacking cough. A sample of bronchial lavage fluid obtained by
      bronchofiberscopy showed filamentous branching gram-positive rods and acid-fast
      filamentous branching rods, and a colony of suspected Nocardia was cultured.
      Based on 16S rRNA, gyrB,rpoB, secA1 and hsp65 gene sequence analyses and
      biochemical and physiological properties, the strain was identified as N.
      mexicana. The strain was resistant to the antimicrobial agents amoxicillin
      clavulanic acid, clarithromycin, minocycline, gentamycin, tobramycin,
      ciprofloxacin and trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole. The patient was treated with
      biapenem followed by intravenous amikacin and oral linezolid. CONCLUSION: Despite
      its rarity, the species require attention owing to the existence of multidrug
      resistant strains.

PMID- 28348777
TI  - Fatal case of co-infection with dengue virus and Neisseria meningitidis during a
      dengue epidemic in the state of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: Dengue and meningococcal disease are caused by two different
      agents: a flavivirus and a Gram-negative bacterium, respectively. The first
      symptoms of both diseases can be indistinct and a rapid and accurate diagnosis is
      crucial, considering that both diseases are associated with high morbidity and
      mortality, representing a major public-health problem in Brazil. CASE
      PRESENTATION: We report a fatal case of co-infection of dengue virus (DENV) and
      Neisseria meningitidis in a 54-year-old patient. The serum tested positive for
      DENV NS1 antigen, and N. meningitidis serogroup C was detected by nspA-PCR.
      Following the initial positive result for DENV infection, rRT-PCRwas performed
      and DENV-4 was confirmed. CONCLUSION: Our report highlights the importance of
      accurate differential diagnosis during periods of high circulation of DENV, in
      order to provide adequate management and an improved outcome.

PMID- 28348778
TI  - VEB-1 extended-spectrum beta-lactamase-producing multidrug-resistant Proteus
      mirabilis sepsis outbreak in a neonatal intensive care unit in India: clinical
      and diagnostic implications.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: Extended-spectrum beta-lactamase (ESBL)-producing
      Enterobacteriaceae, multidrug-resistant (MDR) pathogens, are increasingly
      implicated in nosocomial outbreaksworldwide, particularly in neonatal intensive
      care units (NICUs). Proteus mirabilis is an uncommon nosocomial pathogen causing
      sepsis in neonates. CASE PRESENTATION: We report an outbreak of ESBL-positive MDR
      P. mirabilis sepsis involving five babies within 10 days in a NICU, which was
      promptly detected and managed. The aim of this study was to characterize the
      molecular mechanism of resistance to third-generation cephalosporins (3GCs) in
      the bacteria. Surveillance cultures were collected from health-care personnel
      (hand swabs, urine) and the surrounding patient-care environment. Ribotyping was
      performed to determine the clonality of the strain. Thirteen P. mirabilis were
      recovered from the blood cultures of the five babies and surveillance cultures.
      Twelve isolates were positive for the VEB-1 ESBL type, and were susceptible only
      to ciprofloxacin and carbapenems. There was an unusual phenotypic synergy
      observed between the 3GCs and imipenem/cefoxitin. The source of infection was
      traced to a contaminated multidose vial. The outbreak was associated with a high
      mortality (80 %). A change of empirical antibiotic policy to ciprofloxacin, with
      strict infection control measures, brought the outbreak to an abrupt end.
      CONCLUSION: This is believed to be the first report of a nosocomial outbreak of
      VEB-1 ESBL-producing P. mirabilis sepsis in neonates from India. The present
      report of infection due to VEB-1-producing P. mirabilis, an uncommon pathogen for
      an epidemic in a neonatal unit, highlights the growing significance of such Gram
      negative bacteria as a cause of infections in newborns. Epidemic spread in a
      neonatal unit of an ESBL-producing Proteus species, which also had an
      intrinsically reduced susceptibility to imipenem, and resistance to colistin and
      tigecycline, can be a threatening situation and can result in high neonatal
      mortality unless recognized and controlled in a timely manner.

PMID- 28348779
TI  - Unusual case of pelvic hydatid cyst of broad ligament mimicking an ovarian
      tumour.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: The diagnosis of hydatid cyst in female genital tract is rare and
      difficult. A high degree of clinical suspicion is needed for pre-operative
      investigations to exclude hydatid cyst of female pelvis. The objective of this
      presentation is to highlight a pelvic hydatid cyst that presented as an ovarian
      tumour. CASE PRESENTATION: A 22-year-old female, presented with constipation and
      haematuria with acute urinary retention. On examination, a mass measuring 15*13
      cm was palpable in the left iliac region reaching up to the umbilicus. It was
      smooth, movable and non-tender and a provisional diagnosis of ovarian teratoma
      was made pre-operatively. At laparotomy, a cystic mass was found attached to the
      broad ligament, excised, and a frozen section was sent for histopathology. Gross
      features were consistent with hydatid cyst; the cystic wall was white and there
      were multiple small thin-wall daughter cysts. Microscopic diagnosis with paraffin
      sections showed cystic lesions with laminated wall and scolices in the daughter
      cyst. Indirect haemagglutination test for specific antibodies was positive (128
      IU). The patient responded well to surgical excision followed by albendazole
      administration. CONCLUSION: This case highlights the fact that a pelvic hydatid
      disease may resemble neoplastic ovarian cyst, clinically and radiologically. The
      possibility of pelvic hydatid disease should be included, in endemic areas where
      differential diagnosis of cystic ovarian lesions is needed, so that the patient
      can be managed accordingly.

PMID- 28348780
TI  - Pelvic abscess due to Mycoplasma hominis following caesarean section.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: Mycoplasma hominis is associated with genito-urinary tract
      infection and adverse pregnancy outcomes. However, whether the species is a true
      pathogen or part of the genito-urinary tracts natural flora remains unclear. CASE
      PRESENTATION: A 41-year-old pregnant woman was admitted to our hospital at 38
      weeks and 5 days of gestation owing to premature rupture of the membranes. The
      patient delivered by caesarean section. Subsequently, the patient complained of
      lower abdominal pain and had persistent fever. Enhanced computed tomography
      revealed pelvic abscesses. Gram staining of pus from the abscess and vaginal
      secretions indicated presence of polymorphonuclear leucocytes but no pathogens.
      Cultures on blood agar showed growth of pinpoint-sized colonies in an anaerobic
      environment within 48 h. Although administration of carbapenem and metronidazole
      was ineffective and we could not fully drain the abscess, administration of
      clindamycin led to clinical improvement. The isolates 16S rRNA gene and yidC gene
      sequences exhibited identity with those of M. hominis. CONCLUSION: Physicians
      should consider M. hominis in cases of pelvic abscesses where Gram staining
      yields negative results, small colonies are isolated from the abscess and
      treatment with beta-lactam antibiotics is ineffective.

PMID- 28348781
TI  - Human Clostridium difficile infection caused by a livestock-associated PCR
      ribotype 237 strain in Western Australia.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: Clostridium difficile infection (CDI) is a significant
      gastrointestinal disease in the developed world and increasingly recognised as a
      zoonotic infection. In North America and Europe, the PCR ribotype (RT) 078 strain
      of C. difficile is commonly found in production animals and as a cause of disease
      in humans although proof of transmission from animals is lacking. This strain is
      absent in Australian livestock. We report a case of human CDI caused by a strain
      of C. difficile belonging to known Australian livestock-associated RT 237. CASE
      PRESENTATION: A young male was admitted for multiple trauma following a motor
      vehicle accident and placed on piperacillin/tazobactam for pneumonia. After 4
      days of treatment, he developed symptoms of CDI, which was confirmed in the
      laboratory. His symptoms resolved after 6 days of intravenous metronidazole. The
      strain of C. difficile isolated was identified as RT 237, an unusual RT
      previously found in with several Western Australia piggeries. CONCLUSION: This
      case of CDI caused by an unusual livestock-associated C. difficile RT 237
      supports the hypothesis of zoonotic transmission. The case highlights the
      potential of livestock to act as reservoir for C. difficile and the need for
      continued surveillance of CDI in both human and animal populations.

PMID- 28348782
TI  - An unusual case of seronegative, 16S PCR positive Brucella infection.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: Brucella is a zoonotic infection commonly diagnosed by isolation of
      the organism from blood culture or positive serological testing. It is an
      uncommon cause of a pyrexia of unknown origin in the United Kingdom. CASE
      PRESENTATION: We describe the case of a 14-year-old girl with no history of
      travel who presented with pyrexia, weight loss, arthralgia, multiple splenic
      abscesses and a subsequent pleural effusion, the latter of which isolated a
      Brucella species on 16S rRNA PCR. The patient responded well to initiation of
      treatment for brucellosis and on repeat imaging, after 3 months, the splenic
      abscesses had resolved. CONCLUSION: This unique case demonstrates uncommon
      complications of brucellosis and the challenges of diagnosing the organism, the
      latter of which can be alleviated by the utilization of molecularbased
      technologies. This patient had a negative serology result for brucellosis, which
      highlights the need to interpret serology results with caution in non-endemic
      regions for brucellosis.

PMID- 28348783
TI  - An unusual case of thoracic empyema caused by Granulicatella elegans
      (nutritionally variant streptococci) in a patient with pulmonary tuberculosis and
      human immunodeficiency virus infection.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: Nutritionally variant streptococci (NVS) are an infrequent cause of
      human infection with Granulicatella elegans being the least encountered species
      in clinical specimens. The most common infection caused by NVS is infective
      endocarditis. CASE PRESENTATION: We report an unusual case of thoracic empyema
      due to G. elegans in a patient with pulmonary tuberculosis (TB) and human
      immunodeficiency virus infection. The patient responded favourably to drainage
      and penicillin. CONCLUSION: This case illustrates that even though TB is
      responsible for the majority of pleural effusions in this setting, other rare
      opportunistic bacteria may cause infection in susceptible patients. Therefore,
      microbiological investigations should be performed in all patients presenting
      with pleural effusion.

PMID- 28348784
TI  - Identification of a novel sequence type of Escherichia coli as the causative
      agent of pyelonephritis and bloodstream infection.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: Globally, extra-intestinal pathogenic Escherichia coli are one of
      the predominant causative agents of bacteraemia. CASE PRESENTATION: This case
      report outlines a presentation of community-acquired pyelonephritis and secondary
      bloodstream infection in an 81-year-old man. Laboratory investigations revealed
      that the causative isolate was a multi-drug-resistant E. coli of a novel multi
      locus sequence type. This sequence type (ST) was designated ST-458 and was most
      closely related to the globally prevalent ST-131 lineage. CONCLUSION: This is the
      first report of a novel E. coli ST, ST-458, which caused pyelonephritis and
      bacteraemia.

PMID- 28348785
TI  - Retrospective PCR-based species identification of Leishmania in two patients with
      visceral leishmaniasis in Serbia.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: Retrospective molecular identification of Leishmania parasites in
      two patients with visceral leishmaniasis (VL) previously treated in Serbia was
      carried out. DNA was isolated from unstained bone marrow smears (BMSs) kept for
      11 and 8 years. Genus-specific real-time PCR was combined with conventional PCR
      and sequencing for detection and species identification. CASE PRESENTATION: In
      2003, a 40-year-old Serbian male was admitted to the Clinical Centre of Serbia
      (CCS) with fever, sweating, fatigue and splenomegaly, which developed over a
      period of 7 weeks. He had frequently travelled around Europe. VL was confirmed by
      microscopy of Giemsa-stained BMS. Treatment by pentavalent antimonials was
      successfully completed. Two years later, the patient developed post-kala-azar
      dermal leishmaniasis. Treatment resulted in symptom resolution. Later on,
      Leishmania infantum was identified as the causative agent of the VL by sequencing
      of the ITS (internal transcribed spacer) region; mixed Leishmania spp. infection
      could not be excluded. In 2006, a 33-year-old female from Vojvodina, Serbia, with
      pre-existing diabetes mellitus and chronic meningoencephalitis and a history of
      frequent visits to the Montenegrin seacoast, was admitted to the CCS with fever,
      pancytopenia and moderate hepatosplenomegaly. A stained BMS revealed abundant
      Leishmania amastigotes. Indirect haemagglutination analysis was positive with a
      titre of 1 : 2048, and a rapid dipstick rK39 test was also positive. Treatment by
      liposomal amphotericin B was successful; however, shortly after, the patient
      developed neural infection and pneumonia and died. The causative agent was
      identified as L. infantum. CONCLUSION: Molecular diagnosis of VL and species
      delineation using DNA from unstained BMSs stored for several years is possible.

PMID- 28348786
TI  - Haemophilus influenzae type a as a cause of paediatric septic arthritis.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: Incidence rates of invasive Haemophilus influenzae serotype b
      disease have decreased significantly since the introduction of the Hib vaccine;
      however, the rates in indigenous populations remain disproportionately high,
      specifically in the paediatric population. Additionally, with the decline of type
      b invasive infections, there has been a rebound in the incidence of invasive
      infections caused by other strains of H. influenzae, particularly serotype a.
      CASE PRESENTATION: We present a paediatric case of septic arthritis caused by H.
      influenzae type a in a toddler that was fully resolved following antibiotic
      therapy. This report adds to other reports of septic arthritis in indigenous
      populations as shown through a review of recently documented H. influenzae type a
      septic arthritis cases. CONCLUSION: Socio-economic risk factors for invasive H.
      influenzae type a disease, such as poverty, poor housing conditions,
      overcrowding, smoking and substance abuse during pregnancy, as well as the need
      for H. influenzae type a immunization of vulnerable populations, are discussed.

PMID- 28348787
TI  - Staphylococcus caprae native mitral valve infective endocarditis.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: Staphylococcus caprae is a rare cause of infective endocarditis.
      Here, we report a case involving the native mitral valve in the absence of an
      implantable cardiac electronic device. CASE PRESENTATION: A 76-year-old man
      presented with a 2 week history of confusion and pyrexia. His past medical
      history included an open reduction and internal fixation of a humeral fracture 17
      years previously, which remained non-united despite further revision 4 years
      later. There was no history of immunocompromise or farm-animal contact. Two sets
      of blood culture bottles, more than 12 h apart, were positive for S. caprae.
      Trans-thoracic echocardiography revealed a 1*1.2 cm vegetation on the mitral
      valve, with moderate mitral regurgitation. Due to ongoing confusion, he had a
      magnetic resonance imaging brain scan, which showed a subacute small vessel
      infarct consistent with a thromboembolic source. A humeral SPECT-CT (single
      photon emission computerized tomography-computerized tomography) scan showed no
      clear evidence of acute osteomyelitis. Surgical vegetectomy and mitral-valve
      repair were considered to reduce the risk of further systemic embolism and
      progressive valve infection. However, the potential risks of surgery to this
      patient led to a decision to pursue a cure with antibiotic therapy alone. He
      remained well 3 months after discharge, with repeat echocardiography
      demonstrating a reduction in the size of the vegetation (0.9 cm). CONCLUSION:
      Management of this infection was challenging due to its rarity and its unclear
      progression, complicated by the dilemma surrounding surgical intervention in a
      patient with a complex medical background.

PMID- 28348788
TI  - Streptococcus suis serotype 2 strains isolated in Argentina (South America) are
      different from those recovered in North America and present a higher risk for
      humans.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: Streptococcus suis serotype 2 is an important swine pathogen and
      emerging zoonotic agent causing meningitis and septicemia/septic shock. Strains
      are usually virulent (Eurasia) or of intermediate/low virulence (North America).
      Very few data regarding human and swine isolates from South America are
      available. CASE PRESENTATION: Seventeen new human S. suis cases in Argentina (16
      serotype 2 strains and a serotype 5 strain) are reported. Alongside, 14 isolates
      from pigs are analyzed: 12 from systemic disease, one from lungs and one from
      tonsils of a healthy animal. All human serotype 2 strains and most swine isolates
      are sequence type (ST) 1, as determined by multilocus sequence typing and present
      a mrp+/epf+/sly+ genotype typical of virulent Eurasian ST1 strains. The remaining
      two strains (recovered from swine lungs and tonsils) are ST28 and possess a
      mrp+/epf - /sly- genotype typical of low virulence North American strains.
      Representative human ST1 strains as well as one swine ST28 strain were analyzed
      by whole-genome sequencing and compared with genomes from GenBank. ST1 strains
      clustered together with three strains from Vietnam and this cluster is close to
      another one composed of 11 strains from the United Kingdom. CONCLUSION: Close
      contact with pigs/pork products, a good surveillance system, and the presence of
      potentially virulent Eurasian-like serotype 2 strains in Argentina may be an
      important factor contributing to the higher number of human cases observed. In
      fact, Argentina is now fifth among Western countries regarding the number of
      reported human cases after the Netherlands, France, the UK and Poland.

PMID- 28348789
TI  - Sternal wound infection caused by Gordonia bronchialis: identification by MALDI
      TOF MS.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: Gordonia spp. infections are uncommon. However, a few clinical
      cases have been reported in the literature, particularly those involving
      immunocompromised hosts. Advanced microbiology diagnosis techniques, such as
      matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization-time of flight MS (MALDI-TOF MS),
      have been recently introduced in clinical microbiology laboratories in order to
      improve microbial identification, resulting in better patient management. CASE
      PRESENTATION: Here, we present a new clinical case of persistent wound infection
      caused by Gordonia bronchialis in a 64-year-old woman after a mitral valve
      replacement, using two MALDI-TOF-based systems for identifying this micro
      organism. CONCLUSION: Both MALDI-TOF systems were able to identify Gordonia spp.;
      thus, providing a useful tool that overcomes the current limitations of
      phenotypic identification associated with this micro-organism. Although the
      technique validation deserves additional verification, our study provides
      guidance about MALDI-TOF as a fast and easy method for Gordonia spp.
      identification.

PMID- 28348790
TI  - Streptococcus pneumoniae bacteraemia due to parotitis in a patient with systemic
      sclerosis and secondary Sjogren's syndrome.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: Invasive pneumococcal disease is an uncommon and notifiable disease
      in Singapore. It is often associated with significant morbidity and mortality. We
      report a rare case of invasive pneumococcal bacteraemia due to parotitis in a
      patient with systemic sclerosis and secondary Sjogren's syndrome. We also present
      a retrospective review of Streptococcus pneumoniae bacteraemia cases in Singapore
      General Hospital from January 2011 to April 2016. CASE PRESENTATION: A 59-year
      old Malay lady with a history of systemic sclerosis with secondary Sjogren's
      syndrome presented with fever and left parotid gland swelling. Clinical
      examination revealed poor salivary pooling and left parotid swelling without
      fluctuance. Ultrasound of the left parotid gland confirmed acute parotitis
      without evidence of abscess or sialolithiasis. Blood cultures were positive for
      S. pneumoniae. She was diagnosed to have invasive pneumococcal bacteraemia
      secondary to acute parotitis, and treated with intravenous benzylpenicillin with
      clearance of bacteraemia after 3 days. Upon discharge, her antibiotics were
      changed to intravenous ceftriaxone to facilitate outpatient parenteral antibiotic
      therapy for another 2 weeks. She responded favourably to antibiotics at follow
      up, with no complications from the bacteraemia. A review of the microbiological
      records of the Singapore General Hospital revealed 116 cases of pneumococcal
      bacteraemia, most (80.3 %) of which were due to pneumonia. None were due to
      parotitis. CONCLUSION: S. pneumoniae parotitis and subsequent bacteraemia is
      rare. Prompt recognition of the disease and appropriate use of antibiotics are
      important. This case highlights that close communication between healthcare
      workers (microbiologist, rheumatologist and infectious disease specialist) is
      essential in ensuring good clinical outcomes in patients with a potentially fatal
      disease.

PMID- 28348791
TI  - Successful treatment of recurrent Helicobacter fennelliae bacteraemia by
      selective digestive decontamination with kanamycin in a lung cancer patient
      receiving chemotherapy.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: Helicobacter fennelliae is an enterohepatic Helicobacter species
      causing bacteraemia in immunocompromised hosts. Only a few cases of recurrent H.
      fennelliae bacteraemia have been reported in Japan and there are no guidelines
      regarding antimicrobial treatment for H. fennelliae infection. CASE PRESENTATION:
      H. fennelliae bacteraemia was observed in a patient receiving platinum-based
      chemotherapy for lung cancer. To prevent recurrence, the patient received
      antibiotic therapy with cefepime, amoxicillin and doxycycline for 6 weeks, which
      is similar to the therapy for Helicobactercinaedi bacteraemia. Bacteraemia
      recurred despite the long-term antibiotic therapy. We hypothesized that the H.
      fennelliae bacteraemia originated from endogenous infection in the intestinal
      tract due to the long-term damage of the enteric mucosa by platinum-based drugs
      and performed selective digestive decontamination (SDD) with kanamycin.
      Bacteraemia did not recur after SDD. CONCLUSION: Our observations indicate that
      clinicians should be aware of possible recurrent H. fennelliae bacteraemia, which
      could be effectively prevented by SDD with kanamycin.

PMID- 28348792
TI  - An unusual case of vaginal myiasis.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: Myiasis, a term used to describe the infestation of a live animal
      by fly larvae, is rarely reported in human subjects. The adult fly lays its eggs
      on living tissue that progresses to become larvae that feed on living tissue
      having gone through three developmental stages known as the first, second and
      third instar. The larvae become pupae before finally developing into adults. CASE
      PRESENTATION: We describe an unusual case of a 79-year-old female who collapsed
      in her garden and lay there for several days before presenting to her local
      hospital Accident and Emergency department with an infestation of larvae in her
      vagina labia, identified as those from the Protophormia species northern blowfly.
      After complete removal of the larvae using tweezers followed by cleansing of the
      affected area and a course of antibiotics, the patient's condition improved. A
      follow-up review by the local gynaecology team revealed no evidence of further
      infestation. CONCLUSION: It is our understanding that this is the first highly
      unusual case of a blowfly larvae infestation to be reported in a human within the
      UK.

PMID- 28348793
TI  - Understanding cutaneous tuberculosis: two clinical cases.
AB  - Tuberculosis (TB) is an ancient human disease and remains today one of the most
      important public health problems and the second most frequent cause of death from
      an infectious disease worldwide. While pulmonary TB is the most common form,
      extra-pulmonary TB is on the rise due to the increase in immunosuppressed
      subjects. Cutaneous TB manifestations are rare forms of extra-pulmonary TB due to
      systemic dissemination of bacilli or direct inoculation, involving skin or skin
      associated tissue, more common in immunocompromised subjects. Some risk factors
      and the features of the lesion may prompt the suspicion of cutaneous TB, but only
      microbiological assays can confirm the diagnosis. Our work summarizes cutaneous
      TB manifestations and differences from other skin mycobacterial infections, also
      describes two characteristic clinical cases.

PMID- 28348794
TI  - Zika and Chikungunya virus co-infection in a traveller returning from Colombia,
      2016: virus isolation and genetic analysis.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: Zikavirus (ZIKV) and Chikungunyavirus (CHIKV) can share the same
      mosquito vector, and co-infections by these viruses can occur in humans. While
      infections with these viruses share commonalities, CHIKV is unique in causing
      arthritis and arthralgias that may persist for a year or more. These infections
      are commonly diagnosed by RT-PCR-based methods during the acute phase of
      infection. Even with the high specificity and sensitivity characteristic of PCR,
      false negatives can occur, highlighting the need for additional diagnostic
      methods for confirmation. CASE PRESENTATION: On her return to the USA, a
      traveller to Colombia, South America developed an illness consistent with Zika,
      Chikungunya and/or Dengue. RT-PCR of her samples was positive only for ZIKV.
      However, arthralgias persisted for months, raising concerns about co-infection
      with CHIKV or Mayaro viruses. Cell cultures inoculated with her original clinical
      samples demonstrated two types of cytopathic effects, and both ZIKV and CHIKV
      were identified in the supernatants. On phylogenetic analyses, both viruses were
      found to be related to strains found in Colombia. CONCLUSION: These findings
      highlight the need to consider CHIKV co-infection in patients with prolonged
      rheumatological symptoms after diagnosis with ZIKV, and the usefulness of cell
      culture as an amplification step for low-viremia blood and other samples.

PMID- 28348795
TI  - Complicated sea urchin-induced wound infection caused by Vibrioalginolyticus and
      Staphylococcus lugdunensis in a 14-year-old boy.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: Wound infections with Vibrio alginolyticus, a Gram-negative
      bacterium found in all temperate oceans, are rarely reported. However, a rising
      incidence of wound infections caused by V. alginolyticus requires better
      knowledge about this infectious agent. CASE PRESENTATION: We report the case of a
      14-year-old boy suffering from a wound infection caused by V. alginolyticus and
      Staphylococcus lugdunensis after stepping on a sea urchin. Despite wound
      debridement and antibiotic therapy with cefaclor, the lesion did not heal over
      several weeks. After identification of the pathogens and antibiotic
      susceptibility testing, antibiotic therapy was switched to ciprofloxacin,
      followed by trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole. Two months after the accident the
      wound was re-epithelialized. Follow up after 6 months revealed a painful scar.
      CONCLUSION: Non-cholera vibrios like V. alginolyticus should be considered as
      possible causative agents in seawater-contaminated wounds. S. lugdunensis is a
      relevant pathogen in mixed wound infections. Early microbiological diagnosis and
      antibiotic-susceptibility testing is crucial to prevent therapeutic failure.

PMID- 28348796
TI  - Diagnostic difficulty identifying Apophysomyces trapeziformis septic arthritis in
      a patient with multiple myeloma.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: Mucormycosis is a rare fungal infection, but can cause substantial
      morbidity and mortality in both immunocompromised and immunocompetent patients.
      Apophysomyces is a mucormycetes species ubiquitous in nature, particularly in
      soil, decaying wood and other organic matter. Apophysomyces is known to cause
      cutaneous fungal infections, particularly after penetrating trauma. Septic
      arthritis is a rare clinical manifestation. CASE PRESENTATION: We describe a case
      of Apophysomyces trapeziformis causing septic arthritis of the knee of a patient
      with multiple myeloma. He was treated multiple times for bacterial septic
      arthritis with minimal improvement. Surgical tissue specimens finally grew
      mucoraceous mould, and DNA sequencing and morphological assessment of spores
      identified the mould as A. trapeziformis. The patient was treated with
      amphotericin B and posaconazole, but ultimately required an above-the-knee
      amputation for definitive treatment. CONCLUSION: This case illustrates the need
      to evaluate for fungal infection in a persistent septic arthritis that is culture
      negative and refractory to empiric antibiotics, particularly in an
      immunocompromised individual. It also shows the importance of a thorough social
      history and adequate tissue specimens for culture.

PMID- 28348799
TI  - Community-acquired urinary tract infections caused by Burkholderiacepacia complex
      in patients with no underlying risk factor.
AB  - Introduction. Urinary tract infections (UTIs) remain common infections diagnosed
      in outpatients as well as hospitalized patients. Community-acquired UTIs are
      generally caused by Escherichia coli and other members of the family
      Enterobacteriaceae.Burkholderiacepacia is an opportunistic pathogen mainly
      affecting immunocompromised and hospitalized patients, particularly those who
      have received prior broad-spectrum antibacterial therapy. Case presentation.
      Urine samples were collected from 157 outpatients clinically diagnosed with UTI
      and from 100 healthy control subjects. Samples were cultured on differential
      media and non-motile lactose-non-fermentors were identified via the Remel RapID
      ONE system. The isolates were tested by the disc diffusion method against 17
      antimicrobial agents. Burkholderia was isolated as a single organism from four
      patients having uncomplicated infections, and one from recurrent infection. None
      of these patients had an underlying risk factor for this pathogen. Identification
      of these isolates by the Remel-RapID ONE system was confirmed by recA gene
      amplification. The four isolates were resistant to lincomycin, nalidixic acid,
      oxacillin and penicillin G. These cases received monotherapy of oral co
      trimoxazole. Conclusions. Our findings alert urologists and diagnostic
      laboratories to the potential of B.cepacia complex infections in similar cases,
      and that this bacterium should not be ruled out.

PMID- 28348798
TI  - Primary pyogenic ventriculitis caused by Neisseria meningitidis: case report and
      review of the literature.
AB  - Background. Pyogenic ventriculitis is a well-known complication of meningitis,
      brain abscesses and intraventricular drains. Primary pyogenic ventriculitis is a
      rare entity and few cases have been described so far. We report the first case of
      primary pyogenic ventriculitis in an adult caused by Neisseria meningitidis and
      present an overview of all reported adult primary pyogenic ventriculitis cases in
      the English literature. Methods. A PubMed search was performed using the terms
      ependymitis, ventricular empyema, pyocephalus and ventriculitis. Filter was set
      for adults and English. Articles in which pyogenic ventriculitis was a
      complication of well-known risk factors were excluded. A total of five cases of
      primary pyogenic ventriculitis were identified. Results. There were seven adult
      patients. Only one patient showed signs of meningeal irritation. Four patients
      had positive blood cultures with Escherichia coli (one patient), methicillin
      resistant Staphylococcus aureus (one patient), one patient was bacteraemic with
      Enterococcus faecalis, Escherichia coli and Peptostreptococcus spp., and N.
      meningitidis (our patient). In four patients cerebrospinal fluid was sent for
      culture, which yielded methicillin-sensitive Staphylococcus aureus (one patient),
      Peptostreptococcus spp. (one patient), Streptococcus intermedius (one patient,
      identified via 16S PCR) and Listeria monocytogenes (one patient). Cerebrospinal
      fluid cell count was determined in four patients and showed pleocytosis in all
      four cases. Ventricular drainage was performed in four patients. Five patients
      survived. Discussion. We report the first case of pyogenic ventriculitis caused
      by N. meningitidis. Primary pyogenic ventriculitis is a rare entity with various
      clinical presentations caused by various bacterial species. Treatment consists of
      adequate antimicrobial therapy, and ventricular drainage may be necessary.

PMID- 28348797
TI  - Acute influenza virus-associated encephalitis and encephalopathy in adults: a
      challenging diagnosis.
AB  - Background: Acute influenza-associated encephalopathy/encephalitis (IAE) in
      adults is a rare but well-known complication of influenza virus infection. The
      diagnosis is difficult to make due to the absence of distinctive clinical
      symptoms and validated diagnostic criteria. We present an illustrative case and a
      case review on acute IAE in adults. Methods: We performed a Medline search of the
      English literature using the terms influenz*, encephal* and adult, and
      constructed a database of detailed descriptions of patients with influenza virus
      infection with influenza-like symptoms at the onset of neurological symptoms.
      Results: A total of 44 patients were included. Confusion and seizures were the
      most prevalent neurological symptoms, present in 12 (27 %) and 10 (23 %)
      patients, respectively. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) was performed in 21
      patients and anomalies were found in 13 (62 %), with lesions located throughout
      the brain. Influenza virus RNA was detected in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) in 5 (16
      %) of 32 patients. Eight (18 %) of the forty-four patients died. The benefits of
      antiviral and immunomodulatory therapy have not been well studied. Discussion:
      Our results show that many different neurological symptoms can be present in
      patients with acute onset IAE. Therefore, the diagnosis should be considered in
      patients with fever and neurological symptoms, especially during the influenza
      season. Laboratory diagnosis consists of demonstration of influenza virus RNA in
      brain tissue, CSF or respiratory samples, and demonstration of intrathecal
      antibody production against influenza virus. The presence of brain lesions in MRI
      and influenza virus in CSF appear to be of prognostic value.

PMID- 28348800
TI  - Pasteurella multocida urinary tract infection in a patient with cervical cancer.
AB  - Introduction. Infections caused by Pasteurella species are commonly associated
      with contact with dogs and cats, typically involving bites and scratches, but
      casual contact with household pets can also be a risk factor. Urinary tract
      infection (UTI) caused by Pasteurella species is rare and a significant majority
      of cases have some known risk factor associated with an underlying chronic
      illness or structural and/or functional urological abnormality. Case
      presentation. Here, we present a case of a UTI due to Pasteurella multocida in a
      patient with squamous cell carcinoma of the cervix who also had a household cat.
      Conclusion. Providers and laboratorians should be aware of risk factors
      associated with UTIs caused by Pasteurella species.

PMID- 28348801
TI  - Chromobacterium violaceum infection in chronic granulomatous disease: a case
      report and review of the literature.
AB  - Introduction.Chromobacterium violaceum is an opportunistic human pathogen,
      associated with significant mortality, and has been reported in patients with
      chronic granulomatous disease (CGD), a genetic condition causing impaired
      phagocytosis. Case presentation. A 28-year-old man with a history of CGD
      presented with fever, pharyngitis, cervical lymphadenopathy and internal jugular
      vein thrombosis, following travel to the rural Solomon Islands. C. violaceum was
      recovered from his blood. The patient recovered after treatment with meropenem
      and trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole. Conclusion. To the best of our knowledge, this
      is the first case report of internal jugular vein thrombophlebitis (Lemierre's
      syndrome) caused by C. violaceum in a patient with CGD. A review of the
      literature demonstrated that the diagnosis of C. violaceum preceded the diagnosis
      of CGD in the majority of cases. This case emphasizes the importance of this
      organism in patients with CGD who live in or visit tropical areas.

PMID- 28348802
TI  - Cat-bite-induced Francisella tularensis infection with a false-positive
      serological reaction for Bartonella quintana.
AB  - Introduction. Tularaemia is caused by infection with Francisella
      tularensistransmitted via direct contact with an infected hare carcass or
      indirectly through the bites of vectors, but may be cat-bite-associated as well.
      Medical history and reliable diagnostic analysis are important in order to
      differentiate it from other cat-associated infections, e.g. Bartonella spp.
      Casepresentation. A healthy 56-year-old man was examined because of a cat-bite
      associated ulceroglandular wound on his right thumb. Nineteen days after the cat
      bite occurred, a serology test was positive for anti-Bartonella quintana, but
      negative for anti-F. tularensis. Since Bartonella infections are rare in Sweden,
      another serology test was analysed 2 weeks later with a positive result for anti
      F. tularensis. The patient was treated with doxycycline for 14 days and
      recovered. The patient was re-sampled after 18 months to obtain a convalescent
      sample. The acute and the convalescent samples were both analysed at a reference
      centre, with negative results for anti-Bartonella spp. this time. Conclusion.
      This case is enlightening about the importance of extending the medical history
      and re-sampling the patient for antibody detection when the clinical suspicion of
      cat-bite-associated tularaemia is high. The false-positive result for anti-B.
      quintana antibodies may have been due to technical issues with the assay, cross
      reactivity or both.

PMID- 28348803
TI  - Non-O1/non-O139 Vibrio cholerae septicaemia in a Saudi man: a case report.
AB  - Background. The non-O1/non-O139 serogroups of Vibrio cholerae occur in diverse
      natural niches, and usually cause mild and self-limiting gastrointestinal
      illness. However, they have well-documented potential to cause invasive and extra
      intestinal infections among immunocompromised patients. Furthermore, their
      ability to grow in low-salinity surface water, and the existence of asymptomatic
      human carriers, suggest novel acquisition routes for this unusual infection, even
      in people without obvious risk factors. Case presentation. A 62-year-old man
      presented with epigastric pain, vomiting and fever. The patient had a history of
      diabetes and cholecystectomy, although our initial examination did not reveal any
      significant findings that might indicate V. cholerae infection. However, blood
      cultures subsequently revealed the presence of V. cholerae, which was positively
      identified using both conventional and modern non-conventional technologies. The
      identity of the V. cholerae isolate was confirmed using Vitek MS (matrix-assisted
      laser desorption ionization-time of flight MS) and the FilmArray system, in
      addition to its initial identification using the Vitek 2 system. The septicaemia
      was successfully treated using a 14 day course of ciprofloxacin. Conclusion. The
      present case highlights the need to remain highly suspicious of non-O1/non-O139
      V. cholerae infections in patients with known risk factors, as well as in healthy
      individuals with epidemiological exposure and compatible clinical symptoms.
      Special care should be taken to avoid false-positive results from confirmatory
      laboratory tests, as the organism can grow in fresh water, and the results should
      be verified using multiple methods.

PMID- 28348804
TI  - Cytolethal distending toxin-producing Escherichia coli strains causing severe
      diarrhoea in young Mexican children.
AB  - Introduction. Cytolethal distending toxins (CDTs), encoded by cdt genes, have
      DNase activity leading to cellular and nuclear distension, resulting in
      irreversible cell cycle arrest and apoptosis of target cells. cdt-positive
      Escherichia coli strains have been isolated from children with diarrhoea. There
      is, however, scant information on the prevalence and clinical presentation of
      diarrhoeal disease caused by these strains. Furthermore, toxin production of cdt
      positive strains is rarely confirmed. We report five young children with
      diarrhoea caused by CDT-producing E. coli in whom stools were negative for other
      bacterial or enteric pathogens. Case presentation. On admission to hospital, all
      children presented watery diarrhoea with high stool output (range 7-20 stools/24
      h); five had fever of 38  degrees C or more and four presented vomiting.
      Dehydration was present in four patients, one of whom had hypovolaemic shock; one
      child also presented hyponatraemia and hypokalaemia. In two children, cdt
      positive strains were classified as typical and atypical enteropathogenic E.
      coli, and the remaining three harboured cdt-positive strains that did not belong
      to any diarrhoeagenic pathogroup. One cdt-positive strain from each case was
      characterized by a CDT cytotoxic assay and a cdt type-specific PCR. All strains
      produced the characteristic cellular intoxication due to CDT. Two strains carried
      the cdt-I, one cdt-III, one cdt-IV, and one concurrently had cdt-I, cdt-II and
      cdt-III genes. Conclusion. Our results suggest that CDT-producing E. coli strains
      are an infrequent, albeit significant, cause of severe diarrhoeal illness in
      children. Future research should measure the true burden of cdt-positive E. coli
      diarrhoea among children.

PMID- 28348806
TI  - Aerococcus urinae, a cause of cystitis with malodorous urine in a child: clinical
      and microbiological challenges.
AB  - Introduction. An infection of the lower urinary tract associated with an
      extremely unpleasant odour due to Aerococcus urinae in an otherwise healthy 5
      year-old boy is described herein. Case presentation. Interestingly, imaging
      examination revealed the presence of a bladder diverticulum. Routine
      microbiological examination based on Gram staining, colony morphology and
      catalase reactivity suggested that the responsible pathogen could belong either
      to staphylococci, alpha-haemolytic streptococci or enterococci, which are more
      common urine isolates. Of note is that the VITEK 2 automated system could not
      identify the micro-organism. Susceptibility testing showed full sensitivity to
      beta-lactam antibiotics and resistance to trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole. The
      isolate was subjected to 16S rRNA gene sequence analysis because of its unusual
      characteristics. It was identified as A. urinae and the sequence was deposited in
      GenBank under the accession number KU207150. Conclusion.A. urinae should be
      considered as a causative agent of urinary-tract infection associated with
      malodorous urine.

PMID- 28348805
TI  - A cardiac implantable device infection by Raoultella planticola in an
      immunocompromized patient.
AB  - Introduction. Infection of cardiac implantable electronic devices is a severe
      condition associated with high mortality, particularly in patients who are
      dependent upon heart-pacing devices. Staphylococci are found in 70 % of reported
      cases. Case presentation. We report the case of a cardiac-pacemaker infection in
      a 79-year-old man, cumulating a history of rheumatoid arthritis treated by
      corticosteroids and methotrexate by a recently identified micro-organism:
      Raoultella planticola. He presented local signs of infection on his VVI pacemaker
      implantation site and underwent urgent pocket device replacement under
      cefamandole antibioprophylaxis. On incision thick pus oozed out. It was necessary
      to perform a complete hardware extraction comprising the pulse generator and the
      ancient lead. Pus was inoculated into aerobic and anaerobic culture vials and
      Gram staining unveiled Gram-negative rods. Microbiology analysis identified the
      organism as R. planticola. A new pacing device was inserted on the contrlateral
      pectoral region. Ciprofloxacin enabled full recovery. A literature review
      concerning this pathogen revealed that it is involved in severe infections such
      as bloodstream infections, peritonitis, cellulitis, pneumonia and lung abscesses,
      and urinary tract infections. In these case reports, underlying co-morbidities
      were identified such as solid active neoplasia, recent chemotherapy,
      corticosteroids, solid-organ-recipient patients and recent open surgery.
      Conclusion.R. planticola is a serious emerging pathogen and contributes to the
      burden of various infectious conditions. Its pathogenicity and occurrence should
      be known by clinicians and a high level of awareness is necessary to precisely
      identify it provide the correct antibiotic regimen.

PMID- 28348807
TI  - Successful treatment of Listeria monocytogenes prosthetic valve endocarditis
      using rifampicin and benzylpenicillin in combination with valve replacement.
AB  - Introduction.Listeria monocytogenes is an uncommon cause of prosthetic valve
      endocarditis (PVE). Recommended antimicrobial therapy typically includes
      intravenous beta-lactams with or without synergistic aminoglycosides. In vitro
      studies have previously identified antagonism when rifampicin has been used in
      combination with beta-lactams. However, in vivo data of rifampicin use are
      limited despite its enhanced anti-biofilm activity. Case presentation. A 63-year
      old male presented with fever and back pain. L. monocytogenes bacteraemia and
      bioprosthetic aortic valve endocarditis was confirmed, along with spinal discitis
      and osteomyelitis. He was successfully treated with benzylpenicillin and
      rifampicin, in conjunction with valve replacement. Conclusion. Rifampicin remains
      an alternate agent to use, when there are contraindications to traditional
      aminoglycoside therapy. Further data on rifampicin use in L. monocytogenes PVE
      are awaited.

PMID- 28348808
TI  - Meningitis due to Moraxella nonliquefaciens in a paediatric patient: a case
      report and review of the literature.
AB  - Introduction.Moraxella nonliquefaciens is an unusual organism to be isolated from
      cerebral spinal fluid (CSF) and there exists only one case report of M.
      nonliquefaciens meningitis from a neonate. Moraxella species normally exist as
      part of the human upper respiratory tract flora and rarely cause invasive human
      disease. There are only a handful of case reports implicating the organism as a
      cause of endocarditis, bacteraemia, septic arthritis and endophthalmitis.
      Identification to the species level based on routine laboratory techniques has
      been challenging, with final identification often made through 16S rRNA
      sequencing. With the use of a newer diagnostic tool, matrix-assisted laser
      desorption ionization-time of flight (MALDI-TOF) MS, we were able to rapidly
      identify the organism and initiate appropriate treatment. Case presentation. We
      present a rare care of M. nonliquefaciens meningitis in a paediatric patient with
      an underlying cranial anatomical defect due to Crouzon syndrome. She had been
      admitted to hospital 3 months previously with Streptococcus pneumoniae meningitis
      and mastoiditis, and returned to the emergency department with meningismus. CSF
      culture grew M. nonliquefaciens. She was treated with ceftriaxone with rapid
      improvement and eventually was taken for endoscopic surgical repair of a right
      encephalocele defect. Conclusion. The use of MALDI-TOF MS allowed for the rapid
      identification of the organism. The patient recovered with appropriate
      antimicrobial therapy and eventual surgical correction. An underlying anatomical
      defect should be considered in all patients who present with meningitis due to
      this unusual organism.

PMID- 28348809
TI  - Expanded roles of leucine-responsive regulatory protein in transcription
      regulation of the Escherichia coli genome: Genomic SELEX screening of the
      regulation targets.
AB  - Leucine-responsive regulatory protein (Lrp) is a transcriptional regulator for
      the genes involved in transport, biosynthesis and catabolism of amino acids in
      Escherichia coli. In order to identify the whole set of genes under the direct
      control of Lrp, we performed Genomic SELEX screening and identified a total of
      314 Lrp-binding sites on the E. coli genome. As a result, the regulation target
      of Lrp was predicted to expand from the hitherto identified genes for amino acid
      metabolism to a set of novel target genes for utilization of amino acids for
      protein synthesis, including tRNAs, aminoacyl-tRNA synthases and rRNAs. Northern
      blot analysis indicated alteration of mRNA levels for at least some novel
      targets, including the aminoacyl-tRNA synthetase genes. Phenotype MicroArray of
      the lrp mutant indicated significant alteration in utilization of amino acids and
      peptides, whilst metabolome analysis showed variations in the concentration of
      amino acids in the lrp mutant. From these two datasets we realized a reverse
      correlation between amino acid levels and cell growth rate: fast-growing cells
      contain low-level amino acids, whilst a high level of amino acids exists in slow
      growing cells. Taken together, we propose that Lrp is a global regulator of
      transcription of a large number of the genes involved in not only amino acid
      transport and metabolism, but also amino acid utilization.

PMID- 28348810
TI  - K-Pax2: Bayesian identification of cluster-defining amino acid positions in large
      sequence datasets.
AB  - The recent growth in publicly available sequence data has introduced new
      opportunities for studying microbial evolution and spread. Because the pace of
      sequence accumulation tends to exceed the pace of experimental studies of protein
      function and the roles of individual amino acids, statistical tools to identify
      meaningful patterns in protein diversity are essential. Large sequence alignments
      from fast-evolving micro-organisms are particularly challenging to dissect using
      standard tools from phylogenetics and multivariate statistics because
      biologically relevant functional signals are easily masked by neutral variation
      and noise. To meet this need, a novel computational method is introduced that is
      easily executed in parallel using a cluster environment and can handle thousands
      of sequences with minimal subjective input from the user. The usefulness of this
      kind of machine learning is demonstrated by applying it to nearly 5000
      haemagglutinin sequences of influenza A/H3N2.Antigenic and 3D structural mapping
      of the results show that the method can recover the major jumps in antigenic
      phenotype that occurred between 1968 and 2013 and identify specific amino acids
      associated with these changes. The method is expected to provide a useful tool to
      uncover patterns of protein evolution.

PMID- 28348811
TI  - Large tandem chromosome expansions facilitate niche adaptation during persistent
      infection with drug-resistant Staphylococcus aureus.
AB  - We used genomics to study the evolution of meticillin-resistant Staphylococcus
      aureus (MRSA) during a complex, protracted clinical infection. Preparing closed
      MRSA genomes from days 0 and 115 allowed us to precisely reconstruct all genetic
      changes that occurred. Twenty-three MRSA blood cultures were also obtained during
      treatment, yielding 44 colony morphotypes that varied in size, haemolysis and
      antibiotic susceptibility. A subset of 15 isolates was sequenced and shown to
      harbour a total of 37 sequence polymorphisms. Eighty per cent of all mutations
      occurred from day 45 onwards, which coincided with the appearance of discrete
      chromosome expansions, and concluded in the day 115 isolate with a 98 kb tandem
      DNA duplication. In all heterogeneous vancomycin-intermediate Staphylococcus
      aureus isolates, the chromosomal amplification spanned at least a 20 kb region
      that notably included mprF, a gene involved in resistance to antimicrobial
      peptides, and parC, an essential DNA replication gene with an unusual V463 codon
      insertion. Restoration of the chromosome after serial passage under non-selective
      growth was accompanied by increased susceptibility to antimicrobial peptide
      killing and reduced vancomycin resistance, two signature phenotypes that help
      explain the clinical persistence of this strain. Elevated expression of the V463
      parC was deleterious to the cell and reduced colony size, but did not alter
      ciprofloxacin susceptibility. In this study, we identified large DNA expansions
      as a clinically relevant mechanism of S. aureus resistance and persistence,
      demonstrating the extent to which bacterial chromosomes remodel in the face of
      antibiotic and host immune pressures.

PMID- 28348812
TI  - Region-specific diversification of the highly virulent serotype 1 Streptococcus
      pneumoniae.
AB  - Serotype 1 Streptococcus pneumoniae is a leading cause of invasive pneumococcal
      disease (IPD) worldwide, with the highest burden in developing countries. We
      report the whole-genome sequencing analysis of 448 serotype 1 isolates from 27
      countries worldwide (including 11 in Africa). The global serotype 1 population
      shows a strong phylogeographic structure at the continental level, and within
      Africa there is further region-specific structure. Our results demonstrate that
      region-specific diversification within Africa has been driven by limited cross
      region transfer events, genetic recombination and antimicrobial selective
      pressure. Clonal replacement of the dominant serotype 1 clones circulating within
      regions is uncommon; however, here we report on the accessory gene content that
      has contributed to a rare clonal replacement event of ST3081 with ST618 as the
      dominant cause of IPD in the Gambia.

PMID- 28348813
TI  - Redefining the differences in gene content between Yersinia pestis and Yersinia
      pseudotuberculosis using large-scale comparative genomics.
AB  - Yersinia pestis, the causative agent of plague, is best known for historical
      pandemics, but still actively causes disease in many parts of the world. Y.
      pestis is a recently derived clone of the pathogenic species Yersinia
      pseudotuberculosis, but is more associated with human infection. Numerous studies
      have documented genomic changes since the two species differentiated, although
      all of these studies used a relatively small sample set for defining these
      differences. In this study, we compared the complete genomic content between a
      diverse set of Y. pestis and Y. pseudotuberculosis genomes, and identified unique
      loci that could serve as diagnostic markers or for better understanding the
      evolution and pathogenesis of each group. Comparative genomics analyses also
      identified subtle variations in gene content between individual monophyletic
      clades within these species, based on a core genome single nucleotide
      polymorphism phylogeny that would have been undetected in a less comprehensive
      genome dataset. We also screened loci that were identified in other published
      studies as unique to either species and generally found a non-uniform
      distribution, suggesting that the assignment of these unique genes to either
      species should be re-evaluated in the context of current sequencing efforts.
      Overall, this study provides a high-resolution view into the genomic differences
      between Y. pestis and Y. pseudotuberculosis, demonstrating fine-scale
      differentiation and unique gene composition in both species.

PMID- 28348814
TI  - Applying phylogenomics to understand the emergence of Shiga-toxin-producing
      Escherichia coli O157:H7 strains causing severe human disease in the UK.
AB  - Shiga-toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC) O157:H7 is a recently emerged
      zoonotic pathogen with considerable morbidity. Since the emergence of this
      serotype in the 1980s, research has focussed on unravelling the evolutionary
      events from the E. coli O55:H7 ancestor to the contemporaneous globally dispersed
      strains observed today. In this study, the genomes of over 1000 isolates from
      both human clinical cases and cattle, spanning the history of STEC O157:H7 in the
      UK, were sequenced. Phylogenetic analysis revealed the ancestry, key acquisition
      events and global context of the strains. Dated phylogenies estimated the time to
      evolution of the most recent common ancestor of the current circulating global
      clone to be 175 years ago. This event was followed by rapid diversification. We
      show the acquisition of specific virulence determinates has occurred relatively
      recently and coincides with its recent detection in the human population. We used
      clinical outcome data from 493 cases of STEC O157:H7 to assess the relative risk
      of severe disease including haemolytic uraemic syndrome from each of the defined
      clades in the population and show the dramatic effect Shiga toxin repertoire has
      on virulence. We describe two strain replacement events that have occurred in the
      cattle population in the UK over the last 30 years, one resulting in a highly
      virulent strain that has accounted for the majority of clinical cases in the UK
      over the last decade. There is a need to understand the selection pressures
      maintaining Shiga-toxin-encoding bacteriophages in the ruminant reservoir and the
      study affirms the requirement for close surveillance of this pathogen in both
      ruminant and human populations.

PMID- 28348815
TI  - Directional gene flow and ecological separation in Yersinia enterocolitica.
AB  - Yersinia enterocolitica is a common cause of food-borne gastroenteritis
      worldwide. Recent work defining the phylogeny of the genus Yersinia subdivided Y.
      enterocolitica into six distinct phylogroups. Here, we provide detailed analyses
      of the evolutionary processes leading to the emergence of these phylogroups. The
      dominant phylogroups isolated from human infections, PG3-5, show very little
      diversity at the sequence level, but do present marked patterns of gain and loss
      of functions, including those involved in pathogenicity and metabolism, including
      the acquisition of phylogroup-specific O-antigen loci. We tracked gene flow
      across the species in the core and accessory genome, and show that the non
      pathogenic PG1 strains act as a reservoir for diversity, frequently acting as
      donors in recombination events. Analysis of the core and accessory genome also
      suggested that the different Y. enterocolitica phylogroups may be ecologically
      separated, in contrast to the long-held belief of common shared ecological niches
      across the Y. enterocolitica species.

PMID- 28348817
TI  - EuPaGDT: a web tool tailored to design CRISPR guide RNAs for eukaryotic
      pathogens.
AB  - Recent development of CRISPR-Cas9 genome editing has enabled highly efficient and
      versatile manipulation of a variety of organisms and adaptation of the CRISPR
      Cas9 system to eukaryotic pathogens has opened new avenues for studying these
      otherwise hard to manipulate organisms. Here we describe a webtool, Eukaryotic
      Pathogen gRNA Design Tool (EuPaGDT; available at http://grna.ctegd.uga.edu),
      which identifies guide RNA (gRNA) in input gene(s) to guide users in arriving at
      well-informed and appropriate gRNA design for many eukaryotic pathogens.
      Flexibility in gRNA design, accommodating unique eukaryotic pathogen (gene and
      genome) attributes and high-throughput gRNA design are the main features that
      distinguish EuPaGDT from other gRNA design tools. In addition to employing an
      array of known principles to score and rank gRNAs, EuPaGDT implements an
      effective on-target search algorithm to identify gRNA targeting multi-gene
      families, which are highly represented in these pathogens and play important
      roles in host-pathogen interactions. EuPaGDT also identifies and scores
      microhomology sequences flanking each gRNA targeted cut-site; these sites are
      often essential for the microhomology-mediated end joining process used for
      double-stranded break repair in these organisms. EuPaGDT also assists users in
      designing single-stranded oligonucleotides for homology directed repair. In batch
      processing mode, EuPaGDT is able to process genome-scale sequences, enabling
      preparation of gRNA libraries for large-scale screening projects.

PMID- 28348816
TI  - Genome-wide analysis of the response to nitric oxide in uropathogenic Escherichia
      coli CFT073.
AB  - Uropathogenic Escherchia coli (UPEC) is the causative agent of urinary tract
      infections. Nitric oxide (NO) is a toxic water-soluble gas that is encountered by
      UPEC in the urinary tract. Therefore, UPEC probably requires mechanisms to
      detoxify NO in the host environment. Thus far, flavohaemoglobin (Hmp), an NO
      denitrosylase, is the only demonstrated NO detoxification system in UPEC. Here we
      show that, in E. coli strain CFT073, the NADH-dependent NO reductase
      flavorubredoxin (FlRd) also plays a major role in NO scavenging. We generated a
      mutant that lacks all known and candidate NO detoxification pathways (Hmp, FlRd
      and the respiratory nitrite reductase, NrfA). When grown and assayed
      anaerobically, this mutant expresses an NO-inducible NO scavenging activity,
      pointing to the existence of a novel detoxification mechanism. Expression of this
      activity is inducible by both NO and nitrate, and the enzyme is membrane
      associated. Genome-wide transcriptional profiling of UPEC grown under anaerobic
      conditions in the presence of nitrate (as a source of NO) highlighted various
      aspects of the response of the pathogen to nitrate and NO. Several virulence
      associated genes are upregulated, suggesting that host-derived NO is a potential
      regulator of UPEC virulence. Chromatin immunoprecipitation and sequencing was
      used to evaluate the NsrR regulon in CFT073. We identified 49 NsrR binding sites
      in promoter regions in the CFT073 genome, 29 of which were not previously
      identified in E. coli K-12. NsrR may regulate some CFT073 genes that do not have
      homologues in E. coli K-12.

PMID- 28348818
TI  - High-throughput DNA sequencing of the moose rumen from different geographical
      locations reveals a core ruminal methanogenic archaeal diversity and a
      differential ciliate protozoal diversity.
AB  - Moose rumen samples from Vermont, Alaska and Norway were investigated for
      methanogenic archaeal and protozoal density using real-time PCR, and diversity
      using high-throughput sequencing of the 16S and 18S rRNA genes. Vermont moose
      showed the highest protozoal and methanogen densities. Alaskan samples had the
      highest percentages of Methanobrevibacter smithii, followed by the Norwegian
      samples. One Norwegian sample contained 43 % Methanobrevibacter thaueri, whilst
      all other samples contained < 10 %. Vermont samples had large percentages of
      Methanobrevibacter ruminantium, as did two Norwegian samples. Methanosphaera
      stadtmanae represented one-third of sequences in three samples. Samples were
      heterogeneous based on gender, geographical location and weight class using
      analysis of molecular variance (AMOVA). Two Alaskan moose contained >70 %
      Polyplastron multivesiculatum and one contained >75 % Entodinium spp. Protozoa
      from Norwegian moose belonged predominantly (>50 %) to the genus Entodinium,
      especially Entodinium caudatum. Norwegian moose contained a large proportion of
      sequences (25-97 %) which could not be classified beyond family. Protozoa from
      Vermont samples were predominantly Eudiplodinium rostratum (>75 %), with up to 7
      % Diploplastron affine. Four of the eight Vermont samples also contained 5-12 %
      Entodinium spp. Samples were heterogeneous based on AMOVA, principal coordinate
      analysis and UniFrac. This study gives the first insight into the methanogenic
      archaeal diversity in the moose rumen. The high percentage of rumen archaeal
      species associated with high starch diets found in Alaskan moose corresponds well
      to previous data suggesting that they feed on plants high in starch. Similarly,
      the higher percentage of species related to forage diets in Vermont moose also
      relates well to their higher intake of fibre.

PMID- 28348820
TI  - Shetti, a simple tool to parse, manipulate and search large datasets of
      sequences.
AB  - Parsing and manipulating long and/or multiple protein or gene sequences can be a
      challenging process for experimental biologists and microbiologists lacking prior
      knowledge of bioinformatics and programming. Here we present a simple, easy, user
      friendly and versatile tool to parse, manipulate and search within large datasets
      of long and multiple protein or gene sequences. The Shetti tool can be used to
      search for a sequence, species, protein/gene or pattern/motif. Moreover, it can
      also be used to construct a universal consensus or molecular signatures for
      proteins based on their physical characteristics. Shetti is an efficient and fast
      tool that can deal with large sets of long sequences efficiently. Shetti parses
      UniProt Knowledgebase and NCBI GenBank flat files and visualizes them as a table.

PMID- 28348819
TI  - Recombination-mediated remodelling of host-pathogen interactions during
      Staphylococcus aureus niche adaptation.
AB  - Large-scale recombination events have led to the emergence of epidemic clones of
      several major bacterial pathogens. However, the functional impact of the
      recombination on clonal success is not understood. Here, we identified a novel
      widespread hybrid clone (ST71) of livestock-associated Staphylococcus aureus that
      evolved from an ancestor belonging to the major bovine lineage CC97, through
      multiple large-scale recombination events with other S. aureus lineages occupying
      the same ruminant niche. The recombination events, affecting a 329 kb region of
      the chromosome spanning the origin of replication, resulted in allele replacement
      and loss or gain of an array of genes influencing host-pathogen interactions. Of
      note, molecular functional analyses revealed that the ST71 hybrid clone has
      acquired multiple novel pathogenic traits associated with acquired and innate
      immune evasion and bovine extracellular matrix adherence. These findings provide
      a paradigm for the impact of large-scale recombination events on the rapid
      evolution of bacterial pathogens within defined ecological niches.

PMID- 28348822
TI  - Recombination produces coherent bacterial species clusters in both core and
      accessory genomes.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Population samples show bacterial genomes can be divided into a core
      of ubiquitous genes and accessory genes that are present in a fraction of
      isolates. The ecological significance of this variation in gene content remains
      unclear. However, microbiologists agree that a bacterial species should be
      'genomically coherent', even though there is no consensus on how this should be
      determined. RESULTS: We use a parsimonious model combining diversification in
      both the core and accessory genome, including mutation, homologous recombination
      (HR) and horizontal gene transfer (HGT) introducing new loci, to produce a
      population of interacting clusters of strains with varying genome content. New
      loci introduced by HGT may then be transferred on by HR. The model fits well to a
      systematic population sample of 616 pneumococcal genomes, capturing the major
      features of the population structure with parameter values that agree well with
      empirical estimates. CONCLUSIONS: The model does not include explicit selection
      on individual genes, suggesting that crude comparisons of gene content may be a
      poor predictor of ecological function. We identify a clearly divergent
      subpopulation of pneumococci that are inconsistent with the model and may be
      considered genomically incoherent with the rest of the population. These strains
      have a distinct disease tropism and may be rationally defined as a separate
      species. We also find deviations from the model that may be explained by recent
      population bottlenecks or spatial structure.

PMID- 28348821
TI  - Genome sequence comparisons of serial multi-drug-resistant Mycobacterium
      tuberculosis isolates over 21 years of infection in a single patient.
AB  - We report a case of chronic pulmonary multi-drug-resistant tuberculosis. Despite
      14 years of treatment, Mycobacterium tuberculosis was persistently isolated from
      sputum. Following treatment cessation the patient remained well, although M.
      tuberculosis was isolated from sputum for a further 8 years. Genome sequencing of
      eight serial M. tuberculosis isolates cultured between 1991 and 2011 revealed 17
      mutations (0.8 mutations per genome year- 1). Eight of these were persisting
      mutations and only two mutations were detected in the 7 years following cessation
      of treatment in 2004. In four isolates there were mixed alleles, suggesting the
      likely presence of bacterial subpopulations. The initial 1991 isolate
      demonstrated genotypic resistance to isoniazid (katG W91R), rifampicin (rpoB
      S531L), ethambutol (embB M306V), streptomycin (gidB L16R), quinolones (gyrA S95T)
      and P-aminosalicylic acid (thyA T202A). Subsequent resistance mutations developed
      for pyrazinamide (pncA I31F) and ethionamide (ethA frameshift). Such information
      might have been instructive when developing a treatment regimen. In retrospect
      and with the benefit of high-resolution genomic hindsight we were able to
      determine that the patient received only one or two active anti-tuberculous
      agents for most of their treatment. Additionally, mutations in bacA and Rv2326c
      were detected, which may have contributed to the persistent but mild disease
      course. BacA is likely to be associated with maintenance of chronic infection and
      Rv2326c with a decreased bacterial metabolic state. These results expand our
      understanding of M. tuberculosis evolution during human infection and underline
      the link between antibiotic resistance and clinical persistence.

PMID- 28348823
TI  - Whole-genome sequencing investigation of animal-skin-drum-associated UK anthrax
      cases reveals evidence of mixed populations and relatedness to a US case.
AB  - There have been two anthrax cases affecting people that played and/or made animal
      skin drums in the UK during the last 10 years, with single fatal occurrences in
      Scotland in 2006 and London in 2008. Investigations by the Health Protection
      Agency (now Public Health England) employing multi-locus-variable number tandem
      repeat analysis had previously linked the clinical cases to spores associated
      with animal skins and drums the patients had been in contact with. In this study,
      whole-genome sequencing of 23 Bacillus anthracis isolates harvested during the
      investigations was performed. High-quality draft assemblies of these genomes
      provided greater characterization of the B. anthracis strains present and placed
      them all upon a new branch of the global phylogeny. Although closely related, the
      clinical isolates from the two events, and another isolated from a drum-skin
      associated case in New York in 2006, were distinct from each other. Multiple
      distinct genotypes were found during both investigations, implying either
      multiple contamination events or a single heterogeneous contamination. One
      environmental isolate from the Scottish incident was more closely related to
      London isolates than to the other Scottish isolates. As B. anthracis of this
      subgroup was present at both geographically and temporally distinct events, it
      may be more widespread at the source of contamination. All isolates were distinct
      from currently characterized West African strains, despite this being the likely
      origin of the drums and hides, therefore adding to our knowledge of B. anthracis
      diversity in the region.

PMID- 28348824
TI  - 70th Anniversary Collection for the Microbiology Society: Microbial Genomics.
AB  - In the context of the Microbiology Society's 70th anniversary celebration,
      Microbial Genomics (MGen) is the new baby of the Society's publishing family.
      Born on 15 July 2015, it is still in its infancy but already showing promising
      signs, and we have great hopes and expectations for the future. The journal
      captures a new and expanding area of research, one which is already having a
      major impact on research in microbiology, and has and continues to accelerate
      discoveries in the field.

PMID- 28348825
TI  - Introduction and establishment of fluoroquinolone-resistant Shigella sonnei into
      Bhutan.
AB  - Shigella sonnei is a major contributor to the global burden of diarrhoeal
      disease, generally associated with dysenteric diarrhoea in developed countries
      but also emerging in developing countries. The reason for the recent success of
      S. sonnei is unknown, but is likely catalysed by its ability to acquire
      resistance against multiple antimicrobials. Between 2011 and 2013, S. sonnei
      exhibiting resistance to fluoroquinolones, the first-line treatment recommended
      for shigellosis, emerged in Bhutan. Aiming to reconstruct the introduction and
      establishment of fluoroquinolone-resistant S. sonnei populations in Bhutan, we
      performed whole-genome sequencing on 71 S. sonnei samples isolated in Bhutan
      between 2011 and 2013.We found that these strains represented an expansion of a
      clade within the previously described lineage III, found specifically in Central
      Asia. Temporal phylogenetic reconstruction demonstrated that all of the sequenced
      Bhutanese S. sonnei diverged from a single ancestor that was introduced into
      Bhutan around 2006. Our data additionally predicted that fluoroquinolone
      resistance, conferred by mutations in gyrA and parC, arose prior to the
      introduction of the founder strain into Bhutan. Once established in Bhutan, these
      S. sonnei had access to a broad gene pool, as indicated by the acquisition of
      extended-spectrum beta-lactamase-encoding plasmids and genes encoding type IV
      pili. The data presented here outline a model for the introduction and
      maintenance of fluoroquinolone-resistant S. sonnei in a new setting. Given the
      current circulation of fluoroquinolone-resistant S. sonnei in Asia, we speculate
      that this pattern of introduction is being recapitulated across the region and
      beyond.

PMID- 28348826
TI  - Comparative genomics of pyridoxal 5'-phosphate-dependent transcription factor
      regulons in Bacteria.
AB  - The MocR-subfamily transcription factors (MocR-TFs) characterized by the GntR
      family DNA-binding domain and aminotransferase-like sensory domain are broadly
      distributed among certain lineages of Bacteria. Characterized MocR-TFs bind
      pyridoxal 5'-phosphate (PLP) and control transcription of genes involved in PLP,
      gamma aminobutyric acid (GABA) and taurine metabolism via binding specific DNA
      operator sites. To identify putative target genes and DNA binding motifs of MocR
      TFs, we performed comparative genomics analysis of over 250 bacterial genomes.
      The reconstructed regulons for 825 MocR-TFs comprise structural genes from over
      200 protein families involved in diverse biological processes. Using the genome
      context and metabolic subsystem analysis we tentatively assigned functional roles
      for 38 out of 86 orthologous groups of studied regulators. Most of these MocR-TF
      regulons are involved in PLP metabolism, as well as utilization of GABA, taurine
      and ectoine. The remaining studied MocR-TF regulators presumably control genes
      encoding enzymes involved in reduction/oxidation processes, various transporters
      and PLP-dependent enzymes, for example aminotransferases. Predicted DNA binding
      motifs of MocR-TFs are generally similar in each orthologous group and are
      characterized by two to four repeated sequences. Identified motifs were
      classified according to their structures. Motifs with direct and/or inverted
      repeat symmetry constitute the majority of inferred DNA motifs, suggesting
      preferable TF dimerization in head-to-tail or head-to-head configuration. The
      obtained genomic collection of in silico reconstructed MocR-TF motifs and
      regulons in Bacteria provides a basis for future experimental characterization of
      molecular mechanisms for various regulators in this family.

PMID- 28348828
TI  - The RegA regulon exhibits variability in response to altered growth conditions
      and differs markedly between Rhodobacter species.
AB  - The RegB/RegA two-component system from Rhodobacter capsulatus regulates global
      changes in gene expression in response to alterations in oxygen levels. Studies
      have shown that RegB/RegA controls many energy-generating and energy-utilizing
      systems such as photosynthesis, nitrogen fixation, carbon fixation, hydrogen
      utilization, respiration, electron transport and denitrification. In this report,
      we utilized RNA-seq and ChIP-seq to analyse the breadth of genes indirectly and
      directly regulated by RegA. A comparison of mRNA transcript levels in wild type
      cells relative to a RegA deletion strain shows that there are 257 differentially
      expressed genes under photosynthetic defined minimal growth medium conditions and
      591 differentially expressed genes when grown photosynthetically in a complex
      rich medium. ChIP-seq analysis also identified 61 unique RegA binding sites with
      a well-conserved recognition sequence, 33 of which exhibit changes in
      neighbouring gene expression. These transcriptome results define new members of
      the RegA regulon including genes involved in iron transport and motility. These
      results also reveal that the set of genes that are regulated by RegA are growth
      medium specific. Similar analyses under dark aerobic conditions where RegA is
      thought not to be phosphorylated by RegB reveal 40 genes that are differentially
      expressed in minimal medium and 20 in rich medium. Finally, a comparison of the
      R. capsulatus RegA regulon with the orthologous PrrA regulon in Rhodobacter
      sphaeroides shows that the number of photosystem genes regulated by RegA and PrrA
      are similar but that the identity of genes regulated by RegA and PrrA beyond
      those involved in photosynthesis are quite distinct.

PMID- 28348827
TI  - Evolutionary interpretations of mycobacteriophage biodiversity and host-range
      through the analysis of codon usage bias.
AB  - In an genomics course sponsored by the Howard Hughes Medical Institute (HHMI),
      undergraduate students have isolated and sequenced the genomes of more than 1,150
      mycobacteriophages, creating the largest database of sequenced bacteriophages
      able to infect a single host, Mycobacterium smegmatis, a soil bacterium. Genomic
      analysis indicates that these mycobacteriophages can be grouped into 26 clusters
      based on genetic similarity. These clusters span a continuum of genetic
      diversity, with extensive genomic mosaicism among phages in different clusters.
      However, little is known regarding the primary hosts of these mycobacteriophages
      in their natural habitats, nor of their broader host ranges. As such, it is
      possible that the primary host of many newly isolated mycobacteriophages is not
      M. smegmatis, but instead a range of closely related bacterial species. However,
      determining mycobacteriophage host range presents difficulties associated with
      mycobacterial cultivability, pathogenicity and growth. Another way to gain
      insight into mycobacteriophage host range and ecology is through bioinformatic
      analysis of their genomic sequences. To this end, we examined the correlations
      between the codon usage biases of 199 different mycobacteriophages and those of
      several fully sequenced mycobacterial species in order to gain insight into the
      natural host range of these mycobacteriophages. We find that UPGMA clustering
      tends to match, but not consistently, clustering by shared nucleotide sequence
      identify. In addition, analysis of GC content, tRNA usage and correlations
      between mycobacteriophage and mycobacterial codon usage bias suggests that the
      preferred host of many clustered mycobacteriophages is not M. smegmatis but
      other, as yet unknown, members of the mycobacteria complex or closely allied
      bacterial species.

PMID- 28348829
TI  - Monomorphic genotypes within a generalist lineage of Campylobacter jejuni show
      signs of global dispersion.
AB  - The decreased costs of genome sequencing have increased the capability to apply
      whole-genome sequencing to epidemiological surveillance of zoonotic Campylobacter
      jejuni. However, knowledge of the genetic diversity of this bacteria is vital for
      inferring relatedness between epidemiologically linked isolates and a necessary
      prerequisite for correct application of this methodology. To address this issue
      in C. jejuni we investigated the spatial and temporal signals in the genomes of a
      major clonal complex and generalist lineage, ST-45 CC, by analysing the
      population structure and genealogy as well as applying genome-wide association
      analysis of 340 isolates from across Europe collected over a wide time range. The
      occurrence and strength of the geographical signal varied between sublineages and
      followed the clonal frame when present, while no evidence of a temporal signal
      was found. Certain sublineages of ST-45 formed discrete and genetically isolated
      clades containing isolates with extremely similar genomes regardless of time and
      location of sampling. Based on a separate data set, these monomorphic genotypes
      represent successful C. jejuni clones, possibly spread around the globe by rapid
      animal (migrating birds), food or human movement. In addition, we observed an
      incongruence between the genealogy of the strains and multilocus sequence typing
      (MLST), challenging the existing clonal complex definition and the use of whole
      genome gene-by-gene hierarchical nomenclature schemes for C. jejuni.

PMID- 28348830
TI  - Population-genomic insights into emergence, crop adaptation and dissemination of
      Pseudomonas syringae pathogens.
AB  - Many bacterial pathogens are well characterized but, in some cases, little is
      known about the populations from which they emerged. This limits understanding of
      the molecular mechanisms underlying disease. The crop pathogen Pseudomonas
      syringae sensu lato has been widely isolated from the environment, including wild
      plants and components of the water cycle, and causes disease in several
      economically important crops. Here, we compared genome sequences of 45 P.
      syringae crop pathogen outbreak strains with 69 closely related environmental
      isolates. Phylogenetic reconstruction revealed that crop pathogens emerged many
      times independently from environmental populations. Unexpectedly, differences in
      gene content between environmental populations and outbreak strains were minimal
      with most virulence genes present in both. However, a genome-wide association
      study identified a small number of genes, including the type III effector genes
      hopQ1 and hopD1, to be associated with crop pathogens, but not with environmental
      populations, suggesting that this small group of genes may play an important role
      in crop disease emergence. Intriguingly, genome-wide analysis of homologous
      recombination revealed that the locus Psyr 0346, predicted to encode a protein
      that confers antibiotic resistance, has been frequently exchanged among lineages
      and thus may contribute to pathogen fitness. Finally, we found that isolates from
      diseased crops and from components of the water cycle, collected during the same
      crop disease epidemic, form a single population. This provides the strongest
      evidence yet that precipitation and irrigation water are an overlooked inoculum
      source for disease epidemics caused by P. syringae.

PMID- 28348831
TI  - Methionine-mediated gene expression and characterization of the CmhR regulon in
      Streptococcus pneumoniae.
AB  - This study investigated the transcriptomic response of Streptococcus pneumoniae
      D39 to methionine. Transcriptome comparison of the S. pneumoniae D39 wild-type
      grown in chemically defined medium with 0-10 mM methionine revealed the elevated
      expression of various genes/operons involved in methionine synthesis and
      transport (fhs, folD, gshT, metA, metB-csd, metEF, metQ, tcyB, spd-0150, spd-0431
      and spd-0618). Furthermore, beta-galactosidase assays and quantitative RT-PCR
      studies demonstrated that the transcriptional regulator, CmhR (SPD-0588), acts as
      a transcriptional activator of the fhs, folD, metB-csd, metEF, metQ and spd-0431
      genes. A putative regulatory site of CmhR was identified in the promoter region
      of CmhR-regulated genes and this CmhR site was further confirmed by promoter
      mutational experiments.

PMID- 28348832
TI  - Genomic analysis of Salmonella enterica serotype Paratyphi A during an outbreak
      in Cambodia, 2013-2015.
AB  - In 2013, an unusual increase in the number of Salmonella enterica serotype
      Paratyphi A (Salmonella Paratyphi A) infections was reported in patients in Phnom
      Penh, Cambodia, and in European, American and Japanese travellers returning from
      Cambodia. Epidemiological investigations did not identify a common source of
      exposure. To analyse the population structure and genetic diversity of these
      Salmonella Paratyphi A isolates, we used whole-genome sequencing on 65 isolates
      collected from 1999 to 2014: 55 from infections acquired in Cambodia and 10 from
      infections acquired in other countries in Asia, Africa and Europe. Short-read
      sequences from 80 published genomes from around the world and from 13 published
      genomes associated with an outbreak in China were also included. Pulsed-field gel
      electrophoresis (PFGE) was performed on a subset of isolates. Genomic analyses
      were found to provide much more accurate information for tracking the individual
      strains than PFGE. All but 2 of the 36 isolates acquired in Cambodia during 2013
      2014 belonged to the same clade, C5, of lineage C. This clade has been isolated
      in Cambodia since at least 1999. The Chinese outbreak isolates belonged to a
      different clade (C4) and were resistant to nalidixic acid, whereas the Cambodian
      outbreak isolates displayed pan-susceptibility to antibiotics. Since 2014, the
      total number of cases has decreased, but there has been an increase in the
      frequency with which nalidixic acid-resistant C5 isolates are isolated. The
      frequency of these isolates should be monitored over time, because they display
      decreased susceptibility to ciprofloxacin, the first-choice antibiotic for
      treating paratyphoid fever.

PMID- 28348833
TI  - Microreact: visualizing and sharing data for genomic epidemiology and
      phylogeography.
AB  - Visualization is frequently used to aid our interpretation of complex datasets.
      Within microbial genomics, visualizing the relationships between multiple genomes
      as a tree provides a framework onto which associated data (geographical,
      temporal, phenotypic and epidemiological) are added to generate hypotheses and to
      explore the dynamics of the system under investigation. Selected static images
      are then used within publications to highlight the key findings to a wider
      audience. However, these images are a very inadequate way of exploring and
      interpreting the richness of the data. There is, therefore, a need for flexible,
      interactive software that presents the population genomic outputs and associated
      data in a user-friendly manner for a wide range of end users, from trained
      bioinformaticians to front-line epidemiologists and health workers. Here, we
      present Microreact, a web application for the easy visualization of datasets
      consisting of any combination of trees, geographical, temporal and associated
      metadata. Data files can be uploaded to Microreact directly via the web browser
      or by linking to their location (e.g. from Google Drive/Dropbox or via API), and
      an integrated visualization via trees, maps, timelines and tables provides
      interactive querying of the data. The visualization can be shared as a permanent
      web link among collaborators, or embedded within publications to enable readers
      to explore and download the data. Microreact can act as an end point for any tool
      or bioinformatic pipeline that ultimately generates a tree, and provides a
      simple, yet powerful, visualization method that will aid research and discovery
      and the open sharing of datasets.

PMID- 28348834
TI  - Genome-scale rates of evolutionary change in bacteria.
AB  - Estimating the rates at which bacterial genomes evolve is critical to
      understanding major evolutionary and ecological processes such as disease
      emergence, long-term host-pathogen associations and short-term transmission
      patterns. The surge in bacterial genomic data sets provides a new opportunity to
      estimate these rates and reveal the factors that shape bacterial evolutionary
      dynamics. For many organisms estimates of evolutionary rate display an inverse
      association with the time-scale over which the data are sampled. However, this
      relationship remains unexplored in bacteria due to the difficulty in estimating
      genome-wide evolutionary rates, which are impacted by the extent of temporal
      structure in the data and the prevalence of recombination. We collected 36 whole
      genome sequence data sets from 16 species of bacterial pathogens to
      systematically estimate and compare their evolutionary rates and assess the
      extent of temporal structure in the absence of recombination. The majority
      (28/36) of data sets possessed sufficient clock-like structure to robustly
      estimate evolutionary rates. However, in some species reliable estimates were not
      possible even with 'ancient DNA' data sampled over many centuries, suggesting
      that they evolve very slowly or that they display extensive rate variation among
      lineages. The robustly estimated evolutionary rates spanned several orders of
      magnitude, from approximately 10-5 to 10-8 nucleotide substitutions per site year
      1. This variation was negatively associated with sampling time, with this
      relationship best described by an exponential decay curve. To avoid potential
      estimation biases, such time-dependency should be considered when inferring
      evolutionary time-scales in bacteria.

PMID- 28348835
TI  - Whole genome analysis of Yersinia ruckeri isolated over 27 years in Australia and
      New Zealand reveals geographical endemism over multiple lineages and recent
      evolution under host selection.
AB  - Yersinia ruckeri is a salmonid pathogen with widespread distribution in cool
      temperate waters including Australia and New Zealand, two isolated environments
      with recently developed salmonid farming industries. Phylogenetic comparison of
      58 isolates from Australia, New Zealand, USA, Chile, Finland and China based on
      non-recombinant core genome SNPs revealed multiple deep-branching lineages, with
      a most recent common ancestor estimated at 18 500 years BP (12 355-24 757 95%
      HPD) and evidence of Australasian endemism. Evolution within the Tasmanian
      Atlantic salmon serotype O1b lineage has been slow, with 63 SNPs describing the
      variance over 27 years. Isolates from the prevailing lineage are poorly/non
      motile compared to a lineage pre-vaccination, introduced in 1997, which is highly
      motile but has not been isolated since from epizootics. A non-motile phenotype
      has arisen independently in Tasmania compared to Europe and USA through a
      frameshift in fliI, encoding the ATPase of the flagella cluster. We report for
      the first time lipopolysaccharide O-antigen serotype O2 isolates in Tasmania.
      This phenotype results from deletion of the O-antigen cluster and consequent loss
      of high-molecular-weight O-antigen. This phenomenon has occurred independently on
      three occasions on three continents (Australasia, North America and Asia) as O2
      isolates from the USA, China and Tasmania share the O-antigen deletion but occupy
      distant lineages. Despite the European and North American origins of the
      Australasian salmonid stocks, the lineages of Y. ruckeri in Australia and New
      Zealand are distinct from those of the northern hemisphere, suggesting they are
      pre-existing ancient strains that have emerged and evolved with the introduction
      of susceptible hosts following European colonization.

PMID- 28348836
TI  - Evolution of a zoonotic pathogen: investigating prophage diversity in
      enterohaemorrhagic Escherichia coli O157 by long-read sequencing.
AB  - Enterohaemorrhagic Escherichia coli (EHEC) O157 is a zoonotic pathogen for which
      colonization of cattle and virulence in humans is associated with multiple
      horizontally acquired genes, the majority present in active or cryptic prophages.
      Our understanding of the evolution and phylogeny of EHEC O157 continues to
      develop primarily based on core genome analyses; however, such short-read
      sequences have limited value for the analysis of prophage content and its
      chromosomal location. In this study, we applied Single Molecule Real Time (SMRT)
      sequencing, using the Pacific Biosciences long-read sequencing platform, to
      isolates selected from the main sub-clusters of this clonal group. Prophage
      regions were extracted from these sequences and from published reference strains.
      Genome position and prophage diversity were analysed along with genetic content.
      Prophages could be assigned to clusters, with smaller prophages generally
      exhibiting less diversity and preferential loss of structural genes. Prophages
      encoding Shiga toxin (Stx) 2a and Stx1a were the most diverse, and more variable
      compared to prophages encoding Stx2c, further supporting the hypothesis that
      Stx2c-prophage integration was ancestral to acquisition of other Stx types. The
      concept that phage type (PT) 21/28 (Stx2a+, Stx2c+) strains evolved from PT32
      (Stx2c+) was supported by analysis of strains with excised Stx-encoding
      prophages. Insertion sequence elements were over-represented in prophage
      sequences compared to the rest of the genome, showing integration in key genes
      such as stx and an excisionase, the latter potentially acting to capture the
      bacteriophage into the genome. Prophage profiling should allow more accurate
      prediction of the pathogenic potential of isolates.

PMID- 28348837
TI  - Whole genome sequencing to investigate a putative outbreak of the virulent
      community-associated methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus ST93 clone in a
      remote Indigenous community.
AB  - We report two cases of severe pneumonia due to clone ST93 methicillin-resistant
      Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) presenting from a remote Australian Indigenous
      community within a 2-week period, and the utilization of whole genome sequences
      to determine whether these were part of an outbreak. S. aureus was isolated from
      12 of 92 nasal swabs collected from 25 community households (including the two
      index households); one isolate was ST93. Three of five skin lesion S. aureus
      isolates obtained at the community were ST93. Whole genome sequencing of the ST93
      isolates from this study and a further 20 ST93 isolates from the same region
      suggested that recent transmission and progression to disease had not taken
      place. The proximity in time and space of the two severe pneumonia cases is
      probably a reflection of the high burden of disease due to ST93 MRSA in this
      population where skin infections and household crowding are common.

PMID- 28348838
TI  - Sequence-based analysis of the genus Ruminococcus resolves its phylogeny and
      reveals strong host association.
AB  - It has become increasingly clear that the composition of mammalian gut microbial
      communities is substantially diet driven. These microbiota form intricate
      mutualisms with their hosts, which have profound implications on overall health.
      For example, many gut microbes are involved in the conversion of host-ingested
      dietary polysaccharides into host-usable nutrients. One group of important gut
      microbial symbionts are bacteria in the genus Ruminococcus. Originally isolated
      from the bovine rumen, ruminococci have been found in numerous mammalian hosts,
      including other ruminants, and non-ruminants such as horses, pigs and humans. All
      ruminococci require fermentable carbohydrates for growth, and their substrate
      preferences appear to be based on the diet of their particular host. Most
      ruminococci that have been studied are those capable of degrading cellulose, much
      less is known about non-cellulolytic non-ruminant-associated species, and even
      less is known about the environmental distribution of ruminococci as a whole.
      Here, we capitalized on the wealth of publicly available 16S rRNA gene sequences,
      genomes and large-scale microbiota studies to both resolve the phylogenetic
      placement of described species in the genus Ruminococcus, and further demonstrate
      that this genus has largely unexplored diversity and a staggering host
      distribution. We present evidence that ruminococci are predominantly associated
      with herbivores and omnivores, and our data supports the hypothesis that very few
      ruminococci are found consistently in non-host-associated environments. This
      study not only helps to resolve the phylogeny of this important genus, but also
      provides a framework for understanding its distribution in natural systems.

PMID- 28348839
TI  - Long-range dispersal moved Francisella tularensis into Western Europe from the
      East.
AB  - For many infections transmitting to humans from reservoirs in nature, disease
      dispersal patterns over space and time are largely unknown. Here, a reversed
      genomics approach helped us understand disease dispersal and yielded insight into
      evolution and biological properties of Francisella tularensis, the bacterium
      causing tularemia. We whole-genome sequenced 67 strains and characterized by
      single-nucleotide polymorphism assays 138 strains, collected from individuals
      infected 1947-2012 across Western Europe. We used the data for phylogenetic,
      population genetic and geographical network analyses. All strains (n=205)
      belonged to a monophyletic population of recent ancestry not found outside
      Western Europe. Most strains (n=195) throughout the study area were assigned to a
      star-like phylogenetic pattern indicating that colonization of Western Europe
      occurred via clonal expansion. In the East of the study area, strains were more
      diverse, consistent with a founder population spreading from east to west. The
      relationship of genetic and geographic distance within the F. tularensis
      population was complex and indicated multiple long-distance dispersal events.
      Mutation rate estimates based on year of isolation indicated null rates; in
      outbreak hotspots only, there was a rate of 0.4 mutations/genome/year. Patterns
      of nucleotide substitution showed marked AT mutational bias suggestive of genetic
      drift. These results demonstrate that tularemia has moved from east to west in
      Europe and that F. tularensis has a biology characterized by long-range
      geographical dispersal events and mostly slow, but variable, replication rates.
      The results indicate that mutation-driven evolution, a resting survival phase,
      genetic drift and long-distance geographical dispersal events have interacted to
      generate genetic diversity within this species.

PMID- 28348842
TI  - Big data or bust: realizing the microbial genomics revolution.
AB  - Pathogen genomics has the potential to transform the clinical and public health
      management of infectious diseases through improved diagnosis, detection and
      tracking of antimicrobial resistance and outbreak control. However, the wide
      ranging benefits of this technology can only fully be realized through the timely
      collation, integration and sharing of genomic and clinical/epidemiological
      metadata by all those involved in the delivery of genomic-informed services. As
      part of our review on bringing pathogen genomics into 'health-service' practice,
      we undertook extensive stakeholder consultation to examine the factors integral
      to achieving effective data sharing and integration. Infrastructure tailored to
      the needs of clinical users, as well as practical support and policies to
      facilitate the timely and responsible sharing of data with relevant health
      authorities and beyond, are all essential. We propose a tiered data sharing and
      integration model to maximize the immediate and longer term utility of microbial
      genomics in healthcare. Realizing this model at the scale and sophistication
      necessary to support national and international infection management services is
      not uncomplicated. Yet the establishment of a clear data strategy is paramount if
      failures in containing disease spread due to inadequate knowledge sharing are to
      be averted, and substantial progress made in tackling the dangers posed by
      infectious diseases.

PMID- 28348840
TI  - Identification of Klebsiella capsule synthesis loci from whole genome data.
AB  - Klebsiella pneumoniae is a growing cause of healthcare-associated infections for
      which multi-drug resistance is a concern. Its polysaccharide capsule is a major
      virulence determinant and epidemiological marker. However, little is known about
      capsule epidemiology since serological typing is not widely accessible and many
      isolates are serologically non-typeable. Molecular typing techniques provide
      useful insights, but existing methods fail to take full advantage of the
      information in whole genome sequences. We investigated the diversity of the
      capsule synthesis loci (K-loci) among 2503 K. pneumoniae genomes. We incorporated
      analyses of full-length K-locus nucleotide sequences and also clustered protein
      encoding sequences to identify, annotate and compare K-locus structures. We
      propose a standardized nomenclature for K-loci and present a curated reference
      database. A total of 134 distinct K-loci were identified, including 31 novel
      types. Comparative analyses indicated 508 unique protein-encoding gene clusters
      that appear to reassort via homologous recombination. Extensive intra- and inter
      locus nucleotide diversity was detected among the wzi and wzc genes, indicating
      that current molecular typing schemes based on these genes are inadequate. As a
      solution, we introduce Kaptive, a novel software tool that automates the process
      of identifying K-loci based on full locus information extracted from whole genome
      sequences (https://github.com/katholt/Kaptive). This work highlights the
      extensive diversity of Klebsiella K-loci and the proteins that they encode. The
      nomenclature, reference database and novel typing method presented here will
      become essential resources for genomic surveillance and epidemiological
      investigations of this pathogen.

PMID- 28348841
TI  - Polysaccharide utilization loci and nutritional specialization in a dominant
      group of butyrate-producing human colonic Firmicutes.
AB  - Firmicutes and Bacteroidetes are the predominant bacterial phyla colonizing the
      healthy human large intestine. Whilst both ferment dietary fibre, genes
      responsible for this important activity have been analysed only in the
      Bacteroidetes, with very little known about the Firmicutes. This work
      investigates the carbohydrate-active enzymes (CAZymes) in a group of Firmicutes,
      Roseburia spp. and Eubacterium rectale, which play an important role in producing
      butyrate from dietary carbohydrates and in health maintenance. Genome sequences
      of 11 strains representing E. rectale and four Roseburia spp. were analysed for
      carbohydrate-active genes. Following assembly into a pan-genome, core, variable
      and unique genes were identified. The 1840 CAZyme genes identified in the pan
      genome were assigned to 538 orthologous groups, of which only 26 were present in
      all strains, indicating considerable inter-strain variability. This analysis was
      used to categorize the 11 strains into four carbohydrate utilization ecotypes
      (CUEs), which were shown to correspond to utilization of different carbohydrates
      for growth. Many glycoside hydrolase genes were found linked to genes encoding
      oligosaccharide transporters and regulatory elements in the genomes of Roseburia
      spp. and E. rectale, forming distinct polysaccharide utilization loci (PULs).
      Whilst PULs are also a common feature in Bacteroidetes, key differences were
      noted in these Firmicutes, including the absence of close homologues of
      Bacteroides polysaccharide utilization genes, hence we refer to Gram-positive
      PULs (gpPULs). Most CAZyme genes in the Roseburia/E. rectale group are organized
      into gpPULs. Variation in gpPULs can explain the high degree of nutritional
      specialization at the species level within this group.

PMID- 28348843
TI  - Identification of commonly expressed exoproteins and proteolytic cleavage events
      by proteomic mining of clinically relevant UK isolates of Staphylococcus aureus.
AB  - The range of exoproteins and core exoproteome of 14 Staphylococcus aureus
      isolates representing major lineages associated with asymptomatic carriage and
      clinical disease in the UK was identified by MS proteomics using a combined
      database incorporating sequences derived from 39 S. aureus genomes. In all, 632
      different proteins were identified and, of these, only 52 (8 %) were found in all
      14 isolates whereas 144 (23 %) were found in just a single isolate. Comparison of
      the observed mass of each protein (based on migration by SDS-PAGE) with its
      predicted mass (based on amino acid sequence) suggested that 95 % of the proteins
      identified were not subject to any major post-translational modification.
      Migration of 5 % of the proteins was not as expected: 1 % of the proteins
      migrated at a mass greater than predicted, while 4 % appeared to have undergone
      proteolytic cleavage; these included SsaA2, Aur, SspP, Ebh as well as BlaR1,
      MecR1, FsH, OatA and LtaS. Intriguingly, a truncated SasG was produced by a
      single CC8 USA300-like strain. The analysis provided evidence of the marked
      heterogeneity in protein expression by S. aureus in broth, while yielding a core
      but narrow common exoproteome.

PMID- 28348844
TI  - Five decades of genome evolution in the globally distributed, extensively
      antibiotic-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii global clone 1.
AB  - The majority of Acinetobacter baumannii isolates that are multiply, extensively
      and pan-antibiotic resistant belong to two globally disseminated clones, GC1 and
      GC2, that were first noticed in the 1970s. Here, we investigated microevolution
      and phylodynamics within GC1 via analysis of 45 whole-genome sequences, including
      23 sequenced for this study. The most recent common ancestor of GC1 arose around
      1960 and later diverged into two phylogenetically distinct lineages. In the
      1970s, the main lineage acquired the AbaR resistance island, conferring
      resistance to older antibiotics, via a horizontal gene transfer event. We
      estimate a mutation rate of ~5 SNPs genome- 1 year- 1 and detected extensive
      recombination within GC1 genomes, introducing nucleotide diversity into the
      population at >20 times the substitution rate (the ratio of SNPs introduced by
      recombination compared with mutation was 22). The recombination events were non
      randomly distributed in the genome and created significant diversity within loci
      encoding outer surface molecules (including the capsular polysaccharide, the
      outer core lipooligosaccharide and the outer membrane protein CarO), and spread
      antimicrobial resistance-conferring mutations affecting the gyrA and parC genes
      and insertion sequence insertions activating the ampC gene. Both GC1 lineages
      accumulated resistance to newer antibiotics through various genetic mechanisms,
      including the acquisition of plasmids and transposons or mutations in chromosomal
      genes. Our data show that GC1 has diversified into multiple successful
      extensively antibiotic-resistant subclones that differ in their surface
      structures. This has important implications for all avenues of control, including
      epidemiological tracking, antimicrobial therapy and vaccination.

PMID- 28348845
TI  - Towards the complete small RNome of Acinetobacter baumannii.
AB  - In recent years, the Gram-negative bacterium Acinetobacter baumannii has garnered
      considerable attention for its unprecedented capacity to rapidly develop
      resistance to antibacterial therapeutics. This is coupled with the seemingly
      epidemic emergence of new hyper-virulent strains. Although strain-specific
      differences for A. baumannii isolates have been well described, these studies
      have primarily focused on proteinaceous factors. At present, only limited
      publications have investigated the presence and role of small regulatory RNA
      (sRNA) transcripts. Herein, we perform such an analysis, describing the RNA-seq
      based identification of 78 A. baumannii sRNAs in the AB5075 background. Together
      with six previously identified elements, we include each of these in a new genome
      annotation file, which will serve as a tool to investigate regulatory events in
      this organism. Our work reveals that the sRNAs display high expression,
      accounting for >50 % of the 20 most strongly expressed genes. Through
      conservation analysis we identified six classes of similar sRNAs, with one found
      to be particularly abundant and homologous to regulatory, C4 antisense RNAs found
      in bacteriophages. These elements appear to be processed from larger transcripts
      in an analogous manner to the phage C4 molecule and are putatively controlled by
      two further sRNAs that are strongly antisense to them. Collectively, this study
      offers a detailed view of the sRNA content of A. baumannii, exposing sequence and
      structural conservation amongst these elements, and provides novel insight into
      the potential evolution, and role, of these understudied regulatory molecules.

PMID- 28348847
TI  - Refined analyses suggest that recombination is a minor source of genomic
      diversity in Pseudomonas aeruginosa chronic cystic fibrosis infections.
AB  - Chronic bacterial airway infections in people with cystic fibrosis (CF) are often
      caused by Pseudomonas aeruginosa, typically showing high phenotypic diversity
      amongst co-isolates from the same sputum sample. Whilst adaptive evolution during
      chronic infections has been reported, the genetic mechanisms underlying the
      observed rapid within-population diversification are not well understood. Two
      recent conflicting reports described very high and low rates of homologous
      recombination in two closely related P. aeruginosa populations from the lungs of
      different chronically infected CF patients. To investigate the underlying cause
      of these contrasting observations, we combined the short read datasets from both
      studies and applied a new comparative analysis. We inferred low rates of
      recombination in both populations. The discrepancy in the findings of the two
      previous studies can be explained by differences in the application of variant
      calling techniques. Two novel algorithms were developed that filter false
      positive variants. The first algorithm filters variants on the basis of ambiguity
      within duplications in the reference genome. The second omits probable false
      positive variants at regions of non-homology between reference and sample caused
      by structural rearrangements. As gains and losses of prophage or genomic islands
      are frequent causes of chromosomal rearrangements within microbial populations,
      this filter has broad appeal for mitigating false-positive variant calls. Both
      algorithms are available in a Python package.

PMID- 28348846
TI  - Repeated local emergence of carbapenem-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii in a
      single hospital ward.
AB  - We recently reported a dramatic increase in the prevalence of carbapenem
      resistant Acinetobacter baumannii infections in the intensive care unit (ICU) of
      a Vietnamese hospital. This upsurge was associated with a specific oxa23-positive
      clone that was identified by multilocus VNTR analysis. Here, we used whole-genome
      sequence analysis to dissect the emergence of carbapenem-resistant A. baumannii
      causing ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP) in the ICU during 2009-2012. To
      provide historical context and distinguish microevolution from strain
      introduction, we compared these genomes with those of A. baumannii asymptomatic
      carriage and VAP isolates from this same ICU collected during 2003-2007. We
      identified diverse lineages co-circulating over many years. Carbapenem resistance
      was associated with the presence of oxa23, oxa40, oxa58 and ndm1 genes in
      multiple lineages. The majority of resistant isolates were oxa23-positive global
      clone GC2; fine-scale phylogenomic analysis revealed five distinct GC2
      sublineages within the ICU that had evolved locally via independent chromosomal
      insertions of oxa23 transposons. The increase in infections caused by carbapenem
      resistant A. baumannii was associated with transposon-mediated transmission of a
      carbapenemase gene, rather than clonal expansion or spread of a carbapenemase
      harbouring plasmid. Additionally, we found evidence of homologous recombination
      creating diversity within the local GC2 population, including several events
      resulting in replacement of the capsule locus. We identified likely donors of the
      imported capsule locus sequences amongst the A. baumannii isolated on the same
      ward, suggesting that diversification was largely facilitated via reassortment
      and sharing of genetic material within the localized A. baumannii population.

PMID- 28348849
TI  - Response to 'Refined analyses suggest that recombination is a minor source of
      genomic diversity in Pseudomonas aeruginosa chronic cystic fibrosis infections'
      by ).

PMID- 28348848
TI  - PhagePhisher: a pipeline for the discovery of covert viral sequences in complex
      genomic datasets.
AB  - Obtaining meaningful viral information from large sequencing datasets presents
      unique challenges distinct from prokaryotic and eukaryotic sequencing efforts.
      The difficulties surrounding this issue can be ascribed in part to the genomic
      plasticity of viruses themselves as well as the scarcity of existing information
      in genomic databases. The open-source software PhagePhisher (http://www.putonti
      lab.com/phagephisher) has been designed as a simple pipeline to extract relevant
      information from complex and mixed datasets, and will improve the examination of
      bacteriophages, viruses, and virally related sequences, in a range of
      environments. Key aspects of the software include speed and ease of use;
      PhagePhisher can be used with limited operator knowledge of bioinformatics on a
      standard workstation. As a proof-of-concept, PhagePhisher was successfully
      implemented with bacteria-virus mixed samples of varying complexity. Furthermore,
      viral signals within microbial metagenomic datasets were easily and quickly
      identified by PhagePhisher, including those from prophages as well as lysogenic
      phages, an important and often neglected aspect of examining phage populations in
      the environment. PhagePhisher resolves viral-related sequences which may be
      obscured by or imbedded in bacterial genomes.

PMID- 28348850
TI  - Identifying copy number variation of the dominant virulence factors msa and p22
      within genomes of the fish pathogen Renibacterium salmoninarum.
AB  - Renibacterium salmoninarum is the causative agent of bacterial kidney disease, an
      important disease of farmed and wild salmonid fish worldwide. Despite the wide
      spatiotemporal distribution of this disease and habitat pressures ranging from
      the natural environment to aquaculture and rivers to marine environments, little
      variation has been observed in the R. salmoninarum genome. Here we use the
      coverage depth from genomic sequencing corroborated by real-time quantitative PCR
      to detect copy number variation (CNV) among the genes of R. salmoninarum. CNV was
      primarily limited to the known dominant virulence factors msa and p22. Among 68
      isolates representing the UK, Norway and North America, the msa gene ranged from
      two to five identical copies and the p22 gene ranged from one to five copies. CNV
      for these two genes co-occurred, suggesting they may be functionally linked.
      Isolates carrying CNV were phylogenetically restricted and originated
      predominantly from sites in North America, rather than the UK or Norway. Although
      both phylogenetic relationship and geographical origin were found to correlate
      with CNV status, geographical origin was a much stronger predictor than
      phylogeny, suggesting a role for local selection pressures in the repeated
      emergence and maintenance of this trait.

PMID- 28348851
TI  - SNP-sites: rapid efficient extraction of SNPs from multi-FASTA alignments.
AB  - Rapidly decreasing genome sequencing costs have led to a proportionate increase
      in the number of samples used in prokaryotic population studies. Extracting
      single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) from a large whole genome alignment is now
      a routine task, but existing tools have failed to scale efficiently with the
      increased size of studies. These tools are slow, memory inefficient and are
      installed through non-standard procedures. We present SNP-sites which can rapidly
      extract SNPs from a multi-FASTA alignment using modest resources and can output
      results in multiple formats for downstream analysis. SNPs can be extracted from a
      8.3 GB alignment file (1842 taxa, 22 618 sites) in 267 seconds using 59 MB of RAM
      and 1 CPU core, making it feasible to run on modest computers. It is easy to
      install through the Debian and Homebrew package managers, and has been
      successfully tested on more than 20 operating systems. SNP-sites is implemented
      in C and is available under the open source license GNU GPL version 3.

PMID- 28348853
TI  - Declaring a tuberculosis outbreak over with genomic epidemiology.
AB  - We report an updated method for inferring the time at which an infectious disease
      was transmitted between persons from a time-labelled pathogen genome phylogeny.
      We applied the method to 48 Mycobacterium tuberculosis genomes as part of a real
      time public health outbreak investigation, demonstrating that although active
      tuberculosis (TB) cases were diagnosed through 2013, no transmission events took
      place beyond mid-2012. Subsequent cases were the result of progression from
      latent TB infection to active disease, and not recent transmission. This
      evolutionary genomic approach was used to declare the outbreak over in January
      2015.

PMID- 28348852
TI  - Pan-genomic perspective on the evolution of the Staphylococcus aureus USA300
      epidemic.
AB  - Staphylococcus aureus USA300 represents the dominant community-associated
      methicillin-resistant S. aureus lineage in the USA, where it is a major cause of
      skin and soft tissue infections. Previous comparative genomic studies have
      described the population structure and evolution of USA300 based on
      geographically restricted isolate collections. Here, we investigated the USA300
      population by sequencing genomes of a geographically distributed panel of 191
      clinical S. aureus isolates belonging to clonal complex 8 (CC8), derived from the
      Tigecycline Evaluation and Surveillance Trial program. Isolates were collected at
      12 healthcare centres across nine USA states in 2004, 2009 or 2010.
      Reconstruction of evolutionary relationships revealed that CC8 was dominated by
      USA300 isolates (154/191, 81 %), which were heterogeneous and demonstrated
      limited phylogeographic clustering. Analysis of the USA300 core genomes revealed
      an increase in median pairwise SNP distance from 62 to 98 between 2004 and 2010,
      with a stable pattern of above average dN/dS ratios. The phylogeny of the USA300
      population indicated that early diversification events led to the formation of
      nested clades, which arose through cumulative acquisition of predominantly non
      synonymous SNPs in various coding sequences. The accessory genome of USA300 was
      largely homogenous and consisted of elements previously associated with this
      lineage. We observed an emergence of SCCmec negative and ACME negative USA300
      isolates amongst more recent samples, and an increase in the prevalence of phiSa5
      prophage. Together, the analysed S. aureus USA300 collection revealed an evolving
      pan-genome through increased core genome heterogeneity and temporal variation in
      the frequency of certain accessory elements.

PMID- 28348854
TI  - Bayesian codon substitution modelling to identify sources of pathogen
      evolutionary rate variation.
AB  - Phylodynamic reconstructions rely on a measurable molecular footprint of epidemic
      processes in pathogen genomes. Identifying the factors that govern the tempo and
      mode by which these processes leave a footprint in pathogen genomes represents an
      important goal towards understanding infectious disease evolution. Discriminating
      between synonymous and non-synonymous substitution rates is crucial for testing
      hypotheses about the sources of evolutionary rate variation. Here, we implement a
      codon substitution model in a Bayesian statistical framework to estimate absolute
      rates of synonymous and non-synonymous substitution in unknown evolutionary
      histories. To demonstrate how this model can provide critical insights into
      pathogen evolutionary dynamics, we adopt hierarchical phylogenetic modelling with
      fixed effects and apply it to two viral examples. Using within-host HIV-1 data
      from patients with different host genetic background and different disease
      progression rates, we show that viral populations undergo faster absolute
      synonymous substitution rates in patients with faster disease progression,
      probably reflecting faster replication rates. We also re-analyse rabies data from
      different bat species in the Americas to demonstrate that climate predicts
      absolute synonymous substitution rates, which can be attributed to climate
      associated bat activity and viral transmission dynamics. In conclusion, our model
      to estimate absolute rates of synonymous and non-synonymous substitution can
      provide a powerful approach to investigate how host ecology can shape the tempo
      of pathogen evolution.

PMID- 28348855
TI  - Emergence of a novel lineage containing a prophage in emm/M3 group A
      Streptococcus associated with upsurge in invasive disease in the UK.
AB  - A sudden increase in invasive Group A Streptococcus (iGAS) infections associated
      with emm/M3 isolates during the winter of 2008/09 prompted the initiation of
      enhanced surveillance in England. In order to characterise the population of
      emm/M3 GAS within the UK and determine bacterial factors that might be
      responsible for this upsurge, 442 emm/M3 isolates from cases of invasive and non
      invasive infections during the period 2001-2013 were subjected to whole genome
      sequencing. MLST analysis differentiated emm/M3 isolates into three sequence
      types (STs): ST15, ST315 and ST406. Analysis of the whole genome SNP-based
      phylogeny showed that the majority of isolates from the 2008-2009 upsurge period
      belonged to a distinct lineage characterized by the presence of a prophage
      carrying the speC exotoxin and spd1 DNAase genes but loss of two other prophages
      considered typical of the emm/M3 lineage. This lineage was significantly
      associated with the upsurge in iGAS cases and we postulate that the upsurge could
      be attributed in part to expansion of this novel prophage-containing lineage
      within the population. The study underlines the importance of prompt genomic
      analysis of changes in the GAS population, providing an advanced public health
      warning system for newly emergent, pathogenic strains.

PMID- 28348856
TI  - Genomic characterization of Mycobacterium tuberculosis lineage 7 and a proposed
      name: 'Aethiops vetus'.
AB  - Lineage 7 of the Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex has recently been identified
      among strains originating from Ethiopia. Using different DNA typing techniques,
      this study provides additional information on the genetic heterogeneity of five
      lineage 7 strains collected in the Amhara Region of Ethiopia. It also confirms
      the phylogenetic positioning of these strains between the ancient lineage 1 and
      TbD1-deleted, modern lineages 2, 3 and 4 of Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Four
      newly identified large sequence polymorphisms characteristic of the Amhara Region
      lineage 7 strains are described. While lineage 7 strains have been previously
      identified in the Woldiya area, we show that lineage 7 strains circulate in other
      parts of the Amhara Region and also among foreign-born individuals from Eritrea
      and Somalia in The Netherlands. For ease of documenting future identification of
      these strains in other geographical locations and recognizing the place of
      origin, we propose to assign lineage 7 strains the lineage name 'Aethiops vetus'.

PMID- 28348857
TI  - Comparative genomics and evolution of transcriptional regulons in Proteobacteria.
AB  - Comparative genomics approaches are broadly used for analysis of transcriptional
      regulation in bacterial genomes. In this work, we identified binding sites and
      reconstructed regulons for 33 orthologous groups of transcription factors (TFs)
      in 196 reference genomes from 21 taxonomic groups of Proteobacteria. Overall, we
      predict over 10 600 TF binding sites and identified more than 15 600 target genes
      for 1896 TFs constituting the studied orthologous groups of regulators. These
      include a set of orthologues for 21 metabolism-associated TFs from Escherichia
      coli and/or Shewanella that are conserved in five or more taxonomic groups and
      several additional TFs that represent non-orthologous substitutions of the
      metabolic regulators in some lineages of Proteobacteria. By comparing gene
      contents of the reconstructed regulons, we identified the core, taxonomy-specific
      and genome-specific TF regulon members and classified them by their metabolic
      functions. Detailed analysis of ArgR, TyrR, TrpR, HutC, HypR and other amino-acid
      specific regulons demonstrated remarkable differences in regulatory strategies
      used by various lineages of Proteobacteria. The obtained genomic collection of in
      silico reconstructed TF regulons contains a large number of new regulatory
      interactions that await future experimental validation. The collection provides a
      framework for future evolutionary studies of transcriptional regulatory networks
      in Bacteria. It can be also used for functional annotation of putative metabolic
      transporters and enzymes that are abundant in the reconstructed regulons.

PMID- 28348858
TI  - Quantitative assessment of insertion sequence impact on bacterial genome
      architecture.
AB  - Insertion sequence (IS) elements are important mediators of genome plasticity and
      can lead to phenotypic changes with evolutionary significance. In multidrug
      resistant Acinetobacter baumannii and Klebsiella pneumoniae, IS elements have
      contributed significantly to the mobilization of genes that encode resistance to
      antimicrobial drugs. A systematic analysis of IS elements is needed for a more
      comprehensive understanding of their evolutionary impact. We developed a
      computational approach (ISseeker) to annotate IS elements in draft genome
      assemblies and applied the method to analysis of IS elements in all publicly
      available A. baumannii(>1000) and K. pneumoniae(>800) genome sequences, in a
      phylogenetic context. Most IS elements in A. baumanniigenomes are species
      specific ISAba elements, whereas K. pneumoniaegenomes contain significant numbers
      of both ISKpn elements and elements that are found throughout the
      Enterobacteriaceae. A. baumanniigenomes have a higher density of IS elements than
      K. pneumoniae, averaging ~33 vs ~27 copies per genome. In K. pneumoniae, several
      insertion sites are shared by most genomes in the ST258 clade, whereas in A.
      baumannii, different IS elements are abundant in different phylogenetic groups,
      even among closely related Global Clone 2 strains. IS elements differ in the
      distribution of insertion locations relative to genes, with some more likely to
      disrupt genes and others predominantly in intergenic regions. Several genes and
      intergenic regions had multiple independent insertion events, suggesting that
      those events may confer a selective advantage. Genome- and taxon-wide
      characterization of insertion locations revealed that IS elements have been
      active contributors to genome diversity in both species.

PMID- 28348859
TI  - In silico serotyping of E. coli from short read data identifies limited novel O
      loci but extensive diversity of O:H serotype combinations within and between
      pathogenic lineages.
AB  - The lipopolysaccharide (O) and flagellar (H) surface antigens of Escherichia coli
      are targets for serotyping that have traditionally been used to identify
      pathogenic lineages. These surface antigens are important for the survival of E.
      coli within mammalian hosts. However, traditional serotyping has several
      limitations, and public health reference laboratories are increasingly moving
      towards whole genome sequencing (WGS) to characterize bacterial isolates. Here we
      present a method to rapidly and accurately serotype E. coli isolates from raw,
      short read WGS data. Our approach bypasses the need for de novo genome assembly
      by directly screening WGS reads against a curated database of alleles linked to
      known and novel E. coli O-groups and H-types (the EcOH database) using the
      software package srst2. We validated the approach by comparing in silico results
      for 197 enteropathogenic E. coli isolates with those obtained by serological
      phenotyping in an independent laboratory. We then demonstrated the utility of our
      method to characterize isolates in public health and clinical settings, and to
      explore the genetic diversity of >1500 E. coli genomes from multiple sources.
      Importantly, we showed that transfer of O- and H-antigen loci between E. coli
      chromosomal backbones is common, with little evidence of constraints by host or
      pathotype, suggesting that E. coli 'strain space' may be virtually unlimited,
      even within specific pathotypes. Our findings show that serotyping is most useful
      when used in combination with strain genotyping to characterize microevolution
      events within an inferred population structure.

PMID- 28348860
TI  - Transcriptomic analysis of staphylococcal sRNAs: insights into species-specific
      adaption and the evolution of pathogenesis.
AB  - Next-generation sequencing technologies have dramatically increased the rate at
      which new genomes are sequenced. Accordingly, automated annotation programs have
      become adept at identifying and annotating protein coding regions, as well as
      common and conserved RNAs. Additionally, RNAseq techniques have advanced our
      ability to identify and annotate regulatory RNAs (sRNAs), which remain
      significantly understudied. Recently, our group catalogued and annotated all
      previously known and newly identified sRNAs in several Staphylococcus aureus
      strains. These complete annotation files now serve as tools to compare the sRNA
      content of S. aureus with other bacterial strains to investigate the conservation
      of their sRNomes. Accordingly, in this study we performed RNAseq on two
      staphylococcal species, Staphylococcus epidermidis and Staphylococcus carnosus,
      identifying 118 and 89 sRNAs in these organisms, respectively. The sRNA contents
      of all three species were then compared to elucidate their common and species
      specific sRNA content, identifying a core set of between 53 and 36 sRNAs encoded
      in each organism. In addition, we determined that S. aureus has the largest set
      of unique sRNAs (137) while S. epidermidishas the fewest (25). Finally, we
      identify a highly conserved sequence and structural motif differentially
      represented within, yet common to, both S. aureus and S. epidermidis.
      Collectively, in this study, we uncover the sRNome common to three staphylococcal
      species, shedding light on sRNAs that are likely to be involved in basic
      physiological processes common to the genus. More significantly, we have
      identified species-specific sRNAs that are likely to influence the individual
      lifestyle and behaviour of these diverse staphylococcal strains.

PMID- 28348861
TI  - First insight into the faecal microbiota of the high Arctic muskoxen (Ovibos
      moschatus).
AB  - The faecal microbiota of muskoxen (n=3) pasturing on Ryoya (69 degrees  33' N 18
      degrees  43' E), Norway, in late September was characterized using high
      throughput sequencing of partial 16S rRNA gene regions. A total of 16 209 high
      quality sequence reads from bacterial domains and 19 462 from archaea were
      generated. Preliminary taxonomic classifications of 806 bacterial operational
      taxonomic units (OTUs) resulted in 53.7-59.3 % of the total sequences being
      without designations beyond the family level. Firmicutes (70.7-81.1 % of the
      total sequences) and Bacteroidetes (16.8-25.3 %) constituted the two major
      bacterial phyla, with uncharacterized members within the family Ruminococcaceae
      (28.9-40.9 %) as the major phylotype. Multiple-library comparisons between
      muskoxen and other ruminants indicated a higher similarity for muskoxen faeces
      and reindeer caecum (P>0.05) and some samples from cattle faeces. The archaeal
      sequences clustered into 37 OTUs, with dominating phylotypes affiliated to the
      methane-producing genus Methanobrevibacter (80-92 % of the total sequences).
      UniFrac analysis demonstrated heterogeneity between muskoxen archaeal libraries
      and those from reindeer and roe deer (P=1.0e-02, Bonferroni corrected), but not
      with foregut fermenters. The high proportion of cellulose-degrading Ruminococcus
      affiliated bacteria agrees with the ingestion of a highly fibrous diet. Further
      experiments are required to elucidate the role played by these novel bacteria in
      the digestion of this fibrous Artic diet eaten by muskoxen.

PMID- 28348863
TI  - Massive dispersal of Coxiella burnetii among cattle across the United States.
AB  - Q-fever is an underreported disease caused by the bacterium Coxiella burnetii,
      which is highly infectious and has the ability to disperse great distances. It is
      a completely clonal pathogen with low genetic diversity and requires whole-genome
      analysis to identify discriminating features among closely related isolates. C.
      burnetii, and in particular one genotype (ST20), is commonly found in cow's milk
      across the entire dairy industry of the USA. This single genotype dominance is
      suggestive of host-specific adaptation, rapid dispersal and persistence within
      cattle. We used a comparative genomic approach to identify SNPs for high
      resolution and high-throughput genotyping assays to better describe the dispersal
      of ST20 across the USA. We genotyped 507 ST20 cow milk samples and discovered
      three subgenotypes, all of which were present across the entire country and over
      the complete time period studied. Only one of these sub-genotypes was observed in
      a single dairy herd. The temporal and geographic distribution of these sub
      genotypes is consistent with a model of large-scale, rapid, frequent and
      continuous dissemination on a continental scale. The distribution of subgenotypes
      is not consistent with wind-based dispersal alone, and it is likely that animal
      husbandry and transportation practices, including pooling of milk from multiple
      herds, have also shaped the patterns. On the scale of an entire country, there
      appear to be few barriers to rapid, frequent and large-scale dissemination of the
      ST20 subgenotypes.

PMID- 28348864
TI  - DNA uptake sequences in Neisseria gonorrhoeae as intrinsic transcriptional
      terminators and markers of horizontal gene transfer.
AB  - DNA uptake sequences are widespread throughout the Neisseria gonorrhoeae genome.
      These short, conserved sequences facilitate the exchange of endogenous DNA
      between members of the genus Neisseria. Often the DNA uptake sequences are
      present as inverted repeats that are able to form hairpin structures. It has been
      suggested previously that DNA uptake sequence inverted repeats present 3' of
      genes play a role in rho-independent termination and attenuation. However, there
      is conflicting experimental evidence to support this role. The aim of this study
      was to determine the role of DNA uptake sequences in transcriptional termination.
      Both bioinformatics predictions, conducted using TransTermHP, and experimental
      evidence, from RNA-seq data, were used to determine which inverted repeat DNA
      uptake sequences are transcriptional terminators and in which direction. Here we
      show that DNA uptake sequences in the inverted repeat configuration occur in N.
      gonorrhoeae both where the DNA uptake sequence precedes the inverted version of
      the sequence and also, albeit less frequently, in reverse order. Due to their
      symmetrical configuration, inverted repeat DNA uptake sequences can potentially
      act as bi-directional terminators, therefore affecting transcription on both DNA
      strands. This work also provides evidence that gaps in DNA uptake sequence
      density in the gonococcal genome coincide with areas of DNA that are foreign in
      origin, such as prophage. This study differentiates for the first time, to our
      knowledge, between DNA uptake sequences that form intrinsic transcriptional
      terminators and those that do not, providing characteristic features within the
      flanking inverted repeat that can be identified.

PMID- 28348862
TI  - Whole-genome sequencing of a quarter-century melioidosis outbreak in temperate
      Australia uncovers a region of low-prevalence endemicity.
AB  - Melioidosis, caused by the highly recombinogenic bacterium Burkholderia
      pseudomallei, is a disease with high mortality. Tracing the origin of melioidosis
      outbreaks and understanding how the bacterium spreads and persists in the
      environment are essential to protecting public and veterinary health and reducing
      mortality associated with outbreaks. We used whole-genome sequencing to compare
      isolates from a historical quarter-century outbreak that occurred between 1966
      and 1991 in the Avon Valley, Western Australia, a region far outside the known
      range of B. pseudomallei endemicity. All Avon Valley outbreak isolates shared the
      same multilocus sequence type (ST-284), which has not been identified outside
      this region. We found substantial genetic diversity among isolates based on a
      comparison of genome-wide variants, with no clear correlation between genotypes
      and temporal, geographical or source data. We observed little evidence of
      recombination in the outbreak strains, indicating that genetic diversity among
      these isolates has primarily accrued by mutation. Phylogenomic analysis
      demonstrated that the isolates confidently grouped within the Australian B.
      pseudomallei clade, thereby ruling out introduction from a melioidosis-endemic
      region outside Australia. Collectively, our results point to B. pseudomallei ST
      284 being present in the Avon Valley for longer than previously recognized, with
      its persistence and genomic diversity suggesting long-term, low-prevalence
      endemicity in this temperate region. Our findings provide a concerning
      demonstration of the potential for environmental persistence of B. pseudomallei
      far outside the conventional endemic regions. An expected increase in extreme
      weather events may reactivate latent B. pseudomallei populations in this region.

PMID- 28348865
TI  - Phylogenetic structure of European Salmonella Enteritidis outbreak correlates
      with national and international egg distribution network.
AB  - Outbreaks of Salmonella Enteritidis have long been associated with contaminated
      poultry and eggs. In the summer of 2014 a large multi-national outbreak of
      Salmonella Enteritidis phage type 14b occurred with over 350 cases reported in
      the United Kingdom, Germany, Austria, France and Luxembourg. Egg supply network
      investigation and microbiological sampling identified the source to be a Bavarian
      egg producer. As part of the international investigation into the outbreak, over
      400 isolates were sequenced including isolates from cases, implicated UK premises
      and eggs from the suspected source producer. We were able to show a clear
      statistical correlation between the topology of the UK egg distribution network
      and the phylogenetic network of outbreak isolates. This correlation can most
      plausibly be explained by different parts of the egg distribution network being
      supplied by eggs solely from independent premises of the Bavarian egg producer
      (Company X). Microbiological sampling from the source premises, traceback
      information and information on the interventions carried out at the egg
      production premises all supported this conclusion. The level of insight into the
      outbreak epidemiology provided by whole-genome sequencing (WGS) would not have
      been possible using traditional microbial typing methods.

PMID- 28348866
TI  - Integrated computational prediction and experimental validation identifies
      promiscuous T cell epitopes in the proteome of Mycobacterium bovis.
AB  - The discovery of novel antigens is an essential requirement in devising new
      diagnostics or vaccines for use in control programmes against human tuberculosis
      (TB) and bovine tuberculosis (bTB). Identification of potential epitopes
      recognised by CD4+ T cells requires prediction of peptide binding to MHC class
      II, an obligatory prerequisite for T cell recognition. To comprehensively
      prioritise potential MHC-II-binding epitopes from Mycobacterium bovis, the agent
      of bTB and zoonotic TB in humans, we integrated three binding prediction methods
      with the M. bovisproteome using a subset of human HLA alleles to approximate the
      binding of epitope-containing peptides to the bovine MHC class II molecule BoLA
      DRB3. Two parallel strategies were then applied to filter the resulting set of
      binders: identification of the top-scoring binders or clusters of binders. Our
      approach was tested experimentally by assessing the capacity of predicted
      promiscuous peptides to drive interferon-gamma secretion from T cells of M. bovis
      infected cattle. Thus, 376 20-mer peptides, were synthesised (270 predicted
      epitopes, 94 random peptides with low predictive scores and 12 positive controls
      of known epitopes). The results of this validation demonstrated significant
      enrichment (>24 %) of promiscuously recognised peptides predicted in our
      selection strategies, compared with randomly selected peptides with low
      prediction scores. Our strategy offers a general approach to the identification
      of promiscuous epitopes tailored to target populations where there is limited
      knowledge of MHC allelic diversity.

PMID- 28348867
TI  - The electrically conductive pili of Geobacter species are a recently evolved
      feature for extracellular electron transfer.
AB  - The electrically conductive pili (e-pili) of Geobactersulfurreducens have
      environmental and practical significance because they can facilitate electron
      transfer to insoluble Fe(III) oxides; to other microbial species; and through
      electrically conductive biofilms. E-pili conductivity has been attributed to the
      truncated PilA monomer, which permits tight packing of aromatic amino acids to
      form a conductive path along the length of e-pili. In order to better understand
      the evolution and distribution of e-pili in the microbial world, type IVa PilA
      proteins from various Gram-negative and Gram-positive bacteria were examined with
      a particular emphasis on Fe(III)-respiring bacteria. E-pilin genes are primarily
      restricted to a tight phylogenetic group in the order Desulfuromonadales. The
      downstream gene in all but one of the Desulfuromonadales that possess an e-pilin
      gene is a gene previously annotated as 'pilA-C' that has characteristics
      suggesting that it may encode an outer-membrane protein. Other genes associated
      with pilin function are clustered with e-pilin and 'pilA-C' genes in the
      Desulfuromonadales. In contrast, in the few bacteria outside the
      Desulfuromonadales that contain e-pilin genes, the other genes required for pilin
      function may have been acquired through horizontal gene transfer. Of the 95 known
      Fe(III)-reducing micro-organisms for which genomes are available, 80 % lack e
      pilin genes, suggesting that e-pili are just one of several mechanisms involved
      in extracellular electron transport. These studies provide insight into where and
      when e-pili are likely to contribute to extracellular electron transport
      processes that are biogeochemically important and involved in bioenergy
      conversions.

PMID- 28348868
TI  - The diversity of Klebsiella pneumoniae surface polysaccharides.
AB  - Klebsiella pneumoniae is considered an urgent health concern due to the emergence
      of multi-drug-resistant strains for which vaccination offers a potential remedy.
      Vaccines based on surface polysaccharides are highly promising but need to
      address the high diversity of surface-exposed polysaccharides, synthesized as O
      antigens (lipopolysaccharide, LPS) and K-antigens (capsule polysaccharide, CPS),
      present in K. pneumoniae. We present a comprehensive and clinically relevant
      study of the diversity of O- and K-antigen biosynthesis gene clusters across a
      global collection of over 500 K. pneumoniae whole-genome sequences and the
      seroepidemiology of human isolates from different infection types. Our study
      defines the genetic diversity of O- and K-antigen biosynthesis cluster sequences
      across this collection, identifying sequences for known serotypes as well as
      identifying novel LPS and CPS gene clusters found in circulating contemporary
      isolates. Serotypes O1, O2 and O3 were most prevalent in our sample set,
      accounting for approximately 80 % of all infections. In contrast, K serotypes
      showed an order of magnitude higher diversity and differ among infection types.
      In addition we investigated a potential association of O or K serotypes with
      phylogenetic lineage, infection type and the presence of known virulence genes.
      K1 and K2 serotypes, which are associated with hypervirulent K. pneumoniae, were
      associated with a higher abundance of virulence genes and more diverse O
      serotypes compared to other common K serotypes.

PMID- 28348869
TI  - NASP: an accurate, rapid method for the identification of SNPs in WGS datasets
      that supports flexible input and output formats.
AB  - Whole-genome sequencing (WGS) of bacterial isolates has become standard practice
      in many laboratories. Applications for WGS analysis include phylogeography and
      molecular epidemiology, using single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) as the unit
      of evolution. NASP was developed as a reproducible method that scales well with
      the hundreds to thousands of WGS data typically used in comparative genomics
      applications. In this study, we demonstrate how NASP compares with other tools in
      the analysis of two real bacterial genomics datasets and one simulated dataset.
      Our results demonstrate that NASP produces similar, and often better, results in
      comparison with other pipelines, but is much more flexible in terms of data input
      types, job management systems, diversity of supported tools and output formats.
      We also demonstrate differences in results based on the choice of the reference
      genome and choice of inferring phylogenies from concatenated SNPs or alignments
      including monomorphic positions. NASP represents a source-available, version
      controlled, unit-tested method and can be obtained from tgennorth.github.io/NASP.

PMID- 28348870
TI  - Bayesian identification of bacterial strains from sequencing data.
AB  - Rapidly assaying the diversity of a bacterial species present in a sample
      obtained from a hospital patient or an environmental source has become possible
      after recent technological advances in DNA sequencing. For several applications
      it is important to accurately identify the presence and estimate relative
      abundances of the target organisms from short sequence reads obtained from a
      sample. This task is particularly challenging when the set of interest includes
      very closely related organisms, such as different strains of pathogenic bacteria,
      which can vary considerably in terms of virulence, resistance and spread. Using
      advanced Bayesian statistical modelling and computation techniques we introduce a
      novel pipeline for bacterial identification that is shown to outperform the
      currently leading pipeline for this purpose. Our approach enables fast and
      accurate sequence-based identification of bacterial strains while using only
      modest computational resources. Hence it provides a useful tool for a wide
      spectrum of applications, including rapid clinical diagnostics to distinguish
      among closely related strains causing nosocomial infections. The software
      implementation is available at https://github.com/PROBIC/BIB.

PMID- 28348871
TI  - NGMASTER:in silico multi-antigen sequence typing for Neisseria gonorrhoeae.
AB  - Whole-genome sequencing (WGS) provides the highest resolution analysis for
      comparison of bacterial isolates in public health microbiology. However, although
      increasingly being used routinely for some pathogens such as Listeria
      monocytogenes and Salmonella enterica, the use of WGS is still limited for other
      organisms, such as Neisseria gonorrhoeae. Multi-antigen sequence typing (NG-MAST)
      is the most widely performed typing method for epidemiological surveillance of
      gonorrhoea. Here, we present NGMASTER, a command-line software tool for
      performing in silico NG-MAST on assembled genome data. NGMASTER rapidly and
      accurately determined the NG-MAST of 630 assembled genomes, facilitating
      comparisons between WGS and previously published gonorrhoea epidemiological
      studies. The source code and user documentation are available at
      https://github.com/MDU-PHL/ngmaster.

PMID- 28348872
TI  - Phase variable DNA repeats in Neisseria gonorrhoeae influence transcription,
      translation, and protein sequence variation.
AB  - There are many types of repeated DNA sequences in the genomes of the species of
      the genus Neisseria, from homopolymeric tracts to tandem repeats of hundreds of
      bases. Some of these have roles in the phase-variable expression of genes. When a
      repeat mediates phase variation, reversible switching between tract lengths
      occurs, which in the species of the genus Neisseria most often causes the gene to
      switch between on and off states through frame shifting of the open reading
      frame. Changes in repeat tract lengths may also influence the strength of
      transcription from a promoter. For phenotypes that can be readily observed, such
      as expression of the surface-expressed Opa proteins or pili, verification that
      repeats are mediating phase variation is relatively straightforward. For other
      genes, particularly those where the function has not been identified, gathering
      evidence of repeat tract changes can be more difficult. Here we present analysis
      of the repetitive sequences that could mediate phase variation in the Neisseria
      gonorrhoeae strain NCCP11945 genome sequence and compare these results with other
      gonococcal genome sequences. Evidence is presented for an updated phase-variable
      gene repertoire in this species, including a class of phase variation that causes
      amino acid changes at the C-terminus of the protein, not previously described in
      N. gonorrhoeae.

PMID- 28348873
TI  - Molecular and biochemical characterization of the NS1 protein of non-cultured
      influenza B virus strains circulating in Singapore.
AB  - In this study we compared the NS1 protein of Influenza B/Lee/40 and several non
      cultured Influenza B virus clinical strains detected in Singapore. In B/Lee/40
      virus-infected cells and in cells expressing the recombinant B/Lee/40 NS1 protein
      a full-length 35 kDa NS1 protein and a 23 kDa NS1 protein species (p23) were
      detected. Mutational analysis of the NS1 gene indicated that p23 was generated by
      a novel cleavage event within the linker domain between an aspartic acid and
      proline at amino acid residues at positions 92 and 93 respectively (DP92-93), and
      that p23 contained the first 92 amino acids of the NS1 protein. Sequence analysis
      of the Singapore strains indicated the presence of either DP92-93 or NP92-93 in
      the NS1 protein, but protein expression analysis showed that p23 was only
      detected in NS1 proteins with DP92-93.. An additional adjacent proline residue at
      position 94 (P94) was present in some strains and correlated with increased p23
      levels, suggesting that P94 has a synergistic effect on the cleavage of the NS1
      protein. The first 145 amino acids of the NS1 protein are required for inhibition
      of ISG15-mediated ubiquitination, and our analysis showed that Influenza B
      viruses circulating in Singapore with DP92-93 expressed truncated NS1 proteins
      and may differ in their capacity to inhibit ISG15 activity. Thus, DP92-93 in the
      NS1 protein may confer a disadvantage to Influenza B viruses circulating in the
      human population and interestingly the low frequency of DP92-93detection in the
      NS1 protein since 2004 is consistent with this suggestion.

PMID- 28348874
TI  - Robust high-throughput prokaryote de novo assembly and improvement pipeline for
      Illumina data.
AB  - The rapidly reducing cost of bacterial genome sequencing has lead to its routine
      use in large-scale microbial analysis. Though mapping approaches can be used to
      find differences relative to the reference, many bacteria are subject to constant
      evolutionary pressures resulting in events such as the loss and gain of mobile
      genetic elements, horizontal gene transfer through recombination and genomic
      rearrangements. De novo assembly is the reconstruction of the underlying genome
      sequence, an essential step to understanding bacterial genome diversity. Here we
      present a high-throughput bacterial assembly and improvement pipeline that has
      been used to generate nearly 20 000 annotated draft genome assemblies in public
      databases. We demonstrate its performance on a public data set of 9404 genomes.
      We find all the genes used in multi-locus sequence typing schema present in 99.6
      % of assembled genomes. When tested on low-, neutral- and high-GC organisms, more
      than 94 % of genes were present and completely intact. The pipeline has been
      proven to be scalable and robust with a wide variety of datasets without
      requiring human intervention. All of the software is available on GitHub under
      the GNU GPL open source license.

PMID- 28348876
TI  - Comparison of bacterial genome assembly software for MinION data and their
      applicability to medical microbiology.
AB  - Translating the Oxford Nanopore MinION sequencing technology into medical
      microbiology requires on-going analysis that keeps pace with technological
      improvements to the instrument and release of associated analysis software. Here,
      we use a multidrug-resistant Enterobacter kobei isolate as a model organism to
      compare open source software for the assembly of genome data, and relate this to
      the time taken to generate actionable information. Three software tools (PBcR,
      Canu and miniasm) were used to assemble MinION data and a fourth (SPAdes) was
      used to combine MinION and Illumina data to produce a hybrid assembly. All four
      had a similar number of contigs and were more contiguous than the assembly using
      Illumina data alone, with SPAdes producing a single chromosomal contig.
      Evaluation of the four assemblies to represent the genome structure revealed a
      single large inversion in the SPAdes assembly, which also incorrectly integrated
      a plasmid into the chromosomal contig. Almost 50 %, 80 % and 90 % of MinION pass
      reads were generated in the first 6, 9 and 12 h, respectively. Using data from
      the first 6 h alone led to a less accurate, fragmented assembly, but data from
      the first 9 or 12 h generated similar assemblies to that from 48 h sequencing.
      Assemblies were generated in 2 h using Canu, indicating that going from isolate
      to assembled data is possible in less than 48 h. MinION data identified that
      genes responsible for resistance were carried by two plasmids encoding resistance
      to carbapenem and to sulphonamides, rifampicin and aminoglycosides, respectively.

PMID- 28348875
TI  - Short-term evolution of Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli O157:H7 between
      two food-borne outbreaks.
AB  - Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC) O157:H7 is a public health threat
      and outbreaks occur worldwide. Here, we investigate genomic differences between
      related STEC O157:H7 that caused two outbreaks, eight weeks apart, at the same
      restaurant. Short-read genome sequencing divided the outbreak strains into two
      sub-clusters separated by only three single-nucleotide polymorphisms in the core
      genome while traditional typing identified them as separate phage types, PT8 and
      PT54. Isolates did not cluster with local strains but with those associated with
      foreign travel to the Middle East/North Africa. Combined long-read sequencing
      approaches and optical mapping revealed that the two outbreak strains had
      undergone significant microevolution in the accessory genome with prophage gain,
      loss and recombination. In addition, the PT54 sub-type had acquired a 240 kbp
      multi-drug resistance (MDR) IncHI2 plasmid responsible for the phage type switch.
      A PT54 isolate had a general fitness advantage over a PT8 isolate in rich medium,
      including an increased capacity to use specific amino acids and dipeptides as a
      nitrogen source. The second outbreak was considerably larger and there were
      multiple secondary cases indicative of effective human-to-human transmission. We
      speculate that MDR plasmid acquisition and prophage changes have adapted the PT54
      strain for human infection and transmission. Our study shows the added insights
      provided by combining whole-genome sequencing approaches for outbreak
      investigations.

PMID- 28348878
TI  - A phylogenomic framework for assessing the global emergence and evolution of
      clonal complex 398 methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus.
AB  - Distinct clones of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) have
      emerged as important causes of infection in individuals who have exposure to
      livestock (livestock-associated MRSA; LA-MRSA). Clonal complex 398 (CC398) is the
      most prevalent LA-MRSA clone, and has been reported from several geographical
      settings, including Europe, the Americas and Asia. To understand the factors
      contributing to the global dissemination of this clone, we analysed CC398 MRSA
      isolates from New Zealand (NZ), a geographically isolated country with an economy
      strongly dependent on livestock farming. We supplemented the NZ CC398 MRSA
      collection with global datasets of CC398 MRSA and CC398 methicillin-susceptible
      S. aureus. Here, we demonstrate multiple sporadic incursions of CC398 MRSA into
      NZ, as well as recent importation and spread of a swine-associated clade related
      to the European LA-MRSA lineage. Within a larger global phylogenomic framework,
      Bayesian modelling suggested that this NZ clade emerged in the late 2000s, with a
      probable origin in swine from Western Europe. Elucidating the factors responsible
      for the incursion and spread of LA-MRSA in geographically distant regions, such
      as NZ, provides important insights into global pathways of S. aureus
      transmission, and will inform strategies to control importation and spread.

PMID- 28348877
TI  - Large scale genomic analysis shows no evidence for pathogen adaptation between
      the blood and cerebrospinal fluid niches during bacterial meningitis.
AB  - Recent studies have provided evidence for rapid pathogen genome diversification,
      some of which could potentially affect the course of disease. We have previously
      described such variation seen between isolates infecting the blood and
      cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) of a single patient during a case of bacterial
      meningitis. Here, we performed whole-genome sequencing of paired isolates from
      the blood and CSF of 869 meningitis patients to determine whether such variation
      frequently occurs between these two niches in cases of bacterial meningitis.
      Using a combination of reference-free variant calling approaches, we show that no
      genetic adaptation occurs in either invaded niche during bacterial meningitis for
      two major pathogen species, Streptococcus pneumoniae and Neisseria meningitidis.
      This study therefore shows that the bacteria capable of causing meningitis are
      already able to do this upon entering the blood, and no further sequence change
      is necessary to cross the blood-brain barrier. Our findings place the focus back
      on bacterial evolution between nasopharyngeal carriage and invasion, or diversity
      of the host, as likely mechanisms for determining invasiveness.

PMID- 28348879
TI  - Absence of genome reduction in diverse, facultative endohyphal bacteria.
AB  - Fungi interact closely with bacteria, both on the surfaces of the hyphae and
      within their living tissues (i.e. endohyphal bacteria, EHB). These EHB can be
      obligate or facultative symbionts and can mediate diverse phenotypic traits in
      their hosts. Although EHB have been observed in many lineages of fungi, it
      remains unclear how widespread and general these associations are, and whether
      there are unifying ecological and genomic features can be found across EHB
      strains as a whole. We cultured 11 bacterial strains after they emerged from the
      hyphae of diverse Ascomycota that were isolated as foliar endophytes of
      cupressaceous trees, and generated nearly complete genome sequences for all.
      Unlike the genomes of largely obligate EHB, the genomes of these facultative EHB
      resembled those of closely related strains isolated from environmental sources.
      Although all analysed genomes encoded structures that could be used to interact
      with eukaryotic hosts, pathways previously implicated in maintenance and
      establishment of EHB symbiosis were not universally present across all strains.
      Independent isolation of two nearly identical pairs of strains from different
      classes of fungi, coupled with recent experimental evidence, suggests horizontal
      transfer of EHB across endophytic hosts. Given the potential for EHB to influence
      fungal phenotypes, these genomes could shed light on the mechanisms of plant
      growth promotion or stress mitigation by fungal endophytes during the symbiotic
      phase, as well as degradation of plant material during the saprotrophic phase. As
      such, these findings contribute to the illumination of a new dimension of
      functional biodiversity in fungi.

PMID- 28348880
TI  - Modification of the Streptococcus mutans transcriptome by LrgAB and environmental
      stressors.
AB  - The Streptococcus mutans Cid/Lrg system is central to the physiology of this
      cariogenic organism, affecting oxidative stress resistance, biofilm formation and
      competence. Previous transcriptome analyses of lytS (responsible for the
      regulation of lrgAB expression) and cidB mutants have revealed pleiotropic
      effects on carbohydrate metabolism and stress resistance genes. In this study, it
      was found that an lrgAB mutant, previously shown to have diminished aerobic and
      oxidative stress growth, was also much more growth impaired in the presence of
      heat and vancomycin stresses, relative to wild-type, lrgA and lrgB mutants. To
      obtain a more holistic picture of LrgAB and its involvement in stress resistance,
      RNA sequencing and bioinformatics analyses were used to assess the
      transcriptional response of wild-type and isogenic lrgAB mutants under anaerobic
      (control) and stress-inducing culture conditions (aerobic, heat and vancomycin).
      Hierarchical clustering and principal components analyses of all differentially
      expressed genes revealed that the most distinct gene expression profiles between
      S. mutans UA159 and lrgAB mutant occurred during aerobic and high-temperature
      growth. Similar to previous studies of a cidB mutant, lrgAB stress transcriptomes
      were characterized by a variety of gene expression changes related to genomic
      islands, CRISPR-C as systems, ABC transporters, competence, bacteriocins,
      glucosyltransferases, protein translation, tricarboxylic acid cycle, carbohydrate
      metabolism/storage and transport. Notably, expression of lrgAB was upregulated in
      the wild-type strain under all three stress conditions. Collectively, these
      results demonstrate that mutation of lrgAB alters the transcriptional response to
      stress, and further support the idea that the Cid/Lrg system acts to promote cell
      homeostasis in the face of environmental stress.

PMID- 28348881
TI  - In Vitro Assessment of Anthelmintic Activities of Rauwolfia vomitoria
      (Apocynaceae) Stem Bark and Roots against Parasitic Stages of Schistosoma mansoni
      and Cytotoxic Study.
AB  - Schistosomiasis is a Neglected Tropical Diseases which can be prevented with mass
      deworming chemotherapy. The reliance on a single drug, praziquantel, is a
      motivation for the search of novel antischistosomal compounds. This study
      investigated the anthelmintic activity of the stem bark and roots of Rauwolfia
      vomitoria against two life stages of Schistosoma mansoni. Both plant parts were
      found to be active against cercariae and adult worms. Within 2 h of exposure all
      cercariae were killed at a concentration range of 62.5-1000 ug/mL and 250-1000
      ug/mL of R. vomitoria stem bark and roots, respectively. The LC50 values
      determined for the stem bark after 1 and 2 h of exposure were 207.4 and 61.18
      ug/mL, respectively. All adult worms exposed to the concentrations range of 250
      1000 ug/mL for both plant parts died within 120 h of incubation. The cytotoxic
      effects against HepG2 and Chang liver cell assessed using MTT assay method
      indicated that both plant extracts which were inhibitory to the proliferation of
      cell lines with IC50 > 20 MUg/mL appear to be safe. This report provides the
      first evidence of in vitro schistosomicidal potency of R. vomitoria with the stem
      bark being moderately, but relatively, more active and selective against
      schistosome parasites. This suggests the presence of promising medicinal
      constituent(s).

PMID- 28348882
TI  - Combination of Anti-VEGF and Laser Photocoagulation for Diabetic Macular Edema: A
      Review.
AB  - Diabetic macular edema (DME) is the most common cause of vision loss in diabetic
      patients. Thirty years ago, the Early Treatment Diabetic Retinopathy Study
      (ETDRS) demonstrated that focal/grid laser photocoagulation reduces moderate
      vision loss from DME by 50% or more; thus, macular photocoagulation became the
      gold standard treatment for DME. However, with the development of anti-VEGF drugs
      (bevacizumab, ranibizumab, and aflibercept), better outcomes were obtained in
      terms of visual acuity gain and decrease in macular thickness in some studies
      when antiangiogenic drugs were administered in monotherapy. Macular laser therapy
      may still play an important role as an adjuvant treatment because it is able to
      improve macular thickness outcomes and reduce the number of injections needed.
      Here, we review some of the clinical trials that have assessed the efficacy of
      macular laser treatment, either as part of the treatment protocol or as rescue
      therapy.

PMID- 28348883
TI  - Familial Retinoblastoma: Raised Awareness Improves Early Diagnosis and Outcome.
AB  - Purpose. To study the impact of awareness of retinoblastoma in the affected
      families on the management and outcome of familial retinoblastoma patients.
      Methods and Materials. This is a retrospective, clinical case series of 44
      patients with familial retinoblastoma. Collected data included patient's
      demographics, laterality, family history, age at diagnosis, presenting signs,
      treatment modalities, tumor stage, eye salvage rate, metastasis, and mortality.
      Results. Out of 200 retinoblastoma patients in our registry, 44 (22%) patients
      were familial, 18 were probands, and 26 were second, third, or fourth affected
      family members. There were 76 affected eyes: 31 eyes of probands and 45 eyes of
      the other affected family members. Among probands, all patients (100%) had at
      least one eye enucleated: 58% (18 eyes) of the affected eyes were enucleated and
      32% (10 eyes) of the affected eyes were radiated. On the other hand, among the
      nonprobands, only 20% had one eye enucleated, and only 4 eyes (9%) received
      radiation. The eye salvage rate was significantly higher in the nonprobands than
      in the probands in this series (p = 0.00206). Patients diagnosed by screening
      (38%) had excellent visual outcome, and both eyes were salvaged. Conclusion.
      Awareness of families of the possibility of retinoblastoma and adequate screening
      led to a significantly higher rate of eye salvage in patients with familial
      retinoblastoma.

PMID- 28348884
TI  - XEN Glaucoma Implant with Mitomycin C 1-Year Follow-Up: Result and Complications.
AB  - Purpose. To evaluate gel microstent (XEN, Aquesys, Inc) for treatment of primary
      open angle glaucoma (POAG). Methods. In this prospective interventional study, 13
      eyes with POAG underwent XEN implantation with subconjunctival mitomycin-C. Of
      those eyes, 3 were pseudophakic and 10 underwent simultaneous phacoemulsification
      and XEN. Patients had uncontrolled IOP, had intolerance to therapy, or had
      maximal therapy but undergoing cataract extraction. Follow-up visits included
      IOP, number of medications, vision, and complications and lasted for 1 year.
      Complete success was defined as IOP reduction >=20% from preoperative baseline at
      1 year without any glaucoma medications while partial success as IOP reduction of
      >=20% at 1 year with medications. Results. IOP dropped from 16 +/- 4 mmHg pre-op
      to 9 +/- 5, 11 +/- 6, 12 +/- 5, 12 +/- 4, and 12 +/- 3 mmHg at 1 week, 1, 3, 6,
      and 12 months (p = 0.004, 0.026, 0.034, 0.01, and 0.01, Wilcoxon Signed Ranks)
      consecutively. BCVA (LogMAR) was 0.33 +/- 0.34 and improved to 0.13 +/- 0.11 at 1
      year. Mean number of medications dropped from 1.9 +/- 1 preoperatively to 0.3 +/-
      0.49 (p = 0.003) at 1 year. 42% of eyes achieved complete success and 66%
      qualified success. Complications included choroidal detachment in 2 eyes, and
      implant extrusion in 1 eye, and 2 eyes underwent trabeculectomy. Conclusion. XEN
      implant is an effective surgical treatment for POAG, with significant reduction
      in IOP and glaucoma medications at 1 year follow-up.

PMID- 28348885
TI  - Switch to Aflibercept in Diabetic Macular Edema Patients Unresponsive to Previous
      Anti-VEGF Therapy.
AB  - Purpose. The aim was to evaluate the efficacy of aflibercept in patients with
      diabetic macular edema (DME) unresponsive to prior anti-VEGF therapy. Methods.
      Retrospective review of DME unresponsive to previous anti-VEGF switched to
      aflibercept with 3 months of follow-up. Changes in best correct visual acuity
      (BCVA), central retinal thickness (CRT), and frequency of injections were
      analyzed. The percentage of subjects who had >=20/40 (logMAR equivalent 0.3) and
      <=20/200 (logMAR equivalent 1) was evaluated. Results. A total of 32 eyes from 26
      patients were included. Mean age was 65 +/- 10 years old. The mean number of
      previous anti-VEGF injections was 5.34 +/- 2.38, and the mean number of
      aflibercept injections at the end of the study was 2.00 +/- 0.00. The CRT at
      baseline was 501.47 +/- 150.51 MUm and 367.97 +/- 124.61 MUm at 3 months of
      follow-up (P < 0.001). The logMAR BCVA at baseline was 0.71 +/- 0.36 and 0.65 +/-
      0.33 at the end of the follow-up (P = 0.037). At baseline, 12.5% of patients had
      >=20/40 compared with 25% at the end of follow-up. At baseline, 28.13% of
      patients had 20/200 or inferior vision compared with 15.63% at the end of the
      follow-up. Conclusions. DME patients unresponsive to previous multiple
      ranibizumab injections demonstrate a significant anatomical and functional
      improvement with the switch to aflibercept.

PMID- 28348886
TI  - Values, Norms, and Peer Effects on Weight Status.
AB  - This study uses data from the European Social Survey in order to test the
      Prinstein-Dodge hypothesis that posits that peer effects may be larger in
      collectivistic than in individualistic societies. When defining individualism and
      collectivism at the country level, our results show that peer effects on obesity
      are indeed larger in collectivistic than in individualistic societies. However,
      when defining individualism and collectivism with individual values based on the
      Shalom Schwartz universal values theory, we find little support for this
      hypothesis.

PMID- 28348887
TI  - Factors Associated with Treatment Delay among Pulmonary Tuberculosis Patients in
      Public and Private Health Facilities in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
AB  - Background. Early detection and diagnosis of tuberculosis (TB) and the timely
      commencement of antituberculosis (anti-TB) treatment are the parts of efficient
      tuberculosis prevention and control program. Delay in the commencement of anti-TB
      treatment worsens the prognosis and increases the risk of death and the chance of
      transmission in the community and among health care workers. Objective. To assess
      tuberculosis treatment delay and associated factors among pulmonary TB patients
      in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. Methods. A cross-sectional study was conducted in 10
      public and 10 private health facilities that provide TB treatment. The data were
      collected from 425 newly registered pulmonary TB patients using pretested
      structured questionnaire from April to June 2012. Data were entered in EPI info
      version 3.5.1 and analyzed using SPSS version 16.0. Findings. The median
      durations of a patient, health care system, and total treatment delays were 17,
      9, and 35 days, respectively. Overall 179 (42.1%), 233 (54.8%), and 262 (61.6%)
      of patients experienced patient delay, health care system delay, and total
      treatment delay, respectively. Distance more than 2.5 km from TB treatment health
      facility [AOR = 1.6, 95% CI (1.1-2.5)] and the presence of TB-associated stigma
      [AOR = 2.1, 95% CI (1.3, 3.4)] indicate higher odds of patient delay, whereas,
      being unemployed, patients with the hemoptysis symptom complain indicated lower
      odds of health care system delay [AOR = 0.41, 95% CI (0.24, 0.70)] and [AOR =
      0.61 (0.39, 0.94)], respectively. Conclusions. A significant proportion of
      clients experienced patient and health care system delay. Thus, there is a need
      for designing and implementing appropriate strategies to decrease the delays.
      Efforts to reduce delays should give focus on integrating prevention programs
      such as active case detection and expanding access to TB care.

PMID- 28348888
TI  - The Influence of Oblique Angle Forced Exercise in Surgically Destabilized Stifle
      Joints Is Synergistic with Bone, but Antagonistic with Cartilage in an Ovine
      Model of Osteoarthritis.
AB  - Large animal models of osteoarthritis are a necessary testing ground for FDA
      approval of human medicine applications. Sheep models have advantages over other
      available large animals, but development and progression of osteoarthritis in
      sheep is exceedingly slow, which handicaps progress in development of potential
      treatments. We combined oblique angle forced exercise to increase stress on the
      stifle, with surgical destabilization to hasten the development of osteoarthritis
      in ewes. Methods for early detection of clinical signs included radiography,
      urine, and serum biomarker assays and gait analysis and ex vivo we used
      microcomputed tomography and macroscopic joint analysis. Our model was able to
      produce clinically detectable signs of osteoarthritis in a relatively short
      period (14 weeks). Changes in bone were highly correlated between microcomputed
      tomography and radiographic analysis and changes in cartilage correlated well
      between urinary glycosaminoglycan levels and serum aggrecanase analyses. Exercise
      improved the negative effects of destabilization in bone but exacerbated the
      negative effects of destabilization in cartilage. These observations suggest that
      we may need to consider treatments for bone and cartilage separately. These
      results represent an improved large animal model of osteoarthritis with rapid
      onset of disease and superior detection of bone and soft tissue changes.

PMID- 28348889
TI  - Cortical Thinning in Network-Associated Regions in Cognitively Normal and Below
      Normal Range Schizophrenia.
AB  - This study assessed whether cortical thickness across the brain and regionally in
      terms of the default mode, salience, and central executive networks
      differentiates schizophrenia patients and healthy controls with normal range or
      below-normal range cognitive performance. Cognitive normality was defined using
      the MATRICS Consensus Cognitive Battery (MCCB) composite score (T = 50 +/- 10)
      and structural magnetic resonance imaging was used to generate cortical thickness
      data. Whole brain analysis revealed that cognitively normal range controls (n =
      39) had greater cortical thickness than both cognitively normal (n = 17) and
      below-normal range (n = 49) patients. Cognitively normal controls also
      demonstrated greater thickness than patients in regions associated with the
      default mode and salience, but not central executive networks. No differences on
      any thickness measure were found between cognitively normal range and below
      normal range controls (n = 24) or between cognitively normal and below-normal
      range patients. In addition, structural covariance between network regions was
      high and similar across subgroups. Positive and negative symptom severity did not
      correlate with thickness values. Cortical thinning across the brain and
      regionally in relation to the default and salience networks may index shared
      aspects of the psychotic psychopathology that defines schizophrenia with no
      relation to cognitive impairment.

PMID- 28348890
TI  - Forecasting the Incidence and Prevalence of Patients with End-Stage Renal Disease
      in Malaysia up to the Year 2040.
AB  - Background. The incidence of patients with end-stage renal disease (ESRD)
      requiring dialysis has been growing rapidly in Malaysia from 18 per million
      population (pmp) in 1993 to 231 pmp in 2013. Objective. To forecast the incidence
      and prevalence of ESRD patients who will require dialysis treatment in Malaysia
      until 2040. Methodology. Univariate forecasting models using the number of new
      and current dialysis patients, by the Malaysian Dialysis and Transplant Registry
      from 1993 to 2013 were used. Four forecasting models were evaluated, and the
      model with the smallest error was selected for the prediction. Result. ARIMA (0,
      2, 1) modeling with the lowest error was selected to predict both the incidence
      (RMSE = 135.50, MAPE = 2.85, and MAE = 87.71) and the prevalence (RMSE = 158.79,
      MAPE = 1.29, and MAE = 117.21) of dialysis patients. The estimated incidences of
      new dialysis patients in 2020 and 2040 are 10,208 and 19,418 cases, respectively,
      while the estimated prevalence is 51,269 and 106,249 cases. Conclusion. The
      growth of ESRD patients on dialysis in Malaysia can be expected to continue at an
      alarming rate. Effective steps to address and curb further increase in new
      patients requiring dialysis are urgently needed, in order to mitigate the
      expected financial and health catastrophes associated with the projected increase
      of such patients.

PMID- 28348891
TI  - Surface Area of Patellar Facets: Inferential Statistics in the Iraqi Population.
AB  - Background. The patella is the largest sesamoid bone in the body; its three
      dimensional complexity necessitates biomechanical perfection. Numerous
      pathologies occur at the patellofemoral unit which may end in degenerative
      changes. This study aims to test the presence of statistical correlation between
      the surface areas of patellar facets and other patellar morphometric parameters.
      Materials and Methods. Forty dry human patellae were studied. The morphometry of
      each patella was measured using a digital Vernier Caliper, electronic balance,
      and image analyses software known as ImageJ. The patellar facetal surface area
      was correlated with patellar weight, height, width, and thickness. Results.
      Inferential statistics proved the existence of linear correlation of total
      facetal surface area and patellar weight, height, width, and thickness. The
      correlation was strongest for surface area versus patellar weight. The lateral
      facetal area was found persistently larger than the medial facetal area, the p
      value was found to be <0.001 (one-tailed t-test) for right patellae, and another
      significant p value of < 0.001 (one-tailed t-test) was found for left patellae.
      Conclusion. These data are vital for the restoration of the normal biomechanics
      of the patellofemoral unit; these are to be consulted during knee surgeries and
      implant designs and can be of an indispensable anthropometric, interethnic, and
      biometric value.

PMID- 28348892
TI  - Minimizing Stress Shielding and Cement Damage in Cemented Femoral Component of a
      Hip Prosthesis through Computational Design Optimization.
AB  - The average life expectancy of many people undergoing total hip replacement (THR)
      exceeds twenty-five years and the demand for implants that increase the load
      bearing capability of the bone without affecting the short- or long-term
      stability of the prosthesis is high. Mechanical failure owing to cement damage
      and stress shielding of the bone are the main factors affecting the long-term
      survival of cemented hip prostheses and implant design must realistically adjust
      to balance between these two conflicting effects. In the following analysis we
      introduce a novel methodology to achieve this objective, the numerical technique
      combines automatic and realistic modeling of the implant and embedding medium,
      and finite element analysis to assess the levels of stress shielding and cement
      damage and, finally, global optimization, using orthogonal arrays and
      probabilistic restarts, were used. Applications to implants, fabricated using a
      homogeneous material and a functionally graded material, were presented.

PMID- 28348894
TI  - Imaging Neural Plasticity following Brain Injury.

PMID- 28348893
TI  - Effect of Illumination on Ocular Status Modifications Induced by Short-Term 3D TV
      Viewing.
AB  - Objectives. This study aimed to compare changes in ocular status after 3D TV
      viewing under three modes of illumination and thereby identify optimal
      illumination for 3D TV viewing. Methods. The following measures of ocular status
      were assessed: the accommodative response, accommodative microfluctuation,
      accommodative facility, relative accommodation, gradient accommodative
      convergence/accommodation (AC/A) ratio, phoria, and fusional vergence. The
      observers watched 3D television for 90 minutes through 3D shutter glasses under
      three illumination modes: A, complete darkness; B, back illumination (50 lx); and
      C, front illumination (130 lx). The ocular status of the observers was assessed
      both before and after the viewing. Results. After 3D TV viewing, the
      accommodative response and accommodative microfluctuation were significantly
      changed under illumination Modes A and B. The near positive fusional vergence
      decreased significantly after the 90-minute 3D viewing session under each
      illumination mode, and this effect was not significantly different among the
      three modes. Conclusions. Short-term 3D viewing modified the ocular status of
      adults. The least amount of such change occurred with front illumination,
      suggesting that this type of illumination is an appropriate mode for 3D shutter
      TV viewing.

PMID- 28348895
TI  - In-Flight Hypoxemia in a Tracheostomy-Dependent Infant.
AB  - Millions of passengers board commercial flights every year. Healthcare providers
      are often called upon to treat other passengers during in-flight emergencies. The
      case presented involves an anesthesia resident treating a tracheostomy-dependent
      infant who developed hypoxemia on a domestic flight. The patient had an
      underlying congenital muscular disorder and was mechanically ventilated while at
      altitude. Although pressurized, cabin barometric pressure while at altitude is
      less than at sea level. Due to this environment patients with underlying
      pulmonary or cardiac pathology might not be able to tolerate commercial flight.
      The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has mandated a specific set of medical
      supplies be present on all domestic flights in addition to legislature protecting
      "Good Samaritan" providers.

PMID- 28348896
TI  - Effect of Arm Positioning on Entrapment of Infraclavicular Nerve Block Catheter.
AB  - Continuous brachial plexus nerve block catheters are commonly inserted for
      postoperative analgesia after upper extremity surgery. Modifications of the
      insertion technique have been described to improve the safety of placing an
      infraclavicular brachial plexus catheter. Rarely, these catheters may become
      damaged or entrapped, complicating their removal. We describe a case of
      infraclavicular brachial plexus catheter entrapment related to differences in arm
      positioning during catheter placement and removal. Written authorization to
      obtain, use, and disclose information and images was obtained from the patient.

PMID- 28348897
TI  - ACE Inhibitor-Induced Angioedema following Cervical Spine Surgery.
AB  - Angioedema is a well-known side effect of angiotensin converting enzyme
      inhibitors (ACEi). However, ACE inhibitors induced angioedema after cervical
      surgery is a rare condition. They result in increased levels of circulating
      bradykinins. Rare cases of angioedema following local trauma in patients using
      ACE inhibitors have been published. We present such a case. A 54-year-old
      Caucasian female with a history significant for hypertension, controlled with
      lisinopril, was admitted for routine cervical spine surgery. She has severe
      degenerative cervical disc disease and was admitted to the hospital for an
      elective cervical diskectomy. The patient failed weaning off the ventilator on
      multiple attempts postoperatively. There were no observed symptoms of an allergic
      reaction. A CT scan of the neck showed extensive soft tissue edema at the level
      of the arytenoids. Dexamethasone was given to reduce the edema without successful
      resolution. On review of her medications, it was found that the patient was
      resumed on lisinopril following the procedure. It was subsequently discontinued.
      By the following day the patient had a positive leak around the ET tube cuff and
      patient was successfully extubated.

PMID- 28348898
TI  - Conventional Coronary Angiography Induced Takotsubo Cardiomyopathy Complicated
      with Cardiac Tamponade.
AB  - Takotsubo cardiomyopathy (TCM) is a transient left ventricular dysfunction that
      typically occurs after emotional or physical stress. TCM has a benign prognosis
      and serious complications are uncommon. However, though very rarely reported,
      cardiac tamponade has occurred on some occasions. We hereby report the case of a
      70-year-old woman who underwent coronary angiography with an ergonovine
      provocation test to evaluate recurrent chest pain and was readmitted 7 days later
      presenting with TCM, followed by left ventricular outflow tract obstruction and
      cardiac tamponade.

PMID- 28348899
TI  - Abnormal Breathing Patterns Predict Extubation Failure in Neurocritically Ill
      Patients.
AB  - In neurologically injured patients, predictors for extubation success are not
      well defined. Abnormal breathing patterns may result from the underlying
      neurological injury. We present three patients with abnormal breathing patterns
      highlighting failure of successful extubation as a result of these neurologically
      driven breathing patterns. Recognizing abnormal breathing patterns may be
      predictive of extubation failure and thus need to be considered as part of
      extubation readiness.

PMID- 28348900
TI  - Unusual Sites of Cutaneous Tuberculosis: A Report of Two Cases.
AB  - Cutaneous tuberculosis (CTB) is an uncommon small subset of extrapulmonary
      tuberculosis, comprising 1-1.5% of all extrapulmonary tuberculosis
      manifestations, which manifests only in 8.4-13.7% of all tuberculosis cases.
      Lupus vulgaris (LV) and tuberculosis verrucosa cutis (TBVC) are forms of
      reinfection tuberculosis and often occur in presensitized patients, by exogenous
      inoculation. We report two cases of cutaneous tuberculosis at unusual sites. A 35
      year-old female having a forehead lesion for 2 years was diagnosed as having
      tuberculosis verrucosa cutis and another 16-year-old girl with lesion in left
      axilla for 10 years was proven to have lupus vulgaris. The delayed diagnosis was
      possibly due to lower clinical suspicion due to the presentation of CTB at
      unusual sites. This highlights the importance of keeping TB as an important
      differential as misdiagnosis or delayed diagnosis of this entity can lead to
      prolonged morbidity.

PMID- 28348901
TI  - Addison's Disease and Possible Cannabis Withdrawal Syndrome Presenting as an
      Eating Disorder in a Thirty-Year-Old Female.
AB  - A 30-year-old female with a history of anxiety, cannabis use, and
      Avoidant/Restrictive Food Intake Disorder presented for residential treatment of
      a Cannabis Use Disorder. Upon arrival, she had not eaten for two days and was
      found to be hypotensive with electrolyte disturbances. She was admitted to a
      nearby hospital, where the Internist diagnosed her with Addison's disease. She
      was treated with corticosteroid therapy, with rapid normalization of her
      electrolytes, eating, and anxiety. This is the first published case of
      undiagnosed Addison's disease presenting as an eating disorder, with cannabis use
      likely contributing to symptoms. This case elucidates the importance of ruling
      out other biologic and psychologic causes of clinical presentations before an
      eating disorder diagnosis can be made.

PMID- 28348902
TI  - Atypical Complications of Graves' Disease: A Case Report and Literature Review.
AB  - Graves' disease (GD) may display uncommon manifestations. We report a patient
      with rare complications of GD and present a comprehensive literature review. A 35
      year-old woman presented with a two-week history of dyspnea, palpitations, and
      edema. She had a raised jugular venous pressure, goiter, and exophthalmos.
      Laboratory tests showed pancytopenia, a raised alkaline phosphatase level,
      hyperbilirubinemia (mainly direct bilirubin), and hyperthyroidism [TSH: <0.01
      mIU/L (reference values: 0.45-4.5), fT4: 54.69 pmol/L (reference values: 9.0
      20.0), and fT3: >46.08 pmol/L (reference values: 2.6-5.7)]. Her thyroid uptake
      scan indicated GD. Echocardiography showed a high right ventricular systolic
      pressure: 60.16 mmHg. Lugol's iodine, propranolol, cholestyramine, and
      dexamethasone were initiated. Hematologic investigations uncovered no reason for
      the pancytopenia; therefore, carbimazole was started. Workup for hepatic
      impairment and pulmonary hypertension (PH) was negative. The patient became
      euthyroid after 3 months. Leukocyte and platelet counts and bilirubin levels
      normalized, and her hemoglobin and alkaline phosphatase levels and right
      ventricular systolic pressure (52.64 mmHg) improved. This is the first reported
      single case of GD with the following three rare manifestations: pancytopenia,
      cholestatic liver injury, and PH with right-sided heart failure. With antithyroid
      drugs treatment, pancytopenia should resolve with euthyroidism, but PH and liver
      injury may take several months to resolve.

PMID- 28348903
TI  - Successful Treatment of Clostridium difficile Bacteremia with Aortic Mycotic
      Aneurysm in a Patient with Prior Endovascular Aortic Aneurysm Repair.
AB  - The clinical spectrum of Clostridium difficile infection can range from benign
      gastrointestinal colonization to mild diarrhea and life threatening conditions
      such as pseudomembranous colitis and toxic megacolon. Extraintestinal
      manifestations of C. difficile are rare. Here, we report a patient with a history
      of an endovascular aortic aneurysm repair (EVAR) presenting with an endovascular
      leak complicated by C. difficile bacteremia and a mycotic aneurysm. He was
      successfully treated with an explant of the EVAR, an aorto-left renal bypass, and
      aorto-bi-iliac bypass graft placement along with a six-week duration of
      intravenous vancomycin and oral metronidazole.

PMID- 28348904
TI  - Central Hyperthermia Treated with Bromocriptine.
AB  - Introduction. Central hyperthermia is common in patients with brain injury. It
      typically has a rapid onset with high temperatures and marked fluctuations and
      responds poorly to antibiotics and antipyretics. It is also associated with worse
      outcomes in the brain injured patient. Recognizing this, it is important to
      aggressively manage it. Case Report. We report a 34-year-old male with a right
      thalamic hemorrhage extending to the midbrain and into the ventricles. During his
      admission, he developed intractable fevers with core temperatures as high as 39.3
      degrees C. Infectious workup was unremarkable. The fever persisted despite
      empiric antibiotics, antipyretics, and cooling wraps. Bromocriptine was started
      resulting in control of the central hyperthermia. The fever spikes were reduced
      to minor fluctuations that significantly worsened with any attempt to wean off
      the bromocriptine. Conclusion. Diagnosing and managing central hyperthermia can
      be challenging. The use of bromocriptine can be beneficial as we have reported.

PMID- 28348905
TI  - Treatment of Endometrial Cancer in Association with Pelvic Organ Prolapse.
AB  - Background. Uterine malignancy coexistent with pelvic organ prolapse (POP) is
      uncommon and standardized treatment is not established. The objective of this
      case study was to highlight the management of endometrial cancer in association
      with pelvic organ prolapse. Case Report. An 87-year-old woman presented with POP
      Stage IV combined with endometrioid adenocarcinoma of the uterus: clinical Stage
      IV B. She had multiple medical conditions including stroke, deep vein thrombosis,
      and pulmonary embolism. She was treated with radiotherapy and pessary was placed.
      Conclusion. Genital prolapse with abnormal uterine bleeding requires proper
      evaluation and management. Concurrent adenocarcinoma and POP can be a difficult
      clinical situation to treat, and optimum management is controversial.

PMID- 28348906
TI  - Rare Epithelioid Leiomyoma of the Vagina Exhibiting a Pelvic Mass.
AB  - Epithelioid leiomyoma of the vagina is extremely rare. Smooth muscle tumors of
      the vagina usually present with a submucosal growth pattern or a pedunculated
      growth pattern from the anterior vaginal wall into the vaginal cavity. Here we
      report a case of a 43-year-old woman with a solid epithelioid leiomyoma and a
      palpable mass in the pouch of Douglas. Transvaginal biopsy and angiography showed
      the epithelioid leiomyoma feeding from the vaginal artery behind the posterior
      vagina. An abdominal wide excision of the tumor with a partial vaginectomy was
      performed. Our use of ultrasound-guided needle biopsy and angiography was useful
      for preoperative diagnosis of a vaginal epithelioid leiomyoma exhibiting a pelvic
      mass.

PMID- 28348907
TI  - An OCT Study of Anterior Nodular Episcleritis and Scleritis.
AB  - Anterior scleritis and episcleritis are a well-known presentation in
      tuberculosis. The case of a female patient with presumed tuberculous anterior
      scleritis and episcleritis is discussed in this article. Anterior segment OCT was
      efficient in diagnosis and evaluation of the therapeutic outcome.
      Antituberculosis chemotherapy was sufficient to achieve clinical remission.

PMID- 28348908
TI  - Recurrent Intrathoracic Locking of the Scapula after Lung Cancer Resection and
      Combined Rib Resection.
AB  - We report a case of recurrent locking of the scapula in the thorax after combined
      lobectomy and thoracic wall resection for advanced lung cancer. The patient was a
      52-year-old man with advanced spindle cell carcinoma in his right lung. He had
      undergone right lung lobectomy and thoracic wall excision (Th1-5). Intrathoracic
      repair had not been performed to address the defect in the thoracic wall. Two
      months after the operation he experienced sudden acute pain in the right
      shoulder. Three-dimensional computed tomography revealed locking of the scapula
      intrathoracically. The diagnosis was recurrent locking of the scapula in the
      thorax. He underwent conservative treatment. Because his symptoms were not
      alleviated and he continued to experience recurrent locking, we performed partial
      resection of the inferior part of the scapula. Although scapular locking
      diminished after this procedure, there were still some pain and "catching"
      between the scapula and the thoracic wall (T6) when he undertook certain
      movements. No further surgery could be performed, however, because the cancer
      from the primary lesion had recurred near the previously operated thoracic wall.
      A procedure for recurrent intrathoracic locking of the scapula was not successful
      in this case.

PMID- 28348909
TI  - Adenoid Cystic Carcinoma of the Uterine Cervix: A Report of 2 Cases.
AB  - Adenoid cystic carcinoma is malignant tumor that exceptionally occurs in the
      uterine cervix. It is mostly seen in postmenopausal women and has an aggressive
      clinical course. We report two cases of an adenoid cystic carcinoma associated
      with a high grade squamous intraepithelial lesion and invasive squamous cell
      carcinoma of the uterine cervix and discuss briefly its clinical and pathological
      characteristics.

PMID- 28348910
TI  - A Wandering Abdominal Mass in a Neonate: An Enteric Duplication Cyst Mimicking an
      Ovarian Cyst.
AB  - Enteric duplication cysts are rare congenital anomalies that are prenatally
      diagnosed through antenatal ultrasonography (US). In female patients, however,
      attention must be paid since these formations might be confused with ovarian
      cysts. Herein, we present a case of a low birth weight female infant with an
      enteric duplication cyst. A cystic lesion was detected in the right abdomen of
      the fetus on antenatal US and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Serial US and MRI
      examinations performed after birth showed a single cyst that wandered from side
      to side in the abdomen; the initial diagnosis was thought to be an ovarian cyst.
      During laparotomy, however, it was found to be an enteric duplication cyst with
      volvulus. To our knowledge, there has been no report of an enteric duplication
      cyst presenting as a wandering abdominal mass. Our experience indicates that
      early intervention is necessary for patients who have a wandering abdominal mass
      to avoid complications and urgent surgery, whether it is an ovarian cyst or an
      enteric duplication cyst.

PMID- 28348911
TI  - A Case of Persistent Generalized Retrograde Autobiographical Amnesia Subsequent
      to the Great East Japan Earthquake in 2011.
AB  - Functional retrograde autobiographical amnesia is often associated with physical
      and/or psychological trauma. On 11 March 2011, the largest earthquake on record
      in Japan took place, and subsequent huge tsunami devastated the Pacific coast of
      northern Japan. This case report describes a patient suffering from retrograde
      episodic-autobiographical amnesia for whole life, persisting for even more than
      five years after the disaster. A Japanese man, presumably in his 40s, got police
      protection in April 2016 but was unable to respond to question about his own
      name. He lost all information about his personal identity, and his memory was
      wholly lost until the disaster on 11 March 2011. He was able to recall his life
      after the disaster, and semantic memories and social abilities were largely
      preserved. A medical examination performed on 1 November 2016 verified that he
      was awake, alert, and oriented to time, place, and person (except for himself).
      General physical and neurological examinations revealed no pathological findings.
      He also experienced some symptoms associated with posttraumatic stress disorder
      (PTSD), such as intrusive thoughts, flashbacks, and nightmares. No abnormalities
      were detected by biochemical test and brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI).
      Physicians and other professionals who take care of victims of disaster should be
      aware of dissociative spectrum disorders, such as psychogenic amnesia.

PMID- 28348912
TI  - Nocardia brasiliensis Infection Complicating Cryptogenic Organizing Pneumonia.
AB  - Pulmonary nocardiosis is a severe and uncommon opportunistic infection caused by
      Nocardia species. We present a patient with cryptogenic organizing pneumonia who
      was receiving long-term immunosuppressive therapy, whose treatment course was
      complicated by cutaneous and pulmonary nocardiosis. Tissue cultures confirmed
      Nocardia brasiliensis. Nocardiosis should be a diagnostic consideration for
      patients treated with long-term immunosuppression who have worsening pulmonary
      symptoms and relapsing pustular skin lesions.

PMID- 28348913
TI  - A Rare Case of Digital Ischemia and Gangrene in ANCA-Associated Vasculitis with
      Review of the Literature.
AB  - This paper describes one patient with Antineutrophil Cytoplasmic Antibody- (ANCA
      ) associated vasculitis who initially presented with multiple ischemic fingers
      and toes. On further evaluation, the patient was also found to have pulmonary
      renal involvement and episcleritis. The diagnosis was supported with a positive
      cANCA (anti-proteinase 3) and a bronchoscopy consistent with diffuse alveolar
      hemorrhage. Although the patient refused a tissue biopsy, clinical presentation
      including nasal ulceration, sinus congestion, and epistaxis and anti-proteinase 3
      antibody were more consistent with Granulomatosis with Polyangiitis (GPA) rather
      than Microscopic Polyangiitis (MPA) or Eosinophilic Granulomatosis with
      Polyangiitis (EGPA) based on the recently presented ACR/EULAR Provisional 2017
      Classification Criteria for GPA (Luqmani et al., 2016). The patient responded
      well to therapy including high dose steroids and cyclophosphamide, with
      improvement of all organs involved and had no further digital ischemia or
      gangrene on follow-up. We include a review of the English literature summarizing
      presentation, management, and outcome of 16 similar cases.

PMID- 28348914
TI  - Brincidofovir Use after Foscarnet Crystal Nephropathy in a Kidney Transplant
      Recipient with Multiresistant Cytomegalovirus Infection.
AB  - Background. Cytomegalovirus (CMV) antiviral drug resistance constitutes an
      increasing challenge in transplantation. Foscarnet is usually proposed when
      resistance for ganciclovir is suspected, but its use is limited by its
      nephrotoxicity. Case Presentation. We report a case of multiresistant CMV disease
      in a kidney transplant recipient. Foscarnet was prescribed after ganciclovir
      treatment failure in a patient with two mutations in the UL97 viral gene.
      Foscarnet induced biopsy-proven kidney crystal precipitation that resulted in
      severe acute transplant failure and nephrotic syndrome. Despite a large decrease
      in immunosuppression, CMV disease was not controlled and a salvage therapy with
      Brincidofovir (BCV), which is an oral lipid conjugate of cidofovir with limited
      nephrotoxicity, was attempted. Clinical and virological remission was observed
      after a 21-day course of BCV, despite mild and reversible liver toxicity.
      However, a new relapse could not be effectively cured by BCV due to a new
      mutation in the UL54 gene, which is known to confer resistance to cidofovir. A
      new course of foscarnet finally resulted in prolonged CMV remission. Herein, we
      present a review of foscarnet nephropathy cases in solid-organ transplanted
      patients. Conclusions. This unique case highlights the potential benefit of BCV
      use during resistant CMV infection, although mutations in the UL54 gene may limit
      its therapeutic efficacy. These findings need to be confirmed in clinical trials.

PMID- 28348915
TI  - Bradycardia during Transradial Cardiac Catheterization due to Catheter
      Manipulation: Resolved by Catheter Removal.
AB  - Purpose. To report the resolution of bradycardia encountered during transradial
      cardiac catheterization through the catheter pullback technique in two cases.
      Case Report. A 62-year-old male and an 81-year-old male underwent coronary
      angiogram to evaluate for coronary artery disease and as a result of positive
      stress test, respectively. Upon engagement of the FL 3.5 catheter into the
      ascending aorta through the transradial approach, the first case developed
      bradycardia with a heart rate of 39 beats per minute. The second case developed
      profound bradycardia with a heart rate of 25 beats per minute upon insertion of
      the 5 Fr FL 3.5 catheter near the right brachiocephalic trunk through the right
      radial access. Conclusion. Bradycardia can be subsided by removal of the catheter
      during catheter manipulation in patients undergoing transradial coronary
      angiogram if there is a suspicion of excessive stretching of aortic arch
      receptors and/or carotid sinus receptors.

PMID- 28348916
TI  - Aerobic Training Intensity for Improved Endothelial Function in Heart Failure
      Patients: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.
AB  - Objective. Flow-mediated dilation (FMD) is widely utilised to assess endothelial
      function and aerobic exercise improves FMD in heart failure patients. The aim of
      this meta-analysis is to quantify the effect of aerobic training intensity on FMD
      in patients with heart failure. Background. A large number of studies now exist
      that examine endothelial function in patients with heart failure. We sought to
      add to the current literature by quantifying the effect of the aerobic training
      intensity on endothelial function. Methods. We conducted database searches
      (PubMed, Embase, ProQuest, and Cochrane Trials Register to June 30, 2016) for
      exercise based rehabilitation trials in heart failure, using search terms
      exercise training, endothelial function, and flow-mediated dilation (FMD).
      Results. The 13 included studies provided a total of 458 participants, 264 in
      intervention groups, and 194 in nonexercising control groups. Both vigorous and
      moderate intensity aerobic training significantly improved FMD. Conclusion.
      Overall both vigorous and moderate aerobic exercise training improved FMD in
      patients with heart failure.

PMID- 28348917
TI  - The Level of Knowledge of Parkinson's Disease among Nonprofessional Caregivers in
      a Movement Disorders Center in Turkey.
AB  - Introduction. Only a few studies have been conducted to determine the level of
      knowledge among caregivers about Parkinson's disease (PD). The aim of the current
      study was to determine the knowledge of PD among caregivers at a movement
      disorder clinic in Turkey. Methods. We conducted a questionnaire based interview
      with the subjects in a tertiary care neurology facility in Turkey. The questions
      were divided into two parts covering the symptomatology and treatment of PD. A
      questionnaire consisting of 10 questions was applied to the subjects who had to
      mark the correct option in a stipulated time. Results. Eighty caregivers were
      included in the study. The caregivers' mean age was 47.94 years (SD = 12.40).
      There were 47 female caregivers (58.8%). The most well-known question was that
      the number of drugs given to the patient may vary with time (76.3%), whereas "the
      benefit noted in the patient's treatment decreases over time" was the least known
      question (11.3%). Discussion. This study is the first in our country and shows
      the necessity to increase the knowledge of PD among caregivers and the public.
      Education programs may have a positive role in imparting knowledge to the
      caregivers of PD patients.

PMID- 28348918
TI  - Correlation of Visuospatial Ability and EEG Slowing in Patients with Parkinson's
      Disease.
AB  - Background. Visuospatial dysfunction is among the first cognitive symptoms in
      Parkinson's disease (PD) and is often predictive for PD-dementia. Furthermore,
      cognitive status in PD-patients correlates with quantitative EEG. This cross
      sectional study aimed to investigate the correlation between EEG slowing and
      visuospatial ability in nondemented PD-patients. Methods. Fifty-seven nondemented
      PD-patients (17 females/40 males) were evaluated with a comprehensive
      neuropsychological test battery and a high-resolution 256-channel EEG was
      recorded. A median split was performed for each cognitive test dividing the
      patients sample into either a normal or lower performance group. The electrodes
      were split into five areas: frontal, central, temporal, parietal, and occipital.
      A linear mixed effects model (LME) was used for correlational analyses and to
      control for confounding factors. Results. Subsequently, for the lower
      performance, LME analysis showed a significant positive correlation between ROCF
      score and parietal alpha/theta ratio (b = .59, p = .012) and occipital
      alpha/theta ratio (b = 0.50, p = .030). No correlations were found in the group
      of patients with normal visuospatial abilities. Conclusion. We conclude that a
      reduction of the parietal alpha/theta ratio is related to visuospatial
      impairments in PD-patients. These findings indicate that visuospatial impairment
      in PD-patients could be influenced by parietal dysfunction.

PMID- 28348919
TI  - Optimized Multiresidue Analysis of Organic Contaminants of Priority Concern in a
      Daily Consumed Fish (Grass Carp).
AB  - The organic contaminants, including polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs),
      organochlorine pesticides (OCPs), polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs), and
      polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), are of priority concern because of their
      persistence, toxicity, and long-distance transportation in global environment.
      Their residues in a daily consumed fish (grass carp) pose potential threat to
      human health and aquatic ecosystems. The present study optimized an analytical
      protocol of microwave-assisted extraction (MAE), lip-removal by gel permeation
      chromatography (GPC), cleanup by solid phase cartridge (SC) or adsorption
      chromatography column (CC), and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC/MS).
      Besides traditional statistical parameters, some indicators were calculated to
      judge the performances of extraction by various methods. The optimization
      experiment showed that n-hexane/acetone was the best MEA extraction solvent; an
      optimal fraction time of 10-39 min could simultaneously elute all the target
      chemicals in a single GPC run. Both CC and SC showed good recoveries. However, CC
      performed better than SC (p < 0.05) for OCPs, and SC performed better than CC for
      PBDEs (p < 0.05). We also emphasized the limitations and advantages of SC and CC
      and finally proposed SC as the promising cleanup method because of its low-cost
      materials, time-saving steps, being free of manual filling, and operation by
      automated SPE system.

PMID- 28348920
TI  - A New Kinetic Spectrophotometric Method for the Quantitation of Amorolfine.
AB  - Amorolfine (AOF) is a compound with fungicide activity based on the dual
      inhibition of growth of the fungal cell membrane, the biosynthesis and
      accumulation of sterols, and the reduction of ergosterol. In this work a
      sensitive kinetic and spectrophotometric method for the AOF quantitation based on
      the AOF oxidation by means of KMnO4 at 30 min (fixed time), pH alkaline, and
      ionic strength controlled was developed. Measurements of changes in absorbance at
      610 nm were used as criterion of the oxidation progress. In order to maximize the
      sensitivity, different experimental reaction parameters were carefully studied
      via factorial screening and optimized by multivariate method. The linearity,
      intraday, and interday assay precision and accuracy were determined. The
      absorbance-concentration plot corresponding to tap water spiked samples was
      rectilinear, over the range of 7.56 * 10-6-3.22 * 10-5 mol L-1, with detection
      and quantitation limits of 2.49 * 10-6 mol L-1 and 7.56 * 10-6 mol L-1,
      respectively. The proposed method was successfully validated for the application
      of the determination of the drug in the spiked tap water samples and the
      percentage recoveries were 94.0-105.0%. The method is simple and does not require
      expensive instruments or complicated extraction steps of the reaction product.

PMID- 28348921
TI  - The Effect of Artificial Mowing on the Competition of Phragmites australis and
      Spartina alterniflora in the Yangtze Estuary.
AB  - Spartina alterniflora Loisel. is one of the most invasive species in the world.
      However, little is known about the role of artificial mowing in its invasiveness
      and competiveness. In this work, we studied the effect of mowing on its
      interspecific interactions with native species Phragmites australis (Cav.) Trin
      ex Steud of the Yangtze Estuary, China. We calculated their relative neighbor
      effect (RNE) index, effect of relative crowding (Dr ) index, and interaction
      strength (I) index. The results showed that the RNE of Phragmites australis and
      Spartina alterniflora was 0.354 and 0.619, respectively, and they have
      competitive interactions. The mowing treatments can significantly influence the
      RNE of Phragmites australis and Spartina alterniflora on each other. Concretely,
      the RNE of Spartina alterniflora in the removal treatments was significantly
      higher than the value in the controls. But the RNE of Phragmites australis in the
      removal treatments was significantly lower than the value in the controls.
      Meanwhile, Dr of the two species on the targets was higher in the removal
      treatments than that in the controls, and the opposite was for I. We concluded
      that artificial mowing could promote the invasion of Spartina alterniflora by
      increasing its competitive performance compared with native species.

PMID- 28348922
TI  - Simulation of the Effect of Artificial Water Transfer on Carbon Stock of
      Phragmites australis in the Baiyangdian Wetland, China.
AB  - How to explain the effect of seasonal water transfer on the carbon stocks of
      Baiyangdian wetland is studied. The ecological model of the relationship between
      the carbon stocks and water depth fluctuation of the reed was established by
      using STELLA software. For the first time the Michaelis-Menten equation (1)
      introduced the relation function between the water depth and reed environmental
      carrying capacity, (2) introduced the concept of suitable growth water depth, and
      (3) simulated the variation rules of water and reed carbon stocks of artificial
      adjustment. The model could be used to carry out the research on the optimization
      design of the ecological service function of the damaged wetland.

PMID- 28348923
TI  - Massive Urinary Protein Excretion Associated with Greater Neonatal Risk in
      Preeclampsia.
AB  - Objective The objective of this study was to compare clinical outcomes of
      preeclamptic pregnancies according to the proteinuria level. Study Design
      Secondary analysis of a multicenter prospective cohort study of women with
      preeclampsia (PE) symptomatology. Nonproteinuria, mild-proteinuria, and massive
      proteinuria PEs were defined as: < 165 mg in 12 hours or < 300 mg in 24 hours,
      165 mg to 2.69 g in 12 hours or 300 mg to 4.99 g in 24 hours, and >= 2.7 g in 12
      hours or >= 5.0 g in 24 hours, respectively. Individual and composite maternal,
      fetal, and neonatal outcomes were compared among the PE groups. Results Of the
      406 analyzed pregnancies, 36 (8.8%) had massive-proteinuria PE, 268 (66.0%) mild
      proteinuria PE, and 102 (25.1%) nonproteinuria PE. Compared with the other
      groups, massive-proteinuria PE women had significantly higher blood pressures (p
      < 0.001), epigastric pain (p = 0.007), and uric acid serum levels (p < 0.001)
      prior to delivery. Composite maternal morbidity was similar across the groups.
      Delivery < 340/7 weeks occurred in 80.6, 49.3, and 22.5% of massive-proteinuria,
      mild-proteinuria, and nonproteinuria PE groups, respectively (p < 0.0001).
      Composite adverse neonatal outcomes were significantly higher in the massive
      proteinuria PE compared with the other groups (p = 0.001). Conclusion While
      potentially not important diagnostically, massive proteinuria is associated with
      more severe clinical manifestations of PE prompting earlier delivery.

PMID- 28348925
TI  - Neogene amphibians and reptiles (Caudata, Anura, Gekkota, Lacertilia, and
      Testudines) from the south of Western Siberia, Russia, and Northeastern
      Kazakhstan.
AB  - BACKGROUND: The present-day amphibian and reptile fauna of Western Siberia are
      the least diverse of the Palaearctic Realm, as a consequence of the unfavourable
      climatic conditions that predominate in this region. The origin and emergence of
      these herpetofaunal groups are poorly understood. Aside from the better-explored
      European Neogene localities yielding amphibian and reptile fossil remains, the
      Neogene herpetofauna of Western Asia is understudied. The few available data need
      critical reviews and new interpretations, taking into account the more recent
      records of the European herpetofauna. The comparison of this previous data with
      that of European fossil records would provide data on palaeobiogeographic
      affiliations of the region as well as on the origin and emergence of the present
      day fauna of Western Siberia. An overview of the earliest occurrences of certain
      amphibian lineages is still needed. In addition, studies that address such
      knowledge gaps can be useful for molecular biologists in their calibration of
      molecular clocks. METHODS AND RESULTS: In this study, we considered critically
      reviewed available data from amphibian and reptile fauna from over 40 Western
      Siberian, Russian and Northeastern Kazakhstan localities, ranging from the Middle
      Miocene to Early Pleistocene. Herein, we provided new interpretations that arose
      from our assessment of the previously published and new data. More than 50
      amphibians and reptile taxa were identified belonging to families Hynobiidae,
      Cryptobranchidae, Salamandridae, Palaeobatrachidae, Bombinatoridae, Pelobatidae,
      Hylidae, Bufonidae, Ranidae, Gekkonidae, Lacertidae, and Emydidae.
      Palaeobiogeographic analyses were performed for these groups and
      palaeoprecipitation values were estimated for 12 localities, using the
      bioclimatic analysis of herpetofaunal assemblages. CONCLUSION: The Neogene
      assemblage of Western Siberia was found to be dominated by groups of European
      affinities, such as Palaeobatrachidae, Bombina, Hyla, Bufo bufo, and a small part
      of this assemblage included Eastern Palaearctic taxa (e.g. Salamandrella,
      Tylototriton, Bufotes viridis). For several taxa (e.g. Mioproteus, Hyla, Bombina,
      Rana temporaria), the Western Siberian occurrences represented their most eastern
      Eurasian records. The most diverse collection of fossil remains was found in the
      Middle Miocene. Less diversity has been registered towards the Early Pleistocene,
      potentially due to the progressive cooling of the climate in the Northern
      Hemisphere. The results of our study showed higher-amplitude changes of
      precipitation development in Western Siberia from the Early Miocene to the
      Pliocene, than previously assumed.

PMID- 28348924
TI  - Random sampling causes the low reproducibility of rare eukaryotic OTUs in
      Illumina COI metabarcoding.
AB  - DNA metabarcoding, the PCR-based profiling of natural communities, is becoming
      the method of choice for biodiversity monitoring because it circumvents some of
      the limitations inherent to traditional ecological surveys. However, potential
      sources of bias that can affect the reproducibility of this method remain to be
      quantified. The interpretation of differences in patterns of sequence abundance
      and the ecological relevance of rare sequences remain particularly uncertain.
      Here we used one artificial mock community to explore the significance of
      abundance patterns and disentangle the effects of two potential biases on data
      reproducibility: indexed PCR primers and random sampling during Illumina MiSeq
      sequencing. We amplified a short fragment of the mitochondrial Cytochrome c
      Oxidase Subunit I (COI) for a single mock sample containing equimolar amounts of
      total genomic DNA from 34 marine invertebrates belonging to six phyla. We used
      seven indexed broad-range primers and sequenced the resulting library on two
      consecutive Illumina MiSeq runs. The total number of Operational Taxonomic Units
      (OTUs) was ~4 times higher than expected based on the composition of the mock
      sample. Moreover, the total number of reads for the 34 components of the mock
      sample differed by up to three orders of magnitude. However, 79 out of 86 of the
      unexpected OTUs were represented by <10 sequences that did not appear
      consistently across replicates. Our data suggest that random sampling of rare
      OTUs (e.g., small associated fauna such as parasites) accounted for most of
      variation in OTU presence-absence, whereas biases associated with indexed PCRs
      accounted for a larger amount of variation in relative abundance patterns. These
      results suggest that random sampling during sequencing leads to the low
      reproducibility of rare OTUs. We suggest that the strategy for handling rare OTUs
      should depend on the objectives of the study. Systematic removal of rare OTUs may
      avoid inflating diversity based on common beta descriptors but will exclude
      positive records of taxa that are functionally important. Our results further
      reinforce the need for technical replicates (parallel PCR and sequencing from the
      same sample) in metabarcoding experimental designs. Data reproducibility should
      be determined empirically as it will depend upon the sequencing depth, the type
      of sample, the sequence analysis pipeline, and the number of replicates.
      Moreover, estimating relative biomasses or abundances based on read counts
      remains elusive at the OTU level.

PMID- 28348926
TI  - Climate change promotes hybridisation between deeply divergent species.
AB  - Rare hybridisations between deeply divergent animal species have been reported
      for decades in a wide range of taxa, but have often remained unexplained, mainly
      considered chance events and reported as anecdotal. Here, we combine field
      observations with long-term data concerning natural hybridisations, climate, land
      use, and field-validated species distribution models for two deeply divergent and
      naturally sympatric toad species in Europe (Bufo bufo and Bufotes viridis species
      groups). We show that climate warming and seasonal extreme temperatures are
      conspiring to set the scene for these maladaptive hybridisations, by
      differentially affecting life-history traits of both species. Our results
      identify and provide evidence of an ultimate cause for such events, and reveal
      that the potential influence of climate change on interspecific hybridisations
      goes far beyond closely related species. Furthermore, climate projections suggest
      that the chances for these events will steadily increase in the near future.

PMID- 28348927
TI  - Are floating algal mats a refuge from hypoxia for estuarine invertebrates?
AB  - Eutrophic aquatic habitats are characterized by the proliferation of vegetation
      leading to a large standing biomass that upon decomposition may create hypoxic
      (low-oxygen) conditions. This is indeed the case in nutrient impacted estuaries
      of Prince Edward Island, Canada, where macroalgae, from the genus Ulva, form
      submerged ephemeral mats. Hydrological forces and gases released from
      photosynthesis and decomposition lead to these mats occasionally floating to the
      water's surface, henceforth termed floating mats. Here, we explore the hypothesis
      that floating mats are refugia during periods of sustained hypoxia/anoxia and
      examine how the invertebrate community responds to it. Floating mats were not
      always present, so in the first year (2013) sampling was attempted monthly and
      limited to when both floating and submerged mats occurred. In the subsequent year
      sampling was weekly, but at only one estuary due to logistical constraints from
      increased sampling frequency, and was not limited to when both mat types
      occurred. Water temperature, salinity, and pH were monitored bi-weekly with
      dissolved oxygen concentration measured hourly. The floating and submerged
      assemblages shared many of the same taxa but were statistically distinct
      communities; submerged mats tended to have a greater proportion of benthic
      animals and floating mats had more mobile invertebrates and insects. In 2014,
      sampling happened to occur in the weeks before the onset of anoxia, during 113
      consecutive hours of sustained anoxia, and for four weeks after normoxic
      conditions returned. The invertebrate community on floating mats appeared to be
      unaffected by anoxia, indicating that these mats may be refugia during times of
      oxygen stress. Conversely, there was a dramatic decrease in animal abundances
      that remained depressed on submerged mats for two weeks. Cluster analysis
      revealed that the submerged mat communities from before the onset of anoxia and
      four weeks after anoxia were highly similar to each other, indicating recovery.
      When mobile animals were considered alone, there was an exponential relationship
      between the percentage of animals on floating mats, relative to the total number
      on both mat types, and hypoxia. The occupation of floating mats by invertebrates
      at all times, and their dominance there during hypoxia/anoxia, provides support
      for the hypothesis that floating mats are refugia.

PMID- 28348928
TI  - Analysis of different vibration patterns to guide blind people.
AB  - The literature indicates the best vibration positions and frequencies on the
      human body where tactile information is transmitted. However, there is a lack of
      knowledge about how to combine tactile stimuli for navigation. The aim of this
      study is to compare different vibration patterns outputted to blind people and to
      determine the most intuitive vibration patterns to indicate direction for
      navigation purposes through a tactile belt. The vibration patterns that stimulate
      the front side of the waist are preferred for indicating direction. Vibration
      patterns applied on the back side of the waist could be suitable for sending
      messages such as stop.

PMID- 28348929
TI  - Curvature reduces bending strains in the quokka femur.
AB  - This study explores how curvature in the quokka femur may help to reduce bending
      strain during locomotion. The quokka is a small wallaby, but the curvature of the
      femur and the muscles active during stance phase are similar to most quadrupedal
      mammals. Our hypothesis is that the action of hip extensor and ankle
      plantarflexor muscles during stance phase place cranial bending strains that act
      to reduce the caudal curvature of the femur. Knee extensors and biarticular
      muscles that span the femur longitudinally create caudal bending strains in the
      caudally curved (concave caudal side) bone. These opposing strains can balance
      each other and result in less strain on the bone. We test this idea by comparing
      the performance of a normally curved finite element model of the quokka femur to
      a digitally straightened version of the same bone. The normally curved model is
      indeed less strained than the straightened version. To further examine the
      relationship between curvature and the strains in the femoral models, we also
      tested an extra-curved and a reverse-curved version with the same loads. There
      appears to be a linear relationship between the curvature and the strains
      experienced by the models. These results demonstrate that longitudinal curvature
      in bones may be a manipulable mechanism whereby bone can induce a strain gradient
      to oppose strains induced by habitual loading.

PMID- 28348930
TI  - Effects of various factors on Doppler flow ultrasonic radial and coccygeal artery
      systolic blood pressure measurements in privately-owned, conscious dogs.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to assess the effects of age, body
      condition score (BCS) and muscle condition score (MCS) on indirect radial and
      coccygeal Doppler systolic arterial blood pressure (SAP) measurements in dogs.
      METHODS: Sixty-two privately-owned dogs were enrolled between June and July 2016.
      The BCS and MCS were determined by two investigators. Blood pressure was measured
      per published guidelines and using headphones, and the order of measurement site
      was randomized. Dogs were positioned in right lateral recumbency for radial
      measurements and sternal recumbency or standing for coccygeal measurements.
      Associations between SAP and other variables were assessed by correlation
      coefficients and analysis of covariance. RESULTS: Radial and coccygeal SAP
      measurements were moderately correlated (r = 0.45, P < 0.01). Radial SAP
      measurements were higher than coccygeal SAP measurements (mean difference 9 mmHg,
      P < 0.01), but discordance occurred in both directions. No difference was
      observed between the first measurement taken, the average of measurements 2-6, or
      the average of all 6 measurements for either the radial (128, 129, and 129 mmHg;
      P = 0.36) or coccygeal (121, 122, and 122 mmHg; P = 0.82) site. Associations were
      not found between SAP measurements for either site and age, weight, BCS, MCS,
      anxiety score, or cuff size. Heart rate decreased significantly from the start of
      acclimation to the end of the first data collection series regardless of site (P
      < 0.01). CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE: Initial measurement site can be
      based on patient and operator preference given lack of associations with patient
      variables, but the same site should be used for serial SAP measurements given
      discordant results between sites.

PMID- 28348932
TI  - Seed germination in a southern Australian temperate seagrass.
AB  - In a series of experiments, seeds from a temperate seagrass species, Zostera
      nigricaulis collected in Port Phillip Bay, Victoria, Australia were exposed to a
      range of salinities (20 PSU pulse/no pulse, 25 PSU, 30 PSU, 35 PSU), temperatures
      (13  degrees C, 17  degrees C, 22  degrees C), burial depths (0 cm, 1 cm, 2 cm)
      and site specific sediment characteristics (fine, medium, coarse) to quantify
      their impacts on germination rate and maximum overall germination. In southern
      Australia the seagrass Z. nigricaulis is a common subtidal species; however,
      little is known about the factors that affect seed germination which is a
      potential limiting factor in meadow resilience to natural and anthropogenic
      disturbances. Overall seed germination was low (<20%) with germination decreasing
      to <10% when seeds were placed in the sediment. When germination of Z.
      nigricaulis seeds was observed, it was enhanced (greater overall germination and
      shorter time to germination) when seeds were exposed to a 20 PSU pulse for 24 h,
      maintained at salinity of 25 PSU, temperatures <13  degrees C, in sediments with
      fine or medium grain sand and buried at a depth of <1 cm. These results indicate
      that germination of Z. nigricaulis seeds under in situ conditions may be
      seasonally limited by temperatures in southern Australia. Seed germination may be
      further restricted by salinity as freshwater pulses reaching 20 PSU are typically
      only observed in Port Phillip Bay following large scale rainfall events. As a
      result, these populations may be particularly susceptible to disturbance with
      only a seasonally limited capacity for recovery.

PMID- 28348931
TI  - Basal tolerance to heat and cold exposure of the spotted wing drosophila,
      Drosophila suzukii.
AB  - The spotted wing Drosophila, Drosophila suzukii, is a new pest in Europe and
      America which causes severe damages, mostly to stone fruit crops. Temperature and
      humidity are among the most important abiotic factors governing insect
      development and fitness. In many situations, temperature can become stressful
      thus compromising survival. The ability to cope with thermal stress depends on
      basal level of thermal tolerance. Basic knowledge on temperature-dependent
      mortality of D. suzukii is essential to facilitate management of this pest. The
      objective of the present study was to investigate D. suzukii basal cold and heat
      tolerance. Adults and pupae were subjected to six low temperatures (-5-7.5 
      degrees C) and seven high temperatures (30-37  degrees C) for various durations,
      and survival-time-temperature relationships were investigated. Data showed that
      males were globally more cold tolerant than females. At temperature above 5 
      degrees C, adult cold mortality became minor even after prolonged exposures
      (e.g., only 20% mortality after one month at 7.5  degrees C). Heat tolerance of
      males was lower than that of females at the highest tested temperatures (34, 35
      and 37  degrees C). Pupae appeared much less cold tolerant than adults at all
      temperatures (e.g., Lt50 at 5 degrees  C: 4-5 d for adults vs. 21 h for pupae).
      Pupae were more heat tolerant than adults at the most extreme high temperatures
      (e.g., Lt50 at 37  degrees C: 30 min for adults vs. 4 h for pupae). The pupal
      thermal tolerance was further investigated under low vs. high humidity. Low
      relative humidity did not affect pupal cold survival, but it reduced survival
      under heat stress. Overall, this study shows that survival of D. suzukii under
      heat and cold conditions can vary with stress intensity, duration, humidity, sex
      and stage, and the methodological approach used here, which was based on thermal
      tolerance landscapes, provides a comprehensive description of D. suzukiithermal
      tolerance and limits.

PMID- 28348933
TI  - Effects of long-term elevated temperature on covering, sheltering and righting
      behaviors of the sea urchin Strongylocentrotus intermedius.
AB  - Increases in ocean temperature due to climate change are predicted to change the
      behaviors of marine invertebrates. Altered behaviors of keystone ecosystem
      engineers such as echinoderms will have consequences for the fitness of
      individuals, which are expected to flow on to the local ecosystem. Relatively few
      studies have investigated the behavioral responses of echinoderms to long-term
      elevated temperature. We investigated the effects of exposure to long-term (~31
      weeks) elevated temperature (~3  degrees C above the ambient water temperature)
      on covering, sheltering and righting behaviors of the sea urchin
      Strongylocentrotus intermedius. Long-term elevated temperature showed different
      effects on the three behaviors. It significantly decreased covering behavior,
      including both covering behavior reaction (time to first covering) and ability
      (number of covered sea urchins and number of shells used for covering).
      Conversely, exposure to long-term elevated temperature significantly increased
      sheltering behavior. Righting response in S. intermedius was not significantly
      different between temperature treatments. The results provide new information
      into behavioral responses of echinoderms to ocean warming.

PMID- 28348934
TI  - Genetic insights into family group co-occurrence in Cryptocercus punctulatus, a
      sub-social woodroach from the southern Appalachian Mountains.
AB  - The wood-feeding cockroach Cryptocercus punctulatus Scudder (Blattodea:
      Cryptocercidae) is an important member of the dead wood (saproxylic) community in
      montane forests of the southeastern United States. However, its population
      biology remains poorly understood. Here, aspects of family group co-occurrence
      were characterized to provide basic information that can be extended by studies
      on the evolution and maintenance of sub-sociality. Broad sampling across the
      species' range was coupled with molecular data (mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA)
      sequences). The primary questions were: (1) what proportion of rotting logs
      contain two or more different mtDNA haplotypes and how often can this be
      attributed to multiple families inhabiting the same log, (2) are multi-family
      logs spatially clustered, and (3) what levels of genetic differentiation among
      haplotypes exist within a log, and how genetically similar are matrilines of co
      occurring family groups? Multi-family logs were identified on the premise that
      three different mtDNA haplotypes, or two different haplotypes among adult
      females, is inconsistent with a single family group founded by one male-female
      pair. Results showed that of the 88 rotting logs from which multiple adult C.
      punctulatus were sampled, 41 logs (47%) contained two or more mtDNA haplotypes,
      and at least 19 of these logs (22% overall) were inferred to be inhabited by
      multiple families. There was no strong evidence for spatial clustering of the
      latter class of logs. The frequency distribution of nucleotide differences
      between co-occurring haplotypes was strongly right-skewed, such that most
      haplotypes were only one or two mutations apart, but more substantial divergences
      (up to 18 mutations, or 1.6% uncorrected sequence divergence) do occasionally
      occur within logs. This work represents the first explicit investigation of
      family group co-occurrence in C. punctulatus, providing a valuable baseline for
      follow-up studies.

PMID- 28348935
TI  - Systematic drug repositioning through mining adverse event data in
      ClinicalTrials.gov.
AB  - Drug repositioning (i.e., drug repurposing) is the process of discovering new
      uses for marketed drugs. Historically, such discoveries were serendipitous.
      However, the rapid growth in electronic clinical data and text mining tools makes
      it feasible to systematically identify drugs with the potential to be repurposed.
      Described here is a novel method of drug repositioning by mining
      ClinicalTrials.gov. The text mining tools I2E (Linguamatics) and PolyAnalyst
      (Megaputer) were utilized. An I2E query extracts "Serious Adverse Events" (SAE)
      data from randomized trials in ClinicalTrials.gov. Through a statistical
      algorithm, a PolyAnalyst workflow ranks the drugs where the treatment arm has
      fewer predefined SAEs than the control arm, indicating that potentially the drug
      is reducing the level of SAE. Hypotheses could then be generated for the new use
      of these drugs based on the predefined SAE that is indicative of disease (for
      example, cancer).

PMID- 28348936
TI  - Ciprofloxacin-induced Hepatotoxicity in a Healthy Young Adult.
AB  - Ciprofloxacin is a broad-spectrum fluoroquinolone antibiotic that is widely used
      in the treatment of many common infections, including urinary tract infections
      (UTIs). Despite the increase in Escherichia coli resistance to ciprofloxacin,
      especially in the United States (US), clinicians continue to utilize the high
      bioavailability of this drug in urine to counter UTIs. A rare adverse effect
      following use of ciprofloxacin is drug-induced hepatitis. In this case report, we
      describe a young 29-year-old female with a previous medical history significant
      for pyelonephritis and ovarian cyst who presented to the emergency room with
      signs and symptoms suggestive of progressive liver injury for two weeks that
      started two days after a complete course of ciprofloxacin therapy for a UTI. An
      extensive workup failed to identify a particular cause for the hepatotoxicity.
      The associated onset of symptoms following ciprofloxacin use, the pattern of
      hepatic enzyme elevation coupled with abdominal pain suggestive of liver
      pathology, and the resolution of all symptoms following supportive therapy all
      pointed towards the possible diagnosis of ciprofloxacin-induced hepatotoxicity.
      The patient was treated with supportive therapy, and subsequently, her symptoms
      resolved over the next few days with the improvement of her liver enzyme levels.
      The patient was discharged with instructions to avoid ciprofloxacin and other
      fluoroquinolones in the future. Clinicians should maintain a high degree of
      suspicion when treating patients with ciprofloxacin who subsequently develop
      signs and/or symptoms of liver injury.

PMID- 28348937
TI  - Redefining Health: The Evolution of Health Ideas from Antiquity to the Era of
      Value-Based Care.
AB  - The current healthcare system in the United States (US) is characterized by high
      costs and poor patient outcomes. A value-based healthcare system, centered on
      providing the highest quality of care for the lowest cost, is the country's
      chosen solution for its healthcare crisis. As the US transitions to a value-based
      model, a new definition of health is necessary to clearly define what constitutes
      a healthy state. However, such a definition is impossible to develop without a
      proper understanding of what "health" actually means. To truly understand its
      meaning, one must have a thorough historical understanding of the changes in the
      concept of health and how it has evolved to reflect the beliefs and scientific
      understanding of each time period. Thus, this review summarizes the changes in
      the definition of health over time in order to provide a context for the
      definition needed today. We then propose a new definition of health that is
      specifically tailored to providers working in the era of value-based care.

PMID- 28348938
TI  - Giardia-filled Pancreatic Mass in a Patient With Recently Treated T-cell-rich B
      cell Lymphoma.
AB  - Giardia lamblia (G. lamblia)-filled pancreatic masses are a rarely reported
      entity. Furthermore, there are only a few case reports in literature on the
      association of these masses with cancer. We present a case of a G. lamblia-filled
      pancreatic cystic mass in a patient with a history of T-cell-rich B-cell
      lymphoma. The authors performed a PubMed search using (Medical Subject Headings)
      MeSH terms of pancreas, mass, Giardia, and lymphoma.  A 53-year-old male with
      past medical and surgical history of T-cell-rich B-cell lymphoma, status post R
      CHOP (cyclophosphamide, doxorubicin, vincristine, and prednisone plus rituximab)
      therapy with positron emission tomography (PET) scan showing no residual disease,
      essential hypertension, and alcohol use disorder presented to the emergency
      department (ED) with epigastric pain and nausea for one week. Computed tomography
      (CT) scan of the abdomen showed a 2.3 cm hypodense pancreatic cystic mass. This
      was a new finding when compared to his prior abdominal imaging. Fine needle
      aspiration (FNA) biopsy of the mass showed lymphocytes, reactive atypical
      epithelial cells, and numerous organisms consistent with Giardia lamblia. He was
      treated with metronidazole 250 mg by mouth three times a day (TID) for five days.
      Follow-up magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and magnetic resonance
      cholangiopancreatography (MRCP) showed complete resolution of the pancreatic
      mass. There are only a few case reports on G. lamblia in the pancreas. The
      pathologist indicated sheets of numerous Giardia in the sample, making small
      bowel contamination less likely and G. lamblia aspirate from the pancreas more
      probable as the source. The authors hypothesize that this patient may have had
      chronic G. lamblia infection as a potential cause for the T-cell-rich B-cell
      lymphoma manifestation. The patient reported travel to an area with possible
      exposure to G. lamblia one year prior to presentation with the lymphoma. During
      that time he had increasing abdominal pain, intermittent chronic diarrhea, and
      weight loss. G. lamblia's mechanism of action has been theorized to involve
      induction of pro-apoptotic factors, intestinal barrier dysfunction, up-regulation
      of cell-cycle genes, and crypt hyperplasia.  The mechanism of action of
      pancreatic masses filled with G. lamblia and the association of G. lamblia and
      cancer is not completely understood. Further research is required to better
      understand these possible phenomena as it can help us better comprehend G.
      lamblia, its associations, and new cancer etiologies.

PMID- 28348939
TI  - Radiolucent Skull Clamps for Intra-Operative Imaging: A Technical Note.
AB  - Conventionally, surgery and procedural-based radiology are performed on different
      premises. With advances in imaging technology, the operating room is rapidly
      being transformed into an intraoperative imaging suite. Diagnostic imaging in
      conjunction with surgery has great utility and by all accounts has great future
      potential. During the last decade, cone beam computed tomography (CT) scanners
      have been introduced and have made intraoperative imaging more feasible because
      these scanners can be made less bulky. The current usefulness of intraoperative
      magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) or CT for neurosurgery, however, is impaired by
      the lack of completely radiolucent skull clamps, causing image artifacts. Metal
      artifacts are particularly problematic, given that they lead to a considerably
      higher image quality degradation factor for cone beam CT scanners than for
      conventional CT scanners. Here, we describe our experience with near-radiolucent
      skull clamps and their associated problems and discuss future improvements to
      facilitate high-quality image guidance in the field of neurosurgery.

PMID- 28348940
TI  - Minimally Invasive Robotic Laser Corpus Callosotomy: A Proof of Concept.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: We describe the feasibility of using minimally invasive robotic
      laser interstitial thermotherapy (LITT) for achieving an anterior two-thirds as
      well as a complete corpus callosotomy. METHODS: Ten probe trajectories were
      plotted on normal magentic resonance imaging (MRI) scans using the Brainlab
      Stereotactic Planning Software (Brainlab, Munich, Germany). The NeuroBlate(r)
      System (Monteris Medical, MN, USA) was used to conform the thermal burn to the
      corpus callosum along the trajectory of the probe. The distance of the ideal
      entry site from either the coronal suture and the torcula or nasion and the
      midline was calculated. The distance of the probe tip from the dorsal and ventral
      limits of the callosotomy in the sagittal plane were also calculated. RESULTS:
      Anterior two-thirds callosotomy was possible in all patients using a posterior
      parieto-occipital paramedian trajectory through the non-dominant lobe. The
      average entry point was 3.64 cm from the midline, 10.6 cm behind the coronal
      suture, and 9.2 cm above the torcula. The probe tip was an average of 1.4 cm from
      the anterior commissure. For a total callosotomy, an additional contralaterally
      placed frontal probe was used to target the posterior one-third of the corpus
      callosum. The average entry site was 3.3 cm from the midline and 9.1 cm above the
      nasion. The average distance of the probe tip from the base of the splenium was
      0.94 cm. CONCLUSION: The directional thermoablation capability of the
      NeuroBlate(r) system allows for targeted lesioning of the corpus callosum, to
      achieve a two-thirds or complete corpus callosotomy. A laser distance of < 2 cm
      is sufficient to reach the entire corpus callosum through one trajectory for an
      anterior two-thirds callosotomy and two trajectories for a complete callosotomy.

PMID- 28348941
TI  - Cutting the Stone: Health Defined in the Era of Value-based Care.
AB  - The immune system contributes to the maintenance of health by preventing and
      limiting the clinical consequences of infections by pathogenic microorganisms.
      During the evolution of Homo sapiens, those with the fittest immune system
      survived. The immune system of Homo sapiens was further improved and adapted by
      admixture with Neanderthal genes. Nowadays, the human immune system provides
      adequate protection against the majority of infections. For some 20 infectious
      diseases, the immune system needs to be improved by vaccination. Vaccination is
      the number one value-based healthcare intervention and has resulted in global
      eradication of smallpox. Eradication of poliomyelitis and measles is within
      reach. A continuous effort will be required for recently emerged pathogens, such
      as Ebola and HIV, as well as the most difficult - malaria and tuberculosis.

PMID- 28348942
TI  - Biochemistry in Endeavor Adventure Racers Study (BEARS).
AB  - BACKGROUND:  Adventure sports events consist of a combination of two or more
      endurance disciplines, such as orienteering, running, and rock climbing, that
      range from a day's to a week's duration. No studies have examined acute kidney
      injury (AKI) in adventure sports athletes. OBJECTIVES: To describe the prevalence
      of AKI in participants in the Endeavor Team Challenge, a 30-hour, 40-mile
      adventure race. METHODS: In this prospective observational study, body weights
      were recorded at race registration. At the finish line, blood sample results by
      point-of-care testing and weights were recorded. Changes in serum creatinine (Cr)
      from an estimated baseline value and severity of AKI were calculated, with "risk
      of injury" defined as 1.5 x baseline Cr, and "injury" defined as 2 x baseline Cr.
      These two categories of AKI were combined to calculate the total prevalence. 
      Results: There were 88 enrolled study participants with complete data available
      on 46 (52%). The mean age of those enrolled in the study was 36.8 years (+/-
      7.7), 90% were males, and body mass index (BMI) was 25.7 kg/m2 (+/- 2.4). Of the
      competitors who completed the study, 34 (73%) had some degree of AKI, with 27
      (58%) found to be at "risk" and seven (15%) with "injury". There was a
      significant correlation between weight loss and elevated Cr (r = -0.29, p =
      0.047), with a trend towards nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) use
      being correlated with AKI (p = 0.058). CONCLUSION:  Acute kidney injury was
      observed in the majority of the Endeavor Team Challenge adventure racers, similar
      to what has been observed in multistage ultramarathons, and greater than after
      standard marathons and single-stage ultramarathons.

PMID- 28348943
TI  - Correlation of IVC Diameter and Collapsibility Index With Central Venous Pressure
      in the Assessment of Intravascular Volume in Critically Ill Patients.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: The objective of our study is to assess the correlation between
      inferior vena cava (IVC) diameters, central venous pressure (CVP) and the IVC
      collapsibility index for estimating the volume status in critically ill patients.
      METHODS: This cross-sectional study used the convenient sampling of 100 adult
      medical intensive care unit (ICU) patients for a period of three months. Patients
      >= 18 years of age with an intrathoracic central venous catheter terminating in
      the distal superior vena cava connected to the transducer to produce a CVP
      waveform were included in the study. A Mindray diagnostic ultrasound system model
      Z6 ultrasound machine (Mindray, NJ, USA) was used for all examinations. An
      Ultrasonic Transducer model 3C5P (Mindray, NJ, USA) for IVC imaging was utilized.
      A paired sampled t-test was used to compute the p-values. RESULTS: A total of
      32/100 (32%) females and 68/100 (68%) males were included in the study with a
      mean age of 50.4 +/- 19.3 years. The mean central venous pressure maintained was
      10.38 +/- 4.14 cmH2O with an inferior vena cava collapsibility index of 30.68 +/-
      10.93. There was a statistically significant relation among the mean CVP
      pressure, the IVC collapsibility index, the mean maximum and minimum IVC between
      groups as determined by one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) (p < 0.001). There
      was a strong negative correlation between CVP and IVC collapsibility index (%),
      which was statistically significant (r = -0.827, n = 100, p < 0.0005). A strong
      positive correlation between CVP and maximum IVC diameter (r = 0.371, n = 100, p
      < 0.0005) and minimum IVC diameter (r = 0.572, n = 100, p < 0.0005) was found.
      CONCLUSION: There is a positive relationship of CVP with minimum and maximum IVC
      diameters but an inverse relationship with the IVC collapsibility index.

PMID- 28348944
TI  - Tumoral Melanosis Associated with Pembrolizumab-Treated Metastatic Melanoma.
AB  - Tumoral melanosis is a form of completely regressed melanoma that usually
      presents as darkly pigmented lesions suspicious for malignant melanoma. Histology
      reveals dense dermal and subcutaneous infiltration of melanophages. Pembrolizumab
      is an antibody directed against programmed death receptor-1 (PD1) and is
      frontline treatment for advanced melanoma. An 81-year-old man with metastatic
      melanoma treated with pembrolizumab who developed tumoral melanosis at previous
      sites of metastases is described. The PubMed database was searched with the key
      words: antibody, immunotherapy, melanoma, melanosis, metastasis, pembrolizumab,
      and tumoral. The papers generated by the search and their references were
      reviewed. The patient was initially diagnosed with lentigo maligna melanoma on
      the left cheek three years earlier, and he was treated with wide local excision.
      The patient was subsequently diagnosed with epidermotropic metastatic malignant
      melanoma on the left parietal scalp 14 months later and was treated with wide
      local excision. Three months later, the patient was found to have metastatic
      melanoma in the same area of the scalp and was started on pembrolizumab
      immunotherapy. The patient was diagnosed with tumoral melanosis in the site of
      previous metastases nine months later. The patient remained free of disease 13
      months after starting pembrolizumab. Tumoral melanosis may mimic malignant
      melanoma; hence a workup, including skin biopsy, should be undertaken. Extensive
      tumoral melanosis has been reported with ipilimumab, and we add a case following
      treatment with pembrolizumab. Additional cases of tumoral melanosis may present
      since immunotherapy has become frontline therapy for advanced melanoma.

PMID- 28348945
TI  - Infective Endocarditis in a Patient with Celiac Disease after Central Venous
      Catheter Insertion.
AB  - There is an increasing incidence of infective endocarditis secondary to central
      venous catheters, which is termed as 'healthcare-associated infective
      endocarditis'. There is an increased risk of getting infective endocarditis in
      conditions with malnutrition and also if the tip of the central venous catheter
      is deep in the right atrium close to the tricuspid valve. We present a case of 31
      year-old female who had all these risk factors. She was admitted to the hospital
      for the work up of the weight loss and was diagnosed with celiac disease. Central
      venous access was obtained because of poor peripheral intravenous access via the
      peripherally inserted central catheter which was complicated by thrombosis and
      removed after three days of insertion, and she was started on anticoagulation.
      Two weeks after being discharged, she presented to the emergency department with
      fever, shortness of breath, and had signs of congestive heart failure. A computed
      tomography of the chest for pulmonary embolism was taken and showed small clot
      burden pulmonary embolism and two cavitary lesions in the right lung. A
      transthoracic echocardiogram was taken and showed vegetation on the tricuspid
      valve and blood cultures were positive for Staphylococcus aureus. Hence, a
      diagnosis of infective endocarditis was made, and she was treated with
      intravenous antibiotics for a total of six weeks after a long and complicated
      hospital stay.

PMID- 28348946
TI  - Relationship between children's physical activity, sedentary behavior, and
      childcare environments: A cross sectional study.
AB  - The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between the
      childcare environment and physical activity and sedentary behavior of toddlers
      and preschoolers. A total of 68 toddlers (1.0-2.9 years) and 233 preschoolers
      (3.0-5.9 years) were recruited from 11 childcare services in 2013 within the
      Illawarra and Shoalhaven region of NSW, Australia. For this study analysis was
      conducted in 2016. The childcare environment was assessed using the Environment
      and Policy Assessment Observation (EPAO) instrument, and childcare services
      categorized as low, medium, or high based on their scores. Time spent in physical
      activity and sitting was assessed over one week using activPAL accelerometers.
      Relationship between EPAO and children's physical activity and sedentary behavior
      was assessed using multilevel mixed-effects linear regression. Toddlers who
      attended high EPAO services sat more (8.73 min [- 10.26, 27.73]) and stood less (
      13.64 min [- 29.27, 2.00]) than those who attended low EPAO services.
      Preschoolers who attended high EPAO services sat less than those in low and
      medium services (mean [95%CI] = - 7.81 min [- 26.64, 11.02]). Sub-categories of
      the EPAO that were associated with less time sitting were: sedentary environments
      for toddlers and portable play equipment for preschoolers. This study extends
      previous research by identifying differences between toddlers and preschooler's
      physical activity and sedentary behaviors in relation to childcare environments.
      A greater understanding of how the childcare environment relates to sitting time
      for both toddlers and preschool aged children is needed.

PMID- 28348947
TI  - Legionella pneumonia associated with severe acute respiratory distress syndrome
      and diffuse alveolar hemorrhage - A rare association.
AB  - Legionella pneumophila is a common, usually underreported and undiagnosed cause
      of community acquired pneumonia which can lead to significant morbidity and
      mortality. Diffuse alveolar hemorrhage rarely have been associated with
      legionella infection. We present a 61-year-old man with hypertension, diabetes
      mellitus and obesity admitted with severe acute respiratory distress syndrome. He
      was found to have Legionella pneumonia with associated diffuse alveolar
      hemorrhage diagnosed with bronchoscopic sequential bronchoalveolar lavage. He was
      successfully managed with antibiotics, lung protective strategies and intravenous
      pulse dose steroids. This patient highlights the unusual association of
      Legionella infection and diffuse alveolar hemorrhage. Additionally, the case re
      enforces the need for early and aggressive evaluation and management of patients
      presenting with pneumonia and progressive hypoxia despite adequate treatment.

PMID- 28348948
TI  - Microscopic polyangiitis: Atypical presentation with extensive small bowel
      necrosis, diffuse alveolar hemorrhage, and renal failure.
AB  - Microscopic polyangiitis is an uncommon systemic vasculitis of varying severity
      that is associated with myeloperoxidase (MPO) and perinuclear antineutrophil
      cytoplasmic (p-ANCA) antibodies. The most commonly affected organs are the lungs
      and kidneys. We report on a very unusual case of microscopic polyangiitis
      presenting with severe mesenteric ischemia in addition to diffuse alveolar
      hemorrhage and acute renal failure. The patient was initially diagnosed with
      acute pancreatitis at an outside facility given his severe abdominal pain and
      elevated pancreatic enzymes. Further investigations after transfer to our
      facility determined that the patient was actually suffering from a severe
      exacerbation of previously diagnosed microscopic polyangiitis. He quickly
      developed diffuse alveolar hemorrhage (DAH) necessitating intubation and acute
      kidney injury (AKI) requiring dialysis. He subsequently developed mesenteric
      ischemia and bowel necrosis resulting in emergent laparotomy and extensive small
      bowel resection. Physicians need to be aware that microscopic polyangiitis can
      very rarely present with severe involvement of the abdominal viscera and
      mesenteric vessels. Severe disease necessitates the use of high dose IV steroids,
      rituximab or cyclophosphamide, and plasma exchange (PLEX).

PMID- 28348949
TI  - Impact of advanced medical therapy for the outcome of an adult patient with
      Eisenmenger syndrome.
AB  - Eisenmenger syndrome (ES) is the most severe form of pulmonary arterial
      hypertension (PAH) associated with congenital heart disease. It is an extremely
      devastating condition with a serious impact on patients' life. Classical therapy
      of ES remains directed to avoid complications, such as erythrocytosis, treatment
      of congestive heart failure, prevention of infection, and secondary
      haematological abnormalities such as iron deficiency and coagulation disorders.
      However, the only effective treatment is heart-lung transplantation; still,
      morbidity and mortality after transplantation remain substantially high.
      Furthermore, waiting lists for heart-lung transplantation are long. Recent
      studies examining the use of advanced medical treatment in patients with ES have
      shown that it may have beneficial effects in patients with ES; however,
      additional studies need to be done to confirm its efficacy and appropriate
      clinical use. A 41-year-old female admitted to the Hospital of Lithuanian
      University of Health Sciences due to progressive dyspnea on minimal effort, heart
      failure symptoms leading to NYHA functional class III-IV. After clinical and
      instrumental investigations, ES secondary to unrepaired patent ductus arteriosus
      with severe PAH was diagnosed. Treatment with sildenafil was initiated together
      with the standard pharmacological therapy, and the patient was added to the
      waiting list for the heart and lung transplantation. After 24 months of stable
      condition, her clinical status deteriorated, and combination therapy (sildenafil
      and ambrisentan) was initiated. Clinical symptoms and exercise capacity improved,
      and she has been stable for 4 years thereafter. Our experience of the management
      of an adult patient with ES showed the benefits of treatment with advanced
      therapy with pulmonary vasodilators that improved the patient's quality of life
      and delayed the need for heart and lung transplantation.

PMID- 28348950
TI  - A case of sulfhemoglobinemia in a child with chronic constipation.
AB  - Sulfhemoglobinemia is a rare condition in which a sulfur atom oxidizes the heme
      moiety in hemoglobin, making the hemoglobin incapable of carrying oxygen and
      leading to hypoxia and cyanosis. This condition has been described in patients
      taking sulfur medications or who have cultured hydrogen sulfide producing
      intestinal bacteria such as Morganella morganii. This case describes a pediatric
      patient who was found to have cyanosis on two occasions of urinary tract
      infection in the setting of chronic constipation, with confirmed
      sulfhemoglobinemia during the second admission. Sulfhemoglobinemia due to
      increases in sulfur producing intestinal bacteria led to cyanosis and low oxygen
      saturations. The patient had an incidental finding of a pulmonary arteriovenous
      malformation (AVM) but had a normal PAO2 so was not hypoxemic though she was
      cyanotic. Low oxygen saturations by pulse oximetry may be explained by
      dyshemoglobinemia as opposed to true arterial hypoxemia; the importance of
      measuring an arterial blood gas in cases of cyanosis is paramount.

PMID- 28348951
TI  - Spontaneous pneumomediastinum: A rare complication of methamphetamine use.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: To present an unusual case of spontaneous pneumomediastinum subsequent
      to recreational amphetamine use. CASE REPORT: A young African American adult male
      was admitted to internal medicine service for treatment of rhabdomyolysis
      secondary to methamphetamine use. On admission, he was complaining of chest pain
      in addition to nausea and generalized muscle aches. By his second hospital day,
      chest pain had resolved yet physical exam demonstrated crepitation of the
      anterior chest and left axilla. Portable chest x-ray revealed subcutaneous
      emphysema in addition to pneumomediastinum. CONCLUSION: Spontaneous
      pneumomediastinum is a rare complication of amphetamine use that is often
      associated with subcutaneous emphysema and can be diagnosed with chest x-ray.
      Management is conservative, with observation, pain control, and supplemental
      oxygen as needed.

PMID- 28348952
TI  - Radiation-induced abnormal cortical thickness in patients with nasopharyngeal
      carcinoma after radiotherapy.
AB  - Conventional MRI studies showed that radiation-induced brain necrosis in patients
      with nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) in years after radiotherapy (RT) could
      involve brain gray matter (GM) and impair brain function. However, it is still
      unclear the radiation-induced brain morphological changes in NPC patients with
      normal-appearing GM in the early period after RT. In this study, we acquired high
      resolution brain structural MRI data from three groups of patients, 22 before
      radiotherapy (pre-RT) NPC patients with newly diagnosed but not yet medically
      treated, 22 NPC patients in the early-delayed stage after radiotherapy (post-RT
      ED), and 20 NPC patients in the late-delayed stage after radiotherapy (post-RT
      LD), and then analyzed the radiation-induced cortical thickness alteration in NPC
      patients after RT. Using a vertex-wise surface-based morphometry (SBM) approach,
      we detected significantly decreased cortical thickness in the precentral gyrus
      (PreCG) in the post-RT-ED group compared to the pre-RT group. And the post-RT-LD
      group showed significantly increased cortical thickness in widespread brain
      regions, including the bilateral inferior parietal, left isthmus of the
      cingulate, left bank of the superior temporal sulcus and left lateral occipital
      regions, compared to the pre-RT group, and in the bilateral PreCG compared to the
      post-RT-ED group. Similar analysis with ROI-wise SBM method also found the
      consistent results. These results indicated that radiation-induced brain injury
      mainly occurred in the post-RT-LD group and the cortical thickness alterations
      after RT were dynamic in different periods. Our findings may reflect the
      pathogenesis of radiation-induced brain injury in NPC patients with normal
      appearing GM and an early intervention is necessary for protecting GM during RT.

PMID- 28348953
TI  - Cerebello-thalamo-cortical networks predict positive symptom progression in
      individuals at ultra-high risk for psychosis.
AB  - Prospective longitudinal evaluation of adolescents at ultra-high-risk (UHR) for
      the development of psychosis enables an enriched neurodevelopmental perspective
      of disease progression in the absence of many of the factors that typically
      confound research with formally psychotic patients (antipsychotic medications,
      drug/alcohol dependence). The cerebellum has been linked to cognitive dysfunction
      and symptom severity in schizophrenia and recent work from our team suggests that
      it is a promising target for investigation in UHR individuals as well. However,
      the cerebellum and cerebello-thalamo-cortical networks have not been investigated
      developmentally or with respect to disease progression in this critical
      population. Further, to date, the types of longitudinal multimodal connectivity
      studies that would substantially inform our understanding of this area have not
      yet been conducted. In the present investigation 26 UHR and 24 healthy control
      adolescents were administered structured clinical interviews and scanned at
      baseline and then again at 12-month time points to investigate both functional
      and structural connectivity development of cerebello-thalamo-cortical networks in
      conjunction with symptom progression. Our results provide evidence of abnormal
      functional and structural cerebellar network development in the UHR group.
      Crucially, we also found that cerebello-thalamo-cortical network development and
      connectivity at baseline are associated with positive symptom course, suggesting
      that cerebellar networks may be a biomarker of disease progression. Together,
      these findings provide support for neurodevelopmental models of psychotic
      disorders and suggest that the cerebellum and respective networks with the cortex
      may be especially important for elucidating the pathophysiology of psychosis and
      highlighting novel treatment targets.

PMID- 28348954
TI  - Tractography in the clinics: Implementing a pipeline to characterize early brain
      development.
AB  - In imaging studies of neonates, particularly in the clinical setting, diffusion
      tensor imaging-based tractography is typically unreliable due to the use of fast
      acquisition protocols that yield low resolution and signal-to-noise ratio (SNR).
      These image acquisition protocols are implemented with the aim of reducing motion
      artifacts that may be produced by the movement of the neonate's head during the
      scanning session. Furthermore, axons are not yet fully myelinated in these
      subjects. As a result, the water molecules' movements are not as constrained as
      in older brains, making it even harder to define structure using diffusion
      profiles. Here, we introduce a post-processing method that overcomes the
      difficulties described above, allowing the determination of reliable tracts in
      newborns. We tested our method using neonatal data and successfully extracted
      some of the limbic, association and commissural fibers, all of which are
      typically difficult to obtain by direct tractography. Geometrical and diffusion
      based features of the tracts are then utilized to compare premature babies to
      term babies. Our results quantify the maturation of white matter fiber tracts in
      neonates.

PMID- 28348955
TI  - Role of corpus callosum integrity in arm function differs based on motor severity
      after stroke.
AB  - While the corpus callosum (CC) is important to normal sensorimotor function, its
      role in motor function after stroke is less well understood. This study examined
      the relationship between structural integrity of the motor and sensory sections
      of the CC, as reflected by fractional anisotropy (FA), and motor function in
      individuals with a range of motor impairment level due to stroke. Fifty-five
      individuals with chronic stroke (Fugl-Meyer motor score range 14 to 61) and 18
      healthy controls underwent diffusion tensor imaging and a set of motor behavior
      tests. Mean FA from the motor and sensory regions of the CC and from
      corticospinal tract (CST) were extracted and relationships with behavioral
      measures evaluated. Across all participants, FA in both CC regions was
      significantly decreased after stroke (p < 0.001) and showed a significant,
      positive correlation with level of motor function. However, these relationships
      varied based on degree of motor impairment: in individuals with relatively less
      motor impairment (Fugl-Meyer motor score > 39), motor status correlated with FA
      in the CC but not the CST, while in individuals with relatively greater motor
      impairment (Fugl-Meyer motor score <= 39), motor status correlated with FA in the
      CST but not the CC. The role interhemispheric motor connections play in motor
      function after stroke may differ based on level of motor impairment. These
      findings emphasize the heterogeneity of stroke, and suggest that biomarkers and
      treatment approaches targeting separate subgroups may be warranted.

PMID- 28348956
TI  - High-dose antidepressants affect near-infrared spectroscopy signals: A
      retrospective study.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Recent studies have highlighted the clinical usefulness of near
      infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) in psychiatry. However, the potential effects of
      psychotropics on NIRS signals remain unknown. METHODS: We conducted a systematic
      chart review of 40 depressed patients who underwent NIRS scans during a verbal
      fluency task to clarify the relationships between psychotropic dosage and NIRS
      signals. The dosage of psychotropic medications was calculated using defined
      daily dose (DDD). We investigated the associations between the DDD of
      psychotropic medications and oxygenated hemoglobin (oxy-Hb) in single channel
      levels. LIMITATIONS: Retrospective study design and small sample size are the
      main limitations. RESULTS: Multiple regression analysis revealed that one channel
      in the right temporoparietal region had a significant association with
      antidepressant DDD controlling for age, sex, depression severity, and the DDD of
      antipsychotics and benzodiazepines. Moreover, high doses of antidepressants had
      significant effects on NIRS signals compared with low doses, in group
      comparisons. CONCLUSIONS: The dose-dependent impact of antidepressants on NIRS
      signals should be taken into account when interpreting NIRS data.

PMID- 28348957
TI  - Predicting behavioral variant frontotemporal dementia with pattern classification
      in multi-center structural MRI data.
AB  - PURPOSE: Frontotemporal lobar degeneration (FTLD) is a common cause of early
      onset dementia. Behavioral variant frontotemporal dementia (bvFTD), its most
      common subtype, is characterized by deep alterations in behavior and personality.
      In 2011, new diagnostic criteria were suggested that incorporate imaging criteria
      into diagnostic algorithms. The study aimed at validating the potential of
      imaging criteria to individually predict diagnosis with machine learning
      algorithms. MATERIALS & METHODS: Brain atrophy was measured with structural
      magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) at 3 Tesla in a multi-centric cohort of 52 bvFTD
      patients and 52 healthy control subjects from the German FTLD Consortium's Study.
      Beside group comparisons, diagnosis bvFTD vs. controls was individually predicted
      in each subject with support vector machine classification in MRI data across the
      whole brain or in frontotemporal, insular regions, and basal ganglia known to be
      mainly affected based on recent meta-analyses. Multi-center effects were
      controlled for with a new method, "leave one center out" conjunction analyses,
      i.e. repeatedly excluding subjects from each center from the analysis. RESULTS:
      Group comparisons revealed atrophy in, most consistently, the frontal lobe in
      bvFTD beside alterations in the insula, basal ganglia and temporal lobe. Most
      remarkably, support vector machine classification enabled predicting diagnosis in
      single patients with a high accuracy of up to 84.6%, where accuracy was highest
      in a region-of-interest approach focusing on frontotemporal, insular regions, and
      basal ganglia in comparison with the whole brain approach. CONCLUSION: Our study
      demonstrates that MRI, a widespread imaging technology, can individually identify
      bvFTD with high accuracy in multi-center imaging data, paving the road to
      personalized diagnostic approaches in the future.

PMID- 28348959
TI  - Apparent effect of chronic Plasmodium infections on disease severity caused by
      experimental infections with Mycoplasma gallisepticum in house finches.
AB  - An epidemic caused by a successful host jump of the bacterial pathogen Mycoplasma
      gallisepticum from poultry to house finches in the 1990s has by now spread across
      most of North America. M. gallisepticum causes severe conjunctivitis in house
      finches. We experimentally show that M. gallisepticum transmission to birds with
      or without chronic Plasmodium infection does not differ. However, once infected
      with M. gallisepticum house finches chronically infected with Plasmodium develop
      more severe clinical disease than birds without such infection. We speculate as
      to possible effects of coinfection.

PMID- 28348960
TI  - Delayed diagnosis of shunt overdrainage following functional hemispherotomy and
      ventriculoperitoneal shunt placement in a hemimegalencephaly patient.
AB  - Shunt overdrainage represents a nebulous condition of variable clinical and
      imaging presentations, where the diagnosis is primarily clinical. The condition
      presents a diagnostic challenge particularly in patients with cognitive
      impairment and developmental delays. Here we present a 3-year-old boy with drug
      resistant focal onset seizures due to hemimegalencephaly who previously underwent
      functional hemispherotomy followed by ventriculoperitoneal shunt placement for
      postoperative hydrocephalus. The subsequent clinical course was complicated by
      delayed diagnosis of shunt overdrainage in the absence of significant image
      findings. Maintaining a high index of suspicion for the possibility of shunt
      overdrainage is critical even in the face of unremarkable imaging findings.

PMID- 28348961
TI  - Preoperative visual field deficits in temporal lobe epilepsy.
AB  - Surgical resection and laser thermoablation have been used to treat medically
      refractory epilepsy with good results. However, they are not without risk. One of
      the most commonly reported complications of temporal lobe surgery is
      contralateral superior homonymous quadrantanopsia. We describe a patient with
      quadrantanopsia discovered as part of our recently modified protocol to workup
      patients prior to epilepsy surgery. This field cut was subtle and not detected on
      routine neurological examination. While we understand that this is a single case,
      we advocate for more judicious preoperative visual field examinations to truly
      characterize the incidence of postoperative visual field lesions.

PMID- 28348958
TI  - Diffusion imaging of reversible and irreversible microstructural changes within
      the corticospinal tract in idiopathic normal pressure hydrocephalus.
AB  - The symptoms of idiopathic normal pressure hydrocephalus (iNPH) can be improved
      by shunt surgery, but prediction of treatment outcome is not established. We
      investigated changes of the corticospinal tract (CST) in iNPH before and after
      shunt surgery by using diffusion microstructural imaging, which infers more
      specific tissue properties than conventional diffusion tensor imaging. Two
      biophysical models were used: neurite orientation dispersion and density imaging
      (NODDI) and white matter tract integrity (WMTI). In both methods, the
      orientational coherence within the CSTs was higher in patients than in controls,
      and some normalization occurred after the surgery in patients, indicating axon
      stretching and recovery. The estimated axon density was lower in patients than in
      controls but remained unchanged after the surgery, suggesting its potential as a
      marker for irreversible neuronal damage. In a Monte-Carlo simulation that
      represented model axons as undulating cylinders, both NODDI and WMTI separated
      the effects of axon density and undulation. Thus, diffusion MRI may distinguish
      between reversible and irreversible microstructural changes in iNPH. Our findings
      constitute a step towards a quantitative image biomarker that reflects
      pathological process and treatment outcomes of iNPH.

PMID- 28348962
TI  - Lamotrigine-related pseudolymphoma presenting as cervical lymphadenopathy.
AB  - Immune-mediated drug reactions are a potentially life-threatening complication of
      antiseizure medications. Drug hypersensitivity syndrome (DHS) is the best
      recognised of these, presenting with fever, eosinophilia, rash and internal organ
      involvement. Isolated lymphadenopathy is a less recognized immune-mediated
      reaction to antiseizure drugs such as lamotrigine. We describe the case of a 24
      year-old woman who developed lamotrigine-related bilateral cervical
      lymphadenopathy (pseudolymphoma) fifteen months following therapy initiation.
      This is the second such case reported in the medical literature.

PMID- 28348963
TI  - Unilateral predominance of abnormal movements: A characteristic feature of the
      pediatric anti-NMDA receptor encephalitis?
AB  - Anti-NMDA receptor encephalitis is a treatable autoimmune disease characterized
      by cognitive, motor and psychiatric features that primarily affects young adults
      and children. We present a case of a 7-year-old boy with asymmetrical (mainly
      right hemibody) and abnormal polymorphic movements without concomitant scalpictal
      EEG changes but had background slowing predominating over the left hemisphere.
      This report illustrates previous descriptions of asymmetric presentation of
      abnormal movements in pediatric anti-NMDA receptor encephalitis and emphasizes
      the importance of video-EEG interpreted within the overall clinical context, to
      differentiate epileptic from non-epileptic abnormal movements in patients with
      autoimmune encephalitis.

PMID- 28348964
TI  - Gustav III's risk assessment on coffee consumption; A medical history report.

PMID- 28348965
TI  - In vitro and in vivo assessment of inhibitory effect of stevioside on pro
      inflammatory cytokines.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: Stevioside is a natural non-caloric sweetener which has been reported
      to have anti-inflammatory activity. The aim of the present study was to examine
      in vitro and in vivo effects of stevioside on rats plasma levels of tumor
      necrosis factor- alpha (TNF-alpha), interleukin-1beta (IL-1beta), TNF-alpha and
      IL-1beta release from lipopolysaccharide(LPS)-stimulated rat peripheral blood
      mononuclear cells (PBMCs). MATERIALS AND METHODS: Male wistar rats weighing
      between 170-220 g were given stevioside (0, 500 and 1000 mg/kg BW/day) for 6
      weeks. Mononuclear cells were separated from peripheral blood samples. TNF-alpha
      and IL-1beta levels in plasma and the release of TNF-alpha and IL-1beta from
      PBMCs were determined using rat enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) kits.
      RESULTS: Plasma levels of TNF-alpha and IL-1beta were found to be non-detectable
      in control and groups treated with 500 and 1000 mg/kg of stevioside. Regarding
      TNF-alpha release from LPS-stimulated PBMCs, rats that were orally fed with 500
      and 1000 mg/kg of stevioside were significantly different (p<0.05) from those in
      LPS-treated control group (186.8+18.6 and 151.4 + 15.4 vs 248.6+21.4 pg/ml).
      Additionally, IL-1beta levels in rats treated with 500 and 1000 mg/kg of
      stevioside were significantly different (p<0.05) from those in LPS-treated
      control group (220.0+12.1 and 158.1 + 22.6 vs 294.4+16.1 pg/ml). CONCLUSION:
      Consumption of stevioside has an inhibitory effect on the release of TNF-alpha
      and IL-1beta from LPS-stimulated PBMCs in rats.

PMID- 28348966
TI  - Cassia fistula: A remedy from Traditional Persian Medicine for treatment of
      cutaneous lesions of pemphigus vulgaris.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: Pemphigus is a rare autoimmune disease that may be fatal without
      proper medical intervention. It is a blistering disease that involves both the
      skin and mucus membranes, in which the most important causes of death comprise
      superimposed opportunistic infections and complications of long-term high-dose
      corticosteroid therapy or prolonged consumption of immune suppressant drugs. Skin
      lesions are the most important sources of infection, and any local treatment
      decreasing the healing time of lesions and reducing the total dosage of drugs is
      favorable. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Here, we review the probable mechanism of
      action of a traditional formulary of Cassia fistula (C. fistula) fruit extract in
      almond oil as a new topical medication for reducing the duration of treatment of
      pemphigus vulgaris erosions. RESULTS: C. fistula fruit oil has lupeol,
      anthraquinone compounds as rhein and flavonoids. Previous in vitro and animal
      studies on C. fistula fruit have demonstrated wound healing, antioxidative, anti
      leukotrienes, anti-inflammatory, antibacterial and antifungal effects of this
      plant. CONCLUSION: It is hypothesized that C. fistula L. can be a botanical
      therapeutic choice for treatment of pemphigus erosions.

PMID- 28348967
TI  - Preventive effect of Coriandrum sativum on neuronal damages in pentylentetrazole
      induced seizure in rats.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: Coriandrum sativum (C. sativum) as a medicinal plant has been pointed
      to have analgesic, hypnotic and anti-oxidant effects. In the current study, a
      possible preventive effect of the hydro-alcoholic extract of the plant on
      neuronal damages was examined in pentylenetetrazole (PTZ) rat model of seizure.
      MATERIALS AND METHODS: Forty male rats were divided into five main groups and
      treated by (1) saline, (2) PTZ: 100 mg/kg PTZ (i.p) and (3-5) 50, 100 and 200
      mg/kg of hydro-alcoholic extract of C. sativum during seven consecutive days
      before PTZ injection. After electrocorticography (ECoG), the brains were removed
      to use for histological examination. RESULTS: All doses of the extract reduced
      duration, frequency and amplitude of the burst discharges while prolonged the
      latency of the seizure attacks (p<0.05, p<0.01, and p<0.001). Administration of
      all 3 doses of the extract significantly prevented from production of dark
      neurons (p<0.01, and p<0.001) and apoptotic cells (p<0.05, p<0.01, and p<0.001)
      in different areas of the hippocampus compared to PTZ group. CONCLUSION: The
      results of this study allow us to conclude that C. sativum, because of its
      antioxidant properties, prevents from neuronal damages in PTZ rat model of
      seizure.

PMID- 28348968
TI  - A comparison of the efficacy of metronidazole vaginal gel and Myrtus (Myrtus
      communis) extract combination and metronidazole vaginal gel alone in the
      treatment of recurrent bacterial vaginosis.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: Due to the high incidence of bacterial vaginosis (BV) and its
      resistance to chemical medications and considering the anti-bacterial and anti
      fungal effects of Myrtus communis, the present study aimed to compare the
      therapeutic effects of the vaginal gel of M. communis 2% (in metronidazole base)
      with metronidazole vaginal gel 0.75% alone on BV. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This
      research was a randomized controlled clinical trial conducted on 80 women of 18
      40 years old with BV. Patients were divided into two groups of 40 women.
      Diagnostic criteria were Amsel's criteria and Gram staining. The first group
      received vaginal gel of metronidazole plus M. communis 2% and the second group
      received metronidazole vaginal gel alone for five consecutive nights. Therapeutic
      effects and Amsel's criteria were assessed after one week. Finally, the data were
      analyzed by SPSS 16 using t-test and Chi square tests. RESULTS: There was a
      significant difference in the therapeutic response between the two groups. The
      results demonstrated that the combination of metronidazole and M. communis had a
      higher efficiency (p<0.05). The patients receiving M. communis in metronidazole
      gel base did not experience any recurrent BV, but 30% of patients taking
      metronidazole alone faced recurrent BV after three weeks of follow up.
      CONCLUSION: Findings of the study suggested that adding M. communis extract to
      metronidazole increases the efficiency of BV treatment.

PMID- 28348969
TI  - Kelussia odoratissima potentiates cytotoxic effects of radiation in HeLa cancer
      cell line.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: Cervical cancer is the second most common cause of death from cancer
      in women throughout the world. The aim of this study was to evaluate the
      cytotoxic activity of Kelussia odoratissima (K. odoratissima) extract associated
      with radiotherapy in cervical cancer cells (HeLa cell line). MATERIALS AND
      METHODS: Different concentration of the extract (25-500ug/ml) was tested in HeLa
      cell lines. Cell cytotoxicity of the extract and the effects of the extract on
      radiation (2Gy/min)-induced damages were assessed by MTT assay. Apoptosis was
      assessed using flow cytometric analysis. RESULT: K. odoratissima decreased cell
      viability in HeLa cell line in a concentration and time-dependent manner. When
      compared to the control, K. odoratissima induced a sub-G1 peak in the flow
      cytometry histogram of treated cells, indicating that apoptotic cell death is
      involved in K. odoratissima-induced toxicity. It was also shown that K.
      odoratissima sensitizes cells to radiation-induced toxicity. CONCLUSION: Our
      result showed the extract increased the radiation effect. This observation may be
      related to the presence of active compounds such as phthalides and ferulic acid.

PMID- 28348970
TI  - Anti-carcinogenic and anti-angiogenic properties of the extracts of Acorus
      calamus on gastric cancer cells.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: Acorus calamus (A. calamus) has been used as a medicinal plant in Asia
      for its effects on digestive system for the last 2000 years. To investigate the
      anti-cancer activity of rhizome of A. calamus, the ethanolic and methanolic
      extracts and essential oil of the rhizome were prepared and their effects were
      assessed on human gastric cancer cell line (AGS). MATERIALS AND METHODS: The
      viability of cells which were treated with the extracts and the essential oil was
      assessed by MTT assay. To evaluate the anti-angiogenic property of the extracts,
      in vitro tube formation assay was done. Cell cycle distribution and the
      expression of Oct4 and Nucleostemin, after treatments, were checked by
      flowcytometry and quantitative RT-PCR, respectively. Furthermore, analysis of
      essential oil from A.calamus was done by GC-MS. RESULTS: Our results showed that
      the growth of AGS cells was inhibited by the extracts and essential oil and the
      extracts inhibited the angiogenesis in HUVEC cells. Our data revealed that the
      extracts and essential oil of A. calamus caused G1 arrest in AGS cells and
      downregulation of Oct4 and NS after treatment. By GC-MS analysis, we found new
      compounds such as epiprezizaene, valencene and isocyclocitral in essential oil of
      A. CONCLUSION: All together, our results showed that the extracts of A. calamus
      have anti-proliferative and anti-angiogenic effects on cancer cells.

PMID- 28348971
TI  - Antioxidant, cytotoxic and DNA protective properties of Achillea eriophora DC.
      and Achillea biebersteinii Afan. extracts: A comparative study.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: Achillea is a traditional medicinal herb which contains different
      phenol and flavonoid compounds that are responsible for Achillea pharmacological
      effects. We aimed to determine phenol and flavonoid contents, besides antioxidant
      activities of different extracts from Achillea eriophoraa (A. eriophora) DC. and
      Achillea biebersteinii (A. biebersteinii) Afan. (endemic species in Iran) and to
      investigate their effects on human cells. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Achillea
      extracts, were prepared by maceration and shaking methods, from different parts
      (aerial parts, stem, leaves and inflorescence) of two species using methanol and
      ethanol as solvents. Total phenol and flavonoid contents were measured by
      spectrophotometry, and antioxidant activities of the extracts were determined by
      DPPH radical scavenging, BCB and TBARS assays. Cytotoxicity and antioxidant
      activities of the extracts were investigated in Human Foreskin Fibroblast (HFF3)
      cells using MTT, comet and H2O2 assays. RESULTS: Methanol extracts of A.
      biebersteinii prepared from leaves and inflorescence by maceration method
      exhibited maximum phenol (1657.58 +/- 36.45 mg GAE/100 g DW) and flavonoid
      (264.00 +/- 62.16 mg QUE/100 g DW) contents. Leaf methanol extract showed
      significantly higher antioxidant activity (0.0276 +/- 0.003, 0.16 +/- 0.016 and
      13.96 +/- 0.26 mg/ml for DPPH, BCB and TBARS IC50s, respectively) than those of
      the other extracts. Leaf extract of A. biebersteinii was not cytotoxic even at
      the highest examined dose (512 ug/ml) and inhibited cell toxicity induced by H2O2
      (98% viability for the cells pretreated with plant extract in the presence of
      H2O2). Comet assay also confirmed high DNA protective activity of leaf extracts.
      CONCLUSION: Achillea extracts possess remarkable antioxidant activity, and could
      be good natural alternatives to synthetic antioxidants in pharmaceutical and food
      industries.

PMID- 28348972
TI  - Antidiabetic, hypolipidemic and hepatoprotective effects of Arctium lappa root's
      hydro-alcoholic extract on nicotinamide-streptozotocin induced type 2 model of
      diabetes in male mice.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: Arctium lappa (burdock), (A. lappa) root has hypoglycemic and
      antioxidative effects, and has been used for treatment of diabetes in tradition
      medicine. This study was conducted to evaluate the antidiabetic and hypolipidemic
      properties of A. lappa root extract on nicotinamide-streptozotocin (NA-STZ)
      induced type2 diabetes in mice. MATERIALS AND METHODS: In this investigation, 70
      adult male NMRI mice (30-35g) randomly divided into 7 groups (n=10) as follow: 1
      control, 2-type 2 diabetic mice, 3-diabetic mice that received glibenclamide
      (0.25 mg/kg) as an anti-diabetic drug, 4, 5, 6 and 7- diabetic and normal animals
      that were pre-treated with 200 and 300 mg/kg A. lappa root extract, respectively,
      for 28 days. Diabetes has been induced by intraperitoneal injection of NA and
      STZ. Finally, the blood sample was taken and insulin, glucose, SGOT, SGPT,
      alkaline phosphatase, leptin and lipid levels was evaluated. RESULTS: Induction
      of diabetes decreased the level of insulin, leptin and high density lipoprotein
      (HDL) and increased the level of other lipids, glucose, and hepatic enzymes
      significantly (p<0.05). Administration of both doses of the extract significantly
      decreased the level of triglyceride, very low density lipoprotein, glucose and
      alkaline phosphatase in diabetic mice (p<0.05). Insulin levels increased in
      animals treated with 200 mg/kg (p<0.05) and HDL and leptin levels increased in
      animals treated with 300 mg/kg of the extract (p<0.01). CONCLUSION: The results
      showed that A. lappa root extract, at specific doses, has an anti-diabetic effect
      through its hypolipidemic and insulinotropic properties. Hence, this plant
      extract may be beneficial in the treatment of diabetes.

PMID- 28348973
TI  - Kidney stone formation and antioxidant effects of Cynodon dactylon decoction in
      male Wistar rats.
AB  - OBJECTIVES: The antioxidant capacity impairs in kidney and urinary bladder of
      animals with stone disease. Herbal medicine can improve the antioxidant condition
      of renal tissue. Cynodon dactylon (C. dactylon) is a medicinal plant with
      antioxidative and diuretic properties and different preparations of this plant
      have shown promising effects in stone disease. Assessment of the whole plant
      decoction to prevent kidney stone disease as well as its antioxidant effects was
      the aim of this paper. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Fifty male Wistar rats were
      randomly divided into 5 experimental groups (n=10). One group was left without
      treatment and four groups received ethylene glycol (1% v/v) in drinking water for
      6 weeks. Three doses of Cynodon dactylon aqueous decoction (12.5, 50 and 200
      mg/kg BW) were added to the drinking water of groups 3-5. Finally, water intake,
      24-hour urine volume, MDA, total thiol concentration and FRAP value were measured
      in the serum and kidney tissues. The CaOx depositions were evaluated by
      hematoxylin and eosin staining. RESULTS: Compared to the ethylene glycol-treated
      group, 200 mg/kg C. dactylon, lowered stone incidents, decreased urine volume,
      increased FRAP/g Cr (43%) and thiol content (p<0.05) with no significant
      alteration of water intake, MDA decreased significantly compared to C. dactylon
      12.5 (p<0.01). Kidney weight increased and body weight decreased in ethylene
      glycol-treated group compared to the control group (p<0.05). CONCLUSION: A
      minimum dose of 200 mg/kg C. dactylon reduced stone formation and simultaneously
      increased total antioxidant power of serum and preserved MDA content and water.

PMID- 28348974
TI  - Capparis spinosa L. aqueous extract evokes antidiabetic effect in streptozotocin
      induced diabetic mice.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: As the aqueous extract of Capparis spinosa (CS) possess antidiabetic
      effect, he present study aims to reveal the possible mechanism of action of CS in
      diabetic mice. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Both single and repeated oral
      administrations of aqueous extract of CS were performed in multi-low dose
      streptozotocin-induced (MLDS) diabetic mice. Euglycemic hyperinsulinemic clamp
      was used in association with the endogenous glucose production (perfusion rate of
      3-3H glucose) to evaluate the effect of CS aqueous extract on insulin
      sensitivity. RESULTS: Our study showed that aqueous extract of CS possess a
      potent hypoglycaemic activity in MLDS diabetic mice. Furthermore, the analysis
      perfusion of 3-3H glucose demonstrated the parallel decrease of basal endogenous
      glucose production (EGP) with the hypoglycaemic activity. EGP was lower in CS
      Treated group when compared to the control group (p<0.001). The euglycemic
      hyperinsulinemic clamp technique demonstrated that CS treatment improves insulin
      sensitivity in peripheral tissues. CONCLUSION: We conclude that the
      antihyperglycemic effet CS is probably due to the inhibition of basal endogenous
      glucose production and the improvement of insulin sensitivity in MLDS diabetic
      mice.

PMID- 28348975
TI  - Commentary: Randomized Phase II Study of Duligotuzumab (MEHD7945A) vs. Cetuximab
      in Squamous Cell Carcinoma of the Head and Neck (MEHGAN Study).

PMID- 28348976
TI  - Combination of Photon and Carbon Ion Irradiation with Targeted Therapy Substances
      Temsirolimus and Gemcitabine in Hepatocellular Carcinoma Cell Lines.
AB  - BACKGROUND: This work investigates on putative cytotoxic effects in four
      different hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) cell lines after irradiation with
      photons or carbon ions in combination with new targeted molecular therapy using
      either Temsirolimus (TEM) or Gemcitabine (GEM). METHODS AND MATERIALS: The HCC
      cell lines HepG2, Hep3B, HuH7, and PLC were cultured and irradiated with photons
      or carbon ions at the Heidelberg Ion Beam Therapy Center using the raster
      scanning method. For combination experiments, cell lines were first treated with
      Temsirolimus or GEM before irradiation. Cytotoxicity was measured by a clonogenic
      survival assay. The evaluation of the experiments and the obtained survival
      curves were based on the concept of additivity defined by Steel and Peckham.
      RESULTS: The results for the combination of carbon ions and both tested systemic
      substances TEM and GEM showed independent toxicities in all four cell lines.
      Supra-additive effects were observed in PLC cells for photon irradiation combined
      either with TEM or GEM and in HuH7 cells for the combination of photons with TEM.
      CONCLUSION: Addition of targeted therapy substances Temsirolimus and GEM to
      photon irradiation showed additive cytotoxicity in HCC cell lines, whereas
      independent toxicities where reached by the combination of carbon ions to these
      substances. It can be assumed that combining 12C with systemic substances only
      has independent effects because heavy ions cause direct damage because of their
      high-LET character resulting in complex and clustered double-strand breaks.
      Nonetheless, further investigations are warranted in order to determine whether
      addition of systemic therapy allows a reduction of radiation doses in combination
      therapy. This could possibly lead to better responses and tolerances in patients
      with HCC.

PMID- 28348977
TI  - Taming Tumor Glycolysis and Potential Implications for Immunotherapy.
AB  - Immune evasion and deregulation of energy metabolism play a pivotal role in
      cancer progression. Besides the coincidence in their historical documentation and
      concurrent recognition as hallmarks of cancer, both immune evasion and metabolic
      deregulation may be functionally linked as well. For example, the metabolic
      phenotype, particularly tumor glycolysis (aerobic glycolysis), impacts the tumor
      microenvironment (TME), which in turn acts as a major barrier for successful
      targeting of cancer by antitumor immune cells and other therapeutics. Similarly,
      in the light of recent research, it has been known that some of the immune
      sensitive antigens that are downregulated in cancer may also be restored or
      induced by cellular/metabolic stress. For instance, cancer cells downregulate the
      cell surface ligands such as MHC class I chain-related (MIC) protein-(A/B) that
      are normally upregulated in disease/pathological conditions. Noteworthy, the MHC
      class I chain-related protein A and B (MIC-A/B) are recognized by natural killer
      (NK) cells for immune elimination. Interestingly, MIC-A/B is stress inducible as
      demonstrated by oxidative stress and other cellular-stress factors. Consequently,
      stimulation of metabolic stress has also been shown to sensitize cancer cells to
      NK cell-mediated cytotoxicity. Taken together, data from recent reports imply
      that dysregulation of tumor glycolysis could facilitate induction of immune
      sensitive surface ligands leading to increased efficacy of antitumor
      immunotherapeutics. Nonetheless, dysregulated tumor glycolysis may also impact
      the TME and alter it from acidic, low pH into a therapeutically desirable TME
      that can enhance the effective infiltration of antitumor immune cells. In this
      mini-review, targeting tumor glycolysis has been discussed to evaluate its
      potential implications to enhance and/or facilitate anticancer immunity.

PMID- 28348978
TI  - mHealth and Application Technology Supporting Clinical Trials: Today's
      Limitations and Future Perspective of smartRCTs.
AB  - Nowadays, applications (apps) for smartphones and tablets have become
      indispensable especially for young generations. The estimated number of mobile
      devices will exceed 2.16 billion in 2016. Over 2.2 million apps are available in
      the Google Play store(r), and about 1.8 million apps are available in the Apple
      App Store(r). Google and Apple distribute nearly 70,000 apps each in the category
      Health and Fitness, and about 33,000 and 46,000 each in medical apps. It seems
      like the willingness to use mHealth apps is high and the intention to share data
      for health research is existing. This leads to one conclusion: the time for app
      accompanied clinical trials (smartRCTs) has come. In this perspective article, we
      would like to point out the stones put in the way while trying to implement apps
      in clinical research. Further, we try to offer a glimpse of what the future of
      smartRCT research may hold.

PMID- 28348980
TI  - Overexpression of the Endosomal Anion/Proton Exchanger ClC-5 Increases Cell
      Susceptibility toward Clostridium difficile Toxins TcdA and TcdB.
AB  - Virulent C. difficile toxins TcdA and TcdB invade host intestinal epithelia by
      endocytosis and use the acidic environment of intracellular vesicles for further
      processing and activation. We investigated the role of ClC-5, a chloride/proton
      exchanger expressed in the endosomes of gastrointestinal epithelial cells, in the
      activation and processing of C. difficile toxins. Enhanced intoxication by TcdA
      and TcdB was observed in cells expressing ClC-5 but not ClC-4, another
      chloride/proton exchanger with similar function but different localization. In
      accordance with the established physiological function of ClC-5, its expression
      lowered the endosomal pH in HEK293T cells by approximately 0.6 units and enhanced
      approximately 5-fold the internalization of TcdA. In colon HT29 cells, 34% of
      internalized TcdA localized to ClC-5-containing vesicles defined by
      colocalization with Rab5, Rab4a, and Rab7 as early and early-to-late of endosomes
      but not as Rab11-containing recycling endosomes. Impairing the cellular uptake of
      TcdA by deleting the toxin CROPs domain did not abolish the effects of ClC-5. In
      addition, the transport-incompetent mutant ClC-5 E268Q similarly enhanced both
      endosomal acidification and intoxication by TcdA but facilitated the
      internalization of the toxin to a lower extent. These data suggest that ClC-5
      enhances the cytotoxic action of C. difficile toxins by accelerating the
      acidification and maturation of vesicles of the early and early-to-late endosomal
      system. The dispensable role of electrogenic ion transport suggests that the
      voltage-dependent nonlinear capacitances of mammalian CLC transporters serve
      important physiological functions. Our data shed light on the intersection
      between the endocytotic cascade of host epithelial cells and the internalization
      pathway of the large virulence C. difficile toxins. Identifying ClC-5 as a
      potential specific host ion transporter hijacked by toxins produced by pathogenic
      bacteria widens the horizon of possibilities for novel therapies of life
      threatening gastrointestinal infections.

PMID- 28348983
TI  - Future of profession.
AB  - Being a doctor in today's time is a tough experience in many parts of the world.
      Many young people motivated by the traditional image of profession and desire for
      service opted for this vocation without anticipating today's challenging
      environment. Bad press, violence against doctors, tough employment conditions,
      unemployment, and lack of societal respect have become common phenomenon across
      the world. It is indeed time to introspect. The institution of medical profession
      is rapidly transforming not necessarily only under the influence of rapidly
      changing technology. The presented viewpoint is an analysis on impact of changing
      global political scenario on the future of medical profession.

PMID- 28348981
TI  - PPE38 Protein of Mycobacterium tuberculosis Inhibits Macrophage MHC Class I
      Expression and Dampens CD8+ T Cell Responses.
AB  - Suppression of CD8+ T cell activation is a critical mechanism used by
      Mycobacterium tuberculosis (MTB) to escape protective host immune responses.
      PPE38 belongs to the unique PPE family of MTB and in our previous study, PPE38
      protein was speculated to participate in manipulating macrophage MHC class I
      pathway. To test this hypothesis, the function of mycobacterial PPE38 protein was
      assessed here using macrophage and mouse infection models. Decreased amount of
      MHC class I was observed on the surface of macrophages infected with PPE38
      expressing mycobacteria. The transcript of genes encoding MHC class I was also
      inhibited by PPE38. After infection of C57BL/6 mice with Mycobacterium smegmatis
      expressing PPE38 (Msmeg-PPE38), decreased number of CD8+ T cells was found in
      spleen, liver, and lungs through immunohistochemical analysis, comparing to the
      control strain harboring empty vector (Msmeg-V). Consistently, flow cytometry
      assay showed that fewer effector/memory CD8+ T cells (CD44highCD62Llow) were
      activated in spleen from Msmeg-PPE38 infected mice. Moreover, Msmeg-PPE38 confers
      a growth advantage over Msmeg-V in C57BL/6 mice, indicating an effect of PPE38 to
      favor mycobacterial persistence in vivo. Overall, this study shows a unique
      biological function of PPE38 protein to facilitate mycobacteria to escape host
      immunity, and provides hints for TB vaccine development.

PMID- 28348982
TI  - Tick-Pathogen Ensembles: Do Molecular Interactions Lead Ecological Innovation?

PMID- 28348984
TI  - Dental public health in India: An insight.
AB  - Oral diseases are a major public health problem, and their burden is on increase
      in many low- and middle-income countries. Dental public health (DPH) aims to
      improve the oral health of the population through preventive and curative
      services. However, its achievements in India are being questioned probably
      because of lack of proficiency and skill among DPH personnel. The literature
      search for the present study was conducted utilizing various search engines and
      electronic databases such as PubMed and MEDLINE. Documents related to the Central
      and State Governments of India were also considered. Finally, 26 articles were
      selected for the present study from which relevant information can be extracted.
      The present study focuses on some of the important aspects relating to DPH in
      India such as priority for oral health, DPH workforce and curriculum, utilization
      of DPH personnel in providing primary oral health care, role of mobile dental
      vans, and research in DPH. It was concluded that more attention should be given
      toward preventive oral health care by employing more number of public health
      dentists in public sector, strengthening DPH education and research, and
      combining oral health programs with general health-care programs.

PMID- 28348986
TI  - A cross-sectional study of migrant women with reference to their antenatal care
      services utilization and delivery practices in an urban slum of Mumbai.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: Migrant is a vulnerable population. They face several barriers in
      accessing health services. The immigration status presents various challenges for
      maternity services utilization. So this study was conducted (1) to estimate
      proportion of women utilizing full ANC package and to find out reasons for its
      nonutilization (2) to estimate the proportion of institutional deliveries and
      reasons for home deliveries. METHODS: A cross-sectional community based study was
      conducted among migrant women in reproductive age group in an urban slum. The
      sample size was 120. Multistage simple random sampling was done. RESULTS: Maximum
      numbers of migrants (71.7%) were from Uttar Pradesh. Sixty two percent married
      before the age of 18 years. Full ANC package was received by only 18% migrants.
      Proportion of home deliveries was 12%, and all were conducted by Untrained Dai.
      Lack of transport facility and availability of Dai (local birth attendant) were
      the reasons mentioned for home delivery. For nonutilization of full ANC package,
      far location of health center (30%); it is not necessary (25.8%); and family did
      not allow them to visit health center (21.8%) were the reasons mentioned.
      Religion and type of family were significantly associated with nonutilization of
      full ANC package. CONCLUSION: The present study revealed low utilization of ANC
      services and high proportion of home deliveries among the migrant women even
      after availability of health facilities for providing ANC care and to conduct
      deliveries in urban area.

PMID- 28348987
TI  - Factors associated with internet addiction among school-going adolescents in
      Vadodara.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: The internet is an important modern means of obtaining information
      and communicating with others which has converted the world into a global
      village. At the same time, increasing internet use among adolescents is also
      likely to pose a major public health concern that is internet addiction (IA). The
      aim was to assess the prevalence of IA among school-going adolescents and factors
      associated with IA. METHODS: A cross-sectional study was designed to survey
      adolescents studying in 8th to 11th standard of five schools of Vadodara.
      Information regarding sociodemography and various patterns of internet use were
      obtained using survey forms. IA test (IAT) was used to screen for IA. Descriptive
      analysis, univariate analysis, and logistic regression were done to analyze the
      data. RESULTS: Seven hundred and twenty-four participants that completed IAT were
      analyzed. Internet use prevalence was 98.9%. Prevalence of IA was 8.7%. Male
      gender, owning a personal device, hours of internet use/day, use of smartphones,
      permanent login status, use of internet for chatting, making online friends,
      shopping, watching movies, online gaming, searching information online and
      instant messaging were found to be associated significantly with IA in univariate
      analysis. Internet use for online friendships was found to be a significant
      predictor of IA (odds ratio [OR] =2.4), and internet use for searching
      information was found to be protective (OR = 0.20) against IA on logistic
      regression. CONCLUSIONS: IA is prevalent in the adolescent population and
      requires awareness and intervention. Characteristics of internet usage found to
      be associated with IA needs to be considered while developing strategies for
      interventions.

PMID- 28348985
TI  - Current concepts in the management of acute pancreatitis.
AB  - Guidelines for the management of acute pancreatitis (AP) are based on the Western
      experience, which may be difficult to extrapolate in India due to socioeconomic
      constraints. Hence, modifications based on the available resources and referral
      patterns should be introduced so as to ensure appropriate care. We reviewed the
      current literature on the management of AP available in English on Medline and
      proposed guidelines locally applicable. Patients of AP presenting with systemic
      inflammatory response syndrome are at risk of moderate-severe pancreatitis and
      hence, should be referred to a tertiary center early. The vast majority of
      patients with AP have mild disease and can be managed at smaller centers. Early
      aggressive fluid resuscitation with controlled fluid expansion, early enteral
      nutrition, and culture-directed antibiotics improve outcomes in AP. Infected
      pancreatic necrosis should be managed in a tertiary care hospital within a
      multidisciplinary setup. The "step up" approach involving antibiotics,
      percutaneous drainage, and minimally invasive necrosectomy instituted
      sequentially based on clinical response has improved the outcomes in this
      subgroup of patients.

PMID- 28348988
TI  - Acceptance rate, probability of follow-up, and expulsion of postpartum
      intrauterine contraceptive device offered at two primary health centers, North
      India.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: Acceptance rate of postpartum intrauterine contraceptive device
      (PPIUCD) offered through a public health approach is unknown. Our aim was to
      describe the acceptance rate, expulsion, and follow-up and factors associated
      with it when PPIUCD was offered to women delivering at two primary health centers
      (PHCs). METHODS: We analyzed routine health data of deliveries at two PHCs in
      district Faridabad, India between May and December 2014, having sociodemographic
      variables, obstetric history, and during the follow-up check-up at 6-weeks
      postpartum for in situ status of intrauterine contraceptive device, side effects,
      and complications. RESULTS: The overall acceptance rate among those eligible for
      PPIUCD was 39% (95% confidence interval [CI]: 35.1-42.9). Independent predictor
      of acceptance was a monthly family income of <USD75$ (odds ratio [O.R.]: 2.29,
      95% CI: 1.58-3.31). The expulsion rate, and removal rate at 6 weeks postpartum
      was 18.0% and 13.0%, respectively. Expulsion by 6 weeks was associated with, age
      >25 years (O.R.: 2.21, 95% CI: 1.03-4.73), gravida >=4 (O.R.: 4.01, 95% CI: 1.28
      12.56), and a living previous-child (O.R.: 1.51, 95% CI: 1.04-2.19). CONCLUSION:
      Acceptance rate of PPIUCD was higher than that reported in literature. Women from
      lower income family, having at least one living child, and having attended
      antenatal care clinic were more likely to accept PPIUCD.

PMID- 28348990
TI  - Prevalence of chronic insomnia in adult patients and its correlation with medical
      comorbidities.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: Insomnia is one of the common but neglected conditions seen in
      family practice with long term and serious effects on health of a patient. Family
      physicians have the responsibility of diagnosing and adequately treating this.
      This study was done to find the prevalence of chronic insomnia in adult patients
      visiting a family medicine outpatient department (OPD) in a hospital and to
      assess the risk factors and co morbidities associated with it. MATERIALS AND
      METHODS: A cross-sectional study was done in the family medicine OPD at St.
      Philomena's Hospital, Bengaluru. All adult patients attending the OPD from
      September 1 to October 30, 2015 were enrolled in the study after obtaining
      written consent. Athens Insomnia Scale was used to diagnose insomnia and
      information regarding medical co morbidities was collected. Data was analyzed for
      the prevalence of insomnia and its association with co morbidities. RESULTS:
      Chronic insomnia was seen in 33% of the adult population sampled. Increasing age
      and diabetes were significantly associated with insomnia, while other
      socioeconomic factors and co morbidities were not significantly associated.
      Twenty-seven percent of patients who had insomnia did not perceive the condition,
      which was statistically significant. CONCLUSION: Insomnia is a common sleep
      disorder which is many times missed by a primary care physician until/unless
      asked for. Since there is a higher incidence with increasing age and co
      morbidities such as diabetes, all patients, especially middle-aged and diabetics,
      should be screened for insomnia by the primary care physician with a self
      assessed questionnaire and counseled.

PMID- 28348989
TI  - Reporting measles case fatality due to complications from a tertiary care
      hospital of Kolkata, West Bengal 2011-2013.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: Measles is affecting millions of people in the developing countries
      particularly in India with significant morbidity and responsible for thousands of
      death in spite of having a safe, effective, and cheap vaccine. Pulmonary
      complications account for 90% measles-related death. The objectives of this study
      were to describe age distribution, clinical features, complications, and clinical
      outcomes of measles cases in a referral infectious disease hospital of West
      Bengal. METHODS: We conducted a retrospective descriptive study including 584
      patients and collected information from record section on demographics, clinical
      features, complications, and clinical outcomes using data abstraction form.
      RESULTS: The mean age of 584 measles cases was 3.7 years (+/-1.2 years). The most
      common complication was pneumonia (149 cases) followed by diarrhea and
      encephalopathy. Very severe pneumonia occurred in 34 cases requiring intensive
      care out of which 13 patients died. The average duration of stay in the hospital
      was 5.7 days (+/-3.2 days). Surprisingly, 45 cases admitted to this hospital were
      <9 months of age with subsequent death in 5 cases. CONCLUSION: Substantial number
      of measles cases was seen in zero to <9 months of age group and fatality due to
      complication was more among them.

PMID- 28348979
TI  - Biology of Acinetobacter baumannii: Pathogenesis, Antibiotic Resistance
      Mechanisms, and Prospective Treatment Options.
AB  - Acinetobacter baumannii is undoubtedly one of the most successful pathogens
      responsible for hospital-acquired nosocomial infections in the modern healthcare
      system. Due to the prevalence of infections and outbreaks caused by multi-drug
      resistant A. baumannii, few antibiotics are effective for treating infections
      caused by this pathogen. To overcome this problem, knowledge of the pathogenesis
      and antibiotic resistance mechanisms of A. baumannii is important. In this
      review, we summarize current studies on the virulence factors that contribute to
      A. baumannii pathogenesis, including porins, capsular polysaccharides,
      lipopolysaccharides, phospholipases, outer membrane vesicles, metal acquisition
      systems, and protein secretion systems. Mechanisms of antibiotic resistance of
      this organism, including acquirement of beta-lactamases, up-regulation of
      multidrug efflux pumps, modification of aminoglycosides, permeability defects,
      and alteration of target sites, are also discussed. Lastly, novel prospective
      treatment options for infections caused by multi-drug resistant A. baumannii are
      summarized.

PMID- 28348991
TI  - Myths and misconceptions in general public toward ocular complications followed
      by the removal of upper teeth.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: The upper jaw forms the floor of the maxillary sinus and the upper
      teeth are continuous with the whole midface and cranium, therefore while treating
      these teeth, it is important for the practitioner to consider the possibility of
      ocular complications. Ocular disturbances such as blurring of vision, mydriasis,
      ptosis, diplopia, enophthalmos, miosis, and blindness are rare complications due
      to intraoral local anesthesia. So far at present, the general population is
      having myths and misconceptions regarding the extraction of teeth and vision
      loss; hence, we evaluated the same. METHODS: A cross-sectional prospective survey
      targeting the general public was conducted using a self-administered
      questionnaire. A total of 300 standardized self-administered questionnaires were
      given and the data were analyzed. RESULTS: Out of 300 patients, 148 were educated
      and 152 were uneducated. The study population was analyzed based on their age,
      sex, and literacy, i.e. the level of education. Seventy-six percent of uneducated
      and 48% of educated groups had false belief of ocular complications followed by
      the removal of upper teeth and among them uneducated females of older age group
      showed higher prevalence. CONCLUSION: The general public's knowledge about ocular
      complications due to tooth extraction in our study group is not adequate and
      needs improvement. Although the practice of informing by dentists is
      satisfactory, there is a need for creating awareness in the general public
      against such complications.

PMID- 28348992
TI  - Community level evaluation of adenoid hypertrophy on the basis of symptom scoring
      and its X-ray correlation.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: One of the major causes of pediatric morbidity today at the
      community level is infection involving the ear, nose, and throat. Maximum of
      these patients respond well initially on general regular medications, but then
      recurrent complaints are not very uncommon. One of the major causes for such
      recurrence is hypertrophy of adenoids, the evaluation of which requires a battery
      of sophisticated investigative tools and expertise which are lacking at the
      community level. The aim of the study is to evaluate various symptoms related to
      adenoid hypertrophy and its correlation to the size of the adenoid seen in the
      lateral view nasopharyngeal X-ray. The aim of the study was to assess various
      symptoms related to adenoid hypertrophy and its correlation with the size of
      adenoid radiologically. METHODS: A total of fifty cases of pediatric age with
      strong clinical suspicion of adenoid hypertrophy were included in the study.
      Through ENT examination was done. X-ray lateral view nasopharynx was obtained.
      RESULTS: Adenoid hypertrophy was graded according to symptoms score and lateral
      cephalometric/radiographs. Snoring was the most frequent symptom which had a
      linear relation with the size of the adenoid. CONCLUSION: There was good
      agreement between symptom and the X-ray findings.

PMID- 28348994
TI  - Evaluation of patient and doctor perception toward the use of telemedicine in
      Apollo Tele Health Services, India.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: Telemedicine incorporates electronic information and medical
      technology. It connects healthcare through vast distances which would benefit
      both patients and doctors. The aim of this questionnaire study was to evaluate
      the effects of telemedicine on patients and medical specialists. METHODS: A cross
      sectional study was conducted among 122 participants (71 patients and 51 doctors)
      on satisfaction in quality of service, cost-effectiveness, and problems
      encountered in healthcare provided by the telemedicine in Apollo Tele Health
      Services, Hyderabad, Telangana, India. The data for each group were calculated
      and compared. RESULTS: About 80% patients and all the doctors reported their
      satisfaction on the quality of treatment given through telemedicine.
      Approximately, 90% of the participants found telemedicine cost-effective and 61%
      of the doctors found an increase in patient's inflow apart for their regular
      practice. Problems encountered in telemedicine were 47% in technical issues and
      39% in time scheduling by doctors and 31% of patients were uncomfortable to face
      the camera, and 24% had technical issues. CONCLUSIONS: The results of the present
      study showed that telemedicine in healthcare could prove to be useful to patients
      in distant regions and to rural doctors in India. In the near future,
      telemedicine can be considered as an alternate to face to face patient care.

PMID- 28348993
TI  - Profile of elderly attending a general practice clinic in a poor urban area: A
      cross-sectional study from South India.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: In India, the number of elderly is steadily increasing and is
      likely to reach 301 million by 2051. The increasing number and proportion of
      elderly will have a direct impact on the demand for health and pension services.
      As per the Demography of Indian Aging (Rajan et al.), information on morbidity
      profile of this population is essential to plan health-care facilities. METHODS:
      A descriptive cross-sectional study was designed to study the morbidity profile
      of 100 elderly persons reporting to the outpatient clinic of a family practice
      unit of a tertiary care center in South India between June 2008 and May 2010.
      This was done with a view to plan better services for the elderly in that area.
      RESULTS: In this study, 88% of the participants were on a follow-up while new
      ailment(s) were diagnosed in 11 participants. A majority of participants were
      illiterate (62%), unemployed (83%), and financially dependent (54%). Forty-four
      participants screened had depression that required intervention such as
      counseling and follow-up; in ten participants, the screening score was sufficient
      to warrant therapy. In nearly half of the participants, the musculoskeletal
      system was involved, and a significant number had the involvement of
      cardiorespiratory system and urinary incontinence. CONCLUSION: A large number of
      elderly are affected by a constellation of conditions including mental as well
      social issues. A family practice unit may be a good setup to provide the first
      contact care for the diagnosis and management of common problems in the elderly
      and help to improve their quality of life.

PMID- 28348995
TI  - A study on alcohol use and its related health and social problems in rural
      Puducherry, India.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: Harmful use of alcohol was the cause for 5.9% of all deaths and
      5.1% of the global burden of disease and injury. India is the third largest
      market for alcoholic beverages in the world with estimated 62.5 million alcohol
      user in 2005. The objective of this study was to know the prevalence of alcohol
      consumption, pattern of drinking, and its effect on people's health and social
      consequences. METHODS: This cross-sectional study was conducted in 850 households
      selected from 19 villages of two Primary Health Centers. A total of 30 clusters
      were selected, and from each cluster, 28 houses were surveyed by random walk
      method. Information was collected on predesigned and pretested questionnaire
      forms and analyzed using Epi Info 3.4.3. Chi-square test was used for statistical
      significance. RESULTS: The overall prevalence of alcohol use among >=18 years of
      age was 9.7% and exclusively among males was 17.1%. The highest prevalence
      (17.1%) was among 46-55 years age groups and the residents of joint families
      (37.0%). One-third of the users began drinking before 20 years of age and half of
      them consumed for getting relief from pain/strain/tiredness. About half of the
      users had strained relations with their family members and neighbors both. The
      majority had alcohol dependence problems and about one-fifth had chronic health
      problems, diabetes mellitus, and hypertension. CONCLUSION: The prevalence of
      alcohol use in Puducherry was low and restricted to males only. The prevalence
      was high among low uneducated farmers and labors. About one-third of users had
      alcohol dependence problems and one-fifth had chronic health problems.

PMID- 28348996
TI  - Subclinical hypothyroidism and the risk of hypercholesterolemia.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: Subclinical hypothyroidism (SCH) is a condition wherein there are
      small elevations in thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH), yet normal circulating
      levels of free thyroid hormones (FT4). Alterations in thyroid function result in
      changes in composition and transport of lipoproteins. METHODS: The study was
      undertaken in the outpatient department of Lourdes hospital, Ernakulam. 110
      patients between 40-69 years were studied, of which 60 were identified to have
      SCH based on cross-sectional survey, 50 patients were randomly selected to
      represent the EU group. Data based on interview, clinical examination, thyroid
      function, lipid profiles. Student's t, chi-square tests used for computation of p
      values. RESULTS: SCH were seen in females (66.66%) and in the age group of 40-49
      years (61.66%). Mean cholesterol values were elevated in the subclinical
      hypothyroid group and in relation to age (60-69) and gender. Statistical analysis
      showed significant difference in total cholesterol(TC) (P<0.005) and
      triglycerides (P<0.05) in relation to age (40-49 yrs.) between two groups. Based
      on TSH, group A 5-7.49Mu/L and group B 7.5-10Mu/L were compared to the euthyroid
      group N<5Mu/L. Mean cholesterol values were raised in both subgroups.
      Statistically significant difference seen (P<0.0005) in cholesterol values
      between the subclinical hypothyroid group B and the euthyroid group N.
      CONCLUSIONS: SCH appears to be associated with increased mean cholesterol levels
      in females and of age > 60 years. The TC values were elevated in both subgroups
      of patients with SCH (A and B) based on TSH values.

PMID- 28348997
TI  - Proportion of beneficiaries and factors affecting Janani Suraksha Yojana direct
      cash transfer scheme in Puducherry, India.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: Janani Suraksha Yojana (JSY) direct benefit transfer scheme was
      launched in the year 2013 in India and there is a paucity of information
      affecting it. The study aimed to assess the proportion of eligible beneficiaries
      utilizing JSY direct cash benefit transfer in Puducherry and to identify its
      barriers and facilitating factors. METHODS: This cross sectional study was
      conducted from January to March 2015 among 152 eligible JSY beneficiaries
      residing in rural and urban field practice areas of a tertiary care institution
      in Puducherry, India. Data were collected using a pretested semi structured
      questionnaire and presented as proportion or percentages. RESULTS: About 144
      beneficiaries participated in the study with a response rate of 94.7%. About 46%
      (66) of them availed cash transfer benefit. The mean time of receiving the
      benefit is 95.8 days (interquartile range 60-120 days). Among those who have not
      received (78), about 49 (62.8%) had not applied and 29 (37.18%) filled
      applications were rejected due to various reasons. About 77.1% (111) of
      beneficiaries were informed about JSY scheme through health workers. About 52.1%
      (75/144) still preferred direct bank transfer through the bank. The reasons for
      not availing benefits includes not having a bank account (24.3%), followed by not
      having Aadhaar number (9.7%), 11.8% had no ration card, and 13.8% stayed in their
      mother house. CONCLUSION: Majority of the beneficiaries did not receive direct
      cash transfer benefits in urban area than rural area and there is a need to
      simplify the procedures to improve the uptake of services to this group.

PMID- 28348998
TI  - Effect of female sex hormones on cardiorespiratory parameters.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: Female sex hormones, estrogen and progesterone regulate various
      phases of the menstrual cycle. Hormonal changes tend to affect various parameters
      of physical fitness. Maximum oxygen uptake (VO2 max) is a measure of aerobic
      power. This study was planned to assess effect of different phases of menstrual
      cycle on cardiorespiratory parameters like pulse rate, respiratory rate and VO2
      max. METHODS: 100 female medical students in the age group of 17-22 years were
      studied for three consecutive menstrual cycles. Weight, resting pulse rate,
      respiratory rate and VO2 max were measured during premenstrual phase (20th-25th
      day) and postmenstrual phase (5th to 10th day). RESULTS: It was observed that
      there was a significant increase in body weight, pulse rate, and respiratory rate
      during premenstrual phase. There was a decrease in VO2 max during the
      premenstrual phase. CONCLUSION: This study indicates that there is decreased
      cardio-respiratory efficiency during premenstrual phase.

PMID- 28348999
TI  - Goiter prevalence in school-going children: A cross-sectional study in two border
      districts of sub-Himalayan Jammu and Kashmir.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: Iodine deficiency disorder remains one of the major public health
      problems, despite it being easily preventable. Initially thought as the disorder
      of Himalayan goiter belt, the disorder has been found to have a pan-India
      presence. The study was planned with the aim to assess the prevalence of goiter
      among 6-12 years school-going children and to identify levels of iodine in salt
      consumed at the household level in the study area. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The
      study was conducted among 3955 school-going (2162 children from Rajouri and 1793
      children from Poonch) children age 6-12 years in Rajouri and Poonch districts of
      Jammu Province. The children were examined clinically to detect and grade the
      goiter. Salt samples were collected from subsample (n = 400) to estimate iodine
      content in the salt. RESULTS: The prevalence of goiter in the study population
      was found to be 18.87% and 9.70% in Rajouri and Poonch districts, respectively.
      Goiter prevalence was higher in 9-12 years age group as compared to 6-9 years age
      group and the difference in goiter prevalence in males of these two age groups
      was statistically significant (P = 0.02). Estimation of iodine content of the
      salt samples revealed that all of them (100%) had adequate iodine content.
      CONCLUSION: Despite the implementation of Universal Iodization Program and
      adequate content of iodine in salt consumed by the families, the goiter
      prevalence in both the districts is high. The future research should focus on
      identifying the reasons for this high prevalence.

PMID- 28349000
TI  - Oral health of preschool children in Dhanbad District, Jharkhand: A gander into
      the maternal behavior and practices.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: Mothers have an important role in taking decisions about their
      children's oral health. The study assessed the echelon of oral health behavior
      and practices of the mothers in relation to their preschool-aged children, which
      could possibly influence their oral health. METHODS: A cross-sectional study was
      carried out among 312 mothers, selected randomly from eight blocks of Dhanbad
      District, Jharkhand State, by administering a structured questionnaire on oral
      health behavior and practices regarding oral health. RESULTS: The overall data
      indicated that the practices of mothers about oral health of their preschool
      children increased as their age increased, which was however, not statistically
      significant (P > 0.47). The mothers who had less than higher secondary school
      education and belonging to lower socioeconomic groups had poorer oral health
      practices and was found to be statistically significant (P < 0.002). CONCLUSION:
      The mothers ought to inculcate positive practices and perceptions about
      preventive oral health for themselves first, to be good role models for their
      children.

PMID- 28349002
TI  - Family physicians' attitude and interest toward participation in urban family
      physician program and related factors.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: Every family physician has a key role in achieving the goals of the
      family physician program (FPP). Low satisfaction of physicians in certain areas
      of Iran and their low maintenance level in the program is quite challenging. The
      aims of the present study were; (1) to assess the attitude of rural/rural-urban
      family physicians about FPP and (2) to investigate their interest toward
      participation in urban FPP and (3) to explore the influencing factors. METHODS:
      This cross-sectional study was performed on 137 family physicians who were
      working in rural/rural-urban FPP in Mashhad University of Medical Sciences
      (Iran). A self-designed valid and reliable questionnaire including demographic
      data and thirty questions on the participants' attitudes toward the FPP in Likert
      scale were used. Data were analyzed by multiple logistic regression models using
      SPSS software. RESULTS: 49.3% of physicians were interested in continuing their
      cooperation in the urban-FPP. The mean total attitude score was 62.18 out of 100.
      The highest agreement and positive attitude of physicians were related to
      achievements of the program goals dimension. Multiple analyses showed that gender
      (odds ratio [OR] =5.5; male vs. female) and employment status (OR = 16.7 and 10.9
      for permanent employment and by contract compared to legal obligation,
      respectively) were significantly associated with physicians' willingness toward
      participation in the urban-FPP. CONCLUSION: About half of the studied physicians
      were interested toward participation in the urban-FPP; Male physicians more than
      females and permanent employees more than others were willing and interested to
      participate in the urban-FPP.

PMID- 28349001
TI  - Environmental correlates of undernutrition among children of 3-6 years of age,
      Rajkot, Gujarat, India.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: There are lots of studies focusing on the role of reproductive and
      child health factors and dietary factors on the nutrition status of the child.
      The present study is an attempt to highlight the role of macro- and micro
      environmental factors in predicting the occurrence of undernutrition in children.
      METHODS: This was a cross-sectional study conducted in field practice area of
      Community Medicine Department, PDU Medical College, Rajkot. The nutrition status
      of children was assessed using the weight for age WHO reference standards, 2006.
      Children below two standard deviation of the reference median (weight for age)
      were considered as malnourished. Data were collected for sociodemographic
      factors, sanitation, hygiene, and attitude of mother toward her child, etc., Data
      were entered in MS excel, and logistic regression was used. RESULTS: Analysis of
      495 selected children showed 24% prevalence of undernutrition. Employment status
      of mothers (adjusted odds ratio [AOR] 1.65), drinking water quality (AOR 1.53),
      and cleanliness of mother's hands and clothes (AOR 1.91) significantly affected
      the nutrition status of the child. Children classified in fair or poor category
      for Briscoe's sanitation scale had 1.34 and1.92 times higher odds of being
      undernourished (P > 0.05), respectively. Children classified in fair or poor
      category for Elizabeth's microenvironment scale had 2.05 and 2.41 times higher
      odds of being undernourished (P < 0.05), respectively. CONCLUSIONS: Water,
      sanitation, and hygiene-related factors, as well as microenvironmental factors,
      significantly affected the nutrition status of the children.

PMID- 28349003
TI  - Knowledge and self-care practices regarding diabetes among patients with Type 2
      diabetes in Rural Sullia, Karnataka: A community-based, cross-sectional study.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: Diabetes is a lifestyle disease which requires a multipronged
      approach for its management, wherein patient has an important role to play in
      terms of self-care practices, which can be taught to them by educational
      programs. To develop such an educational program, a baseline assessment of
      knowledge and self-care practices of patients, needs to be made. The two
      objectives of the study were to estimate the knowledge of diabetic patients
      regarding the disease and its complications, and to estimate the knowledge and
      adherence to self-care practices concerned with Type 2 diabetes mellitus.
      METHODS: The study was conducted in rural Sullia, Karnataka, from January 2014 to
      May 2015. The sample size was calculated to be 400, and the sampling method was
      probability proportionate to sampling size. RESULT: Majority of them were married
      males of Hindu religion and belonged to upper middle class. Only 24.25% of them
      had good knowledge. Among the self-care practices, foot care was the most
      neglected area. CONCLUSION: Only one-fourth of the study population had a good
      knowledge toward diabetes. Adherence to some of the self-care practices was also
      poor. Government policies may help in creating guidelines on diabetes management,
      funding community programs for public awareness, availability of medicines, and
      diagnostic services to all sections of the community. Continuing education
      programs for health-care providers and utilization of mass media to the fullest
      potential may also help in creating awareness.

PMID- 28349004
TI  - Assessment of physical disability using Barthel index among elderly of rural
      areas of district Jhansi (U.P), India.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: The health of the elderly will be an important issue defining the
      health status of a population. With the rise in aged population, there is a
      greater need to look into their physical disability aspects, which is otherwise
      neglected. The rationale behind the study is to assess the physical disability of
      the elderly living in rural area of Jhansi. The aims of the study were to study
      the prevalence of physical disability among the elderly of rural area, and to
      find out the factors and association affecting the physical disability. METHODS:
      A community-based cross-sectional study was carried out in a Baragaon block of
      rural area of Jhansi, Uttar Pradesh, India, from July 2015 to October 2015.
      Multistage random sampling was performed. A total of 265 participants of age 60
      years and above were selected. Physical disability was assessed using Barthel
      index. Appropriate data entry and statistical analysis were done in EpiInfo.
      Frequency tables were used to calculate the prevalence, and Chi-square test was
      used to find out the association. RESULTS: The overall prevalence of physical
      disability was 23.4%. 70% belongs to the age group from 60 to 69 years. Physical
      disability was significantly higher among age group >80 years. Similarly, women
      were more affected with physical disability than men. CONCLUSIONS: High
      prevalence of physical disability is the major area of concern. More extensive
      postdischarge health facilities to be provided to elderly.

PMID- 28349005
TI  - Multidrug-resistant Acinetobacter meningitis in children.
AB  - Acinetobacter species have emerged as one of the most troublesome pathogens for
      healthcare institutions globally. In more recent times, nosocomial infections
      involving the central nervous system, skin and soft tissue, and bone have emerged
      as highly problematic. Acinetobacter species infection is common in intensive
      care units; however, Acinetobacter baumannii meningitis is rarely reported. Here,
      we report two cases of Acinetobacter baumannii meningitis which was multidrug
      resistance and ultimately required the carbapenem group of drugs for the
      treatment.

PMID- 28349006
TI  - Immediate access to antiretroviral therapy is important in children living with
      HIV.
AB  - This article reviews a case of a child with perinatal HIV followed for 30 months
      during a prospective cohort study on pneumonia prevention in HIV-infected
      children. The point of this case report is to illustrate how delayed access to
      antiretroviral therapy (ART) in HIV-infected children impacts immunization
      response and growth. Given the WHO's early release guideline changes on ART
      recommendations and the expected full revised guidelines coming out this year,
      this article is a timely discussion on the need for access to ART for HIV
      infected Indian children regardless of CD4 count.

PMID- 28349007
TI  - Neonatal cholestasis due to primary sclerosing cholangitis.
AB  - Neonatal cholestasis is rarely caused due to primary sclerosing cholangitis,
      which is an inflammatory disease of the bile ducts, which results in obstructive
      fibrosis of the ducts. A 7-month-old male child presented with jaundice along
      with high-colored urine and clay-colored stools since birth. Liver biopsy showed
      mild bile duct proliferation with cholangioles showing bile and thrombi
      suggestive of primary sclerosing cholangitis.

PMID- 28349008
TI  - A case of hard palate perforation.
AB  - Tuberculosis (TB) is a major public health problem in developing countries. Lung
      is most common affected organ, however extra pulmonary tuberculosis (EPTB) is
      also not uncommon. The clinical manifestations of EPTB may be non-specific that
      mimics other diseases and is usually misdiagnosed. Therefore, high clinical
      suspicion of EPTB infection is important, especially in endemic areas. Here, we
      present a case of hard palate perforation that proved to be tuberculous in
      origin. The diagnosis was made by histo-pathological examination and positive TB
      Polymerase chain reaction (PCR).

PMID- 28349009
TI  - An atypical presentation of infiltrating ductal carcinoma.
AB  - A 64-year-old African-American female presented with nonbloody nipple discharge.
      Clinical and cytological examination of the discharge was normal. The mammography
      suggested pleomorphic calcification in the left breast. A stereotactic biopsy
      showed ductal carcinoma in situ and her estrogen receptor/progesterone
      receptor/human epidermal growth factor receptor 2-neu receptor were negative. We
      removed the tumor tissue through lumpectomy and found that the mass was invasive
      ductal carcinoma. This case report highlights invasive ductal carcinoma,
      presenting with unilateral nipple discharge.

PMID- 28349010
TI  - Tuberculosis in a case of hyper immunoglobulin E syndrome.
AB  - Hyper immunoglobulin E syndrome (HIES) is a rare primary immunodeficiency
      disorder characterized by elevated serum IgE, dermatitis, and immunodeficiency
      that predisposes to multiple skin and lung infections. The most frequent pathogen
      responsible for infections in these patients is Staphylococcus aureus.
      Tuberculosis (TB) in patients with HIES is an uncommon finding, and there are
      only a few reports of mycobacterial infections in known cases of HIES. We present
      a case of abdominal TB that developed in a 15-year-old boy who also had HIES.

PMID- 28349011
TI  - Late onset hydrocephalus in children with tuberculous meningitis.
AB  - Hydrocephalus is a known complication of tuberculous meningitis (TBM). It is
      almost always present in patients who have had the disease for four to six weeks.
      However, hydrocephalus can also develop later in the disease course as seen in
      our 3 patients. All 3 patients had multi-drug resistant (MDR) tuberculosis (TB)
      and developed hydrocephalus after variable time after starting second line anti
      tuberculous therapy (ATT). A 7 years old girl had hydrocephalus at onset of TBM
      and was shunted but the hydrocephalus increased in size after 6 months of being
      on second line ATT in spite of a patent ventricular peritoneal (VP) shunt.
      Hydrocephalus responded to oral acetazolamide. Other 2 patients, a 2 years old
      girl and 31/2 years old boy developed hydrocephalus after being on treatment for
      14 months. Both required insertion of VP shunt. Thus, in patients with MDR-TB,
      hydrocephalus may develop as late onset phenomenon and a neurological examination
      would be essential in each visit to the hospital.

PMID- 28349012
TI  - Low-dose methotrexate-induced acute interstitial pneumonitis: Report of two cases
      from South India and review of literature.
AB  - Methotrexate (MTX) is an antimetabolite used as a disease-modifying agent for
      various rheumatological conditions. We report two patients who were treated with
      daily low-dose MTX and developed acute interstitial pneumonitis requiring
      hospital admission. MTX-induced pneumonitis is a rare life-threatening side
      effect, high index of clinical suspicion is required, treatment is mainly
      withdrawal of MTX, supportive therapy, and adjunctive steroids, outcome is good
      if condition is recognized early, and appropriate treatment is given.

PMID- 28349013
TI  - An unusual case of sustained ventricular tachycardia following a wasp bite.
AB  - Sustained ventricular tachycardia (VT) is a life-threatening condition which
      requires immediate intervention. We report a case of unusual etiology of
      sustained VT in a 42-year-old male after a wasp bite in the absence of
      anaphylaxis. The patient was treated with amiodarone and improved within 48 h.
      Thus, wasp stings can lead to serious tachyarrhythmias which can be life
      threatening. Emergency care physicians should be aware of such arrhythmias in the
      setting of wasp bites which can be fatal.

PMID- 28349014
TI  - Sertraline induced mandibular dystonia and bruxism.
AB  - Specific serotonin reuptake inhibitors have been associated with the occurrence
      of drug-induced parkinsonism, dystonia, dyskinesia, and akathisia. Here, we
      describe a young female patient with a diagnosis of the moderate depressive
      episode who developed mandibular dystonia and bruxism with sertraline in the
      absence of concurrent prescription of medications, which have potential action on
      the dopaminergic system.

PMID- 28349015
TI  - Smoke on a white coat.

PMID- 28349016
TI  - Screening of tuberculosis patients for diabetes mellitus is feasible with the
      existing health system in India.

PMID- 28349017
TI  - Psychological symptoms predicted chest pain intensity and discomfort in cardiac
      rehabilitation patients.

PMID- 28349018
TI  - Bodybuilders pneumonia.

PMID- 28349019
TI  - Acute disseminated encephalomyelitis after mumps infection.

PMID- 28349020
TI  - Treatment Outcome of the Drug-resistant Zoonotic Cutaneous Leishmaniasis by
      Glucantime.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Resistance of Leishmania species to antimonial drugs has increased.
      Hence, in the present study Leishmania major isolates were collected from
      patients with resistance phenotype and the presence/absence of resistance to
      Glucantime was investigated. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Samples were taken from 10
      cutaneous leishmaniasis (CL) patients who had not responded to chemotherapy with
      Glucantime. Nested polymerase chain reaction (PCR) was performed to identify the
      isolated species. Stationary phase promastigotes were added to the grown,
      adhesive J774 macrophages. Values obtained from standard strain were compared
      with the test cultures after exposure to the medicine. In vivo, the effects of
      Glucantime were assessed by comparing the sizes and the parasite burden of the
      lesions on mouse model. RESULTS: The results of amplified band on agarose gel
      demonstrated all samples were L. major. After exposure to medicine, a reduction
      of intracellular amastigotes to half was detected. In vivo, the parasite was
      eliminated in 90% of mice with lesions caused by both isolates of patients and
      standard L. major, and their lesions became smaller significantly. CONCLUSION:
      Pentavalent antimonial (SbV) salts are the main component of chemotherapy against
      leishmaniasis. However, the medicine has been found ineffective. In the present
      study, isolates from patients with no response to treatment had no significant
      difference from the standard L. major strain (as the sensitive strain).
      Therefore, in patients with resistance phenotype to Glucantime, the parasites did
      not actually have intrinsic resistance, i.e., environmental and host factors
      prevented the successful treatment of the disease.

PMID- 28349022
TI  - Evaluating Accuracy of Free-hand Pedicle Screw Insertion in Adolescent Idiopathic
      Scoliosis Using Postoperative Multi-Slice Computed Tomography Scan.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Pedicle screw instrumentation has many advantages for correction of
      adolescent idiopathic scoliosis (AIS) deformity including better correction and
      fewer late complications. On the other hand, screw insertion in AIS is
      challenging. Intraoperative fluoroscopy or navigation techniques are expensive,
      time-consuming, and exposed to high radiation. Free-hand technique relies on the
      surgeon's experience and locating the pedicle entry point with anatomical
      landmarks. There are few studies that evaluated pedicle screw position accuracy
      with postoperative multi-slice computed tomography scan. MATERIALS AND METHODS:
      We prospectively considered 38 consecutive AIS cases, who underwent corrective
      surgery with all pedicle screw technique. All the screws were inserted with free
      hand technique using anatomic landmarks as a guide for an entry site. We divided
      pedicle penetration in medial, lateral, inferior, superior, and anterior
      vertebral body as Grades 0-4, that Grade 0 is fully contained within the pedicle,
      Grade 1 (<2 mm), Grade 2 (2.1-4 mm), Grade 3 (4.1-6 mm), and Grade 4 (>6 mm).
      RESULTS: A total of 720 screws were inserted, of which 623 screws (86.5%) were
      perfect and 97 screws (13.5%) were misplaced. Of those which were misplaced, 39
      screws (40.2%) were medial and 58 (59.8%) were lateral, which shows that the
      prevalence of lateral misplacement was more in comparison to medial misplacement.
      However, in all misplaced cases, the deviation of the screw was <2 mm (Grade 1).
      There was no misplacement in the inferior and superior. CONCLUSION: Pedicle screw
      insertion in AIS with the free-hand technique is a safe and reliable method.

PMID- 28349021
TI  - Evaluation of Diagnostic Values of Clinical Assessment in Determining the
      Maturation of Arteriovenous Fistulas for Satisfactory Hemodialysis.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Fistulas are the preferred permanent hemodialysis vascular access,
      but a significant obstacle to increasing their prevalence is the fistula's high
      "failure to mature" (FTM) rate. This study aimed to identify postoperative
      clinical characteristics that are predictive of fistula FTM. MATERIALS AND
      METHODS: This descriptive cross-sectional study was performed on 80 end-stage
      renal disease patients who referred to Al Zahra Hospital, Isfahan, for
      brachiocephalic fistula placement. After 4 weeks, the clinical criteria (trill,
      firmness, vein length, and venous engorgement) examined and the fistulas
      situation divided to favorable or unfavorable by each criterion, and the results
      comprised with dialysis possibility. Data were analyzed with SPSS version 21.
      Diagnostic index for CLINICAL examination was calculated. RESULTS: Among the 80
      cases, 25 (31.2%) female and 55 (68.8%) male were studied with the mean age of
      51.9 (standard deviation = 17) year ranged between 18 and 86 years old. Sixty-two
      (77.5%) cases had successful hemodialysis. All four clinical assessments were
      significantly more acceptable in patients with successful dialysis (P < 0.001).
      According to the results of our study, the accuracy of all physical assessments
      was above 70% and except vein length other criteria had a sensitivity and
      negative predictive value of 100%. In this study, firmness of vein has highest
      specificity and positive predictive value (83.9% and 64.3%, respectively).
      CONCLUSION: Results of our study showed that high sensitivity and relatively low
      specificity of the clinical criterion. It means that unfavorable results of each
      clinical criterion predict unfavorable dialysis. Clinical evaluation of a newly
      created fistula 4-6 weeks after surgery should be considered mandatory.

PMID- 28349023
TI  - Fractional Carbon Dioxide Laser and its Combination with Subcision in Improving
      Atrophic Acne Scars.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Acne is a very common skin disease in which scars are seen in 95% of
      the patients. Although numerous treatments have been recommended, researchers are
      still searching for a single modality to treat the complication due to its
      variety in shape and depth. We compared the effects of fractional carbon dioxide
      (CO2) laser alone and in combination with subcision in the treatment of atrophic
      acne scars. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This clinical trial study was performed in
      Skin Diseases and Leishmaniasis Research Center (Isfahan, Iran) during 2011-2012.
      Eligible patients with atrophic acne scars were treated with fractional CO2 laser
      alone (five sessions with 3-week interval) on the right side of the face and
      fractional CO2 laser plus subcision (one session using both with four sessions of
      fractional CO2 laser, with 3-week interval) on the left side. The subjects were
      visited 1, 2, and 6 months after the treatment. Patient satisfaction rate was
      analyzed using SPSS 20 software. RESULTS: The average of recovery rate was 54.7%
      using the combination method and 43.0% using laser alone (P < 0.001). The mean
      patient satisfaction was significantly higher with the combination method than
      laser alone (6.6 +/- 1.2 vs. 5.2 +/- 1.8; P < 0.001). Bruising was only seen with
      the combination method and lasted for 1 week in 57.0% and for 2 weeks in 43.0%.
      Erythema was seen in both methods. Postinflammatory pigmentation and
      hyperpigmentation were associated with combination method. No persistent side
      effects were seen after 6 months. CONCLUSION: Using a combination of subcision
      and laser had suitable results regarding scar recovery and satisfaction rate.

PMID- 28349024
TI  - The Mediating Role of Mental Health in the Relations between Dietary Behaviors
      and General Health: A Cross-sectional Study.
AB  - BACKGROUND: The aim of this study is to find a pathway to explaining the
      relations between dietary behaviors with mental health and psychological
      functioning. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This cross-sectional study contains 4763
      participants from the employees of Isfahan University of Medical Sciences. In
      this study, four questionnaires were administered which were provided as follows:
      demographic characteristics, 21-item dietary behaviors questionnaire, Hospital
      Anxiety and Depression Scale questionnaire, and 12-item General Health
      Questionnaire (GHQ-12). We started the analysis with the structural equation
      modeling (SEM) model with 4 unobserved latent and 16 observed variables. RESULTS:
      The results show that the regression coefficient (standard error) of diet
      behavior on mental health and mental health on GHQ were - 1 (0.37) and 0.02
      (0.01) with their P values as 0.007 and 0.01, respectively. For this model, the
      estimated root mean square error of approximation is 0.062 with 90% confidence
      interval of (0.060-0.065). In addition, the comparative fit indices (CFIs) were
      as 0.866 for incremental fit index and 0.866 for CFI. All these indices represent
      fairly good fit of the model to the data. CONCLUSION: We can conclude that "lower
      scores on diet behavior - higher scores on mental health problems" and "higher
      mean scores in depression and/or anxiety - higher scores in GHQ domains." The SEM
      results showed that dietary behaviors have significance related to depression
      and/or anxiety and general health status.

PMID- 28349025
TI  - Optimization of the Expression of DT386-BR2 Fusion Protein in Escherichia coli
      using Response Surface Methodology.
AB  - BACKGROUND: The aim of this study was to determine the best condition for the
      production of DT386-BR2 fusion protein, an immunotoxin consisting of catalytic
      and translocation domains of diphtheria toxin fused to BR2, a cancer specific
      cell penetrating peptide, for targeted eradication of cancer cells, in terms of
      the host, cultivation condition, and culture medium. MATERIALS AND METHODS:
      Recombinant pET28a vector containing the codons optimized for the expression of
      the DT386-BR2 gene was transformed to different strains of Escherichia coli (E.
      coli BL21 DE3, E. coli Rosetta DE3 and E. coli Rosetta-gami 2 DE3), followed by
      the induction of expression using 1 mM IPTG. Then, the strain with the highest
      ability to produce recombinant protein was selected and used to determine the
      best expression condition using response surface methodology (RSM). Finally, the
      best culture medium was selected. RESULTS: Densitometry analysis of sodium
      dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis of the expressed fusion
      protein showed that E. coli Rosetta DE3 produced the highest amounts of the
      recombinant fusion protein when quantified by 1 mg/ml bovine serum albumin
      (178.07 MUg/ml). Results of RSM also showed the best condition for the production
      of the recombinant fusion protein was induction with 1 mM IPTG for 2 h at 37
      degrees C. Finally, it was established that terrific broth could produce higher
      amounts of the fusion protein when compared to other culture media. CONCLUSION:
      In this study, we expressed the recombinant DT386-BR2 fusion protein in large
      amounts by optimizing the expression host, cultivation condition, and culture
      medium. This fusion protein will be subjected to purification and evaluation of
      its cytotoxic effects in future studies.

PMID- 28349026
TI  - Current and future of the Journal of Exercise Rehabilitation.

PMID- 28349027
TI  - Review of researches on smartphone applications for physical activity promotion
      in healthy adults.
AB  - Physical activity is known as a preventative method for preventing life-style
      related diseases. Smartphone applications for health and fitness intervention
      have released with rapid increase of innovative technology. Reviews of recent
      publications on mobile application have been conducted to observe feasibility and
      applicability for physical activity intervention. Bibliographic searches of
      PubMed and ScienceDirect were conducted with key terms, 'physical activity,'
      'fitness,' 'smart-phone,' and 'health' between the years 2014 and 2017 to obtain
      5,087 publications. Out of 5,087 articles, five articles on sensor-based
      applications and five articles on user entry-based applications were obtained
      through the inclusion and exclusion processes. Accuracy of the physical activity
      assessments were reported to be high in comparison to the conventional assessment
      tools. The overall subject rating on the app motivational ratings were positive
      with high correlation between physical activity and treats and cues. The
      adherence rates to the apps significantly dropped prior to 3 months. Publications
      that elucidate feasibility and accuracy of smartphone applications that motivates
      physical activity seem limited with adequately conducted study designs. Large
      scaled, control-compared, long-term randomized control trials should be conducted
      to elucidate the effects of the app interventions.

PMID- 28349029
TI  - Effect of square stepping exercise for older adults to prevent fall and injury
      related to fall: systematic review and meta-analysis of current evidences.
AB  - Falls and fall related injuries become an emerging health problem among older
      adults. As a result a review of the recent evidences is needed to design a
      prevention strategy. The aim of this review was to determine the effect of square
      stepping exercise (SSE) for fall down injury among older adults compared with
      walking training or other exercises. An electronic database search for relevant
      randomized control trials published in English from 2005 to 2016 was conducted.
      Articles with outcome measures of functional reach, perceived health status, fear
      of fall were included. Quality of the included articles was rated using
      Physiotherapy Evidence Database (PEDro) scale and the pooled effect of SSE was
      obtained by Review Manager (RevMan5) software. Significant effect of SSE was
      detected over walking or no treatment to improve balance as well to prevent fear
      of fall and improve perceived health status. The results of this systematic
      review proposed that SSE significantly better than walking or no treatment to
      prevent fall, prevent fear of fall and improve perceived health status.

PMID- 28349028
TI  - Therapeutic effectiveness of instrument-assisted soft tissue mobilization for
      soft tissue injury: mechanisms and practical application.
AB  - This article reviews the mechanism and effects of instrument-assisted soft tissue
      mobilization (IASTM), along with guidelines for its practical application. IASTM
      refers to a technique that uses instruments to remove scar tissues from injured
      soft tissues and facilitate healing process through formation of new
      extracellular matrix proteins such as collagen. Recently, frequent use of this
      instrument has increased in the fields of sports rehabilitation and athlete
      training. Some experimental studies and case reports have reported that IASTM can
      significantly improve soft tissue function and range of motion following sports
      injury, while also reducing pain. Based on the previous studies, it is thought
      that IASTM can help shorten the rehabilitation period and time to return to
      sports among athletes and ordinary people who have suffered sports injuries.
      However, few experimental studies of the mechanisms and effects of IASTM have
      examined, while case reports have accounted for the majority of articles. In the
      future, the scientific basis of IASTM and its reliability should be provided
      through well-designed experimental studies on humans. Moreover, IASTM studies
      that have mostly focused on tendons need to broaden their scope toward other soft
      tissues such as muscles and ligaments.

PMID- 28349030
TI  - Treadmill exercise alleviates nigrostriatal dopaminergic loss of neurons and
      fibers in rotenone-induced Parkinson rats.
AB  - Parkinson disease is one of the common brain diseases caused by dopaminergic
      neuronal loss in the substantia nigra and dopaminergic fiber loss in the
      striatum. In the present study, the effects of treadmill exercise on motor
      performance, dopaminergic loss of neurons and fibers, and alpha-synuclein
      expression in the nigrostriatum were evaluated using rotenone-induced Parkinson
      rats. For the induction of Parkinson rats, 3-mg/kg rotenone was injected, once a
      day for 14 consecutive days. Treadmill running was conducted for 30 min once a
      day during 14 consecutive days. Rota-rod test for motor balance and coordination
      and immunohistochemistry for tyrosine hydroxylase and alpha-synuclein in the
      nigrostriatum were performed. In the present study, motor balance and
      coordination was disturbed by induction of rotenone-induced Parkinson disease, in
      contrast, treadmill exercise alleviated motor dysfunction in the rotenone-induced
      Parkinson rats. Nigrostriatal dopaminergic loss of neurons and fibers was
      occurred by induction of rotenone-induced Parkinson disease, in contrast,
      treadmill exercise alleviated nigrostriatal dopaminergic loss of neurons and
      fibers in the rotenone-induced Parkinson rats. alpha-Synuclein expression in the
      nigrostriatum was enhanced by induction of rotenone-induced Parkinson disease, in
      contrast, treadmill exercise suppressed alpha-synuclein expression in the
      rotenone-induced Parkinson rats. Treadmill exercise improved motor function
      through preservation of nigrostriatal dopaminergic neurons and fibers and
      suppression of nigrostriatal formation of Lewy bodies in rotenone-induced
      Parkinson rats.

PMID- 28349031
TI  - Treadmill exercise improves depression-like symptoms by enhancing serotonergic
      function through upregulation of 5-HT1A expression in the olfactory bulbectomized
      rats.
AB  - The olfactory bulbectomy (OBX) is a well-known method inducing animal model of
      depression. Depression is associated with dysfunction of serotonin (5
      hydroxytryptamine, 5-HT) system. In the present study, antidepressive effect of
      treadmill exercise was investigated using olfactory bulbectomized rats. After
      bilateral bulbectomy, the rats in the treadmill exercise groups were subjected to
      run on a treadmill for 30 min once a day during 28 days. Increased immobility
      time and decreased fast time in the forced swim test were observed in the
      olfactory bulbectomized rats. Sucrose preference in the sucrose preference test
      was decreased and activity in the open field test was also increased in the
      olfactory bulbectomized rats. Treadmill exercise decreased immobility time and
      activity and increased fast time and sucrose preference in the olfactory
      bulbectomized rats. Expressions of 5-HT and tryptophan hydroxylase (TPH) in the
      dorsal raphe of rats were suppressed by OBX and treadmill exercise increased the
      expressions of 5-HT and TPH in the olfactory bulbectomized rats. Serotonin
      receptor type 1A (5-HT1A) expression in the dorsal raphe was reduced by OBX and
      treadmill exercise increased 5-HT1A expression in the olfactory bulbectomized
      rats. In the present study, treadmill exercise ameliorated OBX-induced depressive
      symptoms. The antidepressive effect of treadmill exercise might be ascribed to
      the enhancement of serotonergic function through upregulation of 5-HT1A
      expression in the dorsal raphe.

PMID- 28349032
TI  - Experience of sport stacking in Korean older adults.
AB  - Today sedentary lifestyles are a major public health concern and there are many
      evidences related to physical inactivity. The well-documented evidence is that
      regular physical activity is an essential part for improving overall health with
      advancing aging and the most efficient means playing roles of rehabilitation and
      prehabilitation. However, there are few activity programs which could motivate
      older adults to continue and maintain their active lifestyles. The purpose of the
      current study was to describe experience of sport stacking which applied to
      Korean older adults in the first time. Eighteen older adults living in the
      community in Seoul which was the capital and largest metropolis of the Republic
      of Korea participated in the study. A qualitative interview and a survey were
      conducted and data were analyzed by interpretive content analysis. Individual,
      semistructured, face-to-face interviews were recorded, transcribed, condensed and
      coded to find themes. The main themes were identified regarding older adults'
      experience of sport stacking: enjoyment of sport stacking, attitudes toward sport
      stacking as a physical activity program, and benefits from sport stacking. In
      conclusions, Korean older adults had positive experience of sport stacking and it
      was necessary for developing strategies to spread it as the physical activity
      program for older persons in Korea to improve their health and quality of life.

PMID- 28349033
TI  - Effects of smartphone texting on the visual perception and dynamic walking
      stability.
AB  - Mobile phone use while walking can cause dual-task interference and increases
      safety risks by increasing attentional and cognitive demands. While the
      interference effect on cognitive function has been examined extensively, how
      perception of the environment and walking dynamics are affected by mobile phone
      use while walking is not well understood. The amount of visual information loss
      and its consequent impact on dynamic walking stability was examined in this
      study. Young adults (mean, 20.3 years) volunteered and walked on a treadmill
      while texting and attending to visual tasks simultaneously. Performance of visual
      task, field of regard loss, and margin of stability under dual-task conditions
      were compared with those of single-task conditions (i.e., visual task only). The
      results revealed that the size of visual field and visual acuity demand were
      varied across the visual task conditions. Approximately half of the visual cues
      provided during texting while walking were not perceived as compared to the
      visual task only condition. The field of regard loss also increased with
      increased dual-task cost of mobile phone use. Dynamic walking stability, however,
      showed no significant differences between the conditions. Taken together, the
      results demonstrate that the loss of situational awareness is unavoidable and
      occurs simultaneously with decrements in concurrent task performance. The study
      indicates the importance of considering the nature of attentional resources for
      the studies in dual-task paradigm and may provide practical information to
      improve the safe use of mobile phones while walking.

PMID- 28349034
TI  - Repeated sprint ability is not enhanced by caffeine, arginine, and branched-chain
      amino acids in moderately trained soccer players.
AB  - The aim was to investigate the effect of a dietary supplementation on the
      repeated sprint ability (RSA) performance in recreationally trained team sports
      athletes. Twelve young men underwent a RSA exercise protocol in five trials, in
      which participants ingested carbohydrates (CHO) plus caffeine (Caf), CHO plus
      arginine (Arg), CHO plus branched-chain amino acids (BCAA), CHO plus Caf, Arg,
      and BCAA (ALL), and CHO only. Heart rate, oxygen saturation, hematic lactate,
      ratings of perceived exertion, average sprint time, total time, best sprint time,
      peak power, and average power were taken. Data revealed no significant effects
      neither on physiological nor performance parameters with any of the supplements.

PMID- 28349035
TI  - Characteristics of upper extremity's muscle strength in Turkish national
      wheelchair basketball players team.
AB  - The objective of this study was to reveal characteristics of muscle strength of
      upper extremities of wheelchair (WC) basketball players and to ensure more
      specific training program preparation. Isokinetic muscle strength of 12 WC
      basketball players were assessed by ISOMED 2000 device. The assessment protocol
      was evaluated at 60 degrees /sec velocity with 5 times repeated force and at 240
      degrees /sec with 15 times repeated force. This protocol was carried out
      individually for shoulder flexion-extension and wrist flexion-extension movements
      at the right and left extremities. The flexion/extension ratio was determined to
      be outside of the ratios accepted as normal for primarily shoulder joint and for
      wrist joint. The extension movement was stronger than flexion movement in the
      shoulders at both velocities and the flexion movement was stronger than ex
      tension movement in the wrist. The repeat times where the peak torque occurred
      were 2-3 repeats at 60 degrees /sec velocity during flexion and extension
      movements for the wrist and shoulders, and the peak torque occurred at an average
      of 5-6 repeats in the shoulders at 240 degrees /sec velocity and it occurred at 3
      4 repeats in the wrist. The angles where the peak torque of the shoulder flexion
      and extension occurred varied between 80 degrees -115 degrees  at both
      velocities, and it varied between 5 degrees -30 degrees  angles for the wrist. As
      this study revealed, determination of muscle strength characteristics of WC
      athletes and especially using objective isokinetic devices will guide the
      planning of the appropriate training and exercise programs and preventing sports
      injuries in long term.

PMID- 28349036
TI  - Monitoring internal training load and salivary immune-endocrine responses during
      an annual judo training periodization.
AB  - The objective of this study was to examine the internal training load (TL), IgA,
      and salivary steroid hormone responses in elite youth judo athletes during an
      entire annual training periodization. Ten male judo athletes (18+/-2 years,
      72.3+/-12.3 kg, and 175+/-6 cm) competing at a state/national level were examined
      for the TL and salivary imune-endocrine responses variations over an annual judo
      season, divided in three macrocyles composed by distinct periods denominated
      preparatory period (PP), competitive period (CP) and transition period (TP). At
      the end of PP and CP, saliva samples were collected to determine cortisol,
      testosterone and IgA concentrations. Throughout PP and CP the session-rating of
      perceived exertion and the total duration of each session were monitored,
      allowing the internal TL and weekly training strain (TS) calculation. During all
      macrocycles, significant decreases in TL and TS were observed during CP compared
      with PP (P<0.05), although no significant differences were observed for immune
      endocrine concentrations between PP and CP (P>0.05). Specific variations were
      observed comparing periods with similar characteristics throughout the
      macrocycles as higher TL and TS (PP1 to PP2 and PP3, P<0.05), increased
      testosterone (CP1 to CP3, P=0.024) and decreased testosterone-cortisol ratio (PP1
      to PP2, P=0.005). The present findings suggest that the internal TL variations
      over an annual multipeak traditional periodization did not influence the resting
      mucosal immune-endocrinal responses in young judo athletes.

PMID- 28349037
TI  - Inpatient cardiac rehabilitation programs' exercise therapy for patients
      undergoing cardiac surgery: National Korean Questionnaire Survey.
AB  - Inpatient cardiac rehabilitation (ICR) has been commonly conducted after cardiac
      surgery in many countries, and has been reported a lots of results. However,
      until now, there is inadequacy of data on the status of ICR in Korea. This study
      described the current status of exercise therapy in ICR that is performed after
      cardiac surgery in Korean hospitals. Questionnaires modified by previous studies
      were sent to the departments of thoracic surgery of 10 hospitals in Korea. Nine
      replies (response rate 90%) were received. Eight nurses and one physiotherapist
      completed the questionnaire. Most of the education on wards after cardiac surgery
      was conducted by nurses. On postoperative day 1, four sites performed sitting on
      the edge of bed, sit to stand, up to chair, and walking in the ward. Only one
      site performed that exercise on postoperative day 2. One activity (stairs up and
      down) was performed on different days at only two sites. Patients received
      education preoperatively and predischarge for preventing complications and
      reducing muscle weakness through physical inactivity. The results of the study
      demonstrate that there are small variations in the general care provided by
      nurses after cardiac surgery. Based on the results of this research, we
      recommended that exercise therapy programs have to conduct by exercise
      specialists like exercise physiologists or physiotherapists for patients in
      hospitalization period.

PMID- 28349038
TI  - The effect of treadmill-based and track-based walking training on physical
      fitness in ankle-sprain experienced young people.
AB  - The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effects of 12-week treadmill-based
      (MT) and track-based (TT) walking program on maximal oxygen consumption (VO2max),
      muscular endurance, muscle strength, and ankle range of motion (ROM) in ankle
      sprain experienced young people. Twenty subjects (12 males, 8 females)
      volunteered to participate in this study and divided into two groups (MT and TT).
      All subjects completed MT and TT 4 times per week with each session of 60 min
      with 65% from maximum heart rate. Incremental test on treadmill and 20-m shuttle
      run test for endurance capacity (VO2max), 2-km walking test for muscular
      endurance, vertical jump for strength, and ankle ROM for flexibility were
      analyzed before and after the training intervention. We found significant
      increase in incremental, 2-km walking and 20-m shuttle run after both MT and TT.
      Just after TT were significant increased vertical jump and ankle ROM. In
      conclusion, TT seems to induce a more positive effect on muscle strength in lower
      extremity and ankle ROM than treadmill-based walking training in ankle sprain
      experienced young people.

PMID- 28349039
TI  - A community-based aquatic exercise program to improve endurance and mobility in
      adults with mild to moderate intellectual disability.
AB  - The purpose of this study was to investigate the impact of a community-based
      aquatic exercise program on physical performance among adults with mild to
      moderate intellectual disability (ID). Twenty-two community-dwelling adults with
      mild to moderate ID volunteered to participate in this study. Participants
      completed an 8-week aquatic exercise program (2 days/wk, 1 hr/session). Measures
      of physical performance, which were assessed prior to and following the
      completion of the aquatic exercise program, included the timed-up-and-go test, 6
      min walk test, 30-sec chair stand test, 10-m timed walk test, hand grip strength,
      and the static plank test. When comparing participants' measures of physical
      performance prior to and following the 8-week aquatic exercise program,
      improvements were seen in all measures, but the change in scores for the 6-min
      walk test, 30-sec chair stand test, and the static plank test achieved
      statistical significance (P<0.05). An 8-week group aquatic exercise program for
      adults with ID may promote improvements in endurance and balance/mobility.

PMID- 28349040
TI  - The effect of resistance exercise on fitness, blood pressure, and blood lipid of
      hypertensive middle-aged men.
AB  - The purpose of this study is to investigate the effect of resistance exercise on
      fitness, blood pressure, and blood lipid of hypertensive middle-aged men. To
      achieve the goal of the study, a total of 23 subjects were selected. Among them,
      14 subjects who exercised regularly were selected as the exercise group, while
      the remaining 9 subjects were selected as the control group. In terms of data
      processing, the IBM SPSS Statistics ver. 21.0 software was used to calculate the
      mean and standard deviation. Regarding the verification of difference on the
      change of means between the groups, analysis of covariance was used for
      statistical process. As a result, significant differences were found in
      cardiovascular endurance, muscle endurance, flexibility, and triglyceride. These
      results indicate that the resistance exercise only had slight effect on
      hypertensive middle-aged men.

PMID- 28349041
TI  - Influence of expectations plus mobilization with movement in patient with lateral
      epicondylalgia: a pilot randomized controlled trial.
AB  - The aim of this study was to determine the influence of expectations plus
      mobilization with movement (MWM) in kinesiophobia, perceived disability and
      sensorimotor variables in patients with lateral epicondylalgia. A pilot
      randomized controlled trial in 24 patients with lateral epicondylalgia was
      conducted. Perceived pain, pain-free grip strength, pressure pain detection
      threshold, kinesiophobia measured with the short version of Tampa Scale of
      Kinesiophobia, perceived disability of the upper limb measured with disability of
      the arm, hand and shoulder questionnaire, and perceived disability specifically
      for the elbow joint measured with patient-rating tennis elbow evaluation, and
      also satisfaction were assessed. Participants were randomized to receive written
      instructions in order to create positive expectations regarding the technique in
      one group (n=12) or neutral expectations in the other one (n=12). All patients
      were treated for three sessions with the MWM technique. Measures were recorded
      before and after treatment. The effect size was calculated by Rosenthal "r" for
      nonparametrical tests. There were no significant statistical differences (P>0.05)
      between groups after receiving the treatment for none of the physical analyzed
      variables. The Wilcoxon test showed statistically significant changes in
      kinesiophobia (Z=-2.278, r=0.47, P=0.023) and perceived disability (Z= -2.934,
      r=0.61, P=0.003) within positive expectations group. In conclusion this pilot
      study shows that a positive expectation almost given in a sealed envelope before
      treatment plus MWM produced changes in kinesiophobia and perceived disability in
      the immediate term, in patients with lateral epicondylalgia.

PMID- 28349042
TI  - Effects of strength and neuromuscular training on functional performance in
      athletes after partial medial meniscectomy.
AB  - The aims of this study were to determine an effective knee function
      rehabilitation program for athletes undergoing partial medial meniscectomy.
      Participants were randomly assigned to neuromuscular training (NT) or strength
      training (ST) group and subjected to functional assessments before surgery and
      again at 4, and 8 weeks post hoc. Functional knee assessment, such as Lysholm
      knee scoring, star excursion balance, and BTE PrimusRS isokinetic performance
      tests were evaluated in each group. All postoperational symptoms were
      significantly improved after 4 and 8 weeks of NT and ST. Both NT and ST programs
      showed effective knee function recovery seen as an increase in muscular strength
      and endurance. However, the NT program showed the most significant functional
      improvement of dynamic balance and coordination.

PMID- 28349043
TI  - Relationship among the variables of kinematic and tilt angle of whole body
      according to the foot trip during gait.
AB  - The aim of this study was to analyze the relation between incline angle of whole
      body and kinematic variables at tripping during gait. The participants consisted
      of healthy adult female (n=6). The three-dimensional (3D) motion analysis of
      posture restoring after inducing tripping of right foot at supporting phase of
      left foot was performed. As a result, supporting time elapsed of one stride and
      one foot at tripping showed longer than that of normal gait. The length of one
      stride showed longer at tripping than that of normal gait, and velocity of center
      of gravity (COG) showed faster at tripping than that of normal gait.
      Anteriorposterior incline angle of whole body showed more forwarded incline at
      tripping than that of normal gait. As a result of correlation among variables,
      one stride and supporting time elapsed showed positive relation r=0.973 (R2
      =0.947, P<0.001), also r=0.920 (R2 =0.846, P<0.001) relative to velocity of COG,
      r=0.970 (R2 =0.941, P<0.001) of 1-stride time elapsed relative to velocity of COG
      and r=0.833 (R2 =0.613, P<0.05) of velocity of COG relative to anteriorposterior
      incline angle respectively. Therefore instantaneous stoppage of gait posture when
      tripped at supporting phase of one leg during gait may be impossible and rather
      may cause a recovery of gait pattern when secured the faster velocity of COG and
      the longer of supporting time elapsed of one leg.

PMID- 28349045
TI  - Safety Profile of Liver FibroScan in Patients with Cardiac Pacemakers or
      Implantable Cardioverter-Defibrillators.
AB  - Background. Emerging evidence suggests that nonalcoholic fatty liver disease
      (NAFLD) is associated with coronary artery diseases and arrhythmias. The
      FibroScan (Echosens, France), a widely available, noninvasive device, is able to
      detect liver fibrosis and steatosis within this patient population. However, the
      FibroScan is currently contraindicated in patients with cardiac pacemakers (PM)
      or implantable cardioverter-defibrillators (ICD). Objective. To determine the
      safety profile of FibroScan testing in patients with PM or ICD. Methods.
      Consecutive outpatients undergoing routine device interrogations at a tertiary
      level teaching hospital underwent simultaneous liver stiffness measurements. PM
      or ICD performance data, device types, patient demographics, medical history, and
      previous laboratory and conventional liver imaging results were collected.
      Results. Analysis of 107 subjects with 33 different types of implanted cardiac
      devices, from 5 different companies (Medtronic, Sorin, ELA Medical, Boston
      Scientific, and St. Jude), did not demonstrate any adverse events as defined by
      abnormal device sensing/pacing or ICD firing. This population included high risk
      subjects undergoing active pacing (n = 53) and with right pectoral PM placement
      (n = 1). None of the subjects had any clinical signs of decompensated congestive
      heart failure or cirrhosis during the exam. Conclusion. TE with FibroScan can be
      safely performed in patients with PM or ICD.

PMID- 28349044
TI  - Vonoprazan-Based Regimen Is More Useful than PPI-Based One as a First-Line
      Helicobacter pylori Eradication: A Randomized Controlled Trial.
AB  - Background. A new agent, potassium-competitive acid blocker vonoprazan (VPZ) has
      potent acid-inhibitory effects and may offer advantages over conventional H.
      pylori eradication therapies. We aimed to compare the eradication rate between
      VPZ-based treatment and PPI-based one. Methods. This randomized controlled trial
      was designed to assign 141 patients with H. pylori-positive gastritis to VPZ
      group (VPZ 20 mg, amoxicillin 750 mg, and clarithromycin 200 or 400 mg twice
      daily for 7 days) or PPI group (rabeprazole 20 mg or lansoprazole 30 mg,
      amoxicillin 750 mg, and clarithromycin 200 or 400 mg twice daily for 7 days).
      Primary endpoints were eradication rates and adverse events. Results. Seventy of
      72 patients in VPZ group and 63 of 69 patients in PPI group completed the
      treatment after 7 days. The eradication rate was significantly higher in VPZ
      group than PPI group by intention-to-treat analysis (95.8% versus 69.6%, P =
      0.00003, 95% confidence interval [CI] 88.3-99.1% versus 57.3-80.1%) and per
      protocol analysis (95.7% versus 71.4%, P = 0.0002, 95% CI 88.0-99.1% versus 58.7
      82.1%). The incidence of adverse events was not different between the groups
      (26.3% in VPZ group versus 37.7% in PPI group, P = 0.15). Conclusion. VPZ-based
      regimen is more useful than that PPI-based regimen as a first-line H. pylori
      eradication therapy.

PMID- 28349046
TI  - Venous Thromboembolism in Critical Illness and Trauma: Pediatric Perspectives.
AB  - Critically ill children and those sustaining severe traumatic injuries are at
      higher risk for developing venous thromboembolism (VTE) than other hospitalized
      children. Multiple factors including the need for central venous catheters,
      immobility, surgical procedures, malignancy, and dysregulated inflammatory state
      confer this increased risk. As well as being at higher risk of VTE, this
      population is frequently at an increased risk of bleeding, making the decision of
      prophylactic anticoagulation even more nuanced. The use of pharmacologic and
      mechanical prophylaxis remains variable in this high-risk cohort. VTE
      pharmacologic prophylaxis is an accepted practice in adult trauma and intensive
      care to prevent VTE development and associated morbidity, but it is not
      standardized in critically ill or injured children. Given the lack of pediatric
      specific guidelines, prevention strategies are variably extrapolated from the
      successful use of mechanical and pharmacologic prophylaxis in adults, despite the
      differences in developmental hemostasis and thrombosis risk between children and
      adults. Whether the burden of VTE can be reduced in the pediatric critically ill
      or injured population is not known given the lack of robust data. There are no
      trials in children showing efficacy of mechanical compression devices or
      prophylactic anticoagulation in reducing the rate of VTE. Risk stratification
      using clinical factors has been shown to identify those at highest risk for VTE
      and allows targeted prophylaxis. It remains unproven if such a strategy will
      mitigate the risk of VTE and its potential sequelae.

PMID- 28349047
TI  - Up, Down, and All Around: Diagnosis and Treatment of Novel STAT3 Variant.
AB  - The number of identified monogenic causes of childhood-onset autoimmunity due to
      nodal and extranodal lymphoproliferation has increased. These pathogenic genetic
      variants provide the potential for pathway-specific treatment. Novel variants
      also require pathway-specific verification. In this report, we describe a 14-year
      old patient with a novel variant in STAT3. We report clinical and laboratory
      findings that support STAT3 p.G419R as a novel pathogenic STAT3 gain-of-function
      variant.

PMID- 28349048
TI  - Use of Natural Family Planning (NFP) and Its Effect on Couple Relationships and
      Sexual Satisfaction: A Multi-Country Survey of NFP Users from US and Europe.
AB  - PURPOSE: Birth control is a persistent global health concern. Natural family
      planning (NFP) comprises methods to achieve or avoid pregnancy independent of
      mechanical or pharmacological intervention. The sympto-thermal method (STM) of
      NFP employs daily observation of cervical fluids and measurement of basal body
      temperature. This multi-country study was undertaken to describe the
      characteristics of STM users, understand their perceptions of NFP, and its
      perceived impact on relationships. METHODS AND RESULTS: Questionnaires for women
      and men were developed in German and translated to English, Polish, Italian,
      Czech, and Slovak by native speakers. A total of 2,560 respondents completed the
      online questionnaire (37.4% response). Participants were married (89%) and well
      educated, and their self-perceived financial status was described as "good" or
      "very good" by 65% of the respondents. Forty-seven percent had previously used
      contraceptives. Ninety-five percent of women and 55% of men said using NFP has
      helped them to know their body better. Large majorities of men (74%) and women
      (64%) felt NFP helped to improve their relationship while <10% felt use of NFP
      had harmed their relationship. Most women (53%) and men (63%) felt using NFP
      improved their sex life while 32% of women and 24% of men felt it was unchanged
      from before they used NFP. Seventy-five percent of women and 73% of men said they
      are either "satisfied" or "very satisfied" with their frequency of sexual
      intercourse. CONCLUSION: This survey demonstrates STM of NFP is a well-accepted
      approach to family planning across several Western cultures. It is consistently
      viewed as being beneficial to couples' self-knowledge, their relationship, and
      satisfaction with frequency of sexual intercourse.

PMID- 28349049
TI  - Relationship between Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) Knowledge, HIV-Related
      Stigma, and HIV Testing among Young Black Adults in a Southeastern City.
AB  - The southeast is identified as the epicenter of the nation's human
      immunodeficiency virus (HIV) epidemic, accounting for nearly 44% of all persons
      living with a HIV diagnosis in the United States. HIV stigma and knowledge have
      been cited as some of the complex factors increasing risk of acquiring HIV within
      African-American communities. We sought to understand how HIV knowledge and HIV
      related stigma impact HIV testing experience among young Black adults who
      completed a community-based participatory research survey in a Southeastern city.
      Survey measures were developed with active engagement among the research team and
      community members, with the goal of balancing community knowledge, interests and
      concerns with scientific considerations, and the realities of funding and the
      project timeline. A total of 508 of the 513 audio computer-assisted self
      interview questionnaires completed were analyzed. Eighty-one percent of
      participants had ever tested and had an intention-to-test for HIV in the next 12
      months. Overall, analyses revealed low HIV-related stigma and relatively moderate
      to high HIV knowledge among young Black adults in the Southeastern city. Logistic
      regression indicated that having ever tested for HIV was positively correlated
      with HIV knowledge [odds ratio (OR): 1.50; 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.23
      1.84, p < 0.001], but inversely correlated with low HIV-related stigma (OR: 0.08;
      95% CI: 0.01-0.76, p < 0.03). However, there were no significant relationships
      between HIV-related stigma, HIV knowledge, and intention-to test for HIV in the
      future. These findings suggest that reducing HIV-related stigma and increasing
      HIV knowledge are not sufficient in promoting HIV testing (i.e., intention-to
      test) among young Black adults in this city, unless specific emphasis is placed
      on addressing internalized HIV-related stigma and misperceptions about HIV
      prevention and control.

PMID- 28349050
TI  - Primary Health Care in Nigeria: 24 Years after Olikoye Ransome-Kuti's Leadership.

PMID- 28349051
TI  - Implementation of a Novel Structured Social and Wellness Committee in a Surgical
      Residency Program: A Case Study.
AB  - This article provides a theoretical and practical rational for the implementation
      of an innovative and comprehensive social wellness program in a surgical
      residency program at a large safety net hospital on the East Coast of the United
      States. Using basic needs theory, we describe why it is particularly important
      for surgical residency programs to consider the residents sense of competence,
      autonomy, and belonging during residence. We describe how we have developed a
      comprehensive program to address our residents' (and residents' families)
      psychological needs for competence, autonomy, and belongingness.

PMID- 28349052
TI  - Hybrid Methods in Iron-Sulfur Cluster Biogenesis.
AB  - Hybrid methods, which combine and integrate several biochemical and biophysical
      techniques, have rapidly caught up in the last twenty years to provide a way to
      obtain a fuller description of proteins and molecular complexes with sizes and
      complexity otherwise not easily affordable. Here, we review the use of a robust
      hybrid methodology based on a mixture of NMR, SAXS, site directed mutagenesis and
      molecular docking which we have developed to determine the structure of weakly
      interacting molecular complexes. We applied this technique to gain insights into
      the structure of complexes formed amongst proteins involved in the molecular
      machine, which produces the essential iron-sulfur cluster prosthetic groups. Our
      results were validated both by X-ray structures and by other groups who adopted
      the same approach. We discuss the advantages and the limitations of our
      methodology and propose new avenues, which could improve it.

PMID- 28349053
TI  - Immunomodulatory Effects of Saccharomyces cerevisiae Fermentation Product
      Supplementation on Immune Gene Expression and Lymphocyte Distribution in Immune
      Organs in Broilers.
AB  - A study was conducted to evaluate the molecular and cellular immunomodulatory
      effects of a Saccharomyces cerevisiae fermentation product (Original XPC, Diamond
      V) in broilers. Our lab has previously demonstrated that broilers fed XPC
      generate faster and stronger antigen-specific humoral immune responses to
      Newcastle disease virus (NDV) vaccination. This study aims at investigating the
      mechanism behind this increased immunocompetence. One-day-old broilers were
      randomly assigned to one of two treatments: 1.25 kg/ton S. cerevisiae
      fermentation product (XPC treatment group) or control diet. Birds were vaccinated
      against NDV on day 1 (B1 strain) and day 21 (LaSota strain) post-hatch. Innate
      and adaptive immune-related gene expression profiles in central (thymus and bursa
      of Fabricius) and peripheral (spleen) immune organs were investigated at 14 and
      28 days of age by qPCR array. Fold changes larger than 1.2 (P < 0.05) between
      treated and control were considered significant. Lymphocyte subpopulations in
      central and peripheral immune organs and blood leukocytes were analyzed by flow
      cytometry at 14, 21, 28, and 42 days of age. In the spleen, Th1 immune responses
      and antiviral genes, such as IFN-gamma, and its downstream genes signal
      transducer and activator of transcription (STAT4) and NFkappaB, were
      significantly upregulated in the treated group by 14 days of age. In the thymus,
      genes belonging to different functional groups were influenced at different time
      points. Cytokine genes associated with lymphocyte maturation, differentiation,
      and proliferation, such as IL-1R, IL-2, and IL-15 were significantly upregulated
      in the treated group by 28 days of age. Genes preferentially expressed in the
      medulla of the thymus and mature thymocytes, such as Myxovirus resistance gene 1,
      interferon regulatory factor-1, interferon regulatory factor-7, and STAT1, were
      upregulated in the birds supplemented with XPC. Birds supplemented with XPC had
      significantly higher percentages of CD3+, CD4+, and CD8+ T-cells in the thymus at
      day 28 of age, indicating production of more mature T-cells, which was consistent
      with gene expression results. Results suggest that XPC supplementation primes
      broilers to become more immunocompetent, without compromising growth performance.

PMID- 28349055
TI  - Antiurolithiasis Activity of Bioactivity Guided Fraction of Bergenia ligulata
      against Ethylene Glycol Induced Renal Calculi in Rat.
AB  - Dried rhizome of Bergenia ligulata (pashanbhed) is commonly used as a traditional
      herbal medicine with a wide range of therapeutic applications including
      urolithiasis. Aqueous extract of B. ligulata was prepared through maceration
      followed by decoction (mother extract, 35.9% w/w). Further, polarity based
      fractions were prepared successively from mother extract which yielded 3.4, 2.9,
      5.4, 7.5, and 11.3% w/w of hexane, toluene, dichloromethane (DCM), n-butanol, and
      water fractions, respectively. The in vitro, ex vivo, and real-time
      antiurolithiasis activity of mother extract and fractions were carried out using
      aggregation assay in synthetic urine and in rat plasma. The study revealed that
      DCM fraction has significantly (p < 0.05) greater inhibitory potential than other
      fractions. Ethylene glycol in drinking water (0.75%, v/v) for 28 days was used
      for induction of urolithiasis and the curative effects of mother extract and DCM
      fraction were checked for the level of oxalate, calcium, creatinine, uric acid,
      and urea of both urine and serum. Treatment with mother extract and DCM fraction
      at a dose of 185 mg/kg and 7 mg/kg, respectively, in ethylene glycol induced rats
      resulted in a significant (p < 0.05) decrease in serum and urine markers.
      Histological study revealed lower number of calcium oxalate deposits with minimum
      damage in the kidneys of mother extract and DCM fraction treated rats. This
      result provides a scientific basis for its traditional claims.

PMID- 28349054
TI  - Impact of Different Analytic Approaches on the Analysis of the Breast
      Fibroglandular Tissue Using Diffusion Weighted Imaging.
AB  - Purpose. This study investigated the impact of the different region of interest
      (ROI) approaches on measurement of apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) values in
      the breast firbroglandular tissue (FT). Methods. Breast MR images of 38 women
      diagnosed with unilateral breast cancer were studied. Percent density (PD) and
      ADC were measured from the contralateral normal breast. Four different ROIs were
      used for ADC measurement. The measured PD and ADC were correlated. Results. Among
      the four ROIs, the manually placed small ROI on FT gave the highest mean ADC (ADC
      = 1839 +/- 343 [*10-6 mm2/s]), while measurement from the whole breast gave the
      lowest mean ADC (ADC = 933 +/- 383 [*10-6 mm2/s]). The ADC measured from the
      whole breast was highly correlated with PD with r = 0.95. In slice-to-slice
      comparison, the central slices with more FT had higher ADC values than the
      peripheral slices did, presumably due to less partial volume effect from fat.
      Conclusions. Our results indicated that the measured ADC heavily depends on the
      composition of breast tissue contained in the ROI used for the ADC measurements.
      Women with low breast density showing lower ADC values were most likely due to
      the partial volume effect of fatty tissues.

PMID- 28349056
TI  - Maxillary Sinus Augmentation with Decellularized Bovine Compact Particles: A
      Radiological, Clinical, and Histologic Report of 4 Cases.
AB  - Background. One of the most problematic regions for endosseous implants is the
      posterior maxilla, not only having poor bone density, but also lacking adequate
      vertical height as a result of sinus pneumatization. The purpose of the present
      study was a radiologic, histological, and histomorphometrical evaluation, in
      humans, of specimens retrieved from sinuses augmented with decellularized bovine
      compact particles, after a healing period of 6 months. Methods. Four patients,
      with atrophic resorbed maxillas, underwent a sinus lift augmentation with
      decellularized bovine compact bone from bovine femur. The size of the particles
      used was 0.25-1 mm. A total of four grafts and 5 biopsies were retrieved and
      processed to obtain thin ground sections with the Precise 1 Automated System.
      Results. The mean volume after graft elevation calculated for each of the 4
      patients was 2106 mm3 in the immediate postoperative period (5-7 days), ranging
      from 1408.8 to 2946.4 mm3. In the late postoperative period (6 months) it was
      2053 mm3, ranging from 1339.9 to 2808.9 mm3. Histomorphometry showed that newly
      formed bone was 36 +/- 1.6% and marrow spaces were 34 +/- 1.6%, while the
      residual graft material was 35 +/- 1.4%. Conclusion. In conclusion, based on the
      outcome of the present study, Re-Bone(r) can be used with success in sinus
      augmentation procedures and 6 months are considered an adequate time for
      maturation before implant placement.

PMID- 28349057
TI  - Interleukin-9 Promotes Pancreatic Cancer Cells Proliferation and Migration via
      the miR-200a/Beta-Catenin Axis.
AB  - Background. Both IL-9 and miR-200a are involved in the pathogenesis of cancers;
      however, the role of IL-9 in pancreatic cancer and the possible underlying
      mechanisms remain unknown. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of
      IL-9 on pancreatic cancer cells and its interaction with miR-200a. Methods.
      Pancreatic cancer cells (PANC-1 and AsPC-1) were treated with IL-9 and the
      expression of miR-200a and beta-catenin in pancreatic cancer cells was measured.
      beta-Catenin was examined as a target gene of miR-200a in pancreatic cancer
      cells. The interaction between IL-9 and miR-200a in pancreatic cancer cells was
      determined by infecting miR-200a mimics prior to IL-9 treatment and then
      measuring miR-200a and beta-catenin expression. Results. IL-9 significantly
      promoted the proliferation, invasion, and migration of pancreatic cancer cells;
      however, the effect on pancreatic cancer cell apoptosis was insignificant. beta
      Catenin was verified as a target gene of miR-200a in pancreatic cancer cells.
      Overexpression of miR-200a in pancreatic cancer cells significantly attenuated
      proliferation and metastasis and reduced beta-catenin expression. IL-9 treatment
      of pancreatic cancer cells decreased miR-200a expression and increased beta
      catenin expression. The effect of miR-200a on pancreatic cancer cells decreased
      following IL-9 treatment. Conclusions. IL-9 promotes proliferation and metastasis
      in pancreatic cancer cells; this effect may partly involve regulation of the miR
      200a/beta-catenin axis.

PMID- 28349058
TI  - Recombinant Human Bone Morphogenetic Protein-2 (rhBMP-2) for the Treatment of
      Nonunion of the Femur in Children and Adolescents: A Retrospective Analysis.
AB  - Background. The aim of this study was to examine clinical and radiographic
      healing after rhBMP-2 application in children and adolescents presenting with
      nonunion of the femur and to investigate the safety of rhBMP-2 use in these
      cases. Materials and Methods. We reviewed the medical records of five patients
      with a mean age of 11 years (5.4 to 16.2) with nonunion of the femur who were
      treated with rhBMP-2 and internal fixation using a locking plate at a single
      institution. Particular attention was paid to identify all adverse events that
      may be due to rhBMP-2 use. Results. Union occurred in four of five patients at a
      mean of 12.1 months (7.9 to 18.9). The locking plates were removed after a mean
      of 16 months (11 to 23). One patient had nonunion due to deep infection. After a
      mean follow-up of 62.5 months (17 to 100), union was still evident in all four
      patients and they were fully weight-bearing without pain. Discussion. In this
      retrospective study, rhBMP-2 combined with a locking plate has been used
      successfully to treat children and adolescents with nonunion of the femur in four
      of five cases. One major complication was thought to be possibly related to its
      use.

PMID- 28349059
TI  - Psoralen Inhibited Apoptosis of Osteoporotic Osteoblasts by Modulating IRE1-ASK1
      JNK Pathway.
AB  - Osteoporosis is a common disease causing fracture in older populations. Abnormal
      apoptosis of osteoblasts contributes to the genesis of osteoporosis. Inhibiting
      apoptosis of osteoblasts provides a promising strategy to prevent osteoporosis.
      The proliferation of osteoblasts isolated from osteoporotic patients or healthy
      subjects was determined by MTT assay. Apoptosis was determined by Annexin V/PI
      assay. Protein expression was measured by western blot. The proliferation of
      osteoblasts isolated from osteoporotic patients was inhibited and the apoptosis
      level of these cells was higher than the osteoblasts from healthy subjects.
      Incubation with psoralen or estradiol significantly enhanced the proliferation
      and decreased the apoptosis level of osteoporotic osteoblasts. Western blot
      demonstrated that psoralen or estradiol treatment downregulated the expression of
      IRE1, p-ASK, p-JNK, and Bax. Meanwhile, expression of Bcl-2 was upregulated.
      Pretreatment by IRE1 agonist tunicamycin or JNK agonist anisomycin attenuated the
      effect of psoralen on osteoporotic osteoblasts. Psoralen inhibited apoptosis of
      osteoporotic osteoblasts by regulating IRE1-ASK1-JNK pathway.

PMID- 28349060
TI  - Serum Cytokine Profile in Relation to the Severity of Coronary Artery Disease.
AB  - Objectives. To investigate the potential association of a set of serum cytokines
      with the severity of coronary artery disease (CAD). Methods. A total of 201
      patients who underwent coronary angiography for chest discomfort were enrolled.
      The concentrations of serum IFN-gamma, TNF-alpha, IL-2, IL-4, IL-6, IL-10, IL-9,
      and IL-17 were determined by xMAP multiplex technology. The CAD severity was
      assessed by Gensini score (GS). Results. The serum levels of TNF-alpha, IL-6, IL
      9, IL-10, and IL-17 were significantly higher in high GS group (GS >= 38.5) than
      those in low GS group (GS < 38.5). Positive correlations were also found between
      these cytokines and the severity of CAD. After adjustment for other associated
      factors, three serum cytokines (IL-6, IL-9, and IL-17) and two clinical risk
      factors (creatinine and LDL-C) were identified as the independent predictors of
      increased severity of CAD. ROC curve analysis revealed that the logistic
      regression risk prediction model had a good performance on predicting CAD
      severity. Conclusions. Combinatorial analysis of serum cytokines (IL-6, IL-9, and
      IL-17) with clinical risk factors (creatinine and LDL-C) may contribute to the
      evaluation of the severity of CAD and may help guide the risk stratification of
      angina patients, especially in primary health facilities and in the catheter lab
      resource-limited settings.

PMID- 28349061
TI  - Physicochemical and Biological Characterization of the Proposed Biosimilar
      Tocilizumab.
AB  - HS628 has been developed as a proposed biosimilar product of originator
      tocilizumab (Actemra(r)). An extensive physicochemical and biological
      characterization was conducted to assess similarity between HS628 and originator
      tocilizumab. The amino acid sequence was shown to be identical between HS628 and
      originator tocilizumab. The higher order structure was found to be
      indistinguishable from originator tocilizumab. Concerning purity and
      heterogeneity, HS628 was demonstrated to have similar posttranslational
      modifications, charge heterogeneity, size heterogeneity, and glycosylation to
      originator tocilizumab. Moreover, HS628 exhibited highly similar binding affinity
      and antiproliferative activity as well as capability of inhibiting STAT3
      phosphorylation compared to originator tocilizumab. Taken together, HS628 can be
      considered as a highly similar molecule to originator tocilizumab in terms of
      physicochemical and biological properties.

PMID- 28349063
TI  - Thermography Improves Clinical Assessment in Patients with Systemic Sclerosis
      Treated with Ozone Therapy.
AB  - Objective. Treatment of scleroderma is challenging and limited. The aim of our
      study was to evaluate the usefulness of thermography in assessment of the
      clinical condition (joints movability and skin thickness) in clinically advanced
      patients with systemic sclerosis before and after ozone therapy. Method. The
      study included 42 patients aged 32 to 73 years with advanced systemic sclerosis
      hospitalized in the university clinic between 2003 and 2006. Thermography and
      clinical examinations were conducted at baseline and after two series of bath in
      water with ozone. Results. The comparison of results showed significant increase
      in skin temperature by 2.5 degrees C, significant increase in interphalangeal
      joints movability by 18 degrees, and significant decrease in skin score by 14.7
      points. The skin temperature was correlated with skin score (r = -0.59) and
      joints movability (r = +0.8). Conclusions. Ozone therapy shows positive effect on
      clinical parameters and skin temperature as measured with thermography. The study
      indicated possibility of introducing ozonotherapy as an independent therapy in
      cases with low level of progression or during remission periods and as additional
      treatment in patients with advanced disease requiring immunosuppressive
      treatment. Thermography is useful in assessment of skin condition showing strong
      correlation between skin temperature and clinical parameters.

PMID- 28349062
TI  - Imaging of Myocardial Fibrosis in Patients with End-Stage Renal Disease: Current
      Limitations and Future Possibilities.
AB  - Cardiovascular disease in patients with end-stage renal disease (ESRD) is driven
      by a different set of processes than in the general population. These processes
      lead to pathological changes in cardiac structure and function that include the
      development of left ventricular hypertrophy and left ventricular dilatation and
      the development of myocardial fibrosis. Reduction in left ventricular hypertrophy
      has been the established goal of many interventional trials in patients with
      chronic kidney disease, but a recent systematic review has questioned whether
      reduction of left ventricular hypertrophy improves cardiovascular mortality as
      previously thought. The development of novel imaging biomarkers that link to
      cardiovascular outcomes and that are specific to the disease processes in ESRD is
      therefore required. Postmortem studies of patients with ESRD on hemodialysis have
      shown that the extent of myocardial fibrosis is strongly linked to cardiovascular
      death and accurate imaging of myocardial fibrosis would be an attractive target
      as an imaging biomarker. In this article we will discuss the current imaging
      methods available to measure myocardial fibrosis in patients with ESRD, the
      reliability of the techniques, specific challenges and important limitations in
      patients with ESRD, and how to further develop the techniques we have so they are
      sufficiently robust for use in future clinical trials.

PMID- 28349064
TI  - Reliability of Baropodometry on the Evaluation of Plantar Load Distribution: A
      Transversal Study.
AB  - Introduction. Baropodometry is used to measure the load distribution on feet
      during rest and walking. The aim of this study was to evaluate changes in plantar
      foot pressures distribution due to period of working and due to stretching
      exercises of the posterior muscular chain. Methods. In this transversal study,
      all participants were submitted to baropodometric evaluation at two different
      times: before and after the working period and before and after stretching the
      muscles of the posterior chain. Results. We analyzed a total of 54 feet of 27
      participants. After the working period, there was an average increase in the
      forefoot pressure of 0.16 Kgf/cm2 and an average decrease in the hindfoot
      pressure of 0.17 Kgf/cm2. After stretching the posterior muscular chain, the
      average increase in the forefoot pressure was 0.56 Kgf/cm2 and the hindfoot
      average pressure decrease was 0.56 Kgf/cm2. These changes were not statistically
      significant. Discussion. It was reported that the strength of the Achilles tendon
      generates greater forefoot load transferred from the hindfoot. In our study, no
      significant variation in the distribution of plantar pressure was observed. It
      can be inferred that baropodometry was a reliable instrument to determine the
      plantar pressure, regardless of the tension of the posterior chain muscles.

PMID- 28349065
TI  - Banhasasim-Tang Treatment Reduces the Severity of Esophageal Mucosal Ulcer on
      Chronic Acid Reflux Esophagitis in Rats.
AB  - The present study was conducted to evaluate both antioxidant and anti
      inflammatory activity of Banhasasim-tang (BHSST) on chronic acid reflux
      esophagitis (CRE) model. Rat CRE model was established operatively and then
      treated with BHSST (1 g/kg body weight per day) for 15 days Esophageal
      pathological changes were analyzed using macroscopic examination and
      hematoxylin/eosin staining. The antioxidant and inflammatory protein levels were
      determined using Western blotting. The administration of BHSST significantly
      reduced both the overexpression of serum reactive oxygen species (ROS) and an
      excessive formation of thiobarbituric acid-reactive substances (TBARS) in
      esophagus tissue. Thus, the severity of esophageal ulcer was lower in BHSST
      treated rats than control rats on the gross and histological evaluation. Nuclear
      factor-erythroid 2-related factor 2 (Nrf2) led to the upregulation of antioxidant
      enzyme including SOD, GPx-1/2, and HO-1 by binding to antioxidant response
      element (ARE). Moreover, BHSST administration markedly reduced the expression of
      inflammatory proteins through mitogen-activated protein kinase- (MAPK-) related
      signaling pathways and decreased significantly the protein expressions of
      inflammatory mediators and cytokines by inhibition of nuclear factor-kappa B (NF
      kappaB) activation. Taken together, these results support the fact that BHSST
      administration can suppress the development of esophageal mucosal ulcer via
      regulating inflammation through the activation of the antioxidant pathway.

PMID- 28349066
TI  - Circulating MicroRNAs as Potential Biomarkers of Atrial Fibrillation.
AB  - Atrial fibrillation (AF) is the most common supraventricular arrhythmia in the
      population. MicroRNAs (small endogenous noncoding RNAs) are attractive candidates
      as biomarkers for AF, especially considering that miRNAs are stable and are
      detected within easily accessible biofluids such as blood. In this review, we
      selected twelve studies (2012 to 2016) that were classified according to the
      sample type. We aimed to provide an overview of the role of circulating miRNAs in
      AF and to discuss the variability of the results, seeking to improve the
      perspective of the use of miRNAs as potential noninvasive biomarkers for this
      heart disease.

PMID- 28349067
TI  - A Noninvasive Score Model for Prediction of NASH in Patients with Chronic
      Hepatitis B and Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease.
AB  - Aims. To develop a noninvasive score model to predict NASH in patients with
      combined CHB and NAFLD. Objective and Methods. 65 CHB patients with NAFLD were
      divided into NASH group (34 patients) and non-NASH group (31 patients) according
      to the NAS score. Biochemical indexes, liver stiffness, and Controlled
      Attenuation Parameter (CAP) were determined. Data in the two groups were compared
      and subjected to multivariate analysis, to establish a score model for the
      prediction of NASH. Results. In the NASH group, ALT, TG, fasting blood glucose
      (FBG), M30 CK-18, CAP, and HBeAg positive ratio were significantly higher than in
      the non-NASH group (P < 0.05). Multivariate analysis showed that CK-18 M30, CAP,
      FBG, and HBVDNA level were independent predictors of NASH. Therefore, a new model
      combining CK18 M30, CAP, FBG, and HBVDNA level was established using logistic
      regression. The AUROC curve predicting NASH was 0.961 (95% CI: 0.920-1.00, cutoff
      value is 0.218), with a sensitivity of 100% and specificity of 80.6%. Conclusion.
      A noninvasive score model might be considered for the prediction of NASH in
      patients with CHB combined with NAFLD.

PMID- 28349068
TI  - Reducing Caloric Intake Prevents Ischemic Injury and Myocardial Dysfunction and
      Affects Anesthetic Cardioprotection in Type 2 Diabetic Rats.
AB  - Background. Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) increases the risk of myocardial
      ischemia, followed by increased perioperative risk of cardiovascular morbidity.
      We investigated whether reducing caloric intake reduces ischemic injury and
      myocardial dysfunction and affects the protective effects of the volatile
      anesthetic sevoflurane in diet-induced T2DM rats. Methods. Rats received a
      western (WD) or control diet (CD). Caloric intake was reduced by reversing WD-fed
      rats to CD. Myocardial function was determined with echocardiography. After 8
      weeks of diet feeding, myocardial infarction was induced and the effect of
      sevoflurane was studied on myocardial function and ischemia/reperfusion injury.
      Results. WD-feeding resulted in a mild T2DM phenotype and myocardial dysfunction.
      Sevoflurane further impaired systolic function in WD-fed rats. Unexpectedly, WD
      feeding reduced infarct size compared to CD-feeding. Sevoflurane reduced infarct
      size in CD-fed rats; however it enlarged infarct size in WD-fed rats. Caloric
      reduction restored myocardial dysfunction and the protective effect of
      sevoflurane against ischemia compared to WD-fed rats, whereas the protective
      effects of WD-feeding persisted. Conclusion. Caloric reduction restored the T2DM
      phenotype and myocardial function, while the cardioprotective properties of WD
      feeding or sevoflurane persisted. Our data suggest that reducing caloric intake
      in T2DM might be a possible intervention to reduce perioperative risk of
      cardiovascular morbidity.

PMID- 28349069
TI  - Association between STK11 Gene Polymorphisms and Coronary Artery Disease in Type
      2 Diabetes in Han Population in China.
AB  - Background. Recent studies indicated that the Serine threonine kinase 11 (STK11),
      which is a key regulator of the AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK), plays a
      crucial role in cardiovascular system. This study aimed to investigate whether
      genetic variations in the STK11 gene affect the risk of coronary artery disease
      (CAD) in Chinese type 2 diabetics. Methods. 5 haplotype-tagging single nucleotide
      polymorphisms (SNPs) were selected, and 288 CAD-positive cases and 159 CAD
      negative controls with type 2 diabetes were genotyped by polymerase chain
      reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP) assay. Results. The
      carriers of minor allele A at rs12977689 had a higher risk of CAD compared to the
      homozygotes of CC (OR = 1.572, 95% CI = 1.039-2.376, p = 0.035), and the
      difference was still significant after adjustment for the other known CAD risk
      factors (OR' = 1.184, 95%  CI' = 1.036-1.353, p' = 0.013). Conclusion. Genetic
      variability at STK11 locus is associated with CAD risk in type 2 diabetes in the
      Chinese population.

PMID- 28349070
TI  - Diabetes Is Associated with Increased Autoreactivity of Mannan-Binding Lectin.
AB  - Mannan-binding lectin (MBL) has been reported to be involved in the
      pathophysiology of diabetic nephropathy. MBL is a pattern-recognition molecule of
      the innate immune system that initiates the lectin pathway of the complement
      system upon recognition of evolutionary conserved pathogen-associated molecular
      patterns or to altered self-tissue. Our group have previously shown direct
      effects of MBL on diabetes-induced kidney damage, and we hypothesized that MBL
      may cause autoactivation of the complement system via binding to neoepitopes
      induced by hyperglycemia. In the present study, we induced diabetes in MBL
      knockout mice and in wild type C57BL/6J mice by low-dose streptozotocin injection
      and measured blood glucose and urine albumin-to-creatinine ratio to monitor
      development of diabetes. After 24 weeks, fluorescently labelled recombinant MBL
      was injected intravenously in diabetic MBL knockout mice after which the
      distribution was investigated using in vivo fluorescence imaging. Mice were
      subjected to in vivo and ex vivo imaging 24 hours after injection. MBL was found
      to accumulate in the kidneys of diabetic mice as compared to healthy control mice
      (p < 0.0001). These findings support the hypothesis of a significant role of MBL
      and the complement system in the pathophysiology of diabetic nephropathy.

PMID- 28349071
TI  - Forkhead Protein FoxO1 Acts as a Repressor to Inhibit Cell Differentiation in
      Human Fetal Pancreatic Progenitor Cells.
AB  - Our colleagues have reported previously that human pancreatic progenitor cells
      can readily differentiate into insulin-containing cells. Particularly,
      transplantation of these cell clusters upon in vitro induction for 3-4 w
      partially restores hyperglycemia in diabetic nude mice. In this study, we used
      human fetal pancreatic progenitor cells to identify the forkhead protein FoxO1 as
      the key regulator for cell differentiation. Thus, induction of human fetal
      pancreatic progenitor cells for 1 week led to increase of the pancreatic beta
      cell markers such as Ngn3, but decrease of stem cell markers including Oct4,
      Nanog, and CK19. Of note, FoxO1 knockdown or FoxO1 inhibitor significantly
      upregulated Ngn3 and insulin as well as the markers such as Glut2, Kir6.2, SUR1,
      and VDCC, which are designated for mature beta cells. On the contrary,
      overexpression of FoxO1 suppressed the induction and reduced expression of these
      beta cell markers. Taken together, these results suggest that FoxO1 may act as a
      repressor to inhibit cell differentiation in human fetal pancreatic progenitor
      cells.

PMID- 28349072
TI  - Comparable Effects of Brief Resistance Exercise and Isotime Sprint Interval
      Exercise on Glucose Homeostasis in Men.
AB  - This study compared the effects of a single bout of resistance exercise (RES) on
      glycemic homeostasis to isotime sprint interval exercise (SIE) using a within
      subjects design. Nineteen nondiabetic males (age: 23.3 +/- 0.7 yrs; height: 173.1
      +/- 1.2 cm; weight: 79.1 +/- 4.8 kg; % fat: 22.5 +/- 2.5%) were studied. RES
      involved nine exercises of 10 repetitions at 75% 1-RM using a 2 : 2 s tempo and
      was interspersed with a one-minute recovery; SIE involved four 30 s' all-out
      cycling effort interspersed with four minutes of active recovery. Plasma glucose
      and insulin in response to a 75 g oral glucose tolerance test were assessed 12 h
      after exercise. In comparison to a no exercise control trial (CON), the area
      under curve (AUC) of plasma glucose was reduced with both RES and SIE (P < 0.05),
      while insulin AUC was only reduced with RES. Cederholm, Gutt, Matsuda, and HOMA
      indices were improved (P < 0.05) following RES compared to CON. Corresponding
      changes following SIE were only found in Cederholm and Gutt indices (P < 0.05).
      No difference was found in plasma variables and indices between RES and SIE (P >
      0.05). Such findings suggest that the RES may represent a potential alternative
      to the SIE in the development of time-efficient lifestyle intervention strategies
      for improving diabetes risk factors in healthy populations.

PMID- 28349073
TI  - DEPTOR-mTOR Signaling Is Critical for Lipid Metabolism and Inflammation
      Homeostasis of Lymphocytes in Human PBMC Culture.
AB  - Abnormal immune response of the body against substances and tissues causes
      autoimmune diseases, such as polymyositis, dermatomyositis, and rheumatoid
      arthritis. Irregular lipid metabolism and inflammation may be a significant cause
      of autoimmune diseases. Although much progress has been made, mechanisms of
      initiation and proceeding of metabolic and inflammatory regulation in autoimmune
      disease have not been well-defined. And novel markers for the detection and
      therapy of autoimmune disease are urgent. mTOR signaling is a central regulator
      of extracellular metabolic and inflammatory processes, while DEP domain
      containing mTOR-interacting protein (DEPTOR) is a natural inhibitor of mTOR.
      Here, we report that overexpression of DEPTOR reduces mTORC1 activity in
      lymphocytes of human peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs). Combination of
      DEPTOR overexpression and mTORC2/AKT inhibitors effectively inhibits lipogenesis
      and inflammation in lymphocytes of PBMC culture. Moreover, DEPTOR knockdown
      activates mTORC1 and increases lipogenesis and inflammations. Our findings
      provide a deep insight into the relationship between lipid metabolism and
      inflammations via DEPTOR-mTOR pathway and imply that DEPTOR-mTOR in lymphocytes
      of PBMC culture has the potential to be as biomarkers for the detection and
      therapies of autoimmune diseases.

PMID- 28349075
TI  - IgG4-related hypertrophic pachymeningitis coexpressing antineutrophil cytoplasmic
      antibodies.

PMID- 28349074
TI  - Dysregulation of MS risk genes and pathways at distinct stages of disease.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: To perform systematic transcriptomic analysis of multiple sclerosis
      (MS) risk genes in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) of subjects with
      distinct MS stages and describe the pathways characterized by dysregulated gene
      expressions. METHODS: We monitored gene expression levels in PBMCs from 3
      independent cohorts for a total of 297 cases (including clinically isolated
      syndromes (CIS), relapsing-remitting MS, primary and secondary progressive MS)
      and 96 healthy controls by distinct microarray platforms and quantitative PCR.
      Differential expression and pathway analyses for distinct MS stages were defined
      and validated by literature mining. RESULTS: Genes located in the vicinity of MS
      risk variants displayed altered expression in peripheral blood at distinct stages
      of MS compared with the healthy population. The frequency of dysregulation was
      significantly higher than expected in CIS and progressive forms of MS. Pathway
      analysis for each MS stage-specific gene list showed that dysregulated genes
      contributed to pathogenic processes with scientific evidence in MS. CONCLUSIONS:
      Systematic gene expression analysis in PBMCs highlighted selective dysregulation
      of MS susceptibility genes playing a role in novel and well-known pathogenic
      pathways.

PMID- 28349076
TI  - How hot is it Down Under?

PMID- 28349077
TI  - Electric fan use in heat waves: Turn on or turn off?

PMID- 28349078
TI  - Imaging and menopausal hot flashes.

PMID- 28349079
TI  - Timing of activities of daily life is jaggy: How episodic ultradian changes in
      body and brain temperature are integrated into this process.
AB  - Charles Darwin noted that natural selection applies even to the hourly
      organization of daily life. Indeed, in many species, the day is segmented into
      active periods when the animal searches for food, and inactive periods when the
      animal digests and rests. This episodic temporal patterning is conventionally
      referred to as ultradian (<24 hours) rhythmicity. The average time between
      ultradian events is approximately 1-2 hours, but the interval is highly variable.
      The ultradian pattern is stochastic, jaggy rather than smooth, so that although
      the next event is likely to occur within 1-2 hours, it is not possible to predict
      the precise timing. When models of circadian timing are applied to the ultradian
      temporal pattern, the underlying assumption of true periodicity (stationarity)
      has distorted the analyses, so that the ultradian pattern is frequently averaged
      away and ignored. Each active ultradian episode commences with an increase in
      hippocampal theta rhythm, indicating the switch of attention to the external
      environment. During each active episode, behavioral and physiological processes,
      including changes in body and brain temperature, occur in an integrated temporal
      order, confirming organization by programs endogenous to the central nervous
      system. We describe methods for analyzing episodic ultradian events, including
      the use of wavelet mathematics to determine their timing and amplitude, and the
      use of fractal-based procedures to determine their complexity.

PMID- 28349080
TI  - Sago supplementation for exercise performed in a thermally stressful environment:
      Rationale, efficacy and opportunity.
AB  - Sago (Metroxylin sagu), a carbohydrate (CHO) based dietary staple of Southeast
      Asia is easily digestible and quickly absorbed, and thus has potential to be
      prescribed as an affordable pre-and post-exercise food in this part of the world.
      Compared to other CHO staples, research into the physiological response to sago
      ingestion is sparse, and only a few recent studies have investigated its value
      before, during, and after exercise. The purpose of this review is to describe the
      published literature pertaining to sago, particularly as a supplement in the peri
      exercise period, and suggest further avenues of research, principally in an
      environment/climate which would be experienced in Southeast Asia i.e. hot/humid.

PMID- 28349081
TI  - Occupational heat stress in Australian workplaces.
AB  - The aim of this review was to summarize the current state of knowledge on heat
      stress risk within typical Australian occupational settings. We assessed
      identified occupations (mining, agriculture, construction, emergency services)
      for heat production and heat loss potential, and resultant levels of
      physiological heat strain. A total of 29 reports were identified that assessed in
      situ work settings in Northern Territory, South Australia, Western Australia,
      Queensland, New South Wales and Victoria, that measured physiological responses
      and characterized the thermal environment. Despite workers across all industries
      being regularly exposed to high ambient temperatures (32-42 degrees C) often
      coupled with high absolute humidity (max: 33 hPa), physiological strain is
      generally low in terms of core temperature (<38 degrees C) and dehydration (<1 %
      reduction in mass) by virtue of the low energy demands of many tasks, and self
      regulated pacing of work possible in most jobs. Heat stress risk is higher in
      specific jobs in agriculture (e.g. sheep shearing), deep underground mining, and
      emergency services (e.g., search/rescue and bushfire fighting). Heat strain was
      greatest in military-related activities, particularly externally-paced marching
      with carried loads which resulted in core temperatures often exceeding 39.5
      degrees C despite being carried out in cooler environments. The principal driver
      of core temperature elevations in most jobs is the rate of metabolic heat
      production. A standardized approach to evaluating the risk of occupational heat
      strain in Australian workplaces is recommended defining the individual parameters
      that alter human heat balance. Future research should also more closely examine
      female workers and occupational activities within the forestry and
      agriculture/horticulture sector.

PMID- 28349083
TI  - Periodizing heat acclimation in elite Laser sailors preparing for a world
      championship event in hot conditions.
AB  - Purpose : To examine the retention and re-acclimation responses during a
      periodized heat acclimation (HA) protocol in elite sailors preparing for the 2013
      World Championships in Muscat, Oman (~27-30 degrees C, 40-60% RH). Methods : Two
      elite male Laser class sailors completed 5 consecutive days of HA (60 min per day
      in 35 degrees C, 60% RH). Heat response tests (HRT) were performed on day 1 and 5
      of HA, then 1 (decay 1, D1) and 2 (D2) weeks following HA. Participants were then
      re-acclimated (RA) for 2 days, within the next week, before a final HRT ~72 h
      post-RA. Rectal temperature, plasma volume, heart rate, sweat rate, as well as
      thermal discomfort and rating of perceived exertion were measured during each
      HRT. Results : Rectal temperature decreased with HA (0.46 +/- 0.05 degrees C),
      while individual responses following D1, D2 and RA varied. Heart rate (14 +/- 7
      bpm), thermal discomfort (0.6 +/- 0.1 AU) and rating of perceived exertion (1.8
      +/- 0.6 AU) decreased across HA, and adaptations were retained by D2. Plasma
      volume steadily increased over the decay period (D2 = 8.0 +/- 1.3%) and after RA
      (15.5 +/- 1.1%) compared with baseline. RA resulted in further thermoregulatory
      improvements in each Athlete, although individual adjustments varied. Conclusion
      : Heat strain was reduced in elite Laser sailors following HA and most
      thermoregulatory adaptations were retained for 2 weeks afterwards. RA may 'top
      up' adaptations after 2 weeks of HA decay.

PMID- 28349084
TI  - Sago supplementation for recovery from cycling in a warm-humid environment and
      its influence on subsequent cycling physiology and performance.
AB  - This study determined whether sago porridge ingested immediately after exercise
      (Exercise 1) in warm-humid conditions (30 +/- 1 degrees C, 71 +/- 4 % RH; 20 km.h
      1 frontal airflow) conferred more rapid recovery, as measured by repeat
      performance (Exercise 2), compared to a control condition. Eight well-trained,
      male cyclists/triathletes (34 +/- 9 y, VO2peak 70 +/- 10 ml.kg-1.min-1, peak
      aerobic power 413 +/- 75 W) completed two 15-min time-trials pre-loaded with 15
      min warm-up cycling following >24h standardization of training and diet. Mean
      power output was not different between trials during Exercise 1 (286 +/- 67 vs.
      281 +/- 59 W), however, was reduced during Exercise 2 for control (274 +/- 61 W)
      but not sago (283 +/- 60 W) that led to a significant performance decrement (vs.
      Exercise 1) of 3.9% for control and an improvement (vs. control) of 3.7% for sago
      during Exercise 2 (P < 0.05). Sago ingestion was also associated with higher
      blood glucose concentrations during recovery compared to control. These results
      indicate that feeding sago during recovery from exercise in a warm-humid
      environment improves recovery of performance during a subsequent exercise bout
      when compared to a water-only control. As these effects were larger than the test
      retest coefficient of variation for work completed during the 15-min time-trial
      (2.3%) it can be confidently concluded that the observed effects are real.

PMID- 28349086
TI  - Attenuated cold defense responses in orexin neuron-ablated rats.
AB  - Recent reports of the use of transgenic mice targeting orexin neurons show that
      the ablation of orexin neurons in the hypothalamus causes hypothermia during cold
      exposure. This suggests the importance of orexin neurons for cold-induced
      autonomic and physiological defense responses, including brown adipose tissue
      (BAT) thermogenesis and vasoconstriction in thermoregulatory cutaneous vascular
      bed. The present study investigated whether the ablation of orexin neurons
      attenuated cold-elicited BAT thermogenesis and cutaneous vasoconstriction. The
      study took advantage of our established conscious rat experimental model of
      direct measurement of BAT and body temperature and tail cutaneous blood flow. The
      study used transgenic orexin neurons-ablated (ORX-AB) rats and wild type (WT)
      rats. BAT temperature and tail artery blood flow with pre-implanted probes were
      measured, as well as behavioral locomotor activity under conscious free-moving
      condition. Gradually, the ambient temperature was decreased to below 5 degrees C.
      ORX-AB rats showed an attenuated cold-induced BAT thermogenesis and behavioral
      activity, and delayed tail vasoconstriction. An ambient temperature that
      initiated BAT thermogenesis and established full cutaneous vasoconstriction was
      14.1 +/- 1.9  degrees C, which was significantly lower than 20.5 +/- 1.9  degrees
      C, the corresponding value in WT rats (n = 10, P < 0.01). The results from this
      study suggest that the integrity of orexin-synthesising neurons in
      thermoregulatory networks is important for full expression of the cold defense
      responses.

PMID- 28349085
TI  - The effects of a systematic increase in relative humidity on thermoregulatory and
      circulatory responses during prolonged running exercise in the heat.
AB  - This study examined the thermoregulatory and circulatory responses, and exercise
      performance of trained distance runners during exercise in the heat (31 degrees
      C) at varying relative humidity (RH). In a randomized order, 11 trained male
      distance runners performed 5 60 min steady-state runs at a speed eliciting 70% of
      VO2max in RH of 23, 43, 52, 61 and 71%. This was followed immediately with an
      incremental exercise test to volitional exhaustion. Core (Tre) and mean skin
      temperature (T-sk), cardiac output (Q), heart rate (HR), and stroke volume (SV)
      were recorded at regular intervals. A significant (P = 0.003) main effect was
      detected for RH on mean body temperature (Tb), with a significantly higher Tb
      detected during steady-state exercise in the 61 and 71% RH compared to that in
      the 23% RH. During the steady-state exercise, no differences were detected in
      whole body sweat loss (P = 0.183). However, a significant main effect of RH was
      observed for HR and SV (P = 0.001 and 0.006, respectively) but not Q (P = 0.156).
      The time to exhaustion of the incremental exercise test was significantly reduced
      at 61 and 71% RH compared with 23% RH (P = 0.045 and 0.005, respectively).
      Despite an increase in dry heat loss, a greater thermoregulatory and circulatory
      stress was evident during steady-state exercise at 61 and 71% RH. This ultimately
      limits the capacity to perform the subsequent incremental exercise to exhaustion.
      This study highlighted that in a warm environment, the range of the prescriptive
      zone progressively narrows as RH increases.

PMID- 28349082
TI  - Heat stress and dehydration in adapting for performance: Good, bad, both, or
      neither?
AB  - Physiological systems respond acutely to stress to minimize homeostatic
      disturbance, and typically adapt to chronic stress to enhance tolerance to that
      or a related stressor. It is legitimate to ask whether dehydration is a valuable
      stressor in stimulating adaptation per se. While hypoxia has had long-standing
      interest by athletes and researchers as an ergogenic aid, heat and nutritional
      stressors have had little interest until the past decade. Heat and dehydration
      are highly interlinked in their causation and the physiological strain they
      induce, so their individual roles in adaptation are difficult to delineate. The
      effectiveness of heat acclimation as an ergogenic aid remains unclear for team
      sport and endurance athletes despite several recent studies on this topic. Very
      few studies have examined the potential ergogenic (or ergolytic) adaptations to
      ecologically-valid dehydration as a stressor in its own right, despite
      longstanding evidence of relevant fluid-regulatory adaptations from short-term
      hypohydration. Transient and self-limiting dehydration (e.g., as constrained by
      thirst), as with most forms of stress, might have a time and a place in
      physiological or behavioral adaptations independently or by exacerbating other
      stressors (esp. heat); it cannot be dismissed without the appropriate evidence.
      The present review did not identify such evidence. Future research should
      identify how the magnitude and timing of dehydration might augment or interfere
      with the adaptive processes in behaviorally constrained versus unconstrained
      humans.

PMID- 28349087
TI  - How to keep cool in a hot desert: Torpor in two species of free-ranging bats in
      summer.
AB  - Small insectivorous tree-roosting bats are among the most taxonomically diverse
      group of mammals in Australia's desert, yet little is known about their thermal
      physiology, torpor patterns and roosting ecology, especially during summer. We
      used temperature-telemetry to quantify and compare thermal biology and roost
      selection by broad-nosed bats Scotorepens greyii (6.3 g; n = 11) and Scotorepens
      balstoni (9.9 g; n = 5) in Sturt National Park (NSW Australia) over 3 summers
      (2010-13). Both vespertilionids used torpor often and the total time bats spent
      torpid was ~7 h per day. Bats rewarmed using entirely passive rewarming on 44.8%
      (S. greyii) and 29.4% (S. balstoni) of all torpor arousals. Both bat species
      roosted in hollow, cracked dead trees relatively close to the ground (~3 m) in
      dense tree stands. Our study shows that torpor and passive rewarming are 2 common
      and likely crucial survival traits of S. greyii and S. balstoni.

PMID- 28349089
TI  - Thermoregulation as a non-unified system: A difficult to teach concept.

PMID- 28349088
TI  - Marsupials don't adjust their thermal energetics for life in an alpine
      environment.
AB  - Marsupials have relatively low body temperatures and metabolic rates, and are
      therefore considered to be maladapted for life in cold habitats such as alpine
      environments. We compared body temperature, energetics and water loss as a
      function of ambient temperature for 4 Antechinus species, 2 from alpine habitats
      and 2 from low altitude habitats. Our results show that body temperature,
      metabolic rate, evaporative water loss, thermal conductance and relative water
      economy are markedly influenced by ambient temperature for each species, as
      expected for endothermic mammals. However, despite some species and individual
      differences, habitat (alpine vs non-alpine) does not affect any of these
      physiological variables, which are consistent with those for other marsupials.
      Our study suggests that at least under the environmental conditions experienced
      on the Australian continent, life in an alpine habitat does not require major
      physiological adjustments by small marsupials and that they are physiologically
      equipped to deal with sub-zero temperatures and winter snow cover.

PMID- 28349090
TI  - The importance of body temperature: An anesthesiologist's perspective.

PMID- 28349091
TI  - UCP1 and T3: A key "(un)couple" in energy balance.

PMID- 28349092
TI  - The TRPM2 channel in temperature detection and thermoregulation.

PMID- 28349093
TI  - Regulation of thermoTRPs by lipids.
AB  - The family of Transient Receptor Potential (TRP) ion channels is constituted by 7
      subfamilies among which are those that respond to temperature, the thermoTRPs.
      These channels are versatile molecules of a polymodal nature that have been shown
      to be modulated in various fashions by molecules of a lipidic nature. Some of
      these molecules interact directly with the channels on specific regions of their
      structures and some of these promote changes in membrane fluidity or modify their
      gating properties in response to their agonists. Here, we have discussed how some
      of these lipids regulate the activity of thermoTRPs and included some of the
      available evidence for the molecular mechanisms underlying their effects on these
      channels.

PMID- 28349094
TI  - Current concepts of active vasodilation in human skin.
AB  - In humans, an increase in internal core temperature elicits large increases in
      skin blood flow and sweating. The increase in skin blood flow serves to transfer
      heat via convection from the body core to the skin surface while sweating results
      in evaporative cooling of the skin. Cutaneous vasodilation and sudomotor activity
      are controlled by a sympathetic cholinergic active vasodilator system that is
      hypothesized to operate through a co-transmission mechanism. To date, mechanisms
      of cutaneous active vasodilation remain equivocal despite many years of research
      by several productive laboratory groups. The purpose of this review is to
      highlight recent advancements in the field of cutaneous active vasodilation
      framed in the context of some of the historical findings that laid the groundwork
      for our current understanding of cutaneous active vasodilation.

PMID- 28349095
TI  - Cooling interventions for athletes: An overview of effectiveness, physiological
      mechanisms, and practical considerations.
AB  - Exercise-induced increases in core body temperature could negative impact
      performance and may lead to development of heat-related illnesses. The use of
      cooling techniques prior (pre-cooling), during (per-cooling) or directly after
      (post-cooling) exercise may limit the increase in core body temperature and
      therefore improve exercise performance. The aim of the present review is to
      provide a comprehensive overview of current scientific knowledge in the field of
      pre-cooling, per-cooling and post-cooling. Based on existing studies, we will
      discuss 1) the effectiveness of cooling interventions, 2) the underlying
      physiological mechanisms and 3) practical considerations regarding the use of
      different cooling techniques. Furthermore, we tried to identify the optimal
      cooling technique and compared whether cooling-induced performance benefits are
      different between cool, moderate and hot ambient conditions. This article
      provides researchers, physicians, athletes and coaches with important information
      regarding the implementation of cooling techniques to maintain exercise
      performance and to successfully compete in thermally stressful conditions.

PMID- 28349096
TI  - Hyperthermia and cardiovascular strain during an extreme heat exposure in young
      versus older adults.
AB  - We examined whether older individuals experience greater levels of hyperthermia
      and cardiovascular strain during an extreme heat exposure compared to young
      adults. During a 3-hour extreme heat exposure (44 degrees C, 30% relative
      humidity), we compared body heat storage, core temperature (rectal, visceral) and
      cardiovascular (heart rate, cardiac output, mean arterial pressure, limb blood
      flow) responses of young adults (n = 30, 19-28 years) against those of older
      adults (n = 30, 55-73 years). Direct calorimetry measured whole-body evaporative
      and dry heat exchange. Body heat storage was calculated as the temporal summation
      of heat production (indirect calorimetry) and whole-body heat loss (direct
      calorimetry) over the exposure period. While both groups gained a similar amount
      of heat in the first hour, the older adults showed an attenuated increase in
      evaporative heat loss (p < 0.033) in the first 30-min. Thereafter, the older
      adults were unable to compensate for a greater rate of heat gain (11 +/- 1 ; p <
      0.05) with a corresponding increase in evaporative heat loss. Older adults stored
      more heat (358 +/- 173 kJ) relative to their younger (202 +/- 92 kJ; p < 0.001)
      counterparts at the end of the exposure leading to greater elevations in rectal
      (p = 0.043) and visceral (p = 0.05) temperatures, albeit not clinically
      significant (rise < 0.5 degrees C). Older adults experienced a reduction in calf
      blood flow (p < 0.01) with heat stress, yet no differences in cardiac output,
      blood pressure or heart rate. We conclude, in healthy habitually active
      individuals, despite no clinically observable cardiovascular or temperature
      changes, older adults experience greater heat gain and decreased limb perfusion
      in response to 3-hour heat exposure.

PMID- 28349097
TI  - Vagal afferent activation decreases brown adipose tissue (BAT) sympathetic nerve
      activity and BAT thermogenesis.
AB  - In urethane/alpha-chloralose anesthetized rats, electrical stimulation of
      cervical vagal afferent fibers inhibited the increases in brown adipose tissue
      sympathetic nerve activity and brown adipose tissue thermogenesis evoked by cold
      exposure, by nanoinjection of the GABAA receptor antagonist, bicuculline, in the
      dorsomedial hypothalamus, and by nanoinjection of N-methyl-D-aspartate in the
      rostral raphe pallidus. Vagus nerve stimulation-evoked inhibition of brown
      adipose tissue sympathetic nerve activity was prevented by blockade of ionotropic
      glutamate receptors in the termination site of vagal afferents in the nucleus of
      the solitary tract, and by nanoinjection of GABAA receptor antagonists in the
      rostral raphe pallidus. In conclusion, the brown adipose tissue
      sympathoinhibitory effect of cervical afferent vagal nerve stimulation is
      mediated by glutamatergic activation of second-order sensory neurons in the
      nucleus of the solitary tract and by a GABAergic inhibition of brown adipose
      tissue sympathetic premotor neurons in the rostral raphe pallidus, but does not
      require GABAergic inhibition of the brown adipose tissue sympathoexcitatory
      neurons in the dorsomedial hypothalamus.

PMID- 28349098
TI  - Dataset on the importation of the exotic shrimp Penaeus vannamei broodstock
      (Boone, 1931) to India.
AB  - Penaeus vannamei is an exotic shrimp species that has gained high culture
      momentum, since its introduction to India [1]. Currently, the culture of the
      species in the Country is being done by the shrimp farmers by importation of
      Specific Pathogen Free (SPF) vannamei broodstock from approved suppliers, which
      are located overseas. The value of one brooder normally ranges from 50 to 61 US
      $, excluding the custom duty, processing fee and other charges for the
      transboundary shipment of the stock to India. The P. vannamei stock are permitted
      to be imported to the Country by the hatchery operators only through the single
      declared port of entry, i.e. Chennai in Tamil Nadu in the Country. The imported
      parent shrimps are then to be quarantined at the Aquatic Quarantine Facility
      before being transported to the vannamei hatcheries [2]. This article reports the
      data available on import of vannamei broodstock to India since its importation to
      India in 2009. The dataset presented here contains information on transit and
      quarantine mortality of the brooders following the shipment of the stock by the
      various broodstock suppliers from the overseas.

PMID- 28349099
TI  - Draft genome of the fungus-growing termite pathogenic fungus Ophiocordyceps
      bispora (Ophiocordycipitaceae, Hypocreales, Ascomycota).
AB  - This article documents the public availability of genome sequence data and
      assembled contigs representing the partial draft genome of Ophiocordyceps
      bispora. As one of the few known pathogens of fungus-farming termites, a draft
      genome of O. bispora represents the opportunity to further the understanding of
      disease and resistance in these complex termite societies. With the ongoing
      attempts to resolve the taxonomy of the Hypocralaean family, more genetic data
      will also help to shed light on the phylogenetic relationship between sexual and
      asexual life stages. Next generation sequence data is available from the European
      Nucleotide Archive (ENA) under accession PRJEB13655; run numbers: ERR1368522,
      ERR1368523, and ERR1368524. Genome assembly available from ENA under accession
      numbers: FKNF01000001-FKNF01000302. Gene prediction available as protein fasta,
      nucleotide fasta and GFF file from Mendeley Data with accession
      doi:10.17632/r99fd6g3s4.2 (http://dx.doi.org/10.17632/r99fd6g3s4.2).

PMID- 28349100
TI  - A dataset of housing market and self-attitudes towards housing location choices
      in Alexandria, Egypt.
AB  - A survey, of sample size 224, is designed to include the different related
      factors to housing location choice, such as; socioeconomic factors, housing
      characteristics, travel behavior, current self-selection factors, housing demand
      and future location preferences. It comprises 16 questions, categorized into
      three different sections; socioeconomic (5 Questions), current dwelling unit
      characteristics (7 Questions), and housing demand characteristics (4 Questions).
      The first part, socioeconomic, covers the basic information about the respondent,
      such as; age, gender, marital status, employment, and car ownership. While the
      second part, current dwelling unit characteristics, covers different aspect
      concerning the residential unit typology, financial aspects, and travel behavior
      of the respondent. It includes the tenure types of the residential unit,
      estimation of the unit price (in the case of ownership or renting), housing
      typologies, the main reason for choosing the unit, in case of working, the modes
      of travel to work, and time to reach it, residential mobility in the last decade,
      and the ownership of any other residential units. The last part, housing demand
      characteristics, covers the size of the demand for a residential unit, preference
      in living in a certain area and the reason to choose it, and the preference of
      residential unit's tenure. This survey is a representative sample for the
      population in Alexandria, Egypt. The data in this article is represented in: How
      do people select their residential locations in Egypt? The case of Alexandria;
      JCIT1757.

PMID- 28349102
TI  - A novel dataset on horizontal property rights in 126 jurisdictions.
AB  - The law and the economy are deeply influenced by horizontal property rights,
      which are the rules regulating legal direct and indirect takings between private
      parties. To foster research on the determinants and impact of these institutions,
      we illustrate here a novel data set partially employed in (Dari-Mattiacci,
      Giuseppe, Carmine Guerriero, 2015; Dari-Mattiacci, Giuseppe, Carmine Guerriero,
      Zhenxing Huang, 2016) [3], [4], and (Guerriero Carmine, 2016) [6] and describing
      the acquisition of ownership through adverse possession of personal and real
      property and the use of government takings to transfer real property from a
      private party to another private party in 126 jurisdictions. These data are based
      on the laws and judicial decisions prevailing in each jurisdiction between 1981
      and 2011.

PMID- 28349101
TI  - Data of self-made Taq DNA polymerase prepared for screening purposes.
AB  - DNA analysis is a key procedure in genetic engineering. Nowadays the analysis is
      often done by PCR with Taq DNA polymerase. Although the last enzyme price is
      quite low, demand for numerous analyses results in much money expenditure which
      are not affordable for many laboratories. In a meanwhile, many screening tasks do
      not require the highly purified enzyme. Taking into account the enzyme unique
      properties it makes possible to marginally simplify its production without
      resorting to costly or lengthy techniques such as column chromatography and/or
      dialysis. Here the data of routine usage of Taq DNA polymerase prepared according
      to the protocol developed in our laboratory is presented. The protocol takes only
      several hours to realize and does not need qualified personnel or expensive
      equipment. Yet it gives the enzyme preparation suitable for most screening
      purposes. The isolated Taq DNA polymerase stock can be stored as ammonium sulfate
      suspension in a refrigerator for prolonged period, not less than 6 months. The
      working enzyme solution is prepared from the stock suspension on demand, not more
      than once in a month and can be stored also in a refrigerator.

PMID- 28349103
TI  - Data on chemical activation of Wnt/beta-catenin during axolotl limb regeneration.
AB  - Limb amputation in axolotls was performed to obtain data demonstrating that a
      chemical agonist of Wnt (int-related protein)/beta-catenin signalling can have a
      role in axolotl limb regeneration (Wischin et al., 2017) [1]. The data revealed
      that active beta-catenin protein was present during limb regeneration in some
      Leydig cells in the epithelium; after the chemical treatment, it was observed in
      more Leydig cells. In addition, the chemical agonist of Wnt generated distinct
      limb malformation.

PMID- 28349104
TI  - Calculation of statistic estimates of kinetic parameters from substrate
      uncompetitive inhibition equation using the median method.
AB  - We provide initial rate data from enzymatic reaction experiments and tis
      processing to estimate the kinetic parameters from the substrate uncompetitive
      inhibition equation using the median method published by Eisenthal and Cornish
      Bowden (Cornish-Bowden and Eisenthal, 1974; Eisenthal and Cornish-Bowden, 1974).
      The method was denominated the direct linear plot and consists in the calculation
      of the median from a dataset of kinetic parameters Vmax and Km from the Michaelis
      Menten equation. In this opportunity we present the procedure to applicate the
      direct linear plot to the substrate uncompetitive inhibition equation; a three
      parameter equation. The median method is characterized for its robustness and its
      insensibility to outlier. The calculations are presented in an Excel datasheet
      and a computational algorithm was developed in the free software Python. The
      kinetic parameters of the substrate uncompetitive inhibition equation Vmax , Km
      and Ks were calculated using three experimental points from the dataset formed by
      13 experimental points. All the 286 combinations were calculated. The dataset of
      kinetic parameters resulting from this combinatorial was used to calculate the
      median which corresponds to the statistic estimator of the real kinetic
      parameters. A comparative statistical analyses between the median method and the
      least squares was published in Valencia et al. [3].

PMID- 28349105
TI  - SRM dataset of the proteome of inactivated iron-sulfur cluster biogenesis
      regulator SufR in Synechocystis sp. PCC 6803.
AB  - This article contains SRM proteomics data related to the research article
      entitled"Inactivation of iron-sulfur cluster biogenesis regulator SufR in
      Synechocystis sp. PCC 6803 induces unique iron-dependent protein-level responses"
      (L. Vuorijoki, A. Tiwari, P. Kallio, E.M. Aro, 2017) [1]. The data described here
      provide comprehensive information on the applied SRM assays, together with the
      results of quantifying 94 Synechocystis sp. PCC 6803 proteins. The data has been
      deposited in Panorama public (https://panoramaweb.org/labkey/SufR) and in PASSEL
      under the PASS00765 identifier (http://www.peptideatlas.org/PASS/PASS00765).

PMID- 28349106
TI  - Viscoplastic properties of laponite-CMC mixes.
AB  - In this dataset, 15 samples of laponite-CMC mixes were realized and their
      viscoplastic properties are determined. Rheological parameters are then expressed
      as a function of age and components concentrations.

PMID- 28349107
TI  - Data on IL-10R neutralization-induced chronic colitis in Lipocalin 2 deficient
      mice on BALB/c background.
AB  - The data herein is related to the research article entitled "Microbiota-inducible
      Innate Immune, Siderophore Binding Protein Lipocalin 2 is Critical for Intestinal
      Homeostasis" (Singh et al., 2016) [1] where we have demonstrated that C57BL/6
      Lipocalin 2 deficient mice (Lcn2KO) developed chronic colitis upon anti
      interleukin-10 receptor (alphaIL-10R) monoclonal antibody administration. In the
      present article, we evaluated the susceptibility of BALB/c Lcn2KO mice and their
      WT littermates to the alphaIL-10R neutralization-induced chronic colitis. Our
      data showed that alphaIL-10R mAb-treated BALB/c Lcn2KO mice exhibited severe
      chronic colitis (i.e., splenomegaly, colomegaly, colonic pathology, and incidence
      of rectal prolapse) when compared to WT mice.

PMID- 28349108
TI  - Power analysis dataset for QCA based multiplexer circuits.
AB  - Power consumption in irreversible QCA logic circuits is a vital and a major
      issue; however in the practical cases, this focus is mostly omitted.The complete
      power depletion dataset of different QCA multiplexers have been worked out in
      this paper. At -271.15  degrees C temperature, the depletion is evaluated under
      three separate tunneling energy levels. All the circuits are designed with
      QCADesigner, a broadly used simulation engine and QCAPro tool has been applied
      for estimating the power dissipation.

PMID- 28349109
TI  - Data on solar sunburning ultraviolet (UVB) radiation at an urban Mediterranean
      climate.
AB  - This article describes data on the intensity of ultraviolet B (UVB) radiation
      collected during field questionnaire-based surveys in Athens, Greece. The surveys
      were conducted over 11 days of July and October 2010 at three different urban,
      outdoor sites. A total of 1104 interviews were conducted. The participants were
      asked to report whether they felt they got a sunburn at the moment of the
      interview. Questions related to personal characteristics including skin type and
      exposure time (visit duration at the interview site) were also included in the
      questionnaire.

PMID- 28349110
TI  - Data on the weights, specific gravities and chemical compositions of potato
      (Solanum tuberosum) tubers for food processing from different areas of Hokkaido,
      Japan.
AB  - This data article provides the weights, specific gravities and chemical
      compositions (moisture, protein, fat, ash, and carbohydrate) of potato tubers,
      for food processing use, from the Tokachi, Kamikawa and Abashiri areas of
      Hokkaido, Japan. Potato tubers of four cultivars ('Toyoshiro', 'Kitahime',
      'Snowden' and 'Poroshiri') were employed in the current study. The weights and
      specific gravities of potato tubers from each cultivar, harvested from three
      areas, were measured, and those of near average weight and specific gravity from
      each group were analyzed for their chemical composition. In this article, weight,
      specific gravity, and chemical composition data are provided in tables.

PMID- 28349112
TI  - Treatment of alopecia universalis with oral alitretinoin: A case report.

PMID- 28349111
TI  - Dataset of the human homologues and orthologues of lipid-metabolic genes
      identified as DAF-16 targets their roles in lipid and energy metabolism.
AB  - The data presented in this article are related to the review article entitled
      'Unravelling the role of fatty acid metabolism in cancer through the FOXO3-FOXM1
      axis' (Saavedra-Garcia et al., 2017) [24]. Here, we have matched the DAF-16/FOXO3
      downstream genes with their respective human orthologues and reviewed the roles
      of these targeted genes in FA metabolism. The list of genes listed in this
      article are precisely selected from literature reviews based on their functions
      in mammalian FA metabolism. The nematode Caenorhabditis elegans gene orthologues
      of the genes are obtained from WormBase, the online biological database of C.
      elegans. This dataset has not been uploaded to a public repository yet.

PMID- 28349113
TI  - Expanding phenotype of hereditary fibrosing poikiloderma with tendon
      contractures, myopathy, and pulmonary fibrosis caused by FAM111B mutations:
      Report of an additional family raising the question of cancer predisposition and
      a short review of early-onset poikiloderma.

PMID- 28349114
TI  - Comprehensive genomic profiling (CGP) of ovarian clear cell carcinomas (OCCC)
      identifies clinically relevant genomic alterations (CRGA) and targeted therapy
      options.
AB  - *MTOR pathway genes are often mutated in ovarian clear cell carcinomas
      (OCCC).*11.2% of OCCC have targetable alterations only in the mTOR pathway.*MTOR
      pathway mutations in OCCC can underlie robust, lasting responses to everolimus.

PMID- 28349115
TI  - Posterior reversible encephalopathy syndrome (PRES) associated with ovarian
      cancer and voltage-gated potassium channel antibodies: A case report.
AB  - *We report a case of PRES in conjunction with high grade serous ovarian
      carcinoma*There is a documented association between chemotherapy agents and
      PRES*Paraneoplastic panel was positive for voltage-gated potassium channel
      antibodies*Paraneoplastic workup may be justified in cases with high suspicion of
      PRES.

PMID- 28349116
TI  - Poorly differentiated high-grade urothelial carcinoma presenting as Paget's
      disease of the vulva with no overt urinary tract neoplasm detected.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: There are few reported cases of secondary (non-cutaneous) vulvar
      Paget's disease related to urothelial carcinoma (UC), with only 7 of them
      presenting initially with Paget's disease and up to a 13-year lapse from
      detecting a urinary tract neoplasm after the onset of symptoms. This is a case of
      Paget's disease of urothelial origin with no urinary tract neoplasm detected on
      initial presentation. METHODS: This is a 59-year-old African-American female who
      presented with worsening eczematous lesions for two years. She had no symptoms
      suggestive of UC. Initial biopsies showed poorly differentiated high-grade UC
      with pagetoid changes. RESULTS: Stains showed immunoreactivity for CK7, uroplakin
      III, p16 and p63 with negative CK20 expression. This staining pattern is
      characteristic of pagetoid urothelial intraepithelial lesion, now listed as
      secondary Paget's disease. Biopsies showed GATTA3 positivity suggestive of
      urothelial origin. Both GCDFP-15 and CEA were negative, which are normally
      expressed by Paget cells of the primary (cutaneous) type. A follow-up cystoscopy
      was unremarkable. The patient underwent a partial radical vulvectomy with
      bilateral lymphadenectomy for extensive disease. Final pathology confirmed
      infiltrating high-grade UC with overlying epidermis displaying pagetoid in-situ
      tumor component. CONCLUSION: This is a rare case of secondary Paget's disease of
      urothelial origin where there was no concurrent UC nor did the patient present
      with symptoms suggestive of a urinary tract malignancy. In initial presentations
      of vulvar Paget's disease, it is important to be aware of the secondary
      classification because it warrants investigation of surrounding structures to
      rule out underlying malignancies that are or have not yet become clinically
      apparent.

PMID- 28349117
TI  - Anogenital lichen sclerosus: Change of tissue position as pathogenetic factor.
AB  - *Lichen sclerosus in females primarily involves the hairless anogenital
      skin.*Skin tissue outside this area is constitutionally not at risk for lichen
      sclerosus.*Transplantation into the vulvar field may turn skin susceptible to
      lichen sclerosus.*Tissue inherent positional information might affect lichen
      sclerosus susceptibility.

PMID- 28349118
TI  - Vulvar condylomatosis after sex reassignment surgery in a male-to-female
      transsexual: Complete response to imiquimod cream.
AB  - BACKGROUND: The number of patients seeking sex reassignment surgery is
      increasing. Approximately 1:30,000 adult males and 1: 100,000 adult females seek
      this procedure. Neovaginal-related disorders after sex reassignment surgery are
      increasingly more common. Vulvar condylomatosis is the clinical manifestation of
      HPV 6- and 11 infection in biological women. The same HPV-subtypes are associated
      with anogenital warts and penile intraepithelial neoplasia in biological men. We
      aim to present a case of vulvar condylomatosis after sex reassignment surgery in
      a male-to-female transsexual and its complete response to 5% imiquimod cream.
      CASE: We describe a case of a 19-year-old female transexual who presented one
      year after male to female sex reassignment surgery by inverted penile skin
      vaginoplasty with condyloma accuminata of the vulva. The patient had a complete
      response to imiquimod 5% cream 12 weeks after initiation of treatment.
      CONCLUSION: Gynecologists should be prepared to treat neovaginal-related
      disorders in male-to-female transsexuals.

PMID- 28349120
TI  - Variability in medication taking is associated with cognitive performance in
      nondemented older adults.
AB  - Interventions to slow cognitive decline typically can do little to reverse
      decline. Thus, early detection methods are critical. However, tools like
      cognitive testing are time consuming and require costly expertise. Changes in
      activities of daily living such as medication adherence may herald the onset of
      cognitive decline before clinical standards. Here, we determine the relationship
      between medication adherence and cognitive function in preclinical older adults.
      We objectively assessed medication adherence in 38 older adults (mean age 86.7 +/
      6.9 years). Our results demonstrate that individuals with lower cognitive
      function have more spread in the timing of taking their medications (P = .014)
      and increase the spread in the timing of taking their medications over time (P =
      .012). These results demonstrate that continuous monitoring of medication
      adherence may provide the opportunity to identify patients experiencing slow
      cognitive decline in the earliest stages when pharmacologic or behavioral
      interventions may be most effective.

PMID- 28349119
TI  - A multinational study distinguishing Alzheimer's and healthy patients using
      cerebrospinal fluid tau/Abeta42 cutoff with concordance to amyloid positron
      emission tomography imaging.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: Changes in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) tau and amyloid beta (Abeta)42
      accompany development of Alzheimer's brain pathology. Robust tau and Abeta42
      immunoassays were developed to establish a tau/Abeta42 cutoff distinguishing mild
      to-moderate Alzheimer's disease (AD) subjects from healthy elderly control (HC)
      subjects. METHODS: A CSF tau/Abeta42 cutoff criteria was chosen, which
      distinguished the groups and maximized concordance with amyloid PET. Performance
      was assessed using an independent validation cohort. RESULTS: A tau/Abeta42 =
      0.215 cutoff provided 94.8% sensitivity and 77.7% specificity. Concordance with
      PET visual reads was estimated at 86.9% in a ~50% PET positive population. In the
      validation cohort, the cutoff demonstrated 78.4% sensitivity and 84.9%
      specificity to distinguish the AD and HC populations. DISCUSSION: A tau/Abeta42
      cutoff with acceptable sensitivity and specificity distinguished HC from mild-to
      moderate AD subjects and maximized concordance to brain amyloidosis. The defined
      cutoff demonstrated that CSF analysis may be useful as a surrogate to imaging
      assessment of AD pathology.

PMID- 28349121
TI  - Cloacael Carriage and Multidrug Resistance Escherichia coli O157:H7 from Poultry
      Farms, Eastern Ethiopia.
AB  - A cross-sectional study was carried out to determine antimicrobial drug
      resistance patterns of E. coli O157:H7 isolates and estimate the level of the
      pathogen. A total of 194 cloacae swab samples were collected randomly in two
      poultry farms. Standard cultural, biochemical, and serological (latex
      agglutination) methods were used to isolate E. coli O157:H7. The isolates were
      subjected to antimicrobial susceptibility testing using disc diffusion method.
      Out of 194 cloacae samples examined, 13.4% (n = 26) were found to be positive for
      E. coli O157:H7. The finding indicated differences in E. coli O157:H7 infection
      among the different risk factors. Chicken from Adele Poultry Farm showed higher
      E. coli O157:H7 infection (OR = 3.89) than Haramaya University poultry farm and
      young birds had more infection (OR = 4.62) than adult birds. Of the total 14
      antimicrobials included in the panel of study, the susceptibility results were
      varied with 96.15% and 0% E. coli O157:H7 isolates expressing resistance to
      erythromycin, clindamycin, spectinomycin, and ciprofloxacin, respectively.
      Multidrug resistance to more than two antimicrobial agents was detected in 24
      (92.30%) of the isolates. The study showed high presence of antimicrobial
      resistant isolates of E. coli O157:H7. Further study is required to better
      understand the ecology and evolution of bacterial resistance to antimicrobial
      agents.

PMID- 28349122
TI  - Prediction of Hepatocellular Preservation Injury Immediately Before Human Liver
      Transplantation by Controlled Oxygenated Rewarming.

PMID- 28349123
TI  - Outcomes of Kidney Transplant Recipients With Percutaneous Ureteral
      Interventions: A Single-Center Study.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Long-term outcomes of kidney transplantation recipients with
      percutaneous ureteral management of transplant ureteral complications are not
      well characterized. METHODS: Electronic records of 1753 recipients of kidney
      alone transplant between January 2000 and December 2008 were reviewed. One
      hundred thirty-one patients were identified to have undergone percutaneous
      ureteral management, with placement of percutaneous nephrostomy tube or
      additional intervention (nephroureteral stenting and/or balloon dilation).
      Indications for intervention included transplant ureteral stricture or ureteral
      leak. Kaplan-Meier survival curves and multivariable regression modeling were
      performed to determine survival outcomes. RESULTS: Kaplan- Meier graft survival
      (P = 0.04) was lower in patients with percutaneous ureteral intervention for
      transplant ureteral complication. Graft survival at 1, 5, and 10 years was 94.3%
      78.3%, and 59.1% for no intervention and 97.2%, 72.1%, and 36.2% for intervention
      cohort. Patient survival (P = 0.69) was similar between cohorts. Multivariate
      analysis demonstrated no association with graft failure (hazard ratio, 1.21; 95%
      confidence interval, 0.67-2.19; P = 0.53) or patient death (hazard ratio, 0.56;
      95% confidence interval, 0.22-1.41; P = 0.22) in intervention group. The major
      cause of graft failure was infection for percutaneous ureteral intervention group
      (20.4%) and chronic rejection for those without intervention (17.3%).
      CONCLUSIONS: Kidney transplant recipients with percutaneous ureteral
      interventions for ureteral complications do not have a significant difference in
      graft and patient survival outcomes. Therefore, aggressive nonoperative
      management can be confidently pursued in the appropriate clinical setting.

PMID- 28349124
TI  - Alemtuzumab Induction and Delayed Acute Rejection in Steroid-Free Simultaneous
      Pancreas-Kidney Transplant Recipients.
AB  - BACKGROUND: The optimal immunosuppressive regimen in simultaneous pancreas-kidney
      transplant (SPKT) recipients that prevents acute rejection episodes (AREs) and
      allows optimal outcome remains elusive. METHODS: This cohort study assessed
      incidence and time to AREs in 73 consecutive SPKT recipients receiving
      alemtuzumab induction and steroid-free maintenance with tacrolimus and
      mycophenolate mofetil. A cohort with single high-dose antithymocyte globulin
      (ATG; n = 85) and triple therapy served as controls. In addition, we provided
      mechanistic insights in AREs after alemtuzumab depletion, including composition
      and alloreactivity of lymphocytes (flow cytometry and mixed lymphocyte reaction)
      plasma alemtuzumab levels (enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay), and maintenance
      drug exposure. RESULTS: Overall number of AREs at 3 years was significantly lower
      with alemtuzumab versus ATG induction (26.0% vs 43.5%; adjusted hazard ratio,
      0.38; P = 0.029). Most AREs (94.6%) with ATG occurred within the first month,
      whereas 84.2% of AREs with alemtuzumab occurred beyond 3 months. Patients with
      and without an ARE in the steroid-free alemtuzumab group showed no differences in
      composition of lymphocytes, or in alemtuzumab levels. Of note, more than two
      thirds of these AREs were preceded by empiric tacrolimus and/or mycophenolate
      mofetil dose adjustments due to viral infections, leukopenia, or gastrointestinal
      symptoms. CONCLUSIONS: Alemtuzumab induction resulted in a significant lower
      incidence of AREs. Empiric dose adjustments beyond 3 months in the absence of
      steroids carry a significant risk for subsequent rejection in SPKT recipients.

PMID- 28349125
TI  - Application of Operational Tolerance Signatures Are Limited by Variability and
      Type of Immunosuppression in Renal Transplant Recipients: A Cross-Sectional
      Study.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Renal transplant recipients (RTR) frequently develop complications
      relating to chronic immunosuppression. Identifying RTR who could safely reduce
      immunosuppression is therefore highly desirable. We hypothesized that
      "signatures" described in RTR who have stopped immunosuppression but maintained
      stable graft function ("operational tolerance") may enable identification of
      immunosuppressed RTR who are candidates for immunosuppression minimization.
      However, the effect of immunosuppression itself on these signatures and
      circulating B-cell populations is currently unknown. METHODS: We undertook a
      cross-sectional study of 117 RTR to assess the effect of immunosuppression upon
      circulating B cell populations, humoral alloresponse and 2 previously published
      "signatures" of operational tolerance. RESULTS: Immunosuppression associated with
      alterations in both published "signatures." Azathioprine associated with a
      decrease in transitional and naive B-cell numbers and calcineurin inhibition
      associated with an increase in the number of circulating plasmablasts. However,
      only azathioprine use associated with the presence of donor-specific anti-HLA IgG
      antibodies. Calcineurin inhibition associated with an increase in total serum IgM
      but not IgG. Data were corrected for age, time since last transplant, and other
      immunosuppression. CONCLUSIONS: Current signatures of operational tolerance may
      be significantly affected by immunosuppressive regimen, which may hinder use in
      their current form in clinical practice. Calcineurin inhibition may prevent the
      development of long-lasting humoral alloresponses, whereas azathioprine therapy
      may be associated with donor specific antibody development.

PMID- 28349126
TI  - Genetics of stroke in a UK African ancestry case-control study: South London
      Ethnicity and Stroke Study.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: Despite epidemiologic data showing an increased stroke incidence in
      African ancestry populations, genetic studies in this group have so far been
      limited, and there has been little characterization of the genetic contribution
      to stroke liability in this population, particularly for stroke subtypes.
      METHODS: We evaluated the evidence that genetic factors contribute to stroke and
      stroke subtypes in a population of 917 African and African Caribbean stroke cases
      and 868 matched controls from London, United Kingdom. We (1) estimated the
      heritability of stroke in this population using genomic-relatedness matrix
      restricted maximum likelihood approaches, (2) assessed loci associated with
      stroke in Europeans in our population, and (3) evaluated the influence of genetic
      factors underlying cardiovascular risk factors on stroke using polygenic risk
      scoring. RESULTS: Our results indicate a substantial genetic contribution to
      stroke risk in African ancestry populations (h2 = 0.35 [SE = 0.19], p = 0.043).
      Polygenic risk scores indicate that cardiovascular risk scores contribute to the
      genetic liability (odds ratio [OR] 1.09 [95% confidence interval (CI) 1.01-1.17],
      p = 0.029) and point to a strong influence of type 2 diabetes in large vessel
      stroke (OR 1.62 [95% CI 1.19-2.22], p = 0.0024). Single nucleotide polymorphisms
      associated with ischemic stroke in Europeans shared direction of effect in SLESS
      (p = 0.031), suggesting that disease mechanisms are shared across ancestries.
      CONCLUSIONS: Stroke in African ancestry populations is highly heritable and
      influenced by genetic determinants underlying cardiovascular risk factors. In
      addition, stroke loci identified in Europeans share direction of effect in
      African populations. Future genome-wide association studies must focus on
      incorporating African ancestry individuals.

PMID- 28349128
TI  - Towards better environmental performance of wastewater sludge treatment using
      endpoint approach in LCA methodology.
AB  - The aim of this study is to use the life cycle assessment method to measure the
      environmental performance of the sludge incineration process in a wastewater
      treatment plant and to propose an alternative that can reduce the environmental
      impact. To show the damages caused by the treatment processes, the study aimed to
      use an endpoint approach in evaluating impacts on human health, ecosystem
      quality, and resources due to the processes. A case study was taken at Bissell
      Point Wastewater Treatment Plant in Saint Louis, Missouri, U.S. The plant
      specific data along with literature data from technical publications were used to
      build an inventory, and then analyzed the environmental burdens from sludge
      handling unit in the year 2011. The impact assessment method chosen was ReCipe
      2008. The existing scenario (dewatering-multiple hearth incineration-ash to
      landfill) was evaluated and three alternative scenarios (fluid bed incineration
      and anaerobic digestion with and without land application) with energy recovery
      from heat or biogas were proposed and analyzed to find the one with the least
      environmental impact. The existing scenario shows that the most significant
      impacts are related to depletion in resources and damage to human health. These
      impacts mainly came from the operation phase (electricity and fuel consumption
      and emissions related to combustion). Alternatives showed better performance than
      the existing scenario. Using ReCipe endpoint methodology, and among the three
      alternatives tested, the anaerobic digestion had the best overall environmental
      performance. It is recommended to convert to fluid bed incineration if the
      concerns were more about human health or to anaerobic digestion if the concerns
      were more about depletion in resources. The endpoint approach may simplify the
      outcomes of this study as follows: if the plant is converted to fluid bed
      incineration, it could prevent an average of 43.2 DALYs in human life, save 0.059
      species in the area from extinction, and make a 62% reduction in the plant's
      current expenses needed by future generations to extract resources per year. At
      the same time it may prevent 36.1 DALYs in humans, save 0.157 species, and make a
      101% reduction in current expenses on resources per year, if converting to
      anaerobic digestion.

PMID- 28349127
TI  - Polymeric nanoparticle-based delivery of TRAIL DNA for cancer-specific killing.
AB  - Lack of specificity in cancer therapeutics severely limits the efficacy of many
      existing treatment modalities. The use of Tumor Necrosis Factor-related Apoptosis
      Inducing Ligand (TRAIL) is of interest to the field due to this protein's ability
      to cause cell death specifically in cancer cells without harming the surrounding
      healthy tissue. Here, we report that polymeric nanoparticles, based on synthetic
      poly(beta-amino ester)s (PBAEs) and containing DNA, are able to selectively
      transfect cancer cells in vitro over healthy cells of the same tissue type.
      Moreover, PBAE-based nanoparticles containing TRAIL DNA are able to transfect
      several human cancer cell cultures in vitro and cause cell death. While certain
      cell types, including human glioblastoma (GBM), showed resistance to TRAIL, we
      found that the expression of TRAIL-binding surface proteins was predictive of
      each cell type's resistance to TRAIL therapy. We demonstrate a non-viral
      nanomedicine approach to cancer gene therapy that can improve cancer specificity
      via both biomaterial selection and through the use of cancer-targeting genetic
      cargo.

PMID- 28349129
TI  - Effect of Corexit 9500A on Mississippi Canyon crude oil weathering patterns using
      artificial and natural seawater.
AB  - During the 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil well blowout in the Northern Gulf of Mexico
      (GoM), the application of 6.97 million litres of chemical dispersants was used at
      the well-head and on the sea surface to promote oil degradation and weathering of
      the Mississippi Canyon 252 (MC252) crude oil. Chemical dispersants encourage
      microbial degradation by increasing the surface area of the spilled oil, which
      also increases its bioavailability. However, the net beneficial effects of using
      chemical dispersants on spilled oil and their effects on weathering are not
      completely elucidated in contemporary literature. The use of simulated
      environmental conditions in replicate laboratory microcosm weathering experiments
      were employed to study the weathering of oil and the effects of dispersants on
      oil weathering. Fresh MC252 oil was evaporatively weathered 40% by-weight to
      approximate the composition of oil seen in surface slicks during the 2010 spill.
      This surface oil was then well mixed with two types of seawater, autoclaved
      artificial seawater, the abiotic control, and Gulf of Mexico seawater, the biotic
      experiment. Four different weathering combinations were tested: 10 mg of oil
      mixed in 150 ml artificial seawater (OAS) or natural (i.e., GoM) seawater (ON)
      and 10 mg of oil with dispersant mixed with 150 ml of artificial seawater (OASD)
      or natural (i.e., GoM) seawater (OND). For the treatments with dispersant (OASD
      and OND), the dispersant-to-oil ratio (DoR) was 1:20. The experiment was carried
      out over 28 days with replicates that were sacrificed on Days 0, 0.5, 3, 7, 14,
      21 and 28. For the OAS and OASD treatments, abiotic weathering (i.e.,
      evaporation) dominated the weathering process. However, the ON and OND treatments
      showed a dramatic and rapid decrease in total concentrations of both alkanes and
      aromatics with biodegradation dominating the weathering process. Further, there
      were no identifiable differences in the observed weathering patterns between
      microcosms using oil or oil treated with dispersant. In the biotic weathering
      microcosms, the relative degree of individual polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon
      (PAH) depletion decreases with an increase in rings and within a homolog series
      (increased alkylation). The n-C17/pristane and n-C18/phytane ratios rapidly
      decreased compared to the abiotic weathering experiments. The C2
      dibenzothiophenes (DBT)/C2-phenanthrenes (D2/P2) and C3-DBTs/C3-phenanthrenes
      (D3/P3) ratios initially remained constant during the early stages of weathering
      and then increased with time showing preferential weathering of the sulfur
      containing compounds compared to similar sized PAH compounds. These ratios in the
      abiotic microcosms remained constant over 28 days. Additionally, twenty-four
      quantitative MC252 oil biomarker ratios were evaluated to determine if their
      usefulness as oil source-fingerprinting tools were compromised after significant
      weathering and dispersant augmentation.

PMID- 28349131
TI  - C-Phycocyanin as a tumour-associated macrophage-targeted photosensitiser and a
      vehicle of phthalocyanine for enhanced photodynamic therapy.
AB  - C-Phycocyanin (CPC) as a tumour-associated macrophage (TAM)-targeted
      photosensitiser has been first proved, and used as a vehicle of zinc
      phthalocyanine (ZnPc) to fabricate a ZnPc-CPC conjugate, which exhibits an
      efficient in vitro photodynamic activity, and selectively accumulates in tumour
      sites probably due to the affinity to TAM.

PMID- 28349132
TI  - N-Tosylhydrazones: versatile synthons in the construction of cyclic compounds.
AB  - N-Tosylhydrazones have recently emerged as useful synthons in a variety of
      transition-metal-catalyzed and transition-metal-free reactions, which affords
      novel methodologies for the formation of carbon-carbon and carbon-heteroatom
      bonds. In this context, it has been found that N-tosylhydrazones can be used as
      versatile building blocks in the construction of a range of cyclic compounds. In
      this review, cyclization reactions based on N-tosylhydrazones as substrates are
      discussed. A series of cyclic compounds, including aromatic and non-aromatic ring
      systems, are demonstrated to be easily constructed by cyclizations with N
      tosylhydrazones.

PMID- 28349133
TI  - Spontaneous phase transition of hexagonal wurtzite CoO: application to
      electrochemical and photoelectrochemical water splitting.
AB  - The addition of water initiates the phase transition of hexagonal CoO to Co(OH)2
      nanocrystals. Inducing the phase transition of h-CoO on various substrates
      results in efficient chemical bonding between Co(OH)2 and the substrate. The
      efficient deposition of Co(OH)2 is widely applicable for electrochemical and
      photoelectrochemical water oxidation reactions.

PMID- 28349134
TI  - Sodium-ion batteries: present and future.
AB  - Energy production and storage technologies have attracted a great deal of
      attention for day-to-day applications. In recent decades, advances in lithium-ion
      battery (LIB) technology have improved living conditions around the globe. LIBs
      are used in most mobile electronic devices as well as in zero-emission electronic
      vehicles. However, there are increasing concerns regarding load leveling of
      renewable energy sources and the smart grid as well as the sustainability of
      lithium sources due to their limited availability and consequent expected price
      increase. Therefore, whether LIBs alone can satisfy the rising demand for small-
      and/or mid-to-large-format energy storage applications remains unclear. To
      mitigate these issues, recent research has focused on alternative energy storage
      systems. Sodium-ion batteries (SIBs) are considered as the best candidate power
      sources because sodium is widely available and exhibits similar chemistry to that
      of LIBs; therefore, SIBs are promising next-generation alternatives. Recently,
      sodiated layer transition metal oxides, phosphates and organic compounds have
      been introduced as cathode materials for SIBs. Simultaneously, recent
      developments have been facilitated by the use of select carbonaceous materials,
      transition metal oxides (or sulfides), and intermetallic and organic compounds as
      anodes for SIBs. Apart from electrode materials, suitable electrolytes,
      additives, and binders are equally important for the development of practical
      SIBs. Despite developments in electrode materials and other components, there
      remain several challenges, including cell design and electrode balancing, in the
      application of sodium ion cells. In this article, we summarize and discuss
      current research on materials and propose future directions for SIBs. This will
      provide important insights into scientific and practical issues in the
      development of SIBs.

PMID- 28349130
TI  - Design Strategies and Applications of Biomaterials and Devices for Hernia Repair.
AB  - Hernia repair is one of the most commonly performed surgical procedures
      worldwide, with a multi-billion dollar global market. Implant design remains a
      critical challenge for the successful repair and prevention of recurrent hernias,
      and despite significant progress, there is no ideal mesh for every surgery. This
      review summarizes the evolution of prostheses design toward successful hernia
      repair beginning with a description of the anatomy of the disease and the
      classifications of hernias. Next, the major milestones in implant design are
      discussed. Commonly encountered complications and strategies to minimize these
      adverse effects are described, followed by a thorough description of the implant
      characteristics necessary for successful repair. Finally, available implants are
      categorized and their advantages and limitations elucidated, including non
      absorbable and absorbable (synthetic and biologically derived) prostheses,
      composite prostheses, and coated prostheses. This review not only summarizes the
      state of the art in hernia repair, but also suggests future research directions
      toward improved hernia repair utilizing novel materials and fabrication methods.

PMID- 28349135
TI  - Synthesis of highly efficient azure-to-blue-emitting Zn-Cu-Ga-S quantum dots.
AB  - To realize blue emission-capable non-Cd I-III-VI quantum dots (QDs), we explore
      the synthesis of ternary Cu-Ga-S (CGS) QDs and subsequent quaternary Zn-Cu-Ga-S
      (ZCGS) via Zn alloying into a CGS host. The resulting ZCGS/ZnS core/shell QDs
      possess not only Zn content-dependent tunable emissions in the azure-to-blue
      range but also exceptional quantum yields of 78-83%.

PMID- 28349137
TI  - Insights into the pores of microwave-assisted metal-imidazolate frameworks
      showing enhanced gas sorption.
AB  - Microwave heating (MW)-assisted synthesis has been widely applied as an
      alternative method for the chemical synthesis of organic and inorganic materials.
      In this work, we report MW-assisted synthesis of three isostructural 3D
      frameworks with a flexible linker arm of the chelating linker 2-substituted
      imidazolate-4-amide-5-imidate, named IFP-7-MW (M = Zn, R = OMe), IFP-8-MW (M =
      Co; R = OMe) and IFP-10-MW (M = Co; R = OEt) (IFP = Imidazolate Framework
      Potsdam). These chelating ligands were generated in situ by partial hydrolysis of
      2-substituted 4,5-dicyanoimidazoles under MW- and also conventional electrical
      heating (CE)-assisted conditions in DMF. The structure of these materials was
      determined by IR spectroscopy and powder X-ray diffraction (PXRD) and the
      identity of the materials synthesized under CE-conditions was established.
      Materials obtained from MW-heating show many fold enhancement of CO2 and H2
      uptake capacities, compared to the analogous CE-heating method based materials.
      To understand the inner pore-sizes of IFP structures and variations of gas
      sorptions, we performed positron annihilation lifetime spectroscopy (PALS), which
      shows that MW-assisted materials have smaller pore sizes than materials
      synthesized under CE-conditions. The "kinetically controlled" MW-synthesized
      material has an inherent ability to trap extra linkers, thereby reducing the pore
      sizes of CE-materials to ultra/micropores. These ultramicropores are responsible
      for high gas sorption.

PMID- 28349138
TI  - Metal coordination of ferrocene-histidine conjugates.
AB  - This study presents a few bis(histidine) ligands working to build a small
      peptidic model system of zinc structural sites. Ferrocene-peptide conjugates
      Fc[CO-His(Trt)-His(Trt)-OMe]2 (3), Fc[CO-His(Trt)-Asp(OMe)-OMe]2 (4), and Fc[CO
      His(Trt)-Glu(OMe)-OMe]2 (5) were synthesized and characterized spectroscopically.
      1H-NMR and IR spectroscopic studies reveal hydrogen bonding interactions and
      while more detailed circular dichroism studies show a 1,2'-P helical "Herrick
      conformation" for Fc-conjugates 4 and 5, we discovered M-helical chirality in Fc
      peptide 3. The half-wave potentials (E1/2) of ferrocene-peptides follow the
      sequence 3 < 5 < 4 which is rationalized by the capability of the peptide side
      chains to stabilize the oxidized ferrocene-peptide form. The diffusion
      coefficient (D) and electron transfer rate constant (ksh) values for all Fc
      conjugates were determined by their resultant cyclic voltammetry data. The
      interactions for all Fc-conjugates were probed with metal ions Zn2+, Cd2+, Ni2+,
      Cu2+, Mn2+, and Mg2+ which were detected to interact at 1 : 1 ratio between the
      ligand and metal ion verified by 1H-NMR and UV titration studies, electrochemical
      investigations, and ESI-MS experiments. Electrochemical studies for all Fc
      conjugates exhibit anodic potential shifts upon the addition of metal ions, which
      follow the order Cu2+ > Zn2+ > Ni2+ > Cd2+ > Mn2+ > Mg2+. NMR spectroscopic
      experiments show that the two nitrogen atoms present on each imidazole ring of
      His residues are the site of metal coordination. There is a strong indication
      that peptide conjugates 4 and 5 in the presence of Zn2+ enforce a coordination
      number of four as the CD spectra of Fc-conjugates 4 and 5 exhibited a red shift
      which corresponds to the third and fourth coordination sites occupied by neutral
      carbonyl oxygen donor atoms, in addition, carbonyl amide appears downward shifted
      in wavenumber upon metal addition.

PMID- 28349140
TI  - Microfluidic neural probes: in vivo tools for advancing neuroscience.
AB  - Microfluidic neural probes hold immense potential as in vivo tools for dissecting
      neural circuit function in complex nervous systems. Miniaturization, integration,
      and automation of drug delivery tools open up new opportunities for minimally
      invasive implants. These developments provide unprecedented spatiotemporal
      resolution in fluid delivery as well as multifunctional interrogation of neural
      activity using combined electrical and optical modalities. Capitalizing on these
      unique features, microfluidic technology will greatly advance in vivo
      pharmacology, electrophysiology, optogenetics, and optopharmacology. In this
      review, we discuss recent advances in microfluidic neural probe systems. In
      particular, we will highlight the materials and manufacturing processes of
      microfluidic probes, device configurations, peripheral devices for fluid handling
      and packaging, and wireless technologies that can be integrated for the control
      of these microfluidic probe systems. This article summarizes various microfluidic
      implants and discusses grand challenges and future directions for further
      developments.

PMID- 28349141
TI  - Synthesis of phenanthridine spiropyrans and studies of their effects on G
      quadruplex DNA.
AB  - G-quadruplex (G4) DNA structures are involved in many important biological
      processes and can be linked to several human diseases. Drug-like low molecular
      weight compounds that target G4 structures are therefore interesting not only for
      their potential therapeutic properties but also for their potential use as
      chemical research tools. We report here on the development of methods to
      synthesize spiropyrans using a condensation-cyclisation reaction of quaternary
      salts of alpha-methyl quinoline or phenanthridine with salicylaldehydes.
      Evaluation of the synthesized phenanthridine spiropyrans' interactions with G4
      DNA was performed with a Thioflavin T displacement assay, circular dichroism, Taq
      DNA polymerase stop assay, and NMR. This revealed that the substitution pattern
      on the phenanthridine spiropyrans was very important for their ability to bind
      and stabilize G4 structures. Some of the synthesized low molecular weight
      spirocyclic compounds efficiently stabilized G4 structures without inducing
      structural changes by binding the first G-tetrad in the G4 structure.

PMID- 28349142
TI  - High performance multifunctional green Co3O4 spinel nanoparticles:
      photodegradation of textile dye effluents, catalytic hydrogenation of nitro
      aromatics and antibacterial potential.
AB  - Tricobalt tetraoxide (Co3O4), a spinel-structured nanoparticle which possesses
      mixed oxidation states, has been synthesized via a Punica granatum (P. granatum,
      pomegranate) seed extract-mediated green reaction and has been investigated for
      its superior catalytic activity in three applications, which include (i)
      photodegradation of textile dye effluents (TDE) collected from the dyeing
      industry, Tiruppur, Tamil Nadu, India, (ii) catalytic hydrogenation of nitro
      aromatic pollutants such as 4-nitrophenol and 4-nitroaniline, and (iii)
      antibacterial potential in biomedical applications. Prior to the application
      studies, the synthesized Co3O4 spinel nanoparticles (Co3O4-NPs) were
      characterized by well-known established techniques such as X-ray diffraction
      (XRD), high resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM), energy
      dispersive X-ray analysis (EDX), diffuse reflectance spectroscopy (DRS),
      photoluminescence spectroscopy (PL), and Raman and FT-IR spectroscopies. We have
      also discussed the probable mechanism and kinetic studies of the catalytic
      activity of the Co3O4-NPs. Finally, we concluded that the design and development
      of novel, economic and green synthesis-mediated catalysts such as Co3O4-NPs can
      exhibit efficient catalytic activity in diverse fields, which is necessary for
      environmental remediation.

PMID- 28349143
TI  - Non-equilibrium supramolecular polymerization.
AB  - Supramolecular polymerization has been traditionally focused on the thermodynamic
      equilibrium state, where one-dimensional assemblies reside at the global minimum
      of the Gibbs free energy. The pathway and rate to reach the equilibrium state are
      irrelevant, and the resulting assemblies remain unchanged over time. In the past
      decade, the focus has shifted to kinetically trapped (non-dissipative non
      equilibrium) structures that heavily depend on the method of preparation (i.e.,
      pathway complexity), and where the assembly rates are of key importance. Kinetic
      models have greatly improved our understanding of competing pathways, and shown
      how to steer supramolecular polymerization in the desired direction (i.e.,
      pathway selection). The most recent innovation in the field relies on energy or
      mass input that is dissipated to keep the system away from the thermodynamic
      equilibrium (or from other non-dissipative states). This tutorial review aims to
      provide the reader with a set of tools to identify different types of self
      assembled states that have been explored so far. In particular, we aim to clarify
      the often unclear use of the term "non-equilibrium self-assembly" by subdividing
      systems into dissipative, and non-dissipative non-equilibrium states. Examples
      are given for each of the states, with a focus on non-dissipative non-equilibrium
      states found in one-dimensional supramolecular polymerization.

PMID- 28349144
TI  - The 2016 edition of the Art in Science of MicroTAS.

PMID- 28349145
TI  - An adaptive mutation simulated annealing based investigation of Coulombic
      explosion and identification of dissociation patterns in (CO2)n2+ clusters.
AB  - In this communication, we would like to discuss the advantages of adaptive
      mutation simulated annealing (AMSA) over standard simulated annealing (SA) in
      studying the Coulombic explosion of (CO2)n2+ clusters for n = 20-68, where 'n' is
      the size of the cluster. We have demonstrated how AMSA itself can overcome the
      predicaments which can arise in conventional SA and carry out the search for
      better results by adapting the parameters (only when needed) dynamically during
      the simulations so that the search process can come out of high energy basins and
      not go astray for better exploration and convergence, respectively. This
      technique also has in-built properties for getting more than one minimum in a
      single run. For a (CO2)n2+ cluster system we have found the critical limit to be
      n = 43, above which the attractive forces between individual units become greater
      in value than that of the large repulsive forces and the clusters stay intact as
      the energetically favoured isomers. This result is in good concurrence with
      earlier studies. Moreover, we have studied the fragmentation patterns for the
      entire size range and we have found fission type fragmentation as the favoured
      mechanism nearly for all sizes.

PMID- 28349146
TI  - Distinct activation of Cu-MOR for direct oxidation of methane to methanol.
AB  - N2O activation of Cu-MOR enhanced methanol production at elevated temperatures,
      to a greater extent than activation by O2 under optimal conditions. The increase
      in methanol production by N2O activation was attributed to the facile formation
      of an active copper center with no formation of inactive intermediate species.

PMID- 28349148
TI  - Self-assembly and redox induced phase transfer of gold nanoparticles at a water
      propylene carbonate interface.
AB  - Citrate-stabilized gold nanoparticles were found to spontaneously self-assemble
      into a lustrous film at a bare water-propylene carbonate interface after vigorous
      shaking, due to the extremely low interfacial tension. The presence of an
      electron donor, tetrathiafulvalene, in the oil phase, led to the extraction of
      particles into the organic phase.

PMID- 28349149
TI  - Pico-HPLC system integrating an equal inner diameter femtopipette into a 900 nm
      I.D. porous layer open tubular column.
AB  - A picoflow high performance liquid chromatography (pico-HPLC) system was
      developed, which could directly pipette femtoliter samples using a separation
      column tip driven by an electroosmotic pump. Amino acid enantiomers were
      separated in the 900 nm I.D. porous layer open tubular column at a flow rate of
      13.50 pL min-1.

PMID- 28349150
TI  - The aromaticity of dicupra[10]annulenes.
AB  - An extensive theoretical investigation of the electronic structure of a tested
      fair model dicupra[10]annulene compound, based on the analysis of atom-pair
      delocalization indices, Bader's molecular graph, the inspection of the canonical
      molecular orbitals, the z components of their Nuclear Independent Chemical
      Shifts, NICS(0)zz, and the normalized Giambiagi multicenter delocalization
      indices, concludes that the perimeter aromaticity of the dicupra[10]annulene ring
      is consistent with both 10 and 14 pi-electron Huckel aromatic 10-membered rings.
      In either case, the 10-membered ring encloses two 6 pi-electron aromatic inner
      rings, hinged at the Cu-Cu bond. This work demonstrates that the aromaticity of
      dicupra[10]annulenes closely resembles that of naphthalene. Hence, they are best
      regarded as metalla-polyacenes, which could make the building blocks of extended
      structures such as metalated nanotubes.

PMID- 28349151
TI  - Correction: Vibrational dynamics and solvatochromism of the label SCN in various
      solvents and hemoglobin by time dependent IR and 2D-IR spectroscopy.
AB  - Correction for 'Vibrational dynamics and solvatochromism of the label SCN in
      various solvents and hemoglobin by time dependent IR and 2D-IR spectroscopy' by
      Luuk J. G. W. van Wilderen et al., Phys. Chem. Chem. Phys., 2014, 16, 19643
      19653.

PMID- 28349152
TI  - A mitochondria-targeted fluorescent probe for imaging endogenous malondialdehyde
      in HeLa cells and onion tissues.
AB  - The mitochondria-targeted turn-on fluorescent probe (Mito-FMP) based on a
      benzoxadiazole platform was developed for detection of malondialdehyde (MDA).
      Mito-FMP performed with large enhancement of the optical signal (774-fold) in
      response to MDA in an aqueous system and has the capability of monitoring
      endogenous MDA in HeLa cells and onion tissues.

PMID- 28349153
TI  - Al-Doped CoP nanoarray: a durable water-splitting electrocatalyst with superhigh
      activity.
AB  - The scalable production of hydrogen fuel through electrochemical water reduction
      needs efficient Earth-abundant electrocatalysts to make the whole water-splitting
      process more energy efficient. In this Article, we report that an Al-doped CoP
      nanoarray on carbon cloth (Al-CoP/CC) behaves as a durable hydrogen evolution
      electrocatalyst with superhigh activity in 0.5 M H2SO4. It demands a pretty low
      overpotential of 23 mV to drive a geometrical catalytic current density of 10 mA
      cm-2, outperforming all reported non-precious metal catalysts. Density functional
      theory calculations reveal that Al-CoP has a more thermo-neutral hydrogen
      adsorption free energy than CoP. Notably, this Al-CoP/CC is also superior in
      activity and durability as a bifunctional catalyst for alkaline water
      electrolysis, and its two-electrode water electrolyser delivers 10 mA cm-2 water
      splitting current at a cell voltage of 1.56 V in 1.0 M KOH. This work offers us
      an attractive cost-effective catalyst electrode in water-splitting devices for
      large-scale production of hydrogen fuels.

PMID- 28349155
TI  - Modeling the electronic states and magnetic properties derived from the f1
      configuration in lanthanocene and actinocene compounds.
AB  - The electronic structure and magnetic properties of a series of Kramers ions with
      f1 configuration in axial symmetry have been analyzed with a combination of
      theoretical methods: ab initio relativistic wavefunction methods as well as a
      crystal-field (CF) model with parameters extracted from the ab initio
      calculations. The molecules were treated in an idealized D8h and D7h symmetry and
      different combinations of active electrons and orbitals were used to describe
      correctly the nature of the ground and excited states. The spin Hamiltonian
      parameters for the Kramers doublet derived from the ground multiplet were
      determined and discussed on the basis of the crystal-field (CF) and spin-orbit
      interaction. The prime interests were the electron paramagnetic resonance g
      factors and their relation to the complex geometry, crystal-field (CF) and spin
      orbit coupling. The developed models agree well with the ab initio calculations
      and experimental reports.

PMID- 28349157
TI  - Schiff base thorium(iv) and uranium(iv) chloro complexes: synthesis, substitution
      and oxidation chemistry.
AB  - New tetradentate Schiff base chloro complexes of U(iv) and Th(iv) are prepared by
      salt metathesis approaches. These compounds undergo clean salt metathesis with
      NaN3 to generate stable pseudo-trans azide compounds. The uranium dichloro
      complex also undergoes 2 e- oxidation with excess NaNO2 to generate the uranyl
      derivative. All classes of complexes are characterized by single crystal X-ray
      diffraction and NMR spectroscopy.

PMID- 28349158
TI  - The assembly of "S3N"-ligands decorated with an azo-dye as potential sensors for
      heavy metal ions.
AB  - An "S3N-ligand azo-dye" conjugate has been synthesised with a view to the
      development of a sensor for heavy metal ions. Complexation of this system with
      Ag(i), Hg(ii) and Cu(ii) salts has been investigated and an X-ray structure has
      been obtained for a Hg(ii) complex. Complexation of the conjugated dye to these
      metals results in a bathochromic shift in the absorption maximum of the azo dye,
      an effect which is most pronounced for Cu(ii).

PMID- 28349159
TI  - Recent applications of the 1,2-carbon atom migration strategy in complex natural
      product total synthesis.
AB  - 1,2-Carbon atom rearrangement has been broadly applied as a guiding strategy in
      complex molecule assembly. As it entails the carbon-carbon or carbon-heteroatom
      bond migration between two vicinal atoms, this type of reaction is capable of
      generating structural complexity through a molecular skeletal reorganization.
      This review will focus on recent employment of this strategy in the total
      synthesis of natural products, highlighting the exceptional utility of such
      synthetic methodologies in the construction of intricate carbocycles,
      heterocycles or structurally complex motifs from synthetically more accessible
      precursors.

PMID- 28349160
TI  - Cyclic dipeptide based cell-penetrating peptidomimetics for effective DNA
      delivery.
AB  - An unnatural CDP-amino acid (kd) is used in the design and synthesis of novel
      cell penetrating peptidomimetic (Kkd-5). The balanced cationic nature and
      structural rigidity of Kkd-5 resulted in serum stability, non-toxicity to cells,
      and interaction with membrane and DNA, all of which facilitated efficient
      cellular uptake and DNA delivery.

PMID- 28349161
TI  - Combined reconstruction of the anterior cruciate ligament associated with
      anterolateral tenodesis effectively controls the acceleration of the tibia during
      the pivot shift.
AB  - PURPOSE: The pivot shift test is quantified subjectively during assessment of
      patients presenting with suspected Anterior Cruciate Ligament (ACL) tears and has
      a low interobserver reproducibility. The Kinematic Rapid Assessment (KiRA) is a
      triaxial accelerometer that makes it possible to non-invasively quantify tibial
      acceleration during the pivot shift test. Abolishing pivot shift is considered to
      be a key element in surgical reconstruction but is incomplete in 25-38% of
      patients. METHODS: Patients were included prospectively. Inclusion criteria were
      patients requiring ACL reconstruction associated with at least one of the
      following factors corresponding to the patient who have a high risk of rupture
      either by their sports activity, a failure case, or the notion of important
      rotational laxity: the patient practiced a competitive pivot-contact sport,
      revision ACL reconstruction (besides STG (semitendinosus-gracilis graft) repair),
      subjective explosive rotational laxity, Segond fracture, and TELOS value of >10
      mm. Standardized pre- and postoperative pivot shift tests were immediately
      performed under anesthesia in both knees. RESULTS: Forty-three patients were
      included. Mean preoperative variations in tibial acceleration in the healthy and
      injured knees were 1.2 +/- 0.1 and 2.7 +/- 0.3 m/s2, respectively, p < 0.01. A
      statistically significant decrease in immediate postoperative mean variations in
      acceleration in the injured knee occurred: 1.5 +/- 0.3 m/s2, p < 0.01. There was
      no longer any statistical difference between postoperative contralateral healthy
      knees and operated knees (n.s). CONCLUSIONS: Combined ACL reconstruction
      associated with anterolateral tenodesis suppress acute pathologic tibial
      acceleration in the pivot shift. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: III.

PMID- 28349162
TI  - Substrates of Peltigera Lichens as a Potential Source of Cyanobionts.
AB  - Photobiont availability is one of the main factors determining the success of the
      lichenization process. Although multiple sources of photobionts have been
      proposed, there is no substantial evidence confirming that the substrates on
      which lichens grow are one of them. In this work, we obtained cyanobacterial 16S
      ribosomal RNA gene sequences from the substrates underlying 186 terricolous
      Peltigera cyanolichens from localities in Southern Chile and maritime Antarctica
      and compared them with the sequences of the cyanobionts of these lichens, in
      order to determine if cyanobacteria potentially available for lichenization were
      present in the substrates. A phylogenetic analysis of the sequences showed that
      Nostoc phylotypes dominated the cyanobacterial communities of the substrates in
      all sites. Among them, an overlap was observed between the phylotypes of the
      lichen cyanobionts and those of the cyanobacteria present in their substrates,
      suggesting that they could be a possible source of lichen photobionts. Also, in
      most cases, higher Nostoc diversity was observed in the lichens than in the
      substrates from each site. A better understanding of cyanobacterial diversity in
      lichen substrates and their relatives in the lichens would bring insights into
      mycobiont selection and the distribution patterns of lichens, providing a
      background for hypothesis testing and theory development for future studies of
      the lichenization process.

PMID- 28349163
TI  - Engineering of the LysR family transcriptional regulator FkbR1 and its target
      gene to improve ascomycin production.
AB  - Ascomycin (FK520), a macrocyclic polyketide natural antibiotic, displays high
      anti-fungal and immunosuppressive activity. In this study, the LysR family
      transcriptional regulator FkbR1 was characterized, and its role in ascomycin
      biosynthesis was explored by gene deletion, complementation, and overexpression.
      Inactivation of fkbR1 led to 67.5% reduction of ascomycin production, which was
      restored by complementation of fkbR1. Overexpression of fkbR1 resulted in a 33.5%
      increase in ascomycin production compared with the parent strain FS35. These
      findings indicated that FkbR1 was a positive regulator for ascomycin production.
      Quantitative RT-PCR analysis revealed that the expressions of fkbE, fkbF, fkbS,
      and fkbU were downregulated in the fkbR1 deletion strain and upregulated in the
      fkbR1 overexpression strain. Electrophoretic mobility shift assays (EMSAs) in
      vitro and chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP)-qPCR assays in vivo indicated that
      FkbR1 bound to the intergenic region of fkbR1-fkbE. To investigate the roles of
      the target genes fkbE and fkbF in ascomycin production, the deletion and
      overexpressions of fkbE and fkbF were implemented, respectively. Overexpression
      of fkbE resulted in a 45.6% increase in ascomycin production, but little change
      was observed in fkbF overexpression strain. To further enhance ascomycin
      production, the fkbR1 and fkbE combinatorial overexpression strain OfkbRE was
      constructed with the ascomycin yield increased by 69.9% to 536.7 mg/L compared
      with that of the parent strain. Our research provided a helpful strategy to
      increase ascomycin production via engineering FkbR1 and its target gene.

PMID- 28349164
TI  - Lateral flow assay for rapid detection of white spot syndrome virus (WSSV) using
      a phage-displayed peptide as bio-recognition probe.
AB  - White spot disease caused by the white spot syndrome virus (WSSV) has a major
      socio-economic impact on shrimp farming in India. It has been realized that a
      field-usable diagnostic capable of rapid detection of WSSV can prevent huge
      economic losses in disease outbreaks. In this work, we explored the possibility
      of using a peptide as bio-recognition probe in a field-usable device for the
      detection of WSSV from infected shrimps and prawns. A commercially available
      random phage-display library was screened against rVP28 (a major structural
      protein of WSSV, expressed as a recombinant protein in Escherichia coli). A
      bacteriophage clone VP28-4L was obtained, and its binding to purified rVP28
      protein as well as WSSV from infected shrimp Litopaeneus vannamei tissue was
      confirmed by ELISA and western blot. The apparent equilibrium dissociation
      constant (Kd,app) was calculated to be 810 nM. VP28-4L did not show cross
      reactivity with any other shrimp viruses. A 12-mer peptide (pep28, with the
      sequence 'TFQAFDLSPFPS') displayed on the VP28-4L was synthesized, and its
      diagnostic potential was evaluated in a lateral flow assay (LFA). Visual
      detection of WSSV could be achieved using biotinylated-pep28 and streptavidin
      conjugated gold nanoparticles. In LFA, 12.5 MUg/mL of the virus could be detected
      from L. vannamei gill tissue homogenate within 20 min. Pep28 thus becomes an
      attractive candidate in bio-recognition of WSSV in field-usable diagnostic
      platforms benefitting the aquaculture sector.

PMID- 28349165
TI  - Programmed death-ligand 1 and its soluble form are highly expressed in nasal
      natural killer/T-cell lymphoma: a potential rationale for immunotherapy.
AB  - Nasal natural killer/T-cell lymphoma (NNKTL) is an aggressive neoplasm with poor
      therapeutic responses and prognosis. The programmed death-1/programmed death
      ligand 1 (PD-1/PD-L1) pathway plays an important role in immune evasion of tumor
      cells through T-cell exhaustion. The aim of the present study was to examine the
      expression of PD-L1 and PD-1 molecules in NNKTL. We detected the expression of PD
      L1 in biopsy samples from all of the NNKTL patients studied. PD-L1 was found on
      both malignant cells and tumor-infiltrating macrophages, while PD-1-positive
      mononuclear cells infiltrated the tumor tissues in 36% of patients. Most
      significantly, soluble PD-L1 (sPD-L1) was present in sera of NNKTL patients at
      higher levels as compared to healthy individuals and the levels of serum sPD-L1
      in patients positively correlated with the expression of PD-L1 in lymphoma cells
      of tumor tissues. In addition, the high-sPD-L1 group of patients showed
      significantly worse prognosis than the low-sPD-L1 group. Furthermore, we
      confirmed that membrane and soluble PD-L1 was expressed on the surface and in the
      culture supernatant, respectively, of NNKTL cell lines. The expression of PD-L1
      was observed in tumor tissues and sera from a murine xenograft model inoculated
      with an NNKTL cell line. Our results suggest that sPD-L1 could be a prognostic
      predictor for NNKTL and open up the possibility of immunotherapy of this lymphoma
      using PD-1/PD-L1 axis inhibitors.

PMID- 28349166
TI  - Comparative plasma and tissue distribution of Sun Pharma's generic doxorubicin
      HCl liposome injection versus Caelyx(r) (doxorubicin HCl liposome injection) in
      syngeneic fibrosarcoma-bearing BALB/c mice and Sprague-Dawley rats.
AB  - PURPOSE: The liposomal formulation of doxorubicin [doxorubicin (DXR)
      hydrochloride (HCl) liposome injection, Caelyx(r)] alters the tissue distribution
      of DXR as compared with nonliposomal DXR, resulting in an improved benefit-risk
      profile. We conducted studies in murine models to compare the plasma and tissue
      distribution of a proposed generic DXR HCl liposome injection developed by Sun
      Pharmaceuticals Industries Limited (SPIL DXR HCl liposome injection) with
      Caelyx(r). METHODS: The plasma and tissue distributions of the SPIL and reference
      DXR HCl liposome injections were compared in syngeneic fibrosarcoma-bearing
      BALB/c mice and Sprague-Dawley rats. Different batches and different lots of the
      same batch of the reference product were also compared with each other. RESULTS:
      The SPIL and reference DXR HCl liposome injections exhibited generally comparable
      plasma and tissue distribution profiles in both models. While minor differences
      were observed between the two products in some tissues, different batches and
      lots of the reference product also showed some differences in the distribution of
      various analytes in some tissues. The ratios of estimated free to encapsulated
      DXR for plasma and tissue were generally comparable between the SPIL and
      reference DXR HCl liposome injections in both models, indicating similar extents
      of absorption into the tissues and similar rates of drug release from liposomes.
      CONCLUSIONS: The plasma and tissue distribution profiles of the SPIL and
      reference DXR HCl liposome injections were shown to be generally comparable.
      Inconsistencies between the products observed in some tissues were thought to be
      due to biological variation.

PMID- 28349167
TI  - Evaluation of the effect of the EGFR antibody-drug conjugate ABT-414 on QT
      interval prolongation in patients with advanced solid tumors likely to over
      express EGFR.
AB  - PURPOSE: ABT-414 is an antibody-drug conjugate (ADC) being developed for the
      treatment of tumors harboring amplification of the epidermal growth factor
      receptor (EGFR). This study evaluated the potential of ABT-414 to prolong the QT
      interval as part of the initial phase 1 study (NCT01741727). METHODS: Data from
      patients who received ABT-414 monotherapy at a dose of 1-4 mg/kg once every 3
      weeks or 1 or 1.5 mg/kg weekly for 2 out of every 3 weeks (alternate schedule) by
      intravenous infusion were included in the analysis of triplicate 12-lead ECGs
      obtained before dosing and through 168 h after dosing. Data from time-matched
      pharmacokinetic samples and QT interval assessments were evaluated using linear
      mixed-effects modeling to determine the effects of ABT-414, total ABT-806, and
      cysteine-maleimidocaproyl monomethyl auristatin F (Cys-mcMMAF) on the QT interval
      corrected using Fridericia's formula (QTcF). RESULTS: Fifty-one patients were
      included in the analyses. ABT-414 had no clinically meaningful effect on QTcF.
      Using pooled data from doses >=2 mg/kg, the estimated mean ?QTcF reached a
      maximum of 4.30 ms after dosing, with a one-sided 95% upper confidence bound of
      8.32 ms. The exposure-response analysis showed no statistically significant
      relationship between DeltaQTcF and the concentration of any analyte (P > 0.05).
      No patient had a QTcF value >480 ms or a ?QTcF value >30 ms. CONCLUSIONS: ABT-414
      had no clinically meaningful effect on the QTcF interval at doses being evaluated
      for treatment of patients with solid tumors.

PMID- 28349168
TI  - Amplification-free detection of microRNAs via a rapid microarray-based sandwich
      assay.
AB  - The detection and profiling of microRNAs are of great interest in disease
      diagnosis and prognosis. In this paper, we present a method for the rapid
      amplification-free detection of microRNAs from total RNA samples. In a two-step
      sandwich assay approach, fluorescently labeled reporter probes were first
      hybridized with their corresponding target microRNAs. The reaction mix was then
      added to a microarray to enable their specific capture and detection. Reporter
      probes were Tm equalized, enabling specificity by adjusting the length of the
      capture probe while maintaining the stabilizing effect brought about by coaxial
      base stacking. The optimized assay can specifically detect microRNAs in spiked
      samples at concentrations as low as 1 pM and from as little as 100 ng of total
      RNA in 2 h. The detection signal was linear between 1 and 100 pM (R2 = 0.99). Our
      assay data correlated well with results generated by qPCR when we profiled a
      select number of breast cancer related microRNAs in a total RNA sample.

PMID- 28349169
TI  - Multispectroscopic methodology to study Libyan desert glass and its formation
      conditions.
AB  - Libyan desert glass (LDG) is a melt product whose origin is still a matter of
      controversy. With the purpose of adding new information about this enigma, the
      present paper analyzes the inner part of LDG specimens and compares them with the
      results of LDG surfaces. An integrated analytical methodology was used combining
      different techniques such as Raman spectroscopy, in point-by-point and imaging
      modes, scanning electron microscopy with X-ray microanalysis (SEM-EDS), energy
      dispersive micro X-ray fluorescence spectrometry (MU-EDXRF), electron probe micro
      analyzer (EPMA), and optical cathodoluminescence (Optical-CL). According to our
      results, flow structures of the melt and the amorphous nature of the matrix could
      be discerned. Moreover, the observed displacement of Raman bands, such as in the
      cases of quartz and zircon, and the identification of certain compounds such as
      coesite (the most clarifying phase of high pressures), alpha-cristobalite,
      gypsum, anhydrite, corundum, rutile, amorphous calcite, aragonite, and calcite
      allowed us to know that LDGs could be subjected to shock pressures between 6 and
      more than 30 GPa, and temperatures between 300 and 1470  degrees C. The
      differences of temperature and pressure would be provoked by different cooling
      processes during the impact. Besides, in most cases the minerals corresponding to
      high pressure and temperatures were located in the inner part of the LDGs, with
      some exceptions that could be explained because they were trapped subsequently to
      the impact; there was more than one impact or heterogeneous cooling.Furthermore,
      nitrogen and oxygen gases were identified inside bubbles, which could have been
      introduced from the terrestrial atmosphere during the meteorite impact.These data
      helped us to clarify some clues about the origin of these enigmatic samples.

PMID- 28349170
TI  - CT reconstruction and MRI fusion of 3D rotational angiography in the evaluation
      of pediatric cerebrovascular lesions.
AB  - PURPOSE: Complex neurovascular lesions in children require precise anatomic
      understanding for treatment planning. Although 3DRA is commonly employed for
      volumetric reformation in neurointerventional procedures, the ability to
      reconstruct this data into CT-like images (3DRA-CT) is not widely utilized. This
      study demonstrates the feasibility and usefulness of 3DRA-CT and subsequent MRI
      fusion for problem solving in pediatric neuroangiography. METHODS: This
      retrospective study includes 18 3DRA-CT studies in 16 children (age 9.6 +/- 3.8
      years, range 2-16 years) over 1 year. After biplane 2D-digital subtraction
      angiography (DSA), 5-second 3DRA was performed with selective vessel injection
      either with or without subtraction. Images were reconstructed into CT sections
      which were post-processed to generate multiplanar reformation (MPR) and maximum
      intensity projection (MIP) images. Fusion was performed with 3D T1 MRI images to
      precisely demonstrate neurovascular relationships. Quantitative radiation metrics
      were extracted and compared against those for the entire examination and for
      corresponding biplane 2D-DSA acquisitions. RESULTS: In all 18 cases, the 3DRA
      procedure and MRI fusion were technically successful and provided clinically
      useful information relevant to management. The unsubtracted and subtracted 3DRA
      acquisitions were measured to deliver 5.9 and 132.2%, respectively, of the mean
      radiation dose of corresponding biplane 2D-DSA acquisitions and contributed 1.2
      and 12.5%, respectively, to the total procedure dose. CONCLUSION: Lower radiation
      doses, high spatial resolution, and multiplanar reformatting capability make 3DRA
      CT a useful adjunct to evaluate neurovascular lesions in children. Fusing 3DRA-CT
      data with MRI is an additional capability that can further enhance diagnostic
      information.

PMID- 28349172
TI  - [Improving the visibility of rare diseases in health care systems by specific
      routine coding].
AB  - The evaluation of healthcare providers' routine data is an important basis for
      the analysis, planning and evaluation of measures in public health. The
      representation of rare diseases in the classifications that are used to record
      health data is not adequate. Coding rare diseases in a specific way is a
      challenge all around the world. There is still no general international solution
      for the routine coding of rare diseases.The double coding of rare diseases with
      ICD-10 Codes and Orphacodes is a short-term and low-cost alternative solution.
      Furthermore, this double coding enables international comparability. The specific
      encoding of rare diseases through this double coding can improve their capturing
      for statistical analysis and thus their visibility in healthcare systems.
      Nevertheless, the provision of a new classification is not enough to gather valid
      data. Some measures have already been adopted in Germany (and at the European
      level) in order to support the implementation of this double coding. Subsequently
      it would be possible to adopt more specific public health measures, based on
      better data, in order to provide better care to the more than four million people
      in Germany affected by rare diseases.

PMID- 28349171
TI  - Intersections of poverty, race/ethnicity, and sex: alcohol consumption and
      adverse outcomes in the United States.
AB  - We examine whether intersectionality theory-which formalizes the notion that
      adverse health outcomes owing to having a marginalized social status, identity,
      or characteristic, may be magnified for individuals with an additional
      marginalized social status, identity, or characteristic-can be applied using
      quantitative methods to describe the differential effects of poverty on alcohol
      consumption across sex and race/ethnicity. Using the National Epidemiologic
      Survey on Alcohol and Related Conditions, we analyze longitudinal data from
      Black, Hispanic, and White drinkers (n = 21,140) to assess multiplicative
      interactions between poverty, as defined by the US Census Bureau, sex, and
      race/ethnicity, on adverse alcohol outcomes. Findings indicated that the effect
      of poverty on the past-year incidence of heavy episodic drinking was stronger
      among Black men and Black women in comparison to men and women of other
      racial/ethnic groups. Poverty reduction programs that are culturally informed may
      help reduce racial/ethnic disparities in the adverse outcomes of alcohol
      consumption.

PMID- 28349173
TI  - [Soft tissue techniques in hallux valgus surgery].
AB  - The hallux valgus represents combined bony and soft tissue pathology. In addition
      to known bony surgical procedures, addressing the soft tissue with regard to the
      anatomical structures, the surgical technique and the extent of correction are
      discussed.The goal of the operation is the restoration of the physiological
      balance between the active and passive stabilizing factors of the MTP-I-joint.
      The joint capsule, the ligaments and the tendons of the first ray act directly as
      stabilizing structures, whereas the hind foot and the position of the upper ankle
      have an indirect influence on the MTP-I-joint.The present work gives an overview
      of the pathoanatomy of the MTP-I-joint in the hallux valgus pathology. The
      individual anatomical structures are presented with regard to their physiological
      and pathological influence and the possible therapeutic options.

PMID- 28349174
TI  - Effects of a long-term lifestyle modification programme on peripheral neuropathy
      in overweight or obese adults with type 2 diabetes: the Look AHEAD study.
AB  - AIMS/HYPOTHESIS: The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects on diabetic
      peripheral neuropathy (DPN) of a long-term intensive lifestyle intervention (ILI)
      programme designed to achieve and maintain weight loss. METHODS: Beginning in
      2001, a total of 5145 overweight or obese people with type 2 diabetes, aged 45-76
      years, participating in the multicentre Look AHEAD (Action for Health in
      Diabetes) study were randomised to ILI (n = 2570) or to a diabetes support and
      education (DSE) control group (n = 2575) using a web-based management system at
      the study coordinating centre at Wake Forest School of Medicine (Winston-Salem,
      NC, USA). Randomisation was stratified by clinical centre and was not revealed to
      the clinical staff responsible for obtaining data on study outcomes. Because of
      the nature of the study, patients and the local centre interventionists were not
      blinded to the study group assignments. In addition, the coordinating centre
      staff members responsible for data management and statistical analyses were not
      blinded to the study group assignments. The interventions were terminated in
      September 2012, 9-11 years after randomisation, but both groups continued to be
      followed for both primary and secondary outcomes. Neuropathy evaluations included
      the Michigan Neuropathy Screening Instrument (MNSI) questionnaire completed at
      baseline in 5145 participants (ILI n = 2570, DSE n = 2575) and repeated annually
      thereafter and the MNSI physical examination and light touch sensation testing
      conducted in 3775 participants (ILI n = 1905, DSE n = 1870) 1-2.3 years after
      discontinuation of the intervention. RESULTS: At baseline, the MNSI questionnaire
      scores were 1.9 +/- 0.04 and 1.8 +/- 0.04 in the ILI and DSE groups, respectively
      (difference not statistically significant). After 1 year, when weight loss was
      maximal in the ILI group (8.6 +/- 6.9%) compared with DSE (0.7 +/- 4.8%), the
      respective MNSI scores were 1.7 +/- 0.04 and 2.0 +/- 0.04 (p <= 0.001).
      Subsequently, the scores increased gradually in both groups, but remained
      significantly lower in the ILI group for the first 3 years and at the end of
      follow-up. In both groups, there was a significant association between changes in
      the MNSI scores and changes in body weight, HbA1c and serum lipids. There were no
      significant between-group differences in the proportions of participants with
      MNSI physical examination scores >=2.5, considered to be indicative of diabetic
      neuropathy. The light touch sensation measured separately in either the right or
      left big toes (halluces) did not differ between ILI and DSE, but when the data
      were combined for both toes, light touch was better preserved in the ILI group.
      CONCLUSIONS/INTERPRETATION: ILI resulted in a significant decrease in
      questionnaire-based DPN, which was associated with the magnitude of weight loss.
      In both the ILI and DSE groups, changes in the MNSI score were also related to
      changes in HbA1c and lipids. There were no significant effects of ILI on physical
      examination measures of DPN conducted 1-2.3 years after termination of the active
      intervention, except for light touch sensation, which was significantly better in
      the ILI group when measurements were combined for both toes. However, a potential
      limiting factor to the interpretation of the physical examination data is that no
      baseline studies are available for comparison. TRIAL REGISTRATION:
      ClinicalTrials.gov NCT00017953. FUNDING: This work was funded by the National
      Institutes of Health through cooperative agreements with the National Institute
      of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases.

PMID- 28349175
TI  - Characterization of the temporal and spatial expression of wheat (Triticum
      aestivum L.) plant height at the QTL level and their influence on yield-related
      traits.
AB  - KEY MESSAGE: The temporal and spatial expression patterns of stable QTL for plant
      height and their influences on yield were characterized. Plant height (PH) is a
      complex trait in wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) that includes the spike length (SL)
      and the internode lengths from the first to the fifth internode, which are
      counted from the top and abbreviated as FIRITL, SECITL, THIITL, FOUITL, and
      FIFITL, respectively. This study identified eight putative additive quantitative
      trait loci (QTL) for PH. In addition, unconditional and conditional QTL mapping
      were used to analyze the temporal and spatial expression patterns of five stable
      QTL for PH. qPh-3A mainly regulated SL, FIRITL, and FIFITL to affect PH during
      the booting-heading stage (BS-HS); qPh-3D regulated all internode lengths to
      affect PH, especially during the BS-HS; before HS, qPh-4B mainly affected FIRITL,
      SECITL, THIITL, and FOUITL and qPh-5A.1 mainly affected SECITL, THIITL, and
      FOUITL to regulate PH; and qPh-6B mainly regulated FIRITL to affect the PH after
      the booting stage (BS). qPhdv-4B, a QTL for the response of PH to nitrogen
      stress, was stable and co-localized with qPh-4B. All five stable QTL, except for
      qPh-3A, were related to the 1000 kernel weight and yield per plant. Regions of
      qPh-3A, qPh-3D, qPh-4B, qPh-5A.1, and qPh-6B showed synteny to parts of rice
      chromosomes 1, 1, 3, 9, and 2, respectively. Based on comparative genomics
      analysis, Rht-B1b was cloned and mapped in the CI of qPh-4B. This report provides
      useful information for fine mapping of the stable QTL for PH and the genetic
      improvement of wheat plant type.

PMID- 28349176
TI  - QTL analysis of cotton fiber length in advanced backcross populations derived
      from a cross between Gossypium hirsutum and G. mustelinum.
AB  - KEY MESSAGE: QTLs for fiber length mapped in three generations of advanced
      backcross populations derived from crossing Gossypium hirsutum and Gossypium
      mustelinum showed opportunities to improve elite cottons by introgression from
      wild relatives. The molecular basis of cotton fiber length in crosses between
      Gossypium hirsutum and Gossypium mustelinum was dissected using 21 BC3F2 and 12
      corresponding BC3F2:3 and BC3F2:4 families. Sixty-five quantitative trait loci
      (QTLs) were detected by one-way analysis of variance. The QTL numbers detected
      for upper-half mean length (UHM), fiber uniformity index (UI), and short fiber
      content (SFC) were 19, 20, and 26 respectively. Twenty-three of the 65 QTLs could
      be detected at least twice near adjacent markers in the same family or near the
      same markers across different families/generations, and 32 QTLs were detected in
      both one-way variance analyses and mixed model-based composite interval mapping.
      G. mustelinum alleles increased UHM and UI and decreased SFC for five, one, and
      one QTLs, respectively. In addition to the main-effect QTLs, 17 epistatic QTLs
      were detected which helped to elucidate the genetic basis of cotton fiber length.
      Significant among-family genotypic effects were detected at 18, 16, and 16 loci
      for UHM, UI, and SFC, respectively. Six, two, and two loci showed genotype *
      family interaction for UHM, UI and SFC, respectively, illustrating complexities
      that might be faced in introgression of exotic germplasm into cultivated cotton.
      Co-location of many QTLs for UHM, UI, and SFC accounted for correlations among
      these traits, and selection of these QTLs may improve the three traits
      simultaneously. The simple sequence repeat (SSR) markers associated with G.
      mustelinum QTLs will assist breeders in transferring and maintaining valuable
      traits from this exotic source during cultivar development.

PMID- 28349177
TI  - Understanding ethical decisions for patients on extracorporeal life support.

PMID- 28349178
TI  - How much excess fluid impairs outcome of sepsis?

PMID- 28349180
TI  - Impregnated central venous catheters in children: a systematic review of
      randomized controlled trials.

PMID- 28349181
TI  - Hip fusion takedown to a total hip arthroplasty-is it worth it? A systematic
      review.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: Patients with surgically or spontaneously fused hips are often
      dissatisfied with their overall function and the debilitating effect on adjacent
      joints. Therefore, in properly selected patients, hip fusion-takedown and
      conversion to total hip arthroplasty (THA) can result in improved function and
      decreased pain. We aimed to (1) evaluate the indications for conversion, (2)
      evaluate the clinical outcomes, (3) analyze the overall complications, and (4)
      identify the overall satisfaction following the procedure. METHODS: A systematic
      and comprehensive literature search was performed to analyze studies evaluating
      conversion of hip fusion to THA. After reviewing 3,882 studies, 27 total studies
      (1,104 hips) met our inclusion/exclusion criteria and were included in our final
      analysis. A weighted mean of rates was determined for each complication,
      including infection, instability, loosening, nerve-related, abductor-related,
      venous thrombotic event, and revision. RESULTS: The study population consisted of
      53.2% male and 46.8% female subjects. The mean age at time of conversion was 52
      years (range 36-65 years), the mean time until follow-up was 9.2 years (range 2.5
      17.3), and the mean duration of arthrodesis was 27.7 years (range 11-40.2). As
      measured by Harris Hip Score, overall clinical outcomes improved from 58.1 points
      (range 42.4-70 points) pre-operatively to 80.0 (range 62-93.5) post-operatively.
      The specific complication rates were 5.3% (range 0-43.6%) for infection, 2.6%
      (range 0-15.4%) for instability, 6.2% (range 0-17.2%) for loosening, 4.7% (range
      0-13%) for nerve-related complications, 13.1% (range 0-87%) for abductor-related
      complications, and 1.2% (range 0-13%) for venous thrombotic events. The revision
      rate was 12.0% (range 0-43.6%). CONCLUSION: Takedown of a fused-hip can be a
      challenging procedure. Although patients can benefit functionally, both patients
      and surgeons need to be aware of the complications and increased risk of further
      revision procedures, which should be an important part of the pre-operative
      discussion.

PMID- 28349182
TI  - Biomechanical comparison of anatomical plating systems for comminuted distal
      humeral fractures.
AB  - PURPOSE: Six different mono-axial and poly-axial distal humeral plating systems
      with an anatomical plate design were compared. The aim of the biomechanical tests
      was to examine differences regarding system stiffness, median fatigue limit, and
      failure mechanisms. METHODS: Different configurations of two double plate
      fixation systems by two manufacturers for the treatment of complex distal humeral
      fractures (AO/OTA type C2.3) were biomechanically tested in a physiologically
      relevant setup. RESULTS: The 180 degrees  Stryker configuration presented itself
      as the system with the highest stiffness, being significantly stiffer (p < 0.001)
      than every system other than the poly-axial 180 degrees  aap system (p = 0.378).
      For the median fatigue limit the 180 degrees  Stryker and poly-axial aap systems
      were ranked first and second. The failure mechanism for all 90 degrees  systems
      was a fatigue breakage of the posterolateral plate. The 180 degrees  aap systems
      demonstrated breakage of the most distal screws of the lateral plate. The 180
      degrees  Stryker system demonstrated screw breakage on both the medial and
      lateral plates. DISCUSSION: Breakage of the posterolateral plate as a failure
      mechanism for the 90 degrees  systems was expected. The 180 degrees  systems
      demonstrated a higher stiffness compared to the 90 degrees  constructs for the
      axial loading. In conclusion, both poly-axial anatomical plating systems provide
      sufficient stability in this scenario, and the 180 degrees  configurations
      demonstrated superior stiffness.

PMID- 28349183
TI  - Resveratrol protects the loss of connexin 43 induced by ethanol exposure in
      neonatal mouse cardiomyocytes.
AB  - Excessive alcohol consumption provides risk to cardiomyopathy with unknown
      mechanisms. Resveratrol, a plant polyphenol, is widely reported for its
      cardiovascular benefits, while its effect on alcohol-induced impairments in
      cardiomyocytes largely remains unknown. Effects of resveratrol on the
      cardiomyocytes under ethanol insult were studied in vitro. Ethanol exposure in
      mouse neonatal cardiomyocytes increased cell death and induced a specific loss of
      tight junction protein, connexin 43. In spite of adverse effects at higher
      concentrations, resveratrol at 10 MUM improved cell viability of cardiomyocytes
      in the presence of a deleterious dose of ethanol. Importantly, the co-treatment
      of resveratrol with ethanol exhibited the restoration of connexin 43 protein.
      Further assays showed that these effects were likely associated with the
      antioxidative actions of resveratrol, and correlated with the alleviation of MAP
      kinase activation in cultured cardiomyocytes in response to ethanol. Our data
      suggests a novel mechanism of cardiomyocyte cell loss under ethanol exposure and
      provides new evidence of protective effects of resveratrol in the cardiomyocytes.

PMID- 28349185
TI  - [First-line therapy for locally advanced or metastatic urothelial carcinoma : A
      randomized, controlled phase III trial comparing pembrolizumab with or without
      platinum-based combination chemotherapy and chemotherapy only in patients with
      advanced or metastatic urothelial carcinoma (keynote 361-AB 54/16 of the AUO)].

PMID- 28349184
TI  - The Reliability of a Semi-automated Algorithm for Detection of Cortical
      Interruptions in Finger Joints on High Resolution CT Compared to MicroCT.
AB  - We developed a semi-automated algorithm for the detection of cortical
      interruptions in finger joints using high-resolution peripheral quantitative
      computed tomography (HR-pQCT). Here, we tested its reliability compared to
      microCT (uCT) as gold standard. Nineteen joints of 10 female anatomic index
      fingers were imaged by HR-pQCT and uCT (82 and 18 um isotropic voxel sizes,
      respectively). The algorithm was applied for detection of cortical interruptions
      of different minimum diameters (range >0.16 to >0.50 mm). Reliability was tested
      at the joint level with intra-class correlation coefficient (ICC) for the number
      of interruptions and interruption surface, and at the level of a single
      interruption for matching between HR-pQCT and uCT with a fixed interruption
      diameter (>0.10 mm) on uCT. The positive predictive value (PPV0.10mm) and
      sensitivity0.10mm were evaluated. The mean number of interruptions per joint
      depended on the diameter cut-off and ranged from 3.4 to 53.5 on HR-pQCT and from
      1.8 to 45.1 on uCT for interruptions >0.50 to >0.16 mm, respectively. Reliability
      at the joint level was almost perfect (ICC >=0.81) for both the number and
      surface of interruptions >0.16 and >0.33 mm. As expected, the PPV0.10mm increased
      with increasing interruption diameter from 84.9 to 100%, for interruptions >0.16
      and >0.50 mm, respectively. However, the sensitivity0.10mm decreased with
      increasing interruption diameter from 62.4 to 4.7%. This semi-automated algorithm
      for HR-pQCT in finger joints performed best for the detection of cortical
      interruptions with a minimum diameter of >0.16 or >0.33 mm, showing almost
      perfect reliability at the joint level and interruptions matched with those on
      uCT.

PMID- 28349179
TI  - Current challenges in the management of sepsis in ICUs in resource-poor settings
      and suggestions for the future.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Sepsis is a major reason for intensive care unit (ICU) admission,
      also in resource-poor settings. ICUs in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs)
      face many challenges that could affect patient outcome. AIM: To describe
      differences between resource-poor and resource-rich settings regarding the
      epidemiology, pathophysiology, economics and research aspects of sepsis. We
      restricted this manuscript to the ICU setting even knowing that many sepsis
      patients in LMICs are treated outside an ICU. FINDINGS: Although many bacterial
      pathogens causing sepsis in LMICs are similar to those in high-income countries,
      resistance patterns to antimicrobial drugs can be very different; in addition,
      causes of sepsis in LMICs often include tropical diseases in which direct
      damaging effects of pathogens and their products can sometimes be more important
      than the response of the host. There are substantial and persisting differences
      in ICU capacities around the world; not surprisingly the lowest capacities are
      found in LMICs, but with important heterogeneity within individual LMICs.
      Although many aspects of sepsis management developed in rich countries are
      applicable in LMICs, implementation requires strong consideration of cost
      implications and the important differences in resources. CONCLUSIONS: Addressing
      both disease-specific and setting-specific factors is important to improve
      performance of ICUs in LMICs. Although critical care for severe sepsis is likely
      cost-effective in LMIC setting, more detailed evaluation at both at a macro- and
      micro-economy level is necessary. Sepsis management in resource-limited settings
      is a largely unexplored frontier with important opportunities for research,
      training, and other initiatives for improvement.

PMID- 28349186
TI  - [Surgery for metastatic prostate cancer].

PMID- 28349187
TI  - [Primary prostatic sarcoma - a rare malignancy].
AB  - Primary prostatic sarcomas are rare, reportedly comprising less than 1% of all
      prostate malignancies. Most patients present with lower urinary tract symptoms
      due to bladder outlet obstruction. Prostate-specific antigen (PSA) is typically
      normal. Histological confirmation and staging by a computed tomography (CT) or
      magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scan of the pelvis and abdomen are essential for
      diagnosis and treatment planning. The differential diagnosis includes sarcomatoid
      prostate cancer or benign spindle cell tumors. Primary prostatic sarcomas are
      often aggressive and require multimodal treatment with surgery and (neo)adjuvant
      radiation and/or chemotherapy. The risk of local recurrence is high and the long
      term prognosis is poor.

PMID- 28349188
TI  - [Erectile dysfunction : Current diagnostics and treatment].
AB  - Erectile dysfunction is a medical disease with extensive influence on the quality
      of life and well-being of patients and their female or male partners. Nowadays,
      most of the underlying pathological factors are well known. The general medical
      history with the question of possible risk factors and the specific sexual
      history play the most important roles in the guideline-based diagnostics. In
      addition, a thorough clinical examination and specific laboratory tests should be
      carried out. Phosphodiesterase 5 (PDE-5) inhibitors, vacuum devices, injection
      therapy and penile prostheses are the options for an evidence-based and
      individual treatment of affected patients. The success rates are high in most
      cases. Every urologist, andrologist and practitioner of sexual medicine should
      have detailed knowledge in this field.

PMID- 28349189
TI  - [Level IV inferior vena cava tumor thrombus : A rare diagnosis in patients with
      renal cell carcinoma].
AB  - Renal cell carcinoma in combination with a supradiaphragmatic tumor thrombus is a
      rare tumor entity. Radical surgery including nephrectomy and thrombectomy is
      still considered standard treatment. The extent of the tumor thrombus should be
      preoperatively evaluated by MRI and TEE. An interdisciplinary team is important
      for surgery planning and realization. Despite the known risks of an operation, a
      longer overall survival is achieved.

PMID- 28349190
TI  - [When should the primary tumor of metastatic bladder or prostate cancer be
      treated using a nonsurgical regimen?]
AB  - BACKGROUND: Patients with metastatic and locally advanced bladder or prostate
      cancer may suffer from pelvic symptoms such as pain, obstruction, and hemorrhage.
      Local tumor growth is associated with significant morbidity and systemic therapy
      is often ineffective. Local therapies such as bladder irrigation, transurethral
      resection of the prostate, and fulguration of bleeding vessels provide relief but
      often require repeated treatments. OBJECTIVES: The aim of this work was to review
      the current status of palliative pelvic radiotherapy for metastatic bladder and
      prostate cancer. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The available literature was evaluated
      and treatment recommendations are proposed depending on different clinical
      scenarios. RESULTS: To date, no standard regimen exists for the delivery of
      palliative pelvic radiotherapy. Various radiotherapy schedules manage successful
      and long-term palliation of pelvic symptoms in most patients and result in
      acceptable toxicity. For bladder cancer, the most common dose and fractionation
      regimens range from 20 Gy in 5 fractions to 40 Gy in 20 fractions. Some
      retrospective studies evaluated 6 weekly fractions of 6 Gy to a total dose of 36
      Gy. For prostate cancer, the most common dose and fractionation regimes range
      from 30 Gy in 10 fractions to 50 Gy in 25 fractions. The symptomatic response
      rate is between 70 and 95%. CONCLUSIONS: Pelvic radiotherapy for patients with
      metastatic and locally advanced bladder or prostate cancer provides effective and
      long-term palliation of a variety of symptoms such as pain, obstruction, and
      hemorrhage, with acceptable toxicity. Future studies should investigate the
      optimal target dose and fractionation schedule.

PMID- 28349191
TI  - A Risk-Based Ecohydrological Approach to Assessing Environmental Flow Regimes.
AB  - For several decades there has been recognition that water resource development
      alters river flow regimes and impacts ecosystem values. Determining strategies to
      protect or restore flow regimes to achieve ecological outcomes is a focus of
      water policy and legislation in many parts of the world. However, consideration
      of existing environmental flow assessment approaches for application in
      Queensland identified deficiencies precluding their adoption. Firstly, in
      managing flows and using ecosystem condition as an indicator of effectiveness,
      many approaches ignore the fact that river ecosystems are subjected to
      threatening processes other than flow regime alteration. Secondly, many focus on
      providing flows for responses without considering how often they are necessary to
      sustain ecological values in the long-term. Finally, few consider requirements at
      spatial-scales relevant to the desired outcomes, with frequent focus on
      individual places rather than the regions supporting sustainability.
      Consequently, we developed a risk-based ecohydrological approach that identifies
      ecosystem values linked to desired ecological outcomes, is sensitive to flow
      alteration and uses indicators of broader ecosystem requirements. Monitoring and
      research is undertaken to quantify flow-dependencies and ecological modelling is
      used to quantify flow-related ecological responses over an historical flow
      period. The relative risk from different flow management scenarios can be
      evaluated at relevant spatial-scales. This overcomes the deficiencies identified
      above and provides a robust and useful foundation upon which to build the
      information needed to support water planning decisions. Application of the risk
      assessment approach is illustrated here by two case studies.

PMID- 28349192
TI  - [Interstitial processes of the lungs in childhood].
AB  - Interstitial processes in the lungs of children can be due to several underlying
      diseases. Knowledge of the child's age is important as genetic aberrations play a
      major role in diseases in the first 2 years, whereas immunological diseases are
      more common starting in kindergarden age. In general lung diseases are rare in
      children, which makes the diagnostics difficult and results in a delayed
      diagnosis. In addition, pediatric pulmonologists are often very reluctant to
      perform lung biopsies due to a lack of a specialized pathologist. In order to
      make a contribution to the diagnostics of pediatric pulmonary diseases,
      pathologists should be specialized in pulmonary pathology, have a good knowledge
      of genetic methods and fetal lung development, which includes the genetic factors
      involved in lung growth and differentiation. A close cooperation with the
      pediatric pulmonologist is necessary and each patient should be discussed jointly
      on an interstitial lung disease board to promote the quality of diagnostics. The
      pathologist should be aware that the developing lungs of children are not just a
      smaller form of adult lungs and often react very differently. In this article, we
      mainly focus on diffuse infiltration patterns, such as ground glass and
      reticulonodular infiltrations as described in high-resolution computed tomography
      (HRCT). Localized interstitial processes, which can sometimes be tumor-like and
      malformations are not dealt with; however, vascular malformations are included as
      these often manifest as diffuse interstitial infiltrations and must therefore be
      taken into consideration for the differential diagnostics.

PMID- 28349193
TI  - Time-matched analysis of DNA adduct formation and early gene expression as
      predictive tool for renal carcinogenesis in methylazoxymethanol acetate treated
      Eker rats.
AB  - Genotoxic carcinogens pose great hazard to human health. Uncertainty of current
      risk assessment strategies and long latency periods between first carcinogen
      exposure and diagnosis of tumors have raised interest in predictive biomarkers.
      Initial DNA adduct formation is a necessary step for genotoxin induced
      carcinogenesis. However, as DNA adducts not always translate into tumorigenesis,
      their predictive value is limited. Here we hypothesize that the combined analysis
      of pro-mutagenic DNA adducts along with time-matched gene expression changes
      could serve as a superior prediction tool for genotoxic carcinogenesis. Eker
      rats, heterozygous for the tuberous sclerosis (Tsc2) tumor suppressor gene and
      thus highly susceptible towards genotoxic renal carcinogens, were continuously
      treated with the DNA alkylating carcinogen methylazoxymethanol acetate (MAMAc).
      Two weeks of MAMAc treatment resulted in a time-dependent increase of O6
      methylguanine and N7-methylguanine adducts in the kidney cortex, which was
      however not reflected by significant expression changes of cyto-protective genes
      involved in DNA repair, cell cycle arrest or apoptosis. Instead, we found a
      transcriptional regulation of genes involved in the tumor-related MAPK, FoxO and
      TGF-beta pathways. Continuous MAMAc treatment for up to 6 months resulted in a
      mild but significant increase of cancerous lesions. In summary, the combined
      analysis of DNA adducts and early gene expression changes could serve as a
      suitable predictive tool for genotoxicant-induced carcinogenesis.

PMID- 28349195
TI  - To block it, or not to block it?

PMID- 28349197
TI  - Performance of the 2015 American College of Rheumatology/European League Against
      Rheumatism gout classification criteria in Thai patients.
AB  - To evaluate the sensitivity and specificity of the 2015 American College of
      Rheumatology/European League Against Rheumatism (ACR/EULAR) gout classification
      criteria in Thai patients presenting with acute arthritis in a real-life setting.
      Data were analyzed on consecutive patients presenting with arthritis of less than
      2 weeks duration. Sensitivity and specificity were calculated by using the
      presence of monosodium urate (MSU) crystals in the synovial fluid or tissue
      aspirate as gold standard for gout diagnosis. Subgroup analysis was performed in
      patients with early disease (<=2 years), established disease (>2 years), and
      those without tophus. Additional analysis also was performed in non-tophaceous
      gout patients, and patients with acute calcium pyrophosphate dihydrate crystal
      arthritis were used as controls. One hundred and nine gout and 74 non-gout
      patients participated in this study. Full ACR/EULAR classification criteria had
      sensitivity and specificity of 90.2 and 90.0%, respectively; and 90.2 and 85.0%,
      respectively, when synovial fluid microscopy was excluded. Clinical-only criteria
      yielded sensitivity and specificity of 79.8 and 87.8%, respectively. The criteria
      performed well among patients with early and non-tophaceous disease, but had
      lower specificity in patients with established disease. The variation of serum
      uric acid level was a major limitation of the classification criteria. The
      ACR/EULAR classification criteria had high sensitivity and specificity in Thai
      patients presenting with acute arthritis, even when clinical criteria alone were
      used.

PMID- 28349196
TI  - Decreased mRNA expression levels of DNA methyltransferases type 1 and 3A in
      systemic lupus erythematosus.
AB  - OBJECTIVES: Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is a chronic relapsing autoimmune
      disease characterized by the presence of autoantibodies directed against nuclear
      antigens and by chronic inflammation. Although the etiology of SLE remains
      unclear, the influence of environment factors, which is largely reflected by the
      epigenetic mechanisms, with DNA methylation changes in particular, is generally
      considered as main players in the pathogenesis of SLE. We studied DNA
      methyltransferases' (DNMTs) type 1, 3A and 3B transcript levels in peripheral
      blood mononuclear cells from patients diagnosed with systemic lupus erythematosus
      and from the healthy control subjects. Furthermore, the association of DNMT1,
      DNMT3A, and DNMT3B mRNA levels with gender, age, and major clinical
      manifestations was analyzed. METHODS: Peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs)
      were isolated from 32 SLE patients and 40 healthy controls. Reverse transcription
      and real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR) analyses were used
      to determine DNMT1, DNMT3A, and DNMT3B mRNA expression levels. RESULTS:
      Significantly lower DNMT1 (p = 0.015543) and DNMT3A (p = 0.003652) transcript
      levels in SLE patients were observed compared with healthy controls.
      Nevertheless, the DNMT3B mRNA expression levels were markedly lower compared with
      DNMT1 and DNMT3A, both in PBMCs from affected patients and those from control
      subjects. Furthermore, the DNMT1 transcript levels were positively correlated
      with SLE disease activity index (SLEDAI) (r s = 0.4087, p = 0.020224), while the
      DNMT3A transcript levels were negatively correlated with patients age (r s = 
      0.3765, p = 0.03369). CONCLUSIONS: Our analyses confirmed the importance of
      epigenetic alterations in SLE etiology. Moreover, our results suggest that the
      presence of some clinical manifestations, such as phototosensitivity and
      arthritis, might be associated with the dysregulation of DNA methyltransferases'
      mRNA expression levels.

PMID- 28349198
TI  - Benign neonatal deep hypothermia in rodents and its relations to hibernation.
AB  - The neonates of many rodent species survive deep hypothermia (T b = 0-8  degrees
      C). In key respects, this hypothermia is more akin to hibernation than was
      thought during much of the twentieth century, indicating that studies of neonatal
      hypothermia may usefully supplement studies of hibernation in understanding
      evolved tissue adaptations to near-freezing T b. To clarify evolutionary
      diversity in neonatal survival of deep hypothermia, neonates of six species or
      strains were subjected to a standardized procedure: exposure for 2.5 h to test T
      bs followed by autoresuscitation. Mus and Peromyscus differed dramatically, the
      lowest T b survived by all ages studied (3-10 days) being 7-8  degrees C in Mus
      and 0-1  degrees C in Peromyscus. There was, however, no evidence of intrageneric
      plasticity because feral and laboratory Mus were identical, and Peromyscus
      species with cold- and warm-climate distribution ranges were identical. When
      neonates survive deep hypothermia, a key question is whether the experience is
      benign, meaning neonates tolerate hypothermia. To test the benign nature of deep
      hypothermia, neonates of Peromyscus leucopus were exposed four times (3 h each)
      to T b = 1-2  degrees C when 3-10 days old; controls were same-sex siblings not
      hypothermia exposed. When 74 such sibling pairs were exposed after weaning to
      predation by screech owls, the hypothermia-treated and control siblings did not
      differ in which was caught first. Based on study of deaths in 253 sibling pairs
      prior to weaning while under parental care, parents cared for hypothermia-treated
      siblings as attentively as controls. The results indicate that the experience of
      multiple neonatal deep-hypothermic episodes is benign in P. leucopus.

PMID- 28349194
TI  - Arthritis models: usefulness and interpretation.
AB  - Animal models of arthritis are used to better understand pathophysiology of a
      disease or to seek potential therapeutic targets or strategies. Focusing on
      models currently used for studying rheumatoid arthritis, we show here in which
      extent models were invaluable to enlighten different mechanisms such as the role
      of innate immunity, T and B cells, vessels, or microbiota. Moreover, models were
      the starting point of in vivo application of cytokine-blocking strategies such as
      anti-TNF or anti-IL-6 treatments. The most popular models are the different types
      of collagen-induced arthritis and arthritis in KBN mice. As spontaneous
      arthritides, human TNF-alpha transgenic mice are a reliable model. It is
      mandatory to use animal models in the respect of ethical procedure, particularly
      regarding the number of animals and the control of pain. Moreover, design of
      experiments should be of the highest level, animal models of arthritis being
      dedicated to exploration of well-based novelties, and never used for confirmation
      or replication of already proven concepts. The best interpretations of data in
      animal models of arthritis suppose integrated research, including translational
      studies from animals to humans.

PMID- 28349200
TI  - Dispersal traits may reflect dispersal distances, but dispersers may not connect
      populations demographically.
AB  - Ecological traits that reflect movement potential are often used as proxies for
      measured dispersal distances. Whether such traits reflect actual dispersal is
      often untested. Such tests are important because maximum dispersal distances may
      not be achieved and many dispersal events may be unsuccessful (without
      reproduction). For insects, many habitat patches harbour 'resident' species that
      are present as larvae (sedentary) and adults (winged and dispersing), and
      'itinerant' species present only as adults that have dispersed from elsewhere and
      fail to reproduce. We tested whether itinerancy patterns were temporally
      consistent, and whether itinerant and resident species differed in wing
      morphology, a strong correlate of flight capability. Over 3 years and at multiple
      locations in a 22 km stream length, we sampled larvae and adults of caddisflies
      in the genus Ecnomus to categorize species as residents or itinerants. Flight
      capacity was measured using wing size (length and area) and shape parameters
      (aspect ratio and the second moment of wing area). Three species of Ecnomus were
      residents and three species were itinerants, and patterns were consistent over 3
      years. On average, itinerant species had larger wings, suggesting a greater
      capacity to fly long distances. Wing shape differed between species, but did not
      differ systematically between residents and itinerants. Wing morphology was
      associated with actual but not effective dispersal of some species of Ecnomus.
      Morphological traits may have weak explanatory power for hypotheses regarding the
      demographic connectedness of populations, unless accompanied by data
      demonstrating which dispersers contribute new individuals to populations.

PMID- 28349201
TI  - Airway spray efficacy of local anesthetic with fiberscope.

PMID- 28349199
TI  - Amyloid-beta accumulation in the CNS in human growth hormone recipients in the
      UK.
AB  - Human-to-human transmission of Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (CJD) has occurred
      through medical procedures resulting in iatrogenic CJD (iCJD). One of the
      commonest causes of iCJD was the use of human pituitary-derived growth hormone
      (hGH) to treat primary or secondary growth hormone deficiency. As part of a
      comprehensive tissue-based analysis of the largest cohort yet collected (35
      cases) of UK hGH-iCJD cases, we describe the clinicopathological phenotype of hGH
      iCJD in the UK. In the 33/35 hGH-iCJD cases with sufficient paraffin-embedded
      tissue for full pathological examination, we report the accumulation of the
      amyloid beta (Abeta) protein associated with Alzheimer's disease (AD) in the
      brains and cerebral blood vessels in 18/33 hGH-iCJD patients and for the first
      time in 5/12 hGH recipients who died from causes other than CJD. Abeta
      accumulation was markedly less prevalent in age-matched patients who died from
      sporadic CJD and variant CJD. These results are consistent with the hypothesis
      that Abeta, which can accumulate in the pituitary gland, was present in the
      inoculated hGH preparations and had a seeding effect in the brains of around 50%
      of all hGH recipients, producing an AD-like neuropathology and cerebral amyloid
      angiopathy (CAA), regardless of whether CJD neuropathology had occurred. These
      findings indicate that Abeta seeding can occur independently and in the absence
      of the abnormal prion protein in the human brain. Our findings provide further
      evidence for the prion-like seeding properties of Abeta and give insights into
      the possibility of iatrogenic transmission of AD and CAA.

PMID- 28349202
TI  - Prevention of chronic post-surgical pain: the importance of early identification
      of risk factors.
AB  - Chronic post-surgical pain (CPSP) is currently an inevitable surgical
      complication. Despite the advances in surgical techniques and the development of
      new modalities for pain management, CPSP can affect 15-60% of all surgical
      patients. The development of chronic pain represents a burden to both the patient
      and to the community. In order to have a meaningful impact on this debilitating
      condition it is essential to identify those at risk. Early identification of
      patients at risk will help to reduce the percentage of patients who go on to
      develop CPSP. Unfortunately, evidence about any effective actions to reduce this
      condition is limited. This review will focus on providing context to the
      challenging problem of CPSP. The possible role of both the surgeon and
      anesthesiologist in reducing the incidence of this problem will be explored.

PMID- 28349203
TI  - Can the descending aortic stroke volume be estimated by transesophageal
      descending aortic photoplethysmography?
AB  - PURPOSE: The aim of this study was to investigate the ability of transesophageal
      photoplethysmography detected from the descending aorta (dPPG) for predicting low
      descending aortic stroke volume (dSV) level in cardiac surgical patients.
      METHODS: Fifteen patients scheduled for elective cardiac surgery were enrolled in
      our study. A transesophageal echocardiography (TEE) probe with an attached
      oximetry sensor was placed into the esophagus for paired dPPG signal and
      descending aortic Doppler blood flow signal acquisition. Metrics, including
      alternating current (AC), direct current (DC), area under the curve (AUC) and
      width (W), were extracted from the dPPG signals. The TEE-measured dSV, which was
      defined as the blood flow through the descending aorta during a cardiac cycle,
      was chosen as the standard reference. A receiver operating characteristic (ROC)
      curve was built to evaluate the performance of dPPG metrics in predicting low dSV
      level, and dSV measuring agreement between TEE and dPPG was analyzed by the Bland
      Altman method. RESULTS: A total of 644 paired dPPG and Doppler signals of the
      descending aorta were acquired. Significant correlations were found between the
      dPPG metrics and TEE-measured dSV, and the correlation coefficients between TEE
      measured dSV and AUC or AC were 0.64 and 0.66, respectively. AUC and AC values
      obviously decreased with the reduction of dSV level among the three groups (<20
      mL, from 20-40 mL, and >40 mL). The areas under the ROC curve for AUC and AC in
      predicting low dSV level (<20 mL) were 0.85 and 0.88, respectively. Bland-Altman
      plot showed a small bias (0.02 mL) but a wide limit of agreement (-18.62 to 18.66
      mL) in dSV measurement between dPPG and Doppler technology. CONCLUSIONS: The AC
      and AUC extracted from the dPPG signal provided a sensitive and qualitative
      prediction for dSV level. The dSV value could not be accurately measured by dPPG
      metrics. TRIAL REGISTRATION: Chinese Clinical Trials Register Identifier: ChiCTR
      OCS-12002789.

PMID- 28349205
TI  - Prevalence and clinical features of sports-related lumbosacral stress injuries in
      the young.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Stress injuries (stress fractures and stress reactions) of the
      lumbosacral region are one of the causes of sports-related lower back pain in
      young individuals. These injuries can be detected by bone marrow edema lesion on
      MRI. However, little is known about the prevalence and clinical features of early
      stage lumbosacral stress injuries. This study aimed to evaluate the epidemiology
      of lumbosacral stress injuries. METHODS: A total of 312 patients (under 18 years
      of age) who complained of sports-related lower back pain that had lasted for >=7
      days underwent magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans. We reviewed patients'
      records retrospectively. RESULTS: MRI showed that 33.0% of the patients had
      lumbar stress injuries and 1.6% had sacral stress injuries. Lumbar stress
      injuries were more common in males than in females and were found in 30% of 13-
      to 18-year-old patients. About 50% of the patients that participated in soccer or
      track and field were diagnosed with lumbar stress injuries. No clinical patterns
      in the frequencies of sacral stress injuries were detected due to the low number
      of patients that suffered this type of injury. Plain radiography is rarely able
      to detect the early stage lesions associated with lumbosacral stress injuries,
      but such lesions can be detected in the caudal-ventral region of the pars
      interarticularis on sagittal computed tomography scans. Thirty-three percent of
      young patients that complained of sports-related lower back pain for >=7 days had
      lumbar stress injuries, while 1.6% of them had sacral stress injuries. Clinicians
      should be aware of the existence of these injuries. MRI is useful for diagnosing
      lumbosacral stress injuries.

PMID- 28349204
TI  - Relationship between response to induction chemotherapy and disease control in
      patients with advanced laryngeal carcinoma included in an organ preservation
      protocol.
AB  - The aim of the study is to analyze the relationship between the degree of
      response to induction chemotherapy and the disease control in patients with
      locally advanced laryngeal carcinomas candidates to total laryngectomy. This
      retrospective study includes 389 patients with T3-T4 laryngeal tumors candidates
      to total laryngectomy, diagnosed between 1985 and 2013, treated with induction
      chemotherapy in an organ preservation protocol. Five-year local recurrence-free
      survival for patients receiving conservative treatment with radiotherapy after a
      complete response to induction chemotherapy was 75.4%; for patients with partial
      response greater than 50%, it was 62.0%; and for patients with the absence of
      response, it was 32.7%. There were significant differences in local recurrence
      free survival and laryngeal dysfunction-free survival according to the response
      to induction chemotherapy (P = 0.0001) at the expense of patients with absence of
      response to induction chemotherapy. Patients with partial response greater than
      50% treated with radiotherapy had a tendency to have worse local recurrence-free
      survival and laryngeal dysfunction-free survival than patients with complete
      response, but the differences did not reach statistical significance. Patients
      with the absence of response after induction chemotherapy had significant
      differences in disease-specific survival according to the second treatment: for
      patients treated with surgery it was 70.2%, whereas for patients treated with
      radiotherapy, it was 28.2% (P = 0.0001). In patients with the absence of response
      to induction chemotherapy, conservative treatment with radiotherapy implies a
      significant decrease in survival.

PMID- 28349206
TI  - Impingement of the patellar component against the tibial post after posterior
      stabilized and constrained TKA: a pilot study.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: Patella-post impingement (PPI), contact of the patellar component
      with the tibial post, occurs during deep knee flexion after posterior stabilized
      total knee arthroplasty (TKA). PPI can cause anterior knee pain, increased
      patellar pressure, wear of the polyethylene patellar component and tibial post,
      and poor range of motion. There have been no reports on the relationship between
      PPI and tibial post design. The aim of this study was to compare different tibial
      post designs with regard to PPI incidence. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Five posterior
      stabilized total knee prostheses were implanted in full-length models of the
      femur and tibia (Sawbones) using a navigation system. The thickness of the tibial
      component was 10 mm in all prostheses. The patella was set on a transparent
      polypropylene sheet, which was fixed to the tibial tubercle. The distance between
      the lower edge of the patellar component and the cut surface of the tibia was
      defined as the tibial-patellar clearance (TPC), which represents the length of
      the patellar tendon. The TPC was varied from 18 to 40 mm and the knee was moved
      from full extension to deep flexion while the knee angle at which PPI occurred
      (PPI angle) was recorded. RESULTS: The PPI angle differed between tibial post
      designs (p < 0.05). Shorter TPCs resulted in smaller PPI angles and longer TPCs
      resulted in larger PPI angles (p < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: This is the first study to
      analyze the relationship between PPI and the design of tibial post. Our results
      clearly show that tibial post design and TPC affect PPI. To avoid patellar
      component and tibial post impingement in deep flexion, appropriate TPC must be
      achieved during surgery. Improvements in tibial post design, especially in
      constrained prostheses, are also desirable. This study highlights the potential
      risk of PPI during deep flexion after TKA.

PMID- 28349207
TI  - Trends in National Institutes of Health-Funded Congenital Heart Disease Research
      from 2005 to 2015.
AB  - In an era of ongoing need for research to enable evidence-based care for the
      expanding population with congenital heart disease (CHD), economic fluctuations
      have impacted research funding. We characterize trends in NIH-funded CHD research
      from 2005 to 2015. We searched the NIH RePORTER database from 2005 to 2015 using
      the terms "congenital heart" and "cardiac morphogenesis". Projects were
      characterized by year, institute, mechanism, costs, type and topic, and funding
      trends were analyzed. From 2005 to 2015, NIH funded 633 CHD research projects
      with total costs of $991 million. The National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute
      funded 83% of CHD projects (528, $857 million). The R01 mechanism was used for
      45% of projects (288, $421 million). Projects were 70% basic/early translational
      research, 27% clinical research, and 3% both. Cardiac developmental biology was
      the most common topic (52%), followed by technology/therapy development (15%),
      and diagnosis/management (12%). The total number of CHD projects ranged from 153
      to 221 per year (30-58 new projects/year), and costs per year ranged from $58 to
      $116 million. The number of projects and total costs increased until 2012, but
      decreased again thereafter. CHD research did not experience as much erosion as
      overall NIH purchasing power; in constant dollars, CHD research funding levels in
      2015 were $12 million higher than those in 2005. The NIH supported a diverse
      portfolio of CHD projects from 2005 to 2015. Support of CHD research projects
      trended upward until 2012, but declined thereafter due to fiscal austerity
      measures.

PMID- 28349208
TI  - Periventricular White Matter Lesions as a Prognostic Factor of Swallowing
      Function in Older Patients with Mild Stroke.
AB  - Older patients with stroke have poor functional prognosis compared to younger
      patients. Patients with stroke who have severe white matter (WM) lesions have
      been reported to have poor functional prognosis such as cognitive dysfunction,
      increased propensity for falling, and gait and balance problems. The aim of this
      study was to determine whether WM lesions exert negative effects on swallowing
      function in older patients with mild stroke. We conducted a retrospective
      analysis of 63 patients aged >65 years who had a National Institutes of Health
      Stroke Scale score <=5 and who underwent videofluoroscopic swallowing examination
      after their first stroke. Linear regression analysis showed that oral transit
      time tended to increase as Fazekas grade increased (p = 0.003). In addition,
      inadequate mastication was related to the presence of lesions in the left
      hemisphere (p = 0.039). The presence of penetration could also be predicted by
      Fazekas grade (p = 0.015). Our findings suggest that WM lesions observed in brain
      magnetic resonance imaging scans can impact swallowing problems in older patients
      with mild stroke, regardless of initial stroke severity or other factors
      associated with lesion location. Accordingly, our data indicate that WM lesions
      are a predictive factor by which patients can be stratified into favorable or
      unfavorable outcomes with respect to dysphagia.

PMID- 28349209
TI  - Phenytoin: a step by step insight into its multiple mechanisms of action-80 years
      of mechanistic studies in neuropharmacology.

PMID- 28349210
TI  - Subacute parkinsonism as a complication of Lyme disease.

PMID- 28349212
TI  - Erratum to: Evaluating Mendelian nephrotic syndrome genes for evidence for risk
      alleles or oligogenicity that explain heritability.

PMID- 28349211
TI  - Shoulder hemiarthroplasty for proximal humeral fractures: analysis of clinical
      and radiographic outcomes at midterm follow-up: a series of 51 patients.
AB  - Shoulder hemiarthroplasty has historically been the gold standard treatment for
      proximal humeral fractures not suitable to open reduction and internal fixation.
      In the last decades, reverse shoulder arthroplasty has gained more and more
      importance. Aim of this study is to retrospectively analyze subjective and
      objective outcomes of a group of consecutive patients. Fifty-one patients were
      evaluated with a mean follow-up of 18 months (range 12-60). For all the cases,
      the same surgical technique was performed in all cases. Range of motion, Constant
      Murley score, ponderate Constant-Murley score, visual analog score and a
      patients' self-assessment scale were calculated. Anatomic tuberosities healing,
      stem positioning or mobilization were evaluated on postoperative X-rays and
      follow-up CT-scans. Statistical analysis was performed to calculate a correlation
      between subjective and objective results. Thirty-five patients (75%) declared to
      be satisfied of the operated shoulder. The mean CMS was 50 (17-91), the mean pCMS
      72 (16-111). The mean forward flexion measured was 98 degrees  (40 degrees -170
      degrees ), the mean external rotation with adducted arm 22 degrees  (0 degrees 
      60 degrees ), the mean internal rotation at sacrum (gluteus-T12). Four implants
      needed revision. Forty-seven stems were correctly positioned; 84.3% of
      tuberosities was anatomic or low positioned and consolidated in 74.5% of cases.
      Statistical analysis revealed significant correlation between CMS, pCMS, VAS and
      subjective satisfaction and between anatomic tuberosities healing and 3-part
      fractures. HA implant is a valid and reliable technique for the treatment of
      proximal humeral fracture. From our data, patients' satisfaction depends upon
      pain relief more than upon restore of function.

PMID- 28349213
TI  - Diabetes in a child on growth hormone therapy: Questions.

PMID- 28349214
TI  - Diabetes in a child on growth hormone therapy: Answers.

PMID- 28349215
TI  - Adherence in pediatric kidney transplant recipients: solutions for the system.
AB  - Non-adherence remains a significant problem among pediatric (and adult) renal
      transplant recipients. Non-adherence among solid organ transplant recipients
      results in US$15-100 million annual costs. Estimates of non-adherence range from
      30 to 70% among pediatric patients. Research demonstrates that a 10% decrement in
      adherence is associated with 8% higher hazard of graft failure and mortality.
      Focus has begun to shift from patient factors that impact adherence to the
      contributing healthcare and systems factors. The purpose of this review is to
      describe problems within the systems implicated in non-adherence and potential
      solutions that may be related to positive adherence outcomes. Systems issues
      include insurance and legal regulations, provider and care team barriers to
      optimal care, and difficulties with transitioning to adult care. Potential
      solutions include recognition of how systems can work together to improve patient
      outcomes through improvements in insurance programs, a multi-disciplinary care
      team approach, evidence-based medical management, pharmacy-based applications and
      interventions to simplify medication regimens, improved transition protocols, and
      telehealth/technology-based multi-component interventions. However, there remains
      a significant lack of reliability in the application of these potential solutions
      to systems issues that impact patient adherence. Future efforts should
      accordingly focus on these efforts, likely by leveraging quality improvement and
      related principles, and on the investigation of the efficacy of these
      interventions to improve adherence and graft outcomes.

PMID- 28349217
TI  - Modulation of microglia in the retina: new insights into diabetic retinopathy.
AB  - During last decades, the diagnosis of diabetes has been associated with several
      chronic complications such as diabetic retinopathy (DR). Recent studies of DR
      have revealed an inflammatory component, which precedes the detection of
      alterations in the visual function. During DR, the inflammatory process presents
      two opposite roles depending on the polarization of resident immune cells of the
      retina triggering proinflammatory (M1) or antiinflammatory (M2) actions. In an
      early stage of DR, the M2 response concurs with the M1 and is able to ameliorate
      inflammation and delay the progression of the disease. However, during the
      progression of DR, the M1 response is maintained whereas the M2 declines and, in
      this scenario, the classical proinflammatory signaling pathways are chronically
      activated leading to retinal neurodegeneration and the loss of visual function.
      The M1/M2 responses are closely related to the activation and polarization of
      microglial cells. This review aims to offer an overview of the recent insights
      into the role of microglial cells during inflammation in DR. We have focused on
      the possibility of modulating microglia polarization as a new therapeutic
      strategy in DR treatments.

PMID- 28349216
TI  - Does warming by open-top chambers induce change in the root-associated fungal
      community of the arctic dwarf shrub Cassiope tetragona (Ericaceae)?
AB  - Climate change may alter mycorrhizal communities, which impact ecosystem
      characteristics such as carbon sequestration processes. These impacts occur at a
      greater magnitude in Arctic ecosystems, where the climate is warming faster than
      in lower latitudes. Cassiope tetragona (L.) D. Don is an Arctic plant species in
      the Ericaceae family with a circumpolar range. C. tetragona has been reported to
      form ericoid mycorrhizal (ErM) as well as ectomycorrhizal (ECM) symbioses. In
      this study, the fungal taxa present within roots of C. tetragona plants collected
      from Svalbard were investigated using DNA metabarcoding. In light of ongoing
      climate change in the Arctic, the effects of artificial warming by open-top
      chambers (OTCs) on the fungal root community of C. tetragona were evaluated. We
      detected only a weak effect of warming by OTCs on the root-associated fungal
      communities that was masked by the spatial variation between sampling sites. The
      root fungal community of C. tetragona was dominated by fungal groups in the
      Basidiomycota traditionally classified as either saprotrophic or ECM symbionts,
      including the orders Sebacinales and Agaricales and the genera Clavaria,
      Cortinarius, and Mycena. Only a minor proportion of the operational taxonomic
      units (OTUs) could be annotated as ErM-forming fungi. This indicates that C.
      tetragona may be forming mycorrhizal symbioses with typically ECM-forming fungi,
      although no characteristic ECM root tips were observed. Previous studies have
      indicated that some saprophytic fungi may also be involved in biotrophic
      associations, but whether the saprotrophic fungi in the roots of C. tetragona are
      involved in biotrophic associations remains unclear. The need for more
      experimental and microscopy-based studies to reveal the nature of the fungal
      associations in C. tetragona roots is emphasized.

PMID- 28349218
TI  - Association of Inflammatory Status and Maxillary Sinus Schneiderian Membrane
      Thickness.
AB  - OBJECTIVES: Certain Schneiderian membrane thicknesses (SMT) have shown to be more
      prone to tearing/perforation, and some pathologies might influence SMT.
      Henceforth, we aimed at studying the correlation of inflammatory status to SMT in
      human fresh cadaver heads. MATERIAL AND METHODS: A total of 14 fresh cadaver
      heads including 27 Schneiderian membrane specimens were histologically collected.
      A 10-item inflammatory score was determined in the entire sample and also in the
      thinner and thicker areas of each sample. Data was analyzed by using the Wilcoxon
      rank test and the Spearman's rank correlation. RESULTS: The mean measured SMT was
      0.40 +/- 0.12 mm and the median was 0.33 +/- 0.12 mm. A weak positive correlation
      was found between the mean SMT and inflammation score without a statistical
      significance. (r = 0.385, p = 0.115). The Wilcoxon signed-rank test showed a
      statistical difference between the medians of the thinner and thicker areas (p <
      0.001). The mean inflammation score of the thinner and thicker areas was 8.55 +/-
      2.57 and 11.61 +/- 2.65, respectively. A moderate positive and statistically
      significant correlation was found between the inflammation score and the
      thickness of the thinner and thicker areas (r = 0.638, p = 0.000). CONCLUSION: A
      moderate association between the Schneiderian membrane thickness and the level of
      inflammation exists.

PMID- 28349220
TI  - Social Media Monitoring of Discrimination and HIV Testing in Brazil, 2014-2015.
AB  - Big data can be used to assess perceptions about public health issues. This study
      assessed social media data from Twitter to inform communication campaigns to
      promote HIV testing and reduce discrimination related to HIV/AIDS or towards key
      populations to the HIV epidemic, and its potential utility to evaluate such
      campaigns through HIV testing uptake. Tweets from Brazil were collected from
      January 2014 to March 2015 and filtered by four categories of keywords including
      discrimination, HIV prevention, HIV testing, and HIV campaigns. In total over
      100,000 geo-located tweets were extracted and analyzed. A dynamic online
      dashboard updated daily allowed mapping trends, anomalies and influencers, and
      enabled its use for feedback to campaigns, including correcting misconceptions.
      These results encourage the use of social networking data for improved messaging
      in campaigns. Clinical HIV test data was collected monthly from the city of
      Curitiba and compared to the number of tweets mapped to the city showing a
      moderate positive correlation (r = 0.39). Results are limited due to the
      availability of the HIV testing data. The potential of social media as a proxy
      for HIV testing uptake needs further validation, which can only be done with
      higher frequency and higher spatial granularity of service delivery data,
      enabling comparisons with the social media data. Such timely information could
      empower early response immediate media messaging to support programmatic efforts,
      such as HIV prevention, testing, and treatment scale up.

PMID- 28349219
TI  - Bacterial colonization in the apical part of extracted human teeth following root
      end resection and filling: a confocal laser scanning microscopy study.
AB  - OBJECTIVES: The purpose of this study was to evaluate Enterococcus faecalis
      colonization at the apical part of root canals following root-end resection and
      filling using confocal laser scanning microscopy (CLSM). MATERIALS AND METHODS:
      The apical 3-mm root-ends of 55 extracted single rooted human teeth were
      resected, and 3-mm retrograde cavities were prepared and filled using either
      mineral trioxide aggregate (MTA), intermediate restorative material (IRM), or
      Biodentine (n = 10 each); 25 teeth served as controls. The roots were placed in
      an experimental model, sterilized, and coronally filled with E. faecalis
      bacterial suspension for 21 days. Then, the apical 3-mm segments were cut to get
      two slabs (coronal and apical). The slabs were stained using LIVE/DEAD BacLight
      Bacterial Viability Kit and evaluated using CLSM. RESULTS: The fluorescence
      stained areas were larger in the bucco-lingual directions compared with the mesio
      distal directions (p < 0.05). The mean and maximal depths of bacterial
      colonization into the dentinal tubules were 755 and 1643 MUm, respectively, with
      no differences between the root-end filling materials (p > 0.05). However, more
      live bacteria were found in the MTA group in comparison to IRM and Biodentine
      groups (p < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: CLSM can be used to histologically demonstrate
      bacterial root-end colonization following root-end filling. This colonization at
      the filling-dentine interfaces and deeper into the dentinal tubules may be
      inhomogeneous, favoring the bucco-lingual aspects of the root. CLINICAL
      RELEVANCE: Following root-end resection and filling bacterial colonization may
      lead to inflammatory reactions at the periapical tissues; the viability of the
      colonized bacteria may be affected by the type of root-end filling material.

PMID- 28349221
TI  - Total artificial heart implantation for biventricular failure due to eosinophilic
      myocarditis.
AB  - Idiopathic hypereosinophilic syndrome is a condition of unknown etiology
      characterized by proliferation of eosinophils and their infiltration into
      tissues. Although cardiac involvement is rare, eosinophilic myocarditis can lead
      to life-threating fulminant congestive heart failure. Treatment of patients with
      eosinophilic myocarditis is challenging as heart failure can be caused by
      biventricular dysfunction. To our knowledge, this is the first case reported in
      the literature describing a patient with acute severe biventricular heart failure
      caused by eosinophilic myocarditis with mural left ventricular apical thrombus
      who was successfully treated with implantation of a total artificial heart as a
      bridge to heart transplant.

PMID- 28349222
TI  - Anticoagulation therapy for a LVAD patient with acquired warfarin resistance.
AB  - Anticoagulation therapy with warfarin is essential for postoperative management
      in patients with left ventricular assist device (LVAD). In this manuscript, we
      report the case of a patient who developed warfarin resistance after LVAD
      implantation. Although we administered a novel anticoagulant drug in addition to
      warfarin and aspirin therapy, the patient developed a major stroke. The patient
      needed continuous intravenous heparinization until heart transplantation for
      approximately 2 years. Meticulous management of anticoagulation therapy is
      essential for a LVAD with warfarin resistance. To our best knowledge, our case is
      the first case of warfarin resistance in a patient with LVAD.

PMID- 28349224
TI  - Society of Abdominal Radiology Disease-Focused Panel Program: rationale for its
      genesis and status report.

PMID- 28349223
TI  - The Orexin System and Hypertension.
AB  - In this review, we focus on the role of orexin signaling in blood pressure
      control and its potential link to hypertension by summarizing evidence from
      several experimental animal models of hypertension. Studies using the
      spontaneously hypertensive rat (SHR) animal model of human essential hypertension
      show that pharmacological blockade of orexin receptors reduces blood pressure in
      SHRs but not in Wistar-Kyoto rats. In addition, increased activity of the orexin
      system contributes to elevated blood pressure and sympathetic nerve activity
      (SNA) in dark-active period Schlager hypertensive (BPH/2J) mice, another genetic
      model of neurogenic hypertension. Similar to these two models, Sprague-Dawley
      rats with stress-induced hypertension display an overactive central orexin
      system. Furthermore, upregulation of the orexin receptor 1 increases firing of
      hypothalamic paraventricular nucleus neurons, augments SNA, and contributes to
      hypertension in the obese Zucker rat, an animal model of obesity-related
      hypertension. Finally, we propose a hypothesis for the implication of the orexin
      system in salt-sensitive hypertension. All of this evidence, coupled with the
      important role of elevated SNA in increasing blood pressure, strongly suggests
      that hyperactivity of the orexin system contributes to hypertension.

PMID- 28349225
TI  - Hepatobiliary phase MRI: impact on planning image-guided liver tumor ablations.
AB  - PURPOSE: To assess the impact of hepatobiliary phase images obtained during
      intravenous gadoxetate disodium-enhanced liver MRI in the planning of image
      guided liver tumor ablations. METHODS: This institutional review board-approved
      retrospective study included 34 patients (21 men, 13 women, ages 25-80) who
      underwent 36 liver MRI examinations with gadoxetate disodium within 12 weeks
      prior to image-guided thermal ablation of 62 liver tumors during 36 procedures.
      Visibility of bile ducts, subdivided by branch order, on hepatobiliary phase
      images was compared to standard MRI sequence images by an attending abdominal
      radiologist and fellow. Interventional decision making (whether or not to ablate
      and technical plan) using hepatobiliary phase images was compared with standard
      MRI sequences by the ablationists. The technical success and adverse events of
      ablation procedures were noted. RESULTS: Bile duct visibility was significantly
      increased by at least one branch order in 18/36 (50%) examinations (p < 0.0001).
      Interventional decisions were significantly impacted in 15 (41.7%) of 36 ablation
      procedures (p < 0.0001), including changes to the technical plan in six (16.7%)
      of these procedures (p = 0.005). Technical success was achieved for 60/62 (97%)
      of tumors. Mild (grade 1) adverse events occurred in 4/36 (11%) procedures; no
      biliary complications occurred. CONCLUSIONS: Use of hepatobiliary phase images
      obtained during gadoxetate disodium-enhanced liver MRI impacted both when and how
      to perform image-guided liver tumor ablations in our practice.

PMID- 28349226
TI  - Colonic diverticulosis is associated with abdominal wall hernia.
AB  - PURPOSE: Colonic diverticulosis and abdominal wall hernia are common pathologies.
      Studies have suggested that connective tissue alterations play a role in the
      formation of both diverticulosis and abdominal wall hernia. The aim of this
      cohort study was to evaluate the association between diverticulosis and abdominal
      wall hernia in a large cohort of patients undergoing colonoscopy. METHODS: All
      consecutive patients who underwent colonoscopy between 2001 and 2013 at
      Bispebjerg Hospital were eligible for inclusion. The endoscopists prospectively
      registered the findings of diverticulosis in a database. Data were merged with
      the Danish Hernia Database identifying patients who underwent groin and ventral
      hernia repair. Calculated odds ratios (ORs) were used to describe the extent of
      association and multivariable logistic regression models were utilized to adjust
      for age and gender. RESULTS: A total of 13,855 patients were included, 3685
      (26.6%) of whom were diagnosed with diverticulosis. Diverticulosis was
      independently associated with direct inguinal, OR 1.33, 95% CI 1.00-1.76, P =
      0.049, and umbilical/epigastric hernia repair, OR 1.74, 95% CI 1.16-2.63, P =
      0.008. CONCLUSIONS: Colonic diverticulosis was associated with direct inguinal
      and umbilical/epigastric hernia repair suggesting that connective tissue
      alterations, herniosis, could be a common etiologic factor of colonic
      diverticulosis and these abdominal wall hernias.

PMID- 28349227
TI  - Effects of bilateral vestibular deafferentation in rat on hippocampal theta
      response to somatosensory stimulation, acetylcholine release, and cholinergic
      neurons in the pedunculopontine tegmental nucleus.
AB  - Vestibular dysfunction has been shown to cause spatial memory impairment.
      Neurophysiological studies indicate that bilateral vestibular loss (BVL), in
      particular, is associated with an impairment of the response of hippocampal place
      cells and theta rhythm. However, the specific neural pathways through which
      vestibular information reaches the hippocampus are yet to be fully elucidated.
      The aim of the present study was to further investigate the hypothesised 'theta
      generating pathway' from the brainstem vestibular nucleus to the hippocampus.
      BVL, and in some cases, unilateral vestibular loss (UVL), induced by
      intratympanic sodium arsanilate injections in rats, were used to investigate the
      effects of vestibular loss on somatosensory-induced type 2 theta rhythm,
      acetylcholine (ACh) release in the hippocampus, and the number of cholinergic
      neurons in the pedunculopontine tegmental nucleus (PPTg), an important part of
      the theta-generating pathway. Under urethane anaesthesia, BVL was found to cause
      a significant increase in the maximum power of the type 2 theta (3-6 Hz)
      frequency band compared to UVL and sham animals. Rats with BVL generally
      exhibited a lower basal level of ACh release than sham rats; however, this
      difference was not statistically significant. The PPTg of BVL rats exhibited
      significantly more choline-acetyltransferase (ChAT)-positive neurons than that of
      sham animals, as did the contralateral PPTg of UVL animals; however, the number
      of ChAT-positive neurons on the ipsilateral side of UVL animals was not
      significantly different from sham animals. The results of these studies indicate
      that parts of the theta-generating pathway undergo a significant reorganisation
      following vestibular loss, which suggests that this pathway is important for the
      interaction between the vestibular system and the hippocampus.

PMID- 28349228
TI  - Biofeedback Training in Crisis Managers: A Randomized Controlled Trial.
AB  - Working in crisis environments represents a major challenge, especially for
      executive personnel engaged in directing disaster operations, i.e. crisis
      managers. Crisis management involves operating under conditions of extreme stress
      resulting, for instance, from high-level decision-making, principal
      responsibility for personnel, multitasking or working under conditions of risk
      and time pressure. The present study aimed to investigate the efficacy of a newly
      developed biofeedback training procedure based on electrodermal activity,
      especially designed for the target group of crisis managers. The training
      comprised exercises promoting acquisition of control over sympathetic arousal
      under resting conditions and during exposure to visual, acoustic and cognitive
      stressors resembling situations related to crisis management. In a randomized
      controlled design, 36 crisis managers were assigned to either a biofeedback
      training group or waiting list control group. Subjective stress was assessed
      using the Perceived Stress Scale. In the training group, stress level markedly
      decreased; the decrease remained stable at follow-up 2 months after the training.
      The results indicate that biofeedback training in crisis management is an
      effective method for stress management that may help to reduce vulnerability to
      stress-related performance decline and stress-related disease.

PMID- 28349229
TI  - MPT0B002, a novel microtubule inhibitor, downregulates T315I mutant Bcr-Abl and
      induces apoptosis of imatinib-resistant chronic myeloid leukemia cells.
AB  - Chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) is a hematopoietic malignancy caused by the
      constitutive activation of Bcr-Abl tyrosine kinase. The Bcr-Abl inhibitor
      imatinib and other second-generation tyrosine kinase inhibitors such as dasatinib
      and nilotinib have remarkable efficacy in CML treatment. However, gene mutation
      mediated drug resistance remains a critical problem. Among point mutations, the
      Bcr-Abl T315I mutation confers resistance to these Bcr-Abl inhibitors.
      Previously, we have synthesized the compound (1-methyl-1H-indol-5-yl)-(3,4,5
      trimethoxy-phenyl)-methanone (MPT0B002) as a novel microtubule inhibitor. In this
      study, we evaluated its effects on the proliferation, cell cycle, and apoptosis
      of K562 CML cells and BaF3 cells expressing either wild-type Bcr-Abl (BaF3/p210)
      or T315I-mutated Bcr-Abl (BaF3/T315I). MPT0B002 inhibited cell viability in a
      dose-dependent manner in these cells but did not affect the proliferation of
      human umbilical vein endothelial cells. It disrupted tubulin polymerization and
      arrested cell cycle at the G2/M phase. Treatment with MPT0B002 induced apoptosis,
      and this induction was associated with increased levels of cleaved caspase-3 and
      cleaved PARP. Furthermore, MPT0B002 can downregulate both Bcr-Abl and Bcr-Abl
      T315I mRNA expressions and protein levels and the downstream signaling pathways.
      Taken together, our findings suggest that MPT0B002 may be considered a promising
      compound to downregulate not only wild type Bcr-Abl but also the T315I mutant to
      overcome Bcr-Abl-T315I mutation-mediated resistance in CML cells.

PMID- 28349230
TI  - The Japanese Histologic Classification and T-score in the Oxford Classification
      system could predict renal outcome in Japanese IgA nephropathy patients.
AB  - BACKGROUND: The Oxford Classification is utilized globally, but has not been
      fully validated. In this study, we conducted a comparative analysis between the
      Oxford Classification and Japanese Histologic Classification (JHC) to predict
      renal outcome in Japanese patients with IgA nephropathy (IgAN). METHODS: A
      retrospective cohort study including 86 adult IgAN patients was conducted. The
      Oxford Classification and the JHC were evaluated by 7 independent specialists.
      The JHC, MEST score in the Oxford Classification, and crescents were analyzed in
      association with renal outcome, defined as a 50% increase in serum creatinine.
      RESULTS: In multivariate analysis without the JHC, only the T score was
      significantly associated with renal outcome. While, a significant association was
      revealed only in the JHC on multivariate analysis with JHC. CONCLUSIONS: The JHC
      and T score in the Oxford Classification were associated with renal outcome among
      Japanese patients with IgAN. Superiority of the JHC as a predictive index should
      be validated with larger study population and cohort studies in different
      ethnicities.

PMID- 28349231
TI  - Thyrotropin levels are associated with chronic kidney disease among healthy
      subjects in cross-sectional analysis of the Brazilian Longitudinal Study of Adult
      Health (ELSA-Brasil).
AB  - BACKGROUND: Few studies have evaluated a possible relationship between
      thyrotropin levels and glomerular filtration rate (GFR) and albumin/creatinine
      ratio in euthyroid subjects. We aimed to analyze this association using baseline
      data from the Brazilian Longitudinal Study of Adult Health (ELSA-Brasil).
      METHODS: Cross-sectionally, we included subjects with normal thyroid function and
      with subclinical hypothyroidism (SCH). We excluded individuals using medications
      that affect thyroid function. Linear and logistic regression models evaluated GFR
      estimated by Chronic Kidney Disease Epidemiology Collaboration (CKD-Epi) and
      albuminuria/creatinine ratio as dependent variables and thyrotropin quartiles in
      individuals with euthyroidism and SCH as independent variables, adjusted for
      demographical characteristics and diseases related to CKD. RESULTS: We included
      13,193 subjects with a median age of 51 years [interquartile range, (IQR): 45
      58], 6840 (51.8%) women, 12,416 (94.1%) euthyroid, and 777 (5.9%) with SCH. SCH
      subjects were characterized by higher age, triglycerides, frequency of white
      race, cardiovascular disease, CKD, and former smokers. In adjusted models, log
      transformed TSH in euthyroid subjects was inversely and strongly associated with
      CKD (beta = -2.181, 95% CI -2.714 to -1.648), P < 0.0001 for glomerular
      filtration rate and 4.528 (1.190-7.865) for albuminuria/creatinine ratio.
      Multivariate logistic models for euthyroid subjects showed an OR of 1.45 (95% CI
      1.15-1.83) for GFR and of 1.95 (95% CI 1.08-3.54) for albuminuria/creatinine
      ratio in the fourth quartile of TSH using the first as the reference.
      CONCLUSIONS: Thyrotropin levels are independently associated with CKD in
      euthyroid subjects.

PMID- 28349232
TI  - Primary Care Physicians Could Play a Role in Improving Colonoscopy Quality
      Measures.

PMID- 28349233
TI  - Low-Dose Cannabidiol Is Safe but Not Effective in the Treatment for Crohn's
      Disease, a Randomized Controlled Trial.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Cannabidiol (CBD) is an anti-inflammatory cannabinoid shown to be
      beneficial in a mouse model of IBD. Lacking any central effect, cannabidiol is an
      attractive option for treating inflammatory diseases. AIM: To assess the effects
      of cannabidiol on Crohn's disease in a randomized placebo-controlled trial.
      PATIENTS AND METHODS: Twenty patients aged 18-75 years with a Crohn's disease
      activity index (CDAI) >200 were randomized to receive oral (10 mg) CBD or placebo
      twice daily. Patients did not respond to standard treatment with steroids (11
      patients), thiopurines (14), or TNF antagonists (11). Disease activity and
      laboratory parameters were assessed during 8 weeks of treatment and 2 weeks
      thereafter. Other medical treatment remained unchanged. RESULTS: Of 20 patients
      recruited 19 completed the study. Their mean age was 39 +/- 15, and 11 were
      males. The average CDAI before cannabidiol consumption was 337 +/- 108 and 308 +/
      96 (p = NS) in the CBD and placebo groups, respectively. After 8 weeks of
      treatment, the index was 220 +/- 122 and 216 +/- 121 in the CBD and placebo
      groups, respectively (p = NS). Hemoglobin, albumin, and kidney and liver function
      tests remained unchanged. No side effects were observed. CONCLUSION: In this
      study of moderately active Crohn's disease, CBD was safe but had no beneficial
      effects. This could be due to lack of effect of CBD on Crohn's disease, but could
      also be due to the small dose of CBD, the small number of patients in the study,
      or the lack of the necessary synergism with other cannabinoids. Further
      investigation is warranted. CLINICALTRIALS.GOV: NCT01037322.

PMID- 28349234
TI  - Prostaglandin E2 Upregulated Trigeminal Ganglionic Sodium Channel 1.7 Involving
      Temporomandibular Joint Inflammatory Pain in Rats.
AB  - Prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) is a key proinflammatory mediator that contributes to
      inflammatory hyperalgesia. Voltage-gated sodium channel 1.7 (Nav1.7) plays an
      important role in inflammatory pain. However, the modulation of Nav1.7 in
      inflammatory pain remains poorly understood. We hypothesized that PGE2 might
      regulate Nav1.7 expression in inflammatory pain. We here showed that treatment of
      rat trigeminal ganglion (TG) explants with PGE2 significantly upregulated the
      mRNA and protein expressions of Nav1.7 through PGE2 receptor EP2. This finding
      was confirmed by studies on EP2-selective antagonist PF-04418948. We also
      demonstrated that Nav1.7 and COX-2 expressions, as well as PGE2 levels, were
      upregulated in the TG after induction of rats' temporomandibular joint (TMJ)
      inflammation. Correspondingly, hyperalgesia, as indicated by head withdrawal
      threshold, was observed. Moreover, TMJ inflammation-induced upregulation of
      Nav1.7 expression and PGE2 levels in the TG could be reversed by COX-2-selective
      inhibitor meloxicam given by oral gavage, and meanwhile, the hyperalgesia of
      inflamed TMJ was also mitigated. So we concluded that PGE2 upregulated trigeminal
      ganglionic Nav1.7 expression to contribute to TMJ inflammatory pain in rats. Our
      finding suggests that PGE2 was an important regulator of Nav1.7 in TMJ
      inflammatory pain, which may help increase understanding on the hyperalgesia of
      peripheral inflammation and develop a new strategy to address inflammatory pain.

PMID- 28349235
TI  - The Relationship Between Marijuana and Conventional Cigarette Smoking Behavior
      from Early Adolescence to Adulthood.
AB  - Longitudinal analyses investigated (a) the co-occurrence of marijuana use and
      conventional cigarette smoking within time and (b) bidirectional associations
      between marijuana and conventional cigarette use in three developmental periods:
      adolescence, young adulthood, and adulthood. A cross-lag model was used to
      examine the bidirectional model of marijuana and conventional cigarette smoking
      frequency from ages 13 to 33 years. The bidirectional model accounted for gender,
      school-age economic disadvantage, childhood attention problems, and race.
      Marijuana use and conventional cigarette smoking were associated within time in
      decreasing magnitude and increased cigarette smoking predicted increased
      marijuana use during adolescence. A reciprocal relationship was found in the
      transition from young adulthood to adulthood, such that increased conventional
      cigarette smoking at age 24 years uniquely predicted increased marijuana use at
      age 27 years, and increased marijuana use at age 24 years uniquely predicted more
      frequent conventional cigarette smoking at age 27 years, even after accounting
      for other factors. The association between marijuana and cigarette smoking was
      found to developmentally vary in the current study. Results suggest that
      conventional cigarette smoking prevention efforts in adolescence and young
      adulthood could potentially lower the public health impact of both conventional
      cigarette smoking and marijuana use. Findings point to the importance of
      universal conventional cigarette smoking prevention efforts among adolescents as
      a way to decrease later marijuana use and suggest that a prevention effort
      focused on young adults as they transition to adulthood would lower the use of
      both cigarette and marijuana use.

PMID- 28349236
TI  - Concurrent Trajectories of Female Drinking and Smoking Behaviors Throughout
      Transitions to Pregnancy and Early Parenthood.
AB  - The purpose of this longitudinal study was to investigate whether there are
      distinct etiological processes explaining dual usage of alcohol and conventional
      cigarettes by mothers from preconception through the early parenting years. Data
      on 8800 biological mothers were drawn from the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study
      Birth Cohort (ECLS-B), representative of US births in 2001. A general growth
      mixture model (GGMM) was used to empirically identify developmental trajectories
      of maternal smoking and drinking over the 5-6-year study period. Six classes
      defined by alcohol consumption and cigarette smoking were identified. These
      included a nonsmoking, low probability of drinking class (41%), and two drinking
      classes displaying no smoking with either moderate (26%) or escalating high (8%)
      probability drinking. Additionally, two predominantly smoking classes were
      identified, one displaying temporary reduction in smoking during pregnancy and
      low probability of drinking (11%) and one following a trajectory of persistent
      heavy smoking with a declining probability of drinking (9%). The sixth class was
      described by temporary reduction in smoking during pregnancy with high
      probability of drinking (6%). Covariates differentially predicted class
      membership, e.g., having a high school degree but not further education predicted
      concurrent drinking and smoking, and breastfeeding for more than 6 months is
      protective against concurrent use. Prior to conception, during prenatal care, and
      in post-natal clinical visits, whether for personal or pediatric care, screening
      women of reproductive age via characteristics that predict heterogeneity in
      smoking and drinking trajectories may help guide prevention and treatment
      options.

PMID- 28349237
TI  - Histopathologic features predict survival in diffuse pleural malignant
      mesothelioma on pleural biopsies.
AB  - Malignant pleural mesothelioma is a rare tumor with a poor prognosis. The only
      universally recognized pathological prognostic factor is histopathological
      subtype with a shorter survival in non-epithelioid subtypes. Recently, a grading
      of epithelioid mesothelioma on surgical resection has been proposed. The aim of
      our work is to assess the prognostic role of several histopathological factors on
      a retrospective cohort of 116 patients diagnosed as a pleural mesothelioma for
      more than 95% of patients on pleural biopsy. Our work shows that mitotic count
      <3/10 HPF (p < 0.0001), the lack of necrosis (p = 0.0379), mild nuclear atypia (p
      = 0.0054), the lack of atypical mitoses (p = 0.0265), a nucleoli size <3 MUm (p =
      0.0139), and a nucleoli absent or visible at 200* or higher magnification (p =
      0.0170) are significantly associated with a better median overall survival in
      epithelioid mesothelioma. The presence of atypical mitoses was found to be
      related to a worse median survival in non-epithelioid mesothelioma. Mitotic
      count, necrosis, nuclear atypia, and nucleoli size are not associated with
      overall survival in non-epithelioid mesothelioma. Our work highlights that
      histopathological prognostic factors can be assessed on pleural biopsies and can
      predict reliably median overall survival. This is of interest in order to define
      subgroups of patients who could benefit of different therapies and select
      patients who could benefit of surgical excision.

PMID- 28349238
TI  - Strong association of insulin-like growth factor 1 receptor expression with
      histologic grade, subtype, and HPV status in penile squamous cell carcinomas: a
      tissue microarray study of 112 cases.
AB  - Insulin-like growth factor-1 receptor (IGF1R) plays a key role in cell growth and
      transformation. It is overexpressed in several solid tumors. This study evaluates
      IGF1R immunoexpression in penile squamous cell carcinoma (SCC). Four tissue
      microarrays were built from formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded blocks of 112
      penile SCC from Paraguay. Membranous IGF1R expression was evaluated by
      immunohistochemistry using two different approaches. An H-score was calculated in
      each spot (stain intensity by extent), and a median score per tumor was obtained.
      The second approach consisted of a score similar to the scoring system that was
      used for evaluating HER2 immunoexpression. For each case, the highest category
      obtained at any spot was used for statistical analyses. IGF1R expression was
      compared by histologic subtype, grade, and human papillomavirus (HPV) status.
      Median H-score was 22.5. The distribution of IGF1R expression by HER2 approach
      was as follows: 0 in 33.0% cases, 1+ in 46.4%, 2+ in 14.3%, and 3+ in 6.2%. IGF1R
      H-scores were associated with basaloid and warty/basaloid subtypes (p = 0.0026)
      and higher grade (p = 0.00052). Although weaker when using the HER2 approach, the
      association of IGF1R expression with subtype (p = 0.015) and grade (p = 0.015)
      remained significant. Furthermore, there was an association between IGF1R
      expression by HER2 approach and HPV status (p = 0.012). IGF1R was expressed in
      about two thirds of penile SCC cases, showing a strong positive association with
      histologic grade, subtype, and HPV status. Considering that grade is a predictor
      of outcome IGF1R expression may have prognostic relevance and could point to a
      potential role for IGF1R inhibitors in treating penile SCC.

PMID- 28349239
TI  - Detecting past male-mediated expansions using the Y chromosome.
AB  - Males and females display biological differences that lead to a higher variance
      of offspring number in males, and this is frequently exacerbated in human
      societies by mating practices, and possibly by past socio-cultural circumstances.
      This implies that the genetic record might contain the imprint of past male
      mediated expansions, which can be investigated by analysing the male-specific
      region of the Y chromosome (MSY). Here, we review studies that have used MSY data
      to infer such expansions. Sets of short-tandem repeats define haplotypes of very
      low average frequencies, but in a few cases, high-frequency haplotypes are
      observed, forming the core of descent clusters. Estimates of the ages of such
      clusters, together with geographical information, have been used to propose
      powerful historical founders, including Genghis Khan, although without direct
      supporting evidence. Resequencing of multi-megabase segments of MSY has allowed
      the construction of detailed phylogenies in which branch lengths are proportional
      to time, leading to the identification of lineage expansions in the last few
      millennia as well as the more distant past. Comparisons with maternally-inherited
      mitochondrial DNA sequence data allow the male specificity of some of these
      expansions to be demonstrated. These include expansions in Europe in the last
      ~5000 years that may be associated with a cultural shift during the Bronze Age,
      as well as expansions elsewhere in the world for which explanations from
      archaeological evidence are not yet clear.

PMID- 28349240
TI  - The Human Gene Mutation Database: towards a comprehensive repository of inherited
      mutation data for medical research, genetic diagnosis and next-generation
      sequencing studies.
AB  - The Human Gene Mutation Database (HGMD(r)) constitutes a comprehensive collection
      of published germline mutations in nuclear genes that underlie, or are closely
      associated with human inherited disease. At the time of writing (March 2017), the
      database contained in excess of 203,000 different gene lesions identified in over
      8000 genes manually curated from over 2600 journals. With new mutation entries
      currently accumulating at a rate exceeding 17,000 per annum, HGMD represents de
      facto the central unified gene/disease-oriented repository of heritable mutations
      causing human genetic disease used worldwide by researchers, clinicians,
      diagnostic laboratories and genetic counsellors, and is an essential tool for the
      annotation of next-generation sequencing data. The public version of HGMD (
      http://www.hgmd.org ) is freely available to registered users from academic
      institutions and non-profit organisations whilst the subscription version (HGMD
      Professional) is available to academic, clinical and commercial users under
      license via QIAGEN Inc.

PMID- 28349241
TI  - Quality-of-life: a many-splendored thing? Belgian population norms and 34
      potential determinants explored by beta regression.
AB  - PURPOSE: To identify determinants of health-related quality-of-life in the
      Belgian population and to provide age-specific population norms of health-related
      quality-of-life. METHODS: Between September 2010 and February 2011, a
      representative sample of 1774 persons (age 0-99) was surveyed using the standard
      Euroqol questionnaire (EQ-5D-3L) with a Visual Analogue Scale (VAS). Significant
      determinants were identified using multivariate beta (VAS) and one-inflated beta
      (EQ-5D) regression, the latter modelling the probability to be in perfect health
      separately from the average EQ-5D score if not in perfect health. RESULTS: Health
      related quality-of-life depends largely on age and experience with severe
      disease. The probability to be in perfect health is highest for children. For 0-2
      years children who are not in perfect health, proxies report EQ-5D and VAS scores
      as low as that of the elderly. Also smoking behaviour, educational attainment,
      pet ownership, working or having worked in health care, and potentially household
      size and 60+ living on their own (yes/no) are associated with health-related
      quality-of-life, whereas no association was found with gender, living in a single
      parent home, educational attainment of mothers, alcohol consumption of 60+,
      having (grand-) children and the frequency of seeing them. The same determinants
      are significant for VAS and the probability to be in perfect health, but not for
      the average EQ-5D score if not in perfect health. CONCLUSIONS: The population
      norms provided can be used directly as input in health economic evaluations.
      Estimating health-related quality-of-life in children and developing statistical
      tools capturing the particular features of health-related quality-of-life
      measures are important areas for future research.

PMID- 28349244
TI  - Parent-Adolescent Discrepancies Regarding Adolescents' Peer-Related Loneliness:
      Associations with Adolescent Adjustment.
AB  - Because loneliness is a subjective experience, it is often examined using self
      reports. Yet, researchers have started to use other-reports to examine
      loneliness. As previous research suggests that discrepancies between self- and
      other views might have important implications for adolescents' mental health, the
      current study examines discrepancies in multi-informant reports on adolescents'
      loneliness in relation with prosocial behavior, aggression, and adolescents'
      parent-related loneliness. The sample consisted of 374 mother-adolescent dyads
      and 318 father-adolescent dyads (41.80% male, M age  = 15.67 years, SD = 1.25).
      Results indicated that informants used different reference points to assess
      adolescents' peer-related loneliness, but were otherwise comparable. Moreover,
      informant discrepancies were associated with greater adolescents' reported parent
      related loneliness. The current study did not provide evidence that discrepancies
      were related to prosocial or aggressive behavior. The current study adds to the
      notion that other-reports on loneliness show substantial convergence with self
      reports. In addition, this study indicates that the discrepancy between other-
      and self-reports on loneliness holds valuable information for adolescent socio
      emotional adjustment.

PMID- 28349245
TI  - Effect of miglitol on the suppression of nonalcoholic steatohepatitis development
      and improvement of the gut environment in a rodent model.
AB  - BACKGROUND: The gut environment has been considered to play a role in the
      development of nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH). alpha-glucosidase inhibitors
      (alpha-GIs) delay carbohydrate absorption and may change the gut environment. We
      considered that the protective effect of alpha-GIs against NASH development is
      related to changes in the gut environment and thus investigated the effects of
      miglitol, an alpha-GI, on NASH development and the gut environment. METHODS: Mice
      were divided into three groups and fed a normal chow diet (NCD), a high-fat high
      sucrose diet (HFHSD), or HFHSD plus 0.04% miglitol (HFHSD plus M) for 12 weeks.
      RESULTS: Insulin resistance developed more in the HFHSD group than in the NCD
      group, whereas it was suppressed in the HFHSD plus M group. NASH was evaluated
      histologically, biochemically, and on the basis of messenger RNA expression
      levels. Miglitol treatment suppressed HFHSD-induced NASH development with the
      suppression of hepatic Toll-like receptor 4 expression, increased glucagon-like
      peptide 1 (GLP-1) concentration, and reduced lipopolysaccharide concentration in
      portal plasma. Regarding the gut environment, the intestinal transit time was
      shortened and colon inflammation was suppressed in the HFHSD plus M group
      compared with the HFHSD group. Regarding the gut microbiota, the abundances of
      Erysipelotrichaceae and Coriobacteriaceae were increased in the HFHSD group
      compared with the NCD group, whereas the increase was suppressed in the HFHSD
      plus M group. CONCLUSIONS: We demonstrated that miglitol has a protective effect
      against HFHSD-induced NASH development. The increased GLP-1 secretion and the
      suppression of endotoxemia, associated with the changes in the gut environment,
      including the gut microbiota, could contribute to the underlying mechanisms.

PMID- 28349242
TI  - Host-Virus Interaction of ZIKA Virus in Modulating Disease Pathogenesis.
AB  - The Zika virus (ZIKV) is a newly emerging pathogen that has resulted in a
      worldwide epidemic. It primarily spreads either through infected Aedes aegypti or
      Aedes albopictus mosquitos leading to severe neurological disorders such as
      microcephaly and Guillain-Barre syndrome in susceptible individuals. The mode of
      ZIKV entry into specific cell types such as: epidermal keratinocytes,
      fibroblasts, immature dendritic cells (iDCs), and stem-cell-derived human neural
      progenitors has been determined through its major surface envelope glycoprotein.
      It has been known that oligosaccharides that are covalently linked to viral
      envelope proteins are crucial in defining host-virus interactions. However, the
      role of sugars/glycans in exploiting host-immune mechanisms and aiding receptor
      mediated virus entry is not well defined. Therefore, this review focuses on host
      pathogen interactions to better understand ZIKV pathogenesis.

PMID- 28349243
TI  - Endocytic Trafficking of HIV gp120 is Mediated by Dynamin and Plays a Role in
      gp120 Neurotoxicity.
AB  - Neurons that endocytose the human immunodeficiency virus-1 (HIV) protein gp120
      exhibit neurite retraction and activation of caspase-3, suggesting that the
      endocytic process may be crucial for gp120-mediated neuronal injury. The goal of
      this study is to demonstrate that internalization and accumulation of gp120 play
      a role in its neurotoxic effects. In mammalian cells, endocytosis is primarily a
      dynamin-dependent process. To establish whether gp120 is endocytosed in a dynamin
      dependent manner, we used fibroblasts in which deletion of dynamins was induced
      by tamoxifen. We observed a robust reduction of intracellular gp120
      immunoreactivity in tamoxifen-treated cells. To examine whether endocytosis of
      gp120 is crucial for its neurotoxic effect, we blocked gp120 internalization into
      primary rat cortical neurons by dynasore, an inhibitor of the dynamin GTP-ase
      activity. We found that dynasore blocks both gp120 internalization and
      neurotoxicity. We then utilized gp120-loaded mesoporous silica nanoparticles to
      deliver gp120 intracellularly. We established that once internalized, gp120 is
      neurotoxic regardless of chemokine receptor activation. Our data suggest that
      dynamin-dependent endocytosis of gp120 is critical for its neurotoxicity.

PMID- 28349246
TI  - Suicide patterns in children and adolescents: a review from a pediatric
      institution in England.
AB  - Suicide is a catastrophic event to both families and communities yet it is
      potentially preventable. This study aims to determine incidence and patterns of
      suicide in children and young adolescents in our region, raise awareness of this
      entity as a potentially preventable cause of death in this age group, and
      identify its possible associated risk factors. We retrospectively reviewed
      suicide cases presenting as sudden unexpected death in children and adolescents
      that underwent coronial post-mortems at our institution. This is the largest
      pathological review of completed suicide in children and young adolescents within
      a single institution in the United Kingdom. We identified 23 suicide cases during
      a 12 year period from 2003 to 2015, in which 18 cases (78%) were male and 5 cases
      (22%) were female. The age range was from 8 to 16 years (mean age 12.82 +/- 2.52
      SD). With the exception of one case, all of the victims were Caucasian. The
      majority, 19 cases (81%), were found dead inside their place of residence, 15 of
      whom were discovered in their own bedrooms. Twenty-one cases (91%) died from neck
      compression due to hanging; 6 cases (26%) had used the cord of a dressing gown
      and 5 (22%) opted to use a belt as the ligature. Two cases (9%) that died from
      multiple-drug toxicity were female. In 7 cases (30.5%) there was evidence of self
      harm and in 3 cases (13%) there was a history of previous suicide attempts.
      Petechial hemorrhages were found at autopsy in more than half of hanging victims
      and only three cases (14%) displayed dual distribution of post-mortem hypostasis
      (back and legs). Seven victims (30.5%) left some form of suicide message to
      family members and friends, 2 of which wrote the message on their arm. Parental
      separation, conflict with parents, and depression, were common amongst decedents
      prior to committing suicide. Substance abuse was uncommon in suicide within our
      cases. Valuable information is available from thorough review of suicide data in
      children and young adolescents from a single institution. Pathologists and
      clinicians can play crucial roles in identifying potential risk factors that may
      contribute to prevent future deaths.

PMID- 28349248
TI  - Cancer and autoimmunity.

PMID- 28349247
TI  - Benzodiazepine long-term administration is associated with impaired
      attention/working memory in schizophrenia: results from the national multicentre
      FACE-SZ data set.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: The effect of benzodiazepine long-term administration (BLTA) in
      cognitive functioning of subjects with schizophrenia (SZ) has been partially
      explored to date. The objective was to assess BLTA-associated cognitive
      impairment with a comprehensive cognitive battery in a non-selected
      multicentric/national community-dwelling sample of stabilized SZ subjects.
      METHOD: 407 community-dwelling stabilized SZ subjects were consecutively included
      in the FondaMental Academic Centers of Expertise for Schizophrenia Cohort (FACE
      SZ). Patients taking daily benzodiazepine were defined as BLTA+ as all patients
      examined by the Expert Center were clinically stabilized and under stable dose of
      treatment for at least 3 months. Each patient has been administered a 1-day long
      comprehensive cognitive battery (including The National Adult Reading Test, the
      Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale, the Trail Making Test, the California Verbal
      Learning Test, the Doors test, and The Continuous Performance Test-Identical
      Pairs). RESULTS: In the multivariate analyses, results showed that BLTA was
      associated with impaired attention/working memory (OR 0.60, 95% confidence
      interval 0.42-0.86; p = 0.005) independently of socio-demographic variables and
      illness characteristics. Verbal and performance current IQ-[respectively, OR
      0.98, 95% CI (0.96;0.99), p = 0.016 and 0.98, 95% CI(0.97;0.99), p = 0.034] but
      not premorbid IQ-(p > 0.05) have been associated with BLTA in a multivariate
      model including the same confounding variables. CONCLUSION: BLTA is associated
      with impaired attention/working memory in schizophrenia. The BLTA benefit/risk
      ratio should be regularly reevaluated. Alternative pharmacological and non
      pharmacological strategies for comorbid anxiety disorders and sleep disorders
      should be preferred when possible. It seems reasonable to withdraw BLTA before
      the start of cognitive remediation therapy, as soon as possible, to improve the
      effectiveness of this therapy. Limits: the delay between the last benzodiazepine
      intake and testing, as well as the specific class of benzodiazepines (long half
      life vs. short half-life), and the number of benzodiazepine daily intakes have
      not been recorded in the present study. The precise motive for BLTA prescription
      and sleep disturbances have not been reported, which is a limit for the
      interpretation of the present results.

PMID- 28349249
TI  - Lost in space: multisensory conflict yields adaptation in spatial representations
      across frames of reference.
AB  - According to embodied cognition, bodily interactions with our environment shape
      the perception and representation of our body and the surrounding space, that is,
      peripersonal space. To investigate the adaptive nature of these spatial
      representations, we introduced a multisensory conflict between vision and
      proprioception in an immersive virtual reality. During individual bimanual
      interaction trials, we gradually shifted the visual hand representation. As a
      result, participants unknowingly shifted their actual hands to compensate for the
      visual shift. We then measured the adaptation to the invoked multisensory
      conflict by means of a self-localization and an external localization task. While
      effects of the conflict were observed in both tasks, the effects systematically
      interacted with the type of localization task and the available visual
      information while performing the localization task (i.e., the visibility of the
      virtual hands). The results imply that the localization of one's own hands is
      based on a multisensory integration process, which is modulated by the saliency
      of the currently most relevant sensory modality and the involved frame of
      reference. Moreover, the results suggest that our brain strives for consistency
      between its body and spatial estimates, thereby adapting multiple, related frames
      of reference, and the spatial estimates within, due to a sensory conflict in one
      of them.

PMID- 28349250
TI  - Curcumin improves treatment outcome of Takayasu arteritis patients by reducing
      TNF-alpha: a randomized placebo-controlled double-blind clinical trial.
AB  - Tumor necrosis factor (TNF) inhibitors have been found to exhibit certain
      efficacy in treating refractory Takayasu arteritis (TA) in clinic despite severe
      adverse effects. The aim of this study is to investigate a natural anti-TNF
      compound, curcumin, its function, and its potential as treatment against TA. In
      total, 246 patients who were diagnosed of acute TA participated have completed
      this clinical trial. They were randomly assigned in either treatment group or
      control group, in which they were daily administered with curcumin or placebo
      accordingly for 4 weeks with weekly revisits for data collection. The treatment
      outcome consisted of a primary one defined using Birmingham Vascular Activity
      Score (BVAS) and a secondary one defined by laboratory results, e.g., C-reactive
      protein (CRP), TNF-alpha, and erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR). In this
      study, the primary and secondary treatment outcomes were found to be steadily
      attenuated in patients who received curcumin treatment, while showed no
      significant change in patients in placebo group. TNF-alpha was found to be
      significantly correlated with BVAS scores (gamma 2 = 0.81, p = 0.016), ESR (gamma
      2 = 0.76, p = 0.037), and plasma levels of CRP (gamma 2 = 0.79, p = 0.041). The
      treatment outcome was greatly improved by curcumin administration probably due to
      its anti-TNF property.

PMID- 28349251
TI  - The effect of magnesium on early osseointegration in osteoporotic bone: a
      histological and gene expression investigation.
AB  - : Magnesium has a key role in osteoporosis and could enhance implant
      osseointegration in osteoporotic patients. Titanium implants impregnated with Mg
      ions were installed in the tibia of ovariectomized rats. The release of Mg
      induced a significant increase of bone formation and the expression of anabolic
      markers in the peri-implant bone. INTRODUCTION: The success of endosseous
      implants is highly predictable in patients possessing normal bone status, but it
      may be impaired in patients with osteoporosis. Thus, the application of
      strategies that adjuvate implant healing in compromized sites is of great
      interest. Magnesium has a key role in osteoporosis prevention and it is an
      interesting candidate for this purpose. In this study, the cellular and molecular
      effects of magnesium release from implants were investigated at the early healing
      stages of implant integration. METHODS: Osteoporosis was induced in 24 female
      rats by means of ovariectomy and low-calcium diet. Titanium mini-screws were
      coated with mesoporous titania films and were loaded with magnesium (test group)
      or left as native (control group). The implants were inserted in the tibia and
      femur of the rats. One, 2 and 7 days after implantation, the implants were
      retrieved and histologically examined. In addition, expression of genes was
      evaluated in the peri-implant bone tissue at day 7 by means of quantitative
      polymerase chain reactions with pathway-oriented arrays. RESULTS: The
      histological evaluation revealed that new bone formation started already during
      the first week of healing for both groups. However, around the test implants, new
      bone was significantly more abundant and spread along a larger surface of the
      implants. In addition, the release of magnesium induced a significantly higher
      expression of BMP6. CONCLUSIONS: These results provide evidence that the release
      of magnesium promoted rapid bone formation and the activation of osteogenic
      signals in the vicinity of implants placed in osteoporotic bone.

PMID- 28349252
TI  - Prevalence of childhood hypertension and hypertension phenotypes by weight status
      and waist circumference: the Healthy Growth Study.
AB  - PURPOSE: The aim of the present study was to report for the first time the
      prevalence of hypertension and its phenotypes in obese children and in children
      with central obesity in a large sample of Greek children. METHODS: A regionally
      representative sample of 2263 schoolchildren (50.3% boys) (9-13 years) having
      full data on blood pressure assessment, physical examination, anthropometric, and
      physical activity participated in a cross-sectional study in Greece. RESULTS:
      Prevalence of stage 1 and 2 hypertension, of isolated systolic hypertension (ISH)
      and of combined systolic or diastolic hypertension, was significantly higher for
      obese children and children on the 3rd tertile of waist circumference in the
      total sample, as well as in each gender separately. ISH was the most prevalent
      phenotype reaching 24.3% in obese children and 17.5% in children on the highest
      tertile of waist circumference. Obese children and children on the highest
      tertile of waist circumference had 6.31 times and 3.94 times, respectively,
      higher likelihood to have abnormal systolic or diastolic blood pressure (SBP or
      DBP) than their normal-weight counterparts. CONCLUSIONS: Prevalence of
      hypertension and especially ISH in obese children and in children with central
      obesity in Greece are among the highest reported in Europe. Future public health
      initiatives should aim to prevent or tackle several underlying factors related to
      childhood hypertension, focusing primarily on children with excess body weight.

PMID- 28349253
TI  - Mangiferin suppresses endoplasmic reticulum stress in perivascular adipose tissue
      and prevents insulin resistance in the endothelium.
AB  - PURPOSE: Mangiferin is a naturally occurring glucosylxanthone with beneficial
      effects on glucose and lipid homeostasis. This study investigates the potential
      therapeutic effect of Mangiferin in perivascular adipose tissue (PVAT) and
      whether it contributes to regulating insulin action in the endothelium. METHODS:
      Palmitate challenge evoked ROS-associated endoplasmic reticulum stress (ER
      stress) and NLRP3 inflammasome activation in PVAT. The conditioned medium from PA
      stimulated PVAT was prepared to induce endothelial insulin resistance, and
      improved endothelium-dependent vasodilation in response to insulin was detected
      in vitro and in vivo. RESULTS: Mangiferin treatment enhanced LKB1-dependent AMPK
      activity and suppressed ER stress with downregulation of TXNIP induction, leading
      to the inhibition of NLRP3 inflammasome activation evidenced by attenuated NLRP3
      and cleaved caspase-1 expression as well as reduced IL-1beta secretion. Moreover,
      Mangiferin restored insulin-mediated Akt and eNOS phosphorylations with increased
      NO production, immunohistochemistry examination of adipocytes, and endothelial
      tissue in high-fat diet-fed mice also showed that oral administration of
      Mangiferin inhibited ER stress and NLRP3 induction in PVAT, and then effectively
      prevented insulin resistance in the vessel endothelium. CONCLUSIONS: Taken
      together, these results revealed that Mangiferin suppressed ER stress-associated
      NLRP3 inflammasome activation in PVAT through regulation of AMPK activity, which
      prevented endothelial insulin resistance. These findings suggested that the
      amelioration of PVAT dysfunction may be a therapeutic strategy for the prevention
      of endothelial insulin resistance.

PMID- 28349255
TI  - Alcohol and red wine consumption, but not fruit, vegetables, fish or dairy
      products, are associated with less endothelial dysfunction and less low-grade
      inflammation: the Hoorn Study.
AB  - PURPOSE: Endothelial dysfunction and low-grade inflammation are key phenomena in
      the pathobiology of cardiovascular disease (CVD). Their dietary modification
      might explain the observed reduction in CVD that has been associated with a
      healthy diet rich in fruit, vegetables and fish, low in dairy products and with
      moderate alcohol and red wine consumption. We investigated the associations
      between the above food groups and endothelial dysfunction and low-grade
      inflammation in a population-based cohort of Dutch elderly individuals. METHODS:
      Diet was measured by food frequency questionnaire (n = 801; women = 399; age 68.5
      +/- 7.2 years). Endothelial dysfunction was determined (1) by combining von
      Willebrand factor, and soluble intercellular adhesion molecule 1 (sICAM-1),
      vascular cell adhesion molecule 1, endothelial selectin and thrombomodulin, using
      Z-scores, into a biomarker score and (2) by flow-mediated vasodilation (FMD), and
      low-grade inflammation by combining C-reactive protein, serum amyloid A,
      interleukin 6, interleukin 8, tumour necrosis factor alpha and sICAM-1 into a
      biomarker score, with smaller FMD and higher scores representing more dysfunction
      and inflammation, respectively. We used linear regression analyses to adjust
      associations for sex, age, energy, glucose metabolism, body mass index, smoking,
      prior CVD, educational level, physical activity and each of the other food
      groups. RESULTS: Moderate [beta (95% CI) -0.13 (-0.33; 0.07)] and high [-0.22 (
      0.45; -0.003)] alcohol consumption, and red wine [-0.16 (-0.30; -0.01)]
      consumption, but none of the other food groups, were associated with a lower
      endothelial dysfunction biomarker score and a greater FMD. The associations for
      FMD were, however, not statistically significant. Only red wine consumption was
      associated with a lower low-grade inflammation biomarker score [-0.18 (-0.33; 
      0.04)]. CONCLUSIONS: Alcohol and red wine consumption may favourably influence
      processes involved in atherothrombosis.

PMID- 28349254
TI  - alpha-Lipoic acid prevents the intestinal epithelial monolayer damage under heat
      stress conditions: model experiments in Caco-2 cells.
AB  - PURPOSE: Under conditions of high ambient temperatures and/or strenuous exercise,
      humans and animals experience considerable heat stress (HS) leading among others
      to intestinal epithelial damage through induction of cellular oxidative stress.
      The aim of this study was to characterize the effects of alpha-Lipoic Acid (ALA)
      on HS-induced intestinal epithelial injury using an in vitro Caco-2 cell model.
      METHODS: A confluent monolayer of Caco-2 cells was pre-incubated with ALA (24 h)
      prior to control (37  degrees C) or HS conditions (42  degrees C) for 6 or 24 h
      and the expression of heat shock protein 70 (HSP70), heat shock factor-1 (HSF1),
      and the antioxidant Nrf2 were investigated. Intestinal integrity was determined
      by measuring transepithelial resistance, paracellular permeability, junctional
      complex reassembly, and E-cadherin expression and localization. Furthermore, cell
      proliferation was measured in an epithelial wound healing assay and the
      expression of the inflammatory markers cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) and transforming
      growth Factor-beta (TGF-beta) was evaluated. RESULTS: ALA pretreatment increased
      the HSP70 mRNA and protein expression under HS conditions, but did not
      significantly modulate the HS-induced activation of HSF1. The HS-induced increase
      in Nrf2 gene expression as well as the Nrf2 nuclear translocation was impeded by
      ALA. Moreover, ALA prevented the HS-induced impairment of intestinal integrity.
      Cell proliferation under HS conditions was improved by ALA supplementation as
      demonstrated in an epithelial wound healing assay and ALA was able to affect the
      HS-induced inflammatory response by decreasing the COX-2 and TGF-beta mRNA
      expression. CONCLUSIONS: ALA supplementation could prevent the disruption of
      intestinal epithelial integrity by enhancing epithelial cell proliferation, and
      reducing the inflammatory response under HS conditions in an in vitro Caco-2 cell
      model.

PMID- 28349257
TI  - Corn-based vaccines: current status and prospects.
AB  - MAIN CONCLUSION: Corn is an attractive host for vaccine production and oral
      delivery. The present review provides the current outlook and perspectives for
      this field. Among seed-crops, corn represents a key source of biomass for food,
      fuel production, and other applications. Since the beginning of the development
      of plant-based vaccines, corn was explored for the production and delivery of
      vaccines. About a dozen of pathogens have been studied under this technology with
      distinct degrees of development. A vaccine prototype against enterotoxigenic
      Escherichia coli was evaluated in a phase I clinical trial and several candidates
      targeting bacterial and viral diseases are under preclinical evaluation. The
      present review provides an updated outlook on this topic highlighting the
      employed expression strategies; perspectives for the field are also provided.

PMID- 28349256
TI  - Virus-induced gene silencing of the two squalene synthase isoforms of apple tree
      (Malus * domestica L.) negatively impacts phytosterol biosynthesis, plastid
      pigmentation and leaf growth.
AB  - MAIN CONCLUSION: The use of a VIGS approach to silence the newly characterized
      apple tree SQS isoforms points out the biological function of phytosterols in
      plastid pigmentation and leaf development. Triterpenoids are beneficial health
      compounds highly accumulated in apple; however, their metabolic regulation is
      poorly understood. Squalene synthase (SQS) is a key branch point enzyme involved
      in both phytosterol and triterpene biosynthesis. In this study, two SQS isoforms
      were identified in apple tree genome. Both isoforms are located at the
      endoplasmic reticulum surface and were demonstrated to be functional SQS enzymes
      using an in vitro activity assay. MdSQS1 and MdSQS2 display specificities in
      their expression profiles with respect to plant organs and environmental
      constraints. This indicates a possible preferential involvement of each isoform
      in phytosterol and/or triterpene metabolic pathways as further argued using
      RNAseq meta-transcriptomic analyses. Finally, a virus-induced gene silencing
      (VIGS) approach was used to silence MdSQS1 and MdSQS2. The concomitant down
      regulation of both MdSQS isoforms strongly affected phytosterol synthesis without
      alteration in triterpene accumulation, since triterpene-specific oxidosqualene
      synthases were found to be up-regulated to compensate metabolic flux reduction.
      Phytosterol deficiencies in silenced plants clearly disturbed chloroplast
      pigmentation and led to abnormal development impacting leaf division rather than
      elongation or differentiation. In conclusion, beyond the characterization of two
      SQS isoforms in apple tree, this work brings clues for a specific involvement of
      each isoform in phytosterol and triterpene pathways and emphasizes the biological
      function of phytosterols in development and chloroplast integrity. Our report
      also opens the door to metabolism studies in Malus domestica using the apple
      latent spherical virus-based VIGS method.

PMID- 28349258
TI  - Role of bone marrow-derived CD11c+ dendritic cells in systolic overload-induced
      left ventricular inflammation, fibrosis and hypertrophy.
AB  - Inflammatory responses play an important role in the development of left
      ventricular (LV) hypertrophy and dysfunction. Recent studies demonstrated that
      increased T-cell infiltration and T-cell activation contribute to LV hypertrophy
      and dysfunction. Dendritic cells (DCs) are professional antigen-presenting cells
      that orchestrate immune responses, especially by modulating T-cell function. In
      this study, we investigated the role of bone marrow-derived CD11c+ DCs in
      transverse aortic constriction (TAC)-induced LV fibrosis and hypertrophy in mice.
      We observed that TAC increased the number of CD11c+ cells and the percentage of
      CD11c+ MHCII+ (major histocompatibility complex class II molecule positive) DCs
      in the LV, spleen and peripheral blood in mice. Using bone marrow chimeras and an
      inducible CD11c+ DC ablation model, we found that depletion of bone marrow
      derived CD11c+ DCs significantly attenuated LV fibrosis and hypertrophy in mice
      exposed to 24 weeks of moderate TAC. CD11c+ DC ablation significantly reduced TAC
      induced myocardial inflammation as indicated by reduced myocardial CD45+ cells,
      CD11b+ cells, CD8+ T cells and activated effector CD8+CD44+ T cells in LV
      tissues. Moreover, pulsing of autologous DCs with LV homogenates from TAC mice
      promoted T-cell proliferation. These data indicate that bone marrow-derived
      CD11c+ DCs play a maladaptive role in hemodynamic overload-induced cardiac
      inflammation, hypertrophy and fibrosis through the presentation of cardiac self
      antigens to T cells.

PMID- 28349259
TI  - Effect of paroxetine on left ventricular remodeling in an in vivo rat model of
      myocardial infarction.
AB  - Left ventricular (LV) remodeling following a myocardial infarction (MI) involves
      formation of reactive oxygen species (ROS). Paroxetine, a selective serotonin
      reuptake inhibitor, has an antioxidant effect in the vascular wall. We
      investigated whether paroxetine reduces myocardial ROS formation and LV
      remodeling following a MI. In a total of 32 Wistar rats, MI was induced by a 30
      min ligation of the left anterior descending artery followed by 7- or 28-day
      reperfusion. During the 28 days of reperfusion, LV remodeling was evaluated by
      magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and echocardiography (n = 20). After 28 days of
      reperfusion, the susceptibility to ventricular tachycardia was evaluated prior to
      sacrifice and histological assessment of myocyte cross-sectional area, fibrosis,
      and presence of myofibroblasts. Myocardial ROS formation was measured with
      dihydroethidium after 7 days of reperfusion in separate groups (n = 12).
      Diastolic LV volume, evaluated by MRI (417 +/- 60 vs. 511 +/- 64 uL, p < 0.05),
      and echocardiography (515 +/- 80 vs. 596 +/- 83 uL, p < 0.05) as well as
      diastolic LV internal diameter evaluated with echocardiography (7.2 +/- 0.6 vs.
      8.1 +/- 0.7 mm, p < 0.05) were lower in the paroxetine group than in controls.
      Furthermore, myocyte cross-sectional area was reduced in the paroxetine group
      compared with controls (277 +/- 26 vs. 354 +/- 23 mm3, p < 0.05) and ROS
      formation was reduced in the remote myocardium (0.415 +/- 0.19 normalized to
      controls, p < 0.05). However, no differences in the presence of fibrosis or
      myofibroblasts were observed. Finally, paroxetine reduced the susceptibility to
      ventricular tachycardia (induced in 2/11 vs. 6/8 rats, p < 0.05). Paroxetine
      treatment following MI decreases LV remodeling and susceptibility to arrhythmias,
      probably by reducing ROS formation.

PMID- 28349260
TI  - Recent developments in understanding the length dependence of contractile
      response of skeletal muscle.
AB  - Maximal active force of skeletal muscle contraction occurs at a sarcomere length
      where overlap of thick and thin filaments is optimal. However, the interaction of
      muscle length and active force is complicated. Active force, is the force
      generated by energy-requiring processes. To calculate active force, passive force
      provided by in-parallel structures must be subtracted from total force. Sarcomere
      length will change during a contraction with constant muscle-tendon length, due
      to tendon stretch. Passive force therefore changes during the contraction. Taking
      this into account, it has been demonstrated that there is less length dependence
      of fatigue than previously thought. The remaining difference may be associated
      with length dependence of activation, a property that is evident with submaximal
      activation. The sarcomere length at which peak contraction occurs is longer than
      the length that gives optimal overlap of the filaments and this shift of optimal
      length appears to be due to increased Ca2+ sensitivity. The increased Ca2+
      sensitivity occurs because at longer lengths, the myofilaments are closer
      together allowing greater force than expected. However, the potential for length
      dependent activation has been challenged. Submaximal contractions obtained by
      recruitment of fewer motor units but with maximal stimulation across different
      muscle lengths still demonstrate length-dependent activation. In contrast,
      contractions with similar absolute electromyographic signal magnitude at
      different lengths do not demonstrate length-dependent activation. Recent work has
      improved our understanding of how sarcomere length impacts the force of
      contraction but also reveals inadequacies in our knowledge that need to be
      addressed by additional research.

PMID- 28349261
TI  - Inconsistent approach to evaluating studies and selective interpretation of data
      reveals lack of objectivity and undermines repeated attempts to discredit SPV.

PMID- 28349263
TI  - How to Decide on Modeling Details: Risk and Benefit Assessment.
AB  - Mathematical models based on thermodynamic, kinetic, heat, and mass transfer
      analysis are central to this chapter. Microbial growth, death, enzyme
      inactivation models, and the modeling of material properties, including those
      pertinent to conduction and convection heating, mass transfer, such as diffusion
      and convective mass transfer, and thermodynamic properties, such as specific
      heat, enthalpy, and Gibbs free energy of formation and specific chemical exergy
      are also needed in this task. The origins, simplifying assumptions, and uses of
      model equations are discussed in this chapter, together with their benefits. The
      simplified forms of these models are sometimes referred to as "laws," such as
      "the first law of thermodynamics" or "Fick's second law." Starting to modeling a
      study with such "laws" without considering the conditions under which they are
      valid runs the risk of ending up with erronous conclusions. On the other hand,
      models started with fundamental concepts and simplified with appropriate
      considerations may offer explanations for the phenomena which may not be obtained
      just with measurements or unprocessed experimental data. The discussion presented
      here is strengthened with case studies and references to the literature.

PMID- 28349262
TI  - beta-alanine supplementation improves in-vivo fresh and fatigued skeletal muscle
      relaxation speed.
AB  - PURPOSE: In fresh muscle, supplementation with the rate-limiting precursor of
      carnosine, beta-alanine (BA), results in a decline in muscle half-relaxation time
      (HRT) potentially via alterations to calcium (Ca2+) handling. Accumulation of
      hydrogen cation (H+) has been shown to impact Ca2+ signalling during muscular
      contraction, carnosine has the potential to serve as a cytoplasmic regulator of
      Ca2+ and H+ coupling, since it binds to both ions. The present study examined the
      effect of BA supplementation on intrinsic in-vivo isometric knee extensor force
      production and muscle contractility in both fresh and fatigued human skeletal
      muscle assessed during voluntary and electrically evoked (nerve and superficial
      muscle stimulation) contractions. METHODS: Twenty-three males completed two
      experimental sessions, pre- and post- 28 day supplementation with 6.4 g.day-1 of
      BA (n = 12) or placebo (PLA; n = 11). Isometric force was recorded during a
      series of voluntary and electrically evoked knee extensor contractions. RESULTS:
      BA supplementation had no effect on voluntary or electrically evoked isometric
      force production, or twitch electromechanical delay and time-to-peak tension.
      There was a significant decline in muscle HRT in fresh and fatigued muscle
      conditions during both resting (3 +/- 13%; 19 +/- 26%) and potentiated (1 +/-
      15%; 2 +/- 20%) twitch contractions. CONCLUSIONS: The mechanism for reduced HRT
      in fresh and fatigued skeletal muscle following BA supplementation is unclear.
      Due to the importance of muscle relaxation on total energy consumption,
      especially during short, repeated contractions, BA supplementation may prove to
      be beneficial in minimising contractile slowing induced by fatigue. TRIAL
      REGISTRATION: The trial is registered with Clinicaltrials.gov, ID number
      NCT02819505.

PMID- 28349266
TI  - Listening as a path to psychological discovery: an introduction to the Listening
      Guide.

PMID- 28349264
TI  - Long-term outcome of patients with triphasic mitral flow with a mid-diastolic L
      wave: prognostic role of left atrial volume and N-terminal pro-brain natriuretic
      peptide.
AB  - A mid-diastolic L wave has been recognized as a marker of advanced left
      ventricular (LV) diastolic dysfunction. However, its prognostic implication is
      unclear. This study assessed long-term prognosis and independent predictors of
      adverse outcomes in patients with a mid-diastolic L wave. A total of 144
      consecutive patients (mean age 63 +/- 12 years, 88 female) with a mid-diastolic L
      wave of >=0.2 m/s and in sinus rhythm were identified. Patients with significant
      valvular heart disease, low LV ejection fraction and arrhythmias were excluded.
      Subjects were followed up for cardiovascular (CV) mortality and hospitalization
      for heart failure (HF). During follow-up for a median of 44 months (1-76), CV
      deaths and hospitalization for HF occurred in 41 (28%) patients. In multivariate
      Cox analysis, age (hazard ratio [HR], 1.07; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.02
      1.11; p = 0.001), log N-terminal pro-brain natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP)(HR
      3.81; 95% CI 1.78-8.15; p = 0.001), and left atrial volume index (HR 1.02; 95% CI
      1.01-1.04; p = 0.019) were independent predictors of adverse outcomes in patients
      with a mid-diastolic L wave. In a stepwise model, NT-proBNP showed an incremental
      prognostic value for prediction of adverse outcomes when added to the clinical
      and echocardiographic parameters (Chi square from 30.1 to 41.1, p < 0.001).
      Patients with a mid-diastolic L wave and clinical, biochemical, and
      echocardiographic evidence of advanced diastolic dysfunction showed poor long
      term clinical outcome.

PMID- 28349267
TI  - Editorial.

PMID- 28349265
TI  - Scholarly concentration programs and medical student research productivity: a
      systematic review.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: Scholarly concentration programs have become a common method to
      promote student inquiry and independent research in medical schools. Given the
      high resource requirements of scholarly concentration program implementation, it
      is important to examine program efficacy. This systematic review examined the
      impact of scholarly concentration programs on student research productivity.
      METHODS: The authors carried out a literature search to find articles related to
      scholarly concentration program research productivity outcomes. The inclusion
      criterion was a method of rigorously evaluating program scholarly productivity.
      Study rigour was evaluated with the Medical Education Research Study Quality
      Instrument. RESULTS: The initial search disclosed 2467 unique records: 78 were
      considered based on titles and abstracts; eight were considered by scanning
      references. Eleven papers met the inclusion criteria: all were descriptive; none
      had a priori hypotheses that examined predictors of medical student research
      productivity in scholarly concentration programs or prospectively evaluated
      program impact on student scholarly output. DISCUSSION: While few in number and
      often lacking in rigour, the studies included herein suggest that adequate
      administrative support, strong mentorship and tailored program characteristics
      are essential in facilitating student research productivity in scholarly
      concentration programs. Given the challenges inherent in medical education
      research, a conceptual framework based on United Way's approach may help program
      planners and educators address this gap in the evaluation of scholarly
      concentration programs.

PMID- 28349268
TI  - Segmental vs non-segmental thoracic pedicle screws constructs in adolescent
      idiopathic scoliosis: is there any implant alloy effect?
AB  - PURPOSE: The aim of this study is to understand how many anchor sites are
      necessary to obtain maximum posterior correction of idiopathic scoliotic curve
      and if the alloy of instrumentation, stainless steel or titanium, may have a role
      in the percent of scoliosis correction. METHODS: We reviewed 143 consecutive
      patients, affected by AIS (Lenke 1-2), who underwent a posterior spinal fusion
      with pedicle screw-only instrumentation between 2002 and 2005. According to the
      implant density and alloy used we divided the cohort in four groups. RESULTS: All
      143 patients were reviewed at an average follow-up of 7, 2 years, the overall
      final main thoracic curve correction averaged 61.4%, whereas the implant density
      within the major curve averaged 71%. A significant correlation was observed
      between final% MT correction and preoperative MT flexibility and implant density.
      CONCLUSIONS: When stainless steel instrumentation is used non-segmental pedicle
      screw constructs seem to be equally effective as segmental instrumentations in
      obtaining satisfactory results in patients with main thoracic AIS. When the
      implant alloy used is titanium one, an implant density of >=60% should be
      guaranteed to achieve similar results.

PMID- 28349269
TI  - Successful outcomes following transforaminal epidural steroid injections for C4/5
      cervical disc prolapse associated with profound neurological deficit.
AB  - PURPOSE: To show that with C5 radiculopathy and profound neurological deficit,
      good outcomes can be obtained with injection therapy. METHOD: We present two
      cases of cervical radiculopathy secondary to disc prolapse associated with
      profound neurological deficit. In both cases, cervical injection therapy was used
      as the primary management. RESULTS: The two cases presented were both male, 59
      and 36 years, and were diagnosed on MRI imaging with C4/5 disc prolapses. They
      presented with severe motor deficit and were both treated with foraminal epidural
      steroid injections, one of the patients also had two previous injections
      elsewhere prior to the first review. In both patients, pain and neurological
      deficit improved in a timely manner resulting in full recovery. MRI taken after
      recovery showed complete resorption of the disc prolapse in both cases.
      CONCLUSION: In C5 radiculopathy, even with severe neurological deficit, cervical
      injection therapy should be considered. These cases illustrate that excellent
      results can be obtained without the need for open surgery with its inherent
      risks.

PMID- 28349270
TI  - Effect of thymidylate synthase (TYMS) gene polymorphisms with methotrexate
      treatment outcome in south Indian Tamil patients with rheumatoid arthritis.
AB  - Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a chronic systemic autoimmune disease causing joint
      damage and significant functional impairment. Methotrexate (MTX) remains the
      mainstay for the treatment of RA. MTX inhibits several enzymes of the folate and
      nucleotide pathways. Thymidylate synthase (TYMS) is an important enzyme in the de
      novo pyrimidine pathway responsible for DNA replication. The two common gene
      polymorphisms analyzed in TYMS are 28-bp tandem repeat polymorphism and a 6-bp
      insertion/deletion polymorphism. The present study was carried out to find the
      role of these TYMS gene polymorphisms with clinical phenotype, treatment
      response, and MTX adverse events in 254 patients with RA of south Indian Tamil
      ethnicity. TYMS gene polymorphisms were analyzed by PCR. The allele frequencies
      of TYMS gene polymorphisms did not differ between good and non-responders.
      However, the TYMS 28-bp tandem repeat 3R allele was higher in non-responders than
      in patients undergoing remission [64 vs 51.11%, p = 0.06, OR 0.58, 95% CI (0.34
      1.00)]. The TYMS 6-bp deletion allele was higher in non-responders than good
      responders [78.20 vs 64.92%, p = 0.06, OR 0.51 95% CI (0.27-0.98)]. TYMS 3R
      allele and TYMS 6-bp deletion allele may favor non-response to MTX in south
      Indian Tamils. TYMS gene polymorphisms did not influence MTX adverse events.

PMID- 28349271
TI  - Evaluation of the effect of Elaeagnus angustifolia alone and combined with
      Boswellia thurifera compared with ibuprofen in patients with knee osteoarthritis:
      a randomized double-blind controlled clinical trial.
AB  - Osteoarthritis (OA) is one of the most common articular disorders. Many patients
      do not respond to acetaminophen and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs
      (NSAIDs), the mainstay of pharmacotherapy for knee OA. The plants Elaeagnus
      angustifolia and Boswellia thurifera have anti-inflammatory and analgesic
      properties. This study aimed to evaluate the effect of E. angustifolia alone and
      in combination with B. thurifera compared with ibuprofen in patients with knee
      osteoarthritis. In a randomized double-blind controlled clinical trial, 75
      patients with knee OA were randomly and equally assigned to one of three groups
      Elaeagnus (n = 23), Elaeagnus/Boswellia (n = 26), and ibuprofen (n = 26) to
      receive the capsules of Elaeagnus, Elaeagnus/Boswellia, and ibuprofen,
      respectively, three times daily with meals for 4 weeks. Pain severity based on
      VAS (visual analog scale, 0 to 10 scale) and the scores of LPFI (Lequesne Pain
      and Function Index) and PGA (patient global assessment) were determined pre- and
      post-intervention for all patients. All interventions had significant lowering
      effects on VAS, LPFI, and PGA scores (P < 0.001 for all parameters) with no
      significant difference between groups in terms of effects on all evaluated
      parameters. Consumption of E. angustifolia fruit extract either alone or in
      combination with Boswellia oleo-gum resin extract could decrease pain and improve
      function in patients with knee osteoarthritis comparable to ibuprofen.

PMID- 28349272
TI  - DeltaNp63 activates EGFR signaling to induce loss of adhesion in triple-negative
      basal-like breast cancer cells.
AB  - PURPOSE: The basal-A subtype of triple-negative breast cancer is characterized by
      high levels of DeltaNp63. Various functions have been proposed for p63 in breast
      cancer initiation and growth, and p63 mediates chemotherapeutic response in a
      subset of triple-negative breast cancers. We investigated the signaling pathways
      that are controlled by DeltaNp63 in basal-A triple-negative breast cancer.
      METHODS: Human basal-A triple-negative breast cancer cell lines with
      DeltaNp63alpha induction or inhibition were studied, along with primary human
      triple-negative breast cancer tissues. Proteomic, phospho-kinase array, mRNA
      measurements, and immunohistochemistry were employed. RESULTS: Global
      phosphoproteomics identified increased EGFR phosphorylation in MDA-MB-468 cells
      expressing DeltaNp63alpha. DeltaNp63alpha expression increased EGFR mRNA, total
      EGFR protein, and phospho-EGFR(Y1086), whereas silencing endogenous DeltaNp63 in
      HCC1806 cells reduced both total and phospho-EGFR levels and inhibited the
      ability of EGF to activate EGFR. EGFR pathway gene expression analysis indicated
      that DeltaNp63 alters EGFR-regulated genes involved in cell adhesion, migration,
      and angiogenesis. Addition of EGF or neutralizing EGFR antibodies demonstrated
      that EGFR activation is responsible for DeltaNp63-mediated loss of cellular
      adhesion. Finally, immunohistochemical staining showed that p63-positive triple
      negative breast cancers were more likely to express high levels of EGFR than p63
      negative cancers, corroborated by in silico analysis of gene expression profiling
      data. CONCLUSIONS: These data identify EGFR as a major target for DeltaNp63
      regulation that influences cancer cell adhesion in basal-like triple-negative
      breast cancer.

PMID- 28349273
TI  - Background parenchymal enhancement on breast MRI: association with recurrence
      free survival in patients with newly diagnosed invasive breast cancer.
AB  - PURPOSE: To determine whether BPE in preoperative breast MRI influences patients'
      recurrence-free survival (RFS). METHODS: Between February 2010 and December 2011,
      804 consecutive women with invasive breast cancer who had undergone preoperative
      breast MRI and curative cancer surgery were identified. BPE was visually graded
      by two reviewers. We determined the correlation between BPE grade and other
      clinicopathological variables, including age, adjuvant therapy, menopausal
      status, histologic grade, T stage, N stage, lymphovascular invasion, molecular
      subtype, surgical margin status, and mammographic density. A Cox proportional
      hazards model was used to analyze the effects of clinicopathological variables
      and radiological findings (BPE grade, mammographic density) on RFS. RESULTS: High
      BPE was associated with premenopausal status (Ps < 0.0001), higher mammographic
      density (Ps < 0.0001), progesterone receptor positivity (Ps = 0.039, 0.007,
      respectively), presence of lymphovascular invasion (Ps = 0.008, 0.001,
      respectively), and close surgical margin (Ps < 0.0001). Recurrences were observed
      in 75 patients after a mean follow-up period of 61.8 months (range 4-81 months).
      Non-minimal BPE grade (RFS hazard ratio = 3.086, P = 0.003 for reader 1; RFS
      hazard ratio = 2.221, P = 0.075 for reader 2) and T3 stage were associated with
      worse outcomes in postmenopausal women. In premenopausal women, non-minimal BPE
      grade by readers 1 and 2 did not affect the patients' outcomes. CONCLUSIONS:
      Increased BPE on preoperative breast MRI in postmenopausal women has potential as
      a predictor of poor RFS.

PMID- 28349274
TI  - A Systematic Review of Add-on Pharmacologic Therapy in the Treatment of Resistant
      Hypertension.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: The objective of this systematic review was to evaluate the
      efficacy and safety of add-on pharmacologic therapies in the treatment of
      resistant hypertension (RH), defined as blood pressure (BP) above target despite
      three antihypertensive agents. METHODS: A systematic search was performed in
      MEDLINE, Embase, CENTRAL, CINAHL, ClinicalTrials.gov, and Google Scholar
      (inception to June 2016) to identify randomized controlled trials (RCTs) that
      compared any antihypertensive agent with control in patients with RH. Outcomes of
      interest included differences in BP, cardiovascular events, and serious adverse
      events. The Cochrane Collaboration's tool for assessing risk of bias in RCTs was
      used to evaluate the quality of the included trials. RESULTS: Six RCTs were
      identified, including 749 participants. Four RCTs compared spironolactone with
      placebo and two used an active comparator. Four of the six studies did not report
      sufficient information regarding methods. A quantitative meta-analysis was not
      performed because of clinical heterogeneity among the RCTs. Compared with
      placebo, spironolactone reduced mean office BP by ~10 to 20 mmHg/~3 to 9 mmHg and
      home BP by ~10/4 mmHg. Compared with doxazosin or bisoprolol, spironolactone
      reduced clinic and home systolic BP, but not diastolic BP. Hyperkalemia occurred
      in ~3% of patients receiving spironolactone. Cardiovascular events were not
      consistently reported. All trials were limited by low enrollment, short follow
      up, and inconsistent reporting of clinically meaningful outcomes and/or serious
      adverse events. CONCLUSIONS: Spironolactone has the best evidence as add-on
      pharmacologic therapy in patients with RH, but data are limited.

PMID- 28349275
TI  - The 100 Most Influential Papers in the Field of Thrombolytic Therapy: A
      Bibliometric Analysis.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Bibliometric analyses are used by researchers and research funding
      agencies to help determine areas of greatest interest, and consequently which
      topics and domains warrant increased research attention. Bibliometric analyses
      have similarly been published in a number of clinical subspecialties concerning
      areas of specific medical interest; however, a thorough literature search
      revealed that such a study has been absent in the field of thrombolytics to date.
      To bridge this gap, we conducted a citation analysis of the 100 most influential
      articles on thrombolytics. METHODS: Scopus was selected as the database of
      choice. Two independent researchers explored the database to extract relevant
      articles. The articles were ranked according to the number of citations, and a
      sequential list of the top 100 original articles was prepared in descending
      order. A detailed analysis was carried out to identify trends and uncover
      significant discriminators. A second list containing the top 10 review articles
      was also separately prepared. RESULTS: The 100 most-cited articles regarding
      thrombolytics were published between 1973 and 2015, with the most articles (n =
      29) published in the 5-year period extending from 1996 to 2000. The total number
      of citations of these 100 most-cited articles ranged from a low of 389 to a high
      of 6971, with a median of 612.5 citations. These 100 most-cited articles
      originated from 26 different countries, with more than half from the USA (n =
      54), followed by the next most popular countries of origin Germany (n = 20) and
      France (n = 15). The New England Journal of Medicine (n = 26) and The Lancet (n =
      26) contributed the majority of the articles. CONCLUSION: Our analysis provides
      insight into the span of research activity and the nature of inquiry dealing with
      'thrombolytic therapy,' with the hope that such analysis may help to effectively
      guide future research. Our analysis also yielded a list of the most highly cited
      and presumably most impactful guideline articles within this field, for distinct
      consideration.

PMID- 28349277
TI  - The purpose of heart rate variability measurements.

PMID- 28349278
TI  - Clinical classification of orthostatic hypotensions.

PMID- 28349276
TI  - Novel phenotypes of pyridox(am)ine-5'-phosphate oxidase deficiency and high
      prevalence of c.445_448del mutation in Chinese patients.
AB  - To analyze the clinical and genetic characteristics of Chinese patients with
      pyridox(am)ine-5'-phosphate oxidase (PNPO) deficiency. The clinical presentations
      and the responses to treatments were analyzed in 4 patients. Blood and urinary
      metabolic screenings, electroencephalogram (EEG), brain magnetic resonance
      imaging (MRI) and epilepsy-related genes detection were performed in all
      patients. Patient 1 and 2 were identical twin brothers, who were born at 35+5 w
      gestation with a sign of encephalopathy. Their seizures started within the first
      day and could not be controlled by pyridoxine or pyridoxal-5'-phosphate (PLP)
      completely. Patient 3 presented seizures at 5 months, responding well to
      pyridoxine. Seizures in patient 4 began at 40 days after birth and were
      controlled by valproic acid and topiramate. EEG showed atypical hypsarrhythmia or
      multifocal epileptiform discharges in 3 patients, and showed normality in patient
      4. MRI showed nonspecific abnormality or normality. Blood metabolic screening
      showed multiple amino acids level abnormalities in all cases. Urinary metabolic
      screening showed vanillactic acid prominently elevated in 3 patients. Genetic
      analysis revealed 5 mutations of PNPO, three of which were novel. The mutation
      c.445_448del was carried by the twins and patient 3. Assessment of psychomotor
      development indicated severe delay in 3 patients and borderline to mild delay in
      patient 3. This is the first time to report patients with PNPO deficiency
      diagnosed by gene analysis in China. The novel clinical characteristics and novel
      mutations found here expanded the phenotypes and genotypes of this disease.
      Further, the frameshift mutation c.445_448del might be high prevalence in PNPO
      deficiency in Chinese patients.

PMID- 28349279
TI  - Percutaneous transluminal forceps biopsy in patients suspected of having
      malignant biliary obstruction: factors influencing the outcomes of 271 patients.
AB  - OBJECTIVES: To evaluate predictive factors for false-negative diagnosis of
      percutaneous forceps biopsies in patients suspected of having a malignant biliary
      obstruction METHODS: Two hundred seventy one consecutive patients with
      obstructive jaundice underwent percutaneous forceps biopsy. In each patient,
      three to five specimens (mean, 3.5 specimens) were collected from the lesion. The
      final diagnosis for each patient was confirmed with pathologic findings at
      surgery, additional histocytologic data, or clinical and radiologic follow-up.
      Univariate and multivariate logistic regression analysis was used to identify
      risk factors associated with false-negative diagnosis. RESULTS: One hundred
      ninety four of 271 biopsies resulted in correct diagnoses of malignancy, while 20
      biopsy diagnoses were proved to be true-negative. There were 57 false-negative
      diagnoses and no false-positive diagnoses. The diagnostic performance of
      transluminal forceps biopsy in malignant biliary obstructions was as follows:
      sensitivity, 77.2%; specificity, 100%; and accuracy, 78.9%; positive predictive
      value, 100%, negative predictive value; 25.9%. Periampullary segment of common
      bile duct, intrahepatic bile duct and metastatic disease were the significant
      risk factors of false-negative diagnosis. CONCLUSIONS: Percutaneous forceps
      biopsy provides relatively high accuracy in the diagnosis of malignant biliary
      obstructions. The predictive factors of false-negative biopsy were determined to
      be biopsy site and origin of primary tumour. KEY POINTS: * Percutaneous forceps
      biopsy provides relatively high accuracy in diagnosis of malignant biliary
      obstructions. * The predictive factors of false-negative biopsy were biopsy site
      and origin of primary tumour. * The procedure-related complications were low.

PMID- 28349280
TI  - Quantification of temporal changes in calcium score in active atherosclerotic
      plaque in major vessels by 18F-sodium fluoride PET/CT.
AB  - PURPOSE: Our aim was to assess whether 18F-NaF PET/CT is able to predict
      progression of the CT calcium score. METHODS: Between August 2007 and November
      2015, 34 patients (18 women, 16 men; age, mean +/- standard deviation, 57.5 +/-
      13.9 years; age range 19-78 years) with malignancy or orthopaedic disease were
      enrolled in this study, with approximately 1-year follow-up data. Baseline and
      follow-up CT images were retrospectively evaluated for the presence of
      calcification sites in major vessel walls. The maximum and mean CT values (CTmax
      and CTmean, in Hounsfield units), calcification volumetric score (CVS, in cubic
      millimetres) and Agatston units score (AU) were evaluated for each site.
      Subsequent changes in CTmax, CTmean, CVS and AU were calculated and expressed as
      DeltaCTmax, DeltaCTmean, DeltaCVS and DeltaAU, respectively. We then evaluated
      the relationship between 18F-NaF uptake (using the maximum target-to-background
      ratio, TBRmax, and the maximum blood-subtracted 18F-NaF activity, bsNaFmax, which
      was obtained by subtracting the SUVmax of each calcified plaque lesion and NaF
      avid site from the SUVmean in the right atrium blood pool) and the change in
      calcified plaque volume and characteristics obtained after 1 year. RESULTS: We
      detected and analysed 182 calcified plaque sites and 96 hot spots on major vessel
      walls. 18F-NaF uptake showed very weak correlations with CTmax, CTmean, CVS, CVS
      after 1 year, AU and AU after 1 year on both baseline and follow-up PET/CT scans
      for each site. 18F-NaF uptake showed no correlation with DeltaCTmax or
      DeltaCTmean. However, there was a significant correlation between the intensity
      of 18F-NaF uptake and DeltaCVS and DeltaAU. CONCLUSION: 18F-NaF uptake has a
      strong correlation with calcium score progression which was a predictor of future
      cardiovascular disease risk. PET/CT using 18F-NaF may be able to predict calcium
      score progression which is known to be the major characteristic of
      atherosclerosis.

PMID- 28349283
TI  - Infectious Agents in Bovine Red Meat and Milk and Their Potential Role in Cancer
      and Other Chronic Diseases.
AB  - Red meat and dairy products have frequently been suggested to represent risk
      factors for certain cancers, chronic neurodegenerative diseases, and autoimmune
      and cardiovascular disorders. This review summarizes the evidence and
      investigates the possible involvement of infectious factors in these diseases.
      The isolation of small circular single-stranded DNA molecules from serum and
      dairy products of Eurasian Aurochs (Bos taurus)-derived cattle, obviously
      persisting as episomes in infected cells, provides the basis for further
      investigations. Gene expression of these agents in human cells has been
      demonstrated, and frequent infection of humans is implicated by the detection of
      antibodies in a high percentage of healthy individuals. Epidemiological
      observations suggest their relationship to the development multiple sclerosis, to
      heterophile antibodies, and to N-glycolylneuraminic acid (Neu5Gc) containing cell
      surface receptors.

PMID- 28349284
TI  - The Evolution of Tumor Formation in Humans and Mice with Inherited Mutations in
      the p53 Gene.
AB  - While tumors are very heterogeneous in their origins, mutations in the p53 gene
      and inactivation of p53 gene functions are the most common feature that
      predispose to the formation of cancers in humans. Inherited p53 mutations lead to
      different tumor types at very different frequencies and at very different ages
      than somatic p53 mutations. The reasons for this are explored. When the first
      mutation arises in a stem cell (a gatekeeper mutation) it selects for a specific
      subset of second mutations which in turn select for mutations in a third subset
      of genes. The nature of the first mutation in a tumor determines, by selection,
      the functional types of subsequent mutations. Inherited mutations occur at
      different developmental times and in different orders of mutational sequences
      than somatic mutations. The excess risk of developing a cancer with an inherited
      p53 mutation is two- to three-fold in endodermal derived tissues compared with
      100- to 1000-fold for ectodermal and mesenchymal derived tissues. By contrast,
      endodermal derived tumors with somatic p53 mutations occur at very high
      frequencies (70-100%). These evolutionary restrictions upon the mutational path
      that tumor development may take could open up new avenues for therapy and
      prevention.

PMID- 28349282
TI  - Detailed electroretinographic findings in rd8 mice.
AB  - PURPOSE: Previous work has suggested that the retinal degeneration mutant rd8
      mouse lacks an electroretinographic (ERG) phenotype until about 9 months of age.
      We evaluated the ERG phenotype of these mice by measuring both conventional ERG
      responses and scotopic threshold responses. METHODS: Groups of 4-month-old wild
      type (WT) and mutant (rd8) mice were anesthetized and tested for mass retinal
      responses (ERGs) to several types of visual stimuli. Scotopic threshold responses
      were accumulated with brief scotopic flashes at a series of very dim intensities.
      Dark-adapted (scotopic) and light-adapted (photopic) responses to brief flashes
      at a series of higher intensities were recorded, along with long flashes and
      random modulations of light levels under photopic conditions. RESULTS: Negative
      scotopic threshold responses (nSTRs) had lower amplitudes in rd8 mice compared to
      WTs. Positive scotopic threshold responses were similar in the two groups. With
      the more intense stimuli, a- and c-wave amplitudes were smaller in rd8 mice. Both
      scotopic and photopic b-wave amplitudes tended to be larger in rd8 mice, though
      generally not significantly. CONCLUSIONS: The striking decrease in nSTR
      amplitudes was surprising, given that the main retinal effects of the rd8
      mutation occur in the outer retina, at the external limiting membrane. The
      primary source of nSTRs in mice is thought to be at the amacrine cell level in
      the inner retina. Investigation of how this mutation leads to inner retinal
      dysfunction might reveal unexpected aspects of retinal cell biology and
      circuitry.

PMID- 28349285
TI  - Mitochondria-Associated Membranes and ER Stress.
AB  - The endoplasmic reticulum (ER) is a crucial organelle for coordinating cellular
      Ca2+ signaling and protein synthesis and folding. Moreover, the dynamic and
      complex membranous structures constituting the ER allow the formation of contact
      sites with other organelles and structures, including among others the
      mitochondria and the plasma membrane (PM). The contact sites that the ER form
      with mitochondria is a hot topic in research, and the nature of the so-called
      mitochondria-associated membranes (MAMs) is continuously evolving. The MAMs
      consist of a proteinaceous tether that physically connects the ER with
      mitochondria. The MAMs harness the main functions of both organelles to form a
      specialized subcompartment at the interface of the ER and mitochondria. Under
      homeostatic conditions, MAMs are crucial for the efficient transfer of Ca2+ from
      the ER to mitochondria, and for proper mitochondria bioenergetics and lipid
      synthesis. MAMs are also believed to be the master regulators of mitochondrial
      shape and motility, and to form a crucial site for autophagosome assembly. Not
      surprisingly, MAMs have been shown to be a hot spot for the transfer of stress
      signals from the ER to mitochondria, most notably under the conditions of loss of
      ER proteostasis, by engaging the unfolded protein response (UPR). In this chapter
      after an introduction on ER biology and ER stress, we will review the emerging
      and key signaling roles of the MAMs, which have a root in cellular processes and
      signaling cascades coordinated by the ER.

PMID- 28349281
TI  - Japanese Society for Cancer of the Colon and Rectum (JSCCR) guidelines 2016 for
      the treatment of colorectal cancer.
AB  - Japanese mortality due to colorectal cancer is on the rise, surpassing 49,000 in
      2015. Many new treatment methods have been developed during recent decades. The
      Japanese Society for Cancer of the Colon and Rectum Guidelines 2016 for the
      treatment of colorectal cancer (JSCCR Guidelines 2016) were prepared to show
      standard treatment strategies for colorectal cancer, to eliminate disparities
      among institutions in terms of treatment, to eliminate unnecessary treatment and
      insufficient treatment, and to deepen mutual understanding between health-care
      professionals and patients by making these Guidelines available to the general
      public. These Guidelines were prepared by consensus reached by the JSCCR
      Guideline Committee, based on a careful review of the evidence retrieved by
      literature searches, and in view of the medical health insurance system and
      actual clinical practice settings in Japan. Therefore, these Guidelines can be
      used as a tool for treating colorectal cancer in actual clinical practice
      settings. More specifically, they can be used as a guide to obtaining informed
      consent from patients and choosing the method of treatment for each patient. As a
      result of the discussions held by the Guideline Committee, controversial issues
      were selected as Clinical Questions, and recommendations were made. Each
      recommendation is accompanied by a classification of the evidence and a
      classification of recommendation categories based on the consensus reached by the
      Guideline Committee members. Here we present the English version of the JSCCR
      Guidelines 2016.

PMID- 28349286
TI  - Epipodial Tentacle Gene Expression and Predetermined Resilience to Summer
      Mortality in the Commercially Important Greenlip Abalone, Haliotis laevigata.
AB  - "Summer mortality" is a phenomenon that occurs during warm water temperature
      spikes that results in the mass mortality of many ecologically and economically
      important mollusks such as abalone. This study aimed to determine whether the
      baseline gene expression of abalone before a laboratory-induced summer mortality
      event was associated with resilience to summer mortality. Tentacle transcriptomes
      of 35 greenlip abalone (Haliotis laevigata) were sequenced prior to the animals
      being exposed to an increase in water temperature-simulating conditions which
      have previously resulted in summer mortality. Abalone derived from three source
      locations with different environmental conditions were categorized as susceptible
      or resistant to summer mortality depending on whether they died or survived after
      the water temperature was increased. We detected two genes showing significantly
      higher expression in resilient abalone relative to susceptible abalone prior to
      the laboratory-induced summer mortality event. One of these genes was annotated
      through the NCBI non-redundant protein database using BLASTX to an anemone
      (Exaiptasia pallida) Transposon Ty3-G Gag Pol polyprotein. Distinct gene
      expression signatures were also found between resilient and susceptible abalone
      depending on the population origin, which may suggest divergence in local
      adaptation mechanisms for resilience. Many of these genes have been suggested to
      be involved in antioxidant and immune-related functions. The identification of
      these genes and their functional roles have enhanced our understanding of
      processes that may contribute to summer mortality in abalone. Our study supports
      the hypothesis that prestress gene expression signatures are indicative of the
      likelihood of summer mortality.

PMID- 28349287
TI  - Growth modulation effects of CBM2a under the control of AtEXP4 and CaMV35S
      promoters in Arabidopsis thaliana, Nicotiana tabacum and Eucalyptus
      camaldulensis.
AB  - The expression of cell-wall-targeted Carbohydrate Binding Modules (CBMs) can
      alter cell wall properties and modulate growth and development in plants such as
      tobacco and potato. CBM2a identified in xylanase 10A from Cellulomonas fimi is of
      particular interest for its ability to bind crystalline cellulose. However, its
      potential for promoting plant growth has not been explored. In this work, we
      tested the ability of CBM2a to promote growth when expressed using both CaMV35S
      and a vascular tissue-specific promoter derived from Arabidopsis expansin4
      (AtEXP4) in three plant species: Arabidopsis, Nicotiana tabacum and Eucalyptus
      camaldulensis. In Arabidopsis, the expression of AtEXP4pro:CBM2a showed trends
      for growth promoting effects including the increase of root and hypocotyl lengths
      and the enlargements of the vascular xylem area, fiber cells and vessel cells.
      However, in N. tabacum, the expression of CBM2a under the control of either
      CaMV35S or AtEXP4 promoter resulted in subtle changes in the plant growth, and
      the thickness of secondary xylem and vessel and fiber cell sizes were generally
      reduced in the transgenic lines with AtEXP4pro:CBM2a. In Eucalyptus, while
      transgenics expressing CaMV35S:CBM2a showed very subtle changes compared to wild
      type, those transgenics with AtEXP4pro:CBM2a showed increases in plant height,
      enlargement of xylem areas and xylem fiber and vessel cells. These data provide
      comparative effects of expressing CBM2a protein in different plant species, and
      this finding can be applied for plant biomass improvement.

PMID- 28349288
TI  - Genetic Counselors' Perception of the Effect on Practice of Laws Restricting
      Abortion.
AB  - In 2013, twenty-two states enacted seventy provisions restricting access to
      abortion. The legislation restricted access to abortions by instituting more
      regulations on providers and facilities, by prohibiting abortion prior to
      viability, by restricting funding available to patients and by requiring patients
      to wait a mandatory time period before having a procedure. Genetic counselors are
      trained to provide unbiased, comprehensive information in a non-directive style
      in order to allow patients to exercise their reproductive freedom. We developed a
      survey of 37 questions for genetic counselors to gauge the potential impact these
      provisions will have on their ability to be a patient advocate. A total of 286
      individuals completed the survey; however, not all respondents answered all
      questions. Qualitative questions complemented quantitative survey entries,
      allowing respondents to input thoughts and examples. Results indicate genetic
      counselors in all regions share similar professional opinions about the
      provisions. More genetic counselors in the South and Midwest noticed changes
      impacting patients since the provisions have been enacted. These regional
      differences correlate with the location of states that have seem the greatest
      increase in antiabortion provisions.

PMID- 28349289
TI  - A new world for locomotor organs brought about by portable echography.

PMID- 28349290
TI  - Exponentiated Weibull regression for time-to-event data.
AB  - The Weibull, log-logistic and log-normal distributions are extensively used to
      model time-to-event data. The Weibull family accommodates only monotone hazard
      rates, whereas the log-logistic and log-normal are widely used to model unimodal
      hazard functions. The increasing availability of lifetime data with a wide range
      of characteristics motivate us to develop more flexible models that accommodate
      both monotone and nonmonotone hazard functions. One such model is the
      exponentiated Weibull distribution which not only accommodates monotone hazard
      functions but also allows for unimodal and bathtub shape hazard rates. This
      distribution has demonstrated considerable potential in univariate analysis of
      time-to-event data. However, the primary focus of many studies is rather on
      understanding the relationship between the time to the occurrence of an event and
      one or more covariates. This leads to a consideration of regression models that
      can be formulated in different ways in survival analysis. One such strategy
      involves formulating models for the accelerated failure time family of
      distributions. The most commonly used distributions serving this purpose are the
      Weibull, log-logistic and log-normal distributions. In this study, we show that
      the exponentiated Weibull distribution is closed under the accelerated failure
      time family. We then formulate a regression model based on the exponentiated
      Weibull distribution, and develop large sample theory for statistical inference.
      We also describe a Bayesian approach for inference. Two comparative studies based
      on real and simulated data sets reveal that the exponentiated Weibull regression
      can be valuable in adequately describing different types of time-to-event data.

PMID- 28349291
TI  - Preliminary PET/CT Imaging with Somatostatin Analogs [68Ga]DOTAGA-TATE and
      [68Ga]DOTAGA-TOC.
AB  - PURPOSE: Somatostatin receptor positron emission tomography/X-ray computed
      tomography (SSTR-PET/CT) is a well-established technique for staging and
      detection of neuroendocrine tumors (NETs). Ga-68-labeled DOTA-conjugated
      octreotide analogs are the privileged radiotracers for diagnosis and therapeutic
      monitoring of NETs. Hence, we were interested in assessing the influence of
      promising, newer variant DOTAGA on the hydrophilicity, pharmacokinetics, and
      lesion pick-up of somatostatin analogs. Herein, the potential of ([68Ga]DOTAGA,
      Tyr3, Thr8) octreotide ([68Ga]DOTAGA-TATE) and ([68Ga]DOTAGA, Tyr3) octreotide
      ([68Ga]DOTAGA-TOC) as NET imaging agents has been investigated. PROCEDURES:
      Amenability of [68Ga]DOTAGA-(TATE/TOC) to kit-type formulation has been
      demonstrated. Biodistribution studies were carried out in normal rats at 1 h post
      injection (p.i.). [68Ga]DOTAGA-(TATE/TOC) PET/CT scans were carried out in
      patients (70-170 MBq, 1 h p.i.) with histologically confirmed well-differentiated
      NETs. RESULTS: [68Ga]DOTAGA-TATE exhibited hydrophilicity similar to [68Ga]DOTA
      TATE (log P = -3.51 vs -3.69) whereas [68Ga]DOTAGA-TOC was more hydrophilic than
      [68Ga]DOTA-TOC (log P = -3.27 vs -2.93). [68Ga]DOTAGA-TATE and [68Ga]DOTA-TATE
      showed almost identical blood and kidney uptake in normal rats whereas
      significantly fast clearance (p < 0.05) of [68Ga]DOTAGA-TATE was observed from
      other non-specific organs (liver, lungs, spleen, intestine). [68Ga]DOTAGA-TOC
      also demonstrated rapid clearance from blood and kidneys (p < 0.05) in comparison
      to [68Ga]DOTA-TOC. The metastatic lesions in NET patients were well identified by
      [68Ga]DOTAGA-TATE and [68Ga]DOTAGA-TOC. CONCLUSION: The phenomenal analogy was
      observed between [68Ga]DOTAGA-TATE and [68Ga]DOTA-TATE as well as between
      [68Ga]DOTAGA-TOC and [68Ga]DOTA-TOC in biodistribution studies in rats. The good
      lesion detection ability of the two radiotracers indicates their potential as NET
      imaging radiotracers.

PMID- 28349292
TI  - In Vitro and In Vivo Comparison of Gemcitabine and the Gemcitabine Analog 1-(2'
      deoxy-2'-fluoroarabinofuranosyl) Cytosine (FAC) in Human Orthotopic and
      Genetically Modified Mouse Pancreatic Cancer Models.
AB  - PURPOSE: Although gemcitabine is a mainstay of pancreatic cancer therapy, it is
      only moderately effective, and it would be desirable to measure drug uptake in
      patients. 1-(2'-deoxy-2'-fluoroarabinofuranosyl) cytosine (FAC), is an analog of
      gemcitabine, and when labeled with F-18, it may be a potential surrogate PET
      tracer for the drug. PROCEDURES: [18F]FAC was synthesized to a radiochemical
      purity of >96 %. The human tumor lines AsPC1, BxPC3, Capan-1, Panc1, and MiaPaca2
      were grown orthotopically in nude mice. KPC mice that conditionally express
      oncogenic K-ras and p53 mutations in pancreatic tissue were also used. The intra
      tumoral distributions of [14C]gemcitabine and [18F]FAC were mapped with
      autoradiography. The inter-tumor correlation between [14C]gemcitabine and
      [18F]FAC was established in the orthotopic tumors. Expression of the
      equilibrative and concentrative nucleoside transporters (ENT, CNT) in vitro was
      detected by western blotting. Drug uptake was characterized in vitro using
      [3H]gemcitabine and the effect of transporter inhibition on gemcitabine and FAC
      uptake was investigated. The relative affinity of cells for gemcitabine and FAC
      was tested in competition assays. The cell lines differed in sensitivity to
      transport inhibitors and in competition studies. There was a good in vivo
      correlation between the total uptake of [18F]FAC and [14C]gemcitabine, measured
      across all orthotopic tumors. Using the KPC and BxPC3 models, we found that
      [14C]gemcitabine and [18F]FAC were largely co-localized. CONCLUSIONS: In the
      lines examined here, [18F]FAC uptake correlates well with gemcitabine in vivo,
      supporting the notion that [18F]FAC can serve as a PET radiotracer surrogate to
      determine the uptake and distribution of gemcitabine within pancreatic tumors.

PMID- 28349294
TI  - Erratum to: Long-term Effect of Ileal Transposition on Adipokine Serum Level in
      Zucker (Orl)-Lepr fa Fatty Rats.

PMID- 28349295
TI  - Endoscopic Drainage of Intra-Abdominal Collection after Bariatric Surgery.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: Symptomatic intra-abdominal collection after bariatric surgery
      occurs in up to 5% of cases. Surgical, percutaneous, or endoscopic drainage are
      the feasible approaches. MATERIALS AND METHODS: In this video, we show the case
      report of a 50-year-old woman who underwent to gastric omega bypass on a previous
      sleeve gastrectomy. After 3 weeks, she presented a well-organized liquid
      collection just behind the longitudinal staple line of the gastric pouch. No
      passage of contrast from the gastrointestinal tract to the collection was
      highlighted. Endoscopic ultrasound drainage approach failed due to tightness of
      the gastric pouch. Therefore, direct endoscopic drainage was successfully
      performed using CT scan images as guidance and according to fluoroscopic
      visualization of the staple line. RESULTS: The patient fully recovered, and she
      was discharged 48 h after endoscopy with complete normalization of inflammatory
      markers (CRP and leukocytosis). Upper GI endoscopy has been scheduled in 3 months
      in order to plan the removal of the stents. CONCLUSIONS: We managed such surgical
      complication creating a fistula between the gastric remnant and the collection
      achieving an internal drainage of the intra-abdominal fluid collection. The
      concept of internally drain any fluid collection with endoscopically delivered
      double pigtails plastic stents is gaining momentum and has been demonstrated
      effective in the management of leak following bariatric and upper GI surgery too.

PMID- 28349296
TI  - Roux-En-Y Fistulojejunostomy: a New Therapeutic Option for Complicated Post
      Sleeve Gastric Fistulas, Video-Report.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy (LSG) has become during the last few
      years the most frequent procedure in bariatric surgery. However, complications
      related to the gastric staple line can be even more serious. The incidence of
      gastric fistula after LSG varies from 1 to 7%. Its management can be very
      challenging and long. In case of chronic fistula and failure of the previous
      treatment, total gastrectomy or Roux-en-Y fistulo-jejunostomy (RYFJ) might be
      considered. RYFJ has been described very rarely as a salvage procedure of gastric
      leaks after LSG. METHODS: Between January 2015 and December 2015, we have
      performed a RYFJ in two patients, with chronic and persisting gastric fistulas,
      one after LSG and one after duodenal switch, respectively. In the two patients,
      the RYFJ procedure was attempted laparoscopically but in one case (patient after
      duodenal switch), conversion into laparotomy was necessary because of severe
      intra-abdominal inflammatory adhesions. In our video, we are presenting the case
      of this particular patient treated laparoscopically with a late and persisting
      leak 1 year after LSG. RESULTS: In this multimedia high-definition video, we
      described the steps of our technique of laparoscopic RYFJ. There was neither
      mortality nor severe postoperative complications. The fistula control after a
      minimum of 6 months follow-up was 100% for both of patients. CONCLUSIONS: RYFJ in
      our particular case was efficient. However, larger series and longer follow-up
      are needed to confirm the efficiency of the RYFJ as a salvage procedure.

PMID- 28349293
TI  - Molecular Imaging in Nanotechnology and Theranostics.
AB  - The fields of biomedical nanotechnology and theranostics have enjoyed exponential
      growth in recent years. The "Molecular Imaging in Nanotechnology and
      Theranostics" (MINT) Interest Group of the World Molecular Imaging Society (WMIS)
      was created in order to provide a more organized and focused forum on these
      topics within the WMIS and at the World Molecular Imaging Conference (WMIC). The
      interest group was founded in 2015 and was officially inaugurated during the 2016
      WMIC. The overarching goal of MINT is to bring together the many scientists who
      work on molecular imaging approaches using nanotechnology and those that work on
      theranostic agents. MINT therefore represents scientists, labs, and institutes
      that are very diverse in their scientific backgrounds and areas of expertise,
      reflecting the wide array of materials and approaches that drive these fields. In
      this short review, we attempt to provide a condensed overview over some of the
      key areas covered by MINT. Given the breadth of the fields and the given space
      constraints, we have limited the coverage to the realm of nanoconstructs,
      although theranostics is certainly not limited to this domain. We will also focus
      only on the most recent developments of the last 3-5 years, in order to provide
      the reader with an intuition of what is "in the pipeline" and has potential for
      clinical translation in the near future.

PMID- 28349298
TI  - The Role of Spirituality in Lifestyle Changing Among Patients with Chronic
      Cardiovascular Diseases: A Literature Review of Qualitative Studies.
AB  - Chronic cardiovascular diseases (CVD) are diseases with marked morbidity.
      Patients are often advised to change their lifestyle to prevent complications and
      impairment of their diseases. Compliance, however, is influenced by multiple
      factors. Initial studies show that spirituality is an important aspect in health
      behavior and lifestyle changing, but to health professionals like nurses this is
      unknown. The aim of this review is to investigate and synthesize evidence about
      the role of spirituality in lifestyle changing in patients with chronic CVD. A
      comprehensive search was conducted in electronic databases Academic Search
      Premier, E-journals, Medline and PubMed, published between the years 2000-2015.
      After selection based on pre-set inclusion criteria, studies were retrieved and
      evaluated on quality using the criteria of the QOREC. Twelve studies with a
      qualitative empirical design and mixed methods were included. This review shows
      that spirituality, is related to the self-management of patients with chronic
      diseases. For instance, lifestyle changes are experienced as a continuous inner
      battle. Religion gives strength, but is also experienced as a struggle. Feelings
      of guilt and becoming a victim influence patients' experience. For effectively
      advising patients with CVD on lifestyle changes, nurses cannot ignore this factor
      but further investigation is required.

PMID- 28349297
TI  - Molecular identification of differential expression genes associated with sex
      pheromone biosynthesis in Spodoptera exigua.
AB  - Species-specific sex pheromone is biosynthesized and released in most female
      moths as a chemical cue in mating communication. However, information on genes
      involved in this pathway is limited. The beet armyworm, Spodoptera exigua, is a
      cosmopolitan agricultural pest that causes severe economic losses to many crops.
      In China, the female sex pheromones in sex pheromone glands (PGs) of S. exigua
      have been measured which comprises (Z,E)-9,12-tetradecadienyl acetate, (Z)-9
      tetradecen-l-ol, (Z)-9-tetradecenyl acetate, and (Z,E)-9,12-tetradecadien-1-ol in
      a ratio of 47:18:18:17. Fifty-nine putative genes related to sex pheromone
      biosynthesis were identified in the present study by sequencing and analyzing the
      sex pheromone gland (PG) transcriptome of S. exigua. Expression profiles revealed
      that two desaturase (SexiDes5 and SexiDes11) and three fatty acyl reductase
      (SexiFAR2, 3, and 9) genes had PG-specific expression, and phylogenetic analysis
      demonstrated that they clustered with genes known to be involved in pheromone
      synthesis in other moth species. Our results provide crucial background
      information that could facilitate the elucidation of sex pheromone biosynthesis
      pathway of S. exigua as well as other Spodoptera species and help identify
      potential targets for disrupting sexual communication in S. exigua for developing
      novel environment-friendly pesticides.

PMID- 28349299
TI  - Efficacy and prognostic factors of imatinib plus CALLG2008 protocol in adult
      patients with newly diagnosed Philadelphia chromosome-positive acute
      lymphoblastic leukemia.
AB  - A CALLG2008 protocol was developed by the Chinese Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia
      Cooperative Group for adult acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL). We
      retrospectively analyzed 153 newly diagnosed adult patients with Philadelphia
      chromosome (Ph)-positive ALL enrolled into imatinib (400 mg/d) plus CALLG2008
      regimen between 2009 and 2015. The median age was 40 years (range, 18-68 years),
      with 81 (52.3%) males. The overall hematologic complete remission (CR) rate was
      96.7% after induction. With a median follow-up of 24.2 months, the estimated 3
      year overall survival (OS) and event-free survival (EFS) rates were
      49.5%(95%confidence interval (CI): 38.5%-59.5%) and 49.2% (95% CI: 38.3%-59.2%),
      respectively. Fifty-eight (36 with haploidentical donor) patients underwent
      allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (allo-HSCT) in first CR. Among
      the patients in CR1 after induction, both the 3-year OS and EFS were
      significantly better in the allo-HSCT group than in the without allo-HSCT group
      (73.2%, 95% CI: 58.3%-83.5% vs. 22.2%, 95% CI: 8.7%-39.6% and 66.5%, 95% CI:
      50.7%-78.2% vs. 16.1%, 95% CI: 5.1%-32.7%, respectively). Multivariate analysis
      showed that allo-HSCT and achievement of major molecular response were associated
      with favorable OS or EFS independently. Interestingly, in the allo-HSCT cohort,
      the donor type (haploidentical versus matched donors) had no significant impact
      on EFS or OS. All these results suggested that imatinib plus CALLG2008 was an
      effective protocol for Ph-positive ALL. Haploidentical donors can also be a
      reasonable alternative expedient donor pool.

PMID- 28349301
TI  - Effect of traditional Chinese medicine combined with Western therapy on primary
      hepatic carcinoma: a systematic review with meta-analysis.
AB  - Primary hepatic carcinoma (PHC) is a common malignant tumor in China. Cancer is
      comprehensively treated with various therapeutic regimes, including traditional
      Chinese medicine (TCM). TCM has been widely used to improve the quality of life,
      delay the time of cancer progression, and prolong the median survival time. This
      systematic review with meta-analysis aimed to assess the effect of TCM combined
      with Western therapy on primary hepatic carcinoma. A comprehensive literature
      search was conducted in six databases, including CNKI, VIP, Wan-Fang Database,
      CBM, PubMed, and Cochrane library. A total of 44 randomized controlled trials
      (RCTs) involving 3429 participants suffering from PHC were selected. Meta
      analysis results indicated that the overall effect of TCM and Western integrative
      treatment on PHC was higher than that of Western intervention alone, which can
      postpone tumor recurrence and metastasis and prolong the overall survival time of
      patients with PHC. Although the obtained evidence remained weak because of the
      poor methodological quality of the included studies, this review provided
      relevant data supporting the efficacy and safety of TCM combined with Western
      therapies. In future research, individual RCT studies should incorporate accepted
      standards for trial design and reporting, proper outcome indicators according to
      international standards, blinding in allocation concealment, and valid follow-up
      periods.

PMID- 28349300
TI  - Behavioral methods for the functional assessment of hair cells in zebrafish.
AB  - Zebrafish is an emerging animal model for studies on auditory system. This model
      presents high comparability with humans, good accessibility to the hearing organ,
      and high throughput capacity. To better utilize this animal model, methodologies
      need to be used to quantify the hearing function of the zebrafish. Zebrafish
      displays a series of innate and robust behavior related to its auditory function.
      Here, we reviewed the advantage of using zebrafish in auditory research and then
      introduced three behavioral tests, as follows: the startle response, the
      vestibular-ocular reflex, and rheotaxis. These tests are discussed in terms of
      their physiological characteristics, up-to-date technical development, and
      apparatus description. Test limitation and areas to improve are also introduced.
      Finally, we revealed the feasibility of these applications in zebrafish
      behavioral assessment and their potential in the high-throughput screening on
      hearing-related genes and drugs.

PMID- 28349302
TI  - A Mutant Sumo Facilitates Quick Plasmid Construction for Expressing Proteins with
      Native N-termini After Tag Removal.
AB  - Sumo is one of the fusion tags commonly used to enhance the expression and the
      solubility of recombinant proteins. One advantage of using sumo is that the
      removal of the sumo tag is highly specific because its recognition by a sumo
      protease is determined by its structural characteristics, instead of the sequence
      of a short peptide. Recently, it was reported that sumo could also be used as a
      protease recognition site to facilitate the removal of other fusion tags, such as
      MBP, when sumo itself is not suitable to enhance the solubility of a particular
      target protein. Using sumo as a recognition site is highly desirable when the
      target protein needs to have its native N terminus. However, constructing such a
      plasmid involves more than one cloning step because the N terminus of the target
      protein needs to be the next residue after the diglycine of sumo. Here, we report
      the construction of a new vector with a mutant sumo tag. The incorporation of a
      Pvu II site near the 3' end of tag coding sequence enables quick construction of
      plasmids for producing proteins with native termini. Its usage includes producing
      recombinant food allergens for studying conformational IgE epitopes.

PMID- 28349303
TI  - Mechanistic and therapeutic perspectives for cardiac arrhythmias: beyond ion
      channels.
AB  - Cardiac arrhythmias are among the most common causes of death in the world.
      Foundational studies established the critical role of ion channel disorders in
      arrhythmias, yet defects in ion channels themselves, such as mutations, may not
      account for all arrhythmias. Despite the progress made in recent decades, the
      antiarrhythmic drugs currently available have limited effectiveness, and the
      majority of these drugs can have proarrhythmic effects. This review describes
      novel knowledge on cellular mechanisms that cause cardiac arrhythmias, focuses on
      the dysfunction of subcellular organelles and intracellular logistics, and
      discusses potential strategies and challenges for developing novel, safe and
      effective treatments for arrhythmias.

PMID- 28349305
TI  - Profile of Yi-Han Chen.

PMID- 28349304
TI  - Rapid generation of genetic diversity by multiplex CRISPR/Cas9 genome editing in
      rice.
AB  - The clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPR)-associated
      endonuclease 9 (CRISPR/Cas9) system has emerged as a promising technology for
      specific genome editing in many species. Here we constructed one vector targeting
      eight agronomic genes in rice using the CRISPR/Cas9 multiplex genome editing
      system. By subsequent genetic transformation and DNA sequencing, we found that
      the eight target genes have high mutation efficiencies in the T0 generation. Both
      heterozygous and homozygous mutations of all editing genes were obtained in T0
      plants. In addition, homozygous sextuple, septuple, and octuple mutants were
      identified. As the abundant genotypes in T0 transgenic plants, various phenotypes
      related to the editing genes were observed. The findings demonstrate the
      potential of the CRISPR/Cas9 system for rapid introduction of genetic diversity
      during crop breeding.

PMID- 28349306
TI  - Trajectories of Suicidal Ideation among Adolescents Following Psychiatric
      Hospitalization.
AB  - Suicidal ideation (SI) is a common presenting problem for psychiatric
      hospitalizations in adolescents and often persists following discharge. This
      study examines whether distinct trajectories of SI could be delineated following
      hospitalization and the risk factors most strongly related to these trajectories.
      Adolescents (N = 104; 76 females; 28 males) were followed for 6 months after
      discharge from inpatient or partial hospitalization. Semi-parametric group
      modeling identified SI trajectory group membership. In all, 33.7% of adolescents
      fell in a Subclinical SI group, 43.3% in a Declining SI group, and 23.1% in a
      Chronic SI group. Multinomial logistic regression was utilized to examine
      baseline predictors of group membership. Emotion dysregulation differentiated
      Chronic SI from Declining SI. In multivariate analyses, adolescents endorsing
      greater non-acceptance of emotional responses (OR =1.18) and more limited access
      to emotion regulation strategies (OR =1.12) were more likely to belong to the
      Chronic SI than Declining SI trajectory. Those in the Chronic SI group also had
      the greatest number of suicide attempts and hospitalizations in the 6 months post
      discharge. These results suggest that clinicians should closely monitor and
      address emotion dysregulation when assessing suicide risk. Greater dysregulation
      may require more intensive services in order to have an effect on chronic SI.

PMID- 28349307
TI  - Pancreatic Tail Neoplasm Masquerading as Recurrent Splenic Abscesses.

PMID- 28349308
TI  - Efficient dibutyltin (DBT) elimination by the microscopic fungus Metarhizium
      robertsii under conditions of intensive aeration and ascorbic acid
      supplementation.
AB  - Dibutyltin (DBT) is an environmental pollutant characterized by immunotoxic,
      neurotoxic, and pro-oxidant properties. In this study, an attempt was made to
      enhance DBT elimination by the Metarhizium robertsii strain. We observed enhanced
      fungal growth in the bioreactor (pO2 >= 20%) compared to flask cultures (MU max
      increased from 0.061 to 0.086 h-1). Moreover, under aerated conditions, M.
      robertsii mycelium with "hairy" morphology biodegraded DBT (20 mg l-1) 10-fold
      faster in the bioreactor than in the flask cultures. Monobutyltin (MBT) and a
      hydroxylated derivative of MBT (OHBuSnH2) were detected as by-products of
      dibutyltin debutylation. Simultaneous usage of glucose and butyltins indicates
      the comatabolic nature of monobutyltin and dibutyltin removal. In order to
      protect fungal cells from oxidative stress caused by DBT presence, vitamin C (20
      mg l-1) was applied. Supplementation with ascorbic acid (AA) resulted in a 3-fold
      acceleration of MBT removal during the first 7 h of incubation. Using the HPLC
      MS/MS technique, a quantitative analysis of malondialdehyde (MDA), a marker of
      oxidative stress, was performed. In the AA presence, a decrease in the MDA amount
      (about 45%) was observed compared to the case with fungal cells exposed to DBT
      alone.

PMID- 28349309
TI  - Dissipation of chlorantraniliprole, chlorpyrifos-methyl and indoxacarb
      insecticides used to control codling moth (Cydia Pomonella L.) and leafrollers
      (Tortricidae) in apples for production of baby food.
AB  - Dissipations of three insecticides: chlorantraniliprole, chlorpyrifos-methyl and
      indoxacarb in apples were studied following their foliar application on apples
      intended for production of baby food. The apples were sprayed with formulations
      for control of codling moth (Cydia Pomonella L.) and leafrollers (Tortricidae).
      Six experiments were conducted; each insecticide was applied individually on
      dessert apples. A validated gas chromatography-based method with simultaneous
      electron capture and nitrogen-phosphorus detection (GC-ECD/NPD) was used for the
      residue analysis. The analytical performance of the method was satisfactory, with
      expanded uncertainties <=36% (a coverage factor, k = 2, and a confidence level of
      95%). The dissipations of insecticides were studied in pseudo-first-order kinetic
      models (for which the coefficient of determination, R 2 , ranged between 0.9188
      and 0.9897). Residues of studied insecticides were below their maximum residue
      limits of 0.5 mg/kg at an early stage of growth of the fruit. The half-lives of
      chlorantraniliprole, chlorpyrifos-methyl and indoxacarb were 16-17, 4-6 and 20-24
      days, respectively. The initial residue levels declined gradually and reached the
      level of 0.01 mg/kg in 1 month for chlorpyrifos-methyl, 2 months for
      chlorantraniliprole and 2.5 months for indoxacarb. To obtain the insecticide
      residue levels below 0.01 mg/kg, which is the default MRL for food intended for
      infants and young children, the application of the studied insecticides should be
      carried out at recommended doses not later then: 1 month before harvest for
      chlorpyrifos-methyl, 2 months for chlorantraniliprole and 2.5 months for
      indoxacarb.

PMID- 28349310
TI  - Parameters determining the use of zeolite 5A as collector medium in passive flux
      samplers to estimate N2O emissions from livestock sources.
AB  - The present study analyzes the effect of parameters that determine the use of the
      zeolite 5A as collector medium in passive flux samplers (PFS) developed to
      estimate N2O emissions from livestock buildings. The study analyzes the mass of
      N2O collected on the zeolite 5A as a function of gas flow rate (40 and 130
      ml/min), inlet mass of N2O to the PFS (from 7 to 84 MUg), adsorbent mass (4 and
      13.6 g), length of the adsorbent bed (1.9 and 10.9 cm), and inlet N2O
      concentration (0.6 and 2 ppmv). The mass of N2O collected on the zeolite 5A
      ranged from 1.24 to 6.19 MUg of N2O/g of adsorbent, which was mainly affected by
      inlet N2O concentration and mass of adsorbent contained in the PFS. The mass of
      N2O collected presented a significant relationship with the inlet N2O
      concentration and the adsorbent bed. Tests were performed using PFS in a
      laboratory farm under semi-real conditions. It was found that at sampling time of
      1.5 h, the accuracy and precision of PFS was appropriate. Under evaluated
      conditions, a maximum variation between PFS and direct detection of around 12%
      was estimated.

PMID- 28349311
TI  - Integrating ecosystem services in terrestrial conservation planning.
AB  - The purpose of this study is to estimate the benefits of ecosystem services for
      prioritization of land use conservation and to highlight the importance of
      ecosystem services by comparison between ecosystem service value and green GDP
      accounting. Based on land use pattern and benefit transfer method, this research
      estimated value of ecosystem services in Taiwan. Scientific information of land
      use and land cover change is accessed through multi-year satellite imagery
      moderate resolution imaging spectroradiometer (MODIS), and geographic information
      system (GIS) technology. Combined with benefit transfer method, this research
      estimated the ecosystem service valuation of forest, grassland, cropland,
      wetland, water, and urban for the period of 2000 to 2015 in Taiwan. It is found
      that forest made the greatest contribution and the significant increasing area of
      wetland has huge potential benefit for environmental conservation in Taiwan. We
      recommend placing maintaining wetland ecosystem in Taiwan with higher priority.
      This research also compared ecosystem service value with natural capital
      consumption which would essentially facilitate policy makers to understand the
      relationship between benefits gained from natural capital and the loss from human
      made capital.

PMID- 28349312
TI  - Assessing post-industrial land cover change at the Pine Point Mine, NWT, Canada
      using multi-temporal Landsat analysis and landscape metrics.
AB  - This study investigates land cover change near the abandoned Pine Point Mine in
      Canada's Northwest Territories. Industrial mineral development transforms local
      environments, and the effects of such disturbances are often long-lasting,
      particularly in subarctic, boreal environments where vegetation conversion can
      take decades. Located in the Boreal Plains Ecozone, the Pine Point Mine was an
      extensive open pit operation that underwent little reclamation when it shut down
      in 1988. We apply remote sensing and landscape ecology methods to quantify land
      cover change in the 20 years following the mine's closure. Using a time series of
      near-anniversary Landsat images, we performed a supervised classification to
      differentiate seven land cover classes. We used raster algebra and landscape
      metrics to track changes in land cover composition and configuration in the 20
      years since the mine shut down. We compared our results with a site in Wood
      Buffalo National Park that was never subjected to extensive anthropogenic
      disturbance. This space-for-time substitution provided an analog for how the
      ecosystem in the Pine Point region might have developed in the absence of
      industrial mineral development. We found that the dense conifer class was
      dominant in the park and exhibited larger and more contiguous patches than at the
      mine site. Bare land at the mine site showed little conversion through time.
      While the combination of raster algebra and landscape metrics allowed us to track
      broad changes in land cover composition and configuration, improved access to
      affordable, high-resolution imagery is necessary to effectively monitor land
      cover dynamics at abandoned mines.

PMID- 28349313
TI  - Foliar nutrient and metal levels of crops in the Mount Cameroon area-reference
      values for plant nutrition and environmental monitoring.
AB  - The growing population number and traffic loads, increasing environmental
      pressures, agricultural intensification, and the establishment of Mount Cameroon
      National Park demand farsighted environmental management in the region and the
      definition of a favorable ecological status. Since plants grow in the interface
      between soils and the atmosphere they can be used as passive biomonitors for the
      environmental quality. At the same time, the accumulation of nutrients and
      pollutants in crops is linked to human health, so that foliar elemental levels
      can be used as an integrative measure for environmental pollution and impact
      assessment. In the present study, we collected leaf samples of plantain, cassava,
      cocoyam, and maize on 28 sites at the southern flanks of Mt. Cameroon and
      determined 20 chemical elements. Air pollution in the study area comes from
      biomass and waste burning mainly, but emissions from traffic and a large refinery
      were believed to also play a significant role. However, spatial patterns in
      foliar elemental concentrations reflected the geochemistry rather than specific
      sources of pollution. Significant differences in foliar metal and nutrient levels
      were observed between the four species, indicating a different demand and uptake
      of specific elements. The results were compared to published data on nutrient
      concentrations in the tested species and the so-called reference plant. The data
      can be used as a baseline for future studies in plant nutrition and the
      environmental monitoring in inner tropical regions where these crops are grown.

PMID- 28349314
TI  - Measurement of faculty anesthesiologists' quality of clinical supervision has
      greater reliability when controlling for the leniency of the rating anesthesia
      resident: a retrospective cohort study.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Our department monitors the quality of anesthesiologists' clinical
      supervision and provides each anesthesiologist with periodic feedback. We
      hypothesized that greater differentiation among anesthesiologists' supervision
      scores could be obtained by adjusting for leniency of the rating resident.
      METHODS: From July 1, 2013 to December 31, 2015, our department has utilized the
      de Oliveira Filho unidimensional nine-item supervision scale to assess the
      quality of clinical supervision provided by faculty as rated by residents. We
      examined all 13,664 ratings of the 97 anesthesiologists (ratees) by the 65
      residents (raters). Testing for internal consistency among answers to questions
      (large Cronbach's alpha > 0.90) was performed to rule out that one or two
      questions accounted for leniency. Mixed-effects logistic regression was used to
      compare ratees while controlling for rater leniency vs using Student t tests
      without rater leniency. RESULTS: The mean supervision scale score was calculated
      for each combination of the 65 raters and nine questions. The Cronbach's alpha
      was very large (0.977). The mean score was calculated for each of the 3,421
      observed combinations of resident and anesthesiologist. The logits of the
      percentage of scores equal to the maximum value of 4.00 were normally distributed
      (residents, P = 0.24; anesthesiologists, P = 0.50). There were 20/97
      anesthesiologists identified as significant outliers (13 with below average
      supervision scores and seven with better than average) using the mixed-effects
      logistic regression with rater leniency entered as a fixed effect but not by
      Student's t test. In contrast, there were three of 97 anesthesiologists
      identified as outliers (all three above average) using Student's t tests but not
      by logistic regression with leniency. The 20 vs 3 was significant (P < 0.001).
      CONCLUSIONS: Use of logistic regression with leniency results in greater
      detection of anesthesiologists with significantly better (or worse) clinical
      supervision scores than use of Student's t tests (i.e., without adjustment for
      rater leniency).

PMID- 28349315
TI  - Recurrent non-epileptiform seizure-like phenomena secondary to propofol
      administration.

PMID- 28349317
TI  - Trends in Procedures at Major Trauma Centres in New South Wales, Australia: An
      Analysis of State-Wide Trauma Data.
AB  - OBJECTIVES: To describe the trend in major trauma surgical procedures and
      interventional radiology in major trauma patients in Australia over the past 6
      years. METHODS: This was a retrospective review of adult major trauma (Injury
      Severity Score greater than 15) patients using the New South Wales Statewide
      Trauma Registry between 2009 and 2014. Major trauma surgical procedures were
      classified into abdominal, neurosurgery, cardiothoracic and interventional
      radiology. The proportion of patients undergoing such procedures per year was the
      outcome of interest. RESULTS: There were around ten thousand cases analysed. The
      proportion of cases undergoing interventional radiology procedures increased from
      1% in 2009 to around 6% in 2014. Other major trauma surgical procedures remained
      stable. Only around 100 laparotomies were performed in 2014. The predictors of
      having an IR procedure performed were increasing from 2009 (OR 1.5 95% CI 1.4,
      1.6 p < 0.001), hypotension (OR 1.5 95% CI 1.1, 2.1 n = 0.01), severe abdominal
      injury (OR 4.2 95% CI 3.2, 5.3 p < 0.001) and lower limb (including pelvic)
      injury (OR 3.8 95% CI 3.0, 4.7 p < 0.001). CONCLUSION: There has been a rapid
      increase in the use of interventional radiology over the past few years which
      will need to be addressed in future trauma service planning and models of care.

PMID- 28349316
TI  - Cannabis, Cannabinoids, and Sleep: a Review of the Literature.
AB  - PURPOSE OF REVIEW: The current review aims to summarize the state of research on
      cannabis and sleep up to 2014 and to review in detail the literature on cannabis
      and specific sleep disorders from 2014 to the time of publication. RECENT
      FINDINGS: Preliminary research into cannabis and insomnia suggests that
      cannabidiol (CBD) may have therapeutic potential for the treatment of insomnia.
      Delta-9 tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) may decrease sleep latency but could impair
      sleep quality long-term. Novel studies investigating cannabinoids and obstructive
      sleep apnea suggest that synthetic cannabinoids such as nabilone and dronabinol
      may have short-term benefit for sleep apnea due to their modulatory effects on
      serotonin-mediated apneas. CBD may hold promise for REM sleep behavior disorder
      and excessive daytime sleepiness, while nabilone may reduce nightmares associated
      with PTSD and may improve sleep among patients with chronic pain. Research on
      cannabis and sleep is in its infancy and has yielded mixed results. Additional
      controlled and longitudinal research is critical to advance our understanding of
      research and clinical implications.

PMID- 28349319
TI  - Trauma Care and Surveillance: International "eCapacity" Efforts and Honduras
      Experience.

PMID- 28349318
TI  - Laparoscopic Versus Open Resection for Gastric Gastrointestinal Stromal Tumors
      (GISTs): A Size-Location-Matched Case-Control Study.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Laparoscopic resection for gastric gastrointestinal stromal tumors
      (GISTs) is technically feasible, but the long-term effect remains uncertain. This
      study aims to compare the long-term oncologic outcomes of laparoscopic versus
      open resection of GISTs by larger cases based on tumor size-location-matched
      study. METHODS: Between 2006 and 2015, 63 consecutive patients with a primary
      gastric GIST undergoing laparoscopic resection were enrolled in and matched (1:1)
      to patients undergoing open resection by tumor size and location. Clinical and
      pathologic parameters and surgical outcomes associated with each surgical type
      were collected and compared. RESULTS: The operation time, intraoperative blood
      loss, return of bowel function and oral intake, nasogastric tube retention time
      and postoperative stay were all shorter/faster in laparoscopic group than those
      in open group (P < 0.001). Postoperative complications were comparable except for
      the higher incidence of abdominal/incision pain in open group (9.52 vs 27%, P =
      0.01). There was no statistical difference in recurrence rate (9.52 vs 15.87%, P
      = 0.29) and long-term recurrence-free survival between the two groups (P = 0.39).
      CONCLUSIONS: The long-term oncologic outcome of laparoscopic resection of primary
      gastric GISTs is comparable to that of open procedure, but laparoscopic procedure
      has the advantage of minimal invasion and is superior in postoperative recovery.

PMID- 28349321
TI  - Recurrent Laryngeal Nerve Monitoring and Rocuronium: A Selective Sugammadex
      Reversal Protocol.
AB  - BACKGROUND: The use of neuromuscular blocking agents may affect intraoperative
      neuromonitoring during thyroid surgery. A selective neuromuscular recovery
      protocol was evaluated in a retrospective cohort study during human thyroid
      neural monitoring surgery. METHODS: One hundred and twenty-five consecutive
      patients undergoing thyroidectomy with intraoperative neuromonitoring followed a
      selective neuromuscular block recovery protocol-single intubating dose of
      rocuronium followed by sugammadex if needed at the first vagal stimulation (V1).
      RESULTS: Data from 120 of 125 patients could be analysed. Fifteen (12.5%)
      patients needed sugammadex reversal to obtain an EMG response at the first vagal
      stimulation (V1). In the remaining 105 patients, spontaneous recovery of
      rocuronium-induced neuromuscular block was sufficient for a successful first
      vagal stimulation (V1). CONCLUSIONS: In patients undergoing thyroid surgery,
      routine reversal of rocuronium block with sugammadex is not mandatory for
      reliable intraoperative neuromonitoring. A selective neuromuscular block recovery
      approach may be a valuable and more cost-efficient alternative to routine
      reversal.

PMID- 28349320
TI  - Burden of Burns in Brazil from 2000 to 2014: A Nationwide Hospital-Based Study.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Burns are a major public health concern, affecting mostly low- and
      middle-income countries. However, there is a lack of epidemiological studies on
      burns in these countries, particularly in Latin American countries. Our aim was
      to analyze nationwide demographic, epidemiological and economic characteristics
      of hospitalized burn patients in Brazil. METHODS: A retrospective study was
      conducted including inpatients admitted with a diagnosis of burns (ICD-10:T20
      T31) from all hospitals in Brazil from 2000 to 2014. We calculated
      hospitalization and in-hospital mortality rates. Length of stay (LoS), charges
      and premature mortality were also assessed. RESULTS: A total of 412,541 burn
      hospitalizations were found, with a hospitalization rate of 14.56
      hospitalizations/100,000 inhabitants/year. This rate is decreasing since 2003,
      mostly due to the reduction among children and elderly. Children below 5 years
      old accounted for 24% of all admissions. In-hospital mortality rate was 8.1% and
      median LoS was 5 days. Mean hospitalization charge was 856 international dollars.
      Substantial regional discrepancies were found in several indicators. CONCLUSION:
      In this first Latin American nationwide study of burn patients, a decreasing
      trend of hospitalization rate and a low charge contrasted with a high in-hospital
      mortality rate. This latter indicator, associated with a low LoS, may raise
      concerns regarding the quality of healthcare. Important discrepancies were found
      between regions, which may indicate important differences in regard to healthcare
      access and risk of burns. Targeting effective prevention, improving healthcare
      quality and providing more widespread and accurate burn registry are recommended.

PMID- 28349322
TI  - Cost-Effectiveness of Two Government District Hospitals in Sub-Saharan Africa.
AB  - BACKGROUND: District hospitals in sub-Saharan Africa are in need of investment if
      countries are going to progress towards universal health coverage, and meet the
      sustainable development goals and the Lancet Commission on Global Surgery time
      bound targets for 2030. Previous studies have suggested that government hospitals
      are likely to be highly cost-effective and therefore worthy of investment.
      METHODS: A retrospective analysis of the inpatient logbooks for two government
      district hospitals in two sub-Saharan African hospitals was performed. Data were
      extracted and DALYs were calculated based on the diagnosis and procedures
      undertaken. Estimated costs were obtained based on the patient receiving ideal
      treatment for their condition rather than actual treatment received. RESULTS:
      Total cost per DALY averted was 26 (range 17-66) for Thyolo District Hospital in
      Malawi and 363 (range 187-881) for Bo District Hospital in Sierra Leone.
      CONCLUSION: This is the first published paper to support the hypothesis that
      government district hospitals are very cost-effective. The results are within the
      same range of the US$32.78-223 per DALY averted published for non-governmental
      hospitals.

PMID- 28349323
TI  - Yttrium-90 Radioembolization for Hepatocellular Carcinoma Prior to Liver
      Transplantation.

PMID- 28349324
TI  - Partiality and distributive justice in African bioethics.
AB  - African ethical theories tend to hold that moral agents ought to be partial, in
      the sense that they should favour members of their family or close community.
      This is considered an advantage over the impartiality of many Western moral
      theories, which are regarded as having counterintuitive implications, such as the
      idea that it is unethical to save a family member before a stranger. The
      partiality of African ethics is thought to be particularly valuable in the
      context of bioethics. Thaddeus Metz, in particular, argues that his African
      derived theory best accounts for a number of plausible intuitions, such as the
      intuition that health care practitioners ought to be biased towards the patients
      for whom they are directly responsible. In this article, I claim that the
      plausible intuitions drawn on in favour of partiality can be satisfactorily
      explained on the basis of impartial moral theories. Moreover, I argue that
      blanket acceptance of partiality has problematic consequences for distributive
      justice in resource allocation in biomedical contexts. By contrast, impartial
      theories can justify plausible instances of partiality whilst avoiding the
      pitfalls of fully partial moral theories. Although this provides grounds for
      abandoning partiality in principle, I claim that this finding should not be seen
      as damaging to African medical ethics. Instead, it prompts investigation of
      underexplored possibilities of impartial African moral theories. To demonstrate
      the value of this direction, I sketch some novel and attractive conceptions that
      combine impartiality with elements of African ethics.

PMID- 28349325
TI  - Guyton's venous return curves should be taught at medical schools (complete
      English translation of Japanese version).
AB  - Guyton's most significant contributions are the exploration into the development
      of venous return and circulatory equilibrium. Recently, several physiologists
      challenged the validity of venous return as a function of venous pressure.
      Guyton's experiment in effect controlled venous pressure by changing cardiac
      output. Thus, critics claimed that cardiac output is the determinant of venous
      return. This claim is true, but in the presence of constant stressed volume,
      venous return and venous pressure have a fixed reciprocal relationship. Thus, it
      is meaningless to argue which one is the independent variable. We fully support
      Guyton's venous return and in particular circulatory equilibrium. Guyton's
      framework should be taught at medical schools worldwide.

PMID- 28349326
TI  - "What Goes Around Comes Around": Antecedents, Mediators, and Consequences of
      Controlling vs. Need-Supportive Motivational Strategies Used by Exercise
      Professionals.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Research into the factors associated with the use of different
      motivational strategies by exercise professionals is of empirical and practical
      utility. PURPOSE: Grounded in self-determination theory, this study sought to
      analyze putative antecedents, mediators, and work-related well- and ill-being
      consequences of two types of motivational strategies reported by exercise
      professionals. METHODS: Participants were 366 exercise professionals (193 males;
      experience = 7.7 +/- 5.8 years). Questionnaires assessing psychological need
      satisfaction frustration, self-determined work motivation, motivational
      strategies (need-supportive vs. controlling), emotional exhaustion, and personal
      accomplishment were completed online. Path analysis was used to test the
      hypothesized model. RESULTS: Model with good fit [chi 2 (5) = 9.174, p> .05; CFI
      = .984; TLI = .936; RMSEA = .048; SRMR = .022] showed need satisfaction as
      positively associated with supportive strategies and personal accomplishment
      (beta between .267 and .399) and negatively with emotional exhaustion (beta = 
      .145). Need frustration was negatively associated with work motivation and
      personal accomplishment (beta = -.315; -.176), and positively with controlling
      strategies and emotional exhaustion (beta = .195; .226). Furthermore, supportive
      strategies and work motivation were positively associated with personal
      accomplishment (beta = .134; .184), whereas controlling strategies were
      positively associated with emotional exhaustion (beta = .178). CONCLUSIONS:
      Findings have theoretical implications, providing evidence of need satisfaction
      and frustration as being differently associated with work-related motivation,
      type of strategies used, and work-related emotional outcomes. Practical
      implications convey the importance of these variables in relation to the standard
      of motivational strategies provided and their role on work-related well- and ill
      being indicators.

PMID- 28349327
TI  - A Theoretical Study on Inhibition of Melanoma with Controlled and Targeted
      Delivery of siRNA via Skin Using SPACE-EGF.
AB  - Melanoma is a potentially lethal skin cancer with high mortality rate. Recently,
      the peptide-mediated transdermal delivery of small interference RNA (siRNA)
      emerges as a promising strategy to treat melanoma by inducing the apoptosis of
      tumor cells, but the related theoretical model describing the delivery of siRNA
      under the effect of SPACE-EGF, the growth inhibition of melanoma and the dynamic
      expanding of the bump on the skin due to the growth of melanoma has not been
      reported yet. In this article, a theoretical model is developed to describe the
      percutaneous siRNA delivery mediated by SPACE-EGF to melanoma and the growth
      inhibition of melanoma. The results present the spatial-temporal distribution of
      siRNA and the growth of melanoma under the inhibition of siRNA, which shows a
      good consistency with the experimental results. In addition, this model
      represents the uplift process of tumors on the skin surface. The model presented
      here is a useful tool to understand the whole process of the SPACE-EGF-mediated
      delivery of the siRNA to melanoma through skin, to predict the therapeutic
      effect, and to optimize the therapeutic strategy, providing valuable references
      for the treatment of melanoma.

PMID- 28349328
TI  - The Effect of Food on Doravirine Bioavailability: Results from Two
      Pharmacokinetic Studies in Healthy Subjects.
AB  - BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: Doravirine is a novel non-nucleoside reverse
      transcriptase inhibitor being developed for the treatment of HIV-1. In two open
      label, single-dose, randomized, two-period, crossover trials, the bioavailability
      of doravirine administered alone or in a fixed-dose combination (FDC) was
      determined under fed and fasted conditions. METHODS: Doravirine 100 mg alone or
      with lamivudine and tenofovir disoproxil fumarate (each 300 mg) were administered
      to healthy subjects fasted or 30 min after a high-fat, high-calorie breakfast.
      Twenty-eight subjects, aged 26-55 years, enrolled (doravirine, n = 14; FDC, n =
      14). The sequence of fed/fasted treatment was randomized (1:1). Pharmacokinetic
      data were analyzed as geometric mean ratios (GMRs) with 90% confidence intervals.
      RESULTS: Doravirine area under the plasma concentration-time curve (AUC) from
      time zero to infinity (fed/fasted GMRs: alone 1.16 [1.06-1.26]; FDC 1.10 [1.02
      1.20]), AUC from time zero to the last measurement (GMRs: alone 1.18 [1.08-1.29];
      FDC 1.10 [1.01-1.20]), and plasma concentration 24 h after administration (GMRs:
      alone 1.36 [1.19-1.55]; FDC 1.26 [1.13-1.41]) values increased in the fed versus
      fasted state when administered alone or as the FDC; the magnitude was not
      clinically meaningful. Doravirine maximum achieved concentration was similar
      after fed or fasted administration for both doravirine alone and FDC (GMRs: alone
      1.03 [0.89-1.19]; FDC 0.95 [0.80-1.12]). The pharmacokinetics of tenofovir and
      lamivudine in the FDC were also slightly altered by administration with food; the
      changes were not clinically meaningful. CONCLUSIONS: All treatments were
      generally well tolerated. Food had no clinically meaningful effect on doravirine
      100 mg alone or as part of an FDC.

PMID- 28349329
TI  - Efficacy of Ripasudil as a Second-line Medication in Addition to a Prostaglandin
      Analog in Patients with Exfoliation Glaucoma: A Pilot Study.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to assess the intraocular pressure (IOP)-lowering
      effects of ripasudil, a Rho kinase inhibitor, as a second-line medication in
      patients with exfoliation glaucoma. METHODS: This retrospective cohort study
      included patients with exfoliation glaucoma who received ripasudil as the second
      line drug in addition to prostaglandin analogs, and were followed-up for at least
      5 months. Twenty-seven eyes of 16 patients were enrolled; the mean (+/-standard
      deviation) age was 76.1 +/- 7.2 years (range 63-91 years). Baseline IOPs were the
      averages of three IOP measurements performed before ripasudil treatment.
      Statistical analyses used the paired t test with the Bonferroni correction.
      Relevant background factors were analyzed via stepwise, multiple regression
      analysis. RESULTS: The mean (+/-standard deviation) IOP levels prior to
      commencement of ripasudil, 1-2 months later, and 5-6 months later were 16.2 +/-
      2.1, 14.7 +/- 2.8, and 13.1 +/- 2.6 mmHg, respectively. These levels differed
      significantly (p = 0.00019 for 0 versus 1-2 months, 0.00087 for 1-2 vs. 5-6
      months, and <0.00001 for 0 vs. 5-6 months). Stepwise multiple regression analysis
      on data from all 27 eyes showed that the change in IOP at 5-6 months was
      associated with the treatment time with prostaglandin analogs and age, but not
      with baseline IOP, the severity of the visual field defect, the timing of IOP
      measurement, or pseudophakic status. CONCLUSIONS: Ripasudil significantly lowered
      IOP in patients with exfoliation glaucoma, and the effect thereof increased over
      time within 5 months.

PMID- 28349331
TI  - Compared to 123I-MIBG SPECT/CT, 18F-DOPA PET/CT provides accurate tumor extent in
      patients with extra-adrenal paraganglioma.
AB  - AIM: The aim of this study was to compare the accuracy of 123I-MIBG SPECT/CT with
      that of 18F-DOPA PET/CT for staging extra-adrenal paragangliomas (PGLs) using
      both functional and anatomical images (i.e., combined cross-sectional imaging) as
      the reference standards. METHODS: Three men and seven women (age range 26-73
      years) with anatomical and/or histologically proven disease were included in this
      study. Three patients had either metastatic head-and-neck paragangliomas (HNPGLs)
      or multifocal PGL, and seven patients had nonmetastatic disease. Comparative
      evaluation included morphological imaging with CT, functional imaging with 18F
      DOPA PET, and 123I-MIBG imaging including SPECT/CT. Imaging results were analyzed
      on a per-patient and per-lesion basis. RESULTS: On a per-patient basis, 18F-DOPA
      PET's detection rate for both nonmetastatic and metastatic/multifocal disease was
      100%, whereas that of planar 123I-MIBG imaging alone was 10.0% and that of 123I
      MIBG SPECT/CT was 20.0%. Overall, on a per-lesion basis, 18F-DOPA PET showed a
      sensitivity of 69.2% (McNemar p < 0.001) compared with anatomical imaging.
      Sensitivity of planar 123I-MIBG scintigraphy was 5.6%, and that of SPECT/CT was
      11.1% (McNemar p < 0.0001). Overall, 18F-DOPA PET identified 18 lesions, and
      anatomical imaging identified 26 lesions; planar 123IMIBG imaging identified only
      1 lesion, and SPECT/CT, 2 lesions. CONCLUSION: 18F-DOPA PET is more sensitive
      than is 123I-MIBG imaging, including SPECT/CT, for staging HNPGL. Combined
      functional and anatomical imaging (PET/CT) is indicated to exclude metastatic
      disease in extra-adrenal PGL.

PMID- 28349330
TI  - Klotho Regulates Cigarette Smoke-Induced Autophagy: Implication in Pathogenesis
      of COPD.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease is a progressive lung disease
      characterized by abnormal cellular responses to cigarette smoke, resulting in
      tissue destruction and airflow limitation. Autophagy is a fundamental cellular
      process that eliminates long-lived proteins and damaged organelles through
      lysosomal degradation pathway, though its role in human diseases remains unclear.
      We hypothesized that an anti-aging protein, Klotho plays an important role in
      regulating autophagy in response to cigarette smoke (CS). METHODS: Autophagy was
      measured by detecting LC3-I and LC3-II expressions. The regulation of autophagy
      expression by cigarette smoke extract (CSE) was studied in vitro, and small
      interfering RNA (siRNA) and recombinant Klotho were employed to investigate the
      role of Klotho on CSE-induced autophagy. Protein levels and phosphorylation were
      measured by Western blot assay. RESULTS: CS exposure resulted in induction of
      autophagy in alveolar macrophages. Pretreatment of cells with Klotho attenuated
      CS-induced autophagy whereas knockdown of Klotho augmented CS-induced autophagy.
      Klotho inhibited phosphorylation of ERK, Akt, and IGF-1 in CSE-stimulated cells.
      CONCLUSIONS: These data suggest that Klotho plays a critical role in the
      regulation of CS-induced autophagy and have important implications in
      understanding the mechanisms of CS-induced cell death and senescence.

PMID- 28349332
TI  - A Nomogram for Predicting Overall Survival of Gastric Cancer Patients with
      Insufficient Lymph Nodes Examined.
AB  - Insufficient number of examined lymph nodes (eLNs) was considered to increase
      significantly the risk of stage migration in gastric cancer patients. The aim of
      our study is to establish a nomogram predicting the overall survival (OS) for
      patients with an insufficient number of eLNs. A total of 872 gastric cancer
      patients with extended lymphadenectomies were assigned randomly (2:1) to the
      development cohort and the validation cohort. The nomogram was established based
      on the Cox regression model using the development cohort. The concordance index
      (C-index) was used to evaluate the discriminative ability. We also compared our
      model with two other staging systems. Using multivariate analysis, age, sex,
      tumor location, depth of invasion, macroscopic type, lymphovascular invasion, the
      number of eLNs, and metastatic lymph nodes were selected and incorporated into
      the nomogram. The C-index of the nomogram was 0.742 and 0.743 in development and
      validation cohorts, respectively, which were significantly superior to the C
      indices (range 0.705-0.712, all P < 0.001) of American Joint Committee on Cancer
      (AJCC) seventh edition and lymph node ratio staging systems in both cohorts. We
      established a nomogram which could predict accurately OS for gastric cancer
      patients with insufficient number of eLNs.

PMID- 28349333
TI  - Laparoscopic Repair of Post-cholecystectomy Bile Duct Injury: an Advance in
      Surgical Management.
AB  - Despite widespread advances in laparoscopic surgery, laparoscopic repair of post
      cholecystectomy bile duct injury (BDI) has rarely been reported related mainly to
      technical difficulty. We describe three cases of BDI treated laparoscopically
      with one illustrated by a video. With our gained experience in hepatic pedicle
      dissection during laparoscopic pancreaticoduodenectomy, we decided to perform
      laparoscopic repair of BDI in patients with an intact biliary confluence without
      vascular injury. Three patients were operated including two women: one was re
      operated by subcostal incision for peritonitis and two had undergone
      cholecystectomy without conversion. Surgical technique is detailed in the
      manuscript and the video. Laparoscopic repair was performed between 45 and 300
      days after cholecystectomy. Surgery lasted between 250 and 270 min with no
      conversion and no transfusion. The postoperative course was uneventful with a
      hospital stay ranging from 7 to 9 days. After a mean follow-up of 9-33 months,
      patients were symptom free with normal liver function tests. The laparoscopic
      approach can be safely and effectively proposed to a subgroup of patients with
      BDI. This approach has the advantages of the laparoscopic approach and represents
      the main new surgical advancement in the management of this complication.

PMID- 28349334
TI  - Biological Therapy of Refractory Ulcerative Oral Lichen Planus with Plasma Rich
      in Growth Factors.

PMID- 28349335
TI  - Population Pharmacokinetics to Model the Time-Varying Clearance of the PEGylated
      Asparaginase Oncaspar(r) in Children with Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia.
AB  - BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: The pharmacokinetics of the polyethylene glycol (PEG)
      conjugated asparaginase Oncaspar(r) are characterized by an increase in
      elimination over time. The focus of our analysis is the better understanding of
      this time-dependency. METHODS: In paediatric acute lymphoblastic leukemia therapy
      (AIEOP-BFM ALL 2009), two administrations of Oncaspar(r) (2500 U/m2
      intravenously) in induction phase (14-day interval) and one single administration
      in reinduction were followed by weekly monitoring of asparaginase activity. Non
      linear mixed-effects modeling techniques (NONMEM) were used. Samples indicating
      immunological inactivation were excluded to describe the pharmacokinetics under
      standard conditions. Models with time-constant or time-varying clearance (CL) as
      well as transit compartment models with an increase in CL over a chain of
      compartments were investigated. RESULTS: Models with time-constant elimination
      could not adequately describe 6107 asparaginase activities from 1342 patients.
      Implementing a time-varying CL improved the fit. Modeling an increase of CL over
      time after dose (Emax- and Weibull-functions) were superior to models with an
      increase of CL over time after the first administration. However, a transit
      compartment model came out to be the best structural model. CONCLUSION: The
      increase in elimination of PEGylated asparaginase appears to be driven by
      physicochemical processes that are drug-related. The observed hydrolytically in
      vitro instability of the drug leads to the hypothesis that this increase in CL
      might be due to an in vivo hydrolysis of the instable ester bond between PEG and
      the enzyme combined with an increased elimination of the partly de-PEGylated
      enzyme (Trial registered at www.clinicaltrials.gov , NCT0111744).

PMID- 28349336
TI  - Contralateral Lobe Volume Brings Us One Step Closer to the Prediction of
      Hypothyroidism Following Partial Thyroid Resection.

PMID- 28349337
TI  - Erratum to: Impact of an In-visit Decision Aid on Patient Knowledge about
      Contralateral Prophylactic Mastectomy: A Pilot Study.

PMID- 28349338
TI  - Clinical Impact of Preoperative Chemotherapy on Microscopic Cancer Spread
      Surrounding Colorectal Liver Metastases.
AB  - BACKGROUND: A potentially favorable effect of chemotherapy on the incidence of
      micrometastases has been reported in patients with colorectal liver metastases
      (CLMs); however, the actual influence of chemotherapy on the distribution of
      micrometastases and surgical curability remains unclear. METHOD: The clinical
      impact of preoperative chemotherapy on the incidence and distribution of
      micrometastases was assessed in 191 patients with 357 CLM nodules. Potential
      radiologic measures for predicting the extent of microscopic cancer spread and
      surgical curability were then sought among the size-based and non-size-based
      radiologic response criteria. RESULTS: Multivariate analysis estimated a reduced
      incidence of micrometastases in patients receiving preoperative chemotherapy
      (odds ratio [OR] 0.45, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.26-0.76, p = 0.003).
      Furthermore, the addition of biologic agents to the preoperative chemotherapy
      regimen was correlated with a reduced incidence of microscopic cancer spread
      beyond a width of 1 mm from the margin of the main tumor (OR 0.28, 95% CI 0.11
      0.74, p = 0.010 for bevacizumab; and OR 0.29, 95% CI 0.09-0.99, p = 0.048 for
      anti-epidermal growth factor receptor antibody). Receiver operating
      characteristic analyses revealed that the computed tomography (CT) morphologic
      response showed a moderate predictive power for the distribution of
      micrometastases, with an area under the curve of 0.687, while size-based response
      criteria were not reliable for estimating the extent of microscopic cancer
      spread. CONCLUSION: Notwithstanding the potential selection of patients after
      preoperative chemotherapy, the incidence and distribution of micrometastases may
      be reduced by preoperative chemotherapy. CT morphologic response may be a
      reliable predictor of both the degree of microscopic cancer spread and the
      curability of surgery.

PMID- 28349339
TI  - An Analysis of Tumor- and Surgery-Related Factors that Contribute to Inadvertent
      Positive Margins Following Soft Tissue Sarcoma Resection.
AB  - BACKGROUND: The risk of local recurrence (LR) after soft tissue sarcoma (STS)
      resection is higher in the setting of inadvertent positive margins (IPMs). This
      study assessed whether both tumor- and surgery-related factors contribute to
      IPMs, and whether tumor- versus surgery-related IPMs differ in LR or overall
      survival (OS). METHODS: Retrospective review of a tertiary center database
      identified patients with IPMs following STS resection between 1989 and 2014. Of
      2234 resected STSs, 309 (13%) had positive margins; 89 (4%) were IPMs. Mean
      follow-up was 52 months, mean tumor size was 9.2 cm, and 55% were high grade.
      Cases were categorized as surgery-related (67, 75%) or tumor-related (22, 25%).
      RESULTS: There was a significant difference in positive margin location, with the
      deep margin commonly involved in surgery-related IPMs (55% vs. 9%; p < 0.001).
      Tissue type also differed (p = 0.01), with surgery-related IPMs frequently in
      muscle (33%), while tumor-related IPMs favored subcutaneous tissues (41%). STSs
      with surgery-related IPMs were larger (p = 0.01). Histologic subtypes differed (p
      = 0.02), with myxofibrosarcoma and undifferentiated pleomorphic sarcoma/malignant
      fibrous histiocytoma predominating in tumor-related IPMs (82%). The cumulative
      probability of LR after IPMs, with death as a competing risk, was 28% (95%
      confidence interval [CI] 18-35) at 5 years and 37% (95% CI 24-45) at 10 years.
      Mortality was 28% (95% CI 18-38) at 5 years and 38% (26-50) at 10 years. There
      was no difference in LR (p = 0.91) or OS (p = 0.44) between surgery- and tumor
      related IPMS. CONCLUSIONS: IPMs after STS resection results in substantial LR
      risk. While demonstrating distinct surgery- and tumor-related contributions,
      there was no between-group difference in LR or OS. These results may aid in
      avoiding IPMs. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Therapeutic Level III, retrospective
      comparative study.

PMID- 28349340
TI  - Continuing Medical Education: A Cross Sectional Study on a Developing Country's
      Perspective.
AB  - To determine the attitude of general practitioners towards continuing medical
      education (CME) and reasons motivating or hindering them from attending CME
      procedures, we conducted a cross-sectional survey from November 2013 to April
      2014 in Karachi. Three hundred general practitioners who possessed a medical
      license for practice in Pakistan filled a pre-designed questionnaire consisting
      of questions pertaining to attitudes towards CME. Data was entered and analyzed
      using SPSS v16.0. 70.3% (n = 211) of the participants were males. Mean age was
      47.75 +/- 9.47 years. Only 67.33% knew about CME and only 52% had attended a CME
      session. Reasons for attending CME procedures reported were: need for updating
      knowledge, skills and competencies (67.30%), opportunity to meet colleagues
      (18.58%) and presenting scientific papers (8.97%). Mean Likert score was 1.67 (+/
      0.667) for those who thought CME is worthwhile and 1.44 (+/-0.686) for those who
      consider their clinical duties as the major hurdle in attending CME procedures.
      Most common cause for not attending CME was lack of knowledge (32.66%) followed
      by time constraint (24%). Most physicians were not sufficiently informed about
      the potential benefits of CME and had never attended a CME session. Most common
      reason for attending CME procedures reported was need for updating knowledge,
      skills and competencies while reasons hindering physicians from attending CME
      were lack of knowledge and time constraint.

PMID- 28349342
TI  - In silico screening of dicarboxylic acids for cocrystallization with
      phenylpiperazine derivatives based on both cocrystallization propensity and
      solubility advantage.
AB  - In silico screening was performed to search for binary solids in which a
      phenylpiperazine-derivative drug was cocrystallized with a dicarboxylic acid. The
      phenylpiperazine derivative could be any of 61 such drugs, while the dicarboxylic
      acid could be any of nine such acids. The uniqueness of this approach was that
      two criteria had to be fulfilled simultaneously, namely a high propensity for
      cocrystallization and a sufficient solubility advantage. Using the mixing
      enthalpies of selected pairs of crystal formers with high affinities for one
      another permitted the classification of candidates with a high probability of
      cocrystallization. Further modeling of the solubility advantage allowed the
      identification of many binary solids that potentially exhibit significantly
      enhanced solubility in water. Based on the computed values for the mixing
      enthalpies and solubility advantage factors, it was concluded that dicarboxylic
      acids are both excellent coformers for cocrystallization with phenylpiperazines
      and very good solubility enhancers; indeed, the use of dicarboxylic acids as
      coformers would allow the degree of dissolution to be tuned for many of the
      studied drugs. The observed similarities of the cocrystallization landscapes of
      the studied drugs and excipients were also explored.

PMID- 28349341
TI  - Knowledge and opinion of pharmacists on emergency contraceptive pills in Hungary.
AB  - Background Emergency contraceptive pills (ECPs) are used to prevent unintended
      pregnancy. There is a worldwide intention to improve access to ECPs; therefore,
      identifying potential barriers to introducing over-the counter (OTC) access is of
      utmost importance. As pharmacists are the key personnel to convey accurate drug
      information, their knowledge and attitude on ECPs is important. Objective We
      aimed to conduct a nationwide study to assess pharmacists' knowledge on ECPs and
      to survey their opinion on sales category change of ECPs (i.e. to introduce OTC
      access in pharmacies). Setting Registered pharmacists in Hungary. Method A
      prospective cross-sectional study was conducted with an anonymous, web-based
      questionnaire. Univariate analysis (Mann-Whitney U test and Fischer's exact test)
      was used to identify factors associated with supportive opinion toward OTC
      provision. Main outcome measure Knowledge level of pharmacists, proportion of
      pharmacists with supportive opinion on OTC access. Results 357 out of 2019
      pharmacists completed the questionnaire, yielding a 17.7% response rate. Almost
      30% of pharmacists (N = 99) agreed that ECPs should have an OTC availability in
      Hungary. More than 40% of pharmacists (N = 145) considered ECPs as
      contraceptives. On average, 55.18% (standard deviation: +/-12.40%) of the answers
      were correct, showing moderate knowledge of the pharmacists. Age and rating ECPs
      as contraceptives were significantly associated with supportive opinion toward
      OTC provision (p < 0.001). The effect of knowledge on the pharmacist's opinion
      was significant in young pharmacists (p = 0.02). Conclusion Pharmacists'
      knowledge and opinion on ECPs should be improved, especially that of the young
      ones. Currently the attitude of pharmacists does not favor sales category changes
      of ECPs in Hungary.

PMID- 28349343
TI  - Characterization and evaluation of a peptide-based siRNA delivery system in
      vitro.
AB  - Since its inception more than a decade ago, gene silencing mediated by double
      stranded small interfering RNA (siRNA) has been widely investigated as a
      potential therapeutic approach for a variety of diseases. However, the use of
      siRNA is hampered by its rapid degradation and poor cellular uptake in vitro and
      in vivo. Recently, peptide-based carriers have been applied to siRNA delivery, as
      an alternative to the traditional delivery systems. Here, a histidine-containing
      amphipathic amino acid pairing peptide, C6M3, which can form complexes with
      siRNA, was used as a new siRNA delivery system. This peptide exhibited a high
      affinity for siRNA and ability to efficiently deliver siRNA into the cells. The
      interaction of C6M3 with siRNA was investigated to determine the loading capacity
      of C6M3 at different peptide/siRNA molar ratios. At C6M3/siRNA molar ratio of
      10/1, siRNA molecules were entirely associated with C6M3 as indicated by a gel
      electrophoretic assay and further confirmed by zeta potential analysis. The
      particle size distribution of the C6M3-siRNA complexes was studied using dynamic
      light scattering, which showed an intensity-based size distribution peaked
      approximately at 100 nm in RNase-free water and 220 nm in the Opti-MEM medium.
      C6M3 adopted a helical secondary structure in RNase-free water and became more so
      after forming complexes with siRNA. The interaction of siRNA with C6M3 is an
      entropy-driven spontaneous process, as determined by isothermal titration
      calorimetry (ITC) study. The efficiency of cellular uptake of the siRNA complexes
      at different C6M3/siRNA molar ratios was evaluated, and the results showed that
      C6M3 promoted efficient cellular uptake of siRNA into cells. Furthermore, a
      significant level of GAPDH gene silencing efficiency (69%) was achieved in CHO-K1
      cells, with minimal cytotoxicity.

PMID- 28349344
TI  - Long-term abstinence and predictors of tobacco treatment uptake among
      hospitalized smokers with serious mental illness enrolled in a smoking cessation
      trial.
AB  - Hospital patients with serious mental illness (SMI) have high rates of smoking.
      There are few post-discharge treatment models available for this population and
      limited research on their treatment uptake following discharge. This study is a
      secondary analysis of an RCT that compared multi-session intensive telephone
      counseling versus referral to state quitline counseling at two safety net
      hospitals in New York City. For this analysis, we selected all trial participants
      with a history of schizophrenia, schizoaffective disorder or bipolar disorder (N
      = 384) and used multivariable logistic regression to compare groups on self
      reported 30-day abstinence at 6 months and to identify patient factors associated
      with use of tobacco treatment. Analyses found no significant group differences in
      abstinence 6 months (28% quitline vs. 29% intervention, p > 0.05), use of
      cessation medications (42% quitline vs. 47% intervention, p > 0.05) or receipt of
      at least one counseling call (47% quitline vs. 42% intervention, p > 0.05).
      Patients with hazardous drinking (p = 0.04) or perceived good health (p = 0.03)
      were less likely to use cessation medications. Homeless patients were less likely
      to use counseling (p = 0.02). Most patients did not use cessation treatment after
      discharge, and the intensive intervention did not improve abstinence rates over
      quitline referral. Interventions are needed to improve use of cessation treatment
      and long-term abstinence in patients with SMI.

PMID- 28349347
TI  - Cardiac tamponade due to pyopneumopericardium from malignant bronchopericardial
      fistula.

PMID- 28349346
TI  - Two pathways of photoproduction of organic hydroperoxides on the donor side of
      photosystem 2 in subchloroplast membrane fragments.
AB  - Earlier the catalase-insensitive formation of organic hydroperoxides (via the
      interaction of organic radicals produced due to redox activity of P680+. (or
      TyrZ.) with molecular oxygen) has been found in Mn-depleted PS2 preparations (apo
      WOC-PS2) by Khorobrykh et al. (Biochemistry 50:10658-10665, 2011). The present
      work describes a second pathway of the photoproduction of organic peroxides on
      the donor side of PS2. It was shown that illumination of CaCl2-treated PS2
      membranes (deprived of the PS2 extrinsic proteins without removal of the Mn
      containing water-oxidizing complex) (CaCl2-PS2) led to the photoproduction of
      highly lipophilic organic hydroperoxides (LP-OOH) (in amount corresponding to 1.5
      LP-OOH per one reaction center of PS2) which significantly increased upon the
      addition of exogenous electron acceptor potassium ferricyanide (to 4.2 LP-OOH per
      one reaction center). Addition of catalase (200 U/ml) before illumination
      inhibited ferricyanide-induced photoproduction of hydroperoxides while no effect
      was obtained by adding catalase after illumination or by adding inactivated
      catalase before illumination. The hydroperoxide photoproduction was inhibited by
      the addition of exogenous electron donor for PS2, diphenylcarbazide or diuron
      (inhibitor of the electron transfer in PS2). The addition of exogenous hydrogen
      peroxide to the CaCl2-PS2 led to the production of highly lipophilic organic
      hydroperoxides in the dark (3.2 LP-OOH per one reaction center). We suggest that
      the photoproduction of highly lipophilic organic hydroperoxides in CaCl2-PS2
      preparations occurs via redox activity of H2O2 produced on the donor side of PS2.

PMID- 28349345
TI  - Photodynamic inactivation of Paracoccidioides brasiliensis helps the outcome of
      oral paracoccidiodomycosis.
AB  - The antifungal drug therapy often employed to treat paracoccidiodomycosis (PCM),
      an important neglected fungal systemic infection, leads to offensive adverse
      effects, besides being very long-lasting. In addition, PCM compromises the oral
      health of patients by leading to oral lesions that are very painful and
      disabling. In that way, photodynamic therapy (PDT) arises as a new promising
      adjuvant treatment for inactivating Paracoccidioides brasiliensis (Pb), the
      responsible fungus for PCM, and also for helping the patients to deal with such
      debilitating oral lesions. PDT has been linked to an improved microbial killing,
      also presenting the advantage of not inducing immediate microbial resistance such
      as drugs. For the present study, we investigated the generation of reactive
      oxygen species (ROS) by using the fluorescent probes hydroxyphenyl fluorescein
      (HPF) and aminophenyl fluorescein (APF) after toluidine blue (TBO-37.5 mg/L)
      mediated PDT (660 nm, 40 mW, and 0.04 cm2 spot area) and the action of TBO-PDT
      upon Pb cultures grown for 7 or 15 days in semisolid Fava Netto's culture medium;
      we also targeted oral PCM manifestations by reporting the first clinical cases
      (three patients) to receive topic PDT for such purpose. We were able to show a
      significant generation of hydroxyl radicals and hypochlorite after TBO-PDT with
      doses around 90 J/cm2; such ROS generation was particularly useful to attack and
      inactivate Pb colonies at 7 and 15 days. All three patients reported herein
      related an immediate relief when it came to pain, mouth opening, and also the
      ability to chew and swallow. As extracted from our clinical results, which are in
      fact based on in vitro outcomes, TBO-PDT is a very safe, inexpensive, and
      promising therapy for the oral manifestations of PCM.

PMID- 28349348
TI  - Study of the uses of Information and Communication Technologies by Pain Treatment
      Unit Physicians.
AB  - Adequate use of Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) in health has
      been shown to save the patient and caregiver time, improve access to the health
      system, improve diagnosis and control of disease or treatment. All this results
      in cost savings, and more importantly, they help improve the quality of service
      and the lives of patients. The purpose of this study is to analyse the
      differences in the uses of this ICTs between those physicians that belong to Pain
      Treatment Units (PU) and other physicians that work in pain not linked to these
      PUs. An online survey, generated by Netquest online survey tool, was sent to both
      groups of professionals and the data collected was statistical analysed through a
      logistic regression methodology which is the Logit binomial model. Our results
      show that those physicians that belong to PUs use ICTs more frequently and
      consider it more relevant to their clinical practice.

PMID- 28349349
TI  - Acute Disseminated Talaromyces marneffei in An Immunocompetent Patient.
AB  - Talaromyces marneffei (also called Penicilliosis Marneffei or T. marneffei) is a
      rare fungal disease that is prevalent mainly in Southeast Asia and commonly seen
      in immunocompromised hosts. It was rarely observed in immunocompetent hosts. We
      report a case of acute disseminated T. marneffei in an immunocompetent patient in
      the non-prevalent region. This patient had never visited the endemic area. The
      patient experienced a persistent fever. Brain CT and magnetic resonance imaging
      (MRI) showed a mass in the right frontal with osteolytic damage. Excessive white
      blood cell (WBC) count and C-reactive protein content were observed. Antibiotics
      including meropenem and linezolid could not play an effect, and another two hard
      masses appeared in his right neck and front chest wall. The aspirates from the
      right frontal mass and bone marrow were cultured. The final diagnose of this
      infection was disseminated T. marneffei. After voriconazole treatment, all
      symptoms improved gradually. We present this case and aim to promote more
      clinicians and microbiologists in the non-endemic region to recognize this rare
      disease.

PMID- 28349350
TI  - Visual Snow: a Potential Cortical Hyperexcitability Syndrome.
AB  - OPINION STATEMENT: The purpose of this review is to provide an overview of visual
      snow (VS) and provide information regarding current treatment options for VS.
      Visual snow (VS) is a rare disorder manifesting with a persistent visual
      phenomenon of seeing numerous tiny snow-like dots throughout the visual field,
      and it can cause debilitating visual and psychological consequences. It is
      emerging as a disorder separate from, but associated with, migraine visual aura,
      and neuronal cortical hyperexcitability is being considered as a theoretical
      mechanism for the persistent-positive visual symptoms. There are few studies that
      have investigated the treatment of VS, but as our understanding of this entity
      begins to change, we expect that new treatment approaches and treatment trials
      will emerge in the next decade. Currently, our approach is to consider
      pharmacologic treatment for all patients with VS who report decreased quality of
      life as a result of VS. Resolution of the disorder is difficult to accomplish
      with treatment, but in our experience, even when symptom intensity is simply
      reduced, many patients find that there is an improvement in their quality of life
      that is beneficial. Our preferred treatment options include: (1) oral lamotrigine
      with a slow increase from 25 mg daily to a maintenance dose of 200-300 mg daily
      in divided doses as tolerated, and this is typically achieved by advancing the
      dose in increments of 25-50 mg weekly following the first 2 weeks of therapy; (2)
      oral acetazolamide with an initial dose of 250 mg daily followed by a slow
      increase over 1-2 weeks to a total of 1000 mg daily in divided doses, and higher
      doses can be tolerated by some without increasing the risk-benefit ratio; or (3)
      oral verapamil long-acting at 120-240 mg daily, and if side effects limit the
      dose the can be initiated, then lower doses with short-acting verapamil two or
      three times daily can be substituted until higher doses with the long-acting
      formula can be tolerated. By initiating drug treatments with low doses and slowly
      increasing over 1 to 4 weeks, tolerability and compliance improves and allows
      patients to realize the full benefits of treatment. The proposed mechanisms of
      microstructural cortical abnormalities and hyperexcitability as a cause of VS may
      lead to new treatment approaches in the future. Until such a time, medications
      reported to relieve persistent visual phenomena of migraine and visual aura of
      migraine are treatment options worth considering and these are reviewed for that
      purpose. Although clinical trials for the treatment of visual snow are lacking
      due to the rarity of the disorder, medications reviewed here should be considered
      for use in patients with VS who experience an impact on their quality of life.
      Theoretical mechanisms that lead to cortical hyperexcitability are being
      investigated and could lead to new treatment options. In the meantime,
      medications may provide benefits in this disabling condition.

PMID- 28349351
TI  - Advanced MRI Techniques in the Monitoring of Treatment of Gliomas.
AB  - OPINION STATEMENT: With advances in treatments and survival of patients with
      glioblastoma (GBM), it has become apparent that conventional imaging sequences
      have significant limitations both in terms of assessing response to treatment and
      monitoring disease progression. Both 'pseudoprogression' after chemoradiation for
      newly diagnosed GBM and 'pseudoresponse' after anti-angiogenesis treatment for
      relapsed GBM are well-recognised radiological entities. This in turn has led to
      revision of response criteria away from the standard MacDonald criteria, which
      depend on the two-dimensional measurement of contrast-enhancing tumour, and which
      have been the primary measure of radiological response for over three decades. A
      working party of experts published RANO (Response Assessment in Neuro-oncology
      Working Group) criteria in 2010 which take into account signal change on T2/FLAIR
      sequences as well as the contrast-enhancing component of the tumour. These have
      recently been modified for immune therapies, which are associated with specific
      issues related to the timing of radiological response. There has been increasing
      interest in quantification and validation of physiological and metabolic
      parameters in GBM over the last 10 years utilising the wide range of advanced
      imaging techniques available on standard MRI platforms. Previously, MRI would
      provide structural information only on the anatomical location of the tumour and
      the presence or absence of a disrupted blood-brain barrier. Advanced MRI
      sequences include proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS), vascular imaging
      (perfusion/permeability) and diffusion imaging (diffusion weighted
      imaging/diffusion tensor imaging) and are now routinely available. They provide
      biologically relevant functional, haemodynamic, cellular, metabolic and
      cytoarchitectural information and are being evaluated in clinical trials to
      determine whether they offer superior biomarkers of early treatment response than
      conventional imaging, when correlated with hard survival endpoints.
      Multiparametric imaging, incorporating different combinations of these
      modalities, improves accuracy over single imaging modalities but has not been
      widely adopted due to the amount of post-processing analysis required, lack of
      clinical trial data, lack of radiology training and wide variations in threshold
      values. New techniques including diffusion kurtosis and radiomics will offer a
      higher level of quantification but will require validation in clinical trial
      settings. Given all these considerations, it is clear that there is an urgent
      need to incorporate advanced techniques into clinical trial design to avoid the
      problems of under or over assessment of treatment response.

PMID- 28349352
TI  - The Clinical Importance of Periodic Leg Movements in Sleep.
AB  - OPINION STATEMENT: Periodic leg movements during sleep (PLMS) are commonly found
      in patients with restless leg syndrome (RLS), but they may occur in other sleep
      disorders and several medical conditions. Their prevalence increases with age,
      but they can also be observed in children. During the last decades, very active
      research has been devoted to determine and understand the pathophysiology,
      associated events, and clinical significance of PLMS. This chapter tries to sum
      up the most relevant PLMS-related findings, focusing on the relationship between
      PLMS and the cardiovascular system, in order to understand the clinical
      implication of this complex motor phenomenon. PLMS have been associated with
      sympathetic overactivity, namely surges in nocturnal blood pressure and heart
      rate, without modification in global autonomic balance. Also, PLMS have been
      related to inflammatory cellular pathways, with elevated level of inflammatory
      markers, which are associated with cardiovascular risk. The PLMS-related
      modulation of the autonomic system and of inflammation may increase
      cardiovascular and cerebrovascular risk in subjects with frequent PLMS. Moreover,
      also, comorbidities associated with PLMS may play a synergic role in worsening
      the cardiovascular risk and the consequent mortality and morbidity. Furthermore,
      little is known about pathophysiological correlates in children with PLMS and
      their chronic implication on the cardiovascular and cerebrovascular systems. A
      few studies have suggested that treating PLMS with dopaminergic drugs may reduce
      their associated sympathetic overactivity and modify disease progression.
      Definitely, further research is needed to assess the clinical impact of PLMS,
      associated or not with RLS, and above all the long-term impact of treating PLMS
      on cardiovascular risk, morbidity, and mortality.

PMID- 28349353
TI  - Management of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease in Patients with
      Cardiovascular Diseases.
AB  - Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and cardiovascular diseases often
      coexist. The mechanistic links between these two diseases are complex,
      multifactorial and not entirely understood, but they can influence the
      therapeutic approach. Therapy can be primarily directed towards treating the
      respiratory symptoms and reducing lung inflammation. Smoking cessation,
      bronchodilators and inhaled corticosteroids are central to this therapeutic
      approach. The underlying pathophysiological mechanisms that are responsible for
      the increased cardiovascular risk in COPD remain unclear, but might include
      arterial stiffness, inflammation and endothelial dysfunction as a consequence of
      systemic exposure to chemicals in cigarette smoke or airborne pollution.
      Therefore, it is plausible that treatment of cardiovascular co-morbidities might
      reduce morbidity and mortality in patients with COPD and, consequently, therapy
      of COPD should be shifted to the treatment of cardiovascular diseases and
      systemic inflammation. In support of this approach, early data suggest that
      patients with COPD treated with angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors,
      angiotensin II type 1 receptor blockers, statins, anti-platelet drugs or beta
      adrenoceptor blockers may have improved survival and reduced hospitalisation from
      acute exacerbations of COPD. In this review, the potential impact of traditional
      therapies for COPD that are centred on treating the lungs and newer strategies
      potentially able to affect and mitigate cardiovascular risks in patients with
      COPD are discussed.

PMID- 28349355
TI  - Polymerase spiral reaction (PSR): a novel, visual isothermal amplification method
      for detection of canine parvovirus 2 genomic DNA.
AB  - Canine parvovirus-2 (CPV-2), which is ubiquitously distributed worldwide, causes
      severe and often fatal gastroenteritis in dogs. Accurate, differential and rapid
      diagnosis of canine parvoviral enteritis remains a challenge for clinicians. A
      recently developed isothermal amplification technique, polymerase spiral reaction
      (PSR), was optimized for the first time for a viral pathogen with reference
      recombinant plasmid standards from different CPV-2 antigenic variants (CPV-2, CPV
      2a, CPV-2b and CPV-2c) and subsequently validated using clinical samples.
      Addition of chromogenic substrate SYBR Green I after the completion of the
      reaction resulted in bright green fluorescence in positive samples, while
      negative samples and a no-template control remained orange. These results were
      further substantiated through visualization of a laddering pattern of the PSR
      amplified product in an agarose gel in positive cases and the absence of this
      pattern in no-template control and negative samples. The PSR assay was found to
      be highly specific, as it did not react with other putative canine pathogens
      (canine adenovirus 1 and canine distemper virus). The sensitivity of the newly
      developed PSR technique was compared with that of conventional PCR, real-time PCR
      and LAMP, using a serial tenfold dilution of canine parvovirus DNA. The detection
      limit of PSR was found to be at the femtogram level, which is comparable with
      that of real-time PCR and LAMP, which are ten times more sensitive than
      conventional PCR. The assay was validated using 90 clinical samples, of which 54
      were found positive, while only 45 samples were positive in conventional PCR.
      This novel assay, which is fully compliant with the 'ASSURED' concept for disease
      diagnosis, provides a simple, rapid, specific, sensitive and cost-effective
      method for diagnosis of canine parvoviral enteritis in veterinary clinics.

PMID- 28349354
TI  - Novel avian leukosis viruses from domestic chicken breeds in mainland China.
AB  - Two novel avian leukosis viruses (ALVs) were isolated from 1380 whole blood
      samples taken from domestic chicken breeds in China. The two ALVs were uniquely
      different from the env (Envelope) genes of ALV A-J and carried an LTR (long
      terminal repeat) cluster from ALV-E. Large scale sequence analysis further showed
      that these ALVs (with different env and LTRs) were recently endemic in domestic
      chicken breeds in both China and Japan. The emergence of these novel ALVs is
      challenging the current ALV eradication program, and as such novel ALVs should be
      monitored in a timely and careful manner to stop their transmission and further
      recombination in the future.

PMID- 28349356
TI  - Emergence of a deviating genotype VI pigeon paramyxovirus type-1 isolated from
      India.
AB  - Pigeon paramyxovirus type 1 (PPMV-1) is an antigenic variant of avian
      paramyxovirus type 1 (APMV-1), which infects pigeons. The virus causes high
      morbidity and mortality, creating an alarming state for the poultry industry. The
      present work describes the molecular and pathogenic characterization of a PPMV-1
      strain isolated from pigeon in Bhopal, India. Complete genome sequence analysis
      revealed a genome of 15,192 nucleotides encoding six genes organized in the order
      3'-N-P-M-F-HN-L-5'. The fusion gene sequence analysis showed the presence of
      multiple basic amino acids 112R-R-Q-K-R-F117 at the cleavage site corresponding
      to pathogenic strains. The mean death time and intracerebral pathogenicity index
      values indicated a mesogenic nature for the PPMV-1 isolate. On phylogenetic
      analysis, the strain clustered with genotype VI viruses, including isolates from
      pigeon and dove. The Bhopal strain showed significant intra and inter-genotype
      evolutionary distance, suggesting the emergence of a new sub-genotype, VIj.

PMID- 28349357
TI  - Characterization of siRNAs derived from cucumber mosaic virus in infected tobacco
      plants.
AB  - This study characterized the viral small interfering RNAs (vsiRNAs) from
      Nicotiana tabacum cv. Samsun infected with a cucumber mosaic virus (CMV) 2b
      deficient mutant. Most vsiRNAs were 21 -22 nucleotides in length and the 5'
      terminal ends were dominated by A and U, respectively. The observed vsiRNAs were
      heterogeneously distributed throughout the CMV genome; however, most of the
      vsiRNAs were derived from sense strands, as opposed to antisense strands. These
      results demonstrate the conserved and specific function of Dicer-like (DCL),
      Argonaute (AGO) and RNA-dependent RNA polymerase (RDR) proteins in tobacco.
      Finally, it was revealed that vsiRNAs target abundant host genes, indicating
      complex roles for CMV vsiRNAs during the development of symptoms.

PMID- 28349358
TI  - CRISPR-Cas9 and CRISPR-Cpf1 mediated targeting of a stomatal developmental gene
      EPFL9 in rice.
AB  - KEY MESSAGE: CRISPR-Cas9/Cpf1 system with its unique gene targeting efficiency,
      could be an important tool for functional study of early developmental genes
      through the generation of successful knockout plants. The introduction and
      utilization of systems biology approaches have identified several genes that are
      involved in early development of a plant and with such knowledge a robust tool is
      required for the functional validation of putative candidate genes thus obtained.
      The development of the CRISPR-Cas9/Cpf1 genome editing system has provided a
      convenient tool for creating loss of function mutants for genes of interest. The
      present study utilized CRISPR/Cas9 and CRISPR-Cpf1 technology to knock out an
      early developmental gene EPFL9 (Epidermal Patterning Factor like-9, a positive
      regulator of stomatal development in Arabidopsis) orthologue in rice. Germ-line
      mutants that were generated showed edits that were carried forward into the T2
      generation when Cas9-free homozygous mutants were obtained. The homozygous mutant
      plants showed more than an eightfold reduction in stomatal density on the abaxial
      leaf surface of the edited rice plants. Potential off-target analysis showed no
      significant off-target effects. This study also utilized the CRISPR-LbCpf1
      (Lachnospiracae bacterium Cpf1) to target the same OsEPFL9 gene to test the
      activity of this class-2 CRISPR system in rice and found that Cpf1 is also
      capable of genome editing and edits get transmitted through generations with
      similar phenotypic changes seen with CRISPR-Cas9. This study demonstrates the
      application of CRISPR-Cas9/Cpf1 to precisely target genomic locations and develop
      transgene-free homozygous heritable gene edits and confirms that the loss of
      function analysis of the candidate genes emerging from different systems biology
      based approaches, could be performed, and therefore, this system adds value in
      the validation of gene function studies.

PMID- 28349359
TI  - Therapeutic Drug Monitoring of Lacosamide in Norway: Focus on Pharmacokinetic
      Variability, Efficacy and Tolerability.
AB  - Lacosamide (LCM) is a new antiepileptic drug (AED). Experience from therapeutic
      drug monitoring (TDM) in clinical practice is limited. The purpose of this study
      is to evaluate the pharmacokinetic variability of LCM in relation to efficacy and
      tolerability in patients with refractory epilepsy in a real-life setting.
      Variables included age, gender, daily doses and serum concentrations of LCM and
      other AEDs from the TDM-database at the National Center for Epilepsy in Norway.
      Clinical data regarding efficacy and tolerability were collected from medical
      records. The Norwegian Prescription Database (NorPD) was used to include
      population-based numbers of users. TDM-data from 344 patients were included. The
      median dose, serum concentration, and concentration/dose (C/D)-ratio of LCM was
      350 (range 25-700) mg/day, 19.7 (range 8.1-56.2) umol/L, and 0.06 (0.02-0.82)
      umol/L/mg, respectively. Serum concentrations were reduced by 28% by concomitant
      use of enzyme inducers and increased by 30% in patients aged >65 years. Efficacy
      and tolerability were assessed in 227 patients: 29% had >50% seizure reduction
      (eight seizure free), 30% had no effect, and 44% reported adverse effects. In
      Norway, there were on average 500 patients per year using LCM in this period
      based on NorPD. The study demonstrated pharmacokinetic variability and use of TDM
      of LCM in Norway. Data were collected from multiple sources for improved
      pharmacovigilance. Serum concentrations were influenced by enzyme inducers and
      ageing, indicating the usefulness of TDM. Effect and tolerability were favorable
      within a suggested reference range of 10-40 umol/L given drug-fasting conditions.

PMID- 28349360
TI  - Decreased Glutamatergic Activity in the Frontal Cortex of Single Prolonged Stress
      Model: In vivo and Ex Vivo Proton MR Spectroscopy.
AB  - Single prolonged stress (SPS) is one of the preclinical models of posttraumatic
      stress disorder (PTSD) in humans. Not every traumatized person develops PTSD and
      the onset of the disease varies from months to many years after exposure to life
      threatening events. The pathogenetic neurometabolites in PTSD have not been
      investigated to date, and could provide a means for therapeutic interventions.
      Therefore the present study aimed to evaluate neurochemical changes in the
      frontal cortex in the SPS model during time-dependent sensitization using in vivo
      and ex vivo proton magnetic spectroscopy (1H-MRS). Twenty-one male Sprague-Dawley
      rats (200-220 g) were randomly assigned into two groups (Control, n = 10; SPS, n
      = 11). SPS consists of three consecutive stressors (restraint, forced swimming,
      and ether exposure) followed by 7 days without disturbance. In vivo 1H-MRS scans
      were conducted at baseline, immediately after SPS, and 3 and 7 days after SPS to
      quantify time-dependent alterations in the frontal cortex. On day 7, all animals
      were sacrificed and ex vivo 1H-MRS was performed. After SPS exposure, the SPS
      group showed signs of excitatory activities (glutamate) and cellular membrane
      turnover (choline and total choline) for 7 days. After the time-sensitization
      period, the SPS group showed lower glutamate and creatine levels and higher
      choline and lactate levels than the control group. These results indicate that
      SPS induces sustained adaptation of glutamatergic neuronal activity in the
      frontal cortex. Therefore, we conclude that SPS-induced stress reduces
      glutamatergic metabolism in the frontal cortex.

PMID- 28349361
TI  - Transient Cerebral Ischemia Alters GSK-3beta and p-GSK-3beta Immunoreactivity in
      Pyramidal Neurons and Induces p-GSK-3beta Expression in Astrocytes in the Gerbil
      Hippocampal CA1 Area.
AB  - Glycogen synthase kinase 3beta (GSK-3beta) is a key downstream protein in the
      PI3K/Akt pathway. Phosphorylation of serine 9 of GSK-3beta (GSK-3beta activity
      inhibition) promotes cell survival. In this study, we examined changes in
      expressions of GSK-3beta and phosphorylation of GSK-3beta (p-GSK-3beta) in the
      gerbil hippocampal CA1 area after 5 min of transient cerebral ischemia. GSK-3beta
      immunoreactivity in the CA1 area was increased in pyramidal cells at 6 h after
      ischemia-reperfusion. It was decreased in CA1 pyramidal cells from 12 h after
      ischemia-reperfusion, and hardly detected in the CA1 pyramidal cells at 5 days
      after ischemia-reperfusion. p-GSK-3beta immunoreactivity was slightly decreased
      in CA1 pyramidal cells at 6 and 12 h after ischemia-reperfusion. It was
      significantly increased in these cells at 1 and 2 days after ischemia
      reperfusion. Five days after ischemia-reperfusion, p-GSK-3beta immunoreactivity
      was hardly found in CA1 pyramidal cells. However, p-GSK-3beta immunoreactivity
      was strongly expressed in astrocytes primarily distributed in strata oriens and
      radiatum. In conclusion, GSK-3beta and p-GSK-3beta were significantly changed in
      pyramidal cells and/or astrocytes in the gerbil hippocampal CA1 area following 5
      min of transient cerebral ischemia. This finding indicates that GSK-3beta and p
      GSK-3beta are closely related to delayed neuronal death.

PMID- 28349362
TI  - Androgenetic alopecia: a review.
AB  - PURPOSE: Androgenetic alopecia, commonly known as male pattern baldness, is the
      most common type of progressive hair loss disorder in men. The aim of this paper
      is to review recent advances in understanding the pathophysiology and molecular
      mechanism of androgenetic alopecia. METHODS: Using the PubMed database, we
      conducted a systematic review of the literature, selecting studies published from
      1916 to 2016. RESULTS: The occurrence and development of androgenetic alopecia
      depends on the interaction of endocrine factors and genetic predisposition.
      Androgenetic alopecia is characterized by progressive hair follicular
      miniaturization, caused by the actions of androgens on the epithelial cells of
      genetically susceptible hair follicles in androgen-dependent areas. Although the
      exact pathogenesis of androgenetic alopecia remains to be clarified, research has
      shown that it is a polygenetic condition. Numerous studies have unequivocally
      identified two major genetic risk loci for androgenetic alopecia, on the X
      chromosome AR/EDA2R locus and the chromosome 20p11 locus. CONCLUSIONS: Candidate
      gene and genome-wide association studies have reported that single-nucleotide
      polymorphisms at different genomic loci are associated with androgenetic alopecia
      development. A number of genes determine the predisposition for androgenetic
      alopecia in a polygenic fashion. However, further studies are needed before the
      specific genetic factors of this polygenic condition can be fully explained.

PMID- 28349363
TI  - Social Attention, Joint Attention and Sustained Attention in Autism Spectrum
      Disorder and Williams Syndrome: Convergences and Divergences.
AB  - There is limited knowledge on shared and syndrome-specific attentional profiles
      in autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and Williams syndrome (WS). Using eye-tracking,
      we examined attentional profiles of 35 preschoolers with ASD, 22 preschoolers
      with WS and 20 typically developing children across social and non-social
      dimensions of attention. Children with ASD and those with WS presented with
      overlapping deficits in spontaneous visual engagement with the target of others'
      attention and in sustained attention. Children with ASD showed syndrome-specific
      abnormalities in monitoring and following a person's referential gaze, as well as
      a lack of preferential attention to social stimuli. Children with ASD and WS
      present with shared as well as syndrome-specific abnormalities across social and
      non-social dimensions of attention.

PMID- 28349364
TI  - Hierarchical Letters in ASD: High Stimulus Variability Under Different
      Attentional Modes.
AB  - Studies using hierarchical patterns to test global precedence and local-global
      interference in individuals with ASD have produced mixed results. The current
      study focused on stimulus variability and locational uncertainty, while using
      different attentional modes. Two groups of 44 children with and without ASD
      completed a divided attention task as well as a global and local selective
      attention task. The results revealed global-to-local and local-to-global
      interference in ASD, to the same extent as in the TD group. Both groups struggled
      with the same type of stimuli (i.e., ignoring the global level information) and
      performed similar in all three tasks. Future studies on (visual) information
      processing in ASD should pursue the impact of stimulus noise and trial-by-trial
      uncertainty further.

PMID- 28349367
TI  - Erratum to: Shame proneness and eating disorders: a comparison between clinical
      and non-clinical samples.

PMID- 28349366
TI  - The Inversion Effect for Chinese Characters is Modulated by Radical Organization.
AB  - In studies of visual object recognition, strong inversion effects accompany the
      acquisition of expertise and imply the involvement of configural processing.
      Chinese literacy results in sensitivity to the orthography of Chinese characters.
      While there is some evidence that this orthographic sensitivity results in an
      inversion effect, and thus involves configural processing, that processing might
      depend on exact orthographic properties. Chinese character recognition is
      believed to involve a hierarchical process, involving at least two lower levels
      of representation: strokes and radicals. Radicals are grouped into characters
      according to certain types of structure, i.e. left-right structure, top-bottom
      structure, or simple characters with only one radical by itself. These types of
      radical structures vary in both familiarity, and in hierarchical level (compound
      versus simple characters). In this study, we investigate whether the hierarchical
      level or familiarity of radical-structure has an impact on the magnitude of the
      inversion effect. Participants were asked to do a matching task on pairs of
      either upright or inverted characters with all the types of structure. Inversion
      effects were measured based on both reaction time and response sensitivity. While
      an inversion effect was observed in all 3 conditions, the magnitude of the
      inversion effect varied with radical structure, being significantly larger for
      the most familiar type of structure: characters consisting of 2 radicals
      organized from left to right. These findings indicate that character recognition
      involves extraction of configural structure as well as radical processing which
      play different roles in the processing of compound characters and simple
      characters.

PMID- 28349365
TI  - Psychometric Properties of the Autism-Spectrum Quotient for Assessing Low and
      High Levels of Autistic Traits in College Students.
AB  - The current study systematically investigated the effects of scoring and
      categorization methods on the psychometric properties of the Autism-Spectrum
      Quotient. Four hundred and three college students completed the Autism-Spectrum
      Quotient at least once. Total scores on the Autism-Spectrum Quotient had
      acceptable internal consistency and test-retest reliability using a binary or
      Likert scoring method, but the results were more varied for the subscales.
      Overall, Likert scoring yielded higher internal consistency and test-retest
      reliability than binary scoring. However, agreement in categorization of low and
      high autistic traits was poor over time (except for a median split on Likert
      scores). The results support using Likert scoring and administering the Autism
      Spectrum Quotient at the same time as the task of interest with neurotypical
      participants.

PMID- 28349368
TI  - Acculturation, out-group positivity and eating disorders symptoms among Emirati
      women.
AB  - Western acculturation has been implicated in the development of eating disorders
      among populations living outside Europe and North America. This study explored
      the relationship between Western acculturation, in-group/out-group evaluations
      and eating disorders symptoms among female citizens of the United Arab Emirates
      (UAE). Emirati college women (N = 209) completed an affective priming task,
      designed to implicitly assess in-group (Emirati) and out-group (American)
      evaluations. Participants also completed the Westernization Survey, a widely used
      self-report measure of acculturation, and the Eating Attitudes Test (EAT-26).
      Across the whole sample, out-group positivity was correlated with higher levels
      of eating disorder symptoms. Participants classified as at risk for eating
      disorders showed a clear out-group preference (out-group positivity greater than
      in-group positivity). Western acculturation was also positively correlated with
      eating disorder symptoms. Overall, these findings lend further support to the
      acculturation hypothesis of eating disorders in the context of Emirati college
      women.

PMID- 28349370
TI  - Solid Cell Nests and Cyst Heterogeneity in Thyroglosal Duct Cysts.

PMID- 28349369
TI  - Is snack consumption associated with meal skipping in children and adolescents?
      The CASPIAN-IV study.
AB  - PURPOSE: The present inquiry set to assess the relationship between snack
      consumption and meal skipping in Iranian children and adolescents. METHODS:
      Overall, 14,880 students, aged 6-18 years, were selected via multistage cluster
      sampling method from rural and urban areas of 30 provinces of Iran. A validated
      questionnaire of food behaviors including questions on snacks consumption and
      taking/skipping meals was completed. Consuming and skipping meals and their
      related factors were reported in both crude and adjusted models. RESULTS:
      Overall, 13,486 students with a mean age of 12.47 +/- 3.36 years completed the
      study (90.6% participation rate). Among them, 32.08, 8.89, and 10.90% skipped
      breakfast, lunch, and dinner, respectively. Compared to their counterpart groups,
      the frequency of meal skipping was higher in girls, urban inhabitants, and
      students in higher school grades (P < 0.05). Snack consumption was associated
      with an increased odds ratio of meal skipping in many types of snack groups.
      CONCLUSIONS: Meal skipping and snack consumption were frequent among Iranian
      children and adolescents. Evidence based interventions are proposed to improve
      the students' eating habits.

PMID- 28349371
TI  - Intraoral Salivary Duct Cyst: Clinical and Histopathologic Features of 177 Cases.
AB  - The salivary duct cyst (SDC) is a reactive ductal ectasia most frequently seen in
      major salivary glands, and likely caused by obstruction. The aim of this study is
      to define the clinical and histopathologic spectrum of intraoral SDCs. Cases were
      retrieved from the archives of Harvard School of Dental Medicine/StrataDx, Inc.
      from January 2012 to August 2014. There were 177 cases of which 103 (58.2%)
      occurred in females, with a median age of 56 (range 2-95). Approximately half of
      cases (45.8%) presented in the area of the buccal mucosa, lower lip mucosa, or
      mandibular vestibule, and 23.2% presented in the floor of mouth. SDCs were lined
      at least focally by 1-2 layers of cuboidal/columnar epithelium in 85.3% of cases
      and showed varying degrees of metaplasia (oncocytic, mucous cell, squamous,
      ciliated, apocrine-like) in 68.4% of cases. Intraluminal mucous stasis was
      present in 41.8% of SDCs, incipient calcification was present within 4.5% of
      SDCs, and chronic obstructive sialadenitis was seen in 90.2% of cases. No cysts
      showed adenomatous ductal proliferations or true papillary structures with
      fibrovascular cores, although 41.2% exhibited reactive undulation of cyst lining.
      Thirty-nine 'papillary oncocytic cystadenoma-like' SDCs (22.0%) demonstrated
      complete oncocytic metaplasia and marked undulation. An additional seven such
      cysts (4.0%) had a 'Warthin tumor-like' lymphoplasmacytic infiltrate. Intraoral
      SDCs occur most commonly in the sixth decade of life in locations distinct from
      extravasation mucoceles, likely secondary to intraluminal obstruction. SDCs show
      diverse histopathology and certain phenotypic variants may be mistaken for
      papillary oncocytic cystadenoma or Warthin tumor.

PMID- 28349373
TI  - A time-motion study of residents and medical students performing patient
      discharges from general internal medicine wards: a disjointed, interrupted
      process.
AB  - Patients are at high risk for adverse events after discharge from a hospital
      admission. As a critical and often time-consuming aspect of care for hospitalized
      patients, the purpose of this study was to describe the physician time, events
      and workflow in performing a patient discharge. On General Internal Medicine
      (GIM) wards at two academic medical centers in Toronto, a time-motion study was
      performed on 11 residents and 2 medical students performing 32 patient
      discharges. Using a paper data collection tool, a research associate aimed to
      capture the distribution of activities and the nature and frequency of workflow
      interruptions during patient discharges from the perspective of resident and
      medical student housestaff. Thirty-two GIM patient discharges by the 13
      housestaff were observed over a period of 116 h. Discharges required 69.2 +/-
      41.2 min of housestaff-dedicated time to complete, but spanned over a mean 3.7 h
      from start to finish. On average, 32.8 min (47.3%) of time spent on discharges
      was dedicated to documentation activities; 13.5 min (19.6%) to direct patient
      communication; 10.8 min (15.6%) to communication with other clinicians and
      providers; 6.5 min (9.4%) to arranging outpatient care; 5.7 min (8.2%) to time in
      transit and waiting. For each discharge, housestaff were interrupted a mean of
      5.5 times and switched tasks 8.7 times. During the discharge process, housestaff
      mainly dedicated themselves to documentation activities and focused minimally on
      direct patient communication. Clinicians were also found to experience several
      workflow inefficiencies and interruptions. The present study can be used to
      identify opportunities to improve and further focus efforts in characterizing
      this dynamic process.

PMID- 28349374
TI  - Release of Polyphenols Is the Major Factor Influencing the Bioconversion of Rice
      Straw to Lactic Acid.
AB  - In this study, we found that p-coumaric acid (p-CA), ferulic acid (FA), and
      condensed tannins were released from rice straw during saccharification. The
      presence of polyphenols prolonged the lag phase and lowered the productivity of
      lactic acid. p-CA was identified as a key inhibitor. Tannins had a lower
      inhibitory effect than p-CA; FA had little inhibitory effect. Acid, alkaline, and
      ball milling pretreatments elicited different levels of polyphenol release from
      rice straw. Due to the different levels of polyphenol release in the pretreatment
      step, the enzymatic hydrolysates contained different concentrations of
      polyphenols. Compared with fermentation with a synthetic medium, fermentation
      with the hydrolysates of ball-milled rice straw provided much lower productivity
      and yield of lactic acid due to the presence of polyphenols. Removal of these
      compounds played an important role in lactic acid fermentation. When rice straw
      was alkaline pretreated, the hydrolysates contained few phenolic compounds,
      resulting in high productivity and yield of lactic acid (1.8 g/L/h and 26.7 g/100
      g straw), which were comparable to those in a synthetic medium. This indicates
      that there is a correlation between removal of phenolic compounds and efficiency
      in lactic acid fermentation.

PMID- 28349372
TI  - NUT Midline Carcinoma of the Sublingual Gland: Clinical Presentation and Review.
AB  - NUT midline carcinoma (NMC) is a rare and aggressive disease encountered in the
      midline of the head and neck or mediastinum. Due to its sparse incidence and
      subtle pathologic features, we aim to increase knowledge and awareness for this
      pathologic entity. We present an exemplary case of a young, healthy male
      presenting with oral cavity pain and cervical lymphadenopathy. This patient was
      initially diagnosed with an unspecified, highly aggressive sublingual gland
      malignancy and underwent locoregional resection with free flap reconstruction
      however suffered a rapid local recurrence and widely extensive metastasis within
      just 1 month. After rigorous analysis, final pathologic diagnosis revealed a
      poorly differentiated carcinoma with evidence of squamous differentiation that
      eventually, post-mortem tested positive for NMC. Only one prior case of
      sublingual gland NMC has been previously reported as we discuss the literature
      regarding all sublingual gland malignancies as well as the pathologic features
      and treatment options for NMC. We recommend consideration of testing for the NUT
      proto-oncogene at the time of biopsy in the clinical setting of a poorly
      differentiated midline carcinoma, especially with squamous differentiation, of
      the head or neck in order to identify patients for clinical trial enrollment and
      appropriately counsel on the poor clinical prognosis. Improving clinician
      awareness is critical to increase diagnostic accuracy and need to study
      prospective treatment outcomes as the first step toward improving management of
      this difficult disease.

PMID- 28349375
TI  - Evaluation of Chitosan-Based Films Containing Gelatin, Chondroitin 4-Sulfate and
      ZnO for Wound Healing.
AB  - In this work, chitosan-based films containing gelatin and chondroitin-4-sulfate
      (C4S) with and without ZnO particles were produced and tested in vitro to
      investigate their potential wound healing properties. Chitosans were produced
      from shrimp-head processing waste by alkaline deacetylation of chitin to obtain
      chitosans differing in molecular weight and degree of deacetylation (80 +/-
      0.5%). The film-forming solutions (chitosan, C4S and gelatin) and ZnO suspension
      showed no toxicity towards fibroblasts or keratinocytes. Chitosan was able to
      agglutinate red blood cells, and film-forming solutions induced no hemolysis.
      Film components were released into solution when incubated in PBS as demonstrated
      by protein and sugar determination. These data suggest that a stable, chitosan
      based film with low toxicity and an ability to release components would be able
      to establish a biocompatible microenvironment for cell growth. Chitosan-based
      films significantly increased the percentage of wound healing (wound contraction
      from 65 to 86%) in skin with full-thickness excision when compared with control
      (51%), after 6 days. Moreover, histological analysis showed increased granulation
      tissue in chitosan and chitosan/gelatin/C4S/ZnO films. Chitosan-based biopolymer
      composites could be used for improved biomedical applications such as wound
      dressings, giving them enhanced properties.

PMID- 28349376
TI  - Broadly Neutralizing Antibodies as Treatment: Effects on Virus and Immune System.
AB  - PURPOSE OF REVIEW: The purpose of this study is to summarize recent advances in
      the use of broadly neutralizing antibodies (bNAbs) as therapeutics in human
      clinical trials and in non-human primate (NHP) models. We seek to highlight
      lessons from these studies with an emphasis on consequences to the virus and
      immune system. RECENT FINDINGS: In the past 10 years, advances in HIV-1 trimer
      structure and B cell isolation methods have precipitated the identification of
      "new-generation" anti-HIV antibodies with broad and potent neutralization. In the
      past 2 years, the concept of using these bNAbs as therapeutic tools has moved
      from NHP models into human clinical trials. These trials have investigated the
      effects of bNAb infusions into patients chronically infected with HIV-1, while
      the NHP model has investigated treatment during acute infection. Through this
      work, the relationship between in vitro breadth and potency and in vivo clinical
      effect, although unresolved, is gradually being elucidated. These results
      emphasize the need for combination antibody therapy.

PMID- 28349378
TI  - Gastrointestinal Tract: a Promising Target for the Management of Hypertension.
AB  - The pathogenesis of hypertension remains elusive. Current treatments on
      hypertension have only achieved modest reductions. Facilitating theoretical
      research and looking for new therapeutic strategy are urgently needed. Besides
      food digestion and nutrients absorption, the gastrointestinal tract (GI) has been
      shown to influence the status of the central nervous system, immune system,
      metabolism, and cardiovascular homeostasis. Emerging findings demonstrate that
      endogenous factors derived from GI including gut hormones, autonomic nerve, and
      gut microbiota play important roles in the regulation of vascular function and/or
      blood pressure. Meanwhile, evidences from clinical practice and experimental
      study have found that intervention in GI through metabolic surgery, probiotics
      consumption, and dietary modification can efficiently ameliorate or even remit
      hypertension and related cardiometabolic diseases. Thus, we propose that GI might
      be an initiating organ of hypertension and a promising target for the management
      of hypertension. Further, illuminating this concept may aid to understand the
      pathogenesis and control of hypertension.

PMID- 28349380
TI  - A new assay based on terminal restriction fragment length polymorphism of
      homocitrate synthase gene fragments for Candida species identification.
AB  - Candida sp. have been responsible for an increasing number of infections,
      especially in patients with immunodeficiency. Species-specific differentiation of
      Candida sp. is difficult in routine diagnosis. This identification can have a
      highly significant association in therapy and prophylaxis. This work has shown a
      new application of the terminal restriction fragment length polymorphism (t-RFLP)
      method in the molecular identification of six species of Candida, which are the
      most common causes of fungal infections. Specific for fungi homocitrate synthase
      gene was chosen as a molecular target for amplification. The use of three
      restriction enzymes, DraI, RsaI, and BglII, for amplicon digestion can generate
      species-specific fluorescence labeled DNA fragment profiles, which can be used to
      determine the diagnostic algorithm. The designed method can be a cost-efficient
      high-throughput molecular technique for the identification of six clinically
      important Candida species.

PMID- 28349379
TI  - Ulva pertusa lectin 1 delivery through adenovirus vector affects multiple
      signaling pathways in cancer cells.
AB  - Ulva pertusa lectin 1 (UPL1) is a N-acetyl-D-glucosamine (GlcNAc) binding lectin
      in marine green alga Ulva pertusa. Exogenous UPL1 colocalized with protein
      arginine methyltransferase 5 (PRMT5), methylosome protein 50 (MEP50), beta-actin
      and beta-tubulin, indicating the interaction of UPL1 with the methylosome and
      cytoskeleton. UPL1 delivery through adenovirus vector (Ad-UPL1) dramatically
      induced extracellularly regulated protein kinases 1/2 (ERK1/2) phosphorylation in
      liver cancer cell lines BEL-7404 and Huh7. Signaling pathways including p38
      mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK), and Akt were also affected by Ad-UPL1 in
      a cell type dependent manner. MEK1/2 inhibitor U0126, as well as to a lesser
      extent p38 MAPK inhibitor SB203580 and phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3K) inhibitor
      LY294002, completely eliminated a higher molecular weight isoform of beta-tubulin
      induced by Ad-UPL1, and significantly enhanced the cytotoxicity of Ad-UPL1 in
      Huh7 cells, suggesting that the inhibition of MEK1/2, p38 MAPK, and PI3K enhanced
      antiproliferative effect of Ad-UPL1 possibly through regulating the modification
      of beta-tubulin. Ad-UPL1 completely inhibited the expression of autophagy-related
      factor Beclin1, but induced LC3-II expression in Huh7 cells. In addition, Ad-UPL1
      significantly enhanced starvation induced survival suppression in Huh7 cells. Our
      data elucidated intracellular signaling pathways affected by exogenous UPL1, and
      may provide insights into a novel way of UPL1 delivery through adenovirus vectors
      combined with survival signaling inhibitors for cancer treatment.

PMID- 28349377
TI  - Preferred Fourth-Line Pharmacotherapy for Resistant Hypertension: Are We There
      Yet?
AB  - Resistant hypertension (RH) is defined as blood pressure (BP) that remains above
      target levels despite adherence to at least three different antihypertensive
      medications, typically including a diuretic. Epidemiological studies estimate
      that RH is increasing in prevalence, and is associated with detrimental health
      outcomes. The pathophysiology underlying RH is complex, involving multiple,
      overlapping contributors including activation of the renin-angiotensin
      aldosterone system and the sympathetic nervous system, volume overload,
      endothelial dysfunction, behavioural and lifestyle factors. Hypertension
      guidelines currently recommend specific pharmacotherapy for 1st, 2nd and 3rd-line
      treatment, however no specific fourth-line pharmacotherapy is provided for those
      with RH. Rather, five different antihypertensive drug classes are generally
      suggested as possible alternatives, including: mineralocorticoid receptor
      antagonists, alpha1-adrenergic antagonists, alpha2-adrenergic agonists, beta
      blockers, and peripheral vasodilators. Each of these drug classes vary in their
      efficacy, tolerability and safety profile. This review summarises the available
      data on each of these drug classes as a potential fourth-line drug and reveals a
      lack of robust clinical evidence for preferred use of most of these classes in
      the setting of RH. Moreover, there is a lack of direct comparative trials that
      could assist in identifying a preferred fourth-line pharmacologic approach and in
      providing evidence for hypertensive guidelines for adequate treatment of RH.

PMID- 28349381
TI  - Improved long-term survival with subdural drains following evacuation of chronic
      subdural haematoma.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Chronic subdural haematoma (CSDH) is a common condition that is
      effectively managed by burrhole drainage but requires repeat surgery in a
      significant minority of patients. The Cambridge Chronic Subdural Haematoma Trial
      (CCSHT) was a randomised controlled study that showed placement of subdural
      drains for 48 h following burrhole evacuation significantly reduces the incidence
      of reoperation and improves survival at 6 months. The present study examined the
      long-term survival of the patients in the trial. METHODS: In the original trial
      patients at a single neurosurgical centre from 2004-2007 were randomly assigned
      to receive a drain (n = 108) or no drain (n = 107) following burrhole drainage of
      CSDH. We ascertained whether the trial patients were alive in February 2016-a
      minimum of 8 years following enrollment-via the UK NHS tracing service. Survival
      was compared between the trial groups and against expected survival for the UK
      general population matched for age and sex. RESULTS: At 5 years following surgery
      the drain group continued to have significantly better survival than the no drain
      patients (p = 0.027), but this was no longer apparent at 10 years. Survival of
      patients in the drain group did not differ significantly from that of the general
      population whereas patients who did not receive a drain had significantly lower
      survival than expected (p = 0.0006). CONCLUSION: Subdural drains following CSDH
      evacuation are associated with improved long-term survival, which appears similar
      to that expected for the general population of the same age and sex. All patients
      having burrhole CSDH evacuation should receive a drain as standard practice
      unless specifically contraindicated.

PMID- 28349382
TI  - Protective Effect of Selenium on Aflatoxin B1-Induced Testicular Toxicity in
      Mice.
AB  - Aflatoxins have been considered as one of the major risk factors of male
      infertility, and aflatoxin B1 (AFB1) is the most highly toxic and prevalent
      member of the aflatoxins family. Selenium (Se), an essential nutritional trace
      mineral for normal testicular development and male fertility, has received
      extensive intensive on protective effects of male reproductive system due to its
      potential antioxidant and activating testosterone synthesis. To investigate the
      protective effect of Se on AFB1-induced testicular toxicity, the mice were orally
      administered with AFB1 (0.75 mg/kg) and Se (0.2 mg/kg or 0.4 mg/kg) for 45 days.
      We found that that Se elevated testes index, sperm functional parameters
      (concentration, malformation, and motility), and the level of serum testosterone
      in AFB1-exposed mice. Moreover, our results showed that Se attenuated the AFB1
      induced oxidative stress and the reduction of testicular testosterone synthesis
      enzyme protein expression such as steroidogenic acute regulatory protein (StAR),
      P450 side-chain cleavage (P450scc), and 17beta-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase
      (17beta-HSD) in AFB1-exposed mice. These results demonstrated that Se conferred
      protection against AFB1-induced testicular toxicity and can be attributed to its
      antioxidant and increased testosterone level by stimulating protein expression of
      StAR and testosterone synthetic enzymes.

PMID- 28349383
TI  - Right away: A late, right-lateralized category effect complements an early, left
      lateralized category effect in visual search.
AB  - According to the Sapir-Whorf hypothesis, learned semantic categories can
      influence early perceptual processes. A central finding in support of this view
      is the lateralized category effect-namely, the finding that categorically
      different colors (e.g., blue and green hues) can be discriminated faster than
      colors within the same color category (e.g., different hues of green), especially
      when they are presented in the right visual field. Because the right visual field
      projects to the left hemisphere, this finding has been popularly couched in terms
      of the left-lateralization of language. However, other studies have reported
      bilateral category effects, which has led some researchers to question the
      linguistic origins of the effect. Here we examined the time course of lateralized
      and bilateral category effects in the classical visual search paradigm by means
      of eyetracking and RT distribution analyses. Our results show a bilateral
      category effect in the manual responses, which is combined of an early, left
      lateralized category effect and a later, right-lateralized category effect. The
      newly discovered late, right-lateralized category effect occurred only when
      observers had difficulty locating the target, indicating a specialization of the
      right hemisphere to find categorically different targets after an initial error.
      The finding that early and late stages of visual search show different
      lateralized category effects can explain a wide range of previously discrepant
      findings.

PMID- 28349384
TI  - Extended surgery for T4 lung cancer: a 30 years' experience.
AB  - T4 non-small cell lung carcinomas (NSCLC) were deemed unresectable. Advances in
      surgery have challenged this dogma. We describe technical aspects and result on
      superior vena cava (SVC), carinal, thoracic inlet tumor surgeries, and resection
      under cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB). SVC reconstruction requires hemodynamic
      control to reverse SVC clamping cerebral effects and excellent cephalic venous
      bed patency. Among 50 SVC resections, including 25 carinal pneumonectomies, post
      operative mortality rate was 8%. In the N0-N1 group, 5- and 10-year survival
      rates were 46.6 and 37.7%, respectively. Right carinal pneumonectomy was
      performed through right thoracotomy. Sternotomy was favored for left carinal
      pneumonectomy or carinal resection alone. Among 138 carinal resections, including
      eight right upper lobectomies, 123 right pneumonectomies, four left
      pneumonectomies, and three isolated carinal resections, the post-operative
      mortality rate was 9.4%. In the N0-N1 patients, 5-year survival rate was 47%. 191
      patients underwent resections of thoracic inlet tumors through a transclavicular
      cervicothoracic anterior approach combined in 63 patients with a posterior
      midline incision for limited spine invasion. In N0-N1 group, 5- and 10-year
      survival rates were 41.5 and 29.7%, respectively. CPB allowed resection of tumors
      invading the heart or great vessels in 13 patients. R0 resection and post
      operative mortality rate were 94.4 and 5.5%, respectively. In this series of 388
      T4 NSCLC, the post-operative mortality rate was 4%. In the R0 and N0-N1 groups,
      the 5-year survival rates were 44 and 41%, respectively. Surgical resection of T4
      locally advanced NSCLC is worth being performed in selected N0-N1 patients,
      provided that a radical resection is expected.

PMID- 28349385
TI  - Risk of Gonadoblastoma Development in Patients with Turner Syndrome with Cryptic
      Y Chromosome Material.
AB  - Current guidelines recommend that testing for Y chromosome material should be
      performed only in patients with Turner syndrome harboring a marker chromosome and
      exhibiting virilization in order to detect individuals who are at high risk of
      gonadoblastoma. However, cryptic Y chromosome material is suggested to be a risk
      factor for gonadoblastoma in patients with Turner syndrome. Here, we aimed to
      estimate the frequency of cryptic Y chromosome material in patients with Turner
      syndrome and determine whether Y chromosome material increased the risk for
      development of gonadoblastoma. A total of 124 patients who were diagnosed with
      Turner syndrome by conventional cytogenetic techniques underwent additional
      molecular analysis to detect cryptic Y chromosome material. In addition, patients
      with Turner syndrome harboring Y chromosome cell lines had their ovaries removed
      prophylactically. Finally, we assessed the occurrence of gonadoblastoma in
      patients with Turner syndrome. Molecular analysis demonstrated that 10 patients
      had Y chromosome material among 118 patients without overt Y chromosome (8.5%).
      Six patients with overt Y chromosome and four patients with cryptic Y chromosome
      material underwent oophorectomy. Histopathological analysis revealed that the
      occurrence of gonadoblastoma in the total group was 2.4%, and gonadoblastoma
      occurred in one of six patients with an overt Y chromosome (16.7%) and 2 of 10
      patients with cryptic Y chromosome material (20.0%). The risk of developing
      gonadoblastoma in patients with cryptic Y chromosome material was similar to that
      in patients with overt Y chromosome. Therefore, molecular screening for Y
      chromosome material should be recommended for all patients with Turner syndrome
      to detect individuals at a high risk of gonadoblastoma and to facilitate proper
      management of the disease.

PMID- 28349386
TI  - Pharmacokinetics and Tolerability of a Single Dose of Semaglutide, a Human
      Glucagon-Like Peptide-1 Analog, in Subjects With and Without Renal Impairment.
AB  - BACKGROUND: The pharmacokinetics and tolerability of semaglutide, a once-weekly
      human glucagon-like peptide-1 analog in development for the treatment of type 2
      diabetes mellitus, were investigated in subjects with/without renal impairment
      (RI). METHODS: Fifty-six subjects, categorized into renal function groups
      [normal, mild, moderate, severe, and end-stage renal disease (ESRD)], received a
      single subcutaneous dose of semaglutide 0.5 mg. Semaglutide plasma concentrations
      were assessed <=480 h post-dose; the primary endpoint was the area under the
      plasma concentration-time curve from time zero to infinity. RESULTS: Semaglutide
      exposure in subjects with mild/moderate RI and ESRD was similar to that in
      subjects with normal renal function. In subjects with severe RI, the mean
      exposure of semaglutide was 22% higher than in subjects with normal renal
      function, and the 95% confidence interval (1.02-1.47) for the ratio exceeded the
      pre-specified limits (0.70-1.43). When adjusted for differences in sex, age, and
      body weight between the groups, all comparisons were within the pre-specified
      clinically relevant limits. Across RI groups there was no relationship between
      creatinine clearance (CLCR) and semaglutide exposure, or between CLCR and
      semaglutide maximum plasma drug concentration (C max). Hemodialysis did not
      appear to affect the pharmacokinetics of semaglutide. No appreciable changes in
      safety parameters or vital signs and no serious adverse events were noted. One
      subject with severe RI reported two major hypoglycemic events. CONCLUSION: When
      adjusted for differences in sex, age, and body weight, semaglutide exposure was
      similar between subjects with RI and subjects with normal renal function.
      Semaglutide (0.5 mg) was well-tolerated. Dose adjustment may not be warranted for
      subjects with RI. CLINICALTRIALS. GOV IDENTIFIER: NCT00833716.

PMID- 28349388
TI  - Genetic Approaches to Study Meiosis and Meiosis-Specific Gene Expression in
      Saccharomyces cerevisiae.
AB  - The budding yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae has a long history as a model organism
      for studies of meiosis and the cell cycle. The popularity of this yeast as a
      model is in large part due to the variety of genetic and cytological approaches
      that can be effectively performed with the cells. Cultures of the cells can be
      induced to synchronously progress through meiosis and sporulation allowing large
      scale gene expression and biochemical studies to be performed. Additionally, the
      spore tetrads resulting from meiosis make it possible to characterize the haploid
      products of meiosis allowing investigation of meiotic recombination and
      chromosome segregation. Here we describe genetic methods for analysis progression
      of S. cerevisiae through meiosis and sporulation with an emphasis on strategies
      for the genetic analysis of regulators of meiosis-specific genes.

PMID- 28349387
TI  - Effect of Semaglutide on the Pharmacokinetics of Metformin, Warfarin,
      Atorvastatin and Digoxin in Healthy Subjects.
AB  - BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: Semaglutide is a glucagon-like peptide-1 analogue in
      development for the once-weekly treatment of type 2 diabetes mellitus. Its effect
      on the rate and extent of absorption of concomitant oral medications (metformin,
      warfarin, atorvastatin and digoxin) was evaluated in healthy subjects. METHODS:
      Subjects received metformin (500 mg twice daily for 3.5 days), warfarin (25 mg,
      single dose), atorvastatin (40 mg, single dose) or digoxin (0.5 mg, single dose)
      before and with subcutaneous semaglutide treatment at steady state (1.0 mg). Lack
      of drug-drug interaction was concluded if the 90% confidence intervals for the
      area under the plasma concentration-time curve ratio before and with semaglutide
      were within a pre-specified interval (0.80-1.25). RESULTS: Overall, metformin,
      warfarin, atorvastatin and digoxin pharmacokinetics were not affected to a
      clinically relevant degree with semaglutide co-administration. Estimated area
      under the plasma concentration-time curve ratios for all concomitant medications
      before and with semaglutide treatment were within the pre-specified interval. In
      addition, semaglutide did not affect maximum plasma concentration of concomitant
      medications to a relevant degree. Furthermore, no clinically relevant change in
      international normalised ratio response to warfarin was observed with semaglutide
      co-administration. Most adverse events with semaglutide treatment were mild or
      moderate. Adverse events with semaglutide and co-administered medication were
      comparable to those reported during treatment with semaglutide alone, and were
      mostly gastrointestinal related. CONCLUSIONS: No clinically significant
      pharmacokinetic or pharmacodynamic interactions were identified and no new safety
      issues observed with combined treatment with semaglutide. This suggests that no
      dose adjustments should be required when semaglutide is administered
      concomitantly with these medications.

PMID- 28349389
TI  - Quantitative Genome-Wide Measurements of Meiotic DNA Double-Strand Breaks and
      Protein Binding in S. pombe.
AB  - The fission yeast Schizosaccharomyces pombe is especially well suited for
      studying meiosis in molecular detail. Experiments with S. pombe strains that
      undergo a nearly synchronous meiosis-at variable temperatures-have elucidated the
      mechanisms of meiotic progression and the proteins that are involved. For
      example, studies focused on the initiation of meiotic recombination by programmed
      DNA double-strand breaks (DSBs) have proven exceptionally informative. In
      meiosis, some regions of DNA have more frequent DSBs than the surrounding
      regions. These DSB hotspots can be visualized by Southern blot hybridization of
      restriction fragments ranging from kilobases (kb) to megabases (Mb) in size. More
      recently, the benefits of genome-wide analysis to map the distribution and
      frequency of meiotic DSBs have been attained, with resolution down to the
      nucleotide level. Infrequent, non-hotspot DSBs previously not detectable have
      been observed, creating a better understanding of how recombination is regulated.
      Additional genome-wide analyses have shown proteins that bind specifically to DSB
      hotspots, providing insight into how the DSB initiation complex functions. We
      describe here detailed methods for achieving these results.

PMID- 28349390
TI  - Sequencing Spo11 Oligonucleotides for Mapping Meiotic DNA Double-Strand Breaks in
      Yeast.
AB  - Meiosis is a specialized form of cell division resulting in reproductive cells
      with a reduced, usually haploid, genome complement. A key step after premeiotic
      DNA replication is the occurrence of homologous recombination at multiple places
      throughout the genome, initiated with the formation of DNA double-strand breaks
      (DSBs) catalyzed by the topoisomerase-like protein Spo11. DSBs are distributed
      non-randomly in genomes, and understanding the mechanisms that shape this
      distribution is important for understanding how meiotic recombination influences
      heredity and genome evolution. Several methods exist for mapping where Spo11
      acts. Of these, sequencing of Spo11-associated oligonucleotides (Spo11 oligos) is
      the most precise, specifying the locations of DNA breaks to the base pair. In
      this chapter we detail the steps involved in Spo11-oligo mapping in the SK1
      strain of budding yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae, from harvesting cells of highly
      synchronous meiotic cultures, through preparation of sequencing libraries, to the
      mapping pipeline used for processing the data.

PMID- 28349392
TI  - Selection of G1 Phase Yeast Cells for Synchronous Meiosis and Sporulation.
AB  - Centrifugal elutriation is a procedure that allows the fractionation of cell
      populations based upon their size and shape. This allows cells in distinct cell
      cycle stages can be captured from an asynchronous population. The technique is
      particularly helpful when performing an experiment to monitor the progression of
      cells through the cell cycle or meiosis. Yeast sporulation like gametogenesis in
      other eukaryotes initiates from the G1 phase of the cell cycle. Conveniently, S.
      cerevisiae arrest in G1 phase when starved for nutrients and so withdrawal of
      nitrogen and glucose allows cells to abandon vegetative growth in G1 phase before
      initiating the sporulation program. This simple starvation protocol yields a
      partial synchronization that has been used extensively in studies of progression
      through meiosis and sporulation. By using centrifugal elutriation it is possible
      to isolate a homogeneous population of G1 phase cells and induce them to
      sporulate synchronously, which is beneficial for investigating progression
      through meiosis and sporulation. An additionally benefit of this protocol is that
      cell populations can be isolated based upon size and both large and small cell
      populations can be tested for progression through meiosis and sporulation. Here
      we present a protocol for purification of G1 phase diploid cells for examining
      synchronous progression through meiosis and sporulation.

PMID- 28349391
TI  - Ribosome Profiling for the Analysis of Translation During Yeast Meiosis.
AB  - Ribosome profiling provides a genome-wide view of translation with unprecedented
      resolution. Application of this approach to fission and budding yeast revealed
      widespread regulation of translational efficiency, translation of short open
      reading frames on unannotated transcripts, and frequent translation of open
      reading frames in 5' leader sequences. We present here a detailed protocol for
      the application of ribosome profiling to meiotic fission yeast cells, although
      the approach should be easily adapted to budding yeast.

PMID- 28349393
TI  - Fluorescent Protein as a Tool for Investigating Meiotic Recombination in
      Neurospora.
AB  - We have built a series of Neurospora crassa strains containing alleles of green
      fluorescent protein (GFP) to provide a visual phenotype for investigating meiotic
      recombination. These strains provide a convenient means of screening the
      Neurospora knockout library for genes involved in genetic recombination. They
      permit rapid analysis of recombination outcomes by allowing visualization of
      segregation patterns in a large number of octads from crosses heterozygous for
      GFP. Using this system the effect of a knockout on gene conversion and/or on
      crossing over between the fluorescent marker and the centromere can be measured.

PMID- 28349394
TI  - High-Throughput Screening to Identify Regulators of Meiosis-Specific Gene
      Expression in Saccharomyces cerevisiae.
AB  - Meiosis and gamete formation are processes that are essential for sexual
      reproduction in all eukaryotic organisms. Multiple intracellular and
      extracellular signals feed into pathways that converge on transcription factors
      that induce the expression of meiosis-specific genes. Once triggered the meiosis
      specific gene expression program proceeds in a cascade that drives progress
      through the events of meiosis and gamete formation. Meiosis-specific gene
      expression is tightly controlled by a balance of positive and negative regulatory
      factors that respond to a plethora of signaling pathways. The budding yeast
      Saccharomyces cerevisiae has proven to be an outstanding model for the dissection
      of gametogenesis owing to the sophisticated genetic manipulations that can be
      performed with the cells. It is possible to use a variety selection and screening
      methods to identify genes and their functions. High-throughput screening
      technology has been developed to allow an array of all viable yeast gene deletion
      mutants to be screened for phenotypes and for regulators of gene expression. This
      chapter describes a protocol that has been used to screen a library of homozygous
      diploid yeast deletion strains to identify regulators of the meiosis-specific
      IME1 gene.

PMID- 28349395
TI  - Analysis of Meiotic Chromosome-Associated Protein Dynamics Using Conditional
      Expression in Budding Yeast.
AB  - The visualization of meiotic chromosomes and their associated protein structures
      in both wild-type and mutant cells adds valuable insight into the molecular
      pathways that underlie reproductive cell formation. Here we describe basic
      methodology for visualizing meiotic chromosomes in a long-standing model organism
      for investigating the molecular and cell biology of meiosis, the budding yeast,
      S. cerevisiae. This chapter furthermore highlights a variety of conditional
      expression regimes that can be used to understand the dynamics and/or
      developmental constraints of chromosomal protein structures; such dynamic aspects
      of the macromolecular structures that mediate meiotic chromosome biology are
      typically not obvious from standard protein visualization experiments.

PMID- 28349396
TI  - In Vivo Imaging of Budding Yeast Meiosis.
AB  - Tracking biological events in living cells provides kinetic information about
      biological processes that can be missed in more traditional methods using fixed
      samples at designated time intervals. Here we describe a methodology for in vivo
      fluorescence microscopy of yeast cells undergoing meiosis. This method allows
      tracking of individual cells over extended periods of time through every stage of
      the meiotic transformation while minimizing phototoxicity and sustaining
      conditions that support meiotic growth.

PMID- 28349397
TI  - Sequential Immunofluorescent Light Microscopy and Electron Microscopy of
      Recombination Nodules During Meiotic Prophase I.
AB  - Immunolocalization using either fluorescence for light microscopy (LM) or gold
      particles for electron microscopy (EM) has become a common tool to pinpoint
      proteins involved in recombination during meiotic prophase. Each method has its
      advantages and disadvantages. For example, LM immunofluorescence is comparatively
      easier and higher throughput compared to immunogold EM localization. In addition,
      immunofluorescence has the advantages that a faint signal can often be enhanced
      by longer exposure times and colocalization using two (or more) probes with
      different absorbance and emission spectra is straightforward. However,
      immunofluorescence is not useful if the object of interest does not label with an
      antibody probe and is below the resolution of the LM. In comparison, immunogold
      EM localization is higher resolution than immunofluorescent LM localization, and
      individual nuclear structures, such as recombination nodules, can be identified
      by EM regardless of whether they are labeled or not. However, immunogold
      localization has other disadvantages including comparatively low signal-to-noise
      ratios, more difficult colocalization using gold particles of different sizes,
      and the inability to evaluate labeling efficiency before examining the sample
      using EM (a more expensive and time-consuming technique than LM). Here we
      describe a method that takes advantage of the good points of both
      immunofluorescent LM and EM to analyze two classes of late recombination nodules
      (RNs), only one of which labels with antibodies to MLH1 protein, a marker of
      crossovers. The method can be used readily with other antibodies to analyze early
      recombination nodules or other prophase I structures.

PMID- 28349398
TI  - Flow Cytometry for the Isolation and Characterization of Rodent Meiocytes.
AB  - Molecular analyses in mammalian meiotic cells have been hindered by the
      difficulty in isolating stage-specific cell populations, and this is especially
      true for early meiotic prophase stages (leptotene and zygotene). Here, we
      describe a method for obtaining cells in different spermatogenic stages from
      rodents including lepto-zygotene meiocytes at very high purity levels. The
      procedure includes an approach for the mechanical disaggregation of the
      testicular tissue, staining with a vital, noncytotoxic dye that is excitable with
      a blue laser, isolation of the cell populations by flow sorting, and different
      alternative protocols for the collection of the sorted cells.

PMID- 28349399
TI  - Imaging of Chromosome Dynamics in Mouse Testis Tissue by Immuno-FISH.
AB  - The mouse (Mus musculus) represents the central mammalian genetic model system
      for biomedical and developmental research. Mutant mouse models have provided
      important insights into chromosome dynamics during the complex meiotic
      differentiation program that compensates for the genome doubling at
      fertilization. Homologous chromosomes (homologues) undergo dynamic pairing and
      recombine during first meiotic prophase before they become partitioned into four
      haploid sets by two consecutive meiotic divisions that lack an intervening S
      phase. Fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) has been instrumental in the
      visualization and imaging of the dynamic reshaping of chromosome territories and
      mobility during prophase I, in which meiotic telomeres were found to act as
      pacemakers for the chromosome pairing dance. FISH combined with
      immunofluorescence (IF) co-staining of nuclear proteins has been instrumental for
      the visualization and imaging of mammalian meiotic chromosome behavior. This
      chapter describes FISH and IF methods for the analysis of chromosome dynamics in
      nuclei of paraffin-embedded mouse testes. The techniques have proven useful for
      fresh and archived paraffin testis material of several mammalian species.

PMID- 28349401
TI  - Live Imaging of Meiosis I in Late-Stage Drosophila melanogaster Oocytes.
AB  - Drosophila melanogaster has been studied for a century as a genetic model to
      understand recombination, chromosome segregation, and the basic rules of
      inheritance. However, it has only been about 25 years since the events that occur
      during nuclear envelope breakdown, spindle assembly, and chromosome orientation
      during D. melanogaster female meiosis I were first visualized by fixed
      cytological methods (Theurkauf and Hawley, J Cell Biol 116:1167-1180, 1992).
      Although these fixed cytological studies revealed many important details about
      the events that occur during meiosis I, they failed to elucidate the timing or
      order of these events. The development of protocols for live imaging of meiotic
      events within the oocyte has enabled collection of real-time information on the
      kinetics and dynamics of spindle assembly, as well as the behavior of chromosomes
      during prometaphase I. Here, we describe a method to visualize spindle assembly
      and chromosome movement during meiosis I by injecting fluorescent dyes to label
      microtubules and DNA into stage 12-14 oocytes. This method enables the events
      during Drosophila female meiosis I, such as spindle assembly and chromosome
      movement, to be observed in vivo, regardless of genetic background, with
      exceptional spatial and temporal resolution.

PMID- 28349400
TI  - Imaging Chromosome Separation in Mouse Oocytes by Responsive 3D Confocal
      Timelapse Microscopy.
AB  - Accurate chromosome segregation is necessary so that genetic material is equally
      shared among daughter cells. However, maturing mammalian oocytes are particularly
      prone to chromosome segregation errors, making them a valuable tool for
      identifying the causes of mis-segregation. Factors such as aging, cohesion loss,
      DNA damage, and the roles of a plethora of kinetochore and cell cycle-related
      proteins are involved. To study chromosome segregation in oocytes in a live
      setting is an imaging challenge that requires advanced techniques. Here we
      describe a method for examining chromosomes in live oocytes in detail as they
      undergo maturation. Our method is based on tracking the "center of brightness" of
      fluorescently labeled chromosomes. Here we describe how to set up our software
      and run experiments on a Leica TCS SP8 confocal microscope, but the method would
      be transferable to other microscopes with computer-aided microscopy.

PMID- 28349402
TI  - Microscopy Methods for Analysis of Spindle Dynamics in Meiotic Drosophila
      Spermatocytes.
AB  - The spindle is a microtubule-based structure whose remodeling is required for
      partitioning the chromosomes and cytoplasm during meiosis. Characterizing
      microtubule behavior is fundamental to understanding how these tubulin polymers
      contribute to successful cell division. Here, a procedure is described for the
      imaging and analysis of spindle microtubule dynamics in cultures of living
      Drosophila melanogaster primary spermatocytes expressing tubulin tagged with
      enhanced green fluorescent protein. It employs time-lapse scanning confocal
      microscopy and the photobleaching of fiduciary marks onto fluorescently tagged
      microtubules. These labels are subsequently used to determine the sites and rates
      of kinetochore fiber growth and shrinkage during metaphase. This method can be
      readily applied to different microtubule populations, meiotic stages, and genetic
      backgrounds.

PMID- 28349403
TI  - Drosophila Male Meiosis.
AB  - In Drosophila males, there is no synaptonemal complex and recombination does not
      occur. Thus, Drosophila male meiosis is a good model system for the analysis of
      achiasmate chromosome segregation. In addition, due to their large size, the
      meiotic spindles of Drosophila males are an excellent system for mutational
      dissection of the mechanisms of spindle assembly. Here, we describe the main
      techniques for visualization of live Drosophila testes and for preparation of
      fixed meiotic chromosomes and spindles.

PMID- 28349404
TI  - Analysis of Chromatin Dynamics During Drosophila Spermatogenesis.
AB  - In the course of spermatogenesis, germ cells undergo dramatic morphological
      changes that affect almost all cellular components. Therefore, it is impossible
      to study the process of spermatogenesis in its entirety without detailed
      morphological analyses. Here, we describe a method to visualize chromatin
      dynamics in differentiating Drosophila male germ cells using immunofluorescence
      staining. In addition, we demonstrate how to treat Drosophila sperm before
      immunofluorescence staining to help reveal epitopes in the highly condensed sperm
      chromatin that otherwise may be inaccessible to antibodies.

PMID- 28349405
TI  - Quantitative Modeling and Automated Analysis of Meiotic Recombination.
AB  - Many morphological features, in both physical and biological systems, exhibit
      spatial patterns that are specifically characterized by a tendency to occur with
      even spacing (in one, two, or three dimensions). The positions of crossover (CO)
      recombination events along meiotic chromosomes provide an interesting biological
      example of such an effect. In general, mechanisms that explain such patterns may
      (a) be mechanically based, (b) occur by a reaction-diffusion mechanism in which
      macroscopic mechanical effects are irrelevant, or (c) involve a combination of
      both types of effects. We have proposed that meiotic CO patterns arise by a
      mechanical mechanism, have developed mathematical expressions for such a process
      based on a particular physical system with analogous properties (the so-called
      beam-film model), and have shown that the beam-film model can very accurately
      explain experimental CO patterns as a function of the values of specific defined
      parameters. Importantly, the mathematical expressions of the beam-film model can
      apply quite generally to any mechanism, whether it involves mechanical components
      or not, as long as its logic and component features correspond to those of the
      beam-film system. Furthermore, via its various parameters, the beam-film model
      discretizes the patterning process into specific components. Thus, the model can
      be used to explore the theoretically predicted effects of various types of
      changes in the patterning process. Such predictions can expand detailed
      understanding of the bases for various biological effects. We present here a new
      MATLAB program that implements the mathematical expressions of the beam-film
      model with increased robustness and accessibility as compared to programs
      presented previously. As in previous versions, the presented program permits both
      (1) simulation of predicted CO positions along chromosomes of a test population
      and (2) easy analysis of CO positions, both for experimental data sets and for
      data sets resulting from simulations. The goal of the current presentation is to
      make these approaches more readily accessible to a wider audience of researchers.
      Also, the program is easily modified, and we encourage interested users to make
      changes to suit their specific needs. A link to the program is available on the
      Kleckner laboratory website: http://projects.iq.harvard.edu/kleckner_lab .

PMID- 28349406
TI  - A Computational Approach to Study Gene Expression Networks.
AB  - We describe a simple computational approach that can be used for the study and
      simulation of regulatory networks. The advantage of this approach is that it
      requires neither computational background nor exact quantitative data about the
      biological system under study. Moreover, it is suitable for examining alternative
      hypotheses about the structure of a biological network. We used a tool called
      BioNSi (Biological Network Simulator) that is based on a simple computational
      model, which can be easily integrated as part of the lab routine, in parallel to
      experimental work. One benefit of this approach is that it enables the
      identification of regulatory proteins, which are missing from the experimental
      work. We describe the general methodology for modeling a network's dynamics in
      the tool, and then give a point by point example for a specific known network,
      entry into meiosis in budding yeast.

PMID- 28349407
TI  - Permanence and Stability of a Kill the Winner Model in Marine Ecology.
AB  - We focus on the long-term dynamics of "killing the winner" Lotka-Volterra models
      of marine communities consisting of bacteria, virus, and zooplankton. Under
      suitable conditions, it is shown that there is a unique equilibrium with all
      populations present which is stable, the system is permanent, and the limiting
      behavior of its solutions is strongly constrained.

PMID- 28349410
TI  - Disseminated Sporotrichosis with Osteolytic Bone Involvement.

PMID- 28349408
TI  - Cancer of the Peripheral Nerve in Neurofibromatosis Type 1.
AB  - The RASopathy neurofibromatosis 1 is an autosomal dominant hereditary cancer
      syndrome that represents a major risk for the development of malignancies,
      particularly malignant peripheral nerve sheath tumors (MPNSTs). MPNSTs are unique
      sarcomas that originate from the peripheral nerve and represent the only primary
      cancer of the peripheral nervous system. To date, surgery is the only treatment
      modality proven to have survival benefit for MPNSTs and even when maximal surgery
      is feasible, these tumors are rarely curable, despite the use of chemotherapy and
      radiation. In this review, we discuss the current state-of-the-art treatments for
      MPNSTs, latest therapeutic developments, and critical aspects of the underlying
      molecular and pathophysiology that appear promising for therapeutic developments
      in the future. In particular, we discuss the specific elements of cancer in the
      peripheral nerve and how that may impel development of unique therapies for this
      form of sarcoma.

PMID- 28349409
TI  - Engaging Stakeholders to Inform Clinical Practice Guidelines That Address
      Multiple Chronic Conditions.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Having more than one chronic condition is common and is associated
      with greater health care utilization, higher medication burden and complexity of
      treatment. However, clinical practice guidelines (CPGs) do not routinely address
      the balance between harms and benefits of treatments for people with multiple
      chronic conditions (MCCs). OBJECTIVE: To partner with the Kaiser Permanente
      Integrated Cardiovascular Health (ICVH) program to engage multiple stakeholders
      in a mixed-methods approach in order to: 1) identify two high-priority clinical
      questions related to MCCs, and 2) understand patients' and family caregivers'
      perceptions of meaningful outcomes to inform benefit/harm assessments for these
      two high-priority questions. These clinical questions and outcomes will be used
      to inform CPG recommendations for people with MCCs. DESIGN AND PARTICIPANTS: The
      ICVH program provided 130 topics rank-ordered by the potential for finding
      evidence that would change clinical recommendations regarding the topic. We used
      a modified Delphi method to identify and reword topics into questions relevant to
      people with MCCs. We used two sets of focus groups (n = 27) to elicit patient and
      caregiver perspectives on two important research questions and relevant patient
      important outcomes on benefit/harm balance for people with MCCs. KEY RESULTS: Co
      investigators, patients and caregivers identified "optimal blood pressure goals"
      and "diabetes medication management" as important clinical topics for CPGs
      related to people with MCCs. Stakeholders identified a list of relevant outcomes
      to be addressed in future CPG development including 1) physical function and
      energy, 2) emotional health and well-being, 3) avoidance of treatment burden,
      side effects and risks, 4) interaction with providers and health care system, and
      5) prevention of adverse long-term health outcomes. CONCLUSIONS: Through the
      application of a mixed-methods process, we identified the questions regarding
      optimal blood pressure goals and diabetes medication management, along with
      related patient-centered outcomes, to inform novel evidence syntheses for those
      with MCCs. This study provides the lessons learned and a generalizable process
      for CPG developers to engage patient and caregivers in priority-setting for the
      translation of evidence into future CPGs. Ultimately, engaging patient and
      stakeholders around MCCs could improve the relevance of CPGs for the care of
      people with MCCs.

PMID- 28349411
TI  - What's the Opposite of Burnout?

PMID- 28349413
TI  - Erratum to: Diacerein: Benefits, Risks and Place in the Management of
      Osteoarthritis. An Opinion-Based Report from the ESCEO.

PMID- 28349412
TI  - Evaluating Outcomes for Older Patients with Parkinson's Disease or Dementia with
      Lewy Bodies who have been Hospitalised for Hip Fracture Surgery: Potential Impact
      of Drug Administration.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: People with Parkinson's disease (PD) are at risk of falling and
      have an increased risk of complications and prolonged recovery during
      hospitalisation. OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to investigate the rate of
      complications and recovery related to a hip fracture in patients with PD.
      METHODS: All patients with PD or dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB) and a hip
      fracture who were admitted from January 2013 through June 2014 (18 months) to the
      Department of Orthopaedics, Copenhagen University Hospital, Herlev, Denmark were
      evaluated. Data regarding duration of admission, complications, timing of
      administration of anti-PD medication, and level of mobility at discharge were
      obtained from files of patients with PD or DLB and compared with data from a
      comparable group of patients who were admitted with a hip fracture and chronic
      obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). RESULTS: A total of 31 patients with PD or
      DLB (PD/DLB group) and 45 patients with COPD (COPD group) were registered during
      the timeframe investigated. The patients in the PD/DLB group were significantly
      (p < 0.05) younger than those in the COPD group (77.7 vs. 80.7 years,
      respectively) and had lower co-morbidity scores (0.9 vs 2.6, respectively). There
      were no significant differences in length of stay, delirium, or number of
      infections between the groups. Two thirds of patients with PD were not able to
      walk unassisted at discharge. Less than 50% of anti-PD medication was given
      within +/-1 h of the scheduled time. CONCLUSIONS: Although patients with PD/DLB
      are significantly younger and have significantly lower degrees of co-morbidity
      than patients with COPD, their course and recovery after surgery are equivalent
      to those of patients with COPD. Patients with PD/DLB are at high risk of
      developing complications during hospital admission for hip fracture.

PMID- 28349414
TI  - Erratum to: Can We Identify Patients with High Risk of Osteoarthritis Progression
      Who Will Respond to Treatment? A Focus on Epidemiology and Phenotype of
      Osteoarthritis.

PMID- 28349416
TI  - The effect of the colostral cells on gene expression of cytokines in cord blood
      cells.
AB  - Beneficial effect of maternal milk is acknowledged, but there is still question
      whether maternal milk from allergic mother is as good as from healthy one. In our
      study, we have assayed the effect of cells from colostrum of healthy and allergic
      mothers on gene expression of cytokines in cord blood cells of newborns of
      healthy and allergic mothers. Cytokines typical for Th1 (IL-2, IFN-gamma), Th2
      (IL-4, IL-13), Tregs (IL-10, TGF-beta), and IL-8 were followed. We were not able
      to detect significant influence of colostral cells on gene expression of
      cytokines in cord blood after 2-day coculture using Transwell system. There was
      no difference in gene expression of cytokines in nonstimulated cord blood cells
      of newborns of healthy and allergic mothers, but generally increased gene
      expression of cytokines except IL-10 and TGF-beta after polyclonal stimulation
      was detected in cord blood cells of children of allergic mothers. There was no
      difference in IL-10 expression in stimulated cord blood cells of children of
      healthy and allergic mothers. Gene expression of TGF-beta was even decreased in
      stimulated cord blood cells of children of allergic mothers in comparison to
      healthy ones. We have not observed difference in the capacity of colostral cells
      of healthy and allergic mothers to influence gene expression of cytokines in cord
      blood cells, but we have described difference in the reactivity of cord blood
      cells between children of allergic and healthy mothers.

PMID- 28349417
TI  - Midterm angiographic outcomes with sirolimus- and everolimus-eluting stents for
      small vessels in diabetic patients: propensity-score-matched comparisons in three
      different vessel diameters.
AB  - We conducted propensity-score-matched comparisons of midterm angiographic follow
      up outcomes of sirolimus- versus everolimus-eluting stents (SES, EES) after
      elective placements for de novo coronary stenosis in small vessels (SV) in
      patients with diabetes mellitus (DM), because the angiographic efficacy of EES
      over SES for those cohorts remained unclear. The study was a non-randomized,
      retrospective, lesion-based, multicenter study, examining lesions followed up
      angiographically within 550 days, extracted from the unified database of 6
      institutes. The endpoint (binary restenosis) was defined as the percentage of
      subjects having >50% diameter stenosis at follow-up. Propensity-score-matched
      analyses were conducted in 3 different vessel-size cohorts, defined by a
      preprocedural reference diameter (RD) <2.10, <2.35, and <2.60 mm, yielding group
      sizes of n = 107, 183, and 312 baseline-adjusted lesions in each of the 2 stent
      arms. The frequency of binary restenosis decreased significantly with increasing
      vessel size, at 16.8, 12.6, and 12.2%, in the SES group. However, it remained
      almost the same across vessel-size groups in the EES group (8.0, 6.0, and 7.5%).
      The p values for the significance of the differences in binary restenosis between
      EES and SES in each vessel size increased with the decrease in vessel size [p =
      0.002, 0.040, and 0.063 (the last still nearly significant)]. Thus, in patients
      with DM, EES showed increasingly superior efficacy over SES for SV stenosis as
      the vessel size became smaller, i.e., the risk for binary restenosis became
      greater.

PMID- 28349418
TI  - Comparing the effects of different dietary organic acids on the growth,
      intestinal short-chain fatty acids, and liver histopathology of red hybrid
      tilapia (Oreochromis sp.) and potential use of these as preservatives.
AB  - Dietary organic acids are increasingly being investigated as a potential means of
      improving growth and nutrient utilization in aquatic animals. A 9-week study was
      performed to compare equal amounts (2%) of different organic acids (sodium
      butyrate, acetate, propionate, or formate) on the growth, muscle proximate
      composition, fatty acid composition, cholesterol and lipid peroxidation,
      differential cell counts, plasma biochemistry, intestinal short-chain fatty acid
      (SCFA) level, and liver histopathology to red hybrid tilapia (Oreochromis sp.)
      (initial mean weight of 2.87 g). A second experiment was performed to determine
      their effects on lipid peroxidation and trimethylamine (TMA) when added at 1% to
      tilapia meat and left out for 24 h. The results of the first experiment showed no
      treatment effect to growth, feeding efficiencies, or muscle fatty acid
      composition, but all dietary organic acids significantly decreased intestinal
      SCFA. Dietary butyrate and propionate significantly decreased muscle lipid
      peroxidation compared to the control group, but the dietary formate treatment had
      the lowest lipid peroxidation compared to all treatments. Muscle crude protein
      and lipid in tilapia fed the formate diet were significantly lower and higher,
      respectively, and showed evidence of stress based on the differential cell
      counts, significantly higher plasma glucose and liver glycogen, as well as
      inflammatory responses in the liver. Although a potential benefit of dietary
      organic acids was a reduction to lipid peroxidation, this could be accomplished
      post-harvest by direct additions to the meat. In addition, inclusions of butyrate
      and propionate to tilapia meat significantly decreased TMA, which might be a more
      cost-effective option to improve the shelf life of tilapia products.

PMID- 28349419
TI  - ChIP-seq for the Identification of Functional Elements in the Human Genome.
AB  - Functional elements in the genome express their function through physical
      association with particular proteins: transcription factors, components of the
      transcription machinery, specific histone modifications, and others. The genome
      wide characterization of the protein-DNA interaction landscape of these proteins
      is thus a key approach toward the identification of candidate genomic regulatory
      regions. ChIP-seq (Chromatin Immunoprecipitation coupled with high-throughput
      sequencing) has emerged as the primary experimental methods for carrying out this
      task. Here, the ChIP-seq protocol is described together with some of the most
      important considerations for applying it in practice.

PMID- 28349420
TI  - Identification of Candidate Functional Elements in the Genome from ChIP-seq Data.
AB  - ChIP-seq datasets provide a wealth of information for the identification of
      candidate regulatory elements in the genome. For this potential to be fully
      realized, methods for evaluating data quality and for distinguishing reproducible
      signal from technical and biological noise are necessary. Here, the computational
      methods for addressing these challenges developed by the ENCODE Consortium are
      described and the key considerations for analyzing and interpreting ChIP-seq data
      are discussed.

PMID- 28349421
TI  - GRO-seq, A Tool for Identification of Transcripts Regulating Gene Expression.
AB  - The advent of next-generation sequencing (NGS) technologies has revolutionized
      the way we do research on gene expression. High-throughput transcriptomics became
      possible with the development of microarray technology, but its widespread
      application only occurred after the emergence of massive parallel sequencing.
      Especially, RNA sequencing (RNA-seq) has greatly increased our knowledge about
      the genome and led to the identification and annotation of novel classes of RNAs
      in different species. However, RNA-seq measures the steady-state level of a given
      RNA, which is the equilibrium between transcription, processing, and degradation.
      In recent years, a number of dedicated RNA-seq technologies were developed to
      measure specifically transcription events. Global run-on sequencing (GRO-seq) is
      the most widely used method to measure nascent RNA, and in recent years, it has
      been applied successfully to study the function and mechanism of action of
      noncoding RNAs. Here, we describe a detailed protocol of GRO-seq that can be
      readily applied to investigate different aspects of RNA biology in human cells.

PMID- 28349423
TI  - Deep Cap Analysis of Gene Expression (CAGE): Genome-Wide Identification of
      Promoters, Quantification of Their Activity, and Transcriptional Network
      Inference.
AB  - Among the most significant findings of the post-genomic era, the discovery of
      pervasive transcription of mammalian genomes has tremendously modified our
      understanding of the genome output seen as RNA molecules. The increased focus on
      non-protein-coding genomic regions together with concomitant technological
      innovations has led to rapid discovery of numerous noncoding transcripts
      (ncRNAs). Biological relevance and functional roles of the vast majority of these
      ncRNAs remain largely unknown.The cap analysis of gene expression (CAGE)
      technology allows accurate transcript detection and quantification without
      relying on preexisting transcript models. In combination with complementary data
      sets, generated using other technologies, it has been shown as an efficient
      approach for exploring transcriptome complexity.Here, we describe the use of CAGE
      for the identification of novel noncoding transcripts in mammalian cells
      providing detailed information for basic data processing and advanced
      bioinformatics analyses.

PMID- 28349422
TI  - NanoCAGE: A Method for the Analysis of Coding and Noncoding 5'-Capped
      Transcriptomes.
AB  - Transcripts in all eukaryotes are characterized by the 5'-end specific cap
      structure in mRNAs. Cap Analysis Gene Expression or CAGE makes use of these caps
      to specifically obtain cDNA fragments from the 5'-end of RNA and sequences those
      at high throughput for transcript identification and genome-wide mapping of
      transcription start sites for coding and noncoding genes. Here, we provide an
      improved version of our nanoCAGE protocol that has been developed for preparing
      CAGE libraries from as little as 50 ng of total RNA within three standard working
      days. Key steps in library preparation have been improved over our previously
      published protocol to obtain libraries having a good 5'-end selection and a more
      equal size distribution for higher sequencing efficiency on Illumina MiSeq and
      HiSeq sequencers. We recommend nanoCAGE as the method of choice for transcriptome
      profiling projects even from limited amounts of RNA, and as the best approach for
      genome-wide mapping of transcription start sites within promoter regions.

PMID- 28349415
TI  - Pharmacotherapeutic Management of Pancreatic Ductal Adenocarcinoma: Current and
      Emerging Concepts.
AB  - Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma is a devastating malignancy, which is the result
      of late diagnosis, aggressive disease, and a lack of effective treatment options.
      Thus, pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma is projected to become the second leading
      cause of cancer-related death by 2030. This review summarizes recent developments
      of oncological therapy in the palliative setting of metastatic pancreatic ductal
      adenocarcinoma. It further compiles novel targets and therapeutic approaches as
      well as promising treatment combinations, which are presently in preclinical
      evaluation, covering several aspects of the hallmarks of cancer. Finally,
      challenges to the implementation of an individualized therapy approach in the
      context of precision medicine are discussed.

PMID- 28349424
TI  - Deep-RACE: Comprehensive Search for Novel ncRNAs Associated to a Specific Locus.
AB  - Deep-RACE (or RACEseq) is a recently described method (Olivarius et al.
      BioTechniques 46(2):130-132, 2009) that applies next-generation sequencing to the
      Rapid Amplification of cDNA End (RACE) protocol to define the 5' and 3' ends of
      RNA transcripts. Conventional mapping of 5' and 3' ends is achieved by manually
      cloning the PCR product of RACE followed by Sanger sequencing; this process can
      become costly and time-consuming when investigating multiple transcripts. High
      throughput sequencing of the RACE products streamlines this process by
      eliminating the need to manually cut bands from an agarose gel and to clone each
      product individually. Importantly, in addition to these advantages, next
      generation sequencing can detect low abundance fragments that would be difficult
      to extract from gel and clone for Sanger sequencing. For these reasons, Deep-RACE
      is an ideal protocol for the comprehensive study of noncoding transcripts from
      both intergenic regions of the genome and from within the loci of protein coding
      genes.

PMID- 28349425
TI  - In Silico Prediction of RNA Secondary Structure.
AB  - The secondary structure of an RNA molecule represents the base-pairing
      interactions within the molecule and fundamentally determines its overall
      structure. In this chapter, we overview the main approaches and existing tools
      for predicting RNA secondary structures, as well as methods for identifying
      noncoding RNAs from genomic sequences or RNA sequencing data. We then focus on
      the identification of a well-known class of small noncoding RNAs, namely
      microRNAs, which play very important roles in many biological processes through
      regulating post-transcriptionally the expression of genes and which dysregulation
      has been shown to be involved in several human diseases.

PMID- 28349426
TI  - Computational Prediction of RNA-Protein Interactions.
AB  - Experimental methods for identifying protein(s) bound by a specific promoter
      associated RNA (paRNA) of interest can be expensive, difficult, and time
      consuming. This chapter describes a general computational framework for
      identifying potential binding partners in RNA-protein complexes or RNA-protein
      interaction networks. Protocols for using three web-based tools to predict RNA
      protein interaction partners are outlined. Also, tables listing additional
      webservers and software tools for predicting RNA-protein interactions, as well as
      databases that contain valuable information about known RNA-protein complexes and
      recognition sites for RNA-binding proteins, are provided. Although only one of
      the tools described, lncPro, was designed expressly to identify proteins that
      bind long noncoding RNAs (including paRNAs), all three approaches can be applied
      to predict potential binding partners for both coding and noncoding RNAs
      (ncRNAs).

PMID- 28349427
TI  - Isolation of Nuclear RNA-Associated Protein Complexes.
AB  - Noncoding RNAs, being at the center stage of the organismal development and
      homeostasis, warrant a detailed analysis to utilize their full therapeutic
      potential. They form complexes with various proteins that enable the noncoding
      RNAs to acquire specific cellular functions such as the transcriptional outcomes
      that are controlled in a spatio-temporal manner. In this protocol, we describe a
      method to isolate such known (and unknown) protein complexes bound to a nuclear
      noncoding RNA.

PMID- 28349428
TI  - Identification of Long Noncoding RNAs Associated to Human Disease Susceptibility.
AB  - Transcriptomic as well as in vivo studies have revealed the importance of several
      lncRNAs in many complex diseases including cancer, cardiovascular, and
      neurological disorders. In this protocol, we describe how to perform RNAseq data
      analysis to identify lncRNAs associated with disease states utilizing the open
      source software CANEapp (application for Comprehensive automated Analysis of Next
      generation sequencing Experiments).

PMID- 28349429
TI  - Targeting Promoter-Associated RNAs by siRNAs.
AB  - Promoter-associated RNAs (paRNA) are long noncoding RNAs transcribed in sense or
      antisense direction in correspondence of promoters of other genes. Their
      expression influences promoter activity by means of specific regulatory function.
      PaRNA can act as a scaffold for proteins involved in processes regulating gene
      expression, as chromatin remodeling or transcription. RNA-induced transcriptional
      silencing (RITS) is the mechanism of transcriptional interference achieved by
      siRNA directed against chromatin-associated RNAs, as paRNAs. In this chapter, it
      is described how to detect interaction between siRNA and paRNA in cell nuclei and
      investigate siRNA capability to destabilize paRNA-protein complex.

PMID- 28349430
TI  - RNA-FISH to Study Regulatory RNA at the Site of Transcription.
AB  - The increasing role of all types of regulatory RNAs in the orchestration of
      cellular programs has enhanced the development of a variety of techniques that
      allow its precise detection, quantification, and functional scrutiny. Recent
      advances in imaging and fluoresecent in situ hybridization (FISH) methods have
      enabled the utilization of user-friendly protocols that provide highly sensitive
      and accurate detection of ribonucleic acid molecules at both the single cell and
      subcellular levels. We herein describe the approach originally developed by
      Stellaris(r), in which the target RNA molecule is fluoresecently labeled with
      multiple tiled complementary probes each carrying a fluorophore, thus improving
      sensitivity and reducing the chance of false positives. We have applied this
      method to the detection of nascent RNAs that partake of special regulatory
      structures called R loops. Their growing role in active gene expression
      regulation (Aguilera and Garcia-Muse, Mol Cell 46:115-124, 2012; Ginno et al.,
      Mol Cell 45:814-825, 2012; Sun et al., Science 340:619-621, 2013; Bhatia et al.,
      Nature 511:362-365, 2014) imposes the use of a combination of in vivo and in
      vitro techniques for the detailed analysis of the transcripts involved.
      Therefore, their study is a good example to illustrate how RNA FISH, combined
      with transcriptional arrest and/or cell synchronization, permits localization and
      temporal characterization of potentially regulatory RNA sequences.

PMID- 28349431
TI  - Detection and Characterization of R Loop Structures.
AB  - R loops are special three stranded nucleic acid structures that comprise a
      nascent RNA hybridized with the DNA template strand, leaving a non-template DNA
      single-stranded. More specifically, R loops form in vivo as G-rich RNA
      transcripts invade the DNA duplex and anneal to the template strand to generate
      an RNA:DNA hybrid, leaving the non-template, G-rich DNA strand in a largely
      single-stranded conformation (Aguilera and Garcia-Muse, Mol Cell 46:115-124,
      2012).DNA-RNA hybrids are a natural occurrence within eukaryotic cells, with
      levels of these hybrids increasing at sites with high transcriptional activity,
      such as during transcription initiation, repression, and elongation. RNA-DNA
      hybrids influence genomic instability, and growing evidence points to an
      important role for R loops in active gene expression regulation (Ginno et al.,
      Mol Cell 45, 814-825, 2012; Sun et al., Science 340: 619-621, 2013; Bhatia et
      al., Nature 511, 362-365, 2014). Analysis of the occurrence of such structures is
      therefore of increasing relevance and herein we describe methods for the in vivo
      and in vitro identification and characterization of R loops in mammalian
      systems.R loops (DNA:RNA hybrids and the associated single-stranded DNA) have
      been traditionally associated with threats to genome integrity, making some
      regions of the genome more prone to DNA-damaging and mutagenic agents. Initially
      considered to be rare byproducts of transcription, over the last decade
      accumulating evidence has pointed to a new view in which R loops form more
      frequently than previously thought. The R loop field has become an increasingly
      expanded area of research, placing these structures as a major threat to genome
      stability but also as potential regulators of gene expression. Special interest
      has arisen as they have also been linked to a variety of diseases, including
      neurological disorders and cancer, positioning them as potential therapeutic
      targets [5].

PMID- 28349432
TI  - Induction of Transcriptional Gene Silencing by Expression of shRNA Directed to c
      Myc P2 Promoter in Hepatocellular Carcinoma by Tissue-Specific Virosomal
      Delivery.
AB  - Double-stranded RNA-mediated transcriptional gene silencing (TGS) has shown
      promising results over posttranscriptional gene silencing (PTGS) due to its long
      term and heritable nature. Various research groups have shed light on different
      mechanisms by which TGS operate. Some of these include histone modification, DNA
      methylation, or restriction of RNA polymerase binding onto the target gene's
      promoter. This serves as an added advantage since permanent c-Myc inactivation is
      critical for suppressing hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Inability to target
      cancer cells specifically, without affecting the normal cells, has been one of
      the biggest drawbacks of an effective cancer therapy. Therefore, we aimed to
      overcome this barrier by first generating tumor-specific transcriptional units
      expressing TGS inducing shRNAs against c-Myc's P2 promoter only in neoplastic
      liver cells. Secondly, we coupled this TGS inducing system with Sendai fusion
      virosomes for liver-specific delivery to minimize nonspecific side effects in
      vitro.

PMID- 28349433
TI  - Targeting Promoter-Associated Noncoding RNA In Vivo.
AB  - There are many classes of noncoding RNAs (ncRNAs), with wide-ranging
      functionalities (e.g., RNA editing, mediation of mRNA splicing, ribosomal
      function). MicroRNAs (miRNAs) and long ncRNAs (lncRNAs) are implicated in a wide
      variety of cellular processes, including the regulation of gene expression.
      Incorrect expression or mutation of lncRNAs has been reported to be associated
      with several disease conditions, such a malignant transformation in humans.
      Importantly, pivotal players in tumorigenesis and cancer progression, such as c
      Myc, may be regulated by lncRNA at promoter level. The function of lncRNA can be
      reduced with antisense oligonucleotides that sequester or degrade mature lncRNAs.
      In alternative, lncRNA transcription can be blocked by small interference RNA
      (RNAi), which had acquired, recently, broad interested in clinical applications.
      In vivo-jetPEITM is a linear polyethylenimine mediating nucleic acid (DNA, shRNA,
      siRNA, oligonucelotides) delivery with high efficiency. Different in vivo
      delivery routes have been validated: intravenous (IV), intraperitoneal (IP),
      intratumoral, subcutaneous, topical, and intrathecal. High levels of nucleic acid
      delivery are achieved into a broad range of tissues, such as lung, salivary
      glands, heart, spleen, liver, and prostate upon systemic administration. In
      addition, in vivo-jetPEITM is also an efficient carrier for local gene and siRNA
      delivery such as intratumoral or topical application on the skin. After systemic
      injection, siRNA can be detected and the levels can be validated in target
      tissues by qRT-PCR. Targeting promoter-associated lncRNAs with siRNAs (small
      interfering RNAs) in vivo is becoming an exciting breakthrough for the treatment
      of human disease.

PMID- 28349434
TI  - Manipulation of Promoter-Associated Noncoding RNAs in Mouse Early Embryos for
      Controlling Sequence-Specific Epigenetic Status.
AB  - In mammals, transcription in the zygote begins after fertilization. This
      transcriptional wave is called zygotic gene activation (ZGA). During ZGA,
      epigenetic modifications, such as DNA methylation and histone modifications, are
      dynamically and drastically reconstructed in a sequence-specific manner. However,
      how such orchestrated gene upregulation is regulated remains unknown. Recently,
      using microinjection techniques, we have revealed that a class of long noncoding
      RNAs, named promoter-associated noncoding RNAs (pancRNAs), mediates specific gene
      upregulation through promoter DNA demethylation during ZGA. Here, we describe the
      experimental methods available to control the expression levels of pancRNAs and
      to evaluate epigenetic status after pancRNA manipulation.

PMID- 28349435
TI  - Comparison of grayscale and color-scale renderings of digital medical images for
      diagnostic interpretation.
AB  - Medical images are increasingly being rendered as digital images that are
      displayed on a monitor to provide diagnoses. However, these images are often
      rendered in grayscale. In this context, we compare the detectability of low
      contrast signals between digital grayscale images and color-scale images. Low
      contrast phantom images were rendered with the use of five color tables (gray,
      blue, red, yellow, and green). The 32 acquired images sorted in random order were
      evaluated by nine observers, and their observations were subjected to receiver
      operating characteristic analysis. In addition, the evaluators' preferred color
      and their eye fatigue upon image observation were compared. The low-contrast
      resolutions of yellow and green color scales were superior to that of grayscale.
      The use of yellow resulted in the least eye fatigue, and importantly our results
      indicate that the interpretation of digital medical images can be improved when
      these images are rendered in a "yellow scale" rather than grayscale.

PMID- 28349436
TI  - Quantum Chemical Mass Spectrometry: Verification and Extension of the Mobile
      Proton Model for Histidine.
AB  - The quantum chemical mass spectrometry for materials science (QCMS2) method is
      used to verify the proposed mechanism for proton transfer - the Mobile Proton
      Model (MPM) - by histidine for ten XHS tripeptides, based on quantum chemical
      calculations at the DFT/B3LYP/6-311+G* level of theory. The fragmentations of the
      different intermediate structures in the MPM mechanism are studied within the
      QCMS2 framework, and the energetics of the proposed mechanism itself and those of
      the fragmentations of the intermediate structures are compared, leading to the
      computational confirmation of the MPM. In addition, the calculations suggest that
      the mechanism should be extended from considering only the formation of five
      membered ring intermediates to include larger-ring intermediates. Graphical
      Abstract ?.

PMID- 28349437
TI  - Sulfur Pentafluoride is a Preferred Reagent Cation for Negative Electron Transfer
      Dissociation.
AB  - Negative mode proteome analysis offers access to unique portions of the proteome
      and several acidic post-translational modifications; however, traditional
      collision-based fragmentation methods fail to reliably provide sequence
      information for peptide anions. Negative electron transfer dissociation (NETD),
      on the other hand, can sequence precursor anions in a high-throughput manner.
      Similar to other ion-ion methods, NETD is most efficient with peptides of higher
      charge state because of the increased electrostatic interaction between reacting
      molecules. Here we demonstrate that NETD performance for lower charge state
      precursors can be improved by altering the reagent cation. Specifically, the
      recombination energy of the NETD reaction-largely dictated by the ionization
      energy (IE) of the reagent cation-can affect the extent of fragmentation. We
      compare the NETD reagent cations of C16H10?+ (IE = 7.9 eV) and SF5?+ (IE = 9.6
      eV) on a set of standard peptides, concluding that SF5?+ yields greater sequence
      ion generation. Subsequent proteome-scale nLC-MS/MS experiments comparing
      C16H10?+ and SF5?+ further supported this outcome: analyses using SF5?+ yielded
      4637 peptide spectral matches (PSMs) and 2900 unique peptides, whereas C16H10?+
      produced 3563 PSMs and 2231 peptides. The substantive gain in identification
      power with SF5?+ was largely driven by improved identification of doubly
      deprotonated precursors, indicating that increased NETD recombination energy can
      increase product ion yield for low charge density precursors. This work
      demonstrates that SF5?+ is a viable, if not favorable, reagent cation for NETD,
      and provides improved fragmentation over the commonly used fluoranthene reagent.
      Graphical Abstract ?.

PMID- 28349438
TI  - Combinatorial Labeling Method for Improving Peptide Fragmentation in Mass
      Spectrometry.
AB  - Annotation of peptide sequence from tandem mass spectra constitutes the central
      step of mass spectrometry-based proteomics. Peptide mass spectra are obtained
      upon gas-phase fragmentation. Identification of the protein from a set of
      experimental peptide spectral matches is usually referred as protein inference.
      Occurrence and intensity of these fragment ions in the MS/MS spectra are
      dependent on many factors such as amino acid composition, peptide basicity,
      activation mode, protease, etc. Particularly, chemical derivatizations of
      peptides were known to alter their fragmentation. In this study, the influence of
      acetylation, guanidinylation, and their combination on peptide fragmentation was
      assessed initially on a lipase (LipA) from Bacillus subtilis followed by a bovine
      six protein mix digest. The dual modification resulted in improved fragment ion
      occurrence and intensity changes, and this resulted in the equivalent
      representation of b- and y-type fragment ions in an ion trap MS/MS spectrum. The
      improved representation has allowed us to accurately annotate the peptide
      sequences de novo. Dual labeling has significantly reduced the false positive
      protein identifications in standard bovine six peptide digest. Our study suggests
      that the combinatorial labeling of peptides is a useful method to validate
      protein identifications for high confidence protein inference. Graphical Abstract
      ?.

PMID- 28349439
TI  - EGFR gene regulation in colorectal cancer cells by garlic phytocompounds with
      special emphasis on S-Allyl-L-Cysteine Sulfoxide.
AB  - Colorectal cancer is one among the most common cancers in the world and a major
      cause of cancer related deaths. Similar to other cancers, colorectal
      carcinogenesis is often associated with over expression of genes related to cell
      growth and proliferation, especially Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor (EGFR).
      There is an increasing attention towards the plant derived compounds in
      prevention of colorectal carcinogenesis by downregulating EGFR. Among plants,
      garlic (Allium sativum L.) is emerging with anticancer properties by virtue of
      its organosulfur compounds. The present study was aimed to analyze the
      interaction ability of garlic compounds in the active region of EGFR gene by in
      silico molecular docking studies and in vitro validation. This was conducted
      using the Discovery studio software version 4.0. Among the tested compounds, s
      allyl-l-cysteine-sulfoxide (SACS)/alliin showed higher affinity towards EGFR.
      Furthermore, wet lab analysis using cell viability test and EGFR expression
      analysis in colorectal cancer cells confirmed its efficacy as a potent anticancer
      agent.

PMID- 28349440
TI  - Patterns and reasons for switching classes of hormonal therapy among women with
      early-stage breast cancer.
AB  - PURPOSE: Breast cancer patients can switch hormonal therapy (HT) regimens due to
      treatment side effects or menopausal status change. We describe HT class
      switching from aromatase inhibitor (AI) to tamoxifen (TAM), and vice versa.
      METHODS: In a cohort of 3,265 women diagnosed with hormone-receptor-positive
      breast cancer at Kaiser Permanente Northern California from 2005 to 2013, we
      analyzed prescription records, switching reasons, and treatment adherence post
      switch by chart review, through 31 December 2014. RESULTS: There were 290 women
      who switched from AI to TAM (AI switchers), including 130 (45%) switchers during
      the first year of treatment; and 446 women who switched from TAM to AI (TAM
      switchers), including 120 (27%) switchers within the first year. After the
      switch, 136 (47%) AI switchers and 260 (58%) TAM switchers finished or remained
      on the planned therapy; 69 (24%) AI switchers and 99 (22%) TAM switchers
      discontinued therapy. AI side effects (73%), specifically joint pain/arthralgia
      and bone health issues, were the most common reasons for switching from AI to
      TAM, whereas from TAM to AI, it was menopausal status change (42%). CONCLUSIONS:
      Study findings highlight the need for better ways to control patient symptoms
      from HT to prevent discontinuation, and thus ensure best prognosis.

PMID- 28349442
TI  - Adding Prandial Insulin to Basal Insulin Plus Oral Antidiabetic Drugs in Chinese
      Patients with Poorly Controlled Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus: An Open-Label, Single
      Arm Study.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: There is relatively little data from China on the efficacy and
      safety of adding prandial insulin to basal insulin plus oral antidiabetic drugs
      (OADs) in people with poorly controlled type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). This
      study assessed the efficacy and safety of basal insulin dose optimization
      followed by the addition of prandial insulin in Chinese people with T2DM
      achieving suboptimal glycemic control with basal insulin and OADs. METHODS: In
      this open-label, single-arm study, adults with T2DM receiving basal insulin plus
      OADs underwent insulin dose optimization for 12 weeks. At week 12, subjects who
      achieved fasting blood glucose (FBG) <=6.5 mmol/L but not HbA1c <=7% added one
      injection of prandial insulin at the main meal for an additional 24 weeks.
      Endpoints included mean HbA1c, the achievement rate of HbA1c <=7%, hypoglycemia,
      and other adverse events (AEs). RESULTS: A total of 120 subjects underwent basal
      insulin optimization; At week 12, 110 study subjects achieved FBG <=6.5 mmol/L,
      of whom 66 did not achieve HbA1c <=7% and therefore initiated prandial insulin.
      Three patients discontinued prandial insulin due to dissatisfaction with
      treatment outcome (n = 1), accidental injury (n = 1), or personal reasons (n =
      1). After 24 weeks of basal-plus treatment, mean HbA1c significantly decreased
      (8.06% to 7.17%; p < 0.001), 65.1% of subjects achieved HbA1c <=7%, there was no
      change in FBG (6.23-6.20 mmol/L; p = 0.118), and mean post-prandial blood glucose
      decreased (13.17-10.14 mmol/L; p < 0.001). During basal-plus treatment, three
      individuals experienced hypoglycemia, and no significant change in the mean
      subject weight was observed (73.2 vs. 73.3 kg; p = 0.379). CONCLUSIONS: In people
      with T2DM who are achieving suboptimal glycemic control with basal insulin plus
      OADs, basal insulin dose optimization followed by the addition of prandial
      insulin improves glycemic control, is well tolerated, and is associated with a
      low incidence of hypoglycemia.

PMID- 28349441
TI  - Current Pharmacological Therapies in Heart Failure Patients.
AB  - Heart failure (HF) is a major problem of public health. More than 23 million
      patients worldwide are affected by heart failure. Despite incidence and
      prevalence of heart failure may vary according to real world or randomized trials
      database, advancing age is a major determinant of heart failure. Heart failure is
      also characterized by an elevated rate of morbidity and mortality and represents
      one of the leading causes of hospitalization. A major consequence of heart
      failure is the frequent hospital admissions and related costs. Guidelines have
      clearly indicated evidence-based treatments in patients with heart failure, and
      the adherence to these indications has translated in an improvement of patient's
      prognosis. Nevertheless, the use of recommended treatments at the recommended
      dosages is still lower than expected. In the last year in Europe new guidelines
      on the diagnosis and treatment of heart failure and in USA an update on
      pharmacological treatment of heart failure were published, pointing the attention
      on the use of new available pharmacological and non-pharmacological treatments.
      HF syndrome reflects the interaction between hemodynamic dysregulation
      (alterations in myocardial preload, afterload, and contractility and a
      neurohormonal disarray those results in the development of symptoms and in the
      progression of the disease. Current treatment approaches target both hemodynamic
      alterations and the neurohumoral elements to slow disease progression as well as
      to improve symptoms and outcomes.

PMID- 28349443
TI  - Cost-Effectiveness of Liraglutide Versus Dapagliflozin for the Treatment of
      Patients with Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus in the UK.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: To date there is a lack of economic analysis comparing glucagon
      like peptide-1 receptor agonists (GLP-1RAs) to sodium-glucose co-transporter 2
      inhibitors (SGLT-2i) for the treatment of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM).
      Liraglutide and dapagliflozin are the most commonly prescribed GLP-1RA and SGLT
      2i in the UK. This analysis investigated the cost-effectiveness of liraglutide
      1.2 and 1.8 mg/day compared to dapagliflozin 10 mg/day for the treatment of T2DM
      in the UK in patients on dual and triple antidiabetic therapy. METHODS: Cost
      effectiveness analysis was conducted in the QuintilesIMS CORE Diabetes Model
      (CDM). The model estimated expected costs and outcomes over a lifetime horizon
      using the UK national payer perspective. Liraglutide efficacy estimates and
      patient characteristics were sourced from a trial in patients on prior metformin
      monotherapy, and from a trial in patients on prior combination therapy.
      Comparative efficacy data for the other interventions were derived from a network
      meta-analysis. Utility inputs were extracted from a systematic literature review.
      Costs are presented in Great British Pound (GBP), 2016 values. RESULTS: In dual
      and triple therapy, liraglutide 1.2 mg was less costly and more effective
      compared with dapagliflozin 10 mg, providing a QALY gain of 0.04 and cost savings
      of GBP 11 per patient in dual therapy, and a QALY gain of 0.06 and cost savings
      of GBP 71 per patient in triple therapy. For liraglutide 1.8 mg, increased
      efficacy and costs compared with dapagliflozin 10 mg were observed in both dual
      and triple therapy. In dual therapy, a QALY gain of 0.07 and additional costs of
      GBP 888 per patient yielded an ICER of GBP 13,227, whereas in triple therapy a
      QALY gain of 0.07 and additional cost of GBP 791 per patient gave an ICER of
      11,857. CONCLUSION: This long-term modelling analysis found that both dosages of
      liraglutide may be cost-effective treatment alternatives as part of a dual or a
      triple antidiabetic therapy in patients for whom an SGLT-2i therapy is
      considered. FUNDING: Novo Nordisk.

PMID- 28349444
TI  - IDegLira Versus Insulin Glargine U100: A Long-term Cost-effectiveness Analysis in
      the US Setting.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: Treatment with IDegLira has the potential to improve glycemic
      control in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) without the weight gain
      and with a lower risk of hypoglycemia than with other therapies. The aim of the
      present analysis was to evaluate the long-term cost-effectiveness of IDegLira
      versus insulin glargine U100 with re-education and up-titration of the dose for
      treatment of patients with T2DM failing to achieve glycemic control on basal
      insulin in the US setting. METHODS: Data were obtained from the DUAL V randomized
      controlled trial in which adults with T2DM failing to achieve glycemic targets
      with insulin glargine U100 were randomly allocated to receive either IDegLira or
      insulin glargine U100. Long-term projections of clinical outcomes and direct
      costs were made using the IMS CORE Diabetes Model. Costs were accounted from a
      healthcare payer perspective. Future costs and clinical benefits were discounted
      at 3% annually. RESULTS: IDegLira was associated with improved discounted life
      expectancy (13.99 [standard deviation 0.19] versus 13.82 [standard deviation
      0.20] years) and quality-adjusted life expectancy (9.14 [standard deviation 0.12]
      versus 8.87 [standard deviation 0.13] quality-adjusted life years [QALYs])
      compared to insulin glargine U100. IDegLira was associated with increased direct
      costs of $16,970, yielding an incremental cost-effectiveness ratio (ICER) of
      $63,678 per QALY gained versus insulin glargine U100. Sensitivity analyses
      identified that the key driver of cost-effectiveness was the greater reduction in
      glycated hemoglobin with IDegLira compared with insulin glargine U100.
      CONCLUSIONS: Based on head-to-head clinical trial data, the present analysis
      suggests that IDegLira is likely to improve long-term clinical outcomes for
      patients with T2DM not achieving glycemic control on basal insulin compared to re
      education and up-titration of the dose of insulin glargine U100, with these
      improvements coming at an increased cost from a healthcare payer perspective. An
      ICER within the range described as high care value was calculated, suggesting
      IDegLira is a cost-effective treatment option in the US. FUNDING: Novo Nordisk
      A/S and Novo Nordisk Inc.

PMID- 28349445
TI  - Prophylactic use of octreotide for asparaginase-induced acute pancreatitis.
AB  - In the present study, we sought to evaluate the prophylactic use of octreotide
      for asparaginase-induced acute pancreatitis. We reviewed the medical records of
      seven patients in two institutions who received prophylactic octreotide for re
      administration of asparaginase after asparaginase-induced acute pancreatitis.
      Three patients completed asparaginase treatment without developing pancreatitis,
      and four experienced recurrence of pancreatitis. A literature search using PubMed
      identified four additional patients in whom asparaginase was successfully re
      administered with octreotide. Prophylactic use of octreotide may, thus, be
      warranted for patients who would benefit from re-administration of asparaginase
      for cancer treatment; however, careful observation is needed to monitor for
      breakthrough recurrence of pancreatitis.

PMID- 28349448
TI  - Neonatal-Onset Hereditary Coproporphyria: A New Variant of Hereditary
      Coproporphyria.
AB  - Genetic mutation of the coproporphyrinogen oxidase (CPOX) gene causes either
      hereditary coproporphyria (HCP) or harderoporphyria. HCP, a rare hepatic
      porphyria, causes acute attacks after puberty and rarely accompanies cutaneous
      symptoms. In contrast, harderoporphyria is an erythropoietic porphyria that
      represents photosensitivity and hemolytic anemia from the neonatal period. In
      patients with harderoporphyria, the p.Lys404Glu mutation is found in the
      homozygous or compound heterozygous state with another mutation, and a marked
      increase in harderoporphyrin is observed. This report describes a neonate with
      symptoms of erythropoietic harderoporphyria (photosensitivity of the skin,
      hemolytic anemia, and jaundice). However, the pattern of porphyrin metabolites of
      feces was consistent with that of typical HCP, not of harderoporphyria. We found
      a heterozygous, novel, four-base pair deletion in exon 7 of the CPOX gene,
      although other mutations including the p.Lys404Glu mutation in CPOX were not
      found. By unknown etiology, our patient had accompanying adrenocortical
      insufficiency and 46, XY disorders of sex development. Based on genetic mutation
      of the CPOX gene and information from a previous similar case report, we consider
      that neonatal-onset HCP is a variant of HCP.

PMID- 28349446
TI  - Hydroxychloroquine alleviates persistent proteinuria in IgA nephropathy.
AB  - PURPOSE: Dendritic cells, Toll-like receptor (TLR), interleukin-6 (IFN-alpha),
      interferon-alpha (IFN-alpha) and tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) play an
      important role in the pathogenesis of IgA nephropathy (IgAN). Hydroxychloroquine
      (HCQ) is an antimalarial agent and had a notable impact on immune activation by
      the reduction of circulating activated immune cells that including decreased TLR
      expressing cells, reduced IFN-secreting DCs, reduced production of cytokines
      including IFN-alpha,IL-6 and TNF-alpha. We evaluated the efficacy of HCQ in
      reducing proteinuria in patients with IgAN. METHODS: Twenty-eight IgAN patients
      with persistent proteinuria (0.5-2.0 g/24 h) despite treatment with losartan for
      3 months were matched to receive HCQ and losartan (group 1) or continue losartan
      therapy (group 2) for 24 weeks. The primary end point of this prospective, paired
      case-control study was reduction of proteinuria by 50% or more over entry level.
      RESULTS: Six patients (42.9%) in group one versus two patients (14.3%) in group 2
      reach the primary end point (P = 0.004). By 24 weeks, the mean urinary protein
      excretion was 65.9 +/- 25.5% (P = 0.002) and 95.3 +/- 30.0% (P = 0.791) that of
      the corresponding baseline value in group 1 and group 2, respectively. Baseline
      proteinuria and histologic grades, blood pressure control and changes in serum
      creatinine and eGFR were not different between the two groups. CONCLUSIONS: In
      selected patients with IgAN, HCQ is effective in ameliorating proteinuria.

PMID- 28349447
TI  - Overexpression of placenta specific 8 is associated with malignant progression
      and poor prognosis of clear cell renal cell carcinoma.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Placenta specific 8 (PLAC8) plays an important role in many different
      cellular processes and human diseases, including multiple types of cancer.
      However, the functional role of PLAC8 in clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC)
      has never been elucidated. METHODS: PLAC8 mRNA expression was investigated in 31
      pairs of fresh ccRCC tumor tissues and matched adjacent non-tumor tissues by RT
      qPCR and confirmed by analyzing the TCGA KRCC dataset which contains RNA-seq data
      of 534 ccRCC and 72 solid normal tissues. Protein level of PLAC8 expression was
      also investigated using immunohistochemistry in 129 ccRCC samples. Correlations
      with clinicopathological factors and overall survival were analyzed. To examine
      its effect on the biological activity, PLAC8 siRNAs were transfected into ccRCC
      cells. Cell proliferation was assessed by CCK8 cell viability assays, clone
      formation assays, and EdU incorporation assays. Cell invasion was examined using
      transwell assays. RNA sequencing was then performed to further elucidate the
      mechanisms by which PLAC8 regulates the cancer. RESULTS: PLAC8 expression was
      positively correlated with tumor size, metastasis, and clinical stage of ccRCC.
      Additionally, high PLAC8 expression was closely associated with a shorter overall
      survival time. Knockdown of PLAC8 with siRNAs significantly reduced the
      proliferation and invasion of RCC cells and increased the sensitivity of RCC
      cells to cisplatin. RNA-seq analysis revealed that knockdown of PLAC8 down
      regulated the expression of a panel of inflammatory mediators, which suggested
      that PLAC8 is associated with the ccRCC inflammatory microenvironment. Patients
      with high expression of PLAC8 had a significantly higher number of infiltrative
      lymphocytes than patients with low expression of PLAC8. CONCLUSION: Our findings
      suggest that PLAC8 may be a potential prognostic indicator and therapeutic target
      for ccRCC.

PMID- 28349450
TI  - LC-MS Analysis of Methylated RNA.
AB  - The detection and quantification of methylated RNA can be beneficial to
      understand certain cellular regulation processes such as transcriptional
      modulation of gene expression, immune response, or epigenetic alterations.
      Therefore, it is necessary to have methods available, which are extremely
      sensitive and accurate, for instance liquid chromatography-tandem mass
      spectrometry (LC-MS/MS). Here, we describe the preparation of RNA samples by
      enzymatic hydrolysis and the subsequent analysis of ribonucleosides by LC-MS/MS
      via NLS (Neutral loss scan) and DMRM (Dynamic multiple reaction monitoring).
      Also, we provide variations of these methods including chromatographic techniques
      and different kinds of quantification.

PMID- 28349451
TI  - Comparative Analysis of Ribonucleic Acid Digests (CARD) by Mass Spectrometry.
AB  - We describe the comparative analysis of ribonucleic acid digests (CARD) approach
      for RNA modification analysis. This approach employs isotope labeling during
      RNase digestion, which allows the direct comparison of a tRNA of unknown
      modification status against a reference tRNA, whose sequence or modification
      status is known. The reference sample is labeled with 18O during RNase digestion
      while the candidate (unknown) sample is labeled with 16O. These RNase digestion
      products are combined and analyzed by mass spectrometry. Identical RNase
      digestion products will appear in the mass spectrum as characteristic doublets,
      separated by 2 Da due to the 16O/18O mass difference. Singlets arise in the mass
      spectrum when the sequence or modification status of a particular RNase digestion
      product from the reference is not matched in the candidate (unknown) sample. This
      CARD approach for RNA modification analysis simplifies the determination of
      differences between reference and candidate samples, providing a route for higher
      throughput screening of samples for modification profiles, including
      determination of tRNA methylation patterns.

PMID- 28349449
TI  - A Social Identity Approach to Understanding and Promoting Physical Activity.
AB  - Against the backdrop of a global physical inactivity crisis, attempts to both
      understand and positively influence physical activity behaviours are
      characterized by a focus on individual-level factors (e.g. cognitions, attitudes,
      motivation). We outline a new perspective, drawn from an emerging body of work
      exploring the applicability of social identity and self-categorization theories
      to domains of sport and health, from which to understand and address this
      pervasive problem. This social identity approach suggests that the groups to
      which people belong can be, and often are, incorporated into their sense of self
      and, through this, are powerful determinants of physical activity-related
      behaviour. We start by reviewing the current state of physical activity research
      and highlighting the potential for the social identity approach to help
      understand how social factors influence these behaviours. Next, we outline the
      theoretical underpinnings of the social identity approach and provide three key
      examples that speak to the analytical and practical value of the social identity
      approach in physical activity settings. Specifically, we argue that social
      identity (1) can be harnessed to promote engagement in physical activity, (2)
      underpins exercise group behaviour, and (3) underpins effective leadership in
      exercise settings. We conclude by identifying prospects for a range of theory
      informed research developments.

PMID- 28349452
TI  - Liquid Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry for Analysis of RNA Adenosine
      Methylation.
AB  - Dynamic RNA modifications recently were considered to constitute another realm
      for biological regulation in the form of "RNA epigenetics". N 6-methyladenosine
      (m6A), one of the most important modifications on RNA, plays a fundamental role
      in epigenetic regulation of the mammalian transcriptome. We recently established
      various liquid chromatography-electrospray ionization-mass spectrometry (LC-ESI
      MS/MS)-based methods for the sensitive and accurate determination of modified
      nucleosides in both DNA and RNA. Here, we describe a protocol to analyze m6A in
      RNA by LC-ESI-MS/MS. And this protocol also can be extended to the analysis of
      other modified nucleosides in both DNA and RNA.

PMID- 28349453
TI  - Genome-Wide Location Analyses of N6-Methyladenosine Modifications (m6A-Seq).
AB  - N6-methyladenosine-sequencing (m6A-seq) is a critical tool to obtain an unbiased
      genome-wide picture of m6A sites of modification at high resolution. It allows
      the study of the impact of various perturbations on m6A modification distribution
      and the study of m6A functions. Herein, we describe the m6A-seq protocol, which
      entails RNA immunoprecipitation (RIP) performed on fragmented poly(A) RNA
      utilizing anti-m6A antibodies. The captured/enriched m6A positive RNA fragments
      are subsequently sequenced by RNA-seq in parallel with background control non
      immunoprecipitated input RNA fragments. Analyses reveal peaks of m6A enrichment
      containing sites of modifications analogous to chromatin modification
      immunoprecipitation experiments.

PMID- 28349454
TI  - Mapping m6A at Individual-Nucleotide Resolution Using Crosslinking and
      Immunoprecipitation (miCLIP).
AB  - N 6 -methyladenosine (m6A) is the most abundant modified base in eukaryotic mRNA
      and has been linked to diverse effects on mRNA fate. Current m6A mapping
      approaches localize m6A residues to 100-200 nt-long regions of transcripts. The
      precise position of m6A in mRNAs cannot be identified on a transcriptome-wide
      level because there are no chemical methods to distinguish between m6A and
      adenosine. Here, we describe a method for using anti-m6A antibodies to induce
      specific mutational signatures at m6A residues after ultraviolet light-induced
      antibody-RNA crosslinking and reverse transcription. Then, we describe how to use
      these mutational signatures to map m6A residues at nucleotide resolution. Taken
      together, our protocol allows for high-throughput detection of individual m6A
      residues throughout the transcriptome.

PMID- 28349455
TI  - Detection and Quantification of N 6-Methyladenosine in Messenger RNA by TLC.
AB  - The base-modified nucleotide, N 6-methyladenosine, is a relatively abundant
      modification found in the mRNA of most higher eukaryotes. Methylation levels can
      change dependent upon environmental conditions, cell differentiation state, or
      following knockdown of members of the methylase complex, and it is often useful
      to directly measure and compare N 6-methyladenosine levels between samples. Two
      dimensional chromatography of radiolabeled nucleotides, following specific
      nuclease treatments, provides a robust, sensitive, and reproducible assay for
      this modification.

PMID- 28349457
TI  - Detection of 5-Methylcytosine in Specific Poly(A) RNAs by Bisulfite Sequencing.
AB  - RNA bisulfite sequencing (RNA-BS-seq) represents a method for the detection of
      methylated cytosines in RNA. Developed originally for the analysis of DNA
      methylation, a modified version of this method can be used for the analysis of
      methylated cytosine in RNA. Treatment of nucleic acids with HSO3-ions under
      acidic conditions results in deamination of cytosine (C) to uracil, while 5
      methylcytosine (m5C) or 5-hydroxymethylcytosine (hm5C) exhibit low reactivity in
      this reaction and remain unchanged. Subsequent PCR amplification and sequencing
      of specific targets allows for the assessment of the methylation status of single
      Cs in their native sequence context at nucleotide resolution. Here, we describe
      the application of this method for the analysis of cytosine methylation in low
      abundance poly(A)RNA using a combination of commercially available kits and
      standard lab methods to ensure reproducible results. Furthermore, useful
      information on optimizing the method, suitable controls for almost all steps, and
      general troubleshooting guides are provided.

PMID- 28349456
TI  - Illustrating the Epitranscriptome at Nucleotide Resolution Using Methylation
      iCLIP (miCLIP).
AB  - Next-generation sequencing technologies have enabled the transcriptome to be
      profiled at a previously unprecedented speed and depth. This yielded insights
      into fundamental transcriptomic processes such as gene transcription, RNA
      processing, and mRNA splicing. Immunoprecipitation-based transcriptomic methods
      such as individual nucleotide resolution crosslinking immunoprecipitation (iCLIP)
      have also allowed high-resolution analysis of the RNA interactions of a protein
      of interest, thus revealing new regulatory mechanisms. We and others have
      recently modified this method to profile RNA methylation, and we refer to this
      customized technique as methylation-iCLIP (miCLIP). Variants of miCLIP have been
      used to map the methyl-5-cytosine (m5C) or methyl-6-adenosine (m6A) modification
      at nucleotide resolution in the human transcriptome. Here we describe the m5C
      miCLIP protocol, discuss how it yields the nucleotide-resolution RNA modification
      maps, and comment on how these have contributed to the new field of molecular
      genetics research coined "epitranscriptomics."

PMID- 28349458
TI  - Transcriptome-Wide Detection of 5-Methylcytosine by Bisulfite Sequencing.
AB  - While low-throughput RNA bisulfite sequencing is the method of choice to assess
      the methylation status of specific cytosines in candidate RNAs, the combination
      of bisulfite treatment of RNA with today's high-throughput sequencing techniques
      opens the door to methylation studies at nucleotide resolution on a transcriptome
      wide scale. Below we describe a protocol for the transcriptome-wide analysis of
      total or fractionated poly(A)RNA in cells and tissues. Although the nature of the
      bisulfite sequencing protocol makes it comparably easy to translate from a low to
      a high-throughput approach, several critical points require attention before
      starting such a project. We describe a step-by-step protocol for planning and
      performing the experiment and analyzing the data.

PMID- 28349459
TI  - Analysis of High-Throughput RNA Bisulfite Sequencing Data.
AB  - Methylation of the 5-cytosine (m5C) is a common but not well-understood RNA
      modification, which can be detected by sequencing of bisulfite-treated
      transcripts (RNA-BSseq). In this Chapter, we discuss computational RNA-BSseq data
      analysis methods for transcriptome-wide identification and quantification of m5C.

PMID- 28349460
TI  - Statistical Methods for Transcriptome-Wide Analysis of RNA Methylation by
      Bisulfite Sequencing.
AB  - For the transcriptome-wide detection and quantification of the 5-methylcytosine
      (m5C) methylation modification of RNA, one experimental approach is via bisulfite
      conversion. In this chapter we discuss statistical methods, and a corresponding
      computational pipeline, to perform transcriptome-wide differential m5C
      methylation analysis between RNA samples, specialized for this assay.

PMID- 28349461
TI  - High-Throughput Mapping of 2'-O-Me Residues in RNA Using Next-Generation
      Sequencing (Illumina RiboMethSeq Protocol).
AB  - Detection of RNA modifications in native RNAs is a tedious and laborious task,
      since the global level of these residues is low and most of the suitable physico
      chemical methods require purification of the RNA of interest almost to
      homogeneity. To overcome these limitations, methods based on RT-driven primer
      extension have been developed and successfully used, sometimes in combination
      with a specific chemical treatment. Nowadays, some of these approaches have been
      coupled to high-throughput sequencing technologies, allowing the access to
      transcriptome-wide data. RNA 2'-O-methylation is one of the ubiquitous nucleotide
      modifications found in many RNA types from bacteria, archaea, and eukarya. Here,
      we describe a reliable and optimized protocol based on alkaline fragmentation of
      total RNA coupled to a commonly used ligation approach followed by Illumina
      sequencing. We describe the methodology for detection and relative quantification
      of 2'-O-methylations with a high sensitivity and reproducibility even with a
      limited amount of starting material (1 ng of total RNA). Altogether this
      technique unlocks a technological barrier since it will be applicable for routine
      parallel treatment of biological and clinical samples to decipher the functions
      of 2'-O-methylations in pathologies.

PMID- 28349462
TI  - RiboMeth-seq: Profiling of 2'-O-Me in RNA.
AB  - RiboMeth-seq is a sequencing-based method for mapping and quantitation of one of
      the most abundant RNA modifications, ribose methylation. It is based on a simple
      chemical principle, namely the several orders of magnitude difference in
      nucleophilicity of a 2'-OH and a 2'-O-Me. Thus, the method combines alkaline
      fragmentation and a specialized library construction protocol based on 5'-OH and
      2',3' cyclic phosphate ends to prepare RNA for sequencing. The read-ends of
      library fragments are used for mapping with nucleotide resolution and calculation
      of the fraction of molecules methylated at the 2'-O-Me sites.

PMID- 28349463
TI  - In Silico Identification of RNA Modifications from High-Throughput Sequencing
      Data Using HAMR.
AB  - RNA molecules are often altered post-transcriptionally by the covalent
      modification of their nucleotides. These modifications are known to modulate the
      structure, function, and activity of RNAs. When reverse transcribed into cDNA
      during RNA sequencing library preparation, atypical (modified) ribonucleotides
      that affect Watson-Crick base pairing will interfere with reverse transcriptase
      (RT), resulting in cDNA products with mis-incorporated bases or prematurely
      terminated RNA products. These interactions with RT can therefore be inferred
      from mismatch patterns in the sequencing reads, and are distinguishable from
      simple base-calling errors, single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs), or RNA
      editing sites. Here, we describe a computational protocol for the in silico
      identification of modified ribonucleotides from RT-based RNA-seq read-out using
      the High-throughput Analysis of Modified Ribonucleotides (HAMR) software. HAMR
      can identify these modifications transcriptome-wide with single nucleotide
      resolution, and also differentiate between different types of modifications to
      predict modification identity. Researchers can use HAMR to identify and
      characterize RNA modifications using RNA-seq data from a variety of common RT
      based sequencing protocols such as Poly(A), total RNA-seq, and small RNA-seq.

PMID- 28349464
TI  - High-Throughput Small RNA Sequencing Enhanced by AlkB-Facilitated RNA de
      Methylation (ARM-Seq).
AB  - N 1-methyladenosine (m1A), N 3-methylcytidine (m3C), and N 1-methylguanosine
      (m1G) are common in transfer RNA (tRNA) and tRNA-derived fragments. These
      modifications alter Watson-Crick base-pairing, and cause pauses or stops during
      reverse transcription required for most high-throughput RNA sequencing protocols,
      resulting in inefficient detection of methyl-modified RNAs. Here, we describe a
      procedure to demethylate RNAs containing m1A, m3C, or m1G using the Escherichia
      coli dealkylating enzyme AlkB, along with instructions for subsequent processing
      with widely used protocols for small RNA sequencing.

PMID- 28349465
TI  - Transcriptome-Wide Mapping of N 1-Methyladenosine Methylome.
AB  - N 1-Methyladenosine (m1A) is a prevalent posttranscriptional RNA modification and
      commonly found in tRNA and rRNA. Very recent works have also demonstrated the
      prevalence of m1A in mammalian mRNA. Hence, high-throughput methods that allow
      transcriptome-wide mapping of m1A will be important for further functional
      investigations. Here, we describe a technique called "m1A-ID-Seq", which is based
      on m1A immunoprecipitation and the inherent ability of m1A to stall reverse
      transcription, to map m1A in the transcriptome. Utilizing this technique, highly
      confident m1A peaks can be obtained on a transcriptome-wide level.

PMID- 28349466
TI  - In Vitro Assays for RNA Methyltransferase Activity.
AB  - RNA methyltransferases (MTases) are responsible for co- and posttranscriptional
      methylation of nucleotides in a wide variety of RNA substrates. Examination of
      the target specificity, catalytic activity, and function of these enzymes
      requires in vitro methylation assays. Here, we provide a detailed protocol for
      the methylation of in vitro transcripts, synthetic RNAs, and total cellular RNA
      using recombinant RNA methyltransferases and S-adenosylmethionine (SAM) as a
      methyl group donor. We describe how this method can be coupled to fluorographic
      detection of RNA methylation if 3H-labeled SAM is used, and discuss alternative
      chromatography-based methods for the detection of methylated nucleotides,
      focusing on reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography (RP-HPLC). In
      both cases, mutagenesis of the methyltransferase or the RNA substrate can be
      employed to elucidate the catalytic mechanisms and target specificity of the
      enzymes. Together these approaches provide valuable insight into the action of
      RNA methyltransferases on the molecular level and serve as a basis for further
      functional characterization of RNA methyltransferases in vivo.

PMID- 28349467
TI  - Crosslinking Methods to Identify RNA Methyltransferase Targets In Vivo.
AB  - Several crosslinking methods have been developed to identify interacting RNAs for
      proteins of interest. Here, we describe variants of the UV crosslinking and
      analysis of cDNA (CRAC) method that allow target identification of RNA
      methyltransferases on a genome-wide scale. We present a detailed protocol for the
      application of CRAC in human cells that stably express the protein of interest
      fused to a tandem affinity tag. After the introduction of a covalent link between
      the protein and its target RNAs, protein-RNA complexes are purified and bound
      RNAs trimmed, ligated to adapters, reverse transcribed, and amplified. Sequences
      obtained from next-generation sequencing are then mapped onto the human genome
      allowing the identification of possible substrates. For some RNA
      methyltransferases, e.g., m5C MTases, their catalytic mechanism can be exploited
      for chemical crosslinking approaches instead of UV based crosslinking.

PMID- 28349468
TI  - Methylated mRNA Nucleotides as Regulators for Ribosomal Translation.
AB  - Methylated RNA nucleotides were recently discovered to be highly abundant in
      RNAs. The effects of these methylations were mainly attributed to altered mRNA
      stabilities, protein-binding affinities, or RNA structures. The direct impact of
      RNA modifications on the performance of the ribosome has not been investigated so
      far. In this chapter, we describe an approach that allows introducing RNA
      modifications site-specifically into coding sequences of mRNAs and determining
      their effect on the translation machinery in a well-defined bacterial in vitro
      system.

PMID- 28349469
TI  - Automated Chemical Solid-Phase Synthesis and Deprotection of 5
      Hydroxymethylcytosine-Containing RNA.
AB  - 5-Hydroxymethylcytosine is an epigenetic base modification that is part of the
      demethylation pathway of 5-methylcytosine in DNA. 5-Methylcytosine is iteratively
      oxidized to 5-hydroxymethylcytosine, 5-formylcytosine, and 5-carboxycytosine by
      enzymes of the TET protein family. Since the discovery of 5-hydroxymethylcytosine
      also in RNA its role in regulatory processes and metabolism remains elusive. To
      gain more insight into the function of RNA containing 5-hydroxymethylcytidine,
      innovative and interdisciplinary approaches are required. In this context,
      synthetic oligoribonucleotides containing 5-hyroxymethylcytidine are an
      inevitable tool. Therefore, in this chapter, we present the efficient synthesis
      of RNA oligonucleotides containing 5-hydroxymethylcytosine by solid-phase
      synthesis. The incorporation of the modified cytosine derivative into RNA is
      compatible with standard phosphoramidite-based synthesis procedures of
      oligoribonucleotides.

PMID- 28349471
TI  - Introduction to Homeostatic Migration.
AB  - Immune cell development and function occur in specialized immunological tissues,
      the function of which requires active cell migration and interactions between
      hematopoietic cells and underlying networks of stromal cells. These cells provide
      a scaffold on which immune cell migrate, provide microenvironments for efficient
      antigen presentation, and provide signals required for immune cell recruitment
      and survival. Technical advances in imaging technologies including multiphoton
      microscopy and 3D tissue reconstructions are being combined with computational
      approaches to provide new insights into the process of cell migration and
      function in immunological tissues.

PMID- 28349470
TI  - Pre-fracture hospitalization is associated with worse functional outcome and
      higher mortality in geriatric hip fracture patients.
AB  - : Hip fractures are common in elderly people. Despite great progress in surgical
      care, the outcomes of these patients remain disappointing. This study determined
      pre-fracture hospital admission as a prognostic variable for inferior functional
      outcomes and increased mortality rates in the perioperative phase and in the
      first postoperative year. PURPOSE: The influence of a pre-fracture
      hospitalization on outcomes in hip fracture patients has not yet been
      investigated. METHODS: Four hundred two patients who were surgically treated for
      hip fracture were prospectively enrolled. Patients with a hospital stay within
      the last 3 months prior to a hip fracture were compared to patients without a pre
      fracture hospitalization. Postoperative functional outcomes and mortality rates
      were compared between groups at the time of hospital discharge and additionally
      at the six- and twelve-month follow-up appointments. A multivariate regression
      analysis was performed. RESULTS: A pre-fracture hospitalization was reported by
      67 patients (17%). In 63% of cases, patients were admitted due to non-surgical,
      general medical conditions. In 37% of cases, patients were treated due to a
      condition related to a surgical subject. In the multivariate analysis, pre
      fracture hospitalization was an independent risk factor for reduced values on the
      Barthel Index at 6 months after surgery (B, -9.918; 95%CI of B, -19.001--0.835; p
      = 0.032) and on the Tinetti Test at 6 months (B, -2.914; 95%CI of B, -1.992-
      0.047; p = 0.047) and 12 months after surgery (B, -4.680; 95%CI of B, -8.042-
      1.319; p = 0.007). Pre-fracture hospitalization was additionally associated with
      increased mortality rates at 6 months (OR 1.971; 95%CI 1.052-3.693; p = 0.034)
      and 12 months after surgery (OR 1.888; 95%CI 1.010-9.529; p = 0.046).
      CONCLUSIONS: Hip fracture patients with a recent pre-fracture hospital admission
      are at a substantial risk for inferior functional outcomes and increased
      mortality rates not only in the perioperative phase but also in the first
      postoperative year. As a simple dichotomous variable, pre-fracture
      hospitalization might be a suitable tool for future geriatric hip fracture
      screening instruments.

PMID- 28349472
TI  - Analysis of Thymocyte Migration, Cellular Interactions, and Activation by
      Multiphoton Fluorescence Microscopy of Live Thymic Slices.
AB  - Thymocytes migrate through discrete compartments within the thymus, engaging in
      cellular interactions essential for their differentiation into functional and
      self-tolerant T cells. Thus, understanding the temporal and spatial behavior of
      thymocytes within an intact thymic microenvironment is critical for elucidating
      processes governing T cell development. Towards this end, we describe methods for
      preparing thymic explant slices, in which the migration of thymocytes through
      three-dimensional space can be probed using time-lapse, multiphoton fluorescence
      microscopy. Thymocytes, enriched for developmental subsets of interest, are
      labeled with cytoplasmic fluorescent dyes, and seeded onto live thymic slices
      that express an endogenous, stromal cell-specific fluorescent reporter. In
      response to chemotactic cues produced by thymic stromal cells, the labeled
      thymocytes migrate withinthymic microenvironments and engage in cellular
      interactions that recapitulate a physiological system, whichcan be readily
      imaged. Here we describe specimen preparation that maintains the integrity of
      thymic structures. We also describe imaging protocols for acquiring multiple
      fluorochrome channels to enable detection of thymocyte:stromal cell interactions
      and quantification of relative intracellular calcium levels to monitor T cell
      receptor activation. Parameters for quantifying motility and interaction
      behaviors during data analysis are also briefly described. The thymic slice is a
      versatile tool for probing live cell behaviors and developing novel hypotheses
      not readily apparent by static experimental methods.

PMID- 28349473
TI  - Visualizing and Tracking T Cell Motility In Vivo.
AB  - Advanced cellular tracking and imaging techniques allow the dynamic nature of
      immune responses to be studied in detail and in a physiological context. Here we
      describe two methods applying multiphoton laser scanning microscopy to the
      visualization and tracking of fluorescently labeled CD4+ T cells and dendritic
      cells (DCs) within the complex lymph node (LN) environment. Ex vivo imaging of
      LNs allows the study of cell populations without the need for skilled surgical
      techniques while providing comparable data. While more technically demanding,
      intravital imaging of the popliteal LN allows aspects of T cell/DC responses to
      be studied in the context of an intact lymph and blood supply. We also describe
      methods to aid the acquisition of time series data suitable for cellular
      tracking, providing a quantitative approach to real-time analysis of DC and T
      cell LN responses.

PMID- 28349474
TI  - Graph Theory-Based Analysis of the Lymph Node Fibroblastic Reticular Cell
      Network.
AB  - Secondary lymphoid organs have developed segregated niches that are able to
      initiate and maintain effective immune responses. Such global organization
      requires tight control of diverse cellular components, specifically those that
      regulate lymphocyte trafficking. Fibroblastic reticular cells (FRCs) form a
      densely interconnected network in lymph nodes and provide key factors necessary
      for T cell migration and retention, and foster subsequent interactions between T
      cells and dendritic cells. Development of integrative systems biology approaches
      has made it possible to elucidate this multilevel complexity of the immune
      system. Here, we present a graph theory-based analysis of the FRC network in
      murine lymph nodes, where generation of the network topology is performed using
      high-resolution confocal microscopy and 3D reconstruction. This approach
      facilitates the analysis of physical cell-to-cell connectivity, and estimation of
      topological robustness and global behavior of the network when it is subjected to
      perturbation in silico.

PMID- 28349475
TI  - Visualizing Endogenous Effector T Cell Egress from the Lymph Nodes.
AB  - Local anatomy of lymphoid tissues during infection has emerged as a critical
      regulator of immunity; thus, studying the cellular choreography in the context of
      an intact tissue environment in situ is crucial. Following an infection, the
      local pathogen-specific T cell migration and the subsequent egress of effector T
      cells from the draining lymph nodes are important and complex biological
      processes. The mechanisms that regulate this complex process can now be
      investigated by directly visualizing T cell dynamics in vivo using intravital two
      photon (2P) microscopy. In addition, static whole-mount imaging technique can
      provide us with a comprehensive assessment of global changes in the distribution
      of cellular populations within an intact tissue. Thus, in this chapter, we detail
      methods to visualize the migration and egress of endogenous antigen-specific CD8
      T cells following viral infection using two methods-intravital 2P microscopy and
      multicolor whole-mount in situ tetramer staining.

PMID- 28349476
TI  - Introduction: T Cell Trafficking in Inflammation and Immunity.
AB  - T cell migration across vascular endothelium is essential for T cell responses,
      as through the expression of specific tissue-homing receptors, these cells then
      access peripheral tissues, with the goal of eliminating invading pathogens and/or
      tumor cells. However, aberrant trafficking of T cells to peripheral tissues
      contributes to the development of most chronic inflammatory diseases. Very little
      is known about the mechanisms by which T cell trafficking is regulated during
      inflammation, and it is thus difficult to target this aspect of pathology for the
      development of new therapies. It is therefore important to understand the
      pathways involved in regulating the recruitment of immune cells.

PMID- 28349477
TI  - Leukocyte Adhesion Under Hemodynamic Flow Conditions.
AB  - Vascular endothelial cells (ECs) line the luminal side of all blood vessels and
      act as a selective barrier between blood and tissue. ECs are constantly exposed
      to biochemical and biomechanical stimuli from the blood and underlying tissue.
      Fluid shear stress acts in parallel to the vessel wall, resulting from friction
      of blood against EC. Despite the importance of flow on normal EC function, much
      of the information regarding EC function and dysfunction has been derived from
      cells harvested, grown, and studied in static culture.In order to study the
      effects of shear stress on EC function a number of in vitro models have been
      developed. This manuscript provides methodology for use of a system which enables
      recirculation of leukocytes and cell culture medium over the endothelium for a
      period of several minutes to days and enables investigation of the effects of
      prolonged leukocyte coculture on both the endothelial and leukocyte populations.

PMID- 28349478
TI  - Endocrine Regulation of Lymphocyte Trafficking In Vitro.
AB  - Lymphocyte recruitment in inflammation can be influenced by many molecules
      including cytokines, chemokines, and adipokines. In our lab, we have examined the
      effects of the adipokines leptin and adiponectin on lymphocyte migration, and
      observed modulation of this process. Lymphocyte behavior can be assessed in the
      lab under static conditions, or can be studied under flow, simulating in vivo
      conditions. In this chapter, in vitro methods for analyzing adhesion and
      migration of lymphocytes isolated from blood are described in detail. In static
      adhesion and migration assays, lymphocytes are allowed to settle on top of
      endothelial cell monolayers cultured in plates for a desired period of time. In
      the flow-based assay, lymphocytes are perfused over the endothelium at a
      continuous rate through microchannels which are commercially available. Depending
      on the choice of method employed, the efficiency of lymphocytes to adhere to and
      migrate across the endothelial cell monolayer under different conditions can be
      evaluated. Static assays are less complex and are of higher throughput. However,
      these assays provide less detailed information regarding lymphocyte behaviors. On
      the other hand, the flow-based assays are more difficult to perform, but are more
      physiologically relevant due to the presence of flow and yield more detailed
      information about lymphocyte activities such as capture, immobilization, and
      migration in real-time.

PMID- 28349479
TI  - Mesenchymal Stromal Cells as Active Regulators of Lymphocyte Recruitment to Blood
      Vascular Endothelial Cells.
AB  - Methods are described for analyzing adhesion and migration of isolated
      lymphocytes on endothelial cell monolayers which have been cocultured with
      different mesenchymal stromal cells, with or without additional cytokine
      treatment. The different cells types are grown on opposite sides of 3.0 or 0.4
      MUm pore filters, depending on whether migration through the whole construct is
      to be analyzed, or adhesion to the endothelial cells alone. Migration away from
      the sub-endothelial space and through the stromal layer can also be assessed by
      culturing mesenchymal stromal cells within a 3-D collagen gel overlaid with
      endothelial cells. Assays may be "static" or the filter-based constructs can be
      incorporated into flow chambers so that cell behavior can be directly observed
      under conditions simulating those in vivo. In general, by choice of method, one
      can evaluate efficiency of attachment, and ability of cells to migrate across the
      endothelial monolayer, through the filter and through the stromal cell layer in 2
      D or 3-D. Fluorescence microscopic examination of fixed filters can be used,
      e.g., to ascertain whether lymphocytes are retained by stromal cells. In general,
      static assays have the higher throughput and greatest ease of use, while the flow
      based assays are more physiologically relevant and allow detailed recording of
      cell behavior in real time.

PMID- 28349480
TI  - Monitoring RhoGTPase Activity in Leukocytes Using Classic "Pull-Down" Assays.
AB  - Inflammation is a complex process involving the contribution of leukocytes and
      blood vessels, which collectively aim to restore homeostasis following injury to
      the body. Leukocytes are essential front-line responders to infectious or
      noninfectious injury and can be deployed within minutes of sensing damage. A
      typical inflammatory response leads to the exit of circulating leukocytes into
      the surrounding extravascular space, which follows a series of increasingly
      adhesive events - collectively termed the "multistep adhesion cascade." The Ras
      homology (Rho) family of small GTPases (RhoGTPases) are intracellular proteins
      involved in translating extracellular signals into cellular behavior, such as
      adhesion and migration. This chapter focuses on how to prepare, perform, and
      monitor RhoGTPase activation assays using classic pull-down assays. Although this
      chapter focuses on RhoGTPase signaling downstream of L-selectin clustering, the
      methods outlined here can be applied to analyzing RhoGTPase activity in response
      to stimulating other surface receptors.

PMID- 28349481
TI  - Utilizing Lentiviral Gene Transfer in Primary Endothelial Cells to Assess
      Lymphocyte-Endothelial Interactions.
AB  - A major impediment when studying primary human endothelial cell function is the
      resistance of these cells to gene transfer. Here we describe methods for
      transferring genes into primary endothelial cells prior to incorporation into a
      static adhesion assay to analyze the adhesion and migration of isolated
      lymphocytes. Human embryonic kidney (HEK)-293T (HEK-293 cells expressing the
      large T-antigen of simian virus 40) cells are initially transfected with plasmids
      containing the lentiviral packaging and envelope genes and the target sequence,
      such as a gene of interest or short hairpin loop RNA (shRNA). These cells produce
      lentivirus packaged with this target sequence and are used to transduce primary
      human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs). Human peripheral blood
      lymphocytes (PBLs) isolated from venous blood are co-incubated with lentivirally
      transduced cytokine-stimulated endothelial cells to assess lymphocyte adhesion in
      a static adhesion assay. Direct observations of lymphocyte adhesion and migration
      over a time course can also be made. In general, lentiviral transduction of
      primary endothelial cells provides an invaluable system to manipulate gene
      expression levels when studying the cellular adhesion dynamics that regulate
      leukocyte adhesion and extravasation.

PMID- 28349482
TI  - Introduction to Lymphocyte Trafficking in Disease.
AB  - Lymphocytes are the key effector cells of the adaptive immune response but are
      also implicated in the development of chronic inflammatory diseases such as type
      2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, inflammatory bowel disease, and allergy. In
      order to understand the mechanisms responsible for the global increase in such
      debilitating conditions it is vital to appreciate the complexity of immune cell
      trafficking into tissue under normal and inflamed conditions. In this chapter we
      introduce the mechanisms of immune cell recruitment into tissue and highlight how
      these processes have been targeted by new therapeutic entities based on blocking
      integrin or chemokine function.

PMID- 28349483
TI  - Using Ex Vivo Liver Organ Cultures to Measure Lymphocyte Trafficking.
AB  - Lymphocyte recruitment to different organs, and even alternate anatomical regions
      within the same organ, is differentially regulated. Key combinations of adhesion
      molecules and chemokines govern compartmentalization, and these can change
      depending upon the nature and duration of tissue injury. We are interested in
      understanding lymphocyte recruitment to the liver during human disease, and thus
      need models of the liver inflammatory milieu that are as representative as
      possible. Here we describe the use of precision cut liver slices as models of
      disease.

PMID- 28349484
TI  - In Vitro and Ex Vivo Models to Study T Cell Migration Through the Human Liver
      Parenchyma.
AB  - The liver is the largest internal organ and filters around 3 pints of blood per
      minute. This continuous flux of blood should not be confused with rapid egress of
      lymphocytes through the liver; this organ has intricate corridors of specialized
      sinusoidal spaces, ensuring that immune cells decelerate to shear flow rates, and
      providing ample opportunities to interact with parenchymal cells. Migration has
      been intricately linked to T cell function; it is therefore important to study
      liver T cell biology into context within the liver microenvironment. Here we
      discuss the highly organized architecture of liver-resident cells (sinusoidal
      endothelia, Kupffer cells, stellate cells/myofibroblasts, and biliary and hepatic
      epithelia) and showcase basic, multicellular, and complex systems to model T cell
      migration through the human liver microenvironment in vitro and ex vivo.

PMID- 28349485
TI  - Monitoring Migration of Activated T Cells to Antigen-Rich Non-lymphoid Tissue.
AB  - Effective immunity requires appropriate recirculation of naive T cells through
      secondary lymphoid organs and migration of antigen-specific T cells to sites of
      inflammation. Leukocyte migration is a highly regulated process requiring
      specific interactions between leukocytes and endothelial cells (EC) termed
      collectively as the leukocyte adhesion cascade. Recruitment and retention of
      activated T cells to antigen-rich sites of inflammation is a key event in the
      immune response, which relies in part on local antigen presentation particularly
      by EC of inflamed vessels. Here we describe methods to assess the contributions
      of different molecules on antigen-dependent T cell migration, by utilizing IFN
      gamma to upregulate MHC molecules on EC and local antigen presentation, both in
      vitro and in vivo.

PMID- 28349486
TI  - Tissue Digestion for Stromal Cell and Leukocyte Isolation.
AB  - Tissue mechanical disruption is often not sufficient to disrupt cell-to-cell
      interactions; this is particularly relevant for stromal cells that are embedded
      within the extracellular matrix. For this reason, different enzyme combinations
      have been described to enable the isolation of single-cell populations,
      particularly stromal cells. This chapter aims to describe different methods used
      for enzymatic digestion of stromal cell and leukocyte populations from secondary
      and tertiary lymphoid organs. Collagenase D and P and collagenase D and dispase
      protocols provide a good yield of stromal cells, while a collagenase dispase-only
      protocol should be used if the main aim of the technique is to retrieve leukocyte
      populations. However, for isolation of both stroma and leukocyte populations the
      collagenase D and P protocol would provide the best results. Protocols for these
      techniques and illustrative results from flow cytometry analysis can be found in
      this chapter.

PMID- 28349487
TI  - T Cell Response in the Lung Following Influenza Virus Infection.
AB  - Methods that enable the identification of virus-specific CD4 and CD8 T cells are
      key to our understanding of how the adaptive immune response controls viral
      infection. Here we describe two distinct methods to evaluate the T cell response
      to influenza A virus (IAV). The number and phenotype of T cells that respond to
      natural IAV epitopes can be assessed by flow cytometry using MHC class I and
      class II tetramers. Using this system, IAV-specific T cells can be tracked in
      various organs within the same animal, or, in different cohorts, the response can
      be evaluated at several time points following infection. While providing clear
      quantitative data, flow cytometry cannot provide any information about T cell
      location within the lung or interactions between responding T cells and other
      cell types. Here we also describe a method to examine activated CD4 T cells in
      the lungs of living animals using multiphoton intravital microscopy, thus
      providing real-time analysis of T cell behavior during an infection.

PMID- 28349491
TI  - Low incidence of the immune reconstitution inflammatory syndrome among HIV
      infected patients starting antiretroviral therapy in Gabon: a prospective cohort
      study.
AB  - There is a paucity of data on the immune reconstitution inflammatory syndrome
      (IRIS) in the Central African region. We followed ART-naive HIV-infected patients
      initiating antiretroviral therapy in an HIV clinic in Gabon, for 6 months. Among
      101 patients, IRIS was diagnosed in five. All IRIS cases were mucocutaneous
      manifestations. There were no cases of tuberculosis (TB) IRIS, but active TB (n =
      20) was associated with developing other forms of IRIS (p = 0.02). Six patients
      died. The incidence of IRIS is low in Gabon, with mild, mucocutaneous
      manifestations.

PMID- 28349493
TI  - Effect of Nigella sativa seed administration on prevention of febrile neutropenia
      during chemotherapy among children with brain tumors.
AB  - PURPOSE: Seeds of Nigella sativa (NS) are used to combat various disease
      conditions through their antibacterial effects. To evaluate the seeds' potential,
      we studied their effect on the prevention of febrile neutropenia (FN) in children
      with brain tumors. METHODS: A randomized pretest-post-test control group study
      including 80 children (2-18 years) with brain tumors undergoing chemotherapy were
      equally allocated into two groups. Intervention group received 5 g of NS seeds
      daily throughout treatment while controls received nothing. CBC with
      differentials, incidence of FN, and LOS were noted on each follow-up. RESULTS:
      The majority of children 38/40 (95%), of the intervention group, took the seeds
      for 3-9 consecutive months. Eight out of 372 (2.2%) FN episodes were experienced
      by children of intervention group compared to controls 63/327 (19.3%) (p = 0.001)
      and a shorter LOS (median = 2.5 days) vs 5 days in the control group (p = 0.006).
      Children in both groups belonged to almost same geographical area with similar
      socio-economic background. Weights of children were almost equal at diagnosis.
      CONCLUSION: NS seeds showed a decrease in incidence of FN in children with brain
      tumors with shortening of subsequent LOS which may improve their outcome and
      thereby quality of life. Larger scale studies are needed to further evaluate the
      seeds' potential.

PMID- 28349492
TI  - Risk Analysis and Occurrence of Hepatitis E Virus (HEV) in Domestic Swine in
      Northeast Brazil.
AB  - Anti-HEV antibodies were detected in animals from abattoir and in farms from
      northeast Brazil. Our results suggest that HEV is highly disseminated in the
      swine population and might present a great risk to animal handlers and for
      consumption of raw or undercooked meat and meat products in northeast Brazil.

PMID- 28349495
TI  - A novel report on the use of an oncology zygomatic implant-retained maxillary
      obturator in a paediatric patient.
AB  - This report details the use of zygomatic oncology osseointegrated implants to
      support and retain a maxillary obturator in a 13-year-old male patient who
      underwent a right-sided hemi-maxillectomy (Brown Class 2b) (Brown and Shaw,
      Lancet Oncol 11:1001-8, 2010) for a myxoid spindle cell carcinoma. At the time of
      maxillary resection, two zygomatic oncology implants were inserted into the right
      zygomatic body and subsequently utilised to provide in-defect support and
      retention for a bar-retained maxillary acrylic obturator prosthesis, which
      restored the patient's aesthetics and function to a very high level. Close follow
      up over 2 years demonstrated ongoing excellent function and disease control with
      no deleterious effects on facial or dento-alveolar growth clinically. This is the
      first clinical report of its kind in the published literature detailing the use
      of a zygomatic implant-retained obturator in a paediatric patient.

PMID- 28349494
TI  - A solitary osteochondroma of the cervical spine: a case report and review of
      literature.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: Osteochondromas are usually found in the extremities and are rarely
      seen in the spine. They are most commonly found in the posterior elements of the
      spine, and intraspinal extension is uncommon. Compressive myelopathy as a
      presentation of vertebral osteochondroma in a child is a rare entity. METHODS: We
      report a case of vertebral osteochondroma arising from the lamina of C3 vertebra,
      presenting with features of compressive myelopathyin a 15 year old boy.Total
      excision of the tumor was carried out along with lamina of C3 vertebra.Patient
      recovered significantly. CONCLUSION: Spinal osteochondromas must be considered as
      rare etiology of spinal cord or root compression in the pediatric age group and
      utmost care should be taken while excising these benign lesions.

PMID- 28349496
TI  - A phase II randomized double-blind placebo-controlled study of 6-gingerol as an
      anti-emetic in solid tumor patients receiving moderately to highly emetogenic
      chemotherapy.
AB  - 6-Gingerol is a natural compound extracted from ginger. Preclinical studies
      demonstrated that 6-gingerol has an anti-emetic activity by inhibiting neurokinin
      1, serotonin, and dopamine receptors. Several clinical trials examined crude
      ginger powder for preventing chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting (CINV), but
      none of them was conducted with a standardized bioactive compound. Patients who
      received moderately to highly emetogenic adjuvant chemotherapy were randomized to
      receive 6-gingerol 10 mg or placebo orally twice daily for 12 weeks. Ondansetron,
      metoclopramide, and dexamethasone were given to all patients. The primary
      endpoint was complete response (CR) rate defined as no emesis or rescue treatment
      at any time. Eighty-eight patients were randomized to receive 6-gingerol (N = 42)
      or placebo (N = 46). Most patients received highly emetogenic chemotherapy (93%).
      Overall CR rate was significantly higher in 6-gingerol group as compared with
      that of the placebo (77 vs. 32%; P < 0.001). The difference in means of appetite
      score was significant (P = 0.001) and more noticeable over time. Mean FACT-G
      score indicating quality of life was significantly higher (86.21) in 6-gingerol
      group at 64 days as compared with that of placebo group (72.36) (P < 0.001). No
      toxicity related to 6-gingerol was observed. Patients treated with 6-gingerol
      reported significantly less grade 3 fatigue (2 vs. 20%; P = 0.020). 6-Gingerol
      significantly improved overall CR rate in CINV, appetite and quality of life in
      cancer patients receiving adjuvant chemotherapy. A phase III randomized study of
      6-gingerol is warranted to confirm these results.

PMID- 28349499
TI  - A Cost-Effectiveness Model for Frail Older Persons: Development and Application
      to a Physiotherapy-Based Intervention.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: The clinical importance of frailty is increasing. Existing economic
      evaluations of interventions to manage frailty have limited time horizons, but
      even in older populations there may be important longer-term differences in costs
      and outcomes. This paper reports on the development of a cost-effectiveness model
      to predict publicly funded health and aged care costs and quality-adjusted life
      years (QALYs) over the remaining lifetime of frail Australians and a model-based
      cost-utility analysis of a physiotherapy-based intervention for frail
      individuals. METHODS: A cohort-based state transition (Markov) model was
      developed to predict costs and QALYs over the remaining lifetime of a frail
      population. Frailty is defined using the phenotypic definition of frailty, and
      the model comprises health states that describe frailty status, residential
      status, the experience of bone fractures and depression, and death. Model input
      parameters were estimated and calibrated using the Dynamic Analyses to Optimise
      Ageing dataset, supplemented with data from the published literature. RESULTS:
      The cost-effectiveness model was subject to a range of validation approaches,
      which did not negate the validity of the model. The evaluated physiotherapy-based
      frailty intervention has an expected incremental cost per QALY gained of
      Australian $8129 compared to usual care, but there is a probability of 0.3 that
      usual care is more effective and less costly than the intervention. DISCUSSION:
      Frailty reduces quality of life, is costly to manage and it's prevalence is
      increasing, but new approaches to managing frailty need to demonstrate value for
      money. The value of the reported cost-effectiveness model is illustrated through
      the estimation of all important costs and effects of a physiotherapy-based
      frailty intervention, which facilitates comparisons with funding decisions for
      other new technologies in Australia.

PMID- 28349498
TI  - Halophilic mechanism of the enzymatic function of a moderately halophilic
      dihydrofolate reductase from Haloarcula japonica strain TR-1.
AB  - Dihydrofolate (DHF) reductase coded by a plasmid of the extremely halophilic
      archaeon Haloarcula japonica strain TR-1 (HjDHFR P1) shows moderate halophilicity
      on enzymatic activity at pH 6.0, although there is no significant effect of NaCl
      on its secondary structure. To elucidate the salt-activation and -inactivation
      mechanisms of this enzyme, we investigated the effects of pH and salt
      concentration, deuterium isotope effect, steady-state kinetics, and rapid-phase
      ligand-binding kinetics. Enzyme activity was increased eightfold by the addition
      of 500 mM NaCl at pH 6.0, fourfold by 250 mM at pH 8.0, and became independent of
      salt concentration at pH 10.0. Full isotope effects observed at pH 10.0 under 0
      1000 mM NaCl indicated that the rate of hydride transfer, which was the rate
      determining step at the basic pH region, was independent of salt concentration.
      Conversely, rapid-phase ligand-binding experiments showed that the amplitude of
      the DHF-binding reaction increased and the tetrahydrofolate (THF)-releasing rate
      decreased with increasing NaCl concentration. These results suggested that the
      salt-activation mechanism of HjDHFR P1 is via the population change of the anion
      unbound and anion-bound conformers, which are binding-incompetent and -competent
      conformations for DHF, respectively, while that of salt inactivation is via
      deceleration of the THF-releasing rate, which is the rate-determining step at the
      neutral pH region.

PMID- 28349497
TI  - Alternative Chk1-independent S/M checkpoint in somatic cells that prevents
      premature mitotic entry.
AB  - Genomic instability is the hallmark of cancer. Checkpoint kinase-1 (Chk1) is
      required for cell cycle delay after DNA damage or blocked DNA replication. Chk1
      depleted tumor cells undergo premature mitosis and apoptosis. Here we analyzed
      the depletion of Chk1 in normal somatic cells in the absence of DNA damage in
      order to investigate alternative cell cycle checkpoint mechanism(s). By means of
      adenoviruses, flow cytometry, immunofluorescence and Western blotting, Chk1
      depleted mouse embryonic fibroblasts (MEFs) were investigated. Chk1-/- MEFs
      arrested at the S/G2 boundary of the cell cycle with decreased protein levels of
      many cell cycle key players. Cyclin B1 was predominantly cytoplasmic.
      Interestingly, overexpression of nuclear dominant Cyclin B1 leads to nuclear
      translocation and premature mitosis. Chk1-/- MEFs exhibited the absence of double
      strand breaks, yet cells showed delayed DNA damage recovery with pan-nuclear
      immunostaining pattern of Histone H2AX. Activation of this checkpoint would
      elicit a senescent-like phenotype. Taken together, our elaborated data revealed
      the existence of an additional S/M checkpoint functioning via gammaH2AX signaling
      and cytoplasmic retention of Cyclin B1 in somatic cells.

PMID- 28349500
TI  - The "polymorphous" history of a polymorphous skull bone: the sphenoid.
AB  - For a long time, because of its location at the skull base level, the sphenoid
      bone was rather mysterious as it was too difficult for anatomists to reach and to
      elucidate its true configuration. The configuration of the sphenoid bone led to
      confusion regarding its sutures with the other skull bones, its shape, its
      detailed anatomy, and the vascular and nervous structures that cross it. This
      article takes the reader on a journey through time and space, charting the
      evolution of anatomists' comprehension of sphenoid bone morphology from antiquity
      to its conception as a bone structure in the eighteenth century, and ranging from
      ancient Greece to modern Italy and France. The journey illustrates that many
      anatomists have attempted to name and to best describe the structural elements of
      this polymorphous bone.

PMID- 28349501
TI  - A Placebo-Controlled Trial of Riboflavin for Enhancement of Ultramarathon
      Recovery.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Riboflavin is known to protect tissue from oxidative damage but, to
      our knowledge, has not been explored as a means to control exercise-related
      muscle soreness. This study investigated whether acute ingestion of riboflavin
      reduces muscle pain and soreness during and after completion of a 161-km
      ultramarathon and improves functional recovery after the event. METHODS: In this
      double-blind, placebo-controlled trial, participants of the 2016 161-km Western
      States Endurance Run were assigned to receive a riboflavin or placebo capsule
      shortly before the race start and when reaching 90 km. Capsules contained either
      100 mg of riboflavin or 95 mg of maltodextrin and 5 mg of 10% beta-carotene.
      Subjects provided muscle pain and soreness ratings before, during, and
      immediately after the race and for the 10 subsequent days. Subjects also
      completed 400-m runs at maximum speed on days 3, 5, and 10 after the race.
      RESULTS: For the 32 (18 in the riboflavin group, 14 in the placebo group) race
      finishers completing the study, muscle pain and soreness ratings during and
      immediately after the race were found to be significantly lower (p = .043) for
      the riboflavin group. Analysis of the 400-m run times also showed significantly
      faster (p < .05) times for the riboflavin group than the placebo group at post
      race days 3 and 5. Both groups showed that muscle pain and soreness had returned
      to pre-race levels by 5 days after the race and that 400-m run times had returned
      to pre-race performance levels by 10 days after the race. CONCLUSIONS: This
      preliminary work suggests that riboflavin supplementation before and during
      prolonged running might reduce muscle pain and soreness during and at the
      completion of the exercise and may enhance early functional recovery after the
      exercise.

PMID- 28349502
TI  - Measuring Sphingosine-1-Phosphate/Protein Interactions with the Kinetic Exclusion
      Assay.
AB  - By directly detecting the ligand-free binding sites in a sample, the kinetic
      exclusion assay (KinExA(r)) provides a compelling alternative to SPR-based
      techniques for determining equilibrium dissociation constants of protein-ligand
      interactions. It is especially useful for observing protein-lipid interactions,
      as binding of native lipids occurs entirely in solution, and monoclonal
      antibodies can be used to directly compete with a protein of interest for lipid
      binding. By measuring the antigen-free binding sites on the antibody and using
      competition affinity analysis, the K d for the lipid binding the protein and the
      antibody can be determined simultaneously. Herein, we describe this label-free
      approach for determining the K d for S1P-binding serum albumin, which chaperones
      ~30% of the S1P in human plasma.

PMID- 28349503
TI  - Comparison of visual and refractive results after transepithelial and mechanical
      photorefractive keratectomy in myopia.
AB  - PURPOSE: To compare postoperative visual outcomes and higher-order aberrations
      (HOAs) following transepithelial photorefractive keratectomy (t-PRK) and
      mechanical photorefractive keratectomy (m-PRK). METHODS: The medical records of
      patients who underwent photorefractive keratectomy (PRK) were retrospectively
      evaluated. Forty-five patients were treated with m-PRK, and 45 were treated with
      t-PRK. Visual acuity, subjective manifest refraction, and corneal topography were
      analyzed before surgery and 12 months after surgery for both groups. Total HOAs,
      spherical, coma, and trefoil aberrations were derived from topography data over
      the 6-mm corneal zone. RESULTS: In the m-PRK group, the mean preoperative
      spherical equivalence (SE) changed from -3.15 +/- 0.70 D preoperatively to -0.24
      +/- 0.70 D 1 year postoperatively. Likewise, SE decreased from -3.36 +/- 0.63 to 
      0.25 +/- 0.63 D in the t-PRK group 1 year after the surgery. The number of eyes
      within +/- 0.50 D of the target refraction was 89% for m-PRK and 87% for t-PRK
      groups (p = 0.20). Eighty-four percentage of eyes in the t-PRK group and 80% of
      eyes in the m-PRK group showed an uncorrected distance visual acuity of 20/25 or
      better (p = 0.24). Total HOAs, spherical aberration, coma, and trefoil
      aberrations increased in both groups after surgery, but no statistically
      significant differences were detected postoperatively among the corneal
      aberrations. CONCLUSIONS: t-PRK and m-PRK result in comparable refractive results
      for the correction of low and moderate myopia. Corneal aberrations induced by t
      PRK and m-PRK were similar. Epithelial removal techniques do not affect visual,
      refractive results, or HOAs in PRK.

PMID- 28349504
TI  - Intravitreal bevacizumab alone or combined with 1 mg triamcinolone in diabetic
      macular edema: a randomized clinical trial.
AB  - PURPOSE: To compare the results of intravitreal bevacizumab (IVB) injection alone
      or in combination with intravitreal 1 mg triamcinolone acetonide (IVT) in center
      involved diabetic macular edema. METHODS: In this randomized clinical trial
      study, ninety-two eyes of 46 patients with bilateral center-involved diabetic
      macular edema and no previous treatment were included in the study. One eye of
      each patient was randomly assigned to 1.25 mg of IVB injection or combination of
      1.25 IVB and 1 mg IVT. Evaluation of best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA), central
      macular thickness (CMT), intraocular pressure (IOP) and grading of lens opacity
      was conducted at baseline, and weeks 2, 4, 6, 8, 12 and 24 after treatment.
      Retreatment was performed at a 6-week interval whenever indicated based on CMT.
      RESULTS: Between the groups, BCVA changes were not statistically different until
      24-week follow-up (P > 0.05), but at 24 weeks after treatment, BCVA improvement
      was significantly better in IVB group (P = 0.049). Significant CMT reduction was
      observed in each group along the follow-up period (P = 0.001). The mean CMT
      reduction was more significant in combination (IVB + IVT) group at 2 weeks of
      follow-up (P < 0.001), but CMT changes were not significant between the groups at
      weeks 12th and 24th after injection. Overall, retreatment was applied for 59 eyes
      up to 24 weeks (33 in the IVB group, 26 in the IVB + IVT group). Among patients
      with 2 or more injections, number of injections was significantly lower in IVB +
      IVT group (P = 0.043). Three eyes within IVB + IVT group developed IOP rise
      beyond 21 mmHg, which were controlled with topical anti-glaucoma medications
      within 1 week. Changes in lens opacity were not significant between two groups.
      CONCLUSION: Eyes treated with IVB plus 1 mg IVT injections had more significant
      reduction in CMT in early post-injection, but this effect was transient. Although
      after 24 weeks visual acuity improvement was better in IVB group, combination
      therapy may decrease the number of injections. Combining 1 mg of intravitreal
      triamcinolone with bevacizumab was not accompanied with significant side effects.

PMID- 28349505
TI  - Fast approximation for joint optimization of segmentation, shape, and location
      priors, and its application in gallbladder segmentation.
AB  - PURPOSE: This paper addresses joint optimization for segmentation and shape
      priors, including translation, to overcome inter-subject variability in the
      location of an organ. Because a simple extension of the previous exact
      optimization method is too computationally complex, we propose a fast
      approximation for optimization. The effectiveness of the proposed approximation
      is validated in the context of gallbladder segmentation from a non-contrast
      computed tomography (CT) volume. METHODS: After spatial standardization and
      estimation of the posterior probability of the target organ, simultaneous
      optimization of the segmentation, shape, and location priors is performed using a
      branch-and-bound method. Fast approximation is achieved by combining sampling in
      the eigenshape space to reduce the number of shape priors and an efficient
      computational technique for evaluating the lower bound. RESULTS: Performance was
      evaluated using threefold cross-validation of 27 CT volumes. Optimization in
      terms of translation of the shape prior significantly improved segmentation
      performance. The proposed method achieved a result of 0.623 on the Jaccard index
      in gallbladder segmentation, which is comparable to that of state-of-the-art
      methods. The computational efficiency of the algorithm is confirmed to be good
      enough to allow execution on a personal computer. CONCLUSIONS: Joint optimization
      of the segmentation, shape, and location priors was proposed, and it proved to be
      effective in gallbladder segmentation with high computational efficiency.

PMID- 28349506
TI  - Robust and automatic diagnosis of the intraventricular mechanical dyssynchrony
      for the left ventricle in cardiac magnetic resonance images.
AB  - PURPOSE: Robust and automatic diagnosis of the mechanical dyssynchrony for the
      left ventricle is essential for the cardiac resynchronization therapy. However,
      no existing method could meet the desired accuracy yet. In this paper, a new
      approach is proposed for auto-diagnosis of the intraventricular mechanical
      dyssynchrony of the left ventricle based on a series of image processing and
      signal processing techniques. METHODS: Firstly, the boundary of the left
      ventricle is identified automatically by the segmentation method. Secondly, the
      correspondence trajectories are computed based on the tangent field to make sure
      that they are perpendicular to all the intercepted boundaries. Thirdly, the
      intercepted points are smoothed by the proposed Fourier shape filter to eliminate
      noise and increase the diagnosis accuracy. Fourthly, the mechanical dyssynchrony
      is defined as the lag times between the periodic change of the sampled boundary
      points and the periodic change of the area of the left ventricle. It is
      calculated by cross-correlation. RESULTS: The segmentation method is trained with
      10 cases, the proposed approach is evaluated with other 40 tested cases (20
      normal cases and 20 patient cases), and the diagnosis accuracy is 100%.
      CONCLUSIONS: Experimental results showed that the proposed approach can
      accurately diagnose whether the left ventricle has mechanical dyssynchrony or not
      from the computed lag times. The proposed approach is robust in auto-diagnosis of
      the mechanical dyssynchrony for the left ventricle in cardiac magnetic resonance
      images.

PMID- 28349507
TI  - Transfer learning from RF to B-mode temporal enhanced ultrasound features for
      prostate cancer detection.
AB  - PURPOSE: We present a method for prostate cancer (PCa) detection using temporal
      enhanced ultrasound (TeUS) data obtained either from radiofrequency (RF)
      ultrasound signals or B-mode images. METHODS: For the first time, we demonstrate
      that by applying domain adaptation and transfer learning methods, a tissue
      classification model trained on TeUS RF data (source domain) can be deployed for
      classification using TeUS B-mode data alone (target domain), where both data are
      obtained on the same ultrasound scanner. This is a critical step for clinical
      translation of tissue classification techniques that primarily rely on accessing
      RF data, since this imaging modality is not readily available on all commercial
      scanners in clinics. Proof of concept is provided for in vivo characterization of
      PCa using TeUS B-mode data, where different nonlinear processing filters in the
      pipeline of the RF to B-mode conversion result in a distribution shift between
      the two domains. RESULTS: Our in vivo study includes data obtained in MRI-guided
      targeted procedure for prostate biopsy. We achieve comparable area under the
      curve using TeUS RF and B-mode data for medium to large cancer tumor sizes in
      biopsy cores (>4 mm). CONCLUSION: Our result suggests that the proposed
      adaptation technique is successful in reducing the divergence between TeUS RF and
      B-mode data.

PMID- 28349509
TI  - A new emerging oral infection: Raoultella planticola in a boy with haematological
      malignancy.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Oral mucositis is a common complication in pediatric cancer patients,
      affecting up to 80% of children. Due to neutropenia and disruption of the mucosal
      barrier, chemotherapy-induced oral mucositis is often complicated by super
      infections. CASE REPORT: A 16-years old male with stage 3 Burkitt's lymphoma
      developed chemotherapy induced oral mucositis grade 3 (according to WHO scale).
      Ulcers were quickly growing (reaching a maximum diameter of 3 cm) and became
      greyish in colour, resulting in dysphagia and pain. A swab of the lesions was
      taken and microbiological tests were performed. The sample grew for Raoultella
      planticola, an encapsulated Gram-negative bacterium whose full pathogenic
      potential still needs to be defined. TREATMENT: The patient received antibiotic
      combination therapy with Amikacin and Ceftazidime for 8 days. Complete healing of
      the lesions and resolution of the symptoms were reached and he completed his
      antineoplastic therapy without further complications. FOLLOW-UP: Twelve months
      after the infection, he is alive and well, with no oral complaints. CONCLUSION:
      This is the first report of a Raoultella planticola infection in a patient with
      chemotherapy induced oral mucositis. This type of infection must be added to the
      list of organisms to be considered when caring for these patients.

PMID- 28349508
TI  - Targeting Schlemm's Canal in the Medical Therapy of Glaucoma: Current and Future
      Considerations.
AB  - Schlemm's canal (SC) is a unique, complex vascular structure responsible for
      maintaining fluid homeostasis within the anterior segment of the eye by draining
      the excess of aqueous humour. In glaucoma, a heterogeneous group of eye disorders
      afflicting approximately 60 million individuals worldwide, the normal outflow of
      aqueous humour into SC is progressively hindered, leading to a gradual increase
      in outflow resistance, which gradually results in elevated intraocular pressure
      (IOP). By and large available antiglaucoma therapies do not target the site of
      the pathology (SC), but rather aim to decrease IOP by other mechanisms, either
      reducing aqueous production or by diverting aqueous flow through the
      unconventional outflow system. The present review first outlines our current
      understanding on the functional anatomy of SC. It then summarizes existing
      research on SC cell properties; first in the context of their role in glaucoma
      development/progression and then as a target of novel and emerging antiglaucoma
      therapies. Evidence from ongoing research efforts to develop effective
      antiglaucoma therapies targeting SC suggests that this could become a promising
      site of future therapeutic interventions.

PMID- 28349510
TI  - Fresh versus frozen embryo transfers in assisted reproduction.
AB  - BACKGROUND: In general, in vitro fertilisation (IVF) or intracytoplasmic sperm
      injection (ICSI) implies a single fresh and one or more frozen-thawed embryo
      transfers. Alternatively, the 'freeze-all' strategy implies transfer of frozen
      thawed embryos only, with no fresh embryo transfers. In practice, both strategies
      can vary technically including differences in freezing techniques and timing of
      transfer of cryopreservation, that is vitrification versus slow freezing,
      freezing of two pro-nucleate (2pn) versus cleavage-stage embryos versus
      blastocysts, and transfer of cleavage-stage embryos versus blastocysts.In the
      freeze-all strategy, embryo transfers are disengaged from ovarian stimulation in
      the initial treatment cycle. This could avoid a negative effect of ovarian
      hyperstimulation on the endometrium and thereby improve embryo implantation. It
      could also reduce the risk of ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome (OHSS) in the
      ovarian stimulation cycle by avoiding a pregnancy.We compared the benefits and
      risks of the two treatment strategies. OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the effectiveness
      and safety of the freeze-all strategy compared to the conventional IVF/ICSI
      strategy in women undergoing assisted reproductive technology. SEARCH METHODS: We
      searched the Cochrane Gynaecology and Fertility Group Trials Register, the
      Cochrane Central Register of Studies (CRSO), MEDLINE, Embase, PsycINFO, CINAHL,
      and two registers of ongoing trials in November 2016 together with reference
      checking and contact with study authors and experts in the field to identify
      additional studies. SELECTION CRITERIA: We included randomised clinical trials
      comparing a freeze-all strategy with a conventional IVF/ICSI strategy which
      includes fresh transfer of embryos in women undergoing IVF or ICSI treatment.
      DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS: We used standard methodological procedures
      recommended by Cochrane. The primary review outcomes were cumulative live birth
      and OHSS. Secondary outcomes included other adverse effects (miscarriage rate).
      MAIN RESULTS: We included four randomised clinical trials analysing a total of
      1892 women comparing a freeze-all strategy with a conventional IVF/ICSI strategy.
      The evidence was of moderate to low quality due to serious risk of bias and (for
      some outcomes) serious imprecision. Risk of bias was associated with unclear
      blinding of investigators for preliminary outcomes of the study, unit of analysis
      error, and absence of adequate study termination rules.There was no clear
      evidence of a difference in cumulative live birth rate between the freeze-all
      strategy and the conventional IVF/ICSI strategy (odds ratio (OR) 1.09, 95%
      confidence interval (CI) 0.91 to 1.31; 4 trials; 1892 women; I2 = 0%; moderate
      quality evidence). This suggests that if the cumulative live birth rate is 58%
      following a conventional IVF/ICSI strategy, the rate following a freeze-all
      strategy would be between 56% and 65%.The prevalence of OHSS was lower after the
      freeze-all strategy compared to the conventional IVF/ICSI strategy (OR 0.24, 95%
      CI 0.15 to 0.38; 2 trials; 1633 women; I2 = 0%; low-quality evidence). This
      suggests that if the OHSS rate is 7% following a conventional IVF/ICSI strategy,
      the rate following a freeze-all strategy would be between 1% and 3%.The freeze
      all strategy was associated with fewer miscarriages (OR 0.67, 95% CI 0.52 to
      0.86; 4 trials; 1892 women; I2 = 0%; low-quality evidence) and a higher rate of
      pregnancy complications (OR 1.44, 95% CI 1.08 to 1.92; 2 trials; 1633 women; low
      quality evidence). There was no difference in multiple pregnancies per woman
      after the first transfer (OR 1.11, 95% CI 0.85 to 1.44; 2 trials; 1630 women; low
      quality evidence), and no data were reported for time to pregnancy. AUTHORS'
      CONCLUSIONS: We found moderate-quality evidence showing that one strategy is not
      superior to the other in terms of cumulative live birth rates. Time to pregnancy
      was not reported, but it can be assumed to be shorter using a conventional
      IVF/ICSI strategy in the case of similar cumulative live birth rates, as embryo
      transfer is delayed in a freeze-all strategy. Low-quality evidence suggests that
      not performing a fresh transfer lowers the OHSS risk for women at risk of OHSS.

PMID- 28349511
TI  - Risk of endometrial cancer in women treated with ovary-stimulating drugs for
      subfertility.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Medical treatment for subfertility principally involves the use of
      ovary-stimulating agents, including selective oestrogen receptor modulators
      (SERMs), such as clomiphene citrate, gonadotropins, gonadotropin-releasing
      hormone (GnRH) agonists and antagonists, as well as human chorionic gonadotropin.
      Ovary-stimulating drugs may act directly or indirectly upon the endometrium
      (lining of the womb). Nulliparity and some causes of subfertility are recognized
      as risk factors for endometrial cancer. OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the association
      between the use of ovary-stimulating drugs for the treatment of subfertility and
      the risk of endometrial cancer. SEARCH METHODS: A search was performed in
      CENTRAL, MEDLINE (Ovid) and Embase (Ovid) databases up to July 2016, using a
      predefined search algorithm. A search in OpenGrey, ProQuest, ClinicalTrials.gov,
      ZETOC and reports of major conferences was also performed. We did not impose
      language and publication status restrictions. SELECTION CRITERIA: Cohort and case
      control studies reporting on the association between endometrial cancer and
      exposure to ovary-stimulating drugs for subfertility in adult women were deemed
      eligible. DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS: Study characteristics and findings were
      extracted by review authors independently working in pairs. Inconsistency between
      studies was quantified by estimating I2. Random-effects (RE) models were used to
      calculate pooled effect estimates. Separate analyses were performed, comparing
      treated subfertile women versus general population and/or unexposed subfertile
      women, to address the superimposition of subfertility as an independent risk
      factor for endometrial cancer. MAIN RESULTS: Nineteen studies were eligible for
      inclusion (1,937,880 participants). Overall, the quality of evidence was very
      low, due to serious risk of bias and indirectness (non-randomised studies (NRS),
      which was reflected on the GRADE assessment.Six eligible studies, including
      subfertile women, without a general population control group, found that exposure
      to any ovary-stimulating drug was not associated with an increased risk of
      endometrial cancer (RR 0.96, 95% CI 0.67 to 1.37; 156,774 participants; very low
      quality evidence). Fifteen eligible studies, using a general population as the
      control group, found an increased risk after exposure to any ovary-stimulating
      drug (RR 1.75, 95% CI 1.18 to 2.61; 1,762,829 participants; very low quality
      evidence).Five eligible studies, confined to subfertile women (92,849
      participants), reported on exposure to clomiphene citrate; the pooled studies
      indicated a positive association ( RR 1.32; 95% CI 1.01 to 1.71; 88,618
      participants; very low quality evidence), although only at high dosage (RR 1.69,
      95% CI 1.07 to 2.68; two studies; 12,073 participants) and at a high number of
      cycles (RR 1.69, 95% CI 1.16 to 2.47; three studies; 13,757 participants). Four
      studies found an increased risk of endometrial cancer in subfertile women who
      required clomiphene citrate compared to a general population control group (RR
      1.87, 95% CI 1.00 to 3.48; four studies, 19,614 participants; very low quality
      evidence). These data do not tell us whether the association is due to the
      underlying conditions requiring clomiphene or the treatment itself.Using
      unexposed subfertile women as controls, exposure to gonadotropins was associated
      with an increased risk of endometrial cancer (RR 1.55, 95% CI 1.03 to 2.34; four
      studies; 17,769 participants; very low quality evidence). The respective analysis
      of two studies (1595 participants) versus the general population found no
      difference in risk (RR 2.12, 95% CI 0.79 to 5.64: very low quality
      evidence).Exposure to a combination of clomiphene citrate and gonadotropins,
      compared to unexposed subfertile women, produced no difference in risk of
      endometrial cancer (RR 1.18, 95% CI 0.57 to 2.44; two studies; 6345 participants;
      very low quality evidence). However, when compared to the general population, an
      increased risk was found , suggesting that the key factor might be subfertility,
      rather than treatment (RR 2.99, 95% CI 1.53 to 5.86; three studies; 7789
      participants; very low quality evidence). AUTHORS' CONCLUSIONS: The synthesis of
      the currently available evidence does not allow us to draw robust conclusions,
      due to the very low quality of evidence. It seems that exposure to clomiphene
      citrate as an ovary-stimulating drug in subfertile women is associated with
      increased risk of endometrial cancer, especially at doses greater than 2000 mg
      and high (more than 7) number of cycles. This may largely be due to underlying
      risk factors in women who need treatment with clomiphene citrate, such as
      polycystic ovary syndrome, rather than exposure to the drug itself. The evidence
      regarding exposure to gonadotropins was inconclusive.

PMID- 28349512
TI  - Chlorpromazine versus metiapine for schizophrenia.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Chlorpromazine, a widely available and inexpensive antipsychotic
      drug, is considered the benchmark treatment for schizophrenia worldwide.
      Metiapine, a dibenzothiazepine derivative, has been reported to have potent
      antipsychotic characteristics. However, no evidence currently exists on the
      effectiveness of chlorpromazine in treatment of people with schizophrenia
      compared to metiapine, a newer antipsychotic. OBJECTIVES: To compare the effect
      of chlorpromazine versus metiapine for the treatment of people with schizophrenia
      SEARCH METHODS: We searched the Cochrane Schizophrenia Group's Study-Based
      Register of Trials in November 2015 and 2016. SELECTION CRITERIA: All randomised
      controlled trials (RCTs) focusing on chlorpromazine versus metiapine for adults
      with schizophrenia. We included trials meeting our selection criteria and
      reporting useable data. DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS: We extracted data
      independently. For binary outcomes, we calculated risk ratio (RR) and its 95%
      confidence interval (CI), on an intention-to-treat basis. For continuous data, we
      estimated the mean difference between groups and its 95% CI. We employed a random
      effects model for analyses. We assessed risk of bias for included studies and
      created 'Summary of findings' tables using GRADE. MAIN RESULTS: We included three
      studies randomising 161 people with schizophrenia. Data were available for only
      two of our seven prestated main outcomes. Clinically important improvement in
      global state was measured using the Clinical Global Impression (CGI). There was
      no clear difference between chlorpromazine and metiapine groups (2 RCTs, n = 120,
      RR 1.11, 95% CI 0.84 to 1.47, very low quality evidence) and numbers of
      participants with parkinsonism at eight weeks were similar (2 RCTs, n = 70, RR
      0.97, 95% CI 0.46 to 2.03, very low quality evidence). There were no useable data
      available for the other key outcomes of clinically important improvement in
      mental state, readmission due to relapse, satisfaction with treatment, aggressive
      or violent behaviour, or cost of care. AUTHORS' CONCLUSIONS: Chlorpromazine has
      been the mainstay treatment for schizophrenia for decades, yet available evidence
      comparing this drug to metiapine fails to provide high-quality trial based data.
      However, the need to determine whether metiapine is more or less effective than
      chlorpromazine seems to be lacking in clinical relevance and future research on
      this comparison seems unlikely.

PMID- 28349513
TI  - Endometriosis education in schools: A New Zealand model examining the impact of
      an education program in schools on early recognition of symptoms suggesting
      endometriosis.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Menstrual morbidity plays a significant role in adolescent females'
      lives. There are no studies to date reporting such data from menstrual health
      education programs in schools. AIMS: The aim of our study was to report results
      from an audit of a menstrual health and endometriosis education program in
      secondary schools and observe age patterns of young women presenting for
      menstrual morbidity care. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Audit data from education in
      secondary schools and audit data of patients from an Endometriosis and Pelvic
      Pain Coaching clinic operating in a private endometriosis specialised centre are
      reported. RESULTS: In a region of consistent delivery of the education program,
      student awareness of endometriosis was 32% in 2015. Overall in 2015, 13% of
      students experienced distressing menstrual symptoms and 27% of students sometimes
      or always missed school due to menstrual symptoms. Further, in one region of
      consistent delivery of the menstrual health education program, data show an
      increase in younger patients attending for specialised endometriosis care.
      CONCLUSIONS: There is strong suggestive evidence that consistent delivery of a
      menstrual health education program in schools increases adolescent student
      awareness of endometriosis. In addition, there is suggestive evidence that in a
      geographical area of consistent delivery of the program, a shift in earlier
      presentation of young women to a specialised health service is observed.

PMID- 28349514
TI  - L-carnitine for cognitive enhancement in people without cognitive impairment.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Safe interventions to enhance cognitive function in cognitively
      healthy people would be very valuable for several reasons, including a better
      quality of life and professional success. While L-carnitine has been reported to
      enhance cognitive function in some conditions, its efficacy is disputed. The
      evidence of its efficacy for cognitively healthy people has not previously been
      systematically reviewed. OBJECTIVES: To assess the efficacy and safety of L
      carnitine for the enhancement of cognitive function in people without cognitive
      impairment. SEARCH METHODS: We searched ALOIS, the Cochrane Dementia and
      Cognitive Improvement Group's Specialized Register, on 4 November 2016. We used
      the search terms 'L-carnitine' or 'acetyl-L-carnitine' or 'propionyl-L-carnitine'
      or 'ALC' or 'PLC' or 'ALCAR' or 'ALPAR'. We ran additional separate searches in
      several other sources to ensure that we retrieved the most up-to-date results. We
      also reviewed the bibliographies of the randomised controlled trials identified
      and contacted the authors and known experts in the field and pharmaceutical
      companies to identify additional published or unpublished data. SELECTION
      CRITERIA: Eligible trials were randomised controlled trials (RCTs) or quasi-RCTs,
      parallel-group or cross-over, that compared L-carnitine or its derivatives,
      acetyl-L-carnitine or propionyl-L-carnitine, at any dose and for any length of
      treatment, with placebo or no treatment in cognitively healthy people of any age
      and either gender. DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS: We used standard methodological
      procedures expected by Cochrane. Two review authors independently selected trials
      and evaluated the methodological quality, then extracted and analysed data from
      the included trials. MAIN RESULTS: Only two RCTs were eligible. One was a cross
      over trial with 18 participants. The other randomised 400 participants to one of
      four treatments, of which two (L-carnitine and placebo) were relevant to this
      review, but the exact numbers of participants in these two treatment groups was
      not reported. All participants were young adults. Methodological details were
      poorly reported, and we considered the risk of bias in both studies to be
      unclear. The trials assessed different cognitive outcomes. We could extract
      cognitive data on approximately 200 participants from one trial. We found no
      evidence that L-carnitine has any effect on reaction time, vigilance, immediate
      memory, or delayed recall after three days of treatment. This trial report stated
      that there was a small number of adverse effects, none of which were serious. The
      small cross-over trial also reported no effect of L-carnitine on cognition, but
      did not provide data; no information was provided on adverse effects. We
      considered the available evidence to be of very low quality for all reported
      outcomes. AUTHORS' CONCLUSIONS: Due to the limited number of included trials,
      short-term treatment, and inadequate reporting, we were unable to draw any
      conclusions about the efficacy or safety of L-carnitine for cognitive enhancement
      in healthy adults. Well-designed, randomised, placebo-controlled trials of L
      carnitine for cognition enhancement in cognitively healthy people, with large
      samples and relatively long-term follow-up, are still needed.

PMID- 28349515
TI  - Propofol-induced irreversible hair depigmentation: a case report.

PMID- 28349516
TI  - Outcomes and predictive tests from a dedicated specialist clinic for women at
      high risk of preterm labour: A ten year audit.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Preterm birth continues to be a major cause of infant morbidity and
      mortality worldwide, but advances have recently been made in its prediction and
      prevention. A short cervix (<25 mm) in the second trimester on transvaginal
      ultrasound scan and fetal fibronectin are important predictive tests. For over
      ten years, the Preterm Labour Clinic at the Royal Women's Hospital, Melbourne,
      Australia has provided care for women at high risk of preterm birth, including
      those with a previous preterm birth, previous cervical surgery, uterine
      malformation or incidental finding of short cervix at routine ultrasound. The
      purpose of this study was to review this clinic's outcomes for the first decade.
      METHODS: This was a retrospective cohort study of all referrals to the Preterm
      Labour Clinic during the period 2004-2013 inclusive. Seven hundred and fifty-six
      cases met the study inclusion criteria of appropriate risk factor, singleton
      pregnancy, surveillance undertaken and outcome data available. RESULTS: The
      preterm birth rate (<37 weeks) was 21.4%. The rate of preterm birth by year
      decreased significantly when adjusted for risk (P = 0.002). A short cervix was
      diagnosed in 32% of the sample, and positively correlated with lower gestational
      age at delivery. Fetal fibronectin and serum alkaline phosphatase were
      independent predictors of preterm birth <34 weeks and <37 weeks. CONCLUSION: The
      adjusted preterm birth rate at the Royal Women's Hospital's Preterm Labour Clinic
      has decreased significantly over the decade studied. Positive fetal fibronectin
      at 26 weeks and elevated serum alkaline phosphatase are independent predictors of
      preterm birth.

PMID- 28349518
TI  - Erratum.

PMID- 28349517
TI  - Oral nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs for fibromyalgia in adults.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Oral nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) are widely used in
      the treatment of pain in fibromyalgia, despite being considered not to be
      effective. OBJECTIVES: To assess the analgesic efficacy, tolerability (drop-out
      due to adverse events), and safety (serious adverse events) of oral nonsteroidal
      anti-inflammatory drugs for fibromyalgia in adults. SEARCH METHODS: We searched
      CENTRAL, MEDLINE, and Embase for randomised controlled trials from inception to
      January 2017. We also searched the reference lists of retrieved studies and
      reviews, and online clinical trial registries. SELECTION CRITERIA: We included
      randomised, double-blind trials of two weeks' duration or longer, comparing any
      oral NSAID with placebo or another active treatment for relief of pain in
      fibromyalgia, with subjective pain assessment by the participant. DATA COLLECTION
      AND ANALYSIS: Two review authors independently extracted data and assessed trial
      quality and potential bias. Primary outcomes were participants with substantial
      pain relief (at least 50% pain relief over baseline or very much improved on
      Patient Global Impression of Change scale (PGIC)) or moderate pain relief (at
      least 30% pain relief over baseline or much or very much improved on PGIC),
      serious adverse events, and withdrawals due to adverse events; secondary outcomes
      were adverse events, withdrawals due to lack of efficacy, and outcomes relating
      to sleep, fatigue, and quality of life. Where pooled analysis was possible, we
      used dichotomous data to calculate risk difference (RD) and number needed to
      treat for an additional beneficial outcome (NNT), using standard methods. We
      assessed the quality of the evidence using GRADE and created a 'Summary of
      findings' table. MAIN RESULTS: Our searches identified six randomised, double
      blind studies involving 292 participants in suitably characterised fibromyalgia.
      The mean age of participants was between 39 and 50 years, and 89% to 100% were
      women. The initial pain intensity was around 7/10 on a 0 to 10 pain scale,
      indicating severe pain. NSAIDs tested were etoricoxib 90 mg daily, ibuprofen 2400
      mg daily, naproxen 1000 mg daily, and tenoxicam 20 mg daily; 146 participants
      received NSAID and 146 placebo. The duration of treatment in the double-blind
      phase varied between three and eight weeks.Not all studies reported all the
      outcomes of interest. Analyses consistently showed no significant difference
      between NSAID and placebo: substantial benefit (at least 50% pain intensity
      reduction) (risk difference (RD) -0.07 (95% confidence interval (CI) -0.18 to
      0.04) 2 studies, 146 participants; moderate benefit (at least 30% pain intensity
      reduction) (RD -0.04 (95% CI -0.16 to 0.08) 3 studies, 192 participants;
      withdrawals due to adverse events (RD 0.04 (95% CI -0.02 to 0.09) 4 studies, 230
      participants; participants experiencing any adverse event (RD 0.08 (95% CI -0.03
      to 0.19) 4 studies, 230 participants; all-cause withdrawals (RD 0.03 (95% CI 
      0.07 to 0.14) 3 studies, 192 participants. There were no serious adverse events
      or deaths. Although most studies had some measures of health-related quality of
      life, fibromyalgia impact, or other outcomes, none reported the outcomes beyond
      saying that there was no or little difference between the treatment groups.We
      downgraded evidence on all outcomes to very low quality, meaning that this
      research does not provide a reliable indication of the likely effect. The
      likelihood that the effect could be substantially different is very high. This is
      based on the small numbers of studies, participants, and events, as well as other
      deficiencies of reporting study quality allowing possible risks of bias. AUTHORS'
      CONCLUSIONS: There is only a modest amount of very low-quality evidence about the
      use of NSAIDs in fibromyalgia, and that comes from small, largely inadequate
      studies with potential risk of bias. That bias would normally be to increase the
      apparent benefits of NSAIDs, but no such benefits were seen. Consequently, NSAIDs
      cannot be regarded as useful for treating fibromyalgia.

PMID- 28349519
TI  - Erratum.

PMID- 28349520
TI  - A retrospective review of the dermatologic manifestations of chronic arsenic
      poisoning in the Philippines.
AB  - BACKGROUND: The Section of Dermatology of the University of the Philippines,
      Philippine General Hospital, reported a case of chronic arsenic poisoning from a
      community in Luzon island to the Department of Health resulting in the conduct of
      two health and environmental assessment missions in December 2014. OBJECTIVE: To
      describe the demographic profile and cutaneous manifestations of chronic arsenic
      poisoning among affected residents in Luzon, Philippines. METHODS: A review of
      the medical records of 116 residents screened during the health assessment
      missions in December 2014 was conducted. RESULTS: Among the 116 residents
      screened, 81 (70%) had clinically confirmed arsenic keratoses and
      hyperpigmentation. Among them, 52 were males and 29 were females with age range
      of 4-82 years. Two cases of squamous cell carcinoma in situ were detected through
      skin biopsy. High levels of arsenic in the tap water and topsoil supported the
      occurrence of an epidemic of chronic arsenic poisoning. CONCLUSION: Specific
      dermatologic findings of arsenic keratoses and pigmentation were common among the
      residents screened. Significantly higher occurrence of arsenic keratoses was seen
      in adults.

PMID- 28349521
TI  - Erratum.

PMID- 28349523
TI  - Corrigendum.

PMID- 28349524
TI  - Corrigendum.

PMID- 28349525
TI  - Glucocorticoid supplementation during ovarian stimulation for IVF or ICSI.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Ovarian response to stimulation during in-vitro fertilisation (IVF)
      and intra-cytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) plays an important role in
      determining live birth rates. Adjuvant treatments during ovarian stimulation that
      have different modes of action have been used to improve ovarian response to
      stimulation and outcome of IVF. Glucocorticoids (GCs) are a class of steroid
      hormones that have been used either alone or in combination with other
      stimulatory regimens in order to improve folliculogenesis and pregnancy rates.
      However, considerable uncertainty remains over whether administration of
      glucocorticoid during ovarian stimulation until oocyte recovery is superior to no
      glucocorticoid in improving live birth rates in women undergoing IVF/ICSI.
      OBJECTIVES: To determine the safety and effectiveness of systemic glucocorticoids
      during ovarian stimulation for IVF and ICSI cycles. SEARCH METHODS: We searched
      the Cochrane Gynaecology and Fertility Group Specialised Register, the Cochrane
      Central Register of Studies Online (CRSO), MEDLINE, Embase, CINAHL and PsycINFO
      from inception to 10 October 2016. We handsearched reference lists of articles,
      trial registers and relevant conference proceedings and contacted researchers in
      the field. SELECTION CRITERIA: We included randomised controlled trials (RCTs)
      comparing adjuvant treatment with systemic glucocorticoids during ovarian
      stimulation for IVF or ICSI cycles versus no adjuvant treatment. DATA COLLECTION
      AND ANALYSIS: Two review authors independently selected studies, assessed risk of
      bias and extracted the data. Our primary outcome was live birth. Secondary
      outcomes included clinical pregnancy, multiple pregnancy, miscarriage, ovarian
      hyperstimulation syndrome (OHSS) and side-effects. We calculated odds ratios
      (ORs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) and pooled the data using a fixed
      effect model. The quality of the evidence was assessed using GRADE methods. MAIN
      RESULTS: Four RCTs were included in the review (416 women). The trials compared
      glucocorticoid supplementation during IVF stimulation versus placebo. Two of the
      studies had data in a form that we could not enter into analysis, so results
      include data from only two trials (310) women. For the outcome of live birth,
      data were available for only 212 women, as the larger study had data available
      from only one study centre.One of the studies gave inadequate description of
      randomisation methods, but the other was at low risk of bias in all domains. The
      evidence was rated as low or very low quality for all outcomes, mainly due to
      imprecision, with low sample sizes and few events.There was insufficient evidence
      to determine whether there was any difference between the groups in live birth
      rate (OR 1.08, 95% CI 0.45 to 2.58; 2 RCTs, n = 212, I2 = 0%, low-quality
      evidence). Our findings suggest that if the chance of live birth with placebo is
      assumed to be 15%, the chance following supplementation would be between 7% and
      31%. There was no conclusive evidence of a difference in the clinical pregnancy
      rate (OR 1.69, 95% CI 0.98 to 2.90; 2 RCTs, n = 310, I2 = 0%, low-quality
      evidence).The evidence suggests that if the chance of clinical pregnancy with
      placebo is assumed to be 24%, the chance following treatment with glucocorticoid
      supplementation would be between 23% and 47%. There was also insufficient
      evidence to determine whether there was any difference between the groups in
      multiple-pregnancy rate (OR 3.32 , 95% CI 0.12 to 91.60; 1 RCT , n = 20, very low
      quality evidence) or miscarriage rate (OR 1.00, 95% CI 0.05 to 18.57; 1 RCT, n =
      20, very low-quality evidence). Neither of the studies reported OHSS or side
      effects. AUTHORS' CONCLUSIONS: The safety and effectiveness of glucocorticoid
      administration in women undergoing controlled ovarian hyperstimulation for
      IVF/ICSI cycles (until the day of oocyte retrieval) is unclear due to the small
      number of studies and low event rates. Whilst glucocorticoids possible increase
      the clinical pregnancy rate, there may be little or no impact on live birth rate.
      More research is needed.

PMID- 28349526
TI  - Pushing/bearing down methods for the second stage of labour.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Maternal pushing during the second stage of labour is an important
      and indispensable contributor to the involuntary expulsive force developed by
      uterine contraction. There is no consensus on an ideal strategy to facilitate
      these expulsive efforts and there are contradictory results about the influence
      on the mother and fetus. OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the benefits and possible
      disadvantages of different kinds of techniques regarding maternal
      pushing/breathing during the expulsive stage of labour on maternal and fetal
      outcomes. SEARCH METHODS: We searched Cochrane Pregnancy and Childbirth's Trials
      Register (19 September 2016) and reference lists of retrieved studies. SELECTION
      CRITERIA: Randomised controlled trials (RCTs) and quasi-RCTs assessing the
      effects of pushing/bearing down techniques (type and/or timing) performed during
      the second stage of labour on maternal and neonatal outcomes. Cluster-RCTs were
      eligible for inclusion, but none were identified. Studies using a cross-over
      design and those published in abstract form only were not eligible for inclusion
      in this review. DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS: Two review authors independently
      assessed trials for inclusion, extracted data and assessed risk of bias. Data
      were checked for accuracy. MAIN RESULTS: In this updated review, we included 21
      studies in total, eight (884 women) comparing spontaneous pushing versus directed
      pushing, with or without epidural analgesia and 13 (2879 women) comparing delayed
      pushing versus immediate pushing with epidural analgesia. Our GRADE assessments
      of evidence ranged from moderate to very low quality; the main reasons for
      downgrading were study design limitations and imprecision of effect estimates.
      Overall, the included studies varied in their risk of bias; most were judged to
      be at unclear risk of bias. Comparison 1: types of pushing: spontaneous pushing
      versus directed pushingThere was no clear difference in the duration of the
      second stage of labour (mean difference (MD) 10.26 minutes; 95% confidence
      interval (CI) -1.12 to 21.64 minutes, six studies, 667 women, random-effects, I2
      = 81%) (very low-quality evidence). There was no clear difference in 3rd or 4th
      degree perineal laceration (risk ratio (RR) 0.87; 95% CI 0.45 to 1.66, one study,
      320 women) (low-quality evidence), episiotomy (average RR 1.05; 95% CI 0.60 to
      1.85, two studies, 420 women, random-effects, I2 = 81%), duration of pushing (MD 
      9.76 minutes, 95% CI -19.54 to 0.02; two studies; 169 women; I2 = 88%) (very low
      quality evidence), or rate of spontaneous vaginal delivery (RR 1.01, 95% CI 0.97
      to 1.05; five studies; 688 women; I2 = 2%) (moderate-quality evidence). For
      primary neonatal outcomes such as five-minute Apgar score less than seven, there
      was no clear difference between groups (RR 0.35; 95% CI 0.01 to 8.43, one study,
      320 infants) (very low-quality evidence), and the number of admissions to
      neonatal intensive care (RR 1.08; 95% CI 0.30 to 3.79, two studies, 393 infants)
      (very low-quality evidence) also showed no clear difference between spontaneous
      and directed pushing. No data were available on hypoxic ischaemic encephalopathy.
      Comparison 2: timing of pushing: delayed pushing versus immediate pushing (all
      women with epidural)For the primary maternal outcomes, delayed pushing was
      associated with an increase of 56 minutes in the duration of the second stage of
      labour (MD 56.40, 95% CI 42.05 to 70.76; 11 studies; 3049 women; I2 = 91%) (very
      low-quality evidence), but no clear difference in third or 4th degree perineal
      laceration (RR 0.94; 95% CI 0.78 to 1.14, seven studies. 2775 women) (moderate
      quality evidence) or episiotomy (RR 0.95; 95% CI 0.87 to 1.04, five studies, 2320
      women). Delayed pushing was also associated with a 19-minute decrease in the
      duration of pushing (MD -19.05, 95% CI -32.27 to -5.83; 11 studies; 2932 women;
      I2 = 95%) (very low-quality evidence) and an increase in spontaneous vaginal
      delivery (RR 1.07; 95% CI 1.02 to 1.11, 12 studies, 3114 women) (moderate-quality
      evidence).For the primary neonatal outcomes, there was no clear difference
      between groups in admission to neonatal intensive care (RR 0.98; 95% CI 0.67 to
      1.41, three studies, n = 2197) (low-quality evidence) and five-minute Apgar score
      less than seven (RR 0.15; 95% CI 0.01 to 3.00; three studies; 413 infants) (very
      low-quality evidence). There were no data on hypoxic ischaemic encephalopathy.
      Delayed pushing was associated with a greater incidence of low umbilical cord
      blood pH (RR 2.24; 95% CI 1.37 to 3.68, 4 studies, 2145 infants) and increased
      the cost of intrapartum care by CDN$ 68.22 (MD 68.22, 95% CI 55.37, 81.07, one
      study, 1862 women). AUTHORS' CONCLUSIONS: This updated review is based on 21
      included studies of moderate to very low quality of evidence (with evidence
      mainly downgraded due to study design limitations and imprecision of effect
      estimates).Timing of pushing with epidural is consistent in that delayed pushing
      leads to a shortening of the actual time pushing and increase of spontaneous
      vaginal delivery at the expense of an overall longer duration of the second stage
      of labour and an increased risk of a low umbilical cord pH (based only on one
      study). Nevertheless, there was no clear difference in serious perineal
      laceration and episiotomy, and in other neonatal outcomes (admission to neonatal
      intensive care, five-minute Apgar score less than seven and delivery room
      resuscitation) between delayed and immediate pushing.Therefore, for the type of
      pushing, with or without epidural, there is no conclusive evidence to support or
      refute any specific style as part of routine clinical practice, and in the
      absence of strong evidence supporting a specific method or timing of pushing, the
      woman's preference and comfort and clinical context should guide
      decisions.Further properly well-designed RCTs, addressing clinically important
      maternal and neonatal outcomes are required to add evidence-based information to
      the current knowledge. Such trials will provide more complete data to be
      incorporated into a future update of this review.

PMID- 28349527
TI  - Once-daily versus multiple-daily dosing with intravenous aminoglycosides for
      cystic fibrosis.
AB  - BACKGROUND: People with cystic fibrosis, who are chronically colonised with the
      organism Pseudomonas aeruginosa, often require multiple courses of intravenous
      aminoglycoside antibiotics for the management of pulmonary exacerbations. The
      properties of aminoglycosides suggest that they could be given in higher doses
      less often. This is an update of a previously published review. OBJECTIVES: To
      assess the effectiveness and safety of once-daily versus multiple-daily dosing of
      intravenous aminoglycoside antibiotics for the management of pulmonary
      exacerbations in cystic fibrosis. SEARCH METHODS: We searched the Cystic Fibrosis
      Specialist Register held at the Cochrane Cystic Fibrosis and Genetic Disorders
      Group's editorial base, comprising references identified from comprehensive
      electronic database searches, handsearching relevant journals and handsearching
      abstract books of conference proceedings.Date of the most recent search: 24 June
      2016. SELECTION CRITERIA: All randomised controlled trials, whether published or
      unpublished, in which once-daily dosing of aminoglycosides has been compared with
      multiple-daily dosing in terms of efficacy or toxicity or both, in people with
      cystic fibrosis. DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS: The two authors independently
      selected the studies to be included in the review and assessed the risk of bias
      of each study; authors also assessed the quality of the evidence using the GRADE
      criteria. Data were independently extracted by each author. Authors of the
      included studies were contacted for further information. As yet unpublished data
      were obtained for one of the included studies. MAIN RESULTS: Fifteen studies were
      identified for possible inclusion in the review. Four studies reporting results
      from a total of 328 participants (aged 5 to 50 years) were included in this
      review. All studies compared once-daily dosing with thrice-daily dosing. One
      study had a low risk of bias for all criteria assessed; the remaining three
      included studies had a high risk of bias from blinding, but for other criteria
      were judged to have either an unclear or a low risk of bias.There was no
      significant difference between treatment groups in: forced expiratory volume in
      one second, mean difference 0.33 (95% confidence interval -2.81 to 3.48, moderate
      quality evidence); forced vital capacity, mean difference 0.29 (95% confidence
      interval -6.58 to 7.16, low quality evidence); % weight for height, mean
      difference -0.82 (95% confidence interval -3.77 to 2.13, low quality evidence);
      body mass index, mean difference 0.00 (95% confidence interval -0.42 to 0.42, low
      quality evidence); or in the incidence of ototoxicity, relative risk 0.56 (95%
      confidence interval 0.04 to 7.96, moderate quality evidence). The percentage
      change in creatinine significantly favoured once-daily treatment in children,
      mean difference -8.20 (95% confidence interval -15.32 to -1.08, moderate quality
      evidence), but showed no difference in adults, mean difference 3.25 (95%
      confidence interval -1.82 to 8.33, moderate quality evidence). The included
      trials did not report antibiotic resistance patterns or quality of life. AUTHORS'
      CONCLUSIONS: Once- and three-times daily aminoglycoside antibiotics appear to be
      equally effective in the treatment of pulmonary exacerbations of cystic fibrosis.
      There is evidence of less nephrotoxicity in children.

PMID- 28349528
TI  - The role of preschool teacher-child interactions in academic adjustment: An
      intervention study with Playing-2-gether.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Social relationships can serve as important risk or protective
      factors for child development in general, and academic adjustment in particular.
      AIMS: This study investigated the role of teacher-child interactions in academic
      adjustment among preschool boys at risk of externalizing behaviour, using a
      randomized controlled trial study with Playing-2-gether (P2G), a 12-week
      indicated two-component intervention aimed at improving the affective quality of
      the teacher-child relationship and teacher behaviour management. SAMPLE: In a
      sample of 175 preschool boys showing signs of externalizing behaviour (Mage  = 4
      years, 9 months, SDage  = 7 months) and their teachers, we investigated P2G
      effects on academic engagement as well as on language achievement. METHODS:
      Academic engagement was rated by teachers at three occasions within one school
      year (T1 = pretest, T3 = post-test, and T2 = in-between intervention components).
      Language achievement was assessed by researchers at pre- and post-test, using a
      standardized test. RESULTS: Cross-lagged path analyses revealed a direct
      intervention effect of P2G on academic engagement at Time 2. In addition, a
      significant indirect intervention effect was found on academic engagement at Time
      3 through academic engagement at Time 2. Finally, academic engagement at Time 2
      was found to predict language achievement at post-test. A marginally significant
      indirect intervention effect was found on language achievement at Time 3, through
      academic engagement at Time 2. CONCLUSIONS: This intervention study suggests that
      teacher-child interactions predict academic engagement over time, which in turn
      improves language achievement among preschool boys at risk of externalizing
      behaviour.

PMID- 28349529
TI  - Continuous chest compression versus interrupted chest compression for
      cardiopulmonary resuscitation of non-asphyxial out-of-hospital cardiac arrest.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) is a major cause of death
      worldwide. Cardiac arrest can be subdivided into asphyxial and non asphyxial
      etiologies. An asphyxia arrest is caused by lack of oxygen in the blood and
      occurs in drowning and choking victims and in other circumstances. A non
      asphyxial arrest is usually a loss of functioning cardiac electrical activity.
      Cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) is a well-established treatment for cardiac
      arrest. Conventional CPR includes both chest compressions and 'rescue breathing'
      such as mouth-to-mouth breathing. Rescue breathing is delivered between chest
      compressions using a fixed ratio, such as two breaths to 30 compressions or can
      be delivered asynchronously without interrupting chest compression. Studies show
      that applying continuous chest compressions is critical for survival and
      interrupting them for rescue breathing might increase risk of death. Continuous
      chest compression CPR may be performed with or without rescue breathing.
      OBJECTIVES: To assess the effects of continuous chest compression CPR (with or
      without rescue breathing) versus conventional CPR plus rescue breathing
      (interrupted chest compression with pauses for breaths) of non-asphyxial OHCA.
      SEARCH METHODS: We searched the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials
      (CENTRAL; Issue 1 2017); MEDLINE (Ovid) (from 1985 to February 2017); Embase
      (1985 to February 2017); Web of Science (1985 to February 2017). We searched
      ongoing trials databases including controlledtrials.com and clinicaltrials.gov.
      We did not impose any language or publication restrictions. SELECTION CRITERIA:
      We included randomized and quasi-randomized studies in adults and children
      suffering non-asphyxial OHCA due to any cause. Studies compared the effects of
      continuous chest compression CPR (with or without rescue breathing) with
      interrupted CPR plus rescue breathing provided by rescuers (bystanders or
      professional CPR providers). DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS: Two authors extracted
      the data and summarized the effects as risk ratios (RRs), adjusted risk
      differences (ARDs) or mean differences (MDs). We assessed the quality of evidence
      using GRADE. MAIN RESULTS: We included three randomized controlled trials (RCTs)
      and one cluster-RCT (with a total of 26,742 participants analysed). We identified
      one ongoing study. While predominantly adult patients, one study included
      children. Untrained bystander-administered CPRThree studies assessed CPR provided
      by untrained bystanders in urban areas of the USA, Sweden and the UK. Bystanders
      administered CPR under telephone instruction from emergency services. There was
      an unclear risk of selection bias in two trials and low risk of detection,
      attrition, and reporting bias in all three trials. Survival outcomes were
      unlikely to be affected by the unblinded design of the studies.We found high
      quality evidence that continuous chest compression CPR without rescue breathing
      improved participants' survival to hospital discharge compared with interrupted
      chest compression with pauses for rescue breathing (ratio 15:2) by 2.4% (14%
      versus 11.6%; RR 1.21, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.01 to 1.46; 3 studies, 3031
      participants).One trial reported survival to hospital admission, but the number
      of participants was too low to be certain about the effects of the different
      treatment strategies on survival to admission(RR 1.18, 95% CI 0.94 to 1.48; 1
      study, 520 participants; moderate-quality evidence).There were no data available
      for survival at one year, quality of life, return of spontaneous circulation or
      adverse effects.There was insufficient evidence to determine the effect of the
      different strategies on neurological outcomes at hospital discharge (RR 1.25, 95%
      CI 0.94 to 1.66; 1 study, 1286 participants; moderate-quality evidence). The
      proportion of participants categorized as having good or moderate cerebral
      performance was 11% following treatment with interrupted chest compression plus
      rescue breathing compared with 10% to 18% for those treated with continuous chest
      compression CPR without rescue breathing. CPR administered by a trained
      professional In one trial that assessed OHCA CPR administered by emergency
      medical service professionals (EMS) 23,711 participants received either
      continuous chest compression CPR (100/minute) with asynchronous rescue breathing
      (10/minute) or interrupted chest compression with pauses for rescue breathing
      (ratio 30:2). The study was at low risk of bias overall.After OHCA, risk of
      survival to hospital discharge is probably slightly lower for continuous chest
      compression CPR with asynchronous rescue breathing compared with interrupted
      chest compression plus rescue breathing (9.0% versus 9.7%) with an adjusted risk
      difference (ARD) of -0.7%; 95% CI (-1.5% to 0.1%); moderate-quality
      evidence.There is high-quality evidence that survival to hospital admission is
      1.3% lower with continuous chest compression CPR with asynchronous rescue
      breathing compared with interrupted chest compression plus rescue breathing
      (24.6% versus 25.9%; ARD -1.3% 95% CI (-2.4% to -0.2%)).Survival at one year and
      quality of life were not reported.Return of spontaneous circulation is likely to
      be slightly lower in people treated with continuous chest compression CPR plus
      asynchronous rescue breathing (24.2% versus 25.3%; -1.1% (95% CI -2.4 to 0.1)),
      high-quality evidence.There is high-quality evidence of little or no difference
      in neurological outcome at discharge between these two interventions (7.0% versus
      7.7%; ARD -0.6% (95% CI -1.4 to 0.1).Rates of adverse events were 54.4% in those
      treated with continuous chest compressions plus asynchronous rescue breathing
      versus 55.4% in people treated with interrupted chest compression plus rescue
      breathing compared with the ARD being -1% (-2.3 to 0.4), moderate-quality
      evidence). AUTHORS' CONCLUSIONS: Following OHCA, we have found that bystander
      administered chest compression-only CPR, supported by telephone instruction,
      increases the proportion of people who survive to hospital discharge compared
      with conventional interrupted chest compression CPR plus rescue breathing. Some
      uncertainty remains about how well neurological function is preserved in this
      population and there is no information available regarding adverse effects.When
      CPR was performed by EMS providers, continuous chest compressions plus
      asynchronous rescue breathing did not result in higher rates for survival to
      hospital discharge compared to interrupted chest compression plus rescue
      breathing. The results indicate slightly lower rates of survival to admission or
      discharge, favourable neurological outcome and return of spontaneous circulation
      observed following continuous chest compression. Adverse effects are probably
      slightly lower with continuous chest compression.Increased availability of
      automated external defibrillators (AEDs), and AED use in CPR need to be examined,
      and also whether continuous chest compression CPR is appropriate for paediatric
      cardiac arrest.

PMID- 28349530
TI  - The antiproliferative and apoptotic effects of apigenin on glioblastoma cells.
AB  - OBJECTIVES: Glioblastoma (GBM) is highly proliferative, infiltrative, malignant
      and the most deadly form of brain tumour. The epidermal growth factor receptor
      (EGFR) is overexpressed, amplified and mutated in GBM and has been shown to play
      key and important roles in the proliferation, growth and survival of this tumour.
      The goal of our study was to investigate the antiproliferative, apoptotic and
      molecular effects of apigenin in GBM. METHODS: Proliferation and viability tests
      were carried out using the trypan blue exclusion, MTT and lactate dehydrogenase
      (LDH) assays. Flow cytometry was used to examine the effects of apigenin on the
      cell cycle check-points. In addition, we determined the effects of apigenin on
      EGFR-mediated signalling pathways by Western blot analyses. KEY FINDINGS: Our
      results showed that apigenin reduced cell viability and proliferation in a dose-
      and time-dependent manner while increasing cytotoxicity in GBM cells. Treatment
      with apigenin-induced is poly ADP-ribose polymerase (PARP) cleavage and caused
      cell cycle arrest at the G2M checkpoint. Furthermore, our data revealed that
      apigenin inhibited EGFR-mediated phosphorylation of mitogen-activated protein
      kinase (MAPK), AKT and mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) signalling pathways
      and attenuated the expression of Bcl-xL. CONCLUSION: Our results demonstrated
      that apigenin has potent inhibitory effects on pathways involved in GBM
      proliferation and survival and could potentially be used as a therapeutic agent
      for GBM.

PMID- 28349531
TI  - Characterization of sea cucumber (stichopus japonicus) ovum hydrolysates: calcium
      chelation, solubility and absorption into intestinal epithelial cells.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Sea cucumber (Stichopus japonicus) ovum hydrolysates (SCOHs) chelated
      with calcium were produced to investigate the characteristics of calcium binding
      and solubility, as well as to study any effects on calcium absorption by human
      intestinal epithelial cells. RESULTS: The results of the present study show that
      the calcium-binding capacity of SCOHs depended greatly on the type of proteases.
      The maximum level of Ca binding (0.38 mmol L-1 ) occurred when trypsin was used,
      with a peptide yield of 85.7%. Investigation of the possible chelating modes
      between SCOHs and calcium ions indicated that calcium ions bound to SCOHs
      primarily via interactions with carboxyl oxygen and amino nitrogen atoms of Glu
      and Asp and also that the phosphoserine residues might be also responsible for
      SCOH-calcium chelation. Moreover, SCOH-calcium complexes maintained the
      solubility of calcium under simulated gastrointestinal digestion, regardless of
      the presence of dietary components such as oxalate. Furthermore, SCOH-Ca led to
      higher peak intracellular [Ca2+ ]i in both Caco-2 cells (338.3 nmol L-1 versus
      269.6 nmol L-1 ) and HT-29 cells (373.9 nmol L-1 versus 271.7 nmol L-1 ) than
      casein phosphopeptide-Ca. CONCLUSION: Carboxyl oxygen and amino nitrogen atoms in
      the SCOHs could bind calcium ions, forming SCOH-calcium complexes. These
      complexes improved calcium solubility under simulated gastrointestinal digestion
      and also promoted calcium absorption in Caco-2 and HT-29 cells. (c) 2017 Society
      of Chemical Industry.

PMID- 28349532
TI  - Determining the effect of malondialdehyde on the IgE-binding capacity of shrimp
      tropomyosin upon in vitro digestion.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Stability in simulated gastric fluids is considered an important
      parameter for the estimation of food allergenicity. Moreover, proteins in food
      are highly susceptible to lipid oxidation during processing and preservation. In
      this study, the change in the IgE-binding capacity of malondialdehyde (MDA)
      treated shrimp tropomyosin (TM) following in vitro digestion was investigated by
      SDS-PAGE and western blot. RESULTS: Shrimp TM treated with different
      concentrations of MDA was slightly degraded and became increasingly resistant to
      pepsin digestion over time. While untreated TM was rapidly degraded, MDA-treated
      TM showed some resistance and was degraded by trypsin only after increasing the
      digestion time. Results of immunoblotting studies on IgE using sera from patients
      allergic to shrimp indicated that the IgE-binding capacity of TM and MDA (50 mmol
      L-1 )-treated TM decreased slightly after pepsin digestion and significantly
      decreased after trypsin digestion. CONCLUSION: The study indicated that the
      resistance of TM to degradation increased after oxidation. The treatment with
      proteases, especially trypsin, is quite effective in decreasing the IgG/IgE
      binding capacity of shrimp TM. (c) 2017 Society of Chemical Industry.

PMID- 28349533
TI  - Subtotal petrosectomy: Surgical technique, indications, outcomes, and
      comprehensive review of literature.
AB  - OBJECTIVES/HYPOTHESIS: To describe the technique of subtotal petrosectomy (STP),
      to analyze the outcomes, and to review the literature STUDY DESIGN: A
      retrospective review. METHODS: Four hundred sixty cases of STP performed for
      various indications were included in the study, which was conducted at a
      quaternary referral center for otology and skull base surgery. Surgical and
      audiological parameters, and complications were evaluated. Our results were
      compared with the existing literature on the subject. RESULTS: Two hundred ninety
      seven (64.6%) patients had been subjected to multiple surgeries before an STP was
      performed. The most common indication for STP was recurrent chronic otitis with
      or without cholesteatoma, with 165 (35.9%) patients. Difficult cases of cochlear
      implantation, temporal bone fractures, and class B3 tympanomastoid paragangliomas
      were the next most common indications, with 91 (19.8%), 43 (9.4%), and 38 (8.3%)
      cases, respectively. The median follow-up of the patient pool was 36 +/- 19
      months. Recidivism and postauricular wound fistula were the most common
      complications, seen in five (1.1%) patients each. This series of STP is the
      largest reported in the literature CONCLUSIONS: STP is a very useful and safe
      surgical tool in the management of a variety of problematic situations in
      otology, as it offers the possibility of a definitive cure by offering radical
      clearance. This procedure can be combined safely with hearing implantation
      procedures. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: 4. Laryngoscope, 127:2833-2842, 2017.

PMID- 28349534
TI  - Hearing loss and speech perception in noise difficulties in Fanconi anemia.
AB  - OBJECTIVES/HYPOTHESIS: Fanconi anemia is a hereditary chromosomal instability
      disorder. Hearing loss and ear abnormalities are among the many manifestations
      reported in this disorder. In addition, Fanconi anemia patients often complain
      about hearing difficulties in situations with background noise (speech perception
      in noise difficulties). Our study aimed to describe the prevalence of hearing
      loss and speech perception in noise difficulties in Dutch Fanconi anemia
      patients. STUDY DESIGN: Retrospective chart review. METHODS: A retrospective
      chart review was conducted at a Dutch tertiary care center. All patients with
      Fanconi anemia at clinical follow-up in our hospital were included. Medical files
      were reviewed to collect data on hearing loss and speech perception in noise
      difficulties. RESULTS: In total, 49 Fanconi anemia patients were included.
      Audiograms were available in 29 patients and showed hearing loss in 16 patients
      (55%). Conductive hearing loss was present in 24.1%, sensorineural in 20.7%, and
      mixed in 10.3%. A speech in noise test was performed in 17 patients; speech
      perception in noise was subnormal in nine patients (52.9%) and abnormal in two
      patients (11.7%). CONCLUSIONS: Hearing loss and speech perception in noise
      abnormalities are common in Fanconi anemia. Therefore, pure tone audiograms and
      speech in noise tests should be performed, preferably already at a young age,
      because hearing aids or assistive listening devices could be very valuable in
      developing language and communication skills. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: 4. Laryngoscope,
      127:2358-2361, 2017.

PMID- 28349535
TI  - Sternohyoid muscles for reconstruction after thyroid cartilage anterior partial
      resection.

PMID- 28349536
TI  - Effect of dietary plant extract on meat quality and sensory parameters of meat
      from Equidae.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Plant extracts as Lippia spp. have been proven antioxidant
      properties. Recent studies have been shown that dietary supplementation with
      plant extracts is able to enhance meat quality parameters. Studies regarding meat
      quality in Equidae are limited. RESULTS: The effect of dietary plant extract
      (PE), containing verbascoside, on meat quality, oxidative stability and sensory
      parameters of Longissimus Lumborum (LL) muscle in Equidae was studied. Dietary
      treatment did not affect (P > 0.05) pH, colour indices and chemical parameters of
      muscle in both donkey and horse. Dietary PE improved (P < 0.01) oxidative
      stability in donkey muscle during refrigerated storage. Sensory characteristics
      of LL muscle were positively affected (P < 0.05) by dietary PE in both donkey and
      horse. In particular, colour, taste and texture were enhanced in LL muscle from
      animals fed PE. Oxidative stability was lower (P < 0.05) in LL muscle of horse
      than that of donkey. CONCLUSION: Dietary plant extract, containing verbascoside,
      can be considered as a natural source of antioxidants, and is also able to
      improve oxidative stability of donkey meat and to affect the sensory attributes
      of Equidae meat. (c) 2017 Society of Chemical Industry.

PMID- 28349537
TI  - The state of academic sleep surgery: A survey of United States residency and
      fellowship programs.
AB  - OBJECTIVES/HYPOTHESIS: Our objectives were to describe otolaryngology residency
      programs' experience in and attitudes toward sleep surgery, and describe current
      otolaryngology sleep fellowships and their impact on future academic practice.
      STUDY DESIGN: E-mail survey. METHODS: A survey was e-mailed to program directors
      of 106 Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education-accredited
      otolaryngology residencies assessing resident sleep medicine experience, program
      satisfaction, and impact of sleep faculty. A separate survey was sent to
      directors of the seven sleep medicine otolaryngology fellowships. Frequency of
      graduates pursuing academic careers was examined. RESULTS: Forty-six (43.4%)
      residency programs responded. Thirty-one (67.4%) have a faculty member with any
      time spent practicing sleep medicine or surgery. Nineteen (41.3%) have a faculty
      member with >50% dedicated sleep practice and/or who is board certified in sleep
      medicine. These programs were significantly more likely to respond "extremely" or
      "very" satisfied with resident sleep exposure than those without (P < .001). Most
      programs (69.6%) "strongly agreed" or "agreed" their program would benefit from a
      dedicated sleep surgeon; there was no significant difference in response rates
      between programs already with and those without dedicated sleep faculty. All
      fellowship directors responded. In the past 5 years these programs have trained
      11 total fellows. Ten (90.9%) have remained in academic practice. CONCLUSIONS:
      There is significantly increased satisfaction in resident sleep education at
      otolaryngology programs with dedicated sleep providers. Concurrently, there is
      strong program interest in sleep surgeons' involvement in resident training.
      Sleep fellowships are producing surgeons who pursue academic careers. This study
      provides support to training fellowship-specialized sleep surgeons and
      encouraging otolaryngology sleep faculty. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: NA Laryngoscope,
      127:2423-2428, 2017.

PMID- 28349538
TI  - Assessment of frozen section margin analysis during olfactory neuroblastoma
      surgery.
AB  - OBJECTIVES: 1) assess the performance of the intraoperative frozen section
      procedure to correctly classify biopsies obtained during olfactory neuroblastoma
      (ONB) surgery; 2) define the relationship between posttest probabilities and
      pretest probabilities from frozen section analysis; and 3) review incorrectly
      classified specimens. STUDY DESIGN: Study of diagnostic accuracy. METHODS: We
      searched our institution's pathology database for patients who had ONB surgery
      between January 1, 2000 and November 16, 2012. We only included patients who had
      a definitive diagnosis of ONB prior to surgery and frozen sections obtained
      during surgery. All frozen sections in this study had corresponding permanent
      sections available to serve as a gold standard. This database was analyzed to
      obtain classification statistics. The confidence intervals for classification
      performance were obtained using the bootstrap sampling method. Confidence
      intervals for posttest probability curves were derived using the Taylor series
      expansion. Finally, we obtained and reviewed the slides from ambiguous or
      incorrect reads. RESULTS: A total of 459 specimens from 33 patients were
      analyzed. We found the following performance characteristics: sensitivity: 0.89
      (0.81, 0.94); specificity: 0.96 (0.94, 0.98); accuracy: 0.95 (0.92, 0.96);
      likelihood ratio positive: 24.4 (14.5, 44.1); prevalence: 0.20 (0.17, 0.25);
      positive predictive value: 0.86 (0.78, 0.92); and negative predictive value: 0.97
      (0.95, 0.99). Histopathologic review revealed that crush artifacts and inadequate
      specimen size were major sources of incorrect reads. CONCLUSION: We found frozen
      section assessment of ONB specimens to be an excellent tool for the assessment of
      intraoperative margins. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: NA. Laryngoscope, 127:1735-1741, 2017.

PMID- 28349539
TI  - Fermentation of sarshir (kaymak) by lactic acid bacteria: antibacterial activity,
      antioxidant properties, lipid and protein oxidation and fatty acid profile.
AB  - BACKGROUND: The antioxidant and antibacterial activities of fermented sarshir
      (traditional dairy food), with three probiotic Lactobacillus plantarum strains
      (LP3, AF1, and LU5), were investigated. The oxidative stability and the lipid
      profile of non-fermented and fermented sarshir were compared, in addition to
      radical scavenging activity, as well as peroxide, anisidine and carbonyl values
      (PV, AnV and CV, respectively). RESULTS: The strong antibacterial activity of
      fermented sarshir against common pathogenic bacteria, including Gram-negative
      Escherichia coli O157: H7 ATCC 35150 and Pseudomonas aeruginosa ATCC 27853, as
      well as Gram-positive Bacillus cereus ATCC 10876 and Staphylococcus aureus ATCC
      25923, was established. Among the strains examined, L. plantarum LP3 exhibited
      the highest radical scavenging activity (53.1 +/- 1.8%) and lowest PV (3.0 meq kg
      1 ), AnV (1.31 +/- 0.06) and CV (1.4 +/- 0.08). The pH of sarshir decreased from
      6.2 +/- 0 to 3.5 +/- 0.1 during 14 h of fermentation. Incorporated bacterial
      cells exhibited notable viability during 10 days of cold storage (4  degrees C).
      CONCLUSION: The fermentation of sarshir by L. plantarum strains, especially LP3,
      resulted in beneficial changes in radical scavenging activity, as well as PV, AnV
      and carbonyl values, in addition to a broad spectrum of inhibitory activity
      against strains of P. aeruginosa, E. coli O157:H7, B. cereus and S. aureus. (c)
      2017 Society of Chemical Industry.

PMID- 28349540
TI  - Sublethal effects of angling and release on golden perch Macquaria ambigua:
      implications for reproduction and fish health.
AB  - The present study tested the hypothesis of no delayed sublethal effects of mild
      angling and release on the feeding, growth, somatic condition and gonadal
      development of golden perch Macquaria ambigua during gametogenesis. Subsamples of
      adult M. ambigua (n = 17-21 of 207), originally captured from the wild and
      stocked into ten 0.1 ha earthen ponds, were angled and released during early and
      late gametogenesis. Wild samples that were concurrently collected throughout the
      experiment underwent rapid and synchronous gonadal development and many spawned.
      While no spawning occurred in the ponds, most M. ambigua underwent normal gonadal
      development to maturity, including the angled fish. Angled fish also fed,
      maintained condition and actually grew faster than non-angled captive controls.
      Although females that were angled during late gametogenesis more readily ingested
      and retained baited hooks, neither their subsequent condition nor gonadal
      development was significantly affected. The predominance of null results was
      attributed to the combined effects of the flexible reproductive strategy of M.
      ambigua, the benignness of mouth hooking and immediate release, and possible
      methodological issues arising from differential hooking success of more
      aggressive and resilient individuals. The findings support earlier catch-and
      release research, but contrast with reports of acute reproductive effects
      following capture and handling for aquaculture broodstock. This discrepancy
      highlights the need for research to specifically address welfare questions
      relevant to recreational fisheries across various species and angling scenarios.

PMID- 28349541
TI  - Effect of the type and level of hydration of alcoholic solvents on the
      simultaneous extraction of oil and chlorogenic acids from sunflower seed press
      cake.
AB  - BACKGROUND: The present study aimed to evaluate the replacement of hexane by
      alcoholic solvents in oil extraction from sunflower seed press cake. The use of
      ethanol and isopropanol has important advantages, including low toxicity and good
      operational safety. Thus, in the present study, solid-liquid extractions were
      performed in a single stage from 60 to 90  degrees C and in consecutive
      extractions in three stages at 90  degrees C. RESULTS: Solvent hydration
      negatively affected the extraction of oil but favored the extraction of
      chlorogenic acids (CAs), especially when ethanol was used. Regarding oxidative
      stability, the oils extracted using ethanol presented long induction times, which
      could be related to the high levels of not only CAs and tocopherols, but also
      phospholipids. CONCLUSION: Alcoholic solvents can be used for extraction to
      produce sunflower seed oil containing minor compounds that give it greater
      oxidative stability. In addition, the results obtained using hydrous ethanol
      showed that this solvent can yield defatted sunflower seed meal with a low
      content of CAs, enabling future use of the protein fraction. (c) 2017 Society of
      Chemical Industry.

PMID- 28349542
TI  - Onset of bell's palsy in late pregnancy and early puerperium is associated with
      worse long-term outcomes.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: The incidence of Bell's palsy (BP) is elevated in the late phases
      of pregnancy. Controversy exists as to whether pregnancy is a risk factor for
      worse outcomes in BP, and whether such outcomes are the result of factors
      intrinsic to pregnancy or the tendency to withhold medical therapy in this
      cohort. METHODS: Long-term facial function outcomes in cases of pregnancy
      associated BP (PABP) were compared against outcomes in cases affecting
      nonpregnant adult women of child-bearing age by a blinded expert using the
      electronic clinician-graded facial function scale (eFACE) facial grading system.
      RESULTS: Fifty-one pregnancy-associated cases and 58 nonpregnancy-associated
      cases were included. Among patients who received early corticosteroid therapy,
      significantly worse static, synkinesis, and composite facial function eFACE
      scores were demonstrated among cases of PABP compared to nonpregnancy-associated
      cases (static median = 86 vs. 92.5, P = 0.005; synkinesis median = 79 vs. 86, P =
      0.007; composite median = 78 vs. 84, P = 0.023). Among those not treated with
      corticosteroids, significantly worse dynamic and composite facial function eFACE
      scores were demonstrated in cases of PABP compared to those for nonpregnancy
      associated cases (dynamic median = 74 vs. 92.5, P = 0.038; composite median = 73
      vs. 86.5, P = 0.038). A trend toward improved outcomes was demonstrated within
      both groups for those treated with corticosteroids compared to those who were
      not. CONCLUSION: In comparison to cases unrelated to pregnancy, late-term PABP is
      associated with worse long-term outcomes to a degree that cannot solely be
      explained by differences in medical therapy. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: 4. Laryngoscope,
      127:2854-2859, 2017.

PMID- 28349543
TI  - Corrigendum.

PMID- 28349544
TI  - Retracted: Corrigendum.

PMID- 28349545
TI  - Blanchability and sensory quality of large runner peanuts blanched in a radiant
      wall oven using infrared radiation.
AB  - BACKGROUND: The main factors behind the growing popularity of infrared radiation
      heating in food processing include its energy efficiency, food quality retention
      and process speed, as well as the simplicity of equipment. Infrared radiation was
      employed as an alternative heat treatment to the conventional hot air method used
      in peanut blanching. The present study aimed to investigate the application of
      infrared heating for blanching peanuts and determine their blanchability and
      sensory quality under various processing conditions. RESULTS: The total
      blanchabilities (expressed as a percentage of total blanched) of the infrared
      radiation trials (radiant wall oven) at 343  degrees C for 1.5 min, 316  degrees
      C for 1.5 min, 288  degrees C for 1.5 min and 343  degrees C for 1 min did not
      differ significantly compared to the hot air control trials (impingement oven) at
      100  degrees C for 30 and 20 min. All infrared trials had significantly lower (P
      < 0.05) numbers of split kernels compared to those of the conventional trials and
      all blanched peanuts in the experiment remained raw. A descriptive sensory shelf
      life study with one control and three infrared samples demonstrated the possible
      initiation of oxidation for the conventionally blanched sample at 18 weeks of
      storage at 24  degrees C (room temperature), with no indication of oxidation in
      the infrared samples stored at the same temperature. CONCLUSION: Infrared
      radiation peanut blanching is a viable alternative to conventional hot air
      blanching because of the shorter process time and longer shelf-life, as evident
      from the sensory storage study. (c) 2017 Society of Chemical Industry.

PMID- 28349546
TI  - Enhanced growth of halophyte plants in biochar-amended coastal soil: roles of
      nutrient availability and rhizosphere microbial modulation.
AB  - Soil health is essential and irreplaceable for plant growth and global food
      production, which has been threatened by climate change and soil degradation.
      Degraded coastal soils are urgently required to reclaim using new sustainable
      technologies. Interest in applying biochar to improve soil health and promote
      crop yield has rapidly increased because of its multiple benefits. However,
      effects of biochar addition on the saline-sodic coastal soil health and halophyte
      growth were poorly understood. Response of two halophytes, Sesbania (Sesbania
      cannabina) and Seashore mallow (Kosteletzkya virginica), to the individual or co
      application of biochar and inorganic fertilizer into a coastal soil was
      investigated using a 52 d pot experiment. The biochar alone or co-application
      stimulated the plant growth (germination, root development, and biomass),
      primarily attributed to the enhanced nutrient availability from the biochar
      improved soil health. Additionally, the promoted microbial activities and
      bacterial community shift towards the beneficial taxa (e.g. Pseudomonas and
      Bacillus) in the rhizosphere also contributed to the enhanced plant growth and
      biomass. Our findings showed the promising significance because biochar added at
      an optimal level (<=5%) could be a feasible option to reclaim the degraded
      coastal soil, enhance plant growth and production, and increase soil health and
      food security.

PMID- 28349548
TI  - Multifocal but non-disseminated phaeohyphomycosis in a healthy man via a unique
      mechanism: Ejection from motor vehicle accident into a vegetable field in
      Afghanistan resulting in multiple contaminated skin wounds.
AB  - A 20-year-old male presented with multiple subcutaneous nodules on the head,
      neck, chest and oral cavity. FNA and biopsy showed pigmented fungal hyphae
      diagnostic of multifocal phaeohyphomycosis, found to be Exophiala spinifera by
      molecular diagnostics. The presentation initially raised concern for disseminated
      disease and occult immunosuppression. However, the patient appeared to be
      immunocompetent and otherwise healthy. Upon further inquiry, the patient was in a
      motor vehicle accident 4 years before presentation; he was ejected into a
      vegetable field resulting in multiple open wounds. Multifocal phaeohyphomycosis
      usually indicates disseminated systemic disease from immunosuppression and
      carries a grave prognosis.

PMID- 28349547
TI  - Larger men have larger prostates: Detection bias in epidemiologic studies of
      obesity and prostate cancer risk.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Obesity is associated with risk of aggressive prostate cancer (PCa),
      but not with over-all PCa risk. However, obese men have larger prostates which
      may lower biopsy accuracy and cause a systematic bias toward the null in
      epidemiologic studies of over-all risk. METHODS: Within a cohort of 6692 men
      followed-up after a biopsy or transurethral resection of the prostate (TURP) with
      benign findings, a nested case-control study was conducted of 495 prostate cancer
      cases and controls matched on age, race, follow-up duration, biopsy versus TURP,
      and procedure date. Data on body mass index and prostate volume at the time of
      the initial procedure were abstracted from medical records. RESULTS: Prior to
      consideration of differences in prostate volume, overweight (OR = 1.41; 95%CI
      1.01, 1.97), and obese status (OR = 1.59; 95%CI 1.09, 2.33) at the time of the
      original benign biopsy or TURP were associated with PCa incidence during follow
      up. Prostate volume did not significantly moderate the association between body
      size and PCa, however it did act as an inverse confounder; adjustment for
      prostate volume increased the effect size for overweight by 22% (adjusted OR =
      1.52; 95%CI 1.08, 2.14) and for obese status by 23% (adjusted OR = 1.77; 95%CI
      1.20, 2.62). Larger prostate volume at the time of the original benign biopsy or
      TURP was inversely associated with PCa incidence during follow-up (OR = 0.92 per
      10 cc difference in volume; 95%CI 0.88, 0.97). In analyses that stratified case
      control pairs by tumor aggressiveness of the case, prostate volume acted as an
      inverse confounder in analyses of non-aggressive PCa but not in analyses of
      aggressive PCa. CONCLUSIONS: In studies of obesity and PCa, differences in
      prostate volume cause a bias toward the null, particularly in analyses of non
      aggressive PCa. A pervasive underestimation of the association between obesity
      and overall PCa risk may exist in the literature.

PMID- 28349550
TI  - Photo absorption of p-coumaric acid in aqueous solution: RISM-SCF-SEDD theory
      approach.
AB  - Photo absorption properties of p-coumaric acid, the chromophore of photoactive
      yellow protein, in aqueous solution were investigated by means of reference
      interaction site model self-consistent field with spatial electron density
      distribution (RISM-SCF-SEDD) method. RISM-SCF-SEDD is a combination methodology
      of electronic structure theory and statistical mechanics for molecular liquids.
      Here, time-dependent density functional theory was coupled with RISM equation to
      study the electronic structure of p-coumaric acid in aqueous system. Excitation
      energies of the chromophore in its neutral, two monoanionic and dianionic forms
      were computed to elucidate the effect of the deprotonation and solvation on the
      spectroscopic properties. We found that solvation strongly affects the excitation
      character of the chromophore, especially for phenolate anion and dianion. The
      free energy difference among the four protonation states is also discussed. (c)
      2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

PMID- 28349549
TI  - Multiple narrow complex tachycardias: What are the mechanisms?

PMID- 28349551
TI  - What additional treatment is indicated for oral cavity cancer with isolated
      perineural invasion?

PMID- 28349552
TI  - Phage-like packing structures with mean field sequence dependence.
AB  - Packing of double-stranded DNA in phages must overcome both electrostatic
      repulsions and the problem of persistence length. We consider coarse-grained
      models with the ability to kink and with randomly generated disorder. We show
      that the introduction of kinking into configurations of the DNA polymer packaged
      within spherical confinement results in significant reductions of the overall
      energies and pressures. We use a kink model which has the ability to deform every
      24 bp, close to the average length predicted from phage sequence. The
      introduction of such persistence length defects even with highly random packing
      models increases the local nematic ordering of the packed DNA polymer segments.
      Such local ordering allowed by kinking not only reduces the total bending energy
      of confined DNA due to nonlinear elasticity but also reduces the electrostatic
      component of the energy and pressure. We show that a broad ensemble of polymer
      configurations is consistent with the structural data. (c) 2016 Wiley
      Periodicals, Inc.

PMID- 28349553
TI  - Unilateral ovarian absence in a Black-headed Squirrel Monkey (Saimiri vanzolinii
      Ayres, 1985), a threatened neotropical primate species.
AB  - Ovarian agenesis is an unusual anomaly with traumatic or congenital origin. In
      the present case report, we describe our findings in a senile S. vanzolinii
      female. As this neotropical primate species is listed as vulnerable, with limited
      geographic distribution in the Brazilian Amazonia, ovarian agenesis may be an
      important finding to be reported.

PMID- 28349554
TI  - Regularized regression analysis of digitized molecular structures in organic
      reactions for quantification of steric effects.
AB  - In organic chemistry, Comparative Molecular Field Analysis (CoMFA) can be defined
      as a regression analysis between reaction outcomes and molecular fields, wherein
      we can extract and visualize important structural information from the
      coefficients of the constructed regression models. In CoMFA, partial least
      squares (PLS) regression, which determines all coefficients in the model, is used
      for fitting the regression models. However, in organic reactions, steric effects
      are observed only near the reactive site, indicating that a large number of
      regression coefficients in the CoMFA of organic reactions should be assigned as
      0. The regularized regression method, LASSO/Elastic Net, allows us to fit the
      regression model while assigning 0 values to unimportant coefficients. Although
      LASSO/Elastic Net should be suitable for CoMFA, there is no example of its use
      for organic reaction analysis. Herein, we examine the performance of
      LASSO/Elastic Net for the quantification of steric effects in CoMFA. We employ
      digitized molecular structures (the indicator field) as molecular fields that
      represent steric effects. LASSO/Elastic Net regressions provide highly
      interpretable models that include less noise than those from PLS regression. (c)
      2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

PMID- 28349555
TI  - Phytosterols on growth performance, antioxidant enzymes and intestinal morphology
      in weaned piglets.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Plant extracts have been used widely to improve growth, lower
      cholesterol, and exert antioxidative defense and antimicrobial activities in
      animal production. The present study aimed to investigate the effects of dietary
      phytosterols (PS) on growth performance, antioxidant enzymes and intestinal
      morphology in weaned piglets. RESULTS: A total of 120 crossbred piglets, weighing
      9.58 +/- 0.26 kg, were randomly allocated to three treatments: control, PS (0.2 g
      kg-1 ) and polymyxin E (0.04 g kg-1 , antibiotic control). Compared to the
      control, PS or polymyxin E supplementation decreased diarrhea rate, serum
      cholesterol and malondialdehyde (MDA) of the piglets (P < 0.05). Liver MDA was
      significantly decreased in PS-fed piglets compared to the control (P < 0.05),
      although there was no difference between the control and polymyxin E-fed piglets.
      PS increased the villous height/crypt depth ratio of the duodenum and jejunum
      compared to the control (P < 0.05). Polymyxin E supplementation in piglets did
      not alter the villous height/crypt depth ratio but raised the villous height and
      crypt depth of the duodenum compared to the control (P < 0.05). CONCLUSION: The
      results of the present study indicated that PS could decrease diarrhea rate,
      lower serum cholesterol, reduce lipid peroxidation and ameliorate intestinal
      morphology in weaned piglets. In addition, PS exerted better amelioration on
      intestinal morphology than polymyxin E in piglets. (c) 2017 Society of Chemical
      Industry.

PMID- 28349556
TI  - Cerebral oxygenation as measured by near-infrared spectroscopy in neonatal
      intensive care: correlation with arterial oxygenation.
AB  - AIM: To assess correlation between cerebral oxygenation (rScO2 ), as measured by
      near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS), and arterial oxygenation (PaO2 ), as measured
      by arterial blood gases, in preterm neonates. METHODS: Preterm neonates <37 weeks
      gestation with an indwelling arterial vascular catheter were recruited between
      April and August 2015 from the neonatal intensive care unit of the Royal Hospital
      for Women, Randwick NSW, Australia. The NIRS sensor was placed on the
      frontolateral aspect of the head prior to arterial gas sampling. NIRS, blood gas
      and clinical observation data were analysed using mixed linear modelling.
      RESULTS: Twenty-two neonates between 24 and 31 weeks gestation (mean 27.6 weeks)
      were recruited, and 75 readings obtained. No significant correlation was
      identified between cerebral oxygenation (rScO2 ) and arterial oxygenation (PaO2 )
      (p = 0.37). There was also no significant correlation between rScO2 and
      clinically relevant parameters of SaO2 (p = 0.06), SpO2 (p = 0.44) and PaCO2 (p =
      0.79). CONCLUSION: This study did not demonstrate any correlation between NIRS
      values and arterial oxygenation in clinically stable preterm infants. These
      results highlight some of the difficulties in clinical interpretation of NIRS
      values in neonatal intensive care, and further evaluation is needed to determine
      the applicability of NIRS to management of preterm infants.

PMID- 28349557
TI  - Unusual cause of dysphagia: Superior thyroid cornu syndrome.

PMID- 28349558
TI  - Population-based study showed that necrotising enterocolitis occurred in space
      time clusters with a decreasing secular trend in Sweden.
AB  - AIM: This study investigated space-time clustering of neonatal necrotising
      enterocolitis over three decades. METHODS: Space-time clustering analyses objects
      that are grouped by a specific place and time. The Knox test and Kulldorff's scan
      statistic were used to analyse space-time clusters in 808 children diagnosed with
      necrotising enterocolitis in a national cohort of 2 389 681 children born between
      1987 and 2009 in Sweden. The municipality the mother lived in and the delivery
      hospital defined closeness in space and the time between when the cases were born
      - seven, 14 and 21 days - defined closeness in time. RESULTS: The Knox test
      showed no indication of space-time clustering at the residential level, but clear
      indications at the hospital level in all the time windows: seven days (p =
      0.026), 14 days (p = 0.010) and 21 days (p = 0.004). Significant clustering at
      the hospital level was found during 1987-1997, but not during 1998-2009.
      Kulldorff's scan statistic found seven significant clusters at the hospital
      level. CONCLUSION: Space-time clustering was found at the hospital but not
      residential level, suggesting a contagious environmental effect after delivery,
      but not in the prenatal period. The decrease in clustering over time may reflect
      improved routines to minimise the risk of contagion between patients receiving
      neonatal care.

PMID- 28349559
TI  - Health and Taxes and the Values at Stake in the ACA Debate.

PMID- 28349560
TI  - Evaluation of the chiral recognition properties and the column performances of
      three chiral stationary phases based on cellulose for the enantioseparation of
      six dihydropyridines by high-performance liquid chromatography.
AB  - Separations of six dihydropyridine enantiomers on three commercially available
      cellulose-based chiral stationary phases (Chiralcel OD-RH, Chiralpak IB, and
      Chiralpak IC) were evaluated with high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC).
      The best enantioseparation of the six chiral drugs was obtained with a Chiralpak
      IC (250 * 4.6 mm i.d., 5 MUm) column. Then the influence of the mobile phase
      including an alcohol-modifying agent and alkaline additive on the
      enantioseparation were investigated and optimized. The optimal mobile phase
      conditions and maximum resolution for every analyte were as follows respectively:
      n-hexane/isopropanol (85:15, v/v) for nimodipine (R = 5.80) and cinildilpine (R =
      5.65); n-hexane/isopropanol (92:8, v/v) for nicardipine (R = 1.76) and
      nisoldipine (R = 1.92); and n-hexane/isopropanol/ethanol (97:2:1, v/v/v) for
      felodipine (R = 1.84) and lercanidipine (R = 1.47). Relative separation
      mechanisms are discussed based on the separation results, and indicate that the
      achiral parts in the analytes' structure showed an important influence on the
      separation of the chiral column.

PMID- 28349561
TI  - Helical screw sense bias in chiral polyfluorene stimulated by solvent.
AB  - Conjugated homopolymer poly(9,9-bis(3-((S)-2-methylbutylpropanoate))fluorene)
      (PSF) with chiral pendants was synthesized and characterized. Dissolution
      experiments show that PSF is well dissolved in racemic limonene at high
      temperature and begins aggregating upon sequential cooling treatment. The
      corresponding assemblies were transferred to quartz plate by the spin-coating
      method. Comparably, film casting from chloroform solution was also prepared. Upon
      annealing thermal treatments, these PSF films exhibited perfect mirror circular
      dichroism (CD) Cotton effects and dissymmetry ratios. Optical absorption
      spectroscopy (UV-vis), CD, and fluorescence spectroscopy results reveal that
      chiral side chains successfully induced M- and P-helical structures in aggregates
      and films, and this significant difference was ascribed to their differential
      supramolecular conformations.

PMID- 28349562
TI  - Palbociclib has antitumour effects on Pten-deficient endometrial neoplasias.
AB  - PTEN is one of the most frequently mutated genes in human cancers. The frequency
      of PTEN alterations is particularly high in endometrial carcinomas. Loss of PTEN
      leads to dysregulation of cell division, and promotes the accumulation of cell
      cycle complexes such as cyclin D1-CDK4/6, which is an important feature of the
      tumour phenotype. Cell cycle proteins have been presented as key targets in the
      treatment of the pathogenesis of cancer, and several CDK inhibitors have been
      developed as a strategy to generate new anticancer drugs. Palbociclib (PD-332991)
      specifically inhibits CDK4/6, and it has been approved for use in metastatic
      breast cancer in combination with letrazole. Here, we used a tamoxifen-inducible
      Pten knockout mouse model to assess the antitumour effects of cyclin D1 knockout
      and CDK4/6 inhibition by palbociclib on endometrial tumours. Interestingly, both
      cyclin D1 deficiency and palbociclib treatment triggered shrinkage of endometrial
      neoplasias. In addition, palbociclib treatment significantly increased the
      survival of Pten-deficient mice, and, as expected, had a general effect in
      reducing tumour cell proliferation. To further analyse the effects of palbociclib
      on endometrial carcinoma, we established subcutaneous tumours with human
      endometrial cancer cell lines and primary endometrial cancer xenografts, which
      allowed us to provide more translational and predictive data. To date, this is
      the first preclinical study evaluating the response to CDK4/6 inhibition in
      endometrial malignancies driven by PTEN deficiency, and it reveals an important
      role of cyclin D-CDK4/6 activity in their development. Copyright (c) 2017
      Pathological Society of Great Britain and Ireland. Published by John Wiley &
      Sons, Ltd.

PMID- 28349564
TI  - Emerging roles for the amyloid precursor protein and derived peptides in the
      regulation of cellular and systemic metabolism.
AB  - The amyloid precursor protein (APP) is a transmembrane protein that can be
      cleaved by proteases through two different pathways to yield a number of small
      peptides, each with distinct physiological properties and functions. It has been
      extensively studied in the context of Alzheimer's disease, with the APP-derived
      amyloid beta (Abeta) peptide being a major constituent of the amyloid plaques
      observed in this disease. It has been known for some time that APP can regulate
      neuronal metabolism; however, the present review examines the evidence indicating
      that APP and its peptides can also regulate key metabolic processes such as
      insulin action, lipid synthesis and storage and mitochondrial function in
      peripheral tissues. This review presents the hypothesis that amyloidogenic
      processing of APP in peripheral tissues plays a key role in the response to
      nutrient excess and that this could contribute to the pathogenesis of metabolic
      diseases such as obesity and type 2 diabetes (T2D).

PMID- 28349563
TI  - Defining surgical criteria for empty nose syndrome: Validation of the office
      based cotton test and clinical interpretability of the validated Empty Nose
      Syndrome 6-Item Questionnaire.
AB  - OBJECTIVES/HYPOTHESIS: The validated Empty Nose Syndrome 6-Item Questionnaire
      (ENS6Q) identifies empty nose syndrome (ENS) patients. The unvalidated cotton
      test assesses improvement in ENS-related symptoms. By first validating the cotton
      test using the ENS6Q, we define the minimal clinically important difference
      (MCID) score for the ENS6Q. STUDY DESIGN: Individual case-control study. METHODS:
      Fifteen patients diagnosed with ENS and 18 controls with non-ENS sinonasal
      conditions underwent office cotton placement. Both groups completed ENS6Q testing
      in three conditions-precotton, cotton in situ, and postcotton-to measure the
      reproducibility of ENS6Q scoring. Participants also completed a five-item
      transition scale ranging from "much better" to "much worse" to rate subjective
      changes in nasal breathing with and without cotton placement. Mean changes for
      each transition point, and the ENS6Q MCID, were then calculated. RESULTS: In the
      precotton condition, significant differences (P < .001) in all ENS6Q questions
      between ENS and controls were noted. With cotton in situ, nearly all prior ENS6Q
      differences normalized between ENS and control patients. For ENS patients, the
      changes in the mean differences between the precotton and cotton in situ
      conditions compared to postcotton versus cotton in situ conditions were
      insignificant among individuals. Including all 33 participants, the mean change
      in the ENS6Q between the parameters "a little better" and "about the same" was
      4.25 (standard deviation [SD] = 5.79) and -2.00 (SD = 3.70), giving an MCID of
      6.25. CONCLUSIONS: Cotton testing is a validated office test to assess for ENS
      patients. Cotton testing also helped to determine the MCID of the ENS6Q, which is
      a 7-point change from the baseline ENS6Q score. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: 3b.
      Laryngoscope, 127:1746-1752, 2017.

PMID- 28349566
TI  - Correction note.
AB  - Correction note for Sanders, M., Calam, R., Durand, M., Liversidge, T. and
      Carmont, S. A. (2008), Does self-directed and web-based support for parents
      enhance the effects of viewing a reality television series based on the Triple P 
      Positive Parenting Programme?. Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, 49:
      924-932. doi: 10.1111/j.1469-7610.2008.01901.x.

PMID- 28349565
TI  - The effect on sleep of being on-call: an experimental field study.
AB  - The aim of this study was to: (i) gain more insight into the relationship between
      being on-call and sleep and (ii) investigate the role of stress in this
      relationship. Data were collected by means of an experimental field study with a
      within-subject design (two conditions, random order). Ninety-six students
      participated during two consecutive nights: a reference night and a simulated on
      call night without an actual call. Participants were told they could be called at
      any time during the on-call night. In the case of a call, participants had to
      perform online tasks for approximately 30 min. Self-reported sleep quality and
      the extent to which participants experienced stress during the on-call period
      were assessed by means of short questionnaires. Actigraphy was used to obtain
      objective sleep measures. Results for actigraphy data revealed no significant
      within-person differences between conditions. However, participants reported
      longer sleep onset latencies, more awakenings and more wake after sleep onset
      during the on-call night than during the reference night. They also reported more
      sleep problems and a lower overall sleep quality, and felt less recuperated after
      the on-call night. Perceived stress moderated the relationship between being on
      call, on one hand, and the number of awakenings, wake after sleep onset, sleep
      problems and overall sleep quality, on the other hand. Results show that, even in
      the absence of an actual call, sleep during on-call nights is of lower quality
      and has less restorative value - especially when being on-call is experienced as
      stressful.

PMID- 28349567
TI  - Laryngoscopic and stroboscopic signs in the diagnosis of vocal fold paresis.
AB  - OBJECTIVES/HYPOTHESIS: To identify strobolaryngoscopic findings significant in
      the diagnosis of paresis. STUDY DESIGN: Retrospective cohort study. METHODS:
      Fellowship-trained laryngologists reviewed 34 videostroboscopic examinations (24
      with paresis, eight without paresis, two repeat). They indicated presence or
      absence of paresis, including side and type, degree of confidence in diagnosis,
      and ranked clinical findings that influenced diagnosis by order of importance.
      Fleiss's kappa was used to assess inter-rater agreement for paresis presence,
      side, and type. Clinical findings compelling in diagnosis were tabulated and
      described. Confidence levels for side and type were compared by analysis of
      variance/Kruskal-Wallis tests and post hoc pairwise comparisons. RESULTS: Thirty
      one laryngologists completed the review. Inter-rater agreement on presence or
      absence of paresis was fair at 0.334 (Fleiss's kappa). Fourteen examinations were
      diagnosed with paresis by >70% of raters and considered strong paresis-candidate
      exams. Diagnosis of paresis side and type were inconsistent, although with
      statistically significant differences in confidence ratings (unilateral vs.
      bilateral, recurrent laryngeal nerve [RLN] vs. superior laryngeal nerve [SLN],
      RLN vs. mixed RLN/SLN). Laryngoscopic and stroboscopic findings with the
      strongest association with paresis were vocal fold motion anomalies, vocal fold
      degeneration, glottic insufficiency, and mucosal wave anomalies. CONCLUSIONS:
      Most laryngologists use strobolaryngoscopy for diagnosis of paresis. Although
      certain clinical findings were found to be associated with diagnosis, most
      commonly vocal fold motion anomalies, these varied among raters, especially when
      determining sidedness and nerve involvement. Future studies should expand the
      discussion and consideration of strobolaryngoscopic factors and adjunct
      functional and objective measures to develop a heuristic algorithm for diagnosis
      of paresis. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: 4. Laryngoscope, 127:2100-2105, 2017.

PMID- 28349568
TI  - Audiovestibular symptoms as predictors of prolonged sports-related concussion
      among NCAA athletes.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: We looked to determine the rates of audiovestibular symptoms following
      sports-related concussions among collegiate athletes. Further, we assessed the
      correlation between these symptoms and the time to return to participation in
      athletic activity. STUDY DESIGN: Retrospective analysis of the National
      Collegiate Athletic Association Injury Surveillance System (NCAA-ISS). METHODS:
      The NCAA-ISS was queried from 2009 through 2014 for seven men's sports and eight
      women's sports across divisions 1, 2, and 3. Injuries resulting in concussions
      were analyzed for audiovestibular symptoms, duration of symptoms, and return to
      participation times. RESULTS: From 2009 to 2014, there were 1,647 recorded sports
      related concussions, with athletes reporting dizziness (68.2%), imbalance
      (35.8%), disorientation (31.4%), noise sensitivity (29.9%), and tinnitus (8.5%).
      Concussion symptoms resolved within 1 day (17.1%), within 2 to 7 days (50.0%),
      within 8 to 30 days (25.9%), or persisted over 1 month (7.0%). Return to
      participation occurred within 1 week (38.3%), within 1 month (53.0%), or over 1
      month (8.7%). Using Mann-Whitney U testing, overall symptom duration and return
      to competition time were significantly increased when any of these symptoms were
      present (P < 0.05). Duration of concussion symptom correlated with dizziness (P =
      0.043) and noise sensitivity (P = 0.000), whereas return to participation times
      correlated with imbalance (P = 0.011) and noise sensitivity (P = 0.000).
      Dizziness and imbalance (odds ratio: 4.15, confidence interval: 3.20-5.38, P <
      0.001) were the two symptoms with the strongest association. CONCLUSION:
      Audiovestibular symptoms are common complaints among collegiate athletes
      sustaining concussions. Dizziness and noise sensitivity correlated with the
      duration of concussive symptoms, whereas imbalance and noise sensitivity was
      correlated with prolonged return to competition time. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: 4.
      Laryngoscope, 127:2850-2853, 2017.

PMID- 28349569
TI  - Erratum.

PMID- 28349570
TI  - Erratum.

PMID- 28349571
TI  - Idiopathic intracranial hypertension: Contemporary review and implications for
      the otolaryngologist.
AB  - OBJECTIVES: 1) Review controversies pertaining to the pathophysiology, diagnosis,
      and treatment of idiopathic intracranial hypertension. 2) Discuss the evolving
      role of otolaryngologists in managing this disease and related disorders. DATA
      SOURCES: Primary literature review, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
      website, International Classification of Headache Disorders, Second Edition.
      METHODS: A comprehensive review of the primary literature was performed from 1990
      to 2016 utilizing keywords idiopathic intracranial hypertension, pseudotumor
      cerebri, benign intracranial hypertension, spontaneous cerebrospinal fluid leak,
      and encephalocele. Articles were included at the discretion of the authors based
      on novel and/or historical contributions to the literature. RESULTS: The
      incidence of idiopathic intracranial hypertension is increasing along with the
      obesity epidemic. Undiagnosed patients may present to otolaryngologists with
      pulsatile tinnitus, dizziness, sleep apnea, and spontaneous cerebrospinal fluid
      leaks. Although diagnosis is predicated upon imaging findings and lumbar
      puncture, radiographic signs including empty sella, optic nerve dilation, and
      globe flattening may suggest the diagnosis. The most effective intervention is
      weight loss combined with acetazolamide. Surgery is reserved for severe or
      refractory symptoms and can be highly morbid. Otolaryngologists are increasingly
      responsible for managing a number of secondary disorders including cerebrospinal
      fluid rhinorrhea and otorrhea. Failure to manage intracranial hypertension may
      lead to adverse surgical outcomes. CONCLUSIONS: The knowledge base for idiopathic
      intracranial hypertension has greatly expanded over the past 25 years. This
      disease is associated with a number of conditions directly relevant to
      otolaryngologists. A keen understanding of this disorder and its management may
      optimize outcomes in a growing number of patients. Laryngoscope, 128:248-256,
      2018.

PMID- 28349572
TI  - Nerve transection repair using laser-activated chitosan in a rat model.
AB  - OBJECTIVES/HYPOTHESIS: Cranial nerve transection during head and neck surgery is
      conventionally repaired with microsuture. Previous studies have demonstrated
      recovery with laser nerve welding (LNW), a novel alternative to microsuture. LNW
      has been reported to have poorer tensile strength, however. Laser-activated
      chitosan, an adhesive biopolymer, may promote nerve recovery while enhancing the
      tensile strength of the repair. Using a rat posterior tibial nerve injury model,
      we compared four different methods of nerve repair in this pilot study. STUDY
      DESIGN: Animal study. DESIGN: Animals underwent unilateral posterior tibial nerve
      transection. The injury was repaired by potassium titanyl phosphate (KTP) laser
      alone (n = 20), KTP + chitosan (n = 12), microsuture + chitosan (n = 12), and
      chitosan alone (n = 14). Weekly walking tracks were conducted to measure
      functional recovery (FR). Tensile strength (TS) was measured at 6 weeks. RESULTS:
      At 6 weeks, KTP laser alone had the best recovery (FR = 93.4% +/- 8.3%).
      Microsuture + chitosan, KTP + chitosan, and chitosan alone all showed good FR
      (87.4% +/- 13.5%, 84.6% +/- 13.0%, and 84.1% +/- 10.0%, respectively). One-way
      analysis of variance was performed (F(3,56) = 2.6, P = .061). A TS threshold of
      3.8 N was selected as a control mean recovery. Three groups-KTP alone, KTP +
      chitosan, and microsuture + chitosan-were found to meet threshold 60% (95%
      confidence interval [CI]: 23.1%-88.3%), 75% (95% CI: 46.8%-91.1%), and 100% (95%
      CI: 75.8%-100.0%), respectively. CONCLUSIONS: In the posterior tibial nerve
      model, all repair methods promoted nerve recovery. Laser-activated chitosan as a
      biopolymer anchor provided good TS and appears to be a novel alternative to
      microsuture. This repair method may have surgical utility following cranial nerve
      injury during head and neck surgery. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: NA Laryngoscope, 127:E253
      E257, 2017.

PMID- 28349573
TI  - Where is the Dialectic in the Community-Diversity Dialectic?
AB  - Agent-based modeling has provided some interesting investigations of the
      hypothesis that there is a dialectical relationship between sense of community
      and diversity. A close look at those models strongly suggests that only models in
      which the attributes of agents are fixed completely support that hypothesis.
      Models which acknowledge that diversity is contextually defined, and thus
      changeable, suggest that there is no inherent dialectical relationship between
      the two values. Rather, it is the context of the setting, the way in which the
      setting is socially constructed, that determines whether a strong sense of
      community can exist in highly diverse settings.

PMID- 28349574
TI  - Antecedents of patients' trust in pharmacists: empirical investigation in the
      United Arab Emirates.
AB  - OBJECTIVES: To empirically identify the antecedents that influence patients trust
      in pharmacists. METHODS: A survey was conducted among 500 patients who visited
      community pharmacies in Al Ain City, United Arab Emirates. The questionnaire
      included the measures for constructs such as patients' perception of pharmacist
      communication, pharmacists' technical competence, medication self-efficacy,
      satisfaction with pharmacy and trust in pharmacists. KEY FINDINGS: The data were
      analysed using partial least-squares structural equation modelling approach to
      check the validity and reliability of the measures and to validate the proposed
      hypotheses of the study. Pharmacist communication, pharmacists' technical
      competence, satisfaction with pharmacy and patients' medication self-efficacy
      were found to significantly influence patients' trust in pharmacists. CONCLUSION:
      This study is the first one that has empirically identified the antecedents of
      trust in pharmacists. The study has established that patients' perception of
      pharmacist communication and pharmacists' technical competence positively
      influence trust in pharmacists as antecedents but not constitute trust itself as
      had been found in the previous research. Apart from enhancing pharmacists'
      technical competence and communication, the pharmacy organizations and
      policymakers should improve patients' satisfaction with pharmacy and patients'
      medication self-efficacy to enhance patients' trust in pharmacists.

PMID- 28349575
TI  - Low-Dose Naloxone for Prophylaxis of Postoperative Nausea and Vomiting: A
      Systematic Review and Meta-analysis.
AB  - STUDY OBJECTIVE: To determine whether postoperative administration of low-dose
      intravenous naloxone decreases the incidence of postoperative nausea and vomiting
      (PONV) and its impact on postoperative opioid requirements and pain scores.
      DESIGN: Meta-analysis of nine randomized controlled trials. PATIENTS: A total of
      946 adult and pediatric patients who received low-dose intravenous naloxone for
      24 hours after various surgeries. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: Systemic
      literature searches of the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials,
      Evidence-Based Medicine Reviews, PubMed, and Ovid MEDLINE databases were
      conducted. Among the relevant studies, data extraction and bias assessment
      determined the trials for inclusion in this meta-analysis. Nine randomized
      controlled trials met inclusion criteria. Naloxone demonstrated a reduced risk of
      postoperative nausea (risk ratio [RR] 0.80, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.67
      0.95, p=0.01) in a pooled analysis of eight of the nine studies. However,
      naloxone did not decrease the risk of postoperative vomiting in a collective
      assessment of all nine trials (RR 0.83, 95% CI 0.63-1.09, p=0.18). Subgroup
      analysis of continuous-infusion naloxone found further reductions in nausea and
      vomiting, but these findings were limited to 186 of the 946 patients. Three
      studies recorded antiemetic doses and found an overall dose reduction (RR 0.64,
      95% CI 0.42-0.96, p=0.03). Compared with controls, naloxone prophylaxis of PONV
      did not significantly change cumulative postoperative opioid needs (mean
      difference 0.29 mg, 95% CI -3.55 to 4.13 mg, p=0.88) among five trials, nor
      visual analog scale pain scores (mean difference -0.11, 95% CI -0.26 to 0.05,
      p=0.18) in six studies. CONCLUSION: This pooled analysis of data suggests that
      low-dose naloxone plays no role in preventing PONV, while exhibiting no
      significant effects on postoperative opioid needs and pain scores. The reduction
      demonstrated in postoperative nausea did not translate into decreases in
      postoperative vomiting.

PMID- 28349576
TI  - Transfer of care - a randomised control trial investigating the effect of sending
      the details of patients' discharge medication to their community pharmacist on
      discharge from hospital.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: There is substantial evidence demonstrating that transferring patients
      between care providers is a high-risk area for medicines management. This study
      aimed to investigate the effect of sending patients' hospital discharge letters
      to their nominated community pharmacists on the number of discrepancies between
      the patient's general practitioner (GP) records and the discharge letter and
      between the patient's self-described medication regime and the discharge letter.
      METHODS: In a randomised, controlled trial, 33 participants in two groups,
      control and intervention, had their discharge letter sent to either their GP only
      or their GP and nominated community pharmacy after hospital discharge. At least 3
      weeks after hospital discharge, the participant's current GP's medication record
      and their self-described medication regime was obtained. Discrepancies between
      their GP medication record and their discharge letter and between the
      participant's self-described medication regime and their discharge letter were
      counted. The number of discrepancies (relative to the number of drugs prescribed)
      in the intervention group was compared with the control group for each of the
      above two categories, using the chi-squared test to determine the statistical
      significance of any differences between the two groups. RESULTS: The intervention
      group had statistically fewer discrepancies than the control group for both data
      sets: GP records compared with the discharge letters (P < 0.0005); participants'
      self-described medication regimes compared with the discharge letters (P <
      0.00005). CONCLUSIONS: Sending a copy of patients' discharge letters to their
      community pharmacists could be beneficial in reducing post-discharge prescribing
      discrepancies and improving patient understanding of the changes made to their
      medicines.

PMID- 28349577
TI  - Critical appraisal of clinical practice guidelines for adult cancer patients with
      febrile neutropenia.
AB  - OBJECTIVES: To critically appraise published international clinical practice
      guidelines (CPGs) for management of febrile neutropenia in adult patients with
      cancer and to determine opportunities for improved development and reporting.
      METHODS: A literature search identified CPGs for adult cancer patients with
      febrile neutropenia. Four independent assessors evaluated each included CPG
      according to the Appraisal of Guidelines for Research and Evaluation II
      instrument. Standardized scores were calculated for each guideline and polled
      collectively. Reliability of assessment was determined using a two-way random
      model intraclass correlation coefficients. KEY FINDINGS: Eight CPGs were
      independently evaluated by four assessors. Collectively, the highest scoring
      domain was editorial independence (83.3), followed by clarity of presentation
      (55.4), scope and purpose (53.4), stakeholder involvement (53.1), rigour of
      development (52.7) and applicability (47.8). Overall assessments ranged from 28.6
      to 96.4 of 100 possible points. Three (37.5%) guidelines were recommended for use
      without alterations, two (25%) guidelines were recommended with alterations, and
      three (37.5%) guidelines were not recommended for implementation into practice.
      Reliability varied between guidelines with intraclass correlation coefficients
      ranging from 0.41 to 0.82. CONCLUSIONS: Clinical practice guidelines for febrile
      neutropenia in adult patients with cancer were moderately rated with a 37.5% of
      guidelines being recommended for use in practice. Guideline developers should
      focus on improving CPG applicability and rigour in the development and reporting
      processes. Critical appraisal of guidelines should become a standard practice
      prior to implementation into clinical settings.

PMID- 28349578
TI  - A randomised control trial to evaluate the clinical pharmacist's role in managing
      iron deficiency anaemia patients.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: To investigate the role of clinical pharmacists in managing iron
      deficiency anaemia patients. METHODS: A prospective parallel randomised
      controlled trial conducted in an outpatient clinic enrolled adult iron deficiency
      anaemia patients. Patients were randomised into either an intervention or a
      control group. Patients in the intervention group were followed closely by a
      clinical pharmacist who offered pharmaceutical care services and worked closely
      with physicians to manage iron deficiency anaemia. Patients in the control group
      received the usual medical care. KEY FINDINGS: One hundred and four patients were
      enrolled in the study. Eighty-two patients completed the 4-6 week study, with 43
      patients in the intervention group and 39 patients in the control group. By the
      end of the study, 86% of intervention group patients and 59% of control group
      patients reached their haemoglobin goal values, with statistically significant
      improvement in intervention group patients versus control group patients (P value
      = 0.006). Most of the clinical pharmacist's recommendations were adopted by
      physicians (83.9%). CONCLUSION: Clinical pharmacist interventions improved iron
      deficiency anaemia patients' outcomes.

PMID- 28349579
TI  - Periodic olfactory assessment in patients undergoing skull base surgery with
      preservation of the olfactory strip.
AB  - OBJECTIVES/HYPOTHESIS: Others have reported olfactory disturbances following
      endoscopic approaches to the skull base. However, there is a lack of consensus on
      the extent and duration of dysfunction. This study aimed to compare our results
      with previously published work and to validate the olfactory strip-sparing
      approach. STUDY DESIGN: Prospective study to assess olfaction in 50 patients
      scheduled to undergo resection of skull base tumors via extended endoscopic
      approaches. METHODS: Patients were divided into two groups. Group I had a
      nasoseptal flap (NSF), and group II included patients in whom rescue flaps were
      performed bilaterally. Olfactory outcomes were assessed using repeated University
      of Pennsylvania Smell Identification Test at baseline, 6 weeks, 3 months, and 6
      months following surgery. RESULTS: Ultimately, 42 patients (seven group I and 35
      group II) were available for assessment. Scores for group I were lower than at
      baseline at 6 weeks postoperatively (30.71 +/- 5.5 vs. 24.5 +/- 5.4; P = .05).
      However, by the third postoperative month the scores had improved to a level that
      was not significantly different from baseline (29.0 +/- 3.7; P = .5). At 6
      months, the score was 30.0 +/- 3.9. Patients in group II showed no difference
      between their baseline and 6-week scores (31.5 +/- 5.3 vs. 29.7 +/- 5.9; P =
      .16). Six months postoperatively, the score was significantly higher (33.78 +/-
      3.6; P = .04). CONCLUSIONS: Expanded endoscopic approaches to skull base tumors
      involving reconstruction with an NSF are associated with a short-term negative
      impact on olfaction. Olfaction does not seem to be affected by the surgical
      resection of pituitary adenomas associated with rescue flaps. Identification of
      the olfactory epithelium and meticulous harvesting of the NSF are critical to
      preserve olfaction. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: 4. Laryngoscope, 127:1970-1975, 2017.

PMID- 28349580
TI  - Vicarious pain responders and emotion: Evidence for distress rather than mimicry.
AB  - Up to a third of the population experiences pain when seeing another in pain. The
      mechanisms underlying such vicarious sensory experiences are thought to reflect
      hyperactive mirror systems (threshold theory) or dysfunctional processing and
      representation of oneself versus others (self/other theory). This study
      investigated whether the tendency to experience vicarious pain corresponds to
      disinhibited physiological reactivity toward other's emotions, and/or greater
      empathic mimicry of other's physiological state (respiratory behavior) during
      fear, pain, and positive emotion. Fifty healthy individuals aged 18-55 years (23
      vicarious pain responders) completed empathy- and anxiety-related questionnaires,
      and a film task. Respiration was measured noninvasively with piezoelectric
      respiration belts while participants viewed emotional film clips depicting three
      emotions (fear/pain/positive) interspersed with neutral clips. The emotional
      stimuli depicted scenes in which the characters showed increases or decreases in
      respiration. The results suggest that vicarious pain responders do not mimic
      emotional respiratory behavior. Rather, vicarious pain responders had a
      significantly slower respiration rate for all emotional stimuli (MDiff  = 1.40
      respiratory cycles, SE = .68), compared to nonresponders. However, this was
      associated with heightened trait anxiety. The findings suggest vicarious pain is
      associated with acute distress, rather than empathic mimicry of the emotional
      states of another.

PMID- 28349581
TI  - TCF1 deficiency ameliorates autoimmune lymphoproliferative syndrome (ALPS)-like
      phenotypes of lpr/lpr mice.
AB  - Autoimmune lymphoproliferative syndrome (ALPS) is an incurable disease, which is
      characterized by non-malignant autoimmune lymphoproliferation. TCF1 is a key
      effector in the canonical Wnt/beta-catenin pathway, regulating the development,
      activation and function of T cells. In this study, we aimed to explore the
      potential role of TCF1 in the development of ALPS-like phenotypes of lpr/lpr
      mice. We acquired TCF1-/- lpr/lpr double mutant mice by crossing TCF1 deficiency
      mice with lpr/lpr mice. Splenocyte compositions, serum cytokines levels,
      antidsDNA antibody production and kidney pathology were examined in the TCF1-/-
      lpr/lpr mice. With these examinations, we revealed that TCF1 deficiency relieved
      most manifestations of ALPS-like phenotype, which were caused by Fas mutation in
      TCF1-/- lpr/lpr mice. Splenocyte total numbers and compositions were
      downregulated to the similar levels with wildtype mice. TE and TEM cells were
      decreased in TCF1-/- lpr/lpr compared with lpr/lpr mice. The levels of
      autoantibodies and proinflammatory factors in serum, and the histopathology
      changes and the relative mRNA levels of proinflammatory factors in kidney all
      displayed parallel tendency in TCF1-/- lpr/lpr mice. Our study demonstrated that
      TCF1 deficiency ameliorated the ALPS-like phenotypes of TCF1-/- lpr/lpr mice,
      which might indicate a potential therapeutic direction for ALPS.

PMID- 28349582
TI  - ERP evidence for conflict in contingency learning.
AB  - The proportion congruency effect refers to the observation that the magnitude of
      the Stroop effect increases as the proportion of congruent trials in a block
      increases. Contemporary work shows that proportion effects can be driven by both
      context and individual items, and are referred to as context-specific proportion
      congruency (CSPC) and item-specific proportion congruency (ISPC) effects,
      respectively. The conflict-modulated Hebbian learning account posits that these
      effects manifest from the same mechanism, while the parallel episodic processing
      model posits that the ISPC can occur by simple associative learning. Our prior
      work showed that the neural correlates of the CSPC is an N2 over frontocentral
      electrode sites approximately 300 ms after stimulus onset that predicts
      behavioral performance. There is strong consensus in the field that this N2
      signal is associated with conflict detection in the medial frontal cortex. The
      experiment reported here assesses whether the same qualitative
      electrophysiological pattern of results holds for the ISPC. We find that the
      spatial topography of the N2 is similar but slightly delayed with a peak onset of
      approximately 300 ms after stimulus onset. We argue that this provides strong
      evidence that a single common mechanism-conflict-modulated Hebbian learning
      drives both the ISPC and CSPC.

PMID- 28349584
TI  - Trypanoxyuris (Trypanoxyuris) minutus (Schneider, 1866) among Alouatta guariba
      clamitans (Cabrera, 1940) in the state of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
AB  - This study reports on infection by Trypanoxyuris (Trypanoxyuris) minutus among
      Alouatta guariba clamitans through biometry on adults and eggs. A total of 58
      adult helminths were recovered from the small segment of the animal's large
      intestine. This study is the first report of this parasite among A. guariba
      clamitans in Rio de Janeiro.

PMID- 28349583
TI  - A general framework for the regression analysis of pooled biomarker assessments.
AB  - As a cost-efficient data collection mechanism, the process of assaying pooled
      biospecimens is becoming increasingly common in epidemiological research; for
      example, pooling has been proposed for the purpose of evaluating the diagnostic
      efficacy of biological markers (biomarkers). To this end, several authors have
      proposed techniques that allow for the analysis of continuous pooled biomarker
      assessments. Regretfully, most of these techniques proceed under restrictive
      assumptions, are unable to account for the effects of measurement error, and fail
      to control for confounding variables. These limitations are understandably
      attributable to the complex structure that is inherent to measurements taken on
      pooled specimens. Consequently, in order to provide practitioners with the tools
      necessary to accurately and efficiently analyze pooled biomarker assessments,
      herein, a general Monte Carlo maximum likelihood-based procedure is presented.
      The proposed approach allows for the regression analysis of pooled data under
      practically all parametric models and can be used to directly account for the
      effects of measurement error. Through simulation, it is shown that the proposed
      approach can accurately and efficiently estimate all unknown parameters and is
      more computational efficient than existing techniques. This new methodology is
      further illustrated using monocyte chemotactic protein-1 data collected by the
      Collaborative Perinatal Project in an effort to assess the relationship between
      this chemokine and the risk of miscarriage. Copyright (c) 2017 John Wiley & Sons,
      Ltd.

PMID- 28349585
TI  - Real-time continuous image-guided surgery: Preclinical investigation in
      glossectomy.
AB  - OBJECTIVES/HYPOTHESIS: To develop, validate, and study the efficacy of an
      intraoperative real-time continuous image-guided surgery (RTC-IGS) system for
      glossectomy. STUDY DESIGN: Prospective study. METHODS: We created a RTC-IGS
      system and surgical simulator for glossectomy, enabling definition of a surgical
      target preoperatively, real-time cautery tracking, and display of a surgical plan
      intraoperatively. System performance was evaluated by a group of otolaryngology
      residents, fellows, medical students, and staff under a reproducible setting by
      using realistic tongue phantoms. Evaluators were grouped into a senior and a
      junior group based on surgical experience, and guided and unguided tumor
      resections were performed. National Aeronautics and Space Administration Task
      Load Index (NASA-TLX) scores and a Likert scale were used to measure workloads
      and impressions of the system, respectively. Efficacy was studied by comparing
      surgical accuracy, time, collateral damage, and workload between RTC-IGS and non
      navigated resections. RESULTS: The senior group performed more accurately (80.9%
      +/- 3.7% vs. 75.2% +/- 5.5%, P = .28), required less time (5.0 +/- 1.3 minutes
      vs. 7.3 +/- 1.2 minutes, P = .17), and experienced lower workload (43 +/- 2.0 vs.
      64.4 +/- 1.3 NASA-TLX score, P = .08), suggesting a trend of construct validity.
      Impressions were favorable, with participants reporting the system is a valuable
      practice tool (4.0/5 +/- 0.3) and increases confidence (3.9/5 +/- 0.4). Use of
      RTC-IGS improved both groups' accuracy, with the junior group improving from
      64.4% +/- 5.4% to 75.2% +/- 5.5% (P = .01) and the senior group improving from
      76.1% +/- 4.5% to 80.9% +/- 3.7% (P = .16). CONCLUSIONS: We created an RTC-IGS
      system and surgical simulator and demonstrated a trend of construct validity. Our
      navigated simulator allows junior trainees to practice glossectomies outside the
      operating room. In all evaluators, navigation assistance resulted in increased
      surgical accuracy. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: NA Laryngoscope, 127:E347-E353, 2017.

PMID- 28349586
TI  - Transfemoral access when superior venous approach is not feasible equals overall
      success of permanent pacemaker implantation. Ten-year series.
AB  - BACKGROUND: When permanent pacemaker implantation is not possible or advisable
      via superior venous access (i.e., axillary or subclavian veins), safe and
      feasible surgical alternatives are required. The femoral approach is relatively
      unknown and seldom studied. This single-center study analyzed 10-year outcomes of
      a femoral implantation approach. METHODS: Data about the implantation procedure
      (indication, approach, lead and pacemaker models, complications), patient
      characteristics (age, sex, medications, comorbidities), and follow-up were
      analyzed for all permanent pacemaker implantations using the femoral approach
      between June 2001 and June 2011. RESULTS: A permanent pacemaker was implanted
      with the femoral approach in 50 patients (mean age, 76 years [range: 45-96], 31
      [61%] men). The most frequent indication was atrioventricular block, associated
      with sinus rhythm in 30 patients and with atrial fibrillation in eight patients.
      Overall, 20 patients (40%) were treated with oral anticoagulants
      postimplantation. Mean implantation time was 64 minutes (range: 20-210) and mean
      fluoroscopy time was 6.7 minutes (range: 0.2-50). Minimum follow-up window was 1
      year (June 2012), with a mean of 50 months [range: 1-113]). No deaths, septic
      episodes, or severe complications were associated with the procedure, acute or
      long-term. Follow-up data were available for 46 patients, of who 21 (46%) died
      during follow-up (mean age, 87 years [range: 73-101]). No cause of death was
      associated with the femoral technique. CONCLUSION: Permanent pacemaker
      implantation through femoral access is not difficult for an experienced implant
      surgeon. Outcomes were comparable to systems implanted by superior venous
      approach, and no severe complications were observed at 10-year follow-up.

PMID- 28349587
TI  - Lycium barbarum polysaccharide extracts preserve retinal function and attenuate
      inner retinal neuronal damage in a mouse model of transient retinal ischaemia.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Retinal ischaemia is a common feature shared by numerous eye
      diseases. Ischaemic insult leads to retinal dysfunction and neuronal death.
      Lycium barbarum polysaccharides are well known for eyesight preservation. We have
      previously reported the effect of Lycium barbarum polysaccharides on cell death,
      blood ocular barrier and oxidative stress within 24 h retinal ischaemia. This
      study focuses on retinal function and looks for ultrastructural and cellular
      correlates after a relatively long period of reperfusion for 7 days. METHODS: Two
      hour ischaemia was induced by intraluminal occlusion of the internal carotid
      artery. Either Lycium barbarum polysaccharides or phosphate-buffered saline was
      orally pre-administered daily for 7 days before ischaemia and continued for 1, 3
      and 7 days after reperfusion. Electroretinogram was performed to evaluate visual
      function. Paraffin-embedded retinal sections were prepared 7 days after
      reperfusion and utilized for histological and immunohistochemical analyses.
      RESULTS: Ischaemia led to sustained inhibition of b-wave amplitude and
      oscillatory potentials. Lycium barbarum polysaccharide-treated mice exhibited
      greater b-wave and oscillatory potential responses from days 1 to 7 after
      reperfusion. In addition, increased number of viable cells and calretinin
      positive cells, as well as enhanced immunoreactivity of protein kinase C alpha
      and attenuated glial fibrillary acidic protein expression, was noted in Lycium
      barbarum polysaccharide-treated retina. CONCLUSIONS: Daily consumption of Lycium
      barbarum polysaccharides effectively alleviated ischaemia-induced retinal
      dysfunction as well as reduced correlated neuronal death and glial activation.
      This prolonged effect could last at least 7 days. It suggested that Lycium
      barbarum polysaccharides might serve as a neuroprotective agent in ischaemic
      retinopathies.

PMID- 28349589
TI  - A general framework for effectiveness concepts in mutualisms.
AB  - A core interest in studies of mutualistic interactions is the 'effectiveness' of
      mutualists in providing benefits to their partners. In plant-animal mutualisms it
      is widely accepted that the total effect of a mutualist on its partner is
      estimated as (1) a 'quantity' component multiplied by (2) a 'quality' component,
      although the meanings of 'effectiveness,' 'quantity,' and 'quality' and which
      terms are applied to these metrics vary greatly across studies. In addition, a
      similar quantity * quality = total effect approach has not been applied to other
      types of mutualisms, although it could be informative. Lastly, when a total
      effect approach has been applied, it has invariably been from a phytocentric
      perspective, focussing on the effects of animal mutualists on their plant
      partner. This lack of a common framework of 'effectiveness' of mutualistic
      interactions limits generalisation and the development of a broader understanding
      of the ecology and evolution of mutualisms. In this paper, we propose a general
      framework and demonstrate its utility by applying it to both partners in five
      different types of mutualisms: pollination, seed dispersal, plant protection,
      rhizobial, and mycorrhizal mutualisms. We then briefly discuss the flexibility of
      the framework, potential limitations, and relationship to other approaches.

PMID- 28349588
TI  - ADH1B: From alcoholism, natural selection, and cancer to the human phenome.
AB  - The ADH1B (Alcohol Dehydrogenase 1B (class I), Beta Polypeptide) gene and its
      best-known functional alleles, Arg48His (rs1229984, ADH1B*2) and Arg370Cys
      (rs2066702, ADH1B*3), have been investigated in relation to many phenotypic
      traits; most frequently including alcohol metabolism and alcohol drinking
      behaviors, but also human evolution, liver function, cancer, and, recently, the
      comprehensive human phenome. To understand ADH1B functions and consequences, we
      provide here a bioinformatic analysis of its gene regulation and molecular
      functions, literature review of studies focused on this gene, and a discussion
      regarding future research perspectives. Certain ADH1B alleles have large effects
      on alcohol metabolism, and this relationship particularly encourages further
      investigations in relation to alcoholism and alcohol-associated cancer to
      understand better the mechanisms by which alcohol metabolism contributes to
      alcohol abuse and carcinogenesis. We also observed that ADH1B has complex
      mechanisms that regulate its expression across multiple human tissues, and these
      may be involved in cardiac and metabolic traits. Evolutionary data strongly
      suggest that the selection signatures at the ADH1B locus are primarily related to
      effects other than those on alcohol metabolism. This is also supported by the
      involvement of ADH1B in multiple molecular pathways and by the findings of our
      recent phenome-wide association study. Accordingly, future studies should also
      investigate other functions of ADH1B potentially relevant for the human phenome.
      (c) 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

PMID- 28349591
TI  - Consolidating Molecular Logic with New Solid-Bound YES and PASS 1 Gates and Their
      Combinations.
AB  - Proton-driven YES and PASS 1 molecular logic tags based on anthracene and 4
      aminonaphthalimide fluorophores, emitting blue and green, respectively, are
      employed on amino-terminated polyethylene glycol-polystyrene and aminopropyl
      silica particles. The (YES+PASS 1) logic combination is also a distinguishable
      tag in both colours. The scope of such tags is delineated.

PMID- 28349590
TI  - Benzalkonium Chloride: A Bronchoconstricting Preservative in Continuous Albuterol
      Nebulizer Solutions.
AB  - For convenience, many pediatric hospitals are preparing solutions for continuous
      nebulized albuterol using the 0.5% 20-ml multidose albuterol dropper bottle. This
      product contains benzalkonium chloride (BAC) that, by itself, produces
      bronchospasm that is dose dependent and cumulative. The bronchoconstrictive
      effects of BAC are greater in patients with more severe airway obstruction and
      increased airway responsiveness. Use of BAC-containing albuterol during severe
      acute asthma exacerbations may antagonize the bronchodilator response to
      albuterol, prolong treatment, and increase the risk of albuterol-related systemic
      adverse effects. Such a deleterious effect of BAC is difficult to detect because
      some patients improve slowly or may even worsen during treatment. We recommend
      that only preservative-free albuterol products be used.

PMID- 28349592
TI  - Clinical impact of surveillance colonoscopy using magnification without
      diminutive polyp removal.
AB  - BACKGROUND AND AIM: In Western countries, endoscopic removal of all adenomas
      during colonoscopy is recommended. The present study evaluates the usefulness of
      magnifying colonoscopy without removal of diminutive (<=5 mm) colorectal polyps.
      METHODS: Patients with diminutive polyps who were observed for over 5 years using
      magnification at Hiroshima University Hospital were selected retrospectively.
      Lesions >=6 mm in size, depressed lesions, and lesions with type V pit pattern
      were indications for endoscopic resection. We investigated the characteristics of
      lesions indicated for endoscopic resection detected on surveillance colonoscopy
      and the risk factors for the incidence of lesions indicated for endoscopic
      resection. RESULTS: A total of 706 consecutive patients were enrolled. Sixty
      eight lesions indicated for endoscopic resection were detected, averaging 9.0 +/-
      4.8 mm, and 33 (49%) lesions were located in the right colon. Pathological
      diagnoses were adenoma, Tis carcinoma, and T1 carcinoma in 58 (85%), eight (12%),
      and two (3%) lesions, respectively. Five lesions were considered to grow from
      previously detected diminutive polyps. Relative risks for the incidence of a
      lesion indicated for endoscopic resection were 1.76 (95% confidence interval
      [CI], 1.004-3.23) for males compared with females, 3.76 (95% CI, 2.03-7.50) for
      more than three polyps at initial colonoscopy compared with one polyp, and 2.84
      (95% CI, 1.43-5.24) for patients with carcinoma at initial colonoscopy compared
      with patients with no lesion indicated for endoscopic resection. Nine carcinomas
      were resected endoscopically. CONCLUSION: Diminutive low-grade adenomas detected
      by using magnifying colonoscopy may not necessarily require removal.

PMID- 28349593
TI  - Critical role of environmental factors in the pathogenesis of psoriasis.
AB  - Psoriasis is a common cutaneous disease with multifactorial etiology including
      genetic and non-genetic factors, such as drugs, smoking, drinking, diet,
      infection and mental stress. Now, the role of the interaction between
      environmental factors and genetics are considered to be a main factor in the
      pathogenesis of psoriasis. However, it is a challenge to explore the mechanisms
      how the environmental factors break the body balance to affect the onset and
      development of psoriasis. In this article, we review the pathogenesis of
      psoriasis and summarize numerous clinical data to reveal the association between
      environmental factors and psoriasis. In addition, we focus on the mechanisms of
      environmental risk factors impact on psoriasis and provide a series of potential
      treatments against environmental risk factors.

PMID- 28349594
TI  - Perceived swallowing problems and mortality risk in very elderly people >=85
      years old: Results of the Tokyo Oldest Old Survey on Total Health study.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to clarify whether perceived swallowing
      problems affect the life expectancy of very elderly individuals. BACKGROUND: In
      an ageing society, oral function affects health status. In particular, a decline
      in swallowing function may increase the risk of various diseases, morbidity and
      malnutrition. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We evaluated 526 elderly individuals aged
      >=85 years. All participants completed a questionnaire and underwent oral,
      physical and mental health examinations. The comprehensive oral health assessment
      comprised a face-to-face interview that included a questionnaire on swallowing
      function. We estimated hazard ratios and 95% confidence intervals using the Cox
      proportional hazards model, adjusting for potential confounders between perceived
      swallowing problems and all-cause mortality over a 3-year period. RESULTS: Over a
      3-year follow-up period, 88 of 526 participants died and 68 participants
      complained of perceived swallowing problems. Perceived swallowing problems had
      statistically significant associations with physical status and function and
      nutrition. In the univariate analysis, perceived swallowing problems had
      statistically significant associations with an approximately 1.9-fold higher risk
      of all-cause mortality during the 3-year period (HR: 1.89, 95% CI: 1.14-3.14). In
      the multivariate analysis, the statistically significant association between
      perceived swallowing problems and all-cause mortality remained after adjusting
      for various confounding factors (HR: 1.73, 95% CI: 1.03-2.92). CONCLUSION:
      Perceived swallowing disorders should be verified by a clinical examination, as
      they are associated with other health outcomes and increased all-cause mortality.

PMID- 28349595
TI  - Spatiotemporal modulation of abscisic acid and gibberellin metabolism and
      signalling mediates the effects of suboptimal and supraoptimal temperatures on
      seed germination in wheat (Triticum aestivum L.).
AB  - Seed germination is a complex process regulated by intrinsic hormonal cues such
      as abscisic acid (ABA) and gibberellin (GA), and environmental signals including
      temperature. Using pharmacological, molecular and metabolomics approaches, we
      show that supraoptimal temperature delays wheat seed germination through
      maintaining elevated embryonic ABA level via increased expression of ABA
      biosynthetic genes (TaNCED1 and TaNCED2), increasing embryo ABA sensitivity
      through upregulation of genes regulating ABA signalling positively (TaPYL5,
      TaSnRK2, ABI3 and ABI5) and decreasing embryo GA sensitivity via induction of
      TaRHT1 that regulates GA signalling negatively. Endospermic ABA and GA appeared
      to have minimal roles in regulating germination at supraoptimal temperature.
      Germination inhibition by suboptimal temperature is associated with elevated ABA
      level in the embryo and endosperm tissues, mediated by induction of TaNCEDs and
      decreased expression of endospermic ABA catabolic genes (TaCYP707As), and
      increased ABA sensitivity in both tissues via upregulation of TaPYL5, TaSnRK2,
      ABI3 and ABI5 in the embryo and TaSnRK2 and ABI5 in the endosperm. Furthermore,
      suboptimal temperature suppresses GA synthesis in both tissues and GA sensitivity
      in the embryo via repressing GA biosynthetic genes (TaGA20ox and TaGA3ox2) and
      inducing TaRHT1, respectively. These results highlight that spatiotemporal
      modulation of ABA and GA metabolism and signalling in wheat seeds underlies
      germination response to temperature.

PMID- 28349596
TI  - B1 -sensitivity analysis of quantitative magnetization transfer imaging.
AB  - PURPOSE: To evaluate the sensitivity of quantitative magnetization transfer (qMT)
      fitted parameters to B1 inaccuracies, focusing on the difference between two
      categories of T1 mapping techniques: B1 -independent and B1 -dependent. METHODS:
      The B1 -sensitivity of qMT was investigated and compared using two T1 measurement
      methods: inversion recovery (IR) (B1 -independent) and variable flip angle (VFA),
      B1 -dependent). The study was separated into four stages: 1) numerical
      simulations, 2) sensitivity analysis of the Z-spectra, 3) healthy subjects at 3T,
      and 4) comparison using three different B1 imaging techniques. RESULTS: For
      typical B1 variations in the brain at 3T (+/-30%), the simulations resulted in
      errors of the pool-size ratio (F) ranging from -3% to 7% for VFA, and -40% to >
      100% for IR, agreeing with the Z-spectra sensitivity analysis. In healthy
      subjects, pooled whole-brain Pearson correlation coefficients for F (comparing
      measured double angle and nominal flip angle B1 maps) were rho = 0.97/0.81 for
      VFA/IR. CONCLUSION: This work describes the B1 -sensitivity characteristics of
      qMT, demonstrating that it varies substantially on the B1 -dependency of the T1
      mapping method. Particularly, the pool-size ratio is more robust against B1
      inaccuracies if VFA T1 mapping is used, so much so that B1 mapping could be
      omitted without substantially biasing F. Magn Reson Med 79:276-285, 2018. (c)
      2017 International Society for Magnetic Resonance in Medicine.

PMID- 28349597
TI  - A brief pictorial and historical introduction to guaiacum - from a putative cure
      for syphilis to an actual screening method for colorectal cancer.

PMID- 28349598
TI  - Ultra-light extensometer for the assessment of the mechanical properties of the
      human skin in vivo.
AB  - BACKGROUND/PURPOSE: This paper aims to present an ultra-light extensometer device
      dedicated to the mechanical characterization of the human skin in vivo. METHODS:
      The device developed was conceived to be non-invasive, to work without any stand
      and to perform various uniaxial tensile tests with either effort or displacement
      control. We also use specific guarding tabs to make in vivo extension tests
      analogous to traction tests. RESULTS: Force-displacement curves are derived from
      the data provided by the device's sensors. The latter are converted into stress
      strain curves thanks to complementary measurements of the skin thickness. We
      present typical experimental data and results that demonstrate the device ability
      to built stress-strain curves characteristic of the human skin behavior. An
      additional imaging unit records a sequence of images of the solicited skin area
      for further calculations of the displacement fields by digital image correlation.
      CONCLUSION: The analysis of the displacement and deformation fields validates the
      guarding tab efficiency and the capacity of the device to characterize the
      mechanical behavior of the human skin in vivo.

PMID- 28349599
TI  - Evaluation of the restricted virtual space approximation in the algebraic
      diagrammatic construction scheme for the polarization propagator to speed-up
      excited-state calculations.
AB  - The applicability and limitations of the restricted virtual space (RVS)
      approximation within the algebraic-diagrammatic construction (ADC) scheme for the
      polarization propagator up to third order is evaluated. In RVS-ADC, not only the
      core but also a substantial amount of energetically high-lying virtual orbitals
      is restricted in excitation energy calculations of low-lying excited electronic
      states. Using octatetraene, indole, and pyridine as representative examples and
      different standard basis sets of triple-zeta quality, RVS-ADC(2) turns out to be
      highly useful and to have negligible effects on pipi* excited states. However,
      for npi* or pisigma* states, the RVS approximation is generally less reliable but
      better at third-order than second-order ADC level. In addition, a unified, basis
      set independent, thus normalized virtual orbital threshold (value) is introduced,
      making the RVS approximation more controllable and a priori applicable. (c) 2017
      Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

PMID- 28349600
TI  - Importance of Inherent Substrate Reactivity in Enzyme-Promoted Carbocation
      Cyclization/Rearrangements.
AB  - The importance of inherent substrate reactivity for terpene synthase enzymes is
      discussed, with a focus on recent experimental tests of predictions derived from
      computations on gas-phase reactivity of carbocations.

PMID- 28349601
TI  - Guided bone regeneration of non-contained mandibular buccal bone defects using
      deproteinized bovine bone mineral and a collagen membrane: an experimental in
      vivo investigation.
AB  - AIM: The aim of this pre-clinical in vivo study was to analyse different stages
      of wound healing after guided bone regeneration in non-contained mandibular
      buccal bone defects. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Eighteen female beagle dogs, between
      1.5 and 2 years old, were used. Buccal bone defects were created in the mandible
      following extraction of the mesial roots of M1, P4, the distal root of P3 and
      booth roots of P2. Augmentation procedures of the healed defects were performed 3
      months later using a bone replacement graft (T1), an absorbable collagen membrane
      (T2) or a combination of both procedures (T3). Using a randomized block study
      design, four stages of healing in two groups of dogs were examined (4 days, 2, 6
      weeks and 3 months). The animals were euthanized, and biopsies obtained at the
      end of each of the study periods were prepared for histological examination.
      RESULTS: The different reconstructive procedures resulted in regenerated tissue
      compartments of varying size that contained newly formed bone, non-mineralized
      tissue and bone augmentation biomaterial when a bone replacement graft was used.
      While the proportions of mineralized tissue increased and non-mineralized tissue
      decreased over time in the three groups, the changes in proportions of the DBBM
      material were small. Initial defect depth, healing time and treatment group
      significantly influenced the percentage of mineralized tissue obtained. The
      multivariate multilevel analysis showed that significantly larger area
      proportions of mineralized tissue were obtained when the T2 sites were compared
      with T1 and T3 sites, what highlights the importance of the barrier membrane
      effect for attaining new bone formation. Only in the larger size defects (M1)
      total ROI at T3 and T1 sites was significantly larger than at T2, what highlights
      the importance of using a bone replacement graft as a space maintenance scaffold.
      CONCLUSION: It is suggested that healing following augmentation of non-contained
      buccal bone defects was characterized by a gradual shift in the relative
      proportions of non-mineralized and mineralized tissue components.

PMID- 28349602
TI  - Development of an improved online comprehensive hydrophilic interaction
      chromatography * reversed-phase ultra-high-pressure liquid chromatography
      platform for complex multiclass polyphenolic sample analysis.
AB  - In this study, an improved online comprehensive two-dimensional liquid
      chromatography platform coupled to tandem mass spectrometry was developed for the
      analysis of complex polyphenolic samples. A narrowbore hydrophilic interaction
      chromatography column (150 * 2.0 mm, 3.0 MUm, cross-linked diol) was employed in
      the first dimension, while a reversed-phase column based on monodisperse sub-2
      MUm fully porous particles (50 * 3.0 mm, 1.9 MUm d.p.) with high surface area
      (410 m2 /g) was employed in the second dimension. The combination of a trapping
      column modulation interface with the high retentive fully porous monodisperse
      reversed-phase column in the second dimension resulted in higher peak capacity
      values (1146 versus 867), increased sensitivity, sharper and more symmetrical
      peaks in comparison with a conventional loop-based method, with the same analysis
      time (70 min). The system was challenged against a complex polyphenolic extract
      of a typical Italian apple cultivar, enabling the simultaneous separation of
      multiple polyphenolic classes, including oligomeric procyanidins, up to degree of
      polymerization of 10. Hyphenation with an ion trap time-of-flight mass
      spectrometer led to the tentative identification of 121 analytes, showing how
      this platform could be a powerful analytical tool for the accurate profiling of
      complex polyphenolic samples.

PMID- 28349603
TI  - Ultrasound is an effective and noninvasive method of evaluating renal swelling in
      infants with their first urinary tract infection.
AB  - AIM: This study evaluated renal swelling in infants with a first urinary tract
      infection (UTI) by correlating renal length and volume with C-reactive protein
      (CRP) and body temperature. METHODS: Ultrasounds were carried out on 104 infants
      at The Queen Silvia Children's Hospital, Gothenburg, Sweden - 58 boys (mean age
      3.3 months) and 46 girls (mean age 4.8 months) - during the acute phase of their
      UTI. A second scan was performed on 94 of them 4 weeks later. Renal length and
      volume were computed to standard deviation scores (SDS). RESULTS: The mean renal
      length and volume at the first ultrasound were 1.90 SDS (+/-1.54) and 1.67 SDS
      (+/-1.13) for the larger kidney and 0.86 SDS (+/-1.01) and 0.84 SDS (+/-0.90) for
      the smaller kidney. There was a significant decrease in renal length and volume
      between the two ultrasounds, with a mean difference of 0.96 SDS (+/-1.24) and
      1.07 SDS (+/-1.10) for the larger kidney (p < 0.0001). The length and volume of
      the larger kidney correlated with CRP (p < 0.001), but only the renal length
      correlated with fever (p < 0.001). CONCLUSION: Early ultrasound determined renal
      swelling in infants with a UTI and may be a valuable noninvasive way of
      identifying infants with renal parenchymal involvement.

PMID- 28349604
TI  - Depression Treatment by Non-Mental-Health Providers: Incremental Evidence for the
      Effectiveness of Listening Visits.
AB  - Maternal depression is a prevalent public health problem, particularly for low
      income mothers of young children. Intervention development efforts, which often
      focus on surmounting instrumental barriers to care, have not successfully engaged
      and retained women in treatment. Task-sharing approaches like Listening Visits
      (LV) could overcome key instrumental and psychological barriers by leveraging the
      access of trusted, community caregivers to deliver treatment. A recent randomized
      controlled trial (RCT) demonstrated the efficacy of LV delivered by non-mental
      health providers as compared to usual care. The present report presents results
      from a follow-up phase of that RCT during which participants who had completed LV
      were followed for an additional 8 weeks and completed measures of depression and
      quality of life. In addition, participants who were initially randomized to the
      wait-list control group received LV and were assessed. Treatment gains previously
      observed in participants completing LV were enhanced during the 8-week follow-up
      period. Participants receiving LV during the follow-up period experienced
      significant improvement in depressive symptoms. Results demonstrate the
      sustainability of LV delivered by non-mental-health providers, and provide
      preliminary evidence for the replicability of this approach in a sample of
      predominately low-income pregnant women and mothers of young children.

PMID- 28349605
TI  - Predictors of Premature Match Closure in Youth Mentoring Relationships.
AB  - Although mentoring is a popular and effective means of intervention with youth,
      the positive effects of mentoring can be diminished by premature match closure of
      relationships. Program, mentor, and mentee characteristics were examined as
      predictors of premature match closure. Secondary data analyses were conducted on
      a large national database of mentoring programs consisting of match and youth
      risk information from 170 mentoring programs and 6468 matches from across the
      U.S. Premature closure was associated with mentee age at match inception and 19
      individual mentee characteristics. The set of mentee characteristics were
      examined as part of a cumulative risk index encompassing seven conceptually
      combined categories including family background characteristics, school
      functioning problems, engagement in risky health behaviors, self-regulation
      difficulties, engagement in illegal or criminal activities, and internalizing and
      externalizing behavior problems. Both the age of mentees when matched and the
      cumulative risk index score significantly predicted premature closure. Results
      are discussed in terms of directions for future research and suggestions for
      enhancing mentoring program practices.

PMID- 28349606
TI  - From Moment to Movement: Empowerment and Resilience as a Framework for Collective
      Action in Hong Kong.
AB  - The Transconceptual Model of Empowerment and Resilience (American Journal of
      Community Psychology, 52, 2013, 333) suggests that a set of resilience and
      empowerment resources fuel both initial and sustained participation in collective
      action. Using the case study of a prodemocracy movement in Hong Kong, the present
      study focused on the subset of those resources that are relevant in ongoing
      collective action: efficacy, skills, and maintenance. As individuals possess
      varying combinations of these resources, the present study utilized latent
      profile analysis to test how patterns of empowerment and resilience resources
      influence initial and long-term collective action. Five groups were identified:
      (a) Uncommitted/Uninspired; (b) Committed to Status Quo; (c) Mainstream Populist;
      (d) Empowered; and (e) Ambivalent. ANOVA and ANCOVA analyses found that there are
      significant group differences in initial and long-term participation. Groups with
      higher level of resources reported greater levels of initial participation than
      their counterparts; however, high resource groups did not uniformly report
      greater levels of intention to participate in future collective action. Of the
      maintenance processes tested, collective identity emerged as a particularly
      important predictor differentiating initial and sustained participation. Findings
      from the present study raise questions about how individuals with multiple
      identities can come together and participate in collective action.

PMID- 28349607
TI  - Predicting the Emergence of Community Psychology and Community Development in 91
      Countries with Brief Case Studies of Chile and Ghana.
AB  - Using a mixed-method analysis, we propose and test a framework for predicting the
      international development of community psychology (CP) and community development
      (CD) as two examples of applied community-based research (CBR) disciplines aiming
      to link local knowledge generation with social change. Multiple regressions on an
      international sample of 91 countries were used to determine the relative
      influences of preexisting grassroots activism, population size, social and
      economic development, and civil liberties on estimates of the current strength of
      CP and CD based on Internet search and review of training courses and programs,
      published articles and journals, and professional organizations and conferences
      in these countries. Our results provide support for the proposed model and
      suggest that grassroots activism positively accounts for the development of CP
      and CD, above and beyond the influences of the other predictors. Brief
      qualitative case-study analyses of Chile (high CP, low CD) and Ghana (high CD,
      low CP) explore the limitations of our quantitative model and the importance of
      considering other historical, sociopolitical, cultural, and geographic factors
      for explaining the development of CP, CD, and other applied community studies.

PMID- 28349609
TI  - Correction.

PMID- 28349608
TI  - Organic Microporous Nanofillers with Unique Alcohol Affinity for Superior Ethanol
      Recovery toward Sustainable Biofuels.
AB  - To minimize energy consumption and carbon footprints, pervaporation membranes are
      fast becoming the preferred technology for alcohol recovery. However, this
      approach is confined to small-scale operations, as the flux of standard rubbery
      polymer membranes remain insufficient to process large solvent volumes, whereas
      membrane separations that use glassy polymer membranes are prone to physical
      aging. This study concerns how the alcohol affinity and intrinsic porosity of
      networked, organic, microporous polymers can simultaneously reduce physical aging
      and drastically enhance both flux and selectivity of a super glassy polymer, poly
      [1-(trimethylsilyl)propyne] (PTMSP). Slight loss in alcohol transportation
      channels in PTMSP is compensated by the alcohol affinity of the microporous
      polymers. Even after continuous exposure to aqueous solutions of alcohols, PTMSP
      pervaporation membranes loaded with the microporous polymers outperform the state
      of-the-art and commercial pervaporation membranes.

PMID- 28349610
TI  - One Versatile Route to Three-Dimensional Graphene Wrapped Metal Cyanide Aerogels
      for Enhanced Sodium Ion Storage.
AB  - Facile and controllable integration of metal cyanides (MCs) into three
      dimensional graphene (3DG) with advantageous structures is of fundamental
      importance for the development of superior MC-based electrode materials for
      electrochemical energy storage and catalysis. Here a facile and versatile
      spatially-confined Ostwald ripening strategy was developed to synthesize a series
      of 3DG wrapped MC aerogels with different compositions, size, and structure based
      on the chemical instability of MC in the reaction system. Remarkably, the
      integration of Prussian blue (PB) into 3DG, with such unique architecture,
      largely improves the rate performance and long-term cycling stability of PB as a
      cathode material for sodium ion batteries.

PMID- 28349611
TI  - Ion cum molecularly dual imprinted polymer for simultaneous removal of cadmium
      and salicylic acid.
AB  - Ion cum molecularly dual imprinted polymer (DMIP) was synthesized for the
      simultaneous removal of salicylic acid (SA) and cadmium (Cd) by suspension
      polymerization method using chitosan (CTS) as functional polymer, epichlorohydrin
      as cross-linker, and 4-hydroxy benzoic acid (4HBA) as well as Cd as organic and
      inorganic templates, respectively. Use of the dummy template 4HBA during the
      synthesis of DMIP had the advantage of creating imprinted cavities in DMIP, which
      depicted good uptake for SA. Scanning electron microscopy and Fourier transform
      infrared spectroscopy indicated successful preparation of DMIP. Particle size
      analysis confirmed polydispersity, and thermal and swelling studies indicated the
      mechanical stability in DMIP. The rebinding capacities of the DMIP for Cd and SA
      were found to be 38.46 and 23.81 mgg-1 , respectively, under the optimize
      condition of the time, dose, and concentration. Adsorption isotherm results
      fitted into Langmuir adsorption isotherm model with the R2 values of 0.994 and
      0.995 for Cd and SA, respectively. The presence of intramolecular hydrogen
      bonding in SA, stability of the template-monomer complexes (CTS-SA and CTS-4HBA),
      and the involvement of the hydroxyl groups on DMIP for the uptake of SA has been
      supported by molecular modeling studies using Gaussian 03 software. The electron
      doublet of the amino groups of DMIP was involved for the uptake of Cd. Lower
      binding efficiency of DMIP for SA as compared to Cd may be due to the partial
      participation of hydroxyl group in cross-linking with epichlorohydrin during the
      synthesis of DMIP.

PMID- 28349612
TI  - Efficacy of hyperbaric oxygen therapy in patients with radiation-induced rectal
      ulcers: Report of five cases.
AB  - For decades, hyperbaric oxygen therapy has been considered a treatment option in
      patients with chronic radiation-induced proctitis after pelvic radiation therapy.
      Refractory cases of chronic radiation-induced proctitis include ulceration,
      stenosis, and intestinal fistulas with perforation. Appropriate treatment needs
      to be given. In the present study, we assessed the efficacy of hyperbaric oxygen
      therapy in five patients with radiation-induced rectal ulcers. Significant
      improvement and complete ulcer resolution were observed in all treated patients;
      no side-effects were reported. Hyperbaric oxygen therapy has a low toxicity
      profile and appears to be highly effective in patients with radiation-induced
      rectal ulcers. However, hyperbaric oxygen therapy alone failed to improve
      telangiectasia and easy bleeding in four of the five patients; these patients
      were further treated with argon plasma coagulation (APC). Although hyperbaric
      oxygen therapy may be effective in healing patients with ulcers, it seems
      inadequate in cases with easy bleeding. Altogether, these data suggest that
      combination therapy with hyperbaric oxygen therapy and APC may be an effective
      and safe treatment strategy in patients with radiation-induced rectal ulcers.

PMID- 28349613
TI  - Prospective evaluation of digital single-operator cholangioscope for diagnostic
      and therapeutic procedures (with videos).
AB  - BACKGROUND AND AIM: Recently, the digital single-operator cholangioscope (SPY-DS)
      has become available. This system may allow diagnosis by direct visualization and
      allow performance of various therapeutic procedures. The aim of the present study
      was to prospectively evaluate the clinical utility of DSOCS for diagnostic and
      therapeutic procedures for biliary disease. METHODS: Technical success was
      defined as successful visualization of target lesions in the biliary tract and
      carrying out forceps biopsy as a diagnostic procedure, and successfully carrying
      out treatment such as guidewire insertion for the area of interest,
      electrohydraulic lithotripsy (EHL), or migrated stent removal. Also, the present
      study aimed at investigating diagnostic yield of the cholangioscopic findings and
      biopsy specimens. RESULTS: A total of 55 consecutive patients were prospectively
      enrolled in this study; a diagnostic procedure was done in 33 patients, and a
      therapeutic procedure was done in 22 patients. Overall accuracy of visual
      findings was 93%, with a sensitivity of 83%, a specificity of 89%, positive
      predictive value (PPV) of 83%, and negative predictive value (NPV) of 100%.
      However, the overall accuracy of forceps biopsy was 89%, with a sensitivity,
      specificity, and PPV of 100%, and NPV of 90%. Overall technical success rate of
      therapeutic procedures such as selective guidewire insertion, EHL or migrated
      stent removal was 91% (20/22). Finally, adverse events were seen in two cases in
      the diagnostic group, but were not seen in the therapeutic group. CONCLUSION:
      Although additional cases and a randomized, controlled study with another
      cholangioscope are needed, diagnostic and therapeutic procedures using SPY-DS
      appear to be feasible and safe.

PMID- 28349614
TI  - Progressive histoplasmosis with hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis and
      epithelioid cell granulomatosis: A case report and review of the literature.
AB  - Histoplasmosis in central Europe is a rare fungal disease with diverse clinical
      presentations. Apart from acute pulmonary histoplasmosis and involvement of the
      central nervous system, the most serious clinical presentation is progressive
      disseminated histoplasmosis which is generally associated with severe
      immunodeficiency and, in particular, advanced human immunodeficiency virus
      infection. Here, we report on an immunocompetent female residing in a non-endemic
      area, presenting with progressive disseminated histoplasmosis after a remote
      travel history to Thailand and Costa Rica. Diagnosis was delayed by several
      months due to misinterpretation of epithelioid cell granulomatosis of the
      intestine as Crohn's disease and of similar lung lesions as acute sarcoidosis.
      Prompted by clinical deterioration with signs and symptoms consistent with
      hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis, a bone marrow aspiration was performed that
      documented hemophagocytosis and intracellular organisms interpreted as Leishmania
      sp., but later identified by molecular methods as Histoplasma capsulatum.
      Treatment with liposomal amphotericin B followed by posaconazole led to prompt
      clinical improvement and ultimately cure.

PMID- 28349615
TI  - Development and perceived effects of an educational programme on quality and
      safety in medication handling in residential facilities.
AB  - OBJECTIVES: To develop and test an educational programme on quality and safety in
      medication handling for staff in residential facilities for the disabled.
      METHODS: The continuing pharmacy education instructional design model was used to
      develop the programme with 22 learning objectives on disease and medicines,
      quality and safety, communication and coordination. The programme was a flexible,
      modular seven + two days' course addressing quality and safety in medication
      handling, disease and medicines, and medication supervision and reconciliation.
      The programme was tested in five Danish municipalities. Municipalities were
      selected based on their application for participation; each independently
      selected a facility for residents with mental and intellectual disabilities, and
      a facility for residents with severe mental illnesses. Perceived effects were
      measured based on a questionnaire completed by participants before and after the
      programme. Effects on motivation and confidence as well as perceived effects on
      knowledge, skills and competences related to medication handling, patient
      empowerment, communication, role clarification and safety culture were analysed
      conducting bivariate, stratified analyses and test for independence. KEY
      FINDINGS: Of the 114 participants completing the programme, 75 participants
      returned both questionnaires (response rate = 66%). Motivation and confidence
      regarding quality and safety in medication handling significantly improved, as
      did perceived knowledge, skills and competences on 20 learning objectives on role
      clarification, safety culture, medication handling, patient empowerment and
      communication. CONCLUSIONS: The programme improved staffs' motivation and
      confidence and their perceived ability to handle residents' medication safely
      through improved role clarification, safety culture, medication handling and
      patient empowerment and communication skills.

PMID- 28349616
TI  - Antibiotic resistance in Staphylococcus sp. isolated from the vaginal environment
      of squirrel monkeys (Saimiri spp.) bred ex situ.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Squirrel monkeys (Saimiri spp.) have been widely used as animal
      models; however, the occurrence of Staphylococcus sp in their vaginal microbiota
      remains to be described. METHODS: Samples were collected from 175 adult squirrel
      monkeys to isolate Staphylococcus sp and to test for susceptibility to a panel of
      nine antimicrobial agents. RESULTS: Isolates with characteristics of the genus
      Staphylococcus were detected in 95 of 175 samples. Coagulase-negative
      staphylococci (CoNS) were the most common (95.8%, 91/95) isolates. Resistance to
      antibiotics was observed in 47.3% (45/95) of isolates. Resistance to tetracycline
      was observed in 28.5% (26/91), chloramphenicol in 15.4% (14/91), and methicillin
      in 13.2% (12/91) of CoNS. Coagulase-positive staphylococci were resistant to
      tetracycline, erythromycin, and methicillin. CONCLUSIONS: The presence of
      Staphylococcus sp in vaginal samples obtained from squirrel monkeys suggests that
      these animals were in a carrier state. Furthermore, isolating strains resistant
      to methicillin reinforces the biosafety care of a colony.

PMID- 28349617
TI  - Exploring synthetic heroin: Accounts of acetyl fentanyl use from a sample of
      dually diagnosed drug offenders.
AB  - INTRODUCTION AND AIMS: Acetyl fentanyl, a fentanyl analogue emerging onto the
      recreational drug scene, has been responsible for numerous recent fatal overdoses
      in the USA, Europe and Russia. Studies reporting acetyl fentanyl use are
      presently limited to case studies and mortality reports. This study explores the
      nature of acetyl fentanyl use through the collection of first-hand qualitative
      data from users to inform public health and drug control policy responses. DESIGN
      AND METHODS: A series of focus group interviews within a correctional setting
      Delaware County (Ohio) Jail, USA. Participants were 102 individuals in one of two
      US Bureau of Justice Assistance Second Chance Act substance use treatment
      initiatives participating in at least one focus group session. Five of these
      individuals reported acetyl fentanyl use. Semi-structured qualitative focus group
      sessions queried subjects' drugs of choice and nature of drug use. Responses were
      explored through follow-up organic discourse. RESULTS: Acetyl fentanyl users were
      generally unaware that they had administered the substance until after use
      (initially believing that they were administering heroin). They described the
      effects of acetyl fentanyl as stronger and qualitatively different from heroin.
      These individuals showed no interest in using acetyl fentanyl again describing it
      as unpleasant and more risky, both because of potency and the threat of a 'bad
      batch'. DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSIONS: Acetyl fentanyl is reaching heroin users,
      some of which administer it unknowingly. Regulation of acetyl fentanyl is
      recommended in all countries as is increasing public awareness that the substance
      is distinct from and being sold as heroin. [Miller JM, Stogner JM, Miller BL,
      Blough S. Exploring synthetic heroin: Accounts of acetyl fentanyl use from a
      sample of dually diagnosed drug offenders. Drug Alcohol Rev 2018;37:121-127].

PMID- 28349618
TI  - Parameter estimation using weighted total least squares in the two-compartment
      exchange model.
AB  - PURPOSE: The linear least squares (LLS) estimator provides a fast approach to
      parameter estimation in the linearized two-compartment exchange model. However,
      the LLS method may introduce a bias through correlated noise in the system matrix
      of the model. The purpose of this work is to present a new estimator for the
      linearized two-compartment exchange model that takes this noise into account.
      METHOD: To account for the noise in the system matrix, we developed an estimator
      based on the weighted total least squares (WTLS) method. Using simulations, the
      proposed WTLS estimator was compared, in terms of accuracy and precision, to an
      LLS estimator and a nonlinear least squares (NLLS) estimator. RESULTS: The WTLS
      method improved the accuracy compared to the LLS method to levels comparable to
      the NLLS method. This improvement was at the expense of increased computational
      time; however, the WTLS was still faster than the NLLS method. At high signal-to
      noise ratio all methods provided similar precisions while inconclusive results
      were observed at low signal-to-noise ratio. CONCLUSION: The proposed method
      provides improvements in accuracy compared to the LLS method, however, at an
      increased computational cost. Magn Reson Med 79:561-567, 2017. (c) 2017
      International Society for Magnetic Resonance in Medicine.

PMID- 28349619
TI  - Bridging the discursive gap between lay and medical discourse in care
      coordination.
AB  - For older people with multiple chronic co-morbidities, strategies to coordinate
      care depend heavily on information exchange. We analyse the information-sharing
      difficulties arising from differences between patients' oral narratives and
      medical sense-making; and whether a modified form of 'narrative medicine' might
      mitigate them. We systematically compared 66 general practice patients' own
      narratives of their health problems and care with the contents of their clinical
      records. Data were collected in England during 2012-13. Patients' narratives
      differed from the accounts in their medical record, especially the summary,
      regarding mobility, falls, mental health, physical frailty and its consequences
      for accessing care. Parts of patients' viewpoints were never formally encoded,
      parts were lost when clinicians de-coded it, parts supplemented, and sometimes
      the whole narrative was re-framed. These discrepancies appeared to restrict the
      patient record's utility even for GPs for the purposes of risk stratification,
      case management, knowing what other care-givers were doing, and coordinating
      care. The findings suggest combining the encoding/decoding theory of
      communication with inter-subjectivity and intentionality theories as sequential,
      complementary elements of an explanation of how patients communicate with
      clinicians. A revised form of narrative medicine might mitigate the discursive
      gap and its consequences for care coordination.

PMID- 28349620
TI  - Connectivity patterns during music listening: Evidence for action-based
      processing in musicians.
AB  - Musical expertise is visible both in the morphology and functionality of the
      brain. Recent research indicates that functional integration between multi
      sensory, somato-motor, default-mode (DMN), and salience (SN) networks of the
      brain differentiates musicians from non-musicians during resting state. Here, we
      aimed at determining whether brain networks differentially exchange information
      in musicians as opposed to non-musicians during naturalistic music listening.
      Whole-brain graph-theory analyses were performed on participants' fMRI responses.
      Group-level differences revealed that musicians' primary hubs comprised cerebral
      and cerebellar sensorimotor regions whereas non-musicians' dominant hubs
      encompassed DMN-related regions. Community structure analyses of the key hubs
      revealed greater integration of motor and somatosensory homunculi representing
      the upper limbs and torso in musicians. Furthermore, musicians who started
      training at an earlier age exhibited greater centrality in the auditory cortex,
      and areas related to top-down processes, attention, emotion, somatosensory
      processing, and non-verbal processing of speech. We here reveal how brain
      networks organize themselves in a naturalistic music listening situation wherein
      musicians automatically engage neural networks that are action-based while non
      musicians use those that are perception-based to process an incoming auditory
      stream. Hum Brain Mapp 38:2955-2970, 2017. (c) 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

PMID- 28349621
TI  - 'It feels sometimes like my house has burnt down, but I can see the sky': A
      qualitative study exploring patients' views of cognitive behavioural therapy for
      chronic fatigue syndrome.
AB  - OBJECTIVES: Cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) is currently a first-line
      treatment for chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS). Even though the results from trials
      are promising, there is variability in patient outcomes. The aim of this study
      was to explore the experiences of patients with CFS who undertook CBT at a
      specialist service for CFS. DESIGN: This was a qualitative study. METHODS:
      Thirteen patients with CFS, approaching the end of CBT, participated in semi
      structured interviews. In addition, participants were asked to rate their
      satisfaction with CBT and perceived level of improvement. The data were analysed
      using inductive thematic analysis. RESULTS: The majority of participants were
      satisfied with treatment and reported marked improvements. This was evident from
      the ratings and corroborated by the qualitative data, yet recovery was in general
      incomplete. Participants often disclosed mixed feelings towards CBT prior to its
      start. Behavioural aspects of treatment were found useful, while participants
      were more ambivalent towards the cognitive aspects of treatment. The tailored
      nature of CBT and therapist contact were important components of treatment, which
      provided participants with support and validation. Engagement and motivation were
      crucial for participants to benefit from CBT, as well as the acceptance of a bio
      psychosocial model of CFS. Illness beliefs around CFS were also discussed
      throughout the interviews, possibly impeding engagement with therapy.
      CONCLUSIONS: The results suggest that various factors may moderate the
      effectiveness of CBT, and a greater understanding of these factors may help to
      maximize benefits gained from CBT. Statement of contribution What is already
      known on this subject? CBT is effective in reducing CFS symptoms, but not all
      patients report marked improvements following treatment. Predictors of outcome
      have been explored in the literature. Few studies have looked at the experience
      of adult patients with CFS who have had CBT. What does this study add? Findings
      provide insights as to why variability in CBT-related improvements exists.
      Beliefs about CFS and CBT may shape engagement and consequently contribute to
      post-treatment outcomes. Flexibility and sensitivity are necessary from
      therapists throughout treatment to ensure full engagement.

PMID- 28349623
TI  - Managing workplace stress in community pharmacy organisations: lessons from a
      review of the wider stress management and prevention literature.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Workplace stress in community pharmacy is increasing internationally
      due, in part, to pharmacists' expanding roles and escalating workloads. Whilst
      the business case for preventing and managing workplace stress by employers is
      strong, there is little evidence for the effectiveness of organisational stress
      management interventions in community pharmacy settings. AIM: To identify and
      synthesise existing evidence for the effectiveness of organisational solutions to
      workplace stress from the wider organisational literature which may be adaptable
      to community pharmacies. METHOD: A secondary synthesis of existing reviews.
      Publications were identified through keyword searches of electronic databases and
      the internet; inclusion and exclusion criteria were applied; data about setting,
      intervention, method of evaluation, effectiveness and conclusions (including
      factors for success) were extracted and synthesised. FINDINGS: Eighteen reviews
      of the stress management and prevention literature were identified. A
      comprehensive list of organisational interventions to prevent or manage workplace
      stress, ordered by prevalence of evidence of effectiveness, was produced,
      together with an ordered list of the benefits both to the individual and
      employing organisation. An evidence-based model of best practice was derived
      specifying eight factors for success: top management support, context-specific
      interventions, combined organisational and individual interventions, a
      participative approach, clearly delineated tasks and responsibilities, buy-in
      from middle management, change agents as facilitators and change in
      organisational culture. CONCLUSIONS: This literature review provides community
      pharmacy organisations with evidence from which to develop effective and
      successful stress management strategies to support pharmacists and pharmacy
      staff. Well-designed trials of stress management interventions in community
      pharmacy organisations are still required.

PMID- 28349622
TI  - Actigraphic sleep measures and diet quality in the Hispanic Community Health
      Study/Study of Latinos Sueno ancillary study.
AB  - Using a cross-sectional probability sample with actigraphy data and two 24-h
      dietary recalls, we quantified the association between sleep duration,
      continuity, variability and timing with the Alternative Healthy Eating Index-2010
      diet quality score and its components in 2140 Hispanic Community Health
      Study/Study of Latinos participants. The Alternative Healthy Eating Index diet
      quality-2010 score ranges from 0 to 110, with higher scores indicating greater
      adherence to the dietary guidelines and lower risk from major chronic disease.
      None of the sleep measures was associated with total caloric intake as assessed
      using dietary recalls. However, both an increase in sleep duration and sleep
      efficiency were associated with healthier diet quality. Each standard deviation
      increase in sleep duration (1.05 h) and sleep efficiency (4.99%) was associated
      with a 0.30 point increase and 0.28 point increase, respectively, in the total
      Alternative Healthy Eating Index-2010 score. The component of Alternative Healthy
      Eating Index-2010 most strongly associated with longer sleep duration was
      increased nuts and legumes intake. The components of Alternative Healthy Eating
      Index-2010 most strongly associated with higher sleep efficiency were increased
      whole fruit intake and decreased sodium intake. Both longer sleep duration and
      higher sleep efficiency were significantly associated with better diet quality
      among US Hispanic/Latino adults. The dietary components most strongly associated
      with sleep duration and sleep efficiency differed, suggesting potentially
      independent mechanisms by which each aspect of sleep impacts dietary choices.
      Longitudinal research is needed to understand the directionality of these
      identified relationships and the generalizability of these data across other
      ethnic groups.

PMID- 28349624
TI  - Partitioning within-species variance in behaviour to within- and between
      population components for understanding evolution.
AB  - Phenotypes vary at multiple hierarchical levels, of which the interspecific
      variance is the primary focus of phylogenetic comparative studies. However, the
      evolutionary role of particular within-species variance components (between
      population, between- or within-individual variances) remains neglected. Here, we
      partition the variance in an anti-predator behaviour, flight initiation distance
      (FID), and assess how its within- and between-population variance are related to
      life history, distribution, dispersal and habitat ecology. Although the
      composition of within-species variance in FID depended on the phylogeny, most
      variance occurred within populations. When accounting for allometry, density
      dependence, uncertainty in the phylogenetic hypothesis and heterogeneity in data
      quality, within-population variance was significantly associated with habitat
      diversity and population size. Between-population variance was a significant
      predictor of natal dispersal, senescence and habitat diversity. Accordingly, not
      only species-specific mean values of a behavioural trait, but also its variance
      within and among populations can shape the evolutionary ecology of species.

PMID- 28349625
TI  - Effects of melatonin on maturation, histone acetylation, autophagy of porcine
      oocytes and subsequent embryonic development.
AB  - Melatonin (MLT) is an endogenous hormone with roles in animal germ cell
      development. However, the effect of MLT on porcine oocyte maturation and its
      underlying mechanisms remain largely unknown. Here, we investigated the effects
      of exogenous MLT on oocyte maturation, histone acetylation, autophagy and
      subsequent embryonic development. We found that 1 nmol/L MLT supplemented in
      maturation medium was the optimal concentration to promote porcine oocyte
      maturation and subsequent developmental competence and quality of parthenogenetic
      embryos. Interestingly, the beneficial effects of 1 nmol/L MLT treatment on
      porcine oocyte maturation and embryo development were mainly attributed to the
      first half period of in vitro maturation. Simultaneously, MLT treatment could
      also improve maturation of small follicle-derived oocytes, morphologically poor
      (cumulus cell layer <=1) and even artificially denuded oocytes and their
      subsequent embryo development. Furthermore, MLT treatment not only could decrease
      the levels of H3K27ac and H4K16ac in metaphase II (MII) oocytes, but also could
      increase the expression abundances of genes associated with cumulus cell
      expansion, meiotic maturation, histone acetylation and autophagy in cumulus cells
      or MII oocytes. These results indicate that MLT treatment can facilitate porcine
      oocyte maturation and subsequent embryonic development probably, through
      improvements in histone acetylation and autophagy in oocytes.

PMID- 28349627
TI  - Rigid catheters reduced duration of less invasive surfactant therapy procedures
      in manikins.
AB  - AIM: Different catheters can be used for less invasive surfactant therapy (LIST):
      feeding tubes inserted with or without Magill forceps, different angiocatheters
      and centre specific devices, such as umbilical catheters affixed to a stylet.
      This study compared the effectiveness of LIST devices and endotracheal tubes
      (ETT). METHODS: Video recordings of 20 neonatologists simulating different LIST
      techniques on two manikin heads were analysed. Procedural effectiveness was
      evaluated by the duration of procedures and failure rates. Ease of use was
      scored. RESULTS: The median procedure time for the Neonatal Intubation Trainer
      was significantly longer with feeding tubes without Magill forceps. For the more
      difficult ALS Baby Trainer, successful procedures lasted a median of 24 (17-32)
      seconds with ETT, 24 (15-36) seconds with stylet-guided catheters and 34 (27-46)
      seconds and 37 (29-42) seconds with 13-cm and 30-cm angiocatheters, respectively.
      Both methods using feeding tubes were statistically slower than ETT intubation,
      lasting 32 (25-44) seconds and 39 (27-95) seconds with or without Magill forceps.
      Failure rates (7-20%) were no different between the LIST methods. Techniques
      using feeding tubes were rated as more difficult. CONCLUSION: Only rigid or
      stylet-guided catheters required tracheal catheterisation times similar to those
      of endotracheal intubation and neonatologists found them easier.

PMID- 28349626
TI  - Study of N-vinylpyrrolidone-N-vinylformamide copolymers labelled with indium
      113m.
AB  - The procedure of the directed synthesis of N-vinylpyrrolidone-N-vinylformamide
      (VP-VFA) copolymers with grafted iminodiacetate (IDA) chelating units is
      presented. The methods for labelling resulting conjugates with indium-113m were
      developed. The metal-copolymer conjugates were characterized by different
      physicochemical methods, including IR and NMR, viscometry, light scattering, and
      exclusion high-performance liquid chromatography. Parameters of radiochemical
      synthesis of the conjugates labelled with indium-113m were optimized. It was
      shown that the VP-VFA-IDA copolymer firmly binds indium-113m both in the acid and
      alkaline solutions, with pH of the reaction mixture having almost no effect on
      the complexation. VP-VFA-IDA-In conjugates were found to be unstable in histidine
      challenge reaction.

PMID- 28349628
TI  - Ferritin, cellular iron storage and regulation.
AB  - Ferritin is considered the major iron storage protein which maintains a large
      iron core in its cavity and has ferroxidase activity. There are many types of
      ferritin particularly in prokaryotes that include the canonical 24-mer FTN
      molecules, the heme-containing BFR, the smaller 12-mer DPS and the newly
      recognized EncFtn of encapsulin that forms a very large iron storage compartment.
      Recent studies show that ferritin function is more dynamic than previous depicted
      and new mechanisms of ferritin iron recycling are emerging. They participate to
      the regulation of cellular iron homeostasis as those of ferritin biosynthesis,
      cooperating also with the iron-dependent mechanism of cellular iron secretion.
      Some of these basic processes are in common between unicellular and animal cells,
      and this review aims at discussing the findings on the connections between iron
      storage, cellular iron regulation and ferritin iron recycling that have been
      explored in unicellular organisms and in animals. (c) 2017 IUBMB Life, 69(6):414
      422, 2017.

PMID- 28349629
TI  - The risk of healing complications in primary teeth with extrusive or lateral
      luxation-A retrospective cohort study.
AB  - BACKGROUND/AIM: Traumatic dental injuries (TDI) in the primary dentition occur
      frequently. Long-term complications may potentially cause damage to the permanent
      successor. The aim of this study was to report the risk of pulp necrosis (PN),
      pulp canal obliteration (PCO), infection-related resorption (IRR), ankylosis
      related resorption (ARR) and premature tooth loss (PTL) in primary teeth
      following extrusion or lateral luxation and to identify risk factors for PN and
      PTL. MATERIAL AND METHODS: This was a retrospective study of 24 patients with 26
      extruded primary teeth and 242 patients with 331 primary teeth with lateral
      luxation. Laterally luxated teeth were left without treatment. Extruded teeth
      were repositioned. Follow up included examination after 4 weeks, 8 weeks, 6
      months, 1 year and when the patients were 6 years old. The minimum follow up was
      1 year or until tooth loss. Kaplan-Meier and Aahlen-Johansson tests were used
      along with Cox regression analysis. The level of significance was 5%. RESULTS:
      Risk estimated after 3 years-Extrusion: PCO 39.8% (95% CI: NA), PN 15.6% (95% CI:
      1.5-29.7), IRR 3.8% (95% CI: 0-11.2) and PTL 43.3% (95% CI: 25.5-61.2). All cases
      of PN and PTL occurred within the first year. Lateral luxation: PCO 41.3% (CI:
      95% 35.7-46.9), PN 19.8% CI: 95% (15.3-24.2), IRR 7.0% (95% CI: 4.1-9.8), ARR
      1.4% (95% CI: 0-3.3) and PTL 24.8% (95% CI: 18.8-30.8). Risk factors for PN:
      concomitant crown fracture and patient aged 4 years or more. Nearly all teeth
      (95%) realigned spontaneously within the first year. Nearly all cases of PN and
      PTL (95.7%) occurred within the first year. CONCLUSION: The healing potential for
      laterally luxated teeth was high and more than half of the extruded teeth, which
      were repositioned after injury, showed long-term survival.

PMID- 28349631
TI  - ?

PMID- 28349632
TI  - ?

PMID- 28349633
TI  - ?

PMID- 28349630
TI  - Optimization of intra-voxel incoherent motion measurement in diffusion-weighted
      imaging of breast cancer.
AB  - PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to optimize intra-voxel incoherent motion
      (IVIM) measurement in diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI) of breast cancer by
      separating perfusion and diffusion effects through the determination of an
      optimal threshold b-value, thus benign and cancerous breast tissues can be
      accurately differentiated using IVIM-derived diffusion and perfusion parameters.
      MATERIALS AND METHODS: Twenty-eight patients, with biopsy-confirmed breast
      cancers, were studied with a 3T MRI scanner, using T1-weighted dynamic contrast
      enhanced MRI images, and diffusion-weighted images with nine b-values, ranging
      from 0 to 1000 s/mm2. IVIM-derived parameter maps for tissue diffusion
      coefficients D, perfusion fraction f, and pseudo-diffusion coefficients D* were
      computed using the segmented fitting method with optimized threshold b-value, and
      the sum of squared residuals (SSR) were calculated for IVIM-derived parameters in
      different breast lesions. RESULTS: The IVIM analysis method developed in this
      work can separate perfusion and diffusion effects with the optimal threshold b
      value of 300 s/mm2, and the results of diffusion and perfusion parameters from
      IVIM analysis can be used to differentiate pathological changes in breast
      tissues. It was found that the averages and standard deviations of the diffusion
      and perfusion parameters, D, f, D*, are the following, for malignant, benign and
      normal breast tissues respectively: D (0.813 +/- 0.225 * 10-3 mm2 /s, 1.437 +/-
      0.538 * 10-3 mm2 /s, 1.838 +/- 0.213 * 10-3 mm2 /s), f (10.73 +/- 3.44%, 7.86 +/-
      3.70%, 8.92 +/- 3.72%), D* (15.23 +/- 12.17*10-3 mm2/s, 12.02 +/- 3.19 * 10-3 mm2
      /s, 12.03 +/- 7.21 * 10-3 mm2 /s). CONCLUSION: IVIM-derived diffusion and
      perfusion parameter maps depend highly on the choice of threshold b-value. Using
      the methodology developed in this work, and with the optimized threshold b-value,
      the diffusion and perfusion parameters of breast tissues can be accurately
      assessed, making IVIM MRI a technique of choice for differential diagnosis of
      breast cancer.

PMID- 28349634
TI  - ?

PMID- 28349635
TI  - ?

PMID- 28349636
TI  - ?

PMID- 28349637
TI  - ?

PMID- 28349638
TI  - ?

PMID- 28349639
TI  - Metabolic mediators of the impact of general and central adiposity measures on
      cardiovascular disease and mortality risks in older adults: Tehran Lipid and
      Glucose Study.
AB  - AIMS: To investigate the relationship between body mass index, waist
      circumference, waist-to-hip ratio and waist-to-height ratio, as well as the
      mediating factors through which they might exert their risk for cardiovascular
      disease/coronary heart disease and mortality events in the older Iranian
      population during a median follow up of 9.5 years. METHODS: The study population
      included participants, aged >=65 years, free of cardiovascular disease at
      baseline. The confounder-adjusted hazard ratio was calculated for a 1-SD change
      in each anthropometric measure with and without adjustment for
      hypercholesterolemia, diabetes and hypertension. RESULTS: During the study follow
      up, 193 participants developed their first cardiovascular disease event and 183
      deaths occurred. No association was found between cardiovascular disease/coronary
      heart disease and body mass index, even in the confounder-adjusted models.
      Central adiposity measures showed a significant risk for cardiovascular disease
      events in the confounder-adjusted model ranging from hazard ratio 1.16 (95%
      confidence interval 1.02-1.33) for waist-to-hip ratio to 1.21 (95% confidence
      interval 1.03-1.42) for waist-to-height ratio. Adjustment for hypertension alone
      or in combination with other metabolic mediators attenuated the hazard ratio to
      null. Although hypercholesterolemia did not show any mediating effect of central
      adiposity measures for cardiovascular disease/coronary heart disease,
      hypertension was the most powerful mediator, accounting for 30-45% of the excess
      risk. CONCLUSIONS: Central rather than general adiposity showed a significant
      role in determining cardiovascular disease/coronary heart disease risk. The
      harmful effect of central adiposity was completely attributable to mediators,
      especially hypertension. Clinical interventions for control of mediators focusing
      on hypertension should be emphasized. Geriatr Gerontol Int 2017; 17: 2017-2024.

PMID- 28349640
TI  - Developmental trajectories for young children with 16p11.2 copy number variation.
AB  - Copy number variation at 16p11.2 is associated with diverse phenotypes but little
      is known about the early developmental trajectories and emergence of the
      phenotype. This longitudinal study followed 56 children with the 16p11.2 BP4-BP5
      deletion or duplication between the ages of 6 months and 8 years with diagnostic
      characterization and dimensional assessment across cognitive, adaptive, and
      behavioral domains. Linear mixed modeling revealed distinct developmental
      trajectories with deletions showing VIQ gains but declines in motor and social
      abilities while duplications showed VIQ gains and steady development across other
      domains. Nonparametric analyses suggest distinct trajectories and early cognitive
      abilities for deletion carriers who are ultimately diagnosed with intellectual
      disability and developmental coordination disorder as well as distinct
      trajectories and early social communication and cognitive abilities for
      duplication carriers diagnosed with ASD and intellectual disability. Findings
      provide predictions for patient developmental trajectories, insight into mean
      functioning of individuals with 16p11.2 at early ages, and highlight the need for
      ongoing monitoring of social and motor functioning and behavioral symptomatology
      to improve treatment planning. (c) 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

PMID- 28349641
TI  - Type 2 diabetes remission rates 1-year post-Roux-en-Y gastric bypass and
      validation of the DiaRem score: the Ontario Bariatric Network experience.
AB  - Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (RYGB) is associated with the remission of type 2
      diabetes mellitus (DM). There are a number of scoring systems available that help
      predict type 2 diabetes remission rates after bariatric surgery; however,
      relatively few have been validated externally. The DiaRem score, comprised of
      four preoperative variables (age, haemoglobin A1c [HbA1c], sulfonylurea and
      insulin-sensitizing agent use and insulin use), allows for the identification of
      patients who are most likely to have DM remission following RYGB. Our primary
      objective was to determine the variables predictive of DM remission 1 year post
      RYGB, determine how well the DiaRem score predicts DM remission 1 year post-RYGB
      and identify the optimal cut-off DiaRem score. The study is based on results of
      RYGB performed across multiple centres in Ontario, Canada, overseen by the Centre
      for Surgical Invention and Innovation in Hamilton, with direction from the
      Ontario Bariatric Network. Regression analysis was used to determine the
      predictive value of demographic and clinical variables and that of the DiaRem
      score. The optimal DiaRem cut-off score was determined using sensitivity and
      specificity analysis. Of 3874 patients in the Ontario Bariatric Registry between
      January 2010 and February 2015, 915 had complete 1-year follow-up data. Among
      these, 15 were not classified as having DM at baseline and were excluded. Of the
      remaining 900 patients with type 2 diabetes and who underwent RYGB surgery, 333
      (37.0%) had DM remission at 1-year follow-up. Three of four DiaRem variables
      (age, HbA1c, insulin use), in addition to use of any hypoglycaemic agent, were
      associated with DM remission. DiaRem score had moderate predictive value. A
      DiaRem score cut-off of <5 had a sensitivity of 71.8% and specificity of 71.3%.
      This study provides guidance to clinicians in using the DiaRem score to inform
      the selection and prioritization of patients to ensure timely access to bariatric
      surgery for those who are likely to benefit the most.

PMID- 28349642
TI  - Understanding the science that supports population-wide salt reduction programs.

PMID- 28349643
TI  - Causes of death in Japanese patients with diabetes based on the results of a
      survey of 45,708 cases during 2001-2010: Report of the Committee on Causes of
      Death in Diabetes Mellitus.
AB  - The principal causes of death among 45,708 patients with diabetes (29,801 men and
      15,907 women) who died in 241 hospitals throughout Japan during 2001-2010 were
      determined based on a survey of the hospital records. Autopsy had been conducted
      in 978 of the 45,708 cases. The most frequent cause of death was malignant
      neoplasia (38.3%), followed by, in order of descending frequency: infections
      (17.0%); and then vascular diseases (14.9%), including renal failure (3.5%),
      ischemic heart diseases (4.8%) and cerebrovascular diseases (6.6%). Diabetic coma
      associated with hyperglycemia with or without ketoacidosis accounted for only
      0.6% of the deaths. In regard to the relationship between the age and cause of
      death in patients with diabetes, the incidence of death due to vascular diseases
      was higher in patients over the age of 30 or 40 years, and the 97.0% of the total
      death due to vascular diseases was observed in patients over the age of 50 years.
      The incidence of death due to infectious diseases, especially pneumonia,
      increased in an age-dependent fashion, and the 80.7% of the total death due to
      pneumonia was observed in patients over the age of 70 years. 'Poorer' glycemic
      control was associated with the reduced lifespan of patients with diabetes,
      especially of those with nephropathy. The average age at death in the survey
      population was 72.6 years. The lifespan was 1.6 years shorter in patients with
      'poorer' glycemic control than in those with 'better' glycemic control. In
      patients with diabetes of less than 10 years' duration, the incidence of death
      due to macroangiopathy was higher than that due to nephropathy. Of the 45,708
      patients with diabetes, 33.9% were on oral medication, 41.9% received insulin
      therapy and 18.8% were treated by diet alone. Among the patients in whom the
      cause of death was diabetic nephropathy, a high percentage, 53.7%, was on insulin
      therapy. The average age at death of the 45,708 patients with diabetes was 71.4
      years in men and 75.1 years in women. However, the report of the Ministry of
      Health and Welfare of Japan in 2010 set the average lifespan of the Japanese at
      79.6 years for men and 86.3 years for women. Thus, the average lifespan of
      patients with diabetes still appears to be shorter than that of the general
      population in Japan. However, the differences in lifespan between patients with
      diabetes and the general population were shorter than those in the former
      surveys.

PMID- 28349646
TI  - Quality improvement of community pharmacy services: a prioritisation exercise.
AB  - OBJECTIVES: Effective strategies are needed to translate knowledge (evidence)
      into practice to improve the quality of community pharmacy services. We report
      the first step of a novel knowledge translation process which involved the
      systematic identification and prioritisation of community pharmacy services in
      Scotland which were perceived to require improvement and/or guideline
      development. METHODS: This process involved three stages and a stakeholder group
      comprising community pharmacists, policy makers, lay and pharmacy organisation
      representatives. A modified nominal group technique (NGT) was used for topic
      generation (August 2013) followed by an electronic Delphi survey (eDelphi),
      October-December 2013) and topic rationalisation (December 2013) based on
      feasibility, acceptability, and potential impact for practice improvement. KEY
      FINDINGS: In total, 63 items were identified during the modified NGT which were
      categorised into 20 topics to form the starting point of the eDelphi. In total,
      74 individuals (mostly community pharmacists) indicated an interest in the
      eDelphi, which achieved response rates of 63.5%, 67.6%, and 70.3%, respectively
      in Rounds 1, 2, and 3. Consensus was achieved with six topics: promoting the
      appropriate sale and supply of over-the-counter medicines; patient counselling
      for prescribed medication; pharmaceutical care to promote medication adherence;
      promotion and delivery of a Minor Ailment Scheme; pharmaceutical care of
      vulnerable patients; and effective use of community pharmacy workforce. Of these,
      the priority topic selected for the next stage of the programme was promoting the
      appropriate sale and supply of over-the-counter medicines. CONCLUSIONS: This
      study adopted a systematic, inclusive, and rapid approach to identify priorities
      for community pharmacy practice improvement in Scotland.

PMID- 28349647
TI  - Finite element modeling, validation, and parametric investigations of a retinal
      reattachment stent.
AB  - A new retinal reattachment surgical procedure is based on a stent that is
      deployed to press the retina back in place. An eye-stent finite element model
      studied the strain induced by the stent on retina. Finite element model
      simulations were performed for several stent geometric configurations (number of
      loops, wire diameter, and intraocular pressure). The finite element model was
      validated against experiment. Parametric studies demonstrated that stents could
      be successfully designed so that the maximum strain would be below permanent
      damage strain threshold of 2%.

PMID- 28349648
TI  - Minimally invasive surgery for esophageal cancer after esophageal perforation.
AB  - Both esophageal rupture and esophageal cancer are life-threatening diseases. We
      report a case of esophageal cancer that occurred after esophageal rupture was
      treated with thoracoscopic and laparoscopic surgery. A 76-year-old man presented
      with vomiting followed by epigastric pain and was diagnosed with spontaneous
      esophageal rupture. Laparoscopic and thoracoscopic surgery were performed.
      Primary closure was completed with a fundic patch, and thoracic lavage was
      performed. Ten months later, his condition was diagnosed as squamous cell
      carcinoma of the abdominal esophagus. He underwent thoracoscopic esophageal
      resection in the prone position, and a gastric conduit was created
      laparoscopically. The pathological finding was superficial esophageal carcinoma
      without lymph node metastasis. The patient's postoperative course was uneventful,
      and there was no recurrence at 21 months of follow-up.

PMID- 28349644
TI  - Changes to cholesterol trafficking in macrophages by Leishmania parasites
      infection.
AB  - Leishmania spp. are protozoan parasites that are transmitted by sandfly vectors
      during blood sucking to vertebrate hosts and cause a spectrum of diseases called
      leishmaniases. It has been demonstrated that host cholesterol plays an important
      role during Leishmania infection. Nevertheless, little is known about the
      intracellular distribution of this lipid early after internalization of the
      parasite. Here, pulse-chase experiments with radiolabeled cholesteryl esterified
      to fatty acids bound to low-density lipoproteins indicated that retention of this
      source of cholesterol is increased in parasite-containing subcellular fractions,
      while uptake is unaffected. This is correlated with a reduction or absence of
      detectable NPC1 (Niemann-Pick disease, type C1), a protein responsible for
      cholesterol efflux from endocytic compartments, in the Leishmania mexicana
      habitat and infected cells. Filipin staining revealed a halo around parasites
      within parasitophorous vacuoles (PV) likely representing free cholesterol
      accumulation. Labeling of host cell membranous cholesterol by fluorescent
      cholesterol species before infection revealed that this pool is also trafficked
      to the PV but becomes incorporated into the parasites' membranes and seems not to
      contribute to the halo detected by filipin. This cholesterol sequestration
      happened early after infection and was functionally significant as it correlated
      with the upregulation of mRNA-encoding proteins required for cholesterol
      biosynthesis. Thus, sequestration of cholesterol by Leishmania amastigotes early
      after infection provides a basis to understand perturbation of cholesterol
      dependent processes in macrophages that were shown previously by others to be
      necessary for their proper function in innate and adaptive immune responses.

PMID- 28349649
TI  - Sewing needles in the abdominal cavity assumed to have been ingested and to have
      penetrated the GI tract 40 years ago: A case report.
AB  - A 60-year old woman had been hospitalized in a psychiatric hospital for 40 years
      for schizophrenia. An X-ray was performed when she fell, which showed needles in
      the abdominal field. After additional examinations and questioning, the patient
      was diagnosed with needles in the abdominal cavity, which were assumed to have
      been ingested and to have perforated the GI tract 40 years ago. They were removed
      by laparoscopic surgery. The needles were found in the omentum and near the left
      ovary. There were no inflammatory reactions around them. There have been previous
      reports about the removal of intra-abdominal foreign bodies, but foreign body
      reaction occurred in most of the reports. Our case had the longest period from
      ingestion of the foreign bodies to their removal. Laparoscopy and intraoperative
      fluoroscopy are useful for removing intra-abdominal foreign bodies because of
      their ability to help discriminate between structures and to navigate in real
      time.

PMID- 28349650
TI  - Efficient Aerobic Oxidation of Glucose to Gluconic Acid over Activated Carbon
      Supported Gold Clusters.
AB  - The catalytic performance of the atomically precise gold cluster-Au38 (PET)24
      (PET=2-phenylethanethiolate), immobilized on activated carbon (AC), was
      investigated for the aerobic oxidation of glucose to gluconic acid. The Au38
      (PET)24 /AC-120 catalysts, annealed at 120  degrees C in air, exhibited high
      catalytic activity and significantly better performance than the corresponding
      catalysts Au38 /AC-150 and Au38 /AC-300 (treated at 150 and 300  degrees C to
      remove the protecting thiolate ligands). The high activity of the robust Au
      cluster was a result of the partial ligand removal, providing catalytically
      active sites, which were evidenced by TEM, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy,
      thermogravimetric analysis, and Fourier-transform IR spectroscopy. Au38 (PET)24
      /AC-120 also showed excellent recyclability (up to seven cycles). The turnover
      frequency for the Au38 (PET)24 /AC-120 catalyst was 5440 h-1 , which is higher
      than for the Pd/AC, Pd-Bi/AC, and Au/AC under identical reaction conditions. This
      new ultra-small gold nanomaterial is expected to find wide application in other
      catalytic oxidations.

PMID- 28349651
TI  - Dermasence refining gel modulates pathogenetic factors of rosacea in vitro.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Over the counter cosmetics sold for local treatment of slight to
      moderate rosacea often state the claim of actively modulating rosacea
      pathogenesis. Factors involved in the pathogenesis of this common yet complex
      skin disorder include kallikrein-related peptidase 5 (KLK5), LL-37, as well as
      protease-activated receptor 2 (PAR2) and vascular endothelial growth factor
      (VEGF). OBJECTIVE: The objective was to prove the modulating effect of the
      cosmetic skin care agent Dermasence Refining Gel (DRG) on factors involved in
      rosacea pathogenesis. METHODS: We analyzed the effect of DRG on the expression of
      KLK5, LL-37, PAR2, and VEGF in an in vitro skin model of human reconstituted
      epidermis. RESULTS: The expression of CAMP (LL-37 gene, fold change -4.19 [+/
      0.11]), VEGFA (fold change -2.55 [+/-0.12]) and PAR2 (-1.33 [+/-0.12]) was
      reduced, KLK5 expression increased (fold change 2.06 (+/-0.08)) after 18 h of
      treatment with DRG in comparison to treatment with the matrix gel only. The
      reduction in CAMP expression was significant (P<.01). The protein expression of
      all four inflammatory markers was markedly reduced after 18 hours of DRG
      treatment in comparison to baseline (0 hour), by measure of fluorescence
      intensity. CONCLUSION: We show evidence explaining the anti-inflammatory effect
      of Dermasence Refining Gel in rosacea pathogenesis in vitro. The adjunctive use
      of DRG in mild to moderate rosacea as a topical cosmetic seems medically
      reasonable.

PMID- 28349653
TI  - The risk of healing complications in primary teeth with intrusive luxation: A
      retrospective cohort study.
AB  - BACKGROUND/AIMS: Intrusive luxation is a frequent injury in the primary
      dentition. Complications such as ankylosis or pulp necrosis (PN) and infection
      with periapical inflammation may affect the developing permanent tooth if not
      diagnosed and treated in time. The aim of this study was to report the risk of
      PN, pulp canal obliteration (PCO), infection-related resorption (IRR), ankylosis
      related resorption (ARR) and premature tooth loss (PTL) in primary teeth
      following intrusive luxation, and to identify possible risk factors for PN and
      PTL. MATERIALS AND METHOD: A retrospective analysis of a cohort comprising 149
      patients 194 intruded primary incisors. No treatment was performed. The follow-up
      programme included examination after 4 weeks, 8 weeks, 6 months, 1 year, and at 6
      years of age. The minimum follow-up period was 1 year or until time of tooth
      loss. STATISTICS: The Kaplan-Meier and Aalen-Johansen methods were employed along
      with Cox regression analysis. The level of significance was 5%. RESULTS: Risks
      estimated after 3 years: PCO 38.9% (95% CI: 31.8-46.0), PN 24.2% (95% CI: 17.7
      30.6), IRR 8.8% (95% CI: 4.5-13.1), ARR 3.6% (95% CI: 1.0-6.2) and PTL 39.4% (95%
      CI: 31.2-47.5). Most teeth (83.7%) spontaneously re-erupted within the first
      year. Most complications were diagnosed within the first year. The risk of PN was
      lowest in patients less than 2 years of age. The degree of intrusion or a
      concomitant crown fracture did not affect the risk of PN or PTL. CONCLUSIONS:
      Over 80% of the intruded primary teeth re-erupted spontaneously. However, nearly
      one-third of the teeth showed complications such as pulp infection/periapical
      inflammation or ankylosis, which could potentially affect the development of the
      permanent incisor. Therefore, patients should be monitored regularly, especially
      during the first year after injury, to diagnose and treat complications in time.

PMID- 28349652
TI  - Normal IQ is possible in Smith-Lemli-Opitz syndrome.
AB  - Children with Smith-Lemli-Opitz syndrome (SLOS) are typically reported to have
      moderate to severe intellectual disability. This study aims to determine whether
      normal cognitive function is possible in this population and to describe
      clinical, biochemical and molecular characteristics of children with SLOS and
      normal intelligent quotient (IQ). The study included children with SLOS who
      underwent cognitive testing in four centers. All children with at least one IQ
      composite score above 80 were included in the study. Six girls, three boys with
      SLOS were found to have normal or low-normal IQ in a cohort of 145 children with
      SLOS. Major/multiple organ anomalies and low serum cholesterol levels were
      uncommon. No correlation with IQ and genotype was evident and no specific
      developmental profile were observed. Thus, normal or low-normal cognitive
      function is possible in SLOS. Further studies are needed to elucidate factors
      contributing to normal or low-normal cognitive function in children with SLOS.

PMID- 28349655
TI  - Review in peeling complications.
AB  - Chemical peeling, a procedure wherein a chemical agent is applied to the skin to
      cause controlled destruction followed by regeneration and remodeling, is a
      dynamic tool for the treatment of acne, pigmentation issues, and photoaging
      [Journal of cutaneous and aesthetic surgery vol. 5 (2012) 254-260]. The results
      and complications are related to the depth of the procedure, with deeper peels
      producing more marked results and higher rates of complications. Complications
      are more likely with darker skin types, certain peeling agents, and sun exposure
      after treatment [Journal of cutaneous and aesthetic surgery vol. 5 (2012) 254
      260]. They can range from minor irritations and uneven pigmentation to permanent
      scarring. In extremely uncommon cases, the complications can be life-threatening.
      This knowledge is essential to prevent, reduce, and eliminate the occurrence of
      complications [Cirurgia dermatologica em consultorio. Sao Paulo: Atheneu; 2009].
      Swelling, pain, persistent erythema, pruritus, allergic reactions,
      folliculitis/acne, infection, herpes recurrence, hypopigmentation and
      hyperpigmentation, demarcation lines, and scarring are some of the complications
      that will be discussed in this article. The first step in preventing
      complications is to identify the patients at risk. By doing so, complications can
      be anticipated, prevented, and, if they still occur, treated as early as
      possible.

PMID- 28349654
TI  - Piperolein B and piperchabamide D isolated from black pepper (Piper nigrum L.) as
      larvicidal compounds against the diamondback moth (Plutella xylostella).
AB  - BACKGROUND: There is growing demand for the development of alternative pest
      control agents that are effective as well as non-toxic to human health and the
      environment. Plant protection products derived from plant extracts are an eco
      friendly alternative to synthetic pesticides. The aim of this study was to
      identify larvicidal compounds isolated from a natural source against Plutella
      xylostella L. In a larvicidal activity assay, several solvent fractions from the
      methanol extract of Piper nigrum L. fruit showed larvicidal effects against P.
      xylostella. RESULTS: Screening results indicated that chloroform extract was the
      most effective against P. xylostella larvae. Two compounds with insecticidal
      activity in the chloroform fraction were identified as piperolein B and
      piperchabamide D by spectroscopic analyses, including mass spectrometry and NMR,
      and by comparison to published data. At applications of 0.1 mg mL-1
      concentration, piperolein B and piperchabamide D, respectively, induced 96.7 +/-
      5.8% and 79.2 +/- 16.6% mortality rates of P. xylostella larvae 4 days post
      application. CONCLUSION: Our results demonstrate that piperolein B and
      piperchabamide D isolated from P. nigrum are the major constituents of the
      extract demonstrating insecticidal properties for the control of P. xylostella
      larvae. These plant-derived compounds should become useful alternatives to
      synthetic chemicals after studying their insecticidal mechanisms. (c) 2017
      Society of Chemical Industry.

PMID- 28349656
TI  - Equine performance genes and the future of doping in horseracing.
AB  - A horse's success on the racetrack is determined by genetics, training and
      nutrition, and their translation into physical traits such as speed, endurance
      and muscle strength. Advances in genetic technologies are slowly explaining the
      roles of specific genes in equine performance, and offering new insights into the
      development of novel therapies for diseases and musculoskeletal injuries that
      cause early retirement of many racehorses. Gene therapy approaches may also soon
      provide new means to artificially enhance the physical performance of racehorses.
      Gene doping, the misuse of gene therapies for performance enhancement, is
      predicted to be the next phase of doping faced by horseracing. The risk of gene
      doping to human sports has been recognised for almost 15 years, and the
      introduction of the first gene doping detection tests for doping control in human
      athletes is imminent. Gene doping is also a threat to horseracing, but there are
      currently no methods to detect it. Efficient and accurate detection methods need
      to be developed to deter those looking to use gene doping in horses and to
      maintain the integrity of the sport. Methods developed for human athletes could
      offer an avenue for detection in racehorses. Development of an equine equivalent
      test will first require identification of equine genes that will likely be
      targeted by gene doping attempts. This review focuses on genes that have been
      linked to athletic performance in horses and, therefore, could be targeted for
      genetic manipulation. The risks associated with gene doping and approaches to
      detect gene doping are also discussed. Copyright (c) 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

PMID- 28349657
TI  - Program Schedule from the 42nd American Society of Andrology Annual Meeting, 21 -
      25 April, 2017, Miami, Florida.

PMID- 28349658
TI  - Revision and reannotation of the Halomonas elongata DSM 2581T genome.
AB  - The genome of the Halomonas elongata type strain DSM 2581, an industrial
      producer, was reevaluated using the Illumina HiSeq2500 technology. To resolve
      duplication-associated ambiguities, PCR products were generated and sequenced.
      Outside of duplications, 72 sequence corrections were required, of which 24 were
      point mutations and 48 were indels of one or few bases. Most of these were
      associated with polynucleotide stretches (poly-T stretch overestimated in 19
      cases, poly-C underestimated in 15 cases). These problems may be attributed to
      using 454 technology for original genome sequencing. On average, the original
      genome sequence had only one error in 56 kb. There were 23 frameshift error
      corrections in the 29 protein-coding genes affected by sequence revision. The
      genome has been subjected to major reannotation in order to substantially
      increase the annotation quality.

PMID- 28349659
TI  - Endoscopic management of tissue-engineered tracheal graft stenosis in an ovine
      model.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the safety and efficacy of bronchoscopic interventions in
      the management of tissue-engineered tracheal graft (TETG) stenosis. STUDY DESIGN:
      Animal research study. METHODS: TETGs were constructed with seeded autologous
      bone marrow-derived mononuclear cells on a bioartificial graft. Eight sheep
      underwent tracheal resection and orthotopic implantation of this construct.
      Animals were monitored by bronchoscopy and fluoroscopy at 3 weeks, 6 weeks, 3
      months, and 4 months. Bronchoscopic interventions, including dilation and
      stenting, were performed to manage graft stenosis. Postdilation measurements were
      obtained endoscopically and fluoroscopically. RESULTS: Seven dilations were
      performed in six animals. At the point of maximal stenosis, the lumen measured
      44.6 +/- 8.4 mm2 predilation and 50.7 +/- 14.1 postdilation by bronchoscopy (P =
      0.3517). By fluoroscopic imaging, the airway was 55.9 +/- 12.9 mm2 predilation
      and 65.9 +/- 22.4 mm2 postdilation (P = 0.1303). Stents were placed 17 times in
      six animals. Pre- and poststenting lumen sizes were 62.8 +/- 38.8 mm2 and 80.1 +/
      54.5 mm2 by bronchoscopy (P = 0.6169) and 77.1 +/- 38.9 mm2 and 104 +/- 60.7 mm2
      by fluoroscopy (P = 0.0825). Mortality after intervention was 67% with dilation
      and 0% with stenting (P = 0.0004). The average days between bronchoscopy were 8
      +/- 2 for the dilation group and 26 +/- 17 in the stenting group (P = 0.05). One
      hundred percent of dilations and 29% of stent placements required urgent follow
      up bronchoscopy (P = 0.05). CONCLUSION: Dilation has limited efficacy for
      managing TETG stenosis, whereas stenting has a more lasting clinical effect.
      LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: NA. Laryngoscope, 127:2219-2224, 2017.

PMID- 28349662
TI  - Redefining obesity: Beyond the numbers.

PMID- 28349660
TI  - Intra-prelimbic cortical inhibition of striatal-enriched tyrosine phosphatase
      suppresses cocaine seeking in rats.
AB  - Cocaine self-administration in rats results in dysfunctional neuroadaptations in
      the prelimbic (PrL) cortex during early abstinence. Central to these adaptations
      is decreased phospho-extracellular signal-regulated kinase (p-ERK), which plays a
      key role in cocaine seeking. Normalizing ERK phosphorylation in the PrL cortex
      immediately after cocaine self-administration decreases subsequent cocaine
      seeking. The disturbance in ERK phosphorylation is accompanied by decreased
      phosphorylation of striatal-enriched protein tyrosine phosphatase (STEP),
      indicating increased STEP activity. STEP is a well-recognized ERK phosphatase but
      whether STEP activation during early abstinence mediates the decrease in p-ERK
      and is involved in relapse is unknown. Here, we show that a single intra-PrL
      cortical microinfusion of the selective STEP inhibitor, TC-2153, immediately
      after self-administration suppressed post-abstinence context-induced relapse
      under extinction conditions and cue-induced reinstatement, but not cocaine prime
      induced drug seeking or sucrose seeking. Moreover, an intra-PrL cortical TC-2153
      microinfusion immediately after self-administration prevented the cocaine-induced
      decrease in p-ERK within the PrL cortex during early abstinence. Interestingly, a
      systemic TC-2153 injection at the same timepoint failed to suppress post
      abstinence context-induced relapse or cue-induced reinstatement, but did suppress
      cocaine prime-induced reinstatement. These data indicate that the STEP-induced
      ERK dephosphorylation in the PrL cortex during early abstinence is a critical
      neuroadaptation that promotes relapse to cocaine seeking and that systemic versus
      intra-PrL cortical inhibition of STEP during early abstinence differentially
      suppresses cocaine seeking.

PMID- 28349661
TI  - Body mass index trajectories of Indigenous Australian children and relation to
      screen time, diet, and demographic factors.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: Limited cross-sectional data indicate elevated overweight/obesity
      prevalence among Indigenous versus non-Indigenous Australian children. This study
      aims to quantify body mass index (BMI) trajectories among Indigenous Australian
      children aged 3-6 and 6-9 years and to identify factors associated with the
      development of overweight/obesity. METHODS: Three-year BMI change was examined in
      up to 1,157 children in the national Longitudinal Study of Indigenous Children.
      BMI trajectories among children with normal baseline BMI (n = 907/1,157) were
      quantified using growth curve models. RESULTS: Baseline prevalences of
      overweight/obesity were 12.1% and 25.4% among children of mean age 3 and 6 years,
      respectively. Of children with normal baseline BMI, 31.9% had overweight/obesity
      3 years later; BMI increased more rapidly for younger versus older (difference:
      0.59 kg/m2 /year; 95% CI: 0.50-0.69), female versus male (difference: 0.15 kg/m2
      /year; 95% CI: 0.07-0.23), and Torres Strait Islander versus Aboriginal
      (difference: 0.36 kg/m2 /year; 95% CI: 0.17-0.55) children. Results were
      consistent with less rapid rates of BMI increase for children with lower sugar
      sweetened beverage (including fruit juice) and high-fat food consumption.
      Children's BMI was lower in more disadvantaged areas. CONCLUSIONS:
      Overweight/obesity is common, and increases rapidly, in early childhood.
      Interventions are required to reduce the overweight/obesity prevalence among
      Indigenous Australian children in the first 3 years of life and to slow the rapid
      overweight/obesity onset from age 3 to 9 years.

PMID- 28349663
TI  - Keeping the baby and throwing out the bathwater.

PMID- 28349664
TI  - Erratum: Genetic variants in LEP, LEPR, and MC4R explain 30% of severe obesity in
      children from a consanguineous population.

PMID- 28349666
TI  - Progressive nature of obesity and diabetes in nonhuman primates.

PMID- 28349665
TI  - Steeper change in body mass across four decades predicts poorer cardiometabolic
      outcomes at midlife.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: This study examined patterns of change in adiposity across four
      decades starting in young adulthood as well as associations between change and
      midlife cardiometabolic outcomes. METHODS: BMI was assessed at ages 20, 40, 56,
      and 62 years in 977 male veterans from the Vietnam Era Twin Study of Aging. Age
      62 (range 56-66) cardiometabolic outcomes included hypertension, diabetes,
      dyslipidemia, inflammation, and ischemic heart disease. Analyses included latent
      growth modeling (LGM), latent class growth modeling (LCGM), and logistic
      regression models. RESULTS: Linear BMI slope was associated with all outcomes.
      Accelerated (quadratic) BMI slope was significantly associated with greater risk
      for hypertension, diabetes, dyslipidemia, and inflammation; odds ratios ranged
      from 1.93 (diabetes) to 3.15 (dyslipidemia). Initial BMI did not predict later
      outcomes. Linear slope contributed significant unique variance for diabetes and
      dyslipidemia even controlling for age 62 BMI. LCGM revealed three trajectories.
      Men with the relatively stable, lower BMI trajectory had significantly better
      outcomes than those with trajectories with accelerated increases, especially
      those including obesity. CONCLUSIONS: How individuals reach late-midlife BMI is
      important. Steepness of BMI change across 40 years from young adulthood to late
      midlife, in addition to late-midlife BMI itself, was robustly associated with
      greater risk for poor cardiometabolic outcomes.

PMID- 28349667
TI  - Exercise training-induced improvement in skeletal muscle PGC-1alpha-mediated fat
      metabolism is independent of dietary glycemic index.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: This study hypothesized that a low-glycemic diet combined with
      exercise would increase expression of nuclear regulators of fat transport and
      oxidation in insulin-resistant skeletal muscle. METHOD: Nineteen subjects (64 +/-
      1 y; 34 +/- 1 kg/m2 ) were randomized to receive isocaloric high-glycemic-index
      (HiGIX; 80 +/- 0.6 units, n = 10) or low-glycemic-index (LoGIX; 40 +/- 0.3 units,
      n = 9) diets combined with supervised exercise (1 h/d, 5 d/wk at ~85% HRmax ) for
      12 weeks. Insulin sensitivity was determined by hyperinsulinemic-euglycemic
      clamp. Skeletal muscle biopsies were obtained before and after the intervention
      to assess fasting gene and protein expression. RESULTS: Weight loss was similar
      for both groups (9.5 +/- 1.3 kg). Likewise, improvements in insulin sensitivity
      (P < 0.002) and PPARgamma (P < 0.002), PGC-1alpha (P = 0.003), CD36 (P = 0.003),
      FABP3 (mRNA, P = 0.01 and protein, P = 0.02), and CPT1B (mRNA, P = 0.03 and
      protein, P = 0.008) expression were similar for both interventions. Increased
      insulin sensitivity correlated with increased PGC-1alpha expression (P = 0.04),
      and increased fasting fat oxidation correlated with increased FABP3 (P = 0.04)
      and CPT1B (P = 0.05) expression. CONCLUSIONS: An exercise/diet program resulting
      in 8% to 10% weight loss improved insulin sensitivity and key molecular
      mechanisms in skeletal muscle that are controlled by PGC-1alpha. These effects
      were independent of the glycemic index of the diets.

PMID- 28349669
TI  - Polymorphism in emergence of deciduous dentition: A cross-sectional study of
      Indian children.
AB  - AIM: The aim of the present study was to evaluate the timing and sequence of the
      eruption of deciduous teeth in Indian children. METHOD: This cross-sectional
      study focused on children aged 5-36 months. One hospital was randomly selected
      from four geographic zones of the city. A total of 400 children from each
      hospital, fulfilling the inclusion criteria, constituted the sample. The
      examination was carried out by a single, trained examiner. The tooth was recorded
      as "present" or "absent" on the day of examination. The mean age of emergence was
      calculated using a probit model. Independent sample t-test was used to assess the
      statistical significance of differences in the mean age of tooth emergence.
      RESULTS: The deciduous mandibular central incisor was the first tooth to erupt in
      the oral cavity (8.15+/-1.69 months). Girls showed delayed eruption compared to
      boys; however, no interarch variation was observed in the mean age of tooth
      eruption. There was also no difference in the sequence of eruption of deciduous
      teeth, as reported in other studies. CONCLUSIONS: The present study establishes a
      chronological table for the eruption of deciduous teeth in Indian children. There
      was delayed eruption of deciduous teeth when compared to the reference ranges of
      Western populations.

PMID- 28349668
TI  - Stress, cortisol, and other appetite-related hormones: Prospective prediction of
      6-month changes in food cravings and weight.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: To examine whether baseline chronic stress, morning cortisol, and
      other appetite-related hormones (leptin, ghrelin, and insulin) predict future
      weight gain and food cravings in a naturalistic, longitudinal, 6-month follow-up
      study. METHODS: A prospective community cohort of 339 adults (age 29.1 +/- 9.0
      years; BMI = 26.7 +/- 5.4 kg/m2 ; 56.9% female; 70.2% white) completed
      assessments at baseline and 6-month follow-up. Fasting blood draws were used to
      assess cortisol and other appetite-related hormone levels at baseline. At
      baseline and follow-up, body weight was measured, and the Cumulative Adversity
      Interview and Food Craving Inventory were administered. Data were analyzed using
      linear mixed models adjusting for demographic and clinical covariates. RESULTS:
      Over the 6-month period, 49.9% of the sample gained weight. Food cravings and
      chronic stress decreased over 6 months (Ps < 0.05). However, after adjusting for
      covariates, individuals with higher baseline total ghrelin had significantly
      higher food cravings at 6 months (P = 0.04). Furthermore, higher cortisol,
      insulin, and chronic stress were each predictive of greater future weight gain
      (Ps < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: These results suggest that ghrelin plays a role in
      increased food cravings and reward-driven eating behaviors. Studies are needed
      that examine the utility of stress reduction methods for normalizing disrupted
      cortisol responses and preventing future weight gain.

PMID- 28349670
TI  - Metabolic engineering to expand the substrate spectrum of Pseudomonas putida
      toward sucrose.
AB  - Sucrose is an important disaccharide used as a substrate in many industrial
      applications. It is a major component of molasses, a cheap by-product of the
      sugar industry. Unfortunately, not all industrially relevant organisms, among
      them Pseudomonas putida, are capable of metabolizing sucrose. We chose a
      metabolic engineering approach to circumvent this blockage and equip P. putida
      with the activities necessary to consume sucrose. Therefore, we constructed a
      pair of broad-host range mini-transposons (pSST - sucrose splitting transposon),
      carrying either cscA, encoding an invertase able to split sucrose into glucose
      and fructose, or additionally cscB, encoding a sucrose permease. Introduction of
      cscA was sufficient to convey sucrose consumption and the additional presence of
      cscB had no further effect, though the sucrose permease was built and localized
      to the membrane. Sucrose was split extracellularly by the activity of the
      invertase CscA leaking out of the cell. The transposons were also used to confer
      sucrose consumption to Cupriavidus necator. Interestingly, in this strain, CscB
      acted as a glucose transporter, such that C. necator also gained the ability to
      grow on glucose. Thus, the pSST transposons are functional tools to extend the
      substrate spectrum of Gram-negative bacterial strains toward sucrose.

PMID- 28349671
TI  - In vitro algicidal effect of guanidine on Prototheca zopfii genotype 2 strains
      isolated from clinical and subclinical bovine mastitis.
AB  - : Prototheca species have increasingly been reported to be opportunistic
      pathogens that cause mastitis in dairy herds, and it poses an emergent problem
      because at present, there are no effective therapies for the treatment of
      protothecal mastitis. This study investigated the in vitro algicidal effect of
      guanidine on 75 Prototheca zopfii genotype 2 strains isolated from 75 cases of
      clinical and subclinical bovine mastitis. All strains were susceptible to
      guanidine in vitro with minimal algaecide concentrations ranging from 0.001 to
      0.035%. Guanidine is known to have a high microbicidal effect and is considered
      to be a new generation microbicidal compound. It is not toxic to human mucous
      membranes and conjunctivas at low concentrations and has been used as a
      disinfectant in swimming pools and as an antiseptic for human wounds. The
      algicidal action of guanidine at low concentrations indicates that it could be an
      alternative disinfectant or antiseptic for cleaning of the dairy environment and
      milking equipment, in pre- and postdipping solutions, in the chemical dry therapy
      of bovine teats and even in the intramammary therapy of P. zopfii infections.
      This is the first report of the in vitro algicidal effect of guanidine on P.
      zopfii strains of animal origin. SIGNIFICANCE AND IMPACT OF THE STUDY: Prototheca
      zopfii genotype 2 is an opportunistic pathogen of bovine mastitis. To date, no
      effective therapies against protothecal mastitis have been developed. The in
      vitro algicidal effect of guanidine on 75 P. zopfii genotype 2 strains isolated
      from cows revealed that all of the isolates were susceptible to the compound at
      low concentrations, which indicates that guanidine may be used as an
      antiseptic/disinfectant for dairy milking equipment, in pre- and postdipping
      solutions, and as a chemical dry therapy or an intramammary therapy. This study
      describes the in vitro algicidal effect of guanidine on P. zopfii for the first
      time.

PMID- 28349672
TI  - Design, synthesis, antiviral bioactivity and three-dimensional quantitative
      structure-activity relationship study of novel ferulic acid ester derivatives
      containing quinazoline moiety.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Ferulic acid and quinazoline derivatives possess good antiviral
      activities. In order to develop novel compounds with high antiviral activities, a
      series of ferulic acid ester derivatives containing quinazoline were synthesized
      and evaluated for their antiviral activities. RESULTS: Bioassays indicated that
      some of the compounds exhibited good antiviral activities in vivo against tobacco
      mosaic virus (TMV) and cucumber mosaic virus (CMV). One of the compounds
      demonstrated significant curative and protective activities against TMV and CMV,
      with EC50 values of 162.14, 114.61 and 255.49, 138.81 mg L-1 , respectively,
      better than those of ningnanmycin (324.51, 168.84 and 373.88, 272.70 mg L-1 ).
      The values of q2 and r2 for comparative molecular field analysis and comparative
      molecular similarity index analysis in the TMV (0.508, 0.663 and 0.992, 0.930)
      and CMV (0.530, 0.626 and 0.997, 0.981) models presented good predictive
      abilities. CONCLUSION: Some of the title compounds demonstrated good antiviral
      activities. Three-dimensional quantitative structure-activity relationship models
      revealed that the antiviral activities depend on steric and electrostatic
      properties. These results could provide significant structural insights for the
      design of highly active ferulic acid derivatives. (c) 2017 Society of Chemical
      Industry.

PMID- 28349675
TI  - Corrigendum.

PMID- 28349673
TI  - Involvement of oxidative stress in protocatechuic acid-mediated bacterial
      lethality.
AB  - The involvement of oxidative stress in protocatechuic acid-mediated bacterial
      lethality was investigated. Minimum inhibitory concentrations (MIC) and minimum
      bactericidal concentration (MBC) of protocatechuic acid against Escherichia coli,
      Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and Staphylococcus aureus are 600 and 700 MUg/ml, 600 and
      800 MUg/ml, and 600 and 800 MUg/ml, respectively. The optical densities and
      colony-forming units of protocatechuic acid-treated bacteria decreased in time
      dependent manner. Protocatechuic acid (4* MIC) significantly increased the
      superoxide anion content of E. coli, P. aeruginosa, and S. aureus compared to
      dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO). Superoxide dismutase, catalase, and NAD+ /NADH in
      protocatechuic acid-treated E. coli, P. aeruginosa, and S. aureus increased
      significantly when compared to DMSO. Conversely, level of reduced glutathione
      decreased in protocatechuic acid-treated E. coli, P. aeruginosa, and S. aureus,
      while glutathione disulfide increased when compared to DMSO. Furthermore,
      malondialdehyde and fragmented DNA increased significantly following exposure to
      protocatechuic acid. Protocatechuic acid inhibited the activity of complexes I
      and II. From the above findings, protocatechuic acid enhanced the generation of
      reactive oxygen species (superoxide anion radical and hydroxyl radical) in E.
      coli, P. aeruginosa, and S. aureus, possibly by autoxidation, fenton chemistry,
      and inhibiting electron transport chain resulting in lipid peroxidation and DNA
      fragmentation and consequentially bacterial cell death.

PMID- 28349674
TI  - Association between specific periodontal pathogens, Toll-like receptor-4, and
      nuclear factor-kappaB expression in placental tissues of pre-eclamptic women with
      periodontitis.
AB  - AIM: The aim of the present study was to determine the association between the
      presence of specific periodontal pathogens, Toll-like receptor-4 (TLR-4), and
      nuclear factor-kappaB (NF-kappaB) expression in the placental tissues of pre
      eclamptic women. METHODS: Antenatal periodontal screening was performed in 25
      normotensive pregnant women and 25 pre-eclamptic women. Subgingival plaque and
      placental tissue samples were collected from both groups and screened for the
      presence of Porphyromonas gingivalis (P. gingivalis), Tannerella forsythia,
      Aggregatibacter actinomycetemcomitans, and Prevotella intermedia (P. intermedia)
      using real-time polymerase chain reaction. The placental samples were also
      analyzed to quantify TLR-4 and NF-kappaB expression. RESULTS: The subgingival
      plaque samples of pre-eclamptic women showed significantly higher frequencies of
      P. intermedia. In the placental samples, P. gingivalis, P. intermedia, and the
      expression of TLR-4 and NF-kappaB were found to be at significantly higher levels
      compared to normotensive pregnant women. Using linear regression analysis, the
      expression of TLR-4 was significantly influenced by the presence of P. gingivalis
      (coefficient=3.176, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 367-5.986) and P. intermedia
      (coefficient=2.886, 95% CI: 0.77-5.696), whereas NF-kappaB expression was
      influenced only by the presence of P. intermedia (coefficient=2.220, 95% CI:
      0.051-4.388) in the placental tissues of pre-eclamptic women. CONCLUSION: An
      association exists between P. gingivalis and P. intermedia with increased TLR-4
      and NF-kappaB expression in the placenta of pre-eclamptic women with
      periodontitis.

PMID- 28349676
TI  - Flourodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography scan may be helpful in the case
      of ductal variant prostate cancer when prostate specific membrane antigen ligand
      positron emission tomography scan is negative.
AB  - Gallium-68 prostate specific membrane antigen ligand (Ga-68 PSMA) positron
      emission tomography/computed tomography (PET/CT) scanning is emerging as a useful
      imaging modality for the staging of suspected and known recurrent or metastatic
      prostate cancer and in staging of newly diagnosed higher grade prostate cancer.
      However, we have observed at our institution that in some cases of the more
      aggressive ductal variant, Ga-68 PSMA uptake has sometimes been poor compared
      with prominent 18-flourodeoxyglucose (F-18 FDG) avidity seen in F-18 FDG PET/CT,
      which would suggest that FDG PET/CT scans are important in staging of ductal
      pattern prostate cancer.

PMID- 28349677
TI  - Aggressive tumor recurrence after radiofrequency ablation for hepatocellular
      carcinoma.
AB  - Image-guided radiofrequency ablation (RFA) is an evolving and growing treatment
      option for patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and hepatic metastasis.
      RFA offers significant advantages as it is less invasive than surgery and carries
      a low risk of major complications. However, serious complications, including
      aggressive tumor recurrence, may be observed during follow-up, and recently,
      mechanical or thermal damage during RFA has been proposed to be one of the causes
      of this kind of recurrence. Although the exact mechanism of this still remains
      unclear, physicians should be familiar with the imaging features of aggressive
      tumor recurrence after RFA for HCC and its risk factors. In addition, in order to
      prevent or minimize this newly recognized tumor recurrence, a modified RFA
      technique, combined RFA treatments with transarterial chemoembolization, and
      cryoablation can be used as alternative treatments. Ultimately, combining an
      understanding of this potential complication of RFA with an understanding of the
      possible risk factors for aggressive tumor recurrence and choosing alternative
      treatments are crucial to optimize clinical outcomes in each patient with HCC.

PMID- 28349678
TI  - A lexicon for hepatocellular carcinoma surveillance ultrasonography: benign
      versus malignant lesions.
AB  - BACKGROUND/AIMS: To suggest a lexicon for liver ultrasonography and to identify
      radiologic features indicative of benign or malignant lesions on surveillance
      ultrasonography. METHODS: This retrospective study included 188 nodules (benign,
      101; malignant, 87) from 175 at-risk patients identified during surveillance
      ultrasonography for hepatocellular carcinoma. We created a lexicon for liver
      ultrasonography by reviewing relevant literature regarding the ultrasonographic
      features of hepatic lesions. Using this lexicon, two abdominal radiologists
      determined the presence or absence of each ultrasonographic feature for the
      included hepatic lesions. Independent factors associated with malignancy and
      interobserver agreement were determined by logistic regression analysis and kappa
      statistics, respectively. RESULTS: Larger tumor size (odds ratio [OR], 1.12; 95%
      confidence interval [CI], 1.06-1.183; P<0.001), multinodular confluent morphology
      (OR, 7.712; 95% CI, 1.053-56.465; P=0.044), thick hypoechoic rim (OR, 5.878; 95%
      CI, 2.681-12.888; P<0.001), and posterior acoustic enhancement (OR, 3.077; 95%
      CI, 1.237-7.655; P=0.016) were independently associated with malignant lesions.
      In a subgroup analysis of lesions <2 cm, none of the ultrasonographic features
      were significantly associated with malignancy or benignity. Interobserver
      agreement for morphology was fair (kappa=0.36), while those for rim
      (kappa=0.427), echogenicity (kappa=0.549), and posterior acoustic enhancement
      (kappa=0.543) were moderate. CONCLUSIONS: For hepatic lesions larger than 2 cm,
      some ultrasonography (US) features might be suggestive of malignancy. We propose
      a lexicon that may be useful for surveillance US.

PMID- 28349679
TI  - Transient elastography can be integrated into routine clinical practice for the
      evaluation of portal hypertension?

PMID- 28349680
TI  - Expression and Purification of ZASP Subdomains and Clinically Important Isoforms:
      High-Affinity Binding to G-Actin.
AB  - Z-disc-associated, alternatively spliced, PDZ motif-containing protein (ZASP) is
      a principal component of the sarcomere. The three prevalent isoforms of ZASP in
      skeletal muscle are generated by alternative splicing of exons 9 and 10. The long
      isoforms, either having (ZASP-L) or lacking exon 10 (ZASP-LDeltaex10), include an
      N-terminal PDZ domain, an actin-binding region (ABR) with a conserved motif (ZM),
      and three C-terminal LIM domains. The short isoform (ZASP-S) lacks the LIM
      domains. Mutations, A147T and A165V, within the ZM of ZASP-LDeltaex10 cause
      myofibrillar myopathy, but the mechanism is unknown. We have prepared these
      proteins, their ABR, and the respective mutant variants in recombinant form,
      characterized them biophysically, and analyzed their actin-binding properties by
      surface plasmon resonance and electron microscopy. All the proteins were
      physically homogeneous and monomeric and had circular dichroic spectra consistent
      with partially folded conformations. Comparison of the NMR HSQC spectra of ZASP-S
      and the PDZ domain showed that the ABR is unstructured. ZASP-S and its mutant
      variants and ZASP-LDeltaex10 all bound to immobilized G-actin with high affinity
      (Kd ~ 10-8 to 10-9 M). Constructs of the isolated actin-binding region missing
      exon 10 (ABRDelta10) bound with lower affinity (Kd ~ 10-7 M), but those retaining
      exon 10 (ABR+10) did so only weakly (Kd ~ 10-5 M). ZASP-S, and the ABRDelta10,
      also induced F-actin and array formation, even in conditions of low ionic
      strength and in the absence of KCl and Mg2+ ions. Interestingly, the ZM mutations
      A147T and A165V did not affect any of the results described above.

PMID- 28349682
TI  - Reaction Mechanism of Iodine-Catalyzed Michael Additions.
AB  - Molecular iodine, an easy to handle solid, has been successfully employed as a
      catalyst in different organic transformations for more than 100 years. Despite
      being active even in very small amounts, the origin of this remarkable catalytic
      effect is still unknown. Both a halogen bond mechanism as well as hidden Bronsted
      acid catalysis are frequently discussed as possible explanations. Our kinetic
      analyses reveal a reaction order of 1 in iodine, indicating that higher iodine
      species are not involved in the rate-limiting transition state. Our experimental
      investigations rule out hidden Bronsted acid catalysis by partial decomposition
      of I2 to HI and suggest a halogen bond activation instead. Finally, molecular
      iodine turned out to be a similar if not superior catalyst for Michael additions
      compared with typical Lewis acids.

PMID- 28349681
TI  - In Situ Investigation of Electrochemically Mediated Surface-Initiated Atom
      Transfer Radical Polymerization by Electrochemical Surface Plasmon Resonance.
AB  - Electrochemically mediated atom transfer radical polymerization (eATRP)
      initiates/controls the controlled/living ATRP chain propagation process by
      electrochemically generating (regenerating) the activator (lower-oxidation-state
      metal complex) from deactivator (higher-oxidation-state metal complex). Despite
      successful demonstrations in both of the homogeneous polymerization and
      heterogeneous systems (namely, surface-initiated ATRP, SI-ATRP), the eATRP
      process itself has never been in situ investigated, and important information
      regarding this process remains unrevealed. In this work, we report the first
      investigation of the electrochemically mediated SI-ATRP (eSI-ATRP) by rationally
      combining the electrochemical technique with real-time surface plasmon resonance
      (SPR). In the experiment, the potential of a SPR gold chip modified by the self
      assembled monolayer of the ATRP initiator was controlled to electrochemically
      reduce the deactivator to activator to initiate the SI-ATRP, and the whole
      process was simultaneously monitored by SPR with a high time resolution of 0.1 s.
      It is found that it is feasible to electrochemically trigger/control the SI-ATRP
      and the polymerization rate is correlated to the potential applied to the gold
      chip. This work reveals important kinetic information for eSI-ATRP and offers a
      powerful platform for in situ investigation of such complicated processes.

PMID- 28349683
TI  - Highly Flexible and Conductive Cellulose-Mediated PEDOT:PSS/MWCNT Composite Films
      for Supercapacitor Electrodes.
AB  - Recent improvements in flexible electronics have increased the need to develop
      flexible and lightweight power sources. However, current flexible electrodes are
      limited by low capacitance, poor mechanical properties, and lack of cycling
      stability. In this article, we describe an ionic liquid-processed supramolecular
      assembly of cellulose and 3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene for the formation of a
      flexible and conductive cellulose/poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene)
      PEDOT:poly(styrene sulfonate) (PSS) composite matrix. On this base, multiwalled
      carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) were incorporated into the matrix to fabricate an MWCNT
      reinforced cellulose/PEDOT:PSS film (MCPP), which exhibited favorable flexibility
      and conductivity. The MCPP-based electrode displayed comprehensively excellent
      electrochemical properties, such as a low resistance of 0.45 Omega, a high
      specific capacitance of 485 F g-1 at 1 A g-1, and good cycling stability, with a
      capacity retention of 95% after 2000 cycles at 2 A g-1. An MCPP-based symmetric
      solid-state supercapacitor with Ni foam as the current collector and PVA/KOH gel
      as the electrolyte exhibited a specific capacitance of 380 F g-1 at 0.25 A g-1
      and achieved a maximum energy density of 13.2 Wh kg-1 (0.25 A g-1) with a power
      density of 0.126 kW kg-1 or an energy density of 4.86 Wh kg-1 at 10 A g-1,
      corresponding to a high power density of 4.99 kW kg-1. Another kind of MCPP-based
      solid-state supercapacitor without the Ni foam showed excellent flexibility and a
      high volumetric capacitance of 50.4 F cm-3 at 0.05 A cm-3. Both the electrodes
      and the supercapacitors were environmentally stable and could be operated under
      remarkable deformation or high temperature without damage to their structural
      integrity or a significant decrease in capacitive performance. Overall, this work
      provides a strategy for the fabrication of flexible and conductive energy-storage
      films with ionic liquid-processed cellulose as a medium.

PMID- 28349684
TI  - Asymmetric [3 + 2] Cycloaddition of 3-Amino Oxindole-Based Azomethine Ylides and
      alpha,beta-Enones with Divergent Diastereocontrol on the Spiro[pyrrolidine
      oxindoles].
AB  - A general and practical organocatalytic asymmetric 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition of 3
      amino oxindole-based azomethine ylides and alpha,beta-enones has been developed.
      This reaction delivered spiro[pyrrolidine-2,3'-oxindole] products in high yields
      with excellent regio- and enantioselectivities (up to 99% yield, >20:1 rr, 99%
      ee). In addition, an array of spiro[dihydropyrrole-2,3'-oxindoles] were readily
      accessed by oxidative dehydrogenation. Notably, the inversion of the
      diastereoselectivity of the spiro[pyrrolidine-oxindole] product could be easily
      achieved through a facile oxidation-reduction process.

PMID- 28349686
TI  - Synthesis of Functionalized beta-Keto Arylthioethers by the Aryne Induced [2,3]
      Stevens Rearrangement of Allylthioethers.
AB  - A mild and transition-metal-free synthesis of beta-keto arylthioethers has been
      developed by the aryne triggered [2,3] Stevens rearrangement of allylthioethers.
      The key sulfur ylide intermediate for the rearrangement was formed by the S
      arylation of allylthioethers with arynes generated from 2-(trimethylsilyl)aryl
      triflates using CsF. Later, the reaction products are converted into valuable
      heterocycles in two steps.

PMID- 28349685
TI  - PTMOracle: A Cytoscape App for Covisualizing and Coanalyzing Post-Translational
      Modifications in Protein Interaction Networks.
AB  - Post-translational modifications of proteins (PTMs) act as key regulators of
      protein activity and of protein-protein interactions (PPIs). To date, it has been
      difficult to comprehensively explore functional links between PTMs and PPIs. To
      address this, we developed PTMOracle, a Cytoscape app for coanalyzing PTMs within
      PPI networks. PTMOracle also allows extensive data to be integrated and
      coanalyzed with PPI networks, allowing the role of domains, motifs, and
      disordered regions to be considered. For proteins of interest, or a whole
      proteome, PTMOracle can generate network visualizations to reveal complex PTM
      associated relationships. This is assisted by OraclePainter for coloring proteins
      by modifications, OracleTools for network analytics, and OracleResults for
      exploring tabulated findings. To illustrate the use of PTMOracle, we investigate
      PTM-associated relationships and their role in PPIs in four case studies. In the
      yeast interactome and its rich set of PTMs, we construct and explore histone
      associated and domain-domain interaction networks and show how integrative
      approaches can predict kinases involved in phosphodegrons. In the human
      interactome, a phosphotyrosine-associated network is analyzed but highlights the
      sparse nature of human PPI networks and lack of PTM-associated data. PTMOracle is
      open source and available at the Cytoscape app store:
      http://apps.cytoscape.org/apps/ptmoracle .

PMID- 28349688
TI  - Portable and Reliable Surface-Enhanced Raman Scattering Silicon Chip for Signal
      On Detection of Trace Trinitrotoluene Explosive in Real Systems.
AB  - There is an increasing interest in the development of surface-enhanced Raman
      scattering (SERS) sensors for rapid and accurate on-site detection of hidden
      explosives. However, portable SERS methods for trace explosive detection in real
      systems remain scarce, mainly due to their relatively poor reliability and
      portability. Herein, we present the first demonstration of a portable silicon
      based SERS analytical platform for signal-on detection of trace trinitrotoluene
      (TNT) explosives, which is made of silver nanoparticle (AgNP)-decorated silicon
      wafer chip (0.5 cm * 0.5 cm). In principle, under 514 nm excitation, the Raman
      signals of p-aminobenzenethiol (PABT) modified on the AgNP surface could be
      largely lit up due to the formation of electronic resonance-active TNT-PABT
      complex. In addition, the surface of AgNPs and silicon substrate-induced plasmon
      resonances also contribute the total SERS enhancement. For quantitative
      evaluation, the as-prepared chip features ultrahigh sensitivity [limit of
      detection is down to ~1 pM (~45.4 fg/cm2)] and adaptable reproducibility
      (relative standard deviation is less than 15%) in the detection of TNT standard
      solutions. More importantly, the developed chip can couple well with a hand-held
      Raman spectroscopic device using 785 nm excitation, suitable for qualitative
      analysis of trace TNT even at ~10-8 M level from environmental samples including
      lake water, soil, envelope, and liquor with a short data acquisition time (~1
      min). Furthermore, TNT vapors diffusing from TNT residues (~10-6 M) can be
      detected by using such a portable device, indicating its feasibility in
      determination of hidden samples.

PMID- 28349687
TI  - Aerobic C-H Oxidation of Arenes Using a Recyclable, Heterogeneous Rhodium
      Catalyst.
AB  - A novel, practical protocol for the aerobic direct C-H acetoxylation of arenes,
      employing a recyclable heterogeneous rhodium catalyst, is reported herein. The
      trifluoroacetoxylation of 2-amido-substituted anthracenes proceeded at the 9
      position with exclusive regioselectivity. The oxidation of variously substituted
      anthracenes and other polycyclic aromatics with molecular oxygen as a terminal
      oxidant proceeded under mild conditions, providing products in good to excellent
      yields.

PMID- 28349689
TI  - Stability of Clay Particle-Coated Microbubbles in Alkanes against Dissolution
      Induced by Heating.
AB  - We investigated the dissolution and morphological dynamics of air bubbles in
      alkanes stabilized by fluorinated colloidal clay particles when subjected to
      temperature changes. A model for bubble dissolution with time-dependent
      temperature reveals that increasing the temperature enhances the bubble
      dissolution rate in alkanes, opposite to the behavior in water, because of the
      differing trends in gas solubility. Experimental results for uncoated air bubbles
      in decane and hexadecane confirm this prediction. Clay-coated bubbles in decane
      and hexadecane are shown to be stable in air-saturated oil at constant
      temperature, where dissolution is driven mainly by the Laplace pressure. When the
      temperature increases from ambient, the particle-coated bubbles are prone to
      dissolution as the oil phase becomes undersaturated. The interfacial layer of
      particles is observed to undergo buckling and crumpling, without shedding of clay
      particles. Increasing the concentration of particles is shown to enhance the
      bubble stability by providing a higher resistance to dissolution. When subjected
      to complex temperature cycles, for which the effect of time-dependent temperature
      is dominant, the clay-coated bubbles can resist long-term dissolution in
      conditions under which uncoated bubbles dissolve completely. These results
      underpin the design of ultrastable oil foams stabilized by solid particles with
      improved shelf life under changing environmental conditions.

PMID- 28349690
TI  - Stratification Dynamics in Drying Colloidal Mixtures.
AB  - Stratification in binary colloidal mixtures was investigated using implicit
      solvent molecular dynamics simulations. For large particle size ratios and film
      Peclet numbers greater than unity, smaller colloids migrated to the top of the
      film, while big colloids were pushed to the bottom, creating an "inverted"
      stratification. This peculiar behavior was observed in recent simulations and
      experiments conducted by Fortini et al. [ Phys. Rev. Lett. 2016 , 116 , 118301 ].
      To rationalize this behavior, particle size ratios and drying rates spanning
      qualitatively different Peclet number regimes were systematically studied, and
      the dynamics of the inverted stratification were quantified in detail. The
      stratified layer of small colloids was found to grow faster and to larger
      thicknesses for larger size ratios. Interestingly, inverted stratification was
      observed even at moderate drying rates where the film Peclet numbers were
      comparable to unity, but the thickness of the stratified layer decreased. A model
      based on dynamical density functional theory is proposed to explain the observed
      phenomena.

PMID- 28349691
TI  - Synergetic SERS Enhancement in a Metal-Like/Metal Double-Shell Structure for
      Sensitive and Stable Application.
AB  - Because of either thermal/chemical instability or high optical loss in noble
      metal nanostructures, searching for alternative plasmonic materials is becoming
      more and more urgent, considering the practical biosensing applications under
      various extreme conditions. In this work, titanium nitride (TiN), a low-loss
      metal-like material with both excellent thermal and excellent chemical
      stabilities, was proposed to composite with Ag hollow nanosphere (HNS)
      nanostructures as an effective surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) substrate
      to realize both highly sensitive and highly stable molecular detection. Because
      of the multiple-mode local surface plasmon resonance around the spherical
      composite nanospheres and the "gap effect" derived from the ultrasmall nanogaps
      within the precisely controlled plasmonic arrays, an intensively enhanced local
      field was successfully induced on this SERS substrate. Combined with the unique
      charge transferring process between Ag and TiN, a synergistically enhanced SERS
      sensitivity involving both physical and chemical mechanisms was achieved.
      Especially, with the isolation of TiN, a time-durable Raman detection on these
      TiN-Ag HNS arrays was accomplished, showing great potential for practical
      applications.

PMID- 28349692
TI  - Correction to Fragment-Linking Approach Using 19F NMR Spectroscopy To Obtain
      Highly Potent and Selective Inhibitors of beta-Secretase.

PMID- 28349693
TI  - Thermal Stability of Platinum-Cobalt Bimetallic Nanoparticles: Chemically
      Disordered Alloys, Ordered Intermetallics, and Core-Shell Structures.
AB  - Pt-Co bimetallic nanoparticles are promising candidates for Pt-based
      nanocatalysts and magnetic-storage materials. By using molecular dynamics
      simulations, we here present a detailed examination on the thermal stabilities of
      Pt-Co bimetallic nanoparticles with three configurations including chemically
      disordered alloy, ordered intermetallics, and core-shell structures. It has been
      revealed that ordered intermetallic nanoparticles possess better structural and
      thermal stability than disordered alloyed ones for both Pt3Co and PtCo systems,
      and Pt3Co-Pt core-shell nanoparticles exhibit the highest melting points and the
      best thermal stability among Pt-Co bimetallic nanoparticles, although their
      meltings all initiate at the surface and evolve inward with increasing
      temperatures. In contrast, Co-Pt core-shell nanoparticles display the worst
      thermal stability compared with the aforementioned nanoparticles. Furthermore,
      their melting initiates in the core and extends outward surface, showing a
      typical two-stage melting mode. The solid-solid phase transition is discovered in
      Co core before its melting. This work demonstrates the importance of composition
      distribution to tuning the properties of binary nanoparticles.

PMID- 28349695
TI  - Catalyst-Free Synthesis of Pyrrolo[1,2-a]quinolines via Dehydration/[3 + 2]
      Cycloaddition Directly from 2-Methylquinolines, Aldehydes, and Alkynoates.
AB  - A simple and efficient catalyst-free synthesis of pyrrolo[1,2-a]quinoline
      derivatives from 2-methylquinolines, aldehydes, and alkynoates via dehydration/[3
      + 2] cycloaddition has been developed. The reaction conditions are tolerant to
      air, and H2O is the only byproduct of this transformation, thus offering an
      environmentally benign process with a wide range of potential applications in
      organic synthesis and medicinal chemistry.

PMID- 28349694
TI  - Assemblies of Colloidal CdSe Tetrapod Nanocrystals with Lengthy Arms for Flexible
      Thin-Film Transistors.
AB  - Herein, we report unique features of the assemblies of tetrapod-shaped colloidal
      nanocrystals (TpNCs) with lengthy arms applicable to flexible thin-film
      transistors. Due to the extended nature of tetrapod geometry, films made of the
      TpNC assemblies require reduced numbers of inter-NC hopping for the transport of
      charge carriers along a given channel length; thus, enhanced conductivity can be
      achieved compared to those made of typical spherical NCs without arms. Moreover,
      electrical conduction through the assemblies is tolerant against mechanical
      bending because interconnections between TpNCs can be well-preserved under
      bending. Interestingly, both the conductivity of the assemblies and their
      mechanical tolerance against bending are improved with an increase in the length
      of tetrapod arms. The arm length-dependency was demonstrated in a series of CdSe
      TpNC assemblies with different arm lengths (l = 0-90 nm), whose electrical
      conduction was modulated through electrolyte gating. From the TpNCs with the
      longest arm length included in the study (l = 90 nm), the film conductivity as
      high as 20 S/cm was attained at 3 V of gate voltage, corresponding to electron
      mobility of >10 cm2/(V s) even when evaluated conservatively. The high channel
      conductivity was retained (~90% of the value obtained from the flat geometry)
      even under high bending (bending radius = 5 mm). The results of the present study
      provide new insights and guidelines for the use of colloidal nanocrystals in
      solution-processed flexible electronic device applications.

PMID- 28349696
TI  - Peptide Receptor-Targeted Fluorescent Probe: Visualization and Discrimination
      between Chronic and Acute Ulcerative Colitis.
AB  - The inflammatory activity of ulcerative colitis plays an important role in the
      medical treatment. However, accurate and real-time monitoring of the colitis
      activity with noninvasive bioimaging method is still challenging, especially in
      distinguishing between chronic and acute colitis. As a good receptor, the
      oligopeptide transporter (PepT1) is overexpressed in the colonic epithelial cells
      of chronic ulcerative colitis, which can deliver tripeptide KPV (Lys-Pro-Val, the
      C-terminal sequence of alpha-MSH) into cytosol in the intestine. Herein, we
      report a PepT1 peptide receptor-targeted fluorescent probe, dicyanomethylene-4H
      pyran (DCM)-KPV, with the strategy of conjugating the KPV into the DCM
      chromophore. The diagnostic fluorescent probe bestows a specific receptor
      targeted interaction with PepT1 through the KPV moiety, possessing several
      beneficial characteristics, such as efficient long emission, low photobleaching,
      negligible cytotoxicity, and high cytocompatibility in living cells. We build the
      overexpressed PepT1 on the cytomembrane of ulcerative colitis model Caco-2 cell
      as the efficient receptor to accumulate the targeted tripeptide KPV in the
      cytoplasm and nucleus. With the co-localization of DCM-KPV and the DNA-specific
      fluorophore, DAPI, the specifically long emission from chromophore DCM and
      efficient receptor-targeted peptide KPV, the fluorescent probe of DCM-KPV makes a
      breakthrough to the direct noninvasive observation of the accumulation in colon
      inflammation regions via intestinal mucosa, even successfully distinguishing the
      chronic, acute ulcerative colitis and normal groups. Compared with the
      traditional unenhanced magnetic resonance imaging and hematoxylin and eosin (H&E)
      staining, we make full use of exploiting the specific target-receptor interaction
      between the tripeptide unit, KPV, and the oligopeptide transporter, PepT1, for
      sensing selectivity. The desirable diagnostic ability of DCM-KPV can guarantee
      the real-time tracking and visualization of the role of intracellular KPV on
      ulcerative colitis, which provides an alternative to replace the time-consuming
      and tissue sampling-invasive H&E staining diagnosis.

PMID- 28349697
TI  - Chained Iron Microparticles for Directionally Controlled Actuation of Soft
      Robots.
AB  - Magnetic field-directed self-assembly of magnetic particles in chains is useful
      for developing directionally responsive materials for applications in soft
      robotics. Using materials with greater complexity allows advanced functions,
      while still using simple device architectures. Elastomer films containing chained
      magnetic microparticles were prepared through solvent casting and formed into
      magnetically actuated lifters, accordions, valves, and pumps. Chaining both
      enhances actuation and imparts a directional response. Cantilevers used as
      lifters were able to lift up to 50 times the mass of the polymer film. We
      introduce the "specific torque", the torque per field per mass of magnetic
      particles, as a figure of merit for assessing and comparing the performance of
      lifters and related devices. Devices in this work generated specific torques of
      68 Nm/kgT, which is significantly higher than in previously reported actuators.
      Applying magnetic fields to folded accordion structures caused extension and
      compression, depending on the accordion's orientation. In peristaltic pumps
      comprised of composite tubes containing embedded chains, magnetic fields caused a
      section of the tube to pinch closed where the field was applied. These results
      will facilitate both the further development of soft robots based on chained
      magnetic particles and efforts to engineer materials with higher specific torque.

PMID- 28349698
TI  - Enantioselective Synthesis of (-)-Acetylapoaranotin.
AB  - The first enantioselective total synthesis of the epipolythiodiketopiperazine
      (ETP) natural product (-)-acetylapoaranotin (3) is reported. The concise
      synthesis was enabled by an eight-step synthesis of a key cyclohexadienol
      containing amino ester building block. The absolute stereochemistry of both amino
      ester building blocks used in the synthesis is set through catalytic asymmetric
      (1,3)-dipolar cycloaddition reactions. The formal syntheses of (-)-emethallicin E
      and (-)-haemotocin are also achieved through the preparation of a symmetric
      cyclohexadienol-containing diketopiperazine.

PMID- 28349699
TI  - Limiting the Hydrolysis and Oxidation of Maleimide-Peptide Adducts Improves
      Detection of Protein Thiol Oxidation.
AB  - Oxidative stress, caused by reactive oxygen and nitrogen species (RONS), is
      important in the pathophysiology of many diseases. A key target of RONS is the
      thiol group of protein cysteine residues. Because thiol oxidation can affect
      protein function, mechanistic information about how oxidative stress affects
      tissue function can be ascertained by identifying oxidized proteins. The probes
      used must be specific and sensitive, such as maleimides for the alkylation of
      reduced cysteine thiols. However, we find that maleimide-alkylated peptides
      (MAPs) are oxidized and hydrolyzed under sample preparation conditions common for
      proteomic studies. This can result in up to 90% of the MAP signal being converted
      to oxidized or hydrolyzed MAPs, decreasing the sensitivity of the analysis. A
      substantial portion of these modifications were accounted for by Coomassie "blue
      silver" staining (~14%) of gels and proteolytic digestion buffers (~20%). More
      than 40% of the MAP signal can be retained with the use of thioglycolic acid
      during gel electrophoresis, trichloroethanol-UV protein visualization in gels,
      and proteolytic digestion buffer of pH 7.0 TRIS. This work demonstrates that it
      is possible to decrease modifications to MAPs through changes to the sample
      preparation workflow, enhancing the potential usefulness of maleimide in
      identifying oxidized peptides.

PMID- 28349701
TI  - Phytochemical study of Bituminaria basaltica aerial parts, an Italian endemism.
AB  - The first phytochemical investigation of the aerial parts of Bituminaria
      basaltica, an endemic species from the Aeolian Islands, led to the isolation and
      identification of eight compounds including plicatin B (3), two furanocoumarins:
      angelicin (1), psoralen (2), three pterocarpans: erybraedin C (4), 3,9-dihydroxy
      4-isoprenyl-pterocarpan (5), bitucarpin A (8) and two flavonoid glycosides:
      isoorientin (6), daidzin (7). Their structures were elucidated by spectroscospic
      techniques and compared with data reported in the literature. Sesquiterpenes
      characterised the essential oil composition of the title plant where beta
      caryophyllene and germacrene D were the main constituents.

PMID- 28349700
TI  - Fast corroding, thin magnesium coating displays antibacterial effects and low
      cytotoxicity.
AB  - Bacterial colonisation and biofilm formation are characteristics of implant
      associated infections. In search of candidates for improved prosthetic materials,
      fast corroding Mg-based coatings on titanium surfaces were examined for their
      cytotoxic and antimicrobial properties. Human osteoblasts and Staphylococcus
      epidermidis were each cultured on cylindrical Ti samples coated with a thin layer
      of Mg/Mg45Zn5Ca, applied via magnetron sputtering. Uncoated titanium samples
      served as controls. S. epidermidis was quantified by counting colony forming
      units. The biofilm-bound fraction was isolated via ultrasonic treatment, and the
      planktonic fraction via centrifugation. Biofilm-bound S. epidermidis was
      significantly decreased by approximately four to five orders of magnitude in both
      Mg- and Mg45Zn5Ca-coated samples after seven days compared to the control. The
      osteoblast viability was within the tolerance threshold of 70% stated in DIN EN
      ISO 10993-5:2009-10 for Mg (~80%) but not for Mg45Zn5Ca (~25%). Accordingly, Mg
      coated titanium was identified as a promising candidate for an implant material
      with antibacterial properties and low cytotoxicity levels. The approach of
      exploiting fast corrosion contrasts with existing methods, which have generally
      focused on reducing corrosion.

PMID- 28349702
TI  - Biotransformation of ginsenosides F4 and Rg6 in zebrafish.
AB  - Ginsenosides F4 and Rg6 (GF4 and GRg6), two main active components of steamed
      notoginseng or red ginseng, are dehydrated disaccharide saponins. In this work,
      biotransformation of ginsenosides F4 and Rg6 in zebrafish was investigated by
      qualitatively identifying their metabolites and then proposing their possible
      metabolic pathways. The prediction of possible metabolism of ginsenosides F4 and
      Rg6 using zebrafish model which can effectively simulate existing mammals model
      was early and quickly performed. Metabolites of ginsenosides F4 and Rg6 after
      exposing to zebrafish for 24 h were identified by Ultraperformance Liquid
      Chromatography/Quadrupole-Time-of-Flight Mass Spectrometry. A total of 8 and 6
      metabolites of ginsenosides F4 and Rg6 were identified in zebrafish,
      respectively. Of these, 7 and 5, including M1, M3-M5, M7-M9 and N1 (N5), N2, N4
      (N9), N7-N8 were reported for the first time as far as we know. The mechanisms of
      their biotransformation involved were further deduced to be desugarization,
      glucuronidation, sulfation, dehydroxylation, loss of C-17 and/or C-23 residue
      pathways. It was concluded that loss of rhamnose at position C-6 and
      glucuronidation at position C-3 in zebrafish were considered as the main
      physiologic and metabolic processes of ginsenosides F4 and ginsenosides Rg6,
      respectively.

PMID- 28349703
TI  - Comparative effectiveness of botulinum toxin versus non-surgical treatments for
      treating lateral epicondylitis: a systematic review and meta-analysis.
AB  - OBJECTIVES: To explore the effectiveness of botulinum toxin compared with non
      surgical treatments in patients with lateral epicondylitis. METHODS: Data sources
      including PubMed, Scopus, Embase and Airity Library from the earliest record to
      February 2017 were searched. Study design, patients' characteristics,
      dosage/brand of botulinum toxin, injection techniques, and measurements of pain
      and hand grip strength were retrieved. The standardized mean differences (SMDs)
      in pain relief and grip strength reduction were calculated at the following time
      points: 2-4, 8-12, and 16 weeks or more after injection. RESULTS: Six randomized
      controlled trials (321 participants) comparing botulinum toxin with placebo or
      corticosteroid injections were included. Compared with placebo, botulinum toxin
      injection significantly reduced pain at all three time points (SMD, -0.729, 95%
      confidence interval [CI], -1.286 to -0.171; SMD, -0.446, 95% CI, -0.740 to 
      0.152; SMD, -0.543, 95% CI, -0.978 to -0.107, respectively). Botulinum toxin was
      less effective than corticosteroid at 2-4 weeks (SMD, 1.153; 95% CI, 0.568-1.737)
      and both treatments appeared similar in efficacy after 8 weeks. Different
      injection sites and dosage/brand did not affect effectiveness. Botulinum toxin
      decreased grip strength 2-4 weeks after injection, and high equivalent dose could
      extend its paralytic effects to 8-12 weeks. CONCLUSIONS: When treating lateral
      epicondylitis, botulinum toxin was superior to placebo and could last for 16
      weeks. Corticosteroid and botulinum toxin injections were largely equivalent,
      except the corticosteroid injections were better at pain relief in the early
      stages and were associated with less weakness in grip in the first 12 weeks.

PMID- 28349704
TI  - LC-ESI-MS/MS profiling of phenolics in the leaves of Eleutherococcus senticosus
      cultivated in the West Europe and anti-hyaluronidase and anti
      acetylcholinestarase activities.
AB  - Neither secondary metabolites of the spring leaves nor the autumn leaves of
      Eleutherococcus senticosus species cultivated in Poland, or the bioactivity are
      known. The richest in polyphenols was the autumn leaves (171.1 mg/g DE), while in
      flavonoids the spring leaves (107.9 mg/g DE). Using LC-ESI-MS/MS, protocatechuic
      acid has been identified as the most abundant compound in the spring and autumn
      leaves (200 and 70 MUg/g DE, respectively). Amongst flavonoids, naringenin 7-O
      glucoside occurred in the largest amount (20 and 10 mg/g DE in the spring and
      autumn leaves, respectively). The autumn leaves inhibited Hyal the strongest
      (74.3%), comparing to the spring leaves (33%). A weak inhibition was found
      towards AChE (0.64 and 5.8% for the autumn and spring leaves, respectively). To
      our best knowledge, no information was available on the phytochemical composition
      and activity of the leaves of E. senticosus cultivated in Poland.

PMID- 28349705
TI  - Implementing system-wide risk stratification approaches: A review of critical
      success and failure factors.
AB  - Risk stratification has become a widely used tool for linking people identified
      at risk of health deterioration to the most appropriate evidence-based care. This
      article systematically reviews recent literature to determine key factors that
      have been identified as critical enablers and/or barriers to successful
      implementation of risk stratification tools at a system level. A systematic
      search found 23 articles and four promising protocols for inclusion in the
      review, covering the use to 20 different risk stratification tools. These
      articles reported on only a small fraction of the risk stratification tools used
      in health systems; suggesting that while the development and statistical
      validation of risk stratification algorithms is widely reported, there has been
      little published evaluation of how they are implemented in real-world settings.
      Controlled studies provided some evidence that the use of risk stratification
      tools in combination with a care management plan offer patient benefits and that
      the use of a risk stratification tool to determine components of a care
      management plan may contribute to reductions in hospital readmissions, patient
      satisfaction and improved patient outcomes. Studies with the strongest focus on
      implementation used qualitative and case study methods. Among these, the
      literature converged on four key areas of implementation that were found to be
      critical for overcoming barriers to success: the engagement of clinicians and
      safeguarding equity, both of which address barriers of acceptance; the health
      system context to address administrative, political and system design barriers;
      and data management and integration to address logistical barriers.

PMID- 28349706
TI  - Unintentional mass sodium nitrite poisoning with a fatality.

PMID- 28349707
TI  - Elimination half-life of diphenhydramine in overdose.

PMID- 28349709
TI  - Meeting Report: The Fourth Artificial Pancreas Workshop: Testing and Adoption of
      Current and Emerging Technologies.
AB  - On July 6 and 7, 2016 the Fourth Artificial Pancreas Workshop: Testing and
      Adoption of Current and Emerging Technologies was held on the National Institutes
      of Health (NIH) Campus at the Lister Hill Auditorium. The meeting was sponsored
      by a group of governmental organizations and NGOs, listed in Appendix A. This was
      a very timely meeting as the artificial pancreas appears to be growing from
      academic studies to commercial projects. The first artificial pancreas may be
      marketed within 12 months and a few may be approved within 24 months. The NIH,
      the FDA, the JDRF, Helmsley Trust, Diabetes Technology Society, and other
      agencies, funders, and organizations have been strongly supportive of advancing
      artificial pancreas technology and usability, and thus the proceedings from this
      conference should be of exceptional interest to the diabetes technology
      community.

PMID- 28349708
TI  - Use of Sitagliptin With Closed-Loop Technology to Decrease Postprandial Blood
      Glucose in Type 1 Diabetes.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Postprandial hyperglycemia poses a challenge to closed-loop systems.
      Dipeptidyl peptidase-4 (DPP-4) inhibitors, like sitagliptin, reduce postprandial
      glucose concentrations in patients with type 2 diabetes. The objective of this
      study was to assess sitagliptin's role in type 1 diabetes (T1DM) as an adjunct
      therapy in reducing postprandial blood glucose with an insulin-only closed-loop
      system. METHODS: This was a randomized, double-blinded, placebo controlled,
      crossover design trial. The participants were18-35 years old, had T1DM, and an
      HbA1c of <= 8.5%. A dose determination study included eight subjects with T1DM.
      There were three study visits. Four hours after receiving study drug (placebo,
      sitagliptin 50 mg, sitagliptin 100 mg), subjects underwent a mixed meal tolerance
      test with assessment of hormone concentrations. In a second study, 15 subjects
      underwent two visits receiving either placebo or 100 mg of sitagliptin plus an
      insulin only closed-loop system for 25 hours with timed meals. Blood glucose and
      other hormone concentrations were analyzed using repeated measures ANOVA.
      RESULTS: For the dose determination study, sitagliptin 100 mg resulted in reduced
      postprandial blood glucose ( P = .006). For the closed-loop study, glucose
      concentrations were lower in the treatment group, most prominently during the
      first two study meals ( P = .03). There was no difference in glucagon
      concentrations, but insulin concentrations and insulin delivery were lower in the
      treatment group. CONCLUSIONS: Sitagliptin may be considered as an adjunct therapy
      in a closed-loop setting. Larger studies are needed to determine the role of oral
      agents like sitagliptin to lower postprandial hyperglycemia with closed loop.

PMID- 28349711
TI  - A case for imaging in high-risk psychosis: insular pathology in first episode
      psychosis.

PMID- 28349710
TI  - Endovascular Devices and Revascularization Techniques for Limb-Threatening
      Ischemia in Individuals With Diabetes.
AB  - Diabetes mellitus (DM) is a rapidly worsening global epidemic over the last
      thirty-five years. The increased prevalence of DM has changed the phenotypic
      expression of atherosclerotic limb threatening ischemia (LTI), resulting in an
      increase in lesions in the tibial vessels. These patients are also afflicted with
      peripheral neuropathy, foot deformities, and medial calcification of the
      vasculature. In response to the evolving phenotype of atherosclerosis, newer
      minimally invasive tools and techniques have been developed to improve the blood
      supply in LTI. Arterial access, traditionally obtained from the contralateral
      common femoral artery (CFA) in a retrograde fashion, is now also frequently being
      obtained in the ipsilateral limb in an antegrade fashion. Retrograde access of
      the tibial, pedal, tarsal, or calf collateral vessels is also being utilized to
      provide a route through which wires, catheters, balloons and stents may be
      placed. Wires have evolved to have a variety of diameters, materials and coatings
      providing interventionalists with a wide variety of choices when attempting to
      traverse blockages in the arteries. When catheters and wires fail to traverse the
      lesion, newer chronic total occlusion (CTO) devices have been developed to aid in
      the placement of a wire across the offending lesions. Due to medial calcification
      associated with DM, atherectomy devices have been developed to debulk the
      atherosclerotic plaque within the vessel. High pressure balloon angioplasty with
      or without stents remain the mainstay of intervention, with drug-coated balloons
      (DCBs) and drug-eluting stents (DESs) now being frequently used to prevent
      reocclusions of atherosclerotic lesions.

PMID- 28349712
TI  - Escitalopram induced thrombocytopenia reversed after shifting to bupropion in a
      depressive patient.

PMID- 28349713
TI  - Senobtusin, a novel alkaloid with amidine moiety from Senecio obtusatus Wall. ex
      DC.
AB  - Phytochemical investigation of Senecio obtusatus Wall. ex DC led to the isolation
      of a novel alkaloid, senobtusin (1). Compound 1 possesses an atypical amidine
      moiety, and the structure was determined on the basis of extensive NMR analysis
      and HR-ESI-MS technique. This is the first report of this class of natural
      products obtained from family Asteraceae, and the systematic importance was also
      discussed.

PMID- 28349714
TI  - Intoxications involving acrylfentanyl and other novel designer fentanyls -
      results from the Swedish STRIDA project.
AB  - BACKGROUND: The number of new psychoactive substances (NPS) introduced through
      the online recreational drugs market increases continuously. This report from the
      Swedish STRIDA project describes analytically confirmed intoxications involving
      the novel fentanyl analogs acrylfentanyl, 4-chloroisobutyrfentanyl (4Cl-iBF), 4
      fluoroisobutyrfentanyl (4F-iBF), and tetrahydrofuranfentanyl (THF-F), and
      cyclopentylfentanyl in a drug product. METHODS: Patients with suspected NPS
      exposure presenting in emergency departments (ED) or intensive care units (ICU)
      in Sweden and requiring hospital care are invited to the STRIDA project. NPS
      analysis of serum and urine samples was performed by multi-component liquid
      chromatography-mass spectrometry. Data on clinical features were retrieved from
      telephone consultations with the Swedish Poisons Information Centre and from
      medical records. RESULTS: Between April and October 2016, eleven intoxications
      involving acrylfentanyl (8 cases), acrylfentanyl together with 4Cl-iBF (1), 4F
      iBF (1), and THF-F (1) were analytically confirmed. Patients were aged 19-51
      (median 28) years and 91% were men. Six (55%) were monitored at the ED, and five
      admitted to the ICU. Typical clinical features were decreased consciousness,
      respiratory depression, and miosis. In 8 cases, the antidote naloxone was
      administered to counter the opioid effects. The 4F-iBF positive patient
      eventually died of brain edema. The serum acrylfentanyl concentration (n = 8)
      ranged 0.5-2.1 (median 0.9) ng/mL, and in urine (n = 9) 0.2-10.5 (mean 4.6,
      median 5.2) MUg/mmol creatinine. For 4Cl-iBF, 4F-iBF, and THF-F (n = 1 each),
      higher serum (5-45 ng/mL) and urine (11-136 MUg/mmol creatinine) concentrations
      were found. Other NPS (e.g., flunitrazolam) and/or classical drugs were detected
      in five cases. In early 2016, nasal sprays with a claimed content of
      acrylfentanyl brought to hospital by patients or obtained by test purchase were
      demonstrated to instead contain fentanyl. CONCLUSIONS: Potentially life
      threatening opioid toxicity was seen in 11 acute intoxications involving the
      fentanyl analogs acrylfentanyl, 4Cl-iBF, 4F-iBF, and THF-F, which are available
      through open Internet trading. All patients were supported with acute and
      intensive hospital care, and naloxone was effective to reverse the opioid
      symptoms. One patient died of brain edema.

PMID- 28349715
TI  - A review of existing and emerging digital technologies to combat the global trade
      in fake medicines.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: The globalization of the pharmaceutical supply chain has introduced
      new challenges, chief among them, fighting the international criminal trade in
      fake medicines. As the manufacture, supply, and distribution of drugs becomes
      more complex, so does the need for innovative technology-based solutions to
      protect patients globally. Areas covered: We conducted a multidisciplinary review
      of the science/health, information technology, computer science, and general
      academic literature with the aim of identifying cutting-edge existing and
      emerging 'digital' solutions to combat fake medicines. Our review identified five
      distinct categories of technology including mobile, radio frequency
      identification, advanced computational methods, online verification, and
      blockchain technology. Expert opinion: Digital fake medicine solutions are
      unifying platforms that integrate different types of anti-counterfeiting
      technologies as complementary solutions, improve information sharing and data
      collection, and are designed to overcome existing barriers of adoption and
      implementation. Investment in this next generation technology is essential to
      ensure the future security and integrity of the global drug supply chain.

PMID- 28349716
TI  - Fixed-ratio combination therapy with GLP-1 receptor agonist liraglutide and
      insulin degludec in people with type 2 diabetes.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: A fixed combination of basal insulin degludec and glucagon-like
      peptide-1 receptor agonist (GLP-1RA) liraglutide (IDegLira; 50 units degludec/1.8
      mg liraglutide) has been developed as a once daily injection for the treatment of
      type 2 diabetes (T2D). In the phase 3a trial programme 'Dual action of
      liraglutide and insulin degludec in type 2 diabetes' (DUALTM), five trials of 26
      weeks duration and one trial of 32 weeks duration have evaluated the efficacy and
      safety of IDegLira compared with administration of insulin degludec, insulin
      glargine, liraglutide alone or placebo. Areas covered: Combination therapy with
      IDegLira reduces HbA1c more than monotherapy with a GLP-1RA (liraglutide) or
      insulin (degludec or glargine). Combination therapy leads also to weight loss, or
      a stable body weight, with no increase in hypoglycaemia. Rates of adverse events
      did not differ between treatment groups; however, gastrointestinal side effects
      were fewer with IDegLira compared with liraglutide treatment alone. A limitation
      of the DUALTM development programme is that patients receiving basal insulin
      doses in excess of 50 units were excluded from the studies. Expert commentary: In
      conclusion, IDegLira combines the clinical advantages of basal insulin and GLP
      1RA treatment, and is a treatment strategy that could improve the management of
      patients with T2D.

PMID- 28349717
TI  - HDL and macrophages: explaining the clinical failures and advancing HDL-based
      therapeutics in cardiovascular diseases?

PMID- 28349718
TI  - Overview of different available chemotherapy regimens combined with radiotherapy
      for the neoadjuvant and definitive treatment of esophageal cancer.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: Neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy (CTRT) is the current standard of
      care for treatment of locally advanced cancer of the esophagus or
      gastroesophageal junction. Many efforts have been made over the last years to
      identify the best chemotherapy and radiotherapy combination regimen, but specific
      randomized trials addressing this issue are still lacking. Areas covered: A
      systematic review of the literature was performed searching in PubMed all
      published studies of combinations CTRT regimens for operable or unresectable
      esophageal cancer to describe activity and toxicity. Studies considered were
      prospective series or clinical phase II-III trials including at least 40 patients
      and published in English language. Expert commentary: Long-term results of CROSS
      trial have established RT combined with carboplatin plus paclitaxel chemotherapy
      as the preferred neoadjuvant treatment option for both squamous and
      adenocarcinoma of the esophagus. More effective multimodal treatment strategies
      integrating novel biological agents including immunotherapy and based on an
      extensive molecular tumor characterization are eagerly awaited.

PMID- 28349719
TI  - Evaluation of the influence of family and friends, and the Internet on patient
      perceptions of long-term topical corticosteroid use.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Topical corticosteroids (TCS) are key to managing chronic
      inflammatory dermatoses (CID). Parents/patients cite TCS phobia as an impediment
      to treatment adherence. Family/friends and the Internet are a source of
      misinformation on TCS which can negatively impact perceptions of TCS safety.
      PURPOSE: To assess information from family/friends and the Internet, as related
      to and reported by patients/parents using long-term TCS. METHODS: A multicenter
      cross-sectional survey of patients (aged >18 years) and parents of patients (aged
      <18 years) with a history of CID requiring long-term (>=1 month) TCS use
      assessing messages about TCS received from family/friends and the Internet.
      RESULTS: A total of 123 patients and 78 parents completed the survey (n = 201).
      Parents/patients were more likely to be informed by the Internet "[having] my
      [child's] skin condition means that [I/he/she] will need to use topical
      corticosteroids" (p < .001) and that "inflamed skin conditions will improve with
      the topical corticosteroids" (p = .007). Family/friends were more likely to
      recommend parents/patients "try non-prescription creams/ointments before
      resorting to the use of prescription topical corticosteroids" (p = .014).
      CONCLUSIONS: High rates of messages about TCS "risk" from family/friends and the
      Internet may affect patient/parent understanding about TCS safety. This may
      contribute to treatment non-adherence.

PMID- 28349720
TI  - Daily dosing of gentamicin using ideal body weight for the treatment of
      intrapartum chorioamnionitis: a pilot study.
AB  - PURPOSE: This study aimed to determine whether daily dosing of gentamicin using
      ideal body weight in the treatment of chorioamnionitis is effective. MATERIALS
      AND METHODS: We conducted a prospective observational study and followed all
      women receiving treatment for chorioamnionitis which included gentamicin daily
      dosing calculated using 5 mg/kg ideal body weight. Patients were excluded if
      pathological analysis of placenta did not confirm chorioamnionitis. Our primary
      outcome was resolution of infection following delivery without the development of
      maternal endometritis and/or neonatal sepsis. Ninety-five percent confidence
      intervals for proportions were calculated using exact binomial tests. These
      patients were retrospectively compared to patients who received treatment for
      chorioamnionitis which included traditional gentamicin every 8 h. RESULTS: The
      study included 160 patients. Of the patients receiving daily dosing (n = 80)
      compared to traditional dosing (n = 80), 96% (95% CI 95.7-97.6%) achieved the
      primary outcome versus 91% (88.9-93.1%), 2.5% (95% CI 1.2-3.8%) developed
      endometritis versus 6.3% (4.2-8.4%), 1.3% (95% CI 0.4-2.2%) delivered neonates
      with sepsis versus 2.5% (1.2-3.8%), and 39% required cesarean delivery (95% CI
      46.2-53.8) versus 37% (33.2-40.8%). CONCLUSION: Daily dosing of gentamicin using
      ideal body weight is effective in successful treatment of chorioamnionitis
      without development endometritis and/or neonatal sepsis across different
      ethnicities.

PMID- 28349721
TI  - Immunohistochemical evaluation of the activation of hepatic progenitor cells and
      their niche in feline lymphocytic cholangitis.
AB  - Objectives The aim of the study was to compare the hepatic progenitor cell niche
      in healthy feline livers and the liver tissue of cats with lymphocytic
      cholangitis. Methods Immunohistochemical stainings for vimentin, laminin, beta
      (beta)-catenin and Notch1 intracellular domain (NICD) were used on formalin-fixed
      liver biopsies from affected (n = 12) and unaffected cats (n = 2). Results All
      immunohistochemical markers used were expressed in more cells, or more intensely,
      in the liver tissue of cats with lymphocytic cholangitis than in the liver tissue
      of unaffected cats. Conclusions and relevance Enhanced expression of vimentin,
      laminin, cytoplasmic/nuclear beta-catenin and NICD in liver biopsies from cats
      with lymphocytic cholangitis indicates that the hepatic progenitor cell (HPC)
      niche is remodelled and activated. HPCs might provide insights into new
      regenerative treatment options for lymphocytic cholangitis in cats in the future.

PMID- 28349722
TI  - Comparison of the Poisoning Severity Score and National Poison Data System
      schemes for the severity assessment of animal poisonings: a pilot study.
AB  - CONTEXT: To date, there are no publicly available schemes designed and evaluated
      specifically for severity assessment of animal poisonings. This poses challenges
      for the evaluation and comparison of animal poisoning exposure data. OBJECTIVE:
      Our objective for this pilot study was to evaluate agreement between raters using
      the Poisoning Severity Score (PSS) and National Poison Data System (NPDS) medical
      outcome scheme for severity assessment of canine exposures reported to a
      multistate poison center (PC) and to identify issues regarding their use for
      severity assessment of animal poisonings. Agreement between both schemes was also
      assessed. METHODS: The first 196 canine exposures reported to a multistate PC
      between 1 January and 31 August 2016 were selected and initial inquiry data from
      exposures was scored by four independent raters. Interrater agreement and
      agreement between the severity systems was calculated using weighted kappa
      (Kappa) (Light's kappa). Reported clinical effects were also described. RESULTS:
      Interrater agreement for both the PSS (Kappa 0.31; 95% CI 0.19, 0.43) and NPDS
      schemes (Kappa 0.34; 95% CI 0.22, 0.44) was low. Agreement between the schemes
      was slight (Kappa 0.05; 95% CI -0.08, 0.16) for pooled results from all four
      raters. For the PSS, 71.7% (n = 281) of ratings were minor, 23.0% (n = 90)
      moderate, and 5.4% (n = 21) severe. For the NPDS, 69.6% (n = 273) of ratings were
      minor, 27.0% (n = 106) moderate, and 3.3% (n = 13) severe. The top three reported
      clinical effects included vomiting (n = 86, 29.9%) drowsiness/lethargy (n = 38,
      13.2%), and diarrhea (n = 24, 8.3%). DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSIONS: This study shows
      considerable variability between raters using either the PSS or NPDS schemes for
      canine exposures severity assessment. The subjective nature of the schemes, the
      influence of intra- and interrater variation, and predominance of minor cases on
      the study findings should be taken into account when interpreting this data.
      Further evaluation of these schemes is warranted and could help inform their
      future use for animal poisoning severity assessment.

PMID- 28349723
TI  - Targeted therapy in the treatment of chronic lymphocytic leukemia: facts,
      shortcomings and hopes for the future.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: The therapy for chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) is undergoing a
      major transformation. However, the seminal progresses realized to date with the
      use of novel agents, leave many practical questions unanswered. Areas covered:
      This review focuses on the recent data of the literature of small-kinase
      inhibitor (KI) molecules and how results of KI clinical trials may translate into
      current clinical practice. Several questions such as the advantage of combining
      small-KI molecules with anti-CD20 monoclonal antibodies or with chemo
      immunotherapy in comparison to targeted agents alone are discussed. Expert
      commentary: Nowadays the challenge is to apply the principles of chemotherapy to
      combine different targeted agents with nonoverlapping toxicities. This approach
      is not likely to immediately change the standard of care, however, it raises
      relevant questions concerning the optimal strategy for incorporating novel agents
      in the treatment of CLL. Given the increasing number of patients who have access
      to treatment with small-KI molecules, generally administered over an extended
      duration, more sustainable pricing for such therapies is needed.

PMID- 28349724
TI  - Loperamide metabolite-induced cardiomyopathy and QTc prolongation.
AB  - Loperamide is an over-the-counter, peripherally acting, MU-opioid receptor
      agonist used for the treatment of diarrhea. In recent times users have found that
      at higher doses, loperamide crosses the blood-brain barrier and reaches central
      MU-receptors in the brain, leading to central opiate effects including euphoria
      and respiratory depression. We report a case of a 37-year-old female who
      attempted suicide with over 200 loperamide tablets. During her overdose, her QTc
      was significantly prolonged at >600 ms. Our case aims to add to the growing body
      of literature describing life-threatening ventricular arrhythmias associated with
      loperamide toxicity and further suggests that a metabolite of loperamide,
      desmethylloperamide, may play a role in the pathogenesis.

PMID- 28349725
TI  - [Formula: see text]The effect of stereotype threat on older people's clinical
      cognitive outcomes: investigating the moderating role of dementia worry.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: Numerous studies have shown that stereotype threat (ST) reduces older
      people's cognitive performance, but few have studied its impact on clinical
      cognitive outcomes. Our study was designed to further examine the impact of ST on
      the clinical assessment of older subjects' cognitive functioning, as well as the
      moderating role of fear of Alzheimer's Disease (AD) (or 'dementia worry').
      METHOD: Seventy-two neurologically normal (MMSE > 26) participants aged between
      59 and 70 completed a set of neuropsychological tasks in either an ST or a
      positive condition (condition in which negative stereotypes were invalidated).
      RESULTS: Regression-based path analyses showed that only participants who
      expressed moderate or high fear of AD underperformed on executive tasks in the ST
      condition compared to their counterparts in the positive condition. Moreover, in
      the ST condition, participants' performance on executive tasks was more impaired
      (relative to normative data) than in the positive condition. However, ST had no
      effect on memory and attention performance. DISCUSSION: Our results showed that
      ST can cause older people to perform at pathological levels on executive tasks.
      Results highlight the need for clinicians to be cautious when conducting
      neuropsychological assessments of older people who express high levels of
      dementia worry.

PMID- 28349726
TI  - A new alpha-pyrone from the deep-sea actinomycete Nocardiopsis dassonvillei
      subsp. dassonvillei DSM 43111(T).
AB  - A new alpha-pyrone, nocapyrone S (1), together with five known compounds (2-6),
      were isolated from the deep-sea actinomycete Nocardiopsis dassonvillei subsp.
      dassonvillei DSM 43111(T). Their structures were determined by spectroscopic
      analyses. The absolute configuration of 1 was established by quantum approaches.
      Cytotoxic activity of 1 was evaluated against K562, MCF-7, SGC7901, A375, Hela,
      and HepG2 cell lines.

PMID- 28349727
TI  - Six weeks of beta-alanine supplementation did not enhance repeated-sprint ability
      or technical performances in young elite basketball players.
AB  - Supplementation with beta-alanine plays an important role as a precursor of
      carnosine, the most effective intramuscular buffer, and has been seen as a
      potential ergogenic aid, especially for high-intensity modalities such as
      basketball. Thus, the aim of the present study was to investigate the effects of
      6 weeks of beta-alanine supplementation on repeated sprint ability (RSA) and
      technical performances in young elite Brazilian basketball players. In total, 27
      young basketball players (17+/-1 years) were randomized into a beta-alanine group
      (Gbeta - 6.4 g day-1 of beta-alanine) and a placebo group (GP - 6.4 g day-1 of
      dextrose). Before and after the supplementation period the athletes performed a
      RSA test composed of ten 30 m sprints with two 180 degrees  changes of direction
      interspaced by 30 s of recovery. During the recovery period (i.e., after the
      sprints) the athletes performed a countermovement jump (CMJ) and a set of three
      free throws. After 48 h they performed a Yo-Yo intermittent recovery test level 1
      (Yo-Yo IR1). Both groups increased the distance covered in the Yo-Yo IR1 after
      the supplementation period ( p = 0.001). On the other hand, both groups presented
      impairment in RSA time-performance (total time, best time, and mean time, p <=
      0.04), while no significant changes were observed for technical task performances
      (i.e., CMJ and free throws) ( p >= 0.07). No between-group interactions were
      observed for any variable measured ( p >= 0.31). Thus, 6 weeks of beta-alanine
      supplementation did not improve RSA or technical performances in young elite
      basketball players.

PMID- 28349728
TI  - Schizoaffective disorder, catatonia and white matter changes - Revisiting the
      microglial hypothesis.

PMID- 28349729
TI  - Evidence-Based Design and Research-Informed Design: What's the Difference?
      Conceptual Definitions and Comparative Analysis.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: This article provides critical examination and comparison of the
      conceptual meaning and underlying assumptions of the concepts evidence-based
      design (EBD) and research-informed design (RID) in order to facilitate practical
      use and theoretical development. BACKGROUND: In recent years, EBD has experienced
      broad adoption, yet it has been simultaneously critiqued for rigidity and
      misapplication. Many practitioners are gravitating to the term RID to describe
      their method of integrating knowledge into the design process. However, the term
      RID lacks a clear definition and the blurring of terms has the potential to
      weaken advances made integrating research into practice. METHOD: Concept analysis
      methods from Walker and Avant were used to define the concepts for comparison.
      RESULTS: Conceptual definitions, process descriptions, examples (i.e., model
      cases), and methods of evaluation are offered for EBD and RID. Although EBD and
      RID share similarities in meaning, the two terms are distinct. When comparing
      evidence based (EB) and research informed, EB is a broad base of information
      types (evidence) that are narrowly applied (based), while the latter references a
      narrow slice of information (research) that is broadly applied (informed) to
      create an end product of design. CONCLUSIONS: Much of the confusion between the
      use of the concepts EBD and RID arises out of differing perspectives between the
      way practitioners and academics understand the underlying terms. The authors hope
      this article serves to generate thoughtful dialogue, which is essential to the
      development of a discipline, and look forward to the contribution of the
      readership.

PMID- 28349730
TI  - Effect of carbohydrate ingestion during cycling exercise on affective valence and
      activation in recreational exercisers.
AB  - Carbohydrate (CHO) ingestion enhances "feel-good" responses during acute exercise
      but no study has examined the effect of regular ingestion of CHO on affective
      valence. We investigated the effect of CHO ingestion on perceptual responses and
      perceived work intensity of individual exercise sessions throughout a 10-week
      cycling ("spin") exercise intervention. We also assessed whether any changes in
      affect and/or perceived work intensity would influence health and fitness
      parameters. Twelve recreational exercisers (46 +/- 9 years; nine females and
      three males) were randomly allocated to either CHO (7.5% CHO; 5 mL . kg-1 per
      exercise session; n = 6; CHO) or placebo (0% CHO, taste- and volume-matched
      solution; n = 6; PLA) groups. Participants exercised 2 * 45-min per week, over a
      10-week intervention period. Perceptual measures of exertion (RPE), affect
      (feeling scale, FS) and activation (felt arousal scale, FAS) were assessed after
      each exercise session. The FAS ratings increased over time in CHO but decreased
      throughout the intervention in PLA (P = 0.03). There were no differences in heart
      rate (P = 0.70), RPE (P = 0.05) and FS (P = 0.84) between trials. Furthermore, no
      changes in health and fitness parameters were observed over time or between
      groups. CHO ingestion enhanced ratings of activation in recreational exercisers
      throughout a 10-week cycling intervention.

PMID- 28349731
TI  - Serum neuron-specific enolase as an early predictor of delayed neuropsychiatric
      sequelae in patients with acute carbon monoxide poisoning.
AB  - Delayed onset of neuropsychiatric symptoms after apparent recovery from acute
      carbon monoxide (CO) poisoning has been described as delayed neuropsychiatric
      sequelae (DNS). To date, there have been no studies on the utility of serum
      neuron-specific enolase (NSE), a marker of neuronal cell damage, as a predictive
      marker of DNS in acute CO poisoning. This retrospective observational study was
      performed on adult patients with acute CO poisoning consecutively treated over a
      9-month period. Serum NSE was measured after emergency department arrival, and
      patients were divided into two groups. The DNS group comprised patients with
      delayed sequelae, while the non-DNS group included patients with none of these
      sequelae. A total of 98 patients with acute CO poisoning were enrolled in this
      study. DNS developed in eight patients. The median NSE value was significantly
      higher in the DNS group than in the non-DNS group. There was a statistical
      difference between the non-DNS group and the DNS group in terms of CO exposure
      time, Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS), loss of consciousness, creatinine kinase, and
      troponin I. GCS and NSE were the early predictors of development of DNS. The area
      under the curve according to the receiver operating characteristic curves of GCS,
      serum NSE, and GCS combined with serum NSE were 0.922, 0.836, and 0.969,
      respectively. In conclusion, initial GCS and NSE served as early predictors of
      development of DNS. Also, NSE might be a useful additional parameter that could
      improve the prediction accuracy of initial GCS.

PMID- 28349732
TI  - Body perception and meal type across age and gender on a Mediterranean island
      (Sardinia).
AB  - Our aim was to describe the differences in consumption of types of meal
      (complete/incomplete) eaten at lunch and dinner by gender in people of different
      age groups (children, young adults and seniors). In particular, we wanted to
      investigate the differences in choice of meal based on perceived weight. The
      study involved 516 participants, of which 156 were children (8-12y), 187 were
      young adults (19-30y) and 173 were elderly (65-90y). A cross-sectional analysis
      was carried out into the choice of meal type based on the different age groups
      and genders, on the three Body Mass Index categories (under, normal, overweight),
      on the three levels of self-perception (slim, normal and heavy) and on the
      degrees of perception of one's body weight (underestimation, accurate estimation,
      overestimation). The food eaten was grouped into three types of daily meal: (a)
      incomplete, (b) complete lunch or dinner, (c) always complete. Differences
      emerged in the type of meal eaten according to age, gender and perceived weight.
      The results show gender differences in associations with meal type according to
      the way in which body mass is measured or perceived. The choice of
      complete/incomplete meal type changes according to whether real weight or
      perceived weight is considered.

PMID- 28349733
TI  - Transgender Phonosurgery: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis.
AB  - Objectives Different surgical techniques have been described in the literature to
      increase vocal pitch. The purpose of this study is to systematically review these
      surgeries and perform a meta-analysis to determine which technique increases
      pitch the most. Data Sources CINAHL, Cochrane, Embase, Medline, PubMed, and
      Science Direct. Review Methods A systematic review and meta-analysis of the
      literature was performed using the CINAHL, Cochrane, Embase, Medline, PubMed, and
      Science Direct databases. Studies were eligible for inclusion if they evaluated
      pitch-elevating phonosurgical techniques in live humans and performed pre- and
      postoperative acoustic analysis. Data were gathered regarding surgical technique,
      pre- and postoperative fundamental frequencies, perioperative care measures, and
      complications. Results Twenty-nine studies were identified. After applying
      inclusion and exclusion criteria, a total of 13 studies were included in the meta
      analysis. Mechanisms of pitch elevation included increasing vocal cord tension
      (cricothyroid approximation), shortening the vocal cord length (cold knife
      glottoplasty, laser-shortening glottoplasty), and decreasing mass (laser
      reduction glottoplasty). The most common interventions were shortening techniques
      and cricothyroid approximation (6 studies each). The largest increase in
      fundamental frequency was seen with techniques that shortened the vocal cords.
      Preoperative speech therapy, postoperative voice rest, and reporting of patient
      satisfaction were inconsistent. Many of the studies were limited by low power and
      short length of follow-up. Conclusions Multiple techniques for elevation of vocal
      pitch exist, but vocal cord shortening procedures appear to result in the largest
      increase in fundamental frequency.

PMID- 28349734
TI  - Impact of health education based intervention on community's awareness of dengue
      and its prevention in Delhi, India.
AB  - Dengue is endemic in India. The capital, Delhi, continues to witness a higher
      number of cases due to urbanization-related factors. This study is intended to
      implement health education towards prevention of dengue, and to assess its impact
      on people's knowledge and practices related to causes and prevention of dengue
      among urban poor in Delhi. Pre- ( n = 484) and post- ( n = 496) intervention
      surveys from 15 sub-clusters from five slums/slum-like settlements in Delhi were
      carried out. Health education based intervention was carried out through
      partnership with the municipal bodies and non-governmental organizations. Socio
      demographic characteristics of participants were similar in both surveys.
      Intervention resulted in significant increase in knowledge on cause, symptom
      perception and mosquito behaviour in terms of breeding and biting habits.
      Practice of personal protection measures increased significantly. The
      participation of people increased during intervention compared to the routine
      programme. Health education based interventions are instrumental in improving
      people's knowledge and behaviour. Hence, routine health educational activities as
      a supportive strategy in the health system need to be strengthened. New
      integrated approaches such as eco-bio-social approaches with community
      participation are to be developed and tested in endemic settings like Delhi.

PMID- 28349735
TI  - Analysis of the Relationship between the Location of the Anterior Ethmoid Artery
      and Keros Classification.
AB  - Objective We sought to identify a relationship between skull base height and
      anterior ethmoid artery (AEA) anatomy. Study Design Retrospective radiologic
      chart review. Setting University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences. Subjects
      Patients seen in a tertiary rhinology clinic between September 2014 and October
      2015. Methods Review of 101 maxillofacial computed tomography scans with
      institutional review board approval. Skull base height and AEA locations were
      measured on each side. Prevalence of the AEA outside of the skull base and
      distance of the AEA from skull base were calculated and compared with Keros
      classification using chi2 testing. Comparisons of skull base height between sexes
      and age and distance between skull base and the AEA among Keros 2 and Keros 3
      patients were made using an unpaired, 2-tailed t test. Results The AEA was
      located below the skull base in 25.7% of cases and more often in Keros type 3
      (55%) than in Keros type 2 (29.5%) or Keros type 1 (0%) ( P < .05). Male patients
      were significantly more likely to have a greater average skull base height (5.25
      vs 4.28 mm) and to have AEAs below the skull base (38.4% vs 14.8%). In addition,
      the distance of the AEA from the skull base was significantly higher in Keros
      type 3 patients compared with Keros type 2 patients (4.55 vs 3.42 mm, P = .001).
      Conclusions Variations in the AEA pathway occur more in male patients and those
      with higher Keros classifications. The distance between the variant AEA and the
      skull base increases with higher Keros classification. Keros classification can
      yield insight to the location of the AEA.

PMID- 28349736
TI  - The role of fear in predicting sexually transmitted infection screening.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: This study assessed the extent to which social-cognitive factors
      (attitude, subjective norm and perceived control) and the fear of a positive test
      result predict sexually transmitted infection (STI) screening intentions and
      subsequent behaviour. DESIGN: Study 1 (N = 85) used a longitudinal design to
      assess the factors that predict STI screening intention and future screening
      behaviour measured one month later at Time 2. Study 2 (N = 102) used an
      experimental design to determine whether the relationship between fear and
      screening varied depending on whether STI or HIV screening was being assessed
      both before and after controlling for social-cognitive factors. MAIN OUTCOME
      MEASURES: Across the studies the outcome measures were sexual health screening.
      RESULTS: In both studies, the fear of having an STI positively predicted STI
      screening intention. In Study 1, fear, but not the social-cognitive factors, also
      predicted subsequent STI screening behaviour. In Study 2, the fear of having HIV
      did not predict HIV screening intention, but attitude negatively and response
      efficacy positively predicted screening intention. CONCLUSION: This study
      highlights the importance of considering the nature of the health condition when
      assessing the role of fear on health promotion.

PMID- 28349737
TI  - Pediatric Acute Otitis Media in the Era of Pneumococcal Vaccination.
AB  - Objectives (1) Describe longitudinal trends in annual prevalence of hospital
      admission for pediatric acute otitis media (AOM) and complications of AOM (CAOM)
      since introduction of pneumococcal vaccination in 2000 and (2) describe the
      longitudinal trend of prevalence of hospital admission for pneumococcal
      meningitis in children with AOM-related diagnoses in the postvaccination era.
      Study Design Retrospective analysis of Kids' Inpatient Database from 2000 to
      2012. Setting Community, nonrehabilitation hospitals. Subjects and Methods To
      determine annual prevalence of admission for AOM/CAOM, nationally weighted
      frequencies of children aged <21 years with acute suppurative otitis media, acute
      mastoiditis, suppurative labyrinthitis, and/or acute petrositis were collected.
      The frequency of coexisting pneumococcal meningitis diagnoses among these
      patients was also collected. Trend analysis of prevalences of admission for
      AOM/CAOM and for pneumococcal meningitis occurring in the setting of AOM/CAOM
      from 2000 to 2012 was performed. Results Between 2000 and 2012, annual prevalence
      of admission for AOM/CAOM decreased from 3.956 to 2.618 per 100,000 persons ( P <
      .0001) (relative risk reduction 34%). Declines in admission prevalence were most
      pronounced in children <1 year of age (from 22.647 to 8.715 per 100,000 persons
      between 2000 and 2012, P < .0001) and 1 to 2 years of age (from 13.652 to 5.554
      per 100,000 persons between 2000 and 2012, P < .0001). For all ages, the
      admission prevalence for pneumococcal meningitis and concomitant AOM/CAOM
      decreased (from 1.760 to 0.717 per 1,000,000 persons, P < .0001) over the study
      period. Conclusions The prevalence of hospital admission for pediatric AOM/CAOM
      has declined since the advent of pneumococcal vaccination. Admission rates for
      pneumococcal meningitis with AOM/CAOM have similarly declined.

PMID- 28349738
TI  - Evaluation of pesticide residue dynamics in Chinese cabbage, head cabbage and
      cauliflower.
AB  - Pesticide residues from the time of application until harvest were analysed for
      20, 17 and 18 active insecticidal and fungicidal substances in Chinese cabbage,
      head cabbage and cauliflower, respectively. In total, 40 mathematical models of
      residue degradation were developed using a first-order kinetic equation, and from
      these models it was possible to forecast the action pre-harvest interval for a
      given action threshold for low-residue production in Brassica vegetables as a
      percentage of the maximum residue level. Additionally, it was possible to
      establish an action pre-harvest interval based on an action threshold of 0.01 mg
      kg-1 for the production of Brassica vegetables for baby food. Among the evaluated
      commodities, the speed of residue degradation was highest in head cabbage, medium
      in Chinese cabbage and lowest in cauliflower. The half-lives of pesticide in
      various vegetables were also determined: they ranged from 1.55 to 5.25 days in
      Chinese cabbage, from 0.47 to 6.54 days in head cabbage and from 1.88 to 7.22
      days in cauliflower.

PMID- 28349739
TI  - Improving Otolaryngology Residency Selection Using Principles from Personnel
      Psychology.
AB  - There has been a heightened focus on improving the resident selection process,
      particularly within highly competitive specialties. Previous research, however,
      has generally lacked a theoretical background, leading to inconsistent and biased
      results. Our recently published systematic review examining applicant
      characteristics and performance in residency can provide historical insight into
      the predictors (ie, constructs) and outcomes (ie, criteria) previously deemed
      pertinent by the otolaryngology community. Personnel psychology uses evidence
      based practices to identify the most qualified candidates for employment using a
      variety of selection methods. Extensive research in this discipline has shown
      that integrity tests, structured interviews, work samples, and conscientiousness
      offer the greatest increase in validity when combined with general cognitive
      ability. Blending past research knowledge with the principles of personnel
      selection can provide the necessary foundation with which to engage in theory
      driven, longitudinal studies on otolaryngology resident selection moving forward.

PMID- 28349740
TI  - Immunotherapy for gastric cancers: emerging role and future perspectives.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: The broad use of immunotherapy is revolutionizing the treatment
      paradigms of many solid tumors. Although chemotherapy remains the treatment
      backbone for advanced gastric cancer, improvements in its molecular
      characterization and progresses in understanding its underpinning biology have
      supported clinical development of novel immunotherapies. However, the results of
      recent trials testing these new agents raise the question on how to identify the
      patients that could greatly benefit. Areas covered: This article summarizes the
      current understanding on the biology and the mechanisms underlying different
      clinical features of gastric cancers. Particularly, after a comprehensive
      literature search, we speculate whether specific molecular subsets of patients
      could derive more benefit from immunotherapy. Expert commentary: Most cancers may
      evade the immune response, which is normally regulated by a delicate balance
      between activating and inhibitory signals. For example, both CTLA-4 and PD-1,
      once linked to PD-L1/2, may inhibit T-cell signaling. The use of agent to harness
      the power of the immune system appears to be the ultimate frontier in gastric
      cancer treatment. While anti-CTLA-4 antibodies are minimally active, there is
      growing evidence for the efficacy of PD1/-L1 inhibitors. The search of predictive
      factors for immunotherapy will provide key hints towards the optimal use of these
      agents.

PMID- 28349741
TI  - Organochlorine Pesticides (OCPs) in raft mussels coming from Galician rias.
AB  - This survey gives an overview of the range of organochlorine pesticides (OCPs)
      alpha and gamma-HCH (lindane), HCB, pp'-DDE, pp'-DDD, op'-DDT, pp'-DDT, aldrin,
      dieldrin, endrin, isodrin and trans-nonachlor in raft mussels cultivated in
      several polygons of the Galician Rias (Ares-Betanzos, Muros-Noia, Arousa,
      Pontevedra and Vigo) during the period 1998-2014. A significant number of OCPs
      were detected, but the levels found were generally low, mainly in the recent
      samplings (2010-2014). The levels of ?DDs (sum of DDTs and its metabolites, pp'
      DDE and pp'-DDD) ranged between 0.22 ng/g dry weight (dw) in samples from the Ria
      of Pontevedra and 46.4 ng/g dw in mussels from the Ria of Arousa. Both aldrin and
      endrin were not detected or were below the analytical limits of detection. With
      regard to other pesticides, dieldrin is the major compound, followed by gamma
      HCH, isodrin, alpha-HCH and transnonachlor. Significant ANOVA regressions
      indicated variations in levels of some OCPs with the biological parameters
      (lipid, condition index and shell length). Univariate and multivariate analysis
      of OCP levels revealed no significant differences between Rias. Temporal trends
      showed an important decline of OCPs in the studied samples during the period 1998
      2014.

PMID- 28349742
TI  - Two new phenolic constituents from the root bark of Morus alba L. and their
      cardioprotective activity.
AB  - A new biphenyl-furocoumarin, named morescoumarin A (1), and a new prenylated
      flavanone, named morflavanone A (2) were isolated from the root bark of Morus
      alba L., together with four known compounds (3-6). Their structures were
      determined by extensive spectroscopic analyses and comparison with literature
      data. The cardioprotective effects of these compounds against doxorubicin-induced
      cell death were evaluated by MTT method.

PMID- 28349743
TI  - A patient presented with dark brown urine after mothballs powder ingestion.
AB  - We report a case who presented with dark brown urine and malaise after mothballs
      powder ingestion.

PMID- 28349745
TI  - Exposure assessment of epoxy fatty acids through consumption of specific foods
      available in Belgium.
AB  - Epoxy fatty acids (EFAs) are secondary oxidation products formed from unsaturated
      fatty acid hydroperoxides. Seventeen food categories were analysed for C18
      monoEFAs of food products available on the Belgian market. A quantitative
      exposure assessment was performed based on deterministic and probabilistic
      approaches combining these concentration data with consumption data obtained from
      the Belgian National Food Consumption Survey of 2004. A preliminary evaluation of
      any potential risk related to the intake of the studied EFAs through the studied
      foods was performed by applying the threshold of toxicological concern (TTC)
      concept. Three food categories out of 17 foods, mayonnaise, butter-margarine and
      ready-to-eat meals were found to contribute most to the intake of EFAs. According
      to probabilistic determination, these foods had P50 intakes of 0.4085, 0.3328 and
      0.2997 mg kg-1 bw day-1 respectively. They had P99.5 intakes of 3.7183, 2.7921
      and 38.6068 mg kg-1 bw day-1 respectively. The intake below the TTC was from the
      consumption of cooked meat, smoked salmon and raw cured ham, with P50 intakes of
      0.0006, 0.0007 and 0.0011 mg kg-1 bw day-1 respectively, and the other foods were
      above the TTC. Based on the TTC concept, a risk to human health could be
      identified related to the consumption of cheese, snacks foods, plant oils, French
      fries, dry nuts, chips, cured minced raw meat, cookies, fresh and frozen salmon
      and bacon.

PMID- 28349746
TI  - The Role of the Away Rotation in Otolaryngology Residency.
AB  - Objective To determine the availability and purpose of away rotations during
      otolaryngology residency. Study Design Cross-sectional survey. Setting
      Otolaryngology residency programs. Subjects and Methods An anonymous web-based
      survey was sent to 98 allopathic otolaryngology training program directors, of
      which 38 programs responded. Fisher exact tests and nonparametric correlations
      were used to determine statistically significant differences among various strata
      of programs. A P value of <.05 was considered statistically significant. Results
      Thirty-nine percent (n = 38) of queried programs responded. Mandatory away
      rotations and elective away rotations were both present in 6 of 38 programs
      (16%). Neither number of faculty ( P = .119) nor residents ( P = .88) was
      predictive of away rotation. Away rotations were typically >151 miles from the
      home institution and typically used to address deficiencies in clinical exposure
      (67%) or case volume (50%). Participants of mandatory away rotations were
      universally provided housing, with other consideration such as stipend (33%),
      relocation allowance (33%), or food allowance (16%) sometimes offered. In
      contrast to mandatory rotations, half of elective rotations were to obtain a
      unique international mission trip experience. Nearly one-third of surveyed
      program directors (29%) would consider adding an away rotation to their
      curriculum in the next 3 years. Conclusions Mandatory and elective away rotations
      play a role in a small, but not insignificant, number of training programs. The
      rationale for these rotations is variable. Given that nearly one-third of program
      directors would consider adding an away rotation in the near future, further
      research into components of a meaningful away rotation and how to optimize the
      away rotation experience is warranted.

PMID- 28349744
TI  - Treatment of Obesity Among Youth With Intellectual and Developmental
      Disabilities: An Emerging Role for Telenursing.
AB  - Childhood obesity is a serious health issue, associated with medical comorbidity
      and psychosocial impairment that can persist into adulthood. In the United
      States, youth with intellectual and developmental disabilities are more likely to
      be obese than youth without disabilities. A large body of evidence supports the
      efficacy of family-based treatment of childhood obesity, including diet, physical
      activity, and behavior modification, but few interventions have been developed
      and evaluated specifically for this population. We highlight studies on treatment
      of obesity among youth with intellectual and developmental disabilities,
      including both residential/educational settings as well as outpatient/hospital
      settings. All interventions were delivered in-person, and further development of
      promising approaches and delivery via telenursing may increase access by youth
      and families. Nursing scientists can assume an important role in overcoming
      barriers to care for this vulnerable and underserved population.

PMID- 28349748
TI  - Rash and pyrexia after succimer (dimercaptosuccinic acid; DMSA).

PMID- 28349747
TI  - Assessment of azole fungicides as a tool to control growth of Aspergillus flavus
      and aflatoxin B1 and B2 production in maize.
AB  - Aspergillus flavus is a highly aflatoxin (AF)-producing species infecting maize
      and other crops. It is dominant in tropical regions, but it is also considered an
      emerging problem associated with climate change in Europe. The aim of this study
      was to assess the efficacy of azole fungicides (prochloraz, tebuconazole and a
      2:1 (w/w) mixture of prochloraz plus tebuconazole) to control the growth of A.
      flavus and AF production in yeast-extract-sucrose (YES) agar and in maize kernels
      under different water activities (aw) and temperatures. Aflatoxins B1 and B2 were
      determined by LC with fluorescence detection and post-column derivatisation of
      AFB1. In YES medium and maize grains inoculated with conidia of A. flavus, the
      growth rate (GR) of the fungus and AFB1 and AFB2 production were significantly
      influenced by temperature and treatment. In YES medium and maize kernels, optimal
      temperatures for GR and AF production were 37 and 25 degrees C, respectively. In
      maize kernels, spore germination was not detected at the combination 37oC/0.95
      aw; however, under these conditions germination was found in YES medium. All
      fungicides were more effective at 0.99 than 0.95 aw, and at 37 than 25oC.
      Fungicides effectiveness was prochloraz > prochloraz plus tebuconazole (2:1) >
      tebuconazole. AFs were not detected in cultures containing the highest fungicide
      doses, and only very low AF levels were found in cultures containing 0.1 mg l-1
      prochloraz or 5.0 mg l-1 tebuconazole. Azoles proved to be highly efficient in
      reducing A. flavus growth and AF production, although stimulation of AF
      production was found under particular conditions and low-dosage treatments. Maize
      kernels were a more favourable substrate for AF biosynthesis than YES medium.
      This paper is the first comparative study on the effects of different azole
      formulations against A. flavus and AF production in a semi-synthetic medium and
      in maize grain under different environmental conditions.

PMID- 28349750
TI  - Necrotising fasciitis after laparoscopic rectal cancer surgery.
AB  - Necrotising fasciitis is a rare, serious infection of the deep fascia leading to
      subcutaneous tissue necrosis. It is extremely important for this condition to be
      identified and treated promptly as it bears significant mortality. We describe a
      case of necrotising fasciitis after laparoscopic rectal cancer surgery. To our
      knowledge, this is the first case reported after the specific procedure. This
      case report aims to encourage surgeons to have a low threshold in recognising
      necrotising fasciitis postoperatively, especially for patients with possible risk
      factors.

PMID- 28349751
TI  - Bilateral peroneal artery aneurysms.
AB  - True aneurysm of the tibial arteries is a rare clinical condition. We report the
      case of a 67-year-old man who presented with a gradual onset of right calf
      swelling and pain. Imaging revealed large aneurysms arising from the proximal
      peroneal arteries bilaterally, measuring 7.4cm and 4cm on the right and left
      respectively. A detailed medical history, clinical examination and laboratory
      investigations did not identify evidence of an underlying cause. A surgical
      reconstruction with an interposition vein graft was successfully performed. To
      our knowledge, this is the first reported case of primary aneurysm of the
      peroneal artery in the English literature. We undertook a systematic literature
      review to identify all reported cases of primary aneurysms of the tibial
      arteries. The clinical presentation, modes of investigation and interventional
      treatments are discussed.

PMID- 28349752
TI  - Endoscopic cystic duct stent as primary treatment for intrahepatic gallbladder
      perforation with abscess formation.
AB  - Intrahepatic gallbladder perforation with abscess formation is an uncommon
      presentation of biliary disease. There is no consensus on how to treat this
      condition, with strategies varying from percutaneous drainage to open
      cholecystectomy and washout. We present a case of a novel, minimally invasive
      treatment, using endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography to place a
      transcystic drain as a bridge to laparoscopic cholecystectomy.

PMID- 28349753
TI  - A novel technique to ensure accurate placement of synthetic bone graft.

PMID- 28349754
TI  - Useful alternative technique for tying a knot with one hand.

PMID- 28349755
TI  - Radical prostatectomy for locally advanced and metastatic prostate cancer.
AB  - The management of advanced prostate cancer remains challenging. Traditionally,
      radical prostatectomy was discouraged in patients with locally advanced or node
      positive disease owing to the increased complication rate and treatment related
      morbidity. However, technical advances and refinements in surgical techniques
      have enabled the outcomes for patients with high risk prostate cancer to be
      improved. More recently, the concept of cytoreductive prostatectomy has been
      described where surgery (often Combined with an extended lymph node dissection)
      is performed in the setting of metastatic disease. Indirect evidence suggests an
      advantage using the cytoreductive approach. Hypothetical explanations for this
      observed benefit include decreased tumour burden, immune modulation, improved
      response to secondary treatment and avoidance of secondary complications
      attributable to local tumour growth. Nevertheless, prospective trials are
      required to investigate this further.

PMID- 28349756
TI  - Extruded talus treated with reimplantation and primary tibiotalocalcaneal
      arthrodesis.
AB  - Extruded talus is a rare serious result from a high-energy injury to a supinated
      and plantar flexed foot. Treatment remains controversial with a lack of congruent
      evidence for talar reimplantation. A 34-year-old woman was involved in a road
      traffic accident at 40 mph. Imaging revealed a left talus extruded
      anterolaterally with a talar neck fracture. Additional injuries included right
      acetabular fracture, transverse process fractures and rib fractures, which were
      treated conservatively. The talus was reimplanted and the talar neck fixed with a
      cortical screw. A hindfoot nail was used to fuse the calcaneus, talus and tibia.
      Follow-up at two years showed solid tibiotalocalcaneal fusion, with no evidence
      of avascular development, and the patient was fully weight bearing without pain.
      We believe this is the first published case of successful primary
      tibiotalocalcaneal fusion for extruded talus injuries.

PMID- 28349757
TI  - DNACPR ('do not attempt cardiopulmonary resuscitation') orders in patients with a
      fractured neck of femur who lack capacity.
AB  - Nationally, half of all deaths occur in hospital, with 94% having a 'do not
      attempt cardiopulmonary resuscitation' (DNACPR) notice in place at the time of
      death. Recent court rulings have raised the profile of practices surrounding
      DNACPR orders where patients lack capacity. Failure to consult with those close
      to the patient in relation to DNACPR decisions is a breach of the right to
      respect for private and family life under article 8 of the Human Rights Act. A
      report from 2016 found that those close to the patient were not consulted before
      one out of every five DNACPR orders are placed. We advocate addressing the issue
      of resuscitation in patients with a fractured neck of femur who are approaching
      the end of their lives. Where the patient lacks capacity, there is a legal duty
      to consult with those close to the patient where it is practicable and
      appropriate to do so. There must be a convincing and well evidenced reason to
      proceed without consultation, and the orthopaedic surgeon should exercise extreme
      caution before doing so.

PMID- 28349758
TI  - Use of natural user interfaces for image navigation during laparoscopic surgery:
      initial experience.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Surgical environments require special aseptic conditions for direct
      interaction with the preoperative images. We aim to test the feasibility of using
      a set of gesture control sensors combined with voice control to interact in a
      sterile manner with preoperative information and an integrated operating room
      (OR) during laparoscopic surgery. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Two hepatectomies and two
      partial nephrectomies were performed by three experienced surgeons in a porcine
      model. The Kinect, Leap Motion, and MYO armband in combination with voice control
      were used as natural user interfaces (NUIs). After surgery, surgeons completed a
      questionnaire about their experience. RESULTS: Surgeons required <10 min training
      with each NUI. They stated that NUIs improved the access to preoperative patient
      information and kept them more focused on the surgical site. The Kinect system
      was reported as the most physically demanding NUI and the MYO armband in
      combination with voice commands as the most intuitive and accurate. The need to
      release one of the laparoscopic instruments in order to use the NUIs was
      identified as the main limitation. CONCLUSIONS: The presented NUIs are feasible
      to directly interact in a more intuitive and sterile manner with the preoperative
      images and the integrated OR functionalities during laparoscopic surgery.

PMID- 28349759
TI  - Capillary Hemangioma of the Tympanic Membrane.

PMID- 28349760
TI  - Effects of Ramadan on physical capacities of North African boys fasting for the
      first time.
AB  - Introduction Most of the literature related to the effects of Ramadan fasting on
      physical performance has focused on adults, and only three studies have examined
      its impact on children's physical performance. Aims To examine the effects of
      Ramadan fasting on first-time fasting boys' performance in short-term explosive
      exercises [vertical and horizontal jump tests (VJT and HJT), 20-m and 30-m
      sprints and medicine-ball throw (MBT)], as well as in sub-maximal endurance [6
      min walking distance (6MWD) measured during the 6-min walk test (6MWT)]. Methods
      Eighteen Tunisian boys [mean+/-standard deviation (SD) of age and body mass (BM):
      11.9+/-0.8 y and 55.4+/-18.2 kg, respectively] were included. The experimental
      design comprised four testing phases: 2-weeks before Ramadan (BR), the end of the
      second week (R2) and the fourth week (R4) of Ramadan, and 10-12 days after the
      end of Ramadan (AR). At each phase, boys performed two test sessions in the
      afternoon (15:00-17:00 h) interrupted by 48 h of recovery (first test session:
      BM, VJT, HJT, and 20-m and 30-m sprint tests; second session: MBT and 6MWT). The
      study was conducted during the summer of 2012 from July 5 to August 29. Results
      6MWDs (m) were significantly shorter during R2 (652+/-101) and R4 (595+/-123)
      compared to BR (697+/-86) and came back to baseline values AR. BM (kg) mean+/-SD
      did not significantly change during R2 (52+/-15) and during R4 (53+/-15) compared
      to BR (55+/-17), and short-term explosive performances were unchanged throughout
      the study. Conclusion In non-athletic children, first-ever Ramadan fasting
      impairs sub-maximal aerobic capacity but has no effect on BM or short-term
      explosive performance.

PMID- 28349761
TI  - Roots and routes to resilience and its role in psychotherapy: a selective,
      attachment-informed review.
AB  - Developmental research on resilience is summarised and illustrated with a case
      example. Self-reflection, positive relationships, and agency foster resilience in
      the face of adversity. Attachment and resilience are related categories. The
      different patterns of attachment - secure, insecure-organised and insecure
      disorganised - are manifest in different patterns of resilience, depending on
      prevailing environmental conditions. However, the greater the environmental
      adversity, the less will the resilience factors emerge. Clients tend to present
      for psychotherapy when resilience strategies have failed. The therapeutic
      relationship has neurochemical and relational characteristic mirroring the secure
      mother-infant bond. These foster mentalising, stress innoculation, affect co
      regulation, self-esteem, and agency, forming the basis for enduring and more
      flexible resilience strategies.

PMID- 28349762
TI  - Segmental resection of anterior uterine wall in cases with placenta percreta: a
      modified technique for fertility preserving approach.
AB  - AIM: The aim of this study was to introduce a modified form of fertility
      preserving approach in cases with placenta percreta. METHODS: Eleven pregnant
      women with anterior placenta previa and suspected to have placenta percreta
      underwent cesarean section between 2015 and 2016 in Zeynep Kamil Women and
      Children's Health Training and Research Hospital. In all cases, following
      confirmation of placenta percreta diagnosis, a modified minimal invasive form of
      uterine preserving surgery was performed. RESULTS: During the present study
      period, 11 pregnant women who were confirmed to have placenta previa and placenta
      percreta underwent modified form of segmental resection. In all cases, modified
      form of segmental resection was successful except for the two cases. There were
      significant statistical differences between pre-postoperative hemoglobin and
      hematocrit levels (p = .003). There was a significant correlation between the
      volume of resected segment and number of transfusions (r = .760, p = .047).
      Postoperative blood transfusion was not needed in 4 cases. No maternal mortality
      or other postoperative complication was observed in any case. CONCLUSION: A
      modified minimal invasive form of uterine preserving surgery seems to be safe and
      result in more cosmetic results with minimal blood loss.

PMID- 28349763
TI  - Radiographic Evidence of Occult Intracranial Hypertension in Patients with
      Meniere's Disease.
AB  - Objectives (1) Describe the prevalence of radiographic signs of intracranial
      hypertension (ICH) in Meniere's disease (MD) and (2) compare the prevalence of
      radiographic signs of ICH in MD patients managed medically to those managed
      surgically. Study Design Case-control study. Setting Academic neurotologic
      practice. Subjects and Methods Adult MD patients (aged >=17 years) treated from
      2011 to 2015 were reviewed. Inclusion required magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)
      of the head and follow-up >6 months. Patients with intracranial tumors, mass
      effect, trauma, previous intracranial surgery, and glaucoma were excluded. MD
      patients were separated by administered treatment into medical and surgical
      subgroups. Cochlear implant (CI) recipients served as radiographic controls.
      Eighty-four MD patients (46 surgical, 38 medical) and 37 CI controls were
      assessed. MRI measurements assessed for empty/partial sella (ES/PS),
      dilated/tortuous optic nerve sheath (ONS), and posterior globe flattening (PGF).
      Results Mean age was 53.8 +/- 1.3 years and median body mass index (BMI) was 28.2
      kg/m2. Of the patients, 64% were female and 92% were white. MRI findings in the
      MD cohort were as follows: ES/PS, 46.4%; ONS change, 42.8%; and PGF, 8.3%. The
      prevalence of ONS change was higher in MD patients than in controls (42.8% vs
      13.5%, P = .003). The surgical MD group had higher prevalence of ONS change (52%)
      compared with the medical group (31.5%, P = .05) and controls (13.5%, P = .0004).
      The surgical group had a higher prevalence of >=2 simultaneous MRI findings
      compared with medical MD patients (39% vs 10%, P = .01) and controls (14%, P =
      .01). Conclusion MD patients demonstrate a high prevalence of radiographic signs
      of ICH. MD patients who required surgery had a greater prevalence of radiographic
      signs of ICH compared with non-MD patients and medically managed MD patients.

PMID- 28349764
TI  - Computational fluid dynamics study of common stent models inside idealised curved
      coronary arteries.
AB  - The haemodynamic behaviour of blood inside a coronary artery after stenting is
      greatly affected by individual stent features as well as complex geometrical
      properties of the artery including tortuosity and curvature. Regions at higher
      risk of restenosis, as measured by low wall shear stress (WSS < 0.5 Pa), have not
      yet been studied in detail in curved stented arteries. In this study, three
      dimensional computational modelling and computational fluid dynamics
      methodologies were used to analyse the haemodynamic characteristics in curved
      stented arteries using several common stent models. Results in this study showed
      that stent strut thickness was one major factor influencing the distribution of
      WSS in curved arteries. Regions of low WSS were found behind struts, particularly
      those oriented at a large angle relative to the streamwise flow direction. These
      findings were similar to those obtained in studies of straight arteries. An
      uneven distribution of WSS at the inner and outer bends of curved arteries was
      observed where the WSS was lower at the inner bend. In this study, it was also
      shown that stents with a helical configuration generated an extra swirling
      component of the flow based on the helical direction; however, this extra swirl
      in the flow field did not cause significant changes on the distribution of WSS
      under the current setup.

PMID- 28349765
TI  - New three-dimensional model based on finite element method of bone nanostructure:
      single TC molecule scale level.
AB  - At the macroscopic scale, the bone mechanical behavior (fracture, elastic)
      depends mainly on its components' nature at the nanoscopic scale (collagen,
      mineral). Thus, an understanding of the mechanical behavior of the elementary
      components is demanded to understand the phenomena that can be observed at the
      macroscopic scale. In this article, a new numerical model based on finite element
      method is proposed in order to describe the mechanical behavior of a single
      Tropocollagen molecule. Furthermore, a parametric study with different geometric
      properties covering the molecular composition and the rate hydration influence is
      presented. The proposed model has been tested under tensile loading. While
      focusing on the entropic response, the geometric parameter variation effect on
      the mechanical behavior of Tropocollagen molecule has been revealed using the
      model. Using numerical and experimental testing, the obtained numerical
      simulation results seem to be acceptable, showing a good agreement with those
      found in literature.

PMID- 28349766
TI  - Bioimpedancemetry for the assessment of periodontal tissue inflammation: a
      numerical feasibility study.
AB  - In dentistry possible inflammatory episodes of oral cavity can be very frequent
      (periodontitis, mucositis, peri-implantitis) and they can have serious
      consequences. Indeed, peri-implantitis is still the principal cause of implant
      failure. Impedance values of biological tissues are related to the
      physiological/pathological state of the tissue itself. In fact, an inflamed site
      exhibits an impedance value lower than that of the corresponding healthy tissue.
      Based on these observations, the aim of this work is to determine if
      impedancemetric measurements are able to provide information about the
      inflammatory state of tissues. A numerical 3D model has been realized to simulate
      the measurement conditions present in the event of inflammation around a dental
      implant. The aim is to understand if it is possible to determine the presence of
      an inflamed tissue and to locate its site, so that the treatment could be
      specifically focused in that specific area. A simplified geometry reproducing the
      implant has been realized in order to validate the numerical model by means of
      experimental measurements. The obtained results are satisfactorily accurate, so
      the model can be considered reliable. Therefore, multiple simulations have been
      run on the original model to carry out a parametric study in terms of different
      conductivity values, different volumes of inflamed tissues and different
      measurement frequencies. The advantages and limits of such a method have been
      shown to properly define the main constraints for the system design.

PMID- 28349767
TI  - Finite element analyses for improved design of peripheral stents.
AB  - Due to the recent increase in the number of stent insertion procedures, the
      number of studies to evaluate the mechanical behaviors of stents, such as the
      stress and deformation states, using finite element analysis is also increasing.
      However, it is still not easy to design stents that are uniformly expanded and
      show enough radial strength and flexibility. Therefore, in this study, the
      Taguchi method and finite element analysis were used to determine a set of
      optimal design variables for unit patterns of stents, and a new design approach
      was developed to realize uniform expansion, enough radial strength and good
      flexibility. The stent designed using the new design approach was verified by
      experiments.

PMID- 28349768
TI  - Effect of body weight support variation on muscle activities during robot
      assisted gait: a dynamic simulation study.
AB  - BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: While body weight support (BWS) intonation is vital
      during conventional gait training of neurologically challenged subjects, it is
      important to evaluate its effect during robot assisted gait training. In the
      present research we have studied the effect of BWS intonation on muscle
      activities during robotic gait training using dynamic simulations. METHODS: Two
      dimensional (2-D) musculoskeletal model of human gait was developed conjointly
      with another 2-D model of a robotic orthosis capable of actuating hip, knee and
      ankle joints simultaneously. The musculoskeletal model consists of eight major
      muscle groups namely; soleus (SOL), gastrocnemius (GAS), tibialis anterior (TA),
      hamstrings (HAM), vasti (VAS), gluteus maximus (GLU), uniarticular hip flexors
      (iliopsoas, IP), and Rectus Femoris (RF). BWS was provided at levels of 0, 20, 40
      and 60% during the simulations. In order to obtain a feasible set of muscle
      activities during subsequent gait cycles, an inverse dynamics algorithm along
      with a quadratic minimization algorithm was implemented. RESULTS: The dynamic
      parameters of the robot assisted human gait such as joint angle trajectories,
      ground contact force (GCF), human limb joint torques and robot induced torques at
      different levels of BWS were derived. The patterns of muscle activities at
      variable BWS were derived and analysed. For most part of the gait cycle (GC) the
      muscle activation patterns are quite similar for all levels of BWS as is apparent
      from the mean of muscle activities for the complete GC. CONCLUSIONS: Effect of
      BWS variation during robot assisted gait on muscle activities was studied by
      developing dynamic simulation. It is expected that the proposed dynamic
      simulation approach will provide important inferences and information about the
      muscle function variations consequent upon a change in BWS during robot assisted
      gait. This information shall be quite important while investigating the influence
      of BWS intonation on neuromuscular parameters of interest during robotic gait
      training.

PMID- 28349769
TI  - Finite element analysis of implant-supported prosthesis with pontic and
      cantilever in the posterior maxilla.
AB  - The aim of this study was to evaluate the influence of pontic and cantilever
      designs (mesial and distal) on 3-unit implant-retained prosthesis at maxillary
      posterior region verifying stress and strain distributions on bone tissue
      (cortical and trabecular bones) and stress distribution in abutments, implants
      and fixation screws, under axial and oblique loadings, by 3D finite element
      analysis. Each model was composed of a bone block presenting right first premolar
      to the first molar, with three or two external hexagon implants (4.0 * 10 mm),
      supporting a 3-unit splinted dental fixed dental prosthesis with the variations:
      M1 - three implants supporting splinted crowns; M2 - two implants supporting
      prosthesis with central pontic; M3 - two implants supporting prosthesis with
      mesial cantilever; M4 - two implants supporting prosthesis with distal
      cantilever. The applied forces were 400 N axial and 200 N oblique. The von Mises
      criteria was used to evaluate abutments, implants and fixation screws and maximum
      principal stress and microstrain criteria were used to evaluate the bone tissue.
      The decrease of the number of implants caused an unfavorable biomechanical
      behavior for all structures (M2, M3, M4). For two implant-supported prostheses,
      the use of the central pontic (M2) showed stress and strain distributions more
      favorable in the analyzed structures. The use of cantilever showed unfavorable
      biomechanical behavior (M3 and M4), mainly for distal cantilever (M4). The use of
      three implants presented lower values of stress and strain on the analyzed
      structures. Among two implant-supported prostheses, prostheses with cantilever
      showed unfavorable biomechanical behavior in the analyzed structures, especially
      for distal cantilever.

PMID- 28349770
TI  - The Role of Tonsillectomy in Adults with Tonsillar Hypertrophy and Obstructive
      Sleep Apnea.
AB  - Objective To determine if tonsillectomy alone is an effective treatment in
      improving obstructive sleep apnea in adult subjects with tonsillar hypertrophy
      and to evaluate the effect of tonsillectomy on patient-reported quality-of-life
      indices. Study Design Case series with planned data collection. Setting Academic
      hospital. Subjects and Methods Thirty-four subjects completed enrollment and
      intervention from January 2011 to January 2016. Subjects completed pre- and
      postoperative quality-of-life questionnaires, including the Insomnia Severity
      Index, Epworth Sleepiness Scale, and the Functional Outcomes of Sleep
      Questionnaire-10. Surgical response to treatment was defined by a >50% decrease
      in the Apnea-Hypopnea Index and a decrease in the overall Apnea-Hypopnea Index to
      <20. Wilcoxon matched-pairs signed-rank tests were used to test each variable to
      assess for a change from pre- to postintervention. Subjects were then split into
      3 BMI subgroups, with results also evaluated by Wilcoxon matched-pairs signed
      rank tests. Results There was a significant difference discovered between the
      mean preoperative Apnea-Hypopnea Index of 31.57 and the mean postoperative value
      of 8.12 ( P < .001). All patient-reported outcomes improved significantly
      following tonsillectomy. After stratifying all outcome variables (Apnea-Hypopnea
      Index, Epworth Sleepiness Scale, Insomnia Severity Index, and Functional Outcomes
      of Sleep Questionnaire-10) by sex, race, and tonsil size, no statistically
      significant difference was noted among any of these subgroups. There was a 78%
      surgical response to treatment. Conclusion Tonsillectomy appears to be an
      effective treatment for obstructive sleep apnea in a select population of adults
      with tonsillar hypertrophy.

PMID- 28349771
TI  - Antivenom for European Vipera species envenoming.
AB  - BACKGROUND: European viper bite is relatively uncommon but can cause serious
      envenoming, particularly swelling and hemorrhage spreading from limb to trunk
      that can cause long term disability. Systemic features are relatively mild
      compared to many other venomous species. Moderate-to-severe envenoming requires
      antivenom, which is given many hundreds of times each year across the continent.
      Several Vipera spp antivenoms are produced in Europe, but there is little
      comparative information available for the antivenoms and none is licensed with
      the European Medicines Agency. We aimed to collect descriptive data on European
      viper antivenoms and assess their relative effectiveness. METHODS: A systematic
      review of articles relating to antivenom in Europe was performed using the
      Medline medical database. The following keywords "Europ*" or the individual names
      of each European country and "antiven*" or "immun*" or "envenom*" and "snake" or
      "viper*" or "adder" were used. Articles published between 1 January 1996 and 11
      March 2016 pertaining to clinical outcome, including case reports, were selected.
      Referenced articles in the indexed articles were explored for suitability and
      included if they met any of the criteria: specific antivenom used, route of
      antivenom administration, adverse reactions to antivenom therapy and length of
      hospital admission. All accepted abstracts from EAPCCT conferences since 2000
      were searched and abstracts relating to Vipera spp envenoming were assessed for
      suitability. We extracted data on study type, safety and effectiveness. We sought
      information on antivenoms from manufacturers and individual patient data from
      authors of publications. Since individual patient data were only rarely
      available, we compared median length of stay between case series reporting each
      antivenom. We identified 40 papers and six published abstracts, and one
      unpublished paper that reported clinical cases and case series of envenomed
      patients treated with antivenom. No publication reported randomized controlled
      trials comparing any European Vipera antivenom with either placebo or another
      antivenom. 25 reports were of retrospective hospital- (n = 13) or poison center
      based (n = 12) case series including five or more patients; a further 12 reports
      were either case reports or case series with less than five patients and one
      paper was a limited literature review. An additional nine papers reported
      prospective data; seven collected data remotely through poison service telephone
      communication with the attending physicians. Antivenoms available in Europe:
      Eight antivenoms are available for European Vipera spp envenoming; a material
      safety data sheet providing information on manufacture was available for seven.
      Six are raised against V. berus or V. ammodytes venom; the seventh is raised
      against a mixture of V. ammodytes, V. aspis and V. berus venom and the eighth is
      raised against V. ammodytes, Macrovipera lebetina and Montivipera xanthina venom.
      Six manufacturers recommended intramuscular administration while two recommended
      intravenous administration. No randomized control trials comparing the
      effectiveness of antivenoms were identified. Pre-clinical data: We found two
      papers presenting comparative preclinical data. Clinical data: Clinical studies
      were predominantly retrospective and contained clinical data on antivenom used in
      2602 patients; where the antivenom was identified (n = 2174), 2061 (94.8%)
      received Zagreb, ViperFAV or ViperaTAb antivenoms. There were few published data
      on the other antivenoms. Repeated use of antivenom: Repeat doses were reported in
      230/1491 of cases (15.4%) where this information was recorded. Outcome and length
      of hospital stay: Intravenous administration of antivenom was associated with
      shorter length of hospital stay (median length of hospital stay in studies of
      intravenous ViperFAV or ViperaTAb ranged from 1 to 4.8 days versus 2 to 18 days
      for intramuscular Bulbio or Zagreb antivenoms). Antivenom versus no antivenom:
      Some small studies demonstrated no difference in the length of hospital stay in
      patients with equivalent envenomation grading who either did or did not receive
      antivenom. Adverse events: Adverse reactions were reported in 37 of 2408 cases
      (1.5%) including seven cases of anaphylaxis. CONCLUSIONS: There are very limited
      pre-clinical comparative data and no randomised controlled trials assessing
      effectiveness of the antivenoms against different Vipera species. Most
      descriptive data suggest the efficacy of Zagreb, ViperFAV and ViperaTAb
      antivenoms by the intravenous route but not intramuscular route, although this is
      level D evidence. Reported adverse reactions were rare, suggesting that the
      modern intravenous antivenoms are of good quality. Better and more systematic
      data, including perhaps randomized controlled trials comparing different
      antivenoms, are required for the many hundreds of antivenom administrations that
      occur annually across Europe.

PMID- 28349772
TI  - Stress, coping, executive function, and brain activation in adolescent offspring
      of depressed and nondepressed mothers.
AB  - This study examined the associations among chronic stress, activation in the
      prefrontal cortex (PFC), executive function, and coping with stress in at-risk
      and a comparison sample of adolescents. Adolescents (N = 16; age 12-15) of
      mothers with (n = 8) and without (n = 8) a history of depression completed
      questionnaires, neurocognitive testing, and functional neuroimaging in response
      to a working memory task (N-back). Children of depressed mothers demonstrated
      less activation in the anterior PFC (APFC) and both greater and less activation
      than controls in distinct areas within the dorsal anterior cingulate cortex
      (dACC) in response to the N-back task. Across both groups, activation of the
      dorsolateral PFC (DLPFC; Brodmann area [BA9]) and APFC (BA10) was positively
      correlated with greater exposure to stress and negatively correlated with
      secondary control coping. Similarly, activation of the dACC (BA32) was negatively
      correlated with secondary control coping. Regression analyses revealed that
      DLPFC, dACC, and APFC activation were significant predictors of adolescents'
      reports of their use of secondary control coping and accounted for the effects of
      stress exposure on adolescents' coping. This study provides evidence that chronic
      stress may impact coping through its effects on the brain regions responsible for
      executive functions foundational to adaptive coping skills.

PMID- 28349773
TI  - Epileptic Encephalopathies: Clinical Aspects, Molecular Features and
      Pathogenesis, Therapeutic Targets and Translational Opportunities, and Future
      Research Directions.
AB  - Epileptic encephalopathies encompass a heterogeneous group of epilepsy syndromes
      that manifest with cognitive, behavioral, and neurologic deficits, seizures that
      are often intractable and multiform, aggressive electroencephalographic
      paroxysmal activity, and sometimes early death. As more is learned about the
      etiologies and manifestations of epileptic encephalopathies, progress has been
      made toward better treatment options. However, there is still a great need for
      further randomized controlled trials and research to help create clinically
      effective therapies. The 2015 Neurobiology of Disease in Children symposium, held
      in conjunction with the 44th annual meeting of the Child Neurology Society, aimed
      to (1) describe the clinical concerns involving diagnosis and treatment, (2)
      review the current status of understanding in the pathogenesis of epileptic
      encephalopathy, (3) discuss clinical management and therapies for epileptic
      encephalopathy, and (4) define future directions of research. This article
      summarizes the presentations and includes an edited transcript of question-and
      answer sessions.

PMID- 28349774
TI  - Increasing Ketamine Use for Refractory Status Epilepticus in US Pediatric
      Hospitals.
AB  - Ketamine is an emerging therapy for pediatric refractory status epilepticus. The
      circumstances of its use, however, are understudied. The authors described
      pediatric refractory status epilepticus treated with ketamine from 2010 to 2014
      at 45 centers using the Pediatric Hospital Inpatient System database. For
      comparison, they described children treated with pentobarbital. The authors
      estimated that 48 children received ketamine and pentobarbital for refractory
      status epilepticus, and 630 pentobarbital without ketamine. Those receiving only
      pentobarbital were median age 3 [interquartile range 0-10], and spent 30 [18-52]
      days in-hospital, including 17 [9-28] intensive care unit (ICU) days; 17% died.
      Median cost was $148 000 [81 000-241 000]. The pentobarbital-ketamine group was
      older (7 [2-11]) with longer hospital stays (51 [30-93]) and more ICU days (29
      [20-56]); 29% died. Median cost was $298 000 [176 000-607 000]. For 71%, ketamine
      was given >=1 day after pentobarbital. Ketamine cases per half-year increased
      from 2 to 9 ( P < .05). Ketamine is increasingly used for severe pediatric
      refractory status epilepticus, typically after pentobarbital. Research on its
      effectiveness is indicated.

PMID- 28349775
TI  - A Patient as Art: Andrew Wyeth's Portrayal of Christina Olson's Neurologic
      Disorder in Christina's World.
AB  - In Christina's World, one of the most beloved works of American art, Andrew Wyeth
      painted Christina Olson crawling crablike across the field below her house,
      raised on emaciated arms, with a swollen knob for an elbow, and hands clenched
      and gnarled. The significance of these physical abnormalities, and the message
      Wyeth endeavored to convey via the portrait, are considered here in light of
      Christina's medical history and the disorder it most likely signifies.

PMID- 28349776
TI  - Associations between Otolaryngology Applicant Characteristics and Future
      Performance in Residency or Practice: A Systematic Review.
AB  - Objective This systematic review aims to evaluate which applicant characteristics
      available to an otolaryngology selection committee are associated with future
      performance in residency or practice. Data Sources PubMed, Scopus, ERIC, Health
      Business, Psychology and Behavioral Sciences Collection, and SocINDEX. Review
      Methods Study eligibility was performed by 2 independent investigators in
      accordance with the PRISMA protocol (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic
      Reviews and Meta-analyses). Data obtained from each article included research
      questions, study design, predictors, outcomes, statistical analysis, and
      results/findings. Study bias was assessed with the Quality in Prognosis Studies
      tool. Results The initial search identified 439 abstracts. Six articles fulfilled
      all inclusion and exclusion criteria. All studies were retrospective cohort
      studies (level 4). Overall, the studies yielded relatively few criteria that
      correlated with residency success, with generally conflicting results. Most
      studies were found to have a high risk of bias. Conclusion Previous resident
      selection research has lacked a theoretical background, thus predisposing this
      work to inconsistent results and high risk of bias. The included studies provide
      historical insight into the predictors and criteria (eg, outcomes) previously
      deemed pertinent by the otolaryngology field. Additional research is needed,
      possibly integrating aspects of personnel selection, to engage in an evidence
      based approach to identify highly qualified candidates who will succeed as future
      otolaryngologists.

PMID- 28349777
TI  - Aortic Curvature Is a Predictor of Late Type Ia Endoleak and Migration After
      Endovascular Aneurysm Repair.
AB  - PURPOSE: To evaluate the association between aortic curvature and other
      preoperative anatomical characteristics and late (>1 year) type Ia endoleak and
      endograft migration in endovascular aneurysm repair (EVAR) patients. METHODS:
      Eight high-volume EVAR centers contributed 116 EVAR patients (mean age 81+/-7
      years; 103 men) to the study: 36 patients (mean age 82+/-7 years; 31 men) with
      endograft migration and/or type Ia endoleak diagnosed >1 year after the initial
      EVAR and 80 controls without early or late complications. Aortic curvature was
      calculated from the preoperative computed tomography scan as the maximum and
      average curvature over 5 predefined aortic segments: the entire infrarenal aortic
      neck, aneurysm sac, and the suprarenal, juxtarenal, and infrarenal aorta. Other
      morphological characteristics included neck length, neck diameter, mural neck
      calcification and thrombus, suprarenal and infrarenal angulation, and largest
      aneurysm sac diameter. Independent risk factors were identified using backward
      stepwise logistic regression. Relevant cutoff values for each of the variables in
      the final regression model were determined with the receiver operator
      characteristic curve. RESULTS: Logistic regression identified maximum curvature
      over the length of the aneurysm sac (>47 m-1; p=0.023), largest aneurysm sac
      diameter (>56 mm; p=0.028), and mural neck thrombus (>11 degrees  circumference;
      p<0.001) as independent predictors of late migration and type Ia endoleak.
      CONCLUSION: Aortic curvature is a predictor for late type Ia endoleak and
      endograft migration after EVAR. These findings suggest that aortic curvature is a
      better parameter than angulation to predict post-EVAR failure and should be
      included as a hostile neck parameter.

PMID- 28349778
TI  - Neuropsychological measurement of inhibitory control in posttraumatic stress
      disorder: An exploratory antisaccade paradigm.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: The aim of the study was to uncover inhibitory control dynamics and
      assess antisaccade eye-tracking tasks for relevance in a veteran posttraumatic
      stress disorder (PTSD) population. METHOD: Participants were 36 veterans enrolled
      at the Washington DC Veterans Affairs Medical Center. The groups (PTSD diagnosed
      vs. controls) did not vary between age and sex. Participants completed a testing
      battery of clinical neuropsychological measures and two different eye-tracking
      conditions, one that utilized face stimuli and one with standard shape stimuli,
      which test pro- (PS) and antisaccade (AS) eye movements. RESULTS: Veterans with
      PTSD, t(33) = 2.2, p = .04, took longer to respond than controls in the standard
      condition AS. In the face condition, a group by task interaction was seen with
      increased latency for PTSD veterans in the AS versus PS task, F(3, 33) = 3.99, p
      = .05, with a large overall effect (Hedges' g = 1.18, p < .001) compared to
      controls. After controlling for depression, analyses suggested that only the face
      condition AS task significantly predicted dimensions of PTSD symptomology
      measured by the Clinician Administered PTSD Scale (CAPS) for veterans with PTSD.
      CONCLUSIONS: This is the first study to extend AS findings to PTSD and suggests a
      specific capability to measure inhibitory control using eye-tracking technology.
      We discuss the notion that reduced capacity to regulate facial-related processing
      affects cognitive and attentional control networks of PTSD patients, potentially
      representing a core cognitive deficit.

PMID- 28349779
TI  - Leadership Training in Otolaryngology Residency.
AB  - Although residency training offers numerous leadership opportunities, most
      residents are not exposed to scripted leadership instruction. To explore one
      program's attitudes about leadership training, a group of otolaryngology faculty
      (n = 14) and residents (n = 17) was polled about their attitudes. In terms of
      self-perception, more faculty (10 of 14, 71.4%) than residents (9 of 17, 52.9%; P
      = .461) considered themselves good leaders. The majority of faculty and residents
      (27 of 31) thought that adults could be taught leadership ability. Given
      attitudes about leadership ability and the potential for improvement through
      instruction, consideration should be given to including such training in
      otolaryngology residency.

PMID- 28349780
TI  - Ganoderic acid targeting nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 in lung
      cancer.
AB  - Lung cancer causes huge mortality worldwide, and targeting new pathway may
      provide an alternative in modulating signaling in cancer. Nuclear factor
      erythroid 2-related factor 2 is the major regulator of endogenous and exogenous
      stress by activating numerous antioxidant genes critical in cancer, Alzheimer's,
      Parkinson's, and inflammatory bowel diseases. Ganoderic acid is a triterpene from
      basiodiomycetes fungus Ganoderma lucidum with numerous therapeutic effects. In
      this study, ganoderic acid and its 50 isomers and natural activators were docked
      by receptor-based molecular docking using Maestro 9.6 (Schrodinger Inc.) in the
      Kelch-like ECH-associated protein 1-nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2
      signaling pathway. The receptor-based molecular docking reveals the best binding
      interaction of nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 and ganoderic acid A
      with GScore (-9.69) (kcal/mol), Lipophilic EvdW (-1.83), Electro (-0.72), Glide
      emodel (-73.369), H bond (-1.1), molecular mechanics/generalized Born surface
      area (-75.541) with Leu 718, Asp 800, Cys 797 residues involved in hydrogen
      bonding. The calculated docking energy highlights the lipophilic, hydrogen
      bonding, pi-pi stacking interactions, and non-covalent bonding. Analysis showed
      the involvement of cysteine and serine residues which were crucial in the
      activation and translocation from cytoplasm to the nucleus in the nuclear factor
      erythroid 2-related factor 2 signaling process. The molecular docking tool
      QikProp analyzed the absorption, distribution, metabolism, excretion, and
      toxicity but needs some modifications in their structure to satisfy Lipinski's
      rule. Ganoderic acid A is a best docked isoform which inhibits the cell
      proliferation, viability, migration, and reactive oxygen species and messenger
      RNA expression of nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 in H460 cells.

PMID- 28349781
TI  - Evaluation of sorafenib in Chinese unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma patients
      with prior surgery and portal vein tumor thrombosis: A subset analysis of GIDEON
      study data.
AB  - The purpose of this study was to examine the safety and efficacy of sorafenib in
      Chinese patients with unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma. Data of 338 Chinese
      patients from the Global Investigation of therapeutic DEcisions in hepatocellular
      carcinoma and Of its treatment with sorafeNib study database were included.
      Patients were divided into those who received and did not receive sorafenib prior
      to surgical resection and those with and without portal vein tumor thrombosis. In
      the non-surgery group, the median survival was 302 days (95% confidence interval:
      244-371), and the median time from diagnosis to death was 428 days (95%
      confidence interval: 352-556); in the surgery group, half of the patients
      survived for 345 days and the median time from diagnosis to death was 1000 days
      (95% confidence interval: 750-2816). Median progression-free survival and median
      time to progression were not different between the two groups. Median overall
      survival was 360 days (95% confidence interval: 309-435) in the non-portal vein
      tumor thrombosis group and 240 days (95% confidence interval: 181-296) in the
      portal vein tumor thrombosis group; median time between hepatocellular carcinoma
      diagnosis and death was 750 days (95% confidence interval: 472-1000) and 420 days
      (95% confidence interval: 252-567), respectively, in the two groups. Median
      progression-free survival was 209 days (95% confidence interval: 166-264) for
      patients without portal vein tumor thrombosis and 154 days (95% confidence
      interval: 112-202) for patients with portal vein tumor thrombosis; median time to
      progression was 295 days (95% confidence interval: 209-463) and 221 days,
      respectively. Adverse events were generally comparable regardless of prior
      surgery and portal vein tumor thrombosis status. We thus conclude that earlier
      administration of sorafenib may result in improved outcomes in patients with
      unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma and portal vein tumor thrombosis.

PMID- 28349782
TI  - HR+HER2- breast cancers with growth factor receptor-mediated EMT have a poor
      prognosis and lapatinib downregulates EMT in MCF-7 cells.
AB  - Despite an overall good prognosis, a significant proportion of patients with
      hormone receptor positive human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 negative
      breast cancers develop distant metastases. The metastatic potential of epithelial
      cells is known to be regulated by tumor-stromal interaction and mediated by
      epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition. Hormone receptor positive human epidermal
      growth factor receptor 2 negative tumors were used to estimate markers of
      epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition, and the luminal breast cancer cell line MCF
      7 was used to examine the interactions between integrins and growth factor
      receptors in causation of epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition. A total of 140
      primary tumors were sub-divided into groups enriched for the markers of
      epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (snail family transcriptional repressor 2
      and integrin beta6) versus those with low levels. Within the epithelial-to
      mesenchymal transition+ tumors, there was a positive correlation between the
      transcripts of integrin beta6 and growth factor receptors-human epidermal growth
      factor receptor 2 and epidermal growth factor receptor. In tumors enriched for
      epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition markers, patients with tumors with the
      highest quartile of growth factor receptor transcripts had a shorter disease-free
      survival compared to patients with low growth factor receptor expression by
      Kaplan-Meier analysis (log rank, p = 0.03). Epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition
      was induced in MCF-7 cells by treatment with transforming growth factor beta 1
      and confirmed by upregulation of SNAI1 and SNAI2 transcripts, increase of
      vimentin and integrin beta6 protein, and repression of E-cadherin. Treatment of
      these cells with the dual-specificity tyrosine-kinase inhibitor lapatinib led to
      downregulation of epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition as indicated by lower
      levels of SNAI1 and SNAI2 transcripts, integrin alphavbeta6, and matrix
      metalloproteinase 9 protein. The results suggest that synergistic interactions
      between growth factor receptors and integrin beta6 could mediate epithelial-to
      mesenchymal transition and migration in a subset of luminal breast cancers and
      lapatinib might be effective in disrupting this interaction.

PMID- 28349783
TI  - Toxicity from fluoropolymer-containing grout, tile and stone floor sealants
      reported to the UK National Poisons Information Service 2009-2015.
AB  - CONTEXT: Grout, tile and floor stone sealants contain a solvent, a water
      repelling agent and in the case of aerosols a propellant. The water-repelling
      agent used is typically a fluoropolymer resin, a silicon-based resin, or a
      combination of both. OBJECTIVE: To report the clinical course in patients exposed
      to fluoropolymer-containing sealants referred to the United Kingdom National
      Poisons Information Service. METHODS: A retrospective analysis was performed of
      telephone enquiries received between 2009 and 2015. RESULTS: 101 enquiries
      involving 96 exposures were received. The majority of the exposures (n = 88)
      occurred when the sealant was delivered from an aerosol. Twelve patients were
      exposed occupationally and the remainder were exposed while using the product at
      home. Eighty-nine exposures were as a result of inhalation alone, two followed
      ingestion, three skin contact and one eye contact; one involved inhalation and
      eye contact. All 90 patients exposed by inhalation developed clinical features:
      31 had a World Health Organisation/International Programme on Chemical
      Safety/European Commission/European Association of Poison Centres and Clinical
      Toxicologists Poisoning Severity Score of 1 (minor toxicity), 51 patients had
      features of moderate toxicity (PSS 2) and eight were graded PSS 3 (severe
      poisoning). The most common features were dyspnea (n = 52; 57.8%; 95% CI = 47.0
      68.5), chest pain/tightness (n = 34; 37.8%; 95% CI = 27.2-48.4), coughing (n =
      27; 30.0%; 95% CI = 20.0-40.0) and sinus tachycardia (n = 11; 12.2%; 95% CI = 4.1
      18.2); hypoxemia was present in 20 (22.2%; 95% CI = 13.1-31.4). At the time of
      the enquiry a chest X-ray had been performed on 15 patients: in eight patients
      (all of whom were PSS 3) the X-ray was reported as being abnormal and showed
      bilateral shadowing. CONCLUSIONS: This study demonstrates that if fluoropolymer
      containing sealants are inhaled then clinical features may occur and in a small
      proportion (9%) these features may be severe.

PMID- 28349786
TI  - The Use of Frozen Section in the Early Diagnosis of Acute Invasive Fungal
      Sinusitis.
AB  - Objectives Acute invasive fungal sinusitis (AIFS) remains a significant cause of
      morbidity and mortality in the immunocompromised patient population. Early
      diagnosis is key to improving patient outcomes. Frozen section biopsies have been
      shown to decrease time to diagnosis when compared with permanent pathology.
      However, its accuracy has not been adequately described in the literature,
      specifically in regard to AIFS. The aim of this study is to evaluate the
      statistical diagnostic accuracy of frozen sections and to review the etiology,
      clinical presentation, and current diagnostic protocols in management of AIFS.
      Study Design Case series with chart review. Setting Tertiary referral center.
      Subjects and Methods Retrospective review included 67 pathologic records in Co
      Path, with search criteria including invasive fungal, clinical history, frozen
      section, and final diagnosis between the dates of 2006 and 2015. Results Sixty
      seven cases were reviewed per the search criteria in Co-Path. Of these, 31 met
      further criteria of having had frozen section analysis. Variables such as
      sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, and negative predictive
      value were assessed. All 21 positive frozen sections correlated with positive
      permanent pathology, giving a positive predictive value of 100%. Frozen section
      biopsies were 87.5% sensitive and 100% specific. Conclusion Early diagnosis of
      AIFS has been shown to decrease morbidity and mortality. Frozen section biopsies
      remain key in obtaining an early diagnosis among patients with a high clinical
      suspicion for invasive fungal sinusitis. Frozen section biopsies positive for
      invasive fungal pathology were universally consistent with definitive diagnosis.

PMID- 28349787
TI  - Giant cystic schwannoma of the middle mediastinum with cervical extension.
AB  - Schwannomas (neurilemmomas) are benign tumors arising from the Schwann cells of
      the neural sheath. They are typically, well-encapsulated lesions which rarely
      adhere to the adjacent structures. In the chest, schwannomas are often seen
      within the posterior mediastinum and commonly originating along intercostal
      nerves. Several operative approaches have previously been described for the
      resection of these tumors, including thoracoscopic techniques and posterolateral
      thoracotomy. We report in this case a giant cystic mediastinal schwannoma of the
      left recurrent laryngeal nerve with cervical extension, unresectable by the usual
      described approaches, which was completely removed through a cervical approach.

PMID- 28349784
TI  - Fibroblasts in Hypoxic Conditions Mimic Laryngotracheal Stenosis.
AB  - Objective To elucidate the role of hypoxia and inflammatory pathways in the
      pathogenesis of iatrogenic laryngotracheal stenosis (iLTS). Study Design (1)
      Examination of mucosal surface gene expression in human iLTS. (2) In vitro
      comparison of normal and scar laryngotracheal fibroblasts under normoxic and
      hypoxic conditions. Setting Tertiary care hospital in a research university (2012
      2016). Subjects and Methods Brush biopsies were obtained from normal
      laryngotracheal tissue and scar in iLTS patients; gene expression was compared.
      Fibroblasts were isolated from normal and scarred trachea and grown in vitro in
      either a 1% O2 or normoxic environment. Cell growth and gene and protein
      expression were compared. Statistical analysis utilized a multilevel mixed
      effects model. Results Expression of IL-6 (fold change = 2.8, P < .01),
      myofibroblast marker alphaSMA (fold change = 3.0, P = .01), and MMP13 (fold
      change = 5.4, P = .02) was significantly increased in scar biopsy samples as
      compared to normal. Under hypoxic conditions in vitro, normal laryngotracheal
      fibroblasts proliferated significantly faster (n = 8, P < .01 each day).
      Expression of IL-6 (n = 8, fold change = 2.6, P < .01) increased significantly
      after 12 hours under hypoxia. Expression of alphaSMA (n = 8, fold change= 2.0, P
      = .03), COL1 (n = 8, fold change = 1.1, P = .03), and MMP13 (n = 8, fold change =
      1.6, P = .01) increased significantly after 48 hours under hypoxia. Scar
      fibroblasts also proliferated significantly faster under hypoxic conditions but
      did not display the same expression profile. Conclusion Human iLTS scar has a
      myofibroblast phenotype. Under hypoxic conditions in vitro, normal
      laryngotracheal fibroblasts can transdifferentiate into a similar phenotype.
      These changes may be mediated by IL-6, a fibrosis-related cytokine.

PMID- 28349785
TI  - Inflammatory Cell Findings in the Female Rabbit Heart and Stress-associated
      Exacerbation with Handling and Procedures Used in Nonclinical Studies.
AB  - Despite the use of rabbits in biomedical research, including regulatory
      toxicology and cardiovascular studies, little data exist on heart findings in
      this species. This study was designed to document myocardial findings in female
      rabbits and the impact of study-related procedures typical for vaccine toxicology
      studies. One hundred and forty 6- to 8-month-old female New Zealand White rabbits
      were divided equally into 2 groups, high and low study procedure groups (group 1
      and group 2, respectively). All animals received intramuscular (IM) injections of
      sterile saline every 2 weeks for 5 times and were necropsied 2 days after the
      final IM injection. Clinical chemistry, hematology, and urinalysis were
      evaluated. Blood for stress biomarkers (norepinephrine, epinephrine, cortisol,
      and corticosterone), C-reactive protein, cardiac troponin I, and creatine kinase
      were collected at time 0 (just before dose administration) and then at 4, 24, and
      48 hr after dose administration in group 1 only. Hearts were assessed
      histologically. Focal to multifocal minimal inflammatory cell infiltrates were
      common (~80%), particularly in the left ventricle and interventricular septum,
      and were similar to the types of infiltrates identified in other laboratory
      animal species. Additionally, study-related procedures elevated serum stress
      biomarkers and exacerbated the frequency and severity of myocardial inflammatory
      cell infiltrates.

PMID- 28349788
TI  - Critical analysis of the published literature about the effects of narghile use
      on oral health.

PMID- 28349790
TI  - Experimental evaluation of anti-inflammatory, antinociceptive and antipyretic
      activities of clove oil in mice.
AB  - Background Clove oil of Eugenia caryophyllata (Myrtaceae) is a light yellowish
      fluid obtained from dried flower buds. Clove oil is used traditionally to relieve
      toothache. Aim The aim of the present work was to study the anti-inflammatory,
      antinociceptive and antipyretic potential of clove oil in mice. Methods Analgesic
      activity was examined using acetic-acid-induced abdominal constrictions and the
      hot plate test. Carrageenan-induced paw edema and brewer's-yeast-induced pyrexia
      were used to investigate the anti-inflammatory activity and the antipyretic
      effects, respectively. The oil was administered intraperitoneally (i.p.) at a
      dose of 33 mg/kg body weight and the effects were compared with reference drugs.
      Results In the antinociceptive test, mice treated with clove oil exhibited
      significantly decreased acetic-acid-induced writhing movements by a maximum of
      87.7% (p<0.01) compared with a decrease of 77.7% (p<0.01) in response to aspirin
      injection (100 mg/kg, intraperitoneal, i.p.). Similarly, in the hot plate test,
      clove oil significantly increased the reaction latency to pain after 60 min by
      82.3% (p<0.05) compared with morphine value of 91.7% (p<0.01). In addition, clove
      oil and indomethacin produced anti-inflammatory effects, as demonstrated by
      respectively 50.6% (p<0.05) and 70.4% (p<0.01) inhibition of mouse paw edema
      induced by carrageenan. Furthermore, clove oil significantly attenuated the
      hyperthermia induced by yeast at DeltaT-max by 2.7 degrees C (p<0.001), and time
      of peak effects was 30-180 min compared with a paracetamol value DeltaT-max of
      3.2 degrees C (p<0.001). The estimated i.p. LD50 of clove oil was 161.9 mg/kg.
      Phytochemical screening of the oil showed the presence of eugenol. Conclusion The
      present findings demonstrate the potential pharmacological properties of clove
      oil and provide further a support for its reported use in folk medicine.

PMID- 28349789
TI  - Dexmedetomidine protects from post-myocardial ischaemia reperfusion lung damage
      in diabetic rats.
AB  - Objective Diabetic complications and lipid peroxidation are known to have a close
      association. Lipid peroxidation commonly occurs at sites exposed to ischaemia,
      but distant organs and tissues also get damaged during ischaemia/reperfusion
      (I/R). Some of these targets are vital organs, such as the lung, liver, and
      kidney; the lung is the most frequently affected. The aim of our study was to
      investigate the effects of dexmedetomidine on I/R damage in lung tissue and on
      the oxidant/anti-oxidant system in diabetic rats. Material and methods Diabetes
      was induced with streptozotocin (55 mg/kg) in 18 Wistar Albino rats, which were
      then randomly divided into three groups (diabetes control (DC), diabetes plus
      ischaemia-reperfusion (DIR), and diabetes plus dexmedetomidine
      ischaemia/reperfusion (DIRD)) after the effects of diabetes were clearly evident.
      The rats underwent a left thoracotomy and then ischaemia was produced in the
      myocardium muscle by a left anterior descending artery ligation for 30 min in the
      DIR and DIRD groups. I/R was performed for 120 min. The DIRD group received a
      single intraperitoneal dose of dexmedetomidine (100 ug/kg); the DIR group
      received no dexmedetomidine. Group DC was evaluated as the diabetic control group
      and also included six rats (C group) in which diabetes was not induced. These
      mice underwent only left thoracotomy and were closed without undergoing
      myocardial ischaemia. Histopathological changes, activities of catalase (CAT) and
      glutathione-S-transferase anti-oxidant enzymes, and malondialdehyde (MDA) levels
      were evaluated in the lung tissues of all rats. Results Neutrophil
      infiltration/aggregation was higher in the DIR group than in the C, DC, and DIRD
      groups (p=0.001, p=0.013, and p=0.042, respectively). The lung injury score was
      significantly higher in the DIR group than in the C and DC groups (p<0.0001 and
      p=0.024, respectively). The levels of MDA were significantly higher in the DIR
      group than in the C and DIRD groups. CAT activity was significantly higher in the
      DIR group than in the DIRD and C groups. Conclusion Our results confirm that
      dexmedetomidine has protective effects against the lung damage resulting from I/R
      in diabetic rats. Future studies conducted to evaluate the effects of the use of
      dexmedetomidine on damage to various organs following different I/R durations may
      help understanding possible protective effects of dexmedetomidine and underlying
      mechanisms in tissue damage related to I/R injury.

PMID- 28349791
TI  - Illness perceptions of Libyans with T2DM and their influence on medication
      adherence: a study in a diabetes center in Tripoli.
AB  - Background The surrounding environment influences the constitution of illness
      perceptions. Therefore, local research is needed to examine how Libyan diabetes
      patients perceive diabetes and how their perceptions influence their medication
      adherence. Methods A cross-sectional study was conducted at the National Centre
      for Diabetes and Endocrinology in Tripoli, Libya, between October and December
      2013. A total of 523 patients with type 2 diabetes participated in this study. A
      self-administered questionnaire was used for data collection; this included the
      Revised Illness Perception Questionnaire and the eight-item Morisky Medication
      Adherence Scale. Results The respondents showed moderately high personal control
      and treatment control perceptions and a moderate consequences perception. They
      reported a high perception of diabetes timeline as chronic and a moderate
      perception of the diabetes course as unstable. The most commonly perceived cause
      of diabetes was Allah's will. The prevalence of low medication adherence was
      36.1%. The identified significant predictors of low medication adherence were the
      low treatment control perception (p=0.044), high diabetes identity perception
      (p=0.008), being male (p=0.026), and employed (p=0.008). Conclusion Diabetes
      illness perceptions of type 2 diabetic Libyans play a role in guiding the
      medication adherence and could be considered in the development of medication
      adherence promotion plans.

PMID- 28349792
TI  - Perceived competency towards preventive dentistry among dental graduates: the
      need for curriculum change.
AB  - Background A previous study has shown that dental practitioners in Benghazi
      believed that the less prevention-oriented education system is one of the
      barriers to applying preventive dentistry. Objective To assess attitudes and
      perceived competence of the dental graduates in Benghazi towards prevention and
      early management of dental caries. Methods A cross-sectional, questionnaire-based
      survey was conducted among internship students attending the Department of
      Community and Preventive Dentistry in Faculty of Dentistry, Benghazi, Libya. The
      participants were asked to provide demographic information, to respond to
      statements about their attitudes towards preventive dentistry, and to answer
      questions regarding their perceived competence in applying preventive dentistry
      procedures. Results Data from 108 Libyan dental graduates were analysed for this
      study, of which 64% of them were females and 42.1% of them passed their final
      year with grade: acceptable. The most acknowledged aspects of preventive
      dentistry were being useful and essential to the community (95.4 and 90.8%,
      respectively). The percentage of participants expressing a proficiency in
      providing oral hygiene instructions was the highest (95.4%). There were
      differences between study subgroups in their perceived competence of preventive
      dental practices by gender and academic performance (p<=0.05). Conclusion This
      study highlighted that the currently implemented undergraduate education
      programme in Benghazi dental school does not provide dentists with the required
      attitude and skills to fulfil their role in providing preventive-oriented health
      services.

PMID- 28349793
TI  - Polymorphisms of the thiopurine S-methyltransferase gene among the Libyan
      population.
AB  - Background Thiopurine S-methyltransferase (TPMT) is a cytosolic enzyme that
      catalyses the S-methylation of 6-mercaptopurine and azathioprine. Low activity
      phenotypes are correlated with polymorphism in the TPMT gene. Patients with low
      or undetectable TMPT activity could develop severe myelosuppression when they are
      treated with standard doses of thiopurine drugs. Since ethnic differences in the
      TPMT gene polymorphism have been demonstrated worldwide, assessing it in the
      Libyan population is worthwhile. Methods We investigated TPMT gene polymorphism
      in a total of 246 Libyan healthy adult blood donors from three different Libyan
      regions (Tripoli, Yefren, and Tawargha) and 50 children with acute lymphoblastic
      leukaemia (ALL). We used polymerase chain reaction restriction length
      polymorphism (PCR-RFLP) and allele-specific PCR-based assays to analyse the TPMT
      gene for the variants *2 c.238 G>C, 3A (c.460 G>A and c.719 A>G), *3B (c.460
      G>A), and *3C (c.719 A>G). Results Our results show that the TPMT variants
      associated with low enzymatic activity were detected in 3.25% (8 in 246) of adult
      Libyan individuals and the frequency of total mutant alleles was 1.63%.
      Heterozygous genotypes were TPMT*3A in three subjects (0.61%) and TPMT*3C in five
      subjects (1.02%). No TPMT*2 and TPMT*3B allelic variants and no homozygous or
      compound heterozygous mutant alleles were detected. The normal allele (wild-type)
      was found in 98.4% of the adult individuals studied. No mutant alleles were
      detected among the 50 children who had ALL. Conclusions We report on the presence
      of the TPMT*3C and *3A mutant alleles in the Libyan population. Therefore,
      monitoring the patients to be treated with doses of thiopurine drugs for TPMT
      variants is worthwhile to avoid the development of severe myelosuppression.

PMID- 28349794
TI  - Lung function profiles and aerobic capacity of adult cigarette and hookah smokers
      after 12 weeks intermittent training.
AB  - Introduction Pulmonary function is compromised in most smokers. Yet it is unknown
      whether exercise training improves pulmonary function and aerobic capacity in
      cigarette and hookah smokers and whether these smokers respond in a similar way
      as do non-smokers. Aim To evaluate the effects of an interval exercise training
      program on pulmonary function and aerobic capacity in cigarette and hookah
      smokers. Methods Twelve cigarette smokers, 10 hookah smokers, and 11 non-smokers
      participated in our exercise program. All subjects performed 30 min of interval
      exercise (2 min of work followed by 1 min of rest) three times a week for 12
      weeks at an intensity estimated at 70% of the subject's maximum aerobic capacity
      ([Formula: see text]). Pulmonary function was measured using spirometry, and
      maximum aerobic capacity was assessed by maximal exercise testing on a treadmill
      before the beginning and at the end of the exercise training program. Results As
      expected, prior to the exercise intervention, the cigarette and hookah smokers
      had significantly lower pulmonary function than the non-smokers. The 12-week
      exercise training program did not significantly affect lung function as assessed
      by spirometry in the non-smoker group. However, it significantly increased both
      forced expiratory volume in 1 second and peak expiratory flow (PEF) in the
      cigarette smoker group, and PEF in the hookah smoker group. Our training program
      had its most notable impact on the cardiopulmonary system of smokers. In the non
      smoker and cigarette smoker groups, the training program significantly improved
      [Formula: see text] (4.4 and 4.7%, respectively), v [Formula: see text] (6.7 and
      5.6%, respectively), and the recovery index (7.9 and 10.5%, respectively).
      Conclusions After 12 weeks of interval training program, the increase of
      [Formula: see text] and the decrease of recovery index and resting heart rate in
      the smoking subjects indicated better exercise tolerance. Although the
      intermittent training program altered pulmonary function only partially, both
      aerobic capacity and life quality were improved. Intermittent training should be
      advised in the clinical setting for subjects with adverse health behaviors.

PMID- 28349795
TI  - Effect of active warm-up duration on morning short-term maximal performance
      during Ramadan.
AB  - Purpose To examine the effect of active warm-up duration on short-term maximal
      performance assessed during Ramadan in the morning. Methods Twelve healthy active
      men performed four Wingate tests for measurement of peak power and mean power
      before and during Ramadan at 09:00 a.m. The tests were performed on separate
      days, after either a 5-min or a 15-min warm-up. The warm-up consisted in pedaling
      at 50% of the power output obtained at the last stage of a submaximal multistage
      cycling test. Oral temperature was measured at rest and after warming-up.
      Furthermore, ratings of perceived exertion were obtained immediately after the
      Wingate test. Results Oral temperature was higher after the 15-min warm-up than
      the 5-min warm-up throughout the study. Moreover, peak power and mean power were
      higher after the 15-min warm-up than the 5-min warm-up before Ramadan. However,
      during Ramadan, there was no significant difference between the two warm-up
      durations. In addition, ratings of perceived exertion were higher after the 15
      min warm-up than the 5-min warm-up only during Ramadan. Conclusions There is no
      need to prolong the warm-up period before short-term maximal exercise performed
      during Ramadan in the morning.

PMID- 28349796
TI  - Defining obstructive ventilatory defect in 2015.
AB  - Introduction There is no clear consensus as to what constitutes an obstructive
      ventilatory defect (OVD): Is it FEV1/FVC<lower limit of normal (LLN) or<0.70
      (respectively, physiological and operational definitions)? Aim To determine,
      according to the two definitions, the percentage of subjects having an OVD among
      them explored in a lung function exploration laboratory. Population and methods
      This is a retrospective study including 4,730 subjects aged 17-85 years. Subjects
      were divided according to the presence [physio (+) or operat (+)] or absence
      [physio (-) or operat (-)] of an OVD, and into younger (<45 years, n=2,076),
      older (>=45 years, n=2,654), smokers (n=1,208), and non-smokers (n=3,522) groups.
      Results For the total sample, the younger and older groups [mean+/-SD of age
      (years), respectively, 46.7+/-14.1; 33.9+/-7.4, and 56.8+/-9.1], the
      'physiological definition' detected, respectively, 13.46, 43.22, and 5.09% more
      OVD than the 'operational one' (p<0.05). In addition, the operational definition,
      compared with the physiological one, overdiagnosed OVD in 2.33 and 0.44% of
      smokers and non-smokers, respectively, and underdiagnosed it in 4.46% and 29.72%
      of smokers and non-smokers, respectively (p<0.05). Compared with the group
      'physio (-), operat (+)', the 'physio (+), operat (-)' one was younger (74.2+/
      4.7 years vs. 40.9+/-10.3 years) and had significantly higher FEV1 (62+/-13% vs.
      78+/-17%) and FVC (71+/-15% vs. 93+/-19%). Conclusion The frequency of OVD much
      depends on the criteria used for its definition.

PMID- 28349797
TI  - Cardiac autonomic control in the obstructive sleep apnea.
AB  - Introduction The sympathetic activation is considered to be the main mechanism
      involved in the development of cardiovascular diseases in obstructive sleep apnea
      (OSA). The heart rate variability (HRV) analysis represents a non-invasive tool
      allowing the study of the autonomic nervous system. The impairment of HRV
      parameters in OSA has been documented. However, only a few studies tackled the
      dynamics of the autonomic nervous system during sleep in patients having OSA.
      Aims To analyze the HRV over sleep stages and across sleep periods in order to
      clarify the impact of OSA on cardiac autonomic modulation. The second objective
      is to examine the nocturnal HRV of OSA patients to find out which HRV parameter
      is the best to reflect the symptoms severity. Methods The study was
      retrospective. We have included 30 patients undergoing overnight polysomnography.
      Subjects were categorized into two groups according to apnea-hypopnea index
      (AHI): mild-to-moderate OSAS group (AHI: 5-30) and severe OSAS group (AHI>30).
      The HRV measures for participants with low apnea-hypopnea indices were compared
      to those of patients with high rates of apnea-hypopnea across the sleep period
      and sleep stages. Results HRV measures during sleep stages for the group with low
      rates of apnea-hypopnea have indicated a parasympathetic activation during non
      rapid eye movement (NREM) sleep. However, no significant difference has been
      observed in the high AHI group except for the mean of RR intervals (mean RR). The
      parasympathetic activity tended to increase across the night but without a
      statistical difference. After control of age and body mass index, the most
      significant correlation found was for the mean RR (p=0.0001, r=-0.248).
      Conclusion OSA affects sympathovagal modulation during sleep, and this impact has
      been correlated to the severity of the disease. The mean RR seemed to be a better
      index allowing the sympathovagal balance appreciation during the night in OSA.

PMID- 28349798
TI  - Prevalence and risk factors of low back pain among undergraduate students of a
      sports and physical education institute in Tunisia.
AB  - Introduction For obvious reasons, athletes are at greater risk of sustaining a
      lumber (lower) spine injury due to physical activity. To our knowledge, no
      previous studies have examined the prevalence of low back pain (LBP) in a
      Tunisian sports and physical education institute. Aim To assess the prevalence of
      LBP in different sports among students studying in a sports and physical
      education institute in Tunisia, to determine the causes of the injuries, and to
      propose solutions. Methods A total of 3,379 boys and 2,579 girls were studied. A
      retrospective cross-sectional survey was conducted on a group of students aged
      18.5-24.5 years at the Higher Institute of Sport and Physical Education of Sfax
      to estimate the prevalence of LBP and its relation to the type of sports. Data on
      age, weight, height, smoking, and the sport in which the student was injured in
      the low back were collected from the institute health service records from 2005
      until 2013. Results LBP was reported by 879 of the 5,958 study participants
      (14.8%). The prevalence of LBP was significantly higher (p<0.001) in females
      (17.6%) than in males (12.5%). LBP prevalence did not differ by body mass index
      or smoking habit (p>0.05). The sports associated with the higher rates of LBP
      were gymnastics, judo, handball, and volleyball, followed by basketball and
      athletics. Conclusion LBP is frequent among undergraduate students of a sports
      and physical education institute in Tunisia. It is strongly associated with
      fatigue after the long periods of training in different sports. Gymnastics, judo,
      handball, and volleyball were identified as high-risk sports for causing LBP.

PMID- 28349799
TI  - Mucocutaneous leishmaniasis in an 11-year-old girl with ataxia telangectasia -
      case report.

PMID- 28349800
TI  - Argument for the need of investigation of the relationship between body fatness
      and experimental pain sensitivity.
AB  - In this communication, we argue about the need for an extensive investigation of
      the relationship between body fatness and fat distribution and experimental pain
      to explore the factors that might contribute to the increased prevalence of pain
      conditions in obese individuals.

PMID- 28349801
TI  - Comparison of physical quality assurance between Scanora 3D and 3D Accuitomo 80
      dental CT scanners.
AB  - Background The use of cone beam computed tomography (CBCT) in dentistry has
      proven to be useful in the diagnosis and treatment planning of several oral and
      maxillofacial diseases. The quality of the resulting image is dictated by many
      factors related to the patient, unit, and operator. Materials and methods In this
      work, two dental CBCT units, namely Scanora 3D and 3D Accuitomo 80, were assessed
      and compared in terms of quantitative effective dose delivered to specific
      locations in a dosimetry phantom. Resolution and contrast were evaluated in only
      3D Accuitomo 80 using special quality assurance phantoms. Results Scanora 3D,
      with less radiation time, showed less dosing values compared to 3D Accuitomo 80
      (mean 0.33 mSv, SD+/-0.16 vs. 0.18 mSv, SD+/-0.1). Using paired t-test, no
      significant difference was found in Accuitomo two scan sessions (p>0.05), while
      it was highly significant in Scanora (p>0.05). The modulation transfer function
      value (at 2 lp/mm), in both measurements, was found to be 4.4%. The contrast
      assessment of 3D Accuitomo 80 in the two measurements showed few differences, for
      example, the grayscale values were the same (SD=0) while the noise level was
      slightly different (SD=0 and 0.67, respectively). Conclusions The radiation dose
      values in these two CBCT units are significantly less than those encountered in
      systemic CT scans. However, the dose seems to be affected more by changing the
      field of view rather than the voltage or amperage. The low doses were at the
      expense of the image quality produced, which was still acceptable. Although the
      spatial resolution and contrast were inferior to the medical images produced in
      systemic CT units, the present results recommend adopting CBCTs in maxillofacial
      imaging because of low radiation dose and adequate image quality.

PMID- 28349802
TI  - Impact of corpulence parameters and haemoglobin A1c on metabolic control in type
      2 diabetic patients: comparison of apolipoprotein B/A-I ratio with fasting and
      postprandial conventional lipid ratios.
AB  - Background and objective The incidence of diabetes co-morbidities could probably
      be better assessed by studying its associations with major corpulence parameters
      and glycaemic control indicators. We assessed the utility of body mass index
      (BMI), waist circumference (WC), and glycosylated haemoglobin (HbA1c) levels in
      metabolic control for type 2 diabetic patients. Methods Fasting and postprandial
      blood samples were collected from 238 type 2 diabetic patients aged 57.4+/-11.9
      years. The sera were analysed for glucose, HbA1c, total cholesterol (TC),
      triglycerides (TG), high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-c), low-density
      lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-c), and apolipoproteins (apoA-I and apoB). Ratios of
      lipids and apolipoproteins were calculated and their associations with BMI, WC,
      and HbA1c levels were analysed. Results Our investigation showed increases in
      most fasting and postprandial lipid parameters according to BMI and WC. In men,
      postprandial HDL-c and TG levels were significantly higher (p<0.05) in overweight
      and obese patients, respectively, as well as in patients with abdominal obesity.
      Contrariwise, postprandial TC levels were significantly higher (p<0.01) in
      overweight and abdominal obese women. However, elevations of apoA-I and apoB
      levels were according to BMI and WC in both genders. There was a strong influence
      of BMI, WC, and HbA1c levels on the apoB/apoA-I ratio compared to traditional
      fasting and postprandial lipid ratios in both men and women. The apoB/apoA-I
      ratio was more correlated with postprandial TC/HDL and LDL-c/HDL-c ratios in men
      and with postprandial TG/HDL-c in women. Conclusion The apoB/apoA-I ratio is
      helpful in assessing metabolic risk caused by overall obesity, abdominal obesity
      and impaired glycaemia in type 2 diabetic patients.

PMID- 28349803
TI  - Clinical audit as a framework for the consultation on the future of Libyan Health
      Services.

PMID- 28349804
TI  - Association between vitamin D receptor gene polymorphisms and chronic
      periodontitis among Libyans.
AB  - Background Chronic periodontitis (CP) is a common oral disease characterized by
      inflammation in the supporting tissue of the teeth 'the periodontium',
      periodontal attachment loss, and alveolar bone loss. The disease has a microbial
      etiology; however, recent findings suggest that the genetic factors, such as
      vitamin D receptor (VDR) gene polymorphisms, have also been included. Aim
      Investigation of the relationship between VDR gene polymorphisms and CP among
      Libyans. Materials and methods In this study, we examined 196 unrelated Libyans
      between the ages of 25 and 65 years, including 99 patients and 97 controls. An
      oral examination based on Ramfjord Index was performed at different dental
      clinics in Tripoli and information were collected using a self-reported
      questionnaire. DNA was extracted from buccal swabs; the VDR ApaI, BsmI, and FokI
      polymorphisms were genotyped using polymerase chain reaction and were sequenced
      using Sanger Method. Results A significant difference in the newly detected ApaI
      SNP C/T rs#731236 was found (p=0.022), whereas no significant differences were
      found in ApaI SNP G/T rs#7975232, BsmI SNP A/G rs#1544410, and FokI SNP A/G
      rs#2228570 between patients and controls (p=0.939, 0.466, 0.239), respectively.
      Conclusion VDR ApaI SNP C/T rs#731236 may be related to the risk of CP in the
      Libyan population.

PMID- 28349805
TI  - An oncolytic parasite to treat polycythemia vera.

PMID- 28349806
TI  - Quality of systematic reviews: an example of studies comparing artificial disc
      replacement with fusion in the cervical spine.
AB  - Cervical artificial disc replacement (C-ADR) is now an alternative to anterior
      cervical discectomy and fusion (ACDF). Many studies have evaluated the efficacy
      of C-ADR compared with ACDF. This led to a series of systematic reviews and meta
      analyses to evaluate the evidence of the superiority of one intervention against
      the other. The aim of the study presented here was to evaluate the quality of
      these reviews and meta-analyses. Medline via Ovid, Embase, and Cochrane Library
      were searched using the keywords: (total disk replacement, prosthesis,
      implantation, discectomy, and arthroplasty) AND (cervical vertebrae, cervical
      spine, and spine) AND (systematic reviews, reviews, and meta-analysis). Screening
      and data extraction were conducted by two reviewers independently. Two reviewers
      then assessed the quality of the selected reviews and meta-analysis using 11-item
      AMSTAR score which is a validated measurement tool to assess the methodological
      quality of systematic reviews. Screening of full reports of 46 relevant abstracts
      resulted in the selection of 15 systematic reviews and/or meta-analyses as
      eligible for this study. The two reviewers' inter-rater agreement level was high
      as indicated by kappa of >0.72. The AMSTAR score of the reviews ranged from 3 to
      11. Only one study (a Cochrane review) scored 100% (AMSTAR 11). Five studies
      scored below (AMSTAR 5) indicating low-quality reviews. The most significant
      drawbacks of reviews of a score below 5 were not using an extensive search
      strategy, failure to use the scientific quality of the included studies
      appropriately in formulating a conclusion, not assessing publication bias, and
      not reporting the excluded studies. With a significant exception of a Cochrane
      review, the methodological quality of systematic reviews evaluating the evidence
      of C-ADR versus ACDF has to be improved.

PMID- 28349808
TI  - LJM Acknowledges its Reviewers.

PMID- 28349807
TI  - Multidrug resistance and extended-spectrum beta-lactamases genes among
      Escherichia coli from patients with urinary tract infections in Northwestern
      Libya.
AB  - Introduction Multidrug resistance (MDR) and emergence of extended-spectrum beta
      lactamases (ESBLs) that mediate resistance to beta-lactam drugs among Escherichia
      coli and other uropathogens have been reported worldwide. However, there is
      little information on the detection of ESBLs genes in E. coli from patients with
      urinary tract infections (UTIs) in the Arab countries using polymerase chain
      reaction (PCR), and in Libya such information is lacking. Methods All patients
      attending Zawiya Teaching Hospital in Zawiya city between November 2012 and June
      2013 suspected of having UTIs and from whom midstream urine samples were taken as
      part of the clinical workup were included in this prospective study. Samples were
      examined for uropathogens by standard bacteriological procedures. VITEK-2
      automated microbiology system was used to identify the isolated uropathogens and
      determine the susceptibility of E. coli and Klebsiella spp. isolates to
      antimicrobials. In addition, phenotypically ESBLs-positive E. coli isolates were
      tested for ESBLs genes by PCR. Results The present study enrolled 1,790 patients
      with UTIs. Uropathogens were found in 371 (20.7%) urine specimens examined. Mixed
      pathogens were detected in two specimens with 373 total pathogens isolated. E.
      coli and Klebsiella spp. were the predominant uropathogens at 55.8% (208/373) and
      18.5% (69/373), respectively. Other pathogens were detected in 25.7% (96/373) of
      urine samples. Of the E. coli and Klebsiella spp. tested, 69.2 and 100% were
      resistant to ampicillin, 6.7 and 33.3% to ceftriaxone, and 23.1 and 17.4% to
      ciprofloxacin, respectively. MDR (resistance to >=3 antimicrobial groups) was
      found in 69 (33.2%) of E. coli and in 29 (42%) of Klebsiella spp. isolates. ESBLs
      were detected phenotypically in 14 (6.7%) of E. coli and in 15 (21.7%) of
      Klebsiella spp. isolates. Thirteen out of the 14 phenotypically ESBL-positive E.
      coli were positive for ESBL genes by PCR. blaTEM gene was detected in seven
      isolates, blaOXA gene in 10 isolates and blaCTX-M gene in six isolates. blaSHV
      gene was not detected in the present study. Conclusion The isolation of MDR ESBL
      producing uropathogens undoubtedly will limit the choices clinicians have to
      treat their patients with UTIs. Therefore, there is an urgent need for
      surveillance studies on antimicrobial resistance and prevalence of ESBLs among
      uropathogens to guide the clinical treatment of UTIs in Libya in the future.

PMID- 28349809
TI  - New Delhi metallo-beta-lactamase and OXA-48 carbapenemases in Gram-negative
      bacilli isolates in Libya.

PMID- 28349810
TI  - Interventricular septum hydatid cyst presenting with acute lower limb ischemia: a
      case report.
AB  - Cardiac hydatid cysts are rarely seen. The presentation of an acute lower limb
      ischemia secondary to embolization from an interventricular hydatic cyst is also
      rare. We describe a case of a 30-year-old-man who presented with acute lower limb
      ischemia revealing hydatid cyst of the interventricular septum and septal defect,
      and who was operated on successfully.

PMID- 28349811
TI  - Molecular basis of arsenite (As+3)-induced acute cytotoxicity in human cervical
      epithelial carcinoma cells.
AB  - Background Rapid industrialization is discharging toxic heavy metals into the
      environment, disturbing human health in many ways and causing various neurologic,
      cardiovascular, and dermatologic abnormalities and certain types of cancer. The
      presence of arsenic in drinking water from different urban and rural areas of the
      major cities of Pakistan, for example, Lahore, Faisalabad, and Kasur, was found
      to be beyond the permissible limit of 10 parts per billion set by the World
      Health Organization. Therefore the present study was initiated to examine the
      effects of arsenite (As+3) on DNA biosynthesis and cell death. Methods After
      performing cytotoxic assays on a human epithelial carcinoma cell line, expression
      analysis was done by quantitative polymerase chain reaction, western blotting,
      and flow cytometry. Results We show that As+3 ions have a dose- and time
      dependent cytotoxic effect through the activation of the caspase-dependent
      apoptotic pathway. In contrast to previous research, the present study was
      designed to explore the early cytotoxic effects produced in human cells during
      exposure to heavy dosage of As+3 (7.5 ug/ml). Even treatment for 1 h
      significantly increased the mRNA levels of p21 and p27 and caspases 3, 7, and 9.
      It was interesting that there was no change in the expression levels of p53,
      which plays an important role in G2/M phase cell cycle arrest. Conclusion Our
      results indicate that sudden exposure of cells to arsenite (As+3) resulted in
      cytotoxicity and mitochondrial-mediated apoptosis resulting from up-regulation of
      caspases.

PMID- 28349812
TI  - Impact of the 2011 Libyan conflict on road traffic injuries in Benghazi, Libya.
AB  - Background Road traffic injuries (RTIs) are a major public health concern in
      Libya. In the light of the armed conflict in Libya that broke out on February
      2011 and the subsequent instability, the rate and pattern of RTIs was studied.
      Methods RTI patient data were gathered from Al-Jalaa hospital, the main trauma
      center in Benghazi, from 2010 to 2011. Various parameters [i.e. age, gender,
      nationality, method of entry, receiving department, intensive care unit (ICU)
      admission, duration of stay, method of discharge, and fatalities] were compared
      with data from the previous year (2010), and statistical analyses were performed
      (t-test, chi-square, and Poisson regression). Results During the conflict period,
      15.8% (n=2,221) of hospital admissions were RTIs, that is, a rate of 6.08 RTI
      cases per day, levels not seen for 5 years (t=-5.719, p<0.001). The presence of
      armed conflict was found to have caused a significant 28% decrease in the trend
      of RTIs over the previous 10 years (B=-0.327, CI=-0.38--0.28, p<0.001). February
      and March, the peak period of active combat in Benghazi, witnessed the lowest
      number of RTIs during the conflict period. The average age of an RTI decreased to
      28.35+/-16.3 years (t=-7.257, p<0.001) with significantly more males (84.1%,
      n=1,755) being affected (chi2=4.595, p=0.032, df=1). There was an increase in the
      proportion of younger aged patients (from 0 to 29 years) (chi2=29.874, p<0.001,
      df=8). More patients required admission to the ICU (chi2=36.808, p<0.001, df=8),
      and the mortality of an RTI increased to 5.2% (n=116) (chi2=48.882, p<0.001,
      df=6). Conclusion There were fewer RTIs during the conflict period; however,
      those that occurred had higher morbidity and mortality. The profile of an RTI
      victims also changed to an increased prominence of young males and motorcyclists.
      Further research is required to propose and analyze possible interventions.

PMID- 28349813
TI  - Methodological problems in the article comparing lung function profiles and
      aerobic capacity of adult cigarette and hookah smokers after 12 weeks
      intermittent training.

PMID- 28349814
TI  - Accelerated bone ingrowth by local delivery of Zinc from bioactive glass:
      oxidative stress status, mechanical property, and microarchitectural
      characterization in an ovariectomized rat model.
AB  - Background Synthetic bone graft substitutes such as bioactive glass (BG) material
      are developed in order to achieve successful bone regeneration. Zn plays an
      important role in the proper bone growth, development, and maintenance of healthy
      bones. Aims This study aims to evaluate in vivo the performance therapy of zinc
      doped bioactive glass (BG-Zn) and its applications in biomedicine. Methods Female
      Wistar rats were ovariectomized. BG and BG-Zn were implanted in the femoral
      condyles of Wistar rats and compared to that of control group. Grafted bone
      tissues were carefully removed to evaluate the oxidative stress status,
      histomorphometric profile, mechanical property, and mineral bone distribution by
      using inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometry. Results A
      significant decrease of thiobarbituric acid-reactive substances was observed
      after BG-Zn implantation. Superoxide dismutase, catalase (CAT), and glutathione
      peroxidase (GPx) activities significantly increased in ovariectomized group
      implanted with Zinc-doped bioactive glass (OVX-BG-Zn) as compared to
      ovariectomized group implanted with bioactive glass (OVX-BG). An improved
      mechanical property was noticed in contact of OVX-BG-Zn (39+/-6 HV) when compared
      with that of OVX-BG group (26+/-9 HV). After 90 days of implantation, the
      histomorphometric analysis showed that trabecular thickness (Tb.Th) and
      trabecular number (Tb.N) were significantly increased with 28 and 24%,
      respectively, in treated rats of OVX-BG-Zn group as compared to those of OVX-BG
      groups. Trabecular separation (Tb.Sp) and trabecular bone pattern factor (TBPf)
      were significantly decreased in OVX-BG-Zn group with 29.5 and 54% when compared
      with those of OVX-BG rat groups. On the other hand, a rise in Ca and P ion
      concentrations in the implanted microenvironment was shown and lead to the
      formation/deposition of Ca-P phases. The ratio of pyridinoline [Pyr] to
      dihydroxylysinonorleucine [DHLNL] cross-links was normalized to the control
      level. Conclusion Our findings suggested that BG-Zn might have promising
      potential applications for osteoporosis therapy.

PMID- 28349815
TI  - Critical analysis of the published literature about the effects of Ramadan
      intermittent fasting on healthy children's physical capacities.

PMID- 28349816
TI  - Highlights on immune checkpoint inhibitors in non-small cell lung cancer.
AB  - The treatment of advanced or refractory non-small cell lung cancer has been
      historically difficult owing to the lack of studies on effective systemic cure.
      The progress in lung cancer treatment has plateaued, necessitating new options
      for additional benefits. Immune checkpoint proteins are co-inhibitory factors
      that can diminish the antigen-specific immune responses by attenuating the
      regulatory role of cytotoxic T-lymphocyte-associated protein 4, programmed cell
      death-1, lymphocyte-activation gene 3, and T-cell immunoglobulin mucin-3. The
      therapeutic strategies targeting immune checkpoints mainly focus on the
      monoclonal antibody of these regulatory factors, which may facilitate clinical
      decision making. An enhanced understanding of the drug-resistance mechanisms and
      the therapeutic efficacy regulation will provide opportunities to improve the
      clinical outcomes of non-small cell lung cancer patients. Preclinical and
      clinical trials on these key immune-regulatory agents, which has heralded a new
      era in immuno-oncology in non-small cell lung cancer treatment, are currently in
      development.

PMID- 28349817
TI  - Salinomycin: A new paradigm in cancer therapy.
AB  - The primary hurdle in the treatment of cancer is acquisition of resistance by the
      tumor cells toward multiple drugs and selectively targeting the cancer stem
      cells. This problem was overcome by the chemotherapeutic property of recently
      discovered drug salinomycin. Exact mechanism of action of salinomycin is not yet
      known, but there are multiple pathways by which salinomycin inhibits tumor
      growth. Salinomycin decreases the expression of adenosine triphosphate-binding
      cassette transporter in multidrug resistance cells and interferes with Akt
      signaling pathway, Wnt/beta-catenin, Hedgehog, and Notch pathways of cancer
      progression. Salinomycin selectively targets cancer stem cells. The potential of
      salinomycin to eliminate both cancer stem cells and therapy-resistant cancer
      cells may characterize the compound as a novel and an efficient chemotherapeutic
      drug.

PMID- 28349818
TI  - The distribution and potential prognostic value of SMAD protein expression in
      chronic lymphocytic leukemia.
AB  - The SMAD proteins are responsible for transducing signals from activated
      transforming growth factor-beta. This is the first study assessing the expression
      of SMAD-1/8, SMAD-2/3, SMAD-4, and SMAD-7 in chronic lymphocytic leukemia cells
      with regard to their clinical significance and potential prognostic value.
      Overexpression of SMAD-1/8 was observed in 160 chronic lymphocytic leukemia
      patients compared to 42 healthy volunteers (p = 0.023) and was associated with a
      more progressive course of the disease (p = 0.016). Moreover, the high expression
      of SMAD-1/8 correlated with other, well-established prognostic factors, including
      clinical stage (p = 0.010) and lymphocyte doubling time (p = 0.021). The
      expression of SMAD-4 was lower in chronic lymphocytic leukemia patients compared
      with the control group (p = 0.003). Importantly, lower SMAD-4 levels correlated
      with longer progression-free survival (p = 0.009), progressive course of the
      disease (p = 0.002), advanced clinical stage (p = 0.0004), elevated beta-2
      microglobulin and lactate dehydrogenase levels (p < 0.05), shorter lymphocyte
      doubling time (p = 0.009), and CD38 antigen expression (p = 0.039). In addition,
      lower SMAD-4 expression correlated with lower apoptotic index (p = 0.0007) and
      lower expression of receptors for vascular endothelial growth factors VEGFR-1 and
      VEGFR-2. A significant association was found between the low expression of
      inhibitory protein SMAD-7 and both zeta-chain-associated protein kinase 70
      negative cells (p = 0.04) and lower apoptotic index (p = 0.004). No differences
      were observed in SMAD-2/3 expression. In conclusion, our results demonstrate a
      significant correlation between greater SMAD-1/8 and lower SMAD-4 expression in
      chronic lymphocytic leukemia cells, as well as more progressive outcome and poor
      prognosis. These data provide supporting evidence that the expression of SMAD
      proteins plays an important role in disease development and may be considered as
      a novel, biologic prognostic factor in this disease.

PMID- 28349819
TI  - ADAM-17/FHL2 colocalisation suggests interaction and role of these proteins in
      colorectal cancer.
AB  - FHL2 is a multifunctional scaffolding protein; its expression is associated with
      poor prognosis in colorectal cancer. ADAM-17 is a metalloprotease implicated in
      ectodomain shedding. FHL2 regulates ADAM-17 plasma membrane localisation, and
      FHL2 deficiency leads to decreased activity of ADAM-17 in mouse macrophages.
      Presence and relationship of the ADAM-17/FHL2 complex with colorectal cancer
      progression is unknown. We studied FHL2 and ADAM-17 expression in several colon
      cancer cell lines by immunocytochemistry and western blot. To highlight the
      interaction between both molecules, we used the Duolink(r) kit for proximity
      ligation assay on SW480 cells. We also performed proximity ligation assay on
      biopsies and surgical specimens of colorectal adenocarcinoma and on matched
      normal mucosa. Furthermore, biopsies of colorectal adenoma with matched normal
      mucosa were selected. For quantification, pictures of the malignant, adenomatous
      and normal tissues were taken. Proximity ligation assay signals were quantified.
      Mean numbers of proximity ligation assay signals and of proximity ligation assay
      signals/nucleus were calculated. All cell lines showed FHL2 immunoreactivity;
      strongest positivity was observed in SW480 cells. ADAM-17 was expressed in all
      cell lines. Proximity ligation assay signals were present in SW480 cells.
      Quantitative analysis revealed that the interaction between FHL2 and ADAM-17 is
      more frequent in malignant than in normal tissue (p = 0.005). The mean number of
      ADAM-17/FHL2 proximity ligation assay signals was higher in colorectal
      adenocarcinoma than in adenoma with low-grade dysplasia (p = 0.0004). FHL2
      interacts with ADAM-17 in normal, dysplastic and malignant colon epithelial
      cells. Colocalisation of these proteins is more frequent in malignant than in
      normal and dysplastic cells, suggesting a role for ADAM-17/FHL2 complex in the
      development of colorectal cancer.

PMID- 28349821
TI  - LAMP3 expression correlated with poor clinical outcome in human ovarian cancer.
AB  - Lysosome-associated membrane protein 3 belongs to the lysosome-associated
      membrane glycoprotein family, which is associated with lymph node, metastasis,
      poor overall survival, and resistance to chemotherapy and radiotherapy.
      Epithelial ovarian cancer is one of the most deadly global female gynecologic
      malignant tumors. Its clinical outcome is poor and most epithelial ovarian cancer
      patients tend to relapse because of drug resistance. However, lysosome-associated
      membrane protein 3 expression in epithelial ovarian cancer and its relationship
      between clinicopathologic factors remain poorly understood. To clarify the
      prognostic implications of lysosome-associated membrane protein 3 in epithelial
      ovarian cancer, we analyzed both messenger RNA and protein levels of lysosome
      associated membrane protein 3 in ovarian carcinomas. Polymerase chain reaction
      results showed higher expression of lysosome-associated membrane protein 3
      messenger RNA in epithelial ovarian cancer than in noncancerous tissues.
      Immunohistochemical results showed that high lysosome-associated membrane protein
      3 cytoplasmic expression was significantly related to tumor grade ( p = 0.038),
      lymph node metastasis ( p = 0.049), metastasis ( p < 0.001), level of CA125 ( p =
      0.030), and International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics (FIGO) ( p <
      0.001). High lysosome-associated membrane protein 3 nuclear expression was
      significantly associated with tumor grade ( p = 0.046), tumor single or double
      (representative whether the tumor involving one or both ovaries) ( p = 0.016),
      metastasis ( p < 0.001), and FIGO stage ( p < 0.001). Survival analysis indicated
      that high lysosome-associated membrane protein 3 cytoplasmic expression (hazard
      ratio: 4.632, 95% confidence interval: 2.421-8.864; p < 0.001), patients' age
      (hazard ratio: 1.729, 95% confidence interval: 1.027-2.911; p = 0.039), and FIGO
      stage (hazard ratio: 2.049, 95% confidence interval: 1.113-3.774; p = 0.021) were
      significantly correlated with poor survival outcome of epithelial ovarian cancer
      patients.

PMID- 28349820
TI  - Efficient killing of radioresistant breast cancer cells by cytokine-induced
      killer cells.
AB  - Recurrence of breast cancer after radiotherapy may be partly explained by the
      presence of radioresistant cells. Thus, it would be desirable to develop an
      effective therapy against radioresistant cells. In this study, we demonstrated
      the intense antitumor activity of cytokine-induced killer cells against MCF-7 and
      radioresistant MCF-7 cells, as revealed by cytokine-induced killer-mediated
      cytotoxicity, tumor cell proliferation, and tumor invasion. Radioresistant MCF-7
      cells were more susceptible to cytokine-induced killer cell killing. The stronger
      cytotoxicity of cytokine-induced killer cells against radioresistant MCF-7 cells
      was dependent on the expression of major histocompatibility complex class I
      polypeptide-related sequence A/B on radioresistant MCF-7 cells after exposure of
      cytokine-induced killer cells to sensitized targets. In addition, we demonstrated
      that cytokine-induced killer cell treatment sensitized breast cancer cells to
      chemotherapy via the downregulation of TK1, TYMS, and MDR1. These results
      indicate that cytokine-induced killer cell treatment in combination with
      radiotherapy and/or chemotherapy may induce synergistic antitumor activities and
      represent a novel strategy for breast cancer.

PMID- 28349822
TI  - SLCO1B3 screening in colorectal cancer patients using High-Resolution Melting
      Analysis method and immunohistochemistry.
AB  - Personalized medicine has made some major advances in colorectal cancer, but new
      biomarkers still remain a hot issue as an emerging tool with potential prognostic
      and therapeutic potential. We investigated for SLCO1B3 gene alterations and
      protein expression in colorectal cancer, using the novel high-resolution melting
      analysis technique and immunohistochemistry. Formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded
      tumor samples from 30 colorectal cancer patients were used. The screening for
      gene alterations was done by high-resolution melting analysis for all exons of
      SLCO1B3 gene. Organic anion-transporting polypeptide 1B3 protein expression was
      assessed by immunohistochemistry using the monoclonal mouse MDQ antibody. High
      level of polymorphism was observed in the SLCO1B3 gene. We identified three
      previously reported polymorphisms in exons 7, 12, and 14, 699G>A, 1557A>G, and
      1833G>A, respectively. In the exon 5, one variant seems to correspond to an as
      yet unknown SLCO family member. The immunohistochemical study revealed that
      organic anion-transporting polypeptide 1B3 was expressed in 27/30 samples. Of
      great interest, the three samples, which were immunohistochemically negative, all
      appeared to accommodate mutations which lead to either early stop codons or other
      conformations of the tertiary protein structures affecting the antibody-epitope
      binding. The results of this study are of much interest as high-resolution
      melting analysis proved to be a reliable and rapid genotyping/scanning method for
      mutation detection of SLCO1B3 gene.

PMID- 28349823
TI  - Upregulation of long noncoding RNA zinc finger antisense 1 enhances epithelial
      mesenchymal transition in vitro and predicts poor prognosis in glioma.
AB  - Increasing evidence indicates that long noncoding RNAs play important roles in
      development and progression of various cancers. Zinc finger antisense 1 is a
      novel long noncoding RNA whose clinical significance, biological function, and
      underlying mechanism are still undetermined in glioma. In this study, we reported
      that zinc finger antisense 1 expression was markedly upregulated in glioma and
      tightly correlated with clinical stage. Moreover, patients with high zinc finger
      antisense 1 expression had shorter survival. Multivariate Cox regression analysis
      provided a clue that, probably, zinc finger antisense 1 level could serve as an
      independent prognostic factor for glioma. Functionally, zinc finger antisense 1
      acted as an oncogene in glioma because its knockdown could promote apoptosis and
      significantly inhibit cell proliferation, migration, and invasion. Furthermore,
      zinc finger antisense 1 silencing could result in cell cycle arrest at the G0/G1
      phase and correspondingly decrease the percentage of S phase cells in both U87
      and U251 cell lines. Moreover, it was found that silenced zinc finger antisense 1
      could impair migration and invasion by inhibiting the epithelial-mesenchymal
      transition through reducing the expression of MMP2, MMP9, N-cadherin, Integrin
      beta1, ZEB1, Twist, and Snail as well as increasing E-cadherin level in glioma.
      Taken together, our data identified that zinc finger antisense 1 might act as a
      valuable prognostic biomarker and potential therapeutic target for glioma.

PMID- 28349824
TI  - Increased efficacy of a dendritic cell-based therapeutic cancer vaccine with
      adenosine receptor antagonist and CD73 inhibitor.
AB  - Dendritic cells are important in initiating immune responses; therefore, a range
      of dendritic cell-based approaches have been established to induce immune
      response against cancer cells. However, the presence of immunosuppressive
      mediators such as adenosine in the tumor microenvironment reduces the efficacy of
      dendritic cell-based cancer immunotherapy. In this study, we investigated whether
      blockade of the A2A adenosine receptor with a selective antagonist and a CD73
      inhibitor may increase the efficacy of a dendritic cell-based cancer vaccine.
      According to the findings, this therapeutic combination reduced tumor growth,
      prolonged survival of tumor-bearing mice, and enhanced specific antitumor immune
      responses. Thus, we suggest that targeting cancer-derived adenosine improves the
      outcomes of dendritic cell-based cancer immunotherapy.

PMID- 28349825
TI  - Methylomics of breast cancer: Seeking epimarkers in peripheral blood of young
      subjects.
AB  - Critical roles of epigenomic alterations in the pathogenesis of breast cancer
      have recently seized great attentions toward finding epimarkers in either non
      invasive or semi-non-invasive samples as well as peripheral blood. In this way,
      methylated DNA immunoprecipitation microarray (MeDIP-chip) was performed on DNA
      samples isolated from white blood cells of 30 breast cancer patients compared to
      30 healthy controls. A total of 1799 differentially methylated regions were
      identified including SLC6A3, Rab40C, ZNF584, and FOXD3 whose significant
      methylation differences were confirmed in breast cancer patients through
      quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction. Hypermethylation of APC, HDAC1,
      and GSK1 genes has been previously reported in more than one study on tissue
      samples of breast cancer. Methylation of those aforementioned genes in white
      blood cells of our young patients not only relies on their importance in breast
      cancer pathogenesis but also may highlight their potential as early epimarkers
      that makes further assessments necessary in large cohort studies.

PMID- 28349826
TI  - Mortalin overexpression predicts poor prognosis in early stage of non-small cell
      lung cancer.
AB  - Mortalin is a member of the heat shock protein 70 family, which is involved in
      multiple cellular processes and may play key roles in promoting carcinogenesis.
      This study attempted to identify the clinical consequences of Mortalin
      overexpression and its roles in the prognostic evaluation of non-small cell lung
      cancer. A total of 120 non-small cell lung cancer samples paired with the
      adjacent non-tumor tissue samples and 10 normal lung tissues were selected for
      immunohistochemical staining for Mortalin. The localization of Mortalin was
      detected in A549 non-small cell lung cancer cells using immunofluorescence
      staining. The correlations between Mortalin overexpression and the clinical
      features of non-small cell lung cancers were evaluated using the chi-square test.
      The survival analysis was calculated via the Kaplan-Meier method and the Cox
      proportional hazard models. Our studies suggested that Mortalin exhibited a
      primarily cytoplasmic staining pattern in the non-small cell lung cancers. The
      rate of strongly positive Mortalin expression was higher in the non-small cell
      lung cancer samples than in the adjacent non-tumor samples or in normal lung
      tissues. Mortalin overexpression was significantly correlated with high
      histological grades, advanced stages, lymph node metastases, and lower disease
      free survival and overall survival rates of the patients with non-small cell lung
      cancer. The survival analysis demonstrated that Mortalin overexpression was a
      significant independent prognostic factor in non-small cell lung cancer,
      especially for patients with early stage of non-small cell lung cancer. In
      conclusion, Mortalin is up-regulated in non-small cell lung cancer, and it may be
      a potential biomarker of prognostic evaluation and a molecular therapeutic target
      for patients with early stage of non-small cell lung cancer.

PMID- 28349827
TI  - Staurosporine suppresses survival of HepG2 cancer cells through Omi/HtrA2
      mediated inhibition of PI3K/Akt signaling pathway.
AB  - Staurosporine, which is an inhibitor of a broad spectrum of protein kinases, has
      shown cytotoxicity on several human cancer cells. However, the underlying
      mechanism is not well understood. In this study, we examined whether and how this
      compound has an inhibitory action on phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K)/Akt
      pathway in vitro using HepG2 human hepatocellular carcinoma cell line. Cell
      viability and apoptosis were determined using 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5
      diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay and terminal deoxyribonucleotidyl
      transferase-mediated dUTP-digoxigenin nick end labeling (TUNEL) assay,
      respectively. Glutathione S-transferase (GST) pull-down assay and co
      immunoprecipitation were performed to detect protein-protein interactions. Small
      interfering RNA (siRNA) was used to silence the expression of targeted protein.
      We found that staurosporine significantly decreased cell viability and increased
      cell apoptosis in a concentration- and time-dependent manner in HepG2 cancer
      cells, along with the decreased expressions of PDK1 protein and Akt
      phosphorylation. Staurosporine was also found to enhance Omi/HtrA2 release from
      mitochondria. Furthermore, Omi/HtrA2 directly bound to PDK1. Pharmacological and
      genetic inhibition of Omi/HtrA2 restored protein levels of PDK1 and protected
      HepG2 cancer cells from staurosporine-induced cell death. In addition,
      staurosporine was found to activate autophagy. However, inhibition of autophagy
      exacerbated cell death under concomitant treatment with staurosporine. Taken
      together, our results indicate that staurosporine induced cytotoxicity response
      by inhibiting PI3K/Akt signaling pathway through Omi/HtrA2-mediated PDK1
      degradation, and the process provides a novel mechanism by which staurosporine
      produces its therapeutic effects.

PMID- 28349828
TI  - Silencing of bach1 gene by small interfering RNA-mediation regulates invasive and
      expression level of miR-203, miR-145, matrix metalloproteinase-9, and CXCR4
      receptor in MDA-MB-468 breast cancer cells.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Recently experimental validation of the networks revealed bach1, a
      basic leucine zipper transcription factor, as the common regulator of several
      functional invasive genes. The expression of bach1 and its target genes was
      linked to the higher risk of breast cancer recurrence in patients. The aim of
      this study was to investigate the effect of specific bach1 small interfering
      RNAs, on the invasive and expression level of miR-203, miR-145, matrix
      metalloproteinase-9, and CXCR4 receptor which play a role in cancer metastasis,
      in MDA-MB-468 cell lines. METHODS: Small interfering RNA transfection was
      performed with transfection regent. The survival effects of small interfering RNA
      were determined using trypan blue assay cells. The expression level of messenger
      RNA and matrix metalloproteinase-9 to assess cell invasion and the expression
      level of miR-203, miR-145, and CXCR4 receptor were measured by quantitative real
      time polymerase chain reaction analysis on the MDA-MB-468 cell lines. RESULTS:
      Transfection with small interfering RNA significantly suppressed the expression
      of bach1 gene in dose-dependent manner after 48 h ( p < 0.0001). A significant
      reduction in cell invasion and CXCR4 receptor, matrix metalloproteinase-9
      expression were observed ( p < 0.0001). It was also a dramatic increase in the
      expression level of miR-203 and miR-145 ( p < 0.0001). CONCLUSIONS: Our results
      suggest that the bach1-specific small interfering RNA effectively decrease CXCR4
      receptor, matrix metalloproteinase-9 expression and breast adenocarcinoma cells
      invasive, also increased the expression of tumor-suppressive microRNA-203 and miR
      145. Thus, these microRNAs may play a role in invasive/metastasis of carcinogenic
      breast cancer cells. Therefore, bach1 knockdown can be considered as a potent
      adjuvant in breast cancer therapy.

PMID- 28349829
TI  - MiR-590-3p suppresses hepatocellular carcinoma growth by targeting TEAD1.
AB  - MicroRNA signature is altered in different disease states including cancer, and
      some microRNAs act as oncogenes or tumor suppressors. MiR-590-3p has been shown
      to be involved in human cancer progression. However, its role in hepatocellular
      carcinoma remains unknown. In this study, miR-590-3p level was measured, and
      clinicopathological features were determined in hepatocellular carcinoma tissues.
      The function of miR-590-3p was examined in vitro and in vivo. Real-time reverse
      transcription polymerase chain reaction analysis demonstrated downregulation of
      miR-590-3p in hepatocellular carcinoma tissues, and its downregulation was
      associated with a poor overall survival of hepatocellular carcinoma patients.
      Ectopic expression of miR-590-3p promoted growth of hepatocellular carcinoma
      cells, whereas its depletion inhibited cell growth. Transcriptional enhancer
      activator domain 1 was identified as a validated miR-590-3p target. Upregulation
      of transcriptional enhancer activator domain 1 was found in hepatocellular
      carcinoma tissues and inversely correlated with miR-590-3p. Our results indicate
      a tumor suppressor role of miR-590-3p in hepatocellular carcinoma through
      targeting transcriptional enhancer activator domain 1 and suggest its use in the
      diagnosis and prognosis of liver cancer.

PMID- 28349830
TI  - Aberrant AML1 gene expression in the diagnosis of childhood leukemias not
      characterized by AML1-involved cytogenetic abnormalities.
AB  - The AML1 ( acute myeloid leukemia 1) gene, a necessary prerequisite of embryonic
      hematopoiesis and a critical regulator of normal hematopoietic development, is
      one of the most frequently mutated genes in human leukemia, involving over 50
      chromosome translocations and over 20 partner genes. In the few existing studies
      investigating AML1 gene expression in childhood leukemias, aberrant upregulation
      seems to specifically associate with AML1 translocations and amplifications. The
      aim of this study was to determine whether overexpression also extends to other
      leukemic subtypes than the ones karyotypically involving AML1. We use
      quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction methodology to investigate gene
      expression in 100 children with acute leukemias and compare them to those of
      healthy controls. We show that in childhood acute lymphoblastic leukemia, AML1
      gene overexpression is associated with a variety of leukemic subtypes, both
      immunophenotypically and cytogenetically. Statistically significantly higher
      transcripts of the gene were detected in the acute lymphoblastic leukemia group
      as compared to the acute myeloid leukemia group, where AML1 overexpression
      appeared to associate with cytogenetic abnormalities additional to those that
      engage the AML1 gene, or that are reported as showing a "normal" karyotype.
      Collectively, our study shows that AML1 gene overexpression characterizes a
      broader range of leukemic subtypes than previously thought, including various
      maturation stages of B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia and cytogenetic types
      additional to those involving the AML1 gene.

PMID- 28349831
TI  - Cell division cycle 20 overexpression predicts poor prognosis for patients with
      lung adenocarcinoma.
AB  - The cell division cycle 20, a key component of spindle assembly checkpoint, is an
      essential activator of the anaphase-promoting complex. Aberrant expression of
      cell division cycle 20 has been detected in various human cancers. However, its
      clinical significance has never been deeply investigated in non-small-cell lung
      cancer. By analyzing The Cancer Genome Atlas database and using some certain
      online databases, we validated overexpression of cell division cycle 20 in both
      messenger RNA and protein levels, explored its clinical significance, and
      evaluated the prognostic role of cell division cycle 20 in non-small-cell lung
      cancer. Cell division cycle 20 expression was significantly correlated with sex
      (p = 0.003), histological classification (p < 0.0001), and tumor size (p =
      0.0116) in non-small-cell lung cancer patients. In lung adenocarcinoma patients,
      overexpression of cell division cycle 20 was significantly associated with bigger
      primary tumor size (p = 0.0023), higher MKI67 level (r = 0.7618, p < 0.0001),
      higher DNA ploidy level (p < 0.0001), and poor prognosis (hazard ratio = 2.39,
      confidence interval: 1.87-3.05, p < 0.0001). However, in lung squamous cell
      carcinoma patients, no significant association of cell division cycle 20
      expression was observed with any clinical parameter or prognosis. Overexpression
      of cell division cycle 20 is associated with poor prognosis in lung
      adenocarcinoma patients, and its overexpression can also be used to identify high
      risk groups. In conclusion, cell division cycle 20 might serve as a potential
      biomarker for lung adenocarcinoma patients.

PMID- 28349832
TI  - Differential expression of ten-eleven translocation genes in endometrial cancers.
AB  - Ten-eleven translocation proteins are alpha-ketoglutarate-dependent dioxygenases
      involved in the conversion of 5-methylcytosines (5-mC) to 5-hydroxymethylcytosine
      (5-hmC), 5-formylcytosine, and 5-carboxylcytosine that play a significant role in
      DNA demethylation. Deregulation of TET genes expression and changes in the level
      of 5-hmC are thought to be associated with the onset and progression of several
      types of cancer, but there are no such data related to endometrial cancer. The
      aim of the work was to investigate the messenger RNA expression levels of TET1,
      TET2, and TET3 in relation to clinicopathological characteristics of endometrial
      cancer as well as the correlation between expression of TET genes and the level
      of 5-hmC/5-mC. The prognostic significance of TETs expression for overall
      survival was established. We found that TET1 and TET2 messenger RNA expression
      was lower and TET3 was higher in cancers compared to normal tissues. Positive
      correlation between 5-hmC and the relative expression of TET1 and TET2 was found,
      but no correlation was observed in the case of TET3. Decreased expression of TET1
      and TET2 was significantly associated with increased lymph node metastasis and
      International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics stage. Kaplan-Meier
      analysis indicated that low TET1 expression predicted poor overall survival (p =
      0.038). Multivariate analysis identified the TET1 expression in endometrial
      cancer as an independent prognostic factor. Our results suggest that decreased
      expression of TET1 correlates with tumor progression and may serve as a potential
      prognostic biomarker in endometrial cancer.

PMID- 28349833
TI  - Strong association of interleukin-6 -174G/C promoter single nucleotide
      polymorphism with a decreased risk of colorectal cancer in ethnic Kashmiri
      population: A case control study.
AB  - Chronic inflammation increases the risk of development of various cancers,
      including colorectal cancer. Interleukin-6 has been described as a key regulator
      of colorectal cancer development and is important in the process of colorectal
      tumorigenesis largely through the regulation of tumor-promoting inflammation.
      Several studies have reported the association of various polymorphisms in human
      interleukin-6 gene including IL-6 -174G/C single nucleotide polymorphism with
      various cancers, including colorectal cancer, but the results are mixed and
      inconclusive. The aim of this study was to analyze the association of IL-6 
      174G/C promoter single nucleotide polymorphism with colorectal cancer risk and
      also to evaluate the modifying effects of possible IL-6 -174G/C single nucleotide
      polymorphism genotypes on different risk factors of colorectal cancer or the
      reciprocal effect in ethnic Kashmiri population through a case control setup. The
      genotype frequencies of IL-6 -174G/C promoter single nucleotide polymorphism were
      compared between 142 colorectal cancer patients and 184 individually matched
      healthy controls by using polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length
      polymorphism method. The association between the IL-6 -174G/C single nucleotide
      polymorphism and colorectal cancer risk was examined through conditional logistic
      regression models adjusted for multiple possible confounding (third) variables.
      The possible effect measure modification of the association between the relevant
      single nucleotide polymorphism genotypes and colorectal cancer risk by various
      colorectal cancer risk factors including age, gender, and smoking status was also
      evaluated. Furthermore, the associations between these single nucleotide
      polymorphisms and various clinicopathological parameters, demographic variables,
      and environmental factors within the case group subjects with regard to
      colorectal cancer risk were also analyzed. The overall association between the IL
      6 -174G/C single nucleotide polymorphism and the modulation of colorectal cancer
      risk was found to be highly significant (p = 0.001). The variant genotype (CC)
      was significantly associated with a decreased risk of colorectal cancer (odds
      ratio, 0.15 (95% confidence interval, 0.04-0.54); p = 0.004). Furthermore, the
      less common IL-6-174C allele was associated with a decreased risk of colorectal
      cancer (odds ratio, 0.49 (95% confidence interval, 0.33-0.73); p = 0.0006). The
      combined variant genotype (GC + CC) was also significantly associated with a
      decreased risk of colorectal cancer (odds ratio, 0.54 (95% confidence interval,
      0.33-0.89); p = 0.015). This study demonstrates that there is a strong and highly
      significant association between the IL-6 -174G/C promoter single nucleotide
      polymorphism and a decreased risk of colorectal cancer in ethnic Kashmiri
      population. However, in order to substantiate our findings, this study needs to
      be replicated with larger sample size and with other ethnically defined
      populations with comparable colorectal cancer incidence.

PMID- 28349834
TI  - Downregulation of transcription factor GATA4 sensitizes human hepatoblastoma
      cells to doxorubicin-induced apoptosis.
AB  - Hepatoblastoma, the most common type of pediatric liver cancer, is treated with a
      combination of surgery and chemotherapy. An essential drug in the treatment of
      hepatoblastoma is doxorubicin, which in high doses is cardiotoxic. This adverse
      effect is due to downregulation of cardiac expression of transcription factor
      GATA4, leading in turn to diminished levels of anti-apoptotic BCL2 (B-cell
      lymphoma 2) protein family members. GATA4 is also expressed in early fetal liver,
      but absent from normal postnatal hepatocytes. However, GATA4 is highly expressed
      in hepatoblastoma tissue. In this study, we assessed the role of GATA4 in
      doxorubicin-induced apoptosis of hepatoblastoma cells. Herein, we demonstrate
      that doxorubicin decreases GATA4 expression and alters the expression pattern of
      BCL2 family members, most profoundly that of BCL2 and BAK, in the HUH6
      hepatoblastoma cell line. Silencing of GATA4 by siRNA prior to doxorubicin
      treatment sensitizes HUH6 cells to the apoptotic effect of this drug by further
      shifting the balance of BCL2 family members to the pro-apoptotic direction.
      Specifically, expression levels of anti-apoptotic BCL2 were decreased and pro
      apoptotic BID were increased after GATA4 silencing. On the whole, our results
      indicate that since high endogenous levels of transcription factor GATA4 likely
      protect hepatoblastoma cells from doxorubicin-induced apoptosis, these cells can
      be rendered more sensitive to the drug by downregulation of GATA4.

PMID- 28349835
TI  - The role of epithelial cell adhesion molecule N-glycosylation on apoptosis in
      breast cancer cells.
AB  - Glycosylation of cell surface proteins plays an important role in the regulation
      of apoptosis. It has been demonstrated that knockdown of epithelial cell adhesion
      molecule promoted apoptosis, inhibited cell proliferation, and caused cell-cycle
      arrest. In this study, we investigated whether and how N-glycosylation of
      epithelial cell adhesion molecule influenced the apoptosis in breast cancer
      cells. We applied the N-glycosylation mutation epithelial cell adhesion molecule
      plasmid to express deglycosylation of epithelial cell adhesion molecule and then
      to study its function. Our results showed that deglycosylation of epithelial cell
      adhesion molecule promoted apoptosis and inhibited cell proliferation.
      Deglycosylation of epithelial cell adhesion molecule enhanced the cytotoxic
      effect of 5-fluorouracil, promoting apoptosis by downregulating the expression of
      the anti-apoptotic protein Bcl-2 and upregulating the expression of the pro
      apoptotic proteins Bax and Caspase 3 via the extracellular-signal-regulated
      kinase 1/2 and c-Jun N-terminal kinase mitogen-activated protein kinase signaling
      pathways in MCF-7 and MDA-MB-231 cells. These findings are important for a better
      understanding of epithelial cell adhesion molecule apoptosis regulation and
      suggest epithelial cell adhesion molecule as a potential target for the treatment
      of breast cancer.

PMID- 28349836
TI  - Identification of differentially expressed circular RNAs in human colorectal
      cancer.
AB  - Circular RNA, a class of non-coding RNA, is a new group of RNAs and is related to
      tumorigenesis. Circular RNAs are suggested to be ideal candidate biomarkers with
      potential diagnostic and therapeutic implications. However, little is known about
      their expression in human colorectal cancer. In our study, differentially
      expressed circular RNAs were detected using circular RNA array in paired tumor
      and adjacent non-tumorous tissues from six colorectal cancer patients. Expression
      levels of selected circular RNAs (hsa_circRNA_103809 and hsa_circRNA_104700) were
      measured by real-time polymerase chain reaction in 170 paired colorectal cancer
      samples for validation. Statistical analyses were conducted to investigate the
      association between hsa_circRNA_103809 and hsa_circRNA_104700 expression levels
      and respective patient clinicopathological features. Receiver operating
      characteristic curve was constructed to evaluate the diagnostic values. Our
      results indicated that there were 125 downregulated and 76 upregulated circular
      RNAs in colorectal cancer tissues compared with normal tissues. We also first
      demonstrated that the expression levels of hsa_circRNA_103809 ( p < 0.0001) and
      hsa_circRNA_104700 ( p = 0.0003) were significantly lower in colorectal cancer
      than in normal tissues. The expression level of hsa_circRNA_103809 was
      significantly correlated with lymph node metastasis ( p = 0.021) and tumor-node
      metastasis stage ( p = 0.011), and the expression level of hsa_circRNA_104700 was
      significantly correlated with distal metastasis ( p = 0.036). The area under
      receiver operating characteristic curves of hsa_circRNA_103809 and
      hsa_circRNA_104700 were 0.699 ( p < 0.0001) and 0.616 ( p < 0.0001),
      respectively. In conclusion, these results suggest that hsa_circRNA_103809 and
      hsa_circRNA_104700 may be potentially involved in the development of colorectal
      cancer and serve as potential biomarkers for the diagnosis of colorectal cancer.

PMID- 28349837
TI  - Apoptosis mediated chemosensitization of tumor cells to 5-fluorouracil on
      supplementation of fish oil in experimental colon carcinoma.
AB  - 5-Fluorouracil has been considered as a cornerstone therapy for colorectal
      cancer; however, it suffers from low therapeutic response rate and severe side
      effects. Therefore, there is an urgent need to increase the clinical efficacy of
      5-fluorouracil. Recently, fish oil rich in n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids has
      been reported to chemosensitize tumor cells to anti-cancer drugs. This study is
      designed to understand the underlying mechanisms of synergistic effect of fish
      oil and 5-fluorouracil by evaluation of tumor cell-associated markers such as
      apoptosis and DNA damage. The colon cancer was developed by administration of N,N
      dimethylhydrazine dihydrochloride and dextran sulfate sodium salt. Further these
      animals were treated with 5-fluorouracil, fish oil, or a combination of both. In
      carcinogen-treated animals, a decrease in DNA damage and apoptotic index was
      observed. There was also a decrease in the expression of Fas, FasL, caspase 8,
      and Bax, and an increase in Bcl-2. In contrast, administration of 5-fluorouracil
      and fish oil as an adjuvant increased both DNA damage and apoptotic index by
      activation of both extrinsic and intrinsic apoptotic pathways as compared to the
      other groups. The increased pro-apoptotic effect by synergism of 5-fluorouracil
      and fish oil may be attributed to the incorporation of n-3 polyunsaturated fatty
      acids in membrane, which alters membrane fluidity in cancer cells. In conclusion,
      this study highlights that the induction of apoptotic pathway by fish oil may
      increase the susceptibility of tumors to chemotherapeutic regimens.

PMID- 28349838
TI  - Glycaemic control status among type 2 diabetic patients and the role of their
      diabetes coping behaviours: a clinic-based study in Tripoli, Libya.
AB  - Background Achieving good glycaemic control is important in diabetes management.
      However, poor glycaemic control is widely reported. This article assessed the
      prevalence of uncontrolled and poor glycaemic control among Libyans with type 2
      diabetes and examined the relative contribution of diabetes coping behaviours to
      their glycaemic control status. Methods A cross-sectional study was undertaken in
      2013 in a large diabetes centre in Tripoli. The study included 523 respondents.
      Diabetes coping behaviours were measured using the revised version of the Summary
      of Diabetes Self-Care Activities measure (SDSCA) and the eight-item Morisky
      Medication Adherence Scale (MMAS-8(c)), while glycaemic control status was based
      on the HbA1c level. Results Mean HbA1c was 8.9 (+/-2.1), and of the 523 patients,
      only 114 (21.8%) attained the glycaemic control target of HbAc1 of less than
      7.0%. Females (OR=1.74, 95% CI=1.03-2.91), patients on insulin and oral
      hypoglycaemic agents (OR=1.92, 95% CI=1.05-3.54), patients on insulin (OR=3.14,
      95% CI=1.66-6.03), and low-medication adherents (OR=2.25, 95% CI=1.36-3.73) were
      more likely to have uncontrolled and poor glycaemic control, while exercise
      contributed to glycaemic control status as a protective factor (OR=0.85, 95%
      CI=0.77-0.94). Conclusion The findings from this study showed the considerable
      burden of uncontrolled and poor glycaemic control in one of the largest diabetes
      care settings in Libya. Medication adherence as well as exercise promotion
      programs would help in reducing the magnitude of poor glycaemic control.

PMID- 28349839
TI  - Prevalence of Entamoeba histolytica, Giardia lamblia, and Cryptosporidium spp. in
      Libya: 2000-2015.
AB  - Introduction The intestinal protozoa Entamoeba histolytica, Giardia lamblia, and
      Cryptosporidium spp. are the causative agents of giardiasis, amebiasis, and
      cryptosporidiosis, respectively. Adequate knowledge of the geographical
      distribution of parasites and the demographic variables that influence their
      prevalence is important for effective control of infection in at-risk
      populations. Methods The data were obtained by an English language literature
      search of Medline and PubMed for papers using the search terms 'intestinal
      parasites and Libya, G. lamblia and Libya, E. histolytica and Libya and
      Cryptosporidium and Libya' for the period 2000-2015. Results The data obtained
      for the period 2000-2015 showed prevalence rates of 0.8-36.6% (mean 19.9%) for E.
      histolytica/dispar, 1.2-18.2% (mean 4.6%) for G. lamblia and 0.9-13% (mean 3.4%)
      for Cryptosporidium spp. among individuals in Libya with gastroenteritis (GE). On
      the other hand, prevalence rates of 0.8-16.3% (mean 8.3%), 1.8-28.8% (mean 4.8%),
      and 1.0-2.5% (mean=2.4), respectively, were observed for individuals without GE.
      The mean prevalence rate of E. histolytica/dispar was significantly higher among
      individuals with GE compared with those without GE (p<0.0000001, OR=2.74). No
      significant difference in prevalence rate of the three organisms was found
      according to gender, but most of infections were observed in children aged 10
      years or younger. Conclusion The reviewed data suggest that E. histolytica, G.
      lamblia, and Cryptosporidium spp. may play a minor role in GE in Libya. The
      observed high prevalence rates of E. histolytica/dispar reported from Libya could
      be due mainly to the non-pathogenic E. dispar and E. moshkovskii. However, more
      studies are needed in the future using E. histolytica-specific enzyme
      immunoassays and/or molecular methods to confirm this observation.

PMID- 28349840
TI  - Seroprevalence of IgM antibodies to hepatitis A virus in at-risk group in Benin
      City, Nigeria.

PMID- 28349841
TI  - Why should you choose to publish in the Libyan Journal of Medicine?

PMID- 28349842
TI  - Email communication in a developing country: different family physician and
      patient perspectives.
AB  - Background Email communication between physicians and patients could improve
      access to and delivery of health care. Most of the literature studies about email
      communication between physicians and patients have been conducted in developing
      countries. Therefore, this study aims to analyze the practices, attitudes, and
      barriers of both physicians' and patients' use of email within the same health
      care setting of a developing country. Methods A cross-sectional paper-based
      survey was conducted among 39 physicians and 500 patients at the Family Medicine
      clinics of the American University of Beirut, a tertiary academic medical center.
      Results Most of the surveyed patients and physicians reported that they would
      like to communicate through email and agreed that it is useful. However, only 19%
      of the patients have ever communicated with their physicians via email, and only
      5.1% of physicians have often communicated with their patients via email. Almost
      half of the patients surveyed were unaware of the possibility of this form of
      communication, and only 17% reported that their physician offered them his or her
      email address. In addition, physicians and patients did not agree on the services
      to be provided by email communication. For instance, almost half of the patients
      indicated consultation for an urgent medical matter as suitable for email
      communication. Conclusion The use of email communication in health care is still
      scarce. Patients and physicians have different perspectives of its use and
      importance. Further rigorous research is needed to clarify the advantages and
      disadvantages of this form of communication, especially in the developing world.
      Interested physicians are encouraged to establish appropriate personal policies
      for email communication with adequate announcement and patient education plans.

PMID- 28349843
TI  - Thymoquinone ameliorates lead-induced suppression of the antioxidant system in
      rat kidneys.
AB  - Objective Alteration of the antioxidant status in the kidneys may be related to
      lead (Pb) intoxication. The present study aimed to investigate the possible
      beneficial effect of thymoquinone (TQ), the major active ingredient of the
      volatile oil of Nigella sativa seeds, on Pb-induced renal antioxidant defense
      system impairment. Methods A total of thirty two healthy adult male Wistar rats
      were randomly divided into four equal groups as follows: a control group, which
      received no treatment; a Pb group, which was exposed to 2,000 ppm of Pb acetate
      in drinking water; a Pb-TQ group, which was cotreated with Pb plus TQ (5
      mg/kg/day, per os); and a TQ group receiving only TQ. All treatments were applied
      for five weeks. Results TQ alone did not induce any significant changes in the
      antioxidant defense system. By contrast, Pb exposure significantly decreased
      reduced glutathione level and superoxide dismutase, glutathione peroxidase,
      catalase, and glutathione reductase activities in the renal tissue.
      Interestingly, supplementation with TQ significantly improved the affected
      antioxidant parameters. Conclusion Our data are the first to provide evidence on
      the protective effect of TQ against Pb-induced renal antioxidant capacity
      impairment and suggest that this component might be a clinically promising
      alternative in Pb nephrotoxicity.

PMID- 28349844
TI  - Periodontal bone height of exclusive narghile smokers compared with exclusive
      cigarette smokers.
AB  - Objective To compare the periodontal bone height (PBH) of exclusive narghile
      smokers (ENS) with that of exclusive cigarette smokers (ECS). Methods Tunisian
      males aged 20-35 years who have been ENS for more than five narghile-years or ECS
      for more than five pack-years were recruited to participate in this comparative
      cross-sectional study. Information about oral health habits and tobacco
      consumption were gathered using a predetermined questionnaire. Plaque levels were
      recorded in four sites using the plaque index of Loe and Silness. The PBH was
      measured mesially and distally from digital panoramic radiographs of each tooth
      and expressed as a percentage of the root length. A PBH level <=0.70 was applied
      as a cutoff reference value signifying bone loss. Student t-test and Chi2 test
      were used to compare quantitative and qualitative data of both groups. Results
      There were no significant differences between the ENS (n=60) and ECS (n=60)
      groups regarding age and the consumed quantities of tobacco (28+/-4 vs. 27+/-5
      years, 7+/-3 narghile-years vs. 8+/-3 pack-years, respectively). Compared with
      the ECS group, the ENS group had a significantly higher plaque index (mean+/-SD
      values were 1.54+/-0.70 vs. 1.84+/-0.73, respectively). However, the two groups
      had similar means of PBH (0.85+/-0.03 vs. 0.86+/-0.04) and tooth brushing
      frequencies (1.1+/-0.8 vs. 0.9+/-0.6 a day, respectively) and had similar bone
      loss frequencies (15% vs. 12%, respectively). Conclusions Both ENS and ECS
      exhibited the same PBH reduction, which means that both types of tobacco smoking
      are associated with periodontal bone loss.

PMID- 28349845
TI  - Cross-cultural adaptation and psychometric properties of an Arabic language
      version of the Brief Illness Perception Questionnaire in Lebanon.
AB  - Background Patients' positive illness perceptions (IPs) significantly contribute
      to treatment success. The Brief Illness Perception Questionnaire (Brief IPQ) is
      widely used in various diseases for assessing IPs. It was developed in English
      speaking countries and studies on it in Arab countries are scarce. Objectives,
      Setting and design This observational cross-sectional study aimed to cross
      culturally adapt the Brief IPQ English version into a modern Arabic language
      version and determine its psychometric properties in a sample of Lebanese cardiac
      disease patients. This study was approved by the Institutional Review Board of
      Saint Joseph University of Beirut, Lebanon. Participants A convenience sample of
      30 patients with cardiac disease were recruited during routine visits to
      cardiologists' offices in Beirut, Lebanon. Inclusion criteria were at least one
      cardiac disease for at least 6 months with no acute episode or exacerbation of
      the disease during the 6 preceding months, age>=18 years, and the ability to read
      and comprehend Arabic. The pre-final version of the Brief IPQ Arabic version was
      tested for face and content validity. The meaning, comprehensibility, and
      acceptability were studied by individual interviews. For discriminant validity
      and internal consistency of the Brief IPQ Arabic version (Brief IPQ-Ar), 100
      patients were recruited in a similar manner using the same inclusion criteria. To
      assess reproducibility, 30 patients, selected randomly from the 100 patients,
      filled the questionnaire a second time, 3-4 weeks after its first administration
      and under the same conditions. Main outcome measures Psychometric properties of
      the Brief IPQ-Ar among Lebanese patients suffering from cardiac diseases. Results
      Semantic equivalence between the Brief IPQ-Ar questions and patients'
      descriptions was 100%. Cronbach's alpha was 0.717, which shows good internal
      consistency. Reproducibility was satisfactory (ICC values>0.776). Moreover, the
      Brief IPQ-Ar discriminated participants according to the type of cardiac disease
      and treatment-related characteristics. Conclusions We confirm that the Brief IPQ
      Ar is appropriate for exploring IPs in cardiac disease patients whose first
      language is Arabic. Further research should be conducted to test this Arabic
      version in other types of diseases.

PMID- 28349847
TI  - How does serum brain natriuretic peptide level change under nasal continuous
      positive airway pressure in obstructive sleep apnea-hypopnea syndrome?
AB  - Background Obstructive sleep apnea-hypopnea syndrome (OSAHS) is associated with
      cardiovascular morbidity and mortality, which can be improved by using continuous
      positive airway pressure (CPAP) therapy. However, the pathophysiological links
      between the two kinds of disease and the mechanism of the CPAP effect remain
      incompletely understood. We aimed to inquire into the myocardial involvement in
      this relationship. We suggested that serum brain natriuretic peptide (BNP) is
      sensitive enough to detect myocardial stress caused by OSAHS. Design and methods
      Sixty-four subjects without cardiovascular disease (21 controls, 24 normotensive
      OSAHS patients, and 19 hypertensive OSAHS patients) were analyzed for serum BNP
      at baseline and serially over 6 months. CPAP was applied to 23 patients with
      severe OSAHS. Results At baseline, the serum BNP levels were significantly higher
      (p=0.0001) in the OSAHS group (22.3+/-14.79 pg/ml) than in the control group
      (9.2+/-6.75 pg/ml). Increased serum BNP levels were significantly associated with
      mean transcutaneous oxygen saturation (SpO2) (p<0.0001), minimal SpO2 (p=0.002),
      oxygen desaturation index (p=0.001), and total sleep time spent with SpO2 lower
      than 90% (p=0.002). All patients with elevated BNP levels (>=37 pg/ml) had
      moderate or severe OSAHS (11/43 OSAHS patients). The more severe the OSAHS, the
      higher the BNP levels were. However, only the difference between severe and mild
      OSAHS was statistically significant (p=0.029). Hypertensive OSAHS patients had
      the highest baseline BNP levels (27.7+/-16.74 pg/ml). They were significantly
      higher (p=0.001) than in normotensive OSAHS patients (18+/-11.72 pg/ml) (p=0.039)
      and the controls (9.2+/-6.75 pg/ml). As compared with baseline, treatment with
      CPAP significantly decreased BNP levels in both hypertensive and normotensive
      OSAHS patients (respectively, from 36+/-16.10 to 29.7+/-14.29 pg/ml, p<0.001, and
      from 20+/-10.09 to 16+/-8.98 pg/ml, p<0.001). In contrast, the BNP levels
      slightly increased in the controls (from 9.2+/-6.75 to 9.5+/-7.02 pg/ml,
      p=0.029), but there was no statistically significant difference in comparison
      with the baseline value. The effect of CPAP on BNP levels was more marked in
      patients with higher baseline BNP levels and those with the most prolonged
      nocturnal desaturation (p=0.001, r=0.65). It was also more marked in hypertensive
      OSHAS patients (p=0.015, r=0.72) in comparison with normotensive OSAHS patients
      (p=0.03, r=0.62). Conclusion BNP seems to be sensitive enough to detect
      myocardial stress caused by OSAHS. As such, it is a potential marker for
      screening of preclinical cardiovascular damage in patients with untreated OSAHS.
      Application of CPAP decreases levels significantly in normotensive and
      particularly in hypertensive OSAHS. These findings are consistent with previous
      results suggesting the potential benefits of CPAP on cardiovascular outcome in
      OSAHS patients.

PMID- 28349846
TI  - Irritable bowel syndrome among nurses working in King Abdulaziz University
      Hospital, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.
AB  - Background Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is a highly prevalent gastrointestinal
      disorder that can cause disability and economic burden. Nurses are a vital part
      of the medical team and their well-being is an important issue. Yet, few studies
      have been done concerning IBS among nurses. Objectives To determine the
      prevalence, severity, and predictors of IBS among nurses working at King
      Abdulaziz University Hospital, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. Materials and methods A
      cross-sectional study was conducted among 229 nurses who fulfilled the
      eligibility criteria. They were selected by stratified random sampling during
      2014-2015. A validated, confidential, self-administered data collection sheet was
      used for collection of personal and sociodemographic data. Rome III Criteria, IBS
      Severity Scoring System (IBS-SSS), Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS),
      and Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) were included. Both descriptive and
      inferential statistics were done. A multiple logistic regression analysis was
      done to determine the predictors of IBS. Results The prevalence of IBS among
      nurses was 14.4%, and IBS-Mixed type was the commonest variety (54.5%). Positive
      family history of IBS, working in outpatient clinics, having day shift, poor
      sleep quality, and high anxiety and depression scale scores were significantly
      associated with IBS. After controlling for confounding factors in regression
      analysis, the predictors of IBS were food hypersensitivity (aOR=4.52; 95% CI:
      1.80-11.33), morbid anxiety (aOR=4.34; 95% CI: 1.49-12.67), and positive family
      history of IBS (aOR=3.38; 95% CI: 1.12-13.23). Conclusion The prevalence of IBS
      was 14.4%. Food hypersensitivity, morbid anxiety, and family history were the
      predictors of IBS. Screening and management of IBS, food hypersensitivity, and
      psychological problems among nurses are recommended.

PMID- 28349848
TI  - Vitamin D inadequacy is widespread in Tunisian active boys and is related to diet
      but not to adiposity or insulin resistance.
AB  - Background Vitamin D inadequacy is widespread in children and adolescents
      worldwide. The present study was undertaken to assess the vitamin D status in
      active children living in a sunny climate and to identify the main determinants
      of the serum concentration of 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25-OHD). Methods This cross
      sectional study included 225 children aged 7-15 years practicing sports in a
      football academy. Anthropometric measures were performed to calculate body mass
      index (BMI), fat mass, and maturity status. A nutritional enquiry was performed
      including 3-day food records and food frequency questionnaire. Plasma 25-OHD and
      insulin were assessed by immunoenzymatic methods ensuring categorization of
      vitamin D status and calculation of insulin sensitivity/resistance indexes. A
      logistic regression model was applied to identify predictors for vitamin D
      inadequacy. Results Vitamin D deficiency (25-OHD<12 ug/L) was observed in 40.9%
      of children and insufficiency (12<25-OHD<20 ug/L) was observed in 44% of
      children. In a multivariate analysis, vitamin D deficiency and insufficiency were
      associated with a lower dietary intake of vitamin D, proteins, milk, red meat,
      fish, and eggs. However, no significant relationship was observed with maturation
      status, adiposity, or insulin resistance. Conclusions Tunisian children and
      adolescents are exposed to a high risk of vitamin D inadequacy despite living in
      a sunny climate. Circulating 25-OHD concentrations are related to the intake of
      vitamin D food sources but not to maturation status or body composition. Ensuring
      sufficient and safe sun exposure and adequate vitamin D intake may prevent
      vitamin D inadequacy in children from sunny environments.

PMID- 28349849
TI  - The establishment of ethical guidelines for biomedical research in Libya.

PMID- 28349851
TI  - First report of neurotoxic effect of the cyanobacterium Cylindrospermopsis
      raciborskii on the motility of trematode metacercariae.
AB  - Cylindrospermopsis raciborskii (Woloszynska) is a photosynthetic cyanobacterium
      that can produce cytotoxic (cylindrospermopsin) and neurotoxic cyanotoxins
      (saxitoxins). In Brazil the strains of C. raciborskii are reported to produce
      only saxitoxins (STX) and their effect on fish parasites has not been tested to
      date. The fish Poecilia vivipara Bloch and Schneider is a common host for the
      trematode Pygidiopsis macrostomum Travassos off the coast of Rio de Janeiro, and
      this fish-parasite interaction is a model for behavioural and ecotoxicological
      studies. The aim of this work was to evaluate the motility of metacercariae of P.
      macrostomum from P. vivipara exposed to 40 mg l-1 and 400 mg l-1 of crude
      lyophilized extract of the cyanobacterium C. raciborskii (CYRF-01) for 48 h. The
      fish were separated into groups of ten individuals and, after exposure, five fish
      from each group were dissected for counting and checking the motility of
      metacercariae. The other five fish were dissected after 48 h in clean water. The
      detection and quantification of STX in the solutions of cyanobacteria, and the
      gills and guts of fish, were performed by an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay.
      The crude extract of C. raciborskii caused temporary paralysis in metacercariae
      of P. macrostomum after exposure of fish to both concentrations, and the motility
      recovered after the fish were kept for 48 h in clean water. STX was detected in
      the guts and gills of all fish analysed, suggesting that this toxin is involved
      in the paralysis of metacercariae. This is the first report on the action of
      neurotoxins in metacercariae of fish.

PMID- 28349850
TI  - Development and validation of a food photography manual, as a tool for estimation
      of food portion size in epidemiological dietary surveys in Tunisia.
AB  - Background Estimation of food portion sizes has always been a challenge in
      dietary studies on free-living individuals. The aim of this work was to develop
      and validate a food photography manual to improve the accuracy of the estimated
      size of consumed food portions. Methods A manual was compiled from digital photos
      of foods commonly consumed by the Tunisian population. The food was cooked and
      weighed before taking digital photographs of three portion sizes. The manual was
      validated by comparing the method of 24-hour recall (using photos) to the
      reference method [food weighing (FW)]. In both the methods, the comparison
      focused on food intake amounts as well as nutritional issues. Validity was
      assessed by Bland-Altman limits of agreement. In total, 31 male and female
      volunteers aged 9-89 participated in the study. Results We focused on eight food
      categories and compared their estimated amounts (using the 24-hour recall method)
      to those actually consumed (using FW). Animal products and sweets were
      underestimated, whereas pasta, bread, vegetables, fruits, and dairy products were
      overestimated. However, the difference between the two methods is not
      statistically significant except for pasta (p<0.05) and dairy products (p<0.05).
      The coefficient of correlation between the two methods is highly significant,
      ranging from 0.876 for pasta to 0.989 for dairy products. Nutrient intake
      calculated for both methods showed insignificant differences except for fat
      (p<0.001) and dietary fiber (p<0.05). A highly significant correlation was
      observed between the two methods for all micronutrients. The test agreement
      highlights the lack of difference between the two methods. Conclusion The
      difference between the 24-hour recall method using digital photos and the
      weighing method is acceptable. Our findings indicate that the food photography
      manual can be a useful tool for quantifying food portion sizes in epidemiological
      dietary surveys.

PMID- 28349852
TI  - Impact of the degree of urbanization on composition and structure of helminth
      communities in the Mongolian racerunner (Eremias argus) Peters, 1869.
AB  - The effects of the degree of urbanization on the composition and mean abundance
      of helminth species and the structure of helminth communities in the Mongolian
      racerunner were investigated along a rural-urban gradient in the region of Ulan
      Ude city (the Republic of Buryatia, Russia) and neighbouring rural districts.
      Racerunners were obtained from key areas and categorized into three grades based
      on the degree of urbanization. In this study, a total of 208 lizards were
      examined. The helminth communities in the Mongolian racerunner were studied at
      the infracommunity and component community levels. The nematode Spauligodon
      pseudoeremiasi was a sensitive bioindicator of the degree of urbanization in our
      study. All parameters of helminth infracommunities in the Mongolian racerunner
      were significantly reduced with increasing degree of urbanization of the key
      areas. Two parameters of helminth component communities (the proportion of hosts
      infected with parasites and the Shannon index) were significantly reduced with
      increasing degree of urbanization. The decline recorded in parameters of helminth
      infracommunities and component communities in the Mongolian racerunner were
      probably connected with the attenuation of the relationships between helminths,
      having a complex life cycle with intermediate hosts along the rural-urban
      gradient.

PMID- 28349853
TI  - Molecular identification of cryptic cysticercosis: Taenia ovis krabbei in wild
      intermediate and domestic definitive hosts.
AB  - The complex life cycle of taeniids represents an ideal model of a multi-host
      system. The complexity of these parasites can therefore cover the epidemiological
      issues of the interface between wild and domestic animals, especially once
      spatial overlap between wild and domestic definitive and intermediate hosts
      occurs. Here we use the occurrence of Taenia ovis krabbei in two model areas as
      an example of this epidemiological complexity. In two contiguous areas in the
      Italian northern Apennines, two hunted roe deer (Capreolus capreolus) showed
      numerous cysticerci in the muscles of their whole body and an adult tapeworm was
      recorded in a semi-stray dog (Canis lupus familiaris). Through molecular typing
      of the mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase I (cox1) gene, cysticerci and the adult
      tapeworm of T. krabbei were identified. Taenia krabbei cysticercosis was recorded
      for the first time in Italy. Although the role of dogs in the parasite's life
      cycle emerges, the overlap between wild and domestic definitive hosts and the
      increase of wild population densities raise concerns about the temporal (old or
      new) introduction and the spread of this parasite by one of these canid species
      (wolf (Canis lupus) or dog). Although T. krabbei is not a public health issue,
      economic concerns emerged for hunters and meat producers, related to the damage
      of carcasses by cysticerci. Therefore, there is a need to evaluate the spread of
      T. krabbei in the intermediate and definitive host populations, and to ensure the
      relevant sanitary education for hunters in order to avoid practices that could
      favour the spread and maintenance of its life cycle.

PMID- 28349854
TI  - An economic analysis of a community-based model for dementia care in Ireland: a
      balance of care approach.
AB  - BACKGROUND: This study examined resource utilization, cost of care, and balance
      of care relationships for people with dementia on the boundary of community and
      residential care in Ireland. METHODS: A balance of care approach was used to
      examine how investment in personalized community care impacted on measured formal
      and informal costs, care relationships, and potential admission to long-stay care
      facilities for people with dementia over a three year period. RESULTS: 181 people
      with dementia on the boundary of community and residential care received
      additional personalized care supports to help them remain living at home in the
      community. The estimated average weekly cost of community care for these people,
      including usual formal care provision, new personalized supports, consumption,
      and housing, was ?418 per week, less than half the cost of potential residential
      care. However, when informal care is valued using an opportunity cost
      methodology, the social cost of community-based care increased threefold, rising
      above the cost of alternative residential care. CONCLUSION: Investment in
      personalized supports can support family carers to continue caring for longer,
      thus postponing expensive admission into long-stay care facilities. However,
      family-care costs remain high, irrespective of the additional supports received.

PMID- 28349855
TI  - Reliability of the NEO Five Factor Inventory short form for assessing personality
      after stroke.
AB  - BACKGROUND: It is well recognized that an individual's personality
      characteristics influence their psychological adjustment after stroke. However,
      there is a lack of research on the reliability of personality inventories for
      stroke. This study primarily aimed to evaluate the reliability of the
      Neuroticism, Extroversion, Openness to Experience (NEO)-Five Factor Inventory
      (NEO-FFI) for assessing pre-morbid personality and personality changes after
      stroke. Further aims were to investigate changes in personality during the
      hospital-to-home transition period and examine associations between personality
      and mood. METHODS: Forty participants with stroke (52.5% male, M age=65.55 years)
      were recruited at time of hospital discharge and completed the NEO-FFI, Centre
      for Epidemiologic Studies - Depression and Geriatric Anxiety Inventory.
      Significant others completed an informant version of the NEO-FFI. Stroke
      participants were re-assessed on the NEO-FFI at 1-month and 4-months post
      discharge. Forty matched controls also completed the NEO-FFI. RESULTS: Internal
      consistency was adequate for the NEO-FFI (alpha=0.57-0.86), although low for
      agreeableness. There was fair to excellent concordance between self-rated and
      informant versions of the NEO-FFI (ICC=0.58-0.78). Significant positive
      associations were found between neuroticism and mood (r=0.50-0.68), and
      significant negative associations were found between extraversion and mood (r=
      0.33-0.36) and agreeableness and anxiety (r=-0.43). Self-ratings of stroke
      participants on the NEO-FFI at discharge did not significantly differ from
      matched controls. Extraversion levels significantly decreased, and agreeableness
      levels significantly increased between discharge and 1- and 4-months post
      discharge. CONCLUSIONS: Overall, the results support the reliability of the NEO
      FFI for assessing personality characteristics in the context of stroke.

PMID- 28349857
TI  - Fitting milk production curves through nonlinear mixed models.
AB  - The aim of this work was to fit and compare three non-linear models (Wood,
      Milkbot and diphasic) to model lactation curves from two approaches: with and
      without cow random effect. Knowing the behaviour of lactation curves is critical
      for decision-making in a dairy farm. Knowledge of the model of milk production
      progress along each lactation is necessary not only at the mean population level
      (dairy farm), but also at individual level (cow-lactation). The fits were made in
      a group of high production and reproduction dairy farms; in first and third
      lactations in cool seasons. A total of 2167 complete lactations were involved, of
      which 984 were first-lactations and the remaining ones, third lactations (19 382
      milk yield tests). PROC NLMIXED in SAS was used to make the fits and estimate the
      model parameters. The diphasic model resulted to be computationally complex and
      barely practical. Regarding the classical Wood and MilkBot models, although the
      information criteria suggest the selection of MilkBot, the differences in the
      estimation of production indicators did not show a significant improvement. The
      Wood model was found to be a good option for fitting the expected value of
      lactation curves. Furthermore, the three models fitted better when the subject
      (cow) random effect was considered, which is related to magnitude of production.
      The random effect improved the predictive potential of the models, but it did not
      have a significant effect on the production indicators derived from the lactation
      curves, such as milk yield and days in milk to peak.

PMID- 28349856
TI  - Older Adult Spouses with Multiple Chronic Conditions: Challenges, Rewards, and
      Coping Strategies.
AB  - There is a paucity of research exploring how spouses to older adults with
      multiple chronic conditions make meaning of their caregiving experience. For this
      study, we asked: What is the experience of spousal caregivers to persons with
      multiple chronic conditions? We applied Thorne's interpretive description
      approach, interviewing 18 spouses who provided a rich description of their
      caregiving experience; interviews were transcribed verbatim and thematically
      analysed. Themes were categorized according to challenges encountered, rewards
      gleaned, and sustaining strategies employed by participants in caregiving to
      their spouse with multiple chronic conditions. Unique findings relate to the
      challenges inherent in decision-making within the context of multiple chronic
      conditions. This article begins to address the gap in the literature regarding
      the caregiving experience within the context of multiple chronic conditions.

PMID- 28349858
TI  - Potentially preventable hospitalizations in dementia: family caregiver
      experiences.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Health crises in persons living with dementia challenge their
      caregivers to make pivotal decisions, often under pressure, and to act in new
      ways on behalf of their care recipient. Disruption of everyday routines and
      heightened stress are familiar consequences of these events. Hospitalization for
      acute illness or injury is a familiar health crisis in dementia. The focus of
      this study is to describe the lived experience of dementia family caregivers
      whose care recipients had a recent unplanned admission, and to identify potential
      opportunities for developing preventive interventions. METHODS: Family caregivers
      (n = 20) of people with dementia who experienced a recent hospitalization due to
      an ambulatory care sensitive condition or fall-related injury completed phone
      interviews. Interviews used semi-structured protocols to elicit caregivers'
      reactions to the hospitalization and recollections of the events leading up to
      it. RESULTS: Analysis of interview data identified four major themes: (1)
      caregiver is uncertain how to interpret and act on the change; (2) caregiver is
      unable to provide necessary care; (3) caregiver experiences a personal crisis in
      response to the patient's health event; (4) mitigating factors may prevent
      caregiver crises. CONCLUSIONS: This study identifies a need for clinicians and
      family caregivers to work together to avoid health crises of both caregivers and
      people with dementia and to enable caregivers to manage the health of their care
      recipients without sacrificing their own health and wellness.

PMID- 28349859
TI  - Mental Health Experiences of Older Adults Living with HIV: Uncertainty, Stigma,
      and Approaches to Resilience.
AB  - This study describes the mental health experiences of older adults living with
      HIV in Ottawa. Eleven participants aged 52 to 67 completed in-depth personal
      interviews. Mental health concerns pervaded the lives of these older adults. We
      identified three central themes common to the participants' stories: uncertainty,
      stigma, and resilience. For some of these participants, uncertainty impacting
      mental health centred on unexpected survival; interpretation of one's symptoms;
      and medical uncertainty. Participants' experiences of stigma included
      discrimination in health care interactions; misinformation; feeling stigmatized
      due to aspects of their physical appearance; compounded stigma; and anticipated
      stigma. Participants reported using several coping strategies, which we frame as
      individual approaches to resilience. These strategies include reducing the space
      that HIV takes up in one's life; making lifestyle changes to accommodate one's
      illness; and engaging with social support. These findings inform understandings
      of services for people aging with HIV who may experience mental health concerns.

PMID- 28349860
TI  - Predictors for repeat self-harm and suicide among older people within 12 months
      of a self-harm presentation.
AB  - BACKGROUND: A past history of self-harm is a significant risk factor for suicide
      in older people. The aims of this study are to (i) characterize older people who
      present with self-harm to emergency departments (EDs); and (ii) determine the
      predictors for repeat self-harm and suicide. METHODS: Demographic and clinical
      data were retrospectively collected on older people (age 65+ years), who
      presented to seven EDs in New Zealand following an episode of self-harm between
      1st July 2010 and 30th June 2013. In addition, 12-month follow-up information on
      repeat self-harm and suicide was collected. RESULTS: The sample included 339
      older people (55.2% female) with an age range of 65-96 years (mean age = 75.0; SD
      = 7.6). Overdose (68.7%) was the most common method of self-harm. 76.4% of the
      self-harm cases were classified as suicide attempts. Perceived physical illness
      (47.8%) and family discord (34.5%) were the most common stressors. 12.7% of older
      people repeated self-harm and 2.1% died by suicide within 12 months. Older people
      who had a positive blood alcohol reading (OR = 3.87, 95% Cl = 1.35-11.12, p =
      0.012) and were already with mental health services at the index self-harm (OR =
      2.73, 95% Cl = 1.20-6.25, p = 0.047) were more likely to repeat self-harm/suicide
      within 12 months. CONCLUSION: Older people who self-harm are at very high risk of
      repeat self-harm and suicide. Screening and assessment for alcohol use disorders
      should be routinely performed following a self-harm presentation, along with
      providing structured psychological treatment as an adjunct to pharmacological
      treatment for depression and interventions to improve the person's resilience
      resources.

PMID- 28349863
TI  - Structural perspective of cooperative transcription factor binding.
AB  - In prokaryotes, individual transcription factors (TFs) can recognize long DNA
      motifs that are alone sufficient to define the genes that they induce or repress.
      In contrast, in higher organisms that have larger genomes, TFs recognize
      sequences that are too short to define unique genomic positions. In addition,
      development of multicellular organisms requires molecular systems that are
      capable of executing combinatorial logical operations. Co-operative recognition
      of DNA by multiple TFs allows both definition of unique genomic positions in
      large genomes, and complex information processing at the level of individual
      regulatory elements. The TFs can co-operate in multiple different ways, and the
      precise mechanism used for co-operation determines important features of the
      regulatory interactions. Here, we present an overview of the structural basis of
      the different mechanisms by which TFs can cooperate, focusing on insight from
      recent functional studies and structural analyses of specific TF-TF-DNA
      complexes.

PMID- 28349862
TI  - Dopamine signaling tunes spatial pattern selectivity in C. elegans.
AB  - Animals with complex brains can discriminate the spatial arrangement of physical
      features in the environment. It is unknown whether such sensitivity to spatial
      patterns can be accomplished in simpler nervous systems that lack long-range
      sensory modalities such as vision and hearing. Here we show that the nematode
      Caenorhabditis elegans can discriminate spatial patterns in its surroundings,
      despite having a nervous system of only 302 neurons. This spatial pattern
      selectivity requires touch-dependent dopamine signaling, including the
      mechanosensory TRP-4 channel in dopaminergic neurons and the D2-like dopamine
      receptor DOP-3. We find that spatial pattern selectivity varies significantly
      among C. elegans wild isolates. Electrophysiological recordings show that natural
      variations in TRP-4 reduce the mechanosensitivity of dopaminergic neurons.
      Polymorphic substitutions in either TRP-4 or DOP-3 alter the selectivity of
      spatial patterns. Together, these results demonstrate an ancestral role for
      dopamine signaling in tuning spatial pattern preferences in a simple nervous
      system.

PMID- 28349864
TI  - Why does the health of Mexican immigrants deteriorate? New evidence from linked
      birth records.
AB  - This study uses a unique dataset linking the birth records of two generations of
      children born in California and Florida (1970-2009) to analyze the mechanisms
      behind the generational decline observed in birth outcomes of children of Mexican
      origin. Calibrating a simple model of intergenerational transmission of birth
      weight, I show that modest positive selection on health at the time of migration
      can account for the initial advantage in birth outcomes of second-generation
      Mexicans. Moreover, accounting for the socioeconomic differences between second
      generation Mexicans and white natives and the observed intergenerational
      correlation in birth weight, the model predicts a greater deterioration than that
      observed in the data. Using a subset of siblings and holding constant grandmother
      quasi-fixed effects, I show that the persistence of healthier behaviors among
      second-generation Mexican mothers can explain more than half of the difference
      between the model prediction and the observed birth outcomes of third-generation
      Mexicans.

PMID- 28349865
TI  - Bans on electronic cigarette sales to minors and smoking among high school
      students.
AB  - Many states have banned electronic cigarette sales to minors under the rationale
      that using e-cigarettes leads to smoking traditional combustion cigarettes. Such
      sales bans would be counterproductive, however, if e-cigarettes and traditional
      cigarettes are substitutes, as bans might push teenagers back to smoking the more
      dangerous combustion cigarettes. We provide evidence that these sales bans reduce
      the incidence of smoking conventional cigarettes among high school seniors.
      Moreover, we provide evidence suggesting that sales bans reduced e-cigarette
      usage as well. This evidence suggests that not only are e-cigarettes and smoking
      regular cigarettes positively related and not substitutes for young people,
      banning retail sales to minors is an effective policy tool in reducing tobacco
      use.

PMID- 28349867
TI  - Evaluation of dredged sediment co-composted with green waste as plant growing
      media assessed by eco-toxicological tests, plant growth and microbial community
      structure.
AB  - Dredged sediments have currently no broad reuse options as compared to other
      wastes due to their peculiar physico-chemical properties, posing problems for the
      management of the large volumes of sediments dredged worldwide. In this study we
      evaluated the performance of sediment (S) co-composted with green waste (GW) as
      growing medium for ornamental plants. Analysis of the microbial community
      structure, eco-toxicological tests, were conducted on sediments at 1:1 and
      3:1S:GW composting ratios. Sediment-based growing media were then reused to
      growth the ornamental plant Photina x fraseri in a pilot-scale experiment and
      plants' physiological and chemical parameters were measured. The results showed
      that co-composting with green waste increased the diversity of bacteria, fungi
      and archaea as compared to the untreated sediments, and that both the 1:1 and 3:1
      S:GW composted sediments had no substantial eco-toxicological impacts, allowing
      an excellent plant growth. We concluded that co-composted of sediment with green
      waste produce a growing medium with suitable properties for growing ornamental
      plants, and represent a sustainable option for beneficial use of dredged
      sediments.

PMID- 28349866
TI  - Bolstering cholesteryl ester hydrolysis in liver: A hepatocyte-targeting gene
      delivery strategy for potential alleviation of atherosclerosis.
AB  - Current atherosclerosis treatment strategies primarily focus on limiting further
      cholesteryl esters (CE) accumulation by reducing endogenous synthesis of
      cholesterol in the liver. No therapy is currently available to enhance the
      removal of CE, a crucial step to reduce the burden of the existing disease. Given
      the central role of hepatic cholesteryl ester hydrolase (CEH) in the intrahepatic
      hydrolysis of CE and subsequent removal of the resulting free cholesterol (FC),
      in this work, we applied galactose-functionalized polyamidoamine (PAMAM)
      dendrimer generation 5 (Gal-G5) for hepatocyte-specific delivery of CEH
      expression vector. The data presented herein show the increased specific uptake
      of Gal-G5/CEH expression vector complexes (simply Gal-G5/CEH) by hepatocytes in
      vitro and in vivo. Furthermore, the upregulated CEH expression in the hepatocytes
      significantly enhanced the intracellular hydrolysis of high density lipoprotein
      associated CE (HDL-CE) and subsequent conversion/secretion of hydrolyzed FC as
      bile acids (BA). The increased CEH expression in the liver significantly
      increased the flux of HDL-CE to biliary as well as fecal FC and BA. Meanwhile,
      Gal-G5 did not induce hepatic or renal toxicity. It was also not immunotoxic.
      Because of these encouraging pre-clinical testing results, using this safe and
      highly efficient hepatocyte-specific gene delivery platform to enhance the
      hepatic processes involved in cholesterol elimination is a promising strategy for
      the alleviation of atherosclerosis.

PMID- 28349868
TI  - Ultimate biodegradability and ecotoxicity of orally administered antidiabetic
      drugs.
AB  - Hypoglycaemic pharmaceuticals are recently more and more frequently detected in
      the environment. In our previous study, we have shown that even though many of
      them undergo significant primary degradation some are transformed to stable
      products or undergo such transformation that a large part of the structure is
      still preserved. One of the main routes of elimination from wastewaters or
      surface waters is biodegradation and a lack thereof leads to accumulation in the
      environment. Within this work we tested the ultimate biodegradability of six oral
      antidiabetics: metformin and its main metabolite guanylurea, acarbose,
      glibenclamide, gliclazide, glimepiride and repaglinide. We also compared the
      experimental results obtained in this and accompanying work with models designed
      to predict biodegradability and showed that these models are only moderately
      successful. Additionally, we examined these compounds in acute Daphnia magna test
      to check if they might pose an ecotoxicological threat. Combining the results of
      biodegradability and toxicity tests allows a preliminary assessment of their
      potential environmental impact.

PMID- 28349869
TI  - Modulation of regulatory T cells by intranasal allergen immunotherapy in an
      experimental rat model of airway allergy.
AB  - Allergic airway diseases such as asthma and allergic rhinitis are increasing in
      prevalence worldwide. The theory of an altered Th1/Th2 balance in allergic
      diathesis has recently been termed a "procrustean paradigm" as it failed to
      explain many preclinical findings. Regulatory T cells (Treg) have now been shown
      to be critical in T-cell homeostasis and in the maintenance of peripheral
      tolerance to allergens. Allergen specific immunotherapy (SIT) has been shown to
      induce regulatory T cells in allergic patients. Among various types of SIT,
      intranasal immunotherapy had not been studied in detail for the treatment of
      allergic airway diseases. So, there was a need to study the contribution of
      regulatory T cells and their mechanistic pathways following intranasal
      immunotherapy in-vivo. It had been previously shown that intranasal allergen
      immunotherapy using Alstonia scholaris pollen extract abrogates allergic airway
      inflammation with decline in IgE and Th2 cytokine levels. The present study for
      the first time offers a multi-targeted approach towards attenuation of airway
      allergy by the generation of CD4+CD25+Foxp3+T cells and other subsets of Treg
      cells like Tr1 cells, Th3 cells, CTLA4+Treg cells, and also modulation of various
      Treg cell surface molecules like GITR, OX40, CD39 and CD73 by intranasal
      immunotherapy in the same animal model. This animal experiment will thus help to
      chart out newer molecular targets for treating allergic asthma or rhinitis.

PMID- 28349870
TI  - Improvement of cyanobacterial-killing biologically derived substances (BDSs)
      using an ecologically safe and cost-effective naphthoquinone derivative.
AB  - In previous studies, naphthoquinone (NQ) compounds have been shown to be
      effective, selective, and ecologically safe algicides for controlling harmful
      algal blooming species (HABs) or winter bloom species, such as Stephanodiscus
      hantzschii. However, there are no reports on NQ-based algicides for use with
      cyanobacterial blooming species. In this study, we developed 31 NQ compounds to
      investigate algicides for mitigating cyanobacterial blooms. In addition, to
      better apply these compounds in the field, we reduced the number of production
      steps to develop a cost-effective algicide. In preliminary testing, we screened
      NQ compounds that showed the best algicidal activity on target cyanobacteria,
      including Aphanizomenon, Dolichospermum, Microcystis, Oscillatoria, and Nostoc
      species. The compound NQ 2-0 showed the highest algicidal activity (90%) at a low
      concentration (>=1MUM) on target algae. These were very limiting algicidal
      effects of 1uM NQ 2-0 observed against non-target algae, such as diatoms
      (Stephanodiscus hantzschii, Cyclotella meneghiniana, Synedra acus, and
      Aulacoseira granulata) or green algae (Cosmarium bioculatum and Scenedesmus
      quadricauda), and the effect did not exceed 15-25% (except against S.
      quadricauda). NQ 2-0 (1MUM) showed no eco-toxicity, as represented by the
      survival rates of Pseudokirchneriella subcapitata (100%), Daphnia magna (100%),
      and Danio rerio (100%). Additionally, a chronic eco-toxicity assessment showed no
      toxicity toward the survival, growth or reproduction of D. magna. Moreover, NQ 2
      0 quickly dissipated from field water samples and had a half-life of
      approximately 3.2 days. These results suggest that NQ 2-0 could be a selective
      and ecologically safe algicide to mitigate harmful cyanobacterial blooms.

PMID- 28349871
TI  - Development of methods for avian oil toxicity studies using the double crested
      cormorant (Phalacrocorax auritus).
AB  - Oral and external dosing methods replicating field exposure were developed using
      the double crested cormorant (DCCO) to test the toxicity of artificially
      weathered Deepwater Horizon Mississippi Canyon 252 oil. The majority of previous
      oil dosing studies conducted on wild-caught birds used gavage methods to dose
      birds with oil and determine toxicity. However, rapid gut transit time of gavaged
      oil likely reduces oil absorption. In the present studies, dosing relied on
      injection of oil into live feeder fish for oral dosing of these piscivorous
      birds, or applying oil to body contour feathers resulting in transdermal oil
      exposure and oral exposure through preening. Both oral and external oil dosing
      studies identified oil-related toxicity endpoints associated with oxidative
      stress such as hemolytic anemia, liver and kidney damage, and immuno-modulation
      or compromise. External oil application allowed for controlled study of
      thermoregulatory stress as well. Infrared thermal images indicated significantly
      greater surface temperatures and heat loss in treated birds following external
      oil applications; however, measurements collected by coelomically implanted
      temperature transmitters showed that internal body temperatures were stable over
      the course of the study period. Birds exposed to oil externally consumed more
      fish than control birds, indicating metabolic compensation for thermal stress.
      Conversely, birds orally dosed with oil experienced hypothermia and consumed less
      fish compared to control birds.

PMID- 28349872
TI  - Responses of gonadal transcriptome and physiological analysis following exposure
      to 17alpha-ethynylestradiol in adult rare minnow Gobiocypris rarus.
AB  - 17alpha-ethynylestradiol (EE2), a synthetic estrogen commonly used in the oral
      contraceptive pills, disrupts the sexual differentiation, gonadal development and
      reproduction in aquatic species. Nowadays aquatic species and even humans still
      have the potential risks of exposure to EE2. However, the mechanism of EE2
      endocrine disruption is still unclear. Aiming to elucidate molecular mechanisms,
      we analyzed transcriptome profiling of gonads, gonadal histology and the sex
      steroid hormones in response to EE2 in G. rarus. Through this study, we obtained
      eight RNA-Seq libraries upon EE2 exposure, and found some key genes and pathways
      in correlation with the disruption effects of EE2. We found EE2 could disrupt
      oocyte development and spermatogenesis in adult G. rarus, and EE2 has more
      obvious disruption effects on male G. rarus than females. Interestingly, EE2 was
      indicated to be an exogenous DPC-inducing agent and ppp2r3b was suggested to be a
      spermatogenesis candidate gene in rare minnow. The differential gene expressions
      of rps30, samp9, ppp2r3b and spartan upon EE2 exposure suggest EE2's disruption
      effects on gonads could attribute to altered pathways of translation, ribosome
      biogenesis and cell division.

PMID- 28349873
TI  - Cadmium spiked soil modulates root organic acids exudation and ionic contents of
      two differentially Cd tolerant maize (Zea mays L.) cultivars.
AB  - Our earlier work described that the roots of two maize cultivars, grown
      hydroponically, differentially responded to cadmium (Cd) stress by initiating
      changes in medium pH depending on their Cd tolerance. The current study
      investigated the root exudation, elemental contents and antioxidant behavior of
      the same maize cultivars [cv. 3062 (Cd-tolerant) and cv. 31P41 (Cd-sensitive)]
      under Cd stress. Plants were maintained in a rhizobox-like system carrying soil
      spiked with Cd concentrations of 0, 10, 20, 30, 40 and 50 MUmol/kg soil. The root
      and shoot Cd contents increased, while Mg, Ca and Fe contents mainly decreased at
      higher Cd levels, and preferentially in the sensitive cultivar. Interestingly,
      the K contents increased in roots of cv. 3062 at low Cd treatments. The Cd stress
      caused acidosis of the maize root exudates predominantly in cv. 3062. The
      concentration of various organic acids was significantly increased in the root
      exudates of cv. 3062 with applied Cd levels. This effect was diminished in cv.
      31P41 at higher Cd levels. Cd exposure increased the relative membrane
      permeability, anthocyanin (only in cv. 3062), proline contents and the activities
      of peroxidases (POD) and superoxide dismutase (SOD). The only exception was the
      catalase activity, which was diminished in both cultivars. Root Cd contents were
      positively correlated with the secretion of acetic acid, oxalic acid, glutamic
      acid, citric acid, and succinic acid. The antioxidants like POD and SOD exhibited
      a positive correlation with the organic acids under Cd stress. It is likly that a
      high exudation of dicarboxylic organic acids improves nutrient uptake and
      activities of antioxidants, which enables the tolerant cultivar to acclimatize in
      Cd polluted environment.

PMID- 28349875
TI  - Intact non-word repetition and similar error patterns in language-matched
      children with autism spectrum disorders: A pilot study.
AB  - PURPOSE: We investigated whether enhanced auditory short-term memory may
      contribute to the learning of novel word forms in children with Autism Spectrum
      Disorder. We also evaluated whether delayed but qualitatively normal, versus
      atypical, cognitive processes underlie non-word repetition in this population via
      a detailed error analysis. METHOD: English-speaking children with Autism Spectrum
      Disorder (who had significant language delay) and typically-developing children
      matched pairwise on language ability were compared on the Syllable Repetition
      Task (Shriberg et al., 2009). RESULTS: All children exhibited better performance
      on stimuli of shorter vs. longer syllable length. In addition there was a
      significant interaction whereby children with Autism Spectrum Disorder performed
      better than typically-developing children at the longest syllable length.
      Repetition accuracy was significantly correlated with language level in both
      groups. In contrast, the relationship between Repetition accuracy and age was
      only marginally significant in the Autism Spectrum Disorder group and did not
      reach significance in the typically-developing group. This underscores the
      importance of language level to non-word repetition performance, and supports the
      practice of matching on language rather than age alone. An error analysis
      (Shriberg et al., 2012) showed many similarities between groups in terms of
      number of consonants deleted, encoding accuracy, and transcoding accuracy
      components of the task. However the Autism Spectrum Disorder group tended to
      display better auditory short-term memory with a medium effect size, though this
      did not reach significance given the small sample size. CONCLUSION: These
      findings extend evidence of delayed but qualitatively normal non-word repetition
      previously described in preadolescents with Autism Spectrum Disorder (Williams et
      al., 2013) to younger kindergarten-age children with Autism Spectrum Disorder and
      language delay, indicating that non-word repetition is not an area of specific
      difficulty for this population. With respect to enhanced auditory short-term
      memory, we found preliminary evidence of better memory for longer nonwords in
      children with Autism Spectrum Disorder compared to younger typically developing
      children who were matched on language.

PMID- 28349874
TI  - Equilibrium isotherms, kinetics, and thermodynamics studies for congo red
      adsorption using calcium alginate beads impregnated with nano-goethite.
AB  - The present study is concerned with the batch adsorption of congo red (CR) from
      an aqueous solution using calcium alginate beads impregnated with nano-goethite
      (CABI nano-goethite) as an adsorbent. The optimum conditions for CR removal were
      determined by studying operational variables viz. pH, adsorbent dose, contact
      time, initial dye ion concentration and temperature. The CABI nano-goethite was
      characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), X- ray
      diffraction (XRD) and Scanning electron microscopy/energy dispersive spectroscopy
      (SEM/EDS) analysis. The CR sorption data onto CABI nano-goethite were described
      using Langmuir, Freundlich, Dubinin-Radushkevich and Temkin isotherm models. The
      results show that the best fit was achieved with the Langmuir isotherm model. The
      maximum adsorption capacity (181.1mg/g) of CR was occurred at pH 3.0. Kinetic
      studies showed that the adsorption followed a pseudo-second-order model.
      Desorption experiments were carried out to explore the feasibility of
      regenerating the adsorbent and the adsorbed CR from CABI nano-goethite. The best
      desorbing agent was 0.1M NaOH with an efficiency of 94% recovery. The
      thermodynamic parameters DeltaG degrees , DeltaH degrees , and DeltaS degrees 
      for the CR adsorption were determined by using adsorption capacities at five
      different temperatures (293, 303, 313, 323 and 303K). Results show that the
      adsorption process was endothermic and favoured at high temperature.

PMID- 28349876
TI  - Location versus task relevance: The impact of differing internal focus of
      attention instructions on motor performance.
AB  - Impaired performance while executing a motor task is attributed to a disruption
      of normal automatic processes when an internal focus of attention is used. What
      remains unclear is whether the specificity of internally focused task
      instructions may impact task performance. The present study assessed the
      implications of changing the attentional focus of novice and skilled golfers by
      measuring behavioural, neurophysiological and kinematic changes during a golf
      putting task. Over six blocks of ten putting trials each, attention was directed
      either externally (towards the target) or internally in one of two ways: 1)
      proximal (keeping the elbows extended and the hands gripping the putter); or 2)
      distal (keeping the weight evenly distributed between both legs) to the critical
      elements of the task. Results provided evidence that when novice participants use
      an internal focus of attention more closely associated with task performance that
      their: 1) execution; 2) accuracy; 3) variability of surface electromyography
      (sEMG) activity; and 4) kinematics of the putter movement are all adversely
      affected. Skilled golfers are much more resilient to changes in attentional
      focus, while all participants interpret a distal internal focus of attention
      similar to an external focus. All participants produced decreased activity in the
      muscle (tibialis anterior) associated with the distal (less task relevant) focus
      of attention even when the "internal" focus was on the lower extremity. Our
      results provide evidence that the skill level of the participant and the distance
      of the internal focus of attention from the key elements of a motor skill
      directly impact the execution, muscle activity, and movement kinematics
      associated with skilled motor task performance.

PMID- 28349877
TI  - Monitoring of the energy levels by heteroatom substitution to hexacene and
      controlling over singlet fission and photo-oxidative resistance.
AB  - The singlet fission is a spin allowed and extremely fast internal conversion
      process involved in solar cell by which a photo-excited singlet exciton is
      splitted into two triplet ones. For effective singlet fission and to increase the
      efficiency of solar cell, designing of new molecules is an interesting area of
      research and our current interest. The silicon substituted oligocenes, commonly
      known as silaoligocenes, are found to be the efficient singlet fission material
      due to their special characteristics. We have shown the SF energy criteria
      satisfied by the singlet and triplet states of various silahexacene derivatives,
      and theoretically predicted whether such molecules exhibit fission properties or
      not. The fluorine atoms have been substituted to various positions of different
      silahexacenes to manipulate their singlet and triplet energy levels. As fluorine
      being the most electro-negative substituent, it is capable of lowering frontier
      molecular orbital energies effectively. Thus, the material can easily match SF
      energy criteria to compute the SF driving force or triplet-triplet annihilation
      possibility. The geometries, electronic structures, frontier molecular orbital
      energies, optimization of excited state and calculation of energies associated
      with fission process of the substituted hexacene are investigated with well known
      quantum mechanical methods.

PMID- 28349878
TI  - Adsorption behavior of acetone solvent at the HMX crystal faces: A molecular
      dynamics study.
AB  - Molecular dynamics simulations have been performed to understand the adsorption
      behavior of acetone (AC) solvent at the three surfaces of 1,3,5,7-tetranitro
      1,3,5,7-tetraazacyclooctan (HMX) crystal, i.e. (011), (110), and (020) faces. The
      simulation results show that the structural features and electrostatic potentials
      of crystal faces are determined by the HMX molecular packing, inducing distinct
      mass density distribution, dipole orientation, and diffusion of solvent molecules
      in the interfacial regions. The solvent adsorption is mainly governed by the van
      der Waals forces, and the crystal-solvent interaction energies among three
      systems are ranked as (020)~(110)>(011). The adsorption sites for solvent
      incorporation at the crystal surface were found and visualized with the aid of
      occupancy analysis. A uniform arrangement of adsorption sites is observed at the
      rough (020) surface as a result of ordered adsorption motif.

PMID- 28349879
TI  - Docking, molecular dynamics and free energy studies on aspartoacylase mutations
      involved in Canavan disease.
AB  - The disruption of aspartoacylase enzyme's catalytic activity causes fatal
      neurodegenerative Canavan disease. By molecular dynamics and docking methods,
      here we studied two deleterious mutations that have been identified in the
      Canavan patients' genotype E285A, F295S, and revealed the possible cause for the
      enzyme inhibition due to the drastic changes in active site dynamics, loss of
      interactions among Arg 71, Arg 168 and the substrate and pKa value of critical
      Glu178 residue. In addition to changes in the enzyme dynamics, free energy
      calculations show that the binding energy of substrate decreases dramatically up
      on mutations.

PMID- 28349880
TI  - Anti-inflammatory and antithrombotic effects of nicotine exposure in oral
      contraceptive-induced insulin resistance are glucocorticoid-independent.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Reports showed that estrogen-progestin oral contraceptive (COC) or
      tobacco smoking causes increased risk of cardiovascular diseases (CVD) in
      premenopausal women. Studies also suggest that nicotine, a major tobacco
      alkaloid, may worsen or improve atherothrombotic CVD. Altered hemorheology,
      prothrombotic and pro-inflammatory biomarkers, have been implicated in the
      development of atherothrombotic CVD events. However, the effect of non-smoking
      nicotine exposure on these biomarkers during COC treatment is not yet
      established. We therefore sought to determine the effects of nicotine exposure
      during COC treatment on these biomarkers, and also tested the hypothesis that the
      nicotine effects would be glucocorticoid-dependent. METHODS: Female Sprague
      Dawley rats aged 10 weeks were given (po) vehicle, low-dose nicotine (0.1mg/kg)
      or high-dose nicotine (1.0mg/kg) with or without COC steroids (5.0MUg/kg
      ethinylestradiol and 25.0MUg/kg levonorgestrel) daily for 6 weeks. RESULTS: COC
      treatment or nicotine exposure led to increased insulin resistance (IR),
      hemorheological (blood viscosity, hematocrit and plasma viscosity), prothrombotic
      (plasminogen activator inhibitor-1), pro-inflammatory (uric acid, C-reactive
      protein, neutrophil/lymphocyte and platelet/lymphocyte ratios) biomarkers and
      corticosterone. However, these effects except that on corticosterone were
      abrogated by nicotine exposure during COC treatment. CONCLUSIONS: Our study
      indicates that nicotine- or COC-induced IR may be mediated via
      inflammatory/thrombotic pathway. The results imply that nicotine exposure could
      impact negatively on atherothrombotic biomarkers in COC non-users, whereas the
      impact in COC users could be positive. The results also suggest that the anti
      inflammatory, antithrombotic and blood viscosity-lowering effects of nicotine
      exposure during COC use is circulating glucocorticoid-independent.

PMID- 28349881
TI  - PM2.5 exposure in highly polluted cities: A case study from New Delhi, India.
AB  - Personal exposure (PE) to air pollutants is driven by a combination of pollutant
      concentrations in indoor and outdoor environments, and time-activity pattern of
      individuals. The objectives of this study were to estimate personal exposure to
      PM2.5 and black carbon (BC), and assess the representability of ambient air
      quality monitoring stations to serve as surrogates for PE in New Delhi. Personal
      exposure to air pollutants (PM2.5-PE and BCPE) was measured using portable,
      battery-operated instruments (PM2.5- pDR1500 and BC- microAethalometer AE51) in a
      small cohort of healthy adults (n=12 in summer, n=6 in winter) with no
      occupational exposure. Average PM2.5-PE and BCPE (ug/m3) were 53.9+/-136 and
      3.71+/-4.29 respectively, in summer and 489.2+/-209.2 and 23.3+/-14.9
      respectively, in winter. Activities associated with highest exposure levels were
      cooking and indoor cleaning for PM2.5, and commuting for BC. Within transport
      microenvironments, autorickshaws were found to be the most polluted, and lowest
      BC exposure was registered in public buses. Comparison of fixed-site ambient
      monitoring data showed a higher correlation with personal exposure dataset in
      winter compared to summer (r2 of 0.51 (winter) and 0.21 (summer); 51% (winter)
      and 20% (summer)). This study highlights the need for detailed assessment of PE
      to air pollutants in Indian cities, and calls for a denser network of monitoring
      stations for better exposure assessment.

PMID- 28349883
TI  - Functionalization of super-aligned carbon nanotube film using hydrogen peroxide
      solution and its application in copper electrodeposition.
AB  - In order to make super-aligned carbon nanotubes (SACNT) homogeneously spread in
      electrolytes, a swift and effective method was devised for surface
      functionalization of SACNT film by ohmic heating using hydrogen peroxide
      solution. Controllable generation of defects and notable graft of oxygen
      functional groups on the sidewall of SACNTs were induced as proven by X-ray
      photoelectron spectroscopy and Raman spectroscopy. Differently from the harsh wet
      chemical oxidation, the super-aligned morphology and structural integrity of
      carbon nanotubes in the SACNT film were found to be well preserved by electron
      microscopy analysis. The functionalized treatment can remove extraneous material
      contaminating SACNT film and improve its conductivity. The grafting of polar
      ionizable groups has been proved to effectively eliminate the agglomeration of
      SACNTs. When the oxidized SACNT film was used as host material for
      electrodeposition of copper, the composite film of well-bonded SACNTs and Cu was
      successfully prepared.

PMID- 28349882
TI  - Association of prenatal exposure to perfluoroalkyl substances with cord blood
      adipokines and birth size: The Hokkaido Study on environment and children's
      health.
AB  - Perfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs) are synthetic chemicals that persist in the
      environment and in humans. There is a possible association between prenatal PFASs
      exposure and both neonate adipokines and birth size, yet epidemiological studies
      are very limited. The objective of this study was to examine associations of
      prenatal exposure to PFASs with cord blood adipokines and birth size. We
      conducted birth cohort study, the Hokkaido Study. In this study, 168 mother-child
      pairs were included. Perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS) and perfluorooctanoate
      (PFOA) in maternal blood were determined by liquid chromatography tandem mass
      spectrometry. Cord blood adiponectin and leptin levels were measured by ELISA and
      RIA, respectively. Birth weight and ponderal index (PI) were obtained from birth
      record. The median maternal PFOS and PFOA were 5.1 and 1.4ng/mL, respectively.
      The median total adiponectin and leptin levels were 19.4MUg/mL and 6.2ng/mL,
      respectively. Adjusted linear regression analyses found that PFOS level was
      positively associated with total adiponectin levels (beta=0.12, 95% CI:0.01,
      0.22), contrary was negatively associated with PI (beta=-2.25, 95% CI: -4.01, 
      0.50). PFOA level was negatively associated with birth weight (beta=-197, 95% CI:
      -391, -3). Leptin levels were not associated with PFASs levels. PFOS and
      adiponectin levels showed marginal dose-response relationship and both PFOS and
      PFOA and birth size showed significant dose-response relationships. Results from
      this study suggested that prenatal PFASs exposure may alter cord blood
      adiponectin levels and may decrease birth size.

PMID- 28349884
TI  - Surface modification of SiO2 coated ZnO nanoparticles for multifunctional cotton
      fabrics.
AB  - A simple chemical synthetic route was designed to prepare zinc oxide
      nanoparticles (ZnO-NPs) by using sodium alginate as anti-agglomeration agent in
      the presence of sodium hydroxide as alkali. Next, surface modification of ZnO-NPs
      with SiO2 nanoparticles was achieved as per to sol-gel process. Further enhancing
      of the multifunctional properties of SiO2@ZnO-NPs was conducted successfully
      thanks to (aminopropyl)triethoxysilan (APTES) and vinyltriethoxysilan (VTES)
      which, in turns, increase the affinity of the SiO2@ZnO-NPs nanocomposite towards
      glycosidic chains of cotton fabrics. Thorough characterizations of synthesized
      ZnO-NPs, SiO2@ZnO-NPs, SiO2@ZnO-NPs/APTES and SiO2@ZnO-NPs/VTES were conducted by
      the making use of well advanced techniques such as FT-IR, XRD, TEM, DLS and SEM
      EDX. The data obtained clarified the formation of an interfacial chemical bond
      between ZnO and SiO2 as affirmed by FT-IR and XRD analysis. In addition, the
      results revealed by TEM, zeta sizer and SEM-EDX techniques, declared that the
      amorphous layers of SiO2, APTES or VTES evenly coated the surface of ZnO-NPs. For
      these nanocomposites, the work was extended to render cotton fabrics
      multifunctional properties such as antibacterial and UV protection with high
      durability even after 20 washing cycles using pad dry cure method. Taking the
      advantages of the silane compounds terminated by active groups such as OH, NH2,
      etc., open the door for further functionalization of the cotton fabrics' surfaces
      by durable multifunctional agents applied in various applications.

PMID- 28349885
TI  - Enhanced photocatalytic degradation of dyes over graphene/Pd/TiO2 nanocomposites:
      TiO2 nanowires versus TiO2 nanoparticles.
AB  - In this study, at first, TiO2 nanowire was prepared by an alkaline hydrothermal
      process. In the following, Gr/Pd/TiO2-NPs and Gr/Pd/TiO2-NWs were synthesized by
      a combination of hydrothermal and photodeposition methods. The properties of as
      prepared products were characterized using XRD, FT-IR, SEM, DRS, TEM, ICP-OES,
      EDS and TGA analysis. SEM results confirmed nanodimension structure for all
      samples. Also the band gap values obtained using DRS technique suggests that all
      the samples have semiconductor behavior. Using TGA analysis, the amount of
      graphene loaded onto the powders was confirmed. Photocatalytic degradation of
      rhodamine B by TiO2-NWs, Gr/Pd/TiO2-NPs and Gr/Pd/TiO2-NWs nanocomposites was
      compared under ultraviolet light irradiation. Results confirmed that the
      Gr/Pd/TiO2-NWs composite show the highest photocatalytic activity due to much
      higher available surface area of TiO2 substrate in nanowire structure. It is
      expected that the synthesis of the high surface area TiO2 nanowires, facile
      photodeposition of palladium into its texture, and simple conversion of GO to
      graphene during hydrothermal process without using strong reducing agents, could
      be a suitable rote for preparing different types of carbon based TiO2
      nanocomposite photocatalysts.

PMID- 28349886
TI  - Efficient removal of arsenic using graphene-zeolite based composites.
AB  - Removing heavy metals from water can be considered an important problem of global
      magnitude due to their toxic and carcinogenic properties. The main aim of this
      presentation was to synthesize different composites of graphene (graphene oxide
      (GO) or reduced graphene oxide (RGO is referred to reduced graphene oxide, which
      was obtained using solvothermal method)) with Cu-exchanged zeolite A (Cu-ZEA) and
      nanoparticles of magnetite (Fe3O4) (including Fe3O4/RGO/, GO/Cu-ZEA, Fe3O4/RGO/Cu
      ZEA and Fe3O4/GO/Cu-ZEA) for improving the properties of the individual
      components of mentioned composite and eventually investigate the composites'
      efficiency in arsenic adsorption. Among prepared composites, Fe3O4/RGO/Cu-ZEA
      composite had the highest efficiency in removing arsenic according to atomic
      absorption spectroscopy (AAS) results due to the high specific surface area,
      which was provided by the presence of Cu-ZEA and Fe3O4 in the structure of
      composite. Moreover, the adsorption kinetic investigation revealed that the
      adsorption of arsenate from aqueous suspension of Fe3O4/RGO/Cu-ZEA and Fe3O4/RGO
      composites followed a pseudo-second-order kinetic model.

PMID- 28349887
TI  - Atherosclerotic plaque metabolism in high cardiovascular risk subjects - A
      subclinical atherosclerosis imaging study with 18F-NaF PET-CT.
AB  - BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Atherosclerotic plaque molecular imaging with 18F-sodium
      fluoride (NaF) in positron emission tomography with computed tomography (PET-CT)
      provides potential discrimination between active unstable microcalcification and
      established dormant calcification. We aimed to study 18F-NaF atherosclerotic
      plaque uptake in high cardiovascular (CV) risk participants and its associations
      with CV risk factors, coronary calcium score and thoracic fat volume. METHODS:
      High CV risk hypertensive individuals from a single centre were prospectively
      scanned with 18F-NaF-PET-CT in the coronary, aortic and carotideal arteries.
      Atherosclerotic plaque 18F-NaF uptake was expressed as Corrected Uptake per
      Lesion (CUL): maximum standard uptake value in each vascular territory subtracted
      by mean blood pool activity. RESULTS: Mean age was 64 years, 56% male and 96%
      Caucasian (n = 25). Ninety six per cent of the subjects showed 18F-NaF uptake in
      the aorta (CUL 0.9 +/- 0.3), 40% in the carotid arteries (median CUL 0.0, IQR 0.0
      0.7) and 64% in the coronary arteries (0.4, IQR 0.0-0.6). Individuals with >=
      five risk factors (60%) had increased overall 18F-NaF uptake (1.1 +/- 0.3 vs. 0.7
      +/- 0.3, p < 0.01), which was positively correlated with predicted fatal CV risk 
      SCORE (r = 0.49, p = 0.01). There was no correlation between 18F-NaF uptake in
      the coronary arteries and calcium score (p = 0.87). Thoracic fat was moderately
      correlated with overall CUL (r = 0.41, p = 0.04). CONCLUSIONS: In a high CV risk
      group, 18F-NaF atherosclerotic plaque uptake was related to the burden of CV risk
      factors and thoracic fat volume, but there was no association between coronary
      uptake and calcium score.

PMID- 28349888
TI  - Screening for familial hypercholesterolaemia in childhood: Avon Longitudinal
      Study of Parents and Children (ALSPAC).
AB  - BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Familial hypercholesterolaemia (FH) is an autosomal-dominant
      disease with frequency of 1/500 to 1/250 that leads to premature coronary heart
      disease. New approaches to identify FH mutation-carriers early are needed to
      prevent premature cardiac deaths. In a cross-sectional study of the Avon
      Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children (ALSPAC), we evaluated the biochemical
      thresholds for FH screening in childhood, and modelled a two-stage biochemical
      and sequencing screening strategy for FH detection. METHODS: From 5083 ALSPAC
      children with cholesterol measurement at age nine years, FH genetic diagnosis was
      performed in 1512 individuals, using whole-genome or targeted sequencing of known
      FH-causing genes. Detection rate (DR) and false-positive rate (FPR) for proposed
      screening thresholds (total-cholesterol > 1.53, or LDL-C > 1.84 multiples of the
      median (MoM)) were assessed. RESULTS: Six of 1512 sequenced individuals had an FH
      causing mutation of whom five had LDL-C > 1.84 MoM, giving a verification-bias
      corrected DR of 62.5% (95% CI: 25-92), with a FPR of 0.2% (95% CI: 0.1-0.4). The
      DR for the TC cut-point of 1.53 MoM was 25% (95% CI: 3.2-65.1) with a FPR of 0.4%
      (95% CI: 0.2-0.6). We estimated 13 of an expected 20 FH mutation carriers (and 13
      of the 20 parental carriers) could be detected for every 10,000 children
      screened, with false-positives reliably excluded by addition of a next generation
      sequencing step in biochemical screen-positive samples. CONCLUSIONS: Proposed
      cholesterol thresholds for childhood FH screening were less accurate than
      previously estimated. A sequential strategy of biochemical screening followed by
      targeted sequencing of FH genes in screen-positive children may help mitigate the
      higher than previously estimated FPR and reduce wasted screening of unaffected
      parents.

PMID- 28349889
TI  - Association between cumulative exposure to ideal cardiovascular health and
      arterial stiffness.
AB  - BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Ideal cardiovascular health (CVH) is associated with reduced
      risk of cardiac and cerebral events. Arterial stiffness plays an important role
      in the progress of cardiac and cerebral events, but it is unclear whether ideal
      CVH, in particular, cumulative exposure to ideal CVH (cumCVH), is associated with
      reduced risk of arterial stiffness. We examined the association between cumCVH
      and arterial stiffness using data from the Kailuan Study. METHODS: The study
      cohort consisted of 20,355 participants from the Kailuan community-based cohort,
      whose mean follow-up period was 3.36 years since baseline (visit 3). CumCVH was
      calculated as the summed average ideal CVH score between two consecutive visits,
      multiplied by the time between the two consecutive visits in years. Multivariable
      linear regression model analysis was used to evaluate the relationship between
      cumCVH and brachial ankle pulse wave velocity (baPWV).Variance inflation factor
      (VIF) was calculated to diagnose co-linearity between multiple variables. We also
      used logistic regression to evaluate the association between cumCVH and arterial
      stiffness by calculating the crude odds ratio (OR) and adjusted OR, with 95%
      confidence interval (CI). Sensitivity analysis was performed to test the
      robustness of our findings. RESULTS: The participants were classified into 5
      groups according to the quintile of cumCVH exposure levels. Multivariate linear
      regression analysis showed that cumCVH had a significant inverse linear
      relationship with baPWV (B = -3.35, p < 0.001). The result of logistic regression
      demonstrated that compared with Q1 group,Q3, Q4, Q5 were associated with a 15%,
      24%, 36% significantly lower incidence of arterial stiffness, after adjusting for
      confounders.What is more, the results of sensitivity analysis had no influence on
      our results. CONCLUSIONS: Exposure to higher cumCVH can prevent the increase in
      baPWV and reduce the incidence of arterial stiffness.

PMID- 28349890
TI  - Placental maternal and fetal vascular circulation in healthy non-obese and
      metabolically healthy obese pregnant women.
AB  - BACKGROUND AND AIMS: We investigated placental histopathology for lesions that
      are associated with maternal and fetal circulation abnormalities in obese
      pregnant women with and without metabolic alterations. METHODS: 332 pregnant
      women were divided into three groups: Group 1 included 163 non-obese
      metabolically healthy (NOMH), Group 2 106 obese metabolically healthy (OMH), and
      Group 3 63 obese metabolically abnormal (OMA) subjects, respectively. RESULTS:
      Fetal vascular supply (FVS) abnormalities and Willous maturation defect (WMD)
      rate were higher in obese subjects without metabolic abnormalities, compared to
      NOMH subjects (p < 0.021 and p < 0.018, respectively). In the logistic regression
      analysis, obesity emerged as a significant independent predictor of FVS
      abnormalities (OR 1.54, 95% CI 1.193-1.992, p = 0.001) and WMD (OR 2.004, 95% CI
      1.173-3.422, p = 0.011). Although maternal vascular supply (MVS) abnormalities
      differed significantly across groups (31%, 38% and 54% respectively, p < 0.005),
      in the logistic regression analysis, obesity was not significantly associated
      with MVS abnormalities. CONCLUSIONS: We demonstrated that obesity, per se, is
      associated with an increased rate of placental vascular supply abnormalities and
      has a more adverse effect on fetal vascular circulation than on maternal vascular
      supply.

PMID- 28349891
TI  - The effectiveness of intrauterine insemination: A matched cohort study.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: To study the effectiveness of an intrauterine insemination (IUI)
      program compared to no treatment in subfertile couples with unexplained
      subfertility and a poor prognosis on natural conception. STUDY DESIGN: A
      retrospective matched cohort study in which ongoing pregnancy rates in 72 couples
      who voluntarily dropped out of treatment with IUI were compared to ongoing
      pregnancy rates in 144 couples who continued treatment with IUI. Couples with
      unexplained subfertility, mild male subfertility or cervical factor subfertility
      who started treatment with IUI between January 2000 and December 2008 were
      included. Couples were matched on hospital, age, duration of subfertility,
      primary or secondary subfertility and diagnosis. Primary outcome was cumulative
      ongoing pregnancy rate after three years. Time to pregnancy was censored at the
      moment couples were lost to follow up or when their child wish ended and, for the
      no-treatment group, when couples re-started treatment. RESULTS: After three
      years, there were 18 pregnancies in the stopped treatment group (25%) versus 41
      pregnancies in the IUI group (28%) (RR 1.1 (0.59-2.2)(p=0.4)). The cumulative
      pregnancy rate after three years was 40% in both groups, showing no difference in
      time to ongoing pregnancy (shared frailty model p=0.86). CONCLUSIONS: In couples
      with unexplained subfertility and a poor prognosis for natural conception,
      treatment with IUI does not to add to expectant management. There is need for a
      randomized clinical trial comparing IUI with expectant management in these
      couples.

PMID- 28349892
TI  - Impact of antepartum diagnostic amnioinfusion on targeted ultrasound imaging of
      pregnancies presenting with severe oligo- and anhydramnios: An analysis of 61
      cases.
AB  - OBJECTIVES: The primary objective our study was to assess the role of diagnostic
      antepartum amnioinfusion on the yield from targeted ultrasounds performed in
      pregnancies with severe oligo- and anhydramnios. STUDY DESIGN: This was a
      retrospective and descriptive study, conducted in the fetal medicine units of two
      private tertiary care referral centers in south India. The details of all the
      cases of diagnostic amnioinfusion performed at these two centers from January
      2009 to June 2016 were collected and analyzed. Inclusion criteria were
      pregnancies between 17 and 26 weeks of gestational age with severe oligo- or
      anhydramnios. Pregnancies with obvious preterm premature rupture of membranes
      (PPROM) were excluded. The primary outcome measure was the improvement in
      diagnostic information pertaining to cause of severe oligo- and anhydramnios, and
      the nature of such anomalies. RESULTS: A total of 61 cases of were identified.
      The median gestational age at performance of the procedure was 22 weeks [IQR,
      19.5-23]. The mean volume of normal saline infused was 314+/-54ml. A significant
      increase in the single vertical pocket (SVP) was observed following the procedure
      (pre-procedure SVP=0.6+/-0.9cm, post procedure SVP=3.4+/-1.7; paired t test,
      p<0.001). In 37 cases (37/61, 60.7%), there were no pre-procedure ultrasound
      findings. There was significant overall detection of abnormalities post procedure
      (mean pre-procedure findings=0.39+/-0.49, mean post procedure findings=1.59+/
      1.24; paired t test, p<0.001). The most frequent group of anomalies/abnormalities
      were renal (36/61, 59%), followed by PPROM (13/61, 21.3%) and finally fetal
      growth restriction (11/61, 18%). CONCLUSION(S): Antepartum amnioinfusion is a
      valuable ancillary technique in prenatal diagnosis as it increases the diagnostic
      yield from pregnancies presenting with severe oligo- and anhydramnios.

PMID- 28349893
TI  - Expression of miRNA-21, miRNA-107, miRNA-137 and miRNA-29b in meningioma.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: Meningiomas are among the most common intracranial tumors, accounting
      for 30% of all tumors of the central nervous system. Recent studies analyzing
      microRNA (miRNA) profiles and functions in cancer have provided valuable
      information about the molecular pathogenesis of several tumor types, including
      glioblastoma multiforme (GBM), hepatocellular carcinoma, and breast, lung, colon,
      and prostate cancer. miRNAs are a family of small, endogenous, noncoding RNAs of
      18-25 nucleotides. In this study, we carried out a genome-wide array screen
      comparing miRNA-21, miRNA-107, miRNA-137 and miRNA-29b expression in meningiomas.
      PATIENTS AND METHODS: A total of 50 meningioma patients (16 men and 34 women)
      aged between 32 and 80 years were included. The study was conducted at Istanbul
      Research and Training Hospital Neurosurgery Clinic. RESULTS: Our results have
      shown a significant increase in miRNA-21 expression with increasing
      histopathologic grade, while there was a significant reduction in miRNA-107
      expression with the increasing histopathological grade. miRNA-137 and miRNA-29b
      expression did not differ significantly according to histopathologic grade.
      CONCLUSION: The subject of our study, i.e. the association between miRNA
      expression and meningioma, is continuously gaining more importance in the wider
      context of the recent developments in genetic treatments.

PMID- 28349894
TI  - Application value of diffusional kurtosis imaging (DKI) in evaluating
      microstructural changes in the spinal cord of patients with early cervical
      spondylotic myelopathy.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: To investigate the application value of diffusional kurtosis imaging
      (DKI) in evaluating microstructural changes in the spinal cord of patients with
      early cervical spondylotic myelopathy (CSM). PATIENTS AND METHODS: Twenty-five
      patients with early clinical stage CSM and twenty-five healthy controls underwent
      3.0T MR scans with conventional MRI sequences and DKI with echo-planar imaging
      (EPI) sequence. DKI metrics such as fractional anisotropy (FA), mean diffusivity
      (MD), and mean diffusional kurtosis (MK) values were calculated separately for
      white matter (WM) and gray matter (GM). RESULTS: MK of the WM and GM were
      significantly higher in patients with early CSM than in healthy controls
      (P<0.005). CONCLUSIONS: MK can reflect microstructural changes of white matter
      and gray matter of spinal cord in patients with early CSM and has the potential
      to provide new information prior to conventional diffusion metrics such as MD and
      FA.

PMID- 28349895
TI  - Low temperature magnetic structure of CeRhIn5 by neutron diffraction on
      absorption-optimized samples.
AB  - Two aspects of the ambient pressure magnetic structure of heavy fermion material
      CeRhIn5 have remained under some debate since its discovery: whether the
      structure is indeed an incommensurate helix or a spin density wave, and what is
      the precise magnitude of the ordered magnetic moment. By using a single crystal
      sample optimized for hot neutrons to minimize neutron absorption by Rh and In,
      here we report an ordered moment of [Formula: see text]. In addition, by using
      spherical neutron polarimetry measurements on a similar single crystal sample, we
      have confirmed the helical nature of the magnetic structure, and identified a
      single chiral domain.

PMID- 28349896
TI  - Reliable underwater dipole source characterization in 3D space by an optimally
      designed artificial lateral line system.
AB  - Inspired by the lateral line of aquatic vertebrates, an artificial lateral line
      (ALL) system can localize and track an underwater moving object by analyzing the
      ambient flow caused by its motion. There are several studies on object detection,
      localization and tracking by ALL systems, but only a few have investigated the
      optimal design of the ALL system, the one that on average provides the highest
      characterization accuracy. Design optimization is particularly important because
      the uncertainties in the employed flow model and in sensor measurements
      deteriorate the reliability of sensing. This study investigates the optimal
      design of the ALL system in three-dimensional (3D) space for dipole source
      characterization. It highlights some challenges specific to the 3D setting and
      demonstrates the shortcomings of the designs in which all sensors and their
      sensing directions are in the same plane. As an alternative, it proposes two
      design concepts, called 'Offset Strategy' and 'Angle Strategy' to overcome these
      shortcomings. It investigates potentials of having a swarm of cooperative ALLs as
      well. It performs design optimization in the presence of sensor and model
      uncertainties and analyzes the trade-off between the number of sensors and
      characterization accuracy. The obtained solutions are analyzed to reveal their
      strategies in solving the problem efficiently. The dependency of the optimized
      solutions on the uncertainties is also demonstrated.

PMID- 28349897
TI  - 3D printing scaffold coupled with low level light therapy for neural tissue
      regeneration.
AB  - 3D printing has shown promise for neural regeneration by providing customized
      nerve scaffolds to structurally support and bridge the defect gap as well as
      deliver cells or various bioactive substances. Low-level light therapy (LLLT)
      exhibits positive effects on rehabiliation of degenerative nerves and neural
      disorders. With this in mind, we postulate that 3D printed neural scaffold
      coupling with LLLT will generate a new strategy to repair neural degeneration. To
      achieve this goal, we applied red laser light to stimualte neural stem cells on
      3D printed scaffolds and investigated the subsequent cell response with respect
      to cell proliferation and differentiation. Here we show that cell prolifeartion
      rate and intracellular reactive oxgen species synthesis were significantly
      increased after 15 s laser stimulation follwed by 1 d culture. Over culturing
      time of 14 d in vitro, the laser stimulation promoted neuronal differentiation of
      neural stem cells, while the glial differentiation was suppressed based on
      results of both immunocytochemistry studies and real-time quantitative reverse
      transcription polymerase chain reaction testing. These findings suggest that
      integration of 3D printing and LLLT might provide a powerful methodology for
      neural tissue engineering.

PMID- 28349898
TI  - Microscopic theory of the Coulomb based exchange coupling in magnetic tunnel
      junctions.
AB  - We study interlayer exchange coupling based on the many-body Coulomb interaction
      between conduction electrons in magnetic tunnel junction. This mechanism
      complements the known interaction between magnetic layers based on virtual
      electron hopping (or spin currents). We find that these two mechanisms have
      different behavior on system parameters. The Coulomb based coupling may exceed
      the hopping based exchange. We show that the Coulomb based exchange interaction,
      in contrast to the hopping based coupling, depends strongly on the dielectric
      constant of the insulating layer. The dependence of the interlayer exchange
      interaction on the dielectric properties of the insulating layer in magnetic
      tunnel junction is similar to magneto-electric effect where electric and magnetic
      degrees of freedom are coupled. We calculate the interlayer coupling as a
      function of temperature and electric field for magnetic tunnel junction with
      ferroelectric layer and show that the exchange interaction between magnetic leads
      has a sharp decrease in the vicinity of the ferroelectric phase transition and
      varies strongly with external electric field.

PMID- 28349899
TI  - Analysis of the time-resolved magneto-optical Kerr effect for ultrafast
      magnetization dynamics in ferromagnetic thin films.
AB  - We discuss fundamental aspects of laser-induced ultrafast demagnetization probed
      by the time-resolved magneto-optical Kerr effect (MOKE). Studying thin Fe films
      on MgO substrate in the absence of electronic transport, we demonstrate how to
      disentangle pump-induced variations of magnetization and magneto-optical
      coefficients. We provide a mathematical formalism for retrieving genuine laser
      induced magnetization dynamics and discuss its applicability in real experimental
      situations. We further stress the importance of temporal resolution achieved in
      the experiments and argue that measurements of both time-resolved MOKE rotation
      and ellipticity are needed for the correct assessment of magnetization dynamics
      on sub-picosecond timescales. The framework developed here sheds light onto the
      details of the time-resolved MOKE technique and contributes to the understanding
      of the interplay between ultrafast laser-induced optical and magnetic effects.

PMID- 28349900
TI  - Structural monitoring and modeling of the mechanical deformation of three
      dimensional printed poly(epsilon-caprolactone) scaffolds.
AB  - Three-dimensional (3D) printed poly(epsilon-caprolactone) (PCL) based scaffolds
      have being proposed for different tissue engineering applications. This study
      addresses the design and fabrication of 3D PCL constructs with different struts
      alignments at 90 degrees , 45 degrees  and 90 degrees  with offset. The
      morphology and the mechanical behavior under uniaxial compressive load were
      assessed at different strain percentages. The combination of a new compressionCT
      device and micro computed tomography (micro-CT) allowed understanding the
      influence of pore geometry under controlled compressive strain in the mechanical
      and structural behavior of PCL constructs. Finite element analysis (FEA) was
      applied using the micro-CT data to modulate the mechanical response and compare
      with the conventional uniaxial compression tests. Scanning electron microscopic
      analysis showed a very high level of reproducibility and a low error comparing
      with the theoretical values, confirming that the alignment and the dimensional
      features of the printed struts are reliable. The mechanical tests showed that the
      90 degrees  architecture presented the highest stiffness. With the compressionCT
      device was observed that the 90 degrees  and 90 degrees  with offset
      architectures presented similar values of porosity at same strain and similar
      pore size, contrary to the 45 degrees  architecture. Thus, pore geometric
      configurations affected significantly the deformability of the all PCL scaffolds
      under compression. The prediction of the FEA showed a good agreement to the
      conventional mechanical tests revealing the areas more affected under compression
      load. The methodology proposed in this study using 3D printed scaffolds with
      compressionCT device and FEA is a framework that offers great potential in
      understanding the mechanical and structural behavior of soft systems for
      different applications, including for the biomedical engineering field.

PMID- 28349901
TI  - Etiologic Association between Epstein-Barr Virus and Oral Squamous Cell
      Carcinoma: A Brief Evidence-based Discussion.
AB  - Epstein-Barr virus (EBV), also known as human herpes virus-4, belongs to the
      gamma-subfamily of herpes viruses.1 Nearly 90 to 95% of the world's adult
      population is an asymptomatic carrier of EBV.1-3.

PMID- 28349902
TI  - Ozone Gas Effect on Mineral Content of Dentin exposed to Streptococcus mutans
      Biofilm: An Energy-dispersive X-ray Evaluation.
AB  - AIM: This study aims to assess the effect of ozone gas on dentin exposed to
      Streptococcus mutans biofilm by evaluation of mineral content [log calcium-to
      phosphorus (Ca/P)] using energy-dispersive X-ray (EDX) spectroscopy. MATERIALS
      AND METHODS: Five human third molars were sectioned into four slices of dentin
      and distributed in four groups: I - control (no treatment); II - ozone therapy;
      III - biofilm development; IV - ozone therapy followed by biofilm development.
      Mineral content (log Ca/P) was evaluated by EDX. Data were analyzed by analysis
      of variance and Tukey's test (p < 0.05). RESULTS: Results showed that the mineral
      content of control group (I) was similar to ozone group (II), and was
      statistically higher than biofilm (III) and ozone + biofilm (IV). The lowest log
      Ca/P was determined in biofilm group (III). CONCLUSION: It can be concluded that
      ozone gas did not grant preventive effects of demineralization by S. mutans
      biofilm on dentin surface. CLINICAL SIGNIFICANCE: Ozone gas therapy may be an
      alternative noninvasive treatment aiming to reduce the levels of caries
      associated microorganisms. This therapy may, thereby, be an alternative and/or
      complementary treatment strategy in preventive dentistry.

PMID- 28349903
TI  - Presence of Metallic Microfragments on Dentinal Walls and Instrument Defects
      following Root Canal Preparation.
AB  - AIM: To determine the presence of metallic microfragments and their elemental
      composition in the dentinal walls of root canals following preparation using
      different endodontic instruments and to assess the active cutting edges of
      instruments with regard to structural defects. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A total of
      108 molar teeth were selected and prepared using different endodontic
      instruments. Teeth were randomly divided into nine groups of 12 teeth each,
      according to the instruments employed: Manual systems -K-FlexoFile, K-File, and
      Hedstroem; rotary systems - ProTaper Next, Mtwo, BioRaCe; and reciprocating
      systems - Reciproc, Unicone, and WaveOne. Both root canals and instruments were
      assessed using scanning electron microscopy, and the elemental composition of
      metallic microfragments was determined using energy-dispersive X-ray
      spectroscopy. RESULTS: Metallic microfragments were found in the groups prepared
      with both manual and reciprocating instruments, with no statistically significant
      differences between groups, thirds, or presence of metallic microfragments (p >=
      0.05). Moreover, all groups presented structural defects in both new and used
      instruments; however, rotary instruments (ProTaper Next, Mtwo 702, BioRaCe) were
      the ones with the lowest number of defects, at statistically significant
      differences in comparison with other instruments (p < 0.05). CONCLUSION: The
      presence of metallic microfragments on dentinal walls following root canal
      preparation was associated with manual and reciprocating instrumentation.
      Furthermore, rotary instruments were the ones with the lowest number of defects.
      Considering the outcomes measured in this study, rotary instruments performed
      better than the other two groups, as they were associated with the lowest number
      of metallic microfragments and structural defects. CLINICAL SIGNIFICANCE: During
      root canal preparation, operative procedures may induce changes to the root canal
      shape, as well as the release of metallic fragments resulting from the action of
      instruments on dentinal walls. Therefore, it is important to determine, among the
      different techniques used for this purpose, which ones are least susceptible to
      this occurrence.

PMID- 28349904
TI  - Relation between Dental Caries and Body Mass Index-for-age among Schoolchildren
      of Jazan City, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: To analyze and report the type of relation present between dental
      caries and body mass index (BMI)-for-age among schoolchildren in Jazan region of
      Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A cross-sectional study with
      multi-staged random sampling technique was designed to recruit the sample of
      schoolchildren. Caries was examined using the World Health Organization
      recommended "decayed and filled teeth"/"decayed missing and filled teeth
      (dft/DMFT)" method. The BMI-for-age was calculated using the value obtained from
      body weight and height (kg/m2) of each child. The obtained results were plotted
      on age- and gender-specific percentile curves by the Centers for Disease Control
      and Prevention and categorized accordingly. Chi-squared test was conducted to
      analyze the relation between BMI-for-age and dental caries. Logistic regression
      was performed to judge the predictor variables. The p-value < 0.05 was considered
      as significant. RESULTS: A total of 360 children were part of this study with
      equal recruitment from both genders. The mean dft/DMFT value for girls (2.52) was
      more than that for boys (1.88); and the (p = 0.00) calculated value was
      statistically significant. Most of the children had normal BMI-for-age (60.6%)
      and very few were obese (4.7%). Dental caries, fast food, and snacks between
      meals were significant independent predictor variables for BMI (p < 0.05). Dental
      caries was a strong predictor, and the analysis showed that children with
      untreated caries had 81% (odds ratio = 0.19; confidence interval = 0.65, 0.58)
      higher chance of suffering from low BMI. CONCLUSION: To conclude, this is the
      first study attempted to see the relationship between BMI-for-age and dental
      caries among schoolchildren in Jazan city of Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Negative
      relation between dental caries and BMI should warrant health promoters about
      dental caries as a reason for low BMI in a subset of children. CLINICAL
      SIGNIFICANCE: High and alarming percentage of untreated dental caries
      demonstrates the oral health needs among the schoolgoing children in Jazan
      region. Public health dentists should develop and implement prevention programs
      so that the oral health issues among schoolchildren are addressed.

PMID- 28349905
TI  - Influence of Mechanical and Chemical Degradation in the Surface Roughness, Gloss,
      and Color of Microhybrid Composites.
AB  - AIM: The aim of this study was to investigate the association of different
      degradations on the roughness, gloss, and color changes of microhybrid
      composites. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Ten specimens were prepared for Charisma,
      Amelogen Plus, Point 4, and Opallis resins. Surfaces were polished and baseline
      measurements of roughness, gloss, and color were recorded. Specimens were then
      submitted to chemical and mechanical challenges, and the specimens were
      reevaluated. Roughness and gloss were analyzed by Kruskal -Wallis and Dunn's test
      (p < 0.05). Color change (DeltaE) was analyzed by one-way analysis of variance
      and Tukey's tests (p < 0.05). The initial and final data were compared using the
      Wilcoxon test (p < 0.05). Spearman test checked the correlation between the
      roughness and gloss (p < 0.05). RESULTS: Regarding surface roughness and gloss,
      there was no difference between composites before challenges. However, all
      composites showed a significant increase of roughness after challenges, with
      highest values for Charisma. The gloss was influenced by challenges, evidencing
      the best gloss for Point 4. Charisma showed the highest value of color change.
      There was no correlation between surface roughness and gloss for the initial
      analysis, and after the challenges. CONCLUSION: Composites were influenced by
      association of challenges, and Charisma showed the highest changes for roughness,
      gloss, and color. CLINICAL SIGNIFICANCE: The type of composite resin influenced
      the properties of materials, which are surface roughness, gloss, and color
      change. The dentist should be aware of the performance of different brands, to
      choose the correct required composite resin for each type of patient or region to
      be restored.

PMID- 28349907
TI  - Wire Roughness Assessment of 0.016'' * 0.022'' the Technique Lingual
      Orthodontics.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the difference in surface roughness of stainless steel
      archwires of different commercial brands used in lingual orthodontics. MATERIALS
      AND METHODS: Precontoured arches measuring 0.016'' * 0.022'' were selected of the
      following brands: Tecnident, Adenta, G&H, Highland Metals Inc., Ormco, Incognito,
      and Ebraces. Quantitative evaluation of the surface roughness of archwires was
      performed by means of an atomic force microscope in contact mode. Three surface
      readouts were taken of each sample, analyzing areas of 20 * 20 MUm. Each scan of
      the samples produced a readout of 512 lines, generating three-dimensional images
      of the wires. The analysis of variance statistical test was applied to prove
      significant variables (p > 0.05), with H0 being rejected and H1 accepted.
      RESULTS: The Incognito brand showed the lowest surface roughness. The archwires
      of brands Adenta, Tecnident, Highland, and Ormco showed similar values among
      them, and all close to these obtained by the Incognito brand. The archwires of
      the Ebraces brand showed the highest surface roughness, with values being close
      to those of the G&H Brand. CONCLUSION: There was a statistical difference in
      surface roughness of orthodontic archwires among the brands studied. CLINICAL
      SIGNIFICANCE: Companies should pay attention to the quality control of their
      materials, as these may directly affect the quality of orthodontic treatment.

PMID- 28349906
TI  - Effect of Sodium Hypochlorite on Push-out Bond Strength of Four Calcium Silicate
      based Endodontic Materials when used for repairing Perforations on Human Dentin:
      An in vitro Evaluation.
AB  - AIM: This study aimed to evaluate the push-out bond strength of NeoMTA Plus
      (NMTA), EndoSequence root repair material fast set putty (ERRMF), biodentine
      (BD), and ProRoot white mineral trioxide aggregate (PMTA) when used as
      perforation repair materials after exposure to 2.5% sodium hypochlorite (NaOCl)
      during the early setting phase. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Horizontal midroot
      sections were prepared from single-rooted human teeth. Sections (n = 144) were
      randomly divided into four groups: PMTA, BD, NMTA, and ERRMF. Materials were
      condensed and allowed to set for 10 minutes. The groups were further divided into
      two subgroups. The NaOCl group included specimens that were immersed in 2.5%
      NaOCl for 30 minutes, and the control group included specimens on which a wet
      cotton pellet was placed over the test material. After 48 hours, the highest
      force applied to the materials at the time of dislodgement was recorded. Slices
      were then examined under a digital microscope to evaluate the nature of the bond
      failure. The surfaces of two specimens from each subgroup were observed by
      scanning electron microscopy. Data were statistically analyzed with two-way and
      one-way analysis of variances, independent t-tests, and chi-square tests. The
      statistical significance was set at 0.05. RESULTS: In NaOCl-treated groups, PMTA
      showed a significantly higher push-out bond strength than the other three
      materials (p = 0.00). In the control groups, the bond strength of BD was
      significantly higher than that of PMTA, ERRMF, and NMTA (p < 0.05). Compared with
      the control group, NaOCl treatment significantly increased the push-out bond
      strength of PMTA (p = 0.00) and ERRMF (p = 0.00) and significantly reduced the
      bond strength of BD (p = 0.00) and NMTA (p = 0.03). None of the specimens showed
      an adhesive type of failure. The majority of the samples exhibited a cohesive
      failure type. Morphological observations revealed that the surfaces exhibited
      cubic crystals. In ERRMF, the crystals were few in number. Sodium hypochlorite
      enhanced the crystallization of NMTA. CONCLUSION: The push-out bond strengths of
      PMTA and ERRMF were significantly increased after exposure to 2.5% NaOCl in the
      early setting phase, and those of BD and NMTA were significantly decreased.
      CLINICAL SIGNIFICANCE: The results of the present study suggest that early
      exposure of NaOCl increase the push-out bond strength of PMTA and ERRMF. PMTA had
      the highest push-out values. Therefore, it would be a potentially useful
      perforation repair material for single visit endodontic treatment.

PMID- 28349908
TI  - Comparison of Fluoridated Miswak and Toothbrushing with Fluoridated Toothpaste on
      Plaque Removal and Fluoride Release.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: Dental caries and periodontal diseases are all induced by oral
      biofilm (dental plaque). This study was conducted to evaluate if fluoride
      impregnated miswak is as effective in plaque removal and fluoride release as
      toothbrushing with fluoride toothpaste. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This single-blind,
      randomized, crossover study was conducted at the Department of Cariology,
      University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden, from February 2010 to January 2011.
      Fifteen healthy subjects participated in this study. The participants were
      instructed to use the following: (1) 0.5% NaF-impregnated miswak, (2)
      nonfluoridated miswak, (3) toothbrush with nonfluoride toothpaste, and (4)
      toothbrush with 1450 ppm fluoride toothpaste. Each method was used twice a day
      for 1 week after which plaque amount and fluoride concentration in resting saliva
      were measured. There was a 1-week washout period between each method. RESULTS: No
      significant difference between miswak and tooth-brushing was found regarding
      plaque removal on buccal and lingual surfaces. A somewhat higher fluoride
      concentration in resting saliva was found after using impregnated miswak when
      compared with toothbrushing with fluoride toothpaste (p < 0.05). CONCLUSION:
      Miswak and toothbrushing showed the same plaque removing effect on buccal and
      lingual surfaces. Miswak impregnated with 0.5% NaF resulted in a higher
      concentration of fluoride in saliva than brushing with 1450 ppm fluoride
      toothpaste. CLINICAL SIGNIFICANCE: Miswak impregnated with 0.5% NaF and
      toothbrushing results in comparable plaque removal and about the same fluoride
      concentration in saliva even it was somewhat higher for impregnated miswak.

PMID- 28349909
TI  - Cariogenic Potential of the commonly Prescribed Pediatric Liquid Medicaments in
      Kingdom of Saudi Arabia: An in vitro Study.
AB  - AIM: The aim of this study was to assess the cariogenic potential of the commonly
      prescribed pediatric liquid medicaments (PLMs) for dental disease in Jazan
      region, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Seven most commonly
      prescribed PLMs were selected by prior questioning the pediatric dentists as well
      as general dentists in Jazan region. The endogenous pH and sucrose concentrations
      of the liquid medicaments were assessed. The endogenous pH was assessed by Hanna
      pH meter instrument. The sucrose concentration was assessed by anthrone reagent
      method. RESULTS: All the PLM were acidic. The pH of the PLM ranged from 4.22 to
      6.10. All the PLM contained sucrose and its concentration ranged from 5.38 to
      11.41 gm% in the samples. CONCLUSION: In this study, all the PLM were acidic and
      contained sucrose. Hence, they have cariogenic potential. CLINICAL SIGNIFICANCE:
      Parents and dentists are unaware of the hidden sugars and cariogenicity of these
      medications. Strict oral hygiene instructions are mandatory for the children
      taking these medications. The use of PLM should also be minimized and parents
      should seek early dental treatment to restore child's oral health.

PMID- 28349910
TI  - Good Bugs vs Bad Bugs: Evaluation of Inhibitory Effect of Selected Probiotics
      against Enterococcus faecalis.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: The main goal of endodontics is the prevention of apical
      periodontitis. This is due to the presence of persistent pathogenic
      microorganisms, such as Enterococcus faecalis, and its ability to directly cause
      acute and chronic inflammation in the periapical tissues. Lactobacillus has been
      shown to promote health in the intestines as well as to inhibit the growth of
      certain problematic oral bacteria. This study explores shifting the established
      paradigm of endodontic treatment, which has focused on eliminating all bacteria
      from the canal system and on elimination of the problematic bacteria through
      introducing probiotics. A preliminary work was performed to evaluate the possible
      effectiveness of probiotics in preventing the growth of E. faecalis. MATERIALS
      AND METHODS: Two probiotic cultures Lactobacillus plantarum ATCC 8041 and
      Lactobacillus rhamnosus ATCC 7408 were selected to check their antimicrobial
      activity against E. faecalis ATCC 29212 by two methods: agar cup/well diffusion
      method and deferred antagonism test. Agar cup method: A total of 0.5 mL of
      requisite test pathogen culture was inoculated into 20 mL of molten sterile
      Mueller and Hinton agar and cooled to 45 +/- 2 degrees C. Circular wells of
      diameter 10 mm were punched in each of the poured plates. Appropriately diluted
      test samples were added to the above-punched wells. The plates were incubated
      upright position at 37 degrees C for 24 hours in aerobic conditions.
      Postincubation, zone of inhibition was measured. The cell-free supernatant of
      Lactobacillus species was also evaluated for antimicrobial activity. Deferred
      antagonism test: The test probiotic strain was standardized to 0.1 optical
      density (OD) at 600 nm and inoculated in a 1 cm wide diametric streak across the
      surface of trypticase soy agar + yeast extract + calcium carbonate (TSYCa) agar
      using a sterile cotton swab. Then, the plate agar containing the test strain was
      incubated at 37 degrees C for 24 hours under aero-philic condition and then
      standardized to 0.1 OD at 600 nm for overnight (18 hours, 37 degrees C). A
      purified culture of indicator strain (pathogen) was streaked at right angles to
      the line of original producer growth. Postincubation plates were observed for the
      inhibition zone width of the indicator strain. RESULTS: Under the conditions of
      this study, Lactobacilli had an inhibitory effect on the growth of E. faecalis by
      agar cup method but not by deferred antagonism test. CONCLUSION: This pilot study
      demonstrated that probiotics show a potential in root canal therapy. CLINICAL
      SIGNIFICANCE: If probioitcs are effective against end-odontic pathogens, they can
      be potentially used as intracanal medicaments. This will be a novel concept of
      introducing bac-teriotherapy in endodontics and replacing pathogenic bacteria by
      healthy bacteria, normal flora.

PMID- 28349911
TI  - Evaluation of Soft Tissue Landmark Reliability between Manual and Computerized
      Plotting Methods.
AB  - AIM: The aim of the study is to evaluate the reliability of soft tissue landmark
      identification between manual and digital plot-tings in both X and Y axes.
      MATERIALS AND METHODS: A total of 50 pretreatment lateral cephalograms were
      selected from patients who reported for orthodontic treatment. The digital images
      of each cephalogram were imported directly into Dolphin software for onscreen
      digi-talization, while for manual tracing, images were printed using a compatible
      X-ray printer. After the images were standardized, and 10 commonly used soft
      tissue landmarks were plotted on each cephalogram by six different professional
      observers, the values obtained were plotted in X and Y axes. Intraclass
      correlation coefficient was used to determine the intrarater reliability for
      repeated landmark plotting obtained by both the methods. RESULTS: The evaluation
      for reliability of soft tissue landmark plottings in both manual and digital
      methods after subjecting it to interclass correlation showed a good reliability,
      which was nearing complete homogeneity in both X and Y axes, except for Y axis of
      throat point in manual plotting, which showed moderate reliability as a
      cephalometric variable. Intraclass correlation of soft tissue nasion had a
      moderate reliability along X axis. Soft tissue pogonion shows moderate
      reliability in Y axis. Throat point exhibited moderate reliability in X axis.
      CONCLUSION: The interclass correlation in X and Y axes shows high reliability in
      both hard tissue and soft tissue except for throat point in Y axis, when plotted
      manually. The intraclass correlation is more consistent and highly reliable for
      soft tissue landmarks and the hard tissue landmark identification is also
      consistent. CLINICAL SIGNIFICANCE: The results obtained for manual and digital
      methods were almost similar, but the digital landmark plotting has an added
      advantage in archiving, retrieval, transmission, and can be enhanced during
      plotting of lateral cephalograms. Hence, the digital method of landmark plotting
      could be preferred for both daily use and research because of the advantages.

PMID- 28349912
TI  - Correlation of Orthodontic Treatment by Fixed or Myofunctional Appliances and
      Periodontitis: A Retrospective Study.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: Malocclusion plays an important role in the development of
      periodontitis. Thus, by treating malocclusion, a good gingival health can be
      achieved. This study was conducted to establish the correlation between
      orthodontic tooth movement and periodontitis. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This is a
      retrospective study conducted on 220 patients who underwent orthodontic treatment
      for malocclusion. They were divided into two groups: Group I patients were
      treated with fixed orthodontics, while group II patients received myofunctional
      appliances. RESULTS: The value for plaque, gingival recession, and tooth mobility
      significantly increased in group I patients. However, the difference was
      statistically nonsignificant in group II patients. CONCLUSION: The authors
      concluded that there is correlation between malocclusion and periodontitis.
      Malocclusion leads to periodontitis. CLINICAL SIGNIFICANCE: Malocclusion is the
      main reason for the development of poor periodontal health. Combined effort has
      to be played by both periodontist and orthodontist for the treatment of various
      orthodontic-periodontal problems.

PMID- 28349913
TI  - Establishing Apical Patency: To be or not to be?
AB  - INTRODUCTION: The apical portion of the root canal is very complex and
      challenging during endodontic treatment. Root canal preparation and obturation to
      the apical constriction may provide the best prognosis. Incomplete debridement,
      foramen transportation, and inadequate seal in the apical portion are considered
      to be responsible for treatment failure. The technique "apical patency" is
      considered as a way for maintaining the apical part the free of the debris by
      recapitulation, using a small K-file through the area of the apical foramen. This
      term was firstly proposed by Buchanan. In this technique, the smallest diameter
      file is set 1 mm longer than working length and recapitulated after each
      instrument to prevent packing of debris in the apical part. Apical patency has
      been found to be effective in achieving an apical seal with gutta-percha. Teeth
      prepared with a step back method and with maintained apical patency may show less
      leakage when obturated with cold lateral condensation technique. Data regarding
      the effect of apical patency on the healing of periapical tissue are very scarce,
      and it has been shown that the patency file has detrimental effect on the healing
      of periapical tissues in animal studies. However, using patency file in
      endodontic treatment is controversial and further studies are needed. The purpose
      of this article is to review the effect of using a patency file on the extrusion
      of root canal contents, the apical seal, postoperative pain, and healing of
      periapical tissues. Furthermore, the effect of establishing patency on reaching
      irrigation solutions to the apical portion of the canal and prognosis of root
      canal treatment are discussed. CLINICAL SIGNIFICANCE: Keywords: Apical patency,
      Apical seal, Apical transportation, Postoperative pain, Prognosis.

PMID- 28349914
TI  - Outcome of Single- vs Multiple-visit Endodontic Therapy of Nonvital Teeth: A Meta
      analysis.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: Endodontic therapy is a specialized procedure more demanded by
      patients within public oral health care in the country. Then, single-visit
      endodontic therapy may offer advantages to the health care services, to the
      professionals, and to the patients by reducing access barriers. MATERIALS AND
      METHODS: A meta-analysis was done and the variables evaluated were periapical
      repair, microbiological control, and postobturation pain in randomized clinical
      trials (RCTs) involving endodontic treatment of nonvital teeth at single- or
      multiple visits. RESULTS: About 17 RCTs were included. There were no differences
      found in periapical repair or microbiological control in single- and multiple
      visit therapy. Single-visit endodontic therapy resulted in 21% less
      postobturation pain (relative risks = 0.79; 95%, confidence interval: 0.66-0.94).
      CONCLUSION: There was less postobturation pain in the single-visit endodontic
      therapy group. In the public dental care, this analysis favors the adoption of
      this one therapy because it will be possible to increase the patient access and
      the supply of this therapy. CLINICAL SIGNIFICANCE: It is possible to get a better
      cost-effectiveness for the patients and the health care service. This is very
      important because the reduction of the cost to the patient allows it to become a
      complete treatment. The health service, in turn, is able to be better used, with
      a greater supply of this service.

PMID- 28349916
TI  - Twelve Impacted Supernumerary Teeth in a Nonsyndromic Patient: A Rare Case
      Report.
AB  - Teeth in excess number than the normal count are called supernumerary teeth. They
      can be either unilateral or bilateral and single or multiple, found at any place
      in the dental arch, but most commonly found in the anterior maxillary region.
      Supernumerary teeth are commonly associated with syndromes when present in more
      numbers, but can be idiopathic. The present study shows a case report of a 16
      year-old female patient who reported with overretained deciduous teeth. A
      panoramic radiograph showed multiple impacted supernumerary teeth. Based on
      clinical features and radiographic examination, a diagnosis of idiopathic
      hyperdontia was given. In such types of patients, management must be planned by a
      multidisciplinary approach.

PMID- 28349915
TI  - Use of Mini-anchors and Rehabilitation with 0 degrees  Cusp Angle Teeth Complete
      Denture in Recurrent Condylar Dislocation: Technical Adequacy and Procedure.
AB  - AIM: To report a case of association between the surgical treatment of
      temporomandibular dysfunction and rehabilitation with denture total prosthesis
      (TP) using nonanatomic teeth (cusp 0 degrees ) in patients with anterior
      recurrent dislocation of the temporo-mandibular joint (TMJ) and persistent
      uncontrolled mandibular movement, showing a technical adaptation and conduct.
      INTRODUCTION: There are several treatment approaches available for dislocation of
      the TMJ. The use of condylar mini-anchors for recurrent TMJ dislocation is a
      valid option and should be considered since it does not alter the joint anatomy.
      In edentulous patients undergoing TMJ surgical procedures, prosthetic
      rehabilitation can be seen as a means of treatment preservation. CASE REPORT: A
      73-year-old female patient attended the oral and maxillofacial surgery clinic
      presenting with joint instability, ligament laxity, and chronic recurrent TMJ
      dislocations. She had already been through three previous unsuccessful surgical
      procedures. A treatment plan was done based on the installation of a mini-anchor
      in the patient's TMJ through the preauricular surgical access. Dislocations were
      then resolved, but the lack of mandibular control even to a lesser extent after
      surgery precluded the use of prosthetics even at rest. Thus, it was planned to
      manufacture two conventional TPs with 0 degrees  cusp angle teeth, a clinical
      protocol shortened to three sessions in an attempt to improve the stability of
      the prosthesis. CONCLUSION: The use of an individual mini-anchor is simple and
      effective, and the use of artificial teeth is well suited to the case. CLINICAL
      SIGNIFICANCE: A multidisciplinary intervention (surgery/ prosthesis) is of utmost
      importance for the resolution and preservation of the treatment of these complex
      cases.

PMID- 28349917
TI  - Emperipolesis: An Unreported Novel Phenomenon in Oral Squamous Cell Carcinoma.
AB  - Emperipolesis is a phenomenon characterized by engulfment of hematopoietic cells
      by megakaryocytes, monocytes, fibroblasts, and malignant cells within their
      cytoplasm. This phenomenon has been reported in various physiological and
      pathological conditions including malignancies. However, emperipolesis has never
      been reported in oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) till date. We have analyzed
      histopathological slides of 56 cases of OSCC to see lymphocyte engulfment by
      tumor cells. Five cases showing features of this phenomenon were observed.
      Lymphocytes were typically identified as small round cells with oval nuclei and
      scanty cytoplasm. Both partial and complete engulfment of lymphocytes by tumor
      cells was appreciated. Nuclei of the host tumor cells were crescent shaped and
      illustrated small concave indentation, so as to accommodate the internalized
      lymphocyte. The intercellular bridges were not seen between the internalized cell
      and the host cell. There were no signs of degeneration appreciable in either
      cell, thus ruling out the possibility of cannibalism phenomenon. Although
      emperipolesis is a well-known phenomenon in pathology, this is the first report
      showing its evidence in OSCC.

PMID- 28349918
TI  - Land-use types and soil chemical properties influence soil microbial communities
      in the semiarid Loess Plateau region in China.
AB  - Similar land-use types usually have similar soil properties, and, most likely,
      similar microbial communities. Here, we assessed whether land-use types or soil
      chemical properties are the primary drivers of soil microbial community
      composition, and how changes in one part of the ecosystem affect another. We
      applied Ion Torrent sequencing to the bacterial and fungal communities of five
      different land-use (vegetation) types in the Loess Plateau of China. We found
      that the overall trend of soil quality was natural forest > plantation > bare
      land. Dominant bacterial phyla consisted of Proteobacteria (42.35%),
      Actinobacteria (15.61%), Acidobacteria (13.32%), Bacteroidetes (8.43%), and
      Gemmatimonadetes (6.0%). The dominant fungi phyla were Ascomycota (40.39%),
      Basidiomycota (38.01%), and Zygomycota (16.86%). The results of Canonical
      Correspondence Analysis (CCA) and Redundancy Analysis (RDA) based on land-use
      types displayed groups according to the land-use types. Furthermore, the
      bacterial communities were mainly organized by soil organic carbon (SOC). The
      fungal communities were mainly related to available phosphorus (P). The results
      suggested that the changes of land use type generated changes in soil chemical
      properties, controlling the composition of microbial community in the semiarid
      Loess Plateau region. The microbial community could be an indicator for soil
      quality with respect to ecological restoration.

PMID- 28349919
TI  - Checking behavior in rhesus monkeys is related to anxiety and frontal activity.
AB  - When facing doubt, humans can go back over a performed action in order to
      optimize subsequent performance. The present study aimed to establish and
      characterize physiological doubt and checking behavior in non-human primates
      (NHP). We trained two rhesus monkeys (Macaca mulatta) in a newly designed "Check
      or-Go" task that allows the animal to repeatedly check and change the
      availability of a reward before making the final decision towards obtaining that
      reward. By manipulating the ambiguity of a visual cue in which the reward status
      is embedded, we successfully modulated animal certainty and created doubt that
      led the animals to check. This voluntary checking behavior was further
      characterized by making EEG recordings and measuring correlated changes in
      salivary cortisol. Our data show that monkeys have the metacognitive ability to
      express voluntary checking behavior similar to that observed in humans, which
      depends on uncertainty monitoring, relates to anxiety and involves brain frontal
      areas.

PMID- 28349920
TI  - Profiling the MAPK/ERK dependent and independent activity regulated
      transcriptional programs in the murine hippocampus in vivo.
AB  - Activity-dependent alteration of the transcriptional program is central for
      shaping neuronal connectivity. Constitutively expressed transcription factors
      orchestrate the initial response to neuronal stimulation and serve as substrates
      for second messenger-regulated kinase signalling cascades. The mitogen-activated
      protein kinase ERK conveys signalling from the synapse to the nucleus but its
      genetic signature following neuronal activity has not been revealed. The goal of
      the present study was to identify ERK dependent and independent activity
      regulated transcriptional programs in the murine hippocampus. We used generalized
      seizures combined with the pharmacological intervention of MEK activation as an
      in vivo model to determine the complete transcriptional program initiated by ERK
      after neuronal activity. Our survey demonstrates that the induction of a large
      number of activity-regulated genes, including Arc/Arg3.1, Arl5b, Gadd45b, Homer1,
      Inhba and Zwint, is indeed dependent on ERK phosphorylation. In contrast,
      expression of a small group of genes, including Npas4, Arl4d, Errfi1, and Rgs2,
      is only partially dependent or completely independent (Ppp1r15a) of this
      signalling pathway. Among the identified transcripts are long non-coding (lnc)
      RNAs and induction of LincPint and splice variants of NEAT1 are ERK dependent.
      Our survey provides a comprehensive analysis of the transcriptomic response
      conveyed by ERK signalling in the hippocampus.

PMID- 28349923
TI  - Quantifying edge significance on maintaining global connectivity.
AB  - Global connectivity is a quite important issue for networks. The failures of some
      key edges may lead to breakdown of the whole system. How to find them will
      provide a better understanding on system robustness. Based on topological
      information, we propose an approach named LE (link entropy) to quantify the edge
      significance on maintaining global connectivity. Then we compare the LE with the
      other six acknowledged indices on the edge significance: the edge betweenness
      centrality, degree product, bridgeness, diffusion importance, topological overlap
      and k-path edge centrality. Experimental results show that the LE approach
      outperforms in quantifying edge significance on maintaining global connectivity.

PMID- 28349921
TI  - Efficient affinity maturation of antibody variable domains requires co-selection
      of compensatory mutations to maintain thermodynamic stability.
AB  - The ability of antibodies to accumulate affinity-enhancing mutations in their
      complementarity-determining regions (CDRs) without compromising thermodynamic
      stability is critical to their natural function. However, it is unclear if
      affinity mutations in the hypervariable CDRs generally impact antibody stability
      and to what extent additional compensatory mutations are required to maintain
      stability during affinity maturation. Here we have experimentally and
      computationally evaluated the functional contributions of mutations acquired by a
      human variable (VH) domain that was evolved using strong selections for enhanced
      stability and affinity for the Alzheimer's Abeta42 peptide. Interestingly, half
      of the key affinity mutations in the CDRs were destabilizing. Moreover, the
      destabilizing effects of these mutations were compensated for by a subset of the
      affinity mutations that were also stabilizing. Our findings demonstrate that the
      accumulation of both affinity and stability mutations is necessary to maintain
      thermodynamic stability during extensive mutagenesis and affinity maturation in
      vitro, which is similar to findings for natural antibodies that are subjected to
      somatic hypermutation in vivo. These findings for diverse antibodies and antibody
      fragments specific for unrelated antigens suggest that the formation of the
      antigen-binding site is generally a destabilizing process and that co-enrichment
      for compensatory mutations is critical for maintaining thermodynamic stability.

PMID- 28349922
TI  - Coumarin-chalcone hybrid instigates DNA damage by minor groove binding and
      stabilizes p53 through post translational modifications.
AB  - S009-131, a coumarin-chalcone hybrid, had been shown to possess anti
      proliferative and anti-tumour effect by triggering apoptosis. In this report, we
      investigated role of DNA damage signalling pathway in S009-131 induced cancer
      cell death. Here we show that S009-131 causes DNA damage by potential binding to
      the minor groove which led to the phosphorylation and activation of ATM and DNA
      PK, but not ATR, at earlier time points in order to initiate repair process. S009
      131 induced DNA damage response triggered activation of p53 through
      phosphorylation at its key residues. Pharmacological inhibition of PIKKs
      abrogated S009-131 induced phosphorylation of p53 at Ser 15. DNA damage induced
      phosphorylation resulted in reduced proteasomal degradation of p53 by disrupting
      p53-MDM2 interaction. Additionally, our docking studies revealed that S009-131
      might also contribute to increased cellular p53 level by occupying p53 binding
      pocket of MDM2. Posttranslational modifications of p53 upon S009-131 treatment
      led to enhanced affinity of p53 towards responsive elements (p53-RE) in the
      promoter regions of target genes and increased transcriptional efficiency.
      Together, the results suggest that S009-131 cleaves DNA through minor groove
      binding and eventually activates PIKKs associated DNA damage response signalling
      to promote stabilization and enhanced transcriptional activity of p53 through
      posttranslational modifications at key residues.

PMID- 28349924
TI  - Structural Basis for pH-mediated Regulation of F-actin Severing by Gelsolin
      Domain 1.
AB  - Six-domain gelsolin regulates actin structural dynamics through its abilities to
      sever, cap and uncap F-actin. These activities are modulated by various cellular
      parameters like Ca2+ and pH. Until now, only the molecular activation mechanism
      of gelsolin by Ca2+ has been understood relatively well. The fragment comprising
      the first domain and six residues from the linker region into the second domain
      has been shown to be similar to the full-length protein in F-actin severing
      activity in the absence of Ca2+ at pH 5. To understand how this gelsolin fragment
      is activated for F-actin severing by lowering pH, we solved its NMR structures at
      both pH 7.3 and 5 in the absence of Ca2+ and measured the pKa values of acidic
      amino acid residues and histidine residues. The overall structure and dynamics of
      the fragment are not affected significantly by pH. Nevertheless, local structural
      changes caused by protonation of His29 and Asp109 result in the activation on
      lowering the pH, and protonation of His151 directly effects filament binding
      since it resides in the gelsolin/actin interface. Mutagenesis studies support
      that His29, Asp109 and His151 play important roles in the pH-dependent severing
      activity of the gelsolin fragment.

PMID- 28349926
TI  - Contemporary crustal movement of southeastern Tibet: Constraints from dense GPS
      measurements.
AB  - The ongoing collision between the Indian plate and the Eurasian plate brings up N
      S crustal shortening and thickening of the Tibet Plateau, but its dynamic
      mechanisms remain controversial yet. As one of the most tectonically active
      regions of the world, South-Eastern Tibet (SET) has been greatly paid attention
      to by many geoscientists. Here we present the latest three-dimensional GPS
      velocity field to constrain the present-day tectonic process of SET, which may
      highlight the complex vertical crustal deformation. Improved data processing
      strategies are adopted to enhance the strain patterns throughout SET. The crustal
      uplifting and subsidence are dominated by regional deep tectonic dynamic
      processes. Results show that the Gongga Shan is uplifting with 1-1.5 mm/yr.
      Nevertheless, an anomalous crustal uplifting of ~8.7 mm/yr and negative
      horizontal dilation rates of 40-50 nstrain/yr throughout the Longmenshan
      structure reveal that this structure is caused by the intracontinental subduction
      of the Yangtze Craton. The Xianshuihe-Xiaojiang fault is a major active sinistral
      strike-slip fault which strikes essentially and consistently with the maximum
      shear strain rates. These observations suggest that the upper crustal deformation
      is closely related with the regulation and coupling of deep material.

PMID- 28349927
TI  - Quantitative strain analysis of InAs/GaAs quantum dot materials.
AB  - Geometric phase analysis has been applied to high resolution aberration corrected
      (scanning) transmission electron microscopy images of InAs/GaAs quantum dot (QD)
      materials. We show quantitatively how the lattice mismatch induced strain varies
      on the atomic scale and tetragonally distorts the lattice in a wide region that
      extends several nm into the GaAs spacer layer below and above the QDs. Finally,
      we show how V-shaped dislocations originating at the QD/GaAs interface
      efficiently remove most of the lattice mismatch induced tetragonal distortions in
      and around the QD.

PMID- 28349928
TI  - Corrugated Textile based Triboelectric Generator for Wearable Energy Harvesting.
AB  - Triboelectric energy harvesting has been applied to various fields, from large
      scale power generation to small electronics. Triboelectric energy is generated
      when certain materials come into frictional contact, e.g., static electricity
      from rubbing a shoe on a carpet. In particular, textile-based triboelectric
      energy-harvesting technologies are one of the most promising approaches because
      they are not only flexible, light, and comfortable but also wearable. Most
      previous textile-based triboelectric generators (TEGs) generate energy by
      vertically pressing and rubbing something. However, we propose a corrugated
      textile-based triboelectric generator (CT-TEG) that can generate energy by
      stretching. Moreover, the CT-TEG is sewn into a corrugated structure that
      contains an effective air gap without additional spacers. The resulting CT-TEG
      can generate considerable energy from various deformations, not only by pressing
      and rubbing but also by stretching. The maximum output performances of the CT-TEG
      can reach up to 28.13 V and 2.71 MUA with stretching and releasing motions.
      Additionally, we demonstrate the generation of sufficient energy from various
      activities of a human body to power about 54 LEDs. These results demonstrate the
      potential application of CT-TEGs for self-powered systems.

PMID- 28349925
TI  - Paroxetine alleviates T lymphocyte activation and infiltration to joints of
      collagen-induced arthritis.
AB  - T cell infiltration to synovial tissue is an early pathogenic mechanism of
      rheumatoid arthritis (RA). In the present work, we reveal that G protein coupled
      receptor kinase 2 (GRK2) is abundantly expressed in T cells of collagen-induced
      arthritis (CIA). A GRK2 inhibitor, paroxetine protects the joints from
      inflammation and destruction, primarily through inhibition of both CD4+ helper T
      (Th) cell and CD8+ cytotoxic T (Tc) cell migration to synovial tissue. Meanwhile,
      paroxetine restores the balance of Th/Tc, effector Th (Theff)/ naive Th (Thnaive)
      and effector Tc (Tceff)/ naive Tc (Tcnaive) to equilibrium by elevating the
      frequency of Thnaive, Tcnaive and regulatory Th cells; reducing the increased
      Theff, activated Th and Tceff, having a similar effect as methotrexate (MTX). In
      addition, both serum and synovial IL-1beta, TNF-alpha and CX3CL1 expression was
      effectively inhibited in treated rats. In vitro assay confirmed that paroxetine
      inhibits CX3CL1-induced T cell migration through blocking the activity of GRK2.
      Among three MAPK families, paroxetine was found to be able to decrease the
      phosphorylation of ERK. This study elucidates that paroxetine attenuates the
      symptoms of CIA rats due to its inhibitory effect on T cell activation and
      infiltration to synovial tissue via suppression of ERK pathway.

PMID- 28349929
TI  - Dynamics of volcanic ash remobilisation by wind through the Patagonian steppe
      after the eruption of Cordon Caulle, 2011.
AB  - Wind erosion of freshly-deposited volcanic ash causes persistent storms, strongly
      affecting ecosystems and human activity. Wind erosion of the volcanic ash was
      measured up to 17 months after the ash deposition, at 7 sites located within the
      ash-deposition area. The mass flux was measured up to 1.5 m above ground level.
      Mass transport rates were over 125 times the soil wind-erosion rates observed
      before the ash deposition, reaching up to 6.3 kg m-1 day-1. Total mass transport
      of ash during the 17 months ranged between 113.6 and 969.9 kg m-1 depending on
      topographic location and wind exposure. The vertical distribution of the mass
      flux at sites with higher vegetation cover was generally inverted as compared to
      sites with lower vegetation cover. This situation lasted 7 months and then a
      shift towards a more uniform vertical distribution was observed, in coincidence
      with the beginning of the decline of the mass transport rates. Decay rates
      differed between sites. Despite changes over time, an inverse linear correlation
      between the mass transports and the mass-flux gradients was found. Both the mass
      flux gradients and the average mass-transport rates were not linked with shear
      stress partition parameters, but with the ratio: ash-fall thickness to total
      vegetation cover.

PMID- 28349932
TI  - Microbial communities rock.

PMID- 28349931
TI  - Adipokines (Leptin, Adiponectin, Resistin) Differentially Regulate All Hormonal
      Cell Types in Primary Anterior Pituitary Cell Cultures from Two Primate Species.
AB  - Adipose-tissue (AT) is an endocrine organ that dynamically secretes multiple
      hormones, the adipokines, which regulate key physiological processes. However,
      adipokines and their receptors are also expressed and regulated in other tissues,
      including the pituitary, suggesting that locally- and AT-produced adipokines
      might comprise a regulatory circuit that relevantly modulate pituitary cell
      function. Here, we used primary pituitary cell-cultures from two normal nonhuman
      primate species [Papio-anubis/Macaca-fascicularis] to determine the impact of
      different adipokines on the functioning of all anterior-pituitary cell-types.
      Leptin and resistin stimulated GH-release, a response that was blocked by
      somatostatin. Conversely, adiponectin decreased GH-release, and inhibited GHRH-,
      but not ghrelin-stimulated GH-secretion. Furthermore: 1) Leptin stimulated
      PRL/ACTH/FSH- but not LH/TSH-release; 2) adiponectin stimulated PRL-, inhibited
      ACTH- and did not alter LH/FSH/TSH-release; and 3) resistin increased ACTH
      release and did not alter PRL/LH/FSH/TSH-secretion. These effects were mediated
      through the activation of common (AC/PKA) and distinct (PLC/PKC, intra-/extra
      cellular calcium, PI3K/MAPK/mTOR) signaling-pathways, and by the gene-expression
      regulation of key receptors/transcriptional-factors involved in the functioning
      of these pituitary cell-types (e.g. GHRH/ghrelin/somatostatin/insulin/IGF-I
      receptors/Pit-1). Finally, we found that primate pituitaries expressed
      leptin/adiponectin/resistin. Altogether, these and previous data suggest that
      local-production of adipokines/receptors, in conjunction with circulating
      adipokine-levels, might comprise a relevant regulatory circuit that contribute to
      the fine-regulation of pituitary functions.

PMID- 28349930
TI  - Pharmacogenetics of posttransplant diabetes mellitus.
AB  - Many factors (physiological, pathological, environmental or genetic) are
      associated with variability in drug effect. Most patients respond to a standard
      treatment but the drug may be ineffective or toxic. In this review, we focused on
      genetic markers of posttransplant diabetes mellitus (PTDM) after renal
      transplantation, a frequent complication of immunosuppressive therapy and
      important risk factor of graft loss and mortality. An initial literature search
      identified 100 publications and among them 32 association studies were retrieved
      under 'Pharmacogenetics and PTDM'. Thirty-five variants in 25 genes with an
      impact on insulin secretion, disposition or effect were significantly associated
      with PTDM. The population studied, immunosuppressive regimen, follow-up, PTDM
      diagnostic and genetic variations tested were highly variable between studies.
      Although pharmacogenetic biomarkers are key tools of great promise for preventing
      toxicities and improving event-free survival rates, replication studies are
      required to select validated biomarkers linked to the occurrence of PTDM and
      select appropriate immusuppressive treatment to improve renal graft and patient
      outcome.

PMID- 28349933
TI  - The VPS4 component of the ESCRT machinery plays an essential role in HPV
      infectious entry and capsid disassembly.
AB  - Human Papillomavirus (HPV) infection involves multiple steps, from cell
      attachment, through endocytic trafficking towards the trans-Golgi network, and,
      ultimately, the entry into the nucleus during mitosis. An essential viral protein
      in infectious entry is the minor capsid protein L2, which engages different
      components of the endocytic sorting machinery during this process. The ESCRT
      machinery is one such component that seems to play an important role in the early
      stages of infection. Here we have analysed the role of specific ESCRT components
      in HPV infection, and we find an essential role for VPS4. Loss of VPS4 blocks
      infection with multiple PV types, suggesting an evolutionarily conserved critical
      step in infectious entry. Intriguingly, both L1 and L2 can interact with VPS4,
      and appear to be in complex with VPS4 during the early stages of virus infection.
      By using cell lines stably expressing a dominant-negative mutant form of VPS4, we
      also show that loss of VPS4 ATPase activity results in a marked delay in capsid
      uncoating, resulting in a defect in the endocytic transport of incoming PsVs.
      These results demonstrate that the ESCRT machinery, and in particular VPS4, plays
      a critical role in the early stages of PV infection.

PMID- 28349934
TI  - Atmospheric impacts of the strongest known solar particle storm of 775 AD.
AB  - Sporadic solar energetic particle (SEP) events affect the Earth's atmosphere and
      environment, in particular leading to depletion of the protective ozone layer in
      the Earth's atmosphere, and pose potential technological and even life hazards.
      The greatest SEP storm known for the last 11 millennia (the Holocene) occurred in
      774-775 AD, serving as a likely worst-case scenario being 40-50 times stronger
      than any directly observed one. Here we present a systematic analysis of the
      impact such an extreme event can have on the Earth's atmosphere. Using state-of
      the-art cosmic ray cascade and chemistry-climate models, we successfully
      reproduce the observed variability of cosmogenic isotope 10Be, around 775 AD, in
      four ice cores from Greenland and Antarctica, thereby validating the models in
      the assessment of this event. We add to prior conclusions that any nitrate
      deposition signal from SEP events remains too weak to be detected in ice cores by
      showing that, even for such an extreme solar storm and sub-annual data
      resolution, the nitrate deposition signal is indistinguishable from the seasonal
      cycle. We show that such a severe event is able to perturb the polar stratosphere
      for at least one year, leading to regional changes in the surface temperature
      during northern hemisphere winters.

PMID- 28349936
TI  - Bacterial pathogenesis: Pathogenic bacteria attack RHIM.

PMID- 28349935
TI  - Demographic associations for autoantibodies in disease-free individuals of a
      European population.
AB  - The presence of autoantibodies usually precedes autoimmune disease, but is
      sometimes considered an incidental finding with no clinical relevance. The
      prevalence of immune-mediated diseases was studied in a group of individuals from
      the Estonian Genome Project (n = 51,862), and 6 clinically significant
      autoantibodies were detected in a subgroup of 994 (auto)immune-mediated disease
      free individuals. The overall prevalence of individuals with immune-mediated
      diseases in the primary cohort was 30.1%. Similarly, 23.6% of the participants in
      the disease-free subgroup were seropositive for at least one autoantibody.
      Several phenotypic parameters were associated with autoantibodies. The results
      suggest that (i) immune-mediated diseases are diagnosed in nearly one-third of a
      random European population, (ii) 6 common autoantibodies are detectable in almost
      one-third of individuals without diagnosed autoimmune diseases, (iii) tissue non
      specific autoantibodies, especially at high levels, may reflect preclinical
      disease in symptom-free individuals, and (iv) the incidental positivity of anti
      TPO in men with positive familial anamnesis of maternal autoimmune disease
      deserves further medical attention. These results encourage physicians to
      evaluate autoantibodies in addition to treating a variety of patient health
      complaints to detect autoimmune-mediated disease early.

PMID- 28349938
TI  - SERS detection of the biomarker hydrogen cyanide from Pseudomonas aeruginosa
      cultures isolated from cystic fibrosis patients.
AB  - Pseudomonas aeruginosa is the primary cause of chronic airway infections in
      cystic fibrosis (CF) patients. Persistent infections are seen from the first P.
      aeruginosa culture in about 75% of young CF patients, and it is important to
      discover new ways to detect P. aeruginosa at an earlier stage. The P. aeruginosa
      biomarker hydrogen cyanide (HCN) contains a triple bond, which is utilized in
      this study because of the resulting characteristic C=N peak at 2135 cm-1 in a
      Raman spectrum. The Raman signal was enhanced by surface-enhanced Raman
      spectroscopy (SERS) on a Au-coated SERS substrate. After long-term infection, a
      mutation in the patho-adaptive lasR gene can alter the expression of HCN, which
      is why it is sometimes not possible to detect HCN in the breath of chronically
      infected patients. Four P. aeruginosa reference strains and 12 clinical P.
      aeruginosa strains isolated from CF children were evaluated, and HCN was clearly
      detected from overnight cultures of all wild type-like isolates and half of the
      later isolates from the same patients. The clinical impact could be that P.
      aeruginosa infections could be detected at an earlier stage, because daily breath
      sampling with an immediate output could be possible with a point-of-care SERS
      device.

PMID- 28349937
TI  - Biodegradable Polymeric Nanocapsules Prevent Cardiotoxicity of Anti-Trypanosomal
      Lychnopholide.
AB  - Chagas disease is a neglected parasitic disease caused by the protozoan
      Trypanosoma cruzi. New antitrypanosomal options are desirable to prevent
      complications, including a high rate of cardiomyopathy. Recently, a natural
      substance, lychnopholide, has shown therapeutic potential, especially when
      encapsulated in biodegradable polymeric nanocapsules. However, little is known
      regarding possible adverse effects of lychnopholide. Here we show that repeated
      dose intravenous administration of free lychnopholide (2.0 mg/kg/day) for 20 days
      caused cardiopathy and mortality in healthy C57BL/6 mice. Echocardiography
      revealed concentric left ventricular hypertrophy with preserved ejection
      fraction, diastolic dysfunction and chamber dilatation at end-stage. Single
      cardiomyocytes presented altered contractility and Ca2+ handling, with
      spontaneous Ca2+ waves in diastole. Acute in vitro lychnopholide application on
      cardiomyocytes from healthy mice also induced Ca2+ handling alterations with
      abnormal RyR2-mediated diastolic Ca2+ release. Strikingly, the encapsulation of
      lychnopholide prevented the cardiac alterations induced in vivo by the free form
      repeated doses. Nanocapsules alone had no adverse cardiac effects. Altogether,
      our data establish lychnopholide presented in nanocapsule form more firmly as a
      promising new drug candidate to cure Chagas disease with minimal cardiotoxicity.
      Our study also highlights the potential of nanotechnology not only to improve the
      efficacy of a drug but also to protect against its adverse effects.

PMID- 28349939
TI  - Phase-transfer induced room temperature ferromagnetic behavior in 1T@2H-MoSe2
      nanosheets.
AB  - Manipulating electronic and magnetic properties of two-dimensional transitional
      metal dichalcogenides has raised a lot of attention recently. Herein we report
      the synthesis and ferromagnetic properties of phase-transfer induced room
      temperature ferromagnetic behavior in 1 T@2H-MoSe2 nanosheets. Experimental
      results indicate the saturated magnetization of the 1 T@2H-MoSe2 compound
      increases first and then decreases as the increasing of 1 T-MoSe2 phase, where
      65.58% 1 T-MoSe2 phase incorporation in 2H-MoSe2 could enhance the saturated
      magnetization from 0.32 memu/g to 8.36 memu/g. Besides, obvious magnetoresistance
      behaviors are observed in these samples, revealing their potential applications
      in future spintronics.

PMID- 28349940
TI  - Adventitial lymphatic capillary expansion impacts on plaque T cell accumulation
      in atherosclerosis.
AB  - During plaque progression, inflammatory cells progressively accumulate in the
      adventitia, paralleled by an increased presence of leaky vasa vasorum. We here
      show that next to vasa vasorum, also the adventitial lymphatic capillary bed is
      expanding during plaque development in humans and mouse models of
      atherosclerosis. Furthermore, we investigated the role of lymphatics in
      atherosclerosis progression. Dissection of plaque draining lymph node and
      lymphatic vessel in atherosclerotic ApoE-/- mice aggravated plaque formation,
      which was accompanied by increased intimal and adventitial CD3+ T cell numbers.
      Likewise, inhibition of VEGF-C/D dependent lymphangiogenesis by AAV aided gene
      transfer of hVEGFR3-Ig fusion protein resulted in CD3+ T cell enrichment in
      plaque intima and adventitia. hVEGFR3-Ig gene transfer did not compromise
      adventitial lymphatic density, pointing to VEGF-C/D independent
      lymphangiogenesis. We were able to identify the CXCL12/CXCR4 axis, which has
      previously been shown to indirectly activate VEGFR3, as a likely pathway, in that
      its focal silencing attenuated lymphangiogenesis and augmented T cell presence.
      Taken together, our study not only shows profound, partly CXCL12/CXCR4 mediated,
      expansion of lymph capillaries in the adventitia of atherosclerotic plaque in
      humans and mice, but also is the first to attribute an important role of
      lymphatics in plaque T cell accumulation and development.

PMID- 28349942
TI  - Frugivore-Mediated Selection in A Habitat Transformation Scenario.
AB  - Plant-animal interactions are strong drivers of phenotypic evolution. However,
      the extent to which anthropogenic habitat transformation creates new selective
      scenarios for plant-animal interactions is a little explored subject. We examined
      the effects of native forest replacement by exotic Eucalyptus trees on the
      frugivore-mediated phenotypic selection coefficients imposed by the relict
      marsupial Dromiciops gliroides upon traits involved in frugivore attraction and
      germination success of the mistletoe Tristerix corymbosus (Loranthaceae). We
      found significant gradients for seed weight and sugar content along the native -
      transformed habitat gradient. While selection for larger seed weight was more
      relevant in native habitats, fruits with intermediate sugar content were promoted
      in transformed habitats. The spatial habitat structure and microclimate features
      such as the degree of sunlight received influenced the natural selection
      processes, as they correlated with the phenotypic traits analysed. The response
      of this plant-frugivore interaction to human disturbance seemed to be context
      dependent, in which extremely transformed habitats would offer new opportunities
      for natural selection on dispersal-related traits. Even in recent transformation
      events like this, human disturbance acts as a strong contemporary evolution
      driver.

PMID- 28349941
TI  - Milk Fat Globule Membrane Supplementation in Formula Modulates the Neonatal Gut
      Microbiome and Normalizes Intestinal Development.
AB  - Breast milk has many beneficial properties and unusual characteristics including
      a unique fat component, termed milk fat globule membrane (MFGM). While breast
      milk yields important developmental benefits, there are situations where it is
      unavailable resulting in a need for formula feeding. Most formulas do not contain
      MFGM, but derive their lipids from vegetable sources, which differ greatly in
      size and composition. Here we tested the effects of MFGM supplementation on
      intestinal development and the microbiome as well as its potential to protect
      against Clostridium difficile induced colitis. The pup-in-a-cup model was used to
      deliver either control or MFGM supplemented formula to rats from 5 to 15 days of
      age; with mother's milk (MM) reared animals used as controls. While CTL formula
      yielded significant deficits in intestinal development as compared to MM
      littermates, addition of MFGM to formula restored intestinal growth, Paneth and
      goblet cell numbers, and tight junction protein patterns to that of MM pups.
      Moreover, the gut microbiota of MFGM and MM pups displayed greater similarities
      than CTL, and proved protective against C. difficile toxin induced inflammation.
      Our study thus demonstrates that addition of MFGM to formula promotes development
      of the intestinal epithelium and microbiome and protects against inflammation.

PMID- 28349943
TI  - TTF-1- and/or CD56-positive Circulating Tumor Cells in patients with small cell
      lung cancer (SCLC).
AB  - The aim of the study was to evaluate the phenotypic CTCs heterogeneity (TTF-1+
      and/or CD56+) in SCLC patients and correlate it with the CellSearch. Peripheral
      blood was obtained from 108 consecutive patients. CTCs were detected by
      CellSearch and double-immunofluorescence using anti-CD45, anti-TTF-1 and anti
      CD56 antibodies. Before chemotherapy TTF-1+/CD45-, CD56+/CD45- and TTF-1+/CD56+
      CTCs were detected in 66(61.1%), 55(50.9%) and 46(42.6%) patients, respectively;
      60.2% of patients were CellSearch+. Among the 22 patients with 0 CTCs/7.5 ml on
      CellSearch, TTF-1+/CD45-, CD56+/CD45- and TTF-1+/CD56+ CTCs were detected in
      8(36.4%), 6(27.3) and 6(27.3%) patients, respectively; no CK+/EpCAM+ or
      TTF1+/EpCAM+ CTCs were detected in these patients. One-chemotherapy cycle
      decreased both the number of positive patients (p < 0.001) and their CTC number
      (p < 0.001), irrespectively of their phenotype and the detection method. The
      incidence and number of the different CTC subpopulations on PD, was significantly
      increased at their baseline levels. Multivariate analysis revealed that the
      increased number of CTCs at baseline and on PD were significantly associated with
      decreased PFS (p = 0.048) and OS (p = 0.041), respectively. There is an important
      CTC heterogeneity in such patients according to the expression of TTF-1 and CD56
      which could detect EpCAM- CTC subpopulations and, thus, undetectable by
      CellSearch. These CTC subpopulations are dynamically correlated with treatment
      efficacy and disease-progression.

PMID- 28349946
TI  - Gut metagenomic analysis reveals prominent roles of Lactobacillus and cecal
      microbiota in chicken feed efficiency.
AB  - Interactions between the host and gut microbiota can affect gut metabolism. In
      this study, the individual performances of 252 hens were recorded to evaluate
      feed efficiency. Hens with contrasting feed efficiencies (14 birds per group)
      were selected to investigate their duodenal, cecal and fecal microbial
      composition by sequencing the 16S rRNA gene V4 region. The results showed that
      the microbial community in the cecum was quite different from those in the
      duodenum and feces. The highest biodiversity and all differentially abundant taxa
      between the different efficiency groups were observed in the cecal microbial
      community with false discovery rate (FDR) <0.05. Of these differentially abundant
      cecal microbes, Lactobacillus accounted for a greater proportion than the others.
      The abundances of Lactobacillus and Akkermansia were significantly higher while
      that of Faecalibacterium was lower (FDR < 0.05) in the better feed efficiency
      (BFE) group. Phylogenetic investigation of communities by reconstruction of
      unobserved states (PICRUSt) analysis revealed that the functions relating to
      glycometabolism and amino acid metabolism were enriched in the cecal microbiota
      of the BFE group. These results indicated the prominent role of cecal microbiota
      in the feed efficiency of chickens and suggested plausible uses of Lactobacillus
      to improve the feed efficiency of host.

PMID- 28349944
TI  - Discrimination of Stem Cell Status after Subjecting Cynomolgus Monkey Pluripotent
      Stem Cells to Naive Conversion.
AB  - Experimental animal models have played an indispensable role in the development
      of human induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC) research. The derivation of high
      quality (so-called "true naive state") iPSCs of non-human primates enhances their
      application and safety for human regenerative medicine. Although several attempts
      have been made to convert human and non-human primate PSCs into a truly naive
      state, it is unclear which evaluation methods can discriminate them as being
      truly naive. Here we attempted to derive naive cynomolgus monkey (Cm) (Macaca
      fascicularis) embryonic stem cells (ESCs) and iPSCs. Several characteristics of
      naive Cm ESCs including colony morphology, appearance of naive-related mRNAs and
      proteins, leukaemia inhibitory factor dependency, and mitochondrial respiration
      were confirmed. Next, we generated Cm iPSCs and converted them to a naive state.
      Transcriptomic comparison of PSCs with early Cm embryos elucidated the partial
      achievement (termed naive-like) of their conversion. When these were subjected to
      in vitro neural differentiation, enhanced differentiating capacities were
      observed after naive-like conversion, but some lines exhibited heterogeneity. The
      difficulty of achieving contribution to chimeric mouse embryos was also
      demonstrated. These results suggest that Cm PSCs could ameliorate their in vitro
      neural differentiation potential even though they could not display true naive
      characteristics.

PMID- 28349945
TI  - Touch and Hearing Mediate Osseoperception.
AB  - Osseoperception is the sensation arising from the mechanical stimulation of a
      bone-anchored prosthesis. Here we show that not only touch, but also hearing is
      involved in this phenomenon. Using mechanical vibrations ranging from 0.1 to 6
      kHz, we performed four psychophysical measures (perception threshold, sensation
      discrimination, frequency discrimination and reaction time) on 12 upper and lower
      limb amputees and found that subjects: consistently reported perceiving a sound
      when the stimulus was delivered at frequencies equal to or above 400 Hz; were
      able to discriminate frequency differences between stimuli delivered at high
      stimulation frequencies (~1500 Hz); improved their reaction time for bimodal
      stimuli (i.e. when both vibration and sound were perceived). Our results
      demonstrate that osseoperception is a multisensory perception, which can explain
      the improved environment perception of bone-anchored prosthesis users. This
      phenomenon might be exploited in novel prosthetic devices to enhance their
      control, thus ultimately improving the amputees' quality of life.

PMID- 28349947
TI  - Patterns of correlation of facial shape with physiological measurements are more
      integrated than patterns of correlation with ratings.
AB  - This article exploits a method recently incorporated in the geometric
      morphometric toolkit that complements previous approaches to quantifying the
      facial features associated with specific body characteristics and trait
      attribution during social perception. The new method differentiates more globally
      encoded from more locally encoded information by a summary scaling dimension that
      is estimated by fitting a line to the plot of log bending energy against log
      variance explained, partial warp by partial warp, for some sample of varying
      shapes. In the present context these variances come from the regressions of shape
      on some exogenous cause or effect of form. We work an example involving data from
      male faces. Here the regression slopes are steepest, and the sums of explained
      variances over the uniform component, partial warp 1 and partial warp 2 are
      greatest, for the conventional body mass index, followed by cortisol and, lastly,
      perceived health. This suggests that physiological characteristics may be
      represented at larger scale (global patterns), whereas cues in perception are of
      smaller scale (local patterns). Such a polarity within psychomorphospace, the
      global versus the focal, now has a metric by which patterns of morphology can be
      modeled in both biological and psychological studies.

PMID- 28349949
TI  - Modeling out-of-plane actuation in thin-film nematic polymer networks: From
      chiral ribbons to auto-origami boxes via twist and topology.
AB  - Various experimental and theoretical studies demonstrate that complex stimulus
      responsive out-of-plane distortions such as twist of different chirality,
      emergence of cones, simple and anticlastic bending can be engineered and pre
      programmed in a liquid crystalline rubbery material given a well-controlled
      director microstructure. Via 3-d finite element simulation studies, we
      demonstrate director-encoded chiral shape actuation in thin-film nematic polymer
      networks under external stimulus. Furthermore, we design two complex director
      fields with twisted nematic domains and nematic disclinations that encode a
      pattern of folds for an auto-origami box. This actuator will be flat at a
      reference nematic state and form four well-controlled bend distortions as
      orientational order changes. Device fabrication is applicable via current
      experimental techniques. These results are in qualitative agreement with
      theoretical predictions, provide insight into experimental observations, and
      demonstrate the value of finite element methods at the continuum level for
      designing and engineering liquid crystal polymeric devices.

PMID- 28349951
TI  - Parasite pathogenesis: The dynamics of chronic malaria.

PMID- 28349950
TI  - Soil classification predicts differences in prokaryotic communities across a
      range of geographically distant soils once pH is accounted for.
AB  - Agricultural land is typically managed based on visible plant life at the expense
      of the belowground majority. However, microorganisms mediate processes sustaining
      plant life and the soil environment. To understand the role of microbes we first
      must understand what controls soil microbial community assembly. We assessed the
      distribution and composition of prokaryotic communities from soils representing
      four geographic regions on the South Island of New Zealand. These soils are under
      three different uses (dairy, sheep and beef, and high country farming) and are
      representative of major soil classification groups (brown, pallic, gley and
      recent). We hypothesized that pH would account for major community patterns based
      on 16S profiles, but that land use and location would be secondary modifiers.
      Community diversity and structure was linked to pH, coinciding with land use.
      Soil classification correlated with microbial community structure and evenness,
      but not richness in high country and sheep and beef communities. The impact of
      land use and pH remained significant at the regional scale, but soil
      classification provided support for community variability not explained by either
      of those factors. These results suggest that several edaphic properties must be
      examined at multiple spatial scales to robustly examine soil prokaryotic
      communities.

PMID- 28349948
TI  - Discriminating cognitive status in Parkinson's disease through functional
      connectomics and machine learning.
AB  - There is growing interest in the potential of neuroimaging to help develop non
      invasive biomarkers in neurodegenerative diseases. In this study, connection-wise
      patterns of functional connectivity were used to distinguish Parkinson's disease
      patients according to cognitive status using machine learning. Two independent
      subject samples were assessed with resting-state fMRI. The first (training)
      sample comprised 38 healthy controls and 70 Parkinson's disease patients (27 with
      mild cognitive impairment). The second (validation) sample included 25 patients
      (8 with mild cognitive impairment). The Brainnetome atlas was used to reconstruct
      the functional connectomes. Using a support vector machine trained on features
      selected through randomized logistic regression with leave-one-out cross
      validation, a mean accuracy of 82.6% (p < 0.002) was achieved in separating
      patients with mild cognitive impairment from those without it in the training
      sample. The model trained on the whole training sample achieved an accuracy of
      80.0% when used to classify the validation sample (p = 0.006). Correlation
      analyses showed that the connectivity level in the edges most consistently
      selected as features was associated with memory and executive function
      performance in the patient group. Our results demonstrate that connection-wise
      patterns of functional connectivity may be useful for discriminating Parkinson's
      disease patients according to the presence of cognitive deficits.

PMID- 28349952
TI  - Nerve regeneration by human corneal stromal keratocytes and stromal fibroblasts.
AB  - Laser refractive surgeries reshape corneal stroma to correct refractive errors,
      but unavoidably affect corneal nerves. Slow nerve regeneration and atypical
      neurite morphology cause desensitization and neuro-epitheliopathy. Following
      injury, surviving corneal stromal keratocytes (CSKs) are activated to stromal
      fibroblasts (SFs). How these two different cell types influence nerve
      regeneration is elusive. Our study evaluated the neuro-regulatory effects of
      human SFs versus CSKs derived from the same corneal stroma using an in vitro
      chick dorsal root ganglion model. The neurite growth was assessed by a validated
      concentric circle intersection count method. Serum-free conditioned media (CM)
      from SFs promoted neurite growth dose-dependently, compared to that from CSKs. We
      detected neurotrophic and pro-inflammatory factors (interleukin-8, interleukin
      15, monocyte chemoattractant protein-1, eotaxin, RANTES) in SFCM by Bio-Plex
      Human Cytokine assay. More than 130 proteins in SFCM and 49 in CSKCM were
      identified by nanoLC-MS/MS. Proteins uniquely present in SFCM had reported neuro
      regulatory activities and were predicted to regulate neurogenesis, focal adhesion
      and wound healing. Conclusively, this was the first study showing a physiological
      relationship between nerve growth and the metabolically active SFs versus
      quiescent CSKs from the same cornea source. The dose-dependent effect on neurite
      growth indicated that nerve regeneration could be influenced by SF density.

PMID- 28349953
TI  - Observation of low-loss broadband supermode propagation in coupled acoustic
      waveguide complex.
AB  - We investigate analytically, numerically, and experimentally the low-loss
      supermode propagation in a coupled acoustic waveguide complex within a broadband.
      The waveguide complex is implemented with air channels coupled via an ultrathin
      metafluid layer. We analytically derive the field distribution of incident sound
      needed for producing acoustic supermodes, and verify the periodically revival
      propagation in coupled waveguide systems numerically and experimentally. We find
      out that the supermode wavelength becomes longer for higher mode order or lower
      frequency. We have also demonstrated the robust propagation of supermodes in
      broadband. Our scheme can in principle be extended to three dimensions and the
      ultrasound regime with simplicity and may promote applications of high-fidelity
      signal transfer in complicated acoustic networks.

PMID- 28349954
TI  - Two-photon dual imaging platform for in vivo monitoring cellular oxidative stress
      in liver injury.
AB  - Oxidative stress reflects an imbalance between reactive oxygen species (ROS) and
      antioxidants, which has been reported as an early unifying event in the
      development and progression of various diseases and as a direct and mechanistic
      indicator of treatment response. However, highly reactive and short-lived nature
      of ROS and antioxidant limited conventional detection agents, which are
      influenced by many interfering factors. Here, we present a two-photon sensing
      platform for in vivo dual imaging of oxidative stress at the single cell-level
      resolution. This sensing platform consists of three probes, which combine the
      turn-on fluorescent transition-metal complex with different specific responsive
      groups for glutathione (GSH), hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) and hypochlorous acid
      (HOCl). By combining fluorescence intensity imaging and fluorescence lifetime
      imaging, these probes totally remove any possibility of crosstalk from in vivo
      environmental or instrumental factors, and enable accurate localization and
      measurement of the changes in ROS and GSH within the liver. This precedes changes
      in conventional biochemical and histological assessments in two distinct
      experimental murine models of liver injury. The ability to monitor real-time
      cellular oxidative stress with dual-modality imaging has significant implications
      for high-accurate, spatially configured and quantitative assessment of metabolic
      status and drug response.

PMID- 28349955
TI  - A canine model of tracheal stenosis induced by cuffed endotracheal intubation.
AB  - Postintubation tracheal stenosis is a complication of endotracheal intubation.
      The pathological mechanism and risk factors for endotracheal intubation-induced
      tracheal stenosis remain not fully understood. We aimed to establish an animal
      model and to investigate risk factors for postintubation tracheal stenosis.
      Beagles were intubated with 4 sized tubes (internal diameter 6.5 to 8.0 mm) and
      cuff pressures of 100 to 200 mmHg for 24 hr. The status of tracheal wall was
      evaluated by bronchoscopic and histological examinations. The model was
      successfully established by cuffed endotracheal intubation using an 8.0 mm tube
      and an intra-cuff pressure of 200 mmHg for 24 hr. When the intra-cuff pressures
      were kept constant, a larger sized tube would induce a larger tracheal wall
      pressure and more severe injury to the tracheal wall. The degree of tracheal
      stenosis ranged from 78% to 91% at 2 weeks postextubation. Histological
      examination demonstrated submucosal infiltration of inflammatory cells,
      hyperplasia of granulation tissue and collapse of tracheal cartilage. In summary,
      a novel animal model of tracheal stenosis was established by cuffed endotracheal
      intubation, whose histopathological feathers are similar to those of clinical
      cases of postintubation tracheal stenosis. Excessive cuff pressure and over-sized
      tube are the risk factors for postintubation tracheal stenosis.

PMID- 28349956
TI  - Facile synthesis of silicon nitride nanowires with flexible mechanical properties
      and with diameters controlled by flow rate.
AB  - Ultralong Si3N4 nanowires (NWs) were successfully synthesized with size
      controlled in N2 gas by using an efficient method. The diameters of the Si3N4 NWs
      increased when the flow rate of N2 gas increased, with average diameters of 290
      nm from flow rates of 100 ml/min, 343 nm from flow rates of 200 ml/min and 425 nm
      from flow rates of 400 ml/min. Young's modulus was found to rely strongly on the
      diameters of the Si3N4 NWs, decreasing from approximately 526.0 GPa to 321.9 GPa;
      as the diameters increased from 360 nm to 960 nm. These findings provide a
      promising method for tailoring these mechanical properties of the NWs in a
      controlled manner over a wide range of Young's modulus values. Vapour-liquid
      solid (VLS) mechanisms were used to model the growth of Si3N4 NWs on the inner
      wall of an alumina crucible and on the surface of the powder mixture. Alumina may
      be an effective mediator of NW growth that plays an important role in controlling
      the concentrations of Si-containing reactants to support the growth of NWs on the
      inner wall of the alumina crucible. This approach offers a valuable means for
      preparing ultralong Si3N4 NWs doped with Al with unique properties.

PMID- 28349957
TI  - Stability of R2* and quantitative susceptibility mapping of the brain tissue in a
      large scale multi-center study.
AB  - Multi-center studies are advantageous for enrolling participants of varying
      pathological and demographical conditions, and especially in neurological
      studies. Hence stability of the obtained quantitative R2* and susceptibility in
      multicenter studies is a key issue for their widespread applications. In this
      work, the stabilities of simultaneously obtained R2* and susceptibility are
      investigated and compared across 10 sites that are equipped with the same scanner
      and receiver coil, the same post-processing process was used to achieve
      consistent experiment setup. Two healthy adult volunteers (one male and female)
      participated in this study. High intraclass correlation coefficient was obtained
      for both susceptibility (0.94) and R2* (0.96). The coefficients of variance for
      all measurements obtained were smaller than 0.1, the largest variations of
      measurements in all the chosen ROIs fall within +/-20% from the median value.
      Higher level of stability was obtained in R2* as compared to susceptibility at 1
      mm resolution (P < 0.05) and at 1.5 mm (P < 0.01).

PMID- 28349958
TI  - Gene expression-based biomarkers for discriminating early and late stage of clear
      cell renal cancer.
AB  - In this study, an attempt has been made to identify expression-based gene
      biomarkers that can discriminate early and late stage of clear cell renal cell
      carcinoma (ccRCC) patients. We have analyzed the gene expression of 523 samples
      to identify genes that are differentially expressed in the early and late stage
      of ccRCC. First, a threshold-based method has been developed, which attained a
      maximum accuracy of 71.12% with ROC 0.67 using single gene NR3C2. To improve the
      performance of threshold-based method, we combined two or more genes and achieved
      maximum accuracy of 70.19% with ROC of 0.74 using eight genes on the validation
      dataset. These eight genes include four underexpressed (NR3C2, ENAM, DNASE1L3,
      FRMPD2) and four overexpressed (PLEKHA9, MAP6D1, SMPD4, C11orf73) genes in the
      late stage of ccRCC. Second, models were developed using state-of-art techniques
      and achieved maximum accuracy of 72.64% and 0.81 ROC using 64 genes on validation
      dataset. Similar accuracy was obtained on 38 genes selected from subset of genes,
      involved in cancer hallmark biological processes. Our analysis further implied a
      need to develop gender-specific models for stage classification. A web server,
      CancerCSP, has been developed to predict stage of ccRCC using gene expression
      data derived from RNAseq experiments.

PMID- 28349959
TI  - Organization of prefrontal network activity by respiration-related oscillations.
AB  - The medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) integrates information from cortical and sub
      cortical areas and contributes to the planning and initiation of behaviour. A
      potential mechanism for signal integration in the mPFC lies in the
      synchronization of neuronal discharges by theta (6-12 Hz) activity patterns. Here
      we show, using in vivo local field potential (LFP) and single-unit recordings
      from awake mice, that prominent oscillations in the sub-theta frequency band (1-5
      Hz) emerge during awake immobility in the mPFC. These oscillation patterns are
      distinct from but phase-locked to hippocampal theta activity and occur
      synchronized with nasal respiration (hence termed prefrontal respiration rhythm
      [PRR]). PRR activity modulates the amplitude of prefrontal gamma rhythms with
      greater efficacy than theta oscillations. Furthermore, single-unit discharges of
      putative pyramidal cells and GABAergic interneurons are entrained by prefrontal
      PRR and nasal respiration. Our data thus suggest that PRR activity contributes to
      information processing in the prefrontal neuronal network.

PMID- 28349960
TI  - Photonic transistor and router using a single quantum-dot-confined spin in a
      single-sided optical microcavity.
AB  - The future Internet is very likely the mixture of all-optical Internet with low
      power consumption and quantum Internet with absolute security guaranteed by the
      laws of quantum mechanics. Photons would be used for processing, routing and com
      munication of data, and photonic transistor using a weak light to control a
      strong light is the core component as an optical analogue to the electronic
      transistor that forms the basis of modern electronics. In sharp contrast to
      previous all-optical tran-sistors which are all based on optical nonlinearities,
      here I introduce a novel design for a high-gain and high-speed (up to terahertz)
      photonic transistor and its counterpart in the quantum limit, i.e., single-photon
      transistor based on a linear optical effect: giant Faraday rotation induced by a
      single electronic spin in a single-sided optical microcavity. A single-photon or
      classical optical pulse as the gate sets the spin state via projective
      measurement and controls the polarization of a strong light to open/block the
      photonic channel. Due to the duality as quantum gate for quantum information
      processing and transistor for optical information processing, this versatile spin
      cavity quantum transistor provides a solid-state platform ideal for all-optical
      networks and quantum networks.

PMID- 28349961
TI  - E3 Ubiquitin Ligase Nedd4 Promotes Japanese Encephalitis Virus Replication by
      Suppressing Autophagy in Human Neuroblastoma Cells.
AB  - Japanese encephalitis virus (JEV) is a mosquito-borne flavivirus that causes the
      most prevalent viral encephalitis in Asia. Since JEV is a neurotropic virus, it
      is important to identify key molecules that mediate JEV infection in neuronal
      cells and to investigate their underlying mechanisms. In this study, the critical
      role of Nedd4, an E3 ubiquitin ligase that is highly expressed in the central
      nervous system, was examined in JEV propagation. In SK-N-SH neuroblastoma cells,
      Nedd4 was up-regulated in response to JEV infection. Moreover, down-regulation of
      Nedd4 resulted in a significant decrease in JEV replication without alterations
      in virus attachment and internalization or in JEV pseudotyped virus infection,
      suggesting that Nedd4 participates in the replication but not in the entry stage
      of JEV infection. Further functional analysis showed that Nedd4 attenuated JEV
      induced autophagy, which negatively regulates virus replication during infection.
      These results suggest that Nedd4 facilitates the replication of JEV by
      suppressing virus-induced autophagy. Taken together, our results indicate that
      Nedd4 plays a crucial role in JEV infection of neuronal cells, which provides a
      potential target for the development of novel treatment to combat JEV infection.

PMID- 28349962
TI  - Preparation and characterization of (-)-Epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG)-loaded
      nanoparticles and their inhibitory effects on Human breast cancer MCF-7 cells.
AB  - We were employing nanotechnology to improve the targeting ability of (-)
      Epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG) towards MCF-7 cells, and two kinds of EGCG
      nanoparticles (FA-NPS-PEG and FA-PEG-NPS) were obtained, besides, their
      characteristics and effects on MCF-7 cells were studied. The results indicated
      that (i) both FA-NPS-PEG and FA-PEG-NPS have high stabilities; (ii) their
      particles sizes were 185.0 +/- 13.5 nm and 142.7 +/- 7.2 nm, respectively; (iii)
      their encapsulation efficiencies of EGCG were 90.36 +/- 2.20% and 39.79 +/-
      7.54%, respectively. (iv) there was no cytotoxicity observed in EGCG, FA-NPS-PEG
      and FA-PEG-NPS toward MCF-7 cells over all concentrations (0~400 MUg/mL) tested;
      (v) EGCG, FA-NPS-PEG and FA-PEG-NPS inhibited MCF-7 cells proliferation in dose
      dependent manners, with the average IC50 of 470.5 +/- 33.0, 65.9 +/- 0.4 and 66.6
      +/- 0.6 MUg/mL; (vi) EGCG, FA-NPS-PEG and FA-PEG-NPS could modulated the
      expressions of several key regulatory proteins in PI3K-Akt pathway such as up
      regulation of PTEN, p21 and Bax, and down-regulation of p-PDK1, p-AKT, CyclinD1
      and Bcl-2, which gave an illustration about the mechanism by which EGCG
      nanoparticles inhibited MCF-7 cells proliferation. In this study, EGCG
      nanoparticles can significantly enhance the targeting ability and efficacy of
      EGCG, which is considered to an experimental foundation for further research on
      its activity, targeting ability and metabolism in vivo.

PMID- 28349963
TI  - A platform for high-throughput bioenergy production phenotype characterization in
      single cells.
AB  - Driven by an increasing number of studies demonstrating its relevance to a broad
      variety of disease states, the bioenergy production phenotype has been widely
      characterized at the bulk sample level. Its cell-to-cell variability, a key
      player associated with cancer cell survival and recurrence, however, remains
      poorly understood due to ensemble averaging of the current approaches. We present
      a technology platform for performing oxygen consumption and extracellular
      acidification measurements of several hundreds to 1,000 individual cells per
      assay, while offering simultaneous analysis of cellular communication effects on
      the energy production phenotype. The platform comprises two major components: a
      tandem optical sensor for combined oxygen and pH detection, and a microwell
      device for isolation and analysis of single and few cells in hermetically sealed
      sub-nanoliter chambers. Our approach revealed subpopulations of cells with
      aberrant energy production profiles and enables determination of cellular
      response variability to electron transfer chain inhibitors and ion uncouplers.

PMID- 28349966
TI  - On the wrong side of history.

PMID- 28349965
TI  - The nicotinic acetylcholine receptor alpha7 subunit is an essential negative
      regulator of bone mass.
AB  - The nicotinic receptor alpha7nAchR reportedly regulates vagal nerve targets in
      brain and cardiac tissue. Here we show that nAchR7-/- mice exhibit increased bone
      mass due to decreased osteoclast formation, accompanied by elevated
      osteoprotegerin/RANKL ratios in serum. Vagotomy in wild-type mice also
      significantly increased the serum osteoprotegerin/RANKL ratio, and elevated bone
      mass seen in nAchR7-/- mice was reversed in alpha7nAchR/osteoprotegerin-doubly
      deficient mice. alpha7nAchR loss significantly increased TNFalpha expression in
      Mac1-positive macrophages, and TNFalpha increased the osteoprotegerin/RANKL ratio
      in osteoblasts. Targeting TNFalpha in nAchR7-/- mice normalized both serum
      osteoprotegerin/RANKL ratios and bone mass. Administration of nicotine, an
      alpha7nAchR ligand, to wild-type mice increased serum RANKL levels. Thus, vagal
      nerve stimulation of macrophages via alpha7nAchR regulates bone mass by
      modulating osteoclast formation.

PMID- 28349964
TI  - Probiotics may delay the progression of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease by
      restoring the gut microbiota structure and improving intestinal endotoxemia.
AB  - Gut-derived bacterial lipopolysaccharide (LPS) and subsequent hepatic toll-like
      receptor 4 (TLR4) activation have been recognized to be involved in the onset of
      diet-induced nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), but little is known about
      the variation of LPS and TLR4 during the progression of NAFLD. Probiotics were
      able to inhibit proliferation of harmful bacteria and improve gastrointestinal
      barrier function. However, it's unclear whether LPS/TLR4 is involved in the
      protection effect of probiotics on NAFLD. In this study, we described
      characteristic of gut microbiota structure in the progression of NAFLD, and we
      also analyzed the relationship between gut microbiota and LPS/TLR4 in this
      process. Furthermore, we applied probiotics intervention to investigate the
      effect of probiotics on gut flora structure, intestinal integrity, serum LPS,
      liver TLR4 and liver pathology. Our results showed that serum LPS and liver TLR4
      were highly increased during progression of NAFLD, with gut flora diversity and
      gut mircobiological colonization resistance (B/E) declining. Furthermore,
      probiotics could improve gut microbiota structure and liver pathology. Probiotics
      could also downregulate serum LPS and liver TLR4. Our results suggested that both
      gut flora alteration and endotoxemia may be involved in the progression of NAFLD.
      Probiotics may delay the progression of NAFLD via LPS/TLR4 signaling.

PMID- 28349967
TI  - Development of a multiplex loop-mediated isothermal amplification method for the
      simultaneous detection of Salmonella spp. and Vibrio parahaemolyticus.
AB  - Rapid detection of food-borne pathogens is important in the food industry, to
      monitor and prevent the spread of these pathogens through contaminated food
      products. We therefore established a multiplex real-time loop-mediated isothermal
      amplification (LAMP) assay to simultaneously detect and distinguish Salmonella
      spp. and Vibrio parahaemolyticus DNA in a single reaction. Two target sequences,
      one specific for Salmonella and the other specific for Vibrio parahaemolyticus,
      were amplified by specific LAMP primers in the same reaction tube. After
      amplification at 65  degrees C for 60 min, the amplified products were subjected
      to melting curve analysis and thus could be distinguished based on the different
      melting temperatures (Tm values) of the two specifically amplified products. The
      specificity of the multiplex LAMP assay was evaluated using 19 known bacterial
      strains, including one V. parahaemolyticus and seven Salmonella spp. strains. The
      multiplex LAMP showed 100% inclusivity and exclusivity, and a detection limit
      similar to that of multiplex PCR. In addition, we observed and corrected
      preferential amplification induced by what we call LAMP selection in the
      multiplex LAMP reaction. In conclusion, our assay was rapid, specific, and
      quantitative, making it a useful tool for the food industry.

PMID- 28349968
TI  - Neural Crest Cells Contribute an Astrocyte-like Glial Population to the Spleen.
AB  - Neural crest cells (NCC) are multi-potent cells of ectodermal origin that
      colonize diverse organs, including the gastrointestinal tract to form the enteric
      nervous system (ENS) and hematopoietic organs (bone marrow, thymus) where they
      participate in lymphocyte trafficking. Recent studies have implicated the spleen
      as an anatomic site for integration of inflammatory signals from the intestine
      with efferent neural inputs. We have previously observed alterations in splenic
      lymphocyte subsets in animals with defective migration of NCC that model
      Hirschsprung's disease, leading us to hypothesize that there may be a direct
      cellular contribution of NCC to the spleen. Here, we demonstrate that NCC
      colonize the spleen during embryogenesis and persist into adulthood. Splenic NCC
      display markers indicating a glial lineage and are arranged anatomically adjacent
      to blood vessels, pericytes and nerves, suggesting an astrocyte-like phenotype.
      Finally, we identify similar neural-crest derived cells in both the avian and non
      human primate spleen, showing evolutionary conservation of these cells.

PMID- 28349969
TI  - Minoxidil is a potential neuroprotective drug for paclitaxel-induced peripheral
      neuropathy.
AB  - Chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy (CIPN) is a common side effect of
      cancer treatment. No medication has been shown to be effective in the treatment
      of CIPN. This study aims to integrate the image-based high-content screening,
      mouse behavior models and mechanistic cell-based assays to discover potential
      neuroprotective drugs. Among screened compounds, minoxidil showed the most potent
      neuroprotective effect against paclitaxel, with regard to neurite outgrowth of
      dorsal root ganglia (DRG). Minoxidil protected mice from thermal insensitivity
      and alleviated mechanical allodynia in paclitaxel-treated mice. The
      ultrastructure and quantified G-ratio of myelin integrity of sciatic nerve
      tissues supported the observations in mouse behavioral tests. The mechanistic
      study on DRG neurons suggested that minoxidil suppressed neuroinflammation and
      remodeled the dysregulation of intracellular calcium homeostasis provoked by
      paclitaxel. Importantly, minoxidil showed a synergistic anti-tumor effect with
      paclitaxel both in tumor xenograft models of cervical and breast cancer.
      Interestingly, the quantitative assays on hair length and hair growth both
      exhibited that minoxidil significantly improved the hair quality after
      chemotherapy. Since minoxidil is a drug approved by the Food and Drug
      Administration (FDA), the safety and biocompatibility are well documented. The
      immediate next step is to launch an early-stage clinical trial intending to
      prevent CIPN by minoxidil.

PMID- 28349970
TI  - Effect of Size and Surface Charge of Gold Nanoparticles on their Skin
      Permeability: A Molecular Dynamics Study.
AB  - Molecular level understanding of permeation of nanoparticles through human skin
      establishes the basis for development of novel transdermal drug delivery systems
      and design and formulation of cosmetics. Recent experiments suggest that surface
      coated nano-sized gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) can penetrate the rat and human
      skin. However, the mechanisms by which these AuNPs penetrate are not well
      understood. In this study, we have carried out coarse grained molecular dynamics
      simulations to explore the permeation of dodecanethiol coated neutral hydrophobic
      AuNPs of different sizes (2-5 nm) and surface charges (cationic and anionic)
      through the model skin lipid membrane. The results indicate that the neutral
      hydrophobic AuNPs disrupted the bilayer and entered in it with in ~200 ns, while
      charged AuNPs were adsorbed on the bilayer headgroup. The permeation free energy
      calculation revealed that at the head group of the bilayer, a very small barrier
      existed for neutral hydrophobic AuNP while a free energy minimum was observed for
      charged AuNPs. The permeability was maximum for neutral 2 nm gold nanoparticle
      (AuNP) and minimum for 3 nm cationic AuNP. The obtained results are aligned with
      recent experimental findings. This study would be helpful in designing customized
      nanoparticles for cosmetic and transdermal drug delivery application.

PMID- 28349971
TI  - Nine phenylethanoid glycosides from Magnolia officinalis var. biloba fruits and
      their protective effects against free radical-induced oxidative damage.
AB  - To systematically study the chemical constituents in Magnolia officinalis var.
      biloba fruits, nine phenylethanoid glycosides were isolated by solvent
      extraction, silica gel, and preparative high-performance liquid chromatography
      (HPLC). Their structures were elucidated by 1D and 2D NMR analyses, including
      COSY, HMQC and HMBC correlations, and HPLC analysis of sugar residue. Nine
      phenylethanoid glycosides, namely, magnoloside Ia (1), magnoloside Ic (2),
      crassifolioside (3), magnoloside Ib (4), magnoloside IIIa (5), magnoloside IVa
      (6), magnoloside IIa (7), magnoloside IIb (8) and magnoloside Va (9), were first
      isolated from the n-butanol fraction of Magnolia officinalis var. biloba fruits
      alcohol extract. Free radical scavenging activities of the nine phenylethanoid
      glycosides were assessed using the DPPH, ABTS, and superoxide anion radical
      scavenging assays. Simultaneously, protective effects of all compounds against
      free radical-induced oxidative damage were evaluated by two different kinds of
      mitochondrial damage model. The protective effects were assessed by mitochondrial
      swelling, the formations of malondialdehyde (MDA) and lipid hydroperoxide (LOOH),
      the activities of catalase (CAT), glutathione reductase (GR) and superoxide
      dismutase (SOD). All phenylethanoid glycosides showed significant protective
      effects.

PMID- 28349972
TI  - Enteric glial cells counteract Clostridium difficile Toxin B through a NADPH
      oxidase/ROS/JNK/caspase-3 axis, without involving mitochondrial pathways.
AB  - Enteric glial cells (EGCs) are components of the intestinal epithelial barrier
      essential for regulating the enteric nervous system. Clostridium difficile is the
      most common cause of antibiotic-associated colitis, toxin B (TcdB) being the
      major virulence factor, due to its ability to breach the intestinal epithelial
      barrier and to act on other cell types. Here we investigated TcdB effects on EGCs
      and the activated molecular mechanisms. Already at 2 hours, TcdB triggered ROS
      formation originating from NADPH-oxidase, as demonstrated by their reduction in
      the presence of the NADPH-oxidase inhibitor ML171. Although EGCs mitochondria
      support almost completely the cellular ATP need, TcdB exerted weak effects on
      EGCs in terms of ATP and mitochondrial functionality, mitochondrial ROS
      production occurring as a late event. ROS activated the JNK signalling and
      overexpression of the proapoptotic Bim not followed by cytochrome c or AIF
      release to activate the downstream apoptotic cascade. EGCs underwent DNA
      fragmentation through activation of the ROS/JNK/caspase-3 axis, evidenced by the
      ability of ML171, N-acetylcysteine, and the JNK inhibitor SP600125 to inhibit
      caspase-3 or to contrast apoptosis. Therefore, TcdB aggressiveness towards EGCs
      is mainly restricted to the cytosolic compartment, which represents a peculiar
      feature, since TcdB primarily influences mitochondria in other cellular types.

PMID- 28349973
TI  - Strain-specific estimation of epidemic success provides insights into the
      transmission dynamics of tuberculosis.
AB  - The transmission dynamics of tuberculosis involves complex interactions of socio
      economic and, possibly, microbiological factors. We describe an analytical
      framework to infer factors of epidemic success based on the joint analysis of
      epidemiological, clinical and pathogen genetic data. We derive isolate-specific,
      genetic distance-based estimates of epidemic success, and we represent success
      related time-dependent concepts, namely epidemicity and endemicity, by
      restricting analysis to specific time scales. The method is applied to analyze a
      surveillance-based cohort of 1,641 tuberculosis patients with minisatellite-based
      isolate genotypes. Known predictors of isolate endemicity (older age, native
      status) and epidemicity (younger age, sputum smear positivity) were identified
      with high confidence (P < 0.001). Long-term epidemic success also correlated with
      the ability of Euro-American and Beijing MTBC lineages to cause active pulmonary
      infection, independent of patient age and country of origin. Our results
      demonstrate how important insights into the transmission dynamics of tuberculosis
      can be gained from active surveillance data.

PMID- 28349976
TI  - Geomicrobiology of the built environment.

PMID- 28349974
TI  - Sex-related alterations of gut microbiota composition in the BTBR mouse model of
      autism spectrum disorder.
AB  - Alterations of microbiota-gut-brain axis have been invoked in the pathogenesis of
      autism spectrum disorders (ASD). Mouse models could represent an excellent tool
      to understand how gut dysbiosis and related alterations may contribute to
      autistic phenotype. In this study we paralleled gut microbiota (GM) profiles,
      behavioral characteristics, intestinal integrity and immunological features of
      colon tissues in BTBR T + tf/J (BTBR) inbred mice, a well established animal
      model of ASD. Sex differences, up to date poorly investigated in animal models,
      were specifically addressed. Results showed that BTBR mice of both sexes
      presented a marked intestinal dysbiosis, alterations of behavior, gut
      permeability and immunological state with respect to prosocial C57BL/6j (C57)
      strain. Noticeably, sex-related differences were clearly detected. We identified
      Bacteroides, Parabacteroides, Sutterella, Dehalobacterium and Oscillospira genera
      as key drivers of sex-specific gut microbiota profiles associated with selected
      pathological traits. Taken together, our findings indicate that alteration of GM
      in BTBR mice shows relevant sex-associated differences and supports the use of
      BTBR mouse model to dissect autism associated microbiota-gut-brain axis
      alteration.

PMID- 28349975
TI  - Mechanism of functional interaction between potassium channel Kv1.3 and sodium
      channel NavBeta1 subunit.
AB  - The voltage-gated potassium channel subfamily A member 3 (Kv1.3) dominantly
      expresses on T cells and neurons. Recently, the interaction between Kv1.3 and
      NavBeta1 subunits has been explored through ionic current measurements, but the
      molecular mechanism has not been elucidated yet. We explored the functional
      interaction between Kv1.3 and NavBeta1 through gating current measurements using
      the Cut-open Oocyte Voltage Clamp (COVC) technique. We showed that the N-terminal
      1-52 sequence of hKv1.3 disrupts the channel expression on the Xenopus oocyte
      membrane, suggesting a potential role as regulator of hKv1.3 expression in
      neurons and lymphocytes. Our gating currents measurements showed that NavBeta1
      interacts with the voltage sensing domain (VSD) of Kv1.3 through W172 in the
      transmembrane segment and modifies the gating operation. The comparison between G
      V and Q-V with/without NavBeta1 indicates that NavBeta1 may strengthen the
      coupling between hKv1.3-VSD movement and pore opening, inducing the modification
      of kinetics in ionic activation and deactivation.

PMID- 28349977
TI  - Photoactive layer based on T-shaped benzimidazole dyes used for solar cell: from
      photoelectric properties to molecular design.
AB  - Three benzimidazole-based organic dyes, possessing the same triphenylamine donors
      and cyanoacrylic acid acceptors with the bithiophene pi-bridges combined in
      different nuclear positions of benzimidazole, were investigated in the utility of
      dye-sensitizer solar cells. The structure, molecular orbital and energy,
      absorption spectra and some important parameters (such as light harvesting
      efficiency (LHE), electron injection driving force, the electron injection time,
      chemical reactivity parameters, vertical dipole moment as well as interaction
      models of dye-I2) were obtained according to Newns-Anderson model and DFT
      calculation. The process and strength of charge transfer and separation were
      visualized with charge different density and index of spatial extent (S, D and
      Deltaq). Current work paid attention to the new T-shaped dyes to reveal the
      relation between the structure and photoelectric performance. Furthermore, nine
      dyes (substitution of alkyl chains and pi-bridges) have been designed and
      characterized to screen promising sensitizer candidates with excellent photo
      electronic properties.

PMID- 28349978
TI  - Patient selection for prostate focal therapy in the era of active surveillance:
      an International Delphi Consensus Project.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Whole-gland extirpation or irradiation is considered the gold
      standard for curative oncological treatment for localized prostate cancer, but is
      often associated with sexual and urinary impairment that adversely affects
      quality of life. This has led to increased interest in developing therapies with
      effective cancer control but less morbidity. We aimed to provide details of
      physician consensus on patient selection for prostate focal therapy (FT) in the
      era of contemporary prostate cancer management. METHODS: We undertook a four
      stage Delphi consensus project among a panel of 47 international experts in
      prostate FT. Data on three main domains (role of biopsy/imaging, disease and
      patient factors) were collected in three iterative rounds of online
      questionnaires and feedback. Consensus was defined as agreement in ?80% of
      physicians. Finally, an in-person meeting was attended by a core group of 16
      experts to review the data and formulate the consensus statement. RESULTS:
      Consensus was obtained in 16 of 18 subdomains. Multiparametric magnetic resonance
      imaging (mpMRI) is a standard imaging tool for patient selection for FT. In the
      presence of an mpMRI-suspicious lesion, histological confirmation is necessary
      prior to FT. In addition, systematic biopsy remains necessary to assess mpMRI
      negative areas. However, adequate criteria for systematic biopsy remains
      indeterminate. FT can be recommended in D'Amico low-/intermediate-risk cancer
      including Gleason 4+3. Gleason 3+4 cancer, where localized, discrete and of
      favorable size represents the ideal case for FT. Tumor foci <1.5 ml on mpMRI or
      <20% of the prostate are suitable for FT, or up to 3 ml or 25% if localized to
      one hemi-gland. Gleason 3+3 at one core 1mm is acceptable in the untreated area.
      Preservation of sexual function is an important goal, but lack of erectile
      function should not exclude a patient from FT. CONCLUSIONS: This consensus
      provides a contemporary insight into expert opinion of patient selection for FT
      of clinically localized prostate cancer.

PMID- 28349979
TI  - Androgen deprivation therapy for prostate cancer and dementia risk: a systematic
      review and meta-analysis.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Androgen deprivation therapy (ADT) to treat prostate cancer may be
      associated with an increased risk of dementia, but existing studies have shown
      conflicting results. Here we synthesize the literature on the association of ADT
      for the treatment of prostate cancer with dementia risk. METHODS: We conducted a
      systematic review of articles reporting the outcome of dementia among individuals
      with prostate cancer in those exposed to ADT versus a lesser-exposed comparison
      group (for example, ADT versus no-ADT; continuous versus intermittent ADT) using
      PubMed (1966-present), Web of Science (1945-present), Embase (1966-present) and
      PsycINFO (1806-present). The search was undertaken on 4 December 2016 by two
      authors. We meta-analyzed studies reporting an effect estimate and controlling
      for confounding. Random- or fixed-effects meta-analytic models were used in the
      presence or absence of heterogeneity per the I2 statistic, respectively. Small
      study effects were evaluated using Egger and Begg's tests. RESULTS: Nine studies
      were included in the systematic review. Seven studies reported an adjusted effect
      estimate for dementia risk. A random-effects meta-analysis of studies reporting
      any dementia outcome, which included 50 541 individuals, showed an increased risk
      of dementia among ADT users (hazard ratio (HR), 1.47; 95% confidence interval
      (CI), 1.08-2.00; P=0.02). We separately meta-analyzed studies reporting all-cause
      dementia (HR, 1.46; 95% CI, 1.05-2.02; P<0.001) and Alzheimer's disease (HR,
      1.25; 95% CI, 0.99-1.57; P=0.06). There was no evidence of bias from small study
      effects (Egger, P=0.19; Begg, P=1.00). CONCLUSION: The currently available
      combined evidence suggests that ADT in the treatment of prostate cancer may be
      associated with an increased dementia risk. The potential for neurocognitive
      deficits secondary to ADT should be discussed with patients and evaluated
      prospectively.

PMID- 28349980
TI  - Celastrol, an active constituent of the TCM plant Tripterygium wilfordii Hook.f.,
      inhibits prostate cancer bone metastasis.

PMID- 28349981
TI  - Impact of urologists' ownership of radiation equipment in the treatment of
      prostate cancer.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Physician practices that offer ancillary medical services may refer
      their patients for such services, a process known as self-referral. We wanted to
      evaluate how utilization and cost of care differ for men diagnosed with prostate
      cancer in a self-referral practice (SRP) compared to a traditional urologic
      practice. METHODS: A total of 17 982 men aged 66 years and older diagnosed with
      localized prostate cancer from 2006 to 2009 were identified from the Texas Cancer
      Registry. A total of 13 SRPs in the state of Texas were evaluated. We used
      multilevel logistic regression models that evaluated the odds of receiving a
      specific type of treatment. RESULTS: Men diagnosed in SRPs were more likely to
      receive upfront treatment (vs watchful waiting/active surveillance) than men
      diagnosed by traditional practices (92.7% vs 89%; adjusted odds ratio (AOR) 1.61,
      95% confidence interval (CI) 1.30-2.00; P<0.001) and were more likely to be
      treated with external beam radiation (47.4% vs 34.1%; AOR 1.59, 95% CI 1.37-1.84;
      P<0.001). This persisted for both favorable and unfavorable risk cancer. Median
      annual prostate cancer care cost was $2460 (95% CI $1663-$3368) higher for men
      diagnosed by SRPs. Limitations include data limited to men aged 65 years or older
      and geographic concentration of SRPs in Texas may not depict nationwide patterns.
      CONCLUSIONS: Older men diagnosed with prostate cancer in SRPs are more likely to
      undergo upfront treatment and to receive radiation treatment. This may increase
      appropriate treatment of unfavorable disease but contribute to overtreatment of
      favorable disease.

PMID- 28349982
TI  - DNA-Mediated Patterning of Single Quantum Dot Nanoarrays: A Reusable Platform for
      Single-Molecule Control.
AB  - We present a facile strategy of general applicability for the assembly of
      individual nanoscale moieties in array configurations with single-molecule
      control. Combining the programming ability of DNA as a scaffolding material with
      a one-step lithographic process, we demonstrate the patterning of single quantum
      dots (QDs) at predefined locations on silicon and transparent glass surfaces: as
      proof of concept, clusters of either one, two, or three QDs were assembled in
      highly uniform arrays with a 60 nm interdot spacing within each cluster. Notably,
      the platform developed is reusable after a simple cleaning process and can be
      designed to exhibit different geometrical arrangements.

PMID- 28349983
TI  - Molecular dynamics simulations for mechanical properties of borophene:
      parameterization of valence force field model and Stillinger-Weber potential.
AB  - While most existing theoretical studies on the borophene are based on first
      principles calculations, the present work presents molecular dynamics simulations
      for the lattice dynamical and mechanical properties in borophene. The obtained
      mechanical quantities are in good agreement with previous first-principles
      calculations. The key ingredients for these molecular dynamics simulations are
      the two efficient empirical potentials developed in the present work for the
      interaction of borophene with low-energy triangular structure. The first one is
      the valence force field model, which is developed with the assistance of the
      phonon dispersion of borophene. The valence force field model is a linear
      potential, so it is rather efficient for the calculation of linear quantities in
      borophene. The second one is the Stillinger-Weber potential, whose parameters are
      derived based on the valence force field model. The Stillinger-Weber potential is
      applicable in molecular dynamics simulations of nonlinear physical or mechanical
      quantities in borophene.

PMID- 28349985
TI  - Origin of high oxygen reduction reaction activity of Pt12 and strategy to obtain
      better catalyst using sub-nanosized Pt-alloy clusters.
AB  - In the present study, methods to enhance the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR)
      activity of sub-nanosized Pt clusters were investigated in a theoretical manner.
      Using ab initio molecular dynamics and Monte Carlo simulations based on density
      functional theory, we have succeeded in determining the origin of the superior
      ORR activity of Pt12 compared to that of Pt13. That is, it was clarified that the
      electronic structure of Pt12 fluctuates to a greater extent compared to that of
      Pt13, which leads to stronger resistance against catalyst poisoning by O/OH.
      Based on this conclusion, a set of sub-nanosized Pt-alloy clusters was also
      explored to find catalysts with better ORR activities and lower financial costs.
      It was suggested that Ga4Pt8, Ge4Pt8, and Sn4Pt8 would be good candidates for ORR
      catalysts.

PMID- 28349984
TI  - Evidence for salicylic acid signalling and histological changes in the defence
      response of Eucalyptus grandis to Chrysoporthe austroafricana.
AB  - Eucalyptus species are cultivated for forestry and are of economic importance.
      The fungal stem canker pathogen Chrysoporthe austroafricana causes disease of
      varying severity on E. grandis. The Eucalyptus grandis-Chrysoporthe
      austroafricana interaction has been established as a model system for studying
      Eucalyptus antifungal defence. Previous studies revealed that the phytohormone
      salicylic acid (SA) affects the levels of resistance in highly susceptible (ZG14)
      and moderately resistant (TAG5) clones. The aims of this study were to examine
      histochemical changes in response to wounding and inoculation as well as host
      responses at the protein level. The anatomy and histochemical changes induced by
      wounding and inoculation were similar between the clones, suggesting that
      anatomical differences do not underlie their different levels of resistance.
      Tyloses and gum-like substances were present after inoculation and wounding, but
      cell death occurred only after inoculation. Hyphae of C. austroafricana were
      observed inside dead and living cells, suggesting that the possibility of a
      hemibiotrophic interaction requires further investigation. Proteomics analysis
      revealed the possible involvement of proteins associated with cell death, SA
      signalling and systemic resistance. In combination with previous information,
      this study forms a basis for future functional characterisation of candidate
      genes involved in resistance of E. grandis to C. austroafricana.

PMID- 28349986
TI  - Spatial transcriptome analysis provides insights of key gene(s) involved in
      steroidal saponin biosynthesis in medicinally important herb Trillium govanianum.
AB  - Trillium govanianum, an endangered medicinal herb native to the Himalaya, is less
      studied at the molecular level due to the non-availability of genomic resources.
      To facilitate the basic understanding of the key genes and regulatory mechanism
      of pharmaceutically important biosynthesis pathways, first spatial transcriptome
      sequencing of T. govanianum was performed. 151,622,376 (~11.5 Gb) high quality
      reads obtained using paired-end Illumina sequencing were de novo assembled into
      69,174 transcripts. Functional annotation with multiple public databases
      identified array of genes involved in steroidal saponin biosynthesis and other
      secondary metabolite pathways including brassinosteroid, carotenoid, diterpenoid,
      flavonoid, phenylpropanoid, steroid and terpenoid backbone biosynthesis, and
      important TF families (bHLH, MYB related, NAC, FAR1, bZIP, B3 and WRKY).
      Differentially expressed large number of transcripts, together with CYPs and UGTs
      suggests involvement of these candidates in tissue specific expression. Combined
      transcriptome and expression analysis revealed that leaf and fruit tissues are
      the main site of steroidal saponin biosynthesis. In conclusion, comprehensive
      genomic dataset created in the current study will serve as a resource for
      identification of potential candidates for genetic manipulation of targeted
      bioactive metabolites and also contribute for development of functionally
      relevant molecular marker resource to expedite molecular breeding and
      conservation efforts in T. govanianum.

PMID- 28349987
TI  - Conditional Deletion of the Phd2 Gene in Articular Chondrocytes Accelerates
      Differentiation and Reduces Articular Cartilage Thickness.
AB  - Based on our findings that PHD2 is a negative regulator of chondrocyte
      differentiation and that hypoxia signaling is implicated in the pathogenesis of
      osteoarthritis, we investigated the consequence of disruption of the Phd2 gene in
      chondrocytes on the articular cartilage phenotype in mice. Immunohistochemistry
      detected high expression of PHD2 in the superficial zone (SZ), while PHD3 and HIF
      1alpha (target of PHD2) are mainly expressed in the middle-deep zone (MDZ).
      Conditional deletion of the Phd2 gene (cKO) in chondrocytes accelerated the
      transition of progenitors to hypertrophic (differentiating) chondrocytes as
      revealed by reduced SZ thickness, and increased MDZ thickness, as well as
      increased chondrocyte hypertrophy. Immunohistochemistry further revealed
      decreased levels of progenitor markers but increased levels of hypertrophy
      markers in the articular cartilage of the cKO mice. Treatment of primary
      articular chondrocytes, in vitro, with IOX2, a specific inhibitor of PHD2,
      promoted articular chondrocyte differentiation. Knockdown of Hif-1alpha
      expression in primary articular chondrocytes using lentiviral vectors containing
      Hif-1alpha shRNA resulted in reduced expression levels of Vegf, Glut1, Pgk1, and
      Col10 compared to control shRNA. We conclude that Phd2 is a key regulator of
      articular cartilage development that acts by inhibiting the differentiation of
      articular cartilage progenitors via modulating HIF-1alpha signaling.

PMID- 28349988
TI  - Efficient collective influence maximization in cascading processes with first
      order transitions.
AB  - In many social and biological networks, the collective dynamics of the entire
      system can be shaped by a small set of influential units through a global
      cascading process, manifested by an abrupt first-order transition in dynamical
      behaviors. Despite its importance in applications, efficient identification of
      multiple influential spreaders in cascading processes still remains a challenging
      task for large-scale networks. Here we address this issue by exploring the
      collective influence in general threshold models of cascading process. Our
      analysis reveals that the importance of spreaders is fixed by the subcritical
      paths along which cascades propagate: the number of subcritical paths attached to
      each spreader determines its contribution to global cascades. The concept of
      subcritical path allows us to introduce a scalable algorithm for massively large
      scale networks. Results in both synthetic random graphs and real networks show
      that the proposed method can achieve larger collective influence given the same
      number of seeds compared with other scalable heuristic approaches.

PMID- 28349989
TI  - Distribution pattern of left-ventricular myocardial strain analyzed by a cine MRI
      based deformation registration algorithm in healthy Chinese volunteers.
AB  - The cine magnetic resonance imaging based technique feature tracking-cardiac
      magnetic resonance (FT-CMR) is emerging as a novel, simple and robust method to
      evaluate myocardial strain. We investigated the distribution characteristics of
      left-ventricular myocardial strain using a novel cine MRI based deformation
      registration algorithm (DRA) in a cohort of healthy Chinese subjects. A total of
      130 healthy Chinese subjects were enrolled. Three components of orthogonal strain
      (radial, circumferential, longitudinal) of the left ventricle were analyzed using
      DRA on steady-state free precession cine sequence images. A distinct transmural
      circumferential strain gradient was observed in the left ventricle that showed
      universal increment from the epicardial to endocardial myocardial wall (epiwall: 
      15.4 +/- 1.9%; midwall: -18.8 +/- 2.0%; endowall: -22.3 +/- 2.3%, P < 0.001).
      Longitudinal strain showed a similar trend from epicardial to endocardial layers
      (epiwall: -16.0 +/- 2.9%; midwall: -15.6 +/- 2.7%; endowall: -14.8 +/- 2.4%, P <
      0.001), but radial strain had a very heterogeneous distribution and variation. In
      the longitudinal direction from the base to the apex of the left ventricle, there
      was a trend of decreasing peak systolic longitudinal strain (basal: -23.3 +/-
      4.6%; mid: -13.7 +/- 7.3%; apical: -13.2 +/- 5.5%; P < 0.001). In conclusion,
      there are distinct distribution patterns of circumferential and longitudinal
      strain within the left ventricle in healthy Chinese subjects. These distribution
      patterns of strain may provide unique profiles for further study in different
      types of myocardial disease.

PMID- 28349990
TI  - Silver Nanowires Modified with PEDOT: PSS and Graphene for Organic Light-Emitting
      Diodes Anode.
AB  - Silver nanowires (AgNWs) networks are promising candidates for the replacement of
      indium tin oxide (ITO). However, the surface roughness of the AgNWs network is
      still too high for its application in optoelectronic devices. In this work, we
      have reduced the surface roughness of the AgNWs networks to 6.4 nm, compared to
      33.9 nm of the as-deposited AgNWs network through the hot-pressing process,
      treatment with poly (3,4ethylenedioxythiophene)-poly (styrenesulfanate), and
      covered with graphene films. Using this method, we are able to produce
      AgNWs/PEDOT: PSS/SLG composite films with the transmittance and sheet resistance
      of 88.29% and 30 Omega/?, respectively. The OLEDs based on the AgNWs/PEDOT:
      PSS/SLG anodes are comparable to those based on ITO anodes.

PMID- 28349992
TI  - Central Neuromodulators for Treating Functional GI Disorders: A Primer.
AB  - Patients with functional GI disorders (FGIDs) are commonplace in the
      gastroenterologist's practice. A number of these patients may be refractory to
      peripherally acting agents, yet respond to central neuromodulators. There are
      benefits and potential adverse effects to using TCAs, SSRIs, SNRIs, atypical
      antipsychotics, and miscellaneous central neuromodulators in these patients.
      These agents can benefit mood, pain, diarrhea, constipation, nausea, sleep, and
      depression. The mechanisms by which they work, the differences between classes
      and individual agents, and the various adverse effects are outlined. Dosing,
      augmentation strategies, and treatment scenarios specifically for painful FGIDs,
      FD with PDS, and chronic nausea and vomiting syndrome are outlined.

PMID- 28349991
TI  - Antiproliferative effects of ruthenium-based nucleolipidic nanoaggregates in
      human models of breast cancer in vitro: insights into their mode of action.
AB  - Looking for new metal-based anticancer treatments, in recent years many ruthenium
      complexes have been proposed as effective and safe potential drugs. In this
      context we have recently developed a novel approach for the in vivo delivery of
      Ru(III) complexes, preparing stable ruthenium-based nucleolipidic nanoaggregates
      endowed with significant antiproliferative activity. Herein we describe the
      cellular response to our ruthenium-containing formulations in selected models of
      human breast cancer. By in vitro bioscreens in the context of preclinical
      studies, we have focused on their ability to inhibit breast cancer cell
      proliferation by the activation of the intrinsic apoptotic pathway, possibly via
      mitochondrial perturbations involving Bcl-2 family members and predisposing to
      programmed cell death. In addition, the most efficient ruthenium-containing
      cationic nanoaggregates we have hitherto developed are able to elicit both
      extrinsic and intrinsic apoptosis, as well as autophagy. To limit chemoresistance
      and counteract uncontrolled proliferation, multiple cell death pathways
      activation by metal-based chemotherapeutics is a challenging, yet very promising
      strategy for targeted therapy development in aggressive cancer diseases, such as
      triple-negative breast cancer with limited treatment options. These outcomes
      provide valuable, original knowledge on ruthenium-based candidate drugs and new
      insights for future optimized cancer treatment protocols.

PMID- 28349993
TI  - Cannabinoid Receptor Type 1 and mu-Opioid Receptor Polymorphisms Are Associated
      With Cyclic Vomiting Syndrome.
AB  - OBJECTIVES: Cyclic vomiting syndrome (CVS) is a disorder defined by recurrent,
      unexplained episodes of severe nausea and vomiting. Our aim was to investigate
      whether CVS and pathophysiological mechanisms underlying this condition are
      associated with selected variations in genes encoding the components of the
      endogenous cannabinoid and opioid systems. METHODS: This case-control study
      included 65 patients with CVS-16 male and 49 female, and 1,092 healthy controls
      525 male and 567 female from the 1000 Genomes Project. CVS subjects filled out
      study-specific questionnaires. Single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in genes
      encoding cannabinoid receptors (CNR1 and CNR2), fatty acid amide hydrolase (FAAH)
      and mu-opioid receptor (OPRM1) were analyzed using the TaqMan SNP genotyping
      assay. Correlations between SNP's and clinical characteristics of CVS were
      ascertained. RESULTS: Our study disclosed an increased risk of CVS among
      individuals with AG and GG genotypes of CNR1 rs806380 (P<0.01), whereas the CC
      genotype of CNR1 rs806368 and AG and GG genotypes of OPRM1 rs1799971 were
      associated with a decreased risk of CVS (P<0.05). In addition, AG and GG
      genotypes of OPRM1 rs1799971 were correlated with migraine episodes, AG and GG of
      OPRM1 rs1799971, and CT and CC of CNR1 rs806368 with a family history of
      migraines (second degree relatives), and CT and CC of CNR1 rs2023239 with a
      positive response to therapy. CONCLUSIONS: Our results show for the first time
      that the variations in CNR1 and OPRM1 genes are associated with CVS and that
      different genotypes may contribute to the risk of CVS.

PMID- 28349994
TI  - Recommendations on Surveillance and Management of Biallelic Mismatch Repair
      Deficiency (BMMRD) Syndrome: A Consensus Statement by the US Multi-Society Task
      Force on Colorectal Cancer.
AB  - The US Multi-Society Task Force on Colorectal Cancer, with invited experts,
      developed a consensus statement and recommendations to assist health care
      providers with appropriate management of patients with biallelic mismatch repair
      deficiency (BMMRD) syndrome, also called constitutional mismatch repair
      deficiency syndrome. This position paper outlines what is known about BMMRD, the
      unique genetic and clinical aspects of the disease, and reviews the current
      management approaches to this disorder. This article represents a starting point
      from which diagnostic and management decisions can undergo rigorous testing for
      efficacy. There is a lack of strong evidence and a requirement for further
      research. Nevertheless, providers need direction on how to recognize and care for
      BMMRD patients today. In addition to identifying areas of research, this article
      provides guidance for surveillance and management. The major challenge is that
      BMMRD is rare, limiting the ability to accumulate unbiased data and develop
      controlled prospective trials. The formation of effective international consortia
      that collaborate and share data is proposed to accelerate our understanding of
      this disease.

PMID- 28349995
TI  - Formation mechanism of fivefold deformation twins in a face-centered cubic alloy.
AB  - The formation mechanism considers fivefold deformation twins originating from the
      grain boundaries in a nanocrystalline material, resulting in that fivefold
      deformation twins derived from a single crystal have not been reported by
      molecular dynamics simulations. In this study, fivefold deformation twins are
      observed in a single crystal of face-centered cubic (fcc) alloy. A new formation
      mechanism is proposed for fivefold deformation twins in a single crystal. A
      partial dislocation is emitted from the incoherent twin boundaries (ITBs) with
      high energy, generating a stacking fault along {111} plane, and resulting in the
      nucleating and growing of a twin by the successive emission of partials. A node
      is fixed at the intersecting center of the four different slip {111} planes. With
      increasing stress under the indentation, ITBs come into being close to the node,
      leading to the emission of a partial from the node. This generates a stacking
      fault along a {111} plane, nucleating and growing a twin by the continuous
      emission of the partials. This process repeats until the formation of fivefold
      deformation twins.

PMID- 28349997
TI  - Applying Taguchi design and large-scale strategy for mycosynthesis of nano-silver
      from endophytic Trichoderma harzianum SYA.F4 and its application against
      phytopathogens.
AB  - Development of reliable and low-cost requirement for large-scale eco-friendly
      biogenic synthesis of metallic nanoparticles is an important step for industrial
      applications of bionanotechnology. In the present study, the mycosynthesis of
      spherical nano-Ag (12.7 +/- 0.8 nm) from extracellular filtrate of local
      endophytic T. harzianum SYA.F4 strain which have interested mixed bioactive
      metabolites (alkaloids, flavonoids, tannins, phenols, nitrate reductase (320
      nmol/hr/ml), carbohydrate (25 MUg/MUl) and total protein concentration (2.5 g/l)
      was reported. Industrial mycosynthesis of nano-Ag can be induced with different
      characters depending on the fungal cultivation and physical conditions. Taguchi
      design was applied to improve the physicochemical conditions for nano-Ag
      production, and the optimum conditions which increased its mass weight 3 times
      larger than a basal condition were as follows: AgNO3 (0.01 M), diluted reductant
      (10 v/v, pH 5) and incubated at 30  degrees C, 200 rpm for 24 hr. Kinetic
      conversion rates in submerged batch cultivation in 7 L stirred tank bioreactor on
      using semi-defined cultivation medium was as follows: the maximum biomass
      production (Xmax) and maximum nano-Ag mass weight (Pmax) calculated (60.5 g/l and
      78.4 g/l respectively). The best nano-Ag concentration that formed large
      inhibition zones was 100 MUg/ml which showed against A.alternate (43 mm) followed
      by Helminthosporium sp. (35 mm), Botrytis sp. (32 mm) and P. arenaria (28 mm).

PMID- 28349998
TI  - A new fluorescent probe for colorimetric and ratiometric detection of sulfur
      dioxide derivatives in liver cancer cells.
AB  - A new ratiometric fluorescent probe was constructed with hemicyanine and 7
      nitrobenzofurazan for detection of sulfur dioxide derivatives (HSO3-/SO32-). The
      ratiometric response mode could be attributed to the efficient FRET (Forster
      resonance energy transfer) platform. The probe exbihited some desirable
      properties including fast response (within 2 minutes), good selectivity and high
      sensitivity. Moreover, the probe could detect endogenous HSO3- in liver cancer
      cells rather than normal liver cells, implying the diagnosal potential of the
      probe.

PMID- 28349996
TI  - Proteome dynamics during postnatal mouse corpus callosum development.
AB  - Formation of cortical connections requires the precise coordination of numerous
      discrete phases. This is particularly significant with regard to the corpus
      callosum, whose development undergoes several dynamic stages including the
      crossing of axon projections, elimination of exuberant projections, and
      myelination of established tracts. To comprehensively characterize the molecular
      events in this dynamic process, we set to determine the distinct temporal
      expression of proteins regulating the formation of the corpus callosum and their
      respective developmental functions. Mass spectrometry-based proteomic profiling
      was performed on early postnatal mouse corpus callosi, for which limited evidence
      has been obtained previously, using stable isotope of labeled amino acids in
      mammals (SILAM). The analyzed corpus callosi had distinct proteomic profiles
      depending on age, indicating rapid progression of specific molecular events
      during this period. The proteomic profiles were then segregated into five
      separate clusters, each with distinct trajectories relevant to their intended
      developmental functions. Our analysis both confirms many previously-identified
      proteins in aspects of corpus callosum development, and identifies new candidates
      in understudied areas of development including callosal axon refinement. We
      present a valuable resource for identifying new proteins integral to corpus
      callosum development that will provide new insights into the development and
      diseases afflicting this structure.

PMID- 28349999
TI  - Potential of MALDI-TOF MS as an alternative approach for capsular typing
      Streptococcus pneumoniae isolates.
AB  - Streptococcus pneumoniae can be classified in more than 90 capsular types, as
      traditionally determined by serological methods and more recently by PCR-based
      techniques. Such methods, however, can be expensive, laborious or unable to
      accurately discriminate among certain serotypes. Therefore, determination of
      capsular types, although extremely important for epidemiological purposes and for
      estimating the impact of pneumococcal conjugate vaccines, is mainly restricted to
      research laboratories, being rarely performed in the clinical setting. In the
      present study, MALDI-TOF MS was evaluated as an alternative tool to characterize
      416 pneumococcal isolates belonging to serotypes 6A, 6B, 6C, 9N, 9V or 14. For
      MALDI-TOF MS analysis, each isolate was submitted to an extraction protocol using
      formic acid and acetonitrile. Measurements were performed with a Bruker Microflex
      LT mass spectrometer using default parameters and generating spectra in the range
      of 2,000-20,000 m/z. Spectra were analyzed with the BioNumerics software v7.6.
      Isolates were mainly distributed according to the capsular type in a Neighbor
      Joining tree and serotypes investigated were successfully discriminated by the
      presence/absence of 14 selected biomarkers. The results suggest that MALDI-TOF MS
      is a promising alternative for typing pneumococcal strains, highlighting its
      usefulness for rapid and cost-effective routine application in clinical
      laboratories.

PMID- 28350000
TI  - Engineering Structurally Interacting RNA (sxRNA).
AB  - RNA-based three-way junctions (3WJs) are naturally occurring structures found in
      many functional RNA molecules including rRNA, tRNA, snRNA and ribozymes. 3WJs are
      typically characterized as resulting from an RNA molecule folding back on itself
      in cis but could also form in trans when one RNA, for instance a microRNA binds
      to a second structured RNA, such as a mRNA. Trans-3WJs can influence the final
      shape of one or both of the RNA molecules and can thus provide a means for
      modulating the availability of regulatory motifs including potential protein or
      microRNA binding sites. Regulatory 3WJs generated in trans represent a newly
      identified regulatory category that we call structurally interacting RNA or sxRNA
      for convenience. Here we show that they can be rationally designed using familiar
      cis-3WJ examples as a guide. We demonstrate that an sxRNA "bait" sequence can be
      designed to interact with a specific microRNA "trigger" sequence, creating a
      regulatable RNA-binding protein motif that retains its functional activity.
      Further, we show that when placed downstream of a coding sequence, sxRNA can be
      used to switch "ON" translation of that sequence in the presence of the trigger
      microRNA and the amount of translation corresponded with the amount of microRNA
      present.

PMID- 28350002
TI  - Why prokaryotes have pangenomes.

PMID- 28350001
TI  - A new molecular prognostic score for predicting the risk of distant metastasis in
      patients with HR+/HER2- early breast cancer.
AB  - To make an optimal treatment decision for early stage breast cancer, it is
      important to identify risk of recurrence. Here, we developed and validated a new
      prognostic model for predicting the risk of distant metastasis in patients with
      pN0-N1, hormone receptor-positive, HER2-negative (HR+/HER2-) breast cancer
      treated with hormone therapy alone. RNA was extracted from formalin-fixed,
      paraffin-embedded tumor tissues and gene expression was measured by quantitative
      real-time reverse transcription-PCR. The relative expression of six novel
      prognostic genes was combined with two clinical variables (nodal status and tumor
      size) to calculate a risk score (BCT score). In the validation cohort treated
      with hormone therapy alone, the 10 year rate of distant metastasis in the high
      risk group (26.3%) according to BCT score was significantly higher than that in
      the low-risk group (3.8%) (P < 0.001). Multivariate analysis adjusted for
      clinical variables revealed that BCT score is an independent predictor of distant
      metastasis. Moreover, the C-index estimate revealed that BCT score has a
      prognostic power superior to that of prognostic models based on
      clinicopathological parameters. The BCT score outperforms prognostic models based
      on traditional clinicopathological factors and predicts the risk of distant
      metastasis in patients with HR+/HER2- early breast cancer.

PMID- 28350003
TI  - Room temperature three-photon pumped CH3NH3PbBr3 perovskite microlasers.
AB  - Hybrid lead halide perovskites have made great strides in next-generation light
      harvesting and light emitting devices. Recently, they have also shown great
      potentials in nonlinear optical materials. Two-photon absorption and two-photon
      light emission have been thoroughly studied in past two years. However, the three
      photon processes are rarely explored, especially for the laser emissions. Here we
      synthesized high quality CH3NH3PbBr3 perovskite microstructures with solution
      processed precipitation method and studied their optical properties. When the
      microstructures are pumped with intense 1240 nm lasers, we have observed clear
      optical limit effect and the band-to-band photoluminescence at 540 nm. By
      increasing the pumping density, whispering-gallery-mode based microlasers have
      been achieved from CH3NH3PbBr3 perovskite microplate and microrod for the first
      time. This work demonstrates the potentials of hybrid lead halide perovskites in
      nonlinear photonic devices.

PMID- 28350006
TI  - Reconstructing the Geomagnetic Field in West Africa: First Absolute Intensity
      Results from Burkina Faso.
AB  - We present absolute geomagnetic intensities from iron smelting furnaces
      discovered at the metallurgical site of Korsimoro, Burkina Faso. Up to now,
      archaeologists recognized four different types of furnaces based on different
      construction methods, which were related to four subsequent time periods.
      Additionally, radiocarbon ages obtained from charcoal confine the studied
      furnaces to ages ranging from 700-1700 AD, in good agreement with the
      archaeologically determined time periods for each type of furnace.
      Archaeointensity results reveal three main groups of Arai diagrams. The first two
      groups contain specimens with either linear Arai diagrams, or slightly curved
      diagrams or two phases of magnetization. The third group encompasses specimens
      with strong zigzag or curvature in their Arai diagrams. Specimens of the first
      two groups were accepted after applying selection criteria to guarantee the high
      quality of the results. Our data compared to palaeosecular variation curves show
      a similar decreasing trend between 900-1500 AD. However, they reveal larger
      amplitudes at around 800 AD and 1650 AD than the reference curves and geomagnetic
      field models. Furthermore, they agree well with archaeomagnetic data from Mali
      and Senegal around 800 AD and with volcanic data around 1700 AD.

PMID- 28350005
TI  - Chloro-benquinone Modified on Graphene Oxide as Metal-free Catalyst: Strong
      Promotion of Hydroxyl Radical and Generation of Ultra-Small Graphene Oxide.
AB  - Carbon-based metal-free catalyst has attracted more and more attention. It is a
      big challenge to improve catalytic activity of metal-free catalyst for
      decomposition of H2O2 to produce hydroxyl radical (HO*). Here, we report chloro
      benquinone (TCBQ) modified on graphene oxide (GO) as metal-free catalyst for
      strong promotion of HO*. By the incorporation of GO, the HO* production by H2O2
      and TCBQ is significantly promoted. Based on density functional theory, TCBQ
      modified GO (GO-TCBQ) is more prone to be nucleophilic attacked by H2O2 to yield
      HO* via electron transfer acceleration. Furthermore, the generated HO* can cut GO
      nanosheets into uniform ultra-small graphene oxide (USGO) through the cleavage of
      epoxy and C-C bonds. Interestingly, the damaged GO and in situ formed GO
      fragments can further enhance decomposition of H2O2 to produce HO*. Different
      from other catalytic processes, the GO-TCBQ metal-free catalysis process can be
      enhanced by GO itself, producing more HO*, and uniform USGO also can be
      generated. Thus, the metal free catalysis will be considered a fabrication method
      for uniform USGO, and may be extended to other fields including detoxifying
      organic pollutants and the application as disinfectants.

PMID- 28350004
TI  - Mitochondrial DNA and trade data support multiple origins of Helicoverpa armigera
      (Lepidoptera, Noctuidae) in Brazil.
AB  - The Old World bollworm Helicoverpa armigera is now established in Brazil but
      efforts to identify incursion origin(s) and pathway(s) have met with limited
      success due to the patchiness of available data. Using international
      agricultural/horticultural commodity trade data and mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA)
      cytochrome oxidase I (COI) and cytochrome b (Cyt b) gene markers, we inferred the
      origins and incursion pathways into Brazil. We detected 20 mtDNA haplotypes from
      six Brazilian states, eight of which were new to our 97 global COI-Cyt b
      haplotype database. Direct sequence matches indicated five Brazilian haplotypes
      had Asian, African, and European origins. We identified 45 parsimoniously
      informative sites and multiple substitutions per site within the concatenated
      (945 bp) nucleotide dataset, implying that probabilistic phylogenetic analysis
      methods are needed. High diversity and signatures of uniquely shared haplotypes
      with diverse localities combined with the trade data suggested multiple
      incursions and introduction origins in Brazil. Increasing
      agricultural/horticultural trade activities between the Old and New Worlds
      represents a significant biosecurity risk factor. Identifying pest origins will
      enable resistance profiling that reflects countries of origin to be included when
      developing a resistance management strategy, while identifying incursion pathways
      will improve biosecurity protocols and risk analysis at biosecurity hotspots
      including national ports.

PMID- 28350007
TI  - Laser beam melting 3D printing of Ti6Al4V based porous structured dental
      implants: fabrication, biocompatibility analysis and photoelastic study.
AB  - Fabricating Ti alloy based dental implants with defined porous scaffold structure
      is a promising strategy for improving the osteoinduction of implants. In this
      study, we use Laser Beam Melting (LBM) 3D printing technique to fabricate porous
      Ti6Al4V dental implant prototypes with three controlled pore sizes (200, 350 and
      500 MUm). The mechanical stress distribution in the surrounding bone tissue is
      characterized by photoelastography and associated finite element simulation. For
      in-vitro studies, experiments on implants' biocompatibility and osteogenic
      capability are conducted to evaluate the cellular response correlated to the
      porous structure. As the preliminary results, porous structured implants show a
      lower stress-shielding to the surrounding bone at the implant neck and a more
      densed distribution at the bottom site compared to the reference implant. From
      the cell proliferation tests and the immunofluorescence images, 350 and 500 MUm
      pore sized implants demonstrate a better biocompatibility in terms of cell
      growth, migration and adhesion. Osteogenic genes expression of the 350 MUm group
      is significantly increased alone with the ALP activity test. All these suggest
      that a pore size of 350 MUm provides an optimal provides an optimal potential for
      improving the mechanical shielding to the surrounding bones and osteoinduction of
      the implant itself.

PMID- 28350009
TI  - Activation of ERK1/2 Causes Pazopanib Resistance via Downregulation of DUSP6 in
      Synovial Sarcoma Cells.
AB  - Synovial sarcoma (SS) is a rare high-grade malignant mesenchymal tumour with a
      relatively poor prognosis despite intensive multimodal therapy. Although
      pazopanib, a multi-kinase inhibitor, is often used for advanced SS, most cases
      eventually become resistant to pazopanib. In the present study, we investigated
      the mechanisms of acquired pazopanib resistance in SS. To examine acquired
      pazopanib resistance, two SS cell lines, SYO-1 and HS-SY-II, were isolated after
      multiple selection steps with increasing concentrations of pazopanib. SYO-1 was
      also used in vivo. Then, pazopanib-resistant clones were investigated to assess
      potential mechanisms of acquired pazopanib resistance. Stable pazopanib-resistant
      clones were established and exhibited enhanced cell cycle progression, cell
      growth with increased ERK1/2 phosphorylation, and higher sensitivity than
      parental cells to a MEK-inhibitor, trametinib, both in vitro and in vivo.
      Furthermore, addition of low-dose trametinib partially reversed the pazopanib
      resistance. In the pazopanib-resistant clones, dual specificity phosphatase 6
      (DUSP6) was downregulated. Inhibition of DUSP6 expression in parental HS-SY-II
      cells partially recapitulated acquired pazopanib resistance. Acquired pazopanib
      resistance in SS was associated with activation of ERK1/2 through downregulation
      of DUSP6 expression. Simultaneous treatment with pazopanib and a MEK inhibitor
      could be a promising strategy to overcome pazopanib resistance in SS.

PMID- 28350008
TI  - STAT3 and NF-kappaB are Simultaneously Suppressed in Dendritic Cells in Lung
      Cancer.
AB  - Tumour-induced dendritic cell (DC) dysfunction plays an important role in cancer
      immune escape. However, the underlying mechanisms are not yet fully understood,
      reflecting the lack of appropriate experimental models both in vivo and in vitro.
      In the present study, an in vitro study model for tumour-induced DC dysfunction
      was established by culturing DCs with pooled sera from multiple non-small cell
      lung cancer (NSCLC) patients. The results demonstrated that tumour-induced human
      monocyte-derived DCs exhibited systematic functional deficiencies.
      Transcriptomics analysis revealed that the expression of major functional cluster
      genes, including the MHC class II family, cytokines, chemokines, and co
      stimulatory molecules, was significantly altered in tumour-induced DCs compared
      to that in control cells. Further examination confirmed that both NF-kappaB and
      STAT3 signalling pathways were simultaneously repressed by cancer sera,
      suggesting that the attenuated NF-kappaB and STAT3 signalling could be the
      leading cause of DC dysfunction in cancer. Furthermore, reversing the deactivated
      NF-kappaB and STAT3 signalling could be a strategy for cancer immunotherapy.

PMID- 28350010
TI  - Albino T-DNA tomato mutant reveals a key function of 1-deoxy-D-xylulose-5
      phosphate synthase (DXS1) in plant development and survival.
AB  - Photosynthetic activity is indispensable for plant growth and survival and it
      depends on the synthesis of plastidial isoprenoids as chlorophylls and
      carotenoids. In the non-mevalonate pathway (MEP), the 1-deoxy-D-xylulose-5
      phosphate synthase 1 (DXS1) enzyme has been postulated to catalyze the rate
      limiting step in the formation of plastidial isoprenoids. In tomato, the function
      of DXS1 has only been studied in fruits, and hence its functional relevance
      during plant development remains unknown. Here we report the characterization of
      the wls-2297 tomato mutant, whose severe deficiency in chlorophylls and
      carotenoids promotes an albino phenotype. Additionally, growth of mutant
      seedlings was arrested without developing vegetative organs, which resulted in
      premature lethality. Gene cloning and silencing experiments revealed that the
      phenotype of wls-2297 mutant was caused by 38.6 kb-deletion promoted by a single
      T-DNA insertion affecting the DXS1 gene. This was corroborated by in vivo and
      molecular complementation assays, which allowed the rescue of mutant phenotype.
      Further characterization of tomato plants overexpressing DXS1 and comparative
      expression analysis indicate that DXS1 may play other important roles besides to
      that proposed during fruit carotenoid biosynthesis. Taken together, these results
      demonstrate that DXS1 is essentially required for the development and survival of
      tomato plants.

PMID- 28350012
TI  - Investigation on the plasmon Talbot effect of finite-sized periodic arrays of
      metallic nanoapertures.
AB  - We present an in-depth and systematical investigation on the plasmon Talbot
      effect of finite-sized two-dimensional (2D) periodic metallic nanoaperture
      arrays. The nanoaperture shapes, fill factor, lattice distribution, array size,
      film thickness, material property and polarization state of the incident light
      are considered, and the inherent influencing rules are summarized via the three
      dimensional (3D) finite-difference time-domain (FDTD) numerical simulations. The
      nanoaperture shapes, fill factor or array size seems to express a tiny influence
      on Talbot effect, which shows a good agreement with our previously reported
      experimental results. Besides, square lattice brings out a much more uniform
      Talbot pattern than the triangular distribution, and the smaller array period
      should be taken to estimate the Talbot distance when it comes to a rectangular
      distribution. Furthermore, the thickness of Au film is suggested to within the
      range of 50~100 nm, which gives a broadest Talbot contour. It is also found out
      that the elliptical shape of hotspots is closely related to the linearly
      polarization state of the light source, showing an asymmetric electromagnetic
      field. The research contributes to a better understanding of the optical
      transmission features through periodic metallic nanoaperture arrays, which
      provides opportunities for the potential applications such as nanofabrication,
      optoelectronics, and imaging.

PMID- 28350013
TI  - Inelastic electron injection in a water chain.
AB  - Irradiation of biological matter triggers a cascade of secondary particles that
      interact with their surroundings, resulting in damage. Low-energy electrons are
      one of the main secondary species and electron-phonon interaction plays a
      fundamental role in their dynamics. We have developed a method to capture the
      electron-phonon inelastic energy exchange in real time and have used it to inject
      electrons into a simple system that models a biological environment, a water
      chain. We simulated both an incoming electron pulse and a steady stream of
      electrons and found that electrons with energies just outside bands of excited
      molecular states can enter the chain through phonon emission or absorption.
      Furthermore, this phonon-assisted dynamical behaviour shows great sensitivity to
      the vibrational temperature, highlighting a crucial controlling factor for the
      injection and propagation of electrons in water.

PMID- 28350011
TI  - Characterisation of male breast cancer: a descriptive biomarker study from a
      large patient series.
AB  - Male breast cancer (MBC) is rare. We assembled 446 MBCs on tissue microarrays and
      assessed clinicopathological information, together with data from 15 published
      studies, totalling 1984 cases. By immunohistochemistry we investigated 14
      biomarkers (ERalpha, ERbeta1, ERbeta2, ERbeta5, PR, AR, Bcl-2, HER2, p53, E
      cadherin, Ki67, survivin, prolactin, FOXA1) for survival impact. The main
      histological subtype in our cohort and combined analyses was ductal (81%, 83%),
      grade 2; (40%, 44%), respectively. Cases were predominantly ERalpha (84%, 82%)
      and PR positive (74%, 71%), respectively, with HER2 expression being infrequent
      (2%, 10%), respectively. In our cohort, advanced age (>67) was the strongest
      predictor of overall (OS) and disease free survival (DFS) (p = 0.00001; p = 0.01,
      respectively). Node positivity negatively impacted DFS (p = 0.04). FOXA1 p =
      0.005) and AR p = 0.009) were both positively prognostic for DFS, remaining upon
      multivariate analysis. Network analysis showed ERalpha, AR and FOXA1
      significantly correlated. In summary, the principle phenotype of MBC was luminal
      A, ductal, grade 2. In ERalpha+ MBC, only AR had prognostic significance,
      suggesting AR blockade could be employed therapeutically.

PMID- 28350014
TI  - Extremely high-performance visible light photodetector in the Sb2SeTe2 nanoflake.
AB  - The photocurrent was performed in the Sb2SeTe2 topological insulator at a
      wavelength of 532 nm. It exhibits extremely high performance that the
      responsivity and the photoconductive gain reach 2293 AW-1 and 5344 at 1 V. This
      high photoresponse is orders of magnitude higher than most reported values in
      topological insulators and two-dimensional transitional metal dichalcogenides.
      This finding suggests that the Sb2SeTe2 nanoflake has great potential for future
      optoelectronic device applications.

PMID- 28350016
TI  - Neointima development in externally stented saphenous vein grafts. External
      stents are bad for the patient: why not use an undamaged saphenous vein for
      coronary artery bypass graft?

PMID- 28350017
TI  - Highly selective synthesis of substituted (E)-alkenylsilatranes via catalytic
      trans-silylation and mechanistic implications.
AB  - A new route for the synthesis of functionalized alkenylsilatranes has been
      developed based on ruthenium-catalyzed trans-silylation with olefins. This
      transformation allowed for the synthesis of new (E)-alkenylsilatranes in good
      yields and excellent selectivity. Experimental studies concerning the reaction
      mechanism were carried out and the intermediate ruthenium-silatranyl complex was
      isolated and characterized. Moreover, detailed DFT calculations regarding the
      mechanism of the silylative coupling catalytic cycle of silatranes catalyzed by
      [Ru]-H complexes were also performed.

PMID- 28350018
TI  - Frequency tuning allows flow direction control in microfluidic networks with
      passive features.
AB  - Frequency tuning has emerged as an attractive alternative to conventional pumping
      techniques in microfluidics. Oscillating (AC) flow driven through a passive valve
      can be rectified to create steady (DC) flow, and tuning the excitation frequency
      to the characteristic (resonance) frequency of the underlying microfluidic
      network allows control of flow magnitude using simple hardware, such as an on
      chip piezo buzzer. In this paper, we report that frequency tuning can also be
      used to control the direction (forward or backward) of the rectified DC flow in a
      single device. Initially, we observed that certain devices provided DC flow in
      the "forward" direction expected from previous work with a similar valve
      geometry, and the maximum DC flow occurred at the same frequency as a prominent
      peak in the AC flow magnitude, as expected. However, devices of a slightly
      different geometry provided the DC flow in the opposite direction and at a
      frequency well below the peak AC flow. Using an equivalent electrical circuit
      model, we found that the "forward" DC flow occurred at the series resonance
      frequency (with large AC flow peak), while the "backward" DC flow occurred at a
      less obvious parallel resonance (a valley in AC flow magnitude). We also observed
      that the DC flow occurred only when there was a measurable differential in the AC
      flow magnitude across the valve, and the DC flow direction was from the channel
      with large AC flow magnitude to that with small AC flow magnitude. Using these
      observations and the AC flow predictions from the equivalent circuit model, we
      designed a device with an AC flowrate frequency profile that was expected to
      allow the DC flow in opposite directions at two distinct frequencies. The
      fabricated device showed the expected flow reversal at the expected frequencies.
      This approach expands the flow control toolkit to include both magnitude and
      direction control in frequency-tuned microfluidic pumps. The work also raises
      interesting questions about the origin of flow reversal behavior that may be
      addressed by the further study of the circuit model behavior or dynamic modeling
      of the fluid-solid mechanics of the valve under the AC flow.

PMID- 28350015
TI  - Calcium regulation of the human mitochondrial ATP-Mg/Pi carrier SLC25A24 uses a
      locking pin mechanism.
AB  - Mitochondrial ATP-Mg/Pi carriers import adenine nucleotides into the
      mitochondrial matrix and export phosphate to the cytosol. They are calcium
      regulated to control the size of the matrix adenine nucleotide pool in response
      to cellular energetic demands. They consist of three domains: an N-terminal
      regulatory domain containing four calcium-binding EF-hands, a linker loop domain
      with an amphipathic alpha-helix and a C-terminal mitochondrial carrier domain for
      the transport of substrates. Here, we use thermostability assays to demonstrate
      that the carrier is regulated by calcium via a locking pin mechanism involving
      the amphipathic alpha-helix. When calcium levels in the intermembrane space are
      high, the N-terminus of the amphipathic alpha-helix is bound to a cleft in the
      regulatory domain, leading to substrate transport by the carrier domain. When
      calcium levels drop, the cleft closes, and the amphipathic alpha-helix is
      released to bind to the carrier domain via its C-terminus, locking the carrier in
      an inhibited state.

PMID- 28350021
TI  - New insights into the photocatalytic activity of 3-D core-shell P25@silica
      nanocomposites: impact of mesoporous coating.
AB  - In this report, a three-dimensional (3-D) network of core-shell TiO2 (P25)
      mesoporous SiO2 (P25@mSiO2) nanocomposites was prepared via a controllable
      surfactant-assisted sol-gel method. The nanocomposites were investigated for
      photocatalytic reactions of organic dye degradation, water splitting, and CO2
      reduction to understand the roles of the mSiO2 shell in these photocatalytic
      reactions. It was found that the mSiO2 shell accelerates the photodegradation of
      the organic dye, but dramatically reduces the photocatalytic activity of P25 in
      water splitting and CO2 reduction. The roles played by the mSiO2 shell in the
      photocatalytic reactions are summarized as: (1) effective prevention of
      agglomeration of P25 nanoparticles, (2) facilitating the transfer of uncharged
      photo-generated OH radicals via the abundant -OH groups on the mesoporous
      surface, (3) provision of increased reaction sites between OH radicals and dye
      molecules by its mesoporous nanostructure and large surface area, and (4)
      prevention of diffusion of the photo-generated charge carriers (photoelectrons
      and photoholes) because of its insulating nature.

PMID- 28350022
TI  - Complexes of Eu(iii)(hfa)3 with a planar chiral P(iii) ligand (Phanephos):
      solvent-sensitive sign inversion of circularly polarised luminescence.
AB  - Complexes of Eu(iii)(hfa)3 with a C2-symmetric planar P(iii) ligand exhibited
      intense circularly polarised luminescence (CPL) due to 5D0 -> 7F1 and 5D0 -> 7F2
      transitions, with the signs and shapes of CPL signals depending on the choice of
      solvent (acetone or chloroform).

PMID- 28350023
TI  - Topochemical synthesis and photocatalytic activity of 3D hierarchical BaTiO3
      microspheres constructed from crystal-axis-oriented nanosheets.
AB  - Novel BaTiO3 hierarchical porous microspheres were achieved by using H2Ti2O5.H2O
      (HTO) hierarchical microspheres as a precursor template via a facile solvothermal
      method. Interestingly, the BaTiO3 microspheres were constructed with two
      dimensional (2D) nanosheets, which were composed of many order nanocrystals with
      crystal-axis-orientation. The special hierarchical structure, which is both
      macroporous and mesoporous, exhibits a large specific surface area and a high
      total pore volume. The photocatalytic performance of BaTiO3 hierarchical
      microspheres for degradation of methyl orange (MO) under UV-light irradiation was
      tested, its apparent rate being up to 0.10183 min-1, almost 23 times higher than
      that for nanoscale BaTiO3 particles. The attractive photocatalytic properties are
      considered to benefit from the effective features of hierarchical BaTiO3
      microspheres, such as the ultrathin thickness of nanosheets and their ordered
      interconnected macro-mesoporous structure and intrinsic photocatalytic activity.
      This study offers an in situ topochemical conversion route to synthesis of other
      titanium-based perovskite hierarchical nanostructures, and thus opening the door
      for the synthesis of other titanium-based functional materials and expanding
      their potential application.

PMID- 28350024
TI  - Generalization of the Tolman electronic parameter: the metal-ligand electronic
      parameter and the intrinsic strength of the metal-ligand bond.
AB  - The catalytic activity of transition metal complexes (R)nM-L can be predicted
      utilizing the metal-ligand electronic parameter (MLEP) that is based on the local
      stretching force constant of the M-L bond. Vibrational spectroscopy is an
      excellent tool to accurately determine vibrational mode properties such as
      stretching frequencies. These correspond, because of mode-mode coupling, to
      delocalized vibrational modes, which have to be first converted into local
      vibrational modes, and their properties. Each bond of a molecule can be uniquely
      characterized by the local stretching force constant and frequency. The former is
      ideally suited to set up a scale of bond strength orders, which identifies weak M
      L bonds with promising catalytic activity. It is shown how the MLEP replaces the
      TEP (Tolman Electronic Parameter), which is based on the CO stretching
      frequencies of a (CO)nM-L complex and which is now exclusively used in hundreds
      of investigations. However, the TEP is at best a qualitative parameter that
      suffers from relatively large mode-mode coupling errors and the basic deficiency
      of most indirect descriptors: They cannot correctly describe the intrinsic M-L
      bond strength via the CO stretching frequencies.

PMID- 28350025
TI  - Tuning the overpotential of electrocatalytically active cyclopentadienylnickel
      complexes containing 1,4-diaza-1,3-butadienes (DAB) for proton reduction.
AB  - The complexes [CpNi(DAB)]BF4, Cp = cyclopentadienyl, DAB = substituted 1,4-diaza
      1,3-butadienes, undergo two reduction processes. EPR spectroscopically active
      Ni(i) intermediates were observed despite the potential redox activity of the DAB
      ligands and these reduced species catalyse the conversion of electrons and
      protons (from acetic acid) into dihydrogen.

PMID- 28350027
TI  - Are lutein, lycopene, and beta-carotene lost through the digestive process?
AB  - The bioavailability of many carotenoids has been assessed, but little attention
      has been given to the metabolism of these antioxidant compounds during digestion.
      The isomerization and loss of lutein, lycopene, and beta-carotene incorporated
      into a lipid-rich liquid meal was determined in vitro through the gastric,
      duodenal, and jejunal phases in the presence and absence of digestive enzymes,
      and in the presence and absence of known oxidizing agents often found in mixed
      meals (metmyoglobin in red meat and ferrous sulfate in supplemental iron).
      Carotenoids were quantitated using HPLC-PDA. In the absence of enzymes, lutein
      and lycopene were lost during earlier phases of the digestive process. In the
      presence of enzymes, lutein and lycopene were robust through the gastric and
      duodenal phases, with statistically significant losses of 40% and 20%,
      respectively, observed only during the jejunal phase. Regardless of the presence
      or absence of enzymes, an initial 25% of beta-carotene was lost during the
      gastric phase, but no further loss was observed. Ferrous sulfate had no
      significant impact on any carotenoid level. Metmyoglobin had no impact on lutein,
      but significantly reduced lycopene and beta-carotene levels by 30% and 80%,
      respectively, by the end of the jejunal phase. No significant isomerization was
      observed between the initial and jejunal phases for any of the carotenoids.

PMID- 28350028
TI  - Bis-cyclometalated iridium complexes with electronically modified aryl isocyanide
      ancillary ligands.
AB  - In this work we report a study on the effect of systematic ancillary ligand
      modifications on electrochemical and photophysical properties of cationic
      biscyclometalated bis(arylisocyanide)iridium(iii) complexes. Nine new Ir(iii)
      complexes were synthesized using three different cyclometalating (C^N) ligands
      (2,4-difluorophenylpyridine (F2ppy), 2-benzothienylpyridine (btp), and 2
      phenylbenzothiazole (bt)) with three aryl isocyanide ancillary ligands (2,4
      dimethoxyphenyl isocyanide (CNArOMe), 3,5-bis(trifluoromethyl)phenyl isocyanide
      (CNArCF3) and 4-nitrophenyl isocyanide (CNArNO2)). Systematic modifications of
      ancillary ligands with electron-donating or electron-withdrawing groups have a
      very minor influence on the positions of the absorption and emission bands,
      suggesting that aryl isocyanide ancillary ligands minimally perturb the primarily
      ligand-centered emissive states, but still can control the dynamics of the
      excited state. Replacing electron-donating groups with electron-withdrawing group
      influences kr and/or knr, resulting in changes in the lifetimes and quantum
      yields. In addition, we reveal that electronic structures can be substantially
      altered by incorporating electron-donating or electron-withdrawing groups on the
      aryl isocyanide ancillary ligand, with different magnitudes of the perturbation
      depending on the cyclometalating C^N ligand. Particularly, the formally
      IrIV/IrIII oxidation couple can be perturbed by over 200 mV when electron
      donating substituents are replaced with electron-withdrawing groups.

PMID- 28350029
TI  - Synthesis of (NHC)Pd(salicylaldimine)Cl complexes through template-directed ortho
      aromatic metaloxylation of NHC-palladacycles derived from arylimines.
AB  - Reactions of imidazoliums with palladacycles afforded NHC-palladacycle complexes.
      The reactivity of the NHC-palladacycles was explored and the results demonstrated
      that they could be template-directed ortho-aromatic metaloxylated in the presence
      of tert-butyl hydroperoxide (TBHP), affording (NHC)Pd(salicylaldimine)Cl
      complexes. Furthermore, the NHC-palladacycles showed efficient catalytic
      activities toward the ortho-aromatic hydroxylation of arylimines.

PMID- 28350032
TI  - Outstanding Reviewers for Molecular BioSystems in 2016.

PMID- 28350034
TI  - Spectrophotometric analysis at the single-cell level: elucidating dispersity
      within melanic immortalized cell populations.
AB  - It is widely held that the melanosome is an exemplar of the absorption features
      of melanin-containing cells, which are assumed to be uniform in both size and
      optical characteristics. In recent years, however, it has become increasingly
      apparent that this is a strikingly poor assumption. Indeed, melanin extracted
      from natural sources and synthetic melanin both show wide variability in their
      degree of polymerization (molecular weight) and spectroscopic characteristics. In
      the current study, imaging spectrophotometry performed on individual cells of
      immortalized melanin-producing cell lines revealed broad distributions in their
      sizes: 9.5-36.2 MUm for Hs936 human melanoma cells, 10.9-20.8 MUm for T47D human
      breast cancer cells, 5.3-43.5 MUm for B16F1 mouse melanoma cells, and 6.4-54.2
      MUm for B16F10 mouse melanoma cells. The color appearance (from translucent to
      yellow to nearly black), absorption spectrum, and absorption (extinction)
      coefficient at 532 nm (28.73 to 364.75, 0.01 to 40.17, 5.88 to 977.19, and 0.01
      to 1120 cm-1 for Hs936, T47D, B16F1, and B16F10 cells, respectively) of an
      individual cell also vary widely and cannot be adequately described by a
      'typical' value. In comparison, human red blood cells are much more uniform in
      size (6.0-8.1 MUm diameter; 1.9-3.2 MUm thickness), although they too show a
      broad range of absorptivities, with extinction coefficients in the range of 65 to
      370 cm-1 when measured at 532 nm. To further evaluate the impact of these
      findings on photoacoustic bioanalysis, we performed simulations of the generation
      of photoacoustic signals expected from these cell types. These simulations
      revealed that their variation in optical features exerts a pronounced effect on
      the amplitude and shape of the photoacoustic signals generated from these cell
      types. Finally, we compared the photoacoustic signal generated from these cells
      under ideal conditions (i.e., a single cell in isolation) versus a heterogeneous
      real-world sample, demonstrating that when a single or few cancer cells are
      present within a blood droplet, the photoacoustic signal is indistinguishable
      from that measured from blood alone. These outcomes have important ramifications
      for the early photoacoustic detection of cancer cells and circulating tumor
      emboli, while pointing to the potential of single-cell imaging spectrophotometry
      to assess heterogeneity within cell populations in more quantitative terms.

PMID- 28350035
TI  - Novel p-n heterojunction BiOI/CeO2 photocatalyst for wider spectrum visible-light
      photocatalytic degradation of refractory pollutants.
AB  - Recently, visible-light-driven photocatalysts have been widely used in
      environmental pollutant remediation. In the present study, BiOI/CeO2 p-n junction
      photocatalysts were successfully fabricated using a facile in situ chemical bath
      method. The BiOI/CeO2 p-n junction photocatalysts exhibited excellent
      photoactivity for the decomposition of the refractory pollutant bisphenol A (BPA)
      and methylene orange (MO) under visible light illumination. The sample with a 1 :
      1 mole ratio of BiOI : CeO2 possessed the highest photocatalytic performance out
      of all of the as-obtained catalysts. Mott-Schottky plots indicated that p-n
      junctions were successfully constructed between BiOI and CeO2. The optical and
      electrical properties of the materials demonstrate that the introduction of BiOI
      can broaden the visible-light absorption region of CeO2, and the transfer rate of
      the electron-hole pairs dramatically improves through forming a p-n junction.
      Furthermore, the BPA degradation efficiency exhibited excellent photostability
      after four consecutive cycles. These features show that the BiOI/CeO2 p-n
      junction has great application potential for refractory pollutant removal from
      wastewater.

PMID- 28350037
TI  - Isolation and characterization of a promoter responsive to salt, osmotic and
      dehydration stresses in soybean.
AB  - Drought stress is the main limiting factor of soybean yield. Currently, genetic
      engineering has been one important tool in the development of drought-tolerant
      cultivars. A widely used strategy is the fusion of genes that confer tolerance
      under the control of the CaMV35S constitutive promoter; however, stress
      responsive promoters would constitute the best alternative to the generation of
      drought-tolerant crops. We characterized the promoter of alpha-galactosidase
      soybean (GlymaGAL) gene that was previously identified as highly up-regulated by
      drought stress. The beta-glucuronidase (GUS) activity of Arabidopsis transgenic
      plants bearing 1000- and 2000-bp fragments of the GlymaGAL promoter fused to the
      uidA gene was evaluated under air-dried, polyethylene glycol (PEG) and salt
      stress treatments. After 24 h of air-dried and PEG treatments, the pGAL-2kb led
      to an increase in GUS expression in leaf and root samples when compared to the
      control samples. These results were corroborated by qPCR expression analysis of
      the uidA gene. The pGAL-1kb showed no difference in GUS activity between control
      and treated samples. The pGAL-2kb promoter was evaluated in transgenic soybean
      roots, leading to an increase in EGFP expression under air-dried treatment. Our
      data indicates that pGAL-2kb could be a useful tool in developing drought
      tolerant cultivars by driving gene expression.

PMID- 28350039
TI  - Involved and Uninvolved Psoriatic Keratinocytes Display a Resistance to Apoptosis
      that may Contribute to Epidermal Thickness.
AB  - Psoriasis is a common autoimmune skin disease. The aim of this study was to
      investigate whether the apoptotic process is disturbed in psoriatic
      keratinocytes. In vitro culture of keratinocytes derived from both involved and
      uninvolved psoriatic skin, revealed higher viability and resistance to apoptosis
      following exposure to ultraviolet B, compared with cells from healthy controls.
      The position of apoptotic dysregulation was found to be upstream of cytochrome c
      release in the mitochondrial apoptotic pathway. Microarray transcriptome analysis
      revealed that 87 genes were differentially expressed in both involved and
      uninvolved psoriatic keratinocytes compared with controls. Among these, a general
      upregulation of anti-apoptotic genes and downregulation of pro-apoptotic genes
      were identified. This distinct apoptosis-resistant phenotype, unrelated to the
      inflammatory component of the disease, implies that intrinsic abnormalities in
      keratinocytes may contribute to the pathogenesis of psoriasis.

PMID- 28350040
TI  - Ulcerative Plaques and Nodules on the Lower Extremity: A Quiz.

PMID- 28350038
TI  - Regulation of Na+ and K+ homeostasis in plants: towards improved salt stress
      tolerance in crop plants.
AB  - Soil salinity is a major abiotic stress that results in considerable crop yield
      losses worldwide. However, some plant genotypes show a high tolerance to soil
      salinity, as they manage to maintain a high K+/Na+ ratio in the cytosol, in
      contrast to salt stress susceptible genotypes. Although, different plant
      genotypes show different salt tolerance mechanisms, they all rely on the
      regulation and function of K+ and Na+ transporters and H+ pumps, which generate
      the driving force for K+ and Na+ transport. In this review we will introduce salt
      stress responses in plants and summarize the current knowledge about the most
      important ion transporters that facilitate intra- and intercellular K+ and Na+
      homeostasis in these organisms. We will describe and discuss the regulation and
      function of the H+-ATPases, H+-PPases, SOS1, HKTs, and NHXs, including the
      specific tissues where they work and their response to salt stress.

PMID- 28350041
TI  - Debunking the Myth of Wool Allergy: Reviewing the Evidence for Immune and Non
      immune Cutaneous Reactions.
AB  - Although wool is commonly believed to cause irritant (non-immune) and
      hypersensitivity (immune) cutaneous reactions, the evidence basis for this belief
      and its validity for modern garments have not been critically examined.
      Publications from the last 100 years, using MEDLINE and Google Scholar, were
      analysed for evidence that wool causes cutaneous reactions, both immune-mediated
      (atopic dermatitis exacerbation, contact urticaria, allergic contact dermatitis)
      and non-immune-mediated (irritant contact dermatitis, itch). Secondary aims of
      this paper were to examine evidence that lanolin and textile-processing additives
      (formaldehyde, chromium) cause cutaneous reactions in the context of modern wool
      processing techniques. Current evidence does not suggest that wool-fibre is a
      cutaneous allergen. Furthermore, contact allergy from lanolin, chromium and
      formaldehyde is highly unlikely with modern wool garments. Cutaneous irritation
      from wool relates to high fibre diameters (>= 30-32 um). Superfine and ultrafine
      Merino wool do not activate sufficient c-fibres to cause itch, are well tolerated
      and may benefit eczema management.

PMID- 28350042
TI  - Parent-of-origin Effect in Alopecia Areata: A Large-scale Pedigree Study.

PMID- 28350046
TI  - [Corrigendum] Promoter methylation of RASSF1A modulates the effect of the
      microtubule-targeting agent docetaxel in breast cancer.
AB  - Following the publication of this article, an interested reader drew to our
      attention that there were possible anomalies in the presentation of Fig. 5B in
      the above article. After having examined the figure, we recognized that several
      errors had indeed occurred during the process of compiling the figure. A
      corrected version of Fig. 5 is shown below, containing new data for Fig. 5B,
      after our having re-performed the western blot experiment according to the
      identical procedure detailed in the paper. We obtained broadly similar results to
      those featured originally in the article; therefore, the revision of this figure
      does not affect the conclusions reported in the study. We thank the reader of our
      article who drew this matter to our attention. [the original article was
      published in the International Journal of Oncology 41: 611-620, 2012; DOI:
      10.3892/ijo.2012.1470].

PMID- 28350047
TI  - Expression and prognostic value of the cell polarity PAR complex members in
      thyroid cancer.
AB  - Establishment and maintenance of the apical-basal cell polarity, required for
      proper replication, migration, specialized functions and tissue morphogenesis,
      relies on three evolutionary conserved complexes: PAR, CRUMBS and SCRIBBLE. Loss
      of cell polarity/cohesiveness (LOP/C) is implicated in cancer progression, and
      members of the polarity complex have been described as either oncogenes or
      oncosuppressors. However, no information on their role in thyroid cancer (TC)
      progression is available. In the present study, we evaluated the gene expression
      of the PAR complex members aPKCiota, PARD3alpha/beta and PARD6alpha/beta/gamma in
      95 papillary TC (PTC), compared to their normal matched tissues and in 12
      anaplastic TC (ATC). The mRNA and protein levels of investigated genes were
      altered in the majority of PTC and ATC tissues. In PTC, univariate analysis
      showed that reduced expression of aPKCiota, PARD3beta and PARD6gamma mRNAs is
      associated with increased tumor size, and the reduced expression of PARD3beta
      mRNA is associated also with recurrences. Multivariate analysis demonstrated that
      the presence of lymph node metastasis at diagnosis and the reduced expression of
      PARD3beta are independent risk factors for recurrences, with hazard ratio,
      respectively, of 8.21 (p=0.006) and 3.04 (p=0.029). The latter result was
      confirmed by the Kaplan-Meier analysis, which evidenced the association between
      decreased PARD3beta mRNA levels and shorter disease-free interval. In conclusion,
      we demonstrated that the expression of PAR complex components is deregulated in
      the majority of PTC and there is a general trend towards their reduction in ATC
      tissues. Moreover, a prognostic value for the PARD3beta gene in PTCs is
      suggested.

PMID- 28350048
TI  - Silybin attenuates LPS-induced lung injury in mice by inhibiting NF-kappaB
      signaling and NLRP3 activation.
AB  - Silybin is one of the main flavonoids produced by milk thistle, which has been
      used in the treatment of liver diseases. In this study, we examined the
      protective effects and possible mechanisms of action of silybin in
      lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced lung injury and inflammation. Pre-treatment of
      mice with silybin significantly inhibited LPS-induced airway inflammatory cell
      recruitment, including macrophages, T cells and neutrophils. The production of
      cytokines, such as interleukin-1beta (IL-1beta) and tumor necrosis factor-alpha
      (TNF-alpha) in bronchoalveolar fluid and serum was also decreased following
      treatment with silybin. Elevated cytokine mRNA levels induced by LPS in lung
      tissue were all suppressed by silybin and lung histological alterations were also
      improved. In addition, experiments using cells indicated that silybin
      significantly decreased the mRNA levels and secretion of IL-1beta and TNF-alpha
      in THP-1 cells. Moreover, the mechanisms responsible for these effects were
      attributed to the inhibitory effect of silybin on nuclear factor-kappaB (NF
      kappaB) signaling and NLR family pyrin domain containing 3 (NLRP3) inflammasome
      activation. The data form our study thus support the utility of silybin as a
      potential medicine for the treatment of acute lung injury-associated inflammation
      and pathological changes. Silybin exerts protective effects against lung injury
      by regulating NF-kappaB signaling and the NLRP3 inflammasome activation.

PMID- 28350050
TI  - Role of autophagy in advanced atherosclerosis (Review).
AB  - Atherosclerosis (AS) remains the leading cause for global cardiovascular disease
      morbidity and mortality, and a major cause of cardiopathy, myocardial infarction
      and peripheral vascular diseases. Macrophages serve a critical role in
      atherosclerotic plaque stabilization and rupture, and the selective removal of
      macrophages may be beneficial in improving plaque stability. Autophagy is a
      process of self-feeding, during which cytoplasmic proteins or organelles are
      packaged into vesicles and fused with the lysosome to form an autophagosome. The
      newly formed autophagosome can degrade internalized proteins, and this process
      may be used to serve the metabolic and self-renewal requirements of the cell.
      Autophagy serves an important role in maintaining cell homeostasis and promoting
      cell survival, and therefore an imbalance in autophagy is closely associated with
      multiple diseases.

PMID- 28350051
TI  - B(a)P adduct levels and fertility: A cross-sectional study in a Sicilian
      population.
AB  - Benzo(a)pyrene (BaP) is a carcinogenic polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon for human
      tissues. Still today it is not fully investigated if BaP can affect negatively
      the male fertility through the BaP-DNA adducts production. In the present study,
      BaP Tetrol I-1 (TI-1) and BaP Tetrol II-2 (TII-2) BaP-DNA adducts were
      investigated in spermatozoa of a Sicilian male population. Semen samples from 86
      volunteers in two eastern Sicilian cities (Regalbuto and Melilli) were collected.
      The quality of semen was evaluated in all samples according to the World Health
      Organization (WHO) guidelines. We analyzed BaP-DNA adducts in extracted sperm
      cell DNA using the modified high-performance liquid chromatography-fluorescence
      method to detects both Tetrols. Differences between Tetrol levels were assessed
      by the Wilcoxon signed-rank test and the Mann-Whitney U test, as appropriate.
      Correlation between semen quality parameters and Tetrol concentrations were
      analyzed using the Spearman's correlation coefficient. Sigma(TI-1+TII-2) were
      significantly higher in spermatozoa of volunteers from Regalbuto. Furthermore, a
      greater dispersion of the levels of adducts was observed in these specimens. TI-1
      adducts were higher than TII-2 in Melilli samples (95% CI) and TII-2 were higher
      than TI-1 in Regalbuto semen samples (95% CI). A significant inverse correlation
      between sperm progressive motility and both TI-1 and TII-2 adducts was observed.
      The present study showed that BaP negatively affects male fertility by TI-1 and
      TII-2 DNA-adduct production. These results suggest that DNA adducts could be used
      as biomarker to assess BaP exposure by air pollution. Further studies are needed
      to confirm if these findings could affect male fertility because of the growing
      impairment of this function observed in recent years.

PMID- 28350060
TI  - Silencing of FANCD2 enhances the radiosensitivity of metastatic cervical lymph
      node-derived head and neck squamous cell carcinoma HSC-4 cells.
AB  - Fanconi anemia complementation group D2 (FANCD2) is involved in the key steps of
      the Fanconi anemia (FA) pathway, which plays a role in the repair of DNA
      crosslink damage. However, the role of FANCD2 during radiotherapy for head and
      neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) is unclear. In this study, the HNSCC cell
      line HSC-4 was used. Western blotting was used to evaluate the expression of the
      FANCD2 in HSC-4 cells. We investigated the impact of FANCD2 on the
      radiosensitivity of HSC-4 cells in vitro and in vivo. TUNEL, western blotting and
      immunohistochemistry were used to analyze the apoptosis and proteins involved in
      apoptosis-related pathways after radiotherapy to investigate the relevant
      mechanism. The present study showed that shRNA interference could effectively and
      stably silence FANCD2 expression in HSC-4 cells. In vitro, the silencing of
      FANCD2 inhibited cell proliferation, decreased the survival rate, increased
      apoptosis and induced S phase arrest in HSC-4 cells after radiotherapy. In vivo,
      the silencing of FANCD2 could prolong the tumor-forming time and slow tumor
      growth. In addition, the tumor volume was significantly reduced, the weight was
      deceased, and the tumor inhibition rate was increased after radiotherapy. TUNEL
      showed that the silencing of FANCD2 significantly increased apoptosis in HSC-4
      cells induced by radiotherapy. Both in vitro and in vivo esperiments revealed
      that the expression of the Bax and p-p38 proteins in HSC-4 cells, in which FANCD2
      had been silenced, was increased after radiotherapy, whereas the expression of
      the p38 and Bcl2 proteins was decreased. Our results suggested that the silencing
      of FANCD2 enhanced the radiosensitivity of HSC-4 cells, and its mechanism
      involves the activation of the p38 MAPK signaling pathway and the regulation of
      the expression of Bax and Bcl2 proteins. This study provides a novel candidate
      target for HNSCC therapy.

PMID- 28350049
TI  - Activation of the CRABPII/RAR pathway by curcumin induces retinoic acid mediated
      apoptosis in retinoic acid resistant breast cancer cells.
AB  - Due to the anti-proliferative and anti-apoptotic effects of retinoic acid (RA),
      this hormone has emerged as a target for several diseases, including cancer.
      However, development of retinoid resistance is a critical issue and efforts to
      understand the retinoid signaling pathway may identify useful biomarkers for
      future clinical trials. Apoptotic responses of RA are exhibited through the
      cellular RA-binding protein II (CRABPII)/retinoic acid receptor (RAR) signaling
      cascade. Delivery of RA to RAR by CRABPII enhances the transcriptional activity
      of genes involved in cell death and cell cycle arrest. The purpose of this study
      was to investigate the role of curcumin in sensitizing RA-resistant triple
      negative breast cancer (TNBC) cells to RA-mediated apoptosis. We provide evidence
      that curcumin upregulates the expression of CRABPII, RARbeta and RARgamma in two
      different TNBC cell lines. Co-treatment of the cells with curcumin and RA results
      in increased apoptosis as demonstrated by elevated cleavage of poly(ADP-ribose)
      polymerase and cleaved caspase-9. Additionally, silencing CRABPII reverses
      curcumin sensitization of TNBC cells to the apoptotic inducing effects of RA.
      These findings provide mechanistic insights into sensitizing TNBC cells to RA
      mediated cell death by curcumin-induced upregulation of the CRABPII/RAR pathway.

PMID- 28350062
TI  - HCRP1 inhibits TGF-beta induced epithelial-mesenchymal transition in
      hepatocellular carcinoma.
AB  - Hepatocellular carcinoma-related protein 1 (HCRP1), also known as human vacuolar
      protein sorting 37 homologue A (hVps37A), has not been detected or is
      significantly downregulated in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) tissues. However,
      information on the regulatory mechanisms of HCRP1 in HCC remains unclear. Here we
      found that the downregulation of HCRP1 in HepG2 cells (with low invasion
      capacity) significantly enhanced migration and invasion, whereas HCRP1
      upregulation in SMMC-7721 cells (with high invasion capacity) generated the
      opposite result. Interestingly, the morphology of HepG2 cells significantly
      changed from an epithelial to mesenchymal phenotype after HCRP1 knockdown.
      Moreover, we observed a decrease in the expression of epithelial cell markers E
      cadherin and beta-catenin, and an increase in the expression of mesenchymal cell
      markers N-cadherin and vimentin. We also observed that the downregulation of
      HCRP1 induced epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) through the transforming
      growth factor-beta pathway. Together, our findings define a novel function for
      HCRP1 from the perspective of EMT, which is closely associated with the migration
      and invasion of HCC cells.

PMID- 28350061
TI  - Kif4 regulates the expression of VEGFR1 through the PI3K/Akt signaling pathway in
      RAW264.7 monocytes/macrophages.
AB  - Kinesin superfamily protein 4 (Kif4), a microtubule-based motor protein, has been
      shown to participate in a number of critical cellular processes, such as cell
      division, the intracellular transport of membranous vesicles and signal
      transduction. However, whether KIF4 regulates vascular endothelial growth factor
      (VEGF) receptor 1 (VEGFR1) expression remains unknown. Thus, in this study, in
      order to examine the effects of Kif4 on the expression of VEGFR1 in RAW264.7
      monocytes/macrophages, Kif4 was silenced using siRNA. RT-qPCR, western blot
      analysis and ELISA were used to assess the expression of Kif4 and VEGFR1 up- and
      downstream signaling molecules, including VEGF-A, VEGFR1, soluble form of VEGFR1
      (sVEGFR1), phosphorylated (p-)Akt and Akt. The silencing Kif4 inhibited the mRNA
      expression of VEGF (P<0.01) and p-Akt (P<0.05); however, the level of VEGF-A was
      increased (P<0.05) compared with the negative control siRNA-transfected group.
      The silencing of Kif4 decreased the VEGFR1 mRNA (P<0.05), VEGFR1 protein and
      sVEGFR1 levels in the cell supernatant (P<0.01). Following the application of
      insulin-like growth factor-1 (100 ng/ml), the specific agonist of PI3K/Akt in the
      Kif4 siRNA-transfected group, the VEGFR1 mRNA levels (P<0.001), the VEGFR1
      protein levels and the sVEGFR1 (P<0.01) levels significantly increased; however,
      the levels of VEGF in the cell supernatant were decreased (P<0.05). Taken
      together, these findings suggest that Kif4 regulates the expression of VEGFR1 in
      RAW264.7 cells and that the PI3K/Akt pathway is involved in this process.

PMID- 28350064
TI  - SF-KDM2A binds to ribosomal RNA gene promoter, reduces H4K20me3 level, and
      elevates ribosomal RNA transcription in breast cancer cells.
AB  - Regulation of rRNA transcription is an important factor for control of cell
      proliferation. We previously found that the JmjC domain-containing demethylase
      KDM2A reduces H3K36me2 in the rRNA gene promoter and rRNA transcription under
      starvation, which results in suppression of cell proliferation. The KDM2A gene
      also produces another protein product, SF-KDM2A, which lacks a JmjC domain and
      has no demethylase activity. As yet, the function of SF-KDM2A is not clear.
      Recently, it was reported that KDM2A was frequently amplified and that elevated
      expression of KDM2A was significantly associated with short survival of breast
      cancer patients. SF-KDM2A was more abundant than full-length KDM2A in a subset of
      breast cancers. In the present study, we report that SF-KDM2A localized in
      nucleoli and bound to the rRNA gene promoter in breast cancer cells.
      Overexpression of SF-KDM2A stimulated the transcription of rRNA. While the zf
      CXXC domain was required for SF-KDM2A binding to the rRNA gene promoter, SF-KDM2A
      with mutations in the zf-CXXC domain lost the binding to the rRNA gene promoter
      and did not stimulate rRNA transcription. Knockdown of SF-KDM2A reduced rRNA
      transcription and cell proliferation. When SF-KDM2A was overexpressed, a
      transcriptionally repressive mark, H4K20me3, in the rRNA gene promoter was
      specifically reduced in a zf-CXXC domain-dependent manner, and knockdown of SF
      KDM2A increased the H4K20me3 level. Taken together, these results demonstrate
      that SF-KDM2A binds to the rRNA gene promoter, reduces the H4K20me3 level, and
      activates rRNA transcription, suggesting that the stimulation of rRNA
      transcription by SF-KDM2A may contribute to tumorigenesis in breast cancer.

PMID- 28350065
TI  - High stathmin 1 expression is associated with poor prognosis and chemoradiation
      resistance in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma.
AB  - Stathmin 1 (STMN1) is a major cytosolic phosphoprotein regulating microtubule
      dynamics, thereby playing an important role in cancer progression and resistance
      to microtubule-binding anticancer agents. We assessed the prognostic significance
      of STMN1 expression and STMN1-associated resistance to docetaxel and radiation in
      esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) patients. STMN1 expression was
      evaluated by immunohistochemistry in 172 surgical specimens. The association of
      STMN1 expression with chemoradiation resistance using docetaxel was examined by
      comparing expression in 15 biopsy specimens obtained before neoadjuvant therapy
      to histological grades of post-therapy surgically resected tumors. We also
      evaluated the effects of STMN1 on sensitivity to docetaxel and radiation in ESCC
      cell lines. High STMN1 immunoexpression was significantly associated with tumor
      depth, lymph node metastasis, lymphatic invasion and venous invasion. Survival
      rates were significantly lower in ESCC patients with high STMN1 expression than
      in those with low STMN1 expression. Multivariable analysis showed that high STMN1
      expression was an independent factor for poor survival. High STMN1 expression was
      also associated with poor response to neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy using
      docetaxel. Knockdown of STMN1 expression enhanced ESCC cell line sensitivity to
      docetaxel and radiation. STMN1 appears critical for ESCC invasiveness and
      predicts an unfavorable prognosis in ESCC.

PMID- 28350071
TI  - Protective effects of oleanolic acid on oxidative stress and the expression of
      cytokines and collagen by the AKT/NF-kappaB pathway in silicotic rats.
AB  - Oleanolic acid (OA), a natural pentacyclic triterpenoid, has been reported to
      have several benefits and medicinal properties. However, its protective effects
      against silica-induced lung injury and fibrosis remain to be elucidated. The aim
      of the present study was to investigate the effects of OA on oxidative stress,
      and the expression of cytokines and collagen in silicotic rats. Male rats were
      induced by intratracheal instillation of silicosis (250 mg/kg), with the
      exception of the control group (NS). The rats in the OA group were
      intragastrically administered with OA (60 mg/kg/d). The rats in the solvent
      control group were gavaged daily with 0.6% sodium carboxymethyl cellulose (10
      ml/kg) solution for 56 consecutive days. The data showed that OA significantly
      attenuated the extent of silicosis fibrosis by histopathologic analysis of the
      lung tissues. In addition, oxidative stress activated by silica exposure, as
      evidenced by increasing of malondialdehyde content, and activities of superoxide
      dismutase and glutathione peroxidase in the lung, was regulated by treatment with
      OA. Furthermore, enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay analysis showed that OA
      significantly decreased the levels of tumor necrosis factor-alpha and
      transforming growth factor-beta1. Immunohistochemistry analysis showed that OA
      significantly decreased collagen types I and III. In investigating the mechanisms
      underlying the action of OA, it was found that OA decreased the level of
      phosphorylated AKT1, which in turn inactivated the transcriptional of nuclear
      factor (NF)-kappaB in the development and progress of silicosis. In conclusion,
      these results suggested that the protective effects of OA were due, at least in
      part, to its anti-oxidant activity and its ability to decrease the expression of
      cytokines and collagen by modulating the AKT/NF-kappaB pathway.

PMID- 28350068
TI  - Concurrence of chromosome 3 and 4 aberrations in human uveal melanoma.
AB  - Uveal melanoma (UM) is the most common primary intraocular malignancy with a very
      poor prognosis. The most frequent chromosome aberration in UM is the monosomy of
      chromosome 3. Previously, we demonstrated that ~50% of UMs express type-I
      receptor for luteinizing hormone-releasing hormone (LH-RH-R). The gene encoding
      LH-RH-R is located in chromosome 4 (location: 4q21.2); however, the occurrence of
      numerical aberrations of chromosome 4 have never been studied in UM. In the
      present study, we investigated the abnormalities of chromosome 3 and 4, and the
      possible correlation between them, as well as with LH-RH-R expression. Forty-six
      specimens of UM were obtained after enucleation. Numerical aberrations of
      chromosome 3 and 4 were studied by fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH).
      Chromosome 4 was detected in normal biparental disomy only in 14 (30%) samples;
      however, 32 cases (70%) showed more than 2 signals/nucleus. Monosomy of
      chromosome 3 could be found in 16 (35%) samples. In 6 specimens (13%), more than
      2 copies of chromosome 3 were found, while normal biparental disomy was detected
      in 24 (52%) samples. Statistical analysis indicated a statistically significant
      (p<0.05) correlation between the copy number of chromosome 3 and 4. Moreover,
      moderate difference was revealed in the survival rate of the UM patients with
      various pathological profiles. No correlation was found between chromosome
      aberrations and LH-RH-R expression. Our results clearly demonstrate abnormalities
      in chromosome 3 and 4 and the incidence of the monosomy of chromosome 3 in human
      UM. In summary, our results provide new incite concerning the genetic background
      of this tumor. Our findings could contribute to a more precise determination of
      the prognosis of human UM and to the development of new therapeutic approaches to
      this malignancy.

PMID- 28350072
TI  - The role of miR-370 in fibrosis after myocardial infarction.
AB  - In the present study, we investigated the expression of miR-370 in the border
      area of infarction after myocardial infarction and its role in the process of
      post-infarction fibrosis. A myocardial infarction model in Sprague-Dawley rats
      was established. After two weeks, the mRNA levels of transforming growth factor
      beta1 (TGFbeta1), TGFbetaRII, ColIa1, ColIIIa1 and miR-370 and the expression of
      TGFbeta1, TGFbetaRII and alpha-smooth muscle actin (alpha-SMA) proteins in the
      border area of infarction were detected by real-time fluorescence quantitative
      polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) and western blot analysis. Cardiac
      fibroblasts in neonatal rat were isolated and cultured, and the changes in the
      above indicators were detected after AngII and miR-370 intervention. Luciferase
      reporter gene assay was conducted to verify whether TGFbetaRII was a target gene
      of miR-370. In the border area after myocardial infarction, the expression of miR
      370 decreased, while mRNA levels of TGFbeta1, TGFbetaRII, ColIa1 and ColIIIa1 and
      levels of TGFbeta1, TGFbetaRII and alpha-SMA proteins were all increased.
      Luciferase reporter gene assay confirmed that TGFbetaRII was the target gene of
      miR-370. miR-370 reduced the expression of TGFbetaRII and inhibited the increased
      expression of TGFbetaRII and collagen protein caused by AngII. As well, its
      inhibited the differentiation effect of muscle fibroblasts while it did not
      inhibit the expression of TGFbeta1. miR-370 inhibited the expression of
      TGFbetaRII protein by combining with TGFbetaRII mRNA. miR-370 also partially
      blocked TGFbeta1-TGFbetaRII and induced the downstream signal transduction
      pathways, thus exerting anti-fibrotic effects.

PMID- 28350074
TI  - N-terminal polypeptide derived from vMIP-II exerts its antitumor activity by
      inhibiting the CXCR4 pathway in human glioma.
AB  - Emerging evidence demonstrates that the stromal derived factor-1 (SDF
      1alpha)/CXCR4 axis is associated with tumor aggressiveness and metastasis,
      including glioma, the most common brain cancer. In the present study, we
      demonstrated that a novel designed peptide NT21MP of viral macrophage
      inflammatory protein II, targeting CXCR4 inhibits SDF-1alpha-induced activation
      in glioma. The effects of NT21MP on CXCR4 expression, cell survival and migration
      were assessed on the human glioma cell line U251 and SHG-44 exposed to SDF
      1alpha, by western blotting, MTT assay, flow cytometry and transwell migration
      assay. Our results illustrated that NT21MP inhibited SDF-1alpha induced
      proliferation, migration and invasion by upregulated pro-apoptotic genes (Bak1
      and caspase-3) and downregulated Bcl-2/Bax as well as cell cycle regulators
      (cyclin D1 and CDK4) to arrest cell cycle in G0/G1 phase and promote apoptosis.
      By RT-qPCR and immunofluorescence we found that CXCR4 was highly expressed in SHG
      44 cells. Our results from wound healing and transwell invasion assays indicated
      silencing of CXCR4 significantly inhibited the SDF-1alpha-induced migration and
      invasion; similarly, flow cytometry showed that treatment with si-CXCR4 affected
      cell cycle and induced cell apoptosis in SHG-44. However, these effects were
      significantly weakened by NT21MP. In conclusion, the present study indicates that
      NT21MP plays a regulatory role in the SDF-1alpha/CXCR4 axis and further manages
      the invasion, migration, apoptosis and cell cycle of glioma cells. Thus, NT21MP
      might represent a novel therapeutic approach against glioma.

PMID- 28350075
TI  - Co-treatment of breast cancer cells with pharmacologic doses of 2-deoxy-D-glucose
      and metformin: Starving tumors.
AB  - A characteristic of tumor cells is the increased aerobic glycolysis for energy
      production. Thus, inhibition of glycolysis represents a selective therapeutic
      option. It has been shown that glycolysis inhibitor 2-deoxy-D-glucose (2DG)
      induces apoptotic cell death in different tumor entities. In addition, the
      antitumor activity of the anti-diabetic drug metformin has been demonstrated. In
      the present study, we aimed to ascertain whether the combination of pharmacologic
      doses of 2DG with metformin increases the antitumor efficacy. Cell viability of
      MDA-MB-231 and HCC1806 triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) cells treated without
      or with 2DG or with metformin alone or with the combination of both agents was
      measured using Alamar Blue assay. Induction of apoptosis was quantified by
      measurement of the loss of mitochondrial membrane potential and cleavage of PARP.
      Treatment of breast cancer cells with glycolysis inhibitor 2DG or with the anti
      diabetic drug metformin resulted in a significant decrease in cell viability and
      an increase in apoptosis. Treatment with 2DG in combination with metformin
      resulted in significantly reduced viability compared with the single agent
      treatments. The observed reduction in viability was due to induction of
      apoptosis. In addition, in regards to apoptosis induction a stronger effect in
      the case of co-treatment compared with single agent treatments was observed. The
      glycolytic phenotype of human breast cancer cells can be targeted for therapeutic
      intervention. Co-treatment with doses of the glycolysis inhibitor 2DG and anti
      diabetic drug metformin is tolerable in humans and may be a suitable therapy for
      human breast cancers.

PMID- 28350076
TI  - Osthole enhances TRAIL-mediated apoptosis through downregulation of c-FLIP
      expression in renal carcinoma Caki cells.
AB  - Osthole, an active constituent isolated from the fruit of Cnidium monnieri (L.)
      Cusson, has been shown to induce various beneficial biochemical effects such as
      anti-inflammatory and antitumor. In the present study, we examined whether
      osthole could sensitize TNF-related apoptosis-inducing ligand (TRAIL)-induced
      apoptosis in human renal carcinoma Caki cells. We found that osthole and TRAIL
      alone, had no effect on apoptosis, but combined treatment with osthole and TRAIL
      markedly induced apoptosis in Caki (renal carcinoma), U251MG (glioma) and MDA-MB
      231 (breast carcinoma) cells. In contrast, combined treatment with osthole and
      TRAIL did not induce apoptosis in normal human skin fibroblast cells. Osthole
      induced downregulation of cellular FLICE-like inhibitory protein (c-FLIP)
      expression, and overexpression of c-FLIP markedly blocked apoptosis induced by
      the combined treatment with osthole and TRAIL. In addition, osthole markedly
      reduced mitochondrial membrane potential levels, and increased cytosolic
      cytochrome c release in combined treatment with osthole and TRAIL. Therefore,
      these data suggest that osthole may be an efficient TRAIL sensitizer.

PMID- 28350078
TI  - miR-28-5p promotes the development and progression of ovarian cancer through
      inhibition of N4BP1.
AB  - MicroRNAs (miRNAs) play important roles in transcriptional regulation by
      targeting the 3'-UTR of target genes which participate in various biological
      processes. We aimed to investigate the potential role of miR-28-5p in the process
      of ovarian cancer development through regulating N4BP1. We found that the mRNA
      expression level of miR-28-5p was significantly increased in ovarian cancer
      tissues in comparison with adjacent ovarian tissues by qRT-PCR (P<0.0001). We
      established that miR-28-5p promoted the progression of ovarian cancer cell
      proliferation using colony forming assay and MTT assay. Wound healing assay and
      the migration and invasion assay showed that miR-28-5p accelerated the migration
      and invasion abilities of ovarian cancer cells. Simultaneously, we showed that
      miR-28-5p promoted ovarian cancer cell cycle, and inhibited apoptosis by flow
      cytometry in vitro. Furthermore, the results showed that miR-28-5p promoted the
      growth of ovarian tumor by tumor formation assay in vivo. The results of western
      blot analysis indicated that miR-28-5p promoted the protein expression level of F
      actin. Western blot analysis also demonstrated that miR-28-5p promoted the
      progress of epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) in ovarian carcinoma cells.
      In addition, we found that miR-28-5p downregulated N4BP1 mRNA and protein
      expression by qRT-PCR and western blot analysis in human ovarian cancer.
      Therefore, our study indicated that miR-28-5p promoted the progression of ovarian
      cancer cell cycle, proliferation, migration and invasion, inhibited apoptosis,
      and induced the process of EMT through inhibition of N4BP1 in vitro. Moreover,
      miR-28-5p promoted the growth of ovarian tumor in vivo.

PMID- 28350077
TI  - Advanced glycation end products promote the proliferation and migration of
      primary rat vascular smooth muscle cells via the upregulation of BAG3.
AB  - The present study was aimed to investigate the role of reactive oxygen species
      (ROS) on advanced glycation end product (AGE)-induced proliferation and migration
      of vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs) and whether Bcl-2-associated athanogene 3
      (BAG3) is involved in the process. Primary rat VSMCs were extracted and cultured
      in vitro. Cell viability was detected by MTT assay and cell proliferation was
      detected by EdU incorporation assay. Cell migration was detected by wound healing
      and Transwell assays. BAG3 was detected using qPCR and western blot analysis.
      Transcriptional and translational inhibitors (actinomycin D and cycloheximide,
      respectively) were used to study the effect of AGEs on the expression of BAG3 in
      VSMCs. Lentiviral plasmids containing short hairpin RNA (shRNA) against rat BAG3
      or control shRNA were transduced into VSMCs. Cellular ROS were detected by 2',7'
      dichlorofluorescein diacetate (DCFH-DA) staining. Mitochondrial membrane
      potential was detected by tetramethylrhodamine methyl ester (TMRE) staining. AGEs
      significantly increased the expression of BAG3 in a dose-and time-dependent
      manner. Furthermore, AGEs mainly increased the expression of BAG3 mRNA by
      increasing the RNA synthesis rather than inhibiting the RNA translation. BAG3
      knockdown reduced the proliferation and migration of VSMCs induced by AGEs. BAG3
      knockdown reduced the generation of ROS and sustained the mitochondrial membrane
      potential of VSMCs. Reduction of ROS production by N-acetylcysteine (NAC), a
      potent antioxidant, also reduced the proliferation and migration of VSMCs. On the
      whole, the present study demonstrated for the first time that AGEs could increase
      ROS production and promote the proliferation and migration of VSMCs by
      upregulating BAG3 expression. This study indicated that BAG3 should be considered
      as a potential target for the prevention and/or treatment of vascular
      complications of diabetes.

PMID- 28350079
TI  - Effects of irradiation on human leukocyte antigen class I expression in human
      papillomavirus positive and negative base of tongue and mobile tongue squamous
      cell carcinoma cell lines.
AB  - Human papillomavirus (HPV) infection is a risk factor for oropharyngeal cancer,
      besides smoking and alcohol. Patients with HPV-positive tumors have a better
      prognosis than those with HPV-negative tumors. Furthermore, patients with HPV
      positive tumors, with high CD8+ tumor infiltrating lymphocyte counts or
      absent/low human leukocyte antigen (HLA) class I expression have the best
      outcome. The latter is paradoxical, since HLA class I expression is important for
      tumor recognition. Below, the hypothesis that radiation therapy increases HLA
      class I expression was tested. HPV16 positive head and neck cancer cell lines
      UPCI-SCC-154, UPCI-SCC-090 and UM-SCC-47, and the HPV-negative cancer cell line
      UT-SCC-14, were treated with 2-10 Gray (Gy) and tested for HLA class I
      expression, cell cycle changes and apoptosis by flow cytometry. HPV16 E5, E7 and
      HLA-A mRNA expression was tested by quantitative PCR. A dose of 10 Gy resulted in
      a tendency of increased HLA class I cell surface expression for all cell lines
      and reached statistical significance for UPCI-SCC-154 and UPCI-SCC-090. There
      were, however, no significant changes in HLA-A mRNA expression in any of the cell
      lines, or HPV16 E5, or E7 mRNA expression for UPCI-SCC-47 and UPCI-SCC-154, while
      for UPCI-SCC-090 HPV16 E5 mRNA decreased. In all cell lines there was a shift
      towards G2/M phase and increased apoptosis after irradiation with 10 Gy. To
      conclude, irradiation with 10 Gy increased HLA class I expression in the HPV
      positive cell lines UPCI-SCC-154 and UPCI-SCC-090. A similar tendency was
      observed for HPV-positive UM-SCC-47 and HPV-negative UT-SCC-14.

PMID- 28350082
TI  - HOTAIR upregulates an 18-gene cell cycle-related mRNA network in glioma.
AB  - HOTAIR is a tumor promoting long non-coding RNA (lncRNA) with roles in multiple
      cancers. However, the role of HOTAIR in glioma has not been well charaterized.
      Genes that positively correlated with HOTAIR were identified from the Chinese
      Glioma Genome Atlas and constructed into an interacting network. In total, 18
      genes with P-values <0.01 were further extracted and constructed into a
      subnetwork. Real-time PCR, western blot and immunofluorescence analyses were
      employed to examine the expression of the genes after HOTAIR overexpression or
      knockdown. Intracranial glioblastoma multiform (GBM) models were used to test the
      potential of HOTAIR as a glioma therapy target. It was discovered that the 18
      genes that most significantly correlated with HOTAIR expression formed a cell
      cycle-related mRNA network, which is positively regulated by HOTAIR. Furthermore,
      HOTAIR knockdown inhibited mouse intracranial GBM model formation. HOTAIR
      positively regulates a cell cycle-related mRNA network in glioma, and could be a
      potential therapeutic target for treating glioma.

PMID- 28350083
TI  - Deep vein thrombosis related to environment (Review).
AB  - The first-time venous thromboembolism (VTE) is less frequent than other
      thrombotic events, however, both the pulmonary embolism (PE) and the deep vein
      thrombosis (DVT) show a frequent morbidity. Many factors play as risk situations
      in determining VTE, and the air exposure to the fine and ultrafine particulate
      matter (PM) as PM10, PM2.5, PM0.1 is considered. Epidemiological studies have
      supported this association although both the effective burden of the association
      and the mechanisms are to date unclear. The PM concentrations and the exposure
      time are notable as emerging factors. Interestingly, the seasonal climate
      variations resulted as effective risk factor for appearance of VTE or DVT. There
      is a need to ameliorate the environment by reducing the air pollution at global
      scale.

PMID- 28350084
TI  - TP53 and RET may serve as biomarkers of prognostic evaluation and targeted
      therapy in hepatocellular carcinoma.
AB  - Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the most common malignancy of the liver.
      Genomic analysis is conducted to identify genetic alterations in driver genes
      which are all druggable targets for cancer therapy. In the present study, we
      performed an exome sequencing of 45 driver genes in 100 paired samples from HCC
      patients including tumors and matched adjacent normal tissues using Illumina
      HiSeq 2000 platform. Non-synonymous mutations were ascertained using the iPLEX
      MassARRAY system and Sanger sequencing. Clinicopathological relevance with
      genetic variations was assessed using SPSS software. The prognostic analyses of
      patients with gene mutation status were summarized using Kaplan-Meier curves.
      Sixty-one non-synonymous somatic mutations were identified in 43% of the HCC
      patients. The most frequent mutations were: TP53 (20%), RET (6%), PLCE1 (5%),
      PTEN (4%) and VEGFR2 (3%). Patients with mutations in TP53 had a lower overall
      survival (OS) (P=0.002) than those without mutations. Recurrent mutations in the
      Ret proto-oncogene (RET) were associated with poor outcomes for both disease-free
      survival (DFS) (P=0.028) and OS (P=0.001) in HCC patients. The mutational status
      of sorafenib-targeted genes were associated with decreased DFS (P=0.039), and
      decreased OS (P=0.15) without statistical significance. Mutual exclusion of TP53
      and RET mutations were observed in the present study. In conclusion, patients
      with TP53 mutations, RET mutations and sorafenib-targeted gene mutations were
      demonstrated to be associated with poor HCC prognosis, which suggests that both
      TP53 and RET may serve as biomarkers of prognostic evaluation and targeted
      therapy in HCC.

PMID- 28350086
TI  - Imazamethabenz inhibits human breast cancer cell proliferation, migration and
      invasion via combination with Pin1.
AB  - Overexpression of peptidyl-prolyl cis/trans isomerase, NIMA interacting-1 (Pin1)
      is a significant marker of the occurrence and development of tumors. In the
      present study, the imidazoline ketone herbicide imazamethabenz was investigated
      as a potential antitumor drug by inhibiting Pin1. Molecular docking and enzyme
      activity tests verified, for the first time, that the imidazoline ketone compound
      imazamethabenz effectively inhibited Pin1 in vitro. MTT assays, western blotting,
      wound healing assay and Matrigel invasion assays revealed that imazamethabenz
      induced apoptosis and inhibited migration and invasion of the breast cancer cell
      line MCF-7, which overexpresses Pin1, by inhibiting the Pin1-mediated signaling
      pathway involving vascular endothelial growth factor and matrix metalloproteinase
      9. These findings indicated that imazamethabenz offers potential applications for
      the treatment of tumors as a Pin1 inhibitor.

PMID- 28350087
TI  - Paclitaxel induces apoptosis of esophageal squamous cell carcinoma cells by
      downregulating STAT3 phosphorylation at Ser727.
AB  - Paclitaxel induces apoptosis in a variety of cancer cells. However, the mechanism
      of paclitaxel inducing apoptosis in human esophageal squamous cell carcinoma
      (ESCC) remains to be defined. In this study, we found that paclitaxel-induced
      apoptosis by increasing the relevant apoptosis protein expression and the release
      of cytochrome c via downregulation of signal transducer and activator of
      transcription 3 (STAT3) and phospho-STAT3 (Ser727). In addition, paclitaxel
      treatment of ESCC cells EC-1 and Eca-109 led to marked mitochondrial membrane
      potential depolarization and significantly increasing of reactive oxygen species.
      Moreover, paclitaxel treatment resulted in the inhibition of mitochondrial
      respiration. In conclusion, our findings reveal that paclitaxel induced apoptosis
      in both EC-1 and Eca-109 cells through the reduction of STAT3 and phospho-STAT3
      (Ser727) level, and suggest that paclitaxel may be of therapeutic potential in
      the treatment of ESCC through the induction of mitochondrial apoptosis in ESCC
      cells.

PMID- 28350089
TI  - miR-150 inhibits proliferation and tumorigenicity via retarding G1/S phase
      transition in nasopharyngeal carcinoma.
AB  - Cancer cells are characterized by a pathological manifestation of uncontrolled
      proliferation, which results in tumor formation. Therefore, it is necessary to
      improve understanding of the underlying mechanism of cell cycle control. Here, we
      report that miR-150 is downregulated in nasopharyngeal carcinoma tissues and
      cells. Upregulation of miR-150 suppresses nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) cell
      proliferation and induces G1/S arrest in vitro, and inhibits tumorigenesis in
      vivo. Conversely, silencing miR-150 yields the opposite effect. Our results
      further demonstrate that miR-150 retards nasopharyngeal carcinoma cell
      proliferation and G1/S transition via targeting multiple cell cycle-related
      genes, including CCND1, CCND2, CDK2 and CCNE2. Therefore, our results uncover a
      novel mechanistic understanding of miR-150-mediated tumor suppression in NPC,
      which will facilitate the development of effective cancer therapies against
      nasopharyngeal carcinoma.

PMID- 28350090
TI  - Anti-hepatoma activities of ethyl acetate extract from Ampelopsis sinica root.
AB  - Ampelopsis sinica root (ASR) is a known hepatoprotective folk traditional Chinese
      medicine. The anti-hepatoma activity of ethyl acetate extract from A. sinica root
      (ASRE) in vitro and in vivo and its possible mechanism were explored. This study
      was designed to investigate cytotoxicity by MTT assay, induction of apoptosis via
      Hoechst 33258 staining, scanning electron microscopy and bivariate flow
      cytometric analysis (Annexin V-FITC/PI), inflammation and apoptosis related genes
      expression by RT-PCR and p53 protein expression by immunofluorescence assay in
      HepG2 cells. Then, the antitumor activity in vivo was detected by hepatoma H22
      xenograft tumor in mice. The results showed that ASRE had powerful anti-hepatoma
      activity in vitro without obvious toxicity on normal cells and could induce HepG2
      cell apoptosis. The mechanism may be associated with downregulation of
      inflammatory cytokines including cyclooxygenase-2, 5-lipoxygenase and FLAP,
      increase of the ratio of bax/bcl-2, activation caspase-3 and inhibition of
      survivin, and increased expression of p53 protein. Furthermore, the HPLC assay
      showed the main compounds of ASRE were gallic acid, catechin and gallic acid
      ethyl ester. In animal experiments, ASR ethanol extract decreased the tumor
      weights of hepatoma H22 tumor-bearing mice. Therefore, ASR may be a potential
      therapeutic agent in the treatment of hepatocellular carcinoma.

PMID- 28350091
TI  - Clinical implication of Frizzled 2 expression and its association with epithelial
      to-mesenchymal transition in hepatocellular carcinoma.
AB  - The epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT) is an initial, critical step in
      hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) tumor invasion and metastasis. Frizzled 2 (Fzd2)
      expression might drive EMT through the non-canonical Wnt pathway, one of the
      various EMT signaling pathways. The expression of epithelial (E-cadherin) and
      mesenchymal (vimentin) markers, as well as that of Wnt5b, Stat3, IL-6, Jak2 and
      Fzd2, were measured in 15 HCC cell lines. The EMT status (vimentin to E-cadherin
      mRNA expression ratio), Fzd2 mRNA expression, and pSTAT3 protein expression were
      assessed by immunostaining in 100 HCC patients, and correlations of their
      expression with clinicopathological factors and prognosis were analyzed. Cell
      proliferation, migration, and invasiveness were assessed after Fzd2 knockdown.
      Fzd2 expression was significantly correlated with a mesenchymal phenotype in the
      HCC cell lines. Treatment of the cell lines with Fzd2 siRNA resulted in
      significantly reduced migration and invasiveness but did not affect
      proliferation. A significant correlation was detected between the EMT status and
      Fzd2 expression in the HCC patients. Multivariate analysis revealed that Fzd2
      expression was an independent predictor of recurrence (P=0.034). Patients with
      high Fzd2 expression had significantly poorer recurrence-free survival than those
      with low expression (P=0.03). Finally, pSTAT3 expression was significantly
      correlated with the EMT and Fzd2 status (P=0.0028, and P=0.0066, respectively).
      Fzd2 expression induced EMT and enhanced cell migration and invasiveness, and it
      might be a novel predictor of HCC recurrence. Furthermore, Stat3 might be
      controlled by both the Wnt5/Fzd2 and IL-6/Jak2 signaling pathways and play an
      important role in EMT.

PMID- 28350092
TI  - Deubiquitinating enzyme USP20 is a positive regulator of Claspin and suppresses
      the malignant characteristics of gastric cancer cells.
AB  - The aim of the present study was to investigate the clinical significance, the
      biological function and the mechanisms of USP20 in gastric cancer. The expression
      of USP20 in 89 pairs of primary gastric cancer and peritumoral gastric tissues
      specimens were measured by immunohistochemistry. The correlation of USP20
      expression with the survival and the clinicopathological characteristics of
      patients were analyzed. Moreover, the underlying mechanisms of ectopic USP20
      expression and its impact on GC cells were also investigated. We found that the
      expression of USP20 is relatively low in GC tissues and negatively correlated
      with tumor size, tumor invasion and TNM staging. High expression of USP20 in GC
      predicted longer survival. Experimentally, small interfering RNA-mediated
      knockdown of USP20 expression significantly promoted cell proliferation,
      accelerated G1-S phase transition and attenuated the autophagy activity.
      Overexpression of USP20 led to the inhibition of proliferation, G1-S cell cycle
      transition delay and autophagy activation. Mechanistically, we confirmed that
      silencing the expression of USP20 in GC cells could reduce Claspin protein levels
      without altering Claspin mRNA levels, which is involved in the antitumor activity
      of USP20. Furthermore, the expression level of Claspin was relatively higher in
      peritumoral tissue than that of GC tissues and higher expression of Claspin in GC
      was also correlated with good prognosis of patients. Given its pivotal role in
      gastric tumorigenesis and progression, USP20 functioned as the tumor suppressor
      in GC and possessed promising value to be a therapeutic target for GC.

PMID- 28350093
TI  - Inhibitory effect of Angelica gigas on cold-induced RhoA activation in vascular
      cells.
AB  - The herbal extract Angelica gigas (AG) has been applied as a vasodilating agent
      for patients suffering from vascular diseases for many years; however, the
      underlying mechanism has not been fully elucidated. The present study
      hypothesized that the anti-vasoconstrictive effect of AG may be effective in the
      treatment of abnormal cold-mediated vasospasms that occur in Raynaud's phenomenon
      (RP). The effect of AG on the activity of ras homolog gene family member A (RhoA)
      was investigated in cold-exposed vascular cells. Vascular cells were pretreated
      to AG, followed by a warm (37C) or cold (25C) incubation for 30 min and
      investigated with western blotting, ELISA and confocal microscopy. Cold treatment
      induced the activation of RhoA in pericytes and vascular endothelial cells,
      however this was reduced by treatment with AG. Furthermore, AG treatment reduced
      the endothelin-1 (ET-1)-mediated RhoA activation in pericytes; however, cold
      induced ET-1 production by vascular endothelial cells was not affected by
      treatment with AG. In addition, AG treatment suppressed the formation of stress
      fibers and focal adhesion complexes, and the cold-induced phosphorylation of
      focal adhesion kinase, proto-oncogene tyrosine-protein kinase Src and
      extracellular signal-related kinase. Therefore, AG treatment demonstrated an
      ability to reduce cold-induced RhoA activation in pericytes and vascular
      endothelial cells, and attenuated ET-1-mediated RhoA activation in pericytes. In
      conclusion, the present study indicated that AG may be useful for the treatment
      of RP.

PMID- 28350094
TI  - Routine genetic testing of lung cancer specimens derived from surgery,
      bronchoscopy and fluid aspiration by next generation sequencing.
AB  - After the development of EGFR tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs), genetic testing
      of EGFR became required for effective treatment of lung cancer. Initially, the
      testing was conducted separately for each mutated region. However, many EGFR
      mutations have since been identified that determine the efficacy of EGFR-TKIs.
      Therefore, genetic testing of EGFR by next generation sequencing (NGS) may be a
      suitable strategy for lung cancer. Here we examined the applicability of the NGS
      method in regard to sensitivity, time and cost. A total of 939 specimens were
      obtained from 686 lung cancer patients at our hospital. DNA and RNA were
      simultaneously extracted from specimens derived from surgery, bronchoscopy, and
      fluid aspiration. Specimens included cerebrospinal fluid, pleural effusion,
      abdominal fluid, and pericardial effusion. From RNA, target regions (EGFR, KRAS,
      ALK fusion and RET fusion) were enriched by RT-PCR and sequenced with MiSeq. From
      DNA, PCR or PCR-RFLP conventional methods were performed. NGS and conventional
      methods were carried out routinely per week. Among the total 939 specimens, 38
      specimens could not be examined with NGS. Among these, 34 specimens were analyzed
      by conventional testing with simultaneously extracted DNA. The remaining four
      specimens could not be tested with either method. Compared with the conventional
      method, the concordance rate of mutations was 99% (892/901), excluding specimens
      with NGS failure. The time period required from processing of specimens to
      results was 4 days, and the cost per sample was sufficiently low. In conclusion,
      the genetic testing with NGS method was useful for lung cancer treatment. The
      cost, sensitivity and time were able to tolerate routine examinations.

PMID- 28350096
TI  - CIRH1A augments the proliferation of RKO colorectal cancer cells.
AB  - Accumulating evidence suggests that ribosomal proteins may have extraribosomal
      functions in various physiological and pathological processes, including cancer.
      We analyzed the expression of the CIRH1A ribosomal protein in colorectal
      carcinoma and para-carcinoma samples by bioinformatics analyses of data extracted
      from The Cancer Genome Atlas and in colorectal cancer cell lines in vitro by
      qPCR. CIRH1A was highly expressed in carcinoma samples and colorectal cancer
      cells. We also transduced the RKO colorectal cancer (CRC) cell line with
      lentivirus-mediated small interfering RNAs (siRNAs) and studied the impact that
      this knockdown of CIRH1A expression had on cell growth. RNA interference (RNAi)
      mediated inhibition of CIRH1A expression significantly suppressed proliferation
      and increased apoptosis of transduced cells, and tended to arrest them in G1
      phase. Our data suggest that CIRH1A plays a critical role in the proliferation,
      cell cycle distribution, and apoptosis of human malignant colorectal cells, and
      might therefore be a potential target for therapeutic strategies.

PMID- 28350095
TI  - Clinical significance of sCD163 and its possible role in asthma (Review).
AB  - Macrophages exert important functions in the balance and efficiency of immune
      responses, and participate in innate and adaptive immunity. The proinflammatory
      actions of macrophages are implicated in autoimmune diseases. Unlike classically
      activated M1 macrophages, the alternatively activated cluster of differentiation
      (CD)163+ and CD206+ M2 macrophages are involved in tissue repair and wound
      healing, and use oxidative metabolism to support their long-term functions. CD163
      is a member of the scavenger receptor superfamily, categorized into class B, and
      its soluble(s) form, sCD163, is a marker of activated M2 macrophages. CD163 is
      selectively expressed in cells of the monocyte and macrophage lineages; however,
      its biological role has yet to be elucidated. The expression of sCD163 is
      markedly induced by anti-inflammatory mediators, such as glucocorticoids and
      interleukin-10, whereas it is inhibited by proinflammatory mediators, such as
      interferon-gamma. These findings suggest that CD163 may serve as a potential
      target for the therapeutic modulation of inflammatory responses. The
      concentration of sCD163 in blood is associated with acute and chronic
      inflammatory processes in autoimmune disorders of connective tissue, fat
      metabolism and cardiovascular diseases, and it can be used for the assessment of
      cancer prognosis. A role for sCD163 in the pathogenesis of asthma has also been
      proposed. The present review serves to present the available knowledge concerning
      the implication of sCD163 in the pathophysiological mechanisms of asthma, and
      evaluate its potential as a biomarker and possible therapeutic target for asthma.

PMID- 28350097
TI  - Identification of novel cancer fusion genes using chromosome breakpoint
      screening.
AB  - Gene fusion due to rearrangement or translocation of chromosomes is a powerful
      mutational mechanism during tumorigenesis. Several new high-resolution
      technologies have recently been developed to evaluate large numbers of small
      aberrations as candidate loci for fusion gene screening. In our previous whole
      genome screening study using 500K SNP arrays, we identified more than 700
      homozygous deletions (HDs) and amplicons in 23 cancer cell lines. To explore
      novel fusion genes in cancer, we established stringent criteria for defining HD
      and amplicon breakpoints. Then genomic PCR and sequencing analyses identified a
      fusion gene, FNDC3B-PRKCI, that resulted from chromosome intra-rearrangement.
      Western blotting and 3'-RACE analyses revealed that the chimeric transcript was
      an in-frame fusion between FNDC3B and PRKCI. Finally, cell migration and colony
      formation assays suggested that FNDC3B-PRKCI is a potential oncogene.

PMID- 28350098
TI  - SLC3A2 is upregulated in human osteosarcoma and promotes tumor growth through the
      PI3K/Akt signaling pathway.
AB  - Growing evidence indicates that SLC3A2 (solute carrier family 3 member 2) is
      upregulated and correlates with tumor growth in multiple types of cancers, while
      the role of SLC3A2 in human osteosarcoma (OS) is rarely discussed. Thus, the aim
      of the present study was to demonstrate the expression of SLC3A2 in human
      osteosarcoma and reveal its biological function and the underlying mechanisms. RT
      PCR, western blot analysis and immunohistochemistry (IHC) were used to assess the
      expression of SLC3A2 in OS samples and cell lines. Cell cycle, Cell Counting Kit
      8 (CCK-8) and colony formation assays were used to test the cell survival
      capacity. To investigate the potential mechanism by which SLC3A2 regulates OS
      growth, we used a slide-based antibody array. We demonstrated that SLC3A2 was
      upregulated in OS cell lines as well as OS tissues. High expression of SLC3A2 was
      correlated with clinical stage and tumor size in OS. Reduced expression of SLC3A2
      inhibited OS cell proliferation through G2/M phase arrest. Most importantly, we
      found that SLC3A2 may regulate OS growth through the PI3K/Akt signaling pathway.
      In conclusion, SLC3A2 is upregulated in OS and plays a crucial role in tumor
      growth. Targeting SLC3A2 may provide a new therapeutic strategy for OS.

PMID- 28350100
TI  - Overexpression of miR-203 increases the sensitivity of NSCLC A549/H460 cell lines
      to cisplatin by targeting Dickkopf-1.
AB  - The number of new lung cancer cases diagnosed yearly is high, and the mortality
      rate has not substantially declined. Non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) is the
      most common type of lung cancer, and adenocarcinoma accounts for the largest
      proportion of NSCLC. Currently, platinum-based combined chemotherapy,
      particularly cisplatin (DDP) is still the main form of treatment for advanced
      NSCLC. However, cisplatin resistance often occurs in patients who receive
      chemotherapy. Previous studies offer various explanations for how miRNAs affect
      cisplatin resistance, but the underlying mechanism remains largely unknown. The
      present study was designed to focus on miR-203 and Dickkopf-1 (DKK1),
      investigating the potential mechanisms involved in cisplatin resistance in
      tissues of lung adenocarcinoma and A549/H460 cell lines. In DDP-sensitive NSCLC
      samples, miR-203 was expressed at a higher level when compared with this level in
      DDP-insensitive samples, while DKK1 mRNA was expressed at a relatively low level
      as indicated by qRT-PCR. Dual luciferase reporter assay revealed that DKK1 is a
      target gene of miR-203 in A549 and H460 cells. Upregulation of miR-203 reduced
      the IC50 value of cisplatin in the A549 and H460 cells by inhibiting cell growth
      and promoting cell apoptosis. Similar effects of tumor inhibition and cisplatin
      sensitization were verified in vivo. Further research showed that both
      overexpression of miR-203 and knockdown of DKK1 increased the sensitization to
      DDP with a lower IC50 value. Upon DKK1 knockdown, overexpression of miR-203 had
      no added effects on the sensitivity of the cells. In addition, miR-203 was unable
      to sensitize cells with DKK1 that lacked the 3' untranslated region (3'UTR). We
      conclude that miR-203 targets the 3'UTR of DKK1, and increases cisplatin
      sensitivity in A549/H460 cell lines.

PMID- 28350105
TI  - Inflammatory role of high salt level in tumor microenvironment (Review).
AB  - Chronic inflammation is known to play a critical role in cancer development and
      progression. High salt is known to mediate several chronic inflammatory diseases
      including hypertension, myocardial infarction, neurological ischemic attack,
      autoimmune diseases and cancers. High salt level is shown to induce angiogenesis
      and immune-dysfunction, both of which play a direct role in cancer proliferation.
      Furthermore, salt has been suggested to enhance Warburg-like metabolic phenotype
      in cancer cells and at the same time also induce pro-tumor MPhi2-macrophage
      phenotype. Recent studies have identified several molecular targets such as
      tonicity specific transcript factor NFAT5/TonEBP, sodium ion channel gammaENaC,
      and vascular endothelial growth factor, VEGF, which are upregulated under high
      salt external environment. These molecular targets offer futuristic therapeutic
      application in precision medicine. In this review, we discuss the current
      understanding of the salt mediated metabolic and immune dysfunctions playing a
      potential role in cancerous changes.

PMID- 28350106
TI  - miR-940 upregulation contributes to human cervical cancer progression through p27
      and PTEN inhibition.
AB  - Cervical cancer is considered as a gynecological malignancy accompanied with high
      rates of mortality across the world. Effective diagnostic, prognostic markers as
      well as therapeutic targets are necessary to be explored. The p27 and PTEN are
      known to modulate tumor cell growth and proliferation. However, the molecular
      mechanisms modulating these genes have not completely been elucidated. In our
      study, real-time (RT) quantitative PCR indicated that miR-940 levels were
      upregulated in human cervical cancer tissue samples and cell lines.
      Overexpression of miR-940 could reduce overall survival in patients. Ectopic miR
      940 accelerated cervical cancer cell growth, proliferation and cell cycle arrest
      in vitro as well as tumor formation in vivo. p27 and PTEN were evidenced as
      direct targets for miR-940 and inhibition of p27 and PTEN recovered the
      suppressive function of miR-940-silenced cell towards to proliferation and
      tumorigenicity in cervical cancer cells. In addition, miR-940 expression was
      inversely associated with p27 and PTEN expression levels and actively with cyclin
      D1 in cervical cancer specimens. The results from our study demonstrated that miR
      940 regulated p27 and PTEN post-transcriptionally and might play a significant
      role in cervical cancer development and progression. Thus, miR-940 might provide
      a potential value as therapeutic target for cervical cancer treatment in future.

PMID- 28350104
TI  - Induction of galectin-1 by TLR-dependent PI3K activation enhances epithelial
      mesenchymal transition of metastatic ovarian cancer cells.
AB  - The expression of different toll-like receptors (TLRs) on tumor cells has been
      associated with disease aggressiveness, treatment resistance, and poor prognosis.
      The phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K)/AKT pathway is considered critical for
      cancer cell survival and proliferation. Thus, we investigated the effect of TLR
      stimulated PI3K activation on the epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT) of
      primary (Caov-3) and metastatic (SK-OV-3) epithelial ovarian cancer cell lines in
      this study. TLR engagement with various ligands promoted the expression of class
      IA PI3K (p110alpha, p110beta, and p110delta) and increased the expression of
      mesenchymal markers (N-cadherin, Slug, Vimentin, Snail, alpha-SMA, and TCF) in SK
      OV-3 cells. The migratory activity and secretion of EMT-related cytokines of SK
      OV-3 were significantly higher compared to those of Caov-3 after activation with
      TLR agonist. Although the invasive capacity and production of EMT-related
      cytokines of LPS-stimulated SK-OV-3 cells were significantly suppressed by all
      pharmacological inhibitors of the p110 isoform, the Syk/Src-dependent p110beta
      isoform prominently attenuated migration activity. In contrast, the production of
      IL-10 and galectin-1 was mainly affected by the p110delta isoform. Gene silencing
      of TLR4 and galectin-1 with siRNA decreased the expression of matrix
      metalloproteinase-2 (MMP2) and MMP9 and reduced mesenchymal markers in LPS
      treated SK-OV-3 cells. This study demonstrated that TLR-mediated PI3K activation
      modulated the invasion and metastasis of ovarian cancer through the production of
      galectin-1, suggesting that inhibition of the p110 isoform is a promising
      therapeutic approach against metastatic ovarian cancer.

PMID- 28350107
TI  - A liquid biopsy-based method for the detection and quantification of circulating
      tumor cells in surgical osteosarcoma patients.
AB  - A method for the enumeration and quantification of osteosarcoma (OS) circulating
      tumor cells (CTCs) is currently not available. A correlation between the number
      of CTCs and progression-free survival (PFS) has been established for other
      cancers, but not for OS CTCs. A method was therefore developed for CTC
      quantification in OS and validated in a prospective cohort of surgical patients
      with primary and recurrent/metastatic OS (N=23). Human OS cells, acting as CTCs,
      were enumerated from spiked human peripheral blood (PB) following erythrocyte and
      leukocyte depletion. The OS cells were quantified microscopically based on
      aneuploidy and a CK18-/CD45- phenotype. Aneuploidy was assayed by fluorescence in
      situ hybridization (FISH) using fluorescence-labeled alpha-satellite probes for
      the centromeres of chromosome (CEP 8). CK18 and CD45 phenotyping was performed
      with immunocytochemistry. HOS cells in spiked PB could be effectively retrieved
      with the FISH-based enumeration method, which was subsequently employed in an OS
      patient cohort. PB of recurrent/metastatic OS patients contained more CTCs than
      the PB of primary OS patients. OS patients with >=2 CTCs per 7.5 ml of PB had
      worse PFS than patients whose PB contained <2 CTCs. In 2 cases, CTCs were present
      in PB of OS patients with negative X-ray and chest CT scans. In conclusion, our
      method was able to quantitate CTCs in liquid biopsies of OS patients. The number
      of CTCs has diagnostic and prognostic value.

PMID- 28350110
TI  - Glutamate-mediated effects of caffeine and interferon-gamma on mercury-induced
      toxicity.
AB  - The molecular mechanisms mediating mercury-induced neurotoxicity are not yet
      completely understood. Thus, the aim of this study was to investigate whether the
      severity of MeHg- and HgCl2-mediated cytotoxicity to SH-SY5Y human dopaminergic
      neurons can be attenuated by regulating glutamate-mediated signal-transmission
      through caffeine and interferon-gamma (IFN-gamma). The SH-SY5Y cells were exposed
      to 1, 2 and 5 uM of either MeHgCl2 or HgCl2 in the presence or absence of L
      glutamine. To examine the effect of adenosine receptor antagonist, the cells were
      treated with 10 and 20 uM caffeine. The total mitochondrial metabolic activity
      and oxidative stress intensity coefficient were determined in the 1 ng/ml IFN
      gamma- and glutamate-stimulated SH-SY5Y cells. Following exposure to mercury, the
      concentration-dependent decrease in mitochondrial metabolic activity inversely
      correlated with oxidative stress intensity. MeHg was more toxic than HgCl2.
      Mercury-induced neuronal death was dependent on glutamate-mediated
      excitotoxicity. Caffeine reduced the mercury-induced oxidative stress in
      glutamine-containing medium. IFN-gamma treatment decreased cell viability and
      increased oxidative stress in glutamine-free medium, despite caffeine
      supplementation. Although caffeine exerted a protective effect against MeHg
      induced toxicity with glutamate transmission, under co-stimulation with glutamine
      and IFN-gamma, caffeine decreased the MeHg-induced average oxidative stress only
      by half. Thereby, our data indicate that the IFN-gamma stimulation of mercury
      exposed dopaminergic neurons in neuroinflammatory diseases may diminish the
      neuroprotective effects of caffeine.

PMID- 28350112
TI  - Contribution of caspase-independent pathway to apoptosis in malignant glioma
      induced by carbon ion beams.
AB  - High linear energy transfer (LET) carbon ion beam (CIB) is becoming the best tool
      for external radiotherapy of inoperable tumors because of its greater cell
      killing than conventional low LET gamma or X-rays. In the present study, whether
      the caspase-independent pathway exerts the important contribution in CIB-induced
      cell apoptosis was explored. Herein we showed, despite the absence of caspase
      activity using a pan caspase inhibitor Z-VAD-FMK, that apoptosis induced by high
      LET CIB were clearly observed in the glioma cells. Simultaneously, the increased
      8-OHdG level, PARP-1 activity and AIF translocation occurred in response to CIB
      irradiation. Moreover, it was distinctly higher in the nuclear translocation
      frequency along with PARP-1 activation when the caspase protease cascade was
      suppressed in the irradiated glioma cells. Nuclear colocalization between PARP-1
      and AIF as well as a positive association of the PARP-1 mRNA expression with AIF
      translocation frequency indicated that PARP-1 activation controlled the
      translocation of AIF to the nucleus. Our findings strongly demonstrated that
      caspase-independent cell apoptosis provided a prominent compensation in the
      glioma cell death involving the PARP-1/AIF signaling pathway at 24 h after CIB
      exposure, and likely triggered by oxidative damage to DNA. The knowledge on the
      molecular mechanism of AIF-mediated cell death may be very useful for the
      improvement of the therapeutic efficacy of malignant gliomas with heavy charged
      particles.

PMID- 28350113
TI  - Bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells accelerate the hyperglycemic refractory wound
      healing by inhibiting an excessive inflammatory response.
AB  - The aim of the present study was to evaluate the healing effect of bone marrow
      derived mesenchymal stem cells administered to hyperglycemia model mice with skin
      wounds, and to explore the underlying mechanism contributing to their effects in
      promoting refractory wound healing. A full-thickness skin wound mouse model was
      established, and refers to a wound of the skin and subcutaneous tissue. The mice
      were randomly divided into three groups: Blank control group, hyperglycemic group
      and a hyperglycemic group treated with stem cells. Wound healing was monitored
      and the wound-healing rate was determined at 3, 6, 9, and 12 days following
      trauma. The structure of the organization of new skin tissue was observed by
      hematoxylin and eosin staining, and expression levels of the inflammatory
      cytokines interleukin (IL)-6 and tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-alpha were
      determined from 1 to 6 days following trauma. The wound healing of the
      hyperglycemic group was slower than that of the blank group, and the
      hyperglycemic mice treated with stem cells presented faster healing than the
      hyperglycemia group. The horny layer and granular layer of the skin were thinner
      and incomplete in the new skin tissue of the hyperglycemic group, whereas the new
      skin wound tissue basal layer was flat and demonstrated better fusion with the
      wound edge in the other two groups. The expression of inflammatory cytokines (IL
      6 and TNF-alpha) was significantly increased in all three groups, with
      continuously higher expression in the hyperglycemic group and decreased
      expression in the other two groups over time. Hyperglycemia refractory wounds are
      likely related to the excessive expression of inflammatory cytokines surrounding
      the wound area. Stem cells may be able to alleviate the excessive inflammatory
      reaction in the wound tissue of hyperglycemic mice, so as to promote wound
      healing.

PMID- 28350114
TI  - Runx2 downregulation, migration and proliferation inhibition in melanoma cells
      treated with BEL beta-trefoil.
AB  - Malignant melanoma is a lethal form of skin cancer and highly metastatic tumor
      with poor prognosis; BEL beta-trefoil, a lectin, obtained by our group, possesses
      the ability to act specifically on malignant cells. Therefore, the aim of our
      study was to investigate the effects of BEL beta-trefoil in melanoma cells in an
      attempt to evaluate its potential usage as anticancer agent. BEL beta-trefoil was
      purified by chromatography and A375 and MeWo melanoma cells were treated.
      Viability and proliferation were evaluated as well as apoptosis, RUNX2 gene
      expression and migration ability. The treated tumor cells decreased viability as
      well as proliferative ability. Flow cytometry analysis showed a lessen effect of
      the treatment on apoptosis. The gene expression analysis showed a reduction of
      RUNX2 expression in a dose-dependent manner and migration ability was reduced
      significantly in both treated cell lines. Our findings suggest that BEL beta
      trefoil can be considered a useful tool against malignancy due to its effect
      based on the simultaneous proliferation ability reduction as well as the
      inhibition of migration capacity on melanoma tumor cells.

PMID- 28350115
TI  - Transition and heavy metals compared to oxidative parameter balance in patients
      with deep vein thrombosis: A case-control study.
AB  - Our study compared copper (Cu), zinc (Zn) and manganese (Mn), crucial for human
      normal physio-logy maintenance, and lead (Pb) levels as environmental pollutant,
      in subjects suffering of deep vein thrombosis of lower limbs (DVTs) vs. healthy
      subjects. Furthermore, we evaluated oxidative stress parameters, the
      thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS) as the sum of malondialdehyde or
      1,1,3,3-tetraethoxypropane (MDA) and 4-hydroxynonenal 4-HNE) and cytosolic
      superoxide dismutase (Cu/Zn-SOD) concentrations in both groups. We recruited 24
      DVT cases and 46 healthy subjects as controls. Questionnaire with socio
      demographic, habits and lifestyle were collected. Hair concentrations of Zn, Mn,
      Cu and Pb were measured by ICP-MS, plasma concentrations of MDA and 4-HNE were
      measured by HPLC and SOD plasma concentrations were detected by ELISA test. A
      quantitative and qualitative variables comparison between cases and controls
      group was made by Mann-Whitney U test and Pearson's Chi-square test,
      respectively. We found low concentrations of Zn, Mn and Cu vs. high Pb
      concentrations in DVTs subjects. TBARS were found higher in the cases group,
      conversely, SOD concentrations were found lower in cases with respect to
      controls. Furthermore, we found the diet of pathological subjects significantly
      deficient in vegetables. These results are indicative of a lower enzymatic
      activity in patients, related to low transition metal levels in the DVTs and high
      levels of Pb, coupled with an unbalanced diet.

PMID- 28350116
TI  - Selective FGFR inhibitor BGJ398 inhibits phosphorylation of AKT and STAT3 and
      induces cytotoxicity in sphere-cultured ovarian cancer cells.
AB  - Epithelial ovarian cancer is the most aggressive and lethal among the
      gynecological malignancies, which is often found disseminated to peritoneal
      cavity at the time of diagnosis. There is accumulating evidence on the existence
      of genetic alteration and amplification of fibroblast growth factor receptor
      (FGFR) in various cancers. Also the aberrated FGFR/FGF signaling has been
      implicated in cancer development and tumor microenvironment. However, the
      antitumor activity of BGJ398, a selective inhibitor of FGFR 1/2/3 against ovarian
      cancer still remains unknown. The aim of the present study is to evaluate the
      antitumoral activity of BGJ398 on ovarian cancer cell line SKOV3ip1 using 3
      dimensional (3D) sphere culture system which has been accepted as a better mimic
      in vivo microenvironment than conventional 2-dimensional (2D) monolayer culture
      system. We examined the differential expression features of key signaling
      molecules which have a role in cell survival and proliferation between sphere
      cultured SKOV3ip1 cells and monolayer-cultured SKOV3ip1 cells. The
      phosphorylation of AKT and signal transducer and activator of transcription 3
      (STAT3) known as survival signaling molecules were upregulated in sphere-cultured
      SKOV3ip1 cells compared to in monolayer-cultured SKOV3ip1 cells. Next, we
      evaluated the antitumor activity of BGJ398 in monolayer-cultured SKOV3ip1 cells
      or sphere-cultured SKOV3ip1 cells. Treatment of BGJ398 did not affect the
      SKOV3ip1 cell viability in monolayer culture system, but, the cell viability of
      sphere-cultured SKOV3ip1 cells was markedly reduced by BGJ398. The
      phosphorylation of AKT and STAT3 was downregulated by BGJ398 in sphere-cultured
      SKOV3ip1 cells, but not in monolayer cultured-SKOV3ip1 cells. Moreover,
      combination treatment with BGJ398 and paclitaxel in sphere-cultured SKOV3ip1
      showed synergistic inhibitory effect on cell viability. Collectively, our report
      reveals the BGJ398 is a potent antitumor agent against ovarian cancer and FGFR is
      a promising therapeutic target to anticancer therapy considering ovarian cancer
      metastatic microenvironment.

PMID- 28350117
TI  - Reduced expression of miR-205-5p promotes apoptosis and inhibits proliferation
      and invasion in lung cancer A549 cells by upregulation of ZEB2 and downregulation
      of erbB3.
AB  - Previous studies have demonstrated that microRNA (miR)-205-5p expression is
      significantly increased in non-small cell lung cancer tissues and is associated
      with tumor differentiation grade. The aim of the present study was to explore the
      effects of miR-205-5p on viability, apoptosis and invasion of lung cancer A549
      cells. The hsa-miR-205-5p small interfering RNA (siRNA) inhibitor was transfected
      into A549 cells and expression of miR-205-5p was detected by reverse
      transcription-quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR). Cell viability,
      apoptosis and invasion were assayed by Cell Counting kit-8, Annexin V/propidium
      iodide double staining and Transwell assay, respectively. Target genes of miR-205
      5p were predicted using bioinformatics analysis. Expression of mRNA and protein
      levels of candidate target genes following miR-205-5p inhibition were detected
      using RT-qPCR and western blot analysis respectively. The results demonstrated
      that relative survival rates of A549 cells were significantly inhibited in miR
      205-5p siRNA-transfected cells at 24 and 48 h compared with control cells.
      Apoptosis was markedly increased in the miR-205-5p siRNA cells compared with
      control cells. The number of invaded cells following miR-205-5p siRNA silencing
      was significantly decreased compared with control cells. Bioinformatics analysis
      revealed that erb-B2 receptor kinase 3 (erbB3), zinc finger E-box binding
      homeobox 2 (ZEB2), clathrin heavy chain (CLTC) and mediator complex subunit 1
      (MED1) may be potential target genes of miR-205-5p. Reduced expression of miR-205
      5p significantly increased the expression of ZEB2 mRNA and protein, inhibited the
      expression of erbB3 protein, but had no significant effect on the expression
      levels of CLTC and MED1. In summary, reduced expression of miR-205-5p promoted
      apoptosis and inhibited proliferation and invasion in lung cancer A549 cells
      through upregulation of ZEB2 and downregulation of erbB3. The present results
      suggested that the increased miR-205-5p expression observed in non-small cell
      lung cancer tissues may contribute to increased proliferation and invasion of
      lung cancer cells and thus to cancer progression.

PMID- 28350119
TI  - Molecular mechanism of C-reaction protein in promoting migration and invasion of
      hepatocellular carcinoma cells in vitro.
AB  - Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is one of most common malignant cancers and is the
      second leading cause of cancer related deaths. The prognosis and survival of
      patients are closely related to the degree of tumor metastasis. The mechanism of
      HCC metastasis is still unclear. In the present study, we investigated the
      molecular mechanism of C-reaction protein in promoting migration and invasion of
      hepatocellular carcinoma cells in vitro. We estimated that CRP is overexpressed
      in liver cancer tissues and that it promotes invasion and metastasis of HCC in
      vitro. In the present study, we employed iTRAQ-based mass spectrometry to analyze
      the HepG2 secretory proteins of CRP siRNA-treated cells and negative control
      siRNA-treated cells. We identified 109 differentially expressed proteins after
      silencing CRP, of which 45 were upregulated and 64 were downregulated. Some of
      the differentially expressed proteins were confirmed by western blot analysis and
      real-time quantitative PCR. Furthermore, we found that knockdown of CRP
      substantially abrogates HIF-1alpha expression levels, the luciferase activity of
      HIF-1alpha and ERK and Akt phosphorylation in HepG2 cells. The present study
      provides a novel mechanism by which CRP promotes the proliferation, migration,
      invasion and metastasis of hepatocellular carcinoma cells. Inhibition of CRP
      suppressed migration, invasion and healing of hepatoma carcinoma cells by
      decreasing HIF-1alpha activity and CTSD.

PMID- 28350120
TI  - Cross-validation of genes potentially associated with overall survival and drug
      resistance in ovarian cancer.
AB  - Ovarian cancer is the leading cause of death among malignancies of the female
      reproductive system. The 5-year survival rates of ovarian cancer (OC) patients
      are very poor as a result of recurrent disease and emergence of drug resistance;
      thus, studies to find predictive markers and factors for drug resistance are
      ongoing. In the present study, based on the microarrays from The Cancer Genome
      Atlas (TCGA), and the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) profiles covering 1648 OC
      patients, 11 out of 136 genes that were found to be significantly dysregulated in
      OC were associated with overall survival (OS) in 489 OC patients of the TCGA
      cohort. Of these genes, CRISP3, LYVE1, OVGP1 and BCHE were identified as
      independent prognostic factors, with decreased expression of the first three
      genes predicting shorter OS, and decreased BCHE predicting longer OS. OVGP1, BCHE
      and further two genes, CKAP2 and CLDN10, were consistently and remarkably
      associated with OS when the number of patients increased from 489 to 1583, with
      increased CKAP2 and decreased CLDN10 predicted shorter OS; combining the four
      genes provided better predictions. Associations among the four genes with OS in
      subgroups of OC were further verified. Downregulation of OVGP1 was significantly
      associated with shorter OS in all subgroups of OC patients, including subgroups
      of 752 patients treated with chemotherapy regimens containing taxol, 763 with
      both platin and taxol, 1364 with platin, 371 patients with grade 1-2 disease, 968
      with grade 3 disease, 1148 with stage III-IV disease, and 439 with TP53
      mutations. In addition, CKAP2 expression was significantly associated with
      shorter OS in 515 OC patients who had low CA125 levels. Furthermore,
      comprehensive analyses that including RT-qPCR, bioinformatics analysis and
      clinical data revealed an association of CKAP2, BCHE, CLDN10 and OVGP1 with drug
      resistance in OC. The genes identified in the present study might be prognostic
      factors as well as potential therapeutic targets in the treatment of OC.

PMID- 28350121
TI  - Stanniocalcin 1 promotes cell proliferation via cyclin E1/cyclin-dependent kinase
      2 in human prostate carcinoma.
AB  - Stanniocalcin 1 (STC1) is a glycoprotein hormone that is involved in
      calcium/phosphate homeostasis. Increasing evidence suggests that STC1 is involved
      in carcinogenesis; however, few studies have defined the mechanisms and
      functional roles of STC1 activity in prostate carcinogenesis. In the present
      study, MTT, flow cytometry and colony formation assays, and small interfering RNA
      (siRNA) and overexpression in multiple cell lines were used to investigate the
      function of STC1 in prostate carcinoma in vivo and in vivo. Knockdown of
      endogenous STC1 using a siRNA decreased the proliferation of DU145 and LNCaP2
      cells. These results were consistent with the changes in the protein levels of
      cyclin E1 and cyclin-dependent kinase 2. By contrast, increased expression of
      STC1 in RWPE-1 cells led to increased cell proliferation, suggesting that STC1
      promotes prostate carcinoma cell proliferation. In summary, the present study
      investigated the impact of STC1 on the proliferation and growth of prostate
      cancer in an effort to evaluate STC1 as a predictive biomarker and as a potential
      target for therapy.

PMID- 28350122
TI  - Berberine sensitizes nasopharyngeal carcinoma cells to radiation through
      inhibition of Sp1 and EMT.
AB  - Nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) is a tumor of epithelial origin with radiotherapy
      as its standard treatment. However, radioresistance remains a critical issue in
      the treatment of NPC. This study aimed to investigate the effect of berberine on
      the proliferation, cell cycle regulation, apoptosis, radioresistance of NPC cells
      and whether specificity protein 1 (Sp1) is a functional target of berberine. Our
      results showed that treatment with berberine reduced the proliferation and
      viability of CNE-2 cells in a dose- and time-dependent manner. Berberine induced
      cell cycle arrest in the G0/G1 phase and apoptosis. In CNE-2 cells exposed to
      gamma-ray irradiation, berberine reduced cell viability at various concentrations
      (25, 50, 75 and 100 umol/l). Berberine significantly decreased mRNA and protein
      expression of Sp1 in the CNE-2 cells. Mithramycin A, a selective Sp1 inhibitor,
      enhanced the radiosensitivity and the rate of apoptosis in the CNE-2 cells.
      Berberine inhibited transforming growth factor-beta (TGF-beta)-induced tumor
      invasion and suppressed epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT) process, as
      evidenced by increased E-cadherin and decreased vimentin proteins. Sp1 may be
      required for the TGF-beta1-induced invasion and EMT by berberine. In conclusion,
      berberine demonstrated the ability to suppress proliferation, induce cell cycle
      arrest and apoptosis, and enhance radiosensitivity of the CNE-2 NPC cells. Sp1
      may be a target of berberine which is decreased during the radiosensitization of
      berberine.

PMID- 28350123
TI  - Design, synthesis and pharmaco-toxicological assessment of 5-mercapto-1,2,4
      triazole derivatives with antibacterial and antiproliferative activity.
AB  - The extensive biochemical research of multiple types of cancer has revealed
      important enzymatic signaling pathways responsible for tumor occurrence and
      progression, thus compelling the need for the discovery of new means with which
      to block these signaling cascades. The phosphoinositide 3-kinase/ protein kinase
      B (PI3K/AKT) pathway, which plays an important role in maintaining relevant
      cellular functions, exhibits various alterations in common human cancers, thus
      representing a suitable target in cancer treatment. Molecules bearing the 1,2,4
      triazole moiety are known to possess multiple biological activities, including
      anticancer activity. The current study used molecular docking in the design of 5
      mercapto-1,2,4-triazole derivatives with antiproliferative activity targeting the
      PI3K/AKT pathway. Three structures emerged as the result of this method, which
      indicated for these a highly favorable accommodation within the active binding
      site of PI3K protein, thus acting as potential PI3K inhibitors, and hence
      interfering with the above-mentioned pathway. The molecules were synthesized and
      their chemical structure was confirmed. The antiproliferative activity of these
      compounds was tested on 4 cancer cell lines (A375, B164A5, MDA-MB-231 and A549)
      and on normal human keratinocytes (HaCaT) by in vitro alamarBlue assay. The 3
      compounds revealed antitumor activity against the breast cancer cell line (MDA-MB
      231) and reduced toxicity on the normal cell line. The antibacterial activity of
      the compounds was also tested in vitro on Gram-positive and Gram-negative
      bacterial strains, revealing moderate activity.

PMID- 28350126
TI  - G protein subunit alpha q regulates gastric cancer growth via the p53/p21 and
      MEK/ERK pathways.
AB  - Genetic alterations in G protein subunit alpha q (GNAQ) have been reported in
      numerous types of human cancer. However, the role of GNAQ in human gastric cancer
      (GC) has not been explored. In the present study, we found that GNAQ was highly
      expressed in GC patient samples and GNAQ expression was related to patient age,
      GC differentiation status and adjuvant therapy, as determined by
      immunohistochemical assay. Lentivirus delivery of short hairpin RNA (shRNA)
      targeting GNAQ was used to explore the function of GNAQ in GC cells. Silencing of
      GNAQ markedly suppressed proliferation and colony formation in GC cells, and
      arrested the cell cycle at the S phase. Mechanistic analysis revealed that
      knockdown of GNAQ significantly increased the expression of p53 and p21, and
      decreased cyclin A and p-CDK2 protein expression. Moreover, the phosphorylation
      of ERK and MEK was also decreased after knockdown of GNAQ as determined by
      western blotting assay. Overall, our results suggest that GNAQ plays a critical
      role in regulating GC cell growth and survival via canonical oncogenic signaling
      pathways including MAPK and p53, and therefore serves as a promising new
      therapeutic target in GC.

PMID- 28350128
TI  - Overexpression of miRNA-221 promotes cell proliferation by targeting the
      apoptotic protease activating factor-1 and indicates a poor prognosis in ovarian
      cancer.
AB  - MicroRNAs are a class of small non-coding, endogenous RNAs involved in cancer
      development and progression. MicroRNA-221 (mir-221) has been reported to have
      both an oncogenic and tumor-suppressive role in human tumors, but the role of miR
      221 in ovarian cancer is poorly understood. In the present study, the expression
      levels of miR-221 and the apoptosis protease activating factor 1 (APAF1) protein
      in 63 samples of ovarian cancer tissues and the cell lines, IOSE25, A2780,
      OVCAR3, SKOV3 and 3AO were detected by quantitative reverse-transcription
      polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) and western blot analysis, respectively. Cell
      proliferation was measured using cell counting kit-8 (CCK-8); cell migration and
      invasion were detected using a transwell assay; cell apoptosis was evaluated by
      flow cytometry and hoechst staining, and a luciferase assay was performed to
      verify a putative target site of miR-221 in the 3'-UTR of APAF1 mRNA. Expression
      of miR-221 was upregulated in ovarian cancer tissues. Patients with increased miR
      221 expression levels had a reduced disease-free survival (P=0.0014) and overall
      survival (P=0.0058) compared with those with low miR-221 expression. Transfection
      of SKOV3 and A2780 cell lines with miR-221 inhibitor induced APAF1 protein
      expression, suppressed cell proliferation and migration and promoted tumor cell
      apoptosis. In conclusion, the APAF1 gene was confirmed as a direct target of miR
      221 and overexpression of APAF1 suppressed ovarian cancer cell proliferation and
      induced cell apoptosis in vitro. These findings indicate that miR-221-APAF1
      should be studied further as a potential new diagnostic or prognostic biomarker
      for ovarian cancer.

PMID- 28350129
TI  - Apoptosis is augmented in high-grade serous ovarian cancer by the combined
      inhibition of Bcl-2/Bcl-xL and PARP.
AB  - The aim of our study was to evaluate possible synergistic cytotoxic effects of
      the combination treatment with the BH3-mimetic ABT-263 and the PARP inhibitor BMN
      673 in high-grade serous ovarian cancer (HGSOC) cells using clinically achievable
      concentrations of each drug. In vitro cytotoxic effects of ABT-263 and BMN 673
      were assessed by XTT assay in three HGSOC cell lines: OVCAR3, OVCAR8, and OV90
      cells. Combination index values and synergy/antagonism volumes were used to
      determine synergy. The drug effects on DNA damage accumulation, cell cycle
      progression, apoptosis induction, and expression levels of Bcl-2 family proteins
      were examined to dissect molecular mechanisms. The combination treatment
      synergistically decreased cell viability in a concentration- and time-dependent
      manner in all cell lines; combination index values were <0.9 and
      synergy/antagonism volumes were >100 after 72 h of treatment. Clinically
      achievable concentrations of ABT-263 2 uM and BMN 673 25 nM were used to
      investigate mechanisms. No increase in gamma-H2AX foci formation was observed
      with addition of ABT-263 to BMN 673 treatment. The combination treatment
      increased the sub-G1 and Annexin V-positive cell populations after 48 h compared
      with the control and each monotherapy. It also induced greater caspase-3/7
      activity and PARP cleavage. ABT-263 alone and in combination with BMN 673 induced
      expression levels of Bim, a pro-apoptotic protein. In conclusion, the ABT-263 and
      BMN 673 combination resulted in synergistic cytotoxic effects against HGSOC cells
      through greater induction of apoptosis. This may be a novel therapeutic strategy
      for HGSOC.

PMID- 28350132
TI  - A new facet of NDRG1 in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma: Suppression of
      glycolytic metabolism.
AB  - N-myc downstream-regulated gene 1 (NDRG1) is known as tumor/metastasis suppressor
      in a variety of cancers including pancreas, being involved in angiogenesis,
      cancer growth and metastasis. However, the precise molecular mechanism how NDRG1
      exerts its inhibitory function in pancreatic cancer remains unclear. In this
      investigation, we demonstrated that K-Ras plays a vital role in modulating NDRG1
      protein level in PDAC cancer cells in vitro, which is mediated through ERK
      signaling. Noteworthy, K-Ras downstream Akt/mTOR signaling is inhibited upon
      NDRG1 overexpression, resulting in decease of HIF1alpha level. Moreover, NDRG1
      has a unique role in modulating cancer metabolism of pancreatic ductal
      adenocarcinoma (PDAC). The mechanism accounting for NDRG1 in modulating aerobic
      glycolysis, at least partly, relied on its regulation of glycolysis genes
      including GLUT1, HK2, LDHA and PDK1. Additionally, NDRG1 is shown to suppress the
      activity of HIF1alpha, which is responsible for regulation of glycolysis enzymes.
      The current study is the first to elucidate a unique facet of the potent
      tumor/metastasis suppressor NDRG1 in the regulation of PDAC glycolysis, leading
      to important insights into the mechanism by which NDRG1 exert inhibitory function
      in PDAC.

PMID- 28350133
TI  - Low shear stress-induced autophagy alleviates cell apoptosis in HUVECs.
AB  - Low shear stress (LSS) is a well-established risk factor resulting in endothelial
      apoptosis and atherosclerosis. Autophagy has been reported to be involved in the
      development of atherosclerosis. However, whether autophagy participates in LSS
      induced atherosclerosis remains unclear. The effect of autophagy and its
      association with apoptosis, in the development of atherosclerosis, remains
      controversial. Therefore, in the present study, the level and role of autophagy
      in human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) exposed to LSS was examined.
      The results revealed that LSS increased the formation of autophagosomes and MAP1
      light chain 3-like protein (LC3) puncta (as demonstrated by transmission electron
      microscopy and immunofluorescence), and the protein levels of Beclin-1 and LC3II
      decreased the expression of p62 [as revealed by western blot analysis (WB)].
      Furthermore, the level of p62 decreased when autophagy was induced by rapamycin,
      and increased when autophagy was inhibited by chloroquine (CQ), which indicated
      that LSS may serve an important role in inducing autophagy flux. In addition, it
      was observed that HUVECs treated with LSS underwent apoptotic death, by
      monitoring the rate of apoptosis and the expression of apoptosis regulator BAX
      (Bax) and apoptosis regulator Bcl-2 (Bcl-2) (by flow cytometry and WB) and the
      LSS-induced apoptosis in HUVECs, that was significantly alleviated by
      pretreatment with rapamycin, partially via a decrease in the level of Bax and an
      increase in the level of Bcl-2. Pretreatment of HUVECs with CQ markedly increased
      LSS-induced apoptosis, which was associated with an increased expression of Bax
      and a decreased expression of Bcl-2. In conclusion, the results of the present
      study indicate that LSS increases the level of autophagy, which may be through a
      Bcl-2/Beclin-1-dependent mechanism, which serves a protective role against LSS
      induced apoptosis.

PMID- 28350134
TI  - MicroRNA-455-3p functions as a tumor suppressor by targeting eIF4E in prostate
      cancer.
AB  - MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are strongly implicated in various cancers, including prostate
      cancer. Recently, microRNA-455-3p (miR-455-3p) has been shown to be aberrantly
      expressed in many tumor tissues, but its functions in tumorigenesis remain
      unknown. In this study, we investigated the role of miR-455-3p in prostate
      cancer. We found that miR-455-3p is markedly downregulated in prostate cancer
      cell lines and clinical tumor specimens. Gain-of-function and loss-of-function
      studies showed that miR-455-3p promotes prostate cancer cell growth both in vitro
      and in vivo. Bioinformatics analysis and Luciferase reporter assays demonstrated
      that miR-455-3p directly targets and suppresses eIF4E, the rate-limiting factor
      for cap-dependent translation, which plays important roles in the initiation and
      progression of prostate cancers. Further studies demonstrated that miR-455-3p
      inhibits cap-dependent translation and the proliferation of prostate cancer cells
      through targeting eIF4E. Taken together, our findings suggest that miR-455-3p
      functions as a tumor suppressor by directly targeting eIF4E in prostate
      carcinogenesis and may be used as a potential target for therapeutic intervention
      in prostate cancer.

PMID- 28350136
TI  - All-trans retinoic acid restored the osteogenic ability of BMP9 in osteosarcoma
      through the p38 MAPK pathway.
AB  - Osteosarcoma (OS) is the most common malignant bone tumour and is considered to
      be a disease caused by a dysfunction in differentiation. Bone morphogenetic
      protein 9 (BMP9) is the most potent osteogenic factor in mesenchymal stem cells,
      but it cannot induce osteogenic differentiation in OS cells; this might be one of
      the determinants in the pathogenesis of OS. All-trans retinoic acid (ATRA) can
      induce osteogenic differentiation of OS cells and potentiate BMP9-induced
      osteogenesis in preadipocytes. However, the concomitant effect of ATRA and BMP9
      in OS cells is unclear; therefore, in the present study, we focused on this
      topic. The results showed that BMP9 significantly promoted the proliferation of
      human OS 143B cells and did not induce osteogenic differentiation of cells in
      vitro (p<0.01). ATRA inhibited proliferation and induced osteogenesis in 143B
      cells; these effects could be enhanced by BMP9 overexpression (p<0.05). ATRA
      could significantly increase the level of phosphorylated p38 MAPK (p-p38) in 143B
      cells, while BMP9 did not have any significant effect. Notably, BMP9
      overexpression enhanced the ability of ATRA to increase the levels of p-p38. Both
      the osteogenic differentiation and the anti-proliferative activity of BMP9 in the
      presence of ATRA decreased upon treatment with a specific inhibitor of p38 MAPK
      (SB203580) (p<0.01). This study indicates that the osteogenic differentiation
      ability of BMP9 in 143B cells can be restored by ATRA, and the combination of
      BMP9 and ATRA generated a stronger anti-proliferative effect on 143B cells than
      ATRA alone. This result may be due to the activation of the p38 MAPK pathway.

PMID- 28350135
TI  - A systematic review of arterial stiffness, wave reflection and air pollution.
AB  - Arterial stiffening is associated with increased cardiovascular risk. Whether
      exposure to relatively high levels of air pollution is associated with arterial
      stiffening is unclear. We aimed to assess the association between exposure to
      major air pollutants and arterial stiffening. PubMed, SCOPUS and Web of Science
      databases (through 31 January 2017) were searched using a combination of terms
      related to exposure to gaseous [nitrogen dioxide (NO2), nitrogen oxides (NOx) and
      sulphur dioxide (SO2)] or particulate matter pollutants (PM2.5, PM10 and PM10
      2.5), arterial stiffness (pulse wave velocity) and reflected waves (augmentation
      index, augmentation pressure). Pertinent information were extracted from selected
      studies. In this systematic review were included 8 studies with available data on
      air pollution and arterial stiffness/reflected waves parameters (8 studies
      explored the effects of exposure to particulate matter pollutants, 3 studies the
      effects of exposure to gaseous pollutants); seven of them reported increased
      arterial stiffness/reflected waves after exposure to air pollution (6 of 8
      studies after particulate matter pollutants; 2 of 3 studies after gaseous
      pollutants). Arterial stiffness and reflected waves were increased in the
      majority of the studies after both short- and long-term exposure to air
      pollutants. In conclusion, available evidence supports an association of main air
      pollutants with increased arterial stiffness and reflected waves. This finding
      may have implications for population-based strategies for the reduction of
      arterial stiffness, a vascular biomarker and an intermediate endpoint for
      cardiovascular disease.

PMID- 28350137
TI  - Current status and future perspectives on treatment of liver metastasis in
      colorectal cancer (Review).
AB  - Liver metastasis is the most common site of colorectal cancer (CRC) metastasis.
      Approximately half of all colorectal cancer patients will develop liver
      metastases. Although radical surgery is the standard treatment modality, only 10
      20% of patients are deemed eligible for resection. Despite advances in survival
      with chemotherapy, surgical resection is still considered the only curative
      option for patients with liver metastases. Much effort has been expended to
      address patients with metastatic liver disease. The majority of evidence stated a
      significant survival benefit with surgical resection to reach an overall 5-year
      survival rate of 35-55% after hepatic resection. However, still majority of
      patients will experience disease recurrence even after a successful resection. In
      this review, we describe current status and controversies related to treatment
      options for CRC liver metastases and its potential for enhancing oncologic
      outcomes and improving quality of life.

PMID- 28350138
TI  - miR-15b inhibits cancer-initiating cell phenotypes and chemoresistance of
      cisplatin by targeting TRIM14 in oral tongue squamous cell cancer.
AB  - Oral tongue squamous cell carcinoma (TSCC) is one of the most lethal cancers
      within the oral cavity and its prognosis remains dismal due to the paucity of
      effective therapeutic targets. The formation of cancer-initiating cells (CICs)
      and epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) are pivotal events involved in the
      dismal prognosis. They have been shown to be related to the resistance to
      cisplatin treatment. In the present study, we showed that TRIM14 induced
      formation of cancer-initiating cells and EMT in TSCC SCC25 cells. Its
      overexpression promoted cisplatin resistance in the SCC25 cells. We found that
      overexpression of miR-15b suppressed TRIM14 and inhibited CIC phenotypes in the
      SCC25 cells. Moreover, overexpression of miR-15b promoted mesenchymal-epithelial
      transition (MET) in the SCC25 cells and sensitized cisplatin-resistant SCC25
      (SCC25-res) cells to cisplatin. Thus, we conclude that miR-15b inhibited cancer
      stem cell phenotypes and its restoration reversed the chemoresistance of
      cisplatin by targeting TRIM14 in TSCC. Elucidating the molecular mechanism of EMT
      and cancer stem cells in TSCC may further aid in the understanding of the
      pathogenesis and progression of the disease, and offer novel targets for the
      discovery of new drugs.

PMID- 28350139
TI  - Upregulation of miR-137 reverses sorafenib resistance and cancer-initiating cell
      phenotypes by degrading ANT2 in hepatocellular carcinoma.
AB  - Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is one of the most common malignancies worldwide.
      More than 80% of patients with HCC are not good candidates for curative surgical
      resection due to advanced liver cirrhosis caused by underlying chronic hepatitis
      virus (B or C) infection. Sorafenib, an oral multikinase inhibitor, is the only
      approved agent for the treatment of advanced HCC. Although, sorafenib currently
      sets the new standard for advanced HCC treatment, tumor response rates are
      usually quite low. An understanding of the underlying mechanisms for sorafenib
      resistance is critical. In the present study, we found that adenine nucleotide
      translocator 2 (ANT2) was upregulated in sorafenib-resistant HCC Huh7 cells (Huh7
      R) and its overexpression promoted sorafenib resistance. ANT2 induced the
      formation of cancer-initiating cell (CIC) phenotypes and promoted metastasis
      associated traits in the Huh7 cells. Silencing of miR-137 upregulated ANT2
      protein expression in the Huh7 cells. miR-137 was downregulated in the Huh7-R
      cells, compared with that in the Huh7 cells and its restoration reversed
      sorafenib resistance in the Huh7-R cells. Restoration of miR-137 inhibited
      formation of CIC traits and attenuated the abilities of migration and invasion in
      the Huh7-R cells. Moreover, we demonstrated that high-intensity focused
      ultrasound (HIFU) in unresectable HCC upregulated serum miR-137. Combining HIFU
      and sorafenib may be a wise option for advanced and unresectable HCC.

PMID- 28350140
TI  - [Radicalisation, terrorism and psychiatry: an alternative truth?]

PMID- 28350141
TI  - [Suicidal behaviour and attempted suicide occurring during assessment by the
      outreach psychiatric emergency service].
AB  - BACKGROUND: The outreach emergency psychiatric service plays an important role in
      recognising, arranging interventions and preventing suicide and suicidal
      behaviour. However, little is known about the assessments that members of the
      emergency team make when faced with patients showing suicidal behaviour.<br/>
      AIM: To describe the relationships that are revealed between patient
      characteristics, suicidal thoughts and attempted suicide during assessments made
      by the emergency psychiatric service in The Hague.<br/> METHOD: The emergency
      service kept a detailed record of 14,705 consultations. We compared the
      characteristics of patients who had suicidal thoughts with those of patients who
      had no such thoughts and we also compared the characteristics of patients who had
      attempted to commit suicide with those of patients who had not. We drew these
      comparisons by using logistic regression models, adjusting for clustering.<br/>
      RESULTS: 32.2% of the patients showed signs of suicidal behaviour and 9.2 %
      appeared likely to attempt suicide. Suicidal behaviour occurred most often in
      patients with depression. Suicidal patients were more often admitted to hospital
      than were non-suicidal patients and they were more likely to have been referred
      by a general practitioner or a general hospital. Medication was the most frequent
      means employed in attempts to commit suicide.<br/> CONCLUSION: In about one third
      of the consultations of the outreach emergency psychiatric service, the patient
      showed suicidal behaviour. The actions and the policy of the emergency
      psychiatric service with regard to suicidal behaviour were diverse and dependent
      on factors that could change over the course of time.

PMID- 28350142
TI  - [Comorbidity on axis I and treatment outcome].
AB  - BACKGROUND: Clinical practice shows that patients with complicated
      psychopathology are more difficult to treat than those with simple
      psychopathology. Comorbidity may be the complicating factor involved here. The
      prognostic value that comorbidity on axis I has on treatment outcome may be
      relevant for establishing the treatment plan for a patient and may also be
      relevant for the evaluation of aggregated treatment outcomes achieved by
      clinicians, treatment teams or institutes.<br/> AIM: To investigate whether
      comorbidity on axis I can explain disappointing results and whether we should
      correct for comorbidity when comparing the aggregated treatment results achieved
      by clinicians, treatment teams or institutes.<br/> METHOD: Our observational
      study involved a large group of patients (n = 25,651). Outcome data for a
      subgroup of patients (n = 7754) were available. Comorbidity in this subgroup was
      established by means of a structured diagnostic interview (MINI-Plus) performed
      by trained research nurses.<br/> RESULTS: Comorbidity appeared to have some
      association with the treatment outcome, but the severity of symptoms seemed to be
      a much more powerful predictor of treatment outcome.<br/> CONCLUSION: After
      correcting for baseline severity, we found that comorbidity had very little
      prognostic value as far as the treatment outcome was concerned.

PMID- 28350143
TI  - [Assessment of guideline adherence and quality of care with routine outcome
      monitoring data].
AB  - BACKGROUND: Treatment guidelines are widely used nowadays but it is not really
      clear whether or to what extent patients in routine care benefit from these
      guidelines. <br/> AIM: To achieve a twofold objective: to measure in a routine
      clinical setting, the overall level of adherence to clinical guidelines by using
      a set of process indicators that are independent of the disorder under study, and
      to measure the clinical and psychosocial correlates of adherence among
      outpatients suffering from mood, anxiety and somatoform disorders.<br/> METHOD:
      We developed a set of quality indicators and tested the set over a period of
      three years in a randomly selected sample of 300 outpatients who were about to
      receive treatment for a mood, anxiety and somatoform disorder. We used routine
      outcome monitoring (ROM) data to determine risk factors for non-adherence and to
      identify patients whose treatment outcomes were likely poor.<br/> RESULTS: A high
      percentage of indicators were positive, indicating that many elements of
      treatment in this routine clinical practice had been carried out according to the
      guidelines. We observed that the combined treatment group showed significantly
      lower adherence than the two other treatment groups. Low-adherence was predicted
      independently by a low score on the vitality subscale of the SF-36. No
      significant differences relating to the degree of adherence were found in socio
      demographic variables, comorbidity and the scores on the BSI subscales. Predictor
      indicators for poor treatment outcome included higher age, a comorbid axis I
      diagnosis, a number of dysfunctional personality traits and a (reported) poor
      general health status.<br/> CONCLUSION: It is possible to assess guideline
      adherence by means of our set of process indicators that were independent of all
      type of disorder involved. Most factors hampering adherence could be identified.
      An understanding of the factors that affect treatment adherence to treatment
      guidelines may help to prevent non-adherence and can contribute to both the
      quality and the cost-effectiveness of care.

PMID- 28350145
TI  - [Clotiapine in the treatment of acutely agitated patients: hardly any evidence].
AB  - BACKGROUND: In Flemish emergency psychiatry, clotiapine is still one of the
      options available for the treatment of agitation. However, there is a lack of
      evidence concerning the efficacy of this practice.<br/> AIM: To find out whether
      there is sufficient evidence to justify the continued use of clotiapine in the
      treatment of agitation.<br/> METHOD: On searching the literature systematically,
      we identified controlled trials of clotiapine.<br/> RESULTS: The efficacy and
      safety of clotiapine were studied in two randomised controlled trials. Clotiapine
      (administered intramuscularly) was compared with zuclopenthixol acetate and
      lorazepam. Clotiapine was found to be just as efficient as the control
      treatments, causing fewer anticholinergic side-effects than zuclopenthixol but
      more extrapyramidal side-effects than lorazepam. The study population comprised
      only 102 patients, 51 of whom were treated with clotiapine. Because the quality
      of the reported data was low, straightforward conclusions were difficult to
      draw.<br/> CONCLUSION: Scientific evidence to support the use of clotiapine in
      the treatment of agitation ranges from meagre to practically non-existent. Since
      alternative treatment options are available, the contained use of clotiapine
      should be questioned.

PMID- 28350144
TI  - [Clinical staging and early intervention for borderline personality disorder].
AB  - BACKGROUND: Within the accumulating evidence for a life span perspective on
      borderline personality disorder (BPD), the key factor is a developmental
      perspective.<br/> AIM: To demonstrate that the lessons learnt from early
      intervention in somatic medicine and psychosis should be used to improve the
      diagnosis and treatment of BPD.<br/> METHOD: We describe the rationale for early
      detection and intervention and present a staging model which can serve as a
      guideline for the development and selection of interventions for BPD.<br/>
      RESULTS: There is increasing evidence that BPD first manifests itself in
      adolescence and that BPD symptoms can already be distinguished from normative
      adolescent development. BPD tends to develop gradually and to have a progressive,
      social and professional impact. Inadequate treatment can lead to iatrogenic
      damage, whereas adequate treatment shows promising results in adolescents with
      emerging BPD. These findings may underpin an early intervention paradigm for
      BPD.<br/> CONCLUSION: Early intervention and clinical staging can improve the
      assessment and treatment of severe forms of psychopathology, such as BPD. This
      has implications for research, mental health care policy and society.

PMID- 28350147
TI  - [Reaction on 'Hypernatremia caused by treatment with GHB obtained via a doctor's
      prescription'].

PMID- 28350146
TI  - [A girl with self-harm treated with N-acetylcysteine (NAC)].
AB  - Deliberate and recurrent self-harm could be regarded as addictive behaviour that
      can be treated with medication. In addiction, the dopaminergic mesolimbic reward
      system is activated. Pain caused by cutting stimulates the reward system through
      the opioid system. Glutamatergic neurotransmission follows the same pathway and
      plays a role in addiction as well. In this case-study a 17-year-old girl was
      successfully treated with N-acetylcysteine (nac) in order to reduce the frequency
      of self-cutting. In addition, in this case nac reduced the symptoms of attention
      deficit/hyperactivity disorder and depression. nac modulates the glutamatergic
      neurotransmission. This article provides possible explanations for the effect of
      nac in this case.

PMID- 28350148
TI  - [Assisted suicide/euthanasia: a thorn in the eye of the APA?]

PMID- 28350150
TI  - [Burn-out, commitment, personality and experiences during work and training;
      survey among psychiatry residents].
AB  - BACKGROUND: In the last few years international studies have reported on increase
      in burn-out and depressive symptoms among psychiatry residents. In the field of
      research, however, commitment and dedication are now being mentioned more
      frequently as positive factors that counterbalance burn-out. AIM: To find out how
      a group of Dutch psychiatry residents feel about their work, to discover their
      degree of burn-out and commitment and to clarify the various factors involved.
      METHOD: 59 psychiatry residents from four teaching hospitals were asked to
      complete questionnaires concerning burn-out (U-BOS-C), commitment (UWES-15) and
      personality (BFI-NL). Respondents were also asked to describe how they felt about
      their experiences during their work and to give their views on the instruction
      and training they were receiving. RESULTS: In the U-BOS-C section only four
      trainees (almost 7%) met the criteria for burn-out. In the BFI-NL section the
      psychiatry residents obtained significantly lower scores on neuroticism and
      higher scores on empathy than did a comparable norm group of a similar age. The
      scores of the psychiatry residents indicated that the term 'being proud of your
      work' was significantly related to a feeling of commitment and particularly to
      all subscales that reflected commitment. CONCLUSION: In our study the percentage
      of psychiatry residents with burn-out is significantly lower than the percentage
      reported elsewhere in the literature. In fact, our results demonstrate that the
      psychiatry residents who were the subject of our study regarded themselves as
      being emotionally stable, friendly and committed to their work.

PMID- 28350149
TI  - [The bidirectional relationship between physical activity and sleep in depressed
      versus non-depressed individuals].
AB  - BACKGROUND: Sleep and physical activity are related, but the direction of this
      relationship is unclear and it is not known whether the direction differs in
      depressed and non-depressed persons. AIM: To study the bidirectional relationship
      between physical activity and sleep in daily life by making repeated measurements
      in depressed and non-depressed people. METHOD: Every day for 30 consecutive days
      each depressed (N = 27) and non-depressed (N = 27) participant in our study had
      to complete an electronic questionnaire relating to subjective sleep quality and
      sleep duration and were required to wear an accelerometer that recorded physical
      activity. RESULTS: Multi-level analysis showed that an increase in subjective
      sleep duration resulted in a decrease in physical activity. The differences
      between individuals with regard to the direction and strength of this
      relationship were significant. Changes in physical activity did not predict
      changes in sleep quality or sleep duration. We did not find any differences in
      the relationships for depressed and non-depressed participants. CONCLUSION:
      Change in sleep duration predicts change in physical activity, although there was
      significant heterogeneity in the results for individuals. Our findings underline
      the importance of further research and of the development of interventions that
      are tailored to the precise needs of the individual patient.

PMID- 28350151
TI  - [The relationship between posttraumatic stress disorder and metabolic syndrome:
      an overview].
AB  - BACKGROUND: In this article we discuss the relationship between posttraumatic
      stress disorder (PTSD) and metabolic syndrome (MbS). AIM: To assess the
      prevalence of MbS in patients with PTSD, establish which factors are involved and
      to consider what the implications are for clinical practice. METHOD: We performed
      a systematic search of the literature, using Medline, Embase Psychiatry and
      PsycINFO covering the period January 1990 up to and including October 2014.
      RESULTS: We found 12 studies including one meta-analysis which showed large
      variations in the prevalence of MbS in patients with PTSD; these variations
      ranged between 7.7% to 73.0%. The PTSD and its severity as well as the comorbid
      depression and the use of antipsychotics all played a role in the wide
      discrepancies of the results. Furthermore, the reported results seem to indicate
      that many methodologies were used in these studies. The reasons for the large
      differences found in the prevalence of MbS in PTSD patients are complex: the
      variations are probably due mainly to the different methodologies that were used.
      The prevalence of MbS which stood out in a positive sense varied between 31.9%
      and 47.8%. CONCLUSION: To obtain greater clarity, more quantitative and
      descriptive studies are needed, in which the screening is performed on a PTSD
      subgroup with severe PTSD, a severe comorbid depression and/or antipsychotic use.
      The studies should use method control for diagnoses of PTSD, depression, severity
      of both and of MbS.

PMID- 28350152
TI  - [An ethical reflection on outreaching mental health care].
AB  - BACKGROUND: Care providers have a conflicting societal role: on the one hand they
      must respect the autonomy of individuals with psychiatric problems, but on the
      other hand they often feel the need to offer these individuals outreaching care.
      AIM: To compile an ethical reflection on some of the ways in which outreaching
      mental health care interventions can be provided in a responsible manner. METHOD:
      This ethical reflection is based on an ethical advice by the Ethics committee for
      Mental Health Care of the Brothers of Charity in Flanders. The method combines
      ethical discussion and a study of the relevant literature. RESULTS: A good
      starting point is a relational view of the human being that emphasises
      connectedness and involvement. Consequently, the care provider begins to
      intervene in the care programme by building a trusting relationship with the
      person with psychiatric problems. This is how these persons, their close family
      and friends and care providers exercise their responsibility. There is a
      gradation of responsibility that extends in a continuous line: personal
      responsibility develops into shared responsibility which can then become
      vicarious responsibility. On that basis there is also a gradation in the nature
      of outreaching care; the care providers first make themselves available and give
      information, then provide advice, negotiate, persuade, increase pressure, and
      finally take over and force the person with psychiatric problems. CONCLUSION: The
      care providers choose in dialogue and in a considered and consistent way for the
      appropriate form of outreaching care, in line with the degree of responsibility
      that the person with psychiatric problems can assume.

PMID- 28350153
TI  - [Smoking policy in mental health care].
AB  - BACKGROUND: People with mental illnesses tend to smoke more often and more
      heavily than other members of the public and their addiction to tobacco also has
      harmful effects on their physical health. So far, however, limited priority was
      given to smoking cessation in mental health care settings. AIM: To provide
      insight into the formal and informal smoking policies of Dutch mental health care
      organisations and into the nature and extent of the smoking cessation support
      they offer, and, additionally, to look at the opportunities for improvement in
      clinical settings. METHOD: Document research on formal policies of 61 mental
      health care facilities, interviews with workers directly involved (n = 10), and a
      survey on policy implementation among staff members of treatment facilities (n =
      600). RESULTS: One-third of the facilities did not have a formalised smoking
      policy document, and there was a marked difference between the smoking policies
      at the rest of the facilities. Treatment provision was limited, strongly
      dependent on the individual staff member, and was often not the most effective
      form of care (like medication). CONCLUSION: Many mental health patients really do
      want to give up smoking and often respond well to treatment. Psychiatrists play a
      key role in integrating and implementing an anti-smoking policy which will
      benefit their patients.

PMID- 28350154
TI  - [Wernicke encephalopathy and dry beriberi; late complications after bariatric
      surgery performed on a patient with a psychiatric history].
AB  - A 38-year-old woman was admitted in a psychiatric hospital because of memory
      disorders. Dry beriberi and Korsakoff's syndrome, as a late neuropsychiatric
      manifestation of Wernicke's encephalopathy, were established. The beriberi
      symptoms decreased slowly, but the patient's memory impairments persisted. These
      clinical features were caused by a thiamine deficiency. Gastric bypass surgery is
      associated with an increased risk of thiamine deficiency. Excessive alcohol
      consumption and poor compliance with vitamin deficiency treatment both
      contributed to the rapid onset of these disorders. The case we describe
      demonstrates how important it is that patients who have undergone bariatric
      surgery are prescribed the correct vitamin supplements and that the treatment is
      continued for an appropriate period of time; this treatment is particularly
      important in the case of patients who are also suffering from an comorbid alcohol
      related disorder.

PMID- 28350156
TI  - One-Pot Sintering Strategy for Efficient Fabrication of High-Performance and
      Multifunctional Graphene Foams.
AB  - Macroscopic three-dimensional (3D) graphene foams (GFs) were fabricated
      efficiently by immediately sintering low-temperature exfoliated graphene powder
      under inert atmosphere at the temperature over 500  degrees C. The one-pot
      sintering process not only integrated two-dimensional (2D) graphene sheets into
      3D GF, but also accelerated the structural integrity of graphene by inducing its
      deoxygenation and repairing the defects. More importantly, the whole process
      could be finished within hours, usually less than 12 h, and the resultant GFs
      with interconnected graphene framework as well as meso- and macroporous structure
      exhibited exceptional attenuating performance for high-frequency electromagnetic
      interference and adsorption capacities for organic pollutants. In comparison with
      conventional hydro/solvothermal, sol-gel chemistry, sol-freezing, and templating
      methods, our sintering strategy possesses more advantages in maneuverability,
      efficiency, and repeatability, benefiting for the mass production of high
      performance and multifunctional GFs.

PMID- 28350157
TI  - Luminescent Lanthanide-Based Organic/Inorganic Hybrid Materials for
      Discrimination of Glutathione in Solution and within Hydrogels.
AB  - Glutathione (GSH) as a biothiol is an essential peptide related to various
      diseases. Although multiple strategies for biothiols detection have been
      developed, there is increasing demand for sensors that can differentiate GSH from
      cysteine (Cys) and homocysteine (Hcy), owing to the similar structures and thiol
      groups in these amino acids. Herein, we report a novel Eu3+/LAPONITE (Lap)-based
      organic/inorganic hybrid material for selective detection of GSH via an "off-on"
      process. The fluorescence of Eu(DPA)3@Lap-Tris can be quenched by Cu2+ through
      photoinduced electron transfer (PET). The addition of GSH into the Eu(DPA)3@Lap
      Tris/Cu2+ system induces the removal of Cu2+ from Eu(DPA)3@Lap-Tris and blocks
      PET, resulting in the recovery of fluorescence. This proposed assay demonstrates
      higher selectivity toward GSH than Cys and Hcy, and showed a detection limit of
      162 nM within a linear range of 0.5-30 MUM. Unlike other GSH selective sensors,
      this platform could be formed into a hydrogel while its sensitivity was
      maintained. The sensitive response to GSH in serum samples makes this platform an
      efficient tool for biological applications because of its ease of preparation,
      high selectivity, good biocompatibility, and low toxicity.

PMID- 28350158
TI  - Oral Nanomedicine Based on Multicomponent Microemulsions for Drug-Resistant
      Breast Cancer Treatment.
AB  - The aim of this study is to demonstrate the enhanced therapeutic efficacy of
      anticancer drugs on drug-resistant breast cancer using multicomponent
      microemulsions (ECG-MEs) as an oral delivery system. The etoposide-loaded ECG-MEs
      were composed of coix seed oil and ginsenoside Rh2 (G-Rh2), both of which possess
      not only the synergistic antitumor effect with etoposide, but also have excipient
      like properties. Orally administrated ECG-MEs were demonstrated to be able to
      accumulate at the tumor site following crossing the intestines as intact vehicles
      into the blood circulation. The spatiotemporal controlled release characteristics
      of ECG-MEs brought about the efficient P-gp inhibition by the initially released
      G-Rh2 and the increased intracellular accumulation of the sequentially released
      etoposide. The combination antitumor activity of etoposide, G-Rh2 and coix seed
      oil using ECG-MEs was verified on the xenograft drug-resistant breast tumor mouse
      models. In addition, the safety evaluation studies indicated that treatment with
      ECG-MEs did not cause any significant toxicity in vivo. These findings suggest
      that ECG-MEs as an oral formulation may offer a promising strategy to treat the
      drug-resistant breast cancer.

PMID- 28350159
TI  - In Situ Control of Oxygen Vacancies in TaOx Thin Films via Plasma-Enhanced Atomic
      Layer Deposition for Resistive Switching Memory Applications.
AB  - The plasma-enhanced atomic layer deposition (PEALD) process using Ta(OC2H5)5 as a
      Ta precursor and plasma-activated hydrogen as a reactant for the deposition of
      TaOx films with a controllable concentration of oxygen vacancies (VO) is reported
      herein. The VO concentration control was achieved by varying the hydrogen volume
      fraction of the hydrogen-argon mixture in the plasma, allowing the control of the
      leakage current density in the tantalum oxide films within the range of 5 orders
      of magnitude compared with the Ta2O5 film grown via thermal ALD using the
      identical Ta precursor and H2O. Temperature-dependent current-voltage
      measurements combined with Poole-Frenkel emission modeling demonstrated that the
      bulk trap depth decreases with the increasing hydrogen volume fraction, which
      could be attributed to the increase of the VO concentration. The possible
      chemical change in the PEALD TaOx films grown under different hydrogen volume
      fractions was confirmed by the in situ X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS)
      measurements of the Ta 4f core and valence band spectra. The comparison of the
      XPS-measured nonstoichiometry and the secondary ion mass spectrometry analysis of
      the hydrogen content allowed this study to conclude that the nonstoichiometry is
      largely related to the formation of Ta-VO sites rather than of Ta-H sites. Such
      oxygen-deficient TaOx layers were studied for application as an oxygen-deficient
      layer in a resistance switching random access memory stack (Ta2O5/TaOx) where the
      actual switching occurred within the stoichiometric Ta2O5 layer. The bilayer
      memory stack showed reliable resistance switching up to ~106 switching cycles,
      whereas the single-layer Ta2O5 memory showed only several hundred switching
      cycles.

PMID- 28350160
TI  - Resource Competition Shapes the Response of Genetic Circuits.
AB  - A common approach to design genetic circuits is to compose gene expression
      cassettes together. While appealing, this modular approach is challenged by the
      fact that expression of each gene depends on the availability of
      transcriptional/translational resources, which is in turn determined by the
      presence of other genes in the circuit. This raises the question of how
      competition for resources by different genes affects a circuit's behavior. Here,
      we create a library of genetic activation cascades in E. coli bacteria, where we
      explicitly tune the resource demand by each gene. We develop a general Hill
      function-based model that incorporates resource competition effects through
      resource demand coefficients. These coefficients lead to nonregulatory
      interactions among genes that reshape the circuit's behavior. For the activation
      cascade, such interactions result in surprising biphasic or monotonically
      decreasing responses. Finally, we use resource demand coefficients to guide the
      choice of ribosome binding site and DNA copy number to restore the cascade's
      intended monotonically increasing response. Our results demonstrate how
      unintended circuit's behavior arises from resource competition and provide a
      model-guided methodology to minimize the resulting effects.

PMID- 28350161
TI  - Multiparametric Atomic Force Microscopy Imaging of Biomolecular and Cellular
      Systems.
AB  - There is a need in biochemical research for new tools that can image and
      manipulate biomolecular and cellular systems at the nanoscale. During the past
      decades, there has been tremendous progress in developing atomic force microscopy
      (AFM) techniques to analyze biosystems, down to the single-molecule level. Force
      distance (FD) curve-based AFM in particular has enabled researchers to map and
      quantify biophysical properties and biomolecular interactions on a wide variety
      of specimens. Despite its great potential, this AFM method has long been limited
      by its low spatial and temporal resolutions. Recently, novel FD-based
      multiparametric imaging modalities have been developed, allowing us to
      simultaneously image the structure, elasticity and interactions of biological
      samples at high spatiotemporal resolution. By oscillating the AFM tip, spatially
      resolved FD curves are obtained at much higher frequency than before, and as a
      result, samples are mapped at a speed similar to that of conventional topographic
      imaging. In this Account, we discuss the general principle of multiparametric AFM
      imaging and we provide a snapshot of recent studies showing how this new
      technology has been applied to biological specimens, from soluble proteins to
      membranes and cells. We emphasize novel methodologies that we recently developed,
      in which multiparametric imaging is combined with probes functionalized with
      chemical groups, ligands, or even live cells, in order to image and quantify
      receptor interaction forces and free-energy landscapes in a way not possible
      before. Key breakthroughs include observing the mechanical and chemical
      properties of single proteins in purple membranes, measuring the electrostatic
      potential of transmembrane pore forming proteins, structurally localizing
      chemical groups of water-soluble proteins, mapping and nanomechanical analysis of
      single sensors on yeast cells, imaging the sites of assembly and extrusion of
      single filamentous bacteriophages in living bacteria, unravelling the adhesive
      properties of biofilm-forming microbial pathogens, mapping the ligand-binding
      free energy landscape of human membrane receptors in proteoliposomes, and
      finally, the nanomechanical mapping of the first binding events of viruses to
      animal cells. In the coming years, it is anticipated that multiparametric AFM
      imaging will be increasingly used by chemists from broad horizons, enabling them
      to shed light into the sophisticated functions of biomolecular and cellular
      systems.

PMID- 28350162
TI  - In Vivo Recognition of Human Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor by Molecularly
      Imprinted Polymers.
AB  - One of the mechanisms responsible for cancer-induced increased blood supply in
      malignant neoplasms is the overexpression of vascular endothelial growth factor
      (VEGF). Several antibodies for VEGF targeting have been produced for both imaging
      and therapy. Molecularly imprinted polymer nanoparticles, nanoMIPs, however,
      offer significant advantages over antibodies, in particular in relation to
      improved stability, speed of design, cost and control over functionalization. In
      the present study, the successful production of nanoMIPs against human VEGF is
      reported for the first time. NanoMIPs were coupled with quantum dots (QDs) for
      cancer imaging. The composite nanoparticles exhibited specific homing toward
      human melanoma cell xenografts, overexpressing hVEGF, in zebrafish embryos. No
      evidence of this accumulation was observed in control organisms. These results
      indicate that nanoMIPs are promising materials which can be considered for
      advancing molecular oncological research, in particular when antibodies are less
      desirable due to their immunogenicity or long production time.

PMID- 28350163
TI  - Temperature-Dependent Partitioning of Coumarin 152 in Phosphatidylcholine Lipid
      Bilayers.
AB  - Partitioning of coumarin 152 (C152) in phosphatidylcholine vesicles was
      quantified using time-resolved fluorescence emission. Phospholipid vesicles were
      comprised of 1,2-dilauroyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine (12:0 DLPC), 1,2
      dimyristoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine (14:0 DMPC), and 1,2-dipalmitoyl-sn
      glycero-3-phosphocholine (16:0 DPPC). C152 fluorescence emission decays were fit
      to three lifetimes, corresponding to C152 solvated by the aqueous buffer,
      embedded in polar lipid headgroups, and surrounded by the nonpolar lipid membrane
      core. Partitioning was measured as a function of sample temperature and vesicle
      composition. C152 in all three lipid systems showed qualitatively similar
      partitioning behavior. Partitioning into a gel phase membrane was thermoneutral
      and slightly entropically favored. Partitioning of C152 near the lipid membrane
      headgroups was entropically driven and endothermic. Well above the melting
      temperature, exsolvation of C152 from the membrane back into the aqueous buffer
      was enthalpically driven but entropically unfavorable. Regardless of solution
      temperature, relatively little (<15%) C152 partitions into the hydrophobic core
      of the membrane. The magnitudes of the forces driving C152 partitioning
      systematically increased with alkyl chain length (DLPC < DMPC < DPPC).
      Differences in partitioning between the three vesicle systems are attributed to
      differences in surface area per lipid as membrane phase changes from the gel to
      liquid-crystalline state.

PMID- 28350164
TI  - Ring-Puckering Potential Energy Functions for Trimethylene Sulfide and Its
      Monovalent Cation.
AB  - The spectra and ring-puckering potential energy function for trimethylene sulfide
      cation (TMS+) from vacuum ultraviolet mass-analyzed threshold ionization spectra
      have recently been reported. To provide an in-depth comparison of the potential
      function with that of trimethylene sulfide (TMS) itself, we have used ab initio
      MP2/cc-pVTZ calculations and DFT B3LYP/cc-pVTZ calculations to predict the
      structures of both TMS and TMS+ and then used these to calculate coordinate
      dependent ring-puckering kinetic energy functions for both species. These kinetic
      energy functions allowed us to calculate refined potential energy functions of
      the puckering for both molecules based on the previously published spectra. TMS
      has an experimental barrier of 271 cm-1 and energy minima at ring-puckering
      angles of +/-29 degrees . For TMS+ the barrier is 60 cm-1 and the energy minima
      correspond to ring-puckering angles of +/-21 degrees . The lower barrier for the
      cation reflects the smaller amount of angle strain in the ring angles for TMS+.

PMID- 28350165
TI  - Determining Key Local Vibrations in the Relaxation of Molecular Spin Qubits and
      Single-Molecule Magnets.
AB  - To design molecular spin qubits and nanomagnets operating at high temperatures,
      there is an urgent need to understand the relationship between vibrations and
      spin relaxation processes. Herein we develop a simple first-principles
      methodology to determine the modulation that vibrations exert on spin energy
      levels. This methodology is applied to [Cu(mnt)2]2- (mnt2- = 1,2-dicyanoethylene
      1,2-dithiolate), a highly coherent complex. By theoretically identifying the most
      relevant vibrational modes, we are able to offer general strategies to chemically
      design more resilient magnetic molecules, where the energy of the spin states is
      not coupled to vibrations.

PMID- 28350166
TI  - IPPP-CLOPPA Analysis of the Influence of the Methylation on the Potential Energy
      and the Molecular Polarizability of the Hydrogen Bonds in the Cytosine-Guanine
      Base Pair.
AB  - The IPPP-CLOPPA method is applied to investigate the influence of a methyl group
      on the energy of the hydrogen bonds and the potential energy curve of the bridge
      protons in model compounds, which mimic the methylated and unmethylated cytosine
      guanine base pairs. On the same grounds, this influence on the polarizability of
      the intermolecular hydrogen bonds of these compounds is also addressed, in order
      to determine whether this linear response property provides a significant proof
      of the electronic mechanisms that affect the stabilization of the hydrogen bonds.
      Results obtained show that the methyl electronic system delocalizes on the
      hydrogen bond region, and changes of these intermolecular hydrogen bonds are due
      to this effect of delocalization.

PMID- 28350167
TI  - Accurate Classical Polarization Solution with No Self-Consistent Field
      Iterations.
AB  - We present a new solution for classical polarization that does not require any
      self-consistent field iterations, the aspect of classical polarization that makes
      it computationally expensive. The new method builds upon our iEL/SCF Lagrangian
      scheme that defines a set of auxiliary induced dipoles whose original purpose was
      to serve as a time-reversible initial guess to the SCF solution of the set of
      real induced dipoles. In the new iEL/0-SCF approach the auxiliary dipoles now
      drive the time evolution of the real induced dipoles such that they stay close to
      the Born-Oppenheimer surface in order to achieve a truly SCF-less method. We show
      that the iEL/0-SCF exhibits no loss of simulation accuracy when analyzed across
      bulk water, low to high concentration salt solutions, and small solutes to large
      proteins in water. In addition, iEL/0-SCF offers significant computational
      savings over more expensive SCF calculations based on traditional 1 fs time step
      integration using symplectic integrators and is as fast as reversible reference
      system propagator algorithms with an outer 2 fs time step.

PMID- 28350168
TI  - (+)-Thalianatriene and (-)-Retigeranin B Catalyzed by Sesterterpene Synthases
      from Arabidopsis thaliana.
AB  - Two GFPPS linked (+)-thalianatriene (1) and (-)-retigeranin B (2) sesterterpene
      synthase genes were identified from the genome of Arabidopsis thaliana. 1
      possesses an unprecedented 11-6-5 tricyclic ring system, while 2 contains a
      characteristic 5-5-5-6-5 pentacyclic ring system. Their structures were
      determined by extensive NMR spectroscopy, chemical derivatization, and X-ray
      crystallography. The variable-temp NMR measurement of 3, a diepoxy-bearing
      derivative of 1, enables us to completely assign the NMR signals of the two
      conformers as 3a (67%, UUU) and 3b (33%, UUD). A plausible biosynthesis mechanism
      of 1 was proposed.

PMID- 28350170
TI  - Relating Silica Scaling in Reverse Osmosis to Membrane Surface Properties.
AB  - We investigated the relationship between membrane surface properties and silica
      scaling in reverse osmosis (RO). The effects of membrane hydrophilicity, free
      energy for heterogeneous nucleation, and surface charge on silica scaling were
      examined by comparing thin-film composite polyamide membranes grafted with a
      variety of polymers. Results show that the rate of silica scaling was independent
      of both membrane hydrophilicity and free energy for heterogeneous nucleation. In
      contrast, membrane surface charge demonstrated a strong correlation with the
      extent of silica scaling (R2 > 0.95, p < 0.001). Positively charged membranes
      significantly facilitated silica scaling, whereas a more negative membrane
      surface charge led to reduced scaling. This observation suggests that deposition
      of negatively charged silica species on the membrane surface plays a critical
      role in silica scale formation. Our findings provide fundamental insights into
      the mechanisms governing silica scaling in reverse osmosis and highlight the
      potential of membrane surface modification as a strategy to reduce silica
      scaling.

PMID- 28350169
TI  - Simple, Direct Routes to Polymer Brush Traps and Nanostructures for Studies of
      Diffusional Transport in Supported Lipid Bilayers.
AB  - Patterned poly(oligo ethylene glycol) methyl ether methacrylate (POEGMEMA) brush
      structures may be formed by using a combination of atom-transfer radical
      polymerization (ATRP) and UV photopatterning. UV photolysis is used to
      selectively dechlorinate films of 4-(chloromethyl)phenyltrichlorosilane (CMPTS)
      adsorbed on silica surfaces, by exposure either through a mask or using a two
      beam interferometer. Exposure through a mask yields patterns of carboxylic acid
      terminated adsorbates. POEGMEMA may be grown from intact Cl initiators that were
      masked during exposure. Corrals, traps, and other structures formed in this way
      enable the patterning of proteins, vesicles, and, following vesicle rupture,
      supported lipid bilayers (SLBs). Bilayers adsorbed on the carboxylic acid
      terminated surfaces formed by C-Cl bond photolysis in CMPTS exhibit high
      mobility. SLBs do not form on POEGMEMA. Using traps consisting of carboxylic acid
      functionalized regions enclosed by POEGMEMA structures, electrophoresis may be
      observed in lipid bilayers containing a small amount of a fluorescent dye.
      Segregation of dye at one end of the traps was measured by fluorescence
      microscopy. The increase in the fluorescence intensity was found to be
      proportional to the trap length, while the time taken to reach the maximum value
      was inversely proportional to the trap length, indicating uniform, rapid
      diffusion in all of the traps. Nanostructured materials were formed using
      interferometric lithography. Channels were defined by exposure of CMPTS films to
      maxima in the interferogram, and POEGMEMA walls were formed by ATRP. As for the
      micrometer-scale patterns, bilayers did not form on the POEGMEMA structures, and
      high lipid mobilities were measured in the polymer-free regions of the channels.

PMID- 28350172
TI  - Benchmark Study of the Structural and Thermochemical Properties of a
      Dihydroazulene/Vinylheptafulvene Photoswitch.
AB  - We investigate the performance of four different density functional theory (DFT)
      functionals (M06-2X, omegaB97X-D, PBE0, and B3LYP-D3BJ) for calculating the
      structural and thermochemical properties of the dihydroazulene/vinylheptafulvene
      photoswitch (DHA/VHF). We find that all the tested DFT functionals yield
      equilibrium geometries in good agreement with higher level CCSD/cc-pVDZ
      calculations and that the basis set had little influence on the geometries of the
      photoswitch. We found a negligible difference in the thermal contribution to the
      Gibbs free energy between the tested functionals, indicating that the largest
      source of error when calculating storage free energies originates from errors in
      the calculated single point energies. It was found that omegaB97X-D and M06-2X
      performed decently for predicting storage energies. While B3LYP-D3BJ and PBE0
      generally underestimated the storage energy compared to CCSD(T)-F12a/VDZ-F12
      results. Therefore, we tested if domain based local pair natural orbital coupled
      cluster (DLPNO-CCSD(T)) provided an improvement over density functional theory
      methods for the single point energies. We observed that the DLPNO-CCSD(T) storage
      energies were in better agreement with CCSD(T)-F12a/VDZ-F12 results than the DFT
      results. The DLPNO-CCSD(T) results already converged at cc-pVTZ quality basis
      set, making it possible to perform accurate estimates of the thermochemical
      properties in a time frame that makes the DLPNO-CCSD(T) method feasible for
      routine calculations on the photoswitch. Using DLPNO-CCSD(T)/cc-pVTZ, we
      calculate accurate storage energies for currently synthesized derivatives of the
      DHA/VHF photoswitch.

PMID- 28350171
TI  - Stereochemistry of Endogenous Palmitic Acid Ester of 9-Hydroxystearic Acid and
      Relevance of Absolute Configuration to Regulation.
AB  - Lipids have fundamental roles in the structure, energetics, and signaling of
      cells and organisms. The recent discovery of fatty acid esters of hydroxy fatty
      acids (FAHFAs), lipids with potent antidiabetic and anti-inflammatory activities,
      indicates that our understanding of the composition of lipidome and the function
      of lipids is incomplete. The ability to synthesize and test FAHFAs was critical
      in elucidating the roles of these lipids, but these studies were performed with
      racemic mixtures, and the role of stereochemistry remains unexplored. Here, we
      synthesized the R- and S- palmitic acid ester of 9-hydroxystearic acid (R-9
      PAHSA, S-9-PAHSA). Access to highly enantioenriched PAHSAs enabled the
      development of a liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS) method to
      separate and quantify R- and S-9-PAHSA, and this approach identified R-9-PAHSA as
      the predominant stereoisomer that accumulates in adipose tissues from transgenic
      mice where FAHFAs were first discovered. Furthermore, biochemical analysis of 9
      PAHSA biosynthesis and degradation indicate that the enzymes and pathways for
      PAHSA production are stereospecific, with cell lines favoring the production of R
      9-PAHSA and carboxyl ester lipase (CEL), a PAHSA degradative enzyme, selectively
      hydrolyzing S-9-PAHSA. These studies highlight the role of stereochemistry in the
      production and degradation of PAHSAs and define the endogenous stereochemistry of
      9-PAHSA in adipose tissue. This information will be useful in the identification
      and characterization of the pathway responsible for PAHSA biosynthesis, and
      access to enantiopure PAHSAs will elucidate the role of stereochemistry in PAHSA
      activity and metabolism in vivo.

PMID- 28350173
TI  - Bovine Serum Albumin Adsorption at a Silica Surface Explored by Simulation and
      Experiment.
AB  - Molecular details of BSA adsorption on a silica surface are revealed by fully
      atomistic molecular dynamics (MD) simulations (with a 0.5 MUs trajectory),
      supported by dynamic light scattering (DLS), zeta potential, multiparametric
      surface plasmon resonance (MP-SPR), and contact angle experiments. The
      experimental and theoretical methods complement one another and lead to a wider
      understanding of the mechanism of BSA adsorption across a range of pH 3-9. The MD
      results show how the negatively charged BSA at pH7 adsorbs to the negatively
      charged silica surface, and reveal a unique orientation with preserved secondary
      and tertiary structure. The experiments then show that the protein forms complete
      monolayers at ~ pH6, just above the protein's isoelectric point (pH5.1). The
      surface contact angle is maximum when it is completely coated with protein, and
      the hydrophobicity of the surface is understood in terms of the simulated protein
      conformation. The adsorption behavior at higher pH > 6 is also consistently
      interpreted using the MD picture; both the contact angle and the adsorbed protein
      mass density decrease with increasing pH, in line with the increasing magnitude
      of negative charge on both the protein and the surface. At lower pH < 5 the
      protein starts to unfold, and the adsorbed mass dramatically decreases. The
      comprehensive picture that emerges for the formation of oriented protein films
      with preserved native conformation will help guide efforts to create functional
      films for new technologies.

PMID- 28350174
TI  - Complexation of Polyelectrolytes with Hydrophobic Drug Molecules in Salt-Free
      Solution: Theory and Simulations.
AB  - The delivery and dissolution of poorly soluble drugs is challenging in the
      pharmaceutical industry. One way to significantly improve the delivery efficiency
      is to incorporate these hydrophobic small molecules into a colloidal
      polyelectrolyes(PE)-drug complex in their ionized states. Despite its huge
      application value, the general mechanism of PE collapse and complex formation in
      this system has not been well understood. In this work, by combining a mean-field
      theory with extensive molecular simulations, we unveil the phase behaviors of the
      system under dilute and salt-free conditions. We find that the complexation is a
      first-order-like phase transition triggered by the hydrophobic attraction between
      the drug molecules. Importantly, the valence ratio between the drug molecule and
      PE monomer plays a crucial role in determining the stability and morphology of
      the complex. Moreover, the sign of the zeta potential and the net charge of the
      complex are found to be inverted as the hydrophobicity of the drug molecules
      increases. Both theory and simulation indicate that the complexation point and
      complex morphology and the electrostatic properties of the complex have a weak
      dependence on chain length. Finally, the dynamics aspect of PE-drug complexation
      is also explored, and it is found that the complex can be trapped into a
      nonequilibrium glasslike state when the hydropobicity of the drug molecule is too
      strong. Our work gives a clear physical picture behind the PE-drug complexation
      phenomenon and provides guidelines to fabricate the colloidal PE-drug complex
      with the desired physical characteristics.

PMID- 28350175
TI  - "The safety of sodium reduction in the food supply: A cross-discipline balancing
      act"-Workshop proceedings.
AB  - This workshop, jointly presented by the ILSI North America Technical Committees
      on Food Microbiology and Sodium, aimed to provide greater knowledge and
      appreciation of the opportunities and challenges facing the food industry in
      answering the public health community's call to reduce sodium levels in the food
      supply. One major challenge is finding effective substitutes for the various
      antimicrobial and functional roles that sodium plays across different food
      categories. Sodium plays a critical role in retarding the growth of pathogens and
      food spoilage bacteria. Moreover, taste is an important factor for consumers when
      they choose food products, and the flavor changes that occur when salt is reduced
      or replaced must be considered and ingredients and processes adjusted
      accordingly. The workshop provided a platform for a multidisciplinary discussion
      among the microbiology, food science, nutrition, and public health communities to
      share progress and propose solutions, including the formation of public-private
      partnerships, to develop coordinated and comprehensive strategies. This paper
      provides an overview of the issues raised, rather than a specific summary of
      workshop discussions. The Food and Drug Administration's Draft Guidance for
      Industry on voluntary sodium reduction and the 2015 US Dietary Guidelines for
      Americans were released subsequent to the workshop and are also discussed.

PMID- 28350176
TI  - Facial emotion recognition in patients with focal and diffuse axonal injury.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: Facial emotion recognition impairment has been well documented in
      patients with traumatic brain injury. Studies exploring the neural substrates
      involved in such deficits have implicated specific grey matter structures (e.g.
      orbitofrontal regions), as well as diffuse white matter damage. Our study aims to
      clarify whether different types of injuries (i.e. focal vs. diffuse) will lead to
      different types of impairments on facial emotion recognition tasks, as no study
      has directly compared these patients. METHODS: The present study examined
      performance and response patterns on a facial emotion recognition task in 14
      participants with diffuse axonal injury (DAI), 14 with focal injury (FI) and 22
      healthy controls. RESULTS: We found that, overall, participants with FI and DAI
      performed more poorly than controls on the facial emotion recognition task.
      Further, we observed comparable emotion recognition performance in participants
      with FI and DAI, despite differences in the nature and distribution of their
      lesions. However, the rating response pattern between the patient groups was
      different. CONCLUSION: This is the first study to show that pure DAI, without
      gross focal lesions, can independently lead to facial emotion recognition
      deficits and that rating patterns differ depending on the type and location of
      trauma.

PMID- 28350177
TI  - 'We have different routes for different reasons': Exploring the purpose of walks
      for carers of people with dementia.
AB  - This paper explores the purpose of walks for co-residing carers of people with
      dementia, using a social citizenship lens. The findings are based on the first
      phase of a study examining the everyday experiences of place, space, and
      neighbourhood of dementia carers. Using three forms of data collection - social
      network mapping, walking interviews, and participant-driven photography - the
      study brings forth information about why carers go on walks either alone or with
      the person with dementia. Carers explained that walks facilitate their
      connections with themselves, the person with dementia, their social environment,
      and their natural and built environment. In sum, walks provide a way of
      practicing and sustaining social citizenship. Carers' discourse about walks
      highlights their personal, everyday practices and strategies, as well as the
      larger tensions and contradictions of dementia care. The findings reinforce the
      need to bring into dialogue, from a carer perspective, a social citizenship model
      of dementia with the growing interest in dementia-friendly communities.

PMID- 28350178
TI  - Young adults' concerns and coping strategies related to their interactions with
      their grandparents and great-grandparents with dementia.
AB  - Young adults' concerns and coping strategies related to their face-to-face
      interactions with their grandparents/great-grandparents with dementia were
      explored through the lens of a solidarity-conflict conceptual framework.
      Participants indicated concerns about their inability to maintain the relational
      connection, not knowing what to say or how to behave, their lack of perspective
      taking skills and emotion-regulation strategies, interacting with an ever
      changing other, as well as concerns about other co-participants in the
      interaction. Participants' coping strategies were driven by two interaction
      motives: maintaining solidarity (e.g., desire to maintain and improve the
      interaction with the grandparent by seeking the other's company, loving the
      other, and maintaining the other's personhood) and dealing with conflict (e.g.,
      dealing with self-focused concerns about lack of skills and knowledge by engaging
      in substitute avenues for communication and down-regulating negative affect).
      Implications for improving interactions between young adults and their
      grandparents/great-grandparents with dementia are discussed.

PMID- 28350179
TI  - Safe and inclusive research practices for qualitative research involving people
      with dementia: A review of key issues and strategies.
AB  - Aim Developing strategies to ensure the safe participation of people with
      dementia in research is critical to support their wider inclusion in research and
      to advance knowledge in the areas of dementia policy and practice. Objectives
      This literature review synthesizes and critically appraises different approaches
      to promote the safe participation of people with dementia in qualitative
      research. Methods Two databases were searched for articles that discuss the
      methodological or ethical aspects of qualitative research involving people with
      dementia. We did not focus on informed consent or ethical review processes as
      these have been reviewed elsewhere. Findings Key issues that impact participant
      safety include: language, gatekeepers, the research relationship, communication,
      dealing with distress, knowledge dissemination, and researcher skills. Conclusion
      By synthesizing different approaches to safety and highlighting areas of debate,
      we hope to advance discussion and to contribute to the development of inclusive
      research methods.

PMID- 28350181
TI  - Effects of hemoglobin level on the early postsurgical cerebral metabolism in
      patients with severe traumatic brain injury.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: The study aims to explore the effects of different levels of
      haemoglobin (Hb) on early cerebral metabolism in patients with postoperative
      severe traumatic brain injury (TBI) . METHOD: Fifty-nine patients were randomly
      divided into catheter oxygen group and ventilator-assisted respiratory group.
      Each group was subsequently divided into three subgroups basing on different Hb
      level: Hb <= 70 g/L subgroup, 71 g/L <= Hb<=90 g/L subgroup and Hb >= 91 g/L
      subgroup. The blood samples from the femoral artery and the affected side
      internal jugular vein were, respectively, taken at the same time from the patient
      after postoperative 3 days. RESULTS: The incidence of anaemia after severe TBI
      operation was 88.14%. The VADL and cerebral glucose uptake (CMRglu) in both Hb <=
      70 g/L and 71 g/L <= Hb<=90 g/L patients of oxygen catheter group were less than
      that in Hb >= 91 g/L patients. In the ventilator-assisted breathing group, the
      VADL and CMRglu of 71 g/L <= Hb<=90 g/L patients and Hb >= 91 g/L patients were
      lower than those in Hb <= 70 g/L patients. The result from comparing the two 71
      g/L <= Hb <= 90 g/L subgroups showed that the brain metabolic indexs in the
      ventilator-assisted breathing group were better than those in the catheter oxygen
      group. CONCLUSIONS: In severe TBI postoperative patients, Hb<=90 g/L induced
      decrease in aerobic oxidation in brain tissue. Moreover, for the same Hb level of
      71 g/L <= Hb<=90 g/L, ventilator-assisted breathing significantly improved
      cerebral metabolism.

PMID- 28350180
TI  - Systematic literature review of efficacy, safety and tolerability outcomes of
      chemotherapy regimens in patients with metastatic Merkel cell carcinoma.
AB  - AIM: Merkel cell carcinoma (MCC) is a rare neuroendocrine, cutaneous malignancy
      with poor prognosis once metastasized. The aim of this study was to conduct a
      systematic literature review to assess clinical outcomes associated with
      chemotherapy regimens in metastatic MCC. MATERIALS & METHODS: Embase(r),
      MEDLINE(r), MEDLINE(r)-In-Process and CENTRAL were searched for studies published
      in January 2016. RESULTS & CONCLUSION: Overall, the literature on chemotherapy in
      patients with metastatic MCC is sparse, with most studies being case
      series/reports. Across all studies, response rates ranged from 20 to 61%, with
      higher response rates in first-line setting (53-61%) versus second-line setting
      (23-45%). Among responders, duration of response was short (<=8 months) in both
      first- and second-line settings. There is a need for novel agents that can induce
      durable responses in metastatic MCC.

PMID- 28350182
TI  - Towards Communicative Justice in Health.
AB  - This article approaches care from a different angle by looking ethnographically
      at how it is shaped by structural differences in the power to control the
      circulation of knowledge. I focus on an investigation conducted by people
      classified as "indigenous", of an epidemic that killed 38 children and young
      adults in a Venezuelan rainforest. I trace how health/communicative inequities
      structured clinical interactions, documents, epidemiological investigations, news
      stories, and dialogues with healers, thwarting the identification of the
      epidemic, clinically identified as rabies. Although the Bolivarian socialist
      government provided access to care, professionals denigrated parents'
      contributions to care and communication and reduced complex, unequal relations
      between languages to practical problems of translation. Pointing to parallels
      with US social movements, I suggest that responding to demands for communicative
      justice in health requires seeing how health inequities are entangled with
      health/communicative inequities. The typographical slash points to importance of
      challenging the subdisciplinary boundary-work that relegates their study to non
      overlapping conversations in medical and linguistic anthropology.

PMID- 28350183
TI  - Prevalence and Antimicrobial Susceptibility of Enterobacteriaceae Isolated from
      Retail Pepper in Vietnam.
AB  - To investigate the microbial quality of retail pepper in Vietnam, the enumeration
      and detection of Enterobacteriaceae and the screening of cefotaxime (CTX)
      resistant coliforms were performed by using 84 commercial samples. Although
      Enterobacteriaceae were isolated from 78 samples, the number of
      Enterobacteriaceae was lower than 1.0 log CFU/g in 46 samples. For the detection
      of Enterobacteriaceae with the International Organization for Standardization
      methods, Salmonella spp., Escherichia coli , Klebsiella pneumoniae , Cronobacter
      sakazakii , and Enterobacter cloacae complex were isolated from 5, 12, 36, 19,
      and 30 samples, respectively. During screening of CTX-resistant coliforms, K.
      pneumoniae , C. sakazakii , and E. cloacae complex were isolated from 8, 1, and
      21 samples, respectively. Seven K. pneumoniae and seven E. cloacae complex
      isolates obtained in the screening of CTX-resistant coliforms were resistant to
      at least one of the three third-generation cephalosporins (CTX, ceftazidime, and
      cefpodoxime). Moreover, one E. cloacae complex cluster IV and all K. pneumoniae
      isolates were positive for extended-spectrum beta-lactamase genes or plasmid
      mediated AmpC beta-lactamase genes or both. Additionally, two extended-spectrum
      beta-lactamase-producing K. pneumoniae isolates and one AmpC beta-lactamase
      producing E. cloacae complex cluster IV isolate were positive for the plasmid
      mediated quinolone resistance determinants and also had amino acid alterations in
      the quinolone resistance-determining regions of GyrA and ParC. Furthermore, 10 E.
      cloacae complex isolates were positive for the plasmid-mediated fosfomycin
      resistance gene fosA. As pepper is often consumed without a heating process, the
      possible spread to humans of foodborne, opportunistic, and nosocomial infection
      pathogens or resistance genes from foods prepared or seasoned with pepper cannot
      be excluded. Therefore, it is necessary to handle pepper by using hygienic
      conditions during the cultivation, harvesting and processing steps.

PMID- 28350184
TI  - Risk Assessment or Assessment of Risk? Developing an Evidence-Based Approach for
      Primary Producers of Leafy Vegetables To Assess and Manage Microbial Risks.
AB  - Over the last 10 years, some high-profile foodborne illness outbreaks have been
      linked to the consumption of leafy greens. Growers are required to complete
      microbiological risk assessments (RAs) for the production of leafy crops supplied
      either to retail or for further processing. These RAs are based primarily on
      qualitative judgements of hazard and risks at various stages in the production
      process but lack many of the steps defined for quantitative microbiological RAs
      by the Codex Alimentarius Commission. This article is based on the discussions of
      an industry expert group and proposes a grower RA approach based on a structured
      qualitative assessment, which requires all decisions to be based on evidence and
      a framework for describing the decision process that can be challenged and
      defended within the supply chain. In addition, this article highlights the need
      for evidence to be more easily available and accessible to primary producers and
      identifies the need to develop hygiene criteria to aid validation of proposed
      interventions.

PMID- 28350185
TI  - Brain contusion as the main risk factor of memory or emotional complaints in
      chronic complicated mild traumatic brain injury.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: To investigate the risk factors for memory or emotional complaints in
      patients with complicated mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI). METHODS:
      Retrospective analysis of medical records was conducted by physicians in a
      teaching hospital in Southern Taiwan, and complicated mTBI had been identified by
      means of computed tomography. Psychological complaints, including problems with
      memory and emotions, were collected by structured telephone interviews, 10-15
      minutes long, and were held with subjects who agreed to participate in our study.
      Among 327 patients who were injured for more than two years, 190 agreed to join
      this study (mean age: 41.6 years; male: 60.5%; stably employed: 50.0%). We used
      demographic data and neurological factors to predict memory or emotional
      complaints without muscle power or response speed (MEMR) complaints. RESULTS:
      Only the presence or absence of cerebral contusions predicted memory or emotional
      complaints without MEMR complaints in different employed status, and the odds
      ratio was 4.82-13.50 times higher for those with cerebral contusions than for
      those without. CONCLUSIONS: Cerebral contusions were the primary risk factor for
      MEMR complaints in chronic complicated mTBI. Early preventive psychological
      intervention might be necessary for patients with complicated mTBI and cerebral
      contusions.

PMID- 28350186
TI  - IT-based wellness tools for older adults: Design concepts and feedback.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: To explore older adults' preferences regarding e-health applications
      through use of generated concepts that inform wellness tool design. METHODS: The
      6-8-5 method and affinity mapping were used to create e-health design ideas that
      were translated into storyboards and scenarios. Focus groups were conducted to
      obtain feedback on the prototypes and included participant sketching. A
      qualitative analysis of the focus groups for emerging themes was conducted, and
      sketches were analyzed. RESULTS: Forty-three older adults participated in six
      focus group sessions. The majority of participants found the wellness tools
      useful. Preferences included features that supported participants in areas of
      unmet needs, such as ability to find reliable health information, cognitive
      training, or maintaining social ties. Participants favored features such as use
      of voice navigation, but were concerned over cost and the need for technology
      skills and access. Sketches reinforced these wants, including portability,
      convenience, and simplicity. CONCLUSIONS: Several factors were found to increase
      the desirability of such devices including convenient access to their health and
      health information, a simple, accessible interface, and support for memory
      issues. Researchers and designers should incorporate the feedback of older adults
      regarding wellness tools, so that future designs meet the needs of older adults.

PMID- 28350187
TI  - Epigenetic Status of H19-Igf2 Imprinted Genes and Loss of 5-Hydroxymethylcytosine
      in the Brain of Cloned Goats.
AB  - In mammals, the imprinted genes play vital roles in development and are generally
      controlled by DNA methylation at imprinting control regions (ICRs). Recently, it
      was discovered that 5-hydroxymethylcytosine (5-hmC) is a stable epigenetic
      modification; however, its functions in cloned animal genomes have not yet been
      fully elucidated. In this study, we interrogated and quantified the 5-hmC levels
      in the brain of cloned goats and discovered upregulation of Uhrf1 (p < 0.001),
      Dnmt1 (p < 0.05), Dnmt3a (p < 0.05), Igf2 (p < 0.01), and H19 (p < 0.05) and
      downregulation of Dnmt3b (p < 0.001), Tet1 (p < 0.001), Tet2 (p < 0.05), Tet3 (p
      < 0.001), Mecp2 (p < 0.05), and Igf2r (p < 0.05) in deceased cloned goat tissues
      compared with the normal controls. We demonstrated that DNA methylation was
      increased at H19 ICR (51.33% +/- 2.03% vs. 93.07% +/- 3.06%; p < 0.01) and that
      DNA was hypomethylated at Igf2 ICR (4.57% +/- 1.48% vs. 7.63% +/- 1.83%; p >
      0.05) in the brain of deceased cloned goats. Finally, we showed that within the
      cloned goat brain genome, the amount of genome-wide 5-hmC was significantly
      decreased (0.083% +/- 0.026% vs. 0.024% +/- 0.007%; p < 0.05), whereas the 5-hmC
      levels within H19 and Igf2 CCGG sites were not significantly altered (0.17% +/-
      0.09% vs. 0.03% +/- 0.01%; p > 0.05) in the brain of deceased cloned goats. Our
      data bring further experimental evidence regarding the abnormalities in 5-hmC and
      advance our current understanding of the role of 5-hmC in cloned animals.

PMID- 28350188
TI  - Formations of Femininity: Science and Aesthetics in Facial Feminization Surgery.
AB  - Facial feminization surgery (FFS) is a set of bone and soft tissue reconstructive
      surgical procedures intended to feminize the faces of trans- women in order to
      make their identities as women recognizable to others. In this article, I explore
      how the identification of facial femininity was negotiated in two FFS surgeons'
      practices. One committed to the metrics of normal skeletal form and the other to
      aspirational aesthetics of individual optimization; I argue that surgeons'
      competing clinical approaches illustrate a constitutive tension in the
      proliferating therapeutic logics of trans- medicine. The growing popularity of
      surgical practices like FFS demonstrates a shift in American trans- therapeutics
      away from a singular focus on the genitalia as the location of bodily sex and
      toward understandings of sex as a product of social recognition.

PMID- 28350189
TI  - The laboratory and the asylum: Francis Walker Mott and the pathological
      laboratory at London County Council Lunatic Asylum, Claybury, Essex (1895-1916).
AB  - London County Council's pathological laboratory in the LCC asylum at Claybury,
      Essex, was established in 1895 to study the pathology of mental illness.
      Historians of psychiatry have understood the Claybury laboratory as a predecessor
      of the Maudsley Hospital in London: not only was this laboratory closed when the
      Maudsley was opened in 1916, but its director, Frederick Walker Mott, a champion
      of the 'German' model in psychiatry, was instrumental in the establishment of
      this institution. Yet, as I argue in this essay, for all the continuities with
      the Maudsley, the Claybury laboratory should not be seen solely as its
      predecessor - or as a British answer to continental laboratories such as Theodor
      Meynert's in Vienna. Rather, as I show using the examples of general paralysis of
      the insane and 'asylum colitis', the Claybury laboratory is best understood as an
      attempt to prevent mental illness using a microbiological model.

PMID- 28350190
TI  - Additive effects of sequential excitatory and inhibitory theta burst stimulation
      in improving cortical excitability following ischaemic stroke.
AB  - PURPOSE: To study the effects of sequential excitatory and inhibitory theta burst
      stimulation (TBS) on cortical excitability in patients with subacute ischaemic
      stroke. METHODS: Fifteen patients with first-ever middle cerebral artery
      ischaemic stroke within last three months were subjected to intermittent TBS over
      the hand area (M1) of the stroke hemisphere (iTBSSH) followed by continuous TBS
      over the intact hemisphere M1 (cTBSIH). The study measured motor evoked potential
      (MEP) amplitude, resting motor threshold (RMT) and contralateral cortical silent
      period (cCSP) at baseline and after 7 minutes of each TBS session. RESULTS: The
      mean age of the patients was 62.4 +/- 8.0 years. The absolute changes in baseline
      motor physiological parameters were significantly greater after cTBSIH than after
      iTBSSH (p = 0.001). Following iTBSSH, there was a significant decrease in mean
      RMT (7.4%; p < 0.001). Following cTBSIH, there was further 18.3% increase in mean
      MEP amplitude and decrease in mean RMT (4.7%; p < 0.001) and cCSP (5.6%; p <
      0.001) of the stroke hemisphere. Similar changes of smaller magnitude were noted
      in 12 age-matched controls. CONCLUSIONS: The results indicate that combining
      iTBSSH and cTBSIH can have additive effect in increasing cortical excitability in
      subacute ischaemic patients with stroke.

PMID- 28350191
TI  - Persons with brain injury and employment supports: Long-term employment outcomes
      and use of community-based services.
AB  - OBJECTIVES: To understand how employment services (ES) are provided to persons
      with brain injuries (PWBIs) in Ontario, Canada, and the impact service delivery
      has on competitive-employment outcomes. DESIGN AND METHODS: A mixed-method case
      study of one community-based agency that provides specialized services to PWBIs.
      Relationships between demographic, service-related variables and employment
      outcomes (2009-2014) were analysed using chi-squares and analyses of variance. In
      addition, 14 interviews were conducted and analysed using thematic analysis.
      RESULTS: PWBIs accessed services on average of 16 years post injury; 64% secured
      at least one competitive-employment job, which was how employment success was
      defined in this study. Average job tenure was 368 days, and average job intensity
      was 3.8 hours/day. Employment success was significantly associated (p < 0.05)
      with use of job development, job coaching, case management and job retention
      services. Interviews revealed that PWBIs were provided five services: job goal(s)
      identification, assessment of work-related abilities/skills, job development, on
      the-job supports and job retention assistance. Challenges to ES delivery included
      lack of suitable jobs and hiring incentives, and difficulties in establishing
      natural supports at the workplace. CONCLUSIONS: PWBIs' employment outcomes may be
      supported through provision of ES to assist with: the development of realistic
      job goals and job-finding skills, securing work, on-the-job coaching and advocacy
      with employers.

PMID- 28350192
TI  - A real world evaluation of a treatment for infant colic based on the experience
      and perceptions of 4004 parents.
AB  - Infant colic (IC) is a common condition in young babies seen by primary care
      health professionals, especially health visitors. Nevertheless, the diagnostic
      criteria for IC are vague, which has resulted in a lack of clarity in published
      guidance on its causes and treatment. Credence has been given to alternative
      therapies, while health professionals are sceptical about the efficacy of over
      the-counter treatments. Some 4004 parents of babies considered to have IC
      participated in this retrospective real world evidence study on the efficacy of a
      simeticone suspension in the treatment of IC. They were recruited via social
      media sources and were eligible for inclusion if their baby had received at least
      one dose of the simeticone suspension. Data were collected via an online
      questionnaire. The results showed that crying and discomfort-associated behaviour
      reduced and the babies' sleeping patterns improved following use of the
      suspension. More than two-thirds (69.7%) of respondents, who either used the
      suspension on its own or alongside another treatment, reported improvements in
      the signs of IC within one day. Almost all (93.2%) considered that its use was
      associated with either complete resolution of IC or had some effect on symptoms.

PMID- 28350194
TI  - Modafinil Treatment of Cocaine Dependence: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Currently, there is none FDA-approved medication to treat cocaine
      dependency. Studies conducted with various medications, including antipsychotics,
      antidepressants, anticonvulsants, and others, revealed inconsistent results.
      OBJECTIVES: To meta-analytically investigate the efficacy and safety of modafinil
      in the treatment of cocaine-dependent patients. METHODS: Randomized controlled
      trials with >=20 subjects comparing the numerical therapeutic outcomes of
      modafinil with placebo were identified in databases, such as PUBMED, psycINFO,
      EMBASE, and Clinicaltrials.gov. Relevant data on efficacy and safety were
      extracted. Relative risk (RR) and standardized mean difference were applied for
      reporting dichotomous and continuous outcomes respectively. Random effects,
      subgroup, and meta-regression analyses were conducted to further explore the
      results and evaluate for any moderators. RESULTS: In total, 11 studies
      (participants = 896, duration = 6.7 +/- 1.9 weeks) comparing modafinil with
      placebo were systematically analyzed, which indicated that modafinil was not
      superior to placebo in improving the treatment retention rate (studies = 11,
      participants = 891, RR = 1.030, 95% CI = 0.918-1.156, p = .613). Similarly, data
      from 7/11 studies did not evidence superiority of modafinil in achieving cocaine
      abstinence (participants = 696, RR = 1.259, 95% CI = 0.813-1.949, p = .302).
      However, subgroup analysis of six studies conducted in the United States
      demonstrated superiority of modafinil in cocaine abstinence rate (studies = 6,
      participants = 669, 95% CI = 1.027-2.020, p = 0.035). In addition, no evidence
      suggested modafinil-related discontinuation or specific adverse events than
      placebo. CONCLUSIONS: Overall, there is no evidence to conclude superiority of
      modafinil in increasing cocaine abstinence and treatment retention rate. However,
      promising result in subgroup analysis of cocaine abstinence, secondary outcomes,
      and good safety profile urged the need of larger studies to derive more
      conclusive results.

PMID- 28350193
TI  - Reconstitution of HuR-Inhibited CUGBP1 Expression Protects Cardiomyocytes from
      Acute Myocardial Infarction-Induced Injury.
AB  - AIM: Myocardial infarction (MI) is one of the leading causes of death in elderly
      people. Expanding the knowledge of the molecular mechanisms underlying MI is of
      profound importance to developing a cure for MI. The CUGBP- and ETR-3-like factor
      (CELF) proteins, a family of RNA-binding proteins, play key roles in RNA
      metabolism. To determine the functions and molecular mechanisms of CELF proteins
      in MI, an animal model of acute myocardial infarction (AMI) was used in our
      study. RESULTS: We found that the CUG triplet repeat RNA-binding protein 1
      (CUGBP1)/CELF1 expression levels were decreased in AMI-injured hearts, and
      further studies showed that two highly conserved adenylate-uridylate-rich (AU
      rich) elements in the 3'UTR of CUGBP1 were responsible for the decreased CUGBP1
      expression. Upon AMI, human antigen R (HuR) was relocated to the cytoplasm from
      the nucleus and interacted with these AU-rich elements to affect the expression
      of CUGBP1. Reintroduction of CUGBP1 via gene delivery by recombinant adenovirus
      improved cardiac function in AMI mice. Our studies also indicated that CUGBP1
      protected cardiomyocytes from ischemia-induced injury through the promotion of
      angiogenesis and inhibition of apoptosis by regulating the vascular endothelial
      growth factor-A gene. Innovation and Conclusion: Our studies indicate a role for
      CUGBP1 in cardiac disease and reveal a novel MI post-transcriptional gene
      regulatory mechanism. The reconstitution of CUGBP1 could be developed as a
      potential therapeutic option for the management of MI. Antioxid. Redox Signal.
      27, 1013-1026.

PMID- 28350196
TI  - Geriatric-HIV medicine: A science in its infancy.

PMID- 28350197
TI  - Correspondence.

PMID- 28350195
TI  - Standard-sampling microdialysis and spreading depolarizations in patients with
      malignant hemispheric stroke.
AB  - Spreading depolarizations (SD) occur in high frequency in patients with malignant
      hemispheric stroke (MHS). Experimentally, SDs cause marked increases in glutamate
      and lactate, whereas glucose decreases. Here, we studied extracellular brain
      glutamate, glucose, lactate, pyruvate and the lactate/pyruvate ratio in
      relationship to SDs after MHS. We inserted two microdialysis probes in peri
      infarct tissue at 5 and 15 mm to the infarct in close proximity to a subdural
      electrode strip. During 2356.6 monitoring hours, electrocorticography (ECoG)
      revealed 697 SDs in 16 of 18 patients. Ninety-nine SDs in electrically active
      tissue (spreading depressions, SDd) were single (SDds) and 485 clustered (SDdc),
      whereas 10 SDs with at least one electrode in electrically inactive tissue
      (isoelectric SDs, SDi) were single (SDis) and 103 clustered (SDic). More SDs and
      a significant number of clustered SDs occurred during the first 36 h post-surgery
      when glutamate was significantly elevated (> 100 uM). In a grouped analysis, we
      observed minor glutamate elevations with more than two SDs per hour. Glucose
      slightly decreased during SDic at 5 mm from the infarct. Directions of SD-related
      metabolic changes correspond to the experimental setting but the long sampling
      time of standard microdialysis precludes a more adequate account of the dynamics
      revealed by ECoG.

PMID- 28350200
TI  - Does the Level of Transection of the Biliary Remnant Affect Outcome After
      Laparoscopic Kasai Portoenterostomy for Biliary Atresia?
AB  - BACKGROUND: We assessed postoperative outcome in relation to the level of
      transection of the biliary remnant at the time of laparoscopic Kasai
      portoenterostomy (LKP) in biliary atresia (BA) patients. METHODS: The subjects
      for this study were 12 consecutive nonsyndromic type III BA patients who had LKP
      at our institute between 2009 and 2014. All LKPs were video recorded. Four board
      certified pediatric surgeons assessed the level of transection of the biliary
      remnant and suturing during the anastomosis in each video blindly. A standard
      protocol was used for postoperative management. RESULTS: The level of transection
      was assessed as being shallow and suturing techniques as being identical in all.
      Although all cases achieved jaundice disappearance, 4 required liver
      transplantation (NNL group) for relapse of jaundice and 8 remain anicteric with
      native livers after mean follow-up of 4.6 years (NL group). Demographic data
      (birth weight, weight and age at LKP, duration from onset of symptoms to LKP,
      size of microbile ducts, and preoperative biochemical markers) were similar for
      both groups. CONCLUSIONS: The level of transection of the biliary remnant and
      suturing techniques would appear to not directly influence the outcome of LKP.

PMID- 28350198
TI  - Subarachnoid hemorrhage - Induced block of cerebrospinal fluid flow: Role of
      brain coagulation factor III (tissue factor).
AB  - Subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH) in 95% of cases results in long-term disabilities
      due to brain damage, pathogenesis of which remains uncertain. Hindrance of
      cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) circulation along glymphatic pathways is a possible
      mechanism interrupting drainage of damaging substances from subarachnoid space
      and parenchyma. We explored changes in CSF circulation at different time
      following SAH and possible role of brain tissue factor (TF). Fluorescent solute
      and fluorescent microspheres injected into cisterna magna were used to track CSF
      flow in mice. SAH induced by perforation of circle of Willis interrupted CSF flow
      for up to 30 days. Block of CSF flow did not correlate with the size of
      hemorrhage. Following SAH, fibrin deposits were observed on the brain surface
      including areas without visible blood. Block of astroglia-associated TF by
      intracerebroventricular administration of specific antibodies increased size of
      hemorrhage, decreased fibrin deposition and facilitated spread of fluorophores in
      sham/naive animals. We conclude that brain TF plays an important role in
      localization of hemorrhage and also regulates CSF flow under normal conditions.
      Targeting of the TF system will allow developing of new therapeutic approaches to
      the treatment of SAH and pathologies related to CSF flow such as hydrocephalus.

PMID- 28350199
TI  - A novel autophagy modulator 6-Bio ameliorates SNCA/alpha-synuclein toxicity.
AB  - Parkinson disease (PD) is a life-threatening neurodegenerative movement disorder
      with unmet therapeutic intervention. We have identified a small molecule
      autophagy modulator, 6-Bio that shows clearance of toxic SNCA/alpha-synuclein (a
      protein implicated in synucleopathies) aggregates in yeast and mammalian cell
      lines. 6-Bio induces autophagy and dramatically enhances autolysosome formation
      resulting in SNCA degradation. Importantly, neuroprotective function of 6-Bio as
      envisaged by immunohistology and behavior analyses in a preclinical model of PD
      where it induces autophagy in dopaminergic (DAergic) neurons of mice midbrain to
      clear toxic protein aggregates suggesting that it could be a potential
      therapeutic candidate for protein conformational disorders.

PMID- 28350201
TI  - A role for sex and a common HFE gene variant in brain iron uptake.
AB  - HFE (high iron) is an essential protein for regulating iron transport into cells.
      Mutations of the HFE gene result in loss of this regulation causing accumulation
      of iron within the cell. The mutated protein has been found increasingly in
      numerous neurodegenerative disorders in which increased levels of iron in the
      brain are reported. Additionally, evidence that these mutations are associated
      with elevated brain iron challenges the paradigm that the brain is protected by
      the blood-brain barrier. While much has been studied regarding the role of HFE in
      cellular iron uptake, it has remained unclear what role the protein plays in the
      transport of iron into the brain. We investigated regulation of iron transport
      into the brain using a mouse model with a mutation in the HFE gene. We
      demonstrated that the rate of radiolabeled iron (59Fe) uptake was similar between
      the two genotypes despite higher brain iron concentrations in the mutant.
      However, there were significant differences in iron uptake between males and
      females regardless of genotype. These data indicate that brain iron status is
      consistently maintained and tightly regulated at the level of the blood-brain
      barrier.

PMID- 28350202
TI  - Outcomes of Laparoscopic Cholecystectomy for Biliary Dyskinesia in Children.
AB  - PURPOSE: To determine the outcomes of laparoscopic cholecystectomy as a treatment
      for biliary dyskinesia in children. METHODS: With ethics approval, a
      retrospective chart review was performed on children (<21 years) at a single
      center diagnosed with biliary dyskinesia (defined as gallbladder ejection
      fraction [EF] <35% and/or pain with cholecystokinin [CCK] on cholescintigraphy,
      in the absence of gallstones or cholecystitis on ultrasound) and treated with
      laparoscopic cholecystectomy between March 2010 and February 2016. Demographic,
      medical history, diagnostic imaging, pathology, and outcome data were collected
      and analyzed based on degree of symptom resolution. RESULTS: Laparoscopic
      cholecystectomy was performed in 215 children with biliary dyskinesia (156/215
      [72.6%] female, age 13.8 +/- 3.4 years, body mass index [BMI] 22.3 +/- 6.3
      kg/m2). 181/206 (87.9%) had EF <35%. CCK reproduced symptoms in 149/177 (84.2%).
      34/215 (15.8%) were lost to follow-up. Median follow-up time was 2.7 weeks. Pain
      improved in 162/181 (89.5%). Chronic cholecystitis was found in 183/213 (85.9%)
      and unexpected cholelithiasis in 4/213 (1.9%) on pathology. Postoperatively,
      6/181 (3.3%) had wound infections and 8/181 (4.4%) required common bile duct
      stents for the following indications: 6 sphincter of Oddi dysfunction, 1
      choledocholithiasis, and 1 stricture. Virgin abdomen (odds ratio [OR] 4.03,
      confidence interval [95% CI] 1.12-14.53, P = .0460) and follow-up <6 months (OR
      7.35, 95% CI 2.68-20.21, P = .0002) were associated with better outcomes.
      CONCLUSIONS: Laparoscopic cholecystectomy is safe and effective in symptom
      resolution for biliary dyskinesia in children. Virgin abdomen and follow-up <6
      months were associated with better outcomes. Prospective long-term studies
      comparing surgical and nonoperative management of biliary dyskinesia are required
      to determine the utility of cholecystectomy.

PMID- 28350203
TI  - Revision after shoulder replacement for acute fracture of the proximal humerus.
AB  - Background and purpose - For more than half a century, stemmed hemiarthroplasty
      (SHA) has been used in the treatment of comminuted and displaced fractures of the
      proximal humerus. Reverse shoulder arthroplasty (RSA) has been increasingly
      popular in cases where it is difficult to obtain satisfactory fixation of the
      tuberosities. We report revision rates and reasons for revision after shoulder
      arthroplasty for acute fractures of the proximal humerus. Patients and methods -
      This study was based on a common dataset from the Nordic Arthroplasty Register
      Association (NARA), which includes data reported to the national shoulder
      arthroplasty registries in Denmark, Sweden, and Norway. We included 6,756
      shoulder arthroplasties performed for acute fractures between 2004 and 2013.
      Results - There were 6,112 SHAs (90%) and 565 RSAs (8.4%). The cumulative
      arthroplasty survival rate after 5 years was 0.96 for both SHA and RSA. The
      relative risk of revision of RSA was 1.4 (95% CI: 0.9-2.2) with SHA as reference.
      For both types of arthroplasty, the most common reason for revision was infection
      (SHA 0.8%, RSA 2.1%). The relative risk of revision due to infection was 3.1 (95%
      CI: 1.6-5.9) for RSA with SHA as reference. The relative risk of revision for
      patients who were less than 75 years of age was 2.8 (95% CI: 2.0-3.8) compared to
      older patients. Interpretation - Revision after shoulder arthroplasty for acute
      fractures was rare. Survival rates were similar between SHA and RSA, but RSA had
      a statistically significant and clinically relevant higher risk of revision
      because of infection.

PMID- 28350204
TI  - Carbon dioxide-modified polyethylenimine as a novel gene delivery vector and its
      in vitro validation.
AB  - In this work, the CO2-modified polyethylenimine, as a novel delivery vector, has
      been validated by combining with the plasmid DNA to form plasmid DNA/CO2-modified
      polyethylenimine complexes. We have modified polyethylenimine using CO2 to
      partially convert amine groups to carbamic acid groups. The buffering capacity
      and the plasmid DNA binding ability of the CO2-modified polyethylenimine and PEI
      25 (polyethylenimine with Mw = 25 kDa) were characterized by acid-base titration
      and agarose gel electrophoresis, respectively. The particle size and zeta
      potential of the complexes were determined using a Zetasizer Nano ZS. Resistance
      to nuclease digestion was determined via DNase I protection assay. The
      cytotoxicity was measured by the MTT assay. The transfection efficiency of the
      complexes has been evaluated by flow cytometry. It is observed that the
      condensation capacity of CO2-modified polyethylenimine is still comparable to
      polyethylenimine and the CO2-modified polyethylenimine can protect plasmid DNA
      from degradation by DNase I. The diameter of the plasmid DNA/CO2-modified
      polyethylenimine complex is around 140 nm and the zeta potential decreases. MTT
      assays confirm that the cytotoxicity is much lower for plasmid DNA/CO2-modified
      polyethylenimine than for plasmid DNA/PEI-25. The flow cytometry found that in
      serum-free medium the transfection efficiency can reach a value of ~60% for
      plasmid DNA/CO2-modified polyethylenimine, and in 10% fetal bovine serum medium,
      the transfection efficiency is still as high as ~40%, which is much higher than
      that of plasmid DNA/PEI-25. CO2-modified polyethylenimine could be a novel and
      promising nonviral gene vector for gene therapy.

PMID- 28350205
TI  - A targeted drug delivery system based on folic acid-functionalized upconversion
      luminescent nanoparticles.
AB  - In this paper, multifunctional upconversion luminescent NaYF4:Yb,Er nanoparticles
      with excellent hollow mesoporous structure were first fabricated. The effects of
      various reaction conditions on the morphology and size of the as-prepared samples
      were investigated in detail and Ostwald ripening effect was adapted to explain
      the formation mechanism of the HMUCNPs. Then, folic acid, a well-known ligand for
      the selective targeting of drugs into tumor cells, was conjugated to the surface
      of the hollow mesoporous structured upconversion luminescent nanoparticles
      (HMUCNPs) via amide reaction for targeted delivery of anticancer drugs so as to
      enhance the therapeutic efficacy. The properties were extensively studied, which
      indicated the obtained samples showed a typical hollow mesoporous structure and
      excellent upconversion luminescence that were useful for cell imaging and drug
      delivery. Drug storage/release properties were demonstrated to be pH responsive,
      in which the drug release might be beneficial at the reduced pH in certain
      cancerous tissues for targeted release and controlled therapy at the pathological
      sites. Meanwhile, DOX-NaYF4:Yb,Er-FA HMUCNPs exhibited greater cytotoxicity than
      free doxorubicin hydrochloride because folic acid-conjugated HMUCNPs can be
      specifically taken up by FR-positive KB cells via a receptor-mediated
      endocytosis. Therefore, the folic acid-functionalized nanoparticles combining
      upconversion luminescent property and hollow mesoporous structure have potential
      for simultaneous targeted anticancer drug delivery and cell imaging.

PMID- 28350206
TI  - Normative data for the lower extremity functional scale (LEFS).
AB  - Background and purpose - The lower extremity functional scale (LEFS) is a well
      known and validated instrument for measurement of lower extremity function. The
      LEFS was developed in a group of patients with various musculoskeletal disorders,
      and no reference data for the healthy population are available. Here we provide
      normative data for the LEFS. Methods - Healthy visitors and staff at 4 hospitals
      were requested to participate. A minimum of 250 volunteers had to be included at
      each hospital. Participants were excluded if they had undergone lower extremity
      surgery within 1 year of filling out the questionnaire, or were scheduled for
      lower extremity surgery. Normative values for the LEFS for the population as a
      whole were calculated. Furthermore, the influence of sex, age, type of
      employment, socioeconomic status, and history of lower extremity surgery on the
      LEFS were investigated. Results - 1,014 individuals fulfilled the inclusion
      criteria and were included in the study. The median score for the LEFS for the
      whole population was 77 (out of a maximum of 80). Men and women had similar
      median scores (78 and 76, respectively), and younger individuals had better
      scores. Participants who were unfit for work had worse scores. There were no
      statistically significant correlations between socioeconomic status and type of
      employment on the one hand and LEFS score on the other. A history of lower
      extremity surgery was associated with a lower LEFS score. Interpretation - High
      scores were observed for the LEFS throughout the whole population, although they
      did decrease with age. Men had a slightly higher score than women. There was no
      statistically significant correlation between socioeconomic status and LEFS
      score, but people who were unfit for work had a significantly worse LEFS score.

PMID- 28350208
TI  - Polarity establishment by Cdc42: Key roles for positive feedback and differential
      mobility.
AB  - Cell polarity is fundamental to the function of most cells. The evolutionarily
      conserved molecular machinery that controls cell polarity is centered on a family
      of GTPases related to Cdc42. Cdc42 becomes activated and concentrated at polarity
      sites, but studies in yeast model systems led to controversy on the mechanisms of
      polarization. Here we review recent studies that have clarified how Cdc42 becomes
      polarized in yeast. On one hand, findings that appeared to support a key role for
      the actin cytoskeleton and vesicle traffic in polarity establishment now appear
      to reflect the action of stress response pathways induced by cytoskeletal
      perturbations. On the other hand, new findings strongly support hypotheses on the
      polarization mechanism whose origins date back to the mathematician Alan Turing.
      The key features of the polarity establishment mechanism in yeasts include a
      positive feedback pathway in which active Cdc42 recruits a Cdc42 activator to
      polarity sites, and differential mobility of polarity "activators" and
      "substrates."

PMID- 28350207
TI  - Can metabolic function and physical fitness improve without weight loss for
      inactive, obese, Hispanic adolescents? A feasibility study.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: A case series that examines the effects of a 12-week combined
      resistance and aerobic training program for four sedentary obese, Hispanic
      adolescents without weight loss. SUBJECTS/METHODS: Baseline and post-intervention
      anthropometric, metabolic and physical fitness measures were obtained. Body
      composition, hepatic, visceral, and intramuscular fat contents were analyzed via
      imaging. Fasting levels of alanine transaminase (ALT), insulin, glucose, free
      fatty acids, triglycerides, high- and low-density lipoproteins (LDL), and C
      reactive protein were obtained via blood samples. RESULTS: Two subjects decreased
      their glucose levels by 1.86% and 4.06%. Subjects 1, 3, and 4 increased their
      lean body mass by 4.12%, 9.70%, and 5.48%. ALT was reduced 13.0%, 16.0%, and
      35.7% for subjects 2, 3, and 4, respectively. LDLs were reduced by 37.7%, 4.5%,
      and 7.5% for subjects 1, 2, and 3. Triglycerides were reduced by 25.4%, 37.8%,
      and 4.6% for subjects 1, 2, and 3. Visceral fat reductions by 16.5%, 14.2%, and
      13.0% occurred for subjects 1, 2, and 3. C-reactive protein was reduced for
      subjects 1, 2, and 3 by 19.4%, 16.3%, and 32.0%. CONCLUSION: Expected directions
      of change were made for most indicators of metabolic function and body
      composition, but measures of physical fitness improved for all four subjects.

PMID- 28350209
TI  - B-cell non-Hodgkin lymphoma: Selective vulnerability to PIKFYVE inhibition.
AB  - We identified the PIKFYVE inhibitor apilimod as a potent and selective cytotoxic
      agent against B-cell non-Hodgkin lymphoma (B-NHL). Our data robustly establish
      PIKFYVE as the target through which apilimod kills B-NHL cells and show that
      apilimod-induced death in B-NHL is mediated by broad disruption of lysosome
      homeostasis characterized by lysosomal swelling, TFEB nuclear translocation,
      impaired maturation of lysosomal enzymes and incomplete autophagosome clearance.
      Furthermore, through genome-wide CRISPR knockout screening, we identified
      specific lysosomal genes (TFEB, CLCN7, OSTM1 and SNX10) as critical determinants
      of apilimod-induced cytotoxicity. Together these data highlight disruption of
      lysosome homeostasis through PIKFYVE inhibition as a novel anticancer mechanism
      in B-NHL and potentially other cancers.

PMID- 28350210
TI  - Transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation effect on postoperative
      complications.
AB  - Objectives Transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation has been used to control
      post-thoracotomy pain, with conflicting results. We aimed to assess its efficacy
      on post-thoracotomy pain and early complications. Methods Between January 2012
      and December 2014, 87 patients underwent a standard posterolateral thoracotomy
      and were randomized in 2 groups: group T was 43 patients who had transcutaneous
      electrical nerve stimulation and group C was 44 patients who had placebo
      stimulation with an inoperative device. Pain score was measured using a visual
      analogue scale ranging from 0 to 10. The frequency of the device was set at 100
      Hz and pulse width at 100 ms. Results There were no statistically significant
      differences in the demographic characteristics of the 2 groups, and there was no
      difference in the duration of hospitalization (4.74 +/- 1.6 vs. 5.23 +/- 1.5
      days; p = 0.06). Postoperative pain scores of the two groups showed that on
      postoperative day 0, 1, and 2, the mean pain scores of group T were significantly
      lower ( p = 0.001, p < 0.001, and p = 0.003). There were no significant
      differences in early complications or surgical technique. Conclusion We concluded
      that electrical stimulation is a safe and effective adjunctive therapy for acute
      post-thoracotomy pain control. However, it does not affect the duration of
      hospitalization or early pulmonary complications.

PMID- 28350211
TI  - Popliteal artery pseudoaneurysm due to femur exostosis.
AB  - Vascular complications of femur exostoses are rare, with popliteal pseudoaneurysm
      being the most common. After establishing the diagnosis, surgical treatment is
      mandatory. A 35-year-old woman presented with a painful pulsatile swelling in the
      lower medial aspect of the left thigh. Investigations revealed a pseudoaneurysm
      arising from the left popliteal artery adjacent to femur exostoses. Skeletal
      survey revealed multiple exostoses involving the upper and lower limbs. Surgical
      excision of the pseudoaneurysm was followed by ePTFE patch repair of the defect
      and excision of the exostoses. The patient was discharged after 5 days and
      followed up for 6 months with excellent results.

PMID- 28350212
TI  - Gamma secretase inhibitors: a patent review (2013 - 2015).
AB  - INTRODUCTION: Gamma secretase (GS) is an intricate and multi-subunits complex,
      and it can cut various transmembrane proteins. Now it is a therapeutic target for
      a number of diseases. However, due to some side effects, the clinical development
      of GSI is not successful. Therefore, searching for effective GSIs has become a
      key point in drug discovery. Areas covered: This review discusses the structure
      and function of GS and various types of GSIs. And this article seeks to give an
      overview of the patents or applications published from 2013 to 2015 in which
      novel chemical classes are claimed to inhibit the GS. Expert opinion: Firstly,
      further understanding the structure and function of GS to elucidate the disease
      mechanism and develop AD therapies is urgent. Secondly, if the bioequivalence,
      pharmacokinetics and selectivity can be improved greatly, some failed clinical
      inhibitors still can become the promising compounds for clinical trials. Thirdly,
      some weaknesses are exposed during the development of GSI, especially the
      insufficient potency, low brain penetration and poor selectivity. Finally, to
      find potent and selective GSI is the major direction in future. Moreover, to find
      new indications and dosing regimens in a trial of GSIs also can be seen as new
      ways.

PMID- 28350213
TI  - True morels (Morchella)-nutritional and phytochemical composition, health
      benefits and flavor: A review.
AB  - Morels are edible mushrooms appreciated worldwide for their savory flavor. Morels
      have been in use in traditional medicine for centuries, due to their health
      related benefits, and current research demonstrated their anti-oxidative and anti
      inflammatory bioactivities, in addition to immunostimulatory and anti-tumor
      properties. In spite of the high demand for morels and their increasing economic
      importance, their cultivation is limited, and they are either used as wild
      harvested or fermented in culture, for consumption as a functional food and for
      food-flavoring. Morel's health benefits were attributed mainly to polysaccharides
      as the active compounds, and to various phytochemicals, mainly phenolic
      compounds, tocopherols, ascorbic acid and vitamin D. Morel's nutritional
      composition was reported, including sugar, amino acid, fatty and organic acid and
      mineral profile. Information regarding Morel's flavor is limited, and while some
      of their taste attributes have been described, including the role of umami taste,
      details about their volatile aroma profile are scarce, and it was reported to
      include eight carbon volatiles, the main aroma volatiles typical to most
      mushrooms. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first review presenting
      morels' nutritional and phytochemical composition, health benefits and flavor,
      and we will review the available information in current literature regarding
      these aspects in light of morels phenotypic plasticity.

PMID- 28350214
TI  - Outbreak of Campylobacteriosis Following a Dairy Farm Visit: Confirmation by
      Genotyping.
AB  - In April-May 2014, an outbreak of campylobacteriosis occurred after a preschool
      visit to a dairy farm in the South Western part of Sweden. During the visit, a
      meal, including unpasteurized milk, was served. A retrospective cohort study
      using a web-based questionnaire was performed among the participants (n = 30) of
      the farm visit. A total of 24 of the 30 (80%) cohort members completed the
      questionnaire. Eleven cases were identified, and Campylobacter jejuni was
      isolated from eight of them. Seven of the cases were 2- to 7-year-old children.
      We found the highest attack rates among those who usually drink milk (45%) and
      those who consumed unpasteurized milk during the farm visit (42%). No cases were
      unexposed (risk ratio incalculable). As result of the farm investigation,
      Campylobacter was isolated from cattle on the farm. Genotyping with pulsed-field
      gel electrophoresis and whole genome sequencing confirmed that human and cattle
      isolates of C. jejuni belonged to one cluster. Thus, cattle on the farm are
      considered the source of infection, and the most likely vehicle of transmission
      was contaminated unpasteurized milk. We recommend consumption of heat-treated
      milk only and increased awareness of the risk of consuming unpasteurized milk.

PMID- 28350215
TI  - Transumbilical Single-Site Multiport Laparoscopic Pyeloplasty for Children with
      Ureteropelvic Junction Obstruction in China: A Multicenter Study.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Transumbilical single-site multiport laparoscopic pyeloplasty (TSMLP)
      for children with ureteropelvic junction obstruction (UPJO) has become feasible
      and popular recently. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the safety and
      efficacy of TSMLP for pediatric UPJO in a large multicenter series. MATERIALS AND
      METHODS: Medical records of consecutive patients who underwent TSMLP for
      pediatric UPJO in six academic institutions between June 2010 and May 2015 were
      retrospectively analyzed. The data of ultrasound, magnetic resonance urography,
      and diuretic renogram using 99Tc-diethylene triamine pentaacetic acid scan were
      collected during preoperative and postoperative periods. RESULTS: A total of 704
      patients (750 kidneys) with UPJO who underwent TSMLP were recruited for this
      study. Of these patients, there were no significant differences in demographics
      and clinical presentation of the patients among the six centers. The operative
      time of all patients decreased significantly with time. The earlier the beginning
      of the operation, such as cohort A, B, and C, the longer the learning curve has
      been. Of these 704 patients, there were 60 (8.11%) postoperative minor
      complications during the postoperative hospitalization period, and all minor
      postoperative complications were cured by observation or drugs. There were 14
      (1.99%) major postoperative complications, and all major complications were cured
      by minimally invasive surgery. No additional complications were encountered
      during the follow-up of 2.1 years (mean, ranged 1 year to 4 years). Success rate
      of TSMLP are more than 95% among six centers. CONCLUSIONS: We reported a multi
      institutional series of TSMLP in children with UPJO. Our findings suggest that
      TSMLP represents a feasible treatment option for UPJO by offering reliable
      outcomes, low postoperative complications and high success rates.

PMID- 28350216
TI  - AtSLP2 is an intronless protein phosphatase that co-expresses with intronless
      mitochondrial pentatricopeptide repeat (PPR) and tetratricopeptide (TPR) protein
      encoding genes.
AB  - Shewanella-like PPP family phosphatases (SLPs) are a unique lineage of eukaryote
      PPP-family phosphatases of bacterial origin which are not found in metazoans. 1,2
      Their absence in metazoans is marked by their ancient bacterial origins and
      presence in plants. 1 Recently, we found that the SLP2 phosphatase ortholog of
      Arabidopsis thaliana localized to the mitochondrial intermembrane space (IMS)
      where it was determined to be activated by mitochondrial intermembrane space
      protein 40 (MIA40) to regulate seed germination. 3 Through examination of atslp2
      knockout (accelerated germination) and 35S::AtSLP2 over-expressing (delayed
      germination) plants it was found that AtSLP2 influences Arabidopsis thaliana
      germination rates via gibberellic acid (GA) biosynthesis. 3 However, the exact
      mechanism by which this occurs remains unresolved. To identify potential partners
      of AtSLP2 in regulating germination through GA, we undertook a gene co-expression
      network analysis using RNA-sequencing data available through Genevestigator (
      https://genevestigator.com/gv/ ).

PMID- 28350217
TI  - Patient non-adherence: an interpretative phenomenological analysis.
AB  - Purpose While interpretative phenomenological analysis (IPA) has been used in
      health psychology research, it has so far not been applied to seek deeper
      insights into the patients' experiences about treatment. The purpose of this
      paper is to address this gap by using IPA to understand patient non-adherence.
      Design/methodology/approach In total, 18 patients with chronic conditions seeking
      healthcare services in Goa and Karnataka, India, were selected by using the
      snowball sampling method. In-depth interviews were conducted face to face. A semi
      structured questionnaire developed by the researchers was used to collect the
      data. IPA was used to explore the themes to predict patient non-adherence.
      Findings The study results indicate that economic factors, health system related
      factors, social factors and psychological factors impact patient non-adherence.
      Patient non-adherence includes medication non-adherence and lifestyle
      modification non-adherence. Research limitations/implications Being cross
      sectional in design, the results may not be as appropriate as the results derived
      from a longitudinal study given that non-adherence occurs over time. Practical
      implications Patient non-adherence is a global health issue. Multidisciplinary
      approach to enhance patient adherence to treatment should form part of public
      healthcare policy. Social implications Exploring the factors influencing patient
      non-adherence will help the health-care industry stakeholders to reduce
      healthcare cost and improve patient's quality of life. Originality/value Although
      there is extensive quantitative research on the prevalence of non-adherence,
      qualitative research is limited. This paper addresses this gap by using IPA to
      understand patient non-adherence and its factors and dimensions.

PMID- 28350218
TI  - Editorial.

PMID- 28350219
TI  - Improving throughput in a youth mental health service.
AB  - Purpose The discrepancy between increasing demand and limited resources in public
      mental health is putting pressure on services to continuously review their
      practices and develop innovative models of care that redress this discrepancy. To
      ensure the service models continue to meet the needs of all stakeholders,
      children and young people's mental health (CYPMH) conducts regular reviews of its
      service models. Accordingly, the youth mental health (YMH) model at CYPMH has
      evolved significantly over time in response to the needs of young people and
      service demand. The purpose of this paper is to outline the findings of a recent
      review of the YMH service, and the subsequent changes to the service model.
      Design/methodology/approach Informed by a participatory action philosophy,
      feedback was sought from staff on the service model through a range of methods
      including a questionnaire, staff consultations through a working party and
      interviews. This feedback was used to redesign the model, which was then
      evaluated again. Findings Staff identified a number of challenges with the
      service model and a range of service improvement solutions. The key issues
      included exceedingly high caseloads, workplace tensions, and fragmentation of the
      client journey. This paper outlines the primary solution to these key concerns,
      namely, the introduction of brief intervention (BI) as the entry point to the
      service. Originality/value BI approaches provide a solution to overly high
      caseloads as the direct and focussed approach of BI generally reduces the number
      of sessions people need. BI is an important addition to other treatment options
      and should be seen as a valid component of the continuum of mental healthcare.

PMID- 28350220
TI  - Embedding learning from adverse incidents: a UK case study.
AB  - Purpose This paper reports on a regionally based UK study uncovering what has
      worked well in learning from adverse incidents in hospitals. The purpose of this
      paper is to review the incident investigation methodology used in identifying
      strengths or weaknesses and explore the use of a database as a tool to embed
      learning. Design/methodology/approach Documentary examination was conducted of
      all adverse incidents reported between 1 June 2011 and 30 June 2012 by three UK
      National Health Service hospitals. One root cause analysis report per adverse
      incident for each individual hospital was sent to an advisory group for a review.
      Using terms of reference supplied, the advisory group feedback was analysed using
      an inductive thematic approach. The emergent themes led to the generation of
      questions which informed seven in-depth semi-structured interviews. Findings
      "Time" and "work pressures" were identified as barriers to using adverse incident
      investigations as tools for quality enhancement. Methodologically, a weakness in
      approach was that no criteria influenced the techniques which were used in
      investigating adverse incidents. Regarding the sharing of learning, the use of a
      database as a tool to embed learning across the region was not supported.
      Practical implications Softer intelligence from adverse incident investigations
      could be usefully shared between hospitals through a regional forum.
      Originality/value The use of a database as a tool to facilitate the sharing of
      learning from adverse incidents across the health economy is not supported.

PMID- 28350221
TI  - The NICE alcohol misuse standard - evaluating its impact.
AB  - Purpose The purpose of this paper is to explore factors affecting implementing
      the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) quality standard on
      alcohol misuse (QS11) and barriers and facilitators to its implementation.
      Design/methodology/approach Qualitative interview study analysed using directed
      and conventional content analyses. Participants were 38 individuals with
      experience of commissioning, delivering or using alcohol healthcare services in
      Southwark, Lambeth and Lewisham. Findings QS11 implementation ranged from no
      implementation to full implementation across the 13 statements. Implementation
      quality was also reported to vary widely across different settings. The analyses
      also uncovered numerous barriers and facilitators to implementing each statement.
      Overarching barriers to implementation included: inherent differences between
      specialist vs generalist settings; poor communication between healthcare
      settings; generic barriers to implementation; and poor governance structures and
      leadership. Research limitations/implications QS11 was created to summarise
      alcohol-related NICE guidance. The aim was to simplify guidance and enhance local
      implementation. However, in practice the standard requires complex actions by
      professionals. There was considerable variation in local alcohol commissioning
      models, which was associated with variation in implementation. These models
      warrant further evaluation to identify best practice. Originality/value Little
      evidence exists on the implementing quality standards, as distinct from clinical
      practice guidelines. The authors present direct evidence on quality standard
      implementation, identify implementation shortcomings and make recommendations for
      future research and practice.

PMID- 28350222
TI  - Nurse staffing levels and outcomes - mining the UK national data sets for
      insight.
AB  - Purpose Despite the generation of mass data by the nursing workforce, determining
      the impact of the contribution to patient safety remains challenging. Several
      cross-sectional studies have indicated a relationship between staffing and
      safety. The purpose of this paper is to uncover possible associations and explore
      if a deeper understanding of relationships between staffing and other factors
      such as safety could be revealed within routinely collected national data sets.
      Design/methodology/approach Two longitudinal routinely collected data sets
      consisting of 30 years of UK nurse staffing data and seven years of National
      Health Service (NHS) benchmark data such as survey results, safety and other
      indicators were used. A correlation matrix was built and a linear correlation
      operation was applied (Pearson product-moment correlation coefficient). Findings
      A number of associations were revealed within both the UK staffing data set and
      the NHS benchmarking data set. However, the challenges of using these data sets
      soon became apparent. Practical implications Staff time and effort are required
      to collect these data. The limitations of these data sets include inconsistent
      data collection and quality. The mode of data collection and the itemset
      collected should be reviewed to generate a data set with robust clinical
      application. Originality/value This paper revealed that relationships are likely
      to be complex and non-linear; however, the main contribution of the paper is the
      identification of the limitations of routinely collected data. Much time and
      effort is expended in collecting this data; however, its validity, usefulness and
      method of routine national data collection appear to require re-examination.

PMID- 28350223
TI  - Potential facilitators and barriers to adopting standard treatment guidelines in
      clinical practice.
AB  - Purpose The purpose of this paper is to assess medicines information sources
      accessed by clinicians, if sources differed in theory and practice and to find
      out the barriers and facilitators to effective guideline adoption.
      Design/methodology/approach In all, 183 doctors were surveyed. Barriers and
      facilitators were classified as: communication; potential adopters; innovation;
      organization characteristics and environmental/social/economic context. Findings
      Most of the clinicians accessed multiple information sources including standard
      treatment guidelines, but also consulted seniors/colleagues in practice. The top
      three factors influencing clinical practice guideline adoption were innovation
      characteristics, environmental context and individual characteristics. The
      respondents differed in the following areas: concerns about flexibility offered
      by the guideline; denying patients' individuality; professional autonomy;
      insights into gaps in current practice and evidence-based practice; changing
      practices with little or no benefit. Barriers included negative staff
      attitudes/beliefs, guideline integration into organizational
      structures/processes, time/resource constraints. Fearing third parties
      (government and insurance companies) restricting medicines reimbursement and poor
      liability protection offered by the guidelines emerged as the barriers.
      Facilitators include aligning organizational structures/processes with the
      innovation; providing leadership support to guide diffusion; increasing awareness
      and enabling early innovation during pre/in-service training, with regular
      feedback on outcomes and use. Practical implications Guideline adoption in
      clinical practice is partly within doctors' control. There are other key
      prevailing factors in the local context such as environmental, social context,
      professional and organizational culture affecting its adoption. Organizational
      policy and accreditation standards necessitating adherence can serve as a driver.
      Originality/value This survey among clinicians, despite limitations, gives
      helpful insights. While favourable attitudes may be helpful, clinical adoption
      could be improved more effectively by targeting barriers.

PMID- 28350224
TI  - Failure mode and effect analysis: improving intensive care unit risk management
      processes.
AB  - Purpose Failure modes and effects analysis (FMEA) is a practical tool to evaluate
      risks, discover failures in a proactive manner and propose corrective actions to
      reduce or eliminate potential risks. The purpose of this paper is to apply FMEA
      technique to examine the hazards associated with the process of service delivery
      in intensive care unit (ICU) of a tertiary hospital in Yazd, Iran.
      Design/methodology/approach This was a before-after study conducted between March
      2013 and December 2014. By forming a FMEA team, all potential hazards associated
      with ICU services - their frequency and severity - were identified. Then risk
      priority number was calculated for each activity as an indicator representing
      high priority areas that need special attention and resource allocation. Findings
      Eight failure modes with highest priority scores including endotracheal tube
      defect, wrong placement of endotracheal tube, EVD interface, aspiration failure
      during suctioning, chest tube failure, tissue injury and deep vein thrombosis
      were selected for improvement. Findings affirmed that improvement strategies were
      generally satisfying and significantly decreased total failures. Practical
      implications Application of FMEA in ICUs proved to be effective in proactively
      decreasing the risk of failures and corrected the control measures up to
      acceptable levels in all eight areas of function. Originality/value Using a
      prospective risk assessment approach, such as FMEA, could be beneficial in
      dealing with potential failures through proposing preventive actions in a
      proactive manner. The method could be used as a tool for healthcare continuous
      quality improvement so that the method identifies both systemic and human errors,
      and offers practical advice to deal effectively with them.

PMID- 28350225
TI  - Healthcare seeking behaviour among Chinese elderly.
AB  - Purpose The Chinese population is rapidly ageing before they are rich. The
      purpose of this paper is to describe healthcare seeking behaviour and the
      critical factors associated with healthcare seeking behaviour.
      Design/methodology/approach Using a purposive sampling method, the authors
      recruited 44 adults aged 60 years or older from three provinces, representing the
      developed (Shanghai), undeveloped (Ningxia) regions and the regions in between
      (Hubei). From July to September 2008, using a semi-structured guide, the authors
      interviewed participants in focus group discussions. Findings The healthcare
      needs for chronic and catastrophic diseases were high; however, the healthcare
      demands were low and healthcare utilizations were even lower owing to the limited
      accessibility to healthcare services, particularly, in underdeveloped rural
      areas. "Too expensive to see a doctor" was a prime complaint, explaining
      substantial discrepancies between healthcare needs, demands and use. Care seeking
      behaviour varied depending on insurance availability, perceived performance,
      particularly hospital services, and prescription medications. Participants
      consistently rated increasing healthcare accessibility as a high priority,
      including offering financial aid, and improving service convenience. Improving
      social security fairness was the first on the elderly's wish list.
      Originality/value Healthcare demand and use were lower than needs, and were
      influenced by multiple factors, primarily, service affordability and efficiency,
      perceived performance and hospital service quality.

PMID- 28350227
TI  - The Impact of Segmental Trunk Support on Posture and Reaching While Sitting in
      Healthy Adults.
AB  - The authors investigated postural and arm control in seated reaches while
      providing trunk support at midribs and pelvic levels in adults. Kinematics and
      electromyography of the arm and ipsiliateral and contralateral paraspinal muscles
      were examined before and during reaching. Kinematics remained constant across
      conditions, but changes were observed in neuromuscular control. With midribs
      support, the ipsilateral cervical muscle showed either increased anticipatory
      activity or earlier compensatory muscle responses, suggesting its major role in
      head stabilization. The baseline activity of bilateral lumbar muscles was
      enhanced with midribs support, whereas with pelvic support, the activation
      frequency of paraspinal muscles increased during reaching. The results suggest
      that segmental trunk support in healthy adults modulates ipsilateral or
      contralateral paraspinal activity while overall kinematic outputs remain
      invariant.

PMID- 28350226
TI  - Integration of Care in the Implementation of the Affordable Care Act: Changes in
      Treatment Services in a National Sample of Centers Treating Substance Use
      Disorders.
AB  - This study examined patterns of medicalization in substance use disorder (SUD)
      that are aligned with the goals of the Affordable Care Act (ACA). Using a
      nationally representative sample of SUD treatment programs, we examined changes
      in several treatment domains. While observed changes were modest, they were in
      directions that support the thrust of the ACA. Specifically, we found an increase
      in the percentage of treatment referrals from other health care providers. We
      found an increase in the number of physicians for programs that did have a
      physician on staff, and an increase in counselors certified in treating alcohol
      and drug addiction. There was significant growth in the availability of oral and
      injectable naltrexone but not of other pharmacotherapies. There was a decrease in
      support for the 12-step model and an increase on the emphasis of a medicalized
      treatment model. Finally, we found a shift away from federal block grants and
      other public funding, consistent with the expectations of the ACA. These data
      indicate that, while progress is slow, the environment of the recent past has
      been supportive of the goal of SUD treatment's integration into mainstream
      medical care.

PMID- 28350228
TI  - Intercultural gerontology curriculum: Principles and practice.
AB  - The internationalization of universities and the aging of the global population
      are two current issues that converge and challenge undergraduate gerontology
      curriculum development in Canada. One response to this challenge is to envision
      an intercultural gerontology curriculum. What might this curriculum encompass?
      How might it be taught? An exploratory study was undertaken to address these two
      questions. This paper presents findings from this study based primarily on
      interviews with university-based stakeholders from Canada, the United States, and
      Europe. Thematic analysis of the interviews resulted in five themes: multiple
      perspectives on cultural diversity; the dynamic nature of cultural diversity and
      aging; flow of an intercultural curriculum; institutional culture and
      intercultural curricula; and principles and practice for intercultural
      gerontology. Framed by principles of gerontology theory and educational
      approaches, this paper focuses on the principles and practice suggested by study
      participants. Scaffolding learning, active learning strategies, experiential
      learning opportunities, teacher modelling, and internet-based learning are
      discussed as key to intercultural learning. An appendix includes a list of
      resources that may be useful to developing an intercultural gerontology
      curriculum.

PMID- 28350230
TI  - Predicting in vivo behavior of injectable, in situ-forming drug-delivery systems.

PMID- 28350229
TI  - Commercial Health Plan Coverage of Selected Treatments for Opioid Use Disorders
      from 2003 to 2014.
AB  - Opioid use disorders (OUDs) are receiving significant attention in the U.S. as a
      public health crisis. Access to treatment for OUDs is essential and was expected
      to improve following implementation of the federal parity law and the Affordable
      Care Act. This study examines changes in coverage and management of treatments
      for OUDs (opioid treatment programs (OTPs) as a covered service benefit,
      buprenorphine as a pharmacy benefit) before, during, and after parity and ACA
      implementation. Data are from three rounds of a nationally representative survey
      conducted with commercial health plans regarding behavioral health services in
      benefit years 2003, 2010, and 2014. Data were weighted to be representative of
      health plans' commercial products in the continental United States (2003 weighted
      N = 7,469, 83% response rate; 2010 N = 8,431, 89% response rate; and 2014 N =
      6,974, 80% response rate). Results showed treatment for OUDs was covered by
      nearly all health plan products in each year of the survey, but the types and
      patterns varied by year. Prior authorization requirements for OTPs have decreased
      over time. Despite the promise of expanded access to OUD treatment suggested by
      parity and the ACA, improved health plan coverage for treatment of OUDs, while
      essential, is not sufficient to address the opioid crisis.

PMID- 28350231
TI  - Object-Tool-Actor Interaction: Object Information Drives Intended Action.
AB  - Tool use is typically explored via actor-tool interactions. However, the target
      object (that which is being acted on) may influence perceived action
      possibilities and thereby guide action. Three different tool-target-object
      pairings were tested (Experiment 1). The hammering action demonstrated the
      greatest sensitivity and therefore subsequently used to further investigate
      target-object pairings. The hammer was removed as an option and instructions were
      provided using pictorial (Experiment 2), written (Experiment 3), and both
      pictorial and written formats (Experiment 4). The designed tool is chosen when
      available (Experiment 1) and when removed as a choice (i.e., the hammer),
      participants perform the same action associated with the designed tool (i.e.,
      hammering) regardless of instruction method (Experiments 2, 3, and 4).

PMID- 28350233
TI  - Does slow motion impact on the perception of foul play in football?
AB  - OBJECTIVES: Slow-motion replays of foul play situations are now used in the
      education and training of sports officials. We investigated the impact of video
      speed on the decision-making process of association football referees and how
      this interacted with expertise. METHODS: Three different groups of referees,
      varying in level of expertise, assessed video clips from an in-game perspective.
      Video clips represented corner kick and open play situations in which a foul
      occurred or not. For these foul/no foul situations, the referees had to make a
      technical (no foul; indirect free kick; direct free kick; or penalty kick) and a
      disciplinary decision (no card; yellow card; or red card), under both slow-motion
      and real-time viewing conditions. Accuracy scores were determined by comparing
      participant's responses with the decisions of an expert panel. RESULTS:
      Significant differences were observed across groups for foul/no foul situations,
      suggesting that the experts were able to process the available information more
      effectively than their less expert colleagues. The accuracy scores for the
      technical decision were higher in slow motion (67%) compared to a real-time
      viewing condition (56%), particularly for corner kick situations. No differences
      were found between real time and slow motion for the disciplinary decision.
      CONCLUSIONS: Slow-motion footage results in higher accuracy scores for complex
      technical decisions. These findings have implications for the use of slow-motion
      replays in the decision-making process of referees.

PMID- 28350232
TI  - Massachusetts Substance Use Disorder Treatment Organizations' Perspectives on the
      Affordable Care Act: Changes in Payment, Services, and System Design.
AB  - The Affordable Care Act (ACA) expanded insurance benefits and coverage for
      substance use disorder (SUD) treatment and encouraged delivery and payment
      reforms. Massachusetts passed a similar reform in 2006. This study aims to assess
      Massachusetts SUD treatment organizations' responses to the ACA. Organizational
      interviews addressing challenges of and responses to the ACA were conducted in
      person June-December 2014 with 31 leaders at 12 treatment organizations across
      Massachusetts. Many organizations were affiliated with medical or social services
      and offered a range of SUD services. Sampling was based on services offered
      (detoxification only, detoxification and outpatient, outpatient only). Framework
      analysis was used. Challenges identified were considered similar to ongoing
      challenges, not unique to the ACA. Organizations experienced insurance expansions
      in 2006 and faced new challenges, including insurance coverage, payment
      arrangements, expansion of services, and system design. System design efforts
      included care coordination/integration, workforce development, and health
      information technology. Differences in responses related to connections with
      medical and social service organizations. Many organizations engaged in efforts
      to respond to changing policies by expanding capacity and services. Offering a
      range of SUD treatment (e.g., detoxification and outpatient) and affiliating with
      a medical organization could enable organizations to respond to new insurance,
      delivery, and payment reforms.

PMID- 28350234
TI  - Inclined Weight-Loaded Walking at Different Speeds: Pelvis-Shoulder Coordination,
      Trunk Movements and Cost of Transport.
AB  - Although studied at level surface, the trunk kinematics and pelvis-shoulder
      coordination of incline walking are unknown. The aim of this study was to
      evaluate the speed effects on pelvis-shoulder coordination and trunk movement and
      the cost of transport (C) during unloaded and loaded (25% of body mass) 15%
      incline walking. We collected 3-dimensional kinematic and oxygen consumption data
      from 10 physically active young men. The movements were analyzed in the sagittal
      plane (inclination and range of trunk motion) and the transverse plane (range of
      shoulder and pelvic girdle motion and phase difference). The rotational amplitude
      of the shoulder girdle decreased with load at all speeds, and it was lower at the
      highest speeds. The rotational amplitude of the pelvic girdle did not change with
      the different speeds. The phase difference was greater at optimal speed (3 km.hr
      1, at the lowest C) in the loaded and the unloaded conditions. The trunk
      inclination was greater with load and increased with speed, whereas the range of
      trunk motion was lower in the loaded condition and decreased with increasing
      speed. In conclusion, the load decreased the range of girdles and trunk motion,
      and the pelvis-shoulder coordination seemed to be critical for the incline
      walking performance.

PMID- 28350235
TI  - Why non-inferiority is more challenging than superiority?
AB  - Demonstrating non-inferiority in clinical trials is usually more challenging than
      showing superiority. In multiple sclerosis (MS), non-inferiority trials are
      rarely designed since they would require prohibitive sample sizes. In this brief
      report, the reasons why non-inferiority trials are usually larger than
      superiority trials is explored.

PMID- 28350236
TI  - Improving a health information system for real-time data entries: An action
      research project using socio-technical systems theory.
AB  - BACKGROUND/PURPOSE: This paper presents the findings of an action research (AR)
      project to improve a health information system (HIS) at the Operating Theater
      Department (OTD) of a National Health Service (NHS) hospital in South East
      England, the UK. METHODS: Informed by socio-technical systems (STS) theory, AR
      was used to design an intervention to enhance an existing patient administration
      system (PAS) to enable data entries in real time while contributing to the
      literature. The study analyzed qualitative data collected through interviews,
      participant observations, and document reviews. RESULTS: The study found that the
      design of the PAS was unsuitable to the work of the three units of the OTD. Based
      on the diagnoses and STS theory, the project developed and implemented a
      successful intervention to enhance the legacy system for data entries in real
      time. CONCLUSIONS: The study demonstrates the value of AR from a socio-technical
      perspective for improving existing systems in healthcare settings. The steps
      adopted in this study could be applied to improve similar systems. A follow-up
      study will be essential to assess the sustainability of the improved system.

PMID- 28350237
TI  - * Hierarchically Structured Electrospun Scaffolds with Chemically Conjugated
      Growth Factor for Ligament Tissue Engineering.
AB  - The anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) of the knee is vital for proper joint
      function and is commonly ruptured during sports injuries or car accidents. Due to
      a lack of intrinsic healing capacity and drawbacks with allografts and
      autografts, there is a need for a tissue-engineered ACL replacement. Our group
      has previously used aligned sheets of electrospun polycaprolactone nanofibers to
      develop solid cylindrical bundles of longitudinally aligned nanofibers. We have
      shown that these nanofiber bundles support cell proliferation and elongation and
      the hierarchical structure and material properties are similar to the native
      human ACL. It is possible to combine multiple nanofiber bundles to create a
      scaffold that attempts to mimic the macroscale structure of the ACL. The goal of
      this work was to develop a hierarchical bioactive scaffold for ligament tissue
      engineering using connective tissue growth factor (CTGF)-conjugated nanofiber
      bundles and evaluate the behavior of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) on these
      scaffolds in vitro and in vivo. CTGF was immobilized onto the surface of
      individual nanofiber bundles or scaffolds consisting of multiple nanofiber
      bundles. The conjugation efficiency and the release of conjugated CTGF were
      assessed using X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, assays, and immunofluorescence
      staining. Scaffolds were seeded with MSCs and maintained in vitro for 7 days
      (individual nanofiber bundles), in vitro for 21 days (scaled-up scaffolds of 20
      nanofiber bundles), or in vivo for 6 weeks (small scaffolds of 4 nanofiber
      bundles), and ligament-specific tissue formation was assessed in comparison to
      non-CTGF-conjugated control scaffolds. Results showed that CTGF conjugation
      encouraged cell proliferation and ligament-specific tissue formation in vitro and
      in vivo. The results suggest that hierarchical electrospun nanofiber bundles
      conjugated with CTGF are a scalable and bioactive scaffold for ACL tissue
      engineering.

PMID- 28350238
TI  - Safety and Effectiveness of Robot-Assisted Versus Open Radical Cystectomy for
      Bladder Cancer: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.
AB  - OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the safety and effectiveness of robot-assisted radical
      cystectomy (RARC) compared with open radical cystectomy (ORC) in bladder cancer.
      METHODS: A literature search for the systematic review was conducted using
      international databases as well as domestic databases up to April 2015. Outcomes
      of interest included baseline characteristics, complication rates, perioperative,
      and oncologic outcomes. RESULTS: Twenty-four articles were finally selected for
      inclusion in the meta-analysis. Complication rates of RARC were similar to those
      of ORC, except for 90-day overall complication rate, wound dehiscence, abscess,
      pneumonia, respiratory failure, and sepsis, which was lower after RARC. RARC was
      also associated with a smaller amount of estimated blood loss, lower transfusion
      rate, shorter length of hospital stay, shorter time to flatus, and more lymph
      node yield, whereas ORC was associated with a shorter operation time and lower
      rate of stricture. Considering oncologic outcomes, there were no differences
      between RARC and ORC. CONCLUSIONS: RARC seems to be associated with equivalent
      complication rates, a smaller amount of estimated blood loss, lower transfusion
      rate, shorter length of hospital stay, shorter time to flatus, and more lymph
      node yield. Randomized controlled trials with a large sample size and comparative
      studies with long-term follow-up data are warranted to assess our findings and
      the oncologic effectiveness of RARC.

PMID- 28350239
TI  - Speak Up!!

PMID- 28350240
TI  - The Effects of Task Type on Time to Task Failure During Fatigue: A Modified
      Sorensen Test.
AB  - Understanding mechanisms of fatigue of the trunk extensors is important because
      fatigue is a major factor in predicting incidence of low back pain, but few
      studies have examined trunk extensor fatigue muscles using differing load types
      and measured the amplitude and frequency domain of the electromyographic signal
      to explain these differences. Sixteen healthy participants performed position-
      and force-matching fatigue tasks in a modified Sorensen test position. Time to
      task failure was significantly longer during the position-matching task compared
      to force-matching task (58.3 +/- 6.6 min vs. 36.1 +/- 5.4 min). This finding is
      the opposite of that commonly reported for the appendicular muscle, but the mean
      power frequency shifts and muscle activation patterns of the trunk and hip
      extensors did not explain this difference. The mean power frequency shifts and
      muscle activation patterns of the trunk and hip extensors did not explain this
      difference. The greater time to task failure during the position-matching task
      may reflect adaptation of the trunk extensor muscles to optimize maintaining
      specific joint angles more so than specific loads.

PMID- 28350241
TI  - Comparative effectiveness of delayed-release dimethyl fumarate versus glatiramer
      acetate in multiple sclerosis patients: results of a matching-adjusted indirect
      comparison.
AB  - AIM: Using matching-adjusted indirect comparison, we compared efficacy outcomes
      in patients with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis treated with delayed
      release dimethyl fumarate (DMF) or glatiramer acetate (GA). MATERIALS & METHODS:
      An indirect comparison of DMF (patient-level data) and GA (aggregate data) was
      conducted, with average baseline characteristics of DMF patients weighted to
      match those for GA patients. Direct comparison of DMF and GA was conducted in
      CONFIRM. Final results pooled the indirect and direct comparisons using meta
      analysis. RESULTS: After matching, baseline characteristics were balanced between
      DMF and GA patients. Compared with GA, efficacy was significantly in favor of DMF
      as measured by annualized relapse rate (rate ratio: 0.76; 95% CI: 0.57-1.00; p =
      0.0474) and 12-week confirmed disability progression (risk ratio: 0.59; 95% CI:
      0.46-0.76; p < 0.0001). CONCLUSION: DMF demonstrated superior clinical efficacy
      versus GA.

PMID- 28350242
TI  - Comparison of Psychopathological Symptoms in Adolescents Who Experienced Sexual
      Violence as a Victim and/or as a Perpetrator.
AB  - Research on sexual violence victims and perpetrators indicates that victims in
      general are found to report higher levels of psychopathological symptoms,
      especially internalizing behavior, whereas perpetrators often show externalizing
      behavior. Little is known, however, about the psychopathology of perpetrators of
      sexual violence who have also experienced sexual victimization (victim
      perpetrators). Thus, the aim of the current study was to examine this group
      within a sample of adolescents living in residential care or federal boarding
      schools. Participants reported their lifetime experience with sexual violence
      (both as victim and perpetrator) and completed the Youth Self Report. Results
      indicate that all three groups of adolescents with sexual violence experience
      report higher total problem scores than adolescents without this experience.
      Victim-perpetrators show results more similar to those of perpetrators only than
      those of victims only. The discussion deals with the implications of our findings
      for the treatment of victims of sexual violence.

PMID- 28350243
TI  - Fitts' Theorem and Movement Time Dissociation for Amplitude and Width
      Manipulations: Replying to Hoffmann.
AB  - The commentary by Errol Hoffmann asserts that previous work by our group provides
      the spurious conclusion that amplitude and width manipulations to a movement
      environment elicit dissociable relations between movement time (MT) and P. M.
      Fitts' (1954) index of difficulty (ID). Hoffmann concludes that any such
      dissociation is the result of actions evoked entirely as ballistic. In this
      reply, we demonstrate that Hoffmann's commentary is a clear misrepresentation of
      the study goals and conclusions stated by our group. Additionally, we provide
      kinematic evidence that actions involving online trajectory amendments are
      associated with dissociable MT-ID relations for amplitude versus width
      manipulations. Finally, we contend that the kinematic analyses of movement
      trajectories, and Hoffmann's failure to acknowledge its importance, is an
      important step in further understanding speed-accuracy relations in human
      movement.

PMID- 28350244
TI  - Training social work students to recognize later-life depression: Is standardized
      patient simulation effective?
AB  - Professional social workers are the largest provider of mental health services in
      the nation, yet they receive little coursework or clinical training in late-life
      depression unless they are in a gerontology specialization. Simulation training
      offers academic experiences that evoke conditions of the real world in a
      practical way. One hundred and four graduate social work students consented and
      completed the Standardized Patient Simulation course consisting of a human
      simulator interview, pre- and postdebriefing on late life depression, and self
      and faculty ratings of outcome measures. Results from pre-post testing of
      measures and the debriefing evaluation demonstrated that students gained in
      knowledge and achieved clinical skill competency. Students reported that the
      patient simulator was convincing, the environment was realistic, and they were
      satisfied with the training. The educational methodology tests students in
      challenging situations and offers immediate educational feedback to integrate and
      improve practice behaviors towards achieving clinical competency.

PMID- 28350245
TI  - Influence of Background Noise Produced in University Facilities on the Brain
      Waves Associated With Attention of Students and Employees.
AB  - As a consequence of noise exposure, lack of attention badly affects directly the
      academic and work performance. The study of the brain and the waves that it
      produces is the most objective way to evaluate this process. Attentional
      improvement is associated with increases of the amplitude in both beta and theta
      bands. The objective of this work is to study the influence of background noise
      produced inside university facilities on changes in the cerebral waves related to
      attention processes (beta 13-30 Hz and theta 4-7 Hz). Volunteers were asked to
      perform a specific task in which attention was involved. This task was performed
      in both silent and noisy conditions. To evaluate the cerebral activity of
      volunteers during the development of the test, measurement of spontaneous
      activity (electroencephalogram) was developed. The results show significant
      decreases in both beta and theta frequency bands under background noise exposure.
      Since attentional improvement is related to an increment on amplitude of both
      beta and theta bands, it is suggested that decreases on amplitude of these
      frequency bands could directly be related to a lack of attention caused by the
      exposure to background noise.

PMID- 28350246
TI  - Frequency, presentation, and outcome of Takayasu arteritis in Western Australia.
AB  - OBJECTIVES: Takayasu arteritis (TAK) is large-vessel vasculitis that
      predominantly affects young women. There is worldwide variation in the frequency
      of TAK depending on genetic and/or environmental factors. With Australian data
      lacking, we describe the epidemiology, clinical features and outcomes of TAK in
      Western Australia (WA). METHODS: Retrospective case cohort study of incident TAK
      cases between 1 January 2000 and 30 June 2015 in WA identified from multiple
      sources. Data on disease presentation and outcome were extracted from medical
      records. RESULTS: Eighteen patients received a clinical diagnosis with thirteen
      cases meeting 1990 ACR criteria for TAK (all female, 77% Caucasian, age at
      diagnosis 39 years) included in this analysis. Per million inhabitants the annual
      incidence and prevalence (2015) was 0.3 and 3.2 for Caucasians and 1.1 and 15 for
      Asians. Limb claudication and bruit were commonest symptoms; ESR or CRP was
      raised in 61% at diagnosis while aortic involvement Hata type IIb most prevalent
      (30%). Despite general combination therapy with corticosteroids and
      immunosuppressant drugs, four patients suffered a stroke, two patients developed
      myocardial infarction, and five patients required vascular intervention. Three
      Caucasian patients died during the study period. CONCLUSION: TAK is much more
      prevalent in the Asian than Caucasian population of WA and associates with
      significant long-term morbidity and mortality despite standard therapy.

PMID- 28350247
TI  - The Transgenic Zebrafish Display Fluorescence Reflecting the Expressional
      Dynamics of Dihydrofolate Reductase.
AB  - Dihydrofolate reductase (DHFR) reduces folic acid and recycles dihydrofolate
      generated during dTMP biosynthesis to tetrahydrofolate. DHFR is upregulated in
      rapidly proliferating cells and hence a favored target of antifolate drug against
      cancers, autoimmune diseases, and microbial infections. However, increased
      expression of dhfr contributed to the often emerging drug resistance and impeded
      the therapeutic efficacy of antifolate drugs. Therefore, comprehensive knowledge
      on the expressional control of dhfr becomes crucial. We generated two zebrafish
      transgenic lines, Tg(zdhfr+91:EGFP) and Tg(zdhfr+79:EGFP), which express green
      fluorescent protein driven by two zebrafish dhfr promoter fragments separately.
      The fluorescence intensity displayed in these transgenic embryos recapitulated
      the expressional dynamics of endogenous dhfr and reflected changes in dhfr mRNA
      and protein levels. The fluorescence intensity of these transgenic embryos was
      responsive to both genetic and environmental factors potentially modulating dhfr
      promoter activity. Sequence analyses revealed partial conservation on the
      landscape of transcription factor arrangement between zebrafish and human dhfr
      promoters. A noncanonical and inhibitory Sp1 site was identified 170 base-pair
      upstream to the conserved Sp1 site in close proximity to the translation
      initiation codon. Our results supported the potential use of these transgenic
      embryos for studying the expressional dynamics of dhfr and preliminary screening
      for dhfr promoter modulators.

PMID- 28350248
TI  - Impact of life stories on college students' positive and negative attitudes
      toward older adults.
AB  - Gerontological educators are increasingly interested in reducing college
      students' negative, and promoting their positive, attitudes toward older adults.
      Over the course of a semester, students from six 4-year institutions viewed three
      life story videos (documentaries) of older adults and completed pre- and posttest
      surveys that assessed their positive (Allophilia Scale) and negative (Fraboni
      Scale of Ageism) attitudes. The authors assessed changes in attitudinal scales
      between treatment (with videos, n = 80) and control (no video, n = 40) groups.
      Change score analysis with 95% bias-corrected bootstrap confidence intervals
      estimated the effects of the documentaries on students' attitudes. The treatment
      group showed significant increases in kinship, engagement, and enthusiasm, and
      decreases in antilocution and avoidance (all ps <.05). There was no significant
      change in affect, comfort, or discrimination. This study demonstrated how video
      stories impact students' attitudes about older adults.

PMID- 28350249
TI  - Defining doctoral gerontologists: Who are they and how are they contributing to
      the field of gerontology?
AB  - More than 300 individuals have earned doctoral degrees in gerontology since 1993,
      yet little is known about their training, professional placement, and
      contributions to the field. Given this lack of information, the authors sought to
      define the emerging mass of doctoral gerontologists. In this study, the authors
      analyzed results from the 2014 Gerontology Education Longitudinal Study survey
      sample of 84 individuals who earned a doctoral degree in gerontology between 1993
      and 2013. Results revealed doctoral gerontologists completed training
      requirements that were consistent across eight programs offering doctorates in
      gerontology. The authors also found doctoral gerontologists have been successful
      in securing jobs in academic and nonacademic organizations, creating
      gerontological knowledge, and translating their work into other fields. The
      authors concluded by considering how the successful integration of doctoral
      gerontologists might continue, and they propose directions for future research.

PMID- 28350250
TI  - Proactive outreach smoking cessation program for Chinese employees in China.
AB  - We evaluated the first workplace intervention to help smokers quit in Hong Kong.
      Smoking employees (N = 642) received a 26-page self-help booklet and 15 fix SMS
      within 3 months and chose to receive cognitive behavioral workshop (N = 76), or
      face-to-face counseling (N = 11), or group health talk (N = 516), or telephone
      counseling (N = 39). Twenty participants were interviewed individually for their
      opinions about the interventions. By intention-to-treat, the overall self
      reported past 7-day point prevalence quit rate was 31.0% and 32.9%, and reduction
      rate was 15.0% and 13.2% at 6 and 12-months, respectively. More than 20% of the
      unmotivated smokers at baseline (N = 399) quit in this program. Proactive
      outreach workplace smoking cessation programs with diverse intensity but without
      medications, chosen by smokers and supported by employers without further
      incentives, were feasible in busy working environment in Hong Kong.

PMID- 28350252
TI  - Long-term cognitive and neuroanatomical stability in patients with anoxic
      amnesia: A Case Report.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Anoxia can result in selective hippocampal damage with associated
      impairments in declarative memory. Whilst memory impairments and brain structures
      are thought to be stable, there are little data regarding the effects of ageing
      or change over time in patients with amnesia from anoxic brain injury. METHODS:
      To assess change over time, we compared structural magnetic resonance imaging
      (MRI) with data obtained over ten years previously in two well-characterized
      patients with amnesia (JRW and RS) who experienced an anoxic brain injury. Six
      healthy, age-matched control participants were recruited to compare brain volumes
      with the patients at Time 2. Wechsler adult intelligence scale-revised and
      Wechsler memory scale-revised scores were compared to scores on the same tests
      administered 13 and 19 years prior. RESULTS: Patients with amnesia had
      significantly smaller hippocampal volumes than controls, but comparable medial
      temporal lobe and ventricular volumes. Memory, intellectual function and brain
      volumes were stable over time. CONCLUSION: Patients with an amnesia due to anoxia
      have memory impairments and smaller hippocampal volumes compared to controls;
      however, memory, intelligence and structural volumes remain stable over time. At
      ages 50 and 57, they do not appear to have early age-associated cognitive decline
      that is sometimes observed in patients with traumatic brain injury.

PMID- 28350251
TI  - Impact of CYP2D6 genotype on amitriptyline efficacy for the treatment of diabetic
      peripheral neuropathy: a pilot study.
AB  - AIM: Therapy with low-dose amitriptyline is commonly used to treat painful
      diabetic peripheral neuropathy. There is a knowledge gap, however, regarding the
      role of variable CYP2D6-mediated drug metabolism and side effects (SEs). We aimed
      to generate pilot data to demonstrate that SEs are more frequent in patients with
      variant CYP2D6 alleles. METHOD: To that end, 31 randomly recruited participants
      were treated with low-dose amitriptyline for painful diabetic peripheral
      neuropathy and their CYP2D6 gene sequenced. RESULTS: Patients with predicted
      normal or ultra-rapid metabolizer phenotypes presented with less SEs compared
      with individuals with decreased CYP2D6 activity. CONCLUSION: Hence, CYP2D6
      genotype contributes to treatment outcome and may be useful for guiding drug
      therapy. Future investigations in a larger patient population are planned to
      support these preliminary findings.

PMID- 28350254
TI  - Career dreams among health care students: I want to make a difference.
AB  - There is a continuous increase in demand for health services in most countries
      because people who are older are living longer. Health care for people who are
      older is not, generally, an attractive career option for undergraduate health
      professionals. This study investigated career dreams among undergraduates
      studying a variety of health care subjects to understand what motivates them.
      Eighteen focus groups were conducted with 90 students, and template analysis was
      performed within a sociological framework. Four themes emerged from the analysis:
      no plans to work with people who are older, dreaming of making a difference,
      seeking variety, and the impact of clinical placements on stimulating or reducing
      interest in working with people who are older. Geriatrics and gerontology do not
      offer the opportunities that students are looking for in their future careers.
      There is a need to change the way we talk about adults who are older everywhere,
      not just in health care training. However, health care educators should also help
      students to understand the value of care provided to adults who are older.

PMID- 28350255
TI  - Diagnostic performance of breast ultrasonography and MRI in the prediction of
      lymph node status after neoadjuvant chemotherapy for breast cancer.
AB  - Background Neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC) is widely used to treat breast cancer.
      Sentinel lymph node biopsy has replaced axillary lymph node dissection in
      patients who convert to node-negative status after NAC. However, few studies have
      evaluated the diagnostic performance of ultrasonography and magnetic resonance
      imaging (MRI) in determining axillary lymph node status after NAC. Purpose To
      evaluate the diagnostic performance of breast ultrasonography and MRI in
      determining residual metastatic axillary lymph node status after NAC for breast
      cancer and to identify histopathological factors affecting radiological
      performance. Material and Methods This study included 157 patients who underwent
      initial and follow-up preoperative breast ultrasonography and MRI before NAC
      between January and December 2010. The sensitivity, specificity, negative and
      positive predictive values, and accuracy of ultrasonography, MRI, and their
      combinations were evaluated. Results The sensitivity of ultrasonography, MRI, and
      their combination in post-NAC axillary imaging was 60.00%, 57.33%, and 65.33%,
      respectively; the specificity was 60.47%, 72.09%, and 60.47%, respectively. The
      positive predictive value was highest with MRI (78.18%). On univariate analysis,
      positive estrogen receptor status was associated with misdiagnosis by
      ultrasonography ( P = 0.002), MRI ( P = 0.002), and their combination ( P =
      0.001). When residual metastatic lymph nodes were present, lymph nodes with
      macrometastasis (>2.0 mm) were associated with correct ultrasonography-based
      diagnosis ( P = 0.0027). Conclusion Imaging assists in predicting axillary lymph
      node status in patients undergoing NAC; however, is imprudent to omit sentinel
      lymph node biopsy or axillary lymph node dissection for staging in women
      determined to be node-positive.

PMID- 28350253
TI  - 3D visualization and quantification of microvessels in the whole ischemic mouse
      brain using solvent-based clearing and light sheet microscopy.
AB  - The visualization of cerebral microvessels is essential for understanding brain
      remodeling after stroke. Injection of dyes allows for the evaluation of perfused
      vessels, but has limitations related either to incomplete microvascular filling
      or leakage. In conventional histochemistry, the analysis of microvessels is
      limited to 2D structures, with apparent limitations regarding the interpretation
      of vascular circuits. Herein, we developed a straight-forward technique to
      visualize microvessels in the whole ischemic mouse brain, combining the injection
      of a fluorescent-labeled low viscosity hydrogel conjugate with 3D solvent
      clearing followed by automated light sheet microscopy. We performed transient
      middle cerebral artery occlusion in C57Bl/6j mice and acquired detailed 3D
      vasculature images from whole brains. Subsequent image processing, rendering and
      fitting of blood vessels to a filament model was employed to calculate vessel
      length density, resulting in 0.922 +/- 0.176 m/mm3 in healthy tissue and 0.329 +/
      0.131 m/mm3 in ischemic tissue. This analysis showed a marked loss of
      capillaries with a diameter <= 10 um and a more moderate loss of microvessels in
      the range > 10 and <= 20 um, whereas vessels > 20 um were unaffected by focal
      cerebral ischemia. We propose that this protocol is highly suitable for studying
      microvascular injury and remodeling post-stroke.

PMID- 28350256
TI  - Separation of two sub-groups with different DNA content after treatment of T-47D
      breast cancer cells with low dose-rate irradiation and intermittent hypoxia.
AB  - Background Previous studies have shown that combined treatment with internal
      ultra-low dose-rate irradiation selectively inactivated hypoxic T-47D breast
      cancer cells after three to five weeks of treatment. However, 2-3% of the hypoxic
      cells were found to survive and restart proliferation upon re-oxygenation.
      Purpose To investigate the metastatic potential and characteristics of
      radiosensitivity of these surviving cells, named T - 47 DS. Material and Methods
      The T - 47 DS cells were grown in ambient air without irradiation. A cloning
      experiment identified two sub-groups with different DNA content ([Formula: see
      text] and [Formula: see text]). Furthermore, radiosensitivity and presence of
      hyper-radiosensitivity (HRS) was measured by Co-60 challenge irradiation and
      relative migration was determined by scratch assays. Results The two
      subpopulations of T - 47 DS had different DNA content; one had abnormally high
      DNA content ([Formula: see text]) and one had DNA content similar to wild-type T
      47D cells ([Formula: see text]). HRS was surprisingly present in cells of the
      cloned population [Formula: see text], but was absent in cells of both [Formula:
      see text] and T - 47 DS. The radio response of T - 47 DS, [Formula: see text] at
      higher radiation doses were similar to that of T-47D cells, and neither
      subpopulation showed increased migration compared with wild-type T-47D.
      Conclusion No increase in the risk of metastasis was found and only slight
      changes in radiosensitivity in response to conventional clinical doses was
      observed. Thus, the data suggest that if ultra-low dose-rate irradiation is used
      for targeting the hypoxic tumor fraction, conventional high dose-rate irradiation
      can be used to eradicate eventual surviving cells as well as cells in the well
      oxygenated areas of the tumor.

PMID- 28350257
TI  - Intrahepatic mass-forming cholangiocarcinoma and solitary hypovascular liver
      metastases: is the differential diagnosis using diffusion-weighted MRI possible?
AB  - Background Intrahepatic mass-forming cholangiocellular carcinoma (IMC) is the
      second most common primary liver tumor. The differentiation between IMC and
      solitary hypovascular liver metastases (SHLM) represents a diagnostic challenge
      due to many overlapping magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) features. Purpose To
      determine the value of diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI) in addition to
      conventional MRI for the distinction between intrahepatic mass-forming
      cholangiocarcinoma and solitary hypovascular liver metastases. Material and
      Methods Fifty-three patients with pathologically proven IMC (n = 31) and SHLM (n
      = 22) who had undergone MRI and DWI before surgery or percutaneous biopsy were
      enrolled in this study. The following MRI features were analyzed: the size and
      shape of the lesion, presence of capsular retraction and segmental biliary
      dilatation, T2-weighted (T2W) signal intensity, the presence of target sign on
      DWI and enhancement pattern. Apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) values were
      calculated for each lesion ( b = 800 s/mm2). Univariate and multivariate logistic
      regression analyses were used to identify significant differentiating features
      between IMCs and SHLMs. Results Univariate analysis revealed that following
      parameters favor diagnosis of IMCs over SHLMs: lobulating shape, heterogeneous
      T2W signal intensity, capsular retraction, segmental biliary dilatation, target
      sign on DWI and rim-like enhancement on arterial phase followed by progressive
      enhancement in delayed phases. ADC values measured in the periphery of the lesion
      were significantly lower in IMCs in comparison to SHLMs. Multivariate analysis
      revealed that target sign on DWI was the most significant predictor of IMCs.
      Conclusion Qualitative DWI analysis with target sign significantly improves
      diagnostic accuracy for differentiation among IMC and SHLM lesions.

PMID- 28350258
TI  - The Difficult Gallbladder: A Safe Approach to a Dangerous Problem.
AB  - Laparoscopic cholecystectomy is a common surgical procedure, and remains the gold
      standard for the management of benign gallbladder and biliary disease. While this
      procedure can be technically straightforward, it can also represent one of the
      most challenging operations facing surgeons. This dichotomy of a routine
      operation performed so commonly that poses such a hidden risk of severe
      complications, such as bile duct injury, must keep surgeons steadfast in the
      pursuit of safety. The "difficult gallbladder" requires strict adherence to the
      Culture of Safety in Cholecystectomy, which promotes safety first and assists
      surgeons in managing or avoiding difficult operative situations. This review will
      discuss the management of the difficult gallbladder and propose the use of
      subtotal fenestrating cholecystectomy as a definitive option during this
      dangerous situation.

PMID- 28350259
TI  - Obstacles to Help-Seeking for Sexual Offenders: Implications for Prevention of
      Sexual Abuse.
AB  - Persons with potentially harmful sexual interests such as attraction to minors
      are unlikely to seek or receive treatment before a sexual offense has been
      committed. The current study explored barriers to help-seeking in a sample of 372
      individuals in treatment for sexual offending. Results revealed that the shame
      and secrecy resulting from stigma associated with pedophilic interests often
      prevented our respondents from seeking professional counseling, and only about
      20% tried to talk to anyone about their sexual interests prior to their arrest.
      Barriers to seeking and receiving psychological services included concerns about
      confidentiality, fears of social and legal consequences, personal shame or
      confusion about the problem, affordability, and challenges finding competent
      therapists who were adequately equipped to help them. Understanding and
      ultimately reducing obstacles to help-seeking can improve the quality of life for
      people with harmful sexual interests and potentially prevent sexual abuse of
      children or other vulnerable individuals.

PMID- 28350261
TI  - Common Beliefs About Child Sexual Abuse and Disclosure: A College Sample.
AB  - Adults' common beliefs about child sexual abuse and disclosure were explored.
      Participants (N = 670) were questioned about key areas of child sexual abuse that
      could affect decision-making processes of jurors evaluating child sexual abuse
      cases. These areas included victim and perpetrator characteristics, medical and
      behavioral indicators of child sexual abuse, memories for the event, and
      disclosure of the event. The scientific literature pertaining to these same areas
      are reviewed. While individual beliefs were consistent with some areas of the
      scientific literature (e.g., victim and perpetrator characteristics), they
      strongly contrasted the literature in other important areas (e.g., memories for
      the event, indicators of child sexual abuse, and the likelihood of denial and
      recantation). Implications, including the option of providing expert testimony to
      reduce discrepancies, are discussed.

PMID- 28350260
TI  - Posttraumatic Stress Disorder and Suicidal Ideation Among Sexually Abused
      Adolescent Girls: The Mediating Role of Shame.
AB  - Sexual abuse is associated with a host of negative repercussions in adolescence.
      Yet the possible mechanisms linking sexual abuse and negative outcomes are
      understudied. The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationships
      among self-blame, shame, coping strategies, posttraumatic stress disorder,
      depressive symptoms, and suicidal ideation. The sample included 147 sexually
      abused adolescent girls between 14 and 18 years of age. A total of 66% of girls
      reached clinical score for posttraumatic stress disorder, and 53% reached
      clinical score for depressive symptoms. Close to half (46%) reported suicidal
      thoughts in the past 3 months. Shame was found to partially mediate the
      relationship between self-blame and posttraumatic stress disorder. Shame and
      depressive symptoms were also found to partially mediate the relationship between
      self-blame and suicidal ideation. Results suggest that shame is a crucial target
      in interventions designed for sexually abused adolescent girls.

PMID- 28350262
TI  - The Effect of Gender on Perceptions of Credibility in Child Sexual Assault Cases:
      A Systematic Review.
AB  - Child sexual assault cases have one of the highest attrition rates throughout the
      justice system, with jurors' perceptions of the credibility of the child playing
      a critical role in the judicial process and resulting outcomes. One of the most
      prominent influences on credibility is gender, specifically victim and perceiver
      gender. This article reports the findings of a systematic search of the
      literature exploring the impact of these factors on perceptions of victim
      credibility. Results suggest that overall females tend to rate victim credibility
      higher than do males; however, this gender effect is minimized when the alleged
      perpetrator is not the biological parent of the victim. There is little support
      for a victim gender effect, such that potential jurors' ratings of victim
      credibility does not appear to be influenced by the gender of the victim. The
      review highlights the lack of consistent and comprehensive measurement of
      credibility. Legal implications are discussed.

PMID- 28350263
TI  - Child Sexual Behaviors in School Context: Age and Gender Differences.
AB  - The main purpose of the study was to explore the child sexual behaviors that
      Italian teachers have observed in the school context. A representative sample of
      227 children, from 5 to 10 years old, was rated by their teachers through the
      Child Sexual Behavior Inventory. Frequencies of sexual behaviors among children
      aged 5 to 6, 7 to 8, and 9 to 10 are presented. Younger children showed a broader
      range of sexual behaviors that decrease with the growing age, such as males in
      comparison to females. Moreover, findings showed that child sexual behavior is
      not only related to age and gender but also to family characteristics. These
      results suggested that child sexual behaviors reported by teachers through the
      Child Sexual Behavior Inventory may provide useful information about the
      development of children's sexuality. The knowledge of age appropriate sexual
      behaviors can help teachers discern normal sexual behaviors from problematic
      sexual behaviors.

PMID- 28350264
TI  - Some Epidemiological Characteristics of Perpetrators and Victims of Incest in
      Contemporary Ghana: Analysis of Media Reports.
AB  - In Ghana, incest is considered sinful, taboo, and illegal. However, recent media
      reports show that incest has become a daily reality in Ghana. This study is a
      situational analysis of the pattern of incest in Ghana as reported in the media
      from January 2008 through July 2015. Qualitative content analysis was conducted
      on 48 incest news reports in Ghana. The findings showed that father-daughter
      incest was most frequent across the study period. Forty-seven females aged 3 to
      25 years and a male aged 3 years were identified as victims. Generally, the
      incest lasted between 1 day and 13 years before disclosure. Perpetrators employed
      psychological and/or physical methods to coerce their victims. Marital
      difficulties, diabolical control, and seduction by victim featured prominently as
      alleged motives behind the abuse. The study observes that the recent increase in
      father-daughter incest warrants an immediate shift of research attention onto
      men's mental health in Ghana.

PMID- 28350265
TI  - Persistent Complications of Child Sexual Abuse: Sexually Compulsive Behaviors,
      Attachment, and Emotions.
AB  - Child sexual abuse has the potential to cause distress for the victim across the
      lifespan. Romantic relationships may be particularly difficult for victims of
      child sexual abuse. This retrospective study examined differences in adult
      romantic attachment, sexually compulsive behaviors, and emotion regulation by
      history of child sexual abuse in a large, nonclinical sample. Those with a
      history of child sexual abuse reported more attachment anxiety in romantic
      relationships and engaged in more sexually compulsive behaviors. Overall, males
      displayed more sexually compulsive behaviors than females regardless of history
      of sexual abuse. Males with a history of sexual abuse displayed the greatest
      number of sexually compulsive behaviors. Surprisingly, no differences were
      observed in emotion regulation or attachment avoidant behaviors by history of
      child sexual abuse. Future research should seek to replicate current findings and
      examine emotion regulation difficulties experienced as a result of trauma.

PMID- 28350266
TI  - Pedophiles in the Ultra-Orthodox Haredi Sector in Israel: Thought Processes
      Regarding their Actions.
AB  - This study explores thought patterns of Jewish Ashkenazi Ultra-Orthodox
      pedophiles in Israel and how they resolve the contradiction between their
      commitment to Jewish Law and having committed sexual offenses against minors. Ten
      adult men participated in this study. Using open semistructured interviews, their
      cognitive distortions before, during, and after the abuse were examined. Content
      analysis revealed that participants used cognitive distortions based on their own
      world of Jewish Law and social-cultural values. The insular nature of Ultra
      Orthodox society and its many prohibitions, especially regarding sexuality,
      tempted offenders to test boundaries. When sexual drive was high, internal
      control mechanisms were ineffective even in presence of external control
      mechanisms. Some participants recognized the contradiction between their
      behaviors and being Ultra-Orthodox Jews, and others did not. Based on the
      findings, a flow chart was devised describing the cognitive processes of Jewish
      Ultra-Orthodox pedophiles. Theoretical and practical implications of the results
      were examined.

PMID- 28350267
TI  - Corrigendum.

PMID- 28350268
TI  - Molecular and biopharmaceutical investigation of alginate-inulin synbiotic
      coencapsulation of probiotic to target the colon.
AB  - Colon targeting, as a site-specific delivery for oral formulation, remains a
      major challenge, especially for sensitive bioactive components such as
      therapeutic forms of phages, live attenuated virus and prebiotics-probiotics
      association. Synbiotics could be used to protect encapsulated probiotics during
      the gastrointestinal tract and control their release in the colon. To achieve
      these goals, effective prebiotics, such as inulin, could be combined with
      alginate - the most exploited polymer used for probiotic encapsulation - in the
      form of beads. This work aimed to study the biopharmaceutical behaviour of
      alginate beads (A) and inulin-alginate beads of different inulin concentrations
      (5 or 20%) in 2% alginate (AI5, AI20). Beads were loaded with three probiotic
      strains (Pediococcus acidilactici Ul5, Lactobacillus reuteri and Lactobacillus
      salivarius). Dissolution of beads was studied by USP4 under conditions simulating
      the gastrointestinal condition. The survival rates of the bacterial strains were
      measured by a specific qPCR bacterial count. Mucoadhesiveness of beads was
      studied by an ex vivo method using intestinal mucosa. To understand the behaviour
      of each formulation, the ultrastructure of the polymeric network was studied
      using scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Molecular interactions between alginate
      and inulin were studied by Fourier transform infra-red spectroscopy (FTIR).
      Dissolution results suggested that the presence of inulin in beads provided more
      protection for the tested bacterial strains against the acidic pH. AI5 was the
      most effective formulation to deliver probiotics to the colon simulation
      conditions. FTIR and SEM investigations explained the differences in behaviour of
      each formula. The developed symbiotic form provided a promising matrix for the
      development of colonic controlled release systems.

PMID- 28350270
TI  - 2016 Research Forum Poster Session and Competition: Finalists and Posters.

PMID- 28350269
TI  - Review of a single surgeon's stapedotomy cases performed with a nickel titanium
      prosthesis over a 14-year period.
AB  - CONCLUSION: Stapes surgery with a nickel titanium prosthesis is a safe and well
      tolerated procedure that leads to a significant improvement in hearing outcomes.
      OBJECTIVE: To identify the efficacy and safety of stapedotomy procedures
      performed with a nickel titanium prosthesis for patients with otosclerosis.
      METHODS: A review of 431 unique stapedotomies performed over 14 years by a single
      surgeon at an academic tertiary care center yielded 312 cases with nickel
      titanium prosthesis that met inclusion criteria of otosclerosis diagnosis,
      initial surgery in operative ear, and presence of pre-operative and post
      operative audiograms. Pure-tone averages (PTA) at baseline and 8 weeks after
      surgery were calculated over four frequencies; 0.5, 1, 2, and 4 kHz. Average air
      bone gaps (ABG) were calculated from pre-operative and post-operative audiograms.
      RESULTS: Average pre-operative baseline PTA was 56.7 dB in the affected ear. Post
      operative PTA was 30.1 dB, a 26.6 dB improvement. Initial average ABG was 29.7
      dB, while post-operative ABG averaged 5.4 dB, a 24.2 dB improvement. Surgical
      success (closure of ABG within 10 dB) was achieved in 263 (84%) patients. Rate of
      surgical success was not correlated with age, gender, race, or affected ear.
      Complications included recurrent conductive hearing loss (14), progressive SNHL
      (4), and post-operative BPPV (3).

PMID- 28350271
TI  - Human tooth-derived biomaterial as a graft substitute for hard tissue
      regeneration.
AB  - AIM: The present study was conducted to evaluate the efficacy of human dentine
      grafts for new bone augmentation. MATERIALS & METHODS: Dentine grafts
      (demineralized dentine matrix [DDM] and mineralized dentine matrix [MDM]) were
      prepared and implanted in rats. Tetracycline was administered twice. Paraffin and
      resin sections were prepared from the harvested grafts and stained respectively
      with hematoxylin and eosin (in addition to tartrate acid phosphatase for
      osteoclasts) and Villanueva. The new bone formation (bone thickness, mineral
      apposition rate and the bone formation rate) was analyzed in tetracycline-labeled
      resin sections. RESULTS & CONCLUSION: DDM grafts implanted in bone were better
      able to augment the bone compared to MDM grafts. However, both MDM and DDM failed
      to induce new bone in ectopic site, they could be considered as alternative
      autograft substitutes after protocol optimization.

PMID- 28350273
TI  - A randomized comparative trial of OTSC and Padlock for upper GI hemostasis in a
      standardized experimental setting.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: Upper gastrointestinal bleeding (UGIB) is the key emergency
      situation in clinical endoscopy and is traditionally treated with injection,
      thermal or through the scope clipping therapy. Mortality rates are in the range
      of 8-10% and demand new treatment approaches. The Over-The-Scope Clip (OTSC(r))
      has been described as a very effective hemostatic device in UGIB. We compared
      OTSC with the PadlockTM device in an established pre-clinical setting. MATERIAL
      AND METHODS: Our test-bed consisted of the biohybrid EASIE model using soft
      silicone tubes, tunneled into the gastric wall and surfacing at a mucosa defect,
      representing the bleeding site. After successful deployment of the OTSC and
      Padlock devices on the spurting ulcer bleed (Forrest Ia) the vessel tubes were
      pressurized with a manometer to 120 mmHg. Tight closure at this pressure was
      defined as successful hemostasis (primary endpoint). N = 11 procedures were done
      with each device. Statistical testing was done using Fisher's exact test. Sample
      size was adjusted to an assumed alpha-error of 5% (two-sided test) and a power of
      80%. RESULTS: Technically correct placement of the respective hemostatic device
      was achieved in all procedures. A statistically significant difference was found
      in the primary endpoint. In OTSC the success proportion was 100%; 11/11 (95% KI
      74.1% to 100%); in Padlock it was 0%; 0/11 (95% KI 0%-25.8%). This means that no
      bleeding was stopped by Padlock. The mean value of perfusion pressure resistance
      was 300 mmHg (cut-off) for OTSC and 9.2 +/- 8.4 mmHg for Padlock. DISCUSSION: Our
      data on hemostatic function of OTSC coincide with the clinical literature and
      earlier pre-clinical studies in the EASIE model, which is widely accepted as a
      realistic and effective simulation system for clinical conditions. The inability
      of Padlock to stop hemorrhage may be due to design differences and, thus, its
      limitation in providing tight sealing of the clipped tissue. CONCLUSION:
      Different types of endoscope-tip mounted clips have different performances. OTSC
      consistently stops simulated spurting bleeding, Padlock fails to do so. These
      differences are statistically significant.

PMID- 28350272
TI  - Cadmium, lead, tin, total mercury, and methylmercury in canned tuna
      commercialised in Sao Paulo, Brazil.
AB  - The objective of this work was to determine levels of inorganic contaminants in
      30 samples of five commercial brands of canned tuna, acquired on the local market
      in Campinas, Sao Paulo, Brazil, in the year of 2015. Total mercury and
      methylmercury (MeHg+) were determined by atomic absorption with thermal
      decomposition and amalgamation; and cadmium, lead, and tin were determined by
      inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometry. Results indicated that
      20% of the tuna samples surpassed limits determined by the Brazilian and European
      Commission legislation for cadmium; for lead, the maximum value found was 59 ug
      kg-1 and tin was not detected in any samples. The maximum values found for total
      Hg and MeHg+ were 261 and 258 ug kg-1, respectively. As from the results
      obtained, it was estimated that the consumption of four cans per week (540 g) of
      tuna canned in water could surpass the provisional tolerable monthly intake for
      MeHg+ by 100%.

PMID- 28350274
TI  - Visual elements in direct-to-consumer advertising: Messages communicated to
      patients with arthritis.
AB  - Direct-to-consumer (DTC) advertising saturates popular health magazines,
      communicating persuasive messages to readers that may influence attitudes and
      behaviors. This research used a two-prong approach to investigate the visual
      elements used in DTC advertising and their influence on consumers' understanding
      of a disease and its treatment options. An analysis was conducted of DTC
      advertisements (N = 62) from a population sample of Arthritis Today magazine,
      2000-2010. Three panels of people with arthritis were used to validate the
      findings and discuss implications for health literacy. Pharmaceutical companies
      have an opportunity to communicate tailored messages to readers of niche
      publications and improve disease management.

PMID- 28350275
TI  - Hospital branding in Italy: A pilot study based on the case method.
AB  - The article investigates if, and in affirmative case how, Italian hospitals are
      managing corporate brand communication. Thanks to results of qualitative
      research, this article offers insights on Italian hospital branding. The pilot
      study based in the case method is to be considered a starting point for wider
      investigations on this topic, and it is useful for managers and practitioners who
      want to understand the role of corporate brand in hospital communication
      management and to connect health care professionals with the audience in a
      meaningful way in those countries in which the health care system is a mix of
      both public and private institutions.

PMID- 28350276
TI  - An exploratory investigation of hospice marketing: How are palliative care
      providers marketing their services?
AB  - Hospice and palliative care is a recent, but fast growing, industry in
      healthcare. Demographics suggest that hospice care will only increase. The
      purpose of this article is to examine strategic marketing initiatives hospice
      organizations currently employ. Data were collected at a hospice regional
      conference, capturing opinions from hospice organizations located in North and
      South Carolina. The results show that many hospice organizations do not have a
      dedicated marketing staff person, have a limited marketing budget, do not fully
      utilize all strategic planning tools, and have yet to differentiate themselves
      via branding. Implications of these findings for hospice providers are discussed.

PMID- 28350277
TI  - An empirical examination of subjective age in older adults.
AB  - It has been observed that subjective age (SA) often trails chronological age,
      especially in older adults. In a previously published article, we argued that
      differences in individual's SA is a function of their level of activity on
      biological, mental, and social dimensions. This article empirically tests this
      proposition using a newly created Subjective Aging Index (SAI). The SAI is
      related to SA above the effect of age with differences existing across age groups
      and sex. The findings contribute to the literature on successful aging strategies
      with important implications for health care practitioners, marketers, and
      individuals heading towards older adult years.

PMID- 28350279
TI  - Erratum.

PMID- 28350280
TI  - No benefits of hypothermia in patients treated with hemicraniectomy for large
      ischemic stroke.
AB  - Background Space-occupying middle cerebral artery brain infarcts are associated
      with the development of brain edema, which may lead to cerebral herniation and
      death despite early hemicraniectomy. Aims To evaluate the benefit of therapeutic
      hypothermia in patients with space-occupying cerebral infarction treated with
      hemicraniectomy within 48 h of stroke onset. Methods Patients aged 18-60 years
      with space-occupying cerebral infarction treated with hemicraniectomy within 48 h
      and hypothermia (33-34 degrees C) were selected from a single university hospital
      between 2001 and 2010 (n = 53). Patients treated with hemicraniectomy alone
      served as comparison group (n = 58), originating from three randomized controlled
      trials evaluating the effects of early decompressive surgery (DECIMAL, DESTINY,
      HAMLET). Primary outcome was the score on the modified Rankin scale at 12 months
      dichotomized between modified Rankin scale 0-3 and modified Rankin scale 4-6.
      Secondary outcome measures were modified Rankin scale score 0-4 and survival.
      Risk ratios were adjusted with Poisson regression. Results Mean patient age was
      48 years. Median time from stroke onset to hemicraniectomy was 23.5 h in both
      treatment groups. Treatment with hypothermia had no effect on the primary outcome
      (modified Rankin scale 0-3 versus 4-6 (13/53 (25%) versus 24/58 (41%)); adjusted
      risk ratio 0.66, 95% confidence interval 0.38-1.13). Fewer patients treated with
      hypothermia had a modified Rankin scale score of 0-4 (21/53 (40%) versus 42/58
      (72%); adjusted risk ratio 0.53, 95% confidence interval 0.37-0.76) and fewer
      patients survived (26/53 (49%) versus 46/58 (79%); adjusted risk ratio 0.60, 95%
      confidence interval 0.44-0.82). Conclusions In patients with space-occupying
      cerebral infarction, treatment with hypothermia had no additional benefit on
      functional outcome compared with treatment with hemicraniectomy alone.

PMID- 28350278
TI  - Stroke doctors: Who are we? A World Stroke Organization survey.
AB  - Background Specialist training provides skilled workforce for service delivery.
      Stroke medicine has evolved rapidly in the past years. No prior information
      exists on background or training of stroke doctors globally. Aims To describe the
      specialties that represent stroke doctors, their training requirements, and the
      scientific organizations ensuring continuous medical education. Methods The World
      Stroke Organization conducted an expert survey between June and November 2014
      using e-mailed questionnaires. All Organization for Economic Co-operation and
      Development countries with >1 million population and other countries with >50
      million population were included ( n = 49, total 5.6 billion inhabitants, 85% of
      global strokes). Two stroke experts from each selected country were surveyed,
      discrepancies resolved, and further information on identified stroke-specific
      curricula sought. Results We received responses from 48 (98%) countries. Of
      ischemic stroke patients, 64% were reportedly treated by neurologists, ranging
      from 5% in Ireland to 95% in the Netherlands. Per thousand annual strokes there
      were average six neurologists, ranging from 0.3 in Ethiopia to 33 in Israel. Of
      intracerebral hemorrhage patients, 29% were reportedly treated by neurosurgeons,
      ranging from 5% in Sweden to 79% in Japan, with three neurosurgeons per thousand
      strokes, ranging from 0.1 in Ethiopia to 24 in South Korea. Most countries had a
      stroke society (86%) while only 10 (21%) had a degree or subspecialty for stroke
      medicine. Conclusions Stroke doctor numbers, background specialties, and
      opportunities to specialize in stroke vary across the globe. Most countries have
      a scientific society to pursue advancement of stroke medicine, but few have
      stroke curricula.

PMID- 28350281
TI  - A systematic review of satisfaction with teledermatology.
AB  - Background The two most commonly used modalities of teledermatology (TD) are
      store-and-forward (SF) and live-interactive (LI) TD. Existing studies have not
      compared these tools with respect to patient and provider satisfaction. Objective
      To systematically review all published studies of patient and provider
      satisfaction with SF and LI TD. Methods PubMed, EMBASE, and Cochrane databases
      were systematically searched for studies on provider or patient satisfaction with
      SF or LI TD between January 2000 and June 2016. Results Forty eligible studies
      were identified: 32 with SF TD, 10 with LI TD, and 2 evaluating both. With SF TD,
      96% of studies assessing patient satisfaction and 82% of studies assessing
      provider satisfaction demonstrated satisfaction ( n = 24 and 17, respectively).
      With LI TD, 89% of studies assessing patient satisfaction and all studies
      assessing provider satisfaction revealed satisfaction (n = 9 and 6,
      respectively). Conclusion Patients and providers are satisfied with both SF and
      LI TD. Studies assessing satisfaction with LI have not been conducted in recent
      years, and have only been conducted in limited geographic patient populations.
      Further research assessing satisfaction with TD will help address any
      dissatisfaction with its uses and allow for increased support and funding of
      future programmes.

PMID- 28350283
TI  - Testing fine motor coordination via telehealth: Effects of video characteristics
      on reliability and validity.
AB  - Background There is limited research about the effects of video quality on the
      accuracy of assessments of physical function. Methods A repeated measures study
      design was used to assess reliability and validity of the finger-nose test (FNT)
      and the finger-tapping test (FTT) carried out with 50 veterans who had impairment
      in gross and/or fine motor coordination. Videos were scored by expert raters
      under eight differing conditions, including in-person, high definition video with
      slow motion review and standard speed videos with varying bit rates and frame
      rates. Results FTT inter-rater reliability was excellent with slow motion video
      (ICC 0.98-0.99) and good (ICC 0.59) under the normal speed conditions. Inter
      rater reliability for FNT 'attempts' was excellent (ICC 0.97-0.99) for all
      viewing conditions; for FNT 'misses' it was good to excellent (ICC 0.89) with
      slow motion review but substantially worse (ICC 0.44) on the normal speed videos.
      FTT criterion validity (i.e. compared to slow motion review) was excellent (beta
      = 0.94) for the in-person rater and good ( beta = 0.77) on normal speed videos.
      Criterion validity for FNT 'attempts' was excellent under all conditions ( r >=
      0.97) and for FNT 'misses' it was good to excellent under all conditions ( beta =
      0.61-0.81). Conclusions In general, the inter-rater reliability and validity of
      the FNT and FTT assessed via video technology is similar to standard clinical
      practices, but is enhanced with slow motion review and/or higher bit rate.

PMID- 28350282
TI  - An m-Health system for education and motivation in cardiac rehabilitation: the
      experience of HeartCycle guided exercise.
AB  - Introduction Home-based programmes for cardiac rehabilitation play a key role in
      the recovery of patients with coronary artery disease. However, their necessary
      educational and motivational components have been rarely implemented with the
      help of modern mobile technologies. We developed a mobile health system designed
      for motivating patients to adhere to their rehabilitation programme by providing
      exercise monitoring, guidance, motivational feedback, and educational content.
      Methods Our multi-disciplinary approach is based on mapping "desired behaviours"
      into specific system's specifications, borrowing concepts from Fogg's Persuasive
      Systems Design principles. A randomised controlled trial was conducted to compare
      mobile-based rehabilitation (55 patients) versus standard care (63 patients).
      Results Some technical issues related to connectivity, usability and exercise
      sessions interrupted by safety algorithms affected the trial. For those who
      completed the rehabilitation (19 of 55), results show high levels of both user
      acceptance and perceived usefulness. Adherence in terms of started exercise
      sessions was high, but not in terms of total time of performed exercise or drop
      outs. Educational level about heart-related health improved more in the
      intervention group than the control. Exercise habits at 6 months follow-up also
      improved, although without statistical significance. Discussion Results indicate
      that the adopted design methodology is promising for creating applications that
      help improve education and foster better exercise habits, but further studies
      would be needed to confirm these indications.

PMID- 28350284
TI  - Molecular Characterization of the Kamese Virus, an Unassigned Rhabdovirus,
      Isolated from Culex pruina in the Central African Republic.
AB  - Rhabdoviridae is one of the most diversified families of RNA viruses whose
      members infect a wide range of plants, animals, and arthropods. The members of
      this family are classified into 13 genera and >150 unassigned viruses. Here, we
      sequenced the complete genome of a rhabdovirus belonging to the Hart Park
      serogroup, the Kamese virus (KAMV), isolated in 1977 from Culex pruina in the
      Central African Republic. The genomic sequence showed an organization typical of
      rhabdoviruses with additional genes in the P-M and G-L intergenic regions, as
      already reported for the Hart Park serogroup. Our Kamese strain (ArB9074) had 98%
      and 78.8% nucleotide sequence similarity with the prototypes of the KAMV and
      Mossuril virus isolated in Uganda and Mozambique in two different Culex species,
      respectively. Moreover, the protein sequences had 98-100% amino acid similarity
      with the prototype of the KAMV, except for an additional gene (U3) that showed a
      divergence of 6%. These molecular data show that our strain of the KAMV is
      genetically close to the Culex annuliorus strain that was circulating in Uganda
      in 1967. However, this study suggests the need to improve our knowledge of the
      KAMV to better understand its behavior, its life cycle, and its potential
      reservoirs.

PMID- 28350286
TI  - Head and Trunk Control While Walking in Older Adults with Diabetes: Effects of
      Balance Confidence.
AB  - Investigations of gait in older adults with diabetes mellitus (DM) have been
      primarily focused on lower limb biomechanical parameters. Yet, the upper body
      accounts for two thirds of the body's mass, and head and trunk control are
      critical for balance. The authors examined head and trunk control during self
      selected comfortable, fast, and dual-task walking and the relationship between
      balance confidence and potential head-trunk stiffening strategies in older adults
      with DM without diagnosed diabetic peripheral neuropathy (DPN). Twelve older
      adults with DM without diagnosed DPN (DM group) and 12 without DM (no-DM group)
      were recruited. Walking speed, peak-to-peak head and trunk roll displacement,
      head and trunk roll velocity, and head-trunk correlation were measured while
      walking at a self-selected comfortable or fastest possible speed with or without
      a secondary cognitive task. The Activities-specific Balance Confidence scale
      measured balance confidence. Subtle group differences in axial segmental control
      (lower trunk roll velocity; higher head-trunk correlation) were apparent in older
      adults with DM even in the absence of DPN. Balance confidence was 19% lower in
      the DM group than in the no-DM group, and partially explained (34%) the group
      difference in head-trunk stiffening. These results emphasize the need for
      proactive monitoring of postural control and balance confidence before the onset
      of DPN.

PMID- 28350285
TI  - 2-18F-fluoro-2-deoxyglucose positron emission tomography in delirium.
AB  - Delirium is a common, serious, yet poorly understood syndrome. Growing evidence
      suggests cerebral metabolism is fundamentally disturbed; however, it has not been
      investigated using 2-18F-fluoro-2-deoxyglucose (FDG) positron emission tomography
      (PET) in delirium. This prospective study thus explored FDG PET patterns of
      cerebral glucose metabolism in older inpatients with delirium. A particular
      emphasis was on the posterior cingulate cortex (PCC), a key region for attention,
      which is a central feature of delirium. Delirium scans were compared with post
      delirium scans using visual analysis and semi-quantitative analysis with NeuroQ;
      13 participants (8 female, median 84 y) were scanned during delirium, and 6
      scanned again after resolution. On visual analysis, cortical hypometabolism was
      evident in all participants during delirium (13/13), and improved with delirium
      resolution (6/6). Using NeuroQ, glucose metabolism was higher post-delirium in
      the whole brain and bilateral PCC compared to during delirium ( p < 0.05).
      Greater metabolism in both PCCs correlated with better performance on a
      neuropsychological test of attention, the WAIS-IV Digit Span Test forwards, and
      with shorter delirium duration. This research found widespread, reversible
      cortical hypometabolism during delirium and PCC hypometabolism was associated
      with inattention during delirium.

PMID- 28350287
TI  - A Previously Unknown Path to Corpuscularism in the Seventeenth Century:
      Santorio's Marginalia to the Commentaria in Primam Fen Primi Libri Canonis
      Avicennae (1625).
AB  - This paper presents some of Santorio's marginalia to his Commentaria in primam
      fen primi libri Canonis Avicennae (Venice, 1625), which I identified in the
      Sloane Collection of the British Library in 2016, as well as the evidence for
      their authorship. The name of the Venetian physician Santorio Santori (1561-1636)
      is linked with the introduction of quantification in medicine and with the
      invention of precision instruments that, displayed for the first time in this
      work, laid down the foundations for what we today understand as evidence-based
      medicine. But Santorio's monumentale opus also contains evidence of many
      quantified experiments and displays his ideas on mixtures, structure of matter
      and corpuscles, which are in many cases clarified and completed by the new
      marginalia. These ideas testify to an early interest in chemistry within the
      Medical School of Padua which predates both Galileo and Sennert and which has
      hitherto been unknown.

PMID- 28350288
TI  - Prevalence and Treatment of Neuropathic Pain in Kidney and Liver Transplant
      Recipients.
AB  - OBJECTIVES: Neurologic complications are common after kidney and liver
      transplant. Neurologic complications affect mortality and morbidity in transplant
      recipients, and neuropathic pain is an important symptom affecting a patient's
      quality of life. The aim of the present study was to provide readers with our
      experience regarding causes and treatment of neuropathic pain in patients
      undergoing kidney and liver transplant at our transplantation center. MATERIALS
      AND METHODS: The medical data of 553 kidney transplant recipients and 258 liver
      transplant recipients who received transplant procedures at the Baskent
      University Transplantation Center between 2008 and May 2016 were retrospectively
      reviewed. Fifty-one patients who were examined by an expert neurologist and
      diagnosed with neuropathic pain on the basis of clinical, neurologic examination,
      and laboratory findings were included for analyses. RESULTS: Among 811 transplant
      recipients, 51 patients (6.2%) were diagnosed with neuropathic pain. Of these, 22
      were female and 38 were male patients, and 42 were kidney transplant recipients
      and 9 were liver transplant recipients. Causes of neuropathic pain included
      uremia, diabetes mellitus, ischemic peripheral arterial disease, inflammatory
      neuropathy, vasculitis, discopathy, postherpetic neuralgia, carpal tunnel
      syndrome, and multiple myeloma. Patients with symptoms too mild to affect daily
      life activities were treated conservatively. Plasmapheresis, gabapentin,
      pregabalin, alpha-lipoic acid, and duloxetine were administered as treatment
      modalities and medications. CONCLUSIONS: Neuropathic pain was lower in our
      transplant recipients than in the general population. Treatment medications were
      effective for transplant recipients at lower doses for the management of
      neuropathic pain impairing quality of life than doses for the general population.

PMID- 28350290
TI  - HLA Genotypes in Turkish Hematopoietic Cell Recipients and Likelihood of Finding
      a Matched Donor Through Family Searches.
AB  - OBJECTIVES: Allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplant is a life-saving
      treatment, but donor numbers in Turkey do not meet the increasing demand for this
      procedure. Here, our objectives were (1) to assess the frequency of HLA-matched
      related donors in the Turkish population and (2) to identify the HLA antigens and
      haplotypes that are most frequent in Turkey. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The HLA
      genotypes of 841 consecutive recipients and 3071 family members were
      retrospectively reviewed. RESULTS: Matched related donors were identified for
      368/841 recipients (44%). Extended family donor searches were performed for
      111/181 pediatric recipients (61%), with nonsibling matched related donors found
      for 23 patients (21%). Matched related donors were found for a significantly
      higher proportion of pediatric patients (52%) than adult patients (41%) (odds
      ratio of 2.5; 95% confidence interval, 1.9-4.1; P = .02). The percentage of
      pediatric versus adult patients with 3 or more siblings was 13% versus 46% (odds
      ratio of 5.6; 95% confidence interval, 3.6-8.5; P = .001). The most frequent HLA
      class I antigens at each locus were HLA-A*02 (20.2%), HLA-B*35 (19.5%), and HLA
      C*07 (19.8%). The most frequent HLA class II antigens at each locus were HLA
      DRB1*11 (21.6%) and HLA-DQB1*03 (40.2%). The most common 3-locus haplotypes were
      HLA-A*24 B*35 DRB1*11 (F:0.020) and HLA-A*01 B*08 DRB1*03 (F:0.015). When adult
      and pediatric groups were combined, the most common locus haplotypes were found
      in 43/345 sibling donors (12%) and in 7/23 nonsibling pediatric donors (30%)
      (odds ratio of 2.7; 95% confidence interval, 1.2-6.4; P = .02). CONCLUSIONS: The
      results indicate that, in Turkey, it can be beneficial to revise donor search
      algorithms to include an extended family donor search before an unrelated donor
      search. This type of search can be effective because of the HLA haplotype
      diversity in Turkey, the frequency of consanguinity, and the country's limited
      donor pool.

PMID- 28350289
TI  - Rectal Carcinoid Tumor With Liver Metastases Treated by Local Excision and
      Orthotopic Liver Transplant With Long-term Follow-up.
AB  - In patients affected by unresectable liver metastases from neuroendocrine tumor,
      liver transplant represents currently the only realistic chance for cure. The
      first attempt to establish selection criteria for liver transplant in patients
      affected by neuroendocrine tumor liver metastases was made by Mazzaferro and
      associates in 2007. We report the case of a 46-year-old man who came to our
      institution in 2006 with right upper quadrant abdominal pain. Diagnosis of rectal
      neuroendocrine tumor with bilobar liver nodules was made; the patient underwent
      transanal local resection. A liver biopsy confirmed the metastatic nature of the
      hepatic lesion, showing a low-grade neuroendocrine tumor (G1, proliferation index
      Ki-67 <2%). The patient underwent 2 sessions of transarterial chemoembolization
      that resulted in stable disease. Afterward, the patient underwent a liver
      transplant, using the piggyback technique without a venous-venous bypass. His
      postoperative course was uneventful. The patient has been disease-free for 3
      years. Posttransplant treatment has played a key role in increasing the overall
      survival of the patient and assuring him a good quality of life. He died 9 years
      (102 mo) after liver transplant.

PMID- 28350291
TI  - A Rare Clinical Entity: Staphylococcus-Related Glomerulonephritis.
AB  - Staphylococcus aureus is a rare cause of postinfectious glomerulonephritis, and
      Staphylococcus-related glomerulonephritis primarily occurs in middle-aged or
      elderly patients. Patients with Staphylococcus-related glomerulonephritis also
      present with hematuria, proteinuria of varying degrees, rising serum creatinine
      levels, and/or edema. The severity of renal insufficiency is proportional to the
      degree of proliferation and crescent formation. Here, we present a diabetic
      patient admitted with a history of 1 week of left elbow pain. Laboratory results
      revealed that erythrocyte sedimentation rate was 110 mm/hour, serum creatinine
      level was 1 mg/dL, C-reactive protein level was 150 mg/L, and magnetic resonance
      imaging showed signal changes in favor of osteomyelitis at the olecranon level,
      with diffuse edematous appearance in the elbow skin tissue and increased intra
      articular effusion. After diagnosis of osteomyelitis, ampicillin/sulbactam and
      teicoplanin were administered. After day 7 of admission, the patient developed
      acute kidney injury requiring hemodialysis under antibiotic treatment. Kidney
      biopsy was performed to determine the underlying cause, which showed
      Staphylococcus-related glomerulonephritis. Recovery of renal functions was
      observed after antibiotic and supportive treatment.

PMID- 28350292
TI  - Rescue Arterial Revascularization Using Cryopreserved Iliac Artery Allograft in
      Liver Transplant Patients.
AB  - OBJECTIVES: Management of hepatic arterial complications after liver transplant
      remains challenging. The aim of our study was to assess the efficacy of rescue
      arterial revascularization using cryopreserved iliac artery allografts in this
      setting. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Medical records of patients with liver
      transplants who underwent rescue arterial revascularization using cryopreserved
      iliac artery allografts at a single institution were reviewed. RESULTS: From 1992
      to 2015, 7 patients underwent rescue arterial revascularization using
      cryopreserved iliac artery allografts for hepatic artery pseudoaneurysm (3
      patients), thrombosis (2 patients), aneurysm (1 patient), or stenosis (1
      patient). Two patients developed severe complications, comprising one biliary
      leakage treated percutaneously, and one acute necrotizing pancreatitis causing
      death on postoperative day 29. After a median follow-up of 75 months (range, 1
      269 mo), 2 patients had an uneventful long-term course, whereas 4 patients
      developed graft thrombosis after a median period of 120 days (range, 2-488 d).
      Among the 4 patients who developed graft thrombosis, 1 patient developed ischemic
      cholangitis, 1 developed acute ischemic hepatic necrosis and was retransplanted,
      and 2 patients did not develop any further complications. CONCLUSIONS: Despite a
      high rate of allograft thrombosis, rescue arterial revascularization using
      cryopreserved iliac artery allografts after liver transplant is an effective and
      readily available approach, with a limited risk of infection and satisfactory
      long-term graft and patient survival.

PMID- 28350293
TI  - Transcranial electric stimulation seen from within the brain.
AB  - Computer models can make transcranial electric stimulation a better tool for
      research and therapy.

PMID- 28350294
TI  - Mechanotransduction current is essential for stability of the transducing
      stereocilia in mammalian auditory hair cells.
AB  - Mechanotransducer channels at the tips of sensory stereocilia of inner ear hair
      cells are gated by the tension of 'tip links' interconnecting stereocilia. To
      ensure maximal sensitivity, tip links are tensioned at rest, resulting in a
      continuous influx of Ca2+ into the cell. Here, we show that this constitutive
      Ca2+ influx, usually considered as potentially deleterious for hair cells, is in
      fact essential for stereocilia stability. In the auditory hair cells of young
      postnatal mice and rats, a reduction in mechanotransducer current, via
      pharmacological channel blockers or disruption of tip links, leads to stereocilia
      shape changes and shortening. These effects occur only in stereocilia that harbor
      mechanotransducer channels, recover upon blocker washout or tip link regeneration
      and can be replicated by manipulations of extracellular Ca2+ or intracellular
      Ca2+ buffering. Thus, our data provide the first experimental evidence for the
      dynamic control of stereocilia morphology by the mechanotransduction current.

PMID- 28350296
TI  - A developmental insurance policy.
AB  - Why does a totipotent state linger within the inner cell mass of mouse embryos?

PMID- 28350295
TI  - Lotka-Volterra pairwise modeling fails to capture diverse pairwise microbial
      interactions.
AB  - Pairwise models are commonly used to describe many-species communities. In these
      models, an individual receives additive fitness effects from pairwise
      interactions with each species in the community ('additivity assumption'). All
      pairwise interactions are typically represented by a single equation where
      parameters reflect signs and strengths of fitness effects ('universality
      assumption'). Here, we show that a single equation fails to qualitatively capture
      diverse pairwise microbial interactions. We build mechanistic reference models
      for two microbial species engaging in commonly-found chemical-mediated
      interactions, and attempt to derive pairwise models. Different equations are
      appropriate depending on whether a mediator is consumable or reusable, whether an
      interaction is mediated by one or more mediators, and sometimes even on
      quantitative details of the community (e.g. relative fitness of the two species,
      initial conditions). Our results, combined with potential violation of the
      additivity assumption in many-species communities, suggest that pairwise modeling
      will often fail to predict microbial dynamics.

PMID- 28350297
TI  - A mutant with bilateral whisker to barrel inputs unveils somatosensory mapping
      rules in the cerebral cortex.
AB  - In mammals, tactile information is mapped topographically onto the contralateral
      side of the brain in the primary somatosensory cortex (S1). In this study, we
      describe Robo3 mouse mutants in which a sizeable fraction of the trigemino
      thalamic inputs project ipsilaterally rather than contralaterally. The resulting
      mixture of crossed and uncrossed sensory inputs creates bilateral whisker maps in
      the thalamus and cortex. Surprisingly, these maps are segregated resulting in
      duplication of whisker representations and doubling of the number of barrels
      without changes in the size of S1. Sensory deprivation shows competitive
      interactions between the ipsi/contralateral whisker maps. This study reveals that
      the somatosensory system can form a somatotopic map to integrate bilateral
      sensory inputs, but organizes the maps in a different way from that in the visual
      or auditory systems. Therefore, while molecular pre-patterning constrains their
      orientation and position, preservation of the continuity of inputs defines the
      layout of the somatosensory maps.

PMID- 28350300
TI  - Impact of CCR5, integrase and protease inhibitors on human endothelial cell
      function, stress, inflammation and senescence.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Ageing HIV-infected patients present an increased incidence of
      cardiovascular diseases, endothelial dysfunction being an early alteration. Some
      protease inhibitors (PIs) have been shown to increase the risk of cardiovascular
      disease. We evaluated here the effects of CCR5 or integrase inhibitors as
      compared to PIs on endothelial functions in vitro. METHODS: Human coronary artery
      endothelial cells (HCAEC) from adult and old non-HIV-infected donors were treated
      for 15 days with the CCR5 inhibitor maraviroc, the integrase inhibitors
      dolutegravir or raltegravir or the ritonavir-boosted PIs, darunavir (DRV/r) or
      atazanavir (ATV/r), all at Cmax concentrations. We evaluated endothelial
      function, secretion of adhesion molecules and cytokines, inflammation, oxidative
      stress and senescence. RESULTS: In endothelial cells from adult donors, we
      confirmed that ATV/r and DRV/r adversely affected all assessed endothelial
      functions and enhanced senescence, these effects being mild for DRV/r.
      Raltegravir had no effect and maraviroc a mild anti-inflammatory effect.
      Dolutegravir decreased inflammation, by inhibiting the NFkappaB pathway, and
      senescence, by repressing the p21 pathway. Moreover, HCAEC from an old donor
      presented, constitutively, a high level of senescence. Raltegravir mildly
      affected inflammation and senescence while maraviroc and dolutegravir decreased
      oxidative stress, inflammation and senescence and improved endothelial
      dysfunction. CONCLUSIONS: We report here that the integrase inhibitor
      dolutegravir and the CCR5 inhibitor maraviroc reduced inflammation of human adult
      endothelial cells to different extents while raltegravir was neutral.
      Dolutegravir also reduced senescence, while PI/r increased inflammation and
      senescence. It is important to address the clinical relevance of these results.

PMID- 28350298
TI  - Oncogenic BRAF disrupts thyroid morphogenesis and function via twist expression.
AB  - Thyroid cancer is common, yet the sequence of alterations that promote tumor
      formation are incompletely understood. Here, we describe a novel model of thyroid
      carcinoma in zebrafish that reveals temporal changes due to BRAFV600E. Through
      the use of real-time in vivo imaging, we observe disruption in thyroid follicle
      structure that occurs early in thyroid development. Combinatorial treatment using
      BRAF and MEK inhibitors reversed the developmental effects induced by BRAFV600E.
      Adult zebrafish expressing BRAFV600E in thyrocytes developed invasive carcinoma.
      We identified a gene expression signature from zebrafish thyroid cancer that is
      predictive of disease-free survival in patients with papillary thyroid cancer.
      Gene expression studies nominated TWIST2 as a key effector downstream of BRAF.
      Using CRISPR/Cas9 to genetically inactivate a TWIST2 orthologue, we suppressed
      the effects of BRAFV600E and restored thyroid morphology and hormone synthesis.
      These data suggest that expression of TWIST2 plays a role in an early step of
      BRAFV600E-mediated transformation.

PMID- 28350301
TI  - Sub-cellular mRNA localization modulates the regulation of gene expression by
      small RNAs in bacteria.
AB  - Small non-coding RNAs can exert significant regulatory activity on gene
      expression in bacteria. In recent years, substantial progress has been made in
      understanding bacterial gene expression by sRNAs. However, recent findings that
      demonstrate that families of mRNAs show non-trivial sub-cellular distributions
      raise the question of how localization may affect the regulatory activity of
      sRNAs. Here we address this question within a simple mathematical model. We show
      that the non-uniform spatial distributions of mRNA can alter the threshold-linear
      response that characterizes sRNAs that act stoichiometrically, and modulate the
      hierarchy among targets co-regulated by the same sRNA. We also identify
      conditions where the sub-cellular organization of cofactors in the sRNA pathway
      can induce spatial heterogeneity on sRNA targets. Our results suggest that under
      certain conditions, interpretation and modeling of natural and synthetic gene
      regulatory circuits need to take into account the spatial organization of the
      transcripts of participating genes.

PMID- 28350299
TI  - Dual role for Jumu in the control of hematopoietic progenitors in the Drosophila
      lymph gland.
AB  - The Drosophila lymph gland is a hematopoietic organ in which the maintenance of
      hematopoietic progenitor cell fate relies on intrinsic factors and extensive
      interaction with cells within a microenvironment. The posterior signaling center
      (PSC) is required for maintaining the balance between progenitors and their
      differentiation into mature hemocytes. Moreover, some factors from the
      progenitors cell-autonomously control blood cell differentiation. Here, we show
      that Jumeau (Jumu), a member of the forkhead (Fkh) transcription factor family,
      controls hemocyte differentiation of lymph gland through multiple regulatory
      mechanisms. Jumu maintains the proper differentiation of prohemocytes by cell
      autonomously regulating the expression of Col in medullary zone and by non-cell
      autonomously preventing the generation of expanded PSC cells. Jumu can also cell
      autonomously control the proliferation of PSC cells through positive regulation
      of dMyc expression. We also show that a deficiency of jumu throughout the lymph
      gland can induce the differentiation of lamellocytes via activating Toll
      signaling.

PMID- 28350302
TI  - Data-Driven Program Planning, Personalized Approaches to Continuing Professional
      Development, and Expanding Use of Digital and Social Technologies.

PMID- 28350303
TI  - Applying Advanced Analytical Approaches to Characterize the Impact of Specific
      Clinical Gaps and Profiles on the Management of Rheumatoid Arthritis.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: The goal of this study was to add a predictive modeling approach to
      the meta-analysis of continuing medical education curricula to determine whether
      this technique can be used to better understand clinical decision making. Using
      the education of rheumatologists on rheumatoid arthritis management as a model,
      this study demonstrates how the combined methodology has the ability to not only
      characterize learning gaps but also identify those proficiency areas that have
      the greatest impact on clinical behavior. METHODS: The meta-analysis included
      seven curricula with 25 activities. Learners who identified as rheumatologists
      were evaluated across multiple learning domains, using a uniform methodology to
      characterize learning gains and gaps. A performance composite variable (called
      the treatment individualization and optimization score) was then established as a
      target upon which predictive analytics were conducted. RESULTS: Significant
      predictors of the target included items related to the knowledge of
      rheumatologists and confidence concerning 1) treatment guidelines and 2) tests
      that measure disease activity. In addition, a striking demographic predictor
      related to geographic practice setting was also identified. DISCUSSION: The
      results demonstrate the power of advanced analytics to identify key predictors
      that influence clinical behaviors. Furthermore, the ability to provide an
      expected magnitude of change if these predictors are addressed has the potential
      to substantially refine educational priorities to those drivers that, if
      targeted, will most effectively overcome clinical barriers and lead to the
      greatest success in achieving treatment goals.

PMID- 28350304
TI  - Transfer of Mindfulness Training to the Work Setting: A Qualitative Study in a
      Health Care System.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: Mindfulness training is now commonly offered as professional
      development for health care practitioners. Understanding how health care
      practitioners adopt mindfulness practices is limited, which poses a hurdle to the
      development of effective mindfulness training programs. To explore how health
      professionals use and perceive mindfulness practices at work, we conducted an
      exploratory qualitative study at a large multicomponent inner-city health system.
      METHODS: All participants were self-selected health professionals who attended at
      least one mindfulness training. Training content was derived from the Tergar
      Meditation Community's nonsectarian Joy of Living program and focused on calming
      the mind using a flexible and broadly applicable approach. Transcribed interview
      data were examined using thematic analysis. RESULTS: Individuals receiving
      mindfulness training varied substantially in their subsequent adoption and
      utilization of these practices. Interviewees' experiences overall suggest that
      the workplace presents a relatively challenging but nonetheless viable
      environment for being mindful. Health care workers relied on more informal
      practice models than on formal meditation practice routines while at work.
      Factors reported by some individuals to inhibit effective mindfulness practice
      supported mindfulness for others, and overall displayed equivocal effects.
      DISCUSSION: Adoption and integration of mindfulness practices within the
      workplace are feasible yet vary significantly by practice type, situation, and
      the individual. Greater understanding of how individuals adopt workplace
      mindfulness training could improve future intervention research while clarifying
      optimal mindfulness training approaches.

PMID- 28350305
TI  - User-Centered Design and Printed Educational Materials: A Focus Group Study of
      Primary Care Physician Preferences.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: It is challenging for primary care physicians (PCPs) to review and
      apply the growing amount of clinical evidence available. Printed educational
      materials (PEMs), which synthesize evidence, are often ineffective at improving
      knowledge, possibly due to poor design and limited uptake. In this study, we
      collected PCP preferences for the design and content of physician-oriented PEMs
      and determined key attributes that may increase their usability and uptake.
      METHODS: We held 90-minute focus groups with PCPs in Toronto, ON, Canada. Focus
      groups included discussion about whether and how participants use PEMs, feedback
      on three examples of PEMs, and a discussion on general format and design
      preferences in PEMs. We analyzed focus group transcripts using a thematic
      analysis and summarized results in a list of user preferences. RESULTS: Four
      focus groups were held with 13 PCPs. We found that participants only read PEMs
      relevant to their patients and prefer short, concise documents, with links to
      sources that can provide more detailed information. Simplicity of materials was
      important, with many participants preferring PEMs without lengthy backgrounds or
      scientific explanations. Most participants wanted to see key messages highlighted
      to easily assess the relevance of the materials to their practice. Some
      participants shared physician-oriented PEMs with patients. DISCUSSION: This study
      shows that PCPs may prefer shorter, simpler, and more concise documents that have
      less scientific detail but provide references to further information sources. It
      is important to understand end user preferences for the design and content of
      these materials to enhance their uptake.

PMID- 28350306
TI  - Flipping the Continuing Medical Education Classroom: Validating a Measure of
      Attendees' Perceptions.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: New teaching approaches for CME are needed. In flipped classrooms,
      coursework is completed beforehand and applied during class time. Studies of
      flipped classrooms and their potential benefits in CME have not been published.
      We sought to develop and validate an instrument measuring flipped classroom
      perceptions, identify whether participation changed perceptions, and determine
      which flipped classroom components were perceived as most effective. METHODS: In
      this cross-sectional validation study, 167 participants in the Mayo Clinic's 2015
      Internal Medicine Board Review course received surveys. Online modules were
      developed to deliver content before flipped classroom courses on acid-base
      disorders and electrolyte disorders. A flipped classroom perception instrument
      (FCPI) was developed and validated. The FCPI, with eight items structured on 5
      point Likert scales, was given to participants before and after their flipped
      classroom experiences. RESULTS: Of the 167 participants, 111 returned surveys.
      Flipped classroom perceptions improved, with mean (SD) FCPI scores increasing
      from 3.74 (0.75) to 3.94 (0.76) (P < .001). The percentage of participants who
      preferred flipped classrooms increased from 38% before the course to 53% after (P
      = .002). Positive changes in FCPI scores were unrelated to module completion.
      Most participants thought knowledge was enhanced by in-class sessions and online
      modules equally. DISCUSSION: The FCPI, the first validated measure of
      participants' perceptions of a CME flipped classroom, has strong validity
      evidence. Participants' perceptions of and preference for the flipped classroom
      improved after experiencing the flipped CME classroom. These findings support the
      need to further explore flipped classroom models in CME.

PMID- 28350307
TI  - A Novel Measure of "Good" Mentoring: Testing Its Reliability and Validity in Four
      Academic Health Centers.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: Despite the well-recognized benefits of mentoring in academic
      medicine, there is a lack of clarity regarding what constitutes effective
      mentoring. We developed a tool to assess mentoring activities experienced by
      faculty and evaluated evidence for its validity. METHODS: The National Initiative
      on Gender, Culture, and Leadership in Medicine-"C-Change"-previously developed
      the C-Change Faculty Survey to assess the culture of academic medicine. After
      intensive review, we added six items representing six components of mentoring to
      the survey-receiving help with career and personal goals, learning skills,
      sponsorship, and resources. We tested the items in four academic health centers
      during 2013 to 2014. We estimated reliability of the new items and tested the
      correlation of the new items with a mentoring composite variable representing
      faculty mentoring experiences as positive, neutral, or inadequate and with other
      C-Change dimensions of culture. RESULTS: Among the 1520 responding faculty
      (response rate 61-63%), there was a positive association between each of the six
      mentoring activities and satisfaction with both the amount and quality of
      mentoring received. There was no difference by sex. Cronbach alpha coefficients
      ranged from 0.89 to 0.95 across subgroups of faculty (by sex, race, and principal
      roles). The mentoring responses were associated most closely with dimensions of
      Institutional Support (r = 0.58, P < .001), Institutional Change Efforts for
      Faculty Support (r = 0.52, P < .001), Values Alignment (r = 0.58, P < .001), Self
      efficacy (r = 0.43; P < .001), and Relationships/Inclusion/Trust (r = 0.41; P <
      .001). DISCUSSION: Data demonstrated that the Mentoring scale is a valid
      instrument to assess mentoring. Survey results could facilitate mentoring program
      development and evaluation.

PMID- 28350308
TI  - An Innovative Program to Support Internationally Educated Health Professionals
      and Their Instructors: Role of the Clinical Practice Facilitator.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: Internationally educated health professionals immigrating to other
      countries may experience difficulty in clinical practice, due to linguistic and
      cultural factors. An important element of bridging is the opportunity for
      internationally educated health professionals to practice in a clinical
      environment. To support these health professionals and their clinical
      instructors, a Clinical Practice Facilitator (CPF) role was created. This study
      aimed to examine the CPF from internationally educated health professionals and
      clinical instructors' perspective. METHODS: A quantitative survey was conducted
      with two cohorts (2013 and 2015) of internationally educated physical therapists
      and clinical instructors who were asked about the nature of interaction with
      CPFs, mentor, and education roles and the benefits and challenges of the role.
      RESULTS: Thirty-five internationally educated physical therapists and 37 clinical
      instructors participated and were satisfied with the interaction with CPFs via
      face-to-face or e-mail communication. There was strong agreement (>80%) that the
      CPF educator role was to facilitate learner's reflection on clinical practice
      while the mentor role (>70%) was to answer questions, provide feedback, and
      investigate clinical concerns and conflicts. There was insufficient time for
      access to CPFs and resolution of learners' learning needs. There were differences
      (P = 0.04) in perspective on the benefit of the CPF in assisting with cultural
      differences. DISCUSSION: An innovative CPF role provided support encouragement,
      clinical, and professional advice. There were discordant views regarding the
      benefits of the CPF role in addressing cultural issues, which requires further
      examination.

PMID- 28350309
TI  - Assessing Clinical Faculty Understanding of Statistical Terms Used to Measure
      Treatment Effects and Their Application to Teaching.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: Understanding of statistical terms used to measure treatment effect
      is important for evidence-informed medical teaching and practice. We explored
      knowledge of these terms among clinical faculty who instruct and mentor a
      continuum of medical learners to inform medical faculty learning needs. METHODS:
      This was a mixed methods study that used a questionnaire to measure a health
      professional's understanding of measures of treatment effect and a focus group to
      explore perspectives on learning, applying, and teaching these terms. We analyzed
      questionnaire data using descriptive statistics and focus group data using
      thematic analysis. RESULTS: We analyzed responses from clinical faculty who were
      physicians and completed all sections of the questionnaire (n = 137). Overall,
      approximately 55% were highly confident in their understanding of statistical
      terms; self-reported understanding was highest for number needed to treat (77%).
      Only 26% of respondents correctly responded to all comprehension questions;
      however, 80% correctly responded to at least one of these questions. There was a
      significant association among self-reported understanding and ability to
      correctly calculate terms. A focus group with clinical/medical faculty (n = 4)
      revealed themes of mentorship, support and resources, and beliefs about the value
      of statistical literacy. DISCUSSION: We found that half of clinical faculty
      members are highly confident in their understanding of relative and absolute
      terms. Despite the limitations of self-assessment data, our study provides some
      evidence that self-assessment can be reliable. Recognizing that faculty
      development is not mandatory for clinical faculty in many centers, and the notion
      that faculty may benefit from mentorship in critical appraisal topics, it may be
      appropriate to first engage and support influential clinical faculty rather than
      using a broad strategy to achieve universal statistical literacy. Second, senior
      leadership in medical education should support continuous learning by providing
      paid, protected time for faculty to incorporate evidence in their teaching.

PMID- 28350310
TI  - Exploratory Study of Rural Physicians' Self-Directed Learning Experiences in a
      Digital Age.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: The nature and characteristics of self-directed learning (SDL) by
      physicians has been transformed with the growth in digital, social, and mobile
      technologies (DSMTs). Although these technologies present opportunities for
      greater "just-in-time" information seeking, there are issues for ensuring
      effective and efficient usage to compliment one's repertoire for continuous
      learning. The purpose of this study was to explore the SDL experiences of rural
      physicians and the potential of DSMTs for supporting their continuing
      professional development (CPD). METHODS: Semistructured interviews were conducted
      with a purposive sample of rural physicians. Interview data were transcribed
      verbatim and analyzed using NVivo analytical software and thematic analysis.
      RESULTS: Fourteen (N = 14) interviews were conducted and key thematic categories
      that emerged included key triggers, methods of undertaking SDL, barriers, and
      supports. Methods and resources for undertaking SDL have evolved considerably,
      and rural physicians report greater usage of mobile phones, tablets, and laptop
      computers for updating their knowledge and skills and in responding to patient
      questions/problems. Mobile technologies, and some social media, can serve as
      "triggers" in instigating SDL and a greater usage of DSMTs, particularly at
      "point of care," may result in higher levels of SDL. Social media is met with
      some scrutiny and ambivalence, mainly because of the "credibility" of information
      and risks associated with digital professionalism. DISCUSSION: DSMTs are growing
      in popularity as a key resource to support SDL for rural physicians. Mobile
      technologies are enabling greater "point-of-care" learning and more efficient
      information seeking. Effective use of DSMTs for SDL has implications for
      enhancing just-in-time learning and quality of care. Increasing use of DSMTs and
      their new effect on SDL raises the need for reflection on conceptualizations of
      the SDL process. The "digital age" has implications for our CPD credit systems
      and the roles of CPD providers in supporting SDL using DSMTs.

PMID- 28350311
TI  - A Theory-Based Study of Factors Explaining General Practitioners' Intention to
      Use and Participation in Electronic Continuing Medical Education.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: Electronic modes of continuing medical education (eCME) can provide
      an appropriate and scalable way of updating the knowledge and skills of general
      practitioners (GPs). To optimize the adoption of eCME and develop efficient and
      cost-effective eCME programs, factors explaining GPs' intention to use eCME must
      first be elucidated. METHODS: Using the Theory of Planned Behavior as a
      framework, we developed a questionnaire and administered it to GPs in seven CME
      seminars in Isfahan, Iran, in 2014. Three domains of GPs' intention to use eCME
      were measured: attitudes, perceived behavioral control, and subjective norms. We
      used linear and logistic regression to identify the main predictors of intention
      and behavior. RESULTS: GPs who had high score in perceived behavioral control and
      a more positive attitude toward e-learning had a higher intention to adopt it for
      CME. In contrast, subjective norms (eg, social pressures to use eCME) were not a
      predictor. Attitude toward usefulness of eCME was the main predictor of being an
      actual eCME user. DISCUSSION: Perceived behavioral control and attitude
      constitute the main predictors of the intention to use eCME. Establishing
      discussions forums and strengthening organizational support for eCME through an
      increased awareness among clinical superiors and CME managers would be expected
      to increase GPs' intention to use eCME.

PMID- 28350312
TI  - Miller's Pyramid and Core Competency Assessment: A Study in Relationship
      Construct Validity.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: Continuous professional development relies on the link between
      performance and an educational process aimed at improving knowledge and skill.
      One of the most broadly used frameworks for assessing skills is Miller's Pyramid.
      This Pyramid has a series of levels of achievement beginning with knowledge (at
      the base) and ending with routine application in the clinical setting. METHODS:
      The purpose of this study was to determine the degree of convergence of two
      measurement methods, one based on Miller's framework, the second using the
      Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education/American Board of Medical
      Specialties (ACGME/ABMS) Core Competency framework. The data were gathered from
      the faculty of a large, Midwestern regional health care provider and hospital
      system. Data from 264 respondents were studied. The 360 degrees  data were from
      raters of physicians holding supervisory roles in the organization. The scale
      items were taken from an instrument that has been validated for both structure
      and known group prediction. RESULTS: The Miller scale was purposely built for
      this application. The questions were designed to describe each level of the
      model. The Miller scale was reduced to a single dimension. This result was then
      regressed on the items from the 360 degrees  item ratings. Results of a
      multivariate analysis of variance isolated a significant relationship between the
      Miller's Pyramid score and the competency items (P < 0.001). DISCUSSION: These
      findings demonstrate a relationship between measures based on Miller's framework
      and behavioral measures based on the ABMS/ACGME core competencies. Equally
      important is the finding that while they are related they are not identical.
      These findings have implications for continuous professional development
      programing design.

PMID- 28350313
TI  - Improving the Reach of the National Diabetes Prevention Program Within a Health
      Disparities Population: A Bronx New York Pilot Project Crossing Health- and
      Community-Based Sectors.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: Diabetes affects upward of 30% of South Bronx residents. The
      Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's National Diabetes Prevention Program
      (NDPP) reduces risk of progression to diabetes, yet implementation has been
      elusive within health disparities populations. METHODS: This community-based,
      collaborative project piloted the NDPP in the South Bronx and evaluated
      implementation challenges and enablers. The New York State training group
      prepared community peer lifestyle coaches recruited by a community organization.
      A professional society trained academic detailers from local faculty. An
      interview process evaluated community needs and public health officials' beliefs.
      A portal managed by the New York State training group collected demographic and
      biometric data from the community participants and facilitated online
      registration. Data from interviews and observations were coded systematically
      using a thematic analysis framework. RESULTS: We were successful at recruiting
      and training 14 lifestyle coaches and 7 academic detailers, as well as recruiting
      members of the health disparities population in the South Bronx into the program.
      Fifty-two individuals completed the first 6 months of the yearlong program,
      attending an average of 12.7 of 16 sessions. By week 16, weight loss averaged 7.4
      lbs and many had doubled their minutes of physical activity. Local electronic
      referral and feedback systems were developed. DISCUSSION: Health professionals,
      their teams, public health centers, and communities can work together to prevent
      diabetes by enhancing the reach of the NDPP to health disparities populations.
      Peer education using lifestyle coaches can provide a trustworthy process for
      crossing the boundaries between health teams and community support groups.

PMID- 28350314
TI  - Integrating Quality Improvement and Continuing Professional Development at an
      Academic Medical Center: A Partnership Between Practice Plan, Hospital, and
      Medical School.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: While quality improvement (QI) initiatives can be a highly
      effective means for improving health care delivery in academic medical centers
      (AMCs), many health care professionals are not formally trained in basic QI
      methodology, engaging clinicians in QI activities can be challenging, and there
      is often a lack of integration and coordination among QI functions (eg,
      Departments of Quality and Safety, Continuing Professional Development). In our
      AMC, we undertook a collaborative approach to achieve better vertical and
      horizontal integration of our QI education efforts. This article provides a case
      example describing our organizational context, what was done, and with what
      effect and makes our example and lessons learned available to others. METHODS: We
      developed a new educational QI program that was jointly planned and implemented
      by a group comprising major QI stakeholders. This project was intended to create
      horizontal organizational linkages between continuing professional development,
      clinicians, the hospital, and QI department and produce QI activities that
      aligned with the strategic objectives of senior management. RESULTS: The group
      developed and implemented a curriculum based on Lean methodology and concepts
      from the Institute for Health Care Improvement Model for Improvement. Two cohorts
      (27 teams) completed the training and planned and implemented QI projects. All
      projects were aligned with organizational quality, safety, and patient experience
      goals. The majority of projects met their aim statements. DISCUSSION: This case
      description provides an example of successful horizontal integration of an AMCs'
      QI functions to disseminate knowledge and implement meaningful QI aligned with
      strategic objectives (vertical integration).

PMID- 28350315
TI  - Death During Simulation: A Literature Review.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: One of the goals of simulation is to teach subjects critical skills
      and knowledge applicable to live encounters, without the risk of harming actual
      patients. Although simulation education has surged in medical training over the
      last two decades, several ethically challenging educational methods have arisen.
      Simulated death has arisen as one of these challenging issues and currently there
      is no consensus regarding how to best manage this controversial topic in the
      simulated environment. The goal of this review is to analyze how simulated
      mortality has been used and discover whether or not this tool is beneficial to
      learners. METHODS: In May 2016, the authors performed a literature search on both
      Pubmed and the Cochrane database using multiple variations of keywords; they then
      searched bibliographies and related articles. RESULTS: There were 901 articles
      acquired in the initial search. The authors eliminated articles that were not
      relevant to the subject matter. After adding articles from bibliographies and
      related articles, the authors included the 43 articles cited in this article.
      DISCUSSION: As a result, the authors of this article believe that death, when
      used appropriately in simulation, can be an effective teaching tool and can be
      used in a responsible manner.

PMID- 28350319
TI  - Letter to the Editor: "Ion Channels in Brain Metastasis"-Ion Channels in Cancer
      Set up and Metastatic Progression.
AB  - The review by Klumpp, L. et al. entitled Ion Channels in Brain Metastasis [1]
      discusses the role of ion channels in breast cancer, lung cancer and melanoma in
      metastatic tropism to the brain [...].

PMID- 28350318
TI  - Overexpression of Exosomal Cardioprotective miRNAs Mitigates Hypoxia-Induced H9c2
      Cells Apoptosis.
AB  - Recent evidence suggests that hypoxia caused by acute myocardial infarction can
      induce cardiomyocyte apoptosis. Exosomes are signalling mediators that contribute
      to intercellular communication by transporting cytosolic components including
      miRNAs, mRNAs, and proteins. However, the systemic regulation and function of
      exosomal miRNAs in hypoxic cardiomyocytes are currently not well understood.
      Here, we used small RNA sequencing to investigate the effects of hypoxia stress
      on miRNAome of rat cardiomyoblast cells (H9c2) and corresponding exosomes. We
      identified 92 and 62 miRNAs in cells and exosomes, respectively, that were
      differentially expressed between hypoxia and normoxia. Hypoxia strongly modulated
      expression of hypoxia-associated miRNAs in H9c2 cells, and altered the miRNAome
      of H9c2 cells-derived exosomes. Functional enrichment analysis revealed extensive
      roles of differentially expressed exosomal miRNAs in the HIF-1 signalling pathway
      and in apoptosis-related pathways including the TNF, MAPK, and mTOR pathways.
      Furthermore, gain- and loss-of-function analysis demonstrated potential anti
      apoptotic effects of the hypoxia-induced exosomal miRNAs, including miR-21-5p,
      miR-378-3p, miR-152-3p, and let-7i-5p; luciferase reporter assay confirmed that
      Atg12 and Faslg are targets of miR-152-3p and let-7i-5p, respectively. To
      summarize, this study revealed that hypoxia-induced exosomes derived from H9c2
      cells loaded cardioprotective miRNAs, which mitigate hypoxia-induced H9c2 cells
      apoptosis.

PMID- 28350317
TI  - Recent Advances in Nanoparticle-Mediated Delivery of Anti-Inflammatory
      Phytocompounds.
AB  - Phytocompounds have been used in medicine for decades owing to their potential in
      anti-inflammatory applications. However, major difficulties in achieving
      sustained delivery of phyto-based drugs are related to their low solubility and
      cell penetration, and high instability. To overcome these disadvantages,
      nanosized delivery technologies are currently in use for sustained and enhanced
      delivery of phyto-derived bioactive compounds in the pharmaceutical sector. This
      review focuses on the recent advances in nanocarrier-mediated drug delivery of
      bioactive molecules of plant origin in the field of anti-inflammatory research.
      In particular, special attention is paid to the relationship between structure
      and properties of the nanocarrier and phytodrug release behavior.

PMID- 28350320
TI  - Performance of Hybrid Photocatalytic-Ceramic Membrane System for the Treatment of
      Secondary Effluent.
AB  - Evaluation of an advanced wastewater treatment system that combines
      photocatalysis with ceramic membrane filtration for the treatment of secondary
      effluent was undertaken. The results showed that, after photocatalysis and
      ceramic membrane filtration, the removal of dissolved organic carbon and UV254
      was 60% and 54%, respectively, at a concentration of 4 g/L of TiO2. Dissolved
      organic matter (DOM) present in the secondary effluent was characterised with a
      liquid chromatography-organic carbon detector (LC-OCD) technique. The results
      showed low removal of humics, building blocks, the other oxidation by-products
      and no removal of biopolymers after TiO2/UV photocatalytic treatment. This
      suggested that the radical non-selective oxidation mechanisms of TiO2/UV process
      resulted in secondary effluent in which all of the DOM fractions were present.
      However, the hybrid system was effective for removing biopolymers with the
      exception of low molecular weight (LMW) compounds acids, which accumulated from
      the beginning of the reaction. In addition, monitoring of the DOM fractions with
      LC-OCD analysis demonstrated that the reduction of the effluent aromaticity was
      not firmly correlated with the removal of humic substances for the combined
      processes.

PMID- 28350321
TI  - Factor VII Deficiency: Clinical Phenotype, Genotype and Therapy.
AB  - Factor VII deficiency is the most common among rare inherited autosomal recessive
      bleeding disorders, and is a chameleon disease due to the lack of a direct
      correlation between plasma levels of coagulation Factor VII and bleeding
      manifestations. Clinical phenotypes range from asymptomatic condition-even in
      homozygous subjects-to severe life-threatening bleedings (central nervous system,
      gastrointestinal bleeding). Prediction of bleeding risk is thus based on multiple
      parameters that challenge disease management. Spontaneous or surgical bleedings
      require accurate treatment schedules, and patients at high risk of severe
      hemorrhages may need prophylaxis from childhood onwards. The aim of the current
      review is to depict an updated summary of clinical phenotype, laboratory
      diagnosis, and treatment of inherited Factor VII deficiency.

PMID- 28350322
TI  - Outcome of Clinical Trials with New Extended Half-Life FVIII/IX Concentrates.
AB  - The development of a new generation of coagulation factors with improved
      pharmacokinetic profile will change the paradigm of treatment of persons with
      hemophilia (PWH). The standard treatment in PWH is represented by regular long
      term prophylaxis that, given intravenously twice or thrice weekly, is associated
      with a not-negligible burden on patients' quality of life. The availability of
      drugs with improved pharmacokinetic profile may improve prophylaxis feasibility
      and protection against bleeding episodes. This article summarizes the main
      results obtained from clinical trials with modified factor VIII (FVIII) and
      factor IX (FIX) molecules. Published literature on new molecules for replacement
      treatment in hemophilia A and B was retrieved using PubMed search, and all
      ongoing clinical trials have been researched via www.clinicaltrials.gov. Such new
      molecules are usually engineered to have a longer plasma half-life than that
      which has been obtained by chemical modification (i.e., conjugation with
      polyethylene glycol, PEG) or by creating recombinant fusion proteins. Results
      from phase I/III studies in previously treated adults and children are now
      available for the vast majority of new products, including the results of their
      use in a surgical setting. On the contrary, trials involving previously untreated
      patients are still ongoing for all and results not yet available.

PMID- 28350323
TI  - Extracellular Vesicles as Therapeutic Agents in Systemic Lupus Erythematosus.
AB  - Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is a heterogeneous autoimmune disease that
      affects multiple organs. Currently, therapeutic molecules present adverse side
      effects and are only effective in some SLE patient subgroups. Extracellular
      vesicles (EV), including exosomes, microvesicles and apoptotic bodies, are
      released by most cell types, carry nucleic acids, proteins and lipids and play a
      crucial role in cell-to-cell communication. EVs can stimulate or suppress the
      immune responses depending on the context. In SLE, EVs can work as autoadjuvants,
      enhance immune complex formation and maintaining inflammation state. Over the
      last years, EVs derived from mesenchymal stem cells and antigen presenting cells
      have emerged as cell-free therapeutic agents to treat autoimmune and inflammatory
      diseases. In this review, we summarize the current therapeutic applications of
      extracellular vesicles to regulate immune responses and to ameliorate disease
      activity in SLE and other autoimmune disorders.

PMID- 28350324
TI  - Investigation on Inter-Limb Coordination and Motion Stability, Intensity and
      Complexity of Trunk and Limbs during Hands-Knees Crawling in Human Adults.
AB  - This study aimed to investigate the inter-limb coordination pattern and the
      stability, intensity, and complexity of the trunk and limbs motions in human
      crawling under different speeds. Thirty healthy human adults finished hands-knees
      crawling trials on a treadmill at six different speeds (from 1 km/h to 2.5 km/h).
      A home-made multi-channel acquisition system consisting of five 3-axis
      accelerometers (ACC) and four force sensors was used for the data collection.
      Ipsilateral phase lag was used to represent inter-limb coordination pattern
      during crawling and power, harmonic ratio, and sample entropy of acceleration
      signals were adopted to depict the motion intensity, stability, and complexity of
      trunk and limbs respectively. Our results revealed some relationships between
      inter-limb coordination patterns and the stability and complexity of trunk
      movement. Trot-like crawling pattern was found to be the most stable and regular
      one at low speed in the view of trunk movement, and no-limb-pairing pattern
      showed the lowest stability and the greatest complexity at high speed. These
      relationships could be used to explain why subjects tended to avoid no-limb
      pairing pattern when speed was over 2 km/h no matter which coordination type they
      used at low speeds. This also provided the evidence that the central nervous
      system (CNS) chose a stable inter-limb coordination pattern to keep the body safe
      and avoid tumbling. Although considerable progress has been made in the study of
      four-limb locomotion, much less is known about the reasons for the variety of
      inter-limb coordination. The research results of the exploration on the inter
      limb coordination pattern choice during crawling from the standpoint of the
      motion stability, intensity, and complexity of trunk and limbs sheds light on the
      underlying motor control strategy of the human CNS and has important significance
      in the fields of clinical diagnosis, rehabilitation engineering, and kinematics
      research.

PMID- 28350326
TI  - Reply to the Letter to the Editor by D. D'Arcangelo et al.: "Ion Channels in
      Brain Metastasis"-Ion Channels in Cancer Set up and Metastatic Progression Ion
      Channels in Brain Metastasis.

PMID- 28350325
TI  - Endogenously Expressed IL-4Ralpha Promotes the Malignant Phenotype of Human
      Pancreatic Cancer In Vitro and In Vivo.
AB  - Exogenous interleukin-4 (IL-4) has been demonstrated to affect the growth of
      different human malignancies including pancreatic cancer cells. The aim of our
      study was to determine the role of endogenously expressed IL-4-receptor-alpha
      chain (IL-4Ralpha) in pancreatic cancer cells. IL-4Ralpha-suppression was
      achieved by generating Capan-1 cells stably expressing shRNA targeting IL
      4Ralpha. The malignant phenotype was characterized by assessing growth
      properties, directional and non-directional cell movement in vitro and tumor
      growth in vivo. Signaling pathways were analyzed upon IL-4 and IL-13 stimulation
      of wildtype (WT) and control-transfected cells compared to IL-4Ralpha-knockdown
      cells. Silencing of IL-4Ralpha resulted in reduced anchorage-dependent cell
      growth (p < 0.05) and reduced anchorage-independent colony size (p < 0.001) in
      vitro. Moreover, cell movement and migration was inhibited. IL-4 and IL-13
      stimulation of Capan-1-WT cells induced activation of similar pathways like
      stimulation with Insulin-like growth factor (IGF)-I. This activation was reduced
      after IL-4Ralpha downregulation while IGF-I signaling seemed to be enhanced in
      knockdown-clones. Importantly, IL-4Ralpha silencing also significantly suppressed
      tumor growth in vivo. The present study indicates that endogenously expressed IL
      4 and IL-4Ralpha contribute to the malignant phenotype of pancreatic cancer cells
      by activating diverse pro-oncogenic signaling pathways. Addressing these pathways
      may contribute to the treatment of the disease.

PMID- 28350327
TI  - The Envelope Gene of Hepatitis B Virus Is Implicated in Both Differential Virion
      Secretion and Genome Replication Capacities between Genotype B and Genotype C
      Isolates.
AB  - Chronic infection by hepatitis B virus (HBV) genotype C is associated with a
      prolonged replicative phase and an increased risk of liver cancer, compared with
      genotype B infection. We previously found lower replication capacity but more
      efficient virion secretion by genotype C than genotype B isolates. Virion
      secretion requires interaction between core particles and ENVELOPE proteins. In
      the present study, chimeric constructs between genotype B and genotype C clones
      were generated to identify the structural basis for differential virion
      secretion. In addition to dimeric constructs, we also employed 1.1mer constructs,
      where the cytomegalovirus (CMV) promoter drove pregenomic RNA transcription.
      Through transient transfection experiments in Huh7 cells, we found that
      exchanging the entire envelope gene or just its S region could enhance virion
      secretion by genotype B clones while diminishing virion secretion by genotype C.
      Site-directed mutagenesis established the contribution of genotype-specific
      divergence at codons 108 and 115 in the preS1 region, as well as codon 126 in the
      S region, to differential virion secretion. Surprisingly, exchanging the envelope
      gene or just its S region, but not the core gene or 3' S region, could markedly
      increase intracellular replicative DNA for genotype C clones but diminish that
      for genotype B, although the underlying mechanism remains to be clarified.

PMID- 28350328
TI  - Vitamin D Decreases Serum VEGF Correlating with Clinical Improvement in Vitamin D
      Deficient Women with PCOS: A Randomized Placebo-Controlled Trial.
AB  - Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) has been suggested to play a role in
      the pathophysiology of polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) and may contribute to
      increased risk of ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome (OHSS) in affected
      individuals. Vitamin D (VitD) supplementation improves multiple clinical
      parameters in VitD-deficient women with PCOS and decreases VEGF levels in several
      other pathologic conditions. Unveiling the basic mechanisms underlying the
      beneficial effects of vitamin D on PCOS may enhance our understanding of the
      pathophysiology of this syndrome. It may also suggest a new treatment for PCOS
      that can improve it through the same mechanism as vitamin D and can be given
      regardless of vitamin D levels. Therefore, we aimed to explore the effect of VitD
      supplementation on serum VEGF levels and assess whether changes in VEGF correlate
      with an improvement in characteristic clinical abnormalities of PCOS. This is a
      randomized placebo-controlled trial conducted between October 2013 and March
      2015. Sixty-eight VitD-deficient women with PCOS were recruited. Women received
      either 50,000 IU of oral VitD3 or placebo once weekly for 8 weeks. There was a
      significant decrease in serum VEGF levels (1106.4 +/- 36.5 to 965.3 +/- 42.7
      pg.mL-1; p < 0.001) in the VitD group. Previously reported findings of this trial
      demonstrated a significant decrease in the intermenstrual intervals, Ferriman
      Gallwey hirsutism score, and triglycerides following VitD supplementation.
      Interestingly, ?VEGF was positively correlated with ?triglycerides (R2 = 0.22; p
      = 0.02) following VitD supplementation. In conclusion, VitD replacement
      significantly decreases serum VEGF levels correlating with a decrease in
      triglycerides in women with PCOS. This is a novel molecular explanation for the
      beneficial effects of VitD treatment. It also suggests the need to investigate a
      potential role of VitD treatment in reducing the incidence or severity of OHSS in
      VitD-deficient women with PCOS.

PMID- 28350331
TI  - Novel Sulfamethoxazole Ureas and Oxalamide as Potential Antimycobacterial Agents.
AB  - Infections caused by Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb.) and nontuberculous
      mycobacteria (NTM) are considered to be a global health problem; current
      therapeutic options are limited. Sulfonamides have exhibited a wide range of
      biological activities including those against mycobacteria. Based on the activity
      of 4-(3-heptylureido)-N-(5-methylisoxazol-3-yl)benzenesulfonamide against NTM, we
      designed a series of homologous sulfamethoxazole-based n-alkyl ureas (C1-C12), as
      well as several related ureas and an oxalamide. Fifteen ureas and one oxalamide
      were synthesized by five synthetic procedures and characterized. They were
      screened for their activity against Mtb. and three NTM strains (M. avium, M.
      kansasii). All of them share antimycobacterial properties with minimum inhibitory
      concentration (MIC) values starting from 2 uM. The highest activity showed 4,4'
      [carbonylbis(azanediyl)]bis[N-(5-methylisoxazol-3-yl)benzenesulfonamide] with MIC
      of 2-62.5 uM (i.e., 1.07-33.28 ug/mL). Among n-alkyl ureas, methyl group is
      optimal for the inhibition of both Mtb. and NTM. Generally, longer alkyls led to
      increased MIC values, heptyl being an exception for NTM. Some of the novel
      derivatives are superior to parent sulfamethoxazole. Several urea and oxalamide
      derivatives are promising antimycobacterial agents with low micromolar MIC
      values.

PMID- 28350329
TI  - Harnessing Solute Carrier Transporters for Precision Oncology.
AB  - Solute Carrier (SLC) transporters are a large superfamily of transmembrane
      carriers involved in the regulated transport of metabolites, nutrients, ions and
      drugs across cellular membranes. A subset of these solute carriers play a
      significant role in the cellular uptake of many cancer therapeutics, ranging from
      chemotherapeutics such as antimetabolites, topoisomerase inhibitors, platinum
      based drugs and taxanes to targeted therapies such as tyrosine kinase inhibitors.
      SLC transporters are co-expressed in groups and patterns across normal tissues,
      suggesting they may comprise a coordinated regulatory circuit serving to mediate
      normal tissue functions. In cancer however, there are dramatic changes in
      expression patterns of SLC transporters. This frequently serves to feed the
      increased metabolic demands of the tumor cell for amino acids, nucleotides and
      other metabolites, but also presents a therapeutic opportunity, as increased
      transporter expression may serve to increase intracellular concentrations of
      substrate drugs. In this review, we examine the regulation of drug transporters
      in cancer and how this impacts therapy response, and discuss novel approaches to
      targeting therapies to specific cancers via tumor-specific aberrations in
      transporter expression. We propose that among the oncogenic changes in SLC
      transporter expression there exist emergent vulnerabilities that can be exploited
      therapeutically, extending the application of precision medicine from tumor
      specific drug targets to tumor-specific determinants of drug uptake.

PMID- 28350332
TI  - The Mechanism of Room-Temperature Ionic-Liquid-Based Electrochemical CO2
      Reduction: A Review.
AB  - Electrochemical CO2 conversion technology is becoming indispensable in the
      development of a sustainable carbon-based economy. While various types of
      electrocatalytic systems have been designed, those based on room-temperature
      ionic liquids (RTILs) have attracted considerable attention because of their high
      efficiencies and selectivities. Furthermore, it should be possible to develop
      more advanced electrocatalytic systems for commercial use because target-specific
      characteristics can be fine-tuned using various combinations of RTIL ions. To
      achieve this goal, we require a systematic understanding of the role of the RTIL
      components in electrocatalytic systems, however, their role has not yet been
      clarified by experiment or theory. Thus, the purpose of this short review is to
      summarize recent experimental and theoretical mechanistic studies to provide
      insight into and to develop guidelines for the successful development of new CO2
      conversion systems. The results discussed here can be summarized as follows.
      Complex physical and chemical interactions between the RTIL components and the
      reaction intermediates, in particular at the electrode surface, are critical for
      determining the activity and selectivity of the electrocatalytic system, although
      no single factor dominates. Therefore, more fundamental research is required to
      understand the physical, chemical, and thermodynamic characteristics of complex
      RTIL-based electrocatalytic systems.

PMID- 28350330
TI  - It Is Imperative to Establish a Pellucid Definition of Chimeric RNA and to Clear
      Up a Lot of Confusion in the Relevant Research.
AB  - There have been tens of thousands of RNAs deposited in different databases that
      contain sequences of two genes and are coined chimeric RNAs, or chimeras.
      However, "chimeric RNA" has never been lucidly defined, partly because "gene"
      itself is still ill-defined and because the means of production for many RNAs is
      unclear. Since the number of putative chimeras is soaring, it is imperative to
      establish a pellucid definition for it, in order to differentiate chimeras from
      regular RNAs. Otherwise, not only will chimeric RNA studies be misled but also
      characterization of fusion genes and unannotated genes will be hindered. We
      propose that only those RNAs that are formed by joining two RNA transcripts
      together without a fusion gene as a genomic basis should be regarded as authentic
      chimeras, whereas those RNAs transcribed as, and cis-spliced from, single
      transcripts should not be deemed as chimeras. Many RNAs containing sequences of
      two neighboring genes may be transcribed via a readthrough mechanism, and thus
      are actually RNAs of unannotated genes or RNA variants of known genes, but not
      chimeras. In today's chimeric RNA research, there are still several key flaws,
      technical constraints and understudied tasks, which are also described in this
      perspective essay.

PMID- 28350333
TI  - Molecular Imprinting Applications in Forensic Science.
AB  - Producing molecular imprinting-based materials has received increasing attention
      due to recognition selectivity, stability, cast effectiveness, and ease of
      production in various forms for a wide range of applications. The molecular
      imprinting technique has a variety of applications in the areas of the food
      industry, environmental monitoring, and medicine for diverse purposes like sample
      pretreatment, sensing, and separation/purification. A versatile usage, stability
      and recognition capabilities also make them perfect candidates for use in
      forensic sciences. Forensic science is a demanding area and there is a growing
      interest in molecularly imprinted polymers (MIPs) in this field. In this review,
      recent molecular imprinting applications in the related areas of forensic
      sciences are discussed while considering the literature of last two decades. Not
      only direct forensic applications but also studies of possible forensic value
      were taken into account like illicit drugs, banned sport drugs, effective toxins
      and chemical warfare agents in a review of over 100 articles. The literature was
      classified according to targets, material shapes, production strategies,
      detection method, and instrumentation. We aimed to summarize the current
      applications of MIPs in forensic science and put forth a projection of their
      potential uses as promising alternatives for benchmark competitors.

PMID- 28350336
TI  - Sensor Fault and Delay Tolerant Control for Networked Control Systems Subject to
      External Disturbances.
AB  - In this paper, the problem of sensor fault and delay tolerant control problem for
      a class of networked control systems under external disturbances is investigated.
      More precisely, the dynamic characteristics of the external disturbance and
      sensor fault are described as the output of exogenous systems first. The original
      sensor fault and delay tolerant control problem is reformulated as an equivalence
      problem with designed available system output and reformed performance index. The
      feedforward and feedback sensor fault tolerant controller (FFSFTC) can be
      obtained by utilizing the solutions of Riccati matrix equation and Stein matrix
      equation. Based on the designed fault diagnoser, the proposed FFSFTC is further
      reconstructed to compensate for the sensor fault and delayed measurement effects.
      Finally, numerical examples are provided to illustrate the effectiveness of our
      proposed FFSFTC with different cases with various types of sensor faults,
      measurement delays and external disturbances.

PMID- 28350334
TI  - Conceptions of Contraceptive Use in Rural KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa: Lessons
      for Programming.
AB  - Community family planning programmes in South Africa arose from the controversial
      apartheid history of controlling the African population while encouraging the
      growth of European migrant population. Post-apartheid population policies shifted
      away from population control to aligning policies to the global agenda that
      placed emphasis on the link between population and development. The focus on
      population and development polices in post-apartheid South Africa is on social
      equality, justice and peace rather than controlling sections of the population.
      Given the shift, this paper interrogates the conceptions of contraceptive use
      among rural communities in KwaZulu-Natal. Our primary objective is to understand
      the dynamics surrounding access to and use of family planning services in peri
      urban and rural areas of KwaZulu-Natal. Using focus group data, the findings of
      the study suggest that different social categories interact with the family
      planning programmes differently. How teenagers and married women perceive the
      value of family planning differs. Gender differences regarding the use of condoms
      are also evident. The paper attempts to grapple with the non-use of condoms
      despite the knowledge that these prevent pregnancy and provide protection from
      sexually-transmitted diseases. The contribution of this paper lies in its
      identification of socio-cultural factors and the political economy underlying the
      different attitudes towards contraceptive use in rural KwaZulu-Natal.

PMID- 28350335
TI  - Synthesis and Antitumor Activity of New Group 3 Metallocene Complexes.
AB  - The quest for alternative drugs with respect to the well-known cis-platin and its
      derivatives, which are still used in more than 50% of the treatment regimens for
      patients suffering from cancer, is highly needed. In this context, organometallic
      compounds, which are defined as metal complexes containing at least one direct
      covalent metal-carbon bond, have recently been found to be promising anticancer
      drug candidates. A series of new metallocene complexes with scandium, yttrium,
      and neodymium have been prepared and characterized. Some of these compounds show
      a very interesting anti-proliferative activity in triple negative breast cancer
      cell line (MDA.MB231) and the non-hormone sensitive prostate cancer cell line
      (DU145). Moreover, the interaction of some of them with biological membranes,
      evaluated using liposomes as bio-membrane mimetic model systems, seems to be
      relevant. The biological activity of these compounds, particularly those based on
      yttrium, already effective at low concentrations on both cancer cell lines,
      should be taken into account with regard to new therapeutic approaches in
      anticancer therapy.

PMID- 28350338
TI  - Prioritizing Seafloor Mapping for Washington's Pacific Coast.
AB  - Remote sensing systems are critical tools used for characterizing the geological
      and ecological composition of the seafloor. However, creating comprehensive and
      detailed maps of ocean and coastal environments has been hindered by the high
      cost of operating ship- and aircraft-based sensors. While a number of groups
      (e.g., academic research, government resource management, and private sector) are
      engaged in or would benefit from the collection of additional seafloor mapping
      data, disparate priorities, dauntingly large data gaps, and insufficient funding
      have confounded strategic planning efforts. In this study, we addressed these
      challenges by implementing a quantitative, spatial process to facilitate
      prioritizing seafloor mapping needs in Washington State. The Washington State
      Prioritization Tool (WASP), a custom web-based mapping tool, was developed to
      solicit and analyze mapping priorities from each participating group. The process
      resulted in the identification of several discrete, high priority mapping
      hotspots. As a result, several of the areas have been or will be subsequently
      mapped. Furthermore, information captured during the process about the intended
      application of the mapping data was paramount for identifying the optimum remote
      sensing sensors and acquisition parameters to use during subsequent mapping
      surveys.

PMID- 28350337
TI  - 3,4-Dihydroxybenzalactone Suppresses Human Non-Small Cell Lung Carcinoma Cells
      Metastasis via Suppression of Epithelial to Mesenchymal Transition, ROS-Mediated
      PI3K/AKT/MAPK/MMP and NFkappaB Signaling Pathways.
AB  - 3,4-Dihydroxybenzalactone (DBL) was isolated from Phellinus linteus (PL), which
      is a folk medicine possessing various physiological effects. In this study, we
      used highly metastatic A549 cells to investigate efficacy of DBL inhibition of
      cancer metastasis and possible mechanisms. The results revealed DBL inhibited
      migratory and invasive abilities of cancer cells at noncytotoxic concentrations.
      We found DBL suppressed enzymatic activities, protein expression, and RNA levels
      of matrix metalloproteinase (MMP)-2 and MMP-9. Western blot results showed DBL
      decreased phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3K)/AKT, phosphorylation status of mitogen
      activated protein kinases (MAPKs), and focal adhesion kinase (FAK)/paxillin,
      which correlated with cell migratory ability. DBL also affected epithelial to
      mesenchymal transition (EMT)-related biomarkers. In addition, DBL enhanced
      cytoprotective effects through elevated antioxidant enzymes including heme
      oxygenase 1 (HO-1), catalase, glutathione peroxidase (GPx), and superoxide
      dismutase (SOD). Moreover, DBL influenced the nuclear translocation of nuclear
      factor kappaB (NFkappaB), nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 (Nrf2),
      Snail, and Slug in A549 cells. Taken together, these results suggested that
      treatment with DBL may act as a potential candidate to inhibit lung cancer
      metastasis by inhibiting MMP-2 and -9 via affecting PI3K/AKT, MAPKs,
      FAK/paxillin, EMT/Snail and Slug, Nrf2/antioxidant enzymes, and NFkappaB
      signaling pathways.

PMID- 28350339
TI  - Underdetermined DOA Estimation of Quasi-Stationary Signals Using a Partly
      Calibrated Array.
AB  - Quasi-stationary signals have been widely found in practical applications, which
      have time-varying second-order statistics while staying static within local time
      frames. In this paper, we develop a robust direction-of-arrival (DOA) estimation
      algorithm for quasi-stationary signals based on the Khatri-Rao (KR) subspace
      approach. A partly-calibrated array is considered, in which some of the sensors
      have an inaccurate knowledge of the gain and phase. In detail, we first develop a
      closed-form solution to estimate the unknown sensor gains and phases. The array
      is then calibrated using the estimated sensor gains and phases which enables the
      improved DOA estimation. To reduce the computational complexity, we also proposed
      a reduced-dimensional method for DOA estimation. The exploitation of the KR
      subspace approach enables the proposed method to achieve a larger number of
      degrees-of-freedom, i.e., more sources than sensors can be estimated. The unique
      identification condition for the proposed method is also derived. Simulation
      results demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed underdetermined DOA
      estimation algorithm for quasi-stationary signals.

PMID- 28350341
TI  - New Particle Filter Based on GA for Equipment Remaining Useful Life Prediction.
AB  - Remaining useful life (RUL) prediction of equipment has important significance
      for guaranteeing production efficiency, reducing maintenance cost, and improving
      plant safety. This paper proposes a novel method based on an new particle filter
      (PF) for predicting equipment RUL. Genetic algorithm (GA) is employed to improve
      the particle leanness problem that arises in traditional PF algorithms, and a
      time-varying auto regressive (TVAR) model and Akaike Information Criterion (AIC)
      are integrated to establish the dynamic model for PF. Moreover, starting
      prediction time (SPT) detection method based on hypothesis testing theory is
      presented, by which SPT of equipment RUL can be adaptively detected. In order to
      verify the effectiveness of the methods proposed in this study, a simulation test
      and the accelerating fatigue test of a rolling element bearing are designed for
      RUL prediction. The test results show the methods proposed in this study can
      accurately predict the RUL of the rolling element bearing, and it performs better
      than the traditional PF algorithm and support vector machine (SVM) in the RUL
      prediction.

PMID- 28350340
TI  - Function and Clinical Implications of Long Non-Coding RNAs in Melanoma.
AB  - Metastatic melanoma is the most deadly type of skin cancer. Despite the success
      of immunotherapy and targeted agents, the majority of patients experience disease
      recurrence upon treatment and die due to their disease. Long non-coding RNAs
      (lncRNAs) are a new subclass of non-protein coding RNAs involved in (epigenetic)
      regulation of cell growth, invasion, and other important cellular functions.
      Consequently, recent research activities focused on the discovery of these
      lncRNAs in a broad spectrum of human diseases, especially cancer. Additional
      efforts have been undertaken to dissect the underlying molecular mechanisms
      employed by lncRNAs. In this review, we will summarize the growing evidence of
      deregulated lncRNA expression in melanoma, which is linked to tumor growth and
      progression. Moreover, we will highlight specific molecular pathways and modes of
      action for some well-studied lncRNAs and discuss their potential clinical
      implications.

PMID- 28350343
TI  - On Multi-Hop Decode-and-Forward Cooperative Relaying for Industrial Wireless
      Sensor Networks.
AB  - Wireless sensor networks (WSNs) will play a fundamental role in the realization
      of Internet of Things and Industry 4.0. Arising from the presence of spatially
      distributed sensor nodes in a sensor network, cooperative diversity can be
      achieved by using the sensor nodes between a given source-destination pair as
      intermediate relay stations. In this paper, we investigate the end-to-end average
      bit error rate (BER) and the channel capacity of a multi-hop relay network in the
      presence of impulsive noise modeled by the well-known Middleton's class-A model.
      Specifically, we consider a multi-hop decode-and-forward (DF) relay network over
      Nakagami-m fading channel due to its generality, but also due to the absence of
      reported works in this area. Closed-form analytical expressions for the end-to
      end average BER and the statistical properties of the end-to-end channel capacity
      are obtained. The impacts of the channel parameters on these performance
      quantities are evaluated and discussed.

PMID- 28350344
TI  - Improving Observability of an Inertial System by Rotary Motions of an IMU.
AB  - It has been identified that the inertial system is not a completely observable
      system in the absence of maneuvers. Although the velocity errors and the
      accelerometer bias in the vertical direction can be solely observable, other
      error states, including the attitude errors, the accelerometer biases in the east
      and north directions, and the gyro biases, are just jointly observable states
      with velocity measurements, which degrades the estimation accuracy of these error
      states. This paper proposes an innovative method to improve the system
      observability for a Micro-Electro-Mechanical-System (MEMS)-based Inertial
      Navigation System (INS) in the absence of maneuvers by rotary motions of the
      Inertial Measurement Unit (IMU). Three IMU rotation schemes, namely IMU
      continuous rotation about the X, Y and Z axes are employed. The observability is
      analyzed for the rotating system with a control-theoretic approach, and tests are
      also conducted based on a turntable to verify the improvements on the system
      observability by IMU rotations. Both theoretical analysis and the results
      indicate that the system observability is improved by proposed IMU rotations, the
      roll and pitch errors, the accelerometer biases in the east and north directions,
      the gyro biases become observable states in the absence of vehicle maneuvers.
      Although the azimuth error is still unobservable, the enhanced estimability of
      the gyro bias in the vertical direction can effectively mitigate the azimuth
      error accumulation.

PMID- 28350342
TI  - The Role of PI3K Isoforms in Regulating Bone Marrow Microenvironment Signaling
      Focusing on Acute Myeloid Leukemia and Multiple Myeloma.
AB  - Despite the development of novel treatments in the past 15 years, many blood
      cancers still remain ultimately fatal and difficult to treat, particularly acute
      myeloid leukaemia (AML) and multiple myeloma (MM). While significant progress has
      been made characterising small-scale genetic mutations and larger-scale
      chromosomal translocations that contribute to the development of various blood
      cancers, less is understood about the complex microenvironment of the bone marrow
      (BM), which is known to be a key player in the pathogenesis of chronic
      lymphocytic leukaemia (CLL), AML and MM. This niche acts as a sanctuary for the
      cancerous cells, protecting them from chemotherapeutics and encouraging clonal
      cell survival. It does this by upregulating a plethora of signalling cascades
      within the malignant cell, with the phosphatidylinositol-3-kinase (PI3K) pathway
      taking a critical role. This review will focus on how the PI3K pathway influences
      disease progression and the individualised role of the PI3K subunits. We will
      also summarise the current clinical trials for PI3K inhibitors and how these
      trials impact the treatment of blood cancers.

PMID- 28350347
TI  - Trust Model of Wireless Sensor Networks and Its Application in Data Fusion.
AB  - In order to ensure the reliability and credibility of the data in wireless sensor
      networks (WSNs), this paper proposes a trust evaluation model and data fusion
      mechanism based on trust. First of all, it gives the model structure. Then, the
      calculation rules of trust are given. In the trust evaluation model,
      comprehensive trust consists of three parts: behavior trust, data trust, and
      historical trust. Data trust can be calculated by processing the sensor data.
      Based on the behavior of nodes in sensing and forwarding, the behavior trust is
      obtained. The initial value of historical trust is set to the maximum and updated
      with comprehensive trust. Comprehensive trust can be obtained by weighted
      calculation, and then the model is used to construct the trust list and guide the
      process of data fusion. Using the trust model, simulation results indicate that
      energy consumption can be reduced by an average of 15%. The detection rate of
      abnormal nodes is at least 10% higher than that of the lightweight and dependable
      trust system (LDTS) model. Therefore, this model has good performance in ensuring
      the reliability and credibility of the data. Moreover, the energy consumption of
      transmitting was greatly reduced.

PMID- 28350346
TI  - Bioactive Constituents Obtained from the Seeds of Lepidium apetalum Willd.
AB  - Three new compounds, apetalumosides C1 (1), D (2), and 1-thio--d-glucopyranosyl(1
      >1)-1-thio-alpha-d-glucopyranoside (3), together with twenty-two known ones (4
      25) were obtained from the seeds of Lepidium apetalum Willd. Among the known
      isolates, 5-8, 10-13, 16-20, and 25 were obtained from the genus for the first
      time; 4, 14, 15, and 21-24 were isolated from the species for the first time.
      Meanwhile, the NMR data of 16 was first reported here. Their structures were
      determined by means of chemical and spectroscopic methods. On the other hand,
      their inhibitory effects on sodium oleate-induced triglyceride (TG) overloading
      in HepG2 cells were evaluated. As a result, two new compounds (1 and 2), together
      with known isolates 7-11, 13, 14, 16-18, 20, 21, and 25 possessed significant
      inhibitory effects in the cells.

PMID- 28350345
TI  - Time Trends and Patterns of Reported Egg Consumption in the U.S. by
      Sociodemographic Characteristics.
AB  - Eggs have the potential to contribute essential nutrients to nutritionally
      vulnerable populations on limited food budgets. Further research is needed to
      better understand patterns of egg consumption across diverse sociodemographic
      groups in order to inform clinical practice to improve nutrient adequacy. Data on
      demographics and egg intake of 29,694 U.S. adults were obtained from the National
      Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, 2001-2012. The National Cancer
      Institute's usual intake methodology was used to estimate the distribution of egg
      intake. Linear and logistic regression models were used to test for time trends
      in egg consumption and for differences between sociodemographic groups. The
      proportion of the U.S. population, overall (21%-22%; p = 0.311) and by
      sociodemographic group (p > 0.05 for all groups), that reported consuming eggs
      remained unchanged from 2001 to 2012. Mean egg consumption increased overall from
      23.0 (95% CI, 20.8-25.2) g/day in 2001-2002 to 25.5 (22.7-28.4) g/day in 2011
      2012 (p = 0.012), but not among food insecure individuals (p = 0.816) and
      Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) participants (p = 0.399). No
      differences in the odds of egg consumption were observed by income level, food
      security status, or SNAP participation status (p > 0.05 for all groups). Given
      the nutritional benefits of eggs, as well as their low cost and culinary
      versatility, the results presented here have important implications for reducing
      disparities in health outcomes and diet quality, in particular among food
      insecure individuals and SNAP participants. Further research is needed to examine
      factors that influence egg consumption and associated nutrient intake, and to
      identify potential barriers to increasing egg consumption, such as egg price
      changes, across diverse sociodemographic groups.

PMID- 28350348
TI  - Variation Quality and Kinetic Parameter of Commercial n-3 PUFA-Rich Oil during
      Oxidation via Rancimat.
AB  - Different biological sources of n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (n-3 PUFA) in
      mainstream commercial products include algae and fish. Lipid oxidation in n-3
      PUFA-rich oil is the most important cause of its deterioration. We investigated
      the kinetic parameters of n-3 PUFA-rich oil during oxidation via Rancimat (at a
      temperature range of 70~100  degrees C). This was done on the basis of the
      Arrhenius equation, which indicates that the activation energies (Ea) for
      oxidative stability are 82.84-96.98 KJ/mol. The chemical substrates of different
      oxidative levels resulting from oxidation via Rancimat at 80  degrees C were
      evaluated. At the initiation of oxidation, the tocopherols in the oil degraded
      very quickly, resulting in diminished protection against further oxidation. Then,
      the degradation of the fatty acids with n-3 PUFA-rich oil was evident because of
      decreased levels of PUFA along with increased levels of saturated fatty acids
      (SFA). The quality deterioration from n-3 PUFA-rich oil at the various oxidative
      levels was analyzed chemometrically. The anisidine value (p-AV, r: 0.92) and
      total oxidation value (TOTOX, r: 0.91) exhibited a good linear relationship in a
      principal component analysis (PCA), while oxidative change and a significant
      quality change to the induction period (IP) were detected through an
      agglomerative hierarchical cluster (AHC) analysis.

PMID- 28350349
TI  - Identification of Conditions for Successful Aphid Control by Ladybirds in
      Greenhouses.
AB  - As part of my research on the mass production and augmentative release of
      ladybirds, I reviewed the primary research literature to test the prediction that
      ladybirds are effective aphid predators in greenhouses. Aphid population
      reduction exceeded 50% in most studies and ladybird release rates usually did not
      correlate with aphid reduction. The ratio of aphid reduction/release rate was
      slightly less for larvae than adults in some studies, suggesting that larvae were
      less effective (than adults) in suppressing aphids. Some adult releases were
      inside cages, thereby limiting adult dispersion from plants. Overall, the ratio
      of aphid reduction/release rate was greatest for ladybird adults of the normal
      strain (several species combined), but least for adults of a flightless Harmonia
      axyridis strain. The combined action of ladybirds and hymenopteran parasitoids
      could have a net positive effect on aphid population suppression and,
      consequently, on host (crop) plants. However, ladybird encounters with aphid
      tending or foraging ants must be reduced. Deploying ladybirds to help manage
      aphids in greenhouses and similar protective structures is encouraged.

PMID- 28350352
TI  - Discovering the Giant Nest Architecture of Grass-Cutting Ants, Atta capiguara
      (Hymenoptera, Formicidae).
AB  - Atta capiguara is a grass-cutting ant species frequently found in Cerrado biome.
      However, little is known about the giant nest architecture of this ant. In this
      study, we investigated the architecture of three A. capiguara nests from a
      fragment of Cerrado in Botucatu, Sao Paulo, Brazil. Casts were made of the nests
      by filling them with cement to permit better visualization of internal structures
      such as chambers and tunnels. After excavation, the depth and dimensions (length,
      width, and height) of the chambers were measured. The results showed the shape of
      Atta capiguara nests consisting of mounds of loose soil with unique features
      resembling a conic section. The fungus chambers were found distant from the mound
      of loose soil and were spaced apart and distributed laterally at the soil
      profile. The waste chambers were located beneath the largest mound of loose soil.
      Both the fungus and waste chambers were separated and distant. Our study
      contributes to a better understanding of the so far unknown nest architecture of
      the grass-cutting ant A. capiguara.

PMID- 28350351
TI  - Assembly of Iron Oxide Nanocubes for Enhanced Cancer Hyperthermia and Magnetic
      Resonance Imaging.
AB  - Multiple formulations of iron oxide nanoparticles (IONPs) have been proposed for
      enhancing contrast in magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and for increasing
      efficacy in thermal ablation therapies. However, insufficient accumulation at the
      disease site and low magnetic performance hamper the clinical application of
      IONPs. Here, 20 nm iron oxide nanocubes were assembled into larger nanoconstructs
      externally stabilized by a serum albumin coating. The resulting assemblies of
      nanocubes (ANCs) had an average diameter of 100 nm and exhibited transverse
      relaxivity (r2 = 678.9 +/- 29.0 mM-1.s-1 at 1.41 T) and heating efficiency
      (specific absorption rate of 109.8 +/- 12.8 W.g-1 at 512 kHz and 10 kA.m-1). In
      mice bearing glioblastoma multiforme tumors, Cy5.5-labeled ANCs allowed
      visualization of malignant masses via both near infrared fluorescent and magnetic
      resonance imaging. Also, upon systemic administration of ANCs (5 mgFe.kg-1), 30
      min of daily exposure to alternating magnetic fields for three consecutive days
      was sufficient to halt tumor progression. This study demonstrates that
      intravascular administration of ANCs can effectively visualize and treat
      neoplastic masses.

PMID- 28350350
TI  - Differential Proteome Analysis of a Flor Yeast Strain under Biofilm Formation.
AB  - Several Saccharomyces cerevisiae strains (flor yeasts) form a biofilm (flor
      velum) on the surface of Sherry wines after fermentation, when glucose is
      depleted. This flor velum is fundamental to biological aging of these particular
      wines. In this study, we identify abundant proteins in the formation of the
      biofilm of an industrial flor yeast strain. A database search to enrich flor
      yeast "biological process" and "cellular component" according to Gene Ontology
      Terminology (GO Terms) and, "pathways" was carried out. The most abundant
      proteins detected were largely involved in respiration, translation, stress
      damage prevention and repair, amino acid metabolism (glycine, isoleucine, leucine
      and arginine), glycolysis/gluconeogenesis and biosynthesis of vitamin B9
      (folate). These proteins were located in cellular components as in the
      peroxisome, mitochondria, vacuole, cell wall and extracellular region; being
      these two last directly related with the flor formation. Proteins like Bgl2p,
      Gcv3p, Hyp2p, Mdh1p, Suc2p and Ygp1p were quantified in very high levels. This
      study reveals some expected processes and provides new and important information
      for the design of conditions and genetic constructions of flor yeasts for
      improving the cellular survival and, thus, to optimize biological aging of Sherry
      wine production.

PMID- 28350353
TI  - Insect Artifacts Are More than Just Altered Bloodstains.
AB  - The bases for forensic entomology are that insects and their arthropod relatives
      can serve as evidence in criminal, medical and civil legal matters. However, some
      of the very same species that provide utility to legal investigations can also
      complicate crime scenes by distorting existing body fluid evidence (e.g.,
      bloodstains, semen, saliva) and/or depositing artifacts derived from the insect
      alimentary canal at primary or secondary crime scenes. The insect contaminants
      are referred to as insect stains, artifacts, specks or spots, and are most
      commonly associated with human bloodstains. This review will discuss the
      different types of insect artifacts that have been described from crime scenes
      and laboratory experiments, as well as examine insect contaminates (non-blood
      based artifacts, transfer patterns, meconium, and larval fluids) that have
      received little research or case attention. Methods currently used for
      distinguishing insect stains from human body fluids will also be discussed and
      compared to presumptive tests used for identification of human body fluids. Since
      all available methods have severe limitations, areas of new research will be
      identified for the purpose of development of diagnostic techniques for detection
      of insect artifacts.

PMID- 28350354
TI  - Proteomic Profiling Comparing the Effects of Different Heat Treatments on Camel
      (Camelus dromedarius) Milk Whey Proteins.
AB  - Camel milk is consumed in the Middle East because of its high nutritional value.
      Traditional heating methods and the duration of heating affect the protein
      content and nutritional quality of the milk. We examined the denaturation of whey
      proteins in camel milk by assessing the effects of temperature on the whey
      protein profile at room temperature (RT), moderate heating at 63  degrees C, and
      at 98  degrees C, for 1 h. The qualitative and quantitative variations in the
      whey proteins before and after heat treatments were determined using quantitative
      2D-difference in gel electrophoresis (DIGE)-mass spectrometry. Qualitative gel
      image analysis revealed a similar spot distribution between samples at RT and
      those heated at 63  degrees C, while the spot distribution between RT and samples
      heated at 98  degrees C differed. One hundred sixteen protein spots were
      determined to be significantly different (p < 0.05 and a fold change of >=1.2)
      between the non-heated and heated milk samples. Eighty protein spots were
      decreased in common in both the heat-treated samples and an additional 25 spots
      were further decreased in the 98  degrees C sample. The proteins with decreased
      abundance included serum albumin, lactadherin, fibrinogen beta and gamma chain,
      lactotransferrin, active receptor type-2A, arginase-1, glutathione peroxidase-1
      and, thiopurine S, etc. Eight protein spots were increased in common to both the
      samples when compared to RT and included alpha-lactalbumin, a glycosylation
      dependent cell adhesion molecule. Whey proteins present in camel milk were less
      affected by heating at 63  degrees C than at 98  degrees C. This experimental
      study showed that denaturation increased significantly as the temperature
      increased from 63 to 98  degrees C.

PMID- 28350355
TI  - Frequency-Switchable Microfluidic CSRR-Loaded QMSIW Band-Pass Filter Using a
      Liquid Metal Alloy.
AB  - In this paper, we have proposed a frequency-switchable complementary split-ring
      resonator (CSRR)-loaded quarter-mode substrate-integrated-waveguide (QMSIW) band
      pass filter. For frequency switching, a microfluidic channel and liquid metal are
      used. The liquid metal used is eutectic gallium-indium (EGaIn), consisting of
      24.5% indium and 75.5% gallium. The microfluidic channels are built using the
      elastomer polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) and three-dimensional-printed microfluidic
      channel frames. The CSRR-loaded QMSIW band-pass filter is designed to have two
      states. Before the injection of the liquid metal, the measured center frequency
      and fractional bandwidths are 2.205 GHz and 6.80%, respectively. After injection,
      the center frequency shifts from 2.205 GHz to 2.56 GHz. Although the coupling
      coefficient is practically unchanged, the fractional bandwidth changes from 6.8%
      to 9.38%, as the CSRR shape changes and the external quality factor decreases.
      After the removal of the liquid metal, the measured values are similar to the
      values recorded before the liquid metal was injected. The repeatability of the
      frequency-switchable mechanism is, therefore, verified.

PMID- 28350356
TI  - An IoT Reader for Wireless Passive Electromagnetic Sensors.
AB  - In the last years, many passive electromagnetic sensors have been reported. Some
      of these sensors are used for measuring harmful substances. Moreover, the
      response of these sensors is usually obtained with laboratory equipment. This
      approach highly increases the total cost and complexity of the sensing system. In
      this work, a novel low-cost and portable Internet-of-Things (IoT) reader for
      passive wireless electromagnetic sensors is proposed. The reader is used to
      interrogate the sensors within a short-range wireless link avoiding the direct
      contact with the substances under test. The IoT functionalities of the reader
      allows remote sensing from computers and handheld devices. For that purpose, the
      proposed design is based on four functional layers: the radiating layer, the RF
      interface, the IoT mini-computer and the power unit. In this paper a demonstrator
      of the proposed reader is designed and manufactured. The demonstrator shows,
      through the remote measurement of different substances, that the proposed system
      can estimate the dielectric permittivity. It has been demonstrated that a linear
      approximation with a small error can be extracted from the reader measurements.
      It is remarkable that the proposed reader can be used with other type of
      electromagnetic sensors, which transduce the magnitude variations in the
      frequency domain.

PMID- 28350357
TI  - A Smartphone Camera-Based Indoor Positioning Algorithm of Crowded Scenarios with
      the Assistance of Deep CNN.
AB  - Considering the installation cost and coverage, the received signal strength
      indicator (RSSI)-based indoor positioning system is widely used across the world.
      However, the indoor positioning performance, due to the interference of wireless
      signals that are caused by the complex indoor environment that includes a crowded
      population, cannot achieve the demands of indoor location-based services. In this
      paper, we focus on increasing the signal strength estimation accuracy considering
      the population density, which is different to the other RSSI-based indoor
      positioning methods. Therefore, we propose a new wireless signal compensation
      model considering the population density, distance, and frequency. First of all,
      the number of individuals in an indoor crowded scenario can be calculated by our
      convolutional neural network (CNN)-based human detection approach. Then, the
      relationship between the population density and the signal attenuation is
      described in our model. Finally, we use the trilateral positioning principle to
      realize the pedestrian location. According to the simulation and tests in the
      crowded scenarios, the proposed model increases the accuracy of the signal
      strength estimation by 1.53 times compared to that without considering the human
      body. Therefore, the localization accuracy is less than 1.37 m, which indicates
      that our algorithm can improve the indoor positioning performance and is superior
      to other RSSI models.

PMID- 28350358
TI  - Automated Software Acceleration in Programmable Logic for an Efficient NFFT
      Algorithm Implementation: A Case Study.
AB  - Non-equispaced Fast Fourier transform (NFFT) is a very important algorithm in
      several technological and scientific areas such as synthetic aperture radar,
      computational photography, medical imaging, telecommunications, seismic analysis
      and so on. However, its computation complexity is high. In this paper, we
      describe an efficient NFFT implementation with a hardware coprocessor using an
      All-Programmable System-on-Chip (APSoC). This is a hybrid device that employs an
      Advanced RISC Machine (ARM) as Processing System with Programmable Logic for high
      performance digital signal processing through parallelism and pipeline
      techniques. The algorithm has been coded in C language with pragma directives to
      optimize the architecture of the system. We have used the very novel Software
      Develop System-on-Chip (SDSoC) evelopment tool that simplifies the interface and
      partitioning between hardware and software. This provides shorter development
      cycles and iterative improvements by exploring several architectures of the
      global system. The computational results shows that hardware acceleration
      significantly outperformed the software based implementation.

PMID- 28350360
TI  - Identification of Key Candidate Genes and Pathways in Colorectal Cancer by
      Integrated Bioinformatical Analysis.
AB  - Colorectal cancer (CRC) is one of the most common malignant diseases worldwide,
      but the involved signaling pathways and driven-genes are largely unclear. This
      study integrated four cohorts profile datasets to elucidate the potential key
      candidate genes and pathways in CRC. Expression profiles GSE28000, GSE21815,
      GSE44076 and GSE75970, including 319 CRC and 103 normal mucosa, were integrated
      and deeply analyzed. Differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were sorted and
      candidate genes and pathways enrichment were analyzed. DEGs-associated protein
      protein interaction network (PPI) was performed. Firstly, 292 shared DEGs (165 up
      regulated and 127 down-regulated) were identified from the four GSE datasets.
      Secondly, the DEGs were clustered based on functions and signaling pathways with
      significant enrichment analysis. Thirdly, 180 nodes/DEGs were identified from
      DEGs PPI network complex. Lastly, the most significant 2 modules were filtered
      from PPI, 31 central node genes were identified and most of the corresponding
      genes are involved in cell cycle process, chemokines and G protein-coupled
      receptor signaling pathways. Taken above, using integrated bioinformatical
      analysis, we have identified DEGs candidate genes and pathways in CRC, which
      could improve our understanding of the cause and underlying molecular events, and
      these candidate genes and pathways could be therapeutic targets for CRC.

PMID- 28350361
TI  - Thiazine-2-thiones as Masked 1-Azadienes in Cascade Dimerization Reactions).
AB  - We report the unexpected formation of a 1-azadiene dimer from 4,6-diphenyl-3,6
      dihydro-2H-1,3-thiazine-2-thiones under prolonged microwave irradiation. In this
      manner, thiazine-2-thiones act as "masked" 1-azadiene equivalents, which makes
      them useful synthetic tools to access complex heterocyclic frameworks. We compare
      this dimerization with earlier approaches and elaborate on the observed
      diastereoselectivity.

PMID- 28350359
TI  - NF-kappaB Signaling in Gastric Cancer.
AB  - Gastric cancer is a leading cause of cancer death worldwide. Diet, obesity,
      smoking and chronic infections, especially with Helicobacter pylori, contribute
      to stomach cancer development. H. pylori possesses a variety of virulence factors
      including encoded factors from the cytotoxin-associated gene pathogenicity island
      (cagPAI) or vacuolating cytotoxin A (VacA). Most of the cagPAI-encoded products
      form a type 4 secretion system (T4SS), a pilus-like macromolecular transporter,
      which translocates CagA into the cytoplasm of the host cell. Only H. pylori
      strains carrying the cagPAI induce the transcription factor NF-kappaB, but CagA
      and VacA are dispensable for direct NF-kappaB activation. NF-kappaB-driven gene
      products include cytokines/chemokines, growth factors, anti-apoptotic factors,
      angiogenesis regulators and metalloproteinases. Many of the genes transcribed by
      NF-kappaB promote gastric carcinogenesis. Since it has been shown that
      chemotherapy-caused cellular stress could elicit activation of the survival
      factor NF-kappaB, which leads to acquisition of chemoresistance, the NF-kappaB
      system is recommended for therapeutic targeting. Research is motivated for
      further search of predisposing conditions, diagnostic markers and efficient drugs
      to improve significantly the overall survival of patients. In this review, we
      provide an overview about mechanisms and consequences of NF-kappaB activation in
      gastric mucosa in order to understand the role of NF-kappaB in gastric
      carcinogenesis.

PMID- 28350362
TI  - Ergot Alkaloids in Fattening Chickens (Broilers): Toxic Effects and Carry over
      Depending on Dietary Fat Proportion and Supplementation with Non-Starch
      Polysaccharide (NSP) Hydrolyzing Enzymes.
AB  - Ergot alkaloids (EA) are mycotoxins produced by Claviceps purpurea. EA-toxicity
      is poorly characterized for fattening chickens. Therefore, a dose-response study
      was performed to identify the lowest, and no observed adverse effect levels
      (LOAEL and NOAEL, respectively) based on several endpoints. Non-starch
      polysaccharide (NSP) cleaving enzyme addition and dietary fat content were
      additionally considered as factors potentially influencing EA-toxicity. Feed
      intake was proven to respond most sensitively to the EA presence in the diets.
      This sensitivity appeared to be time-dependent. While LOAEL corresponded to a
      total dietary EA content of 5.7 mg/kg until Day 14 of age, it decreased to 2.03
      mg/kg when birds were exposed for a period of 35 days. Consequently, NOAEL
      corresponded to an EA content of 2.49 mg/kg diet until Day 14 of age, while 1.94
      mg/kg diet applied until Day 35 of age. Liver lesions indicating enzyme
      activities in serum were increased after 14 days of exposure. Dietary fat content
      and NSP-enzyme supplementation modified EA toxicity in an interactive manner. The
      EA residues in serum, bile, liver and breast meat were <5 ng/g suggesting a
      negligible carry over of intact EA.

PMID- 28350364
TI  - Are Brief Alcohol Interventions Adequately Embedded in UK Primary Care? A
      Qualitative Study Utilising Normalisation Process Theory.
AB  - Despite substantial evidence for their effectiveness, the adoption of alcohol
      screening and brief interventions (ASBI) in routine primary care remains
      inconsistent. Financial incentive schemes were introduced in England between 2008
      and 2015 to encourage their delivery. We used Normalisation Process Theory
      informed interviews to understand the barriers and facilitators experienced by 14
      general practitioners (GPs) as they implemented ASBI during this period. We found
      multiple factors shaped provision. GPs were broadly cognisant and supportive of
      preventative alcohol interventions (coherence) but this did not necessarily
      translate into personal investment in their delivery (cognitive participation).
      This lack of investment shaped how GPs operationalised such "work" in day-to-day
      practice (collective action), with ASBI mostly delegated to nurses, and GPs
      reverting to "business as usual" in their management and treatment of problem
      drinking (reflexive monitoring). We conclude there has been limited progress
      towards the goal of an effectively embedded preventative alcohol care pathway in
      English primary care. Future policy should consider screening strategies that
      prioritise patients with conditions with a recognised link with excessive alcohol
      consumption, and which promote more efficient identification of the most
      problematic drinkers. Improved GP training to build skills and awareness of
      evidence-based ASBI tools could also help embed best practice over time.

PMID- 28350363
TI  - Determination of Vancomycin in Human Serum by Cyclodextrin-Micellar
      Electrokinetic Capillary Chromatography (CD-MEKC) and Application for PDAP
      Patients.
AB  - A simple and sensitive cyclodextrin-micellar electrokinetic capillary
      chromatography (CD-MEKC) method with UV detection was developed and validated for
      the determination of vancomycin (VCM) in serum. The separation was achieved in 14
      min at 25  degrees C with a fused-silica capillary column of 40.2 cm * 50 mm i.d.
      (effective length 30.2 cm) and a run buffer containing 25 mM borate buffer with
      50 mM sodium dodecylsulfonate (SDS) (pH 9.5) and 2% sulfobutyl-beta-cyclodextrin
      (sulfobutyl-beta-CD). Under optimal conditions for biological samples, good
      separations with high efficiency and short analysis time were achieved. Several
      parameters affecting the drug separation from biological matrices were studied,
      including buffer types, concentrations, and pHs. The methods were validated over
      the range of 0.9998-99.98 ug/mL. Calibration curves of VCM also showed good
      linearity (r2 > 0.999). Intra- and interday precisions (relative standard
      deviation, RSD) were less than 5.80% and 7.38%, and lower limit of quantification
      (LLOQ) were lower than 1.0 MUg/mL. The mean recoveries ranged between 84.03% and
      91.69%. The method was successfully applied for monitoring VCM concentrations in
      serum of patients with peritoneal dialysis-associated peritonitis (PDAP). The
      assay should be applicable to pharmacokinetic studies and routine therapeutic
      drug monitoring of this drug in serum.

PMID- 28350366
TI  - Modeling the Relationship between Safety Climate and Safety Performance in a
      Developing Construction Industry: A Cross-Cultural Validation Study.
AB  - This study attempts to validate a safety performance (SP) measurement model in
      the cross-cultural setting of a developing country. In addition, it highlights
      the variations in investigating the relationship between safety climate (SC)
      factors and SP indicators. The data were collected from forty under-construction
      multi-storey building projects in Pakistan. Based on the results of exploratory
      factor analysis, a SP measurement model was hypothesized. It was tested and
      validated by conducting confirmatory factor analysis on calibration and
      validation sub-samples respectively. The study confirmed the significant positive
      impact of SC on safety compliance and safety participation, and negative impact
      on number of self-reported accidents/injuries. However, number of near-misses
      could not be retained in the final SP model because it attained a lower
      standardized path coefficient value. Moreover, instead of safety participation,
      safety compliance established a stronger impact on SP. The study uncovered safety
      enforcement and promotion as a novel SC factor, whereas safety rules and work
      practices was identified as the most neglected factor. The study contributed to
      the body of knowledge by unveiling the deviations in existing dimensions of SC
      and SP. The refined model is expected to concisely measure the SP in the
      Pakistani construction industry, however, caution must be exercised while
      generalizing the study results to other developing countries.

PMID- 28350365
TI  - Anatomy of Mammalian Replication Domains.
AB  - Genetic information is faithfully copied by DNA replication through many rounds
      of cell division. In mammals, DNA is replicated in Mb-sized chromosomal units
      called "replication domains." While genome-wide maps in multiple cell types and
      disease states have uncovered both dynamic and static properties of replication
      domains, we are still in the process of understanding the mechanisms that give
      rise to these properties. A better understanding of the molecular basis of
      replication domain regulation will bring new insights into chromosome structure
      and function.

PMID- 28350367
TI  - Improving Suicide Prevention in Dutch Regions by Creating Local Suicide
      Prevention Action Networks (SUPRANET): A Study Protocol.
AB  - The European Alliance against Depression (EAAD) program is to be introduced in
      The Netherlands from 2017 onwards. This program to combat suicide consists of
      interventions on four levels: (1) increasing the awareness of suicide by local
      media campaigns; (2) training local gatekeepers, such as teachers or police
      officers; (3) targeting high-risk persons in the community; and (4) training and
      support of professionals in primary care settings. The implementation starts in
      seven Dutch pilot regions. Each region is designated as a Suicide Prevention
      Action NETwork (SUPRANET). This paper describes the SUPRANET program components
      and the evaluation of its feasibility and impact. The findings will be used to
      facilitate the national implementation of EAAD in The Netherlands and to add new
      findings to the existing literature on EAAD.

PMID- 28350368
TI  - Pathways to Suicide in Australian Farmers: A Life Chart Analysis.
AB  - Farmers have been found to be at increased risk of suicide in Australia. The
      Interpersonal-Psychological Theory of Suicidal Behaviour suggests that the
      proximal factors leading to the suicidal desire or ideation include an
      individual's experiences of both perceived burdensomeness and thwarted
      belongingness. Suicidal desire with acquired capability to engage in lethal self
      injury is predictive of suicidal behaviour. This study investigates the pathways
      to suicide of 18 Australian male farmers in order to understand the suicidal
      process and antecedents to suicide in Australian male farmers. The psychological
      autopsy (PA) method was used to generate life charts. Two pathways with distinct
      suicidal processes were identified: acute situational (romantic relationship
      problems and financial concerns/pending retirement) and protracted (long-term
      psychiatric disorder). Long working hours, interpersonal conflicts, physical
      illnesses and pain, alcohol abuse, access to firearms, and exposure to drought
      were additional common factors identified. An understanding of the
      interrelatedness of diverse distal and proximal risk factors on suicidal pathways
      in the wider environmental context for male farmers is required when developing
      and implementing rural suicide prevention activities.

PMID- 28350369
TI  - A Novel Ultrasonic Method for Liquid Level Measurement Based on the Balance of
      Echo Energy.
AB  - This study presents a novel method for determining the liquid level from the
      outside of a sealed container, which is based on the balance of echo energy
      received by two receiving sensors. The proposed method uses one transmitting
      transducer and two receiving sensors that are encapsulated in a coupling plane
      and arranged by certain rules. The calculation and comparison of echo energy are
      grounded on the difference ultrasonic impedance between gas and liquid media.
      First, by analyzing the propagation and attenuation characteristics of ultrasonic
      waves in a solid, an acoustic model for calculating the echo energy is
      established and simulated in MATLAB. Second, the proposed method is evaluated
      through a series of experiments. The difference and ratio of echo energy received
      by two receiving sensors are calculated and compared under two different coupling
      conditions. Two kinds of the sensors that are arranged by different rules are
      selected for measuring the liquid level, and the measurement are analyzed and
      discussed in detail. Finally, the experimental results indicate that the proposed
      method can meet the proposed accuracy requirements and can effectively solve the
      problems caused by some poor coupling conditions.

PMID- 28350370
TI  - Feasibility Study of Extended-Gate-Type Silicon Nanowire Field-Effect Transistors
      for Neural Recording.
AB  - In this research, a high performance silicon nanowire field-effect transistor
      (transconductance as high as 34 uS and sensitivity as 84 nS/mV) is extensively
      studied and directly compared with planar passive microelectrode arrays for
      neural recording application. Electrical and electrochemical characteristics are
      carefully characterized in a very well-controlled manner. We especially focused
      on the signal amplification capability and intrinsic noise of the transistors. A
      neural recording system using both silicon nanowire field-effect transistor-based
      active-type microelectrode array and platinum black microelectrode-based passive
      type microelectrode array are implemented and compared. An artificial neural
      spike signal is supplied as input to both arrays through a buffer solution and
      recorded simultaneously. Recorded signal intensity by the silicon nanowire
      transistor was precisely determined by an electrical characteristic of the
      transistor, transconductance. Signal-to-noise ratio was found to be strongly
      dependent upon the intrinsic 1/f noise of the silicon nanowire transistor. We
      found how signal strength is determined and how intrinsic noise of the transistor
      determines signal-to-noise ratio of the recorded neural signals. This study
      provides in-depth understanding of the overall neural recording mechanism using
      silicon nanowire transistors and solid design guideline for further improvement
      and development.

PMID- 28350372
TI  - Genome-Wide Analysis of the Sucrose Synthase Gene Family in Grape (Vitis
      vinifera): Structure, Evolution, and Expression Profiles.
AB  - Sucrose synthase (SS) is widely considered as the key enzyme involved in the
      plant sugar metabolism that is critical to plant growth and development,
      especially quality of the fruit. The members of SS gene family have been
      identified and characterized in multiple plant genomes. However, detailed
      information about this gene family is lacking in grapevine (Vitis vinifera L.).
      In this study, we performed a systematic analysis of the grape (V. vinifera)
      genome and reported that there are five SS genes (VvSS1-5) in the grape genome.
      Comparison of the structures of grape SS genes showed high structural
      conservation of grape SS genes, resulting from the selection pressures during the
      evolutionary process. The segmental duplication of grape SS genes contributed to
      this gene family expansion. The syntenic analyses between grape and soybean
      (Glycine max) demonstrated that these genes located in corresponding syntenic
      blocks arose before the divergence of grape and soybean. Phylogenetic analysis
      revealed distinct evolutionary paths for the grape SS genes. VvSS1/VvSS5,
      VvSS2/VvSS3 and VvSS4 originated from three ancient SS genes, which were
      generated by duplication events before the split of monocots and eudicots.
      Bioinformatics analysis of publicly available microarray data, which was
      validated by quantitative real-time reverse transcription PCR (qRT-PCR), revealed
      distinct temporal and spatial expression patterns of VvSS genes in various
      tissues, organs and developmental stages, as well as in response to biotic and
      abiotic stresses. Taken together, our results will be beneficial for further
      investigations into the functions of SS gene in the processes of grape resistance
      to environmental stresses.

PMID- 28350374
TI  - Energy Efficiency of D2D Multi-User Cooperation.
AB  - The Device-to-Device (D2D) communication system is an important part of
      heterogeneous networks. It has great potential to improve spectrum efficiency,
      throughput and energy efficiency cooperation of multiple D2D users with the
      advantage of direct communication. When cooperating, D2D users expend
      extraordinary energy to relay data to other D2D users. Hence, the remaining
      energy of D2D users determines the life of the system. This paper proposes a
      cooperation scheme for multiple D2D users who reuse the orthogonal spectrum and
      are interested in the same data by aiming to solve the energy problem of D2D
      users. Considering both energy availability and the Signal to Noise Ratio (SNR)
      of each D2D user, the Kuhn-Munkres algorithm is introduced in the cooperation
      scheme to solve relay selection problems. Thus, the cooperation issue is
      transformed into a maximum weighted matching (MWM) problem. In order to enhance
      energy efficiency without the deterioration of Quality of Service (QoS), the link
      outage probability is derived according to the Shannon Equation by considering
      the data rate and delay. The simulation studies the relationships among the
      number of cooperative users, the length of shared data, the number of data
      packets and energy efficiency.

PMID- 28350375
TI  - Corrigendum: Two novel mutations in PRPF3 causing autosomal dominant retinitis
      pigmentosa.

PMID- 28350377
TI  - Erratum: Hybrid acoustic metamaterial as super absorber for broadband low
      frequency sound.

PMID- 28350376
TI  - Event-related potential data from a guess the number brain-computer interface
      experiment on school children.
AB  - Guess the number is a simple P300-based brain-computer interface experiment. Its
      aim is to ask the measured participant to pick a number between 1 and 9. Then, he
      or she is exposed to corresponding visual stimuli and experimenters try to guess
      the number thought while they are observing event-related potential waveforms on
      line. 250 school-age children participated in the experiments that were carried
      out in elementary and secondary schools in the Czech Republic.
      Electroencephalographic data from three EEG channels (Fz, Cz, Pz) and stimuli
      markers were stored. Additional metadata about the participants were collected
      (gender, age, laterality, the number thought by the participant, the guess of the
      experimenters, and various interesting additional information). Consequently, we
      offer the largest publicly available odd-ball paradigm collection of datasets to
      neuroscientific and brain-computer interface community.

PMID- 28350373
TI  - DNA Replication Origins and Fork Progression at Mammalian Telomeres.
AB  - Telomeres are essential chromosomal regions that prevent critical shortening of
      linear chromosomes and genomic instability in eukaryotic cells. The bulk of
      telomeric DNA is replicated by semi-conservative DNA replication in the same way
      as the rest of the genome. However, recent findings revealed that replication of
      telomeric repeats is a potential cause of chromosomal instability, because DNA
      replication through telomeres is challenged by the repetitive telomeric sequences
      and specific structures that hamper the replication fork. In this review, we
      summarize current understanding of the mechanisms by which telomeres are
      faithfully and safely replicated in mammalian cells. Various telomere-associated
      proteins ensure efficient telomere replication at different steps, such as
      licensing of replication origins, passage of replication forks, proper fork
      restart after replication stress, and dissolution of post-replicative structures.
      In particular, shelterin proteins have central roles in the control of telomere
      replication. Through physical interactions, accessory proteins are recruited to
      maintain telomere integrity during DNA replication. Dormant replication origins
      and/or homology-directed repair may rescue inappropriate fork stalling or
      collapse that can cause defects in telomere structure and functions.

PMID- 28350378
TI  - Developing a dataset to track aid for reproductive, maternal, newborn and child
      health, 2003-2013.
AB  - We created a dataset to generate estimates of donor-reported 'official
      development assistance' and private grants (ODA+) to reproductive, maternal,
      newborn and child health (RMNCH) by donor, recipient country and activity type
      over the period 2003-2013. We collected disbursement information from the
      Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development Creditor Reporting System
      (CRS) in January 2015. All 2.1 million records across all sectors were coded
      based on donor name, project title, short and long descriptions, and CRS code
      describing the purpose of the disbursement. We classified records according to
      the degree to which they would promote attainment of Millennium Development Goals
      4 and 5 (reproductive and sexual health, maternal and newborn health, and child
      health). We also classified records according to whether they supported prenatal
      and neonatal health (PNH). The dataset includes project funding as well as
      allocating shares of general budget support, health sector support and basket
      funding. The data can be used to analyse resource flows to RMNCH or to other
      purposes or beneficiaries of ODA+.

PMID- 28350379
TI  - Corrigendum: Doxorubicin-loaded platelets as a smart drug delivery system: An
      improved therapy for lymphoma.

PMID- 28350371
TI  - A Neurophysiological Perspective on a Preventive Treatment against Schizophrenia
      Using Transcranial Electric Stimulation of the Corticothalamic Pathway.
AB  - Schizophrenia patients are waiting for a treatment free of detrimental effects.
      Psychotic disorders are devastating mental illnesses associated with
      dysfunctional brain networks. Ongoing brain network gamma frequency (30-80 Hz)
      oscillations, naturally implicated in integrative function, are excessively
      amplified during hallucinations, in at-risk mental states for psychosis and first
      episode psychosis. So, gamma oscillations represent a bioelectrical marker for
      cerebral network disorders with prognostic and therapeutic potential. They
      accompany sensorimotor and cognitive deficits already present in prodromal
      schizophrenia. Abnormally amplified gamma oscillations are reproduced in the
      corticothalamic systems of healthy humans and rodents after a single systemic
      administration, at a psychotomimetic dose, of the glutamate N-methyl-d-aspartate
      receptor antagonist ketamine. These translational ketamine models of prodromal
      schizophrenia are thus promising to work out a preventive noninvasive treatment
      against first-episode psychosis and chronic schizophrenia. In the present essay,
      transcranial electric stimulation (TES) is considered an appropriate preventive
      therapeutic modality because it can influence cognitive performance and neural
      oscillations. Here, I highlight clinical and experimental findings showing that,
      together, the corticothalamic pathway, the thalamus, and the glutamatergic
      synaptic transmission form an etiopathophysiological backbone for schizophrenia
      and represent a potential therapeutic target for preventive TES of dysfunctional
      brain networks in at-risk mental state patients against psychotic disorders.

PMID- 28350380
TI  - Transcriptomic profiling of 39 commonly-used neuroblastoma cell lines.
AB  - Neuroblastoma cell lines are an important and cost-effective model used to study
      oncogenic drivers of the disease. While many of these cell lines have been
      previously characterized with SNP, methylation, and/or mRNA expression
      microarrays, there has not been an effort to comprehensively sequence these cell
      lines. Here, we present raw whole transcriptome data generated by RNA sequencing
      of 39 commonly-used neuroblastoma cell lines. These data can be used to perform
      differential expression analysis based on a genetic aberration or phenotype in
      neuroblastoma (e.g., MYCN amplification status, ALK mutation status, chromosome
      arm 1p, 11q and/or 17q status, sensitivity to pharmacologic perturbation).
      Additionally, we designed this experiment to enable structural variant and/or
      long-noncoding RNA analysis across these cell lines. Finally, as more DNase/ATAC
      and histone/transcription factor ChIP sequencing is performed in these cell
      lines, our RNA-Seq data will be an important complement to inform transcriptional
      targets as well as regulatory (enhancer or repressor) elements in neuroblastoma.

PMID- 28350381
TI  - Metagenome sequencing and 98 microbial genomes from Juan de Fuca Ridge flank
      subsurface fluids.
AB  - The global deep subsurface biosphere is one of the largest reservoirs for
      microbial life on our planet. This study takes advantage of new sampling
      technologies and couples them with improvements to DNA sequencing and associated
      informatics tools to reconstruct the genomes of uncultivated Bacteria and Archaea
      from fluids collected deep within the Juan de Fuca Ridge subseafloor. Here, we
      generated two metagenomes from borehole observatories located 311 meters apart
      and, using binning tools, retrieved 98 genomes from metagenomes (GFMs). Of the
      GFMs, 31 were estimated to be >90% complete, while an additional 17 were >70%
      complete. Phylogenomic analysis revealed 53 bacterial and 45 archaeal GFMs, of
      which nearly all were distantly related to known cultivated isolates. In the
      GFMs, abundant Bacteria included Chloroflexi, Nitrospirae, Acetothermia (OP1),
      EM3, Aminicenantes (OP8), Gammaproteobacteria, and Deltaproteobacteria, while
      abundant Archaea included Archaeoglobi, Bathyarchaeota (MCG), and Marine Benthic
      Group E (MBG-E). These data are the first GFMs reconstructed from the deep
      basaltic subseafloor biosphere, and provide a dataset available for further
      interrogation.

PMID- 28350382
TI  - A dataset of stereoscopic images and ground-truth disparity mimicking human
      fixations in peripersonal space.
AB  - Binocular stereopsis is the ability of a visual system, belonging to a live being
      or a machine, to interpret the different visual information deriving from two
      eyes/cameras for depth perception. From this perspective, the ground-truth
      information about three-dimensional visual space, which is hardly available, is
      an ideal tool both for evaluating human performance and for benchmarking machine
      vision algorithms. In the present work, we implemented a rendering methodology in
      which the camera pose mimics realistic eye pose for a fixating observer, thus
      including convergent eye geometry and cyclotorsion. The virtual environment we
      developed relies on highly accurate 3D virtual models, and its full
      controllability allows us to obtain the stereoscopic pairs together with the
      ground-truth depth and camera pose information. We thus created a stereoscopic
      dataset: GENUA PESTO-GENoa hUman Active fixation database: PEripersonal space
      STereoscopic images and grOund truth disparity. The dataset aims to provide a
      unified framework useful for a number of problems relevant to human and computer
      vision, from scene exploration and eye movement studies to 3D scene
      reconstruction.

PMID- 28350384
TI  - Corrigendum: Human behaviour can trigger large carnivore attacks in developed
      countries.

PMID- 28350383
TI  - A microfluidic culture model of the human reproductive tract and 28-day menstrual
      cycle.
AB  - The endocrine system dynamically controls tissue differentiation and homeostasis,
      but has not been studied using dynamic tissue culture paradigms. Here we show
      that a microfluidic system supports murine ovarian follicles to produce the human
      28-day menstrual cycle hormone profile, which controls human female reproductive
      tract and peripheral tissue dynamics in single, dual and multiple unit
      microfluidic platforms (Solo-MFP, Duet-MFP and Quintet-MPF, respectively). These
      systems simulate the in vivo female reproductive tract and the endocrine loops
      between organ modules for the ovary, fallopian tube, uterus, cervix and liver,
      with a sustained circulating flow between all tissues. The reproductive tract
      tissues and peripheral organs integrated into a microfluidic platform, termed
      EVATAR, represents a powerful new in vitro tool that allows organ-organ
      integration of hormonal signalling as a phenocopy of menstrual cycle and
      pregnancy-like endocrine loops and has great potential to be used in drug
      discovery and toxicology studies.

PMID- 28350386
TI  - Corrigendum: Motivational, proteostatic and transcriptional deficits precede
      synapse loss, gliosis and neurodegeneration in the B6.HttQ111/+ model of
      Huntington's disease.

PMID- 28350385
TI  - Molecular, phenotypic, and sample-associated data to describe pluripotent stem
      cell lines and derivatives.
AB  - The use of induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSC) derived from independent
      patients and sources holds considerable promise to improve the understanding of
      development and disease. However, optimized use of iPSC depends on our ability to
      develop methods to efficiently qualify cell lines and protocols, monitor genetic
      stability, and evaluate self-renewal and differentiation potential. To accomplish
      these goals, 57 stem cell lines from 10 laboratories were differentiated to 7
      different states, resulting in 248 analyzed samples. Cell lines were
      differentiated and characterized at a central laboratory using standardized cell
      culture methodologies, protocols, and metadata descriptors. Stem cell and derived
      differentiated lines were characterized using RNA-seq, miRNA-seq, copy number
      arrays, DNA methylation arrays, flow cytometry, and molecular histology. All
      materials, including raw data, metadata, analysis and processing code, and
      methodological and provenance documentation are publicly available for re-use and
      interactive exploration at https://www.synapse.org/pcbc. The goal is to provide
      data that can improve our ability to robustly and reproducibly use human
      pluripotent stem cells to understand development and disease.

PMID- 28350387
TI  - The global avian invasions atlas, a database of alien bird distributions
      worldwide.
AB  - The introduction of species to locations where they do not naturally occur
      (termed aliens) can have far-reaching and unpredictable environmental and
      economic consequences. Therefore there is a strong incentive to stem the tide of
      alien species introduction and spread. In order to identify broad patterns and
      processes of alien invasions, a spatially referenced, global dataset on the
      historical introductions and alien distributions of a complete taxonomic group is
      required. Here we present the Global Avian Invasions Atlas (GAVIA)-a new spatial
      and temporal dataset comprising 27,723 distribution records for 971 alien bird
      species introduced to 230 countries and administrative areas spanning the period
      6000BCE-AD2014. GAVIA was initiated to provide a unified database of records on
      alien bird introductions, incorporating records from all stages of invasion,
      including introductions that have failed as well as those that have succeeded.
      GAVIA represents the most comprehensive resource on the global distribution of
      alien species in any major taxon, allowing the spatial and temporal dynamics of
      alien bird distributions to be examined.

PMID- 28350388
TI  - Corrigendum: The formation of multivesicular bodies in activated blastocysts is
      influenced by autophagy and FGF signaling in mice.

PMID- 28350391
TI  - Structural and genomic variation in preterm birth.

PMID- 28350389
TI  - Erratum: Targeted RNA-Seq profiling of splicing pattern in the DMD gene: exons
      are mostly constitutively spliced in human skeletal muscle.

PMID- 28350392
TI  - Animal-like prostaglandins in marine microalgae.
AB  - Diatoms are among the most successful primary producers in ocean and freshwater
      environments. Deriving from a secondary endosymbiotic event, diatoms have a mixed
      genome containing bacterial, animal and plant genes encoding for metabolic
      pathways that may account for their evolutionary success. Studying the
      transcriptomes of two strains of the diatom Skeletonema marinoi, we report, for
      the first time in microalgae, an active animal-like prostaglandin pathway that is
      differentially expressed in the two strains. Prostaglandins are hormone-like
      mediators in many physiological and pathological processes in mammals, playing a
      pivotal role in inflammatory responses. They are also present in macroalgae and
      invertebrates, where they act as defense and communication mediators. The
      occurrence of animal-like prostaglandins in unicellular photosynthetic eukaryotes
      opens up new intriguing perspectives on the evolution and role of these molecules
      in the marine environment as possible mediators in cell-to-cell signaling,
      eventually influencing population dynamics in the plankton.

PMID- 28350394
TI  - Long-term growth data of Escherichia coli at a single-cell level.
AB  - Long-term, single-cell measurement of bacterial growth is extremely valuable
      information, particularly in the study of homeostatic aspects such as cell-size
      and growth rate control. Such measurement has recently become possible due to the
      development of microfluidic technology. Here we present data from single-cell
      measurements of Escherichia coli growth over 70 generations obtained for three
      different growth conditions. The data were recorded every minute, and contain
      time course data of cell length and fluorescent intensity of constitutively
      expressed yellow fluorescent protein.

PMID- 28350395
TI  - Corrigendum: Antigen distribution of TMUV and GPV are coincident with the
      expression profiles of CD8alpha-positive cells and goose IFNgamma.

PMID- 28350393
TI  - Potential for microbial H2 and metal transformations associated with novel
      bacteria and archaea in deep terrestrial subsurface sediments.
AB  - Geological sequestration in deep underground repositories is the prevailing
      proposed route for radioactive waste disposal. After the disposal of radioactive
      waste in the subsurface, H2 may be produced by corrosion of steel and,
      ultimately, radionuclides will be exposed to the surrounding environment. To
      evaluate the potential for microbial activities to impact disposal systems, we
      explored the microbial community structure and metabolic functions of a sediment
      hosted ecosystem at the Horonobe Underground Research Laboratory, Hokkaido,
      Japan. Overall, we found that the ecosystem hosted organisms from diverse
      lineages, including many from the phyla that lack isolated representatives. The
      majority of organisms can metabolize H2, often via oxidative [NiFe] hydrogenases
      or electron-bifurcating [FeFe] hydrogenases that enable ferredoxin-based
      pathways, including the ion motive Rnf complex. Many organisms implicated in H2
      metabolism are also predicted to catalyze carbon, nitrogen, iron and sulfur
      transformations. Notably, iron-based metabolism is predicted in a novel lineage
      of Actinobacteria and in a putative methane-oxidizing ANME-2d archaeon. We infer
      an ecological model that links microorganisms to sediment-derived resources and
      predict potential impacts of microbial activity on H2 consumption and retardation
      of radionuclide migration.

PMID- 28350399
TI  - Repeated administration of an acetylcholinesterase inhibitor attenuates nicotine
      taking in rats and smoking behavior in human smokers.

PMID- 28350397
TI  - Diagnosis and body mass index effects on hippocampal volumes and neurochemistry
      in bipolar disorder.
AB  - We previously reported that higher body mass index (BMI) was associated with
      greater hippocampal glutamate+glutamine in people with bipolar disorder (BD), but
      not in non-BD healthy comparator subjects (HSs). In the current report, we extend
      these findings by examining the impact of BD diagnosis and BMI on hippocampal
      volumes and the concentrations of several additional neurochemicals in 57 early
      stage BD patients and 31 HSs. Using 3-T magnetic resonance imaging and magnetic
      resonance spectroscopy, we measured bilateral hippocampal volumes and the
      hippocampal concentrations of four neurochemicals relevant to BD: N
      acetylaspartate+N-acteylaspartylglutamate (tNAA), creatine+phosphocreatine (Cre),
      myoinositol (Ins) and glycerophosphocholine+phosphatidylcholine (Cho). We used
      multivariate factorial analysis of covariance to investigate the impact of
      diagnosis (patient vs HS) and BMI category (normal weight vs overweight/obese) on
      these variables. We found a main effect of diagnosis on hippocampal volumes, with
      patients having smaller hippocampi than HSs. There was no association between BMI
      and hippocampal volumes. We found diagnosis and BMI effects on hippocampal
      neurochemistry, with patients having lower Cre, Ins and Cho, and overweight/obese
      subjects having higher levels of these chemicals. In patient-only models that
      controlled for clinical and treatment variables, we detected an additional
      association between higher BMI and lower tNAA that was absent in HSs. To our
      knowledge, this was the first study to investigate the relative contributions of
      BD diagnosis and BMI to hippocampal volumes, and only the second to investigate
      their contributions to hippocampal chemistry. It provides further evidence that
      diagnosis and elevated BMI both impact limbic brain areas relevant to BD.

PMID- 28350398
TI  - Electroconvulsive therapy modulates plasma pigment epithelium-derived factor in
      depression: a proteomics study.
AB  - Electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) is the most effective treatment for severe
      depression, yet its mechanism of action is not fully understood. Peripheral blood
      proteomic analyses may offer insights into the molecular mechanisms of ECT.
      Patients with a major depressive episode were recruited as part of the EFFECT-Dep
      trial (enhancing the effectiveness of electroconvulsive therapy in severe
      depression; ISRCTN23577151) along with healthy controls. As a discovery-phase
      study, patient plasma pre-/post-ECT (n=30) was analyzed using 2-dimensional
      difference in gel electrophoresis and mass spectrometry. Identified proteins were
      selected for confirmation studies using immunodetection methods. Samples from a
      separate group of patients (pre-/post-ECT; n=57) and matched healthy controls
      (n=43) were then used to validate confirmed changes. Target protein mRNA levels
      were also assessed in rat brain and blood following electroconvulsive stimulation
      (ECS), the animal model of ECT. We found that ECT significantly altered 121
      protein spots with 36 proteins identified by mass spectrometry. Confirmation
      studies identified a post-ECT increase (P<0.01) in the antiangiogenic and
      neuroprotective mediator pigment epithelium-derived factor (PEDF). Validation
      work showed an increase (P<0.001) in plasma PEDF in depressed patients compared
      with the controls that was further increased post-ECT (P=0.03). PEDF levels were
      not associated with mood scores. Chronic, but not acute, ECS increased PEDF mRNA
      in rat hippocampus (P=0.02) and dentate gyrus (P=0.03). This study identified
      alterations in blood levels of PEDF in depressed patients and further alterations
      following ECT, as well as in an animal model of ECT. These findings implicate
      PEDF in the biological response to ECT for depression.

PMID- 28350396
TI  - Genetic effects influencing risk for major depressive disorder in China and
      Europe.
AB  - Major depressive disorder (MDD) is a common, complex psychiatric disorder and a
      leading cause of disability worldwide. Despite twin studies indicating its modest
      heritability (~30-40%), extensive heterogeneity and a complex genetic
      architecture have complicated efforts to detect associated genetic risk variants.
      We combined single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) summary statistics from the
      CONVERGE and PGC studies of MDD, representing 10 502 Chinese (5282 cases and 5220
      controls) and 18 663 European (9447 cases and 9215 controls) subjects. We
      determined the fraction of SNPs displaying consistent directions of effect,
      assessed the significance of polygenic risk scores and estimated the genetic
      correlation of MDD across ancestries. Subsequent trans-ancestry meta-analyses
      combined SNP-level evidence of association. Sign tests and polygenic score
      profiling weakly support an overlap of SNP effects between East Asian and
      European populations. We estimated the trans-ancestry genetic correlation of
      lifetime MDD as 0.33; female-only and recurrent MDD yielded estimates of 0.40 and
      0.41, respectively. Common variants downstream of GPHN achieved genome-wide
      significance by Bayesian trans-ancestry meta-analysis (rs9323497; log10 Bayes
      Factor=8.08) but failed to replicate in an independent European sample (P=0.911).
      Gene-set enrichment analyses indicate enrichment of genes involved in neuronal
      development and axonal trafficking. We successfully demonstrate a partially
      shared polygenic basis of MDD in East Asian and European populations. Taken
      together, these findings support a complex etiology for MDD and possible
      population differences in predisposing genetic factors, with important
      implications for future genetic studies.

PMID- 28350400
TI  - Immune involvement in the pathogenesis of schizophrenia: a meta-analysis on
      postmortem brain studies.
AB  - Although the precise pathogenesis of schizophrenia is unknown, genetic, biomarker
      and imaging studies suggest involvement of the immune system. In this study, we
      performed a systematic review and meta-analysis of studies investigating factors
      related to the immune system in postmortem brains of schizophrenia patients and
      healthy controls. Forty-one studies were included, reporting on 783 patients and
      762 controls. We divided these studies into those investigating histological
      alterations of cellular composition and those assessing molecular parameters;
      meta-analyses were performed on both categories. Our pooled estimate on cellular
      level showed a significant increase in the density of microglia (P=0.0028) in the
      brains of schizophrenia patients compared with controls, albeit with substantial
      heterogeneity between studies. Meta-regression on brain regions demonstrated this
      increase was most consistently observed in the temporal cortex. Densities of
      macroglia (astrocytes and oligodendrocytes) did not differ significantly between
      schizophrenia patients and healthy controls. The results of postmortem histology
      are paralleled on the molecular level, where we observed an overall increase in
      expression of proinflammatory genes on transcript and protein level (P=0.0052) in
      patients, while anti-inflammatory gene expression levels were not different
      between schizophrenia and controls. The results of this meta-analysis strengthen
      the hypothesis that components of the immune system are involved in the
      pathogenesis of schizophrenia.

PMID- 28350402
TI  - Metabolomics approach for multibiomarkers determination to investigate dengue
      virus infection in human patients.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Dengue is one of the major public health problems in the world,
      affecting more than fifty million cases in tropical and subtropical region every
      year. The metabolome, as pathophysiological end-points, provide significant
      understanding of the mechanism and progression of dengue pathogenesis via changes
      in the metabolite profile of infected patients. Recent developments in diagnostic
      technologies provide metabolomics for the early detection of infectious diseases.
      METHODS: The mid-stream urine was collected from 96 patients diagnosed with
      dengue fever at Penang General Hospital (PGH) and 50 healthy volunteers. Urine
      samples were analyzed with proton nuclear magnetic resonance (1H NMR)
      spectroscopy, followed by chemometric multivariate analysis. NMR signals
      highlighted in the orthogonal partial least square-discriminant analysis (OPLS
      DA) S-plots were selected and identified using Human Metabolome Database (HMDB)
      and Chenomx Profiler. A highly predictive model was constructed from urine
      profile of dengue infected patients versus healthy individuals with the total R2Y
      (cum) value 0.935, and the total Q2Y (cum) value 0.832. RESULTS: Data showed that
      dengue infection is related to amino acid metabolism, tricarboxylic acid
      intermediates cycle and beta-oxidation of fatty acids. Distinct variations in
      certain metabolites were recorded in infected patients including amino acids,
      various organic acids, betaine, valerylglycine, myo-inositol and glycine.
      CONCLUSION: Metabolomics approach provides essential insight into host metabolic
      disturbances following dengue infection.

PMID- 28350403
TI  - Age-dependent systemic DNA damage in early Type 2 Diabetes mellitus.
AB  - Oxidative stress, capable of eliciting damage to various biomolecules including
      DNA, is a recognized component of diabetes mellitus and its complications.
      Metabolic syndrome (MetS) is associated with the development of type 2 diabetes
      mellitus (T2DM), as well as other unfavorable outcomes. The aim of this study was
      to elucidate the role of oxidative stress in the development of T2DM, by
      investigating association of oxidative DNA damage with metabolic parameters in
      subjects with MetS and early T2DM. Selected anthropometric and biochemical
      parameters of MetS, inflammation and oxidative DNA damage: body mass index (BMI),
      fatty liver index (FLI), waist circumference (WC), total cholesterol, HDL and LDL
      cholesterol, gamma-glutamyl transpeptidase (GGT), uric acid, C-reactive protein
      (CRP), total leukocyte/neutrophil count, and urinary 8-hidroxy-deoxyguanosine (u
      8-OHdG) were assessed in male subjects with MetS and both younger (<=55 years)
      and older (>55 years) subjects with T2DM of short duration without complications.
      BMI, FLI, WC, total and LDL-cholesterol and uric acid were higher, while the u-8
      OHdG was lower in MetS group, when compared to older T2DM subjects. None of these
      parameters were different neither between MetS and younger T2DM, nor between two
      sub-groups of subjects with T2DM. Values of CRP, HDL-cholesterol, triglycerides,
      GGT, leukocytes and neutrophils were not different between all examined groups of
      subjects. Higher 8-OHdG in older subjects with T2DM suggests that both aging
      process and diabetes could contribute to the development of DNA damage. Oxidative
      DNA damage cannot serve as an universal early marker of T2DM.

PMID- 28350406
TI  - Power-free, digital and programmable dispensing of picoliter droplets using a
      Digit Chip.
AB  - There is a growing need for power-free methods to manipulate small volumes of
      liquids and thereby enable use of diagnostic assays in resource-limited settings.
      Most existing self-powered devices provide analog manipulation of fluids using
      paper, capillary or pressure-driven pumps. These strategies are well-suited to
      manipulating larger micro- and milliliter-scale volumes at constant flow rates;
      however, they fail to enable the manipulation of nanoliter and picoliter volumes
      required in assays using droplets, capillary sampling (e.g. finger prick), or
      expensive reagents. Here we report a device, termed the Digit Chip, that provides
      programmable and power-free digital manipulation of sub-nanoliter volumes. The
      device consists of a user-friendly button interface and a series of chambers
      connected by capillary valves that serve as digitization elements. Via a button
      press, the user dispenses and actuates ultra-small, quantitatively-programmed
      volumes. The device geometry is optimized using design models and experiments and
      precisely dispenses volumes as low as 21 pL with 97% accuracy. The volume
      dispensed can be tuned in 10 discrete steps across one order-of-magnitude with
      98% accuracy. As a proof-of-principle that nanoliter-scale reagents can be
      precisely actuated and combined on-chip, we deploy the device to construct a
      precise concentration gradient with 10 discrete concentrations. Additionally, we
      apply this device alongside an inexpensive smartphone-based fluorescence imaging
      platform to perform a titration of E. coli with ampicillin. We observe the onset
      of bacterial death at a concentration of 5 MUg mL-1, increasing to a maximum at
      50 MUg mL-1. These results establish the utility of the Digit Chip for diagnostic
      applications in low-resource environments.

PMID- 28350408
TI  - Well-ordered mesoporous Fe2O3/C composites as high performance anode materials
      for sodium-ion batteries.
AB  - Sodium-ion batteries have attracted considerable attention in recent years. In
      order to promote the practical application of sodium-ion batteries, the
      electrochemical performances, such as specific capacity, reversibility, and rate
      capability of the anode materials, should be further improved. In this work, a
      Fe2O3/C composite with a well-ordered mesoporous structure is prepared via a
      facile co-impregnation method by using mesoporous silica SBA-15 as a hard
      template. When used as an anode material for sodium-ion batteries, the well
      ordered mesoporous structure ensures fast mass transport kinetics. The presence
      of nano-sized Fe2O3 particles confined within the carbon walls significantly
      enhances the specific capacity of the composite. The carbon walls in the
      composite act not only as an active material contributing to the specific
      capacity, but also as a conductive matrix improving the cycling stability of
      Fe2O3 nanoparticles. As a result, the well-ordered mesoporous Fe2O3/C composite
      exhibits high specific capacity, excellent cycleability, and high rate
      capability. It is proposed that this simple co-impregnation method is applicable
      for the preparation of well-ordered mesoporous transition oxide/carbon composite
      electrode materials for high performance sodium-ion and lithium-ion batteries.

PMID- 28350401
TI  - Systemic inflammation enhances stimulant-induced striatal dopamine elevation.
AB  - Changes in the mesolimbic dopamine (DA) system are implicated in a range of
      neuropsychiatric conditions including addiction, depression and schizophrenia.
      Dysfunction of the neuroimmune system is often comorbid with such conditions and
      affects similar areas of the brain. The goal of this study was to use positron
      emission tomography with the dopamine D2 antagonist tracer, 11C-raclopride, to
      explore the effect of acute immune activation on striatal DA levels. DA
      transmission was modulated by an oral methylphenidate (MP) challenge in order to
      reliably elicit DA elevation. Elevation in DA concentration due to MP was
      estimated via change in 11C-raclopride binding potential from the baseline scan.
      Prior to the post-MP scan, subjects were pre-treated with either the immune
      activator lipopolysaccharide (LPS) or placebo (PBO) in a cross-over design.
      Immune activation was confirmed by measuring tumor necrosis factor alpha
      (TNFalpha), interleukin (IL)-6 and IL-8 concentration in plasma. Eight healthy
      subjects were scanned four times each to determine the MP-induced DA elevation
      under both LPS and PBO pre-treatment conditions. MP-induced DA elevation in the
      striatum was significantly greater (P<0.01) after LPS pre-treatment compared to
      PBO pre-treatment. Seven of eight subjects responded similarly. This effect was
      observed in the caudate and putamen (P<0.02), but was not present in ventral
      striatum. DA elevation induced by MP was significantly greater when subjects were
      pre-treated with LPS compared to PBO. The amplification of stimulant-induced DA
      signaling in the presence of systemic inflammation may have important
      implications for our understanding of addiction and other diseases of DA
      dysfunction.

PMID- 28350409
TI  - Magnetically recoverable Fe3O4@Au-coated nanoscale catalysts for the A3-coupling
      reaction.
AB  - The utility of novel Fe3O4@Au nanoparticles as magnetically separable and
      recyclable heterogeneous catalysts for the A3-coupling reaction of aldehydes,
      amines and terminal alkynes to yield the corresponding propargylamines is
      demonstrated. Herein we present a comprehensive analysis of the experimentally
      observed trends in the conversions with computational analysis using LUMO density
      on molecular isosurfaces and the electrostatic potential (ESP) effects estimated
      using DFT calculations.

PMID- 28350410
TI  - A Ni-Mg-Al layered triple hydroxide-supported Pd catalyst for heterogeneous
      acceptorless dehydrogenative aromatization.
AB  - In the presence of a Ni-Mg-Al layered triple hydroxide-supported Pd catalyst, the
      acceptorless dehydrogenative aromatization of a wide range of
      cyclohexanols/cyclohexanones and cyclohexylamines efficiently proceeded to give
      the corresponding phenols and anilines, respectively, in moderate to high yields
      with the liberation of molecular hydrogen.

PMID- 28350411
TI  - Employees' drug purchases before and after organizational downsizing: a natural
      experiment on the Norwegian working population (2004-2012).
AB  - Objectives This study investigated the association between organizational
      downsizing and purchases of prescribed drugs by private sector employees in
      Norway. Methods A natural experiment was constructed using individual-level
      employer and employee data linked to the national prescription database for the
      period 2004-2012. The study population comprised 144 089 employees who had been
      exposed to major downsizing in the same period. Random effects logistic
      regression models were used to investigate relative changes in drug purchases
      (antidepressants, hypnotics/sedatives, anxiolytics, and anti-psychotics, as well
      as anti-obesity, anti-diabetic, cardiovascular, and thyroid drugs, anti
      inflammatory drugs, opioids, and analgesics/antipyretics) in the five-year-period
      before and after exposure to downsizing. Results Compared with the situation
      three years before exposure, the odds ratios (OR) of purchasing psychotropic
      drugs one year after exposure increased for antidepressants (OR 1.44, 95% CI 1.34
      1.55), hypnotics/sedatives (OR 1.39, 95% CI 1.29-1.49), anxiolytics (OR 1.32, 95%
      CI 1.22-1.43), and antipsychotics (OR 1.34, 95% CI 1.19-1.52). Similar
      associations were found for cardiovascular, anti-diabetic, and thyroid drugs.
      Stratified analyses showed that the odds of purchasing psychotropic, anti
      diabetic, and cardiovascular drugs in the years around downsizing was more
      pronounced in men compared with women. Elevated odds were also found for
      employees in the oldest age group and those with less than tertiary education.
      Conclusions Exposure to organizational downsizing increased the odds of
      purchasing prescribed psychotropic, cardiovascular, anti-diabetic, and thyroid
      drugs. The clinical implications of these results might be systematic involvement
      from medical personnel and occupational health services in workforce reduction
      processes.

PMID- 28350412
TI  - Effectiveness of a structured sexual rehabilitation programme following stroke: A
      randomized controlled trial.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Sexual activity is an integral part of life; it is important to
      address sexual health after stroke, but this is often poorly done. OBJECTIVE: To
      assess the effectiveness of a structured sexual rehabilitation programme compared
      with written information alone regarding sexual and psychological functioning
      (anxiety, depression, stress), functional independence and quality of life in an
      Australian stroke cohort. METHODS: A total of 68 participants were randomized to
      a structured sexual rehabilitation programme (treatment group; n = 35) or to
      written information alone (control group; n = 33). Outcome measures included:
      Sexual Functioning Questionnaire Short Form; Depression, Anxiety Stress Scale;
      Functional Independence Measure, and Stroke and Aphasia Quality of Life Scale-39
      Generic. Assessments were performed at baseline, 6 weeks and 6 months after the
      intervention. Participant's preferences regarding how they would like to receive
      information, who from, and how frequently, were collected at baseline. RESULTS:
      There was no difference between groups for any outcome measures. Half of the
      participants (51%) wished to receive information and were divided equally into
      preferring written information vs face-to-face counselling, with the majority
      (54%) preferring information after discharge from an inpatient setting.
      CONCLUSION: Provision of written information alone appears to be as effective as
      a 30-min individualized sexual rehabilitation programme in an inpatient setting.
      Further research is needed regarding longer term outcomes and outpatient
      settings.

PMID- 28350413
TI  - Risk of Myocardial Infarction in Patients with Psoriasis and Psoriatic Arthritis:
      A Nationwide Cohort Study.
AB  - Psoriasis has been associated with increased risk of myocardial infarction (MI)
      in some, but not all, studies. This study investigated the risk of MI in patients
      with psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis in Denmark. All residents aged >=18 years
      from 1 January 2008 through 31 December 2012 were included. Adjusted hazard
      ratios (HRs) did not show an increased risk of MI in patients with mild psoriasis
      (HR 1.02; 95% confidence interval (95% CI) 0.96-1.09), whereas the risk was
      slightly increased in patients with severe psoriasis (HR 1.21; 1.07-1.37).
      Stratified by age, there was no increased risk of MI in any specific age group,
      regardless of severity. Limited to first-time MI, the risk was increased only in
      patients with severe psoriasis aged <50 years (HR 1.52; 1.03-2.25). The same
      applied to patients without psoriatic arthritis (severe psoriasis aged <50 years;
      HR 1.74; 1.11-2.72). In analyses restricted to patients with psoriatic arthritis,
      age-specific strata did not show any association between psoriatic arthritis and
      MI risk.

PMID- 28350414
TI  - Visual dysfunction is underestimated in patients with acquired brain injury.
AB  - OBJECTIVES: More than 50% of human cerebral activity is related to vision. Visual
      impairments are therefore common after acquired brain injury, although they are
      often overlooked. In order to evaluate the prevalence of visual deficits in our
      Out-patient Brain Injury Program, a structured screening questionnaire, the
      Visual Interview, was administered. METHODS: A total of 170 patients with
      acquired brain injury, mean age 47 years, who were enrolled in the programme
      during 2010-12, underwent the Visual Interview. The interview consists of 18
      questions concerning visual impairment and was performed on admission. The
      different types of visual impairment were compared with regard to sex and
      diagnosis. RESULTS: Fifty-four percent of the patients reported visual changes,
      mainly reading difficulties, photosensitivity, blurred vision and disorders of
      the visual field. Sixteen patients who did not experience visual changes also
      reported visual symptoms in 4-9 questions. Only slight differences were noted in
      the occurrence of visual symptoms when correlated with sex or diagnosis.
      CONCLUSION: Visual impairments are common after acquired brain injury, but some
      patients do not define their problems as vision-related. A structured
      questionnaire, covering the most common visual symptoms, is helpful for the
      rehabilitation team to facilitate assessment of visual changes.

PMID- 28350415
TI  - Anaerobic exercise testing in rehabilitation: A systematic review of available
      tests and protocols.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: Anaerobic capacity assessment in rehabilitation has received
      increasing scientific attention in recent years. However, anaerobic capacity is
      not tested consistently in clinical rehabilitation practice. This study reviews
      tests and protocols for anaerobic capacity in adults with various disabilities
      (spinal cord injury, cerebral palsy, cerebral vascular accident, lower-limb
      amputation(s)) and (able-bodied) wheelchair users. DATA SOURCES: PubMed, CINAHL
      and Web of Science. STUDY SELECTION: Papers were screened by 2 independent
      assessors, and were included when anaerobic exercise tests were performed on the
      above-selected subject groups. DATA EXTRACTION: Included articles were checked
      for methodological quality. DATA SYNTHESIS: A total of 57 papers was included.
      Upper-body testing [56 protocols] was conducted with arm crank [16] and
      wheelchair tests [40]. With a few [2] exceptions, modified Wingate (Wingate)
      protocols and wheelchair sprint tests dominated upper-body anaerobic testing. In
      lower-body anaerobic work [11], bicycle [3] and recumbent [1], and overground
      tests [7] were used, in which Wingate, sprint or jump protocols were employed.
      CONCLUSION: When equipment is available a Wingate protocol is advised for
      assessment of anaerobic capacity in rehabilitation. When equipment is not avail
      able a 20-45 s sprint test is a good alternative. Future research should focus on
      standardized tests and protocols specific to different disability groups.

PMID- 28350416
TI  - [Iatrogenic cerebral arterial gas embolism after lung biopsy].

PMID- 28350417
TI  - [Cardiac implantable electronic devices (CIED) not an absolute contraindication
      to MRI].
AB  - Cardiac implantable electronic devices (CIED) not an absolute contraindication to
      MRI Conventional cardiac implantable electronic devices (CIED) are presently not
      an absolute contraindication to magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), which thus is
      accessible for device patients depending on risk/benefit assessments. While
      current literature suggests that MRI can be performed without risk if precautions
      are taken, adverse events have been reported. The number of MR conditional CIEDs
      is rapidly increasing, and depending on device and electrode combinations,
      patients can now undergo advanced MRI at 3.0 T without risk, possibly with
      restriction, e.g. anatomy coverage. This article describes published guidelines,
      recommendations and complications that may appear during MRI and precautions to
      avoid and manage them. The recommendations made are based on a thorough
      literature review and our own experiences reported with the aim to increase the
      awareness of healthcare professionals so that device patients no longer are
      excluded from the advantages of MRI as a diagnostic tool.

PMID- 28350418
TI  - [Imperforate hymen - an often missed diagnosis].
AB  - Imperforate hymen - an often missed diagnosis Imperforate hymen is the most
      common congenital malformation in the female reproduction system that give rise
      to obstructive symptoms. If the diagnosis is not made in the newborn girl,
      symptoms often first arise at menarche. The diagnosis is easy to make but has to
      be suspected. This case reports describes the typical clinical picture of a late
      diagnosed imperforate hymen. As shown in this case and from a review of the
      literature, these girls often have symptoms for a long time before the diagnosis
      is made. Further, they are often initially misdiagnosed, and a thorough history
      and examination is seldom performed despite repeated contacts with the primary
      care.

PMID- 28350419
TI  - [Patient participation for safer health care - interviews with physicians and
      nurses].
AB  - Patient participation for safer health care - interviews with physicians and
      nurses Patient participation to achieve safer care is an area of growing policy,
      research and health care management and practice interest. Patients are uniquely
      placed to observe their treatment, care and physical environment throughout their
      journey in the health care system. However, very few studies have investigated
      health care providers' attitudes and beliefs concerning patient participation for
      improved patient safety. This study explored factors that acted as facilitators
      and/or barriers to patient participation for safer care, as perceived by
      physicians and nurses in Swedish health care. Interviews were conducted with 13
      physicians and 11 nurses, using a purposeful sampling strategy to achieve a
      heterogeneous sample of providers. We identified nine categories of factors, many
      of which functioned as barriers to patient participation to achieve safer care.

PMID- 28350420
TI  - [Time to fill the knowledge gaps about the use of antibiotics in practice].

PMID- 28350421
TI  - [Patient that was pronounced dead lived - 40 years later].

PMID- 28350423
TI  - [Create a registry for management development].

PMID- 28350422
TI  - [COPD not only found amongst smokers: a quarter have never smoked].
AB  - COPD not only found amongst smokers: a quarter have never smoked Chronic
      obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is characterized by irreversible expiratory
      airflow limitation. Symptoms and exacerbations are now the most important factors
      for making treatment decisions. Recent data suggest that accelerated loss of lung
      function is not necessary for developing COPD. A lower lung function at the time
      when the lungs are fully developed, i.e. at the age of 20, and a normal loss in
      adulthood will increase the likelihood of developing chronic airflow limitation
      later. The proportion of neversmokers is estimated to 20-25% of the COPD
      population. Other risk factors than cigarette smoking, such as events in the
      neonatal period/childhood and air pollutants, have therefore been highlighted.

PMID- 28350424
TI  - ?

PMID- 28350425
TI  - ?

PMID- 28350427
TI  - Expression of Cytokines Interleukin-2, Interleukin-4, Interleukin-10 and
      Transforming Growth Factor beta in Gastric Adenocarcinoma Biopsies Obtained from
      Mexican Patients
AB  - Objective: In this study, expression of Interleukin-2, Interleukin-4, Interleukin
      10 and transforming growth factorbeta in diffuse and intestinal type gastric
      cancers from Mexican patients was assessed for use as markers of
      malignancy.Methods: A total of 30 biopsies from gastric adenocarcinomas, 60%
      diffuse, 20% intestinal and 20% mixed in type, werestudied by
      immunohistochemistry. Results: Regarding expression of cytokines, 23% were
      positive for IL-2, 26.7% forIL-4, 16.6% for IL-10 and none for TGF-beta. There
      were found Significant statistically stage differences were noted.Forexample, for
      stages I-II 100% were IL-2 positive (p = 0.009), 87.5% were IL-4 positive (p =
      0.005) and 100.0% IL-10positive (p = 0.009). Young women were more likely to
      suffer gastric adenocarcinoma. In biopsies of male patientswith gastric cancer,
      there was an increased expression of IL-2 and in biopsies from female patients in
      IL4. There wassignificantly greater detection of IL-4 and IL-10 expression in
      stages I and II than in stages III and IV. It was also foundthat IL-4, IL-10 had
      a higher positive expression in patients biopsies with low-level differentiations
      than patients withwell differentiated gastric cancer in which cases were
      undetected. Conclusions: These results suggest that positiveexpression of IL-4
      and IL-10 may be useful as a molecular marker to distinguish stage I and II
      diffuse gastric cancerswhich can be more readily controlled.

PMID- 28350430
TI  - Insurance Coverage, Access to Care, and Medical Debt Since the ACA: a Look at
      California, Florida, New York, and Texas.
AB  - ISSUE: The Affordable Care Act has significantly increased health insurance
      coverage and access to care among U.S. adults nationwide. However, the law gives
      states flexibility in implementing certain provisions, leading to wide variations
      between states in consumers' experiences. GOAL: To examine the differences in
      insurance coverage, access to care, and medical bill problems in the four largest
      states-California, Florida, New York, and Texas-all of which have made different
      choices in implementing the law. METHODS: Analysis of the Commonwealth Fund
      Biennial Health Insurance Survey, 2016. FINDINGS AND CONCLUSIONS: In 2016,
      uninsured rates among adults ages 19 to 64 across the four states varied from 7
      percent in New York and 10 percent in California to 16 percent in Florida and 25
      percent in Texas. This variation was also apparent in the proportions of
      residents reporting problems getting needed care because of the cost
      significantly lower in California and New York than in Florida and Texas. Lower
      percentages of Californians and New Yorkers reported having a medical bill
      problem in the past 12 months or having accrued medical debt compared to
      Floridians and Texans. These variations might be explained by several factors:
      whether the state expanded Medicaid eligibility; whether it ran its own health
      insurance marketplace; what the uninsured rate was prior to the Affordable Care
      Act; differences in the cost protections provided by private health plans; and
      demographic differences.

PMID- 28350431
TI  - Cellulose Nanofibers from Softwood, Hardwood, and Tunicate: Preparation-Structure
      Film Performance Interrelation.
AB  - This work reveals the structural variations of cellulose nanofibers (CNF)
      prepared from different cellulose sources, including softwood (Picea abies),
      hardwood (Eucalyptus grandis * E. urophylla), and tunicate (Ciona intestinalis),
      using different preparation processes and their correlations to the formation and
      performance of the films prepared from the CNF. Here, the CNF are prepared from
      wood chemical pulps and tunicate isolated cellulose by an identical
      homogenization treatment subsequent to either an enzymatic hydrolysis or a
      2,2,6,6-tetramethylpiperidinyl-1-oxyl (TEMPO)-mediated oxidation. They show a
      large structural diversity in terms of chemical, morphological, and crystalline
      structure. Among others, the tunicate CNF consist of purer cellulose and have a
      degree of polymerization higher than that of wood CNF. Introduction of surface
      charges via the TEMPO-mediated oxidation is found to have significant impacts on
      the structure, morphology, optical, mechanical, thermal, and hydrophobic
      properties of the prepared films. For example, the film density is closely
      related to the charge density of the used CNF, and the tensile stress of the
      films is correlated to the crystallinity index of the CNF. In turn, the CNF
      structure is determined by the cellulose sources and the preparation processes.
      This study provides useful information and knowledge for understanding the
      importance of the raw material for the quality of CNF for various types of
      applications.

PMID- 28350426
TI  - Pharmacological interventions for primary biliary cholangitis: an attempted
      network meta-analysis.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Primary biliary cholangitis (previously primary biliary cirrhosis) is
      a chronic liver disease caused by the destruction of small intra-hepatic bile
      ducts resulting in stasis of bile (cholestasis), liver fibrosis, and liver
      cirrhosis. The optimal pharmacological treatment of primary biliary cholangitis
      remains uncertain. OBJECTIVES: To assess the comparative benefits and harms of
      different pharmacological interventions in the treatment of primary biliary
      cholangitis through a network meta-analysis and to generate rankings of the
      available pharmacological interventions according to their safety and efficacy.
      However, it was not possible to assess whether the potential effect modifiers
      were similar across different comparisons. Therefore, we did not perform the
      network meta-analysis, and instead, assessed the comparative benefits and harms
      of different interventions using standard Cochrane methodology. SEARCH METHODS:
      We searched the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL; 2017,
      Issue 2), MEDLINE, Embase, Science Citation Index Expanded, World Health
      Organization International Clinical Trials Registry Platform, and randomised
      controlled trials registers to February 2017 to identify randomised clinical
      trials on pharmacological interventions for primary biliary cholangitis.
      SELECTION CRITERIA: We included only randomised clinical trials (irrespective of
      language, blinding, or publication status) in participants with primary biliary
      cholangitis. We excluded trials which included participants who had previously
      undergone liver transplantation. We considered any of the various pharmacological
      interventions compared with each other or with placebo or no intervention. DATA
      COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS: We used standard methodological procedures expected by
      Cochrane. We calculated the odds ratio (OR) and rate ratio with 95% confidence
      intervals (CI) using both fixed-effect and random-effects models based on
      available-participant analysis with Review Manager 5. We assessed risk of bias
      according to Cochrane, controlled risk of random errors with Trial Sequential
      Analysis, and assessed the quality of the evidence using GRADE. MAIN RESULTS: We
      identified 74 trials including 5902 participants that met the inclusion criteria
      of this review. A total of 46 trials (4274 participants) provided information for
      one or more outcomes. All the trials were at high risk of bias in one or more
      domains. Overall, all the evidence was low or very low quality. The proportion of
      participants with symptoms varied from 19.9% to 100% in the trials that reported
      this information. The proportion of participants who were antimitochondrial
      antibody (AMA) positive ranged from 80.8% to 100% in the trials that reported
      this information. It appeared that most trials included participants who had not
      received previous treatments or included participants regardless of the previous
      treatments received. The follow-up in the trials ranged from 1 to 96 months.The
      proportion of people with mortality (maximal follow-up) was higher in the
      methotrexate group versus the no intervention group (OR 8.83, 95% CI 1.01 to
      76.96; 60 participants; 1 trial; low quality evidence). The proportion of people
      with mortality (maximal follow-up) was lower in the azathioprine group versus the
      no intervention group (OR 0.56, 95% CI 0.32 to 0.98; 224 participants; 2 trials;
      I2 = 0%; low quality evidence). However, it has to be noted that a large
      proportion of participants (25%) was excluded from the trial that contributed
      most participants to this analysis and the results were not reliable. There was
      no evidence of a difference in any of the remaining comparisons. The proportion
      of people with serious adverse events was higher in the D-penicillamine versus no
      intervention group (OR 28.77, 95% CI 1.57 to 526.67; 52 participants; 1 trial;
      low quality evidence). The proportion of people with serious adverse events was
      higher in the obeticholic acid plus ursodeoxycholic acid (UDCA) group versus the
      UDCA group (OR 3.58, 95% CI 1.02 to 12.51; 216 participants; 1 trial; low quality
      evidence). There was no evidence of a difference in any of the remaining
      comparisons for serious adverse events (proportion) or serious adverse events
      (number of events). None of the trials reported health-related quality of life at
      any time point. FUNDING: nine trials had no special funding or were funded by
      hospital or charities; 31 trials were funded by pharmaceutical companies; and 34
      trials provided no information on source of funding. AUTHORS' CONCLUSIONS: Based
      on very low quality evidence, there is currently no evidence that any
      intervention is beneficial for primary biliary cholangitis. However, the follow
      up periods in the trials were short and there is significant uncertainty in this
      issue. Further well-designed randomised clinical trials are necessary. Future
      randomised clinical trials ought to be adequately powered; performed in people
      who are generally seen in the clinic rather than in highly selected participants;
      employ blinding; avoid post-randomisation dropouts or planned cross-overs; should
      have sufficient follow-up period (e.g. five or 10 years or more); and use
      clinically important outcomes such as mortality, health-related quality of life,
      cirrhosis, decompensated cirrhosis, and liver transplantation. Alternatively,
      very large groups of participants should be randomised to facilitate shorter
      trial duration.

PMID- 28350432
TI  - Functionalized Porous Aromatic Framework for Efficient Uranium Adsorption from
      Aqueous Solutions.
AB  - We demonstrate the successful functionalization of a porous aromatic framework
      for uranium extraction from water as exemplified by grafting PAF-1 with the
      uranyl chelating amidoxime group. The resultant amidoxime-functionalized PAF-1
      (PAF-1-CH2AO) exhibits a high uranium uptake capacity of over 300 mg g-1 and
      effectively reduces the uranyl concentration from 4.1 ppm to less than 1.0 ppb in
      aqueous solutions within 90 min, well below the acceptable limit of 30 ppb set by
      the US Environmental Protection Agency. The local coordination environment of
      uranium in PAF-1-CH2AO is revealed by X-ray absorption fine structure
      spectroscopic studies, which suggest the cooperative binding between UO22+ and
      adjacent amidoxime species.

PMID- 28350433
TI  - Scalable Fabrication of Photochemically Reduced Graphene-Based Monolithic Micro
      Supercapacitors with Superior Energy and Power Densities.
AB  - Micro-supercapacitors (MSCs) hold great promise as highly competitive
      miniaturized power sources satisfying the increased demand of smart integrated
      electronics. However, single-step scalable fabrication of MSCs with both high
      energy and power densities is still challenging. Here we demonstrate the scalable
      fabrication of graphene-based monolithic MSCs with diverse planar geometries and
      capable of superior integration by photochemical reduction of graphene oxide/TiO2
      nanoparticle hybrid films. The resulting MSCs exhibit high volumetric capacitance
      of 233.0 F cm-3, exceptional flexibility, and remarkable capacity of modular
      serial and parallel integration in aqueous gel electrolyte. Furthermore, by
      precisely engineering the interface of electrode with electrolyte, these
      monolithic MSCs can operate well in a hydrophobic electrolyte of ionic liquid
      (3.0 V) at a high scan rate of 200 V s-1, two orders of magnitude higher than
      those of conventional supercapacitors. More notably, the MSCs show landmark
      volumetric power density of 312 W cm-3 and energy density of 7.7 mWh cm-3, both
      of which are among the highest values attained for carbon-based MSCs. Therefore,
      such monolithic MSC devices based on photochemically reduced, compact graphene
      films possess enormous potential for numerous miniaturized, flexible electronic
      applications.

PMID- 28350434
TI  - Stepwise Synthesis of Metal-Organic Frameworks.
AB  - Metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) are a category of porous materials that offer
      unparalleled control over their surface areas (demonstrated as higher than for
      any other material), pore characteristics, and functionalization. This allows
      them to be customized for exceptional performance in a wide variety of
      applications, most commonly including gas storage and separation, drug delivery,
      luminescence, or heterogeneous catalysis. In order to optimize biomimicry,
      controlled separations and storage of small molecules, and detailed testing of
      structure-property relationships, one major goal of MOF research is "rational
      design" or "pore engineering", or precise control of the placement of multiple
      functional groups in pores of chosen sizes and shapes. MOF crystal growth can be
      controlled through judicious design of stepwise synthetic routes, which can also
      allow functionalization of MOFs in ways that were previously synthetically
      inaccessible. Organic chemists have developed a library of powerful techniques
      over the last century, allowing the total synthesis and detailed customization of
      complex molecules. Our hypothesis is that total synthesis is also possible for
      customized porous materials, through the development of similar multistep
      techniques. This will enable the rational design of MOFs, which is a major goal
      of many researchers in the field. We have begun developing a library of stepwise
      synthetic techniques for MOFs, allowing the synthesis of ultrastable MOFs with
      multiple crystallographically ordered and customizable functional groups at
      controlled locations within the pores. In order to design MOFs with precise
      control over pore size and shape, stability, and the placement of multiple
      different functional groups within the pores at tunable distances from one
      another, we have concentrated on methods which allow us to circumvent the lack of
      control inherent to one-pot MOF crystallization. Kinetically tuned dimensional
      augmentation (KTDA) is an approach using preformed metal clusters as starting
      materials and monotopic carboxylates as equilibrium shifting agents to make
      single crystals of ultrastable MOFs. Postsynthetic metathesis and oxidation
      (PSMO) takes advantage of the fast ligand exchange rate of a metal ion at the low
      oxidation state as well as the kinetic inertness of the same metal at high
      oxidation state to make ultrastable and highly crystalline MOFs. Multiple similar
      strategies have been successful for the metathesis of Fe-based MOFs to Cr3+.
      Several highly crystalline Ti-MOFs have also been prepared. Kinetically
      controlled linker installation and cluster metalation methods utilize a stable
      MOF with inherent coordinatively unsaturated sites as matrix and
      postsynthetically install linkers or grow clusters on the matrix, so that a
      robust MOF with precisely placed functionalities is realized. This method has
      diverse applications especially when specific functional groups or metals having
      synergistic effects are desired in the proper proximity. Exceptional porosity and
      stability are required for many potential applications. We have demonstrated
      several of these, including entrapment of nanoscaled functional moieties such as
      enzymes. We have developed a series of metal-organic frameworks (PCN-333) with
      rationally designed ultralarge mesoporous cages as single-molecule traps for
      enzyme encapsulation. We successfully incorporated metalloporphyrins, well-known
      biofunctional moieties, into robust MOFs for biomimetic catalytic applications.
      By rationally tuning the synthetic conditions, we obtained several different
      porphyrinic Zr-, Fe-, and Ti-MOFs with distinct pore size and concentrated acid
      or base stability, which offer eligible candidates for different applications.
      These and other stepwise kinetic tuning and catalyst incorporation methods are
      small steps toward achieving the grand challenge of detailed control of the
      placement of matter on an atomic and molecular level.

PMID- 28350435
TI  - Insight into a Fast-Phototuning Azobenzene Switch for Sustainably Tailoring the
      Foam Stability.
AB  - A photoresponsive surfactant of 4-octoxy-4'-[(trimethylamino)ethoxy]azobenzene
      (OTAEAzo) has been synthesized for developing a fast-phototuning foam switch
      based on its high sensitivity, reversibility, and fatigue resistance of the
      photoisomerization capability. Ultraviolet (UV)-light irradiation for 1 s enabled
      conversion from the trans isomer to the cis configuration, while exposure to
      visible (Vis)-light for 3 min induced a cis-to-trans transformation, which
      maintains an excellent cycling stability for 20 cycles of photoisomerization. The
      photoisomerization speed depended on the concentration of OTAEAzo, and a lower
      concentration facilitated a faster photoisomerization process. Because of the low
      critical micelle concentration (CMC), OTAEAzo with a small dosage of 0.2 g.L-1
      showed foamability, which accelerated the photoisomerization speed, enabling it
      to become a highly efficient switch. The surface activities of trans-OTAEAzo
      presented distinct differences from those of cis-OTAEAzo, resulting in the foam
      stabilization effects of trans-OTAEAzo (t1/2 = 2.58 min) and the destabilization
      effects of cis-OTAEAzo (t1/2 = 0.38 min). Moreover, the foam properties varied
      slightly in the phototuning cycles. OTAEAzo with low CMC presents high
      sensitivity and reversible photoisomerization capability, providing an
      environmental and sustainable approach for tailoring the foam stability.

PMID- 28350436
TI  - Potential Fluctuations at Low Temperatures in Mesoscopic-Scale
      SmTiO3/SrTiO3/SmTiO3 Quantum Well Structures.
AB  - Heterointerfaces of SrTiO3 with other transition metal oxides make up an
      intriguing family of systems with a bounty of coexisting and competing physical
      orders. Some examples, such as LaAlO3/SrTiO3, support a high carrier density
      electron gas at the interface whose electronic properties are determined by a
      combination of lattice distortions, spin-orbit coupling, defects, and various
      regimes of magnetic and charge ordering. Here, we study electronic transport in
      mesoscale devices made with heterostructures of SrTiO3 sandwiched between layers
      of SmTiO3, in which the transport properties can be tuned from a regime of Fermi
      liquid like resistivity (rho ? T2) to a non-Fermi liquid (rho ? T5/3) by
      controlling the SrTiO3 thickness. In mesoscale devices at low temperatures, we
      find unexpected voltage fluctuations that grow in magnitude as T is decreased
      below 20 K, are suppressed with increasing contact electrode size, and are
      independent of the drive current and contact spacing distance. Magnetoresistance
      fluctuations are also observed, which are reminiscent of universal conductance
      fluctuations but not entirely consistent with their conventional properties.
      Candidate explanations are considered, and a mechanism is suggested based on
      mesoscopic temporal fluctuations of the Seebeck coefficient. An improved
      understanding of charge transport in these model systems, especially their
      quantum coherent properties, may lead to insights into the nature of transport in
      strongly correlated materials that deviate from Fermi liquid theory.

PMID- 28350437
TI  - Bacteria-Activated Theranostic Nanoprobes against Methicillin-Resistant
      Staphylococcus aureus Infection.
AB  - Despite numerous advanced imaging and sterilization techniques available
      nowadays, the sensitive in vivo diagnosis and complete elimination of drug
      resistant bacterial infections remain big challenges. Here we report a strategy
      to design activatable theranostic nanoprobes against methicillin-resistant
      Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) infections. This probe is based on silica
      nanoparticles coated with vancomycin-modified polyelectrolyte-cypate complexes
      (SiO2-Cy-Van), which is activated by an interesting phenomenon of bacteria
      responsive dissociation of the polyelectrolyte from silica nanoparticles. Due to
      the aggregation of hydrophobic cypate fluorophores on silica nanoparticles to
      induce ground-state quenching, the SiO2-Cy-Van nanoprobes are nonfluorescent in
      aqueous environments. We demonstrate that MRSA can effectively pull out the
      vancomycin-modified polyelectrolyte-cypate complexes from silica nanoparticles
      and draw them onto their own surface, changing the state of cypate from off
      (aggregation) to on (disaggregation) and leading to in vitro MRSA-activated near
      infrared fluorescence (NIRF) and photothermal elimination involving bacterial
      cell wall and membrane disruption. In vivo experiments show that this de novo
      designed nanoprobe can selectively enable rapid (4 h postinjection) NIRF imaging
      with high sensitivity (105 colony-forming units) and efficient photothermal
      therapy (PTT) of MRSA infections in mice. Remarkably, the SiO2-Cy-Van nanoprobes
      can also afford a long-term tracking (16 days) of the development of MRSA
      infections, allowing real-time estimation of bacterial load in infected tissues
      and further providing a possible way to monitor the efficacy of antimicrobial
      treatment. The strategy of bacteria-activated polyelectrolyte dissociation from
      nanoparticles proposed in this work could also be used as a general method for
      the design and fabrication of bacteria-responsive functional nanomaterials that
      offer possibilities to combat drug-resistant bacterial infections.

PMID- 28350438
TI  - An Acyl-Linked Dimer of Daptomycin Is Strongly Inhibited by the Bacterial Cell
      Wall.
AB  - The lipopeptide antibiotic daptomycin is active against Gram-positive pathogens.
      It permeabilizes bacterial cell membranes, which involves the formation of
      membrane-associated oligomers. We here studied a dimer of daptomycin whose two
      subunits were linked through a bivalent aliphatic acyl chain. Unexpectedly, the
      dimer had very low activity on vegetative Staphylococcus aureus and Bacillus
      subtilis cells. However, activity resembled that of monomeric daptomycin on
      liposomes and on B. subtilis L-forms. These findings underscore the importance of
      the bacterial cell wall in daptomycin resistance.

PMID- 28350439
TI  - Correction to Trends in Adhesion Energies of Metal Nanoparticles on Oxide
      Surfaces: Understanding Support Effects in Catalysis and Nanotechnology.

PMID- 28350441
TI  - Chemical Probes Unravel an Antimicrobial Defense Response Triggered by Binding of
      the Human Opioid Dynorphin to a Bacterial Sensor Kinase.
AB  - Host-microbe communication via small molecule signals is important for both
      symbiotic and pathogenic relationships, but is often poorly understood at the
      molecular level. Under conditions of host stress, levels of the human opioid
      peptide dynorphin are elevated, triggering virulence in the opportunistic
      pathogenic bacterium Pseudomonas aeruginosa via an unknown pathway. Here we apply
      a multilayered chemical biology strategy to unravel the mode of action of this
      putative interkingdom signal. We designed and applied dynorphin-inspired
      photoaffinity probes to reveal the protein targets of the peptide in live
      bacteria via chemical proteomics. ParS, a largely uncharacterized membrane sensor
      of a two-component system, was identified as the most promising hit. Subsequent
      full proteome studies revealed that dynorphin(1-13) induces an antimicrobial
      peptide-like response in Pseudomonas, with specific upregulation of membrane
      defense mechanisms. No such response was observed in a parS mutant, which was
      more susceptible to dynorphin-induced toxicity. Thus, P. aeruginosa exploits the
      ParS sensing machinery to defend itself against the host in response to dynorphin
      as a signal. This study highlights interkingdom communication as a potential
      essential strategy not only for induction of P. aeruginosa virulence but also for
      maintaining viability in the hostile environment of the host.

PMID- 28350442
TI  - Engineered Polymer-Transferrin Conjugates as Self-Assembling Targeted Drug
      Delivery Systems.
AB  - Polymer-protein conjugates can be engineered to self-assemble into discrete and
      well-defined drug delivery systems, which combine the advantages of receptor
      targeting and controlled drug release. We designed specific conjugates of the
      iron-binding and transport protein, transferrin (Tf), to combine the advantages
      of this serum-stable protein as a targeting agent for cancer cells with self
      assembling polymers to act as carriers of cytotoxic drugs. Tf variants were
      expressed with cysteine residues at sites spanning different regions of the
      protein surface, and the polymer conjugates grown from these variants were
      compared with polymer conjugates grown from nonselectively derivatized sites on
      native Tf. The resulting synthetic biopolymer hybrids were evaluated for self
      assembly properties, size and topology, ability to carry an anticancer drug
      (paclitaxel), and cytotoxicity with and without a drug payload in a
      representative human colon cancer cell line. The results demonstrated that the
      engineered Tf variant polymer conjugates formed better-defined self-assembled
      nanoparticles than the nonselectively derivatized conjugates and showed greater
      efficacy in paclitaxel delivery. A polymer conjugate grown from a specific Tf
      variant, S415C was found to be taken up rapidly into cancer cells expressing the
      Tf-receptor, and, while tolerated well by cells in the absence of drugs, was as
      cytotoxic as free paclitaxel, when loaded with the drug. Importantly, the S415C
      conjugate polymer was not the most active variant in Tf-receptor binding,
      suggesting that the nanoscale self-assembly of the polymer-protein hybrid is also
      a key factor in delivery efficacy. The data overall suggest new design rules for
      polymer-biopolymer hybrids and therapeutic delivery systems, which include
      engineering specific residues for conjugation that mediate nanoscale assembly as
      well as control of ligand-receptor interactions to target specific cell types.

PMID- 28350440
TI  - Identification of Trypanosoma brucei AdoMetDC Inhibitors Using a High-Throughput
      Mass Spectrometry-Based Assay.
AB  - Human African trypanosomiasis (HAT) is a fatal infectious disease caused by the
      eukaryotic pathogen Trypanosoma brucei (Tb). Available treatments are difficult
      to administer and have significant safety issues. S-Adenosylmethionine
      decarboxylase (AdoMetDC) is an essential enzyme in the parasite polyamine
      biosynthetic pathway. Previous attempts to develop TbAdoMetDC inhibitors into
      anti-HAT therapies failed due to poor brain exposure. Here, we describe a large
      screening campaign of two small-molecule libraries (~400,000 compounds) employing
      a new high-throughput (~7 s per sample) mass spectrometry-based assay for
      AdoMetDC activity. As a result of primary screening, followed by hit confirmation
      and validation, we identified 13 new classes of reversible TbAdoMetDC inhibitors
      with low-micromolar potency (IC50) against both TbAdoMetDC and T. brucei parasite
      cells. The majority of these compounds were >10-fold selective against the human
      enzyme. Importantly, compounds from four classes demonstrated high propensity to
      cross the blood-brain barrier in a cell monolayer assay. Biochemical analysis
      demonstrated that compounds from eight classes inhibited intracellular TbAdoMetDC
      in the parasite, although evidence for a secondary off-target component was also
      present. The discovery of several new TbAdoMetDC inhibitor chemotypes provides
      new hits for lead optimization programs aimed to deliver a novel treatment for
      HAT.

PMID- 28350443
TI  - Monitoring the Disassembly of Virus-like Particles by 19F-NMR.
AB  - Virus-like particles (VLPs) are stable protein cages derived from virus coats.
      They have been used extensively as biomolecular platforms, e.g., nanocarriers or
      vaccines, but a convenient in situ technique is lacking for tracking functional
      status. Here, we present a simple way to monitor disassembly of 19F-labeled VLPs
      derived from bacteriophage Qbeta by 19F NMR. Analysis of resonances, under a
      range of conditions, allowed determination not only of the particle as fully
      assembled but also as disassembled, as well as detection of a degraded state upon
      digestion by cells. This in turn allowed mutational redesign of disassembly and
      testing in both bacterial and mammalian systems as a strategy for the creation of
      putative, targeted-VLP delivery systems.

PMID- 28350444
TI  - Bottom-Up Elucidation of Glycosidic Bond Stereochemistry.
AB  - The lack of robust, high-throughput, and sensitive analytical strategies that can
      conclusively map the structure of glycans has significantly hampered progress in
      fundamental and applied aspects of glycoscience. Resolution of the anomeric
      alpha/beta glycan linkage within oligosaccharides remains a particular challenge.
      Here, we show that "memory" of anomeric configuration is retained following gas
      phase glycosidic bond fragmentation during tandem mass spectrometry (MS2). These
      findings allow for integration of MS2 with ion mobility spectrometry (IM-MS2) and
      lead to a strategy to distinguish alpha- and beta-linkages within natural
      underivatized carbohydrates. We have applied this fragment-based hyphenated MS
      technology to oligosaccharide standards and to de novo sequencing of purified
      plant metabolite glycoconjugates, showing that the anomeric signature is also
      observable in fragments derived from larger glycans. The discovery of the
      unexpected anomeric memory effect is further supported by IR-MS action
      spectroscopy and ab initio calculations. Quantum mechanical calculations provide
      candidate geometries for the distinct anomeric fragment ions, in turn shedding
      light on gas-phase dissociation mechanisms of glycosidic linkages.

PMID- 28350446
TI  - Temporal Shifts in Poly- and Perfluoroalkyl Substances (PFASs) in North Atlantic
      Pilot Whales Indicate Large Contribution of Atmospheric Precursors.
AB  - Poly- and perfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs) are persistent, bioaccumulative
      anthropogenic compounds associated with adverse health impacts on humans and
      wildlife. PFAS production changed in North America and Europe around the year
      2000, but impacts on wildlife appear to vary across species and location. Unlike
      other mammal species, cetaceans lack the enzyme for transforming an important
      intermediate precursor (perfluorooctane sulfonamide: FOSA), into a prevalent
      compound in most wildlife (perfluorooctanesulfonate: PFOS). Thus, their tissue
      burden differentiates these two compounds while other mammals contain PFOS from
      both direct exposure and precursor degradation. Here we report temporal trends in
      15 PFASs measured in muscle from juvenile male North Atlantic pilot whales
      (Globicephala melas) harvested between 1986 and 2013. FOSA accounted for a peak
      of 84% of the 15 PFASs around 2000 but declined to 34% in recent years. PFOS and
      long-chained PFCAs (C9-C13) increased significantly over the whole period (2.8%
      yr-1 to 8.3% yr-1), but FOSA declined by 13% yr-1 after 2006. Results from FOSA
      partitioning and bioaccumulation modeling forced by changes in atmospheric inputs
      reasonably capture magnitudes and temporal patterns in FOSA concentrations
      measured in pilot whales. Rapid changes in atmospheric FOSA in polar and subpolar
      regions around 2000 helps to explain large declines in PFOS exposure for species
      that metabolize FOSA, including seafood consuming human populations. This work
      reinforces the importance of accounting for biological exposures to PFAS
      precursors.

PMID- 28350447
TI  - Self-Functionalization Behind a Solution-Processed NiOx Film Used As Hole
      Transporting Layer for Efficient Perovskite Solar Cells.
AB  - Fabrication of solution-processed perovskite solar cells (PSCs) requires the
      deposition of high quality films from precursor inks. Frequently, buffer layers
      of PSCs are formed from dispersions of metal oxide nanoparticles (NPs).
      Therefore, the development of trustable methods for the preparation of stable
      colloidal NPs dispersions is crucial. In this work, a novel approach to form very
      compact semiconducting buffer layers with suitable optoelectronic properties is
      presented through a self-functionalization process of the nanocrystalline
      particles by their own amorphous phase and without adding any other inorganic or
      organic functionalization component or surfactant. Such interconnecting amorphous
      phase composed by residual nitrate, hydroxide, and sodium ions, proved to be
      fundamental to reach stable colloidal dispersions and contribute to assemble the
      separate crystalline nickel oxide NPs in the final film, resulting in a very
      homogeneous and compact layer. A proposed mechanism behind the great
      stabilization of the nanoparticles is exposed. At the end, the self
      functionalized nickel oxide layer exhibited high optoelectronic properties
      enabling perovskite p-i-n solar cells as efficient as 16.6% demonstrating the
      pertinence of the presented strategy to obtain high quality buffer layers
      processed in solution at room temperature.

PMID- 28350445
TI  - Structural Changes in an Anion Channelrhodopsin: Formation of the K and L
      Intermediates at 80 K.
AB  - A recently discovered natural family of light-gated anion channelrhodopsins
      (ACRs) from cryptophyte algae provides an effective means of optogenetically
      silencing neurons. The most extensively studied ACR is from Guillardia theta
      (GtACR1). Earlier studies of GtACR1 have established a correlation between
      formation of a blue-shifted L-like intermediate and the anion channel "open"
      state. To study structural changes of GtACR1 in the K and L intermediates of the
      photocycle, a combination of low-temperature Fourier transform infrared (FTIR)
      and ultraviolet-visible absorption difference spectroscopy was used along with
      stable-isotope retinal labeling and site-directed mutagenesis. In contrast to
      bacteriorhodopsin (BR) and other microbial rhodopsins, which form only a stable
      red-shifted K intermediate at 80 K, GtACR1 forms both stable K and L-like
      intermediates. Evidence includes the appearance of positive ethylenic and
      fingerprint vibrational bands characteristic of the L intermediate as well as a
      positive visible absorption band near 485 nm. FTIR difference bands in the
      carboxylic acid C?O stretching region indicate that several Asp/Glu residues
      undergo hydrogen bonding changes at 80 K. The Glu68 -> Gln and Ser97 -> Glu
      substitutions, residues located close to the retinylidene Schiff base, altered
      the K:L ratio and several of the FTIR bands in the carboxylic acid region. In the
      case of the Ser97 -> Glu substitution, a significant red-shift of the absorption
      wavelength of the K and L intermediates occurs. Sequence comparisons suggest that
      L formation in GtACR1 at 80 K is due in part to the substitution of the highly
      conserved Leu or Ile at position 93 in helix 3 (BR sequence) with the homologous
      Met105 in GtACR1.

PMID- 28350448
TI  - Mechanism Exploration of Ion Transport in Nanocomposite Cation Exchange
      Membranes.
AB  - The origin of property enhancement of nanocomposite ion exchange membranes (IEMs)
      is far from being fully understood. By combining experimental work and
      computational modeling analysis, we could determine the influence of
      nanomaterials on the ion transport properties of nanocomposite cation exchange
      membranes (CEMs). We synthesized and characterized a series of nanocomposite CEMs
      by using SPPO as polymer materials and silica nanoparticles (NPs) (unsulfonated
      or sulfonated) as nanomaterials. We found that with the increase of NP loading,
      measured CEM permselectivity and swelling degree first increased and then
      decreased. We also found the ion exchange capacity (IEC) and ionic resistance of
      nanocomposite CEMs tend to be the same, regardless what type of NPs are
      incorporated into the membrane. Modeling analysis suggests that the change of
      membrane properties is related to the change in membrane microstructure. With the
      addition of silica NPs, membrane porosity (volume fraction of intergel phase)
      increases so that membranes can absorb more water. Also, volume fraction of
      sulfonated polymer segments increases, which can allow membranes to retain more
      counterions, causing membrane IEC to increase. By calculating the effective ion
      diffusion coefficients and membrane tortuosity factors of all the silica-NP-based
      CEMs synthesized in this study, along with nanocomposite CEMs from previous
      studies, we conclude that membrane ion transport efficiency tends to increase
      with the incorporation of nanomaterials. In addition, this paper presents a
      simulation model, which explains how the membrane property changes upon
      nanomaterial aggregation; the simulation results are in good agreement with the
      experimental data. Simulation results indicate that membrane properties are
      related to nanomaterial number concentration in the membrane matrices; thus, a
      plateau is reached for membrane ion diffusion coefficients due to the severe
      influence of aggregation on the increase of nanomaterial real number
      concentration. The results of this study can provide insight into membrane
      structure-property relation and contribute to the value of future designs of new
      nanocomposite IEMs.

PMID- 28350449
TI  - Long-Chain 4-Aminoquinolines as Quorum Sensing Inhibitors in Serratia marcescens
      and Pseudomonas aeruginosa.
AB  - Antibiotic resistance has become a serious global threat to public health;
      therefore, improved strategies and structurally novel antimicrobials are urgently
      needed to combat infectious diseases. Here we report a new type of highly potent
      4-aminoquinoline derivatives as quorum sensing inhibitors in Serratia marcescens
      and Pseudomonas aeruginosa, exhibiting weak bactericidal activities (minimum
      inhibitory concentration (MIC) > 400 MUM). Through detailed structure-activity
      study, we have identified 7-Cl and 7-CF3 substituted N-dodecylamino-4
      aminoquinolines (5 and 10) as biofilm formation inhibitors with 50% biofilm
      inhibition at 69 MUM and 63 MUM in S. marcescens and P. aeruginosa, respectively.
      These two compounds, 5 and 10, are the first quinoline derivatives with anti
      biofilm formation activity reported in S. marcescens. Quantitative structure
      activity relationship (QSAR) analysis identified structural descriptors such as
      Wiener indices, hyper-distance-path index (HDPI), mean topological charge (MTC),
      topological charge index (TCI), and log D(o/w)exp as the most influential in
      biofilm inhibition in this bacterial species. Derivative 10 is one of the most
      potent quinoline type inhibitors of pyocyanin production described so far (IC50 =
      2.5 MUM). While we have demonstrated that 5 and 10 act as Pseudomonas quinolone
      system (PQS) antagonists, the mechanism of inhibition of S. marcescens biofilm
      formation with these compounds remains open since signaling similar to P.
      aeruginosa PQS system has not yet been described in Serratia and activity of
      these compounds on acylhomoserine lactone (AHL) signaling has not been detected.
      Our data show that 7-Cl and 7-CF3 substituted N-dodecylamino-4-aminoquinolines
      present the promising scaffolds for developing antivirulence and anti-biofilm
      formation agents against multidrug-resistant bacterial species.

PMID- 28350450
TI  - Evolution of the Spin Magnetic Moments and Atomic Valence of Vanadium in VCux+,
      VAgx+, and VAux+ Clusters (x = 3-14).
AB  - The atomic structures, bonding characteristics, spin magnetic moments, and
      stability of VCux+, VAgx+, and VAux+ (x = 3-14) clusters were examined using
      density functional theory. Our studies indicate that the effective valence of
      vanadium is size-dependent and that at small sizes some of the valence electrons
      of vanadium are localized on vanadium, while at larger sizes the 3d orbitals of
      the vanadium participate in metallic bonding eventually quenching the spin
      magnetic moment. The electronic stability of the clusters may be understood
      through a split-shell model that partitions the valence electrons in either a
      delocalized shell or localized on the vanadium atom. A molecular orbital analysis
      reveals that in planar clusters the delocalization of the 3d orbital of vanadium
      is enhanced when surrounded by gold due to enhanced 6s-5d hybridization. Once the
      clusters become three-dimensional, this hybridization is reduced, and copper most
      readily delocalizes the vanadium's valence electrons. By understanding these
      unique features, greater insight is offered into the role of a host material's
      electronic structure in determining the bonding characteristics and stability of
      localized spin magnetic moments in quantum confined systems.

PMID- 28350451
TI  - ROS-Switchable Polymeric Nanoplatform with Stimuli-Responsive Release for Active
      Targeted Drug Delivery to Breast Cancer.
AB  - Tumor microenvironment plays a vital role in the process of tumor development,
      proliferation, invasion, and metastasis. It is well acknowledged that reduction
      in pH, reactive oxygen species (ROS), and increased level of glucose transporter
      1 (GLUT1) have become featured intracellular and extracellular biochemical
      markers of cancer owing to oncogenic transformation and abnormal metabolism. To
      establish a distinctive drug delivery system directed against the tumor
      microenvironment features, we develop a newly engineered polymeric nanoplatform
      for efficient doxorubicin (DOX) delivery with reduced systemic toxicity and high
      antitumor efficiency. A thioketal cross-linker is used to improve the
      formulation's stability during circulation and to foster quick intracellular drug
      release in response to tumor's ROS potential. Furthermore, the low drug loading
      efficiency of conventional micelles is ameliorated in this polymeric nanoplatform
      via a drug-conjugation strategy with an acid-labile chemical bond. The optimized
      formulation, MPLs-sB-DOX micelles, possesses a high drug-loading efficiency (31%)
      within nanosize diameter (37.8 nm). In addition, this formulation shows
      significant improvement in the pharmacokinetics and biodistribution profiles with
      a 2.69-fold increase of tumor accumulation, while with largely reduced systemic
      toxicity in comparison with free DOX. With advantages of efficient cellular
      uptake, preferential tumor accumulation, and controlled release behaviors, MPLs
      sB-DOX micelles demonstrate good tumor-targeting ability with reduced systemic
      toxicity, proving to be a promising formulation for breast cancer therapy.

PMID- 28350452
TI  - Velcro-Inspired SiC Fuzzy Fibers for Aerospace Applications.
AB  - The most recent and innovative silicon carbide (SiC) fiber ceramic matrix
      composites, used for lightweight high-heat engine parts in aerospace
      applications, are woven, layered, and then surrounded by a SiC ceramic matrix
      composite (CMC). To further improve both the mechanical properties and thermal
      and oxidative resistance abilities of this material, SiC nanotubes and nanowires
      (SiCNT/NWs) are grown on the surface of the SiC fiber via carbon nanotube
      conversion. This conversion utilizes the shape memory synthesis (SMS) method,
      starting with carbon nanotube (CNT) growth on the SiC fiber surface, to
      capitalize on the ease of dense surface morphology optimization and the ability
      to effectively engineer the CNT-SiC fiber interface to create a secure nanotube
      fiber attachment. Then, by converting the CNTs to SiCNT/NWs, the relative
      morphology, advantageous mechanical properties, and secure connection of the
      initial CNT-SiC fiber architecture are retained, with the addition of high
      temperature and oxidation resistance. The resultant SiCNT/NW-SiC fiber can be
      used inside the SiC ceramic matrix composite for a high-heat turbo engine part
      with longer fatigue life and higher temperature resistance. The differing sides
      of the woven SiCNT/NWs act as the "hook and loop" mechanism of Velcro but in much
      smaller scale.

PMID- 28350453
TI  - Diazaphenoxazines and Diazaphenothiazines: Synthesis of the "Correct" Isomers
      Reveals They Are Highly Reactive Radical-Trapping Antioxidants.
AB  - The preparation of 2,4-diazaphenothiazines and 2,4-diazaphenoxazines via a copper
      catalyzed intramolecular amination is described. Literature approaches which
      utilize easily accessed (2'-aminophenyl) 4-pyri(mi)dyl sulfides undergo a Smiles
      rearrangement that gives rise to the 1,3-diaza derivatives instead, confirmed by
      X-ray crystallography. Inversion of the polarity of the cyclization avoids the
      rearrangement and affords the desired products. Preliminary kinetic studies
      suggest that 2,4-diazaphenothiazines and diazaphenoxazines, but not the 1,3-diaza
      isomers, are remarkably potent radical-trapping antioxidants.

PMID- 28350454
TI  - Structural Optimizations of Thieno[3,2-b]pyrrole Derivatives for the Development
      of Metabolically Stable Inhibitors of Chikungunya Virus.
AB  - Chikungunya virus (CHIKV) is a re-emerging vector-borne alphavirus, and there is
      no approved effective antiviral treatment currently available for CHIKV. We
      previously reported the discovery of thieno[3,2-b]pyrrole 1b that displayed good
      antiviral activity against CHIKV infection in vitro. However, it has a short half
      life in the presence of human liver microsomes (HLMs) (T1/2 = 2.91 min). Herein,
      we report further optimization studies in which potential metabolically labile
      sites on compound 1b were removed or modified, resulting in the identification of
      thieno[3,2-b]pyrrole 20 and pyrrolo[2,3-d]thiazole 23c possessing up to 17-fold
      increase in metabolic half-lives in HLMs and good in vivo pharmacokinetic
      properties. Compound 20 not only attenuated viral RNA production and displayed
      broad-spectrum antiviral activity against other alphaviruses and CHIKV isolates
      but also exhibited limited cytotoxic liability (CC50 > 100 MUM). These studies
      have identified two compounds that have the potential for further development as
      antiviral drugs against CHIKV infection.

PMID- 28350455
TI  - Model-Based Classification for Digital PCR: Your Umbrella for Rain.
AB  - Standard data analysis pipelines for digital PCR estimate the concentration of a
      target nucleic acid by digitizing the end-point fluorescence of the parallel
      micro-PCR reactions, using an automated hard threshold. While it is known that
      misclassification has a major impact on the concentration estimate and
      substantially reduces accuracy, the uncertainty of this classification is
      typically ignored. We introduce a model-based clustering method to estimate the
      probability that the target is present (absent) in a partition conditional on its
      observed fluorescence and the distributional shape in no-template control
      samples. This methodology acknowledges the inherent uncertainty of the
      classification and provides a natural measure of precision, both at individual
      partition level and at the level of the global concentration. We illustrate our
      method on genetically modified organism, inhibition, dynamic range, and mutation
      detection experiments. We show that our method provides concentration estimates
      of similar accuracy or better than the current standard, along with a more
      realistic measure of precision. The individual partition probabilities and
      diagnostic density plots further allow for some quality control. An R
      implementation of our method, called Umbrella, is available, providing a more
      objective and automated data analysis procedure for absolute dPCR quantification.

PMID- 28350456
TI  - Starch-Derived Nanographene Oxide Paves the Way for Electrospinnable and
      Bioactive Starch Scaffolds for Bone Tissue Engineering.
AB  - A straightforward process that enabled electrospinning of bioactive starch-based
      nanofiber scaffolds was developed by utilizing starch derived nano graphene oxide
      (nGO) as a property enhancer and formic acid as a solvent and esterification
      reagent. The reaction mechanism and process were followed by detailed
      spectroscopic investigation. Furthermore, the incorporation of nGO as a "green
      bioactive additive" endorsed starch nanofibrous scaffolds several advantageous
      functionalities including improved electrospinnability and thermal stability,
      good cytocompatibility, osteo-bioactivity, and retained biodegradability. The
      biodegradable starch/nGO nanofibers underwent simultaneous degradation and
      mineralization process during 1 week of cell culture and mineralization test,
      thus, mimicking the structure and function of extracellular matrices (ECMs) and
      indicating promise for bone tissue engineering applications.

PMID- 28350457
TI  - Role of Thiolate Ligand in Spin State and Redox Switching in the Cytochrome P450
      Catalytic Cycle.
AB  - The catalytic cycle of cytochrome P450 involves a change from the resting-state,
      water-bound, six-coordinated form (1, low-spin state) to a five-coordinated form
      (2, high-spin state) upon binding of a hydrophobic substrate. Here, we used a
      heme-thiolate model complex (SR complex) with THF as a model of nonionic H2O to
      address the question of whether or not coordination of nonionic water is
      sufficient to induce the low-spin state. Measurements of electronic absorption
      spectra and magnetic properties confirmed that five-coordinated SR complex has a
      high-spin state, and THF-bound, six-coordinated SR has a low-spin state in
      dichloromethane at ambient temperature. The redox potential E1/2 (FeII/FeIII) of
      THF-bound SR was 80-90 mV more negative than that of five-coordinated SR. These
      properties indicate SR is a good model of P450. Our results suggest that thiolate
      coordination plays a key role in setting the low energy barrier between the high
      spin and low-spin states.

PMID- 28350458
TI  - Immobilization to Positively Charged Cellulose Nanocrystals Enhances the
      Antibacterial Activity and Stability of Hen Egg White and T4 Lysozyme.
AB  - Antibacterial bionanostructures were produced from cellulose nanocrystals (CNC)
      with immobilized lysozyme from hen egg white (HEW) and T4 bacteriophage,
      respectively. The nanocrystals were prepared from microcrystalline cellulose by
      ammonium persulfate oxidation with a yield of 68% and having an average size of
      250 nm and low polydispersity index. HEW lysozyme (HEWL) and T4 lysozyme (T4L)
      were immobilized to CNC by different mechanisms including adsorption and covalent
      coupling to carbodiimide-activated carboxylate groups and to glutaraldehyde
      activated aminated CNC (Am-CNC), respectively. The effect of immobilization on
      the enzymatic activity (both lytic and hydrolytic) and antibacterial activity of
      the lysozymes was studied using different methods. Am-CNC-lysozyme conjugates
      retained the highest lytic activity, 86.3% and 78.3% for HEWL and T4L,
      respectively. They also showed enhanced bactericidal activity with high potency
      against Gram-positive as well as Gram-negative bacteria in a relatively shorter
      time as compared to the free enzymes and resulted in extensive cellular damage,
      as shown by transmission electron microscopy. The enhanced antibacterial activity
      was correlated with the increase in zeta potential of Am-CNC-lysozyme conjugates.
      The immobilized lysozyme preparations further exhibited enhanced storage
      stability at 4 and 22  degrees C.

PMID- 28350459
TI  - STAT3 Inhibitory Activity of Structurally Simplified Withaferin A Analogues.
AB  - Signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3) is a component of the
      JAK/STAT pathway. Therapeutic inhibition of STAT3 has been of high interest, as
      its aberrant activation has been linked to cancer, inflammation, and other human
      diseases. The withanolide family natural product withaferin A (1) inhibits STAT3
      activation. We designed, synthesized, and evaluated simplified withanolide
      analogues SLW1 (3) and SLW2 (4), and found that SLW1 retained the STAT3
      inhibitory activity of withaferin A.

PMID- 28350460
TI  - Time-Dependent Model for Fluid Flow in Porous Materials with Multiple Pore Sizes.
AB  - An understanding of fluid transport through porous materials is critical for the
      development of lateral flow assays and analytical devices based on paper
      microfluidics. Models of fluid transport within porous materials often assume a
      single capillary pressure and permeability value for the material, implying that
      the material comprises a single pore size and that the porous material is fully
      saturated behind the visible wetted front. As a result, current models can lead
      to inaccuracies when modeling transport over long distances and/or times. A new
      transport model is presented that incorporates a range of pore sizes to more
      accurately predict the capillary transport of fluid in porous materials. The
      model effectively predicts the time-dependent saturation of rectangular strips of
      Whatman filter no. 1 paper using the manufacturer's data, published pore-size
      distribution measurements, and the fluid's properties.

PMID- 28350461
TI  - Asymmetric Cascade Assembly of 1,2-Diaza-1,3-dienes and alpha,beta-Unsaturated
      Aldehydes via Dienamine Activation.
AB  - A cascade vinylogous 1,6-Michael addition/1,4-proton shift/aza-Michael
      addition/hemiaminal formation sequence of 1,2-diaza-1,3-dienes and beta
      substituted 2-butenals has been developed under the influence of dienamine
      activation of a chiral secondary amine. This method exhibits high regio- and
      chemoselectivity and provides an efficient and straightforward approach to
      bicyclic l,8-diazabicyclo[3.3.0]octane skeletons with a tetrasubstituted
      stereogenic center with fair to excellent enantioselectivity.

PMID- 28350462
TI  - Automated Design Framework for Synthetic Biology Exploiting Pareto Optimality.
AB  - In this work we consider Pareto optimality for automated design in synthetic
      biology. We present a generalized framework based on a mixed-integer dynamic
      optimization formulation that, given design specifications, allows the
      computation of Pareto optimal sets of designs, that is, the set of best trade
      offs for the metrics of interest. We show how this framework can be used for (i)
      forward design, that is, finding the Pareto optimal set of synthetic designs for
      implementation, and (ii) reverse design, that is, analyzing and inferring motifs
      and/or design principles of gene regulatory networks from the Pareto set of
      optimal circuits. Finally, we illustrate the capabilities and performance of this
      framework considering four case studies. In the first problem we consider the
      forward design of an oscillator. In the remaining problems, we illustrate how to
      apply the reverse design approach to find motifs for stripe formation, rapid
      adaption, and fold-change detection, respectively.

PMID- 28350463
TI  - Is Single-Molecule Fluorescence Spectroscopy Ready To Join the Organic Chemistry
      Toolkit? A Test Case Involving Click Chemistry.
AB  - Single molecule spectroscopy (SMS) has matured to a point where it can be used as
      a convenient tool to guide organic synthesis and drug discovery, particularly
      applicable to catalytic systems where questions related to homogeneous vs
      heterogeneous pathways are important. SMS can look at intimate mechanistic
      details that can inspire major improvements of the catalyst performance, its
      recovery, and reuse. Here, we use the click reaction between alkynes and azides
      as an example where improvements at the bench have been inspired and validated
      using single-molecule fluorescence spectroscopy.

PMID- 28350464
TI  - Fluorescence Determination of Omethoate Based on a Dual Strategy for Improving
      Sensitivity.
AB  - Omethoate is a frequently used organophosphorus pesticide, and the establishment
      of a sensitive, selective, and simple method to determine omethoate is very
      important for food safety. In this paper, a dual strategy was applied to improve
      the detection sensitivity of omethoate. In the first strategy, graphene quantum
      dots (GQDs) were doped with nitrogen to increase the fluorescence quantum yield
      to 30%. By coupling N-GQDs with omethoate aptamer, an N-GQDs-aptamer probe was
      synthesized. The fluorescence of the N-GQDs-aptamer probe was turned off by
      graphene oxide (GO), but recovered by omethoate. Based on this principle, the
      fluorescence method for detecting omethoate was established with a detection
      limit of 0.041 nM. To further improve the detection sensitivity, the fluorescence
      polarization analysis method was applied as another strategy based on the
      polarization signal of GQDs. The detection limit was decreased to 0.029 pM by
      using the fluorescence polarization method. The detection limits in this paper
      were lower than those in other reports. The imaging of omethoate on plant leaves
      showed that the probe could be used for visual semiquantitative determination of
      omethoate.

PMID- 28350465
TI  - 3,5-Diarylimidazo[1,2-a]pyridines as Color-Tunable Fluorophores.
AB  - A new protocol for the synthesis of color-tunable fluorescent 3,5
      diarylimidazo[1,2-a]pyridines has been achieved via palladium-catalyzed C-H
      amination of pyridinium zwitterions. Based on experimental results and
      computational analysis, we extracted a high correlation of photophysical
      properties with the theoretical concept and predicted emission wavelengths of 3,5
      diarylimidazo[1,2-a]pyridines. The emission wavelengths of imidazo[1,2
      a]pyridines increase as a function of the electron-withdrawing nature of the
      substituent on the C5-aryl group of imidazo[1,2-a]pyridine as a result of
      inductive effects on the LUMO levels. Varying the substituent on the C3-aryl
      group imidazo[1,2-a]pyridine changes the HOMO levels. Combining these two sites,
      the HOMO and LUMO levels can be tuned fairly decoupled from each other. This
      conceptual trend is demonstrated across a series where the C3 and C5 positions
      were functionalized independently and then utilizes a combination strategy where
      both sites are used to prepare fluorophores with a large window of emission
      wavelengths. In view of the biological properties of imidazo[1,2-a]pyridines, the
      developed method provides an efficient approach for understanding and preparing
      strongly fluorescent bioprobes.

PMID- 28350466
TI  - Wrapping Aligned Carbon Nanotube Composite Sheets around Vanadium Nitride
      Nanowire Arrays for Asymmetric Coaxial Fiber-Shaped Supercapacitors with
      Ultrahigh Energy Density.
AB  - The emergence of fiber-shaped supercapacitors (FSSs) has led to a revolution in
      portable and wearable electronic devices. However, obtaining high energy density
      FSSs for practical applications is still a key challenge. This article exhibits a
      facile and effective approach to directly grow well-aligned three-dimensional
      vanadium nitride (VN) nanowire arrays (NWAs) on carbon nanotube (CNT) fiber with
      an ultrahigh specific capacitance of 715 mF/cm2 in a three-electrode system.
      Benefiting from their intriguing structural features, we successfully fabricated
      a prototype asymmetric coaxial FSS (ACFSS) with a maximum operating voltage of
      1.8 V. From core to shell, this ACFSS consists of a CNT fiber core coated with
      VN@C NWAs as the negative electrode, Na2SO4 poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA) as the
      solid electrolyte, and MnO2/conducting polymer/CNT sheets as the positive
      electrode. The novel coaxial architecture not only fully enables utilization of
      the effective surface area and decreases the contact resistance between the two
      electrodes but also, more importantly, provides a short pathway for the ultrafast
      transport of axial electrons and ions. The electrochemical results show that the
      optimized ACFSS exhibits a remarkable specific capacitance of 213.5 mF/cm2 and an
      exceptional energy density of 96.07 MUWh/cm2, the highest areal capacitance and
      areal energy density yet reported in FSSs. Furthermore, the device possesses
      excellent flexibility in that its capacitance retention reaches 96.8% after
      bending 5000 times, which further allows it to be woven into flexible electronic
      clothes with conventional weaving techniques. Therefore, the asymmetric coaxial
      architectural design allows new opportunities to fabricate high-performance
      flexible FSSs for future portable and wearable electronic devices.

PMID- 28350467
TI  - Relating Chromophoric and Structural Disorder in Conjugated Polymers.
AB  - The optoelectronic properties of amorphous conjugated polymers are sensitive to
      the details of the conformational disorder, and spectroscopy provides the means
      for structural characterization of the fragments of the chain that interact with
      light-"chromophores". A faithful interpretation of spectroscopic conformational
      signatures, however, presents a theoretical challenge. Here we investigate the
      relationship between the ground-state optical gaps, the properties of the excited
      states, and the structural features of chromophores of a single molecule poly(3
      hexyl)-thiophene (P3HT) using quantum-classical atomistic simulations. Our
      results demonstrate that chromophoric disorder arises through the interplay
      between excited-state delocalization and electron-hole polarization, controlled
      by the torsional disorder introduced by side chains. Within this conceptual
      framework, we predict and explain the counterintuitive spectral behavior of P3HT,
      a red-shifted absorption, despite shortening of chromophores, with increasing
      temperature. This discussion introduces the concept of disorder-induced
      separation of charges in amorphous conjugated polymers.

PMID- 28350468
TI  - Three-Dimensional Proton Beam Writing of Optically Active Coherent Vacancy Spins
      in Silicon Carbide.
AB  - Constructing quantum devices comprises various challenging tasks, especially when
      concerning their nanoscale geometry. For quantum color centers, the traditional
      approach is to fabricate the device structure after the nondeterministic
      placement of the centers. Reversing this approach, we present the controlled
      generation of quantum centers in silicon carbide (SiC) by focused proton beam in
      a noncomplex manner without need for pre- or postirradiation treatment. The
      generation depth and resolution can be predicted by matching the proton energy to
      the material's stopping power, and the amount of quantum centers at one specific
      sample volume is tunable from ensembles of millions to discernible single photon
      emitters. We identify the generated centers as silicon vacancies through their
      characteristic magnetic resonance signatures and demonstrate that they possess a
      long spin-echo coherence time of 42 +/- 20 MUs at room temperature. Our approach
      hence enables the fabrication of quantum hybrid nanodevices based on SiC
      platform, where spin centers are integrated into p-i-n diodes, photonic cavities,
      and mechanical resonators.

PMID- 28350469
TI  - Synthesis of Sugar-Boronic Acid Derivatives: A Class of Potential Agents for
      Boron Neutron Capture Therapy.
AB  - To date, sugar analogues that contain boronic acids as substitutes for hydroxyl
      groups are a class of compounds nearly unknown in the literature. The challenging
      synthesis of two sugar-boronic acid analogues is described, and data are
      retrieved on their solution behavior, stability, and toxicity. As these compounds
      were expected to mimic the behavior of carbohydrates, they were tested in regards
      to their future development as potential boron neutron capture therapy agents.

PMID- 28350470
TI  - Aluminum-Catalyzed Cross-Coupling of Silylalkynes with Aliphatic C-F Bonds.
AB  - We report the generation of aliphatic and benzylic acetylenes via reaction of
      primary, secondary, and tertiary aliphatic fluorides with various trimethylsilyl
      acetylides. These reactions are catalyzed by Al and B Lewis acids, most
      effectively by the extremely fluorophilic tris(pentafluorophenyl)alane,
      representing the first example of catalytic incorporation of alkynes into
      aliphatic C-F positions. The fluorophilicity of the catalysts gives rise to
      fluorine selectivity over other halogens, allowing orthogonal reactivity
      pathways.

PMID- 28350471
TI  - Functionalized Molybdenum Disulfide Nanosheets for 0D-2D Hybrid Nanostructures:
      Photoinduced Charge Transfer and Enhanced Photoresponse.
AB  - The high-concentration stable dispersion of free-standing mono- or few-layer
      transition metal dichalcogenide (TMD) nanosheets (NSs) remains a significant
      barrier for their application in solution-processed optoelectronic devices. Here,
      we report oleylamine (OLA)- and dodecanethiol (DDT)-assisted exfoliation of MoS2
      NSs in nonpolar organic solvent 1,2-dichlorobenzene (DCB), which enables high
      concentration stable dispersion of free-standing mono- or few-layer NSs. The
      functionalized MoS2 NSs were further utilized for the fabrication of solution
      processed 0D-2D hybrids of CuInS2 quantum dots (CIS QDs) and MoS2 NSs. The strong
      photoluminescence (PL) quenching and decreased PL lifetimes of CIS QDs attached
      to MoS2 NSs indicates efficient charge transfer from photoexcited CIS to MoS2
      NSs. The photocurrent of CIS/MoS2 hybrid devices is dramatically enhanced
      compared to that of pure CIS and pristine MoS2-based devices, confirming that
      efficient charge separation and transfer occur from CIS QDs to MoS2 NSs.

PMID- 28350472
TI  - Development of a CHO-Based Cell-Free Platform for Synthesis of Active Monoclonal
      Antibodies.
AB  - Chinese Hamster Ovary (CHO) cells are routinely optimized to stably express
      monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) at high titers. At the early stages of lead
      isolation and optimization, hundreds of sequences for the target protein of
      interest are screened. Typically, cell-based transient expression technology
      platforms are used for expression screening, but these can be time- and resource
      intensive. Here, we have developed a cell-free protein synthesis (CFPS) platform
      utilizing a commercially available CHO extract for the rapid in vitro synthesis
      of active, aglycosylated mAbs. Specifically, we optimized reaction conditions to
      maximize protein yields, established an oxidizing environment to enable disulfide
      bond formation, and demonstrated the importance of temporal addition of heavy
      chain and light chain plasmids for intact mAb production. Using our optimized
      platform, we demonstrate for the first time to our knowledge the cell-free
      synthesis of biologically active, intact mAb at >100 mg/L using a eukaryotic
      based extract. We then explored the utility of our system as a tool for ranking
      yields of candidate antibodies. Unlike stable or transient transfection-based
      screening, which requires a minimum of 7 days for setup and execution, results
      using our CHO-based CFPS platform are attained within 2 days and it is well
      suited for automation. Further development would provide a tool for rapid, high
      throughput prediction of mAb expression ranking to accelerate design-build-test
      cycles required for antibody expression and engineering. Looking forward, the CHO
      based CFPS platform could facilitate the synthesis of toxic proteins as well.

PMID- 28350473
TI  - Visible-Light-Induced Synthesis of Carbazoles by in Situ Formation of
      Photosensitizing Intermediate.
AB  - A visible-light-induced synthesis of N-H carbazoles from easily accessible 2,2'
      diaminobiaryls in the absence of any external photosensitizer is reported. The
      process only requires tBuONO and natural resources, visible light, and molecular
      oxygen for the synthesis of N-H carbazoles. Experimental and computational
      studies support that the in situ formation of a visible-light-absorbing
      photosensitizing intermediate, benzocinnoline N-imide, is responsible for the
      activation of triplet molecular oxygen to singlet oxygen that, in turn, promotes
      the synthesis of carbazole.

PMID- 28350474
TI  - Detachment of Membrane Bound Virions by Competitive Ligand Binding Induced
      Receptor Depletion.
AB  - Multivalent receptor-mediated interactions between virions and a lipid membrane
      can be weakened using competitive nonpathogenic ligand binding. In particular,
      the subsequent binding of such ligands can induce detachment of bound virions, a
      phenomenon of crucial relevance for the development of new antiviral drugs.
      Focusing on the simian virus 40 (SV40) and recombinant cholera toxin B subunit
      (rCTB), and using (monosialotetrahexosyl)ganglioside (GM1) as their common
      receptor in a supported lipid bilayer (SLB), we present the first detailed
      investigation of this phenomenon by employing the quartz crystal microbalance
      with dissipation (QCM-D) and total internal reflection fluorescence (TIRF)
      microscopy assisted 2D single particle tracking (SPT) techniques. Analysis of the
      QCM-D-measured release kinetics made it possible to determine the binding
      strength of a single SV40-GM1 pair. The release dynamics of SV40, monitored by
      SPT, revealed that a notable fraction of SV40 becomes mobile just before the
      release, allowing to estimate the distribution of SV40-bound GM1 receptors just
      prior to release.

PMID- 28350477
TI  - Individual and Dynamic: Western Views of a Good Death.

PMID- 28350475
TI  - Occupational Radiation Exposure and Deaths From Malignant Intracranial Neoplasms
      of the Brain and CNS in U.S. Radiologic Technologists, 1983-2012.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: Childhood exposure to acute, high-dose radiation has consistently been
      associated with risk of benign and malignant intracranial tumors of the brain and
      CNS, but data on risks of adulthood exposure to protracted, low-to-moderate doses
      of radiation are limited. In a large cohort of radiologic technologists, we
      quantified the association between protracted, low-to-moderate doses of radiation
      and malignant intracranial tumor mortality. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The study
      population included 83,655 female and 26,642 male U.S. radiologic technologists
      who were certified for at least 2 years as of 1982. The cohort was followed from
      the completion date of the first or second survey (1983-1989 or 1994-1998) to the
      date of death, loss to follow-up, or December 31, 2012, whichever was earliest.
      Occupational brain doses through 1997 were based on work history, historical
      data, and, for most years after the mid 1970s, individual film badge
      measurements. Radiation-related excess relative risks (ERRs) and 95% CIs were
      estimated from Poisson regression models adjusted for attained age and sex.
      RESULTS: Cumulative mean absorbed brain dose was 12 mGy (range, 0-290 mGy).
      During follow-up (median, 26.7 years), 193 technologists died of a malignant
      intracranial neoplasm. Based on models incorporating a 5-year lagged cumulative
      brain dose, cumulative brain dose was not associated with malignant intracranial
      tumor mortality (overall ERR per 100 mGy, 0.1; 95% CI, < -0.3 to 1.5). No effect
      modification was observed by sex or birth cohort. CONCLUSION: In this nationwide
      cohort of radiologic technologists, cumulative occupational radiation exposure to
      the brain was not associated with malignant intracranial tumor mortality.

PMID- 28350476
TI  - Initial Experience with "Honoring Choices Wisconsin": Implementation of an
      Advance Care Planning Pilot in a Tertiary Care Setting.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Although previous research on advance care planning (ACP) has
      associated ACP with improved quality of care at the end of life, the appropriate
      use of ACP remains limited. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the impact of a pilot program
      using the "Honoring Choices Wisconsin" (HCW) model for ACP in a tertiary care
      setting, and to understand barriers to system-wide implementation. DESIGN:
      Retrospective review of prospectively collected data. SETTING/SUBJECTS: Patients
      who received medical or surgical oncology care at Froedtert and the Medical
      College of Wisconsin. MEASUREMENTS: Patient demographics, disease
      characteristics, patient satisfaction, and clinical outcomes. RESULTS: Data from
      69 patients who died following the implementation of the HCW program were
      reviewed; 24 patients were enrolled in the HCW program while 45 were not.
      Patients enrolled in HCW were proportionally less likely to be admitted to the
      ICU (12.5% vs. 17.8%) and were more likely to be "do not resuscitate" (87.5% vs.
      80.0%), as well as have a completed ACP (83.3% vs. 79.1%). Furthermore, admission
      to a hospice was also higher among patients who were enrolled in the HCW program
      (79.2% vs. 25.6%), with patients enrolled in HCW more likely to die in hospice
      (70.8% vs. 53.3%). The HCW program was favorably viewed by patients, patient
      caregivers, and healthcare providers. CONCLUSIONS: Implementation of a
      facilitator-based ACP care model was associated with fewer ICU admissions, and a
      higher use of hospice care. System-level changes are required to overcome
      barriers to ACP that limit patients from receiving end-of-life care in accordance
      with their preferences.

PMID- 28350478
TI  - Importance of Chemical Communication in Ecology.

PMID- 28350479
TI  - Treating Sexual Side Effects from Oral Contraceptive Pills.

PMID- 28350481
TI  - A Qualitative Study of a Maintenance Support Program for Women at Risk of
      Homelessness: Part 2: Situational Factors.
AB  - People who are homeless tend to have a number of complex needs. A housing
      maintenance support program (MSP) for women from the perspectives of clients,
      case managers and health professionals within the program was explored in this
      qualitative descriptive study. Interviews were conducted, and data were analysed
      using thematic analysis. The overarching theme that emerged from the data was "A
      life-changing event: I have the power to change." This theme was supported by
      three sub-themes: personal, situational and societal dimensions. In this article,
      the sub-theme - situational factors, is presented and refers to poverty,
      resources and services, as well as social support systems. These aspects all
      impinged on the client's ability to face life changes with optimism towards a
      better future. Their experiences of disconnection with the community changed for
      the clients after being part of the MSP. The MSP enabled the clients to feel part
      of society again, and empowered them to participate in the world around them. Key
      aspects of inclusion in the world are relationships based on acceptance,
      connecting with others, being involved and creating a sense of home/community.

PMID- 28350480
TI  - Lung Cancer in Never-Smoking Women: A Sub-Analysis of the Spanish Female-Specific
      Database WORLD07.
AB  - The WORLD07 study characterizes lung cancer in Spanish women. This analysis
      investigated lung cancer features in never-smoking women. Of 2072 women
      recruited, 2035 were analyzed. Patient characteristics and demographics were
      similar for current/former smokers and never smokers. Among never smokers, 38.3%
      were exposed to passive smoking. Non-small-cell lung cancer was the most common
      type (78.8% of current/former smokers and 96.1% of never smokers) and
      adenocarcinoma the most common histology (69.1% and 83.4% respectively). There
      was a high incidence of lung cancer in Spanish never-smoking women and a high
      proportion (about 50%) had mutant epidermal growth factor receptor.

PMID- 28350482
TI  - Analysis of the Revision Process by American Journal of Roentgenology Reviewers
      and Section Editors: Metrics of Rejected Manuscripts and Their Final Disposition.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study was to evaluate metrics related to
      manuscripts rejected by AJR with and without review during 2014 and to determine
      their final disposition: no record of eventual publication, eventually published,
      published with modified authors and title, published with the same title but
      modified authors, and published with modified title but the same authors.
      MATERIALS AND METHODS: A total of 1245 unsolicited manuscripts submitted from
      January to December 2014 were included in this retrospective analysis. Data were
      extracted from the AJR's manuscript submission system. Standard statistical
      analysis was used to assess the fate of a sample of 200 rejected manuscripts.
      RESULTS: Of the 200 manuscripts studied, 117 (59%) were published in other
      scientific journals (61 with revision, 56 without revision; Chi2 = 0.329, p =
      0.566). Thirty-two of the 61 manuscripts (52%) rejected after peer review were
      later published in other journals without changes in their titles or authors, 16
      (26%) with changes only in authors, 10 (16%) with changes only in their titles,
      and three (5%) with changes in authors and titles. Twenty-six of the 56
      manuscripts (46%) rejected without peer review were published without changes in
      their titles or authors, 17 (30%) with changes in authors, 11 (20%) with changes
      only in their titles, and two (4%) with changes in both authors and titles (p =
      0.686). Ten articles were published in open access journals. Of the remaining
      articles, those that had been reviewed were published in journals with a mean
      impact factor +/- SD of 2.37 +/- 1.30, and those that had not been reviewed were
      published in journals with a mean impact factor of 2.04 +/- 1.06. Analysis of the
      25th and 75th percentiles revealed that values were also higher for the group
      rejected with review (Wilcoxon rank sum test: W = 1679, p = 0.1127). Out of 61
      articles rejected for publication with review, 52.5% were published with changes
      to their abstracts, whereas the remaining 47.5% were unchanged. CONCLUSION: This
      analysis found that manuscripts submitted to AJR that were rejected after review
      were published in journals with higher impact factors than those rejected without
      review. The commentaries provided by AJR reviewers and section editors appear to
      improve the quality of rejected manuscripts and thus contribute to the scientific
      community.

PMID- 28350483
TI  - A Qualitative Study of a Maintenance Support Program for Women at Risk of
      Homelessness: Part 1: Personal Factors.
AB  - In this article, a qualitative study of homeless women and their experiences
      attending a Maintenance Support Programme (MSP) is discussed. The overarching
      theme that emerged from the study of women in the MSP was 'A life-changing event:
      I have the power to change'. The article focuses on the first of the sub-themes:
      personal factors including: (a) health status, (b) beliefs and attitudes, (c)
      knowledge, and (d) life and interpersonal skills. Findings demonstrate the
      influence that these factors have on the capacity of homeless women to change
      their lives. The MSP was instrumental in supporting these women to manage
      personal issues, by assisting with accessing health and social services, and
      developing life skills and achieving life goals. Understanding the homeless
      women's experiences may inform the development of future programmes and services
      in order to support and empower them to break the cycle of homelessness and help
      them to lead meaningful lives within society.

PMID- 28350484
TI  - Variability in Radiation Dose From Repeat Identical CT Examinations: Longitudinal
      Analysis of 2851 Patients Undergoing 12,635 Thoracoabdominal CT Scans in an
      Academic Health System.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to conduct longitudinal analyses of
      radiation dose data from adult patients undergoing clinically indicated, repeat
      identical thoracoabdominal CT examinations. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Radiation dose
      data were electronically collected from 2851 subjects undergoing 12,635 repeat
      identical CT scans (mean number of scans per patient, 4.8; range, 2-33) in one
      health system. Included CT protocols were chest-abdomen-pelvis with contrast
      administration (n = 4621 CT studies of 1064 patients), abdomen-pelvis with
      contrast administration (n = 876 CT studies of 261 patients), renal stone (n =
      1053 CT studies of 380 patients), and chest (n = 6085 CT studies of 1146
      patients) without contrast administration. A radiation-tracking software
      infrastructure was adopted to extract data from DICOM headers in PACS. Size
      specific dose estimate (SSDE) was calculated. RESULTS: A trend was observed
      toward global reduction in SSDE values with all protocols investigated (chest
      abdomen-pelvis slope, -1.78; abdomen-pelvis slope, -0.82; renal stone slope, 
      0.83; chest slope, -0.47; p < 0.001 for all comparisons). The intraindividual
      analyses of radiation dose distribution showed widespread variability in SSDE
      values across the four protocols investigated (chest-abdomen-pelvis mean
      coefficient of variance, 14.02 mGy; abdomen-pelvis mean coefficient of variance,
      10.26 mGy; renal stone mean coefficient of variance, 34.18 mGy; chest mean
      coefficient of variance, 6.74 mGy). CONCLUSION: Although there is a trend toward
      global reduction in radiation doses, this study showed widespread variability in
      the radiation dose that each patient undergoing identical repeat thoracoabdominal
      CT protocols absorbs. These data may provide a foundation for the future
      development of best-practice guidelines for patient-specific radiation dose
      monitoring.

PMID- 28350485
TI  - CT Findings, Radiologic-Pathologic Correlation, and Imaging Predictors of
      Survival for Patients With Interstitial Pneumonia With Autoimmune Features.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study is to determine the CT findings and
      patterns of interstitial pneumonia with autoimmune features (IPAF) and to assess
      whether imaging can predict survival for patients with IPAF. MATERIALS AND
      METHODS: The study included 136 subjects who met the criteria for IPAF and had
      diagnostic-quality chest CT scans obtained from 2006 to 2015; a total of 74 of
      these subjects had pathologic samples available for review within 1 year of chest
      CT examination. CT findings and the presence of an usual interstitial pneumonitis
      (UIP) pattern of disease were assessed, as was the UIP pattern noted on
      pathologic analysis. Analysis of chest CT findings associated with survival was
      performed using standard univariate and multivariate Cox proportional hazards
      methods as well as the unadjusted log-rank test. Survival data were visually
      presented using the Kaplan-Meier survival curve estimator. RESULTS: Most subjects
      with IPAF (57.4%; 78/136) had a high-confidence diagnosis of a UIP pattern on CT.
      Substantially fewer subjects (28.7%; 39/136) had a pattern that was inconsistent
      with UIP noted on CT. The presence of a UIP pattern on CT was associated with
      smoking (p < 0.01), male sex (p < 0.01), and older age (p < 0.001). Approximately
      one-fourth of the subjects had a nonspecific interstitial pneumonitis pattern on
      CT. Of interest, nearly one-tenth of the subjects had a CT pattern that was most
      consistent with hypersensitivity pneumonitis rather than the customary CT
      patterns ascribed to lung disease resulting from connective tissue disease. Most
      subjects with a possible UIP pattern on CT (83.3%) had UIP diagnosed on the basis
      of pathologic findings. Focused multivariate analysis showed that honeycombing on
      CT (hazard ratio, 2.17; 95% CI, 1.05-4.47) and pulmonary artery enlargement on CT
      (hazard ratio, 2.08; 95% CI, 1.02-4.20) were independent predictors of survival.
      CONCLUSION: IPAF most often presents with a UIP pattern on CT and is associated
      with worse survival when concomitant honeycombing or pulmonary artery enlargement
      is present.

PMID- 28350486
TI  - Predictive Clinicopathologic and Dynamic Contrast-Enhanced MRI Findings for Tumor
      Response to Neoadjuvant Chemotherapy in Triple-Negative Breast Cancer.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study is to investigate whether clinicopathologic
      factors and dynamic contrast-enhanced MRI (DCE-MRI) features are associated with
      pathologic tumor response to neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC) in patients with
      triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC). MATERIALS AND METHODS: Seventy-three
      patients with TNBC who underwent pre-NAC MRI, completed NAC, and underwent
      surgery between January 2009 and December 2010 were included in the study. MRI
      features and clinicopathologic factors for predicting pathologic responses were
      analyzed, and residual tumor sizes, as measured using MRI and surgical specimens,
      were evaluated. RESULTS: Of 73 study patients, 20 (27%) had a pathologic complete
      response (pCR). Homogeneous enhancement on pre-NAC MRI (odds ratio from
      multivariate analysis, 14.66) and a concentric shrinkage pattern of tumor volume
      reduction on post-NAC MRI (odds ratio, 8.63) were independently associated with
      pCR. Residual tumor sizes, as measured using MRI and surgical specimens, showed a
      strong correlation (r = 0.652, p < 0.001). The correlation for residual tumor
      sizes was stronger for patients with pCR (r = 0.600, p < 0.001) and those with a
      concentric shrinkage pattern (r = 0.818, p < 0.001) than for patients with a
      response other than near pCR or pCR (i.e., the non-pCR group) (r = -0.128, p =
      0.590) and patients with a dendritic shrinkage pattern of tumor volume reduction
      (r = 0.270, p = 0.182). CONCLUSION: Homogeneous enhancement of tumors on pre-NAC
      MRI and the presence of a concentric shrinkage pattern after NAC are associated
      with pCR in patients with TNBC. Residual tumor sizes on MRI and surgical
      specimens tended to show a stronger correlation in the pCR group or the
      concentric shrinkage group than in the non-pCR group or the dendritic shrinkage
      group.

PMID- 28350487
TI  - Epidemiology and Outcomes of Lisfranc Injuries Identified at the National
      Football League Scouting Combine.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Lisfranc injuries are challenging to treat and may have a detrimental
      effect on athletic performance. PURPOSE: (1) Determine the epidemiological
      characteristics of Lisfranc injuries at the annual National Football League (NFL)
      Scouting Combine, (2) define player positions at risk for these injuries, and (3)
      evaluate the impact that these injuries and radiographic findings have on NFL
      draft position and performance. STUDY DESIGN: Cohort study; Level of evidence, 3.
      METHODS: All players who sustained a Lisfranc injury prior to Combine evaluation
      between 2009 and 2015 were evaluated. The epidemiological characteristics, player
      positions affected, treatment methods, and number of missed collegiate games were
      recorded. Radiographic outcomes were analyzed via Combine radiograph findings,
      while NFL performance outcomes were assessed for all Lisfranc injuries (2009
      2013) compared with matched controls in the first 2 years of play. RESULTS: A
      total of 41 of 2162 (1.8%) Combine participants were identified with Lisfranc
      injuries, of whom 26 of 41 (63.4%) were managed operatively. Players who
      underwent surgery were more likely to go undrafted compared with players managed
      nonoperatively (38.5% vs 13.3%, operative vs nonoperative management,
      respectively; P = .04) and featured a worse NFL draft pick position (155.6 vs
      109; P = .03). Lisfranc-injured players when compared with controls were noted to
      have worse outcomes in terms of NFL draft position (142 vs 111.3, Lisfranc
      injured players vs controls, respectively; P = .04), NFL career length 2 years or
      longer (62.5% vs 69.6%; P = .23), and number of games played (16.9 vs 23.3; P =
      .001) and started (6.8 vs 10.5; P = .08) within the first 2 years of their NFL
      career. Radiographs demonstrated that 17 of 41 (41.5%) athletes had residual
      Lisfranc joint displacement greater than 2 mm compared with the contralateral
      foot. Lisfranc-injured athletes with greater than 2 mm residual displacement,
      when compared with matched controls, had worse draft position (156.9 vs 111.2 for
      Lisfranc-injured players vs controls, respectively; P = .009) and fewer games
      played (14.4 vs 23.3; P = .001) and started (3.1 vs 10.5; P = .03). Moreover,
      athletes with greater than 2 mm residual displacement featured worse outcomes
      across all assessed NFL variables versus athletes with residual displacement of 2
      mm or less. CONCLUSION: Lisfranc injuries identified at the NFL Combine have an
      adverse effect on an NFL athlete's draft status, draft position, and overall play
      during initial NFL seasons. In particular, residual displacement of the Lisfranc
      joint has a detrimental effect on the first 2 seasons of NFL play and may lead to
      long-lasting negative effects on the athlete's career.

PMID- 28350488
TI  - Effect of Supplemental Trace Minerals on Hsp-70 mRNA Expression in Commercial
      Broiler Chicken.
AB  - The effects of supplementing the organic forms of selenium (Se), chromium (Cr),
      and zinc (Zn) on Hsp-70 mRNA expression and body weight in broiler chickens were
      evaluated. 200 chicks were equally distributed into stainless steel battery
      brooders at the rate of 5 birds per pen and reared under heat stress condition up
      to 42nd day. The chicks were fed with three experimental diets supplemented with
      organic forms of Se (0.30 mg/kg), Cr (2 mg/kg), and Zn (40 mg/kg) during the
      starter and finisher phases and a control diet without any supplementation. On
      the 21st and 42nd day, 20 birds from each period were sacrificed and samples were
      collected for analysis. Organic Se, Cr, and Zn supplementation significantly (P <
      0.05) reduced the expression of Hsp-70 mRNA levels. The Hsp-70 mRNA expression
      levels were significantly (P < 0.05) different between the tissues studied with
      spleen having the lowest expression level. Hsp-70 mRNA expression level was not
      affected by age of the birds. The study concluded that organic trace mineral
      (oTM) supplementation resulted in low Hsp-70 mRNA expression, indicating reduced
      heat stress in broilers.

PMID- 28350489
TI  - Redescription and Molecular Assessment of Relationships Among Three Species of
      Echeneibothrium (Rhinebothriidea: Echeneibothriidae) Parasitizing the Yellownose
      Skate, Dipturus chilensis, in Chile.
AB  - Much progress has recently been made in revising the taxonomic assignments of
      genera originally classified in the polyphyletic "Tetraphyllidea." Many of these
      genera, including Echeneibothrium, were accommodated in the order
      Rhinebothriidea. However, beyond this larger taxonomic action, little work has
      been conducted on this genus over the past 50 yr. Consequently, the criteria used
      for characterizing species of Echeneibothrium have lagged behind those typically
      used in more modern descriptions of elasmobranch-hosted cestode taxa. A series of
      collecting trips to Chile to obtain cestodes from the yellownose skate, Dipturus
      chilensis , provided a unique opportunity to apply modern morphological and
      molecular methods to investigate the 3 species of Echeneibothrium reported
      parasitizing this skate, specifically Echeneibothrium megalosoma, Echeneibothrium
      multiloculatum, and Echeneibothrium williamsi. In addition to redescribing all 3
      species, using morphological data from light and scanning electron microscopy,
      maximum likelihood and bayesian inference phylogenetic analyses of the D1-D3
      regions of the 28S rDNA gene were conducted to assess their relationships among
      other echeneibothriids for which comparable data are available. Sequencing of 59
      specimens representing these 3 species of Echeneibothrium allowed us to assess
      the intra- and interspecific variation in the 28S rDNA gene. The redescriptions
      use standardized terminology for scolex morphology, proglottid anatomy, and
      microthrix forms and pattern; they also expand on the original descriptions to
      include data on scolex size, ovary size, vas deferens and vaginal configurations,
      testes arrangement, and genital pore position. Our morphological work led to a
      major reinterpretation of the scolex morphology with the recognition that all 3
      species bear an apical bothridial sucker, rather than an apical loculus,
      prompting emendation of the diagnosis for the family Echeneibothriidae. The
      presence of a band of spinitriches at the apex of the apical modification of the
      scolex proper seems to represent an important feature for distinguishing the 2
      portions of the myzorhynchus across species. Intraspecific variation ranged from
      0 to 7 bp across species and interspecific variation ranged from a low of 39-46
      bp between E. williamsi and E. multiloculatum to a high of 61-66 bp between E.
      multiloculatum and E. megalosoma. Phylogenetic analyses indicate that the 3
      species of Echeneibothrium hosted by the yellownose skate are not each other's
      closest relatives, suggesting multiple colonization events of D. chilensis have
      occurred. Further phylogenetic investigation is also likely to confirm the status
      of the genus Pseudanthobothrium as a synonym of Echeneibothrium because its
      species generally group among members of Echeneibothrium.

PMID- 28350490
TI  - Single Center Experience on Anatomy-and Histopathology-Based Gastric Cancer
      Molecular Classification.
AB  - We analyzed the clinical utility of molecular classification based on anatomical
      and histological background. The study was conducted on 457 patients treated for
      gastric cancer with additional information about microsatellite instability
      status. We divided the patients in three groups of molecular classification based
      on anatomical and histological background: proximal non-diffused, diffused, and
      distal non-diffused groups. These groups varied in terms of clinical and
      pathological factors as well as survival rates. The molecular classification
      based on anatomical and histological data seems to be a useful tool in a simple
      classification of gastric cancer.

PMID- 28350491
TI  - Liver-Directed Therapy for Hepatocellular Carcinoma: An Overview of Techniques,
      Outcomes, and Posttreatment Imaging Findings.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: The purposes of this article are to describe the indications,
      techniques, and results of arterially directed therapies and ablation and to
      review the imaging assessment of response and complications. CONCLUSION: Most
      patients with hepatocellular carcinoma are not eligible for surgery, and systemic
      treatments are suboptimal. Therefore, locoregional therapy plays a large role in
      this disease. Locoregional therapies include arterially directed therapies,
      ablation, and radiation therapy.

PMID- 28350492
TI  - Addressing Stillbirth in India Must Include Men.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Millennium Development Goal 4, to reduce child mortality, can only be
      achieved by reducing stillbirths globally. A confluence of medical and
      sociocultural factors contribute to the high stillbirth rates in India. The
      psychosocial aftermath of stillbirth is a well-documented public health problem,
      though less is known of the experience for men, particularly outside of the
      Western context. Therefore, men's perceptions and knowledge regarding
      reproductive health, as well as maternal-child health are important. METHODS: Key
      informant interviews (n = 5) were analyzed and 28 structured interviews were
      conducted using a survey based on qualitative themes. RESULTS: Qualitative themes
      included men's dual burden and right to medical and reproductive decision making
      power. Wives were discouraged from expressing grief and pushed to conceive again.
      If not successful, particularly if a son was not conceived, a second wife was
      considered a solution. Quantitative data revealed that men with a history of
      stillbirths had greater anxiety and depression, perceived less social support,
      but had more egalitarian views towards women than men without stillbirth
      experience. At the same time fathers of stillbirths were more likely to be
      emotionally or physically abusive. Predictors of mental health, attitudes towards
      women, and perceived support are discussed. CONCLUSIONS: Patriarchal societal
      values, son preference, deficient women's autonomy, and sex-selective abortion
      perpetuate the risk for future poor infant outcomes, including stillbirth, and
      compounds the already higher risk of stillbirth for males. Grief interventions
      should explore and take into account men's perceptions, attitudes, and behaviors
      towards reproductive decision making.

PMID- 28350493
TI  - Fitness Consequences of Boldness in Juvenile and Adult Largemouth Bass.
AB  - To date, most studies investigating the relationship between personality traits
      and fitness have focused on a single measure of fitness (such as survival) at a
      specific life stage. However, many personality traits likely have multiple
      effects on fitness, potentially operating across different functional contexts
      and stages of development. Here, we address the fitness consequences of boldness,
      under seminatural conditions, across life stages and functional contexts in
      largemouth bass (Micropterus salmoides). Specifically, we report the effect of
      boldness on (1) juvenile survivorship in an outdoor pond containing natural prey
      and predators and (2) adult reproductive success in three outdoor ponds across
      three reproductive seasons (years). Juvenile survival was negatively affected by
      boldness, with bolder juveniles having a lower probability of survival than shyer
      juveniles. In contrast, bolder adult male bass had greater reproductive success
      than their shyer male counterparts. Female reproductive success was not affected
      by boldness. These findings demonstrate that boldness can affect fitness
      differently across life stages. Further, boldness was highly consistent across
      years and significantly heritable, which suggests that boldness has a genetic
      component. Thus, our results support theory suggesting that fitness trade-offs
      across life stages may contribute to the maintenance of personality variation
      within populations.

PMID- 28350494
TI  - Expanding the Link between Out-Group Threats and In-Group Behavior: (A Reply to
      Kavaliers and Choleris).
AB  - In social species, groups and their members face a variety of threats from
      conspecific outsiders. Such out-group conflict is predicted to influence within
      group behavior, with empirical work demonstrating this link in humans, primates,
      and birds. In our note "Out-Group Threat Promotes Within-Group Affiliation in a
      Cooperative Fish," appearing in The American Naturalist in February 2016, we
      provided experimental evidence that simulated territorial intrusions result in
      subsequent increases in affiliation among groupmates in a cichlid fish
      (Neolamprologus pulcher). Martin Kavaliers and Elena Choleris, in their comment
      "Out-Group Threat Responses, In-Group Bias, and Nonapeptide Involvement Are
      Conserved Across Vertebrates," appearing in this issue, commented on our cichlid
      fish article; they consider the conserved nature of the link between out-group
      threat and in-group behavior and bias in vertebrates, the influence of pathogens
      in the process, and the potential underpinning hormonal mechanisms. Here, we
      provide clarification and expansion of some of the core points that are discussed
      in the comment by Kavaliers and Choleris.

PMID- 28350495
TI  - Out-Group Threat Responses, In-Group Bias, and Nonapeptide Involvement Are
      Conserved across Vertebrates: (A Comment on Bruintjes et al., "Out-Group Threat
      Promotes Within-Group Affiliation in a Cooperative Fish").
AB  - The challenges and threats posed by out-groups have major effects on human social
      behavior and how individuals interact with one another. We briefly review
      evidence here that out-group threat similarly affects nonhuman animal behavior.
      Actual and potential threats posed by out-group individuals (unfamiliar and
      genetically nonrelated individuals of the same species) affect social behavior
      promoting "out-group" avoidance and "in-group" bias and enhancing in-group
      (familiar and/or genetically related individuals) affiliation and interactions.
      Individuals from out-groups present risks of pathogen exposure as well as being
      threats to resources, territory, and offspring. All of these threats function to
      promote in-group bias in humans and nonhumans. There are also striking
      similarities in the underlying neurobiological mechanisms mediating the responses
      to out-group threat and the expression of in-group bias. In particular, the
      evolutionarily conserved, hormone-regulated nonapeptide systems (oxytocin,
      arginine-vasopressin, and homologous neuropeptides and their receptors) are
      involved in the mediation of the detection and avoidance of out-groups and
      response to in-groups and facilitation of in-group responses across multiple
      vertebrate species. Consequently, comparative investigations of both the
      behavioral expression of and the mechanism underlying out-group avoidance and in
      group bias are necessary for a full understanding of the evolution of social
      behavior and responses to in- and out-groups.

PMID- 28350496
TI  - Fundamental Theorems of Evolution.
AB  - Evolutionary biology is undergirded by an extensive and impressive set of
      mathematical models. Yet only one result, Fisher's theorem about selection and
      fitness, is generally accorded the status of a fundamental theorem. I argue that
      although its fundamental status is justified by its simplicity and scope, there
      are additional results that seem similarly fundamental. I suggest that the most
      fundamental theorem of evolution is the Price equation, both because of its
      simplicity and broad scope and because it can be used to derive four other
      familiar results that are similarly fundamental: Fisher's average-excess
      equation, Robertson's secondary theorem of natural selection, the breeder's
      equation, and Fisher's fundamental theorem. These derivations clarify both the
      relationships behind these results and their assumptions. Slightly less
      fundamental results include those for multivariate evolution and social
      selection. A key feature of fundamental theorems is that they have great
      simplicity and scope, which are often achieved by sacrificing perfect accuracy.
      Quantitative genetics has been more productive of fundamental theorems than
      population genetics, probably because its empirical focus on unknown genotypes
      freed it from the tyranny of detail and allowed it to focus on general issues.

PMID- 28350497
TI  - Clines Arc through Multivariate Morphospace.
AB  - Evolutionary biologists typically represent clines as spatial gradients in a
      univariate character (or a principal-component axis) whose mean changes as a
      function of location along a transect spanning an environmental gradient or
      ecotone. This univariate approach may obscure the multivariate nature of
      phenotypic evolution across a landscape. Clines might instead be plotted as a
      series of vectors in multidimensional morphospace, connecting sequential
      geographic sites. We present a model showing that clines may trace nonlinear
      paths that arc through morphospace rather than elongating along a single major
      trajectory. Arcing clines arise because different characters diverge at different
      rates or locations along a geographic transect. We empirically confirm that some
      clines arc through morphospace, using morphological data from threespine
      stickleback sampled along eight independent transects from lakes down their
      respective outlet streams. In all eight clines, successive vectors of lake-stream
      divergence fluctuate in direction and magnitude in trait space, rather than
      pointing along a single phenotypic axis. Most clines exhibit surprisingly
      irregular directions of divergence as one moves downstream, although a few clines
      exhibit more directional arcs through morphospace. Our results highlight the
      multivariate complexity of clines that cannot be captured with the traditional
      graphical framework. We discuss hypotheses regarding the causes, and
      implications, of such arcing multivariate clines.

PMID- 28350498
TI  - Evolutionary Assembly of Communities in Butterfly Mimicry Rings.
AB  - Species co-occurrence in ecological communities is thought to be influenced by
      multiple ecological and evolutionary processes, especially colonization and
      competition. However, effects of other interspecific interactions and
      evolutionary relationships are less explored. We examined evolutionary histories
      of community members and roles of mutualistic and parasitic interactions
      (Mullerian and Batesian mimicry, respectively) in the assembly of mimetic
      butterfly communities called mimicry rings in tropical forests of the Western
      Ghats, India. We found that Mullerian mimics were phylogenetically clustered,
      sharing aposematic signals due to common ancestry. On the other hand, Batesian
      mimics joined mimicry rings through convergent evolution and random phylogenetic
      assembly. Since the Western Ghats are a habitat island, we compared species
      diversity and composition in its mimicry rings with those of habitat mainland to
      test effects of biogeographic connectivity. The Western Ghats consisted of fewer
      mimicry rings and an overall smaller number of aposematic species and mimics
      compared to habitat mainland. The depauperate mimicry rings in the Western Ghats
      could have resulted from stochastic processes, reflecting their long temporal and
      spatial isolation and trickling colonization by the mimetic butterfly
      communities. These results highlight how evolutionary history, biogeographic
      isolation, and stochastic colonization influence the evolutionary assembly and
      diversity of ecological communities.

PMID- 28350499
TI  - Determining Selection across Heterogeneous Landscapes: A Perturbation-Based
      Method and Its Application to Modeling Evolution in Space.
AB  - Spatial structure can decisively influence the way evolutionary processes unfold.
      To date, several methods have been used to study evolution in spatial systems,
      including population genetics, quantitative genetics, moment-closure
      approximations, and individual-based models. Here we extend the study of spatial
      evolutionary dynamics to eco-evolutionary models based on reaction-diffusion
      equations and adaptive dynamics. Specifically, we derive expressions for the
      strength of directional and stabilizing/disruptive selection that apply both in
      continuous space and to metacommunities with symmetrical dispersal between
      patches. For directional selection on a quantitative trait, this yields a way to
      integrate local directional selection across space and determine whether the
      trait value will increase or decrease. The robustness of this prediction is
      validated against quantitative genetics. For stabilizing/disruptive selection, we
      show that spatial heterogeneity always contributes to disruptive selection and
      hence always promotes evolutionary branching. The expression for directional
      selection is numerically very efficient and hence lends itself to simulation
      studies of evolutionary community assembly. We illustrate the application and
      utility of the expressions for this purpose with two examples of the evolution of
      resource utilization. Finally, we outline the domain of applicability of reaction
      diffusion equations as a modeling framework and discuss their limitations.

PMID- 28350500
TI  - Local Adaptation Interacts with Expansion Load during Range Expansion:
      Maladaptation Reduces Expansion Load.
AB  - The biotic and abiotic factors that facilitate or hinder species range expansions
      are many and complex. We examine the impact of two genetic processes and their
      interaction on fitness at expanding range edges: local maladaptation resulting
      from the presence of an environmental gradient and expansion load resulting from
      increased genetic drift at the range edge. Results from spatially explicit
      simulations indicate that the presence of an environmental gradient during range
      expansion reduces expansion load; conversely, increasing expansion load allows
      only locally adapted populations to persist at the range edge. Increased
      maladaptation reduces the speed of range expansion, resulting in less genetic
      drift at the expanding front and more immigration from the range center,
      therefore reducing expansion load at the range edge. These results may have
      ramifications for species being forced to shift their ranges because of climate
      change or other anthropogenic changes. If rapidly changing climate leads to
      faster expansion as populations track their shifting climatic optima, populations
      may suffer increased expansion load beyond previous expectations.

PMID- 28350501
TI  - Trophic Strategies of Unicellular Plankton.
AB  - Unicellular plankton employ trophic strategies ranging from pure photoautotrophs
      over mixotrophy to obligate heterotrophs (phagotrophs), with cell sizes from 10-8
      to 1 MUg C. A full understanding of how trophic strategy and cell size depend on
      resource environment and predation is lacking. To this end, we develop and
      calibrate a trait-based model for unicellular planktonic organisms characterized
      by four traits: cell size and investments in phototrophy, nutrient uptake, and
      phagotrophy. We use the model to predict how optimal trophic strategies depend on
      cell size under various environmental conditions, including seasonal succession.
      We identify two mixotrophic strategies: generalist mixotrophs investing in all
      three investment traits and obligate mixotrophs investing only in phototrophy and
      phagotrophy. We formulate two conjectures: (1) most cells are limited by organic
      carbon; however, small unicellulars are colimited by organic carbon and
      nutrients, and only large photoautotrophs and smaller mixotrophs are nutrient
      limited; (2) trophic strategy is bottom-up selected by the environment, while
      optimal size is top-down selected by predation. The focus on cell size and
      trophic strategies facilitates general insights into the strategies of a broad
      class of organisms in the size range from micrometers to millimeters that
      dominate the primary and secondary production of the world's oceans.

PMID- 28350502
TI  - Complex Relationships between Competing Guilds along Large-Scale Environmental
      Gradients.
AB  - Despite much research over the past 30 years, there is still little general
      understanding of how the outcomes of interactions vary along environmental
      gradients, particularly at large geographic scales. A simple expectation is that
      decreasing environmental quality should reduce densities of competitors and hence
      the effects of competition should weaken in poorer environments. A
      counterintuitive consequence is that associations between densities of
      competitors might change from negative to positive as environments decrease in
      quality. Here we test these predictions in a set of vascular plant communities
      where perennial species share space and resources with less competitive annuals.
      We surveyed nine gray dune communities annually for 5 years along a cross
      European latitudinal gradient of habitat quality. We find that densities of
      annual and perennial species are negatively correlated at the high-quality end of
      the gradient, while at the low-quality end, guild densities are uncorrelated or
      positively correlated, consistent with a weakening of competition linked to
      increasing environmental limitations. Our results suggest that even simple
      interactions can give rise to nonobvious changes in species associations along
      environmental gradients. They highlight that understanding the outcome of species
      interactions may require explicit characterization of their changing intensity
      with environmental quality and that the factors limiting species' codistribution
      can vary along environmental gradients.

PMID- 28350504
TI  - Royal Darwinian Demons: Enforced Changes in Reproductive Efforts Do Not Affect
      the Life Expectancy of Ant Queens.
AB  - One of the central tenets of life-history theory is that organisms cannot
      simultaneously maximize all fitness components. This results in the fundamental
      trade-off between reproduction and life span known from numerous animals,
      including humans. Social insects are a well-known exception to this rule:
      reproductive queens outlive nonreproductive workers. Here, we take a step forward
      and show that under identical social and environmental conditions the fecundity
      longevity trade-off is absent also within the queen caste. A change in
      reproduction did not alter life expectancy, and even a strong enforced increase
      in reproductive efforts did not reduce residual life span. Generally, egg-laying
      rate and life span were positively correlated. Queens of perennial social insects
      thus seem to maximize at the same time two fitness parameters that are normally
      negatively correlated. Even though they are not immortal, they best approach a
      hypothetical "Darwinian demon" in the animal kingdom.

PMID- 28350503
TI  - A Novel, Enigmatic Basal Leafflower Moth Lineage Pollinating a Derived Leafflower
      Host Illustrates the Dynamics of Host Shifts, Partner Replacement, and Apparent
      Coadaptation in Intimate Mutualisms.
AB  - Leafflower plant/leafflower moth brood pollination mutualisms are widespread in
      the Paleotropics. Leafflower moths pollinate leafflower plants, but their larvae
      consume a subset of the hosts' seeds. These interactions are highly
      phylogenetically constrained: six clades of leafflower plants are each associated
      with a unique clade of leafflower moths (Epicephala). Here, we report a
      previously unrecognized basal seventh pollinating Epicephala lineage-associated
      with the highly derived leafflower clade Glochidion-in Asia. Epicephala
      lanceolaria is a pollinator and seed predator of Glochidion lanceolarium.
      Phylogenetic inference indicates that the ancestor of E. lanceolaria most likely
      shifted onto the ancestor of G. lanceolarium and displaced the ancestral
      allospecific Epicephala pollinator in at least some host populations. The unusual
      and apparently coadapted aspects of the G. lanceolarium/E. lanceolaria
      reproductive cycles suggest that plant-pollinator coevolution may have played a
      role in this displacement and provide insights into the dynamics of host shifts
      and trait coevolution in this specialized mutualism.

PMID- 28350506
TI  - Honorary Lifetime Membership Award: Johanna Schmitt.

PMID- 28350505
TI  - Maladaptation to Acute Metal Exposure in Resurrected Daphnia ambigua Clones after
      Decades of Increasing Contamination.
AB  - Human environmental impacts have driven some of the strongest and fastest
      phenotypic changes recorded in wild animal populations. Across populations, this
      variation is often adaptive, because populations evolve fitness advantages in
      response to human-modified environments. Yet some populations fail to adapt to
      changing environments. Evidenced by declines in relative fitness, such seemingly
      maladaptive outcomes are less common but may be more likely in human-modified
      contexts. Further, our ability to investigate the dynamics of these adaptive and
      maladaptive responses over time is typically limited in natural systems. I
      combined resurrection ecology and paleolimnology approaches to examine
      evolutionary responses of the freshwater zooplankter Daphnia to exposure to heavy
      metal contamination over the past 50-75 years, using animals hatched from
      diapausing egg banks. In contrast to the predicted trend of adaptation to metal
      exposure over time, I observed an increase in sensitivity to both copper and
      cadmium exposure associated with increasing historic contamination. This
      potentially maladaptive trend occurred in Daphnia populations in three lakes.
      Given that the release of toxicants such as heavy metals is widespread and that
      other researchers have observed local maladaptation to toxicant exposure, it is
      important to understand the drivers and implications of this pattern.

PMID- 28350507
TI  - Portrait of an optimist.

PMID- 28350508
TI  - Role of Nutrition Support in Inflammatory Conditions [Formula: see text].
AB  - This review intends to summarize recent development on the potential nutrition
      implications of acute inflammation encountered during critical illness. Different
      aspects of the inflammatory response and their impact on nutrition management
      during critical illness will be discussed: the timing of the postinjury metabolic
      response, the integration of regulatory mechanisms involved in the metabolic
      response to stress, the oxidative stress, the metabolic and clinical consequences
      in terms of energy expenditure, use of energy, changes in body composition, and
      behavior.

PMID- 28350510
TI  - A Qualitative Study of a Maintenance Support Program for Women at Risk of
      Homelessness: Part 3: Societal Factors.
AB  - Homelessness is a collective societal problem, and people who are homeless are
      often treated as society's underclass, stigmatised and excluded. These issues are
      often exacerbated among homeless people from countries other than the one in
      which they are currently living. In this article we report findings from a
      qualitative study of homeless women, case managers and health professionals from
      a Maintenance Support Program and their personal accounts and insights into their
      experiences of the program. This article presents the third and last sub-theme
      "societal factors" of the study where the overarching theme was "A life-changing
      event: I have the power to change." This sub-theme is supported by three
      categories including gender, race and ethnicity, and environment. The findings
      highlight the impact of the societal factors that linked women's experiences with
      domestic violence and abuse. Further cultural views regarding the role of women
      in society hinder their capacity to recognise that they should not be treated
      differently and that they should be supported to access health and social
      services to improve their lives in a safe and supportive environment.

PMID- 28350509
TI  - Epstein-Barr virus and its association with Fascin expression in colorectal
      cancers in the Syrian population: A tissue microarray study.
AB  - Colorectal cancer (CRC) is the third most common malignancy in both men and women
      worldwide. Colorectal carcinogenesis is a complex, multistep process involving
      environmental and lifestyle features as well as sequential genetic changes in
      addition to bacterial and viral infections. Viral infection has a proven role in
      the incidence of approximately 20% of human cancers including gastric
      malignancies. Accordingly, Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) has been recently shown to be
      present in human gastric cancers, which could play an important role in the
      initiation and progression of these cancers. Therefore, this work explores the
      prevalence of EBV in 102 CRC tissues from the Syrian population using polymerase
      chain reaction (PCR) and tissue microarray (TMA) analysis. We found that EBV is
      present in 37 (36.27%) of CRC samples. Additionally, the expression of LMP1 onco
      protein of EBV was found to be correlated with Fascin expression/overexpression
      in the majority of CRC tissue samples, which are intermediate/high grade invasive
      carcinomas. Our data indicate that EBV is present in CRC and its presence is
      associated with more aggressive cancer phenotype. Consequently, future
      investigations are needed to expose the role of EBV in CRC initiation and
      progression.

PMID- 28350511
TI  - Design, construction, and evaluation of "sensor lock": an electromechanical
      stance control knee joint.
AB  - BACKGROUND AND AIM: Most currently-available stance control knee ankle foot
      orthoses (SCKAFOs) still need full knee extension to lock the knee joint, and
      they are still noisy, bulky, and heavy. Therefore, the aim of this study was to
      design, construct, and evaluate an original electromechanical SCKAFO knee joint
      that could feasibly solve these problems, and thus address the problems of
      current stance control knee joints with regards to their structure, function,
      cosmesis, and cost. METHOD: Ten able-bodied (AB) participants and two (knee ankle
      foot orthosis) KAFO users were recruited to participate in the study. A custom
      SCKAFO with the same set of components was constructed for each participant.
      Lower limb kinematics were captured using a 6-camera, video-based motion analysis
      system. RESULTS: For AB participants, significant differences were found between
      normal walking and walking with the SCKAFO for temporal-spatial parameters and
      between orthoses with two modes of knee joints in the healthy subjects. Walking
      with stance control mode produced greater walking speed and step length, greater
      knee flexion during swing, and less pelvic obliquity than walking with a locked
      knee, for both AB and KAFO users. CONCLUSIONS: The feasibility of this new knee
      joint with AB people was demonstrated. Implications for rehabilitation Stance
      control knee ankle foot orthoses (SCKAFOs) are designed to stop knee flexion in
      stance phase and provide free knee movement during swing phase of walking. Due to
      their high cost, size, excessive weight, and poor performance, few SCKAFO were
      optimal clinically and commercially. The feasibility of the new knee joint with
      able-bodied people and poliomyelitis subjects was demonstrated.

PMID- 28350512
TI  - High prevalence of prion protein genotype associated with resistance to chronic
      wasting disease in one Alberta woodland caribou population.
AB  - Chronic wasting disease (CWD) is a prion disease found in deer, elk and moose in
      North America and since recently, wild reindeer in Norway. Caribou are at-risk to
      encounter CWD in areas such as Alberta, Canada, where the disease spreads toward
      caribou habitats. CWD susceptibility is modulated by species-specific
      polymorphisms in the prion protein gene (Prnp). We sequenced Prnp of woodland
      caribou from 9 Albertan populations. In one population (Chinchaga) a
      significantly higher frequency of the 138N allele linked to reduced CWD
      susceptibility was observed. These data are relevant for developing CWD
      management strategies including conservation of threatened caribou populations.

PMID- 28350514
TI  - Brachytherapy for Patients With Prostate Cancer: American Society of Clinical
      Oncology/Cancer Care Ontario Joint Guideline Update Summary.

PMID- 28350513
TI  - Molecular Biomarkers for the Evaluation of Colorectal Cancer: Guideline Summary
      From the American Society for Clinical Pathology, College of American
      Pathologists, Association for Molecular Pathology, and American Society of
      Clinical Oncology.

PMID- 28350515
TI  - International Association for Hospice and Palliative Care Response Regarding
      Voluntary Cessation of Food and Water.

PMID- 28350516
TI  - Relationship Between Preoperative Extrusion of the Medial Meniscus and Surgical
      Outcomes After Partial Meniscectomy.
AB  - BACKGROUND: No previous study has examined arthritic change after meniscectomy
      with regard to extrusion of the medial meniscus. PURPOSE: (1) To determine the
      factors related to preoperative meniscal extrusion; (2) to investigate the
      relationship between medial meniscal extrusion and postoperative outcomes of
      partial meniscectomy, and to identify a cutoff point of meniscal extrusion that
      contributes to arthritic change after partial meniscectomy in nonosteoarthritic
      knees. STUDY DESIGN: Cohort study; Level of evidence, 3. METHODS: A total of 208
      patients who underwent partial meniscectomy of the medial meniscus between
      January 2000 and September 2006 were retrospectively reviewed. The extent of
      extrusion and severity of degeneration of the medial meniscus as shown on
      preoperative MRI were evaluated. The minimum follow-up duration was 7 years.
      Clinical function was assessed with the Lysholm knee scoring scale, the
      International Knee Documentation Committee (IKDC) subjective knee evaluation
      form, and the Tapper and Hoover grading system. Radiological evaluation was
      conducted by use of the IKDC radiographic assessment scale. Regression analysis
      was performed to identify factors affecting preoperative extrusion of the medial
      meniscus and factors influencing follow-up results after partial meniscectomy.
      Receiver operating characteristic curve was used to identify a cutoff point for
      the extent of meniscal extrusion that was associated with arthritic change.
      RESULTS: The mean +/- SD preoperative Lysholm knee score was 65.0 +/- 6.3 and the
      mean IKDC subjective score was 60.1 +/- 7.5. The mean follow-up functional scores
      were 93.2 +/- 5.1 ( P < .001) for the Lysholm knee score and 89.0 +/- 6.2 for the
      IKDC subjective score ( P < .001). Preoperative extent of meniscal degeneration (
      P < .001) and preoperative pattern of meniscal tear ( P < .001) were related to
      preoperative meniscal extrusion. Preoperative extrusion of the meniscus showed a
      tendency to increase as the extent of intrameniscal degeneration increased, and
      the medial meniscus was extruded more in patients with horizontal, horizontal
      flap, and complex tears. The preoperative extent of meniscal extrusion had a
      statistically significant correlation with follow-up Lysholm knee score
      (coefficient = -0.10, P = .002), IKDC subjective score (coefficient = -0.09, P =
      .007), Tapper and Hoover grade (odds ratio = 1.05, P < .001), and IKDC
      radiographic grade (odds ratio = 1.13, P < .001) at the mean follow-up period of
      88.6 months. The cutoff point for the relative value of preoperative meniscal
      extrusion associated with arthritic change was 34.6% (sensitivity = 69.3%;
      specificity = 82.7%; accuracy = 77.9%). CONCLUSION: The preoperative extent of
      intrameniscal degeneration and the preoperative patterns of meniscal tear
      including horizontal, horizontal flap, and complex tears were associated with
      preoperative extrusion of the medial meniscus. The preoperative extrusion of the
      medial meniscus was negatively correlated with outcomes of partial meniscectomy.
      The preoperative extent of meniscal extrusion can be used as a predictive factor
      for osteoarthritis in partial meniscectomy.

PMID- 28350517
TI  - Anti-Inflammatory Diet in Clinical Practice: A Review.
AB  - Recently, there has been an increase in the research regarding the impact of
      acute and chronic inflammation on health and disease. Specific foods are now
      known to exert strong effects on inflammatory pathways within the body. Carefully
      selecting foods that are anti-inflammatory in nature while avoiding foods that
      are proinflammatory is central to an anti-inflammatory diet plan. Ultimately, the
      plan models a pattern of eating that (1) focuses on eating whole, plant-based
      foods that are rich in healthy fats and phytonutrients and (2) maintains a stable
      glycemic response.

PMID- 28350518
TI  - Reproductive Patterns Among Childhood and Adolescent Cancer Survivors in Sweden:
      A Population-Based Matched-Cohort Study.
AB  - Purpose To compare the probability of a first live birth, age at time of birth,
      and time between diagnosis/referent date and birth between childhood and
      adolescent cancer survivors and an age-matched comparison group. Materials and
      Methods A total of 1,206 survivors was included in the study, together with 2,412
      age-matched individuals from the general population. A Cox proportional hazards
      model was used to investigate first live birth after diagnosis/referent date.
      Data were stratified by sex, age at diagnosis, and diagnostic era (ie, diagnosis
      before 1988 v in 1988 or later). Results Overall, the probability of having a
      first live birth (hazard ratio [HR]) was significantly lower; men had lower HRs
      than women (HR, 0.65 v 0.79). There were no significant differences in the
      probability of having a first live birth among women diagnosed during adolescence
      (HR, 0.89), but the HR was lower among women with childhood cancers (HR, 0.47).
      Among male survivors, the situation was the opposite; men diagnosed during
      adolescence had lower HRs than survivors of childhood cancer (HR, 0.56 v 0.70).
      Examination of the data from the two diagnostic eras (before 1988 and 1988 or
      later) shows that the HR increased among female survivors after 1988 (HR, 0.71 v
      0.90) and decreased among male survivors (HR, 0.72 v 0.59). A shorter time had
      elapsed between diagnosis/referent date and the birth of a first child among both
      male and female survivors compared with controls. In addition, female survivors
      were younger at time of birth. Conclusion The study demonstrates reduced
      probability of having a first live birth among cancer survivors diagnosed during
      childhood or adolescence; men were particularly vulnerable.

PMID- 28350520
TI  - Genomic Classifier Augments the Role of Pathological Features in Identifying
      Optimal Candidates for Adjuvant Radiation Therapy in Patients With Prostate
      Cancer: Development and Internal Validation of a Multivariable Prognostic Model.
AB  - Purpose Despite documented oncologic benefit, use of postoperative adjuvant
      radiotherapy (aRT) in patients with prostate cancer is still limited in the
      United States. We aimed to develop and internally validate a risk-stratification
      tool incorporating the Decipher score, along with routinely available
      clinicopathologic features, to identify patients who would benefit the most from
      aRT. Patient and Methods Our cohort included 512 patients with prostate cancer
      treated with radical prostatectomy at one of four US academic centers between
      1990 and 2010. All patients had >= pT3a disease, positive surgical margins,
      and/or pathologic lymph node invasion. Multivariable Cox regression analysis
      tested the relationship between available predictors (including Decipher score)
      and clinical recurrence (CR), which were then used to develop a novel risk
      stratification tool. Our study adhered to the Transparent Reporting of a
      Multivariable Prediction Model for Individual Prognosis or Diagnosis guidelines
      for development of prognostic models. Results Overall, 21.9% of patients received
      aRT. Median follow-up in censored patients was 8.3 years. The 10-year CR rate was
      4.9% vs. 17.4% in patients treated with aRT versus initial observation ( P <
      .001). Pathologic T3b/T4 stage, Gleason score 8-10, lymph node invasion, and
      Decipher score > 0.6 were independent predictors of CR (all P < .01). The
      cumulative number of risk factors was 0, 1, 2, and 3 to 4 in 46.5%, 28.9%, 17.2%,
      and 7.4% of patients, respectively. aRT was associated with decreased CR rate in
      patients with two or more risk factors (10-year CR rate 10.1% in aRT v 42.1% in
      initial observation; P = .012), but not in those with fewer than two risk factors
      ( P = .18). Conclusion Using the new model to indicate aRT might reduce
      overtreatment, decrease unnecessary adverse effects, and reduce risk of CR in the
      subset of patients (approximately 25% of all patients with aggressive pathologic
      disease in our cohort) who benefit from this therapy.

PMID- 28350519
TI  - Outcome of Lower-Risk Patients With Myelodysplastic Syndromes Without 5q Deletion
      After Failure of Erythropoiesis-Stimulating Agents.
AB  - Purpose Most anemic patients with non-deleted 5q lower-risk myelodysplastic
      syndromes (MDS) are treated with erythropoiesis-stimulating agents (ESAs), with a
      response rate of approximately 50%. Second-line treatments, including
      hypomethylating agents (HMAs), lenalidomide (LEN), and investigational drugs, may
      be used after ESA failure in some countries, but their effect on disease
      progression and overall survival (OS) is unknown. Here, we analyzed outcome after
      ESA failure and the effect of second-line treatments. Patients and Methods We
      examined an international retrospective cohort of 1,698 patients with non-del(5q)
      lower-risk MDS treated with ESAs. Results Erythroid response to ESAs was 61.5%,
      and median response duration was 17 months. Of 1,147 patients experiencing ESA
      failure, 653 experienced primary failure and 494 experienced relapse after a
      response. Primary failure of ESAs was associated with a higher risk of acute
      myeloid leukemia (AML) progression, which did not translate into an OS
      difference. Of 450 patients (39%) who received second-line treatment, 194
      received HMAs, 148 received LEN, and 108 received other treatments (MISC),
      whereas 697 received RBC transfusions only. Five-year AML cumulative incidence
      was 20.3%, 20.3%, and 11.3% for those receiving HMAs, LEN, and MISC, respectively
      ( P = .05). Five-year OS for patients receiving HMA, LEN, and MISC was 36.5%,
      41.7%, and 51%, respectively ( P = .21). In a multivariable analysis adjusted for
      age, sex, revised International Prognostic Scoring System score, and progression
      at ESA failure, there was no significant OS difference among the three groups.
      Conclusion In this large, multicenter, retrospective cohort of patients with non
      del(5q) lower-risk MDS treated with ESAs, none of the most commonly used second
      line treatments (HMA and LEN) significantly improved OS. Early failure of ESAs
      was associated with a higher risk of AML progression.

PMID- 28350522
TI  - The influences of SLCO1B1 and ABCB1 genotypes on the pharmacokinetics of
      simvastatin, in relation to CYP3A4 inhibition.
AB  - AIM: To investigate the combined effects of SLCO1B1 and ABCB1 genotypes on the
      pharmacokinetics of simvastatin and its active metabolite simvastatin acid, in
      relation to CYP3A4 inhibition. METHODS: We conducted a single-dose
      pharmacokinetic study of simvastatin in 26 healthy volunteers screened for their
      SLCO1B1 c.521T>C and ABCB1 c.1236C>T-2677G>T-3435C>T genotypes, with and without
      amlodipine pretreatment. The genetic effects and drug-interaction effect on
      simvastatin pharmacokinetic parameters were analyzed using a linear-mixed model.
      RESULTS: The SLCO1B1 c.521T>C variant significantly increased exposure to
      simvastatin acid by around 40% (p < 0.05), similar to that caused by the
      amlodipine pretreatment. The ABCB1 gene showed no influence on exposure to
      simvastatin or simvastatin acid. CONCLUSION: Only SLCO1B1, not ABCB1 genotype, is
      likely to be associated with simvastatin-induced myopathy. SLCO1B1 genotyping may
      be particularly beneficial in simvastatin users who are co-administered CYP3A4
      inhibitors.

PMID- 28350521
TI  - Clinical Activity of the gamma-Secretase Inhibitor PF-03084014 in Adults With
      Desmoid Tumors (Aggressive Fibromatosis).
AB  - Purpose Desmoid tumors (aggressive fibromatosis) arise from connective tissue
      cells or fibroblasts. In general, they are slow growing and do not metastasize;
      however, locally aggressive desmoid tumors can cause severe morbidity and loss of
      function. Disease recurrence after surgery and/or radiation and diagnosis of
      multifocal desmoid tumors highlight the need to develop effective systemic
      treatments for this disease. In this study, we evaluate objective response rate
      after therapy with the gamma-secretase inhibitor PF-03084014 in patients with
      recurrent, refractory, progressive desmoid tumors. Patients and Methods Seventeen
      patients with desmoid tumors received PF-03084014 150 mg orally twice a day in 3
      week cycles. Response to treatment was evaluated at cycle 1 and every six cycles,
      that is, 18 weeks, by RECIST (Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumors)
      version 1.1. Patient-reported outcomes were measured at baseline and at every
      restaging visit by using the MD Anderson Symptoms Inventory. Archival tumor and
      blood samples were genotyped for somatic and germline mutations in APC and
      CTNNB1. Results Of 17 patients accrued to the study, 15 had mutations in APC or
      CTNNB1 genes. Sixteen patients (94%) were evaluable for response; five (29%)
      experienced a confirmed partial response and have been on study for more than 2
      years. Another five patients with prolonged stable disease as their best response
      remain on study. Patient-reported outcomes confirmed clinician reporting that the
      investigational agent was well tolerated and, in subgroup analyses, participants
      who demonstrated partial response also experienced clinically meaningful and
      statistically significant improvements in symptom burden. Conclusion PF-03084014
      was well tolerated and demonstrated promising clinical benefit in patients with
      refractory, progressive desmoid tumors who receive long-term treatment.

PMID- 28350523
TI  - Comparison of micro-CT and cone beam CT on the feasibility of assessing
      trabecular structures in mandibular condyle.
AB  - OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the accuracy of CBCT in assessing trabecular structures.
      METHODS: Two human mandibles were scanned by micro-CT (Skyscan 1173 high-energy
      spiral scan micro-CT; Skyscan NV, Kontich, Belgium) and CBCT (3D Accuitomo 170;
      Morita, Japan). The CBCT images were reconstructed with 0.5 and 1 mm thicknesses.
      The condylar images were selected for registration. A parallel algorithm for
      histogram computation was introduced to perform the registration. A mutual
      information (MI) value was used to evaluate the match between the images obtained
      from micro-CT and CBCT. RESULTS: In comparison with the micro-CT image for the
      two samples, the CBCT image with 0.5 mm thickness has a MI value of 0.873 and
      0.903 while that with 1.0 mm thickness has a MI value of 0.741 and 0.752. The
      CBCT images with 0.5 mm thickness were better matched with micro-CT images.
      CONCLUSIONS: CBCT shows comparable accuracy with high-resolution micro-CT in
      assessing trabecular structures. CBCT can be a feasible tool to evaluate osseous
      changes of jaw bones.

PMID- 28350525
TI  - Hang Height of Enteral Nutrition Influences the Delivery of Enteral Nutrition.
AB  - PURPOSE: Adequate enteral nutrition (EN) delivery to critically ill patients is
      difficult to achieve. Given the large number of unpreventable influences
      affecting adequate caloric intake, further research on preventable influences of
      adequate EN administration is warranted. The purpose of this study was to
      evaluate whether hang height of EN formula, formula viscosity, or flow rate
      influences pump accuracy and formula delivery. METHODS: Formulas of varying
      viscosities (1.0, 1.5, and 2.0 kcal/mL) were infused at different hang heights
      (0, 6, 12, and 18 inches) and rates (20, 40, and 80 mL/h). The mean percent
      difference and the bias between the programmed volume, volume reported, and
      volume delivered were calculated for the different hang heights, formula
      compositions, and infusion rates studied. RESULTS: For all prespecified hang
      heights and infusion rates, the volume delivered was less than the programmed
      volume and volume reported; the mean percent difference increased as the hang
      height decreased. The volume was overestimated for both the programmed volume
      (14.4% +/- 5.5%) and volume reported (12.9% +/- 6.7%) compared with volume
      delivered. The overestimation bias was significantly influenced by differences in
      hang height as well as type of formula ( P < .0001, each) but not by rate of
      delivery ( P = .4633 for programmed volume and .8411 for volume reported).
      CONCLUSIONS: Measures should be taken in clinical practice to ensure adequate
      hang height of EN. Appropriate hang height of EN may result in more accurate
      delivery of nutrition provisions to the critically ill patient and subsequently
      reduce complications related to underfeeding.

PMID- 28350524
TI  - An ATF4-ATG5 signaling in hypothalamic POMC neurons regulates obesity.
AB  - ATF4 (activating transcription factor 4) is an important transcription factor
      that has many biological functions, while its role in hypothalamic POMC (pro
      opiomelanocortin-alpha) neurons in the regulation of energy homeostasis has not
      been explored. We recently discovered that mice with an Atf4 deletion specific to
      POMC neurons (PAKO mice) are lean and have higher energy expenditure.
      Furthermore, these mice are resistant to high-fat diet (HFD)-induced obesity and
      obesity-related metabolic disorders. Mechanistically, we found the expression of
      ATG5 (autophagy-related 5) is upregulated in POMC neurons of PAKO mice, and ATF4
      regulates ATG5 expression by binding directly to its promoter. Mice with Atf4 and
      Atg5 double knockout in POMC neurons have reduced energy expenditure and gain
      more fat mass compared with PAKO mice under a HFD. Finally, the effect of Atf4
      knockout in POMC neurons is possibly mediated by enhanced ATG5-dependent
      macroautophagy/autophagy and alpha-melanocyte-stimulating hormone (alpha-MSH)
      production in the hypothalamus. Together, this work not only identifies a
      beneficial role for ATF4 in hypothalamic POMC neurons in the regulation of
      obesity, but also provides a new potential therapeutic target for obesity and
      obesity-related metabolic diseases.

PMID- 28350526
TI  - Exploring types of play in an adapted robotics program for children with
      disabilities.
AB  - PURPOSE: Play is an important occupation in a child's development. Children with
      disabilities often have fewer opportunities to engage in meaningful play than
      typically developing children. The purpose of this study was to explore the types
      of play (i.e., solitary, parallel and co-operative) within an adapted robotics
      program for children with disabilities aged 6-8 years. METHOD: This study draws
      on detailed observations of each of the six robotics workshops and interviews
      with 53 participants (21 children, 21 parents and 11 programme staff). RESULTS:
      Our findings showed that four children engaged in solitary play, where all but
      one showed signs of moving towards parallel play. Six children demonstrated
      parallel play during all workshops. The remainder of the children had mixed play
      types play (solitary, parallel and/or co-operative) throughout the robotics
      workshops. We observed more parallel and co-operative, and less solitary play as
      the programme progressed. Ten different children displayed co-operative
      behaviours throughout the workshops. The interviews highlighted how staff
      supported children's engagement in the programme. Meanwhile, parents reported on
      their child's development of play skills. CONCLUSIONS: An adapted LEGO(r)
      robotics program has potential to develop the play skills of children with
      disabilities in moving from solitary towards more parallel and co-operative play.
      Implications for rehabilitation Educators and clinicians working with children
      who have disabilities should consider the potential of LEGO(r) robotics programs
      for developing their play skills. Clinicians should consider how the extent of
      their involvement in prompting and facilitating children's engagement and play
      within a robotics program may influence their ability to interact with their
      peers. Educators and clinicians should incorporate both structured and
      unstructured free-play elements within a robotics program to facilitate
      children's social development.

PMID- 28350527
TI  - Seasonal and Annual Variation in Trematode Infection of Stream Snail Elimia
      proxima in the Southern Appalachian Mountains of Virginia.
AB  - Understanding temporal variation of host-pathogen dynamics can be important for
      predicting disease risks and anticipating how disease systems may change in
      response to natural or human disturbances. Seasonal changes in weather,
      especially those associated with changes in temperature or precipitation, are
      often a key component of temporal changes in infection risk and can have
      important impacts on disease systems. However, these patterns can be difficult to
      track due to interannual variation and the need for longer term, multi-year
      surveillance efforts. We assessed seasonal and annual changes in the trematode
      component community of first-intermediate host stream snail Elimia (= Oxytrema =
      Goniobasis) proxima across 5 streams in the southern Appalachian Mountains. Over
      3 yr, we found no evidence of consistent seasonal peaks of trematode infection in
      E. proxima. There was some across-site consistency in infection prevalence over 4
      yr, because high prevalence sites tended to maintain higher prevalence from year
      to year, relative to lower prevalence sites. In addition, we examined the
      relationship between prevalence of first-intermediate host infection, weather
      variables, and site-level factors, including snail density and water quality
      metrics. Trematode prevalence was negatively related to total precipitation,
      which may have been due to the movement of infectious parasite stages and hosts
      downstream during high flows. We found no strong relationships between trematode
      prevalence and snail density or any of the water quality metrics examined in this
      study, indicating that snail infection may be driven primarily by definitive host
      activity.

PMID- 28350528
TI  - Pulmonary hypertension complicating systemic sclerosis: A successful pregnancy
      outcome.

PMID- 28350529
TI  - Risk of caesarean delivery after induction of labour stratified by foetal sex.
AB  - This study describes a retrospective analysis of all women admitted for induction
      of labour (IoL), carrying a viable singleton foetus, after 34 + 0 weeks of
      gestation. We aimed to evaluate if foetal sex has an impact on the rate of
      caesarean delivery following labour induction. Our results demonstrate that among
      the 1062 women who met the inclusion criteria, 49% (521/1062) were carrying a
      male foetus. Other than a lower rate of Oxytocin use for the female sex
      pregnancies, there were no significant differences in pre-labour and labour
      characteristics between male or female sex pregnancies. There was no difference
      in caesarean delivery rate between groups (14.4% vs. 14.2%, male vs. female,
      respectively, p = .505). We concluded conclude that foetal sex does not impact
      the caesarean delivery rate among women undergoing IoL, regardless of the
      indication for induction and the indication for the caesarean delivery. Impact
      statement Male sex foetuses are at increased risk for adverse perinatal outcomes
      including, among others, an increased risk for caesarean delivery. The possible
      contribution of male sex to caesarean delivery after labour induction has not
      been specifically explored. Following induction of labour, there is no difference
      in failed induction or caesarean delivery rate between male and female sex
      pregnancies. Induction of labour may be safely employed for both male and female
      foetuses.

PMID- 28350531
TI  - Phytophthora infestans Effectors IPI-O1 and IPI-O4 Each Contribute to Pathogen
      Virulence.
AB  - Potato late blight, caused by the oomycete pathogen Phytophthora infestans, is
      one of the most destructive plant diseases. Despite decades of intensive breeding
      efforts, it remains a threat to potato production worldwide, because newly
      evolved pathogen strains have overcome major resistance genes quickly. The RB
      protein, from the diploid wild potato species Solanum bulbocastanum, confers
      partial resistance to most P. infestans strains through its recognition of
      members of the corresponding pathogen effector protein family IPI-O. IPI-O
      comprises a multigene family and while some variants are recognized by RB to
      elicit host resistance (e.g., IPI-O1 and IPI-O2), others are able to elude
      detection (e.g., IPI-O4). IPI-O1 is almost ubiquitous in global P. infestans
      strains while IPI-O4 is more rare. No direct experimental evidence has been shown
      to demonstrate the effect of IPI-O on pathogen virulence in the P. infestans
      potato pathosystem. Here, our work has demonstrated that in planta expression of
      both IPI-O1 and IPI-O4 increases P. infestans aggressiveness resulting in
      enlarged lesions in potato leaflets. We have previously shown that IPI-O4 has
      gained the ability to suppress the hypersensitive response induced by IPI-O1 in
      the presence of RB. In this study, our work has shown that this gain-of-function
      of IPI-O4 does not compromise its virulence effect, as IPI-O4 overexpression
      results in larger lesions than IPI-O1. We have also found that higher expression
      of IPI-O effectors correlates with enlarged lesions, indicating that IPI-O can
      contribute to virulence quantitatively. In summary, this study has provided
      accurate and valuable information on IPI-O's virulence effect on the potato host.

PMID- 28350532
TI  - Urethral proteomic analysis in ovariectomized mice administered 17beta-oestradiol
      replacement therapy.
AB  - The molecular mechanism by which 17beta-oestradiol (E2) increases urethral tone
      is unclear. As human tissue is limited in availability, we explored changes in
      the urethras of ovariectomized (OVX) mice. Twenty-four virgin female mice were
      randomised into three groups: mice with a sham operation only (control), OVX mice
      without E2 replacement (OVX), and OVX mice with E2 replacement (OVX + E2). Two
      weeks after the ovariectomy, mice received either E2 or placebo for 4 weeks. Leak
      point pressure (LPP) and maximum urethral closure pressure (MUCP) were assessed
      in these mice at 6 weeks after OVX, under anaesthesia. After measurements were
      recorded, the animals were sacrificed and the urethras were removed for proteomic
      and further analyses. LPP and MUCP values were significantly higher in OVX + E2
      group than in OVX group. Fourteen differentially expressed proteins within the
      urethras of mice from OVX and OVX + E2 groups were identified; six proteins were
      upregulated and eight proteins were down-regulated. Most E2-induced proteins are
      involved in proteolysis, development, neurophysiological processes,
      transcription, and the cell cycle. Expression of survival motor neuron (SMN)
      protein in the urethra was significantly increased in OVX + E2 group compared to
      OVX group. OVX can impair urethral tone in female mice. E2 supplementation in OVX
      mice rescued urethral tone. E2-mediated increase in urethral tone in OVX mice
      involves overexpression of SMN, decreased proteolysis and promotion of
      development, neurophysiological processes, and transcription in the urethra. The
      urethra actively undergoes multiple biological processes in response to OVX and
      OVX with E2 stimuli. Impact statement Estrogens are known to modulate lower
      urinary tract trophicity. Although treatments with 17beta-oestradiol (E2) result
      in an increase in urethral tone, the mechanism by which E2 increases urethral
      tone is still not completely understood. Ovariectomy can impair urethral tone in
      female mice. E2 supplementation in ovariectomized mice rescued urethral tone. E2
      mediated increase in urethral tone in ovariectomized mice involves overexpression
      of survival motor neuron, decreased proteolysis and promotion of development,
      neurophysiological processes, and transcription in the urethra. This information
      will offer clues about pathogenesis of stress urinary incontinence after
      menopause and will open additional avenues for novel research and potential
      therapies.

PMID- 28350534
TI  - Evaluation of a POCT device for C-reactive protein, hematocrit and leukocyte
      differential.

PMID- 28350535
TI  - Relationship between polymorphisms in the CRP, LEP and LEPR genes and high
      sensitivity C-reactive protein levels in Spanish children.
AB  - BACKGROUND: We investigated the association of single nucleotide polymorphisms
      (SNPs) in the C-reactive protein (CRP), leptin (LEP) and leptin receptor (LEPR)
      genes with high sensitivity CRP (hs-CRP) levels in two independent cohorts of
      healthy Spanish children. METHODS: We measured hs-CRP levels in 646 6-8-year-old
      and 707 12-16-year-old children using a high-sensitivity C-Reactive Protein ELISA
      kit. Four SNPs in the CRP gene (rs1205, rs1130864, rs2794521 and rs1800947), one
      SNP in the LEP gene (rs7799039) and two SNPs in the LEPR (rs1137100 and
      rs1137101) gene were determined by TaqMan(r) allelic discrimination assays.
      RESULTS: The four CRP SNPs studied were significantly (p<0.05) associated with hs
      CRP levels in both cohorts. Furthermore, two common CRP haplotypes (constructed
      using the SNPs in order: rs1205, rs1130864, rs1800947, rs2794521) ACGA and GCGG
      were associated with significantly lower CRP levels (p<0.05) at both ages. The
      LEPR SNPs rs1137100 (K109R) and rs1137101 (Q223R), and LEP SNP rs7799039 (G2548A)
      were also associated to hs-CRP levels (p<0.05) in both cohorts. CONCLUSIONS: hs
      CRP levels in healthy Spanish children, besides being associated to common
      polymorphisms in the CRP gene, are associated to polymorphisms in the LEP and
      LEPR genes, which suggests that other loci, in addition the CRP gene, may have a
      role determining CRP levels in children.

PMID- 28350536
TI  - Anti-inflammatory effects and anti-oxidant capacity of Myrathius arboreus
      (Cecropiaceae) in experimental models.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Inflammation is involved in various diseases; search for safe
      treatments is warranted. Anti-inflammatory effects of ethanol extract of
      Myrathius arboreus (EEMa) were studied in carrageenan-induced model, formaldehyde
      sub-acute-induced model, and in 48 h lipopolysaccharide-induced air pouch model
      of inflammation. EEMa membrane-stabilizing activities and anti-oxidant capacity
      were determined in vitro. METHODS: In the carrageenan model EEMa (125, 250, or
      500 mg/kg), indomethacin (5 mg/kg), or vehicle 3 mL/kg was administered orally in
      rats (n=5). After 1 h, 0.1 mL of 1% carrageenan was injected into the right hind
      paw of rats. Change in edema sizes was measured for 3 h with plethysmometer. One
      tenth milliliter (0.1 mL) of 2.5% formaldehyde was injected into the rat paw on
      the first day and the third day to induce sub-acute inflammation; changes in the
      edema sizes were determined, and percentages of inhibitions were calculated. Anti
      inflammatory effects of EEMa were further examined in lipopolysaccharide (LPS)
      induced air-pouch based on leukocytes count, volume of exudates, levels of
      malondialdehyde, glutathione, superoxide dismutase, nitric oxides, and tumor
      necrosis factor released into the inflammatory fluids. EEMa-free radicals
      scavenging activities were studied in DPPH and reducing power tests. Membrane
      stabilizing activities of EEMa were evaluated in the red blood cell lysis induced
      by thermal and hypotonic solution. RESULTS: EEMa (250, 500 mg/kg) produced
      significant (p<0.001; p<0.05) inhibition of inflammation when compared with
      vehicle. Also, EEMa (250, 500, or 1000 MUg/mL) significantly stabilized membrane
      and produced free radical scavenging activities. CONCLUSIONS: M. arboreus
      possesses anti-inflammatory and the anti-oxidant properties that might benefit
      translational medicine.

PMID- 28350538
TI  - Possible effects of neonatal vitamin B12 status on TSH-screening program: a cross
      sectional study from Turkey.
AB  - BACKGROUND: In this study we evaluated whether vitamin B12 deficiency affects
      neonatal screening (NS) for congenital hypothyroidism (CH). METHODS: A cross
      sectional study conducted from 2010 to 2011. A total of 10,740 infants were born
      in our hospital in this period. Thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) was tested for
      NS and neonates with abnormal screening results (TSH>20 mIU/L) were re-examined.
      Two hundred and twenty-nine re-called subjects (re-call rate 2.3%) were compared
      to 77 randomly selected newborns with normal TSH screening among these term
      newborns in terms of serum TSH, free T4, vitamin B12 and homocysteine status.
      RESULTS: Of the 229 re-called subjects, 11 infants with CH and 21 infants with
      transient TSH elevation were detected. In the normal TSH screening group, only
      two infants were diagnosed with transient TSH elevation. Mean serum B12 levels
      were 126.4+/-48.7 pg/mL and 211.9+/-127.9 pg/mL in the positive TSH-screening
      group and the control group, respectively. There was a significant difference
      between positive and normal TSH-screening groups in regard to serum TSH, free T4,
      serum B12 and homocysteine levels. CONCLUSIONS: We found a significant vitamin
      B12 deficiency in positive TSH-screening infants. Beside the crucial role of
      vitamin B12 in newborns, deficiency seems to increase the recall rates of infants
      in an NS program for CH.

PMID- 28350537
TI  - Comparison of structured and unstructured physical activity training on predicted
      VO2max and heart rate variability in adolescents - a randomized control trial.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Physical inactivity contributes to many health issues. The WHO
      recommended physical activity for adolescents encompasses aerobic, resistance,
      and bone strengthening exercises aimed at achieving health-related physical
      fitness. Heart rate variability (HRV) and maximal aerobic capacity (VO2max) are
      considered as noninvasive measures of cardiovascular health. The objective of
      this study is to compare the effect of structured and unstructured physical
      training on maximal aerobic capacity and HRV among adolescents. METHODS: We
      designed a single blinded, parallel, randomized active-controlled trial
      (Registration No. CTRI/2013/08/003897) to compare the physiological effects of 6
      months of globally recommended structured physical activity (SPA), with that of
      unstructured physical activity (USPA) in healthy school-going adolescents. We
      recruited 439 healthy student volunteers (boys: 250, girls: 189) in the age group
      of 12-17 years. Randomization across the groups was done using age and gender
      stratified randomization method, and the participants were divided into two
      groups: SPA (n=219, boys: 117, girls: 102) and USPA (n=220, boys: 119, girls:
      101). Depending on their training status and gender the participants in both SPA
      and USPA groups were further subdivided into the following four sub-groups: SPA
      athlete boys (n=22) and girls (n=17), SPA nonathlete boys (n=95) and girls
      (n=85), USPA athlete boys (n=23) and girls (n=17), and USPA nonathlete boys
      (n=96) and girls (n=84). RESULTS: We recorded HRV, body fat%, and VO2 max using
      Rockport Walk Fitness test before and after the intervention. Maximum aerobic
      capacity and heart rate variability increased significantly while heart rate,
      systolic blood pressure, diastolic blood pressure, and body fat percentage
      decreased significantly after both SPA and USPA intervention. However, the
      improvement was more in SPA as compared to USPA. CONCLUSIONS: SPA is more
      beneficial for improving cardiorespiratory fitness, HRV, and reducing body fat
      percentage in terms of magnitude than USPA in adolescent individuals irrespective
      of their gender and sports activities.

PMID- 28350539
TI  - Personalized precision medicine in extreme preterm infants with transient
      neonatal diabetes mellitus.
AB  - Although hyperglycemia is common in neonates, especially preterm infants, a
      diagnosis of neonatal diabetes mellitus (NDM) is rarely made. NDM can be
      permanent (45%), transient (45%) or syndromic (10%). Of the 95% of identifiable
      mutations for NDM, methylation defects in 6q24, KCNJ11, ABCC8, and INS account
      for the majority. Two cases of transient NDM in extremely preterm, 24 weeks'
      gestational age (GA) triplets, due to a missense mutation c.685G>A in the KCNJ11
      gene are presented. Both patients were successfully transitioned from insulin to
      Glyburide (Glibenclamide) at 2 months of age. Comprehensive genetic testing with
      targeted next-generation sequencing and 6q24 methylation analysis helps identify
      monogenic diabetes early, thereby improving metabolic and glycemic control when
      patients with potassium channel mutations are started on sulfonylurea (SU)
      treatment.

PMID- 28350540
TI  - Construction of a biomechanical head and neck motion model as a guide to
      evaluation of deformable image registration.
AB  - The use of deformable image registration methods in the context of adaptive
      radiotherapy leads to uncertainties in the simulation of the administered dose
      distributions during the treatment course. Evaluation of these methods is a
      prerequisite to decide if a plan adaptation will improve the individual
      treatment. Current approaches using manual references limit the validity of
      evaluation, especially for low-contrast regions. In particular, for the head and
      neck region, the highly flexible anatomy and low soft tissue contrast in control
      images pose a challenge to image registration and its evaluation. Biomechanical
      models promise to overcome this issue by providing anthropomorphic motion
      modelling of the patient. We introduce a novel biomechanical motion model for the
      generation and sampling of different postures of the head and neck anatomy.
      Motion propagation behaviour of the individual bones is defined by an underlying
      kinematic model. This model interconnects the bones by joints and thus is capable
      of providing a wide range of motion. Triggered by the motion of the individual
      bones, soft tissue deformation is described by an extended heterogeneous tissue
      model based on the chainmail approach. This extension, for the first time, allows
      the propagation of decaying rotations within soft tissue without the necessity
      for explicit tissue segmentation. Overall motion simulation and sampling of
      deformed CT scans including a basic noise model is achieved within 30 s. The
      proposed biomechanical motion model for the head and neck site generates
      displacement vector fields on a voxel basis, approximating arbitrary
      anthropomorphic postures of the patient. It was developed with the intention of
      providing input data for the evaluation of deformable image registration.

PMID- 28350541
TI  - Computational hybrid anthropometric paediatric phantom library for internal
      radiation dosimetry.
AB  - Hybrid computational phantoms combine voxel-based and simplified equation-based
      modelling approaches to provide unique advantages and more realism for the
      construction of anthropomorphic models. In this work, a methodology and C++ code
      are developed to generate hybrid computational phantoms covering statistical
      distributions of body morphometry in the paediatric population. The paediatric
      phantoms of the Virtual Population Series (IT'IS Foundation, Switzerland) were
      modified to match target anthropometric parameters, including body mass, body
      length, standing height and sitting height/stature ratio, determined from
      reference databases of the National Centre for Health Statistics and the National
      Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. The phantoms were selected as
      representative anchor phantoms for the newborn, 1, 2, 5, 10 and 15 years-old
      children, and were subsequently remodelled to create 1100 female and male
      phantoms with 10th, 25th, 50th, 75th and 90th body morphometries. Evaluation was
      performed qualitatively using 3D visualization and quantitatively by analysing
      internal organ masses. Overall, the newly generated phantoms appear very
      reasonable and representative of the main characteristics of the paediatric
      population at various ages and for different genders, body sizes and sitting
      stature ratios. The mass of internal organs increases with height and body mass.
      The comparison of organ masses of the heart, kidney, liver, lung and spleen with
      published autopsy and ICRP reference data for children demonstrated that they
      follow the same trend when correlated with age. The constructed hybrid
      computational phantom library opens up the prospect of comprehensive radiation
      dosimetry calculations and risk assessment for the paediatric population of
      different age groups and diverse anthropometric parameters.

PMID- 28350542
TI  - Intermediate stages of surface state formation and collapse of topological
      protection to transport in Bi2Se3.
AB  - Surface states consisting of helical Dirac fermions have been extensively studied
      in three-dimensional topological insulators. Yet, experiments to date have only
      investigated fully formed topological surface states (TSS) and it is not known
      whether preformed or partially formed surface states can exist or what properties
      they could potentially host. Here, by decorating thin films of Bi2Se3 with
      nanosized islands of the same material, we show for the first time that not only
      can surface states exist in various intermediate stages of formation but they
      exhibit unique properties not accessible in fully formed TSS. These include
      tunability of the Dirac cone mass, vertical migration of the surface state wave
      function and the appearance of mid-gap Rashba-like states as exemplified by our
      theoretical model for decorated TIs. Our experiments show that an interplay of
      Rashba and Dirac fermions on the surface leads to an intriguing multi-channel
      weak anti-localization effect concomitant with an unprecedented tuning of the
      topological protection to transport. Our work offers a new route to engineer
      topological surface states involving Dirac-Rashba coupling by nano-scale
      decoration of TI thin films, at the same time shedding light on the real-space
      mechanism of surface state formation in general.

PMID- 28350543
TI  - MONDO: a neutron tracker for particle therapy secondary emission
      characterisation.
AB  - Tumour control is performed in particle therapy using particles and ions, whose
      high irradiation precision enhances the effectiveness of the treatment, while
      sparing the healthy tissue surrounding the target volume. Dose range monitoring
      devices using photons and charged particles produced by the beam interacting with
      the patient's body have already been proposed, but no attempt has been made yet
      to exploit the detection of the abundant neutron component. Since neutrons can
      release a significant dose far away from the tumour region, precise measurements
      of their flux, production energy and angle distributions are eagerly sought in
      order to improve the treatment planning system (TPS) software. It will thus be
      possible to predict not only the normal tissue toxicity in the target region, but
      also the risk of late complications in the whole body. The aforementioned issues
      underline the importance of an experimental effort devoted to the precise
      characterisation of neutron production, aimed at the measurement of their
      abundance, emission point and production energy. The technical challenges posed
      by a neutron detector aimed at high detection efficiency and good backtracking
      precision are addressed within the MONDO (monitor for neutron dose in
      hadrontherapy) project, whose main goal is to develop a tracking detector that
      can target fast and ultrafast neutrons. A full reconstruction of two consecutive
      elastic scattering interactions undergone by the neutrons inside the detector
      material will be used to measure their energy and direction. The preliminary
      results of an MC simulation performed using the FLUKA software are presented
      here, together with the DSiPM (digital SiPM) readout implementation. New detector
      readout implementations specifically tailored to the MONDO tracker are also
      discussed, and the neutron detection efficiency attainable with the proposed
      neutron tracking strategy are reported.

PMID- 28350544
TI  - Efimov physics: a review.
AB  - This article reviews theoretical and experimental advances in Efimov physics, an
      array of quantum few-body and many-body phenomena arising for particles
      interacting via short-range resonant interactions, that is based on the
      appearance of a scale-invariant three-body attraction theoretically discovered by
      Vitaly Efimov in 1970. This three-body effect was originally proposed to explain
      the binding of nuclei such as the triton and the Hoyle state of carbon-12, and
      later considered as a simple explanation for the existence of some halo nuclei.
      It was subsequently evidenced in trapped ultra-cold atomic clouds and in
      diffracted molecular beams of gaseous helium. These experiments revealed that the
      previously undetermined three-body parameter introduced in the Efimov theory to
      stabilise the three-body attraction typically scales with the range of atomic
      interactions. The few- and many-body consequences of the Efimov attraction have
      been since investigated theoretically, and are expected to be observed in a
      broader spectrum of physical systems.

PMID- 28350545
TI  - Reliability of dose volume constraint inference from clinical data.
AB  - Dose volume histogram points (DVHPs) frequently serve as dose constraints in
      radiotherapy treatment planning. An experiment was designed to investigate the
      reliability of DVHP inference from clinical data for multiple cohort sizes and
      complication incidence rates. The experimental background was radiation
      pneumonitis in non-small cell lung cancer and the DVHP inference method was based
      on logistic regression. From 102 NSCLC real-life dose distributions and a
      postulated DVHP model, an 'ideal' cohort was generated where the most predictive
      model was equal to the postulated model. A bootstrap and a Cohort Replication
      Monte Carlo (CoRepMC) approach were applied to create 1000 equally sized
      populations each. The cohorts were then analyzed to establish inference frequency
      distributions. This was applied to nine scenarios for cohort sizes of 102 (1),
      500 (2) to 2000 (3) patients (by sampling with replacement) and three postulated
      DVHP models. The Bootstrap was repeated for a 'non-ideal' cohort, where the most
      predictive model did not coincide with the postulated model. The Bootstrap
      produced chaotic results for all models of cohort size 1 for both the ideal and
      non-ideal cohorts. For cohort size 2 and 3, the distributions for all populations
      were more concentrated around the postulated DVHP. For the CoRepMC, the inference
      frequency increased with cohort size and incidence rate. Correct inference rates 
      >[Formula: see text] were only achieved by cohorts with more than 500 patients.
      Both Bootstrap and CoRepMC indicate that inference of the correct or approximate
      DVHP for typical cohort sizes is highly uncertain. CoRepMC results were less
      spurious than Bootstrap results, demonstrating the large influence that
      randomness in dose-response has on the statistical analysis.

PMID- 28350546
TI  - Comparing stochastic proton interactions simulated using TOPAS-nBio to
      experimental data from fluorescent nuclear track detectors.
AB  - Whilst Monte Carlo (MC) simulations of proton energy deposition have been well
      validated at the macroscopic level, their microscopic validation remains lacking.
      Equally, no gold-standard yet exists for experimental metrology of individual
      proton tracks. In this work we compare the distributions of stochastic proton
      interactions simulated using the TOPAS-nBio MC platform against confocal
      microscope data for Al2O3:C,Mg fluorescent nuclear track detectors (FNTDs). We
      irradiated [Formula: see text] mm3 FNTD chips inside a water phantom, positioned
      at seven positions along a pristine proton Bragg peak with a range in water of 12
      cm. MC simulations were implemented in two stages: (1) using TOPAS to model the
      beam properties within a water phantom and (2) using TOPAS-nBio with Geant4-DNA
      physics to score particle interactions through a water surrogate of Al2O3:C,Mg.
      The measured median track integrated brightness (IB) was observed to be strongly
      correlated to both (i) voxelized track-averaged linear energy transfer (LET) and
      (ii) frequency mean microdosimetric lineal energy, [Formula: see text], both
      simulated in pure water. Histograms of FNTD track IB were compared against TOPAS
      nBio histograms of the number of terminal electrons per proton, scored in water
      with mass-density scaled to mimic Al2O3:C,Mg. Trends between exposure depths
      observed in TOPAS-nBio simulations were experimentally replicated in the study of
      FNTD track IB. Our results represent an important first step towards the
      experimental validation of MC simulations on the sub-cellular scale and suggest
      that FNTDs can enable experimental study of the microdosimetric properties of
      individual proton tracks.

PMID- 28350547
TI  - Assessment of vectorial total variation penalties on realistic dual-energy CT
      data.
AB  - Vectorial extensions of total variation have recently been developed for
      regularizing the reconstruction and denoising of multi-channel images, such as
      those arising in spectral computed tomography. Early studies have focused mainly
      on simulated, piecewise-constant images whose structure may favor total-variation
      penalties. In the current manuscript, we apply vectorial total variation to real
      dual-energy CT data of a whole turkey in order to determine if the same benefits
      can be observed in more complex images with anatomically realistic textures. We
      consider the total nuclear variation ([Formula: see text]) as well as another
      vectorial total variation based on the Frobenius norm ([Formula: see text]) and
      standard channel-by-channel total variation ([Formula: see text]). We performed a
      series of 3D TV denoising experiments comparing the three TV variants across a
      wide range of smoothness parameter settings, optimizing each regularizer
      according to a very-high-dose 'ground truth' image. Consistent with the
      simulation studies, we find that both vectorial TV variants achieve a lower error
      than the channel-by-channel TV and are better able to suppress noise while
      preserving actual image features. In this real data study, the advantages are
      subtler than in the previous simulation study, although the [Formula: see text]
      penalty is found to have clear advantages over either [Formula: see text] or
      [Formula: see text] when comparing material images formed from linear
      combinations of the denoised energy images.

PMID- 28350549
TI  - Loss of E-cadherin as Part of a Migratory Phenotype in Melanoma Is Associated
      With Ulceration.
AB  - It has been suggested that embryogenic properties of migratory cells are
      reactivated during wound healing and metastasis in adults. This might explain the
      association between wound-induced inflammation and poor survival in patients with
      ulcerated melanoma. Linking inflammation with a migratory phenotype, we
      characterize the infiltration of innate inflammatory cells, loss of cell-to-cell
      adhesion (E-cadherin), factors associated with extracellular matrix degradation
      [matrix metalloproteinase-9 (MMP-9), and neutrophil elastase (NE)], and spindle
      shaped cell morphology, between ulcerated (n = 179) and nonulcerated (n = 206)
      melanoma. In addition, the presence of "extravascular migratory metastasis"
      (angiotropism) and tumor-vessel density were evaluated as important factors for
      tumor cell dispersal in ulcerated melanoma. We showed a correlation between
      expression of the granulocyte marker cd66b+ and the expression of NE and MMP-9,
      reflecting activated neutrophils. Ulcerated melanoma correlated with a low global
      E-cadherin score (P = 0.041) and weak-spot score (P = 0.0004). Thus, 28% of the
      nonulcerated, 42% of the minimally/moderately ulcerated melanoma, and 53% of the
      excessively ulcerated melanoma presented low scores as opposed to a high E
      cadherin score. In addition, the presence of ulceration was correlated with
      angiotropism (P < 0.0001) and spindle-shaped morphology (P = 0.021). There were
      no differences in MMP-9 expression or intratumoral vessel density between the
      ulcerated and nonulcerated group. In conclusion, expression of migratory cell
      properties showed a highly heterogeneous pattern, which was associated with
      ulcerated areas and inflammatory cells, in general and with neutrophils in
      particular. We, therefore, suggest that wound-associated inflammation may be
      involved in the induction of migratory cell transition and tumor cell dispersal
      in ulcerated melanoma.

PMID- 28350548
TI  - Pelvic Discontinuity Associated With Total Hip Arthroplasty: Evaluation and
      Management.
AB  - Pelvic discontinuity is a challenging complication encountered during revision
      total hip arthroplasty. Pelvic discontinuity is defined as a separation of the
      ilium superiorly from the ischiopubic segment inferiorly and is typically a
      chronic condition in failed total hip arthroplasties in the setting of bone loss.
      After a history and a physical examination have been completed and infection has
      been ruled out, appropriate imaging must be obtained, including plain hip
      radiographs, oblique Judet radiographs, and often a CT scan. The main management
      options are a hemispheric acetabular component with posterior column plating, a
      cup-cage construct, pelvic distraction, and a custom triflange construct. The
      techniques have unique pros and cons, but the goals are to obtain stable and
      durable acetabular component fixation and a healed or unitized pelvis while
      minimizing complications.

PMID- 28350550
TI  - Erythematous Bullous Patch in a Patient With Myelodysplastic Syndrome: Answer.

PMID- 28350551
TI  - The Impact of a Violent Physical Assault on a Registered Nurse: Her Healing
      Journey and Return to Work.
AB  - Healthcare practitioners are at an increased risk for workplace violence. What
      happens to a practitioner after a devastating physical assault from a patient in
      the workplace? This case report describes the impact of a violent assault on a
      registered nurse and her healing journey and return to the workplace. The
      Department of Veteran Affairs/Department of Defense "Clinical Practice Guidelines
      for Posttraumatic Stress Disorder" outline three categories of risk factors that
      are associated with the development of posttraumatic stress disorder:
      pretraumatic factors, peritraumatic or trauma-related factors, and posttraumatic
      factors. Each of these risk factors can contribute to the likelihood of an
      individual developing posttraumatic stress disorder after a traumatic incident
      and will be used to frame the discussion of this case. The registered nurse gave
      her full and informed consent for the author to tell her story.

PMID- 28350552
TI  - Characteristics of Forensic Patients in California With Dementia/Alzheimer's
      Disease.
AB  - Criminal defendants found incompetent to stand trial (IST) are sent to state
      hospitals for treatment to be restored to competency. IST patients diagnosed with
      dementia and related disorders present a particular challenge to clinicians,
      because they must be restored successfully within a statutorily mandated time
      frame (e.g., 3 years in California for defendants charged with a felony offense).
      This study examined a comprehensive data set that included all forensic patients
      served by California's Department of State Hospitals from September 2003 to
      February 2016. The findings revealed that, although most IST patients with a
      dementia diagnosis were restored to competency within the statutory time frames,
      they spent, on average, over twice as long confined than IST patients without a
      dementia diagnosis and were less likely than the latter group to be successfully
      restored. One implication of these findings is that forensic clinicians ought to
      assess whether IST patients diagnosed with dementia are likely to be restored or
      not as early as possible in the evaluation and triage process and report to the
      court any IST patients with a dementia diagnosis who are unlikely to be restored
      successfully. This would both prevent such patients from gratuitous confinement
      as well as free up treatment resources for other patients.

PMID- 28350553
TI  - Impact of Allogeneic Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation on the HIV Reservoir
      and Immune Response in 3 HIV-Infected Individuals.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) can lead to
      significant changes to the HIV reservoir and HIV immune responses, indicating
      that further characterization of HIV-infected patients undergoing HSCT is
      warranted. METHODS: We studied 3 patients who underwent HSCT after either reduced
      intensity conditioning or myeloablative conditioning regimen. We measured HIV
      antigens and antibodies (Ag/Ab), HIV-specific CD4 T-cell responses, HIV RNA, and
      DNA in plasma, peripheral blood mononuclear cells, isolated CD4 T cells from
      peripheral blood, and lymph node cells. The patients remained on antiretroviral
      therapy throughout the follow-up period. RESULTS: All patients have been in
      continued remission for 4-6 years post-HSCT. Analyses of HIV RNA and DNA levels
      showed substantial reductions in HIV reservoir-related measurements in all 3
      patients, changes in immune response varied with pronounced reductions in 2
      patients and a less dramatic reduction in 1 patient. One patient experienced
      unexpected viral rebound 4 years after HSCT. CONCLUSIONS: These 3 cases highlight
      the substantial changes to the HIV reservoir and the HIV immune response in
      patients undergoing allogeneic HSCT. The viral rebound observed in 1 patient
      indicates that replication competent HIV can re-emerge several years after HSCT
      despite these marked changes.

PMID- 28350554
TI  - Brief Report: High Sensitivity and Specificity of the Cepheid Xpert HIV-1
      Qualitative Point-of-Care Test Among Newborns in Botswana.
AB  - BACKGROUND: HIV point-of-care (POC) testing allows for early infant HIV diagnosis
      and treatment, but POC accuracy at birth and in the setting of antiretroviral
      prophylaxis for the prevention of mother-to-child HIV transmission is unknown.
      METHODS: We evaluated the Cepheid Xpert HIV-1 Qual POC test against the Roche
      Taqman HIV-1 DNA polymerase chain reaction (PCR) platform using dried blood spots
      from 15 HIV-infected and 75 HIV-exposed uninfected newborns. These infants were
      screened for HIV at <96 hours of life at 5 hospital maternity wards in Botswana;
      all infants received postexposure antiretroviral prophylaxis with single-dose
      nevirapine and zidovudine, and most mothers received 3-drug antiretroviral
      therapy in pregnancy and at delivery. RESULTS: Fourteen of the 15 PCR positive
      samples tested positive by Cepheid POC, yielding a sensitivity of 93.3% (95%
      confidence interval: 68.1 to 99.8). Baseline viral load among positive infants
      ranged from <40 to >10,000,000 copies/mL, with a median of 2403 copies/mL. The
      HIV RNA for the infant with false-negative POC testing was 1661 copies/mL. Of
      note, 2 infants with low HIV RNA (<40 and 272 copies/mL) were correctly
      identified as HIV positive by Cepheid POC. All the 75 PCR-negative samples tested
      negative by Cepheid POC, yielding a specificity of 100% (95% confidence interval:
      96.1 to 100). DISCUSSION: Our study demonstrates high sensitivity and specificity
      for the Cepheid POC assay in the first week of life despite early infection and
      antiretroviral prophylaxis. This platform may be a useful approach for adding
      early infant HIV diagnosis to current testing programs.

PMID- 28350555
TI  - Apheresis in food allergies.
AB  - PURPOSE OF REVIEW: The prevalence of IgE-mediated food allergy and anaphylaxis
      has risen rapidly in developed countries, and countries with rapid
      industrialization may follow. Therapies include elimination diets, Oral
      ImmunoTherapy, and the administration of biologics, but high serum IgE levels may
      preclude their use. Consequently, decreasing IgE becomes a rational approach and
      could be obtained by immunoapheresis. The aim of this review is to evaluate the
      rationale and advantages of immunoapheresis. RECENT FINDINGS: The majority of the
      available adsorbers remove aspecifically all classes of immunoglobulins.
      Recently, IgE-specific adsorbers have been approved. Data on immunoapheresis for
      the treatment of allergic diseases with pathologically elevated IgE levels are
      emerging. In atopic dermatitis, this therapy alone seems to be beneficial. IgE
      selective apheresis appears to be sufficient to reduce the risk of anaphylaxis in
      multiple food allergy (MFA) and, when IgE titers are high, to open the way to
      treatment with Omalizumab. SUMMARY: Prospective studies, with well designed
      protocols, are needed to assess the efficacy, tolerability, and cost
      effectiveness of immunoapheresis in the field of food allergy.

PMID- 28350557
TI  - Double Versus Single Tendon Transfers to Improve Shoulder Function in Brachial
      Plexus Birth Palsy.
AB  - BACKGROUND: In children with brachial plexus birth palsy (BPBP) undergoing tendon
      transfers to augment shoulder external rotation, it is unclear whether transfer
      of the latissimus dorsi with its combined latissimus dorsi and teres major (cLT)
      versus isolated teres major (iTM) tendon transfer yield different outcomes.
      METHODS: Records of patients with BPBP who underwent shoulder tendon transfers to
      augment external rotation were retrospectively reviewed. Transfer type (cLT or
      iTM) was considered indiscriminate by virtue of surgeon preference. Modified
      Mallet Scale (mMS) and Active Movement Scale scores were recorded. Patients with
      <12 months' follow-up, C7 or lower palsy, humeral osteotomy, shoulder
      procedure(s) within 8 months, microsurgery within 1 year, or recurrent
      glenohumeral subluxation confirmed by postoperative imaging were excluded.
      Matched cohorts were identified within each tendon transfer group to yield
      similar preoperative shoulder function and glenohumeral alignment status.
      Outcomes for all tendon transfers as well as differences between cLT and iTM
      cohorts were analyzed. RESULTS: Among 121 cLT and 34 iTM transfers, 49 cLT and 14
      iTM met the inclusion criteria. Subsequent matching of cohorts yielded 28
      patients (14 cLT and 14 iTM). Average age at time of transfer was 3.0+/-1.4
      years. Follow-up averaged 4.1+/-3.1 years. There were no statistically
      significant preoperative differences between cohorts, thus matching criteria were
      validated. Regardless of tendon(s) transferred, mMS external rotation improved
      (2.2 to 3.5, P<0.001), whereas mMS internal rotation decreased (3.8 to 3.2,
      P<0.001). When comparing matched cohorts, cLT transfer produced a greater mMS
      external rotation improvement than iTM (2.1 vs. 1.5, respectively; P=0.025). Loss
      of midline function (defined as mMS external rotation <3) occurred in 5 (35.7%)
      cLT and 2 (14.3%) iTM patients. CONCLUSIONS: Both cLT or iTM transfer are
      effective at augmenting shoulder external rotation in children with C5-C6 BPBP.
      Furthermore, cLT transfers may yield a larger improvement in external rotation in
      certain patients. However, both techniques slightly decrease shoulder internal
      rotation. Given that more total cLT patients lost midline function among matched
      cohorts, iTM transfer may still be considered when limited midline function is a
      concern. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Level III.

PMID- 28350556
TI  - Resorbable Plates Prevent Regression in Pediatric Mandibular Distraction
      Osteogenesis.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Mandibular distraction osteogenesis is an important technique to
      correct the pediatric hypoplastic mandible. Regression of the mandible after
      distraction continues to be a challenge, with some studies reporting up to 22% to
      56% decrease toward predistraction length in the first year. We hypothesize that
      a resorbable plate placed after removal of the distractor will provide additional
      stability to newly formed bone, allowing further time for consolidation and
      minimizing regression. METHODS: This is a retrospective review of neonatal and
      pediatric patients between 2010 and 2015 who had mandibular distraction
      osteogenesis performed by the senior author (D.J.). Five patients, including 1
      control and 4 intervention subjects, who had preoperative, postdistraction, and
      follow-up imaging were evaluated. Mandibular distraction was performed via
      internal devices (KLS Martin, Jacksonville, Fla) and followed by a consolidation
      period of 6 to 8 weeks. At the second operation when the distractors were
      removed, the intervention group had a SonicWeld Resorbx (KLS Martin) resorbable
      plate placed across the bone regenerate. A digital imaging and communications in
      medicine viewer was used to create a 3-dimensional reconstruction of each of the
      computed tomography scans and measurements of the mandible were made in the
      lateral cephalometric view. We then determined distraction distance, regression
      distance and percent regression. RESULTS: The average mandible distraction
      distance was 8.2 mm for the control group, and 9.9 mm for the intervention group
      (range, 6.7-12 mm). The average distance that the mandible regressed after
      distraction (regression distance) was 2.7 mm for the control group, and 0.5 mm
      for the intervention group (range, 0.2-0.9 mm). The average percent regression
      was 32.9% for the control group, and 5.1% for the intervention group (range 1.8
      to 7.5%). CONCLUSIONS: The results of this study suggest that resorbable plate
      placement after removal of distractors helps prevent regression in pediatric
      mandibular distraction osteogenesis. The improvement was readily apparent both
      radiographically and clinically.

PMID- 28350558
TI  - Updates on hepatitis C virus therapy in the direct-acting antiviral era.
AB  - PURPOSE OF REVIEW: Hepatitis C virus (HCV) is a major cause of clinical burden in
      the United States and worldwide, as a percentage of patients can develop
      complications such as cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma. RECENT FINDINGS:
      Therapy for chronic HCV infection was previously interferon-based, but with the
      advent of direct-acting antivirals (DAAs), there has been a dramatic improvement
      in eradicating the virus with favourable side effect profiles. SUMMARY: Emerging
      data are demonstrating new successful agents in difficult-to-manage populations.
      This review is aimed to provide a brief overview of currently accepted therapy,
      as well providing new information on upcoming therapeutic agents available for
      practioners going forward.

PMID- 28350559
TI  - Interventional Spine Considerations for Dural Ectasia in a Patient With Marfan
      Syndrome.
AB  - For patients with Marfan syndrome who present with radicular low back pain,
      interventional spine providers should be familiar with dural ectasia with
      variable diffuse thinning of the posterior wall of the lumbar spine and sacrum.
      Providers should carefully weigh the risks and benefits of offering elective
      procedures because altered anatomy may put these patients at higher risk of dural
      puncture. Patient selection is essential because hydrostatic pressures and/or
      neural tension should also be considered as potential pain generators that may
      not be relieved by steroid injections. Careful evaluation of recent magnetic
      resonance images and vigilant procedural technique is highly recommended.

PMID- 28350562
TI  - Role of Personality Functioning in the Quality of Life of Patients with
      Depression.
AB  - Depression is associated with reduced quality of life (QoL), and personality
      pathology is associated with higher impairment and poorer treatment outcomes in
      patients with depression. This study aims to analyze the effects of personality
      functioning on the QoL of patients with depression. Severity of depressive
      symptoms (Beck Depression Inventory), level of personality functioning
      (Operationalized Psychodynamic Diagnosis Structure Questionnaire), and QoL
      (Medical Outcome Study 36-item Short-Form) were assessed in a sample of 84
      depressive outpatients. Personality functioning showed main effects on both the
      mental and physical components of QoL. A moderating effect of personality
      functioning on the relationship between depressive symptoms and QoL was tested
      but not confirmed. Severity of depressive symptoms was found to mediate the
      effect of personality functioning on the mental component of QoL. These results
      suggest that the effect of personality functioning on the QoL of patients with
      depression may be related to the higher severity of depressive symptoms found in
      patients with lower levels of personality functioning.

PMID- 28350563
TI  - Predicting the Mental Health and Functioning of Torture Survivors.
AB  - The psychological effects of war represent a growing public health concern as
      more refugees and asylum seekers migrate across borders. This study investigates
      whether sociodemographic, premigration and postmigration, and psychosocial
      factors predict adverse psychiatric symptoms in refugees and asylum seekers
      exposed to torture (N = 278). Hierarchical linear regressions revealed that
      female sex, older age, and unstable housing predicted greater severity of
      anxiety, posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and depression. Cumulative
      exposure to multiple torture types predicted anxiety and PTSD, while mental
      health, basic resources (access to food, shelter, medical care), and external
      risks (risk of being victimized at home, community, work, school) were the
      strongest psychosocial predictors of anxiety, PTSD, and depression. Also, time
      spent in the United States before presenting for services significantly predicted
      anxiety, PTSD, and depression. Consequently, public-sector services should seek
      to engage this high-risk population immediately upon resettlement into the host
      country using a mental health stepped care approach.

PMID- 28350561
TI  - Reducing Pediatric Sternal Wound Infections: A Quality Improvement Project.
AB  - OBJECTIVES: To evaluate whether a quality improvement intervention reduces
      sternal wound infection rates in children after cardiac surgery. DESIGN: This is
      a pre- and postintervention quality improvement study. SETTING: A 16-bed cardiac
      ICU in a university-affiliated pediatric tertiary care children's hospital.
      PATIENTS: All patients undergoing cardiac surgery via median sternotomy from
      January 2010 to December 2014 are included. The sternal wound infection rates for
      primary closure and delayed sternal closure are reported per 100 sternotomies.
      The hospital-acquired infection records were used to identify preintervention
      cases, while postintervention cases were collected prospectively. INTERVENTION:
      Implementation of a sternal wound prevention bundle during the preoperative,
      intraoperative, and postoperative periods for cardiac surgical cases.
      MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: During the preintervention period, 32 patients
      (3.8%) developed sternal wound infection, whereas only 19 (2.1%) developed
      sternal wound infection during the postintervention period (p = 0.04). The rates
      of sternal wound infection following primary closure were not significantly
      different pre- and postintervention (2.4% vs 1.6%; p = 0.35). However, patients
      with delayed sternal closure had significantly lower postintervention infection
      rates (10.6% vs 3.9%; p = 0.02). CONCLUSIONS: Implementation of a sternal wound
      prevention bundle during the perioperative period was associated with lower
      sternal wound infection rates in surgeries with delayed sternal closure.

PMID- 28350564
TI  - OpTrust: Validity of a Tool Assessing Intraoperative Entrustment Behaviors.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study is to establish evidence to support the validity
      of a novel faculty-resident intraoperative assessment tool for entrustment known
      as OpTrust. BACKGROUND: Recently, the landscape of surgical training has been
      altered, in part, because of resident work-hour changes and increased supervision
      requirements. To address these concerns, a new model for assessment of teaching
      and learning in surgical residencies must be anchored on progression through
      milestones and entrustment. METHODS: OpTrust was designed to assess the faculty
      resident dyad in the operating room and measure the entrustment exhibited during
      intraoperative interactions across 5 domains: (i) types of questions asked, (ii)
      operative plan, (iii) instruction, (iv) problem solving, and (v) leadership by
      the surgical resident. After initial pilot testing and refinement of OpTrust, 5
      individual raters underwent rater training sessions; 49 individual operating room
      observations were completed based on 28 cases. RESULTS: OpTrust, as a tool for
      assessing intraoperative entrustment, is supported by strong validity evidence.
      In part, it demonstrates strong interrater reliability across all faculty domains
      as measured by intraclass correlation 1 (ICC1) (0.81-0.93). For resident domains
      the results were similar with ICC1 (0.84-0.94). Cronbach alpha was 0.89 and 0.87
      for faculty and resident entrustment respectively, signifying the 5 domains could
      be combined into a single construct of entrustment. A high correlation existed
      between faculty and resident scores (Pearson r = 0.94, P < 0.001) indicating a
      strong positive linear relationship between faculty and resident mean entrustment
      scores across all scale domains. CONCLUSIONS: OpTrust successfully assesses
      behaviors associated with entrustment during intraoperative faculty-resident
      interactions, and has the potential to be adopted across other procedural-based
      specialties to promote autonomous training progression.

PMID- 28350565
TI  - Impact of Surgical Approach on Long-term Survival in Esophageal Adenocarcinoma
      Patients With or Without Neoadjuvant Chemoradiotherapy.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: To compare overall survival in patients with esophageal adenocarcinoma
      who underwent transhiatal esophagectomy (THE) with limited lymphadenectomy or
      transthoracic esophagectomy (TTE) with extended lymphadenectomy with or without
      neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy (nCRT). BACKGROUND: The application of neoadjuvant
      therapy might change the association between the extent of lymphadenectomy and
      survival in patients with esophageal adenocarcinoma. This may influence the
      choice of surgical approach in patients treated with nCRT. METHODS: Patients with
      potentially curable subcarinal esophageal adenocarcinoma treated with surgery
      alone or nCRT followed by surgery in 7 centers were included. The effect of
      surgical approach on overall survival, differentiated by the addition or omission
      of nCRT, was analyzed using a multivariable Cox regression model that included
      well-known prognostic factors and factors that might have influenced the choice
      of surgical approach. RESULTS: In total, 701 patients were included, of whom 318
      had TTE with extended lymphadenectomy and 383 had THE with limited
      lymphadenectomy. TTE had differential effects on survival (P for interaction =
      0.02), with a more favorable prognostic effect in patients who were treated with
      surgery alone [hazard ratio (HR) = 0.77, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.58-1.03].
      This association was statistically significant in a subgroup of patients with 1
      to 8 positive lymph nodes in the resection specimen (HR = 0.62, 95% CI 0.43
      0.90). The favorable prognostic effect of TTE over THE was absent in the nCRT and
      surgery group (HR = 1.16, 95% CI 0.80-1.66) and in the subgroup of nCRT patients
      with 1 to 8 positive lymph nodes in the resection specimen (HR = 1.00, 95% CI
      0.61-1.68). CONCLUSIONS: Compared to surgery alone, the addition of nCRT may
      reduce the need for TTE with extended lymphadenectomy to improve long-term
      survival in patients with esophageal adenocarcinoma.

PMID- 28350560
TI  - Outcomes Related to the Use of Frozen Plasma or Pooled Solvent/Detergent-Treated
      Plasma in Critically Ill Children.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: To determine if the use of fresh frozen plasma/frozen plasma 24 hours
      compared to solvent detergent plasma is associated with international normalized
      ratio reduction or ICU mortality in critically ill children. DESIGN: This is an a
      priori secondary analysis of a prospective, observational study. Study groups
      were defined as those transfused with either fresh frozen plasma/frozen plasma 24
      hours or solvent detergent plasma. Outcomes were international normalized ratio
      reduction and ICU mortality. Multivariable logistic regression was used to
      determine independent associations. SETTING: One hundred one PICUs in 21
      countries. PATIENTS: All critically ill children admitted to a participating unit
      were included if they received at least one plasma unit during six predefined 1
      week (Monday to Friday) periods. All children were exclusively transfused with
      either fresh frozen plasma/frozen plasma 24 hours or solvent detergent plasma.
      INTERVENTIONS: None. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: There were 443 patients
      enrolled in the study. Twenty-four patients (5%) were excluded because no plasma
      type was recorded; the remaining 419 patients were analyzed. Fresh frozen
      plasma/frozen plasma 24 hours group included 357 patients, and the solvent
      detergent plasma group included 62 patients. The median (interquartile range) age
      and weight were 1 year (0.2-6.4) and 9.4 kg (4.0-21.1), respectively. There was
      no difference in reason for admission, severity of illness score, pretransfusion
      international normalized ratio, or lactate values; however, there was a
      difference in primary indication for plasma transfusion (p < 0.001). There was no
      difference in median (interquartile range) international normalized ratio
      reduction, between fresh frozen plasma/frozen plasma 24 hours and solvent
      detergent plasma study groups, -0.2 (-0.4 to 0) and -0.2 (-0.3 to 0),
      respectively (p = 0.80). ICU mortality was lower in the solvent detergent plasma
      versus fresh frozen plasma/frozen plasma 24 hours groups, 14.5% versus 29.1%%,
      respectively (p = 0.02). Upon adjusted analysis, solvent detergent plasma
      transfusion was independently associated with reduced ICU mortality (odds ratio,
      0.40; 95% CI, 0.16-0.99; p = 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Solvent detergent plasma use in
      critically ill children may be associated with improved survival. This hypothesis
      generating data support a randomized controlled trial comparing solvent detergent
      plasma to fresh frozen plasma/frozen plasma 24 hours.

PMID- 28350566
TI  - Blinding in Surgical Randomized Clinical Trials in 2015.
AB  - : Lack of blinding in randomized clinical trials can bias the effect estimates of
      the observed intervention. In trials assessing nonpharmacological interventions
      (eg, surgical randomized clinical trials) blinding is usually more difficult. In
      this mini-review the blinding and reporting of blinding was assessed from
      surgical randomized clinical trials that were published in leading medical and
      surgical journals in 2015. Conducting a systematic search on PubMed, a total of
      99 studies were deemed as relevant and blinding status assessed. Blinding was
      explicitly stated for practitioners, patients, and outcome observers in 3%, 37%,
      and 52%, respectively. The blinding status was not clearly stated in a large
      proportion of studies or had sometimes a misleading classification. Hence,
      authors and journals publishing randomized controlled trials should pay attention
      that status of blinding is unambiguously reported.

PMID- 28350568
TI  - Reducing Length of Stay Using a Robotic-assisted Approach for Retromuscular
      Ventral Hernia Repair: A Comparative Analysis From the Americas Hernia Society
      Quality Collaborative.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to compare length of stay (LOS) after
      robotic-assisted and open retromuscular ventral hernia repair (RVHR). BACKGROUND:
      RVHR has traditionally been performed by open techniques. Robotic-assisted
      surgery enables surgeons to perform minimally invasive RVHR, but with unknown
      benefit. Using real-world evidence, this study compared LOS after open (o-RVHR)
      and robotic-assisted (r-RVHR) approach. METHODS: Multi-institutional data from
      patients undergoing elective RVHR in the Americas Hernia Society Quality
      Collaborative between 2013 and 2016 were analyzed. Propensity score matching was
      used to compare median LOS between o-RVHR and r-RVHR groups. This work was
      supported by an unrestricted grant from Intuitive Surgical, and all clinical
      authors have declared direct or indirect relationships with Intuitive Surgical.
      RESULTS: In all, 333 patients met inclusion criteria for a 2:1 match performed on
      111 r-RVHR patients using propensity scores, with 222 o-RVHR patients having
      similar characteristics as the robotic-assisted group. Median LOS [interquartile
      range (IQR)] was significantly decreased for r-RVHR patients [2 days (IQR 2)]
      compared with o-RVHR patients [3 days (IQR 3), P < 0.001]. No differences in 30
      day readmissions or surgical site infections were observed. Higher surgical site
      occurrences were noted with r-RVHR, consisting mostly of seromas not requiring
      intervention. CONCLUSIONS: Using real-world evidence, a robotic-assisted approach
      to RVHR offers the clinical benefit of reduced postoperative LOS. Ongoing
      monitoring of this technique should be employed through continuous quality
      improvement to determine the long-term effect on hernia recurrence,
      complications, patient satisfaction, and overall cost.

PMID- 28350567
TI  - Watchful Waiting Versus Surgery of Mildly Symptomatic or Asymptomatic Inguinal
      Hernia in Men Aged 50 Years and Older: A Randomized Controlled Trial.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: To compare if watchful waiting is noninferior to elective repair in
      men aged 50 years and older with mildly symptomatic or asymptomatic inguinal
      hernia. BACKGROUND: The role of watchful waiting in older male patients with
      mildly symptomatic or asymptomatic inguinal hernia is still not well-established.
      METHODS: In this noninferiority trial, we randomly assigned men aged 50 years and
      older with mildly symptomatic or asymptomatic inguinal hernia to either elective
      inguinal hernia repair or watchful waiting. Primary endpoint was the mean
      difference in a 4-point pain/discomfort score at 24 months of follow-up. Using a
      0.20-point difference as a clinically relevant margin, it was hypothesized that
      watchful waiting was noninferior to elective repair. Secondary endpoints included
      quality of life, event-free survival, and crossover rates. RESULTS: Between
      January 2006 and August 2012, 528 patients were enrolled, of whom 496 met the
      inclusion criteria: 234 were assigned to elective repair and 262 to watchful
      waiting. The mean pain/discomfort score at 24 months was 0.35 [95% confidence
      interval (CI) 0.28-0.41)] in the elective repair group and 0.58 (95% CI 0.52
      0.64) in the watchful waiting group. The difference of these means (MD) was -0.23
      (95% CI -0.32 to -0.14). In the watchful waiting group, 93 patients (35.4%)
      eventually underwent elective surgery and 6 patients (2.3%) received emergent
      surgery for strangulation/incarceration. Postoperative complication rates and
      recurrence rates in these 99 operated individuals were comparable with
      individuals originally assigned to the elective repair group (8.1% vs 15.0%; P =
      0.106, 7.1% vs 8.9%; P = 0.668, respectively). CONCLUSIONS: Our data could not
      rule out a relevant difference in favor of elective repair with regard to the
      primary endpoint. Nevertheless, in view of all other findings, we feel that our
      results justify watchful waiting as a reasonable alternative compared with
      surgery in men aged 50 years and older.

PMID- 28350569
TI  - Overall Splenectomy Rates Stable Despite Increasing Usage of Angiography in the
      Management of High-grade Blunt Splenic Injury.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to understand the contemporary trends of
      splenectomy in blunt splenic injury (BSI) and to determine if angiography and
      embolization (ANGIO) may be impacting the splenectomy rate. BACKGROUND: The
      approach to BSI has shifted to increasing use of nonoperative management, with a
      greater reliance on ANGIO. However, the impact ANGIO has on splenic salvage
      remains unclear with little contemporary data. METHODS: The National Trauma Data
      Bank was used to identify patients 18 years and older with high-grade BSI
      (Abbreviated Injury Scale >II) treated at Level I or II trauma centers between
      2008 and 2014. Primary outcomes included yearly rates of splenectomy, which was
      defined as early if performed within 6 hours of ED admission and delayed if
      greater than 6 hours, ANGIO, and mortality. Trends were studied over time with
      hierarchical regression models. RESULTS: There were 53,689 patients who had high
      grade BSI over the study period. There was no significant difference in the
      adjusted rate of overall splenectomy over time (24.3% in 2008, 24.3% in 2014, P
      value = 0.20). The use of ANGIO rapidly increased from 5.3% in 2008 to 13.5% in
      2014 (P value < 0.001). Mortality was similar overtime (8.7% in 2008, 9.0% in
      2014, P value = 0.33). CONCLUSION: Over the last 7 years, the rate of angiography
      has been steadily rising while the overall rate of splenectomy has been stable.
      The lack of improved overall splenic salvage, despite increased ANGIO, calls into
      question the role of ANGIO in splenic salvage on high-grade BSI at a national
      level.

PMID- 28350570
TI  - Low-Density Lipoprotein Receptor-Related Protein 4-Positive Myasthenia Gravis in
      a Double-Seronegative, Electromyography-Negative Patient.
AB  - We describe a patient with ocular myasthenia gravis, where single-fiber
      electromyography and testing for acetylcholine receptor and muscle-specific
      kinase antibodies were negative. However, antibodies to low-density lipoprotein
      receptor-related protein 4 (LRP4) were positive, and this prompted appropriate
      management. We recommend that testing for LRP4 antibodies be considered when the
      clinical suspicion for myasthenia gravis is high despite negative conventional
      diagnostic tests.

PMID- 28350571
TI  - Vertebrobasilar Dolichoectasia Causing An Optic Tract Syndrome.
AB  - Vertebrobasilar dolichoectasia (VBD) is characterized by significant dilation,
      elongation, and tortuosity of the vertebrobasilar system. We present a unique
      case of VBD, confirmed by neuroimaging studies, showing vascular compression of
      the right optic tract and lower cranial nerves leading to an incongruous left
      homonymous inferior quadrantanopia and glossopharyngeal neuralgia.

PMID- 28350572
TI  - Aripiprazole Lauroxil: Pharmacokinetic Profile of This Long-Acting Injectable
      Antipsychotic in Persons With Schizophrenia.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Aripiprazole lauroxil is an extended-release prodrug of aripiprazole
      for intramuscular injection, approved for schizophrenia treatment. We developed a
      population pharmacokinetic (PopPK) model to characterize aripiprazole lauroxil PK
      and evaluate dosing scenarios likely to be encountered in clinical practice.
      METHODS: Data from 616 patients with schizophrenia, collected from 5 clinical
      studies, were used to construct the PopPK model. The model was subsequently used
      to evaluate various dose levels and frequency and the impact of dosing delay on
      aripiprazole concentrations. FINDINGS: The results of the model indicate that
      aripiprazole is released into the systemic circulation after 5 to 6 days, and
      release continues for an additional 36 days. The slow increase in aripiprazole
      concentration after injection necessitates the coadministration of oral
      aripiprazole for 21 days with the first injection. Based on the PopPK model
      simulations, a dosing interval of 882 mg every 6 weeks results in aripiprazole
      concentrations that fall within the concentration range associated with the
      efficacious aripiprazole lauroxil dose range (441-882 mg dosed monthly). A 662-mg
      monthly dose also resulted in aripiprazole concentrations within the efficacious
      dose range. Aripiprazole lauroxil administration results in prolonged exposure,
      such that dose delays of 2 to 4 weeks, depending on the dose regimen, do not
      require oral aripiprazole supplementation upon resumption of dosing. CONCLUSIONS:
      This PopPK model and model-based simulations were effective means for evaluating
      aripiprazole lauroxil dosing regimens and management of missed doses. Such
      analyses play an important role in determining the use of this long-acting
      antipsychotic in clinical practice.

PMID- 28350574
TI  - Recurrent Hyperammonemia Associated With Olanzapine.

PMID- 28350573
TI  - Possible Clozapine Overdose-Associated Thromboembolic Event.

PMID- 28350575
TI  - Influence of carotid atherosclerotic plaques on pulse wave assessment with
      arterial tonometry.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: Aortic stiffness and central pressure measurements have become
      increasingly important for the overall estimation of cardiovascular risk. The aim
      of this study is to verify whether the presence of stenosis in the carotid
      arteries due to atherosclerotic plaques may induce a bias in the measurement of
      carotid-femoral pulse wave velocity (PWV) and in the analysis of central pulse
      waveform variables assessed by carotid tonometry. METHODS: Eighty-four patients
      (age: 67.1 +/- 12.4 years) undergoing screening for carotid atherosclerosis were
      enrolled, divided into three groups according to carotid ultrasound findings
      (NASCET criteria): 28 patients without significant stenosis, 30 patients with
      bilateral plaques, and 26 patients with right or left monolateral stenosis. PWV
      and other variables derived from the central pulse waveform analysis (central
      blood pressure, augmentation index and forward and backward waves) were measured
      at both right and left carotid arteries by a validated PulsePen tonometer. A
      repeatability study was performed in 28 young healthy patients (age: 25.4 +/- 2.9
      years). RESULTS: A high degree of correlation was found between bilateral
      measurements in all groups, and particularly in groups with monolateral carotid
      stenosis, with no significant difference attributable to lateralized stenosis.
      Right-left differences in asymmetric groups were 0.35 +/- 5.12 mmHg (R = 0.960)
      for central blood pressure, -2.12 +/- 7.39% (R = 0.743) for augmentation index,
      0.64 +/- 1.56 m/s (R = 0.947) for PWV, 0.08 +/- 8.48 mmHg for forward wave (R =
      0.742) and 0.35 +/- 2.35 mmHg for backward wave (R = 0.907). CONCLUSION:
      Measurement of PWV and of variables derived from the central pulse waveform
      analysis by carotid tonometry is not biased by the presence of local
      atherosclerotic plaques.

PMID- 28350576
TI  - Absence of resting cardiovascular dysfunction in middle-aged endurance-trained
      athletes with exaggerated exercise blood pressure responses.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: Untrained individuals with exaggerated blood pressure (EBP) responses
      to graded exercise testing are characterized as having resting dysfunction of the
      sympathetic and cardiovascular systems. The purpose of this study was to
      determine the resting cardiovascular state of endurance-trained individuals with
      EBP through a comparison of normotensive athletes with and without EBP. METHODS:
      EBP was defined as a maximal systolic blood pressure (SBP) at least 190 mmHg and
      at least 210 mmHg for women and men respectively, in response to a graded
      exercise test. Twenty-two life-long endurance-trained athletes (56 +/- 5 years,
      16 men) with EBP (EBP+) and 11 age and sex-matched athletes (55 +/- 5 years,
      eight men) without EBP (EBP-) participated in the study. Sympathetic reactivity
      was assessed using BP responses to a cold pressor test, isometric handgrip
      exercise, and postexercise muscle ischemia. Resting left ventricular structure
      and function was assessed using two-dimensional echocardiography, whereas central
      arterial stiffness was assessed using carotid-to-femoral pulse wave velocity.
      Calf vascular conductance was measured at rest and peak postexercise using strain
      gauge plethysmography. RESULTS: All sympathetic reactivity, left ventricular, and
      arterial stiffness indices were similar between groups. There was no between
      group difference in resting vascular conductance, whereas peak vascular
      conductance was higher in EBP+ relative to EBP- (1.81 +/- 0.65 vs. 1.45 +/- 0.32
      ml/100 ml/min/mmHg, P < 0.05). CONCLUSION: Findings from this study suggest that
      athletes with EBP do not display the resting cardiovascular state typically
      observed in untrained individuals with EBP. This response in athletes, therefore,
      is likely a compensatory mechanism to satisfy peripheral blood-flow demands
      rather than indicative of latent dysfunction.

PMID- 28350577
TI  - Reliability of heart rate as neuroadrenergic marker in the metabolic syndrome.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Metabolic syndrome is characterized by a pronounced sympathetic
      overactivity as documented by the marked increase in muscle sympathetic nerve
      traffic (MSNA) as well as in plasma norepinephrine values reported in this
      condition. Whether and to what extent heart rate (HR) reflects the abovementioned
      adrenergic alterations in metabolic syndrome remains largely undefined. It is
      also undefined the validity of the abovementioned adrenergic markers in
      reflecting the main features of the metabolic syndrome. METHODS: In 65 metabolic
      syndrome patients, aged 56.5 +/- 1.3 years (mean +/- SEM), we measured over a 30
      min resting period blood pressure, HR (ECG), venous plasma norepinephrine (HPLC)
      and MSNA (microneurography). We also evaluated anthropometric and metabolic
      variables including HOMA index, correlating them with the adrenergic markers. The
      same measurements were also made in 48 age-matched healthy controls. RESULTS: HR
      was significantly greater in the metabolic syndrome patients than in controls
      (74.6 +/- 1.5 versus 67.5 +/- 1.5 bpm, P < 0.001) and significantly and directly
      correlated with the elevated norepinephrine and MSNA values (r = 0.25 and 0.33, P
      < 0.05 and 0.01, respectively). MSNA was significantly and directly related to
      blood pressure (r = 0.27 and 0.31 SBP and DBP, respectively, P < 0.05 for both),
      BMI (r = 0.36, P < 0.01), waist circumference (r = 0.34, P < 0.01), waist-to-hip
      ratio (r = 0.49, P < 0.01) and plasma insulin (r = 0.57, P < 0.01). In contrast,
      no significant correlation was detectable between HR or norepinephrine and the
      abovementioned anthropometric and metabolic variables. CONCLUSION: Our data show
      that in the metabolic syndrome not only peripheral but also cardiac sympathetic
      drive is markedly potentiated and HR can be regarded as a marker of adrenergic
      overdrive characterizing this clinical condition. The reliability of HR (and of
      plasma norepinephrine) as sympathetic marker appears to be limited, however, this
      variable being unable to reflect, at variance from MSNA, the main metabolic and
      anthropometric abnormalities characterizing the metabolic syndrome.

PMID- 28350579
TI  - Cervical screening: toward an equal risk/equal management approach, irrespective
      of HIV status.

PMID- 28350578
TI  - Increasing voluntary medical male circumcision uptake among adult men in
      Tanzania.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: We evaluated a demand-creation intervention to increase voluntary
      medical male circumcision (VMMC) uptake among men aged 20-34 years in Tanzania,
      to maximise short-term impact on HIV incidence. METHODS: A cluster randomized
      controlled trial stratified by region was conducted in 20 outreach sites in
      Njombe and Tabora regions. The sites were randomized 1 : 1 to receive either a
      demand-creation intervention package in addition to standard VMMC outreach, or
      standard VMMC outreach alone. The intervention package included enhanced public
      address messages, peer promotion by recently circumcised men, facility setup to
      increase privacy, and engagement of female partners in demand creation. The
      primary outcome was the proportion of VMMC clients aged 20-34 years. FINDINGS:
      Overall, 6251 and 3968 VMMC clients were enrolled in intervention and control
      clusters, respectively. The proportion of clients aged 20-34 years was slightly
      greater in the intervention than control arm [17.7 vs. 13.0%; prevalence ratio =
      1.36; 95% confidence intervals (CI):0.9-2.0]. In Njombe region, the proportion of
      clients aged 20-34 years was similar between arms but a significant two-fold
      difference was seen in Tabora region (P value for effect modification = 0.006).
      The mean number of men aged 20-34 years (mean difference per cluster = 97; 95%
      CI:40-154), and of all ages (mean difference per cluster = 227, 95% CI:33-420)
      were greater in the intervention than control arm. CONCLUSION: The intervention
      was associated with a significant increase in the proportion of clients aged 20
      34 years in Tabora but not in Njombe. The intervention may be sensitive to
      regional factors in VMMC programme scale-up, including saturation.

PMID- 28350580
TI  - Alemtuzumab induction therapy in HIV-positive renal transplant recipients.

PMID- 28350581
TI  - Transient HIV-specific T cells increase and inflammation in an HIV-infected
      patient treated with nivolumab.

PMID- 28350582
TI  - HIV cure strategies: response to ignore the central nervous system at your
      patients' peril.

PMID- 28350583
TI  - Dolutegravir plasma levels after gastric bypass surgery.

PMID- 28350585
TI  - Effect of Anchor Length on the Pullout Strength of Palatal Mini Implants.
AB  - PURPOSE: The aim of this study was to evaluate the pullout strength of 3
      different orthodontic mini implants. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Twenty-seven mini
      implants (diameter: 2 mm, length: 7 mm) were implanted into artificial bone
      (Sawbones; Pacific Research Laboratories Inc.) at depths of 3, 4, and 5 mm. The
      insertion torque (IT), resonance frequency (RF), pullout strength (PS), and
      anchor length (AL) were measured. One-way analysis of variance with Tukey honest
      significant difference (HSD) postcomparison were used to detect intergroup
      differences. The null hypothesis was that IT, RF, and PS would significantly
      correlate in the same brand. RESULTS: In the implantation depths (ID) (5 and 4
      mm), IT of Types C (16.67 and 14.33 N.cm) and Type B (14 and 13.33 N.cm) were
      significantly higher than Type A (10.33 and 9.33 N.cm). Type A had a largest AL
      and PS at the IDs (5 and 4 mm). In the IDs (3 mm), PS was no different. Type C
      had no correlation among the RF, IT, and PS. Therefore, null hypothesis was
      rejected. CONCLUSION: AL exerted crucial effects on the PS of the mini implants.

PMID- 28350587
TI  - What Can We Learn From the Letters of Students and Residents About Improving the
      Medical Curriculum?

PMID- 28350586
TI  - Predictors of Outcome in Conservative and Minimally Invasive Surgical Management
      of Pain Originating From the Sacroiliac Joint: A Pooled Analysis.
AB  - STUDY DESIGN: A pooled patient-level analysis of two multicenter randomized
      controlled trials and one multicenter single-arm prospective trial. OBJECTIVE:
      The aim of this study was to identify predictors of outcome of conservative and
      minimally invasive surgical management of pain originating from the sacroiliac
      joint (SIJ). SUMMARY OF BACKGROUND DATA: Three recently published prospective
      trials have shown that minimally invasive SIJ fusion (SIJF) using triangular
      titanium implants produces better outcomes than conservative management for
      patients with pain originating from the SIJ. Due to limitations in individual
      trial sample size, analyses of predictors of treatment outcome were not
      conducted. METHODS: We pooled individual patient data from the three trials and
      used random effects models with multivariate regression analysis to identify
      predictors for treatment outcome separately for conservative and minimally
      invasive surgical treatment. Outcome was measured using visual analogue scale
      (VAS), Oswestry Disability Index (ODI), and EuroQOL-5D (EQ-5D). RESULTS: We
      included 423 patients assigned to either nonsurgical management (NSM, n = 97) or
      SIJF (n = 326) between 2013 and 2015. The reduction in SIJ pain was 37.9 points
      larger [95% confidence interval (95% CI) 32.5-43.4, P < 0.0001] in the SIJF group
      than in the NSM group. Similarly, the improvement in ODI was 18.3 points larger
      (95% CI 14.3-22.4), P < 0.0001). In NSM, we found no predictors of outcome. In
      SIJF, a reduced improvement in outcome was predicted by smoking (P = 0.030),
      opioid use (P = 0.017), lower patient age (P = 0.008), and lower duration of SIJ
      pain (P = 0.028). CONCLUSIONS: Our results support the view that SIJF leads to
      better treatment outcome than conservative management of SIJ pain and that a
      higher margin of improvement can be predicted in nonsmokers, nonopioid users, and
      patients of increased age and with longer pain duration. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: 1.

PMID- 28350588
TI  - Assessing for Learner Shame Should Be a Routine Part of Remediation for
      Unprofessional Behavior.

PMID- 28350589
TI  - In Reply to Bynum.

PMID- 28350590
TI  - Beyond the Controversy About Advocacy.

PMID- 28350591
TI  - In Reply to Reardon et al.

PMID- 28350592
TI  - Clinical Reasoning and Threshold Concepts.

PMID- 28350593
TI  - In Reply to Ma et al.

PMID- 28350594
TI  - To Take Care of Patients Well, Physicians Must Take Care of Themselves.

PMID- 28350595
TI  - Applying Design Thinking to Curriculum Reform.

PMID- 28350596
TI  - Do Students Really Have an Inability to Concentrate During Lectures?

PMID- 28350597
TI  - Choosing the Right Words in the Curriculum and Beyond.

PMID- 28350598
TI  - Are the Didactic Years an Artifact of Ancestral Medicine? Updating the Curriculum
      to Meet Modern Needs.

PMID- 28350600
TI  - Build or Buy? Curricular Design and External Basic Sciences Learning Resources.

PMID- 28350599
TI  - The Role of E-Learning in Medical Education.

PMID- 28350601
TI  - Effective Collaboration on Skin Disease Starts With Medical Education.

PMID- 28350602
TI  - Student Research in the Medical Curriculum: Experiences From Norway.

PMID- 28350603
TI  - Quality Improvement in Medical Education: Implications for Curriculum Change.

PMID- 28350604
TI  - LGBTQ Health Education: Where Are We Now?

PMID- 28350605
TI  - Teaching Physicians to Teach: The Underappreciated Path to Improving Patient
      Outcomes.

PMID- 28350606
TI  - Improving Medical Education by Improving Its Instructors.

PMID- 28350607
TI  - Reflection Fatigue Among Medical Students.

PMID- 28350608
TI  - A Grassroots Student-Faculty Coalition on Curriculum Change.

PMID- 28350609
TI  - The Illness of Present Histories.

PMID- 28350610
TI  - Stroke Education Is Underrepresented in U.S. Undergraduate Clinical Curricula.

PMID- 28350611
TI  - Health Systems Education: A Call for National Medical Curriculum Reform.

PMID- 28350612
TI  - Case-Based Suffering.

PMID- 28350613
TI  - Artist's Statement: Learning to Float.

PMID- 28350614
TI  - Prozac Diary: [Excerpt].

PMID- 28350615
TI  - Commentary on an Excerpt From Prozac Diary.

PMID- 28350617
TI  - Working together for better blood pressure control and cardiovascular disease
      reduction.

PMID- 28350616
TI  - Her Story of Present Illness.

PMID- 28350618
TI  - Association between serum uric acid and cardiovascular mortality and all-cause
      mortality: a cohort study.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: Previous studies have reported the association among serum uric acid
      (SUA) levels and cardiovascular and all-cause mortality; however, the results
      have been inconsistent. The aim of this study was to investigate whether SUA is
      independently associated with cardiovascular and all-cause mortality in
      relatively healthy Korean adults. METHODS: A total of 396 951 individuals were
      enrolled for the study between 2002 and 2012. About 39 991 participants were
      excluded for various reasons. All-cause and cardiovascular mortality data were
      collected. Cox proportional hazards models were used to estimate adjusted hazard
      ratios and 95% confidence intervals for all-cause and cardiovascular mortality
      according to baseline uric acid quintiles, and the third, middle SUA quintile was
      the reference group. RESULTS: A total of 356 960 participants were considered to
      be eligible for the analysis, and median follow-up duration was 5.88 years. The
      lowest and highest quintiles of SUA were less than 5.2 and more than 7.1 mg/dl in
      men, and less than 3.5 and more than 5.0 mg/dl in women, respectively. A total of
      2082 deaths (312 from cardiovascular disease and 1770 from other causes) occurred
      during follow-up. In the highest SUA group, adjusted hazard ratios for all-cause
      mortality were 1.24 (1.01, 1.51) in men and 1.04 (0.76, 1.42) in women, and for
      cardiovascular mortality were 1.15 (0.72, 1.83) in men and 1.69 (0.70, 4.04) in
      women after adjustment for various possible confounding factors. CONCLUSION: In
      the current large relatively healthy population-based observational study, SUA
      showed no significant association with all-cause and cardiovascular mortality.

PMID- 28350619
TI  - Genetic determinants of essential hypertension in the population of Tatars from
      Russia.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: Systemic inflammation and impaired function of endothelium play an
      important role in the development of hypertension. Our study aimed to analyze an
      association between essential hypertension and polymorphic markers in candidate
      genes in the group of 530 Tatars from the Republic of Bashkortostan, Russia.
      METHODS: The study group consisted of 216 male patients with essential
      hypertension (mean age 48.92 +/- 8.8 years) and 314 healthy individuals of
      corresponding sex and age without history of cardiovascular disease. Association
      between studied polymorphisms and essential hypertension was analyzed using
      PLINK. RESULTS: We detected an association between EDNRB rs5351, VEGFA 
      2549(18)I/D, and ADRB2 rs1042713 polymorphisms and essential hypertension in men
      of Tatar ethnic origin. EDNRB, VEGFA, and VCAM1 single-nucleotide polymorphisms
      were associated with SBP and DBP. However, only EDNRB rs5351 remained associated
      with hypertension after Bonferroni correction for multiple testing. A Markov
      chain Monte Carlo-based approach implemented in the APSampler program was used to
      analyze association of genotype and/or allele combinations with disease. The most
      influential in conferring risk of hypertension was EDNRBG/G+ADRB2A+VCAM1A
      combination (odds ratio = 4.15, PBonf = 5.43 * 10). CONCLUSION: Our results
      suggest that rs5351 single-nucleotide polymorphism is a strong independent
      predictor of essential hypertension in men of Tatar ethnic origin.

PMID- 28350621
TI  - Visit-to-visit SBP variability and cardiovascular disease in a multiethnic
      primary care setting: 10-year retrospective cohort study.
AB  - OBJECTIVES: The current study aims to determine the relationship of long-term
      visit-to-visit variability of SBP to cardiovascular disease (CVD) in a
      multiethnic primary care setting. METHOD: This is a retrospective study of a
      cohort of 807 hypertensive patients over a period of 10 years. Three-monthly
      clinic blood pressure readings were used to derive blood pressure variability
      (BPV), and CVD events were captured from patient records. RESULTS: Mean age at
      baseline was 57.2 +/- 9.8 years with 63.3% being women. The BPV and mean SBP over
      10 years were 14.7 +/- 3.5 and 142 +/- 8 mmHg, respectively. Prevalence of
      cardiovascular event was 13%. In multivariate logistic regression analysis, BPV
      was the predictor of CVD events, whereas the mean SBP was not independently
      associated with cardiovascular events in this population. Those with lower SBP
      and lower BPV had fewer cardiovascular events than those with the same low mean
      SBP but higher BPV (10.5 versus 12.8%). Similarly those with higher mean SBP but
      lower BPV also had fewer cardiovascular events than those with the same high mean
      and higher BPV (11.6 versus 16.7%). Other variables like being men, diabetes and
      Indian compared with Chinese are more likely to be associated with cardiovascular
      events. CONCLUSION: BPV is associated with an increase in CVD events even in
      those who have achieved lower mean SBP. Thus, we should prioritize not only
      control of SBP levels but also BPV to reduce CVD events further.

PMID- 28350620
TI  - Treatment of uncomplicated hypertension is associated with a reduction in
      cardiovascular mortality: a Korean national cohort study.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Although the benefit of hypertension treatment is well established in
      high-risk patients, there is a paucity of evidence regarding the benefit of
      treatment in patients with uncomplicated hypertension. METHODS: Hypertensive
      adult patients were selected from the Korea National Health Insurance Sample
      Cohort in 2002 and were followed until 2013. Patients with a diagnosis of heart
      failure, coronary artery disease, stroke, malignancy, diabetes, or chronic kidney
      disease were excluded. Ultimately, 40 496 patients were divided into three
      groups: never-treated (N = 6756), treated-from-baseline (N = 28 443), and treated
      during-follow-up (N = 5297). Five first-line antihypertensive agents were
      categorized into four classes: renin-angiotensin system blocker (RASB), beta
      blocker, calcium channel blocker (CCB), and diuretics. All-cause mortality,
      cardiovascular mortality, and hazard ratio were determined. RESULTS: All-cause
      and cardiovascular mortality rates were significantly lower in both treatment
      groups than in the never-treated group (all log-rank P < 0.001). Treatment from
      baseline (hazard ratio = 0.49 for all-cause mortality and hazard ratio = 0.62 for
      cardiovascular mortality) and treatment started during follow-up (hazard ratio =
      0.41 for all-cause mortality and hazard ratio = 0.44 for cardiovascular
      mortality) were independently associated with lower mortality on multivariable
      Cox analyses. Although RASB, beta-blocker, and CCB significantly reduced all
      cause mortality, multivariable Cox analyses showed that RASB and CCB were closely
      associated with lower all-cause mortality. In terms of cardiovascular mortality,
      only CCB was associated with lower cardiovascular mortality on multivariable Cox
      analyses. CONCLUSION: Treatment of hypertension significantly reduces mortality
      in patients with uncomplicated hypertension.

PMID- 28350622
TI  - Keratitis Due to Achromobacter xylosoxidans in a Contact Lens User.
AB  - OBJECTIVES: Ocular infections due to Achromobacter xylosoxidans are extremely
      uncommon; their diagnosis is a challenge and the optimal treatment remains
      controversial. We present a case of A. xylosoxidans in a contact lens user and a
      review of the literature to facilitate diagnostic suspicion and empirical
      therapeutic management. METHODS: Review of the literature in PubMed and MEDLINE.
      We also document a case diagnosed in our department in January 2016. SETTING:
      Hospital Clinico Universitario Lozano Blesa, Zaragoza, Spain. RESULTS: According
      to the literature, clinical manifestations and antibiotic sensitivity of A.
      xylosoxidans varied greatly. Our patient with no history of keratopathy presented
      three risk factors that made the diagnosis suspicious. The infection was resolved
      with topical moxifloxacin and fluorometholone. CONCLUSIONS: A. xylosoxidans is an
      uncommon cause of infection, but must be suspected in atypical keratitis,
      reported contact with warm or still waters, use of contact lenses, or previous
      corneal damage. In these cases, microbiological studies and antibiotic
      sensitivity testing are particularly important.

PMID- 28350623
TI  - Ocular Surface Squamous Neoplasia in Papillon-Lefevre Syndrome: Outcome at Long
      Term Follow-Up of 12 Years.
AB  - PURPOSE: To discuss the association between ocular surface squamous neoplasia
      (OSSN) and Papillon-Lefevre syndrome (PLS) and present the long-term outcome in a
      patient with these diseases. METHODS: Case report. RESULTS: A 14-year-old boy
      presented with a raised pigmented mass lesion at the limbus in the right eye,
      which was clinically suggestive of OSSN. He also had palmoplantar hyperkeratosis
      and periodontosis suggestive of PLS. Excision biopsy of the lesion confirmed the
      diagnosis of OSSN. He was free of tumor recurrence for 2 years and was lost to
      follow-up thereafter. Seven years later, the patient presented with diffuse tumor
      recurrence with orbital extension in the right eye, regional lymph node
      metastasis, and ipsilateral parotid gland infiltration. The patient underwent
      exenteration of the right orbital contents, right parotidectomy, and radical neck
      dissection followed by concomitant external beam radiotherapy and systemic
      chemotherapy. Eleven years from initial presentation, the patient was detected to
      have OSSN in the contralateral eye and was managed by wide excision biopsy and
      adjuvant cryotherapy. One year after detection of OSSN in the left eye, the
      patient was found to have systemic metastases to the lungs and brain. The patient
      died of the disease within 3 months of detection of systemic metastasis.
      CONCLUSIONS: OSSN in PLS is associated with poor prognosis.

PMID- 28350624
TI  - Application of Scanning Electron Microscopy With Energy-Dispersive X-Ray
      Spectroscopy for Analyzing Ocular Surface Particles on Schirmer Strips.
AB  - PURPOSE: To demonstrate the application of scanning electron microscopy with
      energy-dispersive x-ray spectroscopy (SEM/EDS) for analyzing Schirmer strips for
      particle concentration, size, morphology, and type distribution. METHODS: A cross
      sectional design was used. Patients were prospectively recruited from the Miami
      Veterans Affairs (VA) Healthcare System eye clinic, and they underwent a complete
      ocular surface examination. The size, type, and chemical composition of
      particulate matter on Schirmer strips (from the left eye) were analyzed using
      SEM/EDS. RESULTS: Schirmer strips from all 6 patients showed particle loading,
      ranging from 1 to 33 particles, whereas the blank Schirmer strip that served as a
      control showed no particle loading. Most particles were coarse, with an average
      size of 19.7 MUm (95% confidence interval 15-24.4 MUm). All samples contained
      organic particles (eg, pollen and mold), and 5 of the 6 samples contained
      nonorganic particles. The nonorganic particles were composed of silicon,
      minerals, and metals, including gold and titanium. The size of aluminum and iron
      particles was >=62 MUm, whereas the size of 2 other metals, zinc and gold, was
      smaller, that is, <20 MUm. Most metal particles were elongated compared with the
      organic particles, which were round. CONCLUSIONS: Although SEM/EDS has been
      extensively used in biomedical research, its novel application to assess the
      size, morphology, and chemical composition of the ocular surface particles offers
      an unprecedented opportunity to tease out the role of particulate matter exposure
      in ocular surface disease and disorders.

PMID- 28350625
TI  - Outcome and Histopathology of Secondary Penetrating Keratoplasty Graft Failure
      Managed by Descemet Membrane Endothelial Keratoplasty.
AB  - PURPOSE: To describe the clinical outcome and histopathology of Descemet membrane
      endothelial keratoplasty (DMEK) performed for secondary graft failure after
      penetrating keratoplasty (PK). METHODS: A total of 11 eyes from 10 patients who
      underwent DMEK for secondary PK graft failure at a tertiary referral center were
      included in this retrospective study. Best-corrected visual acuity, endothelial
      cell density, and central pachymetry were evaluated before and at regular time
      intervals up to 36 months after DMEK and complications were recorded; 1 post
      mortem cornea was available for light microscopy. RESULTS: At their last follow
      up visit (on average, 16 months after DMEK), 7 of 11 transplanted corneas were
      clear. In the 7 eyes with clear grafts, 5 had a best-corrected visual acuity of
      >=20/25 (>=0.8), central pachymetry averaged 535 (+/-70) MUm, and endothelial
      cell density averaged 1045 (+/-500) cells/mm. Of the 11 eyes, 4 required
      rebubbling in the early postoperative phase; 1 eye was left with a small (<1/3)
      detachment. Light microscopy of the pathology specimen showed complete attachment
      of the DMEK graft onto the preexisting PK posterior stroma, with interface
      scarring over DMEK graft folds and underneath the graft area that had initially
      been detached. CONCLUSIONS: DMEK may be a viable option to manage secondary PK
      graft failure with acceptable outcomes in many cases. Rebubbling for graft
      detachment may be anticipated, especially because of preexisting glaucoma
      conditions (severe decompensation, hypotony, and tubes from glaucoma-draining
      devices). Graft reattachment may occur through interface scarring.

PMID- 28350626
TI  - Applying Clinical and Public Health Research to Prevent Sexually Transmitted
      Infections.

PMID- 28350627
TI  - Data, Staff, and Money: Leadership Reflections on the Future of Public Health
      Informatics.
AB  - CONTEXT: Health informatics can play a critical role in supporting local health
      departments' (LHDs') delivery of certain essential public health services and
      improving evidence base for decision support. However, LHDs' informatics
      capacities are below an optimum level. Efforts to build such capacities face
      ongoing challenges. Moreover, little is known about LHD leaders' desires for the
      future of public health informatics. OBJECTIVES: Conduct a qualitative analysis
      of LHDs' future informatics plans, perceived barriers to accomplishing those
      plans, and potential impact of future advances in public health informatics on
      the work of the public health enterprise. METHODS: This research presents
      findings from 49 in-depth key informant interviews with public health leaders and
      informatics professionals from LHDs, representing insights from across the United
      States. Interviewees were selected on the basis of the size of the population
      their LHD serves, as well as level of informatics capacity. Interviews were
      transcribed, verified, and double coded. RESULTS: Major barriers to doing more
      with informatics included staff capacity and training, financial constraints,
      dependency on state health agency, and small LHD size/lack of regionalization.
      When asked about the role of leadership in expanding informatics, interviewees
      said that leaders could make it a priority through (1) learning more about
      informatics and (2) creating appropriate budgets for integrated information
      systems. Local health department leaders said that they desired data that were
      timely and geographically specific. In addition, LHD leaders said that they
      desired greater access to clinical data, especially around chronic disease
      indicators. CONCLUSIONS: Local health department leadership desires to have
      timely or even real-time data. Local health departments have a great potential to
      benefit from informatics, particularly electronic health records in advancing
      their administrative practices and service delivery, but financial and human
      capital represents the largest barrier. Interoperability of public health systems
      is highly desirable but hardly achievable in the presence of such barriers.

PMID- 28350628
TI  - Developing an Informatics-Savvy Health Department: From Discrete Projects to a
      Coordinating Program. Part I: Assessment and Governance.

PMID- 28350629
TI  - Wanted: Academic Health Departments to Foster Evidence-Based Practice and
      Practice-Based Evidence.

PMID- 28350630
TI  - PH 3.0: Supporting Local Health Departments in the New Paradigm to Improve
      Population Health.

PMID- 28350632
TI  - 30-Day Readmission After Spine Surgery: An Analysis of 1400 Consecutive Spine
      Surgery Patients.
AB  - STUDY DESIGN: Retrospective cohort review. OBJECTIVE: To identify the rates,
      causes, and risk factors for 30-day unplanned readmissions in after elective
      spine surgery at our institution. SUMMARY OF BACKGROUND DATA: Early readmission
      after spine surgery is being used as a proxy for quality of care. One-fifth of
      patients are rehospitalized within 30 days after spine surgery. Nearly 60% of
      these readmissions are unplanned, which translates into billions of dollars in
      healthcare costs. METHODS: A total of 1400 patients undergoing elective spine
      surgery at Duke University Hospital between 2008 and 2010 were included in the
      study. We identified all unplanned readmissions within 30 days of discharge.
      Unplanned readmissions were defined to have occurred as a result of either a
      surgical or a nonsurgical complication. Patient records were reviewed to
      determine the cause of readmission and the length of hospital stay. RESULTS: A
      total of 132 (9.4%) unplanned early readmissions were identified. The mean +/- SD
      age was 58.6 +/- 15.1 years. Lumbar decompression and fusion was the most common
      procedure The most common causes for readmission were infection or a concern for
      infection (34.8%) and pain (19.7%), and 26.5% of readmissions required a return
      to the operating room. The majority of patients that were readmitted presented to
      the emergency department from home (58.0%) whereas 25.2% were readmitted from a
      skilled nursing facility. The mean +/- SD number of days from discharge to
      readmission was 9.8 +/- 7.9 days and the average length of hospital stay for the
      readmissions was 7.5 days. CONCLUSION: This study suggests that infection and
      refractory pain were the most common primary reasons for unplanned readmission.
      Efforts at reducing unplanned early readmission after elective spine surgery
      should be focused on more effective post discharge care.

PMID- 28350634
TI  - Documenting Community Health Worker Roles in Primary Care: Contributions to
      Evidence-Based Integration Into Health Care Teams, 2015.
AB  - The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act provided community health workers
      (CHWs) with new opportunities, and current efforts develop evidence-based
      guidelines for CHW integration into clinical teams. This qualitative study
      documents CHW roles and activities in 3 federally qualified health care centers
      in southern Arizona. Community health worker clinical roles, activities, and
      integration varied by health center and were in flux. Integration included
      complementary roles, scheduled and everyday communications with team members, and
      documentation in the electronic health records. These findings contribute to
      evidence-based guidelines for CHW integration into clinical teams that are
      critical to maximizing CHW contributions to patient health improvements.

PMID- 28350633
TI  - Patient and Physician Race and the Allocation of Time and Patient Engagement
      Efforts to Mental Health Discussions in Primary Care: An Observational Study of
      Audiorecorded Periodic Health Examinations.
AB  - This study investigated racial differences in patient-physician communication
      around mental health versus biomedical issues. Data were collected from
      audiorecorded periodic health examinations of adults with mental health needs in
      the Detroit area (2007-2009). Patients and their primary care physicians
      conversed for twice as long, and physicians demonstrated greater empathy during
      mental health topics than during biomedical topics. This increase varied by
      patient and physician race. Patient race predicted physician empathy, but
      physician race predicted talk time. Interventions to improve mental health
      communication could be matched to specific populations based on the separate
      contributions of patient and physician race.

PMID- 28350635
TI  - Evidence on the Validity of a Comprehensive Health Risk Index and Implications
      for Ambulatory Care and Population Health Management.
AB  - A novel, comprehensive health risk index for adults has been validated and is now
      ready for use to improve the health of individuals and populations. This health
      risk index provides an estimate of the avoidable risk of death for adults 30
      years or older. It includes 12 evidence-based clinical and behavioral risk
      factors and was validated on discrimination and calibration using the NHANES
      (National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey) and Framingham Heart Study
      cohorts. The results from both cohorts were consistent and similar.
      Discrimination was good, and calibration was acceptable but tended to overpredict
      mortality risk for females in the higher-risk deciles.

PMID- 28350636
TI  - The Impact of Hospital Health Network Affiliation on Discharge Communication
      Preferences of Primary Care Providers.
AB  - Primary care physicians (PCPs) experience differential postdischarge access to
      electronic health records, depending upon affiliation with the discharging
      hospital's health network. To better understand whether this affiliation impacts
      discharge communication preferences, we surveyed a convenience sample of PCPs in
      and out of our hospital's health network. We also surveyed hospitalists and
      compared PCPs' and hospitalists' responses. We found that PCP discharge
      communication preferences differed by hospital health network affiliation. In
      addition, PCPs and hospitalists reported different expectations of responsibility
      for pending laboratory test follow-up. More inclusive communication strategies
      and standardization of responsibility for pending laboratory results may improve
      discharge communication quality.

PMID- 28350637
TI  - Physician Perception of the Role of the Patient Portal in Pediatric Health.
AB  - The patient portal, increasingly available to patients, allows secure electronic
      communication with physicians. Although physician attitude toward the portal
      plays a crucial role in patient adoption, little information regarding physician
      opinion of the portal is available, with almost no information gathered in the
      pediatric environment. Using a mixed-methods approach, physicians in a large
      pediatric medical facility and integrated delivery network were surveyed using an
      online quantitative questionnaire and structured interviews. Physicians reported
      the portal's role in more communication efficiency for patients, parents, and
      providers. The portal's acceptance also introduces new challenges such as
      frequent questions from some parents and medical visit avoidance.

PMID- 28350638
TI  - Short-term Impact of Meaningful Use Stage 1 Implementation: A Comparison of
      Health Outcomes in 2 Primary Care Clinics.
AB  - We studied a primary care clinic transitioning to Meaningful Use stage 1 and a
      comparison clinic within the same health system. In the 6 months following
      implementation, after adjusting for confounders, mean systolic blood pressure
      worsened (+3.3 mm Hg; P = .004) in the intervention clinic compared with the
      comparison clinic. We did not see a change in the mean or proportion of patients
      meeting target goals for diabetes (hemoglobin A1c) or obesity (body mass index).
      Our findings suggest that the worsening of systolic blood pressure associated
      with Meaningful Use implementation is likely due to distractions of system
      changes negatively impacting health outcomes.

PMID- 28350639
TI  - Measuring the Cost of the Patient-Centered Medical Home: A Cost-Accounting
      Approach.
AB  - To explore the cost for individual practices to become more patient-centered, we
      inventoried and calculated the cost of costly activities involved in implementing
      the Patient-Centered Medical Home (PCMH) as defined by the National Committee for
      Quality Assurance. There were 3 key findings. The cost of each PCMH-related
      clinical activity can be classified in 1 of 3 major categories. Cost offsets can
      be used to defray part of the cost recognition. The cost of PCMH transformation
      varied by practice with no clear level or pattern of costs. Our study suggests
      that small- and medium-sized practices may experience difficulty with the
      financial burden of PCMH recognition.

PMID- 28350640
TI  - In-class Active Video Game Supplementation and Adherence to Cardiac
      Rehabilitation.
AB  - PURPOSE: The application of active video games (AVGs) during cardiac
      rehabilitation (CR) sessions could potentially facilitate patient adherence. The
      feasibility, safety, and efficacy of in-class AVG supplementation as an
      alternative to conventional phase 2 programs were investigated. METHODS: A pilot,
      evaluator-blinded, intention-to-treat, randomized controlled trial recruited 32
      low-moderate risk CR participants and allocated them to conventional or AVG
      supplemented exercise. Both groups experienced equal exercise loads for 6 weeks.
      Patients were assessed at baseline, end of the program, and after an 8-week
      followup. Adherence and safety-related outcomes were the primary endpoints.
      Secondary outcomes included change in exercise capacity, daily physical activity
      (PA), energy expenditure (EE), and psychometric profiling. RESULTS: Patients
      (males 81%; 60 +/- 10 years) presented with typical cardiovascular risk factors
      and similar baseline characteristics. Participants did not perceive an increased
      risk of injury and were more interactive. At the end of the program, there was a
      lower tendency for dropping out (6% vs 19%, P > .05), a significant improvement
      in PA (322 vs 247 arbitrary acceleration units/min, P = .047) and related EE per
      body weight (13 vs 11 kcal/kg/d, P = .04) among AVG participants compared with
      controls. No significant differences between groups for adverse medical events,
      exercise capacity, affect toward exercise, anxiety, depression, or quality-of
      life changes were reported. CONCLUSIONS: The additional use of AVGs during CR
      sessions is feasible, safe, and significantly improved daily PA and EE. A dropout
      reduction trend among its users, which needs to be confirmed in a larger trial,
      raises awareness to AVG supplementation as a promising strategy to increase CR
      adherence.

PMID- 28350641
TI  - Exercise Training in a Patient With a Left Ventricular Assist Device and Large
      Aortic Valve Thrombus.
AB  - DETAILS OF THE CLINICAL CASE: An aortic valve thrombus (AVT) is a rare
      complication after HeartMate II implantation. In a 44-year-old man, a large AVT
      was discovered 6 weeks after implantation of a HeartMate II for severe dilated
      cardiomyopathy. The aortic valve was permanently closed. DISCUSSION: After a
      followup of 3 months without embolic events, the patient started a cardiac
      rehabilitation (CR) program involving aerobic exercise, resistance exercises,
      group gymnastics, and relaxation exercise, and completed the program without any
      complications, resulting in a significant functional benefit. SUMMARY: CR might
      not be systematically contraindicated in patients with HeartMate II and an AVT,
      in particular, if there is no opening of the aortic valve at rest.

PMID- 28350642
TI  - Increased Early Systemic Inflammation in ICU-Acquired Weakness; A Prospective
      Observational Cohort Study.
AB  - OBJECTIVES: To investigate whether patients who develop ICU-acquired weakness
      have a different pattern of systemic inflammatory markers compared with
      critically ill patients who do not develop ICU-acquired weakness. DESIGN:
      Prospective observational cohort study. SETTING: Mixed medical-surgical ICU of a
      tertiary care hospital in the Netherlands. PATIENTS: Newly admitted critically
      ill patients, greater than or equal to 48 hours on mechanical ventilation with a
      nonneurologic ICU admission diagnosis, were included. INTERVENTIONS: A panel of
      systemic inflammatory markers and soluble vascular adhesion molecules were
      measured in plasma samples of day 0, 2, and 4 after ICU admission. ICU-acquired
      weakness was diagnosed by manual muscle strength testing as soon as patients were
      awake and attentive. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: Ninety-nine of 204 included
      patients developed ICU-acquired weakness. Principal component regression
      analysis, adjusted for confounders, showed that principal component 1, mainly
      loaded with interleukin-6, interleukin-8, interleukin-10, and fractalkine, was
      significantly higher in patients who developed ICU-acquired weakness (odds ratio,
      1.35 [95% CI, 1.18-1.55]). Partial least squares-discriminant analysis also
      showed that these markers were the most important discriminative markers. Mixed
      effects models of these markers showed that ICU-acquired weakness was associated
      with an independent 1.5- to two-fold increase in these markers. CONCLUSIONS:
      Systemic inflammation is increased in patients who develop ICU-acquired weakness
      compared with patients who do not develop ICU-acquired weakness in the first 4
      days after ICU admission. This finding is consistent when adjusted for
      confounders, like disease severity. A group consisting of interleukin-6,
      interleukin-8, interleukin-10, and fractalkine was identified to be the most
      important.

PMID- 28350643
TI  - Delayed Referral Results in Missed Opportunities for Organ Donation After
      Circulatory Death.
AB  - OBJECTIVES: Rates of organ donation and transplantation have steadily increased
      in the United States and Canada over the past decade, largely attributable to a
      notable increase in donation after circulatory death. However, the number of
      patients awaiting solid organ transplantation continues to remain much higher
      than the number of organs transplanted each year. The objective of this study was
      to determine the potential to increase donation rates further by identifying gaps
      in the well-established donation after circulatory death process in Ontario.
      DESIGN: Retrospective cohort study. SETTING: Provincial organ procurement
      organization. PATIENTS: Patients who died in designated donation hospitals within
      the province of Ontario, Canada between April 1, 2013, and March 31, 2015.
      INTERVENTIONS: None. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: Of 1,407 patient deaths
      following planned withdrawal of life-sustaining therapy, 54.0% (n = 760) were
      medically suitable for donation after circulatory death. In 438 cases where next
      of kin was approached, consent rates reached 47.5%. A total of 119 patients
      became actual organ donors. Only 66.2% (n = 503) of suitable patients were
      appropriately referred, resulting in 251 missed potential donors whose next of
      kin could not be approached regarding organ donation because referral occurred
      after initiation of withdrawal of life-sustaining therapy or not at all.
      CONCLUSIONS: The number of medically suitable patients who die within 2 hours of
      planned withdrawal of life-sustaining therapy is nearly six times higher than the
      number of actual organ donors, with the greatest loss of potential due to delayed
      referral until at the time of or after planned withdrawal of life-sustaining
      therapy. Intensive care teams are not meeting their ethical responsibility to
      recognize impending death and appropriately refer potential organ donors to the
      local organ procurement organization. In cases where patients had previously
      registered their consent decision, they were denied a healthcare right.

PMID- 28350644
TI  - Disassociating Lung Mechanics and Oxygenation in Pediatric Acute Respiratory
      Distress Syndrome.
AB  - OBJECTIVES: Both oxygenation and peak inspiratory pressure are associated with
      mortality in pediatric acute respiratory distress syndrome. Since oxygenation and
      respiratory mechanics are linked, it is difficult to identify which variables,
      pressure or oxygenation, are independently associated with outcome. We aimed to
      determine whether respiratory mechanics (peak inspiratory pressure, positive end
      expiratory pressure, DeltaP [PIP minus PEEP], tidal volume, dynamic compliance
      [Cdyn]) or oxygenation (PaO2/FIO2) was associated with mortality. DESIGN:
      Prospective, observational, cohort study. SETTING: University affiliated PICU.
      PATIENTS: Mechanically ventilated children with acute respiratory distress
      syndrome (Berlin). INTERVENTIONS: None. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: Peak
      inspiratory pressure, positive end-expiratory pressure, DeltaP, tidal volume,
      Cdyn, and PaO2/FIO2 were collected at acute respiratory distress syndrome onset
      and at 24 hours in 352 children between 2011 and 2016. At acute respiratory
      distress syndrome onset, neither mechanical variables nor PaO2/FIO2 were
      associated with mortality. At 24 hours, peak inspiratory pressure, positive end
      expiratory pressure, DeltaP were higher, and Cdyn and PaO2/FIO2 lower, in
      nonsurvivors. In multivariable logistic regression, PaO2/FIO2 at 24 hours and
      DeltaPaO2/FIO2 (change in PaO2/FIO2 over the first 24 hr) were associated with
      mortality, whereas pressure variables were not. Both oxygenation and pressure
      variables were associated with duration of ventilation in multivariable competing
      risk regression. CONCLUSIONS: Improvements in oxygenation, but not in respiratory
      mechanics, were associated with lower mortality in pediatric acute respiratory
      distress syndrome. Future trials of mechanical ventilation in children should
      focus on oxygenation (higher PaO2/FIO2) rather than lower peak inspiratory
      pressure or DeltaP, as oxygenation was more consistently associated with outcome.

PMID- 28350645
TI  - The Use of Bowel Protocols in Critically Ill Adult Patients: A Systematic Review
      and Meta-Analysis.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: Constipation is common among critically ill patients and has been
      associated with adverse patient outcomes. Many ICUs have developed bowel
      protocols to treat constipation; however, their effect on clinical outcomes
      remains uncertain. We conducted a systematic review to determine the impact of
      bowel protocols in critically ill adults. DATA SOURCES: We searched MEDLINE,
      Embase, CINAHL, CENTRAL, ISRCTN, ClinicalTrials.gov, and conference abstracts
      until January 2016. STUDY SELECTION: Two authors independently screened titles
      and abstracts for randomized controlled trials comparing bowel protocols to
      control (placebo, no protocol, or usual care) in critically ill adults. DATA
      EXTRACTION: Two authors independently, and in duplicate, extracted study
      characteristics, outcomes, assessed risk of bias, and appraised the quality of
      evidence using the Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development, and
      Evaluation approach. DATA SYNTHESIS: We retrieved 4,520 individual articles, and
      excluded 4,332 articles during title and abstract screening and 181 articles
      during full-text screening. Four trials, including 534 patients, were eligible
      for analysis. The use of a bowel protocol was associated with a trend toward a
      reduction in constipation (risk ratio, 0.50 [95% CI, 0.25-1.01]; p = 0.05; low
      quality evidence); no reduction in tolerance of enteral feeds (risk ratio, 0.94
      [95% CI, 0.62-1.42]; p = 0.77; low-quality evidence), and no change in the
      duration of mechanical ventilation (mean difference, 0.01 d [95% CI, -2.67 to
      2.69 d]; low-quality evidence). CONCLUSIONS: Large, rigorous, randomized control
      trials are needed to determine whether bowel protocols impact patient-important
      outcomes in critically ill adults.

PMID- 28350647
TI  - Discussion: Reconstruction of the Irradiated Breast: A National Claims-Based
      Assessment of Postoperative Morbidity.

PMID- 28350646
TI  - Association Between Hospital Case Volume of Sepsis, Adherence to Evidence-Based
      Processes of Care and Patient Outcomes.
AB  - OBJECTIVES: We sought to explore potential mechanisms underlying hospital sepsis
      case volume-mortality associations by investigating implementation of evidence
      based processes of care. DESIGN: Retrospective cohort study. We determined
      associations of sepsis case volume with three evidence-based processes of care
      (lactate measurement during first hospital day, norepinephrine as first
      vasopressor, and avoidance of starch-based colloids) and assessed their role in
      mediation of case volume-mortality associations. SETTING: Enhanced administrative
      data (Premier, Charlotte, NC) from 534 U.S. hospitals. SUBJECTS: A total of
      287,914 adult patients with sepsis present at admission between July 2010 and
      December 2012 of whom 58,045 received a vasopressor for septic shock during the
      first 2 days of hospitalization. INTERVENTIONS: None. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN
      RESULTS: Among patients with sepsis, 1.9% received starch, and among patients
      with septic shock, 68.3% had lactate measured and 64% received norepinephrine as
      initial vasopressor. Patients at hospitals with the highest case volume were more
      likely to have lactate measured (adjusted odds ratio quartile 4 vs quartile 1,
      2.8; 95% CI, 2.1-3.7) and receive norepinephrine as initial vasopressor (adjusted
      odds ratio quartile 4 vs quartile 1, 2.1; 95% CI, 1.6-2.7). Case volume was not
      associated with avoidance of starch products (adjusted odds ratio quartile 4 vs
      quartile 1, 0.73; 95% CI, 0.45-1.2). Adherence to evidence-based care was
      associated with lower hospital mortality (adjusted odds ratio, 0.81; 95% CI, 0.70
      0.94) but did not strongly mediate case volume-mortality associations (point
      estimate change <= 2%). CONCLUSIONS: In a large cohort of U.S. patients with
      sepsis, select evidence-based processes of care were more likely implemented at
      high-volume hospitals but did not strongly mediate case volume-mortality
      associations. Considering processes and case volume when regionalizing sepsis
      care may maximize patient outcomes.

PMID- 28350648
TI  - Differences in the Reporting of Racial and Socioeconomic Disparities among Three
      Large National Databases for Breast Reconstruction.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Research derived from large-volume databases plays an increasing role
      in the development of clinical guidelines and health policy. In breast cancer
      research, the Surveillance, Epidemiology and End Results, National Surgical
      Quality Improvement Program, and Nationwide Inpatient Sample databases are widely
      used. This study aims to compare the trends in immediate breast reconstruction
      and identify the drawbacks and benefits of each database. METHODS: Patients with
      invasive breast cancer and ductal carcinoma in situ were identified from each
      database (2005-2012). Trends of immediate breast reconstruction over time were
      evaluated. Patient demographics and comorbidities were compared. Subgroup
      analysis of immediate breast reconstruction use per race was conducted. RESULTS:
      Within the three databases, 1.2 million patients were studied. Immediate breast
      reconstruction in invasive breast cancer patients increased significantly over
      time in all databases. A similar significant upward trend was seen in ductal
      carcinoma in situ patients. Significant differences in immediate breast
      reconstruction rates were seen among races; and the disparity differed among the
      three databases. Rates of comorbidities were similar among the three databases.
      CONCLUSIONS: There has been a significant increase in immediate breast
      reconstruction; however, the extent of the reporting of overall immediate breast
      reconstruction rates and of racial disparities differs significantly among
      databases. The Nationwide Inpatient Sample and the National Surgical Quality
      Improvement Program report similar findings, with the Surveillance, Epidemiology
      and End Results database reporting results significantly lower in several
      categories. These findings suggest that use of the Surveillance, Epidemiology and
      End Results database may not be universally generalizable to the entire U.S.
      POPULATION: 

PMID- 28350649
TI  - Oncoplastic Breast Reduction Technique and Outcomes: An Evolution over 20 Years.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Reduction mammaplasty at the time of lumpectomy is a good option in
      women with breast cancer and macromastia. We critically evaluated refinements and
      outcomes of this technique. METHODS: A prospectively maintained database was
      reviewed of all women with breast cancer who received lumpectomy and reduction
      mammaplasty at our institution from 1994 to 2015. Patients' demographics were
      reviewed. Preoperative and postoperative patient satisfaction (BREAST-Q) was
      determined. Comparisons were made between early and recent cases. RESULTS: There
      were 353 patients included. Average age was 54 (range, 21 to 80 years), with the
      largest number having stage I disease [n = 107 of 246 (43.5 percent)]. Average
      lumpectomy specimen was 207 g (range, 11.6 to 1954 g) and total reduction weight
      averaged 545 g (range, 21 to 4102 g). Tumor size averaged 2.02 cm (range, 0.00 to
      15.60 cm). The positive margin rate was 6.2 percent (n = 22). Completion
      mastectomy rate was 9.9 percent (n = 35). Overall complication rate was 16
      percent. The recurrence rate was 5.2 percent (n = 10 of 192) at a mean follow-up
      of 2 years (range, 2 months to 15 years). Resection weights greater than 1000 g
      were associated with having a positive margin (16.7 percent versus 5.0 percent; p
      = 0.016), and tended to be associated with having a completion mastectomy (p =
      0.069). Positive margin and completion mastectomy rates have been lower in the
      past 10 years. Over 1 year postoperatively, women reported increased self
      confidence (p = 0.020), feelings of attractiveness (p = 0.085), emotional health
      (p = 0.037), and satisfaction with sex life (p = 0.092). CONCLUSIONS: The
      oncoplastic reduction technique is effective and results in improved patient
      reported outcomes. Resections over 1000 g are associated with a higher incidence
      of positive margins and may increase the risk for completion mastectomy. Outcomes
      have improved with experience and refinement in technique.

PMID- 28350650
TI  - Direct-to-Implant Breast Reconstruction without the Use of an Acellular Dermal
      Matrix Is Cost Effective and Oncologically Safe.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Direct-to-implant breast reconstruction is a predictable, reliable,
      and cost-effective reconstruction. Most units performing direct-to-implant
      reconstructions recommend the use of an acellular dermal matrix or a mesh to
      reinforce the lower pole of the breast reconstruction. METHODS: Two hundred
      seventy-two consecutive patients with 488 immediate direct-to-implant breast
      reconstructions performed in a 34-month period are included in this group. Mean
      follow-up of this group is 35 months. RESULTS: Four hundred eight reconstructions
      were performed through a lazy-S mastectomy, and 80 were performed through a Wise
      pattern mastectomy. Two local recurrences occurred. Minor complications accounted
      for 5.5 percent (n = 27): seromas, 3.4 percent (n = 17); wound healing problems,
      0.6 percent (n = 3); and grade 2 capsular contracture, 1.4 percent (n = 7). Major
      complications accounted for 4.3 percent (n = 21): infection, 0.8 percent (n = 4);
      prosthetic loss, 0.4 percent (n = 2); hematoma, 0.4 percent (n = 2); and wounds
      requiring debridement, 2 percent (n = 10). The additional cost of acellular
      dermal matrix is dependent on manufacturer and size, but increases the cost of
      the procedure by 35.5 to 47.7 percent. CONCLUSIONS: This reconstruction method
      compares very favorably with published data from other units as far as early and
      late complications and cosmetic outcome are concerned. It has a complication rate
      similar to that of reconstructions using an acellular dermal matrix and is more
      cost effective. CLINICAL QUESTION/LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Therapeutic, IV.

PMID- 28350651
TI  - Application of Posterior Thigh Three-Dimensional Profunda Artery Perforator
      Perforasomes in Refining Next-Generation Flap Designs: Transverse, Vertical, and
      S-Shaped Profunda Artery Perforator Flaps.
AB  - BACKGROUND: This study aimed to delineate and compare the hot spots and three
      dimensional vascular territories of dominant profunda artery perforators in the
      posterior thigh region, and modifications in flap design are discussed. METHODS:
      Twenty-nine posterior thigh flaps were raised in fresh cadaveric specimens, and
      profunda artery perforators were documented. Dominant perforators were injected
      with iodinated contrast to assess perforasomes using computed tomographic
      angiography. Analysis with three-dimensional rendering and volume calculations of
      perfusion patterns was performed. RESULTS: In total, 316 perforators were mapped
      and 33 perforators were injected for analysis. The hot spot for dominant
      perforators was the proximal medial quadrant, 5 to 10 cm from the inferior
      gluteal crease, with two smaller hot spots in the upper lateral and distal
      posterior midline. Although 69 percent were musculocutaneous, distal perforators
      were predominantly septocutaneous in the posterior midline, 5 to 8 cm from the
      popliteal crease. Proximal perforators were classified into first (most proximal)
      and second perforators, and their median perforasome was 233 and 286.4 cm,
      respectively (p = 0.86). There were no significant differences between proximal
      and distal perforators in perforasome surface areas, percentage areas perfused,
      and perforasome volumes. Large linking vessel networks were attributed to a
      broader perforasome and greater overlap between adjacent or distal perforators.
      CONCLUSIONS: Dominant linking vessels and recurrent flow through the subdermal
      plexus contribute to the robust vascular supply of profunda artery perforator
      flaps. Posterior thigh region perforator hot spots and their perfusion
      characteristics can inform the potential limits, orientation, and modifications
      of flap or skin paddle designs.

PMID- 28350652
TI  - Role of Mitomycin C in Preventing Capsular Contracture in Implant-Based
      Reconstructive Breast Surgery: A Randomized Controlled Trial.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Capsular contracture represents the most frequent complication after
      implant-based breast reconstruction. An experimental study on mice demonstrated
      that capsule formation around breast implants is considerably diminished after
      topical application of mitomycin C. The authors conducted a randomized controlled
      clinical trial investigating the efficacy of mitomycin C in reducing capsular
      contracture rates following implant-based breast reconstruction after mastectomy
      for breast cancer. METHODS: The authors randomized all women older than 18 years
      scheduled for the second stage of an implant-based breast reconstruction after
      mastectomy for breast cancer at the National Cancer Institute in Milan from
      October of 2005 to February of 2010 to receive or not receive the topical
      application of mitomycin C during surgery. The authors assessed capsular
      contracture, major postoperative complications, and aesthetic outcome. RESULTS:
      The authors randomized 322 patients to receive mitomycin C or not at the second
      stage of implant-based breast reconstruction. One hundred sixty-two patients were
      allocated to the mitomycin C group and 160 patients were allocated to the control
      group. The relative risk of capsular contracture in the mitomycin C group was
      0.92 (95 percent CI, 0.60 to 1.41). Major complications leading to
      reintervention, oncologic outcomes, and aesthetic outcomes were comparable
      between the two groups. CONCLUSIONS: This is the first trial reporting data about
      the use of mitomycin C in breast reconstructive surgery in a clinical setting.
      Mitomycin C seems not to significantly affect capsular contracture rate and
      severity following implant-based reconstructive breast surgery at the tested
      doses. CLINICAL QUESTION/LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Therapeutic, I.

PMID- 28350653
TI  - Understanding the Health Burden of Macromastia: Normative Data for the BREAST-Q
      Reduction Module.
AB  - BACKGROUND: The BREAST-Q Reduction module evaluates outcomes in reduction
      mammaplasty. However, there are currently no published normative scores, limiting
      the interpretation of BREAST-Q data. METHODS: The BREAST-Q Reduction module was
      administered via the Army of Women, an online community of women (with and
      without breast cancer) engaged in breast-cancer related research. Normative data
      were generated from women aged 18 years and older, without a history of breast
      cancer or breast surgery. Data analysis was performed using descriptive
      statistics and a linear multivariate regression. Generated normative data were
      compared to published BREAST-Q Reduction findings. RESULTS: The preoperative
      version of the BREAST-Q Reduction module was completed by 1206 women. Participant
      mean age was 55 +/- 13 years, mean body mass index was 27 +/- 6 kg/m, and 40
      percent (n = 481) had a bra cup size >= D. Mean normative scores were as follows:
      Satisfaction with Breasts, 57 +/- 16; Psychosocial Well-being, 68 +/- 19; Sexual
      Well-being, 55 +/- 19; and Physical Well-being, 76 +/- 11. Normative scores were
      lower in women with body mass index >= 30 and bra cup size >= D. In comparison to
      normative Army of Women scores, published BREAST-Q scores for women undergoing
      reduction mammaplasty were lower (worse) for preoperative patients and higher
      (better) for postoperative patients. CONCLUSION: These new Army of Women
      normative data provide insights into breast-related satisfaction and well-being
      in women not pursuing breast reduction, giving new clinical context to better
      understand the health burden of macromastia, and to demonstrate the value of
      reduction mammaplasty in certain patients.

PMID- 28350654
TI  - A Prospective Randomized Trial of the Efficacy of Fibrin Glue, Triamcinolone
      Acetonide, and Quilting Sutures in Seroma Prevention after Latissimus Dorsi
      Breast Reconstruction.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Donor-site seroma is the most common complication following
      latissimus dorsi flap breast reconstruction. Various agents and techniques have
      attempted to minimize seroma formation. The purpose of this study was to compare
      the efficacy of different products and quilting sutures at seroma prevention.
      METHODS: This is a single-center, double-blinded, randomized, controlled trial of
      a consecutive series of breast cancer patients (n = 96) undergoing latissimus
      dorsi flap reconstruction performed by a single surgeon. Patients were randomized
      to receive (1) fibrin glue (Tisseel) (n = 23), (2) triamcinolone acetonide (n =
      26), or (3) normal saline (control) (n = 27) sprayed into the donor site. The
      fourth arm included donor-site quilting sutures (n = 20). Outcomes included
      seroma, drain output, and days to last drain removal. Drain removal was
      standardized at less than 30 cc/day. RESULTS: All groups were matched evenly
      without differences in risk, procedures, or complications. The overall seroma
      rate was 31.3 percent (n = 30). The quilting group had significantly less
      drainage for weeks 1 (p = 0.006) and 2 (p = 0.050) postoperatively. Quilting
      statistically reduced the incidence of seromas to 5.0 percent (n = 1; p = 0.038)
      compared with other groups (control, 34.5 percent; fibrin, 27.6 percent; and
      triamcinolone, 37.6 percent). Drains were removed 10 days earlier with quilting
      (control, 35.5 days; fibrin, 39.5 days; triamcinolone, 37.4 days; and quilting,
      25.8 days; p = 0.001). The incidence of all other complications was similar
      between groups. CONCLUSION: The use of quilting donor sites significantly
      decreases the incidence of donor-site seromas and leads to earlier drain removal
      following latissimus dorsi flap reconstruction and maintains a low complication
      profile. CLINICAL QUESTION/LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Therapeutic, II.

PMID- 28350655
TI  - High-Resolution Magnetic Resonance Imaging of Aging Upper Face Fat Compartments.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Age-related changes in fat compartments have yet to be fully
      characterized. Uncertainty remains in terms of volume gains/losses or shape
      fluctuations over time. The authors' aim was to determine the evolution of
      subcutaneous fat in the aging upper face, focusing on shifts in volume and
      dimension. METHODS: Over the course of 4.5 years, 100 faces of living female
      Caucasian patients were prospectively studied using high-resolution magnetic
      resonance imaging. Subjects were stratified by age as follows: group 1, 18 to 30
      years; group 2, 30 to 60 years; and group 3, older than 60 years. Superficial
      temporal and central forehead compartments were delimited, analyzing respective
      volumes and dimensions by group. RESULTS: In 85 patients studied, superficial
      temporal fat (mean volume, 5.14 cm) increased 35.48 percent in total volume
      between youth and old age (p = 0.046). Overall height and magnitude of the lower
      one-third also increased with aging. Central forehead fat (mean volume, 2.56 cm),
      studied in 83 patients, showed a 209.75 percent volume gain in group 2 (versus
      group 1) and a 17.59 percent volume loss in group 3 (versus group 2) (p = 0.001).
      CONCLUSION: Subcutaneous facial fat fluctuates with aging, increasing in the
      upper face and promoting ptosis through basal compartmental expansion.

PMID- 28350656
TI  - An Update on the Anatomy of the Forehead Compartments.
AB  - BACKGROUND: The forehead is one of the most frequent locations for neuromodulator
      and soft tissue filler applications; however, the underlying anatomy is still
      poorly understood. Thus far, the presence of deep forehead compartments has not
      been confirmed. METHODS: Twenty Caucasian cephalic specimens, 15 fresh frozen
      (six female and nine male) and five with formalin-phenol embalmment (three female
      and two male) were investigated using contrast-enhanced computed tomographic
      scans, dye injections, and anatomical dissections. RESULTS: Three superficial
      (one central and two lateral) and three deep (one central and two lateral)
      forehead compartments were identified. The superficial fat compartments were
      found within the subcutaneous fat tissue (layer 2) and measured 2.1 * 4.6 mm for
      the superficial central forehead compartments and the right superficial lateral
      forehead compartments and 2.6 * 3.2 cm for the left superficial lateral forehead
      compartments, with a mean volume of 2.5, 3.1, and 3.4 cc, respectively. The deep
      fat compartments were identified deep to the frontalis muscle but superficial to
      the periosteum with an extent of 6.4 * 5.9 cm for the deep central forehead
      compartments, 2.6 * 5.8 cm for the right deep lateral forehead compartments, and
      2.7 * 5.8 cm for the left deep lateral forehead compartments, and a mean volume
      of 9.1, 1.6, and 1.4 cc, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: The results presented in this
      study increase the understanding of the forehead anatomy. Understanding the
      presence of the superficial and the deep forehead compartments allows one to
      change the signs of frontal aging. The deep forehead compartments are in general
      avascular planes and permit blunt dissection for access to the supraorbital
      region.

PMID- 28350657
TI  - Normative Data for Interpreting the BREAST-Q: Augmentation.
AB  - BACKGROUND: The BREAST-Q is a rigorously developed, well-validated, patient
      reported outcome instrument with a module designed for evaluating breast
      augmentation outcomes. However, there are no published normative BREAST-Q scores,
      limiting interpretation. METHODS: Normative data were generated for the BREAST-Q
      Augmentation module by means of the Army of Women, an online community of women
      (with and without breast cancer) engaged in breast-cancer related research.
      Members were recruited by means of e-mail; women aged 18 years or older without a
      history of breast cancer or breast surgery were invited to participate.
      Descriptive statistics and a linear multivariate regression were performed. A
      separate analysis compared normative scores to findings from previously published
      BREAST-Q augmentation studies. RESULTS: The preoperative BREAST-Q Augmentation
      module was completed by 1211 women. Mean age was 54 +/- 24 years, the mean body
      mass index was 27 +/- 6 kg/m, and 39 percent (n = 467) had a bra cup size of D or
      greater. Mean scores were as follows: Satisfaction with Breasts, 54 +/- 19;
      Psychosocial Well-being, 66 +/- 20; Sexual Well-being, 49 +/- 20; and Physical
      Well-being, 86 +/- 15. Women with a body mass index of 30 kg/m or greater and bra
      cup size of D or greater had lower scores. In comparison with Army of Women
      scores, published BREAST-Q augmentation scores were lower before and higher after
      surgery for all scales except Physical Well-being. CONCLUSIONS: The Army of Women
      normative data represent breast-related satisfaction and well-being in women not
      actively seeking breast augmentation. These data may be used as normative
      comparison values for those seeking and undergoing surgery as we did,
      demonstrating the value of breast augmentation in this patient population.

PMID- 28350658
TI  - Top Surgery in Transgender Men: How Far Can You Push the Envelope?
AB  - BACKGROUND: The authors present their grading scale and the outcomes of the
      largest cohort of top surgery published to date. Application of this grading
      system can help determine which patients will benefit from a subcutaneous
      mastectomy with free nipple graft versus a circumareolar technique, with the
      primary endpoint being need for aesthetic revisions. METHODS: The authors
      reviewed their database of transgender males who underwent bilateral mastectomy
      between 2006 and 2015. Data collected included age, body mass index, American
      Society of Anesthesiologists class, smoking, diabetes, testosterone use, months
      of social transition, technique used, postoperative complications, and need for
      revision. Two techniques were used, circumareolar incision and free nipple graft
      technique. RESULTS: Between 2006 and 2015, 1686 consecutive mastectomies were
      performed on 843 patients. Of those, 548 patients were excluded because of
      inadequate follow-up. Of the 295 included, 109 were treated using a circumareolar
      incision and 186 were treated using a free nipple graft technique. There was no
      statistically significant difference in complications between the two groups;
      however, there was a statistically significant difference in the rate of
      aesthetic revisions in the grade 2B circumareolar incision group (34 percent
      versus 8.8 percent). CONCLUSIONS: The authors' outcomes are comparable to the
      literature, and demonstrate that these procedures can safely be performed in an
      outpatient setting. The authors' grading scale classifies patients and helps the
      surgeon select a surgical technique. The authors show a statistical difference in
      rates of aesthetic revisions in Fischer grade 2B patients when a circumareolar
      incision is selected over a free nipple graft technique. CLINICAL QUESTION/LEVEL
      OF EVIDENCE: Therapeutic, III.

PMID- 28350659
TI  - First Female-to-Male Facial Confirmation Surgery with Description of a New
      Procedure for Masculinization of the Thyroid Cartilage (Adam's Apple).
AB  - : Although male-to-female transgender patients commonly seek facial feminization
      surgery, facial masculinization surgery in the female-to-male transgender
      population is unreported in the literature. This report documents the first known
      female-to-male facial masculinization surgery, including a new technique for
      creating an "Adam's apple" to enhance the facial masculine appearance of a natal
      female. The authors "reversed" the methods typically used to feminize male facial
      features, and modified the forehead, nose, and chin to masculinize the patient's
      natal female facial features. The authors devised a novel technique to augment
      the thyroid cartilage using autologous rib cartilage to create a visible Adam's
      apple. Initially, masculinization of the chin was accomplished with a
      multisegment chin osteotomy with grafts to vertically expand and widen the chin
      along with correcting pronounced microgenia. Subsequently, a second facial
      masculinization procedure was performed to masculinize the forehead, nose, and
      thyroid cartilage. Rib cartilage was harvested and carved into an appropriately
      shaped thyroid cartilage onlay graft and then attached and integrated with the
      native thyroid cartilage, creating a fully mobile cartilage that translocates up
      and down with swallowing and a visible Adam's apple. Previously described
      techniques to masculinize the facial features of natal male patients were adapted
      to masculinize the female-to-male patient. Those procedures were combined with
      the novel technique to create a visually perceptible and naturally mobile Adam's
      apple in the female-to-male transsexual patient. Collectively, these described
      procedures can now provide most female-to-male transsexual patients with a
      satisfying transformation of their facial features. CLINICAL QUESTION/LEVEL OF
      EVIDENCE: Therapeutic, V.

PMID- 28350660
TI  - Why Women Request Labiaplasty.
AB  - BACKGROUND: In recent years, labiaplasty has jumped in popularity, despite
      opposition to the procedure. In 2007, the American College of Obstetricians and
      Gynecologists declared the recommendation of cosmetic vaginal procedures to be
      "untenable," although in 2016 they allowed consideration of labiaplasty in
      adolescents if symptoms persist. The reasons for labiaplasty requests are not yet
      fully understood, and physician opposition limits patient access to surgical
      relief. METHODS: In this prospective study, 50 consecutive patients consulting
      about labiaplasty were given a questionnaire assessing 11 physical and appearance
      related symptoms associated with elongated labia. RESULTS: The mean patient age
      was 33.5 years (range, 17 to 51 years). Fifty-eight percent of women had given
      birth, 52 percent noticed that their labia had become elongated as they got
      older, and 93 percent had bilateral elongation. When asked about physical
      symptoms, over half of patients experienced tugging during intercourse, found
      tight pants uncomfortable, experienced twisting of the labia, and noted labia
      visibility in yoga pants. Nearly half experienced pain during intercourse, and 40
      percent said their labia could become exposed in bathing suits. Regarding
      appearance, almost all patients were self-conscious and over half felt less
      attractive to their partner, experienced restricted clothing choice, and noted a
      negative impact on self-esteem and intimacy. Nearly all patients experienced at
      least four symptoms. CONCLUSIONS: Most patients requesting labiaplasty experience
      both physical and appearance-related symptoms. Understanding this patient
      perspective is crucial in assessing surgical outcomes. Furthermore, the better
      all physicians understand labia symptomatology, the better supported patients
      will be in seeking surgical relief.

PMID- 28350661
TI  - Discussion: Why Women Request Labiaplasty.

PMID- 28350662
TI  - Neck Rejuvenation through the Lateral Platysma Window: A Key Component of Face
      Lift Surgery.
AB  - Rejuvenating an aged face relies on maintaining facial harmony to provide optimal
      aesthetic results. Restoration of more youthful facial contours is dependent on
      blending the aesthetic facial topographic units. Many authors continue to debate
      the best approach for neck rejuvenation through a medial approach, a lateral
      approach, or a combination of the two. The authors present their approach to neck
      rejuvenation through medial platysma plication, inferior release, and lateral
      platysma window.

PMID- 28350663
TI  - The Combination of Tissue Dissection and External Volume Expansion Generates
      Large Volumes of Adipose Tissue.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Noninvasive external volume expansion device has been applied to
      stimulate nonsurgical breast enlargement in clinical settings. Although previous
      results demonstrate the capacity of external volume expansion to increase the
      number of adipocytes, this strategy alone is insufficient to reconstruct soft
      tissue defects or increase breast mass. The authors combined a minimally invasive
      tissue dissection method with external volume expansion to generate large volumes
      of adipose tissue. METHOD: In vitro, various densities of adipose-derived stem
      cells were prepared to evaluate relations between cell contacts and cell
      proliferation. In vivo, dorsal adipose tissue of rabbits was thoroughly dissected
      and the external volume expansion device was applied to maintain the released
      state. External volume expansion without tissue dissection served as the control.
      RESULTS: In the dissection group, the generated adipose tissue volume was much
      larger than that in the control group at all time points. A larger number of
      proliferating cells appeared in the dissection samples than in the control
      samples at the early stage after tissue dissection. At low cell density, adipose
      derived stem cells displayed an increasing proliferation rate compared to high
      cell density. Protein expression analysis revealed that cell proliferation was
      mediated by a similar mechanism both in vivo and in vitro, involving the release
      of cell contact inhibition and Hippo/Yes-associated protein pathway activation.
      CONCLUSIONS: Adipose tissue dissection releases cell-to-cell contacts and induces
      adipose-derived stem cell proliferation. Preexpanded adipose-derived stem cells
      undergo adipogenesis under the adipogenic environment created by external volume
      expansion, leading to better adipose regeneration compared with the control.

PMID- 28350665
TI  - Moderate-Intensity Intermittent External Volume Expansion Optimizes the Soft
      Tissue Response in a Murine Model.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Intermittent external volume expansion using suction enhances the
      vascular network of soft tissues, possibly increasing fat graft survival.
      However, the optimal kinetics of application have not been determined. Based on
      their previous experience, the authors hypothesized that moderate-intensity
      intermittent external volume expansion application may further enhance both the
      angiogenic and adipogenic potential. METHODS: Fifty 12-week-old wild-type mice
      were assigned to five experimental groups (n = 10 per group) and underwent five
      different intermittent applications of external volume expansion (i.e., single
      application control, low-intensity, moderate-intensity, and two groups of high
      intensity). Five days after the final stimulation, skin biopsy specimens were
      obtained from stimulated and contralateral nonstimulated areas. Microscopic
      sections were analyzed for angiogenesis, skin remodeling, and adipogenesis.
      RESULTS: Moderate-intensity intermittent stimulation (0.5 hour, 6 times/day for 5
      days at -25 mmHg suction) almost doubled cutaneous vascular density (1.9-fold
      increase), induced skin thickening (1.9-fold increase), and expanded the
      subcutaneous tissue (2.3-fold increase) compared with control. External volume
      expansion kinetics did not affect tissue inflammation at 5 days after treatment.
      High-intensity intermittent stimulations also increased the density of blood
      vessels (1.6-fold increase compared with controls) but caused tissue damage,
      whereas low-intensity external volume expansion did not induce significant
      changes. CONCLUSION: Application of moderate-intensity intermittent external
      volume expansion optimizes induction of angiogenesis and adipogenesis in soft
      tissues without tissue damage, holding potential for time-effective recipient
      site preconditioning before fat grafting.

PMID- 28350664
TI  - Human Adipose-Derived Stem Cells Labeled with Plasmonic Gold Nanostars for
      Cellular Tracking and Photothermal Cancer Cell Ablation.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Gold nanostars are unique nanoplatforms that can be imaged in real
      time and transform light energy into heat to ablate cells. Adipose-derived stem
      cells migrate toward tumor niches in response to chemokines. The ability of
      adipose-derived stem cells to migrate and integrate into tumors makes them ideal
      vehicles for the targeted delivery of cancer nanotherapeutics. METHODS: To test
      the labeling efficiency of gold nanostars, undifferentiated adipose-derived stem
      cells were incubated with gold nanostars and a commercially available
      nanoparticle (Qtracker), then imaged using two-photon photoluminescence
      microscopy. The effects of gold nanostars on cell phenotype, proliferation, and
      viability were assessed with flow cytometry, 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazolyl-2)-2,5
      diphenyltetrazolium bromide metabolic assay, and trypan blue, respectively.
      Trilineage differentiation of gold nanostar-labeled adipose-derived stem cells
      was induced with the appropriate media. Photothermolysis was performed on adipose
      derived stem cells cultured alone or in co-culture with SKBR3 cancer cells.
      RESULTS: Efficient uptake of gold nanostars occurred in adipose-derived stem
      cells, with persistence of the luminescent signal over 4 days. Labeling
      efficiency and signal quality were greater than with Qtracker. Gold nanostars did
      not affect cell phenotype, viability, or proliferation, and exhibited stronger
      luminescence than Qtracker throughout differentiation. Zones of complete ablation
      surrounding the gold nanostar-labeled adipose-derived stem cells were observed
      following photothermolysis in both monoculture and co-culture models.
      CONCLUSIONS: Gold nanostars effectively label adipose-derived stem cells without
      altering cell phenotype. Once labeled, photoactivation of gold nanostar-labeled
      adipose-derived stem cells ablates neighboring cancer cells, demonstrating the
      potential of adipose-derived stem cells as a vehicle for the delivery of site
      specific cancer therapy.

PMID- 28350666
TI  - Long-Term Comparison between Human Normal Conchal and Microtia Chondrocytes
      Regenerated by Tissue Engineering on Nanofiber Polyglycolic Acid Scaffolds.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Previous regeneration studies of auricle-shaped cartilage by tissue
      engineering leave unresolved whether the chondrocyte phenotype from human
      auricular chondrocytes seeded onto polymeric scaffolds is retained over the long
      term and whether microtia remnants may be a viable cell source for auricular
      reconstruction. METHODS: Chondrocytes were isolated from human ears, either
      normal conchal ear or microtia cartilage remnants, expanded in vitro, and seeded
      onto nanoscale-diameter polyglycolic acid sheets. These tissue-engineered
      constructs were implanted into athymic mice for up to 40 weeks. At harvest times
      of 5, 10, 20, and 40 weeks, samples were documented by gross morphology,
      histology, and reverse transcription-quantitative polymerase chain reaction
      analysis. RESULTS: Neocartilages generated from the two types of surgical tissues
      were similar in appearance of their extracellular matrices and positive staining
      for elastin and proteoglycans. In the 5- to 40-week time interval, there was an
      increasing trend in gene expression for type II collagen, elastin, and sex
      determining region Y box 5, important to normal cartilage phenotype, and a
      decreasing trend in gene expression for type III collagen, a fibroblast and
      dedifferentiation marker. Over 40 weeks of implantation, the original nanoscale
      diameter polyglycolic acid scaffold dimensions (1 cm * 1 cm * 80 um) were
      generally maintained in tissue-engineered cartilage length and width, and
      thickness was statistically significantly increased. CONCLUSIONS: Auricular
      cartilage can be regenerated over the long term (40 weeks) from surgical remnants
      by tissue-engineering techniques incorporating nanoscale-diameter polyglycolic
      acid scaffolds. Based on the present assays, microtia neocartilage very closely
      resembles tissue-engineered cartilage regenerated from chondrocytes isolated from
      normal conchal cartilage.

PMID- 28350667
TI  - Acellular Hypothermic Extracorporeal Perfusion Extends Allowable Ischemia Time in
      a Porcine Whole Limb Replantation Model.
AB  - BACKGROUND: One of the major challenges in traumatic amputation is the need to
      keep ischemia time brief (4 to 6 hours) to avoid ischemic damage and enable
      successful replantation. The current inability to meet this challenge often leads
      to traumatic limb loss, which has a considerable detrimental impact on the
      quality of life of patients. METHODS: The authors' team built a portable
      extracorporeal membrane oxygenator device for the perfusion of amputated
      extremities with oxygenated acellular solution under controlled parameters. The
      authors amputated forelimbs of Yorkshire pigs, perfused them ex vivo with
      acellular Perfadex solution for 12 hours at 10 degrees C in their device, and
      subsequently replanted them into the host animal. The authors used limbs stored
      on ice slurry for 4 hours before replantation as their control group. RESULTS:
      Clinical observation and histopathologic evaluation both demonstrated that there
      was less morbidity and less tissue damage to the cells during preservation and
      after replantation in the perfusion group compared with the standard of care.
      Significant differences in blood markers of muscle damage and tissue cytokine
      levels underscored these findings. CONCLUSIONS: The authors demonstrated the
      feasibility and superiority of ex vivo hypothermic oxygenated machine perfusion
      for preservation of amputated limbs over conventional static cold storage and
      herewith a substantial extension of the allowable ischemia time for replantation
      after traumatic amputation. This approach could also be applied to the field of
      transplantation, expanding the potential pool of viable donor vascularized
      composite allografts.

PMID- 28350668
TI  - Regeneration of Vascularized Corticocancellous Bone and Diploic Space Using
      Muscle-Derived Stem Cells: A Translational Biologic Alternative for Healing
      Critical Bone Defects.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Regeneration of functional bone substrate remains a priority in
      reconstructive surgery especially for patients suffering from complex skeletal
      defects. Efforts to develop implantable osteoinductive constructs and novel
      osteoconductive materials remain at the forefront of industry forces and product
      line development. Despite advancement in clinical practice and bone biology,
      cancellous autograft remains the gold standard for procedures requiring
      osteogenic mechanisms of healing. This study investigates the utility of muscle
      derived stem cells as a cellular therapy for definitive bone regeneration through
      a form of neo-osteogenesis. METHODS: Adipose-derived stem cell, bone marrow
      derived mesenchymal stem cell, and muscle-derived stem cell populations were
      isolated separately from C57BL/6 murine tissues and supplemented with collagen
      scaffolding with or without bone morphogenetic protein-2 to compare relative
      osteogenic potency and ultrastructure organization in both two- and three
      dimensional systems. Parallel populations were bound to a deployable collagen
      implant within a syngeneic murine cranial defect model. RESULTS: Although all
      populations provided and maintained mesenchymal stem cell multilineage capacity,
      adipose-derived stem cell- and bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cell-enriched
      constructs were capable of forming small bone aggregates. Defects receiving
      muscle-derived stem cells self-assembled a form of organized corticocancellous
      structures within two- and three-dimensional in vitro systems and within the in
      vivo model. Muscle-derived stem cells also augmented healing, implant
      angiogenesis, and diploic space formation. CONCLUSION: Muscle-derived stem cell
      enriched implants appear to provide an autologous response to current industry
      derived products and an attractive alternative to mesenchymal stem cells for the
      regeneration of corticocancellous bone and a vascularized diploic space.

PMID- 28350669
TI  - Discussion: Regeneration of Vascularized Corticocancellous Bone and Diploic Space
      Using Muscle-Derived Stem Cells: A Translational Biologic Alternative for Healing
      Critical Bone Defects.

PMID- 28350670
TI  - Discussion: Regeneration of Vascularized Corticocancellous Bone and Diploic Space
      Using Muscle-Derived Stem Cells: A Translational Biologic Alternative for Healing
      Critical Bone Defects.

PMID- 28350671
TI  - Enhanced Calvarial Bone Healing in CD11c-TLR4-/- and MyD88-/- Mice.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Inflammation is integral to the injury response. The inflammatory
      response is essential to the host defense against infection and also to tissue
      regeneration and repair. Toll-like receptors (TLRs) are critical activators of
      the innate immune response and present attractive therapeutic targets for
      inflammation-modulated tissue regeneration. The authors' previous study showed
      that depletion of TLR4 resulted in accelerated skull bone healing concurrent with
      increased expression of osteoclastogenic genes. As such, in the present study,
      the authors used various knockout mouse models for TLR4 and its associated
      signaling mediators as tools to further understand the role of Toll-like receptor
      mediated inflammation in calvarial bone healing. METHODS: Calvarial defects (1.8
      mm diameter) were created in wild-type, TLR4 knockout (TLR4), TLR2, MyD88, TRIF,
      TLR4 knockout in myeloid cell (Lyz-TLR4), and TLR4 knockout in dendritic-lineage
      cell (CD11c-TLR4) mice. Bone healing was examined using micro-computed
      tomographic, histologic, and histomorphometric analyses. RESULTS: Micro-computed
      tomographic and histomorphometric analyses revealed that TLR4-deficient mice
      (TLR4, Lyz-TLR4, and CD11c-TLR4) exhibited a faster intramembraneous healing
      response at postoperative day 7, whereas MyD88 and CD11c-TLR4 mice showed
      enhanced bone healing at day 28. CONCLUSIONS: The authors' data suggest a
      detrimental role for TLR4 in CD11c cells, mediated by Myd88 signaling, during
      calvarial bone healing. The authors have demonstrated that Toll-like receptor
      signaling components affect calvarial bone healing, establishing a link between
      the skeletal and immune systems during craniofacial bone healing. Toll-like
      receptor signaling components might be used to initiate enhanced healing in bone
      defects to improve clinical outcomes.

PMID- 28350672
TI  - Purified Adipose-Derived Stromal Cells Provide Superior Fat Graft Retention
      Compared with Unenriched Stromal Vascular Fraction.
AB  - Cell-assisted lipotransfer has shown much promise as a technique to improve fat
      graft retention in both mouse and human studies. However, the literature varies
      as to whether fresh stromal vascular fraction or culture-expanded adipose-derived
      stromal cells are used to augment volume retention. The authors' study sought to
      determine whether there was a significant advantage to using adipose-derived
      stromal cells over unpurified stromal vascular fraction cells in a mouse model of
      cell-assisted lipotransfer.

PMID- 28350673
TI  - The Effect of Workers' Compensation on Outcome Measurement Methods after Upper
      Extremity Surgery: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Patients who receive workers' compensation often display worse
      surgical results, such as prolonged pain or reduced functional ability. The
      outcomes of surgery can be assessed using a variety of surveys, assessments, and
      measurements. It is unknown whether the confounding effect differs based on how
      results are measured. The aim of this study was to determine whether these
      variations exist. METHODS: A search of full-length articles published between
      January 1, 1995, and December 31, 2015, was conducted using 3 online databases.
      The authors performed a systematic review and meta-analysis using unique
      inclusion criteria for each. RESULTS: A total of 101 articles were included in
      the systematic review; 62 of them were retained for the meta-analysis. In the
      systematic review, 70 percent of studies found that patients receiving workers'
      compensation had significantly worse postoperative results than uncompensated
      patients, whereas only 42 percent of studies that measured preoperative versus
      postoperative improvement were influenced by workers' compensation. The meta
      analysis found that uncompensated patients were more likely to experience
      improvement after surgery than patients receiving workers' compensation (summary
      OR, 3.17; 95 percent CI, 2.47 to 4.08). A subgroup analysis demonstrated that
      functional measures, such as grip strength or nonunion, were least affected by
      workers' compensation, compared with other outcome measures such as patient
      reported outcomes questionnaires or time off work. CONCLUSION: Potential bias
      introduced by workers' compensation can be mitigated by evaluating surgical
      treatment of work-related upper extremity disorders using preoperative versus
      postoperative improvement or functional measures.

PMID- 28350674
TI  - A New Microtia Reconstruction Method Using Delayed Postauricular Skin Flap.
AB  - BACKGROUND: This article presents a new microtia reconstruction method using a
      delayed postauricular skin flap. METHODS: The surgery is scheduled in three
      stages, the first of which delays the postauricular skin flap and deals with the
      remnant auricle. Three weeks later, the second stage is carried out. An erect,
      three-dimensional ear framework fabricated from autogenous rib cartilage is
      inserted between two flaps. The anterior auricular surface of the framework is
      draped with the delayed skin flap, and the postauricular surface is draped with
      postauricular fascia and overlying grafted skin. Six months later, the third
      stage reconstructs the tragus and shapes a hollow mimicking the external auditory
      meatus, and locally improves the reconstructed auricle. RESULTS: Ninety-six cases
      of microtia were reconstructed using the delayed skin flap. All ear
      reconstructions were successful, with good locations, sizes, and shapes, with few
      complications. CONCLUSIONS: The authors' method enables an adequately large, thin
      skin flap with sufficient blood supply, and also appropriately manages the
      remnant auricle. A delayed postauricular skin flap with a three-dimensional
      autologous costal cartilage framework represents a promising approach to microtia
      reconstruction.

PMID- 28350675
TI  - Early Distraction for Mild to Moderate Unilateral Craniofacial Microsomia: Long
      Term Follow-Up, Outcomes, and Recommendations.
AB  - BACKGROUND: There is controversy regarding the treatment of young patients with
      unilateral craniofacial microsomia and moderate dysmorphism. The relative
      indication for mandibular distraction in such patients poses several questions:
      Is it deleterious in the context of craniofacial growth and appearance? This
      study was designed to address these questions. METHODS: A retrospective review of
      patients undergoing mandibular distraction by a single surgeon between 1989 and
      2010 was conducted. Patients with "moderate" unilateral craniofacial microsomia
      (as defined by Pruzansky type I or IIa mandibles) and follow-up until
      craniofacial skeletal maturity were included for analysis. Patients were divided
      into two cohorts: satisfactory and unsatisfactory results based on photographic
      aesthetic evaluation by independent blinded observers at the initial presentation
      and at the age of skeletal maturity. Clinical variables were analyzed to detect
      predictors for satisfactory distraction. RESULTS: Nineteen patients were included
      for analysis. The average age at distraction was 68.2 months and the average age
      at follow-up was 19.55 years. Thirteen patients (68.4 percent) had Pruzansky type
      IIA and six patients (31.6 percent) had Pruzansky type I mandibles. Twelve
      patients (63.2 percent) had satisfactory outcomes, whereas seven patients (36.8
      percent) had unsatisfactory outcomes. Comparing the two cohorts, patients with
      satisfactory outcomes had distraction at an earlier age (56.4 months versus 89.8
      months; p = 0.07) and a greater percentage overcorrection from craniofacial
      midline (41.7 percent versus 1.8 percent; p = 0.003). CONCLUSION: Mandibular
      distraction is successful in patients with mild to moderate dysmorphism, provided
      that there is a comprehensive clinical program emphasizing adequate mandibular
      bone stock, proper vector selection, planned overcorrection, and comprehensive
      orthodontic management. CLINICAL QUESTION/LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Therapeutic, III.

PMID- 28350676
TI  - Comparison of the Outcomes of Complex Orbital Fracture Repair with and without a
      Surgical Navigation System: A Prospective Cohort Study with Historical Controls.
AB  - BACKGROUND: In severe orbital fractures, restoration of orbital shape and volume
      is required to avoid diplopia and posttraumatic enophthalmos. The purpose of this
      study was to compare outcomes between navigation-aided and conventional
      techniques for complex unilateral orbital fractures using titanium mesh. METHODS:
      The outcomes and the computed tomography-measured orbital volume of two groups of
      orbital complex unilateral reconstruction cases were compared. The study group
      consisted of a consecutive cohort of unilateral severe orbital fracture that
      underwent surgery with the aid of a Brainlab navigation system. A historical
      control group was composed of consecutive operations performed immediately before
      the beginning of navigation system use. A total of 55 operations were then
      identified and studied for patient characteristics, diplopia and globe position,
      preoperative and postoperative orbital volumes, complications, need for revision
      surgery, and the surgeon's performance. RESULTS: Postoperative diplopia severity
      was lower in the study group than in the control group. Orbital volume analysis
      showed that reconstructed orbital volume in the study group was closer to
      unaffected orbital volume compared with the control group. Significant orbital
      volume reduction in the reconstructed orbit could be achieved in the study group,
      and there was no significant reduction in the control group compared with the
      unaffected side. The globe projection was higher compared with the preoperative
      situation in the study group than in the control group. The navigational platform
      could also contribute to reduce the learning curve. CONCLUSION: This study
      demonstrated that computer-assisted techniques improve outcomes compared with
      conventional techniques. CLINICAL QUESTION/LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Therapeutic, III.

PMID- 28350677
TI  - Insight into the Pathophysiologic Mechanisms behind Cognitive Dysfunction in
      Trigonocephaly.
AB  - BACKGROUND: The relationship between trigonocephaly and cognitive problems might
      be explained by: secondary mechanical factors related to growth restriction of
      the skull, and primary structural defects caused by a shared mechanism related to
      brain developmental disorder(s) and skull malformation. However, because the
      exact pathophysiology remains unknown, we examined the pathophysiologic
      mechanisms behind cognitive dysfunction in patients with trigonocephaly, with an
      aim of providing a model for cognitive dysfunction based on routinely available
      variables. METHODS: Included were 72 patients with trigonocephaly who were
      operated on. Postoperatively, intelligence was assessed prospectively. The two
      independent variables, secondary mechanical and primary brain developmental
      mechanisms, were evaluated retrospectively. Computed tomographic imaging was used
      to assess skull volume and severity of the frontal stenosis (secondary mechanical
      factors), width of the central part of the lateral ventricles, and other
      structural brain anomalies (primary brain developmental factors). Extracranial
      congenital anomalies were also taken into account. RESULTS: No association was
      found between secondary mechanical factors and postoperative IQ score. Width of
      the central part of the lateral ventricles, and an interaction effect between
      this width and additional extracranial anomalies, showed a significant negative
      association with postoperative IQ. CONCLUSIONS: Primary brain developmental
      disorders seem to play an important role in the development of cognitive problems
      in trigonocephaly. Assessment of width of the central part of the lateral
      ventricle scores and additional extracranial congenital anomalies for the early
      prediction of cognitive problems in patients with trigonocephaly could be
      clinically valuable and can be performed using routinely available tools.

PMID- 28350678
TI  - Ocular Morbidity in the Correction of Orbital Hypertelorism and Dystopia: A 15
      Year Experience.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Complex surgery for appearance change is controversial. Correction of
      orbital hypertelorism risks diplopia and loss of stereopsis for aesthetic gain.
      The risk-to-benefit ratio remains ill-defined. The aim of this study was to
      define specific ocular morbidity following orbital translocation. METHODS: The
      authors compared stable preoperative and postoperative orthoptic indices (i.e.,
      angle of strabismus, ocular motility, and acuity) for 23 consecutive patients who
      underwent orbital translocation between 2000 and 2015 and noted the requirement
      for corrective surgery. RESULTS: Eighteen patients underwent 33 box osteotomies
      (15 bilateral and three unilateral). Five patients underwent facial bipartition.
      Diagnosis was craniofrontonasal dysplasia in 11, frontonasal dysplasia in six,
      facial cleft in four, and Saethre-Chotzen syndrome in two cases. Median grade of
      orbital hypertelorism was III. Median age at surgery was 13 years (range, 5 to 17
      years). Nontransient change (favorable or unfavorable) in angle of strabismus was
      noted in 14 patients. Ocular motility was altered in 12. Six patients had
      stereopsis preoperatively that was disrupted in two cases because of changes in
      ocular alignment and/or motility. There was one perioperative ophthalmic
      emergency (superior orbital fissure syndrome) and three acute reexplorations for
      external ocular muscle entrapment. Corrective surgery for strabismus was
      performed for four patients. Three required secondary canthopexy and three
      required surgery for blepharoptosis. CONCLUSIONS: Orbital translocation is
      associated with ocular risks including changes to angle of strabismus, ocular
      motility, and (when present) loss of stereopsis. Secondary surgery to correct
      strabismus or eyelid malposition is common. Orbital translocation is an operative
      process, not a single procedure. CLINICAL QUESTION/LEVEL OF EVIDENCE:
      Therapeutic, IV.

PMID- 28350679
TI  - Frontal Sinus Volume and Frontal Bar Position Are Associated in Unicoronal
      Craniosynostosis.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Frontal sinus pneumatization plays an important role in brow
      protrusion, and absence of frontal sinus development may be associated with brow
      retrusion. Using unicoronal craniosynostosis as a model, the authors studied the
      relationship among frontal sinus volume, supraorbital retrusion, and brow
      position. METHODS: The authors conducted a retrospective review of unicoronal
      craniosynostosis patients with head computed tomographic scans and photographs
      taken from ages 5 to 18 years. Frontal sinus volume and supraorbital retrusion
      were calculated using three-dimensional computed tomographic reconstructions. A
      "brow score" from 0 to 3 was assigned to each patient's photographs by a
      consensus of two craniofacial surgeons; sinus morphology and brow scores were
      compared. RESULTS: The study included 20 unicoronal craniosynostosis patients.
      The affected side demonstrated increased retrusion (7.1 +/- 3.7 mm versus 3.0 +/-
      3.1 mm; p < 0.001) and decreased frontal sinus volume (0.8 +/- 0.9 cc versus 2.6
      +/- 1.8 cc; p < 0.001). Qualitative brow retrusion scores differed between
      affected and unaffected sides (score of 0, 17 percent affected versus 78 percent
      unaffected; score of 1, 28 percent versus 22 percent; score of 2, 39 percent
      versus 0 percent; and score of 3, 17 percent versus 0 percent; p < 0.001). Brow
      scores trended with retrusion measurements (score of 0, 2.7 +/- 2.9 mm retrusion;
      score of 1, 6.1 +/- 3.5 mm; score of 2, 8.9 +/- 3.2 mm; and score of 3, 9.7 +/-
      2.8 mm; p < 0.001). Subjects with brow scores of 0 or 1 had larger frontal sinus
      volumes than subjects with brow scores of 2 or 3 (p = 0.018). CONCLUSIONS:
      Qualitative brow retrusion correlates strongly with both quantitative
      supraorbital retrusion and frontal sinus volume. Although this retrospective
      study cannot prove causality, which is likely multifactorial, its strong
      correlation with frontal sinus pneumatization highlights the importance of the
      frontal sinus in brow position in unicoronal craniosynostosis. CLINICAL
      QUESTION/LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Therapeutic, III.

PMID- 28350680
TI  - Airway and Feeding Outcomes of Mandibular Distraction, Tongue-Lip Adhesion, and
      Conservative Management in Pierre Robin Sequence: A Prospective Study.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Pierre Robin sequence is characterized by mandibular retrognathia and
      glossoptosis resulting in airway obstruction and feeding difficulties. When
      conservative management fails, mandibular distraction osteogenesis or tongue-lip
      adhesion may be required to avoid tracheostomy. The authors' goal was to
      prospectively evaluate the airway and feeding outcomes of their comprehensive
      approach to Pierre Robin sequence, which includes conservative management,
      mandibular distraction osteogenesis, and tongue-lip adhesion. METHODS: A
      longitudinal study of newborns with Pierre Robin sequence treated at a pediatric
      academic medical center between 2010 and 2015 was performed. Baseline feeding and
      respiratory data were collected. Patients underwent conservative management if
      they demonstrated sustainable weight gain without tube feeds, and if their airway
      was stable with positioning alone. Patients who required surgery underwent tongue
      lip adhesion or mandibular distraction osteogenesis based on family and surgeon
      preference. Postoperative airway and feeding data were collected. RESULTS: Twenty
      eight patients with Pierre Robin sequence were followed prospectively. Thirty-two
      percent had a syndrome. Ten underwent mandibular distraction osteogenesis, eight
      underwent tongue-lip adhesion, and 10 were treated conservatively. There were no
      differences in days to extubation or discharge, change in weight percentile,
      requirement for gastrostomy tube, or residual obstructive sleep apnea between the
      three groups. No patients required tracheostomy. The greatest reduction in apnea
      hypopnea index occurred with mandibular distraction osteogenesis, followed by
      tongue-lip adhesion and conservative management. CONCLUSIONS: Careful selection
      of which patients with Pierre Robin sequence need surgery, and of the most
      appropriate surgical procedure for each patient, can minimize the need for
      postprocedure tracheostomy. A comprehensive approach to Pierre Robin sequence
      that includes conservative management, mandibular distraction osteogenesis, and
      tongue-lip adhesion can result in excellent airway and feeding outcomes. CLINICAL
      QUESTION/LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Therapeutic, II.

PMID- 28350681
TI  - Evolution of a Surgical Philosophy in Orthognathic Surgery.
AB  - A surgical philosophy of orthognathic surgery is presented. It has evolved over
      an entire surgical career as orthognathic surgical goals have evolved to become
      primarily aesthetic. In this context, the occlusal result serves as a means of
      achieving the aesthetic ends. It relies on the physical examination, using
      qualitative concepts of facial appearance, to be the most important determinant
      of treatment plans. It makes a distinction between a quantitatively normal face
      and one that is visually well proportioned and emphasizes the attributes of the
      soft tissue. The emotional expression of the patient is also considered in
      treatment planning. By using surgical tactics that provide control of facial
      projection and height, this philosophy affords the surgeon an opportunity to
      manipulate the skeletal elements to the extent that one can simultaneously
      achieve a well-proportioned face and favorably influence the appearance of the
      soft tissues and facial countenance.

PMID- 28350682
TI  - Vasculature of a Medial Femoral Condyle Free Flap in Intact and Osteotomized
      Flaps.
AB  - BACKGROUND: A small size and difficulties with shaping a medial femoral condyle
      corticocancellous bone flap are factors limiting its use. The goal of this study
      was to evaluate range of vascular supply to a medial femoral condyle
      corticocancellous bone flap to determine whether harvesting of larger flaps and
      performing a flap osteotomy would compromise the vasculature of a flap's bone.
      METHODS: Twenty-four limbs were dissected and medial femoral condyle
      corticocancellous bone flaps were harvested with skin paddles. Thirteen of 24
      flaps had subperiosteal osteotomies simulating shaping a bone for reconstruction.
      A pedicle artery was perfused with red latex. Medial femoral condyle
      corticocancellous bone flap vascularization was evaluated by cutting the bone
      into 1-cm blocks and assessing the number of Haversian canals filled with red
      latex. RESULTS: Length of harvested flaps was 7 to 13 cm, thickness was 0.5 to 3
      cm, and width was 1 to 3 cm. Pedicle length was between 3.5 and 9 cm (mean +/-
      SD, 6.6 +/- 1.6 cm). Red latex filled bone vessels at a distance of 6 to 11.5 cm
      from the distal end of a flap (8.2 +/- 1.4 cm). Skin paddles were filled with
      latex in all cases. CONCLUSION: A medial femoral condyle corticocancellous bone
      flap had sufficient blood supply, allowing for harvesting flaps up to 11 cm long,
      and subperiosteal osteotomy did not compromise the vasculature of the flap's
      bone.

PMID- 28350683
TI  - The Relationship of Superficial Cutaneous Nerves and Interperforator Connections
      in the Leg: A Cadaveric Anatomical Study.
AB  - BACKGROUND: The lower limb is a source of many flaps both for closure of local
      defects and for free transfer. Fasciocutaneous flap techniques have been
      progressively refined, although the vascular basis for their success needs
      clarification. METHODS: Archival studies of 48 lower limbs were reviewed and
      combined with 20 studies of lower limbs from fresh cadavers, making a total of 68
      investigations. Lower limbs were injected with a dilute lead oxide solution; the
      integument was removed and radiographed; and the cutaneous nerves were dissected,
      tagged with wire, radiographed again, and their paths traced on the original
      images. RESULTS: The major cutaneous nerves in the leg are paralleled by a
      longitudinal vascular axis often comprising long branches with large-caliber true
      anastomotic connections between perforators. The most highly developed vascular
      axes followed the medial sural cutaneous and saphenous nerves, together with
      their accompanying veins, immediately superficial to the deep fascia. The
      intervening areas were characterized by shorter branches usually connected by
      small-caliber choke anastomotic connections. CONCLUSIONS: These findings provide
      the anatomical basis for the observed reliability of longitudinal flaps in the
      leg. The superficial cutaneous nerves of the leg, especially the saphenous and
      medial sural cutaneous nerves, are paralleled by a vascular axis on or beside the
      nerve comprising long perforator branches connected usually but not always by
      large-caliber true anastomotic connections. This emphasizes the importance of
      understanding the characteristics of interperforator anastomoses when designing
      and raising flaps.

PMID- 28350684
TI  - Current Concepts in the Surgical Management of Lymphedema.
AB  - LEARNING OBJECTIVES: After studying this article, the participant should be able
      to: 1. Discuss the key points in diagnosing lymphedema. 2. Understand the imaging
      modalities that facilitate diagnosis and surgical planning. 3. Appreciate the
      indications for both physiologic and ablative procedures. 4. Recognize the
      potential role of lymphaticovenular anastomosis and vascularized lymph node
      transfer in the treatment of patients with lymphedema. SUMMARY: Lymphedema is an
      incurable disease caused by insufficient lymphatic drainage leading to abnormal
      accumulation of interstitial fluid within the soft tissues. Although this
      condition may result from a primary structural defect of the lymphatic system,
      most cases in developed countries are secondary to iatrogenic causes. The
      diagnosis of lymphedema can be made readily by performing a clinical history and
      physical examination and may be confirmed by imaging studies such as
      lymphoscintigraphy, magnetic resonance lymphangiography, or indocyanine green
      lymphangiography. Nonsurgical treatment continues to be the mainstay of
      lymphedema management. However, advances in microsurgical techniques have
      revolutionized surgical options for treating lymphedema, and emerging evidence
      suggests that reconstructive methods may be performed to restore lymphatic flow.
      Procedures such as lymphaticovenular anastomosis and vascularized lymph node
      transfer can potentially offer a more permanent solution to chronic lymphedema,
      and initial studies have demonstrated promising results.

PMID- 28350685
TI  - Inadequate Enoxaparin Dosing Predicts 90-Day Venous Thromboembolism Risk among
      Plastic Surgery Inpatients: An Examination of Enoxaparin Pharmacodynamics.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Evidence-based plastic surgery guidelines support the effectiveness
      of once-daily enoxaparin prophylaxis. Despite prophylaxis, one in 25 highest risk
      patients has a venous thromboembolism event. The authors examined the
      pharmacodynamics of standard enoxaparin doses in plastic surgery patients to
      examine whether patient-level factors predict enoxaparin metabolism, whether
      inadequate enoxaparin dose predicts downstream venous thromboembolism events, and
      whether a pharmacist-driven dose-adjustment protocol was effective. METHODS: The
      authors recruited adult plastic surgery patients who received postoperative
      enoxaparin at 40 mg/day. Steady-state peak anti-factor Xa levels, a marker of
      enoxaparin effectiveness and safety, were determined. Patients with out-of-range
      anti-factor Xa levels had real-time dose adjustment based on a written protocol.
      Patients were followed for 90-day venous thromboembolism events. RESULTS: Ninety
      four patients were recruited, and 44 percent had in-range peak anti-factor Xa
      levels in response to standard enoxaparin dosing. Patient-level factors including
      extent of surgical injury and gross weight were independent predictors of
      enoxaparin metabolism. Patients with low anti-factor Xa levels were significantly
      more likely to have 90-day venous thromboembolism (10.2 percent versus 0 percent;
      p = 0.041). Real-time dose adjustment allowed a significantly increased
      proportion of patients to have in-range levels (67.1 percent versus 44.3 percent;
      p = 0.002). CONCLUSIONS: Based on pharmacodynamic data, the majority of plastic
      surgery patients receive inadequate enoxaparin prophylaxis using fixed dosing.
      Patient-level factors can predict how patients will metabolize enoxaparin, and
      patients who receive inadequate enoxaparin prophylaxis are significantly more
      likely to have downstream venous thromboembolism events. Individualization of
      enoxaparin prophylaxis may minimize perioperative venous thromboembolism risk and
      further improve patient safety after plastic and reconstructive surgery
      procedures. CLINICAL QUESTION/LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Therapeutic, II.

PMID- 28350686
TI  - So, Do You Want to Be Facebook Friends? How Social Media Have Changed Plastic
      Surgery and Medicine Forever.

PMID- 28350687
TI  - Reply: Acellular Dermal Matrix-Assisted Direct-to-Implant Breast Reconstruction
      and Capsular Contracture: A 13-Year Experience.

PMID- 28350688
TI  - Evaluation of the Upper Limb Lymphatic System: A Prospective Lymphoscintigraphic
      Study in Melanoma Patients and Healthy Controls.

PMID- 28350689
TI  - Spheno-Orbital Meningiomas: An Analysis Based on World Health Organization
      Classification and Ki-67 Proliferative Index.
AB  - PURPOSE: To evaluate the clinical behavior of spheno-orbital meningiomas with
      regard to World Health Organization (WHO) tumor grade and Ki-67, a cellular
      marker of proliferation. METHODS: A retrospective review over a 16-year period of
      the demographic, clinical, radiographic, and surgical data of all patients with
      spheno-orbital meningioma who underwent surgical resection. Tumor specimens were
      examined histologically using the current WHO 2016 classification and
      immunohistochemically using Ki-67/MIB-1 monoclonal antibody. RESULTS: Thirty
      eight patients met all inclusion criteria: 78.9% of tumors were WHO grade I with
      a mean Ki-67 of 3.76, and 93% of patients were clinically stable at last follow
      up; 10.5% of lesions were WHO grade II (atypical) with a mean Ki-67 of 14.93, and
      10.5% of lesions were WHO grade III (anaplastic) with a mean Ki-67 of 58.3. All
      grade II and III meningiomas exhibited an aggressive clinical course. There were
      statistically significant correlations between disease clinical progression and
      WHO tumor grade (p < 0.001), between disease clinical progression and Ki-67 (p <
      0.001), and between increasing Ki-67 index and higher WHO grade (p < 0.001). For
      WHO grade I lesions, a Ki-67 of >=3.3 correlated with recurrence (p = 0.0256).
      Overall, disease-specific mortality occurred in 5 (13%) patients. CONCLUSIONS: Ki
      67 index is a valuable marker to use in conjunction with WHO grade to predict
      meningioma behavior, particularly in histologically borderline lesions, and
      possibly to identify a subset of WHO grade I tumors at risk of recurrence. This
      combination of methods can aid in tailoring treatment and surveillance
      strategies.

PMID- 28350690
TI  - Programmed Death-1 Pathway in Orbital Invasion of Cutaneous Carcinomas.
AB  - PURPOSE: The programmed death-1 pathway negatively regulates the immune system.
      Previous reports have indicated worse tumor-related outcomes with increased
      expression of the ligand for this pathway. This study was undertaken to assess
      the role of the PD pathway in cutaneous malignancies that invade the orbit.
      METHODS: Immunohistochemical staining for the programmed death-1 receptor and
      ligand was performed on exenteration specimens of invasive cutaneous orbital
      malignancies (n = 12) and nodular basal cell carcinoma (n = 10). The numbers of
      positively-staining cells/40* field were counted across 5 consecutive fields, and
      statistical analyses were performed to compare the differences between the 2
      groups. RESULTS: Programmed death-1 receptor positivity was seen in means of 30.9
      cells/40* field and 62.4 cells/40* field for nodular basal cell carcinomas and
      invasive malignancies, respectively (p = 0.0046). A mean of 4.54 cells/40* field
      stained positively for the programmed death-1 ligand in nodular basal cell
      carcinoma, whereas a mean of 46.4 cells/40* field stained positively for
      programmed cell death ligand-1 in orbital invasive cutaneous carcinomas (p =
      0.0015). Both of these differences were statistically significant. CONCLUSIONS:
      Both the programmed death-1 receptor and its ligand are enriched in invasive
      cutaneous malignancies. This finding indicates that negative regulation of the
      immune system likely prohibits tumor surveillance, and facilitates increasing
      aggressiveness and invasion of cutaneous malignancies.

PMID- 28350691
TI  - Conjunctival Inclusion Cyst Containing a Scleral Buckle.

PMID- 28350692
TI  - Enhanced Fasanella-Servat Procedure for the Graded Repair of Blepharoptosis.
AB  - PURPOSE: To describe in detail a technique for a modified Fasanella-Servat
      procedure that provides a simplified method for graded Mueller muscle excision
      with minimal and controlled tarsal excision. METHODS: A retrospective study of 71
      patients (102 eyelids) who underwent the modified Fasanella-Servat procedure is
      reported. Measurements include the preoperative, post-phenylephrine, and
      postoperative margin-to-reflex distance-1, and postoperative upper eyelid height
      symmetry as determined by the absolute difference between right- and left-sided
      margin-to-reflex distance-1. Postoperative complications are reported. RESULTS:
      The average increase in margin-to-reflex distance-1 was 2.4 mm with an average
      postoperative upper eyelid height symmetry of 0.4 mm. Postoperative asymmetry was
      1.5 mm or less in 68 patients, a success rate of 96%. Four patients (6%)
      exhibited overcorrection, 2 of which required additional surgery. No
      lagophthalmos or notable eyelid contour abnormalities were seen. CONCLUSIONS: The
      modified Fasanella-Servat technique offers a simple method to isolate and resect
      Mueller muscle and a minimal segment of tarsus in a quantitative fashion,
      allowing for a graded repair of blepharoptosis and thereby decreasing the risk of
      postoperative overcorrection, lagophthalmos, and eyelid contour asymmetry whilst
      preserving the bulk of tarsus.

PMID- 28350693
TI  - Prognostic Value of the Staging System for Eyelid Tumors in the 7th Edition of
      the American Joint Committee on Cancer Staging Manual.
AB  - PURPOSE: To determine the prognostic value of the staging criteria for eyelid
      tumors in the 7th edition of the American Joint Committee on Cancer (AJCC)
      staging manual and to determine, for each type of eyelid tumor, which AJCC T
      categories are associated with increased risk of nodal metastasis and thus
      potential usefulness of sentinel lymph node biopsy. METHODS: Systematic review
      and analysis of articles found by searching PubMed and Google Scholar using the
      search terms "AJCC," "eyelid," "carcinoma," and "melanoma." RESULTS: Rates of
      local recurrence, regional nodal metastasis, and distant metastasis were
      approximately 7% to 10%, 1% to 9%, and 0% to 0.8%, respectively, for eyelid
      squamous cell carcinoma; 5% to 6%, 8% to 23%, and 2% and 14%, respectively, for
      eyelid sebaceous carcinoma; 10%, 10% to 22%, and 19% to 22%, respectively, for
      eyelid Merkel cell carcinoma (when staged according to the criteria for eyelid
      carcinoma as opposed to Merkel cell carcinoma), 14%, 5%, and 0%, respectively,
      for eyelid sweat gland carcinoma; and 2%, 9%, and 6%, respectively, for eyelid
      melanoma. Overall, the risks of local recurrence and regional nodal and distant
      metastasis appeared to increase with increasing AJCC T category, although not
      statistically significant in all studies. Clinical T2b or greater T category was
      significantly associated with increased risk of nodal metastasis for eyelid
      squamous cell carcinomas, sebaceous carcinomas, Merkel cell carcinomas (staged
      with eyelid carcinoma criteria), sweat gland carcinomas, and melanomas. Clinical
      T3 or greater T category was significantly associated with distant metastasis for
      eyelid carcinomas and melanomas. CONCLUSION: For eyelid carcinomas and eyelid
      melanomas, AJCC 7th edition T category correlates with the risks of nodal and
      distant metastasis, with T2b and larger tumors associated with highest risk of
      nodal metastasis. Patients with T2b or larger tumors may be candidates for
      sentinel lymph node biopsy or close nodal surveillance.

PMID- 28350695
TI  - ICRP 67 Biokinetic Models for AM-241 Applied to Nonhuman Primates.
AB  - Between 1960 and 1985, Patricia Durbin and colleagues performed studies on the
      distribution of intravenously and intramuscularly injected Am citrate with
      dosages ranging from 16 to 32 kBq kg in 30 male and female non-human primates
      (NHP). Dr. Durbin died unexpectedly in March of 2009, leaving much of the
      extensive serial blood, bioassay, and autopsy data from these NHP studies
      unanalyzed. As part of the experimental design, serial blood samples were taken,
      and urine and feces samples were collected separately for the duration of the
      study. The measurements of urine, fecal excretion, blood samples, and organ
      burden data obtained from the animals were used to evaluate the transfer rates of
      the ICRP 67 biokinetic model for Am. Seven cases, in which the primates were
      administered Am citrate by intravenous injection, were evaluated using the ICRP
      67 systemic model. There were differences ranging from 51.4% underestimated to
      102.7% overestimated activity between the predicted intake, which was calculated
      using IMBA Professional Plus software and based upon the urine bioassay data and
      the actual activity. The difference between the predicted activity at the time of
      death in the liver and skeleton using IMBA professional software and the value of
      the measured activity at the time of death were also compared. Generally, the
      ratios of predicted activity in the liver and skeleton at the time of death to
      the measured activity were consistently more than 1. However, the ratios were
      less than 1 in the skeleton for animals that were sacrificed 2,199 and 973 d post
      injection. The posterior probability distributions for model parameters derived
      using WeLMoS method were inconsistent with the ICRP 67 default parameters. The
      prediction made based on the posterior probability distributions for model
      parameters derived using WeLMoS gave the best fit to these data; however, the
      modified parameters overestimated the activity in almost all cases. The
      difference between the predicted Am activity and the value of the measured
      activity may be due to the physiological age-related characteristics relative to
      the age of the animal at the time of the injection and early and long scarified
      time.

PMID- 28350696
TI  - Monte Carlo Simulations Comparing the Response of a Novel Hemispherical Tepc to
      Existing Spherical and Cylindrical Tepcs for Neutron Monitoring and Dosimetry.
AB  - Neutron dosimetry in reactor fields is currently mainly conducted with unwieldy
      flux monitors. Tissue Equivalent Proportional Counters (TEPCs) have been shown to
      have the potential to improve the accuracy of neutron dosimetry in these fields,
      and Multi-Element Tissue Equivalent Proportional Counters (METEPCs) could reduce
      the size of instrumentation required to do so. Complexity of current METEPC
      designs has inhibited their use beyond research. This work proposes a novel
      hemispherical counter with a wireless anode ball in place of the traditional
      anode wire as a possible solution for simplifying manufacturing. The
      hemispherical METEPC element was analyzed as a single TEPC to first demonstrate
      the potential of this new design by evaluating its performance relative to the
      reference spherical TEPC design and a single element from a cylindrical METEPC.
      Energy deposition simulations were conducted using the Monte Carlo code PHITS for
      both monoenergetic 2.5 MeV neutrons and the neutron energy spectrum of Cf-D2O
      moderated. In these neutron fields, the hemispherical counter appears to be a
      good alternative to the reference spherical geometry, performing slightly better
      than the cylindrical counter, which tends to underrespond to H*(10) for the lower
      neutron energies of the Cf-D2O moderated field. These computational results are
      promising, and if follow-up experimental work demonstrates the hemispherical
      counter works as anticipated, it will be ready to be incorporated into an METEPC
      design.

PMID- 28350697
TI  - Tritium ( 3 H) Retention In Mice: Administered As HTO, DTO or as 3 H-Labeled
      Amino-Acids.
AB  - The objective of this study was to compare the biokinetics of injected H-labeled
      light (HTO) and heavy (DTO) water in CBA/CaJ mice and to compare the organ
      distribution and/or body content of H administered by chronic ingestion for 1 mo
      to C57Bl/6J mice, as either H-labeled water or H-labeled amino acids (glycine,
      alanine and proline). HTO and DTO were administered to CBA/CaJ mice by single
      intraperitoneal injection and body retention was determined for up to 384 h post
      injection. Tritium-labeled water or H-labeled amino acids were given to C57Bl/6J
      mice ad libitum for 30 d in drinking water. Body content and organ distribution
      of H during the period of administration and subsequent to administration was
      determined by liquid scintillation counting. No differences were found between
      the biokinetics of HTO and DTO, indicating that data generated using HTO can be
      used to help assess the consequences of H releases from heavy water reactors. The
      results for H-water showed that the concentration of radionuclide in the mice
      reached a peak after about 10 d and dropped rapidly after the cessation of H
      administration. The maximum concentration reached was only 50% of that in the
      water consumed, indicating that mice receive a significant fraction of their
      water from respiration. Contrary to the findings of others, the pattern of H
      retention following the administration of a cocktail of the labeled amino acids
      was very little different from that found for the water. This is consistent with
      the suggestion that most of the ingested amino acids were rapidly metabolized,
      releasing water and carbon dioxide.

PMID- 28350698
TI  - Gamma-Ray Dose From an Overhead Plume.
AB  - Standard plume models can underestimate the gamma-ray dose when most of the
      radioactive material is above the heads of the receptors. Typically, a model is
      used to calculate the air concentration at the height of the receptor, and the
      dose is calculated by multiplying the air concentration by a concentration-to
      dose conversion factor. Models indicate that if the plume is emitted from a stack
      during stable atmospheric conditions, the lower edges of the plume may not reach
      the ground, in which case both the ground-level concentration and the dose are
      usually reported as zero. However, in such cases, the dose from overhead gamma
      emitting radionuclides may be substantial. Such underestimates could impact
      decision making in emergency situations. The Monte Carlo N-Particle code, MCNP,
      was used to calculate the overhead shine dose and to compare with standard plume
      models. At long distances and during unstable atmospheric conditions, the MCNP
      results agree with the standard models. At short distances, where many models
      calculate zero, the true dose (as modeled by MCNP) can be estimated with simple
      equations.

PMID- 28350699
TI  - Rapid Analysis of 239,238Pu, 241Am, and 90Sr for Nasal Smear Samples in Radiation
      Emergency and Evaluation of Intake Retention Fraction.
AB  - The efficiency of the nasal smear method was reviewed to perform a method of
      sample collection, analysis and initial dose estimation. The screening method of
      alpha-emitting radionuclides using chemical separation and alpha spectrometry was
      also studied. To rapidly conduct the appropriate response to victims, special
      monitoring for Pu, Am, and Sr using sequential analysis was established, and the
      method was successfully validated through participation in an international inter
      comparison program. The duration of the analysis method was evaluated with regard
      to application in emergency situations because of its relatively rapid treatment
      and counting time. The intake retention fraction was calculated and evaluated to
      review the characteristics of each radionuclide in the anterior nasal passage of
      the extra-thoracic region. No large difference was observed among the four
      radionuclides. However, the values of the intake retention fraction were affected
      by age groups because of the different respiratory rates. The effects of the Y
      ingrowth and particle size were also discussed.

PMID- 28350700
TI  - Effects of Medical Diagnostic Low-dose X Rays on Human Lymphocytes: Mitochondrial
      Membrane Potential, Apoptosis and Cell Cycle.
AB  - Low-dose radiation is widely used across the world for the diagnosis of many
      diseases by means of a variety of imaging technologies. However, the harmful
      effects of exposure to low-dose radiation during medical examination remain
      controversial. The authors studied the effects of medical diagnostic low-dose x
      rays (i.e., 0.03, 0.05, or 0.1 mGy) after an in vitro exposure of human
      lymphocytes. Cells with no irradiation served as the non-irradiated control
      group. Three biological indicators were used to determine the effects of medical
      diagnostic low-dose x rays at 4, 8, 24, 48, and 72 h post-irradiation. These
      biological endpoints were mitochondrial membrane potential (DeltaPsim), cell
      cycle, and apoptosis. Results indicated no changes in the DeltaPsim, number of
      apoptotic cells, and cell cycle in lymphocytes exposed to these low doses of
      radiation, as compared to the corresponding non-irradiated lymphocytes at all
      harvest time-points. These results suggested that there were no harmful effects
      of the diagnostic low-dose x rays when human lymphocytes were exposed in an in
      vitro condition.

PMID- 28350701
TI  - Interpretation of Nasal Swab Measurements Following Suspected Releases of
      Actinide Aerosols.
AB  - For radionuclides such as plutonium and americium, detection of removable
      activity in the nose (i.e., nasal swab measurements) are frequently used to
      determine whether follow-up bioassay measurements are warranted following a
      potential intake. For this paper, the authors analyzed 429 nasal swab
      measurements taken following incidents or suspicious circumstances (such as an
      air monitor alarming) at Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) for which the dose
      was later evaluated using in vitro bioassay. Nasal swab measurements were found
      to be very poor predictors of dose and should not be used as such in the field.
      However, nasal swab measurements can be indicative of whether a reliably
      detectable committed effective dose (CED) occurred. About 14% of nasal swab
      measurements between 1.25 and 16.7 Bq corresponded to CEDs greater than 1 mSv, so
      in general, positive nasal swabs always indicate that follow-up bioassay should
      be performed (positive nasal swabs less than 1.25 Bq are considered separately).
      This probability increased significantly for nasal swabs greater than 16.7 Bq.
      Only about 3% of nasal swabs with no detectable activity (NDA) corresponded to
      reliably detectable CEDs. A nasal swab with NDA is therefore necessary, but not
      sufficient, to negate the need for a follow-up bioassay if it was collected
      following other workplace indicators of a potential intake.

PMID- 28350702
TI  - Dose Conversion Coefficients Based on Taiwanese Reference Phantoms and Monte
      Carlo Simulations for Use in External Radiation Protection.
AB  - Reference phantoms are widely applied to evaluate the radiation dose for external
      exposure. However, the frequently used reference phantoms are based on
      Caucasians. Dose estimation for Asians using a Caucasian phantom can result in
      significant errors. This study recruited 40 volunteers whose body sizes are close
      to the average Taiwanese population. Magnetic resonance imaging was performed to
      obtain the organ volume for construction of the Taiwanese reference man (TRM) and
      Taiwanese reference woman (TRW). The dose conversion coefficients (DCC) resulting
      from photo beams in anterior-posterior, posterior-anterior, right-lateral, left
      lateral, and isotropic irradiation geometries were estimated. In the anterior
      posterior geometry, the mean DCC differences among organs between the TRM and
      ORNL phantom at 0.1, 1, and 10 MeV were 7.3%, 5.8%, and 5.2%, respectively. For
      the TRW, the mean differences from the ORNL phantom at the three energies were
      10.6%, 7.4%, and 8.3%. The DCCs of the Taiwanese reference phantoms and the ORNL
      phantom presented similar trends in other geometries. The torso size of the
      phantom and the mass and geometric location of the organ have a significant
      influence on the DCC. The Taiwanese reference phantoms can be used to establish
      dose guidelines and regulations for radiation protection from external exposure.

PMID- 28350703
TI  - RF Safety Analysis of a Novel Ultra-wideband Fetal Monitoring System.
AB  - The LifeWave Ultra-Wideband RF sensor (LWUWBS) is a monitoring solution for a
      variety of physiologic assessment applications, including maternal fetal
      monitoring in both the antepartum and intrapartum periods. The system uses
      extremely low power radio frequency (RF) ultra-wide band (UWB) signals to provide
      continuous fetal heart rate and contractions monitoring during labor and
      delivery. Even with the incorporation of three very conservative assumptions, (1)
      concentration of the RF energy in 1 cm, (2) minimal (2.5 cm) maternal tissue
      attenuation of fetal exposure, and (3) absence of normal thermoregulatory
      compensation, the maternal whole body spatial-averaged specific absorption rate
      (WBSAR) would be 34,000 times below the FCC public exposure limit of 0.08 W kg
      and, at 8 wk or more gestation, the peak spatial-averaged specific absorption
      rate (PSSAR) in the fetus would be more than 160 times below the localized
      exposure limit of 1.6 mW g. Even when using very conservative assumptions, an
      analysis of the LWUWBS's impact on tissue heating is a factor of 7 lower than
      what is allowed for fetal ultrasound and at least a factor of 650 compared to
      fetal MRI. The actual transmitted power levels of the LWUWBS are well below all
      Federal safety standards, and the potential for tissue heating is substantially
      lower than associated with current ultrasonic fetal monitors and MRI.

PMID- 28350704
TI  - Change.

PMID- 28350705
TI  - RSO Interview with Miguel de la Guardia.

PMID- 28350706
TI  - A Posting Peculiarity.
AB  - The definitions of "radiation area," "high radiation area," and "very high
      radiation area," provided by the U.S. Department of Energy in 10 CFR Part 835.2,
      and by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission in 10 CFR Part 20.1003, appear to
      require redundant posting. This is counterintuitive and would be confusing if the
      regulations were followed as currently written. We suspect that this is
      unintentional. However, until the relevant regulations are revised, it is
      recommended that licensees request written clarification from the regulators to
      ensure that they are able to demonstrate regulatory compliance.

PMID- 28350707
TI  - A Useful Gadget to Reduce the Radiation Dose of Interventionist's Hands.
AB  - Increased demand for interventional radiology techniques has interventionists
      performing a large number of these procedures. Measurements and calculations have
      shown that the radiation doses received by these specialists can exceed the
      threshold of radiation-induced deterministic effects unless radiation protection
      procedures and devices are used. Proper usage of radiation protection devices can
      protect them from radiation-induced effects, even with a high workload.
      Occupational radiation protection entails proper training of interventionists to
      increase their awareness about available appropriate protection tools and
      equipment, and devices that can be used to minimize exposure, such as needle
      holders, tubing extensions, and injectors. This study introduces a device that
      can be used to fix the catheter to prevent the physician from holding the
      catheter by hand. The authors, also, discuss the importance of radiation
      protection training along with the training on new medical equipment, which can
      be applied to reduce the radiation dose.

PMID- 28350710
TI  - Physical Chemistry of Bile: Detailed Pathogenesis of Cholelithiasis.
AB  - Despite the overwhelming prevalence of cholelithiasis, many health care
      professionals are not familiar with the basic pathophysiology of gallstone
      formation. This article provides an overview of the biochemical pathways related
      to bile, with a focus on the physical chemistry of bile. We describe the
      important factors in bile synthesis and secretion that affect the composition of
      bile and consequently its liquid state. Within this biochemical background lies
      the foundation for understanding the clinical and sonographic manifestation of
      cholelithiasis, including the pathophysiology of cholesterol crystallization,
      gallbladder sludge, and gallstones. There is a brief discussion of the clinical
      manifestations of inflammatory and obstructive cholestasis and the impact on bile
      metabolism and subsequently on liver function tests. Despite being the key
      modality in diagnosing cholelithiasis, ultrasound has a limited role in the
      characterization of stone composition.

PMID- 28350712
TI  - Effect of Knee Joint Angle and Contraction Intensity on Hamstrings Coactivation.
AB  - PURPOSE: This study investigated the effect of knee joint angle and contraction
      intensity on the coactivation of the hamstring muscles (when acting as
      antagonists to the quadriceps) in young and older individuals of both sexes.
      METHODS: A total of 25 young (24 +/- 2.6 yr) and 26 older (70 +/- 2.5 yr) healthy
      men and women participated. Maximal voluntary isometric contraction of the knee
      extensors and flexors was assessed at two knee joint angles (90 degrees  and 60
      degrees , 0 degrees  = full extension). At each angle, participants performed
      submaximal contractions of the knee extensors (20%, 50%, and 80% maximal
      voluntary isometric contraction), whereas surface EMG was simultaneously acquired
      from the vastus lateralis and biceps femoris muscles to assess the level (EMG
      root-mean-square) of agonist activation and antagonist coactivation. Subcutaneous
      adipose tissue in the areas corresponding to surface EMG electrode placements was
      measured via ultrasonography. RESULTS: The contractions performed at 90 degrees 
      knee flexion demonstrated higher levels of antagonist coactivation (all P < 0.01)
      and agonist activation (all P < 0.01) as a function of contraction intensity
      compared with the 60 degrees  knee flexion. Furthermore, after controlling for
      subcutaneous adipose tissue, older participants exhibited a higher level of
      antagonist coactivation at 60 degrees  knee flexion compared with young
      participants (P < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: The results of the present study suggest
      that 1) the antagonist coactivation is dependent on knee joint angle and
      contraction intensity and 2) subcutaneous adipose tissue may affect the measured
      coactivation level likely because of a cross-talk effect. Antagonist coactivation
      may play a protective role in stabilizing the knee joint and maintaining constant
      motor output.

PMID- 28350711
TI  - Physical Activity and Lifetime Risk of Cardiovascular Disease and Cancer.
AB  - PURPOSE: Although the World Health Organization has recommended moderate- to
      vigorous-intensity physical activity (MVPA) to prevent cardiovascular disease
      (CVD) and some cancers, there are no estimates of lifetime risk of these
      noncommunicable diseases according to PA levels. We aimed to estimate the
      lifetime risk of CVD and cancers according to PA levels. METHODS: We followed
      5807 men and 7252 women in the United States, 45-64 yr old, initially free of CVD
      and cancer from 1987 through 2012, and used a life table approach to estimate
      lifetime risks of CVD (coronary heart disease, heart failure, and stroke) and
      total cancer according to PA levels: poor (0 min.wk of MVPA), intermediate (1-74
      min.wk of VPA or 1-149 min.wk of MVPA), or recommended (>=75 min.wk of VPA or
      >=150 min.wk of MVPA). RESULTS: During the 246,886 person-years of follow-up, we
      documented 4065 CVD and 3509 cancer events and 2062 non-CVD and 2326 noncancer
      deaths. In men, the lifetime risks of CVD from 45 through 85 yr were 52.7% (95%
      confidence interval = 49.4-55.5) for poor PA and 45.7% (42.7-48.3) for
      recommended PA. In women, the respective lifetime risks of CVD were 42.4% (39.5
      44.9) and 30.5% (27.5-33.1). Lifetime risks of total cancer were 40.1% (36.9
      42.7) for poor PA and 42.6% (39.7-45.2) for recommended activity in men and 31.4%
      (28.7-33.8) and 30.4% (27.7-32.9), respectively, in women. CONCLUSIONS: Compared
      with a poor PA level, the PA recommended by the World Health Organization was
      associated with lower lifetime risk of CVD, but not total cancer, in both men and
      women.

PMID- 28350714
TI  - Multiple-Transportable Carbohydrate Effect on Long-Distance Triathlon
      Performance.
AB  - : The ingestion of multiple (2:1 glucose-fructose) transportable carbohydrate in
      beverages at high rates (>78 g.h) during endurance exercise enhances exogenous
      carbohydrate oxidation, fluid absorption, gut comfort, and performance relative
      to glucose alone. However, during long-distance endurance competition, athletes
      prefer a solid-gel-drink format, and the effect size of multiple-transportable
      carbohydrate is unknown. PURPOSE: This study aimed to determine the effect of
      multiple-transportable carbohydrate on triathlon competition performance when
      ingested within bars, gels, and drinks. METHODS: A double-blind randomized
      controlled trial was conducted within two national-body sanctioned half-ironman
      triathlon races held 3 wk apart in 74 well-trained male triathletes (18-60 yr; >2
      yr competition experience). Carbohydrate comprising glucose/maltodextrin-fructose
      (2:1 ratio) or standard isocaloric carbohydrate (glucose/maltodextrin only) was
      ingested before (94 g) and during the cycle (2.5 g.km) and run (7.8 g.km)
      sections, averaging 78.6 +/- 6.6 g.h, partitioned to bars (25%), gels (35%), and
      drink (40%). Postrace, 0- to 10-unit Likert-type scales were completed to assess
      gut comfort and energy. RESULTS: The trial returned low dropout rate (9%), high
      compliance, and sensitivity (typical error 2.2%). The effect of multiple
      transportable carbohydrate on performance time was -0.53% (95% confidence
      interval = -1.30% to 0.24%; small benefit threshold = -0.54%), with likelihood
      based risk analysis supporting adoption (benefit-harm ratio = 48.9%:0.3%; odds
      ratio = 285:1). Covariate adjustments for preexercise body weight and heat stress
      had negligible impact performance. Multiple-transportable carbohydrate possibly
      lowered nausea during the swim and bike; otherwise, effects on gut comfort and
      perceived energy were negligible. CONCLUSIONS: Multiple-transportable (2:1
      maltodextrin/glucose-fructose) compared with single-transportable carbohydrate
      ingested in differing format provided a small benefit to long-distance triathlon
      performance, inferred as adoption worthy. Large sample in-competition randomized
      trials offer ecological validity, high participant throughput, compliance, and
      sensitivity for evaluation of health and performance interventions in athletes.

PMID- 28350716
TI  - Movement Strategies among Groups of Chronic Ankle Instability, Coper, and
      Control.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: Comprehensive evaluation of movement strategies during functional
      movement is a difficult undertaking. Because of this challenge, studied movements
      have been oversimplified. Furthermore, evaluating movement strategies at only a
      discrete time point(s) provide limited insight into how movement strategies may
      change or adapt in chronic ankle instability (CAI) patients. This study aimed to
      identify abnormal movement strategies in individuals with a history of ankle
      sprain injury during a sports maneuver compared with healthy controls. METHODS:
      Sixty-six participants, consisting of 22 CAI patients, 22 ankle sprain copers,
      and 22 healthy controls, participated in this study. Functional profiles of lower
      extremity kinematics, kinetics, and EMG activation from initial contact (0% of
      stance) to toe-off (100% of stance) were collected and analyzed during a jump
      landing/cutting task using a functional data analysis approach. RESULTS: Compared
      with copers, CAI patients displayed landing positions of less plantarflexion,
      less inversion, more knee flexion, more hip flexion, and less hip abduction
      during the first 25% of stance. However, restricted dorsiflexion angle was
      observed in both CAI patients and copers relative to controls during the
      midlanding to mid-side-cutting phase when the ankle and knee reached its peak
      range of motion (e.g., dorsiflexion and knee flexion). Reduced EMG activation of
      tibialis anterior, peroneus longus, medial gastrocnemius, and gluteus medius may
      be due to altered kinematics that reduce muscular demands on the involved
      muscles. CONCLUSIONS: CAI patients displayed altered movement strategies, perhaps
      in an attempt to avoid perceived positions of risk. Although sagittal joint
      positions seemed to increase the external torque on the knee and hip extensors,
      frontal joint positions appeared to reduce the muscular demands on evertor and
      hip abductor muscles.

PMID- 28350717
TI  - Missed Fractures in Infants Presenting to the Emergency Department With
      Fussiness.
AB  - OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study was to evaluate incidence of prior fussy
      emergency visits in infants with subsequently diagnosed fractures suggestive of
      abuse. METHODS: This was a retrospective chart review of infants younger than 6
      months who presented to the pediatric emergency department (ED) between January
      1, 2006, and December 31, 2011. Inclusion criteria included age 0 to 6 months,
      discharge diagnosis including "fracture," "broken" (or break), or "trauma" or any
      child abuse diagnosis or chief complaint of "fussy" or "crying" as documented in
      the electronic medical record by the triage nurse. RESULTS: Three thousand seven
      hundred thirty-two charts were reviewed, and 279 infants with fractures were
      identified. Eighteen (6.5%) of 279 infants had a prior ED visit for fussiness
      without an obvious source. Of these, 2 had a witnessed event causing their
      fracture, and therefore the fracture was not considered concerning for abuse. The
      remaining 16 had fractures concerning for abuse. Mean age was 2.5 (SD, 1.2)
      months. Fifteen (83%) of 18 infants were 3 months or younger at the time of the
      fussy visit. The mean interval between the first and second ED visits was 27 days
      (median, 20 days). Thirty-nine percent were evaluated by a pediatric emergency
      medicine-trained physician during their initial fussy visit, whereas 78% were
      evaluated by pediatric emergency medicine-trained physician during their
      subsequent visit. Most common injuries were multiple types of fractures followed
      by extremity and rib fractures. CONCLUSIONS: Fractures concerning for child abuse
      are an important cause of unexplained fussiness in infants presenting to the
      pediatric ED. A high index of suspicion is essential for prompt diagnosis and
      likely prevention of other abuse.

PMID- 28350718
TI  - Serotonin Syndrome in a Pediatric Patient After Vilazodone Ingestion.
AB  - Serotonin syndrome (SS) is a serious toxicity that manifests with symptoms such
      as tremor, hyperthermia, agitation, and altered mental status that may lead to
      seizures, coma, or death. Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors may precipitate
      SS, particularly in combination with other drugs that possess serotonergic
      activity. We present a case of SS in a 14-month-old after an ingestion of the
      selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor vilazodone.

PMID- 28350719
TI  - Previous Emergency Medical Services Use by Victims of Child Homicide.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: The medical diagnoses and frequency of emergency department visits
      made by children who are later given a diagnosis of maltreatment do not differ
      much from those of nonabused children. However, the type of medical complaints
      and frequency of emergency medical services (EMS) use by child homicide victims
      before their death are not known. We compared EMS use between child homicide
      victims and children who died from natural causes before their death. METHODS:
      This was a retrospective case-control study of children 0 to 5 years old who died
      in Houston, Texas, from 2005 to 2010. Cases were child homicide victims. Controls
      were children who died from natural causes. We reviewed death data and EMS and
      child protective services (CPS) encounter information before the victim's death.
      The association between death type (natural vs homicide) and EMS use was assessed
      using Poisson regression with EMS count adjusted for exposure time. RESULTS:
      There were 89 child homicides and 183 natural deaths. Age at death was
      significantly higher for homicides than natural deaths (1.1 vs 0.2 y, P < 0.001).
      Homicide victims used EMS services (39% vs 14%, P < 0.001) and had previous CPS
      investigations (55% vs 7%, P < 0.001) significantly more often than children who
      died from natural causes. Poisson regression, after adjustment for age, revealed
      that the homicide group had more EMS calls than the natural death group (beta =
      0.55; 95% confidence interval, 0.04-1.07; P = 0.03). However, the EMS use
      frequency and working assessments were not helpful in identifying maltreatment
      victims. CONCLUSIONS: Child homicide victims use EMS more often and have a higher
      number of CPS investigations before their death than children who die from
      natural causes. However, the frequency and nature of EMS medical complaints are
      not helpful in identifying maltreatment.

PMID- 28350720
TI  - Pulmonary Embolism Mimicking Infectious Pleuritis.
AB  - The diagnosis of pulmonary thromboembolism (PE) is often delayed because it is
      usually misdiagnosed as pneumonia or deep vein thrombosis. We report an unusual
      case of PE misdiagnosed as viral pleuritis on the first arrival at the emergency
      department (ED) in our hospital. A 14-year-old girl with no previous significant
      medical history was referred to the ED with pleuritic and chest pain with low
      grade fever 4 days before admission. Echography showed a small amount of left
      pleural effusion. A 12-lead electrocardiogram was normal. She received a
      diagnosis of viral pleuritis. Two days before admission, she revisited ED with
      dyspnea and exacerbated pain. Echography showed slight increase in left pleural
      effusion. She had the same diagnosis. The chest pain remained at the same level.
      On the day of admission, she presented to ED with vomiting, watery diarrhea,
      abdominal pain, chest pain, and respiratory distress. Laboratory findings showed
      hypoalbuminemia and proteinuria. Echography showed a moderate amount of pleural
      effusion on both sides and no dilatation of the right cardiac ventricle. Contrast
      enhanced chest computed tomography was performed to search the cause of the
      respiratory distress, which showed filling defects with contrast material in
      pulmonary arteries. A 12-lead electrocardiogram showed an S1Q3T3 pattern. She
      received a diagnosis of PE caused by nephrotic syndrome. Pulmonary
      thromboembolism can mimic infectious pleuritis and lead to misdiagnosis and/or
      delayed diagnosis. Thus, risk factors of PE should be considered in pediatric
      patients presenting with symptoms suggesting infectious pleuritis.

PMID- 28350721
TI  - A Rare Case of Cor Triatriatum Leading to Respiratory Failure and Shock in an 8
      Month-Old.
AB  - An 8-month-old boy presents with 1 week of gradually worsening respiratory
      distress. After chest radiograph shows bilateral airspace opacities, he is
      treated for pneumonia with antibiotics and intravenous fluids. Shortly after
      this, he decompensates requiring intubation, followed by cardiopulmonary support
      with pressors and eventually extracorporeal membrane oxygenation. Bedside
      ultrasound then shows an additional congenital membrane in the left atrium
      obstructing pulmonary venous return and thought to have caused his original
      presentation and subsequent decompensation. After surgical correction, he is
      decannulated from extracorporeal membrane oxygenation, makes a quick recovery,
      and is discharged from the hospital in good condition within 2 weeks. This rare
      case of cor triatriatum highlights the importance of considering congenital heart
      disease even with common presentations in the pediatric population.

PMID- 28350722
TI  - Buccal Midazolam Compared With Rectal Diazepam Reduces Seizure Duration in
      Children in the Outpatient Setting.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Seizures are very common in children. They frequently happen in
      outpatient settings, in the presence of caregivers who are not always trained in
      their management. First-line rescue therapy is based on benzodiazepine,
      historically diazepam. Recent studies have investigated the use of other
      benzodiazepines in the treatment of acute seizures. OBJECTIVES: The aims of this
      study were to evaluate the management of pediatric seizures carried out by
      parents or caregivers in an outpatient setting and to evaluate the differences in
      terms of immediate management and subsequent outcome when comparing the use of
      rectal diazepam versus buccal midazolam. METHODS: In this retrospective study,
      medical records of children consulting for seizures at the Robert Debre Pediatric
      Emergency Department of Paris, France, over 18 months were analyzed to evaluate
      seizure characteristics, management by caregivers, received treatments, and the
      admission rate. RESULTS: Five hundred ninety-four patients resulted eligible for
      the study. The interview was completed for 135 children who presented a further
      episode of seizure after inclusion. In the subgroup of children receiving buccal
      midazolam, compared with the subgroup receiving intrarectal diazepam, seizure
      duration was significantly shorter (10.3 vs 48.4 minutes, P = 0.0004), and the
      risk of a status epilepticus decreased (1 vs 11, P = 0.0008). The admission rate
      was not different between the 2 subgroups. CONCLUSIONS: Based on our results,
      buccal midazolam seems to have some advantages compared with rectal diazepam in
      terms of feasibility in an outpatient setting and in terms of reduced seizure
      duration.

PMID- 28350723
TI  - Reasons for Interfacility Emergency Department Transfer and Care at the Receiving
      Facility.
AB  - OBJECTIVES: The aims of this study were to (1) assess the reasons for pediatric
      interfacility transfers as identified by transferring providers and review the
      emergency medical care delivered at the receiving facilities and (2) investigate
      the emergency department (ED) care among the subpopulation of patients discharged
      from the receiving facility. METHODS: We performed a multicenter, cross-sectional
      survey of ED medical providers transferring patients younger than 18 years to 1
      of 4 US tertiary care pediatric hospitals with a subsequent medical record review
      at the receiving facility. Referring providers completed surveys detailing
      reasons for transfer. RESULTS: Eight hundred thirty-nine surveys were completed
      by 641 providers for 25 months. The median patient age was 5.7 years. Sixty-two
      percent of the patients required admission. The most common reasons for transfer
      as cited by referring providers were subspecialist consultation (62%) and
      admission to a pediatric inpatient (17%) or intensive care (6%) unit. For
      discharged patients, plain radiography (26%) and ultrasonography (12%) were the
      most common radiologic studies. Procedural sedation (16%) was the most common ED
      procedure for discharged patients, and 55% had a subspecialist consult at the
      receiving facility. Ten percent of interfacility transfers did not require
      subspecialty consult, ED procedure, radiologic study, or admission. CONCLUSIONS:
      Approximately 4 of 10 interfacility transfers are discharged by the receiving
      facility, suggesting an opportunity to provide more comprehensive care at
      referring facilities. On the basis of the care provided at the receiving
      facility, potential interventions might include increased subspecialty access and
      developing both ultrasound and sedation capabilities.

PMID- 28350724
TI  - Prevalence and predictors of unsatisfactory anal cytology tests in a cohort of
      gay and bisexual men in Sydney, Australia: baseline findings from the Study of
      the Prevention of Anal Cancer (SPANC).
AB  - Anal cytology has been suggested as a screening test for the anal cancer
      precursor high-grade squamous intraepithelial lesion (HSIL). We aimed to assess
      the prevalence and predictors of initial unsatisfactory anal cytology tests
      ('unsats'). The Study of the Prevention of Anal Cancer is a natural history study
      of anal human papillomavirus (HPV) and precancerous lesions among gay and
      bisexual men (GBM) of at least 35 years in Sydney, Australia. At each study
      visit, an anal swab is collected for cytological testing. Unsats are defined as
      slides with fewer than 2000 nucleated squamous cells and no abnormal cells. Among
      617 GBM enrolled, the median age was 49 (range: 35-79) years and 220 (35.7%) were
      HIV positive. Initial unsats occurred in 61 (9.9%, 95% confidence interval: 7.6
      12.5%), and 29 (4.7%, 95% confidence interval: 3.2-6.7%) remained unsatisfactory
      on repeat cytology. Initial unsats were associated with fewer lifetime anal
      receptive partners with a condom (P=0.007); fewer recent anal-receptive sexual
      partners without a condom (P=0.005); never having had anal chlamydia (P=0.023) or
      gonorrhea (P=0.003); HIV-negative status (P=0.002); fewer total (P=0.002), low
      risk (P=0.005), and high-risk (P=0.015) HPV types detected; lack of anal HPV18
      detection (P=0.001); never having anally douched (P<0.001); and douching with
      soapy water (P=0.009) among those who douched. Unsats were less common among
      those with histologic HSIL (P=0.008) and nonsignificantly less common among those
      with fewer anal canal octants affected by HSIL (P=0.080), but were more common
      among those who felt more nervous (P=0.020) during the examination. Our findings
      suggest that unsats are more common among GBM with less receptive anal sexual
      experience. Avoiding douching with soapy water and strategies to aid patient
      relaxation during sampling may reduce the unsat rate.

PMID- 28350725
TI  - Distance dependency of childhood leukaemia risk near the Mol-Dessel site.

PMID- 28350727
TI  - An adolescent with chest pain and cardiac hemangioma.
AB  - Less than 5% of chest pain in children is cardiac in origin, yet this complaint
      still represents one of the top reasons children are referred to pediatric
      cardiologists. This article describes a patient whose cardiac tumor illustrates
      the challenges of evaluating pediatric chest pain and the Standardized Clinical
      Assessment and Management Plan algorithm that can help.

PMID- 28350728
TI  - An unusual case of right upper quadrant pain in a pregnant woman.
AB  - Uterine fibroids occur in up to 30% of women of reproductive age and can cause
      complications during pregnancy that can harm mother and fetus, such as
      prematurity and increased risk of miscarriage. This article describes a pregnant
      woman whose abdominal pain was diagnosed as degenerating uterine fibroids.

PMID- 28350729
TI  - Real-time ultrasound-guided thoracentesis.
AB  - Clinicians commonly see patients with pleural effusions requiring thoracentesis.
      The latest evidence-based guidelines for thoracentesis recommend real-time
      ultrasound guidance for the safest outcomes from this procedure. This article
      reviews real-time ultrasound guidance for thoracentesis to help referring
      clinicians understand the technique and the guidelines for the performance of
      thoracentesis.

PMID- 28350730
TI  - PAs in orthopedics in the VHA's community-based outpatient clinics.
AB  - In the Veterans Health Administration (VHA) system, most orthopedic care takes
      place in the VA medical centers (VAMCs). Because most patients receiving
      orthopedic care were referred by adult medicine providers, more widely deploying
      physician assistants (PAs) in orthopedic medicine might help offset this
      workload. An orthopedic medicine demonstration project recruited, trained, and
      positioned PAs in community-based outpatient clinics (CBOCs) to improve access to
      care. The project involved surgeons at the Houston VAMC instructing five newly
      employed PAs in a wide range of orthopedic evaluation and management strategies
      before their assignment to a CBOC. An administrative assessment compared
      encounter data pre- and postproject (2012 and 2014) to determine if this strategy
      modified orthopedic workload and improved patient access to care. By 2014,
      orthopedic patient visit volume had increased 31%-10% at the VAMC and 21% at the
      five CBOCs. Overall, the five deployed PAs managed 28% of all orthopedic
      encounters spread over 1 year and only 3.2% of visits required VAMC referral for
      further evaluation or treatment. During the project, the total volume of patient
      visits increased throughout the Houston VAMC region but access to care for this
      specialty service also increased, with more veteran musculoskeletal care being
      met at the five CBOCs, off-loading visit demand centrally. The adaptability and
      flexibility of new roles has been identified as one of the defining
      characteristics of PAs. That the VHA can take advantage of this role malleability
      suggests that employing PAs is useful in meeting medical service needs of
      veterans.

PMID- 28350731
TI  - New Jersey PA regulation and the march on Trenton.
AB  - New Jersey was the next to the last state to recognize physician assistants (PAs)
      and pass legislation allowing them to practice. This first-person account
      supported by interviews with those who were there details the trail to NJ
      licensure, including the development of a state society, the growth of support
      from strong leaders in the medical and academic communities, and the grassroots
      efforts of many PAs aspiring to work in their home state.

PMID- 28350732
TI  - Esophageal motility disorders.

PMID- 28350733
TI  - Using PAs in prehospital environments to reduce ED and EMS overuse.
AB  - Emergency medical services (EMS) and EDs in large cities are burdened with a
      significant number of patients with chronic disease who have limited options for
      receiving proper care. Despite their relatively small numbers, these "superusers"
      can have a significant effect on EMS, particularly in large cities. Additionally,
      EDs are not designed to provide chronic and continuous healthcare. This article
      describes how several organizations use physician assistants to manage these
      patients.

PMID- 28350734
TI  - A young woman with ptosis.

PMID- 28350736
TI  - Beyond inclusion.

PMID- 28350735
TI  - Under the radar.

PMID- 28350737
TI  - Updated guidelines on digital media use by children.
AB  - Given the speed at which mobile media has grown recently, the updated American
      Academy of Pediatrics guidelines for digital technology use by children are a
      welcome addition to the toolbox of pediatric healthcare providers. This article
      discusses the changes to the guidelines as well as other useful current research
      not specifically included in those guidelines.

PMID- 28350738
TI  - Development of the United Kingdom physician associate profession.
AB  - The world of healthcare is changing, and patient needs are changing with it.
      Traditional doctor-driven models of workforce planning are no longer sustainable
      in the United Kingdom (UK) healthcare economy, and newer models are needed. In
      the multiprofessional, multiskilled clinical workforce of the future, the
      physician associate (PA) has a fundamental role to play as an integrated,
      frontline, generalist clinician. As of 2016, about 350 PAs were practicing in the
      UK, with 550 PAs in training and plans to expand rapidly. This report describes
      the development of the PA profession in the UK from 2002, with projections
      through 2020, and includes governance, training, and the path to regulation. With
      rising demands on the healthcare workforce, the PA profession is predicted to
      positively influence clinical workforce challenges across the UK healthcare
      economy.

PMID- 28350740
TI  - Prevalence of hepatitis B and C and factors for infection and nonimmune in
      inflammatory bowel disease patients in China.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: The aims of this study were to investigate the prevalence of hepatitis
      B virus (HBV) and hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection in inflammatory bowel disease
      (IBD) patients and the risk factors related to the infection and nonimmune
      status. METHODS: A retrospective study was carried out at two clinical centers.
      The prevalence of viral markers and risk factors related to HBV and HCV infection
      and nonimmune status were analyzed in IBD patients. Age-matched and sex-matched
      healthy individuals were recruited as the controls. RESULTS: A total of 980 IBD
      patients were included in this study. Present and past HBV infection was detected
      in 41.21% of the IBD group, which was higher than that in the general population
      (P=0.003). Age older than 30 years (P=0.000), ulcerative colitis (P=0.002), and
      previous surgery (P=0.039) were found to be significant risk factors for HBV
      infection in the multivariate analysis. 36.43% of the patients in the IBD group
      had nonimmune status against HBV, and age less than 40 years (P=0.011) and
      Crohn's disease (P=0.002) were identified as independent risk factors in the
      multivariate analysis. The prevalence of HCV infection was low and similar to
      that of the general population. CONCLUSION: The prevalence of HBV infection in
      IBD patients in China was higher than that in Europe, USA, and the general
      population in China, but the prevalence of HCV infection in IBD patients was
      similar to that in the general population in this study. The frequency of
      nonimmune status against HBV was high, especially in young Crohn's disease
      patients, and HBV vaccination should be intensified and have a targeted coverage.

PMID- 28350741
TI  - Short article: Noninvasive assessment of portal hypertension and detection of
      esophageal varices in cirrhosis: state-of-the-art.
AB  - Portal hypertension (PHT) is a major consequence of any chronic liver disease and
      it is the main cause of complications in patients with cirrhosis. Measurement of
      hepatic vein pressure gradient is considered the gold standard for PHT
      assessment, together with its diagnosis and prognosis relevance. Even though
      hepatic vein pressure gradient measurement is a safe procedure, it is still
      considered an invasive technique and not widely available. There is thus a need
      for noninvasive methods that can predict the progression of PHT as well as the
      presence and the risk of complications related to esophageal varices. This review
      aimed to discuss the noninvasive markers used in the assessment of PHT and
      detection of high-risk esophageal varices in patients with liver cirrhosis. We
      focus on the main biomarkers, particularly those used in the routine assessment
      of chronic liver disease, and the physical methods that use tissue elastography
      as a diagnosis tool.

PMID- 28350742
TI  - Short article: Impact of genetic variation in the vasopressin 1a receptor on the
      development of organ failure in patients admitted for acute decompensation of
      liver cirrhosis.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Vasopressin receptor-mediated vasoconstriction is considered to be
      involved in the pathogenesis of organ failure in acute-on-chronic liver failure
      (ACLF). PATIENTS AND METHODS: We studied the association between six single
      nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) of the vasopressin 1a receptor gene and the
      development of organ failure in 826 patients admitted for acute decompensation of
      liver cirrhosis (n=641) or ACLF (n=185). RESULTS: No associations were found for
      SNPs with the presence of circulatory or renal failure. A C>T mutation in SNP
      rs7308855 and a T>A mutation in SNP rs7298346 showed an association with the
      presence of coagulation failure in the entire population (n=61, P=0.024 and
      0.060, respectively) and in the subgroup of patients with ACLF (n=44, P=0.081 and
      0.056, respectively). CONCLUSION: Genetic variation in the vasopressin 1a
      receptor was found not to be associated with circulatory or renal failure, but
      with the presence of coagulation failure in patients with acute decompensation of
      liver cirrhosis and ACLF.

PMID- 28350743
TI  - Home-based drainage of refractory ascites by a permanent-tunneled peritoneal
      catheter can safely replace large-volume paracentesis.
AB  - BACKGROUND AND AIM: Refractory ascites has a poor prognosis. Recurrent large
      volume paracentesis is the current standard of care; however, it results in
      circulatory dysfunction and renal dysfunction, and hospitalization is commonly
      required. Transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunt placement is not an
      option in a substantial number of patients because of contraindications. The
      placement of a tunneled peritoneal drainage catheter has been shown to be
      effective in patients with malignant ascites. However, data in patients with
      nonmalignant refractory ascites are rare. PATIENTS AND METHODS: We followed 24
      consecutive patients in whom tunneled peritoneal drainage catheters were placed
      in the Endoscopy Unit at Hannover Medical School between June 2013 and December
      2014. RESULTS: Catheters were placed in 24 patients with refractory ascites in
      end-stage liver disease and with a contraindication to transjugular intrahepatic
      portosystemic shunt placement. Placement was technically successful in all
      patients. The dosage of diuretics could be reduced significantly. The number of
      paracentesis decreased from 2.2+/-1 to 0 per week, although the volume of daily
      ascites removal remained stable (2 l). Despite frequent drainage of ascites,
      kidney function, serum sodium, and serum albumin remained stable. Seven adverse
      events occurred in six (25%) patients. Five patients listed for liver
      transplantation underwent successful transplantation without a negative impact.
      CONCLUSION: The tunneled peritoneal drainage catheter placement is a viable and
      effective treatment alternative in patients with refractory ascites because of
      end-stage liver disease, reducing diuretic intake and the need for paracentesis.
      The procedure avoids hyponatremia, worsening kidney function, and albumin
      infusions without an increased risk of spontaneous bacterial peritonitis.

PMID- 28350744
TI  - Usefulness of the Glasgow-Blatchford score to predict 1-week mortality in
      patients with esophageal variceal bleeding.
AB  - OBJECTIVES: Esophageal variceal bleeding is one of the most severe complications
      of liver cirrhosis, with high mortality. However, there is no established scoring
      system for short-term mortality in patients with esophageal variceal bleeding.
      The aim of this study was to evaluate the usefulness of the Glasgow-Blatchford
      score (GBS), the Model for End-Stage Liver Disease (MELD) score, and the Child
      Pugh score for predicting short-term and hospital mortality in patients with
      esophageal variceal bleeding. METHODS: A total of 47 patients with esophageal
      variceal bleeding were studied between September 2009 and March 2015. The GBS,
      the MELD score, and the Child-Pugh score were assessed for their ability to
      predict 1- and 6-week mortality rates using a receiver operating characteristic
      curve. RESULTS: The 1- and 6-week mortality rates were 17.0 and 31.9%,
      respectively. The median GBS, MELD, and Child-Pugh scores were 13 (range: 4-19),
      10 (range: 0-34), and 9 (range: 5-13), respectively. The GBS was superior to both
      the MELD and the Child-Pugh scores for prediction of 1-week mortality [area under
      the curve=0.82 (95% confidence interval: 0.66-0.98) vs. 0.71 (0.47-0.96) and 0.72
      (0.53-0.91)]. The MELD score was superior to both the Child-Pugh score and the
      GBS for prediction of 6-week mortality [area under the curve=0.83 (95% confidence
      interval: 0.69-0.97) vs. 0.69 (0.52-0.85) and 0.67 (0.50-0.83)]. CONCLUSION: For
      1-week mortality, the GBS was superior to the Child-Pugh and the MELD scores in
      patients with esophageal variceal bleeding. However, for 6-week mortality, the
      MELD score was superior in patients with esophageal variceal bleeding.

PMID- 28350745
TI  - The Irish Helicobacter pylori Working Group consensus for the diagnosis and
      treatment of H. pylori infection in adult patients in Ireland.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Irish eradication rates for Helicobacter pylori are decreasing and
      there is an increase in the prevalence of antibiotic-resistant bacteria. These
      trends call into question current management strategies. OBJECTIVE: To establish
      an Irish Helicobacter pylori Working Group (IHPWG) to assess, revise and tailor
      current available recommendations. METHODS: Experts in the areas of
      gastroenterology and microbiology were invited to join the IHPWG. Questions of
      relevance to diagnosis, first-line and rescue therapy were developed using the
      PICO system. A literature search was performed. The 'Grading of Recommendations
      Assessment, Development and Evaluation' approach was then used to rate the
      quality of available evidence and grade the resulting recommendations. RESULTS:
      Key resultant IHPWG statements (S), the strength of recommendation and quality of
      evidence include S8: standard triple therapy for 7 days' duration can no longer
      be recommended (strong and moderate). S9: 14 days of clarithromycin-based triple
      therapy with a high-dose proton pump inhibitor (PPI) is recommended as first-line
      therapy. Bismuth quadruple therapy for 14 days is an alternative if available
      (strong and moderate). S12: second-line therapy depends on the first-line
      treatment and should not be the same treatment. The options are (a) 14 days of
      levofloxacin-based therapy with high-dose PPI, (b) 14 days of clarithromycin
      based triple therapy with high-dose PPI or (c) bismuth quadruple therapy for 14
      days (strong and moderate). S13: culture and antimicrobial susceptibility testing
      should be performed following two treatment failures (weak and low/very low).
      CONCLUSION: These recommendations are intended to provide the most relevant
      current best-practice guidelines for the management of H. pylori infection in
      adults in Ireland.

PMID- 28350746
TI  - Perceived stress as a risk factor for dyspepsia: a register-based cohort study.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: Dyspepsia is a common condition and has a huge impact on quality of
      life and working capacity, but its causes are not well understood. An association
      between stress and dyspepsia has been debated for decades, but the issue has not
      been resolved. We examined the 3-year risk of redeeming a proton-pump inhibitor
      or an H2-receptor antagonist as a proxy of dyspepsia according to the level of
      perceived stress. PARTICIPANTS AND METHODS: Perceived stress was measured in a
      general health survey of 16 124 Danes aged older than 16 years of age in 2010
      using Cohen's Perceived Stress Scale. Data were linked individually to national
      registries, including the Danish National Prescription Registry. The risk of
      redeeming a proton-pump inhibitor or an H2-receptor antagonist for quintiles of
      stress level was estimated using Cox proportional hazard regression. RESULTS: In
      total, 2703 redeemed one of these drugs during the 33 months of follow-up. The
      cumulative incidence proportion of dyspepsia increased gradually, from 11.6 to
      24.9%, with quintiles of stress. After full model adjustment, the four highest
      stress quintiles had a statistically significantly increased risk of redeeming a
      drug compared with the lowest stress quintile. The hazard ratios were 1.16 [95%
      confidence interval (CI): 1.00-1.34] for the second quintile, 1.21 (95% CI: 1.06
      1.39) for the third quintile, 1.20 (95% CI: 1.05-1.38) for the fourth quintile,
      and 1.30 (95% CI: 1.12-1.50) for the fifth quintile. CONCLUSION: Higher levels of
      self-reported perceived everyday life stress increased the risk of redeeming a
      drug for dyspepsia significantly during 33 months of follow-up.

PMID- 28350747
TI  - Short article: Small intestinal mucosal injury in patients taking
      chemotherapeutic agents for solid cancers.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: Chemotherapy for cancer is a systemic treatment often associated with
      side effects than can be debilitating and, in some cases, life-threatening. Few
      data are available on intestinal enterotoxicity. Wireless video capsule endoscopy
      (VCE) is a noninvasive method of imaging the small intestine. This study presents
      the results of VCE in patients with solid tumors undergoing antineoplastic
      regimens with agents, notably for toxicity for the gastrointestinal mucosa (i.e.
      carboplatin, cyclophosphamide, 5-fluorouracil, methotrexate, and cisplatin).
      MATERIALS AND METHODS: The capsule endoscopy procedure was performed 4-13 days
      after the end of the antineoplastic course. Each patient received a polyethylene
      glycol solution (1000 mg*2 in 2 l of water) for bowel preparation and fasted for
      10 h before ingestion of the capsule. Videos were evaluated by one operator,
      supervised by a second operator, and conclusions were drawn by an expert reader.
      RESULTS: Twenty (age range: 38-77 years) patients were evaluated. The cecum was
      reached in 70% before exhaustion of the battery. The video capsule showed small
      widespread intestinal ulcerations in 25% and erosions in only one patient. The
      villus architecture appeared normal in all. VCE detected metastases in one
      patient with a melanoma. Few patients had more than one lesion. All capsules were
      passed in the stool. CONCLUSION: Our results suggest that chemotherapy in
      patients with solid cancers is associated with minimal visual small bowel injury.
      Factors other than damage of the intestinal mucosa causing loss of epithelium are
      likely involved in gastrointestinal toxicity and related symptoms.

PMID- 28350748
TI  - Short article: Mortality and differential diagnoses of villous atrophy without
      coeliac antibodies.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: Villous atrophy (VA) of the small bowel is mainly related to coeliac
      disease (CD), whose diagnosis is made on the basis of positive endomysial/tissue
      transglutaminase antibodies while on a gluten-containing diet in the vast
      majority of patients. However, VA can also occur in other conditions whose
      epidemiology is little known. Our aim was to study the epidemiology and clinical
      features of these rare enteropathies. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Clinical and
      laboratory data of all the patients with VA directly diagnosed in our centre in
      the last 15 years were collected and statistically analysed. RESULTS: Between
      September 1999 and June 2015, 274 patients were diagnosed with VA. A total of 260
      patients were also positive to coeliac antibodies; the other 14 had VA, but no
      IgA endomysial antibodies: five had common variable immunodeficiency, three had
      dermatitis herpetiformis, two had IgA deficiency associated with CD, one had
      abdominal lymphoma, one had unclassified sprue, one had olmesartan-associated
      enteropathy and one had seronegative CD. Mortality was 6.0 deaths per 100 person
      years (95% confidence interval: 2.2-16) in patients with VA but negative coeliac
      antibodies, whereas only 0.2 deaths per 100 person years (95% confidence
      interval: 0.1-0.6) occurred in coeliac patients. CONCLUSION: Patients with VA and
      negative endomysial antibodies are rare. However, these forms of VA identify
      specific causes that can be diagnosed. These patients are affected by a very high
      mortality.

PMID- 28350749
TI  - Effect of threatening life experiences and adverse family relations in ulcerative
      colitis: analysis using structural equation modeling and comparison with Crohn's
      disease.
AB  - BACKGROUND AND AIMS: We published that threatening life experiences and adverse
      family relations impact Crohn's disease (CD) adversely. In this study, we examine
      the influence of these stressors in ulcerative colitis (UC). PATIENTS AND
      METHODS: Patients completed demography, economic status (ES), the Patient-Simple
      Clinical Colitis Activity Index (P-SCCAI), the Short Inflammatory Bowel Disease
      Questionnaire (SIBDQ), the Short-Form Health Survey (SF-36), the Brief Symptom
      Inventory (BSI), the Family Assessment Device (FAD), and the List of Threatening
      Life Experiences (LTE). Analysis included multiple linear and quantile
      regressions and structural equation modeling, comparing CD. RESULTS: UC patients
      (N=148, age 47.55+/-16.04 years, 50.6% women) had scores [median (interquartile
      range)] as follows: SCAAI, 2 (0.3-4.8); FAD, 1.8 (1.3-2.2); LTE, 1.0 (0-2.0); SF
      36 Physical Health, 49.4 (36.8-55.1); SF-36 Mental Health, 45 (33.6-54.5); Brief
      Symptom Inventory-Global Severity Index (GSI), 0.5 (0.2-1.0). SIBDQ was 49.76+/
      14.91. There were significant positive associations for LTE and SCAAI (25, 50,
      75% quantiles), FAD and SF-36 Mental Health, FAD and LTE with GSI (50, 75, 90%
      quantiles), and ES with SF-36 and SIBDQ. The negative associations were as
      follows: LTE with SF-36 Physical/Mental Health, SIBDQ with FAD and LTE, ES with
      GSI (all quantiles), and P-SCCAI (75, 90% quantiles). In structural equation
      modeling analysis, LTE impacted ES negatively and ES impacted GSI negatively; LTE
      impacted GSI positively and GSI impacted P-SCCAI positively. In a split model, ES
      had a greater effect on GSI in UC than CD, whereas other path magnitudes were
      similar. CONCLUSION: Threatening life experiences, adverse family relations, and
      poor ES make UC patients less healthy both physically and mentally. The impact of
      ES is worse in UC than CD.

PMID- 28350750
TI  - Family history, comorbidity, smoking and other risk factors in microscopic
      colitis: a case-control study.
AB  - OBJECTIVES: Data on heredity, risk factors and comorbidity in microscopic
      colitis, encompassing collagenous colitis (CC) and lymphocytic colitis (LC), are
      limited. AIM: The aim was to carry out a case-control study of family history,
      childhood circumstances, educational level, marital status, smoking and
      comorbidity in microscopic colitis. METHODS: A postal questionnaire was sent in
      2008-2009 to microscopic colitis patients resident in Sweden and three population
      based controls per patient, matched for age, sex and municipality. RESULTS: Some
      212 patients and 627 controls participated in the study. There was an association
      with a family history of microscopic colitis in both CC [odds ratio (OR): 10.3;
      95% confidence interval (CI): 2.1-50.4, P=0.004] and LC (OR not estimated,
      P=0.008). Current smoking was associated with CC [OR: 4.7; 95% CI: 2.4-9.2,
      P<0.001) and LC (OR: 3.2; 95% CI: 1.6-6.7, P=0.002). The median age at diagnosis
      was around 10 years earlier in ever-smokers compared with never-smokers.CC was
      associated with a history of ulcerative colitis (UC) (OR: 8.7, 95% CI: 2.2-33.7,
      P=0.002), thyroid disease (OR: 2.3; 95% CI: 1.1-4.5, P=0.02), coeliac disease
      (OR: 13.1; 95% CI: 2.7-62.7, P=0.001), rheumatic disease (OR 1.9; 95% CI: 1.0
      3.5, P=0.042) and previous appendicectomy (OR: 2.2; 95% CI: 1.3-3.8, P=0.003),
      and LC with UC (OR: 6.8; 95% CI: 1.7-28.0, P=0.008), thyroid disease (OR: 2.4;
      95% CI: 1.1-5.4, P=0.037) and coeliac disease (OR: 8.7; 95% CI: 2.8-26.7,
      P<0.001). CONCLUSION: Association with a family history of microscopic colitis
      indicates that familial factors may be important. The association with a history
      of UC should be studied further as it may present new insights into the
      pathogenesis of microscopic colitis and UC.

PMID- 28350751
TI  - Time trends in the epidemiology and outcome of perianal fistulizing Crohn's
      disease in a population-based cohort.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: Perianal disease is a debilitating condition that frequently occurs in
      Crohn's disease (CD) patients. It is currently unknown whether its incidence has
      changed in the era of frequent immunomodulator use and biological availability.
      We studied the incidence and outcome of perianal and rectovaginal fistulas over
      the past two decades in our population-based Inflammatory Bowel Disease South
      Limburg cohort. PATIENTS AND METHODS: All 1162 CD patients registered in the
      Inflammatory Bowel Disease South-Limburg registry were included. The cumulative
      probabilities of developing a perianal and rectovaginal fistula were compared
      between three eras distinguished by the year of CD diagnosis: 1991-1998, 1999
      2005 and 2006-2011. Second, clinical risk factors and the risk of fistula
      recurrence were determined. RESULTS: The cumulative 5-year perianal fistula rate
      was 14.1% in the 1991-1998 era, 10.4% in the 1999-2005 era and 10.3% in the 2006
      2011 era, P=0.70. Colonic disease was associated with an increased risk of
      developing perianal disease, whereas older age was associated with a decreased
      risk (both P<0.01). Over time, more patients were exposed to immunomodulators or
      biologicals before fistula diagnosis (18.5 vs. 32.1 vs. 52.1%, respectively,
      P=0.02) and started biological therapy thereafter (18.6 vs. 34.1 vs. 54.0%,
      respectively, P<0.01). The cumulative 5-year perianal fistula recurrence rate was
      not significantly different between eras (19.5 vs. 25.5 vs. 33.1%, P=0.28). In
      contrast, the cumulative 5-year rectovaginal rate attenuated from 5.7% (the 1991
      2005 era) to 1.7% (the 2006-2011 era), P=0.01. CONCLUSION: Over the past two
      decades, the risk of developing a perianal fistula was stable, as well as its
      recurrence rate, underlining the lasting need for improving treatment strategies
      for this invalidating condition.

PMID- 28350752
TI  - The yield of endoscopic investigation for unintentional weight loss.
AB  - AIM: The aim of this study was to assess the yield of endoscopic evaluation in
      isolated unintentional weight loss (UWL) patients compared with patients with
      weight loss and additional symptoms or signs. PATIENTS AND METHODS: A
      retrospective review of all patients who underwent an endoscopic evaluation for
      the investigation of UWL at Soroka University Medical Center between 2006 and
      2012. Data on clinical indication, endoscopic, and laboratory finding were
      retrieved. Severe inflammation, ulcers, achalasia, and neoplasias were considered
      clinically significant endoscopic findings (CSEF) that could explain weight loss.
      Detection rates of CSEF were compared between endoscopic studies for which UWL
      was the sole indication (group 1) and those performed for UWL and at least one
      other indication (group 2). RESULTS: During the study period, 1843 patients with
      UWL were evaluated with 2098 endoscopic procedures. Of these, 1540 underwent
      esophagogastroduodenoscopy (EGD) and 558 underwent colonoscopy. EGD was performed
      in 229 (14.8%) patients in group 1 (mean age: 60.9+/-16.4, 43.3% men), and in
      1311 (85.2%) patients in group 2 (mean age: 60.5+/-18.5, 45% men). Pathological
      endoscopic findings were identified in 712 (46%) EGDs. Of these, 155 (10%)
      studies detected significant outcomes: six (3.9%) in group 1 and 149 (96.1%) in
      group 2. Of the 558 colonoscopies performed, 105 (18.8%) were performed in group
      1 (mean age: 61.7+/-17.5, 43% men) and 453 (82.2%) in group 2 patients (mean age:
      62.9+/-14.6, 49% men). Abnormal findings were found in 190 (33.8%) of the
      procedures. CSEF were found in 34 (6%) patients: two in group 1 and 32 in group
      2. CONCLUSION: The diagnostic yield of endoscopy for investigation of patients
      with UWL is non-negligible, and should be considered as part of its baseline
      evaluation, especially in older individuals and those who present with other
      gastrointestinal manifestations.

PMID- 28350754
TI  - Letter to the Editor.

PMID- 28350753
TI  - What to eat and drink in the festive season: a pan-European, observational, cross
      sectional study.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Digestive discomfort after meals is common in the community,
      especially during the festive season. It is uncertain whether this is related to
      intake of either high-calorie or high-fat foods or, alternatively, intake of
      specific foods. This prospective, cross-sectional study tested the hypothesis
      that the risk of reflux or dyspepsia is associated with the fat content of the
      meal independent of caloric load in a 'real-life' setting. MATERIALS AND METHODS:
      Four festive meals were served to delegates attending a conference on four
      consecutive days. Test meals had the same volume, but varied in calorie and fat
      content. Study procedures and symptoms were monitored using a mobile application
      (SymTrack). The effect of alcoholic compared with nonalcoholic drinks was also
      assessed. Primary outcome was the occurrence of reflux or dyspeptic symptoms.
      Fullness was documented by a visual analogue scale. RESULTS: A total of 84/120
      (70%) delegates aged 22-69 years consented to participate. At screening, 22 (31%)
      participants reported at least mild symptoms on the Leuven Dyspepsia
      Questionnaire. Specific ingredients did not appear to impact on postprandial
      symptoms. All high-calorie dinners [British, German, Italian (with alcohol)]
      induced more symptoms than the low-fat, low-calorie Czech dinner [odds ratio:
      2.6, 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.97-6.9 (P=0.058), 1.5 (0.3-3.8), and 2.8
      (0.7-10.5), respectively]. Self-reported fullness after the high-fat, high
      calorie British dinner was higher by 23/100 (95% CI: 4-42, P=0.016) with respect
      to low-fat, low-calorie Czech and German dinners. CONCLUSION: Study participants
      tolerated a range of food and drink well. Reflux or dyspeptic symptoms were least
      likely after the low-fat, low-calorie meal. Fullness was increased after the high
      fat, high-calorie dinner, but not low-fat meals. These results will help the
      public to make evidence-based dietary choices during the carnival season!

PMID- 28350755
TI  - Reply to Hjorthoj et al.

PMID- 28350757
TI  - Acupuncture for menopausal hot flashes: clinical evidence update and its
      relevance to decision making.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: There is conflicting evidence on the efficacy and effectiveness of
      acupuncture for menopausal hot flashes. This article synthesizes the best
      available evidence for when women are considering whether acupuncture might be
      useful for menopausal hot flashes. METHODS: We searched electronic databases to
      identify randomized controlled trials and systematic reviews of acupuncture for
      menopausal hot flushes. RESULTS: The overall evidence demonstrates that
      acupuncture is effective when compared with no treatment, but not efficacious
      compared with sham. Methodological challenges such as the complex nature of
      acupuncture treatment, the physiological effects from sham, and the significant
      efficacy of placebo therapy generally in treating hot flashes all impact on these
      considerations. CONCLUSIONS: Acupuncture improves menopausal hot flashes compared
      with no treatment; however, not compared with sham acupuncture. This is also
      consistent with the evidence that a range of placebo interventions improve
      menopausal symptoms. As clinicians play a vital role in assisting evidence
      informed decisions, we need to ensure women understand the evidence and can
      integrate it with personal preferences. Some women may choose acupuncture for hot
      flashes, a potentially disabling condition without long-term adverse health
      consequences. Yet, women should do so understanding the evidence, and its
      strengths and weaknesses, around both effective medical therapies and
      acupuncture. Likewise, cost to the individual and the health system needs to be
      considered in the context of value-based health care.

PMID- 28350758
TI  - Effects of ultralow topical estriol dose on vaginal health and quality of life in
      postmenopausal women who underwent surgical treatment for pelvic organ prolapse.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the efficacy of low concentrations of vaginal estriol gel
      in postmenopausal women with pelvic static disorders before and after vaginal
      surgical treatment, assessing vaginal health, sexual function, and quality of
      life (QoL). METHODS: Women affected by genital prolapse were enrolled. Vaginal
      health, QoL, and sexual function were investigated at baseline (T0), before
      surgery (T1), and 13 weeks after surgery (T2). At baseline, participants were
      randomized 1:1. Women in group A (38 women) were treated daily with vaginal gel
      containing 50 MUg estriol for 12 weeks and women in group B (37 women) did not
      receive any estrogen treatment. After this period and before surgery, a first
      examination was carried out (T1). One week after surgical treatment, group A
      underwent randomization 1:1 to group A1 repeating estriol vaginal gel for 12
      weeks, and group A2 discontinuing the estrogen treatment. The second follow-up
      examination (T2) was performed at the 13th week after surgery. RESULTS: All
      aspects of vaginal health improved in group A on estriol before surgery with
      respect to baseline (P < 0.001). After surgery, 17 participants of group A1, 16
      of group A2, and 30 of group B completed the study. Group A1 (on estriol plus
      surgery) further improved with respect to the presurgery estriol treatment (P <
      0.01). Moreover, group A2 (T2) experienced a worsening of vaginal health versus
      intragroup presurgery estriol treatment (P < 0.01), and versus intergroup
      surgical estriol treatment (P < 0.05). QoL improved in women only after surgery,
      with (P < 0.01) or without (P < 0.05) estriol treatment. Finally, the sexual
      function of participants on estriol before surgery did not change. On the
      contrary, it improved after surgery in both participants on estriol (P < 0.001)
      and without estriol (P < 0.01). Moreover, surgical estriol participants had a
      better score than surgical no-estriol participants (P < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS:
      Estriol vaginal gel (0.005%) administration significantly improved the vaginal
      health of natural postmenopausal women before and after vaginal surgery. Both
      sexual health and QoL also significantly improved after surgery.

PMID- 28350759
TI  - Resveratrol supplementation reduces pain experience by postmenopausal women.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: Pain is a common complaint among postmenopausal women. It has been
      postulated that vascular dysfunction caused by estrogen decline at menopause
      plays a key role in the initiation and progression of degradative joint disease,
      namely age-related osteoarthritis. We evaluated whether supplementation with
      resveratrol, a phytoestrogen, could improve aspects of well-being such as chronic
      pain that is commonly experienced by postmenopausal women. METHODS: A 14-week
      randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled intervention with trans-resveratrol
      (75 mg, twice daily) was conducted in 80 healthy postmenopausal women. Aspects of
      well-being, including pain, menopausal symptoms, sleep quality, depressive
      symptoms, mood states, and quality of life were assessed by Short form-36 at
      baseline and at the end of treatment. Rating scales were averaged to provide a
      composite score representing overall well-being. Cerebral vasodilator
      responsiveness to hypercapnia was also assessed as a surrogate marker for
      cerebrovascular function. RESULTS: Compared with placebo treatment, there was a
      significant reduction in pain and an improvement in total well-being after
      resveratrol supplementation. Both benefits, including measures of quality of
      life, correlated with improvements in cerebrovascular function. CONCLUSIONS: Our
      preliminary findings indicate potential for resveratrol treatment to reduce
      chronic pain in age-related osteoarthritis. Resveratrol consumption may also
      boost perceptions of well-being in postmenopausal women. Further investigation to
      elucidate underlying mechanisms is warranted.

PMID- 28350761
TI  - Polycystic ovarian syndrome and the risk of subsequent primary ovarian
      insufficiency: a nationwide population-based study.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the risk of subsequent primary ovarian insufficiency (POI)
      amongst patients with a history of polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS). METHODS:
      This nationwide, population-based study is an inspection and review of data from
      the 1998 to 2012 Taiwan National Health Insurance Research Database. In a sample
      of 1,000,000 randomly sampled individuals, women with PCOS (exposure group; n =
      7,049) and women without PCOS (contrast group; n = 70,490) were compared. Women
      initially diagnosed with PCOS at less than 15 or more than 35 years of age were
      excluded. Each woman with PCOS was age-matched to 10 women without PCOS. The
      diagnoses of PCOS and POI (coded using International Classification of Diseases,
      9th Revision, Clinical Modification) were further confirmed with blood test
      results and ultrasonographic findings to ensure the accuracy of the diagnoses.
      RESULTS: POI occurred more among women with PCOS compared with women without PCOS
      (3.73% vs 0.44%; P < 0.001). Using Kaplan-Meier survival analysis, the POI-free
      survival rates were significantly different between the exposure and contrast
      groups (P < 0.001). During 10 years of follow-up, Cox proportional-hazard
      analysis revealed that the risk for POI was significantly higher in the exposure
      than in the contrast group (hazard ratio [HR] 8.64, 95% confidence interval [CI]
      7.33-10.18) and remained similar after adjustment for covariates (adjusted HR
      8.31, 95% CI 7.05-9.81). Compared with that of women without PCOS, the risk of
      POI was even higher for women with PCOS who did not receive metformin treatment
      (adjusted HR 9.93, 95% CI 8.28-11.90). However, the risk for POI was
      significantly reduced for women with PCOS who received metformin treatment
      (adjusted HR 5.66, 95% CI 4.36-7.35). CONCLUSIONS: As a possible precursor stage,
      prior PCOS is a significant and independent risk factor for development of POI.
      The use of metformin reduces the risk of POI.

PMID- 28350760
TI  - Involvement of HSP70 and HO-1 in the protective effects of raloxifene on multiple
      organ dysfunction syndrome by endotoxemia in ovariectomized rats.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: Accumulating evidence demonstrates that raloxifene, a selective
      estrogen receptor modulator, possesses anti-inflammatory action. This study
      evaluates the preventive effects of long-term treatment of raloxifene on acute
      inflammation and multiple organ dysfunction syndrome (MODS) in ovariectomized
      (OVX) rats with endotoxemia and its underlying mechanism of action. METHODS:
      Adult female rats were OVX bilaterally to induce estrogen insufficiency. OVX rats
      were administered with raloxifene (1 mg/kg, gavage, once daily) for 8 weeks,
      beginning 1 week after surgery, followed by induction of sepsis via intravenous
      infusion of lipopolysaccharides (LPS; 30 mg/kg) for 4 hours. LPS-activated RAW
      264.7 cells were used to investigate the mechanism of raloxifene. RESULTS:
      Ovariectomy amplified the endotoxemia-induced hypotensive effect, MODS, and
      superoxide anion production in the myocardium. The levels of inducible nitric
      oxide synthase, high mobility group box 1, and nuclear factor-kappaB p65 protein
      increased in OVX rats 6 hours after LPS initiation. Raloxifene mitigated MODS,
      together with reduced inducible nitric oxide synthase induction and fewer
      superoxide anions in organs. Raloxifene induced high levels of heat shock protein
      70 (HSP70) and heme oxygenase 1 (HO-1), which are associated with an increase in
      the transcription factor heat shock factor-1 and Nrf-2, respectively.
      Pretreatment with quercetin, an inhibitor of HSP70, or SnPP, an inhibitor of HO
      1, reversed the protective effects of raloxifene in septic OVX rats and LPS
      activated macrophages. CONCLUSIONS: Long-term treatment with raloxifene reduces
      the severity of sepsis in OVX rats, attributed from up-regulation of HSP70 and HO
      1 to exert the antioxidant and anti-inflammatory capacities. These findings
      provide new insights into bacterial infection during menopause and the molecular
      mechanism of raloxifene.

PMID- 28350762
TI  - Let Your Voice Be Heard.

PMID- 28350763
TI  - Commentary on "Autogenic Drainage in Children With Cystic Fibrosis".

PMID- 28350764
TI  - Handgrip Strength: A Population-Based Study of Norms and Age Trajectories for 3-
      to 17-Year-Olds.
AB  - PURPOSE: To provide normative values and equations for grip strength obtained
      from a population-based sample of individuals 3 to 17 years of age. METHODS: This
      cross-sectional study used grip strength data from 2706 participants (49.2%
      males, 91% right-hand dominant) in the normative phase of the National Institutes
      of Health Toolbox project. RESULTS: Analyses showed greater strength in the
      dominant hand in boys and with each yearly increase in age. Normative data are
      presented separately for each side, sex, and age. Separate regression equations
      using age and weight as explanatory variables of grip strength are provided for
      each side by sex. CONCLUSIONS: The normative data can serve as a guide for
      interpreting grip strength measurements. The trajectories can be used to
      investigate the effect of various pathologies and conditions on grip strength
      during physical maturation.

PMID- 28350765
TI  - Commentary on "Handgrip Strength: A Population-Based Study of Norms and Age
      Trajectories for 3- to 17-Year-Olds".

PMID- 28350766
TI  - Cardiac Autonomic System Response to Submaximal Test in Children With Cerebral
      Palsy.
AB  - AIM: To describe the heart rate (HR) and heart rate variability at rest, during a
      submaximal treadmill test and at rest posttreadmill in children with cerebral
      palsy (CP). METHODS: Twenty children (6-11 years) with CP participated, who had
      Gross Motor Function Classification System levels I to III. The HR was monitored
      for 5 minutes seated, during a submaximal treadmill test, and after 5 minutes
      rest posttreadmill. Outcome variables were HR and the square root of the mean
      squared differences of successive differences between adjacent heart beats
      (RMSSD). RESULTS: HR increased during the last stage of the treadmill test
      compared with rest. RMSSD was reduced during the last 2 minutes of the treadmill
      test compared with rest. The HR and RMSSD mean value at the second minute
      posttest were not significantly different from the pretreadmill rest value.
      INTERPRETATION: The cardiac system in children with CP responded to the
      submaximal testing.

PMID- 28350767
TI  - Commentary on "Cardiac Autonomic System Response to Submaximal Test in Children
      With Cerebral Palsy".

PMID- 28350768
TI  - Commentary on "Position Between Trunk and Pelvis During Gait Depending on the
      Gross Motor Function Classification System".

PMID- 28350769
TI  - Gait Training With Visual Feedback and Proprioceptive Input to Reduce Gait
      Asymmetry in Adults With Cerebral Palsy: A Case Series.
AB  - PURPOSE: The purpose of this case series was to investigate the feasibility of
      using visual feedback on gait asymmetry during gait retraining and whether this
      leads to reduced asymmetry, improvement in gait speed, cost of walking, and
      dynamic balance in ambulant adults with cerebral palsy (CP). METHODS: Five adults
      with CP, who were ambulatory and had step length or stance time asymmetry,
      trained for 18 sessions on a split-belt treadmill with concurrent visual feedback
      from a virtual environment. Training also included overground gait training to
      encourage transfer of learning. RESULTS: All participants reduced gait asymmetry
      and improved on outcomes at posttest and follow-up. CONCLUSIONS: Outcome measures
      and training protocols were feasible in this sample of convenience of adults with
      CP who were ambulatory and who did not have visual impairment. The adults with CP
      in this study demonstrated individual improvements in gait and balance following
      training.

PMID- 28350770
TI  - Commentary on "Gait Training With Visual Feedback and Proprioceptive Input to
      Reduce Gait Asymmetry in Adults With Cerebral Palsy: A Case Series".

PMID- 28350771
TI  - Concurrent Validity Between Live and Home Video Observations Using the Alberta
      Infant Motor Scale.
AB  - PURPOSE: Serial assessment of gross motor development of infants at risk is an
      established procedure in neonatal follow-up clinics. Assessments based on home
      video recordings could be a relevant addition. METHODS: In 48 infants (1.5-19
      months), the concurrent validity of 2 applications was examined using the Alberta
      Infant Motor Scale: (1) a home video made by parents and (2) simultaneous
      observation on-site by a pediatric physical therapist. Parents' experiences were
      explored using a questionnaire. RESULTS: The intraclass correlation coefficient
      agreement between live and home video assessment was 0.99, with a standard error
      of measurement of 1.41 items. Intra- and interrater reliability: intraclass
      correlation coefficients were more than 0.99. According to 94% of the parents,
      recording their infant's movement repertoire was easy to perform. CONCLUSION:
      Assessing the Alberta Infant Motor Scale based on home video recordings is
      comparable to assessment by live observation. The video method is a promising
      application that can be used with low burden for parents and infants.

PMID- 28350772
TI  - Commentary on "Concurrent Validity Between Live and Home Video Observations Using
      the Alberta Infant Motor Scale".

PMID- 28350773
TI  - Validity of an Accelerometer Used to Measure Step Count in Children With
      Idiopathic Toe Walking.
AB  - PURPOSE: To assess the validity of accelerometer use in children with idiopathic
      toe walking (ITW). METHODS: Seventy-five children, 2 to 13 years old, with ITW
      were videotaped ambulating 50 ft wearing a NL-1000 accelerometer. Because of
      concerns for accelerometer accuracy in young children, 2 groups were created: 5
      years or younger (n = 45) and 6 years or older (n = 30). Step counts recorded via
      accelerometer and video were compared and correlated. RESULTS: There was a
      significant difference in accelerometer and video step counts for 2- to 5-year
      olds (W = 72.00, P < .001). No significant difference was found for 6- to 13-year
      olds (W = 65.00, P = .24). Spearman rho values were 0.78 and 0.92 for the 5 years
      or younger and 6 years or older groups, respectively. CONCLUSION: Accelerometers
      accurately count steps in 6- to 13-year-olds with ITW but are inaccurate in 2- to
      5-year-olds.

PMID- 28350774
TI  - Commentary on "Validity of an Accelerometer Used to Measure Step Count in
      Children With Idiopathic Toe Walking".

PMID- 28350775
TI  - Postsurgical Physical Therapy Management of Congenital Muscular Torticollis.
AB  - PURPOSE: To present 2 cases with severe congenital muscular torticollis and
      describe postsurgical physical therapy management. DESCRIPTION: Two children
      diagnosed with severe congenital muscular torticollis underwent surgical release
      of the involved sternocleidomastoid muscle with subsequent physical therapy.
      Presurgical examination findings, surgical technique, and postsurgical
      rehabilitation guidelines are described. RESULTS: Both cases achieved full range
      of motion and symmetrical muscle strength. Functionally, they were able to
      maintain consistent midline posture, perform transitions with symmetrical head
      righting, and demonstrate age-appropriate motor skills. CLINICAL IMPLICATIONS:
      Children with surgical management of congenital muscular torticollis tend to have
      more severe involvement of the sternocleidomastoid. Prolonged experience in
      atypical postures may result in potential asymmetrical development of visual,
      vestibular, and proprioceptive systems. Perception of midline was reestablished
      through integration of visual, vestibular, and proprioceptive stimuli. VIDEO
      ABSTRACT: For more insights from the authors, access Supplemental Digital Content
      1, at http://links.lww.com/PPT/A141.

PMID- 28350776
TI  - School-Based Work Capacity Evaluation in Young People With Intellectual
      Disabilities: 2 Case Reports.
AB  - PURPOSE: These case reports examine the application of a work capacity/work
      hardening model to increase work capacity in young people with disabilities. KEY
      POINTS: Examination, evaluation, interventions, and outcomes are described for 2
      teenagers with intellectual disability. This approach is novel in that it uses
      functional capacity evaluation concepts used in ergonomic/occupational health
      contexts and applies them to youth with disabilities in educational settings.
      CONCLUSION: These concepts expand the scope of practice for physical therapists
      in school settings and potentially increase work opportunities for youth with
      disabilities.

PMID- 28350778
TI  - Pediatric Rehabilitation Services for Children With Cerebral Palsy: What Can
      Existing Data Sources Tell Us?
AB  - Knowledge about associated service utilization patterns and positive outcomes in
      children with cerebral palsy (CP) of varying levels of severity is a national
      priority. Families, clinicians, program directors, and policy makers need this
      information for clinical decision-making and service planning. Existing data
      sources in the United States that contain information about children with CP,
      their health, function, well being, and utilization of health services may add to
      our existing knowledge. We provide a summary of fourteen national, state, and
      local sources' data: where the data come from, challenges and/or specific
      considerations when using or accessing information, and specific data elements
      included. Currently available sources of data can provide meaningful information
      for policy, practice, and program development. We propose questions for future
      inquiry and suggest elements that may be useful for when developing data sources
      specific to physical therapy and individuals with CP. A physical therapy specific
      registry is warranted.

PMID- 28350777
TI  - Understanding Brain Reorganization in Infants With Perinatal Stroke Through
      Neuroexcitability and Neuroimaging.
AB  - PURPOSE: The primary aim of this proposed study is to evaluate brain
      reorganization patterns in infants with perinatal stroke between 3 and 5 months
      of age using transcranial magnetic stimulation and magnetic resonance imaging,
      with the addition of the General Movements Assessment. A secondary aim is to
      demonstrate feasibility and safety of infant-appropriate brain assessment
      protocols. METHODS: Ten infants with perinatal stroke will be enrolled. In this
      exploratory study, infants will first receive magnetic resonance imaging scanning
      during natural sleep to examine their corticospinal tract integrity. Infants will
      then receive transcranial magnetic stimulation to assess their corticomotor
      excitability. A General Movements Assessment video of at least 5 minutes will
      also be recorded. DISCUSSION: Study results will enhance our understanding of
      brain reorganization in infants with perinatal stroke. We expect these results
      will also guide the development of early interventions designed to mitigate
      maladaptive neuroplastic changes and improve long-term motor outcomes.

PMID- 28350780
TI  - Johns Hopkins Psychiatry at 100 Years.

PMID- 28350779
TI  - Response to "Developing a Clinical Protocol for Habitual Physical Activity
      Monitoring in Youth With Cerebral Palsy".

PMID- 28350781
TI  - Introduction to 100 Years of Psychiatry at Johns Hopkins.

PMID- 28350782
TI  - Acknowledging the Risk for Traumatic Brain Injury in Women Veterans.
AB  - Since the Iraq and Afghanistan wars began, an unprecedented number of women have
      been engaging in combat operations. Likewise, the number of women using
      Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) services has doubled since 2001. Military
      service, and deployment to combat in particular, poses certain risks for
      traumatic brain injury (TBI)-for all service members. However, women may have
      additional military and nondeployment risk factors such as intimate partner
      violence (IPV). We briefly review the definition and classification issues
      related to TBI, as well as common acute and chronic health symptoms after TBI.
      Specific sex differences in prognosis after TBI, in particular the
      neurobehavioral symptoms, are also reviewed. We then focus on the emerging
      literature regarding TBI in women veterans including the etiologies, outcomes,
      and unique challenges this population faces. The article concludes with
      suggestions for enhanced screening by VA and non-VA providers alike, as well as
      directions for future research and clinical inquiry.

PMID- 28350783
TI  - Helping Alliance and Unmet Needs in Routine Care of People With Severe Mental
      Illness Across Europe: A Prospective Longitudinal Multicenter Study.
AB  - The helping alliance (HA) refers to the collaborative bond between patient and
      therapist, including shared goals and tasks. People with severe mental illness
      have a complex mixture of clinical and social needs. Using mixed-effects
      regression, this study examined in 588 people with severe mental illness whether
      an increase in the HA is associated with fewer unmet needs over time, and whether
      change in the HA precedes change in unmet needs. It was found that a reduction in
      unmet needs was slower in patients with higher HA (B = 0.04, p < 0.0001) only for
      patient-rated measures. Improvement in both patient-rated and staff-rated HA over
      time was associated with fewer subsequent patient-rated (B = -0.10, p < 0.0001)
      and staff-rated (B = -0.08, p = 0.0175) unmet needs. With positive changes in the
      HA preceding fewer unmet needs, findings provide further evidence for a causal
      relationship between alliance and outcome in the treatment of people with severe
      mental illness.

PMID- 28350784
TI  - Targeting Smoothened Sensitizes Gastric Cancer to Chemotherapy in Experimental
      Models.
AB  - BACKGROUND The Hedgehog pathway receptor smoothened (SMO) has critical roles in
      tumor progression. However, whether SMO is a key factor regulating gastric cancer
      chemotherapy resistance is unknown. MATERIAL AND METHODS We investigated the
      potential functions of SMO in inducing gastric cancer paclitaxel resistance in
      clinical samples, gastric cancer cell lines (424GC and AGS), and subcutaneous
      syngeneic mouse models. RESULTS We found high SMO expression in paclitaxel
      resistant gastric cancer clinical samples. Paclitaxel gastric cancer cells had
      higher SMO expression than in drug-sensitive cells. Upregulating SMO expression
      induced paclitaxel resistance in gastric cells lines via enhancing cell
      proliferation and inhibiting apoptosis. The combination of IPI-926, an inhibitor
      of SMO, with paclitaxel decreased cell viability of paclitaxel-resistant gastric
      cancer cells in vitro and controlled tumor growth in animal models. CONCLUSIONS
      The Hedgehog pathway receptor SMO is an important regulator of gastric cancer
      paclitaxel resistance and could be a target for sensitizing paclitaxel-resistant
      tumors.

PMID- 28350785
TI  - The PICTURE study: diagnostic accuracy of multiparametric MRI in men requiring a
      repeat prostate biopsy.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Transrectal prostate biopsy has limited diagnostic accuracy. Prostate
      Imaging Compared to Transperineal Ultrasound-guided biopsy for significant
      prostate cancer Risk Evaluation (PICTURE) was a paired-cohort confirmatory study
      designed to assess diagnostic accuracy of multiparametric magnetic resonance
      imaging (mpMRI) in men requiring a repeat biopsy. METHODS: All underwent 3 T
      mpMRI and transperineal template prostate mapping biopsies (TTPM biopsies).
      Multiparametric MRI was reported using Likert scores and radiologists were
      blinded to initial biopsies. Men were blinded to mpMRI results. Clinically
      significant prostate cancer was defined as Gleason ?4+3 and/or cancer core length
      ?6 mm. RESULTS: Two hundred and forty-nine had both tests with mean (s.d.) age
      was 62 (7) years, median (IQR) PSA 6.8 ng ml (4.98-9.50), median (IQR) number of
      previous biopsies 1 (1-2) and mean (s.d.) gland size 37 ml (15.5). On TTPM
      biopsies, 103 (41%) had clinically significant prostate cancer. Two hundred and
      fourteen (86%) had a positive prostate mpMRI using Likert score ?3; sensitivity
      was 97.1% (95% confidence interval (CI): 92-99), specificity 21.9% (15.5-29.5),
      negative predictive value (NPV) 91.4% (76.9-98.1) and positive predictive value
      (PPV) 46.7% (35.2-47.8). One hundred and twenty-nine (51.8%) had a positive mpMRI
      using Likert score ?4; sensitivity was 80.6% (71.6-87.7), specificity 68.5% (60.3
      75.9), NPV 83.3% (75.4-89.5) and PPV 64.3% (55.4-72.6). CONCLUSIONS: In men
      advised to have a repeat prostate biopsy, prostate mpMRI could be used to safely
      avoid a repeat biopsy with high sensitivity for clinically significant cancers.
      However, such a strategy can miss some significant cancers and overdiagnose
      insignificant cancers depending on the mpMRI score threshold used to define which
      men should be biopsied.

PMID- 28350786
TI  - Methylation of MYLK3 gene promoter region: a biomarker to stratify surgical care
      in ovarian cancer in a multicentre study.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Survival benefit from surgical debulking of ovarian cancer (OC) is
      well established, but some women, despite total macroscopic clearance of disease,
      still have poor prognosis. We aimed to identify biomarkers to predict benefit
      from conventional surgery. METHODS: Clinical data from women debulked for high
      stage OC were analysed (Hammersmith Hospital, London, UK; 2001-2014). Infinium's
      HumanMethylation27 array interrogated tumour DNA for differentially methylated
      CpG sites, correlated to survival, in patients with the least residual disease
      (RD; Hammersmith Array). Validation was performed using bisulphite pyrosequencing
      (Charite Hospital, Berlin, Germany cohort) and The Cancer Genome Atlas' (TCGA)
      methylation data set. Kaplan-Meier curves and Cox models tested survival.
      RESULTS: Altogether 803 women with serous OC were studied. No RD was associated
      with significantly improved overall survival (OS; hazard ratio (HR) 1.25, 95% CI
      1.06-1.47; P=0.0076) and progression-free survival (PFS; HR 1.23, 95% CI 1.05
      1.43; P=0.012; Hammersmith database n=430). Differentially methylated loci within
      FGF4, FGF21, MYLK2, MYLK3, MYL7, and ITGAE associated with survival. Patients
      with the least RD had significantly better OS with higher methylation of MYLK3
      (Hammersmith (HR 0.51, 95% CI 0.31-0.84; P=0.01), Charite (HR 0.46, 95% CI 0.21
      1.01; P=0.05), and TCGA (HR 0.64, 95% CI 0.44-0.93; P=0.02)). CONCLUSIONS: MYLK3
      methylation is associated with improved OS in patients with the least RD, which
      could potentially be used to determine response to surgery.

PMID- 28350787
TI  - Quality-adjusted survival with combination nal-IRI+5-FU/LV vs 5-FU/LV alone in
      metastatic pancreatic cancer patients previously treated with gemcitabine-based
      therapy: a Q-TWiST analysis.
AB  - BACKGROUND: In the NAPOLI-1 Phase 3 trial, nal-IRI+5-fluorouracil and leucovorin
      (5-FU/LV) significantly improved median overall survival (6.1 vs 4.2 months,
      P=0.012) and progression-free survival (3.1 vs 1.5 months, P=0.0001) vs 5-FU/LV
      alone in metastatic pancreatic adenocarcinoma patients previously treated with
      gemcitabine-based therapy. This analysis evaluated between treatment differences
      in quality-adjusted time without symptoms of disease progression or toxicity (Q
      TWiST). METHODS: Overall survival was partitioned into time with grade ?3
      toxicity (TOX), disease progression (REL), and time without disease progression
      symptoms or grade ?3 toxicity (TWiST). Mean Q-TWiST was calculated by weighting
      time spent by a utility of 1.0 for TWiST and 0.5 for TOX and REL. In threshold
      analyses, utility for TOX and REL were varied from 0.0 to 1.0. RESULTS: Patients
      in nal-IRI+5-FU/LV (n=117) vs 5-FU/LV (n=119) had significantly more mean time in
      TWiST (3.4 vs 2.4 months) and TOX (1.0 vs 0.3 months) but similar REL (2.5 vs 2.7
      months). In the base case, nal-IRI+5-FU/LV patients had 1.3 months (95% CI, 0.4
      2.1; 5.1 vs 3.9) greater Q-TWiST (threshold analyses range: 0.9-1.6 months).
      CONCLUSIONS: Within NAPOLI-1, nal-IRI+5-FU/LV resulted in statistically
      significant and clinically meaningful gains in quality-adjusted survival vs 5
      FU/LV alone.

PMID- 28350788
TI  - LDL cholesterol counteracts the antitumour effect of tyrosine kinase inhibitors
      against renal cell carcinoma.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Treatment with tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) significantly
      improves survival of patients with renal cell carcinoma (RCC). However, about one
      quarter of the RCC patients are primarily refractory to treatment with TKIs.
      METHODS: We examined viability of RCC and endothelial cells treated with low
      density lipoprotein (LDL) and/or TKIs. Next, we validated the potential role of
      PI3K/AKT signalling in LDL-mediated TKI resistance. Finally, we examined the
      effect of a high-fat/high-cholesterol diet on the response of RCC xenograft
      tumours to sunitinib. RESULTS: The addition of LDL cholesterol increases
      activation of PI3K/AKT signalling and compromises the antitumour efficacy of TKIs
      against RCC and endothelial cells. Furthermore, RCC xenograft tumours resist TKIs
      in mice fed a high-fat/high-cholesterol diet. CONCLUSIONS: The ability of renal
      tumours to maintain their cholesterol homoeostasis may be a critical component of
      TKI resistance in RCC patients.

PMID- 28350789
TI  - Dependence of cancer risk from environmental exposures on underlying genetic
      susceptibility: an illustration with polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and breast
      cancer.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Most studies of environmental risk factors and breast cancer are
      conducted using average risk cohorts. METHODS: We examined the association
      between polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH)-albumin adducts in bloods from
      baseline and breast cancer risk in a prospective nested case-control study (New
      York site of the BCFR, 80 cases and 156 controls). We estimated the 10-year
      absolute breast cancer risk by a risk model that uses pedigree information
      (BOADICEA) and evaluated whether the increased risk from PAH differed by absolute
      risk. RESULTS: Women with detectable levels of PAH had a twofold association with
      breast cancer risk (odds ratio (OR)=2.04; 95% CI=1.06-3.93) relative to women
      with non-detectable levels. The association increased with higher levels of PAH
      (?median) and by a higher level of absolute breast cancer risk (10-year risk
      ?3.4%: OR=4.09, 95% CI=1.38-12.13). CONCLUSIONS: These results support that
      family-based cohorts can be an efficient way to examine gene-environment
      interactions.

PMID- 28350792
TI  - Association between delirium superimposed on dementia and mortality in
      hospitalized older adults: A prospective cohort study.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Hospitalized older adults with preexisting dementia have increased
      risk of having delirium, but little is known regarding the effect of delirium
      superimposed on dementia (DSD) on the outcomes of these patients. Our aim was to
      investigate the association between DSD and hospital mortality and 12-mo
      mortality in hospitalized older adults. METHODS AND FINDINGS: This was a
      prospective cohort study completed in the geriatric ward of a university hospital
      in Sao Paulo, Brazil. We included 1,409 hospitalizations of acutely ill patients
      aged 60 y and over from January 2009 to June 2015. Main variables and measures
      included dementia and dementia severity (Informant Questionnaire on Cognitive
      Decline in the Elderly, Clinical Dementia Rating) and delirium (Confusion
      Assessment Method). Primary outcomes were time to death in the hospital and time
      to death in 12 mo (for the discharged sample). Comprehensive geriatric assessment
      was performed at admission, and additional clinical data were documented upon
      death or discharge. Cases were categorized into four groups (no delirium or
      dementia, dementia alone, delirium alone, and DSD). The no delirium/dementia
      group was defined as the referent category for comparisons, and multivariate
      analyses were performed using Cox proportional hazards models adjusted for
      possible confounders (sociodemographic information, medical history and physical
      examination data, functional and nutritional status, polypharmacy, and laboratory
      covariates). Overall, 61% were women and 39% had dementia, with a mean age of 80
      y. Dementia alone was observed in 13% of the cases, with delirium alone in 21%
      and DSD in 26% of the cases. In-hospital mortality was 8% for patients without
      delirium or dementia, 12% for patients with dementia alone, 29% for patients with
      delirium alone, and 32% for DSD patients (Pearson Chi-square = 112, p < 0.001).
      DSD and delirium alone were independently associated with in-hospital mortality,
      with respective hazard ratios (HRs) of 2.14 (95% CI = 1.33-3.45, p = 0.002) and
      2.72 (95% CI = 1.77-4.18, p < 0.001). Dementia alone did not have a significant
      statistical association with in-hospital mortality (HR = 1.69, 95% CI = 0.72
      2.30, p = 0.385). Finally, while 24% of the patients died after discharge, 12-mo
      mortality was not associated with dementia or delirium in any of the diagnostic
      groups (DSD: HR = 1.15, 95% CI = 0.79-1.68, p = 0.463; delirium alone: HR = 1.05,
      95% CI = 0.71-1.54, p = 0.810; dementia alone: HR = 1.19, 95% CI = 0.79-1.78, p =
      0.399). Limitations to this study include not exploring the effects of the
      duration and severity of delirium on the outcomes. CONCLUSIONS: DSD and delirium
      alone were independently associated with a worse prognosis in hospitalized older
      adults. Health care professionals should recognize the importance of delirium as
      a predictor of hospital mortality regardless of the coexistence with dementia.

PMID- 28350793
TI  - Correction: Genetic assessment of age-associated Alzheimer disease risk:
      Development and validation of a polygenic hazard score.
AB  - [This corrects the article DOI: 10.1371/journal.pmed.1002258.].

PMID- 28350790
TI  - Use of common analgesic medications and ovarian cancer survival: results from a
      pooled analysis in the Ovarian Cancer Association Consortium.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) have been associated
      with improved survival in some cancers, but evidence for ovarian cancer is
      limited. METHODS: Pooling individual-level data from 12 Ovarian Cancer
      Association Consortium studies, we evaluated the association between self
      reported, pre-diagnosis use of common analgesics and overall/progression
      free/disease-specific survival among 7694 women with invasive epithelial ovarian
      cancer (4273 deaths). RESULTS: Regular analgesic use (at least once per week) was
      not associated with overall survival (pooled hazard ratios, pHRs (95% confidence
      intervals): aspirin 0.96 (0.88-1.04); non-aspirin NSAIDs 0.97 (0.89-1.05);
      acetaminophen 1.01 (0.93-1.10)), nor with progression-free/disease-specific
      survival. There was however a survival advantage for users of any NSAIDs in
      studies clearly defining non-use as less than once per week (pHR=0.89 (0.82
      0.98)). CONCLUSIONS: Although this study did not show a clear association between
      analgesic use and ovarian cancer survival, further investigation with clearer
      definitions of use and information about post-diagnosis use is warranted.

PMID- 28350791
TI  - Acid-suppressing therapies and subsite-specific risk of stomach cancer.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Associations of stomach cancer risk with histamine type-2 receptor
      antagonists (H2RA) and proton-pump inhibitors (PPI) are controversial. We
      hypothesised that proximal extension of Helicobacter pylori infection from acid
      suppression would disproportionately increase cancers at proximal subsites.
      METHODS: A total of 1 563 860 individuals in the Danish Prescription Drug
      Registry first prescribed acid-suppressive drugs 1995-2011 were matched to
      unexposed population-based controls. Hazard ratios (HR) were calculated by Cox
      proportional hazard regression for stomach cancers diagnosed more than one year
      after first prescription. RESULTS: There were 703 stomach cancers among H2RA
      exposed individuals and 1347 among PPI-exposed. Restricted to individuals with
      five or more prescriptions, subsite-specific HRs for H2RA and PPI were 4.1 and
      6.4 for proximal subsites vs 8.0 and 10.3 for distal subsites, respectively.
      CONCLUSIONS: Moderate exposures to acid-suppressive drugs did not favour proximal
      tumour localisation. Given confounding by indication, these findings do not
      resolve potential contribution to gastric carcinogenesis overall.

PMID- 28350794
TI  - Dementia and aging populations-A global priority for contextualized research and
      health policy.
AB  - In this month's Editorial, Guest Editors Carol Brayne and Bruce Miller discuss
      research and commentary published in March and future directions for dementia
      research.

PMID- 28350795
TI  - Fine-mapping of the human leukocyte antigen locus as a risk factor for Alzheimer
      disease: A case-control study.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Alzheimer disease (AD) is a progressive disorder that affects
      cognitive function. There is increasing support for the role of neuroinflammation
      and aberrant immune regulation in the pathophysiology of AD. The immunoregulatory
      human leukocyte antigen (HLA) complex has been linked to susceptibility for a
      number of neurodegenerative diseases, including AD; however, studies to date have
      failed to consistently identify a risk HLA haplotype for AD. Contributing to this
      difficulty are the complex genetic organization of the HLA region, differences in
      sequencing and allelic imputation methods, and diversity across ethnic
      populations. METHODS AND FINDINGS: Building on prior work linking the HLA to AD,
      we used a robust imputation method on two separate case-control cohorts to
      examine the relationship between HLA haplotypes and AD risk in 309 individuals
      (191 AD, 118 cognitively normal [CN] controls) from the San Francisco-based
      University of California, San Francisco (UCSF) Memory and Aging Center (collected
      between 1999-2015) and 11,381 individuals (5,728 AD, 5,653 CN controls) from the
      Alzheimer's Disease Genetics Consortium (ADGC), a National Institute on Aging
      (NIA)-funded national data repository (reflecting samples collected between 1984
      2012). We also examined cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) biomarker measures for patients
      seen between 2005-2007 and longitudinal cognitive data from the Alzheimer's
      Disease Neuroimaging Initiative (n = 346, mean follow-up 3.15 +/- 2.04 y in AD
      individuals) to assess the clinical relevance of identified risk haplotypes. The
      strongest association with AD risk occurred with major histocompatibility complex
      (MHC) haplotype A*03:01~B*07:02~DRB1*15:01~DQA1*01:02~DQB1*06:02 (p = 9.6 x 10-4,
      odds ratio [OR] [95% confidence interval] = 1.21 [1.08-1.37]) in the combined
      UCSF + ADGC cohort. Secondary analysis suggested that this effect may be driven
      primarily by individuals who are negative for the established AD genetic risk
      factor, apolipoprotein E (APOE) E4. Separate analyses of class I and II
      haplotypes further supported the role of class I haplotype A*03:01~B*07:02 (p =
      0.03, OR = 1.11 [1.01-1.23]) and class II haplotype DRB1*15:01- DQA1*01:02-
      DQB1*06:02 (DR15) (p = 0.03, OR = 1.08 [1.01-1.15]) as risk factors for AD. We
      followed up these findings in the clinical dataset representing the spectrum of
      cognitively normal controls, individuals with mild cognitive impairment, and
      individuals with AD to assess their relevance to disease. Carrying
      A*03:01~B*07:02 was associated with higher CSF amyloid levels (p = 0.03, beta +/-
      standard error = 47.19 +/- 21.78). We also found a dose-dependent association
      between the DR15 haplotype and greater rates of cognitive decline (greater
      impairment on the 11-item Alzheimer's Disease Assessment Scale cognitive subscale
      [ADAS11] over time [p = 0.03, beta +/- standard error = 0.7 +/- 0.3]; worse
      forgetting score on the Rey Auditory Verbal Learning Test (RAVLT) over time [p =
      0.02, beta +/- standard error = -0.2 +/- 0.06]). In a subset of the same cohort,
      dose of DR15 was also associated with higher baseline levels of chemokine CC-4, a
      biomarker of inflammation (p = 0.005, beta +/- standard error = 0.08 +/- 0.03).
      The main study limitations are that the results represent only individuals of
      European-ancestry and clinically diagnosed individuals, and that our study used
      imputed genotypes for a subset of HLA genes. CONCLUSIONS: We provide evidence
      that variation in the HLA locus-including risk haplotype DR15-contributes to AD
      risk. DR15 has also been associated with multiple sclerosis, and its component
      alleles have been implicated in Parkinson disease and narcolepsy. Our findings
      thus raise the possibility that DR15-associated mechanisms may contribute to pan
      neuronal disease vulnerability.

PMID- 28350797
TI  - Dementia in low-income and middle-income countries: Different realities mandate
      tailored solutions.
AB  - In a Perspective, Cleusa Ferri and K. S. Jacob discuss the assessment,
      recognition, and care of people living with dementia in low- and middle-income
      countries.

PMID- 28350796
TI  - The impact of individual Cognitive Stimulation Therapy (iCST) on cognition,
      quality of life, caregiver health, and family relationships in dementia: A
      randomised controlled trial.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Cognitive stimulation therapy (CST) is a well-established group
      psychosocial intervention for people with dementia. There is evidence that home
      based programmes of cognitive stimulation delivered by family caregivers may
      benefit both the person and the caregiver. However, no previous studies have
      evaluated caregiver-delivered CST. This study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness
      of a home-based, caregiver-led individual cognitive stimulation therapy (iCST)
      program in (i) improving cognition and quality of life (QoL) for the person with
      dementia and (ii) mental and physical health (well-being) for the caregiver.
      METHODS AND FINDINGS: A single-blind, pragmatic randomised controlled trial (RCT)
      was conducted at eight study sites across the United Kingdom. The intervention
      and blinded assessment of outcomes were conducted in participants' homes. Three
      hundred fifty-six people with mild to moderate dementia and their caregivers were
      recruited from memory services and community mental health teams (CMHTs).
      Participants were randomly assigned to iCST (75, 30-min sessions) or treatment as
      usual (TAU) control over 25 wk. iCST sessions consisted of themed activities
      designed to be mentally stimulating and enjoyable. Caregivers delivering iCST
      received training and support from an unblind researcher. Primary outcomes were
      cognition (Alzheimer's Disease Assessment Scale-cognitive [ADAS-Cog]) and self
      reported QoL (Quality of Life Alzheimer's Disease [QoL-AD]) for the person with
      dementia and general health status (Short Form-12 health survey [SF-12]) for the
      caregiver. Secondary outcomes included quality of the caregiving relationship
      from the perspectives of the person and of the caregiver (Quality of the Carer
      Patient Relationship Scale) and health-related QoL (European Quality of Life-5
      Dimensions [EQ-5D]) for the caregiver. Intention to treat (ITT) analyses were
      conducted. At the post-test (26 wk), there were no differences between the iCST
      and TAU groups in the outcomes of cognition (mean difference [MD] = -0.55, 95% CI
      -2.00-0.90; p = 0.45) and self-reported QoL (MD = -0.02, 95% CI -1.22-0.82; p =
      0.97) for people with dementia, or caregivers' general health status (MD = 0.13,
      95% CI -1.65-1.91; p = 0.89). However, people with dementia receiving iCST rated
      the relationship with their caregiver more positively (MD = 1.77, 95% CI 0.26
      3.28; p = 0.02), and iCST improved QoL for caregivers (EQ-5D, MD = 0.06, 95% CI
      0.02-0.10; p = 0.01). Forty percent (72/180) of dyads allocated to iCST completed
      at least two sessions per week, with 22% (39/180) completing no sessions at all.
      Study limitations include low adherence to the intervention. CONCLUSIONS: There
      was no evidence that iCST has an effect on cognition or QoL for people with
      dementia. However, participating in iCST appeared to enhance the quality of the
      caregiving relationship and caregivers' QoL. TRIAL REGISTRATION: The iCST trial
      is registered with the ISRCTN registry (identified ISRCTN 65945963, URL: DOI
      10.1186/ISRCTN65945963).

PMID- 28350798
TI  - Research priorities for harnessing plant microbiomes in sustainable agriculture.
AB  - Feeding a growing world population amidst climate change requires optimizing the
      reliability, resource use, and environmental impacts of food production. One way
      to assist in achieving these goals is to integrate beneficial plant microbiomes
      i.e., those enhancing plant growth, nutrient use efficiency, abiotic stress
      tolerance, and disease resistance-into agricultural production. This integration
      will require a large-scale effort among academic researchers, industry
      researchers, and farmers to understand and manage plant-microbiome interactions
      in the context of modern agricultural systems. Here, we identify priorities for
      research in this area: (1) develop model host-microbiome systems for crop plants
      and non-crop plants with associated microbial culture collections and reference
      genomes, (2) define core microbiomes and metagenomes in these model systems, (3)
      elucidate the rules of synthetic, functionally programmable microbiome assembly,
      (4) determine functional mechanisms of plant-microbiome interactions, and (5)
      characterize and refine plant genotype-by-environment-by-microbiome-by-management
      interactions. Meeting these goals should accelerate our ability to design and
      implement effective agricultural microbiome manipulations and management
      strategies, which, in turn, will pay dividends for both the consumers and
      producers of the world food supply.

PMID- 28350799
TI  - Optimization and evaluation of astragalus polysaccharide injectable
      thermoresponsive in-situ gels.
AB  - The objective of this study was to develop an injectable in situ forming gel
      system based on Poloxamer for sustained release of Astragalus polysaccharide
      (APS), thus achieved once or twice administration instead of frequent dosing
      during long-term treatment. The optimal formulation is 10 g APS, 18 g poloxamer
      407, 2 g poloxamer 188, 0.15 g CMC-Na, 0.85 g sodium chloride in 100 ml gel in
      situ which had a preferable sol-gel transition temperature(T sol-gel) (34.1 +/-
      0.4 degrees C), and good stability. In vitro release studies, all formulations
      containing polymer additives had prolonged release time and decreased initial
      burst to some extent. The optimal formulation containing 0.15% CMC-Na showed a
      best sustained release profile for about 132 h with the lowest initial burst in
      vitro about 16.30% in 12 h). In vivo, Male BALB/c mice (18-20 g) were
      administrated with APS in-situ gel just once, the values of immune organ indices,
      spleen lymphocyte proliferation, and serum IgM, IgG, IL-2 and IL-6 had
      significant increase, which was consistent with the mice given daily APS
      injections (7 times), while the above indices were increased more significantly
      in which administrated with APS in-situ gel twice. Based on these results, it can
      be concluded that the Poloxamer depot is a promising carrier for the sustained
      release of APS with an ideal release behavior.

PMID- 28350800
TI  - Neural correlates of facial expression processing during a detection task: An ERP
      study.
AB  - Given finite attentional resources, how emotional aspects of stimuli are
      processed automatically is controversial. Present study examined the time-course
      for automatic processing of facial expression by assessing N170, and late
      positive potentials (LPPs) of event-related potentials (ERPs) using a modified
      rapid serial visual presentation (RSVP) paradigm. Observers were required to
      confirm a certain house image and to detect whether a face image was presented at
      the end of a series of pictures. There were no significant main effects on
      emotional type for P1 amplitudes, whereas happy and fearful expressions elicited
      larger N170 amplitudes than neutral expressions. Significantly different LPP
      amplitudes were elicited depending on the type of emotional facial expressions
      (fear > happy > neutral). These results indicated that threatening priority was
      absent but discrimination of expressive vs. neutral faces occurred in implicit
      emotional tasks, at approximately 250 ms post-stimulus. Moreover, the three types
      of expressions were discriminated during the later stages of processing. Encoding
      emotional information of faces can be automated to a relatively higher degree,
      when attentional resources are mostly allocated to superficial analyzing.

PMID- 28350801
TI  - APP, PSEN1, and PSEN2 mutations in early-onset Alzheimer disease: A genetic
      screening study of familial and sporadic cases.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Amyloid protein precursor (APP), presenilin-1 (PSEN1), and presenilin
      2 (PSEN2) mutations cause autosomal dominant forms of early-onset Alzheimer
      disease (AD-EOAD). Although these genes were identified in the 1990s, variant
      classification remains a challenge, highlighting the need to colligate mutations
      from large series. METHODS AND FINDINGS: We report here a novel update (2012
      2016) of the genetic screening of the large AD-EOAD series ascertained across 28
      French hospitals from 1993 onwards, bringing the total number of families with
      identified mutations to n = 170. Families were included when at least two first
      degree relatives suffered from early-onset Alzheimer disease (EOAD) with an age
      of onset (AOO) <=65 y in two generations. Furthermore, we also screened 129
      sporadic cases of Alzheimer disease with an AOO below age 51 (44% males, mean AOO
      = 45 +/- 2 y). APP, PSEN1, or PSEN2 mutations were identified in 53 novel AD-EOAD
      families. Of the 129 sporadic cases screened, 17 carried a PSEN1 mutation and 1
      carried an APP duplication (13%). Parental DNA was available for 10 sporadic
      mutation carriers, allowing us to show that the mutation had occurred de novo in
      each case. Thirteen mutations (12 in PSEN1 and 1 in PSEN2) identified either in
      familial or in sporadic cases were previously unreported. Of the 53 mutation
      carriers with available cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) biomarkers, 46 (87%) had all
      three CSF biomarkers-total tau protein (Tau), phospho-tau protein (P-Tau), and
      amyloid beta (Abeta)42-in abnormal ranges. No mutation carrier had the three
      biomarkers in normal ranges. One limitation of this study is the absence of
      functional assessment of the possibly and probably pathogenic variants, which
      should help their classification. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings suggest that a
      nonnegligible fraction of PSEN1 mutations occurs de novo, which is of high
      importance for genetic counseling, as PSEN1 mutational screening is currently
      performed in familial cases only. Among the 90 distinct mutations found in the
      whole sample of families and isolated cases, definite pathogenicity is currently
      established for only 77%, emphasizing the need to pursue the effort to classify
      variants.

PMID- 28350802
TI  - Impact of lopinavir-ritonavir exposure in HIV-1 infected children and adolescents
      in Madrid, Spain during 2000-2014.
AB  - BACKGROUND: The most-used protease-inhibitor in children is Lopinavir-ritonavir
      (LPV/r), which provides durable suppression of viral load and increases CD4+T
      counts. This study describes the virological outcome of the HIV-1-infected
      paediatric population exposed to LPV/r during 15 years in Spain. METHODOLOGY:
      Patients from the Madrid Cohort of HIV-1-infected-children and adolescents
      exposed to LPV/r as different line therapy during 2000-2014 were selected. The
      baseline epidemiological-clinical features, viral suppression, changes in CD4+T
      CD8+T cell counts and drug susceptibility were recorded before and during LPV/r
      exposure. Drug resistance mutations (DRM) were identified in viruses from samples
      collected until 2011. We predicted drug susceptibility to 19 antiretrovirals
      among those carrying DRM using the Stanford's HIVdb Algorithm. RESULTS: A total
      of 199 (37.3%) of the 534 patients from the cohort were exposed to LPV/r during
      2000-2014 in first (group 1), second (group 2) or more line-therapies (group 3).
      Patients were mainly Spaniards (81.9%), perinatally infected (96.5%) with subtype
      B (65.3%) and HIV-diagnosed before year 2000 (67.8%). The mean age at first LPV/r
      exposure was 9.7 years. After protease-inhibitor exposure, viral suppression was
      higher in groups 1 and 2 than in group 3. Viral suppression occurred in 87.5%,
      68.6% and 64.8% patients from groups 1, 2 and 3, respectively. Among the 64
      patients with available resistance data during LPV/r treatment, 27(42.3%) carried
      DRM to protease-inhibitor, 28 (58.3%) to reverse-transcriptase-inhibitors and 21
      (43.7%) to non-reverse-transcriptase-inhibitors. Darunavir/ritonavir, atazanavir
      ritonavir and tipranavir/ritonavir presented the highest susceptibility and
      nelfinavir the lowest. CONCLUSIONS: A better lymphocyte recovering occurred when
      protease-inhibitor was taken as part of a first-line regimen and a higher number
      of patients reached viral suppression. The least compromised antiretrovirals for
      rescue antiretroviral regimens, according to DRM in the LPV/r-exposed-paediatric
      cohort, were mainly the new protease inhibitors.

PMID- 28350803
TI  - Pharmacogenomic identification of small molecules for lineage specific
      manipulation of subventricular zone germinal activity.
AB  - Strategies for promoting neural regeneration are hindered by the difficulty of
      manipulating desired neural fates in the brain without complex genetic methods.
      The subventricular zone (SVZ) is the largest germinal zone of the forebrain and
      is responsible for the lifelong generation of interneuron subtypes and
      oligodendrocytes. Here, we have performed a bioinformatics analysis of the
      transcriptome of dorsal and lateral SVZ in early postnatal mice, including neural
      stem cells (NSCs) and their immediate progenies, which generate distinct neural
      lineages. We identified multiple signaling pathways that trigger distinct
      downstream transcriptional networks to regulate the diversity of neural cells
      originating from the SVZ. Next, we used a novel in silico genomic analysis,
      searchable platform-independent expression database/connectivity map
      (SPIED/CMAP), to generate a catalogue of small molecules that can be used to
      manipulate SVZ microdomain-specific lineages. Finally, we demonstrate that
      compounds identified in this analysis promote the generation of specific cell
      lineages from NSCs in vivo, during postnatal life and adulthood, as well as in
      regenerative contexts. This study unravels new strategies for using small
      bioactive molecules to direct germinal activity in the SVZ, which has therapeutic
      potential in neurodegenerative diseases.

PMID- 28350804
TI  - Syndecan-1 deficiency promotes tumor growth in a murine model of colitis-induced
      colon carcinoma.
AB  - Syndecan-1 (Sdc1) is an important member of the cell surface heparan sulfate
      proteoglycan family, highly expressed by epithelial cells in adult organisms.
      Sdc1 is involved in the regulation of cell migration, cell-cell and cell-matrix
      interactions, growth-factor, chemokine and integrin activity, and implicated in
      inflammatory responses and tumorigenesis. Gastrointestinal tract represents an
      important anatomic site where loss of Sdc1 expression was reported both in
      inflammation and malignancy. However, the biological significance of Sdc1 in
      chronic colitis-associated tumorigenesis has not been elucidated. To the best of
      our knowledge, this study is the first to test the effects of Sdc1 loss on
      colorectal tumor development in inflammation-driven colon tumorigenesis.
      Utilizing a mouse model of colitis-related colon carcinoma induced by the
      carcinogen azoxymethane (AOM), followed by the inflammatory agent dextran sodium
      sulfate (DSS), we found that Sdc1 deficiency results in increased susceptibility
      to colitis-associated tumorigenesis. Importantly, colitis-associated tumors
      developed in Sdc1-defficient mice were characterized by increased local
      production of IL-6, activation of STAT3, as well as induction of several STAT3
      target genes that act as important effectors of colonic tumorigenesis.
      Altogether, our results highlight a previously unknown effect of Sdc1 loss in
      progression of inflammation-associated cancer and suggest that decreased levels
      of Sdc1 may serve as an indicator of colon carcinoma progression in the setting
      of chronic inflammation.

PMID- 28350805
TI  - Enhanced recovery after surgery protocol in oesophageal cancer surgery:
      Systematic review and meta-analysis.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Enhanced Recovery After Surgery (ERAS) protocol are well established
      in many surgical disciplines, leading to decrease in morbidity and length of
      hospital stay. These multi-modal protocols have been also introduced to
      oesophageal cancer surgery. This review aimed to evaluate current literature on
      ERAS in oesophageal cancer surgery and conduct a meta-analysis on primary and
      secondary outcomes. METHODS: MEDLINE, Embase, Scopus and Cochrane Library were
      searched for eligible studies. We analyzed data up to May 2016. Eligible studies
      had to contain four described ERAS protocol elements. The primary outcome was
      overall morbidity. Secondary outcomes included length of hospital stay, specific
      complications, mortality and readmissions. Random effect meta-analyses were
      undertaken. RESULTS: Initial search yielded 1,064 articles. Thorough evaluation
      resulted in 13 eligible articles which were analyzed. A total of 2,042 patients
      were included in the analysis (1,058 ERAS group and 984 treated with traditional
      protocols). Analysis of overall morbidity as well as complication rate did not
      show any significant reduction. Non-surgical complications and pulmonary
      complications were significantly lower in the ERAS group, RR = 0.71 95% CI 0.62
      0.80, p < 0.00001 and RR = 0.75, 95% CI 0.60-0.94, p = 0.01, respectively. Meta
      analysis on length of stay presented significant reduction Mean difference = 
      3.55, 95% CI -4.41 to -2.69, p for effect<0.00001. CONCLUSIONS: This systematic
      review with a meta-analysis on ERAS in oesophageal surgery indicates a reduction
      of non-surgical complications and no negative influence on overall morbidity.
      Moreover, a reduction in the length of hospital stay was presented.

PMID- 28350806
TI  - Pharmacokinetics of a single 1g dose of azithromycin in rectal tissue in men.
AB  - Chlamydia is the most common bacterial sexually transmitted infection among men
      who have sex with men. Repeat infection following treatment with 1g azithromycin
      is common and treatment failure of up to 22% has been reported. This study
      measured the pharmacokinetics of azithromycin in rectal tissue in men following a
      single 1g dose to assess whether azithromycin reaches the rectal site in adequate
      concentrations to kill chlamydia. Ten healthy men took a single oral dose of 1g
      azithromycin and provided nine self-collected swabs and one blood sample over 14
      days. Participant demographics, medications, sexual behaviour, treatment side
      effects, lubricant use and douching practices were recorded with each swab. Drug
      concentration over time was determined using liquid chromatography-mass
      spectrometry and total exposure (AUC0-infinity) was estimated from the
      concentration-time profiles. Following 1g of azithromycin, rectal concentrations
      peaked after a median of 24 hours (median 133mcg/g) and remained above the
      minimum inhibitory concentration for chlamydia (0.125mcg/mL) for at least 14 days
      in all men. AUC0-infinity was the highest ever reported in human tissue
      (13103((mcg/g).hr)). Tissue concentrations were not associated with weight
      (mg/kg), but data suggest that increased gastric pH could increase azithromycin
      levels and diarrhoea or use of water-based lubricants could decrease
      concentrations. High and sustained concentrations of azithromycin were found in
      rectal tissue following a single 1g dose suggesting that inadequate
      concentrations are unlikely to cause treatment failure. Factors effecting
      absorption (pH and diarrhoea) or drug depletion (douching and water-based
      lubricants) may be more important determinants of concentrations in situ.

PMID- 28350807
TI  - External validation and comparison of two variants of the Elixhauser comorbidity
      measures for all-cause mortality.
AB  - : Assessing prevalent comorbidities is a common approach in health research for
      identifying clinical differences between individuals. The objective of this study
      was to validate and compare the predictive performance of two variants of the
      Elixhauser comorbidity measures (ECM) for inhospital mortality at index and at 1
      year in the Cerner Health Facts(r) (HF) U.S. DATABASE: We estimated the
      prevalence of select comorbidities for individuals 18 to 89 years of age who
      received care at Cerner contributing health facilities between 2002 and 2011
      using the AHRQ (version 3.7) and the Quan Enhanced ICD-9-CM ECMs. External
      validation of the ECMs was assessed with measures of discrimination [c
      statistics], calibration [Hosmer-Lemeshow goodness-of-fit test, Brier Score,
      calibration curves], added predictive ability [Net Reclassification Improvement],
      and overall model performance [R2]. Of 3,273,298 patients with a mean age of 43.9
      years and a female composition of 53.8%, 1.0% died during their index encounter
      and 1.5% were deceased at 1-year. Calibration measures were equivalent between
      the two ECMs. Calibration performance was acceptable when predicting inhospital
      mortality at index, although recalibration is recommended for predicting
      inhospital mortality at 1 year. Discrimination was marginally better with the
      Quan ECM compared the AHRQ ECM when predicting inhospital mortality at index
      (cQuan = 0.887, 95% CI: 0.885-0.889 vs. cAHRQ = 0.880, 95% CI: 0.878-0.882; p <
      .0001) and at 1-year (cQuan = 0.884, 95% CI: 0.883-0.886 vs. cAHRQ = 0.880, 95%
      CI: 0.878-0.881, p < .0001). Both the Quan and the AHRQ ECMs demonstrated
      excellent discrimination for inhospital mortality of all-causes in Cerner Health
      Facts(r), a HIPAA compliant observational research and privacy-protected data
      warehouse. While differences in discrimination performance between the ECMs were
      statistically significant, they are not likely clinically meaningful.

PMID- 28350808
TI  - Differential recruitment efficacy of patient-derived amyloidogenic and myeloma
      light chain proteins by synthetic fibrils-A metric for predicting amyloid
      propensity.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Monoclonal free light chain (LC) proteins are present in the
      circulation of patients with immunoproliferative disorders such as light chain
      (AL) amyloidosis and multiple myeloma (MM). Light chain-associated amyloid is a
      complex pathology composed of proteinaceous fibrils and extracellular matrix
      proteins found in all patients with AL and in ~10-30% of patients who presented
      with MM. Amyloid deposits systemically in multiple organs and tissues leading to
      dysfunction and ultimately death. The overall survival of patients with
      amyloidosis is worse than for those with early stage MM. METHODS AND FINDINGS: We
      have developed a sensitive binding assay quantifying the recruitment of full
      length, patient-derived LC proteins by synthetic amyloid fibrils, as a method for
      studying their amyloidogenic potential. In a survey of eight urinary LC, both AL
      and MM-associated proteins were recruited by synthetic amyloid fibrils; however,
      AL-associated LC bound significantly more efficiently (p < 0.05) than did MM LCs.
      The LC proteins used in this study were isolated from urine and presumed to
      represent a surrogate of serum free light chains. CONCLUSION: The binding of LC
      to synthetic fibrils in this assay accurately differentiated LC with
      amyloidogenic propensity from MM LC that were not associated with clinical
      amyloid disease. Notably, the LC from a MM patient who subsequently developed
      amyloid behaved as an AL-associated protein in the assay, indicating the
      possibility for identifying MM patients at risk for developing amyloidosis based
      on the light chain recruitment efficacy. With this information, at risk patients
      can be monitored more closely for the development of amyloidosis, allowing timely
      administration of novel, amyloid-directed immunotherapies-this approach may
      improve the prognosis for these patients.

PMID- 28350810
TI  - Risky sexual practice and associated factors among HIV positive adults attending
      anti-retroviral treatment clinic at Gondar University Referral Hospital,
      Northwest Ethiopia.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: Risky sexual practice among people living with HIV/AIDS is a public
      health concern because of the risk of transmission of the virus to sero
      discordant partner/s. There is also the risk of re-infection with new, drug
      resistant viral strains between sero-concordant partners. However, there is lack
      of information on risky sexual practices among HIV positive adults. Therefore,
      this study aimed to assess risky sexual practice and associated factors among
      adult HIV positive clients at Gondar University Referral Hospital, Northwest
      Ethiopia, 2015. METHODS: An institution based cross sectional study was conducted
      at Gondar University Referral Hospital from May to June 2015. A pretested
      structured questionnaire was used to collect the data. Using systematic random
      sampling technique, a total of 513 respondents were participated in this study.
      The data were entered into EPI info version 3.5.3 and transferred to SPSS version
      20 for analysis. Descriptive, bivariate and multivariate analyses were done. A P
      value <0.05 was considered to determine the statistical significance of the
      association between factors (independent variables) and risky sexual practice.
      The Odds ratio was also used to determine the presence and the degree of
      association between the dependent and independent variables. RESULTS: A total of
      513 respondents were participated in this study. The prevalence of risky sexual
      practices in the past three months was 38% (95% CI: 33.3%, 42.3%). Being in the
      age range of 18-29 years (AOR = 2.63, 95% CI: 1.55, 4.47) and 30-39 years (AOR =
      2.29, 95% CI: 1.48, 3.53), being single (AOR = 6.32, 95%CI: 2.43, 16.44),being
      married (AOR = 6.06, 95% CI: 2.81, 13.07), having no child (AOR = 2.58, 95% CI:
      1.17, 5.72), and a CD4 count of greater than 500/mm3 were factors significantly
      associated with risky sexual practices. CONCLUSIONS: A considerable number of HIV
      positive clients had risky sexual practices. It is strongly recommended that the
      Regional Health Bureau and health service providers working at Gondar University
      Hospital especially in the ART Clinic need to work hard on behavioral change
      communication.

PMID- 28350809
TI  - The impact of a family skills training intervention among Burmese migrant
      families in Thailand: A randomized controlled trial.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: To conduct a randomized controlled trial assessing the impact of a
      family-based intervention delivered to Burmese migrant families displaced in
      Thailand on parenting and family functioning. PARTICIPANTS AND PROCEDURES:
      Participants included 479 Burmese migrant families from 20 communities in
      Thailand. Families, including 513 caregivers and 479 children aged 7 to 15 years,
      were randomized to treatment and waitlist control groups. The treatment group
      received a 12-session family-based intervention delivered to groups of families
      by lay facilitators. Adapted standardized and locally derived measures were
      administered before and after the intervention to assess parent-child
      relationship quality, discipline practices, and family functioning. RESULTS:
      Compared with controls, intervention families demonstrated improved quality of
      parent-child interactions on scales of parental warmth and affection (Effect size
      (ES) = 0.25 caregivers; 0.26 children, both p < 0.05) and negative relationship
      quality (ES = -0.37, p < 0.001 caregivers; -0.22 children, p < 0.05). Both
      children and caregivers also reported an effect on relationship quality based on
      a locally derived measure (ES = 0.40 caregivers, p < .001; 0.43 children, p <
      .05). Family functioning was improved, including family cohesion (ES = 0.46
      caregivers; 0.36 children; both p < 0.001) and decreased negative interactions
      (ES = -0.30 caregivers, p < 0.01; -0.24 children, p < 0.05). Family communication
      also improved according to children only (ES = 0.29, p < 0.01). Caregivers, but
      not children, reported decreased harsh discipline (ES = -0.39, p < 0.001), and no
      effects were observed on use of positive discipline strategies. Treatment
      attendance was high, with participants attending a mean of 9.7 out of 12
      sessions. CONCLUSION: The intervention increased protective aspects of family
      well-being for migrant children and caregivers in a middle-income country. The
      strongest effects were on parent-child relationship quality and family
      functioning, while results were mixed on changes in discipline practices. Results
      suggest that a behavioral family-based approach implemented by lay providers in
      community settings is a promising intervention approach for strengthening
      families in highly stressed contexts. TRIAL REGISTRATION: Clinicaltrials.gov:
      NCT01668992.

PMID- 28350811
TI  - Sampling and detection of airborne influenza virus towards point-of-care
      applications.
AB  - Airborne transmission of the influenza virus contributes significantly to the
      spread of this infectious pathogen, particularly over large distances when
      carried by aerosol droplets with long survival times. Efficient sampling of virus
      loaded aerosol in combination with a low limit of detection of the collected
      virus could enable rapid and early detection of airborne influenza virus at the
      point-of-care setting. Here, we demonstrate a successful sampling and detection
      of airborne influenza virus using a system specifically developed for such
      applications. Our system consists of a custom-made electrostatic precipitation
      (ESP)-based bioaerosol sampler that is coupled with downstream quantitative
      polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) analysis. Aerosolized viruses are sampled
      directly into a miniaturized collector with liquid volume of 150 MUL, which
      constitutes a simple and direct interface with subsequent biological assays. This
      approach reduces sample dilution by at least one order of magnitude when compared
      to other liquid-based aerosol bio-samplers. Performance of our ESP-based sampler
      was evaluated using influenza virus-loaded sub-micron aerosols generated from
      both cultured and clinical samples. Despite the miniaturized collection volume,
      we demonstrate a collection efficiency of at least 10% and sensitive detection of
      a minimum of 3721 RNA copies. Furthermore, we show that an improved extraction
      protocol can allow viral recovery of down to 303 RNA copies and a maximum sampler
      collection efficiency of 47%. A device with such a performance would reduce
      sampling times dramatically, from a few hours with current sampling methods down
      to a couple of minutes with our ESP-based bioaerosol sampler.

PMID- 28350812
TI  - Sports-related sudden cardiac deaths in the young population of Switzerland.
AB  - BACKGROUND: In Switzerland, ECG screening was first recommended for national
      squad athletes in 1998. Since 2001 it has become mandatory in selected high-risk
      professional sports. Its impact on the rates of sports-related sudden cardiac
      death (SCD) is unknown. OBJECTIVE: We aimed to study the incidence, causes and
      time trends of sports-related SCD in comparison to SCD unrelated to exercise in
      Switzerland. METHODS: We reviewed all forensic reports of SCDs of the German
      speaking region of Switzerland in the age group of 10 to 39 years, occurring
      between 1999 and 2010. Cases were classified into three categories based on
      whether or not deaths were associated with sports: no sports (NONE), recreational
      sports (REC), and competitive sports (COMP). RESULTS: Over the 12-year study
      period, 349 SCD cases were recorded (mean age 30+/-7 years, 76.5% male); 297
      cases were categorized as NONE, 31 as REC, and 21 as COMP. Incidences of SCD per
      100,000 person-years [mean (95% CI)] were the lowest in REC [0.43 (0.35-0.56)],
      followed by COMP [1.19 (0.89-1.60)] and NONE [2.46 (2.27-2.66)]. In all three
      categories, coronary artery disease (CAD) with or without acute myocardial
      infarction (MI) was the most common cause of SCD. Three professional athletes
      were identified in COMP category which all had SCD due to acute MI. There were no
      time trends, neither in overall, nor in cause-specific incidences of SCD.
      CONCLUSIONS: The incidence of SCD in young individuals in Switzerland is low,
      both related and unrelated to sports. In regions, like Switzerland, where CAD is
      the leading cause of SCD associated with competitions, screening for
      cardiovascular risk factors in addition to the current PPS recommendations might
      be indicated to improve detection of silent CAD and further decrease the
      incidence of SCD.

PMID- 28350813
TI  - Role of p63 and p73 isoforms on the cell death in patients with hepatocellular
      carcinoma submitted to orthotopic liver transplantation.
AB  - BACKGROUND & AIMS: Patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) submitted to
      orthotopic liver transplantation (OLT) have a variable 5-year survival rate
      limited mostly by tumor recurrence. The etiology, age, sex, alcohol, Child-Pugh,
      and the immunesuppressor have been associated with tumour recurrence. The
      expression of DeltaNp73 is related to the reduced survival of patients with HCC.
      The study evaluated the expression of p63 and p73 isoforms and cell death
      receptors, and their relation to tumour recurrence and survival. The results were
      in vitro validated in HCC cell lines. METHODS: HCC sections from patients
      submitted to OLT were used. The in vitro study was done in differentiated
      hepatitis B virus (HBV)-expressing Hep3B and control HepG2 cells. The expression
      of cell death receptors and cFLIPS/L, caspase-8 and -3 activities, and cell
      proliferation were determined in control and p63 and p73 overexpressing HCC
      cells. RESULTS: The reduced tumor expression of cell death receptors and TAp63
      and TAp73, and increased DeltaNp63 and DeltaNp73 expression were associated with
      tumor recurrence and reduced survival. The in vitro study demonstrated that HBV
      expressing Hep3B vs HepG2 cells showed reduced expression of p63 and p73, cell
      death receptors and caspase activation, and increased cFLIPL/cFLIPS ratio. The
      overexpression of TAp63 and TAp73 exerted a more potent pro-apoptotic and anti
      proliferative effects in Hep3B than HepG2-transfected cells which was related to
      cFLIPL upregulation. CONCLUSIONS: The reduction of TAp63 and TAp73 isoforms,
      rather than alteration of DeltaN isoform expression, exerted a significant
      functional repercussion on cell death and proliferation in HBV-expressing HepB
      cells.

PMID- 28350815
TI  - "The evil virus cell": Students' knowledge and beliefs about viruses.
AB  - Education about virus biology at school is of pivotal interest to raise public
      awareness concerning means of disease transmission and, thus, methods to prevent
      infection, and to reduce unnecessary antibiotic treatment due to patient pressure
      on physicians in case of viral diseases such as influenza. This study aimed at
      making visible the knowledge of Austrian high school and university students with
      respect to virus biology, virus structure and health-education issues. The data
      presented here stem from comprehensive questionnaire analyses, including the task
      to draw a virus, from a cross-sectional study with 133 grade 7 and 199 grade 10
      high school students, and 133 first-year biology and 181 first-year non-biology
      university students. Analyses were performed both quantitatively and
      qualitatively. ANOVA revealed a highly significant group effect for total
      knowledge relating to virus biology and health issues (F(3, 642) = 44.17, p <
      0.01, eta2p = 0.17). Specific post-hoc tests by means of the Tukey test showed
      significant differences between all groups (p < .01) with the exception of 1st
      year non-biology students and grade 10 high school students. Students enrolled in
      university-level biology outperformed all other groups, even though they had not
      yet encountered this topic at their courses; part of this phenomenon might be due
      to their affinity for learning about biological topics. However, even many first
      year biology students had a high number of severe misconceptions, e.g., defining
      a virus as a pro- or eukaryotic cell, or falsely naming malaria as a viral
      disease. Since there was no significant difference in virus-related knowledge
      between high schools, virus biology seems to have been taught similarly among the
      tested schools. However, the majority of participants stated that the virus
      related knowledge they had acquired at school was not sufficient. Based on the
      results presented here we urgently suggest improving and intensifying teaching
      this topic at school, since virus-related knowledge was by far too fragmentary
      among many participants. Such lack of health-relevant knowledge may contribute to
      pressure on physicians by patients to unnecessarily prescribe antibiotics, and
      possibly lead to potentially dangerous neglect concerning vaccination. The
      effectiveness of newly developed virus-related teaching units and material could
      be tested with the instrument used here.

PMID- 28350814
TI  - Compensatory changes in CYP expression in three different toxicology mouse
      models: CAR-null, Cyp3a-null, and Cyp2b9/10/13-null mice.
AB  - Targeted mutant models are common in mechanistic toxicology experiments
      investigating the absorption, metabolism, distribution, or elimination (ADME) of
      chemicals from individuals. Key models include those for xenosensing
      transcription factors and cytochrome P450s (CYP). Here we investigated changes in
      transcript levels, protein expression, and steroid hydroxylation of several
      xenobiotic detoxifying CYPs in constitutive androstane receptor (CAR)-null and
      two CYP-null mouse models that have subfamily members regulated by CAR; the Cyp3a
      null and a newly described Cyp2b9/10/13-null mouse model. Compensatory changes in
      CYP expression that occur in these models may also occur in polymorphic humans,
      or may complicate interpretation of ADME studies performed using these models.
      The loss of CAR causes significant changes in several CYPs probably due to loss
      of CAR-mediated constitutive regulation of these CYPs. Expression and activity
      changes include significant repression of Cyp2a and Cyp2b members with
      corresponding drops in 6alpha- and 16beta-testosterone hydroxylase activity.
      Further, the ratio of 6alpha-/15alpha-hydroxylase activity, a biomarker of sexual
      dimorphism in the liver, indicates masculinization of female CAR-null mice,
      suggesting a role for CAR in the regulation of sexually dimorphic liver CYP
      profiles. The loss of Cyp3a causes fewer changes than CAR. Nevertheless, there
      are compensatory changes including gender-specific increases in Cyp2a and Cyp2b.
      Cyp2a and Cyp2b were down-regulated in CAR-null mice, suggesting activation of
      CAR and potentially PXR following loss of the Cyp3a members. However, the loss of
      Cyp2b causes few changes in hepatic CYP transcript levels and almost no
      significant compensatory changes in protein expression or activity with the
      possible exception of 6alpha-hydroxylase activity. This lack of a compensatory
      response in the Cyp2b9/10/13-null mice is probably due to low CYP2B hepatic
      expression, especially in male mice. Overall, compensatory and regulatory CYP
      changes followed the order CAR-null > Cyp3a-null > Cyp2b-null mice.

PMID- 28350816
TI  - Multi-channel MRI segmentation of eye structures and tumors using patient
      specific features.
AB  - Retinoblastoma and uveal melanoma are fast spreading eye tumors usually diagnosed
      by using 2D Fundus Image Photography (Fundus) and 2D Ultrasound (US). Diagnosis
      and treatment planning of such diseases often require additional complementary
      imaging to confirm the tumor extend via 3D Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI). In
      this context, having automatic segmentations to estimate the size and the
      distribution of the pathological tissue would be advantageous towards tumor
      characterization. Until now, the alternative has been the manual delineation of
      eye structures, a rather time consuming and error-prone task, to be conducted in
      multiple MRI sequences simultaneously. This situation, and the lack of tools for
      accurate eye MRI analysis, reduces the interest in MRI beyond the qualitative
      evaluation of the optic nerve invasion and the confirmation of recurrent
      malignancies below calcified tumors. In this manuscript, we propose a new
      framework for the automatic segmentation of eye structures and ocular tumors in
      multi-sequence MRI. Our key contribution is the introduction of a pathological
      eye model from which Eye Patient-Specific Features (EPSF) can be computed. These
      features combine intensity and shape information of pathological tissue while
      embedded in healthy structures of the eye. We assess our work on a dataset of
      pathological patient eyes by computing the Dice Similarity Coefficient (DSC) of
      the sclera, the cornea, the vitreous humor, the lens and the tumor. In addition,
      we quantitatively show the superior performance of our pathological eye model as
      compared to the segmentation obtained by using a healthy model (over 4% DSC) and
      demonstrate the relevance of our EPSF, which improve the final segmentation
      regardless of the classifier employed.

PMID- 28350817
TI  - Differential associations of plasma lipids with incident dementia and dementia
      subtypes in the 3C Study: A longitudinal, population-based prospective cohort
      study.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Vascular risk factors have been proposed as important targets for the
      prevention of dementia. As lipid fractions represent easily modifiable targets,
      we examined the longitudinal relationship of baseline lipid fractions with 13-y
      incident dementia and its subtypes (Alzheimer disease [AD] and mixed or vascular
      dementia) in older community-dwelling persons. METHODS AND FINDINGS: Non
      institutionalized persons aged 65+ y (n = 9,294) were recruited for the Three
      City Study (3C Study), a population-based cohort study from the electoral rolls
      of the cities of Dijon, Bordeaux, and Montpellier, France, between March 1999 and
      March 2001. Follow-up examinations were performed every 2 y after the baseline
      assessment. The final study sample comprised 7,470 participants from the 3C Study
      (mean age +/- standard deviation [SD] 73.8 +/- 5.3 y, 61.0% women) who were
      prospectively followed up for up to 13 y. Fasting lipid fractions (triglycerides
      [TGs], high-density lipoprotein cholesterol [HDL-C], low-density lipoprotein
      cholesterol [LDL-C], total cholesterol [TC]) were studied as continuous
      variables, and results are reported per SD increase of each lipid fraction.
      Incident dementia and its subtypes were studied as censored variables using Cox
      models with age as time scale. Analyses were adjusted for sex, study center, and
      educational level, as well as vascular risk factors and apolipoprotein E (APOE)
      epsilon4 genotype. We corrected for multiple testing, yielding a significance
      threshold of 0.0169. p-Values above the significance threshold but less than 0.05
      were considered nominally significant. During a mean (+/- SD) follow-up period of
      7.9 +/- 3.6 y, 779 participants developed incident dementia (n = 532 AD and n =
      154 mixed or vascular dementia). Higher LDL-C and TC concentrations at baseline
      were associated with an increased risk of AD (hazard ratio [HR] per SD increase =
      1.13 [95% CI 1.04-1.22], p = 0.0045, and HR = 1.12 [1.03-1.22], p = 0.0072,
      respectively). These associations were largely unchanged after adjustment for
      vascular risk factors and were attenuated after adjustment for APOEepsilon4 (HR
      per SD increase = 1.12 [1.03-1.23], p = 0.0110, and HR = 1.12 [1.02-1.23], p =
      0.0171, respectively). Higher TG concentrations at baseline were associated with
      an increased risk of all dementia (HR per SD increase = 1.11 [1.03-1.19], p =
      0.0044) and mixed or vascular dementia (HR = 1.21 [1.04-1.41], p = 0.0163).
      However, these associations disappeared after adjusting for vascular risk factors
      (HR = 1.07 [0.98-1.17], p = 0.1374, and HR = 1.17 [0.96-1.42], p = 0.1206,
      respectively). Main limitations of the study include interval censoring of
      incident dementia cases, potential selective survival bias, and the fact that
      variation in lipid concentrations during follow-up could not be accounted for in
      the analyses. CONCLUSIONS: In a large population-based sample of older community
      dwelling persons with up to 13 y of follow-up, we observed that higher LDL-C and
      TC concentrations were associated with an increased risk of AD. This result was
      independent of vascular risk factors and was attenuated after adjustment for
      APOEepsilon4 carrier status. TG and HDL-C concentrations were not associated with
      risk of incident dementia or its subtypes after accounting for vascular risk
      factors.

PMID- 28350818
TI  - Effects and mechanisms of auricular electroacupuncture on gastric
      hypersensitivity in a rodent model of functional dyspepsia.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Functional dyspepsia (FD) is a common functional gastrointestinal
      disease, and abdominal pain is one of the main symptoms. The aim of this study
      was to explore the effects and mechanisms of auricular electro-acupuncture (AEA)
      on gastric hypersensitivity in a rodent model of FD. METHODS: Ten-day-old pups
      were gavaged with 0.2 ml of 0.1% iodoacetamide daily for 6 days. AEA at the
      "stomach" point with different parameters or sham-EA was performed on 8-week-old
      animals. Gastric sensitivity to gastric distention was measured under different
      conditions. Autonomic functions were assessed from the spectral analysis of heart
      rate variability (HRV) derived from the electrocardiogram. Naloxone was injected
      intraperitoneally before AEA to explore the opioid mechanism. Gastric emptying
      was measured at the end of the study. RESULTS: 1) Gastric sensitivity to gastric
      distention was higher in the FD rats. AEA with parameters of 0.1s on, 0.4s off,
      100Hz, 0.3ms and 0.4-0.5mA, but not other parameters or sham-EA, decreased
      gastric hypersensitivity in the FD rats. Naloxone did not block the effect of
      AEA. 2) Lower vagal activity and higher sympathovagal ratio were noted in the FD
      rats, compared with the controls. AEA increased vagal activity and improved
      sympathovagal imbalance. CONCLUSIONS: AEA ameliorates gastric hypersensitivity in
      FD rats and this effect may be attributed to the improvement of sympathovagal
      balance.

PMID- 28350819
TI  - Development and application of a TaqMan single nucleotide polymorphism genotyping
      assay to study infectious laryngotracheitis virus recombination in the natural
      host.
AB  - To date, recombination between different strains of the avian alphaherpesvirus
      infectious laryngotracheitis virus (ILTV) has only been detected in field samples
      using full genome sequencing and sequence analysis. These previous studies have
      revealed that natural recombination is widespread in ILTV and have demonstrated
      that recombination between two attenuated ILTV vaccine strains generated highly
      virulent viruses that produced widespread disease within poultry flocks in
      Australia. In order to better understand ILTV recombination, this study developed
      a TaqMan single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) genotyping assay to detect
      recombination between two field strains of ILTV (CSW-1 and V1-99 ILTV) under
      experimental conditions. Following in vivo co-inoculation of these two ILTV
      strains in specific pathogen free (SPF) chickens, recovered viruses were plaque
      purified and subjected to the SNP genotyping assay. This assay revealed ILTV
      recombinants in all co-inoculated chickens. In total 64/87 (74%) of the recovered
      viruses were recombinants and 23 different recombination patterns were detected,
      with some of them occurring more frequently than others. The results from this
      study demonstrate that the TaqMan SNP genotyping assay is a useful tool to study
      recombination in ILTV and also show that recombination occurs frequently during
      experimental co-infection with ILTV in SPF chickens. This tool, when used to
      assess ILTV recombination in the natural host, has the potential to greatly
      contribute to our understanding of alphaherpesvirus recombination.

PMID- 28350820
TI  - Antibiotic prescribing for acute lower respiratory tract infections (LRTI) -
      guideline adherence in the German primary care setting: An analysis of routine
      data.
AB  - OBJECTIVES: Antibiotic overprescribing in primary care has major impacts on the
      development of antibiotic resistance. The objective of this study is to provide
      insight in antibiotics prescriptions for patients suffering from cough, acute
      bronchitis or community acquired pneumonia in primary care. METHODS: Data from
      2009 to 2013 of electronic health records of 12,880 patients in Germany were
      obtained from a research database. The prescription of antibiotics for acute
      lower respiratory tract infections was compared to the national S3 guideline
      cough from the German Society of General Practitioners and Family Medicine.
      RESULTS: Antibiotics were prescribed in 41% of consultations. General
      practitioners' decision of whether or not to prescribe an antibiotic was
      congruent with the guideline in 52% of consultations and the antibiotic choice
      congruence was 51% of antibiotic prescriptions. Hence, a congruent prescribing
      decision and a prescription of recommendation was found in only 25% of antibiotic
      prescriptions. Split by diagnosis we found that around three quarters of
      antibiotics prescribed for cough (73%) and acute bronchitis (78%) were not
      congruent to the guidelines. In contrast to that around one quarter of
      antibiotics prescribed for community acquired pneumonia (28%) were not congruent
      to the guidelines. CONCLUSIONS: Our results show that there is a big gap between
      guideline recommendation and actual prescribing, in the decision to prescribe and
      the choice of antibiotic agent. This gap could be closed by periodic quality
      circles on antibiotic prescribing for GPs.

PMID- 28350822
TI  - Asthma, corticosteroid use and schizophrenia: A nationwide population-based study
      in Taiwan.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: Asthma and corticosteroid use have been implicated as possible risk
      factors for schizophrenia. The retrospective cohort study herein aimed to
      investigate the association between asthma, corticosteroid use, and
      schizophrenia. METHOD: Longitudinal data (2000 to 2007) from adults with asthma
      (n = 50,046) and without asthma (n = 50,046) were compared on measures of
      schizophrenia incidence using Taiwan's National Health Insurance Research
      Database (NHIRD). Incidence of schizophrenia diagnosis (ICD-9 codes 295.XX)
      between 2000 and 2007 were compared between groups. Competing risk-adjusted Cox
      regression analyses were conducted, adjusting for sex, age, residence,
      socioeconomic status, corticosteroid use, outpatient and emergency room visit
      frequency, Charlson comorbidity index, and total length of hospital stays days
      for any disorder. RESULTS: Of the 75,069 subjects, 238 received a diagnosis of
      schizophrenia. The mean (SD) follow-up interval for all subjects was 5.8 (2.3)
      years. After adjusting for potential confounding factors, asthma was associated
      with significantly greater hazard ratio for incident schizophrenia 1.40 (95% CI =
      1.05, 1.87). Additional factors associated with greater incidence of
      schizophrenia were rural residence, lower economic status, and poor general
      health. Older age (i.e. >=65 years) was negatively associated with schizophrenia
      incidence. Corticosteroid use was not associated with increased risk for
      schizophrenia. CONCLUSIONS: Asthma was associated with increased risk for
      schizophrenia. The results herein suggest that a convergent disturbance in the
      immune-inflammatory system may contribute to the pathoetiology of asthma and
      schizophrenia.

PMID- 28350821
TI  - Neuropathological diagnoses and clinical correlates in older adults in Brazil: A
      cross-sectional study.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Clinicopathological studies are important in determining the brain
      lesions underlying dementia. Although almost 60% of individuals with dementia
      live in developing countries, few clinicopathological studies focus on these
      individuals. We investigated the frequency of neurodegenerative and vascular
      related neuropathological lesions in 1,092 Brazilian admixed older adults, their
      correlation with cognitive and neuropsychiatric symptoms, and the accuracy of
      dementia subtype diagnosis. METHODS AND FINDINGS: In this cross-sectional study,
      we describe clinical and neuropathological variables related to cognitive
      impairment in 1,092 participants (mean age = 74 y, 49% male, 69% white, and mean
      education = 4 y). Cognitive function was investigated using the Clinical Dementia
      Rating (CDR) and the Informant Questionnaire on Cognitive Decline in the Elderly
      (IQCODE); neuropsychiatric symptoms were evaluated using the Neuropsychiatric
      Inventory (NPI). Associations between neuropathological lesions and cognitive
      impairment were investigated using ordinal logistic regression. We developed a
      neuropathological comorbidity (NPC) score and compared it to CDR, IQCODE, and NPI
      scores. We also described and compared the frequency of neuropathological
      diagnosis to clinical diagnosis of dementia subtype. Forty-four percent of the
      sample met criteria for neuropathological diagnosis. Among these participants,
      50% had neuropathological diagnoses of Alzheimer disease (AD), and 35% of
      vascular dementia (VaD). Neurofibrillary tangles (NFTs), hippocampal sclerosis,
      lacunar infarcts, hyaline atherosclerosis, siderocalcinosis, and Lewy body
      disease were independently associated with cognitive impairment. Higher NPC
      scores were associated with worse scores in the CDR sum of boxes (beta = 1.33,
      95% CI 1.20-1.46), IQCODE (beta = 0.14, 95% CI 0.13-0.16), and NPI (beta = 1.74,
      95% CI = 1.33-2.16). Compared to neuropathological diagnoses, clinical diagnosis
      had high sensitivity to AD and high specificity to dementia with Lewy
      body/Parkinson dementia. The major limitation of our study is the lack of
      clinical follow-up of participants during life. CONCLUSIONS: NFT deposition,
      vascular lesions, and high NPC scorewere associated with cognitive impairment in
      a unique Brazilian sample with low education. Our results confirm the high
      prevalence of neuropathological diagnosis in older adults and the mismatch
      between clinical and neuropathological diagnoses.

PMID- 28350824
TI  - Time- and radiation-dose dependent changes in the plasma proteome after total
      body irradiation of non-human primates: Implications for biomarker selection.
AB  - Acute radiation syndrome (ARS) is a complex multi-organ disease resulting from
      total body exposure to high doses of radiation. Individuals can be exposed to
      total body irradiation (TBI) in a number of ways, including terrorist
      radiological weapons or nuclear accidents. In order to determine whether an
      individual has been exposed to high doses of radiation and needs countermeasure
      treatment, robust biomarkers are needed to estimate radiation exposure from
      biospecimens such as blood or urine. In order to identity such candidate
      biomarkers of radiation exposure, high-resolution proteomics was used to analyze
      plasma from non-human primates following whole body irradiation (Co-60 at 6.7 Gy
      and 7.4 Gy) with a twelve day observation period. A total of 663 proteins were
      evaluated from the plasma proteome analysis. A panel of plasma proteins with
      characteristic time- and dose-dependent changes was identified. In addition to
      the plasma proteomics study reported here, we recently identified candidate
      biomarkers using urine from these same non-human primates. From the proteomic
      analysis of both plasma and urine, we identified ten overlapping proteins that
      significantly differentiate both time and dose variables. These shared plasma and
      urine proteins represent optimal candidate biomarkers of radiation exposure.

PMID- 28350823
TI  - Cluster analysis to estimate the risk of preeclampsia in the high-risk Prediction
      and Prevention of Preeclampsia and Intrauterine Growth Restriction (PREDO) study.
AB  - OBJECTIVES: Preeclampsia is divided into early-onset (delivery before 34 weeks of
      gestation) and late-onset (delivery at or after 34 weeks) subtypes, which may
      rise from different etiopathogenic backgrounds. Early-onset disease is associated
      with placental dysfunction. Late-onset disease develops predominantly due to
      metabolic disturbances, obesity, diabetes, lipid dysfunction, and inflammation,
      which affect endothelial function. Our aim was to use cluster analysis to
      investigate clinical factors predicting the onset and severity of preeclampsia in
      a cohort of women with known clinical risk factors. METHODS: We recruited 903
      pregnant women with risk factors for preeclampsia at gestational weeks 12+0-13+6.
      Each individual outcome diagnosis was independently verified from medical
      records. We applied a Bayesian clustering algorithm to classify the study
      participants to clusters based on their particular risk factor combination. For
      each cluster, we computed the risk ratio of each disease outcome, relative to the
      risk in the general population. RESULTS: The risk of preeclampsia increased
      exponentially with respect to the number of risk factors. Our analysis revealed
      25 number of clusters. Preeclampsia in a previous pregnancy (n = 138) increased
      the risk of preeclampsia 8.1 fold (95% confidence interval (CI) 5.7-11.2)
      compared to a general population of pregnant women. Having a small for
      gestational age infant (n = 57) in a previous pregnancy increased the risk of
      early-onset preeclampsia 17.5 fold (95%CI 2.1-60.5). Cluster of those two risk
      factors together (n = 21) increased the risk of severe preeclampsia to 23.8-fold
      (95%CI 5.1-60.6), intermediate onset (delivery between 34+0-36+6 weeks of
      gestation) to 25.1-fold (95%CI 3.1-79.9) and preterm preeclampsia (delivery
      before 37+0 weeks of gestation) to 16.4-fold (95%CI 2.0-52.4). Body mass index
      over 30 kg/m2 (n = 228) as a sole risk factor increased the risk of preeclampsia
      to 2.1-fold (95%CI 1.1-3.6). Together with preeclampsia in an earlier pregnancy
      the risk increased to 11.4 (95%CI 4.5-20.9). Chronic hypertension (n = 60)
      increased the risk of preeclampsia 5.3-fold (95%CI 2.4-9.8), of severe
      preeclampsia 22.2-fold (95%CI 9.9-41.0), and risk of early-onset preeclampsia
      16.7-fold (95%CI 2.0-57.6). If a woman had chronic hypertension combined with
      obesity, gestational diabetes and earlier preeclampsia, the risk of term
      preeclampsia increased 4.8-fold (95%CI 0.1-21.7). Women with type 1 diabetes
      mellitus had a high risk of all subgroups of preeclampsia. CONCLUSION: The risk
      of preeclampsia increases exponentially with respect to the number of risk
      factors. Early-onset preeclampsia and severe preeclampsia have different risk
      profile from term preeclampsia.

PMID- 28350825
TI  - Antarctica and the strategic plan for biodiversity.
AB  - The Strategic Plan for Biodiversity, adopted under the auspices of the Convention
      on Biological Diversity, provides the basis for taking effective action to curb
      biodiversity loss across the planet by 2020-an urgent imperative. Yet, Antarctica
      and the Southern Ocean, which encompass 10% of the planet's surface, are excluded
      from assessments of progress against the Strategic Plan. The situation is a lost
      opportunity for biodiversity conservation globally. We provide such an
      assessment. Our evidence suggests, surprisingly, that for a region so remote and
      apparently pristine as the Antarctic, the biodiversity outlook is similar to that
      for the rest of the planet. Promisingly, however, much scope for remedial action
      exists.

PMID- 28350826
TI  - Expression, purification of metallothionein genes from freshwater crab
      (Sinopotamon yangtsekiense) and development of an anti-metallothionein ELISA.
AB  - Using the phoA-fusion technology, the recombinant metallothionein (MT) from
      freshwater crab (Sinopotamon yangtsekiense) has been successfully produced in
      Escherichia coli. MT purified from the bacterial suspension showed one
      polypeptide with a molecular weight of 7 kDa by tricine-sodium dodecyl sulfate
      polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (Tricine-SDS-PAGE). Western-blotting confirmed
      the polypeptides had a specific reactivity with mouse polyclonal MT anti-serum.
      Based on the purified MT and MT anti-serum, the reaction parameters for an enzyme
      linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) were developed. The direct coating ELISA
      showed a higher linear relationship compared to antibody sandwich coating ELISA.
      The optimal dilution rates of purified MT anti-serum and coating period were
      shown to be 1:160,000 and 12 hours at 4 degrees C. At 37 degrees C, the
      appropriate reaction duration of the first antibody and the second antibody were
      2 hours and 1 hour, respectively. According to these optimal parameters, the
      standard linear equation, y = 0.0032x + 0.1769 (R2 = 0.9779, x, y representing MT
      concentration and OD450 value), was established for the determination of MT
      concentration with a valid range of 3.9-500 ng/ml. In verification experiments,
      the mean coefficients of variation of the intra-assay and inter-assay were 3.260%
      and 3.736%, respectively. According to the result of MT recovery, ELISA with an
      approaching 100% MT recovery was more reliable and sensitive than the Cd
      saturation assay. In conclusion, the newly developed ELISA of this study was
      precise, stable and repeatable, and could be used as a biomarker tool to monitor
      pollution by heavy metals.

PMID- 28350827
TI  - Time spent by Belgian hospital pharmacists on supply disruptions and drug
      shortages: An exploratory study.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: Supply problems of drugs are an increasing and worldwide problem,
      also in Belgium. Hospital pharmacists try to manage drug supply problems to
      minimize the impact on patient care. This study aims to quantify in a detailed
      manner how much time employees of 17 Belgian hospital pharmacies spend on drug
      supply problems. METHODS: During six months, employees of Belgian hospital
      pharmacies filled in the daily time spent on drug supply problems using a
      template containing all steps which can be executed to manage drug supply
      problems. Additionally, Belgian hospital pharmacists were asked to report the
      drugs which experienced drug supply problems together with the solution for this
      problem. RESULTS: Hospital pharmacists spent a median of 109 minutes a week on
      drug supply problems, with a minimum of 40 minutes per week and a maximum of 216
      minutes per week. Fifty-nine percent of the total time spent on drug supply
      problems was executed by hospital pharmacists, 27% by pharmacy technicians; the
      rest was performed by logistic or administrative personnel. About one third of
      the total time spent was invested in gathering information on the supply problem.
      About two third of the supply disruptions caused drug shortages, meaning there
      was a need to switch to another (generic) therapeutic alternative. For most drug
      shortages, a Belgian generic medicine could be found. However in some cases, the
      alternative had to be ordered abroad or for some drug shortages, no alternative
      was available. CONCLUSION: These exploratory results on time spent by hospital
      pharmacists on drug supply problems in Belgium highlight the economic impact of
      drug supply problems for hospital pharmacies. A fully reliable, daily updated
      list on the federal agencies websites would be a major help to hospital
      pharmacists.

PMID- 28350828
TI  - Clustering of four major lifestyle risk factors among Korean adults with
      metabolic syndrome.
AB  - The purpose of this study was to investigate the clustering pattern of four major
      lifestyle risk factors-smoking, heavy drinking, poor diet, and physical
      inactivity-among people with metabolic syndrome in South Korea. There were 2,469
      adults with metabolic syndrome aged 30 years or older available with the 5th
      Korean National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey dataset. We calculated
      the ratio of the observed to expected (O/E) prevalence for the 16 different
      combinations and the prevalence odds ratios (POR) of four lifestyle risk factors.
      The four lifestyle risk factors tended to cluster in specific multiple
      combinations. Smoking and heavy drinking was clustered (POR: 1.86 for male, 4.46
      for female), heavy drinking and poor diet were clustered (POR: 1.38 for male,
      1.74 for female), and smoking and physical inactivity were also clustered (POR:
      1.48 for male). Those who were male, younger, low-educated and living alone were
      much more likely to have a higher number of lifestyle risk factors. Some helpful
      implications can be drawn from the knowledge on clustering pattern of lifestyle
      risk factors for more effective intervention program targeting metabolic
      syndrome.

PMID- 28350829
TI  - Spatio-temporal variation of fish taxonomic composition in a South-East Asian
      flood-pulse system.
AB  - The Tonle Sap Lake (TSL) is a flood-pulse system. It is the largest natural lake
      in South-East Asia and constitutes one of the largest fisheries over the world,
      supporting the livelihood of million peoples. Nonetheless, the Mekong River Basin
      is changing rapidly due to accelerating water infrastructure development
      (hydropower, irrigation, flood control, and water supply) and climate change,
      bringing considerable modifications to the annual flood-pulse of the TSL. Such
      modifications are expected to have strong impacts on fish biodiversity and
      abundance. This paper aims to characterize the spatio-temporal variations of fish
      taxonomic composition and to highlights the underlying determinants of these
      variations. For this purpose, we used data collected from a community catch
      monitoring program conducted at six sites during 141 weeks, covering two full
      hydrological cycles. For each week, we estimated beta diversity as the total
      variance of the site-by-species community matrix and partitioned it into Local
      Contribution to Beta Diversity (LCBD) and Species Contribution to Beta Diversity
      (SCBD). We then performed multiple linear regressions to determine whether
      species richness, species abundances and water level explained the temporal
      variation in the contribution of site and species to beta diversity. Our results
      indicate strong temporal variation of beta diversity due to differential
      contributions of sites and species to the spatial variation of fish taxonomic
      composition. We further found that the direction, the shape and the relative
      effect of species richness, abundances and water level on temporal variation in
      LCBD and SCBD values greatly varied among sites, thus suggesting spatial
      variation in the processes leading to temporal variation in community
      composition. Overall, our results suggest that fish taxonomic composition is not
      homogeneously distributed over space and time and is likely to be impacted in the
      future if the flood-pulse dynamic of the system is altered by human activities.

PMID- 28350830
TI  - First year physical activity findings from turn up the HEAT (Healthy Eating and
      Activity Time) in summer day camps.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Summer day camps (SDCs) serve 14 million children yearly in the U.S.
      and aim to provide participating children with 60 minutes of moderate-to-vigorous
      physical activity (MVPA). This study evaluated an intervention designed to
      increase the percent of children meeting this MVPA guideline. DESIGN: Two-group,
      pre-post quasi-experimental. SETTING/PARTICIPANTS: Twenty SDCs serving 1,830
      children aged 5-12 years were assigned to MVPA intervention (n = 10) or healthy
      eating attention control (n = 10). INTERVENTION: The STEPs (Strategies to Enhance
      Practice) intervention is a capacity-building approach grounded in the Theory of
      Expanded, Extended and Enhanced Opportunities. Camp leaders and staff receive
      training to expand (e.g., introduction of activity breaks/active field trips),
      extend (e.g., schedule minimum of 3 hours/day for PA opportunities), and enhance
      (e.g., maximize MVPA children accumulate during schedule activity) activity
      opportunities. Camps in the comparison condition received support for improving
      the types of foods/beverages served. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Percent of children
      accumulating the 60min/d MVPA guideline at baseline (summer 2015) and post-test
      (summer 2016) measured via wrist-accelerometry. RESULTS: Multilevel logistic
      regression conducted fall 2016 indicated boys and girls attending intervention
      SDCs were 2.04 (95CI = 1.10,3.78) and 3.84 (95CI = 2.02,7.33) times more likely
      to meet the 60min/d guideline compared to boys and girls attending control SDCs,
      respectively. This corresponded to increases of +10.6% (78-89%) and +12.6% (69
      82%) in the percentage of boys and girls meeting the guideline in intervention
      SDCs, respectively. Boys in comparison SDCs increased by +1.6% (81-83%) and girls
      decreased by -5.5% (76-71%). Process data indicated intervention SDCs
      successfully extended and enhanced PA opportunities, but were unable to expand PA
      opportunities, compared to control SDCs. CONCLUSIONS: Although substantial
      proportions of children met the MVPA guideline at baseline, no SDCs ensured all
      children met the guideline. This intervention demonstrated that, with support,
      SDCs can help all children in attendance to accumulate their daily recommended
      60min MVPA. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ClinicalTrials.gov NCT02161809.

PMID- 28350831
TI  - Post-term growth and cognitive development at 5 years of age in preterm children:
      Evidence from a prospective population-based cohort.
AB  - While the effects of growth from birth to expected term on the subsequent
      development of preterm children has attracted plentiful attention, less is known
      about the effects of post-term growth. We aimed to delineate distinct patterns of
      post-term growth and to determine their association with the cognitive
      development of preterm children. Data from a prospective population-based cohort
      of 3,850 surviving infants born at less than 35 weeks of gestational age were
      used. Growth was assessed as the Body Mass Index (BMI) Z-scores at 3, 9, 18, 24,
      36, 48, and 60 months. Cognitive development at five years of age was evaluated
      by the Global School Adaptation score (GSA). Latent class analysis was
      implemented to identify distinct growth patterns and logistic regressions based
      on propensity matching were used to evaluate the relationship between identified
      growth trajectories and cognitive development. Four patterns of post-term growth
      were identified: a normal group with a Z-score consistently around zero during
      childhood (n = 2,469; 64%); a group with an early rapid rise in the BMI Z-score,
      but only up to 2 years of age (n = 195; 5%); a group with a slow yet steady rise
      in the BMI Z-score during childhood (n = 510; 13%); and a group with a negative Z
      score growth until 3 years of age (n = 676; 18%). The group with a slow yet
      steady rise in the BMI Z-score was significantly associated with low GSA scores.
      Our findings indicate heterogeneous post-term growth of preterm children, with
      potential for association with their cognitive development.

PMID- 28350832
TI  - Metal removal and associated binding fraction transformation in contaminated
      river sediment washed by different types of agents.
AB  - In ex-situ washing, HCl, EDTA and H2O2 solutions can effectively extract heavy
      metals in river sediment. Nevertheless they often target different sediment
      components, possibly transforming metal species into more bioavailable and hence
      toxic ones. This study, in batch settings, investigated the influences of
      different types of washing agents (i.e. HCl, EDTA and H2O2) on metal (i.e. Cu and
      Zn) removal from contaminated river sediment, destroy or dissolution of sediment
      components, and transformation of metal fractions during chemical washing
      treatment. Additionally, bioavailability of these metals left in the washed
      sediment was assessed. Results showed that HCl obtained the highest Cu and Zn
      removal through destroying the reducible, oxidizable and residual sediment
      components. Meanwhile, it transformed metal fractions to acid extractable one,
      resulting in an increase in metal bioavailability. Thus, the feasibility of
      washing with HCl for sediment remediation shall be reconsidered due to the caused
      high metal bioavailability. EDTA was capable of removing metals via direct
      complexation of labile metal species and indirect dissolution of reducible and
      oxidizable sediment components, where the transformation of corresponding metal
      binding fraction may occur. H2O2 obtained the lowest total Cu and Zn removal, but
      it preferentially removed the oxidizable metal species by oxidizing sulfides in
      the sediment. The bioavailable levels of Cu and Zn in the sediment washed by EDTA
      or H2O2 seemed not increase. To maintain a good balance between labile metal
      species removal and avoiding increase of metal bioavailability, EDTA and H2O2 are
      promising additives for metal removal by sediment washing.

PMID- 28350833
TI  - A fast and frugal algorithm to strengthen diagnosis and treatment decisions for
      catheter-associated bacteriuria.
AB  - OBJECTIVES: Guidelines for managing catheter-associated urinary tract infection
      (CAUTI) and asymptomatic bacteria (ASB) are poorly translated into routine care
      due in part to cognitive diagnostic errors. This study determines if the accuracy
      for CAUTI and ASB diagnosis and treatment improves after implementation of a fast
      and frugal algorithm compared with traditional education methods. MATERIALS AND
      METHODS: A pre and post-intervention with contemporaneous comparison site
      involving inpatient and long term care wards at two regional Veterans Affairs
      Systems in United States. Participants included 216 internal medicine residents
      and 16 primary care clinicians. Intervention clinicians received training with a
      fast and frugal algorithm. Comparison site clinicians received guidelines
      education. Diagnosis and treatment accuracy compared with a criterion standard
      was assessed during similar three-month, pre- and post-intervention periods.
      Sensitivity, specificity, and likelihood ratios were compared for both periods at
      each site. RESULTS: Bacteriuria management was evaluated against criterion
      standard in 196 cases pre-implementation and 117 cases post-implementation.
      Accuracy of bacteriuria management among intervention participants was
      significantly higher, post-implementation, than those at the comparison site
      (Intervention: positive likelihood ratio (LR+) = 8.5, specificity = 0.89, 95%
      confidence interval (CI) = 0.78-1.00; comparison: LR+ = 4.62, specificity (95%CI)
      = 0.79 (0.63-0.95). Further, improvements at the intervention site were
      statistically significant (pre-implementation: LR+ = 2.1, specificity (95%CI) =
      0.60 (0.50-0.71); post-implementation: LR+ = 8.5, specificity (95%CI) = 0.89
      (0.78-1.00). At both sites, there were similar improvements in negative LR from
      pre- to post-implementation: [Intervention site = 0.28 to 0.08; comparison site =
      0.13 to 0.04]. Inappropriate management of ASB declined markedly from 32 (40%) to
      3 (11%) cases at the intervention site. CONCLUSIONS: A fast and frugal algorithm
      improves diagnosis and treatment accuracy for CAUTI and reduces inappropriate
      treatment of ASB. Fast and frugal algorithms that realign diagnostic intuitions
      and treatment norms can enhance translation of evidence into practice.

PMID- 28350834
TI  - Development and psychometric testing of the clinical networks engagement tool.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Clinical networks are being used widely to facilitate large system
      transformation in healthcare, by engagement of stakeholders throughout the health
      system. However, there are no available instruments that measure engagement in
      these networks. METHODS: The study purpose was to develop and assess the
      measurement properties of a multiprofessional tool to measure engagement in
      clinical network initiatives. Based on components of the International
      Association of Public Participation Spectrum and expert panel review, we
      developed 40 items for testing. The draft instrument was distributed to 1,668
      network stakeholders across different governance levels (leaders, members,
      support, frontline stakeholders) in 9 strategic clinical networks in Alberta
      (January to July 2014). With data from 424 completed surveys (25.4% response
      rate), descriptive statistics, exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis,
      Pearson correlations, linear regression, multivariate analysis, and Cronbach
      alpha were conducted to assess reliability and validity of the scores. RESULTS:
      Sixteen items were retained in the instrument. Exploratory factor analysis
      indicated a four-factor solution and accounted for 85.7% of the total variance in
      engagement with clinical network initiatives: global engagement, inform (provided
      with information), involve (worked together to address concerns), and empower
      (given final decision-making authority). All subscales demonstrated acceptable
      reliability (Cronbach alpha 0.87 to 0.99). Both the confirmatory factor analysis
      and regression analysis confirmed that inform, involve, and empower were all
      significant predictors of global engagement, with involve as the strongest
      predictor. Leaders had higher mean scores than frontline stakeholders, while
      members and support staff did not differ in mean scores. CONCLUSIONS: This study
      provided foundational evidence for the use of this tool for assessing engagement
      in clinical networks. Further work is necessary to evaluate engagement in broader
      network functions and activities; to assess barriers and facilitators of
      engagement; and, to elucidate how the maturity of networks and other factors
      influence engagement.

PMID- 28350835
TI  - An information-based network approach for protein classification.
AB  - Protein classification is one of the critical problems in bioinformatics. Early
      studies used geometric distances and polygenetic-tree to classify proteins. These
      methods use binary trees to present protein classification. In this paper, we
      propose a new protein classification method, whereby theories of information and
      networks are used to classify the multivariate relationships of proteins. In this
      study, protein universe is modeled as an undirected network, where proteins are
      classified according to their connections. Our method is unsupervised,
      multivariate, and alignment-free. It can be applied to the classification of both
      protein sequences and structures. Nine examples are used to demonstrate the
      efficiency of our new method.

PMID- 28350836
TI  - Perceived psychosocial stress and gestational weight gain among women with
      gestational diabetes.
AB  - Growing evidence links perceived stress-a potentially modifiable psychosocial
      risk factor-with health behaviors and obesity. Yet little is known about the
      relationship between stress during pregnancy and gestational weight gain,
      particularly among women with pregnancy complications. We conducted a cross
      sectional analysis to examine associations between psychosocial stress during
      pregnancy and gestational weight gain among women with gestational diabetes. We
      used baseline data from the Gestational Diabetes's Effects on Moms (GEM) study:
      1,353 women with gestational diabetes who delivered a term singleton within
      Kaiser Permanente Northern California were included. Perceived stress near the
      time of gestational diabetes diagnosis was measured using the validated Perceived
      Stress Scale (PSS10). Gestational weight gain was categorized according to the
      2009 Institute of Medicine recommendations. Binomial regression analyses adjusted
      for gestational age and maternal age at the time of gestational diabetes
      diagnosis, and race/ethnicity and estimated rate ratios (RR) and their 95%
      confidence interval (CI). Among women with a normal pregravid Body Mass Index
      (BMI 18.5-24.9 kg/m2), there was a significant association between high (Q4) PSS
      score and risk of both exceeding and gaining below the Institute of Medicine
      recommendations compared to those with lower stress (Q1) [adjusted RR = 2.16 95%
      CI 1.45-3.21; RR = 1.39 95% CI 1.01-1.91, respectively.] Among women with
      pregravid overweight/obesity (BMI>=25 kg/m2), there was no association. Although
      the temporal relationship could not be established from this study, there may be
      a complex interplay between psychosocial stress and gestational weight gain among
      women with gestational diabetes. Further studies examining stress earlier in
      pregnancy, risk of developing gestational diabetes and excess/inadequate
      gestational weight gain are warranted to clarify these complex relationships.

PMID- 28350837
TI  - Semaphorin 3F expression is reduced in pregnancy complicated by preeclampsia. An
      observational clinical study.
AB  - BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: Preeclampsia is a systemic disorder, affecting 2-10% of
      pregnancies, characterized by a deregulated pro- and anti-angiogenic balance.
      Semaphorin 3F is an angiogenesis inhibitor. We aimed to investigate whether
      semaphorin 3F expression is modulated in preeclampsia. DESIGN, SETTING,
      PARTICIPANTS, AND MEASUREMENTS: We performed two observational single center
      cohort studies between March 2013 and August 2014. In the first we enrolled 110
      consecutive women, undergoing an elective cesarean section; in the second we
      included 150 consecutive women undergoing amniocentesis for routine clinical
      indications at 16-18 week of gestation. Semaphorin 3F concentration was evaluated
      in maternal peripheral blood, venous umbilical blood and amniotic fluid, along
      with its placenta protein expression at the time of delivery in the first study
      group and in the amniotic fluid at 16-18 weeks of gestation in the second study
      group. RESULTS: In the first study 19 patients presented at delivery with
      preeclampsia. Semaphorin 3F placenta tissue expression was significantly reduced
      in preeclampsia. In addition, semaphorin 3F level at delivery was significantly
      lower in serum, amniotic fluid and venous umbilical blood of preeclamptic
      patients compared with normal pregnant women. In the prospective cohort study 14
      women developed preeclampsia. In this setting, semaphorin 3F amniotic level at 16
      18 weeks of gestation was reduced in women who subsequently developed
      preeclampsia compared to women with a normal pregnancy. ROC curve analysis showed
      that semaphorin 3F amniotic levels could identify women at higher risk of
      preeclampsia. CONCLUSIONS: Semaphorin 3F might represent a predictive biomarker
      of preeclampsia.

PMID- 28350838
TI  - Function and failure of the fetal membrane: Modelling the mechanics of the
      chorion and amnion.
AB  - The fetal membrane surrounds the fetus during pregnancy and is a thin tissue
      composed of two layers, the chorion and the amnion. While rupture of this
      membrane normally occurs at term, preterm rupture can result in increased risk of
      fetal mortality and morbidity, as well as danger of infection in the mother.
      Although structural changes have been observed in the membrane in such cases, the
      mechanical behaviour of the human fetal membrane in vivo remains poorly
      understood and is challenging to investigate experimentally. Therefore, the
      objective of this study was to develop simplified finite element models to
      investigate the mechanical behaviour and rupture of the fetal membrane,
      particularly its constituent layers, under various physiological conditions. It
      was found that modelling the chorion and amnion as a single layer predicts
      remarkably different behaviour compared with a more anatomically-accurate
      bilayer, significantly underestimating stress in the amnion and under-predicting
      the risk of membrane rupture. Additionally, reductions in chorion-amnion
      interface lubrication and chorion thickness (reported in cases of preterm
      rupture) both resulted in increased membrane stress. Interestingly, the inclusion
      of a weak zone in the fetal membrane that has been observed to develop overlying
      the cervix would likely cause it to fail at term, during labour. Finally, these
      findings support the theory that the amnion is the dominant structural component
      of the fetal membrane and is required to maintain its integrity. The results
      provide a novel insight into the mechanical effect of structural changes in the
      chorion and amnion, in cases of both normal and preterm rupture.

PMID- 28350840
TI  - Effects of element complexes containing Fe, Zn and Mn on artificial morel's
      biological characteristics and soil bacterial community structures.
AB  - This study described the effects of elements (including Fe, Zn, Mn and their
      complexes) on the following factors in artificial morel cultivation: the
      characteristics of mycelia and sclerotia, soil bacterial community structures,
      yields and contents of microelements. The results indicated that the groups
      containing Mn significantly promoted mycelia growth rates, and all the
      experimental groups resulted in higher yields than the control (P<0.01), although
      their mycelia and sclerotia did not show obvious differences. It was also found
      that Proteobacteria, Chloroflexi, Bacteroides, Firmicutes, Actinobacteria,
      Acidobacteria and Nitrospirae were the dominated bacterial phyla. The Zn.Fe group
      had an unexpectedly high proportion (75.49%) of Proteobacteria during the
      primordial differentiation stage, while Pseudomonas also occupied a high
      proportion (5.52%) in this group. These results suggested that different trace
      elements clearly affected morel yields and soil bacterial community structures,
      particularly due to the high proportions of Pseudomonas during the primordial
      differentiation stage.

PMID- 28350841
TI  - Correction: Lack of Effect of Oral Sulforaphane Administration on Nrf2 Expression
      in COPD: A Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo Controlled Trial.
AB  - [This corrects the article DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0163716.].

PMID- 28350839
TI  - Bidirectional association between nonalcoholic fatty liver disease and type 2
      diabetes in Chinese population: Evidence from the Dongfeng-Tongji cohort study.
AB  - OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study is to examine the bidirectional association
      between nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) and type 2 diabetes mellitus
      (T2DM). METHODS: The data was derived from the Dongfeng-Tongji cohort study,
      which was established in 2008 and followed until October 2013. NAFLD was
      classified as none, mild, moderate/severe based on ultrasound examination. The
      analysis to examine the association between NAFLD and incident T2DM risk included
      18,111 participants free of diabetes at baseline and the duration of follow-up
      was 4.60 +/- 0.60 years. Cox proportional regression model was used to calculate
      the hazard ratio (HR) for the association. The analysis to investigate the
      association between T2DM and incident NAFLD risk included 12,435 participants
      free of NAFLD at baseline. Logistic regression model was used to calculate the
      odd ratio (OR) of NAFLD. RESULTS: Compared with those without NAFLD, individuals
      with mild or moderate/severe NAFLD had a monotonic elevated risk of developing
      T2DM (HR: 1.88 [95% CI: 1.63-2.18] and 2.34 [1.85-2.96], respectively) after
      adjustment for potential confounders. In a parallel analysis, compared to
      participants with fasting plasma glucose < 6.1 mmol/L, the ORs of developing
      NAFLD in subjects with impaired fasting glucose and T2DM were 1.35 (95% CI: 1.16
      1.57) and 1.40 (95% CI: 1.22-1.62), respectively. CONCLUSIONS: Our results
      provide compelling evidence that the NAFLD-T2DM association is bidirectional in
      Chinese population.

PMID- 28350842
TI  - Combination of mesenchymal stem cell injection with icariin for the treatment of
      diabetes-associated erectile dysfunction.
AB  - The present study was aimed to examine whether icariin, a traditional Chinese
      medicine, could improve therapeutic effects of adipose derived mesenchymal stem
      cells (ADSCs) for diabetes-associated erectile dysfunction (DMED). DMED were
      induced in rats by intraperitoneal injection of streptozotocin and confirmed by
      erectile function measurement. Then, rats of diabetic ED were randomly divided to
      receive the treatment of saline, ADSCs, icariin or ADSCs combined with icariin
      respectively. Compared with the treatment by ADSCs or icariin alone,
      intracavernosum injection of ADSCs combined with the following daily gastric
      gavage of icariin significantly augmented the value of ICP and ICP/MAP (p<0.01).
      Meanwhile, the survival of transplanted ADSCs was much improved due to the
      application of icariin. Similarly, immunofluorescent staining analysis
      demonstrated that the improved erectile tissue structure by combination of ADSCs
      and icariin was significantly associated with the increased expression of
      endothelial markers (vWF) (p<0.01) and smooth muscle markers (alpha-SMA)
      (p<0.01). Furthermore, the structure changes in corpus cavernosum were further
      confirmed by the Masson's trichrome staining. To explore the possible mechanism
      underlying icariin-enhanced therapeutic efficacy of MSCs, we employed an in vitro
      testing system by introducing H2O2 to imitate oxidative stress condition
      considering the oxidative environment faced by engrafted ADSCs and anti-oxidative
      capacity of icariin. In vitro, we found that the addition of icariin considerably
      reduced the apoptosis of ADSCs, and attenuated the intracellular reactive oxygen
      species (ROS), the superoxidase dismutase (SOD) activity and the lactate
      dehydrogenase (LDH). Subsequently, we examined the expression of apoptosis
      related proteins and explored the potential signaling pathway through which
      icariin promoted the survival of ADSCs against oxidative stress. It was
      demonstrated that icariin significantly inhibited the upregulation of apoptosis
      related proteins under oxidative condition, including Bax and cleaved caspase-3,
      while promoted the expression of anti-apoptotic factor BCL2. These effects were
      accompanied with the activation of signal molecules, PI3K/Akt and STAT3. The
      further signal protein inhibition assays exhibited that the suppression of STAT3
      abrogated the icariin-mediated anti-apoptotic effects observed above, while did
      not influence the expression of PI3K/Akt. However, PI3K inhibition could abrogate
      icariin-mediated STAT3 activation and achieved a similar effect as STAT3
      inhibition. Our results suggested that icariin was an effective adjuvant for
      enhancing ADSC-based therapy of DMEM, which may be ascribed to their protection
      of ADSCs against oxidative stress via the regulation of PI3K/Akt-STAT3 signal
      pathway.

PMID- 28350843
TI  - High HIV prevalence and incidence among women in Southern Mozambique: Evidence
      from the MDP microbicide feasibility study.
AB  - BACKGROUND: The study aimed to assess the feasibility of conducting large scale
      HIV prevention clinical trials in Mozambique by measuring HIV prevalence and
      incidence among women of reproductive age. This paper describes the baseline
      socio-demographic characteristics of the Mozambique Microbicides Development
      Programme (MDP) feasibility cohort, baseline prevalence of HIV and other STIs,
      and HIV incidence. METHODS: The Mozambique MDP feasibility study was conducted
      from September 2007 to August 2009 in urban Mavalane and rural Manhica, in
      Southern Mozambique. Sexually active, HIV negative women aged 18 years and above
      were recruited to attend the study clinic every 4 weeks for a total of 40 weeks.
      At baseline, we collected demographic and sexual behaviour data, samples to test
      for sexually transmitted infections (STI) and conducted HIV rapid testing. STI
      and HIV testing were repeated at clinical follow-up visits. We describe HIV
      prevalence of women at screening, the demographic, behavioural and clinical
      characteristics of women at enrolment, and HIV incidence during follow-up.
      RESULTS: We screened 793 women (369 at Mavalane and 424 at Manhica) and enrolled
      505 eligible women (254 at Mavalane and 251 at Manhica). Overall HIV prevalence
      at screening was 17%; 10% at Mavalane and 22% at Manhica. Women screened at
      Manhica were twice as likely as women screened at Mavalane to be HIV positive and
      HIV positive status was associated with younger age (18-34), lower educational
      level, not using a reliable method of contraception and being Zionist compared to
      other Christian religions. At enrolment contraceptive use was low in both clinics
      at 19% in Mavalane and 21% in Manhica, as was reported condom use at last sex act
      at 48% in Mavalane and 25% in Manhica. At enrolment, 8% of women tested positive
      for Trichomonas vaginalis, 2% for Neisseria gonorrhoeae, 4% for Chlamydia
      trachomatis and 46% for bacterial vaginosis. In Manhica, 8% of women had active
      syphilis at screening. HIV incidence was 4.3 per 100 person years at Mavalane and
      9.2 per 100 person years at Manhica. CONCLUSIONS: We demonstrated the ability to
      recruit a cohort of women at risk of HIV who were willing to participate in
      clinical research. The high HIV incidence necessitates additional action around
      HIV prevention for women and offers opportunities to evaluate the impact of
      available prevention options, such as treatment as prevention and oral PrEP. The
      high HIV incidence and STI prevalence also offers opportunities to evaluate the
      added benefit of potential prevention options such as new formulations of oral
      PrEP, vaginal microbicides (also called topical PrEP), vaccines, and multi
      purpose technologies for HIV, STIs and contraception.

PMID- 28350844
TI  - Isolation and characterization of alternatively spliced variants of the mouse
      sigma1 receptor gene, Sigmar1.
AB  - The sigma1 receptor acts as a chaperone at the endoplasmic reticulum, associates
      with multiple proteins in various cellular systems, and involves in a number of
      diseases, such as addiction, pain, cancer and psychiatric disorders. The sigma1
      receptor is encoded by the single copy SIGMAR1 gene. The current study identifies
      five alternatively spliced variants of the mouse sigma1 receptor gene using a
      polymerase chain reaction cloning approach. All the splice variants are generated
      by exon skipping or alternative 3' or 5' splicing, producing the truncated sigma1
      receptor. Similar alternative splicing has been observed in the human SIGMAR1
      gene based on the molecular cloning or genome sequence prediction, suggesting
      conservation of alternative splicing of SIGMAR1 gene. Using quantitative
      polymerase chain reactions, we demonstrate differential expression of several
      splice variants in mouse tissues and brain regions. When expressed in HEK293
      cells, all the splice variants fail to bind sigma ligands, implicating that each
      truncated region in these splice variants is important for ligand binding.
      However, co-immunoprecipitation (Co-IP) study in HEK293 cells co-transfected with
      tagged constructs reveals that all the splice variants maintain their ability to
      physically associate with a mu opioid receptor (mMOR-1), providing useful
      information to correlate the motifs/sequences necessary for their physical
      association. Furthermore, a competition Co-IP study showed that all the variants
      can disrupt in a dose-dependent manner the dimerization of the original sigma1
      receptor with mMOR-1, suggesting a potential dominant negative function and
      providing significant insights into their function.

PMID- 28350845
TI  - Abnormal expression of mRNA, microRNA alteration and aberrant DNA methylation
      patterns in rectal adenocarcinoma.
AB  - AIM: Rectal adenocarcinoma (READ) is a malignancy cancer with the high morbidity
      and motility worldwide. Our study aimed to explore the potential pathogenesis of
      READ through integrated analysis of gene expression profiling and DNA methylation
      data. METHODS: The miRNA, mRNA expression profiling and corresponding DNA
      methylation data were downloaded from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) database.
      Differentially expressed mRNAs/ miRNAs/methylated regions (DEmRNA/DEmiRNAs) were
      identified in READ. The negatively correlation of DEmiRNA-DEmRNAs and DNA
      methylation-DEmRNAs were obtained. DEmRNAs expression was validated through
      quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) and microarray
      expression profiling analyses. RESULTS: 1192 dysregulated DEmRNAs, 27
      dysregulated DEmiRNAs and 6403 aberrant methylation CpG sites were screened in
      READ compared to normal controls. 1987 negative interaction pairs among 27
      DEmiRNAs and 668 DEmRNAs were predicted. 446 genes with aberrant methylation were
      annotated. Eventually, 50 DEmRNAs (39 down- and 11 up-regulated DEmRNAs) with
      hypermethylation, synchronously negatively targeted by DEmiRNAs, were identified
      through the correlation analysis among 446 genes with aberrant methylation and
      668 DEmRNAs. 50 DEmRNAs were significantly enriched in cAMP signaling pathway,
      circadian entrainment and glutamatergic synapse. The validation results of
      expression levels of DEmRNAs through qRT-PCR and microarray analyses were
      compatible with our study. CONCLUSION: 7 genes of SORCS1, PDZRN4, LONRF2, CNGA3,
      HAND2, RSPO2 and GNAO1 with hypermethylation and negatively regulation by
      DEmiRNAs might contribute to the tumorigenesis of READ. Our work might provide
      valuable foundation for the READ in mechanism elucidation, early diagnosis and
      therapeutic target identification.

PMID- 28350846
TI  - Dissemination and genetic diversity of chlamydial agents in Polish wildfowl:
      Isolation and molecular characterisation of avian Chlamydia abortus strains.
AB  - Wild birds are considered as a reservoir for avian chlamydiosis posing a
      potential infectious threat to domestic poultry and humans. Analysis of 894
      cloacal or fecal swabs from free-living birds in Poland revealed an overall
      Chlamydiaceae prevalence of 14.8% (n = 132) with the highest prevalence noted in
      Anatidae (19.7%) and Corvidae (13.4%). Further testing conducted with species
      specific real-time PCR showed that 65 samples (49.2%) were positive for C.
      psittaci whereas only one was positive for C. avium. To classify the non
      identified chlamydial agents and to genotype the C. psittaci and C. avium
      positive samples, specimens were subjected to ompA-PCR and sequencing (n = 83).
      The ompA-based NJ dendrogram revealed that only 23 out of 83 sequences were
      assigned to C. psittaci, in particular to four clades representing the previously
      described C. psittaci genotypes B, C, Mat116 and 1V. Whereas the 59 remaining
      sequences were assigned to two new clades named G1 and G2, each one including
      sequences recently obtained from chlamydiae detected in Swedish wetland birds. G1
      (18 samples from Anatidae and Rallidae) grouped closely together with genotype 1V
      and in relative proximity to several C. abortus isolates, and G2 (41 samples from
      Anatidae and Corvidae) grouped closely to C. psittaci strains of the classical
      ABE cluster, Matt116 and M56. Finally, deep molecular analysis of four
      representative isolates of genotypes 1V, G1 and G2 based on 16S rRNA, IGS and
      partial 23S rRNA sequences as well as MLST clearly classify these isolates within
      the C. abortus species. Consequently, we propose an expansion of the C. abortus
      species to include not only the classical isolates of mammalian origin, but also
      avian isolates so far referred to as atypical C. psittaci or C. psittaci/C.
      abortus intermediates.

PMID- 28350847
TI  - Biophysical characterization of the b-HLH-LZ of DeltaMax, an alternatively
      spliced isoform of Max found in tumor cells: Towards the validation of a tumor
      suppressor role for the Max homodimers.
AB  - It is classically recognized that the physiological and oncogenic functions of
      Myc proteins depend on specific DNA binding enabled by the dimerization of its C
      terminal basic-region-Helix-Loop-Helix-Leucine Zipper (b-HLH-LZ) domain with that
      of Max. However, a new paradigm is emerging, where the binding of the c-Myc/Max
      heterodimer to non-specific sequences in enhancers and promoters drives the
      transcription of genes involved in diverse oncogenic programs. Importantly, Max
      can form a stable homodimer even in the presence of c-Myc and bind DNA (specific
      and non-specific) with comparable affinity to the c-Myc/Max heterodimer.
      Intriguingly, alterations in the Max gene by germline and somatic mutations or
      changes in the gene product by alternative splicing (e.g. DeltaMax) were recently
      associated with pheochromocytoma and glioblastoma, respectively. This has led to
      the proposition that Max is, by itself, a tumor suppressor. However, the actual
      mechanism through which it exerts such an activity remains to be elucidated.
      Here, we show that contrary to the WT motif, the b-HLH-LZ of DeltaMax does not
      homodimerize in the absence of DNA. In addition, although DeltaMax can still bind
      the E-box sequence as a homodimer, it cannot bind non-specific DNA in that form,
      while it can heterodimerize with c-Myc and bind E-box and non-specific DNA as a
      heterodimer with high affinity. Taken together, our results suggest that the WT
      Max homodimer is important for attenuating the binding of c-Myc to specific and
      non-specific DNA, whereas DeltaMax is unable to do so. Conversely, the splicing
      of Max into DeltaMax could provoke an increase in overall chromatin bound c-Myc.
      According to the new emerging paradigm, the splicing event and the stark
      reduction in homodimer stability and DNA binding should promote tumorigenesis
      impairing the tumor suppressor activity of the WT homodimer of Max.

PMID- 28350849
TI  - Science deserves to be judged by its contents, not by its wrapping: Revisiting
      Seglen's work on journal impact and research evaluation.
AB  - The scientific foundation for the criticism on the use of the Journal Impact
      Factor (JIF) in evaluations of individual researchers and their publications was
      laid between 1989 and 1997 in a series of articles by Per O. Seglen. His basic
      work has since influenced initiatives such as the San Francisco Declaration on
      Research Assessment (DORA), the Leiden Manifesto for research metrics, and The
      Metric Tide review on the role of metrics in research assessment and management.
      Seglen studied the publications of only 16 senior biomedical scientists. We
      investigate whether Seglen's main findings still hold when using the same methods
      for a much larger group of Norwegian biomedical scientists with more than 18,000
      publications. Our results support and add new insights to Seglen's basic work.

PMID- 28350848
TI  - Reduction of oxidative-nitrosative stress underlies anticataract effect of
      topically applied tocotrienol in streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats.
AB  - Cataract, a leading cause of blindness, is of special concern in diabetics as it
      occurs at earlier onset. Polyol accumulation and increased oxidative-nitrosative
      stress in cataractogenesis are associated with NFkappaB activation, iNOS
      expression, ATP depletion, loss of ATPase functions, calpain activation and
      proteolysis of soluble to insoluble proteins. Tocotrienol was previously shown to
      reduce lens oxidative stress and inhibit cataractogenesis in galactose-fed rats.
      In current study, we investigated anticataract effects of topical tocotrienol and
      possible mechanisms involved in streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats. Diabetes
      was induced in Sprague Dawley rats by intraperitoneal injection of
      streptozotocin. Diabetic rats were treated with vehicle (DV) or tocotrienol (DT).
      A third group consists of normal, non-diabetic rats were treated with vehicle
      (NV). All treatments were given topically, bilaterally, twice daily for 8 weeks
      with weekly slit lamp monitoring. Subsequently, rats were euthanized and lenses
      were subjected to estimation of polyol accumulation, oxidative-nitrosative
      stress, NFkappaB activation, iNOS expression, ATP levels, ATPase activities,
      calpain activity and total protein levels. Cataract progression was delayed from
      the fifth week onwards in DT with lower mean of cataract stages compared to DV
      group (p<0.01) despite persistent hyperglycemia. Reduced cataractogenesis in DT
      group was accompanied with lower aldose reductase activity and sorbitol level
      compared to DV group (p<0.01). DT group also showed reduced NFkappaB activation,
      lower iNOS expression and reduced oxidative-nitrosative stress compared to DV
      group. Lenticular ATP and ATPase and calpain 2 activities in DT group were
      restored to normal. Consequently, soluble to insoluble protein ratio in DT group
      was higher compared to DV (p<0.05). In conclusion, preventive effect of topical
      tocotrienol on development of cataract in STZ-induced diabetic rats could be
      attributed to reduced lens aldose reductase activity, polyol levels and oxidative
      nitrosative stress. These effects of tocotrienol invlove reduced NFkappaB
      activation, lower iNOS expression, restoration of ATP level, ATPase activities,
      calpain activity and lens protein levels.

PMID- 28350850
TI  - Defective bone repair in mast cell-deficient Cpa3Cre/+ mice.
AB  - In the adult skeleton, cells of the immune system interact with those of the
      skeleton during all phases of bone repair to influence the outcome. Mast cells
      are immune cells best known for their pathologic role in allergy, and may be
      involved in chronic inflammatory and fibrotic disorders. Potential roles for mast
      cells in tissue homeostasis, vascularization and repair remain enigmatic.
      Previous studies in combined mast cell- and Kit-deficient KitW-sh/W-sh mice (KitW
      sh) implicated mast cells in bone repair but KitW-sh mice suffer from additional
      Kit-dependent hematopoietic and non- hematopoietic deficiencies that could have
      confounded the outcome. The goal of the current study was to compare bone repair
      in normal wild type (WT) and Cpa3Cre/+ mice, which lack mast cells in the absence
      of any other hematopoietic or non- hematopoietic deficiencies. Repair of a
      femoral window defect was characterized using micro CT imaging and histological
      analyses from the early inflammatory phase, through soft and hard callus
      formation, and finally the remodeling phase. The data indicate 1) mast cells
      appear in healing bone of WT mice but not Cpa3Cre/+ mice, beginning 14 days after
      surgery; 2) re-vascularization of repair tissue and deposition of mineralized
      bone was delayed and dis-organised in Cpa3Cre/+ mice compared with WT mice; 3)
      the defects in Cpa3Cre/+ mice were associated with little change in anabolic
      activity and biphasic alterations in osteoclast and macrophage activity. The
      outcome at 56 days postoperative was complete bridging of the defect in most WT
      mice and fibrous mal-union in most Cpa3Cre/+ mice. The results indicate that mast
      cells promote bone healing, possibly by recruiting vascular endothelial cells
      during the inflammatory phase and coordinating anabolic and catabolic activity
      during tissue remodeling. Taken together the data indicate that mast cells have a
      positive impact on bone repair.

PMID- 28350851
TI  - Alcohol-related changes in the intestinal microbiome influence neutrophil
      infiltration, inflammation and steatosis in early alcoholic hepatitis in mice.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Alcohol-induced intestinal dysbiosis disrupts homeostatic gut-liver
      axis function and is essential in the development of alcoholic liver disease.
      Here, we investigate changes in enteric microbiome composition in a model of
      early alcoholic steatohepatitis and dissect the pathogenic role of intestinal
      microbes in alcohol-induced liver pathology. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Wild type
      mice received a 10-day diet that was either 5% alcohol-containing or an
      isocaloric control diet plus a single binge. 16S rDNA sequencing defined the
      bacterial communities in the cecum of alcohol- and pair-fed animals. Some mice
      were treated with an antibiotic cocktail prior to and throughout alcohol feeding.
      Liver neutrophils, cytokines and steatosis were evaluated. RESULTS: Acute-on
      chronic alcohol administration induced shifts in various bacterial phyla in the
      cecum, including increased Actinobacteria and a reduction in Verrucomicrobia
      driven entirely by a reduction in the genus Akkermansia. Antibiotic treatment
      reduced the gut bacterial load and circulating bacterial wall component
      lipopolysaccharide (LPS). We found that bacterial load suppression prevented
      alcohol-related increases in the number of myeloperoxidase- (MPO) positive
      infiltrating neutrophils in the liver. Expression of liver mRNA tumor necrosis
      factor alpha (Tnfalpha), C-X-C motif chemokine ligand 1 (Cxcl1) and circulating
      protein monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 (MCP-1) were also reduced in
      antibiotic-treated alcohol-fed mice. Alcohol-induced hepatic steatosis measured
      by Oil-Red O staining was significantly reduced in antibiotic treated mice. Genes
      regulating lipid production and storage were also altered by alcohol and
      antibiotic treatment. Interestingly, antibiotic treatment did not protect from
      alcohol-induced increases in serum aminotransferases (ALT/AST). CONCLUSIONS: Our
      data indicate that acute-on-chronic alcohol feeding alters the microflora at
      multiple taxonomic levels and identifies loss of Akkermansia as an early marker
      of alcohol-induced gut dysbiosis. We conclude that gut microbes influence liver
      inflammation, neutrophil infiltration and liver steatosis following alcohol
      consumption and these data further emphasize the role of the gut-liver axis in
      early alcoholic liver disease.

PMID- 28350852
TI  - Phylodynamics on local sexual contact networks.
AB  - Phylodynamic models are widely used in infectious disease epidemiology to infer
      the dynamics and structure of pathogen populations. However, these models
      generally assume that individual hosts contact one another at random, ignoring
      the fact that many pathogens spread through highly structured contact networks.
      We present a new framework for phylodynamics on local contact networks based on
      pairwise epidemiological models that track the status of pairs of nodes in the
      network rather than just individuals. Shifting our focus from individuals to
      pairs leads naturally to coalescent models that describe how lineages move
      through networks and the rate at which lineages coalesce. These pairwise
      coalescent models not only consider how network structure directly shapes
      pathogen phylogenies, but also how the relationship between phylogenies and
      contact networks changes depending on epidemic dynamics and the fraction of
      infected hosts sampled. By considering pathogen phylogenies in a probabilistic
      framework, these coalescent models can also be used to estimate the statistical
      properties of contact networks directly from phylogenies using likelihood-based
      inference. We use this framework to explore how much information phylogenies
      retain about the underlying structure of contact networks and to infer the
      structure of a sexual contact network underlying a large HIV-1 sub-epidemic in
      Switzerland.

PMID- 28350853
TI  - Impacts of 120 years of fertilizer addition on a temperate grassland ecosystem.
AB  - The widespread application of fertilizers has greatly influenced many processes
      and properties of agroecosystems, and agricultural fertilization is expected to
      increase even further in the future. To date, most research on fertilizer impacts
      has used short-term studies, which may be unrepresentative of long-term
      responses, thus hindering our capacity to predict long-term impacts. Here, we
      examined the effects of long-term fertilizer addition on key ecosystem properties
      in a long-term grassland experiment (Palace Leas Hay Meadow) in which farmyard
      manure (FYM) and inorganic fertilizer treatments have been applied consistently
      for 120 years in order to characterize the experimental site more fully and
      compare ecosystem responses with those observed at other long-term and short-term
      experiments. FYM inputs increased soil organic carbon (SOC) stocks, hay yield,
      nutrient availability and acted as a buffer against soil acidification (>pH 5).
      In contrast, N-containing inorganic fertilizers strongly acidified the soil (<pH
      4.5) and increased surface SOC stocks by increasing the C stored in the coarse
      (2.8 mm-200 MUm) and fine (200-50 MUm) fractions. Application of N fertilizers
      also reduced plant species richness and the abundance of forbs and legumes.
      Overall, our results were broadly consistent with those observed in other very
      long-term studies (the Park Grass and Steinach Grassland experiments) in that
      fertilization effects on plant and soil properties appeared to be driven by
      differences in both nutrient input and changes to soil pH. We also established
      that the direction of long-term fertilization effects tended to be comparable
      with short-term experiments, but that their magnitude differed considerably,
      particularly where ammonium sulphate-induced acidification had occurred. We
      therefore conclude that short-term studies are unlikely to possess the required
      timeframe to accurately predict long-term responses, thus necessitating the use
      of long-term study sites. Such experiments should be strategically established in
      regions where future fertilizer use is expected to increase rapidly.

PMID- 28350854
TI  - Expression of claudin-11, -23 in different gastric tissues and its relationship
      with the risk and prognosis of gastric cancer.
AB  - Claudins play an important role in regulating the permeability of epithelial and
      endothelial cells and in the maintenance of cell polarity. We aimed to
      investigate expression of claudin-11, -23 in different gastric tissues and its
      relationship with clinicopathologic parameters and prognosis of gastric cancer.
      We compared their expression levels in the paired cancerous tissues versus those
      in the adjacent noncancerous tissues by real-time PCR, western blotting and
      immunohistochemistry. The results showed that the expression of claudin-11, -23
      was greatly increased in paracancerous gastric tissue compared with cancerous
      tissue. We also compared their expression levels of tissues from gastric cancer,
      superficial gastritis, and atrophic gastritis by immunohistochemistry. The
      results indicated that the expression of claudin-11 and 23 was significantly
      higher in superficial gastritis than that in atrophic gastritis and gastric
      cancer. The expression of claudin-23 was significantly lower in atrophic
      gastritis than that in gastric cancer, but no obviously difference was observed
      for claudin-11. As for analysis of clinicopathologic parameters of gastric
      cancer, logistic multiple regression indicated that claudin-11 was significantly
      associated with sex, smoking, alcohol, H. pylori infection and Borrmann
      classification while claudin-23 was significantly associated with vessel cancer
      embolus. Cox multivariate survival analysis indicated that gastric cancer
      patients with negative claudin-23 expression had significantly longer overall
      survival. In conclusion, the expression of claudin-11, -23 was remarkably
      downregulated in gastric cancer. Abnormal expression of these proteins was
      significantly correlated with some clinicopathologic parameters. In particular,
      claudin-23 positive expression was associated with poor prognostic outcomes of
      gastric cancer patients and may therefore serve as an independent prognosticator
      of patient survival.

PMID- 28350855
TI  - Diversification of spatiotemporal expression and copy number variation of the
      echinoid hbox12/pmar1/micro1 multigene family.
AB  - Changes occurring during evolution in the cis-regulatory landscapes of individual
      members of multigene families might impart diversification in their
      spatiotemporal expression and function. The archetypal member of the echinoid
      hbox12/pmar1/micro1 family is hbox12-a, a homeobox-containing gene expressed
      exclusively by dorsal blastomeres, where it governs the dorsal/ventral gene
      regulatory network during embryogenesis of the sea urchin Paracentrotus lividus.
      Here we describe the inventory of the hbox12/pmar1/micro1 genes in P. lividus,
      highlighting that gene copy number variation occurs across individual sea urchins
      of the same species. We show that the various hbox12/pmar1/micro1 genes group
      into three subfamilies according to their spatiotemporal expression, which ranges
      from broad transcription throughout development to transient expression in either
      the animal hemisphere or micromeres of the early embryo. Interestingly, the
      promoter regions of those genes showing comparable expression patterns are highly
      similar, while differing from those of the other subfamilies. Strikingly,
      phylogenetic analysis suggests that the hbox12/pmar1/micro1 genes are species
      specific, exhibiting extensive divergence in their noncoding, but not in their
      coding, sequences across three distinct sea urchin species. In spite of this, two
      micromere-specific genes of P. lividus possess a TCF/LEF-binding motif in a
      similar position, and their transcription relies on Wnt/beta-catenin signaling,
      similar to the pmar1 and micro1 genes, which in other sea urchin species are
      involved in micromere specification. Altogether, our findings suggest that the
      hbox12/pmar1/micro1 gene family evolved rather rapidly, generating paralogs whose
      cis-regulatory sequences diverged following multiple rounds of duplication from a
      common ancestor.

PMID- 28350856
TI  - A fat-derived metabolite regulates a peptidergic feeding circuit in Drosophila.
AB  - Here, we show that the enzymatic cofactor tetrahydrobiopterin (BH4) inhibits
      feeding in Drosophila. BH4 biosynthesis requires the sequential action of the
      conserved enzymes Punch, Purple, and Sepiapterin Reductase (Sptr). Although we
      observe increased feeding upon loss of Punch and Purple in the adult fat body,
      loss of Sptr must occur in the brain. We found Sptr expression is required in
      four adult neurons that express neuropeptide F (NPF), the fly homologue of the
      vertebrate appetite regulator neuropeptide Y (NPY). As expected, feeding flies
      BH4 rescues the loss of Punch and Purple in the fat body and the loss of Sptr in
      NPF neurons. Mechanistically, we found BH4 deficiency reduces NPF staining,
      likely by promoting its release, while excess BH4 increases NPF accumulation
      without altering its expression. We thus show that, because of its physically
      distributed biosynthesis, BH4 acts as a fat-derived signal that induces satiety
      by inhibiting the activity of the NPF neurons.

PMID- 28350857
TI  - Differentiating anxiety forms and their role in academic performance from primary
      to secondary school.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: Individuals with high levels of mathematics anxiety are more likely
      to have other forms of anxiety, such as general anxiety and test anxiety, and
      tend to have some math performance decrement compared to those with low math
      anxiety. However, it is unclear how the anxiety forms cluster in individuals, or
      how the presence of other anxiety forms influences the relationship between math
      anxiety and math performance. METHOD: We measured math anxiety, test anxiety,
      general anxiety and mathematics and reading performance in 1720 UK students (year
      4, aged 8-9, and years 7 and 8, aged 11-13). We conducted latent profile analysis
      of students' anxiety scores in order to examine the developmental change in
      anxiety profiles, the demographics of each anxiety profile and the relationship
      between profiles and academic performance. RESULTS: Anxiety profiles appeared to
      change in specificity between the two age groups studied. Only in the older
      students did clusters emerge with specifically elevated general anxiety or
      academic anxiety (test and math anxiety). Our findings suggest that boys are
      slightly more likely than girls to have elevated academic anxieties relative to
      their general anxiety. Year 7/8 students with specifically academic anxiety show
      lower academic performance than those who also have elevated general anxiety.
      CONCLUSIONS: There may be a developmental change in the specificity of anxiety
      and gender seems to play a strong role in determining one's anxiety profile. The
      anxiety profiles present in our year 7/8 sample, and their relationships with
      math performance, suggest a bidirectional relationship between math anxiety and
      math performance.

PMID- 28350858
TI  - In vivo measured joint friction in hip implants during walking after a short
      rest.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: It has been suspected that friction in hip implants is higher when
      walking is initiated after a resting period than during continuous movement. It
      cannot be excluded that such increased initial moments endanger the cup fixation
      in the acetabulum, overstress the taper connections in the implant or increase
      wear. To assess these risks, the contact forces, friction moments and friction
      coefficients in the joint were measured in vivo in ten subjects. Instrumented hip
      joint implants with telemetric data transmission were used to access the contact
      loads between the cup and head during the first steps of walking after a short
      rest. RESULTS: The analysis demonstrated that the contact force is not increased
      during the first step. The friction moment in the joint, however, is much higher
      during the first step than during continuous walking. The moment increases
      throughout the gait cycle were 32% to 143% on average and up to 621%
      individually. The high initial moments will probably not increase wear by much in
      the joint. However, comparisons with literature data on the fixation resistance
      of the cup against moments made clear that the stability can be endangered. This
      risk is highest during the first postoperative months for cementless cups with
      insufficient under-reaming. The high moments after a break can also put taper
      connections between the head and neck and neck and shaft at a higher risk.
      DISCUSSION: During continuous walking, the friction moments individually were
      extremely varied by factors of 4 to 10. Much of this difference is presumably
      caused by the varying lubrication properties of the synovia. These large moment
      variations can possibly lead to friction-induced temperature increases during
      walking, which are higher than the 43.1 degrees C which have previously been
      observed in a group of only five subjects.

PMID- 28350859
TI  - Correlation between clinical severity and different non-invasive measurements of
      carbon monoxide concentration: A population study.
AB  - OBJECTIVES: Carbon monoxide (CO) poisoning is a major concern in industrialized
      countries. Each year, thousands of victims, resulting in approximately 100
      fatalities, are encountered in France. The diagnosis of CO poisoning is
      challenging; while carboxyhemoglobin (COHb) may be useful, it is a weak indicator
      of the severity of CO poisoning. This weak indicator may be a result of the delay
      between poisoning occurrence and the blood assay. Two apparatuses, CO oximeters
      and exhaled CO analyzers, now permit COHb to be determined outside hospitals. Our
      hypothesis is that these instruments allow the early measurement of COHb
      concentrations, which are more correlated with the severity of poisoning,
      expressed using the poisoning severity score (PSS). DESIGN: In an observational
      and retrospective cohort study, the distribution of COHb measurements obtained by
      CO oximetry or by exhaled CO analyzers was compared between groups of severity
      expressed using the PSS. SETTING: Data were collected in the Paris area from
      January 2006 to December 2010 by the French Surveillance System of CO poisoning.
      PARTICIPANTS: All patients with CO poisoning reported to the French Surveillance
      System of CO poisoning. RESULTS: There was a significant difference in the COHb
      values obtained by CO oximetry between groups stratified according to PSS
      (p<0.0001). A significant difference in the values of exhaled CO was also
      observed between PSS groups (p = 0.006), although the relationship was not
      linear. CONCLUSIONS: The COHb concentrations measured using CO oximetry, but not
      those measured using exhaled CO analyzers, were well correlated with the severity
      of CO poisoning.

PMID- 28350860
TI  - Uniquely altered transcripts are associated with immune preservation in HIV
      infection.
AB  - The mechanisms underlying host HIV control hold much promise in the search for a
      functional HIV cure. We investigated the host genomic signatures in elite
      controllers or rapid progressors following recent infection and the correlates of
      immune reconstitution during combination antiretroviral therapy. We characterized
      the HIV-specific longitudinal host transcriptional response of peripheral blood
      mononuclear cells from elite controllers, rapid progressors, immune responders
      and non-responders using a RT-qPCR array in a cohort of recently HIV-infected
      Brazilian individuals. The elite controllers expressed unique transcripts early
      in infection that were closely associated with specialized cross-presentation
      between XCR1+ DCs and antigen-specific CD8+ T cells (XCL1). The natural
      suppression of HIV was also associated with the highly functional co-expression
      of cytokines and chemokines (CCL2, TNF and IL-10) concomitant with the
      maintenance of important anti-inflammatory and anticoagulant properties
      (Antithrombin III). Immune responders exhibited exclusively upregulated mRNAs
      possibly related to stem cell mobilization before combination antiretroviral
      therapy (neutrophil elastase). Our longitudinal approach to gene expression
      permitted us to discover previously unrecognized determinants that contribute to
      natural or antiretroviral-mediated HIV-1 immune control.

PMID- 28350861
TI  - Efficacy and effects on cardiac function of radiofrequency catheter ablation vs.
      direct current cardioversion of persistent atrial fibrillation with left
      ventricular systolic dysfunction.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the effect of catheter ablation vs. direct current
      synchronized cardioversion (DCC) in patients with persistent atrial fibrillation
      (AF) and left ventricular systolic dysfunction, and to define baseline features
      of patients that will get more benefit from ablation. METHODS: From July 2013 to
      October 2014, 97 consecutive single-center patients with persistent AF and
      symptomatic heart failure (left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) <50%)
      underwent DCC followed by amiodarone (n = 40) or circumferential pulmonary vein
      isolation (PVI; n = 57) according to patient's preference were recruited in the
      study. Post-ablation recurrence was treated with atrial roof and mitral isthmus
      lines ablation with or without PVI based on restoration or not of pulmonary vein
      (PV) potential conduction. Study outcomes were 12-month rate of sustained sinus
      rhythm (SR) and cardiac function. Baseline characteristics were compared between
      patients with and without cardiac function improvement post ablation. RESULTS:
      With similarly distributed characteristics at baseline, ablation (mean 1.8
      procedures) relative to DCC yielded significantly higher level of 12-month SR
      maintenance rate (68.42% vs. 35%, P = 0.001); and better LVEF and New York Heart
      Association class. with significant effect for DCC only in maintained SR cases.
      Post ablation LVEF increased (>20% or to over 55%) in 31 (54.39%) patients with
      worse baseline cardiac function and ventricular rate control. CONCLUSIONS:
      Catheter ablation relative to cardioversion of persistent AF with symptomatic
      heart failure yielded better 12-month SR maintenance and cardiac function.
      Compared with non-responders, patients with improved LVEF post-ablation had
      poorer ventricular rate control and cardiac function at baseline, suggesting a
      significant component of tachycardia-induced cardiomyopathy in this group.

PMID- 28350862
TI  - Repeated quantitative measurements of De Novo synthesis of albumin and
      fibrinogen.
AB  - The possibility of using two different isotopomers, for the incorporation of
      isotopically labeled amino acids, was explored to enable longitudinal studies of
      de novo synthesis of two export liver proteins, albumin and fibrinogen. The
      agreement of the synthesis rates between the two different labels was evaluated
      along with the reproducibility of repeated experiments using different time
      intervals. Healthy volunteers were studied in a standardized fed state. Protocol
      A (n = 10) involved two measurements 48 hours apart. Protocol B (n = 6) involved
      three measurements at baseline and five hours and then seven days after the
      initial measurement. De novo synthesis of albumin and fibrinogen by the
      incorporation of D5-phenylalanine or D8-phenylalanine were measured using the
      flooding dose technique. Albumin and fibrinogen were isolated from plasma using
      standard techniques. Fractional and absolute synthesis rates were calculated.
      Repeated measurements employing the two isotoptomers showed good agreement for
      albumin fractional synthesis rate after 48 hours (p = 0.92) and after 7 days (p =
      0.99), with a coefficient of variation of 5.9% when using the same isotopic
      label. For fibrinogen, the coefficient of variation for the fractional synthesis
      rate employing the same isotopic label was 16.6%. Repeated measurements after 48
      hours and seven days showed less agreement although there was no statistical
      difference (P = 0.32 and P = 0.30 respectively). Repeated measurement after five
      hours showed a statistical significant difference for the fractional synthesis
      rate of fibrinogen (p = 0.008) but not for albumin (p = 0.12). Repeated
      measurements of albumin de novo synthesis more than 48 hours apart show
      acceptable agreement using either one or two different isotopic labels. For
      fibrinogen the larger intra-individual scatter necessitates larger study groups
      to detect changes in longitudinal studies. Repeated measurements within 48 hours
      need to be validated further.

PMID- 28350863
TI  - The relationship between least-cost and resistance distance.
AB  - Least-cost modelling and circuit theory are common analogs used in ecology and
      evolution to model gene flow or animal movement across landscapes. Least-cost
      modelling estimates the least-cost distance, whereas circuit theory estimates
      resistance distance. The bias added in choosing one method over the other has not
      been well documented. We designed an experiment to test whether both methods were
      linearly related. We also tested the sensitivity of these metrics to variation in
      Euclidean distance, spatial autocorrelation, the number of pixels representing
      the landscape, and data aggregation. We found that least-cost and resistance
      distance were not linearly related unless a transformation was applied.
      Resistance distance was less sensitive to the number of pixels representing a
      landscape and was also less sensitive than least-cost distance to the Euclidean
      distance between nodes. Spatial autocorrelation did not affect either method or
      the relationship between methods. Resistance distance was more sensitive to
      aggregation in any form compared to least-cost distance. Therefore, the metric
      used to infer movement or gene flow and the manipulations applied to the data
      used to calculate these metrics may govern findings.

PMID- 28350864
TI  - Codon-level co-occurrences of germline variants and somatic mutations in cancer
      are rare but often lead to incorrect variant annotation and underestimated impact
      prediction.
AB  - Cancer cells explore a broad mutational landscape, bringing the possibility that
      tumor-specific somatic mutations could fall in the same codons as germline SNVs
      and leverage their presence to produce substitutions with a larger impact on
      protein function. While multiple, temporally consecutive mutations to the same
      codon have in the past been detected in the germline, this phenomenon has not yet
      been explored in the context of germline-somatic variant co-occurrences during
      cancer development. We examined germline context at somatic mutation sites for
      1395 patients across four cancer cohorts (breast, skin, colon, and head and neck)
      and found 392 codon-level co-occurrences between germline and somatic variants,
      including over a dozen in well-known cancer genes. We found that for the majority
      of these co-occurrence events, traditional somatic calling led to an inaccurate
      representation of the protein site and a significantly lower predicted impact on
      protein fitness. We conclude that these events often lead to imprecise annotation
      of somatic variants but do not appear to be a frequent source of driver events
      during cancer development.

PMID- 28350866
TI  - Correction: Fall armyworm migration across the Lesser Antilles and the potential
      for genetic exchanges between North and South American populations.
AB  - [This corrects the article DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0171743.].

PMID- 28350865
TI  - Multi-drug loaded micelles delivering chemotherapy and targeted therapies
      directed against HSP90 and the PI3K/AKT/mTOR pathway in prostate cancer.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Advanced prostate cancers that are resistant to all current therapies
      create a need for new therapeutic strategies. One recent innovative approach to
      cancer therapy is the simultaneous use of multiple FDA-approved drugs to target
      multiple pathways. A challenge for this approach is caused by the different
      solubility requirements of each individual drug, resulting in the need for a drug
      vehicle that is non-toxic and capable of carrying multiple water-insoluble
      antitumor drugs. Micelles have recently been shown to be new candidate drug
      solubilizers for anti cancer therapy. METHODS: This study set out to examine the
      potential use of multi-drug loaded micelles for prostate cancer treatment in
      preclinical models including cell line and mouse models for prostate cancers with
      Pten deletions. Specifically antimitotic agent docetaxel, mTOR inhibitor
      rapamycin, and HSP90 inhibitor 17-N-allylamino-17-demethoxygeldanamycin were
      incorporated into the micelle system (DR17) and tested for antitumor efficacy.
      RESULTS: In vitro growth inhibition of prostate cancer cells was greater when all
      three drugs were used in combination compared to each individual drug, and
      packaging the drugs into micelles enhanced the cytotoxic effects. At the
      molecular level DR17 targeted simultaneously several molecular signaling axes
      important in prostate cancer including androgen receptor, mTOR, and PI3K/AKT. In
      a mouse genetic model of prostate cancer, DR17 treatment decreased prostate
      weight, which was achieved by both increasing caspase-dependent cell death and
      decreasing cell proliferation. Similar effects were also observed when DR17 was
      administered to nude mice bearing prostate cancer cells xenografts. CONCLUSION:
      These results suggest that combining these three cancer drugs in multi-drug
      loaded micelles may be a promising strategy for prostate cancer therapy.

PMID- 28350868
TI  - Correction: Quantification of santonin in eight species of Artemisia from
      Kazakhstan by means of HPLC-UV: Method development and validation.
AB  - [This corrects the article DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0173714.].

PMID- 28350867
TI  - Dissociation between skin test reactivity and anti-aeroallergen IgE: Determinants
      among urban Brazilian children.
AB  - BACKGROUND: The dissociation between specific IgE and skin prick test reactivity
      to aeroallergens, a common finding in populations living in low and middle-income
      countries, has important implications for the diagnosis and treatment of allergic
      diseases. Few studies have investigated the determinants of this dissociation. In
      the present study, we explored potential factors explaining this dissociation in
      children living in an urban area of Northeast Brazil, focusing in particular on
      factors associated with poor hygiene. METHODS: Of 1445 children from low income
      communities, investigated for risk factors of allergies, we studied 481 with
      specific IgE antibodies to any of Blomia tropicalis, Dermatophagoides
      pteronyssinus, Periplaneta americana and Blatella germanica allergens. Data on
      demographic, environmental and social exposures were collected by questionnaire;
      serum IgG and stool examinations were done to detect current or past infections
      with viral, bacterial, protozoan and intestinal helminth pathogens. We measured
      atopy by skin prick testing (SPT) and specific IgE (sIgE) to aerollergens in
      serum (by ImmunoCAP). SIgE reactivity to B. tropicalis extract depleted of
      carbohydrates was measured by an in-house ELISA. Total IgE was measured by in
      house capture ELISA. SNPs were typed using Illumina Omni 2.5. RESULTS: Negative
      skin prick tests in the presence of specific IgE antibodies were frequent.
      Factors independently associated with a reduced frequency of positive skin prick
      tests were large number of siblings, the presence of IgG to herpes simplex virus,
      Ascaris lumbricoides and Trichuris trichiura infections, living in neighborhoods
      with infrequent garbage collection, presence of rodents and cats in the household
      and sIgE reactivity to glycosylated B. tropicalis allergens. Also, SNP on IGHE
      (rs61737468) was negatively associated with SPT reactivity. CONCLUSIONS: A
      variety of factors were found to be associated with decreased frequency of SPT
      such as unhygienic living conditions, infections, total IgE, IgE response to
      glycosylated allergens and genetic polymorphisms, indicating that multiple
      mechanisms may be involved. Our data, showing that exposures to an unhygienic
      environment and childhood infections modulate immediate allergen skin test
      reactivity, provide support for the "hygiene hypothesis".

PMID- 28350869
TI  - In vitro skin models to study epithelial regeneration from the hair follicle.
AB  - The development of dermal equivalents (DEs) for the treatment of burns has
      contributed toward efficient wound closure. A collagen-glycosaminoglycan DE (C
      GAG) grafted with hair follicles converted a full-thickness wound to partial
      thickness resulting in complete wound closure and restored hair. In this study we
      compared the ability of both intact pilosebaceous units (PSU) or truncated hair
      follicles (THF) to regenerate a multilayered epidermis in vitro when implanted
      into de-epidermalized dermis (DED) or C-GAG with the epidermis generated in vivo
      using C-CAG. Keratinocytes explanted from the outer root sheath of PSU and THF in
      both DED and C-GAG but only formed a multilayered epidermis with PSU in DED. PSU
      were more effective at forming multilayered epidermis in DED than THF. Both DED
      and C-GAG skin expressed proliferation (PCNA), differentiation (K1, K10),
      hyperproliferation (K6, K16), basal (K14), putative stem cell (p63),
      extracellular matrix protein (Collagen IV), mesenchymal (vimentin) and adherens
      junction (beta-catenin) markers. These data suggest DEs supported initial
      maintenance of the implanted hair follicles, in particular PSU, and provide an
      excellent model with which to investigate the regulation of hair follicle
      progenitor epithelial cells during epidermal regeneration. Although neither PSU
      nor THF formed multilayered epidermis in C-CAG in vitro, hair follicles implanted
      into engrafted C-GAG on a burns patient resulted in epithelial regeneration and
      expression of proliferation and differentiation markers in a similar manner to
      that seen in vitro. However, the failure of C-GAG to support epidermal
      regeneration in vitro suggests in vivo factors are essential for full epidermal
      regeneration using C-GAG.

PMID- 28350870
TI  - Bacterial clonal diagnostics as a tool for evidence-based empiric antibiotic
      selection.
AB  - Despite the known clonal distribution of antibiotic resistance in many bacteria,
      empiric (pre-culture) antibiotic selection still relies heavily on species-level
      cumulative antibiograms, resulting in overuse of broad-spectrum agents and
      excessive antibiotic/pathogen mismatch. Urinary tract infections (UTIs), which
      account for a large share of antibiotic use, are caused predominantly by
      Escherichia coli, a highly clonal pathogen. In an observational clinical cohort
      study of urgent care patients with suspected UTI, we assessed the potential for
      E. coli clonal-level antibiograms to improve empiric antibiotic selection. A
      novel PCR-based clonotyping assay was applied to fresh urine samples to rapidly
      detect E. coli and the urine strain's clonotype. Based on a database of clonotype
      specific antibiograms, the acceptability of various antibiotics for empiric
      therapy was inferred using a 20%, 10%, and 30% allowed resistance threshold. The
      test's performance characteristics and possible effects on prescribing were
      assessed. The rapid test identified E. coli clonotypes directly in patients'
      urine within 25-35 minutes, with high specificity and sensitivity compared to
      culture. Antibiotic selection based on a clonotype-specific antibiogram could
      reduce the relative likelihood of antibiotic/pathogen mismatch by >= 60%.
      Compared to observed prescribing patterns, clonal diagnostics-guided antibiotic
      selection could safely double the use of trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole and
      minimize fluoroquinolone use. In summary, a rapid clonotyping test showed promise
      for improving empiric antibiotic prescribing for E. coli UTI, including reversing
      preferential use of fluoroquinolones over trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole. The
      clonal diagnostics approach merges epidemiologic surveillance, antimicrobial
      stewardship, and molecular diagnostics to bring evidence-based medicine directly
      to the point of care.

PMID- 28350871
TI  - Oxygen tension regulates the miRNA profile and bioactivity of exosomes released
      from extravillous trophoblast cells - Liquid biopsies for monitoring
      complications of pregnancy.
AB  - Our understanding of how cells communicate has undergone a paradigm shift since
      the recent recognition of the role of exosomes in intercellular signaling. In
      this study, we investigated whether oxygen tension alters the exosome release and
      miRNA profile from extravillous trophoblast (EVT) cells, modifying their
      bioactivity on endothelial cells (EC). Furthermore, we have established the
      exosomal miRNA profile at early gestation in women who develop pre-eclampsia (PE)
      and spontaneous preterm birth (SPTB). HTR-8/SVneo cells were used as an EVT
      model. The effect of oxygen tension (i.e. 8% and 1% oxygen) on exosome release
      was quantified using nanocrystals (Qdot(r)) coupled to CD63 by fluorescence NTA.
      A real-time, live-cell imaging system (IncucyteTM) was used to establish the
      effect of exosomes on EC. Plasma samples were obtained at early gestation (<18
      weeks) and classified according to pregnancy outcomes. An Illumina TrueSeq Small
      RNA kit was used to construct a small RNA library from exosomal RNA obtained from
      EVT and plasma samples. The number of exosomes was significantly higher in EVT
      cultured under 1% compared to 8% oxygen. In total, 741 miRNA were identified in
      exosomes from EVT. Bioinformatic analysis revealed that these miRNA were
      associated with cell migration and cytokine production. Interestingly, exosomes
      isolated from EVT cultured at 8% oxygen increased EC migration, whilst exosomes
      cultured at 1% oxygen decreased EC migration. These changes were inversely
      proportional to TNF-alpha released from EC. Finally, we have identified a set of
      unique miRNAs in exosomes from EVT cultured at 1% oxygen and exosomes isolated
      from the circulation of mothers at early gestation, who later developed PE and
      SPTB. We suggest that aberrant exosomal signalling by placental cells is a common
      aetiological factor in pregnancy complications characterised by incomplete SpA
      remodeling and is therefore a clinically relevant biomarker of pregnancy
      complications.

PMID- 28350872
TI  - RNA-sequence analysis of gene expression from honeybees (Apis mellifera) infected
      with Nosema ceranae.
AB  - Honeybees (Apis mellifera) are constantly subjected to many biotic stressors
      including parasites. This study examined honeybees infected with Nosema ceranae
      (N. ceranae). N. ceranae infection increases the bees energy requirements and may
      contribute to their decreased survival. RNA-seq was used to investigate gene
      expression at days 5, 10 and 15 Post Infection (P.I) with N. ceranae. The
      expression levels of genes, isoforms, alternative transcription start sites (TSS)
      and differential promoter usage revealed a complex pattern of transcriptional and
      post-transcriptional gene regulation suggesting that bees use a range of tactics
      to cope with the stress of N. ceranae infection. N. ceranae infection may cause
      reduced immune function in the bees by: (i)disturbing the host amino acids
      metabolism (ii) down-regulating expression of antimicrobial peptides (iii) down
      regulation of cuticle coatings and (iv) down-regulation of odorant binding
      proteins.

PMID- 28350873
TI  - On-treatment HBV DNA dynamics predict virological breakthrough in entecavir
      treated HBeAg-positive chronic hepatitis B.
AB  - BACKGROUND & AIMS: Virological breakthrough (VBT) could be a manifestation of
      chronic hepatitis B (CHB) in patients treated with long-term nucleot(s)ide
      analogues. We aimed to determine the association of on-treatment serum hepatitis
      B virus (HBV) DNA with VBT in HBeAg-positive CHB patients receiving entecavir
      (ETV) treatment. METHODS: A retrospective cohort study, including 162 consecutive
      patients (95 men and 67 women; mean age, 43.1+/-13.4 years) with HBeAg-positive
      CHB treated with ETV for at least 48 weeks between August 2008 and May 2015, was
      conducted. Univariate and multivariate cox regression analysis were used to
      identify associations with VBT and clinical factors, including HBV DNA and HBeAg
      serum status. RESULTS: Among the 162 ETV-treated HBeAg-positive CHB patients,
      eighteen patients (11.1%) experienced VBT (VBT group), whereas the other 144
      patients were without VBT (non-VBT group). The cumulative rate of HBV DNA < 100
      IU/mL in the VBT group and the non-VBT group at week 48 were 44.44% and 70.14%,
      and at week 96 were 58.33% and 92.56%, respectively (p = 0.015). The cumulative
      rate of HBeAg seroclearance in the VBT group and non-VBT group at week 48 and
      week 96 were statistically significant (p = 0.014). Multivariate analysis
      disclosed that failure to achieve HBeAg seroclearance were the factors
      significantly associated with VBT. CONCLUSIONS: Our results demonstrated that on
      treatment HBV DNA could probably predict VBT in ETV-treated HBeAg-positive
      chronic hepatitis B patients. Failure to achieve HBeAg seroclearance was
      associated with VBT in ETV-treated HBeAg-positive CHB patients. HBV DNA >100IU/mL
      at 48 weeks is potentially a predictor for VBT.

PMID- 28350874
TI  - SnoN upregulation ameliorates renal fibrosis in diabetic nephropathy.
AB  - Progressive reduction of SnoN is associated with gradual elevation of TGF-beta1
      during diabetic nephropathy progression, suggesting SnoN to be a possible
      mediator of TGF-beta1 signaling, with potential therapeutic benefits against TGF-
      beta1 -induced renal fibrosis. To characterize SnoN for its role in renal
      fibrosis, we assessed SnoN expression patterns in response to high glucose
      stress, and evaluated the effects of upregulating SnoN on renal fibrosis. High
      glucose stress induced significantly elevated SnoN, TGF-beta1, and Arkadia
      transcription; however, significantly reduced SnoN protein levels were observed
      under these conditions. Upregulating the SnoN protein was achieved by Arkadia
      knockdown, which resulted in inhibited high glucose-induced epithelial
      mesenchymal transition (EMT) in renal tubular cells, the onset phase of renal
      fibrosis. Alternatively, EMT was suppressed by dominantly expressed exogenous
      SnoN without interfering with TGF-beta1. Overall, renal SnoN upregulation
      ameliorates renal fibrosis by relieving high glucose-induced EMT; these findings
      support a translational approach targeting SnoN for the treatment of diabetic
      nephropathy.

PMID- 28350875
TI  - Effects of embryo-derived exosomes on the development of bovine cloned embryos.
AB  - The developmental competence of in vitro cultured (IVC) embryos is markedly lower
      than that of their in vivo counterparts, suggesting the need for optimization of
      IVC protocols. Embryo culture medium is routinely replaced three days after
      initial culture in bovine, however, whether this protocol is superior to
      continuous nonrenewal culture method under current conditions remains unclear.
      Using bovine somatic cell nuclear transfer (SCNT) embryos as the model, our
      results showed that compared with routine renewal treatment, nonrenewal culture
      system significantly improved blastocyst formation, blastocyst quality (increased
      total cell number, decreased stress and apoptosis, enhanced Oct-4 expression and
      ratio of ICM/TE), as well as following development to term. Existence and
      function of SCNT embryo-derived exosomes were then investigated to reveal the
      cause of impaired development induced by culture medium replacement. Exosomes
      were successfully isolated through differential centrifugation and identified by
      both electron microscopy and immunostaining against exosomal membrane marker CD9.
      Supplementation of extracted exosomes into freshly renewed medium significantly
      rescued not only blastocyst formation and quality (in vitro development), but
      also following growth to term (in vivo development). Notably, ratio of ICM/TE and
      calving rate were enhanced to a similar level as that in nonrenewal group. In
      conclusion, our results for the first time indicate that 1: bovine SCNT embryos
      can secrete exosomes into chemically defined culture medium during IVC; 2:
      secreted exosomes are essential for SCNT blastocyst formation, blastocyst
      quality, and following development to term; 3: removal of exosomes induced by
      culture medium replacement impairs SCNT embryo development, which can be avoided
      by nonrenewal culture procedure or markedly recovered by exosome supplementation.

PMID- 28350876
TI  - MIPE: A metagenome-based community structure explorer and SSU primer evaluation
      tool.
AB  - An understanding of microbial community structure is an important issue in the
      field of molecular ecology. The traditional molecular method involves
      amplification of small subunit ribosomal RNA (SSU rRNA) genes by polymerase chain
      reaction (PCR). However, PCR-based amplicon approaches are affected by primer
      bias and chimeras. With the development of high-throughput sequencing technology,
      unbiased SSU rRNA gene sequences can be mined from shotgun sequencing-based
      metagenomic or metatranscriptomic datasets to obtain a reflection of the
      microbial community structure in specific types of environment and to evaluate
      SSU primers. However, the use of short reads obtained through next-generation
      sequencing for primer evaluation has not been well resolved. The software MIPE
      (MIcrobiota metagenome Primer Explorer) was developed to adapt numerous short
      reads from metagenomes and metatranscriptomes. Using metagenomic or
      metatranscriptomic datasets as input, MIPE extracts and aligns rRNA to reveal
      detailed information on microbial composition and evaluate SSU rRNA primers. A
      mock dataset, a real Metagenomics Rapid Annotation using Subsystem Technology (MG
      RAST) test dataset, two PrimerProspector test datasets and a real
      metatranscriptomic dataset were used to validate MIPE. The software calls Mothur
      (v1.33.3) and the SILVA database (v119) for the alignment and classification of
      rRNA genes from a metagenome or metatranscriptome. MIPE can effectively extract
      shotgun rRNA reads from a metagenome or metatranscriptome and is capable of
      classifying these sequences and exhibiting sensitivity to different SSU rRNA PCR
      primers. Therefore, MIPE can be used to guide primer design for specific
      environmental samples.

PMID- 28350878
TI  - Correction: Beneficial effects of exercise on offspring obesity and insulin
      resistance are reduced by maternal high-fat diet.
AB  - [This corrects the article DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0173076.].

PMID- 28350877
TI  - Exposure to atheroma-relevant 7-oxysterols causes proteomic alterations in cell
      death, cellular longevity, and lipid metabolism in THP-1 macrophages.
AB  - The 7-oxysterols are recognised as strong enhancers of inflammatory processes in
      foamy macrophages. Atheroma-relevant 7-oxysterol mixtures induce a mixed type of
      cell death in macrophages, and trigger cellular oxidative stress responses, which
      mimic oxidative exposures observed in atherosclerotic lesions. However, the
      macrophage proteome has not previously been determined in the 7-oxysterol treated
      cell model. The aim of the present study was to determine the specific effects of
      an atheroma-relevant 7-oxysterol mixture on human macrophage proteome. Human THP
      1 macrophages were exposed to an atheroma-relevant mixture of 7beta
      hydroxycholesterol and 7-ketocholesterol. Two-dimensional gel electrophoresis and
      mass spectrometry techniques were used to analyse the alterations in macrophage
      proteome, which resulted in the identification of 19 proteins with significant
      differential expression upon oxysterol loading; 8 increased and 11 decreased. The
      expression patterns of 11 out of 19 identified significant proteins were further
      confirmed by tandem-mass spectrometry, including further validation of increased
      histone deacetylase 2 and macrophage scavenger receptor types I and II
      expressions by western blot analysis. Identified proteins with differential
      expression in the cell model have been associated with i) signalling imbalance in
      cell death and cellular longevity; ii) lipid uptake and metabolism in foam cells;
      and iii) inflammatory proteins. The presented findings highlight a new proteomic
      platform for further studies into the functional roles of macrophages in
      atherosclerosis, and present a cell model for future studies to modulate the
      macrophage proteome by potential anti-atherosclerotic agents.

PMID- 28350880
TI  - Corrosion of dental alloys in artificial saliva with Streptococcus mutans.
AB  - A comparative study of the corrosion resistance of CoCr and NiCr alloys in
      artificial saliva (AS) containing tryptic soy broth (Solution 1) and
      Streptococcus mutans (S. mutans) species (Solution 2) was performed by
      electrochemical methods, including open circuit potential measurements, impedance
      spectroscopy, and potentiodynamic polarization. The adherence of S. mutans to the
      NiCr and CoCr alloy surfaces immersed in Solution 2 for 24 h was verified by
      scanning electron microscopy, while the results of electrochemical impedance
      spectroscopy confirmed the importance of biofilm formation for the corrosion
      process. The R(QR) equivalent circuit was successfully used to fit the data
      obtained for the AS mixture without S. mutans, while the R(Q(R(QR))) circuit was
      found to be more suitable for describing the biofilm properties after treatment
      with the AS containing S. mutans species. In addition, a negative shift of the
      open circuit potential with immersion time was observed for all samples
      regardless of the solution type. Both alloys exhibited higher charge transfer
      resistance after treatment with Solution 2, and lower corrosion current densities
      were detected for all samples in the presence of S. mutans. The obtained results
      suggest that the biofilm formation observed after 24 h of exposure to S. mutans
      bacteria might enhance the corrosion resistance of the studied samples by
      creating physical barriers that prevented oxygen interactions with the metal
      surfaces.

PMID- 28350879
TI  - Maternal psychological responses during pregnancy after ultrasonographic
      detection of structural fetal anomalies: A prospective longitudinal observational
      study.
AB  - In this longitudinal prospective observational study performed at a tertiary
      perinatal referral centre, we aimed to assess maternal distress in pregnancy in
      women with ultrasound findings of fetal anomaly and compare this with distress in
      pregnant women with normal ultrasound findings. Pregnant women with a structural
      fetal anomaly (n = 48) and normal ultrasound (n = 105) were included. We
      administered self-report questionnaires (General Health Questionnaire-28, Impact
      of Event Scale-22 [IES], and Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale) a few days
      following ultrasound detection of a fetal anomaly or a normal ultrasound (T1), 3
      weeks post-ultrasound (T2), and at 30 (T3) and 36 weeks gestation (T4). Social
      dysfunction, health perception, and psychological distress (intrusion, avoidance,
      arousal, anxiety, and depression) were the main outcome measures. The median
      gestational age at T1 was 20 and 19 weeks in the group with and without fetal
      anomaly, respectively. In the fetal anomaly group, all psychological distress
      scores were highest at T1. In the group with a normal scan, distress scores were
      stable throughout pregnancy. At all assessments, the fetal anomaly group scored
      significantly higher (especially on depression-related questions) compared to the
      normal scan group, except on the IES Intrusion and Arousal subscales at T4,
      although with large individual differences. In conclusion, women with a known
      fetal anomaly initially had high stress scores, which gradually decreased,
      resembling those in women with a normal pregnancy. Psychological stress levels
      were stable and low during the latter half of gestation in women with a normal
      pregnancy.

PMID- 28350881
TI  - Correction: GATA2 Inhibition Sensitizes Acute Myeloid Leukemia Cells to
      Chemotherapy.
AB  - [This corrects the article DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0170630.].

PMID- 28350882
TI  - Correction: G3BP1, G3BP2 and CAPRIN1 Are Required for Translation of Interferon
      Stimulated mRNAs and Are Targeted by a Dengue Virus Non-coding RNA.
AB  - [This corrects the article DOI: 10.1371/journal.ppat.1004242.].

PMID- 28350883
TI  - Correction: Changes in Prevalence of HIV or Syphilis among Male Sex Workers and
      Non-Commercial Men Who Have Sex with Men in Shenzhen, China: Results of a Second
      Survey.
AB  - [This corrects the article DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0167619.].

PMID- 28350884
TI  - Impacts of representing sea-level rise uncertainty on future flood risks: An
      example from San Francisco Bay.
AB  - Rising sea levels increase the probability of future coastal flooding. Many
      decision-makers use risk analyses to inform the design of sea-level rise (SLR)
      adaptation strategies. These analyses are often silent on potentially relevant
      uncertainties. For example, some previous risk analyses use the expected, best,
      or large quantile (i.e., 90%) estimate of future SLR. Here, we use a case study
      to quantify and illustrate how neglecting SLR uncertainties can bias risk
      projections. Specifically, we focus on the future 100-yr (1% annual exceedance
      probability) coastal flood height (storm surge including SLR) in the year 2100 in
      the San Francisco Bay area. We find that accounting for uncertainty in future SLR
      increases the return level (the height associated with a probability of
      occurrence) by half a meter from roughly 2.2 to 2.7 m, compared to using the mean
      sea-level projection. Accounting for this uncertainty also changes the shape of
      the relationship between the return period (the inverse probability that an event
      of interest will occur) and the return level. For instance, incorporating
      uncertainties shortens the return period associated with the 2.2 m return level
      from a 100-yr to roughly a 7-yr return period (~15% probability). Additionally,
      accounting for this uncertainty doubles the area at risk of flooding (the area to
      be flooded under a certain height; e.g., the 100-yr flood height) in San
      Francisco. These results indicate that the method of accounting for future SLR
      can have considerable impacts on the design of flood risk management strategies.

PMID- 28350885
TI  - Glutamate-dependent ectodomain shedding of neuregulin-1 type II precursors in rat
      forebrain neurons.
AB  - The neurotrophic factor neuregulin 1 (NRG1) regulates neuronal development, glial
      differentiation, and excitatory synapse maturation. NRG1 is synthesized as a
      membrane-anchored precursor and is then liberated by proteolytic processing or
      exocytosis. Mature NRG1 then binds to its receptors expressed by neighboring
      neurons or glial cells. However, the molecular mechanisms that govern this
      process in the nervous system are not defined in detail. Here we prepared neuron
      enriched and glia-enriched cultures from embryonic rat neocortex to investigate
      the role of neurotransmitters that regulate the liberation/release of NRG1 from
      the membrane of neurons or glial cells. Using a two-site enzyme immunoassay to
      detect soluble NRG1, we show that, of various neurotransmitters, glutamate was
      the most potent inducer of NRG1 release in neuron-enriched cultures. NRG1 release
      in glia-enriched cultures was relatively limited. Furthermore, among glutamate
      receptor agonists, N-Methyl-D-Aspartate (NMDA) and kainate (KA), but not AMPA or
      tACPD, mimicked the effects of glutamate. Similar findings were acquired from
      analysis of the hippocampus of rats with KA-induced seizures. To evaluate the
      contribution of members of a disintegrin and metalloproteinase (ADAM) families to
      NRG1 release, we transfected primary cultures of neurons with cDNA vectors
      encoding NRG1 types I, II, or III precursors, each tagged with the alkaline
      phosphatase reporter. Analysis of alkaline phosphatase activity revealed that the
      NRG1 type II precursor was subjected to tumor necrosis factor-alpha-converting
      enzyme (TACE) / a Disintegrin And Metalloproteinase 17 (ADAM17) -dependent
      ectodomain shedding in a protein kinase C-dependent manner. These results suggest
      that glutamatergic neurotransmission positively regulates the ectodomain shedding
      of NRG1 type II precursors and liberates the active NRG1 domain in an activity
      dependent manner.

PMID- 28350886
TI  - Parathyroid score can predict the duration of required calcium supplementation
      after total thyroidectomy.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Postoperative hypoparathyroidism is the most common complication
      after total thyroidectomy, owing to unintentional injury or decreased blood flow
      to the parathyroid glands. Prediction of postoperative hypoparathyroidism would
      be helpful for surgeons to manage postoperative hypocalcemia. In this study, we
      scored the discoloration of the parathyroid glands using a new parathyroid
      scoring system and evaluated the correlation between the parathyroid score and
      duration of required calcium supplementation after total thyroidectomy. METHODS:
      A total of 316 patients undergoing total thyroidectomy between November 2009 and
      April 2010 were enrolled in this retrospective study. Parathyroid scoring was
      performed by one experienced surgeon. The status of each of the 4 parathyroid
      glands was classified as normal color (3 points), slightly discolored (2 points),
      dark discoloration (1 point), or loss of the gland (0 points), resulting in
      possible total scores of 0-12. Serum parathyroid hormone (PTH), serum calcium,
      and ionized calcium concentrations were measured at 2 hours, 2 weeks, 3 months, 6
      months, and 1 year after surgery. Patients were also divided into three groups
      based on the duration of required calcium supplementation: no required
      supplementation (n = 260, 82.3%), required supplementation for <6 months (n = 38,
      12%), and required supplementation for >=6 months (n = 18, 5.75%). RESULTS:
      Parathyroid scores were positively correlated with ionized PTH concentrations at
      2 hours (r = 0.053, p < 0.001), 2 weeks (r = 0.056, p < 0.001), 3 months (r =
      0.032, p<0.001), 6 months (r = 0.072, p < 0.001), and 1 year (r = 0.071, p <
      0.001) after thyroidectomy. Parathyroid scores were significantly and inversely
      associated with the duration of required calcium supplementation (p = 0.001).
      CONCLUSIONS: Parathyroid scores at the end of surgery might be helpful for
      predicting the degree of postoperative hypocalcemia after total thyroidetomy.

PMID- 28350887
TI  - Auditory steady state responses and cochlear implants: Modeling the artifact
      response mixture in the perspective of denoising.
AB  - Auditory steady state responses (ASSRs) in cochlear implant (CI) patients are
      contaminated by the spread of a continuous CI electrical stimulation artifact.
      The aim of this work was to model the electrophysiological mixture of the CI
      artifact and the corresponding evoked potentials on scalp electrodes in order to
      evaluate the performance of denoising algorithms in eliminating the CI artifact
      in a controlled environment. The basis of the proposed computational framework is
      a neural mass model representing the nodes of the auditory pathways. Six main
      contributors to auditory evoked potentials from the cochlear level and up to the
      auditory cortex were taken into consideration. The simulated dynamics were then
      projected into a 3-layer realistic head model. 32-channel scalp recordings of the
      CI artifact-response were then generated by solving the electromagnetic forward
      problem. As an application, the framework's simulated 32-channel datasets were
      used to compare the performance of 4 commonly used Independent Component Analysis
      (ICA) algorithms: infomax, extended infomax, jade and fastICA in eliminating the
      CI artifact. As expected, two major components were detectable in the simulated
      datasets, a low frequency component at the modulation frequency and a pulsatile
      high frequency component related to the stimulation frequency. The first can be
      attributed to the phase-locked ASSR and the second to the stimulation artifact.
      Among the ICA algorithms tested, simulations showed that infomax was the most
      efficient and reliable in denoising the CI artifact-response mixture. Denoising
      algorithms can induce undesirable deformation of the signal of interest in real
      CI patient recordings. The proposed framework is a valuable tool for evaluating
      these algorithms in a controllable environment ahead of experimental or clinical
      applications.

PMID- 28350889
TI  - Cultural representations of dementia.
AB  - In a Perspective, Alexandra Hillman and Joanna Latimer discuss cultural
      representations of dementia in the media, film, and literature.

PMID- 28350888
TI  - Patterns of variation in diversity of the Mississippi river microbiome over 1,300
      kilometers.
AB  - We examined the downriver patterns of variation in taxonomic diversity of the
      Mississippi River bacterioplankton microbiome along 1,300 river kilometers, or
      approximately one third the total length of the river. The study section included
      portions of the Upper, Middle, and Lower Mississippi River, confluences with five
      tributaries draining distinct sub-basins, river cities, and extended stretches
      without major inputs to the Mississippi. The composition and proportional
      abundance of dominant bacterial phyla was distinct for free-living and particle
      associated cells, and constant along the entire reach, except for a substantial
      but transient disturbance near the city of Memphis, Tennessee. At a finer scale
      of taxonomic resolution (operational taxonomic units, OTUs), however, there were
      notable patterns in downriver variation in bacterial community alpha diversity
      (richness within a site) and beta diversity (variation in composition among
      sites). There was a strong and steady increase downriver in alpha diversity of
      OTUs on suspended particles, suggesting an increase in particle niche
      heterogeneity, and/or particle colonization. Relatively large shifts in beta
      diversity of free-living and particle-associated communities occurred following
      major tributary confluences and transiently at Memphis, while in long stretches
      between these points diversity typically varied more gradually. We conclude that
      the Mississippi River possesses a bacterioplankton microbiome distinct in
      diversity from other large river microbiomes in the Mississippi River Basin, that
      at major river confluences or urban point sources its OTU diversity may shift
      abruptly and substantially, presumably by immigration of distinct external
      microbiomes, but that where environmental conditions are more stable along the
      downriver gradient, microbiome diversity tends to vary gradually, presumably by a
      process of successional change in community composition.

PMID- 28350890
TI  - Quantification of motor network dynamics in Parkinson's disease by means of
      landscape and flux theory.
AB  - The basal ganglia neural circuit plays an important role in motor control.
      Despite the significant efforts, the understanding of the principles and
      underlying mechanisms of this modulatory circuit and the emergence of abnormal
      synchronized oscillations in movement disorders is still challenging. Dopamine
      loss has been proved to be responsible for Parkinson's disease. We quantitatively
      described the dynamics of the basal ganglia-thalamo-cortical circuit in
      Parkinson's disease in terms of the emergence of both abnormal firing rates and
      firing patterns in the circuit. We developed a potential landscape and flux
      framework for exploring the modulatory circuit. The driving force of the circuit
      can be decomposed into a gradient of the potential, which is associated with the
      steady-state probability distributions, and the curl probability flux term. We
      uncovered the underlying potential landscape as a Mexican hat-shape closed ring
      valley where abnormal oscillations emerge due to dopamine depletion. We
      quantified the global stability of the network through the topography of the
      landscape in terms of the barrier height, which is defined as the potential
      difference between the maximum potential inside the ring and the minimum
      potential along the ring. Both a higher barrier and a larger flux originated from
      detailed balance breaking result in more stable oscillations. Meanwhile, more
      energy is consumed to support the increasing flux. Global sensitivity analysis on
      the landscape topography and flux indicates how changes in underlying neural
      network regulatory wirings and external inputs influence the dynamics of the
      system. We validated two of the main hypotheses(direct inhibition hypothesis and
      output activation hypothesis) on the therapeutic mechanism of deep brain
      stimulation (DBS). We found GPe appears to be another effective stimulated target
      for DBS besides GPi and STN. Our approach provides a general way to
      quantitatively explore neural networks and may help for uncovering more
      efficacious therapies for movement disorders.

PMID- 28350892
TI  - Dynamic Assessment of Narratives: Efficient, Accurate Identification of Language
      Impairment in Bilingual Students.
AB  - Purpose: This study investigated the classification accuracy of a concentrated
      English narrative dynamic assessment (DA) for identifying language impairment
      (LI). Method: Forty-two Spanish-English bilingual kindergarten to third-grade
      children (10 LI and 32 with no LI) were administered two 25-min DA test-teach
      test sessions. Pre- and posttest narrative retells were scored in real time.
      Using a structured intervention approach, examiners taught children missing story
      grammar elements and subordination. A posttest was administered using a parallel
      story. Results: Four classification predictors were analyzed: posttest scores,
      gain scores, modifiability ratings, and teaching duration. Discriminant function
      analysis indicated that an overall modifiability rating was the best classifier,
      with 100% sensitivity and 88% specificity after 1 DA session and 100% sensitivity
      and specificity after 2 sessions. Any 2 combinations of posttest scores,
      modifiability ratings, and teaching duration for just 1 session resulted in
      sensitivity and specificity rates over 90%. Receiver operating characteristic
      analyses were used to identify clinically usable cutoff points. Post hoc
      exploration indicated that similar results could be obtained after only one 5-10
      min teaching cycle, potentially further abbreviating the DA process. Conclusion:
      Concentrated English narrative DA results in high classification accuracy for
      bilingual children with and without LI. This efficient version of DA is amenable
      to clinical use.

PMID- 28350893
TI  - Celiac Disease and Nonceliac Gluten or Wheat Sensitivity: The Risks and Benefits
      of Diagnosis.

PMID- 28350891
TI  - An on-chip instrument for white blood cells classification based on a lens-less
      shadow imaging technique.
AB  - Routine blood tests provide important basic information for disease diagnoses.
      The proportions of three subtypes of white blood cells (WBCs), which are
      neutrophils, monocytes, lymphocytes, is key information for disease diagnosis.
      However, current instruments for routine blood tests, such as blood cell
      analyzers, flow cytometers, and optical microscopes, are cumbersome, time
      consuming and expensive. To make a smaller, automatic low-cost blood cell
      analyzer, much research has focused on a technique called lens-less shadow
      imaging, which can obtain microscopic images of cells in a lens-less system.
      Nevertheless, the efficiency of this imaging system is not satisfactory because
      of two problems: low resolution and imaging diffraction phenomena. In this paper,
      a novel method of classifying cells with the shadow imaging technique was
      proposed. It could be used for the classification of the three subtypes of WBCs,
      and the correlation of the results of classification between the proposed system
      and the reference system (BC-5180, Mindray) was 0.93. However, the instrument was
      only 10 * 10 * 10 cm, and the cost was less than $100. Depending on the lens-free
      shadow imaging technology, the main hardware could be integrated on a chip scale
      and could be called an on-chip instrument.

PMID- 28350894
TI  - Assessing the Amount of Spontaneous Real-World Spoken Language in Aphasia:
      Validation of Two Methods.
AB  - Purpose: The purpose of this article is to present the results of a study
      evaluating the psychometric properties of 2 new measures that exclusively assess
      the amount of real-world spoken language in patients with aphasia. Method: Forty
      individuals with aphasia were evaluated on several measures of spoken language in
      real-world settings. The Verbal Activity Log (VAL; Johnson et al., 2014) has
      participants, aided by caregivers, indicate current amount and quality of real
      world spoken language compared with before stroke. In addition, digital voice
      recorders objectively measured the amount of real-world spoken language. The
      Communicative Effectiveness Index (Lomas et al., 1989), a previously validated
      measure of functional communication, was used as a comparison measure. Nineteen
      participants received follow-up assessment >= 3 weeks later. Results: Validity
      was supported by Pearson correlations between spoken language recordings and the
      VAL, r(38) = .70, p < .001. Likewise, correlation with the Communicative
      Effectiveness Index was strong, r(38) = .73, p < .001. Test-retest reliability
      for both VAL and audio recording was high, with intraclass correlations >= .96
      and .90, respectively. Conclusions: These results present preliminary evidence
      for the reliability and validity of the VAL and spoken language recording for
      assessment of the amount of real-world spoken language in aphasia. As a simple
      patient-reported outcome, the VAL may assist diverse therapies for aphasia.

PMID- 28350895
TI  - The Antibacterial Resistance Leadership Group: First Steps.

PMID- 28350896
TI  - The Antibacterial Resistance Leadership Group: Progress Report and Work in
      Progress.
AB  - The Antibacterial Resistance Leadership Group (ARLG), with funding from the
      National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases of the National Institutes
      of Health, was created in June 2013. Its mission is to develop, prioritize, and
      implement a clinical research agenda that addresses the public health threat of
      antibacterial resistance. This article reports on the progress that the ARLG has
      made to date in fulfilling its mission. Since inception, the ARLG has received
      and reviewed >70 study proposals, initiated >30 studies, executed >300
      agreements, included data from >7000 subjects, published >45 manuscripts, and
      provided opportunities for 26 mentees. Despite this substantial progress, there
      remains significant work to be accomplished. This article also describes the
      considerable challenges that lie ahead.

PMID- 28350898
TI  - Leading Antibacterial Laboratory Research by Integrating Conventional and
      Innovative Approaches: The Laboratory Center of the Antibacterial Resistance
      Leadership Group.
AB  - The Antibacterial Resistance Leadership Group (ARLG) Laboratory Center (LC) leads
      the evaluation, development, and implementation of laboratory-based research by
      providing scientific leadership and supporting standard/specialized laboratory
      services. The LC has developed a physical biorepository and a virtual
      biorepository. The physical biorepository contains bacterial isolates from ARLG
      funded studies located in a centralized laboratory and they are available to ARLG
      investigators. The Web-based virtual biorepository strain catalogue includes well
      characterized gram-positive and gram-negative bacterial strains published by ARLG
      investigators. The LC, in collaboration with the ARLG Leadership and Operations
      Center, developed procedures for review and approval of strain requests, guidance
      during the selection process, and for shipping strains from the distributing
      laboratories to the requesting investigators. ARLG strains and scientific and/or
      technical guidance have been provided to basic research laboratories and
      diagnostic companies for research and development, facilitating collaboration
      between diagnostic companies and the ARLG Master Protocol for Evaluating Multiple
      Infection Diagnostics (MASTERMIND) initiative for evaluation of multiple
      diagnostic devices from a single patient sampling event. In addition, the LC has
      completed several laboratory-based studies designed to help evaluate new rapid
      molecular diagnostics by developing, testing, and applying a MASTERMIND approach
      using purified bacterial strains. In collaboration with the ARLG's Statistical
      and Data Management Center (SDMC), the LC has developed novel analytical
      strategies that integrate microbiologic and genetic data for improved and
      accurate identification of antimicrobial resistance. These novel approaches will
      aid in the design of future ARLG studies and help correlate pathogenic markers
      with clinical outcomes. The LC's accomplishments are the result of a successful
      collaboration with the ARLG's Leadership and Operations Center, Diagnostics and
      Devices Committee, and SDMC. This interactive approach has been pivotal for the
      success of LC projects.

PMID- 28350897
TI  - Transforming Concepts Into Clinical Trials and Creating a Multisite Network: The
      Leadership and Operations Center of the Antibacterial Resistance Leadership
      Group.
AB  - The Leadership and Operations Center (LOC) is responsible for facilitating,
      coordinating, and implementing the Antibacterial Resistance Leadership Group
      (ARLG) scientific agenda by engaging thought leaders; soliciting research
      proposals; and developing the processes, tools, and infrastructure required to
      operationalize studies and create and sustain the ARLG network. These efforts are
      ongoing as new projects are developed and the network expands and grows to
      address the ever-changing priorities in antibacterial resistance. This article
      describes the innovations, accomplishments, and opportunities of the LOC since
      the inception of the ARLG in 2013.

PMID- 28350899
TI  - Fundamentals and Catalytic Innovation: The Statistical and Data Management Center
      of the Antibacterial Resistance Leadership Group.
AB  - The Statistical and Data Management Center (SDMC) provides the Antibacterial
      Resistance Leadership Group (ARLG) with statistical and data management expertise
      to advance the ARLG research agenda. The SDMC is active at all stages of a study,
      including design; data collection and monitoring; data analyses and archival; and
      publication of study results. The SDMC enhances the scientific integrity of ARLG
      studies through the development and implementation of innovative and practical
      statistical methodologies and by educating research colleagues regarding the
      application of clinical trial fundamentals. This article summarizes the
      challenges and roles, as well as the innovative contributions in the design,
      monitoring, and analyses of clinical trials and diagnostic studies, of the ARLG
      SDMC.

PMID- 28350900
TI  - Gram-Positive Bacterial Infections: Research Priorities, Accomplishments, and
      Future Directions of the Antibacterial Resistance Leadership Group.
AB  - Antimicrobial resistance in gram-positive bacteria remains a challenge in
      infectious diseases. The mission of the Gram-Positive Committee of the
      Antibacterial Resistance Leadership Group (ARLG) is to advance knowledge in the
      prevention, management, and treatment of these challenging infections to improve
      patient outcomes. Our committee has prioritized projects involving methicillin
      resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) and vancomycin-resistant enterococci (VRE)
      due to the scope of the medical threat posed by these pathogens. Approved ARLG
      projects involving gram-positive pathogens include (1) a
      pharmacokinetics/pharmacodynamics study to evaluate the impact of vancomycin
      dosing on patient outcome in MRSA bloodstream infection (BSI); (2) defining,
      testing, and validating innovative assessments of patient outcomes for clinical
      trials of MRSA-BSI; (3) testing new strategies for "step-down" antibiotic therapy
      for MRSA-BSI; (4) management of staphylococcal BSIs in neonatal intensive care
      units; and (5) defining the impact of VRE bacteremia and daptomycin
      susceptibility on patient outcomes. This article outlines accomplishments,
      priorities, and challenges for research of infections caused by gram-positive
      organisms.

PMID- 28350901
TI  - Gram-Negative Bacterial Infections: Research Priorities, Accomplishments, and
      Future Directions of the Antibacterial Resistance Leadership Group.
AB  - Antimicrobial resistance in pathogenic gram-negative bacteria is one of the most
      pressing challenges in the field of infectious diseases and is one of 4 key areas
      of unmet medical need identified by the Antibacterial Resistance Leadership Group
      (ARLG). The mission of the Gram-Negative Committee is to advance our knowledge of
      these challenging infections and implement studies to improve patient outcomes.
      Studies have fallen primarily into 2 broad categories: prospective cohort studies
      and interventional trials. Among the observational studies, CRACKLE (Consortium
      on Resistance Against Carbapenems in Klebsiella pneumoniae and Other
      Enterobacteriaceae) has contributed seminal multicenter data describing risk
      factors and clinical outcomes of carbapenem-resistant Enterobacteriaceae (CRE) in
      sentinel US hospitals. Building on this success, CRACKLE II will expand the
      network to hospitals across the United States and Colombia. Similar protocols
      have been proposed to include Acinetobacter baumannii and Pseudomonas aeruginosa
      (SNAP and POP studies). In addition, the CREST study (Carbapenem-Resistant
      Enterobacteriaceae in Solid Organ Transplant Patients) has provided pivotal data
      on extended-spectrum beta-lactamase (ESBL)-producing Enterobacteriaceae and CRE
      carriage among solid organ transplant recipients to inform management of this
      vulnerable patient population. Two clinical trials to define novel ways of using
      an existing antibiotic, fosfomycin, to treat ESBL-producing Enterobacteriaceae
      (one that has completed enrollment and the other in late protocol development)
      will determine the clinical efficacy of fosfomycin as step-down oral therapy to
      treat complicated urinary tract infections. Additional clinical studies and
      trials using immunotherapeutic or newly approved agents are also in the planning
      stage, with the main goals of generating actionable data that will inform
      clinical decision making and facilitate development of new treatment options for
      highly resistant gram-negative bacterial infections.

PMID- 28350902
TI  - The Role of Stewardship in Addressing Antibacterial Resistance: Stewardship and
      Infection Control Committee of the Antibacterial Resistance Leadership Group.
AB  - Antibacterial resistance is increasing globally and has been recognized as a
      major public health threat. Antibacterial stewardship is the coordinated effort
      to improve the appropriate use of antibiotics with the aim to decrease selective
      pressure for multidrug-resistant organisms in order to preserve the utility of
      antibacterial agents. This article describes the activities of the Antibacterial
      Resistance Leadership Group (ARLG) in the area of antibacterial stewardship. To
      date, the ARLG has focused intensely on development of rapid diagnostic tests,
      which (when coupled with educational and institutional initiatives) will enable
      the robust stewardship that is needed to address the current crisis of
      antibacterial resistance. In addition to exploring the effectiveness of
      stewardship techniques in community hospitals, the ARLG has also developed
      strategy trials to assess the feasibility of reducing antibacterial usage while
      preserving patient outcome.

PMID- 28350904
TI  - The Female Beautiful Face.

PMID- 28350903
TI  - Advancing Diagnostics to Address Antibacterial Resistance: The Diagnostics and
      Devices Committee of the Antibacterial Resistance Leadership Group.
AB  - Diagnostics are a cornerstone of the practice of infectious diseases. However,
      various limitations frequently lead to unmet clinical needs. In most other
      domains, diagnostics focus on narrowly defined questions, provide readily
      interpretable answers, and use true gold standards for development. In contrast,
      infectious diseases diagnostics must contend with scores of potential pathogens,
      dozens of clinical syndromes, emerging pathogens, rapid evolution of existing
      pathogens and their associated resistance mechanisms, and the absence of gold
      standards in many situations. In spite of these challenges, the importance and
      value of diagnostics cannot be underestimated. Therefore, the Antibacterial
      Resistance Leadership Group has identified diagnostics as 1 of 4 major areas of
      emphasis. Herein, we provide an overview of that development, highlighting
      several examples where innovation in study design, content, and execution is
      advancing the field of infectious diseases diagnostics.

PMID- 28350905
TI  - Incorrect Value in Figure.

PMID- 28350906
TI  - The US Preventive Services Task Force Recommendation on Screening for
      Asymptomatic Celiac Disease: A Dearth of Evidence.

PMID- 28350907
TI  - Childhood Lead Exposure and Adult Outcomes.

PMID- 28350908
TI  - Laparoscopic Hysterectomy for Endometrial Cancer: A Procedure 25 Years in the
      Making.

PMID- 28350909
TI  - Vitamin D, Calcium, and Cancer: Approaching Daylight?

PMID- 28350910
TI  - Introduce Peanut-Containing Foods Early, NIH Panel Advises.

PMID- 28350911
TI  - Increases in Premature Mortality.

PMID- 28350912
TI  - Conditional Greenlight for Future Trials of Heritable Genome Editing.

PMID- 28350914
TI  - Professionalism in Health Care Organizations.

PMID- 28350915
TI  - Notification of Infectious Diseases.

PMID- 28350916
TI  - Contribution of Assisted Reproductive Technology to Overall Births by Maternal
      Age in the United States, 2012-2014.

PMID- 28350917
TI  - In Vitro Fertilization Insurance Coverage and Chances of a Live Birth.

PMID- 28350918
TI  - Inpatient Palliative Care After Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation.

PMID- 28350919
TI  - Assessing Performance of Internal Medicine Residents.

PMID- 28350920
TI  - Priorities for Public Health Spending.

PMID- 28350921
TI  - Inpatient Palliative Care After Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation-Reply.

PMID- 28350923
TI  - Priorities for Public Health Spending-Reply.

PMID- 28350922
TI  - Assessing Performance of Internal Medicine Residents-Reply.

PMID- 28350924
TI  - Waiting to Clamp Cords Reduces Anemia in High-Risk Infants.

PMID- 28350925
TI  - Avoiding Unnecessary Prostate Biopsies With MRI.

PMID- 28350926
TI  - Bezlotoxumab Protects Against Recurrent C difficile Infections.

PMID- 28350927
TI  - Association of Childhood Blood Lead Levels With Cognitive Function and
      Socioeconomic Status at Age 38 Years and With IQ Change and Socioeconomic
      Mobility Between Childhood and Adulthood.
AB  - Importance: Many children in the United States and around the world are exposed
      to lead, a developmental neurotoxin. The long-term cognitive and socioeconomic
      consequences of lead exposure are uncertain. Objective: To test the hypothesis
      that childhood lead exposure is associated with cognitive function and
      socioeconomic status in adulthood and with changes in IQ and socioeconomic
      mobility between childhood and midlife. Design, Setting, and Participants: A
      prospective cohort study based on a population-representative 1972-1973 birth
      cohort from New Zealand; the Dunedin Multidisciplinary Health and Development
      Study observed participants to age 38 years (until December 2012). Exposures:
      Childhood lead exposure ascertained as blood lead levels measured at age 11
      years. High blood lead levels were observed among children from all socioeconomic
      status levels in this cohort. Main Outcomes and Measures: The IQ (primary
      outcome) and indexes of Verbal Comprehension, Perceptual Reasoning, Working
      Memory, and Processing Speed (secondary outcomes) were assessed at age 38 years
      using the Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale-IV (WAIS-IV; IQ range, 40-160).
      Socioeconomic status (primary outcome) was assessed at age 38 years using the New
      Zealand Socioeconomic Index-2006 (NZSEI-06; range, 10 [lowest]-90 [highest]).
      Results: Of 1037 original participants, 1007 were alive at age 38 years, of whom
      565 (56%) had been lead tested at age 11 years (54% male; 93% white). Mean (SD)
      blood lead level at age 11 years was 10.99 (4.63) ug/dL. Among blood-tested
      participants included at age 38 years, mean WAIS-IV score was 101.16 (14.82) and
      mean NZSEI-06 score was 49.75 (17.12). After adjusting for maternal IQ, childhood
      IQ, and childhood socioeconomic status, each 5-ug/dL higher level of blood lead
      in childhood was associated with a 1.61-point lower score (95% CI, -2.48 to 
      0.74) in adult IQ, a 2.07-point lower score (95% CI, -3.14 to -1.01) in
      perceptual reasoning, and a 1.26-point lower score (95% CI, -2.38 to -0.14) in
      working memory. Associations of childhood blood lead level with deficits in
      verbal comprehension and processing speed were not statistically significant.
      After adjusting for confounders, each 5-ug/dL higher level of blood lead in
      childhood was associated with a 1.79-unit lower score (95% CI, -3.17 to -0.40) in
      socioeconomic status. An association between greater blood lead levels and a
      decline in IQ and socioeconomic status from childhood to adulthood was observed
      with 40% of the association with downward mobility mediated by cognitive decline
      from childhood. Conclusions and Relevance: In this cohort born in New Zealand in
      1972-1973, childhood lead exposure was associated with lower cognitive function
      and socioeconomic status at age 38 years and with declines in IQ and with
      downward social mobility. Childhood lead exposure may have long-term
      ramifications.

PMID- 28350928
TI  - Effect of Total Laparoscopic Hysterectomy vs Total Abdominal Hysterectomy on
      Disease-Free Survival Among Women With Stage I Endometrial Cancer: A Randomized
      Clinical Trial.
AB  - Importance: Standard treatment for endometrial cancer involves removal of the
      uterus, tubes, ovaries, and lymph nodes. Few randomized trials have compared
      disease-free survival outcomes for surgical approaches. Objective: To investigate
      whether total laparoscopic hysterectomy (TLH) is equivalent to total abdominal
      hysterectomy (TAH) in women with treatment-naive endometrial cancer. Design,
      Setting, and Participants: The Laparoscopic Approach to Cancer of the Endometrium
      (LACE) trial was a multinational, randomized equivalence trial conducted between
      October 7, 2005, and June 30, 2010, in which 27 surgeons from 20 tertiary
      gynecological cancer centers in Australia, New Zealand, and Hong Kong randomized
      760 women with stage I endometrioid endometrial cancer to either TLH or TAH.
      Follow-up ended on March 3, 2016. Interventions: Patients were randomly assigned
      to undergo TAH (n = 353) or TLH (n = 407). Main Outcomes and Measures: The
      primary outcome was disease-free survival, which was measured as the interval
      between surgery and the date of first recurrence, including disease progression
      or the development of a new primary cancer or death assessed at 4.5 years after
      randomization. The prespecified equivalence margin was 7% or less. Secondary
      outcomes included recurrence of endometrial cancer and overall survival. Results:
      Patients were followed up for a median of 4.5 years. Of 760 patients who were
      randomized (mean age, 63 years), 679 (89%) completed the trial. At 4.5 years of
      follow-up, disease-free survival was 81.3% in the TAH group and 81.6% in the TLH
      group. The disease-free survival rate difference was 0.3% (favoring TLH; 95% CI, 
      5.5% to 6.1%; P = .007), meeting criteria for equivalence. There was no
      statistically significant between-group difference in recurrence of endometrial
      cancer (28/353 in TAH group [7.9%] vs 33/407 in TLH group [8.1%]; risk
      difference, 0.2% [95% CI, -3.7% to 4.0%]; P = .93) or in overall survival (24/353
      in TAH group [6.8%] vs 30/407 in TLH group [7.4%]; risk difference, 0.6% [95% CI,
      -3.0% to 4.2%]; P = .76). Conclusions and Relevance: Among women with stage I
      endometrial cancer, the use of total abdominal hysterectomy compared with total
      laparoscopic hysterectomy resulted in equivalent disease-free survival at 4.5
      years and no difference in overall survival. These findings support the use of
      laparoscopic hysterectomy for women with stage I endometrial cancer. Trial
      Registration: clinicaltrials.gov Identifier: NCT00096408; Australian New Zealand
      Clinical Trials Registry: CTRN12606000261516.

PMID- 28350930
TI  - Screening for Celiac Disease.

PMID- 28350929
TI  - Effect of Vitamin D and Calcium Supplementation on Cancer Incidence in Older
      Women: A Randomized Clinical Trial.
AB  - Importance: Evidence suggests that low vitamin D status may increase the risk of
      cancer. Objective: To determine if dietary supplementation with vitamin D3 and
      calcium reduces the risk of cancer among older women. Design, Setting, and
      Participants: A 4-year, double-blind, placebo-controlled, population-based
      randomized clinical trial in 31 rural counties (June 24, 2009, to August 26, 2015
      the final date of follow-up). A total of 2303 healthy postmenopausal women 55
      years or older were randomized, 1156 to the treatment group and 1147 to the
      placebo group. Duration of treatment was 4 years. Interventions: The treatment
      group (vitamin D3 + calcium group) received 2000 IU/d of vitamin D3 and 1500 mg/d
      of calcium; the placebo group received identical placebos. Main Outcomes and
      Measures: The primary outcome was the incidence of all-type cancer (excluding
      nonmelanoma skin cancers), which was evaluated using Kaplan-Meier survival
      analysis and proportional hazards modeling. Results: Among 2303 randomized women
      (mean age, 65.2 years [SD, 7.0]; mean baseline serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D level,
      32.8 ng/mL [SD, 10.5]), 2064 (90%) completed the study. At year 1, serum 25
      hydroxyvitamin D levels were 43.9 ng/mL in the vitamin D3 + calcium group and
      31.6 ng/mL in the placebo group. A new diagnosis of cancer was confirmed in 109
      participants, 45 (3.89%) in the vitamin D3 + calcium group and 64 (5.58%) in the
      placebo group (difference, 1.69% [95% CI, -0.06% to 3.46%]; P = .06). Kaplan
      Meier incidence over 4 years was 0.042 (95% CI, 0.032 to 0.056) in the vitamin D3
      + calcium group and 0.060 (95% CI, 0.048 to 0.076) in the placebo group; P = .06.
      In unadjusted Cox proportional hazards regression, the hazard ratio was 0.70 (95%
      CI, 0.47 to 1.02). Adverse events potentially related to the study included renal
      calculi (16 participants in the vitamin D3 + calcium group and 10 in the placebo
      group), and elevated serum calcium levels (6 in the vitamin D3 + calcium group
      and 2 in the placebo group). Conclusions and Relevance: Among healthy
      postmenopausal older women with a mean baseline serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D level
      of 32.8 ng/mL, supplementation with vitamin D3 and calcium compared with placebo
      did not result in a significantly lower risk of all-type cancer at 4 years.
      Further research is necessary to assess the possible role of vitamin D in cancer
      prevention. Trial Registration: clinicaltrials.gov Identifier: NCT01052051.

PMID- 28350931
TI  - Retained Lumbar Catheter Tip.

PMID- 28350933
TI  - The Lisboa Cafe.

PMID- 28350935
TI  - Screening for Celiac Disease: Evidence Report and Systematic Review for the US
      Preventive Services Task Force.
AB  - Importance: Silent or subclinical celiac disease may result in potentially
      avoidable adverse health consequences. Objective: To review the evidence on
      benefits and harms of screening for celiac disease in asymptomatic adults,
      adolescents, and children 3 years and older for the US Preventive Services Task
      Force. Data Sources: Ovid MEDLINE, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled
      Trials, and Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, searched to June 14, 2016.
      Study Selection: Randomized clinical trials and cohort or case-control studies on
      clinical benefits and harms of screening vs no screening for celiac disease or
      treatment vs no treatment for screen-detected celiac disease; studies on
      diagnostic accuracy of serologic tests for celiac disease. Data Extraction and
      Synthesis: One investigator abstracted data, a second checked data for accuracy,
      and 2 investigators independently assessed study quality using predefined
      criteria. Main Outcomes and Measures: Cancer incidence, gastrointestinal
      outcomes, psychological outcomes, child growth outcomes, health outcomes
      resulting from nutritional deficiencies, quality of life, mortality, and harms of
      screening. No meta-analytic pooling was done. Results: One systematic review and
      3 primary studies met inclusion criteria. No trials of screening for celiac
      disease were identified. One recent, good-quality systematic review of 56
      original studies and 12 previous systematic reviews (sample sizes of primary
      studies ranging from 62 to more than 12 000 participants) found IgA tissue
      transglutaminase was associated with high accuracy (sensitivity and specificity
      both >90%) for diagnosing celiac disease. IgA endomysial antibodies tests were
      associated with high specificity. Only 2 studies of serologic tests for celiac
      disease involving 62 and 158 patients were conducted in asymptomatic populations
      and reported lower sensitivity (57% and 71%). One fair-quality, small (n = 40)
      Finnish treatment trial of asymptomatic adults with screen-detected celiac
      disease based on positive serologic findings found initiation of a gluten-free
      diet associated with small improvement in gastrointestinal symptoms compared with
      no gluten-free diet (difference less than 1 point on a scale of 1 to 7) at 1
      year, with no differences on most measures of quality of life. No withdrawals due
      to adverse events occurred during the trial; no other harms were reported. No
      studies were identified that addressed the other outcomes. Conclusions and
      Relevance: Although some evidence was found regarding diagnostic accuracy of
      tests for celiac disease, little or no evidence was identified to inform most of
      the key questions related to benefits and harms of screening for celiac disease
      in asymptomatic individuals. More research is needed to understand the
      effectiveness of screening and treatment for celiac disease, accuracy of
      screening tests in asymptomatic persons, and optimal screening strategies.

PMID- 28350937
TI  - Decline in Postpartum Depression.

PMID- 28350938
TI  - Less Noise, Better Health.

PMID- 28350936
TI  - Screening for Celiac Disease: US Preventive Services Task Force Recommendation
      Statement.
AB  - Importance: Celiac disease is caused by an immune response in persons who are
      genetically susceptible to dietary gluten, a protein complex found in wheat, rye,
      and barley. Ingestion of gluten by persons with celiac disease causes immune
      mediated inflammatory damage to the small intestine. Objective: To issue a new US
      Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) recommendation on screening for celiac
      disease. Evidence Review: The USPSTF reviewed the evidence on the accuracy of
      screening in asymptomatic adults, adolescents, and children; the potential
      benefits and harms of screening vs not screening and targeted vs universal
      screening; and the benefits and harms of treatment of screen-detected celiac
      disease. The USPSTF also reviewed contextual information on the prevalence of
      celiac disease among patients without obvious symptoms and the natural history of
      subclinical celiac disease. Findings: The USPSTF found inadequate evidence on the
      accuracy of screening for celiac disease, the potential benefits and harms of
      screening vs not screening or targeted vs universal screening, and the potential
      benefits and harms of treatment of screen-detected celiac disease. Conclusions
      and Recommendation: The USPSTF concludes that the current evidence is
      insufficient to assess the balance of benefits and harms of screening for celiac
      disease in asymptomatic persons. (I statement).

PMID- 28350939
TI  - The Advancing Role of Neuromodulation for the Management of Chronic Treatment
      Refractory Pain.
AB  - Neuropathic pain is a common cause of disability and health care utilization.
      While judicious pharmacotherapy and management of comorbid psychological distress
      can provide for improved quality of life, some patients with treatment-refractory
      disease require more invasive therapies. Spinal cord stimulation can provide for
      improvement in pain and decrease in medication utilization, with level 1 evidence
      supporting its use across various pain etiologies including persistent
      postoperative neuropathic pain, complex regional pain syndrome, chronic
      inoperable limb ischemia, treatment refractory angina, and painful diabetic
      neuropathy. These procedures can be done with acceptably low morbidity and
      provide a cost-effective solution for those patients in whom medical therapies
      have failed. Technological innovation in lead design, implantable pulse generator
      capability, and stimulation algorithms and parameters may further enhance the
      success of this therapy. Neuromodulation of distal targets such as dorsal root
      ganglion may permit greater anatomic specificity of the therapy, whereas
      subthreshold stimulation with high-frequency or burst energy delivery may
      eliminate noxious and off-target paresthesiae. Such new technologies should be
      subject to rigorous evaluation as their mechanisms of action and long-term
      outcomes remain hitherto undefined.

PMID- 28350940
TI  - Recent and Emerging Advances in Spinal Deformity.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Over the last several decades, significant advances have occurred in
      the assessment and management of spinal deformity. OBJECTIVE: The primary focus
      of this narrative review is on recent advances in adult thoracic, thoracolumbar,
      and lumbar deformities, with additional discussions of advances in cervical
      deformity and pediatric deformity. METHODS: A review of recent literature was
      conducted. RESULTS: Advances in adult thoracic, thoracolumbar, and lumbar
      deformities reviewed include the growing applications of stereoradiography,
      development of new radiographic measures and improved understanding of
      radiographic alignment objectives, increasingly sophisticated tools for
      radiographic analysis, strategies to reduce the occurrence of common
      complications, and advances in minimally invasive techniques. In addition,
      discussion is provided on the rapidly advancing applications of predictive
      analytics and outcomes assessments that are intended to improve the ability to
      predict risk and outcomes. Advances in the rapidly evolving field of cervical
      deformity focus on better understanding of how cervical alignment is impacted by
      thoracolumbar regional alignment and global alignment and how this can affect
      surgical planning. Discussion is also provided on initial progress toward
      development of a comprehensive cervical deformity classification system.
      Pediatric deformity assessment has been substantially improved with low radiation
      based 3-D imaging, and promising clinical outcomes data are beginning to emerge
      on the use of growth-friendly implants. CONCLUSION: It is ultimately through the
      reviewed and other recent and ongoing advances that care for patients with spinal
      deformity will continue to evolve, enabling better informed treatment decisions,
      more meaningful patient counseling, reduced complications, and achievement of
      desired clinical outcomes.

PMID- 28350941
TI  - Spine Oncology - Primary Spine Tumors.
AB  - Primary tumors originating from the spine are very complex and challenging
      entities to treat. Due to their rarity, a multicenter collaborative network is
      essential to shepherd the best research and contribute to the dissemination of
      the best evidence possible. Over the last few years, several advances have
      occurred in many different fields. Surgery is still the cornerstone of treatment
      in most cases. The occasional suboptimal outcomes and high morbidity of surgical
      treatment have however encouraged professionals caring for these patients to
      explore safer treatment options and alternatives or adjuncts to surgical
      treatment. A number of novel treatment strategies have emerged from the medical,
      interventional radiology, radiation oncology, and molecular worlds. This has
      truly positioned primary spine tumors at the forefront of multidisciplinary care.
      This article discusses these recent advances in detail to equip the oncologic
      spine surgeon and their team to better counsel and treat these patients. Most of
      these advances allow for a more tailored, efficient, and, most importantly, less
      morbid management of primary spine tumors. Some of these advances are still under
      investigation, however, and evidence-based oncological principles should still be
      strongly encouraged.

PMID- 28350942
TI  - Prevention of Surgical Site Infection in Spine Surgery.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Spine surgery is complicated by an incidence of 1% to 9% of surgical
      site infection (SSI). The most common organisms are gram-positive bacteria and
      are endogenous, that is are brought to the hospital by the patient. Efforts to
      improve safety have been focused on reducing SSI using a bundle approach. The
      bundle approach applies many quality improvement efforts and has been shown to
      reduce SSI in other surgical procedures. OBJECTIVE: To provide a narrative review
      of practical solutions to reduce SSI in spine surgery. METHODS: Literature review
      and synthesis to identify methods that can be used to prevent SSI. RESULTS: SSI
      prevention starts with proper patient selection and optimization of medical
      conditions, particularly reducing smoking and glycemic control. Screening for
      staphylococcus organisms and subsequent decolonization is a promising method to
      reduce endogenous bacterial burden. Preoperative warming of patients and timely
      administration of antibiotics are critical to prevent SSI. Skin preparation using
      chlorhexidine and alcohol solutions are recommended. Meticulous surgical
      technique and maintenance of sterile techniques should always be performed.
      Postoperatively, traditional methods of tissue oxygenation and glycemic control
      remain essential. Newer wound care methods such as silver impregnation dressing
      and wound-assisted vacuum dressing are encouraging but need further
      investigation. CONCLUSION: Significant reduction of SSIs is possible, but
      requires a systems approach involving all stakeholders. There are many simple and
      low-cost components that can be adjusted to reduce SSIs. Systematic efforts
      including understanding of pathophysiology, prevention strategies, and system
      wide quality improvement programs demonstrate significant reduction of SSI.

PMID- 28350943
TI  - Controversies in Spinal Trauma and Evolution of Care.
AB  - Management of spinal trauma is a complex and rapidly evolving field. To optimize
      patient treatment algorithms, an understanding of and appreciation for current
      controversies and advancing technologies in the field of spinal trauma is
      necessary. Therefore, members of the AOSpine Knowledge Forum Trauma initiative
      used a modified Delphi method to compile a list of controversial issues and
      emerging technologies in the field of spinal trauma, and a list of the 14 most
      relevant topics was generated. A total of 45 440 manuscripts covering the breadth
      of spine and spinal trauma were initially identified. This broad search was then
      refined using the 14 categories felt to be most relevant to the current field of
      spinal trauma. The results were further pared down using inclusion criteria to
      select for the most relevant topics. The 8 remaining topics were classification
      schemes, treatment of vertebral compression fractures, treatment of burst
      fractures, timing of surgery in spinal trauma, hypothermia, the importance of
      global sagittal balance, lumbar subarachnoid drainage, and diffusion magnetic
      resonance imaging. These 8 topics were felt to be the most relevant,
      controversial, rapidly evolving, and most deserving of inclusion in this summary.
      In summary, despite recent advances, the field of spinal trauma has many ongoing
      points of controversy. We must continue to refine our ability to care for this
      patient population through education, research, and development. It is
      anticipated that the new AOSpine fracture classification system will assist with
      prospective research efforts.

PMID- 28350944
TI  - Navigation and Robotics in Spinal Surgery: Where Are We Now?
AB  - Spine surgery has experienced much technological innovation over the past several
      decades. The field has seen advancements in operative techniques, implants and
      biologics, and equipment such as computer-assisted navigation and surgical
      robotics. With the arrival of real-time image guidance and navigation
      capabilities along with the computing ability to process and reconstruct these
      data into an interactive three-dimensional spinal "map", so too have the
      applications of surgical robotic technology. While spinal robotics and navigation
      represent promising potential for improving modern spinal surgery, it remains
      paramount to demonstrate its superiority as compared to traditional techniques
      prior to assimilation of its use amongst surgeons.The applications for
      intraoperative navigation and image-guided robotics have expanded to surgical
      resection of spinal column and intradural tumors, revision procedures on
      arthrodesed spines, and deformity cases with distorted anatomy. Additionally,
      these platforms may mitigate much of the harmful radiation exposure in minimally
      invasive surgery to which the patient, surgeon, and ancillary operating room
      staff are subjected.Spine surgery relies upon meticulous fine motor skills to
      manipulate neural elements and a steady hand while doing so, often exploiting
      small working corridors utilizing exposures that minimize collateral damage.
      Additionally, the procedures may be long and arduous, predisposing the surgeon to
      both mental and physical fatigue. In light of these characteristics, spine
      surgery may actually be an ideal candidate for the integration of navigation and
      robotic-assisted procedures.With this paper, we aim to critically evaluate the
      current literature and explore the options available for intraoperative
      navigation and robotic-assisted spine surgery.

PMID- 28350946
TI  - Emerging Techniques in Degenerative Thoracolumbar Surgery.
AB  - There continue to be incremental advances in thoracolumbar spine surgery
      techniques in attempts to achieve more predictable outcomes, minimize risk of
      complications, speed recovery, and minimize the costs of these interventions.
      This paper reviews recent literature with regard to emerging techniques of
      interest in the surgical treatment of lumbar spinal stenosis, fusion fixation and
      graft material, degenerative lumbar spondylolisthesis, and thoracolumbar
      deformity and sacroiliac joint degeneration. There continue to be advances in
      minimal access options in these areas, although robust outcome data are
      heterogeneous in its support. The evidence in support of sacroiliac fusion
      appears to be growing more robust in the properly selected patient.

PMID- 28350945
TI  - Intervertebral Disk Degeneration and Repair.
AB  - Intervertebral disk (IVD) degeneration is a natural progression of the aging
      process. Degenerative disk disease (DDD) is a pathologic condition associated
      with IVD that has been associated with chronic back pain. There are a variety of
      different mechanisms of DDD (genetic, mechanical, exposure). Each of these
      pathways leads to a final common result of unbalancing the anabolic and catabolic
      environment of the extracellular matrix in favor of catabolism. Attempts have
      been made to gain an understanding of the process of IVD degeneration with in
      Vitro studies. These models help our understanding of the disease process, but
      are limited as they do not come close to replicating the complexities that exist
      with an in Vivo model. Animal models have been developed to help us gain further
      understanding of the degenerative cascade of IVD degeneration In Vivo and test
      experimental treatment modalities to either prevent or reverse the process of
      DDD. Many modalities for treatment of DDD have been developed including
      therapeutic protein injections, stem cell injections, gene therapy, and tissue
      engineering. These interventions have had promising outcomes in animal models.
      Several of these modalities have been attempted in human trials, with early
      outcomes having promising results. Further, increasing our understanding of the
      degenerative process is essential to the development of new therapeutic
      interventions and the optimization of existing treatment protocols. Despite
      limited data, biological therapies are a promising treatment modality for DDD
      that could impact our future management of low back pain.

PMID- 28350948
TI  - Bending the Cost Curve-Establishing Value in Spine Surgery.
AB  - BACKGROUND: As publically promoted by all stakeholders in health care reform,
      prospective outcomes registry platforms lie at the center of all current evidence
      driven value-based models. OBJECTIVE: To demonstrate the variability in outcomes
      and cost at population level and individual patient level for patients undergoing
      spine surgery for degenerative diseases. METHODS: Retrospective analysis of
      prospective longitudinal spine registry data was conducted. Baseline and
      postoperative 1-year patient-reported outcomes were recorded. Previously
      published minimal clinically important difference for Oswestry Disability Index
      (14.9) was used. Back-related resource utilization and quality-adjusted life
      years (QALYs) were assessed. Variations in outcomes and cost were analyzed at
      population level and at the individual patient level. RESULTS: A total of 1454
      patients were analyzed. There was significant improvement in patient-reported
      outcomes at postoperative 1 year ( P < .0001). For patients demonstrating health
      benefit at population level, 12.5%, n = 182 of patients experienced no gain from
      surgery and 38%, n = 554 failed to achieve minimal clinically important
      difference. Mean 1-year QALY-gained was 0.29; 18% of patients failed to report
      gain in QALY. For patients with 2-year follow-up, surgery resulted in 0.62 QALY
      gained at average direct cost of $28 953. A wide variation in both QALY-gained
      and cost was observed. CONCLUSION: Spine treatments that on average are cost
      effective may have wide variability in value at the individual patient level. The
      variability demonstrated here represents an opportunity, through registries, to
      identify specific care that may be less effective, and refine patient-specific
      care delivery and indications to drive overall group-level treatment value.
      Understanding value of spine care at an individualized as well as population
      level will allow clinicians, and eventually payers, to better target resources
      for improving care for nonresponders, ultimately driving up the average health
      for the whole population.

PMID- 28350947
TI  - Traumatic Spinal Cord Injury-Repair and Regeneration.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Traumatic spinal cord injuries (SCI) have devastating consequences
      for the physical, financial, and psychosocial well-being of patients and their
      caregivers. Expediently delivering interventions during the early postinjury
      period can have a tremendous impact on long-term functional recovery.
      PATHOPHYSIOLOGY: This is largely due to the unique pathophysiology of SCI where
      the initial traumatic insult (primary injury) is followed by a progressive
      secondary injury cascade characterized by ischemia, proapoptotic signaling, and
      peripheral inflammatory cell infiltration. Over the subsequent hours, release of
      proinflammatory cytokines and cytotoxic debris (DNA, ATP, reactive oxygen
      species) cyclically adds to the harsh postinjury microenvironment. As the lesions
      mature into the chronic phase, regeneration is severely impeded by the
      development of an astroglial-fibrous scar surrounding coalesced cystic cavities.
      Addressing these challenges forms the basis of current and upcoming treatments
      for SCI. MANAGEMENT: This paper discusses the evidence-based management of a
      patient with SCI while emphasizing the importance of early definitive care. Key
      neuroprotective therapies are summarized including surgical decompression,
      methylprednisolone, and blood pressure augmentation. We then review exciting
      neuroprotective interventions on the cusp of translation such as Riluzole,
      Minocycline, magnesium, therapeutic hypothermia, and CSF drainage. We also
      explore the most promising neuroregenerative strategies in trial today including
      CethrinTM, anti-NOGO antibody, cell-based approaches, and bioengineered
      biomaterials. Each section provides a working knowledge of the key preclinical
      and patient trials relevant to clinicians while highlighting the pathophysiologic
      rationale for the therapies. CONCLUSION: We conclude with our perspectives on the
      future of treatment and research in this rapidly evolving field.

PMID- 28350949
TI  - State of the Art in Degenerative Cervical Myelopathy: An Update on Current
      Clinical Evidence.
AB  - Degenerative cervical myelopathy (DCM) is a common cause of spinal cord
      dysfunction that confronts clinicians on a daily basis. Research performed over
      the past few decades has provided improved insight into the diagnosis,
      evaluation, and treatment of this disorder. We aim to provide clinicians with an
      update regarding the state of the art in DCM, focusing on more recent research
      pertaining to pathophysiology, natural history, treatment, consideration of the
      minimally symptomatic patient, surgical outcome prediction, and outcome
      measurement. Current concepts of pathophysiology focus on the combination of
      static and dynamic elements leading to breakdown of the blood-spinal cord barrier
      at the site of compression resulting in local inflammation, cellular dysfunction,
      and apoptosis. With respect to treatment, although there is a dearth of high
      quality studies comparing surgical to nonoperative treatment, several large
      prospective studies have recently associated surgical management with clinically
      and statistically significant improvement in functional, disability, and quality
      of life outcome at long-term follow-up. When selecting the specific surgical
      intervention for a patient with DCM, anterior (discectomy, corpectomy, hybrid
      discectomy/corpectomy), posterior (laminectomy and fusion, laminoplasty), and
      combined approaches may be considered as options depending on the specifics of
      the patient in question; evidence supporting each of these approaches is reviewed
      in detail. Recently developed clinical prediction models allow for accurate
      forecasting of postoperative outcomes, permitting enhanced communication and
      management of patient expectations in the preoperative setting. Finally, an
      overview of outcome measures recommended for use in the assessment of DCM
      patients is provided.

PMID- 28350950
TI  - Spine Oncology-Metastatic Spine Tumors.
AB  - Surgery for spinal metastases remains the mainstay treatment for pain,
      instability, and neurological deterioration due to tumor infiltration of the
      spine. However, several new therapies are emerging which may improve outcomes
      further, and in some cases even replace the need for surgery. We now have a
      better understanding of which factors influence survival and quality of life
      after surgery, and this underpins the development and application of new
      treatments, and assessment of outcome.Depending on genetic subtyping of tumors,
      novel immunotherapies and chemotherapies may be very effective in prolonging
      quality of life. New surgical techniques allow smaller, quicker, and safer
      operations with less blood loss, pain, and quicker recovery after surgery.
      Radiation treatments have also leapt forward with the greater accuracy and higher
      doses possible from intensity-modulated photon radiation, stereotactic body
      radiation treatment, proton beam therapy, or carbon ion treatment. Combined with
      more advanced materials for vertebral body stabilization, computer navigation
      systems, and robotics, more can be done at earlier or later stages of the spinal
      disease than was previously possible, resulting in more options and improved
      outcomes for patients.

PMID- 28350951
TI  - Novel Osteobiologics and Biomaterials in the Treatment of Spinal Disorders.
AB  - Spinal osteobiologics have evolved substantially in this century after the
      development of many product categories such as growth factors, allograft, and
      stem cells. The indications for the use of novel biologics within spine surgery
      are rapidly expanding as the mechanism of each is elucidated. While the knowledge
      base of bone morphogenetic protein increases with each subsequent year, the
      application of new nanotechnology and cell-based strategies are being reported.
      This review will discuss the most recent data in novel osteobiologics, and where
      we could use future study.

PMID- 28350952
TI  - Future Advances in Spine Surgery: The AOSpine North America Perspective.
AB  - This focus issue highlights state-of-the-art techniques, equipment, and practices
      in the modern era of spine surgery while providing a glimpse into the next
      generation of patient care. A broad range of topics are presented to cover the
      full spectrum of the field. Degenerative diseases are discussed in a series of 3
      articles on (1) pathophysiology, management, and surgical approaches to
      degenerative cervical myelopathy; (2) novel approaches to degenerative
      thoracolumbar disease (eg, interspinous process spacers, minimally
      invasive/endoscopic approaches); and (3) animal models and emerging therapeutics
      in degenerative disk disease. Also included is a unique study aiming to establish
      the critically important cost-benefit relationship for spine procedures with
      perspectives on how value is defined and how to address variability.Primary and
      metastatic spine oncology are reviewed with a focus on upcoming targeted
      biologics, subspecialized radiotherapy (eg, proton-beam, carbon-ion, stereotactic
      radiosurgery), genetic profiling to stratify risk, and morbidity-reducing
      surgical approaches (eg, minimally invasive/endoscopic resections, percutaneous
      instrumentation). Trauma is discussed in 2 high-quality papers on controversies
      in spinal trauma and neuroprotective/neuroregenerative interventions for
      traumatic spinal cord injury. A stimulating article on cervical, thoracolumbar,
      and pediatric deformity highlights the rapid evolution of deformity surgery with
      a look at innovative tools (eg, high-fidelity 3-dimensional reconstructions,
      magnetically controlled growing rods) and their impact on quality of life.
      Additionally, a must-read article on surgical site infections discusses key risk
      factors and evidence-based preventative techniques to remain aware of. Finally,
      cutting-edge technologies, including computer-assisted navigation, shared-control
      robotics, neuromodulation, novel osteobiologics, and biomaterials, are covered in
      detail in a series of 3 fascinating papers on the next generation of the
      field.Each section intends to highlight the salient literature and afford
      insights from multiple key thought leaders in an effort to minimize bias and
      provide varied perspectives. Overall, we hope this issue provides high-quality,
      evidence-based data relevant to trainees and practicing surgeons while also
      stimulating excitement about the future of spine surgery.

PMID- 28350953
TI  - Degradation of Hole Transport Materials via Exciton-Driven Cyclization.
AB  - Organic light-emitting diode (OLED) displays have been an active and intense area
      of research for well over a decade and have now reached commercial success for
      displays from cell phones to large format televisions. A more thorough
      understanding of the many different potential degradation modes which cause OLED
      device failure will be necessary to develop the next generation of OLED
      materials, improve device lifetime, and to ultimately improve the cost vs
      performance ratio. Each of the different organic layers in an OLED device can be
      susceptible to unique decomposition pathways, however stability toward excitons
      is critical for emissive layer (EML) materials as well as any layer near the
      recombination zone. This study will specifically focus on degradation modes
      within the hole transport layer (HTL) with the goal being to identify the general
      decomposition paths occurring in an operating device and use this information to
      design new derivatives which can block these pathways. Through post-mortem
      analyses of several aged OLED devices, an apparently common intramolecular
      cyclization pathway has been identified that was not previously reported for
      arylamine-containing HTL materials and that operates parallel to but faster than
      the previously described fragmentation pathways.

PMID- 28350955
TI  - Long-Lived Species Enhance Summertime Attribution of North American Ozone to
      Upwind Sources.
AB  - Ground-level ozone (O3), harmful to most living things, is produced from both
      domestic and foreign emissions of anthropogenic precursors. Previous estimates of
      the linkage from distant sources rely on the sensitivity approach (i.e., modeling
      the change of ozone concentrations that result from modifying precursor
      emissions) as well as the tagging approach (i.e., tracking ozone produced from
      specific O3 precursors emitted from one region). Here, for the first time, we tag
      all O3 precursors (i.e., nitrogen oxides (NOx), carbon monoxide (CO), and
      volatile organic compounds (VOCs)) from East Asia and explicitly track their
      physicochemical evolution without perturbing the nonlinear O3 chemistry. We show
      that, even in summer, when intercontinental influence on ozone has typically been
      found to be weakest, nearly 3 parts per billion by volume (ppbv) seasonal average
      surface O3 over North America can be attributed to East Asian anthropogenic
      emissions, compared with 0.7 ppbv using the sensitivity approach and 0.5 ppbv by
      tagging reactive nitrogen oxides. Considering the acute effects of O3 exposure,
      approximately 670 cardiovascular and 300 respiratory premature mortalities within
      North America could be attributed to East Asia. CO and longer-lived VOCs, largely
      overlooked in previous studies, extend the influence of regional ozone precursors
      emissions and, thus, greatly enhance O3 attribution to source region.

PMID- 28350956
TI  - Improving the Performance of Hybrid Functional-Based Molecular Dynamics
      Simulation through Screening of Hartree-Fock Exchange Forces.
AB  - Density functional theory-based molecular dynamics calculations of condensed
      phase systems often benefit from the use of hybrid functionals. However, their
      use is computationally very demanding and severely limits the system size and
      time scale that can be simulated. Several methods have been introduced to
      accelerate hybrid functional molecular dynamics including Schwarz screening and
      the auxiliary density matrix method (ADMM). Here we present a simple screening
      scheme that can be applied in addition to these methods. It works by examining
      Hartree-Fock exchange (HFX) integrals and subsequently excluding those that
      contribute very little to any nuclear force component. The resultant force error
      is corrected by a history-dependent extrapolation scheme. We find that for
      systems where the calculation of HFX forces is a major bottleneck, a large
      fraction of the integrals can be neglected without introducing significant errors
      in the nuclear forces. For instance, for a 2 * 2 * 2 unit cell of CoO, 92% of the
      HFX integrals that have passed Schwarz screening within the ADMM approach can be
      neglected leading to a performance gain of a factor of 3 at a negligible error in
      nuclear forces (<=5 * 10-4 H bohr-1). We also show that total energy conservation
      and solvation structures are not adversely affected by the screening method.

PMID- 28350954
TI  - Integrating Drug's Mode of Action into Quantitative Structure-Activity
      Relationships for Improved Prediction of Drug-Induced Liver Injury.
AB  - Drug-induced liver injury (DILI) is complex in mechanism. Different drugs could
      undergo different mechanisms but result in the same DILI type, while the same
      drug could lead to different DILI types via different mechanisms. Therefore,
      predicting a drug's potential for DILI should take its underlying mechanisms into
      consideration. To achieve that, we constructed a novel approach by incorporating
      the drug's Mode of Action (MOA) into Quantitative Structure-Activity Relationship
      (QSAR) modeling. This MOA-DILI approach was examined using a data set of 333
      drugs. The drugs were first grouped according to their MOA profiles (positive or
      negative in each MOA) based on the Tox21 qHTS assays. QSAR models for individual
      MOA assays were developed and subsequently combined to obtain the MOA-DILI model.
      A hold-out testing strategy (222 drugs for training and 111 drugs as a test set)
      was employed, which yielded a predictive accuracy of 0.711. The MOA-DILI model
      was directly compared with the standard QSAR approach using the same hold-out
      strategy, and the QSAR model yielded an accuracy of 0.662. To minimize the random
      chance in splitting training/test sets, the hold-out testing process was repeated
      1000 times, and the observed difference in prediction accuracy between MOA-DILI
      and QSARs was statistically significant (P value <0.0001). Out of 17 MOAs used,
      four assays (i.e., antioxidant response elements, PPAR-gamma, estrogen receptor,
      and thyroid receptor assays) contributed most to the improved prediction of the
      MOA-DILI model over QSARs. In conclusion, the MOA-DILI approach has the potential
      to significantly improve predictive outcomes and to reveal complex relationships
      between MOAs and DILI, all of which would be helpful in developing DILI
      predictive models in drug screening and for risk assessment of industrial
      chemicals.

PMID- 28350958
TI  - Photocontrolled SiRNA Delivery and Biomarker-Triggered Luminogens of Aggregation
      Induced Emission by Up-Conversion NaYF4:Yb3+Tm3+@SiO2 Nanoparticles for Inducing
      and Monitoring Stem-Cell Differentiation.
AB  - Controlling the differentiation of stem cells and monitoring cell differentiation
      has attracted much research interest since the discovery of stem cells. In this
      regard, a novel near-infrared (NIR) light-activated nanoplatform is obtained by
      encapsulating the photoactivatable caged compound (DMNPE/siRNA) and combining a
      MMP13 cleaved imaging peptide-tetrapheny-lethene (TPE) unit conjugated with the
      mesoporous silica-coated up-conversion nanoparticles (UCNPs) for the remote
      control of cell differentiation and, simultaneously, for the real-time monitoring
      of differentiation. Upon NIR light illumination, the photoactivated caged
      compound is activated, and the siRNA is released from UCNPs, allowing controlled
      differentiation of stem cells by light. More importantly, MMP13 enzyme triggered
      by osteogenic differentiation would effectively cleave the TPE probe peptide,
      thereby allowing the real-time monitoring of differentiation in living stem cells
      by aggregation-induced emission (AIE).

PMID- 28350957
TI  - Ion Diffusion Within Water Films in Unsaturated Porous Media.
AB  - Diffusion is important in controlling local solute transport and reactions in
      unsaturated soils and geologic formations. Although it is commonly assumed that
      thinning of water films controls solute diffusion at low water contents,
      transport under these conditions is not well understood. We conducted experiments
      in quartz sands at low volumetric water contents (theta) to quantify ion
      diffusion within adsorbed films. At the lowest water contents, we employed fixed
      relative humidities to control water films at nm thicknesses. Diffusion profiles
      for Rb+ and Br- in unsaturated sand packs were measured with a synchrotron X-ray
      microprobe, and inverse modeling was used to determine effective diffusion
      coefficients, De, as low as ~9 * 10-15 m2 s-1 at theta = 1.0 * 10-4 m3 m-3, where
      the film thickness = 0.9 nm. Given that the diffusion coefficients (Do) of Rb+
      and Br- in bulk water (30  degrees C) are both ~2.4 * 10-9 m2 s-1, we found the
      impedance factor f = De/(thetaDo) is equal to 0.03 +/- 0.02 at this very low
      saturation, in agreement with the predicted influence of interface tortuosity
      (taua) for diffusion along grain surfaces. Thus, reduced cross-sectional area
      (theta) and tortuosity largely accounted for the more than 5 orders of magnitude
      decrease in De relative to Do as desaturation progressed down to nanoscale films.

PMID- 28350959
TI  - Mapping of Drug-like Chemical Universe with Reduced Complexity Molecular
      Frameworks.
AB  - The emergence of the DNA-encoded chemical libraries (DEL) field in the past
      decade has attracted the attention of the pharmaceutical industry as a powerful
      mechanism for the discovery of novel drug-like hits for various biological
      targets. Nuevolution Chemetics technology enables DNA-encoded synthesis of
      billions of chemically diverse drug-like small molecule compounds, and the
      efficient screening and optimization of these, facilitating effective
      identification of drug candidates at an unprecedented speed and scale. Although
      many approaches have been developed by the cheminformatics community for the
      analysis and visualization of drug-like chemical space, most of them are
      restricted to the analysis of a maximum of a few millions of compounds and cannot
      handle collections of 108-1012 compounds typical for DELs. To address this big
      chemical data challenge, we developed the Reduced Complexity Molecular Frameworks
      (RCMF) methodology as an abstract and very general way of representing chemical
      structures. By further introducing RCMF descriptors, we constructed a global
      framework map of drug-like chemical space and demonstrated how chemical space
      occupied by multi-million-member drug-like Chemetics DNA-encoded libraries and
      virtual combinatorial libraries with >1012 members could be analyzed and mapped
      without a need for library enumeration. We further validate the approach by
      performing RCMF-based searches in a drug-like chemical universe and mapping
      Chemetics library selection outputs for LSD1 targets on a global framework
      chemical space map.

PMID- 28350960
TI  - Enhanced Stability of the Magnetic Skyrmion Lattice Phase under a Tilted Magnetic
      Field in a Two-Dimensional Chiral Magnet.
AB  - The magnetic skyrmion is a topologically stable vortex-like spin texture that
      offers great promise as information carriers for future spintronic devices. In a
      two-dimensional chiral magnet, it was generally considered that a tilted magnetic
      field is harmful to its formation and stability. Here we investigated the angular
      dependent stability of magnetic skyrmions in FeGe nanosheets by using high
      resolution Lorentz transmission electron microscopy (Lorentz TEM). Besides the
      theoretically predicted destruction of skyrmion lattice state by an oblique
      magnetic field as the temperature closes to its magnetic Curie temperature Tc ~
      278 K, we also observed an unexpected reentry-like phenomenon at the moderate
      temperatures near the border between conical and skyrmion phase, Tt ~ 240 K. This
      behavior is completely beyond the theoretical prediction in a conventional two
      dimensional (2D) system. Instead, a three-dimensional (3D) model involving the
      competition between conical phase and skyrmions is likely to play a crucial role.

PMID- 28350961
TI  - Remediation of a Eutrophic Bay in the Baltic Sea.
AB  - Eutrophication of coastal ecosystems is a global problem that often results in
      bottom water oxygen deficiency and in turn promotes sediment phosphorus (P)
      release (A). In order to increase sediment P retention, we injected dissolved
      aluminum into the anoxic sediment of a eutrophic semienclosed bay in the Baltic
      Sea, thereby inhibiting P recycling and further eutrophication (B). The P
      concentration in the bay remained at half, as did phytoplankton biomass (C),
      compared to pretreatment conditions and compared to the reference bay. Four years
      after treatment the water column transparency was increased, allowing submerged
      vegetation to penetrate deeper, and the habitat suitable for fish and benthic
      fauna had expanded (D). The lowered P concentration in the bay decreased the P
      export to the surrounding archipelago. This is the first full-scale marine
      remediation project using a geo-engineering method that demonstrates a quick
      recovery. For successful remediation in coastal areas, permanent binding of
      mobile P in anoxic sediments may be needed together with measures in the
      catchment area to obtain faster recovery of eutrophicated marine ecosystems.

PMID- 28350962
TI  - Multidimensional Hybridization of Dark Surface Plasmons.
AB  - Synthetic three-dimensional (3D) nanoarchitectures are providing more control
      over light-matter interactions and rapidly progressing photonic-based technology.
      These applications often utilize the strong synergy between electromagnetic
      fields and surface plasmons (SPs) in metallic nanostructures. However, many of
      the SP interactions hosted by complex 3D nanostructures are poorly understood
      because they involve dark hybridized states that are typically undetectable with
      far-field optical spectroscopy. Here, we use experimental and theoretical
      electron energy loss spectroscopy to elucidate dark SPs and their interactions in
      layered metal-insulator-metal disc nanostructures. We go beyond the established
      dipole SP hybridization analysis by measuring breathing and multipolar SP
      hybridization. In addition, we reveal multidimensional SP hybridization that
      simultaneously utilizes in-plane and out-of-plane SP coupling. Near-field classic
      electrodynamics calculations provide excellent agreement with all experiments.
      These results advance the fundamental understanding of SP hybridization in 3D
      nanostructures and provide avenues to further tune the interaction between
      electromagnetic fields and matter.

PMID- 28350963
TI  - Gd-Dots with Strong Ligand-Water Interaction for Ultrasensitive Magnetic
      Resonance Renography.
AB  - Magnetic resonance imaging contrast agents with both significantly enhanced
      relaxivity and minimal safety risk are of great importance for sensitive clinical
      diagnosis, but have rarely been reported. Herein, we present a simple strategy to
      improve relaxivity by introducing surface ligands with strong interaction to
      water molecules. As a proof of concept, NaGdF4 nanoparticles (NPs) capped by
      poly(acrylic acid) (PAA) show superior relaxivity to those capped by
      polyethylenimine and polyethylene glycol, which is attributed to the strong
      hydrogen-bond capacity of PAA to water molecules as revealed by theoretical
      calculation. Furthermore, benefiting from PAA and ultrasmall particle size, Gd
      dots, namely PAA-capped GdOF NPs (2.1 +/- 0.2 nm), are developed as a high
      performance contrast agent, with a remarkable ionic relaxivity of ~75 mM-1 s-1 in
      albumin solution at 0.5 T. These Gd-dots also exhibit efficient renal clearance
      with <3% of injected amount left 12 h post-injection. Ultrasensitive MR
      renography achieved with Gd-dots strongly suggests their great potential for
      practical applications.

PMID- 28350964
TI  - Promoting Vaginal Distribution of E7 and MCL-1 siRNA-Silencing Nanoparticles for
      Cervical Cancer Treatment.
AB  - There is an urgent need to develop a less aggressive and more effective treatment
      against cervical lesions induced by different high-risk human papillomavirus (HR
      HPV). We investigated the potential of a cocktail of small interfering RNA
      (siRNA) directed against the oncoprotein E6 (E6), the oncoprotein E7 (E7), or the
      antiapoptotic protein MCL-1 (MCL-1). The combination of siRNA anti-E7 and anti
      MCL-1 demonstrated high efficacy on multiple HPV16 and HPV18 cell lines and no
      effects on healthy keratinocytes. This gene therapy has been considered for a
      vaginal administration since this route of application holds high potential for
      the treatment of diseases in the female reproductive tracts. Therefore, PEGylated
      lipoplexes have been designed and characterized to protect siRNA and to diffuse
      in the mucosal environment before they reach the cervico/vaginal epithelium. This
      new nanovector complexed to the combination of active siRNA induced an efficient
      mRNA knockdown since biological effects were obtained in vitro. This work also
      provided evidence that the PEGylated lipoplexes had appropriate physicochemical
      properties to diffuse into a mucin network according to size measurement
      experiments in artificial mucus. After demonstrating the distribution and the
      efficacy of siRNA into a 3D-cervical model lesion and through porcine vaginal
      mucosa, in vivo experiments in mouse have been performed under physiological
      conditions. This study revealed a complete and sustained coverage of the mucosal
      epithelium following an unique vaginal administration of fluorescent PEGylated
      lipoplexes. Overall, our results showed the potential of the PEGylated lipoplexes
      for the prolonged delivery of active siRNA to treat HPV-induced lesions.

PMID- 28350965
TI  - On Monolayer Formation of Pyrenebutyric Acid on Graphene.
AB  - As a two-dimensional material with high charge carrier mobility, graphene may
      offer ultrahigh sensitivity in biosensing. To realize this, the first step is to
      functionalize the graphene. This is commonly done by using 1-pyrenebutyric acid
      (PBA) as a linker for biomolecules. However, the adsorption of PBA on graphene
      remains poorly understood despite reports of successful biosensors functionalized
      via this route. Here, the PBA adsorption on graphene is characterized through a
      combination of Raman spectroscopy, ab initio calculations, and spectroscopic
      ellipsometry. The PBA molecules are found to form a self-assembled monolayer on
      graphene, the formation of which is self-limiting and Langmuirian. Intriguingly,
      in concentrated solutions, the PBA molecules are found to stand up and stack
      horizontally with their edges contacting the graphene surface. This morphology
      could facilitate a surface densely populated with carboxylic functional groups.
      Spectroscopic analyses show that the monolayer saturates at 5.3 PBA molecules per
      nm2 and measures ~0.7 nm in thickness. The morphology study of this PBA monolayer
      sheds light on the pi-pi stacking of small-molecule systems on graphene and
      provides an excellent base for optimizing functionalization procedures.

PMID- 28350966
TI  - Cationic Phosphorus Dendrimer Enhances Photodynamic Activity of Rose Bengal
      against Basal Cell Carcinoma Cell Lines.
AB  - In the last couple of decades, photodynamic therapy emerged as a useful tool in
      the treatment of basal cell carcinoma. However, it still meets limitations due to
      unfavorable properties of photosensitizers such as poor solubility or lack of
      selectivity. Dendrimers, polymers widely studied in biomedical field, may play a
      role as photosensitizer carriers and improve the efficacy of photodynamic
      treatment. Here, we describe the evaluation of an electrostatic complex of
      cationic phosphorus dendrimer and rose bengal in such aspects as singlet oxygen
      production, cellular uptake, and phototoxicity against three basal cell carcinoma
      cell lines. Rose bengal-cationic dendrimer complex in molar ratio 5:1 was
      compared to free rose bengal. Obtained results showed that the singlet oxygen
      production in aqueous medium was significantly higher for the complex than for
      free rose bengal. The cellular uptake of the complex was 2-7-fold higher compared
      to a free photosensitizer. Importantly, rose bengal, rose bengal-dendrimer
      complex, and dendrimer itself showed no dark toxicity against all three cell
      lines. Moreover, we observed that phototoxicity of the complex was remarkably
      enhanced presumably due to high cellular uptake. On the basis of the obtained
      results, we conclude that rose bengal-cationic dendrimer complex has a potential
      in photodynamic treatment of basal cell carcinoma.

PMID- 28350967
TI  - Molecular hydrogen potentiates beneficial anti-infarct effect of hypoxic
      postconditioning in isolated rat hearts: a novel cardioprotective intervention.
AB  - Generation of free radicals through incomplete reduction of oxygen during
      ischemia-reperfusion (I/R) is well described. On the other hand, molecular
      hydrogen (H2) reduces oxidative stress due to its ability to react with strong
      oxidants and easily penetrate cells by diffusion, without disturbing metabolic
      redox reactions. This study was designed to explore cardioprotective potential of
      hypoxic postconditioning (HpostC) against I/R (30 min global I - 120 min R) in
      isolated rat hearts using oxygen-free Krebs-Henseleit buffer (KHB). Furthermore,
      the possibility to potentiate the effect of HpostC by H2 using oxygen-free KHB
      saturated with H2 (H2 + HpostC) was tested. HPostC was induced by 4 cycles of 1
      minute perfusion with oxygen-free KHB intercepted by 1-minute perfusion with
      normal KHB, at the onset of reperfusion. H2 + HPostC was applied in a similar
      manner using H2-enriched oxygen-free KHB. Cardioprotective effects were evaluated
      on the basis of infarct size (IS, in % of area at risk, AR) reduction, post-I/R
      recovery of heart function, and occurrence of reperfusion arrhythmias. HPostC
      significantly reduced IS/AR compared with non-conditioned controls. H2 present in
      KHB during HPostC further decreased IS/AR compared with the effect of HPostC,
      attenuated severe arrhythmias, and significantly restored heart function (vs.
      controls). Cardioprotection by HpostC can be augmented by molecular hydrogen
      infusion.

PMID- 28350968
TI  - Induced pluripotent stem-cell-derived cardiomyocytes: cardiac applications,
      opportunities, and challenges.
AB  - Chronic diseases are the primary cause of mortality worldwide, accounting for 67%
      of deaths. One of the major challenges in developing new treatments is the lack
      of understanding of the exact underlying biological and molecular mechanisms.
      Chronic cardiovascular diseases are the single most common cause of death
      worldwide, and sudden deaths due to cardiac arrhythmias account for approximately
      50% of all such cases. Traditional genetic screening for genes involved in
      cardiac disorders is labourious and frequently fails to detect the mutation that
      explains or causes the disorder. However, when mutations are identified, human
      induced pluripotent stem cells (hiPSCs) derived from affected patients make it
      possible to address fundamental research questions directly relevant to human
      health. As such, hiPSC technology has recently been used to model human diseases
      and patient-specific hiPSC-derived cardiomyocytes (hiPSC-CMs) thus offer a unique
      opportunity to investigate potential disease-causing genetic variants in their
      natural environment. The purpose of this review is to present the current state
      of knowledge regarding hiPSC-CMs, including their potential, limitations, and
      challenges and to discuss future prospects.

PMID- 28350969
TI  - Mechanisms of spontaneous pacing: sinoatrial nodal cells, neonatal
      cardiomyocytes, and human stem cell derived cardiomyocytes.
AB  - The sinoatrial (SA) node is the primary site from which the mammalian heart is
      paced, but the mechanisms underlying the pacemaking still remain clouded. It is
      generally believed that the hyperpolarization-activated current If, encoded by
      hyperpolarization-activated cyclic nucleotide-gated (HCN) genes, contributes
      significantly to pacing, which in tandem with inward current generated by efflux
      of Ca2+ via the Na+-Ca2+ exchanger (NCX), resulting from the released Ca2+,
      mediates the diastolic depolarization. Here, we review the data that implicate If
      as the "pacemaker current" and conclude that there is not only a significant
      discrepancy between the range of diastolic depolarization potential (-60 to -40
      mV) and the activation potential of If (negative to -70 mV), but that also the
      kinetics of If and its pharmacology are incompatible with the frequency of a
      heartbeat in rodents and humans. We propose that If serves as a functional
      insulator, which protects the SA-nodal cells against the large negative
      electrical sink of atrial tissue connected to it with connexins. We also evaluate
      the role of If and calcium signaling in mediating the diastolic depolarization in
      rat neonatal cardiomyocytes (rN-CM), and human induced pluripotent stem-cell
      derived cardiomyocytes (hiPSC-CM), and provide evidence for a possible
      involvement of mitochondrial Ca2+ in initiating the oscillatory events required
      for the spontaneous pacing.

PMID- 28350970
TI  - Mannheim Peritonitis Index (MPI) and elderly population: prognostic evaluation in
      acute secondary peritonitis.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: Acute Secondary Peritonitis due to abdominal visceral perforation
      is characterized by high mortality and morbidity risk. Risk stratification allows
      prognosis prediction to adopt the best surgical treatment and clinical care
      support therapy. In Western countries elderly people represent a significant
      percentage of population Aim. Evaluation of Mannheim Peritonitis Index (MPI) and
      consideration upon old people. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Retrospective study on 104
      patients admitted and operated for "Acute Secondary Peritonitis due to visceral
      perforation". MPI was scored. In our study we want to demonstrate efficacy of MPI
      and the possibility to consider older age an independent prognostic factor.
      RESULTS: Mortality was 25.96%. Greatest sensitivity and specificity for the MPI
      score as a predictor of mortality was at the score of 20. MPI score of <16 had
      0.15 times lower risk of mortality compared to patients with MPI score 17 - 21
      and 0.61 lower than patients with MPI >22. Patients with MPI score 17-21 had 0.46
      times lower risk of mortality compared to patients with MPI score >21. In the
      group of patients with MPI score of >20 the mortality rate was 48.5% for patients
      older than 80 years old and 12.1% for younger patients (p < 0.005); in the group
      with MPI score of < 20 mortality rate was respectively 8.4% and 1.4% (p < 0.005).
      DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSIONS: Data confirm the accuracy of the test. MPI score and
      age over 80 years old resulted independent predictors of mortality at
      multivariate analysis.

PMID- 28350971
TI  - Early discharge after total thyroidectomy: a retrospective feasibility study.
AB  - AIM: The continued hospitalization after total thyroidectomy is often due to the
      onset of hypocalcemic complications more than 24 hours after surgery. So it would
      be important to predict which patients will not develop the hypocalcemic
      complication to discharge them early. This was the aim of our study. PATIENTS AND
      METHODS: Our retrospective study was conducted on 327 consecutive
      thyroidectomized patients, operated on for benign and malignant diseases. We
      evaluated the values of preoperative serum calcium levels (Cal0) and of the first
      postoperative day (Cal1) and two new variables were calculated (dCal and dCaln).
      The same thing was made on a subgroup of 111 patients in whom also parathiroyd
      hormone (PTH) values were detected. Statistical analysis was performed with the
      goal of determining if we could establish a safe criterion for discharge at 24
      hours after surgery and if there is a correlation between suitability for
      discharge and diagnosis. RESULTS: As to discharge, the predictive power of the
      discriminant function applied was significant both on the total of patients and
      in the subgroup of 111 patients, but it was clinically unacceptable because it
      would expose us to a 21% to 27% error rate. It is not possible to identify a
      threshold, below which to consider patients surely dischargeable. The diagnosis
      does not appear correlated with the suitability for discharge. CONCLUSION: On the
      basis of serum calcium and PTH levels in the first postoperative day, it is
      impossible to predict which patients can be discharged 24 hours after surgery
      without incurring in hypocalcemic complications.

PMID- 28350972
TI  - Open sphincter-preserving surgery of extraperitoneal rectal cancer without
      primary stoma and Fast Track Protocol.
AB  - AIM: Fast track protocol (FTP) showed to improve perioperative care. The study
      aims to evaluate the impact of the FTP in the open extraperitoneal rectal cancer
      (ERC) surgical treatment without a primary derivative stoma (DS) and the QoL in
      patients with or without a secondary DS. PATIENTS AND METHODS: 50 patients
      affected by ERC were enrolled and operated on with open low anterior resection
      without a primary DS. They were randomized in two groups: one was treated
      perioperativelly in the traditional way (group T), the other using a modif ed FTP
      (group FT). A QoL questionnaire was administered prior to discharge and at 1
      month follow-up. RESULTS: Five courses (10%) were complicated by anastomotic
      leakage: 3 (12%) in the FT group (2 minor and 1 maior) and 2 (8%) in the T group
      (1 minor and 1 maior) (p=n.s.). All the maiors and one minor were treated with a
      DS. Patients of the group FTP were considered dischargeable earlier that those of
      group T (p<0.05). Patients with DS had a significantly lower QoL score
      (p<0.0001). CONCLUSION: FTP with minor modifications is feasible and safe in the
      ERC open surgery without using a DS. Better results were obtained without
      increasing complication rate. A secondary DS impacts detrimentally on QoL.

PMID- 28350973
TI  - Is it really useful the Harmonic scalpel in axillary dissection for locally
      advanced breast cancer? A case series.
AB  - BACKGROUND: The seroma is one of the most common complications in the axillary
      lymph nodal dissection (different surgical approaches have been tried to reduce
      the seroma incidence). In our study we evaluate the outcome of patients using or
      not the ultrasonic scalpel (Harmonic scalpel) according to a standardized
      surgical technique. PATIENTS AND METHODS: From January 2011 to December 2015 120
      patients underwent axillary dissection for breast cancer. Patients were divided
      in two groups: patients belonging to the first group underwent Harmonic scalpel
      dissection and patients belonging to the second group underwent classical
      dissection. Each group consisted of 60 patients. Quadrantectomy (QUAD) was
      performed in 54 patients, 66 women underwent mastectomy. In all patients axillary
      dissection included the I, II and III level. We compared two groups in terms of:
      time of surgery, hematoma, drainage volume, days of sealing drainage, seroma
      formation, number of post-seroma aspirations, upper limb lymphedema, wound
      infections, post-operative pain. RESULTS: Statistically significant results were
      obtained in terms of the total volume of the breast and axillary drainage in the
      two techniques. There were no significant differences in the two samples in terms
      of operative time incidence of seroma, post-operative hematoma, wound infection,
      and lymphedema of the upper limb. CONCLUSION: The small number of cases did not
      allow us to reach definitive conclusions. The use of Harmonic scalpel seems to
      show smaller incidence of seroma and reduction of the amount of both breast and
      axillary drainages. Further studies are needed to define the real advantage in
      terms of cost benefit of using these devices in the axillary surgery.

PMID- 28350974
TI  - Topical hemostasis in laparoscopic surgery.
AB  - A major goal during any surgical intervention is minimization of blood loss,
      which reduces the need for blood transfusion. In open surgery, the possibility
      for the surgeon to use the hands directly in contact with the bleeding tissues
      for hemostasis, makes mechanical methods, such as compression, ligatures or
      sutures, important to achieve proper hemostasis. In laparoscopic surgery, where
      the intervention is performed by means of small incisions through which the
      surgeon's hand cannot directly achieve the tissues, the problem of hemostasis is
      critical and needs more attention. Either in open or in laparoscopic surgery,
      significant bleeding during surgery is controlled through vessel ligation,
      suturing, and electrocautery. Topical hemostatic agents are useful adjuncts to
      surgical hemostasis for controlling non-specific bleeding. The introduction of
      different devices and topical agents has made possible to perform more complex
      interventions also in laparoscopy. The Authors discuss about the type, the field
      of application, the side effects of the hemostatic devices and of the topical
      hemostatic agents.

PMID- 28350975
TI  - Long lasting postoperative ileus after surgery for intestinal obstruction due to
      left paraduodenal hernia (LPDH). Case report.
AB  - Left paraduodenal hernia is a rare congenital anomaly which arises from an error
      of rotation of the midgut; sometimes can be responsible for intestinal occlusion,
      that require surgery. In many cases of literature a prompt diagnosis and therapy
      reduced morbidity and mortality and almost all patients were discharged on 4th or
      5th postoperative day (POD). We report a case of a 59 years old patient who
      underwent surgery for intestinal obstruction due to a massive left paraduodeneal
      hernia, that had a very long period (20 days) of postoperative ileus.

PMID- 28350976
TI  - Neuroendocrine tumor of the common bile duct: case report.
AB  - Neuroendocrine tumors (NET) are a very heterogeneous group of neoplasms; in
      recent years we have seen an increase in their incidence (3.65 /100.000/year).
      They can be associated with hereditary endocrine syndromes (MEN, Von Hippel
      Lindau); they can occur at any age and the incidence is slightly higher in men
      than women. The aetiology of the neuroendocrine tumors is unclear; in most cases,
      inflammation of the bile ducts may be the underlying cause and for this reason,
      the initial patient's evaluation should be focused on the different aspects
      concerning the oncological one and the possible sequelae of the biliary
      obstructions that can evolve in biliary sepsis. All neuroendocrine tumors have
      malignant potential. The most frequent sites of extrahepatic biliary NETs are the
      common hepatic duct and the distal common bile duct (19.2%), followed by the
      middle of the common bile duct (17.9%), the cystic duct (16.7%), and the proximal
      common bile duct (11.5%). We can divide them into: well-differentiated and poorly
      differentiated. Considering the clinical features, neuroendocrine tumors can be
      divided into functional and non-functional. As regards the staging, we
      distinguish localized, regional and metastatic tumors. Tumors derived from the
      bile duct are difficult to diagnose preoperatively, mainly because of its low
      incidence and difficult diagnostic process. However since cholangiocarcinomas
      account for about 80% of all primary biliary tumors, it is important to think
      about other options despite their low frequency when a patient presents with
      abnormal characteristics. The most sensitive immunohistochemical markers are
      expressing neuron-specific enolase, synaptophisin and chromogranin A. Liver
      function tests, alkaline phosphatase and bilirubin are often high. Sometimes an
      anemia can appear in the presence of a chronic disease or in patients with more
      advanced disease. It is known that the measurement of chromogranin A is useful
      for the preoperative diagnosis of neuroendocrine tumors. Chromogranin A is
      elevated in 90% of neuroendocrine tumors of the intestine, and the levels
      correlate with tumor burden and the possibility of recurrence and, therefore,
      chromogranin A can be an effective biological marker for preoperative diagnosis
      of neuroendocrine tumors. Bile endocrine tumors remain silent until metastasizing
      or growing into neighboring organs, because of its uncommon diagnosis in early
      stages due to its low incidence, absence of serum markers and lack of symptoms
      related to the hormonal pattern. Preoperative diagnosis of common bile duct
      carcinoma is extremely difficult, because it is foretold by non-specific symptoms
      that include pain or discomfort in the right upper quadrant level and weight
      loss. A 51- year-old woman presented a jaundice and severe bile duct dilatation.
      The enhanced CT scan showed a mass, approximately 15 mm in diameter, in the
      distal common biliary duct. The MRI and ERCP confirmed the mass. Cromogranin A
      value was negative. The diagnosis of well differentiated endocrine tumor of the
      biliary tract was done after its surgical resection was performed. The
      postoperative period was uneventful. Extrahepatic biliary NETs are rare, and
      extrahepatic bile ducts reportedly account for only 0.32% of primary NET sites.
      The prognosis for NET of the bile duct appears to be poor.

PMID- 28350977
TI  - Small bowel obstruction caused by Anisakis and Meckel's diverticulum: a rare
      case.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: Anisakiasis is a parasitic infection caused by the ingestion of raw
      fish contaminated by larval nematodes of Anisakis species. Intestinal or
      extraintestinal manifestations are rated to > 4% and >1% respectively.
      PRESENTATION OF CASE: A 61-year old patient was admitted to our General Surgical
      and Emergency Unit because of sudden abdominal pain, vomit and constipation. He
      had eaten raw fish 3 days before admission. Laboratory data showed high levels of
      WBC and PCR. CT scanning showed "dilation of jejunum and ileum loops, thickening
      of the terminal ileum and cecum and signs of inflammation of the intestinal wall
      and mesentery". The following emergency surgical procedure was performed:
      laparotomy with evidence of obstruction of the small bowels, a giant Meckel's
      diverticulum, resection of terminal ileum and cecum and ileocolonic anastomosis.
      At the microscopic examination, the intestinal wall appeared occupied by a
      transmural inflammatory infiltrate, mainly eosinophilic, edema and nematode
      larvae, referable to Anisakis, surrounded by necrotic-inflammatory material.
      Moreover, there was evidence of giant a Meckel's diverticulum. DISCUSSION:
      Normally, enteric anisakiasis exhibits leukocytosis with eosinophilia and high
      CRP levels. There are cases of successful medical treatment and other cases of
      endoscopic treatment avoiding surgical procedure. In our case, enteric Anisakias
      had not been taken into consideration at the moment of the operation and only
      histopathology could reveal Anisakis larvae inside the intestinal wall.
      CONCLUSION: Our surgical approach is considered in literature as the best one for
      this clinical presentation. Those patients need to be better studied and more
      attention should be paid to their history.

PMID- 28350978
TI  - XIX CONGRESSO MULTIDISCIPLINARE - Ricerca Scientifica ed Innovazione Tecnologica
      Etica e Sostenibilita.

PMID- 28350979
TI  - 27 degrees  CONGRESSO CHIRURGIA DELL'APPARATO DIGERENTE.

PMID- 28350981
TI  - Asymmetric Notch Amplification to Secure Stem Cell Identity.
AB  - Stem cells self-renew and produce progenitors with limited proliferative
      potential. Reporting in Developmental Cell, Liu et al. (2017) demonstrate that in
      some neural stem cells, Notch activity is asymmetrically amplified by a positive
      feedback loop with the super elongation complex (SEC) to quickly differentiate
      between stem cells and progenitors.

PMID- 28350982
TI  - MicroRNAs Make a Difference in Cardiovascular Robustness.
AB  - Invertebrate microRNAs (miRNAs) can suppress developmental variability that is
      caused by environmental and genetic variation. In this issue of Developmental
      Cell, Kasper et al. (2017) show that zebrafish miRNAs suppress variability in
      cardiovascular development during embryogenesis, providing insight into the
      conserved link between miRNAs and robustness.

PMID- 28350983
TI  - Pushing Yap into the Nucleus with Shear Force.
AB  - Endothelial cells line blood vessels and experience shear stress from blood flow.
      In this issue of Developmental Cell, Nakajima and colleagues (2017) show that in
      zebrafish Yap responds to blood flow by translocating into the nucleus, where it
      drives a genetic program to maintain vascular stability.

PMID- 28350984
TI  - Autophagy: It's in Your Blood.
AB  - Autophagy, a central pathway for cellular homeostasis, plays diverse roles in
      development, cancer, aging, and neurodegeneration. In a new report in Nature, Ho
      et al. (2017) show that autophagy is essential for maintaining the replicative
      quiescence of hematopoietic stem cells throughout life by limiting the number of
      active mitochondria.

PMID- 28350985
TI  - Macrophages Help Cells Connect to Pattern Zebrafish Stripes.
AB  - Mechanisms that disseminate the proteins that orchestrate organ and tissue
      development have been a major focus of cell and developmental biology. Reporting
      in Science, Eom and Parichy (2017) characterize the role that macrophages play in
      facilitating long-distance signaling between the cells that make stripes in the
      adult zebrafish.

PMID- 28350986
TI  - Flow-Dependent Endothelial YAP Regulation Contributes to Vessel Maintenance.
AB  - Endothelial cells (ECs) line the inside of blood vessels and respond to
      mechanical cues generated by blood flow. Mechanical stimuli regulate the
      localization of YAP by reorganizing the actin cytoskeleton. Here we demonstrate
      blood-flow-mediated regulation of endothelial YAP in vivo. We indirectly
      monitored transcriptional activity of Yap1 (zebrafish YAP) and its spatiotemporal
      localization in living zebrafish and found that Yap1 entered the nucleus and
      promoted transcription in response to blood flow. In cultured human ECs, laminar
      shear stress induced nuclear import of YAP and its transcriptional activity in a
      manner independent of Hippo signaling. We uncovered a molecular mechanism by
      which flow induced the nuclear translocation of YAP through the regulation of
      filamentous actin and angiomotin. Yap1 mutant zebrafish showed a defect in
      vascular stability, indicating an essential role for Yap1 in blood vessels. Our
      data imply that endothelial Yap1 functions in response to flow to maintain blood
      vessels.

PMID- 28350987
TI  - The Super Elongation Complex Drives Neural Stem Cell Fate Commitment.
AB  - Asymmetric stem cell division establishes an initial difference between a stem
      cell and its differentiating sibling, critical for maintaining homeostasis and
      preventing carcinogenesis. Yet the mechanisms that consolidate and lock in such
      initial fate bias remain obscure. Here, we use Drosophila neuroblasts to
      demonstrate that the super elongation complex (SEC) acts as an intrinsic
      amplifier to drive cell fate commitment. SEC is highly expressed in neuroblasts,
      where it promotes self-renewal by physically associating with Notch transcription
      activation complex and enhancing HES (hairy and E(spl)) transcription. HES in
      turn upregulates SEC activity, forming an unexpected self-reinforcing feedback
      loop with SEC. SEC inactivation leads to neuroblast loss, whereas its forced
      activation results in neural progenitor dedifferentiation and tumorigenesis. Our
      studies unveil an SEC-mediated intracellular amplifier mechanism in ensuring
      robustness and precision in stem cell fate commitment and provide mechanistic
      explanation for the highly frequent association of SEC overactivation with human
      cancers.

PMID- 28350989
TI  - miR-219 Cooperates with miR-338 in Myelination and Promotes Myelin Repair in the
      CNS.
AB  - A lack of sufficient oligodendrocyte myelination contributes to remyelination
      failure in demyelinating disorders. miRNAs have been implicated in
      oligodendrogenesis; however, their functions in myelin regeneration remained
      elusive. Through developmentally regulated targeted mutagenesis, we demonstrate
      that miR-219 alleles are critical for CNS myelination and remyelination after
      injury. Further deletion of miR-338 exacerbates the miR-219 mutant
      hypomyelination phenotype. Conversely, miR-219 overexpression promotes precocious
      oligodendrocyte maturation and regeneration processes in transgenic mice.
      Integrated transcriptome profiling and biotin-affinity miRNA pull-down approaches
      reveal stage-specific miR-219 targets in oligodendrocytes and further uncover a
      novel network for miR-219 targeting of differentiation inhibitors including
      Lingo1 and Etv5. Inhibition of Lingo1 and Etv5 partially rescues differentiation
      defects of miR-219-deficient oligodendrocyte precursors. Furthermore, miR-219
      mimics enhance myelin restoration following lysolecithin-induced demyelination as
      well as experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis, principal animal models of
      multiple sclerosis. Together, our findings identify context-specific miRNA
      regulated checkpoints that control myelinogenesis and a therapeutic role for miR
      219 in CNS myelin repair.

PMID- 28350988
TI  - MicroRNAs Establish Uniform Traits during the Architecture of Vertebrate Embryos.
AB  - Proper functioning of an organism requires cells and tissues to behave in
      uniform, well-organized ways. How this optimum of phenotypes is achieved during
      the development of vertebrates is unclear. Here, we carried out a multi-faceted
      and single-cell resolution screen of zebrafish embryonic blood vessels upon
      mutagenesis of single and multi-gene microRNA (miRNA) families. We found that
      embryos lacking particular miRNA-dependent signaling pathways develop a vascular
      trait similar to wild-type, but with a profound increase in phenotypic
      heterogeneity. Aberrant trait variance in miRNA mutant embryos uniquely
      sensitizes their vascular system to environmental perturbations. We discovered a
      previously unrecognized role for specific vertebrate miRNAs to protect tissue
      development against phenotypic variability. This discovery marks an important
      advance in our comprehension of how miRNAs function in the development of higher
      organisms.

PMID- 28350991
TI  - Serum Proteases Potentiate BMP-Induced Cell Cycle Re-entry of Dedifferentiating
      Muscle Cells during Newt Limb Regeneration.
AB  - Limb amputation in the newt induces myofibers to dedifferentiate and re-enter the
      cell cycle to generate proliferative myogenic precursors in the regeneration
      blastema. Here we show that bone morphogenetic proteins (BMPs) and mature BMPs
      that have been further cleaved by serum proteases induce cell cycle entry by
      dedifferentiating newt muscle cells. Protease-activated BMP4/7 heterodimers that
      are present in serum strongly induced myotube cell cycle re-entry with protease
      cleavage yielding a 30-fold potency increase of BMP4/7 compared with canonical
      BMP4/7. Inhibition of BMP signaling via muscle-specific dominant-negative
      receptor expression reduced cell cycle entry in vitro and in vivo. In vivo
      inhibition of serine protease activity depressed cell cycle re-entry, which in
      turn was rescued by cleaved-mimic BMP. This work identifies a mechanism of BMP
      activation that generates blastema cells from differentiated muscle.

PMID- 28350992
TI  - Expression of circadian core clock genes in fibroblasts of human gingiva and
      periodontal ligament is modulated by L-Mimosine and hypoxia in monolayer and
      spheroid cultures.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: The circadian clock is involved in a plethora of physiological
      processes including bone formation and tooth development. While expression of
      circadian core clock genes was observed in various tissues, their role in the
      periodontium is unclear. We hypothesized that periodontal cells express circadian
      core clock genes and that their levels are modulated by hypoxia mimetic agents
      and hypoxia. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Fibroblasts of human gingiva (GF) and
      periodontal ligament (PDLF) in monolayer and spheroid cultures were treated with
      the hypoxia mimetic agent L-Mimosine (L-MIM) or hypoxia. Reverse transcription
      and quantitative PCR were performed to assess the impact on mRNA levels of the
      circadian core clock genes Clock, Bmal1, Cry1, Cry2, Per1, Per2, and Per3.
      RESULTS: GF and PDLF expressed Clock, Bmal1, Cry1, Cry2, Per1, Per2, and Per3 in
      monolayer and spheroid cultures. In monolayer cultures, L-MIM significantly
      reduced Clock, Cry2, and Per3 mRNA expression in GF and Clock, Cry1, Cry2, Per1,
      and Per3 in PDLF. Hypoxia significantly reduced Clock, Cry2, and Per3 in GF and
      Cry1, Cry2, and Per3 in PDLF. In spheroid cultures, L-MIM significantly decreased
      Clock, Cry1, Cry2, and Per3 in GF and PDLF. Hypoxia significantly decreased Cry2
      and Per3 in GF and Clock and Per3 in PDLF. CONCLUSIONS: GF and PDLF express
      circadian core clock genes. The hypoxia mimetic agent L-MIM and hypoxic
      conditions can decrease the expression of Clock, Cry1-2 and Per1 and Per3. The
      specific response depends on cell type and culture model. Future studies will
      show how this effect contributes to periodontal health and disease.

PMID- 28350990
TI  - The Putative Drp1 Inhibitor mdivi-1 Is a Reversible Mitochondrial Complex I
      Inhibitor that Modulates Reactive Oxygen Species.
AB  - Mitochondrial fission mediated by the GTPase dynamin-related protein 1 (Drp1) is
      an attractive drug target in numerous maladies that range from heart disease to
      neurodegenerative disorders. The compound mdivi-1 is widely reported to inhibit
      Drp1-dependent fission, elongate mitochondria, and mitigate brain injury. Here,
      we show that mdivi-1 reversibly inhibits mitochondrial complex I-dependent O2
      consumption and reverse electron transfer-mediated reactive oxygen species (ROS)
      production at concentrations (e.g., 50 MUM) used to target mitochondrial fission.
      Respiratory inhibition is rescued by bypassing complex I using yeast NADH
      dehydrogenase Ndi1. Unexpectedly, respiratory impairment by mdivi-1 occurs
      without mitochondrial elongation, is not mimicked by Drp1 deletion, and is
      observed in Drp1-deficient fibroblasts. In addition, mdivi-1 poorly inhibits
      recombinant Drp1 GTPase activity (Ki > 1.2 mM). Overall, these results suggest
      that mdivi-1 is not a specific Drp1 inhibitor. The ability of mdivi-1 to
      reversibly inhibit complex I and modify mitochondrial ROS production may
      contribute to effects observed in disease models.

PMID- 28350993
TI  - Convergent strategy for the synthesis of S-linked oligoxylans.
AB  - Arabinoxylans (AX) are a major class of hemicellulose and an important
      polysaccharide component of lignocellulosic biomass. To utilize the glycan
      polymer effectively, it is desirable to learn more about the enzymatic hydrolysis
      of AXs. Well-defined glycans can help to elucidate these processes. Here, we
      report the efficient synthesis of a mixed O- and S-linked tetraxylan. This thio
      oligosaccharide has been developed as a putative inhibitor of arabinoxylan
      degrading enzymes used for the saccharification of biomass. Two common approaches
      for the synthesis of thio-oligosaccharides, either involving 1-thioglycoside
      donors or thioacceptors, are presented and compared regarding byproduct formation
      and yields. Both methods have shown to be useful for the synthesis of
      thiolinkages in oligoxylans assembly. However, the success of the reaction is
      highly dependent on the "match" between donors and acceptors.

PMID- 28350994
TI  - The reduction of Chlorella vulgaris concentrations through UV-C radiation
      treatments: A nature-based solution (NBS).
AB  - Algal blooms have become a pressing issue in inland freshwater systems on local
      and global scales. A plausible approach to reducing algae without the use of
      chemical/biological agents is through the use of UV-C radiation from lamps
      potentially powered by in situ solar panels to eliminate algae. Yet, the
      quantitative scientific base has not been established. Our objective is to
      conduct a controlled experiment to quantify the effectiveness of UV-C radiation
      on the reduction of Chlorella vulgaris, a common algal species in the Great Lakes
      region. A full factorial design of three intensities of UV-C radiation (0, 15,
      and 30W) and three sources of C. vulgaris was constructed to test the
      corresponding hypotheses. Empirical models were constructed to predict the
      reductions. UV-C radiation effectively reduced the algal concentration with clear
      differences by radiation level and source of algal water. Algal concentration
      decreased exponentially over time, with distinct decreasing trends among the
      radiation intensities and the samples. With 15W UV-C radiation, algal
      concentration of three samples were reduced to 75.3%, 51.5%, and 70.0% of the
      initial level within an hour, respectively. We also found a clear density
      dependent reduction rate by UV radiation. Using this information, more efficient
      treatment systems could be constructed and implemented for cleaning algae
      contaminated water.

PMID- 28350996
TI  - Quality measures of the population-based Finnish Cancer Registry indicate sound
      data quality for solid malignant tumours.
AB  - BACKGROUND: The Finnish Cancer Registry (FCR) has collected population-based data
      on cancer incidence for scientific research and statistical purposes since 1953.
      Our aim was to provide a comprehensive quality assessment of the current cancer
      registry data in Finland. METHODS: We used established quantitative and semi
      quantitative techniques to address four main dimensions of data quality:
      completeness, comparability, validity and timeliness for the period 1953-2013,
      with a special focus on cancers diagnosed in 2009-2013. For completeness,
      hospital admissions and outpatient visits were used as an independent data
      source. RESULTS: In 2009-2013, 153 147 incident tumours were registered in the
      FCR. Of them, 91% were solid tumours. The completeness for all solid tumours was
      estimated at 96%, and for non-solid tumours at 86%. Potential underreporting was
      most prominent for tumours which are not typically histologically verified such
      as haematological malignancies and non-malignant tumours of the central nervous
      system. Of all cancers, 93% were morphologically verified, with variation by
      primary site. The proportion of cancers with uncertain or ill-defined primary
      site and the proportion of death certificate only registrations were both low at
      1.9% and 2.6%, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: The FCR provides overall accurate and
      close to complete national cancer data for solid malignant tumours. Registration
      of tumours with no histology is still compromised. This warrants continuous
      communication with clinicians to ensure undisturbed data flow, and active trace
      back using external data sources such as hospital administrative data. In
      addition, broad diagnosis categories would be less sensitive to diversity of
      input and data quality when international comparisons are made.

PMID- 28350995
TI  - The difference in association between aspirin use and other thrombocyte
      aggregation inhibitors and survival in patients with colorectal cancer.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Several studies have suggested that the association between aspirin
      and improved cancer survival is mediated through the mechanism of aspirin as
      thrombocyte aggregation inhibitors (TAI). The aim of this study was to provide
      epidemiological evidence for this mechanism assessing the association between
      overall survival and the use of aspirin and non-aspirin TAI in patients with
      colorectal cancer. METHODS: In this observational study, data from the
      Netherlands Comprehensive Cancer Organisation were linked to PHARMO Database
      Network. Patients using aspirin or aspirin in combination with non-aspirin TAI
      (dual users) were selected and compared with non-users. The association between
      overall survival and the use of (non-)aspirin TAI was analysed using Cox
      regression models with the use of (non-)aspirin TAI as a time-varying covariate.
      RESULTS: In total, 9196 patients were identified with colorectal cancer and 1766
      patients used TAI after diagnosis. Non-aspirin TAI were mostly clopidogrel and
      dipyridamole. Aspirin use was associated with a significant increased overall
      survival and hazard ratio (HR) 0.41 (95% confidence interval [CI] 0.37-0.47), and
      the use of non-aspirin TAI was not associated with survival of HR 0.92 (95% CI
      0.70-1.22). Dual users did not have an improved overall survival when compared
      with patients using solely aspirin. CONCLUSIONS: Aspirin use after diagnosis of
      colorectal cancer was associated with significantly lower mortality rates and
      this effect remained significant after adjusting for potential confounders. No
      additional survival benefit was observed in patients using both aspirin and
      another TAI.

PMID- 28350997
TI  - Synthesis and biological evaluation of hypoxia-activated prodrugs of SN-38.
AB  - We designed new hypoxia-activated prodrugs by conjugating (1-methyl-2-nitro-1H
      imidazol-5-yl)methanol with 7-ethyl-10-hydroxy camptothecin (SN-38). Initially,
      we improved the method of multi-gram scale synthesis of (1-methyl-2-nitro-1H
      imidazol-5-yl)methanol, which increased the yield to 42% compared to 8% by the
      original synthesis method. The improved method was used to synthesize
      evofosfamide (TH-302) and hypoxia-activated prodrugs of SN-38. Two different
      linkages between (1-methyl-2-nitro-1H-imidazol-5-yl)methanol and SN-38 were
      evaluated that afforded different hypoxia-selectivity and toxicity. Compound 16
      (IOS), containing an ether linkage, was considered to be a promising hypoxia
      selective antitumor agent.

PMID- 28350998
TI  - Anticancer copper(II) phosphorus dendrimers are potent proapoptotic Bax
      activators.
AB  - A multivalent phosphorus dendrimer 1G3 and its corresponding Cu-complex, 1G3-Cu
      have been recently identified as agents retaining high antiproliferative potency.
      This antiproliferative capacity was preserved in cell lines overexpressing the
      efflux pump ABC B1, whereas cross-resistance was observed in ovarian cancer cell
      lines resistant to cisplatin. Theoretical 3D models were constructed: the
      dendrimers appear as irregularly shaped disk-like nano-objects of about 22 A
      thickness and 49 A diameter, which accumulated in cells after penetration by
      endocytosis. To get insight in their mode of action, cell death pathways have
      been examined in human cancer cell lines: early apoptosis was followed by
      secondary necrosis after multivalent phosphorus dendrimers exposure. The
      multivalent plain phosphorus dendrimer 1G3 moderately activated caspase-3
      activity, in contrast with the multivalent Cu-conjugated phosphorus dendrimer 1G3
      Cu which strikingly reduced the caspase-3 content and activity. This decrease of
      caspase activity is not related to the presence of copper, since inorganic copper
      has no or little effect on caspase-3. Conversely the potent apoptosis activation
      could be related to a noticeable translocation of Bax to the mitochondria,
      resulting in the release of AIF into the cytosol, its translocation to the
      nucleus and a severe DNA fragmentation, without alteration of the cell cycle. The
      multivalent Cu-conjugated phosphorus dendrimer is more efficient than its non
      complexed analog to activate this pathway in close relationship with the higher
      antiproliferative potency. Therefore, this multivalent Cu-conjugated phosphorus
      dendrimer 1G3-Cu can be considered as a new and promising first-in-class
      antiproliferative agent with a distinctive mode of action, inducing apoptosis
      tumor cell death through Bax activation pathway.

PMID- 28350999
TI  - Discovery of novel 1,2,3,4-tetrahydrobenzo[4, 5]thieno[2, 3-c]pyridine
      derivatives as potent and selective CYP17 inhibitors.
AB  - The inhibition of CYP17 to block androgen biosynthesis is a well validated
      strategy for the treatment of prostate cancer. Herein we reported the design,
      synthesis and structure-activity relationship (SAR) study for a series of novel
      1,2,3,4- tetrahydrobenzo[4,5]thieno[2,3-c]pyridine derivatives. Some analogs
      demonstrated a potent inhibition to both rat and human CYP17 protein and reduced
      testosterone production in human H295R cell line. Some analogs also showed high
      selectivity against other CYP enzymes such as 3A4, 1A2, 2C9, 2C19 and 2D6, which
      may limit side effects due to drug-drug interactions. Among these analogs, the
      most potent compound 9c showed 1.5 fold more potent against rat and human CYP17
      protein than that of abiraterone (IC50 = 16 nM and 20 nM vs. 25 nM and 36 nM
      respectively). In NCI-H295R cells, the inhibitory effect of compound 9c on
      testosterone production (52+/- 2%) was also more potent than that of abiraterone
      (74+/- 15%) at the concentration of 1 MUM. Further, it was shown that 9c reduced
      plasma testosterone level in a dose-dependent manner in Sprague-Dawley rats.
      Thus, analog 9c maybe a potential agent used for the treatment of prostate
      cancer.

PMID- 28351000
TI  - Targeted superparamagnetic nanoparticles coated with 2-deoxy-d-gloucose and
      doxorubicin more sensitize breast cancer cells to ionizing radiation.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: Nanoparticles are promising as a new approach to enhance chemo-
      radiotherapy efficiency in breast cancer mainly via targeted therapy. MATERIALS &
      METHODS: SKBR3 and T47D breast cancer cells were treated with superparamagnetic
      mesoporous hydroxyapatite nanocomposites (SPmHANs)conjugated with 1 MUM
      doxorubicin and 0.5 mM 2-Deoxy-d-Glucose and irradiated with 1 and 2 Gy gamma
      rays in vitro. The treatment toxicity and also the apoptosis/necrosis ratio were
      measured by MTT assay and also ELISA cell death detection PLUS, respectively.
      RESULTS: The decreased cell viability with the combined treatment, with
      determined 42% loading efficiency for 200 ppm 2DG and 93% for5ppm doxorubicin on
      SPmHANs in PH about 7.4 and 5.5, were calculated to 60.9% and 68% compared to
      radiotherapy alone inT47D and SKBR3 cells (both with p < 0.05), respectively.
      CONCLUSION: Breast cancer cure may boost from The combined targeted nanoparticle
      treatment with doxorubicin and 2-Deoxy-d-Glucose may boost breast cancer
      radiotherapy by improved chemodrug localization, increased cytotoxicity in tumor
      cells and decreased single modality treatment doses.

PMID- 28351001
TI  - Sample size bias in retrospective estimates of average duration.
AB  - People often estimate the average duration of several events (e.g., on average,
      how long does it take to drive from one's home to his or her office). While there
      is a great deal of research investigating estimates of duration for a single
      event, few studies have examined estimates when people must average across
      numerous stimuli or events. The current studies were designed to fill this gap by
      examining how people's estimates of average duration were influenced by the
      number of stimuli being averaged (i.e., the sample size). Based on research
      investigating the sample size bias, we predicted that participants' judgments of
      average duration would increase as the sample size increased. Across four
      studies, we demonstrated a sample size bias for estimates of average duration
      with different judgment types (numeric estimates and comparisons), study designs
      (between and within-subjects), and paradigms (observing images and performing
      tasks). The results are consistent with the more general notion that
      psychological representations of magnitudes in one dimension (e.g., quantity) can
      influence representations of magnitudes in another dimension (e.g., duration).

PMID- 28351002
TI  - Significance of lipoprotein(a) levels in familial hypercholesterolemia and
      coronary artery disease.
AB  - BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Patients with familial hypercholesterolemia (FH) are often
      characterized by premature coronary artery disease (CAD) with heterogeneity at
      onset. The aim of the present study was to investigate the associations of
      lipoprotein (a) [Lp(a)] with the FH phenotype, genotype and roles of Lp(a) in
      determining CAD risk among patients with and without FH. METHODS: We enrolled
      8050 patients undergoing coronary angiography, from our Lipid clinic. Clinical FH
      was diagnosed using the Dutch Lipid Clinic Network criteria. Mutational analysis
      (LDLR, APOB, PCSK9) in definite/probable FH was performed by target exome
      sequencing. RESULTS: Lp(a) levels were increased, with a clinical FH diagnosis
      (unlikely, possible, definite/probable FH) independent of the patients status,
      with Lp(a)-hyperlipoproteinemia [Lp(a)-HLP] (median 517.70 vs. 570.98 vs. 604.65
      mg/L, p < 0.001) or without (median 89.20 vs. 99.20 vs. 133.67 mg/L, p < 0.001).
      Patients with Lp(a)-HLP had a higher prevalence of definite/probable FH than
      those without (6.1% vs. 2.4%, p < 0.05). However, no significant difference in
      Lp(a) was observed in patients with definite/probable FH phenotype carrying LDLR
      or LDLR-independent (APOB, PCSK9) or neither mutations (p > 0.05). Multivariate
      analysis showed that Lp(a) and FH phenotype were both significant determinants in
      predicting the early onset and severity of CAD. Subsequently, patients with Lp(a)
      HLP in definite/probable FH increased significantly the CAD risk (all p < 0.05).
      CONCLUSIONS: Lp(a) levels were higher in patients with FH phenotype than in those
      without, but no difference were found in FH patients of different mutated
      backgrounds. Moreover, Lp(a) and FH played a synergistic role in predicting the
      early onset and severity of CAD.

PMID- 28351003
TI  - Experimental investigation of cognitive and affective empathy in borderline
      personality disorder: Effects of ambiguity in multimodal social information
      processing.
AB  - Borderline personality disorder (BPD) is characterized by affective instability
      and interpersonal problems. In the context of social interaction, impairments in
      empathy are proposed to result in inadequate social behavior. In contrast to
      findings of reduced cognitive empathy, some authors suggested enhanced emotional
      empathy in BPD. It was investigated whether ambiguity leads to decreased
      cognitive or emotional empathy in BPD. Thirty-four patients with BPD and thirty
      two healthy controls were presented with video clips, which were presented
      through prosody, facial expression, and speech content. Experimental conditions
      were designed to induce ambiguity by presenting neutral valence in one of these
      communication channels. Subjects were asked to indicate the actors' emotional
      valence, their decision confidence, and their own emotional state. BPD patients
      showed increased emotional empathy when neutral stories comprised nonverbally
      expressed emotions. In contrast, when all channels were emotional, patients
      showed lower emotional empathy than healthy controls. Regarding cognitive
      empathy, there were no significant differences between BPD patients and healthy
      control subjects in recognition accuracy, but reduced decision confidence in BPD.
      These results suggest that patients with BPD show altered emotional empathy,
      experiencing higher rates of emotional contagion when emotions are expressed
      nonverbally. The latter may contribute to misunderstandings and inadequate social
      behavior.

PMID- 28351004
TI  - Temporal changes in the prevalence of disordered eating behaviors among
      adolescents living in the metropolitan area of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
AB  - To investigate temporal changes in the prevalence of disordered eating behaviors
      among adolescents, and their association with socio demographic factors and
      overweight. Using probability sampling, two population-based cross-sectional
      surveys were conducted: one in 2005 (n=511) and the other in 2010 (n=314). The
      frequency of disordered eating behaviors (binge eating, strict dieting or fasting
      and compensatory behaviors) was investigated using a self-administered
      questionnaire. The presence of binge eating increased by 18.4% in the 5 years
      between the two surveys. In 2005, girls were 1.95 times more likely to engage in
      strict dieting or fasting than boys, and this difference increased to 7.02 times
      in 2010. Overweight adolescents were 2.29 times more likely to undertake strict
      dieting than non-overweight adolescents in 2005 and 3.65 times more likely to do
      so in 2010. No significant associations were found for compensatory behaviors. A
      pronounced increase in the prevalence of binge eating was observed, and girls and
      overweight adolescents were more likely to engage in strict dieting or fasting.

PMID- 28351006
TI  - Variola minor in coalfield areas of England and Wales, 1921-34: Geographical
      determinants of a national smallpox epidemic that spread out of effective
      control.
AB  - This paper uses techniques of binary logistic regression to identify the spatial
      determinants of the last national epidemic of smallpox to spread in England and
      Wales, the variola minor epidemic of 1921-34. Adjusting for age and county-level
      variations in vaccination coverage in infancy, the analysis identifies a dose
      response gradient with increasing odds of elevated smallpox rates in local
      government areas with (i) medium (odds ratio [OR] = 5.32, 95% Confidence Interval
      [95% CI] 1.96-14.41) and high (OR = 11.32, 95% CI 4.20-31.59) coal mining
      occupation rates and (ii) medium (OR = 16.74, 95% CI 2.24-125.21) and high (OR =
      63.43, 95% CI 7.82-497.21) levels of residential density. The results imply that
      the spatial transmission of variola virus was facilitated by the close spatial
      packing of individuals, with a heightened transmission risk in coal mining areas
      of the country. A syndemic interaction between common respiratory conditions
      arising from exposure to coal dust and smallpox virus transmission is postulated
      to have contributed to the findings. We suggest that further studies of the
      geographical intersection of coal mining and acute infections that are
      transmitted via respiratory secretions are warranted.

PMID- 28351005
TI  - Nrf-2-driven long noncoding RNA ODRUL contributes to modulating silver
      nanoparticle-induced effects on erythroid cells.
AB  - The biosafety and biological effects of silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) on human
      health attract increasing concern. Although considerable studies have been
      performed to reveal the molecular mechanisms responsible for AgNP-induced
      effects, the current understanding mainly focuses on oxidative stress-associated
      signaling pathways activated by Ag particles and/or Ag ions. However, the
      molecular bases underlying the activation of these stress signaling pathways have
      not been thoroughly elucidated yet. In the current study, we aimed to shed light
      on the molecular bases of AgNP-induced effects on erythroid cells from the
      perspective of long noncoding RNAs. We identified a long-noncoding RNA molecule,
      ODRUL, which was substantially enhanced in K562 erythroid cells responding to
      AgNPs, coupled to accelerated cell death. Further, we uncovered oxidative stress
      driven Nrf2 transcriptionally promoted ODRUL expression in K562 cells. Downstream
      of Nrf2-ODRUL activation by AgNPs, ODRUL was recognized to interact with
      PI4Kalpha protein to modulate the activities of its targets AKT and JNK. As a
      result, the Bcl-2 level was negatively regulated by PI4K-AKT/JNK signaling under
      AgNP-induced stress, leading to enhanced cell death. Together, our findings
      unearthed that Nrf2-mediated lncRNA ODRUL was indispensable for AgNP-induced
      toxicity in erythroid cells through regulation of AKT/JNK-Bcl-2 signaling
      dependent on a physical interaction with PI4Kalpha. Thus, this study would open a
      new path to depict the molecular bases of AgNP-induced effects on erythroid
      cells.

PMID- 28351007
TI  - Catalytic role of iron in the formation of silver nanoparticles in photo
      irradiated Ag+-dissolved organic matter solution.
AB  - Photo-reduction of Ag+ to silver nanoparticle (AgNPs) by dissolved organic matter
      (DOM) is a possible source of naturally occurring AgNPs. However, how this photo
      reduction process is influenced by ubiquitous metal ions is still not well
      understood. In addition, in previous studies, the formation of AgNPs in DOM
      solution was usually monitored by UV-Vis spectroscopy, and there is still lack of
      quantitative analysis for the formed AgNPs. In the present study, the role of
      Fe2+/Fe3+ at environmental concentration level on this photochemical process was
      investigated, and the enhanced formation of AgNPs by Fe2+/Fe3+ was probed and
      quantified by using UV-Vis spectroscopy, transmission electron microscopy, and
      liquid chromatography-inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry. It was
      demonstrated that while Fe3+ can oxidize AgNPs to release Ag+, Fe2+ can reduce
      Ag+ into AgNPs. However, the DOM-induced reduction of Fe3+ makes iron an
      effective electron shuttle between DOM and Ag+, and both Fe2+ and Fe3+ enhanced
      AgNP formation. The impacts of environmentally relevant factors, including DOM
      concentration and solution pH, on this process were studied comprehensively,
      which showed that the catalytic role of iron was more significant at higher DOM
      concentration and lower pH. This iron-enhanced formation of AgNPs in photo
      irradiated Ag+-DOM solution have great environmental implications on the
      formation of natural AgNPs and the transformation of engineered AgNPs in acidic
      surface water with high iron content.

PMID- 28351008
TI  - Aerosol characteristics and sources in Yangzhou, China resolved by offline
      aerosol mass spectrometry and other techniques.
AB  - Detailed chemical characterization of fine aerosols (PM2.5) is important for
      reducing air pollution in densely populated areas, such as the Yangtze River
      Delta region in China. This study systematically analyzed PM2.5 samples collected
      during November 2015 to April 2016 in urban Yangzhou using a suite of techniques,
      in particular, an Aerodyne soot particle aerosol mass spectrometry (SP-AMS). The
      techniques used here reconstructed the majority of total PM2.5 measured where
      extracted species comprised on average 91.2%. Source analyses of inorganic
      components showed that secondary nitrate, sulfate and chloride were the major
      species, while primary sources including biomass burning, coal combustion,
      traffic, industry and re-suspended dust due to nearby demolition activities,
      could contribute to other species. EC-tracer method estimated that the organic
      matter (OM) was composed of 65.4% secondary OM (SOM) and 34.6% primary OM (POM),
      while the SP-AMS analyses showed that the OM was comprised of 60.3% water-soluble
      OM (WSOM) and 39.7% water-insoluble OM (WIOM). Correlation analyses suggested
      that WSOM might be rich in secondary organic species, while WIOM was likely
      mainly comprised of primary organic species. We further conducted positive matrix
      factorization (PMF) analyses on the WSOM, and identified three primary factors
      including traffic, cooking and biomass burning, and two secondary factors. We
      found the secondary factors dominated WSOM mass (68.1%), and their mass
      contributions increased with the increase of WSOM concentrations. Relatively
      small contribution of primary sources to WSOM was probably due to their low water
      solubility, which should be investigated further in future. Overall, our findings
      improve understanding of the complex aerosol sources and chemistry in this
      region.

PMID- 28351009
TI  - The influence of citrate and oxalate on 99TcVII, Cs, NpV and UVI sorption to a
      Savannah River Site soil.
AB  - Batch sorption experiments were conducted with 0.5-50 ppb 99Tc, 133Cs, 237Np and
      U in the presence and absence of citrate and/or oxalate in a 25 g/L Savannah
      River Site (SRS) soil suspension. Citrate and oxalate were the ligands of choice
      due to their relevancy to plant exudates, the nuclides were selected for their
      wide range of biogeochemical behavior, and the soil from SRS was selected as a
      model Department of Energy (DOE) site soil. Batch samples were continually mixed
      on a rotary shaker and maintained at a pH of approximately 5. Analysis via ICP-MS
      indicated that sorption of 237Np increased with ligand concentration compared to
      baseline studies, as did sorption of 99Tc although to a lesser extent. The
      increased sorption of 237Np is proposed to be due to a combination of factors
      that are dependent on the ligand(s) present in the specific system including,
      ligand dissolution of the soil by citrate and formation of tertiary soil-oxalate
      Np complexes. The increased 99Tc sorption is attributed to the dissolution of the
      soil by the ligands, leading to an increase in the number of available sorption
      sites for 99Tc. Uranium sorption decreased and dissolution of native uranium was
      also observed with increasing ligand concentration, thought to be a result of the
      formation of strong U-ligand complexes remaining in the aqueous phase. The
      majority of these effects were observed at the highest ligand concentrations of
      50 mgC/L. No notable changes were observed for the 133Cs system which is ascribed
      to the minimal interaction of Cs+ with these organic ligands.

PMID- 28351010
TI  - Vanadium sulfide sub-microspheres: A new near-infrared-driven photocatalyst.
AB  - Recently, finding a novel near-infrared (NIR) photocatalyst has been the focus in
      photocatalysis. Here, VS4 sub-microspheres with a chain-like structure were
      prepared via a facile solvothermal method. As a new photocatalyst, it presents
      excellent NIR photocatalytic and photoelectrochemical (PEC) activity. Theoretical
      calculations and experimental results demonstrate that the improved NIR
      photocatalytic property originated from the narrow band gap of VS4, which
      significantly improves the NIR light absorption.

PMID- 28351011
TI  - Fine cutting edge shaped Bi2O3rods/reduced graphene oxide (RGO) composite for
      supercapacitor and visible-light photocatalytic applications.
AB  - Bi2O3 rods/RGO composite has been synthesized by a simple precipitation and
      calcination method. The crystallnity, structural, and morphological features were
      studied by X-ray diffraction (XRD), field-emission scanning electron microscopy
      (FE-SEM), and high resolution transmission electron microscopy (HR-TEM)
      techniques. The supercapacitor behavior was studied using cyclic voltammetry,
      galvanostatic charge discharge and impedance analysis, respectively. The Bi2O3
      rods/RGO nanocomposite exhibits a maximum specific capacitance of 1041Fg-1 at a
      current density of 2Ag-1. The photocatalytic activity of Bi2O3 rods/RGO composite
      was evaluated by photocatalytic degradation of methylene blue (MB) dye under
      visible-light irradiation. The enhancement of photocatalytic properties of Bi2O3
      rods/RGO composite attributed to the synergistic effect between Bi2O3 rods and
      graphene sheets which effectively prevents recombination of the photogenerated
      electron-hole pairs in Bi2O3 rods. The present study provides a new approach in
      improving the performance of Bi2O3 rods/RGO composite in energy and environmental
      applications.

PMID- 28351012
TI  - A comprehensive overview on electro-active biofilms, role of exo-electrogens and
      their microbial niches in microbial fuel cells (MFCs).
AB  - Microbial fuel cells (MFCs) are biocatalyzed systems which can drive electrical
      energy by directly converting chemical energy using microbial biocatalyst and are
      considered as one of the important propitious technologies for sustainable energy
      production. Much research on MFCs experiments is under way with great potential
      to become an alternative to produce clean energy from renewable waste. MFCs have
      been one of the most promising technologies for generating clean energy industry
      in the future. This article summarizes the important findings in electro-active
      biofilm formation and the role of exo-electrogens in electron transfer in MFCs.
      This study provides and brings special attention on the effects of various
      operating and biological parameters on the biofilm formation in MFCs. In
      addition, it also highlights the significance of different molecular techniques
      used in the microbial community analysis of electro-active biofilm. It reviews
      the challenges as well as the emerging opportunities required to develop MFCs at
      commercial level, electro-active biofilms and to understand potential application
      of microbiological niches are also depicted. Thus, this review is believed to
      widen the efforts towards the development of electro-active biofilm and will
      provide the research directions to overcome energy and environmental challenges.

PMID- 28351013
TI  - Dynamics of antibiotic resistance genes in microbial fuel cell-coupled
      constructed wetlands treating antibiotic-polluted water.
AB  - Microbial fuel cell-coupled constructed wetlands (CW-MFCs) use electrochemical,
      biological, and ecological functions to treat wastewater. However, few studies
      have investigated the risks of antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) when using such
      systems to remove antibiotics. Therefore, three CW-MFCs were designed to assess
      the dynamics of ARGs in filler biofilm and effluent over 5000 h of operation. The
      experimental results indicated that relatively high steady voltages of 605.8 mV,
      613.7 mV, and 541.4 mV were obtained at total influent antibiotic concentrations
      of 400, 1,000, and 1600 MUg L-1, respectively. The 16S rRNA gene level in the
      cathode layer was higher than those in the anode and two middle layers, but the
      opposite trend was observed for the sul and tet genes. The relative abundance of
      the three tested sul genes were in the order sulI > sulII > sulIII, and those of
      the five tet genes were in the order tetA > tetC > tetW > tetO > tetQ. The levels
      of sul and tet genes in the media biofilm showed an increase over the treatment
      period. The effluent water had relatively low abundances of sul and tet genes
      compared with the filler biofilm. No increases were observed for most ARGs over
      the treatment period, and no significant correlations were observed between the
      ARGs and 16S rRNA gene copy numbers, except for sulI and tetW in the effluent.
      However, significant correlations were observed among most of the ARG copy
      numbers.

PMID- 28351014
TI  - Phytostabilisation of severely contaminated mine tailings using halophytes and
      field addition of organic and inorganic amendments.
AB  - Phytostabilisation strategies have proven to be an efficient remediation option
      for mine tailings, but the adequate plant species and amendments have to be
      carefully selected. A remediation experiment was carried out at the semi-field
      level in tailings (pH 3.2, ~1100, 4700 and 5000 mg kg-1 of As, Pb and Zn,
      respectively) from the mining district of La Union-Cartagena (SE Spain). A red
      mud derivative (Fe/Al oxides), its combination with compost, and hydrated lime
      (Ca hydroxide) were applied in field plots of 0.25 m2. After four months of field
      stabilisation, tailings were transferred unaltered to a plant growth facility,
      and Atriplex halimus and Zygophyllum fabago (halophytes) were sown. Three months
      later, trace element (TE) solubility, plant accumulation and chemical speciation
      in the tailings pore water were studied. In unamended tailings, soluble TEs
      concentrations were very high (e.g., 40 mg Zn l-1), the dominant species being
      free ions and SO42-- complexes (>70%). The addition of amendments increased
      tailings pH (6.7-7), reduced TEs solubility and extractability (>80-99%) and
      changed the dominant species of soluble Al, Cu, Pb and Zn to hydroxides and/or
      organo-metallic complexes, but increased slightly the extractable As and soluble
      Tl concentrations. Plants were able to grow only in amended tailings, and both
      species presented low levels of Al, As, Cd and Zn. Therefore, the use of combined
      red mud derivative and compost and halophytes was shown to be a good
      phytostabilisation strategy, although the dose applied must be carefully chosen
      in order to avoid possible solubilisation of As and Tl.

PMID- 28351015
TI  - Optimization for zeolite regeneration and nitrogen removal performance of a
      hypochlorite-chloride regenerant.
AB  - Simultaneous zeolites regeneration and nitrogen removal were investigated by
      using a mixed solution of NaClO and NaCl (NaClO-NaCl solution), and effects of
      the regenerant on ammonium removal performance and textural properties of
      zeolites were analyzed by long-term adsorption and regeneration operations. Mixed
      NaClO-NaCl solution removed more NH4+ exchanged on zeolites and converted more of
      them to nitrogen than using NaClO or NaCl solution alone. Response surface
      methodological analysis indicated that molar ratio of hypochlorite and nitrogen
      (ClO-/N), NaCl concentration and pH value all had significant effects on zeolites
      regeneration and NH4+ conversion to nitrogen, and the optimum condition was
      obtained at ClO-/N of 1.75, NaCl concentration of 20 g/L and pH of 10.0. Zeolites
      regenerated by mixed NaClO-NaCl solution showed higher ammonium adsorption rate
      and lower capacity than unused zeolites. Zeolites and the regeneration solution
      were both effective even after 20 cycles of use. Composition and morphological
      analysis revealed that the main mineral species and surface morphology of
      zeolites before and after NaClO-NaCl regeneration were unchanged. Textural
      analysis indicated that NaClO-NaCl regeneration leads to an increased surface
      area of zeolites, especially the microporosity. The results indicated that NaClO
      NaCl regeneration is an attractive method to achieve sustainable removal of
      nitrogen from wastewater through zeolite.

PMID- 28351016
TI  - Nano-enabled paper humidity sensor for mobile based point-of-care lung function
      monitoring.
AB  - The frequency of breathing and peak flow rate of exhaled air are necessary
      parameters to detect chronic obstructive pulmonary diseases (COPDs) such as
      asthma, bronchitis, or pneumonia. We developed a lung function monitoring point
      of-care-testing device (LFM-POCT) consisting of mouthpiece, paper-based humidity
      sensor, micro-heater, and real-time monitoring unit. Fabrication of a mouthpiece
      of optimal length ensured that the exhaled air was focused on the humidity
      sensor. The resistive relative humidity sensor was developed using a filter paper
      coated with nanoparticles, which could easily follow the frequency and peak flow
      rate of the human breathing. Adsorption followed by condensation of the water
      molecules of the humid air on the paper-sensor during the forced exhalation
      reduced the electrical resistance of the sensor, which was converted to an
      electrical signal for sensing. A micro-heater composed of a copper-coil embedded
      in a polymer matrix helped in maintaining an optimal temperature on the sensor
      surface. Thus, water condensed on the sensor surface only during forcible
      breathing and the sensor recovered rapidly after the exhalation was complete by
      rapid desorption of water molecules from the sensor surface. Two types of real
      time monitoring units were integrated into the device based on light emitting
      diodes (LEDs) and smart phones. The LED based unit displayed the diseased,
      critical, and fit conditions of the lungs by flashing LEDs of different colors.
      In comparison, for the mobile based monitoring unit, an application was developed
      employing an open source software, which established a wireless connectivity with
      the LFM-POCT device to perform the tests.

PMID- 28351017
TI  - Performance of a docking/molecular dynamics protocol for virtual screening of
      nutlin-class inhibitors of Mdmx.
AB  - A virtual screening protocol involving docking and molecular dynamics has been
      tested against the results of fluorescence polarization assays testing the
      potency of a series of compounds of the nutlin class for inhibition of the
      interaction between p53 and Mdmx, an interaction identified as a driver of
      certain cancers. The protocol uses a standard docking method (AutoDock) with a
      cutoff based on the AutoDock score (ADscore), followed by molecular dynamics
      simulation with a cutoff based on root-mean-square-deviation (RMSD) from the
      docked pose. An analysis of the experimental and computational results shows
      modest performance of ADscore alone, but dramatically improved performance when
      RMSD is also used.

PMID- 28351019
TI  - Online microdialysis-ultra performance liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry
      method for comparative pharmacokinetic investigation on iridoids from Gardenia
      jasminoides Ellis in rats with different progressions of type 2 diabetic
      complications.
AB  - Iridoid glycosides consist the main bioactive constituents of Gardenia
      jasminoides Ellis (G. jasminoides), which is used alone or in combination with
      other medicine herbs for treatment of diabetes mellitus in China. This paper
      investigated for the first time comparative pharmacokinetics (PKs) of four
      unbound iridoids (including genipin, geniposide, gardenoside and geniposidic
      acid) in rat blood between healthy and type 2 diabetic groups with different
      disease progressions (9 or 13 weeks). Online microdialysis-ultra performance
      liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (MD- UPLC-MS/MS) method was used after
      oral administration of iridoid extracts obtained from the fruits of G.
      jasminoides. Student's t-test was used for statistical comparison of PK
      parameters. Results showed that genipin, geniposide and geniposidic acid feature
      higher Cmax, larger area under the curve (AUC), lower clearance (CL), longer Tmax
      and mean residence time (MRT) in type 2 diabetic rats than those in healthy rats
      (p<0.05). However, no significant difference was observed in PK parameters
      between the two diabetic groups with different complication progressions
      (p>0.05). Type 2 diabetic rats showed significantly altered PK behaviors of
      genipin, geniposide and geniposidic acid (especially systemic exposure, AUCs of
      genipin, geniposide and geniposidic acid). Online MD-UPLC-MS/MS provides real
      time sampling and monitoring, these functions can be applied to PKs of iridoids
      from G. jasminoides.

PMID- 28351018
TI  - Profiles of amino acids and biogenic amines in the plasma of Cri-du-Chat
      patients.
AB  - Cri-du-chat syndrome (CDCS) is a rare innate disease attributed to chromosome 5p
      deletion characterized by a cat-like cry, craniofacial malformation, and altered
      behavior of affected children. Metabolomic analysis and a chemometric approach
      allow description of the metabolic profile of CDCS as compared to normal
      subjects. In the present work, UHPLC/MS was employed to analyze blood samples
      withdrawn from CDCS carriers (n=18) and normal parental subjects (n=18), all aged
      0-34 years, aiming to set up a representative CDCS profile constructed from 33
      targeted amino acids and biogenic amines. Methionine sulfoxide (MetO) was of
      particular concern with respect to CDCS redox balance. Increased serotonin (3
      fold), methionine sulfoxide (2-fold), and Asp levels, and a little lower Orn,
      citrulline, Leu, Val, Ile, Asn, Gln, Trp, Thr, His, Phe, Met, and creatinine
      levels were found in the plasma of CDCS patients. Nitrotyrosine and Trp did not
      differ in normal and CDCS individuals.The accumulated metabolites may reflect,
      respectively, disturbances in the redox balance, deficient purine biosynthesis,
      and altered behavior, whereas the amino acid abatement in the latter group may
      affect the homeostasis of the urea cycle, citric acid cycle, branched chain amino
      acid synthesis, Tyr and Trp metabolism and amino acid biosynthesis. The
      identification of enzymatic deficiencies leading to the amino acid burden in CDCS
      is further required for elucidating its molecular bases and eventually propose
      specific or mixed amino acid supplementation to newborn patients aiming to
      balance their metabolism.

PMID- 28351021
TI  - Effects of handedness & saccadic bilateral eye movements on the specificity of
      past autobiographical memory & episodic future thinking.
AB  - The present research investigated the effects of personal handedness and saccadic
      eye movements on the specificity of past autobiographical memory and episodic
      future thinking. Handedness and saccadic eye movements have been hypothesised to
      share a common functional basis in that both influence cognition through
      hemispheric interaction. The technique used to elicit autobiographical memory and
      episodic future thought involved a cued sentence completion procedure that
      allowed for the production of memories spanning the highly specific to the very
      general. Experiment 1 found that mixed-handed (vs. right handed) individuals
      generated more specific past autobiographical memories, but equivalent numbers of
      specific future predictions. Experiment 2 demonstrated that following 30s of
      bilateral (horizontal) saccades, more specific cognitions about both the past and
      future were generated. These findings extend previous research by showing that
      more distinct and episodic-like information pertaining to the self can be
      elicited by either mixed-handedness or eye movements. The results are discussed
      in relation to hemispheric interaction and top-down influences in the control of
      memory retrieval.

PMID- 28351020
TI  - Optimization of a new methodology for trace determination of elements in
      biological fluids: Application for speciation of inorganic selenium in children's
      blood.
AB  - The continuous sample drop flow microextraction (CSDFME) joined with the iridium
      modified tube graphite furnace atomic absorption spectrometry (GFAAS) has been
      developed as a highly sensitive technique for the speciation of selenium in blood
      samples. In this method 32.0MUl carbon tetrachloride is transferred to the bottom
      of a conical sample cup. Then the 5.0ml of aqueous solution transforms to fine
      droplets while passing through the organic solvent. At this stage, Se(IV)-APDC
      hydrophobic complex is extracted into the organic solvent. After extraction, the
      conical sample cup is transferred to the GFAAS and 20MUl of extraction solvent
      was injected into the graphite tube by the aim of autosampler. Under the optimum
      conditions, the calibration graph was linear in the range of 0.06-3.0MUgl-1 with
      detection limit of 0.02MUgl-1. The enrichment factor and enhancement factor were
      106 and 91, respectively. Repeatability (intra-day) and reproducibility (inter
      day) of method based on seven replicate measurements of 2.5MUgl-1 of selenium
      were 3.7% and 4.2%, respectively. Total inorganic Se(IV, VIota) was measured
      after reduction of Se(VIota) with gentle boiling in 5M HCl medium for 50min and
      adjusting pH to 3, and the concentration of Se(VIota) was calculated by
      subtracting the Se(IV) concentration from the total selenium concentration.

PMID- 28351022
TI  - Reference values and factors associated with musculoskeletal symptoms in healthy
      adolescents and adults.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Insufficient attention has been given to individuals who report
      musculoskeletal symptoms yet experience minimal disability. OBJECTIVES: To
      examine musculoskeletal symptoms among healthy individuals, and compare
      demographic, psychological and physical factors between individuals with and
      without symptoms. DESIGN: Cross-sectional observational study. METHOD: Data were
      from the 1000 Norms Project which recruited 1000 individuals aged 3-101 years.
      Participants were healthy by self-report and had no major physical disability.
      Musculoskeletal symptoms (ache/pain/discomfort, including single-site and multi
      site symptoms) were assessed in adolescents (11-17y) and adults (18-101y) using
      the Extended Nordic Musculoskeletal Questionnaire (NMQ-E). To compare individuals
      with single-site, multi-site and no symptoms, body mass index, grip strength, 6
      min walk, 30-s chair stand and timed up-and-down stairs (all participants), and
      mental health, sleep difficulties, self-efficacy and physical activity (adults),
      were collected. RESULTS: /findings: Socio-demographic characteristics were
      similar to the Australian population. Twelve-month period prevalence of all
      symptoms was 69-82%; point prevalence was 23-39%. Adults with single-site
      symptoms were more likely to be overweight/obese and had lower sit-to-stand and
      stair-climbing performance (p < 0.05). Adults with multi-site symptoms were more
      likely to be female and overweight/obese, had lower mental health, greater sleep
      difficulties and lower grip strength, 6-min walk and sit-to-stand performance (p
      < 0.05). Differences were only observed among 50-59, 60-69, 70-79 and 80-101 year
      olds. CONCLUSIONS: Normative reference data for the NMQ-E have been generated.
      Musculoskeletal symptoms are common among healthy individuals. In older adults,
      musculoskeletal symptoms are linked with overweight/obesity, lower mental health,
      sleep difficulties and lower physical performance, emphasising the importance of
      multi-dimensional assessments in musculoskeletal disorders.

PMID- 28351023
TI  - Effect of Door-Locking Policy on Inpatient Treatment of Substance Use and Dual
      Disorders.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: Substance use treatment is often performed inside locked wards. We
      investigate the effects of adopting a policy of open-door treatment for a
      substance use treatment and dual diagnosis ward. METHODS: This is a prospective
      open-label study investigating 3-month study periods before opening (P1),
      immediately after (P2), and 1 year after the first period (P3). Data on committed
      patients, coercion (seclusion, forced medication, absconding events with
      subsequent police search), violence, and substance use was collected daily. We
      applied generalised estimating equation models. RESULTS: The mean daily number of
      patients with ongoing commitment changed from 2.64 (P1) to 2.12 (P2) to 0.96
      (P3), corresponding to a reduction of relative risk (RR) for having an ongoing
      commitment by 20% in P2 (RR 0.80; 95% CI 0.66-0.98) and 67% in P3 (RR 0.33; 95%
      CI 0.25-0.42). The mean daily number of coercive events was 0.29, 0.13, and 0.05,
      corresponding to a risk for undergoing coercive measures reduced by 56% (RR 0.44;
      95% CI 0.22-0.90) and 85% (RR 0.15; 95% CI 0.05-0.45). Substance use, violence or
      ward atmosphere did not differ significantly. CONCLUSIONS: Our results support
      findings from general psychiatric wards of reduced coercion after adopting a
      primarily open-door policy. However, coercive events were rare during all
      periods. The widespread practice of restricting the freedom of inpatients with
      substance use disorders by locking ward doors is highly questionable.

PMID- 28351024
TI  - Evaluating the Prognostic Value of microRNA-203 in Solid Tumors Based on a Meta
      Analysis and the Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) Datasets.
AB  - BACKGROUND: It has been reported that miR-203 expression was aberrant in various
      types of cancers, and it could be used as a prognostic biomarker. Therefore, in
      this study, we aimed to evaluate the prognostic value of miR-203 expression in
      solid tumors by using meta-analysis and The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) datasets.
      METHODS: By doing a literature research in PubMed, Embase and the Cochrane
      Library (last update by December 2016), we were able to identify the studies
      assessing the prognostic role of miR-203 in various tumors. We then used TCGA
      datasets to validate the results of meta-analysis. RESULTS: 33 studies from 26
      articles were qualified and enrolled in this meta-analysis. Pooled analyses
      showed that higher expression of miR-203 in tissues couldn't predict poor overall
      survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS) in solid tumors. However, the
      results of subgroup analyses revealed that the upregulation of tissue miR-203
      expression was associated with poor OS in colorectal cancer (hazard ratio
      (HR)=1.81, 95% confidence intervals (CI) 1.31-2.49; P<0.001), pancreatic cancer
      (HR=1.19, 95% CI 1.09-1.31; P<0.001) and ovarian cancer (HR=1.85, 95% CI 1.45
      2.37; P<0.001); but it had opposite association in liver cancer (HR=0.52, 95% CI
      0.28-0.97; P=0.040) and esophageal cancer (HR=0.41, 95% CI 0.25-0.66; P<0.001).
      Based on TCGA datasets, we found the same results for pancreatic cancer and
      esophageal cancer, but not for colorectal cancer and liver cancer. Moreover,
      patients with high circulating miR-203 in blood had significantly poor OS and PFS
      in colorectal cancer and breast cancer. CONCLUSION: Our study showed that the
      prognostic values of tissue miR-203 varied in different tumor types. In addition,
      the upregulation of circulating miR-203 in blood was associated with poor
      prognosis in colorectal cancer and breast cancer.

PMID- 28351026
TI  - Common Variants of Vitamin D Receptor Gene Polymorphisms and Susceptibility to
      Coronary Artery Disease: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.
AB  - BACKGROUND AND AIMS: ApaI, FokI, TaqI, and BsmI polymorphisms in the vitamin D
      receptor (VDR) gene have been reported to be associated with the risk of coronary
      artery disease (CAD), although the results of previous studies have been
      inconsistent. The aim of this study was to explore whether these polymorphisms
      play a role in the genetic susceptibility to CAD. METHODS: A comprehensive search
      of Medline and Embase databases was conducted for studies evaluating the
      association between the VDR polymorphisms and CAD risk. Odds ratios with 95%
      confidence intervals were calculated to assess the strength of association in the
      dominant model, recessive model, allelic model, and genotypes contrast. RESULTS:
      Nine studies involving a total of 5,259 cases and 1,981 controls were finally
      included in this meta-analysis. Overall, no significant associations were found
      between ApaI, FokI, TaqI, and BsmI polymorphisms and the risk of CAD in any of
      the genetic models (all p ? 0.05). Moreover, a subgroup analysis by ethnicity did
      not reveal a significant relationship between any of the examined polymorphisms
      and CAD risk in Caucasians and East-Asians for any model (all p ? 0.05).
      CONCLUSION: Current evidence suggests that the ApaI, FokI, TaqI, and BsmI
      polymorphisms of the VDR gene might not be associated with genetic susceptibility
      to CAD. Further well-designed studies with large sample sizes are needed to
      confirm our results.

PMID- 28351025
TI  - Decidual Bleeding as a Cause of Spontaneous Hemoperitoneum in Pregnancy and Risk
      of Preterm Birth.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Spontaneous hemoperitoneum in pregnancy (SHiP) is a rare, life
      threatening event, particularly relevant to women with endometriosis or
      deciduosis. METHODS: To determine the type of lesions leading to SHiP, a
      literature search was conducted among all published SHiP cases. From a total of
      1,339 publications, information on pathological findings at the bleeding site
      with histological data was found in 24 case reports (16 pregnant, 8 postpartum).
      RESULTS: Among pregnant women (81% primigravida), 75% had a diagnosis of
      endometriosis and 25% of deciduosis. Among postpartum women (38% primiparous),
      63% had a diagnosis of deciduosis and 25% of endometriosis. In all cases except
      one, decidual cells, with or without glandular structures, were present at the
      bleeding site. Decidual vessels were described in 7 cases and all exhibited
      vascular changes, including distension of the lumen, medial disorganization, or
      loss of vascular integrity. These vessels were significantly different from
      arteries seen in the secretory endometrium, showing that structural modifications
      take place during the initial stage of the remodelling of placental bed spiral
      arteries. CONCLUSIONS: During pregnancy, a link seems to exist between ectopic
      decidualization, particularly that occurring in endometriotic foci, and
      occurrence of SHiP. In addition, subclinical decidual bleeding may be a potential
      risk factor for preterm labour.

PMID- 28351027
TI  - Re-Thinking Elective Single Embryo Transfer: Increased Risk of Monochorionic
      Twinning - A Systematic Review.
AB  - BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES: Multiple pregnancies have tripled in the United States
      over the past 3 decades. Attributed to increasing maternal age at delivery but
      more so assisted reproductive technological advances, an effort has been made to
      decrease twinning through elective single embryo transfer. We sought to review
      and evaluate risks of monochorionic twinning as a predictable consequence of
      increasing utilization of elective single embryo transfer on perinatal outcomes.
      Primary outcomes included twinning rates, fetal anomalies, growth, preterm birth,
      and mortality. Secondary outcomes included neurological and pulmonary disability,
      intrauterine growth restriction, and congenital cardiac anomalies and twin-twin
      transfusion syndrome. DATA SOURCES: PubMed and Embase. RESULTS: A total of 106
      studies identified by systematic search met the inclusion criteria. The trend for
      lower numbers of embryos transferred has inadvertently led to an increase in
      monochorionic twinning. This is associated with worse outcomes compared to
      dichorionic twinning and singleton gestations for all outcomes studied.
      DISCUSSION: Of great concern for monochorionic twins is the risk profile of
      significant morbidity and mortality. Transfer of 2 embryos should be considered
      to avoid higher risks inherent to the shared placental phenomena related to
      monochorionic twins.

PMID- 28351029
TI  - Cytopathological Changes Induced by the Crack Use in Oral Mucosa.
AB  - AIMS: To evaluate cytological alterations, inflammation, and microbial charge of
      the oral mucosa epithelium in crack users in in terms of the amount and duration
      of use. METHODS: Two hundred thirty four crack users (case group) and 120 non
      users (control group) participated in this study. Clinically healthy epithelial
      cells were collected from the posterior mouth floor, using the conventional
      exfoliative cytology. Some of the aspects evaluated were as follows: Papanicolaou
      classification, nuclear area (NA), cytoplasmic area (CA), nuclear/cytoplasmic
      area ratio (NA/CA), inflammation, microbial charge, keratinization, enucleated
      superficial cells, and binucleation. RESULTS: The average time of crack
      consumption was 9.8 years (+/-7.1) and the average quantity of use was 13.97
      g/week (+/-18.5). The average NA values and NA/CA ratio were increased and CA
      values were decreased in the case group compared to those in the controls (p <
      0.05). Papanicolaou class II, intense inflammation, and intense microbial charge
      were more prevalent in the case group than in the controls (p < 0.05). There was
      a significant association between high quantity of smoked crack rocks per week
      and increased CA values, absence of keratinization, and presence of enucleated
      superficial cells (p < 0.05). CONCLUSION: Crack use seemed to induce inflammatory
      alterations and early indicators of malignant transformation on the oral mucosa
      epithelium.

PMID- 28351028
TI  - Influence of Feeding Types during the First Months of Life on Calciuria Levels in
      Healthy Infants: A Secondary Analysis from a Randomized Clinical Trial.
AB  - BACKGROUND/AIMS: Dietary factors can modify calciuria. We aim to investigate
      urinary calcium excretion in healthy infants according to their protein. METHODS:
      Secondary data analysis from a randomized clinical trial where healthy term
      infants were randomized after birth to a higher (HP) or lower (LP) protein
      content formula that was consumed until age 1 year. A non-randomized group of
      breastfed (BF) infants was used for reference. Anthropometry, dietary intakes and
      calciuria (calcium/creatinine ratios) from spot urine samples were assessed at
      ages 3 and 6 months. At 6 months, the kidney volumes were assessed using
      ultrasonography, and the serum urea and creatinine levels were determined.
      RESULTS: BF infants showed the highest calciuria levels, followed by the HP and
      the LP groups (p < 0.001 for all comparisons). Either protein intakes or formula
      types modulated the calciuria in linear regression models adjusted for other
      influencing dietary factors. The usual cut-off values classified 37.8% (BF),
      16.8% (HP) and 4.9% (LP) of the infants as hypercalciuric. CONCLUSIONS: Feeding
      types during the first months of life affect calciuria, with BF infants
      presenting the highest levels. We propose new cut-off values, based on feeding
      types, to prevent the overestimation in hypercalciuria diagnoses among BF
      infants.

PMID- 28351030
TI  - A Comparison of Different Training Methods in the Successful Learning of
      Endobronchial Ultrasound-Guided Transbronchial Needle Aspiration.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Standardized training of endobronchial ultrasound-guided
      transbronchial needle aspiration (EBUS- TBNA) is available only in highly
      developed countries. OBJECTIVE: To compare the skill differences in the
      performance of EBUS-TBNA by pulmonologists trained under different learning
      methods. METHODS: We performed a retrospective study of 145 EBUS-TBNA cases. We
      set up 3 comparative training groups: a standardized training group, a teaching
      group, and a self-study group. The main clinical outcomes were sensitivity,
      specificity and accuracy of EBUS-TBNA. Cumulative sum analysis was used to track
      EBUS-TBNA proficiency of the 3 groups. RESULTS: The sensitivities of EBUS-TBNA in
      the different groups were 90, 88, and 67%, respectively. The accuracies of the
      different groups were 91, 90, and 71%, respectively. With respect to the
      sensitivity and accuracy, there was no significant difference between the
      standardized training group and teaching group. However, the self-study group was
      inferior to the other 2 groups. By comparing the learning curve among the groups,
      we found that the minimum number of operations needed to reach a 90% accuracy for
      the standardized training group, the teaching group and the self-study group was
      17, 32 and 40 cases, respectively. CONCLUSION: Compared with the teaching and
      self-study groups, the standardized training group resulted in practitioners
      achieving high skill levels following the performance of a lower number of cases.
      Pulmonologists trained in the teaching group achieved a similar level of skills,
      but required more experience to reach this level. Practitioners in the self-study
      group did not achieve a satisfactory level of skills, despite performing a high
      number of cases.

PMID- 28351031
TI  - Erratum.

PMID- 28351032
TI  - Baicalein, a Natural Anti-Cancer Compound, Alters MicroRNA Expression Profiles in
      Bel-7402 Human Hepatocellular Carcinoma Cells.
AB  - BACKGROUND/AIMS: Baicalein has been shown to possess significant anti-hepatoma
      activity by inhibiting cell proliferation. Whether the anti-proliferative effect
      of baicalein is related to its modulation of miRNA expression in hepatocellular
      carcinoma (HCC) is still unknown. METHODS: The anti-proliferative effects of
      baicalein on HCC cell line Bel-7402 was assessed by detecting the proliferation
      activity, cell cycle distribution, expression changes of p21/CDKN1A, P27/CDKN1B,
      total Akt and phosphoryted AKT. Microarray analysis was conducted to determine
      the miRNA expression profiles in baicalein-treated or untreated Bel-7402 cells
      and then validated by qRT-PCR in two HCC cell lines (Bel-7402 and Hep3B). The
      gain-of-function of miR-3127-5p was performed by detecting anti-proliferative
      effects after transfecting miRNA mimics in cells. Finally, the expression level
      of miR-3127-5p in different HCC cell lines was determined by qRT-PCR. RESULTS:
      Baicalein was able to inhibit the proliferation of Bel-7402 cells by inducing
      cell cycle arrest at the S and G2/M phase via up-regulating the expression of
      p21/CDKN1A and P27/CDKN1B and suppressing the PI3K/Akt pathway. Baicalein could
      alter the miRNA expression profiles in Bel-7402 cells. Putative target genes for
      differentially expressed miRNAs could be enriched in terms of cell proliferation
      regulation, cell cycle arrest and were mainly involved in MAPK, PI3K-Akt, Wnt,
      Hippo and mTOR signaling pathways. MiR- 3127-5p, one of up-regulated miRNAs,
      exhibits low expression level in several HCC cell lines and its overexpression
      could inhibit cell growth of Bel-7402 and Hep3B cell lines by inducing S phase
      arrest by up-regulating the expression of p21and P27 and repressing the PI3K/Akt
      pathway. CONCLUSIONS: Modulation of miRNA expression may be an important
      mechanism underlying the anti-hepatoma effects of baicalein.

PMID- 28351034
TI  - [5. ASORS-Jahreskongress - Supportive Therapie und Rehabilitation bei Krebs -
      State of the Art 2017. Munchen, 31. Marz - 1. April 2017: Abstracts].

PMID- 28351033
TI  - ENETS Consensus Guidelines for the Standards of Care in Neuroendocrine Neoplasms:
      Systemic Therapy - Biotherapy and Novel Targeted Agents.

PMID- 28351035
TI  - Resting-State Functional Connectivity Changes Associated with Visuospatial
      Cognitive Deficits in Patients with Mild Alzheimer Disease.
AB  - BACKGROUND/AIMS: Alzheimer disease (AD) is a neurodegenerative disorder
      characterized by progressive disconnection of various brain networks leading to
      neuropsychological impairment. Pathology in the visual association areas has been
      documented in presymptomatic AD and therefore we aimed at examining the
      relationship between brain connectivity and visuospatial (VS) cognitive deficits
      in early AD. METHODS: Tests for VS working memory, episodic memory and
      construction were used to classify patients with AD (n = 48) as having severe VS
      deficits (n = 12, female = 4) or mild deficits (n = 11, female = 4). Resting
      state functional magnetic resonance imaging and structural images were acquired
      as per the standard protocols. Between-group differences in resting-state
      functional connectivity (rsFC) were examined by dual regression analysis
      correcting for age, gender, and total brain volume. RESULTS: Patients with AD
      having severe VS deficits exhibited significantly reduced rsFC in bilateral
      lingual gyri of the visual network compared to patients with mild VS deficits.
      CONCLUSION: Reduced rsFC in the visual network in patients with more severe VS
      deficits may be a functional neuroimaging biomarker reflecting hypoconnectivity
      of the brain with progressive VS deficits during early AD.

PMID- 28351036
TI  - Hypoxia Induces Multidrug Resistance via Enhancement of Epidermal Growth Factor
      Like Domain 7 Expression in Non-Small Lung Cancer Cells.
AB  - Chemotherapy is widely used in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) treatment, yet
      multidrug resistance (MDR) is a major chemotherapeutic obstacle in both
      resectable and advanced NSCLC. Epidermal growth factor-like domain 7 (EGFL7),
      also known as vascular endothelial stain, is an endothelial cell-derived secreted
      factor that regulates vascular tube formulation. The aim of this study was to
      investigate the potential relationships between EGFL7 and MDR in NSCLC cells. We
      first obtained the CDDP-based MDR phenotype cell line A549/CDDP by repeated
      exposure to a proper concentration of CDDP (cisplatin) from original A549 cells.
      These A549/CDDP cells, which maintained relative high levels of EGFL7 and P
      glycoprotein (P-gp), were resistant to other chemotherapy drugs, such as
      carboplatin (CBP), paclitaxel (TAX), and gemcitabine (GEM) (p < 0.05). We also
      found that hypoxia significantly reduced the chemosensitivity of NSCLC cells, and
      hypoxia-induced MDR was mediated by P-gp and EGFL7 (p < 0.05). EGFL7 was veryy
      relevant to NSCLC cell MDR, and downregulation of EGFL7 could significantly
      increase the chemosensitivity of NSCLC cells (p < 0.05). Thus, our findings first
      indicate that hypoxia induced NSCLC cell MDR at least partly by enhancing the
      expression of EGFL7 protein. EGFL7 might be a feasible target for reversing
      hypoxia-mediated MDR in NSCLC cells and a promising biomarker for predicting the
      development of MDR in NSCLC patients on chemotherapy.

PMID- 28351037
TI  - Impact of Laser Power and Firing Angle on Coagulation Efficiency in Laser
      Treatment for Twin-Twin Transfusion Syndrome: An ex vivo Placenta Study.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: To assess the impact of laser power and firing angle on coagulation
      efficiency for closing placental anastomoses in the treatment of twin-twin
      transfusion syndrome. METHODS: We used an ex vivo blood-perfused human placenta
      model to compare time to complete coagulation using 30 vs. 50 W of neodymium
      doped yttrium aluminum garnet laser power and using a firing angle of 90 degrees 
      vs. 45 degrees . Placentas were perfused with pig blood at 5 mL/min. Differences
      were analyzed using independent-samples t test, Mann-Whitney U test, or chi2 test
      as appropriate. RESULTS: Coagulation took less time and energy using 50 W (n =
      53) compared to 30 W (n = 52), 11 vs. 22 s (p < 0.001), and 557 vs. 659 J (p =
      0.007). Perpendicular coagulation (n = 53) took less time and energy compared to
      a 45 degrees  angle (n = 21), 11 vs. 17 s (p = 0.004), and 557 vs. 871 J (p =
      0.004). Bleeding complicated 2 (3%) measurements in the 50-W group, 5 (10%) in
      the 30-W group, and 3 (14%) in the 45 degrees  group. DISCUSSION: In a highly
      controlled model, a 50-W laser power setting was more energy efficient than 30 W
      in coagulating a placental vein. A more perpendicular laser firing angle resulted
      in more efficient coagulation. Furthermore, bleeding due to vessel wall
      disruption occurred more often with lower power and a more tangential approach.

PMID- 28351038
TI  - Vitamin D Levels Do Not Affect Natural Fertility and in vitro Fertilization
      Outcomes.

PMID- 28351039
TI  - Prognostic Value of the Apparent Diffusion Coefficient in Newborns with Hypoxic
      Ischaemic Encephalopathy Treated with Therapeutic Hypothermia.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) quantification has been proven
      to be of prognostic value in term newborns with hypoxic-ischaemic encephalopathy
      (HIE) who were treated under normothermia. OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the prognostic
      value of ADC in standardized brain regions in neonates with HIE who were treated
      with therapeutic hypothermia (TH). METHODS: This prospective cohort study
      included 54 term newborns who were admitted with HIE and treated with TH. All
      magnetic resonance imaging examinations were performed between days 4 and 6 of
      life, and ADC values were measured in 13 standardized regions of the brain. At 2
      years of age we explored whether ADC values were related to composite outcomes
      (death or survival with abnormal neurodevelopment). RESULTS: The severity of HIE
      is inversely related to ADC values in different brain regions. We found that
      lower ADC values in the posterior limb of the internal capsule (PLIC), the
      thalami, the semioval centre, and frontal and parietal white matter were related
      to adverse outcomes. ADC values in the PLIC and thalami are good predictors of
      adverse outcomes (AUC 0.86 and 0.76). CONCLUSIONS: Low ADC values in the PLIC,
      thalamus, semioval centre, and frontal and parietal white matter in full-term
      infants with HIE treated with TH were associated with a poor outcome.

PMID- 28351040
TI  - Macular Edema: Definition and Basic Concepts.
AB  - Macular edema is the result of an accumulation of fluid in the retinal layers
      around the fovea. It contributes to vision loss by altering the functional cell
      relationship in the retina and promoting an inflammatory reparative response.
      Macular edema may be intracellular or extracellular. Intracellular accumulation
      of fluid, also called cytotoxic edema, is an alteration of the cellular ionic
      distribution. Extracellular accumulation of fluid, which is more frequent and
      clinically more relevant, is directly associated with an alteration of the blood
      retinal barrier (BRB). The following parameters are relevant for clinical
      evaluation of macular edema: extent of the macular edema (i.e., the area that
      shows increased retinal thickness); distribution of the edema in the macular area
      (i.e., focal versus diffuse macular edema); central foveal involvement (central
      area 500 MUm); fluorescein leakage (evidence of alteration of the BRB or 'open
      barrier') and intraretinal cysts; signs of ischemia (broken perifoveolar
      capillary arcade and/or areas of capillary closure); presence or absence of
      vitreous traction; increase in retinal thickness and cysts in the retina (inner
      or outer), and chronicity of the edema (i.e., time elapsed since initial
      diagnosis and response to therapy). It is essential to establish associations and
      correlations of all the different images obtained, regardless of whether the same
      or different modalities are used.

PMID- 28351041
TI  - Mechanisms of Retinal Fluid Accumulation and Blood-Retinal Barrier Breakdown.
AB  - Macular edema is the swelling of the central portion of the human retina and it
      is associated with increased retinal thickness. It can be simply defined as an
      excess of fluid within the retinal tissue. It must be realized that the normal
      retina possesses a functional extracellular space. With regard to the
      extracellular volume of the retina, there have been few physiologic studies, but
      there are reported values of 24.8% for the cerebrum and 23.6% for the cerebellum.
      It is accepted that the retinal extracellular space is similar to the brain. It
      is generally agreed that the proximate cause of macular edema and retinal fluid
      accumulation is a breakdown of the blood-retinal barrier (BRB). When there is a
      breakdown of the BRB, retinal edema can be interpreted in terms of basic
      principles of capillary filtration (Starling's law). Therefore, the main factors
      influencing retinal edema formation are BRB permeability, capillary hydrostatic
      pressure, tissue hydrostatic pressure, tissue osmotic pressure, and plasma
      osmotic pressure. Active transport by the retinal pigment epithelium is necessary
      to remove water that percolates through the retina from intraocular pressure and
      is also as a safety mechanism against fluid accumulation in disease. Clinical
      evaluation of the BRB and retinal edema can be performed noninvasively by using
      an OCT-based method designated OCT-Leakage, which is capable of identifying and
      quantifying sites of alteration of the BRB, and by mapping sites of low optical
      reflectivity, i.e., changes in the retinal extracellular fluid.

PMID- 28351042
TI  - Intracellular Edema.
AB  - The macula is predisposed to edema in various retinal conditions, even when the
      insult is remote from the macula. The various factors that may predispose the
      macula to edema include high metabolic activity, radial arrangement of the
      Henle's layer, lack of inner layers at the fovea, and lack of blood supply at the
      fovea. The edema is most pronounced in the outer plexiform layer (Henle's layer).
      Alteration in the blood-retinal barrier and ischemia cause disturbances in
      vascular permeability as well as with the function of Muller cells. K+ ions and
      aquaporin-4 play an important role in maintaining the dryness of the macula in
      physiological conditions. Intracellular edema of Muller cells contributes
      significantly to macular edema. Steroids and anti-VEGF agents reduce
      intracellular edema, apart from extracellular edema. Therapeutic targets for
      improving Muller cell function could play a key role in the development of new
      molecules.

PMID- 28351043
TI  - Central Serous Chorioretinopathy.
AB  - Central serous is an atypical form of macular edema with mostly accumulation of
      fluid under the retina. It contitutes a pure phenotype of retinal pigment
      epithelium barrier breakdown. Another particularity is the good visual
      preservation despite important fluid volume increase in the macula.

PMID- 28351044
TI  - Diagnosis and Detection.
AB  - The aim of the chapter is to provide a practical but exhaustive guide in
      detecting macular edema and to describe its features according to the retinal
      condition that causes it. The most useful imaging techniques (biomicroscopy,
      retinography, optical coherence tomography, and fluorescein/indocyanine-green
      angiography will be analyzed in order to identify the best diagnostic algorithm
      in each pathology. There is a table at the end of the chapter which summarizes
      the important points of the chapter.

PMID- 28351045
TI  - Optical Coherence Tomography Angiography in Macular Edema.
AB  - OCT angiography is a promising new method to visualize the retinal vasculature
      and choroidal vascular layers in the macular area and provides depth resolved
      functional information of the blood flow in the vessels. Given that the main
      moving elements in the eye fundus are contained in vessels, determining a
      vascular decorrelation signal enables visualization of 3-dimensional retinal and
      choroidal vascular network without the administration of intravenous dye and thus
      reducing the risk of potential adverse events.

PMID- 28351046
TI  - Retinal Vein Occlusions.
AB  - Retinal vein occlusions (RVOs) have been defined as retinal vascular disorders
      characterized by dilatation of retinal veins with retinal and subretinal
      hemorrhages, macular edema, and a varying degree of retinal ischemia. Retinal
      angiography, either as fluorescein and indocyanine green (ICG) angiography or in
      the form of optical coherence tomography (OCT)-based angiography, is essential
      for the diagnosis and assessment of the prognosis of RVOs. It allows the
      differentiation of diverse types of RVOs, such as perfused or nonperfused, as
      well as the detection of different modalities in the natural history of RVOs. OCT
      angiographic imaging in combination with dye angiography (fluorescein or ICG) is
      the most effective method to assess the amount and location of cystoid macular
      edema and the persistence, regression, and degree of ischemia. OCT can
      additionally display the presence and integrity of the outer limiting membrane
      and of the inner and outer segments of the photoreceptors as useful biomarkers
      for the prognosis and as a guide for the treatment of RVO. Due to the relatively
      often benign and self-limiting course of nonischemic RVOs, therapy may initially
      be delayed. If macular edema extends into the foveolar region and persists,
      intravitreal medical therapy including steroids (triamcinolone; fluocinolone or
      dexamethasone in slow-release devices) and/or anti-VEGF (vascular endothelial
      growth factor) drugs (bevacizumab, ranibizumab, aflibercept) may be
      intravitreally administered, avoiding the irreversibly destructive effect of
      laser coagulation, which previously was applied in a 'grid' pattern over the
      extrafoveolar leaking area. The side effects of intraocularly applied steroids in
      relatively young patients including cataract formation and ocular hypertension
      have to be considered.

PMID- 28351047
TI  - Postsurgical Cystoid Macular Edema.
AB  - Cystoid macular edema (CME) is a primary cause of reduced vision following both
      cataract and successful vitreoretinal surgery. The incidence of clinical CME
      following modern cataract surgery is 0.1-2.35%. Preexisting conditions such as
      diabetes mellitus and uveitis as well as intraoperative complications can raise
      the risk of postsurgical CME. The etiology of CME is not completely understood.
      Prolapsed or incarcerated vitreous and postoperative inflammatory processes have
      been proposed as causative agents. Pseudophakic CME is characterized by poor
      postoperative visual acuity. Fluorescein angiography shows the classical
      perifoveal petaloid staining pattern and late leakage of the optic disk. Optical
      coherence tomography is a useful diagnostic tool, which displays cystic spaces in
      the outer nuclear layer. The most important differential diagnoses include age
      related macular degeneration and other causes of CME such as diabetic macular
      edema. Most cases of pseudophakic CME resolve spontaneously. The value of
      prophylactic treatment is doubtful. First-line treatment of postsurgical CME
      should include topical nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs and corticosteroids.
      Oral carbonic anhydrase inhibitors can be considered complementary. In cases of
      resistant CME, periocular or intraocular corticosteroids present an option.
      Antiangiogenic agents, though experimental, should be considered for
      nonresponsive persistent CME. Surgical options should be reserved for special
      indications.

PMID- 28351048
TI  - Retinitis Pigmentosa and Other Dystrophies.
AB  - Retinitis pigmentosa (RP) is a heterogeneous group of inherited retinal
      degenerations characterized by progressive degeneration of rod and cone cells
      that affects predominantly peripheral visual fields. Macular edema may cause
      additional central visual acuity decrease. Cystoid macular edema (CME) is one of
      the few treatable causes of visual loss in RP. The prevalence of CME in RP has
      been found to be between 10 and 20% on fluorescein angiography-based studies, and
      as high as 49% on reports based on optical coherence tomography. Macular edema
      can manifest at any stage of the disease and may be unilateral or bilateral. It
      can be found in any genetic form, but is more often associated with RP caused by
      CRB1 mutations. The origin of macular edema in RP patients still remains poorly
      understood. Some mechanisms have been suggested, including antiretinal antibodies
      (retinal, carbonic anhydrase, and enolase antibodies), vitreous traction, retinal
      pigment epithelium dysfunction, and Muller cell edema. There is no gold standard
      therapeutic strategy. Drug therapy is the primary treatment. Systemic carbonic
      anhydrase inhibitors, such as oral acetazolamide or topical dorzolamide, are
      still the mainstays of initial therapy. If CME is refractory to acetazolamide,
      intravitreal corticosteroid injections may be a therapeutic option. However,
      antivascular endothelium growth factor injections have limited effect and should
      be avoided. Vitrectomy has also been evaluated, but its exact role remains to be
      determined. The benefits of these therapies are variable among patients. The
      establishment of therapeutic approaches is limited by our poor understanding of
      the pathophysiology of CME in patients with RP. Autoimmune retinopathies (AIRs)
      are a group of rare diseases characterized by acute or subacute progressive
      vision loss and are thought to be mediated by autoantibodies specific to retinal
      antigens. The AIRs encompass paraneoplastic syndromes, such as cancer-associated
      retinopathy and melanoma-associated retinopathy, and a larger group of AIRs that
      have similar clinical and immunological findings but without underlying
      malignancy. These diseases may also be complicated by macular edema. RP is one of
      the most common forms of inherited retinal degeneration. It displays extensive
      clinical and genetic variations and leads to progressive blindness with variable
      onset.

PMID- 28351049
TI  - Macular Edema of Choroidal Origin.
AB  - Macular edema is most often clinically defined as an accumulation of serous fluid
      within the neurosensory retina with increased thickness of the central retina. In
      exudative age-related macular degeneration the leakage of fluid from the
      choroidal new vessels may be the origin of macular edema. Their abnormal
      permeability and the inflammatory reaction are mechanisms involved in this
      accumulation of fluid, which occurs in all layers. Cystoid macular edema is more
      often associated with subepithelial occult choroidal neovascularization (CNV)
      than it is with pre-epithelial classic CNV. The simultaneous presence of
      choroidal new vessels and ME implies a number of cellular dysfunctions especially
      of Muller cells and subsequently metabolic alterations. The leakage from the
      choroidal new vessels, predominantly vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF)
      induced, may produce a large accumulation of fluid under the neurosensory retina.
      It is also likely that the key signaling steps occur prior to the upregulation of
      VEGF either initiated by, or facilitated by, cytokines, which act under normal
      basic conditions to counterbalance the integral VEGF effects and, in pathologic
      circumstances, may either counteract or serve to amplify the process.

PMID- 28351050
TI  - Miscellaneous.
AB  - This chapter provides the reader with practical information to be applied to the
      various remaining causes of macular edema. Some clinical cases of macular edema
      linked to ocular diseases like postradiotherapy for ocular melanomas remained of
      poor functional prognosis due to the primary disease. On the contrary, macular
      edema occurring after retinal detachment or after diverse systemic or local
      treatment use is often temporary. Macular edema associated with epiretinal
      membranes or vitreomacular traction is the main cause of poor functional
      recovery. In other cases, as in tractional myopic vitreoschisis, the delay to
      observe a significant improvement of the vision after surgery should be long.
      Finally, macular edema associated with hemangiomas or macroaneurysms should be
      treated, if symptomatic, using the same current treatment as in diabetic macular
      edema or exudative macular degeneration. The miscellaneous chapter is always a
      challenging one, laden with two serious caveats: being too exhaustive or
      forgetting common circumstances. The author has attempted to provide the reader
      with useful, practical information that can be applied to the various causes of
      macular edema.

PMID- 28351051
TI  - Insights into the Physiopathology of Inflammatory Macular Edema.
AB  - Macular edema is one of the most common causes of permanent vision loss in
      patients with uveitis. The current understanding of water balance and metabolism
      within the retina has given us better insight into the mechanisms underlying
      macular edema arising from both acute and chronic inflammation. Uveitic macular
      edema (UME) occurs when the equilibrium between water influx and efflux is lost,
      and more importantly when compensatory mechanisms are overwhelmed. While in the
      acute setting, control of inflammation can reestablish homeostasis, chronic
      inflammation can lead to alternate pathways to establish a water balance. To
      understand UME, one must understand the regulation and consequences of
      inflammation at the tissular level. A fine interplay exists between inflammation
      and the retina replete with compensatory mechanisms, bystander effects, and
      structural sequelae once inflammation subsides. This understanding may allow us
      to develop new therapeutic strategies for the treatment of inflammatory macular
      edema.

PMID- 28351052
TI  - Diabetic Macular Edema.
AB  - Diabetic macular edema (DME), defined as a retinal thickening involving or
      approaching the center of the macula, represents the most common cause of vision
      loss in patients affected by diabetes mellitus. In the last few years, many
      diagnostic tools have proven to be useful in the detection and the monitoring of
      the features characterizing DME. On the other hand, several therapeutic
      approaches can now be proposed on the basis of the DME-specific characteristics.
      The aim of the present chapter is to thoroughly delineate the clinical and
      morphofunctional characteristics of DME and its current treatment perspectives.
      The pathogenesis and the course of DME require a complex approach with
      multidisciplinary intervention both at the systemic and local levels.

PMID- 28351053
TI  - Macular Edema - Rationale for Therapy.
AB  - Macular edema represents the end-stage of multiple pathophysiological pathways in
      a multitude of ocular vascular, inflammatory, and other diseases. The rationale
      for clinical treatment of macular edema is based on the understanding and the
      inhibition of these pathophysiological mechanisms. When macular edema is caused
      by a generalized health problem such as diabetes, high blood pressure, or
      generalized inflammatory conditions, treatment of these generalized diseases can
      in many cases cure macular edema directly. In ocular diseases, the local
      exudation of fluid from blood vessels is governed by Starling's law as well as by
      intricate cellular mechanisms linked to the tight junctions in the inner and
      outer blood-retinal barrier. Drugs used in clinical practice, such as
      nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, corticosteroids, carbonic anhydrase
      inhibitors, and anti-vascular endothelial growth factor agents, all act in one
      way or another through these cellular mechanisms. Novel treatments such as
      neuroprotective agents like nerve growth factors, somatostatins and antiapoptotic
      agents like calpain, the glutamate blocker memantine, and different caspase
      inhibitors may in the future inhibit neuronal cell death in the retina by
      separate pathways. Using dimmed nocturnal illumination may be an additional novel
      method to reduce hypoxic stress during dark adaptation of the rod photoreceptors
      in diabetes. Successful surgical treatment of macular edema using vitrectomy and
      peeling relies, apart from the evident release of vitreomacular traction, on many
      other cellular and biochemical mechanisms activated by the surgery such as
      oxygenation of the inner retina, removal of the posterior hyaloid as a growth
      factor sink, and possible Muller cell remodeling with fluid redirection after
      internal limiting membrane peeling.

PMID- 28351054
TI  - Drug Delivery to the Posterior Segment of the Eye.
AB  - Drug delivery into the posterior segment of the eye is complicated by the
      existence of the blood-ocular barrier. Strategies for delivering drugs to the
      posterior segment include systemic administration, modification of the barrier,
      and local drug delivery (including transcorneal, transscleral, and intravitreal).
      The most commonly used method for drug delivery into the posterior segment is by
      intravitreal injection. Other routes that can be used to achieve therapeutic drug
      levels in the posterior segment include topical, iontophoretic, and juxtascleral
      delivery. Extended-release intravitreal drug delivery systems can achieve
      sustained therapeutic levels with the goal of providing a prolonged clinical
      benefit with significantly fewer interventions.

PMID- 28351055
TI  - Comparison of the Induction-to-Delivery Interval in Terminations of Pregnancy
      with or without Dilapan-S(r).
AB  - OBJECTIVE: In France, terminations of pregnancy (TOP) for medical reasons beyond
      the second trimester use mifepristone and misoprostol. We sought to determine the
      effectiveness of Dilapan-S(r), an osmotic cervical dilator, in shortening the
      induction-to-delivery interval (IDI). MATERIALS AND METHODS: This retrospective
      study of TOP in 2010-2012 compared the results from 2 hospitals with different
      TOP protocols starting at 16 weeks' gestation, one (164 women) with and one (106)
      without Dilapan-S(r). The principal endpoint was the IDI. Results were analyzed
      according to 2 definitions of induction onset: definition 1, first dose of
      misoprostol in both centers, or definition 2, dilator placement if used, and
      otherwise first dose of misoprostol. RESULTS: With definition 1, the IDI was
      shorter with dilators (5 h 48 min vs. 10 h 18 min, p < 0.001); the rates of
      uterine evacuation within 12 and 24 h were higher (94.5 and 100 vs. 68.9 and
      91.5%, p < 0.001), and the time between first misoprostol dose and amniotomy was
      shorter (0 h 47 min vs. 4 h 30 min, p < 0.001). Under definition 2, the IDI was
      longer with dilators (18 h 24 min vs. 10 h 18 min, p < 0.001), but the rate of
      evacuation within 24 h did not differ significantly. CONCLUSION: Dilapan-S(r)
      acts on cervical ripening and dilatation, thereby allowing early amniotomy.
      Assessing potential side effects and women's satisfaction requires prospective
      trials.

PMID- 28351056
TI  - Comparison of Umbilical Serum Copeptin Relative to Erythropoietin and S100B as
      Asphyxia Biomarkers at Birth.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Birth asphyxia, estimated to account for a million neonatal deaths
      annually, can cause a wide variety of neurodevelopmental impairments. There is a
      need to develop new, swift methods to identify those neonates who would benefit
      from neuroprotective treatments such as hypothermia. OBJECTIVES: To examine the
      utility of cord serum copeptin, a stable byproduct of arginine vasopressin
      release, as a biomarker of birth asphyxia based on a comparison with 2 biomarkers
      of hypoxia and brain trauma: erythropoietin and S100B. METHODS: The study
      population consisted of 140 singleton, term neonates: 113 controls and 27 with
      birth asphyxia (2/3 criteria met: umbilical artery pH <7.10, base excess <=12
      mmol/L, and 5-min Apgar score <7). All deliveries were planned vaginal, but 51
      neonates were born by emergency cesarean section. Copeptin, S100B, and
      erythropoietin levels in umbilical artery samples were measured by immunoassays.
      RESULTS: Copeptin correlated in the entire study population more strongly with
      umbilical artery base excess than S100B and erythropoietin, and only copeptin
      correlated with arterial pH. Furthermore, only copeptin levels were significantly
      higher in cases of birth asphyxia, and in vaginally born neonates they were found
      to increase as a function of labor duration. Copeptin was elevated in neonates
      born via vacuum extraction, whereas erythropoietin levels showed a slight
      increase after emergency cesarean section. CONCLUSIONS: In this study population,
      S100B and erythropoietin were not valid biomarkers of birth asphyxia. In
      contrast, our work suggests that copeptin has high potential to become a
      routinely used biomarker for acute birth asphyxia and neonatal distress.

PMID- 28351057
TI  - Genome-Wide Identification and Analysis of the Type-B Authentic Response
      Regulator Gene Family in Peach (Prunus persica).
AB  - The type-B authentic response regulator (ARR-B) family members serve as DNA
      binding transcriptional regulators, whose activities are probably regulated by
      phosphorylation/dephosphorylation, resulting in the rapid induction of type-A ARR
      genes. Type-B ARRs are believed to be involved in many biological processes,
      including cytokinin signaling, plant growth, and stress responses through a
      chaperone or by isomerization of proline residues during protein folding. The
      public availability of complete peach genome sequences allows the identification
      of 23 ARR-B genes by HMMER and blast analysis. Scaffold locations of these genes
      in the peach genome were determined, and the protein domain and motif
      organization of peach type-B ARRs were analyzed. The phylogenetic relationships
      between peach type-B ARRs were also assessed. The expression profiles of peach
      ARR-B genes revealed that most of the type-B ARRs showed high expression levels
      in tissues undergoing rapid cell division and may engage more cytokinins, like
      half-opened flowers, fruits at expansion stages, and young leaves. These findings
      not only contribute to a better understanding of the complex regulation of the
      peach ARR-B gene family, but also provide valuable information for future
      research in peach functional genomics.

PMID- 28351058
TI  - Central Macular Thickness Monitoring after a Taxane-Based Therapy in Visually
      Asymptomatic Patients.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Taxanes are drugs used in various chemotherapeutical protocols to
      treat solid tumors. They have multiple systemic adverse effects, such as bone
      marrow suppression, alopecia, nausea, and vomiting, and may rarely cause ocular
      symptoms. In the past decade, a few reported cases have shown the occurrence of a
      cystoid macular edema with significant visual loss after the use of a taxane
      based chemotherapy. The aim of this study was to compare the central macular
      thickness (CMT) before and after the initiation of a taxane-based therapy in
      visually asymptomatic patients and to elucidate the possible impact of these
      drugs on the vision of cancer patients. METHODS: Patients with a confirmed
      diagnosis of a solid tumor were screened for any ophthalmic disease before
      inclusion and had a baseline macular spectral domain optical coherence tomography
      (OCT; RTVue-100; Optovue Inc., Fremont, CA, USA) before the initiation of a
      taxane-based chemotherapy according to different protocols, such as 4EC-4T,
      3FEC/3T, or 4TC. OCT was repeated after 4 cycles (or 3 months) of treatment, and
      CMT was compared to baseline. Patients presenting diabetic retinopathy, age
      related macular degeneration or any condition that causes macular edema confirmed
      by ophthalmic examination were excluded. RESULTS: Fifty eyes of 25 patients were
      included; 92% of the subjects were female with a mean age of 48.52 years, 88%
      were diagnosed with breast cancer, 8% with esophageal cancer, and 4% with ovarian
      cancer. Docetaxel was the taxane administered to 92% of the patients. The
      received dose of docetaxel ranged between 110 and 160 mg. The other patients had
      paclitaxel in their protocols. No significant macular edema or drop in visual
      acuity were noted in any patient. Nevertheless, the mean CMT was found to be
      increased, particularly in the parafoveal and perifoveal areas (mean difference
      of +2.22 MUm; p = 0.001). CONCLUSION: Taxane-based chemotherapy regimens seem to
      increase macular thickness, with a relative sparing of the fovea, in patients
      without significant macular edema. Further research is required to better explain
      the pathophysiology and possible impact of this phenomenon.

PMID- 28351059
TI  - Sonographic Markers in the Prediction of Fetal Complex Gastroschisis.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: To investigate the ultrasound (US) markers predictive of complex
      gastroschisis (CG), mortality, and morbidity in fetuses with gastroschisis.
      MATERIALS AND METHODS: This was a retrospective cohort study of 186 pregnancies
      with isolated fetal gastroschisis. Eight US markers were analyzed. The
      predictions and associations of US markers with CG, mortality, and morbidity were
      assessed. Combinations of US markers predictive of CG were investigated. RESULTS:
      Extra-abdominal bowel dilatation (EABD), intra-abdominal bowel dilatation (IABD),
      and polyhydramnios were predictive of CG. EABD between 25 and 28 weeks had a
      sensitivity of 64%, a specificity of 89%, a positive predictive value (PPV) of
      56.2%, and negative predictive value (NPV) of 91.8%. The predictions of IABD were
      sensitivity = 26.7%, specificity = 96.7%, PPV = 61.5%, and NPV = 86.8%. The odds
      ratios for CG in the presence of 1 and 2 US markers, compared with the absence of
      a US marker, were 18.3 (95% CI, 3.83-87.64) and 73.3 (95% CI, 6.14-876),
      respectively. CONCLUSION: US markers predictive of CG were established. The
      combination of these markers increases the probability of CG.

PMID- 28351060
TI  - Blood Pressure Variability in Obstructive Sleep Apnoea: Data from 4 Randomised
      Controlled CPAP Withdrawal Trials.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Increased daytime blood pressure variability (BPV) is associated with
      cardiovascular risk. Preliminary data suggest that obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA)
      might contribute to increased daytime BPV. OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was
      to evaluate the effect of continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) therapy
      withdrawal on daytime BPV. METHODS: A total of 183 patients previously diagnosed
      with OSA and treated with CPAP were randomised to either continue or withdraw
      from CPAP within 4 trials. Office morning BP was measured in triplicate at
      baseline and at follow-up (day 14). In addition, the participants performed BP
      measurements at home on a daily basis (days 1-13). The main outcome of interest
      was the treatment effect on within-visit BPV expressed as the standard deviation
      (SD) of the triplicate measurements. Additional outcomes included morning home
      BPV and day-to-day home BPV. RESULTS: Within-visit variability in systolic BP
      significantly increased in response to recurrence of OSA in the CPAP withdrawal
      group (difference between groups in SD of systolic BPV, +1.14 mm Hg, 95% CI
      +0.20/+2.09, p = 0.02). There was no statistically significant effect on within
      visit variability in diastolic BP (p = 0.38) or heart rate (p = 0.07). Neither
      morning home BP variability (systolic BPV, p = 0.81; diastolic BPV, p = 0.46) nor
      day-to-day variability in home BP measurements (systolic BPV, p = 0.61; diastolic
      BPV, p = 0.58) differed significantly between the groups. CONCLUSION: CPAP
      withdrawal results in a minor increase in within-visit variability in office
      systolic BP, but it has no effect on home BPV or day-to-day BPV. Although the
      treatment effect may be blunted by antihypertensives, it is unlikely that OSA
      contributes to cardiovascular risk via elevated daytime BPV.

PMID- 28351061
TI  - Hittability: The Leader's Edge.
AB  - Mastery of any discipline entails both the requisite skills and the ability to
      see things as "hittable." However, the concept of "hittability," which, in the
      context of leadership, refers to whether or not a specific leadership challenge
      shows up as hittable (or solvable) for those who are responsible for taking it
      on, is consistently overlooked. Nevertheless, it is a critical determinant of
      leadership effectiveness. Hittability is a function of the framing lenses-a
      person's beliefs, values, and worldviews-which frame the way a person "sees" a
      leadership challenge. Additionally, the future a person is "living into" is the
      framing lens for the present. In other words, a person's view of the future
      shapes his or her view of the present and his or her actions within it. Because
      the beliefs, values, and worldviews that constitute our framing lenses are
      constituted in and accessible through language (i.e., in the day-to-day stories,
      or narratives, a person tells him- or herself), reframing them to create a new
      future requires a new narrative. The ability to shift the previously unhittable
      to the hittable won't be, primarily, due to some newly acquired knowledge.
      Rather, it will be the result of reframing our challenges so they show up as
      hittable.

PMID- 28351062
TI  - Using National Health Care Databases and Problem-Based Practice Analysis to
      Inform Integrated Curriculum Development.
AB  - One challenge when implementing case-based learning, and other approaches to
      contextualized learning, is determining which clinical problems to include. This
      article illustrates how health care utilization data, readily available from the
      National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS), can be incorporated into an
      educational needs assessment to identify medical problems physicians are likely
      to encounter in clinical practice. The NCHS survey data summarize patient
      demographics, diagnoses, and interventions for tens of thousands of patients seen
      in various settings, including emergency departments (EDs), clinics, and
      hospitals.Selected data from the National Hospital Ambulatory Medical Care
      Survey: Emergency Department illustrate how instructional materials can be
      derived from the results of such public-use health care data. Using fever as the
      reason for visit to the ED, the patient management path is depicted in the form
      of a case drill-down by exploring the most common diagnoses, blood tests,
      diagnostic studies, procedures, and medications associated with fever.Although
      these types of data are quite useful, they should not serve as the sole basis for
      determining which instructional cases to include. Additional sources of
      information should be considered to ensure the inclusion of cases that represent
      infrequent but high-impact problems and those that illustrate fundamental
      principles that generalize to other cases.

PMID- 28351063
TI  - From Communication Skills to Skillful Communication: A Longitudinal Integrated
      Curriculum for Critical Care Medicine Fellows.
AB  - PROBLEM: Communication with patients and families in critical care medicine (CCM)
      can be complex and challenging. A longitudinal curricular model integrating
      multiple techniques within classroom and clinical milieus may facilitate skillful
      communication across diverse settings. APPROACH: In 2014-2015, the authors
      developed and implemented a curriculum for CCM fellows at the Cumming School of
      Medicine, University of Calgary, to promote the longitudinal development of
      skillful communication. A departmental needs assessment informed curriculum
      development. Five 4-hour classroom sessions were developed: basic communication
      principles, family meetings about goals and transitions of care, discussing
      patient safety incidents, addressing conflict, and offering organ donation.
      Teaching methods-including instructor-led presentations incorporating a
      consistent framework for approaching challenging conversations, simulation and
      clinical practice, and feedback from peers, trained facilitators, family members,
      and clinicians-supported integration of skills into the clinical setting and
      longitudinal development of skillful communication. Seven fellows participated
      during the first year of the curriculum. OUTCOMES: CCM fellows engaged
      enthusiastically in the program, commented that the framework provided was
      helpful, and highly valued the opportunity to practice challenging communication
      scenarios, learn from observing their peers, and receive immediate feedback. NEXT
      STEPS: More detailed accounts of fellows', patients', and family members'
      experiences will be obtained to guide curricular development. The curriculum will
      be expanded to involve other members of the multidisciplinary intensive care unit
      team, and faculty education initiatives will be offered to enhance the quality of
      the feedback provided. The impact of the curriculum on initial skill development,
      retention, and progression will be assessed.

PMID- 28351064
TI  - The Early Tech Development Course: Experiential Commercialization Education for
      the Medical Academician.
AB  - PROBLEM: Research produced by medical academicians holds promise for developing
      into biomedical innovations in therapeutics, devices, diagnostics, and health
      care information technology; however, the road to biomedical innovation is
      fraught with risk, including the challenge of moving from basic research insight
      onto a viable commercialization path. Compounding this challenge is the growing
      demand on medical academicians to be more productive in their clinical, teaching,
      and research duties within a resource-constrained environment. APPROACH: In 2014,
      the University of Michigan (UM) Medical School and College of Engineering
      codesigned and implemented an accelerated, biomedical-focused version of the
      National Science Foundation (NSF) Innovation Corps (I-Corps) program. The UM
      Early Tech Development (ETD) Course, designed for medical academicians exploring
      the commercial potential of early-stage ideas, covers the NSF I-Corps concept;
      supports the formation of teams of faculty, graduate, and medical students; and
      accommodates medical academicians' schedules. OUTCOMES: From 2014 to 2015, the
      ETD Course graduated 39 project teams from UM and other institutions. One-third
      of the teams have continued to pursue their projects, receiving additional
      funding, engaging industry partners, or enrolling in the NSF I-Corps program.
      NEXT STEPS: The ETD Course, a potential pipeline to the NSF I-Corps program,
      captures a target audience of medical academicians and others in academic
      medicine. To better understand the long-term effects of the course and its
      relationship to the NSF I-Corps program, the authors will conduct a study on the
      careers of all ETD Course graduates, including those who have enrolled in NSF I
      Corps versus those who have not.

PMID- 28351065
TI  - Institutional Incentives for Mentoring at the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs
      and Universities: Associations With Mentors' Perceptions and Time Spent
      Mentoring.
AB  - PURPOSE: Limited empirical attention to date has focused on best practices in
      advanced research mentoring in the health services research domain. The authors
      investigated whether institutional incentives for mentoring (e.g., consideration
      of mentoring in promotion criteria) were associated with mentors' perceptions of
      mentoring benefits and costs and with time spent mentoring. METHOD: The authors
      conducted an online survey in 2014 of a national sample of mentors of U.S.
      Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Health Services Research and Development
      Service (HSR&D) mentored career development award recipients who received an
      award during 2000-2012. Regression analyses were used to examine institutional
      incentives as predictors of perceptions of benefits and costs of mentoring and
      time spent mentoring. RESULTS: Of the 145 mentors invited, 119 (82%) responded
      and 110 (76%) provided complete data for the study items. Overall, mentors who
      reported more institutional incentives also reported greater perceived benefits
      of mentoring (P = .03); however, more incentives were not significantly
      associated with perceived costs of mentoring. Mentors who reported more
      institutional incentives also reported spending a greater percentage of time
      mentoring (P = .02). University incentives were associated with perceived
      benefits of mentoring (P = .02), whereas VA incentives were associated with time
      spent mentoring (P = .003). CONCLUSIONS: Institutional policies that promote and
      support mentorship of junior investigators, specifically by recognizing and
      rewarding the efforts of mentors, are integral to fostering mentorship programs
      that contribute to the development of early-career health services researchers
      into independent investigators.

PMID- 28351066
TI  - Bringing Rounds Back to the Patient: A One-Year Evaluation of the Chiefs' Service
      Model for Inpatient Teaching.
AB  - PURPOSE: The Chiefs' Service (CS), a structured approach to inpatient teaching
      rounds, focuses on resident education and patient-centered care without
      disrupting patient census sizes or admitting cycles. It has five key elements:
      morning huddles; bedside rounds; diagnostic "time-outs"; day-of-discharge rounds;
      and postdischarge follow-up rounds. The authors hypothesized the CS model would
      be well received by residents and considered more effective than more-traditional
      rounds. METHOD: The CS was implemented on Penn Presbyterian Medical Center's
      general medicine inpatient service using a quasi-experimental design. Its first
      year (January 2013-January 2014) was evaluated with a mixed-methods approach.
      Residents completed end-of-rotation evaluation questionnaires; 20 CS and 10
      traditional service (TS) residents were interviewed. Measures of resident
      agreement on questionnaire items were compared across groups using independent
      sample t testing. A modified grounded theory approach was used to assess CS
      residents' perspectives on the CS elements and identify emergent themes. RESULTS:
      The questionnaires were completed by 183/188 residents (response rate 97%).
      Compared with TS residents, CS residents reported significantly greater
      satisfaction in the domains of resident education and patient care, and they
      rated the overall value of the rotation significantly higher. The majority of CS
      residents found the CS elements to be effective. CS residents described the CS as
      focused on resident education, patient-centered care, and collaboration with an
      interdisciplinary team. CONCLUSIONS: The CS approach to inpatient rounding is
      seen by residents as valuable and is associated with positive outcomes in terms
      of residents' perceptions of learning, interdisciplinary communication, and
      patient care.

PMID- 28351067
TI  - Do Medical Students' Narrative Representations of "The Good Doctor" Change Over
      Time? Comparing Humanism Essays From a National Contest in 1999 and 2013.
AB  - PURPOSE: To explore medical students' conceptions of "the good doctor" at two
      points in time separated by 14 years. METHOD: The authors conducted qualitative
      analysis of narrative-based essays. Following a constant comparative method, an
      emergent relational coding scheme was developed which the authors used to
      characterize 110 essays submitted to the Arnold P. Gold Foundation Humanism in
      Medicine Essay Contest in 1999 (n = 50) and 2013 (n = 60) in response to the
      prompt, "Who is the good doctor?" RESULTS: The authors identified five relational
      themes as guiding the day-to-day work and lives of physicians: doctor-patient,
      doctor-self, doctor-learner, doctor-colleague, and doctor
      system/society/profession. The authors noted a highly similar distribution of
      primary and secondary relational themes for essays from 1999 and 2013. The
      majority of the essays emphasized the centrality of the doctor-patient
      relationship. Student essays focused little on teamwork, systems innovation, or
      technology use-all important developments in contemporary medicine. CONCLUSIONS:
      Medical students' narrative reflections are increasingly used as rich sources of
      information about the lived experience of medical education. The findings
      reported here suggest that medical students understand the "good doctor" as a
      relational being, with an enduring emphasis on the doctor-patient relationship.
      Medical education would benefit from including an emphasis on the relational
      aspects of medicine. Future research should focus on relational learning as a
      pedagogical approach that may support the formation of caring, effective
      physicians embedded in a complex array of relationships within clinical,
      community, and larger societal contexts.

PMID- 28351068
TI  - What Attitudes and Values Are Incorporated Into Self as Part of Professional
      Identity Construction When Becoming a Surgeon?
AB  - PURPOSE: To make explicit the attitudes and values of a community of surgeons,
      with the aim of understanding professional identity construction within a
      specific group of residents. METHOD: Using a grounded theory method, the authors
      collected data from 16 postgraduate surgeons through interviews. They
      complemented these initial interview data with ethnographic observations and
      additional descriptive interviews to explore the attitudes and values learned by
      surgeons during residency training (2010-2013). The participants were attending
      surgeons and residents in a general surgical training program in a university
      teaching hospital in the United Kingdom. RESULTS: Participating surgeons
      described learning personal values or attitudes that they regarded as core to
      "becoming a surgeon" and key to professional identity construction. They
      described learning to be a perfectionist, to be accountable, and to self-manage
      and be resilient. They discussed learning to be self-critical, sometimes with the
      unintended consequence of seeming neurotic. They described learning effective
      teamwork as well as learning to take initiative and be innovative, which enabled
      them to demonstrate leadership and drive actions and agendas forward within the
      health care organization where they worked. CONCLUSIONS: To the authors'
      knowledge, this is the first study to systematically explore the learning of
      professional identity amongst postgraduate surgeons. The study contributes to the
      literature on professional identity construction within medical education. The
      authors conclude that the demise of the apprenticeship model and the rise of duty
      hours limitations may affect not only the acquisition of technical skills but,
      more important, the construction of surgeon professional identity.

PMID- 28351069
TI  - Transition to Independence: Characteristics and Outcomes of Mentored Career
      Development (KL2) Scholars at Clinical and Translational Science Award
      Institutions.
AB  - PURPOSE: To describe the transition from mentored to independent research funding
      for clinical and translational scholars supported by institutional KL2 Mentored
      Career Development programs. METHOD: In 2013, faculty leaders at Clinical and
      Translational Science Award institutions completed an online survey, reporting
      characteristics of scholars in their KL2 programs from 2006 to 2013. The primary
      outcome variable was a report that the scholar had received independent funding
      as a principal investigator. Data analysis included descriptive summaries and
      mixed-effects regression models. RESULTS: Respondents from 48 institutions (of 62
      eligible; 77%) provided information about 914 KL2 scholars. Of those, 620 (68%)
      were medical doctors, 114 (12%) had other clinical training, and 177 (19%) were
      nonclinician PhDs. Fifty-three percent (487) were female; 12% (108/865) were
      members of racial or ethnic groups underrepresented in medicine (URM). After
      completing KL2 training, 96% (558/582) remained engaged in research. Among
      scholars who completed KL2 training two or more years earlier, 39% (149/374)
      received independent funding. Independent funding was from non-National
      Institutes of Health (NIH) sources (120 scholars) more often than from NIH (101
      scholars). The odds of a nonclinician attaining independent funding were twice
      those of a clinician (odds ratio 2.05; 95% confidence interval 1.11-3.78). Female
      and URM scholars were as likely as male and non-URM scholars to attain
      independent funding. CONCLUSIONS: KL2 programs supported the transition to
      independent funding for clinical and translational scientists. Female and URM
      scholars were well represented. Future studies should consider non-NIH funding
      sources when assessing the transition to research independence.

PMID- 28351070
TI  - Does Resection of the Posterior Longitudinal Ligament Impact the Incidence of C5
      Palsy After Cervical Corpectomy Procedures?: A Review of 459 Consecutive Cases.
AB  - STUDY DESIGN: Retrospective review. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate key risk factors for
      the development of C5 palsy after cervical corpectomy, including resection of the
      posterior longitudinal ligament (PLL). SUMMARY OF BACKGROUND DATA: Postoperative
      C5 palsy is a well-known complication after cervical spine surgery. It is unknown
      whether resection of the PLL affects the incidence of C5 palsy. METHODS: We
      performed a retrospective review of 459 consecutive patients undergoing anterior
      cervical corpectomies over a 15-year period. Medical records were reviewed to
      gather demographic data, operative details, and the incidence of C5 palsy. We
      performed regression analyses to identify variables that predicted the
      development of C5 palsy. RESULTS: Our final analysis included 397 patients
      (females 51.4%, mean age 55.6 +/- 11.6 yrs). Anterior corpectomy alone was
      performed in 255 (64.2%) patients, and combined anterior and posterior fusion was
      performed in 142 (35.8%) patients. Twenty-four patients (6.0%) developed C5 nerve
      palsy. Univariable regression demonstrated age greater than 65 (odds ratio, OR
      2.7, 95% confidence interval, CI 1.2 to 6.3), corpectomy of three or more levels
      (OR 6.3, 95% CI 2.1 to 18.9), presence of ossification of the PLL (OR 4.3, 95% CI
      1.6 to 11.7), and complete or partial resection of the PLL (OR 2.6, 95% CI 1.0 to
      6.7) predicted development of C5 palsy. Multivariable regression demonstrated
      that the odds of getting C5 palsy with complete or partial resection of the PLL
      is 4.0 times (95% CI 1.5 to 10.5) higher compared with patients with an intact
      PLL. There were no significant differences in C5 palsy rates based on surgical
      approach (anterior vs. anterior plus posterior), sex, smoking status, or
      diabetes. CONCLUSION: Age greater than 65 years, corpectomy of three or more
      levels, presence of ossification of the PLL, and complete or partial resection of
      the PLL significantly predicted the development of C5 palsy. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE:
      4.

PMID- 28351072
TI  - Bringing Clarity to the Treatment of Common Spinal Disorders.

PMID- 28351071
TI  - Neurologic Deficits Have a Negative Impact on Patient-Related Outcomes in Primary
      Presentation Adult Symptomatic Lumbar Scoliosis Surgical Treatment at One-Year
      Follow-up.
AB  - STUDY DESIGN: A retrospective analysis of prospective, multicenter National
      Institute of Health clinical trial. OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to
      assess the rate of neurologic complications and impact of new neurologic deficits
      on 1-year postoperative patient-reported outcomes (PROs). SUMMARY OF BACKGROUND
      DATA: There are limited studies evaluating the impact of new neurologic deficits
      on PROs following surgery for primary presentation adult lumbar scoliosis.
      METHODS: Patients were divided into two groups: new postoperative neurological
      deficit (Def) or no deficit (NoDef). Preoperative and 1-year follow-up PROs were
      analyzed [Scoliosis Research Society (SRS) Questionnaire, Oswestry Disability
      Index (ODI), Short Form-12 Physical/Mental Health Composite Scores (PCS/MCS), and
      back/leg pain Numerical Rating Scale (NRS)]. RESULTS: One hundred forty-one
      patients: 14 Def (9.9%), 127 NoDef (90.1%). No differences were observed in
      demographic, radiographic, or PRO data between groups preoperatively. Def group
      had longer surgical procedures (8.3 vs. 6.9 hours, P = 0.030), greater blood loss
      (2832 vs. 2606 mL, P = 0.022), and longer hospitalizations (10.6 vs. 7.8 days, P
      = 0.004). NoDef group reported significant improvement in all PROs from preop to
      1-year postoperative. Def group only had improvement in SRS Pain (2.7 preop to
      3.4 postop, P = 0.037) and self-image domains (2.7 to 3.6, p = 0.004), and NRS
      back pain (6.6 to 3.2, P = 0.004) scores with significant worsening of NRS leg
      pain (4.1 to 6.1, P = 0.045). Group comparisons of 1-year postop PROs found that
      Def group reported more NRS leg pain (6.1 vs. 1.7, P < 0.001) and worse outcomes
      than NoDef group for ODI (35.7 vs. 23.1, P = 0.016) and PCS (32.6 vs. 41.9, P =
      0.007). CONCLUSION: We found a 9.9% rate of new neurologic deficits following
      surgery for symptomatic primary presentation adult lumbar scoliosis, much higher
      than previous studies. Most neurologic deficits improved by 1-year follow-up, but
      appeared to have a dramatic negative impact on PROs, with increased postoperative
      leg pain and greater patient-perceived pathology reported in patients
      experiencing neurological deficits compared with those who did not. LEVEL OF
      EVIDENCE: 3.

PMID- 28351079
TI  - Editorial to Methamphetamine ("Crystal meth") and New Psychoactive Substances.

PMID- 28351080
TI  - Is Really Crocus Sativus as Effective as Citalopram in the Treatment of
      Depression?

PMID- 28351081
TI  - Osteoarthritis Patients' Experiences of Pharmacotherapy for Pain Management in
      Iran: A Qualitative Study.
AB  - Despite the effectiveness of pharmacotherapy for pain management in patients with
      osteoarthritis (OA), personal biases in the selection, administration, and
      continuation of pharmacotherapy challenge the proper management of symptoms and
      the effectiveness of the therapy. This study was conducted to carry out an in
      depth examination of the experiences of patients with OA about their use of
      pharmacotherapy for the OA pain management and the existing challenges. The
      present qualitative study was conducted on 17 patients with OA, 5 of their family
      members and 8 healthcare personnel using a conventional content analysis
      approach. Data were collected through 35 interviews, which were unstructured at
      first but became semi-structured later on. Data collection continued until data
      saturation and analyzed simultaneously. The criteria used to determine the rigor
      of the study included the credibility, transferability, dependability and
      conformability of the data. The analysis of the data revealed 3 main categories
      and 8 subcategories. The main categories including preference for non
      pharmacological modalities, preference for symptomatic slow-acting drugs for
      osteoarthritis (SySADOAs) and preference for vitamins and minerals. Briefing the
      patients on the therapeutic goals, participating them in the clinical decision
      making process, modifying drug administration patterns through prescribing the
      minimum effective dosage and substituting alternative therapies whenever
      possible, consistently monitoring the therapeutic responses and any unexpected
      complications and use of complementary treatments, makes up strategies that can
      help improve OA pain management.

PMID- 28351082
TI  - Future Perspectives for Uterine Cervical Cancer Treatment based on Integrative
      Genomic and Molecular Characterizations.

PMID- 28351083
TI  - How to Escape from Primary Aldosteronism? News and Views on an Adrenal Disorder
      of Salt Retention.
AB  - The last years have seen substantial progress in primary aldosteronism (PA),
      which is the most common cause of secondary hypertension. Many programs have been
      established around the world to meet the needs in healthcare and the management
      of patients with PA according to published guidelines and clinical protocols.
      Systematic analysis of emerging data and meticulous scientific work have informed
      us on the molecular basis of the disease and helped to characterize hereditary
      forms of PA. Techniques have been developed to better diagnose PA and to
      establish genotype-phenotype relationships and their impact on hypertension.
      Studies have been undertaken to stratify patients for risk factors and to ensure
      quality of best medical treatment. This review focuses on some clinically
      relevant problems in characterizing autonomous aldosterone secretion and
      discusses testing and management strategies. Besides, this review puts the
      emphasis on some colorful studies not to pale soon beside an ever evolving
      painting background.

PMID- 28351084
TI  - The Effect of Vitamin D Supplementation on the Androgenic Profile in Patients
      with Polycystic Ovary Syndrome: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Clinical
      Trials.
AB  - It is suggested that vitamin D status is associated with androgenic profile in
      women with polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS). Although several clinical trials
      are known in this regard, the results were inconsistent. Therefore, this study
      was aimed to conduct a systematic review and meta-analysis of published clinical
      trials to elucidate the possible effect of vitamin D supplementation on the
      androgen levels in adult females with PCOS. PubMed, SCOPUS, and Google Scholar
      were searched to identify related articles published up to January 2017. Mean +/-
      standard deviation (SD) of changes in serum total testosterone, sex hormone
      binding globulin (SHBG), and free testosterone were extracted to calculate
      Hedges' g to be used as effect size for meta-analysis. DerSimonian and Liard
      random effects model was incorporated to summarize the effects. Six clinical
      trials with 183 participants aged 18-41 years with follow-up period between 3-24
      weeks were included. Our analysis revealed that vitamin D supplementation
      significantly reduces total testosterone (Hedges' g=-0.32, 95% CI: -0.55 to 
      0.10; p=0.005); this effect remained significant in single group trials after
      subgroup analysis. Vitamin D supplementation did not affect serum free
      testosterone (Hedges' g=-0.21, 95% CI: -0.44 to 0.079; p=0.08) or SHBG levels
      (Hedges' g=0, 95% CI, 0.22-0.22; p=0.98). The present systematic review and meta
      analysis revealed that vitamin D supplementation might significantly affect serum
      total testosterone while it is not effective in improving other markers of
      androgenic profile. Future double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trials are
      highly recommended.

PMID- 28351085
TI  - ?
AB  - The impact of thyroid dysfunction in subclinical ranges on metabolic syndrome
      (MetS) is not well known. The aim of the present study is to evaluate the
      association of thyroid dysfunction with MetS and its components. In the cross
      sectional population-based Tehran Thyroid Study, out of 5 786 randomly selected
      participants, aged>=20 years, subjects with thyroid nodules and cancer or any
      severe systemic disease, those who were pregnant and those using thyroid
      medication were excluded, leaving 5 422 subjects to be investigated. Body weight,
      waist circumference, and blood pressure were measured. Fasting blood glucose and
      concentrations of lipids and lipoproteins, free T4, and TSH were assayed. Mean
      age of the participants was 40.3+/-14.4 of whom 101 (2%) had overt
      hypothyroidism, 294 (5%) subclinical hypothyroidism, 82 (2%) overt
      hyperthyroidism, and 178 (3%) had subclinical hyperthyroidism; 1 704 (32%) had
      MetS. Clinically hypothyroid subjects had the highest prevalence of MetS (41.6%),
      abdominal obesity (45%), and hypertriglyceridemia (58%) compared to other groups
      (p<0.05). Significant odds ratio for prevalent MetS was observed only in
      clinically hypothyroid men [OR: 2.9, 95% CI: 1.04, 8.4, p=0.04]. In women, the
      association between overt hypothyroidism and MetS was marginally significant only
      in the crude model [OR: 0.068, 95% CI (0.97-2.42), p=0.06]. There was higher risk
      of Mets in subclinically hypothyroid subjects, aged>50. Overt and subclinical
      hyperthyroidism had significantly higher odds of hyperglycemia in men and women
      after full adjustment for age, smoking, and BMI. Overt hypothyroidism and
      subclinical hypothyroidism especially in the elderly could be associated with
      MetS. Hyperthyroidism may induce hyperglycemia.

PMID- 28351086
TI  - Independent Risk Factors Predicting Central Lymph Node Metastasis in Papillary
      Thyroid Microcarcinoma.
AB  - The incidence of papillary thyroid microcarcinoma (PTMC) has risen rapidly in
      recent years, and PTMC patients with central lymph node metastasis (CLNM) usually
      have poor prognosis. Independent risk factors predicting CLNM in PTMC have not
      been well understood. The aim of our study was to identify useful
      clinicopathological risk factors predicting CLNM in PTMC patients. This was a
      retrospective study of 917 patients with PTMC treated with surgery from January
      2014 to December 2015 in our hospital. The relationship between
      clinicopathological factors and CLNM was analyzed to identify those factors
      predicting CLNM in PTMC. Univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses
      were further performed. Of 917 PTMC patients, 344 (37.5%) were found to have CLNM
      confirmed by intraoperative frozen-section examination. Multivariate logistic
      regression analyses further found several independent factors predicting CLNM in
      PTMC patients, including male gender (OR=1.75, 95% CI 1.17-2.61; p=0.006),
      younger age (<45 years) (OR=1.69, 95%CI 1.20-2.38; p=0.002), positive CLNM on
      ultrasonography (OR=10.20, 95% CI 5.51-18.88; p<0.001), multifocality (OR=1.69,
      95% CI 1.00-2.85; p=0.04), and larger tumor size (>5 mm) (OR=2.80, 95% CI 2.01
      3.91; p<0.001). The findings of our study identified several useful and
      independent risk factors predicting CLNM in PTMC patients, such as male gender,
      younger age, multifocality, positive CLNM on ultrasonography, and larger tumor
      size. The CLNM is very common in PTMC patients, and routine prophylactic central
      neck dissection may be recommended in PTMC patients with those independent risk
      factors of CLNM.

PMID- 28351087
TI  - How Can Environmental Factors Contribute to the Incidence of Thyroid Cancer?

PMID- 28351088
TI  - Premature Progesterone Rise Positively Correlates with Clinical Pregnancy Rate in
      In Vitro Fertilization (IVF) and Intracytoplasmic Sperm Injection (ICSI) Patients
      with good Ovarian Response.
AB  - Infertility affects millions of couples worldwide resulting in distress and
      depression. In the past several decades, in vitro fertilization (IVF) and
      intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) have been developed with high efficiency
      and success rate. The possible effects of gonadotropin administration on
      follicular metabolism have been discussed but the outcomes remain controversial.
      The aim of this study was to identify whether serum progesterone on the day of
      human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) administration and the ratio of serum
      progesterone and the number of oocyte retrieved (P/O) had a predictive role for
      the outcomes of IVF/ICSI. Eight hundred and twenty-five patients were enrolled
      between January 2012 and December 2012. A positive correlation between
      progesterone and IVF/ICSI outcomes were found in patients with good ovarian
      response using receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve. We found that when
      progesterone level was higher than 1.04 ng/ml in good ovarian responses, the
      implantation rate and clinical pregnancy rate were both reduced compared to the
      rates in patients exhibiting lower progesterone level (progesterone<=1.04 ng/ml).
      Moreover, the rise of serum progesterone on the day of hCG was negatively
      correlated with luteinizing hormone (LH) level. This study used 1.04 ng/ml as a
      definition of progesterone elevation and an adverse effect of serum progesterone
      rise was observed on clinical pregnancy rate.

PMID- 28351089
TI  - Leptin and its Receptors in Human Placenta of Small, Adequate, and Large for
      Gestational Age Newborns.
AB  - Alterations in birth weight impact postnatal outcome and adult metabolic health.
      Therefore, fetal growth regulation is crucial for preventing chronic metabolic
      diseases. Leptin has been suggested to play an important role in placental and
      fetal growth, albeit its specific mechanisms of action have not been elucidated.
      The aim of this study was to analyze leptin concentrations in placenta, cord
      blood, and maternal blood of SGA, AGA, and LGA (small, adequate and large for
      gestational age, respectively) newborns, as well as placental leptin receptor
      (LEPRa and LEPRb) protein expression. We performed a cross-sectional comparative
      study in 3 groups of healthy mothers and their term newborns at delivery (SGA,
      AGA, and LGA, n=20 per group). Placental, maternal blood, and cord blood leptin
      content were measured by ELISA. Placental LEPRa and LEPRb protein expression were
      determined by Western Blot. Maternal leptin concentrations correlated positively
      with maternal weight before and at the end of gestation, without differences
      between groups. Cord leptin is higher in LGA and lower in SGA, whereas placental
      leptin is higher in SGA. Placental leptin was inversely correlated with placental
      weight, independently from maternal weight and gestational age. Both LEPRa and
      LEPRb expression are lower in SGA, while LEPRa positively correlated with
      placental weight and birthweight. The current findings indicate that placental
      leptin and its receptors are differentially expressed in SGA, AGA, and LGA
      newborns. We suggest that placental leptin and LEPR protein expression may
      influence placental growth and thus, birth weight.

PMID- 28351090
TI  - An Increase in Normal SUA Level Within the Normal Range Predicts Risk of
      Metabolic Syndrome, Especially in Women: A Cross-Sectional Study.
AB  - This study was aimed to evaluate the relationship between normal serum uric acid
      (SUA) level and metabolic syndrome (MetS) risk. This cross-sectional study
      involved 1914 subjects with MetS and 3 659 healthy controls aged 18-79 years. All
      participants filled out questionnaires and underwent physical examination and
      blood sample collection for biochemical examination. Demographic and clinical
      characteristics data were analyzed by t-test or chi-squared test. Normal SUA
      levels were divided into quartiles. Associations between quartiles of normal SUA
      level and the risk of MetS were explored using logistic regression analysis and
      receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis. Values of age, waist
      circumference, blood lipid, blood pressure, fasting plasma glucose, SUA, and body
      mass index were all higher in subjects with MetS than that of healthy controls
      significantly. The frequency of MetS increased with SUA level within the normal
      range. Compared with Q1, the risk of MetS was greater in the other quartiles of
      SUA level in men (OR, 1.495-2.288); this difference was significant for Q3 and Q4
      (p<0.05), but not for Q2. Among women, the risk of MetS also increased with SUA
      level within the normal range, with all differences showing statistical
      significance (p<0.05). The area under the ROC curve of normal SUA level for MetS
      presence was larger for women than for men. In conclusion, the results provide
      support for the use of normal SUA level as a contributing clinical predictor of
      MetS, especially in women.

PMID- 28351092
TI  - National German Audit of Diagnosis, Treatment, and Teaching in Secondary Adrenal
      Insufficiency.

PMID- 28351091
TI  - Plasma Betatrophin Levels of Subjects Classified with Normal, Impaired, and
      Diabetic Glucose Tolerance, and Subjects with Impaired Fasting Glucose.
AB  - This study was aimed to investigate whether betatrophin shows glucose intolerance
      or not. To access the plasma betatrophin levels after basal and glucose load,
      groups were classified as normal glucose tolerance (NGT), impaired fasting
      glucose (IFG), impaired glucose tolerance (IGT), and diabetic glucose tolerance
      (DGT) according to WHO 2012 criteria. An oral glucose tolerance test was
      performed on age-matched subjects (n=220) with a body mass index (BMI)<27 kg/m2.
      Subjects were categorized as normoglycemic (n=55), IFG (n=50), IGT (n=60), and DM
      (n=55) according to the WHO criteria. Baseline betatrophin levels in DGT are
      significantly higher than in NGT (p<0.005), IFG (p<0.004), and IGT (p<0.001).
      Male subjects have significantly higher betatrophin levels than female subjects
      (p<0.01). In DGT, betatrophin of male subjects was found to be significantly
      higher than the betatrophin of male subjects in NGT (p<0.04), IFG (p<0.01), and
      IGT (p<0.01). Significant relationship between betatrophin and both ages and
      HbA1c in all groups were observed. When ages were accepted as an independent
      factor, significant correlation between betatrophin and ages were found.
      Betatrophin is increased and associated with age and HbA1c in DGT. Males had
      higher betatrophin levels compared with females in DGT group. As no obvious
      betatrophin deficiency to substitute in IFG and IGT individuals were observed,
      betatrophin levels appeared to be related to the pathogenesis of the diabetic
      stages rather than prediabetic stages.

PMID- 28351093
TI  - ANGPTL8 (Betatrophin) is Expressed in Visceral Adipose Tissue and Relates to
      Human Hepatic Steatosis in Two Independent Clinical Collectives.
AB  - Angiopoietin-like protein 8 (ANGPTL8)/betatrophin expression in visceral adipose
      tissue and associations with circulating fatty acid profile have not yet been
      investigated.Forty subjects were included in a cross-sectional study, 57 in a
      dietary weight reduction intervention. Circulating Angiopoietin-like protein
      8/betatrophin was measured in all subjects. Liver and adipose tissue were sampled
      and plasma fatty acids and tissue Angiopoietin-like protein 8/betatrophin
      expression were evaluated in the cross-sectional study. In the intervention study
      oral glucose testing and liver magnetic resonance scanning at baseline and after
      6 months were performed. Angiopoietin-like protein 8/betatrophin mRNA was
      increased in visceral compared to subcutaneous adipose tissue (p<0.001).
      Circulating ANGPTL8/betatrophin correlated with liver steatosis (r=0.42,
      p=0.047), triacylglycerols (r=0.34, p=0.046), saturated (r=0.43, p=0.022),
      monounsaturated (r=0.51, p=0.007), and polyunsaturated fatty acids (r=-0.53,
      p=0.004). In the intervention study, baseline Angiopoietin-like protein
      8/betatrophin correlated with age (r=0.32, p=0.010) and triacylglycerols (r=0.30,
      p=0.02) and was increased with hepatic steatosis (p=0.033). Weight loss reduced
      liver fat by 45% and circulating Angiopoietin-like protein 8/betatrophin by 11%
      (288+/-17 vs. 258+/-17 pg/ml; p=0.015). Angiopoietin-like protein 8/betatrophin
      is related to liver steatosis, while visceral adipose tissue represents an
      additional site of expression in humans.

PMID- 28351095
TI  - Video Comment on Hiroyuki Odagiri et al.

PMID- 28351094
TI  - Overexpression of LncRNA HOTAIR is Associated with Poor Prognosis in Thyroid
      Carcinoma: A Study Based on TCGA and GEO Data.
AB  - The role of long non-coding RNA (lncRNA) HOX transcript antisense RNA (HOTAIR) in
      thyroid carcinoma (TC) remains unclear. The current study was aimed to assess the
      clinical value of HOTAIR expression levels in TC based on publically available
      data and to evaluate its potential signaling pathways. The expression data of
      HOTAIR and clinical information concerning TC were downloaded from The Cancer
      Genome Atlas (TCGA) and Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO), respectively. Furthermore,
      3 online biological databases, Starbase, Cbioportal, and Multi Experiment Matrix,
      were used to identify HOTAIR-related genes in TC. Gene Ontology (GO), Kyoto
      Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG), and Panther pathway analyses were then
      undertaken to study the most enriched signaling pathways in TC (EASE score<0.1,
      Bonferroni<0.05). The TCGA results demonstrated that the expression level of
      HOTAIR in TC tissues was significantly increased compared with non-cancerous
      tissues (p<0.001). HOTAIR over-expression was significantly associated with poor
      survival in TC patients (p=0.03). Meta-analyses of GEO datasets revealed a trend
      consistent with the above results on HOTAIR expression levels in TC (SMD=0.23;
      95%CI, 0.00-0.45; p=0.047). Finally, the results of functional analysis for
      HOTAIR-related genes indicated that HOTAIR might participate in tumorigenesis via
      the Wnt signaling pathway. In conclusion, our study demonstrates that HOTAIR may
      be involved in thyroid carcinogenesis, and the over-expression of HOTAIR could
      act as a biomarker associated with a poor outcome in TC patients. Moreover, the
      Wnt signaling pathway may be the key pathway regulated by HOTAIR in TC.

PMID- 28351096
TI  - Video Comment on Raf Bisschops et al.

PMID- 28351097
TI  - Video Comment on Aijaz Ahmed Sofi et al.

PMID- 28351098
TI  - Video Comment on Toshitatsu Takao et al.

PMID- 28351099
TI  - High-volume esophageal endoscopic submucosal dissection centers: a cut above the
      rest?

PMID- 28351100
TI  - Lumen-apposing covered self-expandable metal stents for short-length
      gastrointestinal strictures: Will they take hold?

PMID- 28351101
TI  - Focusing on the role of endoscopy in chronic pancreatitis management - taking
      nature's help.

PMID- 28351102
TI  - Driving up the adenoma detection rate: is it time to make a U-turn?

PMID- 28351103
TI  - Endoscopic submucosal dissection using a pocket-creation method: a modified
      technique of endoscopic submucosal tunnel dissection.

PMID- 28351104
TI  - Reply to Tan et al.

PMID- 28351105
TI  - Prevention of stent migration: Which option would patients prefer?

PMID- 28351106
TI  - Reply to Zhang et al.

PMID- 28351107
TI  - What is the advantage of a passive bending segment in balloon enteroscopy
      assisted ERCP?

PMID- 28351111
TI  - French comment on article Lumen-apposing covered self-expandable metal stents for
      short benign gastrointestinal strictures: a multicenter study.

PMID- 28351108
TI  - Reply to Moreels et al.

PMID- 28351112
TI  - French comment on article Hospital volume and adverse events following esophageal
      endoscopic submucosal dissection in Japan.

PMID- 28351113
TI  - French comment on article Improved detection of right colon adenomas with
      additional retroflexion following two forward-view examinations: a prospective
      study.

PMID- 28351114
TI  - French comment on article Virtual chromoendoscopy (I-SCAN) detects more polyps in
      patients with Lynch syndrome: a randomized controlled crossover trial.

PMID- 28351115
TI  - French comment on article Meta-analysis of the performance of ultrathin vs.
      standard colonoscopes.

PMID- 28351116
TI  - Management of people with early- or very early-stage hepatocellular carcinoma: an
      attempted network meta-analysis.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Hepatocellular carcinoma (primary liver cancer) is classified in many
      ways. The Barcelona Clinic Liver Cancer (BCLC) group staging classifies the
      cancer based on patient's life expectancy. People with very early- or early-stage
      hepatocellular carcinoma have single tumour or three tumours of maximum diameter
      of 3 cm or less, Child-Pugh status A to B, and performance status 0 (fully
      functional). Management of hepatocellular carcinoma is uncertain. OBJECTIVES: To
      assess the comparative benefits and harms of different interventions used in the
      treatment of early or very early hepatocellular carcinoma through a network meta
      analysis and to generate rankings of the available interventions according to
      their safety and efficacy. However, it was not possible to assess whether the
      potential effect modifiers were similar across different comparisons. Therefore,
      we did not perform the network meta-analysis and instead assessed the benefits
      and harms of different interventions versus each other or versus sham or no
      intervention using standard Cochrane methodology. SEARCH METHODS: We searched
      CENTRAL, MEDLINE, Embase, Science Citation Index Expanded, and trials registers
      to September 2016 to identify randomised clinical trials (RCTs) on hepatocellular
      carcinoma. SELECTION CRITERIA: We included only RCTs, irrespective of language,
      blinding, or publication status, in participants with very early- or early-stage
      hepatocellular carcinoma, irrespective of the presence of cirrhosis, portal
      hypertension, aetiology of hepatocellular carcinoma, size and number of the
      tumours, and future remnant liver volume. We excluded trials including
      participants who were previously liver transplanted. We considered interventions
      compared with each other, sham, or no intervention. DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS:
      We calculated the odds ratio, mean difference, rate ratio, or hazard ratio with
      95% confidence intervals using both fixed-effect and random-effects models based
      on available-participant analysis with Review Manager 5. We assessed the risk of
      bias according to Cochrane, controlled risk of random errors with Trial
      Sequential Analysis using Stata, and the quality of the evidence using GRADE.
      MAIN RESULTS: Eighteen trials met the inclusion criteria for this review. Four
      trials (593 participants; 574 participants included for one or more analyses)
      compared surgery versus radiofrequency ablation in people with early
      hepatocellular carcinoma, eligible to undergo surgery. Fourteen trials (2533
      participants; 2494 participants included for various analyses) compared different
      non-surgical interventions in people with early hepatocellular carcinoma, not
      eligible to undergo surgery. Overall, the quality of evidence was low or very low
      for all outcomes for both comparisons. Surgery versus radiofrequency ablationThe
      majority of participants had cirrhotic livers, and the hepatocellular carcinoma
      was of viral aetiology. The trials did not report the participants' portal
      hypertension status or whether they received adjuvant antiviral treatment or
      adjuvant immunotherapy. The average follow-up ranged from 29 months to 42 months
      (3 trials).There was no evidence of a difference in all-cause mortality at
      maximal follow-up for surgery versus radiofrequency ablation (hazard ratio 0.80,
      95% confidence interval (CI) 0.60 to 1.08; 574 participants; 4 trials; I2 = 68).
      Cancer-related mortality was lower in the surgery group (20/115 (17.4%)) than in
      the radiofrequency ablation group (43/115 (37.4%)) (odds ratio 0.35, 95% CI 0.19
      to 0.65; 230 participants; 1 trial). Serious adverse events (number of
      participants) was higher in the surgery group (14/60 (23.3%)) than in the
      radiofrequency ablation group (1/60 (1.7%)) (odds ratio 17.96, 95% CI 2.28 to
      141.60; 120 participants; 1 trial). The number of serious adverse events was
      higher in the surgery group (adjusted rate 11.3 events per 100 participants) than
      in the radiofrequency ablation group (3/186 (1.6 events per 100 participants))
      (rate ratio 7.02, 95% CI 2.29 to 21.46; 391 participants; 2 trials; I2 = 0%).
      None of the trials reported health-related quality of life. One trial was funded
      by a party with vested interests; three trials were funded by parties without any
      vested. Non-surgical interventionsThe majority of participants had cirrhotic
      livers, and the hepatocellular carcinoma was of viral aetiology. Most trials did
      not report the portal hypertension status of the participants, and none of the
      trials reported whether the participants received adjuvant antiviral treatment or
      adjuvant immunotherapy. The average follow-up ranged from 6 months to 37 months
      (11 trials). Trial participants, who were not eligible for surgery, were treated
      with radiofrequency ablation, laser ablation, microwave ablation, percutaneous
      acetic acid injection, percutaneous alcohol injection, a combination of
      radiofrequency ablation with systemic chemotherapy, a combination of
      radiofrequency ablation with percutaneous alcohol injection, a combination of
      transarterial chemoembolisation with percutaneous alcohol injection, or a
      combination of transarterial chemoembolisation with radiofrequency ablation.The
      mortality at maximal follow-up was higher in the percutaneous acetic acid
      injection (hazard ratio 1.77, 95% CI 1.12 to 2.79; 125 participants; 1 trial) and
      percutaneous alcohol injection (hazard ratio 1.49, 95% CI 1.18 to 1.88; 882
      participants; 5 trials; I2 = 57%) groups compared with the radiofrequency
      ablation group. There was no evidence of a difference in all-cause mortality at
      maximal follow-up for any of the other comparisons. The proportion of people with
      cancer-related mortality at maximal follow-up was higher in the percutaneous
      alcohol injection group (adjusted proportion 16.8%) compared with the
      radiofrequency ablation group (20/232 (8.6%)) (odds ratio 2.18, 95% CI 1.22 to
      3.89; 458 participants; 3 trials; I2 = 0%). There was no evidence of a difference
      in any of the comparisons that reported serious adverse events (number of
      participants or number of events). None of the trials reported health-related
      quality of life. Five trials were funded by parties without any vested interest;
      the source of funding was not available in the remaining trials. AUTHORS'
      CONCLUSIONS: The evidence was of low or very low quality. There was no evidence
      of a difference in all-cause mortality at maximal follow-up between surgery and
      radiofrequency ablation in people eligible for surgery. All-cause mortality at
      maximal follow-up was higher with percutaneous acetic acid injection and
      percutaneous alcohol injection than with radiofrequency ablation in people not
      eligible for surgery. There was no evidence of a difference in all-cause
      mortality at maximal follow-up for the other comparisons. High-quality RCTs
      designed to assess clinically important differences in all-cause mortality and
      health-related quality of life, and having an adequate follow-up period
      (approximately five years) are needed.

PMID- 28351117
TI  - Clinical Characteristics of Patients with Untreated Achalasia.
AB  - Background/Aims: Patients with untreated achalasia frequently complain of
      heartburn and regurgitation. The diagnosis of achalasia might be delayed because
      these symptoms are misinterpreted as gastroesophageal reflux. We aim to evaluate
      the clinical, radiologic, and manometric findings in patient with untreated
      achalasia. Methods: The records of patients diagnosed with primary achalasia
      between July 2004 and January 2012 at Gangnam Severance Hospital, Seoul, Korea
      were evaluated. We reviewed their clinical history and the findings of barium
      esophagogram, upper gastrointestinal endoscopy, and esophageal transit
      scintigraphy. We also compared the clinical, radiologic, and manometric findings
      of patients according to heartburn symptoms and proton pump inhibitor use.
      Results: Our study included a total of 64 patients with a median age of 44.5
      (interquartile range, 31.5-54.0). The median duration of symptoms was 23.5
      (interquartile range, 5.3-57.0) months. Sixty-four patients (100%) had dysphagia,
      49 (76.6%) had regurgitation, 35 (54.7%) had chest pain, and 38 (59.4%) had
      heartburn. Typical clinical features of gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD)
      such as regurgitation, heartburn, and chest pain were observed in more than 50%
      of achalasia patients. Proton pump inhibitors were prescribed for 16 patients
      (25%) on the assumption that they had GERD. Patients with heartburn were more
      likely to experience weight loss (P = 0.009), regurgitation (P = 0.001), or chest
      pain (P = 0.019). Conclusions: Heartburn, regurgitation, and chest pain were
      commonly observed in patients with untreated achalasia. Therefore, these findings
      suggest that achalasia should be suspected in patients with refractory GERD.

PMID- 28351118
TI  - How Will Repealing the ACA Affect Medicaid? Impact on Health Care Coverage,
      Delivery, and Payment.
AB  - ISSUE: The Affordable Care Act enhanced Medicaid's role as a health care
      purchaser by expanding eligibility and broadening the range of tools and
      strategies available to states. All states have embraced delivery and payment
      reform as basic elements of their programs. GOAL: To examine the effects of
      reducing the size and scope of Medicaid under legislation to repeal the ACA.
      FINDINGS AND CONCLUSIONS: Were the ACA's Medicaid expansion to be eliminated and
      were federal Medicaid funding to experience major reductions through block grants
      or per capita caps, the effects on system transformation would be significant.
      Over 70 percent of Medicaid spending is driven by enrollment in a program that
      covers 74 million people; on a per capita basis Medicaid costs less than Medicare
      or commercial insurance. States would need to absorb major financial losses by
      reducing the number of people served, reducing the scope of services covered,
      introducing higher cost-sharing, or further reducing already low payments. Far
      from improving quality and efficiency, these changes would cause the number of
      uninsured to rise while depriving health care providers and health plans of the
      resources needed to care for patients and invest in the tools that are essential
      to system transformation

PMID- 28351119
TI  - Biotechnology and Consumer Decision-Making.
AB  - Society is facing major challenges in climate change, health care and overall
      quality of life. Scientific advances to address these areas continue to grow,
      with overwhelming evidence that the application of highly tested forms of
      biotechnology is safe and effective. Despite scientific consensus in these
      areas,consumers appear reluctant to support their use. Research that helps to
      understand consumer decision-making and the public's resistance to
      biotechnologies such as vaccines, fluoridated water programs and genetically
      engineered food, will provide great social value. This article is forward
      thinking in that it suggests that important research in behavioral decision
      making, specifically affect and ambiguity, can be used to help consumers make
      informed choices about major applications of biotechnology. This article
      highlights some of the most controversial examples: vaccinations, genetically
      engineered food, rbST treated dairy cows, fluoridated water, and embryonic stem
      cell research. In many of these areas, consumers perceive the risks as high, but
      the experts calculate the risks as low. Four major thematic approaches are
      proposed to create a roadmap for policymakers to consider for policy design and
      implementation in controversial areas of biotechnology. This article articulates
      future directions for studies that implement decision-making research to allow
      consumers to appropriately assign risk to their options and make informed
      decisions.

PMID- 28351120
TI  - Revolutionizing the Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act of 2008.

PMID- 28351125
TI  - Re: Evaluation of Renal Function after Percutaneous Nephrolithotomy-Does the
      Number of Percutaneous Access Tracts Matter?: I. Gorbachinsky, K. Wood, M.
      Colaco, S. Hemal, J. Mettu, M. Mirzazadeh, D. G. Assimos and J. Gutierrez-Aceves
      J Urol 2016;196:131-136.

PMID- 28351121
TI  - Probing the Quantum States of a Single Atom Transistor at Microwave Frequencies.
AB  - The ability to apply gigahertz frequencies to control the quantum state of a
      single P atom is an essential requirement for the fast gate pulsing needed for
      qubit control in donor-based silicon quantum computation. Here, we demonstrate
      this with nanosecond accuracy in an all epitaxial single atom transistor by
      applying excitation signals at frequencies up to ~13 GHz to heavily phosphorus
      doped silicon leads. These measurements allow the differentiation between the
      excited states of the single atom and the density of states in the one
      dimensional leads. Our pulse spectroscopy experiments confirm the presence of an
      excited state at an energy ~9 meV, consistent with the first excited state of a
      single P donor in silicon. The relaxation rate of this first excited state to the
      ground state is estimated to be larger than 2.5 GHz, consistent with theoretical
      predictions. These results represent a systematic investigation of how an
      atomically precise single atom transistor device behaves under radio frequency
      excitations.

PMID- 28351127
TI  - Absorption Amelioration of Amorphous Si Film by Introducing Metal Silicide
      Nanoparticles.
AB  - Amorphous Si (a-Si) films with metal silicide are expected to enhance the
      absorption ability of pure a-Si films. In this present study, NiSi (20 nm)/Si (40
      nm) and AlSi (20 nm)/Si (40 nm) bilayer thin films are deposited through radio
      frequency (RF) sputtering at room temperature. The influence of the film's
      composition and the annealing temperature on the film's optical absorption is
      investigated. The results show that all the NiSi/Si films and AlSi/Si films
      possess higher absorption ability compared to a pure a-Si film (60 nm). After
      annealing from 400 to 600  degrees C under vacuum for 1 h, the Si layer remains
      amorphous in both NiSi/Si films and AlSi/Si films, while the NiSi layer
      crystallizes into NiSi2 phase, whereas Al atoms diffuse through the whole film
      during the annealing process. Consequently, with increasing the annealing
      temperature, the optical absorption of NiSi/Si films increases, while that of
      AlSi/Si films obviously degrades.

PMID- 28351129
TI  - Action-Self Quenching: Dimer-Induced Fluorescence Quenching of Chromophores as a
      Probe for Biomolecular Structure.
AB  - To obtain a more detailed understanding of how structure influences the function
      and interaction of biomolecules, it is important to develop structure sensitive
      techniques to probe these relationships. Alongside in vivo and in vitro
      techniques, it is instructive to consider in vacuo methodologies: for example
      native mass spectrometry, ion mobility mass spectrometry, and FRET. Here, we
      propose a novel technique for probing biomolecular structure based on the changes
      in photophysics of a chromophore upon dimer formation. Comparison of solution and
      gas phase measurements on a doubly tagged tripeptide shows that dimer-induced
      fluorescence quenching is accompanied by an increase in photofragmentation yield.
      The 12-28 fragment of amyloid beta was used to show that as the charge state was
      increased-previously shown to cause a conformational change from compact random
      coil to extended helical structure-the disappearance of a band at 495 nm could be
      correlated with the level of self-quenching. The presence of features in the
      action spectrum of the +3 charge state of both quenched and unquenched
      chromophores allowed inference of multiple conformations. Single wavelength
      measurements on doubly tagged ubiquitin cations were performed to show that the
      technique is feasible on a small protein. These results demonstrate that self
      quenching is a sensitive and fast gas-phase probe of biomolecular structure that
      can be directly linked to solution phase measurements. Further, it is capable of
      probing very small changes in conformation, making it complementary to FRET based
      techniques, which are insensitive at very short chromophore separations.

PMID- 28351130
TI  - Synergic Adsorption-Biodegradation by an Advanced Carrier for Enhanced Removal of
      High-Strength Nitrogen and Refractory Organics.
AB  - Coking wastewater contains not only high-strength nitrogen but also toxic
      biorefractory organics. This study presents simultaneous removal of high-strength
      quinoline, carbon, and ammonium in coking wastewater by immobilized bacterial
      communities composed of a heterotrophic strain Pseudomonas sp. QG6 (hereafter
      referred as QG6), ammonia-oxidizing bacteria (AOB), and anaerobic ammonium
      oxidation bacteria (anammox). The bacterial immobilization was implemented with
      the help of a self-designed porous cubic carrier that created structured
      microenvironments including an inner layer adapted for anaerobic bacteria, a
      middle layer suitable for coaggregation of certain aerobic and anaerobic
      bacteria, and an outer layer for heterotrophic bacteria. By coating functional
      polyurethane foam (FPUF) with iron oxide nanoparticles (IONPs), the biocarrier
      (IONPs-FPUF) could provide a good outer-layer barrier for absorption and
      selective treatment of aromatic compounds by QG6, offer a conducive environment
      for anammox in the inner layer, and provide a mutualistic environment for AOB in
      the middle layer. Consequently, simultaneous nitrification and denitrification
      were reached with the significant removal of up to 322 mg L-1 (98%) NH4, 311 mg L
      1 (99%) NO2, and 633 mg L-1 (97%) total nitrogen (8 mg L-1 averaged NO3
      concentration was recorded in the effluent), accompanied by an efficient removal
      of chemical oxygen demand by 3286 mg L-1 (98%) and 350 mg L-1 (100%) quinoline.
      This study provides an alternative way to promote synergic adsorption and
      biodegradation with the help of a modified biocarrier that has great potential
      for treatment of wastewater containing high-strength carbon, toxic organic
      pollutants, and nitrogen.

PMID- 28351131
TI  - Inorganic Surface Engineering to Enhance Perovskite Solar Cell Efficiency.
AB  - The photoconversion efficiency of perovskite solar cells (PSCs) is enhanced by
      the deposition of inorganic nanoparticles (NPs) at the interface between the
      compact TiO2 electron-selective contact and the mesoporous TiO2 film. The NPs
      used are core/shell Au@SiO2, where a thin SiO2 coating protects the Au core from
      the direct chemical interaction with CH3NH3PbI3 halide perovskite used as light
      harvesting material. The samples prepared with Au@SiO2 NPs exhibit a higher
      external quantum efficiency in the complete wavelength range at which perovskite
      presents light absorption and not just at the wavelengths at which Au@SiO2 NPs
      present their absorption peak. This fact rules out a direct plasmonic process as
      responsible for the enhancement of cell performance. A detailed characterization
      by photoluminescence, impedance spectroscopy, and open-circuit voltage decay
      unveils a modification of the interfacial properties with an augmentation of the
      interfacial electrostatic potential that increases both photovoltage and
      photocurrent. This article highlights the dramatic role of interfaces in the
      performance of PSCs. The use of reduced quantities of highly stable inorganic
      compounds to modify the PSC interface instead of the extensively used organic
      compounds opens the door to a new surface engineering based on inorganic
      compounds.

PMID- 28351132
TI  - Control of Multilevel Resistance in Vanadium Dioxide by Electric Field Using
      Hybrid Dielectrics.
AB  - We investigate the effect of electric field on VO2 back-gated field effect
      transistor (FET) devices. Using hybrid dielectric layers, we demonstrate the
      highest resistance modulation on the order of 102 in VO2 at a positive gate bias
      of 80 V (1.6 MV/cm). VO2 FET devices are prepared on SiO2 substrates of different
      thicknesses (100-300 nm) and hybrid dielectric layers of Al2O3/SiO2 (500 nm). For
      thicknesses less than 300 nm, no electric-field effects are observed, whereas for
      a 300 nm thickness, a small decrease in resistance is observed under a 0.2 MV/cm
      electric field. Under the electrostatic effect, the carrier concentration
      increases in VO2 devices, decreasing the resistance and the transition
      temperature from 66.75 to 64  degrees C. The leakage analysis shows that the
      interface quality of VO2 films on hybrid dielectric layers can be further
      improved. These studies suggest a multilevel fast resistance switching with the
      electric field and give an insight into the gate-source leakage current, which
      limits the phase transition in VO2 in an electric field.

PMID- 28351133
TI  - Monitoring the Behavior of Emerging Contaminants in Wastewater-Impacted Rivers
      Based on the Use of Fluorescence Excitation Emission Matrixes (EEM).
AB  - This study investigated the applicability of fluorescence indexes based on the
      interpretation of excitation emission matrices (EEMs) by PARAFAC analysis and by
      selecting fluorescence intensities at a priori defined excitation/emission pairs
      as surrogates for monitoring the behavior of emerging organic compounds (EOCs) in
      two catchment basins impacted by wastewater discharges. Relevant EOC and EEM data
      were obtained for a 90 km stretch of the Simeto River, the main river in Sicily,
      and the smaller San Leonardo River, which was investigated for a 17 km stretch.
      The use of fluorescence indexes developed by these two different approaches
      resulted in similar observations. Changes of the fluorescence indexes that
      correspond to a group of humic-like fluorescing species were determined to be
      highly correlated with the concentrations of recalcitrant contaminants such as
      sucralose, sulfamethoxazole and carbamazepine, which are typical wastewater
      markers in river water. Changes of the fluorescence indexes related to tyrosine
      like substances were well correlated with the concentrations of ibuprofen and
      caffeine, anthropogenic indicators of untreated wastewater discharges. Chemical
      oxygen demand and dissolved organic carbon concentrations were correlated with
      humic-like fluorescence indexes. The observed correlations were site-specific and
      characterized by different regression parameters for every collection event.
      Caffeine and carbamazepine showed correlations with florescence indexes in the
      San Leonardo River and in the alluvial plain stretch of the Simeto River, whereas
      sucralose, sulfamethoxazole and ibuprofen have always been well correlated in all
      the investigated river stretches. However, when data of different collection
      events from river stretches where correlations were observed were combined, good
      linear correlations were obtained for data sets generated via the normalization
      of the measured concentrations by the average value for the corresponding
      collection event. These results show that fluorescence based indexes can be used
      to monitor the behavior of some trace organic contaminants in wastewater impacted
      rivers and to track wastewater discharges in streams and rivers.

PMID- 28351128
TI  - Nanoparticles of Titanium and Zinc Oxides as Novel Agents in Tumor Treatment: a
      Review.
AB  - Cancer has become a global problem. On all continents, a great number of people
      are diagnosed with this disease. In spite of the progress in medical care, cancer
      still ends fatal for a great number of the ill, either as a result of a late
      diagnosis or due to inefficiency of therapies. The majority of the tumors are
      resistant to drugs. Thus, the search for new, more effective therapy methods
      continues. Recently, nanotechnology has been attributed with big expectations in
      respect of the cancer fight. That interdisciplinary field of science creates
      nanomaterials (NMs) and nanoparticles (NPs) that can be applied, e.g., in
      nanomedicine. NMs and NPs are perceived as very promising in cancer therapy since
      they can perform as drug carriers, as well as photo- or sonosensitizers
      (compounds that generate the formation of reactive oxygen species as a result of
      either electromagnetic radiation excitation with an adequate wavelength or
      ultrasound activation, respectively). Consequently, two new treatment modalities,
      the photodynamic therapy (PDT) and the sonodynamic therapy (SDT) have been
      created. The attachment of ligands or antibodies to NMs or to NPs improve their
      selective distribution into the targeted organ or cell; hence, the therapy
      effectiveness can be improved. An important advantage of the targeted tumor
      treatment is lowering the cyto- and genotoxicity of active substance towards
      healthy cells. Therefore, both PDT and SDT constitute a valuable alternative to
      chemo- or radiotherapy. The vital role in cancer eradication is attributed to two
      inorganic sensitizers in their nanosized scale: titanium dioxide and zinc oxide.

PMID- 28351134
TI  - Counterion Size and Nature Control Structural and Mechanical Response in
      Cellulose Nanofibril Nanopapers.
AB  - Nanopapers formed from aqueous dispersions of cellulose nanofibrils (CNFs)
      combine stiffness, strength, and toughness. Yet, delicate interactions operate
      between the CNFs during nanopaper formation and mechanical deformation. We
      unravel in detail how counterions, being either of the organic alkyl ammonium
      kind (NR4+) or of the earth metal series (Li+, Na+, Cs+), need to be chosen to
      achieve outstanding combinations of stiffness, strength, and toughness, extending
      to previously unreached territories. We relate structure formation processes in
      terms of colloidal stabilization to nanostructural details such as porosity and
      ability for swelling, as well as to interfibrillar interactions in bulk and
      macroscale mechanical properties. We demonstrate that our understanding also
      leads to new levels of ductility in bioinspired CNF/polymer nanocomposites at
      high levels of reinforcements. These results contribute to future rational design
      of CNF-based high-performance materials.

PMID- 28351135
TI  - Fluorous Solid-Phase Extraction Technique Based on Nanographite Fluoride.
AB  - Fluorous solid-phase extraction (FSPE) has been employed to isolate target
      compounds from complex chemical or biological samples in many research areas.
      However, the lack of efficient and economical available perfluorinated materials
      impeded its development. In this study, we present a novel nanographite fluoride
      based fluorous solid-phase extraction (GF-FSPE) as a replacement of commercially
      available cartridge-based FSPE, which showed remarkable selectivity, low LOD,
      high post enrichment recovery, and large enrichment capacity. To demonstrate the
      potency of GF-FSPE, it was designed and successfully applied to isolate cysteine
      containing peptide subsets from complex protein samples to improve the proteome
      coverage. Additionally, since graphite fluoride was inexpensive and highly
      commercialized, this study was expected to promote the popularization of FSPE in
      both chemical and biological separations as well as encourage the synthesis and
      broaden the application of highly fluorinated carbon fluoride in material
      science.

PMID- 28351136
TI  - Bi-directional DNA Walking Machine and Its Application in an Enzyme-Free
      Electrochemiluminescence Biosensor for Sensitive Detection of MicroRNAs.
AB  - Herein, a dual microRNA (miRNA) powered bi-directional DNA walking machine with
      precise control was developed to fabricate an enzyme-free biosensor on the basis
      of distance-based electrochemiluminescence (ECL) energy transfer for multiple
      detection of miRNAs. By using miRNA-21 as the driving force, the DNA walker could
      move forth along the track and generated quenching of ECL response due to the
      proximity between Au nanoparticles (AuNPs) and Mn2+ doped CdS nanocrystals
      (CdS:Mn NCs) film as the ECL emitters, realizing ultrasensitive determination of
      miRNA-21. Impressively, once miRNA-155 was introduced as the driving force, the
      walker could move back along the track automatically, and surface plasmon
      resonance (SPR) occurred owing to the appropriate large separation between AuNPs
      and CdS:Mn NCs, achieving an ECL enhancement and realizing ultrasensitive
      detection of miRNA-155. The bi-directional movement of the DNA walker on the
      track led to continuous distance-based energy transfer from CdS:Mn NCs film by
      AuNPs, which resulted in significant ECL signal variation of CdS:Mn NCs for
      multiple detection of miRNA-21 and miRNA-155 down to 1.51 fM and 1.67 fM,
      respectively. Amazingly, the elaborated biosensor provided a new chance for
      constructing controllable molecular nanomachines in biosensing, disease
      diagnosis, and clinical analysis.

PMID- 28351137
TI  - Monolayer Contact Doping from a Silicon Oxide Source Substrate.
AB  - Monolayer contact doping (MLCD) is a modification of the monolayer doping (MLD)
      technique that involves monolayer formation of a dopant-containing adsorbate on a
      source substrate. This source substrate is subsequently brought into contact with
      the target substrate, upon which the dopant is driven into the target substrate
      by thermal annealing. Here, we report a modified MLCD process, in which we
      replace the commonly used Si source substrate by a thermally oxidized substrate
      with a 100 nm thick silicon oxide layer, functionalized with a monolayer of a
      dopant-containing silane. The thermal oxide potentially provides a better capping
      effect and effectively prevents the dopants from diffusing back into the source
      substrate. The use of easily accessible and processable silane monolayers
      provides access to a general and modifiable process for the introduction of
      dopants on the source substrate. As a proof of concept, a boron-rich carboranyl
      alkoxysilane was used here to construct the monolayer that delivers the dopant,
      to boost the doping level in the target substrate. X-ray photoelectron
      spectroscopy (XPS) showed a successful grafting of the dopant adsorbate onto the
      SiO2 surface. The achieved doping levels after thermal annealing were similar to
      the doping levels acessible by MLD as demonstrated by secondary ion mass
      spectrometry measurements. The method shows good prospects, e.g. for use in the
      doping of Si nanostructures.

PMID- 28351138
TI  - Eradication of Plasmodium falciparum from Erythrocytes by Controlled Reactive
      Oxygen Species via Photodynamic Inactivation Coupled with Photofunctional
      Nanoparticles.
AB  - We investigated the antimalarial effect of photodynamic inactivation (PDI)
      coupled with magnetic nanoparticles (MNPs) as a potential strategy to combat the
      emergence of drug-resistant malaria and resurgence of malaria after treatment.
      Because the malarial parasite proliferates within erythrocytes, PDI agents need
      to be taken up by erythrocytes to eradicate the parasite. We used photofunctional
      MNPs as the PDI agent because nanosized particles were selectively taken up by
      Plasmodium-infected erythrocytes and remained within the intracellular space due
      to the enhanced permeability and retention effect. Also, the magnetism of Fe3O4
      nanoparticles can easily be utilized for the collection of photofunctional
      nanoparticles (PFNs), and the uptaken PFNs infected the erythrocytes after
      photodynamic treatment with external magnetics. Photofunctionality was provided
      by a photosensitizer, namely, pheophorbide A, which generates reactive oxygen
      species (ROS) under irradiation. PAs were covalently bonded to the surface of the
      MNPs. The morphology and structural characteristics of the MNPs were investigated
      by scanning electron microscopy and X-ray diffraction (XRD), whereas the
      photophysical properties of the PFNs were studied with Fourier transform
      infrared, absorption, and emission spectroscopies. Generation of singlet oxygen,
      a major ROS, was directly confirmed with time-resolved phosphorescence
      spectroscopy. To evaluate the ability of PFNs to kill malarial parasites, the PDI
      effect of PFNs was evaluated within the infected erythrocytes. Furthermore,
      malarial parasites were completely eradicated from the erythrocytes after PDI
      treatment using PFNs on the basis of an 8 day erythrocyte culture test.

PMID- 28351139
TI  - Occurrence, Distribution, and Fate of Organic UV Filters in Coral Communities.
AB  - Organic ultraviolet (UV) filters are widely used in personal care products and
      occur ubiquitously in the aquatic environment. In this study, concentrations of
      seven commonly used organic UV filters were determined in seawater, sediment and
      five coral species collected from the eastern Pearl River Estuary of South China
      Sea. Five compounds, benzophenone-1, -3, and -8 (BP-1, -3, and -8), octocrylene
      (OC) and octyl dimethyl-p-aminobenzoic acid (ODPABA), were detected in the coral
      tissues with the highest detection frequencies (>65%) and concentrations (31.8 +/
      8.6 and 24.7 +/- 10.6 ng/g ww, respectively) found for BP-3 and BP-8.
      Significantly higher concentrations of BP-3 were observed in coral tissues in the
      wet season, indicating that higher inputs of sunscreen agents could be attributed
      to the increased coastal recreational activities. Accumulation of UV filters was
      only observed in soft coral tissues with bioaccumulation factors (log10-values)
      ranging from 2.21 to 3.01. The results of a preliminary risk assessment indicated
      that over 20% of coral samples from the study sites contained BP-3 concentrations
      exceeding the threshold values for causing larval deformities and mortality in
      the worst-case scenario. Higher probabilities of negative impacts of BP-3 on
      coral communities are predicted to occur in wet season.

PMID- 28351140
TI  - Bendable Photodetector on Fibers Wrapped with Flexible Ultrathin Single
      Crystalline Silicon Nanomembranes.
AB  - Silicon (Si) nanomembranes (NMs) enable conformal covering on complicated
      surfaces for novel applications. We adopt classical fibers as flexible/curved
      substrates and wrap them with freestanding ultrathin Si-NMs with a thickness of
      ~20 nm. Intrinsic defects in single-crystalline Si-NMs provide a flow path for
      hydrofluoric acid (HF) to release the NM with a consecutive area of ~0.25 cm2.
      Such Si-NMs with ultralow flexural rigidities are transferred onto a single-mode
      fiber (SMF) and functionalized into bendable photodetectors, which detects the
      leaked light when the fiber is bent. Our demonstration exemplifies optoelectronic
      applications in flexible photodetector for Si-NMs in a three-dimensional (3D)
      geometry.

PMID- 28351141
TI  - A Total Synthesis of Bifidenone.
AB  - The first total synthesis of bifidenone, a novel natural tubulin polymerization
      inhibitor, has been achieved in 12 steps starting from commercially available 1,4
      dioxaspiro[4.5]decan-8-one. The synthesis includes a newly developed method to
      generate the dihydrobenzodioxolone core by palladium-catalyzed aerobic
      dehydrogenation. The three stereocenters were installed with an AD-mix-beta
      dihydroxylation step followed by a late-stage palladium-catalyzed decarboxylation
      allylation procedure. The absolute stereochemistry of 3 was determined via 13a by
      single-crystal X-ray analysis.

PMID- 28351142
TI  - Assessing the Source-to-Stream Transport of Benzotriazoles during Rainfall and
      Snowmelt in Urban and Agricultural Watersheds.
AB  - While benzotriazoles (BTs) are ubiquitous in urban waters, their sources and
      transport remain poorly characterized. We aimed to elucidate the origin and
      hydrological pathways of BTs in Toronto, Canada, by quantifying three BTs,
      electrical conductivity, and delta18O in high-frequency streamwater samples taken
      during two rainfall and one snowmelt event in two watersheds with contrasting
      levels of urbanization. Average concentrations of total BTs (?BT) were 1.3 to 110
      times higher in the more urbanized Mimico Creek watershed relative to the
      primarily agricultural and suburban Little Rouge Creek. Strong correlations
      between upstream density of major roads and total BT concentrations or BT
      composition within all events implicate vehicle fluids as the key source of BTs
      in both watersheds. Sustained historical releases of BTs within the Mimico Creek
      watershed have likely led to elevated ?BT in groundwater, with elevated
      concentrations observed during baseflow that are diluted by rainfall and surface
      runoff. In contrast, relatively constant concentrations, caused by mixing of
      equally contaminated baseflow and rainfall/surface runoff, are observed in the
      Little Rouge Creek throughout storm hydrographs, with an occasional first flush
      occurring at a subsite draining suburban land. During snowmelt, buildup of BTs in
      roadside snowpiles and preferential partitioning of BTs to the liquid phase of a
      melting snowpack leads to early peaks in ?BT in both streams, except the sites in
      the Little Rouge Creek with low levels of vehicle traffic. Overall, a history of
      BT release and land use associated with urbanization have led to higher levels of
      BTs in urban areas and provide a glimpse into future BT dynamics in mixed use,
      (sub)urbanizing areas.

PMID- 28351144
TI  - Hydrogen Transfer in Energetic Materials from ReaxFF and DFT Calculations.
AB  - Energetic materials are characterized by fast and complex chemical reactions. It
      makes them hardly available for kinetic experiments in relevant conditions and a
      good target for reactive molecular dynamics simulations. In this work,
      unimolecular and condensed-phase thermal decomposition of pentaerythritol
      tetranitrate (PETN) are investigated by ReaxFF molecular dynamics. It is shown
      that the decomposition kinetics in condensed phase may be described with the
      activation barrier lower by a factor of 2 than that for isolated molecules. The
      effect of the intermolecular hydrogen transfer is revealed in condensed phase.
      Energetic barriers for hydrogen transfer in two energetic materials (methyl
      nitrate, which is a nitroester as well as PETN, and o-nitrotoluene) are studied
      with ReaxFF and DFT using nudged elastic band technique. The results indicate
      that ReaxFF gives significantly lower activation energy for intermolecular
      hydrogen transfer in nitroesters than different DFT approximations, which
      explains the molecular dynamics results for PETN.

PMID- 28351143
TI  - Charge Localization after Ultrafast Photoexcitation of a Rigid Perylene
      Perylenediimide Dyad Visualized by Transient Stark Effect.
AB  - The intramolecular charge-transfer (CT) dynamics of a rigid and strongly
      conjugated perylenediimide-bridge-perylene dyad (PDIPe) has been investigated in
      dichloromethane using ultrafast transient electronic absorption spectroscopy and
      quantum chemical calculations. The strong electronic coupling between the dyad
      units gives rise to a CT band. Its photoexcitation forms a delocalized CT state
      with well-preserved ion bands despite the strong coupling. In the dyad, the
      electronic transition dipole moment of the electron donor perylene is aligned
      along the axis of the electric field vector with respect to the CT species. This
      alignment makes the donor sensitive to the Stark effect and thus charge density
      fluctuations in the CT state. Charge localization on the picosecond time scale
      manifests as a time-dependent Stark shift in the visible region. Quantum chemical
      calculations reveal a twist around the acetylene bridging unit to be the
      responsible mechanism generating a partial to an almost complete CT state. An
      estimate of the electric field strength in the CT state yields approximately 25
      MV/cm, which increases to around 31 MV/cm during charge localization.
      Furthermore, the calculations illustrate the complexity of electronic structure
      in this strongly delocalized superchromophore and reflect the complications in
      the interpretation of transient absorption results when compared to steady-state
      approaches such as spectroelectrochemistry and model chromophore experiments such
      as photoinduced bimolecular charge transfer.

PMID- 28351145
TI  - Reinvestigation of the Infrared Spectrum of the Gas-Phase Protonated Water
      Tetramer.
AB  - Gas-phase H9O4+ has been considered an archetypal Eigen cation, H3O+(H2O)3. Yet
      ab initio molecular dynamics (AIMD) suggested that its infrared spectrum is
      explained by a linear-chain Zundel isomer, alone or in a mixture with the Eigen
      cation. Recently, hole-burning experiments suggested a single isomer, with a
      second-order vibrational perturbation theory (VPT2) spectrum agreeing with the
      Eigen cation. To resolve this discrepancy, we have extended both calculations to
      more advanced DFT functionals, better basis sets, and dispersion correction. For
      Zundel-isomers, we find VPT2 anharmonic frequencies for four low-frequency modes
      involving the excess proton unreliable, including the 1750 cm-1 band that is
      pivotal for differentiating between Zundel and Eigen isomers. Because the
      analogous bands of the H5O2+ cation show little effect of anharmonicity, we
      utilize the harmonic frequencies for these modes. With this caveat, both AIMD and
      VPT2 agree on the spectrum as originating from a Zundel isomer. VPT2 also shows
      that both isomers have the same spectrum in the high frequency region, so that
      the hole burning experiments should be extended to lower frequencies.

PMID- 28351146
TI  - Carborane Derivative Conjugated with Gold Nanoclusters for Targeted Cancer Cell
      Imaging.
AB  - Polyhedral borane derivatives have been utilized in the treatment of boron neuron
      capture therapy (BNCT) for brain glioma, and much attention has been paid to
      search excellent biocompatible boron-rich composites for effective cancer BNCT
      therapy. In this study, we have exploited the self-assembly of the gold
      nanoclusters with carborane amino derivatives (GNCs-CB) for the precise
      bioimaging of cancer cells and targeted delivery of this carborane compound to
      the tumors. Our observations demonstrate that the GNCs-CB can readily realize
      accurate tumor imaging and long-term accumulation in tumor sites by EPR effect
      and nanometer size effect, and thus efficiently implement tumor-targeting
      delivery of the carborane derivative and facilitate the real-time fluorescent
      visualization monitoring of the carborane targeted delivery process. This makes
      it possible to realize the accurate location of the tumor by the carborane
      derivative and reduce the damage to normal tissues in the process of boron
      neutron capture therapy through imaging guided treatment.

PMID- 28351147
TI  - Adsorption and Aggregation Properties of Homogeneous Polyoxypropylene
      Polyoxyethylene Alkyl Ether Type Nonionic Surfactants.
AB  - Homogeneous polyoxypropylene (PO)-polyoxyethylene (EO) alkyl ether type nonionic
      surfactants comprising alkyl, EO, and PO chains with identical chain length
      distributions (CnEOxPOy; alkyl chain length n = 10, 12, 14, or 16; EO chain
      length x = 4, 6, or 8; and PO chain length y = 1, 2, or 3) were synthesized from
      homogeneous polyoxyethylene alkyl ether bromide and monosodium polyoxypropylene
      by Williamson ether synthesis. The adsorption and aggregation properties of these
      surfactants were characterized (cloud point, surface tension, dynamic light
      scattering, small-angle X-ray scattering, polarization microscopy, and cryogenic
      transmission electron microscopy) and compared to those of conventional
      homogeneous EO alkyl ether type nonionic surfactants (CnEOx). The introduction of
      a PO chain to the EO terminal group of the CnEOx species lowered the cloud
      points, especially for x = 6. Contrary to our expectations, the CnEOxPOy
      surfactants adsorbed efficiently at the air/water interface, despite their
      complex structure (hydrophobic alkyl chain/hydrophilic EO chain/hydrophobic PO
      chain). They also displayed excellent micelle-forming ability in solution.
      Furthermore, the CnEOx species formed small micelles in solution at low
      concentrations and the structures transformed to hexagonal liquid crystals as the
      surfactant concentration increased. Conversely, CnEOxPOy maintained a micellar
      structure even at high concentrations. Notably, the introduction of a PO chain
      into the CnEOx surfactant controlled the formation of aggregates with a higher
      order structure (hexagonal liquid crystals).

PMID- 28351148
TI  - Patterning of Nanoclays on Positively Charged Self-Assembled Monolayers via
      Micromolding in Capillaries.
AB  - Nanoclays are nanomaterials with versatile adsorptive properties. This
      contribution describes the generation of micropatterns of a nanoclay ("laponite")
      on ammonium-terminated, self-assembled monolayers (SAMs) on glass and silicon.
      Microstructured immobilization of the laponite was performed using micromolding
      in capillaries (MIMIC). The immobilization was verified using contact angle
      goniometry, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), atomic force microscopy
      (AFM), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), time-of-flight secondary ion mass
      spectrometry (ToF-SIMS), and fluorescence microscopy. Furthermore, laponite was
      modified with Nile red to generate a fluorescence enhancement-based surface
      sensor for the vitamin choline.

PMID- 28351149
TI  - Light Energy Accumulation from Pyrene Derivative to Tris(bipyridine)ruthenium on
      Clay Surface.
AB  - A novel type of energy donor-acceptor system on a clay surface has been prepared.
      The energy transfer between an energy-donating cationic pyrene derivative (An
      Py2+) and an energy-accepting tris(bipyridine)ruthenium complex (Ru2+) on the
      clay surface was investigated using absorption, emission, and lifetime
      measurements. An obvious energy transfer was observed, and one Ru2+ molecule
      quenched the emission from five molecules of An-Py2+ with an emission quenching
      efficiency of 85% on the clay surface. This suggests that the light energies
      absorbed by five of the An-Py2+ molecules were accumulated in the one Ru2+
      molecule. Near-quantitative emission quenching was observed for stoichiometric
      amounts of An-Py2+ and Ru2+. The apparent quenching rate constant is
      approximately 1017 L mol-1 s-1, and thus the quenching rate constant is 107-108
      times higher than the diffusion rate constant in a homogeneous solution.

PMID- 28351150
TI  - Assembly of Indolenines, 3-Amino Oxindoles, and Aldehydes into Indolenine
      Substituted Spiro[pyrrolidin-2,3'-oxindoles] via 1,3-Dipolar Cycloaddition with
      Divergent Diastereoselectivities.
AB  - A novel one-pot 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition of indolenines, 3-aminooxindoles, and
      aldehydes is reported. The reaction provides indolenine-substituted
      spiro[pyrrolidin-2,3'-oxindoles] containing four contiguous stereogenic centers
      in high yields (up to 99%) and excellent diastereoselectivities (up to >20:1 dr)
      under mild conditions. Remarkably, the inversion of diastereoselectivity could be
      readily achieved through slightly modifying the reaction conditions.

PMID- 28351151
TI  - General and Stereoselective Method for the Synthesis of Sterically Congested and
      Structurally Diverse P-Stereogenic Secondary Phosphine Oxides.
AB  - A general and efficient method for the synthesis of bulky and structurally
      diverse P-stereogenic chiral secondary phosphine oxides (SPOs) by using readily
      available chiral amino alcohol templates is described. These chiral SPOs could be
      used as chiral building blocks for the synthesis of difficult-to-access bulky P
      stereogenic phosphine compounds or ligands for organic catalysis.

PMID- 28351154
TI  - Use of Continuous-Infusion Ceftolozane/Tazobactam in a Multidrug-Resistant
      Pseudomonas aeruginosa Urinary Tract Infection in the Outpatient Setting.

PMID- 28351153
TI  - Gas Chromatography/Mass Spectrometry Metabolomics of Urine and Serum from
      Nonhuman Primates Exposed to Ionizing Radiation: Impacts on the Tricarboxylic
      Acid Cycle and Protein Metabolism.
AB  - Ionizing radiation (IR) directly damages cells and tissues or indirectly damages
      them through reactive free radicals that may lead to longer term adverse sequelae
      such as cancers, persistent inflammation, or possible death. Potential exposures
      include nuclear reactor accidents, improper disposal of equipment containing
      radioactive materials or medical errors, and terrorist attacks. Metabolomics
      (comprehensive analysis of compounds <1 kDa) by mass spectrometry (MS) has been
      proposed as a tool for high-throughput biodosimetry and rapid assessment of
      exposed dose and triage needed. While multiple studies have been dedicated to
      radiation biomarker discovery, many have utilized liquid chromatography (LC) MS
      platforms that may not detect particular compounds (e.g., small carboxylic acids
      or isomers) that complementary analytical tools, such as gas chromatography (GC)
      time-of-flight (TOF) MS, are ideal for. The current study uses global GC-TOF-MS
      metabolomics to complement previous LC-MS analyses on nonhuman primate biofluids
      (urine and serum) 7 days after exposure to 2, 4, 6, 7, and 10 Gy IR. Multivariate
      data analysis was used to visualize differences between control and IR exposed
      groups. Univariate analysis was used to determine a combined 26 biomarkers in
      urine and serum that significantly changed after exposure to IR. We found several
      metabolites involved in tricarboxylic acid cycle function, amino acid metabolism,
      and host microbiota that were not previously detected by global and targeted LC
      MS studies.

PMID- 28351155
TI  - The Creative Benefits Scale: Connecting Generativity to Life Satisfaction.
AB  - Long-term participation in creative activities has benefits for middle-aged and
      older people that may improve their adaptation to later life. We first
      investigated the factor structure of the Creative Benefits Scale and then used it
      to construct a model to help explain the connection between generativity and life
      satisfaction in adults who participated in creative hobbies. Participants
      included 546 adults between the ages of 40 and 88 (Mean = 58.30 years) who
      completed measures of life satisfaction, generativity, and the Creative Benefits
      Scale with its factors of Identity, Calming, Spirituality, and Recognition.
      Structural equation modeling was used to examine the connection of age with life
      satisfaction in older adults and to explore the effects of creativity on this
      relation. The proposed model of life satisfaction, incorporating age, creativity,
      and generativity, fit the data well, indicating that creativity may help explain
      the link between the generativity and life satisfaction.

PMID- 28351156
TI  - Long-term exercise training and soy isoflavones to improve quality of life and
      climacteric symptoms.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: To verify the efficacy of phytoestrogen supplementation combined with
      aerobic and resistance training on the improvement of climacteric symptoms and
      health-related quality of life (HRQoL) in postmenopausal women. METHODS: From a
      pool of women who had participated in a 1-year intervention study and were
      randomly assigned to either exercise + phytoestrogen (EX + PHY) or exercise +
      placebo (EX + PL), a total of 31 healthy but overweight women (mean age 59.2 +/-
      4.8 years, body mass index 29.1 +/- 3.5 kg/m2) finished the study (EX + PHY, n =
      15; EX + PL, n = 16). All the following variables were measured before, after 6
      months and after 12 months of intervention: body composition (fat and lean body
      mass, DXA), HRQoL (SF-36 questionnaire: physical and mental component summaries
      and subscales; and the 10-item Perceived Stress Scale questionnaire), climacteric
      symptoms (Kupperman Index questionnaire). RESULTS: After 1 year of intervention,
      physical functioning (p = 0.003), role-emotional (p = 0.031), vitality (p =
      0.007), and global health (p < 0.001) were significantly and similarly increased
      in both groups. Regarding climacteric symptoms, an improvement in the Kupperman
      index total score (p = 0.015) was observed. CONCLUSION: Our results demonstrate
      that adding phytoestrogens to exercise training does not provide the additive
      effect for HRQoL in postmenopausal and overweight women. Moreover, exercise and
      phytoestrogen may interfere in the improvement of climacteric symptoms in the
      long term.

PMID- 28351157
TI  - Synthetic and phytocompounds based dipeptidyl peptidase-IV (DPP-IV) inhibitors
      for therapeutics of diabetes.
AB  - Currently antidiabetic therapeutic strategies are mainly based on synthetic
      hypoglycemic agent. Antidiabetic drugs are associated with significant adverse
      effects of hypoglycemia, dysfunction of insulin and weight gain. Nowadays, the
      novel Dipeptidyl peptidase-IV (DPP-IV) inhibitors unique approach for the
      management of diabetes has been considered to be safe, as DPP-IV inhibitors
      reduce blood glucose level by monitoring hyperglycemia including positive effects
      on body weight as it remains neutral, improves glycated hemoglobin levels and do
      not induce hypoglycemia. Inhibitors help to protect degradation of Glucagon-like
      peptide-1 (GLP-1) and gastric inhibitory peptide (GIP), gut hormones which helps
      to suppresses postprandial glucagon release, delay gastric emptying and regulate
      satiety. Therefore, the innovation of DPP-IV inhibitor based drugs regulates
      activity of incretin hormones such as GLP-1 and GIP. Commercially available DPP
      IV inhibitors are chemically synthesized with good therapeutic value. However,
      the durability and long-term safety of DPP-IV inhibitors remains to be
      established. On the other hand, phytocompounds-based DPP-IV inhibitors are
      alternative and safe to use as compared to synthetic. Numerous novel antidiabetic
      compounds and group of compounds emerging in clinical development are through DPP
      IV inhibition. This review summarized recent progress made on DPP-IV inhibitors
      from both synthetic as well as from natural sources.

PMID- 28351158
TI  - Stressful and traumatic life events as disruptors to antiretroviral therapy
      adherence.
AB  - Stressful and traumatic life events (STLEs) are common among HIV-infected
      individuals and may affect health behaviors such as adherence to antiretroviral
      (ARV) therapy, with important implications for treatment outcomes. We examined
      the association between STLEs and ARV adherence among 289 US-based participants
      enrolled between 7/1/2010 and 9/1/2013 in a study of depression treatment for HIV
      infected patients. Participants received monthly telephone calls to assess STLEs
      and pill count-based ARV adherence. Inverse probability of observation weighting
      was combined with multiple imputation to address missing data. Participants were
      mostly male (71%) and black (63%), with a median age of 45 years. Median monthly
      adherence was 96% (interquartile range (IQR): 85-100%). Participants experienced
      a mean of 2.48 STLEs (range: 0-14) in the previous month. The presence of >=2
      STLEs was associated with a mean change in adherence of -3.67% (95% confidence
      interval (CI): -7.12%, -0.21%) and decreased likelihood of achieving >=95%
      adherence (risk ratio (95% CI) = 0.82 (0.71, 0.95)). For each additional STLE,
      the mean adherence change was -0.90% (95% CI: -1.79%, 0.00%). STLEs were
      associated with poorer ARV adherence, including decreased likelihood of adhering
      to >=95% of ARV doses. This level of adherence has a critical role in regimen
      effectiveness and prevention of resistance.

PMID- 28351160
TI  - Extensive Bruising and Elevated Rivaroxaban Plasma Concentration in a Patient
      Receiving Cobicistat-Boosted Elvitegravir.

PMID- 28351159
TI  - Implementation fidelity of a computer-assisted intervention for children with
      speech sound disorders.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Implementation fidelity refers to the degree to which an intervention
      or programme adheres to its original design. This paper examines implementation
      fidelity in the Sound Start Study, a clustered randomised controlled trial of
      computer-assisted support for children with speech sound disorders (SSD). METHOD:
      Sixty-three children with SSD in 19 early childhood centres received computer
      assisted support (Phoneme Factory Sound Sorter [PFSS] - Australian version).
      Educators facilitated the delivery of PFSS targeting phonological error patterns
      identified by a speech-language pathologist. Implementation data were gathered
      via (1) the computer software, which recorded when and how much intervention was
      completed over 9 weeks; (2) educators' records of practice sessions; and (3)
      scoring of fidelity (intervention procedure, competence and quality of delivery)
      from videos of intervention sessions. RESULT: Less than one-third of children
      received the prescribed number of days of intervention, while approximately one
      half participated in the prescribed number of intervention plays. Computer data
      differed from educators' data for total number of days and plays in which
      children participated; the degree of match was lower as data became more
      specific. Fidelity to intervention procedures, competency and quality of delivery
      was high. CONCLUSION: Implementation fidelity may impact intervention outcomes
      and so needs to be measured in intervention research; however, the way in which
      it is measured may impact on data.

PMID- 28351161
TI  - Advances in improving fertility in women through stem cell-based clinical
      platforms.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: Due to their regenerative ability, stem cells are looked at as a
      promising tool for improving infertility treatments in women. As the main
      limiting factor in female fertility is represented by the decrease of ovarian
      reserve, the main goals of stem cell-based clinical platforms would be to obtain
      in vitro or in vivo neo-oogenesis. Refractory endometrial factor infertility also
      represents an obstacle for female reproduction for which stem cells might provide
      novel treatment strategies. Areas covered: A systematic search of the literature
      was performed on MEDLINE/PubMed database to identify relevant articles using stem
      cell based clinical or research platforms in the field of female infertility.
      Expert opinion: In vitro oogenesis has not so far developed beyond the stage of
      oocyte-like cells whose normal progression to mature oocytes and ability to be
      fertilized was not proved. Extensive epigenetic programming of gamete precursors
      and the complex interactions between somatic and germ cells required for human
      oogenesis likely represent the main obstacles in stem-cell-based neo-oogenesis.
      Also resuming oogenesis in vivo in adulthood still appears a distant hypothesis,
      as there is still a lack of consensus about the existence and functionality of
      adult ovarian stem cells.

PMID- 28351162
TI  - The moderating effects of aging and cognitive abilities on the association
      between work stress and negative affect.
AB  - OBJECTIVES: Given that the association between work stress and negative affect
      can exacerbate negative health and workplace outcomes, it is important to
      identify the protective and risk factors that moderate this association.
      Socioemotional aging and cognitive abilities might influence how people utilize
      emotion regulation skills and engage in practical problem solving to manage their
      work stress. The aim of this study is to examine whether age and cognitive
      abilities independently and interactively moderate the association between work
      related stress and negative affect. METHOD: A diverse working adult sample (N =
      139, age 25-65, 69% of females) completed a cross-sectional survey that assessed
      chronic work stress, negative affect, and fluid and crystallized cognitive
      abilities. RESULTS: Results from regression analyses suggested that both fluid
      and crystallized cognitive abilities, but not age, moderated the association
      between work stress and negative affect. Further, we found that crystallized
      cognition had a stronger attenuating effect on the work stress-negative affect
      association for older compared to younger workers. The moderating effect of fluid
      cognition was invariant across age. CONCLUSION: Our findings demonstrate that
      cognitive abilities are an important personal resource that might protect
      individuals against the negative impacts of work stress and negative affect.
      Although the role that fluid cognition plays in work stress-negative affect
      association is comparably important for both younger and older workers,
      crystallized cognition might play a more valuable role for older than younger
      workers.

PMID- 28351163
TI  - CRP relevance in clinical assessment of chronic spontaneous urticaria Tunisian
      patients.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Chronic spontaneous urticaria (CSU) is a common dermatological
      condition defined by the sudden occurrence of daily wheals and pruritus for at
      least six weeks. Multifactorial origin is suggested such as oxidative stress.
      This latter may play a double role as a trigger and remnant agent. OBJECTIVES:
      The first aim of this study is to investigate antioxidant status, inflammatory
      proteins, hematologic counts and clinical assessment in CSU patients. The second
      aim is to evaluate the effect of a first-line treatment: desloratadine 5 mg/d on
      these different parameters. PATIENTS AND METHODS: This study enrolled 30 CSU
      patients and same number of controls. We assessed the urticaria activity score
      (UAS), total antioxidant status (TAS), glutathione S-transferase (GST),
      superoxide dismutase (SOD), glutathione peroxidase (GPx), catalase (CAT),
      albumin, alpha1, alpha2, beta1 beta2, gamma globulins, c-reactive protein (CRP)
      and hematologic numeration. RESULTS: At baseline alpha1, alpha2, beta1, beta2,
      gamma globulins, CRP, SOD activity, leukocytes and basophils were significantly
      higher in patients versus controls (p < 0.05). TAS, GST, CAT, GPx and albumin
      were significantly low in patients versus controls (p < 0.05). After treatment,
      TAS, GST and GPx were significantly increased in patients versus patients before
      treatment (p < 0.001). SOD, alpha1, alpha2, beta1, beta2, gamma globulins, CRP,
      albumin, leukocytes and basophils were significantly decreased after treatment
      versus before treatment (p < 0.05). A significant correlation between CRP and UAS
      (r = 0.3; p = 0.011) was noted. UAS assessment revealed the efficacy of 30 d
      antihistaminic treatment. CONCLUSIONS: Desloratadine exerted anti-inflammatory
      and antioxidant effects on CSU patients revealed by CRP. Patients' remission was
      synergistic to CRP attenuation emphasizing CRP relevance for CSU clinical
      assessment.

PMID- 28351165
TI  - Two new isobenzofuranone derivatives from the fruiting bodies of Hericium
      erinaceus.
AB  - Two new isobenzofuranone derivatives erinaceolactones G and H (1 and 2) were
      isolated from the ethanolic extract of fruiting bodies of Hericium erinaceus.
      Their structures were characterized on the basis of spectroscopic evidences.
      Compound 2 was suggested to be racemic by specific rotation, which was resolved
      by chiral HPLC into enantiomers.

PMID- 28351166
TI  - Coaches' Implementation of the USA Football "Heads Up Football" Educational
      Program.
AB  - An integral part of the Heads Up Football (HUF) educational program is the Player
      Safety Coach (PSC), who is responsible for teaching other coaches within a youth
      football league about safer blocking/tackling and injury prevention. This study
      examines the association between youth football coaches' interactions with the
      PSC (i.e., attending the PSC clinic at the beginning of the season and seeing the
      PSC on-field during practices) and their subsequent implementation of the HUF
      educational program. Data were collected via online questionnaire completed by
      1,316 youth football coaches from HUF leagues. Data were analyzed with
      frequencies and logistic regression. Nearly half of coaches (44.8%) did not
      attend the PSC clinic; 25.9% reported not seeing their league's PSC on the field
      on a regular basis. The lack of PSC on-site presence was significantly associated
      with worse implementation for "concussion recognition and response," "heat
      preparedness and hydration," and "sudden cardiac event preparedness." PSC clinic
      attendance was not associated with implementation. Opportunities exist for
      improvement in the HUF educational program as there appears to be inconsistent
      implementation. Further research is warranted to understand how to optimize the
      role of the PSC in the youth sports context.

PMID- 28351167
TI  - Talimogene Laherparepvec: An Oncolytic Virus Therapy for Melanoma.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: To review the efficacy and safety of talimogene laherparepvec (T-VEC)
      as well as its pharmacology, pharmacokinetics, drug-drug interactions, handling
      procedures, cost considerations, and place in therapy. DATA SOURCES: Searches of
      PubMed (1966 to February 2017) and Cochrane Library (1999 to February 2017) were
      conducted using the terms talimogene laherparepvec, T-VEC, OncoVEX,
      immunotherapy, melanoma, and oncolytic virus. Additional information was
      determined from bibliographies, manufacturer product labeling and website,
      meeting abstracts, Food and Drug Administration website, and clinicaltrials.gov.
      STUDY SELECTION AND DATA EXTRACTION: A total of 79 English-language publications
      were identified. Articles that assessed T-VEC's pharmacokinetics,
      pharmacodynamics, mechanism, dosing, safety, and efficacy were included as well
      as narrative reviews that provided practical information. DATA SYNTHESIS:
      Clinical trials have confirmed the safety and efficacy of T-VEC as monotherapy
      for the treatment of advanced melanoma, with an overall response rate (ORR) of
      26%. Relative to granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor, T-VEC
      significantly increased durable response rate (DRR; 16.3% vs 2.1%, P < 0.001);
      however, median overall survival was not improved (23.3 vs 18.9 months, P =
      0.051). Phase 1b trials have combined T-VEC and immunotherapies with promising
      results. T-VEC's adverse effects are generally considered mild to moderate in
      severity. CONCLUSION: T-VEC is the first approved oncolytic virus for local
      treatment of unresectable cutaneous, subcutaneous, and nodal lesions in melanoma
      recurrent after initial surgery. T-VEC improves ORR and DRR as a single agent,
      shows promise in combination therapy, and is well tolerated. Ongoing trials will
      determine if T-VEC has a role in early treatment or in combination therapy for
      melanoma or other malignancies.

PMID- 28351168
TI  - Long-term follow-up of a randomized controlled trial on additional core stability
      exercises training for improving dynamic sitting balance and trunk control in
      stroke patients.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: Analyse the effect of core stability exercises in addition to
      conventional physiotherapy training three months after the intervention ended.
      DESIGN: A randomized controlled trial. SETTING: Outpatient services. SUBJECTS:
      Seventy-nine stroke survivors. INTERVENTIONS: In the intervention period, both
      groups underwent conventional physiotherapy performed five days/week for five
      weeks, and in addition the experimental group performed core stability exercises
      for 15 minutes/day. Afterwards, during a three-month follow-up period, both
      groups underwent usual care that could eventually include conventional
      physiotherapy or physical exercise but not in a controlled condition. MAIN
      MEASURES: Primary outcome was trunk control and dynamic sitting balance assessed
      by the Spanish-Version of Trunk Impairment Scale 2.0 and Function in Sitting
      Test. Secondary outcomes were standing balance and gait evaluated by the Berg
      Balance Scale, Tinetti Test, Brunel Balance Assessment, Spanish-Version of
      Postural Assessment Scale for Stroke and activities of daily living using the
      Barthel Index. RESULTS: A total of 68 subjects out of 79 completed the three
      month follow-up period. The mean difference (SD) between groups was 0.78 (1.51)
      points ( p = 0.003) for total score on the Spanish-Version of Trunk Impairment
      Scale 2.0, 2.52 (6.46) points ( p = 0.009) for Function in Sitting Test, dynamic
      standing balance was 3.30 (9.21) points ( p= 0.009) on the Berg Balance Scale,
      gait was 0.82 (1.88) points ( p = 0.002) by Brunel Balance Assessment (stepping),
      and 1.11 (2.94) points ( p = 0.044) by Tinetti Test (gait), all in favour of core
      stability exercises. CONCLUSIONS: Core stability exercises plus conventional
      physiotherapy have a positive long-term effect on improving dynamic sitting and
      standing balance and gait in post-stroke patients.

PMID- 28351169
TI  - Pharmacotherapeutic agents in the treatment of methamphetamine dependence.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: Methamphetamine use is a serious public health concern in many
      countries and is second to cannabis as the most widely abused illicit drug in the
      world. Effective management for methamphetamine dependence remains elusive and
      the large majority of methamphetamine users relapse following treatment. Areas
      covered: Progression in the understanding of the pharmacological basis of
      methamphetamine use has provided us with innovative opportunities to develop
      agents to treat dependence. The current review summarizes relevant literature on
      the neurobiological and clinical correlates associated with methamphetamine use.
      We then outline agents that have been explored for potential treatments in
      preclinical studies, human laboratory phase I and phase II trials over the last
      ten years. Expert opinion: No agent has demonstrated a broad and strong effect in
      achieving MA abstinence in Phase II trials. Agents with novel therapeutic targets
      appear promising. Advancement in MA treatment, including translation into
      practice, faces several clinical challenges.

PMID- 28351170
TI  - Effect of topiramate on choroidal thickness and anterior chamber parameters in
      the treatment of patients with migraine.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: To investigate the effects of topiramate on choroidal thickness and
      anterior chamber parameters using optical coherence tomography in the treatment
      of patients with migraine. METHODS: A total of 22 eyes of 22 adults (12 females,
      10 males) diagnosed with migraine and scheduled to topiramate treatment for pain
      control were recruited in this prospective study. Choroidal thickness (CT),
      anterior chamber depth (ACD), anterior chamber angle (ACA), spherical refractive
      equivalent (SphEq) and intraocular pressure (IOP) measurements were recorded at
      baseline (prior the topiramate therapy), first and second month visits for the
      statistical analysis. One-way ANOVA with repeated measures test was used for the
      statistical evaluation. RESULTS: Mean age of the patients was 40.2 +/- 6.5 years.
      Mean CT at central fovea was 324 +/- 47 MUm initially, 341 +/- 45 MUm in the
      first month and 344 +/- 46 MUm in the second month, thus first and second month
      measures were significantly higher than base values (p < 0.001). There was also a
      slight increase in IOP values among baseline (15.5 +/- 2.4 mmHg) and follow-up
      visits (17.5 +/- 2.6 mmHg, 19.0 +/- 3.3 mmHg, respectively, ' p = 0.001).
      Baseline ACD (3.66 +/- 0.22 mm) measures significantly decreased at the first
      month (3.63 +/- 0.22 mm) and second month (3.62 +/- 0.22 mm, p = 0.009). Also, a
      significant reduction was detected in the first (36.2 +/- 4.9 degrees ) and
      second month (35.9 +/- 5.1 degrees ) ACA measures comparing with baseline (39.1
      +/- 5.1 degrees , p = 0.05). A significant myopic shift was determined in the
      first and second month SphEq values (-0.08 +/- 0.6, -0.10 +/- 0.6, respectively,
      p = 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: The study revealed increased CT and altered anterior
      chamber parameters and IOP due to topiramate therapy. Therefore, the patients
      using topiramate should be carefully monitored by an ophthalmologist considering
      the possible side effects.

PMID- 28351171
TI  - Releasing the brake: safety profile of immune check-point inhibitors in non-small
      cell lung cancer.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: Immune check-point inhibitors are now employed as single-agents in
      current practice for the treatment of advanced non-small cell lung cancer
      (NSCLC), while combinations of different inhibitors are being evaluated in
      clinical trials. Although the safety profile of these compounds, with particular
      reference to drugs targeting programmed death protein 1 (PD-1) and its ligand (PD
      L1), is generally considered manageable, peculiar, immune-related toxicities may
      onset. Areas covered: This review focuses on the immune-related adverse events
      (irAEs) observed during immune check-point blockade in NSCLC and their
      management. The authors report the incidence of irAEs based on the currently
      available data involving NSCLC and provide recommendations on the general
      approach to irAEs, as well as indications for the most relevant site-specific
      events. Expert opinion: Since irAEs may involve a wide range of organs and
      systems and are potentially reversible if promptly treated, early diagnosis
      should always be achieved; this might be particularly challenging when other
      potential causes of toxicity are suspected, such as infections or concurrent
      treatments. Finally, drugs active on the PD-1/PD-L1 axis appear to be generally
      manageable even when they are administered to patients with relevant
      comorbidities, provided that adequate clinical monitoring is performed.

PMID- 28351172
TI  - Current status of mechanical circulatory support for treatment of advanced end
      stage heart failure: successes, shortcomings and needs.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: Heart failure (HF) remains a major global burden in terms of
      morbidity and mortality. Despite advances in pharmacological and
      resynchronization device therapy, many patients worsen to end-stage HF. Although
      the gold-standard treatment for such patients is heart transplantation, there
      will always be a shortage of donor hearts. Areas covered: A left ventricular
      assist device (LVAD) is a valuable option for these patients as a bridge measure
      (to recovery, to candidacy for transplant, or to transplant itself) or as
      destination therapy. This review describes the current indications for and
      complications of the most commonly implanted LVADs. In addition, we review the
      potential and promising new LVADs, including the HeartMate 3, MVAD, and other
      LVADs. Studies investigating each were identified through a combination of online
      database and direct extraction of studies cited in previously identified
      articles. Expert commentary: The goal of LVADs has been to fill the gap between
      patients with end-stage HF who would likely not benefit from heart
      transplantation and those who could benefit from a donor heart. As of now, the
      use of LVADs has been limited to patients with end-stage HF, but next-generation
      LVAD therapy may improve both survival and quality of life in less sick patients.

PMID- 28351173
TI  - Effects of forage feeding versus grain feeding on the growth performance and meat
      quality of Yangzhou geese.
AB  - 1. Highly palatable and nutritious meat products can be produced through dietary
      interventions. Previous studies have shown that forage feeding has a significant
      impact on the growth performance and nutrition of cattle in various regions, but
      whether the same effects can be induced in geese remains unclear. 2. Three
      hundred and sixty Yangzhou goslings were divided according to body weight at 29 d
      old, assigned to one of 4 treatments and raised in separate pens. The treatments
      applied were (A) grazing, (B) grazing, grain supplemental diet (64 to 70 d), (C)
      grazing, grain supplemental diet and (D) confined. 3. Eviscerated carcass yield
      was lower in the grazing treatment. Protein content and muscle collagen in both
      the breast and thigh muscles were significantly higher in the grazing treatment
      than the confined, while fat content exhibited the opposite tendency. Those fed
      on grass and supplementary grain had a higher Mg and Cu content in breast muscle.
      4. Geese will grow to their full potential when they are allowed to consume grass
      from pasture supplemented with grain, protein, collagen, Mg and Cu content was
      greater to a degree, which suggests this feeding regime is an ideal model for
      goose production.

PMID- 28351174
TI  - Manufacturing Clinical Grade Recombinant Adeno-Associated Virus Using
      Invertebrate Cell Lines.
AB  - Recombinant adeno-associated virus (rAAV) vectors are proving to be a reliable
      gene transfer system for several clinical applications, with an increasing body
      of evidence supporting safety and efficacy. Realizing the clinical and commercial
      potential of rAAV depends on a reliable source of high-quality, well
      characterized rAAV lots. This requirement has been very challenging to achieve
      due to limits of manufacturing platforms, lot-to-lot variability, or differences
      in the rigor applied to quality-control assays. In addition to reliable, high
      quality vectors, limited quantities of rAAV have hampered clinical development
      and discouraged investigations into applications that require large therapeutic
      doses or quantities needed to treat large patient populations. A minimal number
      of vector production runs should be sufficient to support all phases of clinical
      development, including non-clinical, pharmacological, and toxicological studies,
      as well as clinical studies and commercial supply. The production platform using
      the Sf9 invertebrate cell line has emerged as a scalable and economical source of
      rAAV. Access to larger quantities of rAAV has now enabled evaluation of gene
      therapeutics for diseases that require large doses per patient or diseases with
      large patient populations. The only licensed rAAV product, Glybera, was produced
      in Sf9 cells, and other rAAV products are in clinical trials in the United States
      and Europe. The development of the Sf9 rAAV genetics, processes, and overview of
      the current system are described.

PMID- 28351175
TI  - Hormonal contraception: venous and arterial disease.
AB  - OBJECTIVES: The aim of this review was to evaluate whether the biological and
      epidemiological evidence is concordant in suggesting that levonorgestrel (LNG)
      based hormonal contraceptives (HCs) are safer than newer formulations with regard
      to their effect on the cardiovascular system. METHODS: A narrative review was
      carried out of the modification of risk factors for venous thromboembolism (VTE)
      and arterial diseases induced by different HCs. Limits and concordance with
      epidemiological data were addressed. RESULTS: The data indicate general
      concordance between modifications of risk factors and epidemiology of VTE, with
      LNG-based HCs showing lower risk compared with most new formulations. Evidence
      for drospirenone (DRSP)-containing HCs is conflicting. LNG-based HCs are less
      favourable than HCs containing non-androgenic progestins, particularly DRSP, on
      risk factors for arterial events. Epidemiological studies do not consistently
      show a difference in arterial disease outcomes between different HCs; however, by
      evaluating women up to the age of 50, they do not take into consideration the
      time lag necessary for atherosclerosis to develop. CONCLUSIONS: As a consequence
      of the different risk factors involved, and the different time lags between HC
      use and the manifestation of VTE or arterial diseases, the available
      epidemiological data do not give a reliable estimate of the cardiovascular risk
      associated with the use of different HCs. LNG-based HCs are safer than newer HCs
      as regards VTE risk, but biological data indicate that they are less favourable,
      particularly than HCs containing DRSP, on risk factors for atherosclerosis.
      Because of the limits of actual epidemiological evidence regarding arterial
      disease, modifications of arterial risk factors should be taken into
      consideration when considering individual long-term safety of HC use.

PMID- 28351176
TI  - The use of sodium-glucose cotransporter 2 inhibitors in patients with type 2
      diabetes and hypertension: a focus on African-American populations.
AB  - Diabetes, hypertension, and severe kidney disease are all disproportionately
      prevalent in African-Americans. Clinical trials data from type 2 diabetes (T2D)
      patients have demonstrated that sodium-glucose cotransporter 2 (SGLT2) inhibitors
      have a positive effect on cardiovascular risk factors - such as improved blood
      glucose control, reduced body weight, and reduced blood pressure - and also
      support a possible renal-protective role for SGLT2 inhibitors. The EMPA-REG
      OUTCOME(r) trial revealed that empagliflozin was associated with reduced adverse
      cardiovascular and renal outcomes. Thus, SGLT2 inhibitors could potentially
      provide clinicians with a treatment option that addresses multiple
      pathophysiologic aspects of the cardiometabolic disease processes that may affect
      end-organ function in African-American patients with T2D and hypertension. This
      review examines some of the clinical issues associated with this patient group
      and the role that SGLT2 inhibitors may provide in their treatment.

PMID- 28351178
TI  - Atopic dermatitis management with tacrolimus ointment (Protopic(r)).
AB  - Tacrolimus ointment is the first of a new class of non-steroidal topical
      immunomodulators indicated for the treatment of atopic dermatitis. Topical
      tacrolimushas been subject to an extensive clinical development program involving
      more than 16,000 patients. A clinical trial program, including vehicle-controlled
      studies, short- and long-term comparative studies and long-term safety studies,
      has investigated tacrolimus 0.1%and 0.03%ointment for the treatment of atopic
      dermatitis in adults and children aged 24 months and older. Tacrolimusmonotherapy
      is rapidly effective, resulting in clinical improvements within three days of
      starting therapy, and produces a progressive increase in efficacy that is
      sustained during long-term treatment. Tacrolimus treats the signs and symptoms of
      atopic dermatitis, reduces the incidence of flares, and offers the potential for
      long-term disease control. No major safety concerns have been reported to date.
      Tacrolimusointment is generally well tolerated, the primary adverse events being
      mild to moderate and transient application-site reactions: skin burning, pruritus
      and erythema. Tacrolimus oint-ment is a significant advance in dermatology and
      provides physicians with an alternative to conventional topical corticosteroid
      therapy.

PMID- 28351177
TI  - Direct and indirect cost of managing alzheimer's disease and related dementias in
      the United States.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: Care of individuals with Alzheimer's Disease and Related Dementias
      (ADRD) poses special challenges. As the disease progresses, individuals with ADRD
      require increasing levels of medical care, caregiver support, and long-term care
      which can lead to substantial economic burden. Areas covered: In this expert
      review, we synthesized findings from studies of costs of ADRD in the United
      States that were published between January 2006 and February 2017, highlighted
      major sources of variation in costs, identified knowledge gaps and briefly
      outlined directions for future research and implications for policy and program
      planning. Expert commentary: A consistent finding of all studies comparing
      individuals with and without ADRD is that the average medical, non-medical, and
      indirect costs of individuals with ADRD are higher than those without ADRD,
      despite the differences in the methods of identifying ADRD, duration of the
      study, payer type and settings of study population. The economic burden of ADRD
      may be underestimated because many components such as direct non-medical costs
      for home safety modifications and adult day care services and indirect costs due
      to the adverse impact of ADRD on caregivers' health and productivity are not
      included in cost estimates.

PMID- 28351179
TI  - Vancomycin-resistant enterococci in acute myeloid leukemia and myelodysplastic
      syndrome patients undergoing induction chemotherapy with idarubicin and
      cytarabine.
AB  - We conducted a retrospective study to determine the risk factors associated with
      vancomycin-resistant enterococci (VRE) acquisition/infection in newly diagnosed
      acute myeloid leukemia and myelodysplastic syndrome patients undergoing
      chemotherapy with the 7 + 3 regimen of cytarabine and idarubicin. Although only
      2.5% (6/235) patients were colonized with VRE on admission, 59% (134/229) of
      patients acquired VRE during their hospitalization. Multivariable analysis
      identified the use of intravenous vancomycin (p = .024; HR: 1.548) and
      cephalosporin (p = .009; HR: 1.596) as the risk factors for VRE acquisition. VRE
      infection developed in 14% (33/229) of patients, with bloodstream infections
      accounting for 82% (27/33) of cases. VRE infection occurred in 25/126 (20%) of
      the VRE-colonized patients, but only 8/103 (8%) of those who were not (p = .01).
      Our study provides the evidence for the role of intravenous cephalosporin and
      vancomycin in VRE acquisition and highlights the clinical significance of VRE
      colonization in these patients.

PMID- 28351180
TI  - PLAC1 immunization does not induce infertility in mice.
AB  - AIM: Placenta specific 1 (PLAC1) is a protein rarely expressed in normal cells,
      except it is important for placental development, with a possible role in the
      establishment of the mother-fetus interface. The gene is also highly active in a
      wide variety of cancers and therefore, immunization with PLAC1 peptides could
      possibly be part of future immunotherapeutic strategies. We investigated whether
      vaccination against PLAC1 could induce infertility. MATERIALS & METHODS: We
      inoculated female mice with PLAC1 peptides, put them in mating, measured antibody
      response (ELISA assay) and checked, in immunohistochemistry, binding of the
      induced antibodies to the native antigen. RESULTS: We demonstrated that mice
      consistently develop antibody responses. We also demonstrated that female mice,
      after being inoculated with the PLAC1 peptide mix, do became pregnant and can
      give birth to normal infants. CONCLUSION: PLAC1 antigens as a specific anti
      cancer vaccine could induce anti-PLAC1 antibodies which do not necessarily cause
      infertility.

PMID- 28351181
TI  - Prognostic models in predicting outcomes in myelodysplastic syndromes after
      hypomethylating agent failure.
AB  - Myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS) are clonal stem cell disorders marked by bone
      marrow failure with varying degrees of cytopenias. MDS are characterized by the
      accumulation of complex genetic alterations that influence disease pathogenesis
      and outcomes. Given the heterogeneity of MDS patients, multiple prognostic
      scoring systems have been developed to predict patient outcomes. Most focus
      primarily on untreated patients in whom outcomes are predicted accurately only at
      diagnosis; their application dynamically, during the disease course and
      especially after hypomethylating agent (HMA) failure, may not be accurate. In
      this focused review, we discuss the utility of established MDS prognostic models
      and a novel tool at the time of HMA failure, along with the strengths and
      limitations of each.

PMID- 28351182
TI  - Ten-eleven translocation 1 functions as a mediator of SOD3 expression in human
      lung cancer A549 cells.
AB  - Superoxide dismutase (SOD) 3, one of the SOD isozymes, plays a pivotal role in
      extracellular redox homeostasis. The expression of SOD3 is regulated by
      epigenetics in human lung cancer A549 cells and human monocytic THP-1 cells;
      however, the molecular mechanisms governing SOD3 expression have not been
      elucidated in detail. Ten-eleven translocation (TET), a dioxygenase of 5
      methylcytosine (5mC), plays a central role in DNA demethylation processes and
      induces target gene expression. In the present study, TET1 expression was
      abundant in U937 cells, but its expression was weakly expressed in A549 and THP-1
      cells. These results are consistent with the expression pattern of SOD3 and its
      DNA methylation status in these cells. Moreover, above relationship was also
      observed in human breast cancer cells, human prostate cancer cells, and human
      skin fibroblasts. The overexpression of TET1-catalytic domain (TET1-CD) induced
      the expression of SOD3 in A549 cells, and this was accompanied by the direct
      binding of TET1-CD to the SOD3 promoter region. Furthermore, in TET1-CD
      transfected A549 cells, the level of 5-hydroxymethylcytosine within that region
      was significantly increased, whereas the level of 5mC was decreased. The results
      of the present study demonstrate that TET1 might function as one of the key
      molecules in SOD3 expression through its 5mC hydroxylation in A549 cells.

PMID- 28351183
TI  - Bendamustine as a bridge to allogeneic transplant in relapsed/refractory Hodgkin
      lymphoma patients who failed salvage brentuximab vedotin postautologous
      peripheral blood stem cell transplantation.

PMID- 28351184
TI  - Flow cytometric demonstration of decrease in bone marrow leukemic blasts after
      'Day 14' without further therapy in acute myeloid leukemia.

PMID- 28351185
TI  - Biomechanical evaluation of spring system for implant-supported prosthesis:
      analysis by photoelasticity and extensometry.
AB  - New systems are released in the odontological market with the objective of
      bringing improvements and advancements in the clinical success of implants and
      implant-supported prostheses. The distribution of tension for the bone/implant
      system of these new systems is important. The purpose of this work was to
      evaluate, by photoelastic analysis and strain gauges, the distribution of tension
      for the bone/implant system, using the Slim system. A photoelastic cast with an
      external hexagon implant was manufactured and a metal prosthesis was screwed
      below it, with or without the tested system. For the photoelasticity methodology,
      a photoelastic cast, with or without the tested system, was positioned in a
      circular polariscope, and axial loads of 100 N were applied to the centre of the
      crown. The pattern of tension generated was photographed and analysed
      qualitatively in an imaging programme. For the extensometry methodology, two
      extensometers were placed in the mesial and distal region of the implant in the
      photoelastic cast. The axial loads were applied to the group again, with or
      without the system (n = 10). The t test of independent samples with a
      significance level of 5% was used for this analysis. This study demonstrated
      greater tension values for both the photoelastic and extensometry methods when
      the tested system was used. Clinical studies must be performed to evaluate the
      tested system because the results might not be clinically significant to a bone
      reabsorption.

PMID- 28351186
TI  - Immunotherapy of elderly acute myeloid leukemia: light at the end of a long
      tunnel?
AB  - Although it is possible to induce remission in the majority of the patients with
      acute myeloid leukemia (AML), many patients still die due to disease relapse.
      Immunotherapy is an attractive option. It is more specific. The memory T cells
      induced by immunotherapy may also provide the long-term tumor immunosurveillance
      to prevent disease relapse. Although immunotherapy of AML started in the early
      1970s, its clinical impact has been disappointing. Recent advances in tumor
      immunology and immunotherapeutic agents have rekindled interest. Here, we provide
      a review of the history of AML immunotherapy, discuss why AML is well suited for
      immunotherapeutic approaches and present the biological obstacles that affect the
      success of immunotherapy. Finally, we put forward a new paradigm of AML
      immunotherapy that utilizes a combination of immunotherapeutic agents
      sequentially to enhance the in vivo tumor immunogenicity and effective priming
      and propagation of tumor-specific cytotoxic T cells.

PMID- 28351187
TI  - Pneumococcal conjugate vaccine in HIV-infected and HIV-exposed, uninfected
      children.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: Incidence of invasive pneumococcal disease (IPD) among HIV-infected
      children is 20-40 fold greater compared to HIV-uninfected children, including
      among HIV-infected children on antiretroviral therapy (ART). Also, HIV-exposed,
      uninfected children have 2.7-fold greater risk of IPD compared to HIV-unexposed
      children. Areas covered: We reviewed studies identified on Pubmed database with
      the terms 'PCV' and 'HIV'; studies involving adults only were excluded. Expert
      commentary: While ART and pneumococcal conjugate vaccines (PCV) have reduced IPD
      morbidity and mortality in HIV-infected children, ART-naive and immunosuppressed
      children have inferior immunogenicity to most PCV serotypes; highlighting the
      need for concomitant use of ART with PCV. Furthermore, studies to determine
      optimal PCV dosing schedules, timing and number of doses, are urgently required
      to ensure sustained vaccine efficacy in HIV-infected children.

PMID- 28351188
TI  - Abortion Facility Closings and Abortion Rates in Texas.
AB  - From 2004 to 2014, the overall abortion rate in Texas fell by almost a third from
      10.7 to 7.2 abortions per 1000 women aged 10 to 49 years. During this same
      period, the number of abortion clinics operating at least 6 months in the year
      fell from 40 to 27. We examined the relationship between the abortion rate and
      the proximity of abortion facilities. We matched annual, county-level data on
      abortion rates in Texas from 2004 through 2014 with the distance from the county
      centroids to the nearest abortion facility in operation. Linear regressions were
      used to estimate the association between abortion rates and proximity to abortion
      facilities. The regressions controlled for county-level and state-level
      characteristics as well as the availability of abortion services in neighboring
      US states and Mexico. We found that a 100-mile increase in distance to the
      nearest abortion facility was associated with a 10% decrease in the overall
      abortion rate. The relationship appeared to be driven largely by distances of 200
      miles or more. The overall relationship was generally present for whites and
      blacks, whereas the pattern was less clear for Hispanics. The analysis indicated
      that the overall association was driven largely by women aged 20 to 34 years.
      Decreased access to abortion facilities was associated with decreases in the
      abortion rate, yet the relationship varied by race/ethnicity and age. As such,
      regulations that affect the operational status of abortion facilities likely have
      differential effects on women.

PMID- 28351189
TI  - Effects of an injectable platelet-rich fibrin on osteoblast behavior and bone
      tissue formation in comparison to platelet-rich plasma.
AB  - Platelet-rich plasma (PRP) has been utilized for many years as a regenerative
      agent capable of inducing vascularization of various tissues using blood-derived
      growth factors. Despite this, drawbacks mostly related to the additional use of
      anti-coagulants found in PRP have been shown to inhibit the wound healing
      process. For these reasons, a novel platelet concentrate has recently been
      developed with no additives by utilizing lower centrifugation speeds. The purpose
      of this study was therefore to investigate osteoblast behavior of this novel
      therapy (injectable-platelet-rich fibrin; i-PRF, 100% natural with no additives)
      when compared to traditional PRP. Human primary osteoblasts were cultured with
      either i-PRF or PRP and compared to control tissue culture plastic. A live/dead
      assay, migration assay as well as a cell adhesion/proliferation assay were
      investigated. Furthermore, osteoblast differentiation was assessed by alkaline
      phosphatase (ALP), alizarin red and osteocalcin staining, as well as real-time
      PCR for genes encoding Runx2, ALP, collagen1 and osteocalcin. The results showed
      that all cells had high survival rates throughout the entire study period
      irrespective of culture-conditions. While PRP induced a significant 2-fold
      increase in osteoblast migration, i-PRF demonstrated a 3-fold increase in
      migration when compared to control tissue-culture plastic and PRP. While no
      differences were observed for cell attachment, i-PRF induced a significantly
      higher proliferation rate at three and five days when compared to PRP.
      Furthermore, i-PRF induced significantly greater ALP staining at 7 days and
      alizarin red staining at 14 days. A significant increase in mRNA levels of ALP,
      Runx2 and osteocalcin, as well as immunofluorescent staining of osteocalcin was
      also observed in the i-PRF group when compared to PRP. In conclusion, the results
      from the present study favored the use of the naturally-formulated i-PRF when
      compared to traditional PRP with anti-coagulants. Further investigation into the
      direct role of fibrin and leukocytes contained within i-PRF are therefore
      warranted to better elucidate their positive role in i-PRF on tissue wound
      healing.

PMID- 28351190
TI  - Hepatosplenic T-cell lymphoma associated with membranoproliferative
      glomerulonephritis.

PMID- 28351191
TI  - Acute kidney injury after percutaneous nephrolithotomy for stones in solitary
      kidneys.
AB  - OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study was to report the incidence, severity, outcome
      and risk factors of acute kidney injury (AKI) following percutaneous
      nephrolithotomy (PNL) in solitary kidneys. METHODS: The study included
      consecutive adult patients who underwent PNL for treatment of calculi in a
      solitary kidney between May 2012 and July 2015. Patients with congenital renal
      anomalies or with stages 4 and 5 chronic kidney disease (CKD) were excluded.
      Serum creatinine levels were measured the day before PNL, daily after PNL for 2-5
      days and after 3 months. AKI was depicted according to changes in early
      postoperative serum creatinine levels and its severity was determined based on
      the Acute Kidney Injury Network (AKIN) classification. The outcome of AKI was
      evaluated after 3 months by changes in the stage of CKD. Univariate and
      multivariate statistical analyses were conducted to determine risk factors for
      developing AKI. RESULTS: The study included 100 patients (62 males) with a mean
      +/- SD age of 50 +/- 11.7 years. Complications were reported for 27 patients. AKI
      developed in 25 patients; at the 3 month follow-up, 23 of them (92%) had
      completely recovered from AKI and two (8%) had developed stage 4 CKD. Independent
      risk factors for developing AKI were multiple PNL tracts and postoperative
      ureteric obstruction (relative risks were 14 and 22, respectively). CONCLUSIONS:
      The incidence of AKI was 25% after PNL for a solitary kidney. The likelihood of
      renal function recovery was 92%. Multiple PNL tracts and postoperative ureteric
      obstruction were risk factors for developing AKI.

PMID- 28351192
TI  - Synergistic effect of peptide inhibitors derived from the extracellular and
      intracellular domain of alphaIIb subunit of integrin alphaIIbbeta3 on platelet
      activation and aggregation.
AB  - alphaIIbbeta3, the major platelet integrin, plays a central role in hemostasis
      and thrombosis. Upon platelet activation, conformation of alphaIIbbeta3 changes
      and allows fibrinogen binding and, subsequently, platelet aggregation. It was
      previously shown that a lipid-modified platelet permeable peptide, which
      corresponds to the intracellular acidic membrane distal sequence
      1000LEEDDEEGE1008 of alphaIIb (pal-K-LEEDDEEGE or pal-K-1000-1008), inhibits
      thrombin-induced human platelet aggregation, by inhibiting talin association with
      the integrin. YMESRADR, a peptide corresponding to the extracellular sequence 313
      320 of alphaIIb, is also a potent platelet aggregation inhibitor by mimicking the
      effect of a clasp between the head domains of alphaIIb and beta3. The aim of the
      present study was to investigate the synergistic effect of the intra- and
      extracellular- peptide inhibitors on platelet aggregation, as well as on the
      phosphorylation of two signaling proteins, focal adhesion kinase (FAK) and
      extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK). Platelet preincubation with Pal-K
      LEEDDEGE followed by YMESRADR showed a synergistic inhibitory activity on
      platelet aggregation. Platelet incubation with threshold inhibitory
      concentrations of both peptides provoked almost the total inhibition of
      aggregation, PAC-1 binding, and fibrinogen binding, but not P-selectin exposure
      on activated platelets' surface. Like RGDS peptide, this mixture inhibits FAK
      phosphorylation whose phosphorylation is well known to be consecutive to the
      aggregation (postoccupancy events). However, in contrast to RGDS peptide that
      enhances ERK phosphorylation and activation, the mixture of threshold inhibitory
      concentrations of Pal-K-LEEDDEEGE and YMESRADR inhibits ERK phosphorylation. We
      suggest that the use of the intracellular in combination with the extracellular
      peptide inhibitor, acting with a non-RGD-like mechanism, may provide an
      alternative way to antagonize integrin alphaIIbbeta3 activation.

PMID- 28351193
TI  - Measurement of serum isoform [-2]proPSA derivatives shows superior accuracy to
      magnetic resonance imaging in the diagnosis of prostate cancer in patients with a
      total prostate-specific antigen level of 2-10 ng/ml.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: More accurate diagnostic procedures for prostate cancer are needed to
      avoid unnecessary biopsy due to the low specificity of prostate-specific antigen
      (PSA). Recent studies showed that the percentage of serum isoform [-2]proPSA
      (p2PSA) to free PSA (%p2PSA), the Prostate Health Index (PHI) and magnetic
      resonance imaging (MRI) were more accurate than PSA. The aim of this study was to
      test the accuracy of %p2PSA, PHI and MRI in discriminating patients with and
      without prostate cancer. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The subjects were 50 consecutive
      men with a PSA level of 2.0-10.0 ng/ml, who underwent prostate biopsy from
      October 2012 to July 2014. These patients underwent multiparametric MRI before
      biopsy, and their serum samples were measured for PSA, free PSA and p2PSA. The
      sensitivity, specificity and accuracy of PHI, %p2PSA and MRI were compared with
      PSA in the diagnosis of biopsy-confirmed prostate cancer. RESULTS: In a
      univariate analysis, %p2PSA [area under the curve (AUC): 0.811] and PHI (AUC
      0.795) were more accurate than MRI (AUC: 0.583) and PSA (AUC: 0.554) for prostate
      cancer detection. At 60% sensitivity, the specificity of PHI (76.5%) was higher
      than that of MRI (52.9%). For significant cancer detection, %p2PSA (AUC: 0.745),
      PHI (AUC: 0.791) and MRI (AUC: 0.739) were marginally more accurate than PSA
      (AUC: 0.696). At 85% sensitivity, the specificity of MRI (62.1%) was higher than
      that of PHI (34.5%). CONCLUSION: PHI and %p2PSA can be used for screening the
      general population and MRI can be used for detection of significant cancer in
      patients suspected, from screening tests, of having prostate cancer.

PMID- 28351194
TI  - Extraovarian Fibroma With Minor Sex Cord Elements: A Case Report and Literature
      Review.
AB  - Extraovarian sex cord-stromal tumor is an exceedingly uncommon entity that may
      cause a diagnostic dilemma clinically. We report a case of extraovarian fibroma
      with minor sex cord elements arising in the left broad ligament. The patient was
      a 66-year-old woman presenting with an intra-abdominal solid mass near the left
      ovary on magnetic resonance imaging. The tumor was located in the left broad
      ligament in contact with the left ovary and fallopian tube based on laparotomy
      findings. Histological examination revealed that the tumor was a fibroma that
      contained cell nests with aggregates resembling the Call-Exner bodies of
      granulosa cell tumors and irregularly shaped cell nests composed of
      undifferentiated sex cord-type cells. Cellular atypia or mitotic figures were not
      identified in any of the components. It was speculated that the possible site of
      origin of this tumor might be a supernumerary ovary in the broad ligament that
      was thought to be derived from embryonic remnants.

PMID- 28351195
TI  - Utility of Flow Cytometry in Diagnosing Hematologic Malignancy in Tonsillar
      Tissue.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: Tonsil surgical biopsy or excision is a very common procedure.
      However, there exist no consensus guidelines for the pathologic handling of
      tonsil specimens; gross and/or microscopic evaluation may be used. Diagnosis of
      tonsillar hematologic malignancy requires histology, immunohistochemistry and/or
      flow cytometry. Data regarding the utility of flow cytometry in tonsillar tissues
      are limited. We assessed our experience with flow cytometry for tonsil diagnosis
      with regard to accuracy and use patterns at a tertiary academic medical center.
      METHODS: We retrospectively analyzed all surgically biopsied or excised tonsil
      specimens that underwent flow cytometry evaluation from August 2011 to March
      2014. Patient clinical information, intraoperative frozen section, histology,
      immunohistochemistry, and flow cytometry diagnoses were recorded. RESULTS: The
      study included 154 tonsil specimens from 89 females and 65 males. Patients
      averaged 27.4 years old (range 2-87 years); 73 were pediatric. Both histology and
      flow cytometry were benign for 148 patients (96.1%). Hematolymphoid malignancy
      was diagnosed in 6 adults by histology/immunohistochemistry: diffuse large B-cell
      lymphoma (2), small B-cell lymphoma (2), concomitant follicular lymphoma and
      histiocytic sarcoma (1), and extraosseous plasmacytoma (1). Flow cytometry
      identified abnormal populations in 5 of 6 cases, and detected clonal populations
      in 2 reactive follicular hyperplasia cases. CONCLUSION: Tonsillar hematolymphoid
      malignancy is uncommon, and flow cytometry was less accurate than
      histology/immunohistochemistry for its diagnosis. Despite the rarity of tonsillar
      lymphoma in children, nearly half of study patients were pediatric.
      Intraoperative frozen section diagnosis showed excellent sensitivity for
      malignancy, and could be used to effectively triage cases for flow cytometry
      evaluation.

PMID- 28351196
TI  - Menopausal syndrome limited to hot flushes and sweating a representative survey
      study.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: The menopausal syndrome is described as a series of various physical
      and nonphysical symptoms attributed to perimenopausal changes in hormone levels.
      However, evidence is biased by focusing research on the target group of middle
      aged women only. To overcome this bias, we examined the occurrence of menopausal
      symptoms during the entire life span in both women and men. METHODS: Therefore,
      we studied the occurrence of menopausal symptoms with the widely used Menopause
      Rating Scale (MRS) across the entire life span in both women and men. To this
      end, we performed a nationwide cross-sectional survey study in Germany in which
      we examined a representative sample of 2527 persons aged from 14 to 95 years.
      Additionally, sociodemographic factors and self-efficacy were surveyed. RESULTS:
      Although the overall MRS score was generally higher for women compared to men,
      there was no specific peak for the time of menopause. Instead the score increased
      linearly with age for both sexes. Furthermore, it was stronger associated with
      sociodemographic variables and self-efficacy than with the sex of the
      participants. Among all assessed symptoms, only hot flushes and sweating, but
      none of the others, emerged as specific for the menopausal episode. CONCLUSIONS:
      Our data indicate that among symptoms commonly classified as menopausal only hot
      flushes and sweating appear to be specific for the perimenopausal episode. Other
      symptoms may be caused by a multifactorial etiopathogenesis including physical,
      sociodemographic, cultural and psychological factors that, in turn, might benefit
      from multimodal treatment regimes.

PMID- 28351197
TI  - The Human Central Pattern Generator for Locomotion: Does It Exist and Contribute
      to Walking?
AB  - The ability of dedicated spinal circuits, referred to as central pattern
      generators (CPGs), to produce the basic rhythm and neural activation patterns
      underlying locomotion can be demonstrated under specific experimental conditions
      in reduced animal preparations. The existence of CPGs in humans is a matter of
      debate. Equally elusive is the contribution of CPGs to normal bipedal locomotion.
      To address these points, we focus on human studies that utilized spinal cord
      stimulation or pharmacological neuromodulation to generate rhythmic activity in
      individuals with spinal cord injury, and on neuromechanical modeling of human
      locomotion. In the absence of volitional motor control and step-specific sensory
      feedback, the human lumbar spinal cord can produce rhythmic muscle activation
      patterns that closely resemble CPG-induced neural activity of the isolated animal
      spinal cord. In this sense, CPGs in humans can be defined by the activity they
      produce. During normal locomotion, CPGs could contribute to the activation
      patterns during specific phases of the step cycle and simplify supraspinal
      control of step cycle frequency as a feedforward component to achieve a targeted
      speed. Determining how the human CPGs operate will be essential to advance the
      theory of neural control of locomotion and develop new locomotor
      neurorehabilitation paradigms.

PMID- 28351198
TI  - Outcomes of a community-based treatment programme for people with acquired brain
      injury in the chronic phase: a pilot study.
AB  - The objective of the study was to evaluate the outcomes of Brainz, a low
      intensity community-based treatment programme for people with acquired brain
      injury (ABI). Participants were 62 people with sustained ABI (5.2 years post
      injury, SD = 4.5) and 35 family caregivers. Participants attended two to five
      cognitive and physical group modules and received two hours of individual home
      treatment every two weeks. Primary outcomes for people with ABI were
      participation, perceived difficulties in daily life and need of care, level of
      goal attainment, and self-esteem. Primary family caregiver outcome was perceived
      burden of care. Attrition rate of people with ABI was 24% (n = 15), and of family
      caregivers was 31% (n = 11). People with ABI were more satisfied with the level
      of their participation after completing Brainz (p < .01), but showed no change in
      participation frequency or in restrictions (both ps > .01). They perceived fewer
      difficulties in daily life and less need of care (both ps < .01). Also, in two
      cognitive modules people improved on their goal achievement (p < .01). However,
      their self-esteem was reduced (p < .01). Caregiver burden was reduced (p < .01).
      This study has provided preliminary evidence of the effectiveness of a combined
      group-based clinical and individual home-based treatment programme, but more
      research is needed, preferably in larger controlled studies.

PMID- 28351199
TI  - Pharmacological Management of Psychiatric Symptoms in Frontotemporal Dementia: A
      Systematic Review.
AB  - Psychiatric symptoms in patients with frontotemporal dementia (FTD) are highly
      prevalent and may complicate clinical management of these patients. Purpose of
      the present article is to present and discuss available data about the
      pharmacological treatment of psychiatric symptoms in patients with FTD. A
      research in the main database sources has been conducted to obtain an overview of
      the pharmacological management of psychiatric symptoms in patients with FTD. The
      search strategy included the following terms-"FTD and psychiatry," "FTD and
      behavioural disturbances," and "FTD and treatment". Pathophysiology of
      psychiatric symptoms in FTD is different from other types of dementia. Although
      drugs for Alzheimer disease appear to be ineffective for the treatment of
      psychiatric symptoms of FTD, preliminary evidence supports a possible usefulness
      of serotonergic antidepressants for these patients. Data are too scanty to draw
      definitive conclusions, but antidepressant treatment, particularly with
      serotonergic compounds, may improve psychiatric symptoms in patients with FTD.
      Large observational studies are needed to confirm this preliminary evidence, and
      a lot of effort and collaboration between neurologists and psychiatrists will be
      definitely crucial for future research of effective treatments for FTD.

PMID- 28351200
TI  - Diagnostic Accuracy and Confidence in the Clinical Detection of Cognitive
      Impairment in Early-Stage Parkinson Disease.
AB  - BACKGROUND/AIMS: Mild cognitive impairment (MCI) is present in up to 34% of
      patients with early-stage Parkinson disease (PD); however, it is difficult to
      detect subtle impairment without objective cognitive testing. METHODS: Data were
      obtained from the Parkinson Progression Marker Initiative. All 341 participants
      were administered the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) and a brief
      neuropsychological battery. Participants were classified as PD-MCI if MoCA was
      <26 or if they scored >=1 standard deviation below the normative mean in 2 or
      more domains, based upon established criteria. The sensitivity/specificity for
      the clinical detection of PD-MCI was determined. RESULTS: Overall accuracy for
      clinical detection of PD-MCI was 67.4%. Although clinical determination was
      highly specific (96.3%; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.92-0.98), sensitivity was
      poor (32.0%; 95% CI: 0.25-0.40). CONCLUSION: Identifying MCI in early-stage PD
      based on clinical interview alone appears to be insufficient. The inclusion of
      objective cognitive tests allowing for normative sample comparisons is needed to
      increase the detection of cognitive impairment in this population.

PMID- 28351201
TI  - Does a single session of electroconvulsive therapy alter the neural response to
      emotional faces in depression? A randomised sham-controlled functional magnetic
      resonance imaging study.
AB  - Negative neurocognitive bias is a core feature of major depressive disorder that
      is reversed by pharmacological and psychological treatments. This double-blind
      functional magnetic resonance imaging study investigated for the first time
      whether electroconvulsive therapy modulates negative neurocognitive bias in major
      depressive disorder. Patients with major depressive disorder were randomised to
      one active ( n=15) or sham electroconvulsive therapy ( n=12). The following day
      they underwent whole-brain functional magnetic resonance imaging at 3T while
      viewing emotional faces and performed facial expression recognition and dot-probe
      tasks. A single electroconvulsive therapy session had no effect on amygdala
      response to emotional faces. Whole-brain analysis revealed no effects of
      electroconvulsive therapy versus sham therapy after family-wise error correction
      at the cluster level, using a cluster-forming threshold of Z>3.1 ( p<0.001) to
      secure family-wise error <5%. Groups showed no differences in behavioural
      measures, mood and medication. Exploratory cluster-corrected whole-brain analysis
      ( Z>2.3; p<0.01) revealed electroconvulsive therapy-induced changes in
      parahippocampal and superior frontal responses to fearful versus happy faces as
      well as in fear-specific functional connectivity between amygdala and occipito
      temporal regions. Across all patients, greater fear-specific amygdala - occipital
      coupling correlated with lower fear vigilance. Despite no statistically
      significant shift in neural response to faces after a single electroconvulsive
      therapy session, the observed trend changes after a single electroconvulsive
      therapy session point to an early shift in emotional processing that may
      contribute to antidepressant effects of electroconvulsive therapy.

PMID- 28351202
TI  - History of childhood maltreatment and symptoms of anxiety and depression in women
      with chronic pelvic pain.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: To determine the prevalence of physical, sexual and emotional abuse
      and physical and emotional neglect suffered by women with chronic pelvic pain
      (CPP) during childhood and whether these occurrences are associated with symptoms
      of pain, anxiety and depression. METHODS: A case-control study was conducted on
      154 women older than 18 years, 77 of them healthy and 77 with CPP. A history of
      sexual, physical, and emotional abuse and physical and emotional neglect was
      determined using the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire (CTQ). Anxiety and depression
      symptoms were determined using the Hospital Anxiety and Depression (HAD) scale.
      Pain intensity was determined using a visual analog scale (VAS). The quantitative
      variables were compared by the Wilcoxon test, and the qualitative variables were
      compared by the Chi-square test or exact Fisher test when appropriate.
      Correlation between the CTQ, HAD and VAS scores was estimated by the Spearman's p
      coefficient. Independent association of the variables with the presence of CPP
      was determined by logistic multiple regression analysis. RESULTS: The prevalence
      of childhood maltreatment was 77.9% and 64.9%, respectively, for women with CPP
      and healthy women (p = 0.07). Emotional neglect was more frequent among women
      with CPP than among healthy women (58.4% versus 41.5%, p = 0.04). There was a
      moderate correlation between anxiety and depression symptoms and CTQ scores for
      women with CPP. Unemployment (OR = 4.15, 95% CI 1.73-9.94; ORadj =  3.30, 95% CI
      1.26-8.55) was independently associated with the presence of CPP. CONCLUSIONS:
      Women with CPP reported emotional neglect abuse more frequently than healthy
      women. There was a direct correlation between maltreatment scores and anxiety and
      depression scores. On the other hand, CPP was independently associated only with
      unemployment.

PMID- 28351203
TI  - Effects of varenicline on alcohol self-administration and craving in drinkers
      with depressive symptoms.
AB  - Varenicline (VAR) is approved to aid in smoking cessation and has been shown to
      be effective for reducing alcohol consumption in heavy drinkers. Little is known,
      however, about treatment moderators that may influence efficacy. The current
      study reanalyzed data from a human laboratory study (Verplaetse et al., 2016) to
      determine whether VAR was more effective at reducing alcohol use among drinkers
      reporting symptoms of depression. Participants were 60 adults meeting DSM-IV
      criteria for alcohol use disorders ( n = 60) who were randomly assigned to
      receive VAR (1 mg/day, 2 mg/day) or placebo. Following 7 days of medication
      pretreatment, participants attended a laboratory testing session. They provided
      self-reported ratings of alcohol craving and performed an ad libitum alcohol
      consumption task after receiving a priming dose of alcohol (target blood alcohol
      concentration = 0.030 g/dL). Higher blood VAR plasma levels were associated with
      less alcohol craving and less drinking among participants with more depressive
      symptoms. Among participants with fewer depressive symptoms, VAR was associated
      with more drinking during the ad libitum drinking task. These findings show that
      depression symptoms may be a moderator of VAR efficacy in alcohol users and
      provides evidence for the role of nAChRs in depression and alcohol use.

PMID- 28351204
TI  - Results From the VISIBILITY Iliac Study: Primary and Cohort Outcomes at 9 Months.
AB  - PURPOSE: To evaluate the safety and effectiveness of primary stenting of the
      common (CIA) or external iliac artery (EIA) using the Visi-Pro Balloon-Expandable
      Peripheral Stent System for treatment of stenotic, restenotic, or occluded
      lesions. METHODS: Between 2011 and 2012, 75 patients (mean age 64.2+/-8.9 years;
      46 men) with Rutherford category 2-4 ischemia and atherosclerotic lesions <=10 cm
      in length underwent iliac artery stenting at 17 centers in the United States and
      Europe. The primary outcome of the study was the major adverse event (MAE) rate
      at 9 months postprocedure [composite of periprocedural death, in-hospital
      myocardial infarction, clinically driven target lesion revascularization (CD
      TLR), and amputation of the treated limb]. Secondary outcomes included 30-day MAE
      rate, 9-month primary patency, changes in ankle-brachial index (ABI) and the
      Walking Impairment Questionnaire at 30 days and 9 months postprocedure, device
      success, and clinically driven target vessel revascularization (CD-TVR) at 30
      days and 9 months. Outcomes in specific patient cohorts (ie, gender, stent
      location, calcification severity, and lesion grade) were analyzed. RESULTS:
      Eighty-one stents were implanted in 61 CIA and 15 EIA lesions (41 with
      moderate/severe calcification). The mean lesion treated length was 29.3+/-13.9
      mm. All devices were successfully deployed. MAE occurred in 3 (4.0%) of 75
      subjects at 9 months. Primary patency and freedom from CD-TVR at 9 months were
      both 95.8%. ABI improved from 0.67+/-0.14 at baseline to 0.94+/-0.14 and 0.96+/
      0.16 at 30 days and 9-month follow-up, respectively (p<0.001 for both). There
      were no differences with respect to any of the analyzed patient characteristics,
      including gender. CONCLUSION: Nine-month results of the VISIBILITY Iliac stent
      study ( ClinicalTrials.gov identifier NCT01402700) demonstrated safety and
      effectiveness for the treatment of atherosclerotic CIA and EIA lesions with the
      Visi-Pro stent across all treated cohorts.

PMID- 28351205
TI  - Arthroscopic Versus Open Latarjet in the Treatment of Recurrent Anterior Shoulder
      Dislocation With Marked Glenoid Bone Loss: A Prospective Comparative Study.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Very few studies have compared open Latarjet versus arthroscopic
      Latarjet procedures. PURPOSE: To compare the clinical and computed tomographic
      outcomes between open and arthroscopic Latarjet procedures. STUDY DESIGN: Cohort
      study; Level of evidence, 3. METHODS: A prospective, comparative study was
      performed. The open Latarjet group included 44 patients, and the arthroscopic
      Latarjet group included 46 patients. All patients had more than 2 years of
      clinical follow-up (range of motion, American Shoulder and Elbow Surgeons [ASES]
      score, Constant-Murley score, and Rowe score). The position of the transferred
      coracoid, the screw orientation, and graft resorption were evaluated on computed
      tomography (CT) scan. RESULTS: The surgery time for the open group was
      significantly shorter than that for the arthroscopic group ( P = .003). No
      recurrent dislocation occurred in either group. The apprehension test was
      negative in all patients in both groups. At the final follow-up, no significant
      difference was detected between the open group and the arthroscopic group
      regarding any of the clinical outcome measurements. The transferred coracoid
      graft was level with the glenoid in all patients in both groups. The open group
      had better position in the superior-inferior direction compared with the
      arthroscopic group ( P < .001). No significant difference was found in screw
      orientation between the 2 groups ( P = .102). At 1 year after surgery, patients
      in the arthroscopic group had significantly less resorption compared with
      patients in the open group ( P = .044). CONCLUSION: Both procedures are effective
      for the treatment of recurrent anterior shoulder dislocation with marked glenoid
      bone loss. The open group had better position in the superior-inferior direction
      compared with the arthroscopic group. At 1 year after surgery, patients in the
      arthroscopic Latarjet group showed notably less graft resorption compared with
      patients in the open Latarjet group.

PMID- 28351206
TI  - Intravesical instillations and cancer-specific survival in patients with primary
      carcinoma in situ of the urinary bladder.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to evaluate the use of intravesical
      treatment and cancer-specific survival of patients with primary carcinoma in situ
      (CIS). MATERIALS AND METHODS: Data acquisition was based on the Swedish National
      Registry of Urinary Bladder Cancer by selecting all patients with primary CIS.
      The analysis covered gender, age, hospital type and hospital volume. Intravesical
      treatment and death due to bladder cancer were evaluated by multivariate logistic
      regression and multivariate Cox analysis, respectively. RESULTS: The study
      included 1041 patients (median age at diagnosis 72 years) with a median follow-up
      of 65 months. Intravesical instillation therapy was given to 745 patients (72%),
      and 138 (13%) died from bladder cancer during the observation period. Male gender
      [odds ratio (OR) = 1.56, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.13-2.17] and treatment at
      county (OR = 1.65, 95% CI 1.17-2.33), university (OR =2.12, 95% CI 1.48-3.03) or
      high-volume (OR = 1.92, 95% CI 1.34-2.75) hospitals were significantly associated
      with higher odds of intravesical instillations. The age category >=80 years had a
      significantly lower chance of receiving intravesical therapy (OR = 0.44, 95% CI
      0.26-0.74) and a significantly higher risk of dying from bladder cancer (hazard
      ratio = 3.03, 95% CI 1.71-5.35). CONCLUSION: Significantly more frequent use of
      intravesical treatment of primary CIS was found for males and for patients
      treated at county, university and high-volume hospitals. Age >=80 years was
      significantly related to less intravesical treatment and poorer cancer-specific
      survival.

PMID- 28351207
TI  - The effect of cognitive impairment on prosthesis use in older adults who
      underwent amputation due to vascular-related etiology: A systematic review of the
      literature.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Older adults with amputations secondary to vascular etiologies may
      additionally present with cognitive impairment. Cognition plays an important role
      in the adoption of a prosthetic limb, although the degree and type of impact are
      debated. Previous literature reviews have not been directed at the specific
      population of older adults who underwent vascular-related lower limb amputation.
      OBJECTIVES: First, to assess extant literature for relationships between
      cognitive function and prosthesis-related outcomes in older adults who underwent
      lower limb amputation for vascular-related etiologies. Second, to perform a
      critical analysis of prosthesis-related outcomes and cognitive assessments
      performed in the studies. STUDY DESIGN: Systematic literature review. METHODS: A
      systematic review of the literature was performed in databases using keyword
      combinations. A total of nine articles were selected to be included in this
      review. RESULTS: Seven of the nine included studies found a relationship between
      decreased cognitive function and reduced performance on a prosthesis-related
      outcome. There were eight different prosthesis-related outcome measures, with
      only one study utilizing a comprehensive outcome measure. CONCLUSION: Cognitive
      impairment can negatively impact successful prosthesis use in older adults with
      lower limb amputation secondary to vascular complications. Future studies should
      utilize comprehensive outcome measures that represent the multifaceted constructs
      of cognition and prosthesis use. Clinical relevance Cognitive assessment of older
      adults who have undergone lower limb amputation secondary to diabetes related
      complications or vascular disease can be used to inform clinical decision-making.
      Clinicians should consider selecting prosthesis-related outcome measures that
      capture the full breadth of prosthesis use when evaluating patients with
      cognitive impairment.

PMID- 28351208
TI  - Angiographic Dissection Patterns and Patency Outcomes After Balloon Angioplasty
      for Superficial Femoral Artery Disease.
AB  - PURPOSE: To investigate the angiographic dissection patterns after balloon
      angioplasty for superficial femoral artery (SFA) lesions, the clinical outcome
      associated with each dissection pattern, and the predictive factors for severe
      dissection. METHODS: A retrospective, multicenter analysis examined 621 patients
      (mean age 72.8+/-9.5 years; 414 men) with 748 symptomatic de novo SFA lesions
      treated with endovascular therapy. Vessel dissection after the initial balloon
      angioplasty procedure was graded into 7 types according to a modified version of
      the coronary artery classification types A to F. Severe vessel dissection
      patterns were defined as type C or higher. Nitinol stent implantation was
      performed in 555 (74.2%) lesions for residual stenosis >30% or flow-limiting
      dissection; 193 lesions (25.8%) were treated with balloon angioplasty only. To
      determine the clinical outcomes associated with each dissection pattern and
      identify predictive factors for severe dissection, 2-year follow-up data for the
      193 lesions treated with balloon angioplasty only were analyzed for primary
      patency and clinically driven target lesion revascularization (TLR). RESULTS: No
      dissection was found in 16% (120/748) of lesions, and types A and B dissections
      were seen in 19% (142/748) and 23% (172/748), respectively. Dissection grades
      above type C were observed in 42% of cases, most frequently type D (180/748, 24%)
      and less often type C (37/748, 5%), type E (67/748, 9%), and type F (30/748, 4%).
      The bailout stent implantation rate increased according to dissection severity.
      At up to 2 years, the severe dissection group (types C-F) showed a significantly
      lower patency rate (p<0.001) and higher clinically driven TLR (p<0.001) compared
      to the nonsevere group (no dissection and types A and B dissections). Severe
      dissection was a significant risk factor for restenosis, which rose progressively
      from types C to F. Multivariate analysis identified a small reference vessel
      diameter <5 mm (p=0.001), lesion length >15 cm (p=0.001), and chronic total
      occlusion (p<0.001) as independent predictors of severe dissection. In subgroup
      analysis, vessels with a small reference diameter and TASC II C and D lesions had
      a higher prevalence of severe dissection. CONCLUSION: Severe dissection was found
      in 42% of cases after PTA. A small vessel diameter and/or TASC II C/D lesions
      were related to a high incidence of dissection. Severe dissection during
      procedures employing balloon angioplasty only could affect long-term patency.

PMID- 28351210
TI  - Expression of Pluripotency Markers in Nonpluripotent Human Neural Stem and
      Progenitor Cells.
AB  - Nonpluripotent neural progenitor cells (NPCs) derived from the human fetal
      central nervous system were found to express a number of messenger RNA (mRNA)
      species associated with pluripotency, such as NANOG, REX1, and OCT4. The
      expression was restricted to small subpopulations of NPCs. In contrast to
      pluripotent stem cells, there was no coexpression of the pluripotency-associated
      genes studied. Although the expression of these genes rapidly declined during the
      in vitro differentiation of NPCs, we found no evidence that the discrete
      expression was associated with the markers of multipotent neural stem cells
      (CD133+/CD24lo), the capacity of sphere formation, or high cell proliferation
      rates. The rate of cell death among NPCs expressing pluripotency-associated genes
      was also similar to that of other NPCs. Live cell imaging showed that NANOG- and
      REX1-expressing NPCs continuously changed morphology, as did the nonexpressing
      cells. Depletion experiments showed that after the complete removal of the
      subpopulations of NANOG- and REX1-expressing NPCs, the expression of these genes
      appeared in other NPCs within a few days. The percentage of NANOG- and REX1
      expressing cells returned to that observed before depletion. Our results are best
      explained by a model in which there is stochastic transient expression of
      pluripotency-associated genes in proliferating NPCs.

PMID- 28351209
TI  - Effects of Multiple Injection of Bone Marrow Mononuclear Cells on Spinal Cord
      Injury of Rats.
AB  - The effects of multiple injection of bone marrow mononuclear cells (BMNCs) on
      spinal cord injury (SCI) were compared with those of single injection in rats.
      BMNCs separated by density-gradient centrifugation from a bone marrow perfusate
      were injected three times (once weekly) through the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) via
      the fourth ventricle, and the locomotor improvement and tissue recovery,
      including axonal regeneration, were compared with those of single injection.
      While the single-injection group showed a steep elevation of the Basso-Beattie
      Bresnahan (BBB) score 1 week after transplantation, the multiple-injection group
      maintained a similar steep elevation for 2 weeks after transplantation, and the
      BBB scores of the multiple-injection group remained thereafter at a level
      approximately 2-3 points higher than those of the single-injection group until
      the end of the experiment. There were significant differences between the single-
      and multiple-injection groups at 3, 4, and 8 weeks after transplantation. The
      difference in BBB scores at 8 weeks after transplantation suggested that there
      was a marked difference in the quality of locomotor behaviors between the single
      and multiple-injection groups at this stage. An extensive outgrowth of
      regenerating axons through the astrocyte-devoid areas and a marked reduction of
      cavity formation were found in both the single- and multiple-injection groups.
      There were, however, no significant differences in the density of regenerating
      axons or volumes of cavities between the single- and multiple-injection groups.
      These results showed that although tissue recoveries were similar between single
      and multiple injection, the multiple injection of BMNCs was more beneficial for
      locomotor improvement than single injection for the treatment of SCI. Considering
      the technically simple and low-cost procedures for the preparation and injection
      of BMNCs, multiple injection of BMNCs by lumbar puncture has an advantage over
      single injection on clinical application.

PMID- 28351211
TI  - Salivary lactoferrin is transferred into the brain via the sublingual route.
AB  - Lactoferrin (LF) is produced by exocrine glands including salivary gland, and has
      various functions including infection defense. However, the transfer of LF from
      peripheral organs into the brain remains unclear. To clarify the kinetics of
      salivary LF (sLF), we investigated the consequences of sialoadenectomy and bovine
      LF (bLF) sublingual administration in rats. The salivary glands were removed from
      male Wistar rats, and we measured rat LF levels in the blood and brain at 1 week
      post-surgery. We also examined the transfer of LF into the organs of the rats
      after sublingual administration of bLF. Rat LF levels in the blood and brain were
      significantly reduced by sialoadenectomy. Sublingual bLF administration
      significantly increased bLF levels in the brain, which then decreased over time.
      These results indicate that LF is transferred from the sublingual mucosa to the
      brain, in which favorable effects of sLF on brain will be expected via the
      sublingual mucosa.

PMID- 28351212
TI  - Release from output interference in recognition memory: A test of the attention
      hypothesis.
AB  - Retrieval results in both costs and benefits to episodic memory. Output
      interference (OI) refers to the finding that episodic memory accuracy decreases
      with increasing test trials. Release from OI is the restoration of original
      accuracy at some point during the test. For example, a release from OI in
      recognition memory testing occurs when the semantic similarity between stimuli
      decreases midway through testing, suggesting that item representations stored on
      early trials cause interference on tests occurring on later trials to the extent
      that the earlier items share features with the latter items. In two recognition
      memory experiments, we demonstrate release from OI for words and faces. We also
      test whether release from OI is the result of interference or is due to a boost
      in attention caused by reorienting to a novel stimulus type. A test for the foils
      presented during the initial test list supports the interference account of OI.
      Implications for models of memory are discussed.

PMID- 28351213
TI  - Perils and positives of science journalism in Australia.
AB  - Scientists, science communicators and science journalists interact to deliver
      science news to the public. Yet the value of interactions between the groups in
      delivering high-quality science stories is poorly understood within Australia. A
      recent study in New Zealand on the perspectives of the three groups on the
      challenges facing science journalism is replicated here in the context of New
      South Wales and the Australian Capital Territory. While all three groups
      perceived the quality of science journalism as generally high, the limitations of
      non-specialists and public relation materials were causes for concern. The
      results indicate that science communicators are considered to play a valuable
      role as facilitators of information flow to journalists and support for
      scientists. Future studies on the influence and implications of interactions
      between these three groups are required.

PMID- 28351214
TI  - Extremely low-frequency electromagnetic field promotes astrocytic differentiation
      of human bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells by modulating SIRT1 expression.
AB  - It has been shown that extremely low-frequency electromagnetic fields (ELFMF)
      affect regulation of cell fate and differentiation. Thus, the aim of this study
      was to investigate the role of ELFMFs in the enhancement of astrocytic
      differentiation. ELFMF exposure reduced the rate of proliferation and enhanced
      astrocytic differentiation. The ELFMF-treated cells showed increased levels of
      the astrocyte marker (GFAP), while those of the early neuronal marker (Nestin)
      and stemness marker (OCT3/4) were downregulated. The reactive oxygen species
      (ROS) level was observed to be significantly elevated after ELFMF exposure, which
      strengthens the modulatory role of SIRT1 and SIRT1 downstream molecules (TLE1,
      HES1, and MASH1) during astrocytic differentiation. After nicotinamide (5 mM)
      mediated inhibition of SIRT1, levels of TLE1, HES1, and MASH1 were examined; TLE1
      was significantly upregulated and MASH1 was downregulated. These results suggest
      that ELFMFs induce astrocytic differentiation through activation of SIRT1 and
      SIRT1 downstream molecules.

PMID- 28351215
TI  - Quantitative analysis of the heterogeneous population of endocytic vesicles.
AB  - The quantitative characterization of endocytic vesicles in images acquired with
      microscope is critically important for deciphering of endocytosis mechanisms.
      Image segmentation is the most important step of quantitative image analysis. In
      spite of availability of many segmentation methods, the accurate segmentation is
      challenging when the images are heterogeneous with respect to object shapes and
      signal intensities what is typical for images of endocytic vesicles. We present a
      Morphological reconstruction and Contrast mapping segmentation method (MrComas)
      for the segmentation of the endocytic vesicle population that copes with the
      heterogeneity in their shape and intensity. The method uses morphological opening
      and closing by reconstruction in the vicinity of local minima and maxima
      respectively thus creating the strong contrast between their basins of
      attraction. As a consequence, the intensity is flattened within the objects and
      their edges are enhanced. The method accurately recovered quantitative
      characteristics of synthetic images that preserve characteristic features of the
      endocytic vesicle population. In benchmarks and quantitative comparisons with two
      other popular segmentation methods, namely manual thresholding and Squash plugin,
      MrComas shows the best segmentation results on real biological images of EGFR
      (Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor) endocytosis. As a proof of feasibility, the
      method was applied to quantify the dynamical behavior of Early Endosomal
      Autoantigen 1 (EEA1)-positive endosome subpopulations during EGF-stimulated
      endocytosis.

PMID- 28351216
TI  - Self-Reported Usage, Functional Benefit, and Audiologic Characteristics of
      Cochlear Implant Patients Who Use a Contralateral Hearing Aid.
AB  - Ninety-four unilateral CI patients with bimodal listening experience (CI plus HA
      in contralateral ear) completed a questionnaire that focused on attitudes toward
      hearing aid use postimplantation, patterns of usage, and perceived bimodal
      benefits in daily life. Eighty participants continued HA use and 14 discontinued
      HA use at the time of the questionnaire. Participant responses provided useful
      information for counseling patients both before and after implantation. The
      majority of continuing bimodal (CI plus HA) participants reported adapting to
      using both devices within 3 months and also reported that they heard better
      bimodally in quiet, noisy, and reverberant conditions. They also perceived
      benefits including improved sound quality, better music enjoyment, and sometimes
      a perceived sense of acoustic balance. Those who discontinued HA use found either
      that using the HA did not provide additional benefit over the CI alone or that
      using the HA degraded the signal from the CI. Because there was considerable
      overlap in the audiograms and in speech recognition performance in the
      unimplanted ear between the two groups, we recommend that unilateral CI
      recipients are counseled to continue to use the HA in the contralateral ear
      postimplantation in order to determine whether or not they receive functional or
      perceived benefit from using both devices together.

PMID- 28351218
TI  - Association Among Serum Insulin-Like Growth Factor-1, Frailty, Muscle Mass, Bone
      Mineral Density, and Physical Performance Among Community-Dwelling Middle-Aged
      and Older Adults in Taiwan.
AB  - Aging is featured by the complex interrelationship among body composition,
      frailty status, and physical performance. The main aim of this study was to
      evaluate the association among serum insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1), body
      composition, and physical function among community-dwelling middle-aged and
      elderly population in Taiwan. We conducted a cross-sectional study by using the
      data of I-Lan Longitudinal Aging Study, which recruited a total of 1833 community
      dwelling people aged more than 50 years. Data of lean body mass (LBM),
      appendicular skeletal muscle mass (ASM), total fat mass (TFM), bone mineral
      density (BMD) of L-spine/hip, handgrip strength, walking speed, International
      Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ), Charlson comorbidity index (CCI), serum
      levels of growth hormone, IGF-1, albumin, total cholesterol, triglyceride, blood
      urea nitrogen, and creatinine were retrieved for analysis. The mean age of
      participants was 63.9 +/- 9.2 years, and 47.5% were men. The serum IGF-1 level
      was 140.7 +/- 57.6 ng/mL in men and 131.4 +/- 54.5 ng/mL in women. The estimated
      rates of IGF-1 decline with age were 1.88 ng/mL.year in men and 2.13 ng/mL.year
      in women. The prevalence of frailty was 6.8% and that of prefrailty was 40.4%.
      After adjusting for age, albumin, IPAQ, and CCI in multiple linear regression
      models, LogIGF-1 was positively correlated with LBM, ASM, ASM index, height, BMD,
      and handgrip strength, and was inversely correlated with weakness in both
      genders. In men, the LogIGF-1 level was positively correlated with weight, body
      mass index (BMI), waist circumference, and TFM. Higher serum IGF-1 was
      independently associated with more muscle mass, higher BMD, and better handgrip
      performance in both genders. The positive association of IGF-1 with BMI, weight,
      TFM, and waist circumference was found in men only. Further longitudinal study to
      evaluate the effect of serum IGF-1 on frailty incidence is needed for its causal
      effect relationship.

PMID- 28351217
TI  - * Design of an In Vitro Model of Cell Recruitment for Skeletal Muscle
      Regeneration Using Hepatocyte Growth Factor-Loaded Fibrin Microthreads.
AB  - Large skeletal muscle defects that result in volumetric muscle loss (VML) result
      in the destruction of the basal lamina, which removes key signaling molecules
      such as hepatocyte growth factor (HGF) from the wound site, eliminating the
      endogenous capacity of these injuries to regenerate. We recently showed that HGF
      loaded fibrin microthreads increased the force production in muscle tissues after
      60 days in a mouse VML model. In this study, we created an in vitro, three
      dimensional (3D) microscale outgrowth assay system designed to mimic cell
      recruitment in vivo, and investigated the effect of HGF-loaded, cross-linked
      fibrin microthreads on myoblast recruitment to predict the results observed in
      vivo. This outgrowth assay discretely separated the cellular and molecular
      functions (migration, proliferation, and chemotaxis) that direct outgrowth from
      the wound margin, creating a powerful platform to model cell recruitment in
      axially aligned tissues, such as skeletal muscle. The degree of cross-linking was
      controlled by pH and microthreads cross-linked using physiologically neutral pH
      (EDCn) facilitated the release of active HGF; increasing the two-dimensional
      migration and 3D outgrowth of myoblasts twofold. While HGF adsorbed to uncross
      linked microthreads, it did not enhance myoblast migration, possibly due to the
      low concentrations that were adsorbed. Regardless of the amount of HGF adsorbed
      on the microthreads, myoblast proliferation increased significantly on stiffer,
      cross-linked microthreads. Together, the results of these studies show that HGF
      loaded onto EDCn microthreads supported enhanced myoblast migration and
      recruitment and suggest that our novel outgrowth assay system is a robust in
      vitro screening tool that predicts the performance of fibrin microthreads in
      vivo.

PMID- 28351219
TI  - A global burden of gastric cancer: the major impact of China.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: Gastric cancer (GC) is a highly aggressive cancer and a major cause
      of cancer-related deaths worldwide. Approximately half of the world's GC cases
      and deaths occur in china. GC presents challenges in early diagnosis and
      effective therapy due to a lack of understanding of the underlying molecular
      biology. The primary goals of this review are to outline current GC research in
      china and describe future trends in this field. Areas covered: This review mainly
      focuses on a series of GC-related advances China has achieved. Considerable
      progress has been made in understanding the role of H. pylori in GC by a series
      of population-based studies in well-established high-risk areas; A few germline
      and somatic alterations have been identified by 'omics' studies; Studies on the
      mechanisms of malignant phenotypes have helped us to form an in-depth
      understanding of GC and advance drug discovery. Moreover, identification of
      potential biomarkers and targeted therapies have facilitated the diagnosis and
      treatment of GC. However, many challenges remain. Expert commentary: To combat
      GC, sufficient funding is important. More attention should be paid on early
      diagnosis and the discovery of novel efficient biomarkers and the development of
      biomarker-based or targeted therapeutics in GC.

PMID- 28351220
TI  - Heterogeneous Prognoses for pT3 Papillary Thyroid Carcinomas and Impact of
      Delayed Risk Stratification.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Papillary thyroid carcinomas (PTC) in the pT3 category constitute a
      heterogeneous group of tumors with a variable risk of recurrence. The objectives
      of this study were (i) to estimate disease-free survival (DFS) and identify
      prognostic factors associated with recurrence in a cohort of pT3 PTC, and (ii) to
      evaluate the concept of delayed risk stratification in a cohort of pT3 tumors.
      METHODS: A total of 560 patients with pT3 PTC, treated and followed at the
      authors' institution, were studied. They were divided into three groups: group 1,
      pT3 <=10 mm; group 2, pT3 >10 mm with extrathyroidal invasion (ETI); and group 3,
      pT3 due to a tumor size >4 cm. DFS was estimated using the Kaplan-Meier method,
      and associated prognostic features were studied in univariate and multivariate
      Cox model-based analyses in each group. Then, DFS was studied for each group
      according to the six- to eight-month status (remission or not). RESULTS: DFS at
      10 years was 75% for the entire cohort and was 89%, 67%, and 82% in groups 1, 2,
      and 3, respectively (p < 0.0001). Multivariate analysis identified three factors
      significantly associated with reduced DFS: lymph node (LN) involvement, male sex,
      and group 2 (>1 cm with ETI). A trend toward a worse prognosis in patients with
      pT3 N0/Nx PTC >10 mm with ETI was found in comparison with the other pT3 N0/Nx
      patients. When the six- to eight-month checkup was normal, the DFS at 10 years
      increased to 98%, 96%, and 91% in groups 1-3, respectively. Furthermore, in this
      case, initial LN involvement no longer seemed to affect the prognosis in those
      groups. CONCLUSION: PTC <=10 mm with ETI and large tumors >4 cm without ETI both
      have a low-recurrence risk when there are no adverse associated prognostic
      features such as LN involvement. LN involvement, especially in the lateral
      compartment (N1b), is a strong prognostic factor of recurrence in pT3 PTC.
      Delayed risk stratification can be applied in pT3 PTC patients. Those cured at
      the first checkup, including those with limited LN involvement, have excellent
      outcomes, which should prompt clinicians to adapt subsequent management
      accordingly.

PMID- 28351221
TI  - * Understanding the Spatiotemporal Degradation Behavior of Aggrecanase-Sensitive
      Poly(ethylene glycol) Hydrogels for Use in Cartilage Tissue Engineering.
AB  - Enzyme-sensitive hydrogels are promising cell delivery vehicles for cartilage
      tissue engineering. However, a better understanding of their spatiotemporal
      degradation behavior and its impact on tissue growth is needed. The goal of this
      study was to combine experimental and computational approaches to provide new
      insights into spatiotemporal changes in hydrogel crosslink density and
      extracellular matrix (ECM) growth and how these changes influence the evolving
      macroscopic properties as a function of time. Hydrogels were designed from
      aggrecanase-sensitive peptide crosslinks using a simple and robust thiol
      norbornene photoclick reaction. To study the influence of variations in cellular
      activity of different donors, chondrocytes were isolated from either juvenile or
      adult bovine donors. Initial studies were performed to validate and calibrate the
      model against experiments. Through this process, two key features were
      identified. These included spatial variations in the hydrogel crosslink density
      in the immediate vicinity of the cell and the presence of cell clustering within
      the construct. When these spatial heterogeneities were incorporated into the
      computational model along with model inputs of initial hydrogel properties and
      cellular activity (i.e., enzyme and ECM production rates), the model was able to
      capture the spatial and temporal evolution of ECM growth that was observed
      experimentally for both donors. In this study, the juvenile chondrocytes produced
      an interconnected matrix within the cell clusters leading to overall improved ECM
      growth, while the adult chondrocytes resulted in poor ECM growth. Overall, the
      computational model was able to capture the spatiotemporal ECM growth of two
      different donors and provided new insights into the importance of spatial
      heterogeneities in facilitating ECM growth. Our long-term goal is to use this
      model to predict optimal hydrogel designs for a wide range of donors and improve
      cartilage tissue engineering.

PMID- 28351222
TI  - Bone Regenerative Medicine in Oral and Maxillofacial Region Using a Three
      Dimensional Printer<sup/>.
AB  - Bone grafts currently used for the treatment of large bone defect or asymmetry in
      oral and maxillofacial region include autologous, allogeneic, and artificial
      bones. Although artificial bone is free from the concerns of donor site
      morbidity, limitation of volume, disease transmission, and ethical issues, it
      lacks osteogenic and osteoinductive activities. In addition, molding of the
      artificial bone is an issue especially when it is used for the augmentation of
      bone as onlay grafts. To solve this problem, additive manufacturing techniques
      have been applied to fabricate bones which have outer shapes conformed to
      patients' bones. We developed a custom-made artificial bone called a computed
      tomography (CT)-bone. Efficacy of CT-bone was proven in a clinical research and
      clinical trial, showing good manipulability, stability, and patient satisfaction.
      However, low replacement rate of artificial bones by endogenous bones remain an
      unsolved issue. Loading of cells and growth factors will improve the bone
      replacement by inducing osteogenic and osteoinductive activities. In addition,
      the three-dimensional bioprinting technique will facilitate bone regeneration by
      placing cells and biological substances into appropriate sites.

PMID- 28351223
TI  - Identification of Three Novel Fusion Oncogenes, SQSTM1/NTRK3, AFAP1L2/RET, and
      PPFIBP2/RET, in Thyroid Cancers of Young Patients in Fukushima.
AB  - BACKGROUND: The BRAFV600E mutation is the most frequent genetic abnormality in
      adult papillary thyroid carcinomas (PTCs). On the other hand, various chromosomal
      rearrangements are more prevalent in childhood and adolescent PTCs. The aim of
      the present study was to identify novel rearrangements in PTCs from young
      patients. METHODS: Among 63 postoperative specimens of childhood and adolescent
      PTCs, which had been discovered by the thyroid ultrasound screening program in
      Fukushima, nine samples without prevalent known oncogenes, BRAFV600E, RAS,
      RET/PTC1, RET/PTC3, and ETV6/NTRK3, were analyzed in the current study by
      quantitative real-time reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction to screen
      for novel fusion genes by comparing transcript expression between extracellular
      and kinase domains of ALK, NTRK1, NTRK3, and RET. RESULTS: Of the above nine
      samples, five samples were suspected to harbor a fusion, and using subsequent 5'
      rapid amplification of cDNA end (RACE), two already reported fusion oncogenes,
      STRN/ALK and TPR/NTRK1, and three novel fusions, SQSTM1/NTRK3, AFAP1L2/RET, and
      PPFIBP2/RET, were identified. Functional analyses of these three chimeric genes
      were performed, and their transforming abilities were confirmed through the
      activation of mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK). CONCLUSIONS: Three novel
      fusion oncogenes have been identified in young PTC patients in Fukushima,
      suggesting that rare fusions may be present among the cases negative for known
      oncogenes in this age group and that such rearrangements can play a significant
      role in thyroid carcinogenesis.

PMID- 28351224
TI  - Dynamic finite element simulation of dental prostheses during chewing using
      muscle equivalent force and trajectory approaches.
AB  - The long-term application of dental prostheses inside the bone has a narrow
      relation to its biomechanical performance. Chewing is the most complicated
      function of a dental implant as it implements different forces to the implant at
      various directions. Therefore, a suitable holistic modelling of the jaw bone,
      implant, food, muscles, and their forces would be deemed significant to figure
      out the durability as well as functionality of a dental implant while chewing. So
      far, two approaches have been proposed to employ the muscle forces into the
      Finite Element (FE) models, i.e. Muscle Equivalent Force (MEF) and trajectory.
      This study aimed at propounding a new three-dimensional dynamic FE model based on
      two muscle forces modelling approaches in order to investigate the stresses and
      deformations in the dental prosthesis as well as maxillary bone during the time
      of chewing a cornflakes bio. The results revealed that both contact and the
      maximum von Mises stress in the implant and bones for trajectory approach
      considerably exceed those of the MEF. The maximum stresses, moreover, are located
      around the neck of implant which should be both clinically and structurally
      strong enough to functionally maintain the bone-implant interface. In addition, a
      higher displacement due to compressive load is observed for the implant head in
      trajectory approach. The results suggest the benefits provided by trajectory
      approach since MEF approach would significantly underestimate the stresses and
      deformations in both the dental prosthesis and bones.

PMID- 28351225
TI  - Specialization patterns across various youth sports and relationship to injury
      risk.
AB  - OBJECTIVES: Current trends among young athletes towards earlier specialization
      age and year-round training on multiple teams has raised concern for increased
      injury risk. Our previous analyses showed higher risk for injury in highly
      specialized young athletes. The goal of this research was to determine whether
      sports specialization and injury patterns vary by sports type. METHODS: In this
      clinical case-control study, injured athletes (aged 7-18 years) were recruited
      from sports medicine clinics and compared to similarly aged uninjured athletes
      recruited from primary care clinics. Participants completed a survey reporting
      age, gender, sport type, specialization patterns, and details regarding sports
      related injuries in the previous 6 months. Clinical diagnoses were collected from
      patients' medical records. Injuries were classified as acute, overuse, or serious
      overuse. RESULTS: Of 1,190 athletes enrolled, 26% (313) were single-sport
      specialized (reported participation in one sport and trained >8 months/year).
      Sports with the highest proportion of single-sport specialized athletes were
      tennis (46.7%), gymnastics (30.1%), and dance (26.3%). Single-sport specialized
      athletes in individual sports started specializing at a younger age (11.2 +/- 2.4
      vs. 12.0 +/- 2.7, p = 0.05) and reported higher training volumes (11.8 vs. 10.3
      h/week, p = 0.04) than those in team sports. Sports with the youngest
      specialization age were gymnastics (8.9 +/- 1.7), dance (10.8 +/- 3.0), and
      soccer (10.9 +/- 2.4). Single-sport specialized athletes in individual sports
      accounted for a higher proportion of overuse injuries (44.3% vs 32.2%, OR = 1.67,
      p = 0.037) and serious overuse injuries (23.4% vs 11.6%, OR = 2.38, p = 0.011),
      but a lower proportion of acute injuries (28.8% vs 13.8%, OR = 0.37, p = 0.001)
      compared to single-sport specialized athletes involved in team sports.
      CONCLUSIONS: Athletes in individual sports may be more likely to specialize in a
      single sport than team sport athletes. Single-sport specialized athletes in
      individual sports also reported higher training volumes and greater rates of
      overuse injuries than single-sport specialized athletes in team sports.

PMID- 28351226
TI  - Fracture of a Supera Interwoven Nitinol Stent After Treatment of Popliteal Artery
      Stenosis.
AB  - PURPOSE: To present a Supera stent fracture following treatment of popliteal
      artery stenosis. CASE REPORT: A 60-year-old man previously treated with
      angioplasty/stenting of a popliteal artery lesion with a Supera stent presented
      at 8 months with in-stent occlusion that proved to be secondary to stent
      fracture. CONCLUSION: Supera interwoven nitinol stents, despite having higher
      radial force and conformability than classic tube stents, are not free from
      fracture. Moreover, due to their peculiar structure, a break in these stents
      results in complete loss of integrity and consequent device collapse, thus
      jeopardizing endovascular recanalization and relining.

PMID- 28351227
TI  - Early-Dynamic Positron Emission Tomography (PET)/Computed Tomography and PET
      Angiography for Endoleak Detection After Endovascular Aneurysm Repair.
AB  - PURPOSE: To propose a positron emission tomography (PET)/computed tomography (CT)
      protocol including early-dynamic and late-phase acquisitions to evaluate graft
      patency and aneurysm diameter, detect endoleaks, and rule out graft or vessel
      wall inflammation after endovascular aneurysm repair (EVAR) in one examination
      without intravenous contrast medium. TECHNIQUE: Early-dynamic PET/CT of the
      endovascular prosthesis is performed for 180 seconds immediately after
      intravenous injection of F-18-fluorodeoxyglucose. Data are reconstructed in
      variable time frames (time periods after tracer injection) to visualize the
      arterial anatomy and are displayed as PET angiography or fused with CT images.
      Images are evaluated in view of vascular abnormalities, graft configuration, and
      tracer accumulation in the aneurysm sac. Whole-body PET/CT is performed 90 to 120
      minutes after tracer injection. CONCLUSION: This protocol for early-dynamic
      PET/CT and PET angiography has the potential to evaluate vascular diseases,
      including the diagnosis of complications after endovascular procedures.

PMID- 28351229
TI  - Serum Uric Acid Level as a Prognostic Marker in Patients With Acute Respiratory
      Distress Syndrome.
AB  - PURPOSE: Uric acid acts as both a pathogenic inflammatory mediator and an
      antioxidative agent. Several studies have shown that uric acid level correlates
      with the incidence, severity, and prognosis of pulmonary diseases. However, the
      association between uric acid level and acute respiratory distress syndrome
      (ARDS) has not been studied. This study was conducted to elucidate how serum uric
      acid level is related with clinical prognosis of ARDS. METHODS: A retrospective
      cohort study with propensity score matching was conducted at a medical intensive
      care unit of a tertiary teaching hospital. The medical records of patients
      diagnosed with ARDS admitted from 2005 through 2011 were reviewed. RESULTS: Two
      hundred thirty-seven patients with ARDS met the inclusion criteria. Patients with
      a serum uric acid level <3.0 mg/dL were classified into the low uric acid group,
      and those with a level >=3 mg/dL were classified into the normal to high uric
      acid group. We selected 40 patients in each group using propensity score
      matching. A higher percentage of patients in the low uric acid group experienced
      clinical improvement in ARDS. More patients died from sepsis in the normal to
      high uric acid group. Kaplan-Meier analysis showed that a low serum uric acid
      level was significantly associated with better survival rate. CONCLUSION: In
      patients with ARDS, a low serum uric acid level may be a prognostic marker of a
      low risk of in-hospital mortality.

PMID- 28351228
TI  - PEGylated liposomes associate with Wnt3A protein and expand putative stem cells
      in human bone marrow populations.
AB  - AIM: To fabricate PEGylated liposomes which preserve the activity of hydrophobic
      Wnt3A protein, and to demonstrate their efficacy in promoting expansion of
      osteoprogenitors from human bone marrow. METHODS: PEGylated liposomes composed of
      several synthetic lipids were tested for their ability to preserve Wnt3A activity
      in reporter and differentiation assays. Single-molecule microspectroscopy was
      used to test for direct association of protein with liposomes. RESULTS: Labeled
      Wnt3A protein directly associated with all tested liposome preparations. However,
      Wnt3A activity was preserved or enhanced in PEGylated 1,2-dioleoyl-sn-glycero-3
      phosphocholine (DOPC) liposomes but not in PEGylated 1,2-dimyristoyl-sn-glycero-3
      phosphocholine (DMPC) liposomes. PEGylated Wnt3A liposomes associated with
      skeletal stem cell populations in human bone marrow and promoted osteogenesis.
      CONCLUSION: Active Wnt protein-containing PEGylated liposomes may have utility
      for systemic administration for bone repair.

PMID- 28351230
TI  - Continuous Monitoring and Visualization of Optimum Spinal Cord Perfusion Pressure
      in Patients with Acute Cord Injury.
AB  - The optimum spinal cord perfusion pressure (SCPP) after traumatic spinal cord
      injury (TSCI) is unknown. Here, we describe techniques to compute and display the
      optimum SCPP in real time. We recruited adults within 72 h of severe TSCI
      (American Spinal Injuries Association [ASIA] grades A-C). A pressure probe and a
      microdialysis catheter were placed on the injured cord. SCPP was computed as mean
      arterial pressure (MAP) minus intraspinal pressure (ISP), spinal pressure
      reactivity index (sPRx) as the running ISP/MAP correlation coefficient, and
      continuous optimum SCPP (cSCPPopt) as the SCPP that minimizes sPRx in a moving 4
      h window. In 45 patients, we monitored ISP and blood pressure. In 14 patients, we
      also monitored injury site metabolism. cSCPPopt could be computed 45% of the
      time. Mean cSCPPopt varied by up to 60 mm Hg between patients. Each patient's
      cSCPPopt varied with time (standard deviation 10-20 mm Hg). Color-coded maps
      showing the sPRx/SCPP curve evolution enhanced visualization of cSCPPopt. Periods
      when SCPP ~ cSCPPopt were associated with low injury site glucose, high pyruvate,
      and high lactate. Mean SCPP deviation from cSCPPopt correlated with worse
      neurological outcome at 9-12 months: ASIA grade improved in 30% of patients with
      <5 mm Hg deviation, 10% of patients with 5-15 mm Hg deviation, and no one with
      >15 mm Hg deviation. We conclude that real-time computation and visualization of
      cSCPPopt after TSCI are feasible. cSCPPopt appears to enhance glucose utilization
      at the injury site and varies widely between and within patients. Our data
      suggest that targeting cSCPPopt after TSCI might improve neurological outcome.

PMID- 28351231
TI  - Utilization of second derivative photoplethysmographic features for myocardial
      infarction classification.
AB  - Myocardial infarction (MI) is a common disease that causes morbidity and
      mortality. The current tools for diagnosing this disease are improving, but still
      have some limitations. This study utilised the second derivative of
      photoplethysmography (SDPPG) features to distinguish MI patients from healthy
      control subjects. The features include amplitude-derived SDPPG features (pulse
      height, ratio, jerk) and interval-derived SDPPG features (intervals and relative
      crest time (RCT)). We evaluated 32 MI patients at Pusat Perubatan Universiti
      Kebangsaan Malaysia and 32 control subjects (all ages 37-87 years). Statistical
      analysis revealed that the mean amplitude-derived SDPPG features were higher in
      MI patients than in control subjects. In contrast, the mean interval-derived
      SDPPG features were lower in MI patients than in the controls. The classifier
      model of binary logistic regression (Model 7), showed that the combination of
      SDPPG features that include the pulse height (d-wave), the intervals of "ab",
      "ad", "bc", "bd", and "be", and the RCT of "ad/aa" could be used to classify MI
      patients with 90.6% accuracy, 93.9% sensitivity and 87.5% specificity at a cut
      off value of 0.5 compared with the single features model.

PMID- 28351232
TI  - Fresh hospital food is reserved for staff rather than patients, report finds.
AB  - NHS staff are more than twice as likely as patients to be served fresh food in
      hospitals, according to a new report.

PMID- 28351234
TI  - Have your say in district nursing caseloads consultation.
AB  - Draft guidance on safe caseloads in district nursing has been published by NHS
      Improvement.

PMID- 28351233
TI  - Keeping complaints in perspective.
AB  - A while ago, a team of colleagues received a complaint. They are an efficient
      bunch: thoughtful, caring, the kind of people who are constantly praised by
      patients for their good practice. So the complaint came as a surprise.

PMID- 28351235
TI  - Student life - Student to newly qualified nurse: finding out who's who.
AB  - As a recently qualified staff nurse, I know what it's like to start work in a new
      area, with lots of people to meet and skills to learn.

PMID- 28351236
TI  - Readers' panel - Is there a need to improve the image of nursing?
AB  - Our experts consider a hot topic of the day.

PMID- 28351239
TI  - True cost of placements.
AB  - Following the removal of the NHS bursary, nursing and midwifery students will be
      paying to attend university and placements from September this year.

PMID- 28351238
TI  - Rock bottom is right.
AB  - I agree with the findings of your survey of NHS staff (analysis, 22 March).
      However, I thought the percentage who said morale was at rock bottom would have
      been higher.

PMID- 28351240
TI  - Pulse oximetry: what the nurse needs to know.
AB  - Rationale and key points Measurement of peripheral oxygen saturation (SpO2) is
      used to identify early hypoxia in patients and evaluate the effectiveness of
      oxygen therapy. Nurses should be aware of the procedure for using a pulse
      oximeter to measure SpO2 levels and the normal range for SpO2 readings. " A pulse
      oximeter is used to measure SpO2 levels, and involves placing a probe on the
      patient's finger, toe or ear lobe. " A SpO2 level of less than 90% is a clinical
      emergency. If the SpO2 level is below 94%, the nurse should assume the patient is
      hypoxic until proven otherwise, and therefore they may require supplemental
      oxygen administration. " Nurses should be aware of the factors that might affect
      SpO2 readings, including anaemia, peripheral vasoconstriction, dark skin tone and
      skin discolouration.

PMID- 28351242
TI  - Natural Cycles, Birth Control & Ovulation Calc.
AB  - This fertility tracking app tracks the user's ovulation and period cycle to
      pinpoint their fertility and help prevent or plan a pregnancy.

PMID- 28351241
TI  - Who will be this year's Patient's Choice?
AB  - Our five Patient's Choice finalists have been shortlisted from scores of
      nominations. The award, sponsored by Yakult, enables members of the public to
      thank a nurse or midwife who has made a real difference to their care or that of
      a loved one. Smooth Radio and Good Morning Britain presenter Kate Garraway will
      announce the winner at the RCNi Nurse Awards ceremony in London on 5 May. RCNi
      editorial director Graham Scott says: 'Here are five inspirational nurses and
      five examples of outstanding care that all deserve an award. Typically, these
      modest nurses would say they are just doing their job, but it is clear from the
      testimonies that they have each made an enormous difference to the lives of those
      who nominated them.'

PMID- 28351243
TI  - Freedom to speak up: extra protection for whistleblowers.
AB  - NHS whistleblowers will soon have better protection, the government claims, when
      they look for a new job. Plans have been drawn up to combat the discrimination
      that often follows nurses who raise concerns about patient care.

PMID- 28351244
TI  - Patients have a right to know the results of research.
AB  - As researchers, how do we publicise our results to change practice? How do we
      reach those who are unlikely to look at academic journals and conference
      presentations?

PMID- 28351245
TI  - Letter.
AB  - Does urging people to plan their own breaks essentially then place responsibility
      (and the NHS favourite, blame) on staff? Staff often are not in a position to
      solve the problems that prevent them from taking the breaks in the first place.

PMID- 28351246
TI  - The problem with breaks.
AB  - It is interesting to read about the new break initiative at Guy's and St Thomas's
      hospital (news online, 20 March). I would have been happy with a quick slurp of a
      coffee between tasks. It's almost impossible to stop what you are doing, make a
      cuppa and finish it uninterrupted.

PMID- 28351247
TI  - Don't forget the extraordinary work of district nurses.
AB  - Last week I took some time out from reflecting on the policy and service
      challenges of delivering more care in people's homes and shadowed a Queen's Nurse
      at work.

PMID- 28351249
TI  - Agency shifts top up low pay.
AB  - Your story says some nurses will be banned from doing agency shifts at other
      trusts (news online, 23 March). If we were paid on the same scale as social
      workers, teachers and police we wouldn't need to work overtime.

PMID- 28351253
TI  - Emergency response praised.
AB  - Nurses and other healthcare staff have been praised for their swift and
      professional response after last week's terrorist attack in Westminster, in which
      five people died and dozens were injured.

PMID- 28351250
TI  - Mixed messages.
AB  - Every year, the NHS in England conducts what is almost certainly the biggest
      regular staff survey in health care anywhere in the world. The 2016 NHS staff
      survey involved 316 NHS organisations, with 982,000 NHS staff invited to
      participate. Returns from more than 423,000 staff equated to a response rate of
      44%. The findings were published earlier this month, and as ever with such
      surveys, some messages instantly emerged.

PMID- 28351254
TI  - Education review lead backs compulsory preceptorship.
AB  - All new nurses should complete a mandatory preceptorship year to help them meet
      new Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) requirements, an academic leading the
      regulator's 'radical' overhaul of education standards has said.

PMID- 28351255
TI  - Five worthy finalists for our Patient's Choice award.
AB  - The RCNi Nurse Awards are not only the most prestigious accolades in nursing,
      they are also the only awards that give patients the opportunity to choose their
      own nurse of the year. This week we reveal the shortlist for the 2017 RCNi
      Patient's Choice award, and choosing between the final five will be as
      challenging as ever.

PMID- 28351256
TI  - Wernicke-Korsakoff syndrome: recognition and treatment.
AB  - Wernicke-Korsakoff syndrome is a potentially debilitating and fatal condition
      that is caused by thiamine (vitamin B1) deficiency in the brain. It can be
      treated effectively or prevented completely; however, the condition is often
      undiagnosed and inadequately managed. Wernicke-Korsakoff syndrome is commonly
      considered to be specific to individuals who misuse alcohol; however, there are
      many other predisposing factors and causes associated with the condition. This
      article aims to raise awareness of Wernicke-Korsakoff syndrome, to enable nurses
      in all practice settings to recognise the signs, symptoms and risk factors
      associated with the condition and be informed about available treatments.
      Increased awareness aims to improve early diagnosis of the condition, enabling
      effective treatment and improving patients' symptoms, such as cognitive
      impairment.

PMID- 28351257
TI  - Understanding and responding to severe and enduring patient distress resulting
      from episodes of healthcare.
AB  - This article focuses on the severe, long-term and debilitating distress that may
      be experienced by patients as a result of their interactions with healthcare
      professionals and services. It is essential for healthcare professionals to be
      able to respond effectively to severe patient distress resulting from episodes of
      healthcare. Severe and enduring patient distress can occur in response to neglect
      - even when unintentional, misdiagnosis, surgical errors and/or deficits in the
      quality of care. Severe and enduring distress experienced by patients may go
      unacknowledged; the long-term consequences may not be recognised, or resolution
      may be presumed following formal apologies or receipt of compensation. An
      emphasis on the duty of candour has increased awareness of the importance of
      honesty and acknowledgement of adverse events or 'near misses' in the healthcare
      setting, in improving the relationship between patients and healthcare
      professionals.

PMID- 28351258
TI  - HIV in Primary Care (Third edition) Matthews Philippa Madge Sara Singh Surinder
      and Theobald Nick HIV in Primary Care (Third edition) 128pp L12 MEDFASH
      9780954997373 0954997379 [Formula: see text].
AB  - This book is well written and structured with a focus on general practice
      settings and primary healthcare teams.

PMID- 28351259
TI  - Law and Ethics in Nursing and Healthcare: An Introduction (Second edition) Avery
      Graham Law and Ethics in Nursing and Healthcare: An Introduction (Second edition)
      392pp L26.99 Sage 9781412961745 1412961742 [Formula: see text].
AB  - This book aims to deliver key concepts of law and ethics in an easy-to-read
      style. In an area of healthcare that is fraught with rapid changes, challenges
      and misunderstandings, the author achieves this.

PMID- 28351260
TI  - Tooth loss may increase risk of developing dementia.
AB  - Older people who have fewer teeth have an increased risk of developing dementia,
      new study results suggest.

PMID- 28351261
TI  - Nurses will 'continue to bear the brunt of austerity', as pay cap remains in
      Scotland.
AB  - The pay increase for NHS staff in Scotland for 2017-18 will be capped at 1% for
      those earning over L22,000, the Scottish Government announced.

PMID- 28351262
TI  - Nurse-led model boosts uptake of type 2 diabetes treatment.
AB  - A care model led by practice nurses can improve the uptake of insulin treatment
      among patients with type 2 diabetes, say researchers in Australia.

PMID- 28351263
TI  - Pelvic fracture linked to higher risk of dying in older people.
AB  - Older people have an increased risk of dying in the first eight months after a
      pelvic fracture, new study results suggest.

PMID- 28351265
TI  - Risk of death lower for older people who are also parents.
AB  - Parenthood is associated with a longer life than being childless, and
      increasingly so in old age, say Swedish researchers.

PMID- 28351264
TI  - Bereaved by suicide.
AB  - Some of the factors associated with a raised risk of suicide are well
      established. Men are known to be more vulnerable than women, especially those
      aged 45-59. People with mental health problems, particularly depression, are at
      greater risk than the general population, as are those who self-harm or misuse
      drugs or alcohol. Social isolation is another acknowledged risk factor.

PMID- 28351266
TI  - Physical activity in childhood starts to decline long before adolescence.
AB  - Physical activity levels may start to tail off as young as age seven, rather than
      during adolescence as is widely thought, say UK researchers.

PMID- 28351267
TI  - Discharging patients.
AB  - What was the nature of the CPD activity, practice-related feedback and/or event
      and/or experience in your practice? Delayed discharge from hospital can have
      significant effects on patients and healthcare organisations, for example, longer
      hospital stays, increased readmissions and financial cost. The CPD article
      provided information about effective discharge planning, to reduce delays and
      improve patient care.

PMID- 28351268
TI  - Find yourself a suitable mentor.
AB  - Karen Harrison Dening has more than 40 years of nursing experience, more than 30
      of which are in dementia care. She has worked for charity Dementia UK for the
      past ten years, initially as a consultant Admiral Nurse specialist and then as
      head of research and evaluation. For her PhD from University College London she
      focused on advance care planning and end of life care in dementia. She holds
      honorary academic positions at the universities of Liverpool and Nottingham,
      where she lectures and is involved in research.

PMID- 28351269
TI  - Head and neck cancer.
AB  - Essential facts Head and neck cancers include those of the mouth and throat, and
      rarer forms affecting the sinuses, salivary glands, nose or middle ear. The
      Oracle Cancer Trust says head and neck cancer is the UKs sixth most common type,
      with 31 people diagnosed each day.

PMID- 28351270
TI  - Military families are a 'hidden homeless group'.
AB  - The number of military families experiencing homelessness is a hidden problem,
      and the scale of the issue is not fully understood, a senior nurse has said.

PMID- 28351271
TI  - The nursing innovators who are improving quality of care.
AB  - 'I am always inspired when I see or hear about great nursing,' says RCN West
      Midlands regional director Paul Vaughan. 'Nurses and healthcare assistants in
      this region are doing brilliant work with skill, compassion and passion at a time
      when they are under unprecedented pressure.

PMID- 28351273
TI  - Attrition higher with off-campus living.
AB  - Living off campus can affect student drop-out rates, according to a nurse
      academic.

PMID- 28351276
TI  - Learn how to shape policy.
AB  - Applications are open for a new programme that will bring together nurse leaders
      from around the world to improve their policy-making and influencing skills.

PMID- 28351275
TI  - Anger over agency shifts ban for NHS nurses.
AB  - Nurses have reacted with anger after learning they can no longer take on agency
      work if they are otherwise employed by an NHS trust.

PMID- 28351277
TI  - 'Earn as you learn' won't devalue the profession.
AB  - One of the things I enjoy about my work is seeing the healthcare assistants
      (HCAs) in our hospice and the care homes we work with gain qualifications that
      have a positive impact on their practice and improve patient care.

PMID- 28351278
TI  - Quick action a credit to NHS.
AB  - Good on the health professionals who rushed out to help those involved in the
      Westminster attack last week (news online, 23 March).

PMID- 28351279
TI  - Consent and care go hand in hand.
AB  - During my placement in a busy emergency department, a woman was admitted with
      heavy vaginal bleeding. She had undergone a scan at six weeks' pregnant and been
      told that she was miscarrying. Medical staff had advised her to go home and wait,
      as she wanted the process to occur naturally. But this was five weeks later, and
      she still had no signs that she had miscarried fully.

PMID- 28351280
TI  - Make the most of your annual appraisal.
AB  - If your heart sinks when your manager approaches you about your appraisal, take
      comfort in knowing you are not alone.

PMID- 28351281
TI  - 'My well-being is due to the support and care of this dedicated team'.
AB  - In 2008 I was diagnosed with ulcerative colitis. My disease was stable until
      2013, when I had a severe episode while on holiday in France, requiring a 12-day
      hospital stay on my return.

PMID- 28351282
TI  - Do mothers with high sodium levels in their breast milk have high depression and
      anxiety scores?
AB  - Objective This study aimed to assess the possible association of high breast milk
      sodium levels with postpartum depression and anxiety. Methods A total of 150
      mothers and their healthy, exclusively breastfed newborns aged 8 to 15 days were
      recruited. Mothers were asked to complete scales for evaluation of postnatal
      depression and anxiety following an interview for consent and sociodemographic
      data collection. Breast milk samples were obtained to measure sodium and
      potassium (K) levels. Results Forty-nine mothers had higher than expected breast
      milk Na concentrations and a high Na/K ratio. These mothers scored significantly
      higher on the scales of postnatal depression and state anxiety ( P = 0.018 and P
      = 0.048, respectively). Conclusions This study shows that compared to normal
      breast milk Na levels and Na/K ratio, high breast milk Na and high Na/K ratio,
      with possible serious consequences in infants, are associated with maternal
      depressive and anxious symptoms in the postpartum period.

PMID- 28351283
TI  - Evaluation of GeneXpert MTB/RIF for detecting Mycobacterium tuberculosis in a
      hospital in China.
AB  - Objective To evaluate the performance of GeneXpert MTB/RIF in diagnosing
      pulmonary tuberculosis (TB) in China. Methods This cross-sectional study included
      sputum specimens of 240 suspected TB cases. Specimens were examined by light
      microscopy for the presence of acid-fast bacilli, which were cultured by the
      BACTEC MGIT 960 (M960) system and detected by the GeneXpert MTB/RIF assay. The
      positive rate, sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value (PPV),
      negative predictive value (NPV), and average turnaround time of methods were
      evaluated. Results The positive rate was 36.6% (87/238) for the GeneXpert MTB/RIF
      assay and 34.0% (81/238) by M960 culture, with no significant difference between
      methods (chi2 = 0.33, p > 0.05). According to culture results, sensitivity of the
      GeneXpert MTB/RIF assay was 84.0% (68/81), specificity was 87.8% (129/147), the
      PPV was 78.2% (68/87), and the NPV was 87.2% (129/148). The agreement for results
      between Gene Xpert MTB/RIF and the M960 system was 82.8% and the Kappa value was
      0.73. Conclusion The GeneXpert MTB/RIF assay is a simple, rapid, and accurate
      test for detecting Mycobacterium tuberculosis in sputum specimens.

PMID- 28351284
TI  - Impact of breast cancer awareness month on detection of breast cancer in a
      private hospital.
AB  - Objective Breast cancer awareness month increases public awareness in association
      with increased rates of screening and new diagnoses. This study aimed to evaluate
      the effect of breast cancer awareness month on primary diagnosis of breast
      cancer. Methods Asymptomatic women with the intention of breast cancer screening
      were included. The non-BCAM (Breast cancer awareness month) group were screened
      from February to September 2016 and the BCAM group during October 2016.
      Ultrasound and mammography were performed in all women and in those aged >= 40
      years, respectively. A BIRADS (Breast Imaging Reporting And Data Systems) score
      of >=4 and solid palpable masses without features suggestive of malignancy and/or
      the physician's preference were regarded as indications for histopathological
      analysis. Requirement for histopathological analysis and detection of breast
      cancer were identified as the main variables. Results There were 198 women with a
      mean age of 49.3 +/- 9.5 years. Sixty-nine and 129 women were in the non-BCAM and
      BCAM groups, respectively. Percutaneous biopsy was performed in seven (10.1%) and
      three patients (2.3%) in the non-BCAM and BCAM groups, respectively ( P = 0.035).
      Pathological examinations were benign. Conclusion Although public awareness
      campaigns lead to increased rates of screening, they may lose their impact on
      detecting breast cancer because of widespread use of routine screening programs.

PMID- 28351285
TI  - Heparanase overexpression down-regulates syndecan-1 expression in a gallbladder
      carcinoma cell line.
AB  - Objective To discuss the relevance of heparanase and syndecan-1 and regulation of
      the heparanase-syndecan1 axis in the invasiveness of gallbladder carcinoma cells.
      Methods 1. Generation of a gallbladder cancer cell line overexpressing a
      heparanase (GBD-SD) transgene. 2. Western blot analysis of syndecan-1 levels of
      GBD-SD and control gallbladder carcinoma (GBC-SD) cells. 3. RT-PCR analysis of
      syndecan-1 mRNA levels of GBD-SD and GBC-SD. 4. Evaluation of invasion and
      migration of GBD-SD and GBC-SD cells. Results 1. Heparanase expression in GBD-SD
      cells was significantly increased. 2. The syndecan-1 mRNA level of GBD-SD cells
      was significantly lower compared with that of GBC-SD cells. 3. The syndecan-1 DNA
      copy number in GBD-SD cells was significantly lower compared with that of GBC-SD.
      4. The invasiveness and migration of GBD-SD cells were significantly higher
      compared with GBC-SD cells. Conclusions 1. The expression of heparanase
      negatively correlated with that of syndecan-1 in a gallbladder carcinoma cell
      line. 2. The expression of heparanase and syndecan-1 in gallbladder carcinomas
      negatively correlated, similar to other tumours. 3. The heparanase/syndecan1 axis
      in gallbladder carcinoma plays an important role in the invasion and metastasis,
      thus providing a new therapeutic target. 4. Further research is required to
      identify the detailed mechanisms.

PMID- 28351286
TI  - Root and canal morphology of maxillary second molars by cone-beam computed
      tomography in a native Chinese population.
AB  - Objective To evaluate the root and root canal morphology of the maxillary second
      molars (MSMs) in a native Chinese population by cone-beam computed tomography.
      Methods Cone-beam computed tomography images of 2412 MSMs from 1294 Chinese
      patients were analyzed to determine the number and morphology of the roots, the
      root canal morphology, the bilateral symmetry, and the correlations of these
      parameters with sex and age. Results The percentage of fused roots increased with
      age, while the percentage of fused roots in women was higher than that in men.
      The percentage of second mesiobuccal (MB2) canals in MSMs with three separate
      roots was higher in men than women. Patients aged 31 to 40 years showed a higher
      prevalence of MB2 canals, while those aged >=51 years showed the lowest
      prevalence of MB2 canals among both men and women. There was a significant
      difference in bilateral symmetry of MSMs between men and women. Conclusion Root
      fusion of MSMs increased with age, while the root canal morphology was more
      complex in patients of intermediate ages.

PMID- 28351287
TI  - Neuromelioidosis: a series of seven cases in Hainan province, China.
AB  - Melioidosis, which is caused by Burkholderia pseudomallei, is predominately a
      disease of tropical climates and is especially widespread in south-east Asia and
      northern Australia. Melioidosis affecting the central nervous system has a low
      incidence but a high mortality. We present seven cases of neuromelioidosis and
      analyze the disease characteristics and imaging features. Typical clinical
      features of this disease included high fever and headache. Five patients had an
      irregular fever with a temperature >= 39C. Peripheral blood leukocytes and the
      neutrophil ratio were raised in all patients. On computed tomography and magnetic
      resonance imaging the disease mainly manifested as intracerebral single or
      multiple nodules, as well as ring and flake-like enhancements with rapid lesion
      progression. This study demonstrated the importance of imaging examination in the
      clinical evaluation and diagnosis of neuromelioidosis.

PMID- 28351288
TI  - Establishment of a three-dimensional finite element model of severe kyphotic
      deformity secondary to ankylosing spondylitis.
AB  - Objective To establish a three-dimensional (3D) finite element (FE) model of
      ankylosing spondylitis (AS) kyphosis that is a digital platform for further
      studies. Methods A 30-year-old man with AS kyphosis underwent computed tomography
      transverse scanning from T1 to the sacrococcyx. The images were imported into
      Mimics(r) 17.0 software to establish a 3D model of the posterior spine, which was
      then imported into Studio Geomagic 2013 software. Posterior spine convex geometry
      was established on the 3D geometric model for subsequent optimization of image
      processing. Unigraphics NX 8.5 produced the spinal kyphosis surface model.
      Modeled calcification of ligaments and partial resection of useless sacral bone
      were added. The model was imported into ANSYS 15.0 FE analysis software.
      Ligaments were added. Parameters were set to generate a 3D FE model of AS.
      Results and Conclusion A 3D FE model of AS was successfully established,
      providing a reliable digital platform for subsequent biomechanical analysis.

PMID- 28351289
TI  - Bone Morphogenetic Protein 2 Alters Osteogenesis and Anti-Inflammatory Profiles
      of Mesenchymal Stem Cells Induced by Microtextured Titanium In Vitro<sup/>.
AB  - OBJECTIVES: Microtextured titanium (Ti) induces osteoblast differentiation of
      mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) in the absence of exogenous osteogenic factors; and
      high-energy surface modifications speed healing of microrough Ti implants. Bone
      morphogenetic protein 2 (BMP2) is used clinically to improve peri-implant bone
      formation and osseointegration but can cause inflammation and bone-related
      complications. In this study, we determined whether BMP2 alters human MSC
      differentiation, apoptosis, and inflammatory factor production when grown on Ti
      implants with different surface properties. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Human MSCs
      were cultured on Ti substrates (smooth [PT], sandblasted acid-etched [SLA],
      hydrophilic-SLA [modSLA]), or tissue culture polystyrene (TCPS). After 7 days,
      inflammatory mRNAs were measured by polymerase chain reaction array. In addition,
      7-day cultures were treated with exogenous BMP2 and osteogenic differentiation
      and production of local factors, proinflammatory interleukins, and anti
      inflammatory interleukins assessed. Finally, osteogenic markers and interleukins
      were measured in MSCs cultured for 48 h on BMP2 dip-coated SLA and modSLA
      surfaces. RESULTS: Expression of interleukins, chemokines, cytokines, and growth
      factors was affected by surface properties, particularly on modSLA. MSCs on Ti
      produced fewer resorptive and more osteogenic/anti-inflammatory factors than
      cells on TCPS. Addition of 100 ng/mL BMP2 not only increased differentiation but
      also increased proinflammatory and decreased anti-inflammatory/antiresorptive
      factors. Two hundred nanograms per milliliter BMP2 abolished osteogenesis and
      dramatically increased pro-osteoclastogenic factors. MSCs cultured on BMP2-dip
      coated disks produced similar proinflammatory profiles with inhibited osteogenic
      differentiation and had increased apoptotic markers at the highest doses.
      CONCLUSIONS: MSCs underwent osteogenesis and regulated inflammatory cytokines on
      microtextured Ti. Exogenous BMP2 inhibited MSC differentiation and stimulated a
      dose-dependent proinflammatory and apoptotic response. Use of BMP2 with
      microtextured metal implants may increase inflammation and possibly delay bone
      formation dependent on dose, suggesting that application of BMP2 clinically
      during implant insertion may need to be reevaluated.

PMID- 28351290
TI  - Keratose Hydrogels Promote Vascular Smooth Muscle Differentiation from C-kit
      Positive Human Cardiac Stem Cells.
AB  - Stem cell-based therapies have demonstrated great potential for the treatment of
      cardiac diseases, for example, myocardial infarction; however, low cell
      viability, low retention/engraftment, and uncontrollable in vivo differentiation
      after transplantation are still major limitations, which lead to low therapeutic
      efficiency. Biomaterials provide a promising solution to overcome these issues
      due to their biocompatibility, biodegradability, low/nonimmunogenicity, and
      low/noncytotoxicity. The present study aimed to investigate the impacts of
      keratose (KOS) hydrogel biomaterial on cellular viability, proliferation, and
      differentiation of c-kit+ human cardiac stem cells (hCSCs). Briefly, hCSCs were
      cultured on both KOS hydrogel-coated dishes and regular tissue culture dishes
      (Blank control). Cell viability, stemness, proliferation, cellular morphology,
      and cardiac lineage differentiation were compared between KOS hydrogel and the
      Blank control at different time points. We found that KOS hydrogel is effective
      in maintaining hCSCs without any observable toxic effects, although cell size and
      proliferation rate appeared smaller on the KOS hydrogel compared to the Blank
      control. To our surprise, KOS hydrogel significantly promoted vascular smooth
      muscle cell (VSMC) differentiation (~72%), while on the Blank control dishes,
      most of the hCSCs (~78%) became cardiomyocytes. Furthermore, we also observed
      "endothelial cell tube-like" microstructures formed by differentiated VSMCs only
      on KOS hydrogel, suggesting a potential capability of the hCSC-derived VSMCs for
      in vitro angiogenesis. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report to
      discover the preferred differentiation of hCSCs toward VSMCs on KOS hydrogel. The
      underlying mechanism remains unknown. This innovative methodology may offer a new
      approach to generate a robust number of VSMCs simply by culturing hCSCs on KOS
      hydrogel, and the resulting VSMCs may be used in animal studies and clinical
      trials in combination with an injectable KOS hydrogel to treat cardiovascular
      diseases.

PMID- 28351292
TI  - Youth self-harm in low- and middle-income countries: Systematic review of the
      risk and protective factors.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Self-harm (defined here as an act of intentionally causing harm to
      own self, irrespective of the type, motive or suicidal intent) is one of the
      strongest antecedents of suicide in youth. While there have been a number of
      studies of youth self-harm in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), there is
      currently no systematic review of studies of prevalence rates and risk and
      protective factors. AIM: To systematically review the evidence relating to the
      prevalence rates and forms of self-harm in youth in LMICs and its relationship to
      family economic status, family functioning, relationship with the peer group,
      social relationships and academic performance. METHODS: Electronic searches of
      three databases, MEDLINE, PsycINFO and Scopus, were performed. In total, 27
      school-, community- and hospital-based studies evaluating self-harm in LMICs with
      youth focus (with participants between 12 and 25 years) were included. RESULTS:
      The self-harm was divided into suicidal and non-suicidal depending on the nature
      of self-harm. The 12-month prevalence rates of non-suicidal self-harm varied from
      15.5% to 31.3%, and the range of suicidal behaviour rates was from 3.2% to 4.7%.
      Banging and hitting were the most common in the community-based studies, followed
      by cutting, scratching and wound picking. Self-poisoning with pesticides was most
      commonly reported in hospital-based studies. Risk factors for self-harm were
      family conflict, peer groups with members indulging in self-harm, truancy and
      school absenteeism. Protective factors were having an understanding family,
      having friends and higher school competence. Risk factors for suicidal thoughts
      and attempts were lack of close friends and history of suicide by a friend.
      CONCLUSION: The 12-month prevalence rates of youth self-harm in LMICs are
      comparable to high-income countries (HICs). The profile of risk and protective
      factors suggests that family-based interventions could be useful in treatment and
      prevention. Future studies should aim for greater consistency in assessment
      methods and the constructs under evaluation.

PMID- 28351291
TI  - Hypothyroidism and Hyponatremia: Rather Coincidence Than Causality.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Hypothyroidism is referred to be a rare but possible cause of
      hyponatremia. However, there is only poor evidence supporting this association.
      Since hyponatremia and hypothyroidism are both common conditions themselves, co
      occurrence does not have to be causal. METHODS: To address a potential
      relationship, a retrospective analysis of data from the Division of Endocrinology
      of the Medical University of Vienna from April 2004 to February 2016 was
      performed. A total of 8053 hypothyroid patients (48 +/- 18 years of age; 71%
      female) with thyrotropin >4.0 MUIU/mL and available blood tests for free
      thyroxine and sodium (Na+) within maximal +/- seven days were included and
      screened for hyponatremia. Patients' records were searched for concomitant
      disease and medication when Na+ concentration was <135 mmol/L. RESULTS:
      Hyponatremia was present in 448/8053 (5.56%) patients. Analysis of medical
      history revealed potential alternative causes of hyponatremia in 442/448 (98.88%)
      patients (i.e., side effects of medication, concomitant underlying disease, or
      other endocrine disorders). This distribution did not differ between patients
      suffering from clinical or subclinical hypothyroidism. No case of clinically
      relevant hyponatremia (Na+ < 130 mmol/L), present in 111/448 (24.78%) patients
      could be attributed only to hypothyroidism. There was a very weak but
      statistically significant trend toward a positive association between thyroid
      function and serum Na+ levels (Na+/thyrotropin: R = 0.022, p = 0.046; Na+/free
      thyroxine: R = -0.047, p < 0.001). CONCLUSION: The results suggest that
      hypothyroid patients with moderate to severe hyponatremia often have other
      potential explanations for their low serum Na+ concentrations in routine care.

PMID- 28351293
TI  - The synergy of the refugee crisis and the financial crisis in Greece: Impact on
      mental health.
AB  - BACKGROUND: The current global financial crisis that started in 2008 resulted in
      a significant decline in global trade, slowing/reversing economic growth
      worldwide, and a dramatic increase in public sector debt. At the same time, the
      global migrant/refugee crisis has reached extreme rates, with millions of people
      being forced to abandon their homes and communities because of war, political
      violence or related threats. There is a broad consensus about the deleterious
      consequences of these crises on psychological well-being, depression, anxiety
      disorders, insomnia, alcohol abuse and suicidal behavior. Although the separate
      consequences of economic recession and immigration are extensively discussed in
      previous research, we know very little about the processes through which the
      intersection of economic crisis and migrant crisis contributes to the
      vulnerabilities of natives and migrants during these crises. Of particular
      concern is the status of children, adolescents and their families, who constitute
      one of the most vulnerable groups in society. AIM: To discuss the contexts that
      economic and migrant crises shape and suggest possible effects of this
      intersection on mental health risks, especially among children, adolescents and
      their families, through reflecting on the recent experience in Greece. METHOD:
      Review of the literature and critical analysis of the effects of the confluent
      crises. CONCLUSION: The interactive effects of these two crises need further
      exploration. Novel and diverse models of psychological understanding need to be
      developed in order to manage the effects of the confluent crises. The role of
      mental health professionals is crucial in this respect, offering culturally
      flexible, accommodating and empathetic approaches, allowing healing and
      acceptance in the face of adversity.

PMID- 28351294
TI  - Necessity of Internet regulation to prevent suicides in Mexico.

PMID- 28351295
TI  - Stability of ovine serum protein fractions under different storage conditions.
AB  - We evaluated the effect of different storage conditions on the concentration of
      serum total proteins and their electrophoretic fractions in sheep. Blood samples
      were collected from 12 female Comisana sheep, and each serum obtained was divided
      into 4 aliquots. The first aliquot was analyzed immediately after separation
      (T0); the second was refrigerated at 4 degrees C and analyzed after 24 h (T1), 48
      h (T2), and 72 h (T3); the third was stored at -20 degrees C immediately after
      centrifugation and analyzed after 2 days (T4); and the last aliquot was stored at
      -20 degrees C after 24-h refrigeration and analyzed after 1 wk (T5). The
      concentrations of serum total proteins and their electrophoretic fractions
      (albumin, alpha-, beta1-, beta2-, and gamma-globulins) was determined. A
      statistically significant ( p < 0.05) effect of storage conditions on all serum
      electrophoretic protein fractions and on the albumin-to-globulin (A/G) ratio was
      found. The values of albumin, alpha-globulins, and A/G ratio increased at T4 with
      respect to T0. The levels of alpha-globulins were higher at T1 than T0; the beta1
      globulins levels changed at T3, whereas the beta2- and gamma-globulins values as
      well as the A/G ratio changed at T2 and T3. At T4, we found an increase in the
      serum concentrations of albumin, alpha1-globulins, and on the A/G ratio, and a
      decrease of gamma fraction. At T5, the concentration of alpha-globulins was
      higher than at T0. Hence, we recommend electrophoretic analysis of fresh ovine
      serum samples or of samples refrigerated for no more than 24 h to obtain accurate
      data.

PMID- 28351296
TI  - Regulatory Forum Opinion Piece*: Use and Utility of Animal Models of Disease for
      Nonclinical Safety Assessment: A Pharmaceutical Industry Survey.
AB  - An Innovation and Quality (IQ) Consortium focus group conducted a cross-company
      survey to evaluate current practices and perceptions around the use of animal
      models of disease (AMDs) in nonclinical safety assessment of molecules in
      clinical development. The IQ Consortium group is an organization of
      pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies with the mission of advancing science
      and technology. The survey queried the utilization of AMDs during drug discovery
      in which drug candidates are evaluated in efficacy models and limited short
      duration non-Good Laboratory Practices (GLP) toxicology testing and during drug
      development in which drug candidates are evaluated in GLP toxicology studies. The
      survey determined that the majority of companies used AMDs during drug discovery
      primarily as a means for proactively assessing potential nonclinical safety
      issues prior to the conduct of toxicology studies, followed closely by the use of
      AMDs to better understand toxicities associated with exaggerated pharmacology in
      traditional toxicology models or to derisk issues when the target is only
      expressed in the disease state. In contrast, the survey results indicated that
      the use of AMDs in development is infrequent, being used primarily to investigate
      nonclinical safety issues associated with targets expressed only in disease
      states and/or in response to requests from global regulatory authorities.

PMID- 28351297
TI  - EphA4 promotes cell proliferation and cell adhesion-mediated drug resistance via
      the AKT pathway in multiple myeloma.
AB  - Eph receptor A4 (EphA4), a member of the erythropoietin-producing hepatocellular
      (Eph) family, has been reported to upregulate in several tumors. However, the
      role of EphA4 in multiple myeloma has not been clarified yet. In this study, we
      found that EphA4 promoted proliferation of multiple myeloma cells via the
      regulation of cell cycle. Besides, EphA4 was closely related to cell adhesion of
      multiple myeloma cells and promoted cell adhesion-mediated drug resistance by
      enhancing the phosphorylation levels of Akt (p-AKT) expression in multiple
      myeloma. More interestingly, we discovered that EphA4 can interact with cyclin
      dependent kinase 5 (CDK5) and regulate its expression in multiple myeloma. CDK5
      has been reported to be overexpressed in multiple myeloma which mediated
      bortezomib resistance and also participated in AKT pathway. And we have also
      proved the fact. So, we supposed that EphA4 interacted with CDK5 and promoted its
      expression which in turn enhanced p-AKT expression and promoted cell adhesion
      mediated drug resistance in multiple myeloma. Therefore, this study clarifies the
      molecular mechanism of cell adhesion-mediated drug resistance and may be useful
      in identifying potential target for treatment of multiple myeloma.

PMID- 28351298
TI  - Aberrant gene-specific DNA methylation signature analysis in cervical cancer.
AB  - Multicomponent molecular modifications such as DNA methylation may offer
      sensitive and specific cervical intraepithelial neoplasia and cervical cancer
      biomarkers. In this study, we tested cervical tissues at various stages of tumor
      progression for 5-methylcytosine and 5-hydroxymethylcytosine levels and also DNA
      promoter methylation profile of a panel of genes for its diagnostic potential. In
      total, 5-methylcytosine, 5-hydroxymethylcytosine, and promoter methylation of 33
      genes were evaluated by reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography,
      enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay based technique, and bisulfate-based next
      generation sequencing. The 5-methylcytosine and 5-hydroxymethylcytosine contents
      were significantly reduced in squamous cell carcinoma and receiver operating
      characteristic curve analysis showed a significant difference in (1) 5
      methylcytosine between normal and squamous cell carcinoma tissues (area under the
      curve = 0.946) and (2) 5-hydroxymethylcytosine levels among normal, squamous
      intraepithelial lesions and squamous cell carcinoma. Analyses of our next
      generation sequencing results and data from five independent published studies
      consisting of 191 normal, 10 low-grade squamous intraepithelial lesions, 21 high
      grade squamous intraepithelial lesions, and 335 malignant tissues identified a
      panel of nine genes ( ARHGAP6, DAPK1, HAND2, NKX2-2, NNAT, PCDH10, PROX1, PITX2,
      and RAB6C) which could effectively discriminate among the various groups with
      sensitivity and specificity of 80%-100% (p < 0.05). Furthermore, 12 gene
      promoters (ARHGAP6, HAND2, LHX9, HEY2, NKX2-2, PCDH10, PITX2, PROX1, TBX3, IKBKG,
      RAB6C, and DAPK1) were also methylated in one or more of the cervical cancer cell
      lines tested. The global and gene-specific methylation of the panel of genes
      identified in our study may serve as useful biomarkers for the early detection
      and clinical management of cervical cancer.

PMID- 28351299
TI  - Recognizing and managing on toxicities in cancer immunotherapy.
AB  - Over the past 4 years, cancer immunotherapy has significantly prolonged survival
      time of patients with prostate cancer, melanoma, lung cancer, and liver cancer,
      but its side effects are also impressive. Different types of the immune
      therapeutic agents have different on-target or off-target toxicity due to high
      affinity or weak specificity, respectively. Treatment toxicity spectrums vary
      greatly even in patients with the same type of cancer. Common toxicities are
      fevers, chills, diarrhea colitis, maculopapular rash, hepatitis, and hormone
      gland disorder; therefore, routine monitoring of thyroid function, liver
      function, renal function, and complete blood count are absolutely necessary once
      treatment begins. Some side effects are reversible, and can be processed through
      the standard medicines. However, serious toxicities are lethal, which should be
      frequently followed-up, identified at an early stage and immediately symptomatic
      treated by high-dose immunosuppressors. In this case, thereafter, the same agent
      should not be challenged again.

PMID- 28351300
TI  - Roles of zinc-fingers and homeoboxes 1 during the proliferation, migration, and
      invasion of glioblastoma cells.
AB  - Zinc-fingers and homeoboxes 1 (ZHX1) is a nuclear transcription repressor and
      known to be involved in cell differentiation and tumorigenesis. However, the
      pathophysiological roles of ZHX1 have not been characterized in glioblastoma. We
      examined ZHX1 expression in glioblastoma patients' tissues and analyzed overall
      survival of the patients based on expression level of ZHX1. We also examined the
      effects of ZHX1 on proliferation and motility of glioblastoma cells. In silico
      analysis and immunohistochemical studies showed that the messenger RNA and
      protein expressions of ZHX1 were higher in the tissues of glioblastoma patients
      than in normal brain tissues, and that its overexpression was associated with
      reduced survival. In vitro, the downregulation of ZHX1 decreased the
      proliferation, migration, and invasion of glioblastoma cells, whereas its
      upregulation had the opposite effects. In addition, we showed ZHX1 could
      contribute to glioblastoma progression via the regulations of TWIST1 and SNAI2.
      Taken together, this study demonstrates that ZHX1 plays crucial roles in the
      progression of glioblastoma, and its findings suggest that ZHX1 be viewed as a
      potential prognostic maker and therapeutic target of glioblastoma.

PMID- 28351301
TI  - Amphiregulin impairs apoptosis-stimulating protein 2 of p53 overexpression
      induced apoptosis in hepatoma cells.
AB  - Overexpression of apoptosis-stimulating protein 2 of p53 (ASPP2) induces
      apoptotic cell death in hepatoma cells (e.g. HepG2 cells) by enhancing the
      transactivation activity of p53, but long-term ASPP2 overexpression fails to
      induce more apoptosis since activation of the epidermal growth factor/epidermal
      growth factor receptor/SOS1 pathway impairs the pro-apoptotic role of ASPP2. In
      this study, in recombinant adenovirus-ASPP2-infected HepG2 cells, ASPP2
      overexpression induces amphiregulin expression in a p53-dependent manner.
      Although amphiregulin initially contributes to ASPP2-induced apoptosis, it
      eventually impairs the pro-apoptotic function of ASPP2 by activating the
      epidermal growth factor/epidermal growth factor receptor/SOS1 pathway, leading to
      apoptosis resistance. Moreover, blocking soluble amphiregulin with a neutralizing
      antibody also significantly increased apoptotic cell death of HepG2 cells due to
      treatment with methyl methanesulfonate, cisplatin, or a recombinant p53
      adenovirus, suggesting that the function of amphiregulin involved in inhibiting
      apoptosis may be a common mechanism by which hepatoma cells escape from stimulus
      induced apoptosis. Thus, our data elucidate an apoptosis-evasion mechanism in
      hepatocellular carcinoma and have potential implications for hepatocellular
      carcinoma therapy.

PMID- 28351302
TI  - The prognostic efficacy and improvements of the 7th edition Union for
      International Cancer Control tumor-node-metastasis classifications for Chinese
      patients with gastric cancer: Results based on a retrospective three-decade
      population study.
AB  - This study aimed to evaluate survival trends for patients with gastric cancer in
      northeast China in the most recent three decades and analyze the applicability of
      the UICC tumor-node-metastasis (TNM) classification 7th edition for Chinese
      patients with gastric cancer. A review of all inpatient and outpatient records of
      patients with gastric cancer was conducted in the first hospital of China Medical
      University and the Liaoning Cancer Hospital and Institute. All patients who met
      the inclusion criteria and were seen from January 1980 through December 2009 were
      included in the study. The primary outcome was 5-year survival, which was
      analyzed according to decade of diagnosis and TNM classifications. From 1980
      through 2009, the 5-year survival rates for patients with gastric cancer (n=2414)
      increased from 39.1% to 57.3%. Decade of diagnosis was significantly associated
      with patient survival (p = 0.013), and the 5-year survival rate in the 2000s was
      remarkably higher than that in the 1980s and 1990s (p = 0.004 and 0.049,
      respectively). When classified according to the UICC TNM classification of
      gastric cancer 7th edition, the prognoses of stage IIIA and stage IIIB patients
      were not significantly different (p = 0.077). However, if stage T4b and stage N0
      patients were classified as stage IIIA, the prognoses of stage IIIA and stage
      IIIB patients were significantly different (p < 0.001). Hence, there was a
      significant difference in survival during the three time periods in Northeast
      China. Classifying stage T4b and stage N0 patients as stage IIIA according to the
      7th edition of UICC gastric cancer TNM classifications better stratified Chinese
      patients and predicted prognoses.

PMID- 28351303
TI  - Phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase regulatory subunit 1 and phosphatase and tensin
      homolog as therapeutic targets in breast cancer.
AB  - Breast cancer is the most commonly diagnosed cancer among women in Turkey and
      worldwide. It is considered a heterogeneous disease and has different subtypes.
      Moreover, breast cancer has different molecular characteristics, behaviors, and
      responses to treatment. Advances in the understanding of the molecular mechanisms
      implicated in breast cancer progression have led to the identification of many
      potential therapeutic gene targets, such as Breast Cancer 1/2,
      phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase catalytic subunit alpha, and tumor protein 53. The
      aim of this review is to summarize the roles of phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase
      regulatory subunit 1 (alpha) (alias p85alpha) and phosphatase and tensin homolog
      in breast cancer progression and the molecular mechanisms involved. Phosphatase
      and tensin homolog is a tumor suppressor gene and protein. Phosphatase and tensin
      homolog antagonizes the phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase/AKT signaling pathway that
      plays a key role in cell growth, differentiation, and survival. Loss of
      phosphatase and tensin homolog expression, detected in about 20%-30% of cases, is
      known to be one of the most common tumor changes leading to phosphatidylinositol
      3-kinase pathway activation in breast cancer. Instead, the regulatory subunit
      p85alpha is a significant component of the phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase pathway,
      and it has been proposed that a reduction in p85alpha protein would lead to
      decreased negative regulation of phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase and
      hyperactivation of the phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase pathway.
      Phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase regulatory subunit 1 protein has also been reported
      to be a positive regulator of phosphatase and tensin homolog via the
      stabilization of this protein. A functional genetic alteration of
      phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase regulatory subunit 1 that results in reduced
      p85alpha protein expression and increased insulin receptor substrate 1 binding
      would lead to enhanced phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase signaling and hence cancer
      development. Phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase regulatory subunit 1 underexpression
      was observed in 61.8% of breast cancer samples. Therefore,
      expression/alternations of phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase regulatory subunit 1 and
      phosphatase and tensin homolog genes have crucial roles for breast cancer
      progression. This review will summarize the biological roles of
      phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase regulatory subunit 1 and phosphatase and tensin
      homolog in breast cancer, with an emphasis on recent findings and the potential
      of phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase regulatory subunit 1 and phosphatase and tensin
      homolog as a therapeutic target for breast cancer therapy.

PMID- 28351304
TI  - Expression of lactate dehydrogenase C correlates with poor prognosis in renal
      cell carcinoma.
AB  - Lactate dehydrogenase C is an isoenzyme of lactate dehydrogenase and a member of
      the cancer-testis antigens family. In this study, we aimed to investigate the
      expression and functional role of lactate dehydrogenase C and its basic
      mechanisms in renal cell carcinoma. First, a total of 133 cases of renal cell
      carcinoma samples were analysed in a tissue microarray, and Kaplan-Meier survival
      curve analyses were performed to investigate the correlation between lactate
      dehydrogenase C expression and renal cell carcinoma progression. Lactate
      dehydrogenase C protein levels and messenger RNA levels were significantly
      upregulated in renal cell carcinoma tissues, and the patients with positive
      lactate dehydrogenase C expression had a shorter progression-free survival,
      indicating the oncogenic role of lactate dehydrogenase C in renal cell carcinoma.
      In addition, further cytological experiments demonstrated that lactate
      dehydrogenase C could prompt renal cell carcinoma cells to produce lactate, and
      increase metastatic and invasive potential of renal cell carcinoma cells.
      Furthermore, lactate dehydrogenase C could induce the epithelial-mesenchymal
      transition process and matrix metalloproteinase-9 expression. In summary, these
      findings showed lactate dehydrogenase C was associated with poor prognosis in
      renal cell carcinoma and played a pivotal role in the migration and invasion of
      renal cell carcinoma cells. Lactate dehydrogenase C may act as a novel biomarker
      for renal cell carcinoma progression and a potential therapeutic target for the
      treatment of renal cell carcinoma.

PMID- 28351305
TI  - Overexpression of miR-519d in lung adenocarcinoma inhibits cell proliferation and
      invasion via the association of eIF4H.
AB  - Lung cancer is one of the deadliest types of cancer worldwide due to its high
      mortality rate. Adenocarcinoma constitutes 20%-30% of all lung cancers. In recent
      years, studies on the mechanisms of lung tumorigenesis and development have in
      part focused on the microRNAs for their crucial role in the progress of different
      cancers. As for our study, we demonstrated that miR-519d was differently
      downregulated and eIF4H was significantly overexpressed in lung adenocarcinoma
      via the detection of quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction compared
      with the adjacent normal tissues. Furthermore, Cell Counting Kit-8 assay, colony
      formation assay, xenograft tumor experiment, Ki67 immunohistochemistry assay and
      transwell assay were performed to explain that the upregulated miR-519d could
      inhibit the proliferation and invasion of A549 and H1299 cells. To further
      advance our understanding of the mechanisms of miR-519d, we performed the
      bioinformatics analysis and the luciferase report assay. The results from these
      procedures revealed eIF4H to be one of the targets of miR-519d. Downregulated
      eIF4H was analogous to the overexpressed miR-519d obtained from miR-519d agomir
      and si-eIF4H transfection. In summary, it can be concluded that miR-519d targets
      eIF4H in lung adenocarcinoma to inhibit cell proliferation and invasion. This
      mechanism may offer new insights into the tumorigenesis and development of lung
      adenocarcinoma.

PMID- 28351306
TI  - MTA3 regulates malignant progression of colorectal cancer through Wnt signaling
      pathway.
AB  - MTA3 overexpression has been implicated in carcinogenesis. The aim of the present
      study was to explore the clinical significance and biological roles of MTA3 in
      human colorectal cancer and colorectal cancer cells. A total of 80 cases of
      colorectal cancer tissues were examined by immunohistochemistry for MTA3 protein
      expression. We analyzed the relationship between MTA3 and clinical factors and
      the results showed that MTA3 was overexpressed in 51.25% (41/80) cancer cases.
      There was significant associations between MTA3 overexpression and advanced TNM
      stage (p = 0.0086) and Ki67 index (p = 0.001). We overexpressed MTA3 in LoVo
      cells and depleted its expression in HCT15 cells. The results showed that MTA3
      promoted cancer cell proliferation, invasion, migration, and cell cycle
      progression, and inhibited 5-fluorouracil-induced apoptosis in LoVo cell line.
      MTA3 depletion in HCT15 cell line showed the opposite effects. In addition, we
      found that MTA3 positively regulated cell cycle proteins including cyclin D1 and
      cyclin E. It also upregulated Bcl2 and downregulated Bax expression. Furthermore,
      we found that MTA3 could activate Wnt signaling pathway by upregulating Wnt
      target proteins. Our results demonstrated that MTA3 overexpression contributes to
      colorectal cancer carcinogenesis, progression, and chemoresistance. MTA3 could
      serve as a potential therapeutic target in colorectal cancer.

PMID- 28351307
TI  - Coptisine-induced cell cycle arrest at G2/M phase and reactive oxygen species
      dependent mitochondria-mediated apoptosis in non-small-cell lung cancer A549
      cells.
AB  - This study aimed to explore the effect of coptisine on non-small-cell lung cancer
      and its mechanism through various in vitro cellular models (A549). Results
      claimed significant inhibition of proliferation by coptisine against A549, H460,
      and H2170 cells with IC50 values of 18.09, 29.50, and 21.60 uM, respectively.
      Also, coptisine exhibited upregulation of pH2AX, cell cycle arrest at G2/M phase,
      and downregulation of the expression of cyclin B1, cdc2, and cdc25C and
      upregulation of p21 dose dependently. Furthermore, induction of apoptosis in A549
      cells by coptisine was characterized by the activation of caspase 9, caspase 8,
      and caspase 3, and cleavage of poly adenosine diphosphate ribose polymerase. In
      addition, coptisine was found to increase reactive oxygen species generation,
      upregulate Bax/Bcl-2 ratio, disrupt mitochondrial membrane potential, and cause
      cytochrome c release into the cytosol. Besides, treatment with a reactive oxygen
      species inhibitor (N-acetyl cysteine) abrogated coptisine-induced growth
      inhibition, apoptosis, reactive oxygen species generation, and mitochondrial
      dysfunction. Thus, the mediation of reactive oxygen species in the apoptosis
      induced effect of coptisine in A549 cells was corroborated. These findings have
      offered new insights into the effect and mechanisms of action of coptisine
      against non-small-cell lung cancer.

PMID- 28351308
TI  - Sulfiredoxin may promote metastasis and invasion of cervical squamous cell
      carcinoma by epithelial-mesenchymal transition.
AB  - Sulfiredoxin (Srx), a novel oxidative stress-induced antioxidant protein, has
      been reported to be expressed in several human tumour tissues. However, the
      expression and functions of Srx in cervical squamous cell carcinoma remain
      unknown. Here, we proved that expression of Srx was upregulated in cervical
      tissues as revealed by immunohistochemistry, and revealed a close correlation
      between the protein's expression and the expression level of one core epithelial
      mesenchymal transition marker, E-cadherin. We demonstrated that Srx was
      overexpressed in cervical squamous cell carcinoma and its expression level was
      closely correlated with lymph node metastasis and invasion of cervical squamous
      cell carcinoma. Meanwhile, Srx expression was negatively correlated with E
      cadherin expression. The remission time (tumour-free status after surgery) of the
      Srx strong staining group was significantly shorter than that of the Srx weak
      staining group. We silenced Srx by short hairpin RNA in HeLa and SiHa cells.
      Diminished Srx expression upregulated E-cadherin expression. The cell invasion
      and migration activity in the ShSrx group were obviously decreased in HeLa and
      SiHa cells. Moreover, Srx regulated the expression of the other marker of
      epithelial-mesenchymal transition, vimentin. In conclusion, the study suggested
      that Srx was highly expressed in cervical squamous cell carcinoma and may promote
      invasion and metastasis of cervical squamous cell carcinoma via regulating
      epithelial-mesenchymal transition.

PMID- 28351309
TI  - Plasma microRNA192 in combination with serum CA19-9 as non-invasive prognostic
      biomarker in periampullary carcinoma.
AB  - In this study, circulating microRNAs (miRNAs) are being investigated as non
      invasive biomarkers for early diagnosis and prognosis of human cancers. Since the
      prognosis for pancreatobiliary subtype of periampullary carcinoma is poor, we
      assessed the prognostic relevance of miRNAs in combination with CA19-9 as
      noninvasive biomarker in periampullary carcinoma. Circulating miRNAs in plasma
      and serum CA19-9 were evaluated in periampullary carcinoma patients (n = 109)
      undergoing Whipple's pancreaticoduodenectomy and in healthy volunteers (n = 92).
      Tumour tissues were subjected to staging and subtyping prior to determining
      differentially expressed miRNAs in them by quantitative real-time polymerase
      chain reaction (qRT-PCR). Statistical analysis involved correlation, receiver
      operating characteristic, logistic regression, survival analyses and Cox
      proportional regression. Of the three differentially expressed circulating miRNA,
      miRNA192 was significantly increased both in circulation and in tumour tissue and
      correlated with tumour stage and aggressiveness (r = 0.96, P < 0.0001). Area
      under the curve of circulating miRNA192 + CA19-9 combination was 0.877 (95%
      confidence interval, 0.72 to 0.96) for stage III and 0.92 (95% confidence
      interval, 0.77 to 0.88) for tumour aggressiveness. The combination was associated
      with poor survival (median: 22 months, P = 0.0008) in stage III patients. Cox
      proportional regression analysis revealed prognostic importance of combination of
      circulating miR192 and CA19-9 (HR = 1.005, P = 0.0001) in periampullary
      carcinoma. In conclusion, combination of circulating miRNA192 with serum CA19-9
      is a better prognostic biomarker than CA19-9 alone.

PMID- 28351310
TI  - One-Year Outcomes of the Paclitaxel-Eluting, Self-Expanding Stentys Stent System
      in the Treatment of Infrapopliteal Lesions in Patients With Critical Limb
      Ischemia.
AB  - PURPOSE: To investigate the efficacy of the paclitaxel-coated, self-expanding,
      nitinol Stentys Stent System in tibioperoneal lesions <=50 mm long. METHODS: The
      prospective, single-arm, multicenter PES-BTK-70 trial ( ClinicalTrials.gov
      identifier NCT01630070) evaluated the safety and efficacy of the coronary Stentys
      Stent System in the treatment of a stenotic or occlusive lesion <=50 mm long in
      the tibioperoneal arteries of patients with critical limb ischemia (CLI). Between
      January 2012 and May 2013, 70 patients (mean age 74.6+/-9.4 years; 45 men) with
      CLI [Rutherford category 4 (37, 52.9%) or 5 (33, 47.1%)] received a Stentys drug
      eluting stent for the treatment of infrapopliteal stenosis (60, 85.7%) or
      occlusion (10, 14.3%). The mean lesion length was 17.2 mm (4.0-58.5). The primary
      outcome measures were primary patency at 6 months (duplex ultrasound) and 12
      months (angiography). Secondary outcomes included limb salvage and freedom from
      target lesion revascularization (TLR). Kaplan-Meier estimates of the outcomes are
      given with the 95% confidence intervals (CI). RESULTS: Technical and procedure
      success (<30% residual stenosis without major complications) was achieved in 68
      (97.1%) of 70 cases. Primary patency was 87.6% (95% CI 83.5% to 91.7%) at 6
      months and 72.6% (95% CI 66.9% to 78.3%) at 1 year. Freedom from TLR was 79.1% at
      1 year (95% CI 73.9% to 84.3) and limb salvage was 98.5% (95% CI 97.0 to 100.0).
      No stent fractures were found by core laboratory review of all follow-up imaging
      data available up to 12 months. CONCLUSION: In this study, the self-expanding,
      nitinol, paclitaxel-eluting, coronary Stentys stent was found to be safe and
      effective in the below-the-knee region, with results similar to the most recent
      limus-eluting stent trials.

PMID- 28351311
TI  - Lessons Learned Regarding Handling and Deployment of the Absorb Bioresorbable
      Vascular Scaffold in Infrapopliteal Arteries.
AB  - PURPOSE: To describe relevant technical details with which to facilitate safe and
      effective use of the Absorb coronary bioresorbable vascular scaffold (BVS) in
      lower extremity arteries. TECHNIQUE: The Absorb BVS is a balloon-expandable, poly
      l-lactide structure covered in a poly-d,l-lactide bioresorbable polymer that
      contains the antiproliferative drug everolimus. As a polymeric structure, it has
      a number of unique physical, handling, and imaging properties that may differ
      from metallic stents and pose a challenge to the interventionist. Attention must
      be paid to lesion selection, preparation, scaffold sizing, deployment, and
      postdilation to achieve optimal outcomes. A detailed description of these issues
      and deployment techniques is offered based on experience using this BVS in below
      the-knee arteries. CONCLUSION: The Absorb BVS may have application in the
      infrapopliteal circulation; however, its unique properties warrant careful
      consideration before use in the lower limb.

PMID- 28351313
TI  - SIRT1 promotes the proliferation and metastasis of human pancreatic cancer cells.
AB  - SIRT1 plays an important role in human malignant progression, inducing cancer
      cell proliferation and metastasis by regulating downstream gene expressions.
      However, little is known about the underlying mechanisms in which SIRT1 promotes
      pancreatic cancer tumorigenesis. The aim of this study is to investigate the
      SIRT1 expression levels and biological functions in promoting pancreatic cancer
      progression. We first investigated the expression of SIRT1 in a series of
      pancreatic cancer tissues as well as in a panel of pancreatic cancer cell lines.
      The effect of SIRT1 on cell activity was explored by knockdown experiments. Cell
      growth was measured using the MTT assay and colony-formation assay. Migration and
      invasion were tested using transwell assay. Our results showed that the
      expression of SIRT1 was significantly up-regulated both in pancreatic cancer
      tissues and cell lines. Knockdown of SIRT1 suppressed cell proliferation and
      migration of pancreatic cancer cells. This is the first report to disclose the
      role of SIRT1 in regulation of pancreatic cancer cell proliferation and
      migration, which may provide a potential therapeutic target for pancreatic cancer
      patients.

PMID- 28351312
TI  - Neuropeptide gastrin-releasing peptide induces PI3K/reactive oxygen species
      dependent migration in lung adenocarcinoma cells.
AB  - Nerve fibers and neurotransmitters have increasingly been shown to have a role in
      tumor progression. Gastrin-releasing peptide is a neuropeptide linked to tumor
      aggressiveness, acting as an autocrine tumor growth factor by binding to its
      receptor, gastrin-releasing peptide receptor, expressed by many tumors. Although
      neuropeptides have been previously linked to tumor cell proliferation, more
      recent studies have uncovered roles for neuropeptides in chemotaxis and
      metastasis. Understanding the precise roles of such peptides in cancer is crucial
      to optimizing targeted therapy design. We have previously described that gastrin
      releasing peptide acts directly as a chemotactic factor for neutrophils,
      dependent on PI3K, ERK, and p38. In this study, we investigated roles for gastrin
      releasing peptide in lung adenocarcinoma. We asked if gastrin-releasing peptide
      would act as a proliferative and/or chemotactic stimulus for gastrin-releasing
      peptide receptor-expressing tumor cells. In A549 cells, a non-small cell lung
      carcinoma line, the treatment with gastrin-releasing peptide leads to activation
      of AKT and ERK1/2, and production of reactive oxygen species. Gastrin-releasing
      peptide induced migration of A549 cells, dependent on gastrin-releasing peptide
      receptor and PI3K, but not ERK. However, no proliferation was observed in these
      cells in response to gastrin-releasing peptide, and gastrin-releasing peptide did
      not promote resistance to treatment with a chemotherapy drug. Our results suggest
      that, similar to what happens in neutrophils, gastrin-releasing peptide is a
      migratory, rather than a proliferative, stimulus, for non-small cell lung
      carcinoma cells, indicating a putative role for gastrin-releasing peptide and
      gastrin-releasing peptide receptor in metastasis.

PMID- 28351314
TI  - Inactivation of parkin by promoter methylation correlated with lymph node
      metastasis and genomic instability in nasopharyngeal carcinoma.
AB  - This study aimed to investigate the inactivation of the parkin gene by promoter
      methylation and its relationship with genome instability in nasopharyngeal
      carcinoma. Parkin was considered as a tumor suppressor gene in various types of
      cancers. However, its role in nasopharyngeal carcinoma is unexplored. Genomic
      instabilities were detected in nasopharyngeal carcinoma tissues by the random
      amplified polymorphic DNA. The methylation-specific polymerase chain reaction,
      semi-quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction, and
      immunohistochemical analysis were used to detect methylation and mRNA and protein
      expression of parkin in 54 cases of nasopharyngeal carcinoma tissues and 16 cases
      of normal nasopharyngeal epithelia tissues, and in 5 nasopharyngeal carcinoma
      cell lines (CNE1, CNE2, TWO3, C666, and HONE1) and 1 normal nasopharyngeal
      epithelia cell line (NP69). mRNA expression of parkin in CNE1 and CNE2 was
      analyzed before and after methyltransferase inhibitor 5-aza-2-deoxycytidine
      treatment. The relationship between promoter methylation and mRNA expression,
      demethylation and mRNA expression, and mRNA and protein expression of the gene
      and clinical factors and genomic instabilities were analyzed. The mRNA and
      protein expression levels were significantly reduced in 54 cases of human
      nasopharyngeal carcinoma compared with 16 cases of normal nasopharyngeal
      epithelia. Parkin-methylated cases showed significantly lower mRNA and protein
      expression levels compared with unmethylated cases. After 5-aza-2-deoxycytidine
      treatment, parkin mRNA expression was restored in CNE1 and CNE2; 92.59% (50/54)
      of nasopharyngeal carcinoma demonstrated genomic instability. Parkin is
      frequently inactivated by promoter methylation, and its mRNA and protein
      expression correlate with lymph node metastasis and genomic instability. Parkin
      deficiency probably promotes tumorigenesis in nasopharyngeal carcinoma.

PMID- 28351315
TI  - Obesity-associated digestive cancers: A review of mechanisms and interventions.
AB  - The prevalence of obesity has steadily increased over the past few decades.
      Previous studies suggest that obesity is an oncogenic factor and that over 20% of
      all cancers are obesity-related. Among such cancers, digestive system
      malignancies (including esophageal adenocarcinomas, colorectal cancers, and
      cancers of the gastric cardia, liver, and pancreas) are reported most frequently.
      While the 5-year survival rates of cancers of the breast and prostate are 90%,
      that rate is only 45% for digestive cancers. In this review, the mechanisms of
      obesity-associated digestive cancers are discussed, with an emphasis on obesity
      related gene mutations, insulin and insulin-like growth factor signaling
      pathways, chronic inflammation, and altered adipokine levels. Evidence that these
      factors often function interdependently rather than independently in
      carcinogenesis is presented. Recommended interventions that may reduce the burden
      of obesity-associated digestive cancers, such as participation in physical
      activity, diet modulation, and calorie restriction, are also described.

PMID- 28351316
TI  - Novel tetrahydroacridine and cyclopentaquinoline derivatives with fluorobenzoic
      acid moiety induce cell cycle arrest and apoptosis in lung cancer cells by
      activation of DNA damage signaling.
AB  - Lung cancer is still the leading cause of cancer-related death worldwide,
      indicating a necessity to develop more effective therapy. Acridine derivatives
      are potential anticancer agents due to their ability to intercalate DNA as well
      as inhibit enzymes involved in replication and transcription. Recently, we have
      evaluated anticancer activity of 32 novel acridine-based compounds. We found that
      the most effective were tetrahydroacridine and cyclopentaquinoline derivatives
      with fluorobenzoic acid containing eight and nine carbon atoms in the aliphatic
      chain. The aim of this study was to determine the molecular mechanisms of
      compounds-induced cell cycle arrest and apoptosis in human lung adenocarcinoma
      cells. All compounds activated Ataxia telangiectasia mutated kinase and
      phosphorylated histone H2A.X at Ser139 indicating DNA damage. Treatment of cells
      with the compounds increased phosphorylation and accumulation of p53 that
      regulate cell cycle as well as apoptosis. All compounds induced G0/1 cell cycle
      arrest by phosphorylation of cyclin-dependent kinase 2 at Tyr15 resulting in
      attenuation of the kinase activity. In addition, cyclopentaquinoline derivatives
      induced expression of cyclin-dependent kinase 2 inhibitor, p21; however,
      tetrahydroacridine derivatives had no significant effect on p21. Moreover, all
      compounds decreased the mitochondrial membrane potential accompanied by increased
      expression of Bax and down-regulation of Bcl-2, suggesting activation of the
      mitochondrial pathway. All compounds also significantly attenuated the migration
      rates of lung cancer cells. Collectively, our findings suggest a central role of
      activation of DNA damage signaling in response to new acridine derivatives
      treatment to induce cell cycle arrest and apoptosis in cancer cells and provide
      support for their further development as potential drug candidates.

PMID- 28351317
TI  - Impact of epidermal growth factor receptor gene expression level on clinical
      outcomes in epidermal growth factor receptor mutant lung adenocarcinoma patients
      taking first-line epidermal growth factor receptor-tyrosine kinase inhibitors.
AB  - Epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR)-tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) are
      first-choice treatments for advanced non-small-cell lung cancer patients
      harboring EGFR mutations. Although EGFR mutations are strongly predictive of
      patients' outcomes and their response to treatment with EGFR-TKIs, early failure
      of first-line therapy with EGFR-TKIs in patients with EGFR mutations is not rare.
      Besides several clinical factors influencing EGFR-TKI efficacies studied earlier
      such as the Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group performance status or uncommon
      mutation, we would like to see whether semi-quantify EGFR mutation gene
      expression calculated by 2-DeltaDeltact was a prognostic factor in EGFR-mutant
      non-small cell lung cancer patients receiving first-line EGFR-TKIs. This
      retrospective study reviews 926 lung cancer patients diagnosed from January 2011
      to October 2013 at the Kaohsiung Chang Gung Memorial Hospital in Taiwan. Of 224
      EGFR-mutant adenocarcinoma patients, 148 patients who had 2-DeltaDeltact data
      were included. The best cutoff values of 2-DeltaDeltact for in-frame deletions in
      exon 19 (19 deletion) and a position 858 substituted from leucine (L) to an
      arginine (R) in exon 21 (L858R) were determined using receiver operating
      characteristic curves. Patients were divided into high and low 2-DeltaDeltact
      expression based on the above cutoff level. The best cutoff point of 2
      DeltaDeltact value of 19 deletion and L858R was 31.1 and 104.7, respectively. In
      all, 92 (62.1%) patients showed high 2-DeltaDeltact expression and 56 patients
      (37.9%) low 2-DeltaDeltact expression. The mean age was 65.6 years. Progression
      free survival of 19 deletion mutant patients with low versus high expression
      level was 17.07 versus 12.04 months (P = 0.004), respectively. Progression-free
      survival of L858 mutant patients was 13.75 and 7.96 months (P = 0.008),
      respectively. EGFR-mutant lung adenocarcinoma patients with lower EGFR gene
      expression had longer progression-free survival duration without interfering
      overall survival.

PMID- 28351318
TI  - Cytotoxicity of citral against melanoma cells: The involvement of oxidative
      stress generation and cell growth protein reduction.
AB  - Citral is a natural compound that has shown cytotoxic and antiproliferative
      effects on breast and hematopoietic cancer cells; however, there are few studies
      on melanoma cells. Oxidative stress is known to be involved in all stages of
      melanoma development and is able to modulate intracellular pathways related to
      cellular proliferation and death. In this study, we hypothesize that citral
      exerts its cytotoxic effect on melanoma cells by the modulation of cellular
      oxidative status and/or intracellular signaling. To test this hypothesis, we
      investigated the antiproliferative and cytotoxic effects of citral on B16F10
      murine melanoma cells evaluating its effects on cellular oxidative stress, DNA
      damage, cell death, and important signaling pathways, as these pathways, namely,
      extracellular signal-regulated kinases 1/2 (ERK1/2), AKT, and
      phosphatidylinositol-3 kinase, are involved in cell proliferation and
      differentiation. The p53 and nuclear factor kappa B were also investigated due to
      their ability to respond to intracellular stress. We observed that citral exerted
      antiproliferative and cytotoxic effects in B16F10; induced oxidative stress, DNA
      lesions, and p53 nuclear translocation; and reduced nitric oxide levels and
      nuclear factor kappa B, ERK1/2, and AKT. To investigate citral specificity, we
      used non-neoplastic human and murine cells, HaCaT (human skin keratinocytes) and
      NIH-3T3 cells (murine fibroblasts), and observed that although citral effects
      were not specific for cancer cells, non-neoplastic cells were more resistant to
      citral than B16F10. These findings highlight the potential clinical utility of
      citral in melanoma, with a mechanism of action involving the oxidative stress
      generation, nitric oxide depletion, and interference in signaling pathways
      related to cell proliferation.

PMID- 28351320
TI  - Promising therapeutic role of miR-27b in tumor.
AB  - MicroRNAs are small nonprotein-encoding RNAs ranging from 18 to 25 nucleotides in
      size and regulate multiple biological pathways via directly targeting a variety
      of associated genes in cancers. MicroRNA-27b is a highly conserved MicroRNA
      throughout vertebrates and there are two homologs (hsa-miR-27a and hsa-miR-27b)
      in humans. MicroRNA-27b is an intragenic microRNA located on chromosome 9q22.1
      within the C9orf3 gene, clustering with miR-23b and miR-24-1 in human. As a
      frequently dysregulated microRNA in human cancers, microRNA-27b could function as
      a tumor suppressor or an oncogenic microRNA. More and more studies indicate that
      microRNA-27b is involved in affecting various biological processes, such as
      angiogenesis, proliferation, metastasis, and drug resistance, and thus may act as
      a promising therapeutic target in human cancers. In this review, we discuss the
      role of microRNA-27b in detail and offer novel insights into molecular targeting
      therapy for cancers.

PMID- 28351319
TI  - SF3B4 is decreased in pancreatic cancer and inhibits the growth and migration of
      cancer cells.
AB  - Splicing factor 3b subunit 4, a critical component of pre-message RNA splicing
      complex, has been reported to play an important part in the tumorigenesis.
      However, the expression pattern and biological role of splicing factor 3b subunit
      4 in pancreatic cancer have never been investigated. In this study, we found that
      both the messenger RNA ( p < 0.001) and protein level of splicing factor 3b
      subunit 4 were decreased significantly in pancreatic cancer specimens compared
      with their adjacent normal tissues. Overexpression of splicing factor 3b subunit
      4 in pancreatic cancer cells inhibited cell growth and motility in vitro, while
      suppressing splicing factor 3b subunit 4 expression promoted the proliferation
      and migration of pancreatic cancer cells. In addition, splicing factor 3b subunit
      4 was found to inhibit the activity of signal transducer and activator of
      transcription 3 signaling via downregulating the phosphorylation of signal
      transducer and activator of transcription 3 on a tyrosine residue at position
      705. Taken together, these findings demonstrated that splicing factor 3b subunit
      4 acted as a suppressive role in pancreatic cancer and indicated that restoring
      the function of splicing factor 3b subunit 4 might be a strategy for cancer
      therapy.

PMID- 28351321
TI  - Mammalian target of rapamycin inhibitors, temsirolimus and torin 1, attenuate
      stemness-associated properties and expression of mesenchymal markers promoted by
      phorbol-myristate-acetate and oncostatin-M in glioblastoma cells.
AB  - The phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase/Akt/mammalian target of rapamycin signaling
      pathway is crucial for tumor survival, proliferation, and progression, making it
      an attractive target for therapeutic intervention. In glioblastoma, activated
      mammalian target of rapamycin promotes invasive phenotype and correlates with
      poor patient survival. A wide range of mammalian target of rapamycin inhibitors
      are currently being evaluated for cytotoxicity and anti-proliferative activity in
      various tumor types but are not explored sufficiently for controlling tumor
      invasion and recurrence. We recently reported that mammalian target of rapamycin
      inhibitors-rapamycin, temsirolimus, torin 1, and PP242-suppressed invasion and
      migration promoted by tumor necrosis factor-alpha and phorbol-myristate-acetate
      in glioblastoma cells. As aggressive invasion and migration of tumors are
      associated with mesenchymal and stem-like cell properties, this study aimed to
      examine the effect of mammalian target of rapamycin inhibitors on these features
      in glioblastoma cells. We demonstrate that temsirolimus and torin 1 effectively
      reduced the constitutive as well as phorbol-myristate-acetate/oncostatin-M
      induced expression of mesenchymal markers (fibronectin, vimentin, and YKL40) and
      neural stem cell markers (Sox2, Oct4, nestin, and mushashi1). The inhibitors
      significantly abrogated the neurosphere-forming capacity induced by phorbol
      myristate-acetate and oncostatin-M. Furthermore, we demonstrate that the drugs
      dephosphorylated signal transducer and activator transcription factor 3, a major
      regulator of mesenchymal and neural stem cell markers implicating the role of
      signal transducer and activator transcription factor 3 in the inhibitory action
      of these drugs. The findings demonstrate the potential of mammalian target of
      rapamycin inhibitors as "stemness-inhibiting drugs" and a promising therapeutic
      approach to target glioma stem cells.

PMID- 28351322
TI  - PVT1 affects growth of glioma microvascular endothelial cells by negatively
      regulating miR-186.
AB  - Vigorous angiogenesis is one of the reasons for the poor prognosis of glioma. A
      number of studies have shown that long non-coding RNA can affect a variety of
      biological behaviors of tumors. However, the influence of long non-coding RNAs on
      glioma vascular endothelial cells remains unclear. To simulate the glioma
      microenvironment, we applied glioma-conditioned medium to human cerebral
      microvascular endothelial cells. The long non-coding RNA PVT1 was found to be
      highly expressed in glioma vascular endothelial cells. Cell Counting Kit-8,
      migration, and tube formation assays showed that PVT1 overexpression promoted
      glioma vascular endothelial cells proliferation, migration, and angiogenesis. We
      also found that PVT1 overexpression upregulated the expression of the autophagy
      related proteins Atg7 and Beclin1, which induced protective autophagy.
      Bioinformatics software and dual-luciferase system analysis confirmed that PVT1
      acts by targeting miR-186. In addition, our study showed that miR-186 could
      target the 3' untranslated region of Atg7 and Beclin1 to decrease their
      expression levels, thereby inhibiting glioma-conditioned human cerebral
      microvascular endothelial cell autophagy. In conclusion, PVT1 overexpression
      increased the expression of Atg7 and Beclin1 by targeting miR-186, which induced
      protective autophagy, thus promoting glioma vascular endothelial cell
      proliferation, migration, and angiogenesis. Therefore, PVT1 and miR-186 can
      provide new therapeutic targets for future anti-angiogenic treatment of glioma.

PMID- 28351323
TI  - gamma-H2AX: Can it be established as a classical cancer prognostic factor?
AB  - Double-strand breaks are among the first procedures taking place in cancer
      formation and progression as a result of endogenic and exogenic factors. The
      histone variant H2AX undergoes phosphorylation at serine 139 due to double-strand
      breaks, and the gamma-H2AX is formatted as a result of genomic instability. The
      detection of gamma-H2AX can potentially serve as a biomarker for transformation
      of normal tissue to premalignant and consequently to malignant tissues. gamma
      H2AX has already been investigated in a variety of cancer types, including
      breast, lung, colon, cervix, and ovary cancers. The prognostic value of gamma
      H2AX is indicated in certain cancer types, such as breast or endometrial cancer,
      but further investigation is needed to establish gamma-H2AX as a prognostic
      marker. This review outlines the role of gamma-H2AX in cell cycle, and its
      formation as a result of DNA damage. We investigate the role of gamma-H2AX
      formation in several cancer types and its correlation with other prognostic
      factors, and we try to find out whether it fulfills the requirements for its
      establishment as a classical cancer prognostic factor.

PMID- 28351324
TI  - The 5th Annual One Mind Summit: Lessons Learned About "Science Informing Brain
      Health Policies and Practice".
AB  - Advances in science frequently precede changes in clinical care by several years
      or even decades. To better understand the path to translation, we invited experts
      to share their perspectives at the 5th Annual One Mind Summit: "Science Informing
      Brain Health Policies and Practice", which was held on May 24-25, 2016 in Crystal
      City, VA. While the translation of brain research throughout the pipeline - from
      basic science research to patient care - was discussed, the focus was on the
      implementation of "best evidence" into patient care. The Summit identified key
      steps, including the need for professional endorsement and clinical guidelines or
      policies, acceptance by regulators and payers, dissemination and training for
      clinicians, patient advocacy, and learning healthcare models. The path to
      implementation was discussed broadly, as well as in the context of a specific
      project to implement concussion screening in emergency and urgent care centers
      throughout the U.S.

PMID- 28351325
TI  - Intracellular calcium promotes radioresistance of non-small cell lung cancer A549
      cells through activating Akt signaling.
AB  - Radiotherapy is a major therapeutic approach in non-small cell lung cancer but is
      restricted by radioresistance. Although Akt signaling promotes radioresistance in
      non-small cell lung cancer, it is not well understood how Akt signaling is
      activated. Since intracellular calcium (Ca2+) could activate Akt in A549 cells,
      we investigated the relationship between intracellular calcium (Ca2+) and Akt
      signaling in radioresistant A549 cells by establishing radioresistant non-small
      cell lung cancer A549 cells. The radioresistant cell line A549 was generated by
      dose-gradient irradiation of the parental A549 cells. The cell viability,
      proliferation, and apoptosis were, respectively, assessed using the cell counting
      kit-8, EdU labeling, and flow cytometry analysis. The phosphorylation of Akt was
      evaluated by Western blotting, and the intracellular Ca2+ concentration was
      assessed by Fluo 4-AM. The radioresistant A549 cells displayed mesenchymal
      morphology. After additional irradiation, the radioresistant A549 cells showed
      decreased cell viability and proliferation but increased apoptosis. Moreover, the
      intracellular Ca2+ concentration and the phosphorylation level on the Akt473 site
      in radioresistant A549 cells were higher than those in original cells, whereas
      the percentage of apoptosis in radioresistant A549 cells was less. All these
      results could be reversed by verapamil. In conclusion, our study found that
      intracellular Ca2+ could promote radioresistance of non-small cell lung cancer
      cells through phosphorylating of Akt on the 473 site, which contributes to a
      better understanding on the non-small cell lung cancer radioresistance, and may
      provide a new target for radioresistance management.

PMID- 28351326
TI  - Suppression of p53-inducible gene 3 is significant for glioblastoma progression
      and predicts poor patient prognosis.
AB  - Glioblastoma is the most malignant and invasive brain tumor with extremely poor
      prognosis. p53-inducible gene 3, a downstream molecule of the tumor suppressor
      p53, has been found involved in apoptosis and oxidative stress response. However,
      the functions of p53-inducible gene 3(PIG3) in cancer are far from clear
      including glioblastoma. In this study, we found that p53-inducible gene 3
      expression was suppressed in glioblastoma tissues compared with normal tissues.
      And the expression of p53-inducible gene 3 was significantly associated with the
      World Health Organization grade. Patients with high p53-inducible gene 3
      expression have a significantly longer median survival time (15 months) than
      those with low p53-inducible gene 3 expression (8 months). According to Cox
      regression analysis, p53-inducible gene 3 was an independent prognostic factor
      with multivariate hazard ratio of 0.578 (95% confidence interval, 0.352-0.947; p
      = 0.030) for overall survival. Additionally, gain and loss of function
      experiments showed that knockdown of p53-inducible gene 3 significantly increased
      the proliferation and invasion ability of glioblastoma cells while overexpression
      of p53-inducible gene 3 inhibited the proliferation and invasion ability. The
      results of in vivo glioblastoma models further confirmed that p53-inducible gene
      3 suppression promoted glioblastoma progression. Altogether, our data suggest
      that high expression of p53-inducible gene 3 is significant for glioblastoma
      inhibition and p53-inducible gene 3 independently indicates good prognosis in
      patients, which might be a novel prognostic biomarker or potential therapeutic
      target in glioblastoma.

PMID- 28351327
TI  - Nigericin decreases the viability of multidrug-resistant cancer cells and lung
      tumorspheres and potentiates the effects of cardiac glycosides.
AB  - Multiple factors including tumor heterogeneity and intrinsic or acquired
      resistance have been associated with drug resistance in lung cancer. Increased
      stemness and the plasticity of cancer cells have been identified as important
      mechanisms of resistance; therefore, treatments targeting cancer cells
      independent of stemness phenotype would be much more effective in treating lung
      cancer. In this article, we have characterized the anticancer effects of the
      antibiotic Nigericin in cells displaying varying degrees of stemness and
      resistance to anticancer drugs, arising from (1) routine culture conditions, (2)
      prolonged periods of serum starvation. These cells are highly resistant to
      conventional anticancer drugs such as Paclitaxel, Hydroxyurea, Colchicine,
      Obatoclax, Wortmannin, and LY294002, and the multidrug-resistant phenotype of
      cells growing under prolonged periods of serum starvation is likely the result of
      extensive rewiring of signaling pathways, and (3) lung tumorspheres that are
      enriched for cancer stem-like cells. We found that Nigericin potently inhibited
      the viability of cells growing under routine culture conditions, prolonged
      periods of serum starvation, and lung tumorspheres. In addition, we found that
      Nigericin downregulated the expression of key proteins in the Wnt canonical
      signaling pathway such as LRP6, Wnt5a/b, and beta-catenin, but promotes beta
      catenin translocation into the nucleus. The antitumor effects of Nigericin were
      potentiated by the Wnt activator HLY78 and by therapeutic levels of the US Food
      and Drug Administration-approved drug Digitoxin and its novel synthetic analog
      MonoD. We believe that Nigericin may be used in a co-therapy model in combination
      with other novel chemotherapeutic agents in order to achieve potent inhibition of
      cancers that display varying degrees of stemness, potentially leading to
      sustained anticancer effects.

PMID- 28351328
TI  - Effect of EBI3 on radiation-induced immunosuppression of cervical cancer HeLa
      cells by regulating Treg cells through PD-1/PD-L1 pathway.
AB  - This study aimed to investigate the effect of EBI3 on radiation-induced
      immunosuppression of cervical cancer HeLa cells by regulating Treg cells through
      PD-1/PD-L1 signaling pathway. A total of 43 adult female Wistar rats were
      selected and injected with HeLa cells in the caudal vein to construct a rat model
      of cervical cancer. All model rats were randomly divided into the radiotherapy
      group ( n = 31) and the control group ( n = 12). The immunophenotype of Treg
      cells was detected by the flow cytometry. The protein expressions of EBI3, PD-1,
      and PD-L1 in cervical cancer tissues were tested by the streptavidin-peroxidase
      method. HeLa cells in the logarithmic growth phase were divided into four groups:
      the blank, the negative control group, the EBI3 mimics group, and the EBI3
      inhibitors group. Western blotting was used to detect PD-1 and PD-L1 protein
      expressions. MTT assay was performed to measure the proliferation of Treg cells.
      Flow cytometry was used to detect cell cycle and apoptosis, and CD4+/CD8+ T cell
      ratio in each group. Compared with before and 1 week after radiotherapy, the
      percentages of CD4+T cells and CD8+T cells were significantly decreased in the
      radiotherapy group at 1 month after radiotherapy. Furthermore, down-regulation of
      EBI3 and up-regulation of PD-1 and PD-L1 were observed in cervical cancer tissues
      at 1 month after radiotherapy. In comparison to the blank and negative control
      groups, increased expression of EBI3 and decreased expressions of PD-1 and PD-L1
      were found in the EBI3 mimics group. However, the EBI3 inhibitors group had a
      lower expression of EBI3 and higher expressions of PD-1 and PD-L1 than those in
      the blank and negative control groups. The EBI3 mimics group showed an increase
      in the optical density value (0.43 +/- 0.05), while a decrease in the optical
      density value (0.31 +/- 0.02) was found in the EBI3 inhibitors group. Moreover,
      compared with the blank and negative control groups, the apoptosis rates of
      Treg/CD4+T/CD8+T cells were decreased in the EBI3 mimics group, but the EBI3
      inhibitors group exhibited an increase in apoptosis rate. In conclusion, over
      expression of EBI3 could reduce the apoptosis of Treg/CD4+T/CD8+T cells and
      prevent radiation-induced immunosuppression of cervical cancer HeLa cells by
      inhibiting the activation of PD-1/PD-L1 signaling pathway.

PMID- 28351329
TI  - Crocetin shifts autophagic cell survival to death of breast cancer cells in
      chemotherapy.
AB  - The chemotherapy with fluorouracil is not always effective, in which some breast
      cancer cells may survive the fluorouracil treatment through enhanced autophagy.
      Crocetin is the major constituent of saffron, a Chinese traditional herb, which
      has recently found to have multiple pharmacological effects, including
      anticancer. However, the effects of Crocetin on the outcome of fluorouracil
      therapy for breast cancer have not been studied. Here, we showed that
      fluorouracil treatment inhibited the growth of breast cancer cells, in either a
      Cell Counting Kit-8 assay or an MTT assay. Inhibition of autophagy further
      suppressed breast cancer cell growth, suggesting that the breast cancer cells
      increased autophagic cell survival during fluorouracil treatment. However,
      Crocetin significantly increased the suppressive effects of fluorouracil on
      breast cancer cell growth, without affecting either cell apoptosis or autophagy.
      Inhibition of autophagy at the presence of Crocetin partially abolished the
      suppressive effects on breast cancer cell growth, suggesting that Crocetin may
      increase autophagic cell death in fluorouracil-treated breast cancer cells.
      Furthermore, Crocetin decreased Beclin-1 levels but increased ATG1 levels in
      fluorouracil-treated breast cancer cells. Together, these data suggest that
      Crocetin may shift autophagic cell survival to autophagic cell death in
      fluorouracil-treated breast cancer cells, possibly through modulation of the
      expression of ATG1 and Beclin-1.

PMID- 28351330
TI  - Stratified aspartate aminotransferase-to-platelet ratio index accurately predicts
      survival in hepatocellular carcinoma patients undergoing curative liver
      resection.
AB  - The aspartate aminotransferase-to-platelet ratio index has been reported to
      predict prognosis of patients with hepatocellular carcinoma. This study examined
      the prognostic potential of stratified aspartate aminotransferase-to-platelet
      ratio index for hepatocellular carcinoma patients undergoing curative liver
      resection. A total of 661 hepatocellular carcinoma patients were retrieved and
      the associations between aspartate aminotransferase-to-platelet ratio index and
      clinicopathological variables and survivals (overall survival and disease-free
      survival) were analyzed. Higher aspartate aminotransferase-to-platelet ratio
      index quartiles were significantly associated with poorer overall survival (p =
      0.002) and disease-free survival (p = 0.001). Multivariate analysis showed
      aspartate aminotransferase-to-platelet ratio index to be an independent risk
      factor for overall survival (p = 0.018) and disease-free survival (p = 0.01).
      Patients in the highest aspartate aminotransferase-to-platelet ratio index
      quartile were at 44% greater risk of death than patients in the first quartile
      (hazard ratio = 1.445, 95% confidence interval = 1.081 - 1.931, p = 0.013), as
      well as 49% greater risk of recurrence (hazard ratio = 1.49, 95% confidence
      interval = 1.112-1.998, p = 0.008). Subgroup analysis also showed aspartate
      aminotransferase-to-platelet ratio index to be an independent predictor of poor
      overall survival and disease-free survival in patients positive for hepatitis B
      surface antigen or with cirrhosis (both p < 0.05). Similar results were obtained
      when aspartate aminotransferase-to-platelet ratio index was analyzed as a
      dichotomous variable with cutoff values of 0.25 and 0.62. Elevated preoperative
      aspartate aminotransferase-to-platelet ratio index may be independently
      associated with poor overall survival and disease-free survival in hepatocellular
      carcinoma patients following curative resection.

PMID- 28351331
TI  - MiR-613 suppresses retinoblastoma cell proliferation, invasion, and tumor
      formation by targeting E2F5.
AB  - Retinoblastoma is a common intraocular malignancy that occurs during childhood.
      MicroRNAs play critical roles in the regulation of retinoblastoma initiation and
      progression, and aberrant expression of miR-613 had been reported in various
      types of cancer. However, the role and mechanism of its function in
      retinoblastoma are still unclear. In this study, we found that miR-613 was
      downregulated in retinoblastoma tissues and cell lines. Overexpression of miR-613
      suppressed retinoblastoma cell proliferation, migration, and invasion and induced
      cell cycle arrest in vitro. Additionally, overexpressed miR-613 also inhibited
      tumor formation of retinoblastoma cells in vivo. We further identified E2F5 as a
      direct target of miR-613. Reintroduction of E2F5 without 3'-untranslated region
      reversed the inhibitory effects of miR-613 on cell proliferation and invasion.
      Our data collectively indicate that miR-613 functions as a tumor suppressor in
      retinoblastoma through downregulating E2F5, supporting the targeting of the novel
      miR-613/E2F5 axis as a potentially effective therapeutic approach for
      retinoblastoma.

PMID- 28351332
TI  - Tumor rim cells: From resistance to vascular targeting agents to complete tumor
      ablation.
AB  - Current vascular targeting strategies pursue two main goals: anti-angiogenesis
      agents aim to halt sprouting and the formation of new blood vessels, while
      vascular disrupting agents along with coaguligands seek to compromise blood
      circulation in the vessels. The ultimate goal of such therapies is to deprive
      tumor cells out of oxygen and nutrients long enough to succumb cancer cells to
      death. Most of vascular targeting agents presented promising therapeutic
      potential, but the final goal which is cure is rarely achieved. Nevertheless, in
      both preclinical and clinical settings, tumors tend to grow back, featuring a
      highly invasive, metastatic, and extremely resistant form. This review highlights
      the critical significance of tumor rim cells as the main factor, determining
      therapy success with vascular targeting agents. We present an overview of
      different single and combination treatments with vascular targeting agents that
      enable efficient targeting of tumor rim cells and long-lasting tumor cure.
      Understanding the nature of tumor rim cells, how they establish, how they manage
      to survive of vascular targeting agents, and how they contribute in tumor
      refractoriness, may open new avenues to the development of beneficial strategies,
      capable to eliminate residual rim cells, and enable tumor ablation once and
      forever.

PMID- 28351333
TI  - Splicing factor hnRNPA2B1 contributes to tumorigenic potential of breast cancer
      cells through STAT3 and ERK1/2 signaling pathway.
AB  - Increasing evidence has indicated that the splicing factor hnRNPA2B1 plays a
      direct role in cancer development, progression, gene expression, and signal
      transduction. Previous studies have shown that knocking down hnRNPA2B1 in breast
      cancer cells induces apoptosis, but the mechanism and other functions of
      hnRNPA2B1 in breast cancer are unknown. The goal of this study was to investigate
      the biological function, clinical significance, and mechanism of hnRNPA2B1 in
      breast cancer. The expression of hnRNPA2B1 in 92 breast cancer and adjacent
      normal tissue pairs was analyzed by immunohistochemical staining. Stable clones
      exhibiting knockdown of hnRNPA2B1 via small hairpin RNA expression were generated
      using RNA interference technology in breast cancer cell lines. The effects of
      hnRNPA2B1 on cell proliferation were examined by MTT and EdU assay, and cellular
      apoptosis and the cell cycle were examined by flow cytometry. A nude mouse
      xenograft model was established to elucidate the function of hnRNPA2B1 in
      tumorigenesis in vivo. The role of hnRNPA2B1 in signaling pathways was
      investigated in vitro. Our data revealed that hnRNPA2B1 was overexpressed in
      breast cancer tissue specimens and cell lines. Knockdown of hnRNPA2B1 reduced
      breast cancer cell proliferation, induced apoptosis, and prolonged the S phase of
      the cell cycle in vitro. In addition, hnRNPA2B1 knockdown suppressed subcutaneous
      tumorigenicity in vivo. On a molecular level, hnRNPA2B1 knockdown decreased
      signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 and extracellular-signal
      regulated kinase 1/2 phosphorylation. We concluded that hnRNPA2B1 promotes the
      tumorigenic potential of breast cancer cells, MCF-7 and MDA-MB-231, through the
      extracellular-signal-regulated kinase 1/2 or signal transducer and activator of
      transcription 3 pathway, which may serve as a target for future therapies.

PMID- 28351334
TI  - Upregulation of SENP3/SMT3IP1 promotes epithelial ovarian cancer progression and
      forecasts poor prognosis.
AB  - As a crucial member of the small ubiquitin-like modifier system, SUMO-specific
      protease 3, was identified to be essential for cell proliferation and ribosomal
      RNA processing. Recent studies showed that SUMO-specific protease 3 was elevated
      in ovarian cancer compared to normal tissue samples. However, the connection
      between SUMO-specific protease 3-specific expression and clinicopathological
      parameters of epithelial ovarian cancer, as well as the physiologically potential
      role of SUMO-specific protease 3 in epithelial ovarian cancer remained unclear.
      In this study, an analysis of 124 paraffin-embedded slices by
      immunohistochemistry indicated that SUMO-specific protease 3 expression was
      positively correlated with the International Federation of Gynecology and
      Obstetrics stages (p = 0.025), tumor grade (p = 0.004), and lymph node metastasis
      (p = 0.001) and was also a critical prognostic factor for the overall survival of
      epithelial ovarian cancer patients, as revealed by Kaplan-Meier curve analysis.
      Knockdown of SUMO-specific protease 3 weakened the proliferation, migration, and
      invasion capability of ovarian cancer cells, down-regulated the expression of
      Proliferating Cell Nuclear Antigen, Forkhead Box C2, and N-cadherin, and resulted
      in upregulation of p21 and E-cadherin. Consistent with our results, SUMO-specific
      protease 3 had been verified to promote cell proliferation, metastasis, and
      tumorigenesis in multiple malignant cancers, which was a redox-sensitive molecule
      mediating the epithelial-mesenchymal transition. Collectively, our findings for
      the first time specifically supported that SUMO-specific protease 3 might play an
      important role in the regulation of epithelial ovarian cancer progression and
      could serve as a potential biomarker for prognosis as well as provide a promising
      therapeutic target against epithelial ovarian cancer.

PMID- 28351335
TI  - Prostate-specific membrane antigen-directed nanoparticle targeting for extreme
      nearfield ablation of prostate cancer cells.
AB  - Almost all biological therapeutic interventions cannot overcome neoplastic
      heterogeneity. Physical ablation therapy is immune to tumor heterogeneity, but
      nearby tissue damage is the limiting factor in delivering lethal doses. Multi
      walled carbon nanotubes offer a number of unique properties: chemical stability,
      photonic properties including efficient light absorption, thermal conductivity,
      and extensive surface area availability for covalent chemical ligation. When
      combined together with a targeting moiety such as an antibody or small molecule,
      one can deliver highly localized temperature increases and cause extensive
      cellular damage. We have functionalized multi-walled carbon nanotubes by
      conjugating an antibody against prostate-specific membrane antigen. In our in
      vitro studies using prostate-specific membrane antigen-positive LNCaP prostate
      cancer cells, we have effectively demonstrated cell ablation of >80% with a
      single 30-s exposure to a 2.7-W, 532-nm laser for the first time without bulk
      heating. We also confirmed the specificity and selectivity of prostate-specific
      membrane antigen targeting by assessing prostate-specific membrane antigen-null
      PC3 cell lines under the same conditions (<10% cell ablation). This suggests that
      we can achieve an extreme nearfield cell ablation effect, thus restricting
      potential tissue damage when transferred to in vivo clinical applications.
      Developing this new platform will introduce novel approaches toward current
      therapeutic modalities and will usher in a new age of effective cancer treatment
      squarely addressing tumoral heterogeneity.

PMID- 28351336
TI  - B-cell lymphoma 2 inhibitor ABT-737 induces Beclin1- and reactive oxygen species
      dependent autophagy in Adriamycin-resistant human hepatocellular carcinoma cells.
AB  - ABT-737, a B-cell lymphoma 2 homology 3 mimetic, not only induces cell apoptosis
      by inhibiting the interaction of B-cell lymphoma 2 and Bax but also induces cell
      autophagy by interrupting the interaction of B-cell lymphoma 2 and Beclin1.
      Several recent studies have reported that ABT-737 has antitumor efficacy in
      diverse cancers. However, another study showed that hepatocellular carcinoma
      cells with high B-cell lymphoma 2 expression were resistant to ABT-737 compared
      to hepatocellular carcinoma cells with low B-cell lymphoma 2 expression. It was
      also found that ABT-737-induced autophagy is crucial for drug resistance. Here,
      we observed that of B-cell lymphoma 2 expression in Adriamycin-resistant human
      hepatocellular carcinoma HepG2/ADM cells is higher than that in human
      hepatocellular carcinoma HepG2 cells. Therefore, we further confirmed the
      mechanism and effect of autophagy induced by ABT-737 on apoptosis in HepG2/ADM
      cells with high B-cell lymphoma 2 expression. Our results showed that ABT-737
      induced apoptosis and autophagy in time- and dose-dependent manner in HepG2/ADM
      cells, and this ABT-737-induced autophagy was Beclin1-dependent. In addition, we
      demonstrated that ABT-737 induced reactive oxygen species-mediated autophagy, and
      the reactive oxygen species-inhibitor N-acetyl-l-cysteine suppressed the reactive
      oxygen species-induced autophagy and ABT-737-induced increase in HepG2/ADM cell
      apoptosis. Furthermore, autophagy inhibitors increased HepG2/ADM cell apoptosis.
      In conclusion, our study further confirms that Beclin1- and reactive oxygen
      species-dependent autophagy induced by ABT-737 also plays a protective function
      in HepG2/ADM cells, which show B-cell lymphoma 2 expression higher than that in
      HepG2 cells.

PMID- 28351337
TI  - Zika virus NS5 protein potential inhibitors: an enhanced in silico approach in
      drug discovery.
AB  - The re-emerging Zika virus (ZIKV) is an arthropod-borne virus that has been
      described to have explosive potential as a worldwide pandemic. The initial
      transmission of the virus was through a mosquito vector, however, evolving modes
      of transmission has allowed the spread of the disease over continents. The virus
      has already been linked to irreversible chronic central nervous system
      conditions. The concerns of the scientific and clinical community are the
      consequences of Zika viral mutations, thus suggesting the urgent need for viral
      inhibitors. There have been large strides in vaccine development against the
      virus but there are still no FDA approved drugs available. Rapid rational drug
      design and discovery research is fundamental in the production of potent
      inhibitors against the virus that will not just mask the virus, but destroy it
      completely. In silico drug design allows for this prompt screening of potential
      leads, thus decreasing the consumption of precious time and resources. This study
      demonstrates an optimized and proven screening technique in the discovery of two
      potential small molecule inhibitors of ZIKV Methyltransferase and RNA dependent
      RNA polymerase. This in silico 'per-residue energy decomposition pharmacophore'
      virtual screening approach will be critical in aiding scientists in the discovery
      of not only effective inhibitors of Zika viral targets, but also a wide range of
      anti-viral agents.

PMID- 28351338
TI  - * Demineralized Bone Matrix as a Carrier for Bone Morphogenetic Protein-2: Burst
      Release Combined with Long-Term Binding and Osteoinductive Activity Evaluated In
      Vitro and In Vivo.
AB  - To allow bone defect regeneration, autologous bone grafting still represents the
      gold standard. However, autograft harvesting has limitations, including an
      additional surgery, donor site morbidity, and limited availability. Demineralized
      bone matrix (DBM) would represent an alternative, yet lacks sufficient
      osteoinductive properties. Combining DBM with a potent agent, such as bone
      morphogenetic protein-2 (BMP-2) might be a feasible alternative approach,
      optimizing an established grafting material with strong osteoinductive
      properties. A unique mixing device has been developed that enables perioperative
      handling to reach a homogeneous and standardized paste for bone defect filling.
      DBM proved in vitro to be a suitable carrier for BMP-2, with a documented release
      over 56 days at concentrations sufficient to stimulate osteogenic
      differentiation. At the end of the elution experiment, 56 days, bioactive BMP was
      still captured within the DBM. Using a sheep drill hole defect model, DBM
      perioperatively mixed with BMP-2 showed strong osteoinductive properties
      comparable to those of autologous bone and outnumbering the one of DBM alone or
      empty defects. Bone defect healing was enabled at diaphyseal and metaphyseal
      defects and thus BMP-2-doped DBM represented an easy perioperative enriching
      method and an efficient carrier for BMP-2. With the comparability to the clinical
      gold standard autologous bone, DBM mixed with BMP-2 might serve as possible
      alternative grafting material enabling a controlled osteogenic stimulation.

PMID- 28351339
TI  - Antibiotic resistance patterns of bacteria isolated from indwelling Foley
      catheters following tube cystostomy in goats with obstructive urolithiasis.
AB  - Tube cystostomy is a surgical method used for managing obstructive urolithiasis
      and involves placement of a Foley catheter into the urinary bladder. We
      identified and evaluated the antibiotic resistance patterns of bacteria isolated
      from indwelling Foley catheters following tube cystostomy in goats with
      obstructive urolithiasis. Urine samples collected over a 10-y period from
      catheter tips at the time of removal were submitted for bacteriologic culture and
      antibiotic susceptibility testing. Resistance patterns to antibiotics, trends in
      the resistance patterns over the study period, and the probability of a bacterial
      isolate being resistant as a function of the identity of the isolate and
      antibiotic tested were determined. A total of 103 urine samples from 103 male
      goats with obstructive urolithiasis managed surgically with tube cystostomy were
      included in the study. Aerococcus (36.9%) and Enterococcus (30.1%) were isolated
      most frequently. The susceptibility patterns of all bacteria isolated did not
      change over the study period ( p > 0.05). Proportions of isolates resistant to 1,
      2, and >=3 antibiotics were 36.9%, 18.5%, and 23.3%, respectively. Thus, 41.8% of
      bacterial isolates were resistant to 2 or more antibiotics tested. The
      probability of Aerococcus spp., Escherichia coli, and Pseudomonas aeruginosa
      isolates to be resistant to ampicillin, ceftiofur, erythromycin, penicillin, or
      tetracycline ranged from 0.59 to 0.76.

PMID- 28351340
TI  - Molecular Pathology of Anaplastic Thyroid Carcinomas: A Retrospective Study of
      144 Cases.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Anaplastic thyroid carcinoma (ATC) is a rare tumor, with poorly
      defined oncogenic molecular mechanisms and limited therapeutic options
      contributing to its poor prognosis. The aims of this retrospective study were to
      determine the frequency of anaplastic lymphoma kinase (ALK) translocations and to
      identify the mutational profile of ATC including TERT promoter mutations. METHODS
      AND MATERIALS: One hundred and forty-four ATC cases were collected from 10
      centers that are a part of the national French network for management of
      refractory thyroid tumors. Fluorescence in situ hybridization analysis for ALK
      rearrangement was performed on tissue microarrays. A panel of 50 genes using next
      generation sequencing and TERT promoter mutations using Sanger sequencing were
      also screened. RESULTS: Fluorescence in situ hybridization was interpretable for
      90 (62.5%) cases. One (1.1%) case was positive for an ALK rearrangement with a
      borderline threshold (15% positive cells). Next-generation sequencing results
      were interpretable for 94 (65.3%) cases, and Sanger sequencing (TERT) for 98
      (68.1%) cases. A total of 210 mutations (intronic and exonic) were identified.
      TP53 alterations were the most frequent (54.4%). Forty-three percent harbored a
      mutation in the (H-K-N)RAS genes, 13.8% a mutation in the BRAF gene (essentially
      p.V600E), 17% a PI3K-AKT pathway mutation, 6.4% both RAS and PI3K pathway
      mutations, and 4.3% both TP53 and PTEN mutations. Nearly 10% of the cases showed
      no mutations of the RAS, PI3K-AKT pathways, or TP53, with mutations of ALK, ATM,
      APC, CDKN2A, ERBB2, RET, or SMAD4, including mutations not yet described in
      thyroid tumors. Genes encoding potentially druggable targets included: mutations
      in the ATM gene in four (4.3%) cases, in ERBB2 in one (1.1%) case, in MET in one
      (1.1%) case, and in ALK in one (1.1%) case. A TERT promoter alteration was found
      in 53 (54.0%) cases, including 43 C228T and 10 C250T mutations. Three out of our
      cases did not harbor mutations in the panel of genes with therapeutic interest.
      CONCLUSION: This study confirms that ALK rearrangements in ATC are rare and that
      the mutational landscape of ATC is heterogeneous, with many genes implicated in
      the follicular epithelial cell dedifferentiation process. This may explain the
      limited effectiveness of targeted therapeutic options tested so far.

PMID- 28351341
TI  - Impact of disease activity on health-related quality of life in systemic lupus
      erythematosus - a cross-sectional analysis of the Swiss Systemic Lupus
      Erythematosus Cohort Study (SSCS).
AB  - BACKGROUND: To assess the impact of disease activity on health-related quality of
      life (HRQoL) in systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). METHODS: Cross-sectional
      study of patients included in the Swiss SLE Cohort Study between April 2007 and
      June 2014. HRQoL outcomes were based on the Medical Outcome Study Short Form 36
      (SF-36). Disease activity was assessed by the SLE Disease Activity Index score
      with the Safety of Estrogens in SLE National Assessment modification (SELENA
      SLEDAI) and by the physican's global assessment (PGA). RESULTS: Of the 252
      patients included, 207 (82%) were women. Median [interquartile range (IQR)] age
      was 43 [32-57] years. SLE was active in 125 patients (49.6%). Median [IQR] mental
      component summary (MCS) in active vs inactive SLE was 40.0 [30.2-51.0] compared
      to 47.3 [39.2-52.8] (p < 0.01) and median [IQR] physical component summary (PCS)
      43.7 [37.0-52.8] compared to 49.1 [38.4-55.6], respectively (p < 0.05). Increase
      in SELENA-SLEDAI or increase in PGA were negatively correlated with PCS and/or
      MCS. After adjusting for gender, age and disease duration, disease activity
      impacted on both PCS and MCS and all subscales except general health. Active
      lupus nephritis and musculoskeletal involvement were associated with physical
      limitations and emotional problems, increased bodily pain and poor social
      functioning. Low complement and/or presence of anti-dsDNA antibodies were
      associated with increased fatigue and reduced mental health. CONCLUSIONS: In
      patients with SLE, HRQoL is reduced in those with active disease. Impact of
      disease activity on HRQoL dimensions depends on SELENA-SLEDAI system components.

PMID- 28351342
TI  - Erratum to: Multiple controls affect arsenite oxidase gene expression in
      Herminiimonas arsenicoxydans.

PMID- 28351343
TI  - Identification of large genomic rearrangement of BRCA1/2 in high risk patients in
      Korea.
AB  - BACKGROUND: While the majority of germline inactivating mutations in BRCA1/2 are
      small-scale mutations, large genomic rearrangements (LGRs) are also detected in a
      variable proportion of patients. However, routine genetic methods are incapable
      of detecting LGRs, and comprehensive genetic testing algorithm is necessary.
      METHODS: We performed multiplex ligation-dependent probe amplification assay for
      small-scale mutation negative patients at high-risk for LGR, based on previously
      published LGR risk criteria. The inclusion criteria for the high-risk subgroup
      were personal history of 1) early-onset breast cancer (diagnosed at <=36 years);
      2) two breast primaries; 3) breast cancer diagnosed at any age, with >=1 close
      blood relatives (includes first-, second-, or third-degree) with breast and/or
      epithelial ovarian cancer; 4) both breast and epithelial ovarian cancer diagnosed
      at any age; and 5) epithelial ovarian cancer with >=1 close blood relatives with
      breast and/or epithelial ovarian cancer. RESULTS: Two LGRs were identified. One
      was a heterozygous deletion of exon 19 and the other was a heterozygous
      duplication of exon 4-6. The prevalence of LGRs was 7% among Sanger-negative,
      high-risk patients, and accounted for 13% of all BRCA1 mutations and 2% of all
      patients. Moreover, LGRs reported in Korean patients, including our 2 newly
      identified cases, were found exclusively in families with at least one high-risk
      feature. CONCLUSIONS: Our result suggests that selective LGR screening for Sanger
      negative, high-risk patients is necessary for Korean patients.

PMID- 28351344
TI  - Why do women choose an unregulated birth worker to birth at home in Australia: a
      qualitative study.
AB  - BACKGROUND: In Australia the choice to birth at home is not well supported and
      only 0.4% of women give birth at home with a registered midwife. Recent changes
      to regulatory requirements for midwives have become more restrictive and there is
      no insurance product that covers private midwives for intrapartum care at home.
      Freebirth (planned birth at home with no registered health professional) with an
      unregulated birth worker who is not a registered midwife or doctor (e.g. Doula,
      ex-midwife, lay midwife etc.) appears to have increased in Australia. The aim of
      this study is to explore the reasons why women choose to give birth at home with
      an unregulated birth worker (UBW) from the perspective of women and UBWs.
      METHODS: Nine participants (five women who had UBWs at their birth and four UBWs
      who had themselves used UBWs in the past for their births) were interviewed in
      depth and the data analysed using thematic analysis. RESULTS: Four themes were
      found: 'A traumatising system', 'An inflexible system'; 'Getting the best of both
      worlds' and 'Treated with love and respect versus the mechanical arm on the car
      assembly line'. Women interviewed for this study either experienced or were
      exposed to mainstream care, which they found traumatising. They were not able to
      access their preferred birth choices, which caused them to perceive the system as
      inflexible. They interpreted this as having no choice when choice was important
      to them. The motivation then became to seek alternative options of care that
      would more appropriately meet their needs, and help avoid repeated trauma through
      mainstream care. CONCLUSION: Women who engaged UBWs viewed them as providing the
      best of both worlds - this was birthing at home with a knowledgeable person who
      was unconstrained by rules or regulations and who respected and supported the
      woman's philosophical view of birth. Women perceived UBWs as not only the best
      opportunity to achieve a natural birth but also as providing 'a safety net' in
      case access to emergency care was required.

PMID- 28351346
TI  - Neural Wiskott-Aldrich syndrome protein (nWASP) is implicated in human lung
      cancer invasion.
AB  - : Lung cancer is one of the most commonly diagnosed cancers with survival much
      lower in patients diagnosed with distal metastases. It is therefore imperative to
      identify pathways involved in lung cancer invasion and metastasis and to consider
      the therapeutic potential of agents that can interfere with these molecular
      pathways. This study examines nWASP expression in human lung cancer tissues and
      explores the effect of nWASP inhibition and knockdown on lung cancer cell
      behaviour. METHODS: QPCR has been used to measure nWASP transcript expression in
      human lung cancer tissues. The effect of wiskostatin, an nWASP inhibitor, on A
      549 and SK-MES-1 lung carcinoma cell growth, adhesion, migration and invasion was
      also examined using several in vitro functional assays, including ECIS, and
      immunofluorescence staining. The effect of nWASP knockdown using siRNA on
      particular behaviours of lung cancer cells was also examined. RESULTS: Patients
      with high levels of nWASP expression in tumour tissues have significantly lower
      survival rates. nWASP transcript levels were found to correlate with lymph node
      involvement (p = 0.042). nWASP inhibition and knockdown was shown to
      significantly impair lung cancer cell growth. nWASP inhibition also affected
      other cell behaviours, in SK-MES-1 invasion and A-549 cell motility, adhesion and
      migration. Paxillin and FAK activity are reduced in lung cancer cell lines
      following wiskostatin and nWASP knockdown as shown by immunofluorescence and
      western blot. CONCLUSIONS: These findings highlight nWASP as an important
      potential therapeutic target in lung cancer invasion and demonstrate that
      inhibiting nWASP activity using the inhibitor wiskostatin can significantly alter
      cell behaviour in vitro.

PMID- 28351345
TI  - Short-term increase in prevalence of nasopharyngeal carriage of macrolide
      resistant Staphylococcus aureus following mass drug administration with
      azithromycin for trachoma control.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Mass drug administration (MDA) with azithromycin is a corner-stone of
      trachoma control however it may drive the emergence of antimicrobial resistance.
      In a cluster-randomized trial (Clinical trial gov NCT00792922), we compared the
      reduction in the prevalence of active trachoma in communities that received three
      annual rounds of MDA to that in communities that received a single treatment
      round. We used the framework of this trial to carry out an opportunistic study to
      investigate if the increased rounds of treatment resulted in increased prevalence
      of nasopharyngeal carriage of macrolide-resistant Staphylococcus aureus. Three
      cross-sectional surveys were conducted in two villages receiving three annual
      rounds of MDA (3 * treatment arm). Surveys were conducted immediately before the
      third round of MDA (CSS-1) and at one (CSS-2) and six (CSS-3) months after MDA.
      The final survey also included six villages that had received only one round of
      MDA 30 months previously (1 * treatment arm). RESULTS: In the 3 * treatment arm,
      a short-term increase in prevalence of S. aureus carriage was seen following MDA
      from 24.6% at CSS-1 to 38.6% at CSS-2 (p < 0.001). Prevalence fell to 8.8% at CSS
      3 (p < 0.001). A transient increase was also seen in prevalence of carriage of
      azithromycin resistant (AzmR) strains from 8.9% at CSS-1 to 34.1% (p < 0.001) in
      CSS-2 and down to 7.3% (p = 0.417) in CSS-3. A similar trend was observed for
      prevalence of carriage of macrolide-inducible-clindamycin resistant (iMLSB)
      strains. In CSS-3, prevalence of carriage of resistant strains was higher in the
      3 * treatment arm than in the 1 * treatment (AzmR 7.3% vs. 1.6%, p = 0.010; iMLSB
      5.8% vs. 0.8%, p < 0.001). Macrolide resistance was attributed to the presence of
      msr and erm genes. CONCLUSIONS: Three annual rounds of MDA with azithromycin were
      associated with a short-term increase in both the prevalence of nasopharyngeal
      carriage of S. aureus and prevalence of carriage of AzmR and iMLSB S. aureus.
      TRIAL REGISTRATION: This study was ancillary to the Partnership for the Rapid
      Elimination of Trachoma, ClinicalTrials.gov NCT00792922 , registration date
      November 17, 2008.

PMID- 28351348
TI  - Systematic review of cost-effectiveness analyses for combinations of prevention
      strategies against human papillomavirus (HPV) infection: a general trend.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Due to the arrival of multi-valent HPV vaccines, it is more and more
      important to have a better understanding of the relationship between vaccination
      and screening programmes. This review aimed to: (1) collect published evidence on
      the cost-effectiveness profile of different HPV prevention strategies and, in
      particular, those combining vaccination with changes in screening practices; (2)
      explore the cost-effectiveness of alternative preventive strategies based on
      screening and vaccination. METHODS: A systematic literature review was conducted
      in order to identify the relevant studies regarding the cost-effectiveness of
      prevention strategies against HPV infection. Analysis comparing the modelling
      approaches between studies was made along with an assessment of the magnitude of
      impact of several factors on the cost-effectiveness of different screening
      strategies. RESULTS: A total of 18 papers were quantitatively summarised within
      the narrative. A high degree of heterogeneity was found in terms of how HPV
      prevention strategies have been assessed in terms of their economic and
      epidemiological impact, with variation in screening practice and valence of HPV
      vaccination found to have large implications in terms of cost-effectiveness.
      CONCLUSIONS: This review demonstrated synergies between screening and
      vaccination. New prevention strategies involving multi-valence vaccination, HPV
      DNA test screening, delayed commencement and frequency of screening could be
      implemented in the future. Strategies implemented in the future should be chosen
      with care, and informed knowledge of the potential impact of all possible
      prevention strategies. Highlighted in this review is the difficulty in assessing
      multiple strategies. Appropriate modelling techniques will need to be utilised to
      assess the most cost-effective strategies.

PMID- 28351347
TI  - Sporobolus stapfianus: Insights into desiccation tolerance in the resurrection
      grasses from linking transcriptomics to metabolomics.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Understanding the response of resurrection angiosperms to dehydration
      and rehydration is critical for deciphering the mechanisms of how plants cope
      with the rigors of water loss from their vegetative tissues. We have focused our
      studies on the C4 resurrection grass, Sporobolus stapfianus Gandoger, as a member
      of a group of important forage grasses. METHODS: We have combined non-targeted
      metabolomics with transcriptomics, via a NimbleGen array platform, to develop an
      understanding of how gene expression and metabolite profiles can be linked to
      generate a more detailed mechanistic appreciation of the cellular response to
      both desiccation and rehydration. RESULTS: The rehydration transcriptome and
      metabolome are primarily geared towards the rapid return of photosynthesis,
      energy metabolism, protein turnover, and protein synthesis during the rehydration
      phase. However, there are some metabolites associated with ROS protection that
      remain elevated during rehydration, most notably the tocopherols. The analysis of
      the dehydration transcriptome reveals a strong concordance between transcript
      abundance and the associated metabolite abundance reported earlier, but only in
      responses that are directly related to cellular protection during dehydration:
      carbohydrate metabolism and redox homeostasis. The transcriptome response also
      provides strong support for the involvement of cellular protection processes as
      exemplified by the increases in the abundance of transcripts encoding late
      embryogenesis abundant (LEA) proteins, anti-oxidant enzymes, early light-induced
      proteins (ELIP) proteins, and cell-wall modification enzymes. There is little
      concordance between transcript and metabolite abundance for processes such as
      amino acid metabolism that do not appear to contribute directly to cellular
      protection, but are nonetheless important for the desiccation tolerant phenotype
      of S. stapfianus. CONCLUSIONS: The transcriptomes of both dehydration and
      rehydration offer insight into the complexity of the regulation of responses to
      these processes that involve complex signaling pathways and associated
      transcription factors. ABA appears to be important in the control of gene
      expression in both the latter stages of the dehydration and the early stages of
      rehydration. These findings add to the growing body of information detailing how
      plants tolerate and survive the severe cellular perturbations of dehydration,
      desiccation, and rehydration.

PMID- 28351349
TI  - Development and validation of the Efficacy Safety Score (ESS), a novel tool for
      postoperative patient management.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Several reports have shown that postoperative monitoring of general
      safety and quality issues, including pain treatment, after discharge from
      recovery is often non-systematic and inadequate. We suggest a new score with
      assessment of key recovery parameters, as a supportive tool for postoperative
      care and a call-out algorithm for need of extra help. The aim of this
      investigation was to validate the score. METHODS: After suggesting a prototype
      score from a pilot study in 182 postoperative patients, we performed a Delphi
      process by using international experts to create consensus on the final score
      contents and called the revised tool the Efficacy Safety Score (ESS). Then, we
      performed a prospective observational study with the ESS throughout the first 24
      h postoperatively in 207 surgical in-patients. We compared ESS with Modified
      Early Warning Systems (MEWS), and postoperative journal information. We
      subsequently validated ESS by addressing recognized quality criteria for
      measurement of health status questionnaires. RESULTS: A call-out value of ESS
      >=10 correlated with MEWS > 0 values and journal information about postoperative
      concerns with a sensitivity of 94% and 92%, respectively. All serious safety
      issues were identified with the ESS >= 10, and a higher number of quality issues
      were identified than with routine care or MEWS. We obtained positive ratings for
      six out of seven tested criteria of questionnaire quality; one criterion had an
      indeterminate rating. CONCLUSION: ESS fulfils suggested criteria for score
      quality validation and reflects the patient's postoperative status adequately and
      with high sensitivity. Further clinical trials are warranted to evaluate the
      usefulness of ESS as a simple tool for assessment of the postoperative safety and
      quality of patients.

PMID- 28351350
TI  - Manifestations and drivers of mistreatment of women during childbirth in Kenya:
      implications for measurement and developing interventions.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Disrespect and abuse or mistreatment of women by health care
      providers in maternity settings has been identified as a key deterrent to women
      seeking delivery care. Mistreatment includes physical and verbal abuse, stigma
      and discrimination, a poor relationship between women and providers and policy
      and health systems challenges. This paper uses qualitative data to describe
      mistreatment of women in Kenya. METHODS: Data are drawn from implementation
      research conducted in 13 facilities and communities. Researchers conducted a
      range of in-depth interviews with women (n-50) who had given birth in a facility
      policy makers health managers and providers (n-63); and focus group discussions
      (19) with women and men living around study facilities. Data were captured on
      paper and audio tapes, transcribed and translated and exported into Nvivo for
      analysis. Subsequently we applied a typology of mistreatment which includes first
      order descriptive themes, second and third-order analytical themes. Final
      analysis was organized around description of the nature, manifestations and
      experiences, and factors contributing to mistreatment. RESULTS: Women describe:
      their negative experiences of childbirth; frustration with lack of
      confidentiality and autonomy; abandonment by the providers, and dirty maternity
      units. Providers admit to challenges but describe reasons for apparent abuse
      (slapped on thighs to encourage women to focus on birthing process) and
      'detention' is because relatives have abandoned them. Men try to overcome
      challenges by paying providers to ensure they look after their wives. Drivers of
      mistreatment are perpetuated by social and gender norms at family and community
      levels. At facility level, poor managerial oversight, provider demotivation, and
      lack of equipment and supplies, contribute to a poor experience of care. Weak or
      non-existent legal redress perpetuate the problem. CONCLUSION: This paper builds
      on the expanding literature on mistreatment during labour and childbirth 
      outlining drivers from an individual, family, community, facility and policy
      level. New frameworks to group the manifestations into themes or components makes
      it increasingly more focused on specific interventions to promote respectful
      maternity care. The Kenya findings resonate with budding literature -
      demonstrating that this is indeed a global issue that needs a global solution.

PMID- 28351351
TI  - The influence of participation in target-shooting sport for children with
      inattentive, hyperactive and impulsive symptoms - A controlled study of best
      practice.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Practising target-shooting sport requires focused attention and
      motoric steadiness. A previous non-controlled pilot study suggests that children
      with impairing symptoms of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD)
      benefit from participating in target-shooting sport in local shooting
      associations, as rated by parents and teachers. This study aims at examining if,
      and to which extent, target-shooting sport reduces parent- and teacher-reported
      severity of inattentiveness, hyperactivity, and impulsivity in children with
      attention difficulties, and if, and to which extend, target-shooting sport
      improves the children's wellbeing and quality of life. METHODS: A mixed method
      approach is applied. A non-blinded, waiting list controlled study is combined
      with a case study, consisting of interviews and observations. The intervention
      consists of children practising target-shooting sport, by attending a local
      shooting association, once a week for six months, during regular school hours.
      Data from questionnaires (ADHD-RS, SDQ, Kidscreen-27), as well as a computerized
      continued performance test (Qb test), measure the children's activity and
      attention. The study includes 50 children in an intervention group and 50
      children in a waiting list control group. The Qb test collects data from at least
      20 children from the intervention group and at least 20 children from the waiting
      list control group. Data from the questionnaires and Qb-test is collected at
      baseline, and six months post intervention. In addition, a case study is carried
      out, consisting of interviews of at least five children from the intervention
      group, their parents, teachers and shooting instructors. Observations are carried
      out, when children are in school and while they are attending the local shooting
      association. The case study adds to an in-depth understanding of children's
      participation in target-shooting sports. DISCUSSION: At present, little is known
      about the effects and influence of practising target-shooting sport for children
      experiencing difficulties with inattentiveness, hyperactivity and impulsivity.
      This study is expected to contribute to an understanding of the influence of
      participating in target-shooting sports on inattentive, hyperactive and impulsive
      symptoms, and the effects on the children's psychological wellbeing and quality
      of life. TRIAL REGISTRATION: Current Controlled Trials NCT02898532 .
      Retrospectively registered 14 September 2016.

PMID- 28351352
TI  - Negative lymph node count is an independent prognostic factor for patients with
      rectal cancer who received preoperative radiotherapy.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Negative lymph node (NLN) count has been reported to provide more
      accurate prognostic information than the N stage alone in patients with rectal
      cancer (RC). Since preoperative radiotherapy (Pre-RT) can significantly affect
      the LN status, it is unclear whether NLN count still has prognostic value count
      on survival of patients with RC who received Pre-RT. METHODS: In this study,
      clinicopathological characteristics, number of positive LNs and survival time
      were collected from Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results Program (SEER)
      registered RC patients. Univariate and multivariate Cox proportional hazards
      models were used to assess the risk factors for survival. RESULTS: X-tile plots
      identified 9 (P < 0.001) as the optimal cutoff NLN value to divide the patients
      into high and low risk subsets in terms of cause specific survival (CSS). NLN
      count was validated as independently prognostic factor in univariate and
      multivariate analysis (P < 0.001). Subgroup analysis showed that NLN count was an
      independently prognostic factor for patients with stage ypII (P = 0.002) and
      ypIII (P < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: Our results firmly demonstrated that NLN count
      provides accurate prognostic information for RC patients with Pre-RT.

PMID- 28351353
TI  - The impact of ocular trauma during the Nepal earthquake in 2015.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Nepal was struck by a massive earthquake on the 25th April 2015 and
      major aftershock on the 12th of May 2015, resulting in widespread devastation
      with a death toll in the thousands. The burden of ocular trauma resulting from
      the recent earthquakes in Nepal has not been described thus far. The aim of this
      study was to determine the types of ocular injuries sustained in the earthquake
      in Nepal and its management in Tilganga Institute of Ophthalmology (TIO) in
      Gaushala, Kathmandu. METHODS: This is a hospital-based retrospective study of
      patients presenting to TIO following repeated earthquake. Variables that were
      recorded included patients' presenting symptoms and time to presentation, visual
      acuities at presentation and at follow-up, diagnosis of ocular injury and surgery
      performed. RESULTS: There were 59 cases of earthquake victims visiting TIO,
      Gaushala, Kathmandu from April 2015 to July 2015, with 64 affected eyes due to 5
      cases of bilateral involvement. The majority of patients were from the district
      Sindhupalchowk (14 cases, 23.7%), which was the epicenter of the main earthquake.
      The average duration between the earthquake and presentation was 13 . 9 days
      (range 1-120 days). Closed globe injury was most frequent (23 cases), followed by
      open globe injuries (8 cases). While 24 patients (38%) initially presented with a
      visual acuity <3/60 in their affected eye, 15 patients (23%) had a visual acuity
      of <3/60 on follow-up. A variety of surgical treatments were required including
      anterior and posterior segment repair. CONCLUSIONS: Immediate management of
      ocular trauma is critical in order to prevent blindness. Characterizing the
      burden of earthquake-related ocular trauma will facilitate planning for service
      provision in the event of a future earthquake in Nepal, or in countries, which
      are similarly at risk of having natural disasters.

PMID- 28351354
TI  - Case management to increase quality of life after cancer treatment: a randomized
      controlled trial.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Case management has been shown to be beneficial in phases of cancer
      screening and treatment. After treatment is completed, patients experience a loss
      of support due to reduced contact with medical professionals. Case management has
      the potential to offer continuity of care and ease re-entry to normal life. We
      therefore aim to investigate the effect of case management on quality of life in
      early cancer survivors. METHODS: Between 06/2010 and 07/2012, we randomized 95
      patients who had just completed cancer treatment in 11 cancer centres in the
      canton of Zurich, Switzerland. Patients in the case management group met with a
      case manager at least three times over 12 months. Patient-reported outcomes were
      assessed after 3, 6 and 12 months using the Functional Assessment of Cancer
      Therapy (FACT-G) scale, the Patient Assessment of Chronic Illness Care (PACIC)
      and the Self-Efficacy scale. RESULTS: The change in FACT-G over 12 months was
      significantly greater in the case management group than in the control group
      (16.2 (SE 2.0) vs. 9.2 (SE 1.5) points, P = 0.006). The PACIC score increased by
      0.20 (SE 0.14) in the case management group and decreased by 0.29 (SE 0.12)
      points in the control group (P = 0.009). Self-Efficacy increased by 3.1 points
      (SE 0.9) in the case management group and by 0.7 (SE 0.8) points in the control
      group (P = 0.049). CONCLUSIONS: Case management has the potential to improve
      quality of life, to ease re-entry to normal life and to address needs for
      continuity of care in early cancer survivors. TRIAL REGISTRATION: The study has
      been submitted to the ISRCTN register under the name "Case Management in Oncology
      Rehabilitation" on the 12th of October 2010 and retrospectively registered under
      the number ISRCTN41474586 on the 24th of November 2010.

PMID- 28351355
TI  - A process evaluation plan for assessing a complex community-based maternal health
      intervention in Ogun State, Nigeria.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Despite increased investment in community-level maternal health
      interventions, process evaluations of such interventions are uncommon, and can be
      instrumental in understanding mediating factors leading to outcomes. In Nigeria,
      where an unacceptably number of maternal deaths occur (maternal mortality ratio
      of 814/100,000 livebirths), the Community Level Interventions for Pre-eclampsia
      (CLIP) study (NCT01911494) aimed to reduce maternal and neonatal mortality and
      morbidity with a complex intervention of five interrelated components. Building
      from previous frameworks, we illustrate a methodology to evaluate implementation
      processes of the complex CLIP intervention, assess mechanisms of impact and
      identify emerging unintended causal pathways. METHODS: The study was conducted
      from 2013-2016 in five Local Government Areas in Ogun State, Nigeria. A six-step
      approach was developed to evaluate key constructs of context (external factors
      related to intervention), implementation (fidelity, dose, reach, and adaption)
      and mechanisms of impact (unintended outcomes and mediating pathways). The steps
      are: 1) describing the intervention by a logic model, 2) defining acceptable
      delivery, 3) formulating questions, 4) determining methodology, 5) planning
      resources in context, lastly, step 6) finalising the plan in consideration with
      relevant stakeholders. RESULTS: Quantitative data were collected from 32,785
      antenatal and postnatal visits at the primary health care level, from 66
      community engagement sessions, training assessments of community health workers,
      and standard health facility questionnaires. Forty-three focus group discussions,
      38 in-depth interviews, and 23 structured observations were conducted to capture
      qualitative data. A total of 103 community engagement reports and 182 suspected
      pre-eclampsia case reports were purposively collected. Timing of data collection
      was staggered to understand feedback mechanisms that may have resulted from the
      delivery of the intervention. Data will be analysed using R and NVivo. Diffusions
      of innovations and realist evaluation theories will underpin analysis of the
      interaction between context, mechanisms and outcomes. CONCLUSION: This
      comprehensive approach can serve as a guide for researchers and policy makers to
      plan the evaluation of similar complex health interventions in resource
      constrained settings, and to aid in measuring 'effectiveness' of interventions
      and not just 'efficacy'. TRIAL REGISTRATION: This research is a part of the
      Community Level Interventions for Pre-eclampsia Study, NCT01911494. The trial is
      registered in Clinicaltrials.gov, the URL is
      https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT01911494 The trial was registered on June
      28, 2013 and the first participant was enrolled for intervention on March 1,
      2014.

PMID- 28351356
TI  - Erratum to: SWITCH: a dynamic CRISPR tool for genome engineering and metabolic
      pathway control for cell factory construction in Saccharomyces cerevisiae.

PMID- 28351357
TI  - Erratum to: The impact of benzodiazepine use in patients enrolled in opioid
      agonist therapy in Northern and rural Ontario.

PMID- 28351360
TI  - Erratum to: Allium hookeri root extract exerts anti-inflammatory effects by
      nuclear factor-kappaB down-regulation in lipopolysaccharide-induced RAW264.7
      cells.

PMID- 28351359
TI  - Conveying practical clinical skills with the help of teaching associates-a
      randomised trial with focus on the long term learning retention.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Ensuring that all medical students achieve adequate clinical skills
      remains a challenge, yet the correct performance of clinical skills is critical
      for all fields of medicine. This study analyzes the influence of receiving
      feedback by teaching associates in the context of achieving and maintaining a
      level of expertise in complex head and skull examination. METHODS: All third year
      students at a German university who completed the obligatory surgical skills lab
      training and surgical clerkship participated in this study. The students were
      randomized into two groups. CONTROL GROUP: lessons by an instructor and peer
      based practical skills training. Intervention group: training by teaching
      associates who are examined as simulation patients and provided direct feedback
      on student performance. Their competency in short- and long-term competence
      (directly after intervention and at 4 months after the training) of head and
      skull examination was measured. Statistical analyses were performed using SPSS
      Statistics version 19 (IBM, Armonk, USA). Parametric and non-parametric test
      methods were applied. As a measurement of correlation, Pearson correlations and
      correlations via Kendall's-Tau-b were calculated and Cohen's d effect size was
      calculated. RESULTS: A total of 181 students were included (90 intervention, 91
      control). Out of those 181 students 81 agreed to be videotaped (32 in the control
      group and 49 in the TA group) and examined at time point 1. At both time points,
      the intervention group performed the examination significantly better (time point
      1, p = <.001; time point 2 (rater 1 p = .009, rater 2 p = .015), than the control
      group. The effect size (Cohens d) was up to 1.422. CONCLUSIONS: The use of
      teaching associates for teaching complex practical skills is effective for short-
      and long-term retention. We anticipate the method could be easily translated to
      nearly every patient-based clinical skill, particularly with regards to a
      competence-based education of future doctors.

PMID- 28351358
TI  - Change in lifestyle behaviors and diabetes risk: evidence from a population-based
      cohort study with 10 year follow-up.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Promoting positive changes in lifestyle behavior in the whole
      population may be a feasible and effective approach to reducing type 2 diabetes
      burden, but the impact of population shifts of modifiable risk factors remains
      unclear. Currently most of the evidence on modifiable lifestyle behavior and type
      2 diabetes risk on a population level comes from studies of between-individual
      differences. The objective of the study was to investigate the association and
      potential impact on disease burden for within-individual change in lifestyle
      behavior and diabetes risk. METHODS: Population-based prospective cohort study of
      35,680 participants aged 30-50 at baseline in 1990-2003 in Vasterbotten County,
      Sweden (follow-up until 2013). Five self-reported modifiable lifestyle behaviors
      (tobacco use, physical activity, alcohol intake, dietary fiber intake and dietary
      fat intake) were measured at baseline and 10 year follow-up. Lifestyle behaviors
      were studied separately, and combined in a score. Incident diabetes was detected
      by oral glucose tolerance tests. Multivariate logistic regression models and
      population attributable fractions (PAF) were used to analyze the association
      between change in lifestyle behavior between baseline and 10 year follow-up, and
      risk of incident diabetes. RESULTS: Incident diabetes was detected in 1,184
      (3.3%) participants at 10 year follow-up. There was a reduced diabetes risk
      associated with increase in dietary fiber intake, odds ratio (OR) 0.79 (95%
      confidence interval (CI) 0.66, 0.96) for increase of at least one unit standard
      deviation (3.0 g/1,000 kcal) of the baseline distribution, PAF 16.0% (95% CI 4.2,
      26.4%). Increase in the lifestyle behavior score was associated with reduced
      diabetes risk, OR 0.92 (95% CI 0.85, 0.99) per unit increase of the score.
      CONCLUSIONS: These results support a causal link between lifestyle behavior and
      type 2 diabetes incidence. A small shift in lifestyle behaviors, in particular
      intake of dietary fiber, has the potential to reduce diabetes burden in the
      population and might be a suitable target for public health intervention.

PMID- 28351361
TI  - Lost in care pathway: a qualitative investigation on the health system delay of
      extra pulmonary tuberculosis patients in Bangladesh.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Although extra pulmonary tuberculosis (EPTB) has long been known as a
      major public health concern globally, the complex healthcare-seeking pathways of
      EPTB patients are not widely studied. This study aims to explore the pattern of
      healthcare-seeking pathways of rural and urban EPTB patients registered with the
      BRAC TB control programme. BRAC is a Bangladesh-based non-governmental
      organization dedicated to alleviating poverty through empowering the poor.
      METHOD: Data were collected through 60 in-depth interviews with rural and urban
      EPTB patients in Bangladesh. RESULTS: The findings reveal that the rural EPTB
      patients encountered a substantial diagnostic delay as compared to the urban
      patients. However, the difference between the average number of healthcare
      providers consulted by the rural verses the urban EPTB patients was not
      significant. This study also shows that the healthcare-seeking journey of rural
      and urban EPTB patients usually starts either at pharmacies or private
      facilities. Through exploring the detailed nature of the pathway, this study
      reveals the ways in which non-medical informants, mainly relatives and friends,
      can benefit patients. CONCLUSIONS: The private and informal healthcare providers
      should receive appropriate training on the diagnosis of EPTB. Such training could
      effectively shorten the long and complex healthcare-seeking pathways of EPTB
      patients.

PMID- 28351362
TI  - A peculiar case report of extraovarian Brenner tumor arising in the omentum.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Brenner tumors almost always develop in the ovary. Exceptionally,
      extraovarian Brenner tumors have been reported in the lower abdomen or pelvic
      organs. Here, we introduce a peculiar case of an extraovarian Brenner tumor
      arising in the omentum. CASE PRESENTATION: A 43-year-old woman presented with a
      palpable abdominal mass. Computed tomography (CT) scan revealed a 9.0-cm solid
      mass in the omentum. The tumor was not associated with pelvic structures,
      including the ovaries. It was excised under the clinical impression of an
      extragastrointestinal stromal tumor or neurogenic tumor. Grossly, the mass was a
      well-circumscribed solid tumor, with yellow-tan cut surface and minute cystic
      spaces. Microscopically, the tumor showed well-defined epithelial nests with
      variable cystic changes embedded in an abundant fibrous stroma. The cells within
      the nests were reminiscent of benign urothelial cells in that they had oval,
      frequently grooved nuclei. The epithelial cells focally showed a gradual
      transition into the surrounding stromal cells with short spindled features. The
      urothelium-like cells were positive for pancytokeratin, WT-1, p63, CK7, uroplakin
      III, and GATA-3 but were negative for CD34, CD10, CK20, c-KIT, DOG-1, PAX-8, and
      calretinin. Morphological and immunohistochemical features of the tumor were the
      same as an ovarian Brenner tumor, and so it was diagnosed as an extraovarian
      Brenner tumor. CONCLUSIONS: Although the location of the tumor was very unusual,
      we could diagnose the tumor as an extraovarian Brenner tumor on the basis of the
      histologic and immunohistochemical findings. This is the first case of
      extraovarian Brenner tumor arising in the omentum near the stomach ever reported
      in the English literature.

PMID- 28351363
TI  - Sedentary behaviour and adiposity in youth: a systematic review of reviews and
      analysis of causality.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Sedentary behaviour (sitting time) has becoming a very popular topic
      for research and translation since early studies on TV viewing in children in the
      1980s. The most studied area for sedentary behaviour health outcomes has been
      adiposity in young people. However, the literature is replete with
      inconsistencies. METHODS: We conducted a systematic review of systematic reviews
      and meta-analyses to provide a comprehensive analysis of evidence and state-of
      the-art synthesis on whether sedentary behaviours are associated with adiposity
      in young people, and to what extent any association can be considered 'causal'.
      Searches yielded 29 systematic reviews of over 450 separate papers. We analysed
      results by observational (cross-sectional and longitudinal) and intervention
      designs. RESULTS: Small associations were reported for screen time and adiposity
      from cross-sectional evidence, but associations were less consistent from
      longitudinal studies. Studies using objective accelerometer measures of sedentary
      behaviour yielded null associations. Most studies assessed BMI/BMI-z.
      Interventions to reduce sedentary behaviour produced modest effects for weight
      status and adiposity. Accounting for effects from sedentary behaviour reduction
      alone is difficult as many interventions included additional changes in
      behaviour, such as physical activity and dietary intake. Analysis of causality
      guided by the classic Bradford Hill criteria concluded that there is no evidence
      for a causal association between sedentary behaviour and adiposity in youth,
      although a small dose-response association exists. CONCLUSIONS: Associations
      between sedentary behaviour and adiposity in children and adolescents are small
      to very small and there is little to no evidence that this association is causal.
      This remains a complex field with different exposure and outcome measures and
      research designs. But claims for 'clear' associations between sedentary behaviour
      and adiposity in youth, and certainly for causality, are premature or misguided.

PMID- 28351366
TI  - The translation of sports injury prevention and safety promotion knowledge:
      insights from key intermediary organisations.
AB  - BACKGROUND: A recognised research-to-practice gap exists in the health research
      field of sports injury prevention and safety promotion. There is a need for
      improved insight into increasing the relevancy, accessibility and legitimacy of
      injury prevention and safety promotion research knowledge for sport settings. The
      role of key organisations as intermediaries in the process of health knowledge
      translation for sports settings remains under-explored, and this paper aims to
      determine, and describe, the processes of knowledge translation undertaken by a
      set of key organisations in developing and distributing injury prevention and
      safety promotion resources. METHODS: The National Guidance for Australian
      Football Partnerships and Safety (NoGAPS) project provided the context for this
      study. Representatives from five key NoGAPS organisations participated in
      individual face-to-face interviews about organisational processes of knowledge
      translation. A qualitative descriptive methodology was used to analyse
      participants' descriptions of knowledge translation activities undertaken at
      their respective organisations. RESULTS: Several themes emerged around health
      knowledge translation processes and considerations, including (1) identifying a
      need for knowledge translation, (2) developing and disseminating resources, and
      (3) barriers and enablers to knowledge translation. CONCLUSIONS: This study
      provides insight into the processes that key organisations employ when developing
      and disseminating injury prevention and safety promotion resources within sport
      settings. The relevancy, accessibility and legitimacy of health research
      knowledge is foregrounded, with a view to increasing the influence of research on
      the development of health-related resources suitable for community sport
      settings.

PMID- 28351364
TI  - Task-shifting alcohol interventions for HIV+ persons in Kenya: a cost-benefit
      analysis.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Among HIV+ patients, alcohol use is a highly prevalent risk factor
      for both HIV transmission and poor adherence to HIV treatment. The large-scale
      implementation of effective interventions for treating alcohol problems remains a
      challenge in low-income countries with generalized HIV epidemics. It is essential
      to consider an intervention's cost-effectiveness in dollars-per-health-outcome,
      and the long-term economic impact -or "return on investment" in monetary terms.
      METHODS: We conducted a cost-benefit analysis, measuring economic return on
      investment, of a task-shifted cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) intervention
      delivered by paraprofessionals to reduce alcohol use in a modeled cohort of
      13,440 outpatients in Kenya. In our base-case, we estimated the costs and
      economic benefits from a societal perspective across a six-year time horizon,
      with a 3% annual discount rate. Costs included all costs associated with training
      and administering task-shifted CBT therapy. Benefits included the economic impact
      of lowered HIV incidence as well as the improvements in household and labor-force
      productivity. We conducted univariate and multivariate probabilistic sensitivity
      analyses to test the robustness of our results. RESULTS: Under the base case,
      total costs for CBT rollout was $554,000, the value of benefits were $628,000,
      and the benefit-to-cost ratio was 1.13. Sensitivity analyses showed that under
      most assumptions, the benefit-to-cost ratio remained above unity indicating that
      the intervention was cost-saving (i.e., had positive return on investment). The
      duration of the treatment effect most effected the results in sensitivity
      analyses. CONCLUSIONS: CBT can be effectively and economically task-shifted to
      paraprofessionals in Kenya. The intervention can generate not only reductions in
      morbidity and mortality, but also economic savings for the health system in the
      medium and long term. The findings have implications for other countries with
      generalized HIV epidemics, high prevalence of alcohol consumption, and shortages
      of mental health professionals. TRIAL REGISTRATION: This paper uses data derived
      from "Cognitive Behavioral Treatment to Reduce Alcohol Use Among HIV-Infected
      Kenyans (KHBS)" with ClinicalTrials.gov registration NCT00792519 on 11/17/2008;
      and preliminary data from "A Stage 2 Cognitive-behavioral Trial: Reduce Alcohol
      First in Kenya Intervention" ( NCT01503255 , registered on 12/16/2011).

PMID- 28351365
TI  - Basal-like breast cancer: molecular profiles, clinical features and survival
      outcomes.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Basal-like constitutes an important molecular subtype of breast
      cancer characterised by an aggressive behaviour and a limited therapy response.
      The outcome of patients within this subtype is, however, divergent. Some
      individuals show an increased risk of dying in the first five years, and others a
      long-term survival of over ten years after the diagnosis. In this study, we aim
      at identifying markers associated with basal-like patients' survival and
      characterising subgroups with distinct disease outcome. METHODS: We explored the
      genomic and transcriptomic profiles of 351 basal-like samples from the METABRIC
      and ROCK data sets. Two selection methods, labelled Differential and Survival
      filters, were employed to determine genes/probes that are differentially
      expressed in tumour and control samples, and are associated with overall
      survival. These probes were further used to define molecular subgroups, which
      vary at the microRNA level and in DNA copy number. RESULTS: We identified the
      expression signature of 80 probes that distinguishes between two basal-like
      subgroups with distinct clinical features and survival outcomes. Genes included
      in this list have been mainly linked to cancer immune response, epithelial
      mesenchymal transition and cell cycle. In particular, high levels of CXCR6, HCST,
      C3AR1 and FPR3 were found in Basal I; whereas HJURP, RRP12 and DNMT3B appeared
      over-expressed in Basal II. These genes exhibited the highest betweenness
      centrality and node degree values and play a key role in the basal-like breast
      cancer differentiation. Further molecular analysis revealed 17 miRNAs correlated
      to the subgroups, including hsa-miR-342-5p, -150, -155, -200c and -17.
      Additionally, increased percentages of gains/amplifications were detected on
      chromosomes 1q, 3q, 8q, 10p and 17q, and losses/deletions on 4q, 5q, 8p and X,
      associated with reduced survival. CONCLUSIONS: The proposed signature supports
      the existence of at least two subgroups of basal-like breast cancers with
      distinct disease outcome. The identification of patients at a low risk may impact
      the clinical decisions-making by reducing the prescription of high-dose
      chemotherapy and, consequently, avoiding adverse effects. The recognition of
      other aggressive features within this subtype may be also critical for improving
      individual care and for delineating more effective therapies for patients at high
      risk.

PMID- 28351368
TI  - Nonrigid registration with corresponding points constraint for automatic
      segmentation of cardiac DSCT images.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Dual-source computed tomography (DSCT) is a very effective way for
      diagnosis and treatment of heart disease. The quantitative information of
      spatiotemporal DSCT images can be important for the evaluation of cardiac
      function. To avoid the shortcoming of manual delineation, it is imperative to
      develop an automatic segmentation technique for 4D cardiac images. METHODS: In
      this paper, we implement the heart segmentation-propagation framework based on
      nonrigid registration. The corresponding points of anatomical substructures are
      extracted by using the extension of n-dimensional scale invariant feature
      transform method. They are considered as a constraint term of nonrigid
      registration using the free-form deformation, in order to restrain the large
      variations and boundary ambiguity between subjects. RESULTS: We validate our
      method on 15 patients at ten time phases. Atlases are constructed by the training
      dataset from ten patients. On the remaining data the median overlap is shown to
      improve significantly compared to original mutual information, in particular from
      0.4703 to 0.5015 ([Formula: see text]) for left ventricle myocardium and from
      0.6307 to 0.6519 ([Formula: see text]) for right atrium. CONCLUSIONS: The
      proposed method outperforms standard mutual information of intensity only. The
      segmentation errors had been significantly reduced at the left ventricle
      myocardium and the right atrium. The mean surface distance of using our framework
      is around 1.73 mm for the whole heart.

PMID- 28351367
TI  - Effective behaviour change techniques for physical activity and healthy eating in
      overweight and obese adults; systematic review and meta-regression analyses.
AB  - PURPOSE: This systematic review aims to explain the heterogeneity in results of
      interventions to promote physical activity and healthy eating for overweight and
      obese adults, by exploring the differential effects of behaviour change
      techniques (BCTs) and other intervention characteristics. METHODS: The inclusion
      criteria specified RCTs with >= 12 weeks' duration, from January 2007 to October
      2014, for adults (mean age >= 40 years, mean BMI >= 30). Primary outcomes were
      measures of healthy diet or physical activity. Two reviewers rated study quality,
      coded the BCTs, and collected outcome results at short (<=6 months) and long term
      (>=12 months). Meta-analyses and meta-regressions were used to estimate effect
      sizes (ES), heterogeneity indices (I2) and regression coefficients. RESULTS: We
      included 48 studies containing a total of 82 outcome reports. The 32 long term
      reports had an overall ES = 0.24 with 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.15 to 0.33
      and I2 = 59.4%. The 50 short term reports had an ES = 0.37 with 95% CI: 0.26 to
      0.48, and I2 = 71.3%. The number of BCTs unique to the intervention group, and
      the BCTs goal setting and self-monitoring of behaviour predicted the effect at
      short and long term. The total number of BCTs in both intervention arms and using
      the BCTs goal setting of outcome, feedback on outcome of behaviour, implementing
      graded tasks, and adding objects to the environment, e.g. using a step counter,
      significantly predicted the effect at long term. Setting a goal for change; and
      the presence of reporting bias independently explained 58.8% of inter-study
      variation at short term. Autonomy supportive and person-centred methods as in
      Motivational Interviewing, the BCTs goal setting of behaviour, and receiving
      feedback on the outcome of behaviour, explained all of the between study
      variations in effects at long term. CONCLUSION: There are similarities, but also
      differences in effective BCTs promoting change in healthy eating and physical
      activity and BCTs supporting maintenance of change. The results support the use
      of goal setting and self-monitoring of behaviour when counselling overweight and
      obese adults. Several other BCTs as well as the use of a person-centred and
      autonomy supportive counselling approach seem important in order to maintain
      behaviour over time. TRIAL REGISTRATION: PROSPERO CRD42015020624.

PMID- 28351369
TI  - Positional bias in variant calls against draft reference assemblies.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Whole genome resequencing projects may implement variant calling
      using draft reference genomes assembled de novo from short-read libraries.
      Despite lower quality of such assemblies, they allowed researchers to extend a
      wide range of population genetic and genome-wide association analyses to non
      model species. As the variant calling pipelines are complex and involve many
      software packages, it is important to understand inherent biases and limitations
      at each step of the analysis. RESULTS: In this article, we report a positional
      bias present in variant calling performed against draft reference assemblies
      constructed from de Bruijn or string overlap graphs. We assessed how frequently
      variants appeared at each position counted from ends of a contig or scaffold
      sequence, and discovered unexpectedly high number of variants at the positions
      related to the length of either k-mers or reads used for the assembly. We
      detected the bias in both publicly available draft assemblies from Assemblathon 2
      competition as well as in the assemblies we generated from our simulated short
      read data. Simulations confirmed that the bias causing variants are predominantly
      false positives induced by reads from spatially distant repeated sequences. The
      bias is particularly strong in contig assemblies. Scaffolding does not eliminate
      the bias but tends to mitigate it because of the changes in variants' relative
      positions and alterations in read alignments. The bias can be effectively reduced
      by filtering out the variants that reside in repetitive elements. CONCLUSIONS:
      Draft genome sequences generated by several popular assemblers appear to be
      susceptible to the positional bias potentially affecting many resequencing
      projects in non-model species. The bias is inherent to the assembly algorithms
      and arises from their particular handling of repeated sequences. It is
      recommended to reduce the bias by filtering especially if higher-quality genome
      assembly cannot be achieved. Our findings can help other researchers to improve
      the quality of their variant data sets and reduce artefactual findings in
      downstream analyses.

PMID- 28351370
TI  - Erratum to: Loss of plakoglobin promotes cell-cell contact, increased invasion
      and breast cancer cell dissemination in vivo.

PMID- 28351372
TI  - Erratum to: Cyclin D1 cooperates with p21 to regulate TGFbeta-mediated breast
      cancer cell migration and tumor local invasion.

PMID- 28351371
TI  - Unicompartmental knee arthroplasty, is it superior to high tibial osteotomy in
      treating unicompartmental osteoarthritis? A meta-analysis and systemic review.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Debate remains whether high tibial osteotomy (HTO) or
      unicompartmental knee arthroplasty (UKA) is more beneficial for the treatment of
      unicompartmental knee osteoarthritis. The purpose of this study was to compare
      the functional results, knee scores, activity levels, and complications between
      the two procedures. METHODS: We performed a systematic review of published
      literature from August 1982 through January 2017. Fifteen papers reporting three
      prospective randomized trials were subjected to a meta-analysis. RESULTS: No
      significant difference between the two groups was noted with respect to free
      walking (velocity), knee score, deterioration of the contralateral or
      patellofemoral knee, or revision rate and total knee arthroplasty. However, UKA
      produced better outcomes compared to HTO in terms of the functional results, pain
      assessment, and complications, although patients who underwent HTO tended to have
      slightly better range of motion. CONCLUSIONS: Valgus HTO provides better physical
      activity for younger patients whereas UKA is more suitable for older patients due
      to shorter rehabilitation time and faster functional recovery. Although UKA
      patients tended to have improved overall long-term outcomes, which may be due to
      accurate indications and patient selection, both treatment options yielded
      pleasing results. Therefore, we are unable to conclude that either method is
      superior.

PMID- 28351373
TI  - The antiproliferative ELF2 isoform, ELF2B, induces apoptosis in vitro and
      perturbs early lymphocytic development in vivo.
AB  - BACKGROUND: ELF2 (E74-like factor 2) also known as NERF (new Ets-related factor),
      a member of the Ets family of transcription factors, regulates genes important in
      B and T cell development, cell cycle progression, and angiogenesis. Conserved
      ELF2 isoforms, ELF2A, and ELF2B, arising from alternative promoter usage can
      exert opposing effects on target gene expression. ELF2A activates, whilst ELF2B
      represses, gene expression, and the balance of expression between these isoforms
      may be important in maintaining normal cellular function. METHODS: We compared
      the function of ELF2 isoforms ELF2A and ELF2B with other ELF subfamily proteins
      ELF1 and ELF4 in primary and cancer cell lines using proliferation, colony
      forming, cell cycle, and apoptosis assays. We further examined the role of ELF2
      isoforms in haemopoietic development using a Rag1 -/-murine bone marrow
      reconstitution model. RESULTS: ELF2B overexpression significantly reduced cell
      proliferation and clonogenic capacity, minimally disrupted cell cycle kinetics,
      and induced apoptosis. In contrast, ELF2A overexpression only marginally reduced
      clonogenic capacity with little effect on proliferation, cell cycle progression,
      or apoptosis. Deletion of the N-terminal 19 amino acids unique to ELF2B abrogated
      the antiproliferative and proapoptotic functions of ELF2B thereby confirming its
      crucial role. Mice expressing Elf2a or Elf2b in haemopoietic cells variously
      displayed perturbations in the pre-B cell stage and multiple stages of T cell
      development. Mature B cells, T cells, and myeloid cells in steady state were
      unaffected, suggesting that the main role of ELF2 is restricted to the early
      development of B and T cells and that compensatory mechanisms exist. No
      differences in B and T cell development were observed between ELF2 isoforms.
      CONCLUSIONS: We conclude that ELF2 isoforms are important regulators of cellular
      proliferation, cell cycle progression, and apoptosis. In respect to this, ELF2B
      acts in a dominant negative fashion compared to ELF2A and as a putative tumour
      suppressor gene. Given that these cellular processes are critical during
      haemopoiesis, we propose that the regulatory interplay between ELF2 isoforms
      contributes substantially to early B and T cell development.

PMID- 28351375
TI  - Erratum to: Honokiol activates AMP-activated protein kinase in breast cancer
      cells via LKB1-dependent pathway and inhibits breast carcinogenesis.

PMID- 28351374
TI  - Working memory training in children with neuropsychiatric disorders and mild to
      borderline intellectual functioning, the role of coaching; a double-blind
      randomized controlled trial.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Working memory training (WMT) has been shown to offer therapeutic
      benefits to both patients with Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)
      and patients with mild to borderline Intellectual Disabilities (MBID; 60 < IQ <
      85). However, robust evidence for transfer effects and treatment benefits of WMT
      over placebo training are lacking. Owing to the nature of double-blind research
      designs in RCTs, children have received non-specific coaching not based on their
      actual training performance. Active coaching based on individual training results
      (such as in clinical practice) might enhance the efficacy of Cogmed WMT.
      Furthermore, clinical experience and the general treatment approach to these
      vulnerable children has shown that the intensity and duration of WMT is often too
      stressful. This study therefore investigated the efficacy of a less intensive,
      but more prolonged Cogmed WMT (including active personalized coaching and
      feedback) in reducing behavioral symptoms and improving neurocognitive
      functioning and academic achievements in children with MBID and neuropsychiatric
      disorders. METHODS/DESIGN: A double-blind RCT with children (age 10.0-13.11) with
      neuropsychiatric disorders (ADHD and/or autism spectrum disorder (ASD)) and MBID
      (IQ: 60 < IQ < 85). Two groups (each n = 26) will receive Cogmed WMT (version
      R/M) at home or at school for 8 weeks, 4 days a week, at 30 min a day. One group
      will receive active personalized coaching and feedback based on their actual
      individual performance during Cogmed training. The other group will only receive
      general non-personalized coaching (i.e. no receive personalized coaching and
      feedback). Both groups will undergo a neurocognitive assessment (working memory,
      executive functioning, academic achievements) before and after training and
      complete several questionnaires (behavioral problems, parenting style) with a 6
      months follow-up. DISCUSSION: This study will add to the literature since the
      role of coaching in Cogmed WMT has not been studied before. It will also provide
      opportunities to investigate an alternative version of WMT in a large group of
      vulnerable children, for whom few evidence-based treatments are available.
      Ultimately, this will allow us to advise mental health care professionals and
      special education schools about the use of this type of intervention for children
      with MBID and neuropsychiatric disorders. TRIAL REGISTRATION: Dutch Trial
      Register. NTR5223 . Registration date 06-09-2015.

PMID- 28351376
TI  - An optimised patient information sheet did not significantly increase recruitment
      or retention in a falls prevention study: an embedded randomised recruitment
      trial.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Randomised controlled trials are generally regarded as the 'gold
      standard' experimental design to determine the effectiveness of an intervention.
      Unfortunately, many trials either fail to recruit sufficient numbers of
      participants, or recruitment takes longer than anticipated. The current embedded
      trial evaluates the effectiveness of optimised patient information sheets on
      recruitment of participants in a falls prevention trial. METHODS: A three-arm,
      embedded randomised methodology trial was conducted within the National Institute
      for Health Research-funded REducing Falls with ORthoses and a Multifaceted
      podiatry intervention (REFORM) cohort randomised controlled trial. Routine
      National Health Service podiatry patients over the age of 65 were randomised to
      receive either the control patient information sheet (PIS) for the host trial or
      one of two optimised versions, a bespoke user-tested PIS or a template-developed
      PIS. The primary outcome was the proportion of patients in each group who went on
      to be randomised to the host trial. RESULTS: Six thousand and nine hundred
      patients were randomised 1:1:1 into the embedded trial. A total of 193 (2.8%)
      went on to be randomised into the main REFORM trial (control n = 62, template
      developed n = 68; bespoke user-tested n = 63). Information sheet allocation did
      not improve recruitment to the trial (odds ratios for the three pairwise
      comparisons: template vs control 1.10 (95% CI 0.77-1.56, p = 0.60); user-tested
      vs control 1.01 (95% CI 0.71-1.45, p = 0.94); and user-tested vs template 0.92
      (95% CI 0.65-1.31, p = 0.65)). CONCLUSIONS: This embedded methodology trial has
      demonstrated limited evidence as to the benefit of using optimised information
      materials on recruitment and retention rates in the REFORM study. TRIAL
      REGISTRATION: International Standard Randomised Controlled Trials Number
      registry, ISRCTN68240461 . Registered on 01 July 2011.

PMID- 28351378
TI  - Melatonin alleviates brain and peripheral tissue edema in a neonatal rat model of
      hypoxic-ischemic brain damage: the involvement of edema related proteins.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Previous studies have indicated edema may be involved in the
      pathophysiology following hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy (HIE), and melatonin
      may exhibit neuro-protection against brain insults. However, little is known
      regarding the mechanisms that involve the protective effects of melatonin in the
      brain and peripheral tissues after HIE. The present study aimed to examine the
      effects of melatonin on multiple organs, and the expression of edema related
      proteins in a neonatal rat model of hypoxic-ischemic brain damage (HIBD).
      METHODS: One hundred ninety-two neonatal rats were randomly divided into three
      subgroups that underwent a sham surgery or HIBD. After the HIBD or sham-injury,
      the rats received an intraperitoneal injection of melatonin or an equal volume
      vehicle, respectively. We investigated the effects of melatonin on brain, kidney,
      and colon edema via histological examination and the expression of edema related
      proteins, including AQP-4, ZO-1 and occludin, via qPCR and western blot. RESULTS:
      Our data indicated (1) Melatonin reduced the histological injury in the brain and
      peripheral organs induced by HIBD as assessed via H-E staining and transmission
      electron microscopy. (2) Melatonin alleviated the HIBD-induced cerebral edema
      characterized by increased brain water content. (3) HIBD induced significant
      changes of edema related proteins, such as AQP-4, ZO-1 and occludin, and these
      changes were partially reversed by melatonin treatment. CONCLUSIONS: These
      findings provide substantial evidence that melatonin treatment has protective
      effects on the brain and peripheral organs after HIBD, and the edema related
      proteins, AQP4, ZO-1, and occludin, may indirectly contribute tothe mechanism of
      the edema protection by melatonin.

PMID- 28351377
TI  - Tissue and time specific expression pattern of interferon regulated genes in the
      chicken.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Type I interferons are major players against viral infections and
      mediate their function by the induction of Interferon regulated genes (IRGs).
      Recently, it became obvious that these cytokines have a multitude of additional
      functions. Due to the unique features of the chickens' immune system, available
      data from mouse models are not easily transferable; hence we performed an
      extensive analysis of chicken IRGs. RESULTS: A broad database search for
      homologues to described mammalian IRGs (common IRGs, cIRGs) was combined with a
      transcriptome analysis of spleen and lung at different time points after
      application of IFNalpha. To apply physiological amounts of IFN, half-life of IFN
      in the chicken was determined. Interestingly, the calculated 36 min are
      considerably shorter than the ones obtained for human and mouse. Microarray
      analysis revealed many additional IRGs (newly identified IRGs; nIRGs) and network
      analysis for selected IRGs showed a broad interaction of nIRGs among each other
      and with cIRGs. We found that IRGs exhibit a highly tissue and time specific
      expression pattern as expression quality and quantity differed strongly between
      spleen and lung and over time. While in the spleen for many affected genes
      changes in RNA abundance peaked already after 3 h, an increasing or plateau-like
      regulation after 3, 6 and 9 h was observed in the lung. CONCLUSIONS: The
      induction or suppression of IRGs in chickens is both tissue and time specific and
      beside known antiviral mechanisms type I IFN induces many additional cellular
      functions. We confirmed many known IRGs and established a multitude of so far
      undescribed ones, thus providing a large database for future research on
      antiviral mechanisms and additional IFN functions in non-mammalian species.

PMID- 28351379
TI  - Efficacy of orally administered prednisolone versus partial endodontic treatment
      on pain reduction in emergency care of acute irreversible pulpitis of mandibular
      molars: study protocol for a randomized controlled trial.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Irreversible pulpitis is a highly painful inflammatory condition of
      the dental pulp which represents a common dental emergency. Recommended care is
      partial endodontic treatment. The dental literature reports major difficulties in
      achieving adequate analgesia to perform this emergency treatment, especially in
      the case of mandibular molars. In current practice, short-course, orally
      administered corticotherapy is used for the management of oral pain of
      inflammatory origin. The efficacy of intraosseous local steroid injections for
      irreversible pulpitis in mandibular molars has already been demonstrated but
      resulted in local comorbidities. Oral administration of short-course prednisolone
      is simple and safe but its efficacy to manage pain caused by irreversible
      pulpitis has not yet been demonstrated. This trial aims to evaluate the
      noninferiority of short-course, orally administered corticotherapy versus partial
      endodontic treatment for the emergency care of irreversible pulpitis in
      mandibular molars. METHODS/DESIGN: This study is a noninferiority, open-label,
      randomized controlled clinical trial conducted at the Bordeaux University
      Hospital. One hundred and twenty subjects will be randomized in two 1:1 parallel
      arms: the intervention arm will receive one oral dose of prednisolone (1 mg/kg)
      during the emergency visit, followed by one morning dose each day for 3 days and
      the reference arm will receive partial endodontic treatment. Both groups will
      receive planned complete endodontic treatment 72 h after enrollment. The primary
      outcome is the proportion of patients with pain intensity below 5 on a Numeric
      Scale 24 h after the emergency visit. Secondary outcomes include comfort during
      care, the number of injected anesthetic cartridges when performing complete
      endodontic treatment, the number of antalgic drugs and the number of patients
      coming back for consultation after 72 h. DISCUSSION: This randomized trial will
      assess the ability of short-term corticotherapy to reduce pain in irreversible
      pulpitis as a simple and rapid alternative to partial endodontic treatment and to
      enable planning of endodontic treatment in optimal analgesic conditions. TRIAL
      REGISTRATION: ClinicalTrials.gov, identifier: NCT02629042 . Registered on 7
      December 2015. (Version n degrees 1.1 28 July 2015).

PMID- 28351380
TI  - MiRNA expression in the cartilage of patients with osteoarthritis.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Osteoarthritis (OA), the most prevalent disease of articulating
      joints, is a complex multifactorial disease caused by genetic, mechanical, and
      environmental factors. In this research, we evaluated miRNA expression in OA.
      METHODS: Forty tissue samples from 29 patients undergoing joint replacement for
      OA were evaluated. Tissue from two control patients undergoing hip replacement
      not related to OA was used as a control. Total RNA (containing miRNA species)
      from cartilage was isolated using a mirVana miRNA Isolation Kit. Expression of 19
      miRNAs was assessed by real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction. RESULTS:
      Expression of four miRNAs, miR-138-5p, miR-146a-5p, miR-335-5p, and miR-9-5p, was
      significantly upregulated in OA tissues (patients vs. control group).
      CONCLUSIONS: These findings may contribute to disease prevention and the
      development of therapeutic targets for OA.

PMID- 28351381
TI  - The role of stromal cancer-associated fibroblasts in pancreatic cancer.
AB  - Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is a lethal cancer generally refractory
      to conventional treatments. Cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) are cellular
      components of the desmoplastic stroma characteristic to the tumor that
      contributes to this treatment resistance. Various markers for CAFs have been
      explored including palladin and CD146 that have prognostic and functional roles
      in the pathobiology of PDAC. Mechanisms of CAF-tumor cell interaction have been
      described including exosomal transfer and paracrine signaling mediated by
      cytokines such as GM-CSF and IL-6. The role of downstream signaling pathways
      including JAK/STAT, mTOR, sonic hedge hog (SHH), and NFkB have also been shown to
      play an important function in PDAC-CAF cross talk. The role of autophagy and
      other metabolic effects on each cell type within the tumor have also been
      proposed to play roles in facilitating CAF secretory function and enhancing tumor
      growth in a low-glucose microenvironment. Targeting the stroma has gained
      interest with multiple preclinical and clinical trials targeting SHH, JAK2, and
      methods of either exploiting the secretory capability of CAFs to enhance drug
      delivery or inhibiting it to prevent its influence on cancer cell
      chemoresistance. This review summarizes the most recent progress made in
      understanding stromal formation; its contribution to tumor proliferation,
      invasion, and metastasis; its role in chemoresistance; and potential therapeutic
      strategies on the horizon.

PMID- 28351382
TI  - Erratum to: InteGO2: a web tool for measuring and visualizing gene semantic
      similarities using Gene Ontology.

PMID- 28351385
TI  - Erratum to: Cancer progression by breast tumors with Pit-1-overexpression is
      blocked by inhibition of metalloproteinase (MMP)-13.

PMID- 28351383
TI  - Diverse interventions that extend mouse lifespan suppress shared age-associated
      epigenetic changes at critical gene regulatory regions.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Age-associated epigenetic changes are implicated in aging. Notably,
      age-associated DNA methylation changes comprise a so-called aging "clock", a
      robust biomarker of aging. However, while genetic, dietary and drug interventions
      can extend lifespan, their impact on the epigenome is uncharacterised. To fill
      this knowledge gap, we defined age-associated DNA methylation changes at the
      whole-genome, single-nucleotide level in mouse liver and tested the impact of
      longevity-promoting interventions, specifically the Ames dwarf Prop1 df/df
      mutation, calorie restriction and rapamycin. RESULTS: In wild-type mice fed an
      unsupplemented ad libitum diet, age-associated hypomethylation was enriched at
      super-enhancers in highly expressed genes critical for liver function. Genes
      harbouring hypomethylated enhancers were enriched for genes that change
      expression with age. Hypermethylation was enriched at CpG islands marked with
      bivalent activating and repressing histone modifications and resembled
      hypermethylation in liver cancer. Age-associated methylation changes are
      suppressed in Ames dwarf and calorie restricted mice and more selectively and
      less specifically in rapamycin treated mice. CONCLUSIONS: Age-associated hypo-
      and hypermethylation events occur at distinct regulatory features of the genome.
      Distinct longevity-promoting interventions, specifically genetic, dietary and
      drug interventions, suppress some age-associated methylation changes, consistent
      with the idea that these interventions exert their beneficial effects, in part,
      by modulation of the epigenome. This study is a foundation to understand the
      epigenetic contribution to healthy aging and longevity and the molecular basis of
      the DNA methylation clock.

PMID- 28351384
TI  - Maternal characteristics and obstetrical complications impact neonatal outcomes
      in Indonesia: a prospective study.
AB  - BACKGROUND: We investigated associations between maternal characteristics, access
      to care, and obstetrical complications including near miss status on admission or
      during hospitalization on perinatal outcomes among Indonesian singletons.
      METHODS: We prospectively collected data on inborn singletons at two hospitals in
      East Java. Data included socio-demographics, reproductive, obstetric and neonatal
      variables. Reduced multivariable models were constructed. Outcomes of interest
      included low and very low birthweight (LBW/VLBW), asphyxia and death. RESULTS:
      Referral from a care facility was associated with a reduced risk of LBW and VLBW
      [AOR = 0.28, 95% CI = 0.11-0.69, AOR = 0.18, 95% CI = 0.04-0.75, respectively],
      stillbirth [AOR = 0.41, 95% CI = 0.18-0.95], and neonatal death [AOR = 0.2, 95%
      CI = 0.05-0.81]. Mothers age <20 years increased the risk of VLBW [AOR = 6.39,
      95% CI = 1.82-22.35] and neonatal death [AOR = 4.10, 95% CI = 1.29-13.02].
      Malpresentation on admission increased the risk of asphyxia [AOR = 4.65, 95% CI =
      2.23-9.70], stillbirth [AOR = 3.96, 95% CI = 1.41-11.15], and perinatal death
      [AOR = 3.89 95% CI = 1.42-10.64], as did poor prenatal care (PNC) [AOR = 11.67,
      95%CI = 2.71-16.62]. Near-miss on admission increased the risk of neonatal [AOR =
      11.67, 95% CI = 2.08-65.65] and perinatal death [AOR = 13.08 95% CI = 3.77
      45.37]. CONCLUSIONS: Mothers in labor should be encouraged to seek care early and
      taught to identify early danger signs. Adequate PNC significantly reduced
      perinatal deaths. Improved hospital management of malpresentation may
      significantly reduce perinatal morbidity and mortality. The importance of
      hospital-based prospective studies helps evaluate specific areas of need in
      training of obstetrical care providers.

PMID- 28351386
TI  - Midwife-led maternity care in Ireland - a retrospective cohort study.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Midwife-led maternity care is shown to be safe for women with low
      risk during pregnancy. In Ireland, two midwife-led units (MLUs) were introduced
      in 2004 when a randomised controlled trial (the MidU study) was performed to
      compare MLU care with consultant-led care (CLU). Following study completion the
      two MLUs have remained as a maternity care option in Ireland. The aim of this
      study was to evaluate maternal and neonatal outcomes and transfer rates during
      six years in the larger of the MLU sites. METHODS: MLU data for the six years
      2008-2013 were retrospectively analysed, following ethical approval. Rates of
      transfer, reasons for transfer, mode of birth, and maternal and fetal outcomes
      were assessed. Linear-by-Linear Association trend analysis was used for
      categorical data to evaluate trends over the years and one-way ANOVA was used
      when comparing continuous variables. RESULTS: During the study period, 3,884
      women were registered at the MLU. The antenatal transfer rate was 37.4% and 2,410
      women came to labour in the MLU. Throughout labour and birth, 567 women (14.6%)
      transferred to the CLU, of which 23 were transferred after birth due to need for
      suturing or postpartum hemorrhage. The most common reasons for intrapartum
      transfer were meconium stained liquor/abnormal fetal heart rate (30.3%), delayed
      labour progress in first or second stage (24.9%) and woman's wish for epidural
      analgesia (15.1%). Of the 1,903 babies born in the MLU, 1,878 (98.7%) were
      spontaneous vaginal births and 25 (1.3%) were instrumental (ventouse/forceps).
      Only 25 babies (1.3%) were admitted to neonatal intensive care unit. All
      spontaneous vaginal births from the MLU registered population, occurring in the
      study period in both the MLU and CLU settings (n = 2,785), were compared. In the
      MLU more often 1-2 midwives (90.9% vs 69.7%) cared for the women during birth,
      more women had three vaginal examinations or fewer (93.6% vs 79.9%) and gave
      birth in an upright position (standing, squatting or kneeling) (52.0% vs 9.4%),
      fewer women had an amniotomy (5.9% vs 25.9%) or episiotomy (3.4% vs 9.7%) and
      more women had a physiological management of third stage of labour (50.9% vs
      4.6%). CONCLUSIONS: Midwife-led care is a safe option that could be offered to a
      large proportion of healthy pregnant women. With strict transfer criteria there
      are very few complications during labour and birth. Maternity units without the
      option of MLU care should consider its introduction.

PMID- 28351389
TI  - Quality of medical service, patient satisfaction and loyalty with a focus on
      interpersonal-based medical service encounters and treatment effectiveness: a
      cross-sectional multicenter study of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM)
      hospitals.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Treatment effectiveness holds considerable importance in the
      association between service quality and satisfaction in medical service studies.
      While complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) use grows more prominent,
      comprehensive evaluations of the quality of medical service at CAM-oriented
      hospitals are scarce. This study assesses the quality of medical services
      provided at a CAM-oriented hospital of Korean medicine using the service
      encounter system approach and analyzes the influence of treatment effectiveness
      on patient loyalty. METHODS: A survey study using one-on-one interviews was
      conducted using a cross-sectional design in outpatients visiting one of fifteen
      Korean medicine facilities located throughout Korea. A total of 880 surveys were
      completed from June to July, 2014, and 728 surveys were included in the final
      analysis after excluding incomplete or incorrect questionnaires. The reliability
      and validity of the surveys was confirmed using Cronbach's alpha coefficient and
      confirmatory factor analysis, and a structural equation modeling analysis was
      performed to verify causality and association between factors (quality of medical
      service, treatment effectiveness, patient satisfaction, and intent to revisit).
      RESULTS: The measured factors of physician performance and quality of service
      procedures had a positive effect on treatment effectiveness. The impression of
      the facilities and environment directly impacted satisfaction rates for
      interpersonal-based medical service encounters, while treatment effectiveness
      positively affected satisfaction regarding quality of medical service. However,
      treatment effectiveness had a more significant effect on satisfaction compared to
      facilities and environment, and it indirectly affected satisfaction and directly
      influenced intent to revisit. Treatment effectiveness and satisfaction both
      positively influenced intent to revisit. CONCLUSIONS: The importance of treatment
      effectiveness should be recognized when examining quality of medical services,
      and we hope that these findings may contribute to future studies.

PMID- 28351387
TI  - Dietary restriction protects from age-associated DNA methylation and induces
      epigenetic reprogramming of lipid metabolism.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Dietary restriction (DR), a reduction in food intake without
      malnutrition, increases most aspects of health during aging and extends lifespan
      in diverse species, including rodents. However, the mechanisms by which DR
      interacts with the aging process to improve health in old age are poorly
      understood. DNA methylation could play an important role in mediating the effects
      of DR because it is sensitive to the effects of nutrition and can affect gene
      expression memory over time. RESULTS: Here, we profile genome-wide changes in DNA
      methylation, gene expression and lipidomics in response to DR and aging in female
      mouse liver. DR is generally strongly protective against age-related changes in
      DNA methylation. During aging with DR, DNA methylation becomes targeted to gene
      bodies and is associated with reduced gene expression, particularly of genes
      involved in lipid metabolism. The lipid profile of the livers of DR mice is
      correspondingly shifted towards lowered triglyceride content and shorter chain
      length of triglyceride-associated fatty acids, and these effects become more
      pronounced with age. CONCLUSIONS: Our results indicate that DR remodels genome
      wide patterns of DNA methylation so that age-related changes are profoundly
      delayed, while changes at loci involved in lipid metabolism affect gene
      expression and the resulting lipid profile.

PMID- 28351388
TI  - Buyang Huanwu decoction facilitates neurorehabilitation through an improvement of
      synaptic plasticity in cerebral ischemic rats.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Loss of neural function is a critical but unsolved issue after
      cerebral ischemia insult. Neuronal plasticity and remodeling are crucial for
      recovery of neural functions after brain injury. Buyang Huanwu decoction, which
      is a classic formula in traditional Chinese medicine, can positively alter
      synaptic plasticity. This study assessed the effects of Buyang Huanwu decoction
      in combination with physical exercise on neuronal plasticity in cerebral ischemic
      rats. METHODS: Cerebral ischemic rats were administered Buyang Huanwu decoction
      and participated in physical exercise after the induction of a permanent middle
      cerebral artery occlusion. The neurobehavioral functions and infarct volumes were
      evaluated. The presynaptic (SYN), postsynaptic (GAP-43) and cytoskeletal (MAP-2)
      proteins in the coronal brain samples were evaluated by immunohistochemistry and
      western blot analyses. The ultrastructure of the neuronal synaptic junctions in
      the same region were analyzed using transmission electron microscopy. RESULTS:
      Combination treatment of Buyang Huanwu decoction and physical exercise
      ameliorated the neurobehavioral deficits (p < 0.05), significantly enhanced the
      expression levels of SYN, GAP-43 and MAP-2 (p < 0.05), and maintained the
      synaptic ultrastructure. CONCLUSIONS: Buyang Huanwu decoction facilitated
      neurorehabilitation following a cerebral ischemia insult through an improvement
      in synaptic plasticity. Graphical abstract The Buyang Huanwu decoction (BYHWD)
      combined with physical exercise (PE) attenuates synaptic disruption and promotes
      synaptic plasticity following cerebral ischemia (stroke).

PMID- 28351390
TI  - Erratum to: Patient preferences for treatment of castration-resistant prostate
      cancer in Japan: a discrete-choice experiment.

PMID- 28351391
TI  - The impact on healthcare, policy and practice from 36 multi-project research
      programmes: findings from two reviews.
AB  - BACKGROUND: We sought to analyse the impacts found, and the methods used, in a
      series of assessments of programmes and portfolios of health research consisting
      of multiple projects. METHODS: We analysed a sample of 36 impact studies of multi
      project research programmes, selected from a wider sample of impact studies
      included in two narrative systematic reviews published in 2007 and 2016. We
      included impact studies in which the individual projects in a programme had been
      assessed for wider impact, especially on policy or practice, and where findings
      had been described in such a way that allowed them to be collated and compared.
      RESULTS: Included programmes were highly diverse in terms of location (11
      different countries plus two multi-country ones), number of component projects (8
      to 178), nature of the programme, research field, mode of funding, time between
      completion and impact assessment, methods used to assess impact, and level of
      impact identified. Thirty-one studies reported on policy impact, 17 on clinician
      behaviour or informing clinical practice, three on a combined category such as
      policy and clinician impact, and 12 on wider elements of impact (health gain,
      patient benefit, improved care or other benefits to the healthcare system). In
      those multi-programme projects that assessed the respective categories, the
      percentage of projects that reported some impact was policy 35% (range 5-100%),
      practice 32% (10-69%), combined category 64% (60-67%), and health gain/health
      services 27% (6-48%). Variations in levels of impact achieved partly reflected
      differences in the types of programme, levels of collaboration with users, and
      methods and timing of impact assessment. Most commonly, principal investigators
      were surveyed; some studies involved desk research and some interviews with
      investigators and/or stakeholders. Most studies used a conceptual framework such
      as the Payback Framework. One study attempted to assess the monetary value of a
      research programme's health gain. CONCLUSION: The widespread impact reported for
      some multi-project programmes, including needs-led and collaborative ones, could
      potentially be used to promote further research funding. Moves towards greater
      standardisation of assessment methods could address existing inconsistencies and
      better inform strategic decisions about research investment; however, unresolved
      issues about such moves remain.

PMID- 28351392
TI  - Can we use gonadotropin plasma concentration as surrogate marker for BMI-related
      incomplete estrogen suppression in breast cancer patients receiving anastrozole?
AB  - BACKGROUND: BMI has been suggested to impact on estrogenic activity in patients
      receiving anastrozole resulting in a reduced treatment efficacy in obese women.
      Current evidence in this regard is controversially discussed. Since estradiol is
      inversely correlated with gonadotropins it can be assumed that an impact of BMI
      is also reflected by gonadotropin plasma concentrations. We aim at investigating
      the impact of BMI on the hormonal state of breast cancer (BC) patients receiving
      anastrozole indicated by LH, FSH and SHBG as well as estradiol. METHODS: We
      determined gonadotropin-, estradiol- and anastrozole- serum concentrations from
      postmenopausal, early stage breast cancer patients receiving upfront anastrozole
      within routine after care. Gonadotropin plasma concentrations were derived from
      the routine laboratory examination report. A liquid chromatography tandem mass
      spectrometry method was used for the measurement of anastrozole serum
      concentrations. BMI was assessed within the routine after-care check-up. RESULTS:
      The overall sample comprised 135 BC patients with a mean age of 65.3 years. BMI
      was significantly correlated with LH, FSH and SHBG. This association was neither
      influenced by age nor by anastrozole serum concentrations according to the
      regression model. Despite aromatase inhibition 12% of patients had detectable
      estrogen levels in routine quantification. CONCLUSION: Obese women have an
      altered hormonal situation compared to normally weight women under the same dose
      of anastrozole. Our study findings are a further indicator for the relevance of
      BMI in regard of anastrozole metabolism and possible estrogenic activity
      indicated by gonadotropin plasma level.

PMID- 28351394
TI  - Higher education in Gerodontology in European Universities.
AB  - BACKGROUND: The rapid aging of the European population and the subsequent
      increase in the oral care needs in older adults necessitates adequate training of
      dental professionals in Gerodontology (Geriatric Dentistry). This study was
      designed to investigate the current status of Gerodontology teaching amongst
      European dental schools at the undergraduate, postgraduate and continuing
      education levels. METHODS: An electronic questionnaire was developed by a panel
      of experts and emailed to the Deans or other contact persons of 216 dental
      schools across 39 European countries. The questionnaire recorded activity levels,
      contents and methodology of Gerodontology teaching as part of dental education
      programs. Repeated e-mail reminders and telephone calls were used to encourage
      non-responders to complete the questionnaire. RESULTS: A total of 123 responses
      from 29 countries were received (response rate: 56.9%). Gerodontology was taught
      in 86.2% of schools at the undergraduate level, in 30.9% at the postgraduate
      level and in 30.1% at the continuing education level. A total of 43.9% of the
      responding schools had a dedicated Gerodontology program director. Gerodontology
      was taught as an independent subject in 37.4% of the respondent schools. Medical
      problems in old age, salivary impairment and prosthodontic management were the
      most commonly covered topics in Gerodontology teaching. Clinical teaching took
      place in 64.2% of the respondent schools, with 26.8% offering clinical training
      in outreach facilities. CONCLUSIONS: The vast majority of European dental schools
      currently teach Gerodontology at the undergraduate level. More training
      opportunities in oral care of frail elders should be offered, and more emphasis
      should be placed on interdisciplinary and interprofessional training, educational
      collaborations, and the use of modern technologies. Dedicated postgraduate
      Gerodontology courses need to be developed to create a significant number of
      specialized dentists and trained academics.

PMID- 28351393
TI  - Effects of honey supplementation on inflammatory markers among chronic smokers: a
      randomized controlled trial.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Honey has been demonstrated to possess anti-inflammatory property.
      This is a randomized, controlled, open-label trial to determine the effects of 12
      week honey oral supplementation on plasma inflammatory markers such as high
      sensitive C-reactive protein, interleukin-6 and tumor necrosis factor-alpha among
      chronic smokers. METHODS/DESIGN: A total of 32 non-smokers and 64 chronic smokers
      from Quit Smoking Clinic and Health Campus, Universiti Sains Malaysia
      participated in the study. Smokers were then randomized into 2 groups: smokers
      with honey group that received Malaysian Tualang honey (20 g/day daily for 12
      weeks) and smokers without honey group. Blood was obtained from non-smokers and
      smokers at pre-intervention, and from smokers at post-intervention for
      measurement of the inflammatory markers. RESULTS: At pre-intervention, smokers
      had significantly higher high sensitive C-reactive protein than non-smokers. In
      smokers with honey group, tumor necrosis factor-alpha was significantly increased
      while high sensitive C-reactive protein was significantly reduced at post
      intervention than at pre-intervention. CONCLUSION: This study suggests that honey
      supplementation has opposite effects on tumor necrosis factor-alpha and high
      sensitive C-reactive protein indicating the inconclusive effect of honey on
      inflammation among chronic smokers which needs further study on other
      inflammatory markers. TRIAL REGISTRATION: The Trial has been registered in the
      Australian New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry: ACTRN12615001236583 . Registered
      11 November 2015 (Retrospectively Registered).

PMID- 28351395
TI  - Follicular thyroid carcinoma metastasis to the facial skeleton: a systematic
      review.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Follicular thyroid carcinoma (FTC) metastasis to the facial skeleton
      is exceedingly rare. A case of FTC metastasizing to the mandible is presented and
      a systematic review of the literature describing thyroid metastasis to the facial
      skeleton is performed. CASE PRESENTATION: A 73-year-old female presented with
      metastatic FTC to the mandible and underwent total thyroidectomy, segmental
      mandibulectomy, bone impacted fibular free flap reconstruction, and adjuvant
      radioactive iodine treatment. The PubMed database was searched for literature
      describing thyroid cancer with facial skeleton metastasis using the key words
      "thyroid," "cancer," "carcinoma," "metastasis," and "malignancy" with "oral
      cavity," "maxilla," "mandible," "sinus," "paranasal," and "orbit." Reports that
      only involved the soft tissues were excluded. Systematic review revealed 59 cases
      of well-differentiated thyroid cancer with facial skeleton metastasis: 35
      mandibular metastases (21 = FTC), 6 maxilla metastases (2 = FTC), 9 orbital
      metastases (4 = FTC), and 11 paranasal sinus metastases (7 = FTC). Treatment
      included surgery, RAI, external beam radiotherapy (XRT), or a combination of
      these modalities. The one, two, and five-year survival rates were 100%, 79%, and
      16%, respectively. CONCLUSION: Facial skeleton metastasis of FTC is a rare
      clinical challenge. Optimal treatment appears to include total thyroidectomy and
      resection of involved structures with or without adjuvant treatment.

PMID- 28351396
TI  - Evaluation and treatment for ovotesticular disorder of sex development (OT-DSD) -
      experience based on a Chinese series.
AB  - BACKGROUND: The aim of this study is to review and present the clinical features
      and process of evaluation and treatment for OT-DSD in a single center in recent
      years in China. METHODS: Sixteen patients with OT-DSD during the past 4 years
      underwent the evaluation and treatment in a single center. The clinical
      characteristics and outcomes of surgery were analyzed. RESULTS: The surgical age
      ranged from 17 months to 66 months with a mean age of 20 months, and the mean
      follow-up was 30 months (4 months to 56 months). The presentation in 11 patients
      was ambiguous genitalia, and the rest 5 patients were suspected to have DSD in
      preoperative examination before hypospadias repair. The karyotypes were 46, XX in
      11 patients, 46, XX/46, XY in 3, 46, XX/47, XXY in 1, and 46, XY in 1. Initial
      reared sex was male in 14 patients, female in 1, and undetermined in 1. After
      surgery, genders were reassigned in 3 patients, while 15 patients were raised as
      male with testicular tissue left. Only 1 patient with ovarian tissue left was
      raised as female. Repair was completed in 11 males and 1 female, and stage I
      urethroplasty was done in 4 males. No further surgery to remove the gonads was
      needed for inconsonance of gender assignment. No gonadal tumors were detected.
      CONCLUSIONS: OT-DSD is a rare and complex deformity with few systematic reports
      in China. It's important to establish a regular algorithm for evaluation and
      treatment of OT-DSD.

PMID- 28351397
TI  - Correlates of meeting the combined and independent aerobic and strength exercise
      guidelines in hematologic cancer survivors.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Most previous research on the correlates of physical activity has
      examined the aerobic or strength exercise guidelines separately. Such an approach
      does not allow an examination of the correlates of meeting the combined
      guidelines versus a single guideline, or one guideline versus the other. Here, we
      report the prevalence and correlates of meeting the combined and independent
      exercise guidelines in hematologic cancer survivors (HCS). METHODS: In a
      population-based, cross-sectional survey of 606 HCS from Alberta, Canada using a
      mailed questionnaire, we obtained separate assessments of aerobic and strength
      exercise behaviors, as well as separate assessments for motivations, regulations,
      and reflective processes using the multi-process action control framework (M
      PAC). RESULTS: Overall, 22% of HCS met the combined exercise guideline, 22% met
      aerobic-only, 10% met strength-only, and 46% met neither exercise guideline. HCS
      were more likely to meet the combined guideline over the aerobic-only guideline
      if they had no children living at home, and over both the aerobic and strength
      only guidelines if they had completed university. As hypothesized, those meeting
      the combined guideline also had a more favorable strength-specific M-PAC profile
      (i.e., motivations, regulations, and reflective processes) than those meeting the
      aerobic-only guideline, and a more favorable aerobic-specific M-PAC profile than
      those meeting the strength-only guideline. Interestingly and unexpectedly, HCS
      meeting the combined guidelines also reported significantly greater aerobic
      specific perceived control, planning, and obligation/regret than those meeting
      the aerobic-only guideline, and greater strength-specific perceived control,
      planning, and obligation/regret than those meeting the strength-only guideline.
      CONCLUSIONS: Few HCS are meeting the combined exercise guidelines. M-PAC based
      variables are strong correlates of meeting the combined guidelines compared to
      aerobic or strength only guidelines. Strategies to help HCS meet the combined
      guidelines may need to promote more favorable behavioral regulations and
      reflective processes for both types of exercise rather than just the type of
      exercise in which HCS are deficient.

PMID- 28351398
TI  - Genome-wide methylation analysis identifies a core set of hypermethylated genes
      in CIMP-H colorectal cancer.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Aberrant DNA methylation profiles are a characteristic of all known
      cancer types, epitomized by the CpG island methylator phenotype (CIMP) in
      colorectal cancer (CRC). Hypermethylation has been observed at CpG islands
      throughout the genome, but it is unclear which factors determine whether an
      individual island becomes methylated in cancer. METHODS: DNA methylation in CRC
      was analysed using the Illumina HumanMethylation450K array. Differentially
      methylated loci were identified using Significance Analysis of Microarrays (SAM)
      and the Wilcoxon Signed Rank (WSR) test. Unsupervised hierarchical clustering was
      used to identify methylation subtypes in CRC. RESULTS: In this study we
      characterized the DNA methylation profiles of 94 CRC tissues and their matched
      normal counterparts. Consistent with previous studies, unsupervized hierarchical
      clustering of genome-wide methylation data identified three subtypes within the
      tumour samples, designated CIMP-H, CIMP-L and CIMP-N, that showed high, low and
      very low methylation levels, respectively. Differential methylation between
      normal and tumour samples was analysed at the individual CpG level, and at the
      gene level. The distribution of hypermethylation in CIMP-N tumours showed high
      inter-tumour variability and appeared to be highly stochastic in nature, whereas
      CIMP-H tumours exhibited consistent hypermethylation at a subset of genes, in
      addition to a highly variable background of hypermethylated genes. EYA4, TFPI2
      and TLX1 were hypermethylated in more than 90% of all tumours examined. One
      hundred thirty-two genes were hypermethylated in 100% of CIMP-H tumours studied
      and these were highly enriched for functions relating to skeletal system
      development (Bonferroni adjusted p value =2.88E-15), segment specification
      (adjusted p value =9.62E-11), embryonic development (adjusted p value =1.52E-04),
      mesoderm development (adjusted p value =1.14E-20), and ectoderm development
      (adjusted p value =7.94E-16). CONCLUSIONS: Our genome-wide characterization of
      DNA methylation in colorectal cancer has identified 132 genes hypermethylated in
      100% of CIMP-H samples. Three genes, EYA4, TLX1 and TFPI2 are hypermethylated in
      >90% of all tumour samples, regardless of CIMP subtype.

PMID- 28351399
TI  - Effects of hyperthermic baths on depression, sleep and heart rate variability in
      patients with depressive disorder: a randomized clinical pilot trial.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Despite advances in the treatment of depression, one-third of
      depressed patients fail to respond to conventional antidepressant medication.
      There is a need for more effective treatments with fewer side effects. The
      primary aim of this study was to determine whether hyperthermic baths reduce
      depressive symptoms in adults with depressive disorder. METHODS: Randomized, two
      arm placebo-controlled, 8-week pilot trial. Medically stable outpatients with
      confirmed depressive disorder (ICD-10: F32/F33) who were moderately depressed as
      determined by the 17-item Hamilton Scale for Depression (HAM-D) score >=18 were
      randomly assigned to 2 hyperthermic baths (40  degrees C) per week for 4 weeks or
      a sham intervention with green light and follow-up after 4 weeks. Main outcome
      measure was the change in HAM-Dtotal score from baseline (T0) to the 2-week time
      point (T1). RESULTS: A total of 36 patients were randomized (hyperthermic baths,
      n = 17; sham condition, n = 19). The intention-to-treat analysis showed a
      significant (P = .037) difference in the change in HAM-Dtotal score with 3.14
      points after 4 interventions (T1) in favour of the hyperthermic bath group
      compared to the placebo group. CONCLUSIONS: This pilot study suggests that
      hyperthermic baths do have generalized efficacy in depressed patients. TRIAL
      REGISTRATION: DRKS00004803 at drks-neu.uniklinik-freiburg.de, German Clinical
      Trials Register (registration date 2016-02-02), retrospectively registered.

PMID- 28351400
TI  - Cerebrospinal fluid abnormalities in meningeosis neoplastica: a retrospective 12
      year analysis.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Meningeosis neoplastica is a diffuse metastatic spread of tumor cells
      in the subarachnoid space. Although first recognized in 1870, systematic
      investigations regarding cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) constituents in this condition
      are scarce. METHODS: Routine CSF samples analyzed from 2001 to 2012 at the
      Laboratory of Clinical Neurochemistry, University of Gottingen, were re
      evaluated. Patients, whose CSF contained malignant cells were included in this
      study. RESULTS: Patients (n = 132, age 59.1 +/- 29.1, 58% women) were identified,
      whose CSF contained malignant cells. The most frequent primary tumor was breast
      cancer (32.6%), followed by lung cancer (25.0%) and hematologic malignancies
      (21.2%). The most frequent clinical symptoms were affections of cranial nerves
      (41.7%), psychiatric abmormalities (32.6%) and radicular lesions of the lower
      extremities (20.5%). CSF cell counts ranged from 0 to 4692 cells/MUl (median 4
      cells/MUl) and were elevated in 50%. The CSF-to-serum albumin ratio was abnormal
      in 69.4%. It ranged from 1.8 to 330 x 10-3 (median 17.5 x 10-3). Total CSF
      protein ranged from 166 to 15,840 mg/l (median 1012 mg/l). CSF lactate was
      elevated (>2.4 mmol/l) in 65.2% [3.6 mmol/l (1.3/15.6 mmol/l); median
      (minimum/maximum)]. In 50% of all patients CSF lactate was >=3.5 mmol/l. The CSF
      cell counts correlated significantly with the CSF lactate levels and the CSF
      protein contents. In 56 of 118 CSF samples (47.5%) ferritin was elevated, and in
      25 of 65 carcinoma patients (38.5%) an intrathecal production of carcinoembryonic
      antigen (CEA) was detected. Granulocytes were found in 52.7% of the CSF samples.
      The percentages of granulocytes and lymphocytes were higher in samples with an
      elevated cell count. CONCLUSION: In approximately 50% of CSF samples with
      meningeosis neoplastica the CSF cell count is not elevated. Diagnosis may be
      missed when only CSF samples with elevated cell counts are subjected to
      cytological analysis. CSF lactate and protein and the CSF-to-serum albumin ratio
      are frequently increased in meningeosis neoplastica. The differential diagnosis
      between meningeosis neoplastica and central nervous infections, in particular
      tuberculous or fungal meningitis, can be difficult.

PMID- 28351401
TI  - Cognitive-enhancing and antioxidant activities of the aqueous extract from
      Markhamia tomentosa (Benth.) K. Schum. stem bark in a rat model of scopolamine.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Plants of the genus Markhamia have been traditionally used by
      different tribes in various parts of West African countries, including Cameroun.
      Markhamia tomentosa (Benth.) K. Schum. (Bignoniaceae) is used as an antimalarial,
      anti-inflammatory, analgesic, antioxidant and anti-Alzheimer agent. The current
      study was undertaken in order to investigate its anti-amnesic and antioxidant
      potential on scopolamine-induced cognitive impairment and to determine its
      possible mechanism of action. METHODS: Rats were pretreated with the aqueous
      extract (50 and 200 mg/kg, p.o.), for 10 days, and received a single injection of
      scopolamine (0.7 mg/kg, i.p.) before training in Y-maze and radial arm-maze
      tests. The biochemical parameters in the rat hippocampus were also assessed to
      explore oxidative status. Statistical analyses were performed using two-way ANOVA
      followed by Tukey's post hoc test. F values for which p < 0.05 were regarded as
      statistically significant. RESULTS: In the scopolamine-treated rats, the aqueous
      extract improved memory in behavioral tests and decreased the oxidative stress in
      the rat hippocampus. Also, the aqueous extract exhibited anti
      acetylcholinesterase activity. CONCLUSIONS: These results suggest that the
      aqueous extract ameliorates scopolamine-induced spatial memory impairment by
      attenuation of the oxidative stress in the rat hippocampus.

PMID- 28351402
TI  - Abnormal T2 mapping cardiovascular magnetic resonance correlates with adverse
      clinical outcome in patients with suspected acute myocarditis.
AB  - BACKGROUND: While most patients recover from suspected acute myocarditis (sAMC)
      some develop progressive disease with 5-year mortality up to 20%. Recently,
      parametric Cardiovascular Magnetic Resonance (CMR) approaches, quantifying native
      T1 and T2 relaxation time, have demonstrated the ability to increase diagnostic
      accuracy. However, prognostic implications of T2 values in this cohort are
      unknown. The purpose of the study was to investigate the prognostic relevance of
      elevated CMR T2 values in patients with sAMC. METHODS AND RESULTS: We carried out
      a prospective study in 46 patients with sAMC defined by current ESC
      recommendations. A combined endpoint was defined by the occurrence of at least
      one major adverse cardiac event (MACE) and hospitalisation for heart failure.
      Event rate was 24% (n = 11) for 1-year-MACE and hospitalisation. A follow-up
      after 11 +/- 7 months was performed in 98% of the patients. Global T2 values were
      significantly increased at acute stage of disease compared to controls and
      decreased over time. During acute disease, elevated global T2 time (odds ratio
      6.3, p < 0.02) as well as myocardial fraction with T2 time >80 ms (odds ratio
      4.9, p < 0.04) predicted occurrence of the combined endpoint. Patients with
      clinical recovery revealed significantly decreased T2 relaxation times at follow
      up examinations; however, T2 values were still elevated compared to healthy
      controls. CONCLUSION: Assessment of myocardial T2 relaxation times at initial
      presentation facilitates CMR-based risk stratification in patients with acute
      myocarditis. T2 Mapping may emerge as a new tool to monitor inflammatory
      myocardial injuries during the course of disease.

PMID- 28351403
TI  - Childhood neglect predicts the course of major depression in a tertiary care
      sample: a follow-up study.
AB  - BACKGROUND: The course of depression is poorer in clinical settings than in the
      general population. Several predictors have been studied and there is growing
      evidence that a history of childhood maltreatment consistently predicts a poorer
      course of depression. METHODS: Between 2008 and 2012, we assessed 238 individuals
      suffering from a current episode of major depression. Fifty percent of these (N =
      119) participated in a follow-up study conducted between 2012 and 2014 that
      assessed sociodemographic and clinical variables, the history of childhood abuse
      and neglect (using the Adverse Childhood Experience questionnaire), and the
      course of depression between baseline and follow-up interview (using the Life
      Chart method). The Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-IV-TR was used to assess
      diagnosis at baseline and follow-up interview. Statistical analyses used the life
      table survival method and Cox proportional hazard regression tests. RESULTS:
      Among 119 participants, 45.4% did not recover or remit during the follow-up
      period. The median time to remission or recovery was 28.9 months and the median
      time to the first recurrence was 25.7 months. Not being married, a chronic index
      depressive episode, comorbidity with an anxiety disorder, and a childhood history
      of physical neglect independently predicted a slower time to remission or
      recovery. The presence of three or more previous depression episodes and a
      childhood history of emotional neglect were independent predictors of depressive
      recurrences. CONCLUSIONS: Childhood emotional and physical neglect predict a less
      favorable course of depression. The effect of childhood neglect on the course of
      depression was independent of sociodemographic and clinical variables.

PMID- 28351404
TI  - Longitudinal 10-year changes in dietary intake and associations with cardio
      metabolic risk factors in the Northern Sweden Health and Disease Study.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Dietary risks today constitute the largest proportion of disability
      adjusted life years (DALYs) globally and in Sweden. An increasing number of
      people today consume highly processed foods high in saturated fat, refined sugar
      and salt and low in dietary fiber, vitamins and minerals. It is important that
      dietary trends over time are monitored to predict changes in disease risk.
      METHODS: In total, 15,995 individuals with two visits 10 (+/-1) years apart in
      the population-based Vasterbotten Intervention Programme 1996-2014 were included.
      Dietary intake was captured with a 64-item food frequency questionnaire. Percent
      changes in intake of dietary components, Healthy Diet Score and Dietary
      Inflammatory Index were calculated and related to body mass index (BMI), serum
      cholesterol and triglyceride levels and blood pressure at the second visit in
      multivariable regression analyses. RESULTS: For both sexes, on group level,
      proportion of energy intake (E%) from carbohydrates and sucrose decreased
      (largest carbohydrate decrease among 40 year-olds) and E% protein and total fat
      as well as saturated and poly-unsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) increased (highest
      protein increase among 30 year-olds and highest fat increase among 60 year-olds)
      over the 10-year period. Also, E% trans-fatty acids decreased. On individual
      basis, for both sexes decreases in intake of cholesterol and trans-fatty acids
      were associated with lower BMI and serum cholesterol at second visit (all P <
      0.05). For men, increases in intake of whole grain and Healthy Diet Score were
      associated with lower BMI and serum cholesterol at second visit (all P < 0.05).
      Also for men, decreases in intake of trans-fatty acids and increases in Healthy
      Diet Score were associated with lower systolic blood pressure at second visit (P
      = 0.002 and P < 0.000). For women, increases in intake of PUFA and Healthy Diet
      Score were associated with lower BMI at second visit (P = 0.01 and P < 0.05).
      Surprisingly, increases in intake of sucrose among women were associated with
      lower BMI at second visit (P = 0.02). CONCLUSIONS: In this large population-based
      sample, dietary changes over 10 years towards less carbohydrates and more protein
      and fat were noted. Individual changes towards the Nordic dietary recommendations
      were associated with healthier cardio-metabolic risk factor profile at second
      visit.

PMID- 28351405
TI  - Dimensions of sustainability for a health communication intervention in African
      American churches: a multi-methods study.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Sustainability of evidence-based health promotion interventions has
      received increased research attention in recent years. This paper reports
      sustainability data from Project HEAL (Health through Early Awareness and
      Learning) a cancer communication implementation trial about early detection,
      based in African American churches. In this paper, we used a framework by
      Scheirer and Dearing (Am J Publ Health 101:2059-2067, 2011) to evaluate multiple
      dimensions of sustainability from Project HEAL. METHODS: We examined the
      following dimensions of sustainability: (a) continued benefits for intervention
      recipients, (b) continuation of intervention activities, c) maintaining community
      partnerships, (d) changes in organizational policies or structures, (e) sustained
      attention to the underlying issues, (f) diffusion to additional sites, or even
      (g) unplanned consequences of the intervention. Project HEAL provided a three
      workshop cancer educational series delivered by trained lay peer community health
      advisors (CHAs) in their churches. Multiple sources of sustainability were
      collected at 12 and 24 months after the intervention that reflect several levels
      of analysis: participant surveys; interviews with CHAs; records from the
      project's management database; and open-ended comments from CHAs, staff, and
      community partners. RESULTS: Outcomes differ for each dimension of
      sustainability. For continued benefit, 39 and 37% of the initial 375 church
      members attended the 12- and 24-month follow-up workshops, respectively. Most
      participants reported sharing the information from Project HEAL with family or
      friends (92% at 12 months; 87% at 24 months). For continuation of intervention
      activities, some CHAs reported that the churches held at least one additional
      cancer educational workshop (33% at 12 months; 24% at 24 months), but many more
      CHAs reported subsequent health activities in their churches (71% at 12 months;
      52% at 24 months). No church replicated the original series of three workshops.
      Additional data confirm the maintenance of community partnerships, some changes
      in church health policies, and continued attention to health issues by churches
      and CHAs. CONCLUSIONS: The multiple dimensions of sustainability require
      different data sources and levels of analysis and show varied sustainability
      outcomes in this project. The findings reinforce the dynamic nature of evidence
      based health interventions in community contexts.

PMID- 28351406
TI  - CIDR: Ultrafast and accurate clustering through imputation for single-cell RNA
      seq data.
AB  - Most existing dimensionality reduction and clustering packages for single-cell
      RNA-seq (scRNA-seq) data deal with dropouts by heavy modeling and computational
      machinery. Here, we introduce CIDR (Clustering through Imputation and
      Dimensionality Reduction), an ultrafast algorithm that uses a novel yet very
      simple implicit imputation approach to alleviate the impact of dropouts in scRNA
      seq data in a principled manner. Using a range of simulated and real data, we
      show that CIDR improves the standard principal component analysis and outperforms
      the state-of-the-art methods, namely t-SNE, ZIFA, and RaceID, in terms of
      clustering accuracy. CIDR typically completes within seconds when processing a
      data set of hundreds of cells and minutes for a data set of thousands of cells.
      CIDR can be downloaded at https://github.com/VCCRI/CIDR .

PMID- 28351407
TI  - Maternal fat free mass during pregnancy is associated with birth weight.
AB  - BACKGROUND: The relationship between maternal body compositions and birth weight
      was not definite. Fat Mass (FM) and Fat Free Mass (FFM) can accurately reflect
      the maternal body fat compositions and have been considered as better predictors
      of birth weight. Despite its potential role, no studies have been described the
      maternal compositions during pregnancy in East Asian women previously. We
      investigated the correlation between birth weight and Maternal body composition
      including fat mass (FM) and fat free mass (FFM). To determine whether birth
      weight is associated with maternal body fat FM and FFM during pregnancy and, if
      so, which trimester and parameter is more critical in determining birth weight.
      METHODS: A longitudinal prospective observational study performed, 348, 481 and
      321 non-diabetics Han Chinese women with a singleton live birth attending a
      routine visit in their first, second and third trimesters were recruited.
      Maternal body composition was measured using segmental multi-frequency
      bioelectrical impedance analysis. Data of the pre-pregnancy body mass index
      (BMI), maternal BMI, the gestational weight gain (GWG), and placental and birth
      weight were collected. RESULTS: A significant correlation exists between maternal
      FFM in the process of pregnancy, placental weight, GWG at delivery, and birth
      weight (P < 0.05). On stepwise multiple linear regression analysis, material's
      FFM was the most important factor associated with the birth weight. After
      adjustment, there was significantly associated with 2.47-fold increase in risk
      for birth weight more than 4 kg when FFM >= 40.76 kg (Upper quartile of
      participants). The increased maternal age became a protective factor (OR = 0.69)
      while the increased pre-pregnancy BMI (OR = 1.50) remained predictors to birth
      weight more than 4 kg. CONCLUSIONS: The change of maternal FFM during pregnancy
      is independently affected the birth weight.

PMID- 28351408
TI  - Application of short message service to control blood cholesterol: a field trial.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Despite recommendations, many middle-age adults neglect to check
      their blood cholesterol levels. Short message service (SMS, also known as
      texting) has been seldom studied for preventive education. We estimated how SMS
      can be a cost-effective method in encouraging people to check their blood
      cholesterol levels. METHODS: In a field trial, 3600 cell phone users (age > 30)
      were randomly assigned to the intervention (N: 1200) and the control groups (N:
      2400). An SMS was sent to the intervention group for five rounds every two weeks,
      which targeted the cognitive and affective learning and finally advised the blood
      cholesterol level to be checked, if not checked during the past twelve months.
      Two weeks after the last round, both groups were asked for the time/level of
      their latest blood cholesterol, family history of early cardiac death and having
      a family member with coronary heart disease (CHD), and to report their attitude
      about whether annual blood sampling is worth the cost and time to prevent CHD.
      Moreover, the intervention group was asked if they remembered the SMS content.
      The cost-effectiveness was evaluated by estimating the "number needed to treat"
      (NNT) and calculating the cost of sending SMS to that number of people. RESULTS:
      In the intervention group, 629 individuals (72.0%) recalled the SMS content. The
      factors associated with cholesterol screening during the past two years were
      older age, diabetes, family history of coronary disease, higher education, female
      gender and being non-smoker. In both groups, women were significantly more aware
      of their blood cholesterol level (68.7% vs. 53.6%). The relative frequency of
      respondents who believed it was not worth checking their cholesterol annually was
      significantly lower in the intervention group (P < 0.001). The intervention group
      was significantly more likely to check its blood cholesterol levels (OR:1.22)
      after adjustment for age, diabetes, family history of CHD and smoking. The NNT
      was estimated ~ 25 for the general population and ~ 11 for those who received SMS
      and had a family member with CHD. CONCLUSIONS: We would postulate that SMS could
      affect people's adherence to preventive programs. Relatives of patients admitted
      with a diagnosis of CHD should be prioritized for superior cost-effectiveness and
      logistical feasibility.

PMID- 28351409
TI  - Identification of a novel merozoite surface antigen of Plasmodium vivax,
      PvMSA180.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Although a number of Plasmodium vivax proteins have been identified,
      few have been investigated as potential vaccine candidates. This study
      characterized the Plasmodium vivax merozoite surface antigen 180 (PvMSA180,
      PVX_094920), a novel P. vivax antigenic protein. METHODS: The target gene was
      amplified as four overlapping domains (D1, D2, D3 and D4) to enable expression of
      the recombinant protein using cell-free and bacterial expression systems. The
      recombinant PvMSA180 proteins were used in protein microarrays to evaluate the
      humoral immune response of 72 vivax-infected patients and 24 vivax-naive
      individuals. Antibodies produced in mice against the PvMSA180-D1 and -D4 domains
      were used to assess the subcellular localization of schizont-stage parasites with
      immunofluorescence assays. A total of 51 pvmsa180 sequences from 12 countries (41
      sequences from PlasmoDB and 6 generated in this study) were used to determine the
      genetic diversity and genealogical relationships with DNAsp and NETWORK software
      packages, respectively. RESULTS: PvMSA180 consists of 1603 amino acids with a
      predicted molecular mass of 182 kDa, and has a signal peptide at the amino
      terminus. A total of 70.8% of patients (51/72) showed a specific antibody
      response to at least one of the PvMSA180 domains, and 20.8% (15/72) exhibited a
      robust antibody response to at least three of the domains. These findings suggest
      that PvMSA180 is targeted by the humoral immune response during natural infection
      with P. vivax. Immunofluorescence analysis demonstrated that PvMSA180 is
      localized on the merozoite surface of schizont-stage parasites, and pvmsa180
      sequences originating from various geographic regions worldwide showed low
      genetic diversity. Twenty-two haplotypes were found, and haplotype 6 (Hap_6, 77%)
      of pvmsa180 was detected in isolates from six countries. CONCLUSIONS: A novel P.
      vivax surface protein, PvMSA180, was characterized in this study. Most of P.
      vivax-infected patients had specific antibodies against particular antigenic
      domains, indicating that this protein is immunogenic in naturally exposed
      populations. Genetic analysis of worldwide isolates showed that pvmsa180 is less
      polymorphic than other well-known candidates and that some haplotypes are common
      to several countries. However, additional studies with a larger sample size are
      necessary to evaluate the antibody responses in geographically separated
      populations, and to identify the function of PvMSA180 during parasite invasion.

PMID- 28351410
TI  - Cognitive-behavioral rehabilitation vs. treatment as usual for bipolar patients:
      study protocol for a randomized controlled trial.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Bipolar disorder (BD) is commonly associated with cognitive and
      functional impairments even during remission periods, and although a growing
      number of studies have demonstrated the benefits of psychotherapy as an add-on to
      pharmacological treatment, its effectiveness appears to be less compelling in
      severe presentations of the disorder. New interventions have attempted to improve
      cognitive functioning in BD patients, but results have been mixed. METHODS: The
      study consists of a clinical trial comparing a new structured group intervention,
      called "Cognitive-Behavioral Rehabilitation," with treatment as usual (TAU) for
      bipolar patients. The new approach is a combination of cognitive behavioral
      strategies and cognitive remediation exercises, consisting of 12 weekly group
      sessions of 90 min each. To be included in the study, patients must be diagnosed
      with BD type I or II, aged 18-55 years, in full or partial remission, and have an
      IQ of at least 80. A comprehensive neuropsychological battery, followed by mood,
      social functioning, and quality of life assessments will occur in three moments:
      pre and post intervention and 12 months later. The primary outcome of the study
      is to compare the time, in weeks, that the first full mood episode appears in
      patients who participated in either group of the study. Secondary outcome will
      include improvement in cognitive functions. DISCUSSION: This is the first
      controlled trial assessing the validity and effectiveness of the new "Cognitive
      Behavioral Rehabilitation" intervention in preventing new mood episodes and
      improving cognitive and functional impairments. TRIAL REGISTRATION:
      Clinicaltrial.gov, NCT02766361 . Registered on 2 May 2016.

PMID- 28351411
TI  - Activation of FXR pathway does not alter glial cell function.
AB  - BACKGROUND: The nuclear receptor farnesoid-X-receptor (FXR; NR1H4) is expressed
      not only in the liver, gut, kidney and adipose tissue but also in the immune
      cells. FXR has been shown to confer protection in several animal models of
      inflammation, including experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE), an
      animal model of multiple sclerosis (MS). FXR agonists are currently tested in
      clinical trials for treatment of human metabolic diseases. The beneficial effect
      of FXR agonists in EAE suggests that FXR might represent a potential target in
      inflammatory-demyelinating CNS diseases, such as MS. In MS, oligodendrocytes not
      only undergo cell death but also contribute to remyelination. This repair
      mechanism is impaired due to a differentiation block of oligodendroglial
      progenitor cells. Activation of other nuclear receptors that heterodimerize with
      FXR promote oligodendroglial differentiation. Therefore, we wanted to address the
      functional relevance of FXR for glial cells, especially for oligodendroglial
      differentiation. METHODS: We isolated primary murine oligodendrocytes from FXR
      deficient (FXR Ko) and wild-type (WT) mice and determined the effect of FXR
      deficiency and activation on oligodendroglial differentiation by analysing
      markers of oligodendroglial progenitor cells (OPCs) and mature oligodendrocytes
      (OLs) using qRT-PCR and immunocytochemistry. Additionally, we determined whether
      FXR activation modulates the pro-inflammatory profile of astrocytes or microglia
      and whether this may subsequently modulate oligodendroglial differentiation.
      These in vitro studies were complemented by histological analyses of
      oligodendrocytes in FXR Ko mice. RESULTS: FXR is expressed by OPCs and mature
      oligodendrocytes. However, lack of FXR did not affect oligodendroglial
      differentiation in vitro or in vivo. Furthermore, activation of FXR using the
      synthetic agonist GW4064 did not affect oligodendroglial differentiation,
      remyelination in an ex vivo model or the expression of pro-inflammatory molecules
      in astrocytes or microglia. Concordantly, no effects of supernatants from
      macrophages cultured in the presence of GW4064 were observed regarding a possible
      indirect impact on oligodendroglial differentiation. CONCLUSIONS: Our data
      suggest that FXR is dispensable for oligodendroglial differentiation and that FXR
      agonists, such as GW4064, represent a potential therapeutic approach for MS which
      specifically targets peripheral immune cells including macrophages but not brain
      resident cells, such as oligodendrocytes, astrocytes or microglia.

PMID- 28351413
TI  - Is neuroendocrine differentiation a prognostic factor in poorly differentiated
      colorectal cancer?
AB  - BACKGROUND: To determine the prognostic relevance of neuroendocrine
      differentiation in poorly differentiated colorectal cancer. METHODS: The
      clinicopathological features and survival of 70 patients with poorly
      differentiated colorectal cancer were analyzed retrospectively. Chromogranin A
      and synaptophysin were used as neuroendocrine markers. Patients were followed-up
      for more than 3 years or until death. RESULTS: Of these 70 patients, 36 showed
      neuroendocrine differentiation. In univariate prognostic analysis, the patients
      with lymph node metastasis (P < 0.001), advanced TNM stage (P < 0.001), and
      neuroendocrine differentiation (P = 0.003) tended to have a poor prognosis.
      However, only lymph node metastasis was associated with a poor prognosis in
      multivariate analysis (P < 0.001). Patients with neuroendocrine differentiation
      were associated with lymph node metastasis (P = 0.006). CONCLUSIONS:
      Neuroendocrine differentiation in poorly differentiated colorectal cancer was not
      a direct prognostic factor in these patients. Lymph node metastasis was a direct
      prognostic factor in these patients. Patients with neuroendocrine differentiation
      were associated with lymph node metastasis.

PMID- 28351412
TI  - Effect of Pycnogenol(r) on attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD): study
      protocol for a randomised controlled trial.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Methylphenidate (MPH), the first choice medication for attention
      deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), is associated with serious adverse effects
      like arrhythmia. Evidence on the association of ADHD with immune and oxidant
      antioxidant imbalances offers potential for antioxidant and/or immunomodulatory
      nutritional supplements as ADHD therapy. One small randomised trial in ADHD
      suggests, despite various limitations, therapeutic benefit from Pycnogenol(r), a
      herbal, polyphenol-rich extract. METHODS: This phase III trial is a 10-week,
      randomised, double-blind, placebo and active treatment controlled multicentre
      trial with three parallel treatment arms to compare the effect of Pycnogenol(r)
      to MPH and placebo on the behaviour of 144 paediatric ADHD and attention-deficit
      disorder (ADD) patients. Evaluations of behaviour (measured by the ADHD-Rating
      Scale (primary endpoint) and the Social-emotional Questionnaire (SEQ)), immunity
      (plasma cytokine and antibody levels, white blood cell counts and faecal
      microbial composition), oxidative stress (erythrocyte glutathione, plasma lipid
      soluble vitamins and malondialdehyde and urinary 8-OHdG levels, as well as
      antioxidant enzyme activity and gene expression), serum zinc and neuropeptide Y
      level, urinary catecholamines and physical complaints (Physical Complaints
      Questionnaire) will be performed in week 10 and compared to baseline.
      Acceptability evaluations will be based on adherence, dropouts and reports of
      adverse events. Dietary habits will be taken into account. DISCUSSION: This trial
      takes into account comorbid behavioural and physical symptoms, as well as a broad
      range of innovative immune and oxidative biomarkers, expected to provide
      fundamental knowledge on ADHD aetiology and therapy. Research on microbiota in
      ADHD is novel. Moreover, the active control arm is rather unseen in research on
      nutritional supplements, but of great importance, as patients and parents are
      often concerned with the side effects of MPH. TRIAL REGISTRATION:
      Clinicaltrials.gov number: NCT02700685 . Registered on 18 January 2016. EudraCT
      2016-000215-32 . Registered on 4 October 2016.

PMID- 28351415
TI  - Role of carbonyl sulfide in acute lung injury following limb ischemia/reperfusion
      in rats.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: To investigate the effect of carbonyl sulfide (COS) on limb
      ischemia/reperfusion (I/R)-induced acute lung injury (ALI) and the associated
      mechanism in rats. METHODS: ALI was induced by bilateral hind limb I/R in Sprague
      Dawley (SD) rats. Sixty-four SD rats were randomly divided into the control
      group, I/R group, I/R + COS group, and I/R + AIR group. We observed the survival
      rate of the rats and the morphological changes of lung tissues, and we measured
      the change in the lung coefficient, the expression levels of the intercellular
      adhesion factor-1 (ICAM-1) protein in lung tissue, the expression of tumor
      necrosis factor (TNF)-alpha, interleukin (IL)-lbeta, and interleukin (IL)-6 in
      both lung tissue and serum, and cell apoptosis. RESULTS: Limb I/R caused
      significant lung tissue damage. The number of polymorphonuclear neutrophil in
      alveolar septa, the expression level of the ICAM-1 protein in lung tissue, the
      expression levels of TNF-alpha, IL-1, and IL-6 in lung tissue and serum, the lung
      coefficient, and cell apoptosis all increased. When a low dose of COS gas was
      administered prior to limb I/R, the variation of the above indicators was
      significantly reduced, while an increase in the dose of COS did not reduce the
      lung injury but rather increased the mortality rate. CONCLUSION: Carbonyl sulfide
      is another new gaseous signaling molecule, and a low dose of exogenous COS may
      play a protective role in I/R-induced ALI by acting as an anti-inflammatory agent
      by promoting the production of antioxidants and by inhibiting the expression of
      adhesion molecule proteins.

PMID- 28351416
TI  - Erratum to: Ubiquitin-conjugating enzyme complex Uev1A-Ubc13 promotes breast
      cancer metastasis through nuclear factor-kB mediated matrix metalloproteinase-1
      gene regulation.

PMID- 28351414
TI  - Controlling schistosomiasis with praziquantel: How much longer without a viable
      alternative?
AB  - The current approach of morbidity control of schistosomiasis, a helminth disease
      of poverty with considerable public health and socioeconomic impact, is based on
      preventive chemotherapy with praziquantel. There is a pressing need for new drugs
      against this disease whose control entirely depends on this single drug that has
      been widely used over the past 40 years. We argue that a broader anthelminthic
      approach supplementing praziquantel with new antischistosomals targeting
      different parasite development stages would not only increase efficacy but also
      reduce the risk for drug resistance. Repositioning drugs already approved for
      other diseases provides a shortcut to clinical trials, as it is expected that
      such drugs rapidly pass the regulatory authorities. The antischistosomal
      properties of antimalarial drugs (e.g., semisynthetic artemisinins, synthetic
      trioxolanes, trioxaquines and mefloquine) and of drugs being developed or
      registered for other purposes (e.g., moxidectin and miltefosin), administered
      alone or in combination with praziquantel, have been tested in the laboratory and
      clinical trials. Another avenue to follow is the continued search for new
      antischistosomal properties in plants. Here, we summarise recent progress made in
      schistosomiasis chemotherapy, placing particular emphasis on repositioning of
      existing drugs against schistosomiasis.

PMID- 28351418
TI  - Why prudence is needed when interpreting articles reporting clinical trial
      results in mental health.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Clinical trial results' reliability is impacted by reporting bias.
      This is primarily manifested as publication bias and outcome reporting bias.
      MENTAL HEALTH TRIALS' SPECIFIC FEATURES: Mental health trials are prone to two
      methodological deficiencies: (1) using small numbers of participants that
      facilitates false positive findings and exaggerated size effects, and (2) the
      obligatory use of psychometric scales that require subjective assessments. These
      two deficiencies contribute to the publication of unreliable results.
      Considerable reporting bias has been found in safety and efficacy findings in
      psychotherapy and pharmacotherapy trials. Reporting bias can be carried forward
      to meta-analyses, a key source for clinical practice guidelines. The final result
      is the frequent overestimation of treatment effects that could impact patients
      and clinician-informed decisions. MECHANISMS TO PREVENT OUTCOME REPORTING BIAS:
      Prospective registration of trials and publication of results are the two major
      methods to reduce reporting bias. Prospective trial registration will allow
      checking whether they are published (so it will help to prevent publication bias)
      and, if published, whether those outcomes and analyses that were deemed as
      appropriate before trial commencement are actually published (hence helping to
      find out selective reporting of outcomes). Unfortunately, the rate of registered
      trials in mental health interventions is low and, frequently, of poor quality.
      CONCLUSION: Clinicians should be prudent when interpreting the results of
      published trials and some meta-analyses - such as those conducted by scientists
      working for the sponsor company or those that only include published trials.
      Prescribers, however, should be confident when prescribing drugs following the
      summary of product characteristics, since regulatory agencies have access to all
      clinical trial results.

PMID- 28351417
TI  - The choroid plexus as a site of damage in hemorrhagic and ischemic stroke and its
      role in responding to injury.
AB  - While the impact of hemorrhagic and ischemic strokes on the blood-brain barrier
      has been extensively studied, the impact of these types of stroke on the choroid
      plexus, site of the blood-CSF barrier, has received much less attention. The
      purpose of this review is to examine evidence of choroid plexus injury in
      clinical and preclinical studies of intraventricular hemorrhage, subarachnoid
      hemorrhage, intracerebral hemorrhage and ischemic stroke. It then discusses
      evidence that the choroid plexuses are important in the response to brain injury,
      with potential roles in limiting damage. The overall aim of the review is to
      highlight deficiencies in our knowledge on the impact of hemorrhagic and ischemic
      strokes on the choroid plexus, particularly with reference to intraventricular
      hemorrhage, and to suggest that a greater understanding of the response of the
      choroid plexus to stroke may open new avenues for brain protection.

PMID- 28351420
TI  - Urinary glutamine/glutamate ratio as a potential biomarker of pediatric chronic
      intestinal pseudo-obstruction.
AB  - Chronic intestinal pseudo-obstruction (CIPO) is a rare intestinal motility
      disorder with significant morbidity and mortality in pediatric patients. The
      diagnosis of CIPO is difficult, because it is clinically based on the symptoms
      and signs of bowel obstruction which are similar to the clinical manifestations
      of other gastrointestinal diseases like short bowel syndrome (SBS). Therefore, it
      is desirable to identify and establish new laboratory diagnostic markers for CIPO
      that are reliable and easily accessible. In our study we have identified the
      ratio of the urinary glutamine and glutamic acid as a promising biomarker for
      distinguishing suspected CIPO cases and simple SBS cases. The area under ROC
      curve was 0.83, at cutoff value = 7.04 with sensitivity of 65% and specificity of
      92%.

PMID- 28351422
TI  - Erratum to: Promoting Recruitment using Information Management Efficiently
      (PRIME): study protocol for a stepped-wedge cluster randomised controlled trial
      within the REstart or STop Antithrombotics Randomised Trial (RESTART).

PMID- 28351421
TI  - Erratum to: A novel function for p21 Cip1 and acetyltransferase p/CAF as critical
      transcriptional regulators of TGFbeta-mediated breast cancer cell migration and
      invasion.

PMID- 28351419
TI  - New var reconstruction algorithm exposes high var sequence diversity in a single
      geographic location in Mali.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Encoded by the var gene family, highly variable Plasmodium falciparum
      erythrocyte membrane protein-1 (PfEMP1) proteins mediate tissue-specific
      cytoadherence of infected erythrocytes, resulting in immune evasion and severe
      malaria disease. Sequencing and assembling the 40-60 var gene complement for
      individual infections has been notoriously difficult, impeding molecular
      epidemiological studies and the assessment of particular var elements as subunit
      vaccine candidates. METHODS: We developed and validated a novel algorithm, Exon
      Targeted Hybrid Assembly (ETHA), to perform targeted assembly of var gene
      sequences, based on a combination of Pacific Biosciences and Illumina data.
      RESULTS: Using ETHA, we characterized the repertoire of var genes in 12 samples
      from uncomplicated malaria infections in children from a single Malian village
      and showed them to be as genetically diverse as vars from isolates from around
      the globe. The gene var2csa, a member of the var family associated with placental
      malaria pathogenesis, was present in each genome, as were vars previously
      associated with severe malaria. CONCLUSION: ETHA, a tool to discover novel var
      sequences from clinical samples, will aid the understanding of malaria
      pathogenesis and inform the design of malaria vaccines based on PfEMP1. ETHA is
      available at: https://sourceforge.net/projects/etha/ .

PMID- 28351424
TI  - Variables associated with unplanned general adult ICU admission in hospitalised
      patients: protocol for a systematic review.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Failure to promptly identify deterioration in hospitalised patients
      is associated with delayed admission to intensive care units (ICUs) and poor
      outcomes. Existing vital sign-based Early Warning Score (EWS) algorithms do not
      have a sufficiently high positive predictive value to be used for automated
      activation of an ICU outreach team. Incorporating additional patient data might
      improve the predictive power of EWS algorithms; however, it is currently not
      known which patient data (or variables) are most predictive of ICU admission. We
      describe the protocol for a systematic review of variables associated with ICU
      admission. METHODS/DESIGN: MEDLINE, EMBASE, CINAHL and the Cochrane Library,
      including Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews and the Cochrane Central
      Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL) will be searched for studies that assess
      the association of routinely recorded variables associated with subsequent
      unplanned ICU admission. Only studies involving adult patients admitted to
      general ICUs will be included. We will extract data relating to the statistical
      association between ICU admission and predictor variables, the quality of the
      studies and the generalisability of the findings. DISCUSSION: The results of this
      review will aid the development of future models which predict the risk of
      unplanned ICU admission. SYSTEMATIC REVIEW REGISTRATION: PROSPERO:
      CRD42015029617.

PMID- 28351423
TI  - Epigenetic aging signatures in mice livers are slowed by dwarfism, calorie
      restriction and rapamycin treatment.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Global but predictable changes impact the DNA methylome as we age,
      acting as a type of molecular clock. This clock can be hastened by conditions
      that decrease lifespan, raising the question of whether it can also be slowed,
      for example, by conditions that increase lifespan. Mice are particularly
      appealing organisms for studies of mammalian aging; however, epigenetic clocks
      have thus far been formulated only in humans. RESULTS: We first examined whether
      mice and humans experience similar patterns of change in the methylome with age.
      We found moderate conservation of CpG sites for which methylation is altered with
      age, with both species showing an increase in methylome disorder during aging.
      Based on this analysis, we formulated an epigenetic-aging model in mice using the
      liver methylomes of 107 mice from 0.2 to 26.0 months old. To examine whether
      epigenetic aging signatures are slowed by longevity-promoting interventions, we
      analyzed 28 additional methylomes from mice subjected to lifespan-extending
      conditions, including Prop1df/df dwarfism, calorie restriction or dietary
      rapamycin. We found that mice treated with these lifespan-extending interventions
      were significantly younger in epigenetic age than their untreated, wild-type age
      matched controls. CONCLUSIONS: This study shows that lifespan-extending
      conditions can slow molecular changes associated with an epigenetic clock in mice
      livers.

PMID- 28351425
TI  - Assessing the psychometric and ecometric properties of neighborhood scales using
      adolescent survey data from urban and rural Scotland.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Despite the well-established need for specific measurement
      instruments to examine the relationship between neighborhood conditions and
      adolescent well-being outcomes, few studies have developed scales to measure
      features of the neighborhoods in which adolescents reside. Moreover, measures of
      neighborhood features may be operationalised differently by adolescents living in
      different levels of urban/rurality. This has not been addressed in previous
      studies. The objectives of this study were to: 1) establish instruments to
      measure adolescent neighborhood features at both the individual and neighborhood
      level, 2) assess their psychometric and ecometric properties, 3) test for
      invariance by urban/rurality, and 4) generate neighborhood level scores for use
      in further analysis. METHODS: Data were from the Scottish 2010 Health Behaviour
      in School-aged Children Survey, which included an over-sample of rural
      adolescents. The survey responses of interest came from questions designed to
      capture different facets of the local area in which each respondent resided.
      Intermediate data zones were used as proxies for neighborhoods. Internal
      consistency was evaluated by Cronbach's alpha. Invariance was examined using
      confirmatory factor analysis. Multilevel models were used to estimate ecometric
      properties and generate neighborhood scores. RESULTS: Two constructs labeled
      neighborhood social cohesion and neighborhood disorder were identified.
      Adjustment was made to the originally specified model to improve model fit and
      measures of invariance. At the individual level, reliability was .760 for social
      cohesion and .765 for disorder, and between .524 and .571 for both constructs at
      the neighborhood level. Individuals in rural areas experienced greater
      neighborhood social cohesion and lower levels of neighborhood disorder compared
      with those in urban areas. CONCLUSION: The scales are appropriate for measuring
      neighborhood characteristics experienced by adolescents across urban and rural
      Scotland, and can be used in future studies of neighborhoods and health. However,
      trade-offs between neighborhood sample size and reliability must be considered.

PMID- 28351428
TI  - Erratum to: JMJD6 is a driver of cellular proliferation and motility and a marker
      of poor prognosis in breast cancer.

PMID- 28351427
TI  - Use of whole-genome sequencing to distinguish relapse from reinfection in a
      completed tuberculosis clinical trial.
AB  - BACKGROUND: RIFAQUIN was a tuberculosis chemotherapy trial in southern Africa
      including regimens with high-dose rifapentine with moxifloxacin. Here, the
      application of whole-genome sequencing (WGS) is evaluated within RIFAQUIN for
      identifying new infections in treated patients as either relapses or
      reinfections. WGS is further compared with mycobacterial interspersed repetitive
      units-variable number tandem repeats (MIRU-VNTR) typing. This is the first report
      of WGS being used to evaluate new infections in a completed clinical trial for
      which all treatment and epidemiological data are available for analysis. METHODS:
      DNA from 36 paired samples of Mycobacterium tuberculosis cultured from patients
      before and after treatment was typed using 24-loci MIRU-VNTR, in silico
      spoligotyping and WGS. Following WGS, the sequences were mapped against the
      reference strain H37Rv, the single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) differences
      between pairs were identified, and a phylogenetic reconstruction was performed.
      RESULTS: WGS indicated that 32 of the paired samples had a very low number of SNP
      differences (0-5; likely relapses). One pair had an intermediate number of SNP
      differences, and was likely the result of a mixed infection with a pre-treatment
      minor genotype that was highly related to the post-treatment genotype; this was
      reclassified as a relapse, in contrast to the MIRU-VNTR result. The remaining
      three pairs had very high SNP differences (>750; likely reinfections).
      CONCLUSIONS: WGS and MIRU-VNTR both similarly differentiated relapses and
      reinfections, but WGS provided significant extra information. The low proportion
      of reinfections seen suggests that in standard chemotherapy trials with up to 24
      months of follow-up, typing the strains brings little benefit to an analysis of
      the trial outcome in terms of differentiating relapse and reinfection. However,
      there is a benefit to using WGS as compared to MIRU-VNTR in terms of the
      additional genotype information obtained, in particular for defining the presence
      of mixed infections and the potential to identify known and novel drug-resistance
      markers.

PMID- 28351426
TI  - Associations of estradiol levels and genetic polymorphisms of inflammatory genes
      with the risk of ischemic stroke.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Estrogen plays an important role as an anti-inflammatory and
      neuroprotective agent in ischemic stroke. In this study, we analyzed the effect
      of a polygenic risk score (PRS) constructed using inflammatory genes and
      estradiol levels on the risk of ischemic stroke. METHODS: This case-control study
      was conducted with 624 ischemic stroke patients and 624 age- and gender-matched
      controls. The PRS estimated the polygenic contribution of inflammatory genes from
      ischemic stroke susceptibility loci. Estradiol levels were measured using a
      radioimmunoassay. High and low estradiol levels were defined according to the log
      transformed median estradiol levels in female and male controls. RESULTS:
      Subjects in the fourth quartile of the PRS had a significant 1.57-fold risk of
      ischemic stroke (95% confidence interval [CI], 1.12 ~ 2.19), after adjusting for
      covariates compared to individuals in the lowest quartile. Compared to
      individuals with high estradiol levels and a low PRS as the reference group,
      those exposed to low estradiol levels and a high PRS had an increased risk of
      ischemic stroke (odds ratio, 3.35; 95% CI, 1.79 ~ 6.28). Similar results were
      also observed in males when the analysis was stratified by gender. CONCLUSIONS:
      Our data suggest that the PRS can be useful in evaluating a high risk of ischemic
      stroke among patients, especially those exposed to low estradiol levels.

PMID- 28351429
TI  - Corticosteroids in septic shock: a systematic review and network meta-analysis.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Multiple corticosteroids and treatment regimens have been used as
      adjuncts in the treatment of septic shock. Qualitative and quantitative
      differences exist at cellular and tissular levels between the different drugs and
      their patterns of delivery. The objective of this study was to elucidate any
      differences between the drugs and their treatment regimens regarding outcomes for
      corticosteroid use in adult patients with septic shock. METHODS: Network meta
      analysis of the data used for the recently conducted Cochrane review was
      performed. Studies that included children and were designed to assess respiratory
      function in pneumonia and acute respiratory distress syndrome, as well as cross
      over studies, were excluded. Network plots were created for each outcome, and all
      analyses were conducted using a frequentist approach assuming a random-effects
      model. RESULTS: Complete data from 22 studies and partial data from 1 study were
      included. Network meta-analysis provided no clear evidence that any intervention
      or treatment regimen is better than any other across the spectrum of outcomes.
      There was strong evidence of differential efficacy in only one area: shock
      reversal. Hydrocortisone boluses and infusions were more likely than
      methylprednisolone boluses and placebo to result in shock reversal. CONCLUSIONS:
      There was no clear evidence that any one corticosteroid drug or treatment regimen
      is more likely to be effective in reducing mortality or reducing the incidence of
      gastrointestinal bleeding or superinfection in septic shock. Hydrocortisone
      delivered as a bolus or as an infusion was more likely than placebo and
      methylprednisolone to result in shock reversal.

PMID- 28351430
TI  - CLINICAL outcomes and loss to follow-up among people living with HIV
      participating in the NAMWEZA intervention in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania: a
      prospective cohort study.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Psychosocial factors have been linked with loss to follow-up (LTFU)
      and clinical outcomes among people living with HIV (PLH), however little is known
      about the effect of psychosocial support on LTFU among PLH in treatment and care.
      The purpose of this study was to explore the effect of NAMWEZA ("Yes, together we
      can") friends' psychosocial support intervention on clinical outcomes and LTFU
      among PLH. NAMWEZA is based on a novel program using "appreciative inquiry",
      positive psychology approaches to empower, promote positive attitudes and foster
      hope. METHODS: PLH participating in the NAMWEZA intervention in HIV care clinics
      in Dar es Salaam Tanzania were compared with non-exposed PLH obtained from
      facilities that routinely collect clinical information and both followed
      longitudinally for 24 months. Baseline sociodemographic, clinical measures (CD4
      cell count, hemoglobin (HGB), weight), and LTFU measures were collected. Chi
      square, Fisher's exact tests, and t-tests were used to compare the frequencies
      for categorical variables and the means of continuous variables from the
      intervention and the comparison groups to identify variables that were
      significantly different across the two groups. Random effects models were
      performed to examine the bivariate associations between the intervention status
      and clinical outcomes. RESULTS: At the end of 24 months of follow-up mean CD4
      count and HGB levels increased significantly in both intervention and comparison
      groups (p = 0.009 and p < 0.0001, respectively). Weight increased significantly
      only in the intervention group (p = 0.003). Cumulative LTFU was three times
      higher in the comparison compared to the intervention (p < 0.001) group. Having a
      low CD4 count, extremes of weight, low HGB, younger age, and male gender were
      significantly associated with LTFU among the unexposed group, while being on ART
      for duration of 12 months or more was protective against LTFU in those
      intervened. CONCLUSION: Among PLH on ART, exposed or not exposed to NAMWEZA
      intervention, clinical care outcomes improved over time. LTFU was much higher in
      the comparison group with factors commonly known to predict LTFU only apparent in
      the comparison group. NAMWEZA could be a promising peer-facilitated model to
      reduce LTFU among PLH in care that can be integrated in ART services; however,
      more research is needed to evaluate its longer term effects.

PMID- 28351431
TI  - A second case of pericardial mesothelioma mimicking systemic lupus erythematosus
      in the literature in over 30 years: a case report.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Mesothelioma is a rare neoplasm which commonly develops in the pleura
      of people exposed to asbestos. Pericardial mesothelioma accounts for only 0.7 %
      of all malignant mesotheliomas and it usually presents with pericardial effusion,
      mimicking serositis. To date, there are approximately 200 cases of pericardial
      mesothelioma described in the medical literature, and little knowledge exists
      about the systemic manifestations of this pathology. The first and only described
      case of pericardial mesothelioma with autoimmune features dates back to 1984 and,
      in our case report, we describe the second. CASE PRESENTATION: We report a case
      of a 45-year-old white woman whose pericardial mesothelioma was initially
      misdiagnosed as pericardial involvement of an autoimmune disease (systemic lupus
      erythematosus). After several relapses of pericardial effusion, a computed
      tomography scan and a biopsy with histological analysis were performed revealing
      neoplastic growth. CONCLUSIONS: We describe a rare case of pericardial
      mesothelioma in a patient with a clinical presentation compatible with lupus
      serositis. Clinicians should consider malignant mesothelioma in the differential
      diagnosis of pericardial effusion, especially when it is recurrent and not
      clearly explained by other causes. Cytological samples should always be obtained
      and, if imaging tools are suggestive for solid processes, histological
      confirmation is mandatory.

PMID- 28351432
TI  - [Genetic obesity: new diagnostic options].
AB  - - Obesity is an important risk factor for morbidity and premature death, as well
      as a contributing factor to psychosocial problems. The incidence of obesity has
      increased dramatically over the last few decades.- Obesity is considered to be a
      multifactorial condition in which both environmental factors and genetic factors
      play a part.- In approximately 5% of patients with morbid obesity, a monogenic
      cause can be identified. Mutations in the MC4R gene are the most frequently
      occurring monogenic cause of obesity.- The department of Genetics at the VU
      University Medical Center Amsterdam offers morbidly obese patients a diagnostic
      analysis of 50 obesity-associated genes. - An underlying obesity-associated
      genetic defect can influence patient response to certain treatments. Therefore,
      if the gene defect is known, it can be taken into account when considering
      treatment options.- The understanding of the genetics of obesity will
      significantly contribute to research into the development of personalized
      treatment options.

PMID- 28351433
TI  - [A man with black blood].
AB  - A 71-year-old man was admitted to the emergency room after high-energy trauma. He
      suddenly deteriorated several hours after an epidural providing local
      anaesthetics. At that time, his blood was black and the methaemoglobin level was
      69 percent. After administration of methylene blue, he made a full clinical and
      biochemical recovery.

PMID- 28351434
TI  - [What is a normal thyroid function?]
AB  - Thyroid dysfunction is currently defined by a TSH value outside of its
      statistically established normal range. This definition does not take patients'
      individual symptoms or long-term risk of disease into account. However,
      increasing evidence shows that certain variations in thyroid function, even
      within the normal range, are associated with several adverse clinical outcomes.
      Also, subclinical thyroid dysfunction in patients, defined by a TSH outside of
      the normal range and free thyroxine within the normal range, has been shown to be
      accompanied by more thyroid-related symptoms when compared to the general
      population. This raises the question whether normal ranges are truly normal, and
      whether a new definition of thyroid function and thyroid dysfunction should be
      developed.

PMID- 28351435
TI  - [Better care and lower costs through registries; a first step to reimbursement
      based on outcome].
AB  - We have recently shown that costs of surgical treatment for colorectal carcinoma
      differ greatly between various patient groups in the Netherlands. Those cost
      differences could mostly be explained by the fact that high-risk patients have a
      greater risk of complications, which generate higher hospital costs. Hospitals
      with a high-risk population, for instant tertiary referral centres, spend more
      than hospitals that treat low-risk patients. Currently reimbursement however is
      not geared to risk differences. In this article we investigate this shortcoming
      of the current reimbursement system and discuss how a differential rewarding - in
      which reimbursement is aligned with the patient's risk profile - could serve as a
      tool to further quality improvement in healthcare. Current clinical registries
      may provide the necessary details of patient characteristics for risk profiling
      and may also contribute to the following goal: reimbursement based on the quality
      of delivered care.

PMID- 28351436
TI  - [Hybrid cardiac SPECT-CT proves safe and effective: diagnosis of coronary heart
      disease completed in one day].
AB  - Hybrid cardiac SPECT-CT is a technique in which data from both nuclear single
      photon emission tomography (SPECT) and a CT scan are combined. These techniques
      are complementary to each other, as CT provides information about anatomy of
      coronary arteries (stenosis, calcification, aberrant vessels) while SPECT detects
      functional consequences such as myocardial ischemia. In 2009, the Isala Hospital
      in Zwolle (the Netherlands) was one of the first centres in Europe to introduce
      this technique. Hybrid cardiac SPECT-CT has proved to be effective and safe in
      reaching a comprehensive diagnosis and gives the physician the ability to reach a
      diagnosis in only one day. In addition, it has led to about 20% fewer invasive
      coronary angiograms. Utilising this technique requires close collaboration
      between cardiologists and nuclear medicine specialists.

PMID- 28351437
TI  - [A neonate with a mass on the upper back].
AB  - Immediately after birth, a skin-covered mass with weak consistency was noted on
      the back of a full-term newborn boy. Ultrasound and MRI (performed to exclude
      spina bifida occulta) showed a multicystic venolymphatic malformation.
      Sclerotherapy or surgical excision are possible treatments. In asymptomatic
      patients, however, a watchful waiting approach is used.

PMID- 28351438
TI  - [A pregnant woman with acute shoulder pain].
AB  - A 34-year-old woman presented with abdominal pain, vaginal blood loss and severe
      shoulder pain. Ultrasound revealed an ectopic pregnancy. The shoulder pain was
      due to irritation of the diaphragm caused by bleeding from a ruptured fallopian
      tube into the abdominal cavity.

PMID- 28351440
TI  - [High nasal flow, the solution for hypoxaemia?]
AB  - High nasal flow (HNF) is a new method to deliver a high flow of oxygen (up to 60
      l/min) through a nasal cannula. The inspiratory oxygen fraction can be set in a
      range from 21 to 100%. The inspired air is adjusted to body temperature and
      saturation. Many patients find it more comfortable than a conventional oxygen
      mask. In spite of these advantages, the mechanism of action is not completely
      understood and empirical evidence for its use is limited. This article provides a
      simplified explanation of variable positive airway pressure generation by HNF and
      related flushing of the anatomic dead space. Based on a short discussion of
      recent studies, it is concluded that HNF is a promising technique but that
      questions remain about the indications for use in clinical practice.

PMID- 28351439
TI  - [Revision of the Dutch College of General Practitioners practice guideline
      'Children with fever'].
AB  - - Fever in children is usually caused by benign viral infection.- Approximately 1
      10% of children with fever has or develops a serious infection such as pneumonia,
      meningitis or pyelonephritis.- It is more important to timely recognize symptoms
      that may indicate a potentially serious disease course than to make an exact
      diagnosis.- Children < 3 months are at greater risk for a serious disease course.
      During follow-up it is important to provide parents with proper advice on the
      expected disease course and who they should contact, and when, in cases of
      deterioration or concern.- Paracetamol or ibuprofen should only be given when
      there is a combination of fever and pain. Combating fever is not an end in
      itself.

PMID- 28351441
TI  - [Oxygen therapy not required for all COPD patients].
AB  - Long-term oxygen therapy in patients with pronounced hypoxia is an important and
      life-extending therapy. Many patients have only mild hypoxia, do not experience
      nocturnal desaturation, or experience desaturation only during exercise. While
      often applied in clinical practice, the clinical relevance of oxygen therapy was
      not clear in these patients. A recent randomized controlled trial has now
      revealed no additional value for long-term oxygen therapy in subjects with mild
      oxygen desaturation or exercise-induced oxygen desaturation only. Furthermore,
      treatment burden, adverse events and healthcare costs associated with oxygen
      therapy need to be considered; restriction of the prescription of oxygen therapy
      is, therefore, appropriate. On the other hand, oxygen therapy is still considered
      important in non-severe hypoxic subjects with severe exercise-related
      desaturation (< 80%); in selected cases during endurance training in pulmonary
      rehabilitation; or in individual subjects with desaturation and pronounced and
      proven benefit of oxygen therapy on their symptoms and exercise capacity.

PMID- 28351442
TI  - [Oncology is not waiting for "shared decision-making" Patients and doctors
      generally reach consensus].
AB  - In recent times, the importance of shared decision-making (SDM) when making
      medical decisions has been emphasised. In general, SDM is seen as a consultative
      communication style, mainly used in reaching important, preference-sensitive
      decisions when multiple options are available, each with advantages and
      disadvantages. SDM is particularly advocated in palliative cancer treatments, as
      patients have different goals for treatment and different trade-offs for side
      effects. Decision-support tools might facilitate the process of SDM, but might
      also fill a needs' gap only in a minority of patients. As cancer treatment
      increasingly becomes more personalised, cancer patients also deserve personalised
      guidance; sometimes this means sharing decision-making but sometimes
      paternalistic advice is actually required. It is questionable whether general
      decision-making tools will have significant impact on patient satisfaction in
      medical decision-making.

PMID- 28351443
TI  - Phenotypic and molecular characteristics of Staphylococcus aureus and methicillin
      resistant Staphylococcus aureus in slaughterhouse pig-related workers and control
      workers in Guangdong Province, China.
AB  - Pig farmers and veterinarians have high prevalence of methicillin-resistant
      Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) due to the occupational livestock exposure, while
      few reported this association on slaughterhouse workers. We conducted this cross
      sectional study to explore the phenotypic and molecular characteristics of S.
      aureus and MRSA in slaughterhouse pig-related workers and control workers in
      Guangdong Province, China. Participants were interviewed and provided two nasal
      swabs. Swabs were tested for S. aureus, and isolates were further tested for
      antimicrobial susceptibility, virulence genes and multi-locus sequence typing.
      Compared with control workers, pig-related workers have significantly higher
      prevalence of MRSA carriage (adjusted odd ratio (aOR) 3.70, 95% CI 1.63-8.40).
      The proportions of MRSA resistant to clindamycin, erythromycin, tetracycline or
      chloromycetin were significantly higher in pig-related workers than in control
      workers. The predominant phenotypes of S. aureus were resistant to penicillin,
      clindamycin, erythromycin and tetracycline. Three MRSA CC9 isolates with
      livestock-associated characteristics (resistance to tetracycline and absence of
      immune evasion cluster (IEC) genes) were detected in pig-related workers but not
      in control workers. For human-associated CCs (CC7, CC59, CC6, and CC188), there
      was no significant difference in IEC profile or antimicrobial resistance between
      the groups. These findings reveal that there may be a potential risk for
      livestock-to-human transmission of LA-MRSA and human-to-human transmission of
      human-associated MRSA.

PMID- 28351444
TI  - Alchemy and psychology.

PMID- 28351445
TI  - Clinical evaluation of brief cognitive assessment measures for patients with
      severe dementia.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Alzheimer's disease has become an important public health burden for
      older adults. Clinicians face a challenging task to efficiently evaluate
      cognition in dementia in clinical settings. We sought to assess the validity and
      inter-correlations of brief cognitive assessments in a cohort of severely
      demented patients. METHODS: In total, 49 individual patients (N = 49) ranging in
      age from 62 to 97 years old were included in this performance improvement
      project. Over the course of two-three sessions, five cognitive instruments were
      administered to each patient: Severe Impairment Battery (SIB), Severe Impairment
      Battery-8 (SIB-8), Mini Mental State Examination (MMSE), Severe Mini Mental State
      Examination (sMMSE) and Brief Interview of Mental Status (BIMS). We sought to
      assess patient factors that might have been barriers to optimal performance on
      cognitive/functional tests. Researchers assessed her impression of the
      participants' difficulty comprehending instructions, distractibility, apparent
      fatigue, and frustration, which were the four barriers rated. RESULTS: Data were
      analyzed for 49 patients from the inpatient dementia unit with a total of 51
      samples. All of the inter-correlations between the five cognitive instruments had
      Spearman coefficients of (rs) > 0.7 and were statistically significant with p <
      0.001. The SIB-8 and sMMSE were positively correlated with the SIB. The perceived
      barrier scores ranged from 0- no issue to 1-mild issue on all five cognitive
      instruments. CONCLUSION: Brief cognitive tests designed for severe dementia such
      as the SIB-8 and sMMSE have been evaluated in this project to be shorter in
      administration duration and highly correlated with gold standard instruments: the
      SIB and MMSE.

PMID- 28351446
TI  - On the relationship between head circumference, brain size, prenatal long-chain
      PUFA/5-methyltetrahydrofolate supplementation and cognitive abilities during
      childhood.
AB  - Head circumference in infants has been reported to predict brain size, total grey
      matter volume (GMV) and neurocognitive development. However, it is unknown
      whether it has predictive value on regional and subcortical brain volumes. We
      aimed to explore the relationship between several head circumference measurements
      since birth and distributions of GMV and subcortical volumes at later childhood.
      We examined seventy-four, Caucasian, singleton, term-born infants born to mothers
      randomised to receive fish oil and/or 5-methyltetrahydrofolate or placebo
      prenatal supplementation. We assessed head circumference at birth and at 4 and 10
      years of age and cognitive abilities at 7 years of age. We obtained brain MRI at
      10 years of age, on which we performed voxel-based morphometry, cortical surface
      extraction and subcortical segmentation. Analyses were controlled for sex, age,
      height, weight, family status, laterality and total intracranial volume. Prenatal
      supplementation did not affect head circumference at any age, cognitive abilities
      or total brain volumes. Head circumference at 4 years presented the highest
      correlation with total GMV, white matter volume and brain surface area, and was
      also strongly associated with GMV of frontal, temporal and occipital areas, as
      well as with caudate nucleus, globus pallidus, putamen and thalamus volumes. As
      relationships between brain volumes in childhood and several outcomes extend into
      adulthood, we have found that ages between 0 and 4 years as the optimal time for
      brain growth; postnatal factors might have the most relevant impact on structural
      maturation of certain cortical areas and subcortical nuclei, independent of
      prenatal supplementation.

PMID- 28351447
TI  - Near-Infrared Spectroscopy: A Promising Prehospital Tool for Management of
      Traumatic Brain Injury.
AB  - : Introduction Early identification of traumatic brain injury (TBI) is essential.
      Near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) can be used in prehospital settings for non
      invasive monitoring and the diagnosis of patients who may require surgical
      intervention. METHODS: The handheld NIRS Infrascanner (InfraScan Inc.;
      Philadelphia, Pennsylvania USA) uses eight symmetrical scan points to detect
      intracranial bleeding. A scanner was tested in a physician-staffed helicopter
      Emergency Medical Service (HEMS). The results were compared with those obtained
      using in-hospital computed tomography (CT) scans. Scan time, ease-of-use, and
      change in treatment were scored. RESULTS: A total of 25 patients were included.
      Complete scans were performed in 60% of patients. In 15 patients, the scan was
      abnormal, and in one patient, the scan resulted in a treatment change. Compared
      with the results of CT scanning, the Infrascanner obtained a sensitivity of 93.3%
      and a specificity of 78.6%. Most patients had severe TBI with indication for
      transport to a trauma center prior to scanning. In one patient, the scan resulted
      in a treatment change. Evaluation of patients with less severe TBI is needed to
      support the usefulness of the Infrascanner as a prehospital triage tool.
      CONCLUSION: Promising results were obtained using the InfraScan NIRS device in
      prehospital screening for intracranial hematomas in TBI patients. High
      sensitivity and good specificity were found. Further research is necessary to
      determine the beneficial effects of enhanced prehospital screening on triage,
      survival, and quality of life in TBI patients. Peters J , Van Wageningen B ,
      Hoogerwerf N , Tan E . Near-infrared spectroscopy: a promising prehospital tool
      for management of traumatic brain injury. Prehosp Disaster Med. 2017;32(4):414
      418.

PMID- 28351448
TI  - The legal appearances of dementia in court rulings: mapping the terrain.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Individuals with dementia may appear before the court in different
      roles: as victims, as witnesses, and as those standing up for their rights. While
      there is growing interest in the rights of older persons with dementia,
      relatively little empirical data exists regarding their actual interactions in
      courts. Therefore, the goal of this study was to empirically map this legal
      terrain. METHODS: This study used a descriptive quantitative method. A
      computerized search of a national legal database limited to the period 2004-2014
      and a screening process for the results were used to establish a sample of 280
      court rulings that directly addressed dementia. All cases were analyzed and
      categorized into the following four criteria groups: characteristics of the
      person with dementia; characteristics of the legal procedure; the legal substance
      of the case; and the legal outcome. RESULTS: The majority of cases involved a
      single, very-elderly (i.e. over 80 years) woman, living in the community, with
      unspecified dementia. The majority of cases were heard and decided in lower level
      courts, addressing a broad range of primarily non-criminal legal issues. Finally,
      in the majority of non-criminal cases, the person with dementia was found to be
      legally capable, whereas in the majority of criminal cases, the person with
      dementia was found incapable. CONCLUSIONS: The legal needs and rights of persons
      with dementia are much broader than issues of legal capacity or social
      protection. Deeper knowledge and more research is needed in order to fully
      understand the contexts in which dementia is constructed under the law.

PMID- 28351449
TI  - Aberrant interhemispheric functional connectivity within default mode network and
      its relationships with neurocognitive features in cognitively normal APOE epsilon
      4 elderly carriers.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Default mode network (DMN) is vulnerable to the effects of APOE
      genotype. Given the reduced brain volumes and APOE epsilon 4-related brain
      changes in elderly carriers, it is less known that whether these changes would
      influence the functional connectivity and to what extent. This study aimed to
      examine the functional connectivity within DMN, and its diagnostic value with age
      related morphometric alterations considered. METHODS: Whole brain and seed-based
      resting-state functional connectivity (RSFC) analysis were conducted in
      cognitively normal APOE epsilon 4 carriers and matched non-carriers (N=38). The
      absolute values of mean correlation coefficients (z-values) were used as a
      measure of functional connectivity strength (FCS) between DMN subregions, which
      were also used to estimate their diagnostic value by receiver-operating
      characteristic (ROC) curves. RESULTS: APOE epsilon 4 carriers demonstrated
      decreased interhemispheric FCS, particularly between right hippocampal formation
      (R.HF) and left inferior parietal lobular (L.IPL) (t=3.487, p<0.001). ROC
      analysis showed that the FCS of R.HF and L.IPL could differentiate APOE epsilon 4
      carriers from healthy counterparts (AUC value=0.734, p=0.025). Moreover, after
      adjusting the impact of morphometry, the differentiated value of FCS of R.HF and
      L.IPL was markedly improved (AUC value=0.828, p=0.002). CONCLUSIONS: Our findings
      suggest that APOE epsilon 4 allele affects the functional connectivity within
      posterior DMN, particularly the atrophy-corrected interhemispheric FCS before the
      clinical expression of neurodegenerative disease.

PMID- 28351450
TI  - "There isn't an easy way of finding the help that's available." Barriers and
      facilitators of service use among dementia family caregivers: a qualitative
      study.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Family caregivers of people with dementia have significant unmet
      needs in regard to their caregiving role. Despite this, they are reluctant to
      utilize services to reduce their burden. The aim of this study was to examine the
      barriers and facilitators of service use among family caregivers of people with
      dementia. METHOD: Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 24 family
      caregivers of community-dwelling people with dementia. Of these, 12 were partner
      caregivers (4 men, 8 women) and 12 were offspring caregivers (2 men, 10 women).
      The interviews were transcribed and analyzed using thematic analysis. RESULTS:
      Six main barriers and three facilitators were identified. These barriers and
      facilitators were relevant across many types of services and supports. The
      barriers were: the inability to find information about relevant services or
      support, the poor quality or mistrust of the services, the inflexibility of
      services, caregivers' beliefs about their obligations to the caregiving role and
      resistance by the care recipient. Key facilitators were: having good
      communication with the care recipient, having an "expert" point of contact, and
      having beliefs about the caregiving role that enabled the use of services.
      CONCLUSION: Given the significant changes in the aged care service-system, it is
      important to discuss the barriers faced by family caregivers of people with
      dementia. This will inform the development of targeted strategies to address the
      lack of service use among these family caregivers.

PMID- 28351451
TI  - Suicide attempts among the elderly in East Asia.
AB  - Among the one million suicide deaths worldwide each year, as many as 60% occur in
      Asia. The World Health Organization (WHO) found higher suicide rates among the
      elderly in rapidly industrialized Asian countries such as China, Hong Kong,
      Japan, South Korea, Malaysia, and Singapore, compared to the corresponding rates
      of recently industrializing Asian countries like Vietnam and Sri Lanka (WHO,
      2014). As a case in point, suicide rates in South Korea have been the highest in
      the world since 2003 and are rising especially among older people (Hong and
      Knapp, 2014). Suicide attempts and older age are strong predictors of completed
      suicide (Szanto et al., 2002; Simon et al., 2013) and, as such, are important in
      guiding our efforts for suicide prevention; however, most epidemiological studies
      focus on completed suicides across all ages rather than understanding the reasons
      behind suicide attempts in older populations.

PMID- 28351453
TI  - Editorial.

PMID- 28351454
TI  - Mechanistic Insights into Gold Organometallic Compounds and their Biomedical
      Applications.
AB  - The application of gold in medicine can be traced back several thousand years and
      Au(i) compounds have been used in the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis since the
      last century. Recently research into gold-based drugs for a number of human
      diseases has seen a renaissance due to their markedly different modes of action
      with respect to the classical platinum chemotherapeutic compounds. Within this
      research area, organometallic gold complexes have been particularly explored,
      mainly due to their higher stability in physiological conditions guaranteed by
      the presence of a direct Au-C bond. Thus, a number of compounds have been tested
      for their uses as anticancer, antibacterial, antiprotozoal as well as anti-HIV
      agents. In this review a selection of the main results obtained on the synthesis,
      chemical properties and biological activities of two of the most explored
      families of organometallics - Au(i) N-heterocyclic carbenes (NHCs) and
      cyclometalated Au(iii) compounds - are summarized. Their structure-activity
      relationships and modes of action at the cellular level are also discussed, which
      constitute the basis for future drug design.

PMID- 28351455
TI  - Investigation of Non-covalent Interactions of Metal Complexes with DNA in Cell
      free Systems.
AB  - Non-covalent interactions of metallo compounds with DNA range from the simple,
      unspecific electrostatic binding of a positively charged metal complex to the
      sequence-selective recognition of DNA binding sites due to shape, size, symmetry
      and hydrogen bonding complementarity of a rationally designed system. Metal
      complexes that recognize and target specific DNA sequences or particular
      structures are of considerable interest as therapeutics, diagnostics or
      structural probes. To gain molecular level insight into DNA-metal complex
      interactions, binding studies are carried out in cell-free systems using isolated
      DNA or short oligonucleotides. For this, a powerful toolbox of complementary
      spectroscopic and biophysical techniques is available. This review focuses on the
      most frequently applied spectroscopic methods; UV/Vis, CD, LD, fluorescence
      emission and NMR spectroscopy and is aimed at giving the reader an overview of
      the qualitative and/or quantitative information that can be obtained. After a
      short introduction into DNA structures and non-covalent metal complex-DNA
      interactions, each spectroscopic method will be discussed. In the last section a
      few selected studies will be described as illustrative examples for the potential
      of the various spectroscopic methods.

PMID- 28351456
TI  - Spectroscopic Approaches to Tracking Metal-based Drugs in Cells and Tissue.
AB  - Metal-based drugs with novel targets and modes of action are increasingly being
      developed as alternatives to classical platinum(ii) chemotherapeutics. Imaging
      methods in tumour cells and tissues offer valuable insights into the behaviour of
      these novel complexes; however, mapping the distribution of metal ions and
      complexes within cellular environments remains challenging. The advantages and
      limitations of three modes of imaging: synchrotron radiation-induced X-ray
      fluorescence, mass spectrometry, and fluorescence microscopy are discussed in
      this review, with particular emphasis on their use in imaging ruthenium-based
      drugs.

PMID- 28351457
TI  - Transition Metal-based Anticancer Drugs Targeting Nucleic Acids: A Tandem Mass
      Spectrometric Investigation.
AB  - The search for effective drugs against cisplatin-resistant tumors resulted in a
      large number of organometallic compounds that are evaluated for their
      antiproliferative activity. Among the most promising candidates are bent
      metallocenes based on various transition metal ions and ligands. The elucidation
      of structural features and the characterization of the interaction of a drug
      candidate with its target require accurate and sensitive analytical tools. Tandem
      mass spectrometry is applied to the investigation of the adduct sites and binding
      patterns of metallodrugs bound to single-stranded oligonucleotides and higher
      order nucleic acids. Results reveal the binding specificities of the different
      metallodrugs and demonstrate the influence they exert on the dissociation
      pathways of the adducts in the gas-phase.

PMID- 28351458
TI  - Metabolic Profiling of Cells in Response to Drug Treatment using 1H High
      resolution Magic Angle Spinning (HR-MAS) NMR Spectroscopy.
AB  - High-resolution magic angle spinning (HR-MAS) is an NMR technique that provides
      access to well resolved liquid-like 1H NMR spectra of semi-solid samples.
      Therefore, 1H HR-MAS NMR spectroscopy has become an important tool for the direct
      analysis of biological samples such as tissues and cells in a mostly non
      destructive way. Here, we focus on the application of HR-MAS NMR combined with
      multivariate statistical methods used for metabolic profiling of cells and in
      particular for the study of cellular metabolic responses to drug exposure. The
      principles of HR-MAS and the metabolomic approach are briefly described. As an
      example, a study on the metabolic response of different cell types towards
      treatment with a highly cytotoxic hexacationic ruthenium metallaprism as
      potential anti-cancer drug is presented. Specific metabolites and metabolic
      pathways are suggested to be associated with the cellular response. The study
      demonstrates the potential of HR-MAS metabolomics applied to cells for addressing
      the intracellular processes involved in the treatment with organometallic drugs.

PMID- 28351462
TI  - Gordon Research Seminar on Physical Virology 2017.

PMID- 28351463
TI  - Tuberculin skin test and interferon-gamma release assay use among privately
      insured persons in the United States.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: To describe tuberculin skin test (TST) and interferon-gamma release
      assay (IGRA) (i.e., QuantiFERON(r)-TB [QFT] and T-SPOT(r).TB [T-SPOT]) use among
      privately insured persons in the United States over a 15-year period. METHODS: We
      used current procedural terminology (CPT) codes for the TST and IGRAs to extract
      out-patient claims (2000-2014) and determined usage (claims/100 000). The chi2
      test for trend in proportions was used to describe usage trends for select
      periods. RESULTS: The TST was the dominant (>80%) test in each year. Publication
      of guidelines preceded the assignment of QFT and T-SPOT CPT codes by 1 year (2006
      for QFT; 2011 for T-SPOT). QFT usage was higher (P < 0.01) than T-SPOT in each
      year. The average annual increase in the use of QFT was higher than that of T
      SPOT (35 vs. 3.8/100 000), and more so when the analytic period was 2011-2014 (65
      vs. 38/100 000). However, during that 4-year period (2011-2014), TST use trended
      downward, with an average annual decrease of 28/100 000. The annual proportion of
      enrollees tested ranged from 1.1% to 1.5%. CONCLUSIONS: These results suggest a
      gradual shift from the use of the TST to the newer IGRAs. Future studies can
      assess the extent, if any, to which the shift from the use of the TST to IGRAs
      evolved over time.

PMID- 28351465
TI  - The Natural Course and Treatment of ADHD, and Its Place in Adulthood.

PMID- 28351466
TI  - ADHD in Germany: Trends in Diagnosis and Pharmacotherapy.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) sometimes persists
      into adulthood. There have been no studies from Germany until the present time on
      the diagnosis and treatment of ADHD over the course of patients' lives, in
      particular during the transition from adolescence to early adulthood. METHODS: We
      used nationwide routine data of the AOK statutory healthinsurance fund to
      determine the frequency of ADHD diagnoses and prescriptions of medication for
      ADHD. We additionally analyzed the care of a transition cohort of initially 15
      year-old ADHD patients over a period of six years. RESULTS: From 2009 to 2014,
      the prevalence of a diagnosis of ADHD rose from 5.0% to 6.1% in persons aged 0 to
      17 years (with a maximum of 13.9% in 9-year-old boys) and from 0.2% to 0.4% in
      persons aged 18 to 69 years. The amount of ADHD medication prescribed to adults
      with ADHD increased over time, while the amount prescribed to children and
      adolescents fell. Methylphenidate was the most commonly prescribed drug, followed
      by atomoxetine and lisdexamfetamine. Only 31.2% of the patients in the transition
      cohort still carried the diagnosis of ADHD at the end of the six-year period, at
      age 21. The percentage of patients taking ADHD medication in this group fell from
      51.8% at age 15 to 6.6% at age 21. CONCLUSION: The administrative prevalence of a
      diagnosis of ADHD among adults and the degree of medication use for ADHD by
      adults have risen in recent years. This can be interpreted as an indication of
      the sensitization of physicians and patients to the possibility of adult ADHD.
      Nonetheless, the prevalence of diagnosed ADHD remains less than the prevalence
      revealed by epidemiologic studies. This may indicate that adults with ADHD are
      currently underdiagnosed and undertreated. The low rate of use of ADHD
      medications among adolescents with ADHD who are on the verge of adulthood leads
      us to the question of whether specific transitional concepts need to be developed
      for this age group.

PMID- 28351468
TI  - Is Idiopathic Always Idiopathic? What the Teeth Can Tell Us.

PMID- 28351467
TI  - Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a common, early
      onset, persistent developmental disorder of childhood and adolescence, with a
      prevalence of approximately 5%. METHODS: This article is based on publications
      retrieved by a selective search in PubMed with an emphasis on pertinent
      guidelines and systematic reviews. RESULTS: At least 75% of affected children and
      adolescents develop a comorbid disorder, which impedes diagnosis and treatment
      and worsens prognosis. The etiology of ADHD is complex and heterogeneous,
      involving a major genetic component and diverse neurobiological alterations.
      Prenatal environmental factors also seem to elevate the risk of ADHD. The
      mainstays of treatment are psychoeducation, behavioral therapy, and psychoactive
      drugs, which generally have only mild side effects, such as insomnia or decreased
      appetite. The indication for treatment in the individual case is based on
      severity, comorbidity, previous therapy attempts, and the familial, social, and
      educational framework conditions. CONCLUSION: Translational research is needed to
      clarify the etiology of ADHD. Epidemiological studies published since 1987 do not
      reveal any increase in the prevalence of ADHD among children and adolescents.
      Improved diagnosis necessitates an evidence-based and need-adapted approach to
      treatment.

PMID- 28351469
TI  - Renal Cell Carcinoma as an Occupational Disease.

PMID- 28351470
TI  - In Reply.

PMID- 28351471
TI  - Mean velocity and peak systolic velocity can help determine ischaemic and non
      ischaemic priapism.
AB  - AIM: To determine the threshold waveform characteristics at Doppler ultrasound
      (DUS) to differentiate between ischaemic and non-ischaemic priapism. MATERIALS
      AND METHODS: Fifty-two patients were categorised into "ischaemic" and "non
      ischaemic" types based on clinical and blood-gas findings: 10 patients with non
      ischaemic priapism; 20 with ischaemic priapism before surgical shunt placement
      and 22 with ischaemic priapism after surgical shunt placement. DUS traces were
      analysed: peak systolic velocity (PSV) and mean velocity (MV) were calculated.
      Histological samples were obtained at the time of surgery. Three clinical outcome
      groups were defined: (1) normal, (2) regular use of pharmacostimulation, and (3)
      refractory dysfunction/penile implant. RESULTS: All non-ischaemic priapism cases
      had a PSV >50 cm/s and all but one had an MV of >6.5 cm/s. In pre-surgery
      ischaemic cases, all men had a PSV <50 cm/s and MV <6.5 cm/s. Two flow patterns
      were observed in this group: PSV <25 cm/s in all men scanned before needle
      aspiration; and in 6/14 after needle aspiration, a high velocity/high resistance
      (low net inflow) pattern, with peak systolic flows >22 cm/s but diastolic
      reversal. In post-surgery ischaemic priapism, flow parameters overlapped with the
      non-ischaemic group. PSV/MV did not predict clinical outcome or histology.
      CONCLUSION: In the present cohort, PSV <50 cm/s and MV <6.5 cm/s were predictive
      of ischaemic priapism (pre-shunt; p<0.01). Patients with ischaemic priapism may
      show PSV >22 cm/s, but have diastolic reversal and therefore low net perfusion.
      Post-shunt, DUS findings were extremely variable and did not predict histology or
      clinical outcome.

PMID- 28351472
TI  - "The missing LINX" for gastroesophageal reflux disease: Operative techniques
      video for the Linx magnetic sphincter augmentation procedure.
AB  - In 2012 the FDA approved a magnetic sphincter augmentation (MSA) device (LINX,
      Torax Medical, Inc) for placement around the lower esophageal sphincter as an
      alternative approach to fundoplication for gastroesophageal reflux disease
      (GERD). This is a relatively new procedure and there is not widespread
      familiarization with the standard indications and techniques of device placement.
      We present two operative videos to highlight the standard surgical technique and
      technical points needed for successful LINX placement. First will be placement in
      a standard indications setting of uncomplicated GERD with no hiatal hernia.
      Second will be placement with complicated anatomy due to alterations from prior
      gastric surgery and a hiatal hernia. Our experience has revealed that the LINX
      device can be placed safely in patients with normal or significantly altered
      anatomy but requires adherence to several key principles and technical points.
      This procedure offers a new option that is anatomically and physiologically
      unique compared to standard fundoplication, and that offers highly effective
      control of GERD with a less invasive approach.

PMID- 28351473
TI  - Accuracy of clinical, laboratory, and computed tomography findings for
      identifying hollow viscus injury in blunt trauma patients with unexplained
      intraperitoneal free fluid without solid organ injury.
AB  - BACKGROUND: We sought to define the accuracy of findings for detecting hollow
      viscus injury (HVI) in patients with blunt abdominal trauma (BAT) and unexplained
      intra-peritoneal free fluid without solid organ injury (UIPFFWSOI). METHODS: We
      screened all consecutive hemodynamically stable patients presenting to a
      quaternary-care trauma-centre who had an abdominal computed tomography (CT) scan
      for BAT and UIPFFWSOI (January 2007-December 2014). RESULTS: Of 3796 patients
      identified during the study period, 39 presented with UIPFFWSOI. Fifteen
      underwent therapeutic laparotomy. Seatbelt sign (+LR approaches infinity),
      diffuse peritonitis (+LR approaches infinity), number of CT cuts with fluid (c
      statistic = 0.65), and a lower arterial pH at presentation (c-statistic = 0.62)
      were most predictive of HVI. Patients operated on within 24 h had shorter stays
      than those operated on later (median 9 vs. 14 days, p = 0.03). CONCLUSIONS: Our
      findings suggest that clinical examination and measurements of intraperitoneal
      fluid volume may help identify HVIs in BAT patients.

PMID- 28351474
TI  - Treatment of advanced laryngeal cancer and quality of life. Systematic review.
AB  - INTRODUCTION AND OBJECTIVES: The objective was the comparison of the quality of
      life in patients with advanced laryngeal cancer treated with organ preservation
      versus surgical treatment. METHODS: We performed a systematic review in the
      databases MedLine, EMBASE, and PubMed (2014 1991) and Web of Science (2012 -
      2014). The search terms were: Laryngeal cancer, organ preservation, chemotherapy,
      laryngectomy, treatment outcomes and quality of life. Systematic reviews, meta
      analysis, reports of health technology assessment and comparative studies with
      control group, published in Spanish, French or English were included. The
      selection and quality assessment was made by two researchers. The criteria of the
      Cochrane Collaboration were used to assess the risk of bias and Scottish
      Intercollegiate Guidelines Network (SIGN) for the level of evidence. RESULTS: Of
      the 208 studies identified in the search, three were included a clinical trial
      and two observational studies, with a total of 211 patients. Quality and level of
      evidence was low. The results were contradictory, on occasion they favoured
      surgery, and on other occasions chemotherapy, but in general there were no
      statistical differences between the treatments. The studies were heterogeneous,
      with different methodology, undersized, limitations in quality with high risk of
      bias and use of different measurement scales. CONCLUSIONS: There are not enough
      studies of quality to establish differences in the quality of life in patients
      with advanced laryngeal cancer according to the treatment received.

PMID- 28351475
TI  - That's one small step....

PMID- 28351476
TI  - In type A aortic dissection repair, an effective team approach and relational
      coordination are more important for patients' outcomes than surgeon volume.

PMID- 28351478
TI  - Form follows function.

PMID- 28351477
TI  - Mycobacterium chimaera: The ethical duty to disclose the minimal risk of
      infection to exposed patients.

PMID- 28351479
TI  - A firm foundation.

PMID- 28351480
TI  - Melasma treatment: A novel approach using a topical agent that contains an anti
      estrogen and a vascular endothelial growth factor inhibitor.
AB  - Melasma is an acquired disorder of pigmentation that presents with asymptomatic
      symmetric darkening of the face. The pathogenesis of this condition is
      multifactorial and influenced by several factors including female sex hormones,
      genetic predisposition and ultraviolet light exposure. The management of melasma
      is usually directed at more than one of the causative etiologic factors and often
      incorporates a combination of topical agents, with or without the addition of
      physical modalities. Estrogen and angiogenesis are significant factors in the
      etiology of melasma. A useful addition to the therapeutic armentarium for
      treating melasma would include a topical agent that could effect both of these
      causative factors. Specifically, a topical preparation consisting of an anti
      estrogen and a vascular endothelial growth factor inhibitor would accomplish this
      goal. Suitable candidates that target estrogen receptors and vascular endothelial
      growth factor are currently used in medical oncology as systemic antineoplastic
      agents. The anti-estrogen could be either a selective estrogen receptor modulator
      (such as tamoxifen or raloxifene) or an aromatase inhibitor (such as anastrozole
      or letrozole or exemestane). The vascular endothelial growth factor inhibitor
      would be bevacizumab. In conclusion, a novel-topically administered-therapy for
      melasma would combine an anti-estrogen and a vascular endothelial growth factor
      inhibitor.

PMID- 28351481
TI  - Brain temperature as a measure of misfolded proteins metabolism.

PMID- 28351482
TI  - Fermi-Pasta-Ulam auto recurrence in the description of the electrical activity of
      the heart.
AB  - The authors proposed and mathematically described model of a new type of the
      Fermi-Pasta-Ulam recurrence (the FPU auto recurrence) and hypothesized an
      adequate description of the heart's electrical dynamics within the observed
      phenomenon. The dynamics of the FPU auto recurrence making appropriate electrical
      dynamics of the normal functioning of the heart in the form of an
      electrocardiogram (ECG) was obtained by a computer model study. The model
      solutions in the form of the FPU auto recurrence - ECG Fourier spectrum were
      evaluated for resistance to external disturbances in the form of random effects,
      as well as periodic perturbation at a frequency close to the heart beating rate
      of about 1Hz. In addition, in order to simulate the dynamics of myocardial
      infarction model, studied the effect of the surface area of the myocardium on the
      stability and shape of the auto recurrence - ECG spectrum. It has been found that
      the intense external disturbing periodic impacts at a frequency of about 1Hz lead
      to a sharp disturbance spectrum shape FPU auto recurrence - ECG structure. In
      addition, the decrease in the surface of the myocardium by 50% in the model led
      to the destruction of structures of the auto recurrence - ECG, which corresponds
      to the state of atrial myocardium. Research models have revealed a hypothetical
      basis of coronary heart disease in the form of increasing the energy of high
      frequency harmonics spectrum of the auto recurrence by reducing the energy of low
      frequency harmonic spectrum of the auto recurrence, which ultimately leads to a
      sharp decrease in myocardial contractility. In order to test the hypothesis has
      been studied more than 20,000 ECGs both healthy people and patients with
      cardiovascular disease. As a result of these studies, it was found that the
      dynamics of the electrical activity of normal functioning of the heart can be
      interpreted by the display of the detected by authors the FPU auto recurrence,
      and coronary heart disease is a violation of the energy ratio between the low and
      high frequency harmonics of the FPU auto recurrence Fourier spectrum equal to the
      ECG spectrum. Thus, the hypothesis has been confirmed.

PMID- 28351483
TI  - Surface modified nano-lipid drug conjugates of positive allosteric modulators of
      M1 muscarinic acetylcholine receptor for the treatment of Alzheimer's disease.
AB  - Acetyl Cholinesterase (AChE) inhibitors such as Donepezil, Rivastigmine and
      Galantamine are approved by US-FDA as first line drugs to treat the cognitive
      symptoms of Alzheimer's disease (AD). Their beneficial effects are attributed to
      their ability to elevate endogenous acetylcholine (ACh) at the M1 muscarinic
      receptor in the brain. However, their side effects such as nausea, vomiting,
      dizziness, insomnia, loss of appetite and altered heart rate are related to non
      specific activation of M2-M5 muscarinic subtypes in various tissues. It is
      logical, therefore, to develop agonists with M1 receptor selectivity.
      Unfortunately, this is limited due to a high degree of orthosteric site homology
      among the receptor subtypes. In contrast, their allosteric sites are unique and,
      therefore, allow selective targeting using positive allosteric modulators (PAMs).
      PAMs of M1 receptors are devoid of agonist activity, however, when bound they
      enhance the binding affinity of orthosteric ligand, ACh. The major limitation of
      these PAMs is their bioavailability in the brain. In the current hypothesis, we
      propose surface modified nano-lipid drug conjugates (LDC-NPs) of PAMs of M1
      receptors to improve their bioavailability in brain. When co-administered with
      AChE inhibitors they are expected to increase their efficacy and reduce their
      therapeutic dose and side effects.

PMID- 28351484
TI  - Hypocapnic hypothesis of Leigh disease.
AB  - Leigh syndrome (LS) is a neurogenetic disorder of children caused by mutations in
      at least 75 genes which impair mitochondrial bioenergetics. The changes have
      typical localization in basal ganglia and brainstem, and typical histological
      picture of spongiform appearance, vascular proliferation and gliosis. ATP
      deprivation, free radicals and lactate accumulation are suspected to be the
      causes. Hypocapnic hypothesis proposed in the paper questions the energy
      deprivation as the mechanism of LS. We assume that the primary harmful factor is
      hypocapnia (decrease in pCO2) and respiratory alkalosis (increase in pH) due to
      hyperventilation, permanent or in response to stress. Inside mitochondria, the pH
      signal of high pH/low bicarbonate ion (HCO-3) is transmitted by soluble adenyl
      cyclase (sAC) through cAMP dependent manner. The process can initiate brain
      lesions (necrosis, apoptosis, hypervascularity) in OXPHOS deficient cells
      residing at the LS area of the brain. The major message of the article is that it
      is not the ATP depletion but intracellular alkalization (and/or hyperoxia?) which
      seem to be the cause of LS. The paper includes suggestions concerning the
      methodology for further research on the LS mechanism and for therapeutic
      strategy.

PMID- 28351485
TI  - A new proposition for the screening of platelet function defects using an
      hematology analyzer.
AB  - In this paper we suggest a new method for the screening of congenital
      thrombopathies using an hematology analyzer. This method is an improvement of the
      platelet count ratio principle which uses an impedance counter to search a
      decrease of the free platelet count after adding platelet agonist to whole blood.
      We suggest using novel platelet parameters provided by an optical hematology
      analyzer such as ADVIA 2120i (Siemens Healthcare Diagnostics) to search
      morphological and structural changes of platelet that are supposed reflecting
      platelet activation in normal platelets after addition of an agonist.

PMID- 28351487
TI  - Viremic attack explains the dual-hit theory of Parkinson's disease.
AB  - The dual-hit theory of Parkinson's disease proposes that an airborne pathogen
      attacks both the olfactory and enteric nervous systems to initiate the Lewy
      pathology, gradually leading to devastating neurodegenerative processes within
      the brain. Based on published literatures, this article proposes a hypothesis
      that viruses with viremic potential can simultaneously attack both of these
      nervous systems via viremia due to the lack of a blood-nerve barrier in these
      tissues, thereby explaining the dual-hit theory. Understanding the precise
      mechanisms underlying the neuropathology will facilitate development of better
      prophylactic and early intervention strategies against Parkinson's disease.

PMID- 28351486
TI  - Potential usefulness of diastolic parameters measured by strain imaging
      echocardiography in the early prediction of chemotherapy-induced cardiotoxicity.
AB  - Over the past decades, chemotherapy has significantly increased the overall
      prognosis and survival of several patients diagnosed with cancer. However, the
      usefulness of some chemotherapeutic agents has been hindered by a collateral dose
      dependent cardiotoxicity. To date, although extensive efforts have been directed
      to the early detection of subclinical toxicity in patients treated with these
      drugs, it remains unclear which approach would be best in order to prevent
      chemotherapy-induced cardiotoxicity (CIC). For many years, conventional
      echocardiography has been among preferred noninvasive imaging modality to monitor
      left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) in patients undergoing chemotherapy.
      Unfortunately, a significant reduction in LVEF is not recognized early on after
      chemotherapy-induced myocardial damage. Moreover, delayed recognition has been
      associated with poor recovery potential and poor clinical outcome. Thus, there is
      a critical need to identify early, reliable parameters of subclinical injury.
      Myocardial deformation imaging, also known as strain imaging echocardiography
      (SIE), is becoming readily available for advanced routine echocardiography and
      has shown value in detecting subclinical ventricular dysfunction in several
      clinical scenarios. Abnormalities in systolic deformation parameters have been
      identified as early manifestation but left ventricular diastolic properties
      remain less well defined. We hypothesize that onset as well as progression of
      cardiotoxicity not only should disturb deformation curves of myocardial
      contraction, but also relaxation. Hence, SIE may detect subtle myocardial changes
      in diastole that could be of potential benefit in the early prediction of CIC. If
      this premise is proven correct, the use of a standardized advanced
      echocardiographic imaging protocol using both, systolic and diastolic strain
      imaging, will prove to be a powerful noninvasive tool as baseline and follow-up
      of these patients. Furthermore, it will foster the developing of more effective
      screening strategies in at risk cancer survivor populations, or identify the best
      time to start cardioprotective therapy to prevent CIC. Also, this experience
      might be extrapolated to other non-oncologic patient population in need of a
      surveillance tool to early recognize cardiac injury secondary to the use of
      cardiotoxic medications.

PMID- 28351488
TI  - Investigating the effect of external trauma through a dynamic system modeling
      approach for clustering causality in diabetic foot ulcer development.
AB  - Diabetes and its associated complications are realized as one of the most
      challenging medical conditions threatening more than 29 million people only in
      the USA. The forecasts suggest a suffering of more than half a billion worldwide
      by 2030. Amid all diabetic complications, diabetic foot ulcer (DFU) has attracted
      much scientific investigations to lead to a better management of this disease. In
      this paper, a system thinking methodology is adopted to investigate the dynamic
      nature of the ulceration. The causal loop diagram as a tool is utilized to
      illustrate the well-researched relations and interrelations between causes of the
      DFU. The result of clustering causality evaluation suggests a vicious loop that
      relates external trauma to callus. Consequently a hypothesis is presented which
      localizes development of foot ulceration considering distribution of normal and
      shear stress. It specifies that normal and tangential forces, as the main
      representatives of external trauma, play the most important role in foot
      ulceration. The evaluation of this hypothesis suggests the significance of the
      information related to both normal and shear stress for managing DFU. The results
      also discusses how these two react on different locations on foot such as
      metatarsal head, heel and hallux. The findings of this study can facilitate
      tackling the complexity of DFU problem and looking for constructive mitigation
      measures. Moreover they lead to developing a more promising methodology for
      managing DFU including better prognosis, designing prosthesis and insoles for DFU
      and patient caring recommendations.

PMID- 28351489
TI  - Dying for love: Perimenopausal degeneration of vaginal microbiome drives the
      chronic inflammation-malignant transformation of benign prostatic hyperplasia to
      prostatic adenocarcinoma.
AB  - Prostatic carcinoma is the second commonest cancer in males and is so common as
      to become almost holoendemic with advancing age. The recent demonstration that
      far from being benign, "benign" prostatic hypertrophy is a likely a reaction of
      the prostate to chronic untreated lower genital tract infection, and that this
      chronic inflammation is likely the usual precursor to the frequent occurrence of
      prostatic carcinoma has far reaching implications. The obvious source for the
      chronic inflammatory stimulus in the prostate is the documented dramatically
      altered lower female genital microbiota associated with the menopause. Hence the
      major hypothesis is that prostatic cancer may arise due to chronic infection and
      inflammation in the prostate gland consequent upon the altered microbiome of the
      menopausal female genital tract. This has implications for testing and diagnosis,
      treatment, population health and personal hygiene practices. It suggests that
      male dyspareunia, although almost never encountered in clinical practice may in
      fact be relatively common in older males, and in particular if diagnosed,
      represents a critical opportunity for therapeutic intervention to interrupt the
      chronic inflammation - cancer transformation and progression which has been well
      documented in other tissues. It implies that the coordinated application of next
      generation sequencing to the microbiome of the lower genital tracts of male and
      female couples, including seminal fluid, will have both research applications to
      further explore this sequence, as well as finding application as a potential
      population level screening procedure as is presently done for the "Thin Prep"
      cervical screening for human papillomavirus in females. Moreover this insight
      opens up new opportunities for chemointervention and chemoprevention for this
      important clinicopathological progression. These considerations give rise to the
      exciting possibility that prostatic malignancy may be preventable by various
      methods of local hygiene in the female partner or some antibacterial method in
      males. Since the long term application of oral antibiotics is likely to be of
      limited efficacy this indicates the need for new antimicrobial solutions.

PMID- 28351490
TI  - High meniscal slope angle as a risk factor for meniscal allograft extrusion.
AB  - A meniscal graft extrusion is still an unresolved problem that affects most
      patients after a meniscal transplantation. Despite the advances in surgical
      techniques, together with the improved methods for a meniscal allograft sizing,
      success is only observed in up to 75% of patients after they experience a
      meniscal allograft transplantation. Because a meniscal extrusion is associated
      with a cartilage deterioration and the progression of osteoarthritis there is a
      great interest in how to prevent this phenomenon. The crucial factor for the
      minimisation of a meniscal allograft extrusion is by perfectly matching the
      implant. Most methods for a meniscal allograft sizing only focus on assessing the
      length and the width of the meniscus. Even though there is some evidence that
      there is a relationship between the shape of the meniscus in a cross-sectional
      plane and the meniscal extrusion, any of the planning methods do not take this
      factor into consideration. Although there is a large variability of meniscus
      shapes in cross-section, we hypothesise that by taking the meniscal slope into
      account during surgical planning, as well as performing the correct adjustments
      of this particular parameter, we can diminish the risk of a meniscal allograft
      extrusion.

PMID- 28351491
TI  - VEGF inhibition as possible therapy in spondyloarthritis patients: Targeting bone
      remodelling.
AB  - Spondyloarthritis refers to a group of chronic inflammatory rheumatic diseases
      that predominantly affects the axial skeleton, causing pain and stiffness. Human
      bone is highly dynamic organ that interacts with a wide array cells and tissues.
      Process of bone remodelling relies on a delicate balance between bone formation
      and bone resorption, orchestrated by osteoblasts and osteoclasts. Disruption of
      this homeostatic balance of bone removal and replacement can manifest as
      inappropriate new bone formation found in spondylarthritis. We hypothesize that
      VEGF may promote bone remodelling, stimulate angiogenesis, and both osteoclastic
      and osteoblastic activity. Anti VEGF may be tested as a dedicated therapy to
      prevent bone remodelling in spondyloarthritis patients, namely in cases of
      aggressive disease. Bone remodelling could be monitored by using [18F]Fluoride
      PET scan.

PMID- 28351492
TI  - Prevalence of sleep bruxism and awake bruxism in different chronotype profiles:
      Hypothesis of an association.
AB  - Sleep (SB) and awake bruxism (AB) recognize a multifactorial etiology and have a
      relationship with several psychological factors. Psychological disorders have
      recently been associated also with the chronotype, which is the propensity for an
      individual to be especially active at a particular time during a 24-h period.
      Based on the chronotype, the two extreme profiles are morningness and eveningness
      individuals. Due to the relationship that both the chronotype and bruxism have
      with psychological factors and the fact that performing tasks not compatible with
      chronotype can trigger stress, this review presents the hypothesis that the
      prevalence of SB and AB can differ with the various chronotype profiles. New
      perspectives for the study of bruxism etiology may emerge from investigations on
      the topic.

PMID- 28351493
TI  - Social death, melancholia, and zombies: Same patterns?

PMID- 28351494
TI  - Perfusion computed tomography imaging of abdominal aortic aneurysms may be of
      value for patient specific rupture risk estimation.
AB  - Abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) continues to pose a significant cause of
      unexpected mortality in the developed countries with its incidence constantly
      rising. The indication of elective surgical repair is currently based on the
      maximum diameter and growth rate criteria which represent an oversimplification
      of the Law of Laplace stating that the stress exerted in a cylinder or sphere is
      proportional to its radius. These criteria fail to capture the complex
      pathophysiology of the aneurismal disease thus often leading to therapeutic
      inaccuracies (treating large AAAs with a very low actual rupture risk while
      observing smaller ones with a much greater risk). Aneurysmal disease is mainly a
      degenerative process leading to loss of structural integrity of the diseased
      aortic wall which cannot withhold the stresses due to systemic pressurization.
      Moreover aortic wall degeneration has been shown to be a localized phenomenon and
      rupture depends on the pointwise comparison of strength and stress rather than a
      global aortic wall weakening. Ex-vivo mechanical studies have related vessel wall
      hypoxia to loss of structural endurance and reduced wall strength. Therefore a
      module to capture in vivo variation of aortic wall blood supply and oxygenation
      would be of value for the evaluation of AAA rupture risk. Perfusion computed
      tomography (PCT) imaging represents a novel technique which has been already used
      to estimate tissue vascularity in several clinical conditions but not aneurismal
      disease. We hypothesize that PCT could be used as an adjunct tool during AAA
      diagnostics in order to evaluate aortic wall oxygenation in vivo, therefore
      providing a possible means to identify weak spots making the lesion amenable to
      rupture.

PMID- 28351495
TI  - Ethical considerations in providing an upper limb exoskeleton device for stroke
      patients.
AB  - The health care system needs to face new and advanced medical technologies that
      can improve the patients' quality of life by replacing lost or decreased
      functions. In stroke patients, the disabilities that follow cerebral lesions may
      impair the mandatory daily activities of an independent life. These activities
      are dependent mostly on the patient's upper limb function so that they can carry
      out most of the common activities associated with a normal life. Therefore, an
      upper limb exoskeleton device for stroke patients can contribute a real
      improvement of quality of their life. The ethical problems that need to be
      considered are linked to the correct adjustment of the upper limb skills in order
      to satisfy the patient's expectations, but within physiological limits. The
      debate regarding the medical devices dedicated to neurorehabilitation is focused
      on their ability to be beneficial to the patient's life, keeping away damages,
      injustice, and risks.

PMID- 28351496
TI  - A new in vivo method to retard progression of intervertebral disc degeneration
      through stimulation of endogenous stem cells with simvastatin.
AB  - Degenerative disc disease is a worldwide problem, however, conservative treatment
      and surgical treatment can only partly relieve symptoms, but do not have
      therapeutic effect on the degenerated intervertebral disc (IVD) itself. The use
      of stem cell transplantation has become one of the most popular treatments. With
      gradually understanding of the endogenous mechanism of stem cells migration and
      movement in vivo, endogenous IVD stem cells can be activated to repair and
      reconstruct the degenerated IVD. Nucleus pulposus mensenchymal stem cells exhibit
      more potent biological activity in the hypoxic environment of the IVD. Hypoxia
      inducible factor can regulate the energy metabolism of IVD cells by activating
      Glucose transporter 1 pathway. The simvastatin can enhance the theraprutic effect
      of many kinds of stem cells by increasing number and function of the stem cell.
      Herein we postulate that simvastatin can regulate the differentiation of nucleus
      pulposus mensenchymal stem cells into nucleus pulposus cell by promoting
      expression of hypoxia inducible factor to repair and reconstruct degenerated IVD.

PMID- 28351497
TI  - A preferential delivery method to investigate direct neuromuscular blockade
      effect of inhaled anesthetics on skeletal muscle.
AB  - Inhaled anesthetics can enhance the effect of neuromuscular blocker, but whether
      inhaled anesthetics such as sevoflurane have a direct effect on skeletal muscle
      contractility is unknown. Selectively blocking skeletal muscle may prevent the
      interference effect of central nervous system. So we decided to evaluate a local
      application of neuromuscular blocker (NMB) atracurium to prevent the general
      effect on skeletal muscle. In part 1, sevoflurane (a inhaled anesthetic) minimum
      alveolar concentrations (MAC) of 1.0, 1.5 and 2.0 would be applied in succession.
      Neuromuscular function was assessed at each MAC. In part 2, patients are
      randomized into four groups: group1 (propofol+NMB, sevoflurane 0 MAC), and groups
      2 to 4 (NMB+sevoflurane 1.0, 1.5 and 2.0 MAC respectively). In group 1, patients
      were anesthetized by propofol, then 0.01mg/kg atracurium was injected into the
      tested arm intravenously after the arterial blood flow was blocked using a
      tourniquet. For the other 3 groups, patients inhaled 1.0 MAC, 1.5 MAC, or 2.0 MAC
      of sevoflurane. Then 0.01mg/kg atracurium was injected. Neuromuscular function
      was recorded for the 4 groups. Neuromuscular function was assessed by
      acceleromyography measurement of evoked responses to train-of four (TOF) stimuli
      (2Hz for 2s applied every 12s) at the adductor pollicis using a TOF-GuardTM
      neuromuscular transmission monitor. If proven, our hypothesis would demonstrate
      the inhaled anesthetics have no direct effect on contractility but only by
      increasing the skeletal muscle sensitivity to NMB.

PMID- 28351498
TI  - Iron accumulation, glutathione depletion, and lipid peroxidation must occur
      simultaneously during ferroptosis and are mutually amplifying events.
AB  - Ferroptosis is a recently discovered form of regulated necrosis that involves
      iron-dependent lipid peroxidation. How cells die once ferroptosis is triggered
      remains unclear. Ferroptosis is hypothesized to require three critical events:
      (1) accumulation of redox-active iron, (2) glutathione depletion, and (3) lipid
      peroxidation. It is proposed that these three events must unfold simultaneously
      because stopping any critical event also stops ferroptosis. These events are
      hypothesized to amplify in severity through positive feedback loops. The cause of
      death in ferroptosis is therefore the synergistic combination of antioxidant
      depletion, iron toxicity, and membrane denaturation. The relevance of these
      feedback loops for cancer and neurodegenerative therapies is discussed.

PMID- 28351499
TI  - Retina tissue engineering by conjunctiva mesenchymal stem cells encapsulated in
      fibrin gel: Hypotheses on novel approach to retinal diseases treatment.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Retinitis pigmentosa (RP) and age related macular degeneration (AMD)
      are two retinal diseases that progress by photoreceptor cells death. In retinal
      transplantation studies, stem and progenitor cells inject into the sub retinal
      space or vitreous and then these cells can be migrate to the site of retinal
      degeneration and locate in the host retina and restitute vision. PRESENTATION OF
      THE HYPOTHESIS: Our hypothesis suggests that using human conjunctiva stem cells
      (as the source for increasing the number of human stem cells progenitor cells in
      retina dysfunction diseases) with fibrin gel and also assessing its relating in
      vitro (cellular and molecular processes) and in vivo (vision tests and pathology)
      could be a promising strategy for treatment of AMD and RP disorders. TESTING THE
      HYPOTHESIS: In this idea, we describe a novel approach for retina tissue
      engineering with differentiation of conjunctiva mesenchymal stem cells (CJMSCs)
      into photoreceptor-like cells in fibrin gel with induction medium contain
      taurine. For assessment of differentiation, immunocytochemistry and real time PCR
      are used for the expression of Rhodopsin, RPE65, Nestin as differentiated
      photoreceptor cell markers in 2D and 3D culture. The results show that fibrin gel
      will offer a proper 3D scaffold for CJMSCs derived photoreceptor cell-like cells.
      IMPLICATIONS OF THE HYPOTHESIS: Application of immune-privileged, readily
      available sources of adult stem cells like human conjunctiva stem cells with
      fibrin gel would be a promising strategy to increase the number of photoreceptor
      progenitor cells and promote involuntary angiogenesis needed in retina layer
      repair and regeneration.

PMID- 28351500
TI  - Stream of consciousness: Quantum and biochemical assumptions regarding
      psychopathology.
AB  - The accepted paradigms of mainstream neuropsychiatry appear to be incompletely
      adequate and in various cases offer equivocal analyses. However, a growing number
      of new approaches are being proposed that suggest the emergence of paradigm
      shifts in this area. In particular, quantum theories of mind, brain and
      consciousness seem to offer a profound change to the current approaches.
      Unfortunately these quantum paradigms harbor at least two serious problems.
      First, they are simply models, theories, and assumptions, with no convincing
      experiments supporting their claims. Second, they deviate from contemporary
      mainstream views of psychiatric illness and do so in revolutionary ways. We
      suggest a possible way to integrate experimental neuroscience with quantum models
      in order to address outstanding issues in psychopathology. A key role is played
      by the phenomenon called the "stream of consciousness", which can be linked to
      the so-called "Gamma Synchrony" (GS), which is clearly demonstrated by EEG data.
      In our novel proposal, a unipolar depressed patient could be seen as a subject
      with an altered stream of consciousness. In particular, some clues suggest that
      depression is linked to an "increased power" stream of consciousness. It is
      additionally suggested that such an approach to depression might be extended to
      psychopathology in general with potential benefits to diagnostics and
      therapeutics in neuropsychiatry.

PMID- 28351501
TI  - Hypothesis: A perfect day conveys internal time.
AB  - In 2007 the International Agency for Research on Cancer [IARC] concluded "shift
      work that involves circadian disruption is probably carcinogenic to humans"
      (Group 2A). To investigate the "probable" causal link, information on individual
      chronobiology is needed to specify exposures to circadian disruption associated
      with shift work. In epidemiological studies this information is usually assessed
      by questionnaire. The most widely used Morningness-Eveningness-Questionnaire
      (MEQ) and MunichChronoTypeQuestionnaire (MCTQ) reveal information on circadian
      type (MEQ) and actual sleep behaviour (MCTQ). As a further option we suggest to
      obtain preferred sleep times by using what we call the perfect day (PD) approach.
      We hypothesize that a PD - as a day of completely preferred sleep behaviour -
      captures pristine internal time. We argue that the PD approach may measure
      internal time more accurately than the MEQ and MCTQ which convey influences by
      work and social time pressures. The PD approach may therefore reduce
      misclassifications of internal time and reveal circadian disruption caused by
      different shift systems.

PMID- 28351502
TI  - Complex relationship between plaque characteristics and hemodynamic significance
      of stenosis: Insights from coronary computed tomography angiography imaging.

PMID- 28351503
TI  - Natural killer cell response is a predictor of good outcome in MCPyV+ Merkel cell
      carcinoma: A case series of 23 patients.

PMID- 28351504
TI  - Changes in nationwide use of preoperative radiotherapy for rectal cancer after
      revision of the national colorectal cancer guideline.
AB  - BACKGROUND: The rate of preoperative radiotherapy (RT) for rectal cancer in the
      Netherlands has been the highest among European countries. Revision of the
      national guideline on colorectal cancer, officially published in 2014,
      specifically focussed on the indication for RT and MRI criteria to evaluate
      mesorectal lymph nodes. The objective of this study was to evaluate
      implementation of the revised guideline using a national audit. METHODS: Data of
      the Dutch Surgical Colorectal Audit (DSCA) between 2009 and 2014 were used to
      evaluate RT use and RT regimen for relevant subgroups of cM0 rectal cancer
      patients, as well as accuracy of pre-operative MRI. RESULTS: 14,018 patients were
      included for analysis. Overall RT use in cT1-4N0-2M0 stage ranged from 81.4% to
      84.2% between 2009 and 2013, and decreased to 64.4% in 2014. The absolute
      decrease in RT use from 2013 to 2014 for cT1N0, cT2N0 and cT3N0 stage was 32.8%,
      43.5% and 31.6%, respectively. Short course RT with delayed surgery was used as
      an alternative to chemoradiotherapy up to 2013 in 30.6% of patients over 80
      years, and in 12.1% of patients with an ASA score >2; these percentages increased
      to 45.8% and 19.9% in 2014, respectively. Specificity of MRI for N-stage
      decreased from 82.9% in 2009 to 62.9% in 2013, with an increase to 73.2% in 2014.
      CONCLUSION: The revised national guideline on colorectal cancer was rapidly
      implemented in the Netherlands with a substantial decrease in RT use for low risk
      resectable rectal cancer, and increased specificity of MRI for N-staging.

PMID- 28351505
TI  - Corrigendum to "p62 modulates the intrinsic signaling of UVB-induced apoptosis"
      [Journal of Dermatological Science 83 (2016) 226-233].

PMID- 28351506
TI  - 62-Year-Old Man With Back Pain and Lower Extremity Weakness.

PMID- 28351507
TI  - 40-Year-Old Man With Diarrhea and Lymphadenopathy.

PMID- 28351508
TI  - Regulation of enterovirus 2A protease-associated viral IRES activities by the
      cell's ERK signaling cascade: Implicating ERK as an efficiently antiviral target.
AB  - In a previous study the ERK1/2 pathway was found to be crucially involved in
      positive regulation of the enterovirus A 71(EV-A71) IRES (vIRES), thereby
      contributing to the efficient replication of an important human enterovirus
      causing death in young children (<5yrs) worldwide. This study focuses on
      unraveling more about the detailed mechanism of ERK's involvement in this
      regulation of vIRES. Through the use of siRNAs and specifically pharmacological
      inhibitor U0126, the ERK cascade was shown to positively regulate EV-A71-mediated
      cleavage of eIF4GI that established the cellular conditions which favour vIRES
      dependent translation. Site-directed mutagenesis of the viral 2A protease (2Apro)
      was undertaken to show that the positive regulation of virus replication by the
      ERK cascade was mediated through effects on both the cis-cleavage of the viral
      polyprotein by 2Apro and its trans-cleavage of cellular eIF4GI. This ERK-2Apro
      linked network coordinating vIRES efficiency was also found in other important
      human enteroviruses. This identification of the ERK cascade as having a key role
      in maintaining the 2Apro proteolytic activity required to maximize enterovirus
      IRES activity, expands current understanding of the diverse functions of the ERK
      signaling cascade in the regulation of viral translation, therefore providing a
      potentially comprehensive drug target for anti-enterovirus infection.

PMID- 28351510
TI  - The 2016 Model of the Clinical Practice of Emergency Medicine.

PMID- 28351509
TI  - Adequate calcium intake during long periods improves bone mineral density in
      healthy children. Data from the Childhood Obesity Project.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Bone mineralization can be influenced by genetic factors, hormonal
      status, nutrition, physical activity and body composition. The association of
      higher calcium (Ca) intake or Ca supplementation with better bone mineral density
      (BMD) remains controversial. Furthermore, it has been speculated that maintaining
      long-term adequate Ca intake rather than having a brief supplementation period is
      more effective. The aim of the study was to prospectively analyse the influence
      of adequate Ca intake on BMD at 7 years of age in European children. METHODS:
      Data from the Childhood Obesity Project were analysed in a prospective
      longitudinal cohort trial. Dietary intake was recorded using 3-day food records
      at 4, 5 and 6 years of age. The probability of adequate intake (PA) of Ca was
      calculated following the American Institute of Medicine guidelines for individual
      assessments, with FAO, WHO and United Nations University joint expert
      consultation dietary recommendations. Children were categorised as having high Ca
      PA (PA >95%) or not (PA <95%). At 7 years, whole body (WB) and lumbar spine (LS)
      BMD were measured in the Spanish subsample by dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry.
      Internal BMD z-scores were calculated; BMD below -1 z-score were considered to
      indicate osteopenia, and BMD z-scores below -2, "low bone mineral density for
      age". RESULTS: BMD was measured in 179 children. Ca intake at 6 years was
      positively correlated with LS BMD at 7 years (R = 0.205, p = 0.030). A Ca
      increase of 100 mg/day explained 19.4% (p = 0.011) of the LS BMD z-score
      variation, modifying it by 0.089 (0.021, 0.157) units. Children with Ca PA >95%
      at 5 and 6 or from 4 to 6 years of age showed higher BMD z-scores at the LS and
      WB levels than children with Ca PA <95% (p < 0.001 and p < 0.05 for LS and WB
      BMD, respectively). Ca PA >95% maintained over 2 years explained 26.3% of the LS
      BMD z-score variation (p < 0.001), increasing it by 0.669 (0.202, 1.137). PA >95%
      maintained over 3 years explained 24.9% of the LS BMD z-score variation,
      increasing it by 0.773 (0.282, 1.264). The effects of Ca adequacy on WB BMD were
      similar. Children with PA >95% over 2 years had an Odds ratio of 13.84 and 12 for
      osteopenia at the LS and WB levels, respectively (p = 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: Long
      periods of adequate Ca intake in childhood increase BMD and reduce osteopenia
      risk. The Childhood Obesity Project clinical trial (CHOP) was registered at
      clinicaltrials.gov as NCT00338689.

PMID- 28351511
TI  - Reliability, Laterality and the Effect of Respiration on the Measured Corrected
      Flow Time of the Carotid Arteries.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Corrected flow time (FTc) measured via sonography of the carotid
      artery is a novel method that has shown promising results for predicting fluid
      responsiveness in shock states. It is a rapid and noninvasive examination that
      can be taught to emergency physicians with ease. However, its reliability has not
      been assessed, and the effects of several variables, including respiration and
      side of evaluation, are unclear. OBJECTIVES: The objectives were to compare
      carotid FTc during different phases of the respiratory cycle, (at end-inspiration
      and end-expiration), to compare FTc reproducibility among providers, and to
      compare FTc on the right and left sides in a given individual. METHODS: The FTc
      of both the right and left carotid arteries was measured in 16 healthy volunteers
      during an inspiratory hold and an expiratory hold. Examinations were completed by
      three sonographers blinded to previous results and were analyzed for reliability
      and reproducibility. RESULTS: Reliability and reproducibility were poor when
      comparing sonographers under all circumstances. No significant differences were
      found when comparing left vs. right sides of measurement regardless of
      respiratory phase. CONCLUSION: Although this method for predicting fluid
      responsiveness has many promising aspects, reproducibility between sonographers
      was found to be poor. No significant difference was found between the two sides
      of the body or respiratory phase.

PMID- 28351512
TI  - Potential use of targeted enzymatic agents in the treatment of Staphylococcus
      aureus biofilm-related infections.
AB  - Staphylococcus aureus is a leading cause of healthcare-associated infections. The
      ability of S. aureus to attach and subsequently accumulate on the surfaces of
      implanted medical devices and in host tissues makes infections caused by this
      pathogen difficult to treat. Current treatments have been shown to have limited
      effect on surface-associated S. aureus, and may be enhanced by the addition of a
      dispersal agent. This study assessed the enzymatic agents dispersin B,
      lysostaphin, alpha amylase, V8 protease and serrapeptase, alone and in
      combination with vancomycin and rifampicin, against biofilms formed by meticillin
      resistant and -susceptible strains of S. aureus. The efficacy of both antibiotics
      was enhanced when combined with any of the dispersal agents. Lysostaphin and
      serrapeptase were the most effective dispersal agents against all strains tested.
      These data indicate that combinations of biofilm dispersal agents and antibiotics
      may extend the therapeutic options for the treatment of S. aureus biofilm
      associated infections.

PMID- 28351513
TI  - Aflatoxin biosynthesis control produced by Aspergillus flavus in layer hens feed
      during storage period of six months.
AB  - Aflatoxins (AFTs) are a group of closely related toxins that are produced by
      different fungus species. Food and feed contamination with AFT is a worldwide
      health-related problem. As a result of fungal attack, the food and feed resulted
      in a principal socioeconomic loss and toxins produced in feed and food items harm
      the humans and animals in different ways. The anti-aflatoxigenic effect Psidium
      guajava, Ficus benghalensis, Gardenia radicans, Punica granatum and Ziziphus
      jujuba leaves were evaluated against aflatoxins (AFTs), produced by Aspergillus
      flavus in layer feed during storage. Among the investigated medicinal plant
      leaves, P. granatum showed highly promising anti-aflatoxigenic activity and
      completely inhibited the AFTs (B1 and B2) production over storage period without
      compromising the nutritive quality of feed (ash, protein, fat, fiber, Fe, Ca, P
      and K contents). Leaves of F. benghalensis and Z. jujuba were also effective
      however, higher concentration (15%) inhibited the AFTs production up to 99% and
      also maintained nutritive quality of feed. G. radicans was found least effective
      in controlling the AFTs production. Results revealed that all plant leaves were
      effective in controlling AFTs production in layer feed over the storage period of
      six months and these plants are potential candidate to replace the fungicides
      used to protect feed and other agricultural commodities from AFTs production
      during storage.

PMID- 28351514
TI  - [A form of central areolar choroidal dystrophy].

PMID- 28351515
TI  - The expression of sialyltransferases is regulated by the bioavailability and
      biosynthesis of sialic acids.
AB  - Glycosylation is the most frequent and important post-translational modification
      of proteins. It occurs on specific consensus sequences but the final structure of
      a particular glycan is not coded on the DNA, rather it depends on the expression
      of the required enzymes and the availability of substrates (activated
      monosaccharides). Sialic acid (Sia) is the terminal monosaccharide of most
      glycoproteins or glycolipids (= glycoconjugates) and involved in a variety of
      function on molecular (e.g. determination of protein stability and half-life) and
      cellular level (e.g. influenza infection). Sia are synthesized in the cytosol
      from UDP-GlcNAc by the Roseman-Warren pathway. The key enzyme of this pathway is
      the UDP-GlcNAc 2-epimerase/ManNAc kinase (GNE). Sia are transferred on
      glycoconjugates by a family of Golgi-located enzymes, so called
      sialyltransferases (ST). There are 20 (human) ST known, which all transfer CMP
      activated Sia to specific acceptor-sites on glycoconjugates. The regulation of
      the expression of ST is still not understood. Using a GNE-deficient embryonic
      stem cell line, which cannot synthesize Sia endogenously and by supplementation
      of soluble Sia precursors, we present data that the cellular availability of Sia
      strongly regulates the expression of ST on the level of transcription. In
      summary, we suggest that the concentration of the donor substrate of
      sialyltransferases, which can be regarded as a sensor for the environmental
      conditions of a cell, regulates not only total sialylation, but also the quality
      of sialylation. This allows a cell to response to altered environmental
      conditions.

PMID- 28351517
TI  - Enhanced activity of macrophage M1/M2 phenotypes in periodontitis.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: Monocytes/macrophages play a key role in mobilizing host defense
      against microbial infection. The selectivity of gene expression can turn
      macrophages into M1- or M2-type and the plasticity and differentiation of both M1
      and M2 macrophages may play important roles in the development of periodontal
      disease. Our research aimed to study the association between the ratio of M1/M2
      macrophage and inflammatory cytokines IL-1beta, MMP-9, and investigate the
      expressions of M1-and M2-type macrophages in gingivitis and chronic
      periodontitis. METHODS: Forty specimens were collected from gingivitis
      individuals (n=20) and chronic periodontitis (n=20). Probing depth (PD), clinical
      attachment level (CAL), plaque index (PI) and bleeding on probing (BOP) were
      recorded. The expressions of M1- and M2-type macrophages are detected with
      immunohistochemical method and the relative expressions of M1-, M2-type
      macrophage, IL-1beta and MMP-9 were assayed using real-time polymerase chain
      reactions. RESULTS: The M1 and M2 peptide were mainly observed in the cytoplasm
      of gingival connective tissue. The ratio of M1/M2 was significant higher in
      chronic periodontitis group compared with that in gingivitis one. In addition,
      the relative expressions of IL-1beta and MMP-9 also increased in periodontitis
      group and was correlated with the ratios of M1/M2. Meanwhile, PD was positively
      correlated with ratios of M1/M2. CONCLUSIONS: Periodontal inflammation associates
      with an enhancement of ratio of M1/M2 phenotypes of macrophages. M1/M2 ratio
      could provide useful information on the periodontal tissue health status.

PMID- 28351516
TI  - Anterior cervical fusion with interbody cage containing beta-tricalcium
      phosphate: Clinical and radiological results.
AB  - AIM: Beta tricalcium phosphate (beta-TCP) is an osteoconductive, resorbable
      material. Its clinical effectiveness has been proved in many indications. This
      study was clinical and radiographic study report obtained in patients undergoing
      anterior cervical discectomy and fusion ACDF in which PEEK cages were filled beta
      TCP in an injectable form. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Between January 2010 and June
      2011, 16 consecutive patients underwent ACDF using PEEK cages with beta-TCP. The
      cohort compromised 10 men and 6 women with a mean age of 45.2 years. The surgery
      was performed when the patient had myelopathy or radiculopathy with progressive
      neurological deficit, or failure of conservative treatment (a minimum of 3
      months). The patients were evaluated by Odom criteria preoperatively and
      postoperative 3rd, 6th, 12th and 24th months. Preop and postop pain was evaluated
      with visual analogue scala (VAS). Disc height and fusion success rates were
      evaluated. RESULTS: Preoperative average VAS score was 7.9 (7-10) for neck pain
      and 8 (7-10) for arm pain. At the final follow-up, these scores became 1.5 and
      1.4 for neck and arm pain, respectively. The average improvement rate was 81% for
      neck pain and 82.5% for arm pain. Postop ODOM's criteria main rate was 3.4. Bone
      fusion was achieved in 14 segments (70%) at 3rd month, 19 segments (95%) at 12th
      month follow-up assessment. CONCLUSION: Clinical and radiological results
      revealed that B-TCP is a good alternative synthetic fusion material for cervical
      interbody fusion. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Level IV, therapeutic study.

PMID- 28351518
TI  - Use of computerized interview scheduling program for pediatric surgery match
      applicants.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Pediatric surgery fellowship applicants and programs coordinate over
      20 interviews per cycle. We hypothesized that replacing e-mail and phone
      communication with a computerized-scheduling program (CSP) could benefit both
      parties. METHODS: We used a CSP to schedule 2016 interviews. Time to schedule and
      e-mail communication per applicant was compared to 2015, when traditional
      scheduling was used. Additionally, 2016 interviewees were surveyed about their
      experience with the CSP vs. traditional means. Analysis was performed using
      descriptive statistics and a Student's T-test. RESULTS: We found a significant
      decrease in mean scheduling time from 14.4 to 1.7h (p<0.001) and in e-mails
      exchanged from 3.4 to 1.0 (p<0.0001). Survey respondents reported 92%
      satisfaction with the CSP, and 87% found it easier to schedule interviews.
      Applicants also reported quicker finalization of interview dates (96%), improved
      access to interview slots (71%), and easier coordination of additional services
      and time off (63%). Notably, the mean longest time reported to schedule
      interviews using traditional methods was 7days (range 1-30). Overall, 84%
      supported widespread adoption of CSPs. CONCLUSIONS: Using CSPs improved the
      scheduling process for the significant majority of interviewees, and our program.
      If widely adopted, this could greatly improve the efficiency of pediatric surgery
      interview scheduling. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: N/A.

PMID- 28351519
TI  - Contrast enhanced ultrasound for the evaluation of blunt pediatric abdominal
      trauma.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: Blunt abdominal trauma is a common problem in children. Computed
      tomography (CT) is the gold standard for imaging in pediatric blunt abdominal
      trauma, however up to 50% of CTs are normal and CT carries a risk of radiation
      induced cancer. Contrast enhanced ultrasound (CEUS) may allow accurate detection
      of abdominal organ injuries while eliminating exposure to ionizing radiation.
      METHODS: Children aged 7-18years with a CT-diagnosed abdominal solid organ injury
      underwent grayscale/power Doppler ultrasound (conventional US) and CEUS within
      48h of injury. Two blinded radiologists underwent a brief training in CEUS and
      then interpreted the CEUS images without patient interaction. Conventional US and
      CEUS images were compared to CT for the presence of injury and, if present, the
      injury grade. Patients were monitored for contrast-related adverse reactions.
      RESULTS: Twenty one injured organs were identified by CT in eighteen children.
      Conventional US identified the injuries with a sensitivity of 45.2%, which
      increased to 85.7% using CEUS. The specificity of conventional US was 96.4% and
      increased to 98.6% using CEUS. The positive predictive value increased from 79.2%
      to 94.7% and the negative predictive value from 85.3% to 95.8%. Two patients had
      injuries that were missed by both radiologists on CEUS. In a 100kg, 17year old
      female, a grade III liver injury was not seen by either radiologist on CEUS. Her
      accompanying grade I kidney injury was not seen by one of the radiologist on
      CEUS. The second patient, a 16year old female, had a grade III splenic injury
      that was missed by both radiologists on CEUS. She also had an adjacent grade II
      kidney injury that was seen by both. Injuries, when noted, were graded within 1
      grade of CT 33/35 times with CEUS. There were no adverse reactions to the
      contrast. CONCLUSION: CEUS is a promising imaging modality that can detect most
      abdominal solid organ injuries in children while eliminating exposure to ionizing
      radiation. A multicenter trial is warranted before widespread use can be
      recommended. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Level II; Diagnostic Prospective Study.

PMID- 28351520
TI  - Toll-like receptor 4 is critical for the development of resection-associated
      hepatic steatosis.
AB  - BACKGROUND: A significant number of children with short bowel syndrome experience
      intestinal failure-associated liver disease. We recently demonstrated accelerated
      hepatic steatosis after 50% small bowel resection (SBR) in mice. Since SBR is
      associated with alterations in the gut microbiome, the purpose of this study was
      to determine whether TLR4 signaling is critical to the development of resection
      associated hepatic steatosis. METHODS: Male C57BL6 (control) and TLR4-knockout
      (KO) mice underwent 50% proximal SBR. Liver sections were analyzed to obtain the
      percent lipid content, and Ileal sections were assessed for morphological
      adaptation. Intestinal TLR4 mRNA expression was measured at 7days and 10weeks.
      RESULTS: Compared to controls, TLR4 KO mice demonstrated similar weight gain and
      morphological adaptation after SBR. Hepatic steatosis was decreased 32-fold in
      the absence of TLR4. Intestinal TLR4 mRNA expression was significantly elevated
      7days after SBR. We also found that TLR4 expression in the intestine was 20-fold
      higher in whole bowel sections compared with isolated enterocytes. CONCLUSIONS:
      TLR4 signaling is critical for the development of resection-associated steatosis,
      but not involved in intestinal adaptation after massive SBR. Further studies are
      needed to delineate the mechanism for TLR4 signaling in the genesis of resection
      associated liver injury. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Animal study, not clinical.

PMID- 28351521
TI  - Three-dimensional-guided perineal-based interstitial brachytherapy in cervical
      cancer: A systematic review of technique, local control and toxicities.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: To evaluate local control and toxicities of perineal-based
      interstitial brachytherapy (P-ISBT) in cervical cancers treated with three
      dimensional (3D) image-based planning through a systematic review. The secondary
      objective of this review is to summarize the implant and dosimetric techniques in
      3D P-ISBT. METHODS: Systematic review of the literature using the PRISMA
      guideline was conducted through a search of Medline, EMBASE and Cochrane
      databases. This search resulted in 19 relevant manuscripts. Selected studies
      evaluated the role of perineal ISBT in cervical tumours treated using 3D
      planning. Eleven of nineteen manuscripts contained sufficient information for LC
      and toxicity calculations. Data were extracted by at least two investigators.
      RESULTS: A total of 672 cervical cancer patients were treated with P-ISBT and
      planned with 3D image-based planning. Clinical outcomes could be identified for
      392 patients and 60% were staged IIIB or higher. Most patients received 45-50.4Gy
      EBRT to the pelvis followed by a P-ISBT boost with a range of dose between 28 and
      48Gy EQD2Gy. Overall LC was 79% (310/392) with a median follow-up ranging from 14
      to 55months. Almost half of the patients (48%) had a median follow-up >=35months.
      Patients treated to a lower tumour EQD2Gy total dose had inferior LC. Procedure
      related complications were rare (7 infections and 7 episodes of bleeding) and
      limited. Combined late gastro-intestinal, genitourinary and vaginal grade 3 and 4
      toxicity was 12.1%. CONCLUSION: Promising LC rates were found in patients with
      cervical cancers treated with perineal ISBT with 3D image-based planning. In this
      systematic review, 60% had stage IIIB disease or higher and yet a LC rate of 79%
      was found. LC seemed to correlate with the dose delivered to the tumour, while
      toxicity rates were similar to other cervical cancer series using 3D image-based
      brachytherapy. Perineal ISBT with 3D planning seems to be an effective and safe
      treatment for large advanced cervical tumours and may be a reasonable alternative
      to the increasingly more standard and modern intracavitary/interstitial (IC/IS)
      approaches such as the 'Vienna' applicator.

PMID- 28351522
TI  - Dynamic conformal arc radiosurgery for arteriovenous malformations: Outcome and
      influence of clinical and dosimetrical data.
AB  - PURPOSE: To assess efficacy, toxicity, and their predictive factors for dynamic
      conformal arc arteriovenous malformations (AVM) stereotactic radiosurgery.
      METHOD: Data concerning 90 consecutive patients were retrospectively studied.
      Clinical, radiological, dosimetrical data and quality indexes were computed.
      RESULTS: AVM median volume was 1.06cc. Median prescribed dose was 22Gy. Total
      occlusion was obtained for 69% of patients. Post-radiosurgery annual hemorrhage
      rate was 2.2%. Predictive factor for total occlusion was delivered dose.
      Undesirable events occurred for 28% of patients. Predictive factors for adverse
      events were AVM revealing mode with seizure or headache, age<=28, AVM
      diameter>=3cm Spetzler-Martin score>=4, V12Gy>=2cc, large target volume and low
      homogeneity index (p<0.05). Brain parenchymal radiological reactions concerned
      23% of patients, and their predictive factors were AVM revelation by seizure,
      deep localization, AVM diameter>=3cm, Spetzler-Martin score>=4, previous
      radiosurgery, numerous embolization, target volume, V12Gy and low homogeneity
      index (p<0.05). CONCLUSION: Occlusion rate and toxicities are comparable to other
      series. Specific attention must be paid on pre-treatment clinical data, and
      target volume should be as small as possible, without reducing the delivered
      dose.

PMID- 28351523
TI  - Quality assessment of delineation and dose planning of early breast cancer
      patients included in the randomized Skagen Trial 1.
AB  - BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: To report on a Quality assessment (QA) of Skagen Trial 1,
      exploring hypofractionation for breast cancer patients with indication for
      regional nodal radiotherapy. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Deviations from protocol
      regarding target volume delineations and dose parameters (Dmin, Dmax, D98%, D95%
      and D2%) from randomly selected dose plans were assessed. Target volume
      delineation according to ESTRO guidelines was obtained through atlas based
      automated segmentation and centrally approved as gold standard (GS). Dice
      similarity scores (DSC) with original delineations were measured. Dose parameters
      measured in the two delineations were reported to assess their dosimetric
      outcome. RESULTS: Assessment included 88 plans from 12 centres in 4 countries.
      DSC showed high agreement in contouring, 99% and 96% of the patients had a
      complete delineation of target volumes and organs at risk. No deviations in the
      dosimetric outcome were found in 76% of the patients, 82% and 95% of the patients
      had successful coverage of breast/chestwall and CTVn_L2-4-interpectoral.
      Dosimetric outcomes of original delineation and GS were comparable. CONCLUSIONS:
      QA showed high protocol compliance and adequate dose coverage in most patients.
      Inter-observer variability in contouring was low. Dose parameters were in harmony
      with protocol regardless original or GS segmentation.

PMID- 28351524
TI  - G9a governs colon cancer stem cell phenotype and chemoradioresistance through
      PP2A-RPA axis-mediated DNA damage response.
AB  - BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Neoadjuvant concurrent chemoradiotherapy (CCRT) is a
      standard treatment of locally advanced colon cancer cell (CRC). In order to
      maximize efficacy and minimize toxicity, new drugs have been developed and used
      in combination with CCRT. Recently, it has been shown that G9a plays a role in
      mediating phenotypes of cancer stem cells (CSCs). This study aimed to
      characterize G9a as a biomarker in predicting therapy response to prevent
      overtreatment and adverse effects in CRC patients. EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN: The
      primary tumors from 39 patients who received CCRT for rectal cancer were
      selected. In vivo tumor xenograft models for tumorigenic properties in
      immunodeficient mice were developed. In vitro stemness ability was performed by
      tumor-sphere assays, cell response to anti-cancer agents and stemness-related
      genes analysis. RESULTS: Cells survived from radiation treatment, and displayed
      high levels of G9a. A significantly positive correlation was shown between G9a
      and CSCs marker CD133 in locally advanced rectal cancer patients with CCRT.
      Knockdown of G9a increased the sensitivity of cells to radiation treatment and
      sensitized cells to DNA damage agents through PP2A-RPA axis. CONCLUSIONS: Our
      study theorized that G9a might serve as a novel target in colon cancer, which
      offers exciting potential in prediction of response to preoperative
      chemoradiotherapy in patients with advanced CRC.

PMID- 28351525
TI  - Patient safety in external beam radiotherapy, results of the ACCIRAD project:
      Current status of proactive risk assessment, reactive analysis of events, and
      reporting and learning systems in Europe.
AB  - PURPOSE: To describe the current status of implementation of European directives
      for risk management in radiotherapy and to assess variability in risk management
      in the following areas: 1) in-country regulatory framework; 2) proactive risk
      assessment; (3) reactive analysis of events; and (4) reporting and learning
      systems. MATERIAL AND METHODS: The original data were collected as part of the
      ACCIRAD project through two online surveys. RESULTS: Risk assessment criteria are
      closely associated with quality assurance programs. Only 9/32 responding
      countries (28%) with national regulations reported clear "requirements" for
      proactive risk assessment and/or reactive risk analysis, with wide variability in
      assessment methods. Reporting of adverse error events is mandatory in most (70%)
      but not all surveyed countries. CONCLUSIONS: Most European countries have taken
      steps to implement European directives designed to reduce the probability and
      magnitude of accidents in radiotherapy. Variability between countries is
      substantial in terms of legal frameworks, tools used to conduct proactive risk
      assessment and reactive analysis of events, and in the reporting and learning
      systems utilized. These findings underscore the need for greater harmonisation in
      common terminology, classification and reporting practices across Europe to
      improve patient safety and to enable more reliable inter-country comparisons.

PMID- 28351526
TI  - Trauma care in Oman: A call for action.
AB  - Many Arab countries have undergone the epidemiologic transition of diseases with
      increasing economic development and a proportionately decreasing prevalence of
      communicable diseases. With this transition, injuries have emerged as a major
      cause of mortality and morbidity in the Gulf Cooperation Council countries in
      addition to diseases of affluence. Injuries are the number one cause of years of
      life lost and disability-adjusted life-years in the Sultanate of Oman. The burden
      of injuries, which affects mostly young Omani males, has a unique geographic
      distribution that is in contrast to the trauma care capabilities of the country.
      The concentration of health care resources in the northern part of the country
      makes it difficult for the majority of Omanis who live elsewhere to access high
      quality and time-sensitive care. A broader multisectorial national injury
      prevention strategy should be evidence based and must strengthen human resources,
      service delivery, and information systems to improve care of the injured and loss
      of life. This paper provides a unique overview of the Omani health system with
      the goal of examining its trauma care capabilities and injury control policies.

PMID- 28351527
TI  - Imaging practices and radiation doses from imaging in radiotherapy.
AB  - Modern radiotherapy treatments require frequent imaging for accurate patient
      positioning relative to the therapeutic radiation beam. Imaging practices in five
      Finnish radiotherapy clinics were assessed and discussed from the patient dose
      optimization point of view. The results show that imaging strategies are not
      jointly established and variations exist. The organ absorbed doses depend on
      imaging technique and imaging frequency. In particular, organ doses from the cone
      beam computed tomography can have very large variations (a factor of 10-50 in
      breast imaging and factor of 5 in prostate imaging). The cumulative imaging organ
      dose from the treatment can vary by a factor of ten or more for the same
      treatment, depending on the chosen technique and imaging frequency. Awareness and
      optimization of the imaging dose in image-guided radiotherapy should be
      strengthened.

PMID- 28351528
TI  - Immediate loading for implant restoration compared with early or conventional
      loading: A meta-analysis.
AB  - PURPOSE: This meta-analysis was to further confirm the no inferiority of
      immediate loading in clinical and radiographic outcomes compared with non
      immediate loadings (early or conventional loading). MATERIALS AND METHODS:
      Literature search on Pubmed and Embase was performed up to August 2015. The
      overall risk radios (RRs) and standard mean differences (SMDs) as well as their
      95% confidence intervals (CI) were calculated for comparison. RESULTS: Total 29
      RCT with 1342 implants receiving immediate loading and 1279 implants receiving
      non-immediate loadings were included in this meta-analysis. Results indicated
      that there was no significant difference between immediate and non-immediate
      loadings in implant failure rate based on patients (RR = 1.45, 95% CI: 0.79 to
      2.68) and implants (RR = 1.38, 95% CI: 0.86 to 2.21), MBL (SMD = -0.11, 95% CI: 
      0.39 to 0.17), and ISQ (SMD = -0.26, 95% CI: -0.53 to 0.01). Meanwhile, immediate
      loading showed significantly less MBL change than non-immediate loading. In
      addition, subgroup analyses showed that the immediate loading indicated slightly
      higher implant failure rate and lower ISQ than conventional loading. CONCLUSIONS:
      Although overall analysis confirmed no inferiority of immediate loading compared
      with non-immediate loadings, the technique still need to be explored for
      improving implant success and stability during immediate loading based on the
      results in subgroup analyses.

PMID- 28351529
TI  - Analysis of the regulation of surfactant phosphatidylcholine metabolism using
      stable isotopes.
AB  - The pathways and mechanisms that regulate pulmonary surfactant synthesis,
      processing, secretion and catabolism have been extensively characterised using
      classical biochemical and analytical approaches. These have constructed a model,
      largely in experimental animals, for surfactant phospholipid metabolism in the
      alveolar epithelial cell whereby phospholipid synthesised on the endoplasmic
      reticulum is selectively transported to lamellar body storage vesicles, where it
      is subsequently processed before secretion into the alveolus. Surfactant
      phospholipid is a complex mixture of individual molecular species defined by the
      combination of esterified fatty acid groups and a comprehensive description of
      surfactant phospholipid metabolism requires consideration of the interactions
      between such molecular species. However, until recently, lipid analytical
      techniques have not kept pace with the considerable advances in understanding of
      the enzymology and molecular biology of surfactant metabolism. Refinements in
      electrospray ionisation mass spectrometry (ESI-MS) can now provide very sensitive
      platforms for the rapid characterisation of surfactant phospholipid composition
      in molecular detail. The combination of ESI-MS and administration of phospholipid
      substrates labelled with stable isotopes extends this analytical approach to the
      quantification of synthesis and turnover of individual molecular species of
      surfactant phospholipid. As this methodology does not involve radioactivity, it
      is ideally suited to application in clinical studies. This review will provide an
      overview of the metabolic processes that regulate the molecular specificity of
      surfactant phosphatidylcholine together with examples of how the application of
      stable isotope technologies in vivo has, for the first time, begun to explore
      regulation of the molecular specificity of surfactant synthesis in human
      subjects.

PMID- 28351531
TI  - Two degree of freedom PID based inferential control of continuous bioreactor for
      ethanol production.
AB  - This article presents the development of inferential control scheme based on
      Adaptive linear neural network (ADALINE) soft sensor for the control of
      fermentation process. The ethanol concentration of bioreactor is estimated from
      temperature profile of the process using soft sensor. The prediction accuracy of
      ADALINE is enhanced by retraining it with immediate past measurements. The
      ADALINE and retrained ADALINE are used along with PID and 2-DOF-PID leading to
      APID, A2PID, RAPID and RA2PID inferential controllers. Further the parameters of
      2-DOF-PID are optimized using Non-dominated sorted genetic algorithm-II and used
      with retrained ADALINE soft sensor which leads to RAN2PID inferential controller.
      Simulation results demonstrate that performance of proposed RAN2PID controller is
      better in comparison to other designed controllers in terms of qualitative and
      quantitative performance indices.

PMID- 28351532
TI  - Multiple and recurrent cerebral infarctions in a patient with idiopathic
      thrombocytopenic purpura.

PMID- 28351533
TI  - The 100 most influential publications pertaining to intracranial aneurysms and
      aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage.
AB  - The study of intracranial aneurysms has grown at an astounding rate since Sir
      Charles Symond's association of hemorrhage within the subarachnoid space to
      intracranial aneurysms in 1923. These associations led to the first surgical
      treatment of an intracranial aneurysm with wrapping by Norman Dott in 1931, and
      shortly thereafter, clip ligation by Walter Dandy in 1938. Surgical outcomes were
      improved by the introduction of the operative microscope in the 1960s and
      perioperative care utilizing induced hypertension, hypovolemia, and hemodilution
      ("HHH therapy"). Recent monumental advancements, such as coil embolization in
      1990 by Guglielmi, have continued to advance the field forward. The authors hope
      to highlight some of the most seminal and influential works. Herein, we utilize
      the technique of citation analysis to assemble a list of the 100 most influential
      works pertaining to aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage published between the
      years 1900 and 2015 to honor these individuals and to provide guidance to current
      and future researchers in the field. We additionally calculate the effects of
      author, journal, topic, and study design on the overall influence of publications
      in this field.

PMID- 28351534
TI  - Learning word order at birth: A NIRS study.
AB  - In language, the relative order of words in sentences carries important
      grammatical functions. However, the developmental origins and the neural
      correlates of the ability to track word order are to date poorly understood. The
      current study therefore investigates the origins of infants' ability to learn
      about the sequential order of words, using near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) with
      newborn infants. We have conducted two experiments: one in which a word order
      change was implemented in 4-word sequences recorded with a list intonation (as if
      each word was a separate item in a list; list prosody condition, Experiment 1)
      and one in which the same 4-word sequences were recorded with a well-formed
      utterance-level prosodic contour (utterance prosody condition, Experiment 2). We
      found that newborns could detect the violation of the word order in the list
      prosody condition, but not in the utterance prosody condition. These results
      suggest that while newborns are already sensitive to word order in linguistic
      sequences, prosody appears to be a stronger cue than word order for the
      identification of linguistic units at birth.

PMID- 28351535
TI  - Editorial overview: Protein Folding and Binding, Complexity Comes of Age.

PMID- 28351530
TI  - Structure, genetics and function of the pulmonary associated surfactant proteins
      A and D: The extra-pulmonary role of these C type lectins.
AB  - The collectins family encompasses several collagenous Ca2+-dependent defense
      lectins that are described as pathogen recognition molecules. They play an
      important role in both adaptive and innate immunity. Surfactant proteins A and D
      are two of these proteins which were initially discovered in association with
      surfactant in the pulmonary system. The structure, immune and inflammatory
      functions, and genetic variations have been well described in relation to their
      roles, function and pathophysiology in the pulmonary system. Subsequently, these
      proteins have been discovered in a wide range of other organs and organ systems.
      The role of these proteins outside the pulmonary system is currently an active
      area of research. This review intends to provide a current overview of the
      genetics, structure and extra-pulmonary functions of the surfactant collectin
      proteins.

PMID- 28351536
TI  - Highly selective enrichment of phosphopeptides by titanium (IV) attached
      monodisperse-porous poly(vinylphosphonic acid-co-ethylene dimethacrylate)
      microspheres.
AB  - A seeded polymerization protocol was developed for the synthesis of monodisperse
      porous poly(vinylphosphonic acid-co-ethylene dimethacrylate), [poly(VPA-co-EDMA)]
      microspheres with superior porous properties. The protocol allowed the direct
      synthesis of phosphonic acid functionalized porous microspheres with the mean
      size of ~4MUm and the specific surface area of 420m2g-1 without applying any
      complicated post-derivatization protocol for the attachment of phosphonic acid
      group. The phosphonic acid content of poly(VPA-co-EDMA) microspheres was
      determined as 1.5mmol H2PO3g-1 microspheres. Ti(IV) ions were attached onto the
      microspheres via metal-chelate complex formation by phosphonate-groups and Ti(IV)
      carrying monodisperse-porous poly(vinylphosphonic acid-co-ethylene
      dimethacrylate), [Ti(IV)@poly(VPA-co-EDMA)] microspheres were obtained as a new
      sorbent for phosphopeptide enrichment via immobilized metal affinity
      chromatography. The phosphopeptides in the enriched samples were identified by
      matrix-assited laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry
      (MALDI-TOF-MS). Four different phosphopeptides were detected with extremely high
      intensity by the treatment of beta-casein digest prepared with the concentration
      of 10 fmol/mL with Ti(IV)@poly(VPA-co-EDMA) microspheres. Highly selective
      enrichment of phosphopeptides was also successfully carried out even at trace
      amounts in a complex mixture of digested proteins (molar ratio of beta-casein to
      BSA, 1:1000) and eight different phosphorylated peptides from BSA digest were
      successfully identified. Moreover, four highly intense signals of the
      phosphopeptides in human serum were observed with high S/N ratio and clear
      background after enrichment by using Ti(IV)@poly(VPA-co-EDMA) microspheres.

PMID- 28351537
TI  - Determination of chlorinated volatile organic compounds in polyamine
      epichlorohydrin solution by headspace gas chromatography.
AB  - This study demonstrated a headspace gas chromatographic (HS-GC) method for the
      determination of residual epichlorohydrin (ECH) and the by-product 1,3-dichloro-2
      propanol (DCP) in polyamine epichlorohydrin (PAE) solution. It was based on the
      vapor-liquid phase equilibrium of these analytes at 60 degrees C for 30min in a
      closed headspace sample vial before GC measurement. It was found that matrix of
      the PAE solution had the effect on the headspace equilibrium of these species and
      therefore a standard addition must be applied in the method validation. The
      results showed that the present method has a good measurement precision (RSD
      <2.90%) and accuracy (recoveries from 93.6 to 105%), and the limit of
      quantitation (LOQ) is 3.75mg/L for ECH and 0.8g/L for DCP. The present method is
      suitable to be used for analyzing the chlorinated volatile organic compounds in
      the commercial PAE resin solutions.

PMID- 28351538
TI  - Recovery of monosaccharides from lignocellulosic hydrolysates by ion exclusion
      chromatography.
AB  - The production of sugars from lignocellulosic biomass is the key to a
      sustainable, renewable chemical industry. Glucose, xylose and other
      monosaccharides can be easily produced by hydrolyzing cellulose and
      hemicellulose, the primary polysaccharides in biomass. However, the hydrolysis of
      biomass generates byproducts that, together with the mineral acid normally added
      in the hydrolysis step, have to be removed before the downstream conversion
      processes. In this work, the recovery of monosaccharides from lignocellulosic
      hydrolysates by means of Ion Exclusion Chromatography (IEC) has been studied. The
      analyzed process relies on new pretreatment and hydrolysis steps, involving the
      neutralization of the hydrolysate with sodium hydroxide. The adsorption behavior
      of the main components involved in the separation has been experimentally
      investigated. Pulse tests at the high loading encountered in preparative
      conditions have been performed for a selected group of model components found in
      the hydrolysates. For all the electrolytes, the retention volume fraction was
      always between the interparticle porosity and the total column porosity,
      confirming that ion exclusion was the dominant retention mechanism. On the other
      hand, sugars eluted before the total column porosity, indicating partial steric
      exclusion from the resin pores. This observation was then confirmed by size
      exclusion experiments with polyethylene glycol standards, from which the
      distribution coefficient of the studied sugars has been determined. The
      comparison between the elution profiles of the same sugars in pure form and as a
      mixture present in the hydrolysate showed differences in both peak shape and
      retention times. Therefore, an investigation of the influence of the main
      electrolytes contained in the hydrolysates on sugars adsorption has been
      performed through the pulse on a plateau method. The electrolytes were found to
      enhance the sugars retention by promoting their adsorption onto the resin.
      However, this effect was not sufficient to explain the observed differences,
      which were effectively explained in terms of viscous fingering, due to the high
      viscosity differences between the eluent and the sample. A previously developed
      model for IEC has been updated to take into account all the observed phenomena
      and applied to simulate the experimental results. The proposed model was in good
      agreement with the batch-column elution profiles both for the pure components and
      for the actual hydrolysate, allowing a quantitative description of the
      separation.

PMID- 28351539
TI  - Cardiovascular Autonomic Dysfunction in Children and Adolescents With Rett
      Syndrome.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Autonomic dysfunction is common in children with Rett syndrome. They
      usually manifest with agitation, persistent screaming, constipation,
      gastroesophageal reflux, aerophagia, hyperventilation, and breath-holding
      episodes. Cardiovascular autonomic dysfunction may result in fatal a arrhythmia.
      Many of these events are mistaken for seizures and treated with antiepileptics.
      METHODS: The present study was conducted in a tertiary care teaching hospital in
      north India for more than a six month period. MeCP2 mutation positive, 24 cases
      with Rett syndrome and 24 age-matched healthy girls were evaluated for
      cardiovascular autonomic dysfunction (heart rate variability, head-up tilt test,
      and cold pressor test). RESULTS: The mean age was 9.06 years (+/-3.4) and 9.75
      years (+/-3.13) for patients and control subjects, respectively. The heart rate
      variability contributed independently by parasympathetic and sympathetic nervous
      system was significantly reduced in cases compared with control subjects (P =
      0.033 and P = 0.001, respectively). There was significant sympathovagal imbalance
      with sympathetic overactivity in cases compared with control subjects (P =
      0.001). The mean longest QTc interval was significantly prolonged in cases
      compared with control subjects (P = 0.001). Cold pressor test and head-up tilt
      test could be done in 16 Rett syndrome patients (because of poor cooperation) and
      in all 24 control subjects. The change in blood pressure during cold pressor test
      and head-up tilt test was not significantly different in cases and control
      subjects. CONCLUSIONS: Children with Rett syndrome exhibited significant
      cardiovascular autonomic dysfunction in the form of sympathetic overactivity,
      parasympathetic underactivity, and sympathovagal imbalance. These findings have
      potentially important therapeutic- and outcome-related implications.

PMID- 28351540
TI  - 3D correlation NMR spectrum between three distinct heteronuclei for the
      characterization of inorganic samples: Application on sodium alumino-phosphate
      materials.
AB  - We report here an original NMR sequence allowing the acquisition of 3D
      correlation NMR spectra between three distinct heteronuclei, among which two are
      half-integer spin quadrupolar nuclei. Furthermore, as two of them exhibit close
      Larmor frequency, this experiment was acquired using a standard triple-resonance
      probe equipped with a commercial frequency splitter. This NMR technique was
      tested and applied to sodium alumino-phosphate compounds with 31P as the spin-1/2
      nucleus and 23Na and 27Al as the close Larmor frequencies isotopes. To the best
      of our knowledge, such experiment with direct 31P and indirect 27Al and 23Na
      detection is the first example of 3D NMR experiment in solids involving three
      distinct heteronuclei. This sequence has first been demonstrated on a mixture of
      Al(PO3)3 and NaAlP2O7 crystalline phases, for which a selective observation of
      NaAlP2O7 is possible through the 3D map edition. This 3D correlation experiment
      is then applied to characterize mixing and phase segregation in a partially
      devitrified glass that has been proposed as a material for the sequestration of
      radioactive waste. The 31P-{23Na,27Al} 3D experiment conducted on the partially
      devitrified glass material conclusively demonstrates that the amorphous component
      of the material does not contain aluminum. The as-synthesized material thus
      presents a poor resistance against water, which is a severe limitation for its
      application in the radioactive waste encapsulation domain.

PMID- 28351541
TI  - Nutrient contributions and biogas potential of co-digestion of feedstocks and
      dairy manure.
AB  - This study focused on collection of data on nutrient flow and biogas yield at a
      commercial anaerobic digester managed with dairy manure from a 1000 cow dairy and
      co-digestion of additional feedstocks. Feedstocks included: blood, fish, paper
      pulp, out of date beverages and grease trap waste. Mass flow of inputs and
      outputs, nutrient concentration of inputs and outputs, and biogas yield were
      obtained. It was determined that manure was the primary source of nutrients to
      the anaerobic digester when co-digested with feedstocks. The percentage of
      contribution from manure to the total nutrient inputs for total nitrogen, ammonia
      nitrogen, phosphorus and total solids was 46.3%, 67.7%, 32.8% and 23.4%,
      respectively. On average, manure contributed the greatest amount of total
      nitrogen and ammonia-nitrogen. Grease trap waste contributed the greatest amount
      of phosphorus and total solids at approximately 50%. Results demonstrated that a
      reliable estimate of nutrient inflow could be obtained from the product of the
      nutrient analyses of a single daily composite of influent subsamples times the
      total daily flow estimated with an in-line flow meter. This approach to estimate
      total daily nutrient inflow would be more cost effective than testing and summing
      the contribution of individual feedstocks. Data collected after liquid-solid
      separation confirmed that the majority (>75%) of nutrients remain with the liquid
      effluent portion of the manure stream. It was demonstrated that the ash
      concentration in solids before and after composting could be used to estimate the
      mass balance of total solids during the compost process. This data confirms that
      biogas or methane yield could be accurately measured from the ratio of % volatile
      solids to % total solids.

PMID- 28351542
TI  - Service area size assessment for evaluating the spatial scale of solid waste
      recovery chains: A territorial perspective.
AB  - Waste recovery is an integrated part of municipal solid waste management systems
      but its strategic planning is still challenging. In particular, the service area
      size of facilities is a sensitive issue since its calculation depends on various
      factors related to treatment technologies (output products) and territorial
      features (sources waste production and location). This work presents a systemic
      approach for the estimation of a chain's service area size, based on a balance
      between costs and recovery profits. The model assigns a recovery performance
      value to each source, which can be positive, neutral or negative. If it is
      positive, the source should be included in the facility's service area. Applied
      to the case of Montreal for food waste recovery by anaerobic digestion, the
      approach showed that at most 23 out of the 30 districts should be included in the
      service area, depending on the indicator, which represents around 127,000 t of
      waste recovered/year. Due to the systemic approach, these districts were not
      necessarily the closest to the facility. Moreover, for the Montreal case,
      changing the facility's location did not have a great influence on the optimal
      service area size, showing that the distance to the facility was not a decisive
      factor at this scale. However, replacing anaerobic digestion by a composting
      plant reduced the break-even transport distances and, thus, the number of sources
      worth collecting (around 68,500 t/year). In this way, the methodology, applied to
      different management strategies, gave a sense of the spatial dynamics involved in
      the recovery chain's design. The map of optimal supply obtained could be used to
      further analyse the feasibility of multi-site and/or multi-technology systems for
      the territory considered.

PMID- 28351543
TI  - Corrigendum to "Efficacy of brexpiprazole in patients with acute schizophrenia:
      Review of three randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled studies" [Schizophr.
      Res. 174 (2016) 82-92].

PMID- 28351544
TI  - Comparing the effect of clozapine and risperidone on cue reactivity in male
      patients with schizophrenia and a cannabis use disorder: A randomized fMRI study.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: Cannabis use disorders (CUDs) are highly comorbid in patients with
      schizophrenia and associated with poor outcome. Clozapine has been put forward as
      the first choice antipsychotic in this patient group. However, little is known
      about the mechanisms underlying the assumed superiority of clozapine. METHODS: A
      total of 38 patients with DSM-IV schizophrenia (30 with and 8 without a DSM-IV
      CUD) and 20 healthy comparison subjects were included between April 2009 and June
      2012. Patients were randomized to antipsychotic treatment with clozapine or
      risperidone. At baseline and after 4weeks of medication, brain response to
      cannabis-related, positive and neutral images was measured using functional MRI.
      Neural correlates of cue reactivity were assessed in the following regions of
      interest: amygdala, ventral striatum, insula, thalamus, orbitofrontal cortex and
      anterior cingulate cortex. Subjective craving was assessed using self-report
      questionnaires (OCDUS and MCQ). RESULTS: At baseline, patients with a comorbid
      CUD showed higher subjective craving and greater activation in response to
      cannabis-related images compared to patients without a CUD and healthy controls
      in most regions of interest. Clozapine treated patients reported a greater
      reduction in craving (F(1,28)=6.0, p=0.04) and showed a larger decrease in
      amygdala activation during cannabis-related images compared to risperidone
      treated patients (T=3.94, pFWE=0.006). In addition, significant correlations were
      found between subjective craving and thalamus and insula activation during
      cannabis-related images. CONCLUSION: These findings provide evidence that
      clozapine is superior to risperidone in decreasing subjective craving and cue
      reactivity for cannabis-related images probably due to a differential effect on
      dopaminergic neurotransmission. TRIAL REGISTRATION: 'Nederlands trial register'
      (http://www.trialregister.nl), nr NTR1761,
      http://www.trialregister.nl/trialreg/admin/rctview.asp?TC=1761.

PMID- 28351545
TI  - Corrigendum to 'specific changes in the proteomic pattern produced by the BRCA1
      Ser1841Asn missense mutation' [International Journal of Biochemistry and Cell
      Biology (2007) 220-226].

PMID- 28351546
TI  - Three-dimensional comparison of alternative screw positions versus actual
      fixation of scaphoid fractures.
AB  - PURPOSE: The recommended technique for the fixation of a scaphoid waist fracture
      involves a headless compression screw placed in the proximal fragment center.
      This is usually accomplished by placing a longitudinal axis screw as visualized
      by fluoroscopy. The screw length has been shown to have a biomechanical
      advantage. An alternative to these options, which has been debated in the
      literature, is a screw placed perpendicular to the fracture plane and in its
      center. The perpendicular screw may have a biomechanical advantage despite the
      fact that it may be shorter. This study examined the differences in location and
      length in actual patients between a screw in the center of the proximal fragment
      with a longitudinal axis screw, and the actual fixating screw. These were then
      compared to a perpendicular axis screw. METHODS: Pre- and post-operative CT scans
      of 10 patients with scaphoid waist fractures were evaluated using a 3D computer
      model. Comparisons were made between the length, location and angle of actual and
      virtual screw alternatives; namely, a screw along the central third of the
      proximal fragment (central screw axis) where the scaphoid longitudinal axis was
      calculated mathematically (longitudinal screw axis) and a screw placed at 90
      degrees  to the fracture plane and in its center (perpendicular screw axis).
      RESULTS: The longitudinal axis screw was found to be significantly longer than
      the other axes (28.3mm). There was a significant difference between the
      perpendicular axis screw and the location and angle of the other screw axis, but
      it was only shorter than the longitudinal screw (23.6mm versus 25.5mm for the
      actual screw; ns.). CONCLUSIONS: A computed longitudinal axis screw is longer
      than a central or actual screw placed longitudinally by visual inspection by the
      surgeon. Although it needs to be placed using computer assisted (CAS) techniques,
      it may have the biomechanical advantages of a longer screw in a similar
      trajectory. The perpendicular screw was found to be significantly different in
      position and angle but not shorter than the actually placed screw. It has
      biomechanical advantages and does not require visualization with CAS methods,
      making it the more attractive alternative.

PMID- 28351547
TI  - The "Road to Union" protocol for the reconstruction of isolated complex high
      energy tibial trauma.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: The purpose of this study was to describe a standardized staged
      approach, "The Road to Union", for the reconstruction of isolated complex tibial
      trauma, both acute and chronic in nature. METHODS: This retrospective study
      included all patients treated for complex tibial trauma at a specialized limb
      reconstruction centre, including acute open fracture as well as infected and
      aseptic non-unions. This standardized approach includes eight specific steps,
      employed in sequence. The time in external fixation (EFT), the external fixation
      index (EFI), and the distraction consolidation index (DCI) were the primary
      outcome measures. The relationship between EFI and DCI was assessed using
      Pearson's moment correlations. RESULTS: Thirty-two patients with a mean age of
      34.7+/-14.2years were included; 12 were treated for complex open tibial fractures
      with bone loss, 13 for infected non-unions, and 6 for aseptic non-union. The mean
      bone defect was 66+/-32mm. The total EFT was 42.5+/-14.8 weeks; the EFI measured
      51.9+/-25.3 days/cm, and the DCI measured 48.3+/-21.4 days/cm. Union was achieved
      in 29 out of 32 patients (91%), and there was a strong and significant
      relationship between EFI and DCI (r=0.92, p=0.0001) measurements. Pin site
      infections were observed in 11 patients, and 3 patients had persistent non-union.
      Three patients underwent delayed amputations when reconstructive procedures were
      unable to achieve union. CONCLUSION: The findings of this study demonstrate that
      a standardized staged treatment protocol of debridement, circular external
      fixation, soft-tissue management, distraction osteogenesis, and functional
      rehabilitation can result in a high rate of union in cases of complex tibial
      trauma, both acute and chronic in nature. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Level IV; case
      series.

PMID- 28351548
TI  - Behavioral sensitization to methamphetamine induces specific interneuronal mRNA
      pathology across the prelimbic and orbitofrontal cortices.
AB  - Schizophrenia is associated with significant pathophysiological changes to
      interneurons within the prefrontal cortex (PFC), with mRNA and protein changes
      associated with the GABA network localized to specific interneuron subtypes.
      Methamphetamine is a commonly abused psychostimulant that can induce chronic
      psychosis and symptoms that are similar to schizophrenia, suggesting that chronic
      METH induced psychosis may be associated with similar brain pathology to
      schizophrenia in the PFC. The aim of this study, therefore, was to examine mRNA
      expression of interneuron markers across two regions of the PFC (prelimbic (PRL)
      and orbitofrontal cortices (OFC)) following METH sensitization, an animal model
      of METH psychosis. We also studied the association between GABA mRNA expression
      and interneuronal mRNA expression to identify whether particular changes to the
      GABA network could be localized to a specific inhibitory cellular phenotype. METH
      sensitization increased the transcriptional expression of calbindin, calretinin,
      somatostatin, cholecyctokinin and vasoactive intestinal peptide in the PRL while
      parvalbumin, calbindin, cholectokinin and vasoactive intestinal peptide were
      upregulated in the OFC. Based on our previous findings, we also found significant
      correlations between GAD67, GAT1 and parvalbumin while GAD67, GAD65 and GAT1 were
      positively correlated with cholecystokinin in the PRL of METH sensitized rats.
      Within the OFC, the expression of GABAAalpha1 was positively correlated with
      somatostatin while GABAAalpha5 was negatively associated with somatostatin and
      calbindin. These findings suggest that METH sensitization differentially changes
      the expression of mRNAs encoding for multiple peptides and calcium binding
      proteins across the PRL and the OFC. Furthermore, these findings support that
      changes to the GABA network may also occur within specific cell types. These
      results, therefore, provide the first evidence that METH sensitization mediates
      differential interneuronal pathology across the PRL and OFC and such changes
      could have profound consequences on behavior and cognitive output.

PMID- 28351549
TI  - Atrial fibrillation that wasn't.

PMID- 28351550
TI  - Mind the gap.
AB  - We present a case of a woman with an asymptomatic intermittent 2:1
      atrioventricular block. The baseline ECG showed a wide QRS with right bundle
      branch block pattern. Measurement of the HV interval during electrophysiological
      study was normal. During electrophysiological stimulation, a unique pattern of
      paradoxical conduction was seen. We discuss the mechanism of the paradoxical
      conduction.

PMID- 28351551
TI  - Effect of nocturnal sound reduction on the incidence of delirium in intensive
      care unit patients: An interrupted time series analysis.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: Delirium in critically-ill patients is a common multifactorial
      disorder that is associated with various negative outcomes. It is assumed that
      sleep disturbances can result in an increased risk of delirium. This study
      hypothesized that implementing a protocol that reduces overall nocturnal sound
      levels improves quality of sleep and reduces the incidence of delirium in
      Intensive Care Unit (ICU) patients. METHODS: This interrupted time series study
      was performed in an adult mixed medical and surgical 24-bed ICU. A pre
      intervention group of 211 patients was compared with a post-intervention group of
      210 patients after implementation of a nocturnal sound-reduction protocol.
      Primary outcome measures were incidence of delirium, measured by the Intensive
      Care Delirium Screening Checklist (ICDSC) and quality of sleep, measured by the
      Richards-Campbell Sleep Questionnaire (RCSQ). Secondary outcome measures were use
      of sleep-inducing medication, delirium treatment medication, and patient
      perceived nocturnal noise. RESULTS: A significant difference in slope in the
      percentage of delirium was observed between the pre- and post-intervention
      periods (-3.7% per time period, p=0.02). Quality of sleep was unaffected (0.3 per
      time period, p=0.85). The post-intervention group used significantly less sleep
      inducing medication (p<0.001). Nocturnal noise rating improved after intervention
      (median: 65, IQR: 50-80 versus 70, IQR: 60-80, p=0.02). CONCLUSIONS: The
      incidence of delirium in ICU patients was significantly reduced after
      implementation of a nocturnal sound-reduction protocol. However, reported sleep
      quality did not improve.

PMID- 28351552
TI  - Transformation dynamics of Ni clusters into NiO rings under electron beam
      irradiation.
AB  - We report the transformation of nickel clusters into NiO rings by an electron
      beam induced nanoscale Kirkendall effect. High-purity nickel clusters consisting
      of a few thousand atoms have been used as precursors and were synthesized with
      the superfluid helium droplet technique. Aberration-corrected, analytical
      scanning transmission electron microscopy was applied to oxidise and
      simultaneously analyse the nanostructures. The transient dynamics of the
      oxidation could be documented by time lapse series using high-angle annular dark
      field imaging and electron energy-loss spectroscopy. A two-step Cabrera-Mott
      oxidation mechanism was identified. It was found that water adsorbed adjacent to
      the clusters acts as oxygen source for the electron beam induced oxidation. The
      size-dependent oxidation rate was estimated by quantitative EELS measurements
      combined with molecular dynamics simulations. Our findings could serve to better
      control sample changes during examination in an electron microscope, and might
      provide a methodology to generate other metal oxide nanostructures.

PMID- 28351553
TI  - Performance Assessment of Arthroscopic Rotator Cuff Repair and Labral Repair in a
      Dry Shoulder Simulator.
AB  - PURPOSE: To evaluate the use of dry models to assess performance of arthroscopic
      rotator cuff repair (RCR) and labral repair (LR). METHODS: Residents, fellows,
      and sports medicine staff performed an arthroscopic RCR and LR on a dry model.
      Any prior RCR and LR experience was noted. Staff surgeons assessed participants
      by use of task-specific checklists, the Arthroscopic Surgical Skill Evaluation
      Tool (ASSET), and a final overall global rating. All procedures were video
      recorded and were scored by a fellow blinded to the year of training of each
      participant. RESULTS: A total of 51 participants and 46 participants performed
      arthroscopic RCR and LR, respectively, on dry models. The internal consistency or
      reliability (Cronbach alpha) using the total ASSET score for the RCR and LR was
      high (>0.9). One-way analysis of variance for the total ASSET score showed a
      difference between participants based on year of training (P < .001) for both
      procedures. The inter-rater reliability for the ASSET score was excellent (>0.9)
      for both procedures. A good correlation was seen between the ASSET score and the
      year of training, as well as the previous number of sports rotations.
      CONCLUSIONS: The results of this study show evidence of construct validity when
      using dry models to assess performance of arthroscopic RCR and LR by residents.
      CLINICAL RELEVANCE: The results of this study support the use of arthroscopic
      simulation in the training of residents and fellows learning arthroscopic
      shoulder surgery.

PMID- 28351554
TI  - What Makes a Successful Survey? A Systematic Review of Surveys Used in Anterior
      Cruciate Ligament Reconstruction.
AB  - PURPOSE: To characterize and assess the methodological quality of patient and
      physician surveys related to anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction, and to
      analyze the factors influencing response rate. METHODS: The databases MEDLINE,
      Embase, and PubMed were searched from database inception to search date and
      screened in duplicate for relevant studies. Data regarding survey
      characteristics, response rates, and distribution methods were extracted. A
      previously published list of recommendations for high-quality surveys in
      orthopaedics was used as a scale to assess survey quality (12 items scored 0, 1,
      or 2; maximum score = 24). RESULTS: Of the initial 1,276 studies, 53 studies
      published between 1986 and 2016 met the inclusion criteria. Sixty-four percent of
      studies were distributed to physicians, compared with 32% distributed to patients
      and less than 4% to coaches. The median number of items in each survey was 10.5,
      and the average response rate was 73% (range: 18% to 100%). In-person
      distribution was the most common method (40%), followed by web-based methods
      (28%) and mail (25%). Response rates were highest for surveys targeted at
      patients (77%, P < .0001) and those delivered in-person (94%, P < .0001). The
      median quality score was 12/24 (range = 8.5/24 to 21/24). There was high inter
      rater agreement using the quality scale (intraclass correlation coefficient =
      0.92), but there was no correlation with the response rate (Rho = -0.01, P =
      .97). CONCLUSIONS: Response rates vary based on target audience and distribution
      methods, with patients responding at a significantly higher rate than physicians
      and in-person distribution yielding significantly higher response rates than web
      or mail surveys. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Level IV, systematic review of Level IV
      studies.

PMID- 28351555
TI  - Taiwanese Dermatological Association consensus for the prevention and management
      of epidermal growth factor receptor tyrosine kinase inhibitor-related skin
      toxicities.
AB  - BACKGROUND/PURPOSE: This report describes the 2016 consensus of the Taiwanese
      Dermatological Association (TDA) regarding the definition, classification,
      diagnosis, prevention, and management of skin toxicities resulting from treatment
      with epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs).
      This consensus is distributed to practices throughout Taiwan to provide
      recommendations for the diagnosis and treatment of such skin toxicities in order
      to improve the quality of life of patients undergoing EGFR-TKI treatment. The
      consensus thus serves as an important reference for dermatologists and other
      interested clinicians, such as oncologists, throughout Taiwan. METHODS: All the
      consensus contents were voted on by the participating experts, with approval by
      no less than 75% required for inclusion. RESULTS: The consensus provides a
      comprehensive overview of EGFR-TKI skin toxicities, including recent advances in
      identifying their causes and the processes by which they develop. CONCLUSION: All
      the consensus meeting attendees agreed that there are several major EGFR-TKI
      related skin toxicities, including acneiform rash (i.e., papulopustular rash),
      xeroderma, pruritus, paronychia, stomatitis, mucositis, and hair changes (such as
      hair loss, slowed hair growth, and trichomegaly). The experts were also generally
      unanimous in their voting on the specific definitions, onset times, and care
      suggestions for each of those skin toxicities. Furthermore, the recommended
      treatment algorithms for the various skin toxicities were ultimately approved by
      100% (15/15) of the consensus attendees.

PMID- 28351556
TI  - Diagnostic value of bronchoalveolar lavage in children with nonresponding
      community-acquired pneumonia.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) is a common cause of morbidity and
      mortality in hospitalized children. In CAP, causative agents are seldom
      identified using noninvasive diagnostic procedures. For those children not
      responding to empiric antibiotic therapy, it is vital to identify the causative
      pathogens for further management. METHODS: We aimed to determine the usefulness
      of identifying the causative agents by bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) in
      hospitalized children with nonresponding CAP. Ninety children hospitalized for
      CAP and treated with empiric antibiotics but having persistent fever >=48 hours
      were enrolled, and their BAL data were retrospectively reviewed. RESULTS: Aerobic
      bacteria were isolated from 38 (42%) of 90 cultures, and anaerobic bacteria were
      isolated from eight (24%) of 33 cultures. The bacteria isolated most frequently
      were Streptococcus viridians (26.3%), Pseudomonas aeruginosa (23.7%), and
      Staphylococcus aureus (15.8%). Streptococcus pneumoniae was isolated from the
      BALs of only two children, and Haemophilus influenzae from none. For positive
      aerobic culture results, BAL results guided modifications of antibiotic regimens
      in 21 episodes (21 of 38, 55.3%). CONCLUSION: BAL results guided a change of
      antimicrobials in 55% of children with positive aerobic cultures (29% of all
      children in the study) and contributed to a high rate of successful therapy.

PMID- 28351557
TI  - A Right Model Provides More Essential Information about the Disease.

PMID- 28351558
TI  - Coagulation defects in thalassemic patients.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Regular blood transfusion and compliance with iron chelation therapy
      has markedly improved life expectancy in thalassemia; however, this improvement
      is accompanied by several complications of this chronic disease including
      thromboembolic disorders. The objective of this work is to study natural
      coagulation inhibition as well as the fibrinolysis processes in thalassemic
      children who are otherwise in a steady state with no overt clinical
      manifestations of thromboembolism. METHODS: In a case-control study design
      conducted at Sohag University Hospital, Sohag, Egypt, 50 thalassemic children and
      20 age- and sex-matched healthy controls were compared as regards prothrombin
      concentration, international normalized ratio, partial thromboplastin time,
      protein C, protein S, antithrombin III, D-dimers, and thrombin activatable
      fibrinolysis inhibitor (TAFI). RESULTS: When compared to healthy controls,
      natural coagulation inhibitors (protein C, protein S, and antithrombin-III) were
      significantly lower in thalassemic children (p < 0.0001). While D-dimers showed a
      significant increase in thalassemic children, TAFI was significantly lower (p <
      0.0001). Splenectomized thalassemic children showed significantly lower levels of
      protein C, protein S and TAFI (p < 0.001, p < 0.0001, p < 0.0001, respectively)
      when compared to nonsplenectomized thalassemic children. CONCLUSION: Significant
      changes in natural coagulation inhibition and fibrinolysis processes favoring
      thromboembolism can be detected in otherwise healthy thalassemic children.
      Because these changes are more pronounced in splenectomized patients, study of
      primary prophylactic strategies in this subgroup is warranted.

PMID- 28351559
TI  - Hypoxia induced cognitive impairment modulating activity of Cyperus rotundus.
AB  - Hypobaric hypoxia leads to decrease in cellular oxygen content which subsequently
      damages the hippocampus with an increase in brain oxidative stress and impairs
      the memory of the individual. In the present study, we have evaluated the
      cognitive impairment modulating activity of total oligomeric flavonoids fraction
      of Cyperus rotundus (TOF) in Sprague Dawley rats. The rats were trained for
      memory activity for a period of 7days followed by 7days exposure to 25,000ft.
      altitude and the spatial reference memory was evaluated. Behavioral analysis of
      the rats by Morris water maze experiment showed that TOF supplementation enhanced
      the spatial reference memory activity of the rats exposed to hypobaric hypoxia.
      The decrease in antioxidant status of the animals exposed to hypoxia was restored
      with TOF supplementation. The increase in ROS, lipid peroxidation products and
      protein carbonyls of the hippocampus was significantly decreased in animals with
      TOF administration. The histological assessment of the pyramidal cells of the
      hippocampus of hypoxia-exposed animals showed nuclear damage and TOF
      supplementation prevented nuclear damage. TOF administration suppressed hypoxia
      induced increase in serotonin, dopamine, and norepinephrine. GABA and Ach levels
      were decreased by hypoxia which was prevented by TOF supplementation. The
      increase in GFAP, HIF-1alpha and VEGF expression in CA3 region of the hippocampus
      in hypoxia-exposed rats was decreased in TOF administered rats. Taken together,
      TOF extract ameliorates hypobaric hypoxia induced memory impairment and
      neurodegeneration in hippocampus through its anti-stress effects.

PMID- 28351561
TI  - Salvage surgery in recurrent head and neck squamous cell carcinoma: Oncologic
      outcome and predictors of disease free survival.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: Salvage surgery in recurrent SCCHN is associated with poor outcomes.
      This study aimed to better identify suitable surgical candidates and those at
      high risk of new recurrence. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Single-center retrospective
      analysis of 109 patients undergoing salvage surgery for recurrent SCCHN.
      Univariate and multivariate analyses were used to identify prognostic factors
      affecting disease-free survival (DFS). RESULTS: The following factors showed a
      significant impact on DFS: Disease-free interval >6months [HR 0.53; p=0.04],
      age>70years [HR 0.26; p=0.03], primary chemoradiotherapy [HR 2.39; p<0.01]
      compared to radiotherapy, oropharynx [HR 5.46; p<0.01] and hypopharynx [HR 3.92;
      p=<0.01] sites, compared to larynx, initial stage III [HR 7.10; p<0.01] and stage
      IV [HR 4.13; p<0.01], compared to stage I, locoregional recurrence [HR 4.57;
      p<0.01], compared to local recurrence. Univariate analysis also identified
      significant postoperative predictors of poor DFS including flap reconstruction
      [HR 3.44; p<0.01], postoperative complications [HR 2.09; p=0.01], positive
      margins [HR 3.64; p<0.01] and close margins [HR 3.83; p<0.01]. On multivariate
      analysis, oropharynx site [HR 3.98; p<0.01], initial stage III [HR 5.93; p<0.01]
      and locoregional recurrence [HR 2.93; p=0.04] were independent preoperative
      prognostic factors for DFS. Positive margins [HR 2.32; p=0.04], close margins [HR
      2.94; p=0.02], extracapsular spread (ECS) [HR 4.04; p=0.03] and postoperative
      complications [HR 3.64; p<0.01] were independent postoperative prognostic
      factors. CONCLUSIONS: Patients with advanced primary nonlaryngeal tumor and
      locoregional recurrence have limited success with salvage surgery. Because
      patients with positive margins and ECS are at high risk of relapse, adjuvant
      treatment should be discussed.

PMID- 28351560
TI  - Chronic salt-loading reduces basal excitatory input to CRH neurons in the
      paraventricular nucleus and accelerates recovery from restraint stress in male
      mice.
AB  - Neurons synthesizing corticotrophin-releasing hormone (CRH) in the
      paraventricular nucleus of the hypothalamus (PVN) are activated during acute
      stress and act via the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis to increase
      systemic levels of corticosterone (CORT). Recent data indicates that CRH neurons
      in the PVN are inhibited by acute salt-loading, and that this inhibition blunts
      the response to restraint stress as measured by increases in plasma CORT. The
      current study evaluates the effects of chronic rather than acute salt-loading on
      stress-induced activation of the HPA axis. Relative to euhydrated controls,
      chronic salt-loading over a 5-day period elevated plasma sodium and fluid intake
      without eliciting hypovolemia or substantial alterations in food intake or body
      weight. Chronic salt-loading also decreased expression of CRH mRNA in the
      anterior but not posterior portion of the PVN. Similarly, whole cell patch clamp
      recordings revealed that salt-loading effectively decreases spontaneous
      excitatory input to CRH neurons in the PVN without altering spontaneous
      inhibitory input. Generally consistent with these observations, chronic salt
      attenuated HPA axis activation as indicated by a significant reduction of plasma
      CORT during recovery from restraint stress.

PMID- 28351562
TI  - Prospective evaluation of Intensity Modulated Radiation Therapy with Simultaneous
      Integrated Boost (IMRT-SIB) in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma in patients
      not suitable for chemo-radiotherapy.
AB  - BACKGROUND: With conformal radiotherapy techniques, acute and late toxicities can
      be reduced because of better dose conformity and reduced doses to normal tissue.
      With Intensity Modulated Radiation Therapy (IMRT) further dose escalation is
      possible and one of the methods is IMRT with simultaneous integrated boost (IMRT
      SIB). AIM: To evaluate feasibility, toxicity patterns and loco-regional control
      rates of IMRT-SIB technique in head and neck cancer patients who are not suitable
      candidates for concurrent chemoradiation. STUDY DESIGN: Prospective study of 30
      patients treated with IMRT-SIB technique and evaluation of clinical results.
      METHOD AND MATERIALS: 30 patients received definitive treatment using IMRT-SIB
      without concurrent chemotherapy. Patients were monitored during and after
      treatment for toxicity using the Radiation Therapy Oncology group (RTOG)
      criteria. Analysis of acute and late toxicity and early efficacy is presented.
      RESULTS: The median treatment duration was 42days (range 41-43days). Overall,
      maximum acute Grade 3 toxicity of mucositis, skin, pharynx/esophageal toxicity
      and laryngeal were 56.66%, 30%, 26.67%, and 6.67% respectively at treatment
      completion. None of the patients had Grade 4 acute toxicity. No haematological
      toxicity was seen. Overall, grade 2 late toxicities were 7% (subcutaneous
      toxicity) and 13.3% (Xerostomia). Loco regional control rate at a median follow
      up of 13months was 86%. CONCLUSION: IMRT-SIB is a safe and acceptable treatment
      option for patients of head and neck squamous cell carcinoma unsuitable for
      definitive chemo-radiotherapy.

PMID- 28351563
TI  - Sensitivity of tumor surface brushings to detect human papilloma virus DNA in
      head and neck cancer.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: Human papilloma virus (HPV) induced head and neck squamous cell
      carcinoma (HNSCC) represents a distinct tumor subset. We questioned how
      accurately a brushing from the tumor surface detects HPV in patients with HNSCC.
      MATERIALS AND METHODS: Brushings from the tumor surface were compared with HPV
      DNA isolation from formalin-fixed and paraffin-embedded (FFPE) tumor biopsies,
      which served as the reference standard. In both matrices, HPV DNA was detected
      using a commercially available test kit. In addition, p16 was assessed in tumor
      biopsies by immunohistochemistry (IHC). The tumors were considered p16 positive
      if 70% or more of cancer cells expressed p16. RESULTS: 93 patients with HNSCC
      were included. Sensitivity and specificity of the brush test were 83% (95%CI: 67
      92%) and 85% (95%CI: 72-93%). Results of p16 IHC were concordant with FFPE
      samples DNA determinations in 73/93 patients. In 53 patients (57%) the tumor was
      located in the oropharynx and in 40 patients (43%) the tumor was located in the
      non-oropharynx region. Sensitivity and specificity of the brush test in patients
      with oropharyngeal cancer was higher with 86% (95%CI: 70-95%) and 89% (95%CI: 65
      99%). CONCLUSION: Superficial brushes from the tumor surface may be used to
      identify HPV positive HNSCC.

PMID- 28351564
TI  - Role of cancer stem-cell marker doublecortin-like kinase 1 in head and neck
      squamous cell carcinoma.
AB  - BACKGROUND: So far, no data is available on the role of the tumor stem cell
      marker doublecortin-like kinase 1 (DCLK1) in head and neck squamous cell
      carcinoma (HNSCC). The purpose of this study was to evaluate DCLK1 expression in
      HNSCC patients that underwent surgery and postoperative radiotherapy, and to
      assess its potential as a therapeutic target in vitro. METHODS: We
      immunohistochemically stained for DCLK1 in 127 sections of HNSCC samples obtained
      during surgery of HNSCC patients and correlated the expression to patients'
      overall- and disease-free survival, as well as human papilloma virus (HPV)
      status. Additionally, we compared our survival data with data obtained from The
      Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA). The effects of the DCLK1 inhibitor LRRK-2-in-1 on
      HNSCC cell lines alone and in combination with irradiation. RESULTS: Expression
      of DCLK1 in 127 patients was associated with poor survival. In particular, DCLK1
      expression had a significant impact on survival of oropharyngeal carcinoma
      patients. Specifically, DCLK1+/HPV- patients had the worst prognosis after
      simultaneous assessment of DCLK1 and HPV status in comparison to the other three
      possible DCLK1/HPV constellations. Higher levels of DCLK1 mRNA were also
      associated with poor clinical outcome. Inhibition of DCLK1 in our HNSCC cell
      lines led to growth arrest and induction of apoptosis. The combination of DCLK1
      inhibition with irradiation had a synergistic effect. CONCLUSION: Firstly, DCLK1
      is a prognostic biomarker for shortened survival. Secondly, through inhibition of
      DCLK1, it may serve as a therapeutic target as well.

PMID- 28351565
TI  - New drug development in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma: The PI3-K
      inhibitors.
AB  - Over the last few years a number of new different compounds have been developed.
      They include phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3-K) inhibitors. Deregulation
      within the PI3-K pathway is common in head neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC)
      and it represents a growing area of research. PI3-K inhibitors, including BKM120,
      PX-866 and BYL719, are being tested in several phase I and phase II studies in
      patients with locally advanced, recurrent or metastatic disease. This review
      provides an update of published clinical trials and highlights the challenges of
      PI3-K inhibitors in HNSCC.

PMID- 28351566
TI  - MicroRNAs in human tongue squamous cell carcinoma: From pathogenesis to
      therapeutic implications.
AB  - Being one of the most aggressive cancers of oral cavity, tongue squamous cell
      carcinoma (TSCC) constitutes 41% of all oral carcinomas. Despite considerable
      improvements in multimodal diagnosis and treatment techniques, TSCC still remains
      to be one of the most lethal cancer types in the head and neck region. MicroRNAs
      are endogenously synthesized, small, non-coding RNAs, which are responsible for
      post-transcriptional regulation of mRNA expression. They are involved in
      regulation of almost all biological processes through their spatial and temporal
      expression. Their deregulation participates in pathogenesis of various diseases,
      including human TSCC, where they can act as potent oncogenes or tumor
      suppressors. Extensive microRNA profiling in TSCC samples and further in vitro
      and in vivo functional characterization of differentially expressed microRNAs
      revealed their contribution to the underlying molecular mechanisms of TSCC
      initiation, development, progression, metastasis, chemo-radioresistance, and
      recurrence. They are suggested as diagnostic and prognostic biomarkers for TSCC
      due to their differential expression in tumor tissues and their stability in body
      fluids like plasma, oral cytology, and saliva. MicroRNAs are, therefore,
      considered amongst the most promising candidates for development of novel
      therapeutic approaches against TSCC. In this review, we summarized important
      findings including our own works on microRNAs as implicated in TSCC and the new
      insights into the roles of microRNAs in squamous cell carcinoma of tongue.

PMID- 28351567
TI  - Clonal analysis as a prognostic factor in multiple oral squamous cell carcinoma.
AB  - OBJECTIVES: A novel classification based on molecular methods to assess clonality
      defines three types of secondary oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC): second
      primary tumour (SPT) independent from the index tumour, local recurrence (LR),
      clonally related to the primary tumour, and second field tumour (SFT), derived
      from the same genetically altered mucosal field as the primary tumour. The
      present study applied mtDNA analysis in a group of patients experiencing a second
      loco-regional neoplastic manifestation. The purpose was to differentiate
      secondary tumours into LRs, SPTs and SFTs and evaluate the prognostic impact in
      terms of survival rate. MATERIAL AND METHODS: The study population comprised 23
      patients who experienced a second neoplastic lesion after a surgical resection of
      primary OSCC. mtDNA D-loop analysis was applied in paired neoplastic lesions and
      in clinically and histologically normal mucosa. On the basis of mtDNA results,
      the second OSCC was classified as LR or SPT or SFT. Disease-free survival was
      defined as the duration between the appearance of the second neoplastic lesion
      and death of disease, or last follow-up visit. RESULTS: Seven secondary tumours
      were classified as LR, 12 as SFT, 4 as SPT. An altered mucosal field proved a
      variable significantly related to a better survival rate (p<0.05); 2/12 (16.6%)
      SFT events failed as compared to 5/7 LRs (71.4%) and 3/4 SPTs (75%). CONCLUSION:
      mtDNA analysis may be considered a useful tool to differentiate secondary tumours
      and might influence the choice of the most appropriate treatment in patients with
      multiple OSCCs.

PMID- 28351568
TI  - Is there an increased risk of cancer among spouses of patients with an HPV
      related cancer: A systematic review.
AB  - BACKGROUND: High-risk human papillomaviruses (HR-HPV) are the cause of most ano
      genital cancers and a fast growing subset of oropharyngeal cancer. As these
      malignancies occur as a result of an HPV- infection transmitted through intimate
      contact, many patients with HPV- induced cancer and their partners are concerned
      about HPV-transmission and the potential partners' cancer risk. Few studies have
      addressed this issue and whether the HPV-related cancer risk of partners of
      patients with HPV-related cancers is comparable to or greater than that of the
      general population. METHODS: We performed a systematic review of the published
      literature addressing this issue. Out of 1055 references screened, 53 articles
      were found eligible for inclusion. RESULTS: Regarding the issue of coincidence of
      HPV-induced oropharyngeal and/or anogenital cancers in couples, 13 case-reports
      or case-series were reported and 9 larger studies based on population-registries.
      Four of these registry studies showed an increased risk of cervical cancer in the
      partner while four did not. Among the four positive studies, odds ratios for the
      development of HPV-related cancer among spouses were between 2.6 and 6.7. One
      study showed an increased risk of tongue or tonsil cancer among husbands of women
      with cervical dysplasia or cancer. Overall the absolute risk increase in all
      these studies was small, on the order of 1-3%, although potentially
      underestimated. Indeed, all these studies have assessed partner's cancer risk at
      only one anatomical site whereas HPV- related malignancies can affect different
      locations. CONCLUSION: This systematic review suggests a small trend of increase
      risk in HPV-associated cancers among spouses of patients with HPV-related cancer.

PMID- 28351569
TI  - Rising incidence of oral tongue cancer among white men and women in the United
      States, 1973-2012.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Despite significant reductions in tobacco use in the US, oral tongue
      cancer incidence has reportedly increased in recent years, particularly in young
      white women. We conducted age-period-cohort analyses to identify birth cohorts
      that have experienced increased oral tongue cancer incidence, and compared these
      with trends for oropharyngeal cancer, a cancer caused by human papillomavirus
      (HPV) that has also recently increased. METHODS: We utilized cancer incidence
      data (1973-2012) from 18 registries maintained by the NCI SEER Program. Incidence
      trends were evaluated using log-linear joinpoint regression and age-period-cohort
      modeling was utilized to simultaneously evaluate effects of age, calendar year,
      and birth year on incidence trends. RESULTS: Incidence of oral tongue cancer
      increased significantly among white women during 1973-2012 (0.6% annual increase,
      p<0.001) and white men during 2008-2012 (5.1% annual increase, p=0.004). The
      increase was most apparent among younger white individuals (<50years; annual
      increase of 0.7% for men [p=0.02] and 1.7% for women [p<0.001] during 1973-2012).
      Furthermore, the magnitude of the increase during 1973-2012 was similar between
      young white men and women (2.3 vs. 1.8 cases per million, respectively).
      Incidence trends for oropharyngeal cancer were similar to trends for oral tongue
      cancer and similar birth cohorts (born after the 1940s) experienced rising
      incidence of these cancers (p-value: white men=0.12, white women=0.42), although
      the magnitude of increase was greater for oropharyngeal cancer. CONCLUSIONS: The
      incidence of oral tongue and oropharyngeal cancer has significantly increased
      among young white men and women within the same birth cohorts in the US.

PMID- 28351570
TI  - Topical agents for oral cancer chemoprevention: A systematic review of the
      literature.
AB  - OBJECTIVES/HYPOTHESIS: We review the use of topical chemoprevention agents in
      patients with oral potentially malignant disorders (PMD). METHODS: A systematic
      review of studies on topical chemoprevention agents for oral PMD from 1946 to
      November 2016 was conducted using the MEDLINE database, Embase, and Cochrane
      Library. Data were extracted and analyzed from selected studies including study
      type, sample size, demographics, treatment length, response rate, follow-up time,
      adverse effects, and recurrence. RESULTS: Of 108 studies, twenty-four,
      representing 679 cases met the inclusion criteria. The clinical lesions evaluated
      included oral leukoplakia, erythroplakia (OEL), verrucous hyperplasia (OVH), oral
      lichen planus, larynx squamous cell carcinoma, and oral squamous cell carcinoma
      (OSCC). The mean complete response rate for topical retinoid therapy was 32%. The
      mean complete response rate for 1% bleomycin therapy and 0.5% bleomycin was 40.2%
      and 25%, respectively. The complete response rate of OVH, OEL, and OSCC to
      photodynamic therapy ranged from 66.7% to 100%. CONCLUSION: There are a paucity
      of data examining topical treatment of oral PMDs. However, the use of topical
      agents among patients with oral lesions may be a viable complement or even
      alternative to traditional surgery, radiation, or systemic chemotherapy, with the
      advantage of reducing systemic side effects and sparing important anatomic
      structures. This study of 679 cases represents the largest pooled sample size to
      date, and the preliminary studies in this systematic review provide support for
      further inquiry.

PMID- 28351571
TI  - Complications following transoral robotic surgery (TORS): A detailed
      institutional review of complications.
AB  - OBJECTIVES: To report the complications occurring following TORS and to identify
      the factors predictive of complications. METHODS: Following IRB approval a
      retrospective analysis of all TORS operations at our institution was performed.
      Postoperative complications within 45days were collected and graded with the
      Clavien-Dindo system. Complications were categorized into groups: all
      complications, not related to TORS and TORS related. Unadjusted odds ratios were
      calculated to test association between patients with and without a complication.
      RESULTS: 122 TORS operations were carried out between June 2010 and August 2015.
      77% were male, with a median age of 57. There were 92 primary tumor resections,
      10second head and neck primary resections, 13 salvage procedures and 7 other
      indications. Surgical resection involved 1, 2 or >3 sub-sites in 36%, 28% and 36%
      patients, respectively. Overall, there were 107 complications (66 TORS related,
      41 non-TORS related) that occurred in 57 patients (47%). A major complication
      occurred in 23 patients (18%). 19 patients had a TORS related major complication
      and 6 patients experienced a non-TORS related major complication. There was a
      temporal trend in TORS related major complication rate decreasing from 33% in
      2010 to 10% in 2015. Statistical analysis showed that the odds of having any
      complication were 3 times greater in patients over 60years old (p=0.017), and 2.5
      times greater when there were more than 2 subsites resected (p=0.022).
      CONCLUSIONS: Age over 60years and a larger extent of resection were the
      significant factors predictive of major complications.

PMID- 28351572
TI  - Combining cetuximab with chemoradiotherapy in patients with locally advanced
      nasopharyngeal carcinoma: A propensity score analysis.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: To compare the effectiveness of concurrent cisplatin chemoradiotherapy
      plus cetuximab with that of concurrent chemoradiotherapy (CCRT) alone in
      locoregionally advanced nasopharyngeal carcinoma (LRANPC) patients. MATERIALS AND
      METHODS: A total of 3257 LRANPC patients from a prospectively maintained database
      were included in this observational study to examine the effectiveness of adding
      cetuximab to CCRT. We compared overall survival (OS), disease-free survival
      (DFS), locoregional recurrence-free survival (LRRFS), and distant metastasis-free
      survival (DMFS) using the propensity score method. RESULTS: In this cohort, 131
      patients received CCRT plus cetuximab. Cetuximab-treated patients were more
      likely to receive intensity-modulated radiation therapy and were less likely to
      receive induction chemotherapy or adjuvant chemotherapy. The addition of
      cetuximab was associated with increased DMFS compared with CCRT alone based on
      univariable and multivariable analyses (5-year OS, 94.1% vs. 87.3%; P=0.044), but
      not with increased OS, DFS, or LRRFS. Propensity score matching identified 96
      patients in each cohort and confirmed that a DMFS benefit was associated with the
      addition of cetuximab (HR, 0.38; 95% CI, 0.15-0.99, P=0.044). Subgroup analyses
      demonstrated a significant DMFS benefit with CCRT plus cetuximab in patients with
      N2-N3 stage disease compared with N2-N3 patients receiving CCRT alone (87.9% and
      66.2%, respectively; P=0.045). CONCLUSIONS: In conclusion, the addition of
      cetuximab to first-line chemoradiotherapy is associated with an improvement in
      DMFS in patients with LRANPC. A prospective randomized clinical trial will be
      necessary to validate this result.

PMID- 28351573
TI  - Head and neck lymphomas: A 20-year review in an Oral Pathology Unit,
      Johannesburg, South Africa, a country with the highest global incidence of
      HIV/AIDS.
AB  - OBJECTIVES: Non-Hodgkin lymphoma occurs with increasing frequency in HIV/AIDS. As
      South Africa has the highest incidence of HIV/AIDS worldwide, an epidemiologic
      study of this nature provides insight into head and neck lymphomas in a defined
      South African population. This retrospective review evaluated frequency and
      clinico-pathologic characteristics of patients diagnosed with head and neck
      lymphoma at the Oral Pathology Department, University of Witwatersrand between
      1993 and 2012. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Histopathology reports of patients with
      head and neck lymphomas (n=504) were reviewed. Demographic (age, gender),
      clinical (site and size of tumour), laboratory and histological parameters were
      recorded. RESULTS: There were 504 patients with head and neck lymphomas. The mean
      age was 40.4years. The male:female ratio was 1.1:1. The cervical lymph node was
      the most common anatomic site (115 cases) and the maxilla (60 cases) the most
      common extranodal site. Plasmablastic lymphoma (159 cases) was the most common
      histologic subtype, seen more frequently as a result of its strong association
      with HIV/AIDS. The most common Hodgkin's lymphoma was the nodular sclerosing
      variant (21 cases). Of the head and neck lymphomas in patients with a known HIV
      status, 56% had plasmablastic lymphoma, 43.9% diffuse large B cell lymphoma and
      25% Burkitt lymphoma. CONCLUSION: There is an increase in head and neck lymphoma
      frequency, contrary to that found in Western countries. The high HIV prevalence
      in certain lymphomas provides strong indication of the role of HIV/AIDS in
      pathogenesis of lymphomas. This study serves as a baseline for future studies,
      especially in South Africa.

PMID- 28351574
TI  - The impact of time to treatment initiation on survival from head and neck cancer
      in north-eastern Italy.
AB  - OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the impact of time to treatment initiation (TTI) on
      overall survival in patients with head-and-neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC).
      MATERIALS AND METHODS: In the period 2003-2009, 1616 HNSCC patients were
      diagnosed in Friuli Venezia Giulia Region, Northeastern Italy, including 462
      oral, 346 oropharyngeal, 212 hypopharyngeal, and 596 laryngeal cancers. Clinical
      information, including date and type of first treatment, and follow-up were
      retrieved from the regional Cancer Registry and a population-based health
      database collecting comprehensive health information on people living in the
      Region. Multivariate hazard ratio (HR) and confidence intervals (CI) were
      calculated through Cox model. RESULTS: Overall, the median TTI was 28days, (Q1
      Q3: 13-45days), but significant variations emerged according to anatomical site,
      cancer stage, treatment approach, and care transition to specialized centers.
      Five-year overall survival decreased with increasing treatment delay from 62% for
      TTI<30days to 39% for TTI>=90days (p<0.01). HR of death was 1.13 (95% CI: 0.92
      1.39) for TTI between 45-89days, and 1.47 (1.05-2.05) for TTI>=90days. The
      association between TTI and poor prognosis was stronger for laryngeal cancers and
      early-stage HNSCCs. Further, care transition from community hospitals to
      specialized centers was associated to a better prognosis (HR=0.73; 95% CI: 0.60
      0.88). CONCLUSION: Our study findings suggest that HNSCC patients treated within
      45days from diagnosis have increased survival probabilities and that early-stage
      patients suffered the most from treatment delay. Furthermore, care transition to
      specialized centers -though competitive to timely treatment- improves survival by
      providing the most innovative technologies and treatment approaches.

PMID- 28351575
TI  - High stromal Foxp3-positive T cell number combined to tumor stage improved
      prognosis in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma.
AB  - OBJECTIVES: Head and neck squamous cell carcinomas (HNSCC), one of the most
      frequent cancers in the world, are largely infiltrated by inflammatory immune
      cells. Our aim was to evaluate the number of Foxp3+ T cells in HNSCC, reporting
      its prognostic power in comparison to other risk factors. MATERIAL AND METHODS:
      Our clinical series was composed of 21 tumor-free peri-tumoral epithelia, 49 low
      grade dysplasia, 43 high grade dysplasia and 110 carcinoma samples including some
      cases with HPV infection. In vivo experiments were conducted on 80 C3H/HeN mice
      which were orthotopically injected with SCCVII CT, E7, E6 and E6/E7 cell lines.
      RESULTS: Foxp3+ T cell infiltration increased with tumor progression from normal
      epithelia, dysplasia to carcinoma and the increase is more important in HPV+
      patients than in negative ones. Animal experiments revealed that E7 oncoprotein
      expression was significantly associated with an increase in Foxp3+ T cell
      recruitment in tumor, a delay in tumor onset and improved animal survival.
      Univariate Cox regression analyses demonstrated that high Foxp3+ T cell number in
      stromal compartment is associated with longer patient recurrence-free and overall
      survivals. Foxp3+ T cell number improved the prognostic value of tumor stage.
      Multivariate analyses reported that stromal Foxp3+ T cell number is a strong
      prognostic factor independent of classical risk factors such as tobacco, alcohol,
      and HPV status. CONCLUSION: Foxp3+ T cell number is a significant prognostic
      factor for HNSCC, improving the tumor stage, and that viral E7 may play a role in
      the Foxp3+ T cell infiltration to the tumor.

PMID- 28351576
TI  - Clinical features of ectomesenchymal chondromyxoid tumors: A systematic review of
      the literature.
AB  - Ectomesenchymal chondromyxoid tumors are rare, benign neoplasms of the head and
      neck most commonly found within the oral cavity. While histopathological
      evaluation has been the primary focus of prior studies, clinical characterization
      of this rare entity currently remains sparse. Thus, this study was performed to
      provide insights into the clinical characteristics of ectomesenchymal
      chondromyxoid tumors to aid clinicians in distinguishing the lesion from other
      benign and malignant processes for a more accurate diagnosis and treatment.
      Moreover, this study includes a unique case of ectomesenchymal chondromyxoid
      tumor arising in the base of tongue, now the fourth to arise at that anatomic
      site. Including this case, a systematic review of the literature identified only
      60 individual cases reported thus far. This study provides a detailed analysis of
      all 60 cases including demographics, clinical presentation, radiographic imaging,
      follow-up, and recurrence rate.

PMID- 28351577
TI  - High-dose versus weekly cisplatin definitive chemoradiotherapy for HPV-related
      oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck.
AB  - OBJECTIVES: To compare the outcomes and toxicity of high-dose cisplatin (HDC)
      versus weekly cisplatin (WC) definitive chemoradiotherapy (CRT) for patients with
      human papillomavirus (HPV) related oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma
      (SCCOPx). METHODS: All patients with p16 positive SCCOPx treated with definitive
      CRT with cisplatin between 2010 and 2014 at a single institution were
      retrospectively reviewed. CTCAE v 4.03 toxicity criteria were used. The Kaplan
      Meier method was used to estimate event-free survival (EFS) and the overall
      survival (OS). RESULTS: Of the 55 patients included, 22 were patients treated
      with HDC at dose of 100mg/m2 on days 1 and 22; and the remaining 33 patients were
      treated with WC at 40mg/m2. Both cohorts received a median total dose of
      cisplatin of 200mg/m2. At median follow-up of 31months, there was one local
      failure and no distant failures in the HDC cohort. In the WC group, there were 6
      total failures (2 local, 4 distant). Estimated 2-year EFS was better in HDC
      cohort as compared to WC (96% vs. 75%; p=0.04). There was no significant
      difference in 2-year OS (95% vs. 94%; p=0.40). Weight loss, gastric tube
      dependence at six months, acute renal injury and grade 3 or 4 hematological
      toxicity were all similar between both groups. CONCLUSIONS: HPV-related SCCOPx
      treated with definitive CRT with either HDC or WC had similar toxicity profile.
      HDC had better EFS when compared with WC and this seems to be driven by increased
      distant failure rates, although the OS was similar.

PMID- 28351578
TI  - Oropharyngeal cancer prognosis by tumour HPV status in France: The multicentric
      Papillophar study.
AB  - AIMS: To evaluate the impact of human papillomavirus (HPV) status, tobacco
      smoking and initial treatment approach on progression-free survival (PFS) and
      overall survival (OS) for oropharyngeal cancer (OPC) in France, a country where
      smoking declines started late (1990s). METHODS: 340 OPC patients (median age:
      60years) from 14 French hospitals were followed up (median 26.7months). PCR-based
      positivity for both HPV DNA and E6/E7 mRNA was used to distinguish HPV-positive
      OPC (27.1%). Hospital-stratified hazard ratios (HR) and corresponding 95%
      confidence intervals (CI) were used to compare PFS and OS according to HPV and
      other prognostic factors in hospital-stratified unadjusted and multivariate
      models. The combined effect of HPV status with either smoking, stage, or initial
      treatment on PFS was also evaluated. RESULTS: PFS in multivariate analysis was
      better in HPV-positive patients (HR=0.42; 95% CI: 0.24-0.73) and worse in older
      patients (HR for 5-year age increase=1.12) and those having had firstly
      radiotherapy (HR=1.86; 95% CI: 1.19-2.92) or induction chemotherapy (HR=1.73; 95%
      CI: 1.08-2.79) instead of upfront surgery. Findings for OS were similar. Loco
      regional recurrences were less frequent in HPV-positive (10.5%) than HPV-negative
      patients (26.0%) but distant recurrences were similarly frequent. HPV status did
      not modify the influence of smoking or stage on PFS but the impossibility to
      perform upfront surgery may be more relevant for HPV-negative patients.
      CONCLUSIONS: HPV-positive OPC patients fare better than HPV-negative OPC and may
      benefit from toxicity-sparing. Whether HPV-negative patients responded less well
      to radiation and chemotherapy because of more severe genomic damage or bulkier
      tumours is unclear.

PMID- 28351579
TI  - Validation of published nomograms and accordingly individualized induction
      chemotherapy in nasopharyngeal carcinoma.
AB  - OBJECTIVES: We have attempted to validate two published nomograms in
      nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) and individualize induction chemotherapy (IC)
      accordingly. MATERIALS AND METHODS: From 2007 to 2011, 920 patients were included
      in the study. The validity of the nomograms was assessed by Harrell's concordance
      index (C-index), areas under the curve (AUC), and calibration curves. Disease
      free survival (DFS) and overall survival (OS) by IC were evaluated in and out of
      risk stratified patients with and without propensity score matching analysis.
      RESULTS: Compared with the 7th edition of the Union for International Cancer
      Control (UICC) staging system, Tang's nomogram better discriminated DFS (C-index
      0.629 versus 0.569, P=0.002; AUC 0.635 versus 0.576, P=0.018), whereas Yang's
      nomogram had no advantage in predicting OS (C-index 0.648 versus 0.606, P=0.184;
      AUC 0.643 versus 0.604, P=0.157). Calibration curves indicated good agreement
      between predicted and observed DFS or OS probability. Without risk
      stratification, patients achieved no benefit from IC in DFS (P?0.101) or OS
      (P?0.370). However, among 580 high-risk patients stratified by Tang's nomogram,
      IC improved five-year DFS from 68.8 to 74.8% (P=0.072), and OS from 82.6 to 87.9%
      (P=0.065), and the improvement of DFS and OS increased to 9.3% (P=0.019) and 7.3%
      (P=0.036), respectively, in 426 propensity-matched patients. CONCLUSIONS: Tang's
      nomogram helps to stratify stage III-IVa-b NPC, and IC is beneficial to high-risk
      patients in clinical practice.

PMID- 28351580
TI  - Re-irradiation for recurrent and second primary cancers of the head and neck.
AB  - PURPOSE: To evaluate a single-institutional experience with the use of re
      irradiation for recurrent and new primary cancers of the head and neck. METHODS:
      The medical charts of 80 consecutive patients who underwent re-irradiation for
      local-regionally recurrent or second primary head and neck cancer between
      November 1998 and December 2015 were analyzed. Multivariate analysis was
      performed using Cox proportional hazard and logistic regression to determine
      predictors of clinical outcomes. RESULTS: Seventy-six of the 80 patients were
      evaluable. The median age was 57.5 (range 26.6-84.9); Intensity-modulated
      radiotherapy (IMRT) was used in 71 (93.4%) patients with a median dose of 60Gy.
      Thirty-one patients (40.8%) underwent salvage surgery before re-irradiation and
      47 (61.8%) received concurrent systemic therapy. The median time interval between
      radiation courses was 25.3months (range 2-322months). The 2-year estimates of
      overall survival, progression free survival, locoregional control, and distant
      control were 51.0%, 31.3%, 36.8% and 68.3%, respectively. Patients who underwent
      salvage surgery prior to re-irradiation had significantly improved locoregional
      control, progression free survival, and overall survival (p<0.05, for all). On
      multivariate analysis, gross tumor volume (GTV) at re-irradiation and interval
      between radiation courses were associated with improved overall survival. Severe
      (grade?3) late complications were observed in 25 patients (32.8%). CONCLUSIONS:
      Re-irradiation for recurrent or second primary head and neck cancer is feasible
      and effective in select patients with head and neck cancer. The high observed
      rate of treatment-related morbidity highlights the continue challenges that
      accompany this approach.

PMID- 28351581
TI  - Characterization of PD-L1 expression and immune cell infiltration in
      nasopharyngeal cancer.
AB  - OBJECTIVES: Locally recurrent or metastatic nasopharyngeal cancer (NPC) remains
      an important challenge, with more effective and durable therapeutic options
      needed. Cancer immunotherapy, and in particular therapies that target the PD
      L1/PD-1 immune checkpoint pathway, may provide new options to treat NPC patients.
      This study evaluated PD-L1 and CD8 expression levels and the respective
      associations with clinical and histopathological characteristics of patients with
      NPC. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Diagnostic tumour biopsies were obtained before
      radical radiotherapy with or without chemotherapy from 161 patients with NPC.
      These biopsies were analysed for PD-L1 expression levels on tumour cells (TC) and
      tumour-infiltrating immune cells (IC), and for CD8 T-cell infiltration. Results
      were correlated with baseline characteristics and clinical outcomes with standard
      of-care treatment regimens. Additionally, pre- and post-treatment-paired tumour
      samples were analysed (n=146). RESULTS: 75% of tumours expressed PD-L1 on IC and
      24% on TC. Baseline clinical characteristics of stage, sex and age did not
      correlate with PD-L1 expression. Additionally, overall survival and progression
      free survival of standard-of-care treatment did not correlate with baseline PD-L1
      expression. CD8 levels did correlate with clinical outcomes; however, results
      were confounded by other baseline characteristics. After treatment, PD-L1
      expression dropped a median of 1.5% on IC and a median of 2.75% on TC. Median CD8
      expression dropped 1.9%. CONCLUSIONS: Majority of NPC biopsy samples demonstrated
      PD-L1 expression on ?1% of IC, with fewer expressing PD-L1 on TC. In contrast to
      previous smaller studies, no prognostic value was observed for PD-L1 expression
      levels in patients with NPC.

PMID- 28351582
TI  - Defining an inflamed tumor immunophenotype in recurrent, metastatic squamous cell
      carcinoma of the head and neck.
AB  - OBJECTIVES: Immune checkpoint inhibitors have demonstrated clinical benefit in
      recurrent, metastatic (R/M) squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck (SSCHN),
      but lacking are biomarkers that predict response. We sought to define an inflamed
      tumor immunophenotype in this R/M SCCHN population and correlate immune metrics
      with clinical parameters and survival. METHODS: Tumor samples were prospectively
      acquired from 34 patients to perform multiparametric flow cytometry and
      multidimensional clustering analysis integrated with next-generation sequencing
      data, clinical parameters and outcomes. RESULTS: We identified an inflamed
      subgroup of tumors with prominent CD8+ T cell infiltrates and high PD-1/TIM3 co
      expression independent of clinical variables, with improved survival compared
      with a non-inflamed subgroup (median overall survival 84.0 vs. 13.0months,
      p=0.004). The non-inflamed subgroup demonstrated low CD8+ T cells, low PD-1/TIM3
      co-expression, and higher Tregs. Overall non-synonymous mutational burden did not
      correlate with response to PD-1 blockade in a subset of patients. CONCLUSION: R/M
      SCCHN patients with an inflamed tumor immunophenotype demonstrate improved
      survival. Further prospective studies are needed to validate these findings and
      explore the use of immunophenotype to guide patient selection for
      immunotherapeutic approaches.

PMID- 28351583
TI  - Candidate apoptotic and DNA repair gene approach confirms involvement of ERCC1,
      ERCC5, TP53 and MDM2 in radiation-induced toxicity in head and neck cancer.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: Single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) of DNA repair and apoptosis
      genes have been associated with outcome in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma
      (HNSCC) patients receiving radiotherapy (RT). Our goal was to conduct a candidate
      gene study in HNSCC patients receiving RT or chemoRT. METHODS: 122 non-resectable
      HNSCC patients undergoing RT (N=38) or chemoRT (N=84) between 1992 and 2006 were
      retrospectively analyzed. ERCC1 Lys259Thr (rs735482), ERCC2 Lys751Gln (rs13181),
      ERCC5 His46His C>T (rs1047768), XRCC1 Arg399Gln (rs25487), TP53 Arg72Pro
      (rs1042522) and MDM2 309T>G (rs2279744) were analyzed on tumor DNA. SNP profile
      was considered to assess RT-related toxicity. RESULTS: All 120 evaluable patients
      experienced RT-related toxicity at any time. Among them, 83% had G3-4 acute side
      effects during RT, mainly dysphagia, mucositis, epithelitis and/or xerostomia
      (DMEX). 28/105 patients (27%) had early G3-4 toxicity up to 3months after the end
      of RT. 29/96 patients (30%) had G3-4 late toxicity thereafter. The presence of G
      allele of MDM2 or Thr allele of ERCC1 was associated with a significantly higher
      risk of acute and/or early DMEX toxicity. The MDM2 309GG genotype was linked to a
      higher risk of acute G3-4 dermatitis. The ERCC5 TT genotype was associated with
      more frequent G3-4 late cervical skin fibrosis or xerostomia. Pro allele of TP53
      72 was associated with a higher risk of G3-4 osteoradionecrosis. CONCLUSION:
      Relevant SNPs in DNA repair (ERCC1 and ERCC5) and apoptosis (MDM2 and TP53) genes
      might influence the severity of radiation-related side-effects in HNSCC patients.
      Prospective clinical SNP-based validation studies are needed on these bases.

PMID- 28351585
TI  - Proposal for a new risk classification system for nasopharyngeal carcinoma
      patients with post-radiation nasopharyngeal necrosis.
AB  - PURPOSE: To analyze the clinical outcomes of nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC)
      patients with post-radiation nasopharyngeal necrosis (PRNN) and construct a new
      risk classification system for predicting survival of PRNN. METHODS: A total of
      276 patients with PRNN were consecutively enrolled. Complete magnetic resonance
      (MR) images of the nasopharynx and neck were available for all patients and were
      used to assess nasopharyngeal necrosis status. After 2010, patients with PRNN
      were initially treated by radical endoscopic necrectomy followed by
      reconstruction with nasal flap (ENNF). RESULTS: The 1-year and 2-year overall
      survival (OS) was 65.0% and 51.6%, respectively. Three variables affected
      survival: osteoradionecrosis, re-irradiation, and internal carotid artery (ICA)
      exposure, and only two variables were found to be independent prognostic factors:
      re-irradiation (hazard ratio [HR] 1.75, P=0.001) and internal carotid artery
      (ICA) exposure (hazard ratio [HR] 1.80, P=0.001). These two variables were
      combined to create a new risk classification system for PRNN. 131 (47.5%), 110
      (39.9%), and 35 (12.7%) patients were classified into low-, intermediate- and
      high-risk group, with the 2-year OS rates of 64.8%, 45.1%, and 22.5%,
      respectively (P<0.001). ENNF was associated with a better OS in these three group
      patients compared with conservative management with statistical or marginal
      statistical significance (2-year OS low-risk group, 90.9% vs 61.1%, p=0.081;
      intermediate-risk group: 100% vs 37.8%, P=0.001; and high-risk group, 57.1% vs
      20.8%, p=0.066). CONCLUSION: The new risk classification system provides accurate
      estimates of prognosis. ENNF surgery may lead to better survival outcome than
      conservative management in PRNN patients.

PMID- 28351584
TI  - Human papillomavirus (HPV) 16 antibodies at diagnosis of HPV-related
      oropharyngeal cancer and antibody trajectories after treatment.
AB  - OBJECTIVES: Despite the fact that HPV-driven oropharyngeal cancer (HPV-OPC) has
      relatively low recurrence rates, intensive post-therapy monitoring remains the
      standard of care. Post-treatment biomarkers are needed to risk stratify HPV-OPC
      patients for more individualized surveillance intensity and which remain at
      higher recurrence risk. MATERIALS AND METHODS: 115 HPV-OPC patients (ascertained
      by p16 immunohistochemistry and/or in-situ hybridization) from a multicenter
      prospective case study (HOTSPOT) had blood collected at diagnosis, and 64 of
      these also had blood collected at post-treatment follow-up visits for up to two
      years. Samples were centrally tested for antibodies to the L1, E1, E2, E4, E6,
      and E7 proteins of HPV16. RESULTS: At diagnosis, most HPV-OPC cases were
      seropositive to HPV16 E6 (85%). In post therapeutic samples, HPV16 antibody level
      decreased slowly over time, but only 3 (of 51 cases seropositive at enrollment)
      dropped low enough to be classified as seronegative. At 3years after diagnosis,
      cumulative risk of recurrence was 10.2% and 0% in HPV16 E6 seropositive and E6
      seronegative HPV-OPC cases, respectively (p=0.18). Risk of recurrence was
      increased, although not statistically significant, in those with higher HPV16 E6
      antibody levels at diagnosis (per log antibody level, hazard ratio [HR]=1.81,
      95%CI=0.47-6.92). CONCLUSION: This study confirms the high seroprevalence of HPV
      oncogenic antibodies at diagnosis of HPV-OPC. HPV16 E6 antibody levels decrease
      after treatment, but most cases remain seropositive for up to two years. HPV16 E6
      antibody levels at diagnosis did not appear to be a strong predictor of
      recurrence.

PMID- 28351586
TI  - Epidemiology of oral, salivary gland and pharyngeal cancer in children and
      adolescents between 1970 and 2011.
AB  - OBJECTIVES: The age of oral and pharyngeal cancer patients has reportedly
      decreased over the last decade, but most of the peer-reviewed literature
      regarding oral and pharyngeal cancer in individuals 0-19years of age (Y) is
      limited to specific tumor sites and/or types, or a small number of cases. Our aim
      is to characterize oral, salivary gland and pharyngeal cancer (OSPC) in 0-19Y in
      order to improve knowledge of the disease in young individuals. METHODS: Data on
      OSPC between 1970 and 2011 was taken from the Israel National Cancer Registry,
      and included patient age, gender, tumor site and tumor type. Data analysis was
      performed by using IBM SPSS, Winpepi software and Joinpoint Regression Program.
      alpha<0.05 was deemed statistically significant. RESULTS: A total of 13,863 OSPC
      cases were diagnosed with 2.6% (N=357) of 0-19Y. The male to female ratio was
      1.5:1. The rates of diagnosis decreased between 1991 and 2011 and were not
      significantly different between the genders. The nasopharynx was the leading
      tumor site (42.3%) followed by the salivary glands (20.5%), and both were more
      common in 14-19Y. The tonsils and other pharyngeal sites were common among 0-13Y.
      The main tumor types were lymphomas (20.7%) and carcinomas (19.9%). CONCLUSIONS:
      The general characteristics of OSPC remained unchanged over the last four
      decades. This may imply that environmental factors have not had any effect. Males
      are affected more than females and might have a genetic predisposition for
      nasopharyngeal malignancy. Health care providers should be aware of the common
      sites and tumor types among children and adolescents.

PMID- 28351587
TI  - Comparative clinical outcomes of Taiwanese patients with resected buccal and
      tongue squamous cell carcinomas.
AB  - OBJECTIVES: Although patients with buccal squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) usually
      show acceptable outcomes, local control and survival rates are generally lower
      than those observed for tongue SCC. This study was designed to compare the
      clinical outcomes of Taiwanese patients with these two common oral cavity
      malignancies. METHODS: Patients with first primary buccal or tongue SCC who were
      included in the Taiwanese Cancer Registry Database between 2004 and 2012 were
      eligible. The study sample consisted of 16,379 patients (7870 buccal SCC and 8509
      tongue SCC) who received surgery with or without adjuvant therapy. The 5-year
      disease-specific survival (DSS) and overall survival (OS) rates served as the
      outcome measures. RESULTS: Compared with tongue SCC, patients with buccal SCC had
      a higher prevalence of males (95.7% vs. 86.4%, p<0.0001), pT4 disease (21.4% vs.
      12.7%, p<0.0001), and p-Stage IV (30.4% vs. 24.8%, p<0.0001) but a lower
      frequency of pN2 disease (15.2% vs. 18.5%, p<0.0001). The 5-year DSS and OS rates
      of buccal SCC patients were slightly higher than those of tongue SCC (78% vs.
      77%, p=0.0297; and 71% vs. 69%, p=0.0231, respectively). Multivariate analysis
      identified tumor site (tongue vs. buccal SCC), sex (male vs. female), age (>=65
      vs. <65years), pT classification (T4/T3/T2 vs. T1), and pN classification
      (N3/N2/N1vs. N0) as independent prognostic factors in the entire study cohort.
      CONCLUSIONS: The survival advantage of buccal SCC over tongue SCC appears
      significant in large clinical samples, despite a higher prevalence of p-Stage IV
      disease in the former.

PMID- 28351588
TI  - Synthesis and anti-HIV activities of unsymmetrical long chain dicarboxylate
      esters of dinucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors.
AB  - A series of 11 unsymmetrical dicarboxylate conjugates of dinucleoside reverse
      transcriptase inhibitors were synthesized. Three dicarboxylic acids, succinic
      acid, suberic acid and 1,14-tetradecandioc acid, were diesterified with either 3'
      azido-2',3'-dideoxythymidine (AZT), 3'-fluoro-2',3'-dideoxythymidine (FLT), 2',3'
      dideoxy-3'-thiacytidine (3TC), or 5-fluoro-2',3'-dideoxy-3'-thiacytidine (FTC).
      The anti-HIV activity of synthesized compounds was evaluated against HIV-1 X4
      (IIIB) and R5 (BaL) viral strains in single-round infection assays. Results
      indicated that the tetradecandioate esters of nucleosides were more active
      against HIV than the corresponding parent nucleosides and nucleoside conjugates.
      The tetradecandioate conjugate of FLT and FTC (5) was found to be the most potent
      compounds with EC50 values of 47 and 75nM against X4 and R5 HIV-1 strains,
      respectively, while the EC50 values for the parent analogs, FLT and FTC, ranged
      from 700 to 3300nM.

PMID- 28351589
TI  - Synthesis and biological evaluation of novel quinazoline-sulfonamides as anti
      cancer agents.
AB  - A robust economic approach to N-(quinazoline-4-yl)sulfonamides was developed and
      synthesized different aryl, hetero aryl, alkyl and cyclopropyl sulfonamides in
      excellent yields. All the compounds were evaluated for cytotoxic affinity to
      SKOV3, DU145, THP1, U937, and COLO205 cell lines. Interesting to find that the
      bulkiness of substituent at C-2 position of quinazoline forces the molecule to
      flip around in order to bind in the active site, when compared to the binding
      preference of previously known quinazoline compounds. Among the 21 compounds
      synthesized 2b, 2d, 2e, 2h, 2i, 3c, 3d, 3f, 3g and 3h found to be active on all
      the cell lines tested with IC50 values <10ug/mL. Performed docking simulations to
      understand the binding preference of various C-2 substituted quinazoline
      sulfonamides.

PMID- 28351590
TI  - Design, synthesis and evaluation of 4-substituted anthra[2,1-c][1,2,5]thiadiazole
      6,11-dione derivatives as novel non-camptothecin topoisomerase I inhibitors.
AB  - Previously, 4-tosylanthra[1,2-c][1,2,5]thiadiazole-6,11-dione (1) was identified
      as a novel non-camptothecin topoisomerase I (Top1) inhibitor by structure-based
      virtual screening. Herein, a series of 4-substituted derivatives were designed
      and synthesized. Most of them showed potent Top1 inhibitory activity. Their in
      vitro antiproliferative activity was also evaluated in A549, HCT-116 and ZR-75-30
      human cancer cell lines. Compound 8s showed good antiproliferative activity with
      IC50 of 0.52MUM and 0.42MUM against HCT-116 and ZR-75-30 cell line, respectively.
      Top1 unwinding assay and molecular modeling studies rationalized the mode of
      action of this new class of inhibitors.

PMID- 28351591
TI  - Studies on anti-hepatoma activity of Annona squamosa L. pericarp extract.
AB  - This study investigated the anti-hepatoma activity of different extracts from A.
      squamosa pericarps, phytochemistry of the ethyl acetate (EtOAc) fraction and
      possible anti-hepatoma mechanism of active constituents. The anti-hepatoma
      activity of different extracts from A. squamosa pericarps were evaluated by MTT
      assay against SMMC-7721 cells in vitro and verified by using H22 xenografts
      bearing mice. Phytochemical investigation of the active pericarp extract was
      carried out. The pro-apoptosis and cycle arrest effects of active constituents
      were observed by fluorescent microscope and flow cytometry. Western blot assay
      was conducted to find the possible anti-hepatoma mechanisms of active
      constituents. The result showed that EtOAc extract was the active fraction. Two
      ent-kaurane diterpenoids, named ent-kauran-16-en-19-oic acid and ent-kauran-15-en
      19-oic acid, were isolated from the active EtOAc fraction. The pro-apoptosis and
      G1 phase arrest effects of these diterpenoids were found. Western blot assay
      showed that ent-kauran-16-en-19-oic acid could activate caspase-3,-8,-9, up
      regulate of Bax and down-regulate of Bcl-2.

PMID- 28351592
TI  - Synthesis and evaluation of sulfonamide derivatives as potent Human Uric Acid
      Transporter 1 (hURAT1) inhibitors.
AB  - This letter presents synthesis and structure-activity relationship study of
      sulfonamide derivatives as inhibitors of Human Uric Acid Transporter 1 (hURAT1).
      Among all tested sulfonamide derivatives, compounds 9b, 16i and 19b exhibited
      excellent inhibition activity with IC50 value of 10, 2, and 83nM, respectively.
      In addition, compounds 9b and 19b demonstrated moderate PK profile in rats.

PMID- 28351593
TI  - Triazole-linked fluorescent bisboronic acid capable of selective recognition of
      the Lewis Y antigen.
AB  - Cell surface carbohydrates of the Lewis blood group antigens, Lewis X (Lex),
      Lewis Y (Ley), Lewis A (Lea), and their sialylated derivatives, such as sialy
      Lewis X (sLex) and sialy Lewis A (sLea), play important roles in various
      recognition processes. These cell surface carbohydrates have also been associated
      with the development and progression of many types of cancers. Recently, we
      synthesized four anthracene-based fluorescent bisboronic acid sensors (compounds
      2a-d) linked by 'click' chemistry with tethers of different lengths to match the
      epitope of various Lewis group of sugars. Among the four compounds, 2a appears to
      have both high sensitivity and selectivity for Ley among other carbohydrate
      antigens.

PMID- 28351594
TI  - New potent and selective alphavbeta3 integrin ligands: Macrocyclic peptides
      containing RGD motif synthesized by sortase A-mediated ligation.
AB  - Three 14-mer macrocyclic peptides 1-3 containing mono-, di- and tri-RGD structure
      motif were designed and synthesized by sortase A-mediated ligation in good
      yields. The results of in intro cell-based biological assays indicated that
      linear peptide 5 and macrocyclic peptide 1, containing di-RGD and mono-RGD motif
      respectively, showed remarkable potency and selectivity to alphavbeta3 integrin.

PMID- 28351595
TI  - Congenital chylothorax.
AB  - Congenital chylothorax (CC) results from multiple lymphatic vessel anomalies or
      thoracic cavity defects and may accompany other congenital anomalies. Fetal
      chylothorax may increase the risk of death and complications from pleural space
      lymphatic fluid accumulation, which compromises lung development, pulmonary, and
      cardiovascular function and from complications arising from the loss of drained
      lymphatic contents. Prenatal interventions might improve survival in severe cases
      of fetal chylothorax. The neonatal treatment strategy is generally supportive
      with interventions that include thoracostomy drainage and attempts to decrease
      chyle flow using a stepwise approach that begins with the least invasive means.
      Evidence-based treatment choices are lacking and are much needed. Most cases of
      CC resolve with time even without specific lymphatic system studies to identify
      the exact pathology. Expertise in performing lymphatic studies is not universally
      available. Data on both efficacy and safety of the various therapeutic options
      are needed to determine the best approach to the treatment of CC.

PMID- 28351596
TI  - Brain edema with clasmatodendrosis complicating ataxia telangiectasia.
AB  - Ataxia-telangiectasia is a chronic progressive disorder affecting the nervous and
      immune systems, caused by a genetic defect in the ATM protein. Clasmatodendrosis,
      a distinct form of astroglial death, has rarely been reported in ataxia
      telangiectasia. Neuropathology of our patient disclosed diffuse edema of the
      cerebral and cerebellar white matter with prominent clasmatodendrosis,
      implicating ATM in the regulation of astroglial cell death.

PMID- 28351597
TI  - Neuropsychology of subjects with ultra-high risk (UHR) of psychosis: A critical
      analysis of the literature.
AB  - Cognitive disorders are currently considered as central components of disorders
      found in schizophrenia and are a major handicap for patients day to day. These
      disorders appear before the first psychotic episode, in the prodromal phase,
      during which time the symptoms are below the threshold for psychosis. People with
      these symptoms are considered as presenting an at-risk mental state (or at ultra
      high risk, UHR of psychosis) and their risk for psychotic transition is between
      20% and 40% within one year. Despite a number of studies, the chronology in which
      cognitive disorders appear in relation to the psychotic symptoms has not clearly
      been established and the study of the links between cognition and symptoms could
      improve our understanding of psychotic disorders. The detection of certain
      cognitive disorders before the onset of psychotic disorders could help improve
      early detection. We carried out a systematic analysis of the literature exploring
      cognitive disorders found in subjects with UHR for psychosis. The objective of
      most studies was to establish the predictive value for psychotic transition.
      Nevertheless study results have shown little consensus. Faced with this
      heterogeneity of results from past studies, we carried out a critical analysis of
      the literature and suggest areas of reflection for future research.

PMID- 28351598
TI  - Canadian Radiologists Do Not Support Screening Mammography Guidelines of the
      Canadian Task Force on Preventive Health Care.
AB  - PURPOSE: The study sought to determine screening mammography recommendations that
      radiologists in Canada promote to average-risk patients and family or friends,
      and do or would do for themselves. METHODS: An online survey was delivered from
      February 19, 2014, to July 11, 2014. Data included radiologists' recommendations
      for mammography and their personal screening habits based on gender. The 3
      radiologists' cohorts were women >=40 years of age, women <40 years of age, and
      men. The distribution of responses for each question was summarized, and
      proportions for the entire group and individual cohorts were computed. RESULTS:
      Of 402 surveys collected, 97% (299 of 309) radiologists recommended screening
      every 1-2 years, 62% (192 of 309) starting >=40 years of age and 2% (5 of 309)
      recommended screening every 2-3 years for women 50-74 years of age.
      Recommendations were similar for family and friends: 96% (294 of 305) recommended
      screening every 1-2 years, 66% (202 of 305) recommended screening every 1-2 years
      for women >=40 years of age, and 2% (5 of 305) recommended screening every 2-3
      years. For women radiologists >=40 years of age, 76% (48 of 63) underwent
      screening every 1-2 years and started at 40 years of age, 76% (16 of 21) female
      radiologists <40 years of age would undergo screening >=40 years of age, 100%
      every 1-2 years, and 90% (151 of 167) male radiologists would undergo screening
      every 1-2 years, with 71% (120 of 169) beginning at 40 years of age. CONCLUSION:
      The majority of Canadian radiologists recommend screening mammography every 1-2
      years for average-risk women >=40 years of age, whether they are patients or
      family and friends.

PMID- 28351599
TI  - Microbiology Managers: Managerial Training in the RItrain Project.
AB  - Leaders of research infrastructures (RIs) in Europe who are scientists require
      competencies in management. RItrain has addressed this issue by identifying
      skills required, locating relevant courses and finding gaps, whilst establishing
      a Master of Management programme. We describe how one contributing microbiology
      RI determined the most relevant skills.

PMID- 28351600
TI  - The bed nucleus of the stria terminalis in drug-associated behavior and affect: A
      circuit-based perspective.
AB  - The bed nucleus of the stria terminalis was first described nearly a century ago
      and has since emerged as a region central to motivated behavior and affective
      states. The last several decades have firmly established a role for the BNST in
      drug-associated behavior and implicated this region in addiction-related
      processes. Whereas past approaches used to characterize the BNST have focused on
      a more general role of this region and its subnuclei in behavior, more recent
      work has begun to reveal its elaborate circuitry and cellular components. Such
      recent developments are largely owed to methodological advances, which have made
      possible efforts previously deemed intractable, such as tracing of long-range
      cell-type specific projections and identifying functional efferent and afferent
      connections. In this review, we integrate earlier foundational work with more
      recent and advanced studies to construct a broad overview of the molecular
      neurocircuitry of the BNST in drug-associated behavior and affect. This article
      is part of the Special Issue entitled "Alcoholism".

PMID- 28351601
TI  - [Organic troubles with psychiatric symptoms: What is the appropriate childhood
      and adolescence psychiatric care? Reflections on disimmune encephalitis cases].
AB  - Organic mental disorders are different and further revealed by increasingly
      advanced research. They are nevertheless misunderstood, without consensus, and
      raise clinical, diagnostic, and therapeutic questions. These disorders require
      effective collaboration between practitioners such as pediatricians and child
      psychiatrists. The subject should not disappear behind the complexity related to
      the clinical expression of these symptoms. Based on three cases of autoimmune
      encephalitis, we offer a reflection on the management and assessment of these
      diseases by a multidisciplinary team with the intention of providing optimal
      management. The aim of this paper is to override an initial divide posed by a
      particular clinical presentation. We would like to shed light on the place and
      legitimacy of child psychiatrists and their clinical expertise. This does not
      exclude the need for care of the symptoms, considering each subject and her
      experience. Follow-up is necessary because of the possible, often traumatic,
      functional and psychological consequences. Finally, the presence of each
      professional should be specified when the psychiatric symptoms appear to be the
      result of an organic disease in order to better support the subject in his
      suffering body.

PMID- 28351602
TI  - Morphological Analysis of Healthy Aortic Arch.
AB  - OBJECTIVE/BACKGROUND: This study aimed to describe an arch morphology protocol in
      a healthy population, and to assess the impact of age and sex. METHODS: A
      retrospective morphology evaluation was conducted in a population with no
      personal history of thoracic aorta surgery or pathology, through computed
      tomography (CT) imaging analysis, using a standardised protocol. Based on
      centreline three dimensional coordinates, a single investigator calculated a
      series of parameters in the arch zones and in the total arch, using Matlab
      scripts. These were categorized as: (i) morphometric data: diameter, length and
      aortic angle of each zone, total arch angle, and length; (ii) geometric data:
      tortuosity index (TI), arch width, assimilated curvature radius (CRi), and
      attachment zone angles. Student or Mann-Whitney tests were used to compare
      parameter means. Their variability with age and sex was assessed through
      univariate and multivariate regression analysis. RESULTS: CT images from 123
      subjects (mean +/- SD age 53 +/- 19 years) were reviewed. Significant correlation
      between age and morphology was found. The aorta expanded homogeneously and
      stretched heterogeneously with age because of posterior arch elongation. TI
      decrease, CRi, and attachment zone angle increase were also observed with aging.
      Age remained significantly associated with these morphological parameters,
      independently of body surface area and hypertension. Sex also affected
      morphology: longer total arch length and higher CRarch in men; lower zone 3
      attachment angle in women CONCLUSION: Using mathematical algorithms, and with a
      view to improving endovascular arch treatment, this study provides a standardised
      arch morphology protocol and objectively identifies both age related evolution
      and sex related variation in the different zones.

PMID- 28351604
TI  - Stent loss during chronic total occlusion percutaneous coronary intervention:
      Optical coherence tomography-guided stent 'crushing and trapping'.
AB  - Stent loss during percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) is a rare event, which
      however has been associated with devastating consequences. Adequate management of
      this complication requires an exact understanding of the location of the lost
      stent and underlying mechanisms. Our case reports on a 55-year-old man who
      underwent PCI to a chronic total occlusion of the left anterior descending
      artery, complicated by stent loss. Successful management involved crushing and
      trapping of the stent behind a newly implanted stent. The use of optical
      coherence tomography proved invaluable, clarifying the relationship of the lost
      stent with side branches, allowing choosing a larger balloon for stent crushing,
      and suggesting a possible cause for stent loss. Finally, we provide a review on
      recent literature on stent loss during PCI and offer an algorithm to guide its
      management.

PMID- 28351603
TI  - Predictors of HBeAg seroconversion after long-term nucleos(t)ide analogues
      treatment for chronic hepatitis B: a multicenter study in real clinical setting.
AB  - AIMS: To evaluate the HBeAg seroconversion rate in real clinical setting and
      explore its predictors in long-term nucleos(t)ide analogues (NAs) treatment for
      chronic hepatitis B (CHB). METHODS: 251 patients were recruited from January 2001
      to September 2009 in four hospitals in Hebei province, China, for this
      retrospective study. Clinical and laboratory data before and after treatment with
      lamivudine (LAM, 100mg daily), adefovir (ADV, 10mg daily), telbivudine (LDT,
      600mg daily), entecavir (ETV, 0.5mg daily), and LAM/ADV combination were compared
      among three groups according to treatment outcomes: synchronous HBeAg loss and
      HBeAg seroconversion, anti-HBe development after treatment, and no anti-HBe.
      Adherence was also evaluated. RESULTS: In real clinical setting, cumulative HBeAg
      seroconversion rates were 14.3%, 32.7%, 43.0%, 46.9%, and 50.5% after 1, 2, 3, 5,
      and 8 years, respectively. 45 patients (17.9%) were non-adherent. Adherence
      (p<0.001, Hazard Ratio (HR)=2.203), elevated alanine aminotransferase (ALT)
      levels (p<0.001, HR=2.049), and non-vertical transmission (p=0.006, HR=1.656)
      were predictors of HBeAg seroconversion. CONCLUSION: Adherence, elevated ALT, and
      non-vertical transmission are predictors of HBeAg seroconversion in CHB patients
      treated with NAs.

PMID- 28351605
TI  - Infections associated with adventure travel: A systematic review.
AB  - AIM: To review infections associated with adventure travel. METHODS: The PubMed,
      Embase and Scopus databases were searched combining the words infection with the
      following keywords: rafting, whitewater, surfing, (surfer* or windsurf*), (caves
      or caving or spelunking), (triathlon or trekking) or (hiking or adventure race),
      bicycling, backpacking, (mountain climb* or bouldering), horseback riding,
      orienteering, trekking, and skiing. RESULTS: Adventure travel is becoming much
      more common among travelers and it is associated with a subset of infectious
      diseases including: leptospirosis, schistosomiasis, viral hemorrhagic fevers,
      rickettsial diseases and endemic mycosis. Caving and whitewater rafting places
      individuals at particular risk of leptospirosis, schistosomiasis and endemic
      mycosis, while adventure races also place individuals at high risk of a variety
      of infections including campylobacter, norovirus and leptospirosis. CONCLUSION:
      Travel practitioners need to be aware of the risks associated with adventure
      travel and should educate individuals about the risks associated with various
      activities. Doxycycline prophylaxis should be considered for travelers who are
      susceptible to leptospirosis due to participation in high-risk sports such as
      whitewater rafting, caving or adventure races.

PMID- 28351606
TI  - Comparative assessment of a 99mTc labeled H1299.2-HYNIC peptide bearing two
      different co-ligands for tumor-targeted imaging.
AB  - Peptides are a class of targeting agents that bind to cancer-specific cell
      surfaces. Since they specifically target cancer cells, they could be used as
      molecular imaging tools. In this study, the 15-mer peptide Ac-H1299.2
      (YAAWPASGAWTGTAP) was conjugated with HYNIC via lysine amino acid on C-terminus
      and labeled with 99mTc using tricine and EDDA/tricine as the co-ligands. These
      radiotracers were evaluated for potential utilization in diagnostic imaging of
      ovarian cancer cells (SKOV-3). The cell-specificity of these radiolabeled
      peptides was determined based on their binding on an ovarian cancer cell line
      (SKOV-3), and displaying a low affinity for lung adenocarcinoma cell line (A549)
      and breast cancer cell line (MCF7). Biodistribution studies were conducted in
      normal mice as well as in nude mice bearing SKOV-3 ovarian cancer xenografts.
      HYNIC-peptide was labeled with 99mTc with more than 99% efficiency and showed
      high stability in buffer and serum. We observed nanomolar binding affinities for
      both radiolabeled peptides. The tumor uptakes were 3.27%+/-0.46% and 1.55%+/
      0.20% for tricine and 2.34+/-1.1% and 1.09%+/-0.18% for EDDA/tricine at 1 and 4h
      after injection, respectively. A higher tumor to background ratio and lower
      radioactivity in the blood were observed for EDDA/tricine co-ligands, leading to
      clear tumor visualization in imaging with injection of this peptide. This new
      99mTc-labeled peptide selectively targeted ovarian cancer and introduction of a
      (EDDA/tricine) as a co-ligand improved the pharmacokinetics of 99mTc-labeled
      H1299.2 for tumor imaging in animals.

PMID- 28351607
TI  - Discovery of a potent inhibitor of MELK that inhibits expression of the anti
      apoptotic protein Mcl-1 and TNBC cell growth.
AB  - Despite recent advances in molecularly directed therapy, triple negative breast
      cancer (TNBC) remains one of the most aggressive forms of breast cancer, still
      without a suitable target for specific inhibitors. Maternal embryonic leucine
      zipper kinase (MELK) is highly expressed in TNBC, where level of overexpression
      correlates with poor prognosis and an aggressive disease course. Herein, we
      describe the discovery through targeted kinase inhibitor library screening, and
      structure-guided design of a series of ATP-competitive indolinone derivatives
      with subnanomolar inhibition constants towards MELK. The most potent compound,
      17, inhibits the expression of the anti-apoptotic protein Mcl-1 and proliferation
      of TNBC cells exhibiting selectivity for cells expressing high levels of MELK.
      These studies suggest that further elaboration of 17 will furnish MELK-selective
      inhibitors with potential for development in preclinical models of TNBC and other
      cancers.

PMID- 28351608
TI  - PIFA-BF3.OEt2 mediated intramolecular regioselective domino cyclization of
      ynamides: A novel method for the synthesis of tetrahydroisoquinoline-oxazol-2(3H)
      ones.
AB  - The transition metal-free intramolecular regioselective domino cyclization of N
      Boc protected ynamides has been developed to provide the corresponding
      tetrahydroisoquinoline-oxazo-2(3H)-ones in moderate to good yields.

PMID- 28351609
TI  - Orthoplastic surgical collaboration is required to optimise the treatment of
      severe limb injuries: A multi-centre, prospective cohort study.
AB  - Open fractures are severe, complex, limb-threatening and high-energy injuries,
      often involving lesions of both bone and soft tissues. Traditionally, treatment
      has been piecemeal by orthopaedic and plastic surgeons. This study aimed to
      prospectively investigate whether combining orthopaedic and plastic surgery in
      treating these injuries is more effective than the conventional orthopaedic care.
      A prospective multi-centre cohort study was conducted. Differences in the type of
      approach to severe limb trauma allowed a comparison between combined orthoplastic
      and traditional exclusively orthopaedic treatment. Time for fracture and soft
      tissue healing and the recovery of limb function were the main outcome measures
      studied. All patients suffering from a severe open tibial fracture were
      prospectively included between January 2012 and December 2013 and followed until
      December 2014. Recruiting units were as follows: (1) an established orthoplastic
      centre, (2) a unit without experience in the orthoplastic approach and (3) a unit
      where the orthoplastic approach has been recently introduced in a developing
      country (Pakistan). A total of 160 patients were included in the study. Of these,
      70% were treated with an orthoplastic approach, whereas 30% were treated by an
      orthopaedic team. All outcome measures were statistically improved by the
      orthoplastic approach. A coordinated, combined pathway to both the bony and the
      soft tissue components of open tibial fractures through orthoplastic surgery can
      be successfully delivered with attention to important timelines to achieve better
      patient outcomes in different socio-economic settings.

PMID- 28351610
TI  - Facial nerve regeneration after facial allotransplantation: A longitudinal
      clinical and electromyographic follow-up of lip movements during speech.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: Facial allotransplantation constitutes a reconstructive option
      after extensive damage to facial structures. Functional recovery has been
      reported but remains an issue. CASE REPORT - METHODS: A patient underwent facial
      allotransplantation after a ballistic injury with extensive facial tissue damage.
      Speech motor function was sequentially assessed clinically, along with repeated
      electromyography of lip movements during a follow-up of 3 years. RESULTS: Facial
      nerve recovery could be demonstrated within the first month, followed by a
      gradual increase in electromyographic amplitude and decrease in reaction times.
      These were accompanied by gradual improvement of clinical assessments.
      CONCLUSIONS: Axonal recovery starts early after transplantation.
      Electromyographic testing is sensitive in demonstrating this early recovery,
      which ultimately results in clinical improvements.

PMID- 28351611
TI  - Structural Insights of WHAMM's Interaction with Microtubules by Cryo-EM.
AB  - WASP homolog associated with actin, membranes, and microtubules (WHAMM) is a
      vertebrate protein functioning in membrane tubulation for intracellular membrane
      trafficking and specific organelle formation. Composed of multiple domains, WHAMM
      can bind to membrane and microtubule (MT) and promote actin polymerization
      nucleation. Previous work revealed that WHAMM's activity to promote actin
      nucleation is repressed upon binding to MTs. Here, we discovered that WHAMM
      interacts with alphabeta-tubulin through a small peptide motif within its MT
      binding domain. We reconstructed a high-resolution structure of WHAMM's MT
      binding motif (MBM) assembling around MTs using cryo-electron microscopy and
      verified it with chemical cross-linking and mass spectrometry analysis. We also
      detected a conformational switch of this motif between the non-MT-bound state and
      the MT-bound state. These discoveries provide new insights into the mechanism by
      which WHAMM coordinates actin and MT networks, the two major cytoskeletal systems
      involved in membrane trafficking and membrane remodeling.

PMID- 28351612
TI  - A Gibbs Free Energy-Based Assessment of Microbial Electrocatalysis.
AB  - The use of microbial catalysts for electrode reactions enables novel
      bioremediation and bioproduction processes. To understand the electrochemical
      performance of the electrode reactions, knowledge of their thermodynamics is
      essential. We elaborate here on the Growth Reference System (GRS), simplifying
      thermodynamic calculations in the aforementioned context to, for example,
      demonstrate that cathodic bioprocesses generally suffer from higher
      overpotentials than do anodic processes. Abiotic hydrogen production cannot be
      thermodynamically excluded for any of the cathodic microbial electrosynthesis
      processes described thus far. Predictions for maximum biomass production
      correlated to electron flow are in line with experimental observations. We
      include a comprehensive set of thermodynamic and electrochemical data to support
      calculations relevant to the field of microbial electrocatalysis.

PMID- 28351613
TI  - Why Batch Effects Matter in Omics Data, and How to Avoid Them.
AB  - Effective integration and analysis of new high-throughput data, especially gene
      expression and proteomic-profiling data, are expected to deliver novel clinical
      insights and therapeutic options. Unfortunately, technical heterogeneity or batch
      effects (different experiment times, handlers, reagent lots, etc.) have proven
      challenging. Although batch effect-correction algorithms (BECAs) exist, we know
      little about effective batch-effect mitigation: even now, new batch effect
      associated problems are emerging. These include false effects due to misapplying
      BECAs and positive bias during model evaluations. Depending on the choice of
      algorithm and experimental set-up, biological heterogeneity can be mistaken for
      batch effects and wrongfully removed. Here, we examine these emerging batch
      effect-associated problems, propose a series of best practices, and discuss some
      of the challenges that lie ahead.

PMID- 28351614
TI  - A cat has 9 lives: The dilemma of diagnosing non hodgkin's lymphoma in intensive
      care unit.
AB  - Non hodgkins lymphoma is a common haematological malignancy characterized by
      abnormal clonal proliferation of T-cells, B-cells or both. The incidence of non
      hodgkins lymphoma is rapidly rising. The diagnosis and management of NHL presents
      as a challenge in developing countries like India due to high prevalence of
      tuberculosis, cost and poor patient compliance. We describe an unusual case of a
      patient who presented as a diagnostic dilemma and took 8 diagnosis before finally
      being confirmed as a case of NHL. A suspicion for NHL should always be kept in
      mind in a patient presenting with pneumonia, bilateral pulmonary infiltrates and
      eosinophilia.

PMID- 28351615
TI  - A tantalum oxide-based core/shell nanoparticle for triple-modality image-guided
      chemo-thermal synergetic therapy of esophageal carcinoma.
AB  - Early detection and therapy of esophageal cancer is very important for improving
      the prognosis and survival rate of the patient. A theranostic agent that combines
      multimodal imaging with cancer therapy may be used for augmenting the
      visualization and treatment of the cancer. Herein, we report the synthesis of a
      hollow tantalum oxide (TaOx) nanoparticle that was successfully engineered by
      encapsulation of polypyrrole (PPy) and doxorubicin (DOX) in the core and
      conjugation with a near infrared fluorescence dye (NIRDye800) on the shell of the
      hollow TaOx nanoparticles. The as-prepared core/shell nanoparticles showed
      multimodal imaging features including computed tomography (CT) (for the
      preliminary location of the tumor), photoacoustic (for the anatomical
      localization of the tumor), and fluorescence imaging (for real-time monitoring of
      the tumor margin) and pH- and thermal-sensitive drug release. Because the early
      esophageal carcinoma is a type of superficial cancer, a subcutaneous model in the
      thigh was used for the in vivo study. The core/shell nanoparticles shows high
      imaging contrast between the tumor and the adjacent tissues and controllable
      photothermal therapy (PTT) and chemotherapy. Our results indicated that the
      obtained core/shell nanoparticles had significant potential in the triple
      modality imaging guided precisely chemo-thermal synergetic therapy of esophageal
      cancer. In addition, after aerosol administration, our nanoparticles also
      exhibited comparable therapeutic efficacy with the intravenous administration,
      which is more suitable for clinical therapy of esophageal carcinoma.

PMID- 28351616
TI  - Pulsed-field gel electrophoresis does not break E. coli chromosome undergoing
      excision repair after UV irradiation.
AB  - We showed before that long linear DNA molecules containing single-strand
      interruptions and undergoing pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) tend to
      break into subfragments (electrophoretic nick instability). Here we show that
      circular chromosomal DNA with single-strand interruptions remains in the wells
      during PFGE. This means that the presence of nicks in immobile circular DNA is
      not enough to break this DNA during PFGE. In other words, under the conditions of
      our study, the artifactual conversion of nicks into double-strand breaks that we
      detect in linear DNA does not contribute to the overall level of chromosomal
      fragmentation, as measured by PFGE.

PMID- 28351617
TI  - Interaction of FAM5C with UDP-glucose:glycoprotein glucosyltransferase 1 (UGGT1):
      Implication of N-glycosylation in FAM5C secretion.
AB  - N-glycosylation of proteins is important for protein folding and function. We
      have recently reported that FAM5C/BRINP3 contributes to the tumor necrosis factor
      alpha-induced expression of leukocyte adhesion molecules in vascular endothelial
      cells (ECs). However, regulatory mechanism of the FAM5C biosynthesis is poorly
      understood. Co-immunoprecipitation assay revealed the interaction of FAM5C with
      UDP-glucose:glycoprotein glucosyltransferase 1 (UGGT1), a glycoprotein folding
      sensor enzyme. FAM5C ectopically expressed in HEK293 cells was localized to the
      endoplasmic reticulum and co-localized with endogenously expressed UGGT1.
      Molecular size of FAM5C was reduced by treatment with N-glycosidase F and in
      FAM5C-expressing cells cultured in the presence of the N-glycosylation inhibitor
      tunicamycin. FAM5C was secreted by the cells and the secretion of FAM5C was
      blocked by tunicamycin. Among six potential N-glycosylation sites, the potential
      site at Asn168 was not N-glycosylated, and Asn337, Asn456, Asn562, Asn609, and
      Asn641 mutants were poorly secreted by the cells. These results demonstrated that
      FAM5C is an N-glycosylated protein and N-glycosylation is necessary for the
      secretion of FAM5C.

PMID- 28351618
TI  - Structure of the MazF-mt9 toxin, a tRNA-specific endonuclease from Mycobacterium
      tuberculosis.
AB  - Tuberculosis (TB) is a severe disease caused by Mycobacterium tuberculosis (M.
      tb) and the well-characterized M. tb MazE/F proteins play important roles in
      stress adaptation. Recently, the MazF-mt9 toxin has been found to display
      endonuclease activities towards tRNAs but the mechanism is unknown. We hereby
      present the crystal structure of apo-MazF-mt9. The enzyme recognizes tRNALys with
      a central UUU motif within the anticodon loop, but is insensitive to the sequence
      context outside of the loop. Based on our crystallographic and biochemical
      studies, we identified key residues for catalysis and proposed the potential tRNA
      binding site.

PMID- 28351619
TI  - Activation of hypoxia-inducible factor-1alpha by prolonged in vivo
      hyperinsulinemia treatment potentiates cancerous progression in estrogen receptor
      positive breast cancer cells.
AB  - Despite numerous epidemiological data linking type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) and
      breast cancer (BCa), there is limited experimental evidence of this association.
      The clinically relevant question is at what stage diabetes may exert its tumor
      promoting activity. Moreover, identification of major pathophysiological pathways
      underlying this activity should provide valuable information for treatment. In
      the present study, the BCa cells isolated from long-term T2DM-treated tumors from
      diabetic nude mice were found to have increased cell proliferation, invasiveness
      and docetaxel (DTX) resistance. Importantly, this stimulatory effect was only
      observable in estrogen receptor (ER)-positive BCa cells. Mechanistically, T2DM
      elicited hyperinsulinemia induced HIF-1alpha expression by reducing its
      ubiquitination, which was accompanied with upregulated oxidative stress.
      Furthermore, in vivo inhibition of HIF-1alpha expression effectively reversed the
      above-mentioned tumor-promoting activity and partially attenuated T2DM-elicited
      oxidative stress. Altogether, the results provide novel and compelling
      experimental evidence that (i) prolonged exposure to T2DM promotes BCa
      progression; (ii) the hyperinsulinemia/HIF-1alpha/oxidative stress cascade is the
      major mediator of this effect.

PMID- 28351620
TI  - Oxygenated thawing and rewarming alleviate rewarming injury of cryopreserved
      pancreatic islets.
AB  - BACKGROUND/AIMS: Pancreatic islet transplantation is an effective treatment for
      Type 1 diabetic patients to eliminate insulin injections; however, a shortage of
      donor organs hinders the widespread use. Although long-term islet storage, such
      as cryopreservation, is considered one of the key solutions, transplantation of
      cryopreserved islets is still not practical due to the extensive loss during the
      cryopreservation-rewarming process. We have previously reported that culturing
      islets in a hyperoxic environment is an effective treatment to prevent islet
      death from the hypoxic injury during culture. In this study, we explored the
      effectiveness of thawing and rewarming cryopreserved islets in a hyperoxic
      environment. METHODS: Following cryopreservation of isolated human islets, the
      thawing solution and culture media were prepared with or without pre
      equilibration to 50% oxygen. Thawing/rewarming and the pursuant two-day culture
      were performed with or without oxygenation. Short-term recovery rate, defined as
      the volume change during cryopreservation and thawing/rewarming, was assessed.
      Ischemia-associated and inflammation-associated gene expressions were examined
      using qPCR after the initial rewarming period. Long-term recovery rate, defined
      as the volume change during the two-day culture after the thawing/rewarming, was
      also examined. Islet metabolism and function were assessed by basal oxygen
      consumption rate and glucose stimulated insulin secretion after long-term
      recovery. RESULTS: Oxygenated thawing/rewarming did not alter the short-term
      recovery rate. Inflammation-associated gene expressions were elevated by the
      conventional thawing/rewarming method and suppressed by the oxygenated
      thawing/rewarming, whereas ischemia-associated gene expressions did not change
      between the thawing/rewarming methods. Long-term recovery rate experiments
      revealed that only the combination therapy of oxygenated thawing/rewarming and
      oxygenated culture alleviated islet volume loss. These islets showed higher
      metabolism and better function among the conditions examined. CONCLUSION:
      Oxygenated thawing/rewarming alleviated islet volume loss, with the help of
      oxygenated culture.

PMID- 28351621
TI  - Critical roles of Astrin in the mitosis of immature rat Sertoli cells.
AB  - Male hypogonadism (hgn/hgn) rats show testicular hypoplasia accompanied by
      dysplastic development of seminiferous tubules due to loss-of-function mutation
      of the gene encoding Astrin, which is required for mitotic progression in the
      division cycle of HeLa cells. In the present study, we examined the cytological
      base leading to the decrease of Sertoli cells in hgn/hgn testes. In hgn/hgn
      testes on postnatal day 3, anti-phospho-histone H3 (Ser10) (pH3)-positive mitotic
      phase and TUNEL-positive apoptosis increased in GATA4-positive Sertoli cells.
      Isolated immature Sertoli cells from hgn/hgn testes showed increased pH3-assessed
      mitotic index accompanied by decreased 5-bromo-2'-deoxyuridine-incorporation and
      increased TUNEL-positive apoptosis, suggesting mitotic delay and cell death. In
      the visualization of mitotic progression by nocodazole (NOC)-mediated cell cycle
      arrest and subsequent release, hgn/hgn rat-derived Sertoli cells failed to make
      the transition from prometaphase to metaphase, and the cells with micronuclei and
      TUNEL-positive cells gradually increased in a time-dependent manner. Western blot
      analysis detected ~142 kDa protein expected as Astrin in extracts of +/+ and
      +/hgn testes and cultured normal Sertoli cells but not in extracts of hgn/hgn
      testes. CLASP1 was detected in extracts of both normal and hgn/hgn testes,
      whereas it was localized in kinetochore of normal mitotic Sertoli cells but
      diffused in cytoplasm of hgn/hgn Sertoli cells. These results indicate that
      Astrin is required for normal mitotic progression in immature Sertoli cells and
      that the most severe type of testicullar dysplasia in hgn/hgn rats is caused by
      mitotic cell death of immature Sertoli cells due to lack of Astrin.

PMID- 28351622
TI  - Direct labeling of serum proteins by fluorescent dye for antibody microarray.
AB  - Analysis of serum proteome by antibody microarray is used to identify novel
      biomarkers and to study signaling pathways including protein phosphorylation and
      protein-protein interactions. Labeling of serum proteins is important for optimal
      performance of the antibody microarray. Proper choice of fluorescent label and
      optimal concentration of protein loaded on the microarray ensure good quality of
      imaging that can be reliably scanned and processed by the software. We have
      optimized direct serum protein labeling using fluorescent dye Arrayit Green 540
      (Arrayit Corporation, USA) for antibody microarray. Optimized procedure produces
      high quality images that can be readily scanned and used for statistical analysis
      of protein composition of the serum.

PMID- 28351623
TI  - IGF-1 receptor haploinsufficiency leads to age-dependent development of metabolic
      syndrome.
AB  - Individuals born small for gestational age (SGA) are at a higher risk of
      developing the metabolic syndrome later in life. IGF-1 resistance has been
      reported in placentae from SGA births and mutations in the Igf1 receptor gene
      have been reported in several cohorts of SGA subjects. We have used the Igf1r
      heterozygous (Igf1r+/-) male mouse as a model to investigate the mechanisms by
      which Igf1r haploinsufficiency leads to insulin resistance. Despite exhibiting
      IGF-1 resistance, insulin signaling is enhanced in young Igf1r+/- mice but is
      attenuated in the muscle of old Igf1r+/- mice. Although smaller than WT (wild
      type) mice, old-aged Igf1r+/- had increased adiposity and exhibit increased
      lipogenesis. We hypothesize that IGF-1 resistance initially causes a transient
      increase in insulin signaling thereby promoting a lipogenic phenotype, which
      subsequently leads to insulin resistance.

PMID- 28351624
TI  - HLA-A*31:01 and lamotrigine-induced severe cutaneous adverse drug reactions in a
      Korean population.

PMID- 28351625
TI  - [Utilising statutory health insurance data to evaluate pharmaceutical
      interventions in secondary care - a pilot study].
AB  - BACKGROUND: Intensive pharmaceutical and medical care can lead to fewer drug
      related problems (DRPs) in hospitals. Currently available methods to track drug
      changes after transition from inpatient to outpatient care are susceptible to
      systemic bias. Therefore we analysed the feasibility of a data linkage between
      prescription data extracted from hospital medical records and claims data from a
      health insurance company. METHODS: At six Saxonian hospitals, patients with a
      written informed consent were consecutively assigned to a control (CG) or
      intervention group (IG) depending on the time of admission. Clinical pharmacists
      documented predetermined DRPs and prescribed medication on the day of hospital
      admission and in the discharge letter. In case of DRP (IG) or potentially life
      threatening DRPs (CG), drug changes were recommended to the hospital physician.
      These data were patient-individually linked to claims data from a health
      insurance company comprising a period of six months before and six months after
      hospitalisation (data linkage). We analysed data consistency within the data
      linkage and the post-hospital prevalence of DRPs identified in the hospital
      setting. RESULTS: We enrolled 532 patients (CG/IG 280/252). The data linkage was
      feasible for 97.0% (CG) and 96.6% (IG) of the patients, respectively. A total of
      318 DRPs (CG/IG 176/142) was detected. Because of restrictions in the
      reimbursement of drugs in the outpatient setting, 22 (12.5%, CG) and 13 (9.2%,
      IG) DRPs were not analysable. Insurance claims data during a 6-month follow-up
      showed no statistically significant difference between the CG (without
      intervention) and in the IG (with intervention) with respect to DRPs (43.4% vs
      38.1%; p = 0.472). CONCLUSIONS: The linkage of inpatient and outpatient data was
      feasible for the majority of enrolled patients. Compared to similar studies, the
      risk for systemic bias decreased because fewer patients were lost to follow-up.
      Within this feasibility study the expected difference between IG and CG could not
      be demonstrated statistically.

PMID- 28351626
TI  - Integrated immunochromatographic strip with glucometer readout for rapid
      quantification of phosphorylated proteins.
AB  - A new technology to quantify phospho-p5315 by converting its content to the
      amount of glucose which is detectable by a glucometer was developed. An
      immunochromatographic test strip (ITS) was used as a disposable platform, where
      primary antibody (Ab1)-modified Fe3O4 magnetic nanoparticles (Fe3O4-Ab1) were
      settled on the test zone to capture both the target phospho-p5315 and the
      detection antibody (Ab2)-glucose encapsulating liposome (GEL) conjugate. The
      measurement was based on the release and subsequent detection of glucose from Ab2
      GEL using a glucose meter (GM). The amount of glucose is proportional to the
      phospho-p5315 concentration from 0.1 to 50 ng mL-1, the limit of detection is 50
      pg mL-1 (3S/N). The high sensitivity was a result of the huge number of glucose
      encapsulated in the liposome. Taking the advantage of low cost, widespread
      availability and portability of the test trip, together with the personal GM, the
      presented approach can be easily used to detect other disease biomarkers in
      medical diagnostics and environmental monitoring.

PMID- 28351627
TI  - Non-targeted LC-MS based metabolomics analysis of the urinary steroidal profile.
AB  - The urinary steroidal fraction has been extensively explored as non-invasive
      alternative to monitor pathological conditions as well as to unveil the illicit
      intake of pseudo-endogenous anabolic steroids in sport. However, the majority of
      previous approaches involved the a priori selection of potentially relevant
      target analytes. Here we describe the non-targeted analysis of the urinary
      steroidal profiles. The workflow includes minimal sample pretreatment and
      normalization according to the specific gravity of urine, a 20 min reverse phase
      ultra-performance liquid chromatographic separation hyphenated to electrospray
      time-of-flight mass spectrometry. As initial validation, we analyzed a set of
      quality control urines spiked with glucurono- and sulfo-conjugated steroids at
      physiological ranges. We then applied the method for the analysis of samples
      collected after single transdermal administration of testosterone in hypogonadal
      men. The method allowed profiling of approximately three thousand metabolic
      features, including steroids of clinical and forensic relevance. It successfully
      identified metabolic pathways mostly responsible for groups clustering even in
      the context of high inter-individual variability and allowed the detection of
      currently unknown metabolic features correlating with testosterone
      administration. These outcomes set the stage for future studies aimed at
      implementing currently monitored urinary steroidal markers both in clinical and
      forensic analysis.

PMID- 28351628
TI  - Coupling of gas chromatography and electrospray ionization high resolution mass
      spectrometry for the analysis of anabolic steroids as trimethylsilyl derivatives
      in human urine.
AB  - In this study, gas chromatography (GC) was interfaced with high resolution mass
      spectrometry (HRMS) with electrospray ionization source (ESI) and the relevant
      parameters were investigated to enhance the ionization efficiency. In GC-ESI, the
      distances (x-, y- and z) and angle between the ESI needle, GC capillary column
      and MS orifice were set to 7 (x-distance), 4 (y-distance), and 1 mm (z-distance).
      The ESI spray solvent, acid modifier and nebulizer gas flow were methanol, 0.1%
      formic acid and 5 arbitrary units, respectively. Based on these results,
      analytical conditions for GC-ESI/HRMS were established. In particular, the
      results of spray solvent flow indicated a concentration-dependent mechanism (peak
      dilution effect), and other parameters also greatly influenced the ionization
      performance. The developed GC-ESI/HRMS was then applied to the analysis of
      anabolic steroids as trimethylsilyl (TMS) derivatives in human urine to
      demonstrate its application. The ionization profiles of TMS-derivatized steroids
      were investigated and compared with those of underivatized steroids obtained from
      gas chromatography-electrospray ionization/mass spectrometry (GC-ESI/MS) and
      liquid chromatography-electrospray ionization/mass spectrometry (LC-ESI/MS). The
      steroids exhibited ionization profiles based on their structural characteristics,
      regardless of the analyte phase or derivatization. Groups I and II with
      conjugated or unconjugated keto functional groups at C3 generated the [M+H]+ and
      [M+H-TMS]+ ions, respectively. On the other hand, Groups III and IV gave rise to
      the characteristic fragment ions [M+H-TMS-H2O]+ and [M+H-2TMS-H2O]+,
      corresponding to loss of a neutral TMS.H2O moiety from the protonated molecular
      ion by in-source dissociation. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first
      study to successfully ionize and analyze steroids as TMS derivatives using ESI
      coupled with GC. The present system has enabled the ionization of TMS derivatives
      under ESI conditions and this method has potential as a novel ionization tool. It
      is also useful for the simultaneous analysis of steroids as TMS derivatives.

PMID- 28351629
TI  - Detection of sub-pptv benzene, toluene, and ethylbenzene via low-pressure
      photoionization mass spectrometry.
AB  - This paper reports on the advanced development of an ultrasensitive method for
      the detection of benzene, toluene, and ethylbenzene (or BTE) by low-pressure
      photoionization mass spectrometry (LPPI-MS). The LPPI source is composed of a
      laboratory-assembled krypton lamp and a stainless steel cylindrical ionizer. A
      compact V-shaped mass spectrometer is coupled to the LPPI source with a set of
      ion immigration optics under dc bias. The fixed standard concentration (FSC) and
      fixed standard volume (FSV) method are employed to calibrate the sensitivities of
      the instrument. The corresponding detection sensitivity toward BTE is 4-7
      counts/pptv and the 2sigma limit of detection (LOD) is 0.5-0.8 part per trillion
      by volume (pptv). In addition, the measurement accuracy is 95%-105%, and the
      corresponding precision ranges from 3% to 15% and from 9% to 31% for the FSC and
      FSV methods, respectively. The stability (standard deviation) of LPPI-MS for a 1
      ppbv BTE mixture is less than 0.025 (>12 h). In the detection of BTE, water in
      ambient air is the most significant interfering factor, leading to the increased
      background, and inferior LODs of 1-2 pptv for BTE under an RH of ~90% is
      observed. Experimental results indicated that LPPI-MS is reliable for the
      detection of sub-pptv levels of BTE under laboratory conditions.

PMID- 28351630
TI  - Numerical investigation on layout optimization of obstacles in a three
      dimensional passive micromixer.
AB  - This paper aims at layout optimization design of obstacles in a three-dimensional
      T-type micromixer. Numerical analysis shows that the direction of flow velocity
      change constantly due to the obstacles blocking, which produces the chaotic
      convection and increases species mixing effectively. The orthogonal experiment
      method was applied for determining the effects of some key parameters on mixing
      efficiency. The weights in the order are: height of obstacles > geometric shape >
      symmetry = number of obstacles. Based on the optimized results, a multi-units
      obstacle micromixer was designed. Compared with T-type micromixer, the multi
      units obstacle micromixer is more efficient, and more than 90% mixing efficiency
      were obtained for a wide range of peclet numbers. It can be demonstrated that the
      presented optimal design method of obstacles layout in three-dimensional
      microchannels is a simple and effective technology to improve species mixing in
      microfluidic devices. The obstacles layout methodology has the potential for
      applications in chemical engineering and bioengineering.

PMID- 28351631
TI  - Fluorescent nitrogen and sulfur co-doped carbon dots from casein and their
      applications for sensitive detection of Hg2+ and biothiols and cellular imaging.
AB  - Fluorescent nitrogen and sulfur co-doped carbon dots (NSCDs) were synthesized by
      a one-step pyrolysis strategy using casein as carbon, nitrogen and sulfur
      sources, and characterized by UV-vis spectrum, fluorescent spectrum, X-ray
      photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and FT-IR, etc. The synthesized NSCDs displayed
      a blue emission under ultraviolet illumination with a quantum yield of 31.8%, and
      a good aqueous solubility, photostability and biocompatibility. It was found that
      the fluorescence intensity of NSCDs could be selectively quenched by Hg2+, so
      NSCDs was used as an effective probe for the detection of Hg2+. The linear range
      and the limit of detection (LOD) of the fluorescent sensor based on NSCDs for the
      detection of Hg2+ were 0.01-0.25 MUM and 6.5 nM, respectively. Spiked water
      samples were detected by the sensor with the recovery of 95.4-106.3% and relative
      standard deviation (RSD) of 3.6-8.6%. It was also observed that the quenched
      NSCDs-Hg2+ system could be restored by the addition of biothiols such as l
      cysteine (Lcy), homocysteine (Hcy) and glutathione (GSH), thus NSCDs-Hg2+ system
      was employed as a fluorescent sensor for the detection of biothiols. The linear
      range and LOD of the NSCDs-Hg2+ system were 1-10 MUM and 23.6 nM for Lcy, 0.2-2.5
      MUM and 12.3 nM for Hcy, and 0.1-2.0 MUM and 16.8 nM for GSH, respectively. The
      NSCDs-Hg2+ system was applied for the detection of biothiols in serum samples
      with satisfied results. In addition, the study in vitro imaging HeLa cells
      revealed that the synthesized NSCDs could be used as effective fluorescent probes
      in cellular imaging without noticeable cytotoxicity.

PMID- 28351632
TI  - Human telomeric hybrid-2-over-hybrid-1 G-quadruplex targeting and a selective
      hypersaline-tolerant sensor using abasic site-engineered monomorphism.
AB  - Coexistence of the polymorphic hybrid-1 and hybrid-2 conformers for a given human
      telomeric G-quadruplex-forming sequence (htG4) complicates its fine structure
      identification and limits its application as a sensor element. With help from
      abasic site (AP site)-engineered htG4s serving as the monomorphic representatives
      of the two typical hybrid conformers, we found that thioflavin T (ThT) can
      selectively target the hybrid-2 conformer over the hybrid-1 counterpart in
      monomer and tandem htG4 molecules. The htG4 that solely adopts the monomorphic
      hybrid-2 conformer engineered by the AP site is most efficient in lighting up ThT
      fluorescence in K+ and a selective K+ sensor is realized with a remarkable
      hypersaline-tolerant capability that can work even in 30000-fold excess of Na+.
      At 600 mM Na+, the dynamic range for K+ detection can be extended to 30 mM with
      the limit of detection of 20 MUM. This is the first report on the fluorescence
      discrimination of these two hybrid conformers of htG4 although they have long
      been categorized with their characteristically structural topologies. Our work
      will attract much interest in the development of sensors based on the monomorphic
      htG4 conformer since such high performance in sensor development has not been
      previously achieved.

PMID- 28351633
TI  - Biofunctional polyelectrolytes assembling on biosensors - A versatile surface
      coating method for protein detections.
AB  - This paper reports a surface functionalization strategy for protein detections
      based on biotin-derivatized poly(l-lysine)-grafted oligo-ethylene glycol (PLL-g
      OEGx-Biotin) copolymers. Such strategy can be used to attach the biomolecule
      receptors in a reproducible way simply by incubation of the transducer element in
      a solution containing such copolymers which largely facilitated the sensor
      functionalization at an industrial scale. As the synthesized copolymers are
      cationic in physiology pH, surface biotinylation can be easily achieved via
      electrostatic adsorption on negatively charged sensor surface. Biotinylated
      receptors can be subsequently attached through well-defined biotin-streptavidin
      interaction. In this work, the bioactive sensor surfaces were applied for mouse
      IgG and prostate specific antigen (PSA) detections using quartz crystal
      microbalance (QCM), optical sensor (BioLayer Interferometry) and conventional
      ELISA test (colorimetry). A limit of detection (LOD) of 0.5 nM was achieved for
      PSA detections both in HEPES buffer and serum dilutions in ELISA tests. The
      synthesized PLL-g-OEGx-Biotin copolymers with different OEG chain length were
      also compared for their biosensing performance. Moreover, the surface
      regeneration was achieved by pH stimulation to remove the copolymers and the
      bonded analytes, while maintaining the sensor reusability as well. Thus, the
      developed PLL-g-OEGx-Biotin surface assembling strategy is believed to be a
      versatile surface coating method for protein detections with multi-sensor
      compatibility.

PMID- 28351634
TI  - Protocol for the recovery and detection of Escherichia coli in environmental
      water samples.
AB  - To achieve active management of bathing areas and to reduce risk associated with
      the presence of fecal pollution, tests capable of rapid on-site assessment of
      microbiological water quality are required. A protocol for the recovery and
      detection of fecal pollution indicator bacteria, E. coli, using beta
      glucuronidase (GUS) activity was developed. The developed protocol involves two
      main steps: sample preparation and GUS activity measurement. In the sample
      preparation step, syringe filters were used with a dual purpose, for the recovery
      and pre-concentration of E. coli from the water matrix and as MUL reactors for
      bacteria lysis and GUS extraction. Subsequently, GUS activity was measured using
      a continuous fluorometric method developed previously. The optimum GUS recovery
      conditions for the sample preparation step were found to be 100 MUL PELB
      (supplemented with 1 mg mL-1 lysozyme and 20 mM DTT) at 37  degrees C for 30 min.
      The protocol was evaluated on environmental samples (fresh and seawater) against
      an establish GUS assay method (Coliplage(r)). GUS activities corresponding to
      samples containing as low as 26 MPN E. coli 100 mL-1 were detected for the
      seawater sample and as low as 110 MPN E. coli 100 mL-1 for the freshwater
      samples. By comparison with the Coliplage(r) method, this protocol offered an
      improvement in the measured GUS activities of 3.1 fold for freshwater samples and
      4.1 fold for seawater samples. Furthermore, the protocol developed here, has a
      time-to-result of 75 min, and successfully addresses the requirement for tests
      capable of rapid assessment of microbiological water quality.

PMID- 28351635
TI  - Novel polymer-based anion-exchangers with covalently-bonded functional layers of
      quaternized polyethyleneimine for ion chromatography.
AB  - For the first time novel pellicular anion-exchangers with functional layers of
      quaternized branched polyethyleneimine (PEI) covalently bonded to the surface of
      aminated poly(styrene-divinylbenzene) (PS-DVB) with 1,4-butanediol diglycidyl
      ether (1,4-BDDGE) as a linker are obtained and studied. The proposed method of
      synthesis includes alkylation of PS-DVB substrate containing secondary
      aminogroups with 1,4-BDDGE followed by amination with branched PEI containing
      primary, secondary, and tertiary amino groups. Quaternization of amino groups of
      PEI required for increasing ion-exchange capacity of the stationary phase is
      provided with two epoxides - glycidol and 1,4-BDDGE, which results in the
      considerable variations of ion-exchange selectivity. Chromatographic properties
      of the obtained anion-exchangers are evaluated using various model mixtures of
      anions (F-, HCOO-, CH3COO-, C2H5COO-, Cl-, BrO3-, NO2-, Br-, NO3-, ClO3-, S2O32-,
      C2O42-, CrO42-, SO42-, PO43-, I-, SCN-) in hydroxide and carbonate/bicarbonte
      eluents. All anion-exchangers show better selectivity toward the anions of weakly
      retained organic acids (acetate, formate, propionate) as compared with previously
      reported chemically derivatized anion-exchangers with monomeric functional sites
      in the ion-exchange layer. In terms of separation abilities, novel anion
      exchangers with covalently-bonded PEI are not inferior to some commercial columns
      with grafted polymeric anion-exchange layer. Anion-exchanger quaternized with
      more hydrophilic glycidol packed in 10-cm long column enables the separation of
      16 anions including weakly retained and highly retained polarizable ones within
      26 min using gradient elution. Column efficiencies for both anion-exchangers with
      quaternized PEI are up to 32000 N/m and 37000 N/m in case of hydroxide and
      carbonate eluent, respectively, which is comparable with the values demonstrated
      by commercially available columns of related chemistry.

PMID- 28351636
TI  - Preparation and application of covalently bonded polysaccharide-modified
      stationary phase for per aqueous liquid chromatography.
AB  - The mixed phosphorylated/methacryloyl polysaccharide derivative was prepared and
      immobilized onto porous silica surface through the radical polymerization. The
      successful immobilization of polysaccharide on the silica support was confirmed
      by FT-IR spectra, elemental analysis and transmission electron microscopy (TEM),
      and so on. The new stationary phase (MCPP-SP) showed both hydrophilic interaction
      liquid chromatography (HILIC) and per aqueous liquid chromatography (PALC)
      characteristics. The chromatographic behaviors were evaluated by investigating
      the effects of water content, column temperature, mobile phase pH and salt
      concentration, and a typical PALC retention feature of MCPP-SP based column was
      observed at high percentage of water content. Compared with C18 column, using
      MCPP-SP column, separation of polar compounds including synthetic pigments and
      sulfa compounds in the PALC mode was successfully accomplished. The results
      demonstrated that MCPP-SP column exhibited stronger retention efficiency for
      various polar compounds. PALC as a green chromatography analytical method was
      suitable for the replacement of HILIC.

PMID- 28351637
TI  - Porous monoliths for on-line sample preparation: A review.
AB  - This review aims at presenting the state of the art concerning monolithic
      materials for on-line sample preparation emphasizing solid-phase extraction,
      matrix exchange, and analyte conversion. Emphasis was given to organic and silica
      based, as well as hybrid monoliths reported in the literature mostly after 2010.
      The first part of this review presents materials and strategies for enrichment of
      inorganic species in environmental and biological samples using mostly ICP-MS
      detectors. In the second part we focus on organic analytes, discussing the role
      of surface area of the polymer monoliths and density of adsorption sites for
      specific interactions, including incorporation of nanoparticles, metal organic
      frameworks, as well as the preparation of hybrid organic-silica monoliths to
      increase the surface area. Incorporation of ionic liquids to increase the number
      of types of interaction mechanisms available for retention is also discussed.
      Monoliths affording molecular recognition properties achieved by including
      boronate moieties for cis-diol recognition, as well as antibodies and aptamers
      for specific molecular recognition are also reviewed. The largest number of
      applications of molecular recognition mechanisms was observed for molecularly
      imprinted polymer monoliths as a consequence of the simplicity of this approach
      when compared to the use of immunosorbents or aptamers. The final part examines
      the on-line applications of immobilized enzyme reactors used for protein
      digestion in proteomic analysis and for kinetic studies in drug discovery and
      clinical assays usually coupling the reactors to mass spectrometers.

PMID- 28351638
TI  - Evaluation of ensemble Monte Carlo variable selection for identification of
      metabolite markers on NMR data.
AB  - The aim of this study was to investigate the potential of the recently developed
      ensemble Monte Carlo Variable Selection (EMCVS) method to identify the relevant
      portions of high resolution 1H NMR spectra as a metabolite fingerprinting tool
      and compare to a widely used method (Variable importance on projection (VIP)) and
      recently proposed variable selected methods i.e. selectivity ratio (SR) and
      significance multivariate correlation (sMC). As case studies two quantitative
      publicly available datasets: wine samples, urine samples of rats, and an
      experiment on mushroom (Agaricus bisporus) were examined. EMCVS outperformed the
      three other variable selection methods in most cases, selecting fewer chemical
      shifts and leading to improved classification of mushrooms and prediction of
      onion by-products intake and wine components. These fewer chemical shift regions
      facilitate the interpretation of the NMR spectra, fingerprinting and
      identification of metabolite markers.

PMID- 28351639
TI  - Untargeted assignment and automatic integration of 1H NMR metabolomic datasets
      using a multivariate curve resolution approach.
AB  - In this article, we propose the use of the Multivariate Curve Resolution -
      Alternating Least Squares (MCR-ALS) chemometrics method to resolve the 1H NMR
      spectra and concentration of the individual metabolites in their mixtures in
      untargeted metabolomics studies. A decision tree-based strategy is presented to
      optimally select and implement spectra estimates and equality constraints during
      MCR-ALS optimization. The proposed method has been satisfactorily evaluated using
      different 1H NMR metabolomics datasets. In a first study, 1H NMR spectra of the
      metabolites in a simulated mixture were successfully recovered and assigned. In a
      second study, more than 30 metabolites were characterized and quantified from an
      experimental unknown mixture analyzed by 1H NMR. In this work, MCR-ALS is shown
      to be a convenient tool for metabolite investigation and sample screening using
      1H NMR, and it opens a new path for performing metabolomics studies with this
      chemometric technique.

PMID- 28351640
TI  - Polyion oligonucleotide-decorated gold nanoparticles with tunable surface charge
      density for amplified signal output of potentiometric immunosensor.
AB  - Methods based on nanostructures have been developed for potentiometric
      immunosensors, but most involve low sensitivity or weak signal output and are
      unsuitable for routine use in diagnosis. Herein, we devise an in-situ signal
      amplification strategy for enhanced electrical readout of potentiometric
      immunosensor toward target prostate-specific antigen (PSA, one kind of cancer
      biomarkers), based on polyion oligonucleotide-labeled gold nanoparticles (AuNPs).
      To decrease the background signal, monoclonal anti-human PSA capture antibody was
      covalently conjugated onto an activated glassy carbon electrode via typical
      carbodiimide coupling. AuNPs heavily functionalized with the polyion
      oligonucleotides and polyclonal anti-PSA detection antibodies (pAb2-AuNP-DNA)
      were utilized as the signal-generation nanotags. In the presence of target PSA, a
      sandwich-type immunoreaction was executed between capture antibody and detection
      antibody on the electrode. The detectable signal derived from the shift in the
      electric potential as a result of the change in the surface charge before and
      after the antigen-antibody reaction. With target PSA increased, the captured pAb2
      AuNP-DNA to the electrode accompanying detection antibody increased, thereby
      resulting in the change of the electrode potential. Due to numerous polyion
      oligonucleotides with the negative charge, the signal readout amplified. Under
      the optimal conditions, the shift in the output potential was proportional to the
      logarithm of target PSA concentration and displayed a dynamic linear range from
      0.05 to 20 ng mL-1 with a detection limit of 13.6 pg mL-1. An intermediate
      precision of <=13.2% was accomplished with the batch-to-batch identification. The
      selectivity was acceptable. The method accuracy was evaluated for human serum
      specimens, and gave the consistent results between the potentiometric
      immunosensor and the referenced enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA).

PMID- 28351641
TI  - A review on mass spectrometry-based quantitative proteomics: Targeted and data
      independent acquisition.
AB  - Mass spectrometry (MS) based proteomics have achieved a near-complete proteome
      coverage in humans and in several other organisms, producing a wealth of
      information stored in databases and bioinformatics resources. Recent
      implementation of selected/multiple reaction monitoring (SRM/MRM) technology in
      targeted proteomics introduced the possibility of quantitatively follow-up
      specific protein targets in a hypothesis-driven experiment. In contrast to
      immunoaffinity-based workflows typically used in biological and clinical research
      for protein quantification, SRM/MRM is characterized by high selectivity, large
      capacity for multiplexing (approx. 200 proteins per analysis) and rapid, cost
      effective transition from assay development to deployment. The concept of SRM/MRM
      utilizes triple quadrupole (QqQ) mass analyzer to provide inherent
      reproducibility, unparalleled sensitivity and selectivity to efficiently
      differentiate isoforms, post-translational modifications and mutated forms of
      proteins. SRM-like targeted acquisitions such as parallel reaction monitoring
      (PRM) are pioneered on high resolution/accurate mass (HR/AM) platforms based on
      the quadrupole-orbitrap (Q-orbitrap) mass spectrometer. The expansion of HR/AM
      also caused development in data independent acquisition (DIA). This review
      presents a step-by-step tutorial on development of SRM/MRM protein assay intended
      for researchers without prior experience in proteomics. We discus practical
      aspects of SRM-based quantitative proteomics workflow, summarize milestones in
      basic biological and medical research as well as recent trends and emerging
      techniques.

PMID- 28351642
TI  - Inter-laboratory validation of a thin film microextraction technique for
      determination of pesticides in surface water samples.
AB  - The primary goal of the present study is the inter-laboratory evaluation of a
      thin film microextraction (TFME) technique to be used as an alternative approach
      to liquid-liquid extraction (LLE). Polydimethylsiloxane/divinylbenzene (PDMS/DVB)
      and PDMS/DVB-carbon mesh supported membranes were used for the extraction of 23
      targeted pesticides, while a thermal desorption unit (TDU) was employed to
      transfer these analytes to a GC/MS instrument for separation and detection. After
      optimization of the most critical parameters, both membranes were capable of
      achieving limits of detection (LOD) in the low ng L-1 range while demonstrating
      excellent robustness, withstanding up to 100 extractions/desorption cycles.
      Furthermore, limits of quantification (LOQ) between 0.025 and 0.50 MUg L-1 were
      achieved for the 23 compounds selected from several classes of pesticides with a
      wide range of polarities. A wide linear range of 0.025-10.0 MUg L-1 with strong
      correlation to response (R2 > 0.99) was attained for most of the studied
      analytes. Both membranes showed good accuracy and repeatability at three levels
      of concentration. Moreover, the method was also validated through blind split
      analyses of 18 surface water samples, collected within 3 months, using TFME at
      the University of Waterloo and LLE at Maxxam Analytics (Mississauga, ON) which is
      an accredited commercial analytical laboratory. Good agreement between the two
      methods was achieved with accuracy values ranging from 70 to 130%, for the
      majority of analytes in the samples collected. At the concentration levels
      investigated, 90% of the analytes were quantifiable by TFME, whereas only 53% of
      the compounds were reportable using the LLE method particularly at concentrations
      lower than 1 MUg L-1. The comparison of TFME and LLE from several analytical
      aspects demonstrated that the novel TFME method gave similar accuracy to LLE,
      while providing additional advantages including higher sensitivity, lower sample
      volume, thus reduced waste production, and faster analytical throughput. Given
      the sensitivity, simplicity, low cost, accuracy, greenness and relatively fast
      procedure of TFME, it shows great potential for adoption in analytical
      laboratories as an alternative to LLE.

PMID- 28351643
TI  - Chemically modified halloysite nanotubes as a solid-phase microextraction
      coating.
AB  - Halloysite nanotubes were modified in three simple steps including etching,
      hydroxylation and amino grafting. The sol-gel technique was used for the chemical
      bonding of the modified halloysite nanotubes (MHNTs) to fused-silica support. The
      MHNTs, as a novel adsorbent was applied as a SPME coating. Diazinon, parathion
      and fenthion were selected as the model compounds to study the extraction
      efficiency of the coating. Gas chromatography-corona discharge ion mobility
      spectrometry was applied for the analysis of the extracted analytes. The
      parameters influencing the extraction efficiency of the method, such as stirring
      rate, salt effect, extraction temperature and time were optimized. The results
      showed that the MHNTs fiber had better extraction efficiency than the commercial
      SPME (PA, PDMS, and PDMS-DVB), bare silica, silica-based HNTs and HNTs-titanium
      dioxide fibers. The limits of detection were found to be in the range of 0.01
      0.03 MUg L-1. The limits of quantification were in the range of 0.03-0.07 MUg L
      1. Also, a good linearity in the range of 0.03-3.0, 0.07-2.0 and 0.03-3.0 MUg L
      1, was found for diazinon, fenthion and parathion, respectively. The method
      precision was lower than 7.0 and 8.7% as the intra- and inter-day relative
      standard deviations, respectively. Agricultural wastewater, cucumber and apple
      were chosen as the real samples. The spiking recovery values were between 84 (+/
      9) and 97% (+/-6). The results showed that the method was applicable and suitable
      for real samples analysis.

PMID- 28351644
TI  - Silica- and germania-based dual-ligand sol-gel organic-inorganic hybrid sorbents
      combining superhydrophobicity and pi-pi interaction. The role of inorganic
      substrate in sol-gel capillary microextraction.
AB  - Principles of sol-gel chemistry were utilized to create silica- and germania
      based dual-ligand surface-bonded sol-gel coatings providing enhanced performance
      in capillary microextraction (CME) through a combination of ligand
      superhydrophobicity and pi-pi interaction. These organic-inorganic hybrid
      coatings were prepared using sol-gel precursors with bonded perfluorododecyl (PF
      C12) and phenethyl (PhE) ligands. Here, the ability of the PF-C12 ligand to
      provide enhanced hydrophobic interaction was advantageously combined with pi-pi
      interaction capability of the PhE moiety to attain the desired sorbent
      performance in CME. The effect of the inorganic sorbent component on
      microextraction performance of was explored by comparing microextraction
      characteristics of silica- and germania-based sol-gel sorbents. The germania
      based dual-ligand sol-gel sorbent demonstrated superior CME performance compared
      to its silica-based counterpart. Thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) of the created
      silica- and germania-based dual-ligand sol-gel sorbents suggested higher carbon
      loading on the germania-based sorbent. This might be indicative of more effective
      condensation of the organic ligand-bearing sol-gel-active chemical species to the
      germania-based sol-gel network (than to its silica-based counterpart) evolving in
      the sol solution. The type and concentration of the organic ligands were varied
      in the sol-gel sorbents to fine-tune extraction selectivity toward different
      classes of analytes. Specific extraction (SE) values were used for an objective
      comparison of the prepared sol-gel CME sorbents. The sorbents with higher content
      of PF-C12 showed remarkable affinity for aliphatic hydrocarbons. Compared to
      their single-ligand sol-gel counterparts, the dual-ligand sol-gel coatings
      demonstrated significantly superior CME performance in the extraction of
      alkylbenzenes, providing up to ~65.0% higher SE values. The prepared sol-gel CME
      coatings provided low ng L-1 limit of detections (LOD) (4.2-26.3 ng L-1) for
      environmentally important analytes including polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons,
      ketones and aliphatic hydrocarbons. In CME-GC experiments (n = 5), the capillary
      to-capillary RSD value was ~2.1%; such a low RSD value is indicative of excellent
      reproducibility of the sol-gel method used for the preparation of these CME
      coatings. The dual-ligand sol-gel coating provided stable performance in
      capillary microextraction of analytes from saline samples.

PMID- 28351646
TI  - Multifaceted link between metabolism and cancer.

PMID- 28351645
TI  - Targeting of 12/15-Lipoxygenase in retinal endothelial cells, but not in
      monocytes/macrophages, attenuates high glucose-induced retinal leukostasis.
AB  - AIMS: Our previous studies have established a role for 12/15-lipoxygenase (LO) in
      mediating the inflammatory response in diabetic retinopathy (DR). However, the
      extent at which the local or systemic induction of 12/15-LO activity involved is
      unclear. Thus, the current study aimed to characterize the relative contribution
      of retinal endothelial versus monocytic/macrophagic 12/15-LO to inflammatory
      responses in DR. MATERIALS & METHODS: We first generated a clustered heat map for
      circulating bioactive lipid metabolites in the plasma of streptozotocin (STZ)
      induced diabetic mice using liquid chromatography coupled with mass-spectrometry
      (LC-MS) to evaluate changes in circulating 12/15-LO activity. This was followed
      by comparing the in vitro mouse endothelium-leukocytes interaction between
      leukocytes isolated from 12/15-LO knockout (KO) versus those isolated from wild
      type (WT) mice using the myeloperoxidase (MPO) assay. Finally, we examined the
      effects of knocking down or inhibiting endothelial 12/15-LO on diabetes-induced
      endothelial cell activation and ICAM-1 expression. RESULTS: Analysis of plasma
      bioactive lipids' heat map revealed that the activity of circulating 12/15-LO was
      not altered by diabetes as evident by no significant changes in the plasma levels
      of major metabolites derived from 12/15-lipoxygenation of different PUFAs,
      including linoleic acid (13-HODE), arachidonic acid (12- and 15- HETEs),
      eicosapentaenoic acid (12- and 15- HEPEs), or docosahexaenoic acid (17-HDoHE).
      Moreover, leukocytes from 12/15-LO KO mice displayed a similar increase in
      adhesion to high glucose (HG)-activated endothelial cells as do leukocytes from
      WT mice. Furthermore, abundant proteins of 12-LO and 15-LO were detected in human
      retinal endothelial cells (HRECs), while it was undetected (15-LO) or hardly
      detectable (12-LO) in human monocyte-like U937 cells. Inhibition or knock down of
      endothelial 12/15-LO in HRECs blocked HG-induced expression of ICAM-1, a well
      known identified important molecule for leukocyte adhesion in DR. CONCLUSION: Our
      data support that endothelial, rather than monocytic/macrophagic, 12/15-LO has a
      critical role in hyperglycemia-induced ICAM-1 expression, leukocyte adhesion, and
      subsequent local retinal barrier dysfunction. This may facilitate the development
      of more precisely targeted treatment strategies for DR.

PMID- 28351648
TI  - Hormonal control of the floral transition: Can one catch them all?
AB  - The transition to flowering marks a key adaptive developmental switch in plants
      which impacts on their survival and fitness. Different signaling pathways control
      the floral transition, conveying both endogenous and environmental cues. These
      cues are often relayed and/or modulated by different hormones, which might confer
      additional developmental flexibility to the floral process in the face of varying
      conditions. Among the different hormonal pathways, the phytohormone gibberellic
      acid (GA) plays a dominant role. GA is connected with the other floral pathways
      through the GA-regulated DELLA proteins, acting as versatile interacting modules
      for different signaling proteins. In this review, I will highlight the role of
      DELLAs as spatial and temporal modulators of different consolidated floral
      pathways. Next, building on recent data, I will provide an update on some
      emerging themes connecting other hormone signaling cascades to flowering time
      control. I will finally provide examples for some established as well as
      potential cross-regulatory mechanisms between hormonal pathways mediated by the
      DELLA proteins.

PMID- 28351647
TI  - APOBEC3B cytidine deaminase targets the non-transcribed strand of tRNA genes in
      yeast.
AB  - Variations in mutation rates across the genome have been demonstrated both in
      model organisms and in cancers. This phenomenon is largely driven by the damage
      specificity of diverse mutagens and the differences in DNA repair efficiency in
      given genomic contexts. Here, we demonstrate that the single-strand DNA-specific
      cytidine deaminase APOBEC3B (A3B) damages tRNA genes at a 1000-fold higher
      efficiency than other non-tRNA genomic regions in budding yeast. We found that
      A3B-induced lesions in tRNA genes were predominantly located on the non
      transcribed strand, while no transcriptional strand bias was observed in protein
      coding genes. Furthermore, tRNA gene mutations were exacerbated in cells where
      RNaseH expression was completely abolished (Deltarnh1Deltarnh35). These data
      suggest a transcription-dependent mechanism for A3B-induced tRNA gene
      hypermutation. Interestingly, in strains proficient in DNA repair, only 1% of the
      abasic sites formed upon excision of A3B-deaminated cytosines were not repaired
      leading to mutations in tRNA genes, while 18% of these lesions failed to be
      repaired in the remainder of the genome. A3B-induced mutagenesis in tRNA genes
      was found to be efficiently suppressed by the redundant activities of both base
      excision repair (BER) and the error-free DNA damage bypass pathway. On the other
      hand, deficiencies in BER did not have a profound effect on A3B-induced mutations
      in CAN1, the reporter for protein coding genes. We hypothesize that differences
      in the mechanisms underlying ssDNA formation at tRNA genes and other genomic loci
      are the key determinants of the choice of the repair pathways and consequently
      the efficiency of DNA damage repair in these regions. Overall, our results
      indicate that tRNA genes are highly susceptible to ssDNA-specific DNA damaging
      agents. However, increased DNA repair efficacy in tRNA genes can prevent their
      hypermutation and maintain both genome and proteome homeostasis.

PMID- 28351649
TI  - Frequency of gonadal tumours in complete androgen insensitivity syndrome (CAIS):
      A retrospective case-series analysis.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Complete androgen insensitivity syndrome (CAIS) is an X-linked
      recessive disorder of sex development (DSD) where affected individuals are
      phenotypically female, but have an XY karyotype and testes. The risk of gonadal
      tumour development in CAIS may increase with age; incidence rates have been
      reported to be 0.8-22% in patients who have retained their gonads into adulthood.
      Consequently, gonadectomy has been recommended either during childhood or after
      puberty is complete, although there is no consensus on the optimal timing for
      this procedure. OBJECTIVE AND HYPOTHESES: To establish the frequency of
      histological abnormalities in CAIS in relation to the age at gonadectomy. METHOD:
      Data were collected from the Cambridge DSD database on patients with CAIS (n =
      225; age range 3-88 years) who had undergone gonadectomy, and their age of
      gonadectomy, gonadal histology and immunohistochemistry. RESULTS: Evaluable data
      were obtained from 133 patients. Median age at gonadectomy was 14.0 years (range:
      18 days-68 years). Pubertal status was: prepuberty, n = 62; postpuberty, n = 68.
      Thirteen cases were aged >20 years at gonadectomy. The pattern of histology is
      summarised in the Summary table. DISCUSSION: In this large case series of CAIS
      patients who had undergone gonadectomy, while the combined malignant and
      premalignant gonadal histology prevalence was 6.0%, the findings confirm the low
      occurrence of gonadal malignancy in CAIS, with a frequency of 1.5%. The two cases
      of malignancy were postpubertal. Germ cell neoplasia in situ (GCNIS) was observed
      in six cases, of which one occurred prepuberty and five postpuberty. The study
      highlighted difficulties in diagnosis of GCNIS and the need for histological
      analysis in expert centres. CONCLUSION: The results support the current
      recommendation that gonads in CAIS can be retained until early adulthood. The
      small number of individuals with gonadectomy after age 20 years do not allow firm
      conclusion regarding later adulthood. Therefore, it is recommended that the
      option of gonadectomy be discussed in adulthood. Some form of regular
      surveillance of the gonads is then recommended, although none of the available
      options are ideal.

PMID- 28351650
TI  - In pursuit of the perfect penis: Hypospadias repair outcomes.
AB  - Hypospadias is commonly assessed and repaired by pediatric urologists. Mild,
      distal hypospadias is generally more a cosmetic problem than a functional one and
      is more frequently encountered than severe, proximal hypospadias. Outcomes
      following repair, especially of mild phenotypes, are important to understand, but
      range widely in timing and measurability. Surgical complications, postoperative
      satisfaction of parents, patients, surgeons and even lay observers, urinary
      function, sexual function, and quality of life all may be considered as relevant
      outcomes of hypospadias repair. Existing studies examining these outcomes are
      diverse in their conclusions, but are important to understand when counseling
      parents and patients prior to any surgical intervention.

PMID- 28351651
TI  - A population-based study of prevalence trends and geospatial analysis of
      hypospadias and cryptorchidism compared with non-endocrine mediated congenital
      anomalies.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: Several reports have suggested an increase in the prevalence of
      hypospadias and cryptorchidism over the last few decades. Endocrine disruption
      caused by exposure to environmental chemicals has been postulated as a possible
      cause. OBJECTIVES: The objectives of our study were: 1) to determine whether the
      prevalence of hypospadias and cryptorchidism is increasing compared with other
      congenital anomalies not known to be mediated by endocrine factors; and 2) to
      perform a geospatial analysis of these congenital malformations looking for
      clustering that could offer insight into environmental risk factors. MATERIAL AND
      METHODS: Data were obtained from the Nova Scotia ATLEE Perinatal Database
      containing the perinatal records of all live births in Nova Scotia, Canada since
      1988. Records from 1988 to 2013 defined the study cohort. Overall prevalence
      rates and prevalence trends by year were calculated for hypospadias,
      cryptorchidism, gastroschisis, and clubfoot. County of residence was collected
      and spatial autocorrelation testing for clustering was performed for each of the
      congenital anomalies. RESULTS: There were 258,147 live births during the study
      period. Overall prevalence rates for the four malformations over the study period
      were: hypospadias 78 per 10,000 male births, cryptorchidism 75 per 10,000 male
      births, clubfoot 24 per 10,000 total births, and gastroschisis 4 per 10,000 total
      births. Incidence rate ratios per year for hypospadias, cryptorchidism, clubfoot,
      and gastroschisis were 1.00 (0.99-1.01), 0.99 (0.98-1.00), 0.98 (0.97-0.99), and
      1.04 (1.04-1.07), respectively. During the study period, the prevalence rates in
      the region were unchanged for hypospadias, slightly reduced for cryptorchidism
      and clubfoot, and rising for gastroschisis (Figure). Spatial autocorrelation
      testing revealed statistically significant clustering for hypospadias (p = 0.03)
      and cryptorchidism (p = 0.03), while no spatial autocorrelation was observed for
      the other malformations. DISCUSSION: Contrary to previous studies we show that
      hypospadias and cryptorchidism prevalence rates are not increasing over time in
      our region. Nonetheless, rates for these conditions in our area are high compared
      with other regions of the world. Local clustering of these congenital anomalies
      without clustering of the control, non-endocrine mediated congenital
      malformations supports a possible unique spatial distribution associated with
      environmental exposure. The hotspots identified for hypospadias and
      cryptorchidism are associated with intense agricultural activity. CONCLUSIONS:
      Our study found no increase in hypospadias and cryptorchidism prevalence over a
      26-year period compared with other congenital anomalies not known to be
      associated with endocrine factors. Geospatial analysis supports high clustering
      for hypospadias and cryptorchidism in areas of intense agricultural activity.

PMID- 28351652
TI  - Gallstones: Bad Company for the Steatotic Liver.

PMID- 28351653
TI  - Should We All Be Using the Doppler Endoscopic Probe in Nonvariceal Upper
      Gastrointestinal Bleeding?

PMID- 28351654
TI  - Lignin-enzyme interaction: Mechanism, mitigation approach, modeling, and research
      prospects.
AB  - The adverse environmental impacts of the fossil fuel and the concerns of energy
      security necessitate the development of alternative clean energy sources from
      renewable feedstocks. Lignocellulosic biomass is a 2nd generation feedstock used
      in the production of biofuels and bio-based products that are conventionally
      derived from fossil resources. The biochemical conversion, which entails biomass
      pretreatment, enzymatic hydrolysis and fermentation, is one major platform used
      to transform lignocelluloses into biofuels. However, lignin presents many
      challenges to enzymatic hydrolysis leading to the need of high enzyme dose, low
      hydrolysis yield, low level of recyclability, high cost of enzymatic hydrolysis
      (because of the high cost of enzymes), and so on. Therefore, enzymatic
      hydrolysis, which is not cost effective, becomes one of major cost contributors.
      To mitigate the negative effects of lignin, extensive research has been conducted
      to explore the fundamental mechanisms of lignin-enzyme interactions to develop
      technologies to overcome the negative effects of lignin on enzymatic hydrolysis.
      Non-productive adsorption, which is characterized by hydrophobic, electrostatic
      and/or hydrogen bonding interactions, is widely known as the primary mechanism
      governing lignin-enzyme interactions. In addition, lignin-enzyme interaction is
      also influenced by steric hindrance (i.e., the physical blocking of enzyme access
      to carbohydrates by lignin). However, the mechanisms underlying the lignin-enzyme
      interactions remain unclear. This article aims to present a comprehensive review
      on the lignin-enzyme interactions (i.e. the mechanism, governing driving forces,
      modeling, and technologies for mitigating the negative effect of lignin). The
      current challenges inherent in this process and possible avenues of research in
      cellulosic biorefinery conclude this article.

PMID- 28351655
TI  - Arterial hypertension and aortic valve stenosis: Shedding light on a common
      "liaison".
AB  - Arterial hypertension and aortic valve stenosis are common disorders and
      frequently present as concomitant diseases, especially in elderly patients. The
      impact of hypertension on heart haemodynamics is substantial, thus affecting the
      clinical presentation of any coexisting valvulopathy, especially of aortic
      stenosis. However, the interaction between these 2 entities is not thoroughly
      discussed in the European or/and American guidelines on the management of
      hypertension or/and valvular heart disease. The present review summarizes all
      available evidence on the potential interplay between hypertension and aortic
      valve stenosis, aiming to help physicians understand the pathophysiology and
      select the best diagnostic and therapeutic strategies (medical or/and
      interventional) for better management of these high-risk patients, taking into
      account the impact on outcome as well as the risk-benefit-ratio.

PMID- 28351657
TI  - Do opinion articles attract more social attention than original research,
      relative to their citation counts?

PMID- 28351656
TI  - Ventricular arrhythmogenic potential assessment in an asymptomatic ischemic
      cardiomyopathy patient with a normal ejection fraction.

PMID- 28351658
TI  - Pharyngeal Airway Space and Hyoid Bone Positioning After Different Orthognathic
      Surgeries in Skeletal Class II Patients.
AB  - PURPOSE: To obtain good profiles, patients with severe skeletal Class II
      malocclusion require orthognathic surgery, which might change their airway space
      and, hence, influence their quality of sleep. The present study aimed to 1)
      determine the effect of different orthognathic surgeries on pharyngeal airway
      space and hyoid bone position in patients with skeletal Class II malocclusion and
      2) evaluate the stability of changes in the pharyngeal airway space and hyoid
      bone position after orthognathic surgeries. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Patients with
      severe skeletal Class II malocclusion who underwent mandibular advancement (MA)
      or mandibular advancement and maxillary setback (MAMS) were included in this
      retrospective cohort study. Changes in the pharyngeal airway space and hyoid bone
      position were evaluated as the primary outcome variables. Measurements were
      obtained before surgery (T1), 1 month after surgery (T2), and 2 years after
      surgery (T3) using Dolphin Imaging Software 11.0. Differences in measurements
      between T2 and T1 and between T3 and T1 were calculated and imported into SPSS
      22.0 for data analysis. RESULTS: Fifty patients were included (25 in MA group and
      25 in MAMS group). Oropharyngeal and hypopharyngeal airway cross-dimensions and
      areas were significantly increased in the MA group (P < .05) and the increases
      were stable at T3. In the MAMS group, the nasopharyngeal airway cross-dimension
      and area were decreased (P > .05), but the hypopharyngeal cross-dimension and
      area were significantly increased (P < .05). The hyoid bone moved superiorly and
      forward after surgery in the MA group (P < .05), and the movement was stable at
      T3. CONCLUSIONS: MA can widen the oropharyngeal and hypopharyngeal airway space,
      and maxillary setback can narrow the nasopharyngeal airway space. Some relapse
      related to the width of the oropharynx and hypopharynx was found at the long-term
      observation. The hyoid bone moved superiorly and forward in the MA group.

PMID- 28351659
TI  - Differences in Clinicopathological Characteristics and Prognosis Between Primary
      and Postirradiation Tongue Squamous Cell Carcinoma.
AB  - PURPOSE: Many cases of postirradiation oral carcinoma have been reported, but its
      prognosis and optimal treatment modalities are not clear. Thus, the
      clinicopathologic characteristics and prognosis between postirradiation tongue
      squamous cell carcinoma (PTSCC) and primary tongue squamous cell carcinoma (TSCC)
      were compared. PATIENTS AND METHODS: A retrospective cohort study was conducted
      to assess patients with PTSCC or TSCC. The primary predictor variable was tumor
      type. The primary outcome variable was prognosis, and the additional outcome
      variables were clinicopathologic characteristics. Survival analysis was
      performed, and Kaplan-Meier analysis was conducted to compare the effects of
      clinicopathologic factors on survival using SPSS 18.0. Moreover, the Cox model
      was applied in multivariate analysis. RESULTS: The sample was composed of 449
      patients with PTSCC (n = 68; 47 men and 21 women; age range, 31 to 72 yr) and
      TSCC (n = 381; 247 men and 134 women; age range, 20 to 86 yr). Patients with
      PTSCC were found to have a substantially poorer prognosis and several specific
      clinicopathologic characteristics compared with patients with TSCC. CONCLUSION:
      Patients with PTSCC had several unique biological tumor characteristics and a
      poorer prognosis than patients with TSCC. Thus, different surgical strategies
      should be used to treat patients with PTSCC.

PMID- 28351661
TI  - Immunostimulatory Endogenous Nucleic Acids Drive the Lesional Inflammation in
      Cutaneous Lupus Erythematosus.
AB  - Cutaneous lupus erythematosus (CLE) is a photosensitive autoimmune disease
      characterized by a strong type I IFN-associated inflammation. Keratinocytes are
      known to determine the interface dermatitis pattern in CLE by production of
      proinflammatory cytokines in the lower epidermis. These cytokines drive a
      cytotoxic anti-epithelial immune response resulting in keratinocytic cell death
      and release of endogenous nucleic acids. We hypothesized that these endogenous
      nucleic acids (RNA and DNA motifs) have the capacity to activate innate immune
      pathways in keratinocytes via pathogen recognition receptors. Gene expression
      analyses showed an excessive activation of innate immune response pathways with
      strong expression of IFN-regulated cytokines in CLE skin lesions. Cultured
      keratinocytes produce large amounts of these cytokines in response to stimulation
      of PRR with endogenous nucleic acids. UV stimulation enhances the immunogenicity
      of endogenous nucleic acids and induces CLE-like skin lesions in knockout mice
      lacking the cytosolic DNase TREX1. Our results provide evidence for a
      pathogenetic role of endogenous nucleic acids in CLE. They are released within
      the cytotoxic inflammation along the dermo-epidermal junction and have the
      capacity to drive the CLE-typical inflammation. UV irradiation supports this
      inflammation by generation of highly immunostimulatory DNA motifs (8
      hydroxyguanosine). These findings explain the photosensitivity of patients with
      lupus and identify pathways of the innate immune system as targets for future
      therapies.

PMID- 28351660
TI  - TWEAK/Fn14 Activation Contributes to the Pathogenesis of Bullous Pemphigoid.
AB  - TWEAK participates in various cellular effects by engaging its receptor of Fn14.
      Increased levels of soluble TWEAK are associated with systemic autoimmunity in
      patients with lupus erythematosus, rheumatoid arthritis, or dermatomyositis.
      However, the role of TWEAK in bullous pemphigoid (BP) remains unknown. In this
      study, we found an elevated serum level of TWEAK and a positive correlation
      between serum TWEAK and anti-BP180 antibodies. Immunohistochemistry showed strong
      TWEAK and Fn14 expression and implied an opposite relationship between the TWEAK
      and BP180 expression in skin samples from BP patients. In vitro TWEAK stimuli
      reduced BP180 expression in HaCaT cells and inhibited the adhesion of cells to
      the culture dish. Consistently, the transfection of Fn14 small interfering RNA
      preserved BP180 and protected cells from losing adherence. Moreover, such effect
      of TWEAK correlated with activation of the extracellular signal-regulated kinase
      and NF-kappaB pathways and downstream ADAMs. By silencing ADAM17 with small
      interfering RNA, we showed that ADAM17 participated in TWEAK-induced BP180 loss.
      Therefore, TWEAK may contribute to the pathogenesis of BP by reducing BP180
      expression and cellular adherence, involving the activation of ERK and NF-kappaB
      pathways. TWEAK may serve as a biomarker or therapeutic target of BP.

PMID- 28351662
TI  - Learning a commonsense moral theory.
AB  - We introduce a computational framework for understanding the structure and
      dynamics of moral learning, with a focus on how people learn to trade off the
      interests and welfare of different individuals in their social groups and the
      larger society. We posit a minimal set of cognitive capacities that together can
      solve this learning problem: (1) an abstract and recursive utility calculus to
      quantitatively represent welfare trade-offs; (2) hierarchical Bayesian inference
      to understand the actions and judgments of others; and (3) meta-values for
      learning by value alignment both externally to the values of others and
      internally to make moral theories consistent with one's own attachments and
      feelings. Our model explains how children can build from sparse noisy
      observations of how a small set of individuals make moral decisions to a broad
      moral competence, able to support an infinite range of judgments and decisions
      that generalizes even to people they have never met and situations they have not
      been in or observed. It also provides insight into the causes and dynamics of
      moral change across time, including cases when moral change can be rapidly
      progressive, changing values significantly in just a few generations, and cases
      when it is likely to move more slowly.

PMID- 28351664
TI  - Analysis of macrobenthic assemblages and ecological health of Yellow River Delta,
      China, using AMBI & M-AMBI assessment method.
AB  - Yellow River delta (YRD) is a typical example of a valuable coastal ecosystem
      that is under increasing anthropogenic threat in China. To understand the current
      health status of this region, three surveys in 2011 for the abiotic conditions
      and macrobenthic assemblages were performed. The concentration of trace metals
      were relatively low in the sediment at all sampling stations representing a good
      sediment quality. A total of 159 macrobenthic species were identified during the
      three surveys. ABC curves showed that the macrobenthic fauna at 8 sampling
      stations suffered disturbances from human activities. M-AMBI index indicates that
      the benthic ecological quality of YRD is currently still not in a good condition.
      Five trace metals, water temperature and depth were the main environmental
      variables affecting the distribution pattern of macrobenthic assemblages.
      Community succession has occurred over the past 60years, as evidenced by changes
      of species composition, key species, distribution pattern and range.

PMID- 28351663
TI  - Effects of sediment contamination on physiological and biochemical responses of
      the polychaete Diopatra neapolitana, an exploited natural resource.
AB  - The present study reports metal and arsenic contamination in sediments, as well
      as element accumulation and partitioning in the polychaete Diopatra neapolitana
      in the Ria de Aveiro lagoon (Portugal). The polychaetes biochemical performance
      and tissue regenerative capacity were also evaluated. The concentration of
      elements in sediments showed an increase of contamination among areas (areas A
      G), but higher bioaccumulation was observed in organisms from a less contaminated
      area (area C, BAF>1). This study evidenced that individuals with higher elements
      bioaccumulation presented higher LPO and lower GSH/GSSG and also exhibited lower
      capacity for body regeneration. Polychaetes biotransformation capacity as well as
      antioxidant defense mechanisms were not sufficiently efficient to withstand the
      excess of ROS leading to increased LPO when organisms presented higher
      bioaccumulation levels. Additionally, an increase of methalotionines was also
      observed in individuals with higher bioaccumulation of metals and As, suggesting
      an induction of detoxification processes.

PMID- 28351665
TI  - ApoB and apoM - New aspects of lipoprotein biology in uremia-induced
      atherosclerosis.
AB  - Chronic kidney disease affects as much as 13% of the population, and is
      associated with a markedly increased risk of developing cardiovascular disease.
      One of the underlying reasons is accelerated development of atherosclerosis. This
      can be ascribed both to increased occurrence of traditional cardiovascular risk
      factors, and to risk factors that may be unique to patients with chronic kidney
      disease. The latter is reflected in the observation that the current treatment
      modalities, mainly directed against traditional risk factors, are insufficient to
      prevent cardiovascular disease in the patient with chronic kidney disease. This
      review discusses mechanisms accelerating uremic atherosclerosis with a specific
      focus on the putative roles of apolipoprotein(apo)s B and M that may be
      particularly important in patients with chronic kidney disease.

PMID- 28351666
TI  - Operculina turpethum extract inhibits growth and proliferation by inhibiting NF
      kappaB, COX-2 and cyclin D1 and induces apoptosis by up regulating P53 in oral
      cancer cells.
AB  - OBJECTIVES: Herbal drugs are popularly emerging as complementary and alternative
      medicines in cancer patients because of their cost effectiveness and minimal side
      effects. The extract of Operculina turpethum (OT) is known to have antipyretic,
      anti-inflammatory and purgative properties. Since it is popularly known have
      antiinflammatory activity, we investigated its anti-tumor activity on four oral
      squamous cell carcinoma cell lines (OSCC) namely, (SCC-4, KB, SCC-9 and SCC-25).
      DESIGN: Antitumor activities of Operculina turpathum extract (OTE) was
      investigated by MTT and clonogenic assay, effect on cell cycle and apoptosis
      induction by Annexin-V/propidium iodide (PI) staining and flow cytometry and
      invasive potential of the tumor was determined by matrigel assay. The expression
      of various proteins involved in these mechanisms was analysed by western
      blotting. RESULTS: OTE specifically inhibited the growth and colony formation of
      OSCC cells in a dose-dependent manner via inhibiting NF-kappaB and its downstream
      target COX-2. It further arrested cell cycle at G0/G1 phase by inhibiting cyclin
      D1 and induced early apoptosis by up-regulating P53 in OSCC cells. It also limits
      the invasion capacity of OSCC cells by up to 55-60%. CONCLUSIONS: OTE shows
      antitumor activities in OSCC cells by inhibiting NF-kappaB, COX-2 and cyclin D1
      and upregulation of p53 expression. It may be developed as a safe and promising
      alternative chemopreventive/chemotherapeutic agent for oral cancer.

PMID- 28351667
TI  - Pyrilamine-sensitive proton-coupled organic cation (H+/OC) antiporter for brain
      specific drug delivery.
AB  - Blood-brain barrier (BBB) represents the greatest challenge that hampers
      therapeutic molecules entering the brain. Here, we described a novel brain
      specific delivery strategy targeting to pyrilamine-sensitive H+/OC antiporter to
      facilitate therapeutic molecules cross the BBB and penetrate into the brain. In
      this study, four cyclic tertiary amines were selected as the brain-targeting
      moieties to modify naproxen (NP), a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug. The
      obtained NP conjugates displayed cell uptake efficiencies over 144-fold higher
      than that of unmodified NP in endothelial cells. The cell uptake process of the
      conjugates was primarily driven by pyrilamine-sensitive H+/OC antiporter in a pH
      dependent, Na+-independent, and membrane potential-independent pathway, which
      could be further inhibited by pyrilamine, propranolol, and imipramine. Moreover,
      the NP conjugates showed significantly higher AUC0-t and Cmax in the brain
      compared with unmodified NP, and significantly higher accumulation than NP in the
      in situ brain perfusion study. Also, the conjugates showed superior
      neuroprotective effect in vitro and in vivo. Thus, the chemical modification of
      therapeutics with a cyclic tertiary amine moiety represents a promising and
      efficient strategy for brain-specific drug delivery via pyrilamine-sensitive
      H+/OC antiporter.

PMID- 28351669
TI  - Effect of maximum inhalation flow and inhaled volume on formoterol drug
      deposition in-vitro from an Easyhaler(r) dry powder inhaler.
AB  - Most patients using dry powder inhalers (DPIs) do not achieve the inhalation
      parameters recommended for pharmacopoeial in-vitro dose emission testing. The
      dose emission characteristics of formoterol from an Easyhaler(r) have been
      measured using the Andersen Cascade Impactor (ACI) with a maximum inhalation flow
      (MIF) of 28.3, 60 and 90L/min and inhaled volumes (Vin) of 240, 750, 1500 and
      2000mL. The total emitted dose (TED) was significantly higher at 90L/min
      (p<0.05), but the difference in the TED between low (28.3L/min) and high
      (90L/min) flow rate was significantly reduced by increasing the Vin. The fine
      particle dose (FPD) was higher (p<0.05) at 90L/min for all Vin values compared to
      28.3 and 60L/min. Similarly the mass median aerodynamic diameter (MMAD) was
      smaller at 90L/min across all Vin values. Dose emission characteristics were
      lower at 240mL for both MIFs. The results for 240mL could be due to an
      insufficient Vin pulled through the ACI or incomplete emptying of the dose
      metering cup. This study shows that the FPD, %FPF and MMAD were not significantly
      affected by the vin>=750mL and that an inhaled volume as low as 750mL could be
      used with the ACI.

PMID- 28351668
TI  - Polymeric nanoparticles as cancer-specific DNA delivery vectors to human
      hepatocellular carcinoma.
AB  - Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the third most deadly cancer in the US, with a
      meager 5-year survival rate of <20%. Such unfavorable numbers are closely related
      to the heterogeneity of the disease and the unsatisfactory therapies currently
      used to manage patients with invasive HCC. Outside of the clinic, gene therapy
      research is evolving to overcome the poor responses and toxicity associated with
      standard treatments. The inadequacy of gene delivery vectors, including poor
      intracellular delivery and cell specificity, are major barriers in the gene
      therapy field. Herein, we described a non-viral strategy for effective and cancer
      specific DNA delivery to human HCC using biodegradable poly(beta-amino ester)
      (PBAE) nanoparticles (NPs). Varied PBAE NP formulations were evaluated for
      transfection efficacy and cytotoxicity to a range of human HCC cells as well as
      healthy human hepatocytes. To address HCC heterogeneity, nine different sources
      of human HCC cells were utilized. The polymeric NPs composed of 2-((3
      aminopropyl)amino) ethanol end-modified poly(1,5-pentanediol diacrylate-co-3
      amino-1-propanol) ('536') at a 25 polymer-to-DNA weight-to-weight ratio led to
      high transfection efficacy to all of the liver cancer lines, but not to
      hepatocytes. Each individual HCC line had a significantly higher percentage of
      exogenous gene expression than the healthy liver cells (P<0.01). Notably, this
      biodegradable end-modified PBAE gene delivery vector was not cytotoxic and
      maintained the viability of hepatocytes above 80%. In a HCC/hepatocyte co-culture
      model, in which cancerous and healthy cells share the same micro-environment, 536
      25 w/w NPs specifically transfected cancer cells. PBAE NP administration to a
      subcutaneous HCC mouse model, established with one of the human lines tested in
      vitro, confirmed effective DNA transfection in vivo. PBAE-based NPs enabled high
      and preferential DNA delivery to HCC cells, sparing healthy hepatocytes. These
      biodegradable and liver cancer-selective NPs are a promising technology to
      deliver therapeutic genes to liver cancer.

PMID- 28351670
TI  - Preemptive analgesia for postoperative hysterectomy pain control: systematic
      review and clinical practice guidelines.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: The objective of the study was to investigate the effectiveness of
      preemptive analgesia at pain control in women undergoing total abdominal
      hysterectomy. DATA SOURCES: Eligible studies, published through May 31, 2016,
      were retrieved through Medline, Cochrane Central Register for Controlled Trials,
      and Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews. STUDY ELIGIBILITY: We included
      randomized controlled trials with the primary outcome of pain control in women
      receiving a preemptive medication prior to total abdominal hysterectomy.
      Comparators were placebo, different doses of the same medication as intervention,
      or other nonnarcotic or narcotic medication. STUDY APPRAISAL AND SYNTHESIS
      METHODS: Study data were extracted by one reviewer and confirmed by a second
      reviewer. For each outcome we graded the quality of the evidence. Studies were
      classified by the type of medication used and by outcome type. RESULTS: Eighty
      four trials met eligibility, with 69 included. Among nonnarcotic medications,
      paracetamol, gabapentin, and rofecoxib combined with gabapentin resulted in
      improvements in pain assessment compared with placebo and other nonnarcotic
      medications. Patient satisfaction was higher in patients who were given
      gabapentin combined with paracetamol compared with gabapentin alone. Use of
      preemptive paracetamol, gabapentin, bupivacaine, and phenothiazine resulted in
      less narcotic usage than placebo. All narcotics (ketamine, morphine, fentanyl)
      resulted in improved pain control compared with placebo. Narcotics had a greater
      reduction in pain assessment scores compared with nonnarcotics, and their use
      resulted in lower total narcotic usage. CONCLUSION: Preemptive nonnarcotic and
      narcotic medications prior to abdominal hysterectomy decrease total narcotic
      requirements and improve patient postoperative pain assessment and satisfaction
      scores.

PMID- 28351671
TI  - Eating patterns in adolescents with type 1 diabetes: Associations with metabolic
      control, insulin omission, and eating disorder pathology.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to investigate eating patterns among
      male and female adolescents with type 1 diabetes (T1D), and the associations with
      age, zBMI, eating disorder (ED) pathology, intentional insulin omission, and
      metabolic control. METHOD: The sample consisted of 104 adolescents (58.6%
      females) with child-onset T1D, mean age of 15.7 years (SD 1.8) and mean zBMI of
      0.4 (SD 0.8). The Child Eating Disorder Examination (ChEDE) assessed meal/snack
      frequency and ED pathology. T1D clinical data was obtained from the Norwegian
      Childhood Diabetes Registry. RESULTS: A significantly lower proportion of females
      than males (73.8% vs 97.7%) consumed breakfast on a daily basis. Approximately
      50% of both genders ate lunch and 90% ate dinner daily. Among females, skipping
      breakfast was significantly associated with higher global ED psychopathology,
      shape concerns, self-induced vomiting, binge eating, insulin omission due to
      shape/weight concerns, and poorer metabolic control. Less frequent lunch
      consumption was significantly associated with poorer metabolic control. Skipping
      dinner was significantly associated with older age, higher dietary restraint,
      eating concerns, self-induced vomiting, and insulin omission. Among males, less
      frequent consumption of lunch and evening snacks was associated with attitudinal
      features of ED, including shape/weight concerns and dietary restraint.
      DISCUSSION: Among adolescents with T1D, irregular or infrequent meal consumption
      appears to signal potential ED pathology, as well as being associated with poorer
      metabolic control. These findings suggest the importance of routinely assessing
      eating patterns in adolescents with T1D to improve detection of ED pathology and
      to facilitate improved metabolic control and the associated risk of somatic
      complications.

PMID- 28351672
TI  - Redesigning pH optimum of Geobacillus sp. TF16 endoxylanase through in silico
      designed DNA swapping strategy.
AB  - Thermoalkaliphilic xylanases are highly desired and of great importance due to
      their vast potential in paper pulp and bleaching processes. Here, we report
      rapid, cost-effective, and result-oriented combinatorial potential of in silico
      DNA swapping strategy to engineer the pH optimum of industrially crucial enzymes,
      particularly engineering of Geobacillus sp. TF16 endoxylanase for alkaline
      environments. The 3D structures of Geobacillus sp. TF16 and donor Bacillus
      halodurans C-125 endoxylanases were firstly predicted, analyzed, and compared for
      their similarities before any in silico design of mutants. Reasonably, to improve
      its alkaline pH tolerance, the corresponding regions in Geobacillus sp.TF16
      endoxylanase were further engineered by swapping with negatively-charged amino
      acid-rich regions from B. halodurans C-125 endoxylanase. Through only two of four
      in silico-designed mutants, the optimum pH of GeoTF16 endoxylanase was improved
      from 8.5 to 10.0. Moreover, as compared to GeoTF16 parental enzyme, both GeoInt3
      and GeoInt4 mutants revealed (i) enhanced biobleaching performance, (ii) improved
      adaptability to alkaline conditions, and (iii) better activity for broader pH
      range. Unlike GeoTF16 losing activity at pH 11.0 completely, GeoInt4 retained 60%
      and 40% of its activity at pH 11.0 and 12.0, respectively. Thus, GeoInt4 stands
      out as a more competent biocatalyst that is suitable for alkaline environments of
      diverse industrial applications. The current study represents an efficient
      protein engineering strategy to adapt industrial catalysts to diverse processing
      conditions. Further comprehensive and fine-tuned research efforts may result in
      biotechnologically more promising outcomes.

PMID- 28351674
TI  - A simple approach to measure transmissibility and forecast incidence.
AB  - Outbreaks of novel pathogens such as SARS, pandemic influenza and Ebola require
      substantial investments in reactive interventions, with consequent implementation
      plans sometimes revised on a weekly basis. Therefore, short-term forecasts of
      incidence are often of high priority. In light of the recent Ebola epidemic in
      West Africa, a forecasting exercise was convened by a network of infectious
      disease modellers. The challenge was to forecast unseen "future" simulated data
      for four different scenarios at five different time points. In a similar method
      to that used during the recent Ebola epidemic, we estimated current levels of
      transmissibility, over variable time-windows chosen in an ad hoc way. Current
      estimated transmissibility was then used to forecast near-future incidence. We
      performed well within the challenge and often produced accurate forecasts. A
      retrospective analysis showed that our subjective method for deciding on the
      window of time with which to estimate transmissibility often resulted in the
      optimal choice. However, when near-future trends deviated substantially from
      exponential patterns, the accuracy of our forecasts was reduced. This exercise
      highlights the urgent need for infectious disease modellers to develop more
      robust descriptions of processes - other than the widespread depletion of
      susceptible individuals - that produce non-exponential patterns of incidence.

PMID- 28351673
TI  - Elucidating transmission dynamics and host-parasite-vector relationships for
      rodent-borne Bartonella spp. in Madagascar.
AB  - Bartonella spp. are erythrocytic bacteria transmitted via arthropod vectors,
      which infect a broad range of vertebrate hosts, including humans. We investigated
      transmission dynamics and host-parasite-vector relationships for potentially
      zoonotic Bartonella spp. in invasive Rattus rattus hosts and associated arthropod
      ectoparasites in Madagascar. We identified five distinct species of Bartonella
      (B. elizabethae 1, B. elizabethae 2, B. phoceensis 1, B. rattimassiliensis 1, and
      B. tribocorum 1) infecting R. rattus rodents and their ectoparasites. We fit
      standard epidemiological models to species-specific age-prevalence data for the
      four Bartonella spp. with sufficient data, thus quantifying age-structured force
      of infection. Known zoonotic agents, B. elizabethae 1 and 2, were best described
      by models exhibiting high forces of infection in early age class individuals and
      allowing for recovery from infection, while B. phoceensis 1 and B.
      rattimassiliensis 1 were best fit by models of lifelong infection without
      recovery and substantially lower forces of infection. Nested sequences of B.
      elizabethae 1 and 2 were recovered from rodent hosts and their Synopsyllus
      fonquerniei and Xenopsylla cheopsis fleas, with a particularly high prevalence in
      the outdoor-dwelling, highland-endemic S. fonquerniei. These findings expand on
      force of infection analyses to elucidate the ecological niche of the zoonotic
      Bartonella elizabethae complex in Madagascar, hinting at a potential vector role
      for S. fonquerniei. Our analyses underscore the uniqueness of such ecologies for
      Bartonella species, which pose a variable range of potential zoonotic threats.

PMID- 28351675
TI  - Spatial organization of organelles in fungi: Insights from mathematical
      modelling.
AB  - Mathematical modelling in cellular systems aims to describe biological processes
      in a quantitative manner. Most accurate modelling is based on robust experimental
      data. Here we review recent progress in the theoretical description of motor
      behaviour, early endosome motility, ribosome distribution and peroxisome
      transport in the fungal model system Ustilago maydis and illustrate the power of
      modelling in our quest to understand molecular details and cellular roles of
      membrane trafficking in filamentous fungi.

PMID- 28351677
TI  - Toxicological evaluation of ethanolic extract from Stevia rebaudiana Bertoni
      leaves: Genotoxicity and subchronic oral toxicity.
AB  - Stevia rebaudiana Bertoni leaves have a long history of use as an abundant source
      of sweetener. The aqueous extract of stevia leaves and the predominant
      constitutes steviol glycosides have been intensively investigated. However, rare
      studies provided toxicological evaluation of bioactive components in the polar
      extract regarding their safety on human health. This study aimed to evaluate the
      toxicity of ethanolic extract of Stevia rebaudiana Bertoni leaves through a
      battery of in vitro and in vivo tests. Negative results were unanimously obtained
      from bacterial reverse mutation assay, mouse bone marrow micronucleus assay and
      mouse sperm malformation assay. Oral administration at dietary levels of 1.04%,
      2.08% and 3.12% for 90 days did not induce significant behavioral, hematological,
      clinical, or histopathological changes in rats. Significant reduction of
      cholesterol, total protein and albumin was observed in female animals only at
      high dose level. The results demonstrated that Stevia rebaudiana Bertoni leaves
      ethanolic extract, which is rich in isochlorogenic acids, does not possess
      adverse effects through oral administration in this study. Our data provided
      supportive evidence for the safety of Stevia rebaudiana Bertoni leaves that may
      potentially be used in functional foods as well as nutritional supplements beyond
      sweetner.

PMID- 28351678
TI  - The pharmacokinetics and metabolism of lumiracoxib in chimeric humanized and
      murinized FRG mice.
AB  - The pharmacokinetics and metabolism of lumiracoxib were studied, after
      administration of single 10mg/kg oral doses to chimeric liver-humanized and
      murinized FRG mice. In the chimeric humanized mice, lumiracoxib reached peak
      observed concentrations in the blood of 1.10+/-0.08MUg/mL at 0.25-0.5h post-dose
      with an AUCinf of 1.74+/-0.52MUgh/mL and an effective half-life for the drug of
      1.42+/-0.72h (n=3). In the case of the murinized animals peak observed
      concentrations in the blood were determined as 1.15+/-0.08MUg/mL at 0.25h post
      dose with an AUCinf of 1.94+/-0.22MUgh/mL and an effective half-life of 1.28+/
      0.02h (n=3). Analysis of blood indicated only the presence of unchanged
      lumiracoxib. Metabolic profiling of urine, bile and faecal extracts revealed a
      complex pattern of metabolites for both humanized and murinized animals with, in
      addition to unchanged parent drug, a variety of hydroxylated and conjugated
      metabolites detected. The profiles obtained in humanized mice were different
      compared to murinized animals with e.g., a higher proportion of the dose detected
      in the form of acyl glucuronide metabolites and much reduced amounts of taurine
      conjugates. Comparison of the metabolic profiles obtained from the present study
      with previously published data from C57bl/6J mice and humans, revealed a greater
      though not complete match between chimeric humanized mice and humans, such that
      the liver-humanized FRG model may represent a useful approach to assessing the
      biotransformation of such compounds in humans.

PMID- 28351676
TI  - Uncoupling protein 2 and metabolic diseases.
AB  - Mitochondria are fascinating organelles involved in various cellular-metabolic
      activities that are integral for mammalian development. Although they perform
      diverse, yet interconnected functions, mitochondria are remarkably regulated by
      complex signaling networks. Therefore, it is not surprising that mitochondrial
      dysfunction is involved in plethora of diseases, including neurodegenerative and
      metabolic disorders. One of the many factors that lead to mitochondrial
      associated metabolic diseases is the uncoupling protein-2, a family of
      mitochondrial anion proteins present in the inner mitochondrial membrane. Since
      their discovery, uncoupling proteins have attracted considerable attention due to
      their involvement in mitochondrial-mediated oxidative stress and energy
      metabolism. This review attempts to provide a summary of recent developments in
      the field of uncoupling protein 2 relating to mitochondrial associated metabolic
      diseases.

PMID- 28351679
TI  - 3D high-resolution two-photon crosslinked hydrogel structures for biological
      studies.
AB  - : Hydrogels are widely used as matrices for cell growth due to the their tuneable
      chemical and physical properties, which mimic the extracellular matrix of natural
      tissue. The microfabrication of hydrogels into arbitrarily complex 3D structures
      is becoming essential for numerous biological applications, and in particular for
      investigating the correlation between cell shape and cell function in a 3D
      environment. Micrometric and sub-micrometric resolution hydrogel scaffolds are
      required to deeply investigate molecular mechanisms behind cell-matrix
      interaction and downstream cellular processes. We report the design and
      development of high resolution 3D gelatin hydrogel woodpile structures by two
      photon crosslinking. Hydrated structures of lateral linewidth down to 0.5um,
      lateral and axial resolution down to a few um are demonstrated. According to the
      processing parameters, different degrees of polymerization are obtained,
      resulting in hydrated scaffolds of variable swelling and deformation. The 3D
      hydrogels are biocompatible and promote cell adhesion and migration.
      Interestingly, according to the polymerization degree, 3D hydrogel woodpile
      structures show variable extent of cell adhesion and invasion. Human BJ cell
      lines show capability of deforming 3D micrometric resolved hydrogel structures.
      STATEMENT OF SIGNIFICANCE: The design and development of high resolution 3D
      gelatin hydrogel woodpile structures by two-photon crosslinking is reported.
      Significantly, topological and mechanical conditions of polymerized gelatin
      structures were suitable for cell accommodation in the volume of the woodpiles,
      leading to a cell density per unit area comparable to the bare substrate. The
      fabricated structures, presenting micrometric features of high resolution, are
      actively deformed by cells, both in terms of cell invasion within rods and of
      cell attachment in-between contiguous woodpiles. Possible biological targets for
      this 3D approach are customized 3D tissue models, or studies of cell adhesion,
      deformation and migration.

PMID- 28351680
TI  - Human lung fibroblast-derived matrix facilitates vascular morphogenesis in 3D
      environment and enhances skin wound healing.
AB  - : Extracellular matrix (ECM) is crucial to many aspects of vascular morphogenesis
      and maintenance of vasculature function. Currently the recapitulation of
      angiogenic ECM microenvironment is still challenging, due mainly to its diverse
      components and complex organization. Here we investigate the angiogenic potential
      of human lung fibroblast-derived matrix (hFDM) in creating a three-dimensional
      (3D) vascular construct. hFDM was obtained via decellularization of in vitro
      cultured human lung fibroblasts and analyzed via immunofluorescence staining and
      ELISA, which detect multiple ECM macromolecules and angiogenic growth factors
      (GFs). Human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) morphology was more
      elongated and better proliferative on hFDM than on gelatin-coated substrate. To
      prepare 3D construct, hFDM is collected, quantitatively analyzed, and
      incorporated in collagen hydrogel (Col) with HUVECs. Capillary-like structure
      (CLS) formation at 7day was significantly better with the groups containing
      higher doses of hFDM compared to the Col group (control). Moreover, the group
      (Col/hFDM/GFs) with both hFDM and angiogenic GFs (VEGF, bFGF, SDF-1) showed the
      synergistic activity on CLS formation and found much larger capillary lumen
      diameters with time. Further analysis of hFDM via angiogenesis antibody array kit
      reveals abundant biochemical cues, such as angiogenesis-related cytokines, GFs,
      and proteolytic enzymes. Significantly up-regulated expression of VE-cadherin and
      ECM-specific integrin subunits was also noticed in Col/hFDM/GFs. In addition,
      transplantation of Col/hFMD/GFs with HUVECs in skin wound model presents more
      effective re-epithelialization, many regenerated hair follicles, better
      transplanted cells viability, and advanced neovascularization. We believe that
      current system is a very promising platform for 3D vasculature construction in
      vitro and for cell delivery toward therapeutic applications in vivo. STATEMENT OF
      SIGNIFICANCE: Functional 3D vasculature construction in vitro is still
      challenging due to the difficulty of recapitulating the complex angiogenic
      extracellular matrix (ECM) environment. Herein, we present a simple and practical
      method to create an angiogenic 3D environment via incorporation of human lung
      fibroblast-derived matrix (hFDM) into collagen hydrogel. We found that hFDM
      offers a significantly improved angiogenic microenvironment for HUVECs on 2D
      substrates and in 3D construct. A synergistic effect of hFDM and angiogenic
      growth factors has been well confirmed in 3D condition. The prevascularized 3D
      collagen constructs also facilitate skin wound healing. We believe that current
      system should be a convenient and powerful platform in engineering 3D vasculature
      in vitro, and in delivering cells for therapeutic purposes in vivo.

PMID- 28351681
TI  - Regional mechanical properties of human brain tissue for computational models of
      traumatic brain injury.
AB  - : To determine viscoelastic shear moduli, stress relaxation indentation tests
      were performed on samples of human brain tissue resected in the course of
      epilepsy surgery. Through the use of a 500um diameter indenter, regional
      mechanical properties were measured in cortical grey and white matter and
      subregions of the hippocampus. All regions were highly viscoelastic. Cortical
      grey matter was significantly more compliant than the white matter or hippocampus
      which were similar in modulus. Although shear modulus was not correlated with the
      age of the donor, cortex from male donors was significantly stiffer than from
      female donors. The presented material properties will help to populate finite
      element models of the brain as they become more anatomically detailed. STATEMENT
      OF SIGNIFICANCE: We present the first mechanical characterization of fresh, post
      operative human brain tissue using an indentation loading mode. Indentation
      generates highly localized data, allowing structure-specific mechanical
      properties to be determined from small tissue samples resected during surgery. It
      also avoids pitfalls of cadaveric tissue and allows data to be collected before
      degenerative processes alter mechanical properties. To correctly predict
      traumatic brain injury, finite element models must calculate intracranial
      deformation during head impact. The functional consequences of injury depend on
      the anatomical structures injured. Therefore, morbidity depends on the
      distribution of deformation across structures. Accurate prediction of structure
      specific deformation requires structure-specific mechanical properties. This data
      will facilitate deeper understanding of the physical mechanisms that lead to
      traumatic brain injury.

PMID- 28351682
TI  - Two-photon polymerization for production of human iPSC-derived retinal cell
      grafts.
AB  - : Recent advances in induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC) technology have paved
      the way for the production of patient-specific neurons that are ideal for
      autologous cell replacement for treatment of neurodegenerative diseases. In the
      case of retinal degeneration and associated photoreceptor cell therapy, polymer
      scaffolds are critical for cellular survival and integration; however, prior
      attempts to materialize this concept have been unsuccessful in part due to the
      materials' inability to guide cell alignment. In this work, we used two-photon
      polymerization to create 180MUm wide non-degradable prototype photoreceptor
      scaffolds with varying pore sizes, slicing distances, hatching distances and
      hatching types. Hatching distance and hatching type were significant factors for
      the error of vertical pore diameter, while slicing distance and hatching type
      most affected the integrity and geometry of horizontal pores. We optimized
      printing parameters in terms of structural integrity and printing time in order
      to create 1mm wide scaffolds for cell loading studies. We fabricated these larger
      structures directly on a porous membrane with 3um diameter pores and seeded them
      with human iPSC-derived retinal progenitor cells. After two days in culture,
      cells nested in and extended neuronal processes parallel to the vertical pores of
      the scaffolds, with maximum cell loading occurring in 25MUm diameter pores. These
      results highlight the feasibility of using this technique as part of an
      autologous stem cell strategy for restoring vision to patients affected with
      retinal degenerative diseases. STATEMENT OF SIGNIFICANCE: Cell replacement
      therapy is an important goal for investigators aiming to restore neural function
      to those suffering from neurodegenerative disease. Cell delivery scaffolds are
      frequently necessary for the success of such treatments, but traditional
      biomaterials often fail to facilitate the neuronal orientation and close packing
      needed to recapitulate the in vivo environment. Here, we use two-photon
      polymerization to create prototype cell scaffolds with densely packed vertical
      pores for photoreceptor cell loading and small, interconnected horizontal pores
      for nutrient diffusion. This study offers a thorough characterization of how two
      photon polymerization parameters affect final structural outcomes and printing
      time. Our findings demonstrate the feasibility of using two-photon polymerization
      to create scaffolds that can align neuronal cells in 3D and are large enough to
      be used for transplantation. In future work, these scaffolds could comprise
      biodegradable materials with tunable microstructure, elastic modulus and
      degradation time; a significant step towards a promising treatment option for
      those suffering from late-stage neurodegeneration, including retinal degenerative
      blindness.

PMID- 28351683
TI  - Oleanolic acid from antifilarial triterpene saponins of Dipterocarpus zeylanicus
      induces oxidative stress and apoptosis in filarial parasite Setaria digitata in
      vitro.
AB  - Absence of a drug that kills adult filarial parasites remains the major challenge
      in eliminating human lymphatic filariasis (LF); the second leading cause of long
      term and permanent disability. Thus, the discovery of novel antifilarial natural
      products with potent adulticidal activity is an urgent need. In the present
      study, methanol extracts of leaves, bark and winged seeds of Dipterocarpus
      zeylanicus (Dipterocarpaceae) were investigated for macro and microfilaricidal
      activity. Two antifilarial triterpene saponins were isolated from winged seed
      extracts by bioactivity guided chromatographic separation and identified using
      Nuclear Magnetic Resonance and mass spectroscopic analysis as oleanolic acid 3-O
      beta-D- glucopyranoside (1) (IC50 = 20.54 MUM for adult worms, 19.71 MUM for
      microfilariae ) and oleanolic acid 3-O-alpha-L-arabinopyranoside (2) (IC50 =
      29.02 MUM for adult worms, 25.99 MUM for microfilariae). Acid hydrolysis of both
      compounds yielded oleanolic acid (3) which was non or least toxic to human
      peripheral blood mono nuclear cells (Selectivity index = >10) while retaining
      similar macrofilaricidal (IC50 = 38.4 MUM) and microfilaricidal (IC50 = 35.6 MUM)
      activities. In adult female worms treated with 50 and 100 MUM doses of oleanolic
      acid, condensation of nuclear DNA, apoptotic body formation and tissue damage was
      observed by using Hoechst 33342 staining, TUNEL assay and Hematoxylin and Eosin
      staining respectively. A dose dependent increase in caspase 3/CED3 activity and
      decrease in total protein content were also observed in these parasites. A dose
      dependant DNA fragmentation was observed in adult parasites and microfilariae.
      Decreased levels of reduced glutathione (GSH) and elevated levels of glutathione
      S transferase (GST), superoxide dismutase (SOD) and reactive oxygen species (ROS)
      were also observed in parasites treated with oleanolic acid indicating an
      oxidative stress mediated apoptotic event. Compound 3/oleanolic acid was thus
      identified as a potent and safe antifilarial compound in vitro.

PMID- 28351684
TI  - Tissue distribution and functional analysis of vitellogenin-6 of Toxocara canis.
AB  - Toxocara canis is an common intestinal nematode of canids and the principal
      causative agent of human toxocariasis. Vitellogenin (Vg), a source of amino acids
      and lipids in the eggs, are considered to play an important role in embryo
      development of a wide range of organisms. In the present study, the
      transcriptional levels of Tc-vit-6 gene in male and female adult T. canis were
      determined by quantitative real-time PCR, which indicated high transcription of
      Tc-vit-6 in the intestine, reproductive tract and body wall of male and female
      adult T. canis. The fragment of Tc-vit-6 encoding a vWD domain, was cloned and
      expressed to produce a rabbit anti-TcvWD polyclonal antibody. Tissue distribution
      of TcVg6 was detected by immunohistochemical assays, which showed predominant
      distribution of TcVg6 in the tissues of intestine, as well as reproductive tract
      (including some of the germ cells) and musculature of male and female adult
      worms. Collectively, these results indicated multiple biological roles of TcVg6
      apart from that in the reproduction of T. canis.

PMID- 28351685
TI  - Transcript and protein expression analysis of proteases in the blood stages of
      Plasmodium falciparum.
AB  - Proteases are crucial enzymes with varying roles in living organisms. In the
      malaria parasite Plasmodium falciparum, the role of proteases has been deciphered
      mainly in the asexual blood stages and shown to represent promising drug targets.
      However, little is known about their functions in the sexual blood stages, which
      are important for transmission of the disease from the human to the mosquito
      vector. Determination of their stage-specific expression during the malaria life
      cycle is crucial for the effective design of multi-stage anti-malaria drugs aimed
      at eradicating the disease. In this study, we screened the P. falciparum genome
      database for putative proteases and determined the transcript and protein
      expression profiles of selected proteases in the plasmodial blood stages using
      semi-quantitative RT-PCR and indirect immunofluorescence assay. Database mining
      identified a total of 148 putative proteases, out of which 18 were demonstrated
      to be expressed in the blood stages on the transcript level; for 12 of these
      proteins synthesis was confirmed. While three of these proteases exhibit
      gametocyte-specific expression, two are restricted to the asexual blood stages
      and seven are found in both stages, making them interesting multi-stage drug
      targets.

PMID- 28351686
TI  - DNA damage response and autophagy in the degeneration of retinal pigment
      epithelial cells-Implications for age-related macular degeneration (AMD).
AB  - In this review we will discuss the links between autophagy, a mechanism involved
      in the maintenance of cellular homeostasis and controlling cellular waste
      management, and the DNA damage response (DDR), comprising various mechanisms
      preserving the integrity and stability of the genome. A reduced autophagy
      capacity in retinal pigment epithelium has been shown to be connected in the
      pathogenesis of age-related macular degeneration (AMD), an eye disease. This
      degenerative disease is a major and increasing cause of vision loss in the
      elderly in developed countries, primarily due to the profound accumulation of
      intra- and extracellular waste: lipofuscin and drusen. An abundance of reactive
      oxygen species is produced in the retina since this tissue has a high oxygen
      demand and contains mitochondria-rich cells. The retina is exposed to light and
      it also houses many photoactive molecules. These factors are clearly reflected in
      both the autophagy and DNA damage rates, and in both nuclear and mitochondrial
      genomes. It remains to be revealed whether DNA damage and DDR capacity have a
      more direct role in the development of AMD.

PMID- 28351687
TI  - EUS-guided removal of a buried lumen-apposing metal stent caused by delayed
      inward migration after cyst-gastrostomy.

PMID- 28351688
TI  - Performance of serological and molecular tests within acute HIV infection.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Early diagnosis of acute HIV infection can be challenging and is
      critical in regards to early therapeutic decision making. OBJECTIVES: To evaluate
      the performance of different HIV tests in detecting early infections. STUDY
      DESIGN: A total of 83 leftover specimens of 61 study participants who
      seroconverted were used in this sub-study. 35 HIV RNA positive but still
      seronegative specimens (acute infections) were used for analysis of the
      sensitivity of the different assays in detecting early infections and 42 HIV RNA
      and antibody negative specimens were used for specificity analysis. RESULTS: Four
      (11%) specimens out of 35 acute infections were reactive with the Enzygnost(r)
      Anti-HIV 1/2 Plus and 12/35 (34%) with the Vironostika(r) HIV Ag/Ab. 16 (46%)
      specimens were confirmed as acute by the INNOTEST(r) HIV antigen mAb Antigen
      test. Only three (9%), 10 (29%) and 9 (27%) specimens were reactive with the
      Determine HIV-1/2 Ag/Ab Combo, SD Bioline HIV Ag/Ab Combo test and the HIV Combo
      test, respectively. The specificity of the different tests were 100%, 95%, 100%,
      93%, 100% and 93% for Enzygnost(r) Anti-HIV 1/2 Plus, Vironostika(r) HIV Ag/Ab,
      INNO-Test HIV antigen mAb, Determine HIV-1/2 Ag/Ab Combo, SD Bioline HIV Ag/Ab
      Combo test and HIV Combo test respectively. CONCLUSION: RNA test, 4th generation
      ELISA and Single Ag test are the most sensitive tests for detection of an acute
      infection. As an alternative, the HIV Combo test is generally slightly more
      sensitive compared to its previous version, but the SD Bioline HIV Ag/Ab Combo
      tests has the best performance compared to the other simple rapid tests (SRTs)
      but none of them are precise in detecting Ag in the determination of acute
      infections.

PMID- 28351689
TI  - Detection of new HIV infections in a multicentre HIV antiretroviral pre-exposure
      prophylaxis trial.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Monthly specimens collected from FEM-PrEP-a Phase III trial [1] were
      investigated for the detection of acute HIV (AHI) infection. OBJECTIVES: To
      evaluate the efficiency of the study-specific HIV algorithm in detecting AHI, and
      the performance of each of the serological and molecular tests used in diagnosing
      new infections, and their contribution to narrowing the window period. STUDY
      DESIGN: A total of 83 pre-seroconversion specimens from 61 seroconverters from
      the FEM-PrEP trial were further analyzed in a sub-study. During the trial, HIV
      seroconversion was diagnosed on site using a testing algorithm with simple/rapid
      tests (SRTs) and confirmed with a gold standard testing algorithm (see short
      communication: Fig. 1). The infection date was determined more accurately by the
      use of standard ELISAs and Nucleic Acid Amplification Tests (NAAT) in a look-back
      procedure. For this sub-study, the international central laboratory repeated the
      study algorithm using SRTs. RESULTS: A total of 83 pre-seroconversions specimens
      from 61 seroconverters were analyzed in a look-back procedure. RNA was detected
      in 35/61 seroconverters at the visit before the seroconversion visit as
      determined at the study sites. Four seroconversion dates were inaccurate at one
      study site as the international central laboratory detected the HIV infection one
      visit earlier using the same test algorithm. Using the gold standard, an
      additional seroconversion was detected at an earlier visit. The combined
      antigen/antibody and the single antigen test had a higher sensitivity compared to
      the SRTs in detecting acute infections. CONCLUSIONS: In the FEM-PrEP trial, the
      international central laboratory detected a small number of seroconversions one
      month earlier than the study sites using the same study algorithm. Standard tests
      are still the most sensitive tests in detecting pre-seroconversion or acute HIV
      infection, but they are costly, time consuming and not recommended for use on
      site in a clinical trial.

PMID- 28351690
TI  - Tailoring thermal treatment to form liprotide complexes between oleic acid and
      different proteins.
AB  - Liprotides are protein-lipid complexes in which the fatty acids form a micelle
      like core surrounded by a shell of partially unfolded protein molecules. These
      complexes can be formed in different ways. The simplest approach is a thermal
      treatment where protein and fatty acid are mixed and then incubated at elevated
      temperatures. Using this approach we here demonstrate that we can monitor
      liprotide formation in real time using Small-Angle X-ray Scattering (SAXS).
      Optimal conditions for liprotide formation, i.e. temperature and incubation
      times, as well as liprotide stability and structure, vary for different proteins.
      The apo form of alpha-lactalbumin (aLA) forms liprotides at room temperature,
      however, Ovalbumin (Ova) and Bovine Serum Albumin (BSA) require elevated
      temperatures (>=60 degrees C) to form liprotides, and in addition, they need to
      be returned to lower temperatures to remain stable; repeated cycles of heating
      and cooling gradually dissociate the liprotides in parallel with the formation of
      disulfide-bonded aggregates. Real-time tracking of the formation of liprotides of
      BSA or Ova with OA at 60-65 degrees C showed that liprotide formation takes place
      within a period of 12-18min and is preceded by a loss of secondary structure of
      the protein and binding of OA to the protein. Our SAXS-based approach provides a
      straightforward strategy to optimize liprotide formation for a wide range of
      different proteins.

PMID- 28351691
TI  - Optical-flow analysis toolbox for characterization of spatiotemporal dynamics in
      mesoscale optical imaging of brain activity.
AB  - Wide-field optical imaging techniques constitute powerful tools to investigate
      mesoscale neuronal activity. The sampled data constitutes a sequence of image
      frames in which one can investigate the flow of brain activity starting and
      terminating at source and sink locations respectively. Approaches to the analyses
      of information flow include qualitative assessment to identify sources and sinks
      of activity as well as their trajectories, and quantitative measurements based on
      computing the temporal variation of the intensity of pixels. Furthermore, in a
      few studies estimates of wave motion have been reported using optical-flow
      techniques from computer vision. However, a comprehensive toolbox for the
      quantitative analyses of mesoscale brain activity data is still lacking. We
      present a graphical-user-interface toolbox based in Matlab(r) for investigating
      the spatiotemporal dynamics of mesoscale brain activity using optical-flow
      analyses. The toolbox includes the implementation of three optical-flow methods
      namely Horn-Schunck, Combined Local-Global, and Temporospatial algorithms for
      estimating velocity vector fields of flow of mesoscale brain activity. From the
      velocity vector fields we determined the locations of sources and sinks as well
      as the trajectories and temporal velocities of flow of activity. Using simulated
      data as well as experimentally derived sensory-evoked voltage and calcium imaging
      data from mice, we compared the efficacy of the three optical-flow methods for
      determining spatiotemporal dynamics. Our results indicate that the combined local
      global method we employed, yields the best results for estimating wave motion.
      The automated approach permits rapid and effective quantification of mesoscale
      brain dynamics and may facilitate the study of brain function in response to new
      experiences or pathology.

PMID- 28351692
TI  - Quasi-experimental study designs series-paper 5: a checklist for classifying
      studies evaluating the effects on health interventions-a taxonomy without labels.
AB  - OBJECTIVES: The aim of the study was to extend a previously published checklist
      of study design features to include study designs often used by health systems
      researchers and economists. Our intention is to help review authors in any field
      to set eligibility criteria for studies to include in a systematic review that
      relate directly to the intrinsic strength of the studies in inferring causality.
      We also seek to clarify key equivalences and differences in terminology used by
      different research communities. STUDY DESIGN AND SETTING: Expert consensus
      meeting. RESULTS: The checklist comprises seven questions, each with a list of
      response items, addressing: clustering of an intervention as an aspect of
      allocation or due to the intrinsic nature of the delivery of the intervention;
      for whom, and when, outcome data are available; how the intervention effect was
      estimated; the principle underlying control for confounding; how groups were
      formed; the features of a study carried out after it was designed; and the
      variables measured before intervention. CONCLUSION: The checklist clarifies the
      basis of credible quasi-experimental studies, reconciling different terminology
      used in different fields of investigation and facilitating communications across
      research communities. By applying the checklist, review authors' attention is
      also directed to the assumptions underpinning the methods for inferring
      causality.

PMID- 28351693
TI  - Quasi-experimental study designs series-paper 6: risk of bias assessment.
AB  - OBJECTIVES: Rigorous and transparent bias assessment is a core component of high
      quality systematic reviews. We assess modifications to existing risk of bias
      approaches to incorporate rigorous quasi-experimental approaches with selection
      on unobservables. These are nonrandomized studies using design-based approaches
      to control for unobservable sources of confounding such as difference studies,
      instrumental variables, interrupted time series, natural experiments, and
      regression-discontinuity designs. STUDY DESIGN AND SETTING: We review existing
      risk of bias tools. Drawing on these tools, we present domains of bias and
      suggest directions for evaluation questions. RESULTS: The review suggests that
      existing risk of bias tools provide, to different degrees, incomplete transparent
      criteria to assess the validity of these designs. The paper then presents an
      approach to evaluating the internal validity of quasi-experiments with selection
      on unobservables. CONCLUSION: We conclude that tools for nonrandomized studies of
      interventions need to be further developed to incorporate evaluation questions
      for quasi-experiments with selection on unobservables.

PMID- 28351694
TI  - Antibodies - Nature's analytical masterpieces.

PMID- 28351695
TI  - Antihyperlipidemic and hepatoprotective effects of Gardenin A in cellular and
      high fat diet fed rodent models.
AB  - The gum of Gardenia resinifera Roth., is one of the important drugs used in the
      Indian system of medicine and a source of unique polymethoxylated flavones. This
      study was aimed to evaluate the antihyperlipidemic and anti-NAFLD effects of
      Gardenin A (Gar-A) from G. resinifera gum using in vitro and in vivo models. Gar
      A was isolated from G. resinifera gum and was identified on the basis of the
      physical and spectral data. Toxicity of Gar-A to HepG2 cells was evaluated using
      MTT assay. The ability of Gar-A to reduce steatosis was assessed using oleate
      palmitate induced HepG2 cell lines by estimating the lipid levels by ORO staining
      and by estimating the intracellular triglyceride content. Effect of Gar-A on
      amelioration of lipotoxicity was measured by estimating the LDH levels. The doses
      for in vivo experiments were fixed by Irwin test, between 50 and 100 mg/kg
      concentrations, through oral route. The acute antihyperlipidemic effect of Gar-A
      was assessed in Triton WR-1339 induced hyperlipidemic animals. The chronic
      antihyperlipidemic and anti-NAFLD effects of Gar-A were evaluated in HFD fed
      rats. In vitro experiments with HepG2 cell line indicated that the cells treated
      with Gar-A did not show any significant reduction in the viability up to 70
      MUg/mL concentration. Steatotic HepG2 cells treated with Gar-A showed a
      significant reduction in lipid accumulation at 2.5-10 MUg/mL concentrations. In
      triton induced hyperlipidemic rats, the treatment significantly reduced the lipid
      levels at the synthesis phase. The treatment with Gar-A to the HFD fed animals
      significantly lowered the steatosis and transaminase levels. The other
      biochemical parameters such as TC, TG, LDL-c, ALP and ACP were also decreased
      significantly. Treatment with Gar-A significantly lowered the hyperlipidemia and
      fat accumulation in the liver; detailed molecular investigations are necessary to
      establish the antihyperlipidemic and hepatoprotective potentials of Gar-A.

PMID- 28351696
TI  - Editorial commentary: New drugs for diabetes: Finally safety and cardiovascular
      efficacy.

PMID- 28351697
TI  - Editorial commentary: Non-invasive assessment of myocardial fibrosis: Focus on
      the substrate of ventricular arrhythmias to improve risk stratification.

PMID- 28351698
TI  - Pretreatment of poultry manure for efficient biogas production as monosubstrate
      or co-fermentation with maize silage and corn stover.
AB  - Water extraction of raw chicken manure elevated the carbon-to-nitrogen ratio 2.7
      fold, i.e. from 7.48 to 19.81. The treated chicken manure (T-CM) thus became
      suitable for biogas fermentation as monosubstrate. Improved methane production
      was achieved in co-fermentations with either maize silage (24% more methane) or
      corn stover (19% more methane) relative to T-CM monosubstrate. The standardized
      biogas potential assay indicated that the methane yields varied with the organic
      loading rate between 160 and 250 mL CH4/g organic total solid (oTS). Co
      fermentation with maize silage was sustainable in continuous anaerobic digestion
      for at least 4 months.

PMID- 28351699
TI  - Imag(in)ing growth and form.
AB  - On Growth and Form has stood at the forefront of our understanding of the
      development of biological form for the past century. In this essay, I take a look
      at how modern techniques are enabling unprecedented insight into the spatio
      temporal regulation of development, which facilitates testing of the ideas that
      D'Arcy Thompson laid down so brilliantly 100years ago.

PMID- 28351701
TI  - Extracting features from protein sequences to improve deep extreme learning
      machine for protein fold recognition.
AB  - Protein fold recognition is an important problem in bioinformatics to predict
      three-dimensional structure of a protein. One of the most challenging tasks in
      protein fold recognition problem is the extraction of efficient features from the
      amino-acid sequences to obtain better classifiers. In this paper, we have
      proposed six descriptors to extract features from protein sequences. These
      descriptors are applied in the first stage of a three-stage framework PCA-DELM
      LDA to extract feature vectors from the amino-acid sequences. Principal Component
      Analysis PCA has been implemented to reduce the number of extracted features. The
      extracted feature vectors have been used with original features to improve the
      performance of the Deep Extreme Learning Machine DELM in the second stage. Four
      new features have been extracted from the second stage and used in the third
      stage by Linear Discriminant Analysis LDA to classify the instances into 27
      folds. The proposed framework is implemented on the independent and combined
      feature sets in SCOP datasets. The experimental results show that extracted
      feature vectors in the first stage could improve the performance of DELM in
      extracting new useful features in second stage.

PMID- 28351700
TI  - Sex, Ethnicity, and CVD Among Women of African Descent: An Approach for the New
      Era of Genomic Research.

PMID- 28351702
TI  - Effects of operational decisions on the diffusion of epidemic disease: A system
      dynamics modeling of the MERS-CoV outbreak in South Korea.
AB  - We evaluated the nosocomial outbreak of Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS)
      Coronavirus (CoV) in the Republic of Korea, 2015, from a healthcare operations
      management perspective. Establishment of healthcare policy in South Korea
      provides patients' freedom to select and visit multiple hospitals. Current policy
      enforces hospitals preference for multi-patient rooms to single-patient rooms, to
      lower financial burden. Existing healthcare systems tragically contributed to 186
      MERS outbreak cases, starting from single "index patient" into three generations
      of secondary infections. By developing a macro-level health system dynamics
      model, we provide empirical knowledge to examining the case from both operational
      and financial perspectives. In our simulation, under base infectivity scenario,
      high emergency room occupancy circumstance contributed to an estimated average of
      101 (917%) more infected patients, compared to when in low occupancy
      circumstance. Economic patient room design showed an estimated 702% increase in
      the number of infected patients, despite the overall 98% savings in total
      expected costs compared to optimal room design. This study provides first time,
      system dynamics model, performance measurements from an operational perspective.
      Importantly, the intent of this study was to provide evidence to motivate public,
      private, and government healthcare administrators' recognition of current
      shortcomings, to optimize performance as a whole system, rather than mere
      individual aspects.

PMID- 28351703
TI  - A tipping point in parapatric speciation.
AB  - More than two loci are involved in reproductive isolation in most cases of
      putative recent speciation. We study the speciation between two geographically
      isolated populations connected by infrequent migration, in which incompatibility
      is controlled by quantitative loci. Incompatibility genetic distance is defined
      as the fraction of compatibility controlling loci that are different between
      individuals. Speciation is established when genetic distance reaches a threshold
      level in spite of occasional migration and subsequent hybridization that reduce
      genetic distance. With stochastic analysis, we investigate how the time to
      speciation depends on the manner in which the magnitude of incompatibility
      increases with genetic distance. Results are: (1) The time to speciation is short
      if the migration rate is smaller than the mutation rate, or if intermediate
      levels of genetic distance cause mild incompatibility, making migrants less
      effective in reducing genetic distance. (2) Genetic distance may fluctuate around
      a positive quasi-equilibrium level for a long time, and suddenly show a quick
      passage to speciation when it goes beyond a "tipping point." Notably a gradual
      increase in incompatibility can result in a sudden and rapid formation of a new
      species. (3) Speciation becomes very slow if incompatibility is effective for
      individuals differing at only one locus. These findings provide testable
      predictions on reproductive traits controlled by specific incompatibility
      accumulation forms that facilitate the speciation process.

PMID- 28351704
TI  - Effects of rainfall on Culex mosquito population dynamics.
AB  - The dynamics of a mosquito population depends heavily on climatic variables such
      as temperature and precipitation. Since climate change models predict that global
      warming will impact on the frequency and intensity of rainfall, it is important
      to understand how these variables affect the mosquito populations. We present a
      model of the dynamics of a Culex quinquefasciatus mosquito population that
      incorporates the effect of rainfall and use it to study the influence of the
      number of rainy days and the mean monthly precipitation on the maximum yearly
      abundance of mosquitoes Mmax. Additionally, using a fracturing process, we
      investigate the influence of the variability in daily rainfall on Mmax. We find
      that, given a constant value of monthly precipitation, there is an optimum number
      of rainy days for which Mmax is a maximum. On the other hand, we show that
      increasing daily rainfall variability reduces the dependence of Mmax on the
      number of rainy days, leading also to a higher abundance of mosquitoes for the
      case of low mean monthly precipitation. Finally, we explore the effect of the
      rainfall in the months preceding the wettest season, and we obtain that a regimen
      with high precipitations throughout the year and a higher variability tends to
      advance slightly the time at which the peak mosquito abundance occurs, but could
      significantly change the total mosquito abundance in a year.

PMID- 28351705
TI  - Subregional laminar cartilage MR spin-spin relaxation times (T2) in
      osteoarthritic knees with and without medial femorotibial cartilage loss - data
      from the Osteoarthritis Initiative (OAI).
AB  - OBJECTIVE: To explore whether subregional laminar femorotibial cartilage spin
      spin relaxation time (T2) is associated with subsequent radiographic progression
      and cartilage loss and/or whether one-year change in subregional laminar
      femorotibial cartilage T2 is associated with concurrent progression in knees with
      established radiographic OA (ROA). METHODS: In this case-control study,
      Osteoarthritis Initiative (OAI) knees with medial femorotibial progression were
      selected based on one-year loss in both quantitative cartilage thickness Magnetic
      resonance imaging (MRI) and radiographic joint space width (JSW). Non-progressor
      knees were matched by sex, Body mass index (BMI), baseline Kellgren-Lawrence
      grade (2/3), and pain. Baseline and one-year follow-up superficial and deep
      cartilage T2 was analyzed in 16 femorotibial subregions using multi-echo spin
      echo MRI. RESULTS: 37 knees showed medial femorotibial progression whereas 37
      matched controls had no medial or lateral compartment progression. No
      statistically significant baseline differences between progressor and non
      progressor knees in medial femorotibial cartilage T2 were observed in the
      superficial (48.9 +/- 3.0 ms; 95% CI: [47.9, 49.9] vs 47.8 +/- 3.6 ms; 95% CI:
      [46.6, 49.0], P = 0.07) or deep cartilage layer (40.8 +/- 3.6 ms; 95% CI: [39.5,
      42.0] vs 40.1 +/- 4.7 ms; 95% CI: [38.5, 41.6], P = 0.29). Concurrent T2 change
      was more pronounced in the deep than the superficial cartilage layer. In the
      medial femorotibial compartment (MFTC), longitudinal change was greater in the
      deep layer of progressor than non-progressor knees (1.8 +/- 4.5 ms; 95% CI: [0.3,
      3.3] vs -0.2 +/- 1.9 ms; 95% CI: [-0.8, 0.5], P = 0.02), whereas no difference
      was observed in the superficial layer. CONCLUSION: Medial compartment cartilage
      T2 did not appear to be a strong prognostic factor for subsequent structural
      progression in the same compartment of knees with established ROA, when
      appropriately controlling for covariates. Yet, deep layer T2 change in the medial
      compartment occurred concurrent with medial femorotibial progression.

PMID- 28351706
TI  - Baseline meniscal extrusion associated with incident knee osteoarthritis after 30
      months in overweight and obese women.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: To investigate the association between baseline meniscal extrusion and
      the incidence of knee osteoarthritis (KOA) after 30 months in a high-risk
      population of overweight and obese women, free of clinical and radiological KOA
      at baseline. METHODS: 407 middle-aged overweight women (body mass index - BMI >=
      27 kg/m2) were evaluated at baseline and after 30 months of follow-up. Meniscal
      extrusion was defined as grade >=2 on MRI according to MRI Osteoarthritis Knee
      Score (MOAKS). The primary outcome measure was KOA after 30 months follow-up,
      defined using the following criteria: either incidence of radiographic KOA
      (Kellgren & Lawrence grade 2 or higher), or clinical osteoarthritis (OA)
      according to the American College of Radiology (ACR) criteria, or medial or
      lateral joint space narrowing (JSN) of >=1.0 mm. Using generalized estimating
      equations (GEE), we determined the association between knees with and without
      meniscal extrusion and both outcomes, corrected for the baseline differences.
      RESULTS: 640 knees were available at baseline of which 24% (153) had meniscal
      extrusion. There was a significantly higher incidence of KOA according to the
      primary outcome measure in women with meniscal extrusion compared to those
      without extrusion (28.8%, odds ratio - OR 2.39, 95% CI 1.53, 3.73). A
      significantly higher incidence was found for the development of radiographic KOA
      (12.4%, OR 2.61, 95% CI 1.11, 6.13) and medial JSN (11.8%, OR 3.19, 95% CI 1.59,
      6.41). Meniscal extrusion was not significantly associated with clinical KOA and
      lateral JSN. CONCLUSION: Meniscal extrusion was associated with a significantly
      higher incidence of KOA, providing an interesting target for early detection of
      individuals at risk for developing KOA.

PMID- 28351707
TI  - Chemokine receptor CCR5 and CXCR4 might influence virus replication during IBDV
      infection.
AB  - Both CCR5 and CXCR4 are important chemokine receptors and take vital role in
      migration, development and distribution of T cells, however, whether they will
      influence the process of T cell infiltration into bursa of Fabricius during
      infectious bursal disease virus (IBDV) infection is unclear. In the current
      study, CCR5 and CXCR4 antagonists, Maraviroc and AMD3100, were administrated into
      chickens inoculated with IBDV, and the gene levels of IBDV VP2, CCR5, CXCR4 and
      related cytokines were determined by real-time PCR. The results showed that large
      number of T cells began to migrate into the bursae on Day 3 post infection with
      IBDV and the mRNA of chemokine receptors CCR5 and CXCR4 began to increase on Day
      1. Moreover, antagonist treatments have increased the VP2, CCR5 and CXCR4 gene
      transcriptions and influenced on the gene levels of IL-2, IL-6, IL-8, IFN-gamma,
      TGF-beta4, MHC-I and MDA5. In conclusion, the chemokine receptors CCR5 and CXCR4
      might influence virus replication during IBDV infection and further study would
      focus on the interaction between chemokine receptors and their ligands.

PMID- 28351708
TI  - Biochemical and inhibition studies of glutamine synthetase from Leishmania
      donovani.
AB  - Leishmaniasis is a group of tropical diseases caused by protozoan parasites of
      the genus Leishmania. Leishmania donovani is a protozoan parasite that causes
      visceral leishmaniasis, a fatal disease if left untreated. Chemotherapy for
      leishmaniasis is problematic as the available drugs are toxic, costly and shows
      drug resistance, hence, there is a necessity to look out for the novel drug
      targets, chemical entities and vaccine. Glutamine synthetase (GS) catalyzes the
      synthesis of glutamine from glutamate and ammonia. In the present study, we have
      identified and characterized GS from L. donovani. The nucleotide sequence
      encoding putative glutamine synthetase like sequence from L. donovani (LdGS,
      LDBPK_060370) was cloned. A 43.5 kDa protein with 6X-His tag at the C-terminal
      end was obtained by overexpression of LdGS in Escherichia coli BL21 (DE3) strain.
      Expression of native LdGS in promastigotes and recombinant L. donovani glutamine
      synthetase (rLdGS) was confirmed by western blot analysis. An increase in
      expression of GS was observed at different phases of growth of the parasite.
      Expression of LdGS in promastigote and amastigote was confirmed by western blot
      analysis. Immunofluorescence studies of both the promastigote and amastigote
      stages of the parasite revealed the presence of LdGS in cytoplasm. GS exists as a
      single copy gene in parasite genome. Kinetic analysis of GS enzyme revealed Km
      value of 26.3 +/- 0.4 mM for l- glutamate and Vmax value of 2.15 +/- 0.07 U mg-1.
      Present study confirms the presence of glutamine synthetase in L. donovani and
      provides comprehensive overview of LdGS for further validating it as a potential
      drug target.

PMID- 28351709
TI  - Protective efficacy of six immunogenic recombinant proteins of Vibrio anguillarum
      and evaluation them as vaccine candidate for flounder (Paralichthys olivaceus).
AB  - Vibrio anguillarum is a severe bacterium that causes terminal haemorrhagic
      septicaemia in freshwater and marine fish. Virulence-associated proteins play an
      important role in bacterial pathogenicity and could be applied for
      immunoprophylaxis. In this study, six antigenic proteins from V. anguillarum were
      selected and the immune protective efficacy of their recombinant proteins was
      investigated. VirA, CheR, FlaC, OmpK, OmpR and Hsp33 were recombinantly produced
      and the reactions of recombinant proteins to flounder-anti-V. anguillarum
      antibodies (fV-ab) were detected, respectively. Then the recombinant proteins
      were injected to fish, after immunization, the percentages of surface membrane
      immunoglobulin-positive (sIg+) cell in lymphocytes, total antibodies, antibodies
      against V. anguillarum, antibodies against recombinant proteins and relative
      percent survival (RPS) were analyzed, respectively. The results showed that all
      the recombinant proteins could react to fV-ab, proliferate sIg + cells in
      lymphocytes and induce production of total antibodies, specific antibodies
      against V. anguillarum or the recombinant proteins; the RPS of rVirA, rCheR,
      rFlaC, rOmpK, rOmpR and rHsp33 against V. anguillarum was 70.27%, 27.03%, 16.22%,
      62.16%, 45.95% and 81.08%, respectively. The results revealed that rHsp33, rVirA
      and rOmpK have good protections against V. anguillarum and could be vaccine
      candidates against V. anguillarum.

PMID- 28351710
TI  - Sodium acetate inhibits Staphylococcus aureus internalization into bovine mammary
      epithelial cells by inhibiting NF-kappaB activation.
AB  - Bovine mastitis is one of the most costly and prevalent disease affecting dairy
      cows worldwide. It was reported that Staphylococcus aureus could internalize into
      bovine mammary epithelial cells (bMEC) and induce mastitis. Some short chain
      fatty acids (SCFA) have shown to suppress S. aureus invasion into bMEC and
      regulate antimicrobial peptides expression. But it has not been evaluated that
      sodium acetate has the similar effect. The aim of this study was to investigate
      the effect of sodium acetate on the invasion of bovine mammary epithelial cells
      (bMEC) by S. aureus. Gentamicin protection assay showed that the invasion of S.
      aureus into bMEC was inhibited by sodium acetate in a dose-dependent manner.
      Sodium acetate (0.25-5 mM) did not affect S. aureus growth and bMEC viability.
      The TAP gene level was decreased, while the BNBD5 mRNA level was enhanced in
      sodium acetate treated bMEC. In sodium acetate treated and S. aureus challenged
      bMEC, the TAP gene expression was increased and BNBD5 gene expression was not
      modified at low concentrations, but decreased at high concentrations. The Nitric
      oxide (NO) production of bMEC after S. aureus stimulation was decreased by sodium
      acetate treatment. Furthermore, sodium acetate treatment suppressed S. aureus
      induced NF-kappaB activation in bMEC in a dose manner. In conclusion, our results
      suggested that sodium acetate exerts an inhibitory property on S. aureus
      internalization and modulates antimicrobial peptides gene expression.

PMID- 28351711
TI  - Structure based virtual screening for identification of potential quorum sensing
      inhibitors against LasR master regulator in Pseudomonas aeruginosa.
AB  - Inter and intracellular communication in bacteria, which is known as quorum
      sensing (QS), is mediated by small diffusible signaling molecules known as
      autoinducers. QS regulates various virulence factors responsible for
      pathogenesis. Increasing resistance of microorganisms against traditional
      antibiotics has turned the focus towards the QS as it exerts less selective
      pressure preventing development of resistance among microorganisms. LasR, a
      transcription factor that controls QS in Pseudomonas aeruginosa, is an attractive
      therapeutic target for inhibitors. This study aimed to screen natural compounds
      as potential inhibitors of LasR. About 2603 compounds from ZINC database were
      virtually screened against the structure of LasR. Then after qualifying compounds
      were filtered on the parameters of Lipinski's rule and ADME. Six novel potential
      QS inhibiting compounds were selected on the basis of binding energy. Structures
      of LasR-ligand complexes were analysed to have insight of binding between
      inhibitors and target. It is pertinent to mention here that all the molecules are
      structurally different from 3-oxo-C12HSL,a native autoinducer of LasR, that play
      key role in formation of LasR dimer which is an active form of the protein to
      facilitate QS.

PMID- 28351712
TI  - Bovine leptospirosis: Prevalence, associated risk factors for infection and their
      cause-effect relation.
AB  - Leptospirosis is a cosmopolitan infectious disease that causes severe
      reproductive disorders in cattle, especially those related to abortion. This
      disease has rodents as main reservoirs; however, cattle are responsible for
      maintenance of the disease. Thus, the aim of this study was to identify the
      factors associated with infection and cause-effect relation of leptospirosis in
      dairy herds from Southern of Brazil. Serum samples of 1242 cows were collected
      from herds classified as of medium and high density, and tested by microscopic
      agglutination test (MAT). These farms were located in the West part of Santa
      Catarina State (Brazil). A total of 80 cows (6.44%) were considered positives for
      the infection with titration of 1:100. Using a multivariate analysis, we
      identified two factors associated to bovine leptospirosis: dog access to pastures
      (p < 0.001) and feed exposure to rodents (p = 0.05). Cause-effect analysis
      demonstrated that the occurrence of reproductive disorders was significantly (p =
      0.01) linked to leptospirosis. Thus, we conclude that leptospirosis is prevalent
      in dairy cattle in the west part of Santa Catarina state, as well as the access
      of dogs to pastures and contact of rodents with feed increase the chance of
      cattle infection by Leptospira spp.

PMID- 28351713
TI  - In vitro evaluation of cross-strain inhibitory effects of IgY polyclonal antibody
      against H. pylori.
AB  - The present study aimed to evaluate in vitro cross-strain inhibitory effects of
      IgY polyclonal antibody on both growth and urease enzyme of four local strains of
      H. pylori. Leghorn chickens were immunized with whole cells of four different
      strains of H. pylori, separately. Rising of specific IgY was detected by ELISA.
      The IgY purified using polyethylene glycol method and the purity was evaluated by
      SDS-PAGE and Western blotting. Each strain was treated with its own-specific and
      also other strain-specific IgYs. The strain-specific IgY could inhibit the growth
      of specific strains by 49-72% and also other different strains of H. pylori by 29
      86%. Our findings revealed that strain-specific IgY could inhibit urease activity
      of its own by 64-72% and other different strains by 49-79%. These findings
      confirmed strain-specific and also cross-strain inhibitory effects of the IgY
      polyclonal antibody on both growth and urease activity of H. pylori.

PMID- 28351714
TI  - Evaluation of environmental and nutritional factors and sua gene on in vitro
      biofilm formation of Streptococcus uberis isolates.
AB  - The pathogenesis of Streptococcus uberis is attributed to a combination of
      extracellular factors and properties such as adherence and biofilm formation. The
      aim of this work was to evaluate the influence of different factors, additives
      and bovine milk compounds on S. uberis biofilm formation, as the presence of the
      sua gene by PCR. Additionally, extracellular DNA and the effect of DNaseI were
      evaluated in the biofilms yielded. Optimal biofilm development was observed when
      the pH was adjusted to 7.0 and 37  degrees C. Additives as glucose and lactose
      reduced biofilm formation as bovine milk compounds tested. PCR assay showed that
      not all the isolates yielded sua gene. Extrachromosomal ADN was found in cell
      free supernatants, suggesting that DNA released spontaneously to the medium. The
      results contribute to a better understanding of the factors involved in biofilm
      production of this important pathogen associated with mastitis in order to
      promote the design of new therapeutic approaches.

PMID- 28351715
TI  - Estimating bradykinesia severity in Parkinson's disease by analysing gait through
      a waist-worn sensor.
AB  - Bradykinesia is a cardinal symptom of Parkinson's disease (PD) and describes the
      slowness of movement revealed in patients. Current PD therapies are based on
      dopamine replacement, and given that bradykinesia is the symptom that best
      correlates with the dopaminergic deficiency, the knowledge of its fluctuations
      may be useful in the diagnosis, treatment and better understanding of the disease
      progression. This paper evaluates a machine learning method that analyses the
      signals provided by a triaxial accelerometer placed on the waist of PD patients
      in order to automatically assess bradykinetic gait unobtrusively. This method
      employs Support Vector Machines to determine those parts of the signals
      corresponding to gait. The frequency content of strides is then used to determine
      bradykinetic walking bouts and to estimate bradykinesia severity based on an
      epsilon-Support Vector Regression model. The method is validated in 12 PD
      patients, which leads to two main conclusions. Firstly, the frequency content of
      the strides allows for the dichotomic detection of bradykinesia with an accuracy
      higher than 90%. This process requires the use of a patient-dependant threshold
      that is estimated based on a leave-one-patient-out regression model. Secondly,
      bradykinesia severity measured through UPDRS scores is approximated by means of a
      regression model with errors below 10%. Although the method has to be further
      validated in more patients, results obtained suggest that the presented approach
      can be successfully used to rate bradykinesia in the daily life of PD patients
      unobtrusively.

PMID- 28351716
TI  - Diagnosis of retinal health in digital fundus images using continuous wavelet
      transform (CWT) and entropies.
AB  - Vision is paramount to humans to lead an active personal and professional life.
      The prevalence of ocular diseases is rising, and diseases such as glaucoma,
      Diabetic Retinopathy (DR) and Age-related Macular Degeneration (AMD) are the
      leading causes of blindness in developed countries. Identifying these diseases in
      mass screening programmes is time-consuming, labor-intensive and the diagnosis
      can be subjective. The use of an automated computer aided diagnosis system will
      reduce the time taken for analysis and will also reduce the inter-observer
      subjective variabilities in image interpretation. In this work, we propose one
      such system for the automatic classification of normal from abnormal (DR, AMD,
      glaucoma) images. We had a total of 404 normal and 1082 abnormal fundus images in
      our database. As the first step, 2D-Continuous Wavelet Transform (CWT)
      decomposition on the fundus images of two classes was performed. Subsequently,
      energy features and various entropies namely Yager, Renyi, Kapoor, Shannon, and
      Fuzzy were extracted from the decomposed images. Then, adaptive synthetic
      sampling approach was applied to balance the normal and abnormal datasets. Next,
      the extracted features were ranked according to the significances using Particle
      Swarm Optimization (PSO). Thereupon, the ranked and selected features were used
      to train the random forest classifier using stratified 10-fold cross validation.
      Overall, the proposed system presented a performance rate of 92.48%, and a
      sensitivity and specificity of 89.37% and 95.58% respectively using 15 features.
      This novel system shows promise in detecting abnormal fundus images, and hence,
      could be a valuable adjunct eye health screening tool that could be employed in
      polyclinics, and thereby reduce the workload of specialists at hospitals.

PMID- 28351717
TI  - Centralization of extruded medial meniscus delays cartilage degeneration in rats.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Meniscus extrusion often observed in knee osteoarthritis has a strong
      correlation with the progression of cartilage degeneration and symptom in the
      patients. We recently reported a novel procedure "arthroscopic centralization" in
      which the capsule was sutured to the edge of the tibial plateau to reduce
      meniscus extrusion in the human knee. However, there is no animal model to study
      the efficacy of this procedure. The purposes of this study were [1] to establish
      a model of centralization for the extruded medial meniscus in a rat model; and
      [2] to investigate the chondroprotective effect of this procedure. METHODS:
      Medial meniscus extrusion was induced by the release of the anterior synovial
      capsule and the transection of the meniscotibial ligament. Centralization was
      performed by the pulled-out suture technique. Alternatively, control rats had
      only the medial meniscus extrusion surgery. Medial meniscus extrusion was
      evaluated by micro-CT and macroscopic findings. Cartilage degeneration of the
      medial tibial plateau was evaluated macroscopically and histologically. RESULTS:
      By micro-CT analysis, the medial meniscus extrusion was significantly improved in
      the centralization group in comparison to the extrusion group throughout the
      study. Both macroscopically and histologically, the cartilage lesion of the
      medial tibial plateau was prevented in the centralization group but was apparent
      in the control group. CONCLUSIONS: We developed medial meniscus extrusion in a
      rat model, and centralization of the extruded medial meniscus by the pull-out
      suture technique improved the medial meniscus extrusion and delayed cartilage
      degeneration, though the effect was limited. Centralization is a promising
      treatment to prevent the progression of osteoarthritis.

PMID- 28351718
TI  - Progress in unraveling the genetic etiology of rolandic epilepsy.
AB  - Rolandic epilepsy (RE), or benign epilepsy of childhood with centrotemporal
      spikes (BECT), is the most frequent idiopathic partial epilepsy syndrome of
      childhood, where the "idiopathic" implies a genetic predisposition. Although RE
      has long been presumed to have a genetic component, clinical and genetic studies
      have shown a complex inheritance pattern. Furthermore, the underlying major
      genetic influence in RE has been challenged by recent reports of twin studies.
      Meanwhile, many genes or loci have been shown to be associated the RE/atypical RE
      (ARE) spectrum, with a higher frequency of causative variants in ARE. However, a
      full understanding of the genetic basis in the more common forms of the RE
      spectrum remains elusive.

PMID- 28351720
TI  - Estradiol effects on hypothalamic AMPK and BAT thermogenesis: A gateway for
      obesity treatment?
AB  - In addition to their prominent roles in the control of reproduction, estrogens
      are important modulators of energy balance, as evident in conditions of
      deficiency of estrogens, which are characterized by increased feeding and
      decreased energy expenditure, leading to obesity. AMP-activated protein kinase
      (AMPK) is a ubiquitous cellular energy gauge that is activated under conditions
      of low energy, increasing energy production and reducing energy wasting.
      Centrally, the AMPK pathway is a canonical route regulating energy homeostasis,
      by integrating peripheral signals, such as hormones and metabolites, with
      neuronal networks. As a result of those actions, hypothalamic AMPK modulates
      feeding, as well as brown adipose tissue (BAT) thermogenesis and browning of
      white adipose tissue (WAT). Here, we will review the central actions of estrogens
      on energy balance, with particular focus on hypothalamic AMPK. The relevance of
      this interaction is noteworthy, because some agents with known actions on
      metabolic homeostasis, such as nicotine, metformin, liraglutide, olanzapine and
      also natural molecules, such as resveratrol and flavonoids, exert their actions
      by modulating AMPK. This evidence highlights the possibility that hypothalamic
      AMPK might be a potential target for the treatment of obesity.

PMID- 28351721
TI  - A rapid, simple and sensitive loop-mediated isothermal amplification method to
      detect Anaplasma bovis in sheep and goats samples.
AB  - A loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP) technique has been widely used in
      detecting the nucleic acid of various pathogenic bacteria. In this study, a set
      of four LAMP primers was designed to specifically test Anaplasma bovis. The LAMP
      assay was performed at 62 degrees C for 60min in a water bath. The specificity
      was confirmed by amplifying A. bovis isolate, while no cross reaction was
      observed with other five pathogens (Anaplasma bovis, Anaplasma phagocytophilum,
      Theileria luwenshuni, Babesia motasi and Schistosoma japonicum). The sensitivity
      of LAMP was 5*100copies/MUL, 100 times more than that of conventional PCR
      (5*102copies/MUL). Of 120 blood DNA extracted from sheep and goats field samples,
      81 (67.5%), 22 (18.3%) and 43 (35.8%) were positively detected by LAMP,
      conventional PCR and nested PCR, respectively. The findings indicated that the
      developed LAMP assay is a new convenient tool for rapid and cost-effective
      detection of A. bovis.

PMID- 28351722
TI  - A novel method for synthesis of alpha-spinasterol and its antibacterial
      activities in combination with ceftiofur.
AB  - In this study, we designed a novel method of the synthesis of alpha-spinasterol
      from commercially available stigmasterol and explored the combinational effect of
      the alpha-spinasterol with ceftiofur in vitro against S. pullorum cvcc533, S.
      pneumoniae CAU0070, E. coli, and S. aureus. alpha-Spinasterol was obtained by a
      key reaction of Bamford-Stevens reaction with a desirable yield for five steps.
      The combination of alpha-spinasterol and ceftiofur showed stronger synergetic
      effect against the four pathogenic strains compared with that of stigmasterol and
      ceftiofur alone. In time-kill analyses, at concentrations above the MICs,
      ceftiofur in combination with alpha-spinasterol exhibited time-dependency and
      concentration-dependency comparing to time dependency with ceftiofur alone. We
      conclude that the combination usage of alpha-spinasterol and ceftiofur is an
      effective and promising strategy against the four pathogenic bacterial strains in
      vitro.

PMID- 28351723
TI  - Scubatines A-F, new cytotoxic neo-clerodane diterpenoids from Scutellaria barbata
      D. Don.
AB  - Phytochemical investigation of the 70% acetone extract of the whole plant of
      Scutellaria barbata D. Don afforded six new neo-clerodane diterpenoids,
      scubatines A-F (1-6), and four known analogues (7-10). Their structures were
      elucidated on the basis of extensive spectroscopic analyses. Cytotoxic activity
      against the HL-60 and A549 cell lines was assessed for all isolated compounds.
      Compound 9 exhibited moderate activity against HL-60 with an IC50 value of
      5.6MUM. Compound 6 showed weak cytotoxic activity against A549 and HL-60 with
      IC50 values of 10.4 and 15.3MUM, respectively.

PMID- 28351724
TI  - Trigeminal Neuralgia Completely Relieved After Stent-Assisted Coiling of a
      Superior Cerebellar Artery Aneurysm.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Although secondary trigeminal neuralgia is usually due to tumors or
      multiple sclerosis, other major neurologic diseases, such as aneurysms, should be
      taken into account when the history or the symptoms suggest a secondary origin.
      CASE DESCRIPTION: A 67-year-old lady presented with a 6-month history of
      trigeminal neuralgia involving exclusively the right ophthalmic division. A
      dedicated 3-dimensional-magnetic resonance imaging-magnetic resonance angiography
      study documented rare contact with a wide-necked aneurysm of the superior
      cerebellar artery, which distorted the trigeminal root. The patient underwent an
      endovascular treatment by stent-assisted coiling with the complete disappearance
      of neuralgic pain attacks within 24 hours. CONCLUSION: The complete relief from
      the neuralgic paroxysms immediately after endovascular stent-assisted occlusion
      of a superior cerebellar artery aneurysm demonstrates the crucial role of a
      pulsating stimulus on the demyelinated nerve fibers in evoking the ectopically
      generated discharges.

PMID- 28351725
TI  - Accurate Localization of Aneurysm Neck Margins in Clipping of a Carotid Cave
      Aneurysm Using Intraoperative Dual-Volume 3-Dimensional Volume-Rendering
      Rotational Angiography.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Full visualization of the aneurysm neck is usually impossible in a
      classical pterional craniotomy when a paraclinoid aneurysm is located on the
      opposite side of the internal carotid artery. Optic nerve (ON) retraction is
      required for better aneurysmal exposure, but ON injuries may occur. CLINICAL
      DESCRIPTION: In a case of a 70-year-old female harboring a carotid cave aneurysm,
      we introduced a new method to delineate better the margins of the aneurysm neck
      by using intraoperative 3-dimensional (3D) rotational angiography (RA) with dual
      volume reconstruction. After complete exposure of the aneurysm, we placed a
      straight clip adjacent to the aneurysm for localization purposes and performed 3D
      RA to locate the distal end of the aneurysm neck relative to the localization
      clip. With a better anatomic understanding of the neck position, we were able to
      reduce ON retraction and position the clip across the aneurysm neck more
      precisely. CONCLUSIONS: With the advantage of a hybrid operating room, we
      introduced a novel technique to define the margins of the obscured aneurysm neck
      more clearly by obtaining a 3D-RA dual-volume reconstruction image to locate the
      aneurysm neck relative to a localization clip. This technique facilitates the
      clipping procedure and also reduces the risk related to ON retraction during
      surgical exposure of a paraclinoid aneurysm.

PMID- 28351726
TI  - A comprehensive kinetics study of coconut shell waste pyrolysis.
AB  - Model-free and model-fitting methods were compared for pyrolytic conversion of
      the coconut shell waste. The apparent activation energy, estimated from
      differential and integral iso-conversional methods, increased with the
      progression of pyrolytic conversion. The reaction model, f(alpha)=(1-alpha)4.[
      ln(1-alpha)]0.53, indicate that order-based nucleation and growth mechanisms
      control the solid-state pyrolysis of the coconut shell waste. The active
      pyrolysis zone was consisted of overlapping multi-component degradation peaks.
      Average activation energy of the pseudo-components estimated from the Kissinger's
      method were 21.9kJ.mol-1, 106.4kJ.mol-1 and 108.6kJ.mol-1 for the dehydration,
      the degradation of pseudo-cellulose and pseudo-hemicellulose, respectively.
      Pseudo-lignin decomposed over a wide range of temperature with a slower
      conversion rate as compared to pseudo-hemicellulose and pseudo-cellulose. Average
      activation energy range of pseudo-lignin was estimated from the combination of
      model-free and model-fitting methods as 79.1-226.5kJ.mol-1.

PMID- 28351719
TI  - Reviving the guardian of the genome: Small molecule activators of p53.
AB  - The tumor suppressor p53 is one of the most important proteins for protection of
      genomic stability and cancer prevention. Cancers often inactivate it by either
      mutating its gene or disabling its function. Thus, activating p53 becomes an
      attractive approach for the development of molecule-based anti-cancer therapy.
      The past decade and half have witnessed tremendous progress in this area. This
      essay offers readers with a grand review on this progress with updated
      information about small molecule activators of p53 either still at bench work or
      in clinical trials.

PMID- 28351727
TI  - Evaluation of the solvent water effect on high solids saccharification of alkali
      pretreated sugarcane bagasse.
AB  - Solvent water is an essential factor for high solids enzymatic hydrolysis. To
      investigate its effect on substrate conversion efficiency in high solids
      hydrolysis of sugarcane bagasse (SCB), oleyl alcohol was used to partially
      substitute the solvent water. The results in batch hydrolysis tests in which
      diverse ratio of solvent water was replaced found that the majority of the
      substrate was insoluble. Then high solids fed-batch hydrolysis with the reaction
      solution mixed with solvent water and oleyl alcohol in the ratio of 3:1 (solids
      concentration correspond to 24% (w/v)) was carried out at the final real solids
      loading of 18% (w/v). The produced sugars were found to be less than pure water
      system, which indicated that water played a significant role in high solids
      hydrolysis process, and solids effect was related to the solvent water content.

PMID- 28351728
TI  - One-step synthesis of high-yield biodiesel from waste cooking oils by a novel and
      highly methanol-tolerant immobilized lipase.
AB  - This study reported a novel immobilized MAS1 lipase from marine Streptomyces sp.
      strain W007 for synthesizing high-yield biodiesel from waste cooking oils (WCO)
      with one-step addition of methanol in a solvent-free system. Immobilized MAS1
      lipase was selected for the transesterification reactions with one-step addition
      of methanol due to its much more higher biodiesel yield (89.50%) when compared
      with the other three commercial immobilized lipases (<10%). The highest biodiesel
      yield (95.45%) was acquired with one-step addition of methanol under the
      optimized conditions. Moreover, it was observed that immobilized MAS1 lipase
      retained approximately 70% of its initial activity after being used for four
      batch cycles. Finally, the obtained biodiesel was further characterized using FT
      IR, 1H and 13C NMR spectroscopy. These findings indicated that immobilized MAS1
      lipase is a promising catalyst for biodiesel production from WCO with one-step
      addition of methanol under high methanol concentration.

PMID- 28351729
TI  - Valorization of carob waste: Definition of a second-generation bioethanol
      production process.
AB  - The aim of this work was to develop a strategy for second-generation ethanol
      production from carob solid waste issued from Lebanese food industry. The pros
      and cons of submerged (SF) and solid-state fermentations (SSF) using S.
      cerevisiae on ethanol yield and productivity were compared, including the
      respective roles of upstream and downstream processes, such as the size
      reduction, or sugar and ethanol recovery processes. The design of experiments
      methodology was applied. Experimental results demonstrated that SSF applied to
      cut carob waste from carob syrup preparation was simpler to operate and more cost
      effective, maintained yield and productivity (0.458g ethanol/g consumed sugar and
      4.3g/(kg waste)/h) in comparison to SF (0.450g ethanol/g consumed sugar and
      5.7g/(kg waste)/h), and was able to achieve ethanol production up to 155g/(kg
      waste) at low water demand, while SF reached only 78g/(kg waste) due to the
      limitations of the sugar extraction pretreatment.

PMID- 28351730
TI  - Associations of adverse childhood experiences with depression and alcohol abuse
      among Korean college students.
AB  - This study investigated adverse childhood experiences of Korean college students
      and the impact such experiences have on students' depression and alcohol abuse.
      Using an online questionnaire, 939 college students were surveyed regarding their
      adverse childhood experiences, depressive symptoms and alcohol use habits. About
      half of the participants claimed to have experienced at least one adversity in
      their childhood. Eight percent of participants reported experiencing four or more
      categories of adversity. The correlations between adverse childhood experiences
      and depressive symptoms, alcohol abusive behaviors, and the comorbid condition of
      the two outcomes were significant when students' gender, geographical regions,
      maternal and paternal education, and family incomes were adjusted. Graded
      associations of cumulated adverse childhood experiences with the outcome
      variables were evident. These findings strengthen the link between child
      maltreatment and adult public health issues carrying socioeconomic burdens, two
      matters that have not been extensively studied in Korean contexts.

PMID- 28351731
TI  - The impact of extrafamilial victimization and poly-victimization on the
      psychological well-being of English young people.
AB  - Childhood victimization impacts on the well-being of children and young people,
      particularly those experiencing an extreme amount of different types of
      victimization (i.e., poly-victims). However, limited attention has been given to
      the impact of different categories of extrafamilial victimization (experienced
      outside of the family), particularly in the UK. The intricacies of the
      significant detrimental impact poly-victimization has on victims are also poorly
      understood. In this study, 730 young people, aged 13 to 16 years (mean 13.8
      years), from one county in the UK, were surveyed about their lifetime and past
      year experiences of extrafamilial victimization, the locations in which these
      occurred, and current trauma symptoms. The results showed that interpersonal
      forms of extrafamilial victimization (e.g., sexual victimization) were
      significant predictors of trauma, whilst more indirect forms of extrafamilial
      victimization (e.g., witnessing the victimization of others) were not. When
      extrafamilial poly-victimization and number of extrafamilial victim locations
      were accounted for within regression models, however, this impact was reduced.
      Poly-victimization within the past year was the strongest predictor of trauma
      symptoms. Number of victim locations did not significantly predict trauma
      symptoms above and beyond the impact of poly-victimization, although it was a
      contributory predictor. These findings suggest that a holistic exploration of a
      young person's extrafamilial victim experiences is needed in any clinical
      assessment or research into its psychological impact. Specifically, attention
      should be given to the experiencing of extreme levels of victimization (e.g.,
      poly-victimization). Further longitudinal research is needed to understand why
      poly-victimization has the greatest impact on psychological well-being.

PMID- 28351732
TI  - Prevalence of factor H Binding Protein sub-variants among Neisseria meningitidis
      in China.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: To study the prevalence of the fHbp genes in Neisseria meningitidis
      (N. meningitidis) isolates for further evaluation and development of serogroup B
      meningococcal vaccines in China. METHODS: A panel of 1012 N. meningitidis strains
      was selected from the national culture collection from 1956 to 2016, according to
      the years of isolation, locations, and strain sources. These were tested by FHbp
      variant typing. Multi-locus sequence typing (MLST) was performed on 822 of these
      samples, including 242 strains from clinical strains and 580 carrier-derived
      strains. Analysis based on sequence types, serogroups, and FHbp variations were
      used to summarize the prevalence and characteristics of N. meningitidis. RESULTS:
      There were 8 serogroups of N. meningitidis as well as a collection of
      nongroupable strains in this study. 1008 of 1012 N. meningitidis strains tested
      were positive for the fHbp gene. Serogroup A N. meningitidis (MenA) strains
      belonging to ST-1 and ST-5 clonal complexes harbored genes only encoding variant
      1 (v1) FHbp. All MenW strains encoded v2 FHbp. 61.9% of clinical MenB strains
      were positive for v2 FHbp vs. 32.1% that were positive for v1. Among fHbp
      positive carrier-derived MenB strains, v2 FHbp accounted for 90.8%. 79.7% of
      clinical MenC strains were positive for v1 FHbp and 20.3% were positive for v2
      FHbp. Among carrier-derived MenC strains, v2 FHbp predominated. The number of
      major serogroups of N. meningitidis analyzed by MLST was 822, and the encoded
      FHbp showed CC- or ST-specific characteristics. CONCLUSION: fHbp genes were
      detected in almost all N. meningitidis strains in this study. Therefore, it is
      possible that a vaccine against MenB or meningococci irrespective of serogroups,
      which includes FHbp, could be developed. Meningococcal vaccine development for
      China is a complex issue and these findings warrant further attention with
      respect to vaccine development.

PMID- 28351733
TI  - Moving the needle on nursing staff influenza vaccination in long-term care:
      Results of an evidence-based intervention.
AB  - PURPOSE: Influenza vaccination rates among healthcare providers (HCPs) in long
      term care facilities (LTCFs) are commonly below the Healthy People 2020 goal of
      90%. This study was conducted to develop and evaluate an intervention program
      designed to increase influenza uptake among HCPs in LTCFs. METHODS: This study
      was conducted in four Midwestern LTCFs. Baseline interviews, surveys, and
      administrative data analysis were performed following the 2013-2014 influenza
      season. Interventions implemented during the 2014-2015 season were based on the
      health belief and ecological models and included goal-setting worksheets, policy
      development, educational programs, kick-off events, incentives, a vaccination
      tracking roster, and facility-wide communication about vaccine uptake among HCPs.
      Outcomes were evaluated in 2015. RESULTS: At baseline, 50% of 726 nursing staff
      employed during the 2013-2014 influenza season had documented receipt of
      influenza vaccine (Site A: 34%; Site B: 5%; Site C: 75%; Site D: 62%), and 31% of
      347 survey respondents reported absenteeism due to respiratory illness. At follow
      up, 85% of HCPs had documented receipt of influenza vaccine (p<0.01) and 19% of
      323 survey respondents reported absenteeism due to respiratory illness (p<0.01).
      Vaccination rates among respondents' family members increased from 31% at
      baseline to 44% post-intervention (p<0.01). Reasons for declining vaccination did
      not change following exposure to educational programs, but HCPs were more likely
      to recommend vaccination to others after program implementation. CONCLUSIONS:
      Vaccination rates among long-term care HCPs and their family members increased
      significantly and HCP absenteeism decreased after the implementation of
      multifaceted interventions based on an ecological model. The findings suggest
      that major increases in HCP vaccination can be achieved in LTCFs. More research
      is needed to evaluate the impact of increased HCP vaccination on the health and
      productivity of LTCF employees, their family members, and residents.

PMID- 28351734
TI  - Chronic hepatitis B: Immunological profile and current therapeutic vaccines in
      clinical trials.
AB  - More than 250million people worldwide are chronically infected with hepatitis B
      virus (CHB), and over half a million die each year due to CHB-associated liver
      complications such as cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma. The translation of
      immunological knowledge about CHB into therapeutic strategies aiming to a
      sustainable hepatitis B virus (HBV) clearance has been challenging. In recent
      years, however, the understanding on the immune effectors required to overcome
      chronicity has notably increased thanks to preclinical and clinical research.
      Therapeutic vaccination may prove to be useful for treating CHB patients when
      coupled with current antiviral agents and other immunomodulatory strategies. This
      review summarizes current data and future perspectives on therapeutic
      vaccination. Other treatment alternatives that could be combined with vaccines
      for a complete cure from hepatitis B virus infection are also discussed.

PMID- 28351735
TI  - Cognitive testing to evaluate revisions to the Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting
      System (VAERS) reporting form.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: The Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System (VAERS) is the
      spontaneous (passive) reporting system CDC and FDA use to monitor vaccine safety.
      We used cognitive testing to evaluate proposed revisions to the current VAERS
      form. METHODS: We conducted in-person cognitive interviews with 22 volunteers to
      evaluate proposed revisions in a prototype VAERS 2.0 form (new VAERS form). We
      analyzed data using thematic analysis. RESULTS: Repeating themes included
      preferences for: brevity, simplicity and clarity; features to minimize time
      requirements and facilitate ease of completion; logical ordering of questions by
      topic and importance; and visual cues like color-coded highlighting. Interviews
      identified instances of discordance between the intended meaning questions (from
      the perspective of CDC and FDA) and interpretation by volunteers. CONCLUSIONS:
      Cognitive testing yielded useful information to guide further revisions of the
      VAERS form. Cognitive testing can be an effective tool for public health programs
      interested in developing surveys and reporting forms.

PMID- 28351736
TI  - Musculoskeletal modelling of human ankle complex: Estimation of ankle joint
      moments.
AB  - BACKGROUND: A musculoskeletal model for the ankle complex is vital in order to
      enhance the understanding of neuro-mechanical control of ankle motions, diagnose
      ankle disorders and assess subsequent treatments. Motions at the human ankle and
      foot, however, are complex due to simultaneous movements at the two joints
      namely, the ankle joint and the subtalar joint. The musculoskeletal elements at
      the ankle complex, such as ligaments, muscles and tendons, have intricate
      arrangements and exhibit transient and nonlinear behaviour. METHODS: This paper
      develops a musculoskeletal model of the ankle complex considering the biaxial
      ankle structure. The model provides estimates of overall mechanical
      characteristics (motion and moments) of ankle complex through consideration of
      forces applied along ligaments and muscle-tendon units. The dynamics of the ankle
      complex and its surrounding ligaments and muscle-tendon units is modelled and
      formulated into a state space model to facilitate simulations. A graphical user
      interface is also developed during this research in order to include the visual
      anatomical information by converting it to quantitative information on
      coordinates. FINDINGS: Validation of the ankle model was carried out by comparing
      its outputs with those published in literature as well as with experimental data
      obtained from an existing parallel ankle rehabilitation robot. INTERPRETATION:
      Qualitative agreement was observed between the model and measured data for both,
      the passive and active ankle motions during trials in terms of displacements and
      moments.

PMID- 28351737
TI  - Functional characterization of the aspartic proteinase cathepsin D in the beet
      armyworm (Spodoptera exigua).
AB  - In insects, proteolytic enzymes are involved in food digestion and the
      metamorphosis process. In the present study, the full-length cDNA of an aspartic
      proteinase, Spodoptera exigua cathepsin D (SeCatD), was cloned, and its functions
      in metamorphosis were characterized. SeCatD contains an open reading frame of
      1152 nucleotides, encoding a 384-amino acid polypeptide including a signal
      peptide and two functional domains (family A1 propeptide of amino acids (19-45)
      and a cathepsin D-like domain of 327 amino acids (55-381)). Three-dimensional
      structure analysis indicated that Asp66 and Asp251 may play important role in
      hydrolysis. Recombinant SeCatD was expressed in Sf9 insect cells and verified via
      SDS-PAGE and Western blot, the molecular mass of the expressed SeCatD was
      approximately 42kDa. The enzyme had an optimal pH value of 3 for activity. In
      addition, the tissue expression profile of SeCatD during metamorphosis was
      obtained, and the data demonstrated that SeCatD was expressed increasingly in the
      fat body and midgut, but not in the epidermis. Finally, injection of dsRNA-SeCatD
      into the fifth-instar larvae significantly reduced SeCatD expression and larvae
      survival rate compared to a dsRNA-GFP treatment. These data imply that SeCatD may
      function during metamorphosis and may represent a target for insect control.

PMID- 28351738
TI  - Scanning indels in the 5q22.1 region and identification of the TMEM232
      susceptibility gene that is associated with atopic dermatitis in the Chinese Han
      population.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Atopic dermatitis (AD) is a chronic inflammatory skin disease. The
      5q22.1 region was found to have an association with AD in our previous genome
      wide association study (GWAS). OBJECTIVE: To identify the AD susceptibility gene
      in 5q22.1 and observe its expression in AD tissues. METHODS: Suggestive indels
      from the GWAS data were genotyped in 3013 AD patients and 5075 controls from the
      Chinese Han population with the SequenomMassArray system. Association, Bayesian
      and bioinformatics analyses were used to identify possible causal indels and
      genes in the 5q22.1 region. Immunohistochemistry (IHC) was performed to observe
      protein expression in the tissues. PLINK 1.07 software was used for all
      statistical analyses. RESULTS: The genotyping and association analysis showed
      that six deletions and four SNPs were associated with AD (P<0.005). The
      rs11357450 (Pcombined=7.79E-04, OR=1.39, logBayes Factor=1.29) deletion located
      in TMEM232 was identified to be the strongest variant. Analysis of the genetic
      model revealed that the dominant model best described rs11357450 (P=1.96E-03,
      OR=1.22; 95% CI=1.07-1.37). IHC showed that the expression of TMEM232 decreased
      gradually from the granular layer to the basal layer in AD, but in normal
      tissues, this trend was reversed. Additionally, positive cytoplasm staining was
      found in lymphocytes around the blood vessels in AD. CONCLUSIONS: The study
      indicates that TMEM232 in the 5q22.1 region is the causal gene for AD in the
      Chinese Han population.

PMID- 28351739
TI  - Identification, characterization and functional analysis of regulatory region of
      nanos gene from half-smooth tongue sole (Cynoglossus semilaevis).
AB  - The nanos gene encodes an RNA-binding zinc finger protein, which is required in
      the development and maintenance of germ cells. However, there is very limited
      information about nanos in flatfish, which impedes its application in fish
      breeding. In this study, we report the molecular cloning, characterization and
      functional analysis of the 3'-untranslated region of the nanos gene (Csnanos)
      from half-smooth tongue sole (Cynoglossus semilaevis), which is an economically
      important flatfish in China. The 1233-bp cDNA sequence, 1709-bp genomic sequence
      and flanking sequences (2.8-kb 5'- and 1.6-kb 3'-flanking regions) of Csnanos
      were cloned and characterized. Sequence analysis revealed that CsNanos shares low
      homology with Nanos in other species, but the zinc finger domain of CsNanos is
      highly similar. Phylogenetic analysis indicated that CsNanos belongs to the
      Nanos2 subfamily. Csnanos expression was widely detected in various tissues, but
      the expression level was higher in testis and ovary. During early development and
      sex differentiation, Csnanos expression exhibited a clear sexually dimorphic
      pattern, suggesting its different roles in the migration and differentiation of
      primordial germ cells (PGCs). Higher expression levels of Csnanos mRNA in normal
      females and males than in neomales indicated that the nanos gene may play key
      roles in maintaining the differentiation of gonad. Moreover, medaka PGCs were
      successfully labeled by the microinjection of synthesized mRNA consisting of
      green fluorescence protein and the 3'-untranslated region of Csnanos. These
      findings provide new insights into nanos gene expression and function, and lay
      the foundation for further study of PGC development and applications in tongue
      sole breeding.

PMID- 28351740
TI  - Evidencing 98 secondary metabolites of Penicillium verrucosum using substrate
      isotopic labeling and high-resolution mass spectrometry.
AB  - Industrial applications of fungal compounds, coupled with the emergence of fungal
      threats to natural ecosystems and public health, have increased interest in
      filamentous fungi. Among all pathogenic fungi, Penicillium verrucosum is one of
      the most common mold-infecting stored cereals in temperate regions. However, it
      is estimated that 80% of fungal secondary metabolites remain unknown. To detect
      new P. verrucosum compounds, an untargeted metabolomic approach was applied to
      fungus grown on wheat grains labeled with stable isotopes: (i) natural grains
      (99% 12C); (ii) grains enriched with 97% of 13C; and (iii) grains enriched with
      53% of 13C and 97% of 15N. Analyses performed by high-performance liquid
      chromatography coupled with high-resolution mass spectrometry (HPLC-HRMS) enabled
      the specific detection of fungal metabolites, and the unambiguous
      characterization of their chemical formulas. In this way, 98 secondary
      metabolites were detected and their chemical formulas were determined. Of these,
      only 18 identifications could be made based on databases, the literature and mass
      spectrometry fragmentation experiments, with the result that 80 were totally
      unknown. Molecular networks were generated to analyze these results, leading to
      the characterization by MSn experiments of a new fungisporin produced by P.
      verrucosum. More generally, this article provides precise mass spectrometric data
      about all these compounds for further studies of the Penicillium metabolome.

PMID- 28351741
TI  - Relationship between ankle frontal plane kinematics during different functional
      tasks.
AB  - Increased inversion following lateral ankle sprain and in patients with chronic
      ankle instability (CAI) is thought to contribute to recurrent injury and feelings
      of instability, however, there are no biomechanic assessment tools readily
      available to evaluate for excessive inversion prior to or following lateral ankle
      sprains. Before establishing a clinically useful biomechanic assessment tool, it
      is important to understand whether there is a relationship in the extent of ankle
      frontal plane motion across various tasks to help determine if one task or a
      combination of tasks would be most appropriate when evaluating patients. The
      purpose of this preliminary study was to analyze the relationship between ankle
      frontal plane kinematics during walking, step-down, and jump-landing tasks. Fifty
      six recreationally active adults (gender=M:26;F:30, age=21.2+/-3.2,
      height=171.3+/-8.0cm, mass=75.6+/-15.4) volunteered. Main outcome measures were
      ankle frontal plane motion at initial contact and peak inversion during aerial
      phases across 3 tasks (walking, step-down, and jump-landing). Relationships
      between ankle frontal plane kinematics were analyzed by Pearson product-moment
      correlation coefficient (r). There were strong correlations in peak inversion
      during the aerial phase between the step-down and walking (r=0.68; p<0.001) and
      step-down and jump-landing (r=0.75; p<0.001) and at initial contact between step
      down and walking (r=0.73; p<0.001) and step-down and jump-landing (r=0.72;
      p<0.001). Moderate correlations were identified during aerial (r=0.32; p=0.015)
      and at initial contact (r=0.46; p<0.001) between walking and jump-landing. The
      strong relationship between the amount of inversion exhibited across various
      tasks suggest that a single evaluation test may be sufficient in the
      identification of abnormal ankle biomechanics.

PMID- 28351742
TI  - Effects of treadmill incline and speed on peroneus longus muscle activity in
      persons with chronic stroke and healthy subjects.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: To examine the effects of walking at different inclines and speeds on
      Peroneus Longus (PL) muscle activation and medial gastrocnemius (MG) coactivation
      with PL in healthy controls and subjects with stroke. DESIGN: Nineteen persons
      post-stroke (13M/6F) and fifteen healthy controls (10M/5F) walked on a treadmill
      at different inclines (0 degrees , 3 degrees , and 6 degrees ) and speeds (self
      selected, self-selected+20%, self-selected+40%). The electromyographic activity
      of the PL and MG muscles in the stance phase of gait cycle was measured. RESULTS:
      The paretic PL muscle activity did not change with incline, but increased at +40%
      speed only (p<0.05). The nonparetic PL increased at 6 degrees  incline and at
      faster speeds (p<0.05). In the healthy group, PL muscle activity increased only
      on the right side at 6 degrees  incline, but increased bilaterally at +40% faster
      speed (p<0.05). The timing of PL muscle activity did not change with incline
      (p>0.05), but was significantly delayed at +40% faster speed on the paretic side
      only (p<0.05). In healthy controls, PL muscle activation timing was unchanged
      with incline (p>0.05), but was significantly delayed at +40% speed only on the
      left side (p<0.05). The MG/PL amplitude and timing ratios were not significantly
      different between various walking conditions (p>0.05). CONCLUSION: An increase in
      PL activity occurs to provide ankle stability at walking speeds up to 40% faster
      than the self-selected speed. Important interlimb differences which may be
      related to leg dominance and motor control were observed in both stroke and
      healthy control groups in both PL muscle timing and their clinical impact should
      be investigated in future studies.

PMID- 28351743
TI  - Effects of treadmill training with load addition on non-paretic lower limb on
      gait parameters after stroke: A randomized controlled clinical trial.
AB  - The addition of load on the non-paretic lower limb for the purpose of restraining
      this limb and stimulating the use of the paretic limb has been suggested to
      improve hemiparetic gait. However, the results are conflicting and only short
      term effects have been observed. This study aims to investigate the effects of
      adding load on non-paretic lower limb during treadmill gait training as a
      multisession intervention on kinematic gait parameters after stroke. With this
      aim, 38 subacute stroke patients (mean time since stroke: 4.5 months) were
      randomly divided into two groups: treadmill training with load (equivalent to 5%
      of body weight) on the non-paretic ankle (experimental group) and treadmill
      training without load (control group). Both groups performed treadmill training
      during 30min per day, for two consecutive weeks (nine sessions). Spatiotemporal
      and angular gait parameters were assessed by a motion system analysis at
      baseline, post-training (at the end of 9days of interventions) and follow-up
      (40days after the end of interventions). Several post-training effects were
      demonstrated: patients walked faster and with longer paretic and non-paretic
      steps compared to baseline, and maintained these gains at follow-up. In addition,
      patients exhibited greater hip and knee joint excursion in both limbs at post
      training, while maintaining most of these benefits at follow-up. All these
      improvements were observed in both groups. Although the proposal gait training
      program has provided better gait parameters for these subacute stroke patients,
      our data indicate that load addition used as a restraint may not provide
      additional benefits to gait training.

PMID- 28351744
TI  - Dynamical analysis of balance in vestibular schwannoma patients.
AB  - The analysis of the complexity of postural fluctuations is a recent method for
      assessing postural control. Complexity relates to the irregularity of the center
      of pressure time series and characterizes the ability of postural control to meet
      a changing environment. In our study, we used the sample entropy (SampEn)
      parameter to evaluate the complexity of postural sway velocity time series in
      patients with vestibular schwannoma (n=19) compared to healthy controls (n=20),
      using the sensory organization test. Patients performed postural assessments
      three days before surgical ablation of the tumor, then three times after surgery,
      at eight, thirty, and ninety days. The control group underwent posturographic
      tests only once. Our results demonstrated that SampEn values distinguished both
      groups before surgery only in postural tasks where vestibular afferences
      significantly contribute to maintaining balance. We also found an immediate
      decrease of complexity after the surgical resection of the tumor. Our results are
      in line with the theory of complexity loss of physiological systems stating that
      reducing the number of their structural components or altering their coupling
      leads to a decrease in complexity. Finally, our findings showed that progressive
      restoration of complexity over time was such that no difference was found between
      the two groups ninety days after surgery, due to the implementation of central
      adaptive mechanisms and the substitution by other sensory afferences. Thus, the
      SampEn parameter can highlight the postural effects of vestibular pathology, and
      complexity analysis appears to be a valuable tool for investigating the temporal
      structure of CoP time series.

PMID- 28351745
TI  - The severity and number of musculoskeletal pain associated with gait in community
      dwelling elderly individuals.
AB  - BACKGROUND: The association of quantitative gait characteristics, such as gait
      variability with musculoskeletal pain is poorly understood. We aimed to examine
      whether gait speed and gait variability are associated with musculoskeletal pain
      assessed by the severity and the number of sites in community-dwelling elderly
      individuals. METHODS: A total of 176 elderly individuals participated in this
      study. The wireless motion-recording sensor units were attached to the lower
      trunk and heel during gait, and an autocorrelation coefficient was calculated in
      three directions as parameters of gait variability of trunk movement.
      Musculoskeletal pain was assessed in two aspects: severity and the number of
      sites. RESULTS: Moderate/severe pain intensity was significantly associated with
      slow gait speed and low AC in a mediolateral direction (P=0.024 and 0.026,
      respectively). Participants with musculoskeletal pain in multiple sites had
      significantly lower autocorrelation coefficient in mediolateral direction than
      did those without pain (P=0.003). CONCLUSIONS: Presence of moderate/severe pain
      intensity in at least one site or any-intensity pain in multiple sites is
      associated with slower gait speed and higher gait variability of trunk movement
      in well-functioning elderly individuals living in the community. Additional
      studies are necessary to elucidate the causal relationships between
      musculoskeletal pain and gait.

PMID- 28351746
TI  - Competition and enhancement effect in coremoval of atenolol and copper by an
      easily regenerative magnetic cation exchange resin.
AB  - This paper aimed to investigate the removal of combined Cu2+ and atenolol (ATL)
      in aqueous solution by using a newly synthesized magnetic cation exchange resin
      (MCER) as the adsorbent. The MCER exhibited efficient removal performance in
      sole, binary, pre-loading and saline systems. The adsorption kinetics of Cu2+ and
      ATL fitted both pseudo-first-order and pseudo-second order model, while better
      described by pseudo-second order model in binary system. In mixed Cu2+ and ATL
      solution, the adsorption of ATL was suppressed due to direct competition of
      carboxylic groups, while Cu2+ adsorption was enhanced because of the formation of
      surface complexes. This increasing in heterogeneity was demonstrated by
      adsorption isotherms, which were more suitable for Freundlich model in binary
      system, while better described by Langmuir model in sole system. As proved by
      FTIR and XPS spectra, both amino and hydroxyl groups of ATL could form complexes
      with Cu2+. Decomplexing-bridging interaction was elucidated as the leading
      mechanism in coremoval of Cu2+ and ATL, which involved [Cu-ATL] decomplexing and
      newly created Cu- or ATL sites for additional bridging. For saline system, the
      resulting competition and enhancement effects in mixed solution were amplified
      with the addition of co-existing cations. Moreover, the MCER could be effectively
      regenerated by 0.01 M HCl solution and maintain high stability over 5 adsorption
      desorption cycles, which render it great potential for practical applications.

PMID- 28351747
TI  - Improved contrast for high frame rate imaging using coherent compounding combined
      with spatial matched filtering.
AB  - The concept of high frame rate ultrasound imaging (typically greater than 1000
      frames per second) has inspired new fields of clinical applications for
      ultrasound imaging such as fast cardiovascular imaging, fast Doppler imaging and
      real-time 3D imaging. Coherent plane-wave compounding is a promising beamforming
      technique to achieve high frame rate imaging. By combining echoes from plane
      waves with different angles, dynamic transmit focusing is efficiently
      accomplished at all points in the image field. Meanwhile, the image frame rate
      can still be kept at a high level. Spatial matched filtering (SMF) with plane
      wave insonification is a novel ultrafast beamforming method. An analytical study
      shows that SMF is equivalent to synthetic aperture methods that can provide
      dynamic transmit-receive focusing throughout the field of view. Experimental
      results show that plane-wave SMF has better performance than dynamic-receive
      focusing. In this paper, we propose integrating coherent plane-wave compounding
      with SMF to obtain greater image contrast. By using a combination of SMF
      beamformed images, image contrast is improved without degrading its high frame
      rate capabilities. The performance of compounded SMF (CSMF) is evaluated and
      compared with that of synthetic aperture focusing technique (SAFT) beamforming
      and compounded dynamic-receive-focus (CDRF) beamforming. The image quality of
      different beamforming methods was quantified in terms of contrast-to-noise ratio
      (CNR). Our results show that the new SMF based plane-wave compounding method
      provides better contrast than DAS based compounding method. Also CSMF can obtain
      a similar contrast level to dynamic transmit-receive focusing with only 21
      transmit events.

PMID- 28351748
TI  - Beliefs about physical activity and sedentary behaviors of adults with visual
      impairments.
AB  - BACKGROUND: When exploring reasons why individuals with visual impairments (VI)
      may or may not engage in physical activity (PA) or sedentary behaviors (SB),
      theoretically grounded research on the determinants of these behaviors is scarce.
      OBJECTIVE/HYPOTHESIS: Situated in the theory of planned behavior (TpB), the
      purposes of this study were to: (a) develop a theoretically-sound scale, Beliefs
      about Physical and Sedentary Behaviors-Visual Impairment (BAPS-VI), to determine
      if the constructs of TpB are useful in predicting PA and SBs of adults with VI;
      (b) analyze their beliefs about PA and SBs; and (c) determine which TpB
      constructs are the best predictors of PA behaviors. METHODS: Data were collected
      from adults with VI (n = 209, 65.5% women) using on-line survey methodology.
      Following reliability estimation, the PA and SB items were reduced using separate
      Principal Components analyses to examine the underlying dimension of the BAPS-VI
      in relation to TpB. A hierarchical regression model was used to determine what
      factors predicted self-reports of minutes of PA. RESULTS: Results supported the
      theoretical framework of the measure and explained 75% of the variance for
      intention to engage in PA and SB items, respectively. Six new variables,
      intention, and demographic data were then regressed on physical activity scores
      with only intention to engage in PA (beta = 0.30, p < 0.01) remaining as a
      significant predictor of physical activity. CONCLUSIONS: The development of the
      theoretically driven measure and results of this study can inform future research
      focusing on exploring PA and SBs of adults with VI.

PMID- 28351749
TI  - The link between smoking status and co-morbid conditions in individuals with
      multiple sclerosis (MS).
AB  - BACKGROUND: In individuals with multiple sclerosis (MS) comorbidities and quality
      of life (QOL) may be affected by tobacco use. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the
      associations between smoking status, in particular quit attempts, and
      comorbidities among individuals with MS. METHODS: We used a web-based survey to
      obtain cross-sectional data from 335 individuals with MS who were members of the
      Gateway Chapter of the National MS Society email registry. We then examined the
      associations between smoking variables (current use, frequency, and quit
      attempts) and comorbidities. RESULTS: The prevalence of participants who ever
      smoked was 50%, which is greater than that reported for the general population;
      20% were current smokers. Migraine headaches were associated with current use and
      everyday smoking, and those with recent failed quit attempts had a higher
      prevalence of depression than those who were current smokers but who did not
      attempt to quit or had successfully quit in the past year. CONCLUSION: Given the
      associations between smoking and comorbidities in individuals with MS, health
      care providers should both (1) assess smoking history and quit attempts, and (2)
      encourage individuals with MS who smoke to become non-smokers and refer for
      treatment, as indicated. In order to increase the chances that individuals will
      be successful in becoming non-smokers, clinicians would do well to also assess
      and treat depression in their patients who smoke and are also depressed.

PMID- 28351750
TI  - A longitudinal DTI and histological study of the spinal cord reveals early
      pathological alterations in G93A-SOD1 mouse model of amyotrophic lateral
      sclerosis.
AB  - Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a neurodegenerative disease characterized
      by selective motor neuron degeneration in the motor cortex, brainstem and spinal
      cord. It is generally accepted that ALS is caused by death of motor neurons,
      however the exact temporal cascade of degenerative processes is not yet
      completely known. To identify the early pathological changes in spinal cord of
      G93A-SOD1 ALS mice we performed a comprehensive longitudinal analysis employing
      diffusion-tensor magnetic resonance imaging alongside histology and electron
      microscopy, in parallel with peripheral nerve histology. We showed the gradient
      of degeneration appearance in spinal cord white and gray matter, starting
      earliest in the ventral white matter, due to a cascade of pathological events
      including axon dysfunction and mitochondrial changes. Notably, we found that even
      the main sensory regions are affected by the neurodegenerative process at
      symptomatic disease phase. Overall our results attest the applicability of DTI in
      determining disease progression in ALS mice. These findings suggest that DTI
      could be potentially adapted in humans to aid the assessment of ALS progression
      and eventually the evaluation of treatment efficacy.

PMID- 28351751
TI  - The pancreas: Bandmaster of glucose homeostasis.
AB  - The pancreas is a centralized organ vital for whole body metabolic control.
      Recent advances in the field of metabolism have reinforced its importance for
      orchestrating endocrine hormone secretion in response to several nutrients
      including glucose, lipids and amino acids, in addition to hormones and
      inflammatory signals. Cell types within the pancreas, in particular the insulin
      producing beta cells, control nutrient breakdown and energy production and are
      essential to maintain not only efficient hormone secretion, but also cell
      integrity, survival, and the ability to sense and adapt to changing metabolic
      environments. The present review highlights recent research advances on how
      glucolipotoxicity, mitochondrial dysfunction, and systemic inflammation affects
      pancreatic metabolism, and how new technologies and more advanced research models
      are improving our ability to study this organ system. Taken together, careful
      characterization and understanding of the importance of nutrient metabolism
      within this important, yet complex organ, will help us to better understand
      pathologies intimately associated with the pancreas and possibly discover new and
      more effective therapeutic strategies.

PMID- 28351752
TI  - Deficiency of CKIP-1 aggravates high-fat diet-induced fatty liver in mice.
AB  - Casein kinase 2 interacting protein-1(CKIP-1) is widely expressed in a variety of
      tissues and cells, and plays an important role in various critical cellular and
      physiological processes including cell growth, apoptosis, differentiation,
      cytoskeleton and bone formation. Here, we found: (1) CKIP-1 deficient mice
      exhibited increased body weight, liver weight, number and size of lipid droplets,
      and TG content comparing with WT mice after being exposed to high fat diet (HFD);
      (2) the levels of serum insulin, liver glycogen, phosphorylated C-Jun-N-terminal
      kinase-1 (pJNK1) and phosphorylated insulin receptor substrate -1(pIRS1) in CKIP
      1-/- mice were higher than those of WT mice; (3) CKIP-1 interacted with JNK1 in
      vitro. Our results indicate that CKIP-1 deficiency in mice aggravates HFD-induced
      fatty liver by upregulating JNK1 phosphorylation and further upregulating IRS-1
      phosphorylation and RI.

PMID- 28351753
TI  - The Brief Multidimensional Students' Life Satisfaction Scale (BMSLSS):
      Reliability, validity, and gender invariance in an Indian adolescent sample.
AB  - This study examined the internal consistency reliability, factorial, convergent,
      discriminant, and predictive validity, as well as gender invariance of the Brief
      Multidimensional Students' Life Satisfaction Scale (BMSLSS; Seligson, Huebner, &
      Valois, 2003) in a sample of 445 adolescents (Mage = 16.04 years) hailing from
      the southernmost state of India, Kerala. The study also examined the test-retest
      reliability (n = 392) of the BMSLSS. The Cronbach's alpha coefficient suggested
      that the BMSLSS was reliable. Confirmatory factor analyses demonstrated the
      factorial validity of the BMSLSS. Bivariate correlational analyses provided
      support for the convergent, discriminant, and predictive validity of the BMSLSS.
      The test-retest reliability coefficient indicated the temporal stability of the
      BMSLSS. Finally, multi-group confirmatory factor analysis provided support for
      the gender invariance of the BMSLSS.

PMID- 28351754
TI  - Longitudinal left ventricular contractility in young isolated systolic
      hypertensives.

PMID- 28351755
TI  - The origins of the vocal brain in humans.
AB  - The evolution of vocal communication in humans required the emergence of not only
      voluntary control of the vocal apparatus and a flexible vocal repertoire, but the
      capacity for vocal learning. All of these capacities are lacking in non-human
      primates, suggesting that the vocal brain underwent significant modifications
      during human evolution. We review research spanning from early neurophysiological
      descriptions of great apes to the state of the art in human neuroimaging on the
      neural organization of the larynx motor cortex, the major regulator of
      vocalization for both speech and song in humans. We describe changes to the
      location, structure, function, and connectivity of the larynx motor cortex in
      humans compared with non-human primates, including critical gaps in the current
      understanding of the brain systems mediating vocal control and vocal learning. We
      explore a number of models of the origins of the vocal brain that incorporate
      findings from comparative neuroscience, and conclude by presenting a summary of
      contemporary hypotheses that can guide future research.

PMID- 28351756
TI  - Oxygenated hypothermic machine perfusion after static cold storage improves
      endothelial function of extended criteria donor livers.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Lack of oxygen and biomechanical stimulation during static cold
      storage (SCS) of donor livers compromises endothelial cell function. We
      investigated the effect of end-ischemic oxygenated hypothermic machine perfusion
      (HMP) on endothelial cell function of extended criteria donor (ECD) livers.
      METHODS: Eighteen livers, declined for transplantation, were transported to our
      center using static cold storage (SCS). After SCS, 6 livers underwent two hours
      of HMP, and subsequent normothermic machine perfusion (NMP) to assess viability.
      Twelve control livers underwent NMP immediately after SCS. mRNA expression of
      transcription factor Kruppel-like-factor 2 (KLF2), endothelial nitric oxide
      synthase (eNOS), and thrombomodulin (TM) was quantified by RT-PCR. Endothelial
      cell function and injury were assessed by nitric oxide (NO) production and
      release of TM into the perfusate. RESULTS: In HMP livers, mRNA expression of KLF2
      (p = 0.043), eNOS (p = 0.028), and TM (p = 0.028) increased significantly during
      NMP. In parallel, NO levels increased during NMP in HMP livers but not in
      controls. At the end of NMP cumulative TM release was significantly lower HMP
      livers, compared to controls (p = 0.028). CONCLUSION: A short period of two hours
      oxygenated HMP restores endothelial cell viability after SCS and subsequent
      normothermic reoxygenation of ECD livers.

PMID- 28351757
TI  - Nanotechnological strategies for nerve growth factor delivery: Therapeutic
      implications in Alzheimer's disease.
AB  - Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a progressive neurodegenerative disorder associated
      with amyloid-beta peptide misfolding and aggregation. Neurotrophic factors, such
      as nerve growth factor (NGF), can prevent neuronal damage and rescue the
      cholinergic neurons that undergo cell death in AD, reverse deposition of
      extracellular amyloid plaques and improve cognitive deficits. However, NGF
      administration is hampered by the poor pharmacokinetic profile of the therapeutic
      protein and its inability to cross the blood-brain barrier, which requires
      specialised drug delivery systems (DDS) for efficient NGF delivery to the brain.
      This review covers the main therapeutic approaches that have been developed for
      NGF delivery targeting the brain, from polymeric implants to gene and cell-based
      therapies, focusing on the role of nanoparticulate systems for the sustained
      release of NGF in the brain as a neuroprotective and disease-modifying approach
      toward AD. Lipid- and polymer-based delivery systems, magnetic nanoparticles and
      quantum dots are specifically addressed as promising nanotechnological strategies
      to overcome the current limitations of NGF-based therapies.

PMID- 28351758
TI  - The mouse cortical meninges are the site of immune responses to many different
      pathogens, and are accessible to intravital imaging.
AB  - A wide range of viral and microbial infections are known to cause meningitis, and
      there is evidence that the meninges are the gateway to pathogenic invasion of the
      brain parenchyma. Hence observation of these regions has wide application to
      understanding host-pathogen interactions. Interactions between pathogens and
      cells of the immune response can be modified by changes in their environment,
      such as suppression of the flow of blood and lymph, and, particularly in the case
      of the meninges, with their unsupported membranes, invasive dissection can alter
      the tissue architecture. For these reasons, intravital imaging through the
      unperforated skull is the method of choice. We give a protocol for a simple
      method of two-photon microscopy through the thinned cortical skull of the
      anesthetized mouse to enable real-time imaging with sub-micron resolution through
      the meninges and into the superficial brain parenchyma. In reporter mice in which
      selected cell types express fluorescent proteins, imaging after infection with
      fluorescent pathogens (lymphocytic choriomeningitis virus, Trypanosoma brucei or
      Plasmodium berghei) has shown strong recruitment to the cortical meninges of
      immune cells, including neutrophils, T cells, and putative dendritic cells and
      macrophages. Without special labeling, the boundaries between the dura mater, the
      leptomeninx, and the parenchyma are not directly visualized in intravital two
      photon microscopy, but other landmarks and characteristics, which we illustrate,
      allow the researcher to identify the compartment being imaged. While most
      infectious meningitides are localized mainly in the dura mater, others involve
      recruitment of immune cells to the leptomeninx.

PMID- 28351760
TI  - Extreme nitrite tolerance in the clown knifefish Chitala ornata is linked to up
      regulation of methaemoglobin reductase activity.
AB  - The clown knifefish is a facultative air breather, which is widely farmed in
      freshwater ponds in Vietnam. Here we report a very high nitrite tolerance (96h
      LC50 of 7.82mM) in this species and examine the effects of 1mM (LC5) and 2.5mM
      (LC10) ambient nitrite on haemoglobin (Hb) derivatives, electrolyte levels, acid
      base status, and total body water content during 7days of exposure. Furthermore,
      we tested the hypothesis that erythrocyte methaemoglobin (metHb) reductase
      activity is upregulated by nitrite exposure. Plasma nitrite levels increased for
      2-3days but stayed below environmental levels and fell towards control values
      during the last half of the exposure period. Plasma nitrate, in contrast, rose
      continuously, reflecting detoxification of nitrite to nitrate. MetHb generated
      from the reaction between nitrite and erythrocyte Hb reached 38% at day 2, but
      then decreased to 17% by the end of experiment. The first order rate constant for
      metHb reduction by erythrocyte metHb reductase increased from 0.01 in controls to
      0.046min-1 after 6days of nitrite exposure, showing up-regulation of this enzyme.
      While such upregulation has been suggested in nitrite-exposed fish species, this
      study provides the first experimental evidence.

PMID- 28351759
TI  - Simplified CRISPR tools for efficient genome editing and streamlined protocols
      for their delivery into mammalian cells and mouse zygotes.
AB  - Genome editing using the CRISPR/Cas9 system requires the presence of guide RNAs
      bound to the Cas9 endonuclease as a ribonucleoprotein (RNP) complex in cells,
      which cleaves the host cell genome at sites specified by the guide RNAs. New
      genetic material may be introduced during repair of the double-stranded break via
      homology dependent repair (HDR) if suitable DNA templates are delivered with the
      CRISPR components. Early methods used plasmid or viral vectors to make these
      components in the host cell, however newer approaches using recombinant Cas9
      protein with synthetic guide RNAs introduced directly as an RNP complex into
      cells shows faster onset of action with fewer off-target effects. This approach
      also enables use of chemically modified synthetic guide RNAs that have improved
      nuclease stability and reduces the risk of triggering an innate immune response
      in the host cell. This article provides detailed methods for genome editing using
      the RNP approach with synthetic guide RNAs using lipofection or electroporation
      in mammalian cells or using microinjection in murine zygotes, with or without
      addition of a single-stranded HDR template DNA.

PMID- 28351761
TI  - Interleukin-24 as a target cytokine of environmental aryl hydrocarbon receptor
      agonist exposure in the lung.
AB  - Exposure to environmental aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR) agonists, such as
      halogenated aromatic hydrocarbons and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs),
      has great impacts on the development of various lung diseases. As emerging
      molecular targets for AhR agonists, cytokines may contribute to the inflammatory
      or immunotoxic effects of environmental AhR agonists. However, general cytokine
      expression may not specifically indicate environmental AhR agonist exposure. By
      comparing cytokine and chemokine expression profiles in human lung adenocarcinoma
      cell line CL5 treated with AhR agonists and the non-AhR agonist polychlorinated
      biphenyl (PCB) 39, we identified a target cytokine of environmental AhR agonist
      exposure of in the lungs. Thirteen cytokine and chemokine genes were altered in
      the AhR agonists-treated cells, but none were altered in the PCB39-treated cells.
      Interleukin (IL)-24 was the most highly induced gene among AhR-modulated
      cytokines. Cotreatment with AhR antagonist completely prevented IL-24 induction
      by AhR agonists in the CL5 cells. Knockdown AhR expression with short-hairpin RNA
      (shRNA) significantly reduced benzo[a]pyrene (BaP)-induced IL-24 mRNA levels. We
      further confirmed that gene transcription, but not mRNA stability, was involved
      in IL-24 upregulation by BaP. Particulate matter (PM) in the ambient air contains
      some PAHs and is reported to activate AhR. Oropharyngeal aspiration of PM
      significantly increased IL-24 levels in lung epithelia and in bronchoalveolar
      lavage fluid of mice 4weeks after treatment. Thus, our data suggests that IL-24
      is a pulmonary exposure target cytokine of environmental AhR agonists.

PMID- 28351762
TI  - Does Ulipristal Acetate Affect Surgical Experience at Laparoscopic Myomectomy?
AB  - STUDY OBJECTIVE: To compare surgical experience of laparoscopic/robotic
      myomectomy in premenopausal patients pretreated with ulipristal acetate (UPA)
      with women not hormonally pretreated. DESIGN: A retrospective, multicenter cohort
      study of laparoscopic/robotic myomectomy procedure videos (Canadian Task Force
      Classification III). SETTING: Multiple university-affiliated tertiary care
      hospitals. PATIENTS: Fifty-five premenopausal women who underwent
      laparoscopic/robotic myomectomy for intramural myomas and were either pretreated
      with 3 months of UPA or had no hormonal pretreatment. INTERVENTIONS:
      Laparoscopic/robotic myomectomy surgical videos were independently reviewed by 2
      gynecologists blinded to whether or not patients received pretreatment with UPA.
      Each procedure was scored using a novel 22-point surgical global rating tool
      containing 6 subscales: depth of myometrial incision, ease of myoma-myometrium
      cleavage plane identification, ease of myoma detachment, blood loss during myoma
      detachment, myometrial blood loss after myoma detachment, and myoma consistency.
      MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: Participating surgeons submitted 55 videos of
      laparoscopic/robotic myomectomy procedures recorded over a 3-year period (2012
      2015). Fifty met the inclusion criteria (25 UPA-treated patients and 25 patients
      without hormonal pretreatment). Patients treated with UPA were more likely to be
      older than patients with no medical pretreatment (mean age = 33.5 vs 38.3 years,
      p = .002). There were no statistically significant differences regarding other
      baseline characteristics such as the largest diameter of myoma removed, the
      number of myomas removed, or the estimated blood loss. There was no difference in
      the physician assessors' mean global rating score for patients with UPA
      pretreatment versus no pretreatment (12.4 vs 13.4, p = .23). Within the 6
      subscales, no differences were observed between the 2 groups. Each video was
      graded independently by 2 assessors, and there was high inter-rater agreement for
      the total score and each subscale. CONCLUSION: There was no difference in
      surgical experience for myomectomies of patients pretreated with UPA versus those
      without medical pretreatment.

PMID- 28351763
TI  - Does Universal Insurance Mitigate Racial Differences in Minimally Invasive
      Hysterectomy?
AB  - STUDY OBJECTIVE: To determine if racial differences exist in receipt of minimally
      invasive hysterectomy (defined as total vaginal hysterectomy [TVH] and total
      laparoscopic hysterectomy [TLH]) compared with an open approach (total abdominal
      hysterectomy [TAH]) within a universally insured patient population. DESIGN:
      Retrospective data analysis (Canadian Task Force classification II-2). SETTING:
      The 2006-2010 national TRICARE (universal insurance coverage to US Armed Services
      members and their dependents) longitudinal claims data. PATIENTS: Women aged 18
      years and above who underwent hysterectomy stratified into 4 racial groups:
      white, African American, Asian, and "other." INTERVENTION: Receipt of
      hysterectomy (TAH, TVH, or TLH). MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: We used risk
      adjusted multinomial logistic regression models to determine the relative risk
      ratios of receipt of TVH and TLH compared with TAH in each racial group compared
      with referent category of white patients for benign conditions. Among 33 015
      patients identified, 60.82% (n = 20 079) were white, 26.11% (n = 8621) African
      American, 4.63% (n = 1529) Asian, and 8.44% (n = 2786) other. Most hysterectomies
      (83.9%) were for benign indications. Nearly 42% of hysterectomies (n = 13 917)
      were TAH, 27% (n = 8937) were TVH, and 30% (n = 10 161) were TLH. Overall, 36.37%
      of white patients received TAH compared with 53.40% of African American patients
      and 51.01% of Asian patients (p < .001). On multinomial logistic regression
      analyses, African American patients were significantly less likely than white
      patients to receive TVH (relative risk ratio [RRR], .63; 95% confidence interval
      [CI], .58-.69) or TLH (RRR, .65; 95% CI, .60-.71) compared with TAH. Similarly,
      Asian patients were less likely than white patients to receive TVH (RRR, .71; 95%
      CI, .60-.84) or TLH (RRR, .69; 95% CI, .58-.83) compared with TAH. Analyses by
      benign indications for surgery showed similar trends. CONCLUSION: We demonstrate
      that racial minority patients are less likely to receive a minimally invasive
      surgical approach compared with an open abdominal approach despite universal
      insurance coverage. Further work is warranted to better understand factors other
      than insurance access that may contribute to racial differences in surgical
      approach to hysterectomies.

PMID- 28351764
TI  - Motor learning paradigm and contextual interference in manual computer tasks in
      individuals with cerebral palsy.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Cerebral palsy (CP) is a group of disorders of movement and posture
      that cause activity limitations. Due to the different motor problems these
      individuals encounter there is a need to offer rehabilitation programs that
      promote motor learning. Additionally, the understanding of the learning patterns
      of these individuals can help us attend to their learning needs to maximize their
      learning efficiency. AIMS: The present study aimed to add to the knowledge base
      in regards to motor learning and the contextual interference (CI) effect. METHODS
      AND PROCEDURES: The study included 40 individuals with CP and 40 typically
      developing (TD) participants matched for age and gender with the CP group. Both
      groups were divided into 2 subgroups regarding the practice schedule (random or
      constant practice) of a manual maze test on the computer. The participants who
      performed in the constant practice schedule performed the same standard maze 30
      times, while participants in the random practice schedule performed a total of 30
      trials on 5 mazes with a different spatial layout including the standard maze.
      After 5min of rest, retention was studied with a task in which all participants
      performed the standard maze. To examine the transfer effect, all participants
      also performed a maze with a new layout. Time of completion was registered in
      seconds for each trial. OUTCOMES AND RESULTS: The results showed that the
      performance was lower in individuals with CP compared to typically developing
      individuals. In addition, only the participants with CP showed a contextual
      interference effect, with performance after the random practice schedule being
      superior compared to participants who practiced with a constant practice
      schedule. CONCLUSIONS AND IMPLICATIONS: Overall performance was lower in
      individuals with CP compared to individuals with TD. Additionally, both TD
      individuals and individuals with CP showed the contextual interference effect in
      the transfer phase, with the execution of random practice leading to better
      performance than constant practice. These findings provide important information
      to assist clinicians in developing rehabilitation programs for children with CP.

PMID- 28351765
TI  - Health risks posed to infants in rural China by exposure to short- and medium
      chain chlorinated paraffins in breast milk.
AB  - Chlorinated paraffins (CPs) are complex mixtures of synthetic chemicals found
      widely in environmental matrices. Short-chain CPs (SCCPs) are candidate
      persistent organic pollutants under the Stockholm Convention. There should be
      great concern about human exposure to SCCPs. Data on CP concentrations in human
      breast milk is scarce. This is the first study in which background SCCP and
      medium-chain CP (MCCP) body burdens in the general rural population of China have
      been estimated and health risks posed to nursing infants by CPs in breast milk
      assessed. The concentrations of 48 SCCP and MCCP formula congeners were
      determined in 24 pooled human milk samples produced from 1412 individual samples
      from eight provinces in 2007 and 16 provinces in 2011. The samples were analyzed
      by comprehensive two-dimensional gas chromatography electron capture negative
      ionization high-resolution time-of-flight mass spectrometry. The median SCCP and
      MCCP concentrations were 303 and 35.7ngg-1 lipid weight, respectively, for the
      2007 samples and 360 and 45.4ngg-1 lipid weight, respectively, for the 2011
      samples. The C10 and C14 homologs were the dominant CP carbon-chain-length
      groups, contributing 51% and 82% of the total SCCP and MCCP concentrations,
      respectively. There are probably multiple CP sources to the general Chinese
      population and numerous exposure pathways. The median estimated daily SCCP and
      MCCP intakes for nursing infants were 1310 and 152ngkg-1d-1, respectively, in
      2007 and 1520 and 212ngkg-1d-1, respectively, in 2011. SCCPs do not currently
      pose significant risks to infants in China. However, it is necessary to
      continuously monitor CP concentrations and health risks because CP concentrations
      in Chinese human breast milk are increasing.

PMID- 28351766
TI  - Common cold among pre-school children in China - associations with ambient PM10
      and dampness, mould, cats, dogs, rats and cockroaches in the home environment.
AB  - BACKGROUND: There is some evidence that dampness, mould and cockroaches can
      increase the risk of respiratory infections in children but few studies exist
      from China on this topic. Aim To study associations between domestic early life
      exposure to biological indoor factors (dampness, mould, cats, dogs, rats,
      cockroaches), cleaning habits and common cold among pre-school children across
      China. METHODS: Children aged 3-6years (n=39,782) were recruited from randomly
      selected day care centres in seven cities in China. Data on common cold and
      prenatal and postnatal exposure to dampness, mould, windowpane condensation in
      wintertime (WPC), cats, dogs, cockroaches and rats were assessed by a parentally
      administered questionnaire. Data on annual ambient temperature and PM10 was
      assessed on city level. Associations between high frequency (>5 colds per year)
      and long duration (>=2weeks) of common colds in the past year and exposure were
      calculated by multilevel logistic regression. RESULTS: A total of 9.2% had a high
      frequency and 11.9% had long duration of common cold. Exposure to mould (OR=1.38,
      95% CI 1.24-1.53) and WPC (OR 1.23, 95%CI 1.13-1.33) at birth was associated with
      frequent common cold. Exposure to dogs at birth was associated with long duration
      of common cold. (OR=1.22, 95% CI 1.06-1.41). Exposure to mould (OR=1.36, 95% CI
      1.22-1.54), WPC (OR=1.27, 95%CI 1.17-1.39) and water leakage (OR 1.34, 95% CI
      1.20-1.49) in the current home was associated with frequent common cold. Presence
      of cockroaches were positively (OR=1.12, 95% CI 1.02-1.24) and presence of rats
      (OR=0.86, 95% CI 0.77-0.96) negatively associated with high frequency of common
      cold. Daily cleaning was negatively associated with frequent common cold
      (OR=0.89, 95% CI 0.81-0.97). Similar associations for mould, WPC, cockroaches and
      rats were found for long duration. Ambient PM10 (OR=1.21, 95% CI 1.21-1.35 per
      10MUg/m3) and temperature (OR=1.13, 95% CI 1.06-1.35  degrees C) on city level
      were associated with high frequency of common cold. Associations between cat
      keeping and high frequency of common cold were found only in southern China.
      Associations with cockroaches were stronger in northern China. Associations with
      dampness and mould were the same in the north and south. CONCLUSIONS: Indoor
      mould, water damage, windowpane condensation, cockroaches and keeping cats or
      dogs as pets can be risk factors for common cold while daily cleaning can be
      protective factor. PM10 and a warmer climate zone can be other risk factors for
      common cold.

PMID- 28351767
TI  - Short-term effects of air temperature and mitochondrial DNA lesions within an
      older population.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Previous studies have linked both extreme and sub-optimal air
      temperature to cardiopulmonary morbidity and mortality, especially in older
      individuals. However, the underlying mechanisms are yet to be determined.
      OBJECTIVES: We hypothesized that short-term increases in air temperature may
      induce blood mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) lesions in older individuals, which could
      contribute to temperature-related pathogenesis. METHODS: We repeatedly measured
      mtDNA lesions in blood samples from 654 participants in the Normative Aging Study
      from 1999 to 2013 (1142 observations) by quantitative long-amplicon polymerase
      chain reaction assay. Hourly temperature data were obtained from the Boston Logan
      Airport weather station (located approximately 12km from the clinical site). We
      calculated 2-, 7-, and 14-day moving averages of 24-hour mean and 24-hour
      variability of temperature. We fit covariate-adjusted linear-mixed models
      accounting for repeated measures to evaluate the association between short-term
      increases in mean and variability of temperature with mtDNA lesions within each
      season. RESULTS: Interquartile increases in 7- and 14-day moving averages of 24
      hour mean temperature in summer were associated with a 0.17 (95% CI: 0.07, 0.27;
      p=0.0007) and 0.21 (95% CI: 0.10, 0.32; p=0.0001) increase in the number of mtDNA
      lesions per 10kb, respectively. Results were similar when we further adjusted for
      temperature variability. We also observed significant associations between
      increases in temperature variability and mtDNA lesions independent of mean air
      temperature. An interquartile range increase in the 7-day moving average of 24
      hour standard deviation in summer was associated with a 0.19 (95% CI: 0.07, 0.31;
      p=0.0023) increase in the number of mtDNA lesions per 10kb. CONCLUSIONS: Short
      term exposure to higher mean air temperature was associated with increased mtDNA
      lesions in older adults, supporting the hypothesis that sub-optimal
      meteorological conditions may induce pathophysiological responses among
      susceptible populations.

PMID- 28351768
TI  - Context-sensitive ecological momentary assessments; integrating real-time
      exposure measurements, data-analytics and health assessment using a smartphone
      application.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: Modern sensor technology makes it possible to collect vast amounts
      of environmental, behavioural and health data. These data are often linked to
      contextual information on for example exposure sources which is separately
      collected with considerable lag time, leading to complications in assessing
      transient and/or highly spatially variable environmental exposures. Context
      Sensitive Ecological Momentary Assessments1 (CS-EMAs) could be used to address
      this. We present a case study using radiofrequency-electromagnetic fields (RF
      EMF) exposure as an example for implementing CS-EMA in environmental research.
      METHODS: Participants were asked to install a custom application on their own
      smartphone and to wear an RF-EMF exposimeter for 48h. Questionnaires were
      triggered by the application based on a continuous data stream from the
      exposimeter. Triggers were divided into four categories: relative and absolute
      exposure levels, phone calls, and control condition. After the two days of use
      participants filled in an evaluation questionnaire. RESULTS: 74% of all CS-EMAs
      were completed, with an average time of 31s to complete a questionnaire once it
      was opened. Participants reported minimal influence on daily activities. There
      were no significant differences found between well-being and type of RF-EMF
      exposure. CONCLUSIONS: We show that a CS-EMA based method could be used in
      environmental research. Using several examples involving environmental stressors,
      we discuss both current and future applications of this methodology in studying
      potential health effects of environmental factors.

PMID- 28351769
TI  - Quercetin attenuates high fat diet-induced atherosclerosis in apolipoprotein E
      knockout mice: A critical role of NADPH oxidase.
AB  - Reactive oxygen species (ROS) have emerged as important molecules in
      cardiovascular function. Nicotinamide-adenine dinucleotide phosphate (NADPH)
      oxidase is the major source of ROS in phagocytic and vascular cells. Several
      lines of evidence indicate that quercetin contributes to protecting against
      atherosclerosis. Herein, we investigated the effect of quercetin on alleviating
      atherosclerosis by regulating NADPH oxidase subunits expression in vivo, and
      explored the mechanism of quercetin suppressing the ROS overproduction stimulated
      by ox-LDL in mouse peritoneal macrophages (MPMs). Model ApoE KO mice were fed
      with either a normal chow diet or a high fat diet (HFD) supplemented with or
      without dosed quercetin for 24 weeks. Quercetin significantly reduced the
      atherosclerotic plaque area, alleviated the systemic oxidative stress, and
      suppressed aortic p47phox, p67phox expressions but partially reversed the NOX4
      expression as compared to those in the HFD group. In vitro, quercetin effectively
      inhibited the ox-LDL induced ROS formation in MPMs, and blocked the vital step in
      activation of NADPH oxidase - membrane translocation of p47phox. Our findings
      suggest that regular consumption of dietary quercetin plays a role in preventing
      atherosclerosis giving its evident regulatory effect on subunits of NADPH
      oxidase.

PMID- 28351770
TI  - 2D-NMR investigation and in vitro evaluation of antioxidant, antigenotoxic and
      estrogenic/antiestrogenic activities of strawberry grape.
AB  - Strawberry grape is considered beneficial due to its extensive phytochemical
      properties. To expand the knowledge about the chemical constituents and the
      biological activities of the whole plant, 2D-NMR investigation has been carried
      out on pulp, peel, seeds, stalks and leaves. Catechin and epicatechin were
      identified as the main constituents of the seed extract, quercetin and ferulic
      acid were detected in the leaves and malvidin and cyanidin glucopyranoside in the
      peels. The leaf, stalk and seed extracts were found to be very rich in
      phytochemicals and were tested for their ability to reduce the mutagenicity and
      genotoxicity of standard agents via Salmonella mutagenicity assay and SOS
      chromotest, respectively. Moreover, the estrogen/antiestrogen-like activity was
      evaluated on the MCF-7 estrogen-responsive cells. Seed and stalk extracts had an
      elevated antimutagenic/antigenotoxic activity. Stalk extracts highly reduced the
      proliferative effect of natural estrogen, 17beta-estradiol.

PMID- 28351771
TI  - RIFM fragrance ingredient safety assessment, isoamyl acetate, CAS Registry Number
      123-92-2.

PMID- 28351772
TI  - 28-day repeated dose response study of diglycolic acid: Renal and hepatic
      effects.
AB  - The acute oral toxicity of diglycolic acid (DGA) was evaluated. Groups of female
      rats (n = 8 rats/group) received 28 consecutive daily single doses of 0.3, 1.0,
      3.0, 10.0, 30.0, 100.0 or 300.0 mg DGA/kg body weight by gastric intubation. One
      group of animals served as vehicle control. Tissues and blood serum were
      collected at necropsy on day 29. Select organs were weighed and fixed in formalin
      for histopathological analysis. Animals from the 300 mg/kg bw dose group were
      removed from the study after 5 consecutive days of treatment as a consequence of
      adverse treatment related effects. The animals in the remaining treatment groups
      survived the exposure period. No adverse clinical signs were observed throughout
      the exposure period in the surviving animals. No significant differences from
      controls were observed for feed and fluid consumption or body weight gain in the
      surviving animals. Lesions were observed in the kidneys, liver, stomach,
      intestine, thymus, spleen and bone marrow in rats from the 300 mg/kg dose group
      and signs of renal tubular regeneration were observed only in the 100 mg/kg dose
      group. These results suggest that high levels of pure DGA would need to be
      consumed before renal and other forms of organ toxicity are observed.

PMID- 28351773
TI  - DNA damage and methylation induced by glyphosate in human peripheral blood
      mononuclear cells (in vitro study).
AB  - Glyphosate is a very important herbicide that is widely used in the agriculture,
      and thus the exposure of humans to this substance and its metabolites has been
      noted. The purpose of this study was to assess DNA damage (determination of
      single and double strand-breaks by the comet assay) as well as to evaluate DNA
      methylation (global DNA methylation and methylation of p16 (CDKN2A) and p53
      (TP53) promoter regions) in human peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs)
      exposed to glyphosate. PBMCs were incubated with the compound studied at
      concentrations ranging from 0.1 to 10 mM for 24 h. The study has shown that
      glyphosate induced DNA lesions, which were effectively repaired. However, PBMCs
      were unable to repair completely DNA damage induced by glyphosate. We also
      observed a decrease in global DNA methylation level at 0.25 mM of glyphosate.
      Glyphosate at 0.25 mM and 0.5 mM increased p53 promoter methylation, while it did
      not induce statistically significant changes in methylation of p16 promoter. To
      sum up, we have shown for the first time that glyphosate (at high concentrations
      from 0.5 to 10 mM) may induce DNA damage in leucocytes such as PBMCs and cause
      DNA methylation in human cells.

PMID- 28351774
TI  - RIFM FRAGRANCE INGREDIENT SAFETY ASSESSMENT, Methyl jasmonate, CAS Registry
      Number 1211-29-6.

PMID- 28351775
TI  - NOX2, NOX4, and mitochondrial-derived reactive oxygen species contribute to
      angiopoietin-1 signaling and angiogenic responses in endothelial cells.
AB  - Angiopoietin-1 (Ang-1) is a ligand of Tie-2 receptors that promotes survival,
      migration, and differentiation of endothelial cells. Several studies have linked
      reactive oxygen species (ROS) to Ang-1 signaling and distinct angiogenic
      responses, but the molecular sources of these ROS have never been clearly
      identified. In this study, we have identified source-specific contributions of
      ROS to Ang-1/Tie 2 signaling and angiogenic responses in human umbilical vein
      endothelial cells (HUVECs), specifically the differential contributions of
      mitochondrial ROS (mtROS) and ROS from two isoforms of NADPH oxidase (NOX2,
      NOX4). We demonstrate that: 1) Ang-1 induces significant increases in mtROS
      production under normal conditions but does not when cells are pre-incubated with
      mitochondrial antioxidants; 2) Ang-1 induces rapid Tie-2-dependent increases in
      cytosolic ROS production but does not when NOX2 and NOX4 are knocked down; 3) Ang
      1 induces simultaneous increases in phosphorylation of AKT, ERK1/2, p38, and
      SAPK/JNK proteins within a few minutes of exposure, but this response is strongly
      and selectively attenuated when NOX2 and NOX4 are knocked down or cells are pre
      treated with mitochondrial antioxidants; 4) Ang-1 exerts a strong effect on HUVEC
      survival in serum-deprived medium and enhances cell migration and capillary tube
      formation, but the survival response is inhibited by NOX2 knockdown and the
      migration and tube formation responses are entirely absent with NOX4 knockdown or
      pre-treatment with mitochondrial antioxidants. We conclude that Ang-1 triggers
      NOX2, NOX4, and the mitochondria to release ROS and that ROS derived from these
      sources play distinct roles in the regulation of the Ang-1/Tie 2 signaling
      pathway and pro-angiogenic responses.

PMID- 28351776
TI  - The hippocampus and dorsal raphe nucleus are key brain areas associated with the
      antidepressant effects of lithium augmentation of desipramine.
AB  - Approximately 50% of depressed individuals fail to achieve remission with first
      line antidepressant drugs and a third remain treatment-resistant. When first-line
      antidepressant treatment is unsuccessful, second-line strategies include dose
      optimisation, switching to another antidepressant, combination with another
      antidepressant, or augmentation with a non-antidepressant medication. Much of the
      evidence for the efficacy of augmentation strategies comes from studies using
      lithium to augment the effects of tricyclic antidepressants. The neural circuitry
      underlying the therapeutic effects of lithium augmentation is not yet fully
      understood. Recently, we reported that chronic treatment with a combination of
      lithium and the antidepressant desipramine, exerted antidepressant-like
      behavioural effects in a mouse strain (BALB/cOLaHsd) that did not exhibit an
      antidepressant-like behavioural response to either drug alone. In the present
      study, we used this model in combination with DeltaFosB/FosB immunohistochemistry
      to identify brain regions chronically affected by lithium augmentation of
      desipramine when compared to either treatment alone. The data suggest that the
      dorsal raphe nucleus and the CA3 regions of the dorsal hippocampus are key nodes
      in the neural circuitry underlying antidepressant action of lithium augmentation
      of desipramine. These data give new insight into the neurobiology underlying the
      mechanism of lithium augmentation in the context of treatment-resistant
      depression.

PMID- 28351777
TI  - Enhance the anti-renca carcinoma effect of a DNA vaccine targeting G250 gene by
      co-expression with cytotoxic T-lymphocyte associated antigen-4(CTLA-4).
AB  - Cytotoxic T lymphocyte-associated antigen-4 (CTLA-4) is a negative regulator of T
      cell activation, which competes with CD28 for B7.1/B7.2 binding with a greater
      affinity. Co-expression specific antigens and extracellular domain of CTLA4
      represents a promising approach to increase the immunogenicity of DNA vaccines.
      In this study, we evaluated this interesting approach for its enhancement on
      G250/MN/CA IX (G250)-specific immune responses and its anti-tumor effects in
      renal carcinoma mice model. Consequently, we constructed a DNA vaccine containing
      the G250 and the CTLA-4 gene. Vaccination with the co-expression DNA not only
      induced much higher level of anti-CTLA4 and anti-G250 antibody, but also
      increased G250-specific T cell response in mice. To evaluate the anti-tumor
      efficacy of the plasmids, murine models with G250-expressing tumors were
      generated. After injection into the tumor-bearing mouse model, the plasmid
      carrying the co-expression gene of CTLA4 and G250 showed stronger inhibition of
      tumor growth than the plasmid expressing CTLA4 or G250 alone. These observations
      emphasize the potential of the CTLA4 and G250 co-expression DNA vaccine, which
      could represent a promising approach for tumor immunotherapy.

PMID- 28351778
TI  - The effect of theophylline on acetic acid induced ulcerative colitis in rats.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Ulcerative colitis is a relapsing inflammatory disorder of the colon.
      There is a need to explore the new treatments for this disorder. Theophylline, a
      competitive inhibitor of phosphodiesterase, is shown to have anti-inflammatory
      properties. However, the effect of theophylline on ulcerative colitis has not yet
      been investigated. The present study evaluated the effect of theophylline on
      acetic acid induced ulcerative colitis in rats. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Colitis
      was induced by instillation of 2ml of acetic acid solution (3%). Colon samples
      were evaluated grossly and microscopically and assayed for myeloperoxidase (MPO)
      activity and proinflammatory cytokine concentrations. RESULTS: Treatment with
      theophylline at the doses of 20 and 50mg/kg attenuated acetic acid induced
      ulcerative colitis as shown by improvement in body weight loss, macroscopic
      score, ulcer area, hematocrit and histopathological score. Theophylline treatment
      also reduced MPO activity and tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha),
      interleukin 1beta (IL-1 beta) and interleukin 6 (IL-6) concentrations in inflamed
      colon. CONCLUSION: Theophylline has a protective effect in acetic acid-induced
      ulcerative colitis which might be due to its anti-inflammatory activities.
      Therefore, theophylline has the potential to be used for successful treatment of
      ulcerative colitis.

PMID- 28351779
TI  - Prognostic factors for overall survival after lung metastasectomy in renal cell
      cancer patients: A systematic review and meta-analysis.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Pulmonary metastasis of Renal cell carcinomas (RCC) is usually
      considered as a systemic disease. However, some studies revealed potential
      survival benefits of pulmonary metastasectomies for such patients. The aim of
      this study was to conduct a systematic review and meta-analysis to assess the
      prognostic factors for pulmonary metastasectomy of RCC patients. METHODS: An
      electronic search in MEDLINE, EMBASE, CENTRAL and Chinese BioMedical Literature
      Database (CBM) were conducted to identify eligible studies. We combined the
      hazard ratios (HRs) of the identified prognostic factors for overall survival of
      RCC patients after pulmonary metastasectomy from the eligible studies. RESULTS:
      Sixteen studies with a total of 1447 patients were included in this meta
      analysis. The pooled 1, 3, 5, 10-year overall survival rates for RCC patient
      after pulmonary metastasectomy were 84%, 59%, 43% and 20%, respectively. The poor
      prognostic factors were lymph node involvement (LNI) of primary RCC (HR 3.44, 95%
      confidence interval (CI) 1.78-6.67, P = 0.001), incomplete resection of
      metastases (HR 3.74, 95% CI 2.49-5.61, P = 0.000), multiple metastases (HR 1.55,
      95% CI 1.18-2.03, P = 0.002), larger metastases (HR 1.45, 95% CI 1.26-1.66, P =
      0.000), LNI of metastases (HR 3.06, 95% CI 1.52-6.19, P = 0.002), synchronous
      metastasis (HR 2.49, 95% CI 1.46-4.24, P = 0.001) and short disease free interval
      (DFI). CONCLUSIONS: Surgery may be a promising treatment for pulmonary metastases
      of RCC patients. A short DFI, LNI of primary RCC, incomplete resection of
      metastases, multiple metastases, larger metastases, LNI of metastases and
      synchronous metastasis are predictors of poor survival after pulmonary
      metastasectomy for RCC patients.

PMID- 28351780
TI  - Cordycepin negatively modulates lipopolysaccharide-induced cytokine production by
      up-regulation of heme oxygenase-1.
AB  - AIMS: The present study is to investigate the effect of cordycepin on the
      expression of heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1) in lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-activated
      microphages, as well as its mechanism of action. METHODS: Mouse RAW264.7 cells
      were treated with different concentrations of cordycepin for 0-16h. Western
      blotting was used to determine the expression of HO-1 and the phosphorylation of
      c-Src and the p47phox subunit of NADPH oxidase. Intracellular reactive oxygen
      species (ROS) level was determined using H2DCFDA as fluorescent probe. Laser
      scanning confocal microscopy was used to visualize the nuclear translocation of
      NF-E2-related factor 2 (Nrf2). Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay was performed to
      measure the inhibitory effect of cordycepin on LPS-induced secretion of tumor
      necrosis factor-alpha and interleukin-6. RESULTS: Cordycepin induced the
      phosphorylation of c-Src and p47phox subunit of NADPH oxidase in RAW264.7 cells.
      Cordycepin increased the secretion of ROS by activating NADPH oxidase. In
      addition, cordycepin enhanced the expression of HO-1 in RAW264.7 cells in both
      dose- and time-dependent manners. Of note, elevated HO-1 expression induced by
      cordycepin treatment was regulated by c-Src/NADPH oxidase/ROS pathway. HO-1
      expression induced by cordycepin was dependent on the activation of Nrf2, which
      was regulated by c-Src/NADPH oxidase/ROS. Cordycepin reduced LPS-induced
      secretion of proinflammatory cytokines through up-regulation of HO-1. CONCLUSION:
      The present study demonstrates that cordycepin induces the expression of HO-1 in
      RAW264.7 cells via c-Src/NADPH oxidase/ROS/Nrf2 pathway, and plays an anti
      inflammatory role by inhibiting the secretion of cytokines from macrophages.

PMID- 28351781
TI  - GEIS guidelines for gastrointestinal sarcomas (GIST).
AB  - Gastrointestinal stromal sarcomas (GISTs) are the most common mesenchymal tumours
      originating in the digestive tract. They have a characteristic morphology, are
      generally positive for CD117 (c-kit) and are primarily caused by activating
      mutations in the KIT or PDGFRA genes(1). On rare occasions, they occur in
      extravisceral locations such as the omentum, mesentery, pelvis and
      retroperitoneum. GISTs have become a model of multidisciplinary work in oncology:
      the participation of several specialties (oncologists, pathologists, surgeons,
      molecular biologists, radiologists...) has forested advances in the understanding
      of this tumour and the consolidation of a targeted therapy, imatinib, as the
      first effective molecular treatment in solid tumours. Following its introduction,
      median survival of patients with advanced or metastatic GIST increased from 18 to
      more than 60months. Sunitinib and Regorafenib are two targeted agents with
      worldwide approval for second- and third-line treatment, respectively, in
      metastatic GIST.

PMID- 28351782
TI  - A Randomized Pragmatic Trial of Changing to and Stepping Down
      Fluticasone/Formoterol in Asthma.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Guidelines recommend reducing treatment in patients with well
      controlled asthma after 3 months of stability. However, there is inadequate real
      life data to guide physicians on therapy change in daily practice. OBJECTIVE: To
      assess asthma control after change to and step-down of fluticasone
      propionate/formoterol fumarate dihydrate (FP/FOR) in real-life patients. METHODS:
      In a randomized controlled, pragmatic, open-label trial, 225 well-controlled
      patients with asthma were randomized (1:2) to maintain high-dose fluticasone
      propionate/salmeterol xinafoate (FP/SAL, 1000/100 MUg) or switch to FP/FOR
      (1000/40 MUg) daily for 12 weeks (phase 1). One hundred sixteen patients stable
      on FP/FOR at week 12 were subsequently randomized (1:1) to maintain this therapy,
      or stepped down to FP/FOR (500/20 MUg) daily for 12 weeks (phase 2). The primary
      end point was the 7-question Asthma Control Questionnaire (ACQ7) score. RESULTS:
      In phase 1, FP/FOR (1000/40 MUg) (n = 126) was noninferior to FP/SAL (1000/100
      MUg) (n = 73) for ACQ7 (difference in means, -0.12; 95% CI, -0.32 to 0.09). In
      phase 2, FP/FOR (500/20 MUg) (n = 52) was noninferior to FP/FOR (1000/40 MUg) (n
      = 52) for ACQ7 (difference in means, 0.01; 95% CI, -0.20 to 0.22). There was no
      significant difference in exacerbation rate between the groups in either phase.
      However, 1 to 2 exacerbations in 12 months before phase 1 were associated with
      the occurrence of an exacerbation after step-down (P = .007). CONCLUSIONS: In
      patients with well-controlled asthma, a change from FP/SAL to FP/FOR did not
      compromise asthma control. Step-down of FP/FOR was well tolerated; however, in
      contrast to current guidelines, our data suggest caution in stepping down
      patients uncontrolled in the last 12 months. Larger step-down studies are
      required to confirm these findings.

PMID- 28351783
TI  - "Real-life" Effectiveness Studies of Omalizumab in Adult Patients with Severe
      Allergic Asthma: Meta-analysis.
AB  - BACKGROUND: After the approval of omalizumab for severe allergic asthma, a total
      of 25 studies have evaluated the effectiveness of omalizumab under "real-life"
      conditions of heterogeneity in patients, clinicians, sites, and treatment
      patterns. OBJECTIVE: We conducted a meta-analysis to evaluate the effectiveness
      of omalizumab focusing on treatment response, lung function, quality of life,
      symptom control, corticosteroid use, and exacerbations and hospitalizations at 4
      6, 12, and 24 months. METHODS: We searched PubMed and Embase for real-life
      studies on omalizumab in severe asthma published up to 2015. Three effect size
      types were extracted: single-point proportions; mean +/- SD of change relative to
      baseline as raw numbers and standardized as Cohen's d; and changes in proportions
      of patients as relative risk. Random-effects meta-analyses were performed to
      account for within- and between-study heterogeneity. Studies were weighted by the
      DerSimonian and Laird method. RESULTS: Per data available at the 3 time points,
      omalizumab therapy was consistently associated with large proportions of patients
      classified as "good" to "excellent" treatment responders (Global Evaluation of
      Treatment Effectiveness scale); improvements in forced expiratory volume in 1
      second, quality of life (Asthma-related Quality-of-Life Questionnaire scale), and
      asthma symptom control (Asthma Control Test scale); reductions in oral and
      inhaled corticosteroid (ICS) use; and reductions in exacerbations and
      hospitalizations. CONCLUSIONS: This meta-analysis of noncontrolled studies
      documents the real-life pharmacotherapeutic effectiveness of omalizumab, as add
      on treatment to ICS +/- long-acting beta2-agonists agents, in improving outcomes
      in patients with severe allergic asthma under conditions of heterogeneity in
      patients, clinicians, sites, and treatment patterns. The results mirror,
      complement, and extend the efficacy data from randomized controlled trials.

PMID- 28351784
TI  - Risk Factor Analysis of Anaphylactic Reactions in Patients With Systemic
      Mastocytosis.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Systemic mastocytosis (SM) is a rare disorder of abnormal mast cells
      in at least 1 extracutaneous organ/tissue. Anaphylaxis is an acute, severe
      systemic hypersensitivity reaction, and a strong association between SM and
      anaphylaxis has been shown. However, not all patients with SM experience
      anaphylaxis. Presently, there are no predictive markers to discriminate patients
      with SM at high risk of anaphylaxis from those at low risk. OBJECTIVE: This study
      sought to determine risk factors for the occurrence of anaphylaxis in patients
      with SM. METHODS: A cross-sectional study was conducted in 122 consecutive adult
      patients with SM admitted to the Mastocytosis Center at Karolinska University
      Hospital. All patients underwent medical evaluation, including bone marrow biopsy
      and a thorough allergy workup. To determine risk factors, study subjects were
      categorized into 2 groups according to the presence (n = 55) or absence (n = 67)
      of anaphylaxis and compared for their demographic, clinical, and biochemical
      characteristics. RESULTS: Patients with SM with anaphylaxis had less frequent
      presence of mastocytosis in the skin (P < .001), more atopic predisposition (P =
      .021), higher total IgE levels (P < .001), and lower baseline tryptase levels (27
      ng/mL vs 42 ng/mL; P = .024) compared with patients with SM without anaphylaxis.
      CONCLUSIONS: Patients with SM with anaphylaxis display unique clinical and
      laboratory features. Hence, a risk analysis tool that is capable of
      discriminating patients with SM at high risk of anaphylaxis from those at low
      risk with 86% sensitivity was developed by using the variables male sex, absence
      of mastocytosis in the skin, presence of atopy, IgE levels of 15 kU/L or more,
      and baseline tryptase levels of less than 40 ng/mL.

PMID- 28351785
TI  - British Lung Foundation/United Kingdom Primary Immunodeficiency Network Consensus
      Statement on the Definition, Diagnosis, and Management of Granulomatous
      Lymphocytic Interstitial Lung Disease in Common Variable Immunodeficiency
      Disorders.
AB  - A proportion of people living with common variable immunodeficiency disorders
      develop granulomatous-lymphocytic interstitial lung disease (GLILD). We aimed to
      develop a consensus statement on the definition, diagnosis, and management of
      GLILD. All UK specialist centers were contacted and relevant physicians were
      invited to take part in a 3-round online Delphi process. Responses were graded as
      Strongly Agree, Tend to Agree, Neither Agree nor Disagree, Tend to Disagree, and
      Strongly Disagree, scored +1, +0.5, 0, -0.5, and -1, respectively. Agreement was
      defined as greater than or equal to 80% consensus. Scores are reported as mean +/
      SD. There was 100% agreement (score, 0.92 +/- 0.19) for the following
      definition: "GLILD is a distinct clinico-radio-pathological ILD occurring in
      patients with [common variable immunodeficiency disorders], associated with a
      lymphocytic infiltrate and/or granuloma in the lung, and in whom other conditions
      have been considered and where possible excluded." There was consensus that the
      workup of suspected GLILD requires chest computed tomography (CT) (0.98 +/-
      0.01), lung function tests (eg, gas transfer, 0.94 +/- 0.17), bronchoscopy to
      exclude infection (0.63 +/- 0.50), and lung biopsy (0.58 +/- 0.40). There was no
      consensus on whether expectant management following optimization of
      immunoglobulin therapy was acceptable: 67% agreed, 25% disagreed, score 0.38 +/-
      0.59; 90% agreed that when treatment was required, first-line treatment should be
      with corticosteroids alone (score, 0.55 +/- 0.51).

PMID- 28351787
TI  - Complementary and Alternative Medicine Use Among Allergy Practices: Results of a
      Nationwide Survey of Allergists.
AB  - The use of complementary and alternative practices in the field of
      Allergy/Immunology is growing. A recent survey of American Academy of Allergy,
      Asthma, and Immunology members examining patterns of complementary and
      alternative medicine (CAM) use and adverse effects from CAM revealed that a
      majority of practitioners (81% of respondents) had patients who are using CAM
      therapies over conventional treatments and many practitioners (60% of survey
      respondents) have encountered patients experiencing adverse reactions. During
      routine office visits, a majority of practitioners do not ask patients about CAM
      use, and when they do, most do not have a standard intake form to take a CAM
      history. There is a strong need to increase knowledge and improve measures to
      prevent adverse reactions to CAMs.

PMID- 28351786
TI  - Association of Clinical Reactivity with Sensitization to Allergen Components in
      Multifood-Allergic Children.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Thirty percent of children with food allergies have multiple
      simultaneous allergies; however, the features of these multiple allergies are not
      well characterized serologically or clinically. OBJECTIVE: We comprehensively
      evaluated 60 multifood-allergic patients by measuring serum IgE to key allergen
      components, evaluating clinical histories and medication use, performing skin
      tests, and conducting double-blind, placebo-controlled food challenges (DBPCFCs).
      METHODS: Sixty participants with multiple food allergies were characterized by
      clinical history, DBPCFCs, total IgE, specific IgE, and component-resolved
      diagnostics (IgE and IgG4) data. The food allergens tested were almond, egg,
      milk, sesame, peanut, pecan, walnut, hazelnut, cashew, pistachio, soy, and wheat.
      RESULTS: Our data demonstrate that of the reactions observed during a graded
      DBPCFC, gastrointestinal reactions occurred more often in boys than in girls, as
      well as in individuals with high levels of IgE to 2S albumins from cashew,
      walnut, and hazelnut. Certain food allergies often occurred concomitantly in
      individuals (ie, cashew/pistachio and walnut/pecan/hazelnut). IgE testing to
      components further corroborated serological relationships between and among these
      clustered food allergies. CONCLUSIONS: Associations of certain food allergies
      were shown by DBPCFC outcomes as well as by correlations in IgE reactivity to
      structurally related food allergen components. Each of these criteria
      independently demonstrated a significant association between allergies to cashew
      and pistachio, as well as among allergies to walnut, pecan, and hazelnut.

PMID- 28351788
TI  - Severe Cutaneous Adverse Drug Reactions in Pediatric Patients: A Multicenter
      Study.
AB  - BACKGROUND: The severe cutaneous adverse drug reactions (SCARs) are rare but
      could be life-threatening. These include drug reaction with eosinophilia and
      systemic symptoms (DRESS), Stevens-Johnson syndrome, toxic epidermal necrolysis
      (TEN), and acute generalized exanthematous pustulosis. OBJECTIVE: The purpose of
      this study was the evaluation of the clinical characteristics of patients with
      the diagnosis of SCARs. METHODS: Patients who were diagnosed with SCARs between
      January 2011 and May 2016 by pediatric allergy clinics in the provinces of
      Ankara, Trabzon, Izmir, Adana, and Bolu were included in this multicenter study.
      Clinical and laboratory findings, the time between suspected drug intake and
      development of clinical findings, treatments they have received, and length of
      recovery time were recorded. RESULTS: Fifty-eight patients with SCARs were
      included in this study. The median age of the patients was 8.2 years
      (interquartile range, 5.25-13 years) and 50% (n = 29) were males. Diagnosis was
      Stevens-Johnson syndrome/TEN in 60.4% (n = 35), DRESS in 27.6% (n = 16), and
      acute generalized exanthematous pustulosis in 12% (n = 7) of the patients. In
      93.1% of the patients, drugs were the cause of the reactions. Antibiotics ranked
      first among the drugs (51.7%) and antiepileptic drugs were the second (31%) most
      common. A patient who was diagnosed with TEN developed lagophthalmos and a
      patient who was diagnosed with DRESS developed secondary diabetes mellitus. Only
      1 patient with the diagnosis of TEN died. CONCLUSIONS: SCARs in children are not
      common but potentially serious. Early diagnosis and appropriate treatment of
      SCARs will reduce the incidence of morbidity and mortality.

PMID- 28351790
TI  - Wells Syndrome with Bullous Lesions.

PMID- 28351789
TI  - Comparative Effectiveness of Step-up Therapies in Children with Asthma Prescribed
      Inhaled Corticosteroids: A Historical Cohort Study.
AB  - BACKGROUND: In children with uncontrolled asthma prescribed low-dose inhaled
      corticosteroids (ICSs), various step-up options are available: fixed-dose
      combination ICS/long-acting beta2-agonist (FDC), increasing ICS dose, or adding
      leukotriene receptor antagonist (LTRA). However, evidence of their relative
      effectiveness is limited. OBJECTIVE: To compare the effectiveness of step-up
      treatment to FDC in children with asthma versus increased ICS dose, or LTRA.
      METHODS: This matched cohort study used UK primary-care databases to study
      children prescribed their first step-up treatment to FDC, increased ICS dose, or
      LTRA. A year of baseline data was used for matching and identifying confounders.
      Outcomes over the following year were examined. The primary outcome was severe
      exacerbation rate; secondary outcomes included overall asthma control, derived
      from databases (no asthma-related admissions/hospital attendances/oral
      corticosteroids or antibiotics prescribed with a respiratory review, and average
      prescribed salbutamol <=200 MUg/day). RESULTS: There were 971 matched pairs in
      the FDC and increased ICS dose cohorts (59% males; mean age, 9.4 years) and 785
      in the FDC and LTRA cohorts (60% males; mean age, 9.0 years). Exacerbation rates
      in the outcome year were similar between FDC and increased ICS (adjusted
      incidence rate ratio [95% CI], 1.09 [0.75-1.59]) and FDC and LTRA (incidence rate
      ratio, 1.36 [0.93-2.01]). Increased ICS and LTRA significantly reduced the odds
      of achieving overall asthma control, compared with FDC (odds ratios [95% CI],
      0.52 [0.42-0.64] and 0.53 [0.42-0.66], respectively)-this was driven by reduced
      short-acting beta-agonist use. CONCLUSIONS: FDC is as effective as increased ICS
      or LTRA in reducing severe exacerbation rate, but more effective in achieving
      asthma control.

PMID- 28351791
TI  - A Rare Cause of Duodenal Obstruction: Metastatic Parotid Mucoepidermoid
      Carcinoma.

PMID- 28351792
TI  - Pyogenic Granuloma of the Esophagus.

PMID- 28351793
TI  - Nivolumab-Associated Colitis Mimicking Ulcerative Colitis.

PMID- 28351794
TI  - Association Between Mechanical, Inflammatory, and Functional Complications of the
      Ileal Pouch: Another Chicken-Or-Egg Story.

PMID- 28351795
TI  - Phytobezoar-Induced Small-Bowel Obstruction Successfully Diagnosed and Treated by
      Single-Balloon Enteroscopy.

PMID- 28351796
TI  - Endoscopic Appearance of Multifocal Primary Gastric Diffuse Large B-Cell
      Lymphoma.

PMID- 28351797
TI  - Comparison study on photocatalytic oxidation of pharmaceuticals by TiO2-Fe and
      TiO2-reduced graphene oxide nanocomposites immobilized on optical fibers.
AB  - Incorporating reduced graphene oxide (rGO) or Fe3+ ions in TiO2 photocatalyst
      could enhance photocatalytic degradation of organic contaminants in aqueous
      solutions. This study characterized the photocatalytic activities of TiO2-Fe and
      TiO2-rGO nanocomposites immobilized on optical fibers synthesized by polymer
      assisted hydrothermal deposition method. The photocatalysts presented a mixture
      phase of anatase and rutile in the TiO2-rGO and TiO2-Fe nanocomposites. Doping Fe
      into TiO2 particles (2.40eV) could reduce more band gap energy than incorporating
      rGO (2.85eV), thereby enhancing utilization efficiency of visible light.
      Incorporating Fe and rGO in TiO2 decreased significantly the intensity of TiO2
      photoluminescence signals and enhanced the separation rate of photo-induced
      charge carriers. Photocatalytic performance of the synthesized nanocomposites was
      measured by the degradation of three pharmaceuticals under UV and visible light
      irradiation, including carbamazepine, ibuprofen, and sulfamethoxazole. TiO2-rGO
      exhibited higher photocatalytic activity for the degradation of pharmaceuticals
      under UV irradiation, while TiO2-Fe demonstrated more suitable for visible light
      oxidation. The results suggested that the enhanced photocatalytic performance of
      TiO2-rGO could be attributed to reduced recombination rate of photoexcited
      electrons-hole pairs, but for TiO2-Fe nanocomposite, narrower band gap would
      contribute to increased photocatalytic activity.

PMID- 28351798
TI  - Fabrication of heterostructured Bi2O2CO3/Bi2O4 photocatalyst and efficient
      photodegradation of organic contaminants under visible-light.
AB  - Heterostructured Bi2O2CO3/Bi2O4 photocatalysts were fabricated by a facile one
      pot hydrothermal method, in which melem served as the sacrificial reagent to
      supply carbonate anions. The as-synthesized Bi2O2CO3/Bi2O4 heterojunction
      catalysts were characterized by X-ray diffraction, UV-vis diffuse reflectance
      spectra, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, scanning electron microscope, and
      transmission electron microscope. The XRD patterns of Bi2O2CO3/Bi2O4 catalysts
      showed the distinctive peaks of Bi2O2CO3 and Bi2O4. The SEM and TEM results
      showed that the pure Bi2O2CO3 possessed large plate morphology, while Bi2O4 were
      composed of various nanorods and particles. As for Bi2O2CO3/Bi2O4 heterojunction,
      it was obviously observed that Bi2O4 nanorods and particles were grown on the
      surfaces of Bi2O2CO3 plates. The visible light driven photocatalytic activity of
      Bi2O2CO3/Bi2O4 heterojunction photocatalyst was evaluated by decomposing dyes,
      phenol, and bisphenol A in water. Compared with Bi2O2CO3 and Bi2O4, the
      Bi2O2CO3/Bi2O4 photocatalysts have exhibited remarkable enhanced activity under
      visible light. The excellent activity can be mainly attributed to the enhanced
      separation efficiency of photo-generated carriers. Controlled experiments using
      different radical scavengers proved that O2- and h+ played the main role in
      decomposing organic pollutants. The results of this work would provide a new
      sight for the construction of visible light-responsive photocatalysts with high
      performance.

PMID- 28351799
TI  - Immobilization of chymotrypsin on hierarchical nylon 6,6 nanofiber improves
      enzyme performance.
AB  - Immobilized enzymes enable advances in bioprocessing efficiency and bioactive
      packaging. Enzyme immobilization onto macroscale solid supports is often limited
      by low protein loading, inadequate access to substrate, and non-ideal orientation
      to the solid support; immobilization on nanomaterials has improved activity
      retention, protein loading, and enabled improved performance in extreme
      environments, yet has practical limitations including handling, recovery. This
      work describes the immobilization of chymotrypsin to nylon 6,6 in two formats:
      electrospun nanofibers and planar films. Protein loading, enzyme activity, and
      kinetics were compared to that of commercially available systems (free
      chymotrypsin and chymotrypsin immobilized on agarose beads). Electrospun nylon
      6,6 nanofibers had an average fiber diameter of 161+/-73nm, improving protein
      loading compared to its planar macroscale counterpart. Chymotrypsin immobilized
      onto nylon nanofibers exhibited shifts in both working optimum pH and temperature
      with an increase from pH 7.8 to pH 9, and increased optimum temperature by 10
      degrees C compared to free enzyme. The nanofibers also enhanced thermostability
      compared to native enzyme, enzyme on planar films, and the commercial standard
      agarose beads with 35% activity retained after 12h at 50 degrees C. This work
      demonstrates the potential of hierarchical nanomaterials in improving enzyme
      performance, leveraging benefits of both nano and macroscale supports.

PMID- 28351800
TI  - Micellization in vegetable oils: A structural characterisation.
AB  - The solubilisation of polar and polyphenol antioxidant in vegetable oils was
      studied. It was shown that the use of a polyglyceryl-3-diisostearate (PG3DS), a
      bio-sourced emulsifier well known in cosmetics, increases the yield of
      solubilisation thanks to some aggregation properties analysed using x-ray
      scattering technique. We show indeed that PG3DS forms reverse aggregates with a
      critical concentration that depends on the oil polarity. PG3DS reverse aggregates
      are elongated with a polar core and cannot be really swollen by addition of
      water. This supramolecular organisation allows however an efficient
      solubilisation of polar antioxidants in vegetable oils.

PMID- 28351801
TI  - pH-responsive poly (acrylic acid)-gated mesoporous silica and its application in
      oral colon targeted drug delivery for doxorubicin.
AB  - Oral chemotherapy is the preferred route for cancer treatment because it can
      improve the efficacy and decrease the side effects. Unfortunately, most
      anticancer drugs suffered from their poor oral bioavailability. Herein, we
      construct a novel pH-triggered oral drug delivery system by capping of mesoporous
      silica SBA-15 with pH-responsive polymer poly (acrylic acid) (PAA) via a facile
      graft-onto strategy. The experiment results demonstrated that the PAA brushes
      were anchored on the pore outlets of mesoporous silica SBA-15, which can be acted
      as the gatekeeper to control the drug molecules transport in and out of the pore
      channels. The PAA capped mesoporous SBA-15 (PAA/SBA-15) exhibited a high drug
      loading capacity (785.7mg/g), excellent pH-sensitivity and good biocompatibility.
      In gastric environment (pH=2.0), the drug doxorubicin (DOX) molecules were
      encapsulated in the pore channels because the pore outlets were capped with
      collapsed PAA. In contrast, in colonic environment (pH=7.6), it exhibited a fast
      release because of the removal of capping. In addition, the water solubility of
      DOX in colonic environment was enhanced after DOX being loaded into the pores of
      PAA/SBA-15. This pH-triggered oral drug delivery system has promising
      applications for treatment of colon cancer and other colon diseases.

PMID- 28351802
TI  - Identification of ace inhibitory cryptides in Tilapia protein hydrolysate by UPLC
      MS/MS coupled to database analysis.
AB  - An ultra-performance liquid chromatography-quadrupole-time of flight mass
      spectrometry method was developed and applied to identify short angiotensin-I
      converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitory cryptides in Tilapia (Oreochromis Niloticus)
      protein hydrolyzate. A database was created with previously identified ACE
      inhibitory di- and tripeptides and the lowest molecular weight fraction of
      Tilapia hydrolysate was analysed for coincidences. Only VW and VY were
      identified. Further analysis of collected fractions conducted to the
      identification of 51 different peptides in major fractions. 19 peptides selected
      were synthesised and tested for their ACE inhibitory potential. TL, TI, IK, LR,
      LD, IQ, DI, AILE, ALLE, ALIE and AIIE were identified as new ACE inhibitors. The
      findings from this study point UPLC-MS/MS combined with the creation of a
      database as an efficient technique to identify specific short peptides within a
      complex hydrolysate, in addition with de novo sequencing. This efficient
      characterisation of bioactive factors like cryptides in protein hydrolysates will
      extend their use as functional foods.

PMID- 28351803
TI  - Establishing a reliable gait evaluation method for rodent studies.
AB  - BACKGROUND: CatWalk is one of the most popular tools for evaluating gait recovery
      in preclinical research, however, there is currently no consensus on which of the
      many gait parameters captured by CatWalk can reliably model recovery. There are
      conflicting interpretations of results, along with many common but seldom
      reported problems such as heel walking and poor compliance. NEW METHOD: We
      developed a systematic manual classification method that overcomes common
      problems such as heel walking and poor compliance. By correcting automation
      errors and removing inconsistent gait cycles, we isolated stretches of recordings
      that are more reliable for analysis. Recovery outcome was also assessed by
      quantitative histomorphometric analysis of myelinated axons. RESULTS: While 40
      60% of runs were erroneously classified without manual intervention, we corrected
      all errors with our new method, and showed that Stand Time, Duty Cycle, and Swing
      Speed are able to track significant differences over time and between
      experimental groups (all p<0.05). The usability of print area and intensity
      parameters requires further validation beyond the capabilities of CatWalk.
      COMPARISON WITH EXISTING METHOD(S): There is currently no strategy that addresses
      problems such as heel walking and poor compliance, and therefore no standard set
      of parameters that researchers can rely on to report their findings. CONCLUSION:
      Manual classification is a crucial step to generate reliable CatWalk data, and
      Stand Time, Duty Cycle, and Swing Speed are suitable parameters for evaluating
      gait recovery. Static parameters such as print area and intensity should be used
      with extreme caution.

PMID- 28351804
TI  - A Prognostic Scoring Model for the Utility of Induction Chemotherapy Prior to
      Neoadjuvant Chemoradiotherapy in Esophageal Cancer.
AB  - OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study was to identify patients with esophageal cancer
      who may benefit from induction chemotherapy (IC) before neoadjuvant
      chemoradiotherapy (nCRT) on the basis of a prognostic scoring model. METHODS:
      Between 1998 and 2015, 535 patients with esophageal cancer who underwent nCRT
      were included for analysis, including 218 patients who received IC before nCRT
      (IC group) and 317 patients who did not receive IC (non-IC group). A prognostic
      scoring model was developed to predict disease-free survival (DFS) on the basis
      of a Cox proportional hazards model. RESULTS: The median follow-up time was 63.5
      months (range 8.0-178.5) for survivors. The 5-year DFS rates were similar between
      the IC and non-IC groups (53.7% vs. 45.1%, p = 0.196). Multivariate analysis
      determined that histologic grade, tumor location, baseline positron emission
      tomography maximum standard uptake value, and lymph node size were independent
      prognostic factors for DFS. A prognostic scoring system was constructed by using
      these four factors, with the total score ranging from 0 to 6.2. When the median
      value was used as a cutoff, low-risk (<=3.5) and high-risk (>3.5) groups were
      identified. In the high-risk group, patients who received IC had a
      nonsignificantly higher pathologic complete response rate (p = 0.272) and a
      significantly better DFS (p = 0.03) than patients who did not receive IC. After
      propensity score matching, the high-risk group demonstrated a significantly
      improved DFS with IC, a benefit that was not observed in the low-risk group.
      CONCLUSIONS: On the basis of the prognostic scoring model, the addition of IC to
      nCRT may provide a DFS benefit in high-risk patients with a risk score higher
      than 3.5. Prospective validation is warranted.

PMID- 28351805
TI  - Fragrances in the seawater of Terra Nova Bay, Antarctica.
AB  - Personal Care Products are emerging pollutants whose distribution in the
      Antarctic and remote environments is still largely unknown. Among PCPs, long
      lasting and stable Fragrance Materials were selected to perform a first pilot
      study on their occurrence in the coastal surface seawater of Terra Nova Bay in
      the Ross Sea, Antarctica. Ambrofix, Amyl Salicylate, Benzyl Salicylate, Hexyl
      Salicylate, Lemonile and Okoumal were detected for the first time in Antarctic
      natural seawater, and reached total concentrations up to 100ngL-1. Treated
      discharges from the Italian research station Mario Zucchelli (MZS) contain FMs,
      however concentrations in nearby Tethys Bay increase during the seasonal melt of
      the sea ice and its snow cover: variability in emissions and distribution, as
      well as a contribution from atmospheric (long or short-range) transport were
      hypothesized.

PMID- 28351806
TI  - Bioaerosol exposure and circulating biomarkers in a panel of elderly subjects and
      healthy young adults.
AB  - Numerous studies have found that risk of cardiovascular diseases is associated
      with increased blood levels of circulating markers of systemic inflammation. We
      investigated associations of acute exposure to bioaerosols (bacteria and fungi)
      with blood markers of inflammation and coagulation using panels of elderly
      subjects and healthy young adults. We conducted a panel study of 44 nonsmoker
      elderly subjects in a retirement communities and a panel study of 40 healthy
      young adults living in a school dormitory within Tehran city, Iran. Blood sample
      biomarkers were measured weekly over 6weeks and including high sensitive C
      reactive protein (hsCRP), tumor necrosis factor-soluble receptor-II (sTNF-RII),
      von Willebrand factor (vWF), white blood cells (WBC) count and interleukin-6 (IL
      6). We found significant positive associations for IL-6 and WBC with exposure to
      Aspergillus spp. (As), Cladosporium spp. (Cl), Penicillium spp. (Pe), total fungi
      (TF) and Micrococcus spp. (MI); vWF with Cl and MI; sTNF-RII with Staphylococcus
      spp. (ST) in healthy young adults from the current-day and multiday averages. For
      elderly subjects, we observed significant positive associations for hsCRP, sTNF
      RII and WBC with exposure to MI, but not with ST and total bacteria (TB). Our
      results showed the strongest significant positive associations for IL-6 with MI,
      ST and TB in elderly people. In addition, IL-6 was also positively associated
      with As, Cl and Pe in elderly. Also, the results showed that increase of vWF was
      significantly associated with bacterial and fungal aerosols, except Bacillus spp.
      (BA) at some lags in elderly subjects. Pooled results support the pivotal role of
      bioaerosols in increasing the level of some of inflammatory biomarkers,
      especially IL-6 and WBC in healthy young adults but possibly also in elderly
      people.

PMID- 28351807
TI  - Profiles, sources and potential exposures of parent, chlorinated and brominated
      polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in haze associated atmosphere.
AB  - Profiles, sources and potential exposures of chlorinated and brominated
      polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (ClPAHs and BrPAHs) in haze associated
      atmosphere remain unclear. Haze events happened frequently during heating period
      in Beijing provided a typical urban context to investigate the concentrations,
      profiles, sources and potential exposures of ClPAHs, BrPAHs and their non
      halogenated parent compounds (PAHs) in air samples. Average concentrations of
      PAHs, ClPAHs and BrPAHs during heating periods (with more frequent haze events)
      were about 3-9 times higher than during non-heating periods. Concentrations of
      particulate matter (PM)-associated ClPAHs and BrPAHs were higher in heating
      period than in non-heating period, while for gas-associated ClPAHs and BrPAHs,
      this distinction was not significant. Congener patterns and congener profiles
      indicated that with increasing coal combustion during the heating period,
      concentrations of PAHs and ClPAHs in air were elevated in comparison to the non
      heating period. Inhalation of PM-associated PAHs, ClPAHs and BrPAHs accounted for
      higher exposure than inhalation of gas phase and dermal contact of both gas phase
      and particulate phase. In this study we found that the particulate phase is the
      dominant exposure pathway of atmospheric PAHs, ClPAHs and BrPAHs during haze
      days, which is different from previous studies.

PMID- 28351808
TI  - Troubled water under the bridge: Screening of River Mur water reveals dominance
      of CTX-M harboring Escherichia coli and for the first time an environmental VIM-1
      producer in Austria.
AB  - Antibiotic resistant bacteria (ARB) in the aquatic environment are reported from
      all over the world and their presence in the environment has become quite common.
      The current most prominent example is the presence of beta-lactamases harboring
      Enterobacteriaceae. The aim of this study was to investigate the presence and
      diversity (on the genetic and phenotypic levels) of extended spectrum beta
      lactamases (ESBL) and carbapenemases harboring Enterobacteriaceae from the River
      Mur in the center of Graz, Austria's second largest city. Thus over a period of
      four months water samples were taken, filtrated and screened for these bacteria.
      All samples revealed ESBL harboring Enterobacteriaceae, of which all with only
      one exception were Escherichia coli. Dominant ESBL gene family was CTX-M,
      represented by subgroups CTX-M-1 group, CTX-M-2 group and CTX-M-9 group.
      Surprisingly co-resistances to non-beta-lactam antibiotics were low, only
      resistance to trimethoprim was detected in 50% of all (70) isolates. One
      Klebsiella oxytoca with GES-1 was isolated. To date, GES ESBL has never been
      reported from Austria before and only rarely from other European countries.
      Screening for carbapenemase harboring Enterobacteriaceae revealed one
      Enterobacter cloacae with the gene for VIM-1. Members sharing the same multi
      locus-sequence-type (MLST) as well as members of the same rep PCR clusters
      occurred at different sampling time points. ESBL-harboring Enterobacteriaceae are
      common in Austrian river water, is dominated by Escherichia coli and CTX-M
      enzymes. Furthermore, some of the isolates could be linked to different origins.

PMID- 28351809
TI  - A study of torrefied cardboard characterization and applications: Composition,
      oxidation kinetics and methane adsorption.
AB  - Torrefaction is proposed as a valorization process for non recycled cardboard.
      Torrefied cardboard was physically and chemically characterized and it was
      proposed for energy production and methane adsorption. The surface area and pore
      volume obtained were among 3.0-6.0m2/g and 5.7.10-3-2.3.10-2cm3/g, respectively.
      The carbon content increased with temperature and residence time of torrefaction.
      Oxidation kinetics of torrefied cardboard at different temperatures (250-300
      degrees C) and at different plateaus (60-120min) were tested. Torrefied cardboard
      was chemically treated with KOH in order to study the effect of K on thermal
      oxidation kinetics. It was observed that high torrefaction temperatures and
      residence times lead to a more stable char. Furthermore, kinetic parameters were
      obtained by iso-conversional methods and Coats and Redfern method. Attending to
      iso-conversional method, a decrease of Ea was observed with both, temperature and
      residence time of torrefaction. Whereas chemically treated presented highest Ea
      values than torrefied cardboard. In addition, regarding Coats and Redfern method,
      the oxidation model was not highly modified by torrefaction temperature and
      residence time. However, for chemically treated samples the oxidation model was
      modified by K presence. Finally, CH4 adsorption capacity of torrefied cardboard
      was studied at 30 degrees C and atmospheric pressure. CH4 partial pressures
      tested were lower than 0.45kPa. It was observed that CH4 adsorption capacity
      increased with torrefaction time and decreased with chemical treatment. Thus, for
      the tested samples, the highest adsorption capacity observed was 5.70mgCH4/g of
      sample.

PMID- 28351810
TI  - An interval-possibilistic basic-flexible programming method for air quality
      management of municipal energy system through introducing electric vehicles.
AB  - Contradictions of sustainable transportation development and environmental issues
      have been aggravated significantly and been one of the major concerns for energy
      systems planning and management. A heavy emphasis is placed on stimulation of
      electric vehicles (EVs) to handle these problems associated with various
      complexities and uncertainties in municipal energy system (MES). In this study,
      an interval-possibilistic basic-flexible programming (IPBFP) method is proposed
      for planning MES of Qingdao, where uncertainties expressed as interval-flexible
      variables and interval-possibilistic parameters can be effectively reflected.
      Support vector regression (SVR) is used for predicting electricity demand of the
      city under various scenarios. Solutions of EVs stimulation levels and
      satisfaction levels in association with flexible constraints and predetermined
      necessity degrees are analyzed, which can help identify the optimized energy
      supply patterns that could plunk for improvement of air quality and hedge against
      violation of soft constraints. Results disclose that largely developing EVs can
      help facilitate the city's energy system with an environment-effective way.
      However, compared to the rapid growth of transportation, the EVs' contribution of
      improving the city's air quality is limited. It is desired that, to achieve an
      environmentally sustainable MES, more concerns should be focused on the
      integration of increasing renewable energy resources, stimulating EVs as well as
      improving energy transmission, transport and storage.

PMID- 28351811
TI  - Process study of biogeochemical cycling of dissolved inorganic arsenic during
      spring phytoplankton bloom, southern Yellow Sea.
AB  - Previous studies in the southern Yellow Sea (SYS) suggest that large spring
      phytoplankton blooms (SPBs) have occurred in recent decades. Elevated primary
      production in the water column can lead to the accumulation and transformation of
      trace elements. Two field study cruises (including two drifting anchor surveys)
      were conducted on 12-19 February and from 24 March to 15 April 2009, to
      investigate the impact of different SPB development periods on the concentrations
      of total dissolved inorganic arsenic (TDIAs: [TDIAs]=[As(V)]+[As(III)]) and
      As(III) (arsenite) in the SYS. The distribution of TDIAs in the study area was
      similar between the two field studies, with concentrations increasing from
      coastal to offshore areas. High arsenite concentrations and As(III)/TDIAs ratios
      were found in areas having high concentrations of chlorophyll-a, particularly in
      the subsurface waters of the central SYS during the drifting surveys, where a
      significant SPB occurred. Results show that the integrated arsenite
      concentrations increased at an average transformation rate of 0.53+/-0.24nmol/L/d
      within the 15days during the bloom, and data from the anchor drifting surveys
      indicated that approximately 15.1% of the arsenate in the euphotic zone (~30m
      depth) was converted to arsenite. In addition, 7.1% of TDIAs was scavenged from
      the water column by phytoplankton forming the blooms (a factor of 5 higher than
      expected). A preliminary box model was established to estimate the budget for
      TDIAs in the SYS in early spring (February to April). This showed that biological
      scavenging is an important sink for TDIAs, which may promote the transformation
      and migration of inorganic arsenic species, and thus have a substantial impact on
      the biogeochemical cycling of this element in the SYS. Depletion of arsenate in
      the upper waters could lead to arsenate stress, potentially damaging fisheries
      and the ecosystem.

PMID- 28351812
TI  - Complex responses of spring alpine vegetation phenology to snow cover dynamics
      over the Tibetan Plateau, China.
AB  - Snow cover dynamics are considered to play a key role on spring phenological
      shifts in the high-latitude, so investigating responses of spring phenology to
      snow cover dynamics is becoming an increasingly important way to identify and
      predict global ecosystem dynamics. In this study, we quantified the temporal
      trends and spatial variations of spring phenology and snow cover across the
      Tibetan Plateau by calibrating and analyzing time series of the NOAA AVHRR
      derived normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) during 1983-2012. We also
      examined how snow cover dynamics affect the spatio-temporal pattern of spring
      alpine vegetation phenology over the plateau. Our results indicated that 52.21%
      of the plateau experienced a significant advancing trend in the beginning of
      vegetation growing season (BGS) and 34.30% exhibited a delaying trend.
      Accordingly, the snow cover duration days (SCD) and snow cover melt date (SCM)
      showed similar patterns with a decreasing trend in the west and an increasing
      trend in the southeast, but the start date of snow cover (SCS) showed an opposite
      pattern. Meanwhile, the spatial patterns of the BGS, SCD, SCS and SCM varied in
      accordance with the gradients of temperature, precipitation and topography across
      the plateau. The response relationship of spring phenology to snow cover dynamics
      varied within different climate, terrain and alpine plant community zones, and
      the spatio-temporal response patterns were primarily controlled by the long-term
      local heat-water conditions and topographic conditions. Moreover, temperature and
      precipitation played a profound impact on diverse responses of spring phenology
      to snow cover dynamics.

PMID- 28351813
TI  - 1D and 2D diffusion pore imaging on a preclinical MR system using adaptive
      rephasing: Feasibility and pulse sequence comparison.
AB  - Diffusion pore imaging (DPI) has recently been proposed as a means to acquire
      images of the average pore shape in an image voxel or region of interest. The
      highly asymmetric gradient scheme of its sequence makes it substantially
      demanding in terms of the hardware of the NMR system. The aim of this work is to
      show the feasibility of DPI on a preclinical 9.4T animal scanner. Using water
      filled capillaries with an inner radius of 10MUm, four different variants of the
      DPI sequence were compared in 1D and 2D measurements. The pulse sequences applied
      cover the basic implementation using one long and one temporally narrow gradient
      pulse, a CPMG-like variant with multiple refocusing RF pulses as well as two
      variants splitting up the long gradient and distributing it on either side of the
      refocusing pulse. Substantial differences between the methods were found in terms
      of signal-to-noise ratio, contrast, blurring, deviations from the expected
      results and sensitivity to gradient imperfections. Each of the tested sequences
      was found to produce characteristic gradient mismatches dependent on the absolute
      value, direction and sign of the applied q-value. Read gradients were applied to
      compensate these mismatches translating them into time shifts, which enabled 1D
      DPI yielding capillary radius estimations within the tolerances specified by the
      manufacturer. For a successful DPI application in 2D, a novel gradient amplitude
      adaption scheme was implemented to correct for the occurring time shifts. Using
      this adaption, higher conformity to the expected pore shape, reduced blurring and
      enhanced contrast were achieved. Images of the phantom's pore shape could be
      acquired with a nominal resolution of 2.2MUm.

PMID- 28351814
TI  - Combining several interventions to reduce the incidence of OHSS: A prospective
      cohort study.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: To assess the outcome of using low-dose aspirin, dopamine agonist and
      triggering ovulation by low dose of HCG in combination with GnRH agonist in fixed
      GnRH antagonist protocol in patients at risk of OHSS. STUDY DESIGN: This
      prospective cohort study was conducted on 50 infertile women who were at high
      risk of OHSS. They received low dose aspirin from first day of stimulation,
      cabergoline 0.5mg daily from the day of HCG for 8days and low dose of HCG (2500
      IU) in combination with GnRH agonist for final oocyte maturation in fixed GnRH
      antagonist protocol. RESULTS: The study was conducted on 50 cases and all of them
      completed the study protocol. The clinical pregnancy rate was 40% (20 cases of
      50) and no cases developed severe or critical OHSS. Only 8% (4 cases) developed
      moderate OHSS. CONCLUSION: Combining aspirin, cabergoline, and triggering with
      low dose of HCG in combination with GnRH agonist produced excellent clinical
      pregnancy rate, and decreased hospital admissions with severe or critical OHSS.

PMID- 28351815
TI  - Neoadjuvant and definitive chemotherapy or chemoradiation for stage III and IV
      vulvar cancer: A pooled Reanalysis.
AB  - OBJECTIVES AND METHODS: A number of publications study the treatment of advanced
      vulvar cancer by neoadjuvant or definitive chemotherapy (CT) or chemoradiation
      (CRT); however, the reported survival rates vary widely. In a pooled reanalysis
      of the published data, we studied the factors influencing patients' survival.
      RESULTS: We included 97 patients with stage III and IV vulvar cancer of
      publications in our study. In the pooled reanalysis we found that neoadjuvant
      therapy plus surgery lead to significantly better 5YSR (73%) than definitive CRT
      (43%) alone. No significant difference was found between CRT (5YSR: 69%) and CT
      (77%, p=0.11) in the neoadjuvant setting. In addition, patients showing a
      positive response to CT or CRT had a better 5YSR (67% vs. 20%, p=0.001).
      CONCLUSION: Neoadjuvant therapy plus surgery can improve survival of patients
      with advanced vulvar cancer.

PMID- 28351816
TI  - Rotational forceps versus manual rotation and direct forceps: A retrospective
      cohort study.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: Rotational forceps and manual rotation followed by direct forceps are
      techniques used in the management of malposition of the fetal head in the second
      stage of labor. However, there is widespread debate regarding their relative
      safety and utility. We aimed to compare the effectiveness and safety of
      rotational forceps with manual rotation followed by direct forceps, for
      management of fetal malposition at full dilation. STUDY DESIGN: A retrospective
      cohort study in a single tertiary obstetric unit with >6000 births per year. We
      recorded and analysed outcomes of 104 sequential rotational forceps births over
      21 months (Jan 2010-Sept 2012) and 208 matched chronologically sequential
      attempted manual rotations and direct forceps births (1:2 by number). Univariable
      and multivariable approaches used for statistical analysis. The main outcome
      measure was vaginal birth. RESULTS: The rate of vaginal birth was significantly
      higher with rotational forceps than with manual rotation followed by direct
      forceps (88.5% vs 82.2%, RR 1.17, 95% CI 1.04-1.31, p=0.017). Births by
      rotational forceps were associated with a significantly higher rate of shoulder
      dystocia (19.2% vs 10.6%, RR 2.35, 95% CI 1.23-4.47, p=0.012), but not of
      neonatal injury. There were no significant differences in all other maternal and
      neonatal outcomes between the two modes of birth. CONCLUSIONS: The use of
      rotational forceps was associated with a statistically significantly higher rate
      of vaginal birth, but also of shoulder dystocia, compared to manual rotation
      followed by direct forceps. This is the first study to demonstrate a
      statistically significant increase in the rate of shoulder dystocia following
      rotational forceps birth.

PMID- 28351817
TI  - Do forests best mitigate CO2 emissions to the atmosphere by setting them aside
      for maximization of carbon storage or by management for fossil fuel substitution?
AB  - Forests' potential to mitigate carbon emissions to the atmosphere is heavily
      debated and a key question is if forests left unmanaged to store carbon in
      biomass and soil provide larger carbon emission reductions than forests kept
      under forest management for production of wood that can substitute fossil fuels
      and fossil fuel intensive materials. We defined a modelling framework for
      calculation of the carbon pools and fluxes along the forest energy and wood
      product supply chains over 200 years for three forest management alternatives
      (FMA): 1) a traditionally managed European beech forest, as a business-as-usual
      case, 2) an energy poplar plantation, and 3) a set-aside forest left unmanaged
      for long-term storage of carbon. We calculated the cumulative net carbon
      emissions (CCE) and carbon parity times (CPT) of the managed forests relative to
      the unmanaged forest. Energy poplar generally had the lowest CCE when using coal
      as the reference fossil fuel. With natural gas as the reference fossil fuel, the
      CCE of the business-as-usual and the energy poplar was nearly equal, with the
      unmanaged forest having the highest CCE after 40 years. CPTs ranged from 0 to 156
      years, depending on the applied model assumptions. CCE and CPT were especially
      sensitive to the reference fossil fuel, material alternatives to wood, forest
      growth rates for the three FMAs, and energy conversion efficiencies. Assumptions
      about the long-term steady-state levels of carbon stored in the unmanaged forest
      had a limited effect on CCE after 200 years. Analyses also showed that CPT was
      not a robust measure for ranking of carbon mitigation benefits.

PMID- 28351818
TI  - Hydrogen bond docking site competition in methyl esters.
AB  - The OH?O hydrogen bonds in the 2,2,2-trifluoroethanol (TFE)-methyl ester
      complexes in the gas phase have been investigated by FTIR spectroscopy and DFT
      calculations. Methyl formate (MF), methyl acetate (MA), and methyl
      trifluoroacetate (MTFA) were chosen as the hydrogen bond acceptors. A dominant
      inter-molecular hydrogen bond was formed between the OH group of TFE and
      different docking sites in the methyl esters (carbonyl oxygen or ester oxygen).
      The competition of the two docking sites decides the structure and spectral
      properties of the complexes. On the basis of the observed red shifts of the OH
      stretching transition with respect to the TFE monomer, the order of the hydrogen
      bond strength can be sorted as TFE-MA (119cm-1)>TFE-MF (93cm-1)>TFE-MTFA (44cm
      1). Combining the experimental infrared spectra with the DFT calculations, the
      Gibbs free energies of formation were determined to be 1.5, 4.5 and 8.6kJmol-1
      for TFE-MA, TFE-MF and TFE-MTFA, respectively. The hydrogen bonding in the MTFA
      complex is much weaker than those of the TFE-MA and TFE-MF complexes due to the
      effect of the CF3 substitution on MTFA, while the replacement of an H atom with a
      CH3 group in methyl ester only slightly increases the hydrogen bond strength.
      Topological analysis and localized molecular orbital energy decomposition
      analysis was also applied to compare the interactions in the complexes.

PMID- 28351819
TI  - A novel dual-channel chemosensor for CN- using asymmetric double-azine
      derivatives in aqueous media and its application in bitter almond.
AB  - In this paper, we have designed and synthesized a novel sensor L1 based on
      asymmetric double-azine derivatives, which showed both "naked eye" recognition
      and fluorescence responses for CN- in DMSO/H2O (v/v=4:1, pH=7.20) solution. This
      simple sensor L1 could distinguish CN- from coexisting anions via the way of
      deprotonation and sensing mechanism of intramolecular charge transfer (ICT), and
      the minimum detection limit on fluorescence response of the sensor L1 towards CN-
      was down to 9.47*10-7M. Moreover, we have successfully utilized the sensor L1 to
      detect CN- in bitter almond. Test strips containing L1 were also prepared, which
      could act as a practical colorimetric tool to detect CN- in aqueous media.

PMID- 28351820
TI  - Experimental evidence for the blue-shifted hydrogen-bonded complexes of CHF3 with
      pi-electron donors.
AB  - Blue-shifted hydrogen-bonded complexes of fluoroform (CHF3) with benzene (C6H6)
      and acetylene (C2H2) have been investigated using matrix isolation infrared
      spectroscopy and ab initio computations. For CHF3-C6H6 complex, calculations
      performed at the B3LYP and MP2 levels of theory using 6-311++G (d,p) and aug-cc
      pVDZ basis sets discerned two minima corresponding to a 1:1 hydrogen-bonded
      complex. The global minimum correlated to a structure, where the interaction is
      between the hydrogen of CHF3 and the pi-electrons of C6H6 and a weak local
      minimum was stabilized through H...F interaction. For the CHF3-C2H2 complex,
      computation performed at MP2/aug-cc-pVDZ level of theory yielded two minima,
      corresponding to the cyclic C-H...pi complex A (global) and a linear C-H...F (n
      sigma) complex B (local). Experimentally a blue-shift of 32.3cm-1 and 7.7cm-1 was
      observed in the nu1 C-H stretching mode of CHF3 sub-molecule in Ar matrix for the
      1:1 C-H...pi complexes of CHF3 with C6H6 and C2H2 respectively. Natural bond
      orbital (NBO), Atoms-in-molecule (AIM) and energy decomposition (EDA) analyses
      were carried out to explain the blue-shifting and the nature of the interaction
      in these complexes.

PMID- 28351821
TI  - Water quality trading opportunities in two sub-watersheds in the northern Lake
      Okeechobee watershed.
AB  - For decades, the increase of nutrient enrichment has threatened the ecological
      integrity and economic sustainability of many rivers, lakes, and coastal waters,
      including Lake Okeechobee, the second largest freshwater lake in the contiguous
      United States. Water quality trading programs have been an area of active
      development to both, reduce nutrient pollution and minimize abatement costs. The
      objective of this study was to apply a comprehensive modeling framework,
      integrating a hydrologic-water quality model with an economic model, to assess
      and compare the cost-effectiveness of a water quality trading program over a
      command-and-control approach in order to reduce phosphorus loadings to Lake
      Okeechobee. The Upper Kissimmee (UK) and Taylor Creek/Nubbin Slough (TCNS) sub
      watersheds, identified as major sources of total phosphorus (TP) loadings to the
      lake, were selected for this analysis. The effect of different caps on the market
      potential was assessed while considering four factors: the least-cost abatement
      solutions, credit prices, potential cost savings, and credit supply and demand.
      Hypothetical trading scenarios were also developed, using the optimal caps
      selected for the two sub-watersheds. In both sub-watersheds, a phosphorus credit
      trading program was less expensive than the conventional command-and-control
      approach. While attaining cost-effectiveness, keeping optimal credit prices, and
      fostering market competition, phosphorus reduction targets of 46% and 32% were
      selected as the most appropriate caps in the UK and TCNS sub-watersheds,
      respectively. Wastewater treatment facilities and urban areas in the UK, and
      concentrated animal feeding operations in the TCNS sub-watershed were identified
      as potential credit buyers, whereas improved pastures were identified as the
      major credit sellers in both sub-watersheds. The estimated net cost savings
      resulting from implementing a phosphorus trading program in the UK and TCNS sub
      watersheds were 76% ($ 34.9 million per year) and 45% ($ 3.2 million per year),
      respectively. It is important to note that the realization of the environmental
      and economic benefits of this market-based alternative is also contingent on
      other important factors, such as the market structure, the specific program
      rules, the risk perception, and the education and outreach to develop trusted
      relationships among regulatory agencies, the public sector, and other
      stakeholders. Nevertheless, this research provided the foundation for
      stakeholders to better understand whether water quality trading has the potential
      to work in the Lake Okeechobee watershed and to facilitate the development of a
      pilot program.

PMID- 28351822
TI  - Thermal decomposition of sewage sludge under N2, CO2 and air: Gas
      characterization and kinetic analysis.
AB  - Thermochemical valorisation processes that allow energy to be recovered from
      sewage sludge, such as pyrolysis and gasification, have demonstrated great
      potential as convenient alternatives to conventional sewage sludge disposal
      technologies. Moreover, these processes may benefit from CO2 recycling. Today,
      the scaling up of these technologies requires an advanced knowledge of the
      reactivity of sewage sludge and the characteristics of the products, specific to
      the thermochemical process. In this study the behaviour of sewage sludge during
      thermochemical conversion, under different atmospheres (N2, CO2 and air), was
      studied, using TGA-FTIR, in order to understand the effects of different
      atmospheric gases on the kinetics of degradation and on the gaseous products. The
      different steps observed during the solid degradation were related with the
      production of different gaseous compounds. A higher oxidative degree of the
      atmosphere surrounding the sample resulted in higher reaction rates and a shift
      of the degradation mechanisms to lower temperatures, especially for the
      mechanisms taking place at temperatures above 400  degrees C. Finally, a multiple
      first-order reaction model was proposed to compare the kinetic parameters
      obtained under different atmospheres. Overall, the highest activation energies
      were obtained for combustion. This work proves that CO2, an intermediate
      oxidative atmosphere between N2 and air, results in an intermediate behaviour
      (intermediate peaks in the derivative thermogravimetric curves and intermediate
      activation energies) during the thermochemical decomposition of sewage sludge.
      Overall, it can be concluded that the kinetics of these different processes
      require a different approach for their scaling up and specific consideration of
      their characteristic reaction temperatures and rates should be evaluated.

PMID- 28351823
TI  - Proactive sustainability strategy and corporate sustainability performance: The
      mediating effect of sustainability control systems.
AB  - This study examines to what extent corporations use sustainability control
      systems (SCS) to translate proactive sustainability strategy into corporate
      sustainability performance. The study investigates the mediating effect of SCS on
      the relationship between proactive sustainability strategy and corporate
      sustainability performance. Survey data were collected from top managers in 175
      multinational and local corporations operating in Sri Lanka and analyzed using
      Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM). SCS were observed
      to only partially mediate the relationship between proactive sustainability
      strategy and corporate sustainability performance. The mediating effect of SCS is
      further examined under three sustainability strategies; environmental and social
      strategies reveal a partial mediation, while the economic strategy exhibits no
      mediation. The study also finds that (i) a proactive sustainability strategy is
      positively associated with SCS and corporate sustainability performance and (ii)
      SCS are positively associated with corporate sustainability performance.

PMID- 28351824
TI  - Dynamic models in research and management of biological invasions.
AB  - Invasive species are increasing in number, extent and impact worldwide. Effective
      invasion management has thus become a core socio-ecological challenge. To tackle
      this challenge, integrating spatial-temporal dynamics of invasion processes with
      modelling approaches is a promising approach. The inclusion of dynamic processes
      in such modelling frameworks (i.e. dynamic or hybrid models, here defined as
      models that integrate both dynamic and static approaches) adds an explicit
      temporal dimension to the study and management of invasions, enabling the
      prediction of invasions and optimisation of multi-scale management and
      governance. However, the extent to which dynamic approaches have been used for
      that purpose is under-investigated. Based on a literature review, we examined the
      extent to which dynamic modelling has been used to address invasions worldwide.
      We then evaluated how the use of dynamic modelling has evolved through time in
      the scope of invasive species management. The results suggest that modelling, in
      particular dynamic modelling, has been increasingly applied to biological
      invasions, especially to support management decisions at local scales. Also, the
      combination of dynamic and static modelling approaches (hybrid models with a
      spatially explicit output) can be especially effective, not only to support
      management at early invasion stages (from prevention to early detection), but
      also to improve the monitoring of invasion processes and impact assessment.
      Further development and testing of such hybrid models may well be regarded as a
      priority for future research aiming to improve the management of invasions across
      scales.

PMID- 28351825
TI  - Control groups in paediatric epilepsy research: do first-degree cousins show
      familial effects?
AB  - To determine whether first-degree cousins of children with idiopathic focal and
      genetic generalized epilepsies show any association across measures of cognition,
      behaviour, and brain structure. The presence/absence of associations addresses
      the question of whether and to what extent first-degree cousins may serve as
      unbiased controls in research addressing the cognitive, psychiatric, and
      neuroimaging features of paediatric epilepsies. Participants were children (aged
      8-18) with epilepsy who had at least one first-degree cousin control enrolled in
      the study (n=37) and all enrolled cousin controls (n=100). Participants underwent
      neuropsychological assessment and brain imaging (cortical, subcortical, and
      cerebellar volumes), and parents completed the Child Behaviour Checklist (CBCL).
      Data (based on 42 outcome measures) from cousin controls were regressed on the
      corresponding epilepsy cognitive, behavioural, and imaging measures in a linear
      mixed model and case/control correlations were examined. Of the 42 uncorrected
      correlations involving cognitive, behavioural, and neuroimaging measures, only
      two were significant (p<0.05). The median correlation was 0.06. A test for
      whether the distribution of p values deviated from the null distribution under no
      association was not significant (p>0.25). Similar results held for the
      cognition/behaviour and brain imaging measures separately. Given the lack of
      association between cases and first-degree cousin performances on measures of
      cognition, behaviour, and neuroimaging, the results suggest a non-significant
      genetic influence on control group performance. First-degree cousins appear to be
      unbiased controls for cognitive, behavioural, and neuroimaging research in
      paediatric epilepsy.

PMID- 28351826
TI  - Erratum.
AB  - In the review article by Gui et al., entitled "Multidetector CT appearance of the
      pelvis after cesarean delivery: normal and abnormal acute findings" (Diagn Interv
      Radiol 2016; 22:534-541. DOI 10.5152/dir.2016.15593) that was published in the
      November 2016 issue of Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology, an incorrect list
      of references was published due to a technical error. This has been corrected in
      the online versions of this article.

PMID- 28351827
TI  - Systemic Mastocytosis with Associated Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia: A Matter of
      Diseases or Prognostic Factors?

PMID- 28351828
TI  - High Infection-Related Mortality in Pediatric Acute Myeloid Leukemia without
      Preventive Antibiotics and Antifungals: Retrospective Cohort Study of a Single
      Center from a Middle-Income Country.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to evaluate infection-related mortality in patients
      with acute myeloid leukemia (AML) treated without preventive antibiotics and
      antifungals in a middle-income country. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Infection-related
      mortality was evaluated retrospectively in 49 pediatric patients. RESULTS: A
      total of 173 chemotherapy courses were administered as first-line chemotherapy.
      Four patients died during induction: one patient due to intracranial bleeding,
      two patients due to typhlitis, and one patient due to invasive fungal infection
      with pulmonary vascular invasion and massive bleeding. Another two patients died
      with resistant disease. During consolidation there were four infection-related
      deaths and one death due to cardiotoxicity. In first-line chemotherapy mortality
      was 22% (11/49); infection-related mortality was 14% (7/49). Event-free survival
      and overall survival at 6 years were 42.9% and 61.2% (95% CI: 44-76 and 66-99
      months), respectively. CONCLUSION: Due to considerable infection-related deaths,
      antibacterial and mold-active antifungal prophylaxis may be tried during
      neutropenic periods in pediatric AML.

PMID- 28351829
TI  - Innovations in the Management of Musculoskeletal Pain With Alpha-Lipoic Acid
      (IMPALA Trial): Study protocol for a Double-Blind, Randomized, Placebo-Controlled
      Crossover Trial of Alpha-Lipoic Acid for the Treatment of Fibromyalgia Pain.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Fibromyalgia is a common disorder characterized by chronic widespread
      pain, sleep disturbance, fatigue, depression, and cognitive dysfunction,
      resulting in substantial disability. As current analgesics provide incomplete
      relief and disabling side effects that aggravate fatigue and cognitive
      dysfunction, there is a need for new pain treatments with better efficacy and
      tolerability. Alpha-lipoic acid (ALA) is an antioxidant proven effective in
      painful diabetic neuropathy with minimal side effects. OBJECTIVE: We hypothesize
      that this agent will provide benefits in fibromyalgia because of several
      similarities with neuropathic pain and also because it does not cause sedation,
      fatigue, or mental-slowing. To test this, we have designed a clinical trial that
      will assess pain, side effects, and other outcomes in participants with
      fibromyalgia. METHODS: Using a crossover design, 24 adults with fibromyalgia will
      be randomly allocated to 1 of the 2 sequences of ALA and placebo. Participants
      will take capsules containing ALA or placebo for 4 weeks followed by a 1-week
      washout followed by a second 4-week treatment and 1-week washout period. ALA (or
      matching placebo) capsules will be titrated to 1800 mg/day over each 4-week
      period. The primary outcome will be mean daily pain intensity (0-10) during week
      4 of each period. Secondary outcomes, assessed during week 4 of each period, will
      include global improvement, adverse events, mood, and quality of life. RESULTS:
      This trial was registered in the International Standard Randomized Controlled
      Trial registry March 15, 2016 (Number ISRCTN58259979), and it attained ethics
      approval on December 3, 2016 (Queen's University Health Sciences & Affiliated
      Teaching Hospitals Research Ethics Board protocol number ANAE-287-15). The
      recruitment started in February 2017. CONCLUSIONS: This trial will provide
      evidence for the efficacy of ALA in fibromyalgia. TRIAL REGISTRATION:
      International Standard Randomized Controlled Trial Number (ISRCTN): 58259979;
      www.isrctn.com/ISRCTN58259979 (Archived by WebCite at
      http://www.webcitation.org/6og9JdiyZ).

PMID- 28351830
TI  - Methodological and Ethical Challenges in a Web-Based Randomized Controlled Trial
      of a Domestic Violence Intervention.
AB  - The use of Web-based methods to deliver and evaluate interventions is growing in
      popularity, particularly in a health care context. They have shown particular
      promise in responding to sensitive or stigmatized issues such as mental health
      and sexually transmitted infections. In the field of domestic violence (DV),
      however, the idea of delivering and evaluating interventions via the Web is still
      relatively new. Little is known about how to successfully navigate several
      challenges encountered by the researchers while working in this area. This paper
      uses the case study of I-DECIDE, a Web-based healthy relationship tool and safety
      decision aid for women experiencing DV, developed in Australia. The I-DECIDE
      website has recently been evaluated through a randomized controlled trial, and we
      outline some of the methodological and ethical challenges encountered during
      recruitment, retention, and evaluation. We suggest that with careful
      consideration of these issues, randomized controlled trials can be safely
      conducted via the Web in this sensitive area.

PMID- 28351831
TI  - Protocol for Combined Analysis of FOXFIRE, SIRFLOX, and FOXFIRE-Global Randomized
      Phase III Trials of Chemotherapy +/- Selective Internal Radiation Therapy as
      First-Line Treatment for Patients With Metastatic Colorectal Cancer.
AB  - BACKGROUND: In colorectal cancer (CRC), unresectable liver metastases are
      associated with a poor prognosis. The FOXFIRE (an open-label randomized phase III
      trial of 5-fluorouracil, oxaliplatin, and folinic acid +/- interventional
      radioembolization as first-line treatment for patients with unresectable liver
      only or liver-predominant metastatic colorectal cancer), SIRFLOX (randomized
      comparative study of FOLFOX6m plus SIR-Spheres microspheres versus FOLFOX6m alone
      as first-line treatment in patients with nonresectable liver metastases from
      primary colorectal carcinoma), and FOXFIRE-Global (assessment of overall survival
      of FOLFOX6m plus SIR-Spheres microspheres versus FOLFOX6m alone as first-line
      treatment in patients with nonresectable liver metastases from primary colorectal
      carcinoma in a randomized clinical study) clinical trials were designed to
      evaluate the efficacy and safety of combining first-line chemotherapy with
      selective internal radiation therapy (SIRT) using yttrium-90 resin microspheres,
      also called transarterial radioembolization. OBJECTIVE: The aim of this analysis
      is to prospectively combine clinical data from 3 trials to allow adequate power
      to evaluate the impact of chemotherapy with SIRT on overall survival. METHODS:
      Eligible patients are adults with histologically confirmed CRC and unequivocal
      evidence of liver metastases which are not treatable by surgical resection or
      local ablation with curative intent at the time of study entry. Patients may also
      have limited extrahepatic metastases. Final analysis will take place when all
      participants have been followed up for a minimum of 2 years. RESULTS: Efficacy
      and safety estimates derived using individual participant data (IPD) from
      SIRFLOX, FOXFIRE, and FOXFIRE-Global will be pooled using 2-stage prospective
      meta-analysis. Secondary outcome measures include progression-free survival
      (PFS), liver-specific PFS, health-related quality of life, response rate,
      resection rate, and adverse event profile. The large study population will
      facilitate comparisons of low frequency adverse events and allow for more robust
      safety analyses. The potential treatment benefit in those patients who present
      with disease confined to the liver will be investigated using 1-stage IPD meta
      analysis. Efficacy will be analyzed on an intention-to-treat basis. CONCLUSIONS:
      This analysis will assess the impact of SIRT combined with chemotherapy on
      overall survival in the first-line treatment of metastatic CRC. If positive, the
      results will change the standard of care for this disease. TRIAL REGISTRATION:
      FOXFIRE ISRCTN Registry ISRCTN83867919; http://www.isrctn.com/ISRCTN83867919
      (Archived by WebCite at http://www.webcitation.org/6oN7axrvA). SIRFLOX
      ClinicalTrials.gov NCT00724503; https://clinicaltrials.gov/ ct2/show/NCT00724503
      (Archived by WebCite at http://www.webcitation.org/6oN7lEGbD). FOXFIRE-Global
      ClinicalTrials.gov NCT01721954; https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT01721954
      (Archived by WebCite at http://www.webcitation.org/ 6oN7vvQvG).

PMID- 28351833
TI  - Impact of total knee replacement practice: cost effectiveness analysis of data
      from the Osteoarthritis Initiative.
AB  - Objectives To evaluate the impact of total knee replacement on quality of life in
      people with knee osteoarthritis and to estimate associated differences in
      lifetime costs and quality adjusted life years (QALYs) according to use by level
      of symptoms.Design Marginal structural modeling and cost effectiveness analysis
      based on lifetime predictions for total knee replacement and death from
      population based cohort data.Setting Data from two studies-Osteoarthritis
      Initiative (OAI) and the Multicenter Osteoarthritis Study (MOST)-within the US
      health system.Participants 4498 participants with or at high risk for knee
      osteoarthritis aged 45-79 from the OAI with no previous knee replacement
      (confirmed by baseline radiography) followed up for nine years. Validation cohort
      comprised 2907 patients from MOST with two year follow-up.Intervention Scenarios
      ranging from current practice, defined as total knee replacement practice as
      performed in the OAI (with procedural rates estimated by a prediction model), to
      practice limited to patients with severe symptoms to no surgery.Main outcome
      measures Generic (SF-12) and osteoarthritis specific quality of life measured
      over 96 months, model based QALYs, costs, and incremental cost effectiveness
      ratios over a lifetime horizon.Results In the OAI, total knee replacement showed
      improvements in quality of life with small absolute changes when averaged across
      levels of confounding variables: 1.70 (95% uncertainty interval 0.26 to 3.57) for
      SF-12 physical component summary (PCS); -10.69 (-13.39 to -8.01) for Western
      Ontario and McMaster Universities arthritis index (WOMAC); and 9.16 (6.35 to
      12.49) for knee injury and osteoarthritis outcome score (KOOS) quality of life
      subscale. These improvements became larger with decreasing functional status at
      baseline. Provision of total knee replacement to patients with SF-12 PCS scores
      <35 was the optimal scenario given a cost effectiveness threshold of $200
      000/QALY, with cost savings of $6974 ($5789 to $8269) and a minimal loss of 0.008
      (-0.056 to 0.043) QALYs compared with current practice. These findings were
      reproduced among patients with knee osteoarthritis from the MOST cohort and were
      robust against various scenarios including increased rates of total knee
      replacement and mortality and inclusion of non-healthcare costs but were
      sensitive to increased deterioration in quality of life without surgery. In a
      threshold analysis, total knee replacement would become cost effective in
      patients with SF-12 PCS scores <=40 if the associated hospital admission costs
      fell below $14 000 given a cost effectiveness threshold of $200
      000/QALY.Conclusion Current practice of total knee replacement as performed in a
      recent US cohort of patients with knee osteoarthritis had minimal effects on
      quality of life and QALYs at the group level. If the procedure were restricted to
      more severely affected patients, its effectiveness would rise, with practice
      becoming economically more attractive than its current use.

PMID- 28351832
TI  - Gonad-related factors promote muscle performance gain during postnatal
      development in male and female mice.
AB  - To better define the role of male and female gonad-related factors (MGRF,
      presumably testosterone, and FGRF, presumably estradiol, respectively) on mouse
      hindlimb skeletal muscle contractile performance/function gain during postnatal
      development, we analyzed the effect of castration initiated before puberty in
      male and female mice. We found that muscle absolute and specific (normalized to
      muscle weight) maximal forces were decreased in 6-mo-old male and female
      castrated mice compared with age- and sex-matched intact mice, without alteration
      in neuromuscular transmission. Moreover, castration decreased absolute and
      specific maximal powers, another important aspect of muscle performance, in 6-mo
      old males, but not in females. Absolute maximal force was similarly reduced by
      castration in 3-mo-old muscle fiber androgen receptor (AR)-deficient and wild
      type male mice, indicating that the effect of MGRF was muscle fiber AR
      independent. Castration reduced the muscle weight gain in 3-mo mice of both sexes
      and in 6-mo females but not in males. We also found that bone morphogenetic
      protein signaling through Smad1/5/9 was not altered by castration in atrophic
      muscle of 3-mo-old mice of both sexes. Moreover, castration decreased the sexual
      dimorphism regarding muscle performance. Together, these results demonstrated
      that in the long term, MGRF and FGRF promote muscle performance gain in mice
      during postnatal development, independently of muscle growth in males, largely
      via improving muscle contractile quality (force and power normalized), and that
      MGFR and FGRF also contribute to sexual dimorphism. However, the mechanisms
      underlying MGFR and FGRF actions remain to be determined.

PMID- 28351834
TI  - Cutaneous manifestations of tuberous sclerosis complex and the paediatrician's
      role.
AB  - Tuberous sclerosis complex (TSC) is a multisystem genetic disorder stemming from
      unregulated activation of the mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) pathway,
      resulting in the growth of hamartomas in multiple organs. TSC-related skin
      lesions often develop early in life and can be disfiguring, emotionally
      distressful and even painful at times. Recognition of TSC-associated skin
      features by paediatricians can be a catalyst for facilitating early
      implementation of treatment strategies and establishing appropriate follow-up
      care. The range of potential treatment options for symptomatic or disfiguring TSC
      associated skin lesions includes non-pharmacological (surgical excision, laser
      therapy) and pharmacological (eg, topical or systemic mTOR inhibitors)
      alternatives. In this review, we discuss the relevance of TSC-associated skin
      findings, highlight available treatment options, review guideline recommendations
      and emphasise the role of the primary care physician in the management of this
      complex disease.

PMID- 28351835
TI  - Cross-linking mass spectrometry identifies new interfaces of Augmin required to
      localise the gamma-tubulin ring complex to the mitotic spindle.
AB  - The hetero-octameric protein complex, Augmin, recruits gamma-Tubulin ring complex
      (gamma-TuRC) to pre-existing microtubules (MTs) to generate branched MTs during
      mitosis, facilitating robust spindle assembly. However, despite a recent partial
      reconstitution of the human Augmin complex in vitro, the molecular basis of this
      recruitment remains unclear. Here, we used immuno-affinity purification of in
      vivo Augmin from Drosophila and cross-linking/mass spectrometry to identify
      distance restraints between residues within the eight Augmin subunits in the
      absence of any other structural information. The results allowed us to predict
      potential interfaces between Augmin and gamma-TuRC. We tested these predictions
      biochemically and in the Drosophila embryo, demonstrating that specific regions
      of the Augmin subunits, Dgt3, Dgt5 and Dgt6 all directly bind the gamma-TuRC
      protein, Dgp71WD, and are required for the accumulation of gamma-TuRC, but not
      Augmin, to the mitotic spindle. This study therefore substantially increases our
      understanding of the molecular mechanisms underpinning MT-dependent MT
      nucleation.

PMID- 28351836
TI  - Structural and biophysical analyses of the skeletal dihydropyridine receptor beta
      subunit beta1a reveal critical roles of domain interactions for stability.
AB  - Excitation-contraction (EC) coupling in skeletal muscle requires a physical
      interaction between the voltage-gated calcium channel dihydropyridine receptor
      (DHPR) and the ryanodine receptor Ca2+ release channel. Although the exact
      molecular mechanism that initiates skeletal EC coupling is unresolved, it is
      clear that both the alpha1 and beta subunits of DHPR are essential for this
      process. Here, we employed a series of techniques, including size-exclusion
      chromatography-multi-angle light scattering, differential scanning fluorimetry,
      and isothermal calorimetry, to characterize various biophysical properties of the
      skeletal DHPR beta subunit beta1a Removal of the intrinsically disordered N and C
      termini and the hook region of beta1a prevented oligomerization, allowing for its
      structural determination by X-ray crystallography. The structure had a topology
      similar to that of previously determined beta isoforms, which consist of SH3 and
      guanylate kinase domains. However, transition melting temperatures derived from
      the differential scanning fluorimetry experiments indicated a significant
      difference in stability of ~2-3  degrees C between the beta1a and beta2a
      constructs, and the addition of the DHPR alpha1s I-II loop (alpha-interaction
      domain) peptide stabilized both beta isoforms by ~6-8  degrees C. Similar to
      other beta isoforms, beta1a bound with nanomolar affinity to the alpha
      interaction domain, but binding affinities were influenced by amino acid
      substitutions in the adjacent SH3 domain. These results suggest that
      intramolecular interactions between the SH3 and guanylate kinase domains play a
      role in the stability of beta1a while also providing a conduit for allosteric
      signaling events.

PMID- 28351839
TI  - Margaret McCartney: Nurses must be allowed to exercise professional judgment.

PMID- 28351838
TI  - Exposure to any antenatal corticosteroids and outcomes in preterm infants by
      gestational age: prospective cohort study.
AB  - Objective To determine whether exposure to any antenatal corticosteroids is
      associated with a lower rate of death at each gestational age at which
      administration is currently recommended.Design Prospective cohort study.Settings
      300 participating neonatal intensive care units of the Pediatrix Medical Group in
      the United States.Participants 117 941 infants 23 0/7 to 34 6/7 weeks'
      gestational age born between 1 January 2009 and 31 December 2013.Exposure Any
      antenatal corticosteroids.Main outcomes measures Death or major hospital
      morbidities analyzed by gestational age and exposure to antenatal corticosteroids
      with models adjusted for birth weight, sex, mode of delivery, and multiple
      births.Results Infants exposed to antenatal corticosteroids (n=81 832) had a
      significantly lower rate of death before discharge at each gestation 29 weeks or
      less, 31 weeks, and 33-34 weeks compared with infants without exposure (range of
      adjusted odds ratios 0.32 to 0.55). The number needed to treat with antenatal
      corticosteroids to prevent one death before discharge increased from six at 23
      and 24 weeks' gestation to 798 at 34 weeks' gestation. The rate of survival
      without major hospital morbidity was higher among infants exposed to antenatal
      corticosteroids at the lowest gestations. Infants exposed to antenatal
      corticosteroids had lower rates of severe intracranial hemorrhage or death,
      necrotizing enterocolitis stage 2 or above or death, and severe retinopathy of
      prematurity or death compared with infants without exposure at all gestations
      less than 30 weeks and most gestations for infants born at 30 weeks' gestation or
      later.Conclusion Among infants born from 23 to 34 weeks' gestation, antenatal
      exposure to corticosteroids compared with no exposure was associated with lower
      mortality and morbidity at most gestations. The effect size of exposure to
      antenatal corticosteroids on mortality seems to be larger in infants born at the
      lowest gestations.

PMID- 28351837
TI  - Cyclin C regulates adipogenesis by stimulating transcriptional activity of
      CCAAT/enhancer-binding protein alpha.
AB  - Brown adipose tissue is important for maintaining energy homeostasis and adaptive
      thermogenesis in rodents and humans. As disorders arising from dysregulated
      energy metabolism, such as obesity and metabolic diseases, have increased, so has
      interest in the molecular mechanisms of adipocyte biology. Using a functional
      screen, we identified cyclin C (CycC), a conserved subunit of the Mediator
      complex, as a novel regulator for brown adipocyte formation. siRNA-mediated CycC
      knockdown (KD) in brown preadipocytes impaired the early transcriptional program
      of differentiation, and genetic KO of CycC completely blocked the differentiation
      process. RNA sequencing analyses of CycC-KD revealed a critical role of CycC in
      activating genes co-regulated by peroxisome proliferator activated receptor gamma
      (PPARgamma) and CCAAT/enhancer-binding protein alpha (C/EBPalpha). Overexpression
      of PPARgamma2 or addition of the PPARgamma ligand rosiglitazone rescued the
      defects in CycC-KO brown preadipocytes and efficiently activated the PPARgamma
      responsive promoters in both WT and CycC-KO cells, suggesting that CycC is not
      essential for PPARgamma transcriptional activity. In contrast, CycC-KO
      significantly reduced C/EBPalpha-dependent gene expression. Unlike for PPARgamma,
      overexpression of C/EBPalpha could not induce C/EBPalpha target gene expression
      in CycC-KO cells or rescue the CycC-KO defects in brown adipogenesis, suggesting
      that CycC is essential for C/EBPalpha-mediated gene activation. CycC physically
      interacted with C/EBPalpha, and this interaction was required for C/EBPalpha
      transactivation domain activity. Consistent with the role of C/EBPalpha in white
      adipogenesis, CycC-KD also inhibited differentiation of 3T3-L1 cells into white
      adipocytes. Together, these data indicate that CycC activates adipogenesis in
      part by stimulating the transcriptional activity of C/EBPalpha.

PMID- 28351840
TI  - Macrophages utilize the mitochondrial calcium uniporter for profibrotic
      polarization.
AB  - Fibrosis in multiple organs, including the liver, kidney, and lung, often occurs
      secondary to environmental exposure. Asbestos exposure is one important
      environmental cause of lung fibrosis. The mechanisms that mediate fibrosis is not
      fully understood, although mitochondrial oxidative stress in alveolar macrophages
      is critical for fibrosis development. Mitochondrial Ca2+ levels can be associated
      with production of reactive oxygen species. Here, we show that patients with
      asbestosis have higher levels of mitochondrial Ca2+ compared with normal
      patients. The mitochondrial calcium uniporter (MCU) is a highly selective ion
      channel that transports Ca2+ into the mitochondrial matrix to modulate
      metabolism. Asbestos exposure increased mitochondrial Ca2+ influx in alveolar
      macrophages from wild-type, but not MCU+/-, mice. MCU expression polarized
      macrophages to a profibrotic phenotype after exposure to asbestos, and the
      profibrotic polarization was regulated by MCU-mediated ATP production.
      Profibrotic polarization was abrogated when MCU was absent or its activity was
      blocked. Of more importance, mice that were deficient in MCU were protected from
      pulmonary fibrosis. Regulation of mitochondrial Ca2+ suggests that MCU may play a
      pivotal role in the development of fibrosis and could potentially be a
      therapeutic target for pulmonary fibrosis.-Gu, L., Larson-Casey, J. L., Carter,
      A. B. Macrophages utilize the mitochondrial calcium uniporter for profibrotic
      polarization.

PMID- 28351842
TI  - Minute Myocardial Injury as Measured by High-Sensitive Troponin T Serum Levels
      Predicts the Response to Intracoronary Infusion of Bone Marrow-Derived
      Mononuclear Cells in Patients With Stable Chronic Post-Infarction Heart Failure:
      Insights From the TOPCARE-CHD Registry.
AB  - RATIONALE: Cell-based therapies are a promising option in patients with chronic
      postinfarction heart failure (ischemic cardiomyopathy [ICM]). However, the
      responses after intracoronary infusion of autologous bone marrow-derived
      mononuclear cells (BMCs) are heterogeneous, which may be related to impaired cell
      retention in patients with ICM. Ischemic injury is associated with upregulation
      of prototypical chemoattractant cytokines mediating retention and homing of
      circulating cells. The development of ultrasensitive tests to measure high
      sensitive troponin T (hs-TnT) serum levels revealed the presence of ongoing
      minute myocardial injury even in patients with stable ICM. OBJECTIVE: To test the
      hypothesis that serum levels of hs-TnT correlate with cell retention and
      determine the response to intracoronary BMC application in patients with ICM.
      METHODS AND RESULTS: About 157 patients with stable ICM and no substantial
      impairment of kidney function received intracoronary BMC administration.
      Immediately prior to cell application, hs-TnT levels to measure myocardial injury
      and NT-proBNP levels as marker of left ventricular wall stress were determined.
      Patients with elevated hs-TnT were older and had more severe heart failure.
      Importantly, only patients with elevated baseline hs-TnT>=15.19 pg/mL (upper
      tertile) demonstrated a significant (P=0.04) reduction in NT-proBNP serum levels
      (-250 [-1465; 33] pg/mL; relative reduction -24%) 4 months after BMC
      administration, whereas NT-proBNP levels remained unchanged in patients in the 2
      lower hs-TnT tertiles. The absolute decrease in NT-proBNP at 4 months was
      inversely correlated with baseline hs-TnT (r=-0.27, P=0.001). Finally, retention
      of intracoronarily infused, 111Indium-labeled cells within the heart was closely
      associated with hs-TnT levels in patients with chronic ischemic heart failure
      (P=0.0008, n=10, triple measurements). CONCLUSIONS: The extent of ongoing
      myocardial injury as measured by serum levels of hs-TnT predicts the reduction of
      NT-proBNP serum levels at 4 months after intracoronary BMC administration in
      patients with ICM, suggesting that the beneficial effects of BMC application on
      LV remodeling and wall stress are confined to patients with ongoing minute
      myocardial injury. CLINICAL TRIAL REGISTRATION: URL: www.clinicaltrials.gov.
      Unique identifier: NCT00962364.

PMID- 28351841
TI  - Maternofetal transport of vitamin B12: role of TCblR/CD320 and megalin.
AB  - Vitamin B12 deficiency causes megaloblastic anemia and neurologic disorder in
      humans. Gene defects of transcobalamin (TC) and the transcobalamin receptor
      (TCblR), needed for cellular uptake of the TC-bound B12, do not confer embryonic
      lethality. TC deficiency can produce the hematologic and neurologic complications
      after birth, whereas TCblR/CD320 gene defects appear to produce mild metabolic
      changes. Alternate maternofetal transport mechanisms appear to provide adequate
      B12 to the fetus. To understand this mechanism, we evaluated the role of TC,
      TCblR/CD320, and megalin in maternofetal transport of B12 in a TCblR/CD320
      knockout (KO) mouse. Our results showed high expression of TCblR/CD320 in the
      labyrinth of the placenta, embryonic brain, and spinal column in wild-type (WT)
      mice. Megalin expression was about the same in both WT and KO mouse visceral yolk
      sac, brain, and spinal column. Megalin mRNA was down-regulated in the KO
      embryonic spinal cord (SC) and kidneys. Megalin expression remained unaltered in
      adult WT and KO mouse brain, SC, and kidneys. Injected dsRed-TC-B12 and TC
      57CoB12 accumulated in the visceral yolk sac of KO mice where megalin is
      expressed and provides an alternate mechanism for the maternofetal transport of
      Cbl during fetal development.-Arora, K., Sequeira, J. M., Quadros, E. V.
      Maternofetal transport of vitamin B12: role of TCblR/CD320 and megalin.

PMID- 28351844
TI  - David Oliver: Confidentiality on the wards-regulations and reality.

PMID- 28351843
TI  - Five minutes with . . . Kamila Hawthorne.

PMID- 28351845
TI  - Antenatal corticosteroids for women at risk of preterm delivery.

PMID- 28351847
TI  - Differentiating Between Postural Tachycardia Syndrome and Vasovagal Syncope.

PMID- 28351846
TI  - Postural Heart Rate Changes in Young Patients With Vasovagal Syncope.
AB  - BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Recurrent postural vasovagal syncope (VVS) is caused
      by transient cerebral hypoperfusion from episodic hypotension and bradycardia;
      diagnosis is made by medical history. VVS contrasts with postural tachycardia
      syndrome (POTS), defined by chronic daily symptoms of orthostatic intolerance
      with excessive upright tachycardia without hypotension. POTS has recently been
      conflated with VVS when excessive tachycardia is succeeded by hypotension during
      tilt testing. We hypothesize that excessive tachycardia preceding hypotension and
      bradycardia is part of the vasovagal response during tilt testing of patients
      with VVS. METHODS: We prospectively performed head-up tilt (HUT) testing on
      patients with recurrent VVS (n = 47, 17.9 +/- 1.1 y), who fainted at least 3
      times within the last year, and control subjects (n = 15, 17.1 +/- 1.0 y), from
      age and BMI-matched volunteers and measured blood pressure, heart rate (HR),
      cardiac output, total peripheral resistance, and end tidal carbon dioxide.
      RESULTS: Baseline parameters were the same in both groups. HR (supine versus 5
      and 10 minutes HUT) significantly increased in control (65 +/- 2.6 vs 83 +/- 3.6
      vs 85 +/- 3.7, P < .001) and patients with VVS (69 +/- 1.6 vs 103 +/- 2.3 vs 109
      +/- 2.4, P < .001). HUT in controls maximally increased HR by 20.3 +/- 2.9 beats
      per minute; the increase in patients with VVS of 39.8 +/- 2.1 beats per minute
      was significantly greater (P < .001). An increase in HR of >=40 beats per minute
      by 5 and 10 minutes or before faint with HUT, occurred in 26% and 44% of patients
      with VVS, respectively, but not in controls. CONCLUSIONS: Orthostasis in VVS is
      accompanied by large increases in HR that should not be construed as POTS.

PMID- 28351848
TI  - Human cost of delivering healthcare in unhealthy prisons.

PMID- 28351849
TI  - Sport medicine at its peak.

PMID- 28351850
TI  - Paradoxes and personalised medicine: from preseason to post-diagnosis.

PMID- 28351851
TI  - Centrosome and spindle assembly checkpoint loss leads to neural apoptosis and
      reduced brain size.
AB  - Accurate mitotic spindle assembly is critical for mitotic fidelity and organismal
      development. Multiple processes coordinate spindle assembly and chromosome
      segregation. Two key components are centrosomes and the spindle assembly
      checkpoint (SAC), and mutations affecting either can cause human microcephaly. In
      vivo studies in Drosophila melanogaster found that loss of either component alone
      is well tolerated in the developing brain, in contrast to epithelial tissues of
      the imaginal discs. In this study, we reveal that one reason for that tolerance
      is the compensatory relationship between centrosomes and the SAC. In the absence
      of both centrosomes and the SAC, brain cells, including neural stem cells,
      experience massive errors in mitosis, leading to increased cell death, which
      reduces the neural progenitor pool and severely disrupts brain development.
      However, our data also demonstrate that neural cells are much more tolerant of
      aneuploidy than epithelial cells. Our data provide novel insights into the
      mechanisms by which different tissues manage genome stability and parallels with
      human microcephaly.

PMID- 28351853
TI  - Pharmaceutical Characterization of Tropomyosin Receptor Kinase B-Agonistic
      Antibodies on Human Induced Pluripotent Stem (hiPS) Cell-Derived Neurons.
AB  - Brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) is a central modulator of neuronal
      development and synaptic plasticity in the central nervous system. This renders
      the BDNF-modulated tropomyosin receptor kinase B (TrkB) a promising drug target
      to treat synaptic dysfunctions. Using GRowth factor-driven expansion and
      INhibition of NotCH (GRINCH) during maturation, the so-called GRINCH neurons were
      derived from human-induced pluripotent stem cells. These GRINCH neurons were used
      as model cells for pharmacologic profiling of two TrkB-agonistic antibodies,
      hereafter referred to as AB2 and AB20 In next-generation sequencing studies, AB2
      and AB20 stimulated transcriptional changes, which extensively overlapped with
      BDNF-driven transcriptional modulation. In regard to TrkB phosphorylation, both
      AB2 and AB20 were only about half as efficacious as BDNF; however, with respect
      to the TrkB downstream signaling, AB2 and AB20 displayed increased efficacy
      values, providing a stimulation at least comparable to BDNF in respect to VGF
      transcription, as well as of AKT and cAMP response element-binding protein
      phosphorylation. In a complex structure of the TrkB-d5 domain with AB20,
      determined by X-ray crystallography, the AB20 binding site was found to be
      allosteric in regard to the BDNF binding site, whereas AB2 was known to act
      orthosterically with BDNF. In agreement with this finding, AB2 and AB20 acted
      synergistically at greater concentrations to drive TrkB phosphorylation. Although
      TrkB downstream signaling declined faster after pulse stimulation with AB20 than
      with AB2, AB20 restimulated TrkB phosphorylation more efficiently than AB2. In
      conclusion, both antibodies displayed some limitations and some benefits in
      regard to future applications as therapeutic agents.

PMID- 28351852
TI  - Leukocyte immunoglobulin-like receptors in human diseases: an overview of their
      distribution, function, and potential application for immunotherapies.
AB  - Myeloid-derived suppressor cells (MDSCs), a population of immature myeloid cells
      expanded and accumulated in tumor-bearing mice and in patients with cancer, have
      been shown to mediate immune suppression and to promote tumor progression,
      thereby, posing a major hurdle to the success of immune-activating cancer
      therapies. MDSCs, like their healthy counterparts, such as monocytes/macrophages
      and granulocytes, express an array of costimulatory and coinhibitory molecules as
      well as myeloid activators and inhibitory receptors, such as leukocyte
      immunoglobulin-like receptors (LILR) A and B. This review summarizes current
      findings on the LILR family members in various diseases, their potential roles in
      the pathogenesis, and possible strategies to revert or enhance the suppressive
      function of MDSCs for the benefit of patients by targeting LILRs.

PMID- 28351854
TI  - Discrepant Results of Serum Creatinine and Cystatin C in a Urological Patient.

PMID- 28351855
TI  - Commentary.

PMID- 28351856
TI  - Commentary.

PMID- 28351857
TI  - Correction.

PMID- 28351858
TI  - A New Monoclonal Band in a Patient with Refractory Multiple Myeloma.

PMID- 28351859
TI  - Precision Medicine-Right Treatment, Right Patient, Right Time, Wrong Approach?

PMID- 28351860
TI  - Writing the Genome: Are We Ready?

PMID- 28351861
TI  - da Vinci's Spirals.

PMID- 28351862
TI  - Cartoons: Another Long-standing Bridge between Science and the Arts.

PMID- 28351864
TI  - Spindle orientation: a question of complex positioning.
AB  - The direction in which a cell divides is determined by the orientation of its
      mitotic spindle at metaphase. Spindle orientation is therefore important for a
      wide range of developmental processes, ranging from germline stem cell division
      to epithelial tissue homeostasis and regeneration. In multiple cell types in
      multiple animals, spindle orientation is controlled by a conserved biological
      machine that mediates a pulling force on astral microtubules. Restricting the
      localization of this machine to only specific regions of the cortex can thus
      determine how the mitotic spindle is oriented. As we review here, recent findings
      based on studies in tunicate, worm, fly and vertebrate cells have revealed that
      the mechanisms for mediating this restriction are surprisingly diverse.

PMID- 28351865
TI  - Using synthetic biology to explore principles of development.
AB  - Developmental biology is mainly analytical: researchers study embryos, suggest
      hypotheses and test them through experimental perturbation. From the results of
      many experiments, the community distils the principles thought to underlie
      embryogenesis. Verifying these principles, however, is a challenge. One promising
      approach is to use synthetic biology techniques to engineer simple genetic or
      cellular systems that follow these principles and to see whether they perform as
      expected. As I review here, this approach has already been used to test ideas of
      patterning, differentiation and morphogenesis. It is also being applied to evo
      devo studies to explore alternative mechanisms of development and 'roads not
      taken' by natural evolution.

PMID- 28351869
TI  - Bone regeneration in the fish fin.

PMID- 28351868
TI  - Making thalamic neurons in vitro.

PMID- 28351866
TI  - Shh promotes direct interactions between epidermal cells and osteoblast
      progenitors to shape regenerated zebrafish bone.
AB  - Zebrafish innately regenerate amputated fins by mechanisms that expand and
      precisely position injury-induced progenitor cells to re-form tissue of the
      original size and pattern. For example, cell signaling networks direct osteoblast
      progenitors (pObs) to rebuild thin cylindrical bony rays with a stereotypical
      branched morphology. Hedgehog/Smoothened (Hh/Smo) signaling has been variably
      proposed to stimulate overall fin regenerative outgrowth or promote ray
      branching. Using a photoconvertible patched2 reporter, we resolve active Hh/Smo
      output to a narrow distal regenerate zone comprising pObs and adjacent motile
      basal epidermal cells. This Hh/Smo activity is driven by epidermal Sonic hedgehog
      a (Shha) rather than Ob-derived Indian hedgehog a (Ihha), which nevertheless
      functions atypically to support bone maturation. Using BMS-833923, a uniquely
      effective Smo inhibitor, and high-resolution imaging, we show that Shha/Smo is
      functionally dedicated to ray branching during fin regeneration. Hh/Smo
      activation enables transiently divided clusters of Shha-expressing epidermis to
      escort pObs into similarly split groups. This co-movement likely depends on
      epidermal cellular protrusions that directly contact pObs only where an otherwise
      occluding basement membrane remains incompletely assembled. Progressively
      separated pObs pools then continue regenerating independently to collectively re
      form a now branched skeletal structure.

PMID- 28351867
TI  - Cooperative activation of cardiac transcription through myocardin bridging of
      paired MEF2 sites.
AB  - Enhancers frequently contain multiple binding sites for the same transcription
      factor. These homotypic binding sites often exhibit synergy, whereby the
      transcriptional output from two or more binding sites is greater than the sum of
      the contributions of the individual binding sites alone. Although this phenomenon
      is frequently observed, the mechanistic basis for homotypic binding site synergy
      is poorly understood. Here, we identify a bona fide cardiac-specific Prkaa2
      enhancer that is synergistically activated by homotypic MEF2 binding sites. We
      show that two MEF2 sites in the enhancer function cooperatively due to bridging
      of the MEF2C-bound sites by the SAP domain-containing co-activator protein
      myocardin, and we show that paired sites buffer the enhancer from integration
      site-dependent effects on transcription in vivo Paired MEF2 sites are prevalent
      in cardiac enhancers, suggesting that this might be a common mechanism underlying
      synergy in the control of cardiac gene expression in vivo.

PMID- 28351871
TI  - Timing is key to turn root into shoot.

PMID- 28351870
TI  - Turning off translation in germ cells.

PMID- 28351872
TI  - How cell-cell contact defines fate.

PMID- 28351873
TI  - Early outcomes in patients undergoing transcatheter versus surgical pulmonary
      valve replacement.
AB  - OBJECTIVES: To identify predictors of morbidity and mortality in patients
      undergoing either transcatheter pulmonary valve replacement (TPVR) or surgical
      pulmonary valve replacement (SPVR) in an effort to quantify any early benefit of
      TPVR over SPVR. METHODS: Using a risk-adjusted propensity score model, we compare
      early major morbidity and mortality between patients undergoing SPVR and TPVR at
      our institution between January 2006 and January 2014. RESULTS: 145 patients in
      the SPVR cohort and 78 patients in the TPVR cohort were included. Primary
      pulmonary regurgitation was more common in the SPVR group (76.6% vs 23.1%,
      p<0.001) and primary pulmonary stenosis was more common in the TPVR group (9.7%
      vs 44.9%, p< 0.001). In unadjusted analysis, major morbidity and mortality
      occurred in 11.7% of SPVR patients versus 3.8% of TPVR patients (p=0.04).
      However, following risk adjustment and inclusion of a propensity score, no
      significant difference was seen between the two modalities. A larger right
      ventricular end-diastolic dimension (RVEDVI) was the only preoperative variable
      associated with the primary end point (OR 1.013/10 mL/m2 increase, p=0.03).
      Hospital length of stay was significantly longer in patients undergoing SPVR
      (6.9+/-1.0 days SPVR vs 1.2+/-0.3 days TPVR, p<0.0001), with similar hospital
      costs between groups (mean: US$44 660+/-5071 SPVR vs US$48 355+/-1000 TPVR,
      p=0.7). CONCLUSIONS: Following risk adjustment, no significant differences were
      observed between SPVR and TPVR strategies. TPVR was associated with a shorter
      hospitalisation; however, total hospitalisation costs were similar between
      groups.

PMID- 28351874
TI  - Just over half of doctors declare fees from drug companies.

PMID- 28351863
TI  - Systems Chronotherapeutics.
AB  - Chronotherapeutics aim at treating illnesses according to the endogenous biologic
      rhythms, which moderate xenobiotic metabolism and cellular drug response. The
      molecular clocks present in individual cells involve approximately fifteen clock
      genes interconnected in regulatory feedback loops. They are coordinated by the
      suprachiasmatic nuclei, a hypothalamic pacemaker, which also adjusts the
      circadian rhythms to environmental cycles. As a result, many mechanisms of
      diseases and drug effects are controlled by the circadian timing system. Thus,
      the tolerability of nearly 500 medications varies by up to fivefold according to
      circadian scheduling, both in experimental models and/or patients. Moreover,
      treatment itself disrupted, maintained, or improved the circadian timing system
      as a function of drug timing. Improved patient outcomes on circadian-based
      treatments (chronotherapy) have been demonstrated in randomized clinical trials,
      especially for cancer and inflammatory diseases. However, recent technological
      advances have highlighted large interpatient differences in circadian functions
      resulting in significant variability in chronotherapy response. Such findings
      advocate for the advancement of personalized chronotherapeutics through
      interdisciplinary systems approaches. Thus, the combination of mathematical,
      statistical, technological, experimental, and clinical expertise is now shaping
      the development of dedicated devices and diagnostic and delivery algorithms
      enabling treatment individualization. In particular, multiscale systems
      chronopharmacology approaches currently combine mathematical modeling based on
      cellular and whole-body physiology to preclinical and clinical investigations
      toward the design of patient-tailored chronotherapies. We review recent systems
      research works aiming to the individualization of disease treatment, with
      emphasis on both cancer management and circadian timing system-resetting
      strategies for improving chronic disease control and patient outcomes.

PMID- 28351875
TI  - Winners of the Consortium of Universities for Global Health-Global Health:
      Science and Practice Annual Student Manuscript Contest.

PMID- 28351876
TI  - "New Users" Are Confusing Our Counting: Reaching Consensus on How to Measure
      "Additional Users" of Family Planning.

PMID- 28351878
TI  - Excellent Family Planning Progress in Nigeria Reported by PMA2020.

PMID- 28351879
TI  - A Non-Gas-Based Cryotherapy System for the Treatment of Cervical Intraepithelial
      Neoplasia: A Mixed-Methods Approach for Initial Development and Testing.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Gas-based cryotherapy is the most widely used treatment strategy for
      cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN) in low-resource settings, but reliance
      on gas presents challenges in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). Our team
      adapted the original CryoPen Cryosurgical System, a cryotherapy device that does
      not require compressed gas and is powered by electricity, for use in LMICs.
      METHODS: A mixed-methods approach was used involving both qualitative and
      quantitative methods. First, we used a user-centered design approach to identify
      priority features of the adapted device. U.S.-based and global potential users of
      the adapted CryoPen participated in discussion groups and a card sorting activity
      to rank 7 features of the adapted CryoPen: cost, durability, efficacy and safety,
      maintenance, no need for electricity, patient throughput, and portability. Mean
      and median rankings, overall rankings, and summary rankings by discussion group
      were generated. In addition, results of several quantitative tests were analyzed
      including bench testing to determine tip temperature and heat extraction
      capabilities; a pathology review of CIN grade 3 cases (N=107) to determine target
      depth of necrosis needed to achieve high efficacy; and a pilot study (N=5)
      investigating depth of necrosis achieved with the adapted device to assess
      efficacy. RESULTS: Discussion groups revealed 4 priority themes for device
      development in addition to the need to ensure high efficacy and safety and low
      cost: improved portability, durability, ease of use, and potential for cure.
      Adaptions to the original CryoPen system included a single-core, single-tip
      model; rugged carrying case; custom circuit to allow car battery charging; and
      sterilization by high-level disinfection. In bench testing, there were no
      significant differences in tip temperature or heat extraction capability between
      the adapted CryoPen and the standard cryotherapy device. In 80% of the cases in
      the pilot study, the adapted CryoPen achieved the target depth of necrosis 3.5 mm
      established in the pathology review. CONCLUSION: The LMIC-adapted CryoPen
      overcomes barriers to standard gas-based cryotherapy by eliminating dependency on
      gas, increasing portability, and ensuring consistent freeze temperatures. Further
      testing and evaluation of the adapted CryoPen will be pursued to assess
      scalability and potential impact of this device in decreasing the cervical cancer
      burden in LMICs.

PMID- 28351877
TI  - CDC's Male Circumcision Recommendations Represent a Key Public Health Measure.

PMID- 28351880
TI  - Preventing Peer Violence Against Children: Methods and Baseline Data of a Cluster
      Randomized Controlled Trial in Pakistan.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Violence against and among children is a global public health problem
      that annually affects 50% of youth worldwide with major impacts on child
      development, education, and health including increased probability of major
      causes of morbidity and mortality in adulthood. It is also associated with the
      experience of and perpetration of later violence against women. The aim of this
      article is to describe the intervention, study design, methods, and baseline
      findings of a cluster randomized controlled trial underway in Pakistan to
      evaluate a school-based play intervention aiming to reduce peer violence and
      enhance mental health. METHODS: A cluster randomized controlled design is being
      conducted with boys and girls in grade 6 in 40 schools in Hyderabad, Pakistan,
      over a period of 2 years. The Multidimensional Peer-Victimization and Peer
      Perpetration Scales and the Children's Depression Inventory 2 (CDI 2) are being
      used to measure the primary outcomes while investigator-derived scales are being
      used to assess domestic violence within the family. Specifics of the
      intervention, field logistics, ethical, and fidelity management issues employed
      to test the program's impact on school age youth in a volatile and politically
      unstable country form this report. BASELINE RESULTS: A total of 1,752 school-age
      youth were enrolled and interviewed at baseline. Over the preceding 4 weeks, 94%
      of the boys and 85% of the girls reported 1 or more occurrences of victimization,
      and 85% of the boys and 66% of the girls reported 1 or more acts of perpetration.
      Boys reported more depression compared with girls, as well as higher negative
      mood and self-esteem scores and more interpersonal and emotional problems.
      INTERPRETATION: Globally, prevalence of youth violence perpetration and
      victimization is high and associated with poor physical and emotional health.
      Applying a randomized controlled design to evaluate a peer violence prevention
      program built on a firm infrastructure and that is ready for scale-up and
      sustainability will make an important contribution to identifying evidence
      informed interventions that can reduce youth victimization and perpetration.

PMID- 28351881
TI  - mJustice: Preliminary Development of a Mobile App for Medical-Forensic
      Documentation of Sexual Violence in Low-Resource Environments and Conflict Zones.
AB  - Digital health development and use has been expansive and operationalized in a
      variety of settings and modalities around the world, including in low- and middle
      income countries. Mobile applications have been developed for a variety of health
      professionals and frontline health workers including physicians, midwives,
      nurses, and community health workers. However, there are no published studies on
      the development and use of digital health related to human rights fieldwork and
      to our knowledge no mobile health platforms exist specifically for use by
      frontline health workers to forensically and clinically document sexual violence.
      We describe a participatory development and user design process with Congolese
      end-users of a novel human rights app for clinicians intended to standardize the
      documentation of sexual violence evidence for forensic and legal purposes, called
      MediCapt. The app, yet to be launched and still in the future proofing phase, has
      included several development phases: (1) initial needs assessment conducted in
      2011, (2) prototype development and field-testing in 2014 with 8 Congolese
      physicians, (3) prototype refinement and field-testing in 2015 with 9 clinicians.
      Feedback from the first field-testing phase was incorporated into the design of
      the second prototype; key features that were added to MediCapt include the
      ability for users to take photographs and draw on a pictogram to include as part
      of the evidence package, as well as the ability to print a form with the
      completed data. Questionnaires and key-informant interviews during the second and
      third field-testing phases revealed overall positive attitudes about MediCapt,
      but multiple perceived and actual barriers to implementation were identified,
      from personal behaviors, such as individual clinicians' comfort with new
      technology, to more systemic and infrastructure factors, such as strong cultural
      preferences for print documentation of evidence and limited Internet
      connectivity. Next phases of development include consideration of patients'
      acceptance of this technology, how it actually fits in the clinical workflow, and
      testing of how to transfer the collected evidence to law enforcement and legal
      authorities. Ultimately, we plan on conducting a robust evaluation to assess
      effectiveness of the app on medical, legal, and human rights outcomes. We believe
      our experience of collecting data that will potentially serve as legal evidence
      broadens the traditional scope of digital health and crosses a wide range of
      fields including medical, technological, legal, and ethical, and thus propose
      refining and defining this unique field of exploration as mobile justice, or
      mJustice.

PMID- 28351883
TI  - American Mock World Health Organization: An Innovative Model for Student
      Engagement in Global Health Policy.
AB  - The American Mock World Health Organization (AMWHO) is a model for experiential
      based learning and student engagement in global health diplomacy. AMWHO was
      established in 2014 at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill with a
      mission to engage students in health policy by providing a simulation of the
      World Health Assembly (WHA), the policy-forming body of the World Health
      Organization that sets norms and transforms the global health agenda. AMWHO
      conferences are designed to allow students to take their knowledge of global
      health beyond the classroom and practice their skills in diplomacy by assuming
      the role of WHA delegates throughout a 3-day weekend. Through the process of
      developing resolutions like those formed in the WHA, students have the unique
      opportunity to understand the complexities behind the conflict and compromise
      that ensues through the lens of a stakeholder. This article describes the
      structure of the first 2 AMWHO international conferences, analyzes survey results
      from attendees, and discusses the expansion of the organization into a multi
      campus national network. The AMWHO 2014 and 2015 post-conference survey results
      found that 98% and 90% of participants considered the conference "good" or
      "better," respectively, and survey responses showed that participants considered
      the conference "influential" in their careers and indicated that it "allowed a
      paradigm shift not possible in class."

PMID- 28351882
TI  - RAHI-SATHI Indo-U.S. Collaboration: The Evolution of a Trainee-Led Twinning Model
      in Global Health Into a Multidisciplinary Collaborative Program.
AB  - BACKGROUND: In recent years there has been a surge in the number of global health
      programs operated by academic institutions. However, most of the existing
      programs describe partnerships that are primarily faculty-driven and supported by
      extramural funding. PROGRAM DESCRIPTION: Research and Advocacy for Health in
      India (RAHI, or "pathfinder" in Hindi) and Support and Action Towards Health
      Equity in India (SATHI, or "partnership" in Hindi) are 2 interconnected,
      collaborative efforts between the University of Massachusetts Medical School
      (UMMS) and Charutar Arogya Mandal (CAM), a medical college and a tertiary care
      center in rural western India. The RAHI-SATHI program is the culmination of a
      series of student/trainee-led research and capacity strengthening initiatives
      that received institutional support in the form of faculty mentorship and seed
      funding. RAHI-SATHI's trainee-led twinning approach overcomes traditional
      barriers faced by global health programs. Trainees help mitigate geographical
      barriers by acting as a bridge between members from different institutions,
      garner cultural insight through their ability to immerse themselves in a
      community, and overcome expertise limitations through pre-planned structured
      mentorship from faculty of both institutions. Trainees play a central role in
      cultivating trust among the team members and, in the process, they acquire
      personal leadership skills that may benefit them in their future careers.
      CONCLUSION: This paradigm of trainee-led twinning partnership promotes
      sustainability in an uncertain funding climate and provides a roadmap for
      conducting foundational work that is essential for the development of a broad,
      university-wide global health program.

PMID- 28351884
TI  - Possible Reasons for Limited Effectiveness of a Skills and Drills Intervention to
      Improve Emergency Obstetric and Newborn Care.

PMID- 28351887
TI  - Sustainability and transformation plans for the NHS in England: what do they say
      and what happens next?

PMID- 28351885
TI  - Loss of the RNA helicase SKIV2L2 impairs mitotic progression and replication
      dependent histone mRNA turnover in murine cell lines.
AB  - RNA surveillance via the nuclear exosome requires cofactors such as the helicase
      SKIV2L2 to process and degrade certain noncoding RNAs. This research aimed to
      characterize the phenotype associated with RNAi knockdown of Skiv2l2 in two
      murine cancer cell lines: Neuro2A and P19. SKIV2L2 depletion in Neuro2A and P19
      cells induced changes in gene expression indicative of cell differentiation and
      reduced cellular proliferation by 30%. Propidium iodide-based cell-cycle analysis
      of Skiv2l2 knockdown cells revealed defective progression through the G2/M phase
      and an accumulation of mitotic cells, suggesting SKIV2L2 contributes to mitotic
      progression. Since SKIV2L2 targets RNAs to the nuclear exosome for processing and
      degradation, we identified RNA targets elevated in cells depleted of SKIV2L2 that
      could account for the observed twofold increase in mitotic cells. Skiv2l2
      knockdown cells accumulated replication-dependent histone mRNAs, among other
      RNAs, that could impede mitotic progression and indirectly trigger
      differentiation.

PMID- 28351886
TI  - 3' Uridylation controls mature microRNA turnover during CD4 T-cell activation.
AB  - Activation of T lymphocytes requires a tight regulation of microRNA (miRNA)
      expression. Terminal uridyltransferases (TUTases) catalyze 3' nontemplated
      nucleotide addition (3'NTA) to miRNAs, which may influence miRNA stability and
      function. Here, we investigated 3'NTA to mature miRNA in CD4 T lymphocytes by
      deep sequencing. Upon T-cell activation, miRNA sequences bearing terminal
      uridines are specifically decreased, concomitantly with down-regulation of TUT4
      and TUT7 enzymes. Analyzing TUT4-deficient T lymphocytes, we proved that this
      terminal uridyltransferase is essential for the maintenance of miRNA uridylation
      in the steady state of T lymphocytes. Analysis of synthetic uridylated miRNAs
      shows that 3' addition of uridine promotes degradation of these uridylated miRNAs
      after T-cell activation. Our data underline post-transcriptional uridylation as a
      mechanism to fine-tune miRNA levels during T-cell activation.

PMID- 28351888
TI  - Depletion in LpA-I:A-II particles enhances HDL-mediated endothelial protection in
      familial LCAT deficiency.
AB  - The aim of this study was to evaluate the vasoprotective effects of HDL isolated
      from carriers of LCAT deficiency, which are characterized by a selective
      depletion of LpA-I:A-II particles and predominance of prebeta migrating HDL. HDLs
      were isolated from LCAT-deficient carriers and tested in vitro for their capacity
      to promote NO production and to inhibit vascular cell adhesion molecule-1 (VCAM
      1) expression in cultured endothelial cells. HDLs from carriers were more
      effective than control HDLs in promoting eNOS activation with a gene-dose
      dependent effect (PTrend = 0.048). As a consequence, NO production induced by HDL
      from carriers was significantly higher than that promoted by control HDL (1.63 +/
      0.24-fold vs. 1.34 +/- 0.07-fold, P = 0.031). HDLs from carriers were also more
      effective than control HDLs in inhibiting the expression of VCAM-1 (homozygotes,
      65.0 +/- 8.6%; heterozygotes, 53.1 +/- 7.2%; controls, 44.4 +/- 4.1%; PTrend =
      0.0003). The increased efficiency of carrier HDL was likely due to the depletion
      in LpA-I:A-II particles. The in vitro findings might explain why carriers of LCAT
      deficiency showed flow-mediated vasodilation and plasma-soluble cell adhesion
      molecule concentrations comparable to controls, despite low HDL-cholesterol
      levels. These results indicate that selective depletion of apoA-II-containing
      HDL, as observed in carriers of LCAT deficiency, leads to an increased capacity
      of HDL to stimulate endothelial NO production, suggesting that changes in HDL
      apolipoprotein composition may be the target of therapeutic interventions
      designed to improve HDL functionality.

PMID- 28351890
TI  - Targeting CD47 and Autophagy Elicited Enhanced Antitumor Effects in Non-Small
      Cell Lung Cancer.
AB  - CD47-specific antibodies and fusion proteins that block CD47-SIRPalpha signaling
      are employed as antitumor agents for several cancers. Here, we investigated the
      synergistic antitumor effect of simultaneously targeting CD47 and autophagy in
      non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). SIRPalphaD1-Fc, a novel CD47-targeting fusion
      protein, was generated and was found to increase the phagocytic and cytotoxic
      activities of macrophages against NSCLC cells. During this process, autophagy was
      markedly triggered, which was characterized by the three main stages of
      autophagic flux, including formation and accumulation of autophagosomes, fusion
      of autophagosomes with lysosomes, and degradation of autophagosomes in lysosomes.
      Meanwhile, reactive oxygen species and inactivation of mTOR were shown to be
      involved in autophagy initiation in SIRPalphaD1-Fc-treated cells, indicating a
      probable mechanism for autophagy activation after targeting CD47 by SIRPalphaD1
      Fc. Inhibition of autophagy enhanced macrophage-mediated phagocytosis and
      cytotoxicity against SIRPalphaD1-Fc-treated NSCLC cells. In addition,
      simultaneously targeting both CD47 and autophagy in NSCLC xenograft models
      elicited enhanced antitumor effects, with recruitment of macrophages, activated
      caspase-3, and overproduction of ROS at the tumor site. Our data elucidated the
      cytoprotective role of autophagy in CD47-targeted therapy and highlighted the
      potential approach for NSCLC treatment by simultaneously targeting CD47 and
      autophagy. Cancer Immunol Res; 5(5); 363-75. (c)2017 AACRSee related Spotlight by
      Kaufman, p. 355.

PMID- 28351892
TI  - The BMJ Awards 2017: Palliative and Hospice Care.

PMID- 28351891
TI  - Squamous Cell Tumors Recruit gammadelta T Cells Producing either IL17 or IFNgamma
      Depending on the Tumor Stage.
AB  - The identification of reciprocal interactions between tumor-infiltrating immune
      cells and the microenviroment may help us understand mechanisms of tumor growth
      inhibition or progression. We have assessed the frequencies of tumor-infiltrating
      and circulating gammadelta T cells and regulatory T cells (Treg) from 47 patients
      with squamous cell carcinoma (SCC), to determine if they correlated with
      progression or survival. Vdelta1 T cells infiltrated SSC tissue to a greater
      extent than normal skin, but SCC patients and healthy subjects had similar
      amounts circulating. However, Vdelta2 T cells were present at higher frequencies
      in circulation than in the tissue of either cancer patients or healthy donors.
      Tregs were decreased in the peripheral blood of SCC patients, but were
      significantly increased in the tumor compartment of these patients. Tumor
      infiltrating gammadelta T cells preferentially showed an effector memory
      phenotype and made either IL17 or IFNgamma depending on the tumor stage, whereas
      circulating gammadelta T cells of SCC patients preferentially made IFNgamma.
      Different cell types in the tumor microenvironment produced chemokines that could
      recruit circulating gammadelta T cells to the tumor site and other cytokines that
      could reprogram gammadelta T cells to produce IL17. These findings suggest the
      possibility that gammadelta T cells in SCC are recruited from the periphery and
      their features are then affected by the tumor microenvironment. Elevated
      frequencies of infiltrating Vdelta2 T cells and Tregs differently correlated with
      early and advanced tumor stages, respectively. Our results provide insights into
      the functions of tumor-infiltrating gammadelta T cells and define potential tools
      for tumor immunotherapy. Cancer Immunol Res; 5(5); 397-407. (c)2017 AACR.

PMID- 28351893
TI  - Case study on the pathophysiology of Fabry disease: abnormalities of cellular
      membranes can be reversed by substrate reduction in vitro.
AB  - It is still not entirely clear how alpha-galactosidase A (GAA) deficiency
      translates into clinical symptoms of Fabry disease (FD). The present
      communication investigates the effects of the mutation N215S in FD on the
      trafficking and processing of lysosomal GAA and their potential association with
      alterations in the membrane lipid composition. Abnormalities in lipid rafts (LRs)
      were observed in fibroblasts isolated from a male patient with FD bearing the
      mutation N215S. Interestingly, LR analysis revealed that the distribution of
      cholesterol and flotillin-2 are distinctly altered in the Fabry fibroblasts when
      compared with that of the wild-type cells. Furthermore, increased levels of
      glycolipid globotriaosylceramide 3 (Gb3) and sphingomyelin (SM) were observed in
      non-raft membrane fractions of Fabry cells. Substrate reduction with N
      butyldeoxynojirimycin (NB-DNJ) in vitro was capable of reversing these
      abnormalities in this patient. These data led to the hypothesis that alterations
      of LRs may contribute to the pathophysiology of Morbus Fabry. Furthermore, it may
      be suggested that substrate reduction therapy with NB-DNJ might be a promising
      approach for the treatment of GAA deficiency at least for the selected patients.

PMID- 28351894
TI  - Long-term load duration induces N-cadherin down-regulation and loss of cell
      phenotype of nucleus pulposus cells in a disc bioreactor culture.
AB  - Long-term exposure to a mechanical load causes degenerative changes in the disc
      nucleus pulposus (NP) tissue. A previous study demonstrated that N-cadherin (N
      CDH)-mediated signalling can preserve the NP cell phenotype. However, N-CDH
      expression and the resulting phenotype alteration in NP cells under mechanical
      compression remain unclear. The present study investigated the effects of the
      compressive duration on N-CDH expression and on the phenotype of NP cells in an
      ex vivo disc organ culture. Porcine discs were organ cultured in a self-developed
      mechanically active bioreactor for 7 days. The discs were subjected to different
      dynamic compression durations (1 and 8 h at a magnitude of 0.4 MPa and frequency
      of 1.0 Hz) once per day. Discs that were not compressed were used as controls.
      The results showed that long-term compression duration (8 h) significantly down
      regulated the expression of N-CDH and NP-specific molecule markers (Brachyury,
      Laminin, Glypican-3 and Keratin 19), attenuated Alcian Blue staining intensity,
      decreased glycosaminoglycan (GAG) and hydroxyproline (HYP) contents and decreased
      matrix macromolecule (aggrecan and collagen II) expression compared with the
      short-term compression duration (1 h). Taken together, these findings demonstrate
      that long-term load duration can induce N-CDH down-regulation, loss of normal
      cell phenotype and result in attenuation of NP-related matrix synthesis in NP
      cells.

PMID- 28351895
TI  - Magnetic poly(2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate) microspheres for affinity purification
      of monospecific anti-p46 kDa/Myo1C antibodies for early diagnosis of multiple
      sclerosis patients.
AB  - The aim of the present study is to develop new magnetic polymer microspheres with
      functional groups available for easy protein and antibody binding. Monodisperse
      macroporous poly(2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate) (PHEMA-COOH) microspheres ~4 um in
      diameter and containing ~1 mmol COOH/g were synthesized by multistep swelling
      polymerization of 2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate (HEMA), ethylene dimethacrylate
      (EDMA), and 2-[(methoxycarbonyl)methoxy]ethyl methacrylate (MCMEMA), which was
      followed by MCMEMA hydrolysis. The microspheres were rendered magnetic by
      precipitation of iron oxide inside the pores, which made them easily separable in
      a magnetic field. Properties of the resulting magnetic poly(2-hydroxyethyl
      methacrylate) (mgt.PHEMA) particles with COOH functionality were examined by
      scanning and transmission electron microscopy (SEM and TEM), static volumetric
      adsorption of helium and nitrogen, mercury porosimetry, Fourier transform
      infrared (FTIR) and atomic absorption spectroscopy (AAS), and elemental analysis.
      Mgt.PHEMA microspheres were coupled with p46/Myo1C protein purified from blood
      serum of multiple sclerosis (MS) patients, which enabled easy isolation of
      monospecific anti-p46/Myo1C immunoglobulin G (IgG) antibodies from crude antibody
      preparations of mouse blood serum. High efficiency of this approach was confirmed
      by SDS/PAGE, Western blot, and dot blot analyses. The newly developed mgt.PHEMA
      microspheres conjugated with a potential disease biomarker, p46/Myo1C protein,
      are thus a promising tool for affinity purification of antibodies, which can
      improve diagnosis and treatment of MS patients.

PMID- 28351897
TI  - Prevention of Hypoglycemia With Predictive Low Glucose Insulin Suspension in
      Children With Type 1 Diabetes: A Randomized Controlled Trial.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: To investigate whether predictive low glucose management (PLGM) of the
      MiniMed 640G system significantly reduces the rate of hypoglycemia compared with
      the sensor-augmented insulin pump in children with type 1 diabetes. RESEARCH
      DESIGN AND METHODS: This randomized, two-arm, parallel, controlled, two-center
      open-label study included 100 children and adolescents with type 1 diabetes and
      glycated hemoglobin A1c <=10% (<=86 mmol/mol) and using continuous subcutaneous
      insulin infusion. Patients were randomly assigned to either an intervention group
      with PLGM features enabled (PLGM ON) or a control group (PLGM OFF), in a 1:1
      ratio, all using the same type of sensor-augmented insulin pump. The primary end
      point was the number of hypoglycemic events below 65 mg/dL (3.6 mmol/L), based on
      sensor glucose readings, during a 14-day study treatment. The analysis was
      performed by intention to treat for all randomized patients. RESULTS: The number
      of hypoglycemic events below 65 mg/dL (3.6 mmol/L) was significantly smaller in
      the PLGM ON compared with the PLGM OFF group (mean +/- SD 4.4 +/- 4.5 and 7.4 +/-
      6.3, respectively; P = 0.008). This was also true when calculated separately for
      night (P = 0.025) and day (P = 0.022). No severe hypoglycemic events occurred;
      however, there was a significant increase in time spent above 140 mg/dL (7.8
      mmol/L) in the PLGM ON group (P = 0.0165). CONCLUSIONS: The PLGM insulin
      suspension was associated with a significantly reduced number of hypoglycemic
      events. Although this was achieved at the expense of increased time in moderate
      hyperglycemia, there were no serious adverse effects in young patients with type
      1 diabetes.

PMID- 28351898
TI  - Sodium-Glucose Cotransporter 2 Inhibitors and Diabetic Ketoacidosis: A Case
      Series From Three Academic Institutions.

PMID- 28351896
TI  - Enhancers and chromatin structures: regulatory hubs in gene expression and
      diseases.
AB  - Gene expression requires successful communication between enhancer and promoter
      regions, whose activities are regulated by a variety of factors and associated
      with distinct chromatin structures; in addition, functionally related genes and
      their regulatory repertoire tend to be arranged in the same subchromosomal
      regulatory domains. In this review, we discuss the importance of enhancers,
      especially clusters of enhancers (such as super-enhancers), as key regulatory
      hubs to integrate environmental cues and encode spatiotemporal instructions for
      genome expression, which are critical for a variety of biological processes
      governing mammalian development. Furthermore, we emphasize that the enhancer
      promoter interaction landscape provides a critical context to understand the
      aetiologies and mechanisms behind numerous complex human diseases and provides
      new avenues for effective transcription-based interventions.

PMID- 28351902
TI  - Risk Stratification for Sudden Cardiac Death: Is It Too Late to Establish a Role
      for Cardiac MRI?

PMID- 28351900
TI  - Long Noncoding RNA MANTIS Facilitates Endothelial Angiogenic Function.
AB  - BACKGROUND: The angiogenic function of endothelial cells is regulated by numerous
      mechanisms, but the impact of long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) has hardly been
      studied. We set out to identify novel and functionally important endothelial
      lncRNAs. METHODS: Epigenetically controlled lncRNAs in human umbilical vein
      endothelial cells were searched by exon-array analysis after knockdown of the
      histone demethylase JARID1B. Molecular mechanisms were investigated by RNA
      pulldown and immunoprecipitation, mass spectrometry, microarray, several
      knockdown approaches, CRISPR-Cas9, assay for transposase-accessible chromatin
      sequencing, and chromatin immunoprecipitation in human umbilical vein endothelial
      cells. Patient samples from lung and tumors were studied for MANTIS expression.
      RESULTS: A search for epigenetically controlled endothelial lncRNAs yielded
      lncRNA n342419, here termed MANTIS, as the most strongly regulated lncRNA.
      Controlled by the histone demethylase JARID1B, MANTIS was downregulated in
      patients with idiopathic pulmonary arterial hypertension and in rats treated with
      monocrotaline, whereas it was upregulated in carotid arteries of Macaca
      fascicularis subjected to atherosclerosis regression diet, and in endothelial
      cells isolated from human glioblastoma patients. CRISPR/Cas9-mediated deletion or
      silencing of MANTIS with small interfering RNAs or GapmeRs inhibited angiogenic
      sprouting and alignment of endothelial cells in response to shear stress.
      Mechanistically, the nuclear-localized MANTIS lncRNA interacted with BRG1, the
      catalytic subunit of the switch/sucrose nonfermentable chromatin-remodeling
      complex. This interaction was required for nucleosome remodeling by keeping the
      ATPase function of BRG1 active. Thereby, the transcription of key endothelial
      genes such as SOX18, SMAD6, and COUP-TFII was regulated by ensuring efficient RNA
      polymerase II machinery binding. CONCLUSION: MANTIS is a differentially regulated
      novel lncRNA facilitating endothelial angiogenic function.

PMID- 28351901
TI  - Association Between Midwall Late Gadolinium Enhancement and Sudden Cardiac Death
      in Patients With Dilated Cardiomyopathy and Mild and Moderate Left Ventricular
      Systolic Dysfunction.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Current guidelines only recommend the use of an implantable
      cardioverter defibrillator in patients with dilated cardiomyopathy for the
      primary prevention of sudden cardiac death (SCD) in those with a left ventricular
      ejection fraction (LVEF) <35%. However, registries of out-of-hospital cardiac
      arrests demonstrate that 70% to 80% of such patients have an LVEF >35%. Patients
      with an LVEF >35% also have low competing risks of death from nonsudden causes.
      Therefore, those at high risk of SCD may gain longevity from successful
      implantable cardioverter defibrillator therapy. We investigated whether late
      gadolinium enhancement (LGE) cardiovascular magnetic resonance identified
      patients with dilated cardiomyopathy without severe LV systolic dysfunction at
      high risk of SCD. METHODS: We prospectively investigated the association between
      midwall LGE and the prespecified primary composite outcome of SCD or aborted SCD
      among consecutive referrals with dilated cardiomyopathy and an LVEF >=40% to our
      center between January 2000 and December 2011 who did not have a preexisting
      indication for implantable cardioverter defibrillator implantation. RESULTS: Of
      399 patients (145 women, median age 50 years, median LVEF 50%, 25.3% with LGE)
      followed for a median of 4.6 years, 18 of 101 (17.8%) patients with LGE reached
      the prespecified end point, compared with 7 of 298 (2.3%) without (hazard ratio
      [HR], 9.2; 95% confidence interval [CI], 3.9-21.8; P<0.0001). Nine patients
      (8.9%) with LGE compared with 6 (2.0%) without (HR, 4.9; 95% CI, 1.8-13.5;
      P=0.002) died suddenly, whereas 10 patients (9.9%) with LGE compared with 1
      patient (0.3%) without (HR, 34.8; 95% CI, 4.6-266.6; P<0.001) had aborted SCD.
      After adjustment, LGE predicted the composite end point (HR, 9.3; 95% CI, 3.9
      22.3; P<0.0001), SCD (HR, 4.8; 95% CI, 1.7-13.8; P=0.003), and aborted SCD (HR,
      35.9; 95% CI, 4.8-271.4; P<0.001). Estimated HRs for the primary end point for
      patients with an LGE extent of 0% to 2.5%, 2.5% to 5%, and >5% compared with
      those without LGE were 10.6 (95% CI, 3.9-29.4), 4.9 (95% CI, 1.3-18.9), and 11.8
      (95% CI, 4.3-32.3), respectively. CONCLUSIONS: Midwall LGE identifies a group of
      patients with dilated cardiomyopathy and an LVEF >=40% at increased risk of SCD
      and low risk of nonsudden death who may benefit from implantable cardioverter
      defibrillator implantation. CLINICAL TRIAL REGISTRATION: URL:
      http://clinicaltrials.gov. Unique identifier: NCT00930735.

PMID- 28351903
TI  - Diaphragm Muscle Thinning in Subjects Receiving Mechanical Ventilation and Its
      Effect on Extubation.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Diaphragm muscle weakness and atrophy are consequences of prolonged
      mechanical ventilation. Our purpose was to determine whether thickness of the
      diaphragm (TDI) changes over time after intubation and whether the degree of
      change affects clinical outcome. METHODS: For this prospective, longitudinal
      observational study, we identified subjects who required mechanical ventilation
      and measured their TDI by ultrasonography. TDI was measured at baseline and
      repeated 72 h later and then weekly until the subject was either liberated from
      mechanical ventilation, was referred for tracheostomy, or died. The analysis was
      designed to determine whether baseline TDI and change in TDI affect extubation
      outcome. RESULTS: Of the 57 subjects who underwent both diaphragm measurements at
      72 h, 16 died, 33 were extubated, and 8 underwent tracheostomy. Only 14 subjects
      received mechanical ventilation for 1 week, and 2 subjects received mechanical
      ventilation for 2 and 3 weeks. Females had significantly thinner baseline TDI (P
      = .008). At 72 h, TDI had decreased in 84% of subjects. We found no significant
      association between the rate of thinning and sex (P = .68), diagnosis of COPD (P
      = .36), current smoking (P = .85), or pleural effusion (P = .83). Lower baseline
      TDI was associated with higher likelihood of extubation: 12.5% higher for every
      0.01-cm decrease in TDI (hazard ratio 0.875, 95% CI 0.80-0.96, P = .003). For
      every 0.01-cm decrease in TDI at 72 h, the likelihood of extubation increased by
      17% (hazard ratio 0.83, 95% CI 0.70-0.99, P = .041). CONCLUSIONS: Although most
      of the subjects showed evidence of diaphragm thinning, we were unable to find a
      correlation with outcome of extubation failure. In fact, the thinner the
      diaphragm at baseline and the greater the extent of diaphragm thinning at 72 h,
      the greater the likelihood of extubation. Thickening ratio or other measurement
      may be a more reliable indicator of diaphragm dysfunction and should be explored.

PMID- 28351904
TI  - Evaluation of the Prevalence and Effectiveness of Education on Metered-Dose
      Inhaler Technique.
AB  - BACKGROUND: The objectives of this study were: (1) to assess the prevalence of
      and types of education methods provided to participants who use a metered-dose
      inhaler (MDI), (2) to determine the prevalence of MDI misuse in adults using
      objective and subjective assessments, and (3) to determine whether any
      associations exist between the education method and the participant's ability to
      properly use an MDI. METHODS: Adult participants who had a current or previous
      history of MDI use were recruited from retail pharmacies and physician offices in
      Laurens County, South Carolina. Exclusion criteria included the use of an MDI
      spacer, inability to speak/understand English, or current acute respiratory
      illness. Participants completed a survey regarding inhaler use and previous
      education, a subjective checklist assessment by demonstrating use of an MDI, and
      an objective assessment by using the Aerosol Inhalation Monitor (AIM). RESULTS:
      Of 100 participants, 25% reported never having received education about inhaler
      technique, and 94% were found to have insufficient MDI technique. No association
      between the method of education and successful MDI technique with the AIM was
      identified (P = .31). Participants were less likely to correctly use the AIM if
      they missed >3 steps in the subjective assessment. (P = .032). CONCLUSIONS:
      Although most participants received inhaler education, inhaler misuse was very
      common. No associations were found regarding method of education and proper
      inhaler technique.

PMID- 28351905
TI  - Comparison of Cisatracurium Versus Atracurium in Early ARDS.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Administration of cisatracurium in severe ARDS decreases in-hospital
      mortality. Whether clinical outcomes are cisatracurium-specific or related with
      all neuromuscular blockers is unknown. This study aimed to compare outcomes in
      severe ARDS patients treated with cisatracurium versus atracurium. METHODS:
      Patients admitted in ICUs with a diagnosis of severe ARDS and treated with
      neuromuscular blocking agents within 72 h of diagnosis were included. Subjects
      treated with cisatracurium versus atracurium were compared. The primary outcome
      was improvement in oxygenation, defined as the difference of PaO2 /FIO2 at 72 h
      post-initiation of neuromuscular blocking agents. Secondary outcomes were
      ventilator-free days at day 28, ICU and hospital lengths of stay, and hospital
      mortality. RESULTS: Seventy-six subjects with ARDS were included in the study.
      Eighteen subjects (24%) were treated with atracurium, whereas 58 (76%) were
      treated with cisatracurium. Equivalent dosages of sedation and analgesia as well
      as use of brain function monitoring technology were similar between both groups.
      There were no differences in clinical outcomes. Specifically, improvement of PaO2
      /FIO2 was a median (interquartile range [IQR]) of 65 (25-162) in the atracurium
      group and 66 (IQR 16-147) in the cisatracurium group (P = .65). Ventilator-free
      days at day 28 were 13 d (IQR 0-22 d) and 15 d (IQR 8-21 d) in the atracurium and
      cisatracurium groups, respectively (P = .72). ICU length or stay was 18 d (IQR 8
      34 d) in the atracurium group and 15 d (IQR 9-22 d) in the cisatracurium group (P
      = .34). In-hospital mortality was 50% for the atracurium population and 62% for
      the cisatracurium group (P = .42) CONCLUSIONS: Among subjects with early severe
      ARDS, the utilization of atracurium versus cisatracurium within 72 h of admission
      was not associated with significant differences in clinical outcomes.

PMID- 28351906
TI  - Junior doctor who lacked basic knowledge and skills is struck off.

PMID- 28351908
TI  - Unraveling the Significance of Abnormal Blood Pressure Responses During
      Dobutamine Stress Echocardiography.

PMID- 28351907
TI  - Frequency, Predictors, and Implications of Abnormal Blood Pressure Responses
      During Dobutamine Stress Echocardiography.
AB  - BACKGROUND: It is not known whether abnormal blood pressure (BP) responses during
      dobutamine stress echocardiography (DSE) are associated with abnormal test
      results, nor if such results indicate obstructive coronary artery disease (CAD).
      We sought to define the frequency of abnormal BP responses during DSE and their
      impact on accuracy of test results. METHODS AND RESULTS: We studied 21 949
      patients who underwent DSE at Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, grouped by peak
      systolic BP achieved during the test. We also analyzed a subgroup who underwent
      coronary angiography within 30 days after positive DSE. The positive predictive
      value of DSE was calculated for each BP group. Patients with hypertensive
      response (n=1905; 9%) were more likely to have positive DSE than those with
      normal (n=19 770; 90%) or hypotensive (n=274; 1%) BP responses (32% versus 21%
      versus 23%, respectively; P<0.0001). Angiography, performed in 1126 patients,
      showed obstructive CAD (>=50% stenosis) in 814 patients and severe CAD (>=70%
      stenosis) in 708 patients. Positive predictive value of DSE was similar for
      patients who had hypertensive and normal BP responses (69% versus 73%; P=0.3),
      considering 50% stenosis cut point. The proportion of severe CAD (>=70% stenosis)
      was lower in patients who had hypertensive response compared with those who had
      normal BP response (54% versus 65%; P=0.005). CONCLUSIONS: Patients with
      hypertensive response during DSE are more likely to have stress-induced
      myocardial ischemia compared with those with normal or hypotensive BP responses
      but are not more likely to have false-positive DSE results. They are, however,
      less likely to have higher grade or multivessel CAD.

PMID- 28351909
TI  - Stomatal Closure, Basal Leaf Embolism, and Shedding Protect the Hydraulic
      Integrity of Grape Stems.
AB  - The time scale of stomatal closure and xylem cavitation during plant dehydration,
      as well as the fate of embolized organs, are under debate, largely due to
      methodological limitations in the evaluation of embolism. While some argue that
      complete stomatal closure precedes the occurrence of embolism, others believe
      that the two are contemporaneous processes that are accompanied by daily xylem
      refilling. Here, we utilize an optical light transmission method to continuously
      monitor xylem cavitation in leaves of dehydrating grapevine (Vitis vinifera) in
      concert with stomatal conductance and stem and petiole hydraulic measurements.
      Magnetic resonance imaging was used to continuously monitor xylem cavitation and
      flow rates in the stem of an intact vine during 10 d of dehydration. The results
      showed that complete stomatal closure preceded the appearance of embolism in the
      leaves and the stem by several days. Basal leaves were more vulnerable to xylem
      embolism than apical leaves and, once embolized, were shed, thereby preventing
      further water loss and protecting the hydraulic integrity of younger leaves and
      the stem. As a result, embolism in the stem was minimal even when drought led to
      complete leaf shedding. These findings suggest that grapevine avoids xylem
      embolism rather than tolerates it.

PMID- 28351911
TI  - Fern Stomatal Responses to ABA and CO2 Depend on Species and Growth Conditions.
AB  - Changing atmospheric CO2 levels, climate, and air humidity affect plant gas
      exchange that is controlled by stomata, small pores on plant leaves and stems
      formed by guard cells. Evolution has shaped the morphology and regulatory
      mechanisms governing stomatal movements to correspond to the needs of various
      land plant groups over the past 400 million years. Stomata close in response to
      the plant hormone abscisic acid (ABA), elevated CO2 concentration, and reduced
      air humidity. Whether the active regulatory mechanisms that control stomatal
      closure in response to these stimuli are present already in mosses, the oldest
      plant group with stomata, or were acquired more recently in angiosperms remains
      controversial. It has been suggested that the stomata of the basal vascular
      plants, such as ferns and lycophytes, close solely hydropassively. On the other
      hand, active stomatal closure in response to ABA and CO2 was found in several
      moss, lycophyte, and fern species. Here, we show that the stomata of two
      temperate fern species respond to ABA and CO2 and that an active mechanism of
      stomatal regulation in response to reduced air humidity is present in some ferns.
      Importantly, fern stomatal responses depend on growth conditions. The data
      indicate that the stomatal behavior of ferns is more complex than anticipated
      before, and active stomatal regulation is present in some ferns and has possibly
      been lost in others. Further analysis that takes into account fern species, life
      history, evolutionary age, and growth conditions is required to gain insight into
      the evolution of land plant stomatal responses.

PMID- 28351910
TI  - Acclimation to High CO2 Requires the omega Subunit of the RNA Polymerase in
      Synechocystis.
AB  - Inactivation of the nonessential omega-subunit of the RNA polymerase core in the
      DeltarpoZ strain of the model cyanobacterium Synechocystis sp. PCC 6803 leads to
      a unique high-CO2-sensitive phenotype. Supplementing air in the growth chamber
      with 30 mL L-1 (3%) CO2 accelerated the growth rate of the control strain (CS) 4
      fold, whereas DeltarpoZ did not grow faster than under ambient air. The slow
      growth of DeltarpoZ during the first days in high CO2 was due to the inability of
      the mutant cells to adjust photosynthesis to high CO2 The light-saturated
      photosynthetic activity of DeltarpoZ in high CO2 was only half of that measured
      in CS, Rubisco content was one-third lower, and cells of DeltarpoZ were not able
      to increase light-harvesting phycobilisome antenna like CS upon high-CO2
      treatment. In addition, altered structural and functional organization of
      photosystem I and photosystem II were detected in the DeltarpoZ strain compared
      with CS when cells were grown in high CO2 but not in ambient air. Moreover,
      respiration of DeltarpoZ did not acclimate to high CO2 Unlike the photosynthetic
      complexes, the RNA polymerase complex and ribosomes were produced in high CO2
      similarly as in CS Our results indicate that the deletion of the omega-subunit
      specifically affects photosynthesis and respiration, but transcription and
      translation remain active. Thus, the specific effect of the omega-subunit on
      photosynthesis but not on all household processes suggests that the omega-subunit
      might have a regulatory function in cyanobacteria.

PMID- 28351913
TI  - MANAGEMENT OF ENDOCRINE DISEASE: Quality of life tools for the management of
      pituitary disease.
AB  - BACKGROUND: In the last few years, quality of life (QoL) has become an outcome
      measure in patients with pituitary diseases. OBJECTIVE: To describe the available
      data on QoL impairment evaluated with questionnaires in patients with pituitary
      diseases. DESIGN: Critical review of the pertinent literature and pragmatic
      discussion of available information. METHODS: Selection of relevant literature
      from PubMed and WOK, especially from the last 5 years and comprehensive analysis.
      RESULTS: QoL is impaired in all pituitary diseases, mostly in acromegaly and
      Cushing's disease (similar to other causes of Cushing's syndrome), but also in
      non-functioning pituitary adenomas and prolactinomas, especially in the active
      phase of the disease. Nevertheless, even after endocrine 'cure', scores tend to
      be below normative values, indicative of residual morbidity after hormonal
      control. The presence of hypopituitarism worsens subjective QoL perception, which
      can improve after optimal substitution therapy, including recombinant human
      growth hormone, when indicated. CONCLUSIONS: To improve the long-term outcome of
      pituitary patients, helping them to attain the best possible health, it appears
      desirable to include subjective aspects captured when evaluating QoL, so that the
      affected dimensions are identified and if relevant treated. Additionally, being
      aware that treatment outcome may not always mean complete normalisation of
      physical and mental issues related to QoL can be a first step to adaptation and
      conforming to this new status.

PMID- 28351912
TI  - KNOX Protein OSH15 Induces Grain Shattering by Repressing Lignin Biosynthesis
      Genes.
AB  - Seed shattering is an agronomically important trait. Two major domestication
      factors are responsible for this: qSH1 and SH5. Whereas qSH1 functions in cell
      differentiation in the abscission zone (AZ), a major role of SH5 is the
      repression of lignin deposition. We have determined that a KNOX protein, OSH15,
      also controls seed shattering. Knockdown mutations of OSH15 showed reduced seed
      shattering phenotypes. Coimmunoprecipitation experiments revealed that OSH15
      interacts with SH5 and qSH1, two proteins in the BELL homeobox family. In
      transgenic plants carrying the OSH15 promoter-GUS reporter construct, the
      reporter gene was preferentially expressed in the AZ during young spikelet
      development. The RNA in situ hybridization experiment also showed that OSH15
      messenger RNAs were abundant in the AZ during spikelet development. Analyses of
      osh15 SH5-D double mutants showed that SH5 could not increase the degree of seed
      shattering when OSH15 was absent, indicating that SH5 functions together with
      OSH15. In addition to the seed-shattering phenotype, osh15 mutants displayed
      dwarfism and accumulated a higher amount of lignin in internodes due to increased
      expression of the genes involved in lignin biosynthesis. Knockout mutations of
      CAD2, which encodes an enzyme for the last step in the monolignol biosynthesis
      pathway, caused an easy seed-shattering phenotype by reducing lignin deposition
      in the AZ This indicated that the lignin level is an important determinant of
      seed shattering in rice (Oryza sativa). Chromatin immunoprecipitation assays
      demonstrated that both OSH15 and SH5 interact directly with CAD2 chromatin. We
      conclude that OSH15 and SH5 form a dimer that enhances seed shattering by
      directly inhibiting lignin biosynthesis genes.

PMID- 28351914
TI  - The N-Acetylmuramic Acid 6-Phosphate Phosphatase MupP Completes the Pseudomonas
      Peptidoglycan Recycling Pathway Leading to Intrinsic Fosfomycin Resistance.
AB  - Bacterial cells are encased in and stabilized by a netlike peptidoglycan (PGN)
      cell wall that undergoes turnover during bacterial growth. PGN turnover fragments
      are frequently salvaged by the cells via a pathway referred to as PGN recycling.
      Two different routes for the recycling of the cell wall sugar N-acetylmuramic
      acid (MurNAc) have been recognized in bacteria. In Escherichia coli and related
      enterobacteria, as well as in most Gram-positive bacteria, MurNAc is recovered
      via a catabolic route requiring a MurNAc 6-phosphate etherase (MurQ in E. coli)
      enzyme. However, many Gram-negative bacteria, including Pseudomonas species, lack
      a MurQ ortholog and use an alternative, anabolic recycling route that bypasses
      the de novo biosynthesis of uridyldiphosphate (UDP)-MurNAc, the first committed
      precursor of PGN. Bacteria featuring the latter pathway become intrinsically
      resistant to the antibiotic fosfomycin, which targets the de novo biosynthesis of
      UDP-MurNAc. We report here the identification and characterization of a
      phosphatase enzyme, named MupP, that had been predicted to complete the anabolic
      recycling pathway of Pseudomonas species but has remained unknown so far. It
      belongs to the large haloacid dehalogenase family of phosphatases and
      specifically converts MurNAc 6-phosphate to MurNAc. A DeltamupP mutant of
      Pseudomonas putida was highly susceptible to fosfomycin, accumulated large
      amounts of MurNAc 6-phosphate, and showed lower levels of UDP-MurNAc than wild
      type cells, altogether consistent with a role for MupP in the anabolic PGN
      recycling route and as a determinant of intrinsic resistance to
      fosfomycin.IMPORTANCE Many Gram-negative bacteria, but not E. coli, make use of a
      cell wall salvage pathway that contributes to the pool of UDP-MurNAc, the first
      committed precursor of cell wall synthesis in bacteria. This salvage pathway is
      of particular interest because it confers intrinsic resistance to the antibiotic
      fosfomycin, which blocks de novo UDP-MurNAc biosynthesis. Here we identified and
      characterized a previously missing enzyme within the salvage pathway, the MurNAc
      6-phosphate phosphatase MupP of P. putida MupP, together with the other enzymes
      of the anabolic recycling pathway, AnmK, AmgK, and MurU, yields UDP-MurNAc,
      renders bacteria intrinsically resistant to fosfomycin, and thus may serve as a
      novel drug target for antimicrobial therapy.

PMID- 28351915
TI  - Comparison of Standard Culture-Based Method to Culture-Independent Method for
      Evaluation of Hygiene Effects on the Hand Microbiome.
AB  - Hands play a critical role in the transmission of microbiota on one's own body,
      between individuals, and on environmental surfaces. Effectively measuring the
      composition of the hand microbiome is important to hand hygiene science, which
      has implications for human health. Hand hygiene products are evaluated using
      standard culture-based methods, but standard test methods for culture-independent
      microbiome characterization are lacking. We sampled the hands of 50 participants
      using swab-based and glove-based methods prior to and following four hand hygiene
      treatments (using a nonantimicrobial hand wash, alcohol-based hand sanitizer
      [ABHS], a 70% ethanol solution, or tap water). We compared results among culture
      plate counts, 16S rRNA gene sequencing of DNA extracted directly from hands, and
      sequencing of DNA extracted from culture plates. Glove-based sampling yielded
      higher numbers of unique operational taxonomic units (OTUs) but had less
      diversity in bacterial community composition than swab-based sampling. We
      detected treatment-induced changes in diversity only by using swab-based samples
      (P < 0.001); we were unable to detect changes with glove-based samples. Bacterial
      cell counts significantly decreased with use of the ABHS (P < 0.05) and ethanol
      control (P < 0.05). Skin hydration at baseline correlated with bacterial
      abundances, bacterial community composition, pH, and redness across subjects. The
      importance of the method choice was substantial. These findings are important to
      ensure improvement of hand hygiene industry methods and for future hand
      microbiome studies. On the basis of our results and previously published studies,
      we propose recommendations for best practices in hand microbiome
      research.IMPORTANCE The hand microbiome is a critical area of research for
      diverse fields, such as public health and forensics. The suitability of culture
      independent methods for assessing effects of hygiene products on microbiota has
      not been demonstrated. This is the first controlled laboratory clinical hand
      study to have compared traditional hand hygiene test methods with newer culture
      independent characterization methods typically used by skin microbiologists. This
      study resulted in recommendations for hand hygiene product testing, development
      of methods, and future hand skin microbiome research. It also demonstrated the
      importance of inclusion of skin physiological metadata in skin microbiome
      research, which is atypical for skin microbiome studies.

PMID- 28351916
TI  - Identification of MupP as a New Peptidoglycan Recycling Factor and Antibiotic
      Resistance Determinant in Pseudomonas aeruginosa.
AB  - Peptidoglycan (PG) is an essential cross-linked polymer that surrounds most
      bacterial cells to prevent osmotic rupture of the cytoplasmic membrane. Its
      synthesis relies on penicillin-binding proteins, the targets of beta-lactam
      antibiotics. Many Gram-negative bacteria, including the opportunistic pathogen
      Pseudomonas aeruginosa, are resistant to beta-lactams because of a chromosomally
      encoded beta-lactamase called AmpC. In P. aeruginosa, expression of the ampC gene
      is tightly regulated and its induction is linked to cell wall stress. We reasoned
      that a reporter gene fusion to the ampC promoter would allow us to identify
      mutants defective in maintaining cell wall homeostasis and thereby uncover new
      factors involved in the process. A library of transposon-mutagenized P.
      aeruginosa was therefore screened for mutants with elevated ampC promoter
      activity. As an indication that the screen was working as expected, mutants with
      transposons disrupting the dacB gene were isolated. Defects in DacB have
      previously been implicated in ampC induction and clinical resistance to beta
      lactam antibiotics. The screen also uncovered murU and PA3172 mutants that, upon
      further characterization, displayed nearly identical drug resistance and
      sensitivity profiles. We present genetic evidence that PA3172, renamed mupP,
      encodes the missing phosphatase predicted to function in the MurU PG recycling
      pathway that is widely distributed among Gram-negative bacteria.IMPORTANCE The
      cell wall biogenesis pathway is the target of many of our best antibiotics,
      including penicillin and related beta-lactam drugs. Resistance to these therapies
      is on the rise, particularly among Gram-negative species like Pseudomonas
      aeruginosa, a problematic opportunistic pathogen. To better understand how these
      organisms resist cell wall-targeting antibiotics, we screened for P. aeruginosa
      mutants defective in maintaining cell wall homeostasis. The screen identified a
      new factor, called MupP, involved in the recycling of cell wall turnover
      products. Characterization of MupP and other components of the pathway revealed
      that cell wall recycling plays important roles in both the resistance and the
      sensitivity of P. aeruginosa to cell wall-targeting antibiotics.

PMID- 28351917
TI  - RNA Sequencing Identifies New RNase III Cleavage Sites in Escherichia coli and
      Reveals Increased Regulation of mRNA.
AB  - Ribonucleases facilitate rapid turnover of RNA, providing cells with another
      mechanism to adjust transcript and protein levels in response to environmental
      conditions. While many examples have been documented, a comprehensive list of
      RNase targets is not available. To address this knowledge gap, we compared levels
      of RNA sequencing coverage of Escherichia coli and a corresponding RNase III
      mutant to expand the list of known RNase III targets. RNase III is a widespread
      endoribonuclease that binds and cleaves double-stranded RNA in many critical
      transcripts. RNase III cleavage at novel sites found in aceEF, proP, tnaC, dctA,
      pheM, sdhC, yhhQ, glpT, aceK, and gluQ accelerated RNA decay, consistent with
      previously described targets wherein RNase III cleavage initiates rapid
      degradation of secondary messages by other RNases. In contrast, cleavage at three
      novel sites in the ahpF, pflB, and yajQ transcripts led to stabilized secondary
      transcripts. Two other novel sites in hisL and pheM overlapped with
      transcriptional attenuators that likely serve to ensure turnover of these highly
      structured RNAs. Many of the new RNase III target sites are located on
      transcripts encoding metabolic enzymes. For instance, two novel RNase III sites
      are located within transcripts encoding enzymes near a key metabolic node
      connecting glycolysis and the tricarboxylic acid (TCA) cycle. Pyruvate
      dehydrogenase activity was increased in an rnc deletion mutant compared to the
      wild-type (WT) strain in early stationary phase, confirming the novel link
      between RNA turnover and regulation of pathway activity. Identification of these
      novel sites suggests that mRNA turnover may be an underappreciated mode of
      regulating metabolism.IMPORTANCE The concerted action and overlapping functions
      of endoribonucleases, exoribonucleases, and RNA processing enzymes complicate the
      study of global RNA turnover and recycling of specific transcripts. More
      information about RNase specificity and activity is needed to make predictions of
      transcript half-life and to design synthetic transcripts with optimal stability.
      RNase III does not have a conserved target sequence but instead recognizes RNA
      secondary structure. Prior to this study, only a few RNase III target sites in E.
      coli were known, so we used RNA sequencing to provide a more comprehensive list
      of cleavage sites and to examine the impact of RNase III on transcript
      degradation. With this added information on how RNase III participates in
      transcript regulation and recycling, a more complete picture of RNA turnover can
      be developed for E. coli Similar approaches could be used to augment our
      understanding of RNA turnover in other bacteria.

PMID- 28351918
TI  - A Novel Mechanism for Protein Delivery by the Type 3 Secretion System for
      Extracellularly Secreted Proteins.
AB  - The type 3 secretion system (T3SS) is essential for bacterial virulence through
      delivering effector proteins directly into the host cytosol. Here, we identified
      an alternative delivery mechanism of virulence factors mediated by the T3SS,
      which consists of the association of extracellularly secreted proteins from
      bacteria with the T3SS to gain access to the host cytosol. Both EspC, a protein
      secreted as an enteropathogenic Escherichia coli (EPEC) autotransporter, and
      YopH, a protein detected on the surface of Yersinia, require a functional T3SS
      for host cell internalization; here we provide biophysical and molecular evidence
      to support the concept of the EspC translocation mechanism, which requires (i) an
      interaction between EspA and an EspC middle segment, (ii) an EspC translocation
      motif (21 residues that are shared with the YopH translocation motif), (iii)
      increases in the association and dissociation rates of EspC mediated by EspA
      interacting with EspD, and (iv) an interaction of EspC with the EspD/EspB
      translocon pore. Interestingly, this novel mechanism does not exclude the
      injection model (i.e., EspF) operating through the T3SS conduit; therefore, T3SS
      can be functioning as an internal conduit or as an external railway, which can be
      used to reach the translocator pore, and this mechanism appears to be conserved
      among different T3SS-dependent pathogens.IMPORTANCE The type 3 secretion system
      is essential for injection of virulence factors, which are delivered directly
      into the cytosol of the host cells for usurping and subverting host processes.
      Recent studies have shown that these effectors proteins indeed travel inside an
      "injectisome" conduit through a single step of translocation by connecting the
      bacterium and host cell cytoplasms. However, all findings are not compatible with
      this model. For example, both YopH, a protein detected on the surface of
      Yersinia, and EspC, an autotransporter protein secreted by enteropathogenic E.
      coli, require a functional T3SS for host cell translocation. Both proteins have
      an intermediate extracellular step before their T3SS-dependent translocation.
      Here, we show an alternative delivery mechanism for these extracellularly
      secreted virulence factors that are then incorporated into the T3SS to enter the
      cells; this novel mechanism coexists with but diverges from the canonical
      injection model that involves the passage of the protein inside the injectisome.

PMID- 28351920
TI  - SpxA1 and SpxA2 Act Coordinately To Fine-Tune Stress Responses and Virulence in
      Streptococcus pyogenes.
AB  - SpxA is a unique transcriptional regulator highly conserved among members of the
      phylum Firmicutes that binds RNA polymerase and can act as an antiactivator. Why
      some Firmicutes members have two highly similar SpxA paralogs is not understood.
      Here, we show that the SpxA paralogs of the pathogen Streptococcus pyogenes,
      SpxA1 and SpxA2, act coordinately to regulate virulence by fine-tuning toxin
      expression and stress resistance. Construction and analysis of mutants revealed
      that SpxA1- mutants were defective for growth under aerobic conditions, while
      SpxA2- mutants had severely attenuated responses to multiple stresses, including
      thermal and oxidative stresses. SpxA1- mutants had enhanced resistance to the
      cationic antimicrobial molecule polymyxin B, while SpxA2- mutants were more
      sensitive. In a murine model of soft tissue infection, a SpxA1- mutant was highly
      attenuated. In contrast, the highly stress-sensitive SpxA2- mutant was
      hypervirulent, exhibiting more extensive tissue damage and a greater bacterial
      burden than the wild-type strain. SpxA1- attenuation was associated with reduced
      expression of several toxins, including the SpeB cysteine protease. In contrast,
      SpxA2- hypervirulence correlated with toxin overexpression and could be
      suppressed to wild-type levels by deletion of speB These data show that SpxA1 and
      SpxA2 have opposing roles in virulence and stress resistance, suggesting that
      they act coordinately to fine-tune toxin expression in response to stress. SpxA2-
      hypervirulence also shows that stress resistance is not always essential for S.
      pyogenes pathogenesis in soft tissue.IMPORTANCE For many pathogens, it is
      generally assumed that stress resistance is essential for pathogenesis. For
      Streptococcus pyogenes, environmental stress is also used as a signal to alter
      toxin expression. The amount of stress likely informs the bacterium of the
      strength of the host's defense response, allowing it to adjust its toxin
      expression to produce the ideal amount of tissue damage, balancing between too
      little damage, which will result in its elimination, and too much damage, which
      will debilitate the host. Here we identify components of a genetic circuit
      involved in stress resistance and toxin expression that has a fine-tuning
      function in tissue damage. The circuit consists of two versions of the protein
      SpxA that regulate transcription and are highly similar but have opposing effects
      on the severity of soft tissue damage. These results will help us understand how
      virulence is fine-tuned in other pathogens that have two SpxA proteins.

PMID- 28351919
TI  - Contribution of the Purinergic Receptor P2X7 to Development of Lung
      Immunopathology during Influenza Virus Infection.
AB  - An exacerbated immune response is one of the main causes of influenza-induced
      lung damage during infection. The molecular mechanisms regulating the fate of the
      initial immune response to infection, either as a protective response or as
      detrimental immunopathology, are not well understood. The purinergic receptor
      P2X7 is an ionotropic nucleotide-gated ion channel receptor expressed on immune
      cells that has been implicated in induction and maintenance of excessive
      inflammation. Here, we analyze the role of this receptor in a mouse model of
      influenza virus infection using a receptor knockout (KO) mouse strain. Our
      results demonstrate that the absence of the P2X7 receptor results in a better
      outcome to influenza virus infection characterized by reduced weight loss and
      increased survival upon experimental influenza challenge compared to wild-type
      mice. This effect was not virus strain specific. Overall lung pathology and
      apoptosis were reduced in virus-infected KO mice. Production of proinflammatory
      cytokines and chemokines such as interleukin-10 (IL-10), gamma interferon (IFN
      gamma), and CC chemokine ligand 2 (CCL2) was also reduced in the lungs of the
      infected KO mice. Infiltration of neutrophils and depletion of CD11b+
      macrophages, characteristic of severe influenza virus infection in mice, were
      lower in the KO animals. Together, these results demonstrate that activation of
      the P2X7 receptor is involved in the exacerbated immune response observed during
      influenza virus infection.IMPORTANCE A hallmark of influenza virus infection is
      the development of lung pathology induced by an exacerbated immune response. The
      mechanisms shared by the antiviral host defense required for viral clearance and
      those required for development of immunopathology are not clearly understood.
      Purinergic receptors, and in particular the purinergic receptor P2X7 (P2X7r), are
      involved in activation of the immune response. We used mice lacking the P2X7r
      (P2X7r KO mice) to better understand the mechanisms that lead to development of
      lung pathology during influenza virus infection. In our studies, we observed that
      P2X7r KO mice developed less lung immunopathology and had better survival than
      the wild-type mice. These results implicate P2X7r in the induction of an
      exacerbated local immune response to influenza virus and help us to better
      understand the mechanisms leading to the lung immunopathology observed during
      severe viral infections.

PMID- 28351921
TI  - CdiA Effectors Use Modular Receptor-Binding Domains To Recognize Target Bacteria.
AB  - Contact-dependent growth inhibition (CDI) systems encode CdiA effectors, which
      bind to specific receptors on neighboring bacteria and deliver C-terminal toxin
      domains to suppress target cell growth. Two classes of CdiA effectors that bind
      distinct cell surface receptors have been identified, but the molecular basis of
      receptor specificity is not understood. Alignment of BamA-specific CdiAEC93 from
      Escherichia coli EC93 and OmpC-specific CdiAEC536 from E. coli 536 suggests that
      the receptor-binding domain resides within a central region that varies between
      the two effectors. In support of this hypothesis, we find that CdiAEC93 fragments
      containing residues Arg1358 to Phe1646 bind specifically to purified BamA.
      Moreover, chimeric CdiAEC93 that carries the corresponding sequence from
      CdiAEC536 is endowed with OmpC-binding activity, demonstrating that this region
      dictates receptor specificity. A survey of E. coli CdiA proteins reveals two
      additional effector classes, which presumably recognize distinct receptors. Using
      a genetic approach, we identify the outer membrane nucleoside transporter Tsx as
      the receptor for a third class of CdiA effectors. Thus, CDI systems exploit
      multiple outer membrane proteins to identify and engage target cells. These
      results underscore the modularity of CdiA proteins and suggest that novel
      effectors can be constructed through genetic recombination to interchange
      different receptor-binding domains and toxic payloads.IMPORTANCE CdiB/CdiA two
      partner secretion proteins mediate interbacterial competition through the
      delivery of polymorphic toxin domains. This process, known as contact-dependent
      growth inhibition (CDI), requires stable interactions between the CdiA effector
      protein and specific receptors on the surface of target bacteria. Here, we
      localize the receptor-binding domain to the central region of E. coli CdiA.
      Receptor-binding domains vary between CdiA proteins, and E. coli strains
      collectively encode at least four distinct effector classes. Further, we show
      that receptor specificity can be altered by exchanging receptor-binding regions,
      demonstrating the modularity of this domain. We propose that novel CdiA effectors
      are naturally generated through genetic recombination to interchange different
      receptor-binding domains and toxin payloads.

PMID- 28351922
TI  - Mouse Mammary Tumor Virus Signal Peptide Uses a Novel p97-Dependent and Derlin
      Independent Retrotranslocation Mechanism To Escape Proteasomal Degradation.
AB  - Multiple pathogens, including viruses and bacteria, manipulate endoplasmic
      reticulum-associated degradation (ERAD) to avoid the host immune response and
      promote their replication. The betaretrovirus mouse mammary tumor virus (MMTV)
      encodes Rem, which is a precursor protein that is cleaved into a 98-amino-acid
      signal peptide (SP) and a C-terminal protein (Rem-CT). SP uses retrotranslocation
      for ER membrane extraction and yet avoids ERAD by an unknown mechanism to enter
      the nucleus and function as a Rev-like protein. To determine how SP escapes ERAD,
      we used a ubiquitin-activated interaction trap (UBAIT) screen to trap and
      identify transient protein interactions with SP, including the ERAD-associated
      p97 ATPase, but not E3 ligases or Derlin proteins linked to retrotranslocation,
      polyubiquitylation, and proteasomal degradation of extracted proteins. A dominant
      negative p97 ATPase inhibited both Rem and SP function. Immunoprecipitation
      experiments indicated that Rem, but not SP, is polyubiquitylated. Using both
      yeast and mammalian expression systems, linkage of a ubiquitin-like domain (UbL)
      to SP or Rem induced degradation by the proteasome, whereas SP was stable in the
      absence of the UbL. ERAD-associated Derlin proteins were not required for SP
      activity. Together, these results suggested that Rem uses a novel p97-dependent,
      Derlin-independent retrotranslocation mechanism distinct from other pathogens to
      avoid SP ubiquitylation and proteasomal degradation.IMPORTANCE Bacterial and
      viral infections produce pathogen-specific proteins that interfere with host
      functions, including the immune response. Mouse mammary tumor virus (MMTV) is a
      model system for studies of human complex retroviruses, such as HIV-1, as well as
      cancer induction. We have shown that MMTV encodes a regulatory protein, Rem,
      which is cleaved into an N-terminal signal peptide (SP) and a C-terminal protein
      (Rem-CT) within the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) membrane. SP function requires ER
      membrane extraction by retrotranslocation, which is part of a protein quality
      control system known as ER-associated degradation (ERAD) that is essential to
      cellular health. Through poorly understood mechanisms, certain pathogen-derived
      proteins are retrotranslocated but not degraded. We demonstrate here that MMTV SP
      retrotranslocation from the ER membrane avoids degradation through a unique
      process involving interaction with cellular p97 ATPase and failure to acquire
      cellular proteasome-targeting sequences.

PMID- 28351923
TI  - Differences in Integron Cassette Excision Dynamics Shape a Trade-Off between
      Evolvability and Genetic Capacitance.
AB  - Integrons ensure a rapid and "on demand" response to environmental stresses
      driving bacterial adaptation. They are able to capture, store, and reorder
      functional gene cassettes due to site-specific recombination catalyzed by their
      integrase. Integrons can be either sedentary and chromosomally located or mobile
      when they are associated with transposons and plasmids. They are respectively
      called sedentary chromosomal integrons (SCIs) and mobile integrons (MIs). MIs are
      key players in the dissemination of antibiotic resistance genes. Here, we used in
      silico and in vivo approaches to study cassette excision dynamics in MIs and
      SCIs. We show that the orientation of cassette arrays relative to replication
      influences attC site folding and cassette excision by placing the recombinogenic
      strands of attC sites on either the leading or lagging strand template. We also
      demonstrate that stability of attC sites and their propensity to form
      recombinogenic structures also regulate cassette excision. We observe that
      cassette excision dynamics driven by these factors differ between MIs and SCIs.
      Cassettes with high excision rates are more commonly found on MIs, which favors
      their dissemination relative to SCIs. This is especially true for SCIs carried in
      the Vibrio genus, where maintenance of large cassette arrays and vertical
      transmission are crucial to serve as a reservoir of adaptive functions. These
      results expand the repertoire of known processes regulating integron
      recombination that were previously established and demonstrate that, in terms of
      cassette dynamics, a subtle trade-off between evolvability and genetic
      capacitance has been established in bacteria.IMPORTANCE The integron system
      confers upon bacteria a rapid adaptation capability in changing environments.
      Specifically, integrons are involved in the continuous emergence of bacteria
      resistant to almost all antibiotic treatments. The international situation is
      critical, and in 2050, the annual number of deaths caused by multiresistant
      bacteria could reach 10 million, exceeding the incidence of deaths related to
      cancer. It is crucial to increase our understanding of antibiotic resistance
      dissemination and therefore integron recombination dynamics to find new
      approaches to cope with the worldwide problem of multiresistance. Here, we
      studied the dynamics of recombination and dissemination of gene encoding
      cassettes carried on integrons. By combining in silico and in vivo analyses, we
      show that cassette excision is highly regulated by replication and by the
      intrinsic properties of cassette recombination sites. We also demonstrated
      differences in the dynamics of cassette recombination between mobile and
      sedentary chromosomal integrons (MIs and SCIs). For MIs, a high cassette
      recombination rate is favored and timed to conditions when generating diversity
      (upon which selection can act) allows for a rapid response to environmental
      conditions and stresses. In contrast, for SCIs, cassette excisions are less
      frequent, limiting cassette loss and ensuring a large pool of cassettes. We
      therefore confirm a role of SCIs as reservoirs of adaptive functions and
      demonstrate that the remarkable adaptive success of integron recombination system
      is due to its intricate regulation.

PMID- 28351924
TI  - Plasmodium falciparum Maf1 Confers Survival upon Amino Acid Starvation.
AB  - The target of rapamycin complex 1 (TORC1) pathway is a highly conserved signaling
      pathway across eukaryotes that integrates nutrient and stress signals to regulate
      the cellular growth rate and the transition into and maintenance of dormancy. The
      majority of the pathway's components, including the central TOR kinase, have been
      lost in the apicomplexan lineage, and it is unknown how these organisms detect
      and respond to nutrient starvation in its absence. Plasmodium falciparum encodes
      a putative ortholog of the RNA polymerase (Pol) III repressor Maf1, which has
      been demonstrated to modulate Pol III transcription in a TOR-dependent manner in
      a number of organisms. Here, we investigate the role of P. falciparum Maf1
      (PfMaf1) in regulating RNA Pol III expression under conditions of nutrient
      starvation and other stresses. Using a transposon insertion mutant with an
      altered Maf1 expression profile, we demonstrated that proper Maf1 expression is
      necessary for survival of the dormancy-like state induced by prolonged amino acid
      starvation and is needed for full recovery from other stresses that slow or stall
      the parasite cell cycle. This Maf1 mutant is defective in the downregulation of
      pre-tRNA synthesis under nutrient-limiting conditions, indicating that the
      function of Maf1 as a stress-responsive regulator of structural RNA transcription
      is conserved in P. falciparum Recent work has demonstrated that parasites
      carrying artemisinin-resistant K13 alleles display an enhanced ability to recover
      from drug-induced growth retardation. We show that one such artemisinin-resistant
      line displays greater regulation of pre-tRNA expression and higher survival upon
      prolonged amino acid starvation, suggesting that overlapping, PfMaf1-associated
      pathways may regulate growth recovery from both artemisinin treatment and amino
      acid starvation.IMPORTANCE Eukaryote organisms sense changes in their environment
      and integrate this information through signaling pathways to activate response
      programs to ensure survival. The TOR pathway is a well-studied signaling pathway
      found throughout eukaryotes that is known to integrate a variety of signals to
      regulate organismal growth in response to starvation and other stresses. The
      human malaria parasite Plasmodium falciparum appears to have lost the TOR pathway
      over the course of evolution, and it is unclear how the parasite modulates its
      growth in response to starvation and drug treatment. Here, we show that Maf1, a
      protein regulated by TOR in other eukaryotes, plays an important role in
      maintaining the parasite's viability in the face of starvation and other forms of
      stress. This suggests that PfMaf1 is a component of a yet-to-be-described
      nutrient and stress response pathway.

PMID- 28351925
TI  - Serum IgG2 and tissue IgG2 plasma cell elevation in orbital IgG4-related disease
      (IgG4-RD): Potential use in IgG4-RD assessment.
AB  - AIMS: To determine the role of serum and tissue IgG2 in orbital biopsies with the
      histological features of IgG4-related disease (IgG4-RD) in comparison with non
      IgG4-related orbital inflammatory disorders (OID), including autoimmune
      disorders. METHODS: This is an international (Sheffield, UK, and Singapore)
      collaborative, retrospective case review of 69 patients (38 from Singapore
      National Eye Centre and 31 from Royal Hallamshire Hospital, Sheffield) with
      orbital inflammatory biopsies between 2002 and 2016. Clinical information and
      histology were reviewed and cases were classified into three groups: Group 1:
      IgG4-RD orbital inflammation (n=43); Group 2: idiopathic OID (n=12) and Group 3:
      autoimmune OID (n=14). Serum IgG1, IgG2, IgG3 and IgG4 levels were collated where
      available and immunohistochemistry (IHC) for tissue IgG2 plasma cells was
      performed. RESULTS: Dual IHC showed IgG2 plasma cells as a distinct population
      from IgG4 plasma cells. Significant (twofold) serum IgG2 elevation was noted
      among IgG4-RD (group 1), idiopathic (group 2) and autoimmune OID (group 3).
      Similarly, significant elevation of tissue IgG2 plasma cells was also seen among
      IgG4-RD (group 1), idiopathic and autoimmune OID (groups 2 and 3). CONCLUSIONS:
      Significant elevations of serum IgG2 and tissue IgG2 plasma cells are present in
      orbital IgG4-RD in comparison with non-IgG4 orbital inflammation (idiopathic and
      autoimmune OID), suggesting that IgG2 may play a role in IgG4-RD. A serum IgG2
      cut-off >5.3 g/L was found to be 80% sensitive and 91.7% specific for orbital
      IgG4-RD, with an accuracy of 0.90. Tissue IgG2 and IgG4 subclass reporting may
      provide additional insight regarding the 'IgG4-RD' pathogenesis.

PMID- 28351926
TI  - Epiblepharon in congenital glaucoma: case-control study.
AB  - BACKGROUND/AIMS: To assess the prevalence, clinical features and risk factors of
      lower lid epiblepharon among patients with congenital glaucoma. METHODS: Cross
      sectional, observational, case-control study. Patients diagnosed with congenital
      glaucoma between August 1999 and November 2014 were included. Demographic and
      clinical characteristic data were collected. Age-matched normal controls were
      recruited form general population. Main outcome measures were the prevalence,
      laterality and factors associated with epiblepharon in patients with congenital
      glaucoma. RESULTS: The prevalence of lower lid epiblepharon was higher in
      patients with congenital glaucoma compared with control group (40.7% vs 13.3%,
      p<0.001). Unilateral epiblepharon was only shown in patients with congenital
      glaucoma (47.8% vs 0.0%, p<0.001). Multivariate analysis revealed that high
      intraocular pressure (IOP) at glaucoma diagnosis (OR=1.122), presence of corneal
      erosion (OR=82.664) and presence of buphthalmos (OR=12.600) were significantly
      associated with the presence of lower lid epiblepharon. In addition, unilateral
      epiblepharon was associated with unilateral buphthalmos and unilateral glaucoma
      (OR of 49.849 and 7.338, respectively). CONCLUSIONS: The prevalence of
      epiblepharon was higher in patients with congenital glaucoma compared with age
      matched general population. In patients with congenital glaucoma, epiblepharon
      was associated with corneal erosions. In addition, buphthalmos and initial high
      IOP were associated with the development of lower lid epiblepharon. More
      importantly, unilateral buphthalmos was also significantly associated with
      unilateral epiblepharon. Therefore, in patients with congenital glaucoma,
      presence of epiblepharon should be evaluated especially in patients accompanying
      buphthalmos or corneal erosion.

PMID- 28351927
TI  - Factors influencing intraocular pressure, corneal thickness and corneal
      biomechanics after congenital cataract surgery.
AB  - AIMS: This study aims to compare intraocular pressure (IOP), central corneal
      thickness (CCT) and corneal biomechanics among patients with aphakia, patients
      with primary and secondary pseudophakia and matched controls following congenital
      cataract surgery and to investigate the factors influencing these variables.
      METHODS: This study included 36 aphakic eyes, 47 primary pseudophakic eyes and 30
      secondary pseudophakic eyes. Thirty-four normal eyes of matched volunteers were
      recruited for comparisons. Postoperative IOP measured with a Goldmann applanation
      tonometer (IOPGAT), CCT, corneal hysteresis (CH), corneal resistance factor (CRF)
      and cornea-compensated IOP (IOPCC) were compared among the groups. Univariate
      analyses and multiple linear regression analyses were used to investigate the
      influences of independent factors on IOPGAT, CCT, CH, CRF and IOPCC, considering
      all the operated eyes as one group. RESULTS: IOPGAT was 12.5+/-0.92, 14.7+/-1.9,
      13.4+/-2.3 and 15.7+/-2.0 mm Hg in normal, aphakic, primary pseudophakic and
      secondary pseudophakic eyes, respectively (p<0.001). CCT was 559.5+/-42.7,
      628.0+/-61.7, 566.8+/-35.3 and 585.2+/-41.1 um, respectively (p<0.001). CH was
      10.87+/-2.47, 10.42+/-2.20, 11.84+/-2.13 and 9.74+/-1.94 mm Hg, respectively
      (p=0.019). IOPCC was 15.91+/-3.74, 18.40+/-4.35, 14.58+/-4.36 and 19.05+/-4.54 mm
      Hg, respectively (p<0.001). There was no significant difference in CRF among the
      groups (p=0.06). Regression analyses revealed that the type of operation was
      significantly associated with IOPGAT (p=0.04), CCT (p<0.001) and CH (p=0.006).
      CONCLUSIONS: IOPGAT, CCT, CH and IOPCC were significantly different in treated
      eyes compared with normal eyes after congenital cataract surgery. These variables
      were primarily affected by the type of surgery. Primary intraocular lens
      implantation preserved corneal structure and function of the anterior chamber
      angle.

PMID- 28351928
TI  - Ribociclib (LEE011): Mechanism of Action and Clinical Impact of This Selective
      Cyclin-Dependent Kinase 4/6 Inhibitor in Various Solid Tumors.
AB  - The cyclin D-cyclin-dependent kinase (CDK) 4/6-p16-retinoblastoma (Rb) pathway is
      commonly disrupted in cancer, leading to abnormal cell proliferation.
      Therapeutics targeting this pathway have demonstrated antitumor effects in
      preclinical and clinical studies. Ribociclib is a selective, orally bioavailable
      inhibitor of CDK4 and CDK6, which received FDA approval in March 2017 and is set
      to enter the treatment landscape alongside other CDK4/6 inhibitors, including
      palbociclib and abemaciclib. Here, we describe the mechanism of action of
      ribociclib and review preclinical and clinical data from phase I, II, and III
      trials of ribociclib across different tumor types, within the context of other
      selective CDK4/6 inhibitors. The pharmacokinetics, pharmacodynamics, safety,
      tolerability, and clinical responses with ribociclib as a single agent or in
      combination with other therapies are discussed, and an overview of the broad
      portfolio of ongoing clinical trials with ribociclib across a wide range of
      indications is presented. On the basis of the available data, ribociclib has a
      manageable tolerability profile and therapeutic potential for a variety of cancer
      types. Its high selectivity makes it an important partner drug for other targeted
      therapies, and it has been shown to enhance the clinical activity of existing
      anticancer therapies and delay the development of treatment resistance, without
      markedly increasing toxicity. Ongoing trials of doublet and triplet targeted
      therapies containing ribociclib seek to identify optimal CDK4/6-based targeted
      combination regimens for various tumor types and advance the field of precision
      therapeutics in oncology. Clin Cancer Res; 23(13); 3251-62. (c)2017 AACR.

PMID- 28351930
TI  - Hyperprogressors after Immunotherapy: Analysis of Genomic Alterations Associated
      with Accelerated Growth Rate.
AB  - Purpose: Checkpoint inhibitors demonstrate salutary anticancer effects, including
      long-term remissions. PD-L1 expression/amplification, high mutational burden, and
      mismatch repair deficiency correlate with response. We have, however, observed a
      subset of patients who appear to be "hyperprogressors," with a greatly
      accelerated rate of tumor growth and clinical deterioration compared with
      pretherapy, which was also recently reported by Institut Gustave Roussy. The
      current study investigated potential genomic markers associated with
      "hyperprogression" after immunotherapy.Experimental Design: Consecutive stage IV
      cancer patients who received immunotherapies (CTLA-4, PD-1/PD-L1 inhibitors or
      other [investigational] agents) and had their tumor evaluated by next-generation
      sequencing were analyzed (N = 155). We defined hyperprogression as time-to
      treatment failure (TTF) <2 months, >50% increase in tumor burden compared with
      preimmunotherapy imaging, and >2-fold increase in progression pace.Results:
      Amongst 155 patients, TTF <2 months was seen in all six individuals with
      MDM2/MDM4 amplification. After anti-PD1/PDL1 monotherapy, four of these patients
      showed remarkable increases in existing tumor size (55% to 258%), new large
      masses, and significantly accelerated progression pace (2.3-, 7.1-, 7.2- and 42.3
      fold compared with the 2 months before immunotherapy). In multivariate analysis,
      MDM2/MDM4 and EGFR alterations correlated with TTF <2 months. Two of 10 patients
      with EGFR alterations were also hyperprogressors (53.6% and 125% increase in
      tumor size; 35.7- and 41.7-fold increase).Conclusions: Some patients with MDM2
      family amplification or EGFR aberrations had poor clinical outcome and
      significantly increased rate of tumor growth after single-agent checkpoint (PD
      1/PD-L1) inhibitors. Genomic profiles may help to identify patients at risk for
      hyperprogression on immunotherapy. Further investigation is urgently needed. Clin
      Cancer Res; 23(15); 4242-50. (c)2017 AACR.

PMID- 28351929
TI  - Genetic Heterogeneity in Therapy-Naive Synchronous Primary Breast Cancers and
      Their Metastases.
AB  - Purpose: Paired primary breast cancers and metachronous metastases after adjuvant
      treatment are reported to differ in their clonal composition and genetic
      alterations, but it is unclear whether these differences stem from the selective
      pressures of the metastatic process, the systemic therapies, or both. We sought
      to define the repertoire of genetic alterations in breast cancer patients with de
      novo metastatic disease who had not received local or systemic
      therapy.Experimental Design: Up to two anatomically distinct core biopsies of
      primary breast cancers and synchronous distant metastases from nine patients who
      presented with metastatic disease were subjected to high-depth whole-exome
      sequencing. Mutations, copy number alterations and their cancer cell fractions,
      and mutation signatures were defined using state-of-the-art bioinformatics
      methods. All mutations identified were validated with orthogonal methods.Results:
      Genomic differences were observed between primary and metastatic deposits, with a
      median of 60% (range 6%-95%) of shared somatic mutations. Although mutations in
      known driver genes including TP53, PIK3CA, and GATA3 were preferentially clonal
      in both sites, primary breast cancers and their synchronous metastases displayed
      spatial intratumor heterogeneity. Likely pathogenic mutations affecting
      epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition-related genes, including SMAD4, TCF7L2, and
      TCF4 (ITF2), were found to be restricted to or enriched in the metastatic
      lesions. Mutational signatures of trunk mutations differed from those of
      mutations enriched in the primary tumor or the metastasis in six
      cases.Conclusions: Synchronous primary breast cancers and metastases differ in
      their repertoire of somatic genetic alterations even in the absence of systemic
      therapy. Mutational signature shifts might contribute to spatial intratumor
      genetic heterogeneity. Clin Cancer Res; 23(15); 4402-15. (c)2017 AACR.

PMID- 28351931
TI  - Antibodies inhibit transmission and aggregation of C9orf72 poly-GA dipeptide
      repeat proteins.
AB  - Cell-to-cell transmission of protein aggregates is an emerging theme in
      neurodegenerative disease. Here, we analyze the dipeptide repeat (DPR) proteins
      that form neuronal inclusions in patients with hexanucleotide repeat expansion
      C9orf72, the most common known cause of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and
      frontotemporal lobar degeneration (FTLD). Sense and antisense transcripts of the
      (G4C2)n repeat are translated by repeat-associated non-ATG (RAN) translation in
      all reading frames into five aggregating DPR proteins. We show that the
      hydrophobic DPR proteins poly-GA, poly-GP, and poly-PA are transmitted between
      cells using co-culture assays and cell extracts. Moreover, uptake or expression
      of poly-GA induces nuclear RNA foci in (G4C2)80-expressing cells and patient
      fibroblasts, suggesting an unexpected positive feedback loop. Exposure to
      recombinant poly-GA and cerebellar extracts of C9orf72 patients increases repeat
      RNA levels and seeds aggregation of all DPR proteins in receiver cells expressing
      (G4C2)80 Treatment with anti-GA antibodies inhibits intracellular poly-GA
      aggregation and blocks the seeding activity of C9orf72 brain extracts. Poly-GA
      directed immunotherapy may thus reduce DPR aggregation and disease progression in
      C9orf72 ALS/FTD.

PMID- 28351932
TI  - Seeding and transgenic overexpression of alpha-synuclein triggers dendritic spine
      pathology in the neocortex.
AB  - Although misfolded and aggregated alpha-synuclein (alpha-syn) is recognized in
      the disease progression of synucleinopathies, its role in the impairment of
      cortical circuitries and synaptic plasticity remains incompletely understood. We
      investigated how alpha-synuclein accumulation affects synaptic plasticity in the
      mouse somatosensory cortex using two distinct approaches. Long-term in vivo
      imaging of apical dendrites was performed in mice overexpressing wild-type human
      alpha-synuclein. Additionally, intracranial injection of preformed alpha
      synuclein fibrils was performed to induce cortical alpha-syn pathology. We find
      that alpha-synuclein overexpressing mice show decreased spine density and
      abnormalities in spine dynamics in an age-dependent manner. We also provide
      evidence for the detrimental effects of seeded alpha-synuclein aggregates on
      dendritic architecture. We observed spine loss as well as dystrophic deformation
      of dendritic shafts in layer V pyramidal neurons. Our results provide a link to
      the pathophysiology underlying dementia associated with synucleinopathies and may
      enable the evaluation of potential drug candidates on dendritic spine pathology
      in vivo.

PMID- 28351933
TI  - Cytosolic DNA sensor-initiated innate immune responses in mouse ovarian granulosa
      cells.
AB  - Viral infections of the ovary may perturb ovarian functions. However, the
      mechanisms underlying innate immune responses in the ovary are poorly understood.
      The present study demonstrates that cytosolic viral DNA sensor signaling
      initiates the innate immune response in mouse ovarian granulosa cells and affects
      endocrine function. The cytosolic DNA sensors p204 and cGAS and their common
      signaling adaptor stimulator of interferon (IFN) genes (STING) were
      constitutively expressed in granulosa cells. Transfection with VACV70, a
      synthetic vaccinia virus (VACV) DNA analog, induced the expression of type I
      interferons (IFNA/B) and major inflammatory cytokines (TNFA and IL6) through IRF3
      and NF-kappaB activation respectively. Moreover, several IFN-inducible antiviral
      proteins, including 2',5'-oligoadenylate synthetase, IFN-stimulating gene 15 and
      Mx GTPase 1, were also induced by VACV70 transfection. The innate immune
      responses in granulosa cells were significantly reduced by the transfection of
      specific small-interfering RNAs targeting p204, cGas or Sting Notably, the VACV70
      triggered innate immune responses affected steroidogenesis in vivo and in vitro
      The data presented in this study describe the mechanism underlying ovarian immune
      responses to viral infection.

PMID- 28351934
TI  - Genetic profiling of MYC and BCL2 in diffuse large B-cell lymphoma determines
      cell-of-origin-specific clinical impact.
AB  - The clinical significance of MYC and BCL2 genetic alterations in diffuse large B
      cell lymphoma (DLBCL), apart from translocations, has not been comprehensively
      investigated using high-resolution genetic assays. In this study, we profiled MYC
      and BCL2 genetic alterations using next-generation sequencing and high-resolution
      SNP array in 347 de novo DLBCL cases treated with R-CHOP (rituximab,
      cyclophosphamide, doxorubicin, vincristine, and prednisone) at the British
      Columbia Cancer Agency. Cell-of-origin (COO) subtype was determined by Lymph2Cx
      digital gene expression profiling. We showed that the incidence of MYC/BCL2
      genetic alterations and their clinical significance were largely dependent on COO
      subtypes. It is noteworthy that the presence of BCL2 gain/amplification is
      significantly associated with poor outcome in activated B-cell-like and BCL2
      translocation with poor outcome in germinal center B-cell subtypes, respectively.
      Both have prognostic significance independent of MYC/BCL2 dual expression and the
      International Prognostic Index (IPI). Furthermore, the combination of BCL2
      genetic alterations with IPI identifies markedly worse prognostic groups within
      individual COO subtypes. Thus, high-resolution genomic assays identify extremely
      poor prognostic groups within each COO subtype on the basis of BCL2 genetic
      status in this large, uniformly R-CHOP-treated population-based cohort of DLBCL.
      These results suggest COO subtype-specific biomarkers based on BCL2 genetic
      alterations can be used to risk-stratify patients with DLBCL treated with
      immunochemotherapy.

PMID- 28351935
TI  - Bidirectional immune tolerance in nonmyeloablative MHC-mismatched BMT for murine
      beta-thalassemia.
AB  - Nonmyeloablative conditioning using total lymphoid irradiation (TLI) and rabbit
      antithymocyte serum (ATS) (the murine preclinical equivalent of antithymocyte
      globulin [ATG]) facilitates immune tolerance after bone marrow transplantation
      (BMT) across major histocompatibility complex (MHC) disparities and may be a
      useful strategy for nonmalignant disorders. We previously reported that donor
      effector T-cell function and graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) are regulated via
      recipient invariant natural killer T-cell (iNKT) interleukin-4-driven expansion
      of donor Foxp3+ naturally occurring regulatory T cells (Tregs). This occurs via
      recipient iNKT- and STAT6-dependent expansion of recipient myeloid dendritic
      cells (MDCs) that induce contact-dependent expansion of donor Treg through PD
      1/PD ligand signaling. After TLI/ATS + BMT, Gr-1lowCD11c+ MDCs and Gr
      1highCD11cneg myeloid-derived suppressor cells (MDSCs) were enriched in GVHD
      target organs. We now report that the recovery of both recipient MDSCs (P < .01)
      and MDCs (P < .01) is significantly increased when the alkylator cyclophosphamide
      (CTX) is added to TLI/ATS conditioning. In a BALB/c -> B6 lethal GVHD model,
      adoptive transfer of MDSCs from TLI/ATS/CTX-conditioned recipients is associated
      with significantly improved GVHD colitis and survival (P < .001), conversion of
      MDSCs to PD ligand-expressing MDCs, and increased donor naturally occurring Treg
      recovery (P < .01) compared with control treatment. Using BALB/c donors and beta
      thalassemic HW-80 recipients, we found significantly improved rates of
      engraftment and GVHD following TLI/ATS/CTX compared with TLI/ATS, lethal or
      sublethal total body irradiation/ATS/CTX, or CTX/ATS conditioning. These data
      provide preclinical support for trials of TLI/ATG/alkylator regimens for MHC
      mismatched BMT for hemoglobinopathies. The data also delineate innate immune
      mechanisms by which TLI/ATS/CTX conditioning may augment transplantation
      tolerance.

PMID- 28351936
TI  - Endoglin: a novel target for therapeutic intervention in acute leukemias revealed
      in xenograft mouse models.
AB  - Endoglin (CD105), a receptor of the transforming growth factor-beta superfamily,
      has been reported to identify functional long-term repopulating hematopoietic
      stem cells, and has been detected in certain subtypes of acute leukemias. Whether
      this receptor plays a functional role in leukemogenesis remains unknown. We
      identified endoglin expression on the majority of blasts from patients with acute
      myeloid leukemia (AML) and acute B-lymphoblastic leukemia (B-ALL). Using a
      xenograft model, we find that CD105+ blasts are endowed with superior
      leukemogenic activity compared with the CD105- population. We test the effect of
      targeting this receptor using the monoclonal antibody TRC105, and find that in
      AML, TRC105 prevented the engraftment of primary AML blasts and inhibited
      leukemia progression following disease establishment, but in B-ALL, TRC105 alone
      was ineffective due to the shedding of soluble CD105. However, in both B-ALL and
      AML, TRC105 synergized with reduced intensity myeloablation to inhibit
      leukemogenesis, indicating that TRC105 may represent a novel therapeutic option
      for B-ALL and AML.

PMID- 28351937
TI  - Presentation and outcome of patients with 2016 WHO diagnosis of prefibrotic and
      overt primary myelofibrosis.
AB  - The 2016 revision of the World Health Organization (WHO) classification of
      myeloproliferative neoplasms defines 2 stages of primary myelofibrosis (PMF):
      prefibrotic/early (pre-PMF) and overt fibrotic (overt PMF) phase. In this work,
      we studied the clinical and molecular features of patients belonging to these
      categories of PMF. The diagnosis of 661 PMF patients with a bone marrow biopsy at
      presentation was revised according to modern criteria; clinical information and
      annotation of somatic mutations in both driver and selected nondriver myeloid
      genes were available for all patients. Compared with pre-PMF, overt PMF was
      enriched in patients with anemia, thrombocytopenia, leukopenia, higher blast
      count, symptoms, large splenomegaly, and unfavorable karyotype. The different
      types of driver mutations were similarly distributed between the 2 categories,
      whereas selected mutations comprising the high mutation risk (HMR) category (any
      mutations in ASXL1, SRSF2, IDH1/2, EZH2) were more represented in overt PMF. More
      patients with overt PMF were in higher International Prognostic Scoring System
      risk categories at diagnosis, and the frequency increased during follow-up,
      suggesting greater propensity to disease progression compared with pre-PMF.
      Median survival was significantly shortened in overt PMF (7.2 vs 17.6 years),
      with triple negativity for driver mutations and presence of HMR mutations
      representing independent predictors of unfavorable outcome. The findings of this
      "real-life" study indicate that adherence to 2016 WHO criteria allows for
      identification of 2 distinct categories of patients with PMF where increased
      grades of fibrosis are associated with more pronounced disease manifestations,
      adverse mutation profile, and worse outcome, overall suggesting they might
      represent a phenotypic continuum.

PMID- 28351938
TI  - Predictive model for survival in patients with AML/MDS receiving haploidentical
      stem cell transplantation.

PMID- 28351941
TI  - Government's childhood obesity plan does not go far enough, say MPs.

PMID- 28351939
TI  - Cytoreductive conditioning intensity predicts clonal diversity in ADA-SCID
      retroviral gene therapy patients.
AB  - Retroviral gene therapy has proved efficacious for multiple genetic diseases of
      the hematopoietic system, but roughly half of clinical gene therapy trial
      protocols using gammaretroviral vectors have reported leukemias in some of the
      patients treated. In dramatic contrast, 39 adenosine deaminase-deficient severe
      combined immunodeficiency (ADA-SCID) patients have been treated with 4 distinct
      gammaretroviral vectors without oncogenic consequence. We investigated clonal
      dynamics and diversity in a cohort of 15 ADA-SCID children treated with
      gammaretroviral vectors and found clear evidence of genotoxicity, indicated by
      numerous common integration sites near proto-oncogenes and by increased abundance
      of clones with integrations near MECOM and LMO2 These clones showed stable
      behavior over multiple years and never expanded to the point of dominance or
      dysplasia. One patient developed a benign clonal dominance that could not be
      attributed to insertional mutagenesis and instead likely resulted from expansion
      of a transduced natural killer clone in response to chronic Epstein-Barr virus
      viremia. Clonal diversity and T-cell repertoire, measured by vector integration
      site sequencing and T-cell receptor beta-chain rearrangement sequencing,
      correlated significantly with the amount of busulfan preconditioning delivered to
      patients and to CD34+ cell dose. These data, in combination with results of other
      ADA-SCID gene therapy trials, suggest that disease background may be a crucial
      factor in leukemogenic potential of retroviral gene therapy and underscore the
      importance of cytoreductive conditioning in this type of gene therapy approach.

PMID- 28351942
TI  - Targeting the TSH receptor in thyroid cancer.
AB  - Recent advances in the arena of theranostics have necessitated a re-examining of
      previously established fields. The existing paradigm of therapeutic thyroid
      stimulating hormone receptor (TSHR) targeting in the post-surgical management of
      differentiated thyroid cancer using levothyroxine and recombinant human thyroid
      stimulating hormone (TSH) is well understood. However, in an era of personalized
      medicine, and with an increasing awareness of the risk profile of longstanding
      pharmacological hyperthyroidism, it is imperative clinicians understand the
      molecular basis and magnitude of benefit for individual patients. Furthermore,
      TSHR has been recently re-conceived as a selective target for residual metastatic
      thyroid cancer, with pilot data demonstrating effective targeting of
      nanoparticles to thyroid cancers using this receptor as a target. This review
      examines the evidence for TSHR signaling as an oncogenic pathway and assesses the
      evidence for ongoing TSHR expression in thyroid cancer metastases. Priorities for
      further research are highlighted.

PMID- 28351944
TI  - Defining Pediatric Chronic Critical Illness for Clinical Care, Research, and
      Policy.
AB  - Chronically critically ill pediatric patients represent an emerging population in
      NICUs and PICUs. Chronic critical illness has been recognized and defined in the
      adult population, but the same attention has not been systematically applied to
      pediatrics. This article reviews what is currently known about pediatric chronic
      critical illness, highlighting the unique aspects of chronic critical illness in
      infants and children, including specific considerations of prognosis, outcomes,
      and decision-making. We propose a definition that incorporates NICU versus PICU
      stays, recurrent ICU admissions, dependence on life-sustaining technology,
      multiorgan dysfunction, underlying medical complexity, and the developmental
      implications of congenital versus acquired conditions. We propose a research
      agenda, highlighting existing knowledge gaps and targeting areas of improvement
      in clinical care, research, and policy.

PMID- 28351943
TI  - Apc inactivation, but not obesity, synergizes with Pten deficiency to drive
      intestinal stem cell-derived tumorigenesis.
AB  - Obesity is a major risk factor for colorectal cancer and can accelerate Lgr5+
      intestinal stem cell (ISC)-derived tumorigenesis after the inactivation of Apc
      However, whether non-canonical pathways involving PI3K-Akt signaling in ISCs can
      lead to tumor formation, and if this can be further exacerbated by obesity is
      unknown. Despite the synergy between Pten and Apc inactivation in epithelial
      cells on intestinal tumor formation, their combined role in Lgr5+-ISCs, which are
      the most rapidly dividing ISC population in the intestine, is unknown. Lgr5+-GFP
      mice were provided low-fat diet (LFD) or high-fat diet (HFD) for 8 months, and
      the transcriptome was evaluated in Lgr5+-ISCs. For tumor studies, Lgr5+-GFP and
      Lgr5+-GFP-Ptenflox/flox mice were tamoxifen treated to inactivate Pten in ISCs
      and provided LFD or HFD until 14-15 months of age. Finally, various combinations
      of Lgr5+-ISC-specific, Apc- and Pten-deleted mice were generated and evaluated
      for histopathology and survival. HFD did not overtly alter Akt signaling in ISCs,
      but did increase other metabolic pathways. Pten deficiency, but not HFD,
      increased BrdU-positive cells in the small intestine (P < 0.05). However,
      combining Pten and Apc deficiency synergistically increased proliferative
      markers, tumor pathology and mortality, in a dose-dependent fashion (P < 0.05).
      In summary, we show that HFD alone fails to drive Akt signaling in ISCs and that
      Pten deficiency is dispensable as a tumor suppressor in Lgr5+-ISCs. However,
      combining Pten and Apc deficiency in ISCs synergistically increases
      proliferation, tumor formation and mortality. Thus, aberrant Wnt/beta-catenin,
      rather than PI3K-Akt signaling, is requisite for obesity to drive Lgr5+ ISC
      derived tumorigenesis.

PMID- 28351945
TI  - Caveolin-1-mediated internalization of the vitamin C transporter SVCT2 in
      microglia triggers an inflammatory phenotype.
AB  - Vitamin C is essential for the development and function of the central nervous
      system (CNS). The plasma membrane sodium-vitamin C cotransporter 2 (SVCT2) is the
      primary mediator of vitamin C uptake in neurons. SVCT2 specifically transports
      ascorbate, the reduced form of vitamin C, which acts as a reducing agent. We
      demonstrated that ascorbate uptake through SVCT2 was critical for the homeostasis
      of microglia, the resident myeloid cells of the CNS that are essential for proper
      functioning of the nervous tissue. We found that depletion of SVCT2 from the
      plasma membrane triggered a proinflammatory phenotype in microglia and resulted
      in microglia activation. Src-mediated phosphorylation of caveolin-1 on Tyr14 in
      microglia induced the internalization of SVCT2. Ascorbate treatment, SVCT2
      overexpression, or blocking SVCT2 internalization prevented the activation of
      microglia. Overall, our work demonstrates the importance of the ascorbate
      transport system for microglial homeostasis and hints that dysregulation of
      ascorbate transport might play a role in neurological disorders.

PMID- 28351947
TI  - Antidepressants protect bones from metastatic prostate cancer.
AB  - Monoamine oxidase A-targeted antidepressants inhibit a tumor-stroma loop and
      could delay the metastatic outgrowth of prostate cancer.

PMID- 28351951
TI  - Polyglutamine makes the switch.
AB  - In worms, a regulator of noncoding RNA directly catalyzes formation of toxic
      protein aggregates in the presence of polyglutamine.

PMID- 28351952
TI  - Shaping the gut microbiome from the pancreas.
AB  - The intracellular Ca2+ channel Orai1 in pancreatic acinar cells helps to suppress
      inflammation-associated bacterial strains in the gut.

PMID- 28351946
TI  - Stress-induced dynamic regulation of mitochondrial STAT3 and its association with
      cyclophilin D reduce mitochondrial ROS production.
AB  - Signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3) is associated with
      various physiological and pathological functions, mainly as a transcription
      factor that translocates to the nucleus upon tyrosine phosphorylation induced by
      cytokine stimulation. In addition, a small pool of STAT3 resides in the
      mitochondria, where it serves as a sensor for various metabolic stressors
      including reactive oxygen species (ROS). Mitochondrially localized STAT3 largely
      exerts its effects through direct or indirect regulation of the activity of the
      electron transport chain (ETC). It has been assumed that the amounts of STAT3 in
      the mitochondria are static. We showed that various stimuli, including oxidative
      stress and cytokines, triggered a signaling cascade that resulted in a rapid loss
      of mitochondrially localized STAT3. Recovery of the mitochondrial pool of STAT3
      over time depended on phosphorylation of Ser727 in STAT3 and new protein
      synthesis. Under these conditions, mitochondrially localized STAT3 also became
      competent to bind to cyclophilin D (CypD). Binding of STAT3 to CypD was mediated
      by the amino terminus of STAT3, which was also important for reducing
      mitochondrial ROS production after oxidative stress. These results outline a role
      for mitochondrially localized STAT3 in sensing and responding to external
      stimuli.

PMID- 28351954
TI  - Indian government agrees radical plan for universal healthcare.

PMID- 28351956
TI  - Inner Workings: SMART collars help track and conserve wildlife.

PMID- 28351953
TI  - Sphingosine 1-phosphate signaling through its receptor S1P5 promotes chromosome
      segregation and mitotic progression.
AB  - Sphingosine kinase 1 (SphK1) promotes cell proliferation and survival, and its
      abundance is often increased in tumors. SphK1 produces the signaling lipid
      sphingosine 1-phosphate (S1P), which activates signaling cascades downstream five
      G protein-coupled receptors (S1P1-5) to modulate vascular and immune system
      function and promote proliferation. We identified a new function of the SphK1-S1P
      pathway specifically in the control of mitosis. SphK1 depletion in HeLa cells
      caused prometaphase arrest, whereas its overexpression or activation accelerated
      mitosis. Increasing the abundance of S1P promoted mitotic progression, overrode
      the spindle assembly checkpoint (SAC), and led to chromosome segregation defects.
      S1P was secreted through the transporter SPNS2 and stimulated mitosis by binding
      to and activating S1P5 on the extracellular side, which then activated the
      intracellular phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K)-AKT pathway. Knockdown of S1P5
      prevented the S1P-induced spindle defect phenotype. RNA interference assays
      revealed that the mitotic kinase Polo-like kinase 1 (PLK1) was an important
      effector of S1P-S1P5 signaling-induced mitosis in HeLa cells. Our findings
      identify an extracellular signal and the downstream pathway that promotes mitotic
      progression and may indicate potential therapeutic targets to inhibit the
      proliferation of cancer cells.

PMID- 28351957
TI  - Core Concept: Unraveling the enigma of fast radio bursts.

PMID- 28351959
TI  - The innate immune system in human systemic lupus erythematosus.
AB  - Although the role of adaptive immune mechanisms, e.g. autoantibody formation and
      abnormal T-cell activation, has been long noted in the pathogenesis of human
      systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), the role of innate immunity has been less
      well characterized. An intricate interplay between both innate and adaptive
      immune elements exists in protective anti-infective immunity as well as in
      detrimental autoimmunity. More recently, it has become clear that the innate
      immune system in this regard not only starts inflammation cascades in SLE leading
      to disease flares, but also continues to fuel adaptive immune responses
      throughout the course of the disease. This is why targeting the innate immune
      system offers an additional means of treating SLE. First trials assessing the
      efficacy of anti-type I interferon (IFN) therapy or modulators of pattern
      recognition receptor (PRR) signalling have been attempted. In this review, we
      summarize the available evidence on the role of several distinct innate immune
      elements, especially neutrophils and dendritic cells as well as the IFN system,
      as well as specific innate PRRs along with their signalling pathways. Finally, we
      highlight recent clinical trials in SLE addressing one or more of the
      aforementioned components of the innate immune system.

PMID- 28351960
TI  - Pathogenesis of white matter changes in cerebral small vessel diseases: beyond
      vessel-intrinsic mechanisms.
AB  - Cerebral small vessel diseases (SVDs) are a leading cause of age and hypertension
      related stroke and dementia. The salient features of SVDs visible on conventional
      brain magnetic resonance images include white matter hyperintensities (WMHs) on
      T2-weighted images, small infarcts, macrohemorrhages, dilated perivascular
      spaces, microbleeds and brain atrophy. Among these, WMHs are the most common and
      often the earliest brain tissue changes. Moreover, over the past two decades,
      large population- and patient-based studies have established the clinical
      importance of WMHs, notably with respect to cognitive and motor disturbances.
      Here, we seek to provide a new and critical look at the pathogenesis of SVD
      associated white matter (WM) changes. We first review our current knowledge of WM
      biology in the healthy brain, and then consider the main clinical and
      pathological features of WM changes in SVDs. The most widely held view is that
      SVD-associated WM lesions are caused by chronic hypoperfusion, impaired
      cerebrovascular reactivity (CVR) or blood-brain barrier (BBB) leakage. Here, we
      assess the arguments for and against each of these mechanisms based on
      population, patient and experimental model studies, and further discuss other
      potential mechanisms. Specifically, building on two recent seminal studies that
      have uncovered an anatomical and functional relationship between oligodendrocyte
      progenitor cells and blood vessels, we elaborate on how small vessel changes
      might compromise myelin remodelling and cause WM degeneration. Finally, we
      propose new directions for future studies on this hot research topic.

PMID- 28351961
TI  - Update on the State of the Evidence for Stroke Family Caregiver and Dyad
      Interventions.

PMID- 28351962
TI  - Pharmacogenetic Associations of beta1-Adrenergic Receptor Polymorphisms With
      Cardiovascular Outcomes in the SPS3 Trial (Secondary Prevention of Small
      Subcortical Strokes).
AB  - BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Functional polymorphisms (Ser49Gly and Arg389Gly) in
      ADRB1 have been associated with cardiovascular and beta-blocker response
      outcomes. Herein we examined associations of these polymorphisms with major
      adverse cardiovascular events (MACE), with and without stratification by beta
      blocker treatment in patients with a history of stroke. METHODS: Nine hundred and
      twenty-six participants of the SPS3 trial's (Secondary Prevention of Small
      Subcortical Strokes) genetic substudy with hypertension were included. MACE
      included stroke, myocardial infarction, and all-cause death. Kaplan-Meier and
      multivariable Cox regression analyses were used. Because the primary component of
      MACE was ischemic stroke, we tested the association of Ser49Gly with ischemic
      stroke among 41 475 individuals of European and African ancestry in the NINDS
      (National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke) SiGN (Stroke Genetics
      Network). RESULTS: MACE was higher in carriers of the Gly49 allele than in those
      with the Ser49Ser genotype (10.5% versus 5.4%, log-rank P=0.005). Gly49 carrier
      status was associated with MACE (hazard ratio, 1.62; 95% confidence interval,
      1.00-2.68) and ischemic stroke (hazard ratio, 1.81; 95% confidence interval, 1.01
      3.23) in SPS3 and with small artery ischemic stroke (odds ratio, 1.14; 95%
      confidence interval, 1.03-1.26) in SiGN. In SPS3, beta-blocker-treated Gly49
      carriers had increased MACE versus non-beta-blocker-treated individuals and
      noncarriers (hazard ratio, 2.03; 95% confidence interval, 1.20-3.45). No
      associations were observed with the Arg389Gly polymorphism. CONCLUSION: Among
      individuals with previous small artery ischemic stroke, the ADRB1 Gly49
      polymorphism was associated with MACE, particularly small artery ischemic stroke,
      a risk that may be increased among beta-blocker-treated individuals. Further
      research is needed to define beta-blocker benefit among ischemic stroke patients
      by ADRB1 genotype. CLINICAL TRIAL REGISTRATION: URL:
      http://www.clinicaltrials.gov. Unique identifier: NCT00059306.

PMID- 28351963
TI  - Associations of Ischemic Lesion Volume With Functional Outcome in Patients With
      Acute Ischemic Stroke: 24-Hour Versus 1-Week Imaging.
AB  - BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Ischemic lesion volume (ILV) on noncontrast computed
      tomography at 1 week can be used as a secondary outcome measure in patients with
      acute ischemic stroke. Twenty-four-hour ILV on noncontrast computed tomography
      has greater availability and potentially allows earlier estimation of functional
      outcome. We aimed to assess lesion growth 24 hours after stroke onset and compare
      the associations of 24-hour and 1-week ILV with functional outcome. METHODS: We
      included 228 patients from MR CLEAN trial (Multicenter Randomized Clinical Trial
      of Endovascular Treatment for Acute Ischemic Stroke in the Netherlands), who
      received noncontrast computed tomography at 24-hour and 1-week follow-up on which
      ILV was measured. Relative and absolute lesion growth was determined. Logistic
      regression models were constructed either including the 24-hour or including the
      1-week ILV. Ordinal and dichotomous (0-2 and 3-6) modified Rankin scale scores
      were, respectively, used as primary and secondary outcome measures. RESULTS:
      Median ILV was 42 mL (interquartile range, 21-95 mL) and 64 mL (interquartile
      range: 30-120 mL) at 24 hours and 1 week, respectively. Relative lesion growth
      exceeding 30% occurred in 121 patients (53%) and absolute lesion growth exceeding
      20 mL occurred in 83 patients (36%). Both the 24-hour and 1-week ILVs were
      similarly significantly associated with functional outcome (both P<0.001). In the
      logistic analyses, the areas under the curve of the receiver-operator
      characteristic curves were similar: 0.85 (95% confidence interval, 0.80-0.90) and
      0.87 (95% confidence interval, 0.82-0.91) for including the 24-hour and 1-week
      ILV, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: Growth of ILV is common 24-hour poststroke onset.
      Nevertheless, the 24-hour ILV proved to be a valuable secondary outcome measure
      as it is equally strongly associated with functional outcome as the 1-week ILV.
      CLINICAL TRIAL REGISTRATION: URL: http://www.isrctn.com. Unique identifier:
      ISRCTN10888758.

PMID- 28351965
TI  - New cardiac magnetic resonance imaging modalities aid in the detection of
      myocardial fibrosis.

PMID- 28351964
TI  - Left ventricular remodeling leads to heart failure in mice with cardiac-specific
      overexpression of VEGF-B167: echocardiography and magnetic resonance imaging
      study.
AB  - Cardiac-specific overexpression of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF)-B167
      is known to induce left ventricular hypertrophy due to altered lipid metabolism,
      in which ceramides accumulate to the heart and cause mitochondrial damage. The
      aim of this study was to evaluate and compare different imaging methods to find
      the most sensitive way to diagnose at early stage the progressive left
      ventricular remodeling leading to heart failure. Echocardiography and
      cardiovascular magnetic resonance imaging were compared for imaging the hearts of
      transgenic mice with cardiac-specific overexpression of VEGF-B167 and wild-type
      mice from 5 to 14 months of age at several time points. Disease progression was
      verified by molecular biology methods and histology. We showed that left
      ventricular remodeling is already ongoing at the age of 5 months in transgenic
      mice leading to heart failure by the age of 14 months. Measurements from
      echocardiography and cardiovascular magnetic resonance imaging revealed similar
      changes in cardiac structure and function in the transgenic mice. Changes in
      histology, gene expressions, and electrocardiography supported the progression of
      left ventricular hypertrophy. Longitudinal relaxation time in rotating frame
      (T1rho ) in cardiovascular magnetic resonance imaging could be suitable for
      detecting severe fibrosis in the heart. We conclude that cardiac-specific
      overexpression of VEGF-B167 leads to left ventricular remodeling at early age and
      is a suitable model to study heart failure development with different imaging
      methods.

PMID- 28351966
TI  - The quest for load-independent left ventricular chamber properties: exploring the
      normalized pressure-volume loop.
AB  - Left ventricular (LV) pressure-volume (P-V) loop analysis is the gold standard
      for chamber function assessment. To advance beyond traditional P-V and pressure
      phase plane (dP/dt-P) analysis in the quest for novel load-independent chamber
      properties, we introduce the normalized P-V loop. High-fidelity LV pressure and
      volume data (161 P-V loops) from 13 normal control subjects were analyzed.
      Normalized LV pressure (PN) was defined by 0 <= P(t) <= 1. Normalized LV volume
      (VN) was defined as VN=V(t)/Vdiastasis, since the LV volume at diastasis
      (Vdiastasis) is the in-vivo equilibrium volume relative to which the LV volume
      oscillates. Plotting PN versus VN for each cardiac cycle generates normalized P-V
      loops. LV volume at the peak LV ejection rate and at the peak LV filling rate
      (peak -dV/dt and peak +dV/dt, respectively) were determined for conventional and
      normalized loops. VN at peak +dV/dt was inscribed at 64 +/- 5% of normalized
      equilibrium (diastatic) volume with an inter-subject variation of 8%, and had a
      reduced intra-subject (beat-to-beat) variation compared to conventional P-V loops
      (9% vs. 13%, respectively; P < 0.005), thereby demonstrating load-independent
      attributes. In contrast, VN at peak -dV/dt was inscribed at 81 +/- 9% with an
      inter-subject variation of 11%, and had no significant change in intra-subject
      (beat-to-beat) variation compared to conventional P-V loops (17% vs. 17%,
      respectively; P = 0.56), therefore failing to demonstrate load-independent
      tendencies. Thus, the normalized P-V loop advances the quest for load-independent
      LV chamber properties. VN at the peak LV filling rate (~sarcomere length at the
      peak sarcomere lengthening rate) manifests load-independent properties. This
      novel method may help to elucidate and quantify new attributes of cardiac and
      cellular function. It merits further application in additional human and animal
      physiologic and pathophysiologic datasets.

PMID- 28351969
TI  - Heartbeat: afterload is high (not low) in chronic mitral regurgitation!

PMID- 28351968
TI  - Effects of GABAa receptor antagonists on motor behavior in pharmacological
      Parkinson's disease model in mice.
AB  - The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of two gamma-amino butyric acid
      (GABA)a receptor antagonists on motor behavioral tasks in a pharmacological model
      of Parkinson disease (PD) in rodents. Ninety-six Swiss mice received
      intraperitoneal injection of Haloperidol (1 mg/kg) to block dopaminergic
      receptors. GABAa receptors antagonists Bicuculline (1 and 5 mg/kg) and Flumazenil
      (3 and 6 mg/kg) were used for the assessment of the interaction among these
      neurotransmitters, in this PD model. The motor behavior of the animals was
      evaluated in the catalepsy test (30, 60, and 90 min after drugs application),
      through open field test (after 60 min) and trough functional gait assessment
      (after 60 min). Both Bicuculline and Flumazenil were able to partially reverse
      catalepsy induced by Haloperidol. In the open field test, Haloperidol reduced the
      number of horizontal and vertical exploration of the animals, which was not
      reversed trough application of GABAa antagonists. Furthermore, the functional
      gait assessment was not sensitive enough to detect motor changes in this animal
      model of PD. There is an interaction between dopamine and GABA in the basal
      ganglia and the blocking GABAa receptors may have therapeutic potential in the
      treatment of PD.

PMID- 28351970
TI  - Cautious anticoagulation strategy in patients with dialysis-requiring end-stage
      kidney disease.

PMID- 28351967
TI  - Concerted regulation of renal plasma flow and glomerular filtration rate by renal
      dopamine and NOS I in rats on high salt intake.
AB  - Under high sodium intake renal dopamine (DA) increases while NOS I expression in
      macula densa cells (MD) decreases. To explore whether renal DA and NOS I, linked
      to natriuresis and to the stability of the tubuloglomerular feedback,
      respectively, act in concert to regulate renal plasma flow (RPF) and glomerular
      filtration rate (GFR). Male Wistar rats were studied under a normal sodium intake
      (NS, NaCl 0.24%) or a high sodium intake (HS, NaCl 1% in drinking water) during
      the 5 days of the study. For the last two days, the specific D1-like receptor
      antagonist SCH 23390 (1 mg kg bwt-1 day-1, sc) or a vehicle was administered. HS
      intake increased natriuresis, diuresis, and urinary DA while it decreased
      cortical NOS I expression (P < 0.05 vs. NS), Nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide
      phosphate diaphorase (NADPH-d) activity in MD (P < 0.001 vs. NS) and cortical
      nitrates+nitrites (NOx) production (NS 2.04 +/- 0.22 vs. HS 1.28 +/- 0.10 nmol mg
      protein-1, P < 0.01). Treatment with SCH 23390 to rats on HS sharply decreased
      hydroelectrolyte excretion (P < 0.001 vs. HS) while NOS I expression, NADPH-d
      activity and NOx production increased (P < 0.05 vs. HS for NOS I and P < 0.001
      vs. HS for NADPH-d and NOx). SCH 23390 increased RPF and GFR in HS rats (P < 0.01
      HS+SCH vs. HS). It did not cause variations in NS rats. Results indicate that
      when NS intake is shifted to a prolonged high sodium intake, renal DA through the
      D1R, and NOS I in MD cells act in concert to regulate RPF and GFR to stabilize
      the delivery of NaCl to the distal nephron.

PMID- 28351971
TI  - Trk receptor signaling and sensory neuron fate are perturbed in human neuropathy
      caused by Gars mutations.
AB  - Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease type 2D (CMT2D) is a peripheral nerve disorder caused
      by dominant, toxic, gain-of-function mutations in the widely expressed,
      housekeeping gene, GARS The mechanisms underlying selective nerve pathology in
      CMT2D remain unresolved, as does the cause of the mild-to-moderate sensory
      involvement that distinguishes CMT2D from the allelic disorder distal spinal
      muscular atrophy type V. To elucidate the mechanism responsible for the
      underlying afferent nerve pathology, we examined the sensory nervous system of
      CMT2D mice. We show that the equilibrium between functional subtypes of sensory
      neuron in dorsal root ganglia is distorted by Gars mutations, leading to sensory
      defects in peripheral tissues and correlating with overall disease severity.
      CMT2D mice display changes in sensory behavior concordant with the afferent
      imbalance, which is present at birth and nonprogressive, indicating that sensory
      neuron identity is prenatally perturbed and that a critical developmental insult
      is key to the afferent pathology. Through in vitro experiments, mutant, but not
      wild-type, GlyRS was shown to aberrantly interact with the Trk receptors and
      cause misactivation of Trk signaling, which is essential for sensory neuron
      differentiation and development. Together, this work suggests that both
      neurodevelopmental and neurodegenerative mechanisms contribute to CMT2D
      pathogenesis, and thus has profound implications for the timing of future
      therapeutic treatments.

PMID- 28351973
TI  - Model of brain activation predicts the neural collective influence map of the
      brain.
AB  - Efficient complex systems have a modular structure, but modularity does not
      guarantee robustness, because efficiency also requires an ingenious interplay of
      the interacting modular components. The human brain is the elemental paradigm of
      an efficient robust modular system interconnected as a network of networks (NoN).
      Understanding the emergence of robustness in such modular architectures from the
      interconnections of its parts is a longstanding challenge that has concerned many
      scientists. Current models of dependencies in NoN inspired by the power grid
      express interactions among modules with fragile couplings that amplify even small
      shocks, thus preventing functionality. Therefore, we introduce a model of NoN to
      shape the pattern of brain activations to form a modular environment that is
      robust. The model predicts the map of neural collective influencers (NCIs) in the
      brain, through the optimization of the influence of the minimal set of essential
      nodes responsible for broadcasting information to the whole-brain NoN. Our
      results suggest intervention protocols to control brain activity by targeting
      influential neural nodes predicted by network theory.

PMID- 28351972
TI  - ErbB2 regulates autophagic flux to modulate the proteostasis of APP-CTFs in
      Alzheimer's disease.
AB  - Proteolytic processing of amyloid precursor protein (APP) C-terminal fragments
      (CTFs) by gamma-secretase underlies the pathogenesis of Alzheimer's disease (AD).
      An RNA interference screen using APP-CTF [99-residue CTF (C99)]- and Notch
      specific gamma-secretase interaction assays identified a unique ErbB2-centered
      signaling network that was predicted to preferentially govern the proteostasis of
      APP-C99. Consistently, significantly elevated levels of ErbB2 were confirmed in
      the hippocampus of human AD brains. We then found that ErbB2 effectively
      suppressed autophagic flux by physically dissociating Beclin-1 from the Vps34
      Vps15 complex independent of its kinase activity. Down-regulation of ErbB2 by CL
      387,785 decreased the levels of C99 and secreted amyloid-beta in cellular,
      zebrafish, and mouse models of AD, through the activation of autophagy. Oral
      administration of an ErbB2-targeted CL-387,785 for 3 wk significantly improves
      the cognitive functions of APP/presenilin-1 (PS1) transgenic mice. This work
      unveils a noncanonical function of ErbB2 in modulating autophagy and establishes
      ErbB2 as a therapeutic target for AD.

PMID- 28351974
TI  - Mutational spectra of aflatoxin B1 in vivo establish biomarkers of exposure for
      human hepatocellular carcinoma.
AB  - Aflatoxin B1 (AFB1) and/or hepatitis B and C viruses are risk factors for human
      hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Available evidence supports the interpretation
      that formation of AFB1-DNA adducts in hepatocytes seeds a population of
      mutations, mainly G:C->T:A, and viral processes synergize to accelerate
      tumorigenesis, perhaps via inflammation. Responding to a need for early-onset
      evidence predicting disease development, highly accurate duplex sequencing was
      used to monitor acquisition of high-resolution mutational spectra (HRMS) during
      the process of hepatocarcinogenesis. Four-day-old male mice were treated with
      AFB1 using a regimen that induced HCC within 72 wk. For analysis, livers were
      separated into tumor and adjacent cellular fractions. HRMS of cells surrounding
      the tumors revealed predominantly G:C->T:A mutations characteristic of AFB1
      exposure. Importantly, 25% of all mutations were G->T in one trinucleotide
      context (CGC; the underlined G is the position of the mutation), which is also a
      hotspot mutation in human liver tumors whose incidence correlates with AFB1
      exposure. The technology proved sufficiently sensitive that the same distinctive
      spectrum was detected as early as 10 wk after dosing, well before evidence of
      neoplasia. Additionally, analysis of tumor tissue revealed a more complex pattern
      than observed in surrounding hepatocytes; tumor HRMS were a composite of the 10
      wk spectrum and a more heterogeneous set of mutations that emerged during tumor
      outgrowth. We propose that the 10-wk HRMS reflects a short-term mutational
      response to AFB1, and, as such, is an early detection metric for AFB1-induced
      liver cancer in this mouse model that will be a useful tool to reconstruct the
      molecular etiology of human hepatocarcinogenesis.

PMID- 28351975
TI  - Long noncoding miRNA gene represses wheat beta-diketone waxes.
AB  - The cuticle of terrestrial plants functions as a protective barrier against many
      biotic and abiotic stresses. In wheat and other Triticeae, beta-diketone waxes
      are major components of the epicuticular layer leading to the bluish-white
      glaucous trait in reproductive-age plants. Glaucousness in durum wheat is
      controlled by a metabolic gene cluster at the WAX1 (W1) locus and a dominant
      suppressor INHIBITOR of WAX1 (Iw1) on chromosome 2B. The wheat D subgenome from
      progenitor Aegilops tauschii contains W2 and Iw2 paralogs on chromosome 2D. Here
      we identify the Iw1 gene from durum wheat and demonstrate the unique regulatory
      mechanism by which Iw1 acts to suppress a carboxylesterase-like protein gene, W1
      COE, within the W1 multigene locus. Iw1 is a long noncoding RNA (lncRNA)
      containing an inverted repeat (IR) with >80% identity to W1-COE The Iw1
      transcript forms a miRNA precursor-like long hairpin producing a 21-nt
      predominant miRNA, miRW1, and smaller numbers of related sRNAs associated with
      the nonglaucous phenotype. When Iw1 was introduced into glaucous bread wheat,
      miRW1 accumulated, W1-COE and its paralog W2-COE were down-regulated, and the
      phenotype was nonglaucous and beta-diketone-depleted. The IR region of Iw1 has
      >94% identity to an IR region on chromosome 2 in Ae. tauschii that also produces
      miRW1 and lies within the marker-based location of Iw2 We propose the Iw loci
      arose from an inverted duplication of W1-COE and/or W2-COE in ancestral wheat to
      form evolutionarily young miRNA genes that act to repress the glaucous trait.

PMID- 28351976
TI  - Comparing nonpharmaceutical interventions for containing emerging epidemics.
AB  - Strategies for containing an emerging infectious disease outbreak must be
      nonpharmaceutical when drugs or vaccines for the pathogen do not yet exist or are
      unavailable. The success of these nonpharmaceutical strategies will depend on not
      only the effectiveness of isolation measures but also the epidemiological
      characteristics of the infection. However, there is currently no systematic
      framework to assess the relationship between different containment strategies and
      the natural history and epidemiological dynamics of the pathogen. Here, we
      compare the effectiveness of quarantine and symptom monitoring, implemented via
      contact tracing, in controlling epidemics using an agent-based branching model.
      We examine the relationship between epidemic containment and the disease dynamics
      of symptoms and infectiousness for seven case-study diseases with diverse natural
      histories, including Ebola, influenza A, and severe acute respiratory syndrome
      (SARS). We show that the comparative effectiveness of symptom monitoring and
      quarantine depends critically on the natural history of the infectious disease,
      its inherent transmissibility, and the intervention feasibility in the particular
      healthcare setting. The benefit of quarantine over symptom monitoring is
      generally maximized for fast-course diseases, but we show the conditions under
      which symptom monitoring alone can control certain outbreaks. This quantitative
      framework can guide policymakers on how best to use nonpharmaceutical
      interventions and prioritize research during an outbreak of an emerging pathogen.

PMID- 28351977
TI  - Deltex2 represses MyoD expression and inhibits myogenic differentiation by acting
      as a negative regulator of Jmjd1c.
AB  - The myogenic regulatory factor MyoD has been implicated as a key regulator of
      myogenesis, and yet there is little information regarding its upstream
      regulators. We found that Deltex2 inhibits myogenic differentiation in vitro, and
      that skeletal muscle stem cells from Deltex2 knockout mice exhibit precocious
      myogenic differentiation and accelerated regeneration in response to injury.
      Intriguingly, Deltex2 inhibits myogenesis by suppressing MyoD transcription, and
      the Deltex2 knockout phenotype can be rescued by a loss-of-function allele for
      MyoD In addition, we obtained evidence that Deltex2 regulates MyoD expression by
      promoting the enrichment of histone 3 modified by dimethylation at lysine 9 at a
      key regulatory region of the MyoD locus. The enrichment is attributed to a
      Deltex2 interacting protein, Jmjd1c, whose activity is directly inhibited by
      Deltex2 and whose expression is required for MyoD expression in vivo and in
      vitro. Finally, we find that Deltex2 causes Jmjd1c monoubiquitination and
      inhibits its demethylase activity. Mutation of the monoubiquitination site in
      Jmjd1c abolishes the inhibitory effect of Deltex2 on Jmjd1c demethylase activity.
      These results reveal a mechanism by which a member of the Deltex family of
      proteins can inhibit cellular differentiation, and demonstrate a role of Deltex
      in the epigenetic regulation of myogenesis.

PMID- 28351979
TI  - Pore translocation of knotted DNA rings.
AB  - We use an accurate coarse-grained model for DNA and stochastic molecular dynamics
      simulations to study the pore translocation of 10-kbp-long DNA rings that are
      knotted. By monitoring various topological and physical observables we find that
      there is not one, as previously assumed, but rather two qualitatively different
      modes of knot translocation. For both modes the pore obstruction caused by knot
      passage has a brief duration and typically occurs at a late translocation stage.
      Both effects are well in agreement with experiments and can be rationalized with
      a transparent model based on the concurrent tensioning and sliding of the
      translocating knotted chains. We also observed that the duration of the pore
      obstruction event is more controlled by the knot translocation velocity than the
      knot size. These features should advance the interpretation and design of future
      experiments aimed at probing the spontaneous knotting of biopolymers.

PMID- 28351978
TI  - Mouse model of Epstein-Barr virus LMP1- and LMP2A-driven germinal center B-cell
      lymphoproliferative disease.
AB  - Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) is a major cause of immunosuppression-related B-cell
      lymphomas and Hodgkin lymphoma (HL). In these malignancies, EBV latent membrane
      protein 1 (LMP1) and LMP2A provide infected B cells with surrogate CD40 and B
      cell receptor growth and survival signals. To gain insights into their
      synergistic in vivo roles in germinal center (GC) B cells, from which most EBV
      driven lymphomas arise, we generated a mouse model with conditional GC B-cell
      LMP1 and LMP2A coexpression. LMP1 and LMP2A had limited effects in
      immunocompetent mice. However, upon T- and NK-cell depletion, LMP1/2A caused
      massive plasmablast outgrowth, organ damage, and death. RNA-sequencing analyses
      identified EBV oncoprotein effects on GC B-cell target genes, including up
      regulation of multiple proinflammatory chemokines and master regulators of plasma
      cell differentiation. LMP1/2A coexpression also up-regulated key HL markers,
      including CD30 and mixed hematopoietic lineage markers. Collectively, our results
      highlight synergistic EBV membrane oncoprotein effects on GC B cells and provide
      a model for studies of their roles in immunosuppression-related
      lymphoproliferative diseases.

PMID- 28351980
TI  - Transcription factor Etv5 is essential for the maintenance of alveolar type II
      cells.
AB  - Alveolar type II (AT2) cell dysfunction contributes to a number of significant
      human pathologies including respiratory distress syndrome, lung adenocarcinoma,
      and debilitating fibrotic diseases, but the critical transcription factors that
      maintain AT2 cell identity are unknown. Here we show that the E26 transformation
      specific (ETS) family transcription factor Etv5 is essential to maintain AT2 cell
      identity. Deletion of Etv5 from AT2 cells produced gene and protein signatures
      characteristic of differentiated alveolar type I (AT1) cells. Consistent with a
      defect in the AT2 stem cell population, Etv5 deficiency markedly reduced recovery
      following bleomycin-induced lung injury. Lung tumorigenesis driven by mutant
      KrasG12D was also compromised by Etv5 deficiency. ERK activation downstream of
      Ras was found to stabilize Etv5 through inactivation of the cullin-RING ubiquitin
      ligase CRL4COP1/DET1 that targets Etv5 for proteasomal degradation. These
      findings identify Etv5 as a critical output of Ras signaling in AT2 cells,
      contributing to both lung homeostasis and tumor initiation.

PMID- 28351981
TI  - Range contraction enables harvesting to extinction.
AB  - Economic incentives to harvest a species usually diminish as its abundance
      declines, because harvest costs increase. This prevents harvesting to extinction.
      A known exception can occur if consumer demand causes a declining species'
      harvest price to rise faster than costs. This threat may affect rare and valuable
      species, such as large land mammals, sturgeons, and bluefin tunas. We analyze a
      similar but underappreciated threat, which arises when the geographic area
      (range) occupied by a species contracts as its abundance declines. Range
      contractions maintain the local densities of declining populations, which
      facilitates harvesting to extinction by preventing abundance declines from
      causing harvest costs to rise. Factors causing such range contractions include
      schooling, herding, or flocking behaviors-which, ironically, can be predator
      avoidance adaptations; patchy environments; habitat loss; and climate change. We
      use a simple model to identify combinations of range contractions and price
      increases capable of causing extinction from profitable overharvesting, and we
      compare these to an empirical review. We find that some aquatic species that
      school or forage in patchy environments experience sufficiently severe range
      contractions as they decline to allow profitable harvesting to extinction even
      with little or no price increase; and some high-value declining aquatic species
      experience severe price increases. For terrestrial species, the data needed to
      evaluate our theory are scarce, but available evidence suggests that extinction
      enabling range contractions may be common among declining mammals and birds.
      Thus, factors causing range contraction as abundance declines may pose
      unexpectedly large extinction risks to harvested species.

PMID- 28351982
TI  - The transcription factor Foxo1 controls germinal center B cell proliferation in
      response to T cell help.
AB  - Germinal center (GC) B cells cycle between two states, the light zone (LZ) and
      the dark zone (DZ), and in the latter they proliferate and hypermutate their
      immunoglobulin genes. How this functional transition takes place is still
      controversial. In this study, we demonstrate that ablation of Foxo1 after GC
      development led to the loss of the DZ GC B cells and disruption of the GC
      architecture, which is consistent with recent studies. Mechanistically, even upon
      provision of adequate T cell help, Foxo1-deficient GC B cells showed less
      proliferative expansion than controls. Moreover, we found that the transcription
      factor BATF was transiently induced in LZ GC B cells in a Foxo1-dependent manner
      and that deletion of BATF similarly led to GC disruption. Thus, our results are
      consistent with a model where the switch from the LZ to the DZ is triggered after
      receipt of T cell help, and suggest that Foxo1-mediated BATF up-regulation is at
      least partly involved in this switch.

PMID- 28351983
TI  - CXCR1 remodels the vascular niche to promote hematopoietic stem and progenitor
      cell engraftment.
AB  - The microenvironment is an important regulator of hematopoietic stem and
      progenitor cell (HSPC) biology. Recent advances marking fluorescent HSPCs have
      allowed exquisite visualization of HSPCs in the caudal hematopoietic tissue (CHT)
      of the developing zebrafish. Here, we show that the chemokine cxcl8 and its
      receptor, cxcr1, are expressed by zebrafish endothelial cells, and we identify
      cxcl8/cxcr1 signaling as a positive regulator of HSPC colonization. Single-cell
      tracking experiments demonstrated that this is a result of increases in HSPC
      endothelial cell "cuddling," HSPC residency time within the CHT, and HSPC mitotic
      rate. Enhanced cxcl8/cxcr1 signaling was associated with an increase in the
      volume of the CHT and induction of cxcl12a expression. Finally, using parabiotic
      zebrafish, we show that cxcr1 acts HSPC nonautonomously to improve the efficiency
      of donor HSPC engraftment. This work identifies a mechanism by which the
      hematopoietic niche remodels to promote HSPC engraftment and suggests that
      cxcl8/cxcr1 signaling is a potential therapeutic target in patients undergoing
      hematopoietic stem cell transplantation.

PMID- 28351984
TI  - Eros is a novel transmembrane protein that controls the phagocyte respiratory
      burst and is essential for innate immunity.
AB  - The phagocyte respiratory burst is crucial for innate immunity. The transfer of
      electrons to oxygen is mediated by a membrane-bound heterodimer, comprising
      gp91phox and p22phox subunits. Deficiency of either subunit leads to severe
      immunodeficiency. We describe Eros (essential for reactive oxygen species), a
      protein encoded by the previously undefined mouse gene bc017643, and show that it
      is essential for host defense via the phagocyte NAPDH oxidase. Eros is required
      for expression of the NADPH oxidase components, gp91phox and p22phox
      Consequently, Eros-deficient mice quickly succumb to infection. Eros also
      contributes to the formation of neutrophil extracellular traps (NETS) and impacts
      on the immune response to melanoma metastases. Eros is an ortholog of the plant
      protein Ycf4, which is necessary for expression of proteins of the photosynthetic
      photosystem 1 complex, itself also an NADPH oxio-reductase. We thus describe the
      key role of the previously uncharacterized protein Eros in host defense.

PMID- 28351986
TI  - Different Cold-Signaling Pathways Function in the Responses to Rapid and Gradual
      Decreases in Temperature.
AB  - In plants, cold temperatures trigger stress responses and long-term responses
      that result in cold tolerance. In Arabidopsis thaliana, three dehydration
      responsive element (DRE) binding protein 1/C-repeat binding factors (DREB1/CBFs)
      act as master switches in cold-responsive gene expression. Induction of DREB1
      genes triggers the cold stress-inducible transcriptional cascade, followed by the
      induction of numerous genes that function in the cold stress response and cold
      tolerance. Many regulatory factors involved in DREB1 induction have been
      identified, but how these factors orchestrate the cold stress-specific expression
      of DREB1s has not yet been clarified. Here, we revealed that plants recognize
      cold stress as two different signals, rapid and gradual temperature decreases,
      and induce expression of the DREB1 genes. CALMODULIN BINDING TRANSCRIPTION
      ACTIVATOR3 (CAMTA3) and CAMTA5 respond to a rapid decrease in temperature and
      induce the expression of DREB1s, but these proteins do not respond to a gradual
      decrease in temperature. Moreover, they function during the day and night, in
      contrast to some key circadian components, including CIRCADIAN CLOCK ASSOCIATED1
      and LATE ELONGATED HYPOCOTYL, which regulate cold-responsive DREB1 expression as
      transcriptional activators only during the day. Thus, plants efficiently control
      the acquisition of freezing tolerance using two different signaling pathways in
      response to a gradual temperature decrease during seasonal changes and a sudden
      temperature drop during the night.

PMID- 28351985
TI  - Living in an adaptive world: Genomic dissection of the genus Homo and its immune
      response.
AB  - More than a decade after the sequencing of the human genome, a deluge of genome
      wide population data are generating a portrait of human genetic diversity at an
      unprecedented level of resolution. Genomic studies have provided new insight into
      the demographic and adaptive history of our species, Homo sapiens, including its
      interbreeding with other hominins, such as Neanderthals, and the ways in which
      natural selection, in its various guises, has shaped genome diversity. These
      studies, combined with functional genomic approaches, such as the mapping of
      expression quantitative trait loci, have helped to identify genes, functions, and
      mechanisms of prime importance for host survival and involved in phenotypic
      variation and differences in disease risk. This review summarizes new findings in
      this rapidly developing field, focusing on the human immune response. We discuss
      the importance of defining the genetic and evolutionary determinants driving
      immune response variation, and highlight the added value of population genomic
      approaches in settings relevant to immunity and infection.

PMID- 28351988
TI  - CORRECTION.

PMID- 28351987
TI  - CALCIUM-DEPENDENT PROTEIN KINASE5 Associates with the Truncated NLR Protein TIR
      NBS2 to Contribute to exo70B1-Mediated Immunity.
AB  - Calcium-dependent protein kinases (CPKs) function as calcium sensors and play
      important roles in plant immunity. Loss of function of the exocyst complex
      subunit EXO70B1 leads to autoimmunity caused by activation of TN2, a truncated
      Toll/interleukin-1 receptor-nucleotide binding sequence protein. Here we show,
      based on a screen for suppressors of exo70B1, that exo70B1-activated autoimmune
      responses require CPK5 However, the CPK5 homologs CPK4, CPK6, and CPK11, which
      were previously reported to function redundantly with CPK5 in effector-triggered
      immunity, did not contribute to exo70B1-associated phenotypes, indicating that
      CPK5 plays a unique role in plant immunity. Overexpressing CPK5 results in TN2
      dependent autoimmunity and enhanced disease resistance, reminiscent of the
      exo70B1 phenotypes. Ectopic expression of CPK5 in the exo70B1 mutant led to
      constitutive CPK5 protein kinase activity, which was not detectable in tn2
      mutants. Furthermore, TN2 interacts with the CPK5 N-terminal variable and kinase
      domains, stabilizing CPK5 kinase activity in vitro. This work uncovers a direct
      functional link between an atypical immune receptor and a crucial component of
      early immune signaling: increased immunity in exo70B1 depends on TN2 and CPK5
      and, in a positive feedback loop, TN2 keeps CPK5 enzymatically active beyond the
      initiating stimulus.

PMID- 28351989
TI  - TRAF Family Proteins Regulate Autophagy Dynamics by Modulating AUTOPHAGY PROTEIN6
      Stability in Arabidopsis.
AB  - Eukaryotic cells use autophagy to recycle cellular components. During autophagy,
      autophagosomes deliver cytoplasmic contents to the vacuole or lysosome for
      breakdown. Mammalian cells regulate the dynamics of autophagy via ubiquitin
      mediated proteolysis of autophagy proteins. Here, we show that the Arabidopsis
      thaliana Tumor necrosis factor Receptor-Associated Factor (TRAF) family proteins
      TRAF1a and TRAF1b (previously named MUSE14 and MUSE13, respectively) help
      regulate autophagy via ubiquitination. Upon starvation, cytoplasmic TRAF1a and
      TRAF1b translocated to autophagosomes. Knockout traf1a/b lines showed reduced
      tolerance to nutrient deficiency, increased salicylic acid and reactive oxygen
      species levels, and constitutive cell death in rosettes, resembling the
      phenotypes of autophagy-defective mutants. Starvation-activated autophagosome
      accumulation decreased in traf1a/b root cells, indicating that TRAF1a and TRAF1b
      function redundantly in regulating autophagosome formation. TRAF1a and TRAF1b
      interacted in planta with ATG6 and the RING finger E3 ligases SINAT1, SINAT2, and
      SINAT6 (with a truncated RING-finger domain). SINAT1 and SINAT2 require the
      presence of TRAF1a and TRAF1b to ubiquitinate and destabilize AUTOPHAGY PROTEIN6
      (ATG6) in vivo. Conversely, starvation-induced SINAT6 reduced SINAT1- and SINAT2
      mediated ubiquitination and degradation of ATG6. Consistently, SINAT1/SINAT2 and
      SINAT6 knockout mutants exhibited increased tolerance and sensitivity,
      respectively, to nutrient starvation. Therefore, TRAF1a and TRAF1b function as
      molecular adaptors that help regulate autophagy by modulating ATG6 stability in
      Arabidopsis.

PMID- 28351990
TI  - An NADPH Oxidase RBOH Functions in Rice Roots during Lysigenous Aerenchyma
      Formation under Oxygen-Deficient Conditions.
AB  - Reactive oxygen species (ROS) produced by the NADPH oxidase, respiratory burst
      oxidase homolog (RBOH), trigger signal transduction in diverse biological
      processes in plants. However, the functions of RBOH homologs in rice (Oryza
      sativa) and other gramineous plants are poorly understood. Ethylene induces the
      formation of lysigenous aerenchyma, which consists of internal gas spaces created
      by programmed cell death of cortical cells, in roots of gramineous plants under
      oxygen-deficient conditions. Here, we report that, in rice, one RBOH isoform
      (RBOHH) has a role in ethylene-induced aerenchyma formation in roots. Induction
      of RBOHH expression under oxygen-deficient conditions was greater in cortical
      cells than in cells of other root tissues. In addition, genes encoding group I
      calcium-dependent protein kinases (CDPK5 and CDPK13) were strongly expressed in
      root cortical cells. Coexpression of RBOHH with CDPK5 or CDPK13 induced ROS
      production in Nicotiana benthamiana leaves. Inhibitors of RBOH activity or
      cytosolic calcium influx suppressed ethylene-induced aerenchyma formation.
      Moreover, knockout of RBOHH by CRISPR/Cas9 reduced ROS accumulation and inducible
      aerenchyma formation in rice roots. These results suggest that RBOHH-mediated ROS
      production, which is stimulated by CDPK5 and/or CDPK13, is essential for ethylene
      induced aerenchyma formation in rice roots under oxygen-deficient conditions.

PMID- 28351992
TI  - Bile Acid Sodium Symporter BASS6 Can Transport Glycolate and Is Involved in
      Photorespiratory Metabolism in Arabidopsis thaliana.
AB  - Photorespiration is an energy-intensive process that recycles 2-phosphoglycolate,
      a toxic product of the Rubisco oxygenation reaction. The photorespiratory pathway
      is highly compartmentalized, involving the chloroplast, peroxisome, cytosol, and
      mitochondria. Though the soluble enzymes involved in photorespiration are well
      characterized, very few membrane transporters involved in photorespiration have
      been identified to date. In this work, Arabidopsis thaliana plants containing a T
      DNA disruption of the bile acid sodium symporter BASS6 show decreased
      photosynthesis and slower growth under ambient, but not elevated CO2 Exogenous
      expression of BASS6 complemented this photorespiration mutant phenotype. In
      addition, metabolite analysis and genetic complementation of glycolate transport
      in yeast showed that BASS6 was capable of glycolate transport. This is consistent
      with its involvement in the photorespiratory export of glycolate from Arabidopsis
      chloroplasts. An Arabidopsis double knockout line of both BASS6 and the
      glycolate/glycerate transporter PLGG1 (bass6, plgg1) showed an additive growth
      defect, an increase in glycolate accumulation, and reductions in photosynthetic
      rates compared with either single mutant. Our data indicate that BASS6 and PLGG1
      partner in glycolate export from the chloroplast, whereas PLGG1 alone accounts
      for the import of glycerate. BASS6 and PLGG1 therefore balance the export of two
      glycolate molecules with the import of one glycerate molecule during
      photorespiration.

PMID- 28351994
TI  - [Erratum: [Acute Sensory Neuropathies and Acute Autonomic Neuropathies]].
AB  - Koike H, "[Acute Sensory Neuropathies and Acute Autonomic Neuropathies]," in
      Brain Nerve. 2015 Nov; 67(11):1377-87. There was a typo in the abstract.
      Original: "Guillain-Barr?," Corrected: "Guillain-Barre." The online version of
      this article has been corrected.

PMID- 28351991
TI  - The Composition of the Arabidopsis RNA Polymerase II Transcript Elongation
      Complex Reveals the Interplay between Elongation and mRNA Processing Factors.
AB  - Transcript elongation factors (TEFs) are a heterogeneous group of proteins that
      control the efficiency of transcript elongation of subsets of genes by RNA
      polymerase II (RNAPII) in the chromatin context. Using reciprocal tagging in
      combination with affinity purification and mass spectrometry, we demonstrate that
      in Arabidopsis thaliana, the TEFs SPT4/SPT5, SPT6, FACT, PAF1-C, and TFIIS
      copurified with each other and with elongating RNAPII, while P-TEFb was not among
      the interactors. Additionally, NAP1 histone chaperones, ATP-dependent chromatin
      remodeling factors, and some histone-modifying enzymes including Elongator were
      repeatedly found associated with TEFs. Analysis of double mutant plants defective
      in different combinations of TEFs revealed genetic interactions between genes
      encoding subunits of PAF1-C, FACT, and TFIIS, resulting in synergistic/epistatic
      effects on plant growth/development. Analysis of subnuclear localization, gene
      expression, and chromatin association did not provide evidence for an involvement
      of the TEFs in transcription by RNAPI (or RNAPIII). Proteomics analyses also
      revealed multiple interactions between the transcript elongation complex and
      factors involved in mRNA splicing and polyadenylation, including an association
      of PAF1-C with the polyadenylation factor CstF. Therefore, the RNAPII transcript
      elongation complex represents a platform for interactions among different TEFs,
      as well as for coordinating ongoing transcription with mRNA processing.

PMID- 28351993
TI  - Mutations in Argonaute5 Illuminate Epistatic Interactions of the K1 and I Loci
      Leading to Saddle Seed Color Patterns in Glycine max.
AB  - The soybean (Glycine max) seed coat has distinctive, genetically programmed
      patterns of pigmentation, and the recessive k1 mutation can epistatically
      overcome the dominant I and ii alleles, which inhibit seed color by producing
      small interfering RNAs (siRNAs) targeting chalcone synthase (CHS) mRNAs. Small
      RNA sequencing of dissected regions of immature seed coats demonstrated that CHS
      siRNA levels cause the patterns produced by the ii and ik alleles of the I locus,
      which restrict pigment to the hilum or saddle region of the seed coat,
      respectively. To identify the K1 locus, we compared RNA-seq data from dissected
      regions of two Clark isolines having similar saddle phenotypes mediated by CHS
      siRNAs but different genotypes (homozygous ik K1 versus homozygous ii k1). By
      examining differentially expressed genes, mapping information, and genome
      resequencing, we identified a 129-bp deletion in Glyma.11G190900 encoding
      Argonaute5 (AGO5), a member of the Argonaute family. Amplicon sequencing of
      several independent saddle pattern mutants from different genetic backgrounds
      revealed independent lesions affecting AGO5, thus establishing Glyma.11G190900 as
      the K1 locus. Nonfunctional AGO5 from k1 alleles leads to altered distributions
      of CHS siRNAs, thus explaining how the k1 mutation reverses the phenotype of the
      seed coat regions from yellow to pigmented, even in the presence of the normally
      dominant I or ii alleles.

PMID- 28351995
TI  - Sirt6 deficiency results in progression of glomerular injury in the kidney.
AB  - Aging is associated with an increased incidence and prevalence of renal
      glomerular diseases. Sirtuin (Sirt) 6, a nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD)
      dependent histone deacetylase, has been shown to protect against multiple age
      associated phenotypes; however it is unknown whether Sirt6 has a direct
      pathophysiologic role in the kidney. In the present study, we demonstrate that
      Sirt6 is expressed in the kidney and aging Sirt6-deficient mice exhibit renal
      hypertrophy with glomerular enlargement. Sirt6 deletion induces podocyte injury,
      including decreases in slit diaphragm proteins, foot process effacement, and
      cellular loss, resulting in proteinuria. Knockdown of Sirt6 in cultured primary
      murine podocytes induces shape changes with loss of process formation and cell
      apoptosis. Moreover, Sirt6 deficiency results in progressive renal inflammation
      and fibrosis. Collectively, these data provide compelling evidence that Sirt6 is
      important for podocyte homeostasis and maintenance of glomerular function, and
      warrant further investigation into the role of Sirt6 in age-associated kidney
      dysfunction.

PMID- 28351998
TI  - Analysis of Al2O3-parylene C bilayer coatings and impact of microelectrode
      topography on long term stability of implantable neural arrays.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: Performance of many dielectric coatings for neural electrodes degrades
      over time, contributing to loss of neural signals and evoked percepts. Studies
      using planar test substrates have found that a novel bilayer coating of atomic
      layer deposited (ALD) Al2O3 and parylene C is a promising candidate for neural
      electrode applications, exhibiting superior stability to parylene C alone.
      However, initial results from bilayer encapsulation testing on non-planar devices
      have been less positive. Our aim was to evaluate ALD Al2O3-parylene C coatings
      using novel test paradigms, to rigorously evaluate dielectric coatings for neural
      electrode applications by incorporating neural electrode topography into test
      structure design. APPROACH: Five test devices incorporated three distinct
      topographical features common to neural electrodes, derived from the utah
      electrode array (UEA). Devices with bilayer (52 nm Al2O3  +  6 um parylene C)
      were evaluated against parylene C controls (N  ?  6 per device type). Devices
      were aged in phosphate buffered saline at 67  degrees C for up to 311 d, and
      monitored through: (1) leakage current to evaluate encapsulation lifetimes (>1 nA
      during 5VDC bias indicated failure), and (2) wideband (1-105 Hz) impedance. MAIN
      RESULTS: Mean-times-to-failure (MTTFs) ranged from 12 to 506 d for bilayer-coated
      devices, versus 10 to  >2310 d for controls. Statistical testing (log-rank test,
      alpha  =  0.05) of failure rates gave mixed results but favored the control
      condition. After failure, impedance loss for bilayer devices continued for months
      and manifested across the entire spectrum, whereas the effect was self-limiting
      after several days, and restricted to frequencies  <100 Hz for controls. These
      results correlated well with observations of UEAs encapsulated with bilayer and
      control films. SIGNIFICANCE: We observed encapsulation failure modes and
      behaviors comparable to neural electrode performance which were undetected in
      studies with planar test devices. We found the impact of parylene C defects to be
      exacerbated by ALD Al2O3, and conclude that inferior bilayer performance arises
      from degradation of ALD Al2O3 when directly exposed to saline. This is an
      important consideration, given that neural electrodes with bilayer coatings are
      expected to have ALD Al2O3 exposed at dielectric boundaries that delineate
      electrode sites. Process improvements and use of different inorganic coatings to
      decrease dissolution in physiological fluids may improve performance. Testing
      frameworks which take neural electrode complexities into account will be well
      suited to reliably evaluate such encapsulation schemes.

PMID- 28351996
TI  - Daily supplementation with GrandFusion(r) improves memory and learning in aged
      rats.
AB  - Studies have shown that supplementation with extracts from various sources,
      including fruits and vegetables reverse the age-related changes in movement and
      cognition. We hypothesized that these beneficial effects result from the presence
      of anti-oxidants and anti-inflammatory compounds in the fruits and vegetables
      that contribute to reduced oxidative stress, inflammation and cell death while
      potentially enhancing neurogenesis. The present study was performed to determine
      the impact of supplementation with GrandFusion(r)(GF) to aged Fisher 344 rats for
      4 months to determine the impact on attenuation or reversal of the age-related
      deficits. When the aged rats consumed a diet enriched with the extracts the
      results showed an improved motor performance, and enhanced cognitive functions.
      In addition, the rats showed reduced oxidative stress and inflammation, and
      enhanced neurogenesis, Nrf2 and anti-oxidant expression. The effect of GF
      extracts on the augmentation of memory and learning is significant and may
      function through the modulation of antioxidant enzymes, signaling pathways and
      additional mechanisms to improve the aging process. These studies further support
      the recommendation of USDA for the consumption of fruits and vegetables to
      improve healthy aging.

PMID- 28351999
TI  - Osteoblast and osteoclast responses to A/B type carbonate-substituted
      hydroxyapatite ceramics for bone regeneration.
AB  - The influence of carbonate substitution (4.4 wt%, mixed A/B type) in
      hydroxyapatite ceramics for bone remodeling scaffolds was investigated by
      separately analyzing the response of pre-osteoblasts and osteoclast-like cells.
      Carbonated hydroxyapatite (CHA) (Ca9.5(PO4)5.5(CO3)0.5(OH)(CO3)0.25-CHA),
      mimicking the chemical composition of natural bone mineral, and pure
      hydroxyapatite (HA) (Ca10(PO4)6(OH)2-HA) porous ceramics were processed to obtain
      a similar microstructure and surface physico-chemical properties (grain size,
      porosity ratio and pore size, surface roughness and zeta potential). The
      biological behavior was studied using MC3T3-E1 pre-osteoblastic and RAW 264.7
      monocyte/macrophage cell lines. Chemical dissolution in the culture media and
      resorption lacunae produced by osteoclasts occur with both HA and CHA ceramics,
      but CHA exhibits much higher dissolution and greater bioresorption ability. CHA
      ceramics promoted a significantly higher level of pre-osteoblast proliferation.
      Osteoblastic differentiation, assessed by qRT-PCR of RUNX2 and COLIA2, and pre
      osteoclastic proliferation and differentiation were not significantly different
      on CHA or HA ceramics but cell viability and metabolism were significantly
      greater on CHA ceramics. Thus, the activity of both osteoclast-like and
      osteoblastic cells was influenced by the carbonate substitution in the apatite
      structure. Furthermore, CHA showed a particularly interesting balance between
      biodegradation, by osteoclasts and chemical dissolution, and osteogenesis through
      osteoblasts' activity, to stimulate bone regeneration. It is hypothesized that
      this amount of 4.4 wt% carbonate substitution leads to an adapted concentration
      of calcium in the fluid surrounding the ceramic to stimulate the activity of
      cells. These results highlight the superior biological behavior of microporous
      4.4 wt% A/B CHA ceramics that could beneficially replace the commonly used HA of
      biphasic calcium phosphates for future applications in bone tissue engineering.

PMID- 28352000
TI  - Crosslinked polymer nanoparticles containing single conjugated polymer chains.
AB  - Conjugated polymer nanoparticles are widely used in fluorescent labeling and
      sensing, as they have mean radii between 5 and 100 nm, narrow size dispersion,
      high brightness, and are photochemically stable, allowing single particle
      detection with high spatial and temporal resolution. Highly crosslinked polymers
      formed by linking individual chains through covalent bonds yield high-strength
      rigid materials capable of withstanding dissolution by organic solvents. Hence,
      the combination of crosslinked polymers and conjugated polymers in a
      nanoparticulated material presents the possibility of interesting applications
      that require the combined properties of constituent polymers and nanosized
      dimension. In the present work, F8BT@pEGDMA nanoparticles composed of
      poly(ethylene glycol dimethacrylate) (pEGDMA; a crosslinked polymer) and
      containing the commercial conjugated polymer poly(9,9-dioctylfluorene-alt
      benzothiadiazole) (F8BT) were synthesized and characterized. Microemulsion
      polymerization was applied to produce F8BT@pEDGMA particles with nanosized
      dimensions in a ~25% yield. Photophysical and size distribution properties of
      F8BT@pEDGMA nanoparticles were evaluated by various methods, in particular single
      particle fluorescence microscopy techniques. The results demonstrate that the
      crosslinking/polymerization process imparts structural rigidity to the
      F8BT@pEDGMA particles by providing resistance against dissolution/disintegration
      in organic solvents. The synthesized fluorescent crosslinked nanoparticles
      contain (for the most part) single F8BT chains and can be detected at the single
      particle level, using fluorescence microscopy, which bodes well for their
      potential application as molecularly imprinted polymer fluorescent nanosensors
      with high spatial and temporal resolution.

PMID- 28351997
TI  - Mitochondrial protein Fus1/Tusc2 in premature aging and age-related pathologies:
      critical roles of calcium and energy homeostasis.
AB  - Decreased energy production and increased oxidative stress are considered to be
      major contributors to aging and aging-associated pathologies. The role of
      mitochondrial calcium homeostasis has also been highlighted as an important
      factor affecting different pathological conditions. Here, we present evidence
      that loss of a small mitochondrial protein Fus1 that maintains mitochondrial
      homeostasis results in premature aging, aging-associated pathologies, and
      decreased survival. We showed that Fus1KO mice develop multiple early aging signs
      including lordokyphosis, lack of vigor, inability to accumulate fat, reduced
      ability to tolerate stress, and premature death. Other prominent pathological
      changes included low sperm counts, compromised ability of adult stem cells to
      repopulate tissues, and chronic inflammation. At the molecular level, we
      demonstrated that mitochondria of Fus1 KO cells have low reserve respiratory
      capacity (the ability to produce extra energy during sudden energy demanding
      situations), and show significantly altered dynamics of cellular calcium
      response.Our recent studies on early hearing and memory loss in Fus1 KO mice
      combined with the new data presented here suggest that calcium and energy
      homeostasis controlled by Fus1 may be at the core of its aging-regulating
      activities. Thus, Fus1 protein and Fus1-dependent pathways and processes may
      represent new tools and targets for anti-aging strategies.

PMID- 28352001
TI  - Nano-sized Mo- and Nb-doped TiO2 as anode materials for high energy and high
      power hybrid Li-ion capacitors.
AB  - Nano-sized Mo-doped titania (Mo0.1Ti0.9O2) and Nb-doped titania (Nb0.25Ti0.75O2)
      were directly synthesized via a continuous hydrothermal flow synthesis process.
      Materials characterization was conducted using physical techniques such as
      transmission electron microscopy, powder x-ray diffraction, x-ray photoelectron
      spectroscopy, Brunauer-Emmett-Teller specific surface area measurements and
      energy dispersive x-ray spectroscopy. Hybrid Li-ion supercapacitors were made
      with either a Mo-doped or Nb-doped TiO2 negative electrode material and an
      activated carbon (AC) positive electrode. Cells were evaluated using
      electrochemical testing (cyclic voltammetry, constant charge discharge cycling).
      The hybrid Li-ion capacitors showed good energy densities at moderate power
      densities. When cycled in the potential window 0.5-3.0 V, the Mo0.1Ti0.9O2/AC
      hybrid supercapacitor showed the highest energy densities of 51 Wh kg-1 at a
      power of 180 W kg-1 with energy densities rapidly declining with increasing
      applied specific current. In comparison, the Nb0.25Ti0.75O2/AC hybrid
      supercapacitor maintained its energy density of 45 Wh kg-1 at 180 W kg-1 better,
      showing 36 Wh g-1 at 3200 W kg-1, which is a very promising mix of high energy
      and power densities. Reducing the voltage window to the range 1.0-3.0 V led to an
      increase in power density, with the Mo0.1Ti0.9O2/AC hybrid supercapacitor giving
      energy densities of 12 Wh kg-1 and 2.5 Wh kg-1 at power densities of 6700 W kg-1
      and 14 000 W kg-1, respectively.

PMID- 28352002
TI  - Optimisation of current injection protocol based on a region of interest.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: Electrical impedance tomography has the potential to image fast neural
      activity associated with physiological or epileptic activity throughout the
      brain. These applications pose a particular challenge as expected voltage changes
      on the electrodes are less than 1% and geometrical constraints of the body under
      investigation mean that electrodes can not be evenly distributed around its
      boundary. Unlike other applications, however, information regarding the location
      of expected activity is typically available. An informative method for choosing
      current paths that maximise sensitivity to specific regions is desirable.
      APPROACH: Two electrode addressing protocol generation methods based on current
      density vectors concentrated in a region of interest have been proposed. One
      focuses solely on maximising its magnitude while the other considers its
      distribution. The quality of reconstructed images using these protocols was
      assessed in a simulation study conducted in a human and rat mesh and compared to
      the protocol that maximises distance between injecting electrodes. MAIN RESULTS:
      When implementing the protocol that focused on maximising magnitude, the current
      density concentrated in a region of interest increased by up to a factor of 3.
      When the distribution of the current was maximised, the spread of current density
      vectors increased by up to fivefold. For the small conductivity changes expected
      in the applications explored, image quality was best when implementing the
      protocol that maximised current density. The average image error when using this
      protocol was 7% better than when employing other protocols. SIGNIFICANCE: We
      conclude that for fast neural EIT applications, the protocol that maximises
      current density is the best protocol to implement.

PMID- 28352003
TI  - Obesity and kidney disease: Hidden consequences of the epidemic.
AB  - Obesity has become a worldwide epidemic, and its prevalence has been projected to
      grow by 40% in the next decade. This increasing prevalence has implications for
      the risk of diabetes, cardiovascular disease and also for chronic kidney disease
      (CKD). A high body mass index is one of the strongest risk factors for new-onset
      CKD. In individuals affected by obesity, a compensatory hyperfiltration occurs to
      meet the heightened metabolic demands of the increased body weight. The increase
      in intraglomerular pressure can damage the kidneys and raise the risk of
      developing CKD in the long-term. The incidence of obesity-related glomerulopathy
      has increased ten-fold in recent years. Obesity has also been shown to be a risk
      factor for nephrolithiasis, and for a number of malignancies including kidney
      cancer. This year the World Kidney Day promotes education on the harmful
      consequences of obesity and its association with kidney disease, advocating
      healthy lifestyle and health policy measures that makes preventive behaviors an
      affordable option.

PMID- 28352004
TI  - Update on pathogenesis, management, and treatment of hypertension in autosomal
      dominant polycystic kidney disease.
AB  - Hypertension is a common early finding in autosomal dominant polycystic kidney
      disease (ADPKD). Improvements in screening and diagnosis of ADPKD have allowed
      earlier diagnosis, later onset of end-stage renal disease, and better survival.
      However, the main and most effective therapy remains control of hypertension.
      Hypertension is the most important modifiable risk factor in ADPKD. Therefore,
      early management of hypertension reduces the incidence of cardiovascular events
      in ADPKD patients. Stimulation of the renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system (RAAS)
      plays a central role in the pathogenesis of hypertension in ADPKD. Therapies that
      block the RAAS have improved patient management, blood pressure control, and
      ADPKD patient survival. This review highlights the current understanding of the
      epidemiology, potential pathogenetic mechanisms and proposes a strategy for the
      treatment and management of hypertension in ADPKD.

PMID- 28352005
TI  - Associations between clinical characteristics and angiotensin-converting enzyme
      gene insertion/deletion polymorphism in Moroccan population with Type-2 diabetic
      nephropathy.
AB  - Diabetic nephropathy (DN) is one of the severe complications of Type-2 diabetes
      mellitus (T2DM) and a major cause of end-stage renal disease in these patients.
      Results from published studies on the relationship between angiotensin-converting
      enzyme (ACE) insertion/ deletion (I/D) gene polymorphism and patients with DN are
      still conflicting. We compared the clinical characteristics and the genotype
      frequencies of ACE polymorphism in 130 T2DM Moroccan patients with DN and 85 T2DM
      Moroccan patients without DN (controls) using specific primers in a polymerase
      chain reaction. The degenerative complications of diabetes were significantly
      higher in the group with nephropathy. The distribution of the I/D genotypes was
      in Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium. The D allele was the most frequent allele in the
      Moroccan population in both groups studied (P = 0.68), however, there was no
      significant difference between the genotypes in T2DM patients with or without DN
      (P = 0.78). The ACE gene I/D polymorphism was not associated with an increased
      risk of DN in the Moroccan population.

PMID- 28352006
TI  - Assay of urinary protein carbonyl content can predict the steroid dependence and
      resistance in children with idiopathic nephrotic syndrome.
AB  - Nephrotic syndrome in pediatric age is mostly idiopathic. Idiopathic nephrotic
      syndrome (INS) by default is treated with steroids from the very beginning. Some
      do not respond to steroids and are grouped later as either steroid-resistant (SR)
      or steroid-dependent (SD) cases. The protein selectivity index often fails to
      predict the SR and SD cases. The SD and SR cases of INS exhibit higher degrees of
      oxidative stress compared to steroid responders. Proteins get carbonylated when
      they are exposed to free radicals. The significance of excretion of these
      carbonylated proteins in urine is yet to be studied in detail. In this study, 70
      cases of INS were enrolled, and urinary protein carbonyl content (UPCC) was
      estimated by Levine's method before starting the steroid therapy. All the cases
      were followed up and, based on the response to steroid therapy, were grouped as
      Group A (n = 47). Steroid sensitive and Group B (n = 23), SD + SR cases. UPCC was
      significantly higher in Group B compared to Group A. Receiver-operating curve
      showed at a cutoff limit of 5.10 nmoles/mg of protein, UPCC can predict SD or SR
      cases with 83.3% sensitivity and 85.2% specificity and area under the curve of
      0.833, P<0.05. UPCC levels more than 5.10 nmoles/mg of protein, before starting
      the therapy can predict SD or SR in pediatric INS cases.

PMID- 28352007
TI  - Dynamic renal scintigraphic estimation of deceased donor kidneys in a rat model.
AB  - At present a large number of the renal transplantations are being performed from
      the deceased donors. The success of these transplantations depends on the
      viability of the deceased donor kidneys. The aim of this study was to investigate
      the reliability of scintigraphic estimation of function of deceased donor kidneys
      by comparing the histopathologic and scintigraphic findings. Ten rats were
      included in the study (2-3 months old, 250-300 g, all male). Control scintigraphy
      was performed to all the rats by injection of 37 MBq Tc-99m DTPA from the tail
      vein in a dynamic manner. Brain death of the rats was achieved by inflation of a
      Fogartys catheter in the cranial cavity. Immediately, after brain death
      confirmation, dynamic renal scintigraphy was performed with the same parameters
      of control scintigraphy. In the comparison of scintigraphies obtained in the
      before and just after brain death period, there was impairment of tubular
      functions, concentration and excretion functions in the postbrain death period.
      In the immediate postbrain death period, there was a significant elevation in the
      glomerular filtration rate and time to maximum concentration values. In the
      histopathological evaluation of the kidney samples in the postbrain death period,
      there were definitive findings of tubular impairment. Dynamic renal scintigraphy
      also demonstrated definite impairment of tubular system and tubular functions in
      the deceased donor kidneys. This could explain the reason of the increased
      frequency of acute tubular necrosis seen among deceased donor kidneys.

PMID- 28352008
TI  - Spectrum of renal injury in pregnancy-induced hypertension: Experience from a
      single center in India.
AB  - Pregnancy-induced hypertension (PIH) is a known complication of late pregnancy
      and is an important cause of maternal and fetal morbidity and mortality. Data on
      clinical profile, especially renal profile of preeclampsia and eclampsia in
      Indian women are lacking. The aim of our study was to examine the renal profile
      and clinical outcomes of patients diagnosed with PIH in our institution with a
      focus on the spectrum of acute kidney injury (AKI). In this prospective,
      observational study, 347 patients with a diagnosis of preeclampsia-eclampsia, who
      were undergoing treatment at the M. S. Ramaiah Medical College, were included in
      the study. The study duration was from 2010 to 2014. Details regarding
      epidemiologic data, obstetric data, laboratory parameters as well as maternal,
      renal, and fetal outcomes were noted. Patients with preexisting hypertension,
      diabetes mellitus, or chronic kidney disease were excluded from analysis. The
      overall incidence of preeclampsia was 3.4%. Hemolysis, elevated liver enzymes,
      and low platelets syndrome was seen in 31 patients (9%); 56 patients (19%) had
      AKI with a mean serum creatinine of 3.2 mg/dL and mean proteinuria of 2.8 g/24 h.
      Nineteen patients required dialysis. Persistent renal failure was seen in 2.5% of
      the cohort. Maternal mortality was 2.5%, largely secondary to sepsis. Primiparity
      was a major risk factor. In this study, we found a low rate of preeclampsia in a
      low-to-moderate risk cohort, with an incidence of AKI and maternal mortality
      consistent with reported literature.

PMID- 28352009
TI  - Validation of bioelectrical impedance analysis for assessing dry weight of
      dialysis patients in Pakistan.
AB  - Accurate dry weight estimation (DW) to achieve euvolemia is one of the key
      objectives of hemodialysis (HD). While conventionally DW is estimated by clinical
      examination, bioelectrical impedance analysis (BIA) has been proposed as an
      objective method to determine DW and has been tested extensively in the Western
      population. We aim to validate BIA for determining DW in a Pakistani population
      against the conventional clinician's method. This is a single-center validation
      study conducted at two outpatient HD units of Aga Khan Hospital, Karachi. One
      hundred and forty-eight DW readings of patients who were on maintenance HD were
      taken both by BIA technology and by clinical assessment. The clinician was
      blinded to readings obtained by BIA. Data analysis was carried out using the
      Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 19. Median age of patients
      was 63 years (range 12-89). Nearly 54.1% of the samples were female (n = 80).
      Spearman's correlation between the clinician's estimate and BIA-derived DW showed
      a correlation coefficient of 0.982, which was statistically significant (P
      <0.001). This association remained significant when stratified analysis was
      carried out by dividing the sample into subgroups according to age, gender, body
      mass index, and total body water content. Inter-rater reliability analysis using
      the kappa statistics showed almost perfect agreement between the two methods,
      kappa = 0.929 (95% confidence interval, 0.878-0.980, P <0.001). BIA has been
      validated as a tool for DW assessment of HD patients in Pakistan in comparison to
      clinical method.

PMID- 28352010
TI  - Anatomical study of renal and accessory renal arteries.
AB  - In recent years, more conservative methods of surgery of the renal artery are
      coming up. Hence, a precise knowledge of renal vasculature has become a
      necessity. Knowledge of the existence of accessory renal arteries is important;
      otherwise, they may get inadvertently damaged during renal surgery. Furthermore,
      their presence must be considered while evaluating a donor's kidney for possible
      renal transplantation. The study may also be useful to clinicians performing
      invasive techniques, vascular surgeries, other uro-radiological procedures, and
      in cases of trauma. Keeping this in mind, this study was conducted on 530 adult
      cadavers. A total of 1060 kidneys obtained from these cadavers were dissected and
      accessory renal arteries were looked for; 24.99% of the specimens showed the
      presence of accessory renal arteries. In 20.75%, one accessory renal artery was
      found, and in 4.24% of specimens, two accessory renal arteries were seen.

PMID- 28352011
TI  - Biopsy of small kidneys: A safe and a useful guide to potentially treatable
      kidney disease.
AB  - Over the past four years, all patients with unexplained rapid progression of
      their renal disease were subjected to kidney biopsy, despite their small size (<9
      cm), to define its etiology. Children, pregnant women, morbidly obese patients,
      and those with an unstable cardiovascular state, septicemia, bleeding diathesis
      as well as those kidney size with size <6 cm were excluded from the study.
      Doppler ultrasound was used to exclude renovascular/ischemic nephropathy. The
      procedure was performed by an interventional radiologist using a biopsy gun
      technique and under ultrasound guidance. The actual diagnosis was established in
      29 cases while seven had advanced sclerosing glomerulonephritis. Eleven cases had
      evidence of vasculitis, of which two were due to polyarteritis nodosa and two
      were due to crescentic immunoglobulin A disease. The remaining patients had a
      secondary form of focal segmental glomerulosclerosis (n = 4), interstitial
      nephritis (n = 4), malignant nephro-angiosclerosis (n = 2), and single patient
      with primary hyperoxaluria, light chain cast nephropathy, amyloidosis, and
      thrombotic microangiopathy. All, except eight with advanced glomerulosclerosis,
      had improved or became stable with specific treatment. Our study shows that
      biopsy of small-sized kidneys, in patients with unexplained renal deterioration,
      is safe, and its diagnostic value can improve their morbidity and even mortality.

PMID- 28352012
TI  - Clinical variables differentiating diabetic from nondiabetic kidney disease in
      patients with diabetes: A single-center study.
AB  - Patients with diabetes may have kidney diseases other than the diabetic kidney
      disease. Kidney biopsy is the investigation of choice when this is suspected.
      This retrospective analysis included all patients known to have diabetes mellitus
      (DM) and who had a kidney biopsy at our center between 1998 and 2014. The aim of
      this study was to assess if an association exists between the clinical factors on
      the presence or absence of diabetic nephropathy (DNP). A total number of 206
      patients were included in our study. The association between the diabetic
      retinopathy (DRP) and DNP was high (P = 0.001). We found that the DRP is highly
      specific for the presence of DNP [89.7% (78 out of 87)] whereas sensitivity of
      DRP for DNP was 56.3% (67 out of 119). Among other factors, only duration of DM
      showed a significant association (P = 0.005) (odds ratio: 1.1085 and confidence
      interval: 1.025-1.149) with the development of DNP. We conclude that the absence
      of DRP is strongly associated with the presence of nondiabetic renal disease
      while the presence of DRP has a low sensitivity for the presence of DNP.

PMID- 28352013
TI  - Factors influencing patency of Brescia-Cimino arteriovenous fistulas in
      hemodialysis patients.
AB  - Autologous arteriovenous fistula is gold standard to maintain vascular access for
      hemodialysis patients. As per the Kidney Disease Outcomes Quality Initiative
      guidelines, distal veins are preferred as the first choice. In this study, a
      total of 134 patients and 138 fistulas were evaluated from April 2015 to March
      2016. Demographic factors and clinical factors were taken into consideration. Our
      study showed that age, sex, diabetes, and type of construction (end-to-side vs.
      side-to-side) had no influence over fistula patency rates. Intradialytic
      hypotension was one of the risk factors for loss of fistula patency. Smoking and
      history of hypertension were associated with reduced patency rates (P<0.001).
      Primary failure was more with distal fistulas (15.2%).

PMID- 28352014
TI  - Risk factors for contrast-induced nephropathy after coronary angiography.
AB  - Contrast-induced nephropathy (CIN) is of concern after the use of radiocontrast
      media for coronary angiography (CAG) and percutaneous coronary intervention
      (PCI). We studied the incidence of CIN and its risk factors in patients
      undergoing CAG. In this prospective study, we included all patients with normal
      renal parameters undergoing CAG with nonionic radiocontrast media. We excluded
      patients with known chronic kidney disease, baseline creatinine more than 1.5
      mg/dL, significant hypotension, anemia, and patients with acute myocardial
      infarction undergoing emergency PCI. Serum creatinine was done at baseline and
      serially for seven days after the procedure. Appropriate statistical tests were
      used to analyze the results and P <0.05 was considered statistically significant.
      The study population (n = 500, 348 males and 152 females) had a mean age of 56.6
      +/- 12.5 years. Twelve patients (2.4%) developed CIN and were equally distributed
      irrespective of the age, diabetes, or PCI procedure. CIN was observed to be more
      common in patients with hypertension than in those without hypertension (P =
      0.0158). The total volume of contrast administered to CIN group (175 +/- 59.3)
      was not significant as compared to that of non-CIN (159.1 +/- 56) group (P =
      0.334). None of the patients in our study required renal replacement therapy, and
      there was no mortality. CIN is observed in 2.4% of patients undergoing CAG and
      had a self-limiting course. Hypertension is the only observed risk factor, and
      further large-scale studies are necessary to delineate the novel risk factors for
      CIN in the general population with normal kidney function.

PMID- 28352015
TI  - Association between angiotensin-converting enzyme insertion/deletion gene
      polymorphism and end-stage renal disease in lebanese patients with diabetic
      nephropathy.
AB  - Diabetic nephropathy (DN) is one of the leading causes of end-stage renal disease
      (ESRD). The development and progression of nephropathy is strongly determined by
      genetic factors, and few genes have been shown to contribute to DN. An
      insertion/deletion (I/D) polymorphism of the gene encoding angiotensin-converting
      enzyme (ACE) was reported as a candidate gene predisposing to DN and ESRD.
      Accordingly, we investigated the frequency of ACE I/D polymorphism in 50 patients
      with DN, of whom 33 had ESRD and compared them with 64 patients with type 2
      diabetes mellitus (T2DM) but with normal renal function. Polymerase chain
      reaction amplification, using specific primers, was performed to genotype ACE
      I/D. Chi-square test was used to assess the differences between the groups. The
      frequencies of the ACE genotypes were as follows: 48% D/D, 40% I/D, and 12% I/I
      in patients with DN in contrast to 32.8% D/D, 45.3% I/D, and 21.9% I/I in T2DM.
      The distribution of the D/D, D/I, and I/I genotypes did not significantly differ
      between T2DM and DN. However, having the D allele carried a risk for the
      development of DN [odds ratio (OD), 1.71, P = 0.054]. On the other hand, the
      distribution of the D/D, D/I, and I/I genotypes was significantly different
      between T2DM and ESRD patients, chi2 = 7.23, P = 0.027. This was reflected by the
      D allele which carried a risk for the development of ESRD (OR, 2.51, P = 0.0057).
      These findings suggest that the D allele may be considered as a risk factor for
      both the development of DN and the progression of DN to ESRD in Lebanese
      population with T2DM.

PMID- 28352016
TI  - Associated anomalies and clinical outcome in children with ectopic kidney.
AB  - Urological anomalies can be seen in children with renal ectopia (RE) and can
      result in renal impairment. Therefore, we evaluated associated anomalies and
      renal outcome in our patients with RE. Sixty-eight children who were diagnosed
      with RE between January 2009-May 2014 were retrospectively studied. A total of 68
      patients, 36 (52.9%) boys, with a median age of 67 months (4-201) and a median
      follow-up period of 14 months (3-113) were included in the study. Simple RE (S
      RE) was found in 51 (75%) patients, of which 46 were unilateral and five were
      bilateral (discoid kidney). Crossed RE (C-RE) was detected in 17 (25%) patients.
      Voiding cystourethrogram was performed in 21/51 (41.2%) patients in S-RE group
      and 5/17 (29.4%) in C-RE group. We did not find vesicoureteral reflux (VUR) in
      any of the patients with C-RE, whereas, in S-RE group, VUR was demonstrated in
      six (6/21 - 28.6%) patients. Pelviureteric junction obstruction in ectopic kidney
      was found in two patients with S-RE and one with C-RE. Two patients (2/17 -
      11.7%) had neurogenic bladder due to meningomyelocele, accompanied by imperforate
      anus in C-RE group. There were no significant differences in other associated
      urological anomalies between two groups. Renal impairment developed mostly in
      patients with additional urinary anomaly. The children with RE may have
      associated urinary anomalies, of which VUR is the most common. Complete
      urological investigation and regular follow-up are required in selected cases.

PMID- 28352017
TI  - Basilic vein transposition: A viable alternative for multiple failed
      arteriovenous fistulas - A single center experience.
AB  - Primary use of the autogenous arteriovenous access is recommended by the National
      Kidney Foundation-Dialysis Outcomes Quality Initiative guidelines. In spite of
      troublesome comorbidities associated with basilic vein transposition (BVT), it is
      still the most preferred technique when autologous veins are not suitable to
      construct radio-cephalic fistula (RCF) and brachiocephalic fistula (BCF),
      arteriovenous fistula (AVF). The present study highlights our experience with
      BVT, with small incision technique, over a period of two years with excellent
      outcome. This retrospective study included all the patients who underwent BVT at
      our tertiary care center between March 2013 and March 2015. It was performed in
      patients with failed previous RCF or BCF or who had small caliber or thrombosed
      cephalic veins. The patients with minimum 3 mm basilic vein diameter on Doppler
      were only included in the study. A 3-cm horizontal incision was made in
      antecubital fossa to expose brachial artery and basilic vein. Multiple
      longitudinal separate second skin incisions (2-3 cm) were made to explore
      proximal part of basilic vein. Side branches of the vein were isolated and
      ligated. The divided basilic vein in antecubital fossa was brought over fascia
      through newly created subcutaneous tunnel followed by end-to-side anastomosis. A
      total of 18 (12 males and 6 females) underwent BVT in the two years period. The
      mean fistula maturation time was 42 +/- 10 days. Maturation rate was 100%, and
      the postoperative flow rate was 290 +/- 22 (mL/min). No bleeding, thrombosis,
      failure, pseudo aneurysm, or rupture occurred in our patients. Arm edema occurred
      in ix (33%) patients, infection in three (17%), and lymphorrhea in five (28%).
      The mean follow-up was six months. BVT is an alternative method with excellent
      initial maturation and functional patency rates requiring less extensive skin
      incision and surgical dissection. It is the most durable hemodialysis access
      procedure for those patients having multiple forearm AVF surgeries.

PMID- 28352018
TI  - Depression and anxiety disorders in chronic hemodialysis patients and their
      quality of life: A cross-sectional study about 106 cases in the northeast of
      morocco.
AB  - Hemodialysis (HD) has a severe impact on the life of HD patients. The aim of this
      work was to assess the prevalence of depression and anxiety disorders, suicidal
      ideation, and the quality of life among HD patients. Associated factors were also
      studied. A cross-sectional study was carried out among 103 HD patients treated at
      the HD Center of Al Farabi Hospital of Oujda during a period of six months in
      2015. The Mini-International Neuropsychiatric Interview and European Quality of
      Life-5 Dimensions (EQ-5D) were used for the assessment. Major depressive episode
      (MDE) was found in 34% of our patients, whereas anxiety disorder was observed in
      25.2%. Suicidal ideation was found in 16.5% and 1.9% of our patients planned
      their suicide. The EQ-5D index was 0.41 +/- 0.36 and the EQ-Visual Analog Scale
      score was 45.73 +/- 14. Multivariate analysis showed that MDEs were associated
      with three factors: marital status, pain, and anxiety disorder. There was also an
      association between anxiety disorder and age and EQ-Visual Analog Scale score.
      Suicidal ideation was associated with marital status and anxiety disorders.
      Together, these results underline the importance of the collaboration between
      nephrologists and psychiatrists for a better care of HD patients.

PMID- 28352019
TI  - Analysis of patients with end-stage renal disease on dialysis in Tabuk City,
      Saudi Arabia: A single-center, three-year retrospective study.
AB  - This study was performed to analyze various demographic data such as age, gender,
      nationality, status of the patients, and the causes of end-stage renal disease
      (ESRD) of 349 patients who were undergoing hemodialysis (HD) during the period
      from January 2013 to December 2015 at the Dialysis Center of King Khalid Hospital
      in Tabuk City. One hundred and fifty-two patients (43.6%) were on HD in 2015. Age
      of the patients ranged from 9 to 93 years and the mean age was 51.3 +/- 17.6
      years. Majority of the patients, i.e., 140 (40.1%) were in the age group of 40-59
      years, followed by the age group of 60-79 years by 27.8% (97 patients). Saudis
      constituted 84.2% (294) and non-Saudis accounted 15.8% (55) of the patients over
      the years studied. There were 198 males (56.7%) and 151 females (43.3%). The
      death rate in 2014 was 6.2%, whereas it increased in 2015 to 10.5%. The high
      escape rate (10.3%) of patients was in 2014. Diabetic nephropathy was the most
      common cause of ESRD, accounting for 30.4% of all cases, followed by unknown
      etiologies accounting for 25.2%. Nearly 22.6% of all ESRD cases had hypertension.
      Primary glomerular disease was seen in 8.9% and obstructive uropathy in 3.7%.
      Other causes constituted 7.4% of the cases. The data of ERSD patients in Tabuk
      City are comparable with that of other regions of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. We
      conclude that analysis studies of HD centers help to understand the problems and
      the needs of the patients, find the solutions, and create a connection between
      the consumers and health-care providers.

PMID- 28352020
TI  - Profile of glomerular diseases associated with hepatitis B and C: A single-center
      experience from India.
AB  - Hepatitis B and C are known to affect kidneys in a number of ways. Glomerular
      diseases associated with hepatitis B and C include membranous nephropathy (MN),
      membranoproliferative glomerulonephritis (MPGN), focal segmental
      glomerulosclerosis, immunoglobulin A nephropathy, rarely amyloidosis, and
      fibrillary and immunotactoid glomerulopathy. In a retrospective analysis of
      kidney biopsy of 534 patients, we found 16 (2.9%) patients of hepatitis B and 11
      (2.05%) patients of hepatitis C with glomerular disease. The most common form of
      glomerulonephritis in hepatitis B patient was MN and in hepatitis C patient was
      MPGN.

PMID- 28352021
TI  - Prevalence of the metabolic syndrome in kidney transplant recipients: A single
      center study.
AB  - Metabolic syndrome (MS) is characterized by a combination of cardiovascular (CV)
      risk factors (hypertension, dyslipidemia, obesity, and alterations in glucose
      homeostasis). Insulin resistance is suggested to be the common pathogenic
      background. This syndrome is also a risk factor for diabetes and chronic kidney
      disease. In renal transplant recipients, MS has been shown to be an independent
      risk factor for chronic allograft dysfunction, graft failure, new-onset diabetes,
      and CV disease. We performed a cross-sectional study on 106 stable renal
      transplant recipients to detect MS between January 2013 and August 2013. This
      syndrome was diagnosed according to the National Cholesterol Education Program
      Adult Treatment Panel III criteria. Patients with history of diabetes mellitus
      were excluded from the study. In this group of patients, 56 (52.8%) had MS. There
      were 32 males (57.1%) and 24 females (42.9%). The mean age of the MS group was
      significantly higher than the non-MS group. The mean serum creatinine was higher
      in the MS group than the non-MS group, but there was no significant difference
      between them (P >0.05). The calculated glomerular filtration rate was also
      similar in the two groups (P >0.05). The patients with MS had higher body weight
      (64.61 +/- 14.17 kg vs. 58.76 +/- 11.70 kg, P <0.05) and also higher body mass
      index (BMI) (P <0.05). The prevalence of BMI >25 kg/m2 in the MS group was 75%
      versus 25% in the non-MS group (P <0.05). Since MS is an important and common
      risk factor in renal transplant recipients, we have to try to prevent it by
      educating the patients to control it by modifying their lifestyle. Efforts toward
      promoting healthy diets, physical activity, and blood pressure control must be
      undertaken.

PMID- 28352022
TI  - Analysis of renal diseases detected in renal biopsies of adult patients: A single
      center experience.
AB  - Renal biopsy is crucial while evaluating for the diagnosis of glomerular,
      vascular, tubulointerstitial, and genetic diseases. It gives vital information
      which helps in estimating the disease prognosis, progression, and management.
      This is the retrospective analysis of all adult patients aged above 18 years, who
      underwent percutaneous renal biopsy at The Kidney Center Post Graduate Training
      Institute, Karachi, over a duration of 18 years, i.e., January 1, 1996, to
      December 2013. Renal graft biopsies and those which were inadequate were excluded
      from analysis. Of the1962 biopsies performed, we included 1521 biopsies in our
      assessment. The mean age of the population was 38 +/- 15.26 years (range 18-88
      years). There were 920 (60.5%) males and 601 (39.5%) females. The most common
      clinical indication of kidney biopsy was nephrotic syndrome, i.e., 741 (45.7%),
      followed by chronic kidney disease, 253 (16.6%); acute renal failure, 184;
      (12.1%) and rapidly progressive glomerulonephritis (GN), 124 (8.2%). Primary GN
      was found in the majority of the patients, 984 (64.7%), followed by secondary GN
      in 249 (16.4%), tubulointerstitial disease in 224 (14.7%), and vascular disease
      in 64 (4.2%). In primary GN, focal segmental glomerulosclerosis was the most
      common histopathological diagnosis in 297 (19.5%) patients, followed by MGN in
      224 (14.7%), chronic GN in 98 (6.4%), crescentic GN in 93 (6.1%), minimal change
      disease in 87 (5.7%), membranoproliferative glomerulonephritis in 58 (3.8%), and
      postinfection glomerulonephritis in 53 (3.5%) patients. This study shows that
      focal segmental glomerulosclerosis is the most common lesion in renal biopsy in
      the young age group followed by membranous nephropathy. Diabetic nephropathy and
      chronic interstitial nephritis were dominant secondary pathological lesions in
      older age group, whereas lupus nephritis was the most common secondary disease in
      young age females.

PMID- 28352023
TI  - Anti-glomerular basement membrane: A rare cause of renal failure in children.
AB  - Anti-glomerular basement membrane (GBM) disease is a rare cause of acute renal
      failure and known to have bad prognosis regarding renal functions recovery and
      patient survival specially when diagnosed late and presents with severe renal
      failure that requires dialysis. We report a case of 11-year-old child with acute
      renal failure secondary to anti-GBM disease and associated with antineutrophil
      cytoplasmic antibody-positive vasculitis. He was treated with plasmapheresis,
      steroids, and cyclophosphamide with recovery of his kidney functions.

PMID- 28352024
TI  - Anesthetic management of two cases of Bardet-Biedl syndrome for renal
      transplantation.
AB  - Bardet-Biedl syndrome (BBS) is a multisystem autosomal recessive disorder with
      clinical and genetic heterogeneity. It is a type of ciliopathy characterized by
      retinal dystrophy, central obesity, polydactyly, cognitive impairment, and
      gonadal and renal dysgenesis. It has been suggested that the involved proteins
      attach to the basal body of ciliated cells making this a disorder of ciliary
      dysfunction. We report two cases of typical BBS in a 17-year-old female and 29
      year-old male patient, who presented for live-related renal transplant. We
      discuss the relevant points of the syndrome regarding anesthetic management.

PMID- 28352025
TI  - Eculizumab experience in an adult patient with atypical hemolytic uremic
      syndrome.
AB  - Atypical hemolytic-uremic syndrome is a disease characterized by nonimmune
      hemolytic anemia, thrombocytopenia, and renal failure. In this study, we present
      a case of a patient with atypical hemolytic-uremic syndrome treated successfully
      with eculizumab. A 20-year-old female was admitted with clinical signs of
      atypical hemolytic syndrome. The laboratory findings were as follows: hemoglobin
      9.2 g/dL, platelet count 18 * 103/MUL, creatinine 4.69 mg/dL, schistocytes were
      in peripheral blood smear, lactate dehydrogenase 2080 U/L, and emergency
      plasmapheresis procedure with fresh frozen plasma were initiated. The patient was
      anuric within 12 h of her admittance. ADAMTS13 activity was normal. Her mother's
      cousin developed acute rejection immediately after receiving a renal transplant
      and died two months later. As she did not respond to the treatment and
      considering her family history, eculizumab was initiated which resulted in
      platelet counts starting to rise on day 5, and the patient no longer needed
      dialysis after 22 days.

PMID- 28352026
TI  - Hyponatremia secondary to acute urinary retention.
AB  - Acute urinary retention is a rare cause of hyponatremia. Symptomatic acute
      hyponatremia is of grave medical concern and needs to be managed aggressively. In
      our two cases with acute urinary retention, a simple bladder catheterization and
      drainage of urine followed by conservative management resulted in complete
      resolution of symptoms and normalization of sodium levels. Association of bladder
      distension and hyponatremia is considered to be due to release of vasopressin
      triggered by bladder distension itself or by pain due to bladder distension.
      These cases are presented to bring to light an unusual and easily treatable cause
      of hyponatremia.

PMID- 28352027
TI  - Successful cadaveric transplantation of a splitted crossed fused disc type
      ectopic kidney to two patients with end-stage renal disease.
AB  - Cadaveric donors with congenital renal anomalies are often refused because of
      technical difficulties. As the waiting periods for kidney transplants continue to
      increase, transplant centers need to consider them also as potential donors. This
      paper describes transplantation of a crossed fused disc type ectopic kidney to
      two patients with end-stage renal disease, after parenchymal transection. The
      transplants were successful with minimal complications, and the recipients had
      immediate graft function. It is now one year from transplantation, with excellent
      renal functions.

PMID- 28352028
TI  - Eosinophilic peritonitis in a continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis patient:
      Inflammation and irritation without infection.
AB  - A 52-year-old patient developed idiopathic eosinophilic peritonitis (EP) four
      weeks after starting continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis that resolved
      spontaneously without any clinical sequelae. This case is reported to emphasize
      the fact that EP can mimic infectious peritonitis in its mode of clinical
      presentation and that distinction between these two entities is important given
      their prognostic and therapeutic differences.

PMID- 28352029
TI  - The mystery of the nonfunctioning catheter: An unusual complication of peritoneal
      dialysis outflow failure.
AB  - Noninfectious complications of peritoneal dialysis (PD) remain an important
      impediment to successful implementation of PD. Rare noninfectious complications
      of the PD catheter are sparsely reported. We report an unusual complication of
      outflow failure due to a peritoneal catheter that separated into two distinct
      intra-abdominal segments, due to an unusual method of placement in which two
      catheters were connected to make a long intra-abdominal portion to permit a high
      exit site on the abdominal wall. The application of this unusual rather a unique
      technique led to separation of the two catheter portions and the outflow failure
      shortly after the patient started continuous ambulatory PD. We reviewed other
      unusual causes of PD catheter failure, and these included luminal stones blocking
      the PD catheter, pneumomediastinum related to inappropriate technique, catheter
      deformation and leak due to the use of antibiotic ointment at the exit site of
      polyurethane catheters, vesicoperitoneal fistula and perforation of the bladder
      from the placement of PD catheters, rare site migrations of the catheter, and
      subcutaneous titanium connector infection in a presternal catheter. Knowledge of
      these unusual complications may allow prevention and/or early recognition.

PMID- 28352030
TI  - Pseudohyperkalemia: Look before you treat.
AB  - Pseudohyperkalemia is defined as a reported rise in serum potassium concentration
      along with a normal effective plasma potassium concentration. We present a case
      report of a 57-year-old gentleman with a history of chronic lymphocytic leukemia,
      who presented with an elevation in serum potassium along with a normal plasma
      potassium concentration. Through an exploration of the literature, we demonstrate
      that pseudohyperkalemia is an important phenomenon to watch for as it may
      sometimes lead to unnecessary and potentially dangerous treatment.

PMID- 28352031
TI  - Vasculitis and vasculopathy in Lupus Nephritis: Clinical variability, outcome,
      and new insight into treatment.
AB  - More than 50% of patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) have renal
      involvement at presentation or during their illness. Lupus nephritis (LN)
      encompasses several patterns of renal disease, including glomerular,
      tubulointerstitial, and vascular pathologies. The presence and significance of
      renal vascular lesions (VLs) are often overlooked. VLs in LN are not rare with an
      incidence of 10%-40% on renal biopsies from various studies and their presence is
      often labeled as poor prognostic markers. The current treatment protocol for LN
      is mainly based on the glomerular pathology, and no guidelines/consensus exists
      for treatment of LN with VLs. We describe the clinical presentation, course,
      response to therapy, and outcomes in five patients with SLE with histological
      evidence of renal VLs.

PMID- 28352032
TI  - Aggressive angiomyxoma of transplanted kidney mimicking posttransplant
      lymphoproliferative disorder.
AB  - Angiomyxoma is a scarce neoplasm arising from the soft tissues of perineum and
      pelvis, more commonly seen in the females. For such a tumor to arise in a renal
      allograft is rare and has previously been reported only in few case. We report a
      case of aggressive angiomyxoma arising de novo in the renal allograft nine-year
      posttransplantation. We describe its imaging features on ultrasound and computed
      tomography which closely mimic the more usual tumor of the transplanted kidney,
      posttransplant lymphoproliferative disorder and suggest that angiomyxoma may be
      considered as a differential diagnosis in a case of soft tissue mass arising
      within the renal allograft.

PMID- 28352033
TI  - Possible effect of statins on serum vitamin D levels in patients with chronic
      renal disease.

PMID- 28352034
TI  - The complications of ultrasound-guided percutaneous renal biopsy.

PMID- 28352035
TI  - Unusual isolated fungal infection of renal allograft.

PMID- 28352036
TI  - The cutoff 1st day urine specific gravity in critically ill children: Predictive
      factor for early abnormal glomerular filtration rate.

PMID- 28352037
TI  - Snakebite-induced acute kidney injury requiring dialysis in second trimester of
      pregnancy: Successful outcomes in a therapeutic quagmire.

PMID- 28352038
TI  - Association between autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease and autoimmune
      diseases: A simple coincidence or more?

PMID- 28352039
TI  - Relationship between ABO blood group and end-stage renal disease in Latakia,
      Syria.

PMID- 28352040
TI  - Re-emerging diseases and epidemic threats: Ten 'areas of actions' (AA-10) and a
      case for global solidarity.

PMID- 28352041
TI  - Challenges for malaria vector control in sub-Saharan Africa: Resistance and
      behavioral adaptations in Anopheles populations.
AB  - Over the past decade, global malaria-related mortality has declined dramatically
      because of combined international actions that have defined and prioritized
      national and regional efforts to reduce the incidence of malaria, with the
      ultimate goal of eradication. Vector control strategies using insecticide-treated
      nets (ITNs) and indoor residual spraying (IRS) in African countries have
      contributed significantly to the declining incidence of malaria. However, the
      effectiveness of malaria control is threatened by increasing insecticide
      resistance and behavioral changes in Anopheles vectors. Thus, there is an urgent
      need to ensure that future programmes are designed to address these threats and
      protect the progress made so far in controlling malaria. This review summarizes
      the current malaria vector control tools and discusses about the critical threats
      to vector control programme and vector management.

PMID- 28352042
TI  - Advancements in bait technology to control Glossina swynnertoni Austen, the
      species of limited distribution in Kenya and Tanzania border: A review.
AB  - Glossina swynnertoni is a savannah tsetse that is largely confined to the
      Serengeti-Mara [a very small part of East Africa covering northern Tanzania
      (Arusha and Manyara regions and parts of Shinyanga and Mara regions) extending
      Maasai Mara ecosystem in southwestern Kenya]. Nevertheless, it is of great
      concern to human and animal health and is one of the top target tsetse species
      for eradication. To achieve this eradication objective, it is important to know
      about its behaviour so that the appropriate tools/measures especially the right
      traps can be applied against it. In this paper G. swynnertoni is reviewed in
      terms of its behaviour, and development of traps for its survey and control.
      Glossina swynnertoni control is of paramount importance in Tanzania tourism
      industry and country's income. Since, G. swynnertoni is also distributed in
      national parks, control is vital as it might reduce tourists excursion/movement,
      by transmitting the African trypanosomiasis among travelers. Different literature
      search engines such as Google Scholar and PubMed were deployed for literature
      search. It was found that the behaviour of G. swynnertoni is relatively similar
      but unique from other tsetse flies. Its feeding cycle is 21/2-3 days as opposed
      to 3-4 days observed in other tsetse species. The flight activity pattern varied
      between sex, with male having their peak at 1100-1200 hrs and females 1400-1600
      hrs. The activity in both sexes decline rapidly towards the dusk (1700-1800 hrs).
      It was further that host odours, relatively smaller and vertically oriented
      devices, as well as host movement are the main attractive factors to this tsetse
      species, which can be exploited to design efficient artificial devices for
      control of G. swynnertoni . Therefore, due to its restricted distribution and
      threat it poses on tourism industry, deliberate efforts need to be made against
      G. swynnertoni as a next candidate to be eradicated using artificial bait
      technology.

PMID- 28352043
TI  - Development, standardization and validation of molecular techniques for malaria
      vector species identification, trophic preferences, and detection of Plasmodium
      falciparum.
AB  - BACKGROUND & OBJECTIVES: Knowledge on prevalence of malaria vector species of a
      certain area provides important information for implementation of appropriate
      control strategies. The present study describes a rapid method for screening of
      major Anopheline vector species and at the same time detection of Plasmodium
      falciparum sporozoite infection and blood meal preferences/trophic preferences.
      METHODS: The study was carried from February 2012 to March 2013 in three seasons,
      i.e. rainy, winter and summer in Jhumpura PHC of Keonjhar district, Odisha,
      India. Processing of mosquitoes was carried out in two different methods, viz.
      mosquito pool (P1) and mosquito DNA pool (P2). Pool size for both the methods was
      standardized for DNA isolation and multiplex PCR assay. This PCR based assay was
      employed to screen the major vector com- position in three different seasons of
      four different ecotypes of Keonjhar district. Pearson's correlation coefficient
      was determined for a comparative analysis of the morphological identification
      with the pool prevalence assay for each ecotype. RESULTS: A pool size of 10 was
      standardized for DNA isolation as well as PCR. PCR assay revealed that the
      average pool prevalence for all ecotypes was highest for An. annularis in winter
      and summer whereas for An. culicifacies it was rainy season. Foothill and plain
      ecotypes contributed to highest and lowest vectorial abundance respectively. The
      results of the prevalence of vector species in pool from PCR based assay were
      found to be highly correlated with that of the results of morphological
      identification. INTERPRETATION & CONCLUSION: Screening by pool based PCR assay is
      relatively rapid as compared to conventional identification and can be employed
      as an important tool in malaria control programmes.

PMID- 28352045
TI  - Repellent effect of microencapsulated essential oil in lotion formulation against
      mosquito bites.
AB  - BACKGROUND & OBJECTIVES: Many essential oils have been reported as natural
      sources of insect repellents; however, due to high volatility, they present low
      repellent effect. Formulation technique by using microencapsulation enables to
      control the volatility of essential oil and thereby extends the duration of
      repellency. In this study, the effectiveness of microencapsulated essential oils
      of Alpinia galanga, Citrus grandis and C. aurantifolia in the lotion formulations
      were evaluated against mosquito bites. METHODS: Essential oils and N,N-Diethyl-3
      methylbenzamide (DEET) were encapsulated by using interfacial pre- cipitation
      techniques before incorporation into lotion base to form microencapsulated (ME)
      formulation. The pure essential oil and DEET were also prepared into lotion base
      to produce non-encapsulated (NE) formulation. All the prepared formulations were
      assessed for their repellent activity against Culex quinquefasciatus under
      laboratory condition. Field evaluations also were conducted in three different
      study sites in Peninsular Malaysia. In addi- tion, Citriodiol(r) (Mosiquard(r))
      and citronella-based repellents (KAPS(r), MozAway(r) and BioZ Natural(r)) were
      also included for comparison. RESULTS: In laboratory conditions, the ME
      formulations of the essential oils showed no significant difference with regard
      to the duration of repellent effect compared to the microencapsulated DEET used
      at the highest con- centration (20%). It exhibited >98% repellent effect for
      duration of 4 h (p = 0.06). In the field conditions, these formulations
      demonstrated comparable repellent effect (100% for a duration of 3 h) to
      Citriodiol(r) based repellent (Mosiguard(r)) (p = 0.07). In both test conditions,
      the ME formulations of the essential oils presented longer duration of 100%
      repellent effect (between 1 and 2 h) compared to NE formulations. INTERPRETATION
      & CONCLUSION: The findings of the study demonstrate that the application of the
      microencapsulation technique during the preparation of the formulations
      significantly increases the duration of the repellent effect of the essential
      oils, suggesting that the ME formulation of essential oils have potential to be
      commercialized as an alternative plant-based repellent in the market against the
      mosquitoes.

PMID- 28352044
TI  - Seroprevalence and clinical manifestations of chikungunya virus infection in
      rural areas of Chandrapur, Maharashtra, India.
AB  - BACKGROUND & OBJECTIVES: Chikungunya virus (CHIKV) infection has recently
      witnessed re-emergence, affecting rural areas of India with high morbidity rates.
      This prospective study was conducted to evaluate seroprevalence and clinical
      manifestation in targeted villages reporting cases of CHIKV infection. METHODS: A
      total of 482 patients were recruited from Kalmana and Kothari villages of
      Ballarpur; Chandrapur district of Maharashtra state, India during CHIKV outbreaks
      in 2011-12. The serum samples from infected CHIKV patients were simultaneously
      screened through ELISA for detection of antigen and antibodies (IgM and IgG). Chi
      square analysis was used to evaluate differences in seropositivity between age,
      gender and clinical manifestations of CHIKV. RESULTS: Out of 482 enrolled
      participants, 197 (41%) males and 285 (59%) females were aged between 5 and 92
      yr. The clinical manifestations such as small joint pain (80%), neck stiffness
      (75%), fever (49%) and large joint pain (47%) were observed amongst CHIKV
      infected subjects. Mucocutaneous rashes (91%) on knees (71%), feet (56%), fingers
      and palms (54%) were also observed. Overall, seroprevalence of CHIKV infection
      was found to be 46% in infected participants during the epidemic period. Among
      risk factors, ageing and female gender was strongly associated with a raised
      seroprevalence of CHIKV infection along with symptoms such as rashes, small
      joints pain and neck stiffness. INTERPRETATION & CONCLUSION: This study reported
      high seroprevalence rates of CHIKV infection in targeted popula- tions,
      suggesting its re-emergence in rural India. Proper surveillance is, therefore,
      necessary to minimize re-emergence and in controlling these impending and
      sporadic outbreaks.

PMID- 28352046
TI  - Evaluation of SYBR green I based visual loop-mediated isothermal amplification
      (LAMP) assay for genus and species-specific diagnosis of malaria in P. vivax and
      P. falciparum endemic regions.
AB  - BACKGROUND & OBJECTIVES: Loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP) is an
      emerging nucleic acid based diag- nostic approach that is easily adaptable to the
      field settings with limited technical resources. This study was aimed to evaluate
      the LAMP assay for the detection and identification of Plasmodium falciparum and
      P. vivax infection in malaria suspected cases using genus and species-specific
      assay. METHODS: The 18S rRNA-based LAMP assay was evaluated for diagnosis of
      genus Plasmodium, and species- specific diagnosis of P. falciparum and P. vivax,
      infection employing 317 malaria suspected cases, and the results were compared
      with those obtained by 18S nested PCR (n-PCR). All the samples were confirmed by
      microscopy for the presence of Plasmodium parasite. RESULTS: The n-PCR was
      positive in all Plasmodium-infected cases (n=257; P. falciparum=133; P.
      vivax=124) and negative in microscopy negative cases (n=58) except for two cases
      which were positive for P. vivax, giving a sen- sitivity of 100% (95% CI: 97.04
      100%) and a specificity of 100% (95% CI: 88.45-99.5%). Genus-specific LAMP assay
      missed 11 (3.2%) microscopy and n-PCR confirmed vivax malaria cases. Considering
      PCR results as a refer- ence, LAMP was 100% sensitive and specific for P.
      falciparum, whereas it exhibited 95.16% sensitivity and 96.7% specificity for P.
      vivax. The n-PCR assay detected 10 mixed infection cases while species-specific
      LAMP detected five mixed infection cases of P. vivax and P. falciparum, which
      were not detected by microscopy. INTERPRETATION & CONCLUSION: Genus-specific LAMP
      assay displayed low sensitivity. Falciparum specific LAMP assay displayed high
      sensitivity whereas vivax specific LAMP assay displayed low sensitivity. Failed
      detection of vivax cases otherwise confirmed by the n-PCR assay indicates
      exploitation of new targets and improved detection methods to attain 100% results
      for P. vivax detection.

PMID- 28352047
TI  - Larvicidal activity of Ottonia anisum metabolites against Aedes aegypti: A
      potential natural alternative source for mosquito vector control in Brazil.
AB  - BACKGROUND & OBJECTIVES: Aedes aegypti mosquito is the principal vector of the
      viruses responsible for urban yellow fever, dengue, dengue haemorrhagic fever, as
      well as Zika and chikungunya in Brazil. The present study was aimed to
      investigate the insecticidal potential of the extract and fractions of Ottonia
      anisum, along with special metabolites isolated from it, as natural alternatives
      against larvae (L3) of Ae. aegypti, vector of potentially deadly tropical
      infections in Brazil. METHODS: The plant species O. anisum was collected in March
      2015, at Xeriotam area, in Rio de Janeiro City, Brazil. Crude extracts and the
      isolated pure compounds were screened for toxicity against Ae. aegypti larvae
      (L3). Bioassays were performed on 20 larvae (L3) of Ae. aegypti in triplicate.
      The samples were dissolved in a mixture of acetone and DMSO at final
      concentrations of 1-200 MUg/ml. The toxicity of the solutions was evaluated
      towards the growth and development of Ae. aegypti larvae till emergence of
      adults. RESULTS: The crude hexane extract showed 100% larval mortality 24 h after
      treatment at a concentration of 200 MUg/ml. The bioassays using 1-butyl-3,4
      methylenedioxybenzene revealed 100% mortality among L3 larvae, 24 h afterthe
      treatment at a concentration of 30 MUg/ml, the LC recorded was 1.6 MUg/ml. At
      concentration of 10 MUg/ml, the L3 larval mortality recorded was 92%.
      INTERPRETATION & CONCLUSION: The metabolite 1-butyl-3,4-methylenedioxybenzene
      showed potent toxicity against Ae. aegypti larvae. This arylbutanoid agent could
      be used as a natural alternative adjuvant pesticide, in new compositions that
      would be environmentally safer.

PMID- 28352048
TI  - Evidence of JEV in Culex tritaeniorhynchus and pigs from high altitude regions of
      Tibet, China.
AB  - BACKGROUND & OBJECTIVES: Culex tritaeniorhynchus is the primary vector of
      Japanese encephalitis virus (JEV) which is a major threat to animals and humans
      health. This virus has been reported earlier from low altitude regions of Tibet,
      in mosquitoes, Tibetan pigs and local Tibetans, but no reports are available for
      the probable propagation of JE to high altitude regions (3100 m) of Tibet. This
      study aimed to find the evidence of JEV in Cx. tritaeniorhynchus and pigs from
      high altitude regions of Tibet, China. METHODS: In total, 102 porcine serum
      samples and eight pools of Cx. tritaeniorhynchus were subjected to real-time PCR
      (RT-PCR) for the amplification of a fragment (~ 420 bp) of the NS1 gene. The
      resultant amplicons of the genes were subsequently analyzed and sequenced.
      RESULTS: Overall seroprevalence of JE in Tibetan pigs was 6.86%, while five pools
      of Cx. tritaeniorhynchus were found positive for JEV. Results showed genotype III
      as the most prevalent (100%) among JEV positive isolates. Furthermore,
      phylogenetic analysis of the JEV positive strains showed 98.8-99% similarity to
      four reference strains from China (JEV-Hubei, Whe, HYZ and CQ11-66).
      INTERPRETATION & CONCLUSION: The present study revealed that JEV has extended its
      geographic range to high altitude regions of Tibet. The factors like increased
      tourism and transportation might play key role in the transmission of JE that
      comprises a potential health risk for humans and animals.

PMID- 28352049
TI  - Association of CD40L gene polymorphism with severe Plasmodium falciparum malaria
      in Indian population.
AB  - BACKGROUND & OBJECTIVES: Many host genetic factors are associated with the
      disease severity and fatal outcome of falciparum malaria. CD40L gene has been
      found to be one of the most important factors associated with malaria in African
      countries. This study was aimed to investigate the possible association of CD40L
      gene polymorphism in severe falciparum malaria in Indian adults. METHODS: One
      hundred fifteen adult cases with severe falciparum malaria were included in the
      study. Two single- nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) of CD40L gene, CD40L-726(C/T)
      and CD40L+220(C/T) were investigated, and the possible association with different
      clinical sub-phenotypes of severe falciparum malaria were analyzed. RESULTS:
      Statistically no significant difference was observed in the incidence of CD40L
      726C between the patients and control group. The incidence of CD40L+220C allele
      was found to be significantly higher (OR, 2.25; p = 0.03) in male patients
      compared to controls but no significant difference was observed in females.
      Haplotype data showed the susceptibility of -726T/+220C haplotype to severe
      malaria whereas -726C/+220T was associated with protection against severe
      malaria. CD40L+220C allele was associated with severe malarial anaemia in males
      (chi2 = 6.60; p = 0.01). INTERPRETATION & CONCLUSION: CD40L gene polymorphism was
      found to be associated with severe falciparum malaria in Indian population
      especially in severe malarial anaemia. CD40L may be considered as a factor of
      immunity in understanding the pathophysiology of falciparum malaria.

PMID- 28352050
TI  - Species diversity of black flies (Diptera: Simuliidae) in Oriental region and
      molecular phylogeny of the subgenus Gomphostilbia members.
AB  - BACKGROUND & OBJECTIVES: Black flies (Diptera: Simuliidae) are ecologically and
      medically important insects. Female adults of black flies are the solitary
      vectors of river blindness (onchocerciasis) and their larvae play a vital role in
      stream ecosystem. This study examined the distribution of black flies in the
      Oriental region and analyzed the phylogenetic relationship of the subgenus
      Gomphostilbia members based on two molecular loci. METHODS: The distribution data
      of black fly species in different countries of Oriental region were obtained from
      world black flies geographic inventory. The two gene sequences, COI and ITS1 were
      used to study the phylogenetic relationships of the members of subgenus
      Gomphostilbia members. RESULTS: The distribution analysis revealed that out of
      the 16 subgenera in the genus Simulium Latreille s., the species-level diversity
      of three subgenera (Gomphostilbia, Nevermannia and Simulium) contributes about
      thrice of total black fly species diversity. The highest diversity of species was
      found in the subgenus Simulium. The strict consensus of Tree analysis using New
      Technology (TNT) and Maximum Likelihood (ML) recovered similar topolo- gies for
      Gomphostilbia members and they formed as monophyly. The overall sequence
      identities of the 19 species of subgenus Gomphostilbia were high and shared 55
      60% similarity. INTERPRETATION & CONCLUSION: Results of this study highlighted
      that eight subgenera of Simulium Latreille s. str are commonly distributed in
      different parts of Oriental region. Among these the subgenera of Simulium,
      Gomphostilbia and Nevermannia are most common with high diversity in China,
      Pakistan, Thailand and Vietnam. The phylogenetic analysis of Gomphostilbia
      members demonstrates the inter-specific divergence, indicating the centre of
      origin (India) or the recipient of ancestral migrant lineages in Oriental region.

PMID- 28352051
TI  - Composition and distribution of medically important phlebotomines (Diptera:
      Psychodidae) in the municipalities of Tierralta and Valencia (Cordoba, Colombia).
AB  - BACKGROUND & OBJECTIVES: Ecoepidemiological studies of cutaneous leishmaniasis
      and regular monitoring of Lutzomyia species have generated a knowledge base that
      can be used for control and prevention strategies targeted at the disease
      transmission dynamics in focal areas of Colombia. In this study, the presence and
      spatial distribution of phlebotomines of medical importance in the municipalities
      of Tierralta (El Loro and Tuis Tuis villages) and Valencia (Guadua and Mieles
      villages) were determined. METHODS: Entomological surveys were performed in 2015
      (months of June, September and November) and samples were collected via CDC-traps
      located in intradomicilary and peridomiciliary areas in the municipalities of
      Tierralta and Valencia (Department of Cordoba, Colombia). Active searches were
      also carried out with a mouth aspirator to collect adult phlebotomines from
      resting sites. ANOVA and Kruskal-Wallis tests were performed to assess if the
      differences between the communities of phlebotomines. Spatial distribution maps
      of the Lutzomyia species were generated. RESULTS: A high species diversity of
      Lutzomyia was observed with a total of 1677 Lutzomyia individuals belonging to 12
      species. Among these species, Lu. panamensis was the most abundant (80.18%). The
      composition of the intradomicilary and peridomiciliary phlebotomines varied
      significantly (F = 0.9962; df = 1; p = 0.02895). Species like Lu. carpenteri, Lu.
      camposi, Lu. dysponeta, Lu. atroclavata and Lu. yuilli yuilli were recorded for
      the first time in the Department of Cordoba, Colombia. INTERPRETATION &
      CONCLUSION: The spatial distribution shows that Lu. panamensis and Lu. gomezi are
      predominant and present in areas with high concentration of houses. This study
      provides basic information on new records of phlebotomines in the Department of
      Cordoba. The results suggest that greater vector-human contact occurs in the
      peridomiciliary environment and that a high number of Lutzomyia species
      associated with the transmission of leishmaniasis are present in Colombia.

PMID- 28352052
TI  - Feline visceral leishmaniasis in Kerman, southeast of Iran: Serological and
      molecular study.
AB  - BACKGROUND & OBJECTIVES: Visceral leishmaniasis (VL) is a fatal zoonotic disease
      in tropical and sub-tropical countries including Iran. Dogs constitute the main
      domestic reservoir for VL (kala-azar) in Iran but incidence of the disease in
      cats from Fars and East Azerbaijan provinces has led to propose them as secondary
      reservoirs, and possible expansion of the feline role in the transmission of
      disease. The aim of this study was to evaluate the prevalence of Leishmania
      infantum infection in stray cats in Kerman City by ELISA and PCR methods.
      METHODS: In this cross-sectional descriptive study, 60 stray cats were randomly
      live trapped from different parts of Kerman City during a six month period
      between March and September 2014. About 3 ml blood samples were drawn from
      jugular vein of captured cats and a detailed questionnaire about demographic
      characteristics and clini- cal status of each cat was recorded by attending
      veterinarian. The complete blood counts and biochemistry analysis were performed
      for all cats. Finally collected sera samples were tested by an indirect enzyme
      linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) kit and PCR amplification method. RESULTS:
      Prevalence of Leishmania infantum infection was 6.7 and 16.7% by ELISA and PCR
      assays, respectively. Infection rate was significantly higher in leukopenic cats,
      which were older than 3 yr. INTERPRETATION & CONCLUSION: The results of the study
      indicate that stray cats are at risk of L. infantum infection in Kerman City.
      Further, studies are required to elucidate the role of cats as potential
      reservoir host in the epidemiol- ogy of VL in endemic regions.

PMID- 28352053
TI  - Spontaneous iliopsoas haematoma in a patient with dengue haemorrhagic fever
      (DHF): A case report.

PMID- 28352054
TI  - B-cell leukemia/lymphoma and neuroborreliosis: Diagnostic and therapeutic
      challenges.

PMID- 28352055
TI  - Progressive Encephalomyelitis with Rigidity and Myoclonus in an Intellectually
      Disabled Patient Mimicking Neuroleptic Malignant Syndrome.
AB  - We present a case of 32-year-old male with profound mental retardation and autism
      spectrum disorder who had presented with seizures, rigidity and elevated creatine
      kinase and was initially diagnosed as neuroleptic malignant syndrome (NMS). The
      patient subsequently had a complicated clinical course, developing refractory
      status epilepticus, which lead to the eventual diagnosis of progressive
      encephalomyelitis with rigidity and myoclonus (PERM). We discuss the clinical
      similarities and differences between NMS and PERM, and highlight the need to
      consider alternative diagnoses when the clinical picture of NMS is atypical,
      particularly in this patient group where the history and clinical examination may
      be challenging.

PMID- 28352056
TI  - Isolated Neurological Manifestation in Silent Celiac Disease.

PMID- 28352057
TI  - Paroxysmal Kinesigenic Dyskinesia as the Presenting and Only Manifestation of
      Multiple Sclerosis after Eighteen Months of Follow-Up.
AB  - Other than tremor, movement disorders are uncommon in multiple sclerosis. Among
      these uncommon clinical manifestations, paroxysmal kinesigenic dyskinesia is the
      most frequently reported. It is characterized by episodic attacks of involuntary
      movements that are induced by repetitive or sudden movements, startling noise or
      hyperventilation. The diagnosis is essentially clinical and based on a good
      observation of the attacks. It is very easy to misdiagnose it. We describe the
      case of a young female patient who presented paroxysmal kinesigenic dyskinesia as
      the first and only clinical manifestation of multiple sclerosis, with no
      recurrence of attacks nor any other neurologic symptom after eighteen months of
      follow-up.

PMID- 28352058
TI  - The relationship between anti-C-reactive protein and disease activity in patients
      with systemic lupus erythematosus.
AB  - Background/Aims: Anti-C-reactive protein (CRP) antibody has been introduced as a
      potential biologic marker in Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). The aim of study
      is to evaluate the level of anti-CRP antibody in patients with SLE. METHODS: This
      study investigated the relationship between levels of anti-CRP antibodies and
      disease activity markers, such as complement, anti-double-stranded DNA antibody,
      and SLE disease activity index in 34 patients with SLE. RESULTS: The serum anti
      CRP antibody levels of the patients with SLE were significantly higher than those
      of the healthy controls (11.3 +/- 5.6 ug/mL vs. 9.1 +/- 2.8 ug/mL). The
      percentages of the positive anti-CRP antibody were 52.9% in SLE and 27.8% in
      controls. Disease duration of SLE showed significant correlation with the anti
      CRP antibody (r = 0.234, p = 0.026). However no significant relationship was
      observed between the levels of anti-CRP antibodies and disease activity markers.
      Conclusions: These data show that the anti-CRP antibody levels of the patients
      with SLE were significantly higher than those of healthy controls. We observed
      that the presence of the anti-CRP anti-CRP antibody was not associated with
      disease activity of SLE.

PMID- 28352059
TI  - Korean version of the Cough Symptom Score: clinical utility and validity for
      chronic cough.
AB  - BACKGROUND/AIMS: The Cough Symptom Score (CSS) is a simple, useful tool for
      measuring cough severity. However, there is no standard Korean version of the
      CSS. We developed a Korean version of the CSS and evaluated its clinical utility
      and validity for assessing chronic cough severity. METHODS: The CSS was adapted
      for Korean use following a forward-backward translation procedure. Patients with
      chronic cough enrolled from five university hospitals were graded using the CSS
      and a 100-mm linear visual analog scale (VAS) of cough severity at each visit.
      Patients completed the Leicester Cough Questionnaire (LCQ) upon presentation and
      completed the LCQ and Global Rating of Change at follow-up visits after 2 to 4
      weeks. The concurrent validity, repeatability, and responsiveness of the Korean
      version of the CSS were determined. RESULTS: Correlation coefficients between the
      CSS and LCQ, and between the CSS and VAS, were -0.66 and 0.52, respectively.
      There was a weak correlation between the scores for night and day symptoms (r =
      0.24, p = 0.0006). The repeatability of the CSS in patients with no change in
      cough (n = 23) was high (intra-class correlation coefficient, 0.75; 95%
      confidence interval [CI], 0.51 to 0.88). Patients who reported an improvement in
      cough (n = 30) at follow-up visits had a significant improvement in the CSS
      (median, -2; 95% CI, -3 to -1; p = 0.0003). CONCLUSIONS: The Korean version of
      the CSS correlated well with other tools for accessing cough severity in chronic
      cough patients. Therefore, it could be a reliable method for measuring chronic
      cough severity.

PMID- 28352060
TI  - Evaluation of the prevalence and clinical impact of toxocariasis in patients with
      eosinophilia of unknown origin.
AB  - BACKGROUND/AIMS: Eosinophilia has numerous diverse causes, and in many patients,
      it is not possible to establish the cause of eosinophilia. Recently, toxocariasis
      was introduced as one cause of eosinophilia. The aims of this study were to
      evaluate the prevalence of toxocariasis and the clinical impact of albendazole
      treatment for toxocariasis in patients suspected of eosinophilia of unknown
      origin. METHODS: We performed a retrospective chart review. After evaluation of
      cause of eosinophilia, the patients suspected of eosinophilia of unknown origin
      performed immunoglobulin G antibody specific assay for the Toxocara canis larval
      antigen by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. RESULTS: This study evaluated 113
      patients, 69 patients (61%) were suspected of eosinophilia of unknown origin.
      Among these 69 patients, the frequency of T. canis infection was very high (45
      patients, 65.2%), and albendazole treatment for 45 eosinophilia with toxocariasis
      was highly effective for a cure of eosinophilia than no albendazole group
      regardless of steroid (82.3%, p = 0.007). Furthermore, among the nonsteroid
      treated small group (19 patients), albendazole treatment for eosinophilia were
      more effective than no albendazole group, too (83.3% vs. 28.6 %, p = 0.045).
      CONCLUSIONS: The prevalence of toxocariasis was high among patients suspected of
      eosinophilia of unknown origin; therefore, evaluation for T. canis infection is
      recommended for patients with eosinophilia of unknown origin. Furthermore, for
      patients suspected of eosinophilia of unknown origin who have positive results
      for T. canis, albendazole treatment may be considered a valuable treatment
      option.

PMID- 28352061
TI  - Does the efficacy of epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) tyrosine kinase
      inhibitor differ according to the type of EGFR mutation in non-small cell lung
      cancer?
AB  - An exon 19 deletion and a L858R mutation in exon 21 of the epidermal growth
      factor receptor (EGFR) are the two most common mutations that predict favorable
      efficacy of EGFR tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) in patients with non-small
      cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Many retrospective and prospective studies, as well as
      meta-analyses including patients with NSCLC with various lines of EGFR TKI
      treatment, have demonstrated longer progression-free survival and sometimes more
      favorable overall survival in patients with an exon 19 deletion than those with
      the L858R or other mutations. In contrast, some clinical studies, including phase
      III trials, have demonstrated no difference in the efficacy of EGFR TKIs
      according to the EGFR mutation type. Therefore, the existence of clinically
      significant differences in sensitivity to EGFR-TKIs among different EGFR mutation
      subtypes remains controversial. In this review, we summarize the evidence
      suggesting different outcomes according to the type of EGFR mutation in patients
      with advanced NSCLC who were treated with EGFR-TKIs, along with their clinical
      significance. We also discuss possible mechanisms that can explain the different
      sensitivities to EGFR TKIs between cases with an exon 19 deletion and those with
      the L858R mutation.

PMID- 28352062
TI  - Atorvastatin inhibits osteoclast differentiation by suppressing NF-kappaB and
      MAPK signaling during IL-1beta-induced osteoclastogenesis.
AB  - BACKGROUND/AIMS: To define the effect of statins on interleukin 1beta (IL-1beta)
      induced osteoclastogenesis and elucidate the underlying mechanisms. METHODS: Bone
      marrow cells were obtained from 5-week-old male ICR (Institute for Cancer
      Research) mice, and they were cultured to differentiate them into osteoclasts
      with macrophage colony-stimulating factor and the receptor activator of nuclear
      factor (NF)-kappaB ligand in the presence or absence of IL-1beta or atorvastatin.
      The formation of osteoclasts was evaluated by tartrate-resistant acid phosphatase
      (TRAP) staining and resorption pit assay with dentine slice. The molecular
      mechanisms of the effects of atorvastatin on osteoclastogenesis were investigated
      using reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction and immunoblotting for
      osteoclast specific molecules. RESULTS: Atorvastatin significantly reduced the
      number of TRAP-positive multinucleated cells as well as the bone resorption area.
      Atorvastatin also downregulated the expression of the NF of activated T-cell c1
      messenger RNA and inhibited the expression of osteoclast-specific genes. A
      possible underlying mechanism may be that atorvastatin suppresses the degradation
      of the inhibitors of NF-kappaB and blocks the activation of the c-Jun N-terminal
      kinase, extracellular signal-regulated kinase, and p38; thus, implicating the NF
      kappaB and mitogen-activated protein kinases pathway in this process.
      CONCLUSIONS: Atorvastatin is a strong inhibitor of inflammation-induced
      osteoclastogenesis in inflammatory joint diseases.

PMID- 28352064
TI  - Clinical characteristics associated with occurrence and poor prognosis of
      interstitial lung disease in rheumatoid arthritis.
AB  - Background/Aims: To analyze clinical characteristics of interstitial lung disease
      (ILD) associated with rheumatoid arthritis (RA), especially in patients with poor
      prognosis. Methods: Seventy-seven RA patients with ILD and 231 age, sex, and
      disease duration-matched RA patients without ILD were enrolled in this
      retrospective study. Epidemiologic, clinical, and laboratory information were
      obtained through a medical chart review. Logistic regression analysis was used to
      estimate the risk of mortality in RA patients with ILD. Results: Compared to the
      RA without ILD group, the RA with ILD group had significantly higher titers of
      rheumatoid factor and the anti-cyclic citrullinated peptide (p = 0.001 for both),
      higher levels of C-reactive protein (CRP) at the time of RA diagnosis (p =
      0.014), and a higher erythrocyte sedimentation rate (p = 0.022) and CRP levels (p
      < 0.001) throughout the 10-year follow-up period. These patients also received a
      higher mean daily dose of corticosteroids (p < 0.001). In the subgroup analysis
      of RA patients with ILD, 28 patients (36.4%) died during follow-up. Multivariate
      analysis revealed that older age at the time of ILD diagnosis was significantly
      associated with mortality. Usual interstitial pneumonia (UIP) subtype on high
      resolution computed tomography (HRCT) was also suggested as a poor prognostic
      factor. Conclusions: The survival of RA patients with ILD is adversely affected
      by age at the time of ILD diagnosis. RA-ILD patients diagnosed after age 65 or
      with a UIP subtype on HRCT may have a poor prognosis.

PMID- 28352065
TI  - Attitudes to proposed assessment of pharmacy skills in Korean pharmacist
      licensure examination.
AB  - PURPOSE: The survey aimed to obtain opinions about a proposed implementation of
      pharmacy skills assessment in Korean pharmacist licensure examination (KPLE).
      METHODS: A 16-question survey was distributed electronically to 2,738 people
      including 570 pharmacy professors of 35 pharmacy schools, 550 preceptors from 865
      practice sites and 1,618 students who graduated in 2015. The survey solicited
      responses concerning the adequacy of the current KPLE in assessing pharmacy
      knowledge/skills/attitudes, deficiencies of pharmacy skills testing in assessing
      the professional competencies necessary for pharmacists, plans for pharmacy
      skills tests in the current KPLE, and subject areas of pharmacy practice.
      RESULTS: A total of 466 surveys were returned. The current exam is not adequate
      for assessing skills and attitudes according to 42%-48% of respondents. Sixty
      percent felt that skills test is necessary to assess qualifications and
      professional competencies. Almost two-thirds of participants stated that testing
      should be implemented within 5 years. More than 60% agreed that candidates should
      be graduates and that written and skills test scores can be combined for pass
      fail decisions. About 70% of respondents felt that the test should be less than 2
      hours in duration. Over half of the respondents thought that the assessor should
      be a pharmacy faculty member with at least 5 years of clinical experience. Up to
      70% stated that activities related to patient care were appropriate and practical
      for the scope of skills test. CONCLUSION: Pharmacy skills assessment was
      supported by the majority of respondents.

PMID- 28352063
TI  - Erythromycin infusion prior to endoscopy for acute nonvariceal upper
      gastrointestinal bleeding: a pilot randomized controlled trial.
AB  - BACKGROUND/AIMS: The aim of this study was to compare the effects of erythromycin
      infusion and gastric lavage in order to improve the quality of visualization
      during emergency upper endoscopy. METHODS: We performed a prospective randomized
      pilot study. Patients presented with hematemesis or melena within 12 hours and
      were randomly assigned to the erythromycin group (intravenous infusion of
      erythromycin), gastric lavage group (nasogastric tube placement with gastric
      lavage), or erythromycin + gastric lavage group (both erythromycin infusion and
      gastric lavage). The primary outcome was satisfactory visualization. Secondary
      outcomes included identification of a bleeding source, the success rate of
      hemostasis, duration of endoscopy, complications related to erythromycin infusion
      or gastric lavage, number of transfused blood units, rebleeding rate, and
      bleeding-related mortality. RESULTS: A total of 43 patients were randomly
      assigned: 14 patients in the erythromycin group; 15 patients in the gastric
      lavage group; and 14 patients in the erythromycin + gastric lavage group. Overall
      satisfactory visualization was achieved in 81% of patients: 92.8% in the
      erythromycin group; 60.0% in the gastric lavage group; and 92.9% in the
      erythromycin + gastric lavage group, respectively (p = 0.055). The identification
      of a bleeding source was possible in all cases. The success rate of hemostasis,
      duration of endoscopy, and number of transfused blood units did not significantly
      differ between groups. There were no complications. Rebleeding occurred in three
      patients (7.0%). Bleeding-related mortality was not reported. CONCLUSIONS:
      Intravenous erythromycin infusion prior to emergency endoscopy for acute
      nonvariceal upper gastrointestinal bleeding seems to provide satisfactory
      endoscopic visualization.

PMID- 28352066
TI  - Improving student-perceived benefit of academic advising within education of
      occupational and physical therapy in the United States: a quality improvement
      initiative.
AB  - Academic advising is a key role for faculty in the educational process of health
      professionals; however, the best practice of effective academic advising for
      occupational and physical therapy students has not been identified in the current
      literature. The purpose of this quality improvement initiative was to assess and
      improve the faculty/student advisor/advisee process within occupational and
      physical therapy programs within a school of allied health professions in the
      United States in 2015. A quality improvement initiative utilizing quantitative
      and qualitative information was gathered via survey focused on the assessment and
      improvement of an advisor/advisee process. The overall initiative utilized an
      adaptive iterative design incorporating the plan-do-study-act model which
      included a three-step process over a one year time frame utilizing 2 cohorts, the
      first with 80 students and the second with 88 students. Baseline data were
      gathered prior to initiating the new process. A pilot was conducted and assessed
      during the first semester of the occupational and physical therapy programs.
      Final information was gathered after one full academic year with final
      comparisons made to baseline. Defining an effective advisory program with an
      established framework led to improved awareness and participation by students and
      faculty. Early initiation of the process combined with increased frequency of
      interaction led to improved student satisfaction. Based on student perceptions,
      programmatic policies were initiated to promote advisory meetings early and often
      to establish a positive relationship. The policies focus on academic advising as
      one of proactivity in which the advisor serves as a portal which the student may
      access leading to a more successful academic experience.

PMID- 28352067
TI  - Presidential address: introduction of smart device-based testing and item
      exposure policy for Korea Health Personnel Licensing Examination.

PMID- 28352068
TI  - Systemic Lupus Erythematosus and Bullous Pemphigoid with Dramatic Response to
      Dapsone.
AB  - BACKGROUND Bullous pemphigoid is an autoimmune blistering disease, with relapses,
      isolated or associated with other autoimmune diseases such as systemic lupus
      erythematosus (SLE). Joint manifestations rapidly respond to small or moderate
      doses of corticosteroids, whereas skin manifestations usually respond to
      antimalarial drugs. CASE REPORT We describe the clinical case of an 11-year-old
      girl with SLE. She showed bullous skin lesions with arthralgia, mild proteinuria,
      resolved after steroid treatment. At the tapering of her prednisone dose, the
      patient had new skin lesions requiring an increased dose of prednisone. She
      started dapsone at the dosage of 1 mg/kg/day, maintaining low dose prednisone;
      this treatment was successfully followed by the dramatic disappearance of skin
      lesions and limb pain. CONCLUSIONS Bullous skin lesions can represent the first
      clinical presentation of pediatric SLE and could influence the treatment and the
      outcome of these patients. This case showed an atypical course as both skin
      manifestations and arthritis promptly and persistently resolved with dapsone
      without the use of high-dose glucocorticoids. Only a few cases of patients with
      SLE associated with bullous pemphigoid have been reported in the literature, and
      very few in the pediatric population.

PMID- 28352069
TI  - Efficacy of N-Butylphthalide and Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy on Cognitive
      Dysfunction in Patients with Delayed Encephalopathy After Acute Carbon Monoxide
      Poisoning.
AB  - BACKGROUND Delayed encephalopathy after acute carbon monoxide (CO) poisoning
      (DEACMP) is one of the most serious complications after CO poisoning. This study
      was conducted to explore the efficacy of the combined application of N
      Butylphthalide and hyperbaric oxygenation therapy (HBO) on cognitive dysfunction
      in patients with DEACMP. MATERIAL AND METHODS A total of 184 patients with DEACMP
      were randomly assigned to either receive HBO or N-Butylphthalide and HBO.
      Meanwhile, all patients received conventional treatment. The total remission rate
      (RR) was used to assess the clinical efficacy. The Mini-Mental State Examination
      (MMSE) was used to assess the cognitive function, and the National Institutes of
      Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS) was used to assess the neurological function. RESULTS
      Finally, there were 90 and 94 patients in the control and experimental groups,
      respectively. After eight weeks of treatment, the total RR in the experimental
      group (47.9%) was significantly higher than that in the control group (33.3%).
      Compared to the control group, significantly more patients in the experimental
      group had MMSE scores of 24-30. The lower NIHSS score in the experimental group
      showed that N-Butylphthalide had the effect of preservation and restoration of
      neurological function. No obvious drug toxicity or liver and kidney dysfunction
      was observed, and there was no significant change in the level of blood glucose
      and blood lipids. CONCLUSIONS These results indicated that the combined
      application of N-Butylphthalide and HBO could significantly improve the cognitive
      dysfunction of patients with DEACMP and have great clinical efficacy, which
      should be further studied.

PMID- 28352070
TI  - Dopant size effects on novel functionalities: High-temperature interfacial
      superconductivity.
AB  - Among the range of complex interactions, especially at the interfaces of
      epitaxial oxide systems, contributing to the occurrence of intriguing effects, a
      predominant role is played by the local structural parameters. In this study,
      oxide molecular beam epitaxy grown lanthanum cuprate-based bilayers (consisting
      of a metallic (M) and an insulating phase (I)), in which high-temperature
      superconductivity arises as a consequence of interface effects, are considered.
      With the aim of assessing the role of the dopant size on local crystal structure
      and chemistry, and on the interface functionalities, different dopants (Ca2+,
      Sr2+ and, Ba2+) are employed in the M-phase, and the M-I bilayers are
      investigated by complementary techniques, including spherical-aberration
      corrected scanning transmission electron microscopy. A series of exciting
      outcomes are found: (i) the average out-of-plane lattice parameter of the
      bilayers is linearly dependent on the dopant ion size, (ii) each dopant
      redistributes at the interface with a characteristic diffusion length, and (iii)
      the superconductivity properties are highly dependent on the dopant of choice.
      Hence, this study highlights the profound impact of the dopant size and related
      interface chemistry on the functionalities of superconducting oxide systems.

PMID- 28352071
TI  - Efficient ECG Compression and QRS Detection for E-Health Applications.
AB  - Current medical screening and diagnostic procedures have shifted toward recording
      longer electrocardiogram (ECG) signals, which have traditionally been processed
      on personal computers (PCs) with high-speed multi-core processors and efficient
      memory processing. Battery-driven devices are now more commonly used for the same
      purpose and thus exploring highly efficient, low-power alternatives for local ECG
      signal collection and processing is essential for efficient and convenient
      clinical use. Several ECG compression methods have been reported in the current
      literature with limited discussion on the performance of the compressed and the
      reconstructed ECG signals in terms of the QRS complex detection accuracy. This
      paper proposes and evaluates different compression methods based not only on the
      compression ratio (CR) and percentage root-mean-square difference (PRD), but also
      based on the accuracy of QRS detection. In this paper, we have developed a lossy
      method (Methods III) and compared them to the most current lossless and lossy ECG
      compression methods (Method I and Method II, respectively). The proposed lossy
      compression method (Method III) achieves CR of 4.5*, PRD of 0.53, as well as an
      overall sensitivity of 99.78% and positive predictivity of 99.92% are achieved
      (when coupled with an existing QRS detection algorithm) on the MIT-BIH Arrhythmia
      database and an overall sensitivity of 99.90% and positive predictivity of 99.84%
      on the QT database.

PMID- 28352072
TI  - Functional insights into aberrant brain responses and integration in patients
      with lifelong premature ejaculation.
AB  - Even though lifelong premature ejaculation (PE) is highly prevalent, few studies
      have investigated the neural mechanisms underlying PE. The extent and pattern of
      brain activation can be determined through a version of functional magnetic
      resonance imaging (fMRI) with erotic picture stimuli (task fMRI) and a resting
      state fMRI (rs fMRI). We showed that the brain activity in the left inferior
      frontal gyrus and left insula was decreased both during the task and in the
      resting state, while there was higher activation in the right middle temporal
      gyrus during the task. Higher functional connectivity was found in PE between
      those three brain areas and the bilateral middle cingulate cortex, right middle
      frontal gyrus and supplementary motor area. Moreover, the brain activity had
      positive correlation with clinical rating scales, such as intravaginal
      ejaculatory latency time (IELT) and the Chinese Index of Premature Ejaculation
      (CIPE). These findings revealed that brain responses and functional integration
      in certain brain areas are impaired in cases of PE, which was consistently
      supported by multiple measurements obtained using a task and rs fMRI approach.

PMID- 28352073
TI  - Periaqueductal Grey differential modulation of Nucleus Accumbens and Basolateral
      Amygdala plasticity under controllable and uncontrollable stress.
AB  - Resilience has been conceptualized in part as a dynamic process that includes the
      ability to adapt to stressful conditions. As such it encompasses the extent to
      which neural plasticity may be promoted. The current study examined
      metaplasticity by referring to the "plasticity of synaptic plasticity" in a
      neural circuit composed of the basolateral amygdala (BLA) and the nucleus
      accumbens (NAcc), using behavioural stress controllability with or without
      preceding stimulation of the dorsal periaqueductal gray (i.e. dPAG priming). A
      tendency for increased plasticity in the controllable versus the uncontrollable
      group was found in both the BLA and NAcc. dPAG priming suppressed NAcc LTP in all
      groups, but it suppressed BLA LTP only in the uncontrollable group, demonstrating
      dissociation between either controllable and uncontrollable groups or the NAcc
      and BLA. Thus, metaplasticity in the dPAG-BLA-NAcc circuit regulated
      differentially by controllable or uncontrollable stress may underlie stress
      coping, and thus contribute to stress-related psychopathologies.

PMID- 28352074
TI  - Optimized Mass Spectrometry Analysis Workflow with Polarimetric Guidance for ex
      vivo and in situ Sampling of Biological Tissues.
AB  - Spatially Targeted Mass Spectrometry (MS) analysis using survey scans with an
      imaging modality often requires consecutive tissue slices, because of the tissue
      damage during survey scan or due to incompatible sample preparation requirements
      between the survey modality and MS. We report two spatially targeted MS analysis
      workflows based on polarized light imaging guidance that use the same tissue
      sample for survey and targeted analysis. The first workflow is applicable for
      thin-slice analysis, and uses transmission-polarimetry-guided Desorption
      ElectroSpray Ionization Mass Spectrometry (DESI-MS), and confirmatory H&E
      histopathology analysis on the same slice; this is validated using quantitative
      digital pathology methods. The second workflow explores a polarimetry-guided MS
      platform for thick tissue assessment by developing reflection-mode polarimetric
      imaging coupled with a hand-held Picosecond InfraRed Laser (PIRL) MS ablation
      probe that requires minimal tissue removal to produce detectable signal. Tissue
      differentiation within 5-10 s of sampling with the hand-held probe is shown using
      multivariate statistical methods of the MS profiles. Both workflows were tasked
      with differentiating necrotic cancer sites from viable cancers using a breast
      tumour model, and their performance was evaluated. The use of the same tissue
      surface addresses mismatches in guidance due to intrinsic changes in tissue
      morphology over consecutive sections.

PMID- 28352075
TI  - Elevated COX-2 Expression Promotes Angiogenesis Through EGFR/p38-MAPK/Sp1
      Dependent Signalling in Pancreatic Cancer.
AB  - Cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) was stated to be overexpression in various human
      malignancies associating with angiogenesis, metastasis and chemoresistence.
      Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is a lethal disease displaying many of
      these characteristics. A common abnormality of PDAC is overexpression of
      specificity protein-1 (Sp1), which was said to correlate with malignant
      phenotypes of human cancers. Using RNA-seq data from The Cancer Genome Atlas
      (TCGA), we found that Sp1 expression was positively correlated with that of COX-2
      in PDAC, and that the inhibition or overexpression of Sp1 in PDAC cells leads to
      decreased or elevated COX-2 expression. Luciferase reporter gene and chromatin
      immunoprecipitation (ChIP) assays revealed that elevated transcription of COX-2
      requires Sp1 binding to sequence positions around -245/-240 of COX-2 promoter.
      Activated epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) and downstream p38 mitogen
      activated protein kinase (p38-MAPK) were also profoundly altered in PDAC. The
      inhibition of EGFR/p38-MAPK signaling resulted in reduced Sp1 activation,
      decreased COX-2 and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) expression. Thus,
      Sp1 could transcriptionally activate COX-2 expression in a process relies on
      activated EGFR/p38-MAPK signaling. Finally, we found that the inhibition of COX-2
      leads to decreased angiogenesis in a process dependent on VEGF, which link COX-2
      to angiogenesis in PDAC.

PMID- 28352076
TI  - Interaction of cochlin and mechanosensitive channel TREK-1 in trabecular meshwork
      cells influences the regulation of intraocular pressure.
AB  - This work was funded by National Institute of Health Grants R01 EY016112,
      EY015266, and EY014801 and an unrestricted grant to the University of Miami's
      Bascom Palmer Eye Institute from Research to Prevent Blindness. Financial support
      from Fight for Sight is gratefully acknowledged. Funding to XG was provided by
      Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Spain (FIS PI14/00141 and RETIC RD12/0034/0003)
      and Generalitat de Catalunya (2014SGR1165). In the eye, intraocular pressure
      (IOP) is tightly regulated and its persistent increase leads to ocular
      hypertension and glaucoma. We have previously shown that trabecular meshwork (TM)
      cells might detect aqueous humor fluid shear stress via interaction of the
      extracellular matrix (ECM) protein cochlin with the cell surface bound and
      stretch-activated channel TREK-1. We provide evidence here that interaction
      between both proteins are involved in IOP regulation. Silencing of TREK-1 in mice
      prevents the previously demonstrated cochlin-overexpression mediated increase in
      IOP. Biochemical and electrophysiological experiments demonstrate that high shear
      stress-induced multimeric cochlin produces a qualitatively different interaction
      with TREK-1 compared to monomeric cochlin. Physiological concentrations of
      multimeric but not monomeric cochlin reduce TREK-1 current. Results presented
      here indicate that the interaction of TREK-1 and cochlin play an important role
      for maintaining IOP homeostasis.

PMID- 28352077
TI  - A peculiar lens-shaped structure observed in the South China Sea.
AB  - Lens-shaped structures within thermocline potentially play a significant role in
      subsurface transport of mass, heat, and salt in the global ocean. Whilst such
      structures have been documented in many oceanic regions, none has been observed
      in the China Seas. This study reports on observations of a lens-shaped structure
      within thermocline in the southwestern South China Sea in September 2007. This
      structure had a maximum thickness of approximately 60 m and a horizontal extent
      exceeding 220 km. This lens was peculiar in that its size is larger than most
      similar structures documented in the literature. The lens core was characterized
      by well-mixed water with higher temperature (~28.8  degrees C), lower salinity
      (~33.3) and lower potential vorticity (PV) compared to the surrounding waters.
      Based on an ocean reanalysis, possible generation mechanism of the lens is
      explored by examining the evolution of surface and subsurface thermohaline
      properties, and an analysis of vertical PV flux. The lens was likely generated by
      a mixture of the local mixed-layer water and the water from the coastal jet
      separation site.

PMID- 28352078
TI  - Mining of efficient microbial UDP-glycosyltransferases by motif evolution cross
      plant kingdom for application in biosynthesis of salidroside.
AB  - The plant kingdom provides a large resource of natural products and various
      related enzymes are analyzed. The high catalytic activity and easy genetically
      modification of microbial enzymes would be beneficial for synthesis of natural
      products. But the identification of functional genes of target enzymes is time
      consuming and hampered by many contingencies. The potential to mine microbe
      derived glycosyltransferases (GTs) cross the plant kingdom was assessed based on
      alignment and evolution of the full sequences and key motifs of target enzymes,
      such as Rhodiola-derived UDP-glycosyltransferase (UGT73B6) using in salidroside
      synthesis. The GTs from Bacillus licheniformis ZSP01 with high PSPG motif
      similarity were speculated to catalyze the synthesis of salidroside. The UGTBL1,
      which had similarity (61.4%) PSPG motif to UGT73B6, displayed efficient activity
      and similar regioselectivity. Highly efficient glycosylation of tyrosol (1 g/L)
      was obtained by using engineered E. coli harboring UGTBL1 gene, which generated
      1.04 g/L salidroside and 0.99 g/L icariside D2. All glycosides were secreted into
      the culture medium and beneficial for downstream purification. It was the first
      report on the genome mining of UGTs from microorganisms cross the plant kingdom.
      The mining approach may have broader applications in the selection of efficient
      candidate for making high-value natural products.

PMID- 28352080
TI  - Rapid generation of a transgene-free powdery mildew resistant tomato by genome
      deletion.
AB  - Genome editing has emerged as a technology with a potential to revolutionize
      plant breeding. In this study, we report on generating, in less than ten months,
      Tomelo, a non-transgenic tomato variety resistant to the powdery mildew fungal
      pathogen using the CRISPR/Cas9 technology. We used whole-genome sequencing to
      show that Tomelo does not carry any foreign DNA sequences but only carries a
      deletion that is indistinguishable from naturally occurring mutations. We also
      present evidence for CRISPR/Cas9 being a highly precise tool, as we did not
      detect off-target mutations in Tomelo. Using our pipeline, mutations can be
      readily introduced into elite or locally adapted tomato varieties in less than a
      year with relatively minimal effort and investment.

PMID- 28352079
TI  - Protein tyrosine phosphatase Shp2 deficiency in podocytes attenuates
      lipopolysaccharide-induced proteinuria.
AB  - Podocytes are specialized epithelial cells that play a significant role in
      maintaining the integrity of the glomerular filtration barrier and preventing
      urinary protein leakage. We investigated the contribution of protein tyrosine
      phosphatase Shp2 to lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced renal injury. We report
      increased Shp2 expression in murine kidneys and cultured podocytes following an
      LPS challenge. To determine the role of podocyte Shp2 in vivo, we generated
      podocyte-specific Shp2 knockout (pod-Shp2 KO) mice. Following administration of
      LPS, pod-Shp2 KO mice exhibited lower proteinuria and blood urea nitrogen
      concentrations than controls indicative of preserved filter integrity. In
      addition, renal mRNA and serum concentrations of inflammatory cytokines IL-1beta,
      TNFalpha, INFgamma and IL-12 p70 were significantly decreased in LPS-treated
      knockout mice compared with controls. Moreover, the protective effects of
      podocyte Shp2 deficiency were associated with decreased LPS-induced NF-kappaB and
      MAPK activation, nephrin phosphorylation and attenuated endoplasmic reticulum
      stress. These effects were recapitulated in differentiated E11 murine podocytes
      with lentiviral-mediated Shp2 knockdown. Furthermore, Shp2 deficient podocytes
      displayed reduced LPS-induced migration in a wound healing assay. These findings
      identify Shp2 in podocytes as a significant contributor to the signaling events
      following LPS challenge and suggest that inhibition of Shp2 in podocytes may
      present a potential therapeutic target for podocytopathies.

PMID- 28352081
TI  - Hydration of Proton-conducting BaCe0.9Y0.1O3-delta by Decoupled Mass Transport.
AB  - Mass relaxation profile of a perovskite-type oxide, BaCe0.9Y0.1O3-delta, was
      studied to understand decoupled diffusion of oxygen and hydrogen species during
      hydration/dehydration. The mass relaxation measurements are performed by
      thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) under various humidity conditions (Dry, -3.0 <=
      log(pH2O/atm) <= -1.6) at a constant oxygen partial pressure (log(pO2/atm) = 
      1.00 +/- 0.01). The decoupled ions participated in hydration/dehydration
      reactions were proven to be at different ratios from the result introduced by the
      8R m function. The enthalpy and entropy of non-stoichiometric hydration reaction,
      which considers each ratio of charge-carrier species, were -144.7 +/- 3.7 kJ/mol
      and -147.8 +/- 3.2 J/mol . K, respectively.

PMID- 28352083
TI  - Novel contactless approach for assessment of venous occlusion plethysmography by
      video recordings at the green illumination.
AB  - Occlusion plethysmography is an important method for assessment of the status of
      the cardiovascular system, which provides valuable information concerning
      arterial and venous blood flow, including mechanisms of their regulation. All up
      to-date systems estimate change of the limb's volume during occlusion by contact
      type sensors. The objective of the research is demonstration of feasibility of
      the novel approach to measuring the blood flow during venous occlusion by using
      imaging photoplethysmography (PPG). Twenty healthy individuals participated in
      the experiment. We used four synchronized video cameras to record all-around view
      of the forearm illuminated by the green light. After the recording, the PPG
      waveform was calculated in more than 4000 non-overlapping Regions of Interest
      (ROI). In the most of the ROIs, the waveform shape was typical for classical
      plethysmography with the distinctive linear growth of the signal. Speed of the
      signal change was the same along the forearm but it varied along the forearm's
      circumference. These findings allows us to hypothesize that the PPG waveform is
      the direct consequence of the forearm blood flow. Therefore, the novel technique
      could be applied to the same medical examinations as the classical
      plethysmography, but it is more advantageous because of non-contact nature and
      easiness in implementation.

PMID- 28352084
TI  - Porous Layered Double Hydroxides Synthesized using Oxygen Generated by
      Decomposition of Hydrogen Peroxide.
AB  - Porous magnesium-aluminium layered double hydroxides (LDH) were prepared through
      intercalation and decomposition of hydrogen peroxide (H2O2). This process
      generates oxygen gas nano-bubbles that pierce holes in the layered structure of
      the material by local pressure build-up. The decomposition of the peroxide can be
      triggered by microwave radiation or chemically by reaction with iodide (I-) ions.
      The carbonate LDH version [Mg0.80Al0.20(OH)2](CO3)0.1?mH2O was synthesized by
      microwave-assisted urea coprecipitation and further modified by iodide or H2O2
      intercalation. High resolution Scanning Electron Microscopy (HR-SEM) and Brunauer
      Emmet-Teller (BET) analysis were used to assess the morphology and surface area
      of the new porous materials. The presence of H2O2 in the interlayer region and
      later decomposition triggered by microwave radiation generated more pores on the
      surface of the LDH platelets, increasing their specific surface area from
      initially 9 m2/g to a maximum of 67 m2/g. X-Ray Diffraction showed that the
      formation of the pores did not affect the remaining crystal structure, allowing
      possible further functionalization of the material.

PMID- 28352082
TI  - A normative spatiotemporal MRI atlas of the fetal brain for automatic
      segmentation and analysis of early brain growth.
AB  - Longitudinal characterization of early brain growth in-utero has been limited by
      a number of challenges in fetal imaging, the rapid change in size, shape and
      volume of the developing brain, and the consequent lack of suitable algorithms
      for fetal brain image analysis. There is a need for an improved digital brain
      atlas of the spatiotemporal maturation of the fetal brain extending over the key
      developmental periods. We have developed an algorithm for construction of an
      unbiased four-dimensional atlas of the developing fetal brain by integrating
      symmetric diffeomorphic deformable registration in space with kernel regression
      in age. We applied this new algorithm to construct a spatiotemporal atlas from
      MRI of 81 normal fetuses scanned between 19 and 39 weeks of gestation and labeled
      the structures of the developing brain. We evaluated the use of this atlas and
      additional individual fetal brain MRI atlases for completely automatic multi
      atlas segmentation of fetal brain MRI. The atlas is available online as a
      reference for anatomy and for registration and segmentation, to aid in
      connectivity analysis, and for groupwise and longitudinal analysis of early brain
      growth.

PMID- 28352085
TI  - Bisphenol S negatively affects the meotic maturation of pig oocytes.
AB  - Bisphenol A (BPA), a chemical component of plastics, is a widely distributed
      environmental pollutant and contaminant of water, air, and food that negatively
      impacts human health. Concerns regarding BPA have led to the use of BPA-free
      alternatives, one of which is bisphenol S (BPS). However, the effects of BPS are
      not well characterized, and its specific effects on reproduction and fertility
      remain unknown. It is therefore necessary to evaluate any effects of BPS on
      mammalian oocytes. The present study is the first to demonstrate the markedly
      negative effects of BPS on pig oocyte maturation in vitro, even at doses lower
      than those humans are exposed to in the environment. Our results demonstrate (1)
      an effect of BPS on the course of the meiotic cell cycle; (2) the failure of
      tubulin fibre formation, which controls proper chromosome movement; (3) changes
      in the supply of maternal mRNA; (4) changes in the protein amounts and
      distribution of oestrogen receptors alpha and beta and of aromatase; and (5)
      disrupted cumulus cell expansion. Thus, these results confirm that BPS is an
      example of regrettable substitution because this substance exerts similar or even
      worse negative effects than those of the material it replaced.

PMID- 28352087
TI  - Feasibility and applicability of the paper and electronic COPD assessment test
      (CAT) and the clinical COPD questionnaire (CCQ) in primary care: a clinimetric
      study.
AB  - Three questionnaires are recommended in the management of chronic obstructive
      pulmonary disease by the global initiative for obstructive lung disease, of which
      two are the more comprehensive assessments: the chronic obstructive pulmonary
      disease assessment test and the clinical chronic obstructive pulmonary disease
      questionnaire. Both are carefully designed high-quality questionnaires, but
      information on the feasibility for routine use is scarce. The aim of this study
      was to compare the time to complete the chronic obstructive pulmonary disease
      assessment test and the clinical chronic obstructive pulmonary disease
      questionnaire and the acceptability of the questionnaires. Furthermore, the
      agreement between electronic and paper versions of the questionnaires was
      explored. The time to complete the electronic versions of the questionnaires was
      99.6 [IQR 74; 157] vs. 97.5 [IQR 68; 136] seconds for clinical clinical chronic
      obstructive pulmonary disease questionnaire and chronic obstructive pulmonary
      disease assessment test, respectively. The difference in time to complete the
      questionnaire was not significant. The two questionnaires did not differ in
      "easiness to complete" or "importance of issues raised in questionnaires".
      Electronic vs. paper versions revealed high agreement (ICC CCQ = 0.815 [0.712;
      0.883] and ICC CAT = 0.751 [0.608; 0.847]) between the administration methods.
      Based on this study it can be concluded that both questionnaires are equally
      suitable for use in routine clinical practice, because they are both quick to
      complete and have a good acceptability by the patient. Agreement between
      electronic and paper versions of the questionnaires was high, so use of
      electronic versions is justified.COPD: QUESTIONNAIRES EQUALLY SUITABLE FOR
      CLINICAL PRACTICE: Two questionnaires commonly used to manage chronic obstructive
      pulmonary diseases (COPD) are equally suitable for routine primary care.
      Researchers in The Netherlands, led by Janwillem Kocks from the University
      Medical Center Groningen, administered both the COPD assessment test (CAT) and
      the clinical COPD questionnaire (CCQ) to 95 patients with the lung disease. These
      two tests are the most comprehensive assessments recommended by the global
      initiative for obstructive lung disease for guiding treatment decisions. The
      researchers found that both tests took approximately 95-100 s on average. Both
      tests were also equally easy to complete and provided similar types of
      information. Most patients said they had no preference for either one, and they
      filled out both electronic and paper versions of the questionnaires in much the
      same way. The authors conclude that both tests seem fine for routine use.

PMID- 28352086
TI  - Enhanced generation of human induced pluripotent stem cells by ectopic expression
      of Connexin 45.
AB  - Somatic cells can be successfully reprogrammed into pluripotent stem cells by the
      ectopic expression of defined transcriptional factors. However, improved
      efficiency and better understanding the molecular mechanism underlying
      reprogramming are still required. In the present study, a scrape loading/dye
      transfer assay showed that human induced pluripotent stem cells (hiPSCs)
      contained functional gap junctions partially contributed by Connexin 45 (CX45).
      We then found CX45 was expressed in human embryonic stem cells (hESCs) and human
      dermal fibroblasts (hDFs) derived hiPSCs. Then we showed that CX45 was
      dramatically upregulated during the reprogramming process. Most importantly, the
      ectopic expression of CX45 significantly enhanced the reprogramming efficiency
      together with the Yamanaka factors (OCT4, SOX2, KLF4, cMYC - OSKM), whereas
      knockdown of endogenous CX45 expression significantly blocked cellular
      reprogramming and reduced the efficiency. Our further study demonstrated that
      CX45 overexpression or knockdown modulated the cell proliferation rate which was
      associated with the reprogramming efficiency. In conclusion, our data highlighted
      the critical role of CX45 in reprogramming and may increase the cell division
      rate and result in an accelerated kinetics of iPSCs production.

PMID- 28352088
TI  - Salt-dependent Blood Pressure in Human Aldosterone Synthase-Transgenic Mice.
AB  - Hypertension is one of the most important, preventable causes of premature
      morbidity and mortality in the developed world. Aldosterone is a major
      mineralocorticoid hormone that plays a key role in the regulation of blood
      pressure and is implicated in the pathogenesis of hypertension and heart failure.
      Aldosterone synthase (AS, cytochrome P450 11B2, cyp11B2) is the sole enzyme
      responsible for the production of aldosterone in humans. To determine the effects
      of increased expression of human aldosterone synthase (hAS) on blood pressure
      (BP), we established transgenic mice carrying the hAS gene (cyp11B2). We showed
      that hAS overexpression increased levels of aldosterone in hAS+/- mice. On high
      salt diet (HS), BPs of hAS+/- mice were significantly increased compared with WT
      mice. Fadrozole (an inhibitor of aldosterone synthase) treatment significantly
      reduced BPs of hAS+/- mice on HS. This is the first time overexpression of AS in
      a transgenic mouse line has shown an ability to induce HP. Specifically
      inhibiting AS activity in these mice is a promising therapy for reducing
      hypertension. This hAS transgenic mouse model is therefore an ideal animal model
      for hypertension therapy studies.

PMID- 28352090
TI  - Precise Tuning of the Nanostructured Surface leading to the Luminescence
      Enhancement in SrAl2O4 Based Core/Shell Structure.
AB  - Intensive research has been focused on the synthesis of long-lasting SrAl2O4:EuDy
      in luminescent materials field. Traditionally, SrAl2O4:EuDy is synthesized in
      bulk form by solid state. However, their development remains restrained due to
      this technique is not compatible with large-scale production, sustainability and
      nanometer-scale requirements. Despite nano-range particles have been obtained by
      chemical routes, photoluminescence response decreases and application became
      unpractical. It remains a challenge to synthesize nonrare-earth (RE) phosphors
      with high photoluminescence. One major challenge for the luminescent materials
      community is to devise methods to deliver innovative, sustainable and cost
      effective solutions for the reduction of RE because of the lack of RE
      availability. Here, we suggest a solution based on molten salts, obtaining
      nanosheets or micro/nanostructured SrAl2O4:Eu, Dy particles with core-shell
      structure, employing only 50% of standard amounts of RE. Core-size and shell
      thickness and crystallinity can be tuned by post-thermal treatment, through which
      can be modulated the Eu+2 fraction. We find that our methodology leads the
      functional features of the analogous micron counterpart. These results can be
      considered a great achievement to scale-up the process. Besides, the harmful
      collateral effect of nanotechnology must be addressed by using new safe by design
      core-shell nanostructures.

PMID- 28352092
TI  - The quantum game.

PMID- 28352089
TI  - Exploring the Association Between Demographics, SLC30A8 Genotype, and Human Islet
      Content of Zinc, Cadmium, Copper, Iron, Manganese and Nickel.
AB  - A widely prevalent single nucleotide polymorphism, rs13266634 in the SLC30A8 gene
      encoding the zinc transporter ZnT8, is associated with an increased risk for
      T2DM. ZnT8 is mostly expressed in pancreatic insulin-producing islets of
      Langerhans. The effect of this variant on the divalent metal profile in human
      islets is unknown. Additionally, essential and non-essential divalent metal
      content of human islets under normal environmental exposure conditions has not
      been described. We therefore examined the correlation of zinc and other divalent
      metals in human islets with rs13266634 genotype and demographic characteristics.
      We found that the diabetes risk genotype C/C at rs13266634 is associated with
      higher islet Zn concentration (C/C genotype: 16792 +/- 1607, n = 22, C/T
      genotype: 11221 +/- 1245, n = 18 T/T genotype: 11543 +/- 6054, n = 3, all values
      expressed as mean nmol/g protein +/- standard error of the mean, p = 0.040 by
      ANOVA). A positive correlation between islet cadmium content and both age (p =
      0.048, R2 = 0.09) and female gender (women: 36.88 +/- 4.11 vs men: 21.22 +/- 3.65
      nmol/g protein, p = 0.007) was observed. Our results suggest that the T2DM risk
      allele C is associated with higher islet zinc levels and support prior evidence
      of cadmium's higher bioavailability in women and its long tissue half-life.

PMID- 28352093
TI  - Addendum: Multiscale metallic metamaterials.

PMID- 28352091
TI  - Genome sequencing and analysis of Talaromyces pinophilus provide insights into
      biotechnological applications.
AB  - Species from the genus Talaromyces produce useful biomass-degrading enzymes and
      secondary metabolites. However, these enzymes and secondary metabolites are still
      poorly understood and have not been explored in depth because of a lack of
      comprehensive genetic information. Here, we report a 36.51-megabase genome
      assembly of Talaromyces pinophilus strain 1-95, with coverage of nine scaffolds
      of eight chromosomes with telomeric repeats at their ends and circular
      mitochondrial DNA. In total, 13,472 protein-coding genes were predicted. Of
      these, 803 were annotated to encode enzymes that act on carbohydrates, including
      39 cellulose-degrading and 24 starch-degrading enzymes. In addition, 68 secondary
      metabolism gene clusters were identified, mainly including T1 polyketide synthase
      genes and nonribosomal peptide synthase genes. Comparative genomic analyses
      revealed that T. pinophilus 1-95 harbors more biomass-degrading enzymes and
      secondary metabolites than other related filamentous fungi. The prediction of the
      T. pinophilus 1-95 secretome indicated that approximately 50% of the biomass
      degrading enzymes are secreted into the extracellular environment. These results
      expanded our genetic knowledge of the biomass-degrading enzyme system of T.
      pinophilus and its biosynthesis of secondary metabolites, facilitating the
      cultivation of T. pinophilus for high production of useful products.

PMID- 28352095
TI  - Chiral ferromagnetic fluids: Let's twist again.

PMID- 28352094
TI  - Spectroscopy: Mapping spins in flatland.

PMID- 28352096
TI  - Quantum optics: A new way to correlate photons.

PMID- 28352097
TI  - Material witness: Gene memories.

PMID- 28352098
TI  - Biomedical engineering: In vitro amniogenesis.

PMID- 28352099
TI  - Removal of Diethylhexyl Phthalate from Hands by Handwashing: Evidence from
      Experimental N-of-1 and Crossover Designs.
AB  - Phthalate exposure through skin is often neglected due to the small quantity and
      limited dermal absorption rate. However, free phthalate can be ingested by hand
      to-mouth action or by contact with food. To evaluate the effectiveness in
      removing phthalate exposure on hand, we compare here the removal efficiency of di
      (2-ethylhexyl)phthalate (DEHP) on hands by handwashing with soap-and-water versus
      water-only. In two three-day N-of-1 trials, residual DEHP was measured in a
      single female adult who washed exposed hands with soap-and-water or water-only.
      Subsequently, a crossover study was performed by randomly assigning another 28
      subjects equally to wash with soap-and-water or with water-only, and then each
      one received the other treatment 24 hrs later. In the N-of-1 trials, mean DEHP
      removal rates range from 95.9% (SD = 0.1%) to 97.0% (SD = 2.5%) for soap-and
      water handwashes, and 1.8% (SD = 0.1%) to 7.0% (SD = 0.3%) (n = 3) for water
      only. In the crossover study, mean removal rate was 94.6% (SD = 6.5%) for
      handwashing with soap-and-water (n = 28) and 8.7% (SD = 5.7%) for water-only (n =
      28). We concluded that handwashing with soap-and-water removes 80% more DEHP than
      handwashing with water alone, and may be a cost-effective way of removing other
      endocrine disruptors from hands.

PMID- 28352100
TI  - Anodal tDCS over the primary motor cortex improves motor imagery benefits on
      postural control: A pilot study.
AB  - Performing everyday actions requires fine postural control, which is a major
      focus of functional rehabilitation programs. Among the various range of training
      methods likely to improve balance and postural stability, motor imagery practice
      (MIP) yielded promising results. Transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS)
      applied over the primary motor cortex was also found to potentiate the benefits
      of MIP on upper-limb motor tasks. Yet, combining both techniques has not been
      tested for tasks requiring fine postural control. To determine the impact of MIP
      and the additional effects of tDCS, 14 participants performed a postural control
      task before and after two experimental (MIP + anodal or sham tDCS over the
      primary motor cortex) and one control (control task + sham tDCS) conditions, in a
      double blind randomized study. Data revealed a significant decrease of the time
      required to perform the postural task. Greater performance gains were recorded
      when MIP was paired with anodal tDCS and when the task involved the most complex
      postural adjustments. Altogether, findings highlight short-term effects of MIP on
      postural control and suggest that combining MIP with tDCS might also be effective
      in rehabilitation programs for regaining postural skills in easily fatigable
      persons and neurologic populations.

PMID- 28352101
TI  - Big-data-driven modeling unveils country-wide drivers of endemic schistosomiasis.
AB  - Schistosomiasis is a parasitic infection that is widespread in sub-Saharan
      Africa, where it represents a major health problem. We study the drivers of its
      geographical distribution in Senegal via a spatially explicit network model
      accounting for epidemiological dynamics driven by local socioeconomic and
      environmental conditions, and human mobility. The model is parameterized by
      tapping several available geodatabases and a large dataset of mobile phone
      traces. It reliably reproduces the observed spatial patterns of regional
      schistosomiasis prevalence throughout the country, provided that spatial
      heterogeneity and human mobility are suitably accounted for. Specifically, a fine
      grained description of the socioeconomic and environmental heterogeneities
      involved in local disease transmission is crucial to capturing the spatial
      variability of disease prevalence, while the inclusion of human mobility
      significantly improves the explanatory power of the model. Concerning human
      movement, we find that moderate mobility may reduce disease prevalence, whereas
      either high or low mobility may result in increased prevalence of infection. The
      effects of control strategies based on exposure and contamination reduction via
      improved access to safe water or educational campaigns are also analyzed. To our
      knowledge, this represents the first application of an integrative
      schistosomiasis transmission model at a whole-country scale.

PMID- 28352102
TI  - PKCalpha diffusion and translocation are independent of an intact cytoskeleton.
AB  - Translocation of cytosolic cPKC to the plasma membrane is a key event in their
      activation process but its exact nature is still unclear with particular dispute
      whether sole diffusion or additional active transport along the cell's
      cytoskeleton contributes to cPKC's dynamics. This was addressed by analyzing the
      recruitment behavior of PKCalpha while manipulating the cytoskeleton. Photolytic
      Ca2+ uncaging allowed us to quantify the kinetics of PKCalpha redistribution to
      the plasma membrane when fused to monomeric, dimeric and tetrameric fluorescence
      proteins. Results indicated that translocation kinetics were modulated by the
      state of oligomerization as expected for varying Stokes' radii of the
      participating proteins. Following depolymerization of the microtubules and the
      actin filaments we found that Ca2+ induced membrane accumulation of PKCalpha was
      independent of the filamentous state of the cytoskeleton. Fusion of PKCalpha to
      the photo-convertible fluorescent protein Dendra2 enabled the investigation of
      PKCalpha-cytoskeleton interactions under resting conditions. Redistribution
      following spatially restricted photoconversion showed that the mobility of the
      fusion protein was independent of the state of the cytoskeleton. Our data
      demonstrated that in living cells neither actin filaments nor microtubules
      contribute to PKCalpha's cytosolic mobility or Ca2+-induced translocation to the
      plasma membrane. Instead translocation is a solely diffusion-driven process.

PMID- 28352103
TI  - Simulation and measurement of optimized microwave reflectivity for carbon
      nanotube absorber by controlling electromagnetic factors.
AB  - Heat-treatments may change the defect and surface organic groups of carbon
      nanotubes (CNTs), and lead to significant changes in the microwave
      electromagnetic parameter of CNTs. In this paper, the effect of heat-treatment
      time and temperature on the complex dielectric constant and permeability as well
      as the microwave reflectivity of CNTs was investigated. The experimental results
      indicated that the microwave absorption property of CNTs arises mainly from the
      high permittivity and consequent dielectric loss. Moreover, the heat-treatment
      resulted in increased dielectric constant of CNTs and significant improvement of
      the microwave absorption at frequency values of 2-18 GHz. The microwave
      reflectivity of CNT composites with a coating thickness of 3 mm was simulated by
      using the electromagnetic parameters. The absorption peak of CNTs treated at 700 
      degrees C had an amplitude of R = -48 dB, which occurred at 9 GHz. Below -10 dB,
      the composites treated at 900  degrees C had a bandwidth of 7 GHz. The position
      of the absorption peak concurred with the measured results. The results indicated
      that the microwave-absorption properties can be modified by adjusting heat
      treatment temperature and time.

PMID- 28352105
TI  - Conjugative ESBL plasmids differ in their potential to rescue susceptible
      bacteria via horizontal gene transfer in lethal antibiotic concentrations.

PMID- 28352106
TI  - Bioactive secondary metabolites produced by an endophytic fungus Gaeumannomyces
      sp. JS0464 from a maritime halophyte Phragmites communis.
AB  - Endophytes, important plant-associated mycobionts, have attracted a great deal of
      attention because of their bioactive secondary metabolites. Even though
      halophytes have been reported to overcome salt stress via associations with their
      endophytes, few studies have investigated the metabolites produced by the
      endophytes from halophytes. In this study, a dark septate endophytic fungal
      strain (JS0464), identified as Gaeumannomyces sp. by ITS sequencing, was isolated
      from the rhizome of a halophyte, Phragmites communis, in Suncheon bay, South
      Korea. This strain was cultured on a large scale and extracted with ethyl
      acetate. Chemical investigations of extracts of JS0464 led to the isolation of
      two glycosylated dialkylresorcinol derivatives (1-2), an anthraquinone derivative
      (3) and eight known compounds (4-11), which were identified by spectroscopic
      analyses incorporating one-dimensional/2D NMR and MS. Nine compounds showed
      significant nitric oxide reduction activity in lipopolysaccharide-stimulated
      microglia BV-2 cells, seven of which did not impair cell viability. The results
      suggest that endophytes from the halophytes could be potential resources for
      bioactive natural products.

PMID- 28352104
TI  - Helminth-induced alterations of the gut microbiota exacerbate bacterial colitis.
AB  - Infection with the intestinal helminth parasite Heligmosomoides polygyrus
      exacerbates the colitis caused by the bacterial enteropathogen Citrobacter
      rodentium. To clarify the underlying mechanism, we analyzed fecal microbiota
      composition of control and helminth-infected mice and evaluated the functional
      role of compositional differences by microbiota transplantation experiments. Our
      results showed that infection of Balb/c mice with H. polygyrus resulted in
      significant changes in the composition of the gut microbiota, characterized by a
      marked increase in the abundance of Bacteroidetes and decreases in Firmicutes and
      Lactobacillales. Recipients of the gut microbiota from helminth-infected wide
      type, but not STAT6-deficient, Balb/c donors had increased fecal pathogen
      shedding and significant worsening of Citrobacter-induced colitis compared to
      recipients of microbiota from control donors. Recipients of helminth-altered
      microbiota also displayed increased regulatory T cells and IL-10 expression.
      Depletion of CD4+CD25+ T cells and neutralization of IL-10 in recipients of
      helminth-altered microbiota led to reduced stool C. rodentium numbers and
      attenuated colitis. These results indicate that alteration of the gut microbiota
      is a significant contributor to the H. polygyrus-induced exacerbation of C.
      rodentium colitis. The helminth-induced alteration of the microbiota is Th2
      dependent and acts by promoting regulatory T cells that suppress protective
      responses to bacterial enteropathogens.

PMID- 28352107
TI  - Forming impressions of facial attractiveness is mandatory.
AB  - First impressions of social traits, such as attractiveness, from faces are often
      claimed to be made automatically, given their speed and reliability. However,
      speed of processing is only one aspect of automaticity. Here we address a further
      aspect, asking whether impression formation is mandatory. Mandatory formation
      requires that impressions are formed about social traits even when this is task
      irrelevant, and that once formed, these impressions are difficult to inhibit. In
      two experiments, participants learned what new people looked like for the purpose
      of future identification, from sets of images high or low in attractiveness. They
      then rated middle-attractiveness images of each person, for attractiveness. Even
      though instructed to rate the specific images, not the people, their ratings were
      biased by the attractiveness of the learned images. A third control experiment,
      with participants rating names, demonstrated that participants in Experiments 1
      and 2 were not simply rating the people, rather than the specific images as
      instructed. These results show that the formation of attractiveness impressions
      from faces is mandatory, thus broadening the evidence for automaticity of facial
      impressions. The mandatory formation of impressions is likely to have an
      important impact in real-world situations such as online dating sites.

PMID- 28352110
TI  - Adolescence, brain maturation and mental health.

PMID- 28352108
TI  - Microbial community and metabolic pathway succession driven by changed nutrient
      inputs in tailings: effects of different nutrients on tailing remediation.
AB  - To solve the competition problem of acidophilic bacteria and sulfate-reducing
      bacteria in the practical application of mine tailing bioremediation, research
      into the mechanisms of using different nutrients to adjust the microbial
      community was conducted. Competition experiments involving acidophilic bacteria
      and sulfate-reducing bacteria were performed by supplementing the media with
      yeast extract, tryptone, lactate, and glucose. The physiochemical properties were
      determined, and the microbial community structure and biomass were investigated
      using MiSeq sequencing and qRT-PCR, respectively. Four nutrients had different
      remediation mechanisms and yielded different remediation effects. Yeast extract
      and tryptone (more than 1.6 g/L) promoted sulfate-reducing bacteria and inhibited
      acidophilic bacteria. Lactate inhibited both sulfate-reducing and acidophilic
      bacteria. Glucose promoted acidophilic bacteria more than sulfate-reducing
      bacteria. Yeast extract was the best choice for adjusting the microbial community
      and bioremediation, followed by tryptone. Lactate kept the physiochemical
      properties stable or made slight improvements; however, glucose was not suitable
      for mine tailing remediation. Different nutrients had significant effects on the
      abundance of the second enzyme of the sulfate-reducing pathway (p < 0.05), which
      is the rate-limiting step of sulfate-reducing pathways. Nutrients changed the
      remediation effects effectively by adjusting the microbial community and the
      abundance of the sulfate-reducing rate-limiting enzyme.

PMID- 28352111
TI  - Motivational neural circuits underlying reinforcement learning.
AB  - Reinforcement learning (RL) is the behavioral process of learning the values of
      actions and objects. Most models of RL assume that the dopaminergic prediction
      error signal drives plasticity in frontal-striatal circuits. The striatum then
      encodes value representations that drive decision processes. However, the
      amygdala has also been shown to play an important role in forming Pavlovian
      stimulus-outcome associations. These Pavlovian associations can drive motivated
      behavior via the amygdala projections to the ventral striatum or the ventral
      tegmental area. The amygdala may, therefore, play a central role in RL. Here we
      compare the contributions of the amygdala and the striatum to RL and show that
      both the amygdala and striatum learn and represent expected values in RL tasks.
      Furthermore, value representations in the striatum may be inherited, to some
      extent, from the amygdala. The striatum may, therefore, play less of a primary
      role in learning stimulus-outcome associations in RL than previously suggested.

PMID- 28352109
TI  - IL-1beta induced HIF-1alpha inhibits the differentiation of human FOXP3+ T cells.
AB  - Differentiation of regulatory Treg (Treg) in the periphery is critical to control
      inflammatory processes. Although polarization of inducible Treg (iTreg) often
      occurs in an inflammatory environment, the effects exerted by inflammation on
      human iTreg differentiation have not been extensively studied. We observed that
      IL-1beta significantly reduced the frequency of FOXP3+ T cells under iTreg
      polarizing conditions. Mechanistically, we show that IL-1beta activated mTORC1
      and downstream upregulated hypoxia inducible factor-1 (HIF-1alpha) expression.
      Using specific inhibitors, we demonstrated that both steps were critical in the
      deleterious effect of IL-1beta on Treg differentiation. Chemical stabilization of
      HIF-1alpha by Dimethyloxalylglycine (DMOG) also significantly impaired iTreg
      differentiation. Interestingly, while IL-1beta-treated cells exhibited only minor
      changes in metabolism, DMOG treatment decreased iTreg mitochondrial respiration
      and increased their glycolytic capacity. In conclusion, exposure to inflammatory
      stimuli profoundly inhibits human Treg differentiation HIF-1alpha dependent,
      suggesting that targeting HIF-1alpha could be a strategy to foster iTreg
      differentiation in an inflammatory milieu. However, IL-1beta deleterious effect
      does not appear to be completely driven by metabolic changes. These data thus
      suggest that several mechanisms contribute to the regulation of iTreg
      differentiation, but the timing and respective requirement for each pathway vary
      depending on the milieu in which iTreg differentiate.

PMID- 28352112
TI  - Cocaine, cadherins and synaptic plasticity.

PMID- 28352113
TI  - A neuronal mechanism for recall of bad events.

PMID- 28352115
TI  - Landscape response to progressive tectonic and climatic forcing in NW Borneo:
      Implications for geological and geomorphic controls on flood hazard.
AB  - Empirical models have simulated the consequences of uplift and orographic
      precipitation on the evolution of orogens whereas the effects of these forcings
      on ridgelines and consequent topography of natural landscapes remain equivocal.
      Here we demonstrate the feedback of a terrestrial landscape in NW Borneo subject
      to uplift and precipitation gradient owing to orographic effect, and leading to
      less-predictable flooding and irreversible damages to life and property.
      Disequilibrium in a large catchment recording the lowest rainfall rates in
      Borneo, and adjacent drainage basins as determined through chi, a proxy for
      steady-state channel elevation, is shown to result in dynamic migration of water
      divide from the windward-side of the orogen towards the leeward-side to attain
      equilibrium. Loss of drainage area in the leeward-side reduces erosion rates with
      progressive shortening resulting in an unstable landscape with tectonic uplift,
      gravity faults and debris flows. 14C dating of exhumed cut-and-fill terraces
      reveal a Mid-Pleistocene age, suggesting tectonic events in the trend of
      exhumation rates (>7 mm a-1) estimated by thermochronology, and confirmed by
      morphotectonic and sedimentological analyses. Our study suggests that divide
      migration leads to lowered erosion rates, channel narrowing, and sediment
      accretion in intermontane basins on the leeward-side ultimately resulting in
      enhanced flooding.

PMID- 28352114
TI  - Irreversible inhibition of BTK kinase by a novel highly selective inhibitor CHMFL
      BTK-11 suppresses inflammatory response in rheumatoid arthritis model.
AB  - BTK plays a critical role in the B cell receptor mediated inflammatory signaling
      in the rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Through a rational design approach we
      discovered a highly selective and potent BTK kinase inhibitor (CHMFL-BTK-11)
      which exerted its inhibitory efficacy through a covalent bond with BTK Cys481.
      CHMFL-BTK-11 potently blocked the anti-IgM stimulated BCR signaling in the Ramos
      cell lines and isolated human primary B cells. It significantly inhibited the LPS
      stimulated TNF-alpha production in the human PBMC cells but only weakly affecting
      the normal PBMC cell proliferation. In the adjuvant-induced arthritis rat model,
      CHMFL-BTK-11 ameliorated the inflammatory response through blockage of
      proliferation of activated B cells, inhibition of the secretion of the
      inflammatory factors such as IgG1, IgG2, IgM, IL-6 and PMPhi phagocytosis,
      stimulation of secretion of IL-10. The high specificity of CHMFL-BTK-11 makes it
      a useful pharmacological tool to further detect BTK mediated signaling in the
      pathology of RA.

PMID- 28352116
TI  - Atomic-level structural correlations across the morphotropic phase boundary of a
      ferroelectric solid solution: xBiMg1/2Ti1/2O3-(1 - x)PbTiO3.
AB  - Revelation of unequivocal structural information at the atomic level for complex
      systems is uniquely important for deeper and generic understanding of the
      structure property connections and a key challenge in materials science. Here we
      report an experimental study of the local structure by applying total elastic
      scattering and Raman scattering analyses to an important non-relaxor
      ferroelectric solid solution exhibiting the so-called composition-induced
      morphotropic phase boundary (MPB), where concomitant enhancement of physical
      properties have been detected. The powerful combination of static and dynamic
      structural probes enabled us to derive direct correspondence between the atomic
      level structural correlations and reported properties. The atomic pair
      distribution functions obtained from the neutron total scattering experiments
      were analysed through big-box atom-modelling implementing reverse Monte Carlo
      method, from which distributions of magnitudes and directions of off-centred
      cationic displacements were extracted. We found that an enhanced randomness of
      the displacement-directions for all ferroelectrically active cations combined
      with a strong dynamical coupling between the A- and B-site cations of the
      perovskite structure, can explain the abrupt amplification of piezoelectric
      response of the system near MPB. Altogether this provides a more fundamental
      basis in inferring structure-property connections in similar systems including
      important implications in designing novel and bespoke materials.

PMID- 28352117
TI  - Berkson error adjustment and other exposure surrogates in occupational case
      control studies, with application to the Canadian INTEROCC study.
AB  - Many epidemiological studies assessing the relationship between exposure and
      disease are carried out without data on individual exposures. When this barrier
      is encountered in occupational studies, the subject exposures are often evaluated
      with a job-exposure matrix (JEM), which consists of mean exposure for
      occupational categories measured on a comparable group of workers. One of the
      objectives of the seven-country case-control study of occupational exposure and
      brain cancer risk, INTEROCC, was to investigate the relationship of occupational
      exposure to electromagnetic fields (EMF) in different frequency ranges and brain
      cancer risk. In this paper, we use the Canadian data from INTEROCC to estimate
      the odds of developing brain tumours due to occupational exposure to EMF. The
      first step was to find the best EMF exposure surrogate among the arithmetic mean,
      the geometric mean, and the mean of log-normal exposure distribution for each
      occupation in the JEM, in comparison to Berkson error adjustments via numerical
      approximation of the likelihood function. Contrary to previous studies of Berkson
      errors in JEMs, we found that the geometric mean was the best exposure surrogate.
      This analysis provided no evidence that cumulative lifetime exposure to extremely
      low frequency magnetic fields increases brain cancer risk, a finding consistent
      with other recent epidemiological studies.

PMID- 28352118
TI  - Body composition and susceptibility to type 2 diabetes: an evolutionary
      perspective.
AB  - Type 2 diabetes is rapidly increasing in prevalence worldwide, in concert with
      epidemics of obesity and sedentary behavior that are themselves tracking economic
      development. Within this broad pattern, susceptibility to diabetes varies
      substantially in association with ethnicity and nutritional exposures through the
      life-course. An evolutionary perspective may help understand why humans are so
      prone to this condition in modern environments, and why this risk is unequally
      distributed. A simple conceptual model treats diabetes risk as the function of
      two interacting traits, namely 'metabolic capacity' which promotes glucose
      homeostasis, and 'metabolic load' which challenges glucose homoeostasis. This
      conceptual model helps understand how long-term and more recent trends in body
      composition can be considered to have shaped variability in diabetes risk.
      Hominin evolution appears to have continued a broader trend evident in primates,
      towards lower levels of muscularity. In addition, hominins developed higher
      levels of body fatness, especially in females in relative terms. These traits
      most likely evolved as part of a broader reorganization of human life history
      traits in response to growing levels of ecological instability, enabling both
      survival during tough periods and reproduction during bountiful periods. Since
      the emergence of Homo sapiens, populations have diverged in body composition in
      association with geographical setting and local ecological stresses. These long
      term trends in both metabolic capacity and adiposity help explain the overall
      susceptibility of humans to diabetes in ways that are similar to, and exacerbated
      by, the effects of nutritional exposures during the life-course.

PMID- 28352120
TI  - Highly Permeable Graphene Oxide/Polyelectrolytes Hybrid Thin Films for Enhanced
      CO2/N2 Separation Performance.
AB  - Separation of CO2 from other gasses offers environmental benefits since CO2 gas
      is the main contributor to global warming. Recently, graphene oxide (GO) based
      gas separation membranes are of interest due to their selective barrier
      properties. However, maintaining selectivity without sacrificing permeance is
      still challenging. Herein, we described the preparation and characterization of
      nanoscale GO membranes for CO2 separation with both high selectivity and
      permeance. The internal structure and thickness of the GO membranes were
      controlled by layer-by-layer (LbL) self-assembly. Polyelectrolyte layers are used
      as the supporting matrix and for facilitating CO2 transport. Enhanced gas
      separation was achieved by adjusting pH of the GO solutions and by varying the
      number of GO layers to provide a pathway for CO2 molecules. Separation
      performance strongly depends on the number of GO bilayers. The surfaces of the
      multilayered GO and polyelectrolyte films are characterized by atomic force
      microscopy and scanning electron microscopy. The (poly (diallyldimethylammonium
      chloride) (PDAC)/polystyrene sulfonate (PSS)) (GO/GO) multilayer membranes show a
      maximum CO2/N2 selectivity of 15.3 and a CO2 permeance of 1175.0 GPU. LbL
      assembled GO membranes are shown to be effective candidates for CO2 separation
      based on their excellent CO2/N2 separation performance.

PMID- 28352119
TI  - Identification of small molecule inhibitors of Interleukin-18.
AB  - Interleukin-18 (IL-18) is a pleiotropic pro-inflammatory cytokine belonging to
      the IL-1 superfamily. IL-18 plays an important role in host innate and adaptive
      immune defense but its aberrant activities are also associated with inflammatory
      diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis and Crohn's disease. IL-18 activity is
      modulated in vivo by its naturally occurring antagonist, IL-18 Binding Protein
      (IL-18BP). Recent crystal structures of human IL-18 (hIL-18) in complex with its
      antagonists or cognate receptor(s) have revealed a conserved binding interface on
      hIL-18. Through virtual screening of the National Cancer Institute Diversity Set
      II and in vitro competitive ELISA we have identified three compounds (NSC201631,
      NSC80734, and NSC61610) that disrupt hIL-18 binding to the ectromelia virus IL
      18BP. Through cell-based bioassay, we show that NSC80734 inhibits IL-18-induced
      production of IFN-gamma in a dose-dependent manner with an EC50 of ~250 nM. Our
      results and methodology presented here demonstrate the feasibility of developing
      small molecule inhibitors that specifically target the rather large interface of
      IL-18 that is involved in extensive protein-protein interactions with both IL
      18BP and its cognate receptor(s). Our data therefore provide the basis for an
      approach by which small molecules can be identified that modulate IL-18 activity.

PMID- 28352121
TI  - Pepper CaREL1, a ubiquitin E3 ligase, regulates drought tolerance via the ABA
      signalling pathway.
AB  - Drought stress conditions in soil or air hinder plant growth and development.
      Here, we report that the hot pepper (C apsicum a nnuum) RING type E3 Ligase 1
      gene (CaREL1) is essential to the drought stress response. CaREL1 encodes a
      cytoplasmic- and nuclear-localized protein with E3 ligase activity. CaREL1
      expression was induced by abscisic acid (ABA) and drought. CaREL1 contains a
      C3H2C3-type RING finger motif, which functions in ubiquitination of the target
      protein. We used CaREL1-silenced pepper plants and CaREL1-overexpressing (OX)
      transgenic Arabidopsis plants to evaluate the in vivo function of CaREL1 in
      response to drought stress and ABA treatment. CaREL1-silenced pepper plants
      displayed a drought-tolerant phenotype characterized by ABA hypersensitivity. In
      contrast, CaREL1-OX plants exhibited ABA hyposensitivity during the germination,
      seedling, and adult stages. In addition, plant growth was severely impaired under
      drought stress conditions, via a high level of transpirational water loss and
      decreased stomatal closure. Quantitative RT-PCR analyses revealed that ABA
      related drought stress responsive genes were more weakly expressed in CaREL1-OX
      plants than in wild-type plants, indicating that CaREL1 functions in the drought
      stress response via the ABA-signalling pathway. Taken together, our results
      indicate that CaREL1 functions as a negative regulator of ABA-mediated drought
      stress tolerance.

PMID- 28352123
TI  - AXL is not essential for Zika virus infection in the mouse brain.

PMID- 28352122
TI  - Long-term electrical stimulation at ear and electro-acupuncture at ST36-ST37
      attenuated COX-2 in the CA1 of hippocampus in kainic acid-induced epileptic
      seizure rats.
AB  - Seizures produce brain inflammation, which in turn enhances neuronal
      excitability. Therefore, anti-inflammation has become a therapeutic strategy for
      antiepileptic treatment. Cycloxygenase-2 (COX-2) plays a critical role in
      postseizure brain inflammation and neuronal hyperexcitability. Our previous
      studies have shown that both electrical stimulation (ES) at the ear and electro
      acupuncture (EA) at the Zusanli and Shangjuxu acupoints (ST36-ST37) for 6 weeks
      can reduce mossy fiber sprouting, spike population, and high-frequency
      hippocampal oscillations in kainic acid (KA)-induced epileptic seizure rats. This
      study further investigated the effect of long-term ear ES and EA at ST36-ST37 on
      the inflammatory response in KA-induced epileptic seizure rats. Both the COX-2
      levels in the hippocampus and the number of COX-2 immunoreactive cells in the
      hippocampal CA1 region were increased after KA-induced epileptic seizures, and
      these were reduced through the 6-week application of ear ES or EA at ST36-ST37.
      Thus, long-term ear ES or long-term EA at ST36-ST37 have an anti-inflammatory
      effect, suggesting that they are beneficial for the treatment of epileptic
      seizures.

PMID- 28352124
TI  - Discovery and genetic analysis of novel coronaviruses in least horseshoe bats in
      southwestern China.
AB  - To investigate bat coronaviruses (CoVs), we collected 132 rectal swabs and urine
      samples from five bat species in three countries in southwestern China. Seven
      CoVs belonging to distinct groups of severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS)
      like CoVs and alpha-CoVs were detected in samples from least horseshoe bats.
      Samples from other bat species were negative for these viruses, indicating that
      the least horseshoe bat represents one of the natural reservoirs and mixers for
      strains of CoVs and has a pivotal role in the evolution and dissemination of
      these viruses. The genetic and evolutionary characteristics of these strains were
      described. Whole-genome sequencing of a new isolate (F46) from a rectal swab from
      a least horseshoe bat showed that it contained 29 699 nucleotides, excluding the
      poly (A) tail, with 13 open reading frames (ORFs). Phylogenetic and recombination
      analyses of F46 provided evidence of natural recombination between bat SARS-like
      CoVs (Rs3367 and LYRa11) or SARS-CoV (BJ01), suggesting that F46 could be a new
      recombinant virus from SARS-like CoVs or SARS-CoVs.

PMID- 28352125
TI  - Hydrogen sulfide ameliorates chronic renal failure in rats by inhibiting
      apoptosis and inflammation through ROS/MAPK and NF-kappaB signaling pathways.
AB  - Chronic renal failure (CRF) is a major public health problem worldwide. Hydrogen
      sulfide (H2S) plays important roles in renal physiological and pathophysiological
      processes. However, whether H2S could protect against CRF in rats remains
      unclear. In this study, we found that H2S alleviated gentamicin-induced
      nephrotoxicity by reducing reactive oxygen species (ROS)-mediated apoptosis in
      normal rat kidney-52E cells. We demonstrated that H2S significantly improved the
      kidney structure and function of CRF rats. We found that H2S decreased the
      protein levels of Bax, Caspase-3, and Cleaved-caspase-3, but increased the
      expression of Bcl-2. Treatment with H2S reduced the levels of malondialdehyde and
      ROS and increased the activities of superoxide dismutase and glutathione
      peroxidase. H2S significantly abolished the phosphorylation of extracellular
      signal-regulated protein kinase 1/2, c-Jun N-terminal kinase, and p38 in the
      kidney of CRF rats. Furthermore, H2S decreased the expression levels of tumor
      necrosis factor-alpha, interleukin (IL)-6, IL-10, and monocyte chemoattractant
      protein-1, as well as the protein levels of p50, p65, and p-p65 in the kidney of
      CRF rats. In conclusion, H2S could ameliorate adenine-induced CRF in rats by
      inhibiting apoptosis and inflammation through ROS/mitogen-activated protein
      kinase and nuclear factor-kappa B signaling pathways.

PMID- 28352126
TI  - Social cognition in neuropsychiatric populations: a comparison of theory of mind
      in schizophrenia and mesial temporal lobe epilepsy.
AB  - Social cognition deficits are observed both in patients with schizophrenia (SCZ)
      and in patients with mesial temporal lobe epilepsy (MTLE). This may be due to
      dysfunction of the amygdala network, which is a common feature of both diseases.
      In this study, SCZ (n = 48) or MTLE (n = 31) and healthy controls (HC, n = 47)
      completed assessments of mentalising (Reading Mind in the Eyes Test, RMET) and
      basic cognitive processing, e.g., working memory, executive functions and
      psychomotor speed (Trail-Making Test B and Digit Symbol). SCZ were also assessed
      with the Positive And Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS). We found that the RMET
      scores of the two clinical groups were similar (p > 0.05) and lower than in the
      HCs (SCZ: p < 0.05; MTLE: p < 0.001). In the next step, SCZ were split into two
      groups with respect to the level of symptoms. Analysis of the RMET scores
      revealed no differences between the HC (M = 25.7 +/- 4.1) and POS-LO (M = 25.3 +/
      4.8); both groups outperformed the POS-HI group (M = 21.3 +/- 5.2) and the MTLE
      group (M = 20.8 +/- 4.6). No differences were found for the median-split with
      regard to negative symptoms. In SCZ, the mind-reading deficit appears to be
      associated with the level of positive symptoms. Both POS-HI and MTLE patients
      present significant mentalising deficits compared to healthy controls.

PMID- 28352127
TI  - Insights from engraftable immunodeficient mouse models of hyperinsulinaemia.
AB  - Hyperinsulinaemia, obesity and dyslipidaemia are independent and collective risk
      factors for many cancers. Here, the long-term effects of a 23% Western high-fat
      diet (HFD) in two immunodeficient mouse strains (NOD/SCID and Rag1 -/-) suitable
      for engraftment with human-derived tissue xenografts, and the effect of diet
      induced hyperinsulinaemia on human prostate cancer cell line xenograft growth,
      were investigated. Rag1 -/-and NOD/SCID HFD-fed mice demonstrated diet-induced
      impairments in glucose tolerance at 16 and 23 weeks post weaning. Rag1 -/- mice
      developed significantly higher fasting insulin levels (2.16 +/- 1.01 ng/ml, P =
      0.01) and increased insulin resistance (6.70 +/- 1.68 HOMA-IR, P = 0.01) compared
      to low-fat chow-fed mice (0.71 +/- 0.12 ng/ml and 2.91 +/- 0.42 HOMA-IR). This
      was not observed in the NOD/SCID strain. Hepatic steatosis was more extensive in
      Rag1 -/- HFD-fed mice compared to NOD/SCID mice. Intramyocellular lipid storage
      was increased in Rag1 -/- HFD-fed mice, but not in NOD/SCID mice. In Rag1 -/- HFD
      fed mice, LNCaP xenograft tumours grew more rapidly compared to low-fat chow-fed
      mice. This is the first characterisation of the metabolic effects of long-term
      Western HFD in two mouse strains suitable for xenograft studies. We conclude that
      Rag1 -/- mice are an appropriate and novel xenograft model for studying the
      relationship between cancer and hyperinsulinaemia.

PMID- 28352128
TI  - Recruitment of Lyn from endomembranes to the plasma membrane through calcium
      dependent cell-cell interactions upon polarization of inducible Lyn-expressing
      MDCK cells.
AB  - Src-family kinases, expressed in a wide variety of cell types, are anchored to
      cellular membranes through posttranslational lipid modifications and involved in
      diverse cellular signalling. In epithelial cells, Src-family kinases are
      localized at the plasma membrane and participate in epithelial functions.
      Epithelial cell polarity is achieved through dynamic reorganization of protein
      trafficking. To examine the trafficking of Src-family kinases between polarized
      and non-polarized epithelial cells, we generated an MDCK cell line that can
      inducibly express a protein of interest in a polarized state at any time. We show
      here that Lyn, a member of Src-family kinases, mainly localizes to the plasma
      membrane in polarized MDCK cells and to endomembranes in non-polarized MDCK
      cells. Cell-cell interactions between adjacent MDCK cells recruit Lyn from
      endomembranes to the plasma membrane even without cell attachment to
      extracellular matrix scaffolds, and loss of cell-cell interactions by calcium
      deprivation relocates Lyn from the plasma membrane to endomembranes through Rab11
      mediated recycling. Therefore, using our MDCK cells expressing inducible Lyn, we
      reveal that calcium-dependent cell-cell interactions play a critical role in
      plasma membrane localization of Lyn in polarized MDCK cells.

PMID- 28352129
TI  - Cyclooxygenase-2 Signalling Pathway in the Cortex is Involved in the
      Pathophysiological Mechanisms in the Rat Model of Depression.
AB  - This study was designed to investigate the effect of the cortical cyclooxygenase
      2 (COX2) pathway on depressive behaviour in rats. Meloxicam, COX2 overexpressed
      lentivirus and COX2 RNAi lentivirus were administered to Sprague-Dawley rats
      subjected to chronic unpredictable mild stress (CUMS). Behaviour tests,
      biochemistry and immunohistochemistry methods, enzyme-linked immunosorbent
      assays, western blotting and reverse transcription polymerase chain reactions
      were used to evaluate the changes in rat behaviour and the cortical COX2 pathway.
      CUMS rats showed depressive-like behaviours. The superoxide dismutase activity
      and cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP) contents were significantly decreased,
      the contents of malondialdehyde, prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) and inflammatory
      cytokines were significantly increased. The expressions of protein kinase A (PKA)
      and cAMP response element-binding protein (CREB) were decreased, and the levels
      of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) and COX2 were significantly
      increased. Meloxicam and COX2 RNAi lentivirus significantly alleviated the
      abnormalities induced by CUMS, while COX2 overexpressed lentivirus aggravated
      these abnormalities. Our results indicated that the cortical COX2 pathway was
      activated in CUMS rats. Inhibition of COX2 activity/expression can obviously
      improve depressive behaviours in CUMS rats. Upregulating COX2 expression can
      increase the susceptibility of rats to CUMS. An imbalance in the cortical COX2
      PGE2-cAMP/PKA-CREB-BDNF signalling pathway participates in the pathogenic
      mechanism of depression.

PMID- 28352131
TI  - Drug therapy: Exploiting synthetic lethality to improve cancer therapy.

PMID- 28352130
TI  - Bats pre-adapt sensory acquisition according to target distance prior to takeoff
      even in the presence of closer background objects.
AB  - Animals execute sensorimotor sequences to optimize performance of complex actions
      series. However, the sensory aspects of these sequences and their dynamic control
      are often poorly understood. We trained bats to fly to targets at different
      distances, and analysed their sensory behavior before and during flight to test
      whether they assess target distance before flight and how they adapt sensory
      acquisition in different situations. We demonstrate that bats' sensory
      acquisition during approach-flight is more flexible than previously described. We
      identified acoustic parameters that illustrate that bats assess target distance
      before takeoff. We show that bats adapt their echolocation approach-sequences to
      target distance - ignoring closer background objects. At shorter distances, bats
      initiated their echolocation approach-sequence with distance-appropriate
      parameters, thus entering the approach sensory sequence "in step". Our results
      suggest that in order to perform fine flight-manoeuvres, bats must maintain their
      sensorimotor plan in phase. To do this, they adapt acquisition according to
      target distance before initiating a complex sensory sequence based on a
      sensorimotor feedback-loop, even in complex acoustic environments, which impose
      other sensory reactions and restrictions. Though studying this in non
      echolocating animals may prove difficult, such mechanisms are probably widely
      used in nature whenever complex series of sensorimotor actions are required.

PMID- 28352132
TI  - Immunotherapy: DLBCL remissions driven by CARs.

PMID- 28352134
TI  - Diagnosis: Making DESI-MSI desirable.

PMID- 28352135
TI  - Prostate cancer: Custirsen fails to improve outcomes.

PMID- 28352133
TI  - Haematological cancer: Anti-PD-1 therapy with nivolumab after allo-HSCT for
      Hodgkin lymphoma.

PMID- 28352136
TI  - Prostate cancer: Cabozantinib activates innate immunity.

PMID- 28352137
TI  - Bladder cancer: TCGA cohort is representative of invasive disease.

PMID- 28352138
TI  - Prostate cancer: Testosterone replacement affects disease risk.

PMID- 28352139
TI  - Erratum: Shetti, a simple tool to parse, manipulate and search large dataset of
      sequences.
AB  - [This corrects the article DOI: 10.1099/mgen.0.000035.].

PMID- 28352140
TI  - Corrigendum: Emergence of a novel lineage containing a prophage in emm/M3 group A
      Streptococcus associated with upsurge in invasive disease in the UK.
AB  - [This corrects the article DOI: 10.1099/mgen.0.000059.].

PMID- 28352141
TI  - Brain control of body temperature: Central command vs feedback.

PMID- 28352142
TI  - Fractal analysis of thermoregulatory complexity.

PMID- 28352143
TI  - How should we measure occupational heat stress?

PMID- 28352144
TI  - Nutritional strategies for maximizing recovery from strenuous exercise in the
      heat: An important role for carbohydrate (sago) supplementation.

PMID- 28352145
TI  - Methotrexate Reduced TNF Bioactivity in Rheumatoid Arthritis Patients Treated
      with Infliximab.
AB  - Objectives. To evaluate methotrexate effect on tumor necrosis factor (TNF) alpha
      bioactivity during infliximab (IFX) therapy in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients
      and to correlate TNF bioactivity with antibody towards IFX (ATI) development and
      RA clinical response. Materials and Methods. Thirty-nine active women RA patients
      despite conventional synthetic disease modifying antirheumatic drugs (csDMARDs)
      requiring IFX therapy were enrolled, and clinical data and blood samples were
      recorded at baseline (W0) and at 6 weeks (W6), W22, and W54 of IFX treatment. TNF
      bioactivity as well as IFX trough and ATI concentrations were assessed on blood
      samples. Results. TNF bioactivity decreased from W0 to W54 with a large range
      from W22 at the time of ATI detection. From W22, TNF bioactivity was lower in
      presence of methotrexate as csDMARD compared to other csDMARDs. IFX trough
      concentration increased from W0 to W54 with a large range from W22, similarly to
      TNF bioactivity. Methotrexate therapy prevented ATI presence at W22 and reduced
      TNF bioactivity compared to other csDMARDs (p = 0.002). Conclusion. This suggests
      that methotrexate plays a key role in TNF bioactivity and against ATI
      development.

PMID- 28352146
TI  - Power Morcellation Using a Contained Bag System.
AB  - BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: The well-known advantages of minimally invasive
      surgery make the approach well suited for hysterectomy and other gynecological
      procedures. The removal of specimens excised during surgery has been a challenge
      that has been answered by the use of power morcellation. With this study we
      sought to assess the feasibility of power morcellation within a specimen bag.
      METHODS: This was a retrospective cohort study including patients from a private
      practice in suburban Chicago, Illinois, who underwent contained electromechanical
      power morcellation during a laparoscopic or robot-assisted hysterectomy or
      myomectomy from May 2014 through December 2015. Contained power morcellation was
      performed with the Espiner EcoSac 230 (Espiner Medical Ltd., North Somerset,
      United Kingdom) specimen bag. Descriptive statistics were performed for both
      categorical and continuous data. RESULTS: Of the 187 procedures performed, 73.8%
      were myomectomies, and 26.2% were hysterectomies. The patients' mean age was 40
      (range, 25-54) years and mean body mass index was 28.7 (range, 17.3-57.6). The
      average specimen weight was 300 g, with the largest weighing 2134 g. Estimated
      blood loss averaged 98.4 mL. The postoperative admission rate was 12.3%, most of
      which were due to nausea and urinary retention. Seventeen patients (9.1%) had
      postoperative complications, most of which were minor, and 4 (2.1%) were
      readmitted. There were no bag failures or complications that were due to the use
      of the specimen bag or to power morcellation. CONCLUSIONS: Performing
      electromechanical power morcellation within the Espiner EcoSac 230 specimen bag
      was successfully performed in 187 patients with no bag-related complications.
      This method of contained power morcellation is feasible, reliable, and
      reproducible, even for a large specimen.

PMID- 28352147
TI  - Minimally Invasive Hysterectomy for Uteri Greater Than One Kilogram.
AB  - BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: To assess the feasibility and safety of minimally
      invasive hysterectomy for uteri >1 kg. METHODS: Clinical and surgical
      characteristics were collected for patients in an academic tertiary care
      hospital. Included were patients who underwent minimally invasive hysterectomy by
      1 of 3 fellowship-trained gynecologists from January 1, 2009, to July 1, 2015 and
      subsequently had confirmed uterine weights of 1 kg or greater on pathology
      report. Both robotic and conventional laparoscopic procedures were included.
      RESULTS: During the study period, 95 patients underwent minimally invasive
      hysterectomy with confirmed uterine weight over 1 kg. Eighty-eight percent were
      performed with conventional laparoscopy and 12.6% with robot-assisted
      laparoscopy. The median weight (range) was 1326 g (range, 1000-4800). The median
      estimated blood loss was 200 mL (range, 50-2000), and median operating time was
      191 minutes (range, 75-478). Five cases were converted to laparotomy (5.2%). Four
      cases were converted secondary to hemorrhage and one secondary to extensive
      adhesions. There were no conversions after 2011. Intraoperative transfusion was
      given in 6.3% of cases and postoperative transfusion in 6.3% of cases. However,
      after 2013, the rate of intraoperative transfusion decreased to 1.0% and
      postoperative transfusion to 2.1%. Of the 95 cases, there were no cases with
      malignancy. CONCLUSIONS: This provides the largest case series of hysterectomy
      over 1 kg completed by a minimally invasive approach. Our complication rate
      improved with experience and was comparable to other studies of minimally
      invasive hysterectomy for large uteri. When performed by experienced surgeons,
      minimally invasive hysterectomy for uteri >1 kg can be considered feasible and
      safe.

PMID- 28352148
TI  - Laparoscopic and Open Splenectomy and Hepatectomy.
AB  - BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Patients undergoing synchronous open splenectomy and
      hepatectomy (OSH) for concurrent hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and hypersplenism
      usually have major surgical trauma caused by the long abdominal incision.
      Surgical procedures that contribute to rapid recovery with the least possible
      impairment are desired by both surgeons and patients. The objective of this study
      was to explore outcomes in patients treated with simultaneous laparoscopic or
      open splenectomy and hepatectomy for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) with
      hypersplenism. METHODS: We retrospectively evaluated the treatment outcomes in 23
      patients with cirrhosis, HCC, and hypersplenism, who underwent simultaneous
      laparoscopic splenectomy and hepatectomy (LSH; n = 12) or open splenectomy and
      hepatectomy (OSH; n = 11) from January 2012 through December 2015. Their
      perioperative variables were compared. RESULTS: LSH was successful in all
      patients. There were nonsignificant similarities between the 2 groups in duration
      of operation, estimated blood loss, and volume of blood transfused (P > .05
      each). Compared with OSH, LSH had a significantly shorter postoperative visual
      analog scale pain score (P < .001); shorter time to first oral intake (P < .001),
      passage of flatus (P < .05) and off-bed activity (P < .001); shorter
      postoperative duration of hospitalization (P < .001); fewer days of postoperative
      temperature >38.0 degrees C (P < .01); fewer postoperative complications (P <
      .05); and better liver and renal function on postoperative days 7 (P < .05 each).
      CONCLUSIONS: Simultaneous LSH is safe for selected patients with HCC and
      hypersplenism associated with liver cirrhosis.

PMID- 28352149
TI  - Robot-Assisted Partial Nephrectomy for T1b Tumors: Strict Trifecta Outcomes.
AB  - BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: "Trifecta" in partial nephrectomy consists of negative
      surgical margins, minimal renal function decrease and absence of complications.
      In the present article, our single-center robot-assisted partial nephrectomy
      (RAPN) experience in T1b renal masses is reported in terms of strict Trifecta
      outcomes. METHODS: This is a retrospective analysis of patients with a tumor
      diameter between 4 and 7 cm (stage T1b), who underwent RAPN by a single surgeon.
      Preoperative, intraoperative, and postoperative data were recorded and analyzed
      to evaluate short-term functional and oncologic outcomes. Patients with absence
      of grade >= 2 Clavien-Dindo complications, warm ischemia time (WIT) <=25 minutes,
      <=15% postoperative estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) decrease and
      negative surgical margins were reported to achieve strict Trifecta outcomes. P <
      .05 was indicated statistically significant. RESULTS: A total of 150 patients
      underwent RAPN, and 50 patients were identified with tumor size between 4 and 7
      cm. Mean WIT was 20.8 +/- 6.2 minutes and mean estimated blood loss (EBL) was 269
      +/- 191 mL. Surgical margins were negative in all patients. Eleven patients (22%)
      had a >15% eGFR decrease after surgery. Nine patients (18%) had WIT longer than
      25 minutes. Four patients (8%) had grade >=2 Clavien-Dindo complications. Twenty
      nine (58%) patients had strict Trifecta outcomes. Mean follow-up was 44.2 +/-
      27.2 months. Tumor recurrence was not observed in any patient. CONCLUSIONS: Robot
      assisted laparoscopic partial nephrectomy for T1b renal masses can be safely
      performed in experienced hands. Optimal strict Trifecta outcomes and recurrence
      rates can be achieved.

PMID- 28352150
TI  - Clinical and allergological analysis of ocular manifestations of sick building
      syndrome.
AB  - PURPOSE: The disease concept of sick building syndrome (SBS) is still unclear.
      Ocular mucous membrane irritation is one of the major symptoms of SBS. However,
      the immunological aspects of the ocular complications of SBS are not yet
      clarified. The clinical and allergological aspects of SBS cases with ocular
      disorders with special reference to allergic conjunctival diseases (ACD) were
      analyzed, especially with respect to local immunological features. METHODS:
      Twelve cases of SBS with ocular findings and 49 cases of ACD (allergic
      conjunctivitis [AC], atopic keratoconjunctivitis [AKC], and vernal
      keratoconjunctivitis [VKC]) for comparison were evaluated. The clinical findings
      in SBS and ACD were scored, and tear film breakup time (BUT) was measured.
      Cytokine (interferon-gamma [IFN-gamma], interleukin [IL]-2, IL-4, IL-5, IL-6, IL
      8, and IL-13) concentrations in tears were analyzed by cytometric bead arrays.
      Eosinophil count in peripheral blood, total IgE in serum, and multiple allergen
      simultaneous test (MAST) for antigen-specific IgE were also measured. RESULTS: In
      SBS, conjunctival lesions were observed in all cases, and corneal abnormalities
      were found in two-thirds of the cases. Limbal lesions were observed in 2
      pediatric cases. Mean serum total IgE level in SBS was significantly higher than
      that in AC; however, it was significantly lower than that in AKC and VKC.
      Eosinophil count in peripheral blood and number of positive allergens in MAST
      were significantly lower in SBS than in AKC and VKC. Significant elevation of
      tear IL-4 was observed in SBS and ACD. However, in contrast to ACD, elevation of
      other cytokines in tears was not observed in SBS. Mean tear BUT in SBS was in the
      normal range. CONCLUSION: From these results, SBS is thought to be partially
      induced by an allergic response. However, clinical dissociation of the ocular
      clinical findings and local immunological features in tear cytokines may suggest
      that SBS belongs to a different entity from ACD.

PMID- 28352151
TI  - Efficacy of two trabecular micro-bypass stents combined with topical travoprost
      in open-angle glaucoma not controlled on two preoperative medications: 3-year
      follow-up.
AB  - PURPOSE: To evaluate the long-term intraocular pressure (IOP)-lowering effect and
      safety parameters following treatment with two trabecular micro-bypass stents and
      topical prostaglandin in phakic eyes with open-angle glaucoma (OAG) not
      controlled on two preoperative medications. METHODS: This prospective, single
      arm, unmasked study enrolled 39 qualified phakic eyes with OAG not controlled on
      2 medications, preoperative medicated IOP of 18-30 mmHg, and IOP following
      medication washout of 22-38 mmHg. Two trabecular micro-bypass stents were
      implanted as a standalone procedure, and travoprost was started on postoperative
      day 1. Evaluations included IOP, best-corrected visual acuity, medication use,
      fundus and slit-lamp examinations, visual field, cup:disc ratio, central corneal
      thickness, and ocular complications. Data through 18 months were summarized
      previously. Thirty-seven of the original 39 subjects have been followed for 3
      years postoperatively; follow-up is continuing for 5 years. RESULTS: At 3 years
      postoperative, 97% of eyes had achieved an IOP reduction of >=20% from baseline
      with a reduction of 1 medication. Eighty-six percent of eyes had IOP of <=18 mmHg
      with a reduction of 1 medication. Mean medicated IOP decreased to 14.0+/-2.6 mmHg
      on 1 medication versus 22.4+/-2.3 mmHg on 2 medications preoperatively. The mean
      unmedicated IOP decreased to 17.7+/-1.7 mmHg at 37 months from 25.3+/-1.9 mmHg
      preoperatively. Long-term postoperative adverse events included cataract surgery
      in 3 eyes due to cataract progression, and trabeculectomy in 1 eye due to
      uncontrolled IOP of 23 mmHg. No intraoperative or device-related adverse events
      occurred. CONCLUSION: Significant and sustained reduction in IOP and medications
      with a favorable safety profile was shown through 3 years after implantation of 2
      trabecular micro-bypass stents combined with postoperative travoprost in phakic
      OAG eyes uncontrolled on 2 preoperative medications. These findings demonstrate
      the long-term performance and safety of trabecular bypass stents in combination
      with topical prostaglandin for OAG patients.

PMID- 28352153
TI  - Development of erythropoietin receptor-targeted drug delivery system against
      breast cancer using tamoxifen-loaded nanostructured lipid carriers.
AB  - Tamoxifen (TAM) has been used in the treatment of breast cancers and is
      supplemented with erythropoietin (EPO) to alleviate the cancer-related anemia.
      The purported deleterious effects caused by the use of EPO with chemotherapeutic
      agents in the treatment of cancer-related anemia vary across studies and remain
      controversial. The use of nanoparticles as a drug delivery system has the
      potential to improve the specificity of anticancer drugs. In this study, we
      simultaneously incorporated two pharmacological active ingredients in one
      nanocarrier to develop EPO-conjugated TAM-loaded lipid nanoparticles (EPO
      TAMNLC), a targeted delivery system, to enhance the cytotoxic activity while
      reducing the side effects of the ingredients. The effect of temperature in
      modulating the thermodynamic parameters associated with the binding of EPO and
      TAMNLC was assessed using isothermal titration calorimetry, while the unfolding
      of EPO structure was determined using fluorescence-quenching approach. The
      association efficiency of EPO and TAMNLC was 55.43%. Unlike binding of albumin to
      TAMNLC, the binding of EPO to TAMNLC occurred through endothermic and entropy
      driven reaction. The EPO-TAMNLC formulation was stable because of the hydrophobic
      interaction and the high free energy, suggesting the spontaneity of the
      interactions between EPO and TAMNLC. The EPO-TAMNLC enhanced the in vitro
      cytotoxicity of TAM to MCF-7 cells. The EPO surface-functionalized TAMNLC could
      sequentially deliver EPO and TAM as well as improving site-specific delivery of
      these therapeutic compounds.

PMID- 28352152
TI  - Glycophenotype of breast and prostate cancer stem cells treated with thieno[2,3
      b]pyridine anticancer compound.
AB  - Tumor progression may be driven by a small subpopulation of cancer stem cells
      (CSCs characterized by CD44+/CD24- phenotype). We investigated the influence of a
      newly developed thienopyridine anticancer compound (3-amino-5-oxo-N-naphthyl
      5,6,7, 8-tetrahydrothieno[2,3-b]quinoline-2-carboxamide, 1) on the growth,
      survival and glycophenotype (CD15s and GM3 containing neuraminic acid substituted
      with acetyl residue, NeuAc) of breast and prostate cancer stem/progenitor-like
      cell population. MDA-MB-231 and Du-145 cells were incubated with compound 1 alone
      or in combination with paclitaxel. The cellular metabolic activity was determined
      by the 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazolyl-2)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay.
      The type of cell death induced by 48-h treatment was assessed using a combination
      of Annexin-V-FITC and propidium iodide staining. Flow cytometric analysis was
      performed to detect the percentage of CD44+/CD24- cells, and GM3 and CD15s
      positive CSCs, as well as the expression of GM3 and CD15s per one CSC, in both
      cell lines. Compound 1 produces a dose- and time-dependent cytotoxicity, mediated
      mainly by apoptosis in breast cancer cells, and slightly (2.3%) but statistically
      significant lowering breast CSC subpopulation. GM3 expression per one breast CSC
      was increased, and the percentage of prostate GM3+ CSC subpopulation was
      decreased in cells treated with compound 1 compared with non-treated cells. The
      percentage of CD15s+ CSCs was lower in both cell lines after treatment with
      compound 1. Considering that triple-negative breast cancers are characterized by
      an increased percentage of breast CSCs and knowing their association with an
      increased risk of metastasis and mortality, compound 1 is a potentially effective
      drug for triple-negative breast cancer treatment.

PMID- 28352154
TI  - HMGB1 siRNA can reduce damage to retinal cells induced by high glucose in vitro
      and in vivo.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Diabetic retinopathy (DR), one of the most common complications of
      late-phase diabetes, is associated with many risk factors, among which continuous
      low-grade inflammation is one of the principal ones. As such, lowering
      inflammation levels and maintain the viability of human retinal endothelial cells
      (HRECs) are critical for DR therapy. HMGB1 is a well-known proinflammatory
      cytokine. However, whether HMGB1 small interfering RNA (siRNA) can protect retina
      cells under a high-glucose environment from morphological changes and functional
      abnormalities remain undetermined. We aimed to investigate the effect of HMGB1
      siRNA on retinal cells in DR. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A total of 80 adult Wistar
      rats were randomly divided into four groups (n=20 each): normal control, diabetes
      mellitus (DM), scrambled (Scr) siRNA, and HMGB1 siRNA. Rats in the DM, Scr siRNA,
      and siRNA groups were established by intraperitoneal injection of streptozotocin.
      At 16 weeks after injection, rats in the siRNA and Scr-siRNA groups were
      intravitreally injected with 2 MUL HMGB1 siRNA and 2 MUL Scr-siRNA, while rats in
      the control and DM groups were intravitreally injected with the same dose of
      sterile saline. At 1 week after injections, we performed the following
      experiments. Immunohistochemical staining and real-time quantitative polymerase
      chain reaction were performed to test HMGB1 protein and messenger RNA expression
      in retinas. We performed TUNEL assays to detect retinal cell apoptosis and
      electroretinography to detect retinal function. In HRECs treated with high
      glucose, proliferation, morphology, apoptosis, super-oxide dismutase (SOD), and
      reactive oxygen species production were detected. Western blot was applied to
      determine the expressions of HMGB1 and its related protein and apoptosis protein.
      RESULTS: Intravitreal injection of HMGB1 siRNA reduced protein and messenger RNA
      expression of HMGB1 (both P<0.05). Intravitreal injection of HMGB1 siRNA reduced
      apoptosis of retinal cells (P<0.05), protected morphological changes in the
      retina, and improved the function of the retina (P<0.05). In HRECs treated with
      high glucose, HMGB1 siRNA pretreatment increased cell viability, reduced cell
      apoptosis, and reduced oxidative damage to cells (all P<0.05). Western blot
      detection found that HMGB1 siRNA pretreatment can inhibit the expression of
      cleaved caspase 3 and improve the expression of BCL2 (P<0.05). HMGB1 and NFkappaB
      expression increased in a time-dependent manner in the high-glucose environment
      and IKKbeta and NFkappaB protein expression decreased significantly after HMGB1
      silencing. CONCLUSION: As a therapeutic target, HMGB1 siRNA can reduce retinal
      cell damage induced by high glucose in vitro and in vivo and delay DR progress
      through the HMGB1-IKKbeta-NFkappaB signaling pathway.

PMID- 28352156
TI  - Fixed-dose combination orally disintegrating tablets to treat cardiovascular
      disease: formulation, in vitro characterization and physiologically based
      pharmacokinetic modeling to assess bioavailability.
AB  - Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is the leading cause of death among men and women
      worldwide. In CVD, hypertension and dyslipidemia commonly coexist and are managed
      through coadministration of amlodipine and atorvastatin, respectively. The case
      for fixed-dose combination (FDC) oral dosage forms and orally disintegrating
      tablet (ODT) technology to enhance outcomes and compliance is strong. This work
      follows the development and characterization of single and FDC ODTs containing
      amlodipine and atorvastatin, followed by bioequivalence comparison between these
      single and FDC formulations, using in vitro dissolution and Caco-2 apparent
      permeability (Papp) and in silico physiologically based pharmacokinetic modeling
      approaches. ODTs containing amlodipine (5 mg) and atorvastatin (10 mg) either
      alone or in combination rapidly disintegrated (<30 s) while displaying a radial
      crushing strength in excess of 100 N and friability <=1%. In vitro dissolution
      test was performed in fasted and fed-state simulated intestinal fluid (FeSSIF)
      and analyzed using high-performance liquid chromatography. Dissolution profiles
      for single and FDC ODTs were compared using US FDA recommended difference (f1)
      and similarity (f2) factor testing for bioequivalence. In all cases, there was no
      difference in active pharmaceutical ingredient dissolution between single or FDC
      ODTs, with the exception of amlodipine in FeSSIF. Pharmacokinetic clinical trial
      simulations were conducted using Simcyp (Version 14), incorporating Papp and
      dissolution data. Simulated clinical trials in healthy volunteers showed no
      difference in bioavailability based on pharmacokinetic parameters between single
      and combination doses with either active pharmaceutical ingredient. An increase
      in Cmax and AUC for atorvastatin in fed subjects was attributed to extended
      transit along the gut lumen and reduced atorvastatin metabolism due to lower
      CYP3A4 expression at more distal small intestine absorption sites. The results
      demonstrated bioequivalence of an FDC ODT for amlodipine and atorvastatin, while
      highlighting several limitations of f1 and f2 bioequivalence testing and
      strengths of mechanistic pharmacokinetic modeling for oral drug absorption.

PMID- 28352157
TI  - Design, synthesis, and antimelanogenic effects of (2-substituted phenyl-1,3
      dithiolan-4-yl)methanol derivatives.
AB  - The authors designed and synthesized 17 (2-substituted phenyl-1,3-dithiolan-4-yl)
      methanol (PDTM) derivatives to find a new chemical scaffold, showing excellent
      tyrosinase-inhibitory activity. Their tyrosinase-inhibitory activities were
      evaluated against mushroom tyrosinase at 50 MUM, and five of the PDTM derivatives
      (PDTM3, PDTM7-PDTM9, and PDTM13) were found to inhibit mushroom tyrosinase more
      than kojic acid or arbutin, the positive controls. Of seventeen PDTMs, PDTM3
      (half-maximal inhibitory concentration 13.94+/-1.76 MUM), with a 2,4
      dihydroxyphenyl moiety, exhibited greatest inhibitory effects (kojic acid half
      maximal inhibitory concentration 18.86+/-2.14 MUM). Interestingly, PDTM compounds
      with no hydroxyl group, PDTM7-PDTM9, also had stronger inhibitory activities than
      kojic acid. In silico studies of interactions between tyrosinase and the five
      PDTMs suggested their binding affinities were closely related to their tyrosinase
      inhibitory activities. Cell-based experiments performed using B16F10 mouse-skin
      melanoma cells showed that PDTM3 effectively inhibited melanogenesis and cellular
      tyrosinase activity. A cell-viability study conducted using B16F10 cells
      indicated that the antimelanogenic effect of PDTM3 was not attributable to its
      cytotoxicity. Kinetic studies showed PDTM3 competitively inhibited tyrosinase,
      indicating binding to the tyrosinase-active site. We found that PDTM3 with a new
      chemical scaffold could be a promising candidate for skin-whitening agents, and
      that the 1,3-dithiolane ring could be used as a chemical scaffold for potent
      tyrosinase inhibition.

PMID- 28352155
TI  - Proteinopathy, oxidative stress and mitochondrial dysfunction: cross talk in
      Alzheimer's disease and Parkinson's disease.
AB  - Alzheimer's disease and Parkinson's disease are two common neurodegenerative
      diseases of the elderly people that have devastating effects in terms of
      morbidity and mortality. The predominant form of the disease in either case is
      sporadic with uncertain etiology. The clinical features of Parkinson's disease
      are primarily motor deficits, while the patients of Alzheimer's disease present
      with dementia and cognitive impairment. Though neuronal death is a common element
      in both the disorders, the postmortem histopathology of the brain is very
      characteristic in each case and different from each other. In terms of molecular
      pathogenesis, however, both the diseases have a significant commonality, and
      proteinopathy (abnormal accumulation of misfolded proteins), mitochondrial
      dysfunction and oxidative stress are the cardinal features in either case. These
      three damage mechanisms work in concert, reinforcing each other to drive the
      pathology in the aging brain for both the diseases; very interestingly, the
      nature of interactions among these three damage mechanisms is very similar in
      both the diseases, and this review attempts to highlight these aspects. In the
      case of Alzheimer's disease, the peptide amyloid beta (Abeta) is responsible for
      the proteinopathy, while alpha-synuclein plays a similar role in Parkinson's
      disease. The expression levels of these two proteins and their aggregation
      processes are modulated by reactive oxygen radicals and transition metal ions in
      a similar manner. In turn, these proteins - as oligomers or in aggregated forms -
      cause mitochondrial impairment by apparently following similar mechanisms.
      Understanding the common nature of these interactions may, therefore, help us to
      identify putative neuroprotective strategies that would be beneficial in both the
      clinical conditions.

PMID- 28352159
TI  - Estimation of health state utilities in breast cancer.
AB  - PURPOSE: The aim of this study is to determine the utility of breast cancer
      health states using the standard gamble (SG) and visual analog scale (VAS)
      methods in the Korean general population. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Eight
      hypothetical breast cancer health states were developed based on patient
      education material and previous publications. Data from 509 individuals from the
      Korean general population were used to evaluate breast cancer health states using
      the VAS and the SG methods, which were obtained via computer-assisted personal
      interviews. Mean utility values were calculated for each human papillomavirus
      (HPV)-related health state. RESULTS: The rank of health states was identical
      between two valuation methods. SG values were higher than VAS values in all
      health states. The utility values derived from SG were 0.801 (noninvasive breast
      cancer with mastectomy and followed by reconstruction), 0.790 (noninvasive breast
      cancer with mastectomy only), 0.779 (noninvasive breast cancer with breast
      conserving surgery and radiation therapy), 0.731 (invasive breast cancer with
      surgery, radiation therapy, and/or chemotherapy), 0.610 (locally advanced breast
      cancer with radical mastectomy with radiation therapy), 0.587 (inoperable locally
      advanced breast cancer), 0.496 (loco-regional recurrent breast cancer), and 0.352
      (metastatic breast cancer). CONCLUSION: Our findings might be useful for economic
      evaluation of breast cancer screening and interventions in general populations.

PMID- 28352160
TI  - Prospective study on the overuse of blood test-guided antibiotics on patients
      with acute diarrhea in primary hospitals of China.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Overuse with antibiotics in the treatment of infectious diseases has
      become a central focus of public health over the years. The aim of this study was
      to provide an up-to-date evaluation of the blood test-guided antibiotic use on
      patients with acute diarrhea in primary hospitals of China. MATERIALS AND
      METHODS: A cross-sectional survey was conducted on 330 patients with acute
      diarrhea in Shanghai, People's Republic of China, from March 2013 to February
      2016. These patients were treated with or without antibiotics based on the
      results of their blood tests, including examinations of C-reactive protein (CRP),
      white blood cells (WBC), and the percentage of neutrophils (Neu%). The infection
      types, which included bacterial, viral, and combination diarrhea, were determined
      by microbiological culture methods. Antibiotics used in non-bacterial diarrhea
      patients were considered misused and overused. RESULTS: There were significant
      overall differences in the clinical characteristics and blood tests between
      patients with diarrhea with a bacterial infection and patients with other types
      of infections. The patients were divided into four grading groups (0-3) according
      to the number of the positive results from three blood testes (CRP, WBC, and
      Neu%). The misuse rates of antibiotics in each group (0-3) were 81.3%, 71.1%,
      72.4%, and 64.9%, respectively. CONCLUSION: In this prospective study, the
      current diagnostic criteria (CRP, WBC, and Neu%) based on blood tests are not
      reliable in diagnosing bacterial diarrhea or guiding antibiotics use. To limit
      antibiotic overuse, a rapid and accurate differentiation of bacterial diarrhea
      from other types of diarrhea is pivotal.

PMID- 28352158
TI  - Cardioprotection with halogenated gases: how does it occur?
AB  - Numerous studies have studied the effect of halogenated agents on the myocardium,
      highlighting the beneficial cardiac effect of the pharmacological mechanism
      (preconditioning and postconditioning) when employed before and after ischemia in
      patients with ischemic heart disease. Anesthetic preconditioning is related to
      the dose-dependent signal, while the degree of protection is related to the
      concentration of the administered drug and the duration of the administration
      itself. Triggers for postconditioning and preconditioning might have numerous
      pathways in common; mitochondrial protection and a decrease in inflammatory
      mediators could be the major biochemical elements. Several pathways have been
      identified, including attenuation of NFkappaB activation and reduced expression
      of TNFalpha, IL-1, intracellular adhesion molecules, eNOS, the hypercontraction
      reduction that follows reperfusion, and antiapoptotic activating kinases (Akt,
      ERK1/2). It appears that the preconditioning and postconditioning triggers have
      numerous similar paths. The key biochemical elements are protection of the
      mitochondria and reduction in inflammatory mediators, both of which are developed
      in various ways. We have studied this issue, and have published several articles
      on cardioprotection with halogenated gases. Our results confirm greater
      cardioprotection through myocardial preconditioning in patients anesthetized with
      sevoflurane compared with propofol, with decreasing levels of troponin and N
      terminal brain natriuretic peptide prohormone. The difference between our studies
      and previous studies lies in the use of sedation with sevoflurane in the
      postoperative period. The results could be related to a prolonged effect, in
      addition to preconditioning and postconditioning, which could enhance the
      cardioprotective effect of sevoflurane in the postoperative period. With this
      review, we aim to clarify the importance of various mechanisms involved in
      preconditioning and postconditioning with halogenated gases, as supported by our
      studies.

PMID- 28352162
TI  - Determinants of initiation, implementation, and discontinuation of amoxicillin by
      adults with acute cough in primary care.
AB  - AIM: To investigate the determinants of adherence to amoxicillin in patients with
      acute lower respiratory tract infection. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Three European
      data sets were used. Adherence data were collected using self-reported diaries.
      Candidate determinants included factors relating to patient, condition, therapy,
      health care system/provider, and the study in which the patient participated.
      Logistic and Cox regression models were used to investigate the determinants of
      initiation, implementation, and discontinuation of amoxicillin. RESULTS: Although
      initiation differed across samples, implementation and discontinuation were
      similar. Determinants of initiation were days waited before consulting, duration
      of prescription, and being in a country where a doctor-issued sick certificate is
      required for being off work for <7 days. Implementation was higher for older
      participants or those with abnormal auscultation. Implementation was lower for
      those prescribed longer courses of amoxicillin (>=8 days). Time from initiation
      to discontinuation was longer for longer prescriptions and shorter for those from
      countries where single-handed practices were widespread. CONCLUSION: Nonadherence
      to amoxicillin was largely driven by noninitiation. Differing sets of
      determinants were found for initiation, implementation, and discontinuation.
      There is a need to further understand the reasons for these determinants, the
      impact of poor adherence to antibiotics on outcomes, and to develop interventions
      to improve antibiotic use when prescribed.

PMID- 28352161
TI  - Relationship between depression and medication adherence in cardiovascular
      disease: the perfect challenge for the integrated care team.
AB  - Many individuals with cardiovascular disease (CVD) experience depression that is
      associated with poor health outcomes, which may be because of medication
      nonadherence. Several factors influence medication adherence and likely influence
      the relationship between depression and medication adherence in CVD patients.
      This comprehensive study reviews the existing literature on depression and
      medication adherence in CVD patients, addresses the methods of and problems with
      measuring medication adherence, and explains why the integrated care team is
      uniquely situated to improve the outcomes in depressed CVD patients. This paper
      also explores how the team can collaboratively target depressive symptoms and
      medication-taking behavior in routine clinical care. Finally, it suggests the
      limitations to the integrated care approach, identifies targets for future
      research, and discusses the implications for CVD patients and their families.

PMID- 28352163
TI  - The effectiveness of a basic exercise intervention to improve strength and
      balance in women with osteoporosis.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: To determine the effects of a simple exercise program on the balance
      and strength of postmenopausal women with osteoporosis. METHODS: This program was
      based on low intensity strength and balance exercises, and was carried out with
      simple, readily available equipment. Sixty five women were randomly assigned to
      either the experimental group (EG; n=33, age: 57.4+/-4.8 years) or the control
      group (CG; n=32, age: 58.8+/-4.5 years). Participants in the EG underwent balance
      and strength training for 60 min, three times/week for 6 months. Each session
      consisted of warm-up exercises (10 min), balance training (20 min), strength
      training (20 min), and cooldown (10 min). Participants from the CG were asked not
      to modify their usual habits during the course of the study. Static balance was
      evaluated using the blind monopodal stance static balance test. In contrast,
      dynamic balance was assessed using the "8-foot up and go" test, whereas the
      strength of the upper and lower limbs was measured using the "arm curl" and "30 s
      chair stand" tests, respectively. All these variables were assessed at baseline
      and upon program completion. RESULTS: The EG showed significant improvements
      (P<0.001) in static balance (21%), dynamic balance (36%), and in the strength of
      the upper (80%) and lower (47%) limbs in comparison to the CG after the sixth
      month. Participants in the CG showed significantly lower values (P<0.001) in the
      four tests. In addition, a significant inverse relationship between static
      balance and the strength of the upper (r=-0.390; P=0.001) and lower (r=-0.317;
      P=0.01) limbs was found. CONCLUSION: The present study demonstrates that a
      physical exercise program based on balance and strength exercises, carried out
      with simple and readily available equipment, is capable of significantly
      improving the strength and balance of women with osteoporosis.

PMID- 28352164
TI  - Oral conditions and dysphagia in Japanese, community-dwelling middle- and older-
      aged adults, independent in daily living.
AB  - PURPOSE: Prevention, early detection and effective rehabilitation of dysphagia
      are important issues to be considered in an aging society. Previous studies have
      shown conflicting findings regarding the association between dysphagia and its
      potential risk factors, including age, malnutrition, oral conditions, lifestyle
      and medical history. Herein, we assessed the prevalence and association of
      dysphagia with potential risk factors in 50- to 79-year-old adults dwelling in a
      community in Japan. PATIENTS AND METHODS: In this study, there were 532
      participants (185 males and 347 females). Participants who responded positively
      to the question "Do you sometimes choke on drinks/food such as tea and soup?" or
      those who presented with abnormal repetitive saliva swallowing test findings were
      diagnosed with dysphagia. The data collected from these participants included the
      following: number of teeth, occurrence of oral dryness, age, body mass index,
      serum albumin concentration, smoking, drinking and exercise habits, presence of
      diseases, such as diabetes mellitus and hypertension, and questions from the Mini
      Mental State Examination. RESULTS: Dysphagia was observed in 33 males (17.8%) and
      76 females (21.9%). To explore the effect of the potential risk factors on the
      prevalence of dysphagia, a model was built by multivariate logistic regression
      analysis. Using the forced entry method, oral dryness (odds ratio [OR] =3.683 and
      P=0.003 in males; OR =1.797 and P=0.032 in females) and the number of teeth (OR
      =0.946 and P=0.038 in males) were found to be significantly related to dysphagia.
      CONCLUSION: This cross-sectional study demonstrated associations between oral
      conditions and dysphagia. Factors such as oral dryness and number of teeth may
      contribute to dysphagia more so than aging, lifestyle and comorbidity in
      community-dwelling adults over the age of 50.

PMID- 28352166
TI  - Erratum: Health behaviors and their correlates among participants in the
      Continuing to Confront COPD International Patient Survey [Corrigendum].
AB  - [This corrects the article on p. 881 in vol. 11, PMID: 27217741.].

PMID- 28352165
TI  - Correlation between thoracolumbar curvatures and respiratory function in older
      adults.
AB  - Aging is associated with alterations in thoracolumbar curvatures and respiratory
      function. Research information regarding the correlation between thoracolumbar
      curvatures and a comprehensive examination of respiratory function parameters in
      older adults is limited. The aim of the present study was to examine the
      correlation between thoracolumbar curvatures and respiratory function in
      community-dwelling older adults. Thoracolumbar curvatures (thoracic and lumbar)
      were measured using a motion tracker. Respiratory function parameters such as
      lung function, respiratory rate, respiratory muscle strength and respiratory
      muscle thickness (diaphragm and intercostal) were measured using a spirometer,
      triaxial accelerometer, respiratory pressure meter and ultrasound imaging,
      respectively. Sixty-eight community-dwelling older males and females from Kuala
      Lumpur, Malaysia, with mean (standard deviation) age of 66.63 (5.16) years
      participated in this cross-sectional study. The results showed that mean
      (standard deviation) thoracic curvature angle and lumbar curvature angles were 
      46.30 degrees  (14.66 degrees ) and 14.10 degrees  (10.58 degrees ),
      respectively. There was a significant negative correlation between thoracic
      curvature angle and lung function (forced expiratory volume in 1 second: r=-0.23,
      P<0.05; forced vital capacity: r=-0.32, P<0.05), quiet expiration intercostal
      thickness (r=-0.22, P<0.05) and deep expiration diaphragm muscle thickness (r=
      0.21, P<0.05). The lumbar curvature angle had a significant negative correlation
      with respiratory muscle strength (r=-0.29, P<0.05) and diaphragm muscle thickness
      at deep inspiration (r=-0.22, P<0.05). However, respiratory rate was correlated
      neither with thoracic nor with lumbar curvatures. The findings of this study
      suggest that increase in both thoracic and lumbar curvatures is correlated with
      decrease in respiratory muscle strength, respiratory muscle thickness and some
      parameters of lung function. Clinically, both thoracic and lumbar curvatures,
      respiratory muscles and lung function should be taken into consideration in the
      holistic management of respiratory function among older adults.

PMID- 28352167
TI  - Changes in the number of CD31-CD45-Sca-1+ cells and Shh signaling pathway
      involvement in the lungs of mice with emphysema and relevant effects of acute
      adenovirus infection.
AB  - BACKGROUND: COPD is a leading cause of mortality worldwide, and cigarette smoke
      is a pivotal risk factor. Adenovirus is a common cause of acute exacerbations of
      COPD and expedites COPD progression. Lung stem/progenitor cells play an important
      role in the development of COPD, while the relevant mechanism remains elusive.
      Here, we investigated the number of lung CD31-CD45-Sca-1+ cells and sonic
      hedgehog (Shh) signaling pathway expression levels in cigarette smoke extract
      (CSE)-induced emphysema mice, as well as the relevant effects of acute adenovirus
      infection (AAI). MATERIALS AND METHODS: BALB/c mice were treated with CSE by
      intraperitoneal injection and/or adenovirus endotracheal instillation at
      different time points for 28 days. Lung function, lung histomorphology, CD31-CD45
      Sca-1+ cell count, and expression levels of major components in the Shh signaling
      pathway in the lungs were measured. RESULTS: CSE intraperitoneal injection and
      adenovirus endotracheal instillation successfully induced emphysema and AAI in
      mice, respectively. In the lungs of emphysema mice, both the number of CD31-CD45
      Sca-1+ cells and expression levels of Shh signaling pathway molecules were
      reduced. However, AAI increased the number of inhibited CD31-CD45-Sca-1+ cells
      and activated the suppression of the Shh signaling pathway. CONCLUSION: Both CD31
      CD45-Sca-1+ cell numbers and Shh signaling pathway expression levels were
      downregulated in the lungs of emphysema mice induced by CSE intraperitoneal
      injection, which likely contributes to the pathogenesis of emphysema.
      Additionally, these inhibited lung CD31-CD45-Sca-1+ cells and Shh signaling
      pathway molecules were upregulated during AAI, indicating that they play a
      protective role in the epithelial repair process after AAI injury.

PMID- 28352168
TI  - Positive correlation of airway resistance and serum asymmetric dimethylarginine
      level in COPD patients with systemic markers of low-grade inflammation.
AB  - The major feature of COPD is a progressive airflow limitation caused by chronic
      airway inflammation and consequent airway remodeling. Modified arginase and
      nitric oxide synthase (NOS) pathways are presumed to contribute to the
      inflammation and fibrosis. Asymmetric dimethylarginine (ADMA) may shunt L
      arginine from the NOS pathway to the arginase one by uncoupling and competitive
      inhibition of NOS and by enhancing arginase activity. To attest the interplay of
      these pathways, the relationship between ADMA and airflow limitation, described
      by airway resistance (Raw), was investigated in a cohort of COPD patients. Every
      COPD patient willing to give consent to participate (n=74) was included. Case
      history, laboratory parameters, serum arginine and ADMA, pulmonary function
      (whole-body plethysmography), and disease-specific quality of life (St George's
      Respiratory Questionnaire) were determined. Multiple linear regression was used
      to identify independent determinants of Raw. The final multiple model was
      stratified based on symptom control. The log Raw showed significant positive
      correlation with log ADMA in the whole sample (Pearson's correlation coefficient:
      0.25, P=0.03). This association remained significant after adjusting for
      confounders in the whole data set (beta: 0.42; confidence interval [CI]: 0.06,
      0.77; P=0.022) and in the worse-controlled stratum (beta: 0.84; CI: 0.25, 1.43;
      P=0.007). Percent predicted value of forced expiratory flow between 25% and 75%
      of forced vital capacity showed that significant negative, elevated C-reactive
      protein exhibited significant positive relationship with Raw in the final model.
      Positive correlation of Raw with ADMA in COPD patients showing evidence of a
      systemic low-grade inflammation implies that ADMA contributes to the progression
      of COPD, probably by shunting L-arginine from the NOS pathway to the arginase
      one.

PMID- 28352169
TI  - Evidence of eosinophil extracellular trap cell death in COPD: does it represent
      the trigger that switches on the disease?
AB  - In spite of the numerous studies on chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD),
      the cellular and molecular basis of the disease's development remain unclear.
      Neutrophils and eosinophils are known to be key players in COPD. Recently,
      neutrophil extracellular trap cell death (NETosis), a mechanism due to
      decondensation and extrusion of chromatin to form extracellular traps, has been
      demonstrated in COPD. However, there is limited knowledge about eosinophil
      extracellular trap cell death (EETosis) and its role in the pathogenesis of COPD.
      The aim of this study was to evaluate EETosis in stable COPD. Induced sputum
      obtained from healthy smokers and low exacerbation risk COPD A or B group
      patients or high exacerbation risk COPD C or D group patients were included.
      Samples were examined using electron microscopy and immunofluorescence. Healthy
      smokers (n=10) and COPD A (n=19) group exhibited neutrophilic or
      paucigranulocytic phenotypes, with NETosis being absent in these patients. In
      contrast, COPD B (n=29), with eosinophilic or mixed phenotypes, showed EETosis
      and incipient NETosis. COPD C (n=18) and COPD D groups (n=13) were differentiated
      from low exacerbation rate-COPD group by the abundant cellular debris, with COPD
      C group having an eosinophilic pattern and numerous cells undergoing EETosis. A
      hallmark of this group was the abundant released membranes that often appeared
      phagocytosed by neutrophils, which coincidentally exhibited early NETosis
      changes. The COPD D group included patients with a neutrophilic or mixed pattern,
      with abundant neutrophil extracellular trap-derived material. This study is the
      first to demonstrate EETosis at different stages of stable COPD. The results
      suggest a role for eosinophils in COPD pathophysiology, especially at the
      beginning and during the persistence of the disease, regardless of whether the
      patient quit smoking, with EETosis debris probably triggering uncontrolled
      NETosis. The main target of these findings should be young smokers with the
      potential to develop COPD.

PMID- 28352170
TI  - Clinical application value of impulse oscillometry in geriatric patients with
      COPD.
AB  - BACKGROUND: The diagnosis and assessment of COPD rely mainly on the use of
      spirometry, which is an effort-dependent test and requires good patient
      cooperation. Impulse oscillometry (IOS) is a non-volitional method that requires
      less effort and cooperation and presents advantages for geriatric patients.
      However, the clinical application value of IOS in geriatric patients with COPD
      remains unclear. AIM: The aim of this study was to investigate the clinical
      application value of IOS in geriatric patients with COPD. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: A
      total of 234 subjects were retrospectively enrolled in this study, including 133
      patients with COPD and 101 healthy volunteers. All the participants underwent IOS
      and spirometry examination. The data were collected and analyzed in the overall
      group, the geriatric group (aged >=65 years), and the advanced elderly group
      (aged >=80 years). RESULTS: 1) In COPD patients, a significant increase in
      respiratory impedance (Z5), resonant frequency (Fres), and respiratory resistance
      (R5, R20, R5-R20) and a decrease in respiratory reactance (X5) were observed in
      the overall group, the geriatric group, and the advanced elderly group compared
      with the healthy control subjects. 2) The IOS parameters correlated well with
      spirometry in COPD. In particular, R5-R20 showed the best correlation with forced
      expiratory volume in 1 second (FEV1) in the different age groups. 3) Fres and R5
      R20 had the best diagnostic efficiency for COPD. The area under the curve (AUC)
      values for Fres, expressed by the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve,
      were 0.905, 0.909, and 0.914, for the different age groups, respectively. 4) The
      optimal cutoff values for Fres to diagnose airflow obstruction from ROC curves
      was 17.715 in the COPD patients. Its sensitivity and specificity were 0.789 and
      0.931, respectively, and the cutoff values were similar in geriatric and advanced
      elderly patients. CONCLUSION: IOS demonstrated good relevance compared with
      spirometry for geriatric patients with COPD. IOS may serve as an alternative
      method for spirometry in elderly subjects for the evaluation of the state of
      COPD.

PMID- 28352171
TI  - The influence of surface charge on serum protein interaction and cellular uptake:
      studies with dendritic polyglycerols and dendritic polyglycerol-coated gold
      nanoparticles.
AB  - Nanoparticles (NPs) have gained huge interest in the medical field, in particular
      for drug delivery purposes. However, binding of proteins often leads to fast NP
      uptake and rapid clearance, thereby hampering medical applications. Thus, it is
      essential to determine and control the bio-nano interface. This study
      investigated the serum protein interactions of dendritic polyglycerols (dPGs),
      which are promising drug delivery candidates by means of two dimensional gel
      electrophoresis (2DE) in combination with mass spectrometry. In order to
      investigate the influence of surface charge, sulfated (sulfated dendritic
      polyglycerol [dPGS]) and non-sulfated (dPGOH) surfaces were applied, which were
      synthesized on a gold core allowing for easier separation from unbound
      biomolecules through centrifugation. Furthermore, two different sizes for dPGS
      were included. Although size had only a minor influence, considerable differences
      were detected in protein affinity for dPGS versus dPGOH surfaces, with dPGOH
      binding much less proteins. Cellular uptake into human CD14+ monocytes was
      analyzed by flow cytometry, and dPGOH was taken up to a much lower extent
      compared to dPGS. By using a pull-down approach, possible cellular interaction
      partners of serum pre-incubated dPGS-Au20 NPs from the membrane fraction of THP-1
      cells could be identified such as for instance the transferrin receptor or an
      integrin. Clathrin-mediated endocytosis was further investigated using
      chlorpromazine as an inhibitor, which resulted in a 50% decrease of the cellular
      uptake of dPGS. This study could confirm the influence of surface charge on
      protein interactions and cellular uptake of dPGS. Furthermore, the approach
      allowed for the identification of possible uptake receptors and insights into the
      uptake mechanism.

PMID- 28352172
TI  - Cellulose nanofiber aerogel as a promising biomaterial for customized oral drug
      delivery.
AB  - Cellulose nanofiber (CNF) aerogels with favorable floatability and mucoadhesive
      properties prepared by the freeze-drying method have been introduced as new
      possible carriers for oral controlled drug delivery system. Bendamustine
      hydrochloride is considered as the model drug. Drug loading was carried out by
      the physical adsorption method, and optimization of drug-loaded formulation was
      done using central composite design. A very lightweight-aerogel-with-matrix
      system was produced with drug loading of 18.98%+/-1.57%. The produced aerogel was
      characterized for morphology, tensile strength, swelling tendency in media with
      different pH values, floating behavior, mucoadhesive detachment force and drug
      release profiles under different pH conditions. The results showed that the type
      of matrix was porous and woven with excellent mechanical properties. The drug
      release was assessed by dialysis, which was fitted with suitable mathematical
      models. Approximately 69.205%+/-2.5% of the drug was released in 24 hours in
      medium of pH 1.2, whereas ~78%+/-2.28% of drug was released in medium of pH 7.4,
      with floating behavior for ~7.5 hours. The results of in vivo study showed a 3.25
      fold increase in bioavailability. Thus, we concluded that CNF aerogels offer a
      great possibility for a gastroretentive drug delivery system with improved
      bioavailability.

PMID- 28352173
TI  - Lipid-coated iron oxide nanoparticles for dual-modal imaging of hepatocellular
      carcinoma.
AB  - The development of noninvasive imaging techniques for the accurate diagnosis of
      progressive hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is of great clinical significance and
      has always been desired. Herein, a hepatocellular carcinoma cell-targeting
      fluorescent magnetic nanoparticle (NP) was obtained by conjugating near-infrared
      fluorescence to the surface of Fe3O4 (NIRF-Fe3O4) NPs, followed by coating the
      lipids consisting of tumoral hepatocytes-targeting polymer (Gal-P123). This
      magnetic NP (GPC@NIRF-Fe3O4) with superparamagnetic behavior showed high
      stability and safety in physiological conditions. In addition, GPC@NIRF-Fe3O4
      achieved more specific uptake of human liver cancer cells than free Fe3O4 NPs.
      Importantly, with superpara-magnetic iron oxide and strong NIR absorbance,
      GPC@NIRF-Fe3O4 NPs demonstrate prominent tumor-contrasted imaging performance
      both on fluorescent and T2-weighted magnetic resonance (MR) imaging modalities in
      a living body. The relative MR signal enhancement of GPC@NIRF-Fe3O4 NPs achieved
      5.4-fold improvement compared with NIR-Fe3O4 NPs. Therefore, GPC@ NIRF-Fe3O4 NPs
      may be potentially used as a candidate for dual-modal imaging of tumors with
      information covalidated and directly compared by combining fluorescence and MR
      imaging.

PMID- 28352174
TI  - Octanoyl galactose ester-modified microemulsion system self-assembled by coix
      seed components to enhance tumor targeting and hepatoma therapy.
AB  - A nanosized drug delivery platform with a combination of rational components and
      tumor targeting is significant for enhancement of anticancer therapy and
      reduction of side effects. In this study, we developed a octanoyl galactose ester
      modified microemulsion system self-assembled by coix seed components (Gal(oct)-C
      MEs), which improved the tumor accumulation through asialoglycoprotein receptor
      mediated endocytosis and promoted the antitumor efficacy through multicomponent
      mediated synergistic effect. Octanoyl galactose ester (Gal(oct)) with a yield of
      82.3% was synthesized through a green enzymatic reaction and multidimensional
      characterization. Gal(oct)-C-MEs with a spherical shape had a small and uniform
      particle size (58.49+/-1.03 nm), narrow polydispersity index (0.09+/-0.01) and
      neutral surface charge (-5.82+/-0.57 mV). In the cellular uptake studies, the
      internalized Gal(oct)-C-ME was 2.28-fold higher relative to that of coix seed
      component-based microemulsions (C-MEs). The half-maximal inhibitory concentration
      of Gal(oct)-C-MEs against HepG2 cells was 46.5+/-2.4 MUg/mL, which was notably
      higher than that of C-MEs. Importantly, the intratumor fluorescence of HepG2
      xenograft-bearing nude mice treated with Cy5/Gal(oct)-C-MEs was 1.9-fold higher
      relative to treatment with Cy5/C-MEs. In the study of antitumor efficacy in vivo,
      HepG2 xenograft-bearing nude mice intragastrically administered Gal(oct)-C-MEs
      for 14 days exhibited the strongest inhibition of tumor growth and the lowest
      toxicity against liver and kidney among all the treatments. In summary, Gal(oct)
      C-ME, as a highly effective and safe anticancer drug delivery system, showed
      promising potential for hepatoma therapy.

PMID- 28352175
TI  - Factors influencing transfection efficiency of pIDUA/nanoemulsion complexes in a
      mucopolysaccharidosis type I murine model.
AB  - Mucopolysaccharidosis type I (MPS I) is an autosomal disease caused by alpha-l
      iduronidase (IDUA) deficiency. This study used IDUA knockout mice as a model to
      evaluate whether parameters such as dose of plasmid and time of treatment could
      influence the transfection efficiency of complexes formed with PEGylated cationic
      nanoemulsions and plasmid (pIDUA), which contains the gene that encodes for IDUA.
      Formulations were composed of medium chain triglycerides, 1,2-dioleoyl-sn-glycero
      3-phosphoethanolamine, 1,2-distearoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphoethanolamine-N
      (amino[polyethylene glycol]-2000), 1,2-dioleoyl-sn-glycero-3-trimethylammonium
      propane (DOTAP), glycerol, and water and were prepared by the adsorption or
      encapsulation of preformed pIDUA-DOTAP complexes by high-pressure homogenization.
      A progressive increase in IDUA expression was observed with an increase in the
      dose and time of transfection for mice treated with both complexes (adsorbed and
      encapsulated), especially in the liver. Regardless of the complex administered, a
      significant increase in IDUA activity was detected in lungs and liver compared
      with nontreated MPS I when a dose of 60 MUg was administered and IDUA activity
      was measured 7 days postadministration. Tissue sections of major organs showed no
      presence of cell necrosis, inflammatory infiltrate, or an increase in apoptosis.
      Furthermore, immunohistochemistry for CD68 showed no difference in the number of
      macrophage cells in treated and nontreated animals, indicating the absence of
      inflammatory reaction caused by the treatment. The data set obtained in this
      study allowed establishing that factors such as dose and time can influence
      transfection efficiency in different degrees and that these complexes did not
      lead to any lethal effect in the MPS I murine model used.

PMID- 28352176
TI  - Hesperetin-loaded lipid-core nanocapsules in polyamide: a new textile formulation
      for topical drug delivery.
AB  - Chronic venous insufficiency is characterized by chronic reflux disorder of blood
      from the peripheral to the central vein, with subsequent venous hypertension and
      resulting changes in the skin. Traditionally, nonsurgical treatments relied on
      the use of compression therapy, and more recently a variety of flavonoids have
      been shown to have positive effects. There have also been developments of more
      effective drug delivery systems using various textiles and nanotechnology to
      provide new therapeutic options. Our objective was to use nanotechnology to
      develop a new formulation containing hesperetin (Hst), a substance not previously
      used in the treatment of chronic venous insufficiency, impregnated into textile
      fibers as a possible alternative treatment of venous diseases. We prepared the
      nanocapsules using the interfacial deposition of preformed polymer method with an
      Hst concentration of 0.5 mg/mL and then characterized the size and distribution
      of particles. To quantify the Hst in the samples, we developed an analytical
      method using high-performance liquid chromatography. Studies of encapsulation
      efficiency (98.81%+/-0.28%), microscopy, drug release (free-Hst: 104.96%+/
      12.83%; lipid-core nanocapsule-Hst: 69.90%+/-1.33%), penetration/permeation, drug
      content (0.46+/-0.01 mg/mL) and the effect of washing the textile after drug
      impregnation were performed as part of the study. The results showed that
      nanoparticles of a suitable size and distribution with controlled release of the
      drug and penetration/permeation into the skin layers were achieved. Furthermore,
      it was established that polyamide was able to hold more of the drug, with a 2.54
      times higher content than the cotton fiber; after one wash and after five washes,
      this relation was 2.80 times higher. In conclusion, this is a promising
      therapeutic alternative to be further studied in clinical trials.

PMID- 28352177
TI  - Lipase degradation of plasticized polyvinyl chloride endotracheal tube surfaces
      to create nanoscale features.
AB  - Polyvinyl chloride (PVC) endotracheal tubes (ETTs) nanoetched with a fungal
      lipase have been shown to reduce bacterial growth and biofilm formation and could
      be an inexpensive solution to the complex problem of ventilator-associated
      pneumonia (VAP). Although bacterial growth and colonization on these nanoetched
      materials have been well characterized, little is known about the mechanism by
      which the fungal lipase degrades the PVC and, thus, alters its properties to
      minimize bacteria functions. This study used X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy
      (XPS) and attenuated total reflectance Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy
      (ATR-FTIR) to better describe the surface chemistry of both unetched and lipase
      nanoetched PVC ETT. ATR-FTIR analysis of the unetched and treated surfaces showed
      a similar presence of a plasticizer. This was confirmed by XPS analysis, which
      showed an increase of carbon and the presence of oxygen on both unetched and
      nanoetched surfaces. A quantitative comparison of the FTIR spectra revealed
      significant correlations (Pearson's correlation, R=0.997 [R2=0.994, P<0.001])
      between the unetched and nanomodified PVC ETT spectra, demonstrating similar
      surface chemistry. This analysis showed no shifting or widening of the bands in
      the spectra and no significant changes in the intensity of the infrared peaks due
      to the degradation of the plasticizer by the fungal lipase. In contrast, results
      from this study did demonstrate significantly increased nanoscale surface
      features on the lipase etched compared to non-etched PVC ETTs. This led to a
      change in surface energetics, which altered ion adsorption to the ETTs. Thus,
      these results showed that PVC surfaces nanoetched with a 0.1% lipase solution for
      48 hours have no significant change on surface chemistry but do significantly
      increase nanoscale surface roughness and alters ion adsorption, which suggests
      that the unique properties of these materials, including their previously
      reported ability to decrease bacterial adhesion and growth, are due to the
      changes in the degree of the nanoscale roughness, not changes in their surface
      chemistry.

PMID- 28352178
TI  - Attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder in elementary school students in
      Shantou, China: prevalence, subtypes, and influencing factors.
AB  - Attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a frequent childhood-onset
      psychiatric condition and categorized into three subtypes of predominantly
      inattentive (ADHD-I), hyperactive impulsive (ADHD-H), and combined (ADHD-C). The
      prevalence and subtypes of ADHD vary considerably. The primary aim of this study
      was to provide a prevalence estimate of ADHD in elementary school students living
      in Shantou, a district of China, and in addition to examine the influence of
      informants, age, and gender on the prevalence. A total of 3,497 students aged 7
      12 years were enrolled by random and stratified sampling. In stage I, teachers
      and parents of all participating students in randomly selected schools were asked
      to complete Chinese versions of the Conners' 10-item scale. In stage II, students
      with high scores (>15) were interviewed by a psychiatrist for a diagnosis with or
      without ADHD. Parents rated many more students with high scores than teachers did
      in stage I. The prevalence of ADHD determined by Diagnostic and Statistical
      Manual of Mental Disorders, fifth edition (DSM-5) was 5.91% (5.27%-6.55%), which
      is comparable to the rates reported in previous studies with Chinese children.
      This hits the low border of the ADHD prevalence range from 5.9 to 7.1% worldwide,
      and is lower than that of Chinese children living in Hong Kong, suggesting an
      important influence of Chinese culture on the diagnosis of ADHD. The constituent
      ratios of ADHD-I, ADHD-C, and ADHD-H subtypes were 67.43, 24.57, and 8.00%,
      respectively. The rate of ADHD-H decreased with age, whereas that of ADHD-I
      remained at the highest levels in all age groups, suggesting that symptoms in the
      inattention domain are the most persistent and refractory.

PMID- 28352179
TI  - Validation and cultural adaptation of the Arabic versions of the Mini-Mental
      Status Examination - 2 and Mini-Cog test.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: The elderly population is increasing around the world, and the
      prevalence of dementia increases with age. Hence, it is expected that the number
      of people with dementia will increase significantly in the coming years. The Mini
      Mental Status Examination - 2 (MMSE-2) and Mini-Cog are widely used tests to
      screen for dementia. These scales have good reliability and validity and are easy
      to administer in clinical and research settings. AIM: The purpose of this study
      was to validate the Arabic versions of MMSE-2 and Mini-Cog. These scales were
      assessed against the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders,
      Fourth Edition, Text Revision (DSM-IV-TR) criteria for dementia, as the gold
      standard. METHODS: The standard versions of the MMSE-2 and Mini-Cog were
      translated to Arabic following the back-translation method. Then, a trained rater
      administered these tests to 134 Arab elderly aged >60 years. A physician, blind
      to the results of these two tests, assessed the participants for vascular
      dementia or probable Alzheimer's disease, based on the DSM-IV-TR criteria.
      RESULTS: The sample included 67.2% Qataris. The mean age was 74.86 years
      (standard deviation =7.71), and 61.9% did not attend school. The mean of the
      adjusted scores of MMSE-2 based on age and education level was 19.60 (standard
      deviation =6.58). According to DSM-IV-TR, 17.2% of the participants had dementia.
      Sensitivity and specificity of the MMSE-2 and the Mini-Cog together were 71.4%
      and 61.6%, respectively, which were better than those of each test alone.
      CONCLUSION: Together, the Arabic versions of MMSE-2 and Mini-Cog are good
      screening tools for cognitive impairment in Arabs.

PMID- 28352180
TI  - Daily activity level improvement with antidepressant medications predicts long
      term clinical outcomes in outpatients with major depressive disorder.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Major depressive disorder (MDD) significantly impacts performance of
      both work- and nonwork-related routine daily activities. We have shown that work
      productivity is significantly impaired in employed MDD patients, but the extent
      of impairments in nonwork-related routine activities and its association with
      antidepressant treatment outcomes has not been established. MATERIALS AND
      METHODS: Activity impairment was measured using the sixth item of Work
      Productivity and Activity Impairment Scale in the Combining Medications to
      Enhance Depression Outcomes (CO-MED) trial (n=665). Published norms were used to
      define activity impairment levels. The relationship between activity impairment
      and baseline sociodemographic and clinical characteristics was evaluated along
      with changes in activity impairment and its relationship with other clinical
      outcomes such as symptom severity, function, and side effect burden. Remission
      status at 3 and 7 months was predicted based on week 6 activity impairment level.
      RESULTS: Higher psychosocial and cognitive impairments and greater number of
      comorbid medical conditions were associated with greater activity impairment at
      baseline. Proportion of participants with severe activity impairment declined
      from 47.6% at baseline to 18.7% at 3 months, while mean activity impairment
      decreased from 57.1 at baseline to 32.8 at 3 months. During course of treatment,
      levels of activity impairment correlated most strongly with psychosocial function
      among measures of symptom severity, function, quality of life, and side effect
      burden. No or minimal activity impairment at week 6 was associated with two to
      three times higher rates of remission at 3 and 7 months as compared to moderate
      or severe activity impairment levels even after controlling for remission status
      at week 6 and select baseline variables. CONCLUSION: Depressed patients have high
      levels of nonwork-related activity impairment at baseline that improves
      significantly with treatment and independently predicts long-term clinical
      outcomes. Brief systematic assessment of activity impairment during the course of
      antidepressant treatment can help inform clinical decision-making.

PMID- 28352182
TI  - Role of IL-17 in plaque psoriasis: therapeutic potential of ixekizumab.
AB  - Developments in the understanding of the immunopathogenesis of psoriasis have
      identified interleukin (IL)-17 as the key proinflammatory cytokine in the
      pathogenesis of plaque psoriasis, with the consequent development of drugs that
      target this cytokine or associated receptors. Ixekizumab is a subcutaneously
      administered humanized monoclonal antibody, which acts to neutralize IL-17A. This
      article reviews the role of IL-17 in the pathogenesis of psoriasis, the
      biological and pharmacokinetics of ixekizumab and the safety profile and the
      clinical efficacy of ixekizumab in Phase III clinical trials. Phase III clinical
      trials of ixekizumab have so far demonstrated excellent early clinical efficacy,
      with a comparable safety profile to the existing biologic therapies for
      psoriasis. To further assess its position in the treatment algorithm for
      psoriasis, a further head to head RCT with secukinumab could be established,
      alongside comparative effectiveness studies from observational research. In
      addition, trials are needed to assess its role in those with tumor necrosis
      factor inhibitors/ustekinumab resistant disease. However, it is clear that the IL
      17 antagonists have changed the benchmark for clinical efficacy, and it is likely
      that ixekizumab along with the other IL-17 antagonists are set to achieve a new
      standard of care in the treatment of moderate to severe plaque psoriasis.

PMID- 28352183
TI  - Clinical characteristics of zinc phosphide poisoning in Thailand.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: The objectives of this study were to describe the clinical
      characteristics and outcomes of poisoning by zinc phosphide, a common rodenticide
      in Thailand, and to evaluate whether these outcomes can be prognosticated by the
      clinical presentation. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A 3-year retrospective cohort study
      was performed using data from the Ramathibodi Poison Center Toxic Exposure
      Surveillance System. RESULTS: In total, 455 poisonings were identified. Most were
      males (60.5%) and from the central region of Thailand (71.0%). The mean age was
      39.91+/-19.15 years. The most common route of exposure was oral (99.3%). Most
      patients showed normal vital signs, oxygen saturation, and consciousness at the
      first presentation. The three most common clinical presentations were
      gastrointestinal (GI; 68.8%), cardiovascular (22.0%), and respiratory (13.8%)
      signs and symptoms. Most patients had normal blood chemistry laboratory results
      and chest X-ray findings at presentation. The median hospital stay was 2 days,
      and the mortality rate was 7%. Approximately 70% of patients underwent GI
      decontamination, including gastric lavage and a single dose of activated
      charcoal. In all, 31 patients were intubated and required ventilator support.
      Inotropic drugs were given to 4.2% of patients. Four moribund patients also
      received hyperinsulinemia-euglycemia therapy and intravenous hydrocortisone;
      however, all died. Patients who survived and died showed significant differences
      in age, duration from taking zinc phosphide to hospital presentation, abnormal
      vital signs at presentation (tachycardia, low blood pressure, and tachypnea),
      acidosis, hypernatremia, hyperkalemia, in-hospital acute kidney injury, in
      hospital hypoglycemia, endotracheal tube intubation, and inotropic requirement
      during hospitalization (P<0.05). CONCLUSION: Zinc phosphide poisoning causes
      fatalities. Most patients have mild symptoms, and GI symptoms are the most
      common. Patients who present with abnormal vital signs or electrolytes might have
      more severe poisoning and should be closely monitored and aggressively treated.
      All patients should be observed in the hospital for 2 days and followed up for
      cardiovascular and respiratory symptoms, electrolyte balances, kidney function,
      and blood glucose.

PMID- 28352184
TI  - Aerobic fitness is associated with low cardiovascular disease risk: the impact of
      lifestyle on early risk factors for atherosclerosis in young healthy Swedish
      individuals - the Lifestyle, Biomarker, and Atherosclerosis study.
AB  - BACKGROUND: The progression of cardiovascular disease (CVD) and atherosclerosis
      is slow and develops over decades. In the cross-sectional Swedish Lifestyle,
      Biomarker, and Atherosclerosis study, 834 young, self-reported healthy adults
      aged 18.0-25.9 years have been studied to identify early risk factors for
      atherosclerosis. PURPOSE: The aims of this study were to 1) assess selected
      cardiometabolic biomarkers, carotid intima-media thickness (cIMT) as a marker of
      subclinical atherosclerosis, and lifestyle-related indicators (food habits,
      handgrip strength, and oxygen uptake, VO2 max); 2) analyze the associations
      between cIMT and lifestyle factors; and 3) identify subjects at risk of CVD using
      a risk score and to compare the characteristics of subjects with and without risk
      of CVD. METHOD: Blood samples were taken in a fasting state, and food habits were
      reported through a questionnaire. cIMT was measured by ultrasound, and VO2 max
      was measured by ergometer bike test. The risk score was calculated according to
      Wildman. RESULT: cIMT (mean +/- standard deviation) was 0.50+/-0.06 mm, and VO2
      max values were 37.8+/-8.5 and 42.9+/-9.9 mL/kg/min, in women and men,
      respectively. No correlation was found between aerobic fitness expressed as VO2
      max (mL/kg/min) and cIMT. Using Wildman's definition, 12% of the subjects were
      classified as being at risk of CVD, and 15% had homeostasis model assessment of
      insulin resistance. A total of 35% of women and 25% of men had lower high-density
      lipoprotein cholesterol than recommended. Food habits did not differ between
      those at risk and those not at risk. However, aerobic fitness measured as VO2 max
      (mL/kg/min) differed; 47% of the subjects at risk had low aerobic fitness
      compared to 23% of the nonrisk subjects (P<0.001). CONCLUSION: High aerobic
      fitness is associated with low CVD risk in Swedish young adults. The high
      prevalence of young adults observed with unfavorable levels of high-density
      lipoprotein cholesterol and homeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance
      raises concerns about future CVD risk.

PMID- 28352185
TI  - Apatinib treatment combined with chemotherapy for advanced epithelial ovarian
      cancer: a case report.
AB  - Apatinib is a novel oral tyrosine kinase inhibitor targeting vascular endothelial
      growth factor receptor-2, which has been proved by clinical trials to be
      effective and safe for patients with chemotherapy-refractory gastric cancer. To
      date, there is no study or case report on apatinib treatment for patients with
      ovarian cancer. Here, we present the case of a 50-year-old Chinese woman with
      advanced ovarian cancer, who received apatinib at a daily dose of 500 mg for 28
      days per cycle after failure of fourth-line chemotherapy. Favorable oncologic
      outcome was achieved in this case after treatment with apatinib. The patient's
      progression-free survival is now 11.3 months, and she is taking apatinib and
      capecitabine as maintenance treatment. The common side effect of apatinib was
      fatigue; however, the toxicity of apatinib was controllable and tolerable. Thus,
      apatinib may be an option for chemotherapy-refractory advanced epithelial ovarian
      cancer, but this still warrants further investigation.

PMID- 28352181
TI  - Neuropsychiatric symptoms in untreated Parkinson's disease.
AB  - Neuropsychiatric and cognitive symptoms are common in Parkinson's disease (PD)
      and may precede and exceed motor symptoms as major factors impacting disease
      course and quality of life. Neuropsychiatric symptoms (NPS) in PD are various and
      are attributed to pathologic changes within multiple brain regions, to
      psychological stress, and to adverse effects of dopamine replacement therapy.
      Sleep disorders and mood symptoms such as apathy, depression, and anxiety may
      antedate the development of motor symptoms by years, while other NPS such as
      impulse control disorders, psychosis, and cognitive impairment are more common in
      later stages of the disease. Few studies report on NPS in the early, untreated
      phase of PD. We reviewed the current literature on NPS in PD with a focus on the
      early, drug-naive stages of PD. Among these early disease stages, premotor and
      early motor phases were separately addressed in our review, highlighting the
      underlying pathophysiological mechanisms as well as epidemiological
      characteristics, clinical features, risk factors, and available techniques of
      clinical assessment.

PMID- 28352186
TI  - Tyrosine kinase domain mutations of EGFR gene in head and neck squamous cell
      carcinoma.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) is a commonly altered gene
      that is identified in various cancers, including head and neck squamous cell
      carcinoma (HNSCC). Therefore, EGFR is a promising molecular marker targeted by
      monoclonal antibodies and small molecule inhibitors targeting the tyrosine kinase
      (TK) domain. OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study was to investigate the
      spectrum of mutations in exons 18, 19, 20, and 21 of the EGFR gene in HNSCC
      patients. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This retrospective study included 47 confirmed
      HNSCC cases. Mutations in the TK domain, exons 18, 19, 20, and 21 of the EGFR
      gene, were detected by Scorpion(r) chemistry and ARMS(r) technologies on Rotor
      Gene Q real-time polymerase chain reaction. RESULTS: The tumors exhibited EGFR-TK
      domain mutations in 57% of cases. Four cases of T790M mutations were reported for
      the first time among HNSCC patients. Out of the total mutations, L861Q (exon 21),
      exon 20 insertions and deletions of exon 19 accounted for the majority of
      mutations (21%, 19%, and 17%, respectively). EGFR mutation status was correlated
      with the higher grade (P=0.026) and advanced stage (P=0.034) of HNSCC tumors.
      CONCLUSION: Higher frequency of EGFR-TK domain mutations together with the
      presence of the T790M mutation suggests that identification of these mutations
      might streamline the therapy and provide a better prognosis in HNSCC cases.

PMID- 28352187
TI  - Risk of subsequent primary malignancies among patients with prior colorectal
      cancer: a population-based cohort study.
AB  - BACKGROUND: The site-distribution pattern and relative risk of subsequent primary
      malignancies (SPMs) in colorectal cancer (CRC) patients remains to be determined.
      MATERIALS AND METHODS: A population-based cohort of 288,390 CRC patients
      diagnosed between 1973 and 2012 from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End
      Results database was retrospectively reviewed. Standardized incidence ratios were
      calculated to estimate the relative risk for SPMs. RESULTS: The overall risk of
      SPMs increased in CRC patients (standardized incidence ratio 1.02) in the first 5
      years after CRC diagnosis compared with that in the general population, and was
      negatively related to age at diagnosis. Risk increased significantly for cancers
      of the small intestine, ureter, colorectum, renal pelvis, endocrine system, and
      stomach, and decreased significantly for cancers of the gallbladder, liver,
      myeloma, and brain, as well as lymphoma. Patients with different prior CRC
      subsites showed specific sites at high risk of SPM. Prior right-sided colon
      cancer was associated with cancers of the small intestine, ureter, renal pelvis,
      thyroid, stomach, pancreas, and breast and prior left-sided colon cancer
      associated with secondary CRC, whereas rectal cancer was associated with cancers
      of the vagina, urinary bladder, and lung. CONCLUSION: Risk of SPMs increases in
      CRC survivors, especially in the first 5 years after prior diagnosis. Intensive
      surveillance should be advocated among young patients, with specific attention to
      the small intestine, colorectum, renal pelvis, and ureter. The common sites at
      high risk of SPM originate from the embryonic endoderm. Genetic susceptibility
      may act as the main mechanism underlying the risk of multiple cancers.

PMID- 28352188
TI  - Knockdown of IQGAP1 inhibits proliferation and epithelial-mesenchymal transition
      by Wnt/beta-catenin pathway in thyroid cancer.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Thyroid cancer is the most common endocrine malignant disease with a
      high incidence rate. The expression of IQGAP1 is upregulated in various cancers,
      including thyroid cancer. However, the role and underlying mechanism of IQGAP1 in
      thyroid cancer are still not clear. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The expression of
      IQGAP1 in thyroid cancer tissues and cells was determined by reverse
      transcription polymerase chain reaction and Western blot analysis. Cells were
      transfected with different siRNAs using Lipofectamine 2000 or were treated with
      various concentrations of XAV939. The effects of IQGAP1 knockdown on
      proliferation and epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) of thyroid cancer cells
      were determined by MTT assay and Western blot analysis. Animal experiments were
      performed to investigate the effects of IQGAP1 knockdown on the growth of tumors
      in vivo. RESULTS: High IQGAP1 expression is found in thyroid cancer tissues and
      cells. Knockdown of IQGAP1 had inhibitory effects on cell proliferation and EMT,
      as well as on the Wnt/beta-catenin pathway. Additionally, inactivation of the
      Wnt/beta-catenin pathway by XAV939 or si-beta-catenin suppressed cell
      proliferation and EMT. Furthermore, suppression of the Wnt/beta-catenin pathway
      reversed the positive effects of pcDNA-IQGAP1 on cell proliferation and EMT in
      vitro. Moreover, downregulation of IQGAP1 suppressed tumor growth and EMT in
      SW579 tumor xenografts through the Wnt/beta-catenin pathway in vivo. CONCLUSION:
      Our study demonstrated that knockdown of IQGAP1 inhibited cell proliferation and
      EMT through blocking the Wnt/beta-catenin pathway in thyroid cancer.

PMID- 28352189
TI  - Mechanism of immune evasion in breast cancer.
AB  - Breast cancer (BC) is the most common malignant tumor among women, with high
      morbidity and mortality. Its onset, development, metastasis, and prognosis vary
      among individuals due to the interactions between tumors and host immunity. Many
      diverse mechanisms have been associated with BC, with immune evasion being the
      most widely studied to date. Tumor cells can escape from the body's immune
      response, which targets abnormal components and foreign bodies, using different
      approaches including modification of surface antigens and modulation of the
      surrounding environment. In this review, we summarize the mechanisms and factors
      that impact the immunoediting process and analyze their functions in detail.

PMID- 28352190
TI  - SDF1-3'A polymorphism is associated with increased risk of hematological
      malignancy: a meta-analysis.
AB  - CXCL12 (also named SDF1), a member of the chemokine family, has been demonstrated
      to play an important role in the progression of multiple types of hematological
      malignancy. Several recent studies have shown that SDF1-3'A polymorphism
      (rs1801157) is associated with susceptibility to hematological malignancy, but
      published studies' results are disputed. Therefore, we performed a meta-analysis
      to evaluate the relationship between SDF1-3'A polymorphism and the risk of
      hematological malignancy based on the existing literature. We carried out a
      comprehensive literature search using the Web of Science, PubMed, Cochrane
      Library, Chinese Wan Fang, and Chinese National Knowledge Infrastructure
      databases. And the raw data were extracted and calculated in standard steps of
      meta-analysis. Overall, nine qualified studies containing 1,576 cases and 1,674
      controls were included in the ultimate meta-analysis. The pooled results
      displayed that AA genotype significantly increased the risk of hematological
      malignancy. The result of subgroup analysis further indicated that SDF1-3'A
      polymorphism was significantly associated with increased risk of chronic myeloid
      leukemia, Hodgkin's lymphoma and multiple myeloma, but was not associated with
      increased risk of acute myeloid leukemia and non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. In addition,
      SDF1-3'A polymorphism was associated with increased risk of hematological
      malignancy in Africans and Asians, but not in Caucasians. In conclusion, our meta
      analysis firstly demonstrated that SDF1-3'A polymorphism may be associated with
      increased risk of hematological malignancy, especially for chronic myeloid
      leukemia, Hodgkin's lymphoma, multiple myeloma and the non-Caucasian population.
      Nevertheless, these conclusions should be reconfirmed by more evidence from large
      sample sized studies.

PMID- 28352192
TI  - TCF21 functions as a tumor suppressor in colorectal cancer through inactivation
      of PI3K/AKT signaling.
AB  - Colorectal cancer (CRC) has become a major public health problem, ranking as the
      third most common type of cancer. Our previous study has revealed that TCF21 is
      frequently silenced by promoter hypermethylation in both CRC cell lines and
      primary CRC, with TCF21 methylation being significantly correlated with lymph
      node invasion. In this study, we further analyze the expression of TCF21 in CRC
      tissues and investigate the role of TCF21 in CRC in vitro and in vivo. We also
      explore the possible pathway regulated by TCF21. We thus demonstrate that
      decreased levels of TCF21 are associated with the pathological stage, clinical
      stage and lymph node metastasis, indicating a poor prognosis in CRC patients;
      overexpression of TCF21 inhibits cell proliferation, migration and invasion in
      the colorectal cell lines HCT116 and HT29. Furthermore, TCF21 functions as a
      tumor suppressor probably through inactivation of PI3K/AKT signaling and
      inhibition of MMPs. Our results suggest that enhancement of TCF21 levels may be a
      potential strategy to facilitate the prevention and treatment of CRC in the
      clinic.

PMID- 28352193
TI  - CDKL1 promotes tumor proliferation and invasion in colorectal cancer.
AB  - BACKGROUND: CDKL1 is a member of the cell division cycle 2 (CDC2)-related serine
      threonine protein kinase family and is overexpressed in malignant tumors such as
      melanoma, breast cancer, and gastric cancer. OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to
      evaluate whether CDKL1 can serve as a potential molecular target for colorectal
      cancer therapy. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Expression of CDKL1 in colorectal cancer
      tissues and cell lines was measured by immunohistochemistry and Western blot,
      respectively. To investigate the role of CDKL1 in colorectal cancer, CDKL1-small
      hairpin RNA-expressing lentivirus was constructed and infected into HCT116 and
      Caco2 cells. The effects of RNA interference (RNAi)-mediated CDKL1 downregulation
      on cell proliferation and invasion were assessed by CCK-8, colony formation,
      transwell, and tumorigenicity assays in nude mice. The effects of CDKL1
      downregulation on cell cycle and apoptosis were analyzed by flow cytometry.
      Furthermore, microarray method and data analysis elucidated the molecular
      mechanisms underlying the phenomenon. RESULTS: CDKL1 protein was overexpressed in
      colorectal cancer tissues compared with paired normal tissues. Knockdown of CDKL1
      in HCT116 and Caco2 significantly inhibited cell growth, colony formation
      ability, tumor invasion, and G1-S phase transition of the cell cycle. The
      knockdown of CDKL1 stimulated the upregulation of p15 and retinoblastoma protein.
      CONCLUSION: CDKL1 plays a vital role in tumor proliferation and invasion in
      colorectal cancer in vitro and in vivo and, thus, may be considered as a valuable
      target for therapeutic intervention.

PMID- 28352191
TI  - Retinoic acid and arsenic trioxide in the treatment of acute promyelocytic
      leukemia: current perspectives.
AB  - Acute promyelocytic leukemia (APL) is a distinct subtype of acute myeloid
      leukemia (AML) with a unique morphological appearance, associated coagulopathy
      and canonical balanced translocation of genetic material between chromosomes 15
      and 17. APL was first described as a distinct subtype of AML in 1957 by Dr Leif
      Hillestad who recognized the pattern of an acute leukemia associated with
      fibrinolysis, hypofibrinogenemia and catastrophic hemorrhage. In the intervening
      years, the characteristic morphology of APL has been described fully with both
      classical hypergranular and variant microgranular forms. Both are characterized
      by a balanced translocation between the long arms of chromosomes 15 and 17,
      [t(15;17)(q24;q21)], giving rise to a unique fusion gene PML-RARA and an abnormal
      chimeric transcription factor (PML-RARA), which disrupts normal myeloid
      differentiation programs. The success of current treatments for APL is in marked
      contrast to the vast majority of patients with non-promyelocytic AML. The overall
      prognosis in non-promyelocytic AML is poor, and although there has been an
      improvement in overall survival in patients aged <60 years, only 30%-40% of
      younger patients are still alive 5 years after diagnosis. APL therapy has
      diverged from standard AML therapy through the empirical discovery of two agents
      that directly target the molecular basis of the disease. The evolution of
      treatment over the last 4 decades to include all-trans retinoic acid and arsenic
      trioxide, with chemotherapy limited to patients with high-risk disease, has led
      to complete remission in 90%-100% of patients in trials and rates of overall
      survival between 86% and 97%.

PMID- 28352194
TI  - MicroRNA-145 inhibits the activation of the mTOR signaling pathway to suppress
      the proliferation and invasion of invasive pituitary adenoma cells by targeting
      AKT3 in vivo and in vitro.
AB  - PURPOSE: This study was designed to explore how miR-145 regulates the mTOR
      signaling pathway in invasive pituitary adenoma (IPA) by targeting AKT3. METHODS:
      A total of 71 cases of IPA tissues and 66 cases of non-IPA tissues were obtained
      in this study. In vitro, the IPA cells were assigned into blank control, empty
      plasmid, miR-145 mimic, miR-145 inhibitor, miR-145 mimic + rapamycin, miR-145
      inhibitor + rapamycin and rapamycin groups. Quantitative real-time polymerase
      chain reaction (qRT-PCR) and Western blotting were performed to detect the
      protein expressions of PI3K, AKT3, mTOR mRNA and the mRNA expression of miR-145
      both in vivo and in vitro. Additionally, the S6K and RPS6 mRNA and protein
      expressions as well as the relative phosphorylation levels were determined in
      vitro. MTT assay, flow cytometry and transwell assay were used to testify the
      cell proliferation, apoptosis and invasion ability, respectively. RESULTS: The
      IPA tissues exhibited significantly lower expression of miR-145 but higher PI3K,
      AKT3 and mTOR mRNA and protein expressions when compared with the non-IPA
      tissues. Compared with the blank control and empty plasmid groups, the miR-145
      mimic group showed significantly decreased PI3K, AKT3, mTOR, S6K and RPS6 mRNA
      and protein expressions as well as phosphorylation levels; besides, the IPA cell
      proliferation, migration and invasion ability were strongly inhibited,
      accompanied with the increased number of apoptotic cells. In the miR-145
      inhibitor group, the PI3K, AKT3, mTOR, S6K and RPS6 mRNA and protein expressions
      as well as the phosphorylation levels were significantly increased; cell
      proliferation, migration and invasion ability were remarkably elevated,
      accompanied with reduced apoptotic cell number. CONCLUSION: The study
      demonstrates that miR-145 inhibits the mTOR signaling pathway to suppress the IPA
      cell proliferation and invasion and promotes its apoptosis by targeting AKT3.

PMID- 28352195
TI  - Evaluation of efficacy of transcatheter arterial chemoembolization for
      hepatocellular carcinoma using magnetic resonance diffusion-weighted imaging.
AB  - Although the efficacy of transcatheter arterial chemoembolization (TACE) has been
      recommended as first-line therapy for nonsurgical patients with hepatocellular
      carcinoma (HCC), it is difficult to accurately predict the efficacy of TACE.
      Therefore, this study evaluated the efficacy of TACE for HCC using magnetic
      resonance (MR) diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI). A total of 84 HCC patients who
      received initial TACE were selected and assigned to the stable group (n=39) and
      the progressive group (n=45). Before TACE treatment, a contrast-enhanced MR scan
      and DWI (b=300, 600, and 800 s/mm2) were performed on all patients. The modified
      response evaluation criteria in solid tumors were used for evaluation of tumor
      response. Receiver operating characteristic curve was employed to predict the
      value of apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) for TACE efficacy. The ADC values
      of HCC patients in the progressive group were higher than those in the stable
      group at different b-values (b=300, 600, and 800 s/mm2) before TACE treatment.
      The area under the curve of ADC values with b-values of 300, 600, and 800 s/mm2
      were 0.693, 0.724, and 0.746; the threshold values were 1.94*10-3 mm2/s, 1.28*10
      3 mm2/s, and 1.20*10-3 mm2/s; the sensitivity values were 55.6%, 77.8%, and
      73.3%; and the specificity values were 82.1%, 61.5%, and 71.8%, respectively. Our
      findings indicate that the ADC values of MR-DWI may accurately predict the
      efficacy of TACE in the treatment of HCC patients.

PMID- 28352196
TI  - Sonidegib: mechanism of action, pharmacology, and clinical utility for advanced
      basal cell carcinomas.
AB  - The Hedgehog (Hh) pathway is critical for cell differentiation, tissue polarity,
      and stem cell maintenance during embryonic development, but is silent in adult
      tissues under normal conditions. However, aberrant Hh signaling activation has
      been implicated in the development and promotion of certain types of cancer,
      including basal cell carcinoma (BCC), medulloblastoma, and gastrointestinal
      cancers. In 2015, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved sonidegib, a
      smoothened (SMO) antagonist, for treatment of advanced BCC (aBCC) after a
      successful Phase II clinical trial. Sonidegib, also named Odomzo, is the second
      Hh signaling inhibitor approved by the FDA to treat BCCs following approval of
      the first SMO antagonist vismodegib in 2012. What are the major features of
      sonidegib (mechanism of action; metabolic profiles, clinical efficacy, safety,
      and tolerability profiles)? Will the sonidegib experience help other clinical
      trials using Hh signaling inhibitors in the future? In this review, we will
      summarize current understanding of BCCs and Hh signaling. We will focus on
      sonidegib and its use in the clinic, and we will discuss ways to improve its
      clinical application in cancer therapeutics.

PMID- 28352197
TI  - Development of an allergy management support system in primary care.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Management of allergic patients in the population is becoming more
      difficult because of increases in both complexity and prevalence. Although
      general practitioners (GPs) are expected to play an important role in the care of
      allergic patients, they often feel ill-equipped for this task. Therefore, the aim
      of this study was to develop an allergy management support system (AMSS) for
      primary care. METHODS: Through literature review, interviewing and testing in
      secondary and primary care patients, an allergy history questionnaire was
      constructed by allergists, dermatologists, GPs and researchers based on primary
      care and specialists' allergy guidelines and their clinical knowledge. Patterns
      of AMSS questionnaire responses and specific immunoglobulin E (sIgE)-test
      outcomes were used to identify diagnostic categories and develop corresponding
      management recommendations. Validity of the AMSS was investigated by comparing
      specialist (gold standard) and AMSS diagnostic categories. RESULTS: The two-page
      patient-completed AMSS questionnaire consists of 12 (mainly) multiple choice
      questions on symptoms, triggers, severity and medication. Based on the AMSS
      questionnaires and sIgE-test outcome of 118 patients, approximately 150
      diagnostic categories of allergic rhinitis, asthma, atopic dermatitis,
      anaphylaxis, food allergy, hymenoptera allergy and other allergies were
      identified, and the corresponding management recommendations were formulated. The
      agreement between the allergy specialists' assessments and the AMSS was 69.2% (CI
      67.2-71.2). CONCLUSION: Using a systematic approach, it was possible to develop
      an AMSS that allows for the formulation of diagnostic and management
      recommendations for GPs managing allergic patients. The AMSS thus holds promise
      for the improvement of the quality of primary care for this increasing group of
      patients.

PMID- 28352198
TI  - Antimicrobial susceptibility profile, treatment outcome and serotype distribution
      of clinical isolates of Salmonella enterica subspecies enterica: a 2-year study
      from Kerala, South India.
AB  - BACKGROUND/PURPOSE: Typhoid and paratyphoid fever continue to be important causes
      of illness and death in parts of Asia, being associated with poor sanitation and
      consumption of unsafe food and water. Antimicrobial resistance has emerged to
      traditional first-line drugs, namely, the fluoroquinolones, as well as to third
      generation cephalosporins, posing challenges to treatment. Azithromycin has
      proven to be an effective alternative for treatment of uncomplicated typhoid
      fever. The purpose of this study was to determine the antimicrobial
      susceptibility, clinical outcome and serotype distribution pattern of clinical
      isolates belonging to Salmonella enterica subspecies enterica. METHODOLOGY: All
      clinical isolates of S. enterica obtained from blood, sterile body fluids, as
      well as stool and urine samples at Amrita Institute of Medical Sciences and
      Research Centre, Kerala, India, between August 2011 and July 2013 were included
      in the study and processed based on standard microbiology protocols. RESULTS: A
      total of 118 isolates of Salmonella were obtained during the study period. Out of
      these, 79 were of S. Typhi (66.95%), followed by isolates of S. Paratyphi A (22;
      18.64%) and S. Typhimurium 12 (10.17%). Five isolates could not be identified
      further. There was 100% susceptibility to ceftriaxone in all S. enterica
      subspecies. Ciprofloxacin susceptibility was 32.91% for S. Typhi and 40.90% for
      S. Paratyphi A as determined by the disk diffusion method. The susceptibility
      profile of S. Typhi isolates to different antimicrobials was as follows:
      chloramphenicol (94.93%), ampicillin (77.21%), cotrimoxazole (75.94%) and
      azithromycin (78.48%). For S. Typhi, the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC)
      of ciprofloxacin required to inhibit the growth of 50% of organisms was 0.5
      MUg/mL (intermediate) and MIC required to inhibit the growth of 90% of organisms
      was 1 MUg/mL (resistant). S. Typhimurium was 100% susceptible to cotrimoxazole,
      ampicillin, ceftriaxone, chloramphenicol, ofloxacin and azithromycin.
      Susceptibility to ciprofloxacin was 66.66%. Patients from whom S. Typhimurium was
      isolated had comorbidities with documented risk. Of the 118 patients, 3 expired.
      Two had typhoid fever and were in sepsis at admission. One had S. Typhimurium and
      was suffering from multiple myeloma. CONCLUSION: S. Typhi was the predominant
      isolate. All isolates were susceptible to ceftriaxone. Chloramphenicol
      susceptibility was >90%. No multidrug-resistant Salmonella strains were isolated.
      Susceptibility to ciprofloxacin for S. Typhi was 33%. Recovery rate was 97%.

PMID- 28352199
TI  - Survey on attitudes of Italian pediatricians toward cough.
AB  - CONTEXT: Children's cough is a daily concern for most pediatricians. The
      management of both acute and chronic cough requires a systematic and
      comprehensive approach. Despite the approved protocols for management, the
      pediatric assessment of cough and the corresponding prescribing attitude
      frequently do not fit these protocols, which can be affected by parental
      suggestions - sometimes substantially. OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study was
      to investigate both the perception and the behavior of a representative sample of
      Italian pediatricians toward cough in real life. METHODS: A specific
      questionnaire consisting of 18 questions was prepared. The questionnaire was
      completed by 300 pediatricians (all members of PAIDOSS: Italian National
      Observatory on Health of Childhood and Adolescence) who represented ~300,000
      children. RESULTS: A vast majority of children have cough throughout the year
      (99.3% of respondents have cough during autumn/winter and 64.7% in
      spring/summer). Allergic disease is the most frequent suspected cause of chronic
      cough in children (53%), and this is supported by the high demand for
      consultations: 73% seek the opinion of allergologists, 62% of
      otorhinolaryngologists and only 33% of pulmonologists. The majority of
      pediatricians (92%) reported that they prescribe therapy in acute cough
      regardless of cough guidelines. Moreover, the survey pointed out the abuse of
      aerosol therapy (26% in acute cough and 38% in chronic cough) and of antibiotics
      prescription (22% in acute cough and 42% in chronic cough). CONCLUSION: Our
      survey suggests that some Italian pediatricians' therapeutic attitudes should be
      substantially improved in order to achieve better management of cough in children
      and to minimize the burden of cough.

PMID- 28352200
TI  - Osteopathy for primary headache patients: a systematic review.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: This systematic review aimed to assess the efficacy, effectiveness,
      safety, and tolerability of osteopathic manipulative treatment (OMT) in patients
      with headache. BACKGROUND: Migraine is one of the most common and disabling
      medical conditions. It affects more than 15% of the general population, causing
      high global socioeconomic costs, and the currently available treatment options
      are inadequate. METHODS: We systematically reviewed all available studies
      investigating the use of OMT in patients with migraine and other forms of
      headache. RESULTS: The search of literature produced six studies, five of which
      were eligible for review. The reviewed papers collectively support the notion
      that patients with migraine can benefit from OMT. OMT could most likely reduce
      the number of episodes per month as well as drug use. None of the included
      studies, however, was classified as low risk of bias according to the Cochrane
      Collaboration's tool for assessing risk of bias. CONCLUSION: The results from
      this systematic review show a preliminary low level of evidence that OMT is
      effective in the management of headache. However, studies with more rigorous
      designs and methodology are needed to strengthen this evidence. Moreover, this
      review suggests that new manual interventions for the treatment of acute migraine
      are available and developing.

PMID- 28352201
TI  - Tibial nerve stimulation with a miniature, wireless stimulator in chronic
      peripheral neuropathic pain.
AB  - Peripheral neuropathic pain (PNP) and complex regional pain syndrome (CRPS) can
      be effectively treated with peripheral nerve stimulation. In this clinical trial
      report, effectiveness of novel, miniature, wirelessly controlled microstimulator
      of tibial nerve in PNP and CRPS was evaluated. In this pilot study the average
      preoperative visual analog scale (VAS) score in six patients was 7.5, with 1, 3
      and 6 months: 2.6 (p=0.03), 1.6 (p=0.03), and 1.3 (p=0.02), respectively. The
      mean average score in the six patients a week preceding the baseline visit was
      7.96, preceding the 1, 3 and 6 month visits: 3.32 (p=0.043), 3.65 (p=0.045), and
      2.49 (p=0.002), respectively. The average short-form McGill pain score before
      surgery was 23.8, and after 1, 3 and 6 months it was 11.0 (p=0.45), 6.3
      (p=0.043), and 4.5 (p=0.01), respectively. Applied therapy caused a reduction of
      pain immediately after its application and clinical improvement was sustained on
      a similar level in all patients for six months. No complications of the treatment
      were observed. Intermittent tibial nerve stimulation by using a novel, miniature,
      wirelessly controlled device can be effective and feasible in PNP and CRPS. It is
      a safe, minimally invasive, and convenient neuromodulative method.

PMID- 28352202
TI  - Preexposure of MCF-7 breast cancer cell line to dexamethasone alters the
      cytotoxic effect of paclitaxel but not 5-fluorouracil or epirubicin chemotherapy.
AB  - PURPOSE: Glucocorticoids (GCs) are often administered prior to any
      chemotherapeutics to prevent the secondary effects of anticancer agents.
      Glucocorticoid receptors (GRs) are expressed in several types of cancer cells,
      particularly in several histological types of breast cancer. Activation of GRs is
      not associated with any specific cellular response. Both proapoptotic and
      antiapoptotic responses have been observed, depending on the study or the type of
      breast cancer cells. Therefore, it is of relevance to investigate the possible
      modulation of apoptotic effect of chemotherapeutic agents when cancerous cells
      have previously been exposed to GCs. METHODS: In vitro cell growth was assayed by
      counting MCF-7 cells upon exposure to epirubicin (25 nM), 5-fluorouracil (5-FU)
      (15 uM), and paclitaxel (15 nM), either with or without prior exposure to the GC
      dexamethasone (Dex) (100 nM). RESULTS: Following preexposure to Dex, the
      antiapoptotic activity of paclitaxel was significantly reduced by 8.5% (p<0.05),
      but the activities of epirubicin and 5-FU remained unaltered. CONCLUSION: In
      light of the finding that the response of MCF-7 cells pretreated with Dex was
      significantly reduced, we recommend that the function of GCs should be defined
      more precisely if they are to be used in conjunction with chemotherapy.

PMID- 28352203
TI  - Missing data and multiple imputation in clinical epidemiological research.
AB  - Missing data are ubiquitous in clinical epidemiological research. Individuals
      with missing data may differ from those with no missing data in terms of the
      outcome of interest and prognosis in general. Missing data are often categorized
      into the following three types: missing completely at random (MCAR), missing at
      random (MAR), and missing not at random (MNAR). In clinical epidemiological
      research, missing data are seldom MCAR. Missing data can constitute considerable
      challenges in the analyses and interpretation of results and can potentially
      weaken the validity of results and conclusions. A number of methods have been
      developed for dealing with missing data. These include complete-case analyses,
      missing indicator method, single value imputation, and sensitivity analyses
      incorporating worst-case and best-case scenarios. If applied under the MCAR
      assumption, some of these methods can provide unbiased but often less precise
      estimates. Multiple imputation is an alternative method to deal with missing
      data, which accounts for the uncertainty associated with missing data. Multiple
      imputation is implemented in most statistical software under the MAR assumption
      and provides unbiased and valid estimates of associations based on information
      from the available data. The method affects not only the coefficient estimates
      for variables with missing data but also the estimates for other variables with
      no missing data.

PMID- 28352204
TI  - Marginal fit of all-ceramic crowns fabricated using two extraoral CAD/CAM systems
      in comparison with the conventional technique.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to determine the effect of two extraoral
      computer-aided design (CAD) and computer-aided manufacturing (CAM) systems, in
      comparison with conventional techniques, on the marginal fit of monolithic
      CAD/CAM lithium disilicate ceramic crowns. STUDY DESIGN: This is an in vitro
      interventional study. PLACE AND DURATION OF STUDY: The study was carried out at
      the Department of Prosthodontics, School of Dentistry, Prince Sattam Bin Abdul
      Aziz University, Saudi Arabia, from December 2015 to April 2016. METHODOLOGY: A
      marginal gap of 60 lithium disilicate crowns was evaluated by scanning electron
      microscopy. In total, 20 pressable lithium disilicate (IPS e.max Press [Ivoclar
      Vivadent]) ceramic crowns were fabricated using the conventional lost-wax
      technique as a control group. The experimental all-ceramic crowns were produced
      based on a scan stone model and milled using two extraoral CAD/CAM systems: the
      Cerec group was fabricated using the Cerec CAD/CAM system, and the Trios group
      was fabricated using Trios CAD and milled using Wieland Zenotec CAM. One-way
      analysis of variance (ANOVA) and the Scheffe post hoc test were used for
      statistical comparison of the groups (alpha=0.05). RESULTS: The mean (+/-standard
      deviation) of the marginal gap of each group was as follows: the Control group
      was 91.15 (+/-15.35) um, the Cerec group was 111.07 (+/-6.33) um, and the Trios
      group was 60.17 (+/-11.09) um. One-way ANOVA and the Scheffe post hoc test showed
      a statistically significant difference in the marginal gap between all groups.
      CONCLUSION: It can be concluded from the current study that all-ceramic crowns,
      fabricated using the CAD/CAM system, show a marginal accuracy that is acceptable
      in clinical environments. The Trios CAD group displayed the smallest marginal
      gap.

PMID- 28352205
TI  - Syringomyelia presenting with unilateral optic neuropathy: a case report.
AB  - PURPOSE: In this case report, we present two cases of syringomyelia with optic
      neuropathy. FINDINGS: In Case 1, a 36-year-old Malay lady presented to our clinic
      with acute onset of blurring of vision in her left eye that she experienced since
      past 1 month. She was diagnosed with syringomyelia 12 years ago and was on
      conservative management. Her visual acuity was 6/6 in the right eye and counting
      fingers at 1 m in the left. There was a positive relative afferent pupillary
      defect in her left eye. Optic nerve functions of her left eye were reduced.
      Visual field showed a left inferior field defect. Her extraocular muscle
      movements were full. Magnetic resonance imaging of the brain and spine showed
      syringomyelia at the level of C2-C6 and T2-T9. Both of her optic nerves were
      normal. Her condition improved with intravenous and oral corticosteroids. In Case
      2, a 44-year-old Malay lady presented to our clinic with a progressive central
      scotoma in her right eye that she experienced since past 1 month. She had
      previous history of recurrent episodes of weakness in both of her lower limbs
      from past 8 months. Visual acuity in her right and left eye was 6/9 and 6/6,
      respectively. The relative afferent pupillary defect in her right eye was
      positive. Optic nerve functions of her right eye were affected. Visual field
      showed a central scotoma in her right eye. Her extraocular muscle movements were
      full. Fundoscopy of her right eye showed a pale optic disc. Her left eye fundus
      was normal. Magnetic resonance imaging of the brain and spine showed
      syringomyelia at T3-T6. Both of her optic nerves were normal. A diagnosis of
      syringomyelia with right optic atrophy was performed. Her condition improved with
      intravenous and oral corticosteroids. CONCLUSION: Optic neuropathy is a rare
      neuro-ophthalmic manifestation in patients with syringomyelia. Prompt diagnosis
      and timely management are essential to avoid a poor visual outcome. Intravenous
      corticosteroids are beneficial in the treatment of early optic neuropathy in
      syringomyelia.

PMID- 28352206
TI  - Color duplex ultrasonography findings of temporal arteries in a case of giant
      cell arteritis: role in diagnosis and follow-up.
AB  - Giant cell arteritis (GCA) is a systemic autoimmune disease that affects medium-
      and large-sized arteries. The diagnostic gold standard is the temporal artery
      biopsy, but it has limited sensitivity and some difficulties in reproducibility.
      Color duplex ultrasonography is a noninvasive, reproducible, and inexpensive
      method for diagnosis of temporal arteries involvement (temporal arteritis [TA])
      in GCA with high sensitivity and specificity. We present the ultrasound findings
      at baseline and during follow-up in a case of TA in a patient with GCA.

PMID- 28352207
TI  - Improving urban environment through public commitment toward the implementation
      of clean and healthy living behaviors.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Some parts of northern Surabaya are slum areas with dense
      populations, and the majority of the inhabitants are from low-income families.
      The condition of these areas is seemingly different from the fact that Surabaya
      city has won awards for its cleanliness, healthy environment preservation, and
      maintenance. AIM: This study aimed at turning the researched site into a clean
      and healthy environment. METHODS: The research was conducted using a quasi
      experiment technique with a non-randomized design and pretest-posttest
      procedures. The research subjects were 121 inhabitants who actively participated
      in the public commitment and psychoeducation program initiated by the researchers
      to learn and practice clean and healthy living behaviors. RESULTS: The
      statistical data showed that there was a substantial increase in the aspects of
      public commitment (t-value = 4.008, p = 0.001) and psychoeducation (t-value =
      4.038, p = 0.001) to begin and maintain a clean and healthy living behaviors.
      CONCLUSION: A public commitment in the form of a collective declaration to keep
      learning and practicing a clean and healthy living behaviors were achieved. This
      commitment followed by psychoeducation aimed at introducing and exercising such
      behaviors was found to have effectively increased the research subjects'
      awareness to actively participate in preserving environmental hygiene. Developing
      communal behaviors toward clean and healthy living in inhabitants residing in an
      unhealthy slum area was a difficult task. Therefore, public commitment and
      psychoeducation must be aligned with the formulation of continuous habits
      demonstrating a clean and healthy living behaviors. These habits include the
      cessation of littering while putting trash in its place, optimizing the usage of
      public toilets, planting and maintaining vegetation around the area, joining and
      contributing to the "garbage bank" program, and participating in the Green and
      Clean Surabaya competition.

PMID- 28352208
TI  - Patient-rated versus proxy-rated cognitive and functional measures in older
      adults.
AB  - OBJECTIVES: Patients with cognitive impairment may have difficulty reporting
      their functional and cognitive abilities, which are important clinical outcomes.
      Health care proxies may be able to corroborate patient self-reports. Several
      studies reported discrepancy between patient and proxy ratings, though the
      literature is sparse on changes over time of these ratings. Our goals in this 12
      month study were to compare patient and proxy reports on functioning, cognition,
      and everyday executive function, and to further elucidate correlates of patient
      proxy discrepancy. METHODS: This was a prospective cohort study of individuals
      older than 70 years who ranged from having no cognitive impairment to having
      moderate dementia who had a proxy available to complete instruments at baseline
      (N=76). Measurements included Alzheimer's Disease Cooperative Study-Activities of
      Daily Living Inventory (ADCS-ADLI), Neuro-QOL Executive Function, PROMIS Applied
      Cognition (PROMIS-Cog), Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE), and Geriatric
      Depression Scale. RESULTS: Patient- and proxy-rated ADCS-ADLI were correlated at
      baseline and at 1-year follow-up. Patient and proxy ratings were discrepant on
      Neuro-QOL Executive Function and PROMIS-Cog. Greater patient-proxy discrepancy on
      PROMIS-Cog was associated with younger age and less depression, and greater
      patient-proxy discrepancy on Neuro-QOL Executive Function was associated with
      less depression and worse cognitive impairment. Patient-proxy discrepancy
      increased over time for everyday executive function. Changes in proxy-rated but
      not patient-rated ADCS-ADLI correlated with MMSE changes. CONCLUSION: Patients
      and proxies generally agree in reporting on activities of daily living. Patient
      and proxy reports differ in their respective evaluation of cognitive functioning
      and everyday executive function. Ratings from both sources may be preferred for
      these two domains, though studies using gold standard measures are necessary. It
      is important that clinicians are aware of the differences between patient and
      proxy perspective to create an accurate clinical picture and guide treatment.

PMID- 28352209
TI  - Characteristics and Etiologies of Chronic Scrotal Pain: A Common but Poorly
      Understood Condition.
AB  - Chronic scrotal pain (CSP) is a common and debilitating condition, but the
      underlying characteristics and etiology of CSP are poorly understood. The
      objective of this study is to identify the characteristic and etiologies of CSP.
      Men presenting for management of CSP completed a standardized questionnaire and
      underwent a complete physical examination. From Feb 2014 to Sep 2015, a total of
      131 men (mean age 43) with CSP were studied. The CSP was of long duration (mean
      of 4.7 +/- 5.95 years) and dramatically affected men's lives, with adverse
      effects on normal activities (71.%), ability to work (51.90%), and sexual
      functioning (61.8%). 50.4% felt depressed on most days, and 67.17% felt either
      unhappy or terrible with their present condition. Physical examination revealed
      that the epididymis was the most common tender area found in 70/131 men (53.43%),
      though a musculoskeletal source for the pain was found in 9.9%. Neuropathic
      changes were found in 30%. For close to half of the men (43.5%) we were unable to
      identify any potential cause for the CSP. This study characterizes the dramatic
      impact that CSP has on the lives of men, while providing an understanding of the
      common etiologies.

PMID- 28352211
TI  - Treatment Issues in Patients With HIV/HCV Co-Infection.

PMID- 28352210
TI  - Proteomic analysis of microparticles isolated from malaria positive blood
      samples.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Malaria continues to be a great public health concern due to the
      significant mortality and morbidity associated with the disease especially in
      developing countries. Microparticles (MPs), also called plasma membrane derived
      extracellular vesicles (PMEVs) are subcellular structures that are generated when
      they bud off the plasma membrane. They can be found in healthy individuals but
      the numbers tend to increase in pathological conditions including malaria.
      Although, various studies have been carried out on the protein content of
      specific cellular derived MPs, there seems to be paucity of information on the
      protein content of circulating MPs in malaria and their association with the
      various signs and symptoms of the disease. The aim of this study was therefore to
      carry out proteomic analyses of MPs isolated from malaria positive samples and
      compare them with proteins of MPs from malaria parasite culture supernatant and
      healthy controls in order to ascertain the role of MPs in malaria infection.
      METHODS: Plasma samples were obtained from forty-three (43) malaria diagnosed
      patients (cases) and ten (10) healthy individuals (controls). Malaria parasite
      culture supernatant was obtained from our laboratory and MPs were isolated from
      them and confirmed using flow cytometry. 2D LC-MS was done to obtain their
      protein content. Resultant data were analyzed using SPSS Ver. 21.0 statistical
      software, Kruskal Wallis test and Spearman's correlation coefficient r. RESULTS:
      In all, 1806 proteins were isolated from the samples. The MPs from malaria
      positive samples recorded 1729 proteins, those from culture supernatant were 333
      while the control samples recorded 234 proteins. The mean number of proteins in
      MPs of malaria positive samples was significantly higher than that in the control
      samples. Significantly, higher quantities of haemoglobin subunits were seen in
      MPs from malaria samples and culture supernatant compared to control samples.
      CONCLUSION: A great number of proteins were observed to be carried in the
      microparticles (MPs) from malaria samples and culture supernatant compared to
      controls. The greater loss of haemoglobin from erythrocytes via MPs from malaria
      patients could serve as the initiation and progression of anaemia in P.falciparum
      infection. Also while some proteins were upregulated in circulating MPs in
      malaria samples, others were down regulated.

PMID- 28352213
TI  - Prevalence and characteristics of flavoured tobacco use among students in grades
      10 through 12: a national cross-sectional study in Canada, 2012-2013.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Tobacco use is the leading cause of preventable death in Canada and
      the world. Despite documented decreases in the prevalence of smoking in Canada,
      increases in flavoured tobacco use by its youth poses a serious public health
      concern. This study examined the prevalence and characteristics of flavoured
      tobacco use among a national sample of Canadian students in grades 10 through 12.
      METHODS: This study used a cross-sectional design on a nationally generalizable,
      school-based, Youth Smoking Survey (YSS), 2012-2013. It incorporated data from a
      representative sample of 19,979 students in grades 10-12 from across Canada.
      Univariate and multivariate logistic regression models were used to examine
      differences in flavoured tobacco use (menthol cigarettes, flavoured little cigar
      or cigarillo, flavoured cigar, flavoured tobacco in water pipe [hookah]) by
      demographic (sex, grade and ethnicity) and social characteristics (friends,
      siblings, parents/guardians who are smokers and weekly personal spending money).
      RESULTS: This study found that 14.8% of the participating students used flavoured
      tobacco in the past 30-days. Results of the logistic regression analysis show
      that flavoured tobacco use was significantly higher among male students [(OR =
      1.63; 95% CI = 1.36-1.95)], who had at least one friend or sibling who smoke [(OR
      = 2.20; CI = 1.62 to 2.99) and (OR = 1.51; CI = 1.22 to 1.88), respectively] and
      who received greater than $20/week in personal spending money [(OR = 1.76; CI =
      1.26 to 2.45)]. CONCLUSIONS: The results of our study indicate that flavoured
      tobacco use is a growing public health concern and has a strong appeal among
      youth in Canada. This is a particularly troubling finding, especially in light of
      the fact that there is a national ban on certain flavoured tobacco products. To
      be effective, strategies specifically tailored for youth using flavoured tobacco
      would require appropriate educational/prevention initiatives, more comprehensive
      legislation and better regulatory mechanisms.

PMID- 28352212
TI  - Canagliflozin in the treatment of type 2 diabetes: an evidence-based review of
      its place in therapy.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: Deciding on an optimal medication choice for type 2 diabetes is
      often challenging, due to the increasing number of treatment options.
      Canagliflozin is a novel glucose-lowering agent belonging to sodium-glucose co
      transporter 2 (SGLT2) inhibitors. AIM: The aim of this study was to examine and
      summarize the evidence based on the efficacy, safety, and cost-effectiveness of
      canagliflozin for type 2 diabetes. EVIDENCE REVIEW: Compared to placebo,
      canagliflozin 100 and 300 mg lower glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c) by ~0.6%-0.8%,
      respectively. Canagliflozin appears to be slightly more effective than dipeptidyl
      peptidase-4 (DPP-4) inhibitors in reducing HbA1c. It also has a favorable effect
      on body weight and blood pressure, both versus placebo and most active
      comparators. However, treatment with canagliflozin is associated with increased
      incidence of genital tract infections and osmotic diuresis-related adverse
      events. Based on short-term data, canagliflozin is not associated with increased
      risk for all-cause mortality and cardiovascular outcomes. Economic evaluation
      studies from various countries indicate that canagliflozin is a cost-effective
      option in dual- or triple-agent regimens. PLACE IN THERAPY: As monotherapy,
      canagliflozin could be used in patients for whom metformin is contraindicated or
      not tolerated. For patients on background treatment with metformin, canagliflozin
      appears to be superior to sulfonylureas with respect to body weight, blood
      pressure and risk for hypoglycemia, and to DPP-4 inhibitors in terms of lowering
      HbA1c, body weight, and blood pressure. Canagliflozin also seems to be cost
      effective compared with sulfonylureas and DPP-4 inhibitors as add-on to metformin
      monotherapy, and compared with DPP-4 inhibitors as add-on to metformin and
      sulfonylurea. CONCLUSION: Current evidence on intermediate efficacy outcomes,
      short-term safety and cost-effectiveness support the use of canagliflozin in
      patients on background treatment with metformin. Robust long-term data regarding
      the effect of canagliflozin on cardiovascular endpoints will be available upon
      completion of the Canagliflozin Cardiovascular Assessment Study (CANVAS) trial.

PMID- 28352214
TI  - Embedding and Chemical Reactivation of Green Fluorescent Protein in the Whole
      Mouse Brain for Optical Micro-Imaging.
AB  - Resin embedding has been widely applied to fixing biological tissues for
      sectioning and imaging, but has long been regarded as incompatible with green
      fluorescent protein (GFP) labeled sample because it reduces fluorescence.
      Recently, it has been reported that resin-embedded GFP-labeled brain tissue can
      be imaged with high resolution. In this protocol, we describe an optimized
      protocol for resin embedding and chemical reactivation of fluorescent protein
      labeled mouse brain, we have used mice as experiment model, but the protocol
      should be applied to other species. This method involves whole brain embedding
      and chemical reactivation of the fluorescent signal in resin-embedded tissue. The
      whole brain embedding process takes a total of 7 days. The duration of chemical
      reactivation is ~2 min for penetrating 4 MUm below the surface in the resin
      embedded brain. This protocol provides an efficient way to prepare fluorescent
      protein labeled sample for high-resolution optical imaging. This kind of sample
      was demonstrated to be imaged by various optical micro-imaging methods. Fine
      structures labeled with GFP across a whole brain can be detected.

PMID- 28352215
TI  - Myosin IIA-related Actomyosin Contractility Mediates Oxidative Stress-induced
      Neuronal Apoptosis.
AB  - Oxidative stress-induced neuronal apoptosis plays an important role in the
      progression of central nervous system (CNS) diseases. In our study, when neuronal
      cells were exposed to hydrogen peroxide (H2O2), an exogenous oxidant, cell
      apoptosis was observed with typical morphological changes including membrane
      blebbing, neurite retraction and cell contraction. The actomyosin system is
      considered to be responsible for the morphological changes, but how exactly it
      regulates oxidative stress-induced neuronal apoptosis and the distinctive
      functions of different myosin II isoforms remain unclear. We demonstrate that
      myosin IIA was required for neuronal contraction, while myosin IIB was required
      for neuronal outgrowth in normal conditions. During H2O2-induced neuronal
      apoptosis, myosin IIA, rather than IIB, interacted with actin filaments to
      generate contractile forces that lead to morphological changes. Moreover, myosin
      IIA knockout using clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic
      repeats/CRISPR-associated protein-9 nuclease (CRISPR/Cas9) reduced H2O2-induced
      neuronal apoptosis and the associated morphological changes. We further
      demonstrate that caspase-3/Rho-associated kinase 1 (ROCK1) dependent
      phosphorylation of myosin light chain (MLC) was required for the formation of the
      myosin IIA-actin complex. Meanwhile, either inhibition of myosin II ATPase with
      blebbistatin or knockdown of myosin IIA with siRNA reversely attenuated caspase-3
      activation, suggesting a positive feedback loop during oxidative stress-induced
      apoptosis. Based on our observation, myosin IIA-actin complex contributes to
      actomyosin contractility and is associated with the positive feedback loop of
      caspase-3/ROCK1/MLC pathway. This study unravels the biochemical and mechanistic
      mechanisms during oxidative stress-induced neuronal apoptosis and may be
      applicable for the development of therapies for CNS diseases.

PMID- 28352216
TI  - Mitochondrial Dysfunction in the Pathogenesis of Rett Syndrome: Implications for
      Mitochondria-Targeted Therapies.
AB  - First described over 50 years ago, Rett syndrome (RTT) is a neurodevelopmental
      disorder caused primarily by mutations of the X-linked MECP2 gene. RTT affects
      predominantly females, and has a prevalence of roughly 1 in every 10,000 female
      births. Prior to the discovery that mutations of MECP2 are the leading cause of
      RTT, there were suggestions that RTT could be a mitochondrial disease. In fact,
      several reports documented altered mitochondrial structure, and deficiencies in
      mitochondrial enzyme activity in different cells or tissues derived from RTT
      patients. With the identification of MECP2 as the causal gene, interest largely
      shifted toward defining the normal function of MeCP2 in the brain, and how its
      absence affects the neurodevelopment and neurophysiology. Recently, though,
      interest in studying mitochondrial function in RTT has been reignited, at least
      in part due to observations suggesting systemic oxidative stress does play a
      contributing role in RTT pathogenesis. Here we review data relating to
      mitochondrial alterations at the structural and functional levels in RTT patients
      and model systems, and present a hypothesis for how the absence of MeCP2 could
      lead to altered mitochondrial function and elevated levels of cellular oxidative
      stress. Finally, we discuss the prospects for treating RTT using interventions
      that target specific aspects of mitochondrial dysfunction and/or oxidative
      stress.

PMID- 28352217
TI  - Elucidation of White Matter Tracts of the Human Amygdala by Detailed Comparison
      between High-Resolution Postmortem Magnetic Resonance Imaging and Histology.
AB  - The amygdala has attracted considerable research interest because of its
      potential involvement in various neuropsychiatric disorders. Recently, attempts
      have been made using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to evaluate the integrity
      of the axonal connections to and from the amygdala under pathological conditions.
      Although amygdalar pathways have been studied extensively in animal models,
      anatomical references for the human brain are limited to histology-based
      resources from a small number of slice locations, orientations and annotations.
      In the present study, we performed high-resolution (250 MUm) MRI of postmortem
      human brains followed by serial histology sectioning. The histology data were
      used to identify amygdalar pathways, and the anatomical delineation of the
      assigned structures was extended into 3D using the MRI data. We were able to
      define the detailed anatomy of the stria terminalis and amygdalofugal pathway, as
      well as the anatomy of the nearby basal forebrain areas, including the substantia
      innominata. The present results will help us understand in detail the white
      matter structures associated with the amygdala, and will serve as an anatomical
      reference for the design of in vivo MRI studies and interpretation of their data.

PMID- 28352218
TI  - Cinematic Operation of the Cerebral Cortex Interpreted via Critical Transitions
      in Self-Organized Dynamic Systems.
AB  - Measurements of local field potentials over the cortical surface and the scalp of
      animals and human subjects reveal intermittent bursts of beta and gamma
      oscillations. During the bursts, narrow-band metastable amplitude modulation (AM)
      patters emerge for a fraction of a second and ultimately dissolve to the broad
      band random background activity. The burst process depends on previously learnt
      conditioned stimuli (CS), thus different AM patterns may emerge in response to
      different CS. This observation leads to our cinematic theory of cognition when
      perception happens in discrete steps manifested in the sequence of AM patterns.
      Our article summarizes findings in the past decades on experimental evidence of
      cinematic theory of cognition and relevant mathematical models. We treat cortices
      as dissipative systems that self-organize themselves near a critical level of
      activity that is a non-equilibrium metastable state. Criticality is arguably a
      key aspect of brains in their rapid adaptation, reconfiguration, high storage
      capacity, and sensitive response to external stimuli. Self-organized criticality
      (SOC) became an important concept to describe neural systems. We argue that
      transitions from one AM pattern to the other require the concept of phase
      transitions, extending beyond the dynamics described by SOC. We employ random
      graph theory (RGT) and percolation dynamics as fundamental mathematical
      approaches to model fluctuations in the cortical tissue. Our results indicate
      that perceptions are formed through a phase transition from a disorganized (high
      entropy) to a well-organized (low entropy) state, which explains the swiftness of
      the emergence of the perceptual experience in response to learned stimuli.

PMID- 28352219
TI  - Age-Dependent Changes of Thinking about Verbs.
AB  - We investigated the knowledge of emotional and motor verbs in children and
      adolescents from three age ranges (8-11, 12-15, 16-19 years). Participants
      estimated the verbs familiarity, age of acquisition, valence, arousal,
      imageability, and motor- and emotion-relatedness. Participants were familiar with
      the verbs in our dataset. The younger (8-11) attributed an emotional character to
      the verbs less frequently than the middle (12-15) and the older (16-19) groups.
      In the 8-11 group males rated the verbs as emotion-related less frequently than
      females. Results indicate that processing verbal concepts as emotion-related
      develops gradually, and after 12-15 is rather stable. The age of acquisition
      (AoA) develops late: the older (16-19) had a higher awareness in reporting that
      they learnt the verbs earlier as compared to the estimations made by the younger
      (8-11 and 12-15). AoA positively correlated with attribution of emotion
      relatedness meaning that emotion-related verbs were learned later. Arousal was
      comparable across ages. Also it increased when attributing motor relatedness to
      verbs and decreased when attributing emotion relatedness. Reporting the verbs'
      affective valence (happy vs. unhappy) changes with age: younger (8-11) judged the
      verbs generally more "happy" than both the older groups. Instead the middle and
      the older group did not show differences. Happiness increased when processing the
      verbs as motor related and decreased when processing the verbs as emotion
      related. Age affected imageability: the younger (8-11) considered the verbs
      easier to be imagined than the two older groups, suggesting that at this age
      vividness estimation is still rough, while after 12-15 is stable as the 12-15 and
      15-19 group did not differ. Imageability predicted arousal, AoA, emotion- and
      motor-relatedness indicating that this index influences the way verbs are
      processed. Imageability was positively correlated to emotion relatedness,
      indicating that such verbs were harder to be imagined, and negatively to motor
      relatedness. Imageablity positively correlated with valence meaning that verbs
      receiving positive valence were also those that were hard to be imagined, and
      negatively correlated with arousal, meaning that verbs that were harder to be
      imagined elicited low physiological activation. Our results give an insight in
      the development of emotional and motor-related verbs representations.

PMID- 28352220
TI  - The Dorsal Medial Prefrontal Cortex Is Recruited by High Construal of Non-social
      Stimuli.
AB  - The dorsomedial prefrontal cortex (dmPFC) is part of the mentalizing network, a
      set of brain regions consistently engaged in inferring mental states. However,
      its precise function in this network remains unclear. It has recently been
      proposed that the dmPFC is involved in high-level abstract (i.e., categorical)
      identification or construction of both social and non-social stimuli, referred to
      as "high construal." This was based on the observation of greater activation in
      the dmPFC shared by a high construal social condition (trait inference based on
      visually presented behavior) and a high construal non-social condition
      (categorization of visually presented objects) vs. matched low construal
      conditions (visual description of the same pictures). However, dmPFC activation
      has been related to task contexts requiring responses based on self-guided
      generation of mental content or decisions as compared to responses more directly
      determined by the experimental context (e.g., free vs. rule-governed choice). The
      previously reported dmPFC activity may reflect differences in task constraint
      (i.e., the extent to which the task context guided the process) confounded with
      the construal manipulation. Therefore, in the present study, we manipulated
      construal level and constraint independently, while participants underwent
      functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI). As before, participants visually
      described (low level construal) or categorized (high level construal) pictures of
      objects. Orthogonal to this, the description or categorization task had to be
      performed on either one object (low constraint) or on two objects simultaneously
      (high constraint), limiting the number of possible responses. Statistical
      analysis revealed common greater activation in both high construal conditions
      (high and low constraint) than in their low construal counterparts, replicating
      the influence of construal level on dmPFC activation (greater involvement in high
      than low construal), but no influence of constraint. In line with previous
      proposals and earlier work, we suggest that the dmPFC is involved in high
      construal abstraction across different domains.

PMID- 28352221
TI  - Commentary: Retrieval practice protects memory against acute stress.

PMID- 28352222
TI  - Transcranial Electrical Stimulation and Behavioral Change: The Intermediary
      Influence of the Brain.

PMID- 28352223
TI  - Musicians' Online Performance during Auditory and Visual Statistical Learning
      Tasks.
AB  - Musicians' brains are considered to be a functional model of neuroplasticity due
      to the structural and functional changes associated with long-term musical
      training. In this study, we examined implicit extraction of statistical
      regularities from a continuous stream of stimuli-statistical learning (SL). We
      investigated whether long-term musical training is associated with better
      extraction of statistical cues in an auditory SL (aSL) task and a visual SL (vSL)
      task-both using the embedded triplet paradigm. Online measures, characterized by
      event related potentials (ERPs), were recorded during a familiarization phase
      while participants were exposed to a continuous stream of individually presented
      pure tones in the aSL task or individually presented cartoon figures in the vSL
      task. Unbeknown to participants, the stream was composed of triplets. Musicians
      showed advantages when compared to non-musicians in the online measure (early N1
      and N400 triplet onset effects) during the aSL task. However, there were no
      differences between musicians and non-musicians for the vSL task. Results from
      the current study show that musical training is associated with enhancements in
      extraction of statistical cues only in the auditory domain.

PMID- 28352225
TI  - Evolution of Neuroplasticity in Response to Physical Activity in Old Age: The
      Case for Dancing.
AB  - From animal research, it is known that combining physical activity with sensory
      enrichment has stronger and longer-lasting effects on the brain than either
      treatment alone. For humans dancing has been suggested to be analogous to such
      combined training. Here we assessed whether a newly designed dance training
      program that stresses the constant learning of new movement patterns is superior
      in terms of neuroplasticity to conventional fitness activities with repetitive
      exercises and whether extending the training duration has additional benefits.
      Twenty-two healthy seniors (63-80 years) who had been randomly assigned to either
      a dance or a sport group completed the entire 18-month study. MRI, BDNF and
      neuropsychological tests were performed at baseline and after 6 and 18 months of
      intervention. After 6 months, we found a significant increase in gray matter
      volume in the left precentral gyrus in the dancers compared to controls. This
      neuroplasticity effect may have been mediated by the increased BDNF plasma levels
      observed in the dancers. Regarding cognitive measures, both groups showed
      significant improvements in attention after 6 months and in verbal memory after
      18 months. In addition, volume increases in the parahippocampal region were
      observed in the dancers after 18 months. The results of our study suggest that
      participating in a long-term dance program that requires constant cognitive and
      motor learning is superior to engaging in repetitive physical exercises in
      inducing neuroplasticity in the brains of seniors. Therefore, dance is highly
      promising in its potential to counteract age-related gray matter decline.

PMID- 28352224
TI  - Coexistence of Multiple Types of Synaptic Plasticity in Individual Hippocampal
      CA1 Pyramidal Neurons.
AB  - Understanding learning and memory mechanisms is an important goal in
      neuroscience. To gain insights into the underlying cellular mechanisms for memory
      formation, synaptic plasticity processes are studied with various techniques in
      different brain regions. A valid model to scrutinize different ways to enhance or
      decrease synaptic transmission is recording of long-term potentiation (LTP) or
      long-term depression (LTD). At the single cell level, spike timing-dependent
      plasticity (STDP) protocols have emerged as a powerful tool to investigate
      synaptic plasticity with stimulation paradigms that also likely occur during
      memory formation in vivo. Such kind of plasticity can be induced by different
      STDP paradigms with multiple repeat numbers and stimulation patterns. They
      subsequently recruit or activate different molecular pathways and neuromodulators
      for induction and expression of STDP. Dopamine (DA) and brain-derived
      neurotrophic factor (BDNF) have been recently shown to be important modulators
      for hippocampal STDP at Schaffer collateral (SC)-CA1 synapses and are activated
      exclusively by distinguishable STDP paradigms. Distinct types of parallel
      synaptic plasticity in a given neuron depend on specific subcellular molecular
      prerequisites. Since the basal and apical dendrites of CA1 pyramidal neurons are
      known to be heterogeneous, and distance-dependent dendritic gradients for
      specific receptors and ion channels are described, the dendrites might provide
      domain specific locations for multiple types of synaptic plasticity in the same
      neuron. In addition to the distinct signaling and expression mechanisms of
      various types of LTP and LTD, activation of these different types of plasticity
      might depend on background brain activity states. In this article, we will
      discuss some ideas why multiple forms of synaptic plasticity can simultaneously
      and independently coexist and can contribute so effectively to increasing the
      efficacy of memory storage and processing capacity of the brain. We hypothesize
      that resolving the subcellular location of t-LTP and t-LTD mechanisms that are
      regulated by distinct neuromodulator systems will be essential to reach a more
      cohesive understanding of synaptic plasticity in memory formation.

PMID- 28352226
TI  - Cognitive Control Modulates Effects of Episodic Simulation on Delay Discounting
      in Aging.
AB  - Enhancing prospective thinking by tagging the future with specific episodic
      events has been shown to reduce delay discounting in young age ("tag-effect"). So
      far, it is unclear whether such beneficial effect extends to old adulthood. Since
      the general ability of future thinking and cognitive control are crucial
      modulators of temporal discounting in young age, potential age-related decline in
      these functions might impact on the effect. We focused on this issue by combining
      functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) with an established intertemporal
      choice task including episodic "tags" in healthy older participants. Future
      thinking ability was assessed using autobiographical interviews for future event
      simulations and a visual search task was applied to assess participants'
      cognitive control ability. In contrast to previous data in young adults, the
      group of older participants did not benefit from tagging the future with episodic
      events. Older participants' cognitive control function was directly associated
      with discounting rates in the episodic conditions: the less the older adults were
      able to focus their attention the less they benefited from the inclusion of
      episodic events. Consistent with this, imaging results revealed that: (a)
      subjective value (SV) signals in the hippocampus and the anterior cingulate
      cortex (ACC) as well as; (b) hippocampal-striatal coupling during the episodic
      condition were positively related to participants' control capacity. Our findings
      highlight the critical role of executive functioning for the simultaneous
      integration of episodic information with future value computation in aging.
      Boosting delay gratification by including episodic tags might hence be limited in
      older individuals with pronounced decline in distraction control.

PMID- 28352227
TI  - A Novel Genetic Screen Identifies Modifiers of Age-Dependent Amyloid beta
      Toxicity in the Drosophila Brain.
AB  - The accumulation of amyloid beta peptide (Abeta) in the brain of Alzheimer's
      disease (AD) patients begins many years before clinical onset. Such process has
      been proposed to be pathogenic through the toxicity of Abeta soluble oligomers
      leading to synaptic dysfunction, phospho-tau aggregation and neuronal loss. Yet,
      a massive accumulation of Abeta can be found in approximately 30% of aged
      individuals with preserved cognitive function. Therefore, within the frame of the
      "amyloid hypothesis", compensatory mechanisms and/or additional neurotoxic or
      protective factors need to be considered and investigated. Here we describe a
      modifier genetic screen in Drosophila designed to identify genes that modulate
      toxicity of Abeta42 in the CNS. The expression of Abeta42 led to its accumulation
      in the brain and a moderate impairment of negative geotaxis at 18 days post
      eclosion (d.p.e) as compared with genetic or parental controls. These flies were
      mated with a collection of lines carrying chromosomal deletions and negative
      geotaxis was assessed at 5 and 18 d.p.e. Our screen is the first to take into
      account all of the following features, relevant to sporadic AD: (1) pan-neuronal
      expression of wild-type Abeta42; (2) a quantifiable complex behavior; (3) Abeta
      neurotoxicity associated with progressive accumulation of the peptide; and (4)
      improvement or worsening of climbing ability only evident in aged animals. One
      hundred and ninety-nine deficiency (Df) lines accounting for ~6300 genes were
      analyzed. Six lines, including the deletion of 52 Drosophila genes with human
      orthologs, significantly modified Abeta42 neurotoxicity in 18-day-old flies. So
      far, we have validated CG11796 and identified CG17249 as a strong candidate
      (whose human orthologs are HPD and PRCC, respectively) by using RNAi or mutant
      hemizygous lines. PRCC encodes proline-rich protein PRCC (ppPRCC) of unknown
      function associated with papillary renal cell carcinoma. HPD encodes 4
      hydroxyphenylpyruvate dioxygenase (HPPD), a key enzyme in tyrosine degradation
      whose Df causes autosomal recessive Tyrosinemia type 3, characterized by mental
      retardation. Interestingly, lines with a partial Df of HPD ortholog showed
      increased intraneuronal accumulation of Abeta42 that coincided with geotaxis
      impairment. These previously undetected modifiers of Abeta42 neurotoxicity in
      Drosophila warrant further study to validate their possible role and significance
      in the pathogenesis of sporadic AD.

PMID- 28352228
TI  - Personality, Cortisol, and Cognition in Non-demented Elderly Subjects: Results
      from a Population-Based Study.
AB  - Certain personality traits, in particular higher neuroticism, have been
      associated, on one hand, with elevated cortisol levels, and on the other hand,
      with poorer cognitive performance. At the same time, several studies highlighted
      the association between high cortisol and poor cognitive functioning. Here, we
      hypothesized that increased cortisol may be associated with poorer cognition and
      with certain personality traits (mainly high neuroticism), and that personality
      might explain the association between cortisol and cognition. A cross-sectional
      analysis was conducted using data from Colaus/PsyColaus, a population-based study
      involving residents of Lausanne, Switzerland. Salivary cortisol samples (upon
      waking, 30 min after waking, at 11 am and at 8 pm) along with cognitive and
      personality measures were obtained from 643 non-demented participants aged at
      least 65. Personality traits were assessed using the NEO Five-Factor Inventory
      (NEO-FFI). We examined the links between the cortisol Area under the Curve (AUC),
      the Clinical Dementia Rating Sum of Boxes (CDRSOB) and the NEO-FFI scores. No
      association was found between personality traits and the CDRSOB or the MMSE
      score, controlling for age, sex, depression, education and BMI. However, the
      executive functioning domain z-score was negatively associated with agreeableness
      (p = 0.005; slope = -0.107 [-0.181; -0.033]) and openness (p = 0.029; slope = 
      0.081 [-0.154; -0.008]) after controlling for age, sex, depression, education and
      BMI. The CDRSOB score was positively associated with the cortisol AUC after
      controlling for age, sex, BMI, education and depression, (p = 0.003; slope =
      0.686 [0.240; 1.333]). This association remained significant after controlling
      for personality traits and for the interaction between personality traits and the
      cortisol AUC (p = 0.006; slope = 0.792 [0.233; 1.352]. High agreeableness and
      openness might be associated with poorer executive performance in later life.
      Increased cortisol may be associated with both specific personality traits (high
      extraversion, low openness) and worse cognitive performance. Increased salivary
      cortisol does not mediate the relationship between personality traits and
      cognitive impairment.

PMID- 28352229
TI  - Antibiotic Therapy for Chorioamnionitis to Reduce the Global Burden of Associated
      Disease.
AB  - Chorioamnionitis is associated with significant maternal and neonatal morbidity
      and mortality throughout the world. In developed countries, great progress has
      been made to minimize the impact of chorioamnionitis, through timely diagnosis
      and appropriate treatment. In the global setting, where many women deliver
      outside the healthcare facilities, this diagnosis is frequently overlooked and
      not properly treated. In addition to its impact on maternal health, a significant
      proportion of neonatal morbidity and mortality can be prevented by both
      recognition and access to readily available treatment. With the increasing focus
      on saving the most vulnerable members of society, we echo the need for providing
      parturient women with suspected chorioamnionitis universal access to appropriate
      therapy. We describe known effective antibiotic therapies for chorioamnionitis
      and provide an overview of additional potential antimicrobial treatments that
      might be effectively implemented in areas with limited access to care.

PMID- 28352230
TI  - Lead Induced Hepato-renal Damage in Male Albino Rats and Effects of Activated
      Charcoal.
AB  - Lead is a multi-organ toxicant implicated in various cancers, diseases of the
      hepatic, renal, and reproductive systems etc. In search of cheap and readily
      available antidote this study has investigated the role of activated charcoal in
      chronic lead exposure in albino rats. Eighteen mature male albino rats were used,
      divided into three groups of six rats per group. Group 1 (control rats) received
      deionised water (10 ml/kg), group 2 was given lead acetate solution 60 mg/kg and
      group 3 rats were given lead acetate (60 mg/kg) followed by Activated charcoal,
      AC (1000 mg/kg) by oral gavage daily for 28 days. Rats in group 2 showed
      significant increases in serum Aspartate aminotransferase, Alkaline phosphatase,
      Alanine aminotransferase, urea, bilirubin, total cholesterol, triglycerides, Low
      Density Lipoprotein, Very Low Density Lipoproteins, Total White Blood Cell
      Counts, Malondialdehyde, Interleukin-6, and decreases in Packed Cell Volume,
      hemoglobin concentration, Red blood cell count, total proteins, albumins,
      superoxide dismutase, glutathione peroxidase and total glutathione. Co
      administration of AC significantly decreased these biomarkers with the exception
      of the sperm parameters. Histopathology of liver and kidney also confirmed the
      protective effective of AC against lead induced hepato-renal damage. AC may be
      beneficial in chronic lead induced liver and kidney damage.

PMID- 28352232
TI  - Dickkopf-3 Upregulates VEGF in Cultured Human Endothelial Cells by Activating
      Activin Receptor-Like Kinase 1 (ALK1) Pathway.
AB  - Dkk-3 is a member of the dickkopf protein family of secreted inhibitors of the
      Wnt pathway, which has been shown to enhance angiogenesis. The mechanism
      underlying this effect is currently unknown. Here, we used cultured HUVECs to
      study the involvement of the TGF-beta and VEGF on the angiogenic effect of Dkk-3.
      Addition of hrDkk-3 peptide (1 or 10 ng/ml) to HUVECs for 6 or 12 h enhanced the
      intracellular and extracellular VEGF protein levels, as assessed by RTPCR,
      immunoblotting, immunocytochemistry and ELISA. The increase in the extracellular
      VEGF levels was associated to the VEGFR2 activation. Pharmacological blockade of
      VEGFR2 abrogated Dkk-3-induced endothelial cell tubes formation, indicating that
      VEGF is a molecular player of the angiogenic effects of Dkk-3. Moreover, Dkk-3
      enhanced Smad1/5/8 phosphorylation and recruited Smad4 to the VEGF gene promoter,
      suggesting that Dkk-3 activated ALK1 receptor leading to a transcriptional
      activation of VEGF. This mechanism was instrumental to the increased VEGF
      expression and endothelial cell tubes formation mediated by Dkk-3, because both
      effects were abolished by siRNA-mediated ALK1 knockdown. In summary, we have
      found that Dkk-3 activates ALK1 to stimulate VEGF production and induce
      angiogenesis in HUVECs.

PMID- 28352231
TI  - New Insights toward Colorectal Cancer Chemotherapy Using Natural Bioactive
      Compounds.
AB  - Combination therapy consists in the simultaneous administration of a conventional
      chemotherapy drug (or sometimes, a radiotherapy protocol) together with one or
      more natural bioactives (usually from plant or fungal origin) of small molecular
      weight. This combination of anticancer drugs may be applied to cell cultures of
      tumor cells, or to an animal model for a cancer type (or its xenograft), or to a
      clinical trial in patients. In this review, we summarize current knowledge
      describing diverse synergistic effects on colorectal cancer cell cultures, animal
      models, and clinical trials of various natural bioactives (stilbenes, flavonoids,
      terpenes, curcumin, and other structural families), which may be important with
      respect to diminish final doses of the chemotherapy drug, although maintaining
      its biological effect. This is important as these approaches may help reduce side
      effects in patients under conventional chemotherapy. Also, these molecules may
      exerts their synergistic effects via different cell cycle pathways, including
      different ones to those responsible of resistance phenotypes: transcription
      factors, membrane receptors, adhesion and structural molecules, cell cycle
      regulatory components, and apoptosis pathways.

PMID- 28352234
TI  - Dual Functional Capability of Dendritic Cells - Cytokine-Induced Killer Cells in
      Improving Side Effects of Colorectal Cancer Therapy.
AB  - The aim of cancer therapy is to eradicate cancer without affecting healthy
      tissues. Current options available for treating colorectal cancer (CRC),
      including surgery, chemotherapy or radiotherapy, usually elicit multiple adverse
      effects and frequently fail to completely remove the tumor cells. Thus, there is
      a constant need for seeking cancer cell-specific therapeutics to improve the
      course of cancer therapy and reduce the risk of relapse. In this review we
      elaborate on the mechanisms underlying the immunotherapy with dendritic cells
      (DCs) and cytokine-induced killer (CIK) cells, and summarize their effectiveness
      and tolerability available clinical studies. Finally, we discuss the up-to-date
      combinatorial adoptive anti-cancer immunotherapy with CIK cells co-cultured with
      DCs that recently showed encouraging efficacy and usefulness in treating
      malignant disease, including CRC.

PMID- 28352233
TI  - Aldo-Keto Reductase AKR1C1-AKR1C4: Functions, Regulation, and Intervention for
      Anti-cancer Therapy.
AB  - Aldo-keto reductases comprise of AKR1C1-AKR1C4, four enzymes that catalyze NADPH
      dependent reductions and have been implicated in biosynthesis, intermediary
      metabolism, and detoxification. Recent studies have provided evidences of strong
      correlation between the expression levels of these family members and the
      malignant transformation as well as the resistance to cancer therapy.
      Mechanistically, most studies focus on the catalytic-dependent function of AKR1C
      isoforms, like their impeccable roles in prostate cancer, breast cancer, and drug
      resistance due to the broad substrates specificity. However, accumulating clues
      showed that catalytic-independent functions also played critical roles in
      regulating biological events. This review summarizes the catalytic-dependent and 
      independent roles of AKR1Cs, as well as the small molecule inhibitors targeting
      these family members.

PMID- 28352235
TI  - Mouse Lung Fibroblast Resistance to Fas-Mediated Apoptosis Is Dependent on the
      Baculoviral Inhibitor of Apoptosis Protein 4 and the Cellular FLICE-Inhibitory
      Protein.
AB  - A characteristic feature of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) is accumulation
      of apoptotic resistant fibroblasts/myofibroblasts in the fibroblastic foci. As
      caveolin (Cav)-null mice develop pulmonary fibrosis (PF), we hypothesized that
      the participating fibroblasts display an apoptosis-resistant phenotype. To test
      this hypothesis and identify the molecular mechanisms involved we isolated lung
      fibroblasts from Cav-null mice and examined the expression of several inhibitors
      of apoptosis (IAPs), of c-FLIP, of Bcl-2 proteins and of the death receptor
      CD95/Fas. We found significant increase in XIAP and c-FLIP constitutive protein
      expression with no alteration of Bcl-2 and lower levels of CD95/Fas. The isolated
      fibroblasts were then treated with the CD95/Fas ligand (FasL) to induce
      apoptosis. While the morphological and biochemical alterations induced by FasL
      were similar in wild-type (wt) and Cav-null mouse lung fibroblasts, the time
      course and the extent of the alterations were greater in the Cav-null
      fibroblasts. Several salient features of Cav-null fibroblasts response such as
      loss of membrane potential, fragmentation of the mitochondrial continuum
      concurrent with caspase-8 activation, and subsequent Bid cleavage, prior to
      caspase-3 activation were detected. Furthermore, M30 antigen formation,
      phosphatidylserine expression and DNA fragmentation were caspase-3 dependent.
      SiRNA-mediated silencing of XIAP and c-FLIP, individually or combined, enhanced
      the sensitivity of lung fibroblasts to FasL-induced apoptosis. Pharmacological
      inhibition of Bcl-2 had no effect. Together our findings support a mechanism in
      which CD95/Fas engagement activates caspase-8, inducing mitochondrial apoptosis
      through Bid cleavage. XIAP and c-FLIP fine tune this process in a cell-type
      specific manner.

PMID- 28352237
TI  - Reduced Freezing in Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Patients while Watching
      Affective Pictures.
AB  - Besides fight and flight responses, animals and humans may respond to threat with
      freezing, a response characterized by bradycardia and physical immobility. Risk
      assessment is proposed to be enhanced during freezing to promote optimal decision
      making. Indeed, healthy participants showed freezing-like responses to threat
      cues. Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) patients are characterized by
      hypervigilance and increased threat responsiveness. We propose that threat
      responses will be characterized by decreased freezing in PTSD, eliminating
      possibilities for rejecting cognitive distortions, such as harm expectancy, and
      thereby contributing to the maintenance of the disorder. However, freezing
      responses have hardly been investigated in PTSD. Using a stabilometric platform
      to assess body sway as an indicator of freezing-like behavior, we examined
      whether veterans with PTSD would show diminished freezing responses to unpleasant
      versus neutral and pleasant pictures. Fourteen PTSD patients and 14 healthy
      matched controls watched the pictures, while body sway and heart rate (HR) were
      continuously assessed. Replicating previous findings, healthy controls showed
      decreased body sway and HR in response to unpleasant pictures, indicative of
      freezing-like behavior. In contrast, this response pattern was not observed in
      PTSD patients. The results may indicate a reduced freezing response in PTSD. As
      reduced freezing may hinder appropriate risk assessment, it may be an important
      factor in the maintenance of PTSD. Future research might clarify whether impaired
      freezing is a PTSD-specific or a transdiagnostic symptom, being present in threat
      related disorders.

PMID- 28352236
TI  - Insights and Challenges of Multi-Scale Modeling of Sarcomere Mechanics in cTn and
      Tm DCM Mutants-Genotype to Cellular Phenotype.
AB  - Dilated Cardiomyopathy (DCM) is a leading cause of sudden cardiac death
      characterized by impaired pump function and dilatation of cardiac ventricles. In
      this review we discuss various in silico approaches to elucidating the mechanisms
      of genetic mutations leading to DCM. The approaches covered in this review focus
      on bridging the spatial and temporal gaps that exist between molecular and
      cellular processes. Mutations in sarcomeric regulatory thin filament proteins
      such as the troponin complex (cTn) and Tropomyosin (Tm) have been associated with
      DCM. Despite the experimentally-observed myofilament measures of contractility in
      the case of these mutations, the mechanisms by which the underlying molecular
      changes and protein interactions scale up to organ failure by these mutations
      remains elusive. The review highlights multi-scale modeling approaches and their
      applicability to study the effects of sarcomeric gene mutations in-silico. We
      discuss some of the insights that can be gained from computational models of
      cardiac biomechanics when scaling from molecular states to cellular level.

PMID- 28352238
TI  - Communicating the Neuroscience of Psychopathy and Its Influence on Moral
      Behavior: Protocol of Two Experimental Studies.
AB  - Neuroscience has identified brain structures and functions that correlate with
      psychopathic tendencies. Since psychopathic traits can be traced back to physical
      neural attributes, it has been argued that psychopaths are not truly responsible
      for their actions and therefore should not be blamed for their psychopathic
      behaviors. This experimental research aims to evaluate what effect communicating
      this theory of psychopathy has on the moral behavior of lay people. If
      psychopathy is blamed on the brain, people may feel less morally responsible for
      their own psychopathic tendencies and therefore may be more likely to display
      those tendencies. An online study will provide participants with false feedback
      about their psychopathic traits supposedly based on their digital footprint
      (i.e., Facebook likes), thus classifying them as having either above-average or
      below-average psychopathic traits and describing psychopathy in cognitive or
      neurobiological terms. This particular study will assess the extent to which lay
      people are influenced by feedback regarding their psychopathic traits, and how
      this might affect their moral behavior in online tasks. Public recognition of
      these potential negative consequences of neuroscience communication will also be
      assessed. A field study using the lost letter technique will be conducted to
      examine lay people's endorsement of neurobiological, as compared to cognitive,
      explanations of criminal behavior. This field and online experimental research
      could inform the future communication of neuroscience to the public in a way that
      is sensitive to the potential negative consequences of communicating such
      science. In particular, this research may have implications for the future means
      by which neurobiological predictors of offending can be safely communicated to
      offenders.

PMID- 28352239
TI  - Psychological Interventions for Post-traumatic Stress Symptoms in Psychosis: A
      Systematic Review of Outcomes.
AB  - Individuals with severe mental health problems, such as psychosis, are
      consistently shown to have experienced high levels of past traumatic events. They
      are also at an increased risk of further traumatisation through victimization
      events such as crime and assault. The experience of psychosis itself and
      psychiatric hospitalization have also been recognized to be sufficiently
      traumatic to lead to the development of post-traumatic stress (PTS) symptoms.
      Rates of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) are elevated in people with
      psychosis compared to the general population. The current guidance for the
      treatment of PTSD is informed by an evidence base predominately limited to
      populations without co-morbid psychiatric disorders. The systematic review
      therefore sought to present the current available literature on the use of
      psychological treatments targeting PTS symptoms in a population with a primary
      diagnosis of a psychotic disorder. The review aimed to investigate the effect of
      these interventions on PTS symptoms and also the effect on secondary domains such
      as psychotic symptoms, affect and functioning. Fifteen studies were identified
      reporting on cognitive behavior therapy, prolonged exposure, eye movement
      desensitisation and reprocessing and written emotional disclosure. The review
      provides preliminary support for the safe use of trauma-focused psychological
      interventions in groups of people with severe mental health problems. Overall,
      the interventions were found to be effective in reducing PTS symptoms. Results
      were mixed with regard to secondary effects on additional domains. Further
      research including studies employing sufficiently powered methodologically
      rigorous designs is indicated.

PMID- 28352240
TI  - Military Service Member and Veteran Reintegration: A Conceptual Analysis, Unified
      Definition, and Key Domains.
AB  - Returning military service members and veterans (MSMVs) may experience a variety
      of stress-related disorders and challenges when reintegrating from the military
      to the community. Facilitating the reintegration, transition, readjustment and
      coping, and community integration, of MSMVs is a societal priority. To date,
      research addressing MSMV reintegration has not identified a comprehensive
      definition of the term or defined the broader context within which the process of
      reintegration occurs although both are needed to promote valid and reliable
      measurement of reintegration and clarify related challenges, processes, and their
      impact on outcomes. Therefore, this principle-based concept analysis sought to
      review existing empirical reintegration measurement instruments and identify the
      problems and needs of MSMV reintegration to provide a unified definition of
      reintegration to guide future research, clinical practice, and related services.
      We identified 1,459 articles in the health and social sciences literature,
      published between 1990 and 2015, by searching multiple electronic databases.
      Screening of abstracts and full text review based on our inclusion/exclusion
      criteria, yielded 117 articles for review. Two investigators used constant
      conceptual comparison to evaluate relevant articles independently. We examined
      the term reintegration and related terms (i.e., transition, readjustment,
      community integration) identifying trends in their use over time, analyzed the
      eight reintegration survey instruments, and synthesized service member and
      veteran self-reported challenges and needs for reintegration. More reintegration
      research was published during the last 5 years (n = 373) than in the previous 10
      years combined (n = 130). The research suggests coping with life stresses plays
      an integral role in military service member and veteran post-deployment
      reintegration. Key domains of reintegration include individual, interpersonal,
      community organizations, and societal factors that may facilitate or challenge
      successful reintegration, and results suggest that successful coping with life
      stressors plays an integral role in post-deployment reintegration. Overall, the
      literature does not provide a comprehensive representation of reintegration among
      MSMVs. Although, previous research describes military service member and veteran
      reintegration challenges, this concept analysis provides a unified definition of
      the phenomenon and identifies key domains of reintegration that may broaden our
      understanding and guide reintegration research and practice.

PMID- 28352242
TI  - Verbal Emotional Disclosure of Traumatic Experiences in Adolescents: The Role of
      Social Risk Factors.
AB  - It is well-known that traumatic events and adverse life situations are very
      important in both physical and psychological health. Prevalence studies suggested
      that adolescents experience at least one potentially traumatic event before
      reaching age 18. The paradigm of research centered on expressive writing has
      evidenced the beneficial effects that the emotional disclosure of previous
      traumas produces on physical health and psychological adjustment. The aims of the
      study are threefold: determining the prevalence of adverse or traumatic events;
      examining the extent to which psychopathological symptoms developed in those
      exposed to traumatic events; and exploring an verbal emotional disclosure (VED)
      paradigm in which variations on time spent talking about traumatic experiences to
      others resulted in a reduction of the psychological impact of trauma in a sample
      of Spanish adolescents. 422 volunteer adolescents participated, 226 boys and 192
      girls, from 10 to 19 years old, all of them living in Tenerife. The mean age was
      14.8 years (SD = 1.83). All of them completed the instruments used to assess the
      psychological impact of traumatic experiences and VED. The main results indicated
      that 77% of the participants had suffered a traumatic situation. The participants
      who have been exposed to traumatic events scored significantly higher in measures
      of post-traumatic stress, disorder, intrusive thoughts, avoidance behaviors,
      anxiety and depression, compared to those without trauma. Furthermore, results
      show a decrease in symptomatology scores as a function of time spent disclosing
      emotional experiences to others, particularly when disclosure occurred several
      times. In conclusion, stressful events or traumatic experiences and their
      concomitant emotional effects are highly prevalent in adolescents, and repeated
      VED to others appears to ameliorate their impact. VED shows greater therapeutic
      benefits when adolescents narrate the experience on several occasions and in an
      extensive way.

PMID- 28352241
TI  - The Sense of 1PP-Location Contributes to Shaping the Perceived Self-location
      Together with the Sense of Body-Location.
AB  - Self-location-the sense of where I am in space-provides an experiential anchor
      for one's interaction with the environment. In the studies of full-body
      illusions, many researchers have defined self-location solely in terms of body
      location-the subjective feeling of where my body is. Although this view is
      useful, there is an issue regarding whether it can fully accommodate the role of
      1PP-location-the sense of where my first-person perspective is located in space.
      In this study, we investigate self-location by comparing body-location and 1PP
      location: using a head-mounted display (HMD) and a stereo camera, the subjects
      watched their own body standing in front of them and received tactile
      stimulations. We manipulated their senses of body-location and 1PP-location in
      three different conditions: the participants standing still (Basic condition),
      asking them to move forward (Walking condition), and swiftly moving the stereo
      camera away from their body (Visual condition). In the Walking condition, the
      participants watched their body moving away from their 1PP. In the Visual
      condition, the scene seen via the HMD was systematically receding. Our data show
      that, under different manipulations of movement, the spatial unity between 1PP
      location and body-location can be temporarily interrupted. Interestingly, we also
      observed a "double-body effect." We further suggest that it is better to consider
      body-location and 1PP-location as interrelated but distinct factors that jointly
      support the sense of self-location.

PMID- 28352243
TI  - Behavioral Dynamics in Swimming: The Appropriate Use of Inertial Measurement
      Units.
AB  - Motor control in swimming can be analyzed using low- and high-order parameters of
      behavior. Low-order parameters generally refer to the superficial aspects of
      movement (i.e., position, velocity, acceleration), whereas high-order parameters
      capture the dynamics of movement coordination. To assess human aquatic behavior,
      both types have usually been investigated with multi-camera systems, as they
      offer high three-dimensional spatial accuracy. Research in ecological dynamics
      has shown that movement system variability can be viewed as a functional property
      of skilled performers, helping them adapt their movements to the surrounding
      constraints. Yet to determine the variability of swimming behavior, a large
      number of stroke cycles (i.e., inter-cyclic variability) has to be analyzed,
      which is impossible with camera-based systems as they simply record behaviors
      over restricted volumes of water. Inertial measurement units (IMUs) were designed
      to explore the parameters and variability of coordination dynamics. These light,
      transportable and easy-to-use devices offer new perspectives for swimming
      research because they can record low- to high-order behavioral parameters over
      long periods. We first review how the low-order behavioral parameters (i.e.,
      speed, stroke length, stroke rate) of human aquatic locomotion and their
      variability can be assessed using IMUs. We then review the way high-order
      parameters are assessed and the adaptive role of movement and coordination
      variability in swimming. We give special focus to the circumstances in which
      determining the variability between stroke cycles provides insight into how
      behavior oscillates between stable and flexible states to functionally respond to
      environmental and task constraints. The last section of the review is dedicated
      to practical recommendations for coaches on using IMUs to monitor swimming
      performance. We therefore highlight the need for rigor in dealing with these
      sensors appropriately in water. We explain the fundamental and mandatory steps to
      follow for accurate results with IMUs, from data acquisition (e.g., waterproofing
      procedures) to interpretation (e.g., drift correction).

PMID- 28352244
TI  - The Child Attachment Interview: A Narrative Review.
AB  - Attachment theory promoted an impressive body of research on the psychic
      developmental processes, resulting in studies on both typical and atypical
      development. Much of the diffusion of the attachment theory in the clinical field
      was related to the design of reliable instruments to evaluate the organization of
      attachment in infancy as well as in adulthood. Until recently, the lack of a
      suitable instrument to assess attachment in middle childhood as well as in
      adolescence hindered the expansion of research in these developmental phases
      during which the parent-child relationship takes on a different, albeit still
      crucial, role. The Child Attachment Interview (CAI), a measure that was recently
      designed to assess attachment at a representational level in middle childhood and
      adolescence, filled the measurement gap. The aim of the current review was to
      summarize previous empirical investigations concerning CAI in order to (a)
      provide an overview of the state of current research, (b) identify unanswered
      questions, and (c) propose future research directions. A narrative review was
      conducted to map the current research findings by searching for the term "Child
      Attachment Interview" in the Medline, Scopus, Web of Science, and PsychINFO
      databases, followed by a search in Mendeley. Limits were set to exclude
      dissertations, chapters in books, and qualitative or theoretical papers, while
      empirical studies were included if they used the CAI and were published in
      English language, peer-reviewed journals by July, 2016. The review, which
      ultimately included 39 studies meeting the criteria, showed that the CAI is a
      reliable instrument to assess attachment organization in clinical and non
      clinical samples, thus providing a worthwhile contribution to the investigation
      of the influence of the parent-child relationship beyond infancy and early
      childhood. Nevertheless, the review pointed out a number of relevant open issues,
      the most critical of which concerned the CAI coding and classification system. In
      particular, some relevant questions arose about (a) how opportune it would be to
      maintain a distinct classification for mother and father, (b) coding challenges
      regarding both the father and the Preoccupied and Disorganized classification,
      and finally (c) the advantage of a dimensional vs. a categorical approach.

PMID- 28352245
TI  - Listening and Hearing: A Voice Hearer's Invitation into Relationship.
AB  - Although historically overlooked, empirical links between trauma and psychosis
      have received growing attention over the past decade. Increasingly, clinical
      researchers have also zeroed in on the role that distressing or traumatic life
      events play in the psychosocial formation and maintenance of psychosis. This
      paper re-locates anomalous experiences in their human contexts, and asks that
      clinicians and researchers engage with these contexts. The author shares a first
      person account of her experience changing her relationships with dominance in
      order to reclaim and accept her human being-ness, a reorientation supported by
      her involvement in the world hearing voices network movement and community. She
      calls for mental health systems, providers, and researchers to collaborate with
      the persons at the center of their work-to dare to listen, hear, and connect for
      mutual learning, healing, and wholeness. The article concludes with
      recommendations and a rallying call for services to be made more inclusive and to
      re-center in meaningful collaboration with people with lived experience. More
      comprehensive, meaningful, and accountable practices can be co-created when
      people are met equally as human subjects, both responsible and accountable for
      change.

PMID- 28352246
TI  - Grand Challenges in Eating Behavior Research: Preventing Weight Gain,
      Facilitating Long-Term Weight Maintenance.

PMID- 28352247
TI  - Refixation Saccades with Normal Gain Values: A Diagnostic Problem in the Video
      Head Impulse Test: A Case Report.
AB  - Refixation saccades with normal gain value occur more frequently with increasing
      age. The phenomenon has also been observed in different vestibular disorders. In
      this case, we present a young male with normal gain value and refixation saccades
      tested with the video head impulse test (vHIT) the day after his cochlear
      implantation. One month after surgery, refixation saccades were no longer
      present. This suggests that refixation saccades can occur as a result of
      temporary pathology such as surgery. Refixation saccades with normal gain values
      might reflect a partial deficit in the vestibulo-ocular reflex. However, this
      partial deficit is in conflict with the current way of interpreting vHIT results
      in which the vestibular function is classified as either normal or pathological
      based only on the gain value. Refixation saccades, which are evident signs of
      vestibulopathy, are not considered in the evaluation. A new way of interpreting
      the vHIT based on the saccades must be considered.

PMID- 28352248
TI  - Alberta Stroke Program Early CT Score Infarct Location Predicts Outcome Following
      M2 Occlusion.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Although it is generally thought that patients with distal middle
      cerebral artery (M2) occlusion have a favorable outcome, it has previously been
      demonstrated that a substantial minority will have a poor outcome by 90 days. We
      sought to determine whether assessing the Alberta Stroke Program Early CT Score
      (ASPECTS) infarct location allows for identifying patients at risk for a poor 90
      day outcome. METHODS: We retrospectively analyzed patients with isolated acute M2
      occlusion admitted to a single academic center between January 2010 and August
      2012. Infarct regions were defined according to ASPECTS system on the initial
      head computed tomography. Discriminant function analysis was used to define
      specific ASPECTS regions that are predictive of the 90-day functional outcome as
      defined as a modified Rankin Scale score of 3-6. In addition, logistic regression
      was used to model the relationship between each individual ASPECT region with
      poor outcome; for evaluation and comparison, odds ratios, c-statistics, and
      Akaike information criterion values were estimated for each region. RESULTS:
      Ninety patients with isolated M2 were included in the final analysis. ASPECTS
      score <=6 predicted poor outcome in this cohort (sensitivity = 0.591, specificity
      = 0.838, p < 0.001). Using multiple approaches, we found that infarction in
      ASPECTS regions M3 and M6 were strongly associated with poor functional status by
      90 days. CONCLUSION: Infarction in ASPECTS regions M3 and M6 are key predictors
      of functional outcome following isolated distal M2 occlusion. These findings will
      be helpful in stratifying outcomes if validated in future studies.

PMID- 28352249
TI  - High-Fat Feeding Does Not Disrupt Daily Rhythms in Female Mice because of
      Protection by Ovarian Hormones.
AB  - Obesity in women is increased by the loss of circulating estrogen after
      menopause. Shift work, which disrupts circadian rhythms, also increases the risk
      for obesity. It is not known whether ovarian hormones interact with the circadian
      system to protect females from obesity. During high-fat feeding, male C57BL/6J
      mice develop profound obesity and disruption of daily rhythms. Since C57BL/6J
      female mice did not develop diet-induced obesity (during 8 weeks of high-fat
      feeding), we first determined if daily rhythms in female mice were resistant to
      disruption from high-fat diet. We fed female PERIOD2:LUCIFERASE mice 45% high-fat
      diet for 1 week and measured daily rhythms. Female mice retained robust rhythms
      of eating behavior and locomotor activity during high-fat feeding that were
      similar to chow-fed females. In addition, the phase of the liver molecular
      timekeeping (PER2:LUC) rhythm was not altered by high-fat feeding in females. To
      determine if ovarian hormones protected daily rhythms in female mice from high
      fat feeding, we analyzed rhythms in ovariectomized mice. During high-fat feeding,
      the amplitudes of the eating behavior and locomotor activity rhythms were reduced
      in ovariectomized females. Liver PER2:LUC rhythms were also advanced by ~4 h by
      high-fat feeding, but not chow, in ovariectomized females. Together these data
      show circulating ovarian hormones protect the integrity of daily rhythms in
      female mice during high-fat feeding.

PMID- 28352250
TI  - Characteristics of Quinolone Resistance in Salmonella spp. Isolates from the Food
      Chain in Brazil.
AB  - Salmonella spp. is an important zoonotic pathogen related to foodborne diseases.
      Despite that quinolones/fluoroquinolones are considered a relevant therapeutic
      strategy against resistant isolates, the increase in antimicrobial resistance is
      an additional difficulty in controlling bacterial infections caused by Salmonella
      spp. Thus, the acquisition of resistance to quinolones in Salmonella spp. is
      worrisome to the scientific community along with the possibility of transmission
      of resistance through plasmids. This study investigated the prevalence of plasmid
      mediated quinolone resistance (PMQR) in Salmonella spp. and its association with
      fluoroquinolone susceptibility in Brazil. We evaluated 129 isolates, 39
      originated from food of animal sources, and 14 from environmental samples and
      including 9 from animals and 67 from humans, which were referred to the National
      Reference Laboratory of Enteric Diseases (NRLEB/IOC/RJ) between 2009 and 2013.
      These samples showed a profile of resistance for the tested
      quinolones/fluoroquinolones. A total of 33 serotypes were identified; S.
      Typhimurium (63) was the most prevalent followed by S. Enteritidis (25). The disk
      diffusion test showed 48.8% resistance to enrofloxacin, 42.6% to ciprofloxacin,
      39.53% to ofloxacin, and 30.2% to levofloxacin. According to the broth
      microdilution test, the resistance percentages were: 96.1% to nalidixic acid,
      64.3% to enrofloxacin, 56.6% to ciprofloxacin, 34.1% to ofloxacin, and 30.2% to
      levofloxacin. Qnr genes were found in 15 isolates (8 qnrS, 6 qnrB, and 1 qnrD),
      and the aac(6')-Ib gene in 23. The integron gene was detected in 67 isolates with
      the variable region between +/-600 and 1000 bp. The increased detection of PMQR
      in Salmonella spp. is a serious problem in Public Health and must constantly be
      monitored. Pulsed-field gel electrophoresis was performed to evaluated clonal
      profile among the most prevalent serovars resistant to different classes of
      quinolones. A total of 33 pulsotypes of S. Typhimurium were identified with a low
      percentage of genetic similarity (<=65%). This result demonstrates the presence
      of high diversity in the resistant clones evaluated in this study.

PMID- 28352251
TI  - Stochastic and Differential Activation of sigmaB and PrfA in Listeria
      monocytogenes at the Single Cell Level under Different Environmental Stress
      Conditions.
AB  - During host infection, the foodborne pathogen Listeria monocytogenes must sense
      and respond to rapidly changing environmental conditions. Two transcriptional
      regulators, the alternative sigma factor B (sigmaB) and the Positive Regulatory
      Factor A (PrfA), are key contributors to the transcriptomic responses that enable
      bacterial survival in the host gastrointestinal tract and invasion of host
      duodenal cells. Increases in temperature and osmolarity induce activity of these
      proteins; such conditions may be encountered in food matrices as well as within
      the host gastrointestinal tract. Differences in PrfA and sigmaB activity between
      individual cells might affect the fate of a cell during host invasion, therefore,
      we hypothesized that PrfA and sigmaB activities differ among individual cells
      under heat and salt stress. We used fluorescent reporter fusions to determine the
      relative proportions of cells with active sigmaB or PrfA following exposure to 45
      degrees C heat or 4% NaCl. Activities of both PrfA and sigmaB were induced
      stochastically, with fluorescence levels ranging from below detection to high
      among individual cells. The proportion of cells with active PrfA was
      significantly higher than the proportion with active sigmaB under all tested
      conditions; under some conditions, nearly all cells had active PrfA. Our findings
      further support the growing body of evidence illustrating the stochastic nature
      of bacterial gene expression under conditions that are relevant for host invasion
      via food-borne, oral infection.

PMID- 28352252
TI  - Phosphate Limitation Triggers the Dissolution of Precipitated Iron by the Marine
      Bacterium Pseudovibrio sp. FO-BEG1.
AB  - Phosphorus is an essential nutrient for all living organisms. In bacteria, the
      preferential phosphorus source is phosphate, which is often a limiting
      macronutrient in many areas of the ocean. The geochemical cycle of phosphorus is
      strongly interconnected with the cycles of other elements and especially iron,
      because phosphate tends to adsorb onto iron minerals, such as iron oxide formed
      in oxic marine environments. Although the response to either iron or phosphate
      limitation has been investigated in several bacterial species, the metabolic
      interplay between these two nutrients has rarely been considered. In this study
      we evaluated the impact of phosphate limitation on the iron metabolism of the
      marine bacterium Pseudovibrio sp. FO-BEG1. We observed that phosphate limitation
      led to an initial decrease of soluble iron in the culture up to three times
      higher than under phosphate surplus conditions. Similarly, a decrease in soluble
      cobalt was more pronounced under phosphate limitation. These data point toward
      physiological changes induced by phosphate limitation that affect either the
      cellular surface and therefore the metal adsorption onto it or the cellular metal
      uptake. We discovered that under phosphate limitation strain FO-BEG1, as well as
      selected strains of the Roseobacter clade, secreted iron-chelating molecules.
      This leads to the hypothesis that these bacteria might release such molecules to
      dissolve iron minerals, such as iron-oxyhydroxide, in order to access the
      adsorbed phosphate. As the adsorption of phosphate onto iron minerals can
      significantly decrease phosphate concentrations in the environment, the observed
      release of iron-chelators might represent an as yet unrecognized link between the
      biogeochemical cycle of phosphorus and iron, and it suggests another biological
      function of iron-chelating molecules in addition to metal-scavenging.

PMID- 28352253
TI  - Nitrate Assimilation in Fusarium fujikuroi Is Controlled by Multiple Levels of
      Regulation.
AB  - Secondary metabolite production of the phytopathogenic ascomycete fungus Fusarium
      fujikuroi is greatly influenced by the availability of nitrogen. While favored
      nitrogen sources such as glutamine and ammonium are used preferentially, the
      uptake and utilization of nitrate is subject to a regulatory mechanism called
      nitrogen metabolite repression (NMR). In Aspergillus nidulans, the
      transcriptional control of the nitrate assimilatory system is carried out by the
      synergistic action of the nitrate-specific transcription factor NirA and the
      major nitrogen-responsive regulator AreA. In this study, we identified the main
      components of the nitrate assimilation system in F. fujikuroi and studied the
      role of each of them regarding the regulation of the remaining components. We
      analyzed mutants with deletions of the nitrate-specific activator NirA, the
      nitrate reductase (NR), the nitrite reductase (NiR) and the nitrate transporter
      NrtA. We show that NirA controls the transcription of the nitrate assimilatory
      genes NIAD, NIIA, and NRTA in the presence of nitrate, and that the global
      nitrogen regulator AreA is obligatory for expression of most, but not all NirA
      target genes (NIAD). By transforming a NirA-GFP fusion construct into the
      DeltaNIAD, DeltaNRTA, and DeltaAREA mutant backgrounds we revealed that NirA was
      dispersed in the cytosol when grown in the presence of glutamine, but rapidly
      sorted to the nucleus when nitrate was added. Interestingly, the rapid and
      nitrate-induced nuclear translocation of NirA was observed also in the DeltaAREA
      and DeltaNRTA mutants, but not in DeltaNIAD, suggesting that the fungus is able
      to directly sense nitrate in an AreA- and NrtA-independent, but NR-dependent
      manner.

PMID- 28352254
TI  - Distribution of Secretion Systems in the Genus Legionella and Its Correlation
      with Pathogenicity.
AB  - The genus Legionella comprises over 60 species, which are important human
      pathogens. Secretion systems in Legionella pneumophila have been studied
      extensively because of the essential role of protein secretion in bacterial
      infection. However, there are few reports describing the secretion systems in non
      L. pneumophila species. In this study, we analyzed the distribution of secretion
      systems in L. pneumophila and 18 species of non-L. pneumophila based on whole
      genome sequences. A total of 74 whole genome sequences from 19 species of
      Legionella were analyzed. Type II and IVB secretion systems were detected in all
      Legionella strains, but the type I secretion systems was restricted to L.
      pneumophila. The type IVA secretion system was randomly distributed among
      different species. Furthermore, we found the type VI secretion system in three
      non-L. pneumophila strains (Legionella cherrii DSM 19213, Legionella dumoffii Tex
      KL, and Legionella gormanii ATCC 33297). In population structure analysis, L.
      pneumophila formed a conservative cluster and was located at the terminal of the
      evolutionary tree. At the same time, L. pneumophila, especially eight clone
      groups (named MCGG1-MCGG8), showed higher intracellular growth ability than non
      L. pneumophila species. These results suggest that L. pneumophila has acquired
      additional secretion systems during evolution, resulting in increased
      pathogenicity.

PMID- 28352255
TI  - Metaproteogenomics Reveals Taxonomic and Functional Changes between Cecal and
      Fecal Microbiota in Mouse.
AB  - Previous studies on mouse models report that cecal and fecal microbial
      communities may differ in the taxonomic structure, but little is known about
      their respective functional activities. Here, we employed a metaproteogenomic
      approach, including 16S rRNA gene sequencing, shotgun metagenomics and shotgun
      metaproteomics, to analyze the microbiota of paired mouse cecal contents (CCs)
      and feces, with the aim of identifying changes in taxon-specific functions. As a
      result, Gram-positive anaerobes were observed as considerably higher in CCs,
      while several key enzymes, involved in oxalate degradation, glutamate/glutamine
      metabolism, and redox homeostasis, and most actively expressed by Bacteroidetes,
      were clearly more represented in feces. On the whole, taxon and function
      abundance appeared to vary consistently with environmental changes expected to
      occur throughout the transit from the cecum to outside the intestine, especially
      when considering metaproteomic data. The results of this study indicate that
      functional and metabolic differences exist between CC and stool samples, paving
      the way to further metaproteogenomic investigations aimed at elucidating the
      functional dynamics of the intestinal microbiota.

PMID- 28352257
TI  - A Novel Pan-Genome Reverse Vaccinology Approach Employing a Negative-Selection
      Strategy for Screening Surface-Exposed Antigens against leptospirosis.
AB  - Reverse vaccinology (RV) has been widely used for screening of surface-exposed
      proteins (PSEs) of important pathogens, including outer membrane proteins (OMPs),
      and extracellular proteins (ECPs) as potential vaccine candidates. In this study,
      we applied a novel RV negative strategy and a pan-genome analysis for screening
      of PSEs from 17 L. interrogans strains covering 11 predominately epidemic
      serovars and 17 multilocus typing (MLST) sequence types (STs) worldwide. Our
      results showed, for instance, out of a total of 633 predicted PSEs in strain
      56601, 92.8% were OMPs or ECPs (588/633). Among the 17 strains, 190 core PSEs,
      913 dispensable PSEs and 861 unique PSEs were identified. Of the 190 PSEs, 121
      were further predicted to be highly antigenic and thus may serve as potential
      vaccine candidates against leptospirosis. With the exception of LipL45, OmpL1,
      and LigB, the majority of the 121 PSEs were newly identified antigens. For
      example, hypothetical proteins BatC, LipL71, and the OmpA family proteins sharing
      many common features, such as surface-exposed localization, universal
      conservation, and eliciting strong antibody responses in patients, are regarded
      as the most promising vaccine antigens. Additionally, a wide array of potential
      virulence factors among the predicted PSEs including TonB-dependent receptor,
      sphingomyelinase 2, leucine-rich repeat protein, and 4 neighboring hypothetical
      proteins were identified as potential antigenicity, and deserve further
      investigation. Our results can contribute to the prediction of suitable antigens
      as potential vaccine candidates against leptospirosis and also provide further
      insights into mechanisms of leptospiral pathogenicity. In addition, our novel
      negative-screening strategy combined with pan-genome analysis can be a routine RV
      method applied to numerous other pathogens.

PMID- 28352258
TI  - 180-Nucleotide Duplication in the G Gene of Human metapneumovirus A2b Subgroup
      Strains Circulating in Yokohama City, Japan, since 2014.
AB  - Human metapneumovirus (HMPV), a member of the family Paramyxoviridae, was first
      isolated in 2001. Seroepidemiological studies have shown that HMPV has been a
      major etiological agent of acute respiratory infections in humans for more than
      50 years. Molecular epidemiological, genetic, and antigenetic evolutionary
      studies of HMPV will strengthen our understanding of the epidemic behavior of the
      virus and provide valuable insight for the control of HMPV and the development of
      vaccines and antiviral drugs against HMPV infection. In this study, the
      nucleotide sequence of and genetic variations in the G gene were analyzed in HMPV
      strains prevalent in Yokohama City, in the Kanto area, Japan, between January
      2013 and June 2016. As a part of the National Epidemiological Surveillance of
      Infectious Diseases, Japan, 1308 clinical specimens (throat swabs, nasal swabs,
      nasal secretions, and nasal aspirate fluids) collected at 24 hospitals or clinics
      in Yokohama City were screened for 15 major respiratory viruses with a multiplex
      reverse transcription-PCR assay. HMPV was detected in 91 specimens, accounting
      for 7.0% of the total specimens, and the nucleotide sequences of the G genes of
      84 HMPV strains were determined. Among these 84 strains, 6, 43, 10, and 25
      strains were classified into subgroups A2a, A2b, B1, and B2, respectively.
      Approximately half the HMPV A2b subgroup strains detected since 2014 had a 180
      nucleotide duplication (180nt-dup) in the G gene and clustered on a phylogenic
      tree with four classical 180nt-dup-lacking HMPV A2b strains prevalent between
      2014 and 2015. The 180nt-dup causes a 60-amino-acid duplication (60aa-dup) in the
      G protein, creating 23-25 additional potential acceptor sites for O-linked
      sugars. Our data suggest that 180nt-dup occurred between 2011 and 2013 and that
      HMPV A2b strains with 180nt-dup (A2b180nt-dup HMPV) became major epidemic strains
      within 3 years. The detailed mechanism by which the A2b180nt-dup HMPV strains
      gained an advantage that allowed their efficient spread in the community and the
      effects of 60aa-dup on HMPV virulence must be clarified.

PMID- 28352256
TI  - Redirection of Metabolic Hydrogen by Inhibiting Methanogenesis in the Rumen
      Simulation Technique (RUSITEC).
AB  - A decrease in methanogenesis is expected to improve ruminant performance by
      allocating rumen metabolic hydrogen ([2H]) to more energy-rendering fermentation
      pathways for the animal. However, decreases in methane (CH4) emissions of up to
      30% are not always linked with greater performance. Therefore, the aim of this
      study was to understand the fate of [2H] when CH4 production in the rumen is
      inhibited by known methanogenesis inhibitors (nitrate, NIT; 3-nitrooxypropanol,
      NOP; anthraquinone, AQ) in comparison with a control treatment (CON) with the
      Rumen Simulation Technique (RUSITEC). Measurements started after 1 week
      adaptation. Substrate disappearance was not modified by methanogenesis
      inhibitors. Nitrate mostly seemed to decrease [2H] availability by acting as an
      electron acceptor competing with methanogenesis. As a consequence, NIT decreased
      CH4 production (-75%), dissolved dihydrogen (H2) concentration (-30%) and the
      percentages of reduced volatile fatty acids (butyrate, isobutyrate, valerate,
      isovalerate, caproate and heptanoate) except propionate, but increased acetate
      molar percentage, ethanol concentration and the efficiency of microbial nitrogen
      synthesis (+14%) without affecting gaseous H2. Nitrooxypropanol decreased
      methanogenesis (-75%) while increasing both gaseous and dissolved H2
      concentrations (+81% and +24%, respectively). Moreover, NOP decreased acetate and
      isovalerate molar percentages and increased butyrate, valerate, caproate and
      heptanoate molar percentages as well as n-propanol and ammonium concentrations.
      Methanogenesis inhibition with AQ (-26%) was associated with higher gaseous H2
      production (+70%) but lower dissolved H2 concentration (-76%), evidencing a lack
      of relationship between the two H2 forms. Anthraquinone increased ammonium
      concentration, caproate and heptanoate molar percentages but decreased acetate
      and isobutyrate molar percentages, total microbial nitrogen production and
      efficiency of microbial protein synthesis (-16%). Overall, NOP and AQ increased
      the amount of reduced volatile fatty acids, but part of [2H] spared from
      methanogenesis was lost as gaseous H2. Finally, [2H] recovery was similar among
      CON, NOP and AQ but was largely lower than 100%. Consequently, further studies
      are required to discover other so far unidentified [2H] sinks for a better
      understanding of the metabolic pathways involved in [2H] production and
      utilization.

PMID- 28352259
TI  - Jumbo Bacteriophages: An Overview.
AB  - Tailed bacteriophages with genomes larger than 200 kbp are classified as Jumbo
      phages, and are rarely isolated by conventional methods. These phages are
      designated "jumbo" owing to their most notable features of a large phage virion
      and large genome size. However, in addition to these, jumbo phages also exhibit
      several novel characteristics that have not been observed for phages with smaller
      genomes, which differentiate jumbo phages in terms of genome organization, virion
      structure, progeny propagation, and evolution. In this review, we summarize
      available reports on jumbo phages and discuss the differences between jumbo
      phages and small-genome phages. We also discuss data suggesting that jumbo phages
      might have evolved from phages with smaller genomes by acquiring additional
      functional genes, and that these additional genes reduce the dependence of the
      jumbo phages on the host bacteria.

PMID- 28352260
TI  - A Molecular Survey of Babesia Species and Detection of a New Babesia Species by
      DNA Related to B. venatorum from White Yaks in Tianzhu, China.
AB  - Bovine babesiosis is a tick-transmitted disease caused by different species of
      Babesia. The white yak is a unique yak breed that lives only in Tianzhu in the
      Tibetan Autonomous County, Gansu Province, in northwestern China. Previous
      research using the ELISA method has confirmed that the white yak could become
      infected with B. bigemina. The objective of this study was the molecular
      detection and identification of Babesia species in white yaks. A total of 409
      white yak blood samples were collected from 11 areas of the Tianzhu Tibetan
      Autonomous County in Northwest China from April to August, 2015. The V4
      hypervariable region of Babesia 18S rRNA was amplified from extracted genomic DNA
      using nested PCR and sequenced. The nearly full-length sequence of 18S rRNA
      including the V4 region from the newly discovered Babesia was amplified and
      sequenced with Sanger method. PCR detection and sequencing indicated that 4/409
      samples were positive for B. bigemina, 3/409 samples were positive for B. bovis,
      and 5/409 samples were positive for B. ovata. Additionally, a new Babesia species
      was found in 4/409 white yaks. A unique sequence of 1,627 bp was obtained from
      two of the four samples. The sequence was similar to Babesia species Akita
      (98.5%) found in Ixodes ovatus and B. venatorum (98%) and shared a 98% identity
      with B. divergens and a 98.1% identity with B. odocoilei. This study provides new
      data about Babesia infections in white yaks in northwestern China, and a new
      Babesia species similar to B. venatorum was identified in white yaks for the
      first time.

PMID- 28352262
TI  - Editorial: Recent Advances in Acidophile Microbiology: Fundamentals and
      Applications.

PMID- 28352261
TI  - Analysis of Evolutionary Processes of Species Jump in Waterfowl Parvovirus.
AB  - Waterfowl parvoviruses are classified into goose parvovirus (GPV) and Muscovy
      duck parvovirus (MDPV) according to their antigenic features and host
      preferences. A novel duck parvovirus (NDPV), identified as a new variant of GPV,
      is currently infecting ducks, thus causing considerable economic loss. This study
      analyzed the molecular evolution and population dynamics of the emerging
      parvovirus capsid gene to investigate the evolutionary processes concerning the
      host shift of NDPV. Two important amino acids changes (Asn-489 and Asn-650) were
      identified in NDPV, which may be responsible for host shift of NDPV. Phylogenetic
      analysis indicated that the currently circulating NDPV originated from the GPV
      lineage. The Bayesian Markov chain Monte Carlo tree indicated that the NDPV
      diverged from GPV approximately 20 years ago. Evolutionary rate analyses
      demonstrated that GPV evolved with 7.674 * 10-4 substitutions/site/year, and the
      data for MDPV was 5.237 * 10-4 substitutions/site/year, whereas the substitution
      rate in NDPV branch was 2.25 * 10-3 substitutions/site/year. Meanwhile, viral
      population dynamics analysis revealed that the GPV major clade, including NDPV,
      grew exponentially at a rate of 1.717 year-1. Selection pressure analysis showed
      that most sites are subject to strong purifying selection and no positively
      selected sites were found in NDPV. The unique immune-epitopes in waterfowl
      parvovirus were also estimated, which may be helpful for the prediction of
      antibody binding sites against NDPV in ducks.

PMID- 28352263
TI  - Cold Stress and Nitrogen Deficiency Affected Protein Expression of Psychrotrophic
      Dyadobacter psychrophilus B2 and Pseudomonas jessenii MP1.
AB  - Nitrogen (N) deficiency and low temperature conditions are the prominent facet of
      Western Himalayan agro-ecosystems. A slight change in the environment alters the
      protein expression of the microorganisms. Therefore, proteomes of the two
      psychrotrophs Dyadobacter psychrophilus B2 and Pseudomonas jessenii MP1 were
      analyzed using two dimensional electrophoresis and MALDI-TOF-MS, to determine the
      physiological response of altitudinally different but indigenous microorganisms
      in response to cold stress under N depleting conditions. Functional assessment of
      150 differentially expressed proteins from both the psychrotrophs revealed
      several mechanisms might be involved in cold stress adaptation, protein
      synthesis/modifications, energy metabolism, cell growth/maintenance, etc. In both
      the proteomes, abundance of the proteins related to energy production and stress
      were significantly increased while, proteins related to biosynthesis and energy
      consuming processes decreased. ATP synthase subunit alpha, beta, ATP-dependent
      Clp protease, Enolase, groL HtpG and N(2)-fixation sustaining protein CowN
      proteins were found to be expressed in both B2 and MP1, similarly to previously
      studied diazotrophs under low temperature N2 fixing conditions and therefore, can
      be considered as a biomarker for monitoring the nitrogen fixation in cold niches.
      Nevertheless, in both the diazotrophs, a good fraction of the proteins were
      related to hypothetical proteins which are still uncharacterized, thereby,
      suggesting the need for in-depth studies on cold adapted diazotrophs and their
      adaptive mechanisms.

PMID- 28352264
TI  - Indole-Induced Activities of beta-Lactamase and Efflux Pump Confer Ampicillin
      Resistance in Pseudomonas putida KT2440.
AB  - Indole, which is widespread in microbial communities, has received attention
      because of its effects on bacterial physiology. Pseudomonas putida and
      Pseudomonas aeruginosa can acquire ampicillin (Amp) resistance during growth on
      indole-Amp agar. Transcriptome, mutant, and inhibitor studies have suggested that
      Amp resistance induced by indole can be attributed to increased gene expression
      of ttgAB encoding two genes of RND-type multidrug efflux operons and an ampC
      encoding beta-lactamase. Expression, enzyme activities, and mutational analyses
      indicated that AmpC beta-lactamase is important for acquiring Amp resistance of
      P. putida in the presence of indole. Here, we show, for the first time, that
      volatile indole increased Amp-resistant cells. Consistent with results of the
      volatile indole assay, a low concentration of indole in liquid culture promoted
      growth initially, but led to mutagenesis after indole was depleted, which could
      not be observed at high indole concentrations. Interestingly, ttgAB and ampC gene
      expression levels correlate with the concentration of indole, which might explain
      the low number of Amp-mutated cells in high indole concentrations. The expression
      levels of genes involved in mutagenesis, namely rpoS, recA, and mutS, were also
      modulated by indole. Our data indicates that indole reduces Amp-induced
      heterogeneity by promoting expression of TtgABC or MexAB-OprM efflux pumps and
      the indole-induced beta-lactamase in P. putida and P. aeruginosa.

PMID- 28352265
TI  - The Myxobacterium Myxococcus xanthus Can Sense and Respond to the Quorum Signals
      Secreted by Potential Prey Organisms.
AB  - The myxobacterium Myxococcus xanthus is a predatory member of the soil
      microfauna, able to consume bacteria (Gram-negative, Gram-positive), archaea, and
      fungi. Many potential prey of M. xanthus communicate amongst themselves using
      acyl homoserine lactones (AHLs) as quorum signals. M. xanthus cannot itself
      produce AHLs, but could potentially benefit by responding to exogenous AHLs
      produced during signaling between proximal prey. Four AHLs of different side
      chain length were tested and all found to delay sporulation of M. xanthus
      vegetative cells, and to stimulate germination of myxospores, increasing the
      proportion of predatory vegetative cells in the population. The predatory
      activity and expansion rates of M. xanthus colonies were also found to be
      stimulated by AHLs. Thermally inactivated AHLs had no effect on M. xanthus cells,
      and the response to AHLs depended (non-linearly) on the length of AHL side chain,
      suggesting that the effect of AHLs was mediated by specific signaling within M.
      xanthus, rather than being a consequence of the chemical or physical properties
      of AHLs. Therefore, it seems that the presence of xenic quorum signaling
      molecules enhances the predatory activity of M. xanthus. AHLs increase the
      proportion of the population capable of predation, and stimulate the motility and
      predatory activity of vegetative cells. We therefore propose that in the wild, M.
      xanthus uses AHLs as markers of nearby prey, potentially eavesdropping on the
      conversations between prey organisms.

PMID- 28352266
TI  - Canonical and Cross-reactive Binding of NK Cell Inhibitory Receptors to HLA-C
      Allotypes Is Dictated by Peptides Bound to HLA-C.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Human natural killer (NK) cell activity is regulated by a family of
      killer cell immunoglobulin-like receptors (KIRs) that bind human leukocyte
      antigen (HLA) class I. Combinations of KIR and HLA genotypes are associated with
      disease, including susceptibility to viral infection and disorders of pregnancy.
      KIR2DL1 binds HLA-C alleles of group C2 (Lys80). KIR2DL2 and KIR2DL3 bind HLA-C
      alleles of group C1 (Asn80). However, this model cannot explain HLA-C allelic
      effects in disease or the impact of HLA-bound peptides. The goal of this study
      was to determine the extent to which the endogenous HLA-C peptide repertoire can
      influence the specific binding of inhibitory KIR to HLA-C allotypes. RESULTS: The
      impact of HLA-C bound peptide on inhibitory KIR binding was investigated taking
      advantage of the fact that HLA-C*05:01 (HLA-C group 2, C2) and HLA-C*08:02 (HLA-C
      group 1, C1) have identical sequences apart from the key KIR specificity
      determining epitope at residues 77 and 80. Endogenous peptides were eluted from
      HLA-C*05:01 and used to test the peptide dependence of KIR2DL1 and KIR2DL2/3
      binding to HLA-C*05:01 and HLA-C*08:02 and subsequent impact on NK cell function.
      Specific binding of KIR2DL1 to the C2 allotype occurred with the majority of
      peptides tested. In contrast, KIR2DL2/3 binding to the C1 allotype occurred with
      only a subset of peptides. Cross-reactive binding of KIR2DL2/3 with the C2
      allotype was restricted to even fewer peptides. Unexpectedly, two peptides
      promoted binding of the C2 allotype-specific KIR2DL1 to the C1 allotype. We
      showed that presentation of endogenous peptides or HIV Gag peptides by HLA-C can
      promote KIR cross-reactive binding. CONCLUSION: KIR2DL2/3 binding to C1 is more
      peptide selective than that of KIR2DL1 binding to C2, providing an explanation
      for KIR2DL3-C1 interactions appearing weaker than KIR2DL1-C2. In addition, cross
      reactive binding of KIR is characterized by even higher peptide selectivity. We
      demonstrate a hierarchy of functional peptide selectivity of KIR-HLA-C
      interactions with relevance to NK cell biology and human disease associations.
      This selective peptide sequence-driven binding of KIR provides a potential
      mechanism for pathogen as well as self-peptide to modulate NK cell activation
      through altering levels of inhibition.

PMID- 28352267
TI  - Anopheles stephensi Heme Peroxidase HPX15 Suppresses Midgut Immunity to Support
      Plasmodium Development.
AB  - The heme peroxidase HPX15 is an evolutionary conserved anopheline lineage
      specific gene. Previously, we found that this gene is present in the genome of 19
      worldwide distributed different species of Anopheles mosquito and its orthologs
      are absent in other mosquitoes, insects, or human. In addition, 65-99% amino acid
      identity among these 19 orthologs permitted us to hypothesize that the functional
      aspects of this gene might be also conserved in different anophelines. In this
      study, we found that Anopheles stephensi AsHPX15 gene is mainly expressed in the
      midgut and highly induced after uninfected or Plasmodium berghei-infected blood
      feeding. RNA interference-mediated silencing of midgut AsHPX15 gene drastically
      reduced the number of developing P. berghei oocysts. An antiplasmodial gene
      nitric oxide synthase was induced 13-fold in silenced midguts when compared to
      the unsilenced controls. Interestingly, the induction of antiplasmodial immunity
      in AsHPX15-silenced midguts is in absolute agreement with Anopheles gambiae. In
      A. gambiae, AgHPX15 catalyzes the formation of a dityrosine network at luminal
      side of the midgut that suppresses the activation of mosquito immunity against
      the bolus bacteria. Thus, a low-immunity zone created by this mechanism
      indirectly supports Plasmodium development inside the midgut lumen. These
      indistinguishable functional behaviors and conserved homology indicates that
      HPX15 might be a potent target to manipulate the antiplasmodial immunity of the
      anopheline midgut, and it will open new frontiers in the field of malaria
      control.

PMID- 28352268
TI  - Type I and III Interferon in the Gut: Tight Balance between Host Protection and
      Immunopathology.
AB  - The intestinal mucosa forms an active interface to the outside word, facilitating
      nutrient and water uptake and at the same time acts as a barrier toward the
      highly colonized intestinal lumen. A tight balance of the mucosal immune system
      is essential to tolerate harmless antigens derived from food or commensals and to
      effectively defend against potentially dangerous pathogens. Interferons (IFN)
      provide a first line of host defense when cells detect an invading organism.
      Whereas type I IFN were discovered almost 60 years ago, type III IFN were only
      identified in the early 2000s. It was initially thought that type I IFN and type
      III IFN performed largely redundant functions. However, it is becoming
      increasingly clear that type III IFN exert distinct and non-redundant functions
      compared to type I IFN, especially in mucosal tissues. Here, we review recent
      progress made in unraveling the role of type I/III IFN in intestinal mucosal
      tissue in the steady state, in response to mucosal pathogens and during
      inflammation.

PMID- 28352269
TI  - Monomeric Immunoglobulin A from Plasma Inhibits Human Th17 Responses In Vitro
      Independent of FcalphaRI and DC-SIGN.
AB  - Circulating immunoglobulins including immunoglobulin G (IgG) and IgM play a
      critical role in the immune homeostasis by modulating functions of immune cells.
      These functions are mediated in part by natural antibodies. However, despite
      being second most abundant antibody in the circulation, the immunoregulatory
      function of IgA is relatively unexplored. As Th17 cells are the key mediators of
      a variety of autoimmune, inflammatory, and allergic diseases, we investigated the
      ability of monomeric IgA (mIgA) isolated from pooled plasma of healthy donors to
      modulate human Th17 cells. We show that mIgA inhibits differentiation and
      amplification of human Th17 cells and the production of their effector cytokine
      IL-17A. mIgA also suppresses IFN-gamma responses under these experimental
      conditions. Suppressive effect of mIgA on Th17 responses is associated with
      reciprocal expansion of FoxP3-positive regulatory T cells. The effect of mIgA on
      Th17 cells is dependent on F(ab')2 fragments and independent of FcalphaRI (CD89)
      and DC-SIGN. Mechanistically, the modulatory effect of mIgA on Th17 cells
      implicates suppression of phosphorylation of signal transducer and activator of
      transcription 3. Furthermore, mIgA binds to CD4+ T cells and recognizes in a dose
      dependent manner the receptors for cytokines (IL-6Ralpha and IL-1RI) that mediate
      Th17 responses. Our findings thus reveal novel anti-inflammatory functions of IgA
      and suggest potential therapeutic utility of mIgA in autoimmune and inflammatory
      diseases that implicate Th17 cells.

PMID- 28352270
TI  - The Immune Epitope Database and Analysis Resource in Epitope Discovery and
      Synthetic Vaccine Design.
AB  - The task of epitope discovery and vaccine design is increasingly reliant on
      bioinformatics analytic tools and access to depositories of curated data relevant
      to immune reactions and specific pathogens. The Immune Epitope Database and
      Analysis Resource (IEDB) was indeed created to assist biomedical researchers in
      the development of new vaccines, diagnostics, and therapeutics. The Analysis
      Resource is freely available to all researchers and provides access to a variety
      of epitope analysis and prediction tools. The tools include validated and
      benchmarked methods to predict MHC class I and class II binding. The predictions
      from these tools can be combined with tools predicting antigen processing, TCR
      recognition, and B cell epitope prediction. In addition, the resource contains a
      variety of secondary analysis tools that allow the researcher to calculate
      epitope conservation, population coverage, and other relevant analytic variables.
      The researcher involved in vaccine design and epitope discovery will also be
      interested in accessing experimental published data, relevant to the specific
      indication of interest. The database component of the IEDB contains a vast amount
      of experimentally derived epitope data that can be queried through a flexible
      user interface. The IEDB is linked to other pathogen-specific and immunological
      database resources.

PMID- 28352271
TI  - Sphingosine 1-Phosphate: A Novel Target for Lung Disorders.
AB  - Sphingosine 1-phosphate (S1P) is involved in a wide range of cellular processes,
      which include proliferation, apoptosis, lymphocyte egress, endothelial barrier
      function, angiogenesis, and inflammation. S1P is produced by two isoenzymes,
      namely, sphingosine kinase 1 and 2 (SphK1 and 2) and once produced, S1P can act
      both in an autocrine and paracrine manner. S1P can be dephosphorylated back to
      sphingosine by two phosphatases (SGPP 1 and 2) or can be irreversibly cleaved by
      S1P lyase. S1P has a diverse range of functions, which is mediated in a receptor
      dependent, through G-protein coupled receptors (S1PR1-5) or receptor independent
      manner, through intracellular targets such as HDACs and TRAF2. The involvement of
      S1P signaling has been confirmed in various disease conditions including lung
      diseases. The SphK inhibitors and S1PR modulators are currently under clinical
      trials for different pathophysiological conditions. There is a significant effort
      in targeting various components of S1P signaling for several diseases. This
      review focuses on the ways in which S1P signaling can be therapeutically targeted
      in lung disorders.

PMID- 28352273
TI  - Biofortification of Wheat Cultivars to Combat Zinc Deficiency.
AB  - Zinc (Zn) deficiency caused by inadequate dietary intake is a global nutritional
      problem, particularly in developing countries. Therefore, zinc biofortification
      of wheat and other cereal crops is being urgently addressed and highly
      prioritized as a research topic. A field study was planned to evaluate the
      influence of zinc application on grain yield, grain zinc content, and grain
      phytic acid concentrations of wheat cultivars, and the relationships between
      these parameters. Three wheat cultivars, C1 = Faisalabad-2008, C2 = Punjab-2011,
      and C3 = Millet-2011 were tested with five different methods of zinc application:
      T1 = control, T2 = seed priming, T3 = soil application, T4 = foliar application,
      and T5 = soil + foliar application. It was found that grain yield and grain zinc
      were positively correlated, whereas, grain phytic acid and grain zinc were
      significantly negatively correlated. Results also revealed that T5, T3, and T4
      considerably increased grain yield; however, T2 only slightly enhanced grain
      yield. Grain zinc concentration increased from 33.1 and 33.7 mg kg-1 in T1 to
      62.3 and 63.1 mg kg-1 in T5 in 2013-2014 and 2014-2015, respectively. In
      particular, T5 markedly decreased grain phytic acid content; however, maximum
      concentration was recorded in T1. Moreover, all the tested cultivars exhibited
      considerable variation in grain yield, grain zinc, and grain phytic acid content.
      In conclusion, T5 was found to be most suitable for both optimum grain yield and
      grain biofortification of wheat.

PMID- 28352272
TI  - Solar Radiation-Associated Adaptive SNP Genetic Differentiation in Wild Emmer
      Wheat, Triticum dicoccoides.
AB  - Whole-genome scans with large number of genetic markers provide the opportunity
      to investigate local adaptation in natural populations and identify candidate
      genes under positive selection. In the present study, adaptation genetic
      differentiation associated with solar radiation was investigated using 695
      polymorphic SNP markers in wild emmer wheat originated in a micro-site at
      Yehudiyya, Israel. The test involved two solar radiation niches: (1) sun, in
      between trees; and (2) shade, under tree canopy, separated apart by a distance of
      2-4 m. Analysis of molecular variance showed a small (0.53%) but significant
      portion of overall variation between the sun and shade micro-niches, indicating a
      non-ignorable genetic differentiation between sun and shade habitats. Fifty SNP
      markers showed a medium (0.05 <= FST <= 0.15) or high genetic differentiation
      (FST > 0.15). A total of 21 outlier loci under positive selection were identified
      by using four different FST -outlier testing algorithms. The markers and genome
      locations under positive selection are consistent with the known patterns of
      selection. These results suggested that genetic differentiation between sun and
      shade habitats is substantial, radiation-associated, and therefore ecologically
      determined. Hence, the results of this study reflected effects of natural
      selection through solar radiation on EST-related SNP genetic diversity, resulting
      presumably in different adaptive complexes at a micro-scale divergence. The
      present work highlights the evolutionary theory and application significance of
      solar radiation-driven natural selection in wheat improvement.

PMID- 28352275
TI  - Influence of Harvest Aid Herbicides on Seed Germination, Seedling Vigor and
      Milling Quality Traits of Red Lentil (Lens culinaris L.).
AB  - Most red lentil produced worldwide is consumed in dehulled form, and post-harvest
      milling and splitting qualities are major concerns in the secondary processing
      industry. Lentil producers in northern temperate regions usually apply pre
      harvest desiccants as harvest aids to accelerate the lentil crop drying process
      and facilitate harvesting operations. This paper reports on field studies
      conducted at Scott and Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada in the 2012 and 2013
      cropping seasons to evaluate whether herbicides applied as harvest aids alone or
      tank mixed with glyphosate affect seed germination, seedling vigor, milling, and
      splitting qualities. The site-year by desiccant treatment interaction for seed
      germination, vigor, and milling recovery yields was significant. Glyphosate
      applied alone or as tank mix with other herbicides (except diquat) reduced seed
      germination and seedling vigor at Saskatoon and Scott in 2012 only. Pyraflufen
      ethyl (20 g ai ha-1) applied with glyphosate as well as saflufenacil (36 g ai ha
      1) decreased dehulling efficiency, while saflufenacil and/or glufosinate with
      glyphosate reduced milling recovery and football recovery, although these effects
      were inconsistent. Application of diquat alone or in combination with glyphosate
      exhibited more consistent dehulling efficiency gains and increases in milling
      recovery yield. Significant but negative associations were observed between
      glyphosate residue in seeds and seed germination (r = -0.84, p < 0.001), seed
      vigor (r = -0.62, p < 0.001), dehulling efficiency (r = -0.55, p < 0.001), and
      milling recovery (r = -0.62, p < 0.001). These results indicate application of
      diquat alone or in combination with glyphosate may be a preferred option for
      lentil growers to improve milling recovery yield.

PMID- 28352274
TI  - Spatial Variation of Leaf Optical Properties in a Boreal Forest Is Influenced by
      Species and Light Environment.
AB  - Leaf Optical Properties (LOPs) convey information relating to temporally dynamic
      photosynthetic activity and biochemistry. LOPs are also sensitive to variability
      in anatomically related traits such as Specific Leaf Area (SLA), via the
      interplay of intra-leaf light scattering and absorption processes. Therefore,
      variability in such traits, which may demonstrate little plasticity over time,
      potentially disrupts remote sensing estimates of photosynthesis or biochemistry
      across space. To help to disentangle the various factors that contribute to the
      variability of LOPs, we defined baseline variation as variation in LOPs that
      occurs across space, but not time. Next we hypothesized that there were two main
      controls of potentially disruptive baseline spatial variability of
      photosynthetically-related LOPs at our boreal forest site: light environment and
      species. We measured photosynthetically-related LOPs in conjunction with
      morphological, biochemical, and photosynthetic leaf traits during summer and
      across selected boreal tree species and vertical gradients in light environment.
      We then conducted a detailed correlation analysis to disentangle the spatial
      factors that control baseline variability of leaf traits and, resultantly, LOPs.
      Baseline spatial variability of the Photochemical Reflectance Index (PRI) was
      strongly influenced by species and to a lesser extent light environment. Baseline
      variability of spectral fluorescence derived LOPs was less influenced by species;
      however at longer near-infrared wavelengths, light environment was an important
      control. In summary, remote sensing of chlorophyll fluorescence has good
      potential to detect variation in photosynthetic performance across space in
      boreal forests given reduced sensitivity to species related baseline variability
      in comparison to the PRI. Our results also imply that spatially coarse remote
      sensing observations are potentially unrepresentative of the full scope of
      natural variation that occurs within a boreal forest.

PMID- 28352276
TI  - Transcriptome Changes Associated with Boron Deficiency in Leaves of Two Citrus
      Scion-Rootstock Combinations.
AB  - Boron (B) deficiency stress is frequently observed in citrus orchards and causes
      considerable loss of productivity and fruit quality. Carrizo citrange (Cc) has
      been reported as a rootstock more tolerant to B deficiency than Trifoliate orange
      (To). The 'Newhall' navel orange (Ns) performed better when grafted onto Cc
      (Ns/Cc) than when grafted onto To (Ns/To) under long-term B deficiency. The
      present study confirmed that Ns/Cc had higher boron content, leaf fresh weight,
      lower leaf chlorosis and stronger photosynthesis ability than Ns/To. Moreover, B
      deficiency significantly reduced the chlorophyll and carotenoid content in Ns/To.
      The content of total soluble sugar and lignin were dramatically increased and the
      expression levels of photosynthesis-related genes were substantially down
      regulated in Ns/To by B-deficient treatment. B-deficiency also strongly induced
      expression levels of chlorophyll decomposition-related genes, glucose synthesis
      related genes and lignin synthesis-related genes, and significantly inhibited the
      expression of carotenoid synthesis-related genes in Ns/To. Overall, these
      findings suggested that the influence of To on the scion of Ns was worse than
      that of Cc due to differently regulating these metabolic pathways under the long
      term of B-deficiency. The transcriptome analysis provided further information for
      understanding the mechanism of the different responses of scion-rootstock
      combinations to B-deficiency stress.

PMID- 28352277
TI  - Editorial: Charophytes: Evolutionary Ancestors of Plants and Emerging Models for
      Plant Research.

PMID- 28352278
TI  - Linking Changes to Intraspecific Trait Diversity to Community Functional
      Diversity and Biomass in Response to Snow and Nitrogen Addition Within an Inner
      Mongolian Grassland.
AB  - In recent years, both the intraspecific and interspecific functional diversity
      (FD) of plant communities have been studied with new approaches to improve an
      understanding about the mechanisms underlying plant species coexistence. Yet,
      little is known about how global change drivers will impact intraspecific FD and
      trait overlap among species, and in particular how this may scale to impacts on
      community level FD and ecosystem functioning. To address this uncertainty, we
      assessed the direct and indirect responses of specific leaf area (SLA) among both
      dominant annual and subordinate perennial species to the independent and
      interactive effects of nitrogen and snow addition within the Inner Mongnolian
      steppe. More specifically, we investigated the consequences for these responses
      on plant community FD, trait overlap and biomass. Nitrogen addition increased the
      biomass of the dominant annual species and as a result increased total community
      biomass. This occurred despite concurrent decreases in the biomass of subordinate
      perennial species. Nitrogen addition also increased intraspecific FD and trait
      overlap of both annual species and perennial species, and consequently increased
      the degree of trait overlap in SLA at the community level. However, snow addition
      did not significantly impact intraspecific FD and trait overlap of SLA for
      perennial species, but increased intraspecific FD and trait overlap of annual
      species, of which scaled to changes in community level FD. We found that the
      responses of the dominant annual species to nitrogen and snow additions were
      generally more sensitive than the subordinate perennial species within the inner
      Mongolian grassland communities of our study. As a consequence of this
      sensitivity, the responses of the dominant species largely drove impacts to
      community FD, trait overlap and community biomass. In total, our study
      demonstrates that the responses of dominant species in a community to
      environmental change may drive the initial trajectories of change to community FD
      and functioning.

PMID- 28352279
TI  - Development of a Double Nuclear Gene-Targeting Method by Two-Step Transformation
      Based on a Newly Established Chloramphenicol-Selection System in the Red Alga
      Cyanidioschyzon merolae.
AB  - The unicellular red alga Cyanidioschyzon merolae possesses a simple cellular
      architecture that consists of one mitochondrion, one chloroplast, one peroxisome,
      one Golgi apparatus, and several lysosomes. The nuclear genome content is also
      simple, with very little genetic redundancy (16.5 Mbp, 4,775 genes). In addition,
      molecular genetic tools such as gene targeting and inducible gene expression
      systems have been recently developed. These cytological features and genetic
      tractability have facilitated various omics analyses. However, only a single
      transformation selection marker URA has been made available and thus the
      application of genetic modification has been limited. Here, we report the
      development of a nuclear targeting method by using chloramphenicol and the
      chloramphenicol acetyltransferase (CAT) gene. In addition, we found that at least
      200-bp homologous arms are required and 500-bp arms are sufficient for a targeted
      single-copy insertion of the CAT selection marker into the nuclear genome. By
      means of a combination of the URA and CAT transformation systems, we succeeded in
      producing a C. merolae strain that expresses HA-cyclin 1 and FLAG-CDKA from the
      chromosomal CYC1 and CDKA loci, respectively. These methods of multiple nuclear
      targeting will facilitate genetic manipulation of C. merolae.

PMID- 28352281
TI  - Vitamin D Deficiency and Its Determinants in Adults: A Sample from Community
      Based Settings in the United Arab Emirates.
AB  - Background. Vitamin D deficiency (VDD) is a public health concern in adults
      worldwide. This study aims to explore the extent of VDD and its associated
      factors among adults in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). Subjects and Methods.
      Quantitative, cross-sectional research was used to assess VDD and its associated
      factors in 216 adults recruited from randomly selected community-based healthcare
      settings over a six-month period. Recent values of vitamin D and glycated
      hemoglobin (HbA1c) were abstracted from medical records, followed by interviews
      with participants to obtain information on factors related to VDD and other
      covariates and to measure their heights and weights. Results. A total of 74% of
      participants demonstrated VDD (vitamin D serum level <= 30 nmol/L). Emirati
      participants had higher odds of having VDD compared to non-Emiratis (OR: 2.95;
      95% CI: 1.58-5.52), with also significantly increased odds of the condition
      appearing in older, less educated, and employed adults. Diabetes type 2 (HbA1c >=
      6.5%), depression, and obesity were significantly associated with an increased
      likelihood of VDD after accounting for other covariates. Conclusion. VDD is a
      significant problem for UAE adults and requires attention by public health policy
      makers. Diabetes, obesity, and depression need to be considered when screening
      for vitamin D.

PMID- 28352280
TI  - An Insight into microRNA156 Role in Salinity Stress Responses of Alfalfa.
AB  - Salinity is one of the major abiotic stresses affecting alfalfa productivity.
      Developing salinity tolerant alfalfa genotypes could contribute to sustainable
      crop production. The functions of microRNA156 (miR156) have been investigated in
      several plant species, but so far, no studies have been published that explore
      the role of miR156 in alfalfa response to salinity stress. In this work, we
      studied the role of miR156 in modulating commercially important traits of alfalfa
      under salinity stress. Our results revealed that overexpression of miR156
      increased biomass, number of branches and time to complete growth stages, while
      it reduced plant height under control and salinity stress conditions. We observed
      a miR156-related reduction in neutral detergent fiber under non-stress, and acid
      detergent fiber under mild salinity stress conditions. In addition, enhanced
      total Kjeldahl nitrogen content was recorded in miR156 overexpressing genotypes
      under severe salinity stress. Furthermore, alfalfa genotypes overexpressing
      miR156 exhibited an altered ion homeostasis under salinity conditions. Under
      severe salinity stress, miR156 downregulated SPL transcription factor family
      genes, modified expression of other important transcription factors, and
      downstream salt stress responsive genes. Taken together, our results reveal that
      miR156 plays a role in mediating physiological and transcriptional responses of
      alfalfa to salinity stress.

PMID- 28352282
TI  - Poor Sleep Quality Is Associated with Dawn Phenomenon and Impaired Circadian
      Clock Gene Expression in Subjects with Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus.
AB  - Aims. We investigated whether poor sleep quality is associated with both dawn
      phenomenon and impaired circadian clock gene expression in subjects with
      diabetes. Methods. 81 subjects with diabetes on continuous glucose monitoring
      were divided into two groups according to the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index. The
      magnitude of dawn phenomenon was quantified by its increment from nocturnal nadir
      to prebreakfast. Peripheral leucocytes were sampled from 81 subjects with
      diabetes and 28 normal controls at 09:00. Transcript levels of circadian clock
      genes (BMAL1, PER1, PER2, and PER3) were determined by real-time quantitative
      polymerase chain reaction. Results. The levels of HbA1c and fasting glucose and
      the magnitude of dawn phenomenon were significantly higher in the diabetes group
      with poor sleep quality than that with good sleep quality. Peripheral leucocytes
      from subjects with poor sleep quality expressed significantly lower transcript
      levels of BMAL1 and PER1 compared with those with good sleep quality. Poor sleep
      quality was significantly correlated with magnitude of dawn phenomenon. Multiple
      linear regression showed that sleep quality and PER1 were significantly
      independently correlated with dawn phenomenon. Conclusions. Dawn phenomenon is
      associated with sleep quality. Furthermore, mRNA expression of circadian clock
      genes is dampened in peripheral leucocytes of subjects with poor sleep quality.

PMID- 28352284
TI  - Radiographic Findings in Patients with Medication-Related Osteonecrosis of the
      Jaw.
AB  - A retrospective study was conducted of the records and panoramic radiographs of
      35 patients treated with bisphosphonates (BP) and diagnosed with MRONJ. Panoramic
      radiography was used for evaluation, by two examiners, the following findings
      were subject of search: osteolysis (OT), cortical bone erosion (EC), bone
      sclerosis focal (FS) and diffuse (DS), bone sequestration (BS), thickening of
      lamina dura (TD), prominence of the inferior alveolar nerve canal (IAN),
      persisting alveolar sockets (SK), and the presence of a pathological fracture
      (PF). Medical information and staging were also recorded in order to correlate
      with radiographic findings. Bone sclerosis was the most frequent alteration,
      followed by OT and TD. The mandible was more affected than the maxilla. There was
      no significant difference between genders or significant correlation between the
      number of injuries with age and duration of BP usage. Considering the association
      between the radiographic findings and MRONJ staging, EC was predominant in stage
      3 and DS in stage 2. IAN and PF demonstrated greater association with stage 3. In
      conclusion, the higher the clinical staging, the greater the severity of the bone
      alteration. Panoramic radiographic examination is a useful screening tool in
      patients submitted to antiresorptive therapy.

PMID- 28352283
TI  - Serum ZAG Levels Were Associated with eGFR Mild Decrease in T2DM Patients with
      Diabetic Nephropathy.
AB  - Objective. To investigate the changes of serum zinc-alpha2-glycoprotein (ZAG) in
      type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) with eGFR mild decrease. Subjects and Methods. A
      total of 438 T2DM patients (61.3 +/- 4.0 y) were recruited and the demographic,
      anthropometric, and biochemical parameters were all collected. Serum ZAG levels
      were determined by commercially available ELISA kits. Results. The proportion of
      T2DM patients with the high tertile ZAG levels was 11.9% higher in patients with
      mildly decreased estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) (<90 mL/min/1.73 m2)
      than those with the low tertile ZAG levels (P = 0.038). The probability of the
      eGFR < 90 mL/min/1.73 m2 in patients with the high ZAG levels was 94% higher than
      those with the low serum ZAG levels after adjusting for age, gender, and
      education [OR = 1.94, 95% CI (1.17-3.23), P = 0.0094]. This phenomenon was more
      likely to be observed in the condition of uACR >= 2.7 mg/mmol, WC >= 90 cm for
      men, or WC >= 85 cm for women. Conclusion. Serum ZAG levels were firstly found to
      be related with eGFR in T2DM patients. The patients with the high tertile ZAG
      levels were more likely to have mildly eGFR decrease, especially for female
      patients with higher uACR and bigger WC.

PMID- 28352285
TI  - Effect of Herbal and Fluoride Mouth Rinses on Streptococcus mutans and Dental
      Caries among 12-15-Year-Old School Children: A Randomized Controlled Trial.
AB  - To assess and compare the effect of herbal and fluoride mouth rinses on
      Streptococcus mutans count and glucan synthesis by Streptococcus mutans and
      dental caries, a parallel group placebo controlled randomized trial was conducted
      among 240 schoolchildren (12-15 years old). Participants were randomly divided
      and allocated into Group I (0.2% fluoride group), Group II (herbal group), and
      Group III (placebo group). All received 10 ml of respective mouth rinses every
      fortnight for a period of one year. Intergroup and intragroup comparison were
      done for Streptococcus mutans count and glucan synthesis by Streptococcus mutans
      and dental caries. Streptococcus mutans count showed a statistically significant
      difference between Group I and Group III (p = 0.035) and also between Group II
      and Group III (p = 0.039). Glucan concentration levels showed a statistically
      significant difference (p = 0.024) between Group II and Group III at 12th month.
      Mean DMF scores showed no statistical difference between the three groups (p =
      0.139). No difference in the level of significance was seen in the intention-to
      treat and per-protocol analysis. The present study showed that both herbal and
      fluoride mouth rinses, when used fortnightly, were equally effective and could be
      recommended for use in school-based health education program to control dental
      caries. Trial registration number is CTRI/2015/08/006070.

PMID- 28352286
TI  - An Approach to Developing Local Climate Change Environmental Public Health
      Indicators in a Rural District.
AB  - Climate change represents a significant and growing threat to population health.
      Rural areas face unique challenges, such as high rates of vulnerable populations;
      economic uncertainty due to their reliance on industries that are vulnerable to
      climate change; less resilient infrastructure; and lower levels of access to
      community and emergency services than urban areas. This article fills a gap in
      public health practice by developing climate and health environmental public
      health indicators for a local public health department in a rural area. We
      adapted the National Environmental Public Health Tracking Network's framework for
      climate and health indicators to a seven-county health department in Western
      Kentucky. Using a three-step review process, we identified primary climate
      related environmental public health hazards for the region (extreme heat,
      drought, and flooding) and a suite of related exposure, health outcome,
      population vulnerability, and environmental vulnerability indicators. Indicators
      that performed more poorly at the county level than at the state and national
      level were defined as "high vulnerability." Six to eight high vulnerability
      indicators were identified for each county. The local health department plans to
      use the results to enhance three key areas of existing services: epidemiology,
      public health preparedness, and community health assessment.

PMID- 28352287
TI  - Long-Term Body Weight Maintenance among StrongWomen-Healthy Hearts Program
      Participants.
AB  - Background. The repeated loss and regain of body weight, referred to as weight
      cycling, may be associated with negative health complications. Given today's
      obesity epidemic and related interventions to address obesity, it is increasingly
      important to understand contexts and factors associated with weight loss
      maintenance. This study examined BMI among individuals who had previously
      participated in a 12-week, evidence-based, nationally disseminated nutrition and
      physical activity program designed for overweight and obese middle-aged and older
      women. Methods. Data were collected using follow-up surveys. Complete height and
      weight data were available for baseline, 12-week program completion (post
      program) and follow-up (approximately 3 years later) for 154 women (response rate
      = 27.5%; BMI characteristics did not differ between responders and
      nonresponders). Results. Mean BMI decreased significantly from baseline to post
      program (-0.5, P < 0.001) and post-program to follow-up (-0.7, P < 0.001).
      Seventy-five percent of survey respondents maintained or decreased BMI post
      program to follow-up. Self-efficacy and social support for healthy eating
      behaviors (but not physical activity) were associated with BMI maintenance or
      additional weight loss. Conclusions. These findings support the durability of
      weight loss following participation in a relatively short-term intervention.

PMID- 28352289
TI  - Prevention of krait bites by sleeping above ground: preliminary results from an
      observational pilot study.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: Neurotoxic envenoming following the bites of kraits (Bungarus spp.)
      is a common cause of death in the dry zone of Sri Lanka and elsewhere in South
      Asia. Most of these bites occur at night and are inflicted on people sleeping on
      the ground. Thus we hypothesized that the simple measure of sleeping above ground
      would help to reduce the number of observed krait bites. METHODS: This study was
      conducted in two villages of the Kilinochchi district of Sri Lanka which had
      reported a high number of krait bites in the two years preceding the study. Most
      of the residents in these two villages slept on the ground. Residents in one area
      were given beds free of charge, using funds available from the study. Both
      villages received health education on the prevention of krait bites. RESULTS:
      Forty five beds were distributed to 45 families in one village. This enabled 115
      individuals to sleep above ground level. 6 monthly follow up visits were
      conducted ensuring the proper utilization of beds. Follow up was continued for 30
      months (September 2013-March 2016); during this time period no krait bites were
      reported in either area. CONCLUSIONS: We observed a dramatic decline of krait
      bites in both villages. Better awareness with effective health education and
      clearing of vegetation could have led to the decline in the number of krait bites
      in both villages.

PMID- 28352288
TI  - Effect of low-level CO2 on innate inflammatory protein response to organic dust
      from swine confinement barns.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Organic hog barn dust (HDE) exposure induces lung inflammation and
      long-term decreases in lung function in agricultural workers. While
      concentrations of common gasses in confined animal facilities are well
      characterized, few studies have been done addressing if exposure to elevated barn
      gasses impacts the lung immune response to organic dusts. Given the well
      documented effects of hypercapnia at much higher levels we hypothesized that CO2
      at 8 h exposure limit levels (5000 ppm) could alter innate immune responses to
      HDE. METHODS: Using a mouse model, C57BL/6 mice were nasally instilled with
      defined barn dust extracts and then housed in an exposure box maintained at one
      of several CO2 levels for six hours. Bronchiolar lavage (BAL) was tested for
      several cytokines while lung tissue was saved for mRNA purification and
      immunohistochemistry. RESULTS: Exposure to elevated CO2 significantly increased
      the expression of pro-inflammatory markers, IL-6 and KC, in BAL fluid as compared
      to dust exposure alone. Expression of other pro-inflammatory markers, such as
      ICAM-1 and matrix metalloproteinase-9 (MMP-9), were also tested and showed
      similar increased expression upon HDE + CO2 exposure. A chemokine array analysis
      of BAL fluid revealed that MIP-1gamma (CCL9) shows a similar increased response
      to HDE + CO2. Further testing showed CCL9 was significantly elevated by barn dust
      and further enhanced by CO2 co-exposure in a dose-dependent manner that was
      noticeable at the protein and mRNA levels. In all cases, except for ICAM-1,
      increases in tested markers in the presence of elevated CO2 were only significant
      in the presence of HDE as well. CONCLUSIONS: We show that even at mandated safe
      exposure limits, CO2 is capable of enhancing multiple markers of inflammation in
      response to HDE.

PMID- 28352290
TI  - Topological Measurements of DWI Tractography for Alzheimer's Disease Detection.
AB  - Neurodegenerative diseases affect brain morphology and connectivity, making
      complex networks a suitable tool to investigate and model their effects. Because
      of its stereotyped pattern Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a natural benchmark for
      the study of novel methodologies. Several studies have investigated the network
      centrality and segregation changes induced by AD, especially with a single
      subject approach. In this work, a holistic perspective based on the application
      of multiplex network concepts is introduced. We define and assess a diagnostic
      score to characterize the brain topology and measure the disease effects on a
      mixed cohort of 52 normal controls (NC) and 47 AD patients, from Alzheimer's
      Disease Neuroimaging Initiative (ADNI). The proposed topological score allows an
      accurate NC-AD classification: the average area under the curve (AUC) is 95% and
      the 95% confidence interval is 92%-99%. Besides, the combination of topological
      information and structural measures, such as the hippocampal volumes, was also
      investigated. Topology is able to capture the disease signature of AD and, as the
      methodology is general, it can find interesting applications to enhance our
      insight into disease with more heterogeneous patterns.

PMID- 28352291
TI  - Ethical considerations for children's participation in data collection activities
      during humanitarian emergencies: A Delphi review.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Children's right to participate in data collection during emergencies
      has been widely recognized by humanitarian actors. However, participation in such
      activities can expose children to risk. Tensions have been noted between the
      right to participate and other principles, such as the imperative to 'do no
      harm.' With little evidence to inform guidance on addressing this tension, our
      study sought to identify expert consensus on whether and how children participate
      in emergency-related data collection activities. METHODS: We employed a three
      round Delphi technique with a purposive sample of 52 child protection
      specialists. Respondents answered two open-ended questions in round one. A
      thematic analysis of responses generated a set of unique statements addressing
      the study questions. In the second round, respondents rated each statement on a
      five-point scale. In the final round, respondents reviewed the group's average
      ratings for each statement with the option to revise their own ratings. A
      statement was said to have reached clear consensus when at least 90% of
      respondents agreed or strongly agreed with the statement. RESULTS: A total of 124
      statements and 14 themes emerged from the thematic analysis, with 46.0% of
      statements reaching clear consensus in the third round. Respondents strongly
      supported children's right to participate in data collection in humanitarian
      settings, while also recognizing that protecting children from harm may "over
      ride" the participation principle in some contexts. Respondents identified
      capacity and contextual considerations as important factors influencing
      participation decisions, though they sometimes disagreed about how these factors
      should determine participation. Respondents also considered the role of
      individual child factors and the presence of caregivers in selecting child
      participants, and proposed best practice approaches for securing children's safe
      and meaningful participation. CONCLUSIONS: With almost half of statements
      reaching clear consensus, these findings reflect broad agreement within the
      sector about engaging children in data collection in emergencies. At the same
      time, points of ongoing debate around how to factor different risks into child
      participation decisions may indicate discordant practice. Further reflection is
      needed around how factors such as the phase of emergency, the existence of basic
      services, and cultural beliefs should influence whether and how children
      participate.

PMID- 28352292
TI  - Climate drives adaptive genetic responses associated with survival in big
      sagebrush (Artemisia tridentata).
AB  - A genecological approach was used to explore genetic variation for survival in
      Artemisia tridentata (big sagebrush). Artemisia tridentata is a widespread and
      foundational shrub species in western North America. This species has become
      extremely fragmented, to the detriment of dependent wildlife, and efforts to
      restore it are now a land management priority. Common-garden experiments were
      established at three sites with seedlings from 55 source-populations. Populations
      included each of the three predominant subspecies, and cytotype variations.
      Survival was monitored for 5 years to assess differences in survival between
      gardens and populations. We found evidence of adaptive genetic variation for
      survival. Survival within gardens differed by source-population and a substantial
      proportion of this variation was explained by seed climate of origin. Plants from
      areas with the coldest winters had the highest levels of survival, while
      populations from warmer and drier sites had the lowest levels of survival.
      Survival was lowest, 36%, in the garden that was prone to the lowest minimum
      temperatures. These results suggest the importance of climatic driven genetic
      differences and their effect on survival. Understanding how genetic variation is
      arrayed across the landscape, and its association with climate can greatly
      enhance the success of restoration and conservation.

PMID- 28352294
TI  - Population-specific genotype x genotype x environment interactions in bacterial
      disease of early life stages of Pacific oyster larvae.
AB  - The consequences of emerging marine diseases on the evolutionary trajectories of
      affected host populations in the marine realm are largely unexplored. Evolution
      in response to natural selection depends on the genetic variation of the traits
      under selection and the interaction of these traits with the environment (GxE).
      However, in the case of diseases, pathogen genotypes add another dimension to
      this interaction. Therefore, the study of disease resistance needs to be extended
      to the interaction of host genotype, pathogen genotype and environment (GxGxE).
      In this study, we used a full-sib breeding design crossing two genetically
      differentiated populations of the Pacific oyster Crassostrea gigas (Thunberg,
      1793), to determine the influence of host genotype, pathogen genotype and
      temperature on disease resistance. Based on a controlled infection experiment on
      two early life stages, that is, D-larvae and Pediveliger larvae at elevated and
      ambient water temperatures, we estimated disease resistance to allopatric and
      sympatric Vibrio sp. by measuring survival and growth within and between
      genetically differentiated oyster populations. In both populations, survival was
      higher upon infection with sympatric Vibrio sp., indicating that disease
      resistance has a genetic basis and is dependent on host genotype. In addition, we
      observed a significant GxGxE effect in D-larvae, where contrary to expectations,
      disease resistance was higher at warm than at cold temperatures. Using thermal
      reaction norms, we could further show that disease resistance is an environment
      dependent trait with high plasticity, which indicates the potential for a fast
      acclimatization to changing environmental conditions. These population-specific
      reaction norms disappeared in hybrid crosses between both populations which
      demonstrates that admixture between genetically differentiated populations can
      influence GxGxE interactions on larger scales.

PMID- 28352293
TI  - Using fine-scale spatial genetics of Norway rats to improve control efforts and
      reduce leptospirosis risk in urban slum environments.
AB  - The Norway rat (Rattus norvegicus) is a key pest species globally and responsible
      for seasonal outbreaks of the zoonotic bacterial disease leptospirosis in the
      tropics. The city of Salvador, Brazil, has seen recent and dramatic increases in
      human population residing in slums, where conditions foster high rat density and
      increasing leptospirosis infection rates. Intervention campaigns have been used
      to drastically reduce rat numbers. In planning these interventions, it is
      important to define the eradication units - the spatial scale at which rats
      constitute continuous populations and from where rats are likely recolonizing,
      post-intervention. To provide this information, we applied spatial genetic
      analyses to 706 rats collected across Salvador and genotyped at 16 microsatellite
      loci. We performed spatially explicit analyses and estimated migration levels to
      identify distinct genetic units and landscape features associated with genetic
      divergence at different spatial scales, ranging from valleys within a slum
      community to city-wide analyses. Clear genetic breaks exist between rats not only
      across Salvador but also between valleys of slums separated by <100 m-well within
      the dispersal capacity of rats. The genetic data indicate that valleys may be
      considered separate units and identified high-traffic roads as strong impediments
      to rat movement. Migration data suggest that most (71-90%) movement is contained
      within valleys, with no clear source population contributing to migrant rats. We
      use these data to recommend eradication units and discuss the importance of
      carrying out individual-based analyses at different spatial scales in urban
      landscapes.

PMID- 28352295
TI  - Keeping things local: Subpopulation Nb and Ne in a stream network with partial
      barriers to fish migration.
AB  - For organisms with overlapping generations that occur in metapopulations,
      uncertainty remains regarding the spatiotemporal scale of inference of estimates
      of the effective number of breeders (N^b) and whether these estimates can be used
      to predict generational Ne. We conducted a series of tests of the spatiotemporal
      scale of inference of estimates of Nb in nine consecutive cohorts within a long
      term study of brook trout (Salvelinus fontinalis). We also tested a recently
      developed approach to estimate generational Ne from N^b and compared this to an
      alternative approach for estimating N^e that also accounts for age structure.
      Multiple lines of evidence were consistent with N^b corresponding to the local
      (subpopulation) spatial scale and the cohort-specific temporal scale. We found
      that at least four consecutive cohort-specific estimates of N^b were necessary to
      obtain reliable estimates of harmonic mean N^b for a subpopulation. Generational
      N^e derived from cohort-specific N^b was within 7%-50% of an alternative approach
      to obtain N^e, suggesting some population specificity for concordance between
      approaches. Our results regarding the spatiotemporal scale of inference for Nb
      should apply broadly to many taxa that exhibit overlapping generations and
      metapopulation structure and point to promising avenues for using cohort-specific
      N^b for local-scale genetic monitoring.

PMID- 28352296
TI  - Hidden diversity and phylogeographic history provide conservation insights for
      the edible seaweed Sargassum fusiforme in the Northwest Pacific.
AB  - Understanding the evolutionary processes that have created diversity and the
      genetic potential of species to adapt to environmental change is an important
      premise for biodiversity conservation. Herein, we used mitochondrial trnW-L and
      cox3 and plastid rbcL-S data sets to analyze population genetic variation and
      phylogeographic history of the brown alga Sargassum fusiforme, whose natural
      resource has been largely exterminated in the Asia-Northwest Pacific in the past
      decades. Phylogenetic trees and network analysis consistently revealed three
      major haplotype groups (A, B, and C) in S. fusiforme, with A and B distributed in
      the Japan-Pacific coast. Group C consisted of three subgroups (C1, C2, and C3)
      which were distributed in the Sea of Japan, the Yellow-Bohai Sea, and East China
      Sea, respectively. Isolation-with-migration (IM a) analysis revealed that the
      three groups diverged approximately during the mid-Pleistocene (c. 756-1,224 ka).
      Extended Bayesian skyline plots (EBSP) showed that groups A and B underwent
      relatively long-term stable population size despite a subsequent rapid
      demographic expansion, while subgroups C2 and C3 underwent a sudden expansion at
      c. 260 ka. FST and AMOVA detected low population-level genetic variation and high
      degrees of divergence between groups. The cryptic diversity and phylogeographic
      patterns found in S. fusiforme not only are essential to understand how
      environmental shifts and evolutionary processes shaped diversity and distribution
      of coastal seaweeds but also provide additional insights for conserving and
      managing seaweed resources and facilitate predictions of their responses to
      future climate change and habitat loss.

PMID- 28352297
TI  - Adaptive evolution and demographic history contribute to the divergent population
      genetic structure of Potato virus Y between China and Japan.
AB  - Potato virus Y (PVY) is an important plant pathogen causing considerable economic
      loss to potato production. Knowledge of the population genetic structure and
      evolutionary biology of the pathogen, particularly at a transnational scale, is
      limited but vital in developing sustainable management schemes. In this study,
      the population genetic structure and molecular evolution of PVY were studied
      using 127 first protein (P1) and 137 coat protein (CP) sequences generated from
      isolates collected from potato in China and Japan. High genetic differentiation
      was found between the populations from the two countries, with higher nucleotide
      diversity in Japan than China in both genes and a KST value of .216 in the
      concatenated sequences of the two genes. Sequences from the two countries
      clustered together according to their geographic origin. Further analyses showed
      that spatial genetic structure in the PVY populations was likely caused by
      demographic dynamics of the pathogen and natural selection generated by habitat
      heterogeneity. Purifying selection was detected at the majority of polymorphic
      sites although some clade-specific codons were under positive selection. In past
      decades, PVY has undergone a population expansion in China, whereas in Japan, the
      population size of the pathogen has remained relatively constant.

PMID- 28352298
TI  - Low genetic diversity but strong population structure reflects multiple
      introductions of western flower thrips (Thysanoptera: Thripidae) into China
      followed by human-mediated spread.
AB  - Historical invasion scenarios based on observational records are usually
      incomplete and biased, but these can be supplemented by population genetic data.
      The western flower thrips (WFT), Frankliniella occidentalis, invaded China in the
      last 13 years and has rapidly become one of the most serious pests in the
      country. To assess whether this invasion involved a single event or multiple
      events, we examined patterns of genetic diversity and population structure of WFT
      across 12 Chinese populations and a native US population based on mitochondrial
      DNA and/or 18 microsatellite loci. The average allelic richness and haplotype
      diversity in Chinese populations were significantly lower than in a population
      from its native range. The distribution of mitochondrial haplotypes suggested
      multiple independent invasions of WFT into China, including two invasions into
      the Beijing region. Based on microsatellite data, two distinct clusters were
      identified, with both of them splitting further into two clusters; in the Beijing
      region, the microsatellite data also provided evidence for two introductions.
      Both the absence of isolation by distance and the fact that distant populations
      were similar genetically suggest patterns of WFT movement linked to human
      activities. Our study therefore suggests multiple introductions of WFT into China
      and human-assisted spread.

PMID- 28352299
TI  - Genomic patterns of diversity and divergence of two introduced salmonid species
      in Patagonia, South America.
AB  - Invasive species have become widespread in aquatic environments throughout the
      world, yet there are few studies that have examined genomic variation of multiple
      introduced species in newly colonized environments. In this study, we contrast
      genomic variation in two salmonid species (anadromous Chinook Salmon,
      Oncorhynchus tshawytscha, 11,579 SNPs and resident Brook Charr Salvelinus
      fontinalis, 13,522 SNPs) with differing invasion success after introduction to
      new environments in South America relative to populations from their native range
      in North America. Estimates of genetic diversity were not significantly different
      between introduced and source populations for either species, indicative of
      propagule pressure that has been shown to maintain diversity in founding
      populations relative to their native range. Introduced populations also
      demonstrated higher connectivity and gene flow than those in their native range.
      Evidence for candidate loci under divergent selection was observed, but was
      limited to specific introduced populations and was not widely evident. Patterns
      of genomic variation were consistent with general dispersal potential of each
      species and therefore also the notion that life history variation may contribute
      to both invasion success and subsequent genetic structure of these two salmonids
      in Patagonia.

PMID- 28352300
TI  - Toward facilitating microalgae cope with effluent from anaerobic digestion of
      kitchen waste: the art of agricultural phytohormones.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Although numerous studies have used wastewater as substitutes to
      cultivate microalgae, most of them obtained weaker algal viability than standard
      media. Some studies demonstrated a promotion of phytohormones on algal growth in
      standard media. For exploiting a strategy to improve algal biomass accumulation
      in effluent from anaerobic digestion of kitchen waste (ADE-KW), the agricultural
      phytohormones gibberellin, indole-3-acetic acid, and brassinolide (GIB) were
      applied to Chlorella SDEC-11 and Scenedesmus SDEC-13 at different stages of algal
      growth. Previous studies have demonstrated a promotion of phytohormones on algal
      growth in standard media, but attempts have been scarce, focusing on wastewater
      cultivation system. In addition, the effects of wastewater on algal morphology
      and ultrastructure have not been revealed so far, much less on the mechanism of
      the role of phytohormones on algae. RESULTS: ADE-KW disrupted the membranes of
      nuclear and chloroplast in ultrastructural cell of SDEC-11, and reduced the room
      between chloroplast and cell membrane and increased the starch size of SDEC-13.
      This reduced algal growth and biocompound accumulation, but SDEC-13 had greater
      adaptation to ADE-KW than SDEC-11. Moreover, inoculation with an algal seed
      pretreated with GIB aided the adaptability and viability of algae in ADE-KW,
      which for SDEC-13 was even promoted to the level in BG11. GIB mitigated the
      inhibition of ADE-KW on algal cell division and photosynthetic pigments and
      apparatus, and increased lipid droplets, which might result from the change in
      the synthesis and the fate of nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate. GIB
      addition significantly promoted lipid productivity of the two algal species,
      following 13 mg L-1 d-1 of SDEC-11 in B+ADE-KW and especially 13 mg L-1 d-1 of
      SDEC-13 achieved during the priming of algal seed with the hormones, which is
      139% higher than 5 mg L-1 d-1 achieved in ADE-KW control. CONCLUSIONS:
      Agricultural phytohormones could be applied as a strategy for promoting biomass
      and biocompound accumulation of algae in ADE-KW, in which pretreatment of the
      algal inoculum with hormones is a unique way to help algae survive under stress.
      Considering our results and treatment technology for kitchen waste, a more
      feasible and economic plant can be built incorporating anaerobic digestion, algae
      cultivation with ADE-KW assisted with phytohormones, and biodiesel production.

PMID- 28352301
TI  - Functional overexpression of genes involved in erythritol synthesis in the yeast
      Yarrowia lipolytica.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Erythritol, a four-carbon polyol synthesized by microorganisms as an
      osmoprotectant, is a natural sweetener produced on an industrial scale for
      decades. Despite the fact that the yeast Yarrowia lipolytica has been reported
      since the 1970s as an erythritol producer, the metabolic pathway of this polyol
      has never been characterized. It was shown that erythritol synthesis in yeast
      occurs via the pentose phosphate pathway (PPP). The oleaginous yeast Y.
      lipolytica is a good host for converting inexpensive glycerol into a value-added
      product such as erythritol. Glycerol is a renewable feedstock which is produced
      on a large scale as a waste product by many branches of industry. RESULTS: In
      this study, we functionally overexpressed four genes involved in the pentose
      phosphate pathway (PPP): gene YALI0E06479g encoding transketolase (TKL1), gene
      YALI0F15587g encoding transaldolase (TAL1), gene YALI0E22649g encoding glucose-6
      phosphate dehydrogenase (ZWF1), and gene YALI0B15598g encoding 6-phosphogluconate
      dehydrogenase (GND1). Here, we show that the crucial gene for erythritol
      synthesis in Y. lipolytica is transketolase. Overexpression of this gene results
      in a twofold improvement in erythritol synthesis during a shake-flask experiment
      (58 g/L). Moreover, overexpression of TKL1 allows for efficient production of
      erythritol independently from the supplied dissolved oxygen. Fermentation
      conducted in a 5-L bioreactor at low agitation results in almost 70% higher titer
      of erythritol over the control strain. CONCLUSION: This work presents the
      importance of the PPP in erythritol synthesis and the feasibility for economic
      production of erythritol from glycerol by the yeast Y. lipolytica.

PMID- 28352302
TI  - The development of the Paediatric Virology Study Group: Ten years in the making.

PMID- 28352303
TI  - Paediatric Virology: A rapidly increasing educational challenge.
AB  - The '2nd Workshop on Paediatric Virology', which took place on Saturday the 8th
      of October 2016 in Athens, Greece, provided an overview on recent views and
      advances on Paediatric Virology. Emphasis was given to HIV-1 management in
      Greece, a country under continuous financial crisis, hepatitis B vaccination in
      Africa, treatment options for hepatitis C virus in childhood, Zika virus in
      pregnancy and infancy, the burden of influenza on childhood, hand-foot-mouth
      disease and myocarditis associated with Coxsackie viruses. Other general topics
      covered included a critical evaluation of Paediatric Accident and Emergency viral
      infections, multimodality imaging of viral infections in children, surgical
      approaches of otolaryngologists to complex viral infections, new advances in the
      diagnosis and treatment of viral conjunctivitis and novel molecular diagnostic
      methods for HPV in childhood. A brief historical overview of the anti-vaccination
      movement was also provided, as well as presentations on the educational challenge
      of Paediatric Virology as a new subspecialty of Paediatrics. This review
      highlights selected lectures and discussions of the workshop.

PMID- 28352305
TI  - From bench to bedside: Therapeutic potential of interleukin-9 in the treatment of
      asthma.
AB  - Initially identified as a T cell and mast cell growth factor, interleukin (IL)-9
      has long been recognized as an important mediator of asthma. Recently,
      accumulating results from transgenic mice demonstrated that systemic or lung
      specific overexpression of IL-9 caused asthma-associated symptoms. Moreover, anti
      mIL-9 antibody (Ab) blocking treatment alleviated disease in animal models of
      asthma. In light of the large quantity of data from the murine models, MEDI-528,
      a humanized anti-IL-9 monoclonal Ab has been produced to assess the activity of
      IL-9 on human asthma. In order to ascertain whether it is a successful
      translation from bench to bedside, the biological features of IL-9 were evaluated
      and up-to-date information regarding the role of IL-9 in different experimental
      murine models and human asthma were summarized.

PMID- 28352304
TI  - Myeloid-derived suppressor cells and myeloid regulatory cells in cancer and
      autoimmune disorders.
AB  - Myeloid-derived suppressor cells (MDSCs) were originally described as a
      heterogeneous population of immature cells derived from myeloid progenitors with
      immune-suppressive functions in tumor-bearing hosts. In recent years, increasing
      number of studies have described various populations of myeloid cells with MDSC
      like properties in murine models of cancer and autoimmune diseases. These studies
      have observed that the populations of MDSCs are increased during inflammation and
      autoimmune conditions. In addition, MDSCs can effectively suppress T cell
      responses and modulate the activity of natural killer cells and other myeloid
      cells. MDSCs have also been implicated in the induction of regulatory T cell
      production. Furthermore, these cells have the potential to suppress the
      autoimmune response, thereby limiting tissue injury. Myeloid regulatory cells
      (Mregs) are recently attracting increasing attention, since they function in
      proinflammatory and immune suppression in autoimmune diseases, as well as in
      various types of cancer. Currently, research focus is directed from MDSCs to
      Mregs in cancer and autoimmune diseases. The present study reviewed the
      suppressive roles of MDSCs in various autoimmune murine models, the immune
      modulation of MDSCs to T helper 17 lymphocytes, as well as the proinflammatory
      and immunosuppressive roles of Mregs in various types of cancer and autoimmune
      diseases.

PMID- 28352306
TI  - Risk of cardiovascular disease in inflammatory bowel disease.
AB  - Cardiovascular disease (CVD) can arise because of chronic inflammation and
      inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is one such disease where the risk for CVD and
      eventual heart failure is increased considerably. The incidence of IBD, which
      refers to both ulcerative colitis and Crohn's disease, has been on the increase
      in several countries and is a potential risk factor for CVD. Although IBD can
      potentially cause venous thromboembolism, its significance in arterial
      stiffening, atherosclerosis, ischemic heart disease and myocardial infarction is
      only being realized now and it is currently under debate. However, several
      studies with large groups of patients have demonstrated the association of IBD
      with heart disease. It has been suggested that systemic inflammation as observed
      in IBD patients leads to oxidative stress and elevated levels of inflammatory
      cytokines such as tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha), which lead to
      phenotypic changes in smooth muscle cells and sets into motion a series of events
      that culminate in atherosclerosis and CVD. Besides the endogenous factors and
      cytokines, it has been suggested that due to the compromised intestinal mucosal
      barrier, endotoxins and bacterial lipopolysaccharides produced by intestinal
      microflora can enter into circulation and activate inflammatory responses that
      lead to atherosclerosis. Therapeutic management of IBD-associated heart diseases
      cannot be achieved with simple anti-inflammatory drugs such as corticosteroids
      and anti-TNF-alpha antibodies. Treatment with existing medications for CVDs,
      aspirin, platelet aggregation inhibitors and statins is found to be acceptable
      and safe. Nevertheless, further research is needed to assess their efficacy in
      IBD patients suffering from heart disease.

PMID- 28352307
TI  - Mumps caused by paraquat-induced poisoning: A case report.
AB  - Paraquat (PQ) is a highly toxic herbicide that harms the liver, kidney, lungs and
      heart, and results in a variety of complications. The majority of patients with
      severe PQ poisoning may succumb to multiple organ failure, and the mortality rate
      is high. Although a large number of studies have been performed investigating PQ
      poisoning, cases of mumps caused by PQ-induced poisoning are rare. In the present
      case report, a 45-year-old female who ingested PQ was admitted to the Emergency
      Department of Liaocheng People's Hospital (Liaocheng, China). During the
      development of the disease, mumps was caused by a cavity ulcer following PQ
      poisoning. To the best of our knowledge, cases of mumps following PQ poisoning
      are rare.

PMID- 28352308
TI  - Diagnostic value of multislice computerized tomography angiography for aortic
      dissection: A comparison with DSA.
AB  - The aim of the present study was to compare multislice computed tomography
      angiography (MSCTA) and digital subtraction angiography (DSA) in the diagnosis of
      aortic dissection. In total, 49 patients with aortic lesions received enhanced
      computed tomography scanning, and three-dimensional (3D) images were
      reconstructed by volume rendering (VR), maximum intensity projection (MIP),
      multiplanar reformation (MPR) and curved planar reconstruction (CPR). The display
      rate of the entry tear site, intimal flap, true and false lumen from each
      reconstruction method was calculated. For 30 patients with DeBakey type III
      aortic dissection, the entry tear site and size of the first intimal flap, aortic
      maximum diameter at the orifice of left subclavian artery (LSCA), distance
      between the first entry tear site and the orifice of LSCA, and maximum diameter
      of aortic true and false lumens were measured prior to implantation of
      endovascular covered stent-grafts. Data obtained by MSCTA and DSA were then
      compared. For the entry tear site, MPR, CPR and VR provided a display rate of
      95.92, 95.92 and 18.37%, respectively, and the display rate of the intimal flap
      was 100% in the three methods. MIP did not directly display the entry tear site
      and intimal flap. For true and false lumens, MPR, CPR, and VR showed a display
      rate of 100%, while MIP only provided a display rate of 67.35%. When MSCTA was
      compared with DSA, there was a significant difference in the display of entry
      site number and position (P<0.05), whereas no significant difference was shown in
      the measurement of aortic maximum diameter at the orifice of LSCA and the maximum
      diameter of true and false lumens (P>0.05). In conclusion, among the 3D post
      processing reconstruction methods of MSCTA used, MPR and CPR were optimal,
      followed by VR, and MIP. MSCTA may be the preferable imaging method to diagnose
      aortic dissection and evaluate treatment of endovascular-covered stent-grafting,
      preoperatively.

PMID- 28352309
TI  - Asiaticoside ameliorates beta-amyloid-induced learning and memory deficits in
      rats by inhibiting mitochondrial apoptosis and reducing inflammatory factors.
AB  - The present study aimed to investigate the effects of asiaticoside (AS) on the
      pathology and associated mechanisms of beta-amyloid (Abeta)-induced Alzheimer's
      disease (AD) in rats. An AD rat model was established by lateral
      intracerebroventricular injection of Abeta 1-42 oligomers. Learning and memory
      function were evaluated by Morris water maze (MWM) test. In addition, hematoxylin
      and eosin (H&E) staining, transmission electron microscopy (TEM),
      immunohistochemistry, ELISA and western blot analysis were performed to evaluate
      the disease pathogenesis. The results indicated that AS exerted protective
      effects in rats treated with Abeta oligomers, in a dose-dependent manner, as
      evidenced by the improved learning and memory function in the MWM test. In
      addition, H&E staining of hippocampal tissue showed that the histological
      structure was damaged in the model group, which was restored by AS treatment.
      Abeta deposition was dramatically increased in the model group, and the
      pathological changes were reversed by AS treatment. TEM revealed that the
      subcellular structure was injured by Abeta oligomers, however, the structure was
      ameliorated by AS treatment. Furthermore, AS was found to reduce the elevated
      levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines, interleukin-6 and tumor necrosis factor
      alpha, in the brains of Abeta-treated rats. In addition, AS treatment resulted in
      a significant decrease in the expression of caspases-3, whereas the expression of
      B-cell lymphoma-2 was significantly increased, in these Abeta-treated rats.
      According to the findings of the observed study, AS has a marked protective
      effect on Abeta-induced AD pathology, and the underlying mechanism may be
      associated with the alleviation of the mitochondrial injuries, the anti
      inflammatory activities, and the influence on the expression levels of apoptosis
      associated proteins.

PMID- 28352310
TI  - Cell penetrable-mouse forkhead box P3 suppresses type 1 T helper cell-mediated
      immunity in a murine model of delayed-type hypersensitivity.
AB  - Forkhead box P3 (FOXP3), which is a transcription factor, has a primary role in
      the development and function of regulatory T cells, and thus contributes to
      homeostasis of the immune system. A previous study generated a cell-permeable
      fusion protein of mouse FOXP3 conjugated to a protein transduction domain (PTD
      mFOXP3) that successfully blocked differentiation of type 17 T helper cells in
      vitro and alleviated experimental arthritis in mice. In the present study, the
      role of PTD-mFOXP3 in type 1 T helper (Th1) cell-mediated immunity was
      investigated and the possible mechanisms for its effects were explored. Under Th1
      polarization conditions, cluster of differentiation 4+ T cells were treated with
      PTD-mFOXP3 and analyzed by flow cytometry in vitro, which revealed that PTD
      mFOXP3 blocked Th1 differentiation in vitro. Mice models of delayed type
      hypersensitivity (DTH) reactions were generated by subcutaneous sensitization and
      challenge with ovalbumin (OVA) to the ears of mice. PTD-mFOXP3, which was
      administered via local subcutaneous injection, significantly reduced DTH-induced
      inflammation, including ear swelling (ear swelling, P<0.001; pinnae weight,
      P<0.05 or P<0.01 with 0.25 and 1.25 mg/kg PTD-mFOXP3, respectively), infiltration
      of T cells, and expression of interferon-gamma at local inflammatory sites (mRNA
      level P<0.05) compared with the DTH group. The results of the present study
      demonstrated that PTD-mFOXP3 may attenuate DTH reactions by suppressing the
      infiltration and activity of Th1 cells.

PMID- 28352311
TI  - Control-released basic fibroblast growth factor-loaded poly-lactic-co-glycolic
      acid microspheres promote sciatic nerve regeneration in rats.
AB  - Although peripheral nerve injury may result in a loss of function in innervated
      areas, the most effective method for nerve regeneration remains to be determined.
      The aim of the present study was to investigate the effect of control-released
      basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF)-loaded poly-lactic-co-glycolic acid (PLGA)
      microspheres on sciatic nerve regeneration following injury in rats. bFGF-PLGA
      microspheres were prepared and their characteristics were evaluated. The sciatic
      nerve was segmentally resected to create a 10 mm defect in 36 Sprague Dawley (SD)
      rats and, following the anastomosis of the nerve ends with a silicone tube, bFGF
      PLGA microspheres, free bFGF or PBS were injected into the tube (n=12 in each
      group). The outcome of nerve regeneration was evaluated using the sciatic
      function index (SFI), electrophysiological test and histological staining at 6
      weeks and 12 weeks post-surgery. The bFGF-PLGA microspheres were successfully
      synthesized with an encapsulation efficiency of 66.43%. The recovery of SFI and
      electrophysiological values were significantly greater (P<0.05), and
      morphological and histological observations were significantly greater (P<0.05)
      in bFGF-PLGA microspheres and bFGF groups compared with those in the PBS group,
      and the quickest recovery was observed in the bFGF-PLGA microspheres group. In
      conclusion, the bFGF-PLGA microspheres may promote nerve regeneration and
      functional recovery in the sciatic nerve, and may have potential therapeutic
      applications in peripheral nerve regeneration.

PMID- 28352312
TI  - Geniposide reverses multidrug resistance in vitro and in vivo by inhibiting the
      efflux function and expression of P-glycoprotein.
AB  - Geniposide is a water-soluble iridoid glucoside with anti-oxidant and anti
      inflammatory biological functions. It has been indicated that geniposide may
      increase doxorubicin (DOX) accumulation in drug-resistant tumor cells. The
      present study aimed to investigate the resistance-reversing effect of geniposide
      in DOX-resistant cells and assess the underlying mechanisms of its action. The
      results revealed that geniposide itself weakly inhibited tumor cell growth.
      Furthermore, geniposide effectively reversed DOX resistance in a dose-dependent
      manner in human osteosarcoma DOX-resistant (MG63/DOX) cells. The action of
      geniposide was confirmed by increased accumulation of intracellular DOX detected
      in MG63/DOX cells. Notably, geniposide enhanced the efficacy of DOX against
      MG63/DOX cancer cell-derived xenografts in nude mice. To study the mechanism,
      intracellular accumulation of rhodamine 123 was measured using flow cytometry. At
      concentrations that reversed multidrug resistance (MDR), geniposide significantly
      downregulated P-glycoprotein (P-gp) expression. Therefore, geniposide reverses P
      gp-mediated MDR by reducing the expression of P-gp and its transport function.
      The present study therefore indicated that geniposide may be administered in
      combination with conventional anti-neoplastic drugs to prevent MDR.

PMID- 28352313
TI  - Effects of Cimicifugae Rhizoma on the osteogenic and adipogenic differentiation
      of stem cells.
AB  - Cimicifugae Rhizoma, a herb with a long history of use in traditional Oriental
      medicine is reported to have anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, anti-complement and
      anticancer effects. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the effects of
      Cimicifugae Rhizoma extracts on the osteogenic and adipogenic differentiation of
      human stem cells derived from gingiva. Stem cells derived from gingiva were grown
      in the presence of Cimicifugae Rhizoma at final concentrations of 0.1, 1 and 10
      ug/ml. Cell proliferation analyses were performed at day 15. For osteogenic
      differentiation experiments, the stem cells were cultured in osteogenic media
      containing beta-glycerophosphate, ascorbic acid-2-phosphate and dexamethasone,
      and osteogenic differentiation was evaluated by analysis of osteocalcin
      expression at 21 days. For adipogenic differentiation experiments, the stem cells
      were grown in adipogenic induction medium, and the adipogenic differentiation was
      evaluated by analysis of adipocyte fatty acid-binding protein at day 14. The
      cultures grown in the presence of 0.1 ug/ml Cimicifugae Rhizoma showed a
      significant increase in cellular proliferation at day 15 compared with the
      control group. The relative osteogenic differentiation in the presence of
      Cimicifugae Rhizoma for the 0.1, 1 and 10 ug/ml groups was 171.5+/-13.7, 125.6+/
      28.7 and 150.5+/-9.0, respectively, when that of the untreated control group on
      day 21 was considered to be 100%. The relative adipogenic differentiation at day
      14 of the 0.1, 1 and 10 ug/ml groups in the presence of Cimicifugae Rhizoma was
      97.5+/-15.0, 102.9+/-12.8 and 87.0+/-6.8%, respectively when that of the
      untreated control group on day 14 was considered to be 100%. Within the limits of
      this study, Cimicifugae Rhizoma increased the proliferation of stem cells derived
      from the gingiva, and low concentrations of Cimicifugae Rhizoma may increase the
      osteogenic differentiation of stem cells.

PMID- 28352314
TI  - VEGF treatment promotes bone marrow-derived CXCR4+ mesenchymal stromal stem cell
      differentiation into vessel endothelial cells.
AB  - Stem/progenitor cells serve an important role in the process of blood vessel
      repair. However, the mechanism of vascular repair mediated by C-X-C chemokine
      receptor type 4-positive (CXCR4+) bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells
      (BMSCs) following myocardial infarction remains unclear. The aim of the present
      study was to investigate the effects of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF)
      on vessel endothelial differentiation from BMSCs. CXCR4+ BMSCs were isolated from
      the femoral bone marrow of 2-month-old mice and the cells were treated with VEGF.
      Expression of endothelial cell markers and the functional properties were
      assessed by reverse transcription-quantitative polymerase chain reaction, flow
      cytometry and vascular formation analyses. The results indicated that the CXCR4+
      BMSCs from femoral bone marrow cells expressed putative cell surface markers of
      mesenchymal stem cells. Treatment with VEGF induced platelet/endothelial cell
      adhesion molecule-1 (PECAM-1) and von Willebrand factor (vWF) expression at the
      transcriptional and translational levels, compared with untreated controls.
      Moreover, VEGF treatment induced CXCR4+ BMSCs to form hollow tube-like structures
      on Matrigel, suggesting that the differentiated endothelial cells had the
      functional properties of blood vessels. The results demonstrate that the CXCR4+
      BMSCs were able to differentiate into vessel endothelial cells following VEGF
      treatment. For cell transplantation in vascular disease, it may be concluded that
      CXCR4+ BMSCs are a novel source of endothelial progenitor cells with high
      potential for application in vascular repair.

PMID- 28352315
TI  - Daphnetin inhibits inflammation in the NZB/W F1 systemic lupus erythematosus
      murine model via inhibition of NF-kappaB activity.
AB  - Daphnetin is a compound extracted from Chinese medicinal herbs, which exerts
      analgesic and anti-inflammatory effects. The present study aimed to investigate
      the potential therapeutic effect of daphnetin on inflammation in the NZB/W F1
      systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) murine model. Female NZB/WF1 mice (age, 16-18
      weeks) were intraperitoneally injected with daphnetin once a day for 12 weeks. It
      was revealed that daphnetin treatment significantly increased animal survival
      rates, reduced renal damage and blood urea nitrogen levels, and suppressed serum
      autoantibody production in the SLE-prone NZB/W F1 mice. In addition, daphnetin
      treatment significantly decreased the serum levels of tumor necrosis factor-alpha
      and interleukin-6, inhibited nuclear factor (NF)-kappaB activity, suppressed the
      protein expression of nuclear factor of activated T-cells and promoted A20
      protein expression in SLE-prone NZB/W F1 mice. In conclusion, daphnetin inhibited
      inflammation in the NZB/W F1 murine SLE model via inhibition of NF-kappaB
      mediated by upregulation of A20.

PMID- 28352316
TI  - Monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 contributes to morphine tolerance in rats with
      cancer-induced bone pain.
AB  - Cancer-induced bone pain can severely compromise the life quality of patients,
      while tolerance limits the use of opioids in the treatment of cancer pain.
      Monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 (MCP-1) is known to contribute to neuropathic
      pain. However, the role of spinal MCP-1 in the development of morphine tolerance
      in patients with cancer-induced bone pain remains unclear. The aim of the present
      study was to investigate the role of spinal MCP-1 in morphine tolerance in bone
      cancer pain rats (MTBP rats). Bone cancer pain was induced by intramedullary
      injection of Walker 256 cells into the tibia of the rats, while morphine
      tolerance was induced by continuous intrathecal injection of morphine over a
      period of 9 days. In addition, anti-MCP-1 antibodies were intrathecally injected
      to rats in various groups in order to investigate the association of MCP-1 with
      mechanical and heat hyperalgesia using the paw withdrawal threshold (PWT) and
      thermal withdrawal latency (TWL) tests, respectively. Furthermore, MCP-1 and CCR2
      expression levels were measured using reverse transcription-quantitative
      polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR) and western blot analysis, and CCR2
      expression levels were measured using RT-qPCR. The results indicated that MCP-1
      and CCR2 expression levels were significantly increased in the spinal cord of
      MTBP rats. Intrathecal administration of anti-MCP-1 neutralizing antibodies was
      observed to attenuate the mechanical and thermal allodynia in MTBP rats.
      Therefore, the upregulation of spinal MCP-1 and CCR2 expression levels may
      contribute to the development of mechanical allodynia in MTBP rats. In
      conclusion, MCP-1/CCR2 signaling may serve a crucial role in morphine tolerance
      development in rats suffering from cancer-induced bone pain.

PMID- 28352317
TI  - Activation of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma inhibits vascular
      calcification by upregulating Klotho.
AB  - Cardiovascular diseases are common in patients with chronic kidney disease. One
      of the key symptoms is the calcification of the vascular smooth muscle cells
      (VSMCs), which is induced by dysregulated mineral metabolism with high
      circulating levels of inorganic phosphate (Pi) and calcium. Klotho, which was
      originally identified as an aging suppressor gene, has been shown to be
      associated with vascular calcification. Since Klotho was recently identified as a
      target for nuclear receptor peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor (PPAR)
      gamma, the present study aimed to determine whether PPARgamma regulates VSMC
      calcification through modulating the expression levels of Klotho. It was
      demonstrated that the expression of PPARgamma was downregulated during Pi-induced
      VSMC calcification. In addition, treatment with PPARgamma agonists inhibited the
      calcification and enhanced the expression of Klotho in VSMCs in a PPARgamma
      dependent manner. Of note, loss of Klotho expression by RNA interference
      abolished the ability of PPARgamma activation to inhibit VSMC calcification.
      Furthermore, activation of Klotho as well as PPARgamma inhibited the expression
      of Pi transporter 1/2 and reduced Pi influx into VSMCs. To the best of our
      knowledge, the present study was the first to demonstrate that PPARgamma
      regulates VSMC calcification through activating Klotho.

PMID- 28352319
TI  - Characterizing nanoscale changes in the activity of VEGFR-2 on glioma
      microvascular endothelial cell membranes using atomic force microscopy.
AB  - The aim of the current study was to demonstrate the distribution of VEGFR-2 on
      glioma microvascular endothelial cells on a nanoscale and investigate changes in
      VEGFR-2 activity following treatment with the VEGFR-2 inhibitor and agonist
      sorafenib and bradykinin, respectively. Three groups were evaluated in this
      study: Control glioma microvascular endothelial cells, sorafenib-treated glioma
      microvascular endothelial cells and bradykinin-treated glioma microvascular
      endothelial cells. Changes in the activity of VEGFR-2 on the glioma microvascular
      endothelial cell membranes following treatment with sorafenib and bradykinin were
      characterized by atomic force microscopy (AFM). Colloidal gold-labeled immune
      complexes and AFM were used to visualize the distribution of VEGFR-2 on the cell
      membranes. In the control group, VEGFR-2, which was observed as numerous globular
      structures, was evenly distributed on the cell surface membranes. The majority of
      the receptors were active. In the sorafenib group, only a few globular structures
      were observed on the cell membranes, with a density significantly lower than that
      in the control group (P<0.01). Furthermore, compared with the control group,
      fewer of the receptors were active. In the bradykinin group, numerous globular
      structures were densely distributed on the cell membranes, with a density
      significantly higher than that in the control group (P<0.01). The distribution
      and activity of VEGFR-2 on glioma microvascular endothelial cell membranes
      treated with sorafenib and bradykinin suggested that the activity of VEGFR-2
      could be regulated by its inhibitor or agonist.

PMID- 28352318
TI  - Establishment and evaluation of an experimental rat model for high-altitude
      intestinal barrier injury.
AB  - In the present study an experimental high-altitude intestinal barrier injury rat
      model was established by simulating an acute hypoxia environment, to provide an
      experimental basis to assess the pathogenesis, prevention and treatment of
      altitude sickness. A total of 70 healthy male Sprague-Dawley rats were divided
      into two groups: Control group (group C) and a high-altitude hypoxia group (group
      H). Following 2 days adaptation, the rats in group H were exposed to a simulated
      4,000-m, high-altitude hypoxia environment for 3 days to establish the
      experimental model. To evaluate the model, bacterial translocation, serum
      lipopolysaccharide level, pathomorphology, ultrastructure and protein expression
      in rats were assessed. The results indicate that, compared with group C, the rate
      of bacterial translocation and the apoptotic index of intestinal epithelial cells
      were significantly higher in group H (P<0.01). Using a light microscope it was
      determined that the intestinal mucosa was thinner in group H, there were fewer
      epithelial cells present and the morphology was irregular. Observations with an
      electron microscope indicated that the intestinal epithelial cells in group H
      were injured, the spaces among intestinal villi were wider, the tight junctions
      among cells were open and lanthanum nitrate granules (from the fixing solution)
      had diffused into the intestinal mesenchyme. The expression of the tight junction
      protein occludin was also decreased in group H. Therefore, the methods applied in
      the present study enabled the establishment of a stable, high-altitude intestinal
      barrier injury model in rats.

PMID- 28352320
TI  - Fungal infection involvement in primary biliary cirrhosis: A review of 2 cases.
AB  - The present study aimed to analyze the imaging, clinical and pathological
      features of fungal infection involvement in primary biliary cirrhosis (PBC) by
      retrospectively analyzing and reviewing the features of two patients with fungal
      infection involvement in PBC. Both patients were female. One patient had a
      confirmed diagnosis of PBC. The other patient had confirmed Sjogren syndrome and
      PBC. The two cases of PBC were infected with fungal infection after treatment
      with hormonal and immunosuppressive agents. RCR of sputum confirmed Pneumocystis
      spp. infection in the patient with PBC alone. The mucormycosis infection was
      confirmed in the other patient after pathological examination of a renal biopsy.
      The state of the illnesses progressed quickly and both patients ultimately
      succumbed to their conditions. The patient prognosis of fungal infection
      involvement PBC is poor. Patients treated with long-term hormone and
      immunosuppressive agents should be monitored.

PMID- 28352321
TI  - Toll-like receptor 2 agonist exacerbates renal injury in diabetic mice.
AB  - Inflammation is implicated in the pathogenesis of diabetic nephropathy (DN). Toll
      like receptor 2 (TLR2) is a ligand-activated membrane-bound receptor, which
      induces an inflammatory response, thus serving a crucial role in the pathogenesis
      of DN. The present study aimed to determine whether a TLR2 agonist, Pam3CysSK4,
      modulates the development of DN. A mouse model of DN was induced using
      streptozotocin (STZ) and, following the confirmation of hyperglycemia, mice were
      treated with or without Pam3CysSK4. Pathological and functional markers,
      including the activation of nuclear factor (NF)-kappaB, expression of TLR2,
      inflammatory infiltration, myeloid differentiation primary response gene 88 and
      monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 were assessed. STZ-treated mice exhibited
      elevated blood glucose levels and increased serum creatinine levels, which
      increased further following Pam3CysSK4 treatment. In addition, Pam3CysSK4
      treatment was observed to increase podocyte foot process formation. Furthermore,
      STZ-induced renal glomerular sclerosis was significantly exacerbated in
      Pam3CysSK4-treated mice. Pam3CysSK4-treated mice also exhibited increased levels
      of collagen IV following renal immunostaining, associated with increased
      macrophage infiltration. Renal expression of TLR2 was markedly elevated in STZ
      induced mice; this was further increased in Pam3CysSK4-treated mice, accompanied
      by upregulation of proinflammatory genes and activation of NF-kappaB. This
      indicates that enhanced renal expression of TLR2 is associated with inflammatory
      infiltration in DN and demonstrates that renal injury was exacerbated by the TLR2
      agonist in diabetic mice.

PMID- 28352322
TI  - Effect of Wubeizi ointment aqueous solution on the expression of type I and III
      procollagen genes in keloid fibroblasts.
AB  - We evaluated the effect of Wubeizi (WBZ) ointment on keloids. Keloid-derived
      fibroblast primary cultures were used to evaluate the effect of the different
      concentration of WBZ ointment on the expression of type I and III procollagen in
      keloid fibroblast primary cultures using dot blot assay. Type I and II
      precollagen cDNA probes labeled with non-radioactive digoxin were used for dot
      blot. Cell cultures were divided into 4 groups: The large dose group received 1
      g/ml of WBZ, middle dose, and small dose groups received 0.5 and 0.25 g/ml of
      WBZ, respectively. The control group received serum-free medium without WBZ. Our
      results showed that type I and III procollagen mRNA expression was reduced
      significantly in the large dose and middle dose groups compared to the control
      group. Type I and III procollagen mRNA expression level in the small dose group
      had no statistically significant difference with the control group. However, the
      difference between the large dose group and the small dose group was
      statistically significant. We concluded that WBZ ointment aqueous solution
      restricted keloid fibroblast proliferation by downregulating the expression of
      type I and III procollagen and therefore reducing collagen deposition in keloid
      tissue.

PMID- 28352323
TI  - Correlation between genotype and phenotype in three families with Peutz-Jeghers
      Syndrome.
AB  - Peutz-Jeghers syndrome (PJS) is a hereditary disorder characterized by
      mucocutaneous pigmentations, gastrointestinal (GI) polyposis and an increased
      risk of certain malignancies. Little is known about the causative genes of PJS,
      or their association with the clinical phenotypes of PJS. The present study
      reports the results of clinical and genetic analysis of three Chinese families
      with PJS. In addition, the medical histories and clinical manifestations of these
      families were compared. DNA was collected from the blood samples of patients with
      PJS and controls. Serine/threonine kinase 11 (STK11), olfactory receptor family 4
      subfamily C member 45 (OR4C45) and zonadhesin (ZAN) were amplified by polymerase
      chain reaction, and analyzed by sequencing and cloning. Two PJS-affected members
      of one family had a de novo single base deletion (NM_000455.4:c.842delC) in the
      STK11 gene, and their clinical presentations reflected the quantity of mutant
      STK11 copies in a dose-dependent manner. No pathogenic variants of OR4C45 or ZAN
      were found in the patients with PJS, although a new single nucleotide
      polymorphism (NM_003386.2:c.5768delG) of ZAN was identified. The results of the
      current study identified that a STK11 mutation dose-dependent genotype-phenotype
      relationship exists in patients with PJS. In addition, an early onset and high
      severity of oral pigmentations in PJS was indicative of serious GI phenotypes.
      These findings may aid the diagnosis and treatment of PJS.

PMID- 28352324
TI  - Value of the combined examination of Cys-C and HbA1c for diagnosis of early renal
      injury in pediatric diabetes.
AB  - The objective of the present study was to evaluate the combined application of
      measuring cystatin C (Cys-C) and hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) levels for early renal
      injury in pediatric patients with type 2 diabetes. A total of 130 children with
      type 2 diabetes admitted to our hospital from May 2013 to July 2015 were
      selected. Patients were divided according to whether there was complication of
      renal injury. In group A (n=65), the patients had renal injury and in group B
      (n=65), the patients did not have renal injury. The levels of Cys-C and HbA1c in
      the two groups were examined. The results showed that the levels of Cys-C and
      HbA1c of patients in group A were significantly higher than those in group B
      (P<0.05), and the positive rate of the combined examination of Cys-C and HbA1c in
      group A was 92.3%, and was higher than that of the individual examinations of
      either Cys-C or HbA1c (P<0.05). The Spearman's correlation coefficient analysis
      was applied to group B and showed that Cys-C was positively correlated with HbA1c
      (r=0.842, P<0.05). From analysis of the receiver operating characteristic curves,
      the combined examination of Cys-C and HbA1c surpassed the individual examinations
      of Cys-C or HbA1c in sensitivity and specificity (P<0.05). In conclusion, the
      positive detection rate of early renal injury was significantly increased by the
      combined examination of Cys-C and HbA1c in pediatric patients with type 2
      diabetes, which is beneficial for early identification and diagnosis of this
      diseases and is worthy of clinical application.

PMID- 28352325
TI  - Analysis of clinical effects and mechanism of recombinant human interleukin-11
      with glucocorticoids for treatment of idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura.
AB  - The aim of the present study was to evaluate the effectiveness and safety of
      recombinant human interleukin-11 (IL-11) with glucocorticoids for treatment of
      adult idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura (ITP) and the regulatory effect on
      immune mechanisms. A total of 80 patients with initial diagnosis of ITP admitted
      to our hospital were selected. Patients were randomly divided into the control
      group and observation group, with 40 cases each. The control group received
      glucocorticoids treatment, and the observation group received IL-11 and
      glucocorticoids. The treatment effects were compared. The total effective rate
      and effective degree of the observation group was higher than in the control
      group and the difference was statistically significant (P<0.05); comparing the
      incidence of complications of the two groups, there was no statistical difference
      (P>0.05). In the observation group, onset time was reduced, platelet recovery
      level increased and platelet antibody positive rate decreased, and the
      differences were statistically significant (P<0.05). The total treatment course
      was shorter and recurrence rate was lower in the observation group compared with
      the control group, and the differences were statistically significant (P<0.05).
      The percentage of CD4+CD25+ regulatory T cells decreased in the two groups after
      treatment, and was more pronounced in the observation group. The difference was
      statistically significant (P<0.05). In conclusion, IL-11 with glucocorticoids for
      the treatment of adult ITP is safe and effective, and may be associated with
      decreased percentage of CD4+CD25+ regulatory T cells.

PMID- 28352326
TI  - Genetic variants in KCNJ11, TCF7L2 and HNF4A are associated with type 2 diabetes,
      BMI and dyslipidemia in families of Northeastern Mexico: A pilot study.
AB  - The aim of the present study was to investigate whether genetic markers
      considered risk factors for metabolic syndromes, including dyslipidemia, obesity
      and type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM), can be applied to a Northeastern Mexican
      population. A total of 37 families were analyzed for 63 single nucleotide
      polymorphisms (SNPs), and the age, body mass index (BMI), glucose tolerance
      values and blood lipid levels, including those of cholesterol, low-density
      lipoprotein (LDL), very LDL (VLDL), high-density lipoprotein (HDL) and
      triglycerides were evaluated. Three genetic markers previously associated with
      metabolic syndromes were identified in the sample population, including KCNJ11,
      TCF7L2 and HNF4A. The KCNJ11 SNP rs5210 was associated with T2DM, the TCF7L2 SNP
      rs11196175 was associated with BMI and cholesterol and LDL levels, the TCF7L2 SNP
      rs12255372 was associated with BMI and HDL, VLDL and triglyceride levels, and the
      HNF4A SNP rs1885088 was associated with LDL levels (P<0.05).

PMID- 28352327
TI  - Downregulated stromal antigen 2 expression in de novo acute myeloid leukemia
      patients.
AB  - The stromal antigen 2 (STAG2) gene encodes a component of the cohesin complex
      that participates in the regulation of sister chromatid separation during
      mitosis. When activated, STAG2 may act as a 'caretaker' tumor suppressor gene. As
      it is unknown whether STAG2 gene is responsible for the occurrence and associated
      with the prognosis of acute myeloid leukemia (AML), the present study analyzed
      the relative expression levels of STAG2 in 127 de novo AML patients and 17
      healthy volunteers using reverse transcription-quantitative polymerase chain
      reaction. In addition, AML patients were divided into three risk groups using
      cytogenetic and molecular genetic abnormalities to define their risk status.
      STAG2 gene expression was found to be significantly downregulated in de novo AML
      patients, when compared with the healthy controls; however, the expression was
      not significantly different in the various gender and age subgroups. Furthermore,
      no significant difference between risk groups was detected in AML patients. Thus,
      the STAG2 gene may serve an important role in AML development, but is not
      associated with prognosis in AML.

PMID- 28352328
TI  - Distribution of human papillomavirus genotypes in cervical lesions.
AB  - The aims of the present study were to investigate the distribution of human
      papillomavirus (HPV) genotypes in cervical lesions, and the association between
      different HPV genotypes and cervical lesions. Between January 2013 and June 2014,
      the HPV type determinations of nucleic acid by use of fluorescence polymerase
      chain reaction (PCR) method of 15,192 outpatients in China-Japan Friendship
      Hospital were performed and the infection status was analyzed. The results showed
      that: i) 2,366 Cases were HPV positive and 12,826 cases were HPV negative, the
      overall infection rate was 15.57% (2,366/15,192), in which a single genotype of
      HPV infection rate was 11.63% (1,767/15,192), and multiple genotypes of HPV
      infection rate was 3.94% (599/15,192); ii) HPV16, HPV52 and HPV58 infections were
      the most common HPV genotypes, the infection rates were 3.95% (600/15,192), 2.86%
      (435/15,192) and 2.67% (406/15,192), respectively; and iii) According to the gold
      standard of histopathological analysis via hematoxylin-eosin staining, HPV16,
      HPV52 and HPV58 accounted for 58.80% (154/267) of all CIN2 or above squamous
      epithelial lesions. Furthermore, three cases with pathological changes of the
      cervical severe glandular epithelium were all HPV18 infection. The difference was
      statistically significant (chi2=60.74, P<0.001). Single HPV subtype infection was
      primarily associated with HPV16, HPV52 and HPV58. In conclusion, HPV type
      detection had a may be important in screening of cervical lesions as a difference
      in pathogenic ability was noted among different HPV genotypes. As cervical cancer
      is an infectious disease, HPV testing may help detect more precancerous lesions,
      thus reducing the morbidity and mortality of cervical cancer. HPV16, HPV52 and
      HPV58 were associated with severe cervical squamous epithelial lesions; HPV18 was
      associated with cervical severe glandular cell pathological changes, although it
      was not the most common HPV genotype in China. When positive, a clinical cervical
      examination should be conducted, including colposcopy and biopsy.

PMID- 28352329
TI  - Matrigel scaffold combined with Ad-hBMP7-transfected chondrocytes improves the
      repair of rabbit cartilage defect.
AB  - The aim of this study was to explore an effective method for the repair of
      cartilage defects using chitosan/glycerophosphate (C/GP) gel- and Matrigel
      engineered human bone morphogenetic protein 7 (hBMP7)-expressing chondrocytes.
      Rabbit chondrocytes were obtained, cultured in vitro and transfected with an
      adenovirus containing hBMP7 and green fluorescent protein (Ad-hBMP7-GFP). The
      expression of hBMP7 in the transfected cells was tested by reverse transcription
      polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and western blotting. The phenotype of the
      transfected cells was evaluated by detecting the yields of collagen II and
      hyaluronic acid using RT-PCR and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). The
      growth of chondrocytes in the C/GP gel and Matrigel was accessed by measuring the
      cell growth rate, hematoxylin and eosin (H&E) staining and observation under a
      scanning microscope. Twelve adult male New Zealand white rabbits were randomly
      divided into three groups. Two cartilage defects were created in the rabbits'
      knees by aseptic surgery. Group A (n=4) did not receive any treatment, group B
      (n=4) were treated with C/GP gel and Matrigel-engineered Ad-mock-GFP-transfected
      chondrocytes, and group C (n=4) were treated with C/GP gel and Matrigel
      engineered Ad-hBMP7-GFP-transfected chondrocytes. Rabbits were sacrificed at 4
      weeks after transplantation, and the repair effect was measured by the Wakitani
      scoring method. On the basis of the RT-PCR and western blot results, hBMP7 was
      efficiently overexpressed in the Ad-hBMP7-GFP-transfected chondrocytes. The ELISA
      results showed that the yields of collagen II and hyaluronic acid in Ad-hBMP7-GFP
      transfected chondrocytes were significantly higher than those in Ad-mock-GFP
      transfected chondrocytes. Chondrocytes have a better morphology and arrangement
      in a Matrigel scaffold than in C/GP, as assessed by H&E staining and scanning
      microscopy. According to the Wakitani score, Matrigel combined with Ad-hBMP7-GFP
      transfected chondrocytes successfully promoted the repair of cartilage defects in
      rabbit knees.

PMID- 28352330
TI  - Orphan nuclear receptor Nurr1 as a potential novel marker for progression in
      human pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma.
AB  - Nuclear receptor related-1 protein (Nurr1) is a novel orphan member of the
      nuclear receptor superfamily (the NR4A family) involved in tumorigenesis. The aim
      of the present study was to investigate the expression and possible function of
      Nurr1 in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC). The expression pattern of Nurr1
      protein was determined using immunohistochemical staining in 138 patients with
      PDAC. Elevated Nurr1 expression was more commonly observed in PDAC tissues and
      cell lines compared with healthy controls. Elevated expression was significantly
      associated with histological differentiation (P=0.041), lymph node metastasis
      (P=0.021), TNM classification of malignant tumors stage (P=0.031) and poor
      survival (P=0.001). Further experiments demonstrated that suppression of
      endogenous Nurr1 expression attenuated cell proliferation, migration and
      invasion, and induced apoptosis of PDAC cells. In conclusion, these results
      suggest that Nurr1 has an important role in the progression of PDAC and may be
      used as a novel marker for therapeutic targets.

PMID- 28352331
TI  - Clinical and laboratory analysis of late-onset glutaric aciduria type I (GA-I) in
      Uighur: A report of two cases.
AB  - The aim of the present study was to investigate the clinical, biochemical and
      genetic mutation characteristics of two cases of late-onset glutaric aciduria
      type I (GA-I) in Uighur. The clinical data and glutaryl-CoA dehydrogenase (GCDH)
      genetic test results of two cases of late-onset GA-I in Uighur were collected and
      analyzed, and reviewed with relevant literature. One patient with late-onset GA-I
      primarily exhibited clinical intermittent headache, while the other patient was
      asymptomatic. The urinary organic acid analysis detected a large number of
      glutaric acid and 3-hydroxy glutaric acid, 3-hydroxy-propionic acid. One patient
      exhibited white matter degeneration in cranial magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)
      and the other patient showed no abnormality. The two patients both exhibited c.
      1204C >T, p.R402W, heterozygous mutation, and c. 532G >A, p.G178R, heterozygous
      mutation. Besides central nervous system infectious diseases, patients with
      clinical headache, cranial MRI-suggested bilateral temporal lobe arachnoid cyst
      and abnormal signals in the basal ganglia should be highly suspected as late
      onset GA-I. Early diagnosis and correct treatment are key to improve its
      prognosis.

PMID- 28352332
TI  - Inhibitory effect of Salvia plebeia leaf extract on ultraviolet-induced
      photoaging-associated ion channels and enzymes.
AB  - In traditional Korean/Asian medicine, Salvia plebeia R.Br. (S. plebeia) leaves
      are used to treat inflammatory diseases, including dermatitis, cough, asthma and
      toothache. Recently, S. plebeia leaves have been applied in skin care, as they
      promote skin lightening and elasticity. Therefore, the present study investigated
      the anti-aging effects of S. plebeia leaf methanolic extract and its fractions
      (dichloromethane, ethylacetate and n-butanol). The results of a whole-cell patch
      clamp analysis indicated that the methanolic extract mediated ultraviolet (UV)
      induced photoaging-associated ion channels, transient receptor potential
      vanilloid 1 (TRPV1) and calcium release-activated calcium channel protein 1
      (ORAI1) channel activity in HEK293T cells overexpressing TRPV1 or ORAI1 and
      STIM1. Electrophysiological analysis revealed that the butanol fraction inhibited
      capsaicin-induced TRPV1 (84+/-8% at -60 mV/86+/-1% at 100 mV at 100 ug/ml) and
      ORAI1 (87+/-2% at -120 mV at 100 ug/ml) currents. Furthermore, the
      dichloromethane and hexane fractions inhibited tyrosinase activity by 32.4+/-0.69
      and 22.6+/-0.96% at 330 ug/ml, respectively. Furthermore, the ethylacetate and
      butanol fractions inhibited elastase activity by 65.2+/-1.30 and 31.7+/-1.23% at
      330 ug/ml, respectively. Tyrosinase and elastase, which are UV-induced photoaging
      associated enzymes, regulate skin pigmentation and wrinkle formation,
      respectively. The results of the present study indicated that S. plebeia leaves
      may be a novel treatment for UV-induced photoaging.

PMID- 28352333
TI  - Protective effects and mechanism of TPX2 on neurocyte apoptosis of rats in
      Alzheimer's disease model.
AB  - We investigated the protective effects and mechanism of TPX2 on apoptosis of rat
      neurocytes. A total of 90 SD rats were randomly divided into the drug group, the
      control group and the blank group, with 30 rats in each group. The rats in the
      drug group and in the blank group were anesthetized with 10% chloral hydrate (at
      the dose of 0.5 ml/100 g) and Abeta1-42, with the concentration of 5 ul (1
      ug/ul), was injected in the exact position of bilateral hippocampal areas of rats
      to establish the model. The configured TPX2 inhibitors and edible benne oil were
      mixed and made into a suspension. After model establishment, the rats were given
      different treatment methods; the rats in the drug group were given gavage
      administration in the proportion of 75 mg/kg once a day. The rats in the control
      group were given intragastric administration with the same proportion of
      physiological saline once a day. The blank group was the normal healthy group and
      the rats in this group did not undergo any surgery or drug treatment. Brain
      tissue in rats were divided into two parts, one part was fixed, dehydrated,
      paraffin-embedded and made into slices of approximately 5 um. TUNEL staining was
      used to examine the apoptosis of brain tissue, H&E staining was used to observe
      the brain tissue cells of each group, and western blotting for detecting the
      MAPK, Erk and expression levels of p38 and RT-polymerase chain reaction method
      was employed to examine mRNA expression levels of MAPK, Erk and p21. After one
      week, TUNEL staining showed that apoptosis of brain tissue in the drug group was
      significantly greater than those of the control and blank groups. The protein
      expression levels of MAPK, Erk and p38 were significantly higher than those of
      the control group and the normal healthy group; the differences were
      statistically significant (P<0.05). Western blotting showed that the protein
      expression levels of MAPK, Erk and p38 of the drug group were significantly lower
      than those of the control group but higher than those of the normal healthy
      group; the differences were statistically significant (P<0.05). TPX2 has a
      protective effect on the apoptosis of brain tissue processed by Abeta1-42, which
      plays its role through the inhibition of the protein expression levels of MAPK,
      Erk and p38.

PMID- 28352334
TI  - Long non-coding RNA ASncmtRNA-2 is upregulated in diabetic kidneys and high
      glucose-treated mesangial cells.
AB  - Diabetic nephropathy (DN) is one of the most frequent complications associated
      with type I and II diabetes mellitus. Kidneys from patients with DN are
      characterized by mesangial matrix expansion and increased thickness of the
      glomerular basement membrane, which are induced by reactive oxygen species (ROS)
      production. Previous studies have been conducted to investigate this; however,
      the detailed mechanism of DN progression remains to be elucidated. The present
      study evaluated the expression of antisense mitochondrial non-coding RNA-2
      (ASncmtRNA-2) in an experimental DN model and cultured human mesangial cells.
      When mice that exhibited genetic type II diabetes developed DN, ASncmtRNA-2
      expression was significantly increased (P=0.017) and was positively correlated
      with pro-fibrotic factor transforming growth factor beta1 (TGFbeta1) expression
      and its downstream gene, fibronectin. Inhibition of ROS through administration of
      the nitric oxide synthase inhibitor, NG-nitro-L-Arginine methylester (L-NAME),
      significantly reduced (P=0.022) the upregulation of ASncmtRNA-2 in DN. In
      cultured human renal mesangial cells (HRMCs), ASncmtRNA-2 was upregulated by high
      glucose stimuli in a time-dependent manner. Glucose-induced upregulation of
      ASncmtRNA-2 was also reduced by co-incubation of HRMCs with L-NAME. Notably,
      specific short hairpin RNA against ASncmtRNA-2 significantly downregulated the
      expression of TGFbeta1 in HRMCs. The present study suggests that ASncmtRNA-2 is
      upregulated by ROS and may promote glomerular fibrosis in DN via positively
      regulating the expression of pro-fibrotic factors. These findings may provide
      novel potential therapeutic and preventative treatments for DN.

PMID- 28352335
TI  - Chitosan hydrogel improves mesenchymal stem cell transplant survival and cardiac
      function following myocardial infarction in rats.
AB  - Myocardial infarction (MI) remains the leading cause of cardiovascular-associated
      mortality and morbidity. Improving the retention rate, survival and cardiomyocyte
      differentiation of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) is important in improving the
      treatment of patients with MI. In the present study, temperature-responsive
      chitosan hydrogel, an injectable scaffold, was used to deliver MSCs directly into
      the infarcted myocardium of rats following MI. Histopathology and
      immunohistochemical staining were used to evaluate cardiac cell survival and
      regeneration, and cardiac function was assessed using an echocardiograph. It was
      demonstrated that chitosan hydrogel increased graft size and cell retention in
      the ischemic heart, promoted MSCs to differentiate into cardiomyocytes and
      increased the effects of MSCs on neovasculature formation. Furthermore, chitosan
      hydrogel enhanced the effect of MSCs on the improvement of cardiac function and
      hemodynamics in the infarcted area of rats following MI. These findings suggest
      that chitosan hydrogel is an appropriate material to deliver MSCs into infarcted
      myocardium.

PMID- 28352336
TI  - Anthelmintic drug albendazole arrests human gastric cancer cells at the mitotic
      phase and induces apoptosis.
AB  - As microtubules have a vital function in the cell cycle, oncologists have
      developed microtubule inhibitors capable of preventing uncontrolled cell
      division, as in the case of cancer. The anthelmintic drug albendazole (ABZ) has
      been demonstrated to inhibit hepatocellular, ovarian and prostate cancer cells
      via microtubule targeting. However, its activity against human gastric cancer
      (GC) cells has remained to be determined. In the present study, ABZ was used to
      treat GC cells (MKN-45, SGC-7901 and MKN-28). A a CCK-8 cell proliferation assay
      was performed to assess the effects of ABZ on cell viability and cell cycle
      changes were assessed using flow cytometry. SGC-7901 cells were selected for
      further study, and flow cytometry was employed to determine the apoptotic rate,
      immunofluorescence analysis was employed to show changes of the microtubule
      structure as well as the subcellular localization and expression levels of cyclin
      B1, and western blot analysis was used to identify the dynamics of microtubule
      assembly. The expression levels of relevant proteins, including cyclin B1 and
      Cdc2, the two subunits of mitosis-promoting factor as well as apoptosis-asociated
      proteins were also assessed by western blot analysis. The results showed that ABZ
      exerted its anti-cancer activity in GC cell lines by disrupting microtubule
      formation and function to cause mitotic arrest, which is also associated with the
      accumulation of cyclin B1, and consequently induces apoptosis.

PMID- 28352337
TI  - Effect of ticagrelor on the serum level of hs-CRP, ESM-1 and short-term prognosis
      of patients with acute STEMI.
AB  - The aim of the present study was to observe and investigate the changes in the
      serum level of high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP), the endothelial cell
      specific molecule-1 (ESM-1) and short-term prognosis of patients with ST-segment
      elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) treated by ticagrelor. We enrolled 107
      patients with acute STEMI who were admitted in the Department of Cardiology for
      the first time with occurrence of symptoms, and we successfully performed
      emergency operation of percutaneous coronary intervention. The patients were
      divided into two groups, 54 patients in the ticagrelor group (treatment group)
      and 53 patients in the clopidogrel group (control group), according to the
      administration of ticagrelor or clopidogrel in dual anti-platelet therapy. Then,
      we observed the changes at the time of admission, at 24 h, and 4th and 7th day
      after administration and investigated the correlations between them and the
      effect of ticagrelor on the short-term prognosis of acute STEMI patients.
      Significant increases of the serum levels of hs-CRP and ESM-1 were seen in
      patients of the two groups 24 h after administration of drugs with statistically
      significant differences between the groups (P<0.05), and on the 4th and 7th day
      we found a downward trend with statistically significant differences (P<0.05).
      The level of ESM-1 enhanced the increase of hs-CRP, indicating there was a
      positive correlation between ESM-1 and hs-CRP (r=0.535, P<0.001). A comparison of
      the occurrence rates of ischemic outcome event, bleeding and overall adverse
      events between the two groups yielded no statistically significant difference
      (P>0.05). In conclusion, the present study demonstrates that ticagrelor can
      reduce the prevalence of inflammatory reactions rapidly and stabilize the
      functions of vascular endothelium to improve the stability of atherosclerosis
      plaque and decrease the occurrence rate of thrombosis as well as ischemic outcome
      event without any obvious increase in the risk of bleeding. Thus, ticagrelor
      should be recommended in clinical practices for the treatment of patients with
      STEMI.

PMID- 28352338
TI  - Evaluation of safety and efficacy of elective PCI in patients with cardiac
      insufficiency.
AB  - We analyzed the safety and the efficacy of the treatment with elective
      percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) in patients with coronary heart disease
      complicated with cardiac insufficiency. We enrolled 217 patients diagnosed with
      chronic ischemic heart disease complicated with cardiac failure. According to the
      type of treatment they received, patients were divided into 3 groups: i) The
      conservative treatment group with 60 patients (they received standard
      medication); ii) the early PCI group with 82 cases (their condition was
      stabilized, surgical risk was assessed and PCI was taken as early as possible);
      and iii) the advanced PCI group with 75 cases (ischemic myocardium was corrected
      and then elective PCI was applied and for aggravated myocardial ischemia cases,
      PCI was applied after assessing the risk of surgery). Follow-up visits were set
      for approximately 3 years and clinical outcomes were compared. Our results showed
      that the survival time in the early PCI group was significantly prolonged and the
      survival rate was considerably increased during 3 years. Left ventricular
      ejection fraction in the early PCI group markedly increased and left ventricular
      end-diastolic diameter and pro-BNP level decreased significantly. The occurrence
      rates of perioperative complications in the early PCI group and major adverse
      cardiac events (MACE) during the follow-up period were significantly reduced.
      Quality of life scores in the early PCI group markedly improved. We concluded
      that in patients with coronary heart disease complicated with cardiac
      insufficiency, early PCI treatment was safe and effective.

PMID- 28352339
TI  - Determination of DNA damage and telomerase activity in stanozolol-treated rats.
AB  - Anabolic androgenic steroids (AAS) are performance-enhancing drugs commonly
      abused by atheletes. Stanozolol is a synthetic testosterone-derived anabolic
      steroid. Although it is well known that AAS have several side-effects, there are
      only few toxicological studies available on the toxic effects and mechanisms of
      action of stanozolol. The aim of this study was to investigate the genotoxic
      effects of stanozolol and to determine its effects on telomerase activity in
      Sprague-Dawley male rats. For this purpose, 34 male rats were divided into 5
      groups as follows: i) the control group (n=5); ii) the propylene glycol (PG)
      treated group (n=5); iii) the stanozolol-treated group (n=8); iv) the PG-treated
      group subjected to exercise (n=8); and v) the stanozolol-treated group subjected
      to exercise (n=8). PG is used as a solvent control in our study. Stanozolol (5
      mg/kg) and PG (1 ml/kg) were injected subcutaneously 5 days/week for 28 days.
      After 28 days, the animals were sacrificed, and DNA damage evaluation (comet
      assay) and telomerase activity assays were then performed using peripheral blood
      mononuclear cells (PBMCs). Telomerase activity was measured by using the
      TeloTAGGG Telomerase PCR ELISA PLUS kit. The results of this study revealed that
      stanozolol treatment induced DNA damage, while exercise exerted a protective
      effect. Stanozolol treatment without exercise stimulation was associated with a
      significant increase in telomerase activity in the PBMCs.

PMID- 28352341
TI  - Expression and significance of TIMP-3, PACAP and VIP in vaginal wall tissues of
      patients with stress urinary incontinence.
AB  - The objective of the present study was to investigate whether tissue inhibitor of
      metalloproteinase-3 (TIMP-3), pituitary adenylate cyclase-activating polypeptide
      (PACAP), and vasoactive intestinal peptide (VIP) participate in the occurrence of
      female stress urinary incontinence (SUI) by measuring the expression levels of
      TIMP-3, PACAP, and VIP in the vaginal wall and analyzing their correlation to
      understand the pathogenesis of female SUI. Forty female patients who were
      admitted to our hospital for tension-free obturator tape surgery for treatment of
      SUI from April, 2012 to December, 2015 were selected as the study group. Forty
      patients who underwent vaginal or total abdominal hysterectomy for treatment of
      non-estrogen-related diseases during the same period were selected as the control
      group. Tissue samples from the anterior vaginal wall, located at twelve o'clock,
      were taken from both groups. The expression levels of TIMP-3, PACAP and VIP were
      detected by immunohistochemistry, and the correlation of integral optical density
      (IOD) among expressions of TIMP-3, PACAP, and VIP was investigated. The
      expression of TIMP-3 in vaginal wall tissues of the study group was lower than
      that of the control group (P<0.05). The expression of PACAP and VIP in vaginal
      tissues of the study group were lower than those of the control group (P<0.05).
      In the study group, the IOD of PACAP expression was significantly and positively
      correlated with that of VIP (r=0.873, P<0.05), the IOD of PACAP expression was
      significantly and positively correlated with that of TIMP-3 (r=0.802, P<0.05),
      and the IOD of VIP expression was significantly and positively correlated with
      that of TIMP-3 (r=0.716, P<0.05). In conclusion, TIMP-3, PACAP and VIP jointly
      participate in the occurrence of female SUI. Increasing the expression of TIMP-3,
      PACAP, and VIP, repairing neurons, and enhancing the elasticity of vaginal wall
      tissues may become a new way to treat female SUI.

PMID- 28352340
TI  - Clinical efficacy of lumbar interbody fusion using a channel system combined with
      ozone therapy for the treatment of central-type L3-L4 lumbar disc herniation.
AB  - The clinical efficacy of minimally invasive lumbar interbody fusion via the
      intervertebral foramen combined with ozone (O3) therapy for the treatment of L3
      L4 central-type lumbar disc herniation was explored. We recruited patients with
      sciatica who attended our hospital between July 2013 and October 2015 and
      underwent lumbar X-ray (anteroposterior and lateral view), lumbar flexion
      extension radiographs, computed tomography, and magnetic resonance imaging after
      admission. Seventy-four patients with central-type lumbar disc herniation but no
      other complications were randomly selected and divided into the observation and
      control groups. The observation group comprised 37 patients treated with lumbar
      fusion using a channel system combined with O3 therapy, whereas the control group
      comprised 37 patients treated with lumbar fusion alone. The effects of the two
      therapies were evaluated using visual analog scale, Japanese Orthopaedic
      Association, and MacNab scores. There was no significant difference in scores
      between the two groups before surgery (P>0.05). The scores of the observation
      group after treatment were significantly lower than those before surgery and
      those of the control group (P<0.05). One patient in the observation group
      experienced no obvious improvement in symptoms after surgery, and two patients in
      the control group experienced postoperative recurrence; these three patients
      subsequently underwent laminectomy combined with planted bone fusion and internal
      fixation. There was no significant difference in total efficacy rates between the
      two groups (P>0.05). Lumbar fusion using a channel system combined with O3
      therapy for the treatment of L3-L4 central-type lumbar disc herniation is safe
      and effective. It has the advantages of reduced trauma, fewer complications, and
      rapid pain relief, and it promotes the recovery of lumbar function. Strict
      mastery of the surgical indications is key to the success of the procedure;
      however, it is worth expanding its use in the clinical setting.

PMID- 28352342
TI  - Different ventilation modes combined with ambroxol in the treatment of
      respiratory distress syndrome in premature infants.
AB  - The aim of the present study was to compare the effectiveness of different modes
      of mechanical ventilation in combination with secretolytic therapy with ambroxol
      in premature infants with respiratory distress syndrome. Seventy-three premature
      infants with hyaline membrane disease (HMD) (stage III-IV), also known as
      respiratory distress syndrome, who were supported by mechanical ventilation in
      the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) of Xuzhou Central Hospital, were involved
      in the present study, between January 2013 and February 2015. Forty cases were
      randomly selected and treated with high frequency oscillatory ventilation (HFOV),
      forming the HFOV group, whereas 33 cases were selected and treated with
      conventional mechanical ventilation (CMV), forming the CMV group. Patients in the
      two groups were administered ambroxol intravenously at a dosage rate of 30 mg/kg
      body weight at the beginning of the study. The present study involved monitoring
      the blood gas index as well as changes in the respiratory function index in the
      two groups. Additionally, the incidence of complications in the premature infants
      in the two groups was observed prior to and following the ventilation. Pulmonary
      arterial oxygen tension (PaO2), the PaO2/fraction of inspired oxygen (FiO2)
      ratio, the oxygenation index [OI = 100 * mean airway pressure (MAP) * FiO2/PaO2],
      as well as the arterial/alveolar oxygen partial pressure ratio (a/APO2) =
      PaO2/(713 * FiO2 partial pressure of carbon dioxide (PaCO2)/0.8) of the patients
      in the HFOV group after 1, 12 and 24 h of treatment were significantly improved
      as compared to the patients of the CMV group. However, there was no significant
      difference between patients in the two groups with regard to the number of
      mortalities, complications such as pneumothorax, bronchopulmonary dysplasia
      (BPD), retinopathy of prematurity (ROP), intraventricular hemorrhage (IVH),
      periventricular leukomalacia (PVL), and the time of ventilation. In conclusion,
      combining HFOV with ambroxol secretolytic therapy is a more viable option, as the
      combined treatment resulted in significant improvements in arterial blood gas
      levels, oxygenation and the respiratory function of lungs in preterm infants.

PMID- 28352343
TI  - Clinical features of multiple primary carcinomas of the oral cavity.
AB  - The present study aimed to elucidate the clinical characteristics of multiple
      primary carcinomas of the oral cavity. The clinical records of 1,024 patients who
      were treated during follow-up for oral cancer at the Department of Stomatology,
      Henan Provincial People's Hospital, between March 2013 and December 2014 were
      retrospectively reviewed. The clinical characteristics of 961 patients who
      developed single primary oral squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) during follow-up and
      54 patients who subsequently developed multiple primary carcinomas in the oral
      cavity were compared. Multiple primary carcinomas exhibited a female
      predilection, were most prevalent in the gingiva, and tended to show earlier
      tumor and nodal stages, as compared with single primary carcinomas. The local
      recurrence rate was higher for multiple primary carcinomas, as compared with
      single primary carcinomas, and was demonstrated to increase with the number of
      multiple primary occurrences. The cumulative incidence rates for metachronous
      second primary carcinomas following the onset of the first carcinoma at 10 years
      was 8.0%. Recurrence of multiple primary carcinomas did not decrease the survival
      rates of the patients assessed in the present study. Furthermore, differences
      were detected in the clinical characteristics between patients with single oral
      SCC and those with multiple primary oral carcinomas. The results of the present
      study indicated that early diagnosis and treatment and close long-term follow-up
      are required for patients with multiple primary oral carcinomas.

PMID- 28352344
TI  - Diffusion-weighted whole-body imaging with background body signal suppression/T2
      image fusion for the diagnosis of colorectal polyp and cancer.
AB  - Diffusion-weighted whole-body imaging with background body signal suppression/T2
      image fusion (DWIBS/T2) is useful for the diagnosis of cancer as it presents a
      clear contrast between cancerous and non-cancerous tissue. The present study
      investigated the limitations and advantages of DWIBS/T2 with regards to the
      diagnosis of colorectal polyp (CP) or cancer (CRC). The current study included
      patients diagnosed with CP or CRC following colonoscopy, who were subjected to
      DWIBS/T2 between July 2012 and March 2015. Patient records were analyzed
      retrospectively. Patients were subjected to DWIBS/T2 when they presented with
      abdominal cancers or inflammation. Colonoscopy was performed as part of
      screening, or if patients had suspected colon cancer or inflammatory bowel
      disease. A total of 8 male and 7 female patients were enrolled in the present
      study. All patients, with the exception of one who had been diagnosed with CRC
      following colonoscopy, had positive results and all patients diagnosed with CP
      following a colonoscopy, with the exception of one, had negative results on
      DWIBS/T2. Thus, CRC was detected by DWIBS/T2, while CP was not (P=0.0028). The
      diameter of CRC lesions was significantly larger than that of CP (P<0.0001) and
      that of lesions positive on DWIBS/T2 was significantly larger than that of
      negative lesions (P=0.0004). The depth of invasion tended to be greater for
      lesions positive on DWIBS/T2 compared with that of negative ones. This indicated
      that DWIBS/T2 may be suitable for the detection of CRC but not for detection of
      CP. The results of DWIBS/T2 may also be affected by lesion diameter and depth of
      invasion.

PMID- 28352345
TI  - Niche astrocytes promote the survival, proliferation and neuronal differentiation
      of co-transplanted neural stem cells following ischemic stroke in rats.
AB  - Niche astrocytes have been reported to promote neuronal differentiation through
      juxtacrine signaling. However, the effects of astrocytes on neuronal
      differentiation following ischemic stroke are not fully understood. In the
      present study, transplanted astrocytes and neural stem cells (NSCs) were
      transplanted into the ischemic striatum of transient middle cerebral artery
      occlusion (MCAO) model rats 48 h following surgery. It was observed that the co
      transplantation of astrocytes and NSCs resulted in a higher ratio of survival and
      proliferation of the transplanted NSCs, and neuronal differentiation, in MCAO
      rats compared with NSC transplantation alone. These results demonstrate that the
      co-administration of astrocytes promotes the survival and neuronal
      differentiation of NSCs in the ischemic brain. These results suggest that the co
      transplantation of astrocytes and NSCs is more effective than NSCs alone in the
      production of neurons following ischemic stroke in rats.

PMID- 28352346
TI  - Salvianolic acid B prevents steroid-induced osteonecrosis of the femoral head via
      PPARgamma expression in rats.
AB  - Salvianolic acid B (Sal B) is a water-soluble phenolic compound derived from
      Salvia Miltiorrhiza. Recent studies show Sal B has a clear function of anti
      cerebral ischemia injury, which is closely related to antioxidation, free radical
      scavenging, neuroprotection and the blood brain barrier. The aim of the present
      study was to verify whether Sal B prevents steroid-induced osteonecrosis of the
      femoral head and to investigate its underlying pharmacological mechanisms.
      Steroid-induced osteonecrosis rat models were established to evaluate the effects
      of Sal B on osteonecrotic changes and repair processes. The use of Sal B improved
      steroid-induced histopathological scores and inhibited osteoclast differentiation
      in rats. Notably, Sal B induced bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells into
      osteogenesis. Moreover, Sal B treatment suppressed peroxisome proliferator
      activated receptor (PPAR)gamma and AP2 protein expression levels and increased
      runt-related transcription factor 2 and Collagen I protein expression levels in
      steroid-induced rats. osteocalcin and alkaline phosphatase content in steroid
      induced rats was enhanced by treatment with Sal B. These results suggest that Sal
      B prevents steroid-induced osteonecrosis of the femoral head via PPARgamma
      expression in rats. The present pilot study provides a brief insight into the
      effect of Sal B on steroid-induced osteonecrosis.

PMID- 28352347
TI  - One mechanism of glucocorticoid action in asthma may involve the inhibition of IL
      25 expression.
AB  - While the mechanism of action of classic cytokines in asthma has received
      increased attention from researchers, certain non-classical cytokines, such as IL
      25, also participate in this mechanism. The present study was performed to
      investigate the changes in IL-25 (IL-17E) mRNA and protein in bronchial asthma
      and to further characterize the mechanism underlying the action of
      glucocorticoids in asthma. A total of 96 specific pathogen-free BALB/c male mice
      were randomly divided into three normal groups (after the first allergization,
      after the second allergization and after excitation), three asthma groups (with
      the same three subgroups), a dexamethasone group and a budesonide group
      (n=12/group). An asthma model was established via the ovalbumin-sensitized
      excitation method. Mice in the dexamethasone group received intraperitoneal
      injections of dexamethasone 1 h prior to each excitation, the budesonide group
      received a budesonide suspension via inhalation 2 h before and after each
      provocation, and the normal group was sensitized and challenged with isotonic
      saline. IL-25 protein expression levels in the bronchoalveolar lavage fluid were
      measured by ELISA, and the relative IL-25 mRNA content in lung tissue was
      determined by reverse transcription-quantitative polymerase chain reaction.
      Compared with the normal groups, both the protein and mRNA levels of IL-25 were
      significantly increased (P<0.05) in the asthma groups. Dexamethasone and
      budesonide groups exhibited significant protein and mRNA reductions in IL-25, as
      compared with the asthma group after excitation (P<0.05), whereas these two
      groups significantly increased levels compared with the normal group after
      excitation (P<0.05). No significant differences in IL-25 mRNA expression levels
      were detected in the dexamethasone and budesonide groups when compared with the
      normal group after excitation. Therefore, we conclude that IL-25 is involved
      throughout the process of inflammation and inflammatory immune pathogenesis in
      asthma. One of the mechanisms of glucocorticoid action in asthma may involve
      inhibition of IL-25 expression.

PMID- 28352348
TI  - Gambogic acid potentiates the chemosensitivity of colorectal cancer cells to 5
      fluorouracil by inhibiting proliferation and inducing apoptosis.
AB  - Chemotherapy using 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) for colorectal cancer (CRC) has low
      specificity and response rates, leading to severe side effects. Gambogic acid
      (GA), a traditional Chinese medicine, has multi-targeted anticancer effects,
      including growth inhibition and apoptosis induction. However, it is unclear
      whether a combination of 5-FU and GA has synergistic anticancer effects in CRC
      cells. In this study, SW480 and HCT116 human CRC cells and human intestinal
      epithelial cells (IECs) were treated with different concentrations of 5-FU, GA or
      5-FU+GA. A Cell Counting kit-8 assay was conducted to quantify cell
      proliferation. The combination index (CI) was calculated and the median-effect
      principle was applied to analyze the interaction between 5-FU and GA. Flow
      cytometry was used to determine the percentage of cells undergoing apoptosis.
      Reverse transcription-quantitative polymerase chain reaction and western blotting
      were applied to measure P53, survivin and thymidylate synthase (TS) mRNA and
      protein levels. It was found that 5-FU+GA more pronouncedly inhibited cell growth
      and induced apoptosis, compared with either monotherapy. CI values <1 indicated
      the synergistic effects of the drugs. 5-FU+GA further decreased P53, survivin and
      TS mRNA and protein levels in the two CRC cell lines compared with single drugs,
      whereas increased P53 protein levels were observed in HCT116 cells. Moreover, 5
      FU+GA did not increase cytotoxicity to IECs. These results demonstrate that GA
      enhances the anticancer effects of 5-FU on CRC cells. Combined treatment with 5
      FU and GA is effective and safe for CRC cells, and may become a promising
      chemotherapy treatment.

PMID- 28352349
TI  - Role of mesenchymal stem cells on differentiation in steroid-induced avascular
      necrosis of the femoral head.
AB  - Steroids are known to inhibit osteogenic differentiation and decrease bone
      formation in mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs), while concomitantly inducing steroid
      induced avascular necrosis of the femoral head (SANFH). The aim of the present
      study was to evaluate the function of MSCs on differentiation in SANFH and
      investigate the pathobiological mechanisms underlying SANFH in a rabbit model.
      MSCs in the control, trauma-induced ANFH (TANFH) and SANFH groups were incubated
      with low-glucose complete Dulbeccos modified Eagles medium containing 10% fetal
      bovine serum. A number of adipocytes in the MSCs were stained with Sudan III and
      counted using a light microscope. The mRNA and protein expression levels of the
      adipose-specific 422 (AP2), peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-gamma
      (PPARgamma), RUNX2, collagen type I (Col I) and miR-103 in the MSCs were
      determined using quantitative polymerase chain reaction and western blot
      analysis, respectively. In addition, the activities of osteocalcin (OC), alkaline
      phosphatase (ALP) and triglyceride (TG) in MSCs were analyzed using
      radioimmunoassay and determination kits. In the MSCs of the SANFH group, the mRNA
      and protein expression levels of AP2 and PPARgamma were increased, while those of
      RUNX2 and Col I were reduced. Furthermore, the levels of OC and ALP activity in
      the MSCs of the SANFH group were decreased, and the activity of TG in the MSCs of
      the SANFH group was increased. In addition, the expression of miR-103 in the MSCs
      of the SANFH group was elevated. Following routine culture of the MSCs for 3
      weeks, the number of adipocytes among the MSC population of the SANFH group was
      increased. Therefore, the results of the present study suggest that the
      osteogenic differentiation of MSCs in the SANFH was mitigated, while fat
      differentiation was promoted, which provides a novel explanation for the
      pathological changes associated with SANFH.

PMID- 28352350
TI  - Expression of NUAK2 in gastric cancer tissue and its effects on the proliferation
      of gastric cancer cells.
AB  - The present study aimed to analyze the expression and effects of NUAK2 in gastric
      cancer and adjacent normal gastric tissues. The protein expression levels of
      NUAK2 were detected by western blot analysis. The effects of NUAK2 expression on
      the proliferation of gastric cancer cells was detected using an MTT and BrdU
      incorporation assay. Furthermore, the effects of NUAK2 on proliferation and
      cancer stem cell markers, both protein and microRNA (miRNA), were investigated by
      western blot analysis and miRNA microarrays, respectively. The results
      demonstrated that NUAK2 was able to significantly promote the proliferation of
      SGC-7901 gastric cancer cells. In addition, NUAK2 overexpression decreased the
      percentage of cells in the G1 phase and increased the percentage of cells in the
      S phase. Western blot analysis and miRNA microarrays revealed that overexpression
      of NUAK2 resulted in increased expression levels of proliferation markers,
      including c-myc, proliferating cell nuclear antigen, cyclin-dependent kinase 2,
      miRNA 21, and gastric cancer stem cell markers, including aldehyde dehydrogenase
      1, CD44 and CD133. In conclusion, NUAK2 expression differed between the tumor and
      normal gastric tissues. NUAK2 was able to promote the proliferation of gastric
      cancer cells and regulate their cell cycle. Proliferation and cancer stem cell
      markers were upregulated by NUAK2 expression. Therefore, the results from the
      present study suggest that NUAK2 may be a promising target for gastric cancer
      therapy in the future.

PMID- 28352351
TI  - MicroRNA-302d downregulates TGFBR2 expression and promotes hepatocellular
      carcinoma growth and invasion.
AB  - Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the second leading cause of cancer-associated
      mortality in China and the third leading cause worldwide. A number of microRNAs
      (miRNAs) have been implicated in cell cycle progression, growth, apoptosis,
      angiogenesis and metastasis in HCC. In the present study, reverse transcription
      quantitative polymerase chain reaction analysis was used to detect the levels of
      miR-302d expression in the tissues of 30 patients with HCC. Cell cycle, growth,
      apoptosis and migration were analyzed using a cell counting kit, flow cytometry
      and a Transwell migration assay. Dual-luciferase reporter assays and western
      blotting were also used to analyze the expression levels of transforming growth
      factor beta type II receptor (TGFBR2) in HCC cells. The present study evaluated
      the role of miR-302d in the development and progression of HCC. Abnormally high
      expression of miR-302d was observed in 80% of HCC specimens. Moreover, patients
      with lower levels of miR-302d expression experienced a longer survival time than
      those with higher levels of miR-302d expression. It was demonstrated that miR
      302d promoted HCC cell growth and migration, suppressed cell apoptosis and
      affected cell cycle distribution in vitro, and augmented tumorigenicity in vivo.
      Furthermore, TGFBR2, which is a tumor suppressor, was confirmed as a target of
      miR-302d in HCC cells. Dual-luciferase reporter assays indicated that TGFBR2
      expression was negatively regulated by miR-302d. Taken together, the results of
      the present study suggest that miR-302d may serve as a valuable tool for
      predicting the prognosis of patients with HCC.

PMID- 28352352
TI  - Combination therapy with catechins and caffeine inhibits fat accumulation in 3T3
      L1 cells.
AB  - Catechins and caffeine, which are green tea components, have a slimming effect;
      however, the combinational effect of fat metabolism in 3T3-L1 cells remains
      unclear. In the present study, 3T3-L1 cells were treated with catechins and
      caffeine in combination, and it was found that combination therapy with catechins
      and caffeine markedly reduced intracellular fat accumulation, mRNA expression
      levels of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-gamma and CCAAT/enhancer
      binding protein alpha in the early stage of cell differentiation were
      significantly reduced, and mRNA expression of fatty acid synthetase(FAS)
      andglycerol-3-phosphate dehydrogenase protein expression levels of FAS were
      downregulated. Noradrenaline-induced lipolysis was enhanced by caffeine, which
      markedly increased the protein expression of adipose triglyceride lipase and
      hormone sensitive lipase. These results indicated that combination therapy with
      catechins and caffeine synergistically inhibited lipid accumulation by regulating
      the gene and protein expression levels of lipid metabolism-related enzymes.
      Therefore, catechins and caffeine combination therapy has potential as a
      functional food that may be used to prevent obesity and lifestyle-associated
      diseases.

PMID- 28352353
TI  - Anticonvulsant effect of piperine ameliorates memory impairment, inflammation and
      oxidative stress in a rat model of pilocarpine-induced epilepsy.
AB  - The primary active component of black pepper is piperine, which is purified and
      used to treat epilepsy, achieving higher efficiency when purified. The present
      study was conducted to evaluate whether the anticonvulsant effect of piperine
      ameliorates pilocarpine-induced epilepsy, and to investigate the mechanism
      underlying these effects. Epilepsy was induced in Sprague Dawley rats using
      pilocarpine. Pilocarpine-induced epilepsy in the rats was treated with 40 mg/kg
      piperine for 45 consecutive days. Status epilepticus and a Morris water maze test
      were used to analyze the anticonvulsant effects of piperine in the epileptic
      rats. Inflammation and oxidative stress were then measured using commercially
      available kits following piperine treatment. Lastly, the activity of caspase-3
      and the protein expression levels of B-cell lymphoma 2 (Bcl-2) and Bcl-2
      associated X protein (Bax) were evaluated using commercially-available kits and
      western blot analysis, respectively. The results demonstrated that treatment with
      piperine was able to reduce the status epilepticus and prevented memory
      impairment following pilocarpine-induced epilepsy in rats. The anticonvulsant
      effects of piperine decreased inflammation and oxidative stress following
      pilocarpine-induced epilepsy in rats. The upregulated activity of caspase-3 and
      expression levels of Bax/Bcl-2 were suppressed following treatment with piperine
      in the rats with pilocarpine-induced epilepsy. These results suggest that the
      anticonvulsant effects of piperine ameliorate memory impairment, inflammation and
      oxidative stress in a rat model of pilocarpine-induced epilepsy.

PMID- 28352354
TI  - Antifreeze poisoning: A case report.
AB  - The current study reported the case of a 35-year-old male that presented with
      antifreeze poisoning. The clinical manifestations, laboratory investigations and
      treatments were analyzed, and the obtained results were compared with those in
      previous reports. Subsequent to consuming antifreeze, the patient mainly
      presented nausea and agitation, without disturbance of consciousness. Laboratory
      investigations indicated severe metabolic acidosis, renal dysfunction and
      hyperkalemia. The patient underwent hemodialysis and his condition was
      significantly improved on the day of admission. Renal function gradually
      deteriorated, but was eventually improved due to treatment, including
      hemodialysis, mannitol for catharsis, furosemide for diuresis, Xuebijing for the
      removal of blood stasis and detoxication, and reduced glutathione for the
      protection of major organs. The patient was discharged 1 month after hospital
      admission. In conclusion, the significance and clinical manifestations of
      antifreeze poisoning should be identified in clinical practice, and active
      hemodialysis should be provided. The aim of the current study was to summarize
      the clinical manifestations and treatments of patients with antifreeze poisoning,
      and to advance the recognition of antifreeze poisoning.

PMID- 28352355
TI  - Image-guided minimally invasive percutaneous treatment of spinal metastasis.
AB  - In order to provide effective options for minimally invasive treatment of spinal
      metastases, the present study retrospectively evaluated the efficacy and safety
      of image-guided minimally invasive percutaneous treatment of spinal metastases.
      Image-guided percutaneous vertebral body enhancement, radiofrequency ablation
      (RFA) and tumor debulking combined with other methods to strengthen the vertebrae
      were applied dependent on the indications. Percutaneous vertebroplasty (PVP) was
      used when vertebral body destruction was simple. In addition, RFA was used in
      cases where pure spinal epidural soft tissue mass or accessories (spinous
      process, vertebral plate and vertebral pedicle) were destroyed, but vertebral
      integrity and stability existed. Tumor debulking (also known as limited RFA)
      combined with vertebral augmentation were used in cases presenting destruction of
      the epidural soft tissue mass and accessories, and pathological vertebral
      fractures. A comprehensive assessment was performed through a standardized
      questionnaire and indicators including biomechanical stability of the spine,
      quality of life, neurological status and tumor progression status were assessed
      during the 6 weeks-6 months follow-up following surgery. After the most suitable
      treatment was used, the biomechanical stability of the spine was increased, the
      pain caused by spinal metastases within 6 weeks was significantly reduced, while
      the daily activities and quality of life were improved. The mean progression-free
      survival of tumors was 330+/-54 days, and no associated complications occurred.
      Therefore, the use of a combination of image-guided PVP, RFA and other methods is
      safe and effective for the treatment of spinal metastases.

PMID- 28352356
TI  - Investigation of the effect of phlomisoside F on complete Freund's adjuvant
      induced arthritis.
AB  - Phlomis younghusbandii Mukerjee (Labiatae) has been reported to be effective in
      the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis (RA). In the present study, the anti
      inflammatory and anti-arthritic effects of phlomisoside F (PF), isolated from P.
      younghusbandii Mukerjee (Labiatae), were investigated in male Wistar rats
      subjected to carrageen-induced paw edema and complete Freund's adjuvant (CFA)
      induced arthritis. Arthritis scores were evaluated by a 5-point ordinal scale
      (scores 0-4). Expression levels of TNF-alpha, IL-1beta, IL-6, IL-10, COX-2 and 5
      LOX were determined via ELISA and western blot assays. Subsequent to establishing
      the edema and arthritis models, oral administration of PF (5, 10 and 20 mg/kg)
      significantly inhibited mean edema rate, compared with the control group in
      carrageenan-induced paw edema assay. In addition, administration of PF (5, 10 and
      20 mg/kg/day) for 28 days markedly exhibited an anti-arthritic activity by
      offsetting the body weight loss, inhibiting the paw edema, reducing the arthritis
      scores and the indices of thymus and spleen, inhibiting the expression levels of
      TNF-alpha, IL-1beta, IL-6, COX-2 and 5-LOX, and increasing the expression of IL
      10, when compared with the respective control group in CFA-induced arthritis
      assay. In conclusion, PF is a valuable anti-arthritic constituent of P.
      younghusbandii, and the present study results suggest that this herb may be used
      in the treatment of RA.

PMID- 28352357
TI  - Comparative analysis of cluster versus conventional immunotherapy in patients
      with allergic rhinitis.
AB  - The present study aimed to compare the efficacy and safety of subcutaneous
      immunotherapy with Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus standardized extract
      administered in conventional and cluster immunotherapy regiments for patients
      with persistent allergic rhinitis. A total of 60 patients with moderate to severe
      allergic rhinitis caused by dust mites were treated for 1 year with either
      conventional immunotherapy (n=30) or cluster immunotherapy (n=30). Nasal
      conjunctival symptoms and signs were assessed to evaluate the clinical efficacy
      of the two regimens, and the incidence of local and systemic adverse reactions
      were also evaluated. The findings demonstrated that the cluster regimen reduced
      the duration between the initial and maintenance dose by >60%, and resulted in a
      significant improvement, as compared with the conventional regimen, after 6 weeks
      of observation (P<0.05). However, the incidence of local and systemic adverse
      reactions in the cluster regimen during the dose accumulation phase and the dose
      maintenance phase was not significantly different, as compared with the
      conventional immunotherapy regimen. These results suggest that cluster
      immunotherapy is efficacious and safe to treat patients who are clinically
      sensitive to dust mites.

PMID- 28352358
TI  - Alterations in VEGF expression induced by antidepressant drugs in female rats
      under chronic social stress.
AB  - Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) is thought to serve a role in
      neurogenesis and the stress response. Although a definite link between the action
      of antidepressants and VEGF has not been identified, it is assumed that VEGF, as
      a neurotrophic factor, serves an important role in the effects of antidepressant
      treatment. To examine this, the present study subjected adult female rats to four
      weeks of social instability stress and measured the effect of antidepressant
      treatment on the expression of VEGF. Firstly, endocrine markers of stress and
      body weight were measured in parallel with behavioral tests prior to and
      following subjection to stress. Then, the effect of 28-day daily treatment with
      desipramine (DMI; 10 mg/kg), fluoxetine (5 mg/kg) or tianeptine (10 mg/kg) on the
      number of copies of VEGF mRNA in the amygdala, hippocampus and hypothalamus, and
      on serum VEGF protein levels, of rats subjected to chronic stress was determined.
      In addition, the weight of the adrenal glands was measured following subjection
      to stress. Exposure to chronic stress was found to increase the rats' sucrose
      preference, and diminish their tendency for general exploration and time spent in
      the open. The relative adrenal weights of the stressed rats were significantly
      increased compared with the control. Plasma concentrations of corticosterone and
      adrenocorticotropic hormone were not significantly augmented. In addition, the
      present study identified that stress elevated VEGF mRNA expression in all studied
      neural structures. Furthermore, the results identified that the stress-induced
      increase in VEGF mRNA expression in the amygdala and hypothalamus was attenuated
      by long-term administration of DMI. Conversely, a decrease in serum VEGF
      concentration was observed in stressed rats, which was not reversed by treatment
      with antidepressants. In conclusion, the current study suggests that under
      conditions of stress, VEGF serves a role in the mechanism of action of DMI,
      through modulating activity of the norepinephrine system.

PMID- 28352359
TI  - Platelet to lymphocyte ratio is associated with the severity of coronary artery
      disease and clinical outcomes of percutaneous coronary intervention in the
      Chinese Han population.
AB  - The aim of the present study was to evaluate whether the ratio of the absolute
      number of platelets to the number of lymphocytes (PLR) correlates with the
      severity of coronary artery disease (CAD) and major adverse cardiovascular
      disease (CVD) events in Chinese patients with CAD. PLR was calculated as follows:
      PLR=platelet count/lymphocyte count, using the complete blood counts of 854
      Chinese Han subjects. CAD severity was determined using angiographic evidence by
      cardiologists unaware of the study aims. The association between PLR and CAD
      severity was analyzed by logistic regression. Clinical endpoints were evaluated
      during a median follow-up period of 42 months. The association between PLR and
      CVD events was assessed using Cox regression models. Patients with PLR>171
      exhibited more severe coronary artery stenosis [odds ratio, 2.393; 95% confidence
      intervals (CI), 1.394-4.108; P=0.002] and worse prognoses, with a higher rate of
      major adverse CVD events during five years of follow-up (hazard ratio, 1.982; 95%
      CI, 1.329-2.957; P=0.001). A Kaplan-Meier curve demonstrated that the CVD event
      rate of 34.27% in patients with PLR>171 was significantly higher than that in
      patients with PLR<100 (P<0.001). These findings suggest that PLR is independently
      associated with CAD severity and long-term major adverse CVD events; therefore,
      high PLR may predict poor prognosis of CAD in the Chinese Han population.

PMID- 28352360
TI  - Naringenin inhibits migration of lung cancer cells via the inhibition of matrix
      metalloproteinases-2 and -9.
AB  - Lung cancer is among the most common causes of cancer-related mortality. It has a
      high mortality rate and resistance to chemotherapy due to its high metastatic
      potential. Naringenin, a bioactive compound identified in several fruits,
      displays anti-inflammatory and antitumor effects. Furthermore, naringenin
      mitigates the migration of several human cancer cell types. However, the effects
      of naringenin on lung cancer remain unclear. The current study investigated the
      mechanisms of naringenin on the migration of lung cancer A549 cells. The results
      indicate that significant alteration in A549 cell proliferation was observed in
      response to naringenin (0-300 uM) treatment for 24 and 48 h. Furthermore, a dose
      dependent migration inhibition of A549 in the presence of naringenin was observed
      by healing and transwell migration assays. In addition, a zymography assay
      revealed that naringenin exhibited a concentration-dependent inhibition of matrix
      metalloproteinase (MMP)-2 and -9 activities. Furthermore, naringenin also
      inhibited the activities of AKT in a dose-dependent manner. These observations
      indicated that naringenin inhibited the migration of lung cancer A549 cells
      through several mechanisms, including the inhibition of AKT activities and
      reduction of MMP-2 and -9 activities.

PMID- 28352361
TI  - Casticin inhibits the activity of transcription factor Sp1 and the methylation of
      RECK in MGC803 gastric cancer cells.
AB  - The present study investigated the effect of casticin on reversion-inducing
      cysteine-rich protein with kazal motifs (RECK) gene expression and intracellular
      methylation levels in MGC803 gastric cancer cells. Cells were treated with 1, 10
      and 30 umol/l casticin. Western blotting and reverse transcription-quantitative
      polymerase chain reaction assays were performed to determine the protein
      expression and mRNA levels of RECK and DNA methyltransferase 1 (DNMT1),
      respectively. High-performance liquid chromatography coupled to electrospray
      ionization tandem mass spectrometry was used to detect RECK methylation. In
      addition, MGC803 cell proliferation was measured by an MTT assay and the DNA
      binding activity of transcription factor Sp1 was determined using an enzyme
      linked immunosorbent assay. The results demonstrated that treatment with 1, 10
      and 30 umol/l casticin significantly increased RECK protein expression and mRNA
      levels. In addition, casticin (30 umol/l) decreased RECK promoter methylation
      levels by 31%, global DNA methylation levels by 39% and nuclear methylation
      activity by 71.6%. Furthermore, casticin downregulated the mRNA levels and
      protein expression of DNMT1. The MTT assay demonstrated that MGC803 cell
      proliferation was inhibited by casticin treatment and DNA binding assays
      indicated that casticin reduced the DNA-binding activity of Sp1. The present
      study therefore indicated that casticin inhibits the proliferation of gastric
      cancer MGC803 cells by upregulating RECK gene expression and reducing
      intracellular methylation levels.

PMID- 28352362
TI  - Feasibility of continuous, catheter-directed thrombolysis using low-dose
      urokinase in combination with low molecular-weight heparin for acute iliofemoral
      venous thrombosis in patients at risk of bleeding.
AB  - The present study aimed to examine the feasibility of catheter-directed
      thrombolysis (CDT) using continuous infusion of low-dose urokinase in combination
      with low molecular weight heparin (LMWH) for acute iliofemoral venous thrombosis.
      This retrospective analysis included patients with symptomatic acute iliofemoral
      venous thrombosis who received CDT using continuous infusion of low-dose
      urokinase in combination with LMWH within the past four years. Urokinase was
      administered at 1*104 U/h and 2*104 U/h in patients at high-risk and low-risk of
      bleeding, respectively. Measurements included urokinase dosage, duration,
      clinical outcomes and CDT-related complications. A total of 46 patients were
      included (high-risk, n=17; low-risk, n=29). In the high-risk patients, 64.7%
      experienced dissolution of >=50% thrombi after a median CDT duration of 8 days
      (range, 6-10 days) and median total urokinase dose of 1.92*106 units (range, 1.44
      2.4*106 units). In the low-risk patients, 82.8% achieved dissolution of >=50%
      thrombi after a median CDT duration of 7 days (range, 4-10 days) and a median
      total urokinase dose of 3.36*106 units (range, 1.92-4.80*106 units). Remission of
      clinical symptoms after CDT was achieved in 15 (88.2%) and 28 (96.6%) cases in
      high-risk and low-risk patients, respectively. No treatment-associated pulmonary
      embolism or major bleeding was observed. Three (6.5%) subjects (high-risk, n=1;
      low-risk, n=2) experienced minor bleeding. In conclusion, continuous infusion of
      low-dose urokinase via CDT in combination with LMWH is effective and safe for
      acute iliofemoral venous thrombosis in patients with one or more risk factor for
      bleeding.

PMID- 28352363
TI  - Role of microRNA-130a in myocardial hypoxia/reoxygenation injury.
AB  - The aim of this study was to investigate the role of microRNA (miR)-130a in the
      pathogenesis of myocardial hypoxia/reoxygenation (H/R) injury. Primary rat
      cardiomyocytes were cultured and subjected to H/R treatment. Reverse
      transcription-quantitative polymerase chain reaction was performed to detect the
      levels of miR-130a, western blot analysis was used to determine the expression of
      various proteins, and CCK-8 assay was performed to determine cell viability. In
      addition, flow cytometry was used to assess apoptosis. The cell viability was
      significantly decreased and the apoptosis rate was significantly increased in H/R
      treated primary cardiomyocytes, and the expression level of miR-130a was also
      elevated in these model cells. Transfection with miR-130a inhibitor significantly
      elevated the cell viability and reduced the apoptosis rate in H/R-treated
      cardiomyocytes. Bioinformatics analysis indicated that autophagy-related gene 14
      (ATG14) is the target for miR-130a, which was confirmed by dual-luciferase
      reporter assay and western blot analysis. When the H/R model cells were co
      transfected with miR-130a inhibitor and small interfering RNA against ATG14, the
      cell viability was significantly reduced and the apoptosis rate was significantly
      elevated, compared with that of cells transfected with miR-130a inhibitor alone.
      miR-130a inhibitor transfection significantly elevated the levels of ATG14 and
      phosphorylated (p-)Beclin 1, increased the LC3II/LC3I ratio, and decreased the
      expression levels of P62 and cleaved caspase-3, while the co-transfection of miR
      130a inhibitor and siR-ATG14 attenuated these effects in H/R-induced primary
      cardiomyocytes. These results indicate that miR-130a is involved in H/R-induced
      injuries in primary cardiomyocytes, and that the inhibition of miR-130a increases
      the levels of ATG14 and p-Beclin 1, thereby increasing autophagy and inhibiting
      apoptosis in these cells.

PMID- 28352364
TI  - 2,4,6-Trimethyl-N-[3-(trifluoromethyl)phenyl]benzenesulfonamide increases calcium
      influx in lipopolisaccharide-pre-treated arteries.
AB  - It has been demonstrated that 2,4,6-trimethyl-N-[3
      (trifluoromethyl)phenyl]benzenesulfonamide (m-3M3FBS) activates phospholipase C
      (PLC) and stimulates apoptosis in smooth muscle cells, which may increase
      vascular reactivity. The primary aim of the present study was to evaluate the
      physiological effects of the direct stimulation of PLC by m-3M3FBS on vascular
      smooth muscle reactivity in arteries pre-treated with lipopolysaccharides (LPS)
      as a model of septic shock. Experiments were performed on isolated and perfused
      tail arteries of Wistar rats. The contraction force in the model was measured by
      assessing increases in perfusion pressure at a constant flow. Parameters
      describing the concentration-response curves (CRCs) obtained for phenylephrine
      and arginine-vasopressin in the presence of LPS confirmed a decrease in vessels
      reactivity. In comparison with the controls, m-3M3FBS treatment caused a
      significant increase in LPS-untreated as well as pre-treated arteries.
      Furthermore, in the presence of m-3M3FBS, calcium influx from intra- as well as
      extracellular calcium stores was significantly higher for LPS-untreated and pre
      treated arteries. The results of the present study suggested that m-3M3FBS
      significantly increased the reactivity of vascular smooth muscle cells pre
      treated with LPS by increasing the calcium influx from intra- and extracellular
      calcium stores. Further studies investigating this mechanism are required to
      evaluate whether this pathway may be a potential therapeutic strategy to treat
      sepsis.

PMID- 28352365
TI  - Heart failure modulates electropharmacological characteristics of sinoatrial
      nodes.
AB  - The impact of heart failure (HF) on sinoatrial node (SAN) channel regulation and
      electropharmacological responses has remained elusive. The present study aimed to
      investigate the effects of HF on the electrical activity of SANs with and without
      pharmacological interventions. Action potentials (APs) were recorded in isolated
      SANs from normal rabbits (control) and those with HF (rapid ventricular pacing
      for 4 weeks) prior to and after administration of a funny current blocker
      (ivabradine; 0.1, 0.3, 3 or 10 uM), a calmodulin kinase II inhibitor (KN-93; 0.3
      or 3 uM), a sarcoplasmic reticulum Ca2+ release inhibitor (ryanodine; 0.3 or 3
      uM), a sodium current inhibitor (tetrodotoxin; 1, 3 or 10 uM) and a late sodium
      current inhibitor (ranolazine; 10 uM). Western blot analysis was used to
      investigate the protein expression in SANs from normal rabbits and those with HF.
      Control SANs had a higher beating rate than SANs from rabbits with HF (2.3+/-0.1
      vs. 1.5+/-0.1 Hz; P<0.001). Similarly, ivabradine (10 uM), KN-93 (3 uM),
      ranolazine (10 uM) and ryanodine (3 uM) decreased the beating rates of SANs in
      the control (n=6) and HF (n=6) groups. Ivabradine treatment resulted in a higher
      incidence of AP block in HF vs. control SANs (66.7 vs. 0%; P<0.05). Tetrodotoxin
      (1, 3 or 10 uM) decreased the beating rate to a higher extent in SANs from
      rabbits with HF than in those from control rabbits and induced a higher incidence
      of AP block (66.7 vs. 0%; P<0.05). Furthermore, SANs from rabbits with HF had
      higher protein levels of phospholamban (PLB) and lower levels of
      hyperpolarization-activated cyclic nucleotide-gated potassium channel 4,
      ryanodine receptor and phosphorylated PLB than control SANs. In conclusion, HF
      modulates electropharmacological responses in the SAN by channel regulation,
      which may result in SAN dysfunction.

PMID- 28352366
TI  - Prolyl oligopeptidase attenuates hepatic stellate cell activation through
      induction of Smad7 and PPAR-gamma.
AB  - Prolyl oligopeptidase (POP) is a serine endopeptidase widely distributed in vivo
      with high activity in the liver. However, its biological functions in the liver
      have remained largely elusive. A previous study by our group has shown that POP
      produced N-acetyl-seryl-aspartyl-lysyl-proline (AcSDKP) and thereby exerted an
      anti-fibrogenic effect on hepatic stellate cells (HSCs) in vitro. It was
      therefore hypothesized that POP may affect the activation state of HSCs and has
      an important role in liver fibrosis. The HSC-T6 immortalized rat liver stellate
      cell line was treated with the POP inhibitor S17092 or transfected with
      recombinant lentivirus to overexpress POP. Cell proliferation and apoptosis were
      determined using a Cell Counting Kit-8 and flow cytometry, respectively. The
      activation status of HSCs was determined by examination of the expression of
      alpha-smooth muscle actin (alpha-SMA), collagen I, monocyte chemoattractant
      protein-1 (MCP-1), transforming growth factor (TGF)-beta-Smad signaling and
      peroxisome proliferator activated receptor-gamma (PPAR-gamma). Inhibition by
      S17092 decreased, whereas lentiviral expression increased the activity of POP and
      cell proliferation, while neither of the treatments affected cell apoptosis. Of
      note, S17092 significantly increased, whereas POP overexpression decreased the
      expression of alpha-SMA and MCP-1 without affecting the expression of collagen I
      and TGF-beta1. Furthermore, S17092 caused a reduction, whereas POP overexpression
      caused an upregulation of Smad7 protein and PPAR-gamma, but not phosphorylated
      Smad2/3 expression. In conclusion, POP attenuated the activation of HSCs through
      inhibition of TGF-beta signaling and induction of PPAR-gamma, which may have
      therapeutic potential in liver fibrosis.

PMID- 28352367
TI  - Association between Helicobacter pylori infection and angiographically
      demonstrated coronary artery disease: A meta-analysis.
AB  - Coronary artery disease (CAD) is a leading cause of mortality globally. However,
      the etiology and pathogenesis of CAD are not fully understood. The aim of the
      present meta-analysis was to estimate the association between the risk of CAD and
      Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) infection. A literature search was performed to
      identify eligible studies published prior to August 14, 2014. Fixed or random
      effect meta-analytical methods were used to pool the data and perform the
      subgroup analyses. The effect measures estimated were the odds ratios (OR) for
      dichotomous data reported with 95% confidence intervals (95% CI). Of the 109
      studies identified using the search parameters, 26 cross-sectional studies were
      eligible involving 3,901 CAD patients and 2,751 controls. H. pylori infection was
      associated with an increased risk of CAD (OR: 1.96, 95% CI: 1.47-2.63,
      P<0.00001). When the adjusted ORs were used to conduct another meta-analysis, the
      OR value decreased, but the association remained significant (OR: 1.42, 95% CI:
      1.09-1.86, P=0.008). The association between H. pylori infection and CAD risk was
      stronger in younger individuals than in older individuals (OR: 2.36, 95% CI 1.50
      3.73 vs. OR: 1.59, 95% CI: 1.19-2.11). A significant association was observed in
      studies from Europe (OR: 2.11, 95% CI: 1.54-2.88, P=0.01) and the USA (OR: 1.43,
      95% CI: 1.08-1.91, P=0.36). There is a potential association between H. pylori
      infection and the risk of CAD. The association may be influenced by age and
      ethnicity.

PMID- 28352368
TI  - Metformin reduces the expression of NADPH oxidase and increases the expression of
      antioxidative enzymes in human monocytes/macrophages cultured in vitro.
AB  - [This retracts the article DOI: 10.3892/etm.2016.2977.].

PMID- 28352369
TI  - ACE I/D Polymorphism in Hypertensive Patients of Kashmiri Population.
AB  - BACKGROUND: The angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) gene in humans has an
      insertion-deletion (I/D) polymorphic state in intron 16 on chromosome 17q23. This
      polymorphism has been widely investigated in different diseases. In this study we
      aimed to investigate the ACE I/D genotype frequency in hypertensive cases in
      Kashmiri population. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We designed a case control study,
      where 52 hypertensive cases were studied for ACE I/D polymorphism against 150
      age/sex matched controls taken from general population. The polymorphisms of ACE
      gene were investigated using polymerase chain reaction for detection of ACE I/D
      genotype. Fisher's Chi square test was used for calculation of P value and OR.
      RESULTS: We found the frequency of ACE DD genotype to be 46.15% (24/52), II
      23.07% (12/52) and DI 30.77% (16/52) in 52 hypertensive cases. CONCLUSIONS: The
      ACE I/D genotype is positively associated with hypertension in our population.

PMID- 28352370
TI  - Role of Genetic Polymorphism of Angiotensin-Converting Enzyme, Plasminogen
      Activator Inhibitor-1 and Endothelial Nitric Oxide Synthase in the Prognosis of
      Coronary Artery Disease.
AB  - BACKGROUND: This study was to investigate the effects of multiple genetic
      polymorphisms and conventional risk factors in the prognosis of coronary artery
      disease (CAD). METHODS: One hundred and fifty five patients with CAD were
      prospectively recruited, they were subgrouped as single vessel disease (SVD) and
      multiple vessel disease (MVD). All patients were detected I/D polymorphism of
      angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) gene, 4G/5G polymorphism of plasminogen
      activator inhibitor-1 (PAI-1) gene, and G894->T mutation of endothelial nitric
      oxide synthase (eNOS) gene. The patients were followed up for 10-65 months, mean
      35 months. End points were major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE), including
      angina, myocardial infarction, and cardiac sudden death. RESULTS: During the
      follow-up period, MACE developed in 81 patients, 73 patients with angina, seven
      with myocardial infarction, and one with cardiac sudden death. CAD patients with
      MVD were more probable of developing MACE during follow-up. Distribution of PAI-1
      gene polymorphism was significantly different between SVD and MVD patients, p <
      0.001. The frequency of DD genotype of ACE and 4G/4G genotype of PAI-1 in
      patients with MACE were significantly higher than those in patients without MACE,
      p < 0.001 and p = 0.002, respectively. Incidence of diabetes mellitus was
      significantly higher in patients with MACE than in patients without MACE, P =
      0.03. Cox regression analysis showed that diabetes mellitus (HR 2.36, 95% CI 1.33
      4.46, p = 0.003), 4G/4G polymorphism of PAI-1 gene (HR 3.45, 95% CI 1.71-6.56, p
      = 0.009), and D/D polymorphism of ACE gene (HR 2.99, 95% CI 1.84-5.76, p =
      0.005), were independent predictors of the MACE. CONCLUSIONS: Our results showed
      that the conventional risk factors and genetic polymorphisms have significant
      influence on prognosis of CAD patients. CAD patients with diabetes mellitus, DD
      genotype of ACE, and 4G/4G genotype of PAI-1 suggested poor prognosis.

PMID- 28352371
TI  - The Role of Unknown Risk Factors in Myocardial Infarction.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Atherosclerosis of coronary arteries is the most common cause of
      myocardial infarction (MI), which is initiated from childhood and progresses
      gradually by aging. Several risk factors influence its progress, and are
      categorized as classic, traditional and novel factors. The role of unknown risk
      factors is becoming increasingly more significant recently. The aim of this study
      is to underscore the novel risk factors despite the importance of classic factors
      and consider these factors for future studies. METHODS: This is a prospective
      study on 180 myocardial infarction cases, conducted in the cardiology ward and
      CCU of Imam-Reza hospital (Mashad-IRAN). A number of risk factors identified and
      evaluated in these patients included: hyperlipidemia, hypertension, diabetes,
      smoking, activity, stress, hair of external ear canal and ear lobe crease, age,
      and sex. Then patients without any risk factor or with one or two risk factors
      were distinguished. RESULTS: The majority of our patients were old men in the age
      range of 60 - 69 years. Amongst all patients 42.2% were smokers, 68.3% were type
      A personality group, 19% were active, 81% were physically inactive, 37.2% had
      hairy ear canal, 35% had hypertension, 21.1% were diabetic, 14.4% had
      hyperlipidemia and 30% had positive family history of myocardial infarction. Of
      great interest was the fact that of the patients whose case was studied, many did
      not have any risk factor or in some cases had only one. CONCLUSIONS: In regard of
      increasing rate of cardiovascular diseases and myocardial infarction even amongst
      the young population, and because of considerable need to improve vascular risk
      detection, much research over the past decade has focused on identification of
      novel atherosclerotic risk factors, and some of these new risk factors are
      identified and some may be unknown. Amongst the new risk factors, inflammation
      has an important role, other risk factors that must be assessed are homocysteine,
      serum amyloid, and antibodies against Oxidized LDL. So we recommend that
      governments and heart associations must introduce new plans and policies in order
      to tackle the problem and reduce the frequency of cardiovascular disease. This
      requires the understanding of the conventional or classic risk factors and also
      the less known and new risk factors and ways which they may be prevented.

PMID- 28352372
TI  - Bortezomib-induced Severe Congestive Heart Failure.
AB  - The clinical manifestations of anti-cancer drug associated cardiac side effects
      are diverse and can range from acutely induced cardiac arrhythmias to severe
      contractile dysfunction, and potentially fatal heart failure. Anthracyclines and
      trastuzumab cardiac toxicity have been well described and left ventricular
      ejection fraction (LVEF) evaluation is commonly performed before their use.
      Bortezomib (Velcade), a potent, specific and reversible proteasome inhibitor is
      approved for treatment of multiple myeloma (MM). The incidence of cardiac failure
      associated with bortezomib therapy in clinical trials remains incidental. Acute
      exacerbation of pre-existing congestive cardiac failure has been associated with
      this therapy but de novo cardiomyopathy has been reported in only one patient
      receiving bortezomib for small cell lung cancer. As a result, cardiac evaluation
      is not normally ordered before its use. We describe a 50-year-old female with
      newly diagnosed MM and no risk factors for cardiac disease that unexpectedly
      developed florid heart failure after 2 cycles of bortezomib and low-dose
      dexamethasone. 2-D echocardiogram showed dilated cardiomyopathy with severely
      decreased LVEF; no changes consistent with amyloid deposits or myocardial
      scarring were described. Coronary angiogram ruled out coronary artery disease.
      The mechanism of bortezomib-induced cardiomyopathy has been postulated to be
      through fluid retention. Based on literature review we hypothesize that the
      disruption of the ubiquitin-proteasome system by bortezomib may cause
      cardiomyopathy and severe cardiac failure. As Bortezomib is a new and promising
      therapy for MM patients, we recommend routinely monitoring cardiac parameters in
      patients undergoing this treatment.

PMID- 28352373
TI  - A Case of Infantile Cardiac Rhabdomyoma Complicated by Tuberous Sclerosis.
AB  - We experienced a case with fetal cardiac tumor, which was diagnosed by prenatal
      ultrasonographic examination, and the diagnosis was confirmed after birth. A
      pregnancy woman of the 26th week of gestation was referred to our hospital for
      close examinations of fetal cardiac tumor. Ultrasonographic examinations revealed
      single homogeneous tumor with the diameter of 14 mm intracardiac space. The tumor
      was considered to emerge from the ventricular septum and to be occupied in left
      ventricle. Other cardiac abnormalities were not detected. The fetus was diagnosed
      to be complicated with the intracardiac tumor, and with the possible rhabdomyoma
      of heart. The serial ultrasonographic examinations revealed that the fetal
      cardiac function was normal. The size of the tumor gradually increased, although
      the fetal cardiac function revealed within normal range. The patient delivered a
      female infant weighing 2716g with the Apgar score of 9 and 10 at one and 5
      minutes after delivery. The infant was confirmed to have cardiac tumors after
      examination by pediatric cardiologist, and the cardiac function of the infant was
      diagnosed as normal condition. The computed tomography of the head revealed the
      intracranial multiple calcification lesions, which indicated the symptoms of
      tuberous sclerosis.

PMID- 28352374
TI  - Atrial Fibrillation and Transient Ischemic Attack Encountered in the Management
      of Snake Bite.
AB  - Thousands of snake bites occur in the world each year, with hundreds of patients
      receiving antivenom. Incidence rates for immediate hypersensitivity reactions
      associated with the use of antivenom range vary. This is a case report of a
      patient with atrial fibrillation (AF) and transient ischemic attack (TIA) induced
      by vigrous snake bite that was suspected to be caused by the treatment of
      subcutaneous epinephrine, due to immediate hypersensitivity reaction following
      the administration of antivenom treatment.

PMID- 28352375
TI  - Extended Outcomes of Complex Coronary Disease in the Drug Eluting Stent Era.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Several randomized trials comparing bare-metal stents to Drug-Eluting
      Stents (DES) have demonstrated a significant reduction in Target Vessel
      Revascularization (TVR) and Target Lesion Revascularization (TLR) exists with the
      use of drug-eluting stents, without compromising survival. These conclusions are
      based on restricted inclusion criteria for patients and lesion. It is unknown if
      these results can be generalized to an unselected patient population and more
      complex disease. The objective of this study was to determine to what extent the
      availability of DES has impacted survival, TVR, and TLR in a large regional
      experience without the restriction of on-label indications. METHODS: Patients
      registered with the Northern New England Cardiovascular Disease Study Group's PCI
      registry with single vessel coronary disease undergoing a first PCI were sorted
      according to the Bare-Metal stent (BMS) era (2001 - 2002) or the Drug-Eluting
      stent (DES) era (2004 - 2005) based on the time period their first PCI took
      place. Totally, 6,093 BMS and 5,651 DES patients were identified. Outcomes of
      survival, TLR and TVR were measured after one year. RESULTS: After 1 year,
      survival was comparable, TLR was reduced by 4.9% (absolute) and TVR was reduced
      by 5.4% (absolute) in the DES era compared to the BMS era. The TLR/TVR
      differences remained significant after propensity matching in the DES era vs BMS
      era (Mortality: HR 1.00, 95% CI: 0.83 - 1.28; TLR: HR 0.40, 95% CI 0.32 - 0.46;
      TVR: HR 0.44, 95% CI 0.38 - 0.51). CONCLUSIONS: In large regional experience with
      a consecutive series of patients representing the contemporary practice of PCI,
      including both on and off label use, the frequent use of DES reduces the risk of
      TVR and TLR without compromising survival.

PMID- 28352376
TI  - The Influence of Cardiac Risk Factor Burden on Cardiac Stress Test Outcomes.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Chest pain is the most common admission diagnosis for observation
      unit patients. These patients often undergo cardiac stress testing to further
      risk stratify for coronary artery disease (CAD). The decision of whom to stress
      is currently based on clinical judgment. We sought to determine the influence of
      cardiac risk factor burden on cardiac stress test outcome for patients tested
      from an observation unit, inpatient or outpatient setting. METHODS: We performed
      a retrospective observational cohort study for all patients undergoing stress
      testing in our institution from June 2006 through July 2007. Cardiac risk factors
      were collected at the time of stress testing. Risk factors were evaluated in a
      summative fashion using multivariate regression adjusting for age and known
      coronary artery disease. The model was tested for goodness of fit and
      collinearity and the c statistic was calculated using the receiver operating
      curve. RESULTS: A total of 4026 subjects were included for analysis of which 22%
      had known CAD. The rates of positive outcome were 89 (12.0%), 95 (12.6%), and 343
      (16.9%) for the OU, outpatients, and hospitalized patients respectively. While
      the odds of a positive test outcome increased for additional cardiac risk
      factors, ROC curve analysis indicates that simply adding the number of risk
      factors does not add significant diagnostic value. Hospitalized patients were
      more likely to have a positive stress test, OR 1.41 (1.10 - 1.81). CONCLUSIONS:
      Our study does not support basing the decision to perform a stress test on the
      number of cardiac risk factors.

PMID- 28352377
TI  - Circadian Patterns of Heart Rate Turbulence, Heart Rate Variability and Their
      Relationship.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Heart rate variability (HRV) is an established tool for studying
      cardiac autonomic activity over time, while heart rate turbulence (HRT) is a
      recent method used to assess autonomic dysfunction. However, there are different
      autonomic tones at different times of a day. This study aimed to examine the
      effect of circadian change of autonomic tone on heart rate turbulence and
      variability, and determine any relationship between them based on circadian
      variations. METHODS: Twenty-four-hour Holter recordings from 35 subjects with
      structurally normal heart were done, and HRV and HRT parameters of turbulence
      onset (TO) and turbulence slope (TS) were calculated. The 24-hour circadian
      patterns of these parameters and correlation analysis between them were
      performed. RESULTS: There were conspicuous diurnal oscillations in TS and HRV
      parameters, with less prominent variation in TO. TS and high frequency power (HF)
      shared the similar oscillation patterns in a day. Comparing HRT and HRV based on
      circadian variation, TS showed positive correlations with HF and low frequency
      power (LF) to a reasonable degree, while there was an inverse correlation between
      TS and LF/HF. CONCLUSIONS: Circadian change of TS values throughout the day is
      more prominent than TO. It also presents as an autonomic activity more than TO.
      The relationships between HRV and HRT persist independently on the time of a day.

PMID- 28352378
TI  - Demonstration of TGF-beta and XIIIalpha in Endocardial Biopsies of Carcinoid
      Heart Disease Patients: an Immunofluorescence Study.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Serotonin and other vasoactive substances play a critical role in the
      development of carcinoid heart disease, but the exact etiology of the illness is
      still unknown. METHODS: By using immunofluorescence microscopy, we investigated
      the expression of transforming growth factor-beta (TGF-beta) and the presence of
      fibrin-stabilizing factor (XIIIalpha) in endomyocardial biopsy specimens of
      patients with carcinoid heart disease. In addition, the tissue integrity of the
      specimens was studied by staining for laminin. RESULTS: Both TGF-beta and
      XIIIalpha co-localized in the endocardium beneath carcinoid plaques: while TGF
      beta was found within myocytes, XIIIalpha was detected on the surface of cells in
      fibrotic lesions stretching out into the tissue. Laminin staining revealed that
      the integrity of the endocardium was dissolved and that the tissue consisted of
      hypertrophic and hypotrophic myocytes. CONCLUSIONS: The results suggest that the
      presence of TGF-beta and XIIIalpha in carcinoid heart lesions indicates that
      endocardial damage induced by serotonin and other vasoactive substances gives
      rise to an overshooting wound healing process.

PMID- 28352379
TI  - Markedly Elevated Cardiac Bio-Markers at Presentation With Normal Ventricular
      Function: A Novel Clinical Subset of Myocarditis Manifestation.
AB  - We present a case of a 19-year-old woman with myocarditis who had significantly
      elevated cardiac markers at presentation even before any myocardial damage
      ensued. The patient had complicated clinical course with ventricular arrhythmia
      and cardiac arrest requiring resuscitation but eventually recovered completely.
      Though there is limited information available regarding such cases, the
      significantly elevated initial cardiac markers in the absence of left ventricular
      decompensation may probably represent a clinical subset of myocarditis and may
      portend an impending complicated clinical course. Further systematic research is
      required to define the clinical phenotype and elucidate underlying mechanisms.

PMID- 28352380
TI  - Senile Cardiac Calcification Syndrome: A Rare Case of Extensive Calcification of
      Left Ventricular Papillary Muscle.
AB  - Extensive papillary muscle calcification is uncommon and only scarce literature
      about causes and the clinical significance is available, whereas small calcific
      deposits are common findings in elderly people and are located most commonly at
      the apex. Papillary muscle calcification has been associated with coronary artery
      disease, dilated cardiomyopathy, mitral valve disease, hypercalcemia, and
      increased calcium phosphate product in end stage renal disease. We reported a
      rare case of extensive calcification of anterolateral papillary muscle diagnosed
      by echocardiography and multidetector computed tomography.

PMID- 28352381
TI  - Splanchnectopia Accompanied With Atrial Septal Defect: A Case Report.
AB  - Splanchnetopia accompanied with atrial septal defect is a rare congenital
      malformation clinically. Recent studies show that the patients are susceptible to
      lung disease. We present a case of a 62-year-old man who presented to our
      hospital with cough, palpitation and short of breath after activity. On physical
      examination, we found cyanosis of lips and face, swollen jugular vein, bubble
      sounds at the lung bottom, irregular heart rhythm, the large liver under the left
      rib and the lower limbs edema. Laboratory studies revealed white blood cell 18.6
      * 109/L and neutrophils 73.9%. Electrocardiogram showed disappearance of P wave
      and substituted F wave with irregular R-R interval. Ultrasound cardiogram
      indicated that there was a 24 mm-long gap in the middle of the atrial septal.
      Dextrocardia, pulmonary artery extrudes and infection of lung were found by chest
      x-ray. The abdomen ultrasound indicated organ flip. Clinical diagnosis was
      congenital heart disease, splanchnectopia, atrial septal defect, Eisenmenger's
      syndrome, atrial flutter, cardiac function class III and pneumonia. The patient
      left hospital after 2-week treatment. Its clinical significance is when the
      thoracic and celiac organs are ill, the position of the symptoms and physical
      signs are contrary to the normal place. Therefore, we should make a careful and
      systematic examination of the patients in order to avoid misdiagnosis and delay
      in treatment.

PMID- 28352382
TI  - Long-Term Survival Following Cardiac Arrest Without Implantable Defibrillator
      Protection in a Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy Patient.
AB  - Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) is the most common cause of sudden cardiac
      death in young people. Implantable cardioverter defibrillator (ICD) is the
      optimal therapy in patients with HCM, both for primary or secondary prevention of
      sudden death. Left ventricular systolic function in HCM is usually normal.
      However, in few patients, HCM has been reported to progress to a state that is
      characterized by left ventricular dilation and systolic dysfunction, resembling
      dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM). Although arrhythmias are common in HCM, advanced or
      complete atrioventricular block (AV) is very rare. This case report describes a
      HCM patient who progressed to DCM with advanced AV block and survived 31 years
      following cardiac arrest without ICD protection.

PMID- 28352383
TI  - Exercise Tolerance and the Post Exercise Diastolic Filling Pattern in Patients
      With the Resting Impaired Relaxation.
AB  - BACKGROUND: In patients with normal LV systolic function, cardiac output
      increases with exercise mediated by increased stroke volume early in exercise and
      an increase in heart rate later in exercise. Despite normal LV systolic function,
      patients who display an impaired relaxation pattern may have a reduced exercise
      tolerance. We hypothesized that the resting impaired relaxation pattern that
      persists during exercise results in reduced LV filling volume and reduced
      exercise tolerance. METHODS: We evaluated consecutive exercise echocardiograms
      performed at Harper Hospital from 1998-2000 for patients with sinus rhythm,
      normal resting wall motion and ejection fraction (> 55%), evidence of resting
      impaired relaxation, and a negative exercise echocardiogram. There were 49
      patients fitting the above criteria who were compared with a group of age and sex
      matched patients (43 patients) with a normal rest and exercise echocardiogram
      with normal resting transmitral Doppler. Rest and post exercise echocardiography
      and Doppler parameters were obtained. RESULTS: Patients in the impaired
      relaxation group demonstrated shorter exercise times as compared to the normal
      control group (8.8 +/- 1.6 versus 9.7 +/- 2.0 minutes, P < 0.001). In patients
      with normal resting transmitral diastolic filling, there was an increased the
      extent of atrial contribution to LV filling volume post exercise associated with
      shortening of isovolumic relaxation. Two patterns were seen in the impaired
      relaxation group post exercise. In 1 subgroup in which E/A ratio decreased post
      exercise, exercise duration was reduced (7.4 +/- 1.3 minutes, P < 0.001) as
      compared to the subgroup with E/A increase (9.6 +/- 1.2 minutes) post exercise
      which was similar to normal controls. Forward stepwise regression indicated that
      exercise time was primarily related to E/A change post exercise for all patient
      groups (r = 0.625, P = 0.0008). Specifically, this was true for patients with E/A
      reversal at rest (r = 0.584, P = 0.0028). However, for patients with normal
      diastolic filling at rest, the diastolic velocity integral was the major
      predictor (r = 0.695, P < 0.0084). CONCLUSION: We conclude that the transmitral
      Doppler pattern post exercise provides insight into the mechanism of reduced
      exercise tolerance in some patients with the resting impaired relaxation pattern.
      Preservation of this pattern post exercise is associated with reduced exercise
      tolerance.

PMID- 28352386
TI  - RT 3D TEE: Characteristics of Mitral Valve in Ischemic Mitral Regurgitation
      Evaluated by MVQ Program.
AB  - AIM: To assess the changes of mitral valve (MV) in ischemic mitral regurgitation
      (IMR) using Mitral Valve Quantification (MVQ) program. METHODS: We examined 46
      patients (18 women) with IMR aged 45-86 and a control group of 33 healthy
      individuals (14 women) aged 18-88. Following parameters were assessed: Area of
      minimal surface spanning annulus (A3), annulus height (h), tenting height (Th),
      exposed area of anterior (AL), posterior (PL) and both leaflets (BL), ejection
      fraction of the left ventricle (LV EF), regurgitation volume (RV) and BL/A3,
      AL/A3, PL/A3 ratios. The normal range of BL/A3 ratio was defined as the average
      +/- 2SD of control group. The study group was separated into subgroup 1 with
      BL/A3 ratio within normal values and subgroup 2 with pathological BL/A3 ratio.
      Corresponding parameters of IMR group were compared to the controls and both
      subgroups were compared to each other using Student t-test. RESULTS: In IMR
      group, as compared to the controls, A3, AL, PL, BL as well as BL/A3, AL/A3, PL/A3
      ratios and Th were significantly increased, conversely, h and LV EF was
      significantly decreased. In the subgroup 2 as compared to the subgroup 1 there
      was significant increase of Th, BL, AL and PL, while EF LV was significantly
      decreased. There was no significant difference between these subgroups in A3, h
      and RV. CONCLUSION: In ischemic MV remodeling two stages were identified without
      relation to the severity of IMR. The first stage was mainly influenced by the LV
      dilatation while LV remodeling was more important in the second stage.

PMID- 28352384
TI  - Consideration of the Pathological Features of Pediatric Congenital Heart Diseases
      Which Are Ideally Suitable for Diagnosing With Multidetector-row CT.
AB  - BACKGROUND: A lots of articles published regarding the usefulness of
      multidetector-row computed tomography (MDCT) in children with congenital heart
      disease (CHD) mostly describe that it can be an alternative to the invasive
      catheterization and angiography. The unique diagnostic features of this imaging
      modality have been largely ignored or disregarded. We described the pathological
      conditions that cannot be diagnosed by conventional angiography with cardiac
      catheterization but can be accurately diagnosed by MDCT. METHODS: We
      retrospectively reviewed non-ECG-gated MDCT images acquired from 452 children and
      young adults with CHD between 2005 and 2010 in our institute. In this article, we
      focused on the diagnostic advantages of MDCT, and indicated five pathological
      conditions. (1) When Blalock-Taussig shunt total occlusion prevents catheter
      insertion into the artificial vessel and angiography is ruled out, the peripheral
      pulmonary artery during the peripheral pulmonary artery can be imaged and
      diagnosed using MDCT based on blood flow supplied from many small collateral
      vessels originating from the aorta. (2) The location and protrusion of the device
      in the vessel after coil embolization to treat patent ductus arteriosus can be
      accurately visualized by virtual endoscopy using MDCT. (3) Calcification of
      patches, synthetic blood vessels, and other prostheses that is indistinct on
      conventional angiograms is clear on MDCT. (4) Simultaneous MDCT observations of
      the anatomical relationships between arterial and venous systems on the same
      image can clarify the detail diagnosis for surgical treatment. (5) Compression of
      the airways by the great vessels and pulmonary segmental emphysematous change can
      be diagnosed by MDCT. RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONS: Among patients with CHD, MDCT is
      useful not only as a non-invasive alternative to conventional angiography, but
      also as a tool for specific morphological diagnoses. In the future, it will be
      necessary to accumulate experience in the recognition of cardiovascular
      conditions under which MDCT is necessary and to perform as the appropriate
      examination.

PMID- 28352385
TI  - On Arrival High Blood Glucose Level is Associated With Detrimental and Fatal
      Hospitalization Outcomes for Acute Coronary Syndrome.
AB  - BACKGROUND: High blood glucose level is frequently encountered in acute coronary
      syndrome. We investigated the effects of high blood glucose measured on arrival
      on hospitalization adverse events in acute coronary syndrome. Our study patients
      were Javanese in ethnicity, which constitute half of population in Indonesia. We
      hypothesized that elevated blood glucose has detrimental effects on
      hospitalization for acute coronary syndrome. METHODS: We designed an
      observasional cohort study and recruited 148 consecutive patients with acute
      coronary syndrome. Venous blood was collected on hospital arrival. High blood
      glucose level was determined as plasma glucose > 140 mg/dL. Adverse
      hospitalization events were recorded, i.e. mortality, acute heart failure,
      cardiogenic shock and heart rhythm disorders. Echocardiography examination was
      performed to determine left ventricular function. RESULTS: The prevalence of on
      arrival high blood glucose among Javanese patients with acute coronary syndrome
      was considerably high (36%). On arrival high blood glucose was associated with
      acute heart failure (P < 0.001) and shock cardiogenic (P = 0.02). Heart rhythm
      disorders were higher in high blood glucose patients (P = 0.004). Left
      ventricular dysfunction was more prevalent in high blood glucose patients (P =
      0.001) and ejection fraction was lower (P = 0.001). On arrival high blood glucose
      was independently associated with hospitalization adverse events (adjusted odds
      ratio = 2.3, 95% confidence interval: 1.1-4.9, P = 0.03) and hospital mortality
      (adjusted odds ratio = 6.9, 95% confidence interval: 1.2-38.6, P = 0.03).
      CONCLUSIONS: Our study suggests that on arrival high blood glucose among Javanese
      patients with acute coronary syndrome is considerably high and is associated with
      detrimental and fatal hospitalization outcomes.

PMID- 28352387
TI  - Coronary Flow Reserve of the Non-Ischemia Related Coronary Artery During
      Dobutamine Stress Echocardiography.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Incorporation of analysis of coronary velocities in stress studies
      adds diagnostic value to both clinical variables and dobutamine echocardiography.
      Micorcirculatory abnormalities may precede obstructive corornary disease.
      Therefore the aim of this study was to assess Doppler derived coronary velocity
      and flow of the left anterior descending coronary artery (LAD) during dobutamine
      stress echocardiography (DSE) in patients without LAD-related ischemia. METHODS:
      Sixty nine patients with chest pain underwent DSE studies to evaluate myocardial
      ischemia. All had trans-thoracic Doppler interrogation of the distal LAD before
      and just after termination of the DSE. Coronary velocity reserves (CFR) were
      calculated as the ratios of post-DSE/baseline diastolic velocities. Volumetric
      flow in the distal LAD was calculated from the diameter of LAD color jet and
      velocity integral. Volumetric flow reserve was calculated as the ratio of post
      DSE baseline LAD flows. RESULTS: At rest all subjects had left ventricular wall
      motion score index (WMSI) = 1, while in 28, wall motion abnormality appeared in
      non-LAD territory with WMSI = 1.17 +/- 0.08. Peak diastolic velocity after DSE
      increased form 28.5 +/- 13.6 to 52.4 +/- 23.7 cm/sec, P = 9.5 * 10-11, and
      velocity-CFR was 2.08 +/- 0.7. Diastolic LAD flow increased from 36.5 +/- 23.8 to
      75.75 +/- 48.7 mL/min, P = 1.21 * 10-7 and volumetric-CFR was 2.6 +/- 2.8. Peak
      diastolic velocity-CFR in patients without LV wall motion abnormality was 2.4 +/-
      0.7 while in those with motion abnormality 1.77 +/- 0.56, P = 0.00008. Flow
      derived LAD-CFR was 3.3 +/- 3.7 in those without compared to 1.88 +/- 0.57 in
      patients with wall motion abnormality, P < 0.05. CONCLUSION: LAD velocity and
      flow reserves are reduced in patients with remote myocardial ischemia, which may
      indicate early atherosclerotic involvement.

PMID- 28352388
TI  - A Case of Cardiac Amyloidosis Initially Misdiagnosed as Syndrome X.
AB  - Cardiac infiltration of amyloid fibril results in progressive cardiomyopathy with
      a grave prognosis and results in cardiac diseases such as congestive heart
      disease, cardiomyopathy, valvular heart disease, and arrhythmias. We present a
      rare case of cardiac amyloidosis initially misdiagnosed as syndrome X in which
      recurrent chest pain and progressive heart failure could be managed finally by
      heart transplantation.

PMID- 28352389
TI  - Acute Chest Pain and Broad Complex Tachycardia. A Non-typical Case of Pre-excited
      Atrial Fibrillation.
AB  - Wolff-Parkinson-White syndrome is a common condition in the emergency department.
      A case is presented of a 76-year-old patient with acute chest pain and broad
      complex tachycardia. Despite the fact that previous and post cardioversion ECG
      tracings in sinus rhythm showed no signs of pre-excitation, the characteristic
      pattern of pre-excited atrial fibrillation (AF) is recognized and after
      successful DC cardioversion the patient is referred for catheter ablation of the
      accessory pathway. This case illustrates a non-typical presentation of the WPW
      syndrome, with an older patient than usual with slight signs of pre-excitation.
      We highlight the need for high grades of suspicion for the early recognition of
      pre-excited AF when attending patients with tachycardia and the obligation to
      know the distinctive aspects of its management for this potentially life
      threatening arrhythmia.

PMID- 28352390
TI  - Calcified Thrombus in Right Atrium: Rare but Treatable Complication of Long-term
      Indwelling Central Venous Catheter.
AB  - Catheter-related central thrombosis is a rare complication of long-term central
      line. We describe the case of an asymptomatic boy who was diagnosed a calcified
      thrombus in right atrium eight years after the removal of a long-term central
      venous device. Although the most appropriate therapeutic approach for managing
      floating right heart thrombi remains to be determined, surgical removal is an
      effective and safe procedure for calcified long-standing thrombus and it is to be
      preferred in elective conditions especially in young asymptomatic patients
      without hemodynamic involvement, that are at low risk of surgery-related
      morbidity and mortality.

PMID- 28352391
TI  - An Unusual Case of Sinus of Valsalva Aneurysm in a GUCH Patient: An Unusual Side
      of the Aorto-Cardiac Fistula.
AB  - Sinus of Valsalva aneurysm can be congenital or acquired. The major complication
      is rupture: this can represent an evolution or an abrupt event. In case of
      rupture or of large aneurysm, a surgical approach is justified. We report a case
      of ruptured sinus of Valsalva aneurysm in a seventeen years old girl, who had
      underwent surgical correction of Fallot tetralogy. As soon as the rupture of
      sinus of Valsalva aneurysm is suspected, echocardiographic examination is the
      easiest and most straightforward tool to make a correct diagnosis.

PMID- 28352392
TI  - Percutaneous Coronary Intervention on Right Coronary Artery With All Coronary
      Arteries From Three Separate Ostiums in the Right Sinus of Valsalva.
AB  - Some of coronary artery anomalies, such as origin of all coronary arteries from
      three separate ostiums in the right sinus of valsalva, represent a small amount
      of coronary anomalies. We describe a 63-year-old female patient which coronary
      angiogram revealed an origin of all coronary arteries from three separate ostiums
      in the right sinus of valsalva, with significant atherosclerotic plaque at the
      midportion of the right coronary artery. The stenosis was treated through
      percutaneous coronary intervention.

PMID- 28352394
TI  - Outcomes of Patients With Cocaine Induced Chest Pain in An Inner City Hospital.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Cocaine induced chest pain is a major reason for admission in Safety
      Net Hospitals in the United States. The majority of patients admitted undergo
      extensive work-up leading to enormous economic burden. We hypothesize that in
      individuals with low risk, cocaine does not further increase adverse
      cardiovascular outcomes. METHODS: We conducted a retrospective chart review of
      all patients admitted with chest pain to our hospital between 07/01/09 and
      06/30/10. We excluded patients with modifiable risk factors for coronary artery
      disease (CAD). The study population was divided into cocaine and non-cocaine
      group based on urine drug screen. We analyzed data including demographic,
      laboratory, cardiac testing, detection of CAD, length of stay and mortality
      rates. RESULTS: A total of 426 individuals matched our inclusion and exclusion
      criteria and were considered to have no known modifiable cardiac risk factors; 54
      in cocaine group and 372 in non-cocaine group. Based on physician discretion,
      41(76%) in the cocaine group and 239(64%) in the non-cocaine group underwent
      various modalities of cardiac testing. Cardiac testing was positive in 6(2.5%)
      patients in non-cocaine group and none in the cocaine group (p=0.597). There was
      no significant difference between length of stay and in-hospital mortality
      between the two groups. CONCLUSIONS: In individuals at low risk for CAD, cocaine
      use resulted in higher rate of cardiac testing. However, there is no difference
      in prevalence of CAD and in-hospital mortality between the two groups. We
      conclude that cocaine does not increase adverse outcomes in patients with low
      risk for CAD.

PMID- 28352393
TI  - Myocardial Contrast Echocardiography in the Evaluation of Hypertensive Heart
      Disease.
AB  - Myocardial contrast echocardiography (MCE) has an established role in left
      ventricular assessment by improving the ventricular opacification and endocardial
      border definition especially in patients with sub-optimal echocardiographic
      images. With advances in cardiac ultrasound imaging technology and the
      development of new contrast agents, the clinical utility of this technique has
      greatly expanded to include assessment of coronary reperfusion in the setting of
      acute myocardial infarction, determination of myocardial viability within infarct
      zones as well as assessment of coronary microcirculation and flow reserve in
      patients with microvascular coronary disease. Improvements in image quality with
      intravenous contrast agents can facilitate image acquisition and enhance
      delineation of regional wall motion abnormalities at peak levels of exercise.
      Numerous studies have confirmed the clinical utility of contrast enhancement
      during echocardiographic studies, particularly in patients undergoing stress
      testing. In this paper, we explore the evidence in support of MCE and its
      potential clinical applications. Our review aims to summarize (1) the basic
      principles of myocardial contrast echocardiography including recent advances in
      the ultrasound technology and contrast agents (2) its clinical applications in
      the diagnosis of cardiovascular diseases and finally, (3) its potential role in
      risk stratification and assessment of microvascular perfusion in patients with
      hypertensive heart disease.

PMID- 28352395
TI  - Systolic Strain Abnormalities to Predict Hospital Readmission in Patients With
      Heart Failure and Normal Ejection Fraction.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Despite intensive investigation, the pathogenesis of heart failure
      with normal ejection fraction (HFNEF) remains unclear. We hypothesized that
      subtle abnormalities of systolic function might play a role, and that abnormal
      systolic strain and strain rate would provide a marker for adverse outcomes.
      METHODS: Patients of new CHF and left ventricular ejection fraction > 50% were
      included. Exclusion criteria were recent myocardial infarction, severe valvular
      heart disease, severe left ventricular hypertrophy (septum >1.8 cm), or a
      technically insufficient echocardiogram. Average peak systolic strain and strain
      rate were measured using an off-line grey scale imaging technique. Systolic
      strain and strain rate for readmitted patients were compared with those who
      remained readmission-free. RESULTS: One hundred consecutive patients with a 1st
      admission for HFNEF from January 1, 2004 through December 31, 2007, inclusive,
      were analyzed. Fifty two patients were readmitted with a primary diagnosis of
      heart failure. Systolic strain and strain rates were reduced in both study groups
      compared to controls. However, systolic strain did not differ significantly
      between the two groups (-11.7% for those readmitted compared with -12.9% for
      those free from readmission, P = 0.198) and systolic strain rates also were
      similar (-1.05 s-1 versus -1.09 s-1, P = 0.545). E/e' was significantly higher in
      readmitted patients compared with those who remained free from readmission (14.5
      versus 11.0, P = 0.013). E/e' (OR 1.189, 95% CI 1.026-1.378; P = 0.021) was found
      to be an independent predictor for HFNEF readmission. CONCLUSIONS: Among patients
      with new onset HFNEF, SS and SR rates are reduced compared with patients free of
      HFNEF, but do not predict hospital readmission. Elevated E/e' is a predictor of
      readmission in these patients.

PMID- 28352396
TI  - Qualitative Perfusion Cardiac Magnetic Resonance Imaging Lacks Sensitivity in
      Detecting Cardiac Allograft Vasculopathy.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Cardiac allograft vasculopathy (CAV) is a major complication after
      heart transplantation, requiring frequent surveillance angiography. Though
      cardiac angiography is the gold standard, it is insensitive in detecting
      transplant vasculopathy and invasive. Perfusion MRI provides a noninvasive
      alternative and possibly a useful modality for studying CAV. We sought to compare
      the accuracy of qualitative perfusion MRI to coronary angiography in detecting
      CAV. METHODS: A retrospective analysis was performed in 68 heart transplant
      recipients who had simultaneous surveillance cardiac MRI and coronary angiogram
      and who underwent transplantation between 2000 and 2007. We compared results of
      qualitative MRI to those of the cardiac angiogram. Sensitivity and specificity of
      MR were calculated. RESULTS: Sixty-eight patients underwent both cardiac MRI and
      coronary angiogram. 73.5% were male; mean age was 45.37 +/- 14 years. Mean
      duration of heart transplantation was 7.9 +/- 5.2 years. The mean ejection
      fraction was 55% in the patients without CAV and 57.4% in those with CAV. There
      were 48 normal and 24 abnormal MRI studies. The overall sensitivity was 41% and
      specificity was 74%. CONCLUSIONS: Qualitative assessment of perfusion cardiac MR
      has low sensitivity and moderate specificity for detecting CAV. The sensitivity
      of MRI was slightly improved with severity of disease.

PMID- 28352397
TI  - Can Computer Tomography Predict Compromise of Cardiac Structures After
      Percutaneous Closure of Interatrial Septal Defects?
AB  - BACKGROUND: Erosion of a cardiac structure after device closure of an interatrial
      septal communication (IASC-C), although rare, is a major and severe adverse event
      which may be underreported. On the other hand, unexplained episodes of transient
      chest pain occur more often and may be quite distressing. We sought to define the
      parameters relating the devices to the adjacent cardiac structures and to
      determine whether computer tomography (CT) could predict erosion of atrial or
      aortic wall or precordial pain symptoms occurring in the first months after
      device implantation. METHODS: Retrospective observational study of 20 patients
      who underwent CT for de novo chest pain occurring after IASC-C or as a diagnostic
      test for suspected or proven coronary artery disease (CAD). Clinical follow up
      was for 20.5 +/- 17.6 (6-84) months. CT was done 18 +/- 10 (2-28) weeks after
      IASC-C. RESULTS: Indentation of the aortic root was found in 11 (55%) patients,
      the left atrial wall in 13 (65%) and the right atrial wall in eight (40%) of
      patients. Contact without indentation was found in nine (45%), 6 (30%) and 11
      (55%) of patients respectively. CONCLUSIONS: Device indenting of the left and
      right atrial, as well as the aortic wall, occured in the majority of the patients
      examined after IASC-C. This finding may explain bouts of chest pain after the
      intervention in some patients, but does not predict clinically relevant erosion
      of a cardiac structure.

PMID- 28352398
TI  - Incidence and Prognosis of Atrial Fibrillation in Patients With Sepsis.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Although the mortality rate among patients with sepsis is declining,
      the incidence of both sepsis and sepsis-related deaths is increasing, likely due
      to its presence in a growing elderly population. As atrial fibrillation is more
      common in the elderly, we hypothesize that its presence will be associated with
      greater mortality among patients with sepsis. METHODS: The Medical Intensive Care
      Unit (MICU) database of a large tertiary care medical center was queried for
      sepsis-related codes and atrial fibrillation. RESULTS: Atrial fibrillation was
      associated with older age and a higher mortality in this series of patients with
      sepsis. CONCLUSIONS: Whether atrial fibrillation is a marker of disease severity
      or contributes to mortality is uncertain. Further studies are necessary to
      determine optimal management.

PMID- 28352399
TI  - Thrombosis of A Prosthetic Mitral Valve After Withdrawal of Phenprocoumon
      Therapy.
AB  - Patients with prosthetic heart valves require lifelong oral anticoagulant therapy
      based on vitamin K antagonists. These patients may need interruption of their
      anticoagulant therapy if they have to undergo surgery. The clinical challenge is
      to identify patients who can safely undergo surgery while continuing their
      vitamin K antagonist treatment and those who have to take short-acting heparin as
      part of a bridging therapy. Here we present a case of a patient with a prosthetic
      mitral valve whose oral anticoagulant therapy was unnecessarily discontinued by
      the GP prior to an upcoming cataract surgery. As a result, the patient developed
      thrombosis of the prosthetic mitral valve which needed to be surgically replaced.

PMID- 28352400
TI  - Aortic Isthmus Arteritis: Report of One Case.
AB  - An 18-year-old girl was diagnosed as "bronchiectasis" for hemoptysis and treated
      by using embolization intervention 19 months ago. Two months ago she was
      diagnosed as iron-deficiency anaemia for fatigue. Eight days ago she was
      diagnosed again as hypertension for headache, anxiety, frowsty, nausea, vomiting
      and blood pressure 180/70 mmHg. In order to know the etiology of hypertension she
      was sent to our hospital. Vascular murmur was heard in bilateral carotid,
      subclavian and the back. 4 / 6 pan systolic murmur and stronger heart sound were
      heard in each valve auscultation area. Bilateral radial artery pulsations were
      symmetrical, but bilateral femoral, popliteal and dorsal arteries of foot were
      weakened. The results of hemoglobin (HB), globulin, creaction protein (CRP) and
      erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) were abnormal. Thicker wall and narrower
      lumen in decreasing aorta were found by aorta CTA scanning. The aorta arteritist
      was clearly diagnosed and treated by hormone until ESR returned to normal.
      Finally, artificial vascular was replaced successfully by surgery. Now the
      patient is fine and has already been working for a year. This case gives us the
      inspiration: A detailed examination to patient is very important, which avoid
      missed diagnosis or misdiagnosis and missed the best opportunity for treatment.

PMID- 28352401
TI  - Giant Aortic Arch Aneurysm and Cardio-vocal Syndrome: Still An Open-surgery
      Indication.
AB  - The Cardio-vocal Syndrome (Ortner's syndrome) is described as hoarseness due to
      the left recurrent laryngeal nerve palsy, caused by a specific cardiovascular
      pathology. In this case, we present a patient with a giant aortic arch aneurysm
      with an initial clinical presentation of Cardio-vocal Syndrome. The conventional
      open-surgery, instead of endovascular approach, was useful to control the
      morbidity from the compressive effect of adjacent structures, also preventing the
      aortic rupture. We strongly recommend analyzing carefully the individual case and
      the clinical targets to resolve, because the new technologies are not always the
      most effective therapeutic response.

PMID- 28352402
TI  - Cordarone Extravasation Inducing Volkmann's-like Syndrome.
AB  - We report a case of Volkmann's-like syndrome occurred after an extravasation of
      300 mg of cordarone administrated for a cardiac arrest.The day following the
      extravasation, an extensive necrosis of the skin and soft tissues occurred. The
      patient progressively developed a retraction of the muscles of her forearm. To
      the best of our knowledge this is first the reported case of an acute necrosis of
      the soft tissue inducing a Volkmann's-like retraction of the upper limb
      subsequent to a cordarone extravasation. The imaging findings are provided along
      with a review of the literature.

PMID- 28352403
TI  - Heart in An Eggshell Calcification: Idiopathic Calcific Constrictive
      Pericarditis.
AB  - Constrictive pericarditis is caused by fibrosis and calcification of the
      pericardium, which inhibits diastolic filling of the heart. Chest roentgenogram
      can show the calcification as a mass or sheet over the heart and computed
      tomography scan allows anatomic delineation of the pericardium and determines the
      extent of calcification. We reported a case of eggshell calcification of
      idiopathic chronic constrictive pericarditis diagnosed by echocardiography and
      multi-detector computed tomography.

PMID- 28352404
TI  - Mature Cardiac Teratoma in an Adult.
AB  - The incidental diagnosis in adult age is very unusual and the presence of
      clinical symptoms is related to its location, which is most commonly
      intrapericardial. The presence of intramyocardial teratoma lesions is even rarer
      and has been reported in few publications. The recommendations for the diagnosis
      and management of a cardiac teratoma depends upon the imaging studies and the
      pathological report after surgical excision. The prognosis of surgically treated
      patient is very good and a complete surgical excision is preferred in order to
      avoid complications.

PMID- 28352405
TI  - Real World Application of Stenting of Unprotected Left Main Coronary Stenosis: A
      Single-Center Experience.
AB  - BACKGROUND: The aim of this study was to summarize our single-center real-world
      experience with percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) stenting of unprotected
      left main coronary artery (ULMCA). PCI-stenting of the ULMCA, while
      controversial, is emerging as an alternative to coronary artery bypass graft
      (CABG) surgery in select patients and clinical situations. METHODS: Between
      January 2005 and December 2008, PCI-stenting was performed on 125 patients with
      ULMCA lesions at our institution. Clinical and procedural data were recorded at
      the time of procedure, and patients were followed prospectively (mean 1.7 years;
      range 1 day-4.1 years) for outcomes, including death, myocardial infarction (MI),
      and target vessel revascularization (TVR). RESULTS: The majority of cases were
      urgent or emergent (82.5%), 50.4% of patients were non-surgical candidates, and
      63.2% had 3 vessel disease. Many emergent patients presented in shock (62.1%),
      were not surgical candidates (89.7%), and had high mortality (20.7% in-hospital,
      44.8% long-term). Mortality in the elective group was 6.3%. Cumulative death and
      TVR rates were 28.8% and 13.6%, respectively. Independent predictors of mortality
      were ejection fraction (EF) <= 35% (HR 2.4, CI 1.1 - 5.4) and left main
      bifurcation (HR 2.7, CI 1.2 - 5.7). CONCLUSIONS: PCI-stenting is a viable option
      in patients with LMCA disease and extends options to patients who are poor
      candidates for CABG. Elective PCI in low-risk CABG patients results in good long
      term survival. Cumulative TVR is 13.6%. EF <= 35% and left main bifurcation are
      independently associated with increased mortality.

PMID- 28352406
TI  - Asymmetric Dimethylarginine Levels are Highly Associated With Atrial Fibrillation
      in an Elderly Population.
AB  - BACKGROUND: The importance of endothelial dysfunction in atrial fibrillation (AF)
      is not clarified. The aim of this study was to evaluate endothelial dysfunction
      assessed by selected inflammatory and haemostatic endothelial markers and nitric
      oxide (NO) associated variables as related to the presence of AF in an elderly
      population. NO is known to express anti-thrombotic as well as vasoactive
      properties. METHODS: This is a cross sectional study of 75-year old subjects with
      AF (n = 62) and control subjects in sinus rhythm (n = 124), matched for gender.
      Fasting blood samples were collected for analyses of asymmetric dimethylarginine
      (ADMA), an endogenous inhibitor of NO-synthase, L-arginine, E-selectin, vascular
      cell adhesion molecule-1 (VCAM-1) and von Willebrand factor (vWF). RESULTS:
      Levels of vWF and ADMA were significantly higher in AF patients vs controls (P =
      0.023 and P < 0.001, respectively) and the L-arginine/ADMA ratios were lower (P =
      0.015), the latters still significant after adjustment for relevant covariates (P
      = 0.007 and P = 0.037, respectively). No significant differences in the levels of
      VCAM-1 and E-selectin were observed between the groups. When dividing the ADMA
      levels into quartiles there was a significant trend for having AF with increasing
      levels of ADMA (P < 0.001) with a cut-off at the 25th percentile (< 0.54 umol/L),
      giving an adjusted OR for having AF of 12.46 (95% CI 3.11 - 49.86) (P < 0.001)
      with higher levels. A similar inverse trend was seen for the L-arginine/ADMA
      ratio. CONCLUSION: Our population of 75-year-old AF patients had significantly
      impaired endothelial function assessed by increased levels of vWF, and more
      pronounced by high levels of ADMA. The results indicate AF in the elderly to be
      closely associated with the regulatory pathway of NO.

PMID- 28352407
TI  - Sirolimus-Versus Zotarolimus-Eluting Stents in Acute Coronary Syndromes With C
      Type Left Anterior Descending Artery Lesions: A Three-Year Clinical Follow-Up.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Drug-eluting stents have improved the efficacy of percutaneous
      coronary intervention and made it the preferred therapy in the treatment of
      ischemic heart diseases including acute coronary syndromes. The objective of the
      study was to compare the clinical efficacy and safety of sirolimus-eluting stent
      with that of zotarolimus-eluting stent following percutaneous coronary
      intervention for acute coronary syndrome patients with C-type left anterior
      descending stenosis. METHODS: A total of 154 acute coronary syndrome patients
      with C-type lesions in the left anterior descending artery, requiring a stent >
      28 mm in length, were randomized into two groups to receive either sirolimus- (n
      = 74) or zotarolimus-eluting stent (n = 80). The follow-up period after stent
      implantation was approximately 36 months. The primary endpoint was a major
      cardiac event (a composite of cardiac death, myocardial infarction, or ischemia
      related target vessel revascularization), and the secondary endpoint included
      these individual end points plus stent thrombosis. RESULTS: After 3 years follow
      up, the rate of the primary end point (major cardiac event: cardiac death,
      myocardial infarction, ischemia-related target vessel revascularization) was 16%
      in the sirolimus group (n = 12) versus 11.2% in the zotarolimus group (n = 9) (P
      = 0.2). Although there were four cases of stent thrombosis with sirolimus-eluting
      stent and one with zotarolimus-eluting stent (4.0% sirolimus vs. 1.25%
      zotarolimus; P = 0.2), neither non-Q myocardial infarction (4.0%sirolimus vs.
      1.25% zotarolimus; P = 0.2) nor stent thrombosis, differed significantly.
      CONCLUSIONS: Although zotarolimus-eluting stent implantation showed more
      favorable results with respect to stent thrombosis and major adverse cardiac
      event rates compared to sirolimus-eluting stent implantation, statistically, both
      stent groups have nearly similar clinical safety and efficacy in the treatment of
      acute coronary syndromes with C-type lesions in the left anterior descending
      artery disease.

PMID- 28352408
TI  - Renal Dysfunction was an Independent Predictor of In-Hospital Death and
      Ventricular Rupture in Patients With Acute Myocardial Infarction.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Apart from the severity of myocardial infarction and coronary artery
      disease, several predictors of in-hospital death (In-HD) are suggested in
      patients with acute myocardial infarction (AMI). METHODS: We investigated
      predictors of In-HD and ventricular rupture (VR) including ventricular septal
      rupture (VSR) and free wall rupture (FWR) with stepwise multivariable logistic
      regressions in 1,042 patients admitted to our Cardiovascular Center within 48
      hours from symptom onset for the first attack of AMI. RESULTS: In-HD, VSR, and
      FWR were observed in 78 cases (7.5%), 14 cases of which 13 cases were In-HD, and
      13 cases of which 6 cases were In-HD, respectively. Apart from the disease
      severity, age and renal dysfunction (RD) defined by estimated glomerular
      filtration rate of lower than 60 mL/min/ 1.73 m2 were independent positive
      predictors of In-HD (the odds ratios (ORs) (95% confidence interval (CI)): 1.04
      (1.01 - 1.06) P = 0.0069 and 5.75 (3.12 - 10.59) P < 0.0001, respectively) and
      hypercholesterolemia was an independent negative predictor for In-HD (OR (95%
      CI): 0.34 (0.17 - 0.67) P = 0.0017). After including the categories of coronary
      disease, ventricular rupture, and ejection fraction in predictors, RD remained an
      independent predictor of In-HD (OR (95% CI): 6.65 (2.67 - 16.60) P < 0.0001). Age
      (OR (95% CI): 1.07 (1.02 - 1.12) P = 0.0064), RD (OR (95% CI): 2.77 (1.18 - 6.49)
      P = 0.019), and diabetes (OR (95% CI): 2.52 (1.12 - 5.71) P = 0.026) were
      independent predictors of VR. CONCLUSIONS: RD was an independent predictor of In
      HD and VR in patients with initial AMI.

PMID- 28352409
TI  - An Unusual Type of Localized Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy With Wolf Parkinson
      White Syndrome Presenting With Pulmonary Edema.
AB  - Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) is an autosomal dominant heart disease that is
      the most common genetic cardiac disorder. The disease is characterized by
      excessive thickening of the left ventricular myocardium. The anterior portion of
      the interventricular ventricular septum is often involved. Asymmetric hypertrophy
      of apical site, left ventricular free wall, and right ventricle are less common
      in hypertrophic cardiomyopathy that occur in 1% cases. We report a case of a
      patient with an unusual type of hypertrophic cardiomyopathy and Wolf Parkinson
      White (WPW) presenting with pulmonary edema.

PMID- 28352410
TI  - All That Glitters is not Gold: Apical Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy Mimicking Acute
      Coronary Syndrome.
AB  - Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy is characterized by the idiopathic hypertrophy of the
      left ventricle (and occasionally right ventricle). HCM is an autosomal dominant
      disease, with variable penetration. In Asian population, apical hypertrophic
      cardiomyopathy is relatively common (25%). However, this is relatively rare in
      Caucasian population (0.2%). Patients with HCM, often presents with typical
      exertional chest pain and shortness of breath. Apical HCM patients tend to have
      milder symptoms. However, the clinical presentation and electrocardiographic
      features of Apical HCM often mimic acute coronary syndrome and high index of
      suspicion is warranted in differentiating this condition. Patients with apical
      HCM have relatively better prognosis when compare to the other varieties. Here,
      we are presenting a patient who presented with typical exertional chest pain
      whose electrocardiographic changes are concerning for acute ischemic changes.

PMID- 28352411
TI  - A Rare Coronary Artery Anomaly: Single Coronary Artery Originate From Right Sinus
      Valsalva R-IIP Sub-Group Type.
AB  - We reported a single coronary artery case that in the R-IIP sub-group which is a
      rare sub-group comparing with other sub-groups of single coronary artery
      originating from right sinus valsalva.

PMID- 28352412
TI  - A Case of Chronic Thromboembolic Pulmonary Hypertension.
AB  - Chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension (CTEPH) is a severe complication of
      incomplete resolution of large pulmonary embolism (PE).Transthoracic
      echocardiography (TTE) and chest computed tomography (CT) are useful for the
      diagnosis and follow-up of CTEPH. We report a case of 40-year-old male who
      wasadmitted with gradually aggravated dyspnea in recent 2 years and had history
      of acute PE 10 years ago, was detected CTEPH by TTE and confirmed with chest CT.

PMID- 28352414
TI  - Asymptomatic Left Bundle Branch Block Predicts New-Onset Congestive Heart Failure
      and Death From Cardiovascular Diseases.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Left bundle branch block (LBBB) has been proposed as a risk factor
      for cardiovascular morbidity and mortality. We sought to characterize the
      strength of these associations in a population without preexisting clinical heart
      disease. METHODS: The association between LBBB and new-onset congestive heart
      failure (CHF) or death from cardiovascular diseases was examined in 1,688
      participants enrolled in the SPPARCS study who were free of known CHF or previous
      myocardial infarction. SPPARCS is a community-based cohort study in residents of
      Sonoma, California that are > 55 years. Medical history and 12-lead ECGs were
      obtained every 2 years for up to 6 years of follow-up. LBBB at enrollment or year
      2 was considered "baseline" and assessed as a predictor of CHF and cardiovascular
      death ascertained at years 4 and 6. RESULTS: The prevalence of LBBB at baseline
      was 2.5% (n = 42). During 6 years of follow-up, 70 (4.8%) people developed new
      CHF. Incidence of CHF was higher in patients with LBBB than in participants
      without LBBB. This association persisted after controlling for potential
      confounders (odds ratio (OR): 2.85; 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.01 - 8.02; P
      = 0.047). A higher mortality from cardiovascular diseases was also found in
      participants with LBBB after adjusting for potential confounders (OR: 2.35,
      95%CI: 1.02 - 5.41; P = 0.044). CONCLUSIONS: LBBB in the absence of a clinically
      detectable heart disease is associated with new-onset CHF and death from
      cardiovascular diseases. Further study is warranted to determine if additional
      diagnostic testing or earlier treatment in patients with asymptomatic LBBB can
      decrease cardiovascular morbidity or mortality.

PMID- 28352413
TI  - Rethinking Heart Failure.
AB  - An increasing body of clinical observations and experimental evidence suggests
      that cardiac dysfunction results from autonomic dysregulation of the contractile
      output of the heart. Excessive activation of the sympathetic nervous system and a
      decrease in parasympathetic tone are associated with increased mortality.
      Elevated levels of circulating catecholamines closely correlate with the severity
      and poor prognosis in heart failure. Sympathetic over-stimulation causes
      increased levels of catecholamines, which induce excessive aerobic metabolism
      leading to excessive cardiac oxygen consumption. Resulting impaired mitochondrial
      function causes acidosis, which results in reduction in blood flow by impairment
      of contractility. To the extent that the excessive aerobic metabolism resulting
      from adrenergic stimulation comes to a halt the energy deficit has to be
      compensated for by anaerobic metabolism. Glucose and glycogen become the
      essential nutrients. Beta-adrenergic blockade is used successfully to decrease
      hyperadrenergic drive. Neurohumoral antagonists block adrenergic over-stimulation
      but do not provide the heart with fuel for compensatory anaerobic metabolism. The
      endogenous hormone ouabain reduces catecholamine levels in healthy volunteers,
      promotes the secretion of insulin, induces release of acetylcholine from
      synaptosomes and potentiates the stimulation of glucose metabolism by insulin and
      acetylcholine. Ouabain stimulates glycogen synthesis and increases lactate
      utilisation by the myocardium. Decades of clinical experience with ouabain
      confirm the cardioprotective effects of this endogenous hormone. The so far
      neglected sympatholytic and vagotonic effects of ouabain on myocardial metabolism
      clearly make a clinical re-evaluation of this endogenous hormone necessary.
      Clinical studies with ouabain that correspond to current standards are warranted.

PMID- 28352415
TI  - Chronic Ischemic Heart Disease Affects Health Related Quality of Life.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Chronic diseases endanger not only physical health but also
      psychological and social health of patient. Thus, evaluation of such patients for
      psychological treatment decisions is very important. METHOD: This is a
      descriptive study that was performed with 50 chronic patients (ischemic heart
      disease) selected from Valiasr and Mousavi at cardiac wards in Zanjan Province.
      They were given three types of questionnaire: demographic, WHOQOL, and Zung
      depression and anxiety index. The information was statically analyzed by
      frequency chart, central indexes, dispersion, Chi-Square and t tests, Pearson's
      correlation index (P < 0.05). RESULTS: The average of quality of life in all
      patients were calculated as was respectively 12.19, 11.98, 12.08, and 12.4 in
      physical, psychological, social and environmental domains respectively, 68
      percent of total number of the patients had various degrees of anxiety and 78
      percent of them had various degrees of depression. There was a significant
      relationship between the life quality average in all domains and anxiety
      intensity and depression intensity (P < 0.05) and there was a significant
      relationship between life quality average in all domains and income (P < 0.05).
      CONCLUSION: As the level of depression and anxiety goes up, quality of life
      decreases pointing out that they have a reverse relationship. Depression and
      anxiety are one of the most significant factors of quality of life among other
      variables. Regarding specific conditions of the treatment, it is necessary to pay
      special attention to psychological aspects.

PMID- 28352416
TI  - Is There any Time Dependant Echocardiographical Finding in Chronic Hemodialysis
      Patients?
AB  - BACKGROUND: Cardiac disease is the main cause of death in hemodialysis patients.
      In hemodialysis patients cardiovascular complications are great clinical
      challenge, and function, shape and left ventricle abnormalities are present in 70
      - 80 percent of dialysis patients. Changes in heart function occur in
      hemodialysis period and are effective in patient's prognosis. In this study we
      aim to evaluate time dependant clinical and echocardiographical findings in
      chronic hemodialysis patients. METHODS: In a cross-sectional study, 100 adult
      hemodialysis patients (51% male and 49% female with mean age 52.13 +/- 12.69
      years) visiting dialysis unit in Imam Reza and Madani hospitals between years
      2010 and 2011 were studied in group 1 (hemodialysis <= 6 months), group 2
      (hemodialysis for 6 months to 3 years) and group 3 (hemodialysis >= 3 years).
      Demographic, laboratory and echocardiographic findings were compared between
      groups. RESULTS: Among demographic findings, group 3 had significantly higher
      diastolic blood pressure and weight gain and was older than other two groups (P <
      0.05). By increase in hemodialysis period, patients had higher blood urea
      nitrogen and lower serum albumin levels (P < 0.05). Potassium level in group 2
      was significantly higher than group 3 and that was higher than group 1. There was
      no difference between groups in left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH), left atrium
      dilatation, ejection fraction and mitral insufficiency. Diastolic dysfunction
      increased in line with increase in hemodialysis period (P = 0.007). Hemodialysis
      period was higher in patients with LVH than those without (34.80 +/- 9.2 months
      versus 18.51 +/- 2.22 months, P = 0.01). CONCLUSION: In hemodialysis patients,
      diastolic dysfunction increases by the hemodialysis time (years). LVH and LA
      dilation also increase during time, but not significantly.

PMID- 28352417
TI  - Infective Endocarditis Complicated by Acute Ischemic Stroke from Septic Embolus:
      Successful Solitaire FR Thrombectomy.
AB  - Infective endocarditis (IE) is often complicated by systemic embolization. Acute
      stroke due to septic emboli is a particularly dreaded complication. Optimal
      treatment for acute stroke in IE has not been well outlined. Fibrinolytic therapy
      may be associated with increased risk for hemorrhagic transformation in patients
      with acute stroke in the setting of IE. We present a case of IE complicated by
      acute stroke which was successfully treated with mechanical thrombectomy. This
      case illustrates a role of mechanical thrombectomy devices in this patient
      population.

PMID- 28352418
TI  - Simultaneous Thrombosis of Two Drug-Eluting Stents After Discontinuation of Dual
      Antiplatelet Therapy for a Day.
AB  - Stent thrombosis is rare but can lead to potential severe consequence. The
      incidence is relative higher in drug-eluting sent than bare-metal stent
      implantation. Dual antiplatelet therapy is the major treatment to avoid early and
      late stent thrombosis. Simultaneous two stents thrombosis is rare. Although
      mechanical or/and procedure factors may predispose to stent thrombosis occurred,
      simultaneous two stents thrombosis implies possibly ineffective antiplatelet
      therapy. We report a case with simultaneous two stent thrombosis and complicated
      with cardiogenic shock after lost antiplatelet therapy for one day. We try to
      emphasize to properly educate patients about the importance of continuous drug
      use to avoid catastrophic tragedy.

PMID- 28352419
TI  - Adjuvant Role of CT in the Diagnosis of Post-Infarction Left Ventricular Free
      Wall Rupture.
AB  - Left ventricular free wall rupture is usually a catastrophic mechanical
      complication of myocardial infarction. Risk factors include advanced age, female
      gender and absence of prior infarction. The vast majority of patients succumb
      rapidly due to cardiac tamponade and electromechanical dissociation. Expedited
      and accurate diagnosis can improve the chances of survival. Echocardiography has
      been advocated as the gold standard for diagnosis, but other imaging modalities
      can provide valuable information in these patients. We present the case of a
      patient who presented with cardiogenic shock, in which the definitive diagnosis
      of a left ventricular free wall rupture was accomplished by CT scan with
      intravenous contrast.

PMID- 28352420
TI  - A Review of Currently Available Fenofibrate and Fenofibric Acid Formulations.
AB  - Fenofibrate is a third-generation fibric acid derivative indicated as a
      monotherapy to reduce elevated low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, total
      cholesterol, triglycerides, and apolipoprotein B; to increase high-density
      lipoprotein cholesterol in patients with primary hyperlipidemia or mixed
      dyslipidemia; and to reduce triglycerides in patients with severe
      hypertriglyceridemia. In this review, the key characteristics of available
      fenofibrate formulations are examined. A literature search was conducted,
      focusing on comparative studies examining bioavailability, food effects,
      absorption, and lipid efficacy. Fenofibrate is highly lipophilic, virtually
      insoluble in water, and poorly absorbed. Coadministration with meals was
      necessary to maximize bioavailability of early formulations. Micronized and
      nanoparticle formulations of fenofibrate with reduced particle sizes were
      developed, resulting in greater solubility, improved bioavailability, and in some
      cases, the ability to be given irrespective of food. A recently introduced
      hydrophilic choline salt of fenofibric acid also can be taken without regard to
      meals, is absorbed throughout the gastrointestinal tract, has the highest
      bioavailability among marketed formulations, and is approved for coadministration
      with a statin. Differences in bioavailability of fenofibrate formulations have
      resulted in low-dose (40 - 67) mg and standard-dose (120 - 200 mg) formulations.
      Different formulations are not equivalent on a milligram-to-milligram basis. In
      order to prevent medication errors, resulting in underdosing or overdosing with
      attendant consequences, it is important for healthcare providers to recognize
      that the formulations of fenofibrate and fenofibric acid that are currently
      available vary substantially in relation to food effect, equivalency on a
      milligram-to-milligram basis, and indication to be coadministered with a statin.

PMID- 28352421
TI  - Effects of Uric Acid on Lipid Levels in CKD Patients in a Randomized Controlled
      Trial.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Few studies have been conducted that compared lipid levels and uric
      acid in CKD or End-Stage Renal Disease (ESRD) patients with most using animal
      models. The purpose of the study was to explore effects on lipids while
      controlling uric acid levels in CKD patients. METHODS: Twenty-four CKD patients
      (N = 24) volunteered to participate in this study. The study was conducted using
      a double-blind, randomized, placebo controlled experimental protocol. The
      experimental group was prescribed 300 mg of allopurinol PO daily by their
      treating physician and followed prospectively for 8-weeks. The control group
      consumed a similar pill once a day for 8-weeks. RESULTS: ANCOVA revealed
      significant differences in total cholesterol (P = 0.009) and Apo B (P = 0.006)
      with lower levels in the allopurinol group. A trend emerged with LDL (P = 0.052)
      with lower levels in the allopurinol group. No significant differences were
      discovered in triglycerides (P = 0.403), HDL (P = 0.762) and total
      Cholesterol/HDL Ratio (P = 0.455). CONCLUSIONS: After statistically controlling
      for compliance and inflammation significant differences between groups were
      observed for total cholesterol and Apo B. In both instances the allopurinol group
      had lower concentrations than the placebo group. Similarly, a trend was observed
      in LDL with the allopurinol group having lower concentrations than the placebo
      group.

PMID- 28352422
TI  - Persistent Left Superior Vena Cava in Patients Undergoing Cardiac Device
      Implantation: Clinical and Long-Term Data.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Persistent left superior vena cava (LSVC) is a rare congenital venous
      anomaly that may be found at the time of cardiac device lead insertion. METHODS:
      In this case series, we present clinical and long-term data of five patients with
      LSVC who underwent pacemaker (PM) or cardioverter defibrillator (ICD)
      implantation during the period of 10 years. RESULTS: Left-sided venous approach
      was used for device implantation in 3 patients with standard PM indications,
      whereas a right-sided venous approach and an epicardial approach had to be used
      in 2 patients who needed an ICD and biventricular PM, respectively. In post
      implantation period of 44 +/- 29 months, one patient died due to stroke, one
      underwent heart transplantation, and 3 had atrial fibrillation. CONCLUSION: The
      long-term outcome of patients with persistent LSVC and implanted cardiac devices
      is mostly influenced by the presence of underlying heart disease.

PMID- 28352423
TI  - Outcome of Successful Versus Unsuccessful Percutaneous Coronary Intervention in
      Chronic Total Occlusions in One Year Follow-Up.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Chronic total occlusions (CTO) comprises already one-third of
      percutaneous coronary interventions (PCIs). There is controversy in PCI results
      considering short-term and long-term outcomes. We aim to compare efficacy and
      outcome of successful versus unsuccessful PCI in CTO in 1 year follow-up.
      METHODS: In this retrospective study we choose 330 consecutive patients undergone
      PCI on a CTO of a native coronary artery (163 successful and 167 unsuccessful) in
      Madani Heart Hospital, Tabriz, Iran. Patients were followed for a mean period of
      about 15 +/- 3 months. Major adverse cardiac events (MACE) in hospital and in
      follow-up were recorded comprising death, acute myocardial infarction, and need
      for repeat revascularization. RESULTS: Patients with unsuccessful PCI compared to
      successful PCI were mainly male (87.4% vs. 77.3%; P < 0.02), had a higher
      incidence of diabetes mellitus (31.1% vs. 20.9%; P < 0.04) and hypertension
      (53.3% vs. 42.3%; P < 0.04). Most patients in successful group had single vessel
      disease (63.4% vs. 46.7%; P < 0.001) and less three-vessel disease (11.8% vs.
      22.8%) compared to unsuccessful group. In-hospital MACE was insignificantly
      higher in unsuccessful PCI (17.4% vs. 11%). Unsuccessful PCI was significantly
      associated with higher rate of 12 months MACE (43.7% vs. 30.1%, P = 0.01),
      especially revascularization (41.3% vs. 25.2%, P = 0.02). CONCLUSION: Although in
      hospital outcome was the same between groups, patients with successful PCI of CTO
      had a better one year follow-up outcome than unsuccessful PCI. However mortality
      rate was the same and main complications were due to revascularization.

PMID- 28352424
TI  - Angiographic Coronary Spasm in a Case of Spontaneous Subarachnoid Hemorrhage
      Mimicking Acute Myocardial Infarction.
AB  - Neurologic stunned myocardium after subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH) has been
      evidenced. Clinical presentations manifested as ST segment elevation by
      electrocardiography (ECG), left ventricular wall motion abnormality by
      echocardiography, and abnormal cardiac markers. The pathophysiology remains
      controversial. Coronary artery spasm has been proposed as a possible mechanism.
      However, most SAH patients with ECG and echocardiographic findings suggestive of
      myocardial infarction were lacking of angiographic evidence of vasospasm. We
      present a case of 66-year-old man complained chest pain with transient conscious
      loss on the street. He was sent to our emergency room by witness with clear
      consciousness and electrocardiography showing prominent ST-segment elevation.
      Because chest tightness was complained, emergent catheterization was arranged
      immediately. Coronary angiography demonstrated a narrowing lesion on mid right
      coronary artery without atherosclerotic change on other site. He was successfully
      treated with primary coronary balloon angioplasty for the narrowing lesion. Then
      the patient was sent to intensive care unit for further care. His following ECG
      demonstrated sinus rhythm with ectopic beats without ST segment elevation.
      Unfortunately, he became irritable and deterioration of conscious level few hour
      later. Computer tomography revealed subdural and subarachnoid hemorrhage.
      Conservative treatment was suggested by neurological surgeon consulted. The
      clinical presentation of the SAH patient mimicked acute myocardial infarction and
      coronary spasm was evidenced by angiography. We report the case and review the
      articles.

PMID- 28352425
TI  - A Case of Fulminant Myocarditis With Preceding Repeated Episodes of Congestive
      Heart Failure.
AB  - We report a rare case of fulminant myocarditis that was considered to have
      smoldered for a few months before it finally exteriorized. An 80-year-old man had
      had two episodes of mild congestive heart failure with preserved ejection
      function (HFPEF) within 3 months before he was finally admitted for the treatment
      of rapidly progressive heart failure. Cardiac function deteriorated remarkably on
      the final admission. Extracorporeal cardiopulmonary support was used because of
      pump failure and conduction disability, however, the patient died on the 16th
      day. Endomyocardial biopsy revealed numerous inflammatory infiltrates in
      myocardium compatible with fulminant myocarditis. However, advanced fibrosis and
      increased number of B lymphocytes and plasma cells found in the present case were
      not typical for fulminant myocarditis. Considering several distinctive findings
      in clinical and laboratory findings together, two preceding HFPEF episodes were
      highly likely to be associated with myocarditis.

PMID- 28352426
TI  - High Take Off Left Main and Abnormal Origin of Right Coronary Artery: A Case
      Report.
AB  - Coronary anomalies are rare congenital disorders with mostly benign course. We
      report a case of 54-year-old white male who was with stable angina scheduled for
      coronary angiography. Due to the difficulty of catheterization, patient underwent
      CT angiography and high take off left main and right coronary arteries were
      revealed. We conclude that anomalous coronary arteries are important and coronary
      interventions may be difficult in their presence.

PMID- 28352427
TI  - Physiotherapy as a Rare Cause of Twiddler's Syndrome in a Patient With an
      Implanted Cardioverter Defibrillator.
AB  - A 65-year-old male patient with a history of ischemic cardiomyopathy developed
      ventricular tachycardia resulting in presyncope. An ICD was indicated for
      secondary prophylaxis of ventricular tachyarrhythmias. A dual chamber ICD was
      implanted from the right side because insertion of the device from the left side
      was unfeasible after surgery of a left subscapularis tendon lesion. ICD
      implantation and testing of defibrillation threshold were uneventful. During
      early follow-up a progressive increase of the stimulation threshold was detected.
      On chest X-ray coiling of both atrial and ventricular leads was noted and caused
      inadvertently by active shoulder-arm physiotherapy. Complete revision of the ICD
      system was necessary for restoration of the pacemaker function of the ICD. This
      unique case highlights important steps for early recognition and prevention of
      Twiddler's syndrome that may occur due to physiotherapy treatment even without
      abnormal manipulations by the patient.

PMID- 28352428
TI  - Healthcare Utilization of Patients With Acute Coronary Syndrome in Germany.
AB  - BACKGROUND: The aim of this study was to determine the health care utilization of
      patients with acute coronary syndrome (ACS) of one German statutory health
      insurance. The utilization of ambulatory services as well as of inpatient
      rehabilitation should be regarded. Moreover, the study should reveal the
      prescription of drugs for secondary prevention. Here, patients showing guideline
      corresponding prescriptions should be compared with patients without such
      prescriptions. METHODS: A retrospective claims data analysis of one German
      statutory health insurance was conducted. Health care utilization was considered
      in the first year after an index hospitalization due to ACS. Beneficiaries for
      whom an ICD-10 discharge diagnosis of ACS was reported between January 1st 2007
      and December 31st 2009 were included. In order to reveal differences in health
      care utilization depending on the type of ACS (STEMI versus NSTEMI/UA) stratified
      analyses were performed. Another stratification was done for patients with and
      without defined drug prescriptions. RESULTS: From 45,188 patients with ACS almost
      three quarters were assigned to the group of NSTEMI/UA. For 8.9% of all ACS
      patients (18.74% STEMI, 8.89% NSTEMI/UA), inpatient post-hospital rehabilitation
      related to ACS was recorded. Ambulatory care related to CHD diagnosis was
      utilized by 77.6% of patients, more often by STEMI than by NSTEMI/UA patients.
      For 36.7% and 45.7% of ACS patients, a prescription of aspirin or clopidogrel was
      recorded, respectively, 79.4% of STEMI patients received at least one
      prescription for antiplatelet drugs, the corresponding proportion of NSTEMI/UA
      was 59.8%. A considerable part of patients without prescription dropped out
      within the first 90 days after the index event. CONCLUSIONS: A claims data
      analysis of one German statutory health insurance fund showed that health care
      utilization of ACS patients varied depending on the ACS type. It is necessary to
      distinguish between STEMI and NSTEMI/UA patients when discussing the ambulatory
      drug utilization.

PMID- 28352429
TI  - ACP1 Genetic Polymorphism and Coronary Artery Disease: Evidence of Effects on
      Clinical Parameters of Cardiac Function.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Kinases and phosphatases have an important role in the susceptibility
      and clinical variability of cardiac diseases. We have recently reported an
      association between a phosphoprotein phosphatase controlled by Acid Phosphatase
      locus 1 (ACP1), and Coronary artery disease (CAD) suggesting an effect on the
      susceptibility to this disease. In the present note we have investigated a
      possible role of ACP1 in the variability of clinical parameters of cardiac
      function. METHODS: We have studied 345 subjects admitted to Valmontone Hospital
      for cardiovascular diseases: 202 subjects with CAD and 143 without CAD, 53
      subjects admitted to Cardiac Surgery Division of Tor Vergata University were also
      considered. RESULTS: In diabetic patients with CAD there is a significant
      negative association between Left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) and ACP1 S
      isoform concentration. Genotypes with high S isoform concentration show a lower
      value of LVEF as compared to genotypes with low S isoform concentration. We have
      also found a significant positive association between cNYHA class and ACP1 S
      isoform. After surgical intervention, in subjects with high S isoform
      concentration the decrease of LVEF is more marked as compared to subjects with
      low S isoform concentration. Overall these observations indicate that high S
      isoform activity has negative effects on cardiac function. The observation in
      patients undergoing cardiac surgery confirms the negative association between
      high S isoform activity and LVEF. CONCLUSIONS: The present study suggests that
      ACP1 influences both susceptibility to CAD and clinical manifestations of the
      disease.

PMID- 28352430
TI  - Congenital Thrombophilia and Intracardiac Thrombosis: Probably an Underdiagnosed
      Event.
AB  - BACKGROUND: To investigate the number of patients with congenital thrombophilia
      who presented an intracardiac thrombosis. METHODS: Personal files were
      reevaluated together with a time-unlimited search of the literature. RESULTS:
      Twenty-five patients with intracardiac thrombosis and congenital thrombophilia
      have been gathered from the literature including the two personal cases. The
      distribution observed in thrombophilia patients is similar for left side or right
      side heart (9 vs 11 cases). The left ventricle and the right ventricle were
      involved in six or five instances, respectively. In one case, both ventricles
      were involved. On the contrary, the left atrium was involved in three cases
      whereas the right atrium was affected in six cases. In the remaining cases, more
      than one heart chamber was involved. CONCLUSIONS: In "normal" subjects, left side
      thromboses are predominant once catheter-associated thrombi are excluded. The
      reason of this discrepancy lies in the greater prothrombotic effect exercised by
      congenital thrombophilia on venous thrombosis compared to arterial thrombosis.
      The relative high prevalence of cardiac thrombosis seen in patients with
      antithrombin and protein C deficiencies indicated that a cardiac evaluation
      should be carried out in all patients with these two defects.

PMID- 28352431
TI  - Unroofed Coronary Sinus Presenting as Cerebral Abscess: A Case Report.
AB  - A sixty eight year-old woman with a long-standing history of hypertension,
      dizziness and a history of congenital heart disease presented with speech
      difficulties and disorientation. She was diagnosed with a brain abscess,
      confirmed by a stereotactic biopsy. Transthoracic echocardiographic evaluation
      revealed a persistent left superior vena cava (PLSVC) with an unroofed coronary
      sinus (URCS) along with a small secundum atrial septal defect. Her heart
      catheterization showed a partially unroofed coronary sinus along with a
      bidirectional shunt. She was referred for surgical closure of her unroofed
      coronary sinus and the secundum atrial septal defect. Her brain abscess responded
      well to antibiotic treatment. While waiting for open-heart surgery, she suffered
      from an acute myocardial infarction and underwent emergent percutaneous coronary
      intervention to the right coronary artery. Subsequently, she underwent elective
      surgical repair of the unroofed coronary sinus, along with closure of the atrial
      septal defect. When she was seen in follow-up she reported a complete resolution
      of her dizziness and felt more energetic. Unroofed coronary sinus syndrome (URCS)
      is a rare congenital cardiac anomaly in which there is a communication between
      the coronary sinus and the left atrium. While non-invasive imaging with
      echocardiography, MRI or CT is helpful in making the diagnosis, cardiac
      catheterization remains integral in the evaluation and management planning.
      Management is guided by the presence of clinical symptoms with consideration of
      repair when patients become symptomatic. Prognosis after surgery is excellent,
      recently transcatheter based treatment therapies are becoming more frequent. We
      present a rare case of URCS with PLSVC presenting as a cerebral abscess in late
      adulthood. She had bidirectional shunting manifesting as a cerebral abscess. She
      responded well to the corrective surgery and was doing well on follow up.

PMID- 28352432
TI  - Sudden Cardiac Death in a Case of Non-Dominant Coronary Artery Obstruction
      Without Depressed Left Ventricular Function.
AB  - Acute myocardial infarction complicated with lethal cardiac arrhythmia remains
      the major cause of sudden death. The possible clinical presentation leading to
      lethal ventricular arrhythmia has been demonstrated but the data are limited. The
      previous study revealed no significant correlation between sudden cardiac death
      and the location of coronary obstruction site. And the possible mechanism of
      sudden cardiac death in non-dominant coronary artery obstruction is unclear. We
      presented a case of acute myocardial infarction with mid left circumflex artery
      occlusion complicated with new onset atrial fibrillation initially. The rhythm
      degenerated into ventricular fibrillation immediately and sudden cardiac death
      occurred. After resuscitation, he received coronary angioplasty, and the rhythm
      recovered to sinus after the occluded coronary artery reopened. We thick new
      onset atrial fibrillation could be a potential risk factor leading to sudden
      death in acute myocardial infarction with obstruction of non-dominant coronary
      artery. Control of ventricular rate and early restoration of sinus rhythm may be
      potential benefit.

PMID- 28352433
TI  - Pregnancy With SLE and Fetal Congenital Heart Block: A Case Report.
AB  - Autoimmune AV block is usually seen in association with autoimmune antibodies in
      mother that cross the placenta and damage the AV node of fetus. A 24-year-old
      primigravida, diagnosed to have SLE, at 25 weeks period of gestation found to
      have fetal bradycardia. Her ANA was moderately positive, SS-A (Ro) antibodies and
      SS-B (La) antibodies were positive. Fetal ECHO showed no structural defect but
      heart rate was 55 - 60 beats per minute. She was put on dexamethasone (4 mg/day).
      She was lost on follow up and presented at term in emergency with labor pains and
      fetal bradycardia, underwent a lower segment caesarean section. Baby underwent a
      temporary cardiac pacing within 10 hours of birth followed by permanent pacing on
      day 3 of birth. Baby is doing well on follow up. Neonates with isolated
      congenital heart block who are monitored antenatally and delivered in a planned
      fashion at an institution capable of early pacing can have favorable outcomes.

PMID- 28352434
TI  - Postpartum Stanford Type A Aortic Dissection: A Case Report and Review of the
      Literature.
AB  - Acute aortic dissection is a life-threatening disease. Approximately half of the
      aortic dissection observed in women under 45 years old has been reported to be
      related to pregnancy. Herein, we present a case of type A aortic dissection
      diagnosed in postpartum period. A 37-year-old woman admitted to the emergency
      department with the complaint of sudden onset of dyspnea. Arterial blood pressure
      was measured as 170/100 mmHg in left arm and 90/60 mmHg in right arm. With a
      prediagnosis of aortic dissection, thoracic and abdominal computed tomograpy was
      performed and type A aortic dissection extending form carotid artery to renal
      arterial level was detected. Operation of aortic dissection together with
      coronary arterial repairment and aortic valve replacement were successfully
      performed. Aortic dissection is not uncommon in pregnancy and furthermore it is
      potentially life-threatening for both mother and fetus. A high level of suspicion
      is required for prompt diagnosis and treatment in the peripartum period.

PMID- 28352435
TI  - Predictors of Recurrent Atrial Fibrillation Using Mode Switch Quantification.
AB  - BACKGROUND: The efficacy of mode switching to predict atrial fibrillation has
      been established in the literature. There have been few studies investigating the
      incidence and clinical implication of mode switch episodes quantified from
      implantable cardioverter defibrillator and pacemaker interrogation. We sought to
      investigate the incidence of mode switch recurrence in patients with implantable
      cardioverter defibrillators and permanent pacemakers. METHODS: Mode switch was
      defined as any occurrence documented during device interrogation after the date
      of implantation. Clinical predictors (age, gender, hypertension, diabetes,
      syncope, atrial fibrillation (AF)), and medications were analyzed to determine
      association with single and recurrent mode switch occurrences. RESULTS: There
      were 21 patients experiencing a mode switch event, identified from a group of 54
      patients (42 males; mean age 70 +/- 12 years; mean follow-up 29.1 +/- 22 months
      (3.4 - 81.4 months)). All but two patients were receiving medical therapy
      including beta blockers, statins, ace-inhibitors, and anti-arrhythmics. There
      were 21 subjects who experienced at least one mode switch during their follow-up
      and 33 subjects who never experienced a mode switch during their follow-up time.
      The median time to first mode switch from device implantation was 39.3 months.
      Risk factors individually associated with any mode switch episode included:
      diabetes (DM) (P < 0.04) and use of digitalis (P = 0.02). Subjects who had a
      history of DM were 5 times more likely to have at least one mode switch
      occurrence. There was a significantly higher rate of mode switch among patients
      who were diabetic than patients who were not (3.7 per follow-up month +/- 5.3 vs.
      0.98 per follow-up month +/- 2.02; P = 0.02). There was a significantly higher
      rate of mode switch among patients who were on digitalis than those who were not
      (3.1 per follow-up month +/- 4.3 vs. 0.73 per follow-up month +/- 1.9; P = 0.02).
      CONCLUSION: The main factors associated with any mode switch are having a history
      of diabetes and digitalis use. Those patients who are diabetics and those on
      digitalis may warrant closer observation and management for the development of
      atrial fibrillation.

PMID- 28352436
TI  - The Link between Right and Left Ventricular Systolic Performance at Rest and
      after Stress: Insights Into the Mechanism.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Right ventricular (RV) systolic performance is more difficult for
      evaluation compared to the left ventricle (LV). Despite differences in structure,
      RV myocardial fibers are in continuity with those of LV. The aim is assessment of
      the effects of LV wall motion abnormalities (WMA) on RV systolic function at rest
      and after stress. METHODS: Fifty nine subjects, 15 with LV-WMA underwent
      dobuatmine stress echocardiography (DSE) studies using the usual protocol.
      Measurement of tricuspid annular plane systolic excursion (TAPSE), velocity
      (TASV), mitral annular plane systolic excursion (MAPSE) and velocity (MASV), were
      performed before and immediately after DSE studies. RESULTS: TAPSE was lower, in
      those with LV-WMA than in those without, both at rest 20.5 +/- 4.8 mm versus 24.9
      +/- 4.7 mm, P = 0.015 and after DSE studies, 21.5 +/- 5.6 mm versus 27.65 +/- 5.7
      mm, P = 0.005. DSE studies did not change TAPSE significantly in the presence of
      LV-WMA. TASV at rest in those with LV-WMA was 16.5 +/- 2.7 cm/sec and similar to
      that in those without, 17.6 +/- 3 cm/sec. In both groups the velocity increased
      after DSE studies, 23.25 +/- 7.5 cm/sec, P = 0.01 with LV-WMA, and 27.5 +/- 6
      cm/sec, P = 0.0005, without LV-WMA. Despite similar TASV at rest, the TAPSE/TASV
      ratio, indicating duration of shortening, was lower (124 +/- 21 msec) in subjects
      with of LV-WMA, than in those without (145 +/- 27 msec), P = 0.0065, implying
      increased after load for RV longitudinal shortening in the presence of LV-WMA.
      CONCLUSIONS: TAPSE is lower at rest and after DSE studies in subjects with LV-WMA
      than in subjects without; however, DSE studies increase TPASE only in the absence
      of LV-WMA. TASV increases after DSE studies and is similar at rest in both groups
      with or without LV-WMA. It seems that LV-WMA increases after load to RV
      longitudinal motion.

PMID- 28352437
TI  - Direct Telephonic Communication in a Heart Failure Transitional Care Program: An
      observational study.
AB  - BACKGROUND: This study investigated the trend of phone calls in the Banner Good
      Samaritan Medical Center (BGSMC) Heart Failure Transitional Care Program (HFTCP).
      The primary goal of the HFTCP is to reduce 30-Day readmissions for heart failure
      patients by using a multi-pronged approach. METHODS: This study included 104
      patients in the HFTCP discharged over a 51-week period who had around-the-clock
      telephone access to the Transitionalist. Cellular phone records were reviewed.
      This study evaluated the length and timing of calls. RESULTS: A total of 4398
      telephone calls were recorded of which 39% were inbound and 61% were outbound.
      This averaged to 86 calls per week. During the "Weekday Daytime" period, Eighty
      five percent of the totals calls were made. There were 229 calls during the
      "Weekday Nights" period with 1.5 inbound calls per week. The "Total Weekend"
      calls were 10.2% of the total calls which equated to a weekly average of 8.8.
      CONCLUSIONS: Our experience is that direct, physician-patient telephone contact
      is feasible with a panel of around 100 HF patients for one provider. If the
      proper financial reimbursements are provided, physicians may be apt to
      participate in similar transitional care programs. Likewise, third party payers
      will benefit from the reduction in unnecessary emergency room visits and
      hospitalizations.

PMID- 28352438
TI  - Comparison of 5-Year Outcomes for Patients With Coronary Artery Disease in Groups
      With and Without Revascularization With Different Results of Stress
      Echocardiography.
AB  - BACKGROUND: There is conflicting data in contemporary literature concerning the
      best way to treat patients with stable coronary artery disease; specifically,
      whether medical treatment alone or invasive strategies combined with medical
      treatment are better. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the clinical
      outcomes of patients with and without revascularization after stress
      echocardiography and to create formulas for detecting patients with a very high
      risk of cardiac death/major adverse cardiac event (MACE) in their present
      conditions. METHODS: We assessed 323 patients (53.9 +/- 8.4 years, 247 men),
      undergoing upright bicycle stress echocardiography in 2006 - 2007. During a
      median follow-up of 5.2 +/- 0.2 years, 21 cardiovascular and 5 confirmed non
      cardiac deaths occurred. Eighty-three patients underwent revascularization.
      RESULTS: Stress echocardiography was normal in 32% and abnormal in 68%. All the
      patients with CAD were prescribed acetylsalicylic acid, statins, beta-blockers
      and ACE inhibitors. Eighty-seven percents of the patients took medication
      regularly. The percentage taking medication didn't significantly differ in the
      subgroups. Two formulas were created for detecting a very high risk of cardiac
      death (25%) or MACE (68%) within 5 years. All the patients with abnormal stress
      tests were divided into two subgroups: 80 patients with revascularization and 138
      subjects without revascularization. There was a significant difference in 5 year
      cardiac mortality if the patients had an index of wall motion abnormality (IWMA)
      after exercise greater than or equal to 1.3. CONCLUSION: It is possible to
      identify during stress echocardiography subjects with a very high risk for
      cardiac death/MACE. Patients with IWMA >= 1.3 had improved outcomes following
      revascularization.

PMID- 28352439
TI  - The Relationship Between Plasma Eosinophil Count and Coronary Artery Ectasia.
AB  - BACKGROUND: The pathophysiology of coronary artery ectasia (CAE) has not been
      clearly identified, although multiple abnormalities including arteritis,
      endothelial dysfunction, and atherothrombosis have been reported. It is known
      that eosinophils play an important role in inflammation and thrombosis. Also
      vascular anomalies such as aneurysm have been noted in patients with
      hypereosinophilic syndromes. We aimed to compare the numbers of eosinophil counts
      of the patients CAE versus controls. METHODS: This study included 50 CAE patients
      (20 male, mean age 60.26 +/- 10.6 years) and 30 control person (10 male, mean age
      57.86 +/- 11.6 years). These participants were performed concurrent routine
      biochemical tests and neutrophil, lymphocyte, eosinophil count and mean platelet
      volume (MPV) on whole blood count. These parameters were compared between groups.
      RESULTS: Baseline characteristics of the study groups were comparable. CAE
      patients had a higher MPV value, eosinophil, neutrophil lymphocyte ratio (NLR)
      than controls (8.5 +/- 1 vs 76.2 +/- 1.6 fl and 0.198 +/- 0.14 vs 0.093 +/- 0.058
      and 3.0 +/- 2.5vs 1.14 +/- 0.9; P < 0.001, 0.002 and 0.028 respectively).
      CONCLUSION: As a result, our study revealed a relationship between eosinophil
      count, NLR and MPV in patients with CAE.

PMID- 28352440
TI  - Right Atrial Mass in a Patient With HIV and Hepatitis B: A Case Report.
AB  - A 41-year-old man presented to the emergency room for evaluation of substernal
      chest pain, shortness of breath and generalized failure to thrive. Patient had
      history of hepatitis B and HIV. During recent evaluation of hepatic mass, patient
      was found to have hepatocellular carcinoma on biopsy. Patient had no history of
      cirrhosis of the liver in the past. On Echocardiogram patient was noted to have a
      large mass filling the right atrial cavity. CT scan of abdomen, pelvis and chest
      showed a diffusely enlarged heterogeneously enhancing liver consistent with large
      hepatoma, with portal venous and hepatic vein thrombosis. Tumor thrombus extended
      through the hepatic veins and upper inferior vena cava into the right atrium.
      There was 6 cm greatest diameter enhancing mass in the right atrium. Patient had
      primary hepatocellular carcinoma with extensive invasion into vascular
      structures. His prognosis was poor and patient opted for palliative care only. In
      conclusion, patients with co-infection of HIV and Hepatitis B are at risk of
      developing hepatocellular carcinoma with extension into the right atrium and
      physicians managing these patients should have high suspicion of right atrial
      involvement with tumor extension and low threshold to order a screening
      echocardiogram.

PMID- 28352441
TI  - The Assessment and Potential Implications of the Myocardial Performance Index
      Post Exercise in an at Risk Population.
AB  - BACKGROUND: The myocardial performance index (MPI) first described by Chuwa Tei
      in 1995 is a relatively new echocardiographic variable used for assessment of
      overall cardiac function. Previous studies have demonstrated the MPI to be a sum
      representation of both left ventricular systolic and diastolic function with
      prognostic value in patients with coronary artery disease as well as symptomatic
      heart failure. METHODS: Ninety patients with either established coronary artery
      disease (CAD) or CAD risk factors underwent routine treadmill exercise stress
      testing with two-dimensional Doppler echocardiography using the standard Bruce
      protocol. Both resting and stress MPI values were measured for all 90 of the
      patients. RESULTS: Using a normal MPI cut off of <= 0.47, the prevalence of an
      abnormal resting MPI in our 90 subjects was 72/90 or 80% and the prevalence of an
      abnormal stress MPI in our 90 subjects was 48/90 or 53.33%. The average MPI
      observed in the resting portion of the stress test for the cohort was: 0.636 with
      a standard deviation of 0.182. The average MPI in the stress portion of the
      stress test for the cohort was 0.530 with a standard deviation of 0.250. The P
      value with the use of a one-tailed dependent T test was calculated to be < 0.05.
      CONCLUSION: We postulate that these findings reflect that the MPI (Tei) index
      assessed during exercise may be a sensitive indicator of occult coronary disease
      in an at risk group independent of wall motion assessment.

PMID- 28352442
TI  - The Prognostic Significance of Resting Regional Left Ventricular Function in
      Patients With Varying Degrees of Myocardial Ischemia.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Our aim was to determine whether regional left ventricular (LV)
      function on a resting transthoracic echo (TTE) provides prognostic information in
      patients with varying degrees of ischemia on myocardial perfusion imaging.
      METHODS: Between 2004 - 2009, we identified 503 patients (mean age 69 (SD 11);
      79% male) with reversible ischemia on a myocardial SPECT scan who had a TTE
      within 30 days. We evaluated the rate of subsequent revascularization and death
      for all patients. RESULTS: Following the SPECT scan and TTE, 246/503(49%)
      patients underwent revascularization, 64/503 (13%) patients died, 369 (73%)
      patients had a normal left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF), 242 (48%)
      patients had a resting wall motion abnormality (WMA), 21/261 (8%) with no WMA
      died compared to 43/242 (18%) in patients with a WMA. In patients with a WMA (n =
      242) there was no significant difference in mortality when comparing patients
      with small (< 6 segments) and large (> 6 segments) WMA (P = 0.44). In patients
      with moderate/severe ischemia, the presence of a resting WMA was associated with
      a higher mortality rate (18% v 7%; P = 0.005). In a multivariable model, LVEF (<
      50%) was associated with a hazard ratio of 2.2 (P = 0.002, 95% CI 1.34 - 3.68)
      however, WMA and number of abnormal segments did not reach statistical
      significance. CONCLUSION: A resting wall motion abnormality in patients with
      moderate/severe ischemia is associated with a higher mortality compared to
      patients with mild ischemia on myocardial perfusion imaging. Regional left
      ventricular dysfunction unlike LVEF was not an independent predictor of
      mortality.

PMID- 28352443
TI  - The Relationship Between Serum Bilirubin Concentration and Atrial Fibrillation.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Several studies have demonstrated that higher serum bilirubin
      inhibits the inflammation and proliferation of vascular smooth muscle cells; also
      there is a relationship between serum bilirubin and cardiovascular disease.
      However, the relationship between bilirubin and atrial fibrillation (AF) is still
      unknown. In our study, we compared serum bilirubin, between nonvalvular AF
      patients and controls. MATERIALS AND METHOD: One hundred and two patients with
      nonvalvular chronic AF without any other cardiovascular disease (mean age 62.51
      +/- 5.88) were included in our study. One hundred age-matched healthy people with
      sinus rhythm were accepted as control groups (mean age 61.35 +/- 5.44). Routine
      biochemical parameters and serum bilirubin levels were performed. RESULTS: No
      statistically significant difference was found between two groups in terms of
      basic characteristics. Total, direct and indirect serum bilirubin levels were
      significantly lower among persons with AF compared to controls (0.82 +/- 0.8 vs.
      0.48 +/- 0.5, 0.30 +/- 0.2 vs. 0.19 +/- 0.1 and 0.52 +/- 0.5 vs. 0.29 +/- 0.3
      mg/dL; all P < 0.001, respectively). CONCLUSION: As a result, our study revealed
      a relationship between serum bilirubin and nonvalvular AF.

PMID- 28352444
TI  - One-Year Outcomes After Everolimus-Eluting Stents Implantation in Ostial Lesions
      of Left Anterior Descending Coronary Arteries.
AB  - BACKGROUND: In recent years, stents are increasingly used in variety of coronary
      lesions. Ostial lesion of left anterior descending coronary artery (LAD) however
      remains a challenge area because of the invariable involvement of distal left
      main coronary artery (LMCA). This study was designed to evaluate the clinical and
      angiographic outcomes of everolimus-eluting stent (EES) implantation for ostial
      LAD. METHODS: EESs were implanted in 45 consecutive patients with ostial LAD
      stenoses. For complete lesion coverage, stent positing was extended into the
      distal LMCA in 6 patients (13.3%) with intermediated LMCA narrowing. We assess
      MACE during one-year follow-up. RESULTS: In-hospital success rate was 100%;
      neither cardiac death nor stent thrombosis in our patients, but two patients had
      myocardial infarction in non-related coronary artery during follow-up. Two
      patients had angiographic restenosis and underwent TLR. The cumulative MACE-free
      survival rate was 95.6% at one year. CONCLUSION: EES was in ostial LAD lesions
      with complete lesion coverage achieving high procedural success rate and
      acceptable clinical outcomes during one-year follow-up period.

PMID- 28352445
TI  - The Left Main Complication of the Bentall's Procedure.
AB  - We present two interesting cases of critical left main stenosis following the
      Bentall's procedure, with each case having a different outcome. There will also
      be brief discussion of the treatment for this complication.

PMID- 28352446
TI  - Acute Myocardial Infarction Complicated With Ventricular Septal Rupture: Report
      of Three Cases.
AB  - We reported three cases of ventricular septal rupture (VSR) complicating acute
      myocardial infarction (AMI), focusing on the causes, diagnosis, treatment and
      prevention. These three cases were diagnosed based on the findings of
      electrocardiogram, echocardiogram and blood myocardial markers, and were treated
      with conservative methods. These three cases were female, and all had history of
      hypertension and/or diabetes mellitus. In one case with age over 70, AMI was
      related to percutaneous coronary intervention of left anterior descending branch,
      and the stenosis of LAD resulted in AMI and subsequently VSR occurred, the
      patient's condition worsened rapidly and the patient died after. Only one of the
      three cases survived the VSR. We concluded that the prognosis of VSR complicating
      AMI is associated with the causes, age, sex and comorbidities, and the prevention
      is critically important.

PMID- 28352447
TI  - Rivaroxaban Rebound Acute Coronary Event: A Post Marketing Experience.
AB  - We present a 65-year-old male who received rivaroxaban therapy prior to and after
      left knee replacement surgery. The patient developed generalized weakness soon
      after stopping rivaroxaban. An electrocardiogram showed acute infero-lateral
      ischemia and an echocardiogram reported an akinetic antero-apical wall segment,
      an apical clot and a reduced systolic function. A subsequent coronary angiogram
      revealed two-vessel coronary artery thrombosis. The case illustrates a temporal
      relationship of coronary thrombosis following rivaroxaban cessation.

PMID- 28352449
TI  - Interleukin 17A in Patients With Stable Coronary Artery Disease: Are There
      Differences According to Gender?
AB  - BACKGROUND: Coronary artery disease (CAD) is a current major public health
      concern. Immunity and inflammation are involved in all phases of CAD and there is
      a dynamic balance between cells and molecules. Interleukin 17A (IL17A)
      concentrations are higher in male patients with acute myocardial infarction than
      in women. In this study, we evaluated if the IL17A concentrations in male CAD
      patients (MPs) differed from those in female patients (FPs) and male controls
      (MCs). Moreover, FPs were compared with female controls (FCs). METHODS: This was
      a cross-sectional, prospective, and analytical study conducted between March 2012
      and August 2013 that enrolled 40 patients (24 men and 16 women) with stable CAD
      and 20 healthy volunteers (12 men and 8 women) were selected as controls and were
      matched with the patients (1:2) for sex and age (+/- 3 years). Comparative
      analyses of IL17A concentrations in serum and cell culture with and without
      stimulation were performed between MPs and MCs, MPs and FPs, and FPs and FCs. The
      lower detection limit was 3.91 pg/mL. RESULTS: The comparison of the IL17A
      concentrations showed: after 48 hours of cell culture with stimulus: MP = 451.67
      (99.02 - 892.58) vs. MC = 135 (3.91 - 285), P = 0.04; after 48 hours of cell
      culture with stimulus: MP = 451.67 (99.02 - 892.58) vs. FP = 131.21 (3.91 -
      231.97), P = 0.02; after 48 hours of cell culture with stimulus: FP = 131.21
      (3.91 - 231.97) vs. FC = 173.78 (3.91 - 642), P = 0.24. CONCLUSION: This study
      revealed higher IL17A concentrations in the stimulated cells isolated from the
      MPs than in those isolated from FPs and MCs. These findings support the
      hypothesis that when exposed to certain stimuli, cells isolated from MPs with
      chronic CAD may produce higher IL17A concentrations than those from FPs and MCs.

PMID- 28352448
TI  - Clinical Long-Term Response to Cardiac Resynchronization Therapy Is Independent
      of Persisting Echocardiographic Markers of Dyssynchrony.
AB  - BACKGROUND: The aim of the study was to prove the concept that correction of
      established parameters of dyssynchrony is a requirement for favorable long-term
      outcome in patients with cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT), whereas
      patients with persisting dyssynchrony should have a less favorable response.
      METHODS: After CRT implantation and optimization of dyssynchrony parameters, we
      evaluated whether correction or persistence of dyssynchrony predicted long-term
      outcome. Primary endpoint was a combination of cardiac mortality/heart
      transplantation and hospitalization due to worsening heart failure, and secondary
      endpoint was NYHA class. RESULTS: One hundred twenty-eight consecutive patients
      (mean age 68 +/- 10 years) undergoing CRT with a mean left ventricular ejection
      fraction of 27+/-9% were followed for 27 +/- 19 months. All cause mortality was
      17.2%, cardiac mortality was 7.8% and 3.1% had to undergo heart transplantation.
      Rehospitalization due to worsening heart failure was observed in 14.8%. NYHA
      class before CRT implantation was 2.8 +/- 0.8 and improved during follow-up to
      2.0 +/- 0.8 (P < 0.001). A clinical response was observed in 76% (n = 97) and an
      echocardiographic response was documented in 66% (n = 85). After individually
      optimized AV and VV intervals with echocardiography, atrioventricular
      dyssynchrony was still present in 7.2%, interventricular dyssynchrony in 13.3%
      and intraventricular dyssynchrony in 16.4%. Despite persistent atrioventricular,
      interventricular and intraventricular dyssynchrony at long-term follow-up, the
      combined primary and secondary endpoints did not differ compared to the group
      without mechanical dyssynchrony (P = ns). QRS duration with biventricular
      stimulation did not differ between responders vs. nonresponders. CONCLUSION:
      After successful CRT implantation, clinical long-term response is independent of
      correction of dyssynchrony measured by echocardiographic parameters and QRS
      width.

PMID- 28352450
TI  - Effects of Left Ventricular Wall Motion Abnormality on Global and Regional
      Diastolic Function of the Left and Right Ventricles at Rest and After Stress.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Diastolic dysfunction precedes systolic dysfunction in patients with
      coronary artery disease. The aim of the study was to evaluate the effects of left
      ventricular (LV) wall motion abnormality (WMA) on diastolic LV and right
      ventricular (RV) function at rest and after stress. METHODS: Fifty-nine subjects,
      15 with LV-WMA (abnormal group) and 44 without (normal group), underwent
      dobutamine stress echocardiography (DSE) studies, in addition to evaluation of LV
      and RV diastolic function before and after DSE. RESULTS: Resting mitral flow
      parameters were similar. DSE increased peak A-wave velocities in both groups, and
      mitral color slope only in normal subjects. After DSE, E-wave peak velocities and
      mitral color slope were higher in normal subjects, P < 0.05. At rest and after
      DSE systolic and diastolic pulmonary vein velocities were similar in both groups;
      however, DSE increased these velocities only in normal subjects, P < 0.05.
      Regional E-wave peak velocities of LV were higher at rest in normal subjects, P <
      0.05. Both LV and RV, regional peak E-wave velocities were not affected by DSE.
      After DSE, regional A-wave peak velocities increased in all (P < 0.01), except at
      the lateral region (P = 0.07). DSE increased trans-tricuspid velocities in both
      groups, P < 0.05. Resting A-wave velocities were higher in normal subjects, P <
      0.01. CONCLUSIONS: Global LV early diastolic filling parameters were not affected
      by LV-WMA at rest. LV-WMA blunted the response after stress. RV E-wave velocities
      increased after DSE, and were not affected by LV-WMA. LV-WMA reduced regional LV
      E' velocities at rest but not the reserve. A-wave velocities were not affected by
      WMA and increased after DSE.

PMID- 28352451
TI  - Myocardial Performance Index in Neurocardiogenic Syncope Patients.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Many syncopes resulting from neural reflexes in various conditions
      are called neurocardiogenic syncope (NCS). We aimed to investigate the presence
      of left ventricular (LV) myocardial performance index (MPI) in patients with NCS,
      which was diagnosed with head-up tilt table test (HUTT), and the accurateness of
      the test in order to use it as a method in patients with NCS. Assuming the MPI as
      a potential cause of syncope, we assessed the Tei index with non-invasive tissue
      Doppler echocardiography method. METHODS: Consecutive outpatients with a history
      of recurrent unexplained syncope underwent HUTT. Twenty-nine HUTT (+) patients
      (24 female and five male, mean age: 30 +/- 15 years) as the study group and HUTT
      (-) 23 healthy patients (six female and 17 male, mean age: 34 +/- 16 years) as
      the control group were included into the study. Conventional and tissue Doppler
      echocardiography was performed to both groups. The MPI was determined by using PW
      Doppler. Measurements of Doppler time intervals, according to Tei index
      ((isovolumic contraction time + isovolumic relaxation time)/ejection time) is
      calculated as (a - b/b), where "a" is the interval between cessation and onset of
      the mitral inflow, and "b" is the ejection time (ET) at the LV outflow. RESULTS:
      When comparing the groups in terms of MPI and ET, there was significant
      difference between groups. Patients with NCS had significantly longer ET and
      lower MPI value than control group (284 +/- 24 ms vs. 260 +/- 24 ms, P < 0.001,
      respectively and 0.44 +/- 0.7 vs. 0.52 +/- 0.8, P < 0.001, respectively). There
      was no significant difference in ejection fraction between groups. CONCLUSION: In
      the present study, LV MPI value decreases in patients with NCS.

PMID- 28352452
TI  - Purulent Pericarditis Leading to Constriction.
AB  - We report a case of a previously healthy 61-year-old immunocompetent male who was
      found to have purulent bacterial pericarditis. The patient was initially
      diagnosed with pneumococcal pneumonia and bacteremia after presenting with chest
      pain and a productive cough. He was found to have a purulent pericardial effusion
      and underwent surgical washout and creation of a pericardial window. In short
      time he developed signs of right heart failure and a cardiac MRI revealed a
      severely thickened pericardium with evidence of constrictive pericarditis. The
      patient subsequently underwent pericardiectomy where the diagnosis of
      constriction was confirmed. Our patient recovered well and had no clinical
      evidence of heart failure on follow-up. This case demonstrates the importance of
      rapid identification of bacterial pericarditis and the high likelihood of
      progression to constriction.

PMID- 28352453
TI  - Eptifibatide and Cirrhosis: Rethinking GPIIb-IIIa Inhibitors for Acute Coronary
      Syndrome in the Setting of Liver Dysfunction.
AB  - Glycoprotein IIb/IIIa (GPIIb/IIIa) inhibitors, such as eptifibatide, are
      routinely used in the setting of acute coronary syndrome (ACS) prior to or during
      percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). While numerous studies have
      demonstrated improved clinical outcomes with eptifibatide use, adverse effects
      including thrombocytopenia have also been noted. For this reason, patients with
      baseline thrombocytopenia or liver disease should be cautiously evaluated prior
      to drug administration. Here we report a case of acute profound and prolonged
      eptifibatide-induced thrombocytopenia in a patient with cirrhotic liver
      dysfunction. We propose and discuss the need for a risk stratification tool to be
      established for identifying which patients with ACS in the setting of chronic
      liver disease receive GPIIb/IIIa inhibitors.

PMID- 28352454
TI  - Cardiac Cephalgia.
AB  - Although most of the patients presenting with ischemic heart disease have chest
      pains, there are other rare presenting symptoms like cardiac cephalgia. In this
      report, we present a case of acute coronary syndrome with an only presentation of
      exertional headache. It was postulated as acute presentation of coronary artery
      disease, due to previous history of similar presentation associated with some
      chest pains with previous left coronary artery stenting. We present an unusual
      case with cardiac cephalgia in a young patient under the age of 50 which was not
      reported at that age before. There are four suggested mechanisms for this cardiac
      presentation.

PMID- 28352455
TI  - A Case of Uncorrected Tetralogy of Fallot Undiagnosed Until Adulthood and
      Presenting With Polycythemia.
AB  - Congenital heart defects with right-to-left shunt are one of the hypoxia-related
      causes of acquired secondary polycythemia (SP). Tetralogy of Fallot (ToF) is the
      most common congenital cyanotic heart disease in children. Cases of uncorrected
      ToF in adult ages are rare. This paper reports a woman detected with elevated
      hemoglobin level during routine tests performed for infertility therapy and
      subsequently diagnosed SP with related ToF.

PMID- 28352456
TI  - Re-imagining the future of diagnosis of Neglected Tropical Diseases.
AB  - Neglected Tropical Diseases (NTDs) affect an estimated 1 billion people in 149
      countries. The World Health Organization (WHO) prioritised 17 NTDs for control
      and elimination by 2020 and defined a Road Map to help countries reach these
      goals. Improved diagnostics for NTDs are essential for guiding treatment
      strategies at different thresholds of control, interruption of transmission,
      elimination and post-elimination surveillance. While substantial progress has
      been made in the last decade with chemotherapy, the same cannot be said of
      diagnostics, largely due to the perceived lack of a commercially viable market
      for NTD diagnostics. New sample in-answer out nucleic acid amplification
      technologies that can be performed at the point-of-care offer improved
      performance over current technologies and the potential to test for multiple
      pathogens using a single specimen. Finding commonalities for different NTDs in
      terms of geographic overlap, sentinel populations and treatment strategy will
      allow NTD programs to leverage these innovations to build cost-effective
      multiplex surveillance platforms. Connectivity solutions linking data from
      diagnostic laboratories and POC test readers/devices provide opportunities for
      automated surveillance systems to make health systems more efficient, improving
      patient outcomes and assessing impact of interventions in real time. New models
      of public-private product development partnerships are critical in leveraging
      diagnostic innovation in other priority area for better diagnosis, control and
      elimination of NTDs.

PMID- 28352457
TI  - A systems science perspective on the capacity for change in public hospitals.
AB  - Many types of organisation are difficult to change, mainly due to structural,
      cultural and contextual barriers. Change in public hospitals is arguably even
      more problematic than in other types of hospitals, due to features such as
      structural dysfunctionalities and bureaucracy stemming from being publicly-run
      institutions. The main goals of this commentary are to bring into focus and
      highlight the "3 + 3 Decision Framework" proposed by Edwards and Saltman. This
      aims to help guide policymakers and managers implementing productive change in
      public hospitals. However, while change from the top is popular, there are
      powerful front-line clinicians, especially doctors, who can act to counterbalance
      top-down efforts. Front-line clinicians have cultural characteristics and power
      that allows them to influence or reject managerial decisions. Clinicians in
      various lower-level roles can also influence other clinicians to resist or ignore
      management requirements. The context is further complicated by multi-stakeholder
      agendas, differing goals, and accumulated inertia. The special status of
      clinicians, along with other system features of public hospitals, should be
      factored into efforts to realise major system improvements and progressive
      change.

PMID- 27803796
TI  - Identifying ELIXIR Core Data Resources.
AB  - The core mission of ELIXIR is to build a stable and sustainable infrastructure
      for biological information across Europe. At the heart of this are the data
      resources, tools and services that ELIXIR offers to the life-sciences community,
      providing stable and sustainable access to biological data. ELIXIR aims to ensure
      that these resources are available long-term and that the life-cycles of these
      resources are managed such that they support the scientific needs of the life
      sciences, including biological research. ELIXIR Core Data Resources are defined
      as a set of European data resources that are of fundamental importance to the
      wider life-science community and the long-term preservation of biological data.
      They are complete collections of generic value to life-science, are considered an
      authority in their field with respect to one or more characteristics, and show
      high levels of scientific quality and service. Thus, ELIXIR Core Data Resources
      are of wide applicability and usage. This paper describes the structures,
      governance and processes that support the identification and evaluation of ELIXIR
      Core Data Resources. It identifies key indicators which reflect the essence of
      the definition of an ELIXIR Core Data Resource and support the promotion of
      excellence in resource development and operation. It describes the specific
      indicators in more detail and explains their application within ELIXIR's
      sustainability strategy and science policy actions, and in capacity building,
      life-cycle management and technical actions. The identification process is
      currently being implemented and tested for the first time. The findings and
      outcome will be evaluated by the ELIXIR Scientific Advisory Board in March 2017.
      Establishing the portfolio of ELIXIR Core Data Resources and ELIXIR Services is a
      key priority for ELIXIR and publicly marks the transition towards a cohesive
      infrastructure.

PMID- 28299173
TI  - Systematic assessment of multi-gene predictors of pan-cancer cell line
      sensitivity to drugs exploiting gene expression data.
AB  - Background: Selected gene mutations are routinely used to guide the selection of
      cancer drugs for a given patient tumour. Large pharmacogenomic data sets, such as
      those by Genomics of Drug Sensitivity in Cancer (GDSC) consortium, were
      introduced to discover more of these single-gene markers of drug sensitivity.
      Very recently, machine learning regression has been used to investigate how well
      cancer cell line sensitivity to drugs is predicted depending on the type of
      molecular profile. The latter has revealed that gene expression data is the most
      predictive profile in the pan-cancer setting. However, no study to date has
      exploited GDSC data to systematically compare the performance of machine learning
      models based on multi-gene expression data against that of widely-used single
      gene markers based on genomics data. Methods: Here we present this systematic
      comparison using Random Forest (RF) classifiers exploiting the expression levels
      of 13,321 genes and an average of 501 tested cell lines per drug. To account for
      time-dependent batch effects in IC 50 measurements, we employ independent test
      sets generated with more recent GDSC data than that used to train the predictors
      and show that this is a more realistic validation than standard k-fold cross
      validation. Results and Discussion: Across 127 GDSC drugs, our results show that
      the single-gene markers unveiled by the MANOVA analysis tend to achieve higher
      precision than these RF-based multi-gene models, at the cost of generally having
      a poor recall (i.e. correctly detecting only a small part of the cell lines
      sensitive to the drug). Regarding overall classification performance, about two
      thirds of the drugs are better predicted by the multi-gene RF classifiers. Among
      the drugs with the most predictive of these models, we found pyrimethamine,
      sunitinib and 17-AAG. Conclusions: Thanks to this unbiased validation, we now
      know that this type of models can predict in vitro tumour response to some of
      these drugs. These models can thus be further investigated on in vivo tumour
      models. R code to facilitate the construction of alternative machine learning
      models and their validation in the presented benchmark is available at
      http://ballester.marseille.inserm.fr/gdsc.transcriptomicDatav2.tar.gz.

PMID- 28232862
TI  - Electroantennogram response of the parasitoid, Microplitis croceipes to host
      related odors: The discrepancy between relative abundance and level of antennal
      responses to volatile compound.
AB  - Herbivores emit volatile organic compounds (VOCs) after feeding on plants.
      Parasitoids exploit these VOCs as odor cues to locate their hosts. In nature,
      host-related odors are emitted as blends of various compounds occurring in
      different proportions, and minor blend components can sometimes have profound
      effects on parasitoid responses. In a previous related study, we identified and
      quantified VOCs emitted by cotton plant-fed Heliothis virescens (Lepidoptera:
      Noctuidae) larvae, an herbivore host of the parasitoid Microplitis croceipes
      (Hymenoptera: Braconidae). In the present study, the olfactory response of female
      M. croceipes to synthetic versions of 15 previously identified compounds was
      tested in electroantennogram (EAG) bioassays. Using M. croceipes as a model
      species, we further asked the question: does the relative abundance of a volatile
      compound match the level of antennal response in parasitoids? Female M. croceipes
      showed varying EAG responses to test compounds, indicating different levels of
      bioactivity in the insect antenna. Eight compounds, including decanal, 1-octen-3
      ol, 3-octanone, 2-ethylhexanol, tridecane, tetradecane, alpha-farnesene and
      bisabolene, elicited EAG responses above or equal to the 50 th percentile rank of
      all responses. Interestingly, decanal, which represented only 1% of the total
      amount of odors emitted by cotton-fed hosts, elicited the highest (0.82 mV) EAG
      response in parasitoids. On the other hand, ( E)-beta-caryophyllene, the most
      abundant (29%) blend component, elicited a relatively low (0.17 mV) EAG response.
      The results suggest that EAG response to host-related volatiles in parasitoids is
      probably more influenced by the ecological relevance or functional role of the
      compound in the blend, rather than its relative abundance.

PMID- 28352462
TI  - Fixation methods can differentially affect ciliary protein immunolabeling.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Primary cilia are immotile, microtubule-based organelles present on
      most cells. Defects in primary cilia presence/function result in a category of
      developmental diseases referred to as ciliopathies. As the cilia field
      progresses, there is a need to consider both the ciliary and extraciliary roles
      of cilia proteins. However, traditional fixation methods are not always suitable
      for examining the full range of localizations of cilia proteins. Here, we tested
      a variety of fixation methods with commonly used cilia markers to determine the
      most appropriate fixation method for different cilia proteins. METHODS: Mouse
      inner medullary collecting duct and human retinal pigmented epithelial cells were
      grown to confluence, serum starved, and fixed with one of the following fixation
      agents: paraformaldehyde-sucrose, paraformaldehyde-PBS, methanol, cytoskeletal
      buffer followed by methanol, or three variations of cytoskeletal buffer
      paraformaldehyde fixation. Each cell type and fixation method combination was
      probed with the following ciliary markers: acetylated alpha-tubulin,
      detyrosinated tubulin, polyglutamylated tubulin, beta-tubulin, adenylyl cyclase 3
      (AC3), ADP-ribosylation factor-like protein 13b (Arl13b), centrosome and spindle
      pole associated protein 1 (CSPP1), or intraflagellar transport protein 20
      (IFT20). Intraflagellar transport protein 88 (IFT88) and GM130 (Golgi marker)
      were also used. We assessed actin (via phalloidin) and microtubule integrity,
      centrioles, cilia, and two extraciliary sites (mitotic figures and Golgi).
      RESULTS: For the cilia markers examined, paraformaldehyde fixation preserved
      cilia immunolabeling of cilia-membrane proteins (AC3 and Arl13b), but failed to
      reveal cilia immunostaining of axonemal proteins (CSPP1 and IFT20). Methanol
      revealed cilia labeling for some axonemal proteins, but not others, and this
      depended on cell type. Generally, any method that first included a wash in
      cytoskeletal buffer, before fixing, revealed more distinct cilia immunolabeling
      for axonemal proteins (CSPP1, IFT20, and IFT88), but resulted in the loss of
      cilia labeling for cilia-membrane proteins (AC3 and Arl13b). All three different
      post-translational modifications of tubulin antibodies positively immunolabeled
      cilia in all fixation methods tested. Ultimately, we found that fixing cells in a
      solution of paraformaldehyde prepared in cytoskeletal buffer allowed for the
      preservation of cilia immunolabeling for most cilia proteins tested and allowed
      visualization of two extraciliary sites (mitotic figures and Golgi). CONCLUSION:
      Some general patterns were observed to guide in the choice of a fixation agent.
      Cilia-membrane proteins generally benefit from quick fixation with no prior
      permeabilization, whereas axonemal proteins tend to benefit from permeabilization
      and use of cytoskeletal buffer.

PMID- 28299189
TI  - Molecular signature of anastasis for reversal of apoptosis.
AB  - Anastasis (Greek for "rising to life") is a cell recovery phenomenon that rescues
      dying cells from the brink of cell death. We recently discovered anastasis to
      occur after the execution-stage of apoptosis in vitro and in vivo. Promoting
      anastasis could in principle preserve injured cells that are difficult to
      replace, such as cardiomyocytes and neurons. Conversely, arresting anastasis in
      dying cancer cells after cancer therapies could improve treatment efficacy. To
      develop new therapies that promote or inhibit anastasis, it is essential to
      identify the key regulators and mediators of anastasis - the therapeutic targets.
      Therefore, we performed time-course microarray analysis to explore the molecular
      mechanisms of anastasis during reversal of ethanol-induced apoptosis in mouse
      primary liver cells. We found striking changes in transcription of genes involved
      in multiple pathways, including early activation of pro-cell survival, anti
      oxidation, cell cycle arrest, histone modification, DNA-damage and stress
      inducible responses, and at delayed times, angiogenesis and cell migration.
      Validation with RT-PCR confirmed similar changes in the human liver cancer cell
      line, HepG2, during anastasis. Here, we present the time-course whole-genome gene
      expression dataset revealing gene expression profiles during the reversal of
      apoptosis. This dataset provides important insights into the physiological,
      pathological, and therapeutic implications of anastasis.

PMID- 28352463
TI  - Pervasive antibiotic misuse in the Cambodian community: antibiotic-seeking
      behaviour with unrestricted access.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Antibiotic misuse is widespread in resource-limited countries such as
      Cambodia where the burden of infectious diseases is high and access to
      antibiotics is unrestricted. We explored healthcare seeking behaviour related to
      obtaining antibiotics and drivers of antibiotic misuse in the Cambodian
      community. METHODS: In-depth interviews were held with family members of patients
      being admitted in hospitals and private pharmacies termed pharmacy attendants in
      the catchment areas of the hospitals. Nurses who run community primary healthcare
      centres located within the hospital catchment areas were invited to attend focus
      group discussions. Nvivo version 10 was used to code and manage thematic data
      analysis. RESULTS: We conducted individual interviews with 35 family members, 7
      untrained pharmacy attendants and 3 trained pharmacists and 6 focus group
      discussions with 30 nurses. Self-medication with a drug-cocktail was widespread
      and included broad-spectrum antibiotics for mild illness. Unrestricted access to
      antibiotics was facilitated by various community enablers including pharmacies or
      drug outlets, nurse suppliers and unofficial village medical providers referred
      to as "village Pett" whose healthcare training has historically been in the field
      and not at university. These enablers supplied the community with various types
      of antibiotics including broad spectrum fluoroquinolones and cephalosporins. When
      treatment was perceived to be ineffective patients would prescriber-shop various
      suppliers who would unfailingly provide them with antibiotics. The main driver of
      the community's demand for antibiotics was a mistaken belief in the benefits of
      antibiotics for a common cold, high temperature, pain, malaria and 'Roleak' which
      includes a broad catch-all for perceived inflammatory conditions. For severe
      illnesses, patients would attend a community healthcare centre, hospital, or when
      their finances permitted, a private prescriber. CONCLUSIONS: Pervasive antibiotic
      misuse was driven by a habitual supplier-seeking behaviour that was enabled by
      unrestricted access and misconceptions about antibiotics for mild illnesses.
      Unofficial suppliers must be stopped by supporting existing regulations with
      tough new laws aimed at outlawing supplies outside registered pharmacies and
      fining registered pharmacist/owners of these pharmacies for supplying antibiotics
      without a prescription. Community primary healthcare centres must be strengthened
      to become the frontline antibiotic prescribers in the community thereby enabling
      the community's access to inexpensive and appropriate healthcare. Community-based
      education program should target appropriate health-seeking pathways and the
      serious consequences of antibiotic misuse.

PMID- 28352464
TI  - An overview of the epidemiology and emergence of influenza A infection in humans
      over time.
AB  - In recent years multiple novel influenza A strains have emerged in humans. We
      reviewed publically available data to summarise epidemiological characteristics
      of distinct avian influenza viruses known to cause human infection and describe
      changes over time. Most recently identified zoonotic strains have emerged in
      China (H7N9, H5N6, H10N8) - these strains have occurred mostly in association
      with visiting a live bird market. Most zoonotic AIVs and swine influenza variants
      typically cause mild infections in humans however severe illness and fatalities
      are associated with zoonotic H5N6, H10N8, H7N9 and H5N1 serotypes, and the H1N1
      1918 Spanish Influenza. The changing landscape of avian influenza globally
      indicates a need to reassess the risk of a pandemic influenza outbreak of
      zoonotic origin.

PMID- 28352465
TI  - A multifaceted approach to improving the quality of ENT Emergency Clinic
      referrals.
AB  - It is imperative that primary care referrals are directed to the appropriate
      secondary care service. Patients presenting to a primary care physician with ENT
      conditions may require review in an Emergency Clinic. The latter clinics provide
      patients with rapid access to secondary care, for urgent, yet non-life
      threatening conditions. In our department, we noticed that patients with
      conditions inappropriate to the capabilities of the Clinic were being booked in
      or reviewed too late; thus causing wasted journeys for the patient. We conducted
      a Quality Improvement Project to improve the efficiency of the referral process.
      A prospective evaluation of referrals was collected continuously over a two-month
      period. Overall, 5 domains were deemed crucial to enable timely and accurate
      booking of patients to clinic: booking date, urgency, legibility, patient
      identification and appropriateness. Our proposed standard set for this project
      was 100% compliance over the 5 domains. Three separate interventions were
      instigated following the first cycle. The main components of the intervention
      were the phased development of an electronic referral system and an educational
      initiative for junior doctors. 20 referral forms were analysed during the initial
      3-week period. No referrals met the recommended overall compliance standard of
      100% (mean number of domains achieved: 3.38; standard deviation (SD): 0.637).
      Legibility and patient information were included in 21% and 30% of referrals,
      respectively. There was a trend of improvement following initiation of
      interventions. The mean number of domains achieved was 4.27 (SD 0.647; n=13) in
      the second data collection period, 4.53 (SD 0.514; n=16) in the third, and 4.75
      (SD 0.452; n=24) in the fourth. Using linear regression, this change demonstrates
      a statistically significant improvement (p<0.001). An e-Proforma referral system
      represents a safe and efficient communication technology. When implementing
      policy change, it is crucial to acquire managerial and consultant support.

PMID- 28352466
TI  - Systems for physical health care for mental health patients in the community:
      different approaches to improve patient care and safety in an Early Intervention
      in Psychosis Service.
AB  - Patients with mental illnesses have a high rate of physical comorbidity, and
      specifically, those with psychosis are at an increased risk of cardiometabolic
      disease and shortened lifespans, due to medication, lifestyle and illness
      factors. There are recognised challenges with physical health care in this group.
      At baseline, no patients on the Bath and North East Somerset Early Intervention
      in Psychosis caseload had a fully completed physical health assessment. Our aim
      was to offer a physical health check, blood tests, and ECG for all patients,
      trialling four phases of interventions. The four phases were (1) increased
      awareness, education and data collection tools; (2) mobile physical health
      clinics; (3) letters sent to patients and GPs to request health checks be
      conducted, (4) a combination of the above approaches, as well as regular caseload
      reviews and prompts to professionals. At the time of our study (2015-16), many of
      the above parameters were also incentivised nationally by Commissioning for
      Quality and Innovation (CQUIN) payments. The mobile physical health clinic
      offered patient choice of home visits or clinic checks, to increase engagement
      and provide flexible care. The most successful approach overall was the
      combination approach, resulting in 48% of all patients having fully completed
      physical health checks, bloods and ECGs. The mobile clinic resulted in physical
      health checks completion rates of 60%, and blood tests in 65-70%. 92% of patients
      undertook ECG's, following letter requests to GPs and patients. Combining mobile
      physical health clinics, GP letters, financial incentives and managerial
      engagement produced much improved results, but was very time consuming, and in
      our case was inefficient due to using multiple professionals. We recommend
      embedding such approaches within the team, using sustainable systems, and would
      encourage teams to trial dedicated trained clinicians to establish sustainable
      systems to improve the physical health care of this vulnerable group.

PMID- 28352467
TI  - Electronic Printed Ward Round Proformas: Freeing Up Doctors' Time.
AB  - The role of a junior doctor involves preparing for the morning ward round. At a
      time when there are gaps on rotas and doctors' time is more stretched, this can
      be a source of significant delay and thus a loss of working time. We therefore
      looked at ways in which we could make the ward round a more efficient place by
      introducing specific electronic, printed ward round proformas. We used the
      average time taken to write proformas per patient and the average time taken per
      patient on the ward round. This would then enable us to make fair comparisons
      with future changes that were made using the plan, do, study, and act principles
      of quality improvement. Our baseline measurement found that the average time
      taken to write up the proforma for each patient was 1 minute 9 seconds and that
      the average time taken per patient on the ward round was 8 minutes 30 seconds.
      With the changes we made during our 3 PDSA cycles and the implementation of an
      electronic, printed ward round proforma, we found that we were able to reduce the
      average time spent per patient on the ward round to 6 minutes 32 seconds, an
      improvement of 1 min 58 seconds per patient. The project has thus enabled us to
      reduce the time taken per patient during the ward round. This improved efficiency
      will enable patients to be identified earlier for discharge. It will also aid in
      freeing up the time of junior doctors, allowing them to complete discharge
      letters sooner, order investigations earlier and enable them to complete their
      allocated tasks within contracted hours.

PMID- 28352468
TI  - Introduction of a Microsoft Excel-based unified electronic weekend handover
      document in Acute and General Medicine in a DGH: aims, outcomes and challenges.
AB  - On-call weekends in medicine can be a busy and stressful time for junior doctors,
      as they are responsible for a larger pool of patients, most of whom they would
      have never met. Clinical handover to the weekend team is extremely important and
      any communication errors may have a profound impact on patient care, potentially
      even resulting in avoidable harm or death. Several senior clinical bodies have
      issued guidelines on best practice in written and verbal handover. These include:
      standardisation, use of pro forma documents prompting doctors to document vital
      information (such as ceiling of care/resuscitation status) and prioritisation
      according to clinical urgency. These guidelines were not consistently followed in
      our hospital site at the onset of 2014 and junior doctors were becoming
      increasingly dissatisfied with the handover processes. An initial audit of
      handover documents used across the medical division on two separate weekends in
      January 2014, revealed high variability in compliance with documentation of key
      information. For example, ceiling of care was documented for only 14-42% of
      patients and resuscitation status in 26-72% of patients respectively.
      Additionally, each ward used their own self-designed pro forma and patients were
      not prioritised by clinical urgency. Within six months from the introduction of a
      standardised, hospital-wide weekend handover pro forma across the medical
      division and following initial improvements to its layout, ceiling of therapy and
      resuscitation status were documented in approximately 80% of patients (with some
      minor variability). Moreover, 100% of patients in acute medicine and 75% of those
      in general medicine were prioritised by clinical urgency and all wards used the
      same handover pro forma.

PMID- 28352469
TI  - Successful treatment of pulmonary nocardiosis with fluoroquinolone in bronchial
      asthma and bronchiectasis.
AB  - A 72-year-old Japanese woman was admitted at Saga University Hospital for fever,
      malaise, and productive cough. Six years ago, she had been diagnosed with
      bronchial asthma and was treated with inhaled corticosteroids. Chest radiograph
      and computed tomography on admission showed infiltrates in the right middle lobe,
      a mass lesion in the left lower lobe, and bronchiectasis in both lower lobes.
      Sputum examination showed Gram-positive rods with phagocytosis by neutrophils.
      These bacilli were identified as Nocardia otitidiscaviarum by 16S ribosomal RNA
      sequencing. Therefore, she was diagnosed with pulmonary nocardiosis and was
      treated with trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole (TMP-SMX) and minocycline (MINO).
      However, she had to discontinue these antibiotics because of severe nausea and
      anorexia and instead was treated with fluoroquinolone for 6 months. There was
      resolution of the disease thereafter. Pulmonary nocardiosis with bronchial asthma
      and bronchiectasis can be successfully treated with fluoroquinolone, an
      alternative to TMP-SMX or MINO.

PMID- 28352470
TI  - Evaluation of a psychoeducational group intervention for family and friends of
      youth with borderline personality disorder.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Despite high levels of burden and distress among families with a
      member who has borderline personality disorder (BPD), only two BPD specific
      family psychoeducation groups have been empirically evaluated. Neither of these
      is designed specifically for the family and friends of young people who are
      presenting early in the course of BPD. This study aimed to evaluate Making Sense
      of Borderline Personality Disorder (MS-BPD), a three-session, developmentally
      tailored, manualised psychoeducational group for the family and friends of youth
      with BPD features. METHODS: The study employed a pre- and post-intervention,
      repeated measures design. Twenty-three participants completed self-report
      measures assessing for family burden, psychological distress, and knowledge about
      personality disorder. Demographic data were collected for the group participants
      and for their associated young person with BPD. Paired-samples t-tests were
      conducted to evaluate the effect of the MS-BPD intervention on participants'
      burden, distress and personality disorder knowledge. RESULTS: At the completion
      of session three (day 15), group participants reported significantly decreased
      subjective burden and increased personality disorder knowledge. Objective burden
      and distress remained unchanged. CONCLUSIONS: Family and friends of young people
      with BPD features experienced subjective, but not objective, benefit from
      attending a brief group-based psychoeducation intervention. Longer follow-up is
      likely to be required to detect behavioural change. The current findings support
      proceeding to a randomised controlled trial of MS-BPD.

PMID- 28352472
TI  - Erratum to: Options in human papillomavirus (HPV) detection for cervical cancer
      screening: comparison between full genotyping and a rapid qualitative HPV-DNA
      assay in Ghana.
AB  - [This corrects the article DOI: 10.1186/s40661-017-0041-1.].

PMID- 28352471
TI  - Genetic mapping of principal components of canine pelvic morphology.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Concentrated breeding effort to produce various body structures and
      behaviors of dogs to suit human demand has inadvertently produced unwanted traits
      and diseases that accompany the morphological and behavioral phenotypes. We
      explored the relationship between pelvic conformation and canine hip dysplasia
      (HD) because purebred dogs which are predisposed, or not, to HD share common
      morphologic features, respectively. Thirteen unique bilateral anatomical features
      of the pelvis were measured on 392 dogs of 51 breeds and 95 mixed breed dogs.
      Principal components (PCs) were derived to describe pelvic morphology. Dogs were
      genotyped at ~183,000 single nucleotide polymorphisms and their hip conformation
      was measured by the Norberg angle and angle of inclination between the femoral
      neck and diaphysis. RESULTS: No associations reached genome wide significance for
      the Norberg angle when averaged over both hips. PC1 was negatively correlated
      with the Norberg angle (r = -0.31; P < 0.05) but not the angle of inclination (r
      = -0.08; P > 0.05). PC1, 2, 4, and 5 differed significantly between male and
      female dogs confirming pelvic sexual dimorphism. With sex as a covariate, the
      eigenvector contribution to PC1 reflected the overall size of the pelvis and was
      significantly associated with the IGF-1 locus, a known contributor to canine body
      size. PC3, which represented a tradeoff between ilial length and ischial length
      in which a longer ischium is associated with a shorter ilium, was significantly
      associated with a marker on canine chromosome 16:5181388 bp. The closest
      candidate gene is TPK1, a thiamine-dependent enzyme and part of the PKA complex.
      Associations with the remaining PCs did not reach genome wide significance.
      CONCLUSION: IGF-1 was associated with the overall size of the pelvis and sex is
      related to pelvic size. Ilial/ischial proportion is genetically controlled and
      the closest candidate gene is thiamine-dependent and affects birth weight and
      development of the nervous system. Dogs with larger pelves tend to have smaller
      NAs consistent with increased tendency toward HD in large breed dogs. Based on
      the current study, pelvic shape alone was not strongly associated with canine hip
      dysplasia.

PMID- 28352473
TI  - Ethnic Differences in Risk Factors for Obesity among Adults in California, the
      United States.
AB  - Little attention has been given to differences in obesity risk factors by
      racial/ethnic groups. Using data from the 2011-2012 California Health Interview
      Survey, we examined differences in risk factors for obesity among Whites,
      Latinos, Asians, and African Americans among 42,935 adults (24.8% obese).
      Estimates were weighted to ensure an unbiased representation of the Californian
      population. Multiple logistic and linear regression analyses were used to examine
      the differences in risk factors for obesity. Large ethnic disparities were found
      in obesity prevalence: Whites (22.0%), Latinos (33.6%), African Americans
      (36.1%), and Asians (9.8%). Differences in risk factors for obesity were also
      observed: Whites (gender, age, physical activity, smoking, arthritis, and
      diabetes medicine intake), Latinos (age, arthritis, and diabetes medicine
      intake), Asians (age, binge drinking, arthritis, and diabetes medicine intake),
      and African Americans (gender, physical activity, smoking, binge drinking, and
      diabetes medicine intake). Females were more likely to be obese among African
      Americans (odds ratio (OR) = 1.43, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 1.05-1.94), but
      less likely among Whites (OR = 0.80, 95% CI = 0.74-0.87). Race/ethnicity should
      be considered in developing obesity prevention strategies.

PMID- 28352474
TI  - Factors Associated with Mortality among Patients on TB Treatment in the Southern
      Region of Zimbabwe, 2013.
AB  - Background. In 2013, the tuberculosis (TB) mortality rate was highest in southern
      Zimbabwe at 16%. We therefore sought to determine factors associated with
      mortality among registered TB patients in this region. Methodology. This was a
      retrospective record review of registered patients receiving anti-TB treatment in
      2013. Results. Of 1,971 registered TB patients, 1,653 (84%) were new cases
      compared with 314 (16%) retreatment cases. There were 1,538 (78%) TB/human
      immunodeficiency virus (HIV) coinfected patients, of whom 1,399 (91%) were on
      antiretroviral therapy (ART) with median pre-ART CD4 count of 133 cells/uL (IQR,
      46-282). Overall, 428 (22%) TB patients died. Factors associated with increased
      mortality included being >=65 years old [adjusted relative risk (ARR) = 2.48 (95%
      CI 1.35-4.55)], a retreatment TB case [ARR = 1.34 (95% CI, 1.10-1.63)], and being
      HIV-positive [ARR = 1.87 (95% CI, 1.44-2.42)] whilst ART initiation was
      protective [ARR = 0.25 (95% CI, 0.22-0.29)]. Cumulative mortality rates were 10%,
      14%, and 21% at one, two, and six months, respectively, after starting TB
      treatment. Conclusion. There was high mortality especially in the first two
      months of anti-TB treatment, with risk factors being recurrent TB and being HIV
      infected, despite a high uptake of ART.

PMID- 28352475
TI  - Kanamycin Sulphate Loaded PLGA-Vitamin-E-TPGS Long Circulating Nanoparticles
      Using Combined Coating of PEG and Water-Soluble Chitosan.
AB  - Kanamycin sulphate (KS) is a Mycobacterium tuberculosis protein synthesis
      inhibitor. Due to its intense hydrophilicity, KS is cleared from the body within
      8 h. KS has a very short plasma half-life (2.5 h). KS is used in high
      concentrations to reach the therapeutic levels in plasma, which results in
      serious nephrotoxicity/ototoxicity. To overcome aforementioned limitations, the
      current study aimed to develop KS loaded PLGA-Vitamin-E-TPGS nanoparticles (KS
      PLGA-TPGS NPs), to act as an efficient carrier for controlled delivery of KS. To
      achieve a substantial extension in blood circulation, a combined design,
      affixation of polyethylene glycol (PEG) to KS-PLGA-TPGS NPs and adsorption of
      water-soluble chitosan (WSC) (cationic deacetylated chitin) to particle surface,
      was raised for surface modification of NPs. Surface modified NPs (KS-PEG-WSC NPs)
      were prepared to provide controlled delivery and circulate in the bloodstream for
      an extended period of time, thus minimizing dosing frequency. In vivo
      pharmacokinetics and in vivo biodistribution following intramuscular
      administration were investigated. NPs surface charge was close to neutral +3.61
      mV and significantly affected by the WSC coating. KS-PEG-WSC NPs presented
      striking prolongation in blood circulation, reduced protein binding, and long
      drew-out the blood circulation half-life with resultant reduced kidney
      sequestration vis-a-vis KS-PLGA-TPGS NPs. The studies, therefore, indicate the
      successful formulation development of KS-PEG-WSC NPs with reduced frequency of
      dosing of KS indicating low incidence of nephrotoxicity/ototoxicity.

PMID- 28352477
TI  - Understanding Neuromuscular System Plasticity to Improve Motor Function in
      Health, Disease, and Injury.

PMID- 28352476
TI  - CPAP Treatment Adherence in Women with Obstructive Sleep Apnea.
AB  - Untreated obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) has numerous negative health-related
      consequences. Continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) is generally considered
      the treatment of choice for OSA, but rates of nonadherence are high. It is
      believed that OSA is more prevalent among men; therefore understanding how OSA
      presents among women is limited and treatment adherence has received little
      research attention. For this study, 29 women were recruited from primary care
      offices. They completed a questionnaire battery and underwent a night of
      nocturnal polysomnography (PSG) followed by a visit with a sleep specialist.
      Women diagnosed with OSA were prescribed CPAP; 2 years later CPAP adherence was
      evaluated. Results show that approximately half the sample was adherent. There
      were no significant differences between adherent and nonadherent women on OSA
      severity; however CPAP adherent women had worse nocturnal and daytime functioning
      scores at the time of diagnosis. Moreover, when the seven nocturnal and daytime
      variables were used as predictors in a discriminant analysis, they could predict
      87% of adherent and 93% of the nonadherent women. The single most important
      predictor was nonrefreshing sleep. We discuss the implications of the findings
      for identifying women in primary care with potential OSA and offer suggestions
      for enhancing treatment adherence.

PMID- 28352478
TI  - Corrigendum to "Dopaminergic Modulation of Striatal Inhibitory Transmission and
      Long-Term Plasticity".
AB  - [This corrects the article DOI: 10.1155/2015/789502.].

PMID- 28352480
TI  - Transcatheter Aortic Valve Implantation in an Extremely Tortuous S-Shaped Aorta.
AB  - Transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) has emerged as an alternative
      technique to treating aortic stenosis in patients with high surgical risk. We
      present a case of a successful transfemoral TAVI in a high-risk patient with an
      extremely tortuous iliofemoral system and a significant S-type bend in the
      descending aorta. With careful preprocedure planning and using all the techniques
      available, TAVI can be performed in the most challenging patients.

PMID- 28352479
TI  - Effects of Traumatic Stress Induced in the Juvenile Period on the Expression of
      Gamma-Aminobutyric Acid Receptor Type A Subunits in Adult Rat Brain.
AB  - Studies have found that early traumatic experience significantly increases the
      risk of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA)
      deficits were proposed to be implicated in development of PTSD, but the
      alterations of GABA receptor A (GABAAR) subunits induced by early traumatic
      stress have not been fully elucidated. Furthermore, previous studies suggested
      that exercise could be more effective than medications in reducing severity of
      anxiety and depression but the mechanism is unclear. This study used inescapable
      foot-shock to induce PTSD in juvenile rats and examined their emotional changes
      using open-field test and elevated plus maze, memory changes using Morris water
      maze, and the expression of GABAAR subunits (gamma2, alpha2, and alpha5) in
      subregions of the brain in the adulthood using western blotting and
      immunohistochemistry. We aimed to observe the role of GABAAR subunits changes
      induced by juvenile trauma in the pathogenesis of subsequent PTSD in adulthood.
      In addition, we investigated the protective effects of exercise for 6 weeks and
      benzodiazepine (clonazepam) for 2 weeks. This study found that juvenile traumatic
      stress induced chronic anxiety and spatial memory loss and reduced expression of
      GABAAR subunits in the adult rat brains. Furthermore, exercise led to significant
      improvement as compared to short-term BZ treatment.

PMID- 28352481
TI  - Autotransplantation of Ectopic Permanent Maxillary Incisors.
AB  - The report presents examples of successful cases of autotransplantation of
      ectopic teeth as donor in the treatment of clinically missing maxillary anterior
      teeth in young patients. The transplanted teeth were either severely ectopic,
      inverted, rotated or in an unfavourable position that they are commonly
      sacrificed as a result. Details of surgical technique as well as clinical and
      radiographic assessments were discussed.

PMID- 28352482
TI  - Haemophilus influenzae Pyomyositis in a Patient with Diabetic Ketoacidosis: A
      Unique Case and Review of Literature.
AB  - Haemophilus influenzae is a Gram-negative bacillus commonly known to cause upper
      respiratory tract infections. Skin and soft tissue infections are very uncommon.
      Of these, the majority were associated with necrotizing fasciitis requiring
      emergent debridement. We report a case of pyomyositis caused by Haemophilus
      influenzae in an adult with diabetes.

PMID- 28352483
TI  - Ultrasound, Echocardiography, MRI, and Genetic Analysis of a Fetus with
      Congenital Diaphragmatic Hernia and Partial 11q Trisomy.
AB  - Congenital diaphragmatic hernia (CDH) is a serious birth defect with a
      significant mortality and morbidity. The current and constant progress in
      ultrasound techniques has led to the improvement of the prenatal diagnosis of
      this malformation. CDH is a developmental defect whose etiology is heterogeneous
      and takes place when the pleuroperitoneal folds and septum transversum fail to
      converge and fuse. Survival depends on the extent of pulmonary hypoplasia and the
      disease may be potentially worsened by the presence of added congenital defects.
      40% of CDH cases are associated with at least one additional anomaly. The
      ultrasound diagnosis is established with essential signs: loss of uniform
      echogenicity of lungs and marked mediastinal shift. We report the case of a fetus
      with isolated CDH diagnosed at 21 weeks of gestation by ultrasound and confirmed
      by RMI, whose genetic analysis of amniotic fluid cells identified a de novo
      partial trisomy of the long arm of chromosome 11. Different genetic causes have
      been associated with CDH. Moreover, it is expectable that the use of new
      techniques for prenatal diagnosis will reveal novel CNVs associated with CDH and
      will help us to estimate the recurrence risk for this defect as well as for other
      associated anomalies.

PMID- 28352485
TI  - Lateral Lumbar Interbody Fusion for Ossification of the Yellow Ligament in the
      Lumbar Spine: First Reported Case.
AB  - When ossification of the yellow ligament (OYL) occurs in the lumbar spine and
      extends to the lateral wall of the spinal canal, facetectomy is required to
      remove all of the ossified lesion and achieve decompression. Subsequent posterior
      fixation with interbody fusion will then be necessary to prevent postoperative
      progression of the ossification and intervertebral instability. The technique of
      lateral lumbar interbody fusion (LLIF) has recently been introduced. Using this
      procedure, surgeons can avoid excess blood loss from the extradural venous plexus
      and detachment of the ossified lesion and the ventral dura mater is avoidable. We
      present a 55-year-old male patient with OYL at L3/4 and anterior
      spondylolisthesis of L4 vertebra, with concomitant ossification of the posterior
      longitudinal ligament, who presented with a severe gait disturbance. He underwent
      a 2-stage operation without complications: LLIF for L3/4 and L4/5 was performed
      at the initial surgery, and posterior decompression fixation using pedicle screws
      from L3 to L5 was performed at the second surgery. His postoperative progress was
      favorable, and his interbody fusion was deemed successful. Here, we present the
      first reported case of LLIF for OYL of the lumbar spine. This procedure can be a
      good option for OYL of the lumbar spine.

PMID- 28352484
TI  - Primary Pulmonary Malignant Melanoma: Report of an Important Entity and
      Literature Review.
AB  - Malignant melanoma involving the respiratory tract is nearly always metastatic in
      origin, and primary tumors are extremely rare. Published data on primary
      pulmonary malignant melanomas are limited. Up to now 40 relevant cases have been
      reported in the English literature. Herein, we report a case of a 56-year-old
      female patient who presented with intracranial metastases due to primary
      pulmonary melanoma. She underwent bronchoscopy and died 5 months after the
      initial diagnosis despite the administered biochemotherapy and subsequent
      immunotherapy. To establish the diagnosis of primary pulmonary malignant
      melanoma, any extrapulmonary origin was excluded by detailed examination and
      radiographic imaging. Moreover, an extensive review of the literature regarding
      this rare entity has been performed.

PMID- 28352486
TI  - Unilateral Maxillary Sinus Actinomycosis with a Closed Oroantral Fistula.
AB  - Actinomycosis is a bacterial infection due to Actinomyces israelii, a gram
      positive, anaerobic organism that normally affects the cervicofacial region.
      However, facial injury or trauma (i.e., dental procedures) can allow this
      bacteria to inhabit other regions. There have been rare reports of actinomycosis
      of the paranasal sinuses. We present a case of a 50-year-old female who
      originally presented with a suspected oroantral fistula who subsequently was
      found to have actinomycosis involving her right maxillary sinus. Additionally,
      the dental extraction site revealed no connection with the maxillary sinus. We
      discuss the diagnostic approach and management of this patient as it relates to
      the limited existing literature.

PMID- 28352487
TI  - Giant Perineal Solitary Fibrous Tumor: A Rare Case Report.
AB  - Background. Solitary fibrous tumor (SFT) is a fibroblastic mesenchymal tumor that
      was initially described from the pleura but currently arises at almost every
      anatomic site. It is usually benign, and surgical resection is curative. SFT
      involving the perineum is extremely rare. This is the third case report of a
      perineal SFT in the literature. Case Presentation. We reported an uncommon case
      of a 64-year-old man presenting with a huge perineal mass that started growing 3
      years before his arrival in our service. He was asymptomatic. A contrast-enhanced
      CT scan revealed a heterogeneous well-circumscribed perineal mass with soft
      tissue density. Invasion of the surrounding organs, distal metastasis, and lymph
      node swelling were absent. The complete resection of mass was done successfully.
      The specimen was a 23.0 * 14.0 * 8.0 cm encapsulated tumor. Mass weight was 1,170
      g. After pathological analysis, we confirmed that the mass was a solitary fibrous
      tumor. The diagnosis was based on clinical findings and histological morphology
      and immunohistochemistry study. Conclusion. SFTs are usually indolent tumors with
      a favorable prognosis. The perineal location is extremely rare. Complete
      resection of the mass is the treatment of choice.

PMID- 28352488
TI  - Rare Case of a Well-Differentiated Paratesticular Sarcoma of the Spermatic Cord
      in a 60-Year-Old Patient.
AB  - Introduction. Liposarcomas are tumors that occur mostly in the retroperitoneum.
      Of all liposarcomas only 3 to 7% are found in the paratesticular region. The
      spermatic cord is the main site of origin in these cases. The patients ages range
      from 50 to 60 years. This malignant disease can result in a loss of fertility
      aside from life-threatening sequelae. Case. We present a case of a liposarcoma of
      the paratesticular region. A 60-year-old man was referred with a painless mass in
      the scrotum and the right inguinal region. The patient underwent surgery and the
      mass was removed along with the right testis, the spermatic cord, and the soft
      tissues to the internal inguinal ring. Histopathological examination found a well
      differentiated liposarcoma of 80*80 mm. The surgical margins were negative. The
      adjuvant treatment consisted in radiation therapy of the right inguinoscrotal
      area to the dose of 54 Gray, 2 Gy per session, 5 times a week. Conclusion.
      Paratesticular liposarcomas are rare tumors. Surgery with large margin resections
      was the main treatment in all reported cases. The adjuvant treatment is still
      unclear especially when the surgical margins are negative. The main factor that
      indicated this adjuvant treatment was the size of the tumor and the histologic
      subtype.

PMID- 28352489
TI  - Nonmotor Symptoms of Parkinson's Disease.

PMID- 28352490
TI  - Cost of Living with Parkinson's Disease over 12 Months in Australia: A
      Prospective Cohort Study.
AB  - Background. Parkinson disease (PD) is a costly chronic condition in terms of
      managing both motor and nonmotor symptoms. The burden of disease is high for
      individuals, caregivers, and the health system. The aim of this study is to
      estimate the annual cost of PD from the household, health system, and societal
      perspectives. Methods. A prospective cohort study of newly referred people with
      PD to a specialist PD clinic in Melbourne, Australia. Participants completed
      baseline and monthly health resource use questionnaires and Medicare data were
      collected over 12 months. Results. 87 patients completed the 12-month follow-up
      assessments. The mean annual cost per person to the health care system was
      $32,556 AUD. The burden to society was an additional $45,000 per annum per person
      with PD. The largest component of health system costs were for hospitalisation
      (69% of total costs). The costs for people with moderate to severe disease were
      almost 4 times those with mild PD ($63,569 versus $17,537 p < 0.001). Conclusion.
      PD is associated with significant costs to individuals and to society. Costs
      escalated with disease severity suggesting that the burden to society is likely
      to grow with the increasing disease prevalence that is associated with population
      ageing.

PMID- 28352491
TI  - Acquired factor VIII deficiency: two case reports and a review of literature.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Acquired factor VIII (FVIII) deficiency, or acquired hemophilia A
      (AHA), is a rare autoimmune disorder involving antibody-mediated depletion of
      coagulation FVIII, leading to severe, life-threatening bleeding. The condition is
      often associated with other autoimmune disorders, and its treatment involves
      replacement of FVIII and various modes of immunosuppression. Recently, a few
      noteworthy therapeutic advances have been made. We present two cases of severe
      AHA in Chinese women. One of these women developed this disorder in the setting
      of possible parvovirus B19 infection, which has not yet been reported in
      association with AHA. Other notable features of her case included paradoxical
      venous thrombosis and possible association with Sjogren's syndrome and myositis.
      The other woman failed to respond to usual first-line therapies despite
      exhibiting a less severe clinical course, illustrating the varied but potentially
      stubborn behavior of this disorder. CASE 1: An 87-year-old woman presented with
      diffuse ecchymoses, melena, vaginal bleeding. Labs showed hemoglobin (Hgb) nadir
      of 5.7 mg/dL, elevated partial thromboplastin time (PTT), FVIII level <1%, mixing
      study consistent with an inhibitor, elevated anti-Sjogren's-Syndrome-related
      antigen A antibody, elevated creatinine kinase, and elevated parvovirus IgM and
      IgG. Imaging of her arm showed diffuse myositis and deep venous thrombosis. After
      intravenous and oral steroids, her FVIII levels normalized, and her symptoms
      subsided. CASE 2: A 59-year-old woman presented with recurrent ecchymoses and
      hematomas in her extremities. Labs showed Hgb of 11.7 mg/dL, elevated PTT, FVIII
      level of 3%, and mixing study consistent with an inhibitor. Despite receiving a
      long course of steroids, several courses of IVIG, and a few courses of Rituximab,
      her FVIII level remained critically low. CONCLUSION: The rarity of AHA limits our
      understanding of this disease and the ability to perform trials to discover
      optimal therapies. We hope that these case reports and discussion will shed
      further light on the varied clinical manifestations and natural histories of this
      disorder to guide better recognition and treatment of AHA.

PMID- 28352492
TI  - Perceptions of Factors Impacting Longevity among Hawai'i Older Adults.
AB  - With increased life expectancy, people need more education about healthy aging.
      This paper examines older adult perceptions regarding various factors impacting
      longevity, including genetics, lifestyle, and the environment. Data were
      collected from 733 Hawai'i adults age 50 years and older (39% Caucasian, 27%
      Japanese, 19% Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander (NHOPI), 9% Chinese, and 7%
      Filipino) through randomized telephone interviews. Participants were asked to
      rate a variety of factors as having "great impact," "some impact," or "no impact"
      on lifespan. Regardless of ethnicity, more than half of the participants felt
      that eating habits, exercise, health information, health care, and the
      environment had great impact on lifespan. Less than half felt that economic
      status and community had great impact. Compared to the all ethnic groups,
      Filipino respondents were significantly less likely to feel that smoking (44%,
      compared with an average across all race/ethnicities of 64%) and stress (48%,
      average 62%) had great impact. Chinese participants were more likely to feel that
      drinking alcohol (64%) had great impact (average 38%). Filipinos and Chinese were
      more likely to perceive that working conditions have great impact (65% and 56%,
      respectively; average 45%), and NHOPI and Filipinos were more likely to perceive
      the natural environment as having great impact (59% and 54%, respectively;
      average 46%). Findings suggest that cultural values and experiences may shape
      older adults' perceptions of factors associated with lifespan, providing guidance
      for health professionals on how to tailor health messages to older adults in
      different ethnic groups.

PMID- 28352493
TI  - High School Football Players Use Their Helmets to Tackle Other Players Despite
      Knowing the Risks.
AB  - There is greater attention to head-related injuries and concussions in American
      football. The helmet's structural safety and the way that football players use
      their helmets are important in preventing head injuries. Current strategies
      include penalizing players for high-risk behavior such as leading with their
      helmet or hitting an opposing player above the shoulder. Passive strategies
      include helmet modification to better protect the head of the players or to
      change the playing style of the players. Hawai'i high school varsity football
      players were surveyed to determine how they use their helmets and how a new
      helmet design would affect their style of play. One hundred seventy-seven surveys
      were completed; 79% said that they used their helmet to hit an opposing player
      during a tackle and 46% said they made this contact intentionally. When asked
      about modifying helmets with a soft material on the outside, 48% said they
      thought putting a soft cover over a regular helmet would protect their head
      better. However, many participants said that putting a soft cover over their
      regular helmet was a bad idea for various reasons. Most young football players
      use their helmets to block or tackle despite being taught they would be penalized
      or potentially injured if they did so. By gaining a better understanding of why
      and how players use their helmets and how they would respond to new helmet
      designs, steps can be taken to reduce head injuries for all levels of play.

PMID- 28352494
TI  - The Wandering Woman: A Case Study of Catatonia vs Factitious Disorder.
AB  - A 61-year-old woman with an unknown psychiatric history presented with mutism,
      stupor, negativism, and withdrawn behavior. She was admitted to the psychiatric
      unit for what appeared to be catatonia. Medical records were not readily
      available. A comprehensive evaluation did not uncover any medical etiology.
      Lorazepam was ineffective at consistently reversing her catatonic symptoms.
      During week three of hospitalization, she was given olanzapine with subsequent
      improvement in her negativism. Several physicians believed her catatonic symptoms
      were feigned given multiple episodes of spontaneous purposeful movement when she
      was not under the direct supervision of staff. There is minimal literature on
      distinguishing catatonia and factitious disorder. This distinction is crucial
      because these diagnoses require very different treatments, and the iatrogenic
      complications related to the treatment of catatonia with high-dose
      benzodiazepines and electroconvulsive therapy are significant. Rapid access to
      electronic health records can facilitate treatment for patients who cannot
      provide a medical history, especially when factitious disorder is included in the
      differential diagnosis.

PMID- 28352495
TI  - Medical School Hotline: Graduate Certificate in Tropical Medicine.

PMID- 28352496
TI  - Insights in Public Health: Training Today's Students to Meet Tomorrow's
      Challenges: Undergraduate Public Health at the University of Hawai'i at Manoa.
AB  - The University of Hawai'i at Manoa (UHM) has long provided public health graduate
      education. The University's Office of Public Health Studies (OPHS) has recently
      started to offer a Bachelor of Arts in Public Health (BA PH) degree in response
      to the growing need for professionals in the health field. The purpose of this
      paper is to describe how UHM operates the BA PH and how the program complements
      OPHS's mission and goals. First, we describe the overall scope of the BA PH
      within OPHS and within UHM. Then we provide examples of how the BA PH program and
      past undergraduate student projects align with OPHS's four main goals: (1)
      education, (2) research, (3) service, and (4) program development.

PMID- 28352498
TI  - Traumatic Cervical Nerve Root Avulsion with Pseudomeningocele Formation.
AB  - Cervical nerve root avulsion is a well-documented result of motor vehicle
      collision (MVC), especially when occurring at high velocities. These avulsions
      are commonly traction injuries of nerve roots that may be accompanied by a tear
      in the meninges through the vertebral foramina with associated collections of
      cerebrospinal fluid (CSF), thereby resulting in a pseudomeningocele. We present a
      case of a 19-year-old male who experienced an MVC and was brought to the
      emergency department (ED) with right arm paralysis and other injuries. A
      neurological examination demonstrated intact sensation but 0/5 muscle strength in
      the right upper extremity. A magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of the spinal cord
      demonstrated massive epidural hematomas extending the length of the cervical
      spine caudally from C2. An MRI of the right brachial plexus showed C3-C7 anterior
      horn cell edema and associated traumatic nerve root avulsion with
      pseudomeningoceles on the right from C5-C8. The development of spinal cord
      hematoma with these injuries has rarely been documented in the literature and the
      multiple level avulsion described here with extensive hematoma is a rare clinical
      presentation. A literature review was conducted to determine the diagnostic
      requirements, treatment strategies, and complications of such an injury. Our
      patient received conservative treatment of the right brachial plexus injury and
      was transferred to an inpatient rehabilitation facility 13 days later.

PMID- 28352499
TI  - Metastatic Prostate Adenocarcinoma to the Brain: Case Reports and Literature
      Review.
AB  - Cerebral metastasis secondary to prostatic adenocarcinoma is rare and it is
      usually a late complication in patients with widespread distant metastases. Here,
      we report two unusual cases of such a rare condition. Our first case presented
      with a large frontal contrast-enhancing lesion-associated calcification and a
      large tumor cyst as shown on computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging.
      This is the fifth reported case of prostatic metastasis manifesting as a cystic
      intraparenchymal tumor in the literature. The second case presented with a large
      soft tissue mass in the scalp and this lesion appeared to invade through the
      skull and into the middle cranial fossa. He was not known to have prostate cancer
      before his initial presentation and it was only diagnosed following histology
      results of the scalp lesion.

PMID- 28352500
TI  - Delayed Closure of Giant Omphaloceles in West Africa: Report of Five Cases.
AB  - Giant omphalocele (GO) management is controversial and not easy. Conservative
      management at birth and delayed surgical closure is usually mandatory. Postponed
      surgery may be challenging and carry the risk of intensive care treatment. We
      report on five children who were treated in our department for GO between 2000
      and 2010. Initially, the patients were managed conservatively in West Africa.
      Delayed closure of the ventral hernia was performed in Switzerland after patient
      transfer through a nongovernmental organization. Fascial closure was performed at
      the median age of 23 months. Median diameter of the hernias was 10 * 10 cm
      ranging from 10 * 8 cm to 24 * 15 cm. Four (80%) patients had associated
      anomalies. Three children needed mechanical ventilation in the intensive care
      unit after surgery. Median hospitalization was 19 days. Complications were seen
      in two patients. The follow-up showed no recurrence of ventral hernia. There was
      no mortality. This report shows that conservative management of a GO at birth
      with delayed closure of the ventral hernia after transferring the patients to a
      European center is a safe approach for West African children and avoids life
      threatening procedures. Delayed closure of a GO may be nevertheless challenging
      everywhere.

PMID- 28352501
TI  - Myocardial Ischemia Caused by Subepicardial Hematoma.
AB  - Background Bleeding from bypass anastomosis leakage occurs early after coronary
      artery bypass grafting. Later, once the anastomosis is covered by intima,
      spontaneous bleeding is unlikely. Case Description A 63-year-old male patient
      developed a pseudoaneurysm-like, subepicardial late-term bleeding resulting in a
      hematoma that compromised coronary artery flow by increasing extracoronary
      pressure. This resulted in severe angina pectoris (Canadian Cardiovascular
      Society IV) and myocardial ischemia within the affected area. After surgical
      removal of the hematoma and repair of the anastomosis, the patient's symptoms
      disappeared and no signs of myocardial ischemia were present. Conclusion Surgical
      removal is an efficient therapy for subepicardial hematoma inducing myocardial
      ischemia.

PMID- 28352502
TI  - An Intervention Featuring Public Posting and Graphical Feedback to Enhance the
      Performance of Competitive Dancers.
AB  - This study evaluated an intervention package that used public posting and
      feedback to enhance dance movements for adolescent dancers on a competition team.
      Four dancers each performing two or three dance movements (a turn, kick, and/or
      leap) had their scores posted on a bulletin board at their studio. Dance
      movements were scored as a percentage correct by using a 14- to 16-step task
      analysis checklist. Intervention was evaluated in a multiple baseline across
      behavior design. The students received graphical feedback on their performance
      from the previous weeks and saw the scoring sheet that reviewed the incorrect and
      correct aspects of their performance. This study found that this treatment
      package including public posting and feedback enhanced each of the dance
      movements for all participants.

PMID- 28352503
TI  - Maintaining Staff Performance Following a Training Intervention: Suggestions from
      a 30-Year Case Example.
AB  - A frequent challenge encountered by behavior analysts in human service agencies
      is maintaining effects of their training interventions with agency staff. A case
      example is provided to illustrate how effects of a staff training intervention
      initiated by a behavior analyst maintained for an extended period in a center
      based program for adolescents and adults with severe disabilities. The process
      involved the behavior analyst working closely with the program supervisor and a
      professional staff member in a collaborative team approach to increase
      involvement of center participants in functional (vs. nonfunctional) educational
      tasks. Initially, the team jointly developed an intervention to increase staffs'
      provision of functional tasks. The behavior analyst subsequently worked with the
      team members regarding how to implement the intervention by training their staff
      and providing feedback. The two team members then continued providing feedback
      during their respective supervisor tenures without continued presence of the
      behavior analyst. Results indicated that initial increases in participant
      involvement in functional tasks maintained during follow-up observations
      encompassing 30 years. Normative comparisons also showed that the levels were
      well above the level of functional task involvement in other center-based
      programs across that time period. Results are discussed regarding recommendations
      for behavior analysts to use a collaborative team approach with supervisors
      indigenous to an agency to help maintain staff behavior targeted for change by
      the behavior analysts.

PMID- 28352504
TI  - Task as Reinforcer: a Reactive Alternative to Traditional Forms of Escape
      Extinction.
AB  - Inappropriate behaviors, ranging from passive resistance to physical aggression,
      property destruction, or self-injurious behavior frequently function for escape
      from or avoidance of non-preferred activities. Proactive procedures have been
      shown to be only moderately effective without the use of escape extinction, but
      escape extinction can produce negative side effects, and efforts have been made
      to find alternatives. The current study tested the efficacy of a reactive
      procedure that may serve as an alternative to traditional forms of escape
      extinction. In a multiple baseline across behavioral excesses, non-preferred
      activities, and participants, a timeout from the opportunity to work effectively
      reduced behavioral excesses and increased compliance with non-preferred
      activities. With one participant, a multiple baseline was implemented across
      instructional targets, resulting in an increased rate of skill acquisition after
      "wait outs" were introduced to each program.

PMID- 28352505
TI  - The Use of Evaluation in Treatment Programs for Children with Autism.
AB  - Program evaluation is the use of planned activities to monitor process, outcomes,
      and impact of a health program or intervention. The application of program
      evaluation to behavioral analytic treatment programs for children with autism is
      a useful and necessary activity to inform practitioners and other stakeholders of
      the efficacy of these programs and to promote adherence to best-practice
      treatments. A brief survey of behavioral providers in California and Texas and
      search of the behavioral literature suggest that the practice of program
      evaluation is underutilized among providers of behavioral services. Current
      organizational practices primarily involve reporting on individualized consumer
      goals. The purpose of this paper is to provide an introduction to evaluation
      processes and procedures to promote the implementation of some or all of these
      components. Areas discussed include defining the population served and program
      stakeholders, describing the program and intervention, selecting evaluation goals
      and objectives, ethical considerations, and reporting.

PMID- 28352506
TI  - Blurred Lines: Ethical Implications of Social Media for Behavior Analysts.
AB  - Social networking has a long list of advantages: it enables access to a large
      group of people that would otherwise not be geographically convenient or possible
      to connect with; it reaches several different generations, particularly younger
      ones, which are not typically involved in discussion of current events; and these
      sites allow a cost effective, immediate, and interactive way to engage with
      others. With the vast number of individuals who use social media sites as a way
      to connect with others, it may not be possible to completely abstain from
      discussions and interactions on social media that pertain to our professional
      practice. This is all the more reason that behavior analysts attend to the
      contingencies specific to these tools. This paper discusses potential ethical
      situations that may arise and offers a review of the Behavior Analysis
      Certification Board (BACB) guidelines pertaining to social networking, as well as
      provides suggestions for avoiding or resolving potential violations relating to
      online social behavior.

PMID- 28352507
TI  - Best Practices in Utilizing the Changing Criterion Design.
AB  - The changing criterion design (CCD) has been a recognized format of single-case
      research for four decades. Published examples of the CCD have been limited and
      the structure of the design used in the literature has varied to a degree that
      might engender confusion. This review examines the structure of CCD studies
      published to date to identify prior implementation practices and identify best
      practices for future use.

PMID- 28352508
TI  - A Comparison of Procedures for Teaching Receptive Labeling of Sight Words to a
      Child with Autism Spectrum Disorder.
AB  - We compared the effectiveness and efficiency of a modified simple-conditional
      method and the conditional-only method for teaching receptive labeling of sight
      words. Jon, a 6-year-old boy diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder,
      participated. Across three comparative evaluations, the conditional-only method
      resulted in fewer sessions to mastery than a modified simple-conditional method.
      Textual responses emerged after Jon mastered the sight words as receptive labels.
      Practitioners should avoid teaching component simple discriminations as a
      strategy for facilitating conditional discrimination training in clinical
      practice.

PMID- 28352509
TI  - Evaluating the Ability of the PBS Children's Show Daniel Tiger's Neighborhood to
      Teach Skills to Two Young Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder.
AB  - Daniel Tiger's Neighborhood is a children's television show incorporating many
      elements of video modeling, an intervention that can teach skills to children
      with autism spectrum disorders (ASD). This study evaluated the impact of watching
      Daniel Tiger's Neighborhood episodes on the accurate performance of trying new
      foods and stopping play politely with two five-year-old children with ASD. Both
      children showed improved performance of skills only following exposure to
      episodes of Daniel Tiger's Neighborhood, suggesting that watching episodes can
      help children with ASD learn specific skills.

PMID- 28352510
TI  - Using Video Modeling with Voice-over Instruction to Train Public School Staff to
      Implement a Preference Assessment.
AB  - The identification of putative reinforcers is a critical component of programming
      for individuals with disabilities. A multiple stimulus without replacement
      preference assessment is one option for identifying putative reinforcers;
      however, staff must be trained on the steps necessary to conduct the assessment
      for it to be useful in practice. This study examined the effectiveness of using
      video modeling with voice-over instruction (VMVO) to train two public school
      staff to conduct this assessment. Results demonstrate that VMVO was effective in
      training, producing generalized responding, maintenance, and high social validity
      ratings.

PMID- 28352511
TI  - Learner Preference Between Massed- and Alternating-Trial Sequencing when Teaching
      Stimulus Relations to Children with Autism.
AB  - Two children with autism were assessed for preference between intersession
      distribution of mastered and unknown instructional trials on a computerized
      matching-to-sample task consisting of 12 total learning opportunities. Choice
      responses yielded presentation of either massed-trial sequencing (six unknown/six
      mastered stimuli relations or vice-versa) or alternating-trial sequencing
      delivery (alternation of unknown and mastered stimuli relations) followed by
      reinforcement for correct responses. An extinction condition served as an
      experimental control. Both children demonstrated a preference for the alternating
      trial sequencing condition, and implications for instructional programming and
      possible effects to delays to higher rates of reinforcement are discussed.

PMID- 28352512
TI  - Effects of Antecedent Manipulations and Social Reinforcement to Increase Lateral
      Positioning in a Premature Infant with Obstructive Sleep Apnea.
AB  - Recent research suggests supine positioning for sleeping infants is the safest
      position to prevent breathing related difficulties; however doing so can
      significantly increase obstruction in apneic infants resulting in decreased sleep
      quality. We implemented a multi-component treatment package compromised of
      antecedent interventions and parent-mediated social reinforcement to increase
      lateral positioning in a premature infant with obstructive sleep apnea. Results
      indicate that the intervention increased lateral positioning in the participant
      by over 80 % in the final phase of the study, indicating efficacy of the
      intervention. Limitations and suggestions for future research are discussed.

PMID- 28352513
TI  - Reduction of Rapid Eating in an Adolescent Female with Autism.
AB  - Rapid eating, a potentially dangerous and socially inappropriate behavior, has
      received relatively little attention in the literature. This study sought to
      extend the research in this area by further evaluating the effectiveness of a
      vibrating pager combined with a rule for increasing inter-response time between
      bites in one adolescent female diagnosed with autism. Results indicated that
      inter-response time increased from baseline only after a vocal prompt to "wait"
      was introduced across clinic and home settings. Implications for promoting
      autonomy in individuals with developmental disabilities are discussed.This
      antecedent-based intervention can easily be generalized to caregiversThe
      unobtrusive nature of the intervention allows for implementation in inclusive
      settingsThere are implications for promoting social skills in naturalistic
      environmentsThe intervention can promote independence through teaching self
      management.

PMID- 28352514
TI  - Training Staff to Avoid Problem Behavior Related to Restricting Access to
      Preferred Activities.
AB  - Some training programs for staff working with individuals with intellectual
      disabilities fail to equip staff with the practical skills necessary to prevent
      behavioral episodes. The current research describes the results of a staff
      training program that, following traditional didactic training, used a card game
      followed by role-play training to increase staff competence in managing problem
      behavior. The card game and role-play training was based on behavioral episodes
      that had occurred previously in the research setting. Post-training observations
      showed that treatment integrity of trained staff improved.

PMID- 28352515
TI  - Physical activity levels and pattern of use for youth participants at a
      traditional aquatic venue.
AB  - In an effort to encourage youth to acquire recommended levels of moderate to
      vigorous physical activity (MVPA), we need to examine affordances available to
      enhance opportunities. Included for consideration should be built environments
      such as swimming pools which can have significant impacts through leisure service
      delivery to promote active lifestyles. For this study, The System for Observing
      Play and Recreation in Communities (SOPARC), was employed at a traditional
      aquatic venue during July and August in the Midwestern region of the U.S. Data
      was collected on three physical activity postures for youths age 4 to 18 along
      with variables including: (a) age, (b) gender, (c) physical activity posture, and
      (d) areas of participation termed target areas. A total of 3780 observations were
      taken into account during analysis. To detect differences among key variables,
      One-Way ANOVA and t-tests were performed. Descriptive results indicated that MVPA
      accounted for 70% of activity in the aquatic venue. Overall, female youths
      generated more MVPA within target areas compared to males, and youth as a single
      group consistently scored higher in all target areas as well as overall in MVPA.
      Significant differences were discovered in relation to several target areas.
      Findings from the study indicate that the use of a traditional aquatic venue can
      have positive impacts on youth physical activity and assist in meeting national
      standards for daily requirements of MVPA. It is also indicated that design
      features of an aquatic venue can play a role in determining levels of engagement
      and physical activity.

PMID- 28352516
TI  - Extensive carotid atherosclerosis and the diagnostic accuracy of coronary risk
      calculators.
AB  - Preventive therapy in primary care is guided by risk thresholds for future
      cardiovascular events. We aimed to assess whether the sensitivity of various risk
      calculators for the detection of subclinical carotid atherosclerosis (TPA80)
      could be improved by lowering risk thresholds in younger age groups. We compared
      sensitivity, specificity, and discriminatory performance of SCORE, SCORE-HDL,
      PROCAM, AGLA, FRAM and PCE coronary risk calculators to detect total plaque area
      > 80 mm2 (TPA80), a coronary risk equivalent, in age groups 40-55, 56-65, 66-75
      from Germany (DE, N = 2942) and Switzerland (CH, N = 2202) during the years 2002
      to 2016. All calculators showed good to moderate discriminatory performance to
      detect TPA80 with AUC ranging from 0.74 (CH-AGLA) to 0.87 (DE- SCORE), but the
      sensitivity of high risk risk thresholds varied widely from 39% for DE-FRAM-CVD
      to 5% for CH-AGLA. Lowering of the risk threshold increased sensitivity
      substantially at the expense of minor losses in specificity, but the sensitivity
      generally remained < 45% at the 90% specificity threshold. Current risk
      thresholds of American and European coronary risk calculators have a low
      sensitivity to detect TPA80 in younger individuals.

PMID- 28352517
TI  - Hidden Renal Artery Pseudoaneurysm: The Need for Repeat Angiographic Intervention
      in a Symptomatic Patient.
AB  - Renal artery pseudoaneurysm (RAP) is a well-known and life-threatening
      complication of partial nephrectomies. Angioembolization is the preferred
      intervention, allowing for visualization, diagnosis, and treatment in 96% of
      cases. We report a case of a pseudoaneurysm that was difficult to diagnose even
      with optimal technique, requiring repeat imaging and additional angiographic
      intervention. Our case shows that RAP after partial nephrectomies may be
      difficult to diagnose even with high suspicion and appropriate technique. Repeat
      angiography may be required. Urologists and interventional radiologists together
      must keep RAP high on the differential even after a negative angiogram to
      adequately diagnose and treat symptomatic patients.

PMID- 28352518
TI  - Isolation and characterization of arsenic-resistant bacteria and possible
      application in bioremediation.
AB  - Ground water arsenic contamination is a widespread problem in many developing
      countries including Bangladesh and India. In recent years development of modern
      innovative technologies for the removal of arsenic from aqueous system has become
      an interesting topic for research. In this present study, two rod shaped Gram
      positive bacteria are being reported, isolated from arsenic affected ground water
      of Purbasthali block of Burdwan, West Bengal, India, which can tolerate arsenate
      concentration up to 4500 ppm and 550 ppm of arsenite concentration. From
      biochemical analysis and 16S rRNA sequencing, they were identified as Bacillus
      sp. and Aneurinibacillus aneurinilyticus respectively. The isolates SW2 and SW4
      can remove 51.45% and 51.99% of arsenite and 53.29% and 50.37% of arsenate,
      respectively from arsenic containing culture media. Both of the isolate can
      oxidize arsenite to less toxic arsenate. These two arsenic resistant bacteria can
      be used as a novel pathway for the bioremediation of arsenic.

PMID- 28352519
TI  - Heterotrophic cultivation of Nannochloropsis salina for enhancing biomass and
      lipid production.
AB  - Response surface methodology (RSM) was used to enhance the biomass and lipid
      content in Nannochloropsis salina due to its economic importance. Preliminary
      screening results revealed that the heterotrophically cultivated N. salina with
      various carbon and nitrogen sources yielded higher biomass (0.91 +/- 0.0035 g/L)
      and lipid content (37.1 +/- 0.49 mg/L) than that of the photoautotrophical
      cultivation (0.21 +/- 0.009 g/L and 22.16 +/- 0.27 mg/L). Significant sources
      that greatly influenced on biomass and lipid content of the alga were optimized
      through RSM. The medium consisting of glucose (7.959 g/L), sodium acetate (1.46
      g/L), peptone (7.6 g/L) and sodium thiosulphate (1.05 g/L) was found to be the
      optimal concentration for heterotrophic cultivation by response optimizer.
      Confirmation experiment results for the RSM optimized concentration yielded the
      biomass of 1.85 g/L and total lipid content of 48.6 mg/L. In this study, we
      provide with a strategy for enhancing the biomass and lipid content in N. salina.

PMID- 28352521
TI  - Use of response surface method for maximizing the production of arginine
      deiminase by Pseudomonas putida.
AB  - Statistically designed experiments were used to optimize the production of
      arginine deiminase (ADI) by Pseudomonas putida KT2440 in batch culture. A
      Plackett-Burman design involving eleven factors showed that ADI production was
      most influenced by the initial pH and the initial concentrations of glucose and
      yeast extract. A central composite experimental design showed that the optimal
      values of these factors were 8.0, 10 g/L and 12.5 g/L, respectively. The other
      components of the optimal culture medium were bacto peptone 7.5 g/L, Triton X-100
      0.30% (v/v), and arginine 3 g/L, for a culture temperature of 25  degrees C.
      Compared with the basal medium, the ADI activity in the optimized medium had
      nearly 4.5-fold increase (4.31 U/mL). The optimized medium was then used for a
      further study of ADI production in a 14 L stirred tank bioreactor. The agitation
      speed and the aeration rates were varied to determine suitable values of these
      variables.

PMID- 28352520
TI  - Approach toward enhancement of halophilic protease production by Halobacterium
      sp. strain LBU50301 using statistical design response surface methodology.
AB  - A new potent halophilic protease producer, Halobacterium sp. strain LBU50301 was
      isolated from salt-fermented fish samples (budu) and identified by phenotypic
      analysis, and 16S rDNA gene sequencing. Thereafter, sequential statistical
      strategy was used to optimize halophilic protease production from Halobacterium
      sp. strain LBU50301 by shake-flask fermentation. The classical one-factor-at-a
      time (OFAT) approach determined gelatin was the best nitrogen source. Based on
      Plackett-Burman (PB) experimental design; gelatin, MgSO4.7H2O, NaCl and pH
      significantly influenced the halophilic protease production. Central composite
      design (CCD) determined the optimum level of medium components. Subsequently, an
      8.78-fold increase in corresponding halophilic protease yield (156.22 U/mL) was
      obtained, compared with that produced in the original medium (17.80 U/mL).
      Validation experiments proved the adequacy and accuracy of model, and the results
      showed the predicted value agreed well with the experimental values. An overall
      13-fold increase in halophilic protease yield was achieved using a 3 L laboratory
      fermenter and optimized medium (231.33 U/mL).

PMID- 28352522
TI  - Dual bioimprinting of Thermomyces lanuginosus lipase for synthesis of biodiesel.
AB  - Use of biodiesel as an alternative to non-renewable sources of energy has become
      an attractive option in recent years. The enzymatic synthesis of biodiesel by
      transesterification of fats/oils with an alcohol is a much more sustainable route
      than the chemical method. However, cost effectiveness of the enzymatic route is a
      major barrier in its commercialization. In this work, a high activity biocatalyst
      design of Thermomyces lanuginosus lipase is made by dually bioimprinting it with
      substrate and a surfactant (which is believed to open up the lid covering the
      active site of the lipase) during precipitation of the lipase in organic solvent.
      When the lipase was bioimprinted with only the surfactants, 28 U of the enzyme/g
      of oil could yield 99% biodiesel from soybean oil in about 4 h. However, when
      dually bioimprinted even very low enzyme load 1.4 U/g of oil, yielded 99%
      biodiesel within 48 h.

PMID- 28352523
TI  - Immobilisation of cyclodextrin glucanotransferase into polyvinyl alcohol (PVA)
      nanofibres via electrospinning.
AB  - Immobilisation of cyclodextrin glucanotransferase (CGTase) on nanofibres was
      demonstrated. CGTase solution (1% v/v) and PVA (8 wt%) solution were mixed
      followed by electrospinning (-9 kV, 3 h). CGTase/PVA nanofibres with an average
      diameter of 176 +/- 46 nm were successfully produced. The nanofibres that consist
      of immobilised CGTase were crosslinked with glutaraldehyde vapour. A CGTase/PVA
      film made up from the same mixture and treated the same way was used as a control
      experiment. The immobilised CGTase on nanofibres showed superior performance with
      nearly a 2.5 fold higher enzyme loading and 31% higher enzyme activity in
      comparison with the film.

PMID- 28352524
TI  - Immobilization of omega-transaminase by magnetic PVA-Fe3O4 nanoparticles.
AB  - omega-Transaminase (omega-TA) as a kind of important biocatalyst is widely used
      in preparation of chiral intermediates. In this paper, a magnetic PVA-Fe3O4
      nanoparticles was prepared and employed on immobilization of omega-TA to reduce
      the cost, increase reusability and enhance stability. The prepared magnetic PVA
      Fe3O4 nanoparticles were characterized by transmission electron microscope (TEM),
      X-ray diffraction (XRD) and vibrating sample magnetometer (VSM). The average size
      of magnetic PVA-Fe3O4 nanoparticles was located between 30-40 nm omega-TA was
      immobilized onto magnetic PVA-Fe3O4 nanoparticles via glutaraldehyde cross
      linking, achieving a wider pH range as 6-8 and also a better thermal stability at
      60  degrees C. Meanwhile, the immobilized omega-TA could be successfully reused
      for 13 times in biotransformation. These results therefore indicated that the
      immobilized omega-TA with high stability might be readily utilized in industrial
      purposes.

PMID- 28352525
TI  - Conjugation of biotin-coated luminescent quantum dots with single domain antibody
      rhizavidin fusions.
AB  - Straightforward and effective methods are required for the bioconjugation of
      proteins to surfaces and particles. Previously we demonstrated that the fusion of
      a single domain antibody with the biotin binding molecule rhizavidin provided a
      facile method to coat biotin-modified surfaces with a highly active and oriented
      antibody. Here, we constructed similar single domain antibody-rhizavidin fusions
      as well as unfused rhizavidin with a His-tag. The unfused rhizavidin produced
      efficiently and its utility for assay development was demonstrated in surface
      plasmon resonance experiments. The single domain antibody-rhizavidin fusions were
      utilized to coat quantum dots that had been prepared with surface biotins.
      Preparation of antibody coated quantum dots by this means was found to be both
      easy and effective. The prepared single domain antibody-quantum dot reagent was
      characterized by surface plasmon resonance and applied to toxin detection in a
      fluoroimmunoassay sensing format.

PMID- 28352526
TI  - Influence of nutrient media on callus induction, somatic embryogenesis and plant
      regeneration in selected Turkish crocus species.
AB  - Callus induction, somatic embryogenesis and plant regeneration were initiated in
      selected five species of Turkish crocus using three diffrent explants (leaf, stem
      and corm) cultured on four different media (MS, GB5, LS and CHE). The highest
      frequencies of callus induction (100%) and shoot regeneration (70%, with 7.2
      shoots/callus) were found in the crocus species Crocus oliveri ssp. Oliveri,
      using the MS medium containing 5% (w/v) sucrose supplemented with (4 mg/L NAA + 4
      mg/L TDZ) and (2 mg/L IAA + 2 mg/L TDZ + 2 mg/L BAP). When the embryogenic calli
      were transferred into the four nutrient media containing (2 mg/L IAA + 2 mg/L
      TDZ) and 100 mg/L ABA, these further developed into cotyledonary embryos. Maximum
      number of somatic embryos (2.9 embryos per leaf explant, with a frequency 46.6%)
      was obtained in C. oliveri ssp. Oliveri. During subculture using the half
      strength media, cotyledonary embryos gradually developed into plantlets.

PMID- 28352528
TI  - Microbial production of succinic acid using crude and purified glycerol from a
      Crotalaria juncea based biorefinery.
AB  - Microbial conversion of crude and purified glycerol obtained in the process of
      biorefining Crotalaria juncea is carried out to produce succinic acid using
      Escherichia coli. Batch tests are performed for nine different substrate
      concentrations of commercial, purified and crude glycerol, in order to observe
      cell growth and substrate utilization rate. Inhibitory (Halden-Andrew, Aiba
      Edward, Tessier type and Andrews) as well as non-inhibitory (Monod, Moser and
      Tessier) models are fitted to the relationship between specific growth rate and
      substrate concentration obtained from the growth curves. Considering the
      inhibition effect, Aiba-Edward model ranked 1 out of 7 in case of two samples and
      Haldane-Andrew model ranked 1 in case of one sample. Aiba-Edward model gave the
      best fitment for a large range of concentrations of all the three types of
      glycerol, crude, purified and laboratory grade. Maximum production of succinic
      acid is obtained from commercial glycerol at pH 7 and 37.5  degrees C.

PMID- 28352527
TI  - Production strategies for active heme-containing peroxidases from E. coli
      inclusion bodies - a review.
AB  - Heme-containing peroxidases are frequently used in medical applications. However,
      these enzymes are still extracted from their native source, which leads to
      inadequate yields and a mixture of isoenzymes differing in glycosylation which
      limits subsequent enzyme applications. Thus, recombinant production of these
      enzymes in Escherichia coli is a reasonable alternative. Even though production
      yields are high, the product is frequently found as protein aggregates called
      inclusion bodies (IBs). These IBs have to be solubilized and laboriously refolded
      to obtain active enzyme. Unfortunately, refolding yields are still very low
      making the recombinant production of these enzymes in E. coli not competitive.
      Motivated by the high importance of that enzyme class, this review aims at
      providing a comprehensive summary of state-of-the-art strategies to obtain active
      peroxidases from IBs. Additionally, various refolding techniques, which have not
      yet been used for this enzyme class, are discussed to show alternative and
      potentially more efficient ways to obtain active peroxidases from E. coli.

PMID- 28352529
TI  - Simultaneous production of detergent stable keratinolytic protease, amylase and
      biosurfactant by Bacillus subtilis PF1 using agro industrial waste.
AB  - The present study is an attempt to optimize simultaneous production of
      keratinolytic protease, amylase and biosurfactant from feather meal, potato peel
      and rape seed cake in a single media by response surface methodology to evaluate
      their biochemical properties for detergent additive. The optimization was carried
      out using 20 run, 3 factor and 5-level of central composite design on design
      expert software which resulted in a 1.2, 0.84 and 2.28 fold increase in protease,
      amylase and biosurfactant production. The proteolytic activity was found to be
      optimum at pH 9.0 and 60  degrees C while optimum amylolytic activity was
      recorded at pH 6.0 and 70  degrees C respectively. Both enzymes were found to be
      stable in the presence of organic solvents, ionic and commercial detergent and
      oxidizing agents. The biosurfactant was extracted with chloroform and was found
      to be stable at varying pH and temperature; however a reduction in the activity
      was observed at temperature higher than 70  degrees C. The isolated enzymes and
      biosurfactants may find applications in the effective removal of stains.

PMID- 28352531
TI  - Effect of increasing salinity on biogas production in waste landfills with
      leachate recirculation: A lab-scale model study.
AB  - The effects of salinity on anaerobic waste degradation and microbial communities
      were investigated, in order to propose an appropriate leachate recirculation
      process in a waste landfill in a tropical region. A salt concentration of 21 mS
      cm-1 of electrical conductivity (EC) did not affect waste degradation, but a salt
      concentration of 35 mS cm-1 of EC inhibited CH4 generation. A higher salt
      concentration of 80 mS cm-1 of EC inhibited not only CH4 and CO2 generation, but
      also degradation of organic compounds. The bacterial and archaeal community
      compositions were affected by high salinity. High salinity can exert selective
      pressure on bacterial communities, resulting in a change in bacterial community
      structure. Ammonium caused strong, dominant inhibition of biogas production in
      the salt concentration range of this study. Quality control, especially of
      ammonium levels, will be essential for the promotion of waste biodegradation in
      landfills with leachate recirculation.

PMID- 28352530
TI  - The gamma-aminobutyric acid-producing ability under low pH conditions of lactic
      acid bacteria isolated from traditional fermented foods of Ishikawa Prefecture,
      Japan, with a strong ability to produce ACE-inhibitory peptides.
AB  - Many traditional fermented products are onsumed in Ishikawa Prefecture, Japan,
      such as kaburazushi, narezushi, konkazuke, and ishiru. Various kinds of lactic
      acid bacteria (LAB) are associated with their fermentation, however,
      characterization of LAB has not yet been elucidated in detail. In this study, we
      evaluated 53 isolates of LAB from various traditional fermented foods by
      taxonomic classification at the species level by analyzing the 16S ribosomal RNA
      gene (rDNA) sequences and carbohydrate assimilation abilities. We screened
      isolates that exhibited high angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitory
      activities in skim milk or soy protein media and produced high gamma-aminobutyric
      acid (GABA) concentrations in culture supernatants when grown in de Man Rogosa
      Sharpe broth in the presence of 1% (w/v) glutamic acid. The results revealed that
      10 isolates, i.e., Lactobacillus buchneri (2 isolates), Lactobacillus brevis (6
      isolates), and Weissella hellenica (2 isolates) had a high GABA-producing ability
      of >500 mg/100 ml after 72 h of incubation at 35  degrees C. The ACE inhibitory
      activity of the whey cultured with milk protein by using L. brevis (3 isolates),
      L. buchneri (2 isolates), and W. hellenica (2 isolates) was stronger than that of
      all whey cultured with soy protein media, and these IC50 were < 1 mg protein/ml.
      Three of 10 isolates had high GABA-producing activities at pH 3, suggesting that
      they could be powerful candidates for use in the fermentation of food materials
      having low pH.

PMID- 28352533
TI  - Conquering climate change: The vital role of industrial biotechnology to meet
      Paris Agreement's ambitious goals.

PMID- 28352532
TI  - Strategies to enhance the production of photosynthetic pigments and lipids in
      chlorophycae species.
AB  - Microalgae are a major natural source for a vast array of valuable compounds as
      lipids, proteins, carbohydrates, pigments among others. Despite many
      applications, only a few species of microalgae are cultured commercially because
      of poorly developed of cultivation process. Nowadays some strategies of culture
      have been used for enhancing biomass and value compounds yield. The most
      strategies applied to microalgae are classified into two groups: nutrimental and
      physical. The nutrimental are considered as change in media composition as
      nitrogen and phosphorous limitation and changes in carbon source, while physical
      are described as manipulation in operational conditions and external factors such
      as application of high-light intensities, medium salinity and electromagnetic
      fields. The exposition to electromagnetic field is a promising technique that can
      improve the pigments and biomass yield in microalgae culture. Therefore, is
      important to describe the advantages and applications of the overall process. The
      aim of this review was to describe the main culture strategies used to improve
      the photosynthetic and lipids content in chlorophyceae species.

PMID- 28352535
TI  - Bioimprinting as a tool for the detection of aflatoxin B1 using a capacitive
      biosensor.
AB  - A strategy for the detection of aflatoxin B1 using a capacitive biosensor has
      been studied. The use of proteins for the generation of sites with high
      specificity against aflatoxin B1 are produced via bioimprinting. This technique
      has become a tool for the detection of aflatoxin B1 using a capacitive biosensor.
      The results demonstrate the ability to generate specific interactions with
      aflatoxin B1 with a linear relation between signals registered and log
      concentration of the target aflatoxin in the concentration range of 3.2 * 10-6 to
      3.2 * 10-9 M when using ovalbumin as framework for the bioimprinting.

PMID- 28352534
TI  - The morphology of Ganoderma lucidum mycelium in a repeated-batch fermentation for
      exopolysaccharide production.
AB  - The morphology of Ganoderma lucidum BCCM 31549 mycelium in a repeated-batch
      fermentation (RBF) was studied for exopolysaccharide (EPS) production. RBF was
      optimised for time to replace and volume to replace. G. lucidum mycelium showed
      the ability to self-immobilise and exhibited high stability for repeated use in
      RBF with engulfed pellets. Furthermore, the ovoid and starburst-like pellet
      morphology was disposed to EPS production in the shake flask and bioreactor,
      respectively. Seven RBF could be carried out in 500 mL flasks, and five repeated
      batches were performed in a 2 L bioreactor. Under RBF conditions, autolysis of
      pellet core in the shake flask and shaving off of the outer hairy region in the
      bioreactor were observed at the later stages of RBF (R4 for the shake flask and
      R6 for the bioreactor). The proposed strategy showed that the morphology of G.
      lucidum mycelium can withstand extended fermentation cycles.

PMID- 28352536
TI  - Nitrogen and phosphate removal from wastewater with a mixed microalgae and
      bacteria culture.
AB  - Microalgae are able to convert nutrients (nitrogen and phosphorus) from
      wastewater into biomass and bio-products, thus improving the sustainability of
      wastewater treatment. In High Rate Algal Ponds (HRAP), biomass productivity and
      water treatment efficiency are highly dependent on environmental parameters such
      as temperature, light intensity and photoperiod. The influence of temperature and
      photoperiod on biomass productivity and the removal of dissolved nitrogen and
      phosphorus from municipal wastewater by a native microalgae-bacteria consortium
      was assessed in batch cultures in view of the development of an HRAP at a larger
      scale. Temperature affected the growth rate and microalgae biomass production as
      well as ammonium and phosphate removal rates. At the temperatures 15 and 25 
      degrees C, the average total nitrogen and phosphorus removal extents ranged from
      72 to 83% and 100% respectively. Additionally 33.0 +/- 0.1% of the total nitrogen
      was eliminated by stripping at 25  degrees C, and 50 +/- 2% was assimilated by
      the microorganisms under all conditions tested.

PMID- 28352537
TI  - Functional characterization of biomedical potential of biosurfactant produced by
      Lactobacillus helveticus.
AB  - Various lactic acid bacteria (LAB) have been isolated and screened for
      biosurfactant production and their biomedical and food applications.
      Additionally, various different concentrations of the biosurfactant (0.625-25 mg
      ml-1) were used to evaluate its antimicrobial and antiadhesive potential against
      a range of pathogenic microorganisms. Biosurfactant was found to be stable to pH
      changes over a range of 4.0-12.0, being most effective at pH 7 and showed no
      apparent loss of surface tension and emulsification efficiency after heat
      treatment at 125  degrees C for 15 min. Present study demonstrated that
      biosurfactant obtained from Lactobacillus helveticus has the ability to
      counteract effectively the initial deposition of biofilm forming pathogens to
      silicone surfaces and to significantly sluggish biofilm growth.

PMID- 28352538
TI  - Single step biotransformation of corn oil phytosterols to boldenone by a newly
      isolated Pseudomonas aeruginosa.
AB  - A new potent Pseudomonas aeruginosa isolate capable for biotransformation of corn
      oil phytosterol (PS) to 4-androstene-3, 17-dione (AD), testosterone (T) and
      boldenone (BOL) was identified by phenotypic analysis and 16S rRNA gene
      sequencing. Sequential statistical strategy was used to optimize the
      biotransformation process mainly concerning BOL using Factorial design and
      response surface methodology (RSM). The production of BOL in single step
      microbial biotransformation from corn oil phytosterols by P. aeruginosa was not
      previously reported. Results showed that the pH concentration of the medium,
      (NH4)2SO4 and KH2PO4 were the most significant factors affecting BOL production.
      By analyzing the statistical model of three-dimensional surface plot, BOL
      production increased from 36.8% to 42.4% after the first step of optimization,
      and the overall biotransformation increased to 51.9%. After applying the second
      step of the sequential statistical strategy BOL production increased to 53.6%,
      and the overall biotransformation increased to 91.9% using the following
      optimized medium composition (g/l distilled water) (NH4)2SO4, 2; KH2PO4, 4;
      Na2HPO4. 1; MgSO4.7H2O, 0.3; NaCl, 0.1; CaCl2.2H2O, 0.1; FeSO4.7H2O, 0.001;
      ammonium acetate 0.001; Tween 80, 0.05%; corn oil 0.5%; 8-hydroxyquinoline 0.016;
      pH 8; 200 rpm agitation speed and incubation time 36 h at 30  degrees C.
      Validation experiments proved the adequacy and accuracy of model, and the results
      showed the predicted value agreed well with the experimental values.

PMID- 28352539
TI  - Antimicrobial activities of secondary metabolites and phylogenetic study of
      sponge endosymbiotic bacteria, Bacillus sp. at Agatti Island, Lakshadweep
      Archipelago.
AB  - Twenty-one species of sponges were recorded under the class of Demospongiae and
      Calcareous sponges of which 19 species were new to Agatti reef. A total of 113
      Sponge endosymbiotic bacterial strains were isolated from twenty-one species of
      sponges and screened for antimicrobial activity. Five bacterial strains of sponge
      endosymbiotic bacteria (SEB) namely SEB32, SEB33, SEB36, SEB43 and SEB51 showed
      antimicrobial activity against virulent marine fish pathogens such as Vibrio
      alginolyticus, Vibrio vulnificus, Vibrio parahaemolyticus, Aeromonas salmonicida,
      Flavobacterium sp., Edwardsiella sp., Proteus mirabilis and Citrobacter brackii.
      The secondary metabolites produced by SEB32 from sponge Dysidea fragilis
      (Montagu, 1818) [48] was selected with broad range of antibacterial activity and
      subjected for production, characterization by series of chromatography techniques
      and spectroscopic methods. Based on the results of FT-IR and mass spectrometry,
      the active molecule was tentatively predicted as "Pyrrol" and the structure is
      Pyrrolo[1,2-a]pyrazine-1,4-dione, hexahydro- with molecular formula of C7H10N2O2.
      The LC50 of active molecule was 31 MUg/ml and molecular weight of the metabolites
      was 154. The potential strain SEB32 was identified by gene sequence (GenBank
      Accession number JX985748) and identified as Bacillus sp. from GenBank database.

PMID- 28352540
TI  - Promoter, transgene, and cell line effects in the transfection of mammalian cells
      using PDMAEMA-based nano-stars.
AB  - Non-viral transfection protocols are typically optimized using standard cells and
      reporter proteins, potentially underestimating cellular or transgene effects.
      Here such effects were studied for two human (Jurkat, HEK-293) and two rodent
      (CHO-K1, L929) cell lines and three fluorescent reporter proteins. Expression of
      the enhanced green fluorescent protein (EGFP) was studied under the control of
      the human elongation factor 1 alpha promoter and three viral promoters (SV40,
      SV40/enhancer, CMV), that of ZsYellow1 (yellow fluorescence) and mCherry (red
      fluorescence) for the CMV promoter. Results varied with the cell line, in
      particular for the Jurkat cells. Pair-wise co-transfection of the CMV controlled
      transgenes resulted in a significant fraction of monochromatic cells (EGFP for
      EGFP/YFP and EGFP/RFP co-transfections, YFP in case of YFP/RFP co-transfections).
      Only Jurkat cells were almost incapable of expressing YFP. Dilution of the
      plasmid DNA with a non-expressed plasmid showed cell line dependent effects on
      transfection efficiency and/or expression levels.

PMID- 28352541
TI  - Incorporation of a tag helps to overcome expression variability in a recombinant
      host.
AB  - Epigenetics have witnessed a renewed interest over the past decade and assays
      with recombinant histones has become an important tool for uncovering various
      aspects of histone biology. However, at times absence of recombinant histone
      accumulation in bacteria is encountered which is also commonly observed for many
      eukaryotic proteins in general. In this study, we have investigated the effect of
      multiple parameters on heterologous expression of proteins. We show that there is
      marked variability in the accumulation of H2A.2, H2B.1, H3.2 and H4 in the
      recombinant host, possibly owing to translational variability and degradation by
      the host proteases. We found that the variability could be overcome by
      incorporation of the commonly used purification tags, like GST or MBP, of
      appropriate size and position. Our results provide compelling evidence that
      transcript parameters like rare codon and GC content, mRNA secondary structure
      etc. together modulate translation kinetics and govern recombinant protein
      accumulation.

PMID- 28352542
TI  - Biosynthesis of silver nanoparticle and its application in cell wall disruption
      to release carbohydrate and lipid from C. vulgaris for biofuel production.
AB  - Microalgae are the fledging feedstocks yielding raw materials for the production
      of third generation biofuel. Assorted and conventional cell wall disruption
      techniques were helpful in extracting lipids and carbohydrates, nevertheless the
      disadvantages have led the biotechnologists to explore new process to lyse cell
      wall in a faster and an economical manner. Silver nanoparticles have the ability
      to break the cell wall of microalgae and release biomolecules effectively. Green
      synthesis of silver nanoparticles was performed using a novel bacterial isolate
      of Bacillus subtilis. Characterisation of nanosilver and its effect on cell wall
      lysis of microalgae were extensively analysed. Cell wall damage was confirmed by
      lactate dehydrogenase assay and visually by SEM analysis. This first piece of
      research work on direct use of nanoparticles for cell wall lysis would
      potentially be advantageous over its conventional approaches and a greener, cost
      effective and non laborious method for the production of biodiesel.

PMID- 28352543
TI  - Production of mycophenolic acid by Penicillium brevicompactum-A comparison of two
      methods of optimization.
AB  - Production of mycophenolic acid (MPA) by submerged fermentation using the
      microfungus Penicillium brevicompactum MTCC 8010 is reported here. Screening
      experiments were used to identify: the suitable media composition; the optimal
      initial pH; and the optimal incubation temperature to maximize the production of
      MPA in batch cultures. The initial concentrations of the selected sources of
      carbon (glucose), nitrogen (peptone) and the precursors (methionine, glycine)
      were then optimized by: (1) one-at-a-time variation of factors; and (2) a central
      composite design (CCD) of experiments, in a 12-day batch culture at an initial pH
      of 5.0, an incubation temperature of 25  degrees C, and an agitation speed of 200
      rpm. The medium optimized using the one-at-a-time variation yielded a peak MPA
      titer of 1232 +/- 90 mg/L. The medium optimized by the CCD method yielded a 40%
      higher MPA titer of 1737 +/- 55 mg/L. The latter value was nearly 9-fold greater
      than the titer achieved prior to optimization.

PMID- 28352544
TI  - Efficient production of recombinant PP2A at a low temperature using a baculovirus
      expression system.
AB  - Protein phosphatase 2A (PP2A) is an enzyme useful for detecting several natural
      toxins represented by okadaic acid and microcystins. We found that the production
      of the recombinant human PP2A catalytic subunit (rhPP2Ac) in High Five insect
      cells could markedly increase when the cells were cultured at 19  degrees C
      instead of 27  degrees C used under conventional conditions. The yield and purity
      of the enzyme increased four- and three-folds, respectively. The benefit of the
      altered culturing temperature was observed with the recombinant human protein
      phosphatase 2B but not 2Calpha. The different responses among the enzymes suggest
      the involvement of an enzyme-specific mechanism that leads to the catalytic
      subunit overexpression. This is the first report to produce rhPP2Ac at a
      temperature lower than that used under conventional culture conditions (27 
      degrees C) used in the baculovirus expression system with High Five insect cells.

PMID- 28352545
TI  - KP4 to control Ustilago tritici in wheat: Enhanced greenhouse resistance to loose
      smut and changes in transcript abundance of pathogen related genes in infected
      KP4 plants.
AB  - Ustilago tritici causes loose smut, which is a seed-borne fungal disease of
      wheat, and responsible for yield losses up to 40%. Loose smut is a threat to seed
      production in developing countries where small scale farmers use their own
      harvest as seed material. The killer protein 4 (KP4) is a virally encoded toxin
      from Ustilago maydis and inhibits growth of susceptible races of fungi from the
      Ustilaginales. Enhanced resistance in KP4 wheat to stinking smut, which is caused
      by Tilletia caries, had been reported earlier. We show that KP4 in genetically
      engineered wheat increased resistance to loose smut up to 60% compared to the non
      KP4 control under greenhouse conditions. This enhanced resistance is dose and
      race dependent. The overexpression of the transgene kp4 and its effect on fungal
      growth have indirect effects on the expression of endogenous pathogen defense
      genes.

PMID- 28352546
TI  - Bioactivities of fish protein hydrolysates from defatted salmon backbones.
AB  - Bioactivities of bulk fish protein hydrolysates (FPH) from defatted salmon
      backbones obtained with eight different commercial enzymes and their combinations
      were tested. All FPH showed antioxidative activity in vitro. DPPH scavenging
      activity increased, while iron chelating ability decreased with increasing time
      of hydrolysis. All FPH showed ACE inhibiting effect which depended on type of
      enzyme and increased with time of hydrolysis. The highest effect was found for
      FPH produced with Trypsin. Bromelain + Papain hydrolysates reduced the uptake of
      radiolabelled glucose into CaCo-2 cells, a model of human enterocytes, indicating
      a potential antidiabetic effect of FPH. FPH obtained by Trypsin, Bromelain +
      Papain and Protamex showed the highest ACE inhibitory, cellular glucose
      transporter (GLUT/SGLT) inhibitory and in vitro antioxidative activities,
      respectively. Correlation was observed between the measured bioactivities, degree
      of hydrolysis and molecular weight profiles, supporting prolonged hydrolysis to
      obtain high bioactivities.

PMID- 28352547
TI  - Evaluation of the composition of Carica papaya L. seed oil extracted with
      supercritical CO2.
AB  - Among the most important tropical fruit grown in the world today and in Brazil,
      papaya occupies a prominent place. Native to tropical America, papaya has spread
      to several regions of the world, and Brazil accounts for 12.74% of the world
      production, followed by Mexico, Nigeria and India. The culture reached a
      harvested area of 441,042 ha and production of 12,420,585 t worldwide. The
      largest interest in this fruit relies on its main constituent compounds, like
      vitamins A, B and C, alkaloids (carpaine and pseudocarpaine), proteolytic enzymes
      (papain and quimiopapain) and benzyl isothiocyanate, more known as BITC, which
      has anthelmintic activity. Because of that, the present work has as objective the
      evaluation of the efficiency and composition of the oil extracted from Carica
      papaya L. seeds with supercritical carbon dioxide. The experiments were performed
      in a unit containing mainly a high-pressure pump and a stainless steel extractor
      with 42 mL of volume. The sampling was performed at each 20 min until the
      saturation of the process. About 6.5 g of sample were fed for each experiment
      done at 40, 60 and 80  degrees C under the pressures of 100, 150 and 200 bar.
      Samples of the Carica papaya L. fruit were acquired in a popular market and free
      for personal use intended for the study. After collection, the seeds were crushed
      with the help of a pestle, and dried at 60  degrees C for 60 min. For each
      operational condition, the extraction curves were constructed relating cumulative
      mass of oil extracted in function of the operational time. The better
      efficiencies were found at 40  degrees C and 200 bar (1.33%) followed by 80 
      degrees C and 200 bar (2.56%). Gas chromatography and NMR analysis could identify
      an insecticide component (BITC) that enables new applications of this residue in
      pharmaceutical and chemical industries.

PMID- 28352548
TI  - High cell density cultivation of six fungal strains efficient in azo dye
      bioremediation.
AB  - This work aims at optimizing the high cell density fungal cultivation for
      producing large quantities of fungal biomass to be used in azo dye residues
      bioremediation. In our previous studies the efficacy of using certain fungal
      strains to decolorize a range of commercial textile dyes of different structures
      (azo, disazo) were investigated. Several promising fungal strains belonging to
      Aspergillus tubigenesis, Aspergillus niger, Aspergillus terreus, and Aspergillus
      fumigates demonstrated high capacity in decolorizing various azo dyes. This study
      focuses on the high cell density cultivation of the fungal strains identified as
      potential bioremediation agents. The study includes the optimization of all
      parameters involved in bioprocess development for high cell density cultivation
      of six promising fungal strains. The growth of the fungal strains was tested on
      the sucrose medium in 7 l-fermenter. The growth of these fungal strains having
      the capacity to accumulate large quantities of biomass was also tested in medium
      containing molasses as a cheap substrate. The residual molasses, biomass dry
      weight and protein content of the six fungal strains showed that the strains 20
      and 2 were marked by the highest protein content. In this study a comparative
      analysis between the results of dry weight, residual molasses and protein content
      of geowth of the strains 20, 5 and 2 under uncontrolled and controlled pH of
      media in batch fermentation was studied to follow the accumulation of biomass and
      protein production in the growth media. The results indicate that the dry weight
      accumulated by strains No. 20, 5 and 2 grown on molasses was better than those of
      strains grown on sucrose. Fungal strain No. 5 had the highest biomass dry weight
      accumulation. The study shows that the molasses as cheaper sugar sources were
      better than sucrose for growing fungal biomass.

PMID- 28352549
TI  - Evaluation of methods for pore generation and their influence on physio-chemical
      properties of a protein based hydrogel.
AB  - Different methods to create and manipulate pore sizes in hydrogel fabrication are
      available, but systematic studies are normally conducted with hydrogels made of
      synthetic chemical compounds as backbones. In this study, a hydrogel made of
      natural and abundant protein in combination with different, well-available
      techniques was used to produce different architectures within the hydrogel
      matrix. Pore sizes and distribution are compared and resulting hydrogel
      properties like swelling ratio, resistance towards external stimuli and enzymatic
      degradation were investigated. Porous hydrogels were functionalized and two
      cancer cell lines were successfully adhered onto the material. With simple
      methods, pores with a radius between 10 and 80 MUm and channels of 25 MUm radius
      with a length of several hundreds of MUm could be created and analyzed with laser
      scanning confocal microscopy and electron microscopy respectively. Furthermore,
      the influence of different methods on swelling ratio, enzymatic degradation and
      pH and temperature resistance was observed.

PMID- 28352550
TI  - Synthesis of glycinamides using protease immobilized magnetic nanoparticles.
AB  - In the present investigation, Bacillus subtilis was isolated from slaughterhouse
      waste and screened for the production of protease enzyme. The purified protease
      was successfully immobilized on magnetic nanoparticles (MNPs) and used for the
      synthesis of series of glycinamides. The binding and thermal stability of
      protease on MNPs was confirmed by FTIR spectroscopy and TGA analysis. The surface
      morphology of MNPs before and after protease immobilization was carried out using
      SEM analysis. XRD pattern revealed no phase change in MNPs after enzyme
      immobilization. The processing parameters for glycinamides synthesis viz.
      temperature, pH, and time were optimized using Response Surface Methodology (RSM)
      by using Design Expert (9.0.6.2). The maximum yield of various amides 2
      butyramidoacetic acid (AMD-1,83.4%), 2-benzamidoacetic acid (AMD-2,80.5%) and
      2,2'((carboxymethyl) amino)-2-oxoethyl)-2-hydroxysuccinyl)bis(azanediyl))diacetic
      acid (AMD-3,80.8%) formed was observed at pH-8, 50  degrees C and 30 min. The
      synthesized immobilized protease retained 70% of the initial activity even after
      8 cycles of reuse.

PMID- 28352551
TI  - An easy method for preparation of Cre-loxP regulated fluorescent adenoviral
      expression vectors and its application for direct reprogramming into hepatocytes.
AB  - The recombinant adenoviral gene expression system is a powerful tool for gene
      delivery. However, it is difficult to obtain high titers of infectious virus,
      principally due to the toxicity of the expressed gene which affects on virus
      replication in the host HEK293 cells. To avoid these problems, we generated a Cre
      loxP-regulated fluorescent universal vector (termed pAxCALRL). This vector
      produces recombinant adenoviruses that express the red fluorescent protein (RFP)
      instead of the inserted gene during proliferation, which limits toxicity and can
      be used to monitor viral replication. Expression of the gene of interest is
      induced by co-infection with an adenovirus that expresses Cre-recombinase
      (AxCANCre). Recombinant adenovirus produced by this system that express Hnf4alpha
      and Foxa2 were used to reprogram mouse embryo fibroblast (MEF) into induced
      hepatocyte-like cells (iHep) following several rounds of infection, demonstrating
      the efficacy of this new system.

PMID- 28352552
TI  - Nucleic acid protocols: Extraction and optimization.
AB  - Yield and quality are fundamental features for any researchers during nucleic
      acid extraction. Here, we describe a simplified, semi-unified, effective, and
      toxic material free protocol for extracting DNA and RNA from different
      prokaryotic and eukaryotic sources exploiting the physical and chemical
      properties of nucleic acids. Furthermore, this protocol showed that DNA and RNA
      are under triple protection (i.e. EDTA, SDS and NaCl) during lysis step, and this
      environment is improper for RNase to have DNA liberated of RNA and even for DNase
      to degrade the DNA. Therefore, the complete removal of RNA under RNase influence
      is achieved when RNase is added after DNA extraction, which gives optimal quality
      with any protocols. Similarly, DNA contamination in an isolated RNA is degraded
      by DNase to obtain high-quality RNA. Our protocol is the protocol of choice in
      terms of simplicity, recovery time, environmental safety, amount, purity, PCR and
      RT-PCR applicability.

PMID- 28352553
TI  - Effect of amino acids on the repression of alkaline protease synthesis in
      haloalkaliphilic Nocardiopsis dassonvillei.
AB  - A newly isolated salt-tolerant alkaliphilic actinomycete, Nocardiopsis
      dassonvillei strain OK-18 grows on mineral salts medium with glucose as carbon
      source. It also grows and produces protease with amino acids as sole carbon
      source. The synthesis of extracellular alkaline protease parallel to growth was
      repressible by substrate concentrations. The absolute production of the protease
      was delinked with growth under nutritional stress, as protease production was
      high, despite poor growth. When amino acids served as the sole source of carbon
      and nitrogen, the enzyme production was significantly controlled by the number of
      amino acids. Maximal protease production was achieved with proline, asparagine,
      tyrosine, alanine, methionine and valine as sole source of carbon and nitrogen in
      minimal medium. With the increasing number of different amino acids in the
      presence and absence of glucose, the protease production was synergistically
      lower as compared to complex medium.

PMID- 28352554
TI  - Evaluation of cellobiose dehydrogenase and laccase containing culture fluids of
      Termitomyces sp. OE147 for degradation of Reactive blue 21.
AB  - This study evaluates culture filtrate, rich in cellobiose dehydrogenase and
      laccases, of Termitomyces sp. OE 147, in decolouration and degradation of
      Reactive blue (RB) 21. About 35% decolouration was achieved at low volumes of the
      culture supernatant without addition of external redox mediators. An optimized
      dye to culture fluid ratio (75 ppm: 0.1 ml) at a pH of 4-5 resulted in removal of
      colour by 60%. The degradation products of RB21 were analysed by Electron Spray
      Ionization-Mass Spectrometry and several small molecules (of m/z 106-199) were
      detected. These were concluded to be o-Xylene, 2,3-Dihydro-1H-isoindole,
      Isoindole-1,3-dione, 2,Benzenesulfonyl-ethanol, (4-Hydroxy-phenyl)-sulfamic acid,
      2,3-Dihydro-1H-isoindole-5-sulfonic acid and proposed to result from joint action
      of cellobiose dehydrogenase, laccase, peroxidases and unidentified
      oxidoreductases present in the culture fluids. Based on the products formed and
      the known reactions of these enzymes, a degradation pathway was proposed for
      RB21. The culture fluid was also effective in decolouration (by about 50%) and
      detoxification (by ~25%) of the combined effluent collected from a local mill
      indicating a treatment process that bypasses use of H2O2 and toxic mediators.

PMID- 28352555
TI  - Effective composting of empty fruit bunches using potential Trichoderma strains.
AB  - Oil palm fibres are easy to degrade, eco-friendly in nature and once composted,
      they can be categorized under nutrient-enriched biocompost. Biocompost is not
      only a good biofertilizer but also a good biocontrol agent against soil-borne
      pathogens. In this research, experimental works on the composting of empty fruit
      bunches (EFB) from the oil palm industry were conducted using two potential
      Trichoderma strains. Analysis of pH initially found the soils to be slightly
      acidic. However, after composting, the soils were found to be alkaline.
      Trichoderma propagules increased by 72% in the soils compared to other fungi.
      Soil electrical conductivity was found to be 50.40 MUS/cm for compost A, 42.10
      MUS/cm for compost B and 40.11 MUS/cm for the control. The highest C:N ratio was
      obtained for compost A at 3.33, followed by compost B at 2.79, and then the
      control at 1.55. The highest percentages of nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), and
      potassium (K) were found in compost A (0.91:2.13:6.68), which was followed by
      compost B (0.46:0.83:5.85) and then the control (0.32:0.26:5.76). Thus, the
      biocomposting of oil palm fibres shows great potential for enhancing soil
      micronutrient, plant growth performance, and crop yield production.

PMID- 28352556
TI  - Fertilization value of municipal sewage sludge for Eucalyptus camaldulensis
      plants.
AB  - The wastewater treatment produces a large amount of sludge. The different uses of
      eliminations sludge such as landfills or incineration have consequences negative
      for the environment, the agricultural use has increased worldwide, especially in
      crops and few or no studies have been conducted with forest plantations in
      Algeria. The objective of this study is to assess fertilizing characteristics of
      the sludge from the wastewater treatment plant of Tiaret (Algeria). One-year-old
      saplings of Eucalyptus camaldulensis were transplanted into pots with sludge/soil
      mixtures where sludge content was 20%, 40% and 60%. Biometric measurements
      (height, base diameter, diameter at mid-height and the number of leaves) were
      performed during six months after planting. Results demonstrated the positive
      effect of sludge application. A significant difference in height increment and
      number of leaves was found between the control and sludge-treated plants.
      Biometric values for all sludge mixtures were higher than those for control
      plants (100% soil). The mixture, which contained 60% sludge, gives the best
      result, except for a diameter of stem. Plants grown on sludge/soil mixture had
      average height 49.4 +/- 24.1 cm and average number of leaves 68.8 +/- 6.2 while
      average height for plants grown on soil was 34.3 +/- 12.8 cm and average number
      of leaves was 40 +/- 3.8. Sludge application provides soil amendment and
      additional nutrient supply for planted trees.

PMID- 28352557
TI  - Effects of phenol on physicochemical properties and treatment performances of
      partial nitrifying granules in sequencing batch reactors.
AB  - This study attempts to investigate the effect of phenol on physicochemical
      properties and treatment performances of partial nitrifying granules (PNGs). Two
      sequencing batch reactors (SBRs) fed with synthetic ammonium wastewaters were
      operated in absence (R1) or presence (R2) of phenol. The PNGs in R1 maintained
      excellent partial nitrification performance and relatively stable physicochemical
      properties, and exhibited compact and regular shaped structure with a cocci
      dominant surface. However, as phenol concentration was stepwise increased from 0
      to 300 mg/L in R2, filamentous bacteria appeared and gradually dominated within
      granules, which in turn resulted in settleability deterioration. Most notably,
      granules in R2 got easier to agglomerate in the reactor walls and then been
      washed out with effluent, leading to significant biomass loss, frequent outflow
      pipe blockage, and eventual system failure. The extracellular polymeric
      substances (EPS) contents including proteins and polysaccharides in R2 reached
      1.8 and 1.7 times of that in R1, respectively, indicating that the presence of
      phenol played an important role on EPS production. Removal efficiency of ammonium
      and phenol remained high, but dropped sharply when phenol concentration reached
      300 mg/L. Moreover, the failed maintenance of partial nitrification was observed
      due to the revival of nitrite oxidizing bacteria (NOB) within granules after
      phenol exposure, which was confirmed by quantitative fluorescence in situ
      hybridization (FISH) analysis. Overall this study demonstrates that phenol had
      negative effects on PNGs, and pretreatment to eliminate phenolic substances is
      recommended when using PNGs for wastewater treatment.

PMID- 28352558
TI  - Evaluation of in vitro antimicrobial potential and GC-MS analysis of Camellia
      sinensis and Terminalia arjuna.
AB  - Traditionally, Camellia sinensis and Terminalia arjuna are being used widely to
      cure various diseases like cardiovascular diseases, cancer etc. In the present
      study, extracts of these plants were evaluated for their antimicrobial activities
      against some human pathogenic bacteria viz. E. coli, P. aeruginosa, S. aureus and
      fungus C. albicans. In-vitro inhibition of these pathogenic microorganisms
      produced inhibition zone ranging from 9 to 18 mm. MIC values of these plant
      extracts ranged from 6.25 to 12.5 mg/ml. MBC of C. sinensis for E. coli, P.
      aeruginosa and S. aureus was found to be 50 and 12.5 mg/ml, respectively. In case
      of T. arjuna, the MBC of all the tested microorganisms was found to be 25 mg/ml.
      The MFC of C. sinensis and T. arjuna against C. albicans was observed to be 50
      and 25 mg/ml, respectively. GC-MS analysis of C. sinensis and T. arjuna extract
      identified 13 and 21 compounds, respectively.

PMID- 28352559
TI  - Cytological analysis for meiotic patterns in wild rice (Oryza rufipogon Griff.).
AB  - The present report explores the chromosomal patterns during meiosis as a
      fundamental cell division study in wild rice (Oryza rufipogon Griff.).
      Cytological assays revealed normal meiosis in most cases but in some instances
      meiotic abnormalities such as weak desynapsis, univalent and quadrivalent
      formation, translocation, spindle abnormalities and precocious movement of
      chromosomes were noticed. Interestingly, this wild species also has the bi
      nucleoli in first meiotic stages alike the cultivated species of Oryza (O.
      sativa). The present investigation emphatically addresses the questions of high
      adaptability of wild rice supported by high pollen fertility for their potential
      to strong fitness in nature.

PMID- 28352560
TI  - Systematic characterization of potential cellulolytic marine actinobacteria
      Actinoalloteichus sp. MHA15.
AB  - Cellulose is the most abounding biopolymer in the world and there is a great
      interest in using this material as a substrate for various applications and it is
      the most important renewable resource for bioconversion. Therefore, it is
      necessary to screen the cellulolytic bioorganisms. In this context,
      actinobacteria are one of the most efficient prokaryotes, economically and
      biotechnologically, for their production of about half of the discovered
      bioactive secondary metabolites and they can metabolize many different compounds.
      Therefore, the present study was carried out to isolate and screen cellulase
      enzyme producing marine actinobacterial strains from the sediments of the
      Havelock island, the Andamans. Totally, 19 morphologically distinct
      actinobacterial strains were isolated and subjected to cellulose degradation
      assay. Out of the 19, four strains were found to possess good cellulose
      degradation activity and the strain MHA15 alone produced higher amount of
      cellulase enzyme (14.379 1U/ml) than the others. Taxonomical study of the strain
      MHA15 revealed that it belongs to the genus Actinoalloteichus and the molecular
      characters showed distinct difference in its phylogenetic relationship (8.4%)
      with A. cyanogriseus.

PMID- 28352561
TI  - Synergistic effect of haloduracin and chloramphenicol against clinically
      important Gram-positive bacteria.
AB  - The emergence of drug-resistant pathogens has triggered the search for more
      efficient antimicrobial agents and formulations for treatment of infections. In
      recent years, combination therapy has become one of the effective clinical
      practices in treating infections. The present study deals with the effect of
      haloduracin, a lantibiotic bateriocin and chloramphenicol against clinically
      important bacteria. The combined use of haloduracin and chloramphenicol resulted
      in remarkable synergy against a spectrum of microorganisms including strains of
      Staphylococcus aureus, Enterococcus faecium, Enterococcus faecalis and different
      groups of Streptococcus. The synergy allowed using these antimicrobial agents at
      substantially reduced concentrations without compromising their efficiency. Use
      of lower doses of chloramphenicol can avoid the severity of its side effects. In
      addition to minimizing undesirable side effects of some drugs, this approach
      brings the possibility of using antibiotics that are no longer effective due to
      drug resistance. Furthermore, the observed synergy between haloduracin and
      chloramphenicol opens a new window of using bacteriocins and antibiotics in
      combination therapy of infections.

PMID- 28352562
TI  - The importance of arginine codons AGA and AGG for the expression in E. coli of
      triosephosphate isomerase from seven different species.
AB  - Rare arginine codons AGA and AGG affect the heterologous expression of proteins
      in Eschericha coli. The tRNAs necessary for protein synthesis are scarce in E.
      coli strain BL21(DE3) pLysS and plentiful in strain BL21(DE3) CodonPlus -RIL. We
      evaluated in both bacterial strains the effect of these rare codons on the
      expression of triosephosphate isomerases from 7 different species, whose
      sequences had different dispositions of rare arginine codons. The ratio of
      expressed protein (CP/Bl21) correlated with the number of rare codons. Our study
      shows that the number, position and particularities of the combination of rare
      Arg codons in the natural non-optimized sequences of the triosephosphate
      isomerases influence the synthesis of heterologous proteins in E. coli and could
      have implications in the selection of better sequences for engineering enzymes
      for novel or manipulated metabolic pathways or for the expression levels of non
      enzymatic proteins..

PMID- 28352563
TI  - A valuable peroxidase activity from the novel species Nonomuraea gerenzanensis
      growing on alkali lignin.
AB  - Degradation of lignin constitutes a key step in processing biomass to become
      useful monomers but it remains challenging. Compared to fungi, bacteria are much
      less characterized with respect to their lignin metabolism, although it is
      reported that many soil bacteria, especially actinomycetes, attack and solubilize
      lignin. In this work, we screened 43 filamentous actinomycetes by assaying their
      activity on chemically different substrates including a soluble and semi-degraded
      lignin derivative (known as alkali lignin or Kraft lignin), and we discovered a
      novel and valuable peroxidase activity produced by the recently classified
      actinomycete Nonomuraea gerenzanensis. Compared to known fungal manganese and
      versatile peroxidases, the stability of N. gerenzanensis peroxidase activity at
      alkaline pHs and its thermostability are significantly higher. From a kinetic
      point of view, N. gerenzanensis peroxidase activity shows a Km for H2O2 similar
      to that of Phanerochaete chrysosporium and Bjerkandera enzymes and a lower
      affinity for Mn2+, whereas it differs from the six Pleurotus ostreatus manganese
      peroxidase isoenzymes described in the literature. Additionally, N. gerenzanensis
      peroxidase shows a remarkable dye-decolorizing activity that expands its
      substrate range and paves the way for an industrial use of this enzyme. These
      results confirm that by exploring new bacterial diversity, we may be able to
      discover and exploit alternative biological tools putatively involved in lignin
      modification and degradation.

PMID- 28352564
TI  - Bacterial Exopolysaccharide mediated heavy metal removal: A Review on
      biosynthesis, mechanism and remediation strategies.
AB  - Heavy metal contamination has been recognized as a major public health risk,
      particularly in developing countries and their toxicological manifestations are
      well known. Conventional remediation strategies are either expensive or they
      generate toxic by-products, which adversely affect the environment. Therefore,
      necessity for an environmentally safe strategy motivates interest towards
      biological techniques. One of such most profoundly driven approach in recent
      times is biosorption through microbial biomass and their products. Extracellular
      polymeric substances are such complex blend of high molecular weight microbial
      (prokaryotic and eukaryotic) biopolymers. They are mainly composed of proteins,
      polysaccharides, uronic acids, humic substances, lipids etc. One of its essential
      constituent is the exopolysaccharide (EPS) released out of self defense against
      harsh conditions of starvation, pH and temperature, hence it displays exemplary
      physiological, rheological and physio-chemical properties. Its net anionic makeup
      allows the biopolymer to effectively sequester positively charged heavy metal
      ions. The polysaccharide has been expounded deeply in this article with reference
      to its biosynthesis and emphasizes heavy metal sorption abilities of polymer in
      terms of mechanism of action and remediation. It reports current investigation
      and strategic advancements in dealing bacterial cells and their EPS in diverse
      forms - mixed culture EPS, single cell EPS, live, dead or immobilized EPS. A
      significant scrutiny is also involved highlighting the existing challenges that
      still lie in the path of commercialization. The article enlightens the potential
      of EPS to bring about bio-detoxification of heavy metal contaminated terrestrial
      and aquatic systems in highly sustainable, economic and eco-friendly manner.

PMID- 28352566
TI  - White spot syndrome virus infection: Threat to crustacean biodiversity in
      Vembanad Lake, India.
AB  - The Vembanad Lake located on the south-west coast of India, an ecological hotspot
      is the nursing ground of many economically important crustaceans. The prevalence
      of white spot syndrome virus (WSSV) among crustaceans from farmed, estuarine and
      marine environments surrounding the Vembanad Lake, India was detected using PCR.
      A total of 308 samples from aquaculture ponds consisting of six species of
      crustaceans collected from five different farms were tested for the presence of
      WSSV. Of these, 67% were found to carry the virus. A total of 258 samples of
      crustaceans from the Cochin backwater system that forms a part of the Vembanad
      lake viz., Metapenaeus dobsoni, Metapenaeus monoceros, Penaeus monodon and
      Penaeus indicus were found to contain WSSV in 62% of the samples. Fifteen species
      of crustaceans caught from the seas off Cochin were also screened for the
      presence of WSSV. Out of these, twelve species had WSSV incidence levels ranging
      from 6-23%. WSSV was not detected from three species of deep sea crustaceans
      tested. The black tiger shrimp, Penaeus monodon had the highest incidence of WSSV
      among the species screened in farmed, estuarine and marine environments.

PMID- 28352565
TI  - Expression analysis of chitinase upon challenge inoculation to Alternaria
      wounding and defense inducers in Brassica juncea.
AB  - Chitinases are the hydrolytic enzymes which belong to the pathogenesis-related
      (PR) protein family and play an important role not only in plant defense but also
      in various abiotic stresses. However, only a limited number of chitinase genes
      have been characterised in B. juncea. In this study, we have characterised B.
      juncea class IV chitinase gene (accession no EF586206) in response to fungal
      infection, salicylic acid (SA), jasmonic acid (JA) treatments and wounding. Gene
      expression studies revealed that the transcript levels of Bjchitinase (BjChp)
      gene increases significantly both in local and distal tissues after Alternaria
      infection. Bjchitinase gene was also induced by jasmonic acid and wounding but
      moderately by salicylic acid. A 2.5 kb class IV chitinase promoter of this gene
      was isolated from B. juncea by Genome walking (accession no KF055403.1). In
      silico analysis of this promoter revealed a number of conserved cis-regulatory
      elements related to defense, wounding and signalling molecules like SA, and JA.
      For validation, chitinase promoter was fused to the GUS gene, and the resultant
      construct was then introduced into Arabidopsis plants. Histochemical analysis of
      T2 transgenic Arabidopsis plants showed that higher GUS activity in leaves after
      fungal infection, wounding and JA treatment but weakly by SA. GUS activity was
      seen in meristematic tissues, young leaves, seeds and siliques. Finally
      investigation has led to the identification of a pathogen-inducible,
      developmentally regulated and organ-specific promoter. Present study revealed
      that Bjchitinase (BjChp) promoter is induced during biotic and environmental
      stress and it can be used in developing finely tuned transgenics.

PMID- 28352567
TI  - n-Butanol derived from biochemical and chemical routes: A review.
AB  - Traditionally, bio-butanol is produced with the ABE (Acetone Butanol Ethanol)
      process using Clostridium species to ferment sugars from biomass. However, the
      route is associated with some disadvantages such as low butanol yield and by
      product formation (acetone and ethanol). On the other hand, butanol can be
      directly produced from ethanol through aldol condensation over metal oxides/
      hydroxyapatite catalysts. This paper suggests that the chemical conversion route
      is more preferable than the ABE process, because the reaction proceeds more
      quickly compared to the fermentation route and fewer steps are required to get to
      the product.

PMID- 28352568
TI  - Heterologous overexpression of sfCherry fluorescent protein in Nannochloropsis
      salina.
AB  - Oleaginous microalgae of the Nannochloropsis genus are considered excellent
      candidates for biofuels and value-added products owing to their high biomass
      productivity and lipid content. Here, we report the first overexpression and
      detection of a heterologous sfCherry fluorescent protein in Nannochloropsis
      salina in order to develop a transformation toolbox for future genetic
      improvements. Particle bombardment was employed for transformation, and
      expression of Shble under the control of TUB and UEP promoters, cloned from N.
      salina, was used to confer resistance to Zeocin antibiotics, resulting in 5.9 and
      4.7 transformants per 108 cells, respectively. Stable integration of the markers
      into the genome was confirmed using a restriction enzyme site-directed
      amplification (RESDA) PCR. The expression of sfCherry fluorescent protein was
      confirmed by Western blot analysis and confocal microscopy. These results suggest
      new possibilities of efficient genetic engineering of Nannochloropsis for the
      production of biofuels and other biochemicals.

PMID- 28352569
TI  - Development of an aptamer-based affinity purification method for vascular
      endothelial growth factor.
AB  - Since aptamers bind their targets with high affinity and specificity, they are
      promising alternative ligands in protein affinity purification. As aptamers are
      chemically synthesized oligonucleotides, they can be easily produced in large
      quantities regarding GMP conditions allowing their application in protein
      production for therapeutic purposes. Several advantages of aptamers compared to
      antibodies are described in general within this paper. Here, an aptamer directed
      against the human Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor (VEGF) was used as affinity
      ligand for establishing a purification platform for VEGF in small scale. The
      aptamer was covalently immobilized on magnetic beads in a controlled orientation
      resulting in a functional active affinity matrix. Target binding was optimized by
      introduction of spacer molecules and variation of aptamer density. Further, salt
      induced target elution was demonstrated as well as VEGF purification from a
      complex protein mixture proving the specificity of protein-aptamer binding.

PMID- 28352570
TI  - Genome modifications and cloning using a conjugally transferable recombineering
      system.
AB  - The genetic modification of primary bacterial disease isolates is challenging due
      to the lack of highly efficient genetic tools. Herein we describe the development
      of a modified PCR-based, lambda Red-mediated recombineering system for efficient
      deletion of genes in Gram-negative bacteria. A series of conjugally transferrable
      plasmids were constructed by cloning an oriT sequence and different antibiotic
      resistance genes into recombinogenic plasmid pKD46. Using this system we deleted
      ten different genes from the genomes of Edwardsiella ictaluri and Aeromonas
      hydrophila. A temperature sensitive and conjugally transferable flp recombinase
      plasmid was developed to generate markerless gene deletion mutants. We also
      developed an efficient cloning system to capture larger bacterial genetic
      elements and clone them into a conjugally transferrable plasmid for facile
      transferring to Gram-negative bacteria. This system should be applicable in
      diverse Gram-negative bacteria to modify and complement genomic elements in
      bacteria that cannot be manipulated using available genetic tools.

PMID- 28352571
TI  - Biomedical applications of ferulic acid encapsulated electrospun nanofibers.
AB  - Ferulic acid is a ubiquitous phytochemical that holds enormous therapeutic
      potential but has not gained much consideration in biomedical sector due to its
      less bioavailability, poor aqueous solubility and physiochemical instability. In
      present investigation, the shortcomings associated with agro-waste derived
      ferulic acid were addressed by encapsulating it in electrospun nanofibrous matrix
      of poly (d,l-lactide-co-glycolide)/polyethylene oxide. Fluorescent microscopic
      analysis revealed that ferulic acid predominantly resides in the core of PLGA/PEO
      nanofibers. The average diameters of the PLGA/PEO and ferulic acid encapsulated
      PLGA/PEO nanofibers were recorded as 125 +/- 65.5 nm and 150 +/- 79.0 nm,
      respectively. The physiochemical properties of fabricated nanofibers are
      elucidated by IR, DSC and NMR studies. Free radical scavenging activity of
      fabricated nanofibers were estimated using di(phenyl)-(2,4,6
      trinitrophenyl)iminoazanium (DPPH) assay. 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5
      diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay confirmed the cytotoxicity of ferulic
      acid encapsulated nanofibers against hepatocellular carcinoma (HepG2) cells.
      These ferulic acid encapsulated nanofibers could be potentially explored for
      therapeutic usage in biomedical sector.

PMID- 28352572
TI  - Optimization of single plate-serial dilution spotting (SP-SDS) with sample
      anchoring as an assured method for bacterial and yeast cfu enumeration and single
      colony isolation from diverse samples.
AB  - We propose a simple technique for bacterial and yeast cfu estimations from
      diverse samples with no prior idea of viable counts, designated as single plate
      serial dilution spotting (SP-SDS) with the prime recommendation of sample
      anchoring (100 stocks). For pure cultures, serial dilutions were prepared from
      0.1 OD (100) stock and 20 MUl aliquots of six dilutions (101-106) were applied as
      10-15 micro-drops in six sectors over agar-gelled medium in 9-cm plates. For
      liquid samples 100-105 dilutions, and for colloidal suspensions and solid samples
      (10% w/v), 101-106 dilutions were used. Following incubation, at least one
      dilution level yielded 6-60 cfu per sector comparable to the standard method
      involving 100 MUl samples. Tested on diverse bacteria, composite samples and
      Saccharomyces cerevisiae, SP-SDS offered wider applicability over alternative
      methods like drop-plating and track-dilution for cfu estimation, single colony
      isolation and culture purity testing, particularly suiting low resource settings.

PMID- 28352573
TI  - Hairy root induction and phytoremediation of textile dye, Reactive green 19A
      HE4BD, in a halophyte, Sesuvium portulacastrum (L.) L.
AB  - In this study, we report phytoremediation of textile dyes using hairy roots
      derived through Agrobacterium rhizogenes (NCIM 5140) infection of in vitro leaf
      and stem explants of a halophyte Sesuvium portulacastrum (L.) L. Leaf explants
      showed higher frequency of hairy root induction (70%) than stem explants (30%),
      and maximum number of roots (leaf 42.3 +/- 2.4 and stem 50.3 +/- 1.7).
      Transformed nature of hairy roots was ascertained by amplifying 970 bp region of
      T-DNA of Ri plasmid. Hairy roots were screened for phytoremediation of various
      textile dyes and results showed that HRs were able to degrade Reactive green 19A
      HE4BD upto 98% within 5 days of incubation. Spectrophotometric analysis showed
      decrease in dye concentration while HPLC and FTIR analysis confirmed its
      degradation. Seed germination assay demonstrated non-toxic nature of the
      extracted metabolites. This is the first report on induction of hairy root
      culture in Sesuvium portulacastrum and phytoremediation of textile dyes.

PMID- 28352574
TI  - A statistical approach for optimization of alkaline lipase production by ascidian
      associated-Halobacillus trueperi RSK CAS9.
AB  - A marine ascidian-associated bacterium, Halobacillus trueperi RSK CAS9, was
      optimized for lipase production by response surface methodology using marine
      waste as substrate. The central composite design was employed, and the optimal
      medium constituents for maximum lipase production (1355.81 U/ml) were determined
      to be tuna powder (14.58 g/l), olive oil (5.05 ml/l); NaCl (72.42 g/l),
      temperature (45  degrees C) and pH 9.0. An alkaline lipase was purified to 8.46
      fold with 1193.59 U mg-1 specific activities with the molecular weight of 44 kDa.
      The activity was substantially inhibited by EDTA and PMSF, indicating that it was
      a metalloenzyme serine residue which was essential for catalytic activity. Thus,
      lipase production by microbial conversion of marine fish wastes in this study
      suggested its potential utilization for the production of high value products.

PMID- 28352575
TI  - Production and characterization of a new antibacterial peptide obtained from
      Aeribacillus pallidus SAT4.
AB  - A novel thermophilic bacterial strain of the genus Aeribacillus was isolated from
      Thar Dessert Pakistan. This strain showed significant antibacterial activity
      against Micrococcus luteus, Staphylococcus aureus, and Pseudomonasaeruginosa. The
      strain coded as 'SAT4' resembled with Aeribacillus pallidus in the morphological,
      biochemical and molecular tests. The production of antibacterial metabolites by
      SAT4 was optimized. These active metabolites were precipitated by 50% ammonium
      sulphate and purified through sephadex G-75 gel permeation chromatography and
      reverse phase HPLC. The molecular weight of 37 kDa was examined by SDS-PAGE. The
      structural elucidation of the purified product was studied by FTIR, 1H and 13C
      NMR. The X-ray diffractions study showed that the crystals belonged to the
      primitive orthorhombic lattice (a = 12.137, b = 13.421, c = 14.097 A) and 3D
      structure (proposed name: Aeritracin) was determined. This new peptide
      antibacterial molecule can get a position in pharmaceutical and biotechnological
      industrial research.

PMID- 28352576
TI  - Heterologous expression, purification and characterization of L-type lectin
      homologue from Leishmania donovani.
AB  - Leishmaniasis, a disease of the developing world affects about 12 million people
      and has limited therapeutic interventions available. L-type lectins, Endoplasmic
      Reticulum Golgi Intermediate Compartment/Vesicular Integral Proteins (ERGIC
      53/VIP36) are involved in protein sorting in luminal compartments of animal cells
      and are important for parasite biology. A lectin homologue was identified through
      a bioinformatics analysis of Leishmania genome and it was found to have N
      terminal conserved carbohydrate recognition domain (CRD) and a unique C-terminal
      region rich in repetitive amino acids and a poly glutamine tract. The N-terminal
      CRD region was cloned and expressed in Escherichia coli, but gave an insoluble
      expression which was re-solubilized by on column refolding. The fold integrity
      was checked through CD, fluorescence and functional assay of hemagglutination
      activity using rabbit erythrocyte. Bioinformatics analysis identified 15 members
      from Tritryps (Leishmania spp., Trypanosoma spp.) and they separate out as a
      distinct clade in the global phylogenetic analysis of all ERGIC-53/VIP36
      sequences downloaded from Uniprot. Our analysis shows that the extended C
      terminal regions with repeats is unique to Tritryps and this repeat pattern is
      different in sequences from Leishmania spp. and Trypanosoma spp. and all these
      features make this protein an interesting candidate for further detailed studies.

PMID- 28352577
TI  - Vigna subterranea ammonium transporter gene (VsAMT1): Some bioinformatics
      insights.
AB  - Ammonium transporters (AMTs) play a role in the uptake of ammonium, the form in
      which nitrogen is preferentially absorbed by plants. Vigna subterranea (VsAMT1)
      and Solanum tuberosum (StAMT1) AMT1s were characterized using molecular biology
      and bioinformatics methods. AMT1-specific primers were designed and used to
      amplify the AMT1 internal regions. Nucleotide sequencing, alignment and
      phylogenetic analysis assigned VsAMT1 and StAMT1 to the AMT1 family. The deduced
      amino acid sequences showed that VsAMT1 is 92% and 89% similar to Phaseolus
      vulgaris PvAMT1.1 and Glycine max AMT1 respectively, while StAMT1 is 92% similar
      to Solanum lycopersicum LeAMT1.1, and correspond to the 5th-10th trans-membrane
      domains. Residues VsAMT1 D23 and StAMT1 D15 are predicted to be essential for
      ammonium transport, while mutations of VsAMT1 W1A-L and S87A and StAMT1 S76A may
      further enhance ammonium transport. In addition to nitrogen uptake from the
      roots, VsAMT1 may also contribute to interactions with rhizobia.

PMID- 28352578
TI  - Green synthesis of isopropyl myristate in novel single phase medium Part II:
      Packed bed reactor (PBR) studies.
AB  - Isopropyl myristate is a useful functional molecule responding to the
      requirements of numerous fields of application in cosmetic, pharmaceutical and
      food industry. In the present work, lipase-catalyzed production of isopropyl
      myristate by esterification of myristic acid with isopropyl alcohol (molar ratio
      of 1:15) in the homogenous reaction medium was performed on a bench-scale packed
      bed reactors, in order to obtain suitable reaction performance data for
      upscaling. An immobilized lipase B from Candida antartica was used as the
      biocatalyst based on our previous study. The process intensification resulted in
      a clean and green synthesis process comprising a series of packed bed reactors of
      immobilized enzyme and water dehydrant. In addition, use of the single phase
      reaction system facilitates efficient recovery of the product with no effluent
      generated and recyclability of unreacted substrates. The single phase reaction
      system coupled with a continuous operating bioreactor ensures a stable
      operational life for the enzyme.

PMID- 28352579
TI  - An investigation on cytotoxic effect of bioactive AgNPs synthesized using Cassia
      fistula flower extract on breast cancer cell MCF-7.
AB  - A single step protocol to produce biofunctionalized silver nanoparticles (AgNPs)
      using the aqueous extract of Cassia fistula flower as "natural factory" was
      investigated. The reaction between silver ions and aqueous flower extract after
      the bioreduction process has resulted in the formation of reddish brown color
      colloidal solution. XRD pattern showed the face centered cubic crystalline
      structure of AgNPs and exhibited spherical morphology as characterized by FE-SEM.
      FTIR studies identified different functional groups involved in effective capping
      of AgNPs. The zeta potential affirmed the phytoreduced AgNPs possess good
      stability and the size of the particle was measured by DLS. The synthesized AgNPs
      displayed effective cytotoxic potential against MCF7 and the inhibitory
      concentration (IC50) was recorded at 7.19 MUg/mL. The apoptotic effects of the
      AgNPs were also confirmed by AO/EB staining. The investigation presents
      preliminary evidence that biosynthesized AgNPs can be used in the development of
      novel anticancer drugs.

PMID- 28352580
TI  - Screening transesterifiable lipid accumulating bacteria from sewage sludge for
      biodiesel production.
AB  - Sewage sludge was evaluated as high available and low cost microbial oils
      feedstock for biodiesel production. Samples from four different wastewater
      treatment plants from La Araucania Region in Southern Chile presented total
      lipids content ranging between 7.7 and 12.6%, being Vilcun sewage sludge that
      with the highest transesterifiable lipids content of about 50% of the total
      extracted lipids. The most relevant identified bacteria present in sludge samples
      were Acinetobacter, Pseudomonas and Bacillus, being Bacillus sp. V10 the strain
      with the highest transesterfiable lipids content of 7.4%. Bacillus sp. V10 was
      cultured using urban wastewater supplemented with glucose to achieve nitrogen
      depleted medium and using milk processing wastewater as a low-cost carbon source.
      Bacillus sp. V10 lipid profile indicates that low degree unsaturated long chain
      fatty acids such as C18:1 may account for approximately 50% of the lipids
      content, indicating its suitability to be used as raw material for biodiesel
      production.

PMID- 28352581
TI  - Deproteinization potential and antioxidant property of haloalkalophilic organic
      solvent tolerant protease from marine Bacillus sp. APCMST-RS3 using marine shell
      wastes.
AB  - The current increase in the vast amount of marine crustacean shell waste produced
      by the fish processing industries has led to the need to find new methods for its
      disposal. Hence, the present study was carried out via marine shell wastes as
      substrate for protease production. The maximum production (4000.65 U/ml) from
      Bacillus sp. APCMST-RS3 was noticed in 3:1% shrimp and oyster shell powder (SOSP)
      as substrate. Purified protease showed 53.22% and 22.66% enzyme yield; 3.48 and
      8.49 fold purity with 40 kDa molecular weight; whereas, its Km and Vmax values
      were 0.6666 g/l, 1111.11 U/ml. This enzyme showed optimum activity at pH 9 and 60
      degrees C temperature. Also, it retained maximum protease activity in the
      presence of NaCl (2.5 M), surfactants (Tween 20, 40, 60, 80 and SDS) and metal
      ions (MnCl2, CaCl2, HgCl2 and BaCl2) and solvents. The candidate bacterium
      effectively deproteinized (84.35%) shrimp shell and its antioxidant potentials.

PMID- 28352582
TI  - Green synthesis of isopropyl myristate in novel single phase medium Part I: Batch
      optimization studies.
AB  - Isopropyl myristate finds many applications in food, cosmetic and pharmaceutical
      industries as an emollient, thickening agent, or lubricant. Using a homogeneous
      reaction phase, non-specific lipase derived from Candida antartica, marketed as
      Novozym 435, was determined to be most suitable for the enzymatic synthesis of
      isopropyl myristate. The high molar ratio of alcohol to acid creates novel single
      phase medium which overcomes mass transfer effects and facilitates downstream
      processing. The effect of various reaction parameters was optimized to obtain a
      high yield of isopropyl myristate. Effect of temperature, agitation speed,
      organic solvent, biocatalyst loading and batch operational stability of the
      enzyme was systematically studied. The conversion of 87.65% was obtained when the
      molar ratio of isopropyl alcohol to myristic acid (15:1) was used with 4% (w/w)
      catalyst loading and agitation speed of 150 rpm at 60  degrees C. The enzyme has
      also shown good batch operational stability under optimized conditions.

PMID- 28352583
TI  - Peganum harmala L.'s anti-growth effect on a breast cancer cell line.
AB  - This research was done to evaluate the induction of apoptosis in MDA-MB-231
      breast cancer cell line by Peganum harmala's extract, in which a significant
      amount of beta-carbolines is included. The apoptosis incidence was assessed
      through Annexin-V-Flous kit. The expressions of genes through which intrinsic
      apoptosis pathway are involved, Bax, Bcl-2, Bid, and Puma, over the genes the
      expressions of which are linked to extrinsic apoptosis pathway, TRAIL, Caspase8,
      p21, and p53, were examined by RT-PCR and Real-time PCR. The results demonstrate
      that the extract decreases the growth rate of the cancer cell line through
      inducing apoptosis mechanism. As long as the expression of anti-apoptosis Bcl-2
      gen reduced dramatically, an over-expression in Bax and Puma genes was monitored
      indicating activation of intrinsic apoptosis pathway. A notable over-expression
      observed with TRAIL and Caspase8 genes as well as Bid gene. The latter is an
      intermediate for both intrinsic and extrinsic pathways of apoptosis.

PMID- 28352584
TI  - Screening of self-assembled monolayer for aflatoxin B1 detection using immune
      capacitive sensor.
AB  - A capacitive biosensor was used for detection of aflatoxin B1. Two different
      methods for cleaning gold electrodes were evaluated using cyclic voltammetry in
      the presence of ferricyanide as redox couple. The methods involve use of a
      sequence of cleaning steps avoiding the use of Piranha solution and plasma
      cleaner. Anti-aflatoxin B1 was immobilized on self-assembled monolayers (SAM).
      The immune-capacitive biosensor is able to detect aflatoxin B1 concentrations in
      a linear range of 3.2 * 10-12 M to 3.2 * 10-9 M when thiourea was used to form
      the SAM; 3.2 * 10-9 M to 3.2 * 10-7 M when thioctic acid was used. When the gold
      surface was isolated with tyramine-electropolymerization linear ranges of 3.2 *
      10-13 M to 3.2 * 10-7 M and 3.2 * 10-9 M to 3.2 * 10-7 M where obtained,
      respectively. The results obtained show the difference in linear range, limit of
      detection, and limit of quantification when different self-assembled monolayers
      are used for aflatoxin B1 detection.

PMID- 28352585
TI  - Identification of oxidoreductases from the petroleum Bacillus safensis strain.
AB  - A gram-positive bacterium, denominated CFA-06, was isolated from Brazilian
      petroleum in the Campos Basin and is responsible for the degradation of aromatic
      compounds and petroleum aromatic fractions. The CFA-06 strain was identified as
      Bacillus safensis using the 16S rRNA and gyrase B sequence. Enzymatic assays
      revealed the presence of two oxidoreductases: a catalase and a new
      oxidoreductase. The oxidoreductases were enzymatically digested and analyzed via
      ESI-LTQ-Orbitrap mass spectrometry. The mass data revealed a novel oxidoreductase
      (named BsPMO) containing 224 amino acids and 89% homology with a hypothetic
      protein from B. safensis (CFA-06) and a catalase (named BsCat) with 491 amino
      acids and 60% similarity with the catalase from Bacillus pumilus (SAFR-032). The
      new protein BsPMO contains iron atom(s) and shows catalytic activity toward a
      monooxygenase fluorogenic probe in the presence of cofactors (NADH, NADPH and
      NAD). This study enhances our knowledge of the biodegradation process of
      petroleum by B. safensis.

PMID- 28352586
TI  - Chemical stability of a cold-active cellulase with high tolerance toward
      surfactants and chaotropic agent.
AB  - CelE1 is a cold-active endo-acting glucanase with high activity at a broad
      temperature range and under alkaline conditions. Here, we examined the effects of
      pH on the secondary and tertiary structures, net charge, and activity of CelE1.
      Although variation in pH showed a small effect in the enzyme structure, the
      activity was highly influenced at acidic conditions, while reached the optimum
      activity at pH 8. Furthermore, to estimate whether CelE1 could be used as
      detergent additives, CelE1 activity was evaluated in the presence of surfactants.
      Ionic and nonionic surfactants were not able to reduce CelE1 activity
      significantly. Therefore, CelE1 was found to be promising candidate for use as
      detergent additives. Finally, we reported a thermodynamic analysis based on the
      structural stability and the chemical unfolding/refolding process of CelE1. The
      results indicated that the chemical unfolding proceeds as a reversible two-state
      process. These data can be useful for biotechnological applications.

PMID- 28352587
TI  - Bioconversion technologies of crude glycerol to value added industrial products.
AB  - Crude glycerol that is produced as the by-product from biodiesel, has to be
      effectively utilized to contribute to the viability of biodiesel. Crude glycerol
      in large amounts can pose a threat to the environment. Therefore, there is a need
      to convert this crude glycerol into valued added products using biotechnological
      processes, which brings new revenue to biodiesel producers. Crude glycerol can
      serve as a feedstock for biopolymers, poly unsaturated fatty acids, ethanol,
      hydrogen and n-butanol production and as a raw material for different value added
      industrial products. Hence, in this review we have presented different
      bioconversion technologies of glycerol to value added industrial products.

PMID- 28352588
TI  - Transient Bluetongue virus serotype 8 capsid protein expression in Nicotiana
      benthamiana.
AB  - Bluetongue virus (BTV) causes severe disease in domestic and wild ruminants, and
      has recently caused several outbreaks in Europe. Current vaccines include live
      attenuated and inactivated viruses; while these are effective, there is risk of
      reversion to virulence by mutation or reassortment with wild type viruses.
      Subunit or virus-like particle (VLP) vaccines are safer options: VLP vaccines
      produced in insect cells by expression of the four BTV capsid proteins are
      protective against challenge; however, this is a costly production method. We
      investigated production of BTV VLPs in plants via Agrobacterium-mediated
      transient expression, an inexpensive production system very well suited to
      developing country use. Leaves infiltrated with recombinant pEAQ-HT vectors
      separately encoding the four BTV-8 capsid proteins produced more proteins than
      recombinant pTRA vectors. Plant expression using the pEAQ-HT vector resulted in
      both BTV-8 core-like particles (CLPs) and VLPs; differentially controlling the
      concentration of infiltrated bacteria significantly influenced yield of the VLPs.
      In situ localisation of assembled particles was investigated by using
      transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and it was shown that a mixed population
      of core-like particles (CLPs, consisting of VP3 and VP7) and VLPs were present as
      paracrystalline arrays in the cytoplasm of plant cells co-expressing all four
      capsid proteins.

PMID- 28352589
TI  - Optimization of biosurfactant production by Bacillus brevis using response
      surface methodology.
AB  - The present study aims to evaluate and validate a statistical model for
      maximizing biosurfactant productivity by Bacillus brevis using response surface
      methodology. In this respect, twenty bacterial isolates were screened for
      biosurfactant production using hemolytic activity, oil spreading technique, and
      emulsification index (E24). The most potent biosurfactant-producing bacterium (B.
      brevis) was used for construction of the statistical response surface model. The
      optimum conditions for biosurfactant production by B. brevis were: 33  degrees C
      incubation temperature at pH 8 for 10 days incubation period and 8.5 g/L glucose
      concentration as a sole carbon source. The produced biosurfactant (BS) (73%)
      exhibited foaming activity, thermal stability in the range 30-80  degrees C for
      30 min., pH stability, from 4 to 9 and antimicrobial activity against
      (Escherichia coli). The BS gave a good potential application as an emulsifier.

PMID- 28352590
TI  - Evaluation of a pilot-scaled paddle dryer for the production of ethanol from
      lignocellulose including inhibitor removal and high-solids enzymatic hydrolysis.
AB  - The advantage of using paddle dryers (PD) in the production of sugars and 2nd
      generation ethanol from pretreated wheat straw was investigated. This machinery
      was employed in order to detoxify steam-exploded substrates and to mix different
      slurries in the hydrolysis step. The obtained hydrolysate was fermented by the
      yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Acetic acid and furfural were reduced up to 11
      and 26 fold respectively in the detoxified substrate. When fermentation was
      carried out at low solid suspension, the use of PD was as effective as water
      extraction in detoxifying exploded biomass, giving ethanol yields of 90% at 0.05
      solid/liquid ratio (S/L) and 80% at 0.10 S/L. Moreover, by using PD the cellulose
      conversion yield was significantly improved in the hydrolysis step: when
      operating at higher S/L (0.4), the hydrolysis efficiency was twice the one
      achieved by using a bioreactor with a Rushton stirrer.

PMID- 28352591
TI  - Role of pH-induced structural change in protein aggregation in foam fractionation
      of bovine serum albumin.
AB  - For reducing protein aggregation in foam fractionation, the role of pH-induced
      structural change in the interface-induced protein aggregation was analyzed using
      bovine serum albumin (BSA) as a model protein. The results show that the decrease
      in pH from 7.0 to 3.0 gradually unfolded the BSA structure to increase the
      molecular size and the relative content of beta-sheet and thus reduced the
      stability of BSA in the aqueous solution. At the isoelectric point (pH 4.7), BSA
      suffered the lowest level in protein aggregation induced by the gas-liquid
      interface. In the pH range from 7.0 to 4.7, most BSA aggregates were formed in
      the defoaming process while in the pH range from 4.7 to 3.0, the BSA aggregates
      were formed at the gas-liquid interface due to the unfolded BSA structure and
      they further aggregated to form insoluble ones in the desorption process.

PMID- 28352592
TI  - Comparison of xylose fermentation by two high-performance engineered strains of
      Saccharomyces cerevisiae.
AB  - Economical biofuel production from plant biomass requires the conversion of both
      cellulose and hemicellulose in the plant cell wall. The best industrial
      fermentation organism, the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae, has been developed to
      utilize xylose by heterologously expressing either a xylose reductase/xylitol
      dehydrogenase (XR/XDH) pathway or a xylose isomerase (XI) pathway. Although it
      has been proposed that the optimal means for fermenting xylose into biofuels
      would use XI instead of the XR/XDH pathway, no clear comparison of the best
      publicly-available yeast strains engineered to use XR/XDH or XI has been
      published. We therefore compared two of the best-performing engineered yeast
      strains in the public domain-one using the XR/XDH pathway and another using XI-in
      anaerobic xylose fermentations. We find that, regardless of conditions, the
      strain using XR/XDH has substantially higher productivity compared to the XI
      strain. By contrast, the XI strain has better yields in nearly all conditions
      tested.

PMID- 28352593
TI  - Enzyme-luminescence method: Tool for real-time monitoring of natural neurotoxins
      in vitro and l-glutamate release from primary cortical neurons.
AB  - Novel enzyme-luminescence method is used for the rapid and sensitive in vitro
      detection of natural neurotoxins (e.g., shellfish and mushroom toxins) using
      model brain cells. Paralytic shellfish poisons gonyautoxins (e.g., GTX2,3 and
      GTX1,4) were detected at 1 nM level by their inhibition of glutamate release from
      C6 glioma cells upon drug stimulation (IC50: GTX2,3 = 30 nM and GTX1,4 = 8 nM).
      Activation of glutamate release from C6 cells by ibotenic acid (a mushroom toxin)
      was also evaluated (EC50 = 10 nM). The method was tested for real-time detection
      of glutamate release from primary rat cortical neurons. Dose-dependent effects of
      KCl (0-200 mM) and NMDA on glutamate release from primary cortical neurons were
      studied. The effects of different culture conditions on K+-depolarization-induced
      glutamate release were also investigated. The method may be applicable to
      screening of drugs and toxins, and finding glutamatergic neurons in brain slices
      without in situ staining.

PMID- 28352594
TI  - Evaluation of two cotton varieties CRSP1 and CRSP2 for genetic transformation
      efficiency, expression of transgenes Cry1Ac + Cry2A, GT gene and insect
      mortality.
AB  - Expression of the transgene with a desirable character in crop plant is the
      ultimate goal of transgenic research. Transformation of two Bt genes namely
      Cry1Ac and Cry2A cloned as separate cassette under 35S promoter in pKHG4 plant
      expression vector was done by using shoot apex cut method of Agrobacterium.
      Molecular confirmation of putative transgenic cotton plants for Cry1Ac, Cry2A and
      GT gene was done through PCR and ELISA. Transformation efficiency of CRSP-1 and
      CRSP-2 was calculated to be 1.2 and 0.8% for Cry1Ac while 0.9 and 0.6% for Cry2A
      and 1.5 and 0.7% for GTG respectively. CRSP-1 was found to adopt natural
      environment (acclimatized) earlier than CRSP-2 when exposed to sunlight for one
      month. Expression of Cry1Ac, Cry2A and GTG was found to be 1.2, 1 and 1.3 ng/MUl
      respectively for CRSP-1 as compared to CRSP-2 where expression was recorded to be
      0.9, 0.5 and 0.9 ng/MUl respectively. FISH analysis of the transgenic CRSP-1 and
      CRSP-2 demonstrated the presence of one and two copy numbers respectively.
      Similarly, the response of CRSP-1 against Glyphosate @1900 ml/acre was far better
      with almost negligible necrotic spot and efficient growth after spray as compared
      to CRSP-2 where some plants were found to have necrosis and negative control
      where the complete decay of plant was observed after seven days of spray assay.
      Similarly, almost 100% mortality of 2nd instar larvae of Heliothis armigera was
      recorded after three days in CRSP-1 as compared CRSP-2 where insect mortality was
      found to be less than 90%. Quantitatively speaking non transgenic plants were
      found with 23-90% leaf damage by insect, while CRSP-1 was with less than 5% and
      CRSP-2 with 17%. Taken together CRSP1 was found to have better insect control and
      weedicide resistance along with its natural ability of genetic modification and
      can be employed by the valuable farmers for better insect control and
      simultaneously for better production.

PMID- 28352595
TI  - Biodegradation study of enzymatically catalyzed interpenetrating polymer network:
      Evaluation of agrochemical release and impact on soil fertility.
AB  - A novel interpenetrating polymer network (IPN) has been synthesized through
      enzymatic initiation using lipase as initiator, glutaraldehyde as cross-linker,
      acrylic acid as primary monomer and acrylamide as secondary monomer.
      Biodegradability of synthesized interpenetrating polymer network was studied
      through soil burial and composting methods. Synthesized hydrogel was completely
      degraded within 70 days using composting method, while it was 86.03% degraded
      within 77 days using soil burial method. This was confirmed by Fourier transform
      Infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) techniques.
      Synthesized interpenetrating polymer network hydrogel was used as a device for
      controlled release of urea and also act as water releasing device. Their impact
      on soil fertility and plant growth was also studied. The initial diffusion
      coefficient has a greater value than the later diffusion coefficient indicating a
      higher fertilizer release rate during the early stage. Fertilizer release kinetic
      was also studied which showed Non-Fickian diffusion behavior, as the rate of
      fertilizer release was comparable to the relaxation time of the synthesized
      matrix. Synthesized IPN enhance the water uptake capacity up to 6.2% and 7.2% in
      sandy loam and clay soil, respectively.

PMID- 28352596
TI  - Some Facts That You Might Be Unaware of About the P-Value.

PMID- 28352597
TI  - Vessel Remodeling after Intima-to-Intima Contact Anastomosis.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Intima-to-intima microanastomotic vascular remodeling was explored,
      utilizing a polylactide-caprolactone absorbable vein coupler model (PAVCM), which
      was designed to simulate a non-absorbable counterpart system with the sole
      exception of being absorbable. METHODS: Six New Zealand white rabbits were used.
      After transection of the jugular vein, 2 PAVCMs were placed, 1 at each transected
      end. The stumps were slipped through the PAVCMs, and the venous wall was everted
      90 degrees  to achieve intima-to-intima contact. Reanastomosis of the transected
      jugular vein was performed bilaterally in 3 rabbits. In the other 3 rabbits, the
      jugular vein (20 mm) harvested from one side was interpositionally grafted to the
      jugular vein on the opposite side to ease the anastomotic tension. Patency
      testing, ultrasonography, and histologic assessments were conducted
      postoperatively at weeks 2, 4, 12, 16, 22, and 26. RESULTS: All anastomotic sites
      were patent, without stenosis, occlusion, or dilatation. In the histologic
      sections, immature endothelial regeneration was observed at week 2, which was
      completed by week 4. Regeneration of the tunica media was noted at week 12.
      Between week 22 and week 26, the tunica media fully regenerated and the coupler
      dissipated entirely. CONCLUSIONS: Despite the absence of a coupler to act as an
      anastomotic buttress, the structure and function of all the vessels appeared
      normal, even histologically. These outcomes are true milestones in the
      development of an absorbable vein coupler.

PMID- 28352598
TI  - A New Septum in the Female Breast.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Understanding the female breast fascial system is of paramount
      importance in breast surgery. Little was written about breast ligaments. Most
      articles refer to Cooper's work without further anatomical studies. Lately, a
      horizontal septum has been described conveying nerves and vessels to the nipple
      areola complex. METHODS: During the surgical dissection of the lower part of the
      breast, in supero-medial technique for breast reduction operations, a fascial
      septum between the lower two quadrants was detected. This fibrous septum was
      studied through anatomic dissection of breast tissues during routine breast
      reshaping procedures that was done on 30 female patients. Magnetic resonance
      imaging (MRI) was performed preoperatively in all cases and correlated with the
      intraoperative findings. In the other five cases, outside the clinical study, the
      imaging was done during routine investigation for breast swellings. RESULTS: A
      vertical septum was identified in the lower part of the breast, lying at the
      breast meridian between the two lower quadrants. It is a tough bi-laminated
      structure that extends from the middle of the infra-mammary crease caudally to
      nipple-areola complex cranially and from the pectoral fascia posteriorly to the
      overlying skin anteriorly. This was proved by MRI findings. CONCLUSIONS: This
      study describes a new inferior vertical septum which separates the lower half of
      the breast into two definite anatomical compartments: medial and lateral.

PMID- 28352599
TI  - Assessment of Tissue Perfusion Following Conventional Liposuction of Perforator
      Based Abdominal Flaps.
AB  - BACKGROUND: The effect of liposuction on the perforators of the lower abdominal
      wall has been investigated in several studies. There are controversial results in
      the literature that have primarily demonstrated the number and patency of the
      perforators. The aim of this study was to determine the effect of liposuction on
      the perfusion of perforator-based abdominal flaps using a combined laser-Doppler
      spectrophotometer (O2C, Oxygen to See, LEA Medizintechnik). METHODS: Nine female
      patients undergoing classical abdominoplasty were included in the study.
      Perforators and the perfusion zones of the deep inferior epigastric artery flap
      were marked on the patient's abdominal wall. Flap perfusion was quantitatively
      assessed by measuring blood flow, velocity, capillary oxygen saturation, and
      relative amount of hemoglobin for each zone preoperatively, after tumescent
      solution infiltration, following elevation of the flap on a single perforator,
      and after deep and superficial liposuction, respectively. RESULTS: The
      measurements taken after elevation of the flap were not significantly different
      than measurements taken after the liposuction procedures. CONCLUSIONS: The
      liposuction procedure does not significantly alter the perfusion of perforator
      based abdominal flaps in the early period. The abdominal tissue discarded in a
      classic abdominoplasty operation can be raised as a perforator flap and has been
      demonstrated to be a unique model for clinical research.

PMID- 28352600
TI  - Soft Tissue Reconstruction of Complete Circumferential Defects of the Upper
      Extremity.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Upper extremity soft tissue defects with complete circumferential
      involvement are not common. Coupled with the unique anatomy of the upper
      extremity, the underlying etiology of such circumferential soft tissue defects
      represent additional reconstructive challenges that require treatment to be
      tailored to both the patient and the wound. The aim of this study is to review
      the various options for soft tissue reconstruction of complete circumferential
      defects in the upper extremity. METHODS: A literature review of PubMed and
      MEDLINE up to December 2016 was performed. The current study focuses on forearm
      and arm defects from the level at or proximal to the wrist and were assessed
      based on Tajima's classification (J Trauma 1974). Data reviewed for analysis
      included patient demographics, causality, defect size, reconstructive
      technique(s) employed, and postoperative follow-up and functional outcomes (when
      available). RESULTS: In accordance with the Preferred Reporting Items for
      Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines, 14 unique articles were
      identified for a total of 50 patients (mean=28.1 years). Underlying etiologies
      varied from extensive thermal or electrical burns to high impact trauma leading
      to degloving or avulsion, crush injuries, or even occur iatrogenically after
      tumor extirpation or extensive debridement. Treatment options ranged from the
      application of negative pressure wound dressings to the opposite end of the
      spectrum in hand transplantation. CONCLUSIONS: With the evolution of
      reconstructive techniques over time, the extent of functional and aesthetic
      rehabilitation of these complex upper extremity injuries has also improved. The
      proposed management algorithm comprehensively addresses the inherent challenges
      associated with these complex cases.

PMID- 28352601
TI  - Systematic Review and Comparative Meta-Analysis of Outcomes Following Pedicled
      Muscle versus Fasciocutaneous Flap Coverage for Complex Periprosthetic Wounds in
      Patients with Total Knee Arthroplasty.
AB  - BACKGROUND: In cases of total knee arthroplasty (TKA) threatened by potential
      hardware exposure, flap-based reconstruction is indicated to provide durable
      coverage. Historically, muscle flaps were favored as they provide vascular tissue
      to an infected wound bed. However, data comparing the performance of muscle
      versus fasciocutaneous flaps are limited and reflect a lack of consensus
      regarding the optimal management of these wounds. The aim of this study was to
      compare the outcomes of muscle versus fasciocutaneous flaps following the salvage
      of compromised TKA. METHODS: A systematic search and meta-analysis were performed
      to identify patients with TKA who underwent either pedicled muscle or
      fasciocutaneous flap coverage of periprosthetic knee defects. Studies evaluating
      implant/limb salvage rates, ambulatory function, complications, and donor-site
      morbidity were included in the comparative analysis. RESULTS: A total of 18
      articles, corresponding to 172 flaps (119 muscle flaps and 53 fasciocutaneous
      flaps) were reviewed. Rates of implant salvage (88.8% vs. 90.1%, P=0.05) and limb
      salvage (89.8% vs. 100%, P=0.14) were comparable in each cohort. While overall
      complication rates were similar (47.3% vs. 44%, P=0.78), the rates of persistent
      infection (16.4% vs. 0%, P=0.14) and recurrent infection (9.1% vs. 4%, P=0.94)
      tended to be higher in the muscle flap cohort. Notably, functional outcomes and
      ambulation rates were sparingly reported. CONCLUSIONS: Rates of limb and
      prosthetic salvage were comparable following muscle or fasciocutaneous flap
      coverage of compromised TKA. The functional morbidity associated with muscle flap
      harvest, however, may support the use of fasciocutaneous flaps for coverage of
      these defects, particularly in young patients and/or high-performance athletes.

PMID- 28352603
TI  - Analysis of Pediatric Tendon Injuries in the Hand in Comparison with Adults.
AB  - BACKGROUND: The purpose of this study was to identify the epidemiologic
      characteristics of hand tendon injuries in children and to compare these with
      those of adults. METHODS: This retrospective study was conducted on acute
      traumatic tendon injuries of the hand treated at our institution from 2005 to
      2013, based on medical records and X-ray findings. Age, sex, hand injured,
      mechanism of injury, tendons and zones injured, number of affected digits, and
      comorbidities and complications were analyzed. Patients were divided into 2
      groups: a pediatric group (<=15 years) and an adult group (>15 years). RESULTS:
      Over the 9-year study period, 533 patients were surgically treated for acute
      traumatic tendon injuries of the hand. In the pediatric group (n=76), being male,
      the right hand, the extensor tendon, complete rupture, the middle finger, and
      glass injury predominated in hand tendon injuries. In the adult group (n=457),
      results were similar, but injury to the index finger and knife injury were the
      most common. An accompanying fracture was more common in the adult group and
      complication rates were non-significantly different. CONCLUSIONS: This
      comparative analysis revealed no significant epidemiologic intergroup
      differences. The belief that pediatric tendon injuries tend to be less severe is
      misplaced, and careful physical examination and exploration should be conducted
      in pediatric cases of hand injury.

PMID- 28352602
TI  - Peroneal Flap: Clinical Application and Cadaveric Study.
AB  - BACKGROUND: The goal of this study was to investigate the anatomy of the peroneal
      artery and its perforators, and to report the clinical results of reconstruction
      with peroneal artery perforator flaps. METHODS: The authors dissected 4 cadaver
      legs and investigated the distribution, course, origin, number, type, and length
      of the perforators. Peroneal artery perforator flap surgery was performed on 29
      patients. RESULTS: We identified 19 perforators in 4 legs. The mean number of
      perforators was 4.8 per leg, and the mean length was 4.8 cm. Five perforators
      were found proximally, 9 medially, and 5 distally. We found 12 true
      septocutaneous perforators and 7 musculocutaneous perforators. Four emerged from
      the posterior tibia artery, and 15 were from the peroneal artery. The peroneal
      artery perforator flap was used in 29 patients. Retrograde island peroneal flaps
      were used in 8 cases, anterograde island peroneal flaps in 5 cases, and free
      peroneal flaps in 16 cases. The mean age was 59.9 years, and the defect size
      ranged from 2.0 cm*4.5 cm to 8.0 cm*8.0 cm. All the flaps survived. Five flaps
      developed partial skin necrosis. In 2 cases, a split-thickness skin graft was
      performed, and the other 3 cases were treated without any additional procedures.
      CONCLUSIONS: The peroneal artery perforator flap is a good alternative for the
      reconstruction of soft tissue defects, with a constant and reliable vascular
      pedicle, thin and pliable skin, and the possibility of creating a composite
      tissue flap.

PMID- 28352604
TI  - Osseointegrated Finger Prostheses Using a Tripod Titanium Mini-Plate.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Digital amputation is a common upper extremity injury and can cause
      significant impairment in hand function, as well as psychosocial stigma.
      Currently, the gold standard for the reconstruction of such injuries involves
      autologous reconstruction. However, when this or other autologous options are not
      available, prosthetic reconstruction can provide a functionally and aesthetically
      viable alternative. This study describes a novel technique, known as a tripod
      titanium mini-plate, for osseointegrated digit prostheses, and reviews the
      outcomes in a set of consecutive patients. METHODS: A retrospective review of
      patients who underwent 2-stage prosthetic reconstruction of digit amputations was
      performed. Demographic information, occupation, mechanism of injury, number of
      amputated fingers, and level of amputation were reviewed. Functional and
      aesthetic outcomes were assessed using the quick disabilities of the arm,
      shoulder, and hand (Q-DASH) scale and a visual analog scale (VAS) score,
      respectively. In addition, complications during the postoperative period were
      recorded. RESULTS: Seven patients were included in this study. Their average age
      was 29 years. Five patients had single-digit amputations and 2 patients had
      multiple-digit amputations. Functional and aesthetic outcomes were assessed using
      the Q-DASH score (average, 10.4) and VAS score (average, 9.1), respectively. One
      episode of mild cellulitis was seen at 24 months of follow-up. However, it was
      treated successfully with oral antibiotics. No other complications were reported.
      CONCLUSIONS: When autologous reconstruction is not suitable for digit
      reconstruction, prosthetic osseointegrated reconstruction can provide good
      aesthetic and functional results. However, larger series with longer-term follow
      up are required in order to rule out the possibility of other complications.

PMID- 28352605
TI  - Photo Epilation with Intense Pulsed Light for Thinning of Anterior Hairline after
      Hairline Correction Surgery in East Asians.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Thin hairs are critical to achieve natural result in female hairline
      correction surgery. However, there are few studies on the usefulness of hair
      thinning by intense pulsed light (IPL) after hairline correction surgery in East
      Asian females. METHODS: Hair thinning using IPL was performed in 54 women who had
      complained about thick hairs along the frontal hairline after hairline correction
      surgery. Patient mean age was 31.2 years old and patients were an average of 2.1
      years post-hairline correction surgery. Initial treatment used 10 J, while second
      and third sessions were conducted with 10 to 15 J according to responsiveness to
      treatment. RESULTS: Mean thickness of individual hairs assessed before the
      procedure was 78.86 um. The mean number of procedures was 1.6 per patient. Forty
      of 54 subjects (74%) achieved satisfactory hair thinning with only one procedure
      from 78.01 to 66.14 um after treatment. The measured thickness was 66.43 um at
      the end of the first year in patients who were satisfied after one procedure.
      Thirteen cases achieved satisfactory hair thinning after two sessions. Mean
      thickness was 74.44 um and 67.51 um, before and after the second session. One
      case required a third session with 15J, thinning from 89.00 to 66.50 um.
      CONCLUSIONS: Hair thinning by IPL is a very useful method to provide a natural
      look after hairline correction surgery in East Asians, who have naturally thick
      hair.

PMID- 28352606
TI  - Autologous Fat Grafting as a Last Resort for Unsustainable Pain in a Woman with
      Multiple Osteochondromas.
AB  - Multiple osteochondromas (MO) is characterized by the formation of
      osteochondromas throughout the entire body. Although the evidence regarding its
      pathogenesis is well understood, no curative treatment for the disorder is
      available. Patients can be treated symptomatically by surgical removal of painful
      osteochondromas. Unfortunately, some patients still suffer from severe pain, even
      after surgery. We report on a case concerning a 48-year-old woman with a history
      of MO who presented with persistent pain after surgical removal of a symptomatic
      osteochondroma of the left scapula and multiple symptomatic osteochondromas of
      the left foot and trochanteric region. Several interventions to reduce the pain
      did not have any lasting effect. Subsequently, she was treated with autologous
      fat grafting (AFG). After each session she was pain-free for at least one year
      and reported only partial recurrence of the pain. This is the first case report
      describing AFG for the treatment of pain after both surgical removal of an
      osteochondroma and symptomatic osteochondromas in a patient suffering MO with
      promising results. The treatment is more effective and clearly continues to
      remain active longer than injection therapy or pain medication. Future studies
      are necessary to confirm our results.

PMID- 28352607
TI  - A New Technique for Conchal Cartilage Harvest.
AB  - The goal of auricular cartilage harvest is to obtain a sufficient amount for
      reconstruction and to minimize the change in ear shape. The cartilage can be
      harvested by a posterior or anterior approach, and each method has advantages and
      disadvantages. The posterior approach presents the advantage of scar concealment,
      but there are limits to the amount of cymba cartilage that may be harvested. In
      contrast, the anterior approach may cause a noticeable scar. However, as
      cartilage is collected, the anterior approach provides a view that facilitates
      the preservation ear structure. In addition, it is possible to obtain a greater
      amount of cartilage. From January 2014 to December 2015, we harvested auricular
      cartilage graft material in 17 patients. To prevent the development of trapdoor
      scars or linear scar contracture, short incisions were made on the superior
      border of the cymba and cavum. Two small and narrow incisions were made,
      resulting in suboptimal exposure of the surgical site, which heightens the
      potential for damaging the cartilage when using existing tools. To minimize this,
      the authors used a newly invented ball-type elevator. All patients recovered
      without complications after surgery and reported satisfaction with the shape of
      the ear.

PMID- 28352608
TI  - An Innovative Scalp-Dyeing Technique with Gentian Violet Solution During
      Follicular Unit Extraction for White-Haired Follicular Units.
AB  - There exist some restrictions and difficulties in performing follicular unit
      extraction (FUE) in white-haired patients, for several reasons. In this paper, we
      introduce a novel technique for visualizing white hair during the punching
      procedure and graft preparation in FUE for white-haired patients. In white-haired
      older male patients, we dyed the surrounding scalp skin purple with a gentian
      violet solution-stained toothpick. Our method has several advantages: surgeons
      can easily focus on the center of the follicular unit and rapidly perform
      punching, they can recognize the condition of the harvested follicular units
      during FUE, and the hair transplant team can secure a clear view for trimming and
      loading into the implanter. We suggest that scalp dyeing in difficult FUE
      procedures, especially in patients with white hair, may be a simple method that
      provides a good visualization for donor site harvesting and for microdissection.

PMID- 28352609
TI  - Unilateral Failure in Microvascular Bilateral Breast Reconstruction Salvaged by
      Flap Transfer to the Contralateral Breast.

PMID- 28352610
TI  - The Optimal Color of Background Sheets for Microsurgery.

PMID- 28352612
TI  - A Co-infection Model System and the Use of Chimeric Proteins to Study Chlamydia
      Inclusion Proteins Interaction.
AB  - Chlamydia trachomatis is an obligate intracellular bacterium associated with
      trachoma and sexually transmitted diseases. During its intracellular
      developmental cycle, Chlamydia resides in a membrane bound compartment called the
      inclusion. A subset of Type III secreted effectors, the inclusion membrane
      proteins (Inc), are inserted into the inclusion membrane. Inc proteins are
      strategically positioned to promote inclusion interaction with host factors and
      organelles, a process required for bacterial replication, but little is known
      about Inc proteins function or host interacting partners. Moreover, it is unclear
      whether each Inc protein has a distinct function or if a subset of Inc proteins
      interacts with one another to perform their function. Here, we used IncD as a
      model to investigate Inc/Inc interaction in the context of Inc protein expression
      in C. trachomatis. We developed a co-infection model system to display different
      tagged Inc proteins on the surface of the same inclusion. We also designed
      chimeric Inc proteins to delineate domains important for interaction. We showed
      that IncD can self-interact and that the full-length protein is required for
      dimerization and/or oligomerization. Altogether our approach can be generalized
      to any Inc protein and will help to characterize the molecular mechanisms by
      which Chlamydia Inc proteins interact with themselves and/or host factors,
      eventually leading to a better understanding of C. trachomatis interaction with
      the mammalian host.

PMID- 28352613
TI  - P. acnes-Driven Disease Pathology: Current Knowledge and Future Directions.
AB  - This review discusses the biology and behavior of Propionibacterium acnes (P.
      acnes), a dominant bacterium species of the skin biogeography thought to be
      associated with transmission, recurrence and severity of disease. More
      specifically, we discuss the ability of P. acnes to invade and persist in
      epithelial cells and circulating macrophages to subsequently induce bouts of
      sarcoidosis, low-grade inflammation and metastatic cell growth in the prostate
      gland. Finally, we discuss the possibility of P. acnes infiltrating the brain
      parenchyma to indirectly contribute to pathogenic processes in neurodegenerative
      disorders such as those observed in Parkinson's disease (PD).

PMID- 28352611
TI  - Targeting the Metabolic Reprogramming That Controls Epithelial-to-Mesenchymal
      Transition in Aggressive Tumors.
AB  - The epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT) process allows the trans
      differentiation of a cell with epithelial features into a cell with mesenchymal
      characteristics. This process has been reported to be a key priming event for
      tumor development and therefore EMT activation is now considered an established
      trait of malignancy. The transcriptional and epigenetic reprogramming that
      governs EMT has been extensively characterized and reviewed in the last decade.
      However, increasing evidence demonstrates a correlation between metabolic
      reprogramming and EMT execution. The aim of the current review is to gather the
      recent findings that illustrate this correlation to help deciphering whether
      metabolic changes are causative or just a bystander effect of EMT activation. The
      review is divided accordingly to the catabolic and anabolic pathways that
      characterize carbohydrate, aminoacid, and lipid metabolism. Moreover, at the end
      of each part, we have discussed a series of potential metabolic targets involved
      in EMT promotion and execution for which drugs are either available or that could
      be further investigated for therapeutic intervention.

PMID- 28352615
TI  - Results of a randomized, prospective, double-dummy, double-blind trial to compare
      efficacy and safety of a herbal combination containing Tropaeoli majoris herba
      and Armoraciae rusticanae radix with co-trimoxazole in patients with acute and
      uncomplicated cystitis.
AB  - OBJECTIVES: To demonstrate non-inferiority of an herbal combination (horseradish
      root and nasturtium herb) to an antibiotic (co-trimoxazole) in acute
      uncomplicated cystitis. DESIGN: Randomized, prospective, double-blind, double
      dummy, multicenter, phase III clinical study, using block randomization of 4
      blocks (size 2). SETTING: Twenty-six centers in Germany, from May 2011 to June
      2013. PARTICIPANTS: Adult patients (median age, 38.5 years; 90% female) with
      acute uncomplicated cystitis confirmed via urinalysis and bacterial counts.
      INTERVENTIONS: Patients received the herbal combination (five tablets, four times
      per day) or the antibiotic (two tablets daily) for a period of 7 or 3 days,
      respectively, followed by a 21-days without drug treatment. Placebos ensured
      blinding. PRIMARY AND SECONDARY OUTCOME MEASURES: The primary endpoint was the
      percentage of responders, expressed as reduction of germ count from >105 to <103
      CFU/mL of pathogens between visit 1 (day 0) and 3 (day 15). Secondary endpoints
      included change of symptom scores, duration of symptoms, efficacy assessments,
      relapse frequency, and safety. A sample size of 178 patients per group was
      estimated. RESULTS: Of the 96 randomized patients (intent-to-treat; 45 in the
      phytotherapy group, 51 in the antibiotic group), 51 were considered per-protocol
      patients (22 in the phytotherapy group, 29 in the antibiotic group). Responder
      rates were 10/22 (45.5%) for the phytotherapy group and 15/29 (51.1%) for the
      antibiotic group (group difference: -6.27% [95% CI: -33.90%-21.3%]). The study
      was terminated prematurely due to slow recruitment rates. Non-inferiority could
      not be assumed by predefined criteria. During the follow-up period, one relapse
      occurred in each group. Both treatments were well tolerated. CONCLUSION: This
      clinical trial indicates comparable efficacy of the herbal combination and
      antibiotic, although non-inferiority was not proved. However, the results and
      lessons learned are important for the planning of future trials. Issues that led
      to the premature trial discontinuation were considered.

PMID- 28352614
TI  - In vivo Host Environment Alters Pseudomonas aeruginosa Susceptibility to
      Aminoglycoside Antibiotics.
AB  - During host infection, Pseudomonas aeruginosa coordinately regulates the
      expression of numerous genes to adapt to the host environment while counteracting
      host clearance mechanisms. As infected patients take antibiotics, the invading
      bacteria encounter antibiotics in the host milieu. P. aeruginosa is highly
      resistant to antibiotics due to multiple chromosomally encoded resistant
      determinants. And numerous in vitro studies have demonstrated the regulatory
      mechanisms of antibiotic resistance related genes in response to antibiotics.
      However, it is not well-known how host environment affects bacterial response to
      antibiotics. In this study, we found that P. aeruginosa cells directly isolated
      from mice lungs displayed higher susceptibility to tobramycin than in vitro
      cultured bacteria. In vitro experiments demonstrated that incubation with A549
      and differentiated HL60 (dHL60) cells sensitized P. aeruginosa to tobramycin.
      Further studies revealed that reactive oxygen species produced by the host cells
      contributed to the increased bacterial susceptibility. At the same concentration
      of tobramycin, presence of A549 and dHL60 cells resulted in higher expression of
      heat shock proteins, which are known inducible by tobramycin. Further analyses
      revealed decreased membrane potential upon incubation with the host cells and
      modification of lipopolysaccharide, which contributed to the increased
      susceptibility to tobramycin. Therefore, our results demonstrate that contact
      with host cells increased bacterial susceptibility to tobramycin.

PMID- 28352616
TI  - Management of metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer: Insights from
      urology experts in Thailand.
AB  - Treatment options for castration-resistant prostate cancer (CRPC) are available,
      but clear instructions for the selection of appropriate treatment are lacking. A
      meeting of urology experts based in Thailand was convened with the following
      objectives: (1) to reach a consensus and share real-life experiences about how to
      identify CRPC; (2) to choose the appropriate treatment for CRPC patients; (3) to
      evaluate disease progression using novel inhibitors of the androgen receptor
      pathway; (4) to identify the frequency of monitoring disease; and (5) to promote
      rational use of corticosteroids in CRPC patients. This consensus document can
      provide guidance to other urologists in Thailand to provide appropriate treatment
      to metastatic CRPC patients in a timely manner.

PMID- 28352617
TI  - Support for the use of objective comorbidity indices in the assessment of
      noncancer death risk in prostate cancer patients.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Prostate cancer management involves a balance between the risks of
      cancer death against those from other causes. To evaluate the performance of
      several comorbidity indices in predicting comorbid death in a prostate cancer
      radiotherapy cohort. METHODS: 2,131 men with localised prostate cancer treated
      with radical radiotherapy between 1999 and 2007 were studied. Tumour features,
      androgen deprivation usage, age, number of prescription medications (PMN) and
      Adult Comorbidity Evaluation-27 Index (ACE-27) were recorded. Death from prostate
      cancer (DPC) and death from other causes (DOC) were analysed as competing causes
      of death using a competing risks model, with discrimination assessed using the
      concordance index. RESULTS: ACE-27 scores correlated with patient's PMN (median
      PMN = 2). Tumour features were independent of ACE-27 scores. Estimated cumulative
      incidences of DOC and DPC at 10 years were 16.4% and 7.7% respectively. In the
      low/intermediate risk group (n = 1026) there was a 3.4-fold predominance of DOC
      inside 10 years (cumulative incidence: 15.8% DOC vs 3.4% DPC). High-risk men had
      approximately equal rates of DPC and DOC at 10 years. Multivariable analysis
      showed age, ACE-27 score >= 1 and PMN to have significant associations with DOC
      (P < 0.002 for all). A multivariable model incorporating all 3 variables resulted
      in C-Index = 0.646. CONCLUSION: Age, ACE-27 score and PMN act as independent
      prognostic factors for DOC in prostate cancer patients and can improve patient's
      life expectancy prediction.

PMID- 28352618
TI  - Safety and feasibility of robot-assisted radical prostatectomy for clinically
      localized prostate cancer in elderly Japanese patients.
AB  - BACKGROUND: This study was conducted to assess the safety and feasibility of
      robot-assisted radical prostatectomy (RARP) for elderly Japanese (aged >= 70
      years) patients with clinically localized prostate cancer (PCa). METHODS: From
      April 2012 to March 2016, a total of 302 consecutive patients with clinically
      localized PCa underwent RARP at our institute. In this series, 109 (36.1%) and
      193 (63.9%) of the patients were divided into older (aged >= 70 years) and
      younger (aged <70 years) groups, respectively. The correlation between the
      categorized patient age and various clinicopathological factors, including
      preoperative characteristics, perioperative outcome, and urinary continence
      outcome after RARP, was retrospectively analyzed. RESULTS: Except for age and
      Gleason score at biopsy, there was no difference in the preoperative features
      between the two groups. A nonnerve-sparing RARP was performed more often in the
      younger group; however, other perioperative variables in the elderly group were
      comparable to those in the younger group. Similarly, the urinary continence rates
      at 1 month, 3 months, and 6 months after the surgery were equally favorable in
      the younger and older groups. CONCLUSION: RARP may be a reasonable therapeutic
      option for elderly patients with PCa and provides comparable perioperative and
      functional outcomes to those in younger patients.

PMID- 28352619
TI  - Low levels of serum testosterone in middle-aged men impact pathological features
      of prostate cancer.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Serum testosterone deficiency increases with aging. Age is also a
      major risk factor for prostate cancer (PrCa) and PCa tumors are more frequently
      diagnosed among men >65 years old. We evaluated the relationship between
      preoperative serum testosterone and clinical/ pathological features of PrCa in
      middle-aged and elderly patients. METHODS: A total of 605 PrCa patients who
      underwent robotic-assisted radical prostatectomy between September 2010 and
      January 2013 at the University of Pennsylvania, and who had serum testosterone
      levels measured using Elecsys Testosterone II Immunoassay were included in this
      IRB-approved protocol. Androgen deficiency was determined as serum free
      testosterone (FT) <47 pg/ml and total testosterone (TT) <193 ng/dl. Demographic,
      clinical and tumor characteristics of men with low vs. normal TT or FT were
      compared using t-test or chi-square tests. Logistic regression was used to
      determine associations of clinical and pathological variables with FT or TT
      levels. RESULTS: Among middle-aged men (45-64 years; n = 367), those with low FT
      and low TT had, on average, a higher BMI (29.7 vs. 27.4, P < 0.01; and 32.2 vs.
      27.6; P < 0.01, respectively) and higher proportion of Gleason 8-10 PrCa (13.3%
      vs. 4.8%, P = 0.011; and 19.2% vs. 5.1%, P = 0.012) compared to men with normal
      FT and normal TT values. Patients with low FT had also higher number of positive
      cores on biopsy (3.9 vs. 3.1 P = 0.019) and greater tumor volume (7.9 ml vs. 6.1
      ml, P = 0.045) compared to those with normal FT. Among men >=65 years (n = 135)
      there was no difference in prostatectomy specimens of PrCa between patients with
      low or normal FT or TT. CONCLUSION: Among men aged 45-64 years low serum
      pretreatment FT and TT predicted more aggressive features of PrCa in
      prostatectomy specimens. In middle-aged patients low testosterone levels measured
      pre-operatively may indicate more aggressive disease parameters.

PMID- 28352620
TI  - Indications for a second prostate biopsy in patients suspected with prostate
      cancer after an initial negative prostate biopsy.
AB  - BACKGROUND: The present study aimed to evaluate the indications for a second
      prostate biopsy in patients suspected with prostate cancer after an initial
      negative prostate biopsy. METHODS: The present study included 421 patients who
      underwent repeat prostate biopsy between January 2007 and December 2015 at three
      hospitals. Clinicopathological data, including patient age, body mass index,
      history of prostate biopsy, prostate volume, prostate-specific antigen (PSA)
      level, PSA density, PSA velocity, and PSA fluctuation patterns, were analyzed.
      The patients were stratified into two groups based on the first PSA pattern
      (increase/decrease) within 1 year after the initial negative prostate biopsy.
      RESULTS: Prostate cancer was detected in 100 (23.8%) of the 421 patients at the
      second prostate biopsy. In patients with a PSA decrease at the first follow-up,
      prostate volume and number of increases in the PSA level from the initial
      prostate biopsy were predictors for prostate cancer diagnosis at the second
      prostate biopsy. In patients with a steady PSA increase after the initial
      prostate biopsy, prostate volume and number of biopsy cores were predictors for
      prostate cancer diagnosis at the second prostate biopsy. CONCLUSION: The
      indications for a second prostate biopsy are a low prostate volume and a high
      number of increases in the PSA level among patients with a PSA decrease at the
      first follow-up and a low prostate volume and a high number of biopsy cores among
      patients with a PSA increase at the first follow-up.

PMID- 28352621
TI  - Granulomatous prostatitis: clinical and histomorphologic survey of the disease in
      a tertiary care hospital.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Granulomatous prostatitis is an uncommon entity that is diagnosed
      incidentally on histopathology and is broadly classified as nonspecific,
      specific, postsurgical (post-transurethral resection), or secondary to other rare
      systemic granulomatous diseases. Only very few studies are available in the
      literature that describe the clinical and histomorphological spectrum of the
      disease. METHODS: A retrospective analysis of histopathological records of 1,181
      prostatic specimens received in the pathology department was done over a period
      of 13 years (January 2003 to January 2016). All histologically proven cases of
      granulomatous prostatitis were retrieved, and relevant clinical data were
      collected from patients' records. Epstein and Hutchins classification was used to
      categorize these cases. RESULTS: Twenty-two cases of granulomatous prostatitis
      were identified, accounting for an incidence of 1.86%. Among these, nonspecific
      granulomatous prostatitis (n = 10) was the most common followed by tubercular
      prostatitis (n = 5), posttransurethral resection of the prostate (n = 3),
      allergic (n = 2), and xanthogranulomatous prostatitis (n = 2). The age range of
      these patients was between 41 and 75 years, with the majority of patients in
      their 7th decade. Serum prostate-specific antigen levels ranged between 0.88
      ng/mL and 19.22 ng/mL. Hard and fixed nodules were observed on digital rectal
      examination in 14 cases. Transrectal ultrasound revealed hypoechoic shadows in
      five cases. CONCLUSION: Despite present-day advances in imaging modalities and
      serological investigations, it is virtually impossible to identify granulomatous
      prostatitis clinically. Histopathology remains the gold standard in diagnosing
      the disease. However, assigning an etiologic cause to the wide spectrum of
      granulomas in granulomatous prostatitis requires a pathologist's expertise and
      proper clinical correlation for appropriate patient management.

PMID- 28352622
TI  - Predictive factor of androgen deprivation therapy for patients with advanced
      stage prostate cancer.
AB  - BACKGROUND: The purpose of this study was to identify the predictive factors for
      the efficacy of androgen deprivation therapy (ADT) in men with hormone-sensitive
      prostate cancer (PC) with or without distant metastasis. METHODS: A retrospective
      review of PC patients was conducted of the medical records. We enrolled 246
      patients who received primary ADT. PC patients treated with ADT for presumed
      nonlocalized PC were evaluated on the efficacy of ADT using prostate-specific
      antigen (PSA) time to progression (TTP) and compared factors associated with TTP
      in patients with distant metastasis and patients without distant metastasis.
      RESULTS: A total of 246 patients were treated primarily with ADT. The median
      follow-up period was 20.2 months. One hundred and ninety-one patients had
      metastatic disease. The median TTP on ADT for the distant metastasis group was
      14.8 months versus 60.1 months in the without distant metastasis group (P <
      0.0001). In the univariate analysis only, PSA nadir after ADT was associated with
      longer TTP (hazard ratio, 10.69; 95% confidence interval, 5.56-20.57). In the
      multivariate analysis, high grade tumor and PSA nadir were independent factors
      associated with a shorter TTP. CONCLUSION: In this study of hormone-sensitive PC
      patients treated with ADT for nonlocalized PC, high grade tumor and PSA nadir
      were predicting factors of this treatment.

PMID- 28352623
TI  - Corrigendum to "Modified urethrovesical anastomosis during robot-assisted simple
      prostatectomy: Technique and results" [Prostate Int 4 (2016) 61-64].
AB  - [This corrects the article DOI: 10.1016/j.prnil.2016.04.001.].

PMID- 28352625
TI  - Inherited Thrombophilia in Pediatric Venous Thromboembolic Disease: Why and Who
      to Test.
AB  - Venous thromboembolic disease in childhood is a multifactorial disease. Risk
      factors include acquired clinical risk factors such as a central venous catheter
      and underlying disease and inherited thrombophilia. Inherited thrombophilia is
      defined as a genetically determined tendency to develop venous thromboembolism.
      In contrast to adults, acquired clinical risk factors play a larger role than
      inherited thrombophilia in the development of thrombotic disease in children. The
      contributing role of inherited thrombophilia is not clear in many pediatric
      thrombotic events, especially catheter-related thrombosis. Furthermore,
      identification of inherited thrombophilia will not often influence acute
      management of the thrombotic event as well as the duration of anticoagulation. In
      some patients, however, detection of inherited thrombophilia may lead to
      identification of other family members who can be counseled for their thrombotic
      risk. This article discusses the potential arguments for testing of inherited
      thrombophilia, including factor V Leiden mutation, prothrombin mutation, and
      deficiencies of antithrombin, protein C, or protein S and suggests some patient
      groups in childhood, which may be tested.

PMID- 28352626
TI  - Commentary: Growth of Global Health Spending Share in Low and Middle Income
      Countries.

PMID- 28352624
TI  - Monitoring Cerebral Oxygenation in Neonates: An Update.
AB  - Cerebral oxygenation is not always reflected by systemic arterial oxygenation.
      Therefore, regional cerebral oxygen saturation (rScO2) monitoring with near
      infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) is of added value in neonatal intensive care. rScO2
      represents oxygen supply to the brain, while cerebral fractional tissue oxygen
      extraction, which is the ratio between rScO2 and systemic arterial oxygen
      saturation, reflects cerebral oxygen utilization. The balance between oxygen
      supply and utilization provides insight in neonatal cerebral (patho-)physiology.
      This review highlights the potential and limitations of cerebral oxygenation
      monitoring with NIRS in the neonatal intensive care unit.

PMID- 28352627
TI  - Treatment of Cirrhosis-Associated Hyponatremia with Midodrine and Octreotide.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Hyponatremia in the setting of cirrhosis is a common electrolyte
      disorder with few therapeutic options. The free water retention is due to non
      osmotic vasopressin secretion resulting from the cirrhosis-associated splanchnic
      vasodilatation. Therefore, vasoconstrictive therapy may correct this electrolyte
      abnormality. The aim of this study was to assess the efficacy of midodrine and
      octreotide as a therapeutic approach to increasing urinary electrolyte-free water
      clearance (EFWC) in the correction of cirrhosis-associated hyponatremia. METHODS:
      This observational study consisted of 10 patients with cirrhosis-associated
      hyponatremia. Hypovolemia was ruled out as the cause of the hyponatremia with a
      48-h albumin challenge (25 g IV q6 h). Patients whose hyponatremia failed to
      improve with albumin challenge were started on midodrine and octreotide at 10 mg
      po tid and 100 MUg sq tid, respectively, with rapid up-titration as tolerated to
      respective maximal doses of 15 mg tid and 200 MUg tid within the first 24 h. We
      assessed urinary EFWC and serum sodium concentration before and 72 h after
      treatment. RESULTS: Pretreatment serum sodium levels ranged from 119 to 133
      mmol/L. The mean pretreatment serum sodium concentration +/- SEM was 124 mmol/L
      +/- 1.6 vs 130 mmol/L +/- 1.5 posttreatment (p = 0.00001). The mean pretreatment
      urinary EFWC +/- SEM was 0.33 L +/- 0.07 vs 0.82 L +/- 0.11 posttreatment (p =
      0.0003). CONCLUSION: Our data show a statistically significant increase in serum
      sodium concentration and urinary EFWC with the use of midodrine and octreotide in
      the treatment of cirrhosis-associated hyponatremia.

PMID- 28352628
TI  - Neuroprotective Effects of Selected Microbial-Derived Phenolic Metabolites and
      Aroma Compounds from Wine in Human SH-SY5Y Neuroblastoma Cells and Their Putative
      Mechanisms of Action.
AB  - Moderate wine consumption has shown the potential to delay the onset of
      neurodegenerative diseases. This study investigates the molecular mechanisms
      underlying the protective effects of wine-derived phenolic and aroma compounds in
      a neuroinflammation model based on SIN-1 stress-induced injury in SH-SY5Y
      neuroblastoma cells. Cell pretreatment with microbial metabolites found in blood
      after wine consumption, 3,4-dihydroxyphenylacetic (3,4-DHPA), 3
      hydroxyphenylacetic acids and salicylic beta-d-O-glucuronide, at physiologically
      concentrations (0.1-10 MUM) resulted in increased cell viability versus SIN-1
      control group (p < 0.05). Results also showed significant decreases in mitogen
      activated protein kinase (MAPK) p38 and ERK1/2 activation as well as in
      downstream pro-apoptotic caspase-3 activity by some of the studied compounds.
      Moreover, pretreatment with p38, MEK, and ERK1/2-specific inhibitors, which have
      a phenolic-like structure, also resulted in an increase on cell survival and a
      reduction on caspase-3 activity levels. Overall, these results contribute with
      new evidences related to the neuroprotective actions of wine, pointing out that
      wine-derived human metabolites and aroma compounds may be effective at protecting
      neuroblastoma cells from nitrosative stress injury by inhibiting neuronal MAPK
      p38 and ERK1/2, as well as downstream caspase 3 activity.

PMID- 28352629
TI  - Contained Morcellation: Review of Current Methods and Future Directions.
AB  - Power morcellation of surgical specimen during laparoscopic surgery is a
      practical technology that provides the opportunity to perform several minimally
      invasive procedures. However, this technology brought forward additional risks
      and complications associated with dissemination of both benign and malignant
      tissues inside the abdominal cavity. Based on startling cases, Food and Drug
      Administration (FDA) announced a discouraging statement on the use of power
      morcellators that decreased the number of minimally invasive approaches in the
      following period. As a response to these concerns and negative impacts of the FDA
      statement, researchers developed several new approaches resulting in contained or
      in-bag morcellation methods. In this review, we aimed to discuss these current
      methods and provide an insight for future developments.

PMID- 28352630
TI  - Comparing Methods of Assessing Dog Rabies Vaccination Coverage in Rural and Urban
      Communities in Tanzania.
AB  - Rabies can be eliminated by achieving comprehensive coverage of 70% of domestic
      dogs during annual mass vaccination campaigns. Estimates of vaccination coverage
      are, therefore, required to evaluate and manage mass dog vaccination programs;
      however, there is no specific guidance for the most accurate and efficient
      methods for estimating coverage in different settings. Here, we compare post
      vaccination transects, school-based surveys, and household surveys across 28
      districts in southeast Tanzania and Pemba island covering rural, urban, coastal
      and inland settings, and a range of different livelihoods and religious
      backgrounds. These approaches were explored in detail in a single district in
      northwest Tanzania (Serengeti), where their performance was compared with a
      complete dog population census that also recorded dog vaccination status. Post
      vaccination transects involved counting marked (vaccinated) and unmarked
      (unvaccinated) dogs immediately after campaigns in 2,155 villages (24,721 dogs
      counted). School-based surveys were administered to 8,587 primary school pupils
      each representing a unique household, in 119 randomly selected schools
      approximately 2 months after campaigns. Household surveys were conducted in 160
      randomly selected villages (4,488 households) in July/August 2011. Costs to
      implement these coverage assessments were $12.01, $66.12, and $155.70 per village
      for post-vaccination transects, school-based, and household surveys,
      respectively. Simulations were performed to assess the effect of sampling on the
      precision of coverage estimation. The sampling effort required to obtain
      reasonably precise estimates of coverage from household surveys is generally very
      high and probably prohibitively expensive for routine monitoring across large
      areas, particularly in communities with high human to dog ratios. School-based
      surveys partially overcame sampling constraints, however, were also costly to
      obtain reasonably precise estimates of coverage. Post-vaccination transects
      provided precise and timely estimates of community-level coverage that could be
      used to troubleshoot the performance of campaigns across large areas. However,
      transects typically overestimated coverage by around 10%, which therefore needs
      consideration when evaluating the impacts of campaigns. We discuss the advantages
      and disadvantages of these different methods and make recommendations for how
      vaccination campaigns can be better monitored and managed at different stages of
      rabies control and elimination programs.

PMID- 28352631
TI  - Guidance on opioids prescribing for the management of persistent non-cancer pain
      in older adults.
AB  - Many older adults suffer from persistent pain but prevalence studies consistently
      showed high levels of untreated or under-treated pain in old population. Both
      persistent pain and pain under-treatment adversely affect independence and
      quality of life in geriatric patients. Pain management is challenging in this age
      group because of the declining organ function, the presence of concurrent
      diseases and polypharmacy. For all the above reasons, persistent pain in the
      elderly should be considered a geriatric syndrome per se and effective approaches
      are warranted. Current guidelines and consensus statements recommend opioid
      therapy for older adults with moderate-to-severe persistent pain or functional
      impairment and diminished quality of life due to pain. However clinicians and
      patients themselves have some concerns about opioids use. Age-related decline in
      organs functions and warnings about risk of addiction and drug misuse/abuse also
      in geriatric patients need particular attention for safe prescribing. On the
      basis of clinical evidence, these practical recommendations will help to improve
      the competence on opioid role in persistent pain management and the likelihood of
      a successful analgesic trial in older patients.

PMID- 28352632
TI  - Decoding white coat hypertension.
AB  - There is arguably no less understood or more intriguing problem in hypertension
      that the "white coat" condition, the standard concept of which is significantly
      blood pressure reading obtained by medical personnel of authoritative standing
      than that obtained by more junior and less authoritative personnel and by the
      patients themselves. Using hospital-initiated ambulatory blood pressure
      monitoring, the while effect manifests as initial and ending pressure elevations,
      and, in treated patients, a low daytime profile. The effect is essentially
      systolic. Pure diastolic white coat hypertension appears to be exceedingly rare.
      On the basis of the studies, we believe that the white coat phenomenon is a
      common, periodic, neuro-endocrine reflex conditioned by anticipation of having
      the blood pressure taken and the fear of what this measurement may indicate
      concerning future illness. It does not change with time, or with prolonged
      association with the physician, particularly with advancing years, it may be
      superimposed upon essential hypertension, and in patients receiving hypertensive
      medication, blunting of the nighttime dip, which occurs in about half the
      patients, may be a compensatory mechanisms, rather than an indication of
      cardiovascular risk. Rather than the blunted dip, the morning surge or the
      widened pulse pressure, cardiovascular risk appears to be related to elevation of
      the average night time pressure.

PMID- 28352633
TI  - Bayes syndrome and acute cardioembolic ischemic stroke.
AB  - Bayes syndrome is an under-recognized clinical condition characterized by
      advanced interatrial block. Bayes syndrome is a subclinical disease that
      manifests electrocardiographically as a prolonged P wave duration > 120 ms with
      biphasic morphology +/- in the inferior leads. The clinical relevance of Bayes
      syndrome lies in the fact that is a clear arrhythmological syndrome and has a
      strong association with supraventricular arrhythmias, particularly atypical
      atrial flutter and atrial fibrillation. Likewise, Bayes syndrome has been
      recently identified as a novel risk factor for non-lacunar cardioembolic ischemic
      stroke and vascular dementia. Advanced interatrial block can be a risk for
      embolic stroke due to its known sequelae of left atrial dilation, left atrial
      electromechanical dysfunction or atrial tachyarrhythmia (paroxysmal or persistent
      atrial fibrillation), conditions predisposing to thromboembolism. Bayes syndrome
      may be responsible for some of the unexplained ischemic strokes and shall be
      considered and investigated as a possible cause for cryptogenetic stroke. In
      summary, Bayes syndrome is a poorly recognized cardiac rhythm disorder with
      important cardiologic and neurologic implications.

PMID- 28352635
TI  - Pulmonary embolism and internal jugular vein thrombosis as evocative clues of
      Lemierre's syndrome: A case report and review of the literature.
AB  - Lemierre's syndrome (LS) is an uncommon condition with oropharyngeal infections,
      internal jugular vein thrombosis, and systemic metastatic septic embolization as
      the main features. Fusobacterium species, a group of strictly anaerobic Gram
      negative rod shaped bacteria, are advocated to be the main pathogen involved. We
      report a case of LS complicated by pulmonary embolism and pulmonary septic emboli
      that mimicked a neoplastic lung condition. A Medline search revealed 173 case
      reports of LS associated with internal jugular vein thrombosis that documented
      the type of microorganism. Data confirmed high prevalence in young males with
      Gram negative infections (83.2%). Pulmonary embolism was reported in 8.7% of
      cases mainly described in subjects with Gram positive infections (OR = 9.786;
      95%CI: 2.577-37.168, P = 0.001), independently of age and gender. Only four fatal
      cases were reported. LS is an uncommon condition that could be complicated by
      pulmonary embolism, especially in subjects with Gram positive infections.

PMID- 28352634
TI  - Surveillance of Australian Hajj pilgrims for carriage of potentially pathogenic
      bacteria: Data from two pilot studies.
AB  - AIM: To estimate the pharyngeal carriage rate of Neisseria meningitidis (N.
      meningitidis), Streptococcus pneumoniae (S. pneumoniae) and Staphylococcus aureus
      (S. aureus) among Australian Hajj pilgrims. METHODS: In 2014, surveillance was
      conducted in two phases among Australian Hajj pilgrims: The first phase during
      Hajj in Mina, and the second phase soon after returning home to Australia.
      Nasopharyngeal or oropharyngeal swabs were taken from participants then tested,
      firstly by nucleic acid testing, and also by standard culture. RESULTS: Of 183
      participants recruited in the first phase, 26 (14.2%) tested positive for S.
      pneumoniae; 4 had received pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (PCV13). Only one
      tested positive for N. meningitidis (W). Of 93 2nd phase samples cultured, 17
      (18.3%) grew S. aureus, all methicillin sensitive, 2 (2.2%) grew N. meningitidis
      (on subculture; one serotype B, one negative), and 1 (1%), from an unvaccinated
      pilgrim, grew S. pneumoniae. CONCLUSION: Relatively high carriage of S.
      pneumoniae and little meningococcal carriage was found. This indicates the
      importance of a larger study for improved infection surveillance and possible
      vaccine evaluation.

PMID- 28352636
TI  - Unicentric Castleman's disease associated with end stage renal disease caused by
      amyloidosis.
AB  - Castleman's disease (CD), also known as angiofolicular lymph node hyperplasia, is
      a rare heterogenous group of lymphoproliferative disorders. Histologically, it
      can be classified as hyaline vascular type, plasma cell type, or mixed type.
      Clinically two different subtypes of the CD are present: Unicentric and
      multicentric. Unicentric CD is generally asymptomatic and associated with hyaline
      vascular type, and its diagnoses depend on the localized lymphadenopathy on
      examination or imaging studies. However, multicentric CD presents with
      generalized lymphadenopathy and systemic symptoms including malaise, fever, night
      sweats, weight loss, and it is associated with the plasma cell type and mix type.
      Herein, we report a patient with unicentric CD of the plasma cell type without
      systemic symptoms, who developed end stage renal failure caused by amyloidosis 6
      years after onset of CD.

PMID- 28352637
TI  - Neurostimulation for fecal incontinence after correction of repair of imperforate
      anus.
AB  - We are reporting the case of a 32-year-old female who had suffered from fecal
      incontinence (FI). She was born with an imperforate anus and a recto-vaginal
      fistula; she underwent repair at 6 mo of age. At 29 years of age, she was still
      fecally incontinent despite extensive pelvic floor reeducation. A magnetic
      resonance imaging and an anal electromyography were performed. Because her
      symptoms were considered to be probably due to extra-sphincteric implantation of
      the neo-anus, a redo was performed of the recto-neo-anal intra-sphincteric
      anastomosis. A neurostimulator device was subsequently implanted for persistent
      incontinence. Solid and liquid FI resolved, and her quality of life improved
      markedly. Combining surgery to correct the position of the neo-anus within the
      anal sphincter complex and neurostimulation could thus become a new approach in
      cases of refractory FI for patients with imperforate anus as a newborn. Follow-up
      into adulthood after pediatric imperforate anus surgery should be recommended for
      adult patients with persistent FI.

PMID- 28352638
TI  - Variability in Diagnosing Brain Death at an Academic Medical Center.
AB  - Objective. Research continues to highlight variability in hospital policy and
      documentation of brain death. The aim of our study was to characterize how
      strictly new guidelines of American Academy of Neurology (AAN) for death by
      neurological criteria were practiced in our hospital prior to appointment of
      neurointensivists. Method. This is a retrospective study of adults diagnosed as
      brain dead from 2011 to 2015. Descriptive statistics compared five categories:
      preclinical testing, neurological examination, apnea tests, ancillary test, and
      documentation of time of death. Strict adherence to AAN guidelines for brain
      death determination was determined. Result. 76 patients were included in this
      study. Preclinical prerequisites were fulfilled in 53.9% and complete
      neurological examinations were documented in 76.3%. Apnea test was completed in
      39.5%. Ancillary test was completed in 29.8%. Accurate documentation of time of
      death occurred in 59.2%. Overall, strict adherence to current AAN guidelines for
      death by neurological criteria was correctly documented in 38.2%. Conclusion. Our
      study shows wide variability in diagnosing brain death. These findings led us to
      update our death by neurological criteria policy and increase awareness of brain
      death determination with the goal of improving our documentation following
      current AAN guidelines.

PMID- 28352639
TI  - Racial Differences in Expression Levels of miRNA Machinery-Related Genes, Dicer,
      Drosha, DGCR8, and AGO2, in Asian Korean Papillary Thyroid Carcinoma and
      Comparative Validation Using the Cancer Genome Atlas.
AB  - Aberrant regulation of microRNA (miRNA) machinery components is associated with
      various human cancers, including papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC), which is the
      most common type of thyroid cancer, and a higher prevalent female malignancy. The
      purpose of this study is to investigate racial differences in mRNA expression
      levels of four miRNA machinery components, Dicer, Drosha, DGCR8, and AGO2, and
      their correlations with clinicopathological characteristics. Forty PTC samples
      from female Asian Korean PTC patients were enrolled. Using qPCR, we examined mRNA
      expression levels of the components and next validated our results by comparison
      with results of female white American in the TCGA PTC project. Interestingly,
      mRNA expression levels of the selected factors were altered in the TCGA PTC
      samples. However, only Drosha showed a significantly lower expression level in
      Asian Korean PTC samples. Furthermore, the mRNA expression levels of the four
      components showed no association with clinicopathological characteristics in both
      groups. On the other hand, positive correlations were observed between altered
      mRNA expression levels of Dicer and Drosha and DGCR8 and Drosha in TCGA PTC
      samples. These findings collectively revealed that altered mRNA expression levels
      of miRNA machinery components might be responsible for racial differences in the
      carcinogenesis of PTC.

PMID- 28352640
TI  - A Different Perspective for Management of Diabetes Mellitus: Controlling Viral
      Liver Diseases.
AB  - Knowing how to prevent and treat diabetes mellitus (DM) earlier is essential to
      improving outcomes. Through participating in synthesis and catabolism of
      glycogen, the liver helps to regulate glucose homeostasis. Viral related liver
      diseases are associated with glycometabolism disorders, which means effective
      management of viral liver diseases may be a therapeutic strategy for DM. The
      present article reviews the correlation between DM and liver diseases to give an
      update of the management of DM rooted by viral liver diseases.

PMID- 28352641
TI  - Cardiac Function Remains Impaired Despite Reversible Cardiac Remodeling after
      Acute Experimental Viral Myocarditis.
AB  - Background. Infection with Coxsackievirus B3 induces myocarditis. We aimed to
      compare the acute and chronic phases of viral myocarditis to identify the
      immediate effects of cardiac inflammation as well as the long-term effects after
      resolved inflammation on cardiac fibrosis and consequently on cardiac function.
      Material and Methods. We infected C57BL/6J mice with Coxsackievirus B3 and
      determined the hemodynamic function 7 as well as 28 days after infection.
      Subsequently, we analyzed viral burden and viral replication in the cardiac
      tissue as well as the expression of cytokines and matrix proteins. Furthermore,
      cardiac fibroblasts were infected with virus to investigate if viral infection
      alone induces profibrotic signaling. Results. Severe cardiac inflammation was
      determined and cardiac fibrosis was consistently colocalized with inflammation
      during the acute phase of myocarditis. Declined cardiac inflammation but no
      significantly improved hemodynamic function was observed 28 days after infection.
      Interestingly, cardiac fibrosis declined to basal levels as well. Both cardiac
      inflammation and fibrosis were reversible, whereas the hemodynamic function
      remains impaired after healed viral myocarditis in C57BL/6J mice.

PMID- 28352642
TI  - The Expression of IL-6, TNF-alpha, and MCP-1 in Respiratory Viral Infection in
      Acute Exacerbations of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease.
AB  - Viral infection is a common trigger for acute exacerbations of chronic
      obstructive pulmonary disease (AECOPD). The aim of this study is to investigate
      the expression of cytokines in AECOPD. Patients with AECOPD requiring
      hospitalization were recruited. Meanwhile healthy volunteers of similar age that
      accepted routine check-ups and showed no clinical symptoms of inflammatory
      diseases were also recruited. Induced sputum and serum were collected. Induced
      sputum of participants was processed and tested for thirteen viruses and
      bacteria. Forty cytokines were assayed in serum using the Quantibody Human
      Inflammation Array 3 (Ray Biotech, Inc.). The most common virus detected in virus
      positive AECOPD (VP) was influenza A (16%). No virus was found in controls.
      Circulating levels of IL-6, TNF-alpha, and MCP-1 were elevated in VP and
      coinfection subjects (p < 0.05), while the levels of 37 other cytokines showed no
      difference, compared with virus negative groups and controls (p > 0.05).
      Additionally, VP patients were less likely to have received influenza
      vaccination. VP patients had a systemic inflammation response involving IL-6, TNF
      alpha, and MCP-1 which may be due to virus-induced activation of macrophages.
      There are important opportunities for further investigating AECOPD mechanisms and
      for the development of better strategies in the management and prevention of
      virus-related AECOPD.

PMID- 28352643
TI  - Update on hypoxia-inducible factors and hydroxylases in oxygen regulatory
      pathways: from physiology to therapeutics.
AB  - The "Hypoxia Nantes 2016" organized its second conference dedicated to the field
      of hypoxia research. This conference focused on "the role of hypoxia under
      physiological conditions as well as in cancer" and took place in Nantes, France,
      in October 6-7, 2016. The main objective of this conference was to bring together
      a large group of scientists from different spheres of hypoxia. Recent advances
      were presented and discussed around different topics: genomics, physiology,
      musculoskeletal, stem cells, microenvironment and cancer, and oxidative stress.
      This review summarizes the major highlights of the meeting.

PMID- 28352644
TI  - Signaling pathways and tissue interactions in neural plate border formation.
AB  - The neural crest is a transient cell population that gives rise to various cell
      types of multiple tissues and organs in the vertebrate embryo. Neural crest cells
      arise from the neural plate border, a region localized at the lateral borders of
      the prospective neural plate. Temporally and spatially coordinated interaction
      with the adjacent tissues, the non-neural ectoderm, the neural plate and the
      prospective dorsolateral mesoderm, is required for neural plate border
      specification. Signaling molecules, namely BMP, Wnt and FGF ligands and
      corresponding antagonists are derived from these tissues and interact to induce
      the expression of neural plate border specific genes. The present mini-review
      focuses on the current understanding of how the NPB territory is formed and
      accentuates the need for coordinated interaction of BMP and Wnt signaling
      pathways and precise tissue communication that are required for the definition of
      the prospective NC in the competent ectoderm.

PMID- 28352646
TI  - 'Blue' voltage-sensitive dyes for studying spatiotemporal dynamics in the brain:
      visualizing cortical waves.
AB  - Among many distinct contributions made by Amiram Grinvald's group, the "Blue
      dyes" is a special gift for visualizing cortical population neuronal activity.
      The excitation wavelength of blue dyes has minimal overlap with the absorption of
      hemoglobin, and hence has minimal pulsation artifacts. This advantage leads to
      high signal-to-noise ratio optical recordings of cortical activity, with
      sensitivity as good as that of local field potential recordings. High sensitivity
      imaging allows for recording of spontaneous and evoked activity in single trials
      without spatial or temporal averaging, and has benefitted many scientists in
      their research projects. Single trial recording is particularly important for
      studying the cortex, because spontaneous and ongoing activities interact with
      sensory evoked events, creating rich dynamics in the wave patterns. Signal
      averaging in space and time would diminish the dynamic components in the
      patterns. Here, we discuss how the blue dyes help to achieve high-sensitivity
      voltage-sensitive dye imaging of spontaneous and evoked cortical activities.
      Spontaneous cortical activity has a constantly changing spatial pattern and
      temporal frequency, making it impossible to average in space and time. Amiran
      Grinvald's invention of blue dyes made it possible to examine the spatiotemporal
      patterns of cortical dynamics, about 15 years before the first useful genetically
      coded voltage proteins became available.

PMID- 28352647
TI  - Single-step Marker Switching in Schizosaccharomyces pombe Using a Lithium Acetate
      Transformation Protocol.
AB  - The ability to utilize different selectable markers for tagging or mutating
      multiple genes in Schizosaccharomyces pombe is hampered by the historical use of
      only two selectable markers, ura4+ and kanMX6; the latter conferring resistance
      to the antibiotic G418 (geneticin). More markers have been described recently,
      but introducing these into yeast cells often requires strain construction from
      scratch. To overcome this problem we and other groups have created transformation
      cassettes with flanking homologies to ura4+ and kanMX6 which enable an efficient
      and time-saving way to exchange markers in existing mutated or tagged fission
      yeast strains. Here, we present a protocol for single-step marker switching by
      lithium acetate transformation in fission yeast, Schizosaccharomyces pombe. In
      the following we describe how to swap the ura4+ marker to a kanMX6, natMX4, or
      hphMX4 marker, which provide resistance against the antibiotics G418,
      nourseothricin (clonNAT) or hygromycin B, respectively. We also detail how to
      exchange any of the MX markers for nutritional markers, such as arg3+, his3+,
      leu1+ and ura4+ .

PMID- 28352645
TI  - Toward a better understanding of enteric gliogenesis.
AB  - Most of gastrointestinal functions are controlled by the enteric nervous system
      (ENS), which contains a vast diversity of neurons and glial cells. In accordance
      with its key role, defective ENS formation is the cause of several diseases that
      affect quality of life and can even be life-threatening. Treatment of these
      diseases would greatly benefit from a better understanding of the molecular
      mechanisms underlying ENS formation. In this regard, although several important
      discoveries have been made over the years, how the full spectrum of enteric
      neuronal and glial cell subtypes is generated from neural crest cells during
      development still remains enigmatic. Because they also have stem cell properties,
      such knowledge would be especially important for the enteric glial cell lineage.
      In a recent study, we identified the NR2F1 transcription factor as a new key
      regulator of enteric gliogenesis. Here we discuss our recent findings and briefly
      review what is already known about the mechanisms and signaling pathways involved
      in enteric gliogenesis, with an emphasis on Hedgehog and Notch signaling.

PMID- 28352648
TI  - Prevalence and Bacterial Isolates of Mastitis in Dairy Farms in Selected
      Districts of Eastern Harrarghe Zone, Eastern Ethiopia.
AB  - The study was conducted from November 2015 to April 2016 to estimate the
      prevalence of clinical and subclinical mastitis in lactating cows, to assess the
      associated risk factors, and to isolate the major bacterial pathogens in dairy
      farms in selected district of Eastern Harrarghe Zone, Eastern Ethiopia. The study
      was carried out in 384 dairy cows based on data collection, farm visit, animal
      examination, California mastitis test (CMT), and isolation bacterial pathogens
      using standard techniques. In the present study the overall mastitis at cow level
      was 247 (64.3%). The prevalence of clinical and subclinical mastitis and quarter
      level prevalence for clinical and subclinical mastitis were 12.5% and 51.8% at
      cow level and 10.7% and 46.4% at quarter level, respectively. Clinically, 101
      (6.6%) quarters which belong to 75 (19.5%) animals were found to be with blind
      teat. In the present study prevalence of mastitis was significantly associated
      with parity and age (p < 0.05). Bacteriological examination of milk sample
      revealed 187 isolates where coagulase negative Staphylococcus species (CNS)
      (34.2%) was the predominant species while Streptococcus faecalis (2.1%) was
      identified as the least bacteria. The present study concluded that prevalence of
      mastitis particularly the subclinical mastitis was major problem of dairy cows in
      the area and hence warrants serious attention.

PMID- 28352649
TI  - Attenuated and vectored vaccines protect nonhuman primates against Chikungunya
      virus.
AB  - Chikungunya virus (CHIKV) is rapidly spreading across the globe, and millions are
      infected. Morbidity due to this virus is a serious threat to public health, but
      at present, there is no vaccine against this debilitating disease. We have
      recently developed a number of vaccine candidates, and here we have evaluated 3
      of them in a nonhuman primate model. A single immunization with an attenuated
      strain of CHIKV (Delta5nsP3), a homologous prime-boost immunization with a DNA
      launched RNA replicon encoding CHIKV envelope proteins (DREP-E), and a DREP-E
      prime followed by a recombinant modified vaccinia virus Ankara encoding CHIKV
      capsid and envelope (MVA-CE) boost all induced protection against WT CHIKV
      infection. The attenuated Delta5nsP3 virus proved to be safe and did not show any
      clinical signs typically associated with WT CHIKV infections such as fever, skin
      rash, lymphopenia, or joint swelling. These vaccines are based on an
      East/Central/South African strain of Indian Ocean lineage, but they also
      generated neutralizing antibodies against an isolate of the Asian genotype that
      now is rapidly spreading across the Americas. These results form the basis for
      clinical development of an efficacious CHIKV vaccine that generates both humoral
      and cellular immunity with long-term immunological memory.

PMID- 28352650
TI  - Point mutations in murine Nkx2-5 phenocopy human congenital heart disease and
      induce pathogenic Wnt signaling.
AB  - Mutations in the Nkx2-5 gene are a main cause of congenital heart disease.
      Several studies have addressed the phenotypic consequences of disrupting the Nkx2
      5 gene locus, although animal models to date failed to recapitulate the full
      spectrum of the human disease. Here, we describe a new Nkx2-5 point mutation
      murine model, akin to its human counterpart disease-generating mutation. Our
      model fully reproduces the morphological and physiological clinical presentations
      of the disease and reveals an understudied aspect of Nkx2-5-driven pathology, a
      primary right ventricular dysfunction. We further describe the molecular
      consequences of disrupting the transcriptional network regulated by Nkx2-5 in the
      heart and show that Nkx2-5-dependent perturbation of the Wnt signaling pathway
      promotes heart dysfunction through alteration of cardiomyocyte metabolism. Our
      data provide mechanistic insights on how Nkx2-5 regulates heart function and
      metabolism, a link in the study of congenital heart disease, and confirms that
      our models are the first murine genetic models to our knowledge to present all
      spectra of clinically relevant adult congenital heart disease phenotypes
      generated by NKX2-5 mutations in patients.

PMID- 28352651
TI  - Clinical, virological, and biological parameters associated with outcomes of
      Ebola virus infection in Macenta, Guinea.
AB  - BACKGROUND. The pathogenesis of Ebola virus (EBOV) disease (EVD) is poorly
      characterized. The establishment of well-equipped diagnostic laboratories close
      to Ebola treatment centers (ETCs) has made it possible to obtain relevant
      virological and biological data during the course of EVD and to assess their
      association with the clinical course and different outcomes of the disease.
      METHODS. We were responsible for diagnosing EBOV infection in patients admitted
      to two ETCs in forested areas of Guinea. The pattern of clinical signs was
      recorded, and an etiological diagnosis was established by RT-PCR for EBOV
      infection or a rapid test for malaria and typhoid fever. Biochemical analyses
      were also performed. RESULTS. We handled samples from 168 patients between
      November 29, 2014, and January 31, 2015; 97 patients were found to be infected
      with EBOV, with Plasmodium falciparum coinfection in 18%. Overall mortality for
      EVD cases was 58%, rising to 86% if P. falciparum was also present. Viral load
      was higher in fatal cases of EVD than in survivors, and fatal cases were
      associated with higher aspartate aminotransferase (AST) and alanine
      aminotransferase (ALT), C-reactive protein (CRP), and IL-6 levels. Furthermore,
      regardless of outcome, EVD was characterized by higher creatine kinase (CPK),
      amylase, and creatinine levels than in febrile patients without EVD, with higher
      blood urea nitrogen (BUN) levels in fatal cases of EVD only. CONCLUSION. These
      findings suggest that a high viral load at admission is a marker of poor EVD
      prognosis. In addition, high AST, ALT, CRP, and IL-6 levels are associated with a
      fatal outcome of EVD. Damage to the liver and other tissues, with massive
      rhabdomyolysis and, probably, acute pancreatitis, is associated with EVD and
      correlated with disease severity. Finally, biochemical analyses provide
      substantial added value at ETCs, making it possible to improve supportive
      rehydration and symptomatic care for patients. FUNDING. The French Ministry of
      Foreign Affairs, the Agence Francaise de Developpement, and Institut Pasteur.

PMID- 28352652
TI  - Physiologically activated mammary fibroblasts promote postpartum mammary cancer.
AB  - Women diagnosed with breast cancer within 5 years of childbirth have poorer
      prognosis than nulliparous or pregnant women. Weaning-induced breast involution
      is implicated, as the collagen-rich, immunosuppressive microenvironment of the
      involuting mammary gland is tumor promotional in mice. To investigate the role of
      mammary fibroblasts, isolated mammary PDGFRalpha+ cells from nulliparous and
      postweaning mice were assessed for activation phenotype and protumorigenic
      function. Fibroblast activation during involution was evident by increased
      expression of fibrillar collagens, lysyl oxidase, Tgfb1, and Cxcl12 genes. The
      ability of mammary tumors to grow in an isogenic, orthotopic transplant model was
      increased when tumor cells were coinjected with involution-derived compared with
      nulliparous-derived mammary fibroblasts. Mammary tumors in the involution
      fibroblast group had increased Ly6C+ monocytes at the tumor border, and decreased
      CD8+ T cell infiltration and tumor cell death. Ibuprofen treatment suppressed
      involution-fibroblast activation and tumor promotional capacity, concurrent with
      decreases in tumor Ly6C+ monocytes, and increases in intratumoral CD8+ T cell
      infiltration, granzyme levels, and tumor cell death. In total, our data identify
      a COX/prostaglandin E2 (PGE2)-dependent activated mammary fibroblast within the
      involuting mammary gland that displays protumorigenic, immunosuppressive
      activity, identifying fibroblasts as potential targets for the prevention and
      treatment of postpartum breast cancer.

PMID- 28352653
TI  - Defective postsecretory maturation of MUC5B mucin in cystic fibrosis airways.
AB  - In cystic fibrosis (CF), airway mucus becomes thick and viscous, and its
      clearance from the airways is impaired. The gel-forming mucins undergo an ordered
      "unpacking/maturation" process after granular release that requires an optimum
      postsecretory environment, including hydration and pH. We hypothesized that this
      unpacking process is compromised in the CF lung due to abnormal transepithelial
      fluid transport that reduces airway surface hydration and alters ionic
      composition. Using human tracheobronchial epithelial cells derived from non-CF
      and CF donors and mucus samples from human subjects and domestic pigs, we
      investigated the process of postsecretory mucin unfolding/maturation, how these
      processes are defective in CF airways, and the probable mechanism underlying
      defective unfolding. First, we found that mucins released into a normal lung
      environment transform from a compact granular form to a linear form. Second, we
      demonstrated that this maturation process is defective in the CF airway
      environment. Finally, we demonstrated that independent of HCO3- and pH levels,
      airway surface dehydration was the major determinant of this abnormal unfolding
      process. This defective unfolding/maturation process after granular release
      suggests that the CF extracellular environment is ion/water depleted and likely
      contributes to abnormal mucus properties in CF airways prior to infection and
      inflammation.

PMID- 28352654
TI  - NET silencing by let-7i in postural tachycardia syndrome.
AB  - While strongly implicated in postural tachycardia syndrome (POTS), considerable
      controversy exists regarding norepinephrine transporter (NET) loss of function.
      POTS is characterized by the clinical symptoms of orthostatic intolerance,
      lightheadedness, tachycardia, and syncope or near syncope with upright posture.
      Abnormal sympathetic nervous system activity is typical, of a type which suggests
      dysfunction of the NET, with evidence that the gene responsible is under tight
      epigenetic control. Using RNA of isolated chromatin combined with massive
      parallel sequencing (RICh-seq) we show that let-7i miRNA suppresses NET by methyl
      CpG-binding protein 2 (MeCP2). Vorinostat restores epigenetic control and NET
      expression in leukocytes derived from POTS participants.

PMID- 28352655
TI  - Panobinostat acts synergistically with ibrutinib in diffuse large B cell lymphoma
      cells with MyD88 L265P mutations.
AB  - Diffuse large B cell lymphoma (DLBCL) frequently harbors genetic alterations that
      activate the B cell receptor (BCR) and TLR pathways, which converge to activate
      NF-kappaB. While selective inhibition of BTK with ibrutinib causes clinical
      responses in relapsed DLBCL patients, most responses are partial and of a short
      duration. Here, we demonstrated that MyD88 silencing enhanced ibrutinib efficacy
      in DLBCL cells harboring MyD88 L265P mutations. Chemical downregulation of MyD88
      expression with HDAC inhibitors also synergized with ibrutinib. We demonstrate
      that HDAC inhibitor regulation of MyD88 expression is mediated by STAT3. In turn,
      STAT3 silencing caused a decrease in MyD88 mRNA and protein levels, and enhanced
      the ibrutinib antilymphoma effect in MyD88 mutant DLBCL cells. Induced mutations
      in the STAT3 binding site in the MyD88 promotor region was associated with a
      decrease in MyD88 transcriptional activity. We also demonstrate that treatment
      with the HDAC inhibitor panobinostat decreased phosphorylated STAT3 binding to
      the MyD88 promotor. Accordingly, combined treatment with panobinostat and
      ibrutinib resulted in enhanced inhibition of NF-kappaB activity and caused
      regression of DLBCL xenografts. Our data provide a mechanistic rationale for
      combining HDAC inhibitors and ibrutinib for the treatment of DLBCL.

PMID- 28352656
TI  - Trafficking receptor signatures define blood plasmablasts responding to tissue
      specific immune challenge.
AB  - Antibody-secreting cells are generated in regional lymphoid tissues and traffic
      as plasmablasts (PBs) via lymph and blood to target sites for local immunity. We
      used multiparameter flow cytometry to define PB trafficking programs (TPs,
      combinations of adhesion molecules and chemoattractant receptors) and their
      imprinting in patients in response to localized infection or immune insults. TPs
      enriched after infection or autoimmune inflammation of mucosae correlate with
      sites of immune response or symptoms, with different TPs imprinted during small
      intestinal, colon, throat, and upper respiratory immune challenge. PBs induced
      after intramuscular or intradermal influenza vaccination, including flu-specific
      antibody-secreting cells, display TPs characterized by the lack of mucosal homing
      receptors. PBs of healthy donors display diverse mucosa-associated TPs,
      consistent with homeostatic immune activity. Identification of TP signatures of
      PBs may facilitate noninvasive monitoring of organ-specific immune responses.

PMID- 28352657
TI  - Randomized, placebo-controlled window trial of EGFR, Src, or combined blockade in
      head and neck cancer.
AB  - BACKGROUND. EGFR and Src family kinases are upregulated in head and neck squamous
      cell carcinoma (HNSCC). EGFR interacts with Src to activate STAT3 signaling, and
      dual EGFR-Src targeting is synergistic in HNSCC preclinical models. pSrc
      overexpression predicted resistance to the EGFR inhibitor, erlotinib, in a prior
      window trial. We conducted a 4-arm window trial to identify biomarkers associated
      with response to EGFR and/or Src inhibition. METHODS. Patients with operable
      stage II-IVa HNSCC were randomized to 7-21 days of neoadjuvant erlotinib, the Src
      inhibitor dasatinib, the combination of both, or placebo. Paired tumor specimens
      were collected before and after treatment. Pharmacodynamic expression of EGFR and
      Src pathway components was evaluated by IHC of tissue microarrays and reverse
      phase protein array of tissue lysates. Candidate biomarkers were assessed for
      correlation with change in tumor size. RESULTS. From April 2009 to December 2012,
      58 patients were randomized and 55 were treated. There was a significant decrease
      in tumor size in both erlotinib arms (P = 0.0014); however, no effect was seen
      with dasatinib alone (P = 0.24). High baseline pMAPK expression was associated
      with response to erlotinib (P = 0.03). High baseline pSTAT3 was associated with
      resistance to dasatinib (P = 0.099). CONCLUSIONS. Brief exposure to erlotinib
      significantly decreased tumor size in operable HNSCC, with no additive effect
      from dasatinib. Baseline pMAPK expression warrants further study as a response
      biomarker for anti-EGFR therapy. Basal expression of pSTAT3 may be independent of
      Src, explain therapeutic resistance, and preclude development of dasatinib in
      biomarker-unselected cohorts. TRIAL REGISTRATION. NCT00779389. FUNDING. National
      Cancer Institute, American Cancer Society, Pennsylvania Department of Health, V
      Foundation for Cancer Research, Bristol-Myers Squibb, and Astellas Pharma.

PMID- 28352658
TI  - Priming is key to effective incorporation of image-guided thermal ablation into
      immunotherapy protocols.
AB  - Focal therapies play an important role in the treatment of cancers where
      palliation is desired, local control is needed, or surgical resection is not
      feasible. Pairing immunotherapy with such focal treatments is particularly
      attractive; however, there is emerging evidence that focal therapy can have a
      positive or negative impact on the efficacy of immunotherapy. Thermal ablation is
      an appealing modality to pair with such protocols, as tumors can be rapidly
      debulked (cell death occurring within minutes to hours), tumor antigens can be
      released locally, and treatment can be conducted and repeated without the
      concerns of radiation-based therapies. In a syngeneic model of epithelial cancer,
      we found that 7 days of immunotherapy (TLR9 agonist and checkpoint blockade),
      prior to thermal ablation, reduced macrophages and myeloid-derived suppressor
      cells and enhanced IFN-gamma-producing CD8+ T cells, the M1 macrophage fraction,
      and PD-L1 expression on CD45+ cells. Continued treatment with immunotherapy alone
      or with immunotherapy combined with ablation (primed ablation) then resulted in a
      complete response in 80% of treated mice at day 90, and primed ablation expanded
      CD8+ T cells as compared with all control groups. When the tumor burden was
      increased by implantation of 3 orthotopic tumors, successive primed ablation of 2
      discrete lesions resulted in survival of 60% of treated mice as compared with 25%
      of mice treated with immunotherapy alone. Alternatively, when immunotherapy was
      begun immediately after thermal ablation, the abscopal effect was diminished and
      none of the mice within the cohort exhibited a complete response. In summary, we
      found that immunotherapy begun before ablation can be curative and can enhance
      efficacy in the presence of a high tumor burden. Two mechanisms have potential to
      impact the efficacy of immunotherapy when begun immediately after thermal
      ablation: mechanical changes in the tumor microenvironment and inflammatory
      mediated changes in immune phenotype.

PMID- 28352659
TI  - Serum Gp96 is a chaperone of complement-C3 during graft-versus-host disease.
AB  - Better identification of severe acute graft-versus-host disease (GvHD) may
      improve the outcome of this life-threatening complication of allogeneic
      hematopoietic stem cell transplantation. GvHD induces tissue damage and the
      release of damage-associated molecular pattern (DAMP) molecules. Here, we
      analyzed GvHD patients (n = 39) to show that serum heat shock protein
      glycoprotein 96 (Gp96) could be such a DAMP molecule. We demonstrate that serum
      Gp96 increases in gastrointestinal GvHD patients and its level correlates with
      disease severity. An increase in Gp96 serum level was also observed in a mouse
      model of acute GvHD. This model was used to identify complement C3 as a main
      partner of Gp96 in the serum. Our biolayer interferometry, yeast two-hybrid and
      in silico modeling data allowed us to determine that Gp96 binds to a complement
      C3 fragment encompassing amino acids 749-954, a functional complement C3 hot spot
      important for binding of different regulators. Accordingly, in vitro experiments
      with purified proteins demonstrate that Gp96 downregulates several complement C3
      functions. Finally, experimental induction of GvHD in complement C3-deficient
      mice confirms the link between Gp96 and complement C3 in the serum and with the
      severity of the disease.

PMID- 28352660
TI  - TLR7/8 adjuvant overcomes newborn hyporesponsiveness to pneumococcal conjugate
      vaccine at birth.
AB  - Infection is the most common cause of mortality in early life, and immunization
      is the most promising biomedical intervention to reduce this burden. However,
      newborns fail to respond optimally to most vaccines. Adjuvantation is a key
      approach to enhancing vaccine immunogenicity, but responses of human newborn
      leukocytes to most candidate adjuvants, including most TLR agonists, are
      functionally distinct. Herein, we demonstrate that 3M-052 is a locally acting
      lipidated imidazoquinoline TLR7/8 agonist adjuvant in mice, which, when properly
      formulated, can induce robust Th1 cytokine production by human newborn leukocytes
      in vitro, both alone and in synergy with the alum-adjuvanted pneumococcal
      conjugate vaccine 13 (PCV13). When admixed with PCV13 and administered i.m. on
      the first day of life to rhesus macaques, 3M-052 dramatically enhanced generation
      of Th1 CRM-197-specific neonatal CD4+ cells, activation of newborn and infant
      Streptococcus pneumoniae polysaccharide-specific (PnPS-specific) B cells as well
      as serotype-specific antibody titers, and opsonophagocytic killing. Remarkably, a
      single dose at birth of PCV13 plus 0.1 mg/kg 3M-052 induced PnPS-specific IgG
      responses that were approximately 10-100 times greater than a single birth dose
      of PCV13 alone, rapidly exceeding the serologic correlate of protection, as early
      as 28 days of life. This potent immunization strategy, potentially effective with
      one birth dose, could represent a new paradigm in early life vaccine development.

PMID- 28352661
TI  - Store-operated Ca2+ entry controls ameloblast cell function and enamel
      development.
AB  - Loss-of-function mutations in stromal interaction molecule 1 (STIM1) impair the
      activation of Ca2+ release-activated Ca2+ (CRAC) channels and store-operated Ca2+
      entry (SOCE), resulting in a disease syndrome called CRAC channelopathy that is
      characterized by severe dental enamel defects. The cause of these enamel defects
      has remained unclear given a lack of animal models. We generated Stim1/2K14cre
      mice to delete STIM1 and its homolog STIM2 in enamel cells. These mice showed
      impaired SOCE in enamel cells. Enamel in Stim1/2K14cre mice was hypomineralized
      with decreased Ca content, mechanically weak, and thinner. The morphology of SOCE
      deficient ameloblasts was altered, showing loss of the typical ruffled border,
      resulting in mislocalized mitochondria. Global gene expression analysis of SOCE
      deficient ameloblasts revealed strong dysregulation of several pathways. ER
      stress genes associated with the unfolded protein response were increased in
      Stim1/2-deficient cells, whereas the expression of components of the glutathione
      system were decreased. Consistent with increased oxidative stress, we found
      increased ROS production, decreased mitochondrial function, and abnormal
      mitochondrial morphology in ameloblasts of Stim1/2K14cre mice. Collectively,
      these data show that loss of SOCE in enamel cells has substantial detrimental
      effects on gene expression, cell function, and the mineralization of dental
      enamel.

PMID- 28352662
TI  - Experimentally induced testicular dysgenesis syndrome originates in the
      masculinization programming window.
AB  - The testicular dysgenesis syndrome (TDS) hypothesis, which proposes that common
      reproductive disorders of newborn and adult human males may have a common fetal
      origin, is largely untested. We tested this hypothesis using a rat model
      involving gestational exposure to dibutyl phthalate (DBP), which suppresses
      testosterone production by the fetal testis. We evaluated if induction of TDS via
      testosterone suppression is restricted to the "masculinization programming
      window" (MPW), as indicated by reduction in anogenital distance (AGD). We show
      that DBP suppresses fetal testosterone equally during and after the MPW, but only
      DBP exposure in the MPW causes reduced AGD, focal testicular dysgenesis, and TDS
      disorders (cryptorchidism, hypospadias, reduced adult testis size, and
      compensated adult Leydig cell failure). Focal testicular dysgenesis, reduced size
      of adult male reproductive organs, and TDS disorders and their severity were all
      strongly associated with reduced AGD. We related our findings to human TDS cases
      by demonstrating similar focal dysgenetic changes in testes of men with
      preinvasive germ cell neoplasia (GCNIS) and in testes of DBP-MPW animals. If our
      results are translatable to humans, they suggest that identification of potential
      causes of human TDS disorders should focus on exposures during a human MPW
      equivalent, especially if negatively associated with offspring AGD.

PMID- 28352664
TI  - Intranasal siRNA administration reveals IGF2 deficiency contributes to impaired
      cognition in Fragile X syndrome mice.
AB  - Molecular mechanisms underlying learning and memory remain imprecisely
      understood, and restorative interventions are lacking. We report that intranasal
      administration of siRNAs can be used to identify targets important in cognitive
      processes and to improve genetically impaired learning and memory. In mice
      modeling the intellectual deficiency of Fragile X syndrome, intranasally
      administered siRNA targeting glycogen synthase kinase-3beta (GSK3beta), histone
      deacetylase-1 (HDAC1), HDAC2, or HDAC3 diminished cognitive impairments. In WT
      mice, intranasally administered brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) siRNA or
      HDAC4 siRNA impaired learning and memory, which was partially due to reduced
      insulin-like growth factor-2 (IGF2) levels because the BDNF siRNA- or HDAC4 siRNA
      induced cognitive impairments were ameliorated by intranasal IGF2 administration.
      In Fmr1-/- mice, hippocampal IGF2 was deficient, and learning and memory
      impairments were ameliorated by IGF2 intranasal administration. Therefore
      intranasal siRNA administration is an effective means to identify mechanisms
      regulating cognition and to modulate therapeutic targets.

PMID- 28352663
TI  - Retinol-binding protein 7 is an endothelium-specific PPARgamma cofactor mediating
      an antioxidant response through adiponectin.
AB  - Impaired PPARgamma activity in endothelial cells causes oxidative stress and
      endothelial dysfunction which causes a predisposition to hypertension, but the
      identity of key PPARgamma target genes that protect the endothelium remain
      unclear. Retinol-binding protein 7 (RBP7) is a PPARgamma target gene that is
      essentially endothelium specific. Whereas RBP7-deficient mice exhibit normal
      endothelial function at baseline, they exhibit severe endothelial dysfunction in
      response to cardiovascular stressors, including high-fat diet and subpressor
      angiotensin II. Endothelial dysfunction was not due to differences in weight
      gain, impaired glucose homeostasis, or hepatosteatosis, but occurred through an
      oxidative stress-dependent mechanism which can be rescued by scavengers of
      superoxide. RNA sequencing revealed that RBP7 was required to mediate induction
      of a subset of PPARgamma target genes by rosiglitazone in the endothelium
      including adiponectin. Adiponectin was selectively induced in the endothelium of
      control mice by high-fat diet and rosiglitazone, whereas RBP7 deficiency
      abolished this induction. Adiponectin inhibition caused endothelial dysfunction
      in control vessels, whereas adiponectin treatment of RBP7-deficient vessels
      improved endothelium-dependent relaxation and reduced oxidative stress. We
      conclude that RBP7 is required to mediate the protective effects of PPARgamma in
      the endothelium through adiponectin, and RBP7 is an endothelium-specific
      PPARgamma target and regulator of PPARgamma activity.

PMID- 28352665
TI  - Insulin's direct hepatic effect explains the inhibition of glucose production
      caused by insulin secretion.
AB  - Insulin can inhibit hepatic glucose production (HGP) by acting directly on the
      liver as well as indirectly through effects on adipose tissue, pancreas, and
      brain. While insulin's indirect effects are indisputable, their physiologic role
      in the suppression of HGP seen in response to increased insulin secretion is not
      clear. Likewise, the mechanisms by which insulin suppresses lipolysis and
      pancreatic alpha cell secretion under physiologic circumstances are also debated.
      In this study, insulin was infused into the hepatic portal vein to mimic
      increased insulin secretion, and insulin's indirect liver effects were blocked
      either individually or collectively. During physiologic hyperinsulinemia, plasma
      free fatty acid (FFA) and glucagon levels were clamped at basal values and brain
      insulin action was blocked, but insulin's direct effects on the liver were left
      intact. Insulin was equally effective at suppressing HGP when its indirect
      effects were absent as when they were present. In addition, the inhibition of
      lipolysis, as well as glucagon and insulin secretion, did not require CNS insulin
      action or decreased plasma FFA. This indicates that the rapid suppression of HGP
      is attributable to insulin's direct effect on the liver and that its indirect
      effects are redundant in the context of a physiologic increase in insulin
      secretion.

PMID- 28352666
TI  - LRRK2 but not ATG16L1 is associated with Paneth cell defect in Japanese Crohn's
      disease patients.
AB  - BACKGROUND. Morphological patterns of Paneth cells are a prognostic biomarker in
      Western Crohn's disease (CD) patients, and are associated with autophagy
      associated ATG16L1 and NOD2 variants. We hypothesized that genetic determinants
      of Paneth cell phenotype in other ethnic CD cohorts are distinct but also
      involved in autophagy. METHODS. We performed a hypothesis-driven analysis of 56
      single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) associated with CD susceptibility or known
      to affect Paneth cell function in 110 Japanese CD patients who underwent ileal
      resection. We subsequently performed a genome-wide association analysis. Paneth
      cell phenotype was determined by defensin-5 immunofluorescence. Selected genotype
      Paneth cell defect correlations were compared to a Western CD cohort (n = 164).
      RESULTS. The average percentage of abnormal Paneth cells in Japanese CD was
      similar to Western CD (P = 0.87), and abnormal Paneth cell phenotype was also
      associated with early recurrence (P = 0.013). In contrast to Western CD, ATG16L1
      T300A was not associated with Paneth cell defect in Japanese CD (P = 0.20). Among
      the 56 selected SNPs, only LRRK2 M2397T showed significant association with
      Paneth cell defect (P = 3.62 * 10-4), whereas in the Western CD cohort it was not
      (P = 0.76). Pathway analysis of LRRK2 and other candidate genes with P less than
      5 * 10-4 showed connections with known CD susceptibility genes and links to
      autophagy and TNF-alpha networks. CONCLUSIONS. We found dichotomous effects of
      ATG16L1 and LRRK2 on Paneth cell defect between Japanese and Western CD. Genes
      affecting Paneth cell phenotype in Japanese CD were also associated with
      autophagy. Paneth cell phenotype also predicted prognosis in Japanese CD.
      FUNDING. Helmsley Charitable Trust, Doris Duke Foundation (grant 2014103), Japan
      Society for the Promotion of Science (KAKENHI grants JP15H04805 and JP15K15284),
      Crohn's and Colitis Foundation grant 274415, NIH (grants 1R56DK095820,
      K01DK109081, and UL1 TR000448).

PMID- 28352667
TI  - Hepcidin-mediated iron sequestration protects against bacterial dissemination
      during pneumonia.
AB  - Gram-negative pneumonia is a dangerous illness, and bacterial dissemination to
      the bloodstream during the infection is strongly associated with death.
      Antibiotic resistance among the causative pathogens has resulted in diminishing
      treatment options against this infection. Hepcidin is the master regulator of
      extracellular iron availability in vertebrates, but its role in the context of
      host defense is undefined. We hypothesized that hepcidin-mediated depletion of
      extracellular iron during Gram-negative pneumonia protects the host by limiting
      dissemination of bacteria to the bloodstream. During experimental pneumonia,
      hepcidin was induced in the liver in an IL-6-dependent manner and mediated a
      rapid decline in plasma iron. In contrast, hepcidin-deficient mice developed a
      paradoxical increase in plasma iron during infection associated with profound
      susceptibility to bacteremia. Incubation of bacteria with iron-supplemented
      plasma enhanced bacterial growth in vitro, and systemic administration of iron to
      WT mice similarly promoted increased susceptibility to bloodstream infection.
      Finally, treatment with a hepcidin analogue restored hypoferremia in hepcidin
      deficient hosts, mediated bacterial control, and improved outcomes. These data
      show hepcidin induction during pneumonia to be essential to preventing bacterial
      dissemination by limiting extracellular iron availability. Hepcidin agonists may
      represent an effective therapy for Gram-negative infections in patients with
      impaired hepcidin production or signaling.

PMID- 28352668
TI  - Genomic profiling reveals mutational landscape in parathyroid carcinomas.
AB  - Parathyroid carcinoma (PC) is an extremely rare malignancy lacking effective
      therapeutic intervention. We generated and analyzed whole-exome sequencing data
      from 17 patients to identify somatic and germline genetic alterations. A panel of
      selected genes was sequenced in a 7-tumor expansion cohort. We show that 47% (8
      of 17) of the tumors harbor somatic mutations in the CDC73 tumor suppressor, with
      germline inactivating variants in 4 of the 8 patients. The PI3K/AKT/mTOR pathway
      was altered in 21% of the 24 cases, revealing a major oncogenic pathway in PC. We
      observed CCND1 amplification in 29% of the 17 patients, and a previously
      unreported recurrent mutation in putative kinase ADCK1. We identified the first
      sporadic PCs with somatic mutations in the Wnt canonical pathway, complementing
      previously described epigenetic mechanisms mediating Wnt activation. This is the
      largest genomic sequencing study of PC, and represents major progress toward a
      full molecular characterization of this rare malignancy to inform improved and
      individualized treatments.

PMID- 28352669
TI  - Lymphatic deletion of calcitonin receptor-like receptor exacerbates intestinal
      inflammation.
AB  - Lymphatics play a critical role in maintaining gastrointestinal homeostasis and
      in the absorption of dietary lipids, yet their roles in intestinal inflammation
      remain elusive. Given the increasing prevalence of inflammatory bowel disease, we
      investigated whether lymphatic vessels contribute to, or may be causative of,
      disease progression. We generated a mouse model with temporal and spatial
      deletion of the key lymphangiogenic receptor for the adrenomedullin peptide,
      calcitonin receptor-like receptor (Calcrl), and found that the loss of lymphatic
      Calcrl was sufficient to induce intestinal lymphangiectasia, characterized by
      dilated lacteals and protein-losing enteropathy. Upon indomethacin challenge,
      Calcrlfl/fl/Prox1-CreERT2 mice demonstrated persistent inflammation and failure
      to recover and thrive. The epithelium and crypts of Calcrlfl/fl/Prox1-CreERT2
      mice exhibited exacerbated hallmarks of disease progression, and the lacteals
      demonstrated an inability to absorb lipids. Furthermore, we identified
      Calcrl/adrenomedullin signaling as an essential upstream regulator of the Notch
      pathway, previously shown to be critical for intestinal lacteal maintenance and
      junctional integrity. In conclusion, lymphatic insufficiency and lymphangiectasia
      caused by loss of lymphatic Calcrl exacerbates intestinal recovery following
      mucosal injury and underscores the importance of lymphatic function in promoting
      recovery from intestinal inflammation.

PMID- 28352670
TI  - Integration of human papillomavirus type 16 in cervical cancer cells.
AB  - Cervical cancer remains an important cause of women morbidity and mortality. The
      progression of cervical pathology correlates with the HPV integration into the
      host genome. However, the data on the viral integration status in cervical
      dysplasias are controversial. The aim of the current study was to evaluate the
      status of HPV integration in two types of cervical pathology - invasive and non
      invasive cervical cancer (e.g. carcinoma in situ). 156 women were included in the
      study: 66 women were diagnosed with invasive cervical cancer (CC) and 90 with non
      invasive cervical cancer (carcinoma in situ, CIS). 74.2% [95% PI: 63.64/84.76] of
      specimens collected from women with diagnosed CC and 85.6% [95% PI: 85.53/92.85]
      of CIS specimens were positive for HPV. The most prevalent HPV genotype in both
      groups was HPV16. To evaluate HPV integration, three selected HPV16 E2 gene
      fragments were analyzed by PCR. In the majority of CC and CIS specimens the
      amplification of all three HPV16 E2 gene fragments was observed. The episomal
      HPV16 form was detected in the majority of CC and CIS specimens. The deletion of
      all three HPV16 E2 gene fragments was detected in 9.4% of CC specimens and 2.2%
      of CIS specimens. Finally, integration status could not be used as diagnostical
      additional test to distinguish between invasive and non invasive cervical cancer.

PMID- 28352671
TI  - The effect of glycemic control on CEA, CA 19-9, amylase and lipase levels.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Diabetes mellitus is closely related to pancreas cancer. In this
      study we aimed to investigate the effect of hyperglycemia on tumor and
      inflammation markers, as well as pancreatic exocrine functions. METHODS: A total
      of 98 consecutive diabetic patients with poor glycemic control, and 50 healthy
      controls were included in the study. We measured hsCRP, erythrocyte sedimentation
      rate (ESR), CA19-9, CEA, amylase and lipase in addition to routine biochemistry
      tests, before and after euglycemia was achieved. RESULTS: Fasting blood glucose,
      HbA1c, CA19-9, CEA, hsCRP, ESR, triglycerides, AST, ALT, GGT, ALP, total
      cholesterol and LDL-C levels decreased significantly with the regulation of
      glycemic control. Amylase and lipase levels increased with the regulation of
      glycemic control. After glycemic control, CA19-9 and CEA levels were still
      higher, whereas amylase and lipase levels were still lower in the diabetic group
      compared with the control group. Basal HbA1c showed significant correlation with
      CA19-9, CEA, amylase and lipase. CONCLUSIONS: We propose to repeat observations
      of tumor markers after hyperglycemia is resolved, in order to avoid unnecessary
      invasive tests. Our data also suggest that pancreatic exocrine function was
      improved with lowering blood glucose in a short period of time.

PMID- 28352672
TI  - Insulin resistance and adipokine levels correlate with early atherosclerosis - a
      study in prediabetic patients.
AB  - Cardiovascular risk of prediabetes is still subject to controversies. We analyzed
      the associations between insulin resistance, adipokines and incipient
      atherosclerosis estimated by intima-media thickness (IMT) in a cross-sectional
      study on 122 prediabetic subjects without clinical signs of atherosclerotic
      disease. Homeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance (HOMA-IR, calculated
      as fasting insulin * fasting plasma glucose / 22.5), adiponectin, leptin, leptin
      to-adiponectin ratio, carotid and femoral IMT were evaluated. We also assessed
      other parameters related to insulin resistance and adipokines (HbA1c,
      anthropometric and lipid parameters), as they may also influence atherosclerosis.
      Carotid IMT was correlated to adiponectin and leptin-to-adiponectin ratio (all p
      < 0.05), but not with HOMA-IR or leptin, while femoral IMT showed no relationship
      with these factors. After adjusting for leptin, leptin-to-adiponectin ratio,
      triglycerides, HDL-cholesterol, cholesterol-to-HDL ratio, triglycerides-to-HDL
      ratio and HbA1c, IMT values became correlated with HOMA-IR. Adjustment for HOMA
      IR induced the appearance of new correlations between adipokines and both IMT
      values. In conclusion, insulin resistance and adipokines seem related to IMT in
      prediabetic subjects without clinical signs of arterial obstruction.

PMID- 28352674
TI  - Isolated myeloid sarcoma of the neck and chest: differential diagnosis and
      therapeutic approach.
AB  - In this article, we present the case of a 57-year-old man with cervical and
      mediastinal tumor mass, normal blood count as well as virusological status.
      Cervical tumor tissue biopsy revealed cells positive for CD34, CD13, LCA, CD33,
      and CD163 but negative for T-cell and B-cell markers, NK-cell markers,
      plasmacytic markers and anaplastic large cell lymphoma markers. These features
      were consistent with myeloid sarcoma of the neck with involvement of the
      mediastinum. We discussed differential diagnosis and therapy of isolated myeloid
      sarcoma and suggest that clinical presentation, cell morphology, complete
      immunophenotype, and specific genotypic lesions in some cases, must be evaluated.

PMID- 28352673
TI  - Cost comparison of treating chronic hepatitis C genotype one with pegylated
      interferons in Ukraine.
AB  - Based on the pivotal trial showing no clinically relevant differences between
      pegylated interferon alpha-2b (Peg-alpha-2b) and alpha-2a (Peg-alpha-2a) combined
      with ribavirin for treatment of chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) genotype 1
      infection in Ukraine, a cost-minimization analysis was performed using a 1 year
      time horizon and both a health care and patients' perspective. A decision tree
      reflects treatment pathways. Drug costs were based on drug labeling and adjusted
      to the average body mass in Ukraine. Subgroup analysis was applied to deal with
      heterogeneity of patient's weight causing dose changes. A break-even price of Peg
      alpha-2a and Peg-alpha-2b (based on the average dose) was calculated. Univariate
      sensitivity analyses and probabilistic sensitivity analysis were carried out to
      reflect decision uncertainty. For an average body weight, total medical costs per
      patient differ from US$9220 for Peg-alpha-2b to US$9513 for Peg-alpha-2a from a
      health care perspective, and from US$15,212 to US$15,696 from a patients'
      perspective. Sensitivity analyses show these results are robust. With average
      body weight, the break-even price of Peg-alpha-2b may be 7.3% higher than Peg
      alpha-2a to have similar total costs.

PMID- 28352675
TI  - Prolonged paradoxical reaction to anti-tuberculous treatment after
      discontinuation of TNF-alpha- blocker therapy with adalimumab. Rare clinical
      documentation.
AB  - In the past decades, tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-a) antagonist has been a
      milestone in the treatment of many chronic inflammatory diseases. TNF antagonist
      can increase patients' susceptibility to many different kinds of infections
      especially those requiring granuloma formations despite regular performance of
      Screening for latent tuberculosis infection (LTBI). We report 2 cases of patients
      who developed tuberculosis under treatment with adalimumab, which was
      discontinued after the diagnosis of tuberculosis. During the tuberculosis therapy
      they unexpectedly developed a prolonged paradoxical reaction. In both cases we
      were only able to manage the progress of the paradoxical reaction through high
      steroid doses. Patients undergoing therapy with TNF- alpha-blocker are prone to
      develop tuberculosis infection, which could in turn lead to severe prolonged
      paradoxical reaction during anti-tuberculous treatment. An increased steroid dose
      may be required and is sometimes necessary.

PMID- 28352676
TI  - Quick and effective method of bone marrow mesenchymal stem cell extraction.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) are currently exploited in numerous
      clinical trials to investigate their potential in immune regulation, hematopoesis
      or tissue regeneration. The most common source of MSCs for clinical use is human
      bone marrow. To generate sufficient numbers of cells relevant to clinical use in
      most cases the high volumes (20-50 ml) of bone marrow aspirates are taken.
      METHODS: In this pilot study, 8 healthy bone marrow donors were included. Two
      different MSC extraction methods were evaluated: MSCs extraction from 60 ml of
      bone marrow using density gradient and MSCs extraction from 6 ml using red blood
      cell (RBC) lysis. RESULTS: Our results showed that after RBC lysis the efficient
      amount of human MSCs can be isolated from 10 times less bone marrow volume (6
      ml). Moreover, using small volume of bone marrow the adequate therapeutical dose
      of MSCs could be achieved during similar period of time (3-4 weeks). In
      conclusion, we have shown that MSCs isolation using RBC lysis is an effective and
      more advantageous method in comparison to standard MSCs isolation using density
      gradient. Using RBC lysis from small volume of bone marrow the same amount of
      MSCs were obtained as usually using large volume and density-gradient.

PMID- 28352677
TI  - Amlodipine as an antiischemic drug is superior to long acting nitrates.
AB  - European Society of Cardiology Guidelines cite results of meta-analysis that the
      use of calcium channel blockers results in fewer angina episodes per week vs.
      long-acting nitrates. Moreover, we listed 12 reasons more to prefer amlodipine
      over long-acting nitrates, especially in stable angina pectoris patients with
      arterial hypertension. It may be the way to decrease polypharmacy without loosing
      efficacy. Some important advantages of amlodipine versus long-acting nitrate(s)
      are: amlodipine also treats hypertension, it helps reducing hypertensive target
      organ damages (e.g. left ventricular hypertrophy) and prevents morning blood
      pressure surge. Moreover, amlodipine can be given once daily (which improves
      adherence), it produces neither tolerance nor rebound, it has less side effects.

PMID- 28352678
TI  - Correlation between SNPs in CDH1 and gastric cancer in Chinese population.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Many recent studies revealed that the single nucleotide polymorphisms
      have considerable effects on the susceptibility of cancer, such as prostate
      cancer, lung cancer and gastric cancer. The E-cadherin, a calcium-dependent
      transmembrane glycoprotein encoded by CDH1 gene, is critical for epithelial
      construction, intercellular adhesion and cell migration. Some associations have
      been reported between single nucleotide polymorphisms and gastric cancer in the
      Chinese population. OBJECTIVE: To investigate whether the single nucleotide
      polymorphism in CDH1 gene is associated with the susceptibility of gastric cancer
      in the Chinese population. MATERIAL AND METHODS: The genotypes of 5 known single
      nucleotide polymorphisms (rs33935154, rs121964871, rs121964874, rs121964875,
      rs121964876) were determined in 359 gastric cancer patients and 368 healthy
      controls. High resolution melting curve detection and sequencing analysis were
      used in the present study. RESULTS: There is a statistical significance in the
      rs121964871 C>G polymorphism between gastric cancer patients and healthy controls
      (OR=1.769, 95%CI: 1.051-2.976). Elderly male individuals (>50 years of age)
      carrying this risk factor may be more susceptible to gastric cancer. CONCLUSIONS:
      The results indicated that the rs121964871 C>G polymorphism is associated with
      the susceptibility of gastric cancer in the Chinese population, with some age and
      sex-dependent tendencies observed.

PMID- 28352679
TI  - How to manage TB in children? Problems and solutions in four cases.
AB  - Children bear a substantial part of the tuberculosis (TB) epidemic worldwide, and
      it is estimated that there were ? 500.000 childhood TB cases globally in 2010,
      although accurate data are problematic to obtain given the many difficulties
      associated with TB diagnosis in children and the weaknesses of surveillance
      systems in countries where TB is endemic. The World Health Organization is
      working hard in order to reduce the TB prevalence rates and deaths by half by
      2015. In this challenge, general practitioners and pediatricians play a key role
      in detecting early cases of suspected TB and sending them to experts in
      infectious diseases. This will reduce delayed diagnosis and the spread of
      disease, which is especially important now that the prevalence of multidrug
      resistant TB is increasing. For this reason, the purpose of this report was to
      delineate the characteristic clinical features of the most common forms of
      pediatric TB and to suggest a rational and practical approach to the disease
      underlining the role of patients and parents personal and clinical history.

PMID- 28352680
TI  - Endometrial cancer and microsatellite instability status.
AB  - : Microsatellite instability (MSI) is an important factor in the development of
      various cancers as an identifier of a defective DNA mismatch repair system. The
      objective of our study was to define the association between microsatellite
      instability status and traditional clinicopathologic characteristics of
      endometrioid type adenocarcinoma. MATERIAL AND METHODS: MSI status of endometrial
      cancer was examined by employing the Promega MSI Analysis System. This system
      uses 5 mononucleotide markers to identify MSI in tumour and normal tissue DNA
      (BAT-25, BAT-26, NR-21, NR-24, and MONO-27), and 2 pentanucleotide markers (Penta
      C and Penta D) for specimen identification. In this study, we investigated MSI
      status in 109 endometrial carcinomas. RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONS: One hundred (92%)
      of 109 endometrial cancers showed endometrioid type histology and only 9 (8%) non
      endometrioid type. MSI-high was found in 17% (17/100) of endometrioid type
      adenocarcinomas, in 0% (0/9) of non-endometrioid carcinomas. Selected
      clinicopathologic parameters for endometrioid type adenocarcinomas were compared
      to the MSI status which was separated into two groups - MSI-high and MSI stable.
      The results showed that MSI-high status was related to clinicopathologic
      parameters such as deep myometrial invasion and higher histologic grade in
      endometrioid type adenocarcinomas.

PMID- 28352681
TI  - Submental epidermoid cysts in children.
AB  - Epidermoid cysts are lesions, which form as a result of implantation of the
      epidermis in the layers of the dermis or the mucous membrane. The lesions are
      rare in adults with 7% occurring in the head and neck area and most often located
      in the submental region. In children population submental epidermoid cysts are
      extremely rare. The differential diagnosis of the lesions is necessary as it
      affects the choice of treatment methods. Among the pathological conditions
      occurring in that region, salivary retention cyst (ranula), thyroglossal duct
      cyst, vascular lymphatic malformation (cystic hygroma), median neck cyst,
      lymphadenopathy, thyroid gland tumor, laryngeal cyst, epidermoid and dermoid
      cysts, submental abscess, sialolithiasis and salivary gland inflammation should
      be considered. The authors of the present report demonstrate two cases of
      submental epidermoid cysts in children. Differential diagnosis in case of
      suspected submental epidermoid cyst in a child with proposed clinical practice
      and literature review is provided.

PMID- 28352682
TI  - Rare types of breast carcinoma.
AB  - Breast cancer (BC) is a heterogeneous disease that encompasses several distinct
      entities with remarkably different characteristics. Histological type is one of
      important BC characteristics. Histological type is associated with differences in
      epidemiology, diagnostic issues, clinical course, prognosis. When we talk about
      BC, ductal and lobular carcinoma is usually what we have in mind. However, the
      other types that comprise less than 10% of BC are also very important. The rarity
      of many of these neoplasms does not allow large or randomized studies to define
      the optimal treatment. Many of the descriptions are from case reports and small
      series. The aim of this retrospective study was to analyze the data on rare
      breast cancers, to describe their main characteristics, and to calculate survival
      rates. We believe that the experience of our institution will contribute to the
      available data about these rare breast cancers and help in better understanding
      of this subgroup.

PMID- 28352683
TI  - Biomechanical Study of Two Peripheral Suture Methods on Repaired Tendons.
AB  - Flexor digitorum tendon injuries are challenging conditions to manage to ensure
      optimal patient outcomes. While several surgical approaches with high success
      rates have been developed, there remains no gold standard for suture technique
      for the repair of flexor tendon injuries. In this study, we compared two distinct
      peripheral suture methods on the strength of repaired tendons. Pig flexor
      digitorum profundus tendons were used in biomechanical studies and the
      biomechanical influence on tendon repair of continuous running peripheral suture
      (CRPS) and continuous locking peripheral suture (CLPS), were compared, using
      stitch length ranging from 1mm to 5mm. In CRPS, the 1mm stitch length group
      displayed the highest maximum load and breaking power, which was 1.57 fold higher
      than the 2mm stitch length group. Pairwise comparison revealed that the 1 and 2mm
      groups were statistically different from the 3, 4, and 5mm stitch length groups
      while comparison among the latter groups was not statistically significant. For
      CLPS, the 1mm group exhibited consistently the highest maximum load strength and
      breaking power, which was twice the strength displayed by the 2mm group. Pairwise
      comparisons between groups showed statistical significance. For future repairs of
      flexor tendon injuries, 1mm stitch length is highly recommended for simple
      peripheral suture.

PMID- 28352684
TI  - Surgical tracheotomy performed with and without dual antiplatelet therapy.
AB  - Some patients who need dual antiplatelet therapy sometimes require tracheotomy.
      Aim of this study was to compare the rate of complications during and after
      surgical tracheotomy between patients requiring dual antiplatelet therapy and
      those without dual antiplatelet therapy. We retrospectively included 79 patients
      (62% men, mean age 64 +/- 14 years) in the period 2007-2011. The following
      complications were analyzed: need for surgical revision within 24 hours after
      tracheotomy, need for bronchoscopy within 24 hour after tracheotomy, need for
      blood transfusion within 24 hours after tracheotomy, death attributed to
      tracheotomy and any complication attributed to tracheotomy. We compared patients
      where tracheotomy was performed while receiving dual antiplatelet therapy (n=27,
      34%) to patients where tracheotomy was performed without dual antiplatelet
      therapy (n=52, 66%). Nonsignificant differences between the two groups were
      observed general characteristics. There were no statistically significant
      differences in complications after tracheotomy (surgical revision after
      tracheotomy p=0.63, bronchoscopy after tracheotomy p=0.74, blood transfusion
      after tracheotomy p=0.59, death attributed to tracheotomy p=1.00 and any
      complication attributed to tracheotomy p=1.00). The study shows that tracheotomy
      is safe in cardiac patients on dual antiplatelet therapy.

PMID- 28352685
TI  - Relation between bone mineral density and IL-17 serum levels in Serbian patients
      with early Rheumatoid arthritis.
AB  - Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a chronic inflammatory disease characterized by
      synovial inflammation and destruction of joint cartilage and bone. Different
      cytokines play important role in the processes that cause articular destruction
      and extra-articular manifestations in RA. The contribution of cytokines
      representing the Th1 (INF-gamma), Th2 (IL-4) and IL-17A to the pathogenesis of
      early RA and bone mineral density (BMD) loss in still poorly understood. Serum
      samples of 38 early RA patients were evaluated for erythrocyte sedimentation rate
      (ESR), rheumatoid factor (RF), C-reactive protein (CRP), anti-cyclic
      citrullinated peptide antibodies (anti-CCP) and for the tested cytokines (IL-17A,
      IL-4 and INF-gamma). BMD was evaluated by dualenergy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA).
      Disease activity score (DAS28) calculation was assessed for all patients. Control
      serum samples were obtained from 34 healthy volunteers. The levels of tested
      cytokines were significantly higher (IL-17A, p<0.001; INF-gamma, P<0.001; IL-4,
      P<0.01) in patients with early RA, compared to the healthy controls. In early RA
      patients, strong correlation of serum IL-17A was found with DAS28, ESR and CRP.
      Also, a significant negative correlation was found between serum INF-gamma levels
      and the DAS28 score. Significantly positive correlation of BMD values and CRP,
      DAS28 IL-17A were also demonstrated. DXA analysis revealed that the most common
      site for osteoporosis was the lumbar spine followed by the femoral neck. BMD
      values significantly correlated with CRP, DAS28 score and IL-17A serum levels.
      The mean serum IL-17A levels, in patients with early RA, corresponded with
      disease activity, severity and BMD loss, indicating the potential usefulness of
      serum IL-17A in defining the disease activity and bone remodeling.

PMID- 28352686
TI  - Upgrade from ICD to CRT-D: clinical and haemodynamic impact of biventricular
      pacing in a patient with acquired long QT syndrome.
AB  - Long QT syndrome (LQTS) is characterised by both the depolarisation and
      repolarisation disorder of cardiac muscle cells. Cardiac resynchronising therapy
      (CRT) is an important treatment option for patients with chronic heart failure
      (CHF) when echocardiographic and electrocardiographic criteria are met. Although
      CRT was introduced in clinical practice 10 years ago, doubts related to
      application of this treatment method persist because of its potential
      proarrhythmogenic effect. This is a case describing a 66-year-old Caucasian
      female with LQTS coexisting with a left bundle branch branch block (LBBB) and an
      implantable single-cavity cardioverter-defibrillator (ICD VR), who had repeated
      appropriate high-energy treatments. The upgrade to resynchronisation therapy
      defibrillator (CRT-D) significantly reduced frequency of ventricular tachycardia
      and the need for electrical therapies. The normalisation of the left ventricle
      size, as seen on echo examination, and the improvement of heart failure symptoms
      were also observed.

PMID- 28352687
TI  - Social psychological predictors of satisfaction with intrapartum and postpartum
      care - what matters to women in Czech maternity hospitals?
AB  - OBJECTIVE: To identify the social psychological factors affecting women's
      evaluation of care provided in Czech maternity hospitals using following
      criteria: satisfaction with intrapartum and postpartum care, willingness to
      return to a given hospital and to recommend the hospital to others. METHODS: 762
      women completed a 71-item original Czech questionnaire KLI-P designed to measure
      the psychosocial climate in both delivery and after-birth unit on six scales. The
      sample was representative of the Czech parturients population. Multivariate
      logistic regression was used to investigate the predictive value of the
      questionnaire scales for maternal satisfaction, willingness to return to and to
      recommend a given hospital. RESULTS: For delivery unit, the satisfaction
      predictors were: helpfulness and empathy of midwives (Chi2=48.9), communication
      of information and availability of caregivers (Chi2=16.6), helpfulness and
      empathy of physicians (Chi2=10.9), symmetrical and respectful attitude of staff
      members (Chi2=9.7) and physical comfort and services (Chi2=7.6). The predictors
      of satisfaction with after-birth unit included helpfulness and empathy of the
      staff (Chi2>=42.1), communication of information and availability of caregivers
      (Chi2=52.5), physical comfort and services (Chi2=30.6), control and involvement
      in decision-making (Chi2=6.6) and parity (Chi2=8.6). The factors influencing
      women's willingness to return to and to recommend a hospital differed from the
      predictors of general satisfaction. CONCLUSIONS: The satisfaction factors
      revealed in this research correspond predominantly to the results of studies
      conducted in other countries (warm, non-formal and supportive approach,
      sufficient and well-timed provision of information and explanation, availability
      of caregivers, physical environment). However, participation in decision making,
      which has been repeatedly shown to be among the strongest predictors of
      childbirth satisfaction, was not important for the Czech parturients'
      satisfaction with intrapartal care. This finding can be explained by different
      attitudes and expectations of both parturients and caregivers in a post
      totalitarian country.

PMID- 28352688
TI  - Assessment of nutrition and physical activity of 6th-7th grade schoolchildren in
      the city of Vilnius, Lithuania.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Evaluation of eating habits and physical activity is very important
      for health interventions. Our aim in this study was to assess the characteristics
      of eating and physical activity of 6-7th grade schoolchildren in the city of
      Vilnius, Lithuania, as well as the association between dietary habits and
      physical activity. METHODS: The study was conducted within the project "Education
      of healthy diets and physical activity in schools". The sample consisted of 1008
      schoolchildren from 22 schools in the city of Vilnius, and was based on empirical
      methods, including a questionnaire poll and comparative analysis. Statistical
      software Stata v.12.1 (Stata corp LP) was used to analyze the data. RESULTS: Our
      study showed that less than half (37.1%) of study participants had physically
      active leisure time. Boys were significantly more physically active than girls.
      More than half (61.4%) of children ate breakfast every day. Girls were more
      likely to eat vegetables and sweets. Schoolchildren who ate vegetables and dairy
      products as well as those who got enough information about physical activity and
      spoke about it with their family members were more physically active.
      CONCLUSIONS: The results of the study confirmed that schoolchildren were not
      sufficiently physically active. It was found that low physical activity is
      related to dietary and other factors, such as lack of information about physical
      activity and its benefits.

PMID- 28352689
TI  - Postprandial decrease in LDL-cholesterol in men with metabolic syndrome.
AB  - BACKGROUND: In some epidemiological studies, blood lipids are determined at non
      fasting state, which may impact cardiovascular risk estimation. The aim of this
      study was to evaluate postprandial LDL-C changes in men with newly diagnosed
      metabolic syndrome (MetSy). METHODS: 36 male patients were examined: 12 men with
      and 24 men without MetSy. The fat tolerance test was performed before and after a
      three-month hypolipidemic treatment. Serum lipids were measured using routine
      methods, lipid peroxides (LPO) colorimetrically, apolipoproteins A-I, B, and
      hsCRP immunoturbidimetrically. RESULTS: The postprandial increase in
      triglycerides was associated with a decrease in LDL-C and a small decrease in apo
      B. In men with MetSy, the mean change in LDL-C (-19.5 +/- 2.3 mg/dl) was greater
      than in healthy men (-5.7 +/- 3.8 mg/dl). All lipid changes (DeltaTG, DeltaLDL-C
      and DeltaLPO) were linearly dependent on the postprandial non-LDL-cholesterol.
      After three months of hypolipidemic treatment, in all men with MetSy, the
      apoB/apoA-I ratio remained the same as before the therapy. CONCLUSION: In men
      diagnosed with MetSy, postprandial decreases in LDL-cholesterol may cause
      underestimation of cardiovascular risk. After three months of hypolipidemic
      treatment, there was only a partial reduction in this risk, as the apoB/apoA-I
      ratio remained the same.

PMID- 28352690
TI  - Strength and aerobic training in overweight females in Gdansk, Poland.
AB  - We compared the effects of 16-week-training on rest metabolic rate, aerobic
      power, and body fat, and the post-exercise effects upon rest oxygen uptake and
      respiratory exchange ratio in overweight middle-aged females. Twenty nine
      overweight women (BMI 29.9 +/- 1.2 kg*m-2) participated in training (3 days a
      week). The subjects were divided onto groups of aerobic (AT) and strength (ST)
      training. The results showed that the total body mass decrease and VO2 max
      increase did not differ in both groups. Decrease in waist circumference after 16
      weeks was higher in the ST group. In the ST group fat-free mass increased during
      the first 8 weeks. Rest metabolic rate was increased significantly at 16th week
      compared to initial value in ST group only. Significant increase in post-exercise
      resting VO2 and respiratory exchange ratio at 12 and 36 h was observed after the
      strength training session only. Increase in rest metabolic rate and post-exercise
      rest energy expenditure occurred after strength training but not after aerobic
      training despite the similar increase in aerobic power. The effect of 8-16 weeks
      of strength training on body mass decrease was higher in comparison to aerobic
      training.

PMID- 28352692
TI  - The association between red blood cell distribution width and acute pancreatitis
      associated lung injury in patients with acute pancreatitis.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Red blood cell distribution width (RDW) that describes red blood cell
      volume heterogeneity is a common laboratory test. Our aim was to focus on the
      association between RDW and acute pancreatitis associated lung injury (APALI).
      METHODOLOGY: A total of 152 acute pancreatitis (AP) patients who conformed to the
      criteria were included in this study. The demographic data, medical histories and
      laboratory measures was obtained from each patient on admission, further, the
      medical histories and biological data were analyzed, retrospectively. RESULTS:
      Increased RDW at admission was observed in patients with APALI compared with the
      non-APALI groups. Our results exhibited that RDW was an independent risk factor
      for APALI after adjusting leukocyte, neutrophil percentage, random blood glucose
      (RBG), total bilirubin (TB) and total bile acid (TBA) (Crude model) (OR=2.671;CI
      95% 1.145-6.230; P=0.023), further adjustment based on Crude model for sex and
      age did not attenuate the significantly high risk of APALI in patients with AP,
      RWD still remained a roles as an independent risk factor for APALI (OR=2.653;CI95
      % 1.123-6.138; P=0.026). CONCLUSIONS: Our study demonstrate that RDW at admission
      is associated with APALI and should be considered as an underlying risk factor of
      APALI.

PMID- 28352693
TI  - Organic food consumption by athletes in Lithuania.
AB  - BACKGROUND: With environmental pollution increasing, interest in organic farming
      and organic foodstuffs has been growing all over the world. Data on organic food
      consumption by Lithuanian athletes is not yet available. This lack of data
      determined the aim of this study: to identify the particulars of organic
      foodstuff consumption among athletes. METHODS: In September-November 2012, we
      polled 158 of the best-performing athletes of the Olympic sports team through
      direct interviews. An approved questionnaire was used to identify the specifics
      of organic foodstuff consumption among athletes. RESULTS: The survey results
      showed that 97% of athletes consume organic foodstuffs, and 80% of athletes
      highlighted the positive impact of organic food on health. Nevertheless, a slim
      majority of athletes (51.7%) consume organic foodstuffs seldomly, 2-3 times per
      week. The range of organic foodstuffs consumed depends on the gender of athletes,
      and the consumption of some products depends on monthly incomes. CONCLUSIONS:
      Survey results confirm the need for the production and expansion of the variety
      of organic foodstuffs. In the course of the development of the organic food
      market, it should be beneficial for manufacturers to target high-performance
      athletes and physically active people.

PMID- 28352691
TI  - Risk factors involved in orofacial cleft predisposition - review.
AB  - Clefts that occur in children are a special topic. Avoiding risk factors, and
      also an early diagnosis of cleft possibility can result in minimizing or avoiding
      them. If on the other hand when clefts occur they require a long-term, multistage
      specialized treatment. Etiology of clefts seems to be related to many factors.
      Factors such as genetic, environmental, geographic and even race factors are
      important. Identification of risk factors can lead to prevention and prophylactic
      behaviors in order to minimize its occurrence. Exposure to environmental factors
      at home and work that lead to cleft predisposition should not be disregarded. It
      seems that before planning a family it would be wise to consult with doctors of
      different specializations, especially in high-risk families with cleft history in
      order to analyze previous lifestyle. Clefts are very common in hereditary facial
      malformations and are causing a lot of other irregularities in the head and neck
      region. In this paper after a brief papers review authors present socio
      geographic, environmental and also work place related factors that are
      influencing pregnant women condition and should be taken under serious
      consideration.

PMID- 28352694
TI  - Inclusion body myositis - pathomechanism and lessons from genetics.
AB  - Inclusion body myositis is a rare, late-onset myopathy. Both inflammatory and
      myodegenerative features play an important role in their pathogenesis.
      Overlapping clinicopathological entities are the familial inclusion body
      myopathies with or without dementia. These myopathies share several clinical and
      pathological features with the sporadic inflammatory disease. Therefore, better
      understanding of the genetic basis and pathomechanism of these rare familial
      cases may advance our knowledge and enable more effective treatment options in
      sporadic IBM, which is currently considered a relentlessly progressive incurable
      disease.

PMID- 28352696
TI  - Changes in biochemical and functional parameters for men during exercise.
AB  - Benefits of physical activity are undeniable. The aim of the present research was
      to determine the effects of physical activity and age on cholesterol and glucose
      levels in the blood, as well as changes in the functional parameters of the
      cardiovascular system, during stepwise increases in physical load for men
      employed in the same place, but with different levels of physical activity. The
      subjects were 95 military officers who were divided into groups according to the
      level of physical activity of their occupation, with veloergometry used as
      physical load. Cholesterol and glucose levels in the blood were taken as
      biochemical indices. The results showed that occupational physical activity had a
      positive effect on biochemical and cardiovascular functional parameters before,
      during, and after the physical load. Only the cardiovascular rate (systolic blood
      pressure) in older subjects was significantly higher than that of the younger
      persons; for all other parameters, age had no effect at all.

PMID- 28352695
TI  - Effects of hypothermia on skeletal ischemia reperfusion injury in rats.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of hypothermia (H)
      on skeletal ischemia-reperfusion (IR) injury in rats by measuring malondialdehyde
      (MDA), superoxide dismutase (SOD), glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px), nitric oxide
      (NO), and interleukin-1 beta (IL-1beta) in muscle, and measureing
      immunohistochemical-inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) staining of skeletal
      muscle. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Eighteen Wistar Albino rats were divided randomly
      into three groups (sham, IR, hypothermia) (n=6). The sham group had all
      procedures without the IR period. The lower right extremity of rats in the IR and
      hypothermia groups was subjected to 2 hours of ischemia and 22 hours of
      reperfusion by applying a clamp on the common iliac artery and a rubber-band at
      the level of the lesser trochanter under general anesthesia. Rats in the
      hypothermia group underwent 4 hours of hypothermia during the first four hours of
      reperfusion in addition to a 2-hour ischemia and 22-hour reperfusion period. All
      rats were sacrificed at end of the IR period using a high dose of anesthesia. The
      tibialis anterior muscles were preserved. Immunohistochemical iNOS staining was
      performed, and MDA, SOD, GSH-Px, NO, and IL-1beta were measured in the muscle.
      RESULTS: The level of MDA, NO, and IL-1beta in muscle was increased in the IR
      group compared with that in the sham group, but these parameters were decreased
      in the hypothermia group compared with the IR group. The activities of SOD and
      GSH-Px in muscle were decreased in the IR group; however, these parameters were
      increased in the hypothermia group. The score and intensity of iNOS staining of
      skeletal muscle was dens in IR group, mild in hypothermia group, and weak in sham
      group. CONCLUSION: The present study has shown that hypothermia reduced IR injury
      in the skeletal muscle by decreasing the levels of MDA, NO, and IL-1beta, and
      increasing the activities of SOD and GSH-Px. In addition, hypothermia attenuated
      the score and intensity of iNOS staining.

PMID- 28352697
TI  - Use of antiviral therapy in patients with chronic hepatitis C.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: The presence of background HCV infection cannot be overestimated in
      view of the prevalence of chronic hepatitis C and the risk of adverse outcomes of
      this disease. Purpose of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of the
      combined use of antiviral therapy (Roferon + Vero-Ribavirin) and resort factors
      in patients with chronic hepatitis C in the phase of replication. MATERIAL AND
      METHODS: We observed 48 patients with chronic hepatitis C; the minimum level of
      activity of the process defined the phase of replication. Markers of HCV
      infection were determined by enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) (a-HCV and
      HCV-Ig M). HCV RNA was determined twice by the polymerase chain reaction (PCR).
      Genotyping of hepatitis C virus was performed. Biochemical blood analysis and the
      study of HCV infection markers were carried out four times. Results of therapy
      were assessed immediately after the end of the resort (spa) treatment, then at 3,
      6 and 12 months after starting treatment. At 12 months after starting treatment,
      all the observed patients had persistent clinical and biochemical remission.
      Elimination of the virus from the blood was noted in 56% of the control group and
      74% of patients in the study group. CONCLUSIONS: For patients with moderately
      active HCV, the replication phase was characterized by asthenic-vegetative
      syndrome (100% of patients) with severe depression (22.92%), pain (77.08%) and
      dyspeptic syndrome (33.33%), moderate hypertransferaseemia (100%), slightly
      pronounced cholestasis (33% of patients), and signs of mesenchymal-inflammatory
      response.

PMID- 28352698
TI  - Dermatology patients' and their doctors' representations about adherence.
AB  - The aim of our study was to identify representations about patient adherence
      among dermatologists (N=40) and their patients (N=153). A combined qualitative
      quantitative methodology was applied. Dermatologists identified good doctor
      patient relationship, information from the doctor, and background information as
      the most important determinants of adherence. In patients' rankings, information
      from the doctor and understandable communication received the highest scores.
      Multidimensional scaling arranged patients' results into four content groups
      which helped to reveal the structure of the representations. Our results may
      contribute to the evidence-based confirmation that transparency of views and
      expectations in doctor-patient communication is a basic determinant of successful
      adherence.

PMID- 28352699
TI  - The bilateral strength and power asymmetries in untrained boys.
AB  - The aim of the study was to identify the level of isokinetic strength and power
      of lower limbs in 13-year-old untrained boys (n=22, height: 158.5+/-8.0 cm, mass:
      49.1+/-12.6 kg), to determine bilateral deficit between the limbs in the tests
      and examine their mutual relationship. Maximum peak muscle torque of knee
      extensors (PTQ) and flexors (PTH) on dominant (DL) and non-dominant leg (NL) were
      measured by isokinetic dynamometer. Three types of a vertical jump:
      countermovement jump with (CMJFA) and without arms (CMJ) and squat jump (SJ) were
      performed on two force platforms. We found the significant effect (p<.01) of
      independent variables (knee extensors, flexors, AV) and their interaction on PT.
      AV did not indicate any significant effect on bilateral ratio of knee extensors
      (F4,84=.74, p>.05, etap2=0.03), however a significant effect of AV was found in
      knee flexors (F4,84=2.70, p<.05, etap2=.114). The type of jump had no effect on
      the difference between force exerted by DL and NL (F1,21=.102, p>.05, etap2=.01).
      Bilateral deficit (Q:Q, H:H) did not significantly correlate with bilateral
      deficit in jumps (p>.05). Despite the possibility of identifying muscle
      asymmetries in the sense of strength imbalances, their mutual relationship with
      results in isokinetic dynamometry and power jump tests is still unclear.

PMID- 28352700
TI  - Urgent arterial embolization of ruptured renal angiomyolipoma.
AB  - The most undesired complication of renal angiomyolipoma (AML) is bleeding.
      Because of tumor rupture, the bleeding can spread to the retroperitoneal field
      and can be severe enough to be life threatening. We report a case of
      retroperitoneal hemorrhage caused by a ruptured AML that was successfully treated
      with transarterial embolization with N-butyl cyanoacrylate.

PMID- 28352701
TI  - Attempt to assess the infiltration of enamel made with experimental preparation
      using a scanning electron microscope.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: The resin infiltration technique, a minimally invasive method,
      involves the saturation, strengthening, and stabilization of demineralized enamel
      by a mixture of polymer resins without the need to use rotary tools or the risk
      of losing healthy tooth structures. AIM OF THE STUDY: To design and synthesize an
      experimental infiltrant with potential bacteriostatic properties.To compare the
      depth of infiltration of the designed experimental preparation with the
      infiltrant available in the market using a scanning electron microscope. MATERIAL
      AND METHODS: Composition of the experimental infiltrant was established after
      analysis of 1H NMR spectra of the commercially available compounds that can
      penetrate pores of demineralized enamel. As the infiltrant should have
      bacteriostatic features by definition, an addition of 1% of monomer containing
      metronidazole was made. Thirty extracted human teeth were soaked in an acidic
      solution, which was to provide appropriate conditions for demineralization of
      enamel. Afterward, each tooth was divided along the coronal-root axis into two
      zones. One zone had experimental preparation applied to it (the test group),
      while the other had commercially available Icon (the control group). The teeth
      were dissected along the long axis and described above underwent initial
      observation with use of a Hitachi S-4200 scanning electron microscope. RESULTS:
      It was found that all samples contained only oxygen and carbon, regardless of the
      concentration of additions introduced into them. The occurrence of carbon is
      partially because it is a component of the preparation in question and partially
      because of sputtering of the sample with it. Hydrogen is also a component of the
      preparation, as a result of its phase composition; however, it cannot be detected
      by the EDS method. CONCLUSIONS: SEM, in combination with X-ray microanalysis,
      does not allow one to explicitly assess the depth of penetration of infiltration
      preparations into enamel.In order to assess the depth of penetration of
      infiltration preparations with use of X-ray microanalysis, it is recommended to
      introduce a contrast agent that is approved for use in dental materials, such as
      ytterbium III fluoride.

PMID- 28352702
TI  - Platelet to lymphocyte ratio and neutrophil to lymphocyte ratio in patients with
      rheumatoid arthritis.
AB  - OBJECTIVES: It has been well documented that the platelet to lymphocyte ratio
      (PLR) and the neutrophil to lymphocyte ratio (NLR) are associated with outcomes
      for patients with gastric cancer, non-small cell lung cancer and acute heart
      failure. Inflammation may be the hidden factor that explains the correlation
      between NLP, PLR, and these diseases. However, to date, the data concerning NLR,
      PLR, and its association with inflammation are lacking in patients with
      rheumatoid arthritis (RA), thus, our aim to discuss whether NLR and PLR are
      associated with RA. METHODS: Patients with RA and healthy individuals were
      included according to the determined criteria, and laboratory indicators were
      measured. RESULTS: PLR and NLR were significantly higher in RA patients compared
      with healthy controls (3.20+/-2.06 vs. 1.56+/-0.47, P<0.01; 192.85+/-101.78 vs.
      103.49+/-28.68, P<0.01). When leukocytes, neutrophil percentage, neutrophil,
      lymphocyte, platelet, C-reactive protein (CRP), erythrocyte sedimentation rate
      (ESR), and rheumatoid factor (RF) were considered as confounders (crude model),
      our results indicated that ESR and RF were correlated to RA. Of note, ESR, RF,
      and PLR were associated with RA after further adjustment based on crude model for
      PLR and NLR. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves analysis showed that
      PLR values higher than >115.7 evaluated RA with a sensitivity of 82.5%, a
      specificity of 74.8% and area under the curve ( AUC ) of 0.847. CONCLUSIONS: Our
      results suggest that PLR is associated with RA, and PLR may be an underlying
      indicator indicating the chronic subclinical inflammation in patients with RA.

PMID- 28352703
TI  - Potential drug interactions with statins: Estonian register-based study.
AB  - In Estonia, HMG-CoA reductase inhibitors are widely used to modify lipid levels
      but there are no current data on additional medicines prescribed alongside the
      statins. The aim of this study was to identify the frequency of potential
      clinically relevant interactions at a national level among an outpatient
      population treated with statins between January and June 2008, based on the
      prescription database of the Estonian Health Insurance Fund. This retrospective
      prevalence study included 203,646 outpatients aged 50 years or older, of whom
      29,367 received statin therapy. The study analysed individuals who had used at
      least one prescription medicine for a minimum of 7 days concomitantly with
      statins. Potential drug interactions were analysed using Epocrates online,
      Stockley's Drug Interactions, and the drug interaction database developed in
      Estonia. Statins metabolised by the CYP3A4 isoenzyme were prescribed to 64% of
      all statin users. Medicines known to have potentially clinically significant
      interactions with statins were prescribed to 4.6% of patients. The drugs
      prescribed concomitantly most often with simvastatin were warfarin (5.7%) and
      amiodarone (3.9%), whereas digoxin (1.2%) and ethinylestradiol (2%) were
      prescribed with atorvastatin. Potential interactions were not detected in the
      treatment regimens of rosuvastatin, pravastatin, and fluvastatin users.

PMID- 28352704
TI  - Trefoil factor 3 as a marker of intestinal cell damage during sepsis.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: Gastrointestinal dysfunction or gut failure frequently occurs in
      seriously ill patients and can be responsible for multi-organ failure. Trefoil
      factor 3 (TFF3) was characterized for its role in reconstitution of an epithelial
      barrier after mucosal injury in the jejunum. The aims of our study was an
      analysis of TFF3 levels dynamics in patients with sepsis and the correlation of
      TFF3 with severity of sepsis and mortality. METHODS: Prospective observational
      study, a ten days evaluation period in children aged 0-19 years with systemic
      inflammatory response syndrome or septic state. Blood tests to determine levels
      of TFF3 were obtained as long as the patient met the criteria for systemic
      inflammatory response syndrome or sepsis. RESULTS: Analysis of dynamics revealed
      steady levels of TFF3 during the 10 day period evaluated. TFF3 levels could not
      differentiate between various septic conditions in patients until a marked organ
      dysfunction developed. Higher Area Under Curve was noticed between control group
      and patients with sepsis. We could not make any strong conclusions based on
      mortality model. CONCLUSIONS: Levels of TFF3 are elevated in paediatric patients
      with sepsis through organ dysfunction.

PMID- 28352705
TI  - Effect of puerarin on human choriocarcinoma cells.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: To discuss the effect of puerarin on human choriocarcinoma cells.
      METHODS: Survival rates under puerarin monotherapy, fluorouracil (5-FU)
      monotherapy and puerarin in combination with 5-FU were detected by MTT assay.
      Apoptotic morphology was observed with Hoechst 33258 staining. Apoptosis rates
      were detected with flow cytometry. Expressions of AKT, mechanistic target of
      rapamycin (mTOR), and P70S6K mRNAs and phosphorylated proteins were detected by
      RT-PCR and Western blot. Tumor-bearing mice were administered puerarin and
      puerarin+5-FU, and serum levels of beta-human chorionic gonadotropin (beta-HCG)
      were measured. RESULTS: Proliferation inhibition and apoptosis rates of JEG-3
      cells were positively correlated with puerarin concentration, which increased in
      the puerarin+5-FU group. Expression levels of AKT, mTOR, P70S6K mRNAs, and
      phosphorylated proteins decreased significantly after action of puerarin at
      different concentrations. With increasing puerarin concentration, expression of
      cleaved-caspase-3 in JEG-3 cells increased, whereas that of Bcl-2 decreased.
      Puerarin significantly inhibited tumor growth in choriocarcinoma-bearing SCID
      mice. Serum beta-HCG levels were significantly lower than those of control group
      after administration. Magnitude of beta-HCG decline was positively correlated
      with concentration.. CONCLUSION: Puerarin+5-FU inhibited proliferation of JEG-3
      choriocarcinoma cells and promoted their apoptosis, being associated with the
      mTOR signaling pathway.

PMID- 28352706
TI  - Profile of adult acute cholinesterase inhibitors substances poisoning - a 30
      years analysis.
AB  - OBJECTIVES: The objective of this study was to assess the pattern and outcome of
      acute cholinesterase inhibitors substances (CIS) poisoning cases, in a cohort
      from a regional tertiary care hospital. METHODS: cases admitted in the Toxicology
      Clinic of "Sf. Spiridon" Emergency Clinic Hospital Iasi, Romania between 1983 and
      2013 were studied. RESULTS: a total number of 606 patients were included. The
      reason for exposures was intentional in 70% of cases and the commonest route of
      poisoning was oral in 92.2%. The highest percent of cases was females (56.4), the
      age group 20-29 (25.4%) and the majority (66.7%) coming from rural areas, 28.2%
      being agricultural workers. 36.6% of cases were severe clinical forms. Overall
      mortality rates were 3.8%, more than half of the death patients (65.2%) had
      concomitant alcohol intake. It was a significant statistical association between
      decrease level of serum cholinesterase on admittance and severe forms (p 0.000)
      and between survival and deaths groups (p 0.000). The pattern of poisoning
      described by our retrospective study suggests that CIS poisoning are mainly
      preventable. The main effective goals for prevention are restriction in free
      accessibility to toxic pesticides, together with sustained efforts in education
      concerning the life-threatening danger of pesticide poisoning.

PMID- 28352707
TI  - Carotid ultrasound for pulmonary arteriovenous malformation screening.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: In patients with hereditary hemorrhagic telangiectasia (HHT),
      pulmonary arteriovenous malformations (PAVMs) can cause serious neurological
      complications. Our aim was to evaluate the potential of contrast-enhanced Doppler
      ultrasound (CE-US) of the common carotid artery as a screening test for detection
      of PAVMs. METHODS: A total of 124 consecutive patients with HHT or a positive
      family history underwent screening for PAVMs with CE-US and thoracic contrast
      enhanced magnetic resonance angiography (CE-MRA). CE-US was performed after
      receiving (D)-galactose microparticulate, and CE-MRA with gadobenate dimeglumine.
      Twenty-five patients with confirmed PAVMs were referred to conventional pulmonary
      catheter angiography (PA). Findings on CE-US and CE-MRA were evaluated using
      contingency tables and McNemar's test. RESULTS: Using CE-MRA as the reference
      test, CE-US had a sensitivity of 100%, a specificity of 87%, and a negative
      predictive value of 100%. In 25 patients who underwent PA, PAVMs that had been
      diagnosed on CE-US and CE-MRA were confirmed. Of the PAVMs detected by CE-MRA,
      24% were not identified on PA. CONCLUSION: CE-US is a simple, minimally invasive
      screening method that can easily be performed in different settings. CE-US can
      predict PAVMs with high probability of success. CE-US may be a simple alternative
      to transthoracic echocardiography in the assessment of PAVMs in certain HHT
      patients.

PMID- 28352708
TI  - The latent cytomegalovirus decreases telomere length by microcompetition.
AB  - Reduced telomere length has been associated with aging and age-related diseases.
      Latent infection with the Cytomegalovirus (CMV) induces telomere shortening in
      the infected cells. Latent CMV infection may cause reduced telomere length via
      GABP transcription factor deficiency, according to the Microcompetition Theory.
      Microcompetition and viral-induced transcription factor deficiency is important
      since most people harbor a latent viral infection.

PMID- 28352709
TI  - Ketamine in outpatient arthroscopic shoulder surgery: Effects on postoperative
      pain, hemodynamic stability and process times.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Pain after arthroscopic shoulder surgery is often severe, and
      establishing a pain treatment regimen that does not delay discharge can be
      challenging. The reported ability of ketamine to prevent opioid-induced
      hyperalgesia has not been investigated in this particular setting. METHODS: 300
      adult patients scheduled for shoulder arthroscopy under general anesthesia were
      recruited for this observational clinical trial and were allotted to either
      receive 1mg/kg IV bolus of ketamine before surgery (ketamine group, KG) or to a
      control group (CG) without ketamine. NRS pain scores were obtained on the
      operative day and on postoperative days 1 and 2 and compared between groups.
      Secondary variables were blood pressure, heart rate, process times, satisfaction
      with the anesthetic and unwanted effects. RESULTS: Pain severity did not differ
      significantly between the groups at any time. Propofol injection rate and
      cumulative dose were higher in the KG. Heart rates and blood pressures were
      similar. Time to emergence and time in PACU were longer and vomiting was more
      frequent in patients given ketamine. CONCLUSION: Preoperative low-dose ketamine
      added to a general anesthetic does not reduce perioperative pain after outpatient
      shoulder arthroscopy. It increases procedural times and the incidence of PONV.

PMID- 28352710
TI  - Differences of plasma IL-1 and TNF-alpha in healthy Chinese Population.
AB  - Pleiotropic proinflammatory cytokines, interleukin- 1 (IL-1) and tumor necrosis
      factor-alpha (TNF-alpha), involved in the regulations of various immune
      responses, inflammatory processes and hematopoiesis. In the present study, the
      expression levels of IL-1 and TNF-alpha were detected by enzyme-linked
      immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Following the cytokine blockade as a successful
      clinical therapy for autoimmune diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis, the
      patients are more susceptible to a variety of opportunistic infections. IL-1 and
      TNF-alpha may be useful predictive biomarkers of diseases and offer potential
      targets for therapeutic intervention of inflammatory diseases. However, our
      results showed that the plasma IL-1 level was significantly higher in women
      compared to men (69.5 +/- 19.8 pg/ml in men and 80.1 +/- 19.5 pg/ml in women,
      respectively); the plasma levels of TNF-alpha were higher in men than women (20.8
      +/- 4.9 pg/ml and 18.7 +/- 7.1 pg/ml, respectively). The significant gender
      difference of plasma interleukin-1 (IL-1) and TNF-alpha levels present in healthy
      adults in Jiangsu Province, China (P=0.002 and P=0.015, respectively), and may be
      as a hint for sex differences of susceptibility to many diseases and elementary
      immune response.

PMID- 28352711
TI  - TVT-Exact and midurethral sling (SLING-IUFT) operative procedures: a randomized
      study.
AB  - OBJECTIVES: The aim of the study is to compare results, effectiveness and
      complications of TVT exact and midurethral sling (SLING-IUFT) operations in the
      treatment of female stress urinary incontinence (SUI). METHODS: A single center
      nonblind, randomized study of women with SUI who were randomized to TVT-Exact and
      SLING-IUFT was performed by one surgeon from April 2009 to April 2011. SUI was
      diagnosed on coughing and Valsalva test and urodynamics (cystometry and
      uroflowmetry) were assessed before operation and 1 year after surgery. This was a
      prospective randomized study. The follow up period was 12 months. 76 patients
      were operated using the TVT-Exact operation and 78 patients - using the SLING
      IUFT operation. There was no statistically significant differences between groups
      for BMI, parity, menopausal status and prolapsed stage (no patients had cystocele
      greater than stage II). RESULTS: Mean operative time was significantly shorter in
      the SLING-IUFT group (19 +/- 5.6 min.) compared with the TVT-Exact group (27 +/-
      7.1 min.). There were statistically significant differences in the effectiveness
      of both procedures: TVT-Exact - at 94.5% and SLING-IUFT - at 61.2% after one
      year. Hospital stay was statistically significantly shorter in the SLING-IUFT
      group (1. 2 +/- 0.5 days) compared with the TVT-Exact group (3.5 +/- 1.5 days).
      Statistically significantly fewer complications occurred in the SLING-IUFT group.
      CONCLUSION: the TVT-Exact and SLING-IUFT operations are both effective for
      surgical treatment of female stress urinary incontinence. The SLING-IUFT involved
      a shorter operation time and lower complications rate., the TVT-Exact procedure
      had statistically significantly more complications than the SLING-IUFT operation,
      but a higher effectiveness.

PMID- 28352712
TI  - High serum lactate level may predict death within 24 hours.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Unexpected death within 24 hours of admission is a real challenge for
      the clinician in the emergency room. How to diagnose these patients and the right
      approach to prevent sudden death with 24 hours is still an enigma. The aims of
      our study were to find the independent factors that may affect the clinical
      outcome in the first 24 hours of admission to the hospital. METHODS: We performed
      a retrospective study defining unexpected death within 24 hours of admission in
      our Department of Medicine in the last 6 years. We found 43 patients who died
      within 24 hours of admission, and compared their clinical and biochemical
      characteristics to 6055 consecutive patients who were admitted in that period of
      time and did not die within the first 24 hours of admission. The parameters that
      were used include gender, age, temperature, clinical and laboratory criteria for
      SIRS, arterial blood lactate, and arterial blood pH. RESULTS: Most of the
      patients who died within 24 hours had sepsis with SIRS. These patients were older
      (78.6+/-14.7 vs. 65.2+/-20.2 years [p<.0001]), had higher lactate levels (8.0+/
      4.8 vs. 2.1+/-1.8mmol/L [p<.0001]), and lower pH (7.2+/-0.2 vs. 7.4+/-0.1
      [p<.0001]). Logistic regression analysis found that lactate was the strongest
      independent parameter to predict death within 24 hours of admission (OR 1.366
      [95% CI 1.235-1.512]), followed by old age (OR 1.048 [95% CI 1.048-1.075] and low
      arterial blood pH (OR 0.007 [CI <0.001-0.147]). When gender was analyzed, pH was
      not an independent variable in females (only in males). CONCLUSIONS: The
      significant independent variable that predicted death within 24 hours of
      admission was arterial blood lactate level on admission. Older age was also an
      independent variable; low pH affected only males, but was a less dominant
      variable. We suggest use of arterial blood lactate level on admission as a bio
      marker in patients with suspected sepsis admitted to the hospital for risk
      assessment and prediction of death within 24 hours of admission.

PMID- 28352713
TI  - Formaldehyde may be found in cosmetic products even when unlabelled.
AB  - Concomitant contact allergy to formaldehyde and formaldehyde-releasers remains
      common among patients with allergic contact dermatitis. Concentration of free
      formaldehyde in cosmetic products within allowed limits have been shown to induce
      dermatitis from short-term use on normal skin. The aim of this study was to
      investigate the formaldehyde content of cosmetic products made in Lithuania. 42
      samples were analysed with the chromotropic acid (CA) method for semi
      quantitative formaldehyde determination. These included 24 leave-on (e.g.,
      creams, lotions) and 18 rinse-off (e.g., shampoos, soaps) products. Formaldehyde
      releasers were declared on the labels of 10 products. No formaldehyde releaser
      was declared on the label of the only face cream investigated, but levels of free
      formaldehyde with the CA method was >40 mg/ml and when analysed with a high
      performance liquid chromatographic method - 532 ppm. According to the EU Cosmetic
      directive, if the concentration of formaldehyde is above 0.05% a cosmetic product
      must be labelled "contains formaldehyde". It could be difficult for patients
      allergic to formaldehyde to avoid contact with products containing it as its
      presence cannot be determined from the ingredient labelling with certainty. The
      CA method is a simple and reliable method for detecting formaldehyde presence in
      cosmetic products.

PMID- 28352714
TI  - The impact of Tegillarca granosa extract haishengsu on HL-60 cell.
AB  - Haishengsu (Hss) is a purified protein from Tegillarca granosa that has been used
      as a traditional Chinese medicine to treat cancer for more than a century. In
      this study, we observed the impact of Haishengsu (Hss) on the proliferation and
      differentiation of HL-60 cells in the leukemic cell line by taking tretinoin and
      AS2O3 as a positive control and making a comparative analysis between the effect
      of Hss and tretinoin and AS2O3. We found that Hss could significantly inhibit the
      proliferation of HL-60 cells and caused most of the cells to stay in the G0/G1
      phase. Its effect was much stronger than that of tretinoin and AS2O3, and the
      ability of Hss to induce differentiation was close to tretinoin. Hss functions
      probably by inhibiting the expression of the Bcl-2 and MPO genes and further
      promoting the expression of the Bax gene. Hss has a significant effect on both
      inhibiting the proliferation and inducing the differentiation of HL-60 cells. It
      is possible that Hss may be a new kind of clinical differentiation inducer.

PMID- 28352715
TI  - The local spread of pheochromocytoma after adrenalectomy with a rupture of the
      tumor capsule at the time of the surgery.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: We present a case of a 29-year-old patient treated due to fully
      symptomatic pheochromocytoma of the right adrenal gland. CASE PRESENTATION:
      Patient was operated on and an open right-sided adrenalectomy was performed. At
      the time of the surgery, a rupture of the tumor capsule occurred. Five years post
      operatively, a recurrence of the symptoms of chromaffin-cell tumor was noted.
      After the exact localization of the multiple recurrences, the patient was
      reoperated on. CONCLUSION: The case of pheochromocytoma is presented due to the
      possibility of chromaffin-cell seeding into the peritoneum, with no signs of
      distal metastases so far.

PMID- 28352716
TI  - Effects of rivastigmine and memantine alone and in combination on learning and
      memory in rats with scopolamine-induced amnesia.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Cholinesterase inhibitors and glutamate blockers are commonly used
      for the treatment of cognitive impairment in Alzheimer's disease. The aim was to
      evaluate the effects of rivastigmine and memantine alone or in combination in
      rats with scopolamine-impaired memory. METHOD: 5 groups of rats were used:
      control, scopolamine (model), model with rivastigmine, model with memantine, and
      model with both drugs. Active avoidance test was performed and the number of
      conditioned responses, unconditioned responses and intertrial crossing were
      recorded. Passive avoidance tests step-through with criteria latency of reaction
      180 s in the light chamber and step-down with criteria latency of reaction 60 s
      on the platform were done. RESULTS: Control rats learned the task and kept it on
      memory tests. Scopolamine treated rats failed to perform it. The rivastigmine,
      memantine and its combination groups showed increased CRs during learning and
      memory retention tests. In both passive avoidance tests an increased latency of
      reaction was observed in the drug treated groups. CONCLUSION: The combination of
      both drugs rivastigmine and memantine is more effective than the use of the
      single drug in cognitive impaired rats. Cholinesterase inhibitors and NMDA
      blockers may be combined in the treatment of different kind of dementias.

PMID- 28352717
TI  - Efficacy of mistletoe for chemical pleurodesis in rats without malignancy.
AB  - Chemical pleurodesis is an effective treatment modality to reduce recurrence of
      malignant effusion. Several agents have been used in chemical pleurodesis but, it
      is not yet clear which is better. Eighteen Sprague-Dawley rats were used and
      classified into three groups: a group intrapleurally injected normal saline
      (group A, n=6), 400mg/kg talc (group B, n=6), and 9mg/kg mistletoe extraction
      (ME) (group C, n=6). Autopsy was performed to evaluate the pleural adhesion,
      pathologic examination of pleura and lung and bronchoalveolar lavage fluid
      analysis 4 weeks after pleurodesis. Both group B and C showed an obvious pleural
      adhesion and there was no significant difference in grade of pleural adhesion
      between two groups (p=0.58). The parietal pleural thickness in talc group than ME
      group was significantly thicker (p=0.002) and the visceral pleura of talc group
      showed marked foreign body reaction with fibrosis and many multinucleated giant
      cells associated with talc crystal. This study suggests that pleurodesis using ME
      in condition without malignancy has comparable effect to pleurodesis using talc.
      However, additional experimental study in large animal or clinical trials would
      be required to prove a safety and an efficacy of pleurodesis using ME.

PMID- 28352718
TI  - Mastoscopic sentinel lymph node biopsy in breast cancer.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Previous studies have demonstrated that mastoscopic sentinel lymph
      node biopsy (MSLNB) has good identification rate (IR) and low false negative rate
      (FNR). However, few studies have directly compared the surgical performance and
      peri- and post-operative factors of MSLNB with conventional sentinel lymph node
      biopsy (SLNB). METHODOLOGY: Sixty patients diagnosed with breast cancer were
      recruited and randomly assigned to one of the three groups: MSLNB, SLNB and SLNB
      with lipolysis injection. Peri- and post-operative parameters were compared using
      general linear models. To examine the effect of age on these parameters, we
      performed separate analysis stratified by age (<=50 years old vs. >50 years old).
      RESULTS: Patients in the MSLNB group experienced longer surgery and suffered
      higher surgical cost than patients who underwent conventional SLNB or SLNB with
      lipolysis injection (p<0.0001). Despite this, they had significantly less blood
      loss than those who underwent conventional SLNB (22.0+/-7.0 ml vs.73.5+/-39.6 ml;
      p<0.0001). Analysis by age group indicates a similar pattern of difference among
      the three groups. MSLNB and conventional SLNB have similar IR and FNR.
      CONCLUSION: As a minimally invasive technique, MSLNB can significantly reduce
      blood loss while providing similar IR and FNR, indicating that it can be a
      promising alternative to conventional SLNB. CONCLUSION: Variations in popliteal
      artery terminal branching pattern occurred in 7.4% to 17.6% of patients. Pre
      surgical detection of these variations with MD CTA may help to reduce the risk of
      iatrogenic arterial injury by enabling a better surgical treatment plan.

PMID- 28352719
TI  - Is cognitive processing affected in adults with hypospadias?: P300 study.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Hypospadias is a common urogenital system disorder. The frenulum,
      which is the most sensitive area of the glans penis, is not present in patients
      with hypospadias. This may lead to a failure in sexual and ejaculatory function,
      and cause emotional problems affecting cognitive processes. AIM: We aimed to
      study auditory Event Related Potentials (ERP) in patients with hypospadias to
      understand the status of cognitive function. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Seventeen
      patients with hypospadias who presented to the Urology Outpatient Clinic of
      Canakkale Military Hospital, and 11 healthy individuals of similar age were
      chosen. The auditory oddball paradigm with ERP from the Cz and Fz head regions
      were studied. The latency and amplitude of the P300 wave were measured. RESULTS:
      Both, the study and control groups consisted of young males. Although the study
      group had a longer P300 latency and lower P300 amplitude when compared to control
      group, the results were not statistically significant (p: 0.059 and 0.346
      respectively). CONCLUSION: Although the results are not statistically
      significant, our findings indicate that there may be cognitive changes in
      patients with hypospadias. Further studies of larger sample size and older
      patient cohorts are needed.

PMID- 28352720
TI  - Trends in the treatment of risk factors for stroke in a Czech stroke unit.
AB  - The goal of this study is to evaluate therapeutic trends for several diseases
      that represent risk factors for stroke. The relative frequency of therapy with
      compounds that influence the risk factors for stroke was monitored in a group of
      3,290 patients who were hospitalised in the Stroke Unit at the University
      Hospital in Hradec Kralove between 2005 and 2012. For most drugs monitored, the
      reasons for the significant decrease or increase in use were causes other than
      the reduction of stroke risk. Despite this finding, the majority of statistically
      significant changes had, according to review of comparative studies, a positive
      effect on prevention of stroke. Motivation to change treatment of stroke risk
      factors, such as hypertension, diabetes mellitus and hypercholesterolemia, was
      mainly aimed at sufficient disease management with a minimum of adverse effects.
      On the other hand, optimization of stroke recurrence and economic factors were
      motivations to treatment changes in prevention with antiplatelets. Antidiabetics
      were associated with an increase in metformin use and reduction in insulin use.
      For antihypertensives, the most significant reduction was associated with the use
      of diuretics, although calcium channel blockers and beta-blockers are also less
      used. Additionally, the use of the ACE inhibitor ramipril increased.

PMID- 28352722
TI  - Application of Food-specific IgG Antibody Detection in Allergy Dermatosis.
AB  - The application of food-specific IgG antibody detection in allergy dermatoses was
      explored. 181 patients with allergy dermatoses were diagnosed from January to
      September 2014 and 20 healthy subjects were selected. Fourteen kinds of food
      specific IgG antibodies were detected by ELISA method among all the subjects. The
      positive rates of IgG antibody of the patient group and the healthy group were
      respectively 65.2% and 5.0%. The positive rates of IgG antibody of egg, milk,
      shrimp and crab took a large proportion in three groups of patients with three
      kinds of allergy dermatoses of urticaria, eczema and allergic dermatitis, the
      proportion of which was respectively 70.2%, 77.8% and 71.7%. Among urticaria and
      allergic dermatitis patients with positive antibody, the positive rate of
      children was significantly higher than that of adults (p<0.05) while there was no
      significant difference between children and adults among eczema patients with
      positive antibody (p>0.05). Allergy dermatoses are closely related to food
      specific IgG antibodies, and the allergy dermatoses patients have a high
      incidence rate of food intolerance; detecting IgG antibody in the serum of
      patients is of great significance for the diagnosis and treatment of allergy
      dermatoses.

PMID- 28352721
TI  - Complete acromioclavicular joint dislocation treated with reconstructed ligament
      by trapezius muscle fascia and observation of fascial metaplasia.
AB  - We evaluated the long-term clinical results of acute complete acromioclavicular
      dislocations treated by reconstruction of the acromioclavicular and
      coracoclavicular ligament using trapezius muscle fascia. Open reduction and
      internal fixation was performed using the clavicular hook plate in 12 patients
      with acute complete acromioclavicular joint dislocation, and the
      acromioclavicular and coracoclavicular ligaments were reconstructed using
      trapezius muscle fascia. Radiographic evaluations were conducted postoperatively.
      We evaluated the functional results with constant scoring system and radiological
      results at the final follow-up visit. The mean Constant score at the final follow
      up visit was 91.67 (range, 81 to 100). The results were excellent in eight
      patients (66.7%) and good in four patients (33.3%). Three patients with scores
      from 80 to 90 had mild pain during activity, but this did not affect the range of
      motion of the shoulder. All patients have returned to their preoperative work
      without any limitations. Compared with the contralateral side, radiography showed
      anatomical reposition in the vertical plane in all cases. The hook-plate fixation
      with ligament reconstruction was successful in treating AC dislocations. The
      acromioclavicular and coracoclavicular ligament were reconstructed by trapezius
      muscle fascia that keep the distal clavicle stable both vertically and
      horizontally after type III injuries.

PMID- 28352723
TI  - Analysis of the Best Timing for Applying Tirofiban in PCI Operation for the
      Patients with ST Segment Elevation Myocardial Infarction.
AB  - : This study is a comparative analysis of the best timing for applying tirofiban
      in the PCI emergency treatment for STEMI patients. We selected 109 patients with
      ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction from October 2013 to October 2014 and
      divided them into two groups, the early treatment group (53 cases) received
      tirofiban during the operation and the later treatment group (56 cases) received
      tirofiban after operation. The analysis was then conducted. RESULTS: The
      proportion of IRA forward flow in TIMI2-3 for the 1st group during the
      radiography was higher than 2nd group, 50 cases with TIMI3 blood flow and 52
      cases with TIMI3 blood flow in later treatment group. Comparing the TIMI3 flow of
      both groups, the difference was not statistically significant; for the CK-MB 4h
      and 8h after operation as well as the LVEF after operation, the differences are
      were not statistically significant. The occurrence rate of hemorrhage
      complication was low for both groups. The early use of tirofiban can make the
      thrombus fully dissolve and coronary blood flow remains in a good state, which is
      not only beneficial for myocardial perfusion but also helpful for deciding the
      length and side branch situation of coronary artery pathological changes.

PMID- 28352724
TI  - Research into the Value of B-Mode Ultrasound, CT and MRI Examinations in the
      Diagnosis of Preoperative Myometrial Infiltration of Endometrial Cancer and Lymph
      Node Metastasis.
AB  - This study is conducted to observe the diagnostic value of B-mode ultrasound, CT
      and MRI examinations in preoperative myometrial infiltration of endometrial
      cancer and lymph node metastasis. Retrospectively analyze 50 cases of the
      patients from Oct. 2010 to Aug. 2013. Before operation all the patients received
      dilatation & curettage to determine pathological diagnosis and clinical staging.
      There were 150 cases of patients who received B-mode ultrasound examination,
      wherein, 93 cases received CT examination and 57 cases received MRI examination
      as well. In the diagnosis of MIEC the diagnostic indicies of individual MRI
      examination were higher than that of individual B-mode ultrasound and CT
      examinations. Consistency of individual MRI examination with pathological
      diagnosis was significantly higher than that of B-mode and CT examinations. The
      sensitivity of CT and MRI was significantly higher than that of B-mode ultrasound
      examination. However, diagnostic indicators of B-mode ultrasound and CT joint
      examination were higher than B-mode ultrasound examination alone. The consistency
      of both with pathological diagnosis was significantly increased. B-mode and CT
      can significantly improve the diagnostic accuracy and has a good consistency with
      pathological diagnosis, thereby applicable to the clinical diagnosis of
      preoperative myometrial infiltration of endometrial cancer and lymph node
      metastasis.

PMID- 28352725
TI  - Influence of COPD Assessment Text (CAT) evaluation and rehabilitation education
      guidance on the respiratory and motor functions of COPD patients.
AB  - The study aimed to evaluate the influence of the COPD Assessment Test (CAT)
      evaluation and rehabilitation education guidance on the respiratory and motor
      functions of patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Forty
      five patients with COPD admitted from Nov. 2012 to Nov. 2013 were treated with
      combined bronchodilators and inhaled corticosteroids. Thirty-five patients
      admitted from Nov. 2012 to Nov. 2013 and classified as a study group received
      rehabilitation education guidance on the basis of the treatment of the control
      group to compare the quality-of-life-scale score, dyspnea index score, and motor
      function of the two groups of patients after 48 weeks of treatment. After
      treatment, the CAT score of both groups of patients was significantly lowered.
      After 48 weeks of treatment, the respiratory function of both groups was
      significantly improved, but the Medical Research Council (MRC) scale for the
      study group after treatment was significantly lower than that for the control
      group. After 48 weeks of rehabilitation exercises, the 6-minute walk test (6MWT)
      for patients with COPD was significantly prolonged, but the test results were
      significantly higher for the study group after treatment than for the control
      group. After receiving CAT rehabilitation education, COPD patients had
      significantly improved life quality and significantly enhanced exercise
      tolerance. The treatment mode may be gradually introduced in future clinic and
      nursing work.

PMID- 28352726
TI  - Research into the Predictive Effect of TEG in the Changes of Coagulation
      Functions of the Patients with Traumatic Brain Hemorrhage.
AB  - To analyze the predictive effect of thrombelastogram (TEG) in the changes of
      coagulation functions of patients with traumatic brain hemorrhage, as well as to
      provide a practice basis for clinical guidance. 54 cases were observed from Aug.
      2013-Oct. 2014. All patients received a TEG test 1d, 3d and 7d after traumatic
      injury. According to the statistical analysis, the comparison among the
      aforementioned coagulation function parameters in each group of patients, K,
      alpha and Ma all had significant differences. In the comparison between different
      time points in the same group, there was still a significant difference. Compared
      to the patients, the changes of R and K reached the lowest at 1d and the highest
      at 3d, but there was no significant difference between two groups at 7d. The
      changes of alpha and Ma reached its highest at 1d and the lowest at 3d after
      traumatic injury, but there was no significant difference at 7d. There was some
      difference in changes of coagulation functions between all groups. The former was
      more serious and the changes of coagulation functions had certain regularity,
      i.e., after traumatic injury, 1d showed a hypercoagulable state; 3d showed a
      hypocoagulable state; the coagulation functions of 7d returned to normal.

PMID- 28352727
TI  - Analysis of the relations between allergen specific LgG antibody and allergic
      dermatosis of 14 kinds foods.
AB  - To use food-specific IgG antibody detection to explore its application in the
      allergy dermatoses. 181 patients were included from January 2014 to September
      2014. Fourteen food-specific IgG antibodies were detected by ELISA. The positive
      rates of IgG antibody of the patient group and the healthy group were
      significantly different. The positive rates of IgG antibody of egg, milk, shrimp
      and crab took a large proportion in three groups of patients with three kinds of
      allergy dermatoses of urticaria, eczema and allergic dermatitis, the proportion
      of which was respectively 70.2%, 77.8% and 71.7%. There was mild and moderate
      intolerance of food in the allergic dermatitis group while there was no
      distribution difference of food intolerance in urticaria group and eczema group.
      Among urticaria and allergic dermatitis patients with positive antibody, the
      positive rate of children was significantly higher than that of adults while
      there was no significant difference between children and adults among eczema
      patients with positive antibody. Allergy dermatoses are closely related to food
      specific IgG antibody and the allergy dermatoses patients have a high incidence
      rate of food intolerance; detecting IgG antibody in patients is of great
      significance for the diagnosis and treatment of allergy dermatoses.

PMID- 28352728
TI  - Comparative study of the clinical effect and safety of anterior surgical approach
      and posterior surgical approach in the treatment of thoracolumbar spinal
      fracture.
AB  - The clinical effect and safety of the anterior surgical approach and posterior
      surgical approach in the treatment of thoracolumbar spinal fracture was compared.
      Retrospective analyses of clinical data for 91 patients observed from March 2010
      to September 2014 were made. The pre-operation and post-operation comparisons
      between two sets of Cobb's angle, affected vertebra height, Frankel's
      classification of spinal nerves, motion functions, and tactile functions showed
      statistically significant differences (P<0.05). After having the operation, the
      Cobb's angle and affected vertebra height of the patient in the anterior approach
      group were both significantly higher than that of patients in the posterior
      approach group (P<0.05). The bone graft fusion rate of the patients in the
      anterior approach group 3 months after operation was higher than that of patients
      in the control group while the status of complications was worse than that of
      patients in the posterior approach group, both with a remarkable difference
      (P<0.05). Both the anterior surgical approach and posterior surgical approach
      have good clinical outcome for spinal fractures but they all have their
      respective adaption diseases. The key in the treatment of thoracolumbar spinal
      fractures lies in choosing proper operative approach.

PMID- 28352729
TI  - Feasibility and safety of prophylactic tentorium cerebelli hiatus incision in
      surgery of glioma located in lateral fissure area.
AB  - To discuss the feasibility and safety of prophylactic tentorium cerebelli hiatus
      incision in surgery of glioma located in lateral fissure area. There were 80
      patients with glioma located in lateral fissure area who received treatment from
      May 2012 to May 2015, divided into two groups, the research group (n=40) and
      control group (n=40), and then statistical analysis was carried out. Difference
      in total resection rate and subtotal resection rate of glioma between patients of
      the research group and those of the control group was not significant (P>0.05);
      intracranial pressure of patients in the research group was significantly lower
      than that of control group (P<0.05), their hospital stay was significantly
      shorter than that of the control group (P<0.05), times of using mannitol were
      significantly fewer than control group (P<0.05), but the differences of acute
      renal function damage and second surgery occurrence rate between patients of the
      two groups were not significant (P>0.05). Prophylactic tentorium cerebelli hiatus
      incision in surgery of glioma located in lateral fissure area can effectively
      reduce patients' intracranial pressure, shorten patients' hospital stay and
      reduce patients' times of using mannitol without increasing the rate of patients'
      acute renal function damage and second surgery.

PMID- 28352730
TI  - Laparoscopic splenectomy and porto-azygos disconnection: clinical research in the
      treatment of portal hypertension.
AB  - To investigate the safety and efficacy of laparoscopic splenectomy and
      portaazygous devascularization, we studied laparoscopic splenectomy and porto
      azygos devascularization patients within the peri-operative period. Clinical data
      and curative effect are detailed alongside statistical analysis. The laparoscopic
      splenectomy and porto-azygos devascularization operation time was 2.56 + 0.62
      hours. The intraoperative bleeding and anal exhaust time was 149.5 + 32.7ml 3.47
      + 1.32 days, and the hospitalization time was 5.05 + 1.22 days. When the spleen
      volume was greater than or equal to 1.5 liters, the rate of open abdominal
      surgery increased significantly. After 1, 2, 3, and 4 years of follow-up,
      cumulative recurrence bleeding rates were 0, 5.20%, 9.98%, and 15.83%,
      respectively. Laparoscopic splenectomy and pericardial devascularization is safe,
      effective, and feasible, and it can be confirmed by enhanced spiral computed
      tomography (CT). Whether spleen volume greater than 1.5L is suited to
      laparoscopic surgery requires further research.

PMID- 28352731
TI  - Artifacts reduction in strain maps of tagged magnetic resonance imaging using
      harmonic phase.
AB  - Tagged Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) is a noninvasive technique for examining
      myocardial function and deformation. Tagged MRI can also be used in quasi-static
      MR elastography to acquire strain maps of other biological soft tissues. Harmonic
      phase (HARP) provides automatic and rapid analysis of tagged MR images for the
      quantification and visualization of myocardial strain. We propose a new artifact
      reduction method in strain maps. Image intensity of the DC component is estimated
      and subtracted from spatial modulation of magnetization (SPAMM) tagged MR images.
      DC peak interference in harmonic phase extraction is greatly reduced after DC
      component subtraction. The proposed method is validated using both simulated and
      MR acquired tagged images. Strain maps are obtained with better accuracy and
      smoothness after DC component subtraction.

PMID- 28352732
TI  - Assessment of the feasibility of TACE combined with intratumoral injection of
      cisplatin in hepatocellular carcinoma.
AB  - The feasibility of transcatheter arterial chemo-embolization (TACE) combined with
      intratumoral injection of cisplatin as treatment for hepatocellular carcinoma. 30
      cases receiving TACE were denoted the TACE group, another 30 cases receiving TACE
      combined with an intratumoral multi-point injection of cisplatin were denoted the
      TACE/cisplatin group. Cases with partial remission/complete remission (PR/CR)
      were analyzed using 2 tests; alpha fetoprotein (AFP), aspartate amino transferase
      (AST), total bilirubin (TBIL), erythrocyte, and platelet levels were detected and
      the differences between two groups were analyzed using the Student's t-test;
      cases with complications, including intrahepatic metastasis (IM), upper
      gastrointestinal bleeding (UGB), and liver failure were also counted. The
      correlation of clinical parameters with PR/CR was analyzed using multifactorial
      correlation analysis. Cases with PR/CR in the TACE/cisplatin group were
      significantly more than in TACE group, accompanied by significant declination in
      FAP. There were no significant differences of AST, ALT, TBIL, blood urea nitrogen
      (BUN), white blood cells (WBC), red blood cells (RBC), and platelets (PLT)
      between two groups; 3 cases with IM, one case with UGB and one case with LF were
      found in the TACE group, but only 1 case with IM was found in the TACE/cisplatin
      group. In addition, tumor stage was correlated with PR/CR. We concluded that TACE
      combined with intratumoral injection of cisplatin was more effective than TACE,
      and with fewer complications and side effects.

PMID- 28352733
TI  - Study on correlation between bone marrow edema, stage of necrosis and area ratio
      of necrosis with the hip pain grading in nontraumatic osteonecrosis of the
      femoral head.
AB  - The objective of this study was to explore the correlation between bone marrow
      edema, stage of necrosis, and area ratio of necrosis with the hip pain grading in
      non-traumatic osteonecrosis of the femoral head. Bone marrow edema grading at all
      levels and the hip pain grade differences were statistically significant (P <
      0.001). Bone marrow edema grading increased by levels of 0, 1, and 2, whereas
      average pain rating increased as well to 40.73, 104.66 and 143.49. I ~ III period
      stage of necrosis and the hip pain grade difference was statistically significant
      (P < 0.001), with the average grade progress pain stage by the death of a rank
      gradually increased, I period, II period, III period was 57.00, 88.58 and 120.62,
      respectively. Area ratio of necrosis between 0 ~ 3 were positively correlated
      with pain, compared the two was statistically significant (P < 0.001), and with
      the degree of pathological changes is aggravating, increase the average rank of
      levels of pain. 0, 1, 2 and 3 are 36.88, 98.03, 123.87 and 151.93 respectively.
      We can choose the treatment method and evaluate treatment effect by considering a
      patients' degree of bone marrow edema, stage of necrosis and area ratio of
      necrosis.

PMID- 28352734
TI  - The pharmacological research of Tek-1 relevance to anti-neuroinflammation, a
      candidate compound based on Telmisartan.
AB  - In this paper, BV-2 mouse small glial cell inflammation model induced by LPS is
      established. The experiment used 0.1-10 MUM of telmisartan and Tek-1 to incubate
      with small glial cell and used telmisartan and Tek-1 to incubate with PPAR gamma
      special heterosexual antagonistic anti-agent GW9662. The article used ELISA
      method to dectect TNF-a effect on small glial cell for telmisartan and Tek-1. The
      article used real-time quantitative PCR method to dectect mRNA level expression
      effect of CD11b, CD16 and iNOS on small glial cell for telmisartan and Tek-1 and
      used Western Blot method to dectect MAPKs signal pathway and NF-kappab signal
      turned guide pathway effect on small glial cell for telmisartan and Tek-1.
      Results show that Tek-1 had high affinity with AT1 receptor and inhibited
      intracellular calcium ion activation which can be for the AT1 receptor
      antagonists. Meanwhile, Tek-1 can partially activate PPAR gamma compared with
      full agonists of rosiglitazone.

PMID- 28352735
TI  - The application of moist dressing in treating burn wound.
AB  - Basic experiments have demonstrated that the effect of wound healing in moist
      environments is better than that in dry environments; therefore, research on
      moist dressing is the focus of wound healing research. 42 burn patients receiving
      treatment in Jiangsu Provincial People's Hospital were selected as experimental
      cases. Wound surface is divided into treatment group and control group using a
      self-contrasted method. The treatment group received a moist dressing in the
      treatment of burn wounds and the control group adopted iodine gauze or Vaseline
      gauze coverage. Wound healing effect and the impact on the degree of pain of in
      the two different treatment methods were observed after treatment. The results of
      42 patients were included in the analysis. The average healing time of patients'
      burn wounds in treatment group is (10.9 3.3) d, and the average healing time in
      control group is (13.8 3.6) d, so, the difference is significant (P<0.01). Wound
      pain in the treatment group is significantly lower than that in the control group
      (P<0.01). Using moist dressing (Mepitel and Mepilex, etc.) in the treatment of
      burn wounds, wound-healing time can be shortened and wound pain can be reduced
      significantly.

PMID- 28352737
TI  - The role of 99mTc-MIBI SPECT-CT in reoperation therapy of persistent
      hyperparathyroidism patients.
AB  - To compare the role of 99mTc-MIBI SPECT-CT image and US in reoperation of
      persistent secondary hyperparathyroidism patients. A total of 8 persistent
      secondary hyperparathyroidism patients underwent parathyroidectomy. The
      sensitivity and accuracy of US and 99mTc-MIBI images before operation were
      determined. 9 of 14 surgical resection tissues from 8 persistent secondary
      hyperparathyroidism patients were confirmed to parathyroid hyperplasia. The
      results showed that the sensitivities were 77.8% and 100%, respectively, for US
      and 99mTc-MIBI SPECT-CT images. And the accuracies of US and 99mTc-MIBI dual time
      planar image and SPECT-CT were 50%, 78.6%, respectively. There was significantly
      difference between two procedures (P=0.021). The superior and inferior
      localization of glands were both detected by the ultrasound and scintigraphy. Two
      ectopic parathyroidism nodules were found by 99mTc-MIBI SPECT-CT imaging, while
      US provided no consistent findings. There was no significantly difference between
      two procedures (P=0.3). Although two cases of them were not confirmed by
      pathology, the iPTH of them (800 and 1429 respectively) were much higher than
      other four cases (<400) pg/ml. PTX is a safe and effective treatment for the
      patients with persistent SHPT. 99mTc-MIBI planar and SPECT-CT imaging may provide
      more helps for clinician's localization the hyperparathyroidism glands
      accurately.

PMID- 28352736
TI  - Method and effect of total knee arthroplasty osteotomy and soft tissue release
      for serious knee joint space narrowing.
AB  - To discuss the method and effect of total knee arthroplasty osteotomy and soft
      tissue release for serious knee joint space narrowing. Clinical data of 80
      patients from October 2013 to December 2014 was selected with a retrospective
      method. All patients have undergone total knee arthroplasty. Then the X-rays
      plain film in weight loading was measured before and after operation and
      osteotomy was performed accurately according to the knee joint scores and the
      conditions of lower limb alignments. The average angle of tibial plateau
      osteotomy of postoperative patients was 4.3 degrees , and the corrective angle of
      soft tissue balancing was 10.7 degrees ; the postoperative patients' indicies
      including range of joint motion, knee joint HSS score, angle between articular
      surfaces, tibial angle, femoral-tibial angle and flexion contracture were
      distinctly better than the preoperative indicies (p<0.05) and the differences
      were statistically significant; the postoperative patients' flexion contracture
      and range of joint motion were distinctly better than the preoperative indicies
      (p<0.05) and the differences were statistically significant. The effective
      release of the soft tissue of the posterior joint capsule under direct vision can
      avoid excess osteotomy and get satisfactory knee replacement space without
      influencing the patients' joint recovery.

PMID- 28352738
TI  - Study of the Correlation between the Level of CRP and Chemerin of Serum and the
      Occurrence and Development of DN.
AB  - The aim of the study was to find the correlation between CRP and chemerin in
      development of DN. We choose 90 type-2 diabetic patients between February 2010
      and February 2013, who were then divided into DN group and healthy control group.
      The results of BP showed that there is no difference in SBP and DBP of patients
      in the three groups. HDL-C of patients in diabetic group and DN group is lower
      compared with control. CRP in diabetic group and DN group is higher than that of
      patients in control group. Comparing the patients in DN group with that in
      diabeteic group, CRP was significantly higher. Chemerin level in the diabetic
      group and DN group is higher than control group. When comparing the patients in
      DN group with those in diabeteic group, serum level of chemerin was significantly
      higher. Serum level of chemerin is negatively correlated with HDL-C and
      positively correlated with FPG, HbA1c, LDL-C, BUN and Scr. Serum CRP is
      negatively correlated with HDL-C and positively correlated with FPG, HbA1c, LDL
      C, BUN and Scr. Serum level of chemerin is positively correlated with CRP
      (r=0.701, P<0.05). CRP and chemerin of the DN patients rose significantly, and
      may participate in the occurrence and development of DN.

PMID- 28352739
TI  - Quaternary ammonium salt of chitosan: preparation and antimicrobial property for
      paper.
AB  - A series of 2-hydroxypropyltrimethyl ammonium chloride chitosan (HACC) was
      prepared by the reaction of chitosan with glycidyl trimethyl ammonium chloride.
      Structure of HACC was characterized by FT IR and 1H NMR spectroscopies, and it
      was proved that substitution reaction mainly occurs on the N element.
      Antimicrobial activities of HACC was examined against S. aureus, E. coli, and A.
      niger. Results indicatd that the inhibitory effects of HACC solutions were varied
      with HACC concentration, quaternization degrees, pH values, metal ions, and heat
      treatment. The antimicrobial properties of handsheets prepared from HACC were
      studied by the inhibition zone method, and the sheets had good antimicrobial
      properties against S. aureus and E. coli, and low inhibition rate against A.
      niger.

PMID- 28352740
TI  - Research on the treatment of Pseudomonas aeruginosa pneumonia in children by
      macrolide antibiotics.
AB  - To observe a therapeutic effect of macrolide antibiotics in children with
      Pseudomonas aeruginosa pneumonia. Fifty-four cases of children with Pseudomonas
      aeruginosa pneumonia were randomly divided into an observation group (n=30) and a
      control group (n=24). The observation group was treated with macrolide
      antibiotics and cefoperazone/sulbactam. The control group was treated with
      cefoperazone/sulbactam during a course of 10-14 days. The total effective rate
      was 93.3% in the observation group, and 58.3% in the control group, and results
      in the observation group were superior to the control group notably (P>0.05).
      There were no significant differences in bacterial clearance rate, adverse
      reaction rate between two groups (P>0.05). The combined application of
      cefoperazone/sulbactam with macrolide antibiotics to treat Pseudomonas aeruginosa
      pneumonia in children would be a more effective clinical method.

PMID- 28352741
TI  - Variants of the popliteal artery terminal branches as detected by multidetector
      ct angiography.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: To evaluate variants of the popliteal artery (PA) terminal branches
      with 64-multidetector computed tomographic angiography (64-MD CTA). MATERIALS AND
      METHODS: A total of 495 extremities (251 right, 244 left) of 253 patients
      undergoing a 64-MD CTA examination were included in the study. Of these, 242
      extremities were evaluated bilaterally, whereas 11 were evaluated unilaterally.
      The terminal branching pattern of the PA was classified according to the
      classification scheme proposed by Kim; the distance between the medial tibial
      plateau and the origin of the anterior tibial artery (A) and the length of the
      tibioperoneal trunk (B) have been measured and recorded. RESULTS: In 459 cases
      (92.7%) branching of PA occurred distal to the knee joint (Type I); in 18 cases
      (2.8%) PA branching was superior to the knee joint (Type II); and hypoplasia of
      the PA branches was found in 27 cases (5.5%) (Type III). Among these types the
      most frequent branching patterns were Type IA (87.5%), Type IIIA (3.9%), and Type
      IB (3.8%). The ranges of A and B mean distances were 47.6 mm and 29.6 mm,
      respectively. CONCLUSION: Variations in popliteal artery terminal branching
      pattern occurred in 7.4% to 17.6% of patients. Pre-surgical detection of these
      variations with MD CTA may help to reduce the risk of iatrogenic arterial injury
      by enabling a better surgical treatment plan.

PMID- 28352742
TI  - An uncommon case of arterial aneurysms association with high plasma levels of
      Matrix Metalloproteinase-9 and Neutrophil Gelatinase-Associated Lipocalin.
AB  - The association of an axillary artery aneurysm and an abdominal aortic aneurysm
      is extremely rare. In this study, we describe this association in a 69 year-old
      man. We measured this patient's metalloproteinases (MMPs) and Neutrophil
      Gelatinase - Associated Lipocalin (NGAL) levels over a three years period before
      the abdominal aortic aneurysm rupture. We speculate that high serium levels of
      MMPs and NGAL may have a prognostic role and may predict aneurysm rupture in
      patients with an uncommon association of arterial aneurysms.

PMID- 28352743
TI  - An unusual evolution of a case of Klippel-Trenaunay syndrome.
AB  - Klippel-Trenaunay syndrome (KTS) is a rare congenital disorder. KTS can be
      diagnosed on the basis of any 2 of 3 features: cutaneous capillary malformations,
      soft tissue or bony hypertrophy and varicose veins. We present an unusual case of
      KTS complicated by an infection of venous ulcers of the lower limb by larvae. The
      treatment of infection was a complete debridement; however baseline treatment of
      KTS is still in evaluation.

PMID- 28352744
TI  - Epithelioid hemangioma of brachial artery: report of a case and review of the
      literature.
AB  - Epithelioid hemangioma (EH) is an uncommon benign vascular lesion, also known as
      angioblastic lymphoid (or angiolymphoid) hyperplasia with eosinophilia,
      characterized by an unclear etiopathogenesis. It usually affects young to middle
      aged adults and develops in the head and neck region, as painless cutaneous or
      subcutaneous reddish papules or nodules. Large vessels involvement is extremely
      rare, and to date only two cases affecting the brachial artery have been cited in
      literature. In this report we present a further case of EH of the brachial artery
      and review the pertinent literature.

PMID- 28352745
TI  - Our experience of liver Epithelioid Hemangioendothelioma: from a misdiagnosis to
      liver transplantation with long term follow-up.
AB  - Malignant Hepatic Epithelioid hemangioendothelioma (HEHE) is an uncommon vascular
      tumor of intermediate malignant potential. HEHE is a rare tumor and it is
      difficult to diagnose for surgeons, hepatologists, radiologists and pathologists.
      So, misdiagnosis with a delay of the treatment is not uncommon. We describe a
      case of a young woman with a diagnosis of HEHE made 6 years after the first
      evidence of liver mass with a very long term follow-up after surgical treatment.
      She had two diagnoses of Hepatocellurar carcinoma (HCC) and a diagnosis of
      Cholangiocarcinoma after three different fine needle biopsies. After clinical
      observation, a new laparoscopic core biopsy was performed. In a first time
      approach, considering clinical and radiological patterns, a diagnosis of Budd
      Chiari Syndrome was finally made. For that the patient underwent an
      orthotopicliver transplantation (OLTx). The surgical sample histological analysis
      allowed a definitive diagnosis of HEHE. At last, at follow up 7 years after three
      OLTx the patient is still alive and in good health with no evidence of
      recurrence.

PMID- 28352746
TI  - A case of Multiple Unilateral Pulmonary arteriovenous Malformation Relapse:
      Efficacy of embolization treatment.
AB  - Pulmonary arteriovenous Malformations (PAVMs) are a rare vascular alteration
      characterized by abnormal communications between the pulmonary arteries and veins
      resulting in an extracardiac right-to-left (R-L) shunt. The majority of PAVMs are
      associated with an autosomal dominant vascular disorder also known as Osler-Weber
      Rendu Syndrome. PAVMs appearance can be both single and multiple. Clinical
      manifestations include hypoxemia, dyspnea cyanosis, hemoptysis and
      cerebrovascular ischemic events or abscesses. We report a case of an 18 year old
      female with severe respiratory failure caused by a relapse of multiple unilateral
      pulmonary arterovenous fistula. Symptoms at admission include dyspnea, cyanosis
      and clubbing. The patient underwent pulmonary angio-TC scan, brain CT and
      echocardiography. The thoracic angio-CT scan showed the presence of PAVMs of RUL
      and RLL; a marked increase of right bronchial artery caliber and its branches
      with an aneurismatic dilatation was also observed. The patient underwent
      percutaneous transcatheter embolization using Amplatzer Vascular Plug IV; a
      relevant clinical and functional improvement was subsequently recorded.
      Embolization is effective in the treatment of relapsing PAVMS.

PMID- 28352747
TI  - Venous aneurysm complicating arteriovenous fistula access and matrix
      metalloproteinases.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: An arteriovenous fistula (AVF) for placed for hemodialysis may be
      burdened by one particular complication-the formation of a venous aneurysm. It
      has been shown that matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) and neutrophil gelatinase
      associated lipocalin (NGAL) could represent markers of disease in both venous and
      arterial vessels. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This case study reports a rare case of
      enormous venous aneurysm-correlated MMP and NGAL levels in a woman with an AVF.
      RESULTS: Significantly higher levels of plasma MMP-1, MMP-8, MMP-9, and NGAL were
      detected in this patient during aneurysmal evaluation before the surgery; these
      levels significantly decreased 1, 3 and 6 months after surgery. CONCLUSION: MMP
      and NGAL levels could represent a marker of aneurysmal disease, and their plasma
      evaluation could help physicians to stratify the risk of complications in
      patients with an AVF.

PMID- 28352748
TI  - Cavernous hemangioma of rhinopharynx: our experience and review of literature.
AB  - Hemangiomas are benign tumors originating in the vascular tissues of skin,
      mucosa, muscles, glands, and bones. Although these tumors are common lesions of
      the head and neck, they rarely occur in the nasal cavity and paranasal sinuses.
      Cavernous haemangioma of the lateral wall of the nasopharynx has not previously
      been reported. We examined the clinical, radiological and therapeutic management
      of cavernous haemangioma of nasopharynx starting from a clinical case of a 26
      year-old woman with a history of recurrent and conspicuous epistaxis and left
      sided nasal associated severe obstruction. Nasopharynx examination, by flexible
      endoscopy, showed a cystic mass borne by the left side wall of the nasopharynx,
      in contact with the soft palate, covered by intact and regular mucosa. Contrast
      enhanced computed tomography (CT) scan, confirmed these findings and showed
      contextual lamellar calcifications and inhomogeneous enhancement. The nasal
      endoscopic approach (FESS), under general anesthesia, allowed removal of the
      mass, without complications, after careful hemostasis of arterial branches. It
      was possible to establish the precise site of origin of the tumor only during the
      surgical procedure. Histopathological study showed mucosa with extensive vascular
      proliferation, with framework of lacunar/cavernous haemangioma, also present at
      lamellar bone tissue level. An unusual site and an unspecific clinical appearance
      can make diagnosis and treatment of a cavernous hemangioma of the nasopharynx
      difficult. The nasal endoscopic technique proved to be reliable in terms of
      adequate exposure and visualization of the lesion, control of bleeding, and
      complete removal of the mass.

PMID- 28352749
TI  - Hemangiomas of the maxillofacial area: Case Report, Classification and Treatment
      Planning.
AB  - Vascular lesions of the maxillofacial area are even more challenging than in
      other different body district, because of the high aesthetic and functional
      relevance of this area for the sense organs presence like eye, brain, tongue, ear
      and nose. For these reasons, we propose an accurate classification based on
      hemodynamic and histologic aspects usefulthat is for diagnostic and therapeutic
      planning. A female, 60 years old patient came to our observation showing a
      vascular lesion of the lower left lip, and complaining for aesthetical and
      functional impairment. To confirm the diagnosis of vascular malformation and to
      detect lesion flow rate or other possible localization, a Tc red blood cell
      scintigraphy was carried out. Result was a venous low flow lesion; hence,
      sclerotherapy by a 3% Polidocanol solution (Atossisclerol) followed by surgery
      was planned. The aim of this work was to propose a diagnostic and therapeutic
      scheme with an integration of ISSVA and a flow rate classifications for a three
      step planning based on 1) the biological findings in an early age at the lesion
      discover with a pharmacological treatment; 2) Hemodynamic study of the lesions at
      growing age followed by sclerotherapy or embolization; 3) Imaging study of these
      lesions for patients candidate to surgery when after step 1 and step 2 diagnostic
      and therapeutic planning results were incompletely successful.

PMID- 28352750
TI  - Abnormal right hepatic artery injury resulting in right hepatic atrophy:
      diagnosed by laparoscopic cholecystectomy.
AB  - An intact hepatic artery is the gateway to successful hepato-biliary surgery.
      Introduction of laproscopic cholecystectomy (LC) has stimulated a renewed
      interest in the anatomy of hepatic artery. In this case report we have
      highlighted importance of variations of right hepatic artery in terms of origin
      and course We present a rare asymptomatic case of liver atrophy due to an
      intraoperative lesion of right hepatic artery. We also performed a literature
      review about surgical vascular lesions and tried to confirm the right concept
      behind "non trivial procedure" of the LC.

PMID- 28352751
TI  - Tailored treatment of intestinal angiodysplasia in elderly.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Angiodysplasia of the gastrointestinal tract is an uncommon, but not
      rare, cause of bleeding and severe anemia in elderly. Different treatments exist
      for this kind of pathology. METHODS: The aim of this work was to study 40
      patients treated for intestinal angiodysplasia with two different kind of
      endoscopic treatments: argon plasma coagulation (APC) and bipolar
      electrocoagulation (BEC). RESULTS: Age of patients was similar in both groups
      (76,2 +/- 10.8 years vs 74,8 +/- 8,7 years, P = 0,005). Angiodysplasia treated
      were located in small bowel, right colon, left colon, transverse colon and cecum.
      We analysed number of treatment, recurrence, hospital discharge, needs of blood
      transfusions before and after endoscopic treatment. Number of treatment was the
      same in both groups (1,2 +/- 0,2 vs 1,1 +/- 0,1, P < 0,001). We had more
      recurrence in patients treated with BEC (4/20 vs 2/20, P < 0,001). Hospital
      discharge was comparable in both groups (5,3 +/- 3,1 days vs 5,4 +/- 2,8 years, P
      < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: Treatment of angiodysplasia in elderly is not easy.
      Different kinds of treatment could be adopted. APC and BEC are both safe and
      effective. The choice of a treatment should consider several factors: age,
      comorbidity, source of bleeding. In conclusion we think that treatment of
      bleeding for angiodysplasia in elder population should be a tailored treatment.

PMID- 28352752
TI  - Bowel Angiodysplasia and Myocardial Infarction secondary to an ischaemic
      imbalance: a case report.
AB  - Angiodysplasia, defined as a vascular ectasia or arteriovenous malformation, is
      the most frequent cause of occult bleeding in patients older than 60 years and a
      significant association with several cardiac condition is described. Patients
      with anemia and negative findings on upper endoscopy and colonoscopy should be
      referred for further investigation of the small bowel. The investigation of
      choice, when available, is wireless capsule endoscopy. Several therapeutic
      options are available in this cases, as we reviewed in this report. We report a
      case of 78-year old man admitted to our Intensive Coronary Unit for dyspnea and
      chest pain. A diagnosis of non-ST-segment elevation acute coronary syndrome was
      made and a concomintant, significant anemia was found (hemoglobin 8.2 g/dl). No
      cororary disease was found by an angiography though the past medical history
      revealed systemic hypertension, chronic kidney disease (KDOQY stage III), and
      diabetes mellitus type II on insuline therapy. A Wireless Video capsule
      examination was positive for jejunum angiodysplasia and an argon plasma
      coagulation was chosen as terapeutic option. No subsequent supportive therapy and
      interventions were required in subsequent one year of follow-up.

PMID- 28352754
TI  - Retinal tear: an unusual complication of ocular toxoplasmosis.
AB  - PURPOSE: It is aimed to report on a 16-year-old patient with acquired ocular
      toxoplasmosis complicated by a retinal tear. METHODS: Retrospective medical chart
      review. RESULTS: A 16-year-old Caucasian female presented with vision loss in her
      right eye. In addition to a white active lesion between the fovea and the optic
      nerve head, marked vitreous opacification was noted. She was diagnosed with
      ocular toxoplasmosis. The patient was treated with oral azithromycin,
      clindamycin, and trimethoprimsulfamethoxazole. One month later, retinochoroiditis
      resolved and vitreous cleared. Three months after onset, patient presented with
      floaters in the right eye and a retinal tear was located at the temporal region
      of the retina. Prophylactic argon laser treatment that encircled the retinal tear
      was performed. No other abnormalities were noted during 6 months of follow-up.
      CONCLUSIONS: Retinal tear associated with ocular toxoplasmosis is rare; however,
      a retinal tear can occur due to vitreoretinal traction following post
      inflammatory structural alteration of the vitreous. Retinal tears may be seen
      during the healing phase, when the inflammation turns into tightening of vitreous
      substance. Careful retinal examination in cases of ocular toxoplasmosis is
      warranted, especially in patients with severe vitreous inflammation.

PMID- 28352753
TI  - Pulmonary arterovenous malformation causing hemothorax in a pregnant woman
      without Osler-Weber-Rendu syndrome.
AB  - : Pulmonary arteriovenous malformations (PAVMs), although most commonly
      congenital, are usually detected later in life. CASE REPORT: We present a case of
      a 19-year-old woman with no previous history of AVM or telangiectasia, who
      presented dyspnea and hypoxia by massive left hemothorax in the 34th week of
      gestation. After emergent cesarean delivery, a chest computed tomography (CT)
      with i.v. contrast showed a likely 3 cm area of active contrast in left lower
      lung. Chest tube placement revealed about 2 liters of blood. The patient was
      subsequently found to have pulmonary AVM. A successful embolisation of AVM
      followed by lung atipic resection involving AVM and decortication for lung re
      expansion were the treatments provided. CONCLUSIONS: Women with known pulmonary
      AVM should be maximally treated prior to becoming pregnant, and the physician
      should be alert to complications of pulmonary AVM during pregnancy.

PMID- 28352755
TI  - Endoscopic ultrasound in the diagnosis of mediastinal diseases.
AB  - EUS is a useful tool for diagnosis of mediastinal diseases. EUS-FNA plays an
      important role in staging of lung cancer and in tissue acquisition in patients
      with mediastinal masses. In this review, the following issues will be addressed:
      EUS-FNA and EBUS-TBNA, metastatic mediastinal lymph nodes diagnosed by EUS, EUS
      in assessment of mediastinal lymph node status for staging of lung cancer,
      mediastinal lymphoma diagnosed by EUS, sarcoidosis and tuberculosis diagnosed by
      EUS.

PMID- 28352756
TI  - Canine transmigration accompanying mandibular retrognathism secondary to
      osteitis.
AB  - : Transmigration is a tooth pathology in which the migrating tooth bud passes the
      median plane. METHODS: This study is a presentation of the diagnostic and
      therapeutic outcomes in the cases of 4 stomach teeth transmigrations diagnosed in
      3 patients with mandibular retrognathia which was a complication after osteitis
      in the postnatal period and infancy. RESULTS: Extending imaging diagnostics to
      include CT, most preferably CBCT, makes it possible to precisely evaluate a
      transmigrated canine's position and to plan a course of treatment. CONCLUSIONS:
      Planning of the treatment of teeth in transmigration in patients with
      temporomandibular ankylosis should be done by a team consisting of an
      orthodontist and a surgeon.

PMID- 28352757
TI  - The possible molecular regulation mechanism of CIK cells inhibiting the
      proliferation of Human Lung Adenocarcinoma NCL-H157 Cells.
AB  - Cytokine-induced killer (CIK) cells were isolated and proliferation from human
      peripheral blood and cultured in appropriate growth medium. The biological
      characteristics of CIK cells were further determined by the characterization of
      surface markers by flow cytometry. CIK cells inhibited the proliferation of human
      lung adenocarcinoma NCL-H157 cells. Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF)
      expression was down-regulated in CIK cells co-cultured with NCL-H157 cells by
      western blotting analysis. Furthermore, in comparison with cells untreated by
      CIK, the NCL-H157 had a lower proliferation capacity. We proposed that the
      pharmacological mechanisms of NCL-H157 promoted by CIK can be estimated possibly
      with different biological significance that can be ascribed to down-regulated
      VEGF expression in vitro. The results suggest that the VEGF pathway guides
      developmental inhibiting of NCL-H157, and we speculate that the function of VEGF
      pathways is to guide NCL-H157 to inhibition by abundant CIK.

PMID- 28352758
TI  - Urethral stone of unexpected size: case report and short literature review.
AB  - Urolithiasis is a well-known disease. Stones can form in all parts of the urinary
      tract. Diagnosis and treatment usually do not create clinical problems. However
      from time to time in daily practice doctors are confronted with casuistic cases.
      Here, we report a 54-year-old man with a large stone localized to the urethra.
      Because of the size of the stone, confirmed on radiography, and the presence of a
      cutaneous fistula, open surgery was performed. Due to urethral stricture, the
      patient required a second stage of reconstructive surgery. This case emphasizes
      that unusual presentation of urolithiasis may occur, and different surgical
      approaches as well as other surgical manipulations in such cases must be
      considered.

PMID- 28352759
TI  - Complete remission through icotinib treatment in Non-small cell lung cancer
      epidermal growth factor receptor mutation patient with brain metastasis: A case
      report.
AB  - Brain metastasis (BM) has been universally recognized as a poor prognostic factor
      in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR)
      tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) have shown efficacy in treating BM with an EGFR
      mutation. This paper reports a case of BM patient with EGFR-mutated NSCLC.
      According to the findings, a complete remission (CR) of the BM was achieved by
      icotinib treatment without conducting a radiotherapy, which was followed by a
      resection of the primary lung cancer lesion and lymph nodes. After one-year
      follow-up, the disease progressed to liver metastasis and liver lesion biopsy
      showed a T790M mutation. The patient responded well to the combination treatment
      of AZD9291 and icotinib after the failure of transcatheter arterial
      chemoembolization (TACE). This case report suggests that icotinib has a
      sustainable anticancer response to BM and the combination with icotinib and
      AZD9291 is effective for liver metastasis with T790M.

PMID- 28352760
TI  - FPL tendon thickness, tremor and hand functions in Parkinson's disease.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: In Parkinson's disease (PD), a resting tremor of the thumb may
      affect the flexor pollicis longus (FPL) and influence hand functions. We
      investigated the relationship between FPL tendon thickness and hand function in
      PD patients and compared these characteristics with those in healthy controls.
      METHODS: The hand grip and pinch strengths were measured. The participants
      completed the Duruoz hand index, the Sollerman's hand function test, and the Nine
      Hole Peg Test. The thickness of the FPL tendon was measured using
      ultrasonography. RESULTS: The FPL tendon was thicker in PD patients but was not
      associated with tremor severity. In PD patients, despite functional performance
      of the hands are impaired and grip strength is decreased, pinch strengths are
      preserved. FPL thickness was not correlated with grip and pinch strengths.
      CONCLUSION: The thicker FPL tendon may be associated with greater pinch and grip
      strengths and manual dexterity in healthy individuals. The presence of tremor is
      associated with a thicker FPL tendon.

PMID- 28352761
TI  - Diagnostic value of circulating tumor cells in cerebrospinal fluid.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: To assess circulating tumor cells in cerebrospinal fluid as a
      diagnostic approach to identify meningeal metastasis in patients with non-small
      cell lung cancer by using tumor marker immunostaining-fluorescence in situ
      hybridization (TM-iFISH). METHODS: In 5 non-small cell lung cancer patients who
      were confirmed to have developed meningeal metastasis by cerebrospinal fluid
      cytology, 20 ml of cerebrospinal fluid was obtained through lumbar puncture, from
      which 7.5 ml was utilized for TM-iFISH to identify and quantitate circulating
      tumor cells, 10ml for cerebrospinal fluid cytology, and 2.5ml for detection of
      cerebrospinal fluid tumor markers. RESULTS: TM-iFISH examination identified 18 to
      1,823 circulating tumor cells per 7.5ml cerebrospinal fluid. In contrast,
      cytology assessment revealed tumor cells in only 2 cases. The expression levels
      of cerebrospinal fluid tumor markers were all increased in all 5 patients when
      compared with their respective serum levels. Contrast-enhanced MRI scans
      demonstrated presence of meningeal metastasis in all 5 cases. CONCLUSION: TM
      iFISH may become a novel cerebrospinal fluid-based diagnostic strategy to
      identify circulating tumor cells and meningeal metastasis as compared to
      traditional diagnostic approaches, although its superior sensitivity and
      specificity needs to be confirmed through additional studies with a larger sample
      size.

PMID- 28352762
TI  - A meta-analysis of neuroprotective effect for traditional Chinese medicine (TCM)
      in the treatment of glaucoma.
AB  - BACKGROUND: The aim of this study was to evaluate the neuroprotective effect of
      surgery combined with traditional Chinese medicine(TCM)in the treatment of
      glaucoma by meta-analysis based on clinical controlled trial. METHODS: All the
      prospective randomized controlled trialsof surgery combined with TCM in the
      treatment of glaucoma were searched in the databases of Medline (1960-2015.1),
      CENTRAL (the Cochrane central register of controlled trials 1989-2015.1, EMBASE
      (1980~2015.1) and CNKI (1979-2015.1). Two reviewers independently assessed the
      quality of the included studies, extracted the relevant data and performed a
      cross-check. The pooled relative risk (RR) or standard mean difference (SMD) of
      surgery combined with TCM versus western medicine or surgery alone were
      calculated as the effect size by meta-analysis method. All the data was analyzed
      by stata11.0 software (http://www.stata.com; Stata Corporation, College Station,
      TX). RESULTS: Finally, eleven clinical controlledtrails with 843 subjects were
      included in this meta-analysis. The pooled results indicated that the surgery
      combined with TCM treatment procedure can significant improve the vision recovery
      rate compared to control group (RR=1.22, 95% CI:1.06~1.40, P=0.005); And after
      treatment, the visual field in combined group was significantly improved compared
      to control group (SMD=0.26~95% CI:0.09~0.43, P=0.003). CONCLUSION: Surgery
      combined with TCM can improve the vision recovery rate and the visual fieldin the
      treatment of glaucoma compared to surgery or western medicine alone.

PMID- 28352763
TI  - MiR-218 increases sensitivity to cisplatin in esophageal cancer cells via
      targeting survivin expression.
AB  - OBJECTIVES: Increasing evidence showed that microRNAs (miRNAs) were implicated in
      the chemical resistance of human cancers. We intended to investigate the role of
      miR-218 in cisplatin sensitivity of esophageal cancer cells. METHODS:
      Quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) was carried out to
      analyze miR-218 expression in human esophageal cancer cell line Eca9706 and a
      cisplatin-resistant subline (ECa9706-CisR cells). The effects of miR-218
      transfection on ECa9706 and ECa9706-CisR cell viability, including cell viability
      and apoptosis rate were confirmed using MTT assay, or flow cytometry,
      respectively. qRT-PCR was used to validate survivin as a direct target gene of
      miR-218 in our system. RESULTS: We found that miR-218 was significantly decreased
      in ECa9706-CisR cells compared with parent Eca9706 cells. Overexpression of miR
      218 by mimics transfection would enhance cisplatin sensitivity evaluated by cell
      viability inhibition and apoptosis promotion. We validated here survivin as a
      direct target of miR-218 in ECa9706 cells, which might contribute to the
      chemoresistance of esophageal cancer cells to cisplatin. CONCLUSIONS: In summary,
      our data suggest that miR-218 might represent as a promising sensitizer of
      cisplatin therapy in clinical esophageal cancer patients.

PMID- 28352764
TI  - Association of HOTAIR expression with PI3K/Akt pathway activation in
      adenocarcinoma of esophagogastric junction.
AB  - OBJECTIVES: Although the Hox transcript antisense intergenic RNA (HOTAIR), a
      vital long non-coding RNA, is known to participate in the development and
      progression of a wide range of carcinomas, there are still no published reports
      regarding its expression in adenocarcinoma of esophagogastric junction (AEJ). The
      aims of this study were to investigate the expression of HOTAIR, and to analyze
      the association of its expression with PI3K/Akt pathway activation in clinical
      AEJ patients. METHODS: Nine normal epithelial tissues and 41 samples of AEJ were
      studied comparably. The expression of HOTAIR was detected by real-time PCR
      according to the different tumor grades in these AEJ tissues. Western blot was
      performed to reveal the Ser473-phosphorylated Akt and total Akt levels. Results:
      HOTAIR was found to be up-regulated in higher grades of AEJ tissues compared to
      low grades and/or noncancerous tissues. pAkt expression was also found to be up
      regulated in tissues of higher tumor stages. We found that the overexpression of
      HOTAIR finely correlated with elevated Ser473-phosphorylated Akt levels.
      Conclusion: Upregulated HOTAIR was associated with abnormal activated PI3K/Akt
      pathway, which might serve as a promising therapeutic strategy for AEJ treatment.

PMID- 28352765
TI  - The role of interleukin genes in the course of depression.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Research studies conducted in recent years have confirmed that in the
      absence of medical illnesses, depressive disorders are associated with
      upregulation of many inflammatory cytokines such as tumor necrosis factor-aplha
      (TNF-alpha), interleukin-1 and 6 (IL-1,IL-6). The main objective of the study was
      to examine whether recurrent depressive disorders (rDD) are accompanied by more
      profound inflammatory disturbances than the first episode of depression (ED-I).
      The analysis included the expression of mRNA and protein levels of three
      interleukins namely. IL-1, IL-6 and IL-10. METHODS: The study was carried out in
      a cohort of 130 patients: ED-I group - 44 patients, rDD group - 86 patients
      respectively. RESULTS: Our results suggest that there was no significant
      statistical difference between the analyzed groups as regards the intensity of
      the depressive disorders. Furthermore, No differences in the expression of IL-1,
      IL-6 and IL-10 genes on the level of both mRNA and protein were observed among
      the groups. Additionally, there was no significant interrelation been documented
      between the number of depression episodes experienced v/s the expression of
      selected genes. CONCLUSIONS: There is no significant difference in IL-1, IL-6 and
      IL-10 expression between patients with recurrent depressive disorders and those
      suffering from the first episode of depression. 2. There seems to be no
      difference in acute first episode depression vs. acute episode of depression in
      patients with a recurrent disorder. Further larger trials are needed.

PMID- 28352766
TI  - A rare case of primary pulmonary diffuse large B cell lymphoma with CD5 positive
      expression.
AB  - Primary pulmonary diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (PPDLBCL) is extremely rare. Its
      clinical symptoms and signs are nonspe cific, and imaging features also have not
      yet been well-defined. Further description is important for the diagnosis and
      treatment of PPDLBCL. Herein, we reported a case of a patient who suffered from
      bilateral chest pain and dyspnea. Computed tomography (CT) of chest demonstrated
      bilateral lung mass, consolidations and reverse halo sign, while consolidations
      and reverse halo sign are uncommon according to previous reports. Tissue samples
      were taken by CT guided needle biopsy. The histological samples showed PPDLBCL.
      This case was special in view of positive expression of CD5. After the case was
      treated by cyclophosphamide pirarubicin vindesine dexamethasone (CHOP)
      chemotherapy for six courses, her clinical symptoms were partially alleviated,
      while CT showed progression disease. This case report highlights different
      imaging features and characteristics of molecular biology, and reviews study
      progress of PPDLBCL.

PMID- 28352767
TI  - DWI and SPARCC scoring assess curative effect of early ankylosing spondylitis.
AB  - BACKGROUND: To investigate the magnetic diffusion weighted imaging (DWI) sequence
      and Spondyloarthritis Research Consortium of Canada (SPARCC) scoring in assessing
      curative effect of combined treatment of Chinese and Western medicine for early
      ankylosing spondylitis (AS). METHODS: 48 cases diagnosed as early AS and treated
      with Chinese and Western medicine were included in the study. Magnetic routine
      and DWI sequence scanning image were performed to obtain the mean apparent
      diffusion coefficient (ADC) value of sub-articular surface bone marrow. Combined
      with SPARCC scoring, statistical analysis was conducted to compare the difference
      with the information obtained in the previous study. RESULTS: The mean ADC value
      in the sub-articular surface bone marrow of patients after clinical treatment:
      (4.34+/-0.55)*10-4mm2/s in ilium and (3.96+/-0.23)*10-4mm2/s in sacrum, which
      were both significantly lower than that before treatment (p< 0.05). There was
      highly positive correlation between mean ADC value and SPARCC scoring (P<0.05).
      The regression relationship could be demonstrated as Y=-64.420+21.262X(Y: SPARCC
      scoring value; X: mean ADC value). CONCLUSIONS: Magnetic DWI and SPARCC scoring
      could be applied in accessing AS inflammation activity changes and in reflect of
      curative effect of early AS patients as well as in providing reliable radiologist
      evidence for clinical therapeutic efficacy.

PMID- 28352768
TI  - The diagnostic value of serum CEA, NSE and MMP-9 for on-small cell lung cancer.
AB  - Non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) is the leading cause of cancer related deaths
      worldwide. But no one type of serum biomarker was found to be highly sensitive
      and specific for detection of lung cancer at present. So, the aim of this study
      was to evaluate a diagnostic value of serum carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA),
      neuron specific enolase (NSE) and matrix metallo-proteinase (MMP-9) for non-small
      cell lung cancer. Thirty-six cases with pathology confirmed non-small cell lung
      cancer and thirty-two of subjects with benign lung disease were reviewed in our
      hospital and included in this retrospective study. The serum level of CEA, NSE
      and MMP-9 were tested and compared between the non-small cell lung cancer
      patients and benign lung disease. The diagnosis sensitivity, specificity and area
      under the receiver-operating characteristic (ROC) curve (AUC) for serum CEA, NSE
      and MMP-9 were calculated with STATA10.0 software. The serum CEA, NSE and MMP-9
      were 32.0+/-16.7 ng/mL, 51.6+/-68.3 ng/mL, 30.6 +/-15.7 MUg/L for the NSCLC
      patients and 15.1+/-10.9 ng/mL, 4.9+/-3.1 ng/mL, 9.3+/-5.9 MUg/L for the benign
      lung disease patients with statistical difference (Pall<0.05); The diagnosis
      sensitivity, specificity and AUC were 80.0%, 72.2%, 0.84 for the serum CEA;
      71.0%, 83.3% and 0.80 for NSE and 87.1%, 80.56%, 0.89 for MMP-9, respectively.
      The serum CEA, NSE and MMP-9 were generally elevated in patients with non-small
      cell lung cancer and could be used as potential bio-markers for non-small cell
      lung cancer diagnosis.

PMID- 28352769
TI  - Dysphonia - the single symptom of rifampicin resistant laryngeal tuberculosis.
AB  - : Tuberculosis is still the most frequent granulomatous laryngeal disease.
      Absence of pathognomonic symptoms and change in clinical pattern frequently leads
      to misdiagnosis and delayed treatment. Hoarseness is the commonest symptom of
      laryngeal tuberculosis and constitutional symptoms are usually rare. However
      dysphonia can be caused by many other more common conditions. Hoarseness can be a
      symptom of organic (nodules and polyps of vocal folds, tumors, vocal fold
      paresis) or functional (functional dysphonia, laryngeal conversion disorder,
      paradoxical vocal folds motion) conditions. Rarely systemic diseases as
      amyloidosis, sarcoidosis, Wegener's granulomatosis or tuberculosis can cause
      vocal dysfunction too. That is why laryngeal tuberculosis is often forgotten in
      case of persistent hoarseness. In this article, we present a case of a young
      previously healthy woman, complaining of persistent hoarseness with no other
      leading symptoms. Though endoscopic image suggested a malignancy, histology
      showed granulomatous lesion. Detailed examination revealed laryngeal and
      pulmonary tuberculosis resistant to rifampicin. CONCLUSION: Dysphonia can be the
      only one symptom of laryngeal tuberculosis. The disease should be taken into
      consideration when a patient complains of persistent hoarseness in order to avoid
      delays in treatment and spread of infection.

PMID- 28352770
TI  - Development of epidermal growth factor receptor tyrosine kinase inhibitors
      against EGFR T790M. Mutation in non small-cell lung carcinoma.
AB  - Individualized therapies targeting epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR)
      mutations show promises for the treatment of non small-cell lung carcinoma
      (NSCLC). However, disease progression almost invariably occurs 1 year after
      tyrosine kinase inhibitor (TKI) treatment. The most prominent mechanism of
      acquired resistance involves the secondary EGFR mutation, namely EGFR T790M,
      which accounts for 50%-60% of resistant tumors. A large amount of studies have
      focused on the development of effective strategies to treat TKI-resistant EGFR
      T790M mutation in lung tumors. Novel generations of EGFR inhibitors are producing
      encouraging results in patients with acquired resistance against EGFR T790M
      mutation. This review will summarize the novel inhibitors, which might overcome
      resistance against EGFR T790M mutation.

PMID- 28352771
TI  - Negative regulation of CDC42 expression and cell cycle progression by miR-29a in
      breast cancer.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: The inhibitory role of microRNA-29a (miR-29a) has been assessed in
      breast cancer cells. Herein, we analyze the underlying mechanisms of its role in
      cell cycle progression in breast cancer cells. METHODS: We applied real-time
      polymerase chain reaction (PCR) to detect the expression of miR-29 in breast
      cancer cell lines. Then one of the cell lines, MDA-MB-453, was transfected with
      mimics of miR-29a. The cell cycle was analyzed by fluorescence-activated cell
      sorting after staining the cells with propidium iodide. Real-time PCR, luciferase
      assay and western blot were used together to verify the regulation of the
      predicted target, cell division cycle 42 (CDC42) by miR-29a. RESULTS: MiR-29s
      were decreased in our selected mammary cell lines, among which miR-29a was the
      dominant isoform. Overexpression of miR-29a caused cell cycle arrest at the G0/G1
      phase. We further found that miR-29a could target the expression of CDC42, which
      is a small GTPase associated with cell cycle progression. CONCLUSION: We suggest
      that miR-29a exerts its tumor suppressor role in breast cancer cells partially by
      arresting the cell cycle through negative regulation of CDC42.

PMID- 28352772
TI  - Expression analysis of the TGF-beta/SMAD target genes in adenocarcinoma of
      esophagogastric junction.
AB  - The TGF-beta/SMAD signaling pathway is found to play pivotal roles in cell
      growth, differentiation and tumorigenesis. Its target genes are closely related
      to the biological behaviors of some malignancies. The aim of this study was to
      analyze the expression of the target genes of this pathway, including growth
      related c-myc, p21, p15, and metastasis-related Snail, ZEB1 and Twist1 in the
      adenocarcinomas of esophagogastric junction (AEJ) tissues. Clinical
      esophagogastric junction tissues from 25 cases of AEJ patients and 10 cases of
      non-tumorous tissues from the same site were collected. Quantitative real-time
      poly chain reactions were carried out to analyze the expression of the above
      referred target genes of TGF-beta/SMAD pathway. A notable up-regulation in the
      mRNA expression of p15, Snail, ZEB1, down-regulation of c-myc, was found whereas
      there were no significant change of p21 and Twist1. The findings suggests that
      the TGF-beta/SMAD pathway might be abnormally activated in AEJ since most of the
      target genes of this pathway exhibited altered expression at mRNA level.

PMID- 28352773
TI  - Blood cells in thyroid cancer patients: a possible influence of apoptosis.
AB  - The side effects of radioactive iodine (131-I) treatment of differentiated
      thyroid cancer (DTC) patients include reduction of peripheral blood cell counts.
      The aim of this study was to analyze some potential changes in blood cell counts
      of DTC patients after 131-I therapy, especially CD3-positive, CD19-positive, and
      CD56-positive peripheral blood lymphocytes (PBL), as well as the possible role of
      apoptosis in selected lymphocyte populations. The study group included 24 thyroid
      cancer patients and 24 control subjects. Peripheral blood samples from patients
      and controls were analyzed using 5-color flow cytometry. Apoptotic cells were
      detected using an Annexin V-FITC/7-AAD kit. There was a statistically significant
      decrease of all blood cells after the 131-I therapy. The CD19+ B lymphocyte
      population was the most affected (5.82 +/- 3.21% before therapy vs. 3.93 +/-
      2.60% after therapy, p = 0.008). This decrease was correlated with the degree of
      apoptosis of peripheral blood lymphocytes (Spearman's r = 0.563, p =0.013). We
      concluded that 131-I therapy of DTC patients led to a decrease of all peripheral
      blood cells, especially CD19+ B lymphocytes. This directly correlated with
      apoptosis of PBLs, indicating that radiation damage to B cells leads to
      subsequent elimination by apoptosis.

PMID- 28352774
TI  - Detected EGFR mutation in cerebrospinal fluid of lung adenocarcinoma patients
      with meningeal metastasis.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: To discuss the application of ARMS method to detect EGFR gene mutation
      in cerebrospinal fluid of lung adenocarcinoma patients with meningeal metastasis.
      METHODS: 5 cases of lung adenocarcinoma were identified with meningeal metastasis
      that were cleared EGFR gene mutation by gene sequencing method. From each patient
      5ml cerebrospinal fluid was obtained by lumbar puncture. ARMS method was used to
      detect EGFR mutations in cerebrospinal fluid. RESULTS: 5 samples of cerebrospinal
      fluid were successfully detected by ARMS method, 3 samples found that EGFR gene
      mutations, the mutations in line with direct sequencing method. CONCLUSION: ARMS
      method can be used to detect EGFR gene mutations of cerebrospinal fluid samples
      in lung adenocarcinoma with meningeal metastasis. But cerebrospinal fluid
      specimens from histological specimens, blood samples need to be confirmed by
      further comparative study whether there is advantage.

PMID- 28352776
TI  - GSTP1 A>G polymorphism and chemosensitivity of osteosarcoma: A meta-analysis.
AB  - The association between GSTP1 A>G polymorphism and chemosensitivity of
      osteosarcoma is controversial according to previously published studies. We
      conducted this meta-analysis to further investigate the role of GSTP1 A>G genetic
      variation in response to chemotherapy resistance in patients with osteosarcoma.
      Using the electronic databases of Pubmed, Wanfang and CNIK were searched to find
      the studies related to the GSTP1 A>G polymorphism and chemosensitivity of
      osteosarcoma. The genotype of AA, AG and GG were extracted from the chemotherapy
      sensitivity and chemotherapy resistance group. The association between GSTP1 A>G
      polymorphism and chemosensitivity was calculated by STATA11.0 software. The
      correlation between GSTP1 A>G polymorphism and chemotherapy response was assessed
      by odds ratio (OR) and its 95% confidence interval (95%CI). Four studies with 681
      cases were finally included in this meta-analysis. The pooled data indicated that
      there was no significant association between GSTP1 A>G polymorphism and
      chemosensitivity in patients with osteosarcoma [Homozygous genetic model (GG vs
      AA): OR=0.53, 95%CI: 0.25-1.12, P=0.10; recessive genetic model (GG vs GA+AA):
      OR=0.61, 95%CI:0.34-1.11,P=0.11; and dominant genetic model (GG+AG vs AA):
      OR=0.67, 95%CI:0.42-1.07,P=0.10]. No correlation between GSTP1 A>G polymorphism
      and chemosensitivity was found according to this present meta-analysis. However,
      the small number of cases in each included study and significant statistical
      heterogeneity among the trials means the conclusion should be regarded as
      conservative.

PMID- 28352775
TI  - Pathogenesis-oriented approaches for the management of corticosteroid-resistant
      or relapsedprimary immune thrombocytopenia.
AB  - Primary immune thrombocytopenia (ITP) is a complex autoimmune disorder in which
      the patient's immune system reacts with platelet autoantigens resulting in immune
      mediated platelet destruction and/or suppression of platelet production.
      Corticosteroids can induce sustained remission rates in 50% to 75% of patients
      with active ITP. For these patients who are unresponsive to glucocorticoids, or
      relapsed after an initial response, multiple second-line treatment modalities can
      be chosen. However, how to make an optimal therapeutic strategy for a specific
      patient still remains a major challenge. As the pathogenetic heterogeneity of the
      ITP is increasingly identified, pathogenesis-oriented approach might offer an
      opportunity to improve the outcome of corticosteroid-resistant or relapsed ITP.

PMID- 28352778
TI  - A meta-analysis of adiponectin gene rs22411766 T>G polymorphism and ischemic
      stroke susceptibility.
AB  - Several studies have investigated the correlation between adiponectin gene
      rs22411766 T>G polymorphism and ischemic stroke risk. However, the results were
      not conclusive with each other. Therefore, to overcome this obstacle, we
      performed this meta-analysis to further explicate the adiponectin gene rs22411766
      T>G polymorphism and ischemic stroke susceptibility. Case-control or cohort
      studies focused on adiponectin gene rs22411766 T>G polymorphism and ischemic
      stroke risk were electronic searched in the databases of Medline, Pubmed,
      Cochrane library, Excerpta Medica database(EMBASE) and China National Knowledge
      Infrastructure (CNKI). All the potentially relevant studies were included in this
      meta-analysis. The association between adiponectin gene rs22411766 T>G
      polymorphism and ischemic stroke was expressed by odds ratio with its confidence
      interval. Publication bias has been assessed by begg's funnel plot. All the
      analyses have been performed by Revman 5.1 statistical software. Finally, a total
      of six studies with 1,345 cases and 1,421 controls were included in this meta
      analysis. Our results demonstrated that there was a significant association
      between adiponectin gene rs22411766 T>G polymorphism and ischemic stroke risk
      (p<0.05). People with G single nucleotide of adiponectin gene have the increased
      risk of developing ischemic stroke compared to T single nucleotide.

PMID- 28352777
TI  - Prevention and treatment of peritoneal adhesions in patients affected by vascular
      diseases following surgery: a review of the literature.
AB  - Intra-abdominal adhesions are the most frequently occurring postoperative
      complication following abdomino-pelvic surgery. Abdominal and pelvic surgery can
      lead to peritoneal adhesion formation causing infertility, chronic pelvic pain,
      and intestinal obstruction. Laparoscopy today is considered the gold standard of
      care in the treatment of several abdominal pathologies as well as in a wide range
      of vascular diseases. Laparoscopy has several advantages in comparison to open
      surgery. These include rapid recovery times, shorter hospitalisation, reduced
      postoperative pain, as well as cosmetic benefits. The technological improvements
      in this particular surgical field along with the development of modern techniques
      and the acquisition of specific laparoscopic skills have allowed for its wider
      utilization in operations with fully intracorporeal anastomoses. Postoperative
      adhesions are caused by aberrant peritoneal healing and are the leading cause of
      postoperative bowel obstruction. The use of anti-adherence barriers is currently
      being advocated for their prevention. The outcome of the investigation showed
      adhesion formation inhibition without direct detrimental effects on anastomotic
      healing. Poor anasto-motic healing can provoke adhesions even in the presence of
      anti-adhesion barriers. This review gives a short overview on the current
      evidence on the pathophysiology and prevention of peritoneal adhesions.

PMID- 28352780
TI  - The diagnosis and pathological value of combined detection of HE4 and CA125 for
      patients with ovarian cancer.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the value of individual and combined measurement of human
      epididymis protein 4 (HE4) and cancer antigen 125 (CA-125) in the diagnosis of
      ovarian cancer. METHODS: A clinical case-control study was performed in which the
      levels of serum HE4 and CA-125 of subjects with malignant, borderline, benign
      ovarian tumors and healthy women were measured before surgery. An
      immunohistochemistry method was used to measure the expression of HE4 in
      different tissues. Statistical analysis was performed to determine the
      relationship between the level of HE4 and the pathologic type as well as the
      stage of the ovarian tumors. RESULTS: The level of HE4 in the serum was
      significantly elevated in the malignant ovarian cancer group compared with other
      groups. Women with benign ovarian tumors and non-neoplastic lesions, and healthy
      women were designated as references. When the level of HE4 in the serum was 58.66
      pmol/L, the sensitivity and specificity of HE4 in diagnosing malignant ovarian
      tumors was 82.35% and 96.03%, respectively. The level of HE4 was negatively
      correlated with the differentiation extent of the tumors whereas positively
      correlated to the clinical staging. In the groups of malignant and borderline
      tumors, the levels of HE4 were higher than the other groups. The expression of
      HE4 was significant higher in the serous types of ovarian tumors than that of the
      mucous types (P<0.05). The level of HE4 in the serum and tissues were positively
      correlated with each other. CONCLUSION: HE4 can be used as a novel clinical
      biomarker for predicting malignant ovarian tumors and its expression was closely
      related with the clinical pathological features of malignant ovarian tumors.

PMID- 28352779
TI  - Surgical treatment of recidivist lymphedema.
AB  - Lymphedema is a chronic disease with a progressively ingravescent evolvement and
      an appearance of recurrent complications of acute lymphangitic type; in nature it
      is mostly erysipeloid and responsible for a further rapid increase in the volume
      and consistency of edema. The purpose of this work is to present our experience
      in the minimally invasive treatment for recurrence of lymphedema; adapting
      techniques performed in the past which included large fasciotomy with devastating
      results cosmetically; but these techniques have been proposed again by the use of
      endoscopic equipment borrowed from the advanced laparoscopy surgery, which allows
      a monoskin access of about one cm.

PMID- 28352781
TI  - SOX7 inhibits tumor progression of glioblastoma and is regulated by miRNA-24.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: Sex-determining region Y-box 7 (SOX7) is a putative tumor suppressor
      in various types of human cancers. In the present study, the expression and
      function of SOX7 was investigated in human glioblastoma (GBM) cells. METHODS:
      Real-time PCR and western blot were carried out to reveal the expression of SOX7
      in GBM specimens and cultured cell lines. A short interfering RNA (siRNA)
      targeting SOX7 was synthesized and transfected into U87 cells. 3-(4,5
      Dimethylthiazol-2-yl)- 2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay was performed
      to valuate the cell proliferation ability in U87 cells. Bioinformatics analysis
      further predicted its regulation by microRNA-24 (miR-24). Luciferase reporter
      assay was performed to prove this regulation. RESULTS: SOX7 was downregulated in
      GBM specimens and cell lines. Inhibition of SOX7 in cultured U87 cells resulted
      in a slower growth rate. Mechanically, SOX7 was a target of miR-24, demonstrated
      by reporter assay. CONCLUSION: SOX7 was a strong tumor suppressor regulated by
      miR-24 in human GBM cells.

PMID- 28352782
TI  - Sevoflurane affects evoked electromyography monitoring in cerebral palsy.
AB  - BACKGROUND: To explore the effect of sevoflurane inhalation anesthesia on evoked
      electromyography monitoring of spinal nerve root in children associated with
      cerebral palsy. METHODOLOGY: Children with cerebral palsy (n=40) were selected
      and further divided into 1MAC (minimum alveolar concentration) sevoflurane group
      and 2MAC sevoflurane group. Following the induction of anesthesia, Nicolet
      Endeavor-CR16 channel electrophysiological monitor was used to implement three
      times of successive electrical stimulation with interval of 5 sec at 3.50 mA.
      RESULTS: Our results suggested a statistical significance of amplitude retention
      ratio and latency in the sevoflurane inhalation time (P<0.01), with an
      interaction effect between the sevoflurane inhalation time and concentration for
      amplitude retention ratio (P<0.01), while there is no interaction effect between
      the sevoflurane inhalation time and concentration for latency (P>0.05). Compared
      to 1MAC sevoflurane group, the amplitude retention ratio of 2MAC sevoflurane
      group decreased remarkably (P<0.01) and the latency of 2MAC sevoflurane group
      extended at T3 and T4 (P<0.05 or P<0.01). CONCLUSIONS: In evoked electromyography
      monitoring of spinal nerve root in children with cerebral palsy, with the
      increasing of concentration and duration of sevoflurane inhalation, evoked
      electromyogram retention ratio reduces gradually, latency extends and the
      retention ratio has more changes than the latency.

PMID- 28352783
TI  - CT and MR imaging of the thoracic aorta.
AB  - At present time, both CT and MRI are valuable techniques in the study of the
      thoracic aorta. Nowadays, CT represents the most widely employed technique for
      the study of the thoracic aorta. The new generation CTs show sensitivities up to
      100% and specificities of 98-99%. Sixteen and wider row detectors provide
      isotropic pixels, mandatory for the ineludible longitudinal reconstruction. The
      main limits are related to the X-ray dose expoure and the use of iodinated
      contrast media. MRI has great potential in the study of the thoracic aorta.
      Nevertheless, if compared to CT, acquisition times remain longer and movement
      artifact susceptibility higher. The main MRI disadvantages are claustrophobia,
      presence of ferromagnetic implants, pacemakers, longer acquisition times with
      respect to CT, inability to use contrast media in cases of renal insufficiency,
      lower spatial resolution and less availability than CT. CT is preferred in the
      acute aortic disease. Nevertheless, since it requires iodinated contrast media
      and X-ray exposure, it may be adequately replaced by MRI in the follow up of
      aortic diseases. The main limitation of MRI, however, is related to the scarce
      visibility of stents and calcifications.

PMID- 28352784
TI  - A case report of hereditary spherocytosis with concomitant chronic myelocytic
      leukemia.
AB  - Hereditary spherocytosis (HS) and Chronic myelocytic leukemia (CML) are both life
      threatening hemotologic diseases. They are rarely seen to occur simultaneously in
      one individual patient. Here we demonstrate a case of HS associated with CML in
      this study. The patient is a young female, diagnosed with HS in 2005, and was
      given partial embolization of the splenic artery. She got significant remission
      after the procedure. In 2008, she was found abnormal in blood routine test, after
      bone marrow routine, chromosome and fusion gene tests, she was diagnosed with CML
      (chronic phase). She did not receive regular treatment until 3 months prior, and
      is currently being treated with Dasatimib. She achieved hematological remission,
      but had no significant improvement in chromosome and fusion gene figures. Due to
      her severe condition of hemolysis, a splenectomy or an allogeneic hematopoietic
      stem cell transplantation is considered.

PMID- 28352785
TI  - A case of giant saphenous vein graft aneurysm followed serially after coronary
      artery bypass surgery.
AB  - Saphenous vein graft aneurysm (SVGA) is one of the chronic complications after
      coronary aorta bypass grafting (CABG) and may be caused by atherosclerosis-like
      phenomena of the vein graft, weakness around the vein valve, rupturing of the
      suture of the graft anastomosis, or perioperative graft injury. We describe a
      case of a large, growing saphenous vein graft aneurysm that was followed serially
      by chest radiography and computed tomography. Eighteen years after CABG, an SVGA
      (23 * 24 mm) was incidentally detected. The patient was asymptomatic and was
      followed conservatively. Four years later, coronary computed tomographic
      angiography showed that the giant aneurysm had grown to 52.1 by 63.8 mm and
      revealed a second, smaller aneurysm. Finally, the SVG was ultimately resected
      without bypass via off-pump surgery. Therefore, this case suggested that
      aggressive treatment that includes surgical intervention should be considered
      before the aneurysm becomes larger, even if it is asymptomatic.

PMID- 28352786
TI  - Role of FDG-PET scan in staging of pulmonary epithelioid hemangioendothelioma.
AB  - In this report we describe a case of pulmonary epithelioid hemangioendothelioma
      (PEH) in a young woman. The neoplasm manifested with dry cough, chest pain,
      finger clubbing, and multiple bilateral pulmonary nodules on chest x-ray and
      computed tomographic (CT) scan. She underwent thoracoscopy, and the histological
      features of the lung biopsies were initially interpreted as consistent with a not
      well-defined interstitial lung disease. Our patient was clinically and
      radiologically stable over a period of four years, after which the disease
      progressed to involve not only the lung but also mediastinal lymph nodes, liver
      and bone. Fiberoptic bronchoscopy showed subtotal occlusion of the right middle
      and lower lobe bronchi. The histologic examination of bronchial biopsies revealed
      a poorly differentiated neoplasm immunohistochemically positive for vimentin and
      vascular markers CD31, CD34 and Factor VIII. A diagnosis of malignant
      hemangioendothelioma was made. Positron emission tomography (PET) is more
      sensitive than CT scan and bone scintigraphy in detecting PEH metastases.
      Furthermore, 18-fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) uptake seems to be related to the grade
      of malignancy of PEH lesions. Therefore, we suggest that FDG-PET should be
      included in the staging system and follow-up of PEH.

PMID- 28352787
TI  - LncRNA TUG1 is upregulated and promotes cell proliferation in osteosarcoma.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: To examine the expression and function of long non-coding RNA taurine
      up-regulated 1 (TUG1) in human osteosarcoma cells. METHODS: Real-time quantitive
      PCR was used to detect the transcription level of TUG1 in a series of
      osteosarcoma cell lines. Knockdown of TUG1 in U2OS cells was carried out by
      transient transfection of siRNAs. MTT assay was performed to access the cell
      growth rates. Afterwards, RNA and protein of these cells were extracted to
      analyze the transfection efficient as well as the expression of other molecules.
      RESULTS: Compared to the normal cell line, TUG1 exhibited a significant
      upregulation in osteosarcoma cells. Phenotyping analysis showed the growth
      promotion activity of TUG1, since knockdown of TUG1 resulted in declined
      proliferation. We also found that AKT phosphorylation was impaired after TUG1 was
      inhibited, suggesting that the AKT pathway was involved in the regulation of TUG1
      in U2OS cells. CONCLUSION: Our data provided evidence that TUG1 was upregulated
      and acted as a possible oncogene via positively regulating cell proliferation in
      osteosarcoma cells.

PMID- 28352788
TI  - Meningioma recurrence.
AB  - Meningioma accounts for more than 30% of all intracranial tumours. It affects
      mainly the elderly above the age of 60, at a female:male ratio of 3:2. The
      prognosis is variable: it is usually favourable with no progression in tumour
      grade and no recurrence in WHO grade 1 tumours. However, a minority of tumours
      represent atypical (grade 2) or anaplastic (grade 3) meningiomas; this
      heterogeneity is also reflected in histopathological appearances. Irrespective of
      the grade, the size of the tumour and the localisation may have severe, sometimes
      lethal consequences. Following neurosurgical interventions to remove the tumour,
      recurrence and progression in WHO grade may occur. Our knowledge on predisposing
      histomorphological and molecular factors of recurrence is rather limited. These
      can be classified as I) demographic II) environmental, III) genetic and
      epigenetic IV) imaging, V) neuropathological, and VI) neurosurgical. In view of
      the complex background of tumour recurrence, the recognition of often subtle
      signs of increased risk of recurrence requires close collaboration of experts
      from several medical specialties. This multidisciplinary approach results in
      better therapy and fewer complications related to tumour recurrence.

PMID- 28352789
TI  - Endobronchial amyloidosis mimicking bronchial asthma: a case report and review of
      the literature.
AB  - Among two tracheobronchial forms (local and diffuse) and two parenchymal forms
      (nodular and alveolar septal) that were reported in previous literature,
      localized endobronchial amyloidosis is an uncommon disease of unknown cause.
      Bronchial amyloid deposits can occur as focal nodules or multifocal infiltration
      of the submucosa. We report the case of a 47-year-old man who had complained of
      dyspnea and wheezing for 1 month and who had been treated for severe asthma at
      another hospital. Endobronchial amyloidosis was confirmed by histological
      examination of the bronchial biopsies.

PMID- 28352790
TI  - A confusing case report of pulmonary langerhans cell histiocytosis and literature
      review.
AB  - Pulmonary Langerhans Cell Histiocytosis (PLCH) is a rare disease. From the
      insidious onset and nonspecific manifestations, it is difficult to diagnose PLCH.
      To help improve the diagnosis and therapy options of adult PLCH, we present this
      case report and literature review about a confusing case of PLCH. In this report,
      we present a 37-year-old male PLCH case that was negative for CD1a and S100
      expression. Smoking cessation and use of prescribed Spiriva appeared to improve
      the patient's symptoms. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first reported
      case of PLCH in which improved symptoms were seen with the use of Spiriva
      alone.The mechanism is not clear, but potentially has some relationship with
      dilating the airway, decreasing the mucous hypersecretion and promoting anti
      inflammatory pathways. From this patient's case, we may be able to find more
      cases to then find other first line therapies for PLCH patients.

PMID- 28352791
TI  - Effect of hesperetin on chaperone activity in selenite-induced cataract.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Chaperone activity of alpha-crystallin in the lens works to prevent
      protein aggregation and is important to maintain the lens transparency. This
      study evaluated the effect of hesperetin on lens chaperone activity in selenite
      induced cataracts. METHODOLOGY: Thirteen-day-old rats were divided into four
      groups. Animals were given hesperetin (groups G2 and G4) or vehicle (G1 and G3)
      on Days 0, 1, and 2. Rats in G3 and G4 were administered selenite subcutaneously
      4 hours after the first hesperetin injection. On Days 2, 4, and 6, cataract
      grades were evaluated using slit-lamp biomicroscopy. The amount of a-crystallin
      and chaperone activity in water-soluble fraction were measured after animals
      sacrificed. RESULTS: G3 on day 4 had developed significant cataract, as an
      average cataract grading of 4.6 +/- 0.2. In contrast, G4 had less severe central
      opacities and lower stage cataracts than G3, as an average cataract grading of
      2.4 +/- 0.4. The a-crystallin levels in G3 lenses were lower than in G1, but the
      same as G4. Additionally, chaperone activity was weaker in G3 lenses than G1, but
      the same as in G4. CONCLUSIONS: Our results suggest that hesperetin can prevent
      the decreasing lens chaperone activity and a-crystallin water solubility by
      administered of selenite.

PMID- 28352792
TI  - Clinical value of self-assessment risk of osteoporosis in Chinese.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Early detection of high-risk population for osteoporosis is the key
      to preventing this disease. METHODOLOGY: In this cross-sectional study a
      continuous sample of 270 women and 89 men (age: 20-90 years) was divided into
      four groups by age (<= 55 or > 55 years) and sex. Participants completed the IOF
      test. Low-, medium-, and high-risk grades were defined by an OSTA index of
      greater than -1, -1 to -4, and less than -4, respectively. RESULTS: Most
      participants were categorized in the low-risk group (240 people, 66.9%), followed
      by the medium-risk (102 people, 28.4%) and high-risk groups (17 people, 4.7%).
      Compared to women, men in both age groups had significantly higher OSTA index and
      greater numbers of positive answers on the IOF test. 64.3% individuals were
      susceptible to osteoporosis risk (>=1 positive answers on the IOF test). Multiple
      regression analysis demonstrated that family history of fragility fracture (OR:
      0.503, 95% CI: 0.26-0.97), height loss exceeding 3 cm (OR: 2.51, 95% CI: 1.55
      4.05), and earlier menopause (OR: 0.434, 95% CI: 0.19-0.97) were associated with
      higher risk grades. CONCLUSIONS: Combined use of the OSTA and IOF test is a
      simple and effective method for assessing the risk of osteoporosis.

PMID- 28352793
TI  - Sternal reconstruction by extracellular matrix: a rare case of phaces syndrome.
AB  - Congenital defects of the sternum are rare and due to a failure of midline
      development and fusion of the sternal bones. Surgical correction of a sternal
      cleft should be preferred during infancy for functional reasons. Chest wall
      reconstruction represented a complex problem in the last decades. We report our
      successful outcome of sternal reconstruction in a rare case of PHACES syndrome,
      in which the patient was submitted to reconstruction of the sternum and complete
      closure of the thoracic defect by the employ of an extracellular matrix XCM
      Biologic tissue matrix. We promote the use of extracellular matrix in surgical
      reconstruction of chest defects for its maneuverability, plasticity, tolerability
      and the possibility of growing with the children's chest getting a good
      compliance and optimal cosmetic results.

PMID- 28352794
TI  - Prenatal diagnosis, 3-D virtual rendering and lung sparing surgery by ligasure
      device in a baby with "CCAM and intralobar pulmonary sequestration".
AB  - Congenital cystic lung lesions are a rare but clinically significant group of
      anomalies, including congenital cystic adenomatoid malformation (CCAM), pulmonary
      sequestration, congenital lobar emphysema (CLE) and bronchogenic cysts. Despite
      the knowledge of these lesions increasing in the last years, some aspects are
      still debated and controversial. The diagnosis is certainly one aspect which
      underwent many changes in the last 15 years due to the improvement of antenatal
      scan and the introduction of 3-D reconstruction techniques. As it is known, a
      prompt diagnosis has an essential role in the management of these children. The
      new imaging studies as 3D Volume rendering system are the focus of this paper. We
      describe our preliminary experience in a case of hybrid lung lesion, which we
      approached by thoracoscopy after a preoperative study with 3D VR reconstruction.
      Our final balance is absolutely positive.

PMID- 28352795
TI  - Serum levels of inhibin B in adolescents after varicocelelectomy: A long term
      follow up.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: To study the impact on adult's fertility of serum inhibin B levels
      in adolescent patients with idiopathic varicocele after minimally invasive
      surgical correction and to compare fluctuation of pituitary-testis hormonal
      values and testicular volumes. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A case-control study was
      carried out on a group adolescent patients (n=60) affected by idiopathic left
      varicocele (group V) and compared with control adolescents (n=40) in the
      Paediatric Surgery Section of Siena (from June 1993 till September 2013). Inhibin
      B levels and testicular volume before (T0) and after at 6 and 12 months from
      surgery (T1 and T2) were evaluated. RESULTS: A positive correlation between
      testicular growth at T1 and T2 (P<0.001) was found. Linear regression analysis
      showed a positive correlation between inhibin B levels and testicular volume
      (expressed as the sum of the right and left values) (P<0.0001). CONCLUSIONS:
      Inhibin B levels are a valid marker for studying the effects of varicocele on the
      testicular function and confirm the necessity of early surgical correction for
      preventing the trophic testicular damage and male infertility.

PMID- 28352796
TI  - Our experience in the treatment of Malignant Fibrous Hystiocytoma of the larynx:
      clinical diagnosis, therapeutic approach and review of literature.
AB  - Hereditary spherocytosis (HS) and Chronic myelocytic leukemia (CML) are both life
      threatening hemotologic diseases. They are rarely seen to occur simultaneously in
      one individual patient. Here we demonstrate a case of HS associated with CML in
      this study. The patient is a young female, diagnosed with HS in 2005, and was
      given partial embolization of the splenic artery. She got significant remission
      after the procedure. In 2008, she was found abnormal in blood routine test, after
      bone marrow routine, chromosome and fusion gene tests, she was diagnosed with CML
      (chronic phase). She did not receive regular treatment until 3 months prior, and
      is currently being treated with Dasatimib. She achieved hematological remission,
      but had no significant improvement in chromosome and fusion gene figures. Due to
      her severe condition of hemolysis, a splenectomy or an allogeneic hematopoietic
      stem cell transplantation is considered.

PMID- 28352797
TI  - Delayed recurrent nerve paralysis following post-traumatic aortic pseudoaneurysm.
AB  - Blunt trauma to the neck or to the chest are increasingly observed in the
      emergency clinical practice. They usually follow motor vehicle accidents or may
      be work or sports related. A wide pattern of clinical presentation can be
      potentially encountered. We report the uncommon case of a patient who was
      referred to our observation presenting with hoarseness and disphagia. Twenty days
      before he had sustained a car accident with trauma to the chest, neck and the
      mandible. Laryngoscopy showed a left recurrent laryngeal nerve palsy. Further
      otolaryngo-logical examination showed no other abnormality. At CT and MR imaging
      a post-traumatic aortic pseudoaneurysm was revealed. The aortic pseudoaneurysm
      was consequently repaired by implantation of an endovascular stent graft under
      local anesthesia. The patient was discharged 10 days later. At 30-days follow-up
      laryngoscopy the left vocal cord palsy was completely resolved. Hoarseness
      associated with a dilated left atrium in a patient with mitral valve stenosis was
      initially described by Ortner more than a century ago. Since then several non
      malignant, cardiovascular, intrathoracic disease that results in embarrassment
      from recurrent laryngeal nerve palsy usually by stretching, pulling or
      compression; thus, the correlations of these pathologies was termed as
      cardiovocal syndrome or Ortner's syndrome. The reported case illustrates that
      life-threatening cardiovascular comorbidities can cause hoarseness and that an
      impaired recurrent laryngeal nerve might be correctable.

PMID- 28352799
TI  - Correlation analysis of VHL and Jade-1 gene expression in human renal cell
      carcinoma.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to investigate the correlation of von Hippel
      Lindau tumor suppressor (VHL) mRNA expression and jade family PHD finger 1 (Jade
      1) gene expression in patients with renal cell carcinoma (RCC). Another aim of
      this study was to analyze the relationship of these two genes with
      clinicalpathological features of the RCC patients. METHODS: A total of 75 RCC
      patients who received surgically therapy in our hospital were included. All
      patients had complete pathological data. The expression of VHL/Jade-1 was
      determined by real-time polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). RESULTS: VHL and Jade
      1 were both obviously downregulated in RCC tissues than that of the matched
      normal tissues, and both negatively correlated with tumor size as well as tumor
      grade. And we found a fine association of VHL gene expression with Jade-1.
      CONCLUSION: VHL/Jade-1 exhibited significantly decreased expression in RCC
      tissues and was closely related to the clinical prognosis of patients. The
      finding of VHL expression positively correlated with Jade-1 expression shed light
      and provided crucial evidence on the connection of VHL protein with Wnt/b-catenin
      pathway.

PMID- 28352798
TI  - Integrated therapeutic approach to giant solitary fibrous tumor of the pleura:
      report of a case and review of the literature.
AB  - The fibrous tumors of the pleura are rare primary tumors, accounting for 5% of
      malignant pleural neoplasms, which generally originate from sub-mesothelial
      mesenchymal tissue of the visceral pleura. These tumours generally exhibit
      clinical benign behavior although 12% of solitary fibrous tumors can be malignant
      and have worse outcomes. These tumors are considered "giant" when the lesion > 15
      cm. Surgical treatment is the best choice for both benign and malignant
      neoplasms. We retrospectively analyzed the main case series of giant fibrous
      tumors of the pleura. In addition we report our experience of a 76-year-old woman
      treated by pre-surgical embolization involving implantation of vascular plugs.
      Surgery was successfully carried out without complications; imaging and
      functional assessment 6 months post intervention demonstrated both the absence of
      recurrence and improvement of lung function parameters.

PMID- 28352800
TI  - Is acute appendicitis still misdiagnosed?
AB  - OBJECTIVE: The optimal diagnostics and treatment of acute appendicitis continues
      to be a challenge. A false positive diagnosis of appendicitis may lead to an
      unnecessary operation, which has been appropriately termed negative appendectomy.
      The aim of our study was to identify the effectiveness of preoperative
      investigations in preventing negative appendectomy. METHODS: A retrospective
      study was performed on adult patients who underwent operation for suspected acute
      appendicitis from 2008 to 2013 at Vilnius University Hospital Santariskiu
      Klinikos. Patients were divided into two groups: group A underwent an operation,
      where appendix was found to be normal (non-inflamed); group B underwent an
      appendectomy for inflamed appendix. Groups were compared for preoperative data,
      investigations, treatment results and pathology findings. RESULTS: 554 patients
      were included in the study. Preoperative laboratory tests results of hemoglobin,
      hematocrit concentrations and white blood cell count were significantly higher in
      group B (p<0.001). Ultrasonography was performed for 78 % of patients in group A
      and 74 % in group B and did not provide any statistically significant results.
      Comparing Alvarado score results, there were more patients with Alvarado score
      less than 7 in group A than in group B. In our large series we could find only
      four independent risk factors, and they could only account for 24 % of cases.
      CONCLUSIONS: In summary, acute appendicitis is still often misdiagnosed and the
      ratio of negative appendectomies remains rather high. Additional investigations
      such as observation and computed tomography should be used to prevent this.

PMID- 28352801
TI  - Contralateral risk reducing mastectomy in Non-BRCA-Mutated patients.
AB  - The use of contralateral risk reducing mastectomy (CRRM) is indicated in women
      affected by breast cancer, who are at high risk of developing a contralateral
      breast cancer, particularly women with genetic mutation of BRCA1, BRCA2 and P53.
      However we should consider that the genes described above account for only 20-30%
      of the excess familiar risk. What is contralaterally indicated when genetic
      assessment results negative for mutation in a young patient with unilateral
      breast cancer? Is it ethically correct to remove a contralateral "healthy"
      breast? CRRM rates continue to rise all over the world although CRRM seems not to
      improve overall survival in women with unilateral sporadic breast cancer. The
      decision to pursue CRRM as part of treatment in women who have a low-to-moderate
      risk of developing a secondary cancer in the contralateral breast should consider
      both breast cancer individual-features and patients preferences, but should be
      not supported by the surgeon and avoided as first approach with the exception of
      women highly worried about cancer. Prospective studies are needed to identify
      cohorts of patients most likely to benefit from CRRM.

PMID- 28352802
TI  - Platelet Rich Plasma: a short overview of certain bioactive components.
AB  - Platelet rich plasma (PRP) represents a relatively new approach in regenerative
      medicine. It is obtained from patient's own blood and contains different growth
      factors and other biomolecules necessary for wound healing. Since there are
      various protocols for PRP preparing, it usually results with PRP generation with
      different amounts of bioactive substances, which finally may modulate the
      intensity of wound healing. The reference data about potential effect of some PRP
      compounds on wound healing, in different tissues, are still controversial. This
      review summarizes recently known facts about physiological role of certain PRP
      components and guidance for further research. Also, this review discusses
      different procedure for PRP generation and potential effect of leukocytes on
      wound healing.

PMID- 28352803
TI  - Celiac axis compression syndrome: laparoscopic approach in a strange case of
      chronic abdominal pain in 71 years old man.
AB  - Celiac Axis Compression Syndrome by the Median Arcuate Ligament is a very rare
      condition characterized by chronic postprandial abdominal pain (angina
      abdominis), nausea, vomiting, which occurs mostly in young patients. The main
      treatment is a surgical procedure that consists of the division of the arcuate
      ligament combined with the section of the close diaphragmatic crus and the
      excision of the celiac plexus. Actually laparoscopic management is feasible and
      safe.

PMID- 28352804
TI  - A rare case of persistent hypoglossal artery associated with contralateral
      proximal subclavian stenosis.
AB  - The persistent hypoglossal artery is rare vascular anomalies. We report the case
      of a 50-year old man with right hypoglossal artery, ipsilateral hypoplasic
      internal carotid artery, associated with left proximal subclavian stenosis with
      subclavian steal syndrome. Power-Doppler-Ultra-Sonography spectral images
      obtained after the patient exercised the left arm showed mid-systolic
      deceleration with retrograde late-systolic velocities. A Computed Tomography
      Angiography demonstrated a proximal stenosis of the left SA, a mild right ICA
      hypoplasia and an anomalous artery arising from right ICA at C2-C3 level,
      entering the cranium via the hypoglossal canal and joining the basilar artery.
      Usually the presence of PHA may be completely asymptomatic, and detected as an
      incidental finding by CTA or MRA, but in our case its diagnosis is extremely
      important because it is often the only vessel supplying blood to the basilar
      trunk and posterior circulation.

PMID- 28352805
TI  - Professional dental and oral surgery liability in Italy: a comparative analysis
      of the insurance products offered to health workers.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: In Italy there has been an increase in claims for damages for
      alleged medical malpractice. A study was therefore conducted that aimed at
      assessing the content of the coverage of insurance policy contracts offered to
      oral health professionals by the insurance market. MATERIAL AND METHODS: The
      sample analysed composed of 11 insurance policy contracts for professional dental
      liability offered from 2010 to 2015 by leading insurance companies operating in
      the Italian market. RESULTS: The insurance products analysed are structured on
      the "claims made" clause. No policy contract examined covers the damage due to
      the failure to acquire consent for dental treatment and, in most cases, damage
      due to unsatisfactory outcomes of treatment of an aesthetic nature and the
      failure to respect regulatory obligations on privacy. DISCUSSION: On entering
      into a professional liability insurance policy contract, the dentist should pay
      particular attention to the period covered by the guarantee, the risks both
      covered and excluded, as well as the extent of the limit of liability and any
      possible fixed/percentage excess. CONCLUSIONS: When choosing a professional
      liability contract, a dentist should examine the risks in relation to the
      professional activity carried out before signing.

PMID- 28352806
TI  - Correlation between CTLA-4 gene rs221775A>G single nucleotide polymorphism and
      multiple sclerosis susceptibility. A meta-analysis.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: The aim of this meta-analysis was to undertake a meta-analysis to
      evaluate the correlation between cytotoxic T-lymphocyte-associated protein 4
      (CTLA-4) gene rs221775 A>G single nucleotide polymorphism and the susceptibility
      of multiple sclerosis (MS) susceptibility. METHOD: Published manuscripts about
      CTLA-4 gene rs221775A>G single nucleotide polymorphism and multiple sclerosis
      susceptibility were searched in the computerized bibliographic searches of Pubmed
      Embase and China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI). Potential studies were
      screened and data for 5025 MS patients and 4706 controls from 20 publications
      were included. The association between CTLA-4 gene rs221775A>G single nucleotide
      polymorphism and multiple sclerosis susceptibility were demonstrated by odds
      ratio (OR) and 95% confidence interval (95%CI). RESULTS: The pooled results
      showed no significant association between CTLA-4 gene rs221775A>G single
      nucleotide polymorphism and multiple sclerosis susceptibility for dominant
      genetic model [OR=1.02, 95%CI:0.90~1.05, (P=0.80)], homozygous genetic model
      [OR=0.85,95%CI:0.71 ~1.03,(P=0.10)] and recessive genetic model [OR=0.99,95%
      CI:0.89~1.10,(P=0.90)]. CONCLUSION: With current evidence, CTLA-4 gene
      rs221775A>G single nucleotide polymorphism had no association with the
      susceptibility of multiple sclerosis.

PMID- 28352807
TI  - Standards of anesthesiology practice during neuroradiological interventions.
AB  - Interventional radiology is a rapidly growing discipline with an expanding
      variety of indications and techniques in pediatric and adult patients.
      Accordingly, the number of procedures during which monitoring either under
      sedation or under general anesthesia is needed is increasing. In order to ensure
      high-quality care as well as patient comfort and safety, implementation of anes
      thesiology practice guidelines in line with institutional radiology practice
      guidelines is paramount [1]. However, practice guidelines are no substitute for
      lack of communi-cation between specialties. Interdisciplinary indications within
      neurosciences call for efficient co-operation among radiology, neurology,
      neurosurgery, vascular surgery, anesthesiology and intensive care. Anesthesia
      team and intensive care personnel should be informed early and be involved in
      coordinated planning so that optimal results can be achieved under minimized
      risks and pre-arranged complication management.

PMID- 28352808
TI  - Informed consent in robotic surgery: quality of information and patient
      perception.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: Obtaining a valid informed consent in the medical and surgical
      field is a long debated issue in the literature. In robotic surgery we believe in
      the necessity to follow three arrangements to make the informed consent more
      complete. MATERIAL AND METHODS: This study presents correlations and descriptions
      based on forensic medicine concepts research, literature review, and the proposal
      of an integration in the classic concept of informed consent. CONCLUSION: In
      robotic surgery we believe in the necessity to follow three arrangements to make
      the IC more complete. Integrate the information already present in the informed
      consent with data on the surgeon's experience in RS, the number of procedures of
      the department and the regional map of expertises by procedure.

PMID- 28352810
TI  - Expression and clinical significance of LXRalpha and SREBP-1c in placentas of
      preeclampsia.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the expression and correlations of liver X receptor alpha
      (LXRa) and its target gene sterol regulatory element-binding protein-1c (SREBP
      1c) in placentas of preeclampsia (PE) and their significance in PE. METHODS:
      Pregnancies were divided into two groups, 60 cases (29 cases of mild and 31 cases
      of severe) of PE group and 56 cases of normal group. The level of mRNA and
      protein of LXRa and SREBP-1c were analyzed by reverse transcription-polymerase
      chain reaction (RTPCR) and immunohistochemistry (IHC) in the placentas. RESULTS:
      RT-PCR and IHC results showed that the mRNA and protein expression of both LXRa
      and SREBP-1c increased gradually with the extent of PE among normal pregnancy,
      mild PE and severe PE groups, and the differences were of statistically
      significance (P<0.01 or P<0.05). There were positive correlations between the
      expression of LXRa mRNA and SREBP-1c mRNA, also between LXRa mRNA and LXRa
      protein (r=0.521, P<0.01; r=0.422, P<0.01). The expression of SREBP-1c mRNA
      positively correlated with its protein level (r=0.598, P<0.01). There were
      positive correlations between the expression of LXRa protein and SREBP-1c protein
      (r=0.612, P<0.01). CONCLUSION: The expression of LXRa is elevated significantly
      in placentas of PE patients, and might contribute for promoting the transcription
      and translation of its target gene SREBP1-c, which is related to the occurrence
      and development of PE.

PMID- 28352811
TI  - ARDS diagnosed by SpO2/FiO2 ratio compared with PaO2/FiO2 ratio: the role as a
      diagnostic tool for early enrolment into clinical trials.

PMID- 28352809
TI  - Malfunctions of robotic system in surgery: role and responsibility of surgeon in
      legal point of view.
AB  - Robotic surgery (RS) technology has undergone rapid growth in the surgical field
      since its approval. In clinical practice, failure of robotic procedures mainly
      results from a surgeon's inability or to a device malfunction. We reviewed the
      literature to estimate the impact of this second circumstance in RS and its
      consequent legal implications. According to data from the literature, device
      malfunction is rare. We believe it is necessary to complement surgical training
      with a technical understanding of RS devices.

PMID- 28352812
TI  - Medicolegal implications of surgical errors and complications in neck surgery: A
      review based on the Italian current legislation.
AB  - Aim of the present paper is the review of the principal complications associated
      to endocrine neck surgery considering how expertise, full adoption of guidelines,
      appropriate technology and proper informed consent may limit the medicolegal
      claims at the light of the incoming new regulation of the medical professional
      legal responsibility. A literature search, using the Medline/PubMed database for
      full-length papers, was used. Postoperative recurrent laryngeal nerve (RLN) palsy
      and hypoparathy-roidism remain the principal causes of surgical malpractice
      claims . In the procedure of neck lymphadenctomy intra-operative haemorrhage,
      thoracic duct injury, injuries to loco-regional nerves can be observed and can be
      source of claims. After many years of increased medicolegal litigations, the
      Italian government is proposing a drastic change in the regulations of supposed
      medical malpractice in order to guarantee the patient's right to a safe treatment
      and in the meantime to defend clinicians from often unmotivated and prejudicial
      legal cases. Surgical errors and complications in neck surgery are a relevant
      clinical issue. Only the combination of surgical and clinical expertise,
      application of guidelines, appropriate technology and a routinely use of specific
      informed consent can contain potential medicolegal implications.

PMID- 28352814
TI  - Donation of the body for scientific purposes in Italy: ethical and medico-legal
      considerations.
AB  - In recent years in Italy (and in the other European Countries) a new debated
      topic involves anatomists and the scientific world: donation of the body after
      death for scientific purposes. The aim of our analysis is to analyze the issue of
      voluntary body donation in Italy focusing first of all, on key principles of the
      disciplines of donation. Considering the rise of exhibitions and events in which
      death is spectacularized, the debate is focus on will, on respect and overall on
      the purpose for which the body is donated. Anatomical dissection is considered
      necessary in the direct learning of the human body, of surgical practices and new
      scientific techniques but the scarcity of programmes and regulations regarding
      the donation of bodies for study and research make it an uncommon practice. After
      discussing what are the constitutional principles underlying the issue we want to
      emphasize the need of a more effective and updated regulation to set limits and
      methods of a practice still essential for scientific progress.

PMID- 28352813
TI  - Iatrogenic splenic injury: review of the literature and medico-legal issues.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: Iatrogenic splenic injury is a recognized complication in abdominal
      surgery. The aim of this paper is to understand the medico-legal issues of
      iatrogenic splenic injuries. We performed a literature review on PubMed and
      Scopus using iatrogenic splenic or spleen injury and iatrogenic splenic rupture
      as keywords. Iatrogenic splenic injury cases were identified. Most cases were
      related to colonoscopy, but we also identified cases related to upper
      gastrointestinal procedures, colonic surgery, ERCP, left nephrectomy and/or
      adrenalectomy, percutaneous nephrolithotomy, vascular operations involving the
      abdominal aorta, gynecological operation, left lung biopsy, chest drain, very
      rarely spinal surgery and even cardiopulmonary resuscitation. There are several
      surgical procedures that can lead to a splenic injury. However, from a medico
      legal point of view, it is important to assess whether the cause can be
      attributed to a technical error of the operator rather than being an
      unpredictable and unpreventable complication. It is important for the medico
      legal expert to have great knowledge on iatrogenic splenic injuries because it is
      important to evaluate every step of the first procedure performed, how a splenic
      injury is produced, and whether the correct treatment for the splenic injury was
      administered in a judgment.

PMID- 28352815
TI  - Voluntary termination of pregnancy (medical or surgical abortion): forensic
      medicine issues.
AB  - In Italy, Law 194 of 22 May 1978 provides for and regulates the voluntary
      termination of pregnancy (VTP). Medical abortion became popular nationwide after
      Mifepristone (RU-486) was authorized for the market by AIFA (Italian Drug Agency)
      in July 2009. We searched articles in medical literature database with these
      terms: "medical abortion", "RU486", "surgical abortion". We also searched laws
      and judgments concerning abortion in national legal databases. Ministerial
      guidelines were searched on official website of Italian Ministry of Health. We
      found many medical studies about medical and surgical abortion. We found also
      ministerial and regional guidelines, which were analyzed. From the point of view
      of legal medicine, the issues related to abortion with the pharmacological method
      consist in verifying compatibility and consistency with the safety principles and
      the parameters imposed by Law n. 194 of 1978, using off-label Misoprostol, what
      inpatient care should be used and informed consent. The doctor's job is to
      provide the patient with comprehensive and clear information about how the
      procedure will be performed, any complications and the time period needed for
      both procedures.

PMID- 28352816
TI  - Cosmetic surgery: medicolegal considerations.
AB  - : Cosmetic surgery is one of the two branches of plastic surgery. The
      characteristic of non-necessity of this surgical speciality implies an increased
      severity in the evaluation of the risk-benefit balance. Therefore, great care
      must be taken in providing all the information necessary in order to obtain valid
      consent to the intervention. We analyzed judgments concerning cosmetic surgery
      found in national legal databases. A document of National Bioethics Committee
      (CNB) was also analyzed. CONCLUSION: The receipt of valid, informed consent is of
      absolute importance not only to legitimise the medical-surgical act, but it also
      represents the key element in the question concerning the existence of an
      obligation to achieve certain results/use of certain methods in the cosmetic
      surgery.

PMID- 28352817
TI  - Impact of sensory integration training on balance among stroke patients: sensory
      integration training on balance among stroke patients.
AB  - This study attempts to investigate the impact that the sensory integration
      training has on the recovery of balance among patients with stroke by examining
      the muscle activity and limit of stability (LOS). A total of 28 subjects
      participated. The subjects were randomly allocated by the computer program to one
      of two groups: control (CON) group (n=15), sensory integration training (SIT)
      group (n=13). The research subjects received intervention five days a week for a
      total of four weeks. The CON group additionally received 30-minute general
      balance training, while the SIT group additionally received 30-minute sensory
      integration training. In the muscle activity, the improvement of Erector spinae
      (ES) and Gluteus medius (GM) was more significant in the SIT group than in the
      CON group. In the LOS, the improvement of affected side and forward side was
      significantly higher in the SIT group compared to the CON group. Sensory
      integration training can improve balance ability of patients with stroke by
      increasing muscle activity of stance limb muscles such as GM and trunk extensor
      such as ES along with enhancement of the limit of stability.

PMID- 28352819
TI  - Influenza A(H1N1)pdm09 and postpandemic influenza in Lithuania.
AB  - The objective of this study is to describe the clinical and epidemiological
      characteristics of patients hospitalized in Lithuania who are infected with
      influenza A(H1N1)pdm09 and to compare pandemic A(H1N1) pdm09 infection with
      postpandemic. In total, 146 subjects hospitalized with influenza A(H1N1) pdm09
      were identified from 2009-2011. There were 53 during the initial pandemic wave in
      the summer of 2009, 69 during the peak pandemic period, and 24 during the
      "postpandemic" period that we included in this study. There were 22 subjects who
      died after laboratory confirmation of influenza A(H1N1)pdm09. No deaths were
      documented during the first wave. Subjects presenting during the peak of pandemic
      influenza had a greater incidence of fever (100% vs 77.4%; p<0.001), dry cough
      (95.7% vs 82.7%; p=0.01), and vomiting (26.1% vs 1.9%, p<0.001) as compared with
      patients infected during the first wave. The rate of bacterial pneumonia was
      18.8% (13/69) during the peak pandemic period and 12.5% (3/24, p=0.754) during
      the postpandemic period. None of the postpandemic influenza subjects' intensive
      care unit stays were due to pneumonia. The hospitalized early 2009 H1N1 pandemic
      cases and postpandemic cases were milder compared with those at the peak of
      pandemic activity.

PMID- 28352818
TI  - MicroRNAs as regulatory elements in psoriasis.
AB  - Psoriasis is a chronic, autoimmune, and complex genetic disorder that affects 23%
      of the European population. The symptoms of Psoriatic skin are inflammation,
      raised and scaly lesions. microRNA, which is short, nonprotein-coding, regulatory
      RNAs, plays critical roles in psoriasis. microRNA participates in nearly all
      biological processes, such as cell differentiation, development and metabolism.
      Recent researches reveal that multitudinous novel microRNAs have been identified
      in skin. Some of these substantial novel microRNAs play as a class of
      posttranscriptional gene regulator in skin disease, such as psoriasis. In order
      to insight into microRNAs biological functions and verify microRNAs biomarker, we
      review diverse references about characterization, profiling and subtype of
      microRNAs. Here we will share our opinions about how and which microRNAs are as
      regulatory in psoriasis.

PMID- 28352820
TI  - Garengeot's hernia: two case reports with CT diagnosis and literature review.
AB  - : Garengeot's hernia (GH) is defined as the presence of the appendix inside a
      femoral hernia. It occurs in 0.9% of femoral hernias and is usually an incidental
      finding during surgery. Its treatment is controversial and the aim of this
      article is to review the diagnostic methods and surgical considerations. We
      report two cases diagnosed preoperatively by contrast-enhanced computed
      tomography (CT) and discuss the treatment options based on a review of the
      literature published in PubMed updated on 1 December, 2015. Fifty articles
      reporting 64 patients (50 women, mean age 70 years) with GH were included in the
      analysis. Diagnosis was performed by preoperative CT in only 24 cases, including
      our two. The treatment of GH is emergency surgery. Several options are available
      laparoscopic or open approach: insertion of a mesh or simple herniorrhaphy, with
      or without appendectomy. CONSLUSION: The preoperative diagnosis with CT can guide
      the choice of treatment. Appendectomy and hernioplasty should be performed via
      inguinotomy, if there is no perforation or abscess formation.

PMID- 28352822
TI  - Endoscopic diagnosis and treatment of neuroendocrine tumors of the digestive
      system.
AB  - The authors evaluated the role of endoscopic techniques in the diagnosis and in
      the potential treatment of neuroendocrine tumors (NET) localized in the gastro
      entero-pancreatic system, on the basis of their experience and of the
      international literature. NET are rare tumors that arise from neuroendocrine
      cells of the gastrointestinal tract and pancreas. It is a possibility that both
      the digestive endoscopy and EUS play an important role in the diagnosis, staging
      and surveillance of this disease. In some cases, especially in the early stages,
      surgical endoscopy allows the treatment of such tumors.

PMID- 28352821
TI  - Role of Laparoscopic Splenectomy in Elderly Immune Thrombocytopenia.
AB  - The management of older patients with chronic primary immune thrombocytopenia
      (ITP) is still very challenging because of the fragility of older patients who
      frequently have severe comorbidities and/or disabilities. Corticosteroid-based
      first-line therapies fail in most of the cases and patients require a second-line
      treatment, choosing between rituximab, thrombopoietin-receptor agonists and
      splenectomy. The choice of the best treatment in elderly patients is a compromise
      between effectiveness and safety and laparoscopic splenectomy may be a good
      option with a complete remission rate of 67% at 60 months. But relapse and
      complication rates remain higher than in younger splenectomized ITP patients
      because elderly patients undergo splenectomy with unfavorable conditions (age >60
      year-old, presence of comorbidities, or multiple previous treatments) which
      negatively influence the outcome, regardless the hematological response. For
      these reasons, a good management of concomitant diseases and the option to not
      use the splenectomy as the last possible treatment could improve the outcome of
      old splenectomized patients.

PMID- 28352823
TI  - Efficacy and safety of splenectomy in adult autoimmune hemolytic anemia.
AB  - Autoimmune hemolytic anemia (AIHA) is a rare hematologic disease, primarily
      affecting adults or children with immunodeficiency disease. First-line therapy
      consists of long course of steroids administration, with an early complete
      response rate (CRr) of 75-80%, but up to 20-30% of patients requires a second
      line therapy. Rituximab is the first choice in refractory old AIHA patients,
      because of its safety and efficacy (early CRr at 80-90% and at 68% at 2-3 years).
      For this reason, splenectomy is even less chosen as second-line therapy in
      elderly, even though laparoscopic technique decreased complication and mortality
      rates. However, splenectomy can be still considered a good therapeutic option
      with a CRr of 81% at 35.6 months in patients older than 60 year-old, when
      rituximab administration cannot be performed.

PMID- 28352824
TI  - Relationship between gastroesophageal reflux disease and Ph nose and salivary:
      proposal of a simple method outpatient in patients adults.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: The frequency of gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) is
      increasing, in part through easy inspection of the upper digestive tract, but
      especially for a real spread of the disease as a consequence of modernity,
      lifestyle, incorrect dietary rules, and stress arising from social norms. It is a
      common chronic gastrointestinal disorder in Europe and the United States.
      MATERIALS AND METHODS: The aim of our study is to highlight a relationship
      between gastroesophageal reflux disease and salivary pH as evidenced by indicator
      strips, especially in the outpatient field. Twenty adult subjects (10 males and
      10 females) aged between 18 and 50 years (GROUP A)_ were selected. How to control
      a homogeneous group of 20 patients without GERD, or from any type of allergies
      (GROUP B) was enlisted. RESULTS: This method has provided excellent results
      showing no difference in the measured values compared with the traditional
      instrumental measurement. CONCLUSION: Our study has allowed us to observe a
      strong correlation between the saliva pH, nasal cavities and the interaction
      between the two districts, and could be the basis for a diagnosis of GERD
      especially in primary health care clinics and in the initial stage of the
      disease.

PMID- 28352825
TI  - Concept of experimental preparation for treating dentin hypersensitivity.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Dentinal hypersensitivity (DH) is a diagnostic and therapeutic
      problem that is now appearing more frequently in modern dentistry. The aim of
      this work was to elaborate formulation of a new, original desensitizing
      preparation with prolonged action based on the knowledge of similar
      commercializations and to compare their performance in vitro. METHODOLOGY: The
      analyses were performed with the aid of NMR spectroscopy. The experimental and
      commercial preparations were examined in vitro after thermocycling on human teeth
      by optical microscopy. The presence of the material on tooth tissue, its ability
      to penetrate into the tooth structure and its layer thickness were subjected to
      statistical analysis. RESULTS: A detailed knowledge on composition of commercial
      material was achieved from spectroscopic measurements. A new adhesive monomer was
      synthesized and incorporated into an experimental desensitizing formulation. The
      new monomer appeared to have comparable performance to the commercial one when
      regarding the affinity to tooth tissue and resistance to thermocycling.
      CONCLUSIONS: The experimental formulation comprising a new adhesive monomer seems
      to be promising and could be applied in dental practice providing that
      biocompatibility is satisfactory.

PMID- 28352827
TI  - Hydrogen water reduces NSE, IL-6, and TNF-alpha levels in hypoxic-ischemic
      encephalopathy.
AB  - This study retrospectively analyzed the efficacy of hydrogen water in the
      treatment of neonatal hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy (HIE) and its effect on
      serum neuron-specific enolase (NSE), interleukin-6 (IL-6), and tumor necrosis
      factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) levels. Forty newborns with HIE who received treatment
      from April 2014 to April 2015 were divided into a conventional care group and a
      hydrogen water group according to the different treatment methods applied. Twenty
      healthy full-term newborns comprised the control group. In the hydrogen water
      group, 5-mL/kg hydrogen water was orally administered two days after birth daily
      for 10 days in addition to conventional treatment. After 10 days, efficacy
      indicators were examined in the HIE groups. The NSE, IL-6, and TNF-alpha levels
      were compared among all three groups. The efficacy indicators were significantly
      lower in the hydrogen water group compared with the conventional group. Before
      treatment, the serum NSE, IL-6, and TNF-alpha levels in the HIE groups were
      higher than those in the control group. After treatment, these levels in the
      hydrogen water group were lower than those in the conventional group. Hydrogen
      water lowers serum NSE, IL-6, and TNF-alpha levels in HIE newborns, thereby
      exerting a protective effect.

PMID- 28352828
TI  - Morbid Obesity: treatment with Bioenterics Intragastric Balloon (BIB),
      psychological and nursing care: our experience.
AB  - Obesity is considered a chronic disease, difficult to treat, and is the first
      cause of death in the world that is predictable. The surgical approach is limited
      to patients with severe obesity but there is an intermediate group who are not
      candidates for immediate surgery. The BioEnterics Intragastric Balloon (BIB) is
      recommended for weight reduction as a bridge to bariatric surgery. All patients
      in the study underwent a psychological evaluation prior to placement of the BIB.

PMID- 28352826
TI  - Idiopathic pleural panniculitis with recurrent pleural effusion not associated
      with Weber-Christian disease.
AB  - A 82-year-old patient with dyspnea and a recurrent history of pleural effusion
      was admitted into our unit. He performed a Chest computed tomography showing
      right pleural effusion. Video-assisted thoracoscopy (VATS) exploratory showed
      parietal pleural thickening of adipose tissue. The surgical procedure consisted,
      therefore, in the execution of multiple biopsies of the parietal pleura which
      appeared covered, on the whole surface, by islands of adipose tissue, without
      macroscopic pathological aspects. After the procedure was performed pleurodesis
      with talc. The definitive histological examination consisted of normal
      mesothelial cells surrounded by fatty tissue infiltrated by small lymphocytes in
      a patient without skin lesions or visceral or systemic signs of inflammatory
      involvement of the adipose tissue. We reported a rare case of idiopathic pleural
      panniculitis with recurrent pleural effusion not associated with Weber-Christian
      disease.

PMID- 28352829
TI  - Uncommon primary hydatid cyst occupying the adrenal gland space, treated with
      laparoscopic surgical approach in an old patient.
AB  - : Hydatid disease (HD) is caused by Echinococcus Granulosus (EG), which is a
      larva endemic in many undeveloped areas. The most common target is the liver (59%
      75%). The retroperitoneal space is considered as a rare localization. We report
      an uncommon case of HD located in the adrenal gland space. PRESENTATION OF CASE:
      This is a 78-year-old Moroccan woman, with right flank pain for eight months
      previously. She denied contact with dogs or sheep. Her physical examination was
      normal. There was no pathological alteration of laboratory exams. CT scan
      measuring 5 cm without clear signs for a sure diagnosis found a round lesion in
      the right adrenal gland. An abdominal MRI showed a round mass of 34 x 27 mm with
      fluid component without a clear plane of dissection from kidney and liver. A
      laparoscopic procedure was performed to obtain a histological diagnosis. We
      reached a conclusive diagnosis of Hydatid cyst of right adrenal gland space.
      Hydatid cysts often develop in the liver. The location in the adrenal bed is rare
      without clinical signs related to alteration of the gland's secretion. Hydatid
      cyst identification in the adrenal gland space is based on ultrasonography, CT or
      MRI scans. The differential diagnosis includes various benign and malignant
      lesions. Laparoscopic procedure is the best approach available to obtain a
      histological diagnosis and a curative treatment. The best treatment for HD is the
      pericystectomy. Laparoscopic surgery can guarantee a radical resection of these
      lesions when it performed by an expert surgeon.

PMID- 28352830
TI  - Learning curve for endorectal ultrasound in young and elderly: lights and shades.
AB  - Aim of the study is to highlight difficulties faced by an inexperienced surgeon
      in approaching endorectal-ultrasound, trying to define when learning curve can be
      considered complete. A prospective analysis was conducted on endorectal
      ultrasound performed for subperitoneal rectal adenocarcinoma staging in the
      period from January 2008 to July 2013, reported by a single surgeon of Department
      of Oncology, Section of General Surgery, "San Luigi Gonzaga" Teaching Hospital,
      Orbassano (Turin, Italy); the surgeon had no previous experience in endorectal
      ultrasound. Fourty-six endorectal-ultrasounds were divided into two groups: early
      group (composed by 23 endorectal-ultrasounds, made from January 2008 to May 2009)
      and late group (composed by 23 endorectal-ultrasound, carried out from June 2009
      to July 2013). In our experience, the importance of a learning curve is evident
      for T staging, but no statystical significance is reached for results deal with N
      stage. We can conclude that ultrasound evaluation of anorectal and perirectal
      tissues is technically challenging and requires a long learning curve. Our
      learning curve can not be closed down, at least for N parameter.

PMID- 28352832
TI  - Laparoscopic antegrade cholecystectomy: a standard procedure?
AB  - : Retrograde approach ("fundus first") is often used in open surgery, while in
      laparoscopic cholecystectomy (LC) is less frequent. LC, with antegrade access, is
      done by putting in traction the infundibulum and going up to the fundus before to
      clip the cystic. Our study analyzes a number of surgical procedures performed by
      experienced surgeons in laparoscopy. From 2002 to 2015, 1740 laparoscopic
      cholecystectomies were performed at our Institution. The operative procedure
      performed since 2002 consists of the incision of the visceral peritoneum from the
      infundibulum away from Calot's triangle along the gallbladder bed up to the
      fundus. Then it continues from the fundus up to the infundibulum. RESULTS: There
      were no bile duct injuries. Average operative time was 40 min. 22 conversions to
      an open procedure (1.3%) occurred, in cases of acute cholecystitis and cirrhotic
      patient. Postoperative stay was mean 2 days with no delayed sequelae on follow
      up. CONCLUSIONS: gallbladder antegrade dissection for laparoscopic
      cholecystectomy can reduce the time of surgery and is an easier technique to
      perform. Therefore, it can be proposed as the standard procedure and not only be
      used for difficult cholecystectomies.

PMID- 28352831
TI  - Xanthogranuloma of the sellar region diagnosed by frozen section.
AB  - Xanthogranuloma (XG) of the sellar region is uncommon and is difficult to
      diagnose based on intraoperative frozen sections. This study is a case
      presentation and review of the literature, highlighting the need to explore
      underlying diseases in order to guarantee an accurate patient diagnosis. Herein,
      we presented the case of a 43-year-old woman who was afflicted with
      xanthogranuloma of the sellar region; the patient had a history of headache and
      lengthened menstrual cycles over the 6 months prior to presentation.
      Endocrinology tests revealed that the patient's levels of prolactin were high and
      the MRI of the patient showed a clearly defined sellar mass. As a result, the
      patient was considered to have prolactinoma prior to undergoing surgery. The
      tumor was completely removed using a transsphenoidal approach, and intraoperative
      frozen section revealed histology similar to xanthogranuloma. When the tumor was
      removed by surgical operation, the patient's visual field defects and headache
      were relieved. Although intraoperative frozen section should provide some
      guidance with regard to the diagnosis, a pathological study is conducted to
      confirm the actual diagnosis.

PMID- 28352833
TI  - Distraction techniques for face and smile aesthetic preventing ageing decay.
AB  - Modern concepts in the world of beauty arise from popular models, beautiful faces
      of actors document a bi-protrusive asset with high tension for soft tissues.
      Facial symmetry has been proposed as a marker of development and stability that
      may be important in human mate choice. For various traits any deviation from
      perfect symmetry can be considered a reflection of imperfect development.
      Additionally, bi-protrusive profile is dependent on the hormonal level regardless
      of male or female sex. The goal of maxillofacial surgery is to provide best
      results both for aesthetic and functional aspects. Following these new concepts
      of aesthetic of the face, new surgical procedure by osteodistraction techniques
      will lead to a very natural result by harmonizing the face also preventing
      aesthetic decay in aging faces. Ten cases with a feedback on the aesthetic
      results using the fivepoint scale of Likert after orthognatic surgery performed
      following distraction new techniques in combination with ancillary surgical
      procedures. The aesthetic results in all patients were highly satisfactory. All
      the patients accepted the new aesthetic of the face avoiding elements of
      discrepancy and consequently medico-legal problems.

PMID- 28352834
TI  - Preoperative high-intensity training in frail old patients undergoing pulmonary
      resection for NSCLC.
AB  - Thoracic surgery remains the better therapeutic option for non-small cell lung
      cancer patients that are diagnosed in early stage disease. Preoperative lung
      function assessment includes respiratory function tests (RFT) and cardio
      pulmonary exercise testing (CPET). Vo2 peak, FEV1 and DLCO as well as recognition
      of performance status, presence of co-morbidities, frailty indexes, and age
      predict the potential impact of surgical resection on patient health status and
      survival risk. In this study we have retrospectively assessed the benefit of a
      high-intensity preoperative pulmonary rehabilitation program (PRP) in 14 patients
      with underlying lung function impairment prior to surgery. Amongst these, three
      patients candidate to surgical resection exhibited severe functional impairment
      associated with high score of frailty according CHS and SOF index, resulting in a
      substantial mortality risk. Our observations indicate that PRP appear to reduce
      the mortality and morbidity risk in frail patients with concurrent lung function
      impairment undergoing thoracic surgery. PRP produced improvement of VO2 peak
      degree and pulmonary function resulting in reduced postoperative complications in
      high-risk patients from our cases. Our results indicate that a preoperative
      training program may improve postoperative clinical outcomes in fraillung cancer
      patients with impaired lung function prior to surgical resection.

PMID- 28352836
TI  - Sialoendoscopy, sialography, and ultrasound: a comparison of diagnostic methods.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: To compare the accuracy of ultrasound, sialography, and sialendoscopy
      for examining benign salivary gland obstructions. METHODS: In this prospective
      study, patients with symptoms of obstruction of the major salivary gland duct
      system presenting at the ENT Clinic University Hospital, Ostrava, from June 2010
      to December 2013 were included. All patients (n=76) underwent ultrasound,
      sialography, and sialoendoscopy. The signs of sialolithiasis, ductal stenosis, or
      normal findings were recorded after the examinations. Statistical analysis of the
      sensitivity and specificity of all the methods was performed, as well as a
      comparison of the accuracy of each method for different kinds of pathology
      (sialolithiasis or stenosis). RESULTS: The sensitivity of ultrasound,
      sialography, and sialoendoscopy for sialolithiasis findings were 71.9%, 86.7 %,
      and 100%, respectively. The sensitivity of sialography and sialoendoscopy for
      stenosis of the duct was 69.0%, and 100%, respectively. The study showed
      impossibility of ultrasonic diagnostics of ductal stenosis. The sensitivity of
      sialoendoscopy for both pathologies was significantly higher than that from
      ultrasound or sialography (p<0.05). The specificity of sialoendoscopy was
      significantly higher than that from by ultrasound or sialography (p<0.05).
      CONCLUSION: Sialoendoscopy was the most accurate method for examination ductal
      pathology, with significantly higher sensitivity and specificity than by
      ultrasound or sialography.

PMID- 28352835
TI  - Descending necrotizing mediastinitis in the elderly patients.
AB  - Descending Necrotizing Mediastinitis (DNM) is a polymicrobic, dangerous and often
      fatal process, arising from head or neck infections and spreading along the deep
      fascial cervical planes, descending into the mediastinum. It can rapidly progress
      to sepsis and can frequently lead to death. It has a high mortality rate, up to
      40% in the different series, as described in the literature. Surgical and
      therapeutic management has been discussed for long time especially in an elderly
      patient population. The literature has been reviewed in order to evaluate
      different pathogenesis and evolution and to recognise a correct therapeutic
      management.

PMID- 28352837
TI  - Maxillary fibrous dysplasia associated with McCune-Albright syndrome. A case
      study.
AB  - McCune Albright syndrome (MCA) is a rare complication of genetic origin. The
      authors present a case study of a patient with MCA diagnosed with multifocal
      fibrous dysplasia in his limb and craniofacial bones. The symptoms of the disease
      in the patient's facial and oral tissue and the treatment administered have been
      described.

PMID- 28352838
TI  - Prophylactic GSV surgery in elderly candidates for hip or knee arthroplasty.
AB  - : Aging is one of the major risk factors for varicose veins. The same is for Knee
      and Hip Osteoarthritis. Most of the patients undergoing to Hip (THA) or Knee
      (TKA) arthroplasty are over sixteen. Varicose veins, excluding thrombophilia, are
      the most significant risk factors for VTE after THA and TKA. This study
      investigates on the usefulness of prophylactic treatment of GSV insufficiency in
      elderly patients undergoing to orthopedic surgery. A retrospective study
      enrolling 44 over-sixty five patients, undergoing to TKA or THA. 24 patients
      underwent to traditional surgery and 20 to EVLA. The presence of evident
      varicosities and/or a saphenic reflux lasting > 500 ms has been considered as
      operability criterion. Both in surgery and EVLA group has been performed the
      ablation of visible varicosities and only saphenic refluxing traits. RESULTS: 1
      case of symptomatic DVT was recorded after arthroplasty. A statistically
      significant difference (p = 0.006) of recovery time between surgery and EVLA
      groups has been detected. There is not a statistically significant difference in
      long-term recurrence rate between surgery and EVLA. CONCLUSIONS: It is useful to
      program GSV surgery, before treat hip or knee. This study showed a 50% decrease
      in the incidence of postoperative DVT.

PMID- 28352839
TI  - Diagnostic yield and safety of C-TBNA in elderly patients with lung cancer.
AB  - Conventional transbronchial needle aspiration (C-TBNA) is a minimally invasive
      technique used primarily in the diagnosis and staging of lung cancer. Currently
      lung cancer is mostly considered a disease of the elderly and the management of
      this disease in older patients is a growing concern. In this study we aimed to
      assess the diagnostic yield and safety of C-TBNA in elderly patients. A
      retrospective review of 88 consecutive C-TBNA procedures for nodal staging in
      suspected or confirmed primary lung cancer or pathological confirmation in
      suspected advanced lung cancer was performed. Patients were divided into less
      than 70 (<70yrs) or 70 and older (>=70yrs) age groups for analysis. There were no
      significant differences either in the diagnostic yield (69% in patients aged < 70
      yrs and 74% patients aged >= 70 yrs (p=0.5) nor in the complication rate
      (respectively 8.8% in patients aged < 70 yrs and 6.9% in patients aged >= 70 yrs
      (p=0.7) between the two age groups. Reported complications were minor bleeding
      and poor tolerance; no major complications were observed. Based on our
      experience, C-TBNA represents a useful and safe alternative procedure for the
      diagnosis and staging of lung cancer in elderly patients.

PMID- 28352840
TI  - Antibody Response to Live Attenuated Vaccines in Adults in Japan.
AB  - The purpose of this study was to examine the efficacy rendered with a single dose
      of live attenuated measles, rubella, mumps, and varicella containing vaccine. We
      inoculated healthcare workers (HCWs) with a single dose of vaccine to a disease
      lacking in antibody titer for those not meeting the criteria of our hospital
      (measles: <16.0 (IgG enzyme immunoassay (EIA)), rubella: <=1:32 (hemagglutination
      inhibition), mumps: <4.0 (IgG EIA), and varicella: <4.0 (IgG EIA)). At 28-60 days
      after vaccination, the antibody titer was tested again. We included 48 HCWs. A
      total of 32, 15, 31, and 10 individuals were inoculated with a single dose of
      measles-containing, rubella-containing, mumps, or varicella vaccine,
      respectively, and showed significant antibody elevation (9.2 +/- 12.3 to 27.6 +/-
      215.6, p<0.001; 8 +/- 1.2 to 32 +/- 65.5, p<0.001; 3.0 +/- 1.0 to 13.1 +/- 8.6,
      p<0.05; and 2.6 +/- 1.3 to 11.8 +/- 8.1, p<0.001, respectively). Major side
      effects were not observed. In a limited population, a single dose of live
      attenuated vaccine showed elevation of antibody titer without any severe adverse
      reactions. However, whether the post-vaccination response rate criteria of our
      university was fulfilled could not be determined owing to limited sample size.

PMID- 28352841
TI  - The learning curve of laparoscopic holecystectomy in general surgery resident
      training: old age of the patient may be a risk factor?
AB  - : A well-designed learning curve is essential for the acquisition of laparoscopic
      skills: but, are there risk factors that can derail the surgical method? From a
      review of the current literature on the learning curve in laparoscopic surgery,
      we identified learning curve components in video laparoscopic cholecystectomy; we
      suggest a learning curve model that can be applied to assess the progress of
      general surgical residents as they learn and master the stages of video
      laparoscopic cholecystectomy regardless of type of patient. Electronic databases
      were interrogated to better define the terms "surgeon", "specialized surgeon",
      and "specialist surgeon"; we surveyed the literature on surgical residency
      programs outside Italy to identify learning curve components, influential
      factors, the importance of tutoring, and the role of reference centers in
      residency education in surgery. From the definition of acceptable error, self
      efficacy, and error classification, we devised a learning curve model that may be
      applied to training surgical residents in video laparoscopic cholecystectomy.
      Based on the criteria culled from the literature, the three surgeon categories
      (general, specialized, and specialist) are distinguished by years of experience,
      case volume, and error rate; the patients were distinguished for years and
      characteristics. The training model was constructed as a series of key learning
      steps in video laparoscopic cholecystectomy. Potential errors were identified and
      the difficulty of each step was graded using operation-specific characteristics.
      On completion of each procedure, error checklist scores on procedure-specific
      performance are tallied to track the learning curve and obtain performance
      indices of measurement that chart the trainee's progress. CONCLUSIONS: The
      concept of the learning curve in general surgery is disputed. The use of learning
      steps may enable the resident surgical trainee to acquire video laparoscopic
      cholecystectomy skills proportional to the instructor's ability, the trainee's
      own skills, and the safety of the surgical environment. There were no patient
      characteristics that can derail the methods. With this training scheme, resident
      trainees may be provided the opportunity to develop their intrinsic capabilities
      without the loss of basic technical skills.

PMID- 28352843
TI  - Anal sphincter dysfunction in multiple sclerosis: an observation manometric
      study.
AB  - : Constipation, obstructed defecation, and fecal incontinence are frequent
      complaints in multiple sclerosis. The literature on the pathophysiological
      mechanisms underlying these disorders is scant. Using anorectal manometry, we
      compared the anorectal function in patients with and without multiple sclerosis.
      136 patients referred from our Center for Multiple Sclerosis to the
      Coloproctology Outpatient Clinic, between January 2005 and December 2011, were
      enrolled. The patients were divided into four groups: multiple sclerosis patients
      with constipation (group A); multiple sclerosis patients with fecal incontinence
      (group B); non-multiple sclerosis patients with constipation (group C); non
      multiple sclerosis patients with fecal incontinence (group D). Anorectal
      manometry was performed to measure: resting anal pressure; maximum squeeze
      pressure; rectoanal inhibitory reflex; filling pressure and urge pressure. The
      difference between resting anal pressure before and after maximum squeeze
      maneuvers was defined as the change in resting anal pressure calculated for each
      patient. RESULTS: Group A patients were noted to have greater sphincter hypotonia
      at rest and during contraction compared with those in group C (p=0.02); the
      rectal sensitivity threshold was lower in group B than in group D patients
      (p=0.02). No voluntary postcontraction sphincter relaxation was observed in
      either group A or group B patients (p=0.891 and p=0.939, respectively).
      CONCLUSIONS: The decrease in the difference in resting anal pressure before and
      after maximum squeeze maneuvers suggests post-contraction sphincter spasticity,
      indicating impaired pelvic floor coordination in multiple sclerosis patients. A
      knowledge of manometric alterations in such patients may be clinically relevant
      in the selection of patients for appropriate treatments and for planning targeted
      rehabilitation therapy.

PMID- 28352844
TI  - Excellence and safety in surgery require excellent and safe tutoring.
AB  - : The surgical education in Italy has always been a very important issue. The aim
      of this article is to bring together the feedback of the definitions of the
      various components of the learning scheme and to evaluate the importance of the
      legal point. In March 2016 we performed a literature review. We have also
      examinated the internet pages of the Italian Department of Education, Health and
      Medical Order. In Italy the tutor had an unclear role from a legal point of view.
      He is the person who must be able to perform a specific procedure with expert
      technical and who must know how to stop the student if this is about to perform a
      dangerous maneuver. In Italy the ability to work for the trainee is limited in
      all reality, it depends on several factors including the increase of numbers of
      medical-legal disputes, the timing, the commitment it requires mentoring and a
      lack of mentors. CONCLUSION: In surgery, the problem is greater because of the
      increasingly of medico-legal implications that we are after surgical procedure.
      It would be necessary to define a role of the tutor in a regular protocol and a
      proper assessment of his performance.

PMID- 28352842
TI  - Self-gripping mesh versus fibrin glue fixation in laparoscopic inguinal hernia
      repair: a randomized prospective clinical trial in young and elderly patients.
AB  - Laparoscopic transabdominal preperitoneal inguinal hernia repair is a safe and
      effective technique. In this study we tested the hypothesis that self-gripping
      mesh used with the laparoscopic approach is comparable to polypropylene mesh in
      terms of perioperative complications, against a lower overall cost of the
      procedure. We carried out a prospective randomized trial comparing a group of 30
      patients who underwent laparoscopic inguinal hernia repair with self-gripping
      mesh versus a group of 30 patients who received polypropylene mesh with fibrin
      glue fixation. There were no statistically significant differences between the
      two groups with regard to intraoperative variables, early or late intraoperative
      complications, chronic pain or recurrence. Self-gripping mesh in transabdominal
      hernia repair was found to be a valid alternative to polypropylene mesh in terms
      of complications, recurrence and postoperative pain. The cost analysis and
      comparability of outcomes support the preferential use of self-gripping mesh.

PMID- 28352845
TI  - Suggestions on how to make suboptimal kidney transplantation an ethically viable
      option.
AB  - To overcome kidney donation, the pool of potentially eligible donors has been
      widened by using suboptimal organs harvested from living donors or cadavers.
      These organs may engender health complications as age, risk factors, and
      pathologies of donors fail to meet the standard donor criteria. After examining a
      wide array of literature on suboptimal kidney transplants, we evidenced two major
      issues: the lack of standardized terminology and the lack of longterm data on the
      health outcomes of both suboptimal living donors and recipients. Consequently,
      surgeons are still unable to provide patients with thorough information to obtain
      a well-informed consent. Suboptimal kidney transplantation still remains in its
      experimental stage, thereby raising many ethical and medico-legal concerns. We
      suggest that one possible solution to overcome some of the ethical shortcomings
      of suboptimal kidney donations is to provide living donors and recipients honest,
      accurate, and thorough information about its health risks. To this aim, we
      advocate adopting a widely standardized terminology that would embrace the whole
      concept of suboptimal kidney transplantation, increasing the number of future
      publications on the health outcomes of living donors and recipients, spurring
      ethical reflection to improve the experience of suboptimal kidney transplantation
      and reduce the waiting-list for kidney transplantation.

PMID- 28352846
TI  - Ectopic pregnancy treatment by combination therapy.
AB  - Detectability of early stages of ectopic pregnancies has increased due to
      improvements in ultrasonographic and biochemical techniques. Since the patients'
      future procreative plans must be taken into consideration when commencing
      treatment, the goal of this work was to compare the effects of treatment methods
      and their impact on fertility. The study included 91 patients treated surgically
      for ectopic pregnancy. The choice of treatment depended on patients' general
      condition, ultrasonographic evaluation and serum level of beta-hCG. A combination
      of laparoscopic and conservative systemic treatment was applied in 70% of cases.
      More rapid beta-hCG reduction was noted when laparoscopy and intra-oviductal
      injection of hyperosmolar glucose or methotrexate (MTX) were combined with
      intramuscular administration of MTX at a dose of 50 mg/m2. Follow-up examination
      of 66 patients revealed that the greatest number of spontaneous pregnancies (48%)
      resulted after this combination therapy. We conclude that this combination
      treatment is safe and provides satisfactory results in terms of future fertility.

PMID- 28352848
TI  - Cusum analysis for learning curve of videothoracoscopic lobectomy.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Video assisted thoracoscopic (VATS) lobectomy has a demanding
      learning curve due to its technical complexity and risk of uncontrollable
      bleeding. We investigated the case number required for gaining technical
      proficiency by applying cumulative sum analysis on initial VATS lobectomy
      operations of a single surgeon. METHODS: CALGB definition was used for the
      definition of VATS lobectomy. The data of the initial cases evaluated and
      cumulative sum (CUSUM) analysis was applied to duration of the operations and
      length of hospital stay. RESULTS: Fifty-eight patients underwent VATS lobectomy.
      Of those 51 were malignant and 7 were benign. Fifty-five of the procedures were
      lobectomy, 2 were inferior bi-lobectomy and 1 was left upper lobectomy with chest
      wall resection. CUSUM analysis reached to proficiency at 27 cases for duration of
      the operations. CONCLUSIONS: The length of learning curve depends on previous
      experience of the surgeon on open lobectomy and simpler VATS operations,
      potential number of VATS lobectomy cases and VATS capability of the surgeon.
      Depending on these factors, it is possible to obtain technical proficiency with
      an inferior number of procedures compared with existing literature (50-200).

PMID- 28352847
TI  - Use of a simplified consent form to facilitate patient understanding of informed
      consent for laparoscopic cholecystectomy.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Surgical informed consent forms can be complicated for patients to
      read and understand. We created a consent form with key information presented in
      bulleted texts and diagrams combined in a graphical format to facilitate the
      understanding of information during the verbal consent discussion. METHODS: This
      prospective, randomized study involved 70 adult patients awaiting cholecystectomy
      for gallstones. Consent was obtained after standard verbal explanation using
      either a graphically formatted (study group, n=33) or a standard text document
      (control group, n=37). Comprehension was evaluated with a 9-item multiple-choice
      questionnaire administered before surgery and factors affecting comprehension
      were analyzed. RESULTS: Comparison of questionnaire scores showed no effect of
      age, sex, time between consent and surgery, or document format on understanding
      of informed consent. Educational level was the only predictor of comprehension.
      CONCLUSIONS: Simplified surgical consent documents meet the goals of health
      literacy and informed consent. Educational level appears to be a strong predictor
      of understanding.

PMID- 28352849
TI  - A meta-analysis of association between glutathione S-transferase M1 gene
      polymorphism and Parkinson's disease susceptibility.
AB  - The aim of this meta-analysis was to evaluate whether there was an association
      between glutathione S-transferase M1(GSTM1)gene polymorphism and Parkinson's
      disease (PD) susceptibility by pooling published data. We performed comprehensive
      electronic database search for articles published between February12,2015 and
      April30 2016. The published case-control or cohort studies related to GSTM1 gene
      polymorphism and Parkinson's disease susceptibility were screened, reviewed, and
      included in this meta-analysis. The correlation between GSTM1 gene polymorphism
      and PD susceptibility was expressed by odds ratio (OR) and its corresponding 95%
      confidence interval (95%CI). Publication bias was evaluated by Begg's funnel plot
      and Egger's line regression test. All analysis was done by stata11.0 software.
      After searching the PubMed, EMBASE, and CNKI databases, seventeen case-control
      studies with 3,538 PD and 5,180 controls were included in the final meta
      analysis. The data was pooled by a fixed-effect model for lack of statistical
      heterogeneity across the studies; the results showed GSTM1 null expression can
      significant increase the susceptibility of PD (OR=1.11, 95% CI:1.01-1.21,
      P<0.05). Subgroup analysis indicated GSTM1 gene polymorphism was associated with
      PD susceptibility in the Caucasian ethnic group (OR=1.15, 95% CI:1.05-1.27,
      P<0.05) but not in the Asian ethnic group (OR=0.89, 95% CI:0.70-1.12, P>0.05).
      Begg's funnel plot and Egger's line regression test showed no significant
      publication bias. Based on the present evidence, GSTM1 null expression can
      significant increase the susceptibility of PD in persons of Caucasian ethnicity.

PMID- 28352850
TI  - Plastination: ethical and medico-legal considerations.
AB  - The international plastination phenomenon has proved to be immensely popular with
      audiences world-wide. Never before has the human body been exposed to public gaze
      in such an accessible manner. The exhibitions have perplexed many, included
      anatomists, some of whom find the display of human bodies unethical. The
      objective of this study is to review the attention on the use of plastination and
      exhibition of entire human bodies for non-educational or commercial purposes. The
      nature of these exhibitions and the uneasy balance between entertainment and
      education has caused heated debate. The possible legitimacy of the expression of
      one's will as far as exhibition purposes isn't considered sufficient for the
      indiscriminate use of a corpse despite the ethical necessity of respecting the
      wishes of individuals based on respect for the deceased. The informed consent of
      an individual represents only the most basic and minimal prerequisite for the use
      of the deceased's body for exhibition purposes, and is absolutely not enough on
      its own to justify its use in entertainment exhibitions or for the
      commercialization of the death.

PMID- 28352851
TI  - Investigation and control of a suspected nosocomial outbreak of pan-drug
      resistant Acinetobacter baumannii in an intensive care unit.
AB  - Acinetobacter baumannii, a non-fermenting Gram-negative bacterium, is a common
      pathogen in intensive care units (ICU) that is easily spread through contact and
      can cause nosocomial outbreaks. This study investigated the risk factors
      associated with outbreaks of pan-drug resistant Acinetobacter baumannii (PDR-Ab)
      infection by studying a suspected nosocomial outbreak in a comprehensive ICU in a
      teaching hospital in China, and discusses the effectiveness of current prevention
      and control measures. Pathogen detection methods involving pulsed field gel
      electrophoresis (PFGE) were employed to survey patients infected or colonized
      with PDR-Ab. An epidemiological investigation was conducted to determine the risk
      factors for infection or colonization with PDR-Ab between 1 October 2014 and 16
      January 2015. The rate of PDR-Ab infection in the ICU was higher during the
      period from 1 October 2014 to 16 January 2015 than it was between 1 October 2013
      and 16 January 2014. Only two cases were confirmed to have the same genotype.
      Risk factors were explored and the rate of infection was found to be controlled
      by interventions targeting these risk factors. A decrease in the number of
      infections was observed after multiple prevention and control measures were
      implemented, preventing the outbreak of a nosocomial infection.

PMID- 28352852
TI  - Multifactorial analysis of fatigue scale among nurses in Poland.
AB  - : Significant progress in the field of nursing has contributed to the widening of
      range of functions and professional duties of nurses. More frequent lack of
      nursing personnel has an impact on negative reception of work, it decreases sense
      of professional satisfaction and increases the level of burden and fatigue.
      METHODS: The study applied the non-experimental method - a descriptive
      comparative study without a control group. The data was collected on the basis of
      Polish-language version of a Japanese questionnaire. In order to evaluate the
      level of physical fatigue the pedometer was used. RESULTS: 158 respondents of a
      group of 160 were included in the statistical analysis. The study group was
      internally diversified. The research project assessed the usefulness of the
      multifactorial analysis in evaluating the main components of nursing fatigue.
      Multifactorial analysis has shown that mental fatigue concentrated with changes
      in activeness, motivation and physical fatigue are strongly correlated with age,
      professional experience and education. CONCLUSION: Nursing is a profession of a
      special character and mission. Regardless of the place of work, nursing staff
      should be given the possibility of pursuing their profession under conditions
      ensuring the sense of security and protecting them from harmful effects on
      health.

PMID- 28352853
TI  - Smoking cessation for free: outcomes of a study of three Romanian clinics.
AB  - In 2007, Romania implemented a national program for smoking cessation, providing
      medication and counseling, entirely for free. The present study focuses on the
      results of the program among participating smokers treated in three smoking
      cessation centers from three main cities of Romania: Iasi, Targu Mures and Cluj.
      Telephone interviews of 832 subjects from three databases of the Romanian
      cessation clinics of Iasi, Cluj and Targu Mures cities were conducted. These
      interviews were based on a standard Romanian guideline follow-up questionnaire.
      At 3 months follow up, abstinence was quite high (53.4%); at 12 months post quit
      date the study found 18.6% still abstinent subjects. More severely addicted
      smokers have quit with varenicline and the most difficult category of patients
      was represented by heavy smokers with respiratory co-morbidities. 61.5% of
      smokers and 97.2% of non-smokers were willing to receive relapse prevention
      counseling. Many subjects achieved a long duration partial abstinence (154 days
      +/- 180 SD abstinence days). This is the first study in Romanian smoking
      cessation centers to analyze the long term impact of fully reimbursed smoking
      cessation, covering three months pharmacotherapy and counseling. Providing
      smoking cessation for free had a positive long term impact on program
      participants.

PMID- 28352855
TI  - Fabrication of conjugated microporous polytriazine nanotubes and nanospheres for
      highly selective CO2 capture.
AB  - A one-spot template approach for fabricating porous organic nanotubes was
      developed and a molecular design, i.e. introducing thiophene and s-triazine
      functionalities to enhance host-guest interactions, lead to novel porous solids
      with high capacities for CO2 and exceptionally high ideal selectivities over N2
      for effective gas storage and separation.

PMID- 28352854
TI  - Clinical efficacy and safety of tripterygium glycosides in treatment of stage IV
      diabetic nephropathy: A meta-analysis.
AB  - The aim of this meta-analysis was to evaluate the clinical efficacy and safety of
      tripterygium glycosides in treatment of stage IV diabetic nephropathy. Methods
      Through searching the PubMed and CNKI databases, the open published clinically
      controlled trials related to efficacy and safety of tripterygium glycosides in
      the treatment of stage IV diabetic nephropathy were collected. The pooled total
      efficacy, 24h urinary protein, serum creatinine and tripterygium glycosides
      related toxicity were calculated using Stata 11.0 software. Results Fourteen
      publications including 992 subjects (512 in the experimental group and 480 in the
      control group) were included in this study. Eight studies reported the total
      clinical efficacy comparing the experiment and control groups. No significant
      statistical heterogeneity was found in total efficacy (I2=24.9%, p>0.05). Thus,
      the combined odds ratio (OR) was pooled by fixed effect model. The pooled OR=4.16
      with its 95% CI 2.71~6.37 (p<0.05), which indicated the total efficacy in the
      experiment group, was significant higher than that of control group (p<0.05);
      Thirteen studies reported the post-treatment 24h urinary protein value.
      Statistical heterogeneity analysis indicated significant heterogeneity across
      studies (I2=91.1%, p<0.05); that data was pooled by a random effects model. The
      combined standardized mean difference (SMD) was -1.55 with its 95% I -2.06~1.03,
      (p<0.05). The results indicated that post-treatment 24h urinary protein in the
      experiment group was significant lower than that in control group (p<0.05); Ten
      studies reported the post-treatment serum creatinine. Significant heterogeneity
      existed across those studies (I2=82.3%, p<0.05). Thereafter, the data was pooled
      by a random effect model. The combined standardized mean difference (SMD) was 
      0.24 with its 95%CI -0.40~0.09, (p<0.05). The results indicated that the post
      treatment serum creatinine in experiment group was significant lower than that of
      control group (p<0.05); Eight studies reported tripterygium glycoside-associated
      toxicity such as liver function damage, gastrointestinal reactions and menstrual
      disorders. With no statistical heterogeneity among the studies, the data was
      pooled by fixed effect model. The pooled OR=6.42 (95%CI 2.23~18.48, p<0.05). The
      pooled results showed the tripterygium glycoside- associated toxicity incidence
      rate was significant higher in the experiment group than that of the control
      group (p<0.05); There were no publication bias for effect size of total efficacy,
      24h urinary protein, and serum creatinine. However, for tripterygium glycoside
      related toxicity, the publication bias was significant (t=-3.55, p<0.05).
      Conclusion The present evidence shows that tripterygium glycosides can improve
      clinical efficacy, reduce the 24h urinary protein and serum creatinine, but that
      they increase the tripterygium glycoside-related toxicity in treatment of stage
      IV diabetic nephropathy.

PMID- 28352857
TI  - Facile construction of mitochondria-targeting nanoparticles for enhanced
      phototherapeutic effects.
AB  - Phototherapy, as a noninvasive therapeutic procedure, has been applied to treat
      tumors. However, the application of phototherapy is often compromised by its low
      efficiency. Herein, we developed a novel nanoplatform based on cationic
      amphiphilic polymer-wrapped carbon nanotubes (rPAA@SWCNTs) with a
      photosensitizer, indocyanine green (ICG), for phototherapy. The as-prepared
      nanoparticles exhibited excellent mitochondria targeting due to the synergistic
      properties of highly positive charges from the polycations on the corona and the
      high hydrophobicity from the carbon nanotubes in the core. Moreover, the high
      buffer capacity of the polycations facilitated the endosomal escape of
      nanoparticles via a proton-sponge effect. When irradiated with an 808 nm NIR
      laser, ICG/rPAA@SWCNTs could precisely damage mitochondria with high efficiency
      and produce reactive oxygen species (ROS) and hyperthermia, which further induced
      the ROS burst from damaged mitochondria. The overproduced ROS accumulated in
      mitochondria ultimately resulted in mitochondrial damage and cell death.
      Therefore ICG/rPAA@SWCNTs may be able to achieve an amplifying phototherapeutic
      effect.

PMID- 28352858
TI  - N-Heterocyclic carbene copper-catalyzed direct alkylation of terminal alkynes
      with non-activated alkyl triflates.
AB  - (NHC)-Cu-catalyzed C(sp)-C(sp3) bond formation has been successfully achieved
      under mild conditions. Nonactivated alkyl triflates, which could be easily
      derived from alcohols, were utilized as C-O electrophiles. Mechanistic studies
      suggested that copper acetylide was the active species. Scale-up reactions
      further demonstrated the practicality and efficiency of the developed strategy.

PMID- 28352859
TI  - How RNase HI (Escherichia coli) promoted site-selective hydrolysis works on RNA
      in duplex with carba-LNA and LNA substituted antisense strands in an antisense
      strategy context?
AB  - A detailed kinetic study of 36 single modified AON-RNA heteroduplexes shows that
      substitution of a single native nucleotide in the antisense strand (AON) by
      locked nucleic acid (LNA) or by diastereomerically pure carba-LNA results in site
      dependent modulation of RNase H promoted cleavage of complementary mRNA strands
      by 2 to 5 fold at 5'-GpN-3' cleavage sites, giving up to 70% of the RNA cleavage
      products. The experiments have been performed using RNase HI of Escherichia coli.
      The 2nd best cleavage site, being the 5'-ApN-3' sites, cleaves up to 23%,
      depending upon the substitution site in 36 isosequential complementary AONs. A
      comparison of the modified AON promoted RNA cleavage rates with that of the
      native AON shows that sequence-specificity is considerably enhanced as a result
      of modification. Clearly, relatively weaker 5'-purine (Pu)-pyrimidine (Py)-3'
      stacking in the complementary RNA strand is preferred (giving ~90% of total
      cleavage products), which plays an important role in RNase H promoted RNA
      cleavage. A plausible mechanism of RNase H mediated cleavage of the RNA has been
      proposed to be two-fold, dictated by the balancing effect of the aromatic
      character of the purine aglycone: first, the locally formed 9-guanylate ion (pKa
      9.3, ~18-20% N1 ionized at pH 8) alters the adjoining sugar-phosphate backbone
      around the scissile phosphate, transforming its sugar N/S conformational
      equilibrium, to preferential S-type, causing preferential cleavage at 5'-GpN-3'
      sites around the center of 20 mer complementary mRNA. Second, the weaker nearest
      neighbor strength of 5'-Pu-p-Py-3' stacking promotes preferential 5'-GpN-3' and
      5'-ApN-3' cleavage, providing ~90% of the total products, compared to ~50% in
      that of the native one, because of the cLNA/LNA substituent effect on the
      neighboring 5'-Pu-p-Py-3' sites, providing both local steric flexibility and
      additional hydration. This facilitates both the water and water/Mg2+ ion
      availability at the cleavage site causing sequence-specific hydrolysis of the
      phosphodiester bond of scissile phosphate. The enhancement of the total rate of
      cleavage of the complementary mRNA strand by up to 25%, presented in this work,
      provides opportunities to engineer a single modification site in appropriately
      substituted AONs to design an effective antisense strategy based on the
      nucleolytic stability of the AON strand versus RNase H capability to cleave the
      complementary RNA strand.

PMID- 28352860
TI  - Mesoscopic helical architectures via self-assembly of porphyrin-based discotic
      systems.
AB  - Mesoscopic super-helices with preferred helicity have been serendipitously formed
      from the self-assembly of electroactive extended core discotic molecules. The
      investigation at dilute concentrations reveals intramolecular hydrogen-bonding
      and pi-pi stacking interactions as the driving force of the chiral self-assembly
      at different length scales.

PMID- 28352862
TI  - Simultaneous observation of surface- and edge-states of a 2D topological
      insulator through scanning tunneling spectroscopy and differential conductance
      imaging.
AB  - A 2D form of Bi2Se3 which acts as a topological insulator was grown through
      colloidal synthesis method. The surface-states and edge-states of the nanoplates
      were simultaneously probed through scanning tunneling spectroscopy (STS). At the
      interior, density of states (DOS) revealed the location of conduction and valence
      band edges. The DOS at the edges, on the other hand, brought out gapless
      conducting states along with a Dirac point at a non-zero value below the Fermi
      energy representing the Dirac cone of a 2D topological insulator. In differential
      tunnel conductance (dI/dV), images are recorded at different voltages and the two
      sections of the topological insulator can be viewed selectively or simultaneously
      with a clear contrast in illumination. Upon increasing the 2D-nanoplates
      thickness, the material turned into a 3D topological insulator with gapless
      surface states.

PMID- 28352861
TI  - Morphological and chemical transformations of single silica-coated CdSe/CdS
      nanorods upon fs-laser excitation.
AB  - Radiation-induced modifications of nanostructures are of fundamental interest and
      constitute a viable out-of-equilibrium approach to the development of novel
      nanomaterials. Herein, we investigated the structural transformation of silica
      coated CdSe/CdS nanorods (NRs) under femtosecond (fs) illumination. By comparing
      the same nanorods before and after illumination with different fluences we found
      that the silica-shell did not only enhance the stability of the NRs but that the
      confinement of the NRs also led to novel morphological and chemical
      transformations. Whereas uncoated CdSe/CdS nanorods were found to sublimate under
      such excitations the silica-coated nanorods broke into fragments which deformed
      towards a more spherical shape. Furthermore, CdS decomposed which led to the
      formation of metallic Cd, confirmed by high-resolution electron microscopy and
      energy dispersive X-ray spectrometry (EDX), whereby an epitaxial interface with
      the remaining CdS lattice was formed. Under electron beam exposure similar
      transformations were found to take place which we followed in situ.

PMID- 28352864
TI  - The convergent chemical synthesis of histone H3 protein for site-specific
      acetylation at Lys56 and ubiquitination at Lys122.
AB  - Deposition of (H3-H4)2 tetramers is believed to be the critical step in
      nucleosome assembly. Site-specific acetylation and ubiquitination of histone H3
      have been speculated to synergistically facilitate the formation and deposition
      of (H3-H4)2 tetramers. Here we report our endeavors toward the first chemical
      synthesis of homogenous histone H3, which bears Lys56 acetylation and Lys122
      ubiquitination, for in vitro biochemical and biophysical studies.

PMID- 28352865
TI  - Effects of synthetic iron and aluminium oxide surface charge and hydrophobicity
      on the formation of bacterial biofilm.
AB  - In this research, bacterial cell attachments to hematite, goethite and aluminium
      hydroxide were investigated. The aim was to study the effects of these minerals'
      hydrophobicity and pH-dependent surface charge on the extent of biofilm formation
      using six genetically diverse bacterial strains: Rhodococcus spp. (RC92 & RC291),
      Pseudomonas spp. (Pse1 & Pse2) and Sphingomonas spp. (Sph1 & Sph2), which had
      been previously isolated from contaminated environments. The surfaces were
      prepared in a way that was compatible with the naturally occurring coating
      process in aquifers: deposition of colloidal particles from the aqueous phase.
      The biofilms were evaluated using a novel, in situ and non-invasive technique
      developed for this purpose. A manufactured polystyrene 12-well plate was used as
      the reference surface to be coated with synthesized minerals by deposition of
      their suspended particles through evaporation. Planktonic phase growth indicates
      that it is independent of the surface charge and hydrophobicity of the studied
      surfaces. The hydrophobic similarities failed to predict biofilm proliferation.
      Two of the three hydrophilic strains formed extensive biofilms on the minerals.
      The third one, Sph2, showed anomalies in contrast to the expected electrostatic
      attraction between the minerals and the cell surface. Further research showed how
      the solution's ionic strength affects Sph2 surface potential and shapes the
      extent of its biofilm formation; reducing the ionic strength from ~200 mM to ~20
      mM led to a tenfold increase in the number of cells attached to hematite. This
      study provides a technique to evaluate biofilm formation on metal-oxide surfaces,
      under well-controlled conditions, using a simple yet reliable method. The
      findings also highlight that cell numbers in the planktonic phase do not
      necessarily show the extent of cell attachment, and thorough physicochemical
      characterization of bacterial strains, substrata and the aquifer medium is
      fundamental to successfully implementing any bioremediation projects.

PMID- 28352866
TI  - Missing metal-linker connectivities in a 3-D robust sulfonate-based metal-organic
      framework for enhanced proton conductivity.
AB  - A rare example of a robust, sulfonate-based metal-organic framework (MOF) with a
      prototypical primitive-cubic topology has been successfully synthesized.
      Importantly, one-fourth of the metal-ligand connectivities residing in the MOF
      are missing, resulting in the appearance of coordinatively accessible Cu2+ sites
      and pendant sulfonate groups. This unprecedented crystal irregularity phenomenon
      of MOFs substantially enhances their affinity towards water molecules, thus
      increasing the proton conductivity by two orders of magnitude.

PMID- 28352867
TI  - Metal salts and complexes of 1,1'-dinitramino-5,5'-bitetrazole.
AB  - Potassium 1,1'-dinitramino-5,5'-bitetrazolate is one of the most promising
      primary explosives which is currently under investigation for different
      applications. This is due to its high initiation power and the exclusion of heavy
      metals. To close the gap, the remaining alkali metal salts such as the lithium 6,
      sodium 7, rubidium 8 and cesium 9 salts were synthesized by reaction of the
      highly soluble ammonium salt 5 with its corresponding metal hydroxide solutions.
      In addition, the highly explosive silver salt 10 as well as several other
      transition metal(ii) amine complexes with nickel(ii) 11, copper(ii) 12 and
      zinc(ii) 13 were prepared in a similar manner. The structure of all compounds was
      determined by X-ray diffraction. The sensitivities toward impact, friction, heat
      and electrostatic discharge as well as their behavior on laser irradiation of the
      transition metal complexes were explored.

PMID- 28352868
TI  - Flexible organofunctional aerogels.
AB  - Flexible inorganic-organic silica aerogels based on methyltrimethoxysilane (MTMS,
      CH3Si(OCH3)3) can overcome the drawbacks of conventional silica aerogels by
      introducing high mechanical strength, elastic recovery and hydrophobicity to
      monolithic materials. In this work, MTMS is co-condensed with organofunctional
      alkoxysilanes RSi(OMe)3 (R = vinyl, chloropropyl, mercaptopropyl,
      methacryloxypropyl, etc.) yielding aerogels that are not only flexible but also
      contain reactive functional groups. Sol-gel parameters, such as the
      MTMS/RSi(OMe)3 ratio, have been systematically investigated in terms of gelation
      behavior, complete/incomplete incorporation of the functional organic groups
      (confirmed by FTIR-ATR and Raman spectroscopy) and flexibility of the resulting
      gel. Sterically more demanding functional moieties lead to macroscopic phase
      separation; however, this problem was overcome by the employment of surfactants.
      Functional aerogels dried by supercritical extraction with carbon dioxide showed
      promising results in uniaxial compression tests and had an elastic recovery up to
      60%. Furthermore, the accessibility of the functional groups was demonstrated by
      simple reactions, e.g. conversion of the chloro into azido groups via a
      nucleophilic substitution reaction with NaN3 followed by click reactions.

PMID- 28352870
TI  - Assessing cooperativity in supramolecular systems.
AB  - This tutorial review summarises different aspects of cooperativity in
      supramolecular complexes. We propose a systematic categorisation of cooperativity
      into cooperative aggregation, intermolecular (allosteric) cooperativity,
      intramolecular (chelate) cooperativity and interannular cooperativity and discuss
      approaches to quantify them thermodynamically using cooperativity factors. A
      brief summary of methods to determine the necessary thermodynamic data is given
      with emphasis on isothermal titration calorimetry (ITC), a method still
      underrepresented in supramolecular chemistry, which however offers some
      advantages over others. Finally, a discussion of very few selected examples,
      which highlight different aspects to illustrate why such an analysis is useful,
      rounds up this review.

PMID- 28352869
TI  - Biophysical isolation and identification of circulating tumor cells.
AB  - Isolation and enumeration of circulating tumor cells (CTCs) from blood is
      important for determining patient prognosis and monitoring treatment. Methods
      based on affinity to cell surface markers have been applied to both purify (via
      immunoseparation) and identify (via immunofluorescence) CTCs. However,
      variability of cell biomarker expression associated with tumor heterogeneity and
      evolution and cross-reactivity of antibody probes have long complicated CTC
      enrichment and immunostaining. Here, we report a truly label-free high-throughput
      microfluidic approach to isolate, enumerate, and characterize the biophysical
      properties of CTCs using an integrated microfluidic device. Vortex-mediated
      deformability cytometry (VDC) consists of an initial vortex region which enriches
      large CTCs, followed by release into a downstream hydrodynamic stretching region
      which deforms the cells. Visualization and quantification of cell deformation
      with a high-speed camera revealed populations of large (>15 MUm diameter) and
      deformable (aspect ratio >1.2) CTCs from 16 stage IV lung cancer samples, that
      are clearly distinguished by increased deformability compared to contaminating
      blood cells and rare large cells isolated from healthy patients. The VDC
      technology demonstrated a comparable positive detection rate of putative CTCs
      above healthy baseline (93.8%) with respect to standard immunofluorescence
      (71.4%). Automation allows full enumeration of CTCs from a 10 mL vial of blood
      within <1 h after sample acquisition, compared with 4+ hours with standard
      approaches. Moreover, cells are released into any collection vessel for further
      downstream analysis. VDC shows potential for accurate CTC enumeration without
      labels and confirms the unique highly deformable biophysical properties of large
      CTCs circulating in blood.

PMID- 28352871
TI  - Intrinsic point defects in buckled and puckered arsenene: a first-principles
      study.
AB  - Using first-principles calculations, we study the structural, energetic, and
      electronic properties of various point defects in arsenene. Stone-Wales defects
      are found to be thermodynamically favorable and are predicted to be stable at
      room temperature. Defects are found to significantly influence the electronic
      properties in buckled phase. In particular, single vacancies generate gap states
      whereas strain induced states close to the valence and conduction band edges are
      observed for Stone-Wales and di-vacancy defects. The computed band structures of
      di-vacancy defects in puckered phase are less disturbed compared to the
      corresponding band structures in the buckled one. The influence of a hydrogen
      rich atmosphere on the electronic properties of defective arsenene is also
      investigated. Hydrogen termination of mono/di-vacancies is an exothermic process
      which removes all defect induced gap states.

PMID- 28352873
TI  - Molecular control over colloidal assembly.
AB  - Contemporary chemical and material engineering often takes inspiration from
      nature, targeting for example strong yet light materials and materials composed
      of highly ordered domains at multiple different lengthscales for fundamental
      science and applications in e.g. sensing, catalysis, coating technology, and
      delivery. The preparation of such hierarchically structured functional materials
      through guided bottom-up assembly of synthetic building blocks requires a high
      level of control over their synthesis, interactions and assembly pathways. In
      this perspective we showcase recent work demonstrating how molecular control can
      be exploited to direct colloidal assembly into responsive materials with
      mechanical, optical or electrical properties that can be adjusted post-synthesis
      with external cues.

PMID- 28352874
TI  - Simultaneous viscosity and density measurement of small volumes of liquids using
      a vibrating microcantilever.
AB  - Many industrial and technological applications require precise determination of
      the viscosity and density of liquids. Such measurements can be time consuming and
      often require sampling substantial amounts of the liquid. These problems can
      partly be overcome with the use of microcantilevers but most existing methods
      depend on the specific geometry and properties of the cantilever, which renders
      simple, accurate measurement difficult. Here we present a new approach able to
      simultaneously quantify both the density and the viscosity of microliters of
      liquids. The method, based solely on the measurement of two characteristic
      frequencies of an immersed microcantilever, is completely independent of the
      choice of a cantilever. We derive analytical expressions for the liquid's density
      and viscosity and validate our approach with several simple liquids and different
      cantilevers. Application of our model to non-Newtonian fluids shows that the
      calculated viscosities are remarkably robust when compared to measurements
      obtained from a standard rheometer. However, the results become increasingly
      dependent on the cantilever geometry as the frequency-dependent nature of the
      liquid's viscosity becomes more significant.

PMID- 28352875
TI  - Controlling the formation process and atomic structures of single pyrazine
      molecular junction by tuning the strength of the metal-molecule interaction.
AB  - The formation process and atomic structures were investigated for single pyrazine
      molecular junctions sandwiched by three different Au, Ag, and Cu electrodes using
      a mechanically controllable break junction technique in ultrahigh vacuum
      conditions at 300 K. We demonstrated that the formation process of the single
      molecule junction crucially depended on the choice of the metal electrodes. While
      single-molecule junction showing two distinct conductance states were found for
      the Au electrodes, only the single conductance state was evident for the Ag
      electrodes, and there was no junction formation for the Cu electrodes. These
      results suggested that metal-molecule interaction dominates the formation process
      and probability of the single-molecule junction. In addition to the metal
      molecule interaction, temperature affected the formation process of the single
      molecule junction. The single pyrazine molecular junction formed between Au
      electrodes exhibited significant temperature dependence where the junction
      formation probability was about 8% at 300 K, while there was no junction
      formation at 100 K. Instead of the junction formation, an Au atomic wire was
      formed at the low temperature. This study provides insight into the tuning of the
      junction-forming process for single-molecule junctions, which is needed to
      construct device structures on a single molecule scale.

PMID- 28352876
TI  - Recent advances in the design of polymeric microneedles for transdermal drug
      delivery and biosensing.
AB  - Microneedles are an efficient and minimally invasive approach to transdermal drug
      delivery and extraction of skin interstitial fluid. Compared to solid
      microneedles made of silicon, metals and ceramics, polymeric microneedles have
      attracted extensive attention due to their excellent biocompatibility,
      biodegradability and nontoxicity. They are easy to fabricate in large scale and
      can load drugs in high amounts. More importantly, polymers with different
      degradation profiles, swelling properties, and responses to biological/physical
      stimuli can be employed to fabricate polymeric microneedles with different
      mechanical properties and performance. This review provides a guideline for the
      selection of polymers and the corresponding fabrication methods for polymeric
      microneedles while summarizing their recent application in drug delivery and
      fluid extraction. It should be noted that although polymeric microneedles can
      achieve efficient transdermal delivery of drugs, their wide applications were
      limited by their unsatisfactory transdermal therapeutic efficiency. Delivery of
      nanomedicines that incorporate drugs into functional nanoparticles/capsules can
      address this problem and thus may be an interesting direction in the future.

PMID- 28352877
TI  - endo-Cyclization of unsaturated RO2 radicals from the gas-phase ozonolysis of
      cyclohexadienes.
AB  - Unsaturated RO2 radicals from the ozonolysis of cyclodienes can readily undergo
      an endo-cyclization step under atmospheric conditions forming a new ring
      containing RO2 radical after further O2 addition. This path represents an
      extension of the atmospheric autoxidation scheme forming highly oxidized
      multifunctional organic compounds (HOMs). HOMs play an important role for Earth's
      organic aerosol burden.

PMID- 28352879
TI  - Carbon nanotubes kirigami mechanical metamaterials.
AB  - Imparting elasticity and functionality to materials is one of the key objects of
      materials science research. Here, inspired by the art of kirigami, mechanical
      metamaterials comprising carbon nanotubes (CNTs) are hypothetically constructed.
      Using classical molecular dynamics (MD) simulations, a systematic study of the
      elastic limit, extensibility and yield stress of as-generated CNTs kirigami (CNT
      k) is performed. Three designated kirigami patterns are employed to achieve high
      stretchability of CNTs. It is shown that CNT-k typically exhibits three distinct
      deformation stages, of which the first stage, which is referred to as geometric
      deformation, contributes quite a high proportion of the ductility. Various
      geometric parameters of CNT-k that influence the key mechanical properties of
      interest are respectively discussed. Three types of CNT-k with specifically
      identical geometric parameters exhibit distinct mechanical characteristics. This
      study provides an interesting example of interplay between the geometry,
      ductility, and mechanical characteristics of tubular materials.

PMID- 28352880
TI  - Nano-thin walled micro-compartments from transmembrane protein-polymer
      conjugates.
AB  - The high interfacial activity of protein-polymer conjugates has inspired their
      use as stabilizers for Pickering emulsions, resulting in many interesting
      applications such as synthesis of templated micro-compartments and protocells or
      vehicles for drug and gene delivery. In this study we report, for the first time,
      the stabilization of Pickering emulsions with conjugates of a genetically
      modified transmembrane protein, ferric hydroxamate uptake protein component A
      (FhuA). The lysine residues of FhuA with open pore (FhuA DeltaCVFtev) were
      modified to attach an initiator and consequently controlled radical
      polymerization (CRP) carried out via the grafting-from technique. The resulting
      conjugates of FhuA DeltaCVFtev with poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) (PNIPAAm) and
      poly((2-dimethylamino)ethyl methacrylate) (PDMAEMA), the so-called building
      blocks based on transmembrane proteins (BBTP), have been shown to engender larger
      structures. The properties such as pH-responsivity, temperature-responsivity and
      interfacial activity of the BBTP were analyzed using UV-Vis spectrophotometry and
      pendant drop tensiometry. The BBTP were then utilized for the synthesis of highly
      stable Pickering emulsions, which could remain non-coalesced for well over a
      month. A new UV-crosslinkable monomer was synthesized and copolymerized with
      NIPAAm from the protein. The emulsion droplets, upon crosslinking of polymer
      chains, yielded micro-compartments. Fluorescence microscopy proved that these
      compartments are of micrometer scale, while cryo-scanning electron microscopy and
      scanning force microscopy analysis yielded a thickness in the range of 11.1 +/-
      0.6 to 38.0 +/- 18.2 nm for the stabilizing layer of the conjugates. Such micro
      compartments would prove to be beneficial in drug delivery applications, owing to
      the possibility of using the channel of the transmembrane protein as a gate and
      the smart polymer chains as trigger switches to tune the behavior of the
      capsules.

PMID- 28352881
TI  - Correlated mass spectrometry and confocal microscopy imaging verifies the dual
      targeting action of an organoruthenium anticancer complex.
AB  - An addressable single cell imaging strategy combining ToF-SIMS and confocal
      fluorescence microscopy imaging has been developed, and sucessfully applied to
      visualize the subcellular distribution of an organoruthenium anticancer complex,
      [(eta6-benzene)Ru(N,N-L)Cl]+ (1; L: 4-anilinoquinazoline ligand), showing its
      accumulation in both cell membrane and nuclei, and verifying its dual-targeting
      feature.

PMID- 28352883
TI  - Direct Csp2-H enolization: an allenoate alkylation cascade toward the assembly of
      multi-substituted furans.
AB  - A new disconnection toward tri- and tetrasubstituted furans has been
      conceptualized and demonstrated. A mild, base-mediated reaction of an allenoate
      pronucleophile with alpha-halo ketones/dicarbonyl compounds results in a Csp2
      alkylation/enolization/O-vinylation sequence to ultimately afford substituted
      furan derivatives. The reaction offers a broad scope, provides a facile access to
      alkyl and aryl substituted furans, and demonstrates the application of the allene
      functionality as a two-carbon component in the construction of furans.

PMID- 28352884
TI  - Fountain streaming contributes to fast tip-growth through regulating the
      gradients of turgor pressure and concentration in pollen tubes.
AB  - Fountain streaming is a typical microfluidic pattern in plant cells, especially
      for cells with a high aspect ratio such as pollen tubes. Although it has been
      found that fountain streaming plays crucial roles in the transport of nutrients
      and metabolites, the positioning of organelles and the mixing of cytoplasms, its
      implications for the fast tip growth of pollen tubes remain a mystery. To address
      this, based on the observations of asiatic lily Lilium Casablanca, we developed
      physical models for reverse fountain streaming in pollen tubes and solved the
      hydrodynamics and advection-diffusion dynamics of viscous Stokes flow in the
      shank and apical region of pollen tubes. Theoretical and numerical results
      demonstrated that the gradients of turgor pressure and concentration of wall
      materials along the length of pollen tubes provide undamped driving force and
      high-efficiency materials supply, which are supposed to contribute to the fast
      tip-growth of pollen tubes. The sample experimental results show that the tip
      growth will be abnormal when the gradients of turgor pressure change under
      osmotic stress induced by different concentrations of PEG-6000 (a dehydrant).

PMID- 28352885
TI  - Enhanced emission of encaged-OH--free Ca12(1-x)Sr12xAl14O33:0.1%Gd3+ conductive
      phosphors via tuning the encaged-electron concentration for low-voltage FEDs.
AB  - Encaged-OH--free Ca12(1-x)Sr12xAl14O33:0.1%Gd3+ conductive phosphors were
      prepared through a melt-solidification process in combination with a subsequent
      heat treatment. Absorption spectra showed that the maximum encaged-electron
      concentration was increased to 1.08 * 1021 cm-3 through optimizing the doping
      amount of Sr2+ (x = 0.005). Meanwhile, FTIR and Raman spectra indicated that pure
      Ca11.94Sr0.06Al14O33:0.1%Gd3+ conductive phosphor without encaged OH- and C22-
      anions was acquired. For the conductive powders heat-treated in air for different
      times, the encaged-electron concentrations were tuned from 1.02 * 1021 to 8.3 *
      1020 cm-3. ESR, photoluminescence, and luminescence kinetics analyses indicated
      that the emission at 312 nm mainly originated from Gd3+ ions surrounded by
      encaged O2- anions, while Gd3+ ions surrounded by encaged electrons had a
      negative contribution to the UV emission due to the existence of an energy
      transfer process. Under low-voltage electron-beam excitation (3 kV), enhanced
      cathodoluminescence (CL) of the conductive phosphors could be achieved by tuning
      the encaged-electron concentrations. In particular, for the encaged-OH--free
      conductive phosphor, the emission intensity of the CL was about one order of
      magnitude higher than that of the conductive phosphor containing encaged OH-
      anions. Our results suggested that the encaged-OH--free conductive phosphors have
      potential application in low-voltage FEDs.

PMID- 28352886
TI  - Armoring confined bubbles in the flow of colloidal suspensions.
AB  - We study the process of coating the interface of a long gas bubble, which is
      translating in a horizontal circular capillary tube filled with a colloidal
      suspension. A typical elongated confined bubble is comprised of three distinct
      regions: a spherical front cap, a central body that is separated from the tube
      wall by a thin liquid film, and a spherical cap at the back. These three regions
      are connected by transitional sections. Particles gradually coat the bubble from
      the back to the front. We investigate the mechanisms that govern the initial
      accumulation of the particles and the growth of the particle-coated area on the
      interface of the bubble. We show that the initial accumulation of particles
      starts at the stable stagnation ring on the rear cap of the bubble, and the
      particles will completely coat the spherical cap at the back of the bubble before
      accumulating on the central body. Armoring the central interface of the bubble
      with particles thickens the liquid film around the bubble relative to that around
      the particle-free interface. This effect creates a rather sharp step on the
      interface of the bubble in the central region, which separates the armored region
      from the particle-free region. After the bubble is completely coated, the liquid
      film around the body of the bubble will adjust again to an intermediate
      thickness. We show that the three distinct thicknesses that the liquid film
      acquires during the armoring process can be well described analytically.

PMID- 28352887
TI  - Probing glycosaminoglycan spectral signatures in live cells and their conditioned
      media by Raman microspectroscopy.
AB  - Spectroscopic markers characteristic of reference glycosaminoglycan molecules
      were identified previously based on their vibrational signatures. Infrared
      spectral signatures of glycosaminoglycans in fixed cells were also recently
      demonstrated but probing live cells still remains challenging. Raman
      microspectroscopy is potentially interesting to perform studies under
      physiological conditions. The aim of the present work was to identify the Raman
      spectral signatures of GAGs in fixed and live cells and in their conditioned
      media. Biochemical and Raman analyses were performed on five cell types:
      chondrocytes, dermal fibroblasts, melanoma (SK-MEL-28), wild type CHO, and
      glycosaminoglycan-defective mutant CHO-745 cells. The biochemical assay of
      sulfated GAGs in conditioned media was only possible for chondrocytes, dermal
      fibroblasts, and wild type CHO due to the detection limit of the test. In
      contrast, Raman microspectroscopy allowed probing total glycosaminoglycan content
      in conditioned media, fixed and live cells and the data were analysed by
      principal component analysis. Our results showed that the Raman technique is
      sensitive enough to identify spectral markers of glycosaminoglycans that were
      useful to characterise the conditioned media of the five cell types. The results
      were confirmed at the single cell level on both live and fixed cells with a good
      differentiation between the cell types. Furthermore, the principal component
      loadings revealed prominent glycosaminoglycan-related spectral information. Raman
      microspectroscopy allows monitoring of the glycosaminoglycan profiles of single
      live cells and could therefore be developed for cell screening purposes and holds
      promise for identifying glycosaminoglycan signatures as a marker of cancer
      progression in tissues.

PMID- 28352888
TI  - NMR analysis of an Fe(i)-carbene complex with strong magnetic anisotropy.
AB  - A tricoordinated FeI complex with two cyclic-alkyl(amino) carbene (cAAC) and one
      chlorido ligand, (cAAC)2FeCl (1), is studied by means of 1H NMR spectroscopy and
      DFT calculations. Due to the cAAC ligands, which can take significant amounts of
      spin density from the metal center, and due to the magnetic anisotropy of the FeI
      ion (P. P. Samuel et al., J. Am. Chem. Soc., 2014, 136, 11964-11971), compound 1
      is a rare example of a paramagnetic d-block compound which is expected to have
      significant contributions from both contact and pseudocontact terms to the
      hyperfine NMR shift. Compound 1 is fluxional, which makes the analysis of its 1H
      NMR spectrum more difficult but allows a preliminary assignment from EXSY
      spectra. Then, a software-aided approach enabled a satisfactory signal assignment
      of all protons which are distanced from the FeI center and carbene cyclic core,
      and thereby the extraction of the axial and rhombic components of the magnetic
      susceptibility anisotropy tensor (Deltachi). Components of Deltachi enable the
      calculation of zero-field spitting D and E parameters from solution NMR
      measurements of 1, and these parameters are compared to previously reported
      experimental and theoretical values.

PMID- 28352891
TI  - A study of the water molecule using frequency control over nuclear dynamics in
      resonant X-ray scattering.
AB  - In this combined theoretical and experimental study we report a full analysis of
      the resonant inelastic X-ray scattering (RIXS) spectra of H2O, D2O and HDO. We
      demonstrate that electronically-elastic RIXS has an inherent capability to map
      the potential energy surface and to perform vibrational analysis of the
      electronic ground state in multimode systems. We show that the control and
      selection of vibrational excitation can be performed by tuning the X-ray
      frequency across core-excited molecular bands and that this is clearly reflected
      in the RIXS spectra. Using high level ab initio electronic structure and quantum
      nuclear wave packet calculations together with high resolution RIXS measurements,
      we discuss in detail the mode coupling, mode localization and anharmonicity in
      the studied systems.

PMID- 28352890
TI  - High-affinity metal binding by the Escherichia coli [NiFe]-hydrogenase accessory
      protein HypB is selectively modulated by SlyD.
AB  - [NiFe]-hydrogenase, which catalyzes the reversible conversion between hydrogen
      gas and protons, is a vital component of the metabolism of many pathogens.
      Maturation of [NiFe]-hydrogenase requires selective nickel insertion that is
      completed, in part, by the metallochaperones SlyD and HypB. Escherichia coli HypB
      binds nickel with sub-picomolar affinity, and the formation of the HypB-SlyD
      complex activates nickel release from the high-affinity site (HAS) of HypB. In
      this study, the metal selectivity of this process was investigated. Biochemical
      experiments revealed that the HAS of full length HypB can bind stoichiometric
      zinc. Moreover, in contrast to the acceleration of metal release observed with
      nickel-loaded HypB, SlyD blocks the release of zinc from the HypB HAS. X-ray
      absorption spectroscopy (XAS) demonstrated that SlyD does not impact the primary
      coordination sphere of nickel or zinc bound to the HAS of HypB. Instead,
      computational modeling and XAS of HypB loaded with nickel or zinc indicated that
      zinc binds to HypB with a different coordination sphere than nickel. The data
      suggested that Glu9, which is not a nickel ligand, directly coordinates zinc.
      These results were confirmed through the characterization of E9A-HypB, which
      afforded weakened zinc affinity compared to wild-type HypB but similar nickel
      affinity. This mutant HypB fully supports the production of [NiFe]-hydrogenase in
      E. coli. Altogether, these results are consistent with the model that the HAS of
      HypB functions as a nickel site during [NiFe]-hydrogenase enzyme maturation and
      that the metal selectivity is controlled by activation of metal release by SlyD.

PMID- 28352892
TI  - Unique perforated graphene derived from Bougainvillea flowers for high-power
      supercapacitors: a green approach.
AB  - Herein, we demonstrated a green approach for the synthesis of high surface area
      (850 m2 g-1) mesoporous perforated graphene (PG) from Bougainvillea flower for
      the first time using a template free single-step method. The existence of PG was
      confirmed by XRD, Raman spectroscopy, FESEM, and FETEM. Surprisingly, FETEM
      clearly showed 5-10 nm perforation on the graphene sheets. More significantly,
      these mesoporous perforated graphene sheets can be produced in large scale using
      the present green approach. Considering high surface area and unique perforated
      graphene architecture, these PGs were studied for supercapacitor applications in
      detail without any chemical or physical activation. The nanoporosity and high
      conductivity of PG derived from Bougainvillea flower exhibited excellent
      supercapacitive performance. According to the supercapacitor study, the
      synthesized perforated graphene sheets conferred a very high specific capacitance
      of 458 F g-1 and an energy density of 63.7 Wh kg-1 at the power density of around
      273.2 Wh kg-1 in aqueous 1 M Na2SO4. Significantly, the areal capacitance of PG
      was observed to be very high, i.e. 67.2 mF cm-2. The cyclability study results
      showed excellent stability of synthesized perforated graphene sheets up to 10 000
      cycles. Note that the specific and areal capacitance and the energy density of
      the synthesized PGs are much higher than the earlier reported values. The high
      supercapacitive performance may be due to high surface area and mesoporosity of
      PG. The present approach has a good potential to produce cheaper and high surface
      area PG. These PGs are good candidates as an anode material in the lithium-ion
      battery.

PMID- 28352894
TI  - Synthesis of Janus Au@periodic mesoporous organosilica (PMO) nanostructures with
      precisely controllable morphology: a seed-shape defined growth mechanism.
AB  - Janus nanostructures that possess two or more distinct components and surface
      functions have attracted more and more attention. Here, we present a seed-shape
      defined growth mechanism for the preparation of anisotropic Janus nanostructures,
      in which the shape of periodic mesoporous organosilica (PMO) is determined by the
      shape of Au nanoparticles. Various shaped Au@PMO composite nanostructures, such
      as rods, spheres, and plates, are prepared based on this general growth
      mechanism. By adjusting the reaction parameters (temperature, surfactant),
      various shaped AuNR@PMO Janus nanostructures, including horsebean- and fingernail
      like nanostructures, have been successfully prepared. We also demonstrate the
      potential applications of such composite nanostructures. As an example, the as
      prepared rod-like Janus Au@PMO nanostructures show great performance in chemo
      photothermal combination therapy because of the excellent photothermal effect of
      Au nanorods and the high surface area of PMO nanorods. This research may open a
      new direction to the controllable synthesis and practical application of
      dedicated nanostructures with desired properties.

PMID- 28352893
TI  - Structural and energetic study of cation-pi-cation interactions in proteins.
AB  - Cation-pi interactions of aromatic rings and positively charged groups are among
      the most important interactions in structural biology. The role and energetic
      characteristics of these interactions are well established. However, the
      occurrence of cation-pi-cation interactions is an unexpected motif, which raises
      intriguing questions about its functional role in proteins. We present a
      statistical analysis of the occurrence, composition and geometrical preferences
      of cation-pi-cation interactions identified in a set of non-redundant protein
      structures taken from the Protein Data Bank. Our results demonstrate that this
      structural motif is observed at a small, albeit non-negligible frequency in
      proteins, and suggest a preference to establish cation-pi-cation motifs with Trp,
      followed by Tyr and Phe. Furthermore, we have found that cation-pi-cation
      interactions tend to be highly conserved, which supports their structural or
      functional role. Finally, we have performed an energetic analysis of a
      representative subset of cation-pi-cation complexes combining quantum-chemical
      and continuum solvation calculations. Our results point out that the protein
      environment can strongly screen the cation-cation repulsion, leading to an
      attractive interaction in 64% of the complexes analyzed. Together with the high
      degree of conservation observed, these results suggest a potential stabilizing
      role in the protein fold, as demonstrated recently for a miniature protein
      (Craven et al., J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2016, 138, 1543). From a computational point of
      view, the significant contribution of non-additive three-body terms challenges
      the suitability of standard additive force fields for describing cation-pi-cation
      motifs in molecular simulations.

PMID- 28352895
TI  - Partial to complete wetting transitions in immiscible ternary blends with PLA:
      the influence of interfacial confinement.
AB  - In this study it is shown that the three different intermediate phases in melt
      blended ternary PLA/PHBV/PBS, PLA/PBAT/PE and PLA/PE/PBAT systems all demonstrate
      partial wetting, but have very different wetting behaviors as a function of
      composition and annealing. The interfacial tension of the various components,
      their spreading coefficients and the contact angles of the confined partially wet
      droplets at the interface are examined in detail. A wetting transition from
      partially wet droplets to a complete layer at the interface is observed for both
      PHBV and PBAT by increasing the concentration and also by annealing. In contrast,
      in PLA/PE/PBAT, the partially wet droplets of PE at the interface of PLA/PBAT
      coalesce and grow in size, but remain partially wet even at a high PE
      concentration of 20% and after 30 min of quiescent annealing. The dewetting speed
      of the intermediate phase is found to be the principal factor controlling these
      wetting transitions. This work shows the significant potential for controlled
      wetting and structuring in ternary polymer systems.

PMID- 28352900
TI  - Tuning the Seebeck coefficient of naphthalenediimide by electrochemical gating
      and doping.
AB  - We investigate the sign and magnitude of the single-molecule Seebeck coefficient
      of naphthalenediimide (NDI) under the influence of electrochemical gating and
      doping. The molecule consists of a NDI core with two alkyl chains in the bay-area
      position, connected to gold electrodes via benzothiophene (DBT) anchor groups. By
      switching between the neutral, radical and di-anion charge states, we are able to
      tune the molecular energy levels relative to the Fermi energy of the electrodes.
      The resulting single-molecule room-temperature Seebeck coefficents of the three
      charge states are -294.5 MUV K-1, 122 MUV K-1 and 144 MUV K-1 respectively and
      the room-temperature power factors are 4.4 * 10-5 W m-1 K-2, 3 * 10-5 W m-1 K-2
      and 8.2 * 10-4 W m-1 K-2. As a further strategy for optimising thermoelectric
      properties, we also investigate the effect on both phonon and electron transport
      of doping the NDI with either an electron donor (TTF) or an electron acceptor
      (TCNE). We find that doping by TTF increases the room-temperature Seebeck
      coefficient and power factor from -73.7 MUV K-1 and 2.6 * 10-7 W m-1 K-2 for bare
      NDI to -105 MUV K-1 and 3.6 * 10-4 W m-1 K-2 in presence of TTF. The low thermal
      conductance of NDI-TTF, combined with the higher Seebeck coefficient and higher
      electrical conductance lead to a maximum thermoelectric figure of merit of ZT =
      1.2, which is higher than that of bare NDI in several orders of magnitude. This
      demonstrates that both the sign and magnitude of NDI Seebeck coefficient can be
      tuned reversibly by electrochemical gating and doping, suggesting that such redox
      active molecules are attractive materials for ultra-thin-film thermoelectric
      devices.

PMID- 28352902
TI  - Self-assembly of gradient copolymers synthesized in semi-batch mode by nitroxide
      mediated polymerization.
AB  - The effect of diffuse compositional interfaces on copolymer self-assembly was
      studied via gradient copolymers (GCP). Poly(methyl methacrylate)-grad-(styrene)
      (PMMA-grad-PSt) copolymers were synthesized in semi-batch mode using nitroxide
      mediated polymerization (NMP) with varied monomer injection protocols to produce
      varied diffuse interfaces (number average molecular weights (Mn) ranged from 62
      000 g mol-1 to 94 000 g mol-1 with dispersities (D) between 1.35 and 1.59). The
      GCPs were spun into thin films on substrates made neutral by (St-ran-MMA-ran
      hydroxyethyl methacrylate) terpolymers and annealed at elevated temperature to
      produce vertically oriented microphase-separated domains. The GCPs were found to
      have domain spacing larger than equivalent monodisperse BCPs, due to their
      polydisperse nature. This effect was partially offset by the decrease in chi due
      to the gradient. GCPs synthesized with a single-injection protocol (i.e. less
      diffuse interfaces) were found to self-assemble into ordered domains. However,
      GCPs synthesized with long injection times (i.e. more diffuse interfaces)
      exhibited poor self-assembly attributed to their predicted statistical-copolymer
      like middle sequence, which caused a reduction of the effective enthalpic
      interaction parameter.

PMID- 28352901
TI  - Chemoproteomics-enabled covalent ligand screen reveals a cysteine hotspot in
      reticulon 4 that impairs ER morphology and cancer pathogenicity.
AB  - Chemical genetics has arisen as a powerful approach for identifying novel anti
      cancer agents. However, a major bottleneck of this approach is identifying the
      targets of lead compounds that arise from screens. Here, we coupled the synthesis
      and screening of fragment-based cysteine-reactive covalent ligands with activity
      based protein profiling (ABPP) chemoproteomic approaches to identify compounds
      that impair colorectal cancer pathogenicity and map the druggable hotspots
      targeted by these hits. Through this coupled approach, we discovered a cysteine
      reactive acrylamide DKM 3-30 that significantly impaired colorectal cancer cell
      pathogenicity through targeting C1101 on reticulon 4 (RTN4). While little is
      known about the role of RTN4 in colorectal cancer, this protein has been
      established as a critical mediator of endoplasmic reticulum tubular network
      formation. We show here that covalent modification of C1101 on RTN4 by DKM 3-30
      or genetic knockdown of RTN4 impairs endoplasmic reticulum and nuclear envelope
      morphology as well as colorectal cancer pathogenicity. We thus put forth RTN4 as
      a potential novel colorectal cancer therapeutic target and reveal a unique
      druggable hotspot within RTN4 that can be targeted by covalent ligands to impair
      colorectal cancer pathogenicity. Our results underscore the utility of coupling
      the screening of fragment-based covalent ligands with isoTOP-ABPP platforms for
      mining the proteome for novel druggable nodes that can be targeted for cancer
      therapy.

PMID- 28352904
TI  - Thermal conductivity of glassy GeTe4 by first-principles molecular dynamics.
AB  - A transient thermal regime is achieved in glassy GeTe4 by first-principles
      molecular dynamics following the recently proposed "approach-to-equilibrium"
      methodology. The temporal and spatial evolution of the temperature do comply with
      the time-dependent solution of the heat equation. We demonstrate that the time
      scales required to create the hot and the cold parts of the system and observe
      the resulting approach to equilibrium are accessible to first-principles
      molecular dynamics. Such a strategy provides the thermal conductivity from the
      characteristic decay time. We rationalize in detail the impact on the thermal
      conductivity of the initial temperature difference, the equilibration duration,
      and the main simulation features.

PMID- 28352903
TI  - Rationalizing the relative abundances of trimetallic nitride template-based
      endohedral metallofullerenes from aromaticity measures.
AB  - The synthesis of endohedral metallofullerenes (EMFs) from a carbon soot sample of
      an arc discharge leads to a variety of EMFs that are obtained in different
      relative abundances. In the present work, we show that these abundances can be
      predicted from aromaticity calculations. In particular, we use the normalized
      Additive Local Aromaticity (ALAN) index. Our results show that the most abundant
      Sc3N-based and Y3N-based EMFs in fullerene soot are the most aromatic. This study
      reinforces the idea that aromaticity plays a key role in determining the
      stability of EMFs.

PMID- 28352905
TI  - Site-specific antibody modification and immobilization on a microfluidic chip to
      promote the capture of circulating tumor cells and microemboli.
AB  - We design and synthesize EpCAM antibodies with Fc-domain site-specific linkers
      that allow preferential alignment when coated on microfluidic devices for
      capturing circulating tumor cells (CTCs) from colorectal cancer patients. The
      aligned coating is shown to increase the capture efficiency of CTCs and
      microemboli by 1.6 and 3.0-fold, respectively (both P < 0.05).

PMID- 28352906
TI  - Epigenetic modification of nucleic acids: from basic studies to medical
      applications.
AB  - The epigenetic modification of nucleic acids represents one of the most
      significant areas of study in the field of nucleic acids because it makes gene
      regulation more complex and heredity more complicated, thus indicating its
      profound impact on aspects of heredity, growth, and diseases. The recent
      characterization of epigenetic modifications of DNA and RNA using chemical
      labelling strategies has promoted the discovery of these modifications, and the
      newly developed single-base or single-cell resolution mapping strategies have
      enabled large-scale epigenetic studies in eukaryotes. Due to these technological
      breakthroughs, several new epigenetic marks have been discovered that have
      greatly extended the scope and impact of epigenetic modifications in nucleic
      acids over the past few years. Because epigenetics is reversible and susceptible
      to environmental factors, it could potentially be a promising direction for
      clinical medicine research. In this review, we have comprehensively discussed how
      these epigenetic marks are involved in disease, including the pathogenesis,
      prevention, diagnosis and treatment of disease. These findings have revealed that
      the epigenetic modification of nucleic acids has considerable significance in
      various areas from methodology to clinical medicine and even in biomedical
      applications.

PMID- 28352908
TI  - Uranium mobility and accumulation along the Rio Paguate, Jackpile Mine in Laguna
      Pueblo, NM.
AB  - The mobility and accumulation of uranium (U) along the Rio Paguate, adjacent to
      the Jackpile Mine, in Laguna Pueblo, New Mexico was investigated using aqueous
      chemistry, electron microprobe, X-ray diffraction and spectroscopy analyses.
      Given that it is not common to identify elevated concentrations of U in surface
      water sources, the Rio Paguate is a unique site that concerns the Laguna Pueblo
      community. This study aims to better understand the solid chemistry of abandoned
      mine waste sediments from the Jackpile Mine and identify key hydrogeological and
      geochemical processes that affect the fate of U along the Rio Paguate. Solid
      analyses using X-ray fluorescence determined that sediments located in the
      Jackpile Mine contain ranges of 320 to 9200 mg kg-1 U. The presence of coffinite,
      a U(iv)-bearing mineral, was identified by X-ray diffraction analyses in
      abandoned mine waste solids exposed to several decades of weathering and
      oxidation. The dissolution of these U-bearing minerals from abandoned mine wastes
      could contribute to U mobility during rain events. The U concentration in surface
      waters sampled closest to mine wastes are highest during the southwestern monsoon
      season. Samples collected from September 2014 to August 2016 showed higher U
      concentrations in surface water adjacent to the Jackpile Mine (35.3 to 772 MUg L
      1) compared with those at a wetland 4.5 kilometers downstream of the mine (5.77
      to 110 MUg L-1). Sediments co-located in the stream bed and bank along the reach
      between the mine and wetland had low U concentrations (range 1-5 mg kg-1)
      compared to concentrations in wetland sediments with higher organic matter (14
      15%) and U concentrations (2-21 mg kg-1). Approximately 10% of the total U in
      wetland sediments was amenable to complexation with 1 mM sodium bicarbonate in
      batch experiments; a decrease of U concentration in solution was observed over
      time in these experiments likely due to re-association with sediments in the
      reactor. The findings from this study provide new insights about how hydrologic
      events may affect the reactivity of U present in mine waste solids exposed to
      surface oxidizing conditions, and the influence of organic-rich sediments on U
      accumulation in the Rio Paguate.

PMID- 28352896
TI  - New advances in probing cell-extracellular matrix interactions.
AB  - The extracellular matrix (ECM) provides structural and biochemical support to
      cells within tissues. An emerging body of evidence has established that the ECM
      plays a key role in cell mechanotransduction - the study of coupling between
      mechanical inputs and cellular phenotype - through either mediating transmission
      of forces to the cells, or presenting mechanical cues that guide cellular
      behaviors. Recent progress in cell mechanotransduction research has been
      facilitated by advances of experimental tools, particularly microtechnologies,
      engineered biomaterials, and imaging and analytical methods. Microtechnologies
      have enabled the design and fabrication of controlled physical microenvironments
      for the study and measurement of cell-ECM interactions. Advances in engineered
      biomaterials have allowed researchers to develop synthetic ECMs that mimic tissue
      microenvironments and investigate the impact of altered physicochemical
      properties on various cellular processes. Finally, advanced imaging and
      spectroscopy techniques have facilitated the visualization of the complex
      interaction between cells and ECM in vitro and in living tissues. This review
      will highlight the application of recent innovations in these areas to probing
      cell-ECM interactions. We believe cross-disciplinary approaches, combining
      aspects of the different technologies reviewed here, will inspire innovative
      ideas to further elucidate the secrets of ECM-mediated cell control.

PMID- 28352910
TI  - Coordination abilities of polycyano anions in the solid state: coordination
      geometries and d-d transition energies of mixed-ligand solvatochromic copper(ii)
      complexes with B(CN)4, C(CN)3, and N(CN)2 anions.
AB  - B(CN)4-, C(CN)3-, and N(CN)2- are highly versatile polycyano anions that produce
      various functional compounds. To investigate the coordination abilities of these
      anions in the solid state quantitatively, we synthesized mixed-ligand Cu(ii)
      complexes: [Cu(R-acac)(tmen)X] (X = polycyano anion, R-acac = acetylacetonate or
      butyl-acetylacetonate, tmen = tetramethylethylenediamine). The coordination
      abilities of the anions, increasing in the order B(CN)4- < C(CN)3- < N(CN)2-,
      result in a decrease in the d-d transition energies of the complexes and the
      shortening of the axial coordination distance. The influence of crystal packing
      on the coordination geometries and d-d transition energies of the complexes was
      also demonstrated. The donor numbers of the anions were determined from the d-d
      transition energies in solution.

PMID- 28352909
TI  - Iron chelators inhibit the heme-degradation reaction by HutZ from Vibrio
      cholerae.
AB  - HutZ is a heme-degrading enzyme. We found that the heme-degradation reaction by
      HutZ is inhibited by the iron chelators. Kinetic analysis of each heme
      degradation step suggests that water molecules hydrogen bonded to Thr27 are
      involved in proton transfer to Fe(iii)-OO-, and that this step is inhibited by
      iron chelators.

PMID- 28352913
TI  - Highly durable photochromic radical complexes having no steric protections of
      radicals.
AB  - Steric protection groups are usually necessary for stable radicals. However,
      here, we developed novel photochromic radical complexes which generate sterically
      unprotected imidazolyl and phenoxyl radicals upon UV light irradiation based on
      the phenoxyl-imidazolyl radical complex (PIC) framework. These photochromic
      compounds show excellent durability against repeated irradiation of intense
      nanosecond laser pulses even in polar protic solvents, such as ethanol.

PMID- 28352912
TI  - Post-synthetic modification of tryptophan containing peptides via NIS mediation.
AB  - A new efficient method was developed to provide modified tryptophan peptides
      through NIS (N-iodosuccinimide) mediated N2-selective coupling of a Trp unit with
      1,2,3-triazoles, of which, the preliminary spectral properties were also studied.

PMID- 28352914
TI  - Rational design of a luminescent nanoprobe for hypoxia imaging in vivo via
      ratiometric and photoluminescence lifetime imaging microscopy.
AB  - A luminescent nanoprobe has been designed for detection of oxygen. The nanoprobe
      exhibits high sensitivity, selectivity and excellent reversibility, and has been
      employed for hypoxia imaging in vitro and in vivo by ratiometric and
      photoluminescence lifetime imaging techniques.

PMID- 28352915
TI  - Towards the biodegradation pathway of fosfomycin.
AB  - Three functionalised propylphosphonic acids were synthesised to study C-P bond
      cleavage in R. huakuii PMY1. (R)-1-Hydroxy-2-oxopropylphosphonic acid [(R)-5] was
      prepared by chiral resolution of (+/-)-dimethyl 1-hydroxy-2
      methylallyllphosphonate [(+/-)-12], followed by ozonolysis and deprotection. The
      N-(l-alanyl)-substituted (1R,2R)-2-amino-1-hydroxypropylphosphonic acid 10, a
      potential precursor for 2-oxopropylphosphonic acid (5) in cells, was obtained by
      coupling the aminophosphonic acid with benzotriazole-activated Z-l-alanine and
      hydrogenolytic deprotection. (1R*,2R*)-1,2-Dihydroxy-3,3,3
      trifluoropropylphosphonic acid, a potential inhibitor of C-P bond cleavage after
      conversion into its 2-oxo derivative in the cell, was accessed from
      trifluoroacetaldehyde hydrate via hydroxypropanenitrile 21, which was silylated
      and reduced to the aldehyde (+/-)-23. Diastereoselective addition of diethyl
      trimethylsilyl phosphite furnished diastereomeric alpha-siloxyphosphonates. The
      less polar one was converted to the desired racemic phosphonic acid (+/-)
      (1R*,2R*)-9 as its ammonium salt.

PMID- 28352918
TI  - Probing the bonding of CO to heteronuclear group 4 metal-nickel clusters by
      photoelectron spectroscopy.
AB  - A series of heterobinuclear group 4 metal-nickel carbonyls MNi(CO)n- (M = Ti, Zr,
      Hf; n = 3-7) has been generated via a laser vaporization supersonic cluster
      source and characterized by mass-selected photoelectron velocity-map imaging
      spectroscopy. Quantum chemical calculations have been carried out to elucidate
      the geometric and electronic structures and support the spectral assignments. The
      n = 3 cluster is determined to be capable of simultaneously accommodating three
      different types of CO bonds (i.e., side-on-bonded, bridging, and terminal modes),
      resulting in a MNi[eta2(MU2-C, O)](MU-CO)(CO)- structure, which represents the
      smallest metal carbonyl with the involvement of all the main modes of metal-CO
      coordination to date. The building block of three bridging CO molecules is
      favored at n = 4, the structure of which persists up to n = 7. The additional CO
      ligands are bonded terminally to the metal atoms. The present findings provide
      important new insight into the structure and bonding mechanisms of CO molecules
      with heteronuclear transition metals, which would have important implications for
      understanding chemisorbed CO molecules on alloy surfaces.

PMID- 28352916
TI  - A threonine turnstile defines a dynamic amphiphilic binding motif in the AAA
      ATPase p97 allosteric binding site.
AB  - The turnstile motion of two neighboring threonines sets up a dynamic side chain
      interplay that can accommodate both polar and apolar ligands in a small molecule
      allosteric protein binding site. A computational model based on SAR data and both
      X-ray and cryo-EM structures of the AAA ATPase p97 was used to analyze the
      effects of paired threonines at the inhibitor site. Specifically, the Thr side
      chain hydroxyl groups form a hydrogen bonding network that readily accommodates
      small, highly polar ligand substituents. Conversely, diametric rotation of the
      chi1 torsion by 150-180 degrees  orients the side chain beta-methyl groups into
      the binding cleft, creating a hydrophobic pocket that can accommodate small,
      apolar substituents. This motif was found to be critical for rationalizing the
      affinities of a structurally focused set of inhibitors of p97 covering a > 2000
      fold variation in potencies, with a preference for either small-highly polar or
      small-apolar groups. The threonine turnstile motif was further validated by a PDB
      search that identified analogous binding modes in ligand interactions in PKB, as
      well as by an analysis of NMR structures demonstrating additional gear-like
      interactions between adjacent Thr pairs. Combined, these data suggest that the
      threonine turnstile motif may be a general feature of interest in protein binding
      pockets.

PMID- 28352922
TI  - Luminescence spectroscopy of chalcogen substituted rhodamine cations in vacuo.
AB  - Intrinsic optical properties of several rhodamine cations were probed by
      measuring their dispersed fluorescence spectra in vacuo. Three different
      rhodamine structures were investigated, each with four different chalcogen
      heteroatoms. Fluorescence band maxima were blue-shifted by between 0.15 and 0.20
      eV (1200-1600 cm-1) relative to previous solution-phase measurements. Trends in
      emission wavelengths and fluorescence quantum yields previously measured in
      solution are generally reproduced in the gas phase, confirming the intrinsic
      nature of these effects. One important exception is gas-phase brightness of the
      Texas Red analogues, which is significantly higher than the other rhodamine
      structures studied, despite having similar fluorescence quantum yields in
      solution. These results expand the library of fluorophores for which gas-phase
      photophysical data is available, and will aid in the design of experiments
      utilizing gas-phase structural biology methods such as Forster resonance energy
      transfer.

PMID- 28352920
TI  - A quantum-rovibrational-state-selected study of the reaction in the collision
      energy range of 0.05-10.00 eV: translational, rotational, and vibrational energy
      effects.
AB  - We report detailed absolute integral cross sections (sigma's) for the quantum
      rovibrational-state-selected ion-molecule reaction in the center-of-mass
      collision energy (Ecm) range of 0.05-10.00 eV, where (vvv) = (000), (100), and
      (020), and . Three product channels, HCO+ + OH, HOCO+ + H, and CO+ + H2O, are
      identified. The measured sigma(HCO+) curve [sigma(HCO+) versus Ecm plot] supports
      the hypothesis that the formation of the HCO+ + OH channel follows an exothermic
      pathway with no potential energy barriers. Although the HOCO+ + H channel is the
      most exothermic, the sigma(HOCO+) is found to be significantly lower than the
      sigma(HCO+). The sigma(HOCO+) curve is bimodal, indicating two distinct
      mechanisms for the formation of HOCO+. The sigma(HOCO+) is strongly inhibited at
      Ecm < 0.4 eV, but is enhanced at Ecm > 0.4 eV by (100) vibrational excitation.
      The Ecm onsets of sigma(CO+) determined for the (000) and (100) vibrational
      states are in excellent agreement with the known thermochemical thresholds. This
      observation, along with the comparison of the sigma(CO+) curves for the (100) and
      (000) states, shows that kinetic and vibrational energies are equally effective
      in promoting the CO+ channel. We have also performed high-level ab initio quantum
      calculations on the potential energy surface, intermediates, and transition state
      structures for the titled reaction. The calculations reveal potential barriers of
      ~0.5-0.6 eV for the formation of HOCO+, and thus account for the low sigma(HOCO+)
      and its bimodal profile observed. The Ecm enhancement for sigma(HOCO+) at Ecm ~
      0.5-5.0 eV can be attributed to the direct collision mechanism, whereas the
      formation of HOCO+ at low Ecm < 0.4 eV may involve a complex mechanism, which is
      mediated by the formation of a loosely sticking complex between HCO+ and OH. The
      direct collision and complex mechanisms proposed also allow the rationalization
      of the vibrational inhibition at low Ecm and the vibrational enhancement at high
      Ecm observed for the sigma(HOCO+).

PMID- 28352923
TI  - [Diagnostic approach and management of hypercalcaemia in dogs exemplary of
      primary hyperparathyroidism].
AB  - Hypercalcaemia can be caused by many different diseases. This article summarizes
      the causes, pathophysiologic mechanisms and diagnostic procedures as well as
      treatment recommendations. The main focus is on hypercalcaemia in primary
      hyperparathyroidism (PH), complemented by a case report. An elevated total
      calcium level should generally be investigated and verified by measurement of
      ionized calcium concentration. The further diagnostic approach depends on the
      phosphate level. Tumour screening, measurement of parathormone and parathromone
      related protein and sonography of parathyroid glands may be necessary. If the
      calcium-phosphate-product exceeds 60 mg/dl, there is a risk of tissue
      mineralisation and a rapid treatment of hypercalcaemia is required. For acute
      therapy, sodium chloride infusion, furosemide and glucocorticoids can be used.
      Glucocorticoids should only be given after strict indication and after a definite
      diagnosis. For long-term management, bisphosphates, particularly alendronate, are
      increasingly used successfully. Causal therapy of PH can be performed by
      parathyreoidectomy, heat ablation or ethanol ablation. Thereafter, particularly
      in cases of severe preoperative hypercalcaemia, hypocalcaemia can occur.
      Treatment is performed using vitamin D3 (calcitriol), which may also be given
      preoperatively in cases of severe hypercalcaemia. A concomitant oral calcium
      supplementation using calcium carbonate as medication of choice is contentious.
      Due to a potential relapse after successful excision of the affected parathyroid
      gland in PH, the serum calcium level should be monitored periodically.

PMID- 28352924
TI  - [Abomasal ulcers in cattle].
AB  - Abomasal ulcers lead to several problems. They cause pain resulting in a decrease
      in productivity and even the possible loss of the animal. Because they are
      frequently difficult to diagnose, information on their prevalence is variable.
      Additionally, therapeutic options are limited. Abomasal ulcers are graded as type
      1 through 4, type 1 being a superficial defect and type 2 an ulcer where a large
      blood vessel has been eroded, leading to substantial blood loss. Types 3 and 4
      are perforated abomasal ulcers leading to local and diffuse peritonitis,
      respectively. Causes of abomasal ulcers are multifactorial, for example, mistakes
      in feeding that lead to gastrointestinal disturbances or other diseases that
      induce stress. Ulcers can also result from side effects of nonsteroidal anti
      inflammatory drugs. In principal, the pathophysiological cause is the disturbance
      of the balance between protective and aggressive mechanisms at the abomasal
      mucosa due to stress. Clinical symptoms vary and are mostly non-specific. Fecal
      occult blood tests, hematology and blood chemistry as well as ultrasonographic
      examination and abdominocentesis can help to establish the diagnosis. Ulcers can
      be treated symptomatically, surgically and medically. To prevent abomasal ulcers,
      animals should be kept healthy by providing adequate nutrition and housing as
      well as early and effective medical care. Stressful management practices,
      including transport and commingling, should be avoided.

PMID- 28352925
TI  - Implementation of a single sign-on system between practice, research and learning
      systems.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Multiple specialized electronic medical systems are utilized in the
      health enterprise. Each of these systems has their own user management,
      authentication and authorization process, which makes it a complex web for
      navigation and use without a coherent process workflow. Users often have to
      remember multiple passwords, login/logout between systems that disrupt their
      clinical workflow. Challenges exist in managing permissions for various cadres of
      health care providers. OBJECTIVES: This case report describes our experience of
      implementing a single sign-on system, used between an electronic medical records
      system and a learning management system at a large academic institution with an
      informatics department responsible for student education and a medical school
      affiliated with a hospital system caring for patients and conducting research.
      METHODS: At our institution, we use OpenMRS for research registry tracking of
      interventional radiology patients as well as to provide access to medical records
      to students studying health informatics. To provide authentication across
      different users of the system with different permissions, we developed a Central
      Authentication Service (CAS) module for OpenMRS, released under the Mozilla
      Public License and deployed it for single sign-on across the academic enterprise.
      The module has been in implementation since August 2015 to present, and we
      assessed usability of the registry and education system before and after
      implementation of the CAS module. 54 students and 3 researchers were interviewed.
      RESULTS: The module authenticates users with appropriate privileges in the
      medical records system, providing secure access with minimal disruption to their
      workflow. No passwords requests were sent and users reported ease of use, with
      streamlined workflow. CONCLUSIONS: The project demonstrates that enterprise-wide
      single sign-on systems should be used in healthcare to reduce complexity like
      "password hell", improve usability and user navigation. We plan to extend this to
      work with other systems used in the health care enterprise.

PMID- 28352926
TI  - The effect of requesting a reason for non-adherence to a guideline in a long
      running automated reminder system for PONV prophylaxis.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Automated reminders are employed frequently to improve guideline
      adherence, but limitations of automated reminders are becoming more apparent. We
      studied the reasons for non-adherence in the setting of automated reminders to
      test the hypothesis that a separate request for a reason in itself may further
      improve guideline adherence. METHODS: In a previously implemented automated
      reminder system on prophylaxis for postoperative nausea and vomiting (PONV), we
      included additional automated reminders requesting a reason for non-adherence. We
      recorded these reasons in the pre-operative screening clinic, the OR and the
      PACU. We compared adherence to our PONV guideline in two study groups with a
      historical control group. RESULTS: Guideline adherence on prescribing and
      administering PONV prophylaxis (dexamethasone and granisetron) all improved
      compared to the historical control group (89 vs. 82% (p< 0.0001), 96 vs 95% (not
      significant) and 90 vs 82% (p<0.0001)) while decreasing unwarranted prescription
      for PONV prophylaxis (10 vs. 13 %). In the pre-operative screening clinic, the
      main reason for not prescribing PONV prophylaxis was disagreement with the risk
      estimate by the decision support system. In the OR/PACU, the main reasons for not
      administering PONV prophylaxis were: 'unintended non-adherence' and 'failure to
      document'. CONCLUSIONS: In this study requesting a reason for non-adherence is
      associated with improved guideline adherence. The effect seems to depend on the
      underlying reason for non-adherence. It also illustrates the importance of human
      factors principles in the design of decision support. Some reasons for non
      adherence may not be influenced by automated reminders.

PMID- 28352927
TI  - Coverage of Acta Dermatovenerologica Alpina, Pannonica et Adriatica in Elsevier's
      CiteScore index: a new tool for measuring the citation impact of academic
      journals.
AB  - In December 2016, Elsevier launched a new tool that helps measure the citation
      impact of academic journals, called the CiteScore index. The CiteScore index
      values for 2015 confirmed the status of Acta Dermatovenerologica Alpina,
      Pannonica et Adriatica (Acta Dermatovenerol APA) as the leading journal in
      dermatology and sexually transmitted infections in the region. Sixty-five
      articles published in Acta Dermatovenerol APA from 2012 to 2014 received a total
      of 77 citations in 2015, resulting in a CiteScore index value of 1.18 for the
      journal. More than half of the articles published from 2012 to 2014 received at
      least one citation in 2015. Acta Dermatovenerol APA performed well in all three
      categories listed because it is ranked 384th out of 1,549 journals in the
      category General Medicine (75th percentile), 53rd out of 122 journals in the
      category Dermatology (56th percentile), and 142nd out of 246 journals in the
      category Infectious Diseases (42nd percentile).

PMID- 28352928
TI  - Evaluation of psoriasis severity and inflammatory responses under concomitant
      treatment with methotrexate plus micronutrients for psoriasis vulgaris: a
      randomized double blind trial.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: We evaluated the effectiveness of concomitant treatment with
      methotrexate (MTX) plus micronutrients in comparison with monotherapy with MTX
      only in psoriasis patients. Plasma levels of interleukin-1 beta (IL-1beta) and
      tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-alpha) were also measured and their association
      with clinical severity was evaluated. METHODS: Thirty psoriasis patients 20 to 50
      years old with a PASI score > 10 were divided randomly into two groups. Both
      groups were given oral methotrexate (0.2-0.3 mg/kg/week) for 12 weeks. In
      addition, Group B received one tablet of micronutrient supplement daily. Disease
      severity was calculated using the psoriasis area and severity index (PASI) score
      before and after 12 weeks. Levels of IL-1beta and TNF-alpha were measured using
      enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). RESULTS: We found that 13 (86.6%)
      patients in Group B and 8 (53.3%) patients in Group A attained a mild PASI score
      (<= 10% body involvement). IL-1beta and TNF-alpha levels were significantly
      decreased in favor of Group B (p < 0.05). There was a significant correlation
      between changes in both IL-1beta and TNF-alpha levels and PASI score after the
      study (p < 0.05). CONCLUSION: The results obtained were positive, and therefore
      double-blind randomized trials with a larger sample size are highly suggested to
      confirm or reject these results.

PMID- 28352929
TI  - Effectiveness of adalimumab in the treatment of scalp and nail affection in
      patients with moderate to severe plaque psoriasis in routine clinical practice.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: Data on the effectiveness of biologics in the treatment of nail and
      scalp psoriasis (PSO) in a routine clinical setting are scarce. The aim of this
      study was therefore to evaluate the effectiveness of adalimumab in the treatment
      of nail and scalp psoriatic lesions in routine dermatologic practice. METHODS:
      Five hundred one patients were analyzed in this observational study; 157 patients
      had nail involvement (nail PSO set; NPS) and 404 had scalp involvement (scalp PSO
      set; SPS). Patients treated with adalimumab were observed for up to 12 months.
      Outcomes were evaluated via changes in the Nail Psoriasis Severity Index (NAPSI),
      Psoriasis Scalp Severity Index (PSSI), Psoriasis Area and Severity Index (PASI),
      and QoL (using the Dermatology Life Quality Index). RESULTS: Eighty-four percent
      of the patients in the NPS and 93.8% in the SPS achieved a good clinical response
      upon treatment with adalimumab. Complete clearing of local symptoms was achieved
      by 33.3% of the patients with nail involvement and 66.7% of the patients with
      scalp involvement. There was also a marked improvement in QoL. CONCLUSION:
      Adalimumab appears to be an effective treatment for scalp and nail PSO in
      patients with moderate to severe plaque PSO. No new clinical concerns were
      established.

PMID- 28352930
TI  - Pilonidal sinus disease can be treated with crystallized phenol using a simple
      three-step technique.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: Pilonidal sinus disease can be treated with various surgical
      techniques. However, invasive surgical techniques harbor the risk of wound
      infection and require a long postoperative wound healing period. The treatment of
      pilonidal sinus disease with crystallized phenol is minimally invasive with a
      short postoperative recovery period. This article explains how to treat pilonidal
      sinus disease with crystallized phenol using a quick and easy three-step
      technique. METHODS: Between August 2014 and January 2016, 43 male and 7 female
      patients with pilonidal sinus disease were treated with crystallized phenol. Hair
      was gently removed from the sinus openings with a mosquito clamp. Afterwards, the
      pilonidal sinus openings were gently filled with crystallized phenol. RESULTS:
      The closure of pilonidal sinus openings without any leakage after a single
      application of crystallized phenol was accepted as healing. The treatment failed
      in two of the female patients, who had had prior pilonidal sinus surgery, and in
      four of the male patients, who had a recurrence after wound site infection. The
      overall cure rate was 88%. CONCLUSIONS: Treatment of pilonidal sinus disease with
      crystallized phenol using the three-step technique is simple, fast, and
      comfortable. Therefore, crystallized phenol should be preferentially considered
      in the treatment of pilonidal sinus disease.

PMID- 28352931
TI  - Near-total lower lip reconstruction: combined Karapandzic and Bernard-Burrow
      Webster flap.
AB  - Lip carcinoma is a common cancer of the head and neck region. It more often
      affects the lower lip (> 90%), and squamous cell carcinoma represents 95% of the
      cases. The authors present a reconstruction of the lower lip combining two
      classical flaps: the Karapandzic and Bernard-Burrow-Webster flap. The surgical
      technique is discussed.

PMID- 28352932
TI  - Hidradenitis suppurativa in Crohn's disease during adalimumab therapy: a paradox?
AB  - A sporadic association between hidradenitis suppurativa and other diseases is
      reported in the literature, but few authors have described the association with
      Crohn's disease. Adalimumab is a fully human monoclonal antibody targeted at
      tumor necrosis factor alpha approved for the treatment of Crohn's disease and,
      recently, for active moderate to severe hidradenitis suppurativa in adult
      patients that do not respond adequately to systemic conventional treatment. We
      report an unusual case of a paradoxical effect of adalimumab in the onset of
      hidradenitis suppurativa in a 40-year-old woman during the treatment of Crohn's
      disease.

PMID- 28352933
TI  - Erythema multiforme following pneumococcal vaccination.
AB  - Erythema multiforme (EM) is an acute and usually self-limited immune-mediated
      mucocutaneous disorder that is a hypersensitivity reaction to drugs, infections,
      and vaccines. Clinically, it is characterized by maculopapular, target-like
      lesions symmetrically distributed on the extremities (minor form) or additionally
      affecting one or more mucous membranes and causing epidermal detachment involving
      < 10% of the total body surface area (major form). We report a novel association
      between pneumococcal vaccination and the development of EM in a 2.5-year-old boy.
      The introduction of 13-valent-polysaccharide-pneumococcal-conjugate vaccine
      (PCV13) into vaccination programs has resulted in a reduced incidence of
      pneumococcal disorders. Systemic side effects of PCV13 include chills, fever,
      headache, vomiting, fatigue, arthralgia, myalgias, decreased appetite, and
      diarrhea, whereas its cutaneous adverse reactions are local injection site
      reactions, Sweet's syndrome, and deep morphea. EM is triggered by a variety of
      vaccines; however, as far as we know, it has not previously been reported in
      association with pneumococcal vaccine. Although a fortuitous occurrence of EM in
      our patient cannot be absolutely excluded, it appears very likely that PCV13
      caused the patient's eruption, considering the history and the laboratory data,
      which point toward a lack of any other causative factors.

PMID- 28352936
TI  - Pre-surgery exercise and post-operative physical function of people undergoing
      knee replacement surgery: A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized
      controlled trials.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: To summarize the evidence regarding the effectiveness and dose
      response characteristics of pre-operative exercise programmes on post-operative
      physical function following total knee arthroplasty. DATA SOURCES: CINAHL,
      Cochrane Library, PubMed, SPORTDiscus and EMBASE. STUDY SELECTION: Randomized
      controlled trials were eligible if they provided full description of
      physiological stress (i.e. mode, frequency, intensity and duration). DATA
      EXTRACTION: Data extraction and evaluation were performed by one reviewer.
      Methodological quality of the selected studies was assessed using the
      Physiotherapy Evidence Database scale. DATA SYNTHESIS: Twelve candidate studies
      were identified, but only 3 papers satisfied all inclusion criteria: 2 studies
      evaluated the effect of resistance training and 1 trial investigated
      proprioceptive training. The latter study elicited significantly enhanced post
      operative gains in function for indices of standing balance (overall stability
      index: Hedges' g = -1; anteroposterior stability index: Hedges' g = -1.15; 6
      weeks post-surgery). Results of meta-analysis based on the findings of 2 studies
      showed that, compared with controls, prehabilitative exercise involving
      resistance training offered no additional gains in isometric quadriceps muscle
      strength at 6 and 12 weeks post-operatively. CONCLUSION: Despite a potential for
      efficacy of exercise-based conditioning, this review highlights the scarcity of
      robust dose-response evidence to guide the formulation of total knee arthroplasty
      prehabilitation effectively.

PMID- 28352935
TI  - Lower-limb motor coordination is significantly impaired in ambulatory people with
      chronic stroke: A cross-sectional study.
AB  - OBJECTIVES: To establish the deficits of motor coordination of the lower limbs
      after stroke, in comparison with healthy controls, and to investigate whether the
      magnitude of the deficits would be influenced by the levels of motor recovery.
      DESIGN: Cross-sectional study. SUBJECTS: Chronic stroke patients and healthy
      subjects. METHODS: Lower-limb motor coordination of both stroke and healthy
      volunteers was measured using the Lower Extremity Motor Coordination Test
      (LEMOCOT). The motor coordination deficits of the participants with stroke were
      analysed all together and separated, according to their levels of motor recovery,
      measured using the Fugl-Meyer lower-limb motor section scores. RESULTS: Ninety
      seven individuals with chronic stroke, 55 men, mean age 58 years, were evaluated.
      Motor coordination was significantly impaired on both paretic (mean: -22 touches;
      95% confidence interval (95% CI) -24 to -19; deficit: 61%) and non-paretic (mean 
      6 touches; 95% CI -8 to -4; deficit: 17%) lower limbs. Significant differences in
      the LEMOCOT scores were found between the levels of motor recovery (p < 0.01),
      except between the participants with marked and moderate impairments. CONCLUSION:
      Motor coordination of the lower limbs is significantly impaired after stroke, but
      the deficits of the non-paretic lower limb (17%) appear not to be clinically
      relevant. These findings suggest that interventions prescribed to improve motor
      coordination after stroke should focus on the paretic lower limb and/or include
      bilateral activities.

PMID- 28352937
TI  - Impact of emotional distress and pain-related fear on patients with chronic pain:
      Subgroup analysis of patients referred to multimodal rehabilitation.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: Multimodal rehabilitation programmes (MMRP) for chronic pain could be
      improved by determining which patients do not benefit fully. General distress and
      pain-related fear may explain variations in the treatment effects of MMRP.
      DESIGN: Cohort study with a cross-sectional, prospective part. PATIENTS: Chronic
      musculoskeletal pain patients referred to 2 hospital-based pain rehabilitation
      clinics. METHODS: The cross-sectional part of this study cluster analyses
      patients (n = 1,218) with regard to distress and pain-related fear at first
      consultation in clinical pain rehabilitation and describes differences in
      external variables between clusters. The prospective part follows the subsample
      of patients (n = 260) participating in MMRP and describes outcome post-treatment.
      RESULTS: Four distinct subgroups were found: (i) those with low levels of
      distress and pain-related fear; (ii) those with high levels of pain-related fear;
      (iii) those with high levels of distress; and (iv) those with high levels of
      distress and pain-related fear. These subgroups showed differences in demogra
      phics, pain characteristics, quality of life, and acceptance, as well as the
      degree of MMRP participation and MMRP outcome. CONCLUSION: Among patients with
      chronic pain referred to MMRP there are subgroups with different profiles of
      distress and pain-related fear, which are relevant to understanding the
      adaptation to pain and MMRP outcome. This knowledge may help us to select
      patients and tailor treatment for better results.

PMID- 28352938
TI  - Reliability of the 2- and 6-minute walk tests in neuromuscular diseases.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: The 2- and 6-minute walk tests are used to evaluate walking capacity,
      but reliability has been sparsely investigated in patients with neuromuscular
      diseases. The aim of this study was to investigate the relative and absolute
      reliability of the 2- and 6-minute walk tests in patients with neuromuscular
      diseases. DESIGN: Each patient performed a 2- and a 6-minute walk test on 2 test
      days separated by 1-2 weeks. SUBJECTS: A total of 93 adult patients (mean age 53
      years, age range 22-83 years) with 12 different neuromuscular diseases were
      included. RESULTS: The mean walking distance increased by 4.3 and 11.2 m (p <
      0.001) in repeated 2- and 6-minute walk tests, respectively. Intraclass
      correlation coefficient in the 2- and 6-minute walk tests was 0.99 (p < 0.001).
      Standard error of measurement was 4.9 m in the 2-minute walk test and 14.0 m in
      the 6-minute walk test. Minimal detectable difference was 13.7 m in the 2-minute
      walk test and 38.8 m in the 6-minute walk test. CONCLUSION: These findings show
      good relative reliability of the 2- and 6-minute walk tests in patients with
      neuromuscular diseases. However, absolute reliability demonstrated variability in
      neuromuscular diseases. This should be considered when interpreting a change in
      walking distance.

PMID- 28352939
TI  - Rigid shoulder taping with physiotherapy in patients with subacromial pain
      syndrome: A randomized controlled trial.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: To assess the effectiveness of individualized physiotherapy in
      combination with rigid taping compared with individualized physiotherapy alone in
      patients with subacromial pain syndrome. DESIGN: A prospective randomized trial
      with concealed allocation. PATIENTS: A total of 140 patients between 18 and 65
      years of age from primary physiotherapy settings. METHODS: The intervention group
      received individualized physiotherapy and shoulder taping. The control group
      received individualized physiotherapy only. Primary outcomes were: pain intensit
      (numerical rating scale) and functioning (Simple Shoulder Test). Secondary
      outcomes were: global perceived effect and patient-specific complaints. Data were
      collected at baseline, and at 4, 12 and 26 weeks' follow-up. RESULTS: During the
      6-month follow-up period multilevel analysis showed a significant difference
      between groups favouring the control group on pain intensity (p = 0.02), but not
      on functioning. Regarding secondary outcomes, a significant difference between
      groups was found favouring the intervention group for global perceived effect (p
      = 0.02), but not for patient-specific complaints. CONCLUSION: Rigid shoulder
      taping, as used in this study, cannot be recommended for improving physiotherapy
      outcomes in people with subacromial pain syndrome.

PMID- 28352941
TI  - EASL-EASD-EASO clinical practice guidelines for the management of non-alcoholic
      fatty liver disease in severely obese people: do they lead to over-referral?
AB  - AIMS/HYPOTHESIS: We aimed to assess the application of the recent European
      Association for the Study of the Liver (EASL)-European Association for the Study
      of Diabetes (EASD)-European Association for the Study of Obesity (EASO) clinical
      practice guidelines for the management of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease
      (NAFLD) in severely obese individuals in routine clinical practice. METHODS: We
      performed a single-centre retrospective observational study of 385 patients
      referred for severe obesity (BMI >= 35 kg/m2) to our Endocrinology, Diabetes and
      Nutrition department, between 1 November 2014 and 31 December 2015. The recent
      EASL-EASD-EASO clinical practice guidelines for the management of NAFLD were
      retrospectively applied to the cohort using, successively, the NAFLD fibrosis
      score (NFS) and a combination of the NFS and transient elastography (TE)
      measurement in a subgroup of individuals. RESULTS: We identified 313 (81.3%)
      individuals with NAFLD in the cohort. The application of the EASL-EASD-EASO
      guidelines using NFS would lead to referral to a specialist for up to 289
      individuals (75.1%) in the cohort. The combination of NFS and TE measurement
      reclassified 28 (25%) individuals from the medium/high risk group to low risk and
      would lead to the referral of 261 (67.7%) individuals to a specialist. These
      proportions appear to be excessive given the expected prevalence of advanced
      fibrosis and non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) of around 10% and 30%,
      respectively, in the severely obese population. CONCLUSIONS/INTERPRETATION: This
      is the first study to assess the strategy proposed by the EASL-EASD-EASO clinical
      practice guidelines for the management of NAFLD in severely obese individuals.
      The retrospective application of the guidelines in a cohort representing the
      routine clinical practice in our department would lead to an excessive number of
      specialist referrals and would also lead to an unjustified increase in health
      costs. Biomarkers and specific strategy for the screening of NASH and advanced
      fibrosis in morbidly obese individuals are thus crucially needed and would help
      to improve the actual guidelines.

PMID- 28352940
TI  - Cytochrome P450 epoxygenase-derived epoxyeicosatrienoic acids contribute to
      insulin sensitivity in mice and in humans.
AB  - AIMS/HYPOTHESIS: Insulin resistance is frequently associated with hypertension
      and type 2 diabetes. The cytochrome P450 (CYP) arachidonic acid epoxygenases
      (CYP2C, CYP2J) and their epoxyeicosatrienoic acid (EET) products lower blood
      pressure and may also improve glucose homeostasis. However, the direct
      contribution of endogenous EET production on insulin sensitivity has not been
      previously investigated. In this study, we tested the hypothesis that endogenous
      CYP2C-derived EETs alter insulin sensitivity by analysing mice lacking CYP2C44, a
      major EET producing enzyme, and by testing the association of plasma EETs with
      insulin sensitivity in humans. METHODS: We assessed insulin sensitivity in wild
      type (WT) and Cyp2c44 -/- mice using hyperinsulinaemic-euglycaemic clamps and
      isolated skeletal muscle. Insulin secretory function was assessed using
      hyperglycaemic clamps and isolated islets. Vascular function was tested in
      isolated perfused mesenteric vessels. Insulin sensitivity and secretion were
      assessed in humans using frequently sampled intravenous glucose tolerance tests
      and plasma EETs were measured by mass spectrometry. RESULTS: Cyp2c44 -/- mice
      showed decreased glucose tolerance (639 +/- 39.5 vs 808 +/- 37.7 mmol/l * min for
      glucose tolerance tests, p = 0.004) and insulin sensitivity compared with WT
      controls (hyperinsulinaemic clamp glucose infusion rate average during terminal
      30 min 0.22 +/- 0.02 vs 0.33 +/- 0.01 mmol kg-1 min-1 in WT and Cyp2c44 -/- mice
      respectively, p = 0.003). Although glucose uptake was diminished in Cyp2c44 -/-
      mice in vivo (gastrocnemius Rg 16.4 +/- 2.0 vs 6.2 +/- 1.7 MUmol 100 g-1 min-1, p
      < 0.01) insulin-stimulated glucose uptake was unchanged ex vivo in isolated
      skeletal muscle. Capillary density was similar but vascular KATP-induced
      relaxation was impaired in isolated Cyp2c44 -/- vessels (maximal response 39.3 +/
      6.5% of control, p < 0.001), suggesting that impaired vascular reactivity
      produces impaired insulin sensitivity in vivo. Similarly, plasma EETs positively
      correlated with insulin sensitivity in human participants.
      CONCLUSIONS/INTERPRETATION: CYP2C-derived EETs contribute to insulin sensitivity
      in mice and in humans. Interventions to increase circulating EETs in humans could
      provide a novel approach to improve insulin sensitivity and treat hypertension.

PMID- 28352942
TI  - Long-term dietary nitrite and nitrate deficiency causes the metabolic syndrome,
      endothelial dysfunction and cardiovascular death in mice.
AB  - AIMS/HYPOTHESIS: Nitric oxide (NO) is synthesised not only from L-arginine by NO
      synthases (NOSs), but also from its inert metabolites, nitrite and nitrate. Green
      leafy vegetables are abundant in nitrate, but whether or not a deficiency in
      dietary nitrite/nitrate spontaneously causes disease remains to be clarified. In
      this study, we tested our hypothesis that long-term dietary nitrite/nitrate
      deficiency would induce the metabolic syndrome in mice. METHODS: To this end, we
      prepared a low-nitrite/nitrate diet (LND) consisting of an amino acid-based low
      nitrite/nitrate chow, in which the contents of L-arginine, fat, carbohydrates,
      protein and energy were identical with a regular chow, and potable ultrapure
      water. Nitrite and nitrate were undetectable in both the chow and the water.
      RESULTS: Three months of the LND did not affect food or water intake in wild-type
      C57BL/6J mice compared with a regular diet (RD). However, in comparison with the
      RD, 3 months of the LND significantly elicited visceral adiposity, dyslipidaemia
      and glucose intolerance. Eighteen months of the LND significantly provoked
      increased body weight, hypertension, insulin resistance and impaired endothelium
      dependent relaxations to acetylcholine, while 22 months of the LND significantly
      led to death mainly due to cardiovascular disease, including acute myocardial
      infarction. These abnormalities were reversed by simultaneous treatment with
      sodium nitrate, and were significantly associated with endothelial NOS
      downregulation, adiponectin insufficiency and dysbiosis of the gut microbiota.
      CONCLUSIONS/INTERPRETATION: These results provide the first evidence that long
      term dietary nitrite/nitrate deficiency gives rise to the metabolic syndrome,
      endothelial dysfunction and cardiovascular death in mice, indicating a novel
      pathogenetic role of the exogenous NO production system in the metabolic syndrome
      and its vascular complications.

PMID- 28352944
TI  - Quantitative proteomic studies in resistance mechanisms of Eimeria tenella
      against polyether ionophores.
AB  - Polyether ionophores are widely used to treat and control coccidiosis in
      chickens. Widespread use of anticoccidials resulted in worldwide resistance.
      Mechanisms of resistance development and expansion are complex and poorly
      understood. Relative proteomic quantification using LC-MS/MS was used to compare
      sensitive reference strains (Ref-1, Ref-2) with putatively resistant and
      moderately sensitive field strains (FS-R, FS-mS) of Eimeria tenella after
      isotopic labelling with tandem mass tags (TMT). Ninety-seven proteins were
      identified, and 25 of them were regulated. Actin was significantly upregulated in
      resistant strains in comparison with their sensitive counterparts. On the other
      hand, microneme protein (MIC4) was downregulated in resistant strains.
      Optimization of labelling E. tenella sporozoites by TMT might identify further
      proteins that play a role in the obvious complex mechanism leading to resistance
      against Monensin.

PMID- 28352946
TI  - New Price, New Hope? An Examination of the Effects of Doubling the Ticket Price
      in UK Lotto.
AB  - The UK Lotto game was introduced in November 1994 with a standard 6/49 format and
      an entry fee of L1 per ticket. After several years, revenue began to fall despite
      extensive publicity and a variety of inducements. By 2013, nominal weekly revenue
      was less than half the 1995 level. In October 2013, the operator doubled the
      price of a ticket to L2 and made a number of changes to the pay-out structure of
      smaller prizes. The intent of the changes was to reverse the long downward trend
      in game revenue by encouraging higher jackpots and offering more pay-out
      opportunities for each ticket. We use draw by draw revenue and other data to
      evaluate how players responded to these changes and find that, while ticket sales
      fell dramatically, total revenue rose following the changes. Primarily this
      appears to have been the consequence of increased frequency of rollovers (and
      therefore of more frequent high jackpot draws) rather than ticket price
      inelasticity. However, although there was a short-term gain in revenue, the
      changes did not arrest, and indeed seem to have accentuated, the long-run trend
      decrease in the revenue generated by the game.

PMID- 28352943
TI  - Function of Nanos1 gene in the development of reproductive organs of Schistosoma
      japonicum.
AB  - Nanos is a necessary factor in the differentiation and migration of primordial
      germ cells. It is closely associated with the development of genitalia in a wide
      range of species. We questioned whether Nanos was involved in the reproductive
      organ development of Schistosoma japonicum. Firstly, by in situ hybridization,  
      S. japonicum Nanos1 (SjNanos1  ) gene was expressed mainly in reproductive organs
      of S. japonicum. Then, the paired schistosome of 28 days post-infection (dpi) was
      transfected with SjNanos1 small interfering RNA three times and cultured in vitro
      for 10 days. SjNanos1 expression suppression in the mRNA and protein levels were
      confirmed compared to that of the controls. The morphological changes in
      reproductive organs and egg production were observed after SjNanos1 gene
      knockdown. The results observed by confocal laser scanning microscopy showed
      significant changes in the morphology of reproductive organs of parasites,
      especially the female ovaries, vitellarium, and the male testes, after RNAi. In
      addition, SjNanos1 silencing also induced the reduction of eggs, and affected the
      changes of reproduction-related genes, like Pumilio, CNOT6L, and Fs800.
      Therefore, our findings demonstrate that the SjNanos1 gene is essential in the
      development of reproductive organs and the egg production of S. japonicum.

PMID- 28352945
TI  - Shunt overdrainage syndrome: review of the literature.
AB  - Shunt overdrainage in patients with hydrocephalus still represents a challenge
      for neurosurgeons, in part due to the lack of agreement or uniformity concerning
      the entity. Important problems exist relating to the real incidence of the
      entity, its definition, classification, and the pathophysiological theories
      behind the various treatment strategies proposed. Recent reports have suggested
      that the evidence about overdrainage and its consequences is not so robust as
      presumed. Consequently, the topic requires more detailed examination. In this
      review, we comment on all the main facets related with shunt overdrainage.

PMID- 28352947
TI  - The knowns and unknowns of boredom: a review of the literature.
AB  - Despite the ubiquitous nature of boredom, the definition, function, and
      correlates of boredom are still poorly understood. In this review, we summarize
      the "known" (consistent evidence) and "unknown" (inconsistent evidence)
      correlates of boredom. We show that boredom is consistently related to negative
      affect, task-unrelated thought, over-estimation of elapsed time, reduced agency,
      as well as to over- and under-stimulation. Activation of the default mode network
      was consistent across the few available fMRI studies, while the recruitment of
      other brain areas such as the hippocampus and anterior insular cortex, was a
      notable but less consistent correlate of boredom. Other less consistent
      correlates of boredom are also reviewed, such as the level of arousal and the
      mental attributions given to fluctuations of attention. Finally, we identify two
      critical factors that may contribute to current inconsistencies in the literature
      and may hamper further progress in the field. First, there is relatively little
      consistency in the way in which boredom has been operationalized across studies
      to date, with operationalizations of boredom ranging from negative affect paired
      with under-stimulation, over-stimulation, to negative affect paired with a lack
      of goal-directed actions. Second, preliminary evidence suggests the existence of
      distinct types of boredom (e.g., searching vs. apathetic) that may have different
      and sometimes even opposing correlates. Adopting a more precise and consistent
      way of operationalizing boredom, and arriving at an empirically validated
      taxonomy of different types of boredom, could serve to overcome the current
      roadblocks to facilitate further progress in our scientific understanding of
      boredom.

PMID- 28352948
TI  - Visual information from observing grasping movement in allocentric and egocentric
      perspectives: development in typical children.
AB  - Development of the motor system lags behind that of the visual system and might
      delay some visual properties more closely linked to action. We measured the
      developmental trajectory of the discrimination of object size from observation of
      the biological motion of a grasping action in egocentric and allocentric
      viewpoints (observing action of others or self), in children and adolescents from
      5 to 18 years of age. Children of 5-7 years of age performed the task at chance,
      indicating a delayed ability to understand the goal of the action. We found a
      progressive improvement in the ability of discrimination from 9 to 18 years,
      which parallels the development of fine motor control. Only after 9 years of age
      did we observe an advantage for the egocentric view, as previously reported for
      adults. Given that visual and haptic sensitivity of size discrimination, as well
      as biological motion, are mature in early adolescence, we interpret our results
      as reflecting immaturity of the influence of the motor system on visual
      perception.

PMID- 28352950
TI  - Effect of threshold growth as a major feature on LI-RADS categorization.
AB  - PURPOSE: Liver Imaging Reporting and Data System (LI-RADS) uses major features
      (arterial phase hyperenhancement [APHE], "washout" [WO], "capsule," diameter,
      threshold growth [TG]) to codify probability of hepatocellular carcinoma for each
      observation. This study assessed the effect of removing TG as a major feature on
      LI-RADS categorization. MATERIALS AND METHODS: In this HIPAA-compliant, IRB
      approved study, all MR and CT clinical reports containing a standardized LI-RADS
      v2014 template between 4/15-1/17 were retrospectively reviewed for each LR-3, LR
      4, and LR-5 reported observation. Two LI-RADS categories were then assigned: one
      using all LI-RADS major features and one after removing TG as a major feature.
      The two categories were compared descriptively. RESULTS: The study included 265
      patients (172 [65%] male, mean age 63 [+/-10] years) with 489 observations
      (median diameter 14 mm, IQR 10-20 mm), of which 345 (71%) had APHE, 307 (63%) had
      WO, 86 (18%) had "capsule," and 72 (15%) had TG. Of 86 observations with TG, 47
      (65%) were new observations >=10 mm, 14 (19%) had diameter increase >=50% in <=6
      months, and 11 (15%) had diameter increase >=100% in >6 months. Using all major
      features, 214/489 (44%) observations were LR-3, 129/489 (26%) were LR-4, and
      146/489 (30%) were LR-5. After removing TG, 237/489 (48%) were LR-3, 119/489
      (24%) were LR-4, and 133 (27%) were LR-5. Removing TG caused a category downgrade
      for 35/489 (7%, 95% CI 5-10) observations, including 13/146 (9%, 95% CI 3-14) LR
      5 observations. CONCLUSION: 9% of LR-5 observations would be downgraded without
      TG.

PMID- 28352949
TI  - From prescription-only (Rx) to over-the-counter (OTC) status in Germany 2006
      2015: pharmacological perspectives on regulatory decisions.
AB  - PURPOSE: Little is known about the extent of switches from prescription-only (Rx)
      to over-the-counter (OTC) status in Europe and about the pharmacological
      properties of the switched substances. The objectives of this study were to
      provide an overview of the substances that were switched from Rx to OTC status in
      Germany between 2006 and 2015 and to assess their pharmacological properties.
      METHODS: Session minutes of the German Expert Advisory Committee for Prescription
      Only Issues, changes to the German Ordinance on Prescription-Only Medicines and
      the Summary of Product Characteristics of the switched substances were analysed.
      Pharmacological properties were studied in relation to the EU Guideline on
      Changing the Classification for the Supply of a Medicinal Product for Human Use
      (the 'EU switch guide'). RESULTS: Between 2006 and 2015, seven substances
      (almotriptan, omeprazole, benzydamine, ibuprofen/pseudoephedrine, racecadotril,
      ketotifen and levonorgestrel) were switched from Rx to OTC status in Germany. In
      all cases, the OTC status was restricted to certain indications, doses, pack
      sizes, or other limitations. Notwithstanding recommendations of the EU switch
      guide, some of the switched substances might interact with commonly used drugs
      potentially resulting in serious adverse drug reactions or have contraindications
      or warnings regarding substantial parts of the population. CONCLUSIONS: The
      stipulations of the EU switch guide were fully met for only some switches, while
      this was not completely the case for others. Further development of guidance on
      balancing risks and benefits of OTC availability is recommended.

PMID- 28352952
TI  - ?

PMID- 28352951
TI  - The value of adding diffusion-weighted images for tumor detection and
      preoperative staging in renal pelvic carcinoma for the reader's experience.
AB  - PURPOSE: This retrospective study aimed to assess the value of adding diffusion
      weighted magnetic resonance imaging (DWI) or gadolinium-enhanced fat-suppressed
      T1WI (CEI) to T2-weighted imaging (T2WI) for preoperative T categorization in
      renal pelvic carcinoma by the reader's experience using surgical specimens as the
      reference standard. METHODS: Two radiologists (Reader 1; 3 years, 2; 13 years)
      reviewed 49 cases with urothelial carcinoma who underwent magnetic resonance
      imaging examination before surgery, independently, using three image sets: T2WI
      alone, T2WI plus DWI, and T2WI plus CEI for tumor detection and T categorization.
      The differences in the apparent diffusion coefficient values between tumors and
      renal parenchyma, histopathologic grade were analyzed. RESULTS: T2WI plus CEI or
      DWI had high detection rates (93.4%) compared to T2WI alone. When discriminating
      T3a/T3b, for Reader 1, the use of T2WI plus DWI (88.0%) and T2WI plus CEI (92.0%)
      was significantly more accurate than T2WI alone (73%), with AUCs of 0.86, 0.86
      and 0.77, respectively. For Reader 2, the accuracies were high on all image sets,
      with AUCs of 0.87-0.95, and the mean ADC of the tumors was significantly lower
      than that of the normal renal parenchyma. In addition, the mean ADC values of
      high-grade tumors were significantly lower than that of low-grade tumors.
      CONCLUSIONS: DWI and CEI could be more helpful than T2WI alone for preoperative T
      categorization by less-experienced reader and DWI could be used for preoperative
      T categorization and for predicting the histopathologic grade of renal pelvic
      carcinoma.

PMID- 28352953
TI  - Three-dimensional volume rendering of pelvic models and paraurethral masses based
      on MRI cross-sectional images.
AB  - AIMS: Our aim was to assess the feasibility of rendering 3D pelvic models using
      magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans of patients with vaginal, urethral and
      paraurethral lesions and obtain additional information previously unavailable
      through 2D imaging modalities. METHODS: A purposive sample of five female
      patients 26-40 years old undergoing investigations for vaginal or paraurethral
      mass was obtained in a tertiary teaching hospital. 3D volume renderings of the
      bladder, urethra and paraurethral masses were constructed using 3D-Slicer
      v.3.4.0. Spatial dimensions were determined and compared with findings from
      clinical, MRI, surgical and histopathological reports. The quality of information
      regarding size and location of paraurethral masses obtained from 3D models was
      compared with information from cross-sectional MRI and review of clinical,
      surgical and histopathological findings. RESULTS: The analysis of rendered 3D
      models yielded detailed anatomical dimensions and provided information that was
      in agreement and in higher detail than information based on clinical examination,
      cross-sectional 2D MRI analysis and histopathological reports. High-quality
      pelvic 3D models were rendered with the characteristics and resolution to allow
      identification and detailed viewing of the spatial relationship between
      anatomical structures. CONCLUSIONS: To our knowledge, this is the first
      preliminary study to evaluate the role of MRI-based 3D pelvic models for
      investigating paraurethral masses. This is a feasible technique and may prove a
      useful addition to conventional 2D MRI. Further prospective studies are required
      to evaluate this modality for investigating such lesions and planning appropriate
      management.

PMID- 28352954
TI  - Dietary enzymatically treated Artemisia annua L. supplementation alleviates liver
      oxidative injury of broilers reared under high ambient temperature.
AB  - Heat stress induced by high ambient temperature is a major concern in commercial
      broiler production. To evaluate the effects of dietary enzymatically treated
      Artemisia annua L. (EA) supplementation on growth performance and liver oxidative
      injury of broilers reared under heat stress, a total of 320 22-day-old male
      broilers were randomly allotted into five groups with eight replicates of eight
      birds each. Broilers in the control group were housed at 22 +/- 1  degrees C and
      fed the basal diet. Broilers in the HS, HS-EA1, HS-EA2, and HS-EA3 groups were
      fed basal diet supplemented with 0, 0.75, 1.00, and 1.25 g/kg EA, respectively,
      and reared under cyclic high temperature (34 +/- 1  degrees C for 8 h/day and 22
      +/- 1  degrees C for 16 h/day). Broilers fed EA diets had higher final body
      weight, average daily body weight gain, and average daily feed intake, as well as
      liver concentration of reduced glutathione, activities of antioxidant enzymes,
      abilities to inhibit hydroxyl radical and superoxide radical (HS-EA2 and HS-EA3),
      and lower liver concentrations of reactive oxygen metabolites, malondialdehyde,
      and protein carbonyl (HS-EA1, HS-EA2, and HS-EA3) than HS group (P < 0.05). EA
      treatment downregulated the mRNA levels of heat shock proteins 70 and 90,
      upregulated the mRNA levels of nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 (HS
      EA1, HS-EA2, and HS-EA3) and heme oxygenase 1 (HS-EA2 and HS-EA3) in liver of
      heat-treated broilers (P < 0.05). In conclusion, EA alleviated heat stress
      induced growth depression and liver oxidative injury in broilers, possibly
      through improving the antioxidant capacity and regulating the pertinent mRNA
      expression. The appropriate inclusion level of EA in broiler diet is 1.00-1.25
      g/kg.

PMID- 28352955
TI  - The concomitants of conspiracy concerns.
AB  - PURPOSE: A conspiracy world view may be a form of mistrust that is typically
      corrosive to individual and societal well-being. Our aim was to establish the
      correlates of conspiracy thinking in an epidemiologically representative sample.
      METHODS: US National Comorbidity Survey-Replication (NCS-R) data were analysed
      from 5645 people who had completed the item "I am convinced there is a conspiracy
      behind many things in the world." Results were weighted to be representative of
      the US adult English speaking household population. RESULTS: 1618 people
      (weighted 26.7%) endorsed the conspiracy belief item. These individuals were more
      likely to be: male; currently unmarried; less educated; in a lower income
      household; outside the labour force; from an ethnic minority group; not attending
      religious services; taking a weapon outside; and perceiving themselves as of
      lower social standing compared to others. Individuals endorsing the conspiracy
      belief item had lower levels of physical and psychological well-being, higher
      levels of suicidal ideation, weaker social networks, less secure attachment
      style, difficult childhood family experiences, and were more likely to meet
      criteria for a psychiatric disorder. There were no differences between those who
      endorsed conspiracy beliefs and those who did not in age, importance of religious
      beliefs in daily life, body mass index, or in having a gun at home. CONCLUSIONS:
      Viewing conspiracies in the world is associated with a raised risk of a wide
      range of adverse circumstances. It is a type of cognitive style that requires
      systematic empirical study, including monitoring of prevalence, tests of
      causation, and modelling of propagation.

PMID- 28352956
TI  - Expert's Comment concerning Grand Rounds case entitled "Acute non-traumatic
      idiopathic spinal subdural hematoma: radiographic findings and surgical results
      with a literature review" by K. Kobayashi, S. Imagama, K. Ando, Y. Nishida, N.
      Ishiguro (Eur Spine J; 2017).

PMID- 28352957
TI  - Growing from dilemmas: developing a professional identity through collaborative
      reflections on relational dilemmas.
AB  - Health educators nurture future generations of professionals by helping them to
      navigate the complex transition from students to therapists. The purpose of this
      study was to illustrate how a pedagogical method of collaborative reflection
      (involving reflective writing, sharing, and discussion) on relational dilemmas
      with role partners can develop occupational therapists' professional identity.
      The course, in which this method was applied, implemented the supervision and
      peer learning frameworks as related to student's fieldwork experiences, and is
      based on the perception of growing from conflicts and exploration. The study is
      based on analyzing qualitative data of 392 dilemma cases and 196 texts of
      personal reflection on classroom work of undergraduate students in occupational
      therapy. A thematic analysis of the case studies revealed six overarching
      relational dilemmas that novice therapists are often called upon to deal with
      when working with patients, patients' families and colleagues from other health
      professions. Analyzing the personal texts of reflection highlighted the
      effectiveness of collaborative reflection in bridging the gap between theory and
      practice, and in helping students develop their professional identity. The method
      can be adapted to curricula for students and therapists in other health
      professions, in undergraduate courses, and in group supervision programs.

PMID- 28352961
TI  - Chronic swelling of the foot.

PMID- 28352960
TI  - Periosteal mesenchymal chondrosarcoma of the tibia with multifocal bone
      metastases: a case report.
AB  - Mesenchymal chondrosarcoma of bone is a rare high-grade variant of
      chondrosarcoma, which typically has central intramedullary location. The tumor is
      characterized by admixture of highly anaplastic small round malignant cells and
      islands of mineralized low-grade hyaline cartilage. It is most unusual for this
      tumor to arise on the surface of a long bone. We describe a patient with
      periosteal mesenchymal chondrosarcoma that arose at the surface of the right
      tibia with multifocal bone metastases. Radiographic, CT, MRI, and PET-CT features
      of this unusual tumor are presented.

PMID- 28352958
TI  - The epigenetic landscape of age-related diseases: the geroscience perspective.
AB  - In this review, we summarize current knowledge regarding the epigenetics of age
      related diseases, focusing on those studies that have described DNA methylation
      landscape in cardio-vascular diseases, musculoskeletal function and frailty. We
      stress the importance of adopting the conceptual framework of "geroscience",
      which starts from the observation that advanced age is the major risk factor for
      several of these pathologies and aims at identifying the mechanistic links
      between aging and age-related diseases. DNA methylation undergoes a profound
      remodeling during aging, which includes global hypomethylation of the genome,
      hypermethylation at specific loci and an increase in inter-individual variation
      and in stochastic changes of DNA methylation values. These epigenetic
      modifications can be an important contributor to the development of age-related
      diseases, but our understanding on the complex relationship between the
      epigenetic signatures of aging and age-related disease is still poor. The most
      relevant results in this field come from the use of the so called "epigenetics
      clocks" in cohorts of subjects affected by age-related diseases. We report these
      studies in final section of this review.

PMID- 28352959
TI  - Inheritance, fine-mapping, and candidate gene analyses of resistance to soybean
      mosaic virus strain SC5 in soybean.
AB  - Soybean mosaic virus (SMV) is one of the most devastating pathogens for soybeans
      in China. Among the country-wide 22 strains, SC5 dominates in Huang-Huai and
      Changjiang valleys. For controlling its damage, the resistance gene was searched
      through Mendelian inheritance study, gene fine-mapping, and candidate gene
      analysis combined with qRT-PCR (quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction)
      analysis. The parents F1, F2, and RILs (recombinant inbred lines) of the cross
      Kefeng-1 (Resistance, R) * NN1138-2 (Susceptible, S) were used to examine the
      inheritance of SC5-resistance. The F1 was resistant and the F2 and RILs
      segregated in a 3R:1S and 1R:1S ratio, respectively, indicating a single dominant
      gene conferring the Kefeng-1 resistance. Subsequently, the genomic region
      conferring the resistance was found in "Bin 352-Bin353 with 500 kb" on Chromosome
      2 using the phenotyping data of the 427 RILs and a high-density genetic map with
      4703 bin markers. In the 500 kb genomic region, 38 putative genes are contained.
      The association analysis between the SNPs in a putative gene and the resistance
      phenotype for the 427 RILs prioritized 11 candidate genes using Chi-square
      criterion. The expression levels of these genes were tested by qRT-PCR. On
      infection with SC5, 7 out of the 11 genes had differential expression in Kefeng-1
      and NN1138-2. Furthermore, integrating SNP-phenotype association analysis with
      qRT-PCR expression profiling analysis, Glyma02g13495 was found the most possible
      candidate gene for SC5-resistance. This finding can facilitate the breeding for
      SC5-resistance through marker-assisted selection and provide a platform to gain a
      better understanding of SMV-resistance gene system in soybean.

PMID- 28352962
TI  - Helminthiasis characterization and anthelmintic efficacy for ewes and lambs
      raised in tropical semiarid region.
AB  - In this study the helminthiasis and anthelmintic effectiveness in ewes and lambs
      were evaluated in a semiarid region of Brazil. Twelve sheep farms were
      investigated using semi-structured questionnaires and fecal egg count (FEC)
      reduction test was employed to analyze the profile of anthelmintic resistance.
      Groups of at least 10 animals with FEC >= 300 were selected. After 12 h of
      fasting, homogeneous groups of lambs or ewes were treated with albendazole,
      levamisole moxidectin, or oxfendazole and control groups were not treated. Feces
      were collected before treatments and 14 days after, and larvae genera were
      identified after cuprocultures in both periods. Extensive grazing was the
      predominant creation system, using hybrid Santa Ines animals. The separation by
      age was promoted in 75% of herds; however, maternity pickets there were only in
      three farms. The strategic treatments were performed only in 8.4% of sheep farms
      and 16.6% used the anthelmintic efficacy test and alternated anthelmintic classes
      after 1 year. The initial FEC means for lambs were significantly higher than ewe
      FEC averages. For lamb tests, moxidectin and levamisole showed higher efficacy (p
      <= 0.05) than benzimidazoles. For ewe tests, moxidectin and levamisole showed
      efficiencies >75%. Haemonchus spp. and Trichostrongylus spp. were the most
      frequent nematodes before treatments and the genus Haemonchus was the most
      prevalent after anthelmintic treatments (p < 0.05). Variations of anthelmintic
      susceptibility were observed for categories and herds evaluated, which emphasizes
      the importance of the effectiveness tests for the choice of anthelmintics for
      ewes and lambs.

PMID- 28352963
TI  - External ear findings during anaphylaxis.

PMID- 28352964
TI  - The limits of weak selection and large population size in evolutionary game
      theory.
AB  - Evolutionary game theory is a mathematical approach to studying how social
      behaviors evolve. In many recent works, evolutionary competition between
      strategies is modeled as a stochastic process in a finite population. In this
      context, two limits are both mathematically convenient and biologically relevant:
      weak selection and large population size. These limits can be combined in
      different ways, leading to potentially different results. We consider two
      orderings: the [Formula: see text] limit, in which weak selection is applied
      before the large population limit, and the [Formula: see text] limit, in which
      the order is reversed. Formal mathematical definitions of the [Formula: see text]
      and [Formula: see text] limits are provided. Applying these definitions to the
      Moran process of evolutionary game theory, we obtain asymptotic expressions for
      fixation probability and conditions for success in these limits. We find that the
      asymptotic expressions for fixation probability, and the conditions for a
      strategy to be favored over a neutral mutation, are different in the [Formula:
      see text] and [Formula: see text] limits. However, the ordering of limits does
      not affect the conditions for one strategy to be favored over another.

PMID- 28352965
TI  - Dual-Energy CT to Diagnose Pseudoedema in Contrast-Induced Encephalopathy
      Following Cerebral Angiography.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Contrast-induced encephalopathy (CIE) is a syndrome that may be
      clinically unrecognized and misdiagnosed as cerebral edema. METHODS: Case report
      and review. RESULTS: A 72-year-old woman was admitted for elective endovascular
      embolization of a 10-mm left anterior communicating artery aneurysm. One hour
      post-procedure, she acutely developed global aphasia. Emergent head computed
      tomography (CT) and computed tomography-angiography (CTA) showed high attenuation
      of the left hemispheric subarachnoid spaces interpreted as hemispheric edema;
      emergent magnetic resonance imaging revealed left hemispheric punctate infarcts.
      At 12 h, she developed right hemiparesis and encephalopathy. Repeat CTA and CT
      perfusion revealed decreased left hemisphere cerebral blood flow and diminutive
      caliber of distal left middle cerebral artery territory vasculature. Repeated
      angiography with intra-arterial verapamil and systemic blood pressure
      augmentation were performed for presumed vasospasm. At 20 h, head CT was
      concerning for worsening left hemispheric edema, but dual-energy, iodine
      subtracting sequences revealed significant contrast extravasation contributing to
      the appearance of sulcal effacement but without actual edema. Out of concern for
      blood-brain barrier breakdown from CIE, pressor augmentation was discontinued and
      the patient gradually improved to full neurological recovery within 72 h of
      symptom onset. CONCLUSIONS: Our case is the first known to report the use of dual
      energy, iodine-subtracting CT as a diagnostic tool in differentiating between
      cerebral edema and pseudoedema in CIE.

PMID- 28352966
TI  - Cold Blooded: Evaluating Brain Temperature by MRI During Surface Cooling of Human
      Subjects.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Targeted temperature management (TTM) confers neurological and
      survival benefits for post-cardiac arrest patients with return of spontaneous
      circulation (ROSC) who remain comatose. Specialized equipment for induction of
      hypothermia is not available in the prehospital setting, and there are no
      reliable methods for emergency medical services personnel to initiate TTM. We
      hypothesized that the application of surface cooling elements to the neck will
      decrease brain temperature and act as initiators of TTM. METHODS: Magnetic
      resonance (MR) spectroscopy was used to evaluate the effect of a carotid surface
      cooling element on brain temperature in healthy adults. RESULTS: Six individuals
      completed this study. We measured a temperature drop of 0.69 +/- 0.38  degrees C
      (95% CI) in the cortex of the brain following the application of the cooling
      element. Application of a room temperature element also caused a measurable
      decrease in brain temperature of 0.66 +/- 0.41  degrees C (95% CI) which may be
      attributable to baroreceptor activation. CONCLUSION: The application of surface
      cooling elements to the neck decreased brain temperature and may serve as a
      method to initiate TTM in the prehospital setting.

PMID- 28352967
TI  - Alternative splicing affects the targeting sequence of peroxisome proteins in
      Arabidopsis.
AB  - KEY MESSAGE: A systematic analysis of the Arabidopsis genome in combination with
      localization experiments indicates that alternative splicing affects the
      peroxisomal targeting sequence of at least 71 genes in Arabidopsis. Peroxisomes
      are ubiquitous eukaryotic cellular organelles that play a key role in diverse
      metabolic functions. All peroxisome proteins are encoded by nuclear genes and
      target to peroxisomes mainly through two types of targeting signals: peroxisomal
      targeting signal type 1 (PTS1) and PTS2. Alternative splicing (AS) is a process
      occurring in all eukaryotes by which a single pre-mRNA can generate multiple mRNA
      variants, often encoding proteins with functional differences. However, the
      effects of AS on the PTS1 or PTS2 and the targeting of the protein were rarely
      studied, especially in plants. Here, we systematically analyzed the genome of
      Arabidopsis, and found that the C-terminal targeting sequence PTS1 of 66 genes
      and the N-terminal targeting sequence PTS2 of 5 genes are affected by AS.
      Experimental determination of the targeting of selected protein isoforms further
      demonstrated that AS at both the 5' and 3' region of a gene can affect the
      inclusion of PTS2 and PTS1, respectively. This work underscores the importance of
      AS on the global regulation of peroxisome protein targeting.

PMID- 28352969
TI  - Transgenic pigeonpea events expressing Cry1Ac and Cry2Aa exhibit resistance to
      Helicoverpa armigera.
AB  - KEY MESSAGE: Independent transgenic pigeonpea events were developed using two cry
      genes. Transgenic Cry2Aa-pigeonpea was established for the first time. Selected
      transgenic events demonstrated 100% mortality of Helicoverpa armigera in
      successive generations. Lepidopteran insect Helicoverpa armigera is the major
      yield constraint of food legume pigeonpea. The present study was aimed to develop
      H. armigera-resistant transgenic pigeonpea, selected on the basis of transgene
      expression and phenotyping. Agrobacterium tumefaciens-mediated transformation of
      embryonic axis explants of pigeonpea cv UPAS 120 was performed using two separate
      binary vectors carrying synthetic Bacillus thuringiensis insecticidal crystal
      protein genes, cry1Ac and cry2Aa. T0 transformants were selected on the basis of
      PCR and protein expression profile. T1 events were exclusively selected on the
      basis of expression and monogenic character for cry, validated through Western
      and Southern blot analyses, respectively. Independently transformed 12 Cry1Ac and
      11 Cry2Aa single-copy events were developed. The level of Cry-protein expression
      in T1 transgenic events was 0.140-0.175% of total soluble protein. Expressed
      Cry1Ac and Cry2Aa proteins in transgenic pigeonpea exhibited significant weight
      loss of second-fourth instar larvae of H. armigera and ultimately 80-100%
      mortality in detached leaf bioassay. Selected Cry-transgenic pigeonpea events,
      established at T2 generation, inherited insect-resistant phenotype.
      Immunohistofluorescence localization in T3 plants demonstrated constitutive
      accumulation of Cry1Ac and Cry2Aa in leaf tissues of respective transgenic
      events. This study is the first report of transgenic pigeonpea development, where
      stable integration, effective expression and biological activity of two Cry
      proteins were demonstrated in subsequent three generations (T0, T1, and T2).
      These studies will contribute to biotechnological breeding programmes of
      pigeonpea for its genetic improvement.

PMID- 28352968
TI  - Silencing SlAGL6, a tomato AGAMOUS-LIKE6 lineage gene, generates fused sepal and
      green petal.
AB  - KEY MESSAGE: Silencing SlAGL6 in tomato leads to fused sepal and green petal by
      influencing the expression of A-, B-class genes. AGAMOUS-LIKE6 (AGL6) lineage is
      an important clade MADS-box transcription factor and plays essential roles in
      various developmental programs especially in flower meristem and floral organ
      development. Here, we isolated a tomato AGL6 lineage gene SlAGL6 and successfully
      obtained several RNA interference (RNAi) lines. Silencing SlAGL6 led to abnormal
      fused sepals and light green petals with smaller size. The total chlorophyll
      content in transgenic petals increased and the morphology of epidermis cells
      altered. Further analysis showed that A-class gene MACROCALYX (MC) participating
      in sepal development and a NAC-domain gene GOBLET involving in boundary
      establishment were down-regulated in transgenic lines. In transgenic petals, two
      chlorophyll synthesis genes, Golden2-like1 (SlGLK1) and Golden2-like2 (SlGLK2),
      two photosystem-related genes, ribulose bisphosphate carboxylase small chain 3B
      (SlrbcS3B) and chlorophyll a/b-binding protein 7 (SlCab-7) were induced and three
      B-class genes TM6, TAP3 and SlGLO1 were repressed. These results suggest that
      SlAGL6 involves in tomato sepal and petal development.

PMID- 28352971
TI  - IR Spectra of Different O2-Content Hemoglobin from Computational Study: Promising
      Detector of Hemoglobin Variant in Medical Diagnosis.
AB  - IR spectra of heme and different O2-content hemoglobin were studied by the
      quantum computation method at the molecule level. IR spectra of heme and
      different O2-content hemoglobin were quantificationally characterized from 0 to
      100 THz. The IR spectra of oxy-heme and de-oxy-heme are obviously different at
      the frequency regions of 9.08-9.48, 38.38-39.78, 50.46-50.82, and 89.04-91.00
      THz. At 24.72 THz, there exists the absorption peak for oxy-heme, whereas there
      is not the absorption peak for de-oxy-heme. Whether the heme contains Fe-O-O bond
      or not has the great influence on its IR spectra and vibration intensities of
      functional groups in the mid-infrared area. The IR adsorption peak shape changes
      hardly for different O2-content hemoglobin. However, there exist three frequency
      regions corresponding to the large change of IR adsorption intensities for
      containing-O2 hemoglobin in comparison with de-oxy-hemoglobin, which are 11.08
      15.93, 44.70-50.22, and 88.00-96.68 THz regions, respectively. The most
      differential values with IR intensity of different O2-content hemoglobin all
      exceed 1.0 * 104 L mol-1 cm-1. With the increase of oxygen content, the
      absorption peak appears in the high-frequency region for the containing-O2
      hemoglobin in comparison with de-oxy-hemoglobin. The more the O2-content is, the
      greater the absorption peak is at the high-frequency region. The IR spectra of
      different O2-content hemoglobin are so obviously different in the mid-infrared
      region that it is very easy to distinguish the hemoglobin variant by means of IR
      spectra detector. IR spectra of hemoglobin from quantum computation can provide
      scientific basis and specific identification of hemoglobin variant resulting from
      different O2 contents in medical diagnosis.

PMID- 28352972
TI  - Gerald E. McClearn 1927-2017: A Founding Father of Behavioral Genetics.

PMID- 28352973
TI  - Incidence and molecular diversity of poleroviruses infecting cucurbit crops and
      weed plants in Thailand.
AB  - Overall, 244 samples of cucurbit crops with yellowing symptoms and selected weed
      species, from 15 provinces in Thailand, were screened by RT-PCR using primers
      Polero-CP-F and Polero-CP-R. A total of 160 samples (~66%) were infected by
      poleroviruses. Analysis of a 1.4 kb region covering the 3' RNA-dependent RNA
      polymerase (RdRp) gene, the intergenic non-coding region (iNCR), and the coat
      protein (CP), showed that four poleroviruses, namely, cucurbit aphid-borne
      yellows virus (CABYV), luffa aphid-borne yellows virus (LABYV), melon aphid-borne
      yellows virus (MABYV) and suakwa aphid-borne yellows virus (SABYV) were
      associated with the yellowing symptoms in cucurbit crops. Further analyses
      indicated presence of putative recombinant viruses referred to as CABYV-R and
      SABYV-R. CABYV-R was derived from the recombination between MABYV and the common
      strain of CABYV (CABYV-C). SABYV-R was derived from the recombination of MABYV
      and SABYV.

PMID- 28352974
TI  - Myocardial stunning occurs during intermittent haemodialysis for acute kidney
      injury.

PMID- 28352975
TI  - Empathy: some thoughtful reflections among a favorable attitude.

PMID- 28352976
TI  - Did KDIGO guidelines on acute kidney injury improve patient outcome?

PMID- 28352977
TI  - Single-energy pediatric chest computed tomography with spectral filtration at 100
      kVp: effects on radiation parameters and image quality.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Most of the applied radiation dose at CT is in the lower photon
      energy range, which is of limited diagnostic importance. OBJECTIVE: To
      investigate image quality and effects on radiation parameters of 100-kVp spectral
      filtration single-energy chest CT using a tin-filter at third-generation dual
      source CT in comparison to standard 100-kVp chest CT. MATERIALS AND METHODS:
      Thirty-three children referred for a non-contrast chest CT performed on a third
      generation dual-source CT scanner were examined at 100 kVp with a dedicated tin
      filter with a tube current-time product resulting in standard protocol dose. We
      compared resulting images with images from children examined using standard
      single-source chest CT at 100 kVp. We assessed objective and subjective image
      quality and compared radiation dose parameters. RESULTS: Radiation dose was
      comparable for children 5 years old and younger, and it was moderately decreased
      for older children when using spectral filtration (P=0.006). Effective tube
      current increased significantly (P=0.0001) with spectral filtration, up to a
      factor of 10. Signal-to-noise ratio and image noise were similar for both
      examination techniques (P>=0.06). Subjective image quality showed no significant
      differences (P>=0.2). CONCLUSION: Using 100-kVp spectral filtration chest CT in
      children by means of a tube-based tin-filter on a third-generation dual-source CT
      scanner increases effective tube current up to a factor of 10 to provide similar
      image quality at equivalent dose compared to standard single-source CT without
      spectral filtration.

PMID- 28352978
TI  - Transcranial Sonography in Mitochondrial Membrane Protein-Associated
      Neurodegeneration.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: Although the nature of basal ganglia hyperechogenicity in
      transcranial sonography (TCS) examinations remains unclear, many studies have
      shown associations between hyperechogenicity and iron accumulation. The role of
      iron in basal ganglia hyperechogenicity raises interest in the use of TCS in
      forms of neurodegeneration with brain iron accumulation (NBIA). Here we analyzed
      TCS and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) findings among patients affected by one
      type of NBIA, mitochondrial membrane protein-associated neurodegeneration (MPAN).
      METHODS: Investigations using MRI and TCS were performed on 13 patients
      exhibiting a C19orf12 gene mutation. RESULTS: The use of T2/T2* MRI revealed
      hypointense lesions restricted to the globus pallidus and substantia nigra. Using
      TCS examination, 12 patients exhibited bilateral hyperechogenicity of the
      lenticular nucleus, while no patients showed substantia nigra hyperechogenicity.
      CONCLUSION: Investigations with TCS revealed a distinctive hyperechogenicity
      pattern of the basal ganglia in MPAN patients, which might be useful for
      differential diagnostics. The variable TCS imaging findings in NBIA patients may
      result from the presence of different iron content, iron binding partners, such
      as ferritin and neuromelanin, as well as structural changes, such as gliosis.

PMID- 28352979
TI  - Time-resolved 3D Rotational Angiography (4D DSA) of the Lenticulostriate
      Arteries: Display of Normal Anatomic Variants and Collaterals in Cases with
      Chronic Obstruction of the MCA.
AB  - PURPOSE: The lenticulostriate arteries (LSA) and other perforators may play a
      role for collateral supply in cases with ischemia due to stenosis or occlusions
      of the middle cerebral artery (MCA). Purpose of this case series was to evaluate
      the potential of time-resolved 3D rotational angiography data sets (4D DSA) for
      detailed visualization of anatomic variants of LSA feeders and for display of
      local collaterals involving the LSA in cases with chronic MCA obstruction.
      METHODS: Multiplanar and volume rendering reconstructions of 4D DSA data were
      computed in addition to standard postprocessing in 24 patients who had
      indications for 3D rotational angiography (3DRA) of the internal carotid artery
      (ICA) without pathologies of the ICA, middle cerebral artery (MCA) and anterior
      cerebral artery (ACA) main stems (n = 18) or with stenosis or chronic occlusion
      of the MCA (n = 6). For acquisition of 3DRA, we used a modified digital
      subtraction angiography (DSA) image acquisition protocol with an extended
      rotation angle of 260 degrees  and a prolonged scan time of 12 s on a Siemens
      Axiom Artis Zee biplane neuroangiography equipment. The 4D reconstructions of
      existing 3DRA data were computed on a dedicated workstation. Origin and course of
      LSA and other perforators were analyzed according to coronal multiplanar
      reconstructions (MPRs) with slice thicknesses between 6 and 28 mm. RESULTS: In
      all cases 4D reconstructions of the LSA were technically feasible and evaluable.
      As expected, origin and course of LSA showed a wide range of variations: The most
      common pattern was a common trunk dividing into multiple ascending branches
      originating from the proximal M1 (n = 5) or the proximal A1 segment (n = 4).
      Alternatively, 8 patients showed several individual branches that directly
      originated from the proximal M1 segment of the MCA and occasionally from the A1
      segment of the ACA. In patients with M1 stenosis or occlusion, 4 out of 6 cases
      had local collaterals with involvement of proximal LSA trunks and a network
      parallel to the obstructed vessel segment. The 4D reconstructions were found to
      be equivalent (n = 16) or superior to 3D reconstructions (n = 8). CONCLUSION: The
      4D DSA reconstructions provide a reliable display of normal LSA variants and
      connections to local collateral networks in cases with chronic MCA obstruction.
      The possibility to select a correct angiographic phase is advantageous compared
      to 3D DSA.

PMID- 28352970
TI  - Quantitative trait loci from identification to exploitation for crop improvement.
AB  - Advancement in the field of genetics and genomics after the discovery of Mendel's
      laws of inheritance has led to map the genes controlling qualitative and
      quantitative traits in crop plant species. Mapping of genomic regions controlling
      the variation of quantitatively inherited traits has become routine after the
      advent of different types of molecular markers. Recently, the next generation
      sequencing methods have accelerated the research on QTL analysis. These efforts
      have led to the identification of more closely linked molecular markers with
      gene/QTLs and also identified markers even within gene/QTL controlling the trait
      of interest. Efforts have also been made towards cloning gene/QTLs or
      identification of potential candidate genes responsible for a trait. Further new
      concepts like crop QTLome and QTL prioritization have accelerated precise
      application of QTLs for genetic improvement of complex traits. In the past years,
      efforts have also been made in exploitation of a number of QTL for improving
      grain yield or other agronomic traits in various crops through markers assisted
      selection leading to cultivation of these improved varieties at farmers' field.
      In present article, we reviewed QTLs from their identification to exploitation in
      plant breeding programs and also reviewed that how improved cultivars developed
      through introgression of QTLs have improved the yield productivity in many crops.

PMID- 28352981
TI  - Fasting but not casual blood glucose is associated with pancreatic cancer
      mortality in Japanese: EPOCH-JAPAN.
AB  - PURPOSE: The dose-response relationship between fasting blood glucose levels and
      risk of pancreatic cancer has been investigated, but the association between
      casual blood glucose levels and pancreatic cancer death has not been examined. We
      examined the association between casual and fasting blood glucose levels and
      death due to pancreatic cancer in Japanese. METHODS: We performed a pooled
      analysis of the individual Japanese including 46,387 participants aged 40-79
      years from ten cohorts. Participants were classified into five groups: low
      normal, middle normal, high normal, prediabetes (casual blood glucose 140-199
      mg/dl, or fasting blood glucose 110-125 mg/dl), and diabetes (casual blood
      glucose >=200 mg/dl, fasting blood glucose >=126 mg/dl, or anti-diabetic drug
      use). Low normal, middle normal, and high normal were defined according to
      tertiles of casual or fasting normal blood glucose levels. Hazard ratios (HRs)
      and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for pancreatic cancer mortality were estimated
      stratifying casual and fasting blood glucose by cohort-stratified Cox
      proportional hazards regression analysis, with low normal (casual blood glucose
      <94 mg/dl, or fasting blood glucose <90 mg/dl) as a reference. RESULTS: Fasting
      blood glucose showed a dose-response relationship with pancreatic cancer
      mortality (p for trend = 0.005). After adjusting for covariates, HRs (95% CIs)
      were 2.83 (1.18-6.76) for prediabetes and 3.96 (1.56-10.08) for diabetes.
      However, there were no significant associations with casual blood glucose. These
      tendencies were observed after the exclusion of participants who were censored
      for the first 5 years of follow-up. CONCLUSIONS: Fasting blood glucose is a
      better predictor of pancreatic cancer death than casual blood glucose.

PMID- 28352980
TI  - Symptom clusters for revising scale membership in the analysis of prostate cancer
      patient reported outcome measures: a secondary data analysis of the Medical
      Research Council RT01 trial (ISCRTN47772397).
AB  - PURPOSE: To investigate the role of symptom clusters in the analysis and
      utilisation of patient reported outcome measures (PROMs) for data modelling and
      clinical practice. To compare symptom clusters with scales, and to explore their
      value in PROMs interpretation and symptom management. METHODS: A dataset called
      RT01 (ISCRTN47772397) of 843 prostate cancer patients was used. PROMs were
      reported with the University of California, Los Angeles Prostate Cancer Index
      (UCLA-PCI). Symptom clusters were explored with hierarchical cluster analysis
      (HCA) and average linkage method (correlation > 0.6). The reliability of the
      Urinary Function Scale was evaluated with Cronbach's Alpha. The strength of the
      relationship between the items was investigated with Spearman's correlation.
      Predictive accuracy of the clusters was compared to the scales by receiver
      operating characteristic (ROC) analysis. Presence of urinary symptoms at 3 years
      measured with the late effects on normal tissue: subjective, objective,
      management tool (LENT/SOM) was an endpoint. RESULTS: Two symptom clusters were
      identified (urinary cluster and sexual cluster). The grouping of symptom clusters
      was different than UCLA-PCI Scales. Two items of the urinary function scales
      ("number of pads" and "urinary leak interfering with sex") were excluded from the
      urinary cluster. The correlation with the other items in the scale ranged from
      0.20 to 0.21 and 0.31 to 0.39, respectively. Cronbach's Alpha showed low
      correlation of those items with the Urinary Function Scale (0.14-0.36 and 0.33
      0.44, respectively). All urinary function scale items were subject to a ceiling
      effect. Clusters had better predictive accuracy, AUC = 0.70 -0.65, while scales
      AUC = 0.67-0.61. CONCLUSION: This study adds to the knowledge on how cluster
      analysis can be applied for the interpretation and utilisation of PROMs. We
      conclude that multiple-item scales should be evaluated and that symptom clusters
      provide a study-specific approach for modelling and interpretation of PROMs.

PMID- 28352983
TI  - An update on the Barriers to Adherence and a Definition of Self-Report Non
      adherence Given Advancements in Antiretroviral Therapy (ART).
AB  - Relying on the most frequently reported barriers to adherence and convenient
      definitions of non-adherence may lead to less valid results. We used a dominance
      analysis (a regression-based approach) to identify the most important barriers to
      adherence based on effect size using data collected through an online survey. The
      survey included the Adherence Barrier Questionnaire, self-reported non-adherence
      defined as a 4-day treatment interruption, and HIV clinical outcomes. The sample
      (N = 1217) was largely male, gay identified, and White. Nearly 1 in 3
      participants reported "simply forgot" as a barrier; however, in a dominance
      analysis, it yielded a small effect size it its association with a 4-day
      treatment interruption. Further, dominance analyses stratified by race/ethnicity
      and age suggested that not all barriers impact all groups equally. The most
      frequently reported barriers to adherence were not the most important, and
      interventions should focus on barriers more strongly linked to clinical outcomes.

PMID- 28352982
TI  - Alcohol Use, Socioeconomic Status and Risk of HIV Infections.
AB  - The present study investigated the associations among alcohol use, socioeconomic
      status (SES), and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) status, in the South African
      context. It was hypothesized that SES (predictor; measured as median split asset
      score) and alcohol use in the past 12 months (predictor) would interact such that
      current drinkers of low SES would be at an increased risk of testing HIV-positive
      (outcome). Nationally representative, cross-sectional survey data from 2005 (N =
      16,110), 2008 (N = 13,055), and 2012 (N = 25,979) were analyzed using multinomial
      regression models. Current drinkers of low SES had an elevated risk of HIV
      infection in all survey years, ranging from a relative risk ratio (RRR) of 1.94
      (95% confidence interval (CI) 1.29-3.00, t = 2.93, p = 0.002) in 2012 to RRR of
      3.51 (95% CI 2.02-6.08, t = 4.47, p < 0.001) in 2008. Targeting preventive
      strategies to alcohol users of low SES could help reduce HIV burden and
      associated socioeconomic differences.

PMID- 28352984
TI  - A Longitudinal Analysis of Treatment Optimism and HIV Acquisition and
      Transmission Risk Behaviors Among Black Men Who Have Sex with Men in HPTN 061.
AB  - Little is known about HIV treatment optimism and risk behaviors among Black men
      who have sex with men (BMSM). Using longitudinal data from BMSM in the HPTN 061
      study, we examined participants' self-reported comfort with having condomless sex
      due to optimistic beliefs regarding HIV treatment. We assessed correlates of
      treatment optimism and its association with subsequent risk behaviors for HIV
      acquisition or transmission using multivariable logistic regression with
      generalized estimating equations. Independent correlates of treatment optimism
      included age >=35 years, annual household income <$20,000, depressive symptoms,
      high HIV conspiracy beliefs, problematic alcohol use, and previous HIV diagnosis.
      Treatment optimism was independently associated with subsequent condomless anal
      sex with a male partner of serodiscordant/unknown HIV status among HIV-infected
      men, but this association was not statistically significant among HIV-uninfected
      men. HIV providers should engage men in counseling conversations to assess and
      minimize willingness to have condomless sex that is rooted in optimistic
      treatment beliefs without knowledge of viral suppression.

PMID- 28352985
TI  - A phase Ib/II study of cabozantinib (XL184) with or without erlotinib in patients
      with non-small cell lung cancer.
AB  - PURPOSE: Cabozantinib is a multi-kinase inhibitor that targets MET, AXL, and
      VEGFR2, and may synergize with EGFR inhibition in NSCLC. Cabozantinib was
      assessed alone or in combination with erlotinib in patients with progressive
      NSCLC and EGFR mutations who had previously received erlotinib. METHODS: This was
      a phase Ib/II study (NCT00596648). The primary objectives of phase I were to
      assess the safety, pharmacokinetics, and pharmacodynamics and to determine
      maximum tolerated dose (MTD) of cabozantinib plus erlotinib in patients who
      failed prior erlotinib treatment. In phase II, patients with prior response or
      stable disease with erlotinib who progressed were randomized to single-agent
      cabozantinib 100 mg qd vs cabozantinib 100 mg qd and erlotinib 50 mg qd (phase I
      MTD), with a primary objective of estimating objective response rate (ORR).
      RESULTS: Sixty-four patients were treated in phase I. Doses of 100 mg
      cabozantinib plus 50 mg erlotinib, or 40 mg cabozantinib plus 150 mg erlotinib
      were determined to be MTDs. Diarrhea was the most frequent dose-limiting toxicity
      and the most frequent AE (87.5% of patients). The ORR for phase I was 8.2% (90%
      CI 3.3-16.5). In phase II, one patient in the cabozantinib arm (N = 15)
      experienced a partial response, for an ORR of 6.7% (90% CI 0.3-27.9), with no
      responses for cabozantinib plus erlotinib (N = 13). There was no evidence that co
      administration of cabozantinib markedly altered erlotinib pharmacokinetics or
      vice versa. CONCLUSIONS: Despite responses with cabozantinib/erlotinib in phase
      I, there were no responses in the combination arm of phase II in patients with
      acquired resistance to erlotinib. Cabozantinib did not appear to re-sensitize
      these patients to erlotinib.

PMID- 28352987
TI  - Hemolytic uremic syndrome caused by E. coli O157 infection.

PMID- 28352986
TI  - Genetic associations with lipoprotein subfraction measures differ by ethnicity in
      the multi-ethnic study of atherosclerosis (MESA).
AB  - A recent genome-wide association study associated 62 single nucleotide
      polymorphisms (SNPs) from 43 genomic loci, with fasting lipoprotein subfractions
      in European-Americans (EAs) at genome-wide levels of significance across three
      independent samples. Whether these associations are consistent across ethnicities
      with a non-European ancestry is unknown. We analyzed 15 lipoprotein subfraction
      measures, on 1677 African-Americans (AAs), 1450 Hispanic-Americans (HAs), and 775
      Chinese-Americans (CHN) participating in the multi-ethnic study of
      atherosclerosis (MESA). Genome-wide data were obtained using the Affymetrix 6.0
      and Illumina HumanOmni chips. Linear regression models between genetic variables
      and lipoprotein subfractions were adjusted for age, gender, body mass index,
      smoking, study center, and genetic ancestry (based on principal components), and
      additionally adjusted for Mexican/Non-Mexican status in HAs. A false discovery
      rate correction was applied separately within the results for each ethnicity to
      correct for multiple testing. Power calculations revealed that we did not have
      the power for SNP-based measures of association, so we analyzed phenotype
      specific genetic risk scores (GRSs), constructed as in the original genome-wide
      analysis. We successfully replicated all 15 GRS-lipoprotein associations in 2527
      EAs. Among the 15 significant GRS-lipoprotein associations in EAs, 11 were
      significant in AAs, 13 in HAs, and 1 in CHNs. Further analyses revealed that
      ethnicity differences could not be explained by differences in linkage
      disequilibrium, lipid lowering drugs, diabetes, or gender. Our study emphasizes
      the importance of ethnicity (here indexing genetic ancestry) in genetic risk for
      CVD and highlights the need to identify ethnicity-specific genetic variants
      associated with CVD risk.

PMID- 28352988
TI  - Differentiation of hemopericardium due to ruptured myocardial infarction or
      aortic dissection on unenhanced postmortem computed tomography.
AB  - The aim of the study was to evaluate unenhanced postmortem computed tomography
      (PMCT) in cases of non-traumatic hemopericardium by establishing the sensitivity,
      specificity and accuracy of diagnostic criteria for the differentiation between
      aortic dissection and myocardial wall rupture due to infarction. Twenty six cases
      were identified as suitable for evaluation, of which ruptured aortic dissection
      could be identified as the underlying cause of hemopericardium in 50% of the
      cases, and myocardial wall rupture also in 50% of the cases. All cases underwent
      a PMCT and 24 of the cases also underwent one or more additional examinations: a
      subsequent autopsy, or a postmortem magnetic resonance (PMMR), or a PMCT
      angiography (PMCTA), or combinations of the above. Two radiologists evaluated the
      PMCT images and classified each case as "aortic dissection", "myocardial wall
      rupture" or "undetermined". Quantification of the pericardial blood was carried
      out using segmentation techniques. 17 of 26 cases were correctly identified,
      either as aortic dissections or myocardial ruptures, by both readers. 7 of 13
      myocardial wall ruptures were identified by both readers, whereas both readers
      identified correctly 10 of 13 aortic dissection cases. Taking into account the
      responses of both readers, specificity was 100% for both causes of
      hemopericardium and sensitivity as well as accuracy was higher for aortic
      dissections than myocardial wall ruptures (72.7% and 87.5% vs 53.8% and 75%
      respectively). Pericardial blood volumes were constantly higher in the aortic
      dissection group, but a statistical significance of these differences could not
      be proven, since the small count of cases did not allow for statistical tests.
      This study showed that diagnostic criteria for the differentiation between
      ruptured aortic dissection and myocardial wall rupture due to infarction are
      highly specific and accurate.

PMID- 28352989
TI  - Electric fences and accidental death.
AB  - Deaths which occur in association with agricultural electric fences are very
      rare. In fact, electric fences have undoubtedly saved numerous human and animal
      lives by safely and reliably keeping livestock confined to their fields and
      enclosures and thus preventing motor vehicle incidents when livestock get onto
      roads and highways. Accidental and intentional human contact with electric fences
      occurs regularly and causes little more than transient discomfort, however, on
      exceptional occasions, contact with electric fences appears to be directly
      related to the death of the individual. The precise pathophysiological cause of
      these deaths is unclear. We present two cases of deaths associated with electric
      fences, discuss the possible pathophysiological mechanisms in these cases, and
      suggest a universal approach to the medico-legal investigation and documentation
      of these deaths.

PMID- 28352991
TI  - Dynamic analysis of the light scattered by the non-equilibrium fluctuations of a
      ternary mixture of polystyrene-toluene-n-hexane.
AB  - Dynamic analysis of the light scattered by non-equilibrium fluctuations in a
      thermodiffusion experiment has been performed on a sample of polystyrene-toluene
      n -hexane, at 0.9-49.55-49.55% mass fraction. Time decays of the non-equilibrium
      fluctuations have been obtained revealing the accurate detectability of three
      modes. The slowest mode has been attributed to the mass diffusion of the polymer
      into the binary solvent; the intermediate one to mass diffusion of the two
      molecular components of the solvent; finally, the fastest one has been attributed
      to the thermal diffusivity of the overall mixture. The two eigenvalues of the
      mass diffusion matrix have been evaluated with accuracy in the order of 1%.
      Neglecting cross-diffusion effects we obtain a simplified expression for the
      relative amplitude of the two mass diffusion modes, allowing a parameterized
      determination of polystyrene and toluene Soret coefficients in the ternary
      mixture. We suggest that a two wavelength shadowgraph experiment is needed for a
      complete determination of all the coefficients.

PMID- 28352990
TI  - Choosing the right interface for positive airway pressure therapy in patients
      with obstructive sleep apnea.
AB  - PURPOSE: Positive airway pressure (PAP) is the standard and most effective
      treatment for obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). It provides a continuous stream of
      air under positive pressure through the nose, mouth, or both, which prevents
      collapse of the upper airway. This allows the patient to breathe freely during
      sleep. The success of PAP therapy depends largely on the selection of the proper
      interface (mask). The choice and application of the interface in patients with
      OSA is a great challenge that greatly affects the long-term compliance to PAP
      therapy. METHODS: This article discusses the different types of masks that can be
      used in patients with OSA, including the differences between nasal, oro-nasal,
      and total face masks, breathing during wakefulness and sleep, and the impact of
      interface type on upper airway patency and mask fitting. We also discuss the
      steps to be considered in choosing the proper interface and potential problems
      that may arise during long-term use. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION: Current evidence
      suggests that the nasal mask is better tolerated, requires lower pressure to
      eliminate obstructive respiratory events, and is associated with a better sleep
      quality and better PAP therapy compliance. Nevertheless, the best mask is the one
      that patient will wear.

PMID- 28352992
TI  - Kinetic modeling of electron transfer reactions in photosystem I complexes of
      various structures with substituted quinone acceptors.
AB  - The reduction kinetics of the photo-oxidized primary electron donor P700 in
      photosystem I (PS I) complexes from cyanobacteria Synechocystis sp. PCC 6803 were
      analyzed within the kinetic model, which considers electron transfer (ET)
      reactions between P700, secondary quinone acceptor A1, iron-sulfur clusters and
      external electron donor and acceptors - methylviologen (MV), 2,3-dichloro
      naphthoquinone (Cl2NQ) and oxygen. PS I complexes containing various quinones in
      the A1-binding site (phylloquinone PhQ, plastoquinone-9 PQ and Cl2NQ) as well as
      F X-core complexes, depleted of terminal iron-sulfur F A/F B clusters, were
      studied. The acceleration of charge recombination in F X-core complexes by PhQ/PQ
      substitution indicates that backward ET from the iron-sulfur clusters involves
      quinone in the A1-binding site. The kinetic parameters of ET reactions were
      obtained by global fitting of the P700+ reduction with the kinetic model. The
      free energy gap DeltaG 0 between F X and F A/F B clusters was estimated as -130
      meV. The driving force of ET from A1 to F X was determined as -50 and -220 meV
      for PhQ in the A and B cofactor branches, respectively. For PQ in A1A-site, this
      reaction was found to be endergonic (DeltaG 0 = +75 meV). The interaction of PS I
      with external acceptors was quantitatively described in terms of Michaelis-Menten
      kinetics. The second-order rate constants of ET from F A/F B, F X and Cl2NQ in
      the A1-site of PS I to external acceptors were estimated. The side production of
      superoxide radical in the A1-site by oxygen reduction via the Mehler reaction
      might comprise >=0.3% of the total electron flow in PS I.

PMID- 28352993
TI  - Preclinical Evaluation of the Short-Term Toxicity of 4-(N)-Docosahexaenoyl 2', 2'
      Difluorodeoxycytidine (DHA-dFdC).
AB  - PURPOSE: This study was designed to test the short-term toxicity of DHA-dFdC in a
      mouse model and its efficacy in a mouse model of leukemia at or below its repeat
      dose maximum tolerated dose (RD-MTD). METHOD: A repeat-dose dose-ranging toxicity
      study was designed to determine the tolerability of DHA-dFdC when administered to
      DBA/2 mice by intravenous (i.v.) injection on a repeat-dose schedule (i.e.
      injections on days 0, 3, 7, 10, and 13). In order to determine the effect of a
      lethal dose of DHA-dFdC, mice were injected i.v. with three doses of DHA-dFdC at
      100 mg/kg on days 0, 3, and 5 (i.e. a lethal-RD). The body weight of mice was
      recorded two or three times a week. At the end of the study, major organs (i.e.
      heart, liver, spleen, kidneys, lung, and pancreas) of mice that received the
      lethal-RD or RD-MTD were weighed, and blood samples were collected for analyses.
      Finally, DHA-dFdC was i.v. injected into DBA/2 mice with syngeneic L1210 mouse
      leukemia cells to evaluate its efficacy at or below RD-MTD. RESULTS: The RD-MTD
      of DHA-dFdC is 50 mg/kg. At 100 mg/kg, a lethal-RD, DHA-dFdC decreases the
      weights of mouse spleen and liver and significantly affected certain blood
      parameters (i.e. white blood cells, lymphocytes, eosinophils, and neutrophil
      segmented). At or below its RD-MTD, DHA-dFdC significantly prolonged the survival
      of L1210 leukemia-bearing mice. CONCLUSION: DHA-dFdC has dose-dependent toxicity,
      affecting mainly spleen at a lethal-RD. At or below its RD-MTD, DHA-dFdC is
      effective against leukemia in a mouse model.

PMID- 28352994
TI  - Impact of Micellar Surfactant on Supersaturation and Insight into Solubilization
      Mechanisms in Supersaturated Solutions of Atazanavir.
AB  - PURPOSE: The goals of this study were to determine: 1) the impact of surfactants
      on the "amorphous solubility"; 2) the thermodynamic supersaturation in the
      presence of surfactant micelles; 3) the mechanism of solute solubilization by
      surfactant micelles in supersaturated solutions. METHODS: The crystalline and
      amorphous solubility of atazanavir was determined in the presence of varying
      concentrations of micellar sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS). Flux measurements, using
      a side-by-side diffusion cell, were employed to determine the free and micellar
      bound drug concentrations. The solubilization mechanism as a function of
      atazanavir concentration was probed using fluorescence spectroscopy. Pulsed
      gradient spin-echo proton nuclear magnetic resonance (PGSE-NMR) spectroscopy was
      used to determine the change in micelle size with a change in drug concentration.
      RESULTS: Changes in the micelle/water partition coefficient, K m/w , as a
      function of atazanavir concentration led to erroneous estimates of the
      supersaturation when using concentration ratios. In contrast, determining the
      free drug concentration using flux measurements enabled improved determination of
      the thermodynamic supersaturation in the presence of micelles. Fluorescence
      spectroscopic studies suggested that K m/w changed based on the location of
      atazanavir solubilization which in turn changed with concentration. Thus, at a
      concentration equivalent to the crystalline solubility, atazanavir is solubilized
      by adsorption at the micelle corona, whereas in highly supersaturated solutions
      it is also solubilized in the micellar core. This difference in solubilization
      mechanism can lead to a breakdown in the prediction of amorphous solubility in
      the presence of SDS as well as challenges with determining supersaturation. PGSE
      NMR suggested that the size of the SDS micelle is not impacted at the crystalline
      solubility of the drug but increases when the drug concentration reaches the
      amorphous solubility, in agreement with the proposed changes in solubilization
      mechanism. CONCLUSIONS: Micellar solubilization of atazanavir is complex, with
      the solubilization mechanism changing with differences in the degree of
      (super)saturation. This can result in erroneous predictions of the amorphous
      solubility and thermodynamic supersaturation in the presence of solubilizing
      additives. This in turn hinders understanding of the driving force for phase
      transformations and membrane transport, which is essential to better understand
      supersaturating dosage forms.

PMID- 28352995
TI  - Association between obesity and femoral neck strength according to age, sex, and
      fat distribution.
AB  - : Indicators of total and abdominal obesity were negatively associated with
      femoral neck strength indices. There are age-, sex-, and fat distribution
      specific differences in the magnitude of these associations. These suggested that
      indicators of obesity with different magnitude according to age, sex, and fat
      distribution associated with poor bone health. INTRODUCTION: Fat regulates bone
      metabolism, but the associations of total and abdominal obesity with bone health
      are inconsistent. We investigated the association between indicators of obesity
      and composite indices of femoral neck (FN) strength reflecting the risk of hip
      fracture. METHODS: This population-based cross-sectional study examined data from
      the Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Surveys. Participants were
      divided into groups according to age (25-49/>=50 years) and sex. We examined
      total fat mass (TFM) and percentage fat mass (pFM) as indicators of total obesity
      and truncal fat mass (TrFM) as an indicator of abdominal obesity. We calculated
      the composite indices of FN strength and anthropometric clinical indicators of
      abdominal obesity. RESULTS: TFM, pFM, and TrFM were negatively associated with
      the composite indices, irrespective of age and sex (P < 0.001-0.005). Most
      anthropometric clinical indicators of abdominal obesity showed negative
      associations with the composite indices regardless of age and sex (P < 0.001
      0.048), except for women aged 25-49 years. In men, magnitudes of the negative
      contributions of TFM to the composite indices were significantly stronger at age
      25-49 years than at age >=50 years. Magnitudes of negative associations of TFM
      with the composite indices were greater in men than in women. TrFM had a more
      detrimental effect than TFM on FN strength in men aged 25-49 years and in women
      of both ages. CONCLUSION: Indicators of total and abdominal obesity negatively
      associated with FN strength, and magnitudes of their effects on bone health
      differed according to age, sex, and fat distribution.

PMID- 28352997
TI  - Deprivation of asparagine triggers cytoprotective autophagy in laryngeal squamous
      cell carcinoma.
AB  - Laryngeal squamous cell carcinoma (LSCC), one of the most common malignancies in
      the head and neck, has poor prognosis and high mortality. The need of novel and
      effective treatment for LSCC is urgent. Asparaginase, an enzyme-depriving
      asparagine, has been employed for the treatment of various cancers. In this
      study, we reported for the first time that asparaginase could induce remarkable
      cytotoxicity and caspase-dependent apoptosis in human LSCC Tu212 and Tu686 cells.
      Meanwhile, autophagy was triggered by asparaginase in LSCC cells, which was
      confirmed by accumulation of autophagosomes and the conversion of light chain 3-I
      (LC3-I) to LC3-II. Importantly, inhibition of autophagy by chloroquine (CQ)
      significantly enhanced asparaginase-induced cytotoxicity, indicating that
      autophagy has a cytoprotective role in asparaginase-treated LSCC cells.
      Meanwhile, we found that mitochondrial-originated reactive oxygen species (ROS)
      participated in asparaginase-induced autophagy and cytotoxicity. N-acetyl-L
      cysteine (NAC), a common antioxidant, was employed to scavenge ROS, and our
      results demonstrated that NAC could significantly block asparaginase-induced
      autophagy and attenuate asparaginase-induced cytotoxicity, indicating that
      intracellular ROS played a crucial role in asparagine deprivation therapy.
      Furthermore, western blot analysis showed that asparaginase-induced autophagy was
      mediated by inactivation of Akt/mTOR and activation of the Erk signaling pathway
      in Tu212 and Tu686 cells. Therefore, these results indicated the protective role
      of autophagy in asparaginase-treated LSCC cells and provided a new attractive
      therapeutic strategy for LSCC by asparaginase alone or in combination with
      autophagic inhibitors.

PMID- 28352998
TI  - An external substrate-free blue/white screening system in Escherichia coli.
AB  - Since the lacZalpha-based blue/white screening system was introduced to molecular
      biology, several different visual reporter systems were developed and used for
      various purposes in Escherichia coli. A common limit to the existent visual
      reporter systems is that an extracellular chromogenic substrate has to be added
      for the visible pigment production. In this study, we developed a new blue/white
      screening system based on a non-ribosomal peptide synthetase encoded by idgS from
      Streptomyces and a phosphopantetheinyl transferase encoded by sfp from Bacillus.
      When IdgS is activated from an apo-form to a holo-form via a posttranslational
      modification catalyzed by Sfp, it can synthesize a blue pigment indigoidine using
      L-glutamine, the amino acid abundant in cells, as a substrate. The new blue/white
      screening system contains a recipient E. coli strain with an optimized idgS gene
      cassette and a cloning vector harboring an sfp gene with an in-frame insertion of
      a multiple cloning site close to its N-terminal. We demonstrated that the
      IdgS/Sfp-based blue/white screening system is a powerful alternative to the
      lacZalpha-based screening system, which does not require any external substrate
      addition.

PMID- 28352999
TI  - Inoculation of a phenanthrene-degrading endophytic bacterium reduces the
      phenanthrene level and alters the bacterial community structure in wheat.
AB  - Colonization by polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH)-degrading endophytic
      bacteria (PAHDEB) can reduce the PAH contamination risk in plant. However, little
      information is available on the impact of PAHDEB colonization on the endophytic
      bacterial community of inner plant tissues. A phenanthrene-degrading endophytic
      bacterium (PDEB), Massilia sp. Pn2, was inoculated onto the roots of wheat and
      subjected to greenhouse container experiments. The endophytic bacterial community
      structure in wheat was investigated using high-throughput sequencing technology.
      The majority of endophytic bacteria in wheat were Proteobacteria, and the
      dominant genus was Pseudomonas. Phenanthrene contamination clearly increased the
      diversity of endophytic bacteria in wheat. The cultivable endophytic bacteria
      counts in wheat decreased with increasing the level of phenanthrene
      contamination; the endophytic bacterial community structure changed
      correspondingly, and the bacterial richness first increased and then decreased.
      Inoculation of strain Pn2 reduced the phenanthrene contamination in wheat,
      enlarged the biomass of wheat roots, changed the bacterial community structure
      and enhanced the cell counts, diversity and richness of endophytic bacteria in
      phenanthrene-contaminated wheat in a contamination level-dependent manner. The
      findings of this investigation provide insight into the responses of endophytic
      bacterial community in plant to external PAH contamination and PAHDEB
      colonization.

PMID- 28353000
TI  - Protection of chickens against H9N2 avian influenza virus challenge with
      recombinant Lactobacillus plantarum expressing conserved antigens.
AB  - Avian influenza virus (AIV) is spreading worldwide and is a serious threat to the
      health of poultry and humans. In many countries, low pathogenic AIVs, such as
      H9N2, have become an enormous economic burden on the commercial poultry industry
      because they cause mild respiratory disease and decrease egg production. A
      recombinant Lactobacillus plantarum NC8 strain expressing NP-M1-DCpep from H9N2
      AIV has been studied in a mouse model. However, it remains unknown whether this
      L. plantarum strain can induce an immune response and provide protection against
      H9N2 AIV in chickens. In this study, chickens that were orally vaccinated with
      NC8-pSIP409-NP-M1-DCpep exhibited significantly increased T cell-mediated immune
      responses and mucosal sIgA and IgG levels, which provided protection against H9N2
      AIV challenge. More importantly, compared with oral administration of NC8-pSIP409
      NP-M1-DCpep, intranasal administration induced stronger immune responses and
      provided effective protection against challenge with the H9N2 virus by reducing
      body weight loss, lung virus titers, and throat pathology. Taken together, these
      findings suggest that L. plantarum expressing NP-M1-DCpep has potential as a
      vaccine to combat H9N2 AIV infection.

PMID- 28353003
TI  - Coexistence of meningoencephalocele and hippocampal sclerosis: a new type of dual
      pathology.
AB  - Both temporal lobe meningoencephalocele (TE) and hippocampal sclerosis (HS) are
      causes of drug-resistant temporal lobe epilepsy. Spontaneous TE constitutes a
      rare but well-known and increasingly recognised cause of refractory epilepsy. It
      is well known that HS may be associated with another neocortical lesion (dual
      pathology). Here we report for the first time a new type of dual pathology;
      namely, the coexistence of temporal pole meningoencephalocele and HS.

PMID- 28352996
TI  - Mechanisms and consequences of intestinal dysbiosis.
AB  - The composition of the gut microbiota is in constant flow under the influence of
      factors such as the diet, ingested drugs, the intestinal mucosa, the immune
      system, and the microbiota itself. Natural variations in the gut microbiota can
      deteriorate to a state of dysbiosis when stress conditions rapidly decrease
      microbial diversity and promote the expansion of specific bacterial taxa. The
      mechanisms underlying intestinal dysbiosis often remain unclear given that
      combinations of natural variations and stress factors mediate cascades of
      destabilizing events. Oxidative stress, bacteriophages induction and the
      secretion of bacterial toxins can trigger rapid shifts among intestinal microbial
      groups thereby yielding dysbiosis. A multitude of diseases including inflammatory
      bowel diseases but also metabolic disorders such as obesity and diabetes type II
      are associated with intestinal dysbiosis. The characterization of the changes
      leading to intestinal dysbiosis and the identification of the microbial taxa
      contributing to pathological effects are essential prerequisites to better
      understand the impact of the microbiota on health and disease.

PMID- 28353001
TI  - De novo biosynthesis of trans-cinnamic acid derivatives in Saccharomyces
      cerevisiae.
AB  - The production of natural aroma compounds is an expanding field within the branch
      of white biotechnology. Three aromatic compounds of interest are cinnamaldehyde,
      the typical cinnamon aroma that has applications in agriculture and medical
      sciences, as well as cinnamyl alcohol and hydrocinnamyl alcohol, which have
      applications in the cosmetic industry. Current production methods, which rely on
      extraction from plant materials or chemical synthesis, are associated with
      drawbacks regarding scalability, production time, and environmental impact. These
      considerations make the development of a sustainable microbial-based production
      highly desirable. Through steps of rational metabolic engineering, we engineered
      the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae as a microbial host to produce trans-cinnamic
      acid derivatives cinnamaldehyde, cinnamyl alcohol, and hydrocinnamyl alcohol,
      from externally added trans-cinnamic acid or de novo from glucose as a carbon
      source. We show that the desired products can be de novo synthesized in S.
      cerevisiae via the heterologous overexpression of the genes encoding
      phenylalanine ammonia lyase 2 from Arabidopsis thaliana (AtPAL2), aryl carboxylic
      acid reductase (acar) from Nocardia sp., and phosphopantetheinyl transferase
      (entD) from Escherichia coli, together with endogenous alcohol dehydrogenases.
      This study provides a proof of concept and a strain that can be further optimized
      for production of high-value aromatic compounds.

PMID- 28353004
TI  - The effectiveness of a population-based skin cancer screening program: evidence
      from Germany.
AB  - In this paper, we analyze how a nationwide population-based skin cancer screening
      program (SCS) implemented in Germany in 2008 has impacted the number of hospital
      discharges following malignant skin neoplasm diagnosis and the malignant melanoma
      mortality rate per 100,000 inhabitants. Our panel data, drawn from the Eurostat
      database, cover subregions in 22 European countries, measured at the lowest
      nomenclature of territorial units for statistics (NUTS) level for 2000-2013.
      Applying fixed effects methods, we find a significantly positive and robust
      effect of the German SCS on the number of patients diagnosed with malignant skin
      neoplasm. However, the program does not significantly influence the melanoma
      mortality rate. This finding conflicts with the decreased melanoma mortality rate
      found for the pilot SCS program in northern Germany. Our results indicate that
      Germany's nationwide SCS program is effective in terms of a higher diagnosis rate
      for malignant skin neoplasms and thus may contribute to an improvement in the
      early detection of skin cancer.

PMID- 28353005
TI  - Management and outcome of children with neuroendocrine tumors of the appendix in
      Spain: Is there room for improvement?
AB  - PURPOSE: Neuroendocrine tumors (NETs) are, after lymphomas, the most frequent
      gastrointestinal tumors in children, mainly located in the appendix. Best
      management remains unclear, given the absence of pediatric guidelines. We present
      the first Spanish series of pediatric patients with NETs. PATIENTS AND METHODS:
      Retrospective study of all pediatric patients (<18 years) with NET treated in
      four oncology reference institutions in Spain between 1994 and 2015. RESULTS:
      Seventeen patients were included. All patients presented with acute abdomen. TNM
      stage was T1a (82%) and T1b (12%). Extension study was heterogenous, with only 4
      patients undergoing an OctreoScan. Four patients met criteria for second surgery
      (affected surgical margins or mesoappendix invasion), but it was only performed
      in two. Despite the diverse management, none of the patients relapsed during
      follow-up. CONCLUSIONS: The disparity in diagnostic tests, second surgery
      criteria and follow-up shown in this study highlights the need for specific
      pediatric guidelines.

PMID- 28353006
TI  - Efficacy and cost-effectiveness of second-line chemotherapy in elderly patients
      with advanced gastric cancer.
AB  - PURPOSE: Second-line chemotherapy has been shown to benefit patients with
      advanced gastric cancer (AGC), extending the overall survival (OS) and
      progression-free survival (PFS). This study aimed to assess the efficacy and cost
      effectiveness of second-line treatment for elderly patients with AGC. METHODS:
      Medical records and follow-up information of elderly patients (>=70 years) with
      AGC who received second-line chemotherapy were collected. A Markov model
      comprising three health states PFS, progressive disease and death was developed
      to simulate the process of AGC. Cost was calculated from the perspective of
      Chinese society. Sensitivity analyses were applied to explore the impact of
      essential variables. RESULTS: Forty-three elderly patients with AGC receiving
      second-line chemotherapy were included in our study. The median OS was 6.0 months
      (95% confidence interval (CI) 3.90-8.10) and PFS was 3.1 months (95% CI 1.38
      4.82). No treatment-related death occurred. The most frequently drug-related
      grade 3/4 AEs were diarrhea (2.3%), leukopenia (16.3%) and nausea (7.0%). The
      incremental cost-effective ratio was $18,223.75/QALY for second-line chemotherapy
      versus BSC, which was below the threshold of 3* the per capita GDP of China,
      $23,970.00. CONCLUSION: Second-line chemotherapy was an optimal strategy for
      elderly AGC patients in China from the efficacy and cost-effectiveness
      perspective.

PMID- 28353008
TI  - Barriers to Hepatitis C Screening in a Minority Population: A Comparison of
      Hepatitis C and Human Immunodeficiency Virus Screening Rates at a Community STD
      Clinic in Miami, Florida.
AB  - METHODS: 357 patients at a free STD clinic in Miami, FL were screened for HCV.
      Surveys were administered assessing risk factors for infectious disease
      transmission, and HCV and HIV screening history. RESULTS: 15.1% of participants
      had been screened for HCV before whereas 83.8% had been screened for HIV (n =
      356). Of the patients previously screened for HCV (n = 54), 98.2% of these
      patients had previously been screened for HIV as well. CONCLUSION: This data
      shows the low prevalence of prior HCV screenings in a high-risk population in
      Miami, FL. Participants who had previously received an HIV screening test were
      more likely to report receiving a prior HCV screening. Despite the high
      prevalence of HCV, most HCV infections are undiagnosed. Mortality from HIV has
      been declining in the United States while mortality from HCV is increasing. To
      decrease HCV related mortality, we recommend offering HCV screening in
      conjunction with HIV screening.

PMID- 28353007
TI  - Clarifying Values and Preferences for Care Near the End of Life: The Role of a
      New Lay Workforce.
AB  - Community health workers (CHWs) can engage elderly persons in advance care
      planning (ACP) conversations. We report how trained CHWs used Go Wish cards (GW R
      cards) to identify patients' highest priority preferences and evaluated whether
      engaging in ACP conversations was associated with subsequent health care
      utilization. A one-year long, pre-post longitudinal design was used to evaluate
      our educational intervention using mixed-methods. 392 patients (mean of 73.3
      years, 82% women, 48% African American, 43% Caucasian) enrolled in the Aging
      Brain Care (ABC) program and participated in ACP discussions with CHWs. We
      expanded the role of the ABC's CHW, who work directly with individuals and
      caregivers during home visits to monitor bio-psycho-social needs, to include ACP
      conversations. The CHWs received ACP training, practice with tools such as GW R
      cards, and support from an electronic health record (EHR) clinical decision
      support tool. Quantitative measures of patients' ACP preferences and health care
      utilization were abstracted from the EHR. Qualitative data about patients'
      perceptions of CHWs in facilitating ACP discussions was obtained through semi
      structured interviews. Eighty-six patients' data indicated that they had engaged
      in a preferences-for-care process using GW R cards. The top-three card choices by
      patients was attending to spirituality and religious concerns, preparing for end
      of life, and maintaining personal wholeness. CHWs were able to effectively engage
      in ACP conversations with patients and GW R cards were a positive way to
      stimulate discussion of issues previously undiscussed.

PMID- 28353010
TI  - Children with Henoch-Schonlein purpura with low complement levels: follow-up for
      >6 years.

PMID- 28353009
TI  - Acute kidney injury in children with sickle cell disease-compounding a chronic
      problem.
AB  - In an article recently published in Pediatric Nephrology, Baddam and colleagues
      discuss the relatively underreported clinical problem of repeated episodes of
      acute kidney injury (AKI) in children with sickle cell disease (SCD). Their
      report is a cautionary note about the importance of repeated kidney injury on the
      background of underlying chronic kidney injury and its potential implications on
      long-term kidney outcome. In children and adults with SCD, this includes the
      effects of repeated vaso-occlusive crises and the management of these painful
      episodes with non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs. Here we review the scope of
      kidney involvement in SCD in children and discuss the potential short- and long
      term consequences of AKI in children with SCD.

PMID- 28353011
TI  - ?

PMID- 28353012
TI  - Re: Internal limiting membrane (ILM) transplantation for unclosed and large
      macular holes (MH).

PMID- 28353013
TI  - Quantification of changes in foveal capillary architecture caused by idiopathic
      epiretinal membrane using OCT angiography.
AB  - PURPOSE: To quantify the extent and depth of distortion of the foveal capillary
      architecture due to traction of an idiopathic epiretinal membrane (ERM) using
      optical coherence tomography angiography (OCT-A). METHODS: Multimodal imaging
      including OCT-A (Angiovue, Optovue) was performed in 42 eyes with idiopathic ERM
      (72.4 years +/-6.8). Best corrected visual acuity (BCVA), OCT-A vessel density of
      the foveal (VDfo) and parafoveal (VDp) region were assessed. Based on 6 * 6-mm2
      OCT-A images, a macular vessel density ratio (MVR = VDfo/VDp) was calculated for
      the superficial (s), deep (d) and full-thickness (f) slabs to assess a depth
      resolved, non-invasive evaluation of foveal distortion. The acquired data were
      subdivided in a patient group with mild and significant BCVA reduction due to
      ERM. Data was compared to age-matched healthy controls. RESULTS: In all three
      slabs, MVR was significantly smaller in the control group in comparison with the
      ERM group: MVRs: 0.63 +/- 0.1 vs 0.83 +/- 0.1 (p > 0.001); MVRd: 0.60 +/- 0.1 vs
      0.73 +/- 0.1 (p < 0.001); MVRf: 0.68 +/- 0.1 vs 0.82 +/- 0.1 (p < 0.001). Group 1
      (BCVA <0.4 LogMar) showed a significantly higher MVR in comparison with the
      control group in the superficial plexus only: MVRs: 0.64 +/- 0.1 vs 0.78 +/- 0.1
      (p < 0.001); MVRd: 0.60 +/- 0.1 vs 0.65 +/- 0.2 (p = 0.3); MVRf: 0.68 +/- 0.1 vs
      0.77 +/- 0.1 (p = 0.01). However, group 2 (BCVA > = 0.4 LogMar) showed a
      significantly higher MVR in all three slabs: MVRs: 0.64 +/- 0.1 vs 0.86 +/- 0.1
      (p < 0.001); MVRd: 0.60 +/- 0.1 vs 0.77 +/- 0.2 (p < 0.001); MVRf: 0.68 +/- 0.1
      vs 0.85 +/- 0.1 (p < 0.001). CONCLUSION: Assessing MVR using OCT-A may serve as a
      tool to quantify the extent and depth of distortion of the foveal capillary
      architecture due to traction of ERM. BCVA reduction appears to be associated with
      extent and depth of distortion.

PMID- 28353014
TI  - Deep sequencing analysis of quasispecies in the HBV pre-S region and its
      association with hepatocellular carcinoma.
AB  - BACKGROUND: The association between the evolution of hepatitis B virus (HBV)
      quasispecies and the development of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is unknown.
      METHODS: We used deep sequencing to examine the dynamics of HBV quasispecies and
      their relationship to HCC development. Thirty-two chronic hepatitis B (CHB)
      patients with HCC (HCC group) and 32 matched CHB patients without HCC (controls)
      were recruited. Fourteen patients from each group had serial sera available up to
      9 years before the time of the present study. Deep sequencing of the HBV pre-S
      regions was performed. HBV quasispecies complexity, diversity, and intrapatient
      prevalence of pre-S deletions/mutations were analyzed. RESULTS: Compared with
      control patients, HCC patients had a significant greater quasispecies complexity
      (p = 0.04 at the nucleotide level), greater diversity (p = 0.004 and 0.009 at the
      nucleotide level and the amino acid level respectively), and a trend of greater
      complexity at the amino acid level (p = 0.065). HCC patients had a higher
      intrapatient prevalence of pre-S deletions and point mutations (at codons 4, 27,
      and 167) compared with the control patients (all p < 0.05). Longitudinal
      observation in the sera of 14 HCC patients showed that quasispecies complexity (p
      = 0.027 and 0.024 at the nucleotide level and the amino acid level respectively)
      and diversity (p = 0.035 and 0.031 at the nucleotide level and the amino acid
      level respectively) increased as the disease progressed to HCC. CONCLUSIONS:
      Increased HBV quasispecies complexity and diversity in the pre-S region, probably
      reflecting enhanced virus-host interplay, was associated with disease progression
      from CHB to HCC.

PMID- 28353015
TI  - Psychosocial Factors Impacting Workplace Injury Rehabilitation: Evaluation of a
      Concise Screening Tool.
AB  - Purpose To determine whether the delayed recovery often observed in simple
      musculoskeletal injuries occurring at work is related to poor workplace and home
      social support. Method A four question psychosocial screening tool called the
      "How are you coping gauge?" (HCG) was developed. This tool was implemented as
      part of the initial assessment for all new musculoskeletal workplace injuries.
      Participants were excluded if they did not meet the strict criteria used to
      classify a musculoskeletal injury as simple. The HCG score was then compared to
      the participant's number of days until return to full capacity (DTFC). It was
      hypothesised that those workers indicating a poorer level of workplace and home
      support would take longer time to return to full capacity. Results A sample of
      254 participants (316 excluded) were included in analysis. Significant
      correlation (p < 0.001) was observed between HCG scores for self-reported work
      and home support and DTFC thereby confirming the hypothesis. Path analysis found
      workplace support to be a significant moderate-to-strong predictor of DTFC (
      0.46). Conclusion A correlation was observed between delayed workplace injury
      recovery and poor perceived workplace social support. The HCG may be an effective
      tool for identifying these factors in musculoskeletal workplace injuries of a
      minor pathophysiological nature. There may be merit in tailoring injury
      rehabilitation towards addressing psychosocial factors early in the injury
      recovery process to assist with a more expedient return to full work capacity
      following simple acute musculoskeletal injury.

PMID- 28353018
TI  - Effect of room temperature on tests for diagnosing vibration-induced white
      finger: finger rewarming times and finger systolic blood pressures.
AB  - PURPOSE: This study investigates the effects of room temperature on two standard
      tests used to assist the diagnosis of vibration-induced white finger (VWF):
      finger rewarming times and finger systolic blood pressures. METHODS: Twelve
      healthy males and twelve healthy females participated in four sessions to obtain
      either finger skin temperatures (FSTs) during cooling and rewarming of the hand
      or finger systolic blood pressures (FSBPs) after local cooling of the fingers to
      15 and 10  degrees C. The measures were obtained with the room temperature at
      either 20 or 28  degrees C. RESULTS: There were lower baseline finger skin
      temperatures, longer finger rewarming times, and lower finger systolic blood
      pressures with the room temperature at 20 than 28  degrees C. However, percentage
      reductions in FSBP at 15 and 10  degrees C relative to 30  degrees C (i.e. %FSBP)
      did not differ between the two room temperatures. Females had lower baseline
      FSTs, longer rewarming times, and lower FSBPs than males, but %FSBPs were similar
      in males and females. CONCLUSIONS: Finger rewarming times after cold provocation
      are heavily influenced by room temperature and gender. For evaluating peripheral
      circulatory function using finger rewarming times, the room temperature must be
      strictly controlled, and a different diagnostic criterion is required for
      females. The calculation of percentage changes in finger systolic blood pressure
      at 15 and 10  degrees C relative to 30  degrees C reduces effects of both room
      temperature and gender, and the test may be used in conditions where the +/-1 
      degrees C tolerance on room temperature required by the current standard cannot
      be achieved.

PMID- 28353016
TI  - New Therapeutic Strategies in Acute Lymphocytic Leukemia.
AB  - Most drugs used in standard regimens for acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) were
      developed more than 30 years ago. Since that time, several new drugs have been
      developed and incorporated into ALL treatment. In spite of this, novel
      therapeutic approaches are still needed to improve outcomes for high-risk or
      relapsed ALL. This manuscript discusses newer treatment strategies, including
      purine nucleoside analogs, monoclonal antibodies, antibody drug conjugates,
      mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) inhibitors, proteasome inhibitors, histone
      deacetylase (HDAC) inhibitors, hypomethylating agents, spleen tyrosine kinase
      inhibitors, Bruton's tyrosine kinase (BTK) inhibitors, Janus kinase-signal
      transducer and activator of transcription (JAK-STAT) inhibitors, anti-programmed
      cell death protein (anti-PD-1) antibodies, mitogen-activated protein kinase (MEK)
      inhibitors, CXCR4 antagonists, poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP) inhibitors,
      and FMS-like tyrosine kinase 3 (FLT3) inhibitors. Additionally, this manuscript
      discusses the impact of diagnostic approaches on management of ALL. Specifically,
      minimal residual disease is increasingly felt to be important and will likely
      dramatically impact the care of ALL patients in the near future.

PMID- 28353017
TI  - Treatment of Young Adults with Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia.
AB  - Young adults with acute lymphoblastic leukemia are a distinctive category of
      patients, with substantial difference in disease biology and response to therapy;
      hence, they pose unique challenges and issues beyond those faced by children and
      older adults. Despite inferior survival compared to children, there is growing
      evidence to suggest that young adults have improved outcomes when treated with
      pediatric-based approaches. With better supportive care and toxicity management
      and multidisciplinary team and approach, we have made great improvement in
      outcomes of young adults with ALL. However, despite significant progress,
      patients with persistence of minimal residual disease have a poor prognosis. This
      review discusses current controversies in the management of young adults with
      ALL, outcomes following pediatric and adult protocols, and the role of allogeneic
      stem cell transplantation. We also explore recent advances in disease monitoring
      and highlight our approach to incorporation of novel therapies in the management
      of young adults with ALL.

PMID- 28353019
TI  - Brief alcohol intervention in alcohol involved facial fracture patients-a survey
      of patient attitudes to screening and intervention.
AB  - PURPOSE: Alcohol intoxication is an important contributor to traumatic facial
      injuries. The period following injuries afford clinicians a useful window of
      opportunity to provide alcohol screening and brief intervention (SBI) which may
      affect changes in patients' future drinking behaviour. Although SBI has been
      reported to decrease at risk drinking and potentially trauma recurrence, it is
      not routinely utilised in most clinical settings in the world. This study aims to
      assess utilisation of, as well as patients' knowledge and attitude towards SBI in
      the management of patients presenting with alcohol-related facial fractures.
      METHODS: Twenty consecutive patients who presented to Western Health with facial
      fractures who met selection criteria were offered an alcohol screening and survey
      questionnaire. RESULTS: Ninety percent of patients were male and 50% were aged
      between 19 and 34. ASSIST score showed 65% were in the moderate risk category;
      75% reported this was their first admission with alcohol related trauma. Although
      75% acknowledged alcohol as a main cause of injury, only 40% agreed they drink
      too much. Forty-four percent felt that talking to a healthcare worker might help
      and 33% would consider accepting help. Forty-seven percent felt reading materials
      would be helpful in changing future drinking habits. Whilst 63% would like to
      know safe drinking limit, only 45% would like to have a discussion about alcohol
      related harms. CONCLUSIONS: Most patients presented in this survey were in
      moderate risk category who are amenable to behavioural change with provision of
      SBI. However, there is resistance to implementation of this intervention due to
      lack of knowledge, self-awareness and willingness to change. Nonetheless,
      patients are prepared to accept advice from clinicians and some formats of
      intervention. It is important to formulate a simple screening questionnaire and
      intervention strategy that are easy to administer to affect positive changes in
      patients with harmful drinking behaviours.

PMID- 28353020
TI  - Association Between Waiting Time from Diagnosis to Treatment and Survival in
      Patients with Curable Gastric Cancer: A Population-Based Study in the
      Netherlands.
AB  - BACKGROUND: In the Netherlands, a maximum waiting time from diagnosis to
      treatment (WT) of 5 weeks is recommended for curative cancer treatment. This
      study aimed to evaluate the association between WT and overall survival (OS) in
      patients undergoing gastrectomy for cancer. METHODS: This nationwide study
      included data from patients diagnosed with curable gastric adenocarcinoma between
      2005 and 2014 from the Netherlands Cancer Registry. Patients were divided into
      two groups: patients who received neoadjuvant therapy followed by gastrectomy, or
      patients who underwent gastrectomy as primary surgery. WT was analyzed as a
      categorical (<=5 weeks [Reference], 5-8 weeks, >8 weeks) and as a discrete
      variable. Multivariable Cox regression analysis was used to assess the influence
      of WT on OS. RESULTS: Among 3778 patients, 1701 received neoadjuvant chemotherapy
      followed by gastrectomy, and 2077 underwent primary gastrectomy. In the
      neoadjuvant group, median WT to neoadjuvant treatment was 4.6 weeks
      (interquartile range [IQR] 3.4-6.0), and median OS was 32 months. In the surgery
      group, median WT to surgery was 6.0 weeks (IQR 4.3-8.4), and median OS was 25
      months. For both groups, WT did not influence OS (neoadjuvant: 5-8 weeks, hazard
      ratio [HR] 0.82, p = 0.068; >8 weeks, HR 0.85, p = 0.354; each additional week
      WT, HR 0.96, p = 0.078; surgery: 5-8 weeks, HR 0.91, p = 0.175; >8 weeks, HR
      0.92, p = 0.314; each additional week WT, HR 0.99, p = 0.264). CONCLUSIONS:
      Longer WT until the start of curative treatment for gastric cancer is not
      associated with worse OS. These results could help to put WT into perspective as
      indicator of quality of care and reassure patients with gastric cancer.

PMID- 28353021
TI  - Effect of periodontitis history on implant success: a long-term evaluation during
      supportive periodontal therapy in a university setting.
AB  - OBJECTIVES: The aim of this retrospective study was to evaluate the long-term
      implant survival in patients with a history of chronic periodontitis, during
      supportive periodontal therapy (SPT), compared to periodontally healthy patients.
      MATERIALS AND METHODS: Twenty-nine periodontitis patients (test) with SPT for >=9
      years and implant-supported restorations (>=5 years follow-up) were recruited and
      pair-matched with 29 periodontally healthy patients (control). Subjects in both
      groups were examined following active periodontal therapy and/or implantation
      (T1) (test 69 implants, control 76 implants) and at end of SPT or supportive
      postimplant therapy (T2). Differences between the groups in implant survival
      (primary outcome), mean marginal bone loss (MBL) and pocket probing depths (PPDs)
      (secondary outcomes) were evaluated. RESULTS: Implant survival over 5 years was
      97.1% in test compared to 97.4% in control group (p = 0.562). MBL was
      significantly different (test 18.7 +/- 18.2%; control 12.5 +/- 21.3%) (p < 0.05).
      PPDs increased at T2 in both groups (test: T1 3.4 +/- 1.0 mm; T2 4.2 +/- 1.6 mm;
      control: T1 1.0 +/- 1.2 mm; T2 2.9 +/- 0.8 mm; p < 0.05 between groups).
      Prognostic factors for implant loss appeared to be the presence of residual
      periodontal pockets of >=4 mm (OR 1.90), bone height (OR 1.81) and age (OR 1.16)
      at T1. CONCLUSION: In terms of implant survival, no differences were observed
      between periodontitis and periodontally healthy patients. However, patients with
      history of periodontitis showed higher MBL and PPDs compared to periodontally
      healthy patients. CLINICAL RELEVANCE: The presence of a good periodontal
      maintenance program with preceding successful active periodontal treatment seems
      to be indispensable components of successful implant treatment in patients with
      history of chronic periodontitis.

PMID- 28353022
TI  - Topical application of morphine for wound healing and analgesia in patients with
      oral lichen planus: a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study was to investigate the effect of topical
      morphine on erosive/ulcerative lesions in patients with oral lichen planus (OLP).
      Previous studies reported on an enhanced remission of skin wounds when morphine
      was applied topically. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This was single-center,
      prospective, double-blind, placebo-controlled, randomized, multi-arm (3), phase
      II study (RCT). Patients diagnosed with erosive and/or ulcerative OLP applied 0.2
      or 0.4 mg morphine dissolved in glycerine, three times a day for 5 days. The
      primary outcome was the extent of healing. Secondary outcomes were as follows:
      (1) effect on pain, (2) presence and severity of opioid-related central and local
      side effects, (3) whether patients required 'rescue medication' for treatment of
      pain, and (4) total intake of test substance. RESULTS: A total of 123 patients
      were screened for eligibility, 45 patients were recruited into the study, and 43
      completed it. Patients applied a solution of either placebo or 0.2 or 0.4%
      morphine in groups of n = 12, n = 15, and n = 16, respectively. Extent of healing
      was similar in the three groups. Severity of pain was minor pre-treatment and
      throughout the course of the study. Only minor adverse events were reported (dry
      mouth, burning sensation). CONCLUSION: Morphine did not enhance wound healing
      compared to placebo-treated patients. Healing was observed in all groups, which
      may be attributed to an effect of glycerine or to the natural course of the
      disease. Patients experienced only mild levels of pain, rendering the model
      insensitive for assessing pain. CLINICAL RELEVANCE: OLP is a chronic disease and
      current treatment options are limited. Healing occurred in all three study
      groups, an effect we attribute to the carrier.

PMID- 28353023
TI  - Efficacy of GUM(r) Hydral versus Biotene(r) Oralbalance mouthwashes plus gels on
      symptoms of medication-induced xerostomia: a randomized, double-blind, crossover
      study.
AB  - OBJECTIVES: The objective of this study is to determine the efficacy of GUM(r)
      Hydral versus Biotene(r) Oralbalance (both a mouthwash plus gel) on the
      subjective burden and clinical symptoms of patients with medication-induced
      xerostomia. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Subjects (N = 40) with medication-induced
      xerostomia (minimum 4/10 mm visual analog scale [VAS]) were randomized to
      treatment with GUM Hydral or Biotene Oralbalance mouthwash, both with gel, for 28
      days. Subjects then entered a 21-day wash-out period, before crossing over to the
      other treatment for 28 days. Outcomes measured included the VAS, German Oral
      Health Impact Profile (OHIPG)-14, Xerostomia Questionnaire (XQ), after-use
      questionnaire, and clinical parameters. RESULTS: Both GUM Hydral and Biotene
      Oralbalance significantly (p < 0.05) reduced VAS, OHIPG-14 total score and single
      items, and XQ Part 1 (oral dryness, oral pain, taste loss) and Part 2 items. GUM
      Hydral also significantly reduced the XQ Part 1 dysphagia score, while Biotene
      Oralbalance significantly reduced the halitosis organoleptic score and plaque
      index. Significant increases in saliva secretion did not reach clinical
      relevance. No significant between-group differences were observed, apart from
      OHIPG-14 items "trouble pronouncing words" and "uncertainty" in favor of GUM
      Hydral. No adverse effects were reported. CONCLUSIONS: Both products effectively
      improve oral health and xerostomia-related quality of life. However, they cannot
      completely substitute the continuous in-mouth secretion of saliva, and
      symptomatic relief is temporary. Product selection will be based on personal
      preference. CLINICAL RELEVANCE: Both products diminish xerostomic burden and
      should be part of the management strategy. Affected patients should be informed
      of these treatments, since no adverse effects were reported.

PMID- 28353024
TI  - Teaching an Old Dog New Tricks: Colchicine in Cardiovascular Medicine.
AB  - Colchicine is one of the oldest known drugs that remains part of the current
      pharmacopeia. Recent studies have examined the efficacy of colchicine in
      cardiology with promising results. We conducted a search of electronic databases
      for studies on colchicine in cardiovascular medicine published through October
      2016. As the utilization of colchicine in the management of cardiac conditions
      grows, it is paramount that internists and cardiologists are familiarized with
      its benefits and risks. We present a comprehensive review of the role of
      colchicine in the management of cardiovascular diseases with a strong emphasis on
      side effects and potential drug interactions.

PMID- 28353025
TI  - Coxibs Refocus Attention on the Cardiovascular Risks of Non-Aspirin NSAIDs.
AB  - Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) were differentiated from steroidal
      anti-inflammatory medicines to help clinicians who needed to use anti
      inflammatory agents that were safer than steroids. With market entry of rofecoxib
      in 1999, NSAIDs were then further classified into traditional NSAIDs and
      cyclooxygenase (COX)-2 inhibitors (coxibs), the latter posing potentially fewer
      gastrointestinal risks. In 2005, rofecoxib was withdrawn from the market because
      of concerns about the risk of heart attack and stroke with long-term use, and
      clinical practice began focusing more on the cardiovascular versus
      gastrointestinal safety of coxibs. Since then, many coxibs have remained
      unapproved by the US FDA or have been removed from the market. This article
      explains how coxibs refocused attention on the cardiovascular safety of NSAIDs
      and the general implications of that. COX-2 activity/specificity is one factor
      associated with increased cardiovascular risks; however, these risks cannot be
      attributed to coxibs alone. The traditional NSAIDs (i.e., meloxicam, etodolac,
      and nabumetone) have significant COX-2 specificity, but naproxen and ibuprofen
      have less specificity. All NSAIDs, whether traditional or a coxib, pose some
      cardiovascular risks. It is possible that clinicians continue to focus more on
      decreasing the immediate gastric risks than preventing the later cardiovascular
      risks. The cardiovascular risks posed by NSAIDs should not be disregarded for the
      sake of achieving gastrointestinal benefits. Current recommendations suggest
      NSAIDs should be considered a single class of non-aspirin NSAIDs. Preferred
      NSAIDs are ibuprofen and naproxen. Coxibs are preferred in patients with low
      cardiovascular risk and high gastrointestinal risk who are intolerant to anti
      dyspepsia therapy.

PMID- 28353026
TI  - Effect of Milrinone Infusion on Pulmonary Vasculature and Stroke Work Indices: A
      Single-Center Retrospective Analysis in 69 Patients Awaiting Cardiac
      Transplantation.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Although milrinone infusion is reported to benefit left ventricular
      function in chronic left heart failure, few insights exist regarding its effects
      on pulmonary circulation and right ventricular function. METHODS: We
      retrospectively reviewed right heart catheterization data at baseline and during
      continuous infusion of milrinone in 69 patients with advanced heart failure and
      analyzed the effects on ventricular stroke work indices, pulmonary vascular
      resistance and pulmonary arterial compliance. RESULTS: Compared to baseline,
      milrinone infusion after a mean 58 +/- 61 days improved mean left ventricular
      stroke work index (1540 +/- 656 vs. 2079 +/- 919 mmHg.mL/m2, p = 0.0007) to a
      much greater extent than right ventricular stroke work index (616 +/- 346 vs. 654
      +/- 332, p = 0.053); however, patients with below median stroke work indices
      experienced a significant improvement in both left and right ventricular stroke
      work performance. Overall, milrinone reduced left and right ventricular filling
      pressures and pulmonary and systemic vascular resistance by approximately 20%.
      Despite an increase in pulmonary artery capacitance (2.3 +/- 1.6 to 3.0 +/- 2.0,
      p = 0.013) and a reduction in pulmonary vascular resistance (3.8 +/- 2.3 to 3.0
      +/- 1.7 Wood units), milrinone did not reduce the transpulmonary gradient (13 +/-
      7 vs. 12 +/- 6 mmHg, p = 0.252), the pulmonary artery pulse pressure (25 +/- 10
      vs. 24 +/- 10, p = 0.64) or the pulmonary artery diastolic to pulmonary capillary
      wedge gradient (2.0 +/- 6.5 vs. 2.4 +/- 6.0, p = 0.353). CONCLUSION: Milrinone
      improved left ventricular stroke work indices to a greater extent than right
      ventricular stroke work indices and had beneficial effects on right ventricular
      net input impedance, predominantly via augmentation of left ventricular stroke
      volume and passive unloading of the pulmonary circuit. Patients who had the worst
      biventricular performance benefited the most from chronic milrinone infusion.

PMID- 28353027
TI  - The association of childhood maltreatment with depression and anxiety is not
      moderated by the oxytocin receptor gene.
AB  - BACKGROUND: The oxytocin receptor (OXTR) gene may be involved in resilience or
      vulnerability towards stress, and hence in the development of stress-related
      disorders. There are indications that OXTR single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs)
      interact with early life stressors in predicting levels of depression and
      anxiety. To replicate and extend these findings, we examined whether three
      literature-based OXTR SNPs (rs2254298, rs53576, rs2268498) interact with
      childhood maltreatment in the development of clinically diagnosed depression and
      anxiety disorders. METHODS: We included 2567 individuals from the Netherlands
      Study of Depression and Anxiety. This sample consisted of 387 healthy controls,
      428 people with a current or past depressive disorder, 243 people with a current
      or past anxiety disorder, and 1509 people with both lifetime depression and
      anxiety diagnoses. Childhood maltreatment was measured with both an interview and
      via self-report. Additional questionnaires measured depression and anxiety
      sensitivity. RESULTS: Childhood maltreatment was strongly associated with both
      lifetime depression and anxiety diagnoses, as well as with depression and anxiety
      sensitivity. However, the OXTR SNPs did not moderate these associations nor had
      main effects on outcomes. CONCLUSIONS: The three OXTR gene SNPs did not interact
      with childhood maltreatment in predicting lifetime depression and anxiety
      diagnoses or sensitivity. This stresses the importance of replication studies
      with regard to OXTR gene variants in general populations as well as in clearly
      established clinical samples.

PMID- 28353030
TI  - Creutzfeldt-Jacob disease: new directions in diagnosis and therapeutics.

PMID- 28353028
TI  - Decreased memory confidence in obsessive-compulsive disorder for scenarios high
      and low on responsibility: is low still too high?
AB  - Previous research suggests that patients with obsessive-compulsive disorder
      (OCD), particularly checkers, display an inflated sense of responsibility. For
      the present study, we tested whether memory confidence in OCD is reduced under
      conditions of heightened responsibility and/or reflects poor memory vividness. A
      computerized task designed to modulate perceived responsibility was administered
      to 26 OCD patients (12 checkers) and 21 healthy controls. In the experimental
      condition (high responsibility), participants had to allocate daily medications
      to ten fictive patients in a hospital emergency ward, whereas in the control
      condition (low responsibility) participants had to allocate bath essences for ten
      hotel guests. Participants' response time and accuracy were recorded as well as
      their memory confidence, memory vividness, and subjective success. Irrespective
      of the condition, OCD patients performed as accurately as healthy controls, but
      appraised their performance as worse than that of controls. Memory confidence was
      decreased in patients, particularly checkers. No group differences emerged on
      vividness, and none of the effects were moderated by the condition (high versus
      low responsibility). The relationship between responsibility and OCD behavior is
      complex. Results suggest metamemory problems in OCD checkers, even when induced
      responsibility is low. The findings speak against "cold" memory deficits in OCD,
      as patients did not differ from controls on accuracy, reaction time, or
      vividness. Future research should focus on idiosyncratic beliefs and scenarios
      that inflate responsibility and elicit cognitive biases.

PMID- 28353029
TI  - Sex Differences in Macrophage Functions in Middle-Aged Rats: Relevance of
      Estradiol Level and Macrophage Estrogen Receptor Expression.
AB  - The aim of this study was to examine the influence of sex on age-related changes
      in phenotype and functional capacity of rat macrophages. The potential role of
      estradiol as a contributing factor to a sex difference in macrophage function
      with age was also examined. Thioglycollate-elicited peritoneal macrophages
      derived from the young (2 months old) and the naturally senescent intact middle
      aged (16 months old) male and female rats were tested for cytokine secretion and
      antimicrobial activity (NO and H2O2 production and myeloperoxidase activity).
      Serum concentration of estradiol and the expression of estrogen receptor
      (ER)alpha and ERbeta on freshly isolated peritoneal macrophages were also
      examined. Decreased secretion of IL-1beta and IL-6 by macrophages from middle
      aged compared to the young females was accompanied with the lesser density of
      macrophage ERalpha expression and the lower systemic level of estradiol, whereas
      the opposite was true for middle-aged male rats. Macrophages in the middle-aged
      females, even with the diminished circulating estradiol levels, produce increased
      amount of IL-6, and comparable amounts of IL-1beta, TNF-alpha, and NO to that
      measured in macrophages from the middle-aged males. Age-related changes in
      macrophage phenotype and the antimicrobial activity were independent of
      macrophage ERalpha/ERbeta expression and estradiol level in both male and female
      rats. Although our study suggests that the sex difference in the level of
      circulating estradiol may to some extent contribute to sex difference in
      macrophage function of middle-aged rats, it also points to more complex hormonal
      regulation of peritoneal macrophage activity in females.

PMID- 28353031
TI  - Abortion for fetal defects: two current arguments.
AB  - A common utilitarian argument in favor of abortion for fetal defects rests on
      some controversial assumptions about what counts as a life worth living. Yet
      critics of abortion for fetal defects are also in need of an argument free from
      controversial assumptions about the future child's quality of life. Christopher
      Kaczor (in: Kaczor (ed), The ethics of abortion: women's rights, human life, and
      the question of justice, Routledge, New York, 2011) has devised an analogy that
      apparently satisfies this condition. On close scrutiny, however, Kaczor's analogy
      is too weak to debunk the common-morality intuition that at least some abortions
      for fetal defects are morally permissible. The upshot of this discussion is that,
      on the moral permissibility of abortions for fetal defects, a case-by-case
      approach is to be preferred.

PMID- 28353032
TI  - alpha-Synuclein Enhances Cadmium Uptake and Neurotoxicity via Oxidative Stress
      and Caspase Activated Cell Death Mechanisms in a Dopaminergic Cell Model of
      Parkinson's Disease.
AB  - This study examined the role of alpha-synuclein in regulating cadmium (Cd)
      induced neurotoxicity using the N27 dopaminergic neuronal model of Parkinson's
      disease (PD) that stably expresses wild-type human alpha-synuclein (alpha-Syn) or
      empty vector (Vec) control. We report that alpha-Syn significantly increased Cd
      induced cytotoxicity as compared to Vec control cells upon 24 h exposure. To
      explore the cellular mechanisms, we examined oxidative stress, caspase
      activation, and Cd uptake and intracellular accumulation. Expression of alpha-Syn
      coupled with Cd-induced cytotoxicity increased oxidative stress. Inductively
      coupled plasma-mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) revealed an increase in Cd uptake and
      intracellular accumulation in alpha-Syn-expressing cells upon Cd exposure.
      Analysis of the mitochondrial mediated apoptotic pathway showed greater
      activation of caspase-9 and caspase-3 in alpha-Syn cells. To functionally
      evaluate the role of metal transporters in the altered Cd phenotype, we examined
      Cd toxicity in the presence of nontoxic levels of divalent manganese Mn(II) and
      iron Fe(II). Co-treatment with Fe(II) or Mn(II) did not significantly attenuate
      Cd-induced cytotoxicity. We report that Cd exposure decreased the divalent metal
      transporter 1 and Akt protein levels in the alpha-Syn-expressing cells without
      altering native PKCdelta protein levels in both Vec control and alpha-Syn lines.
      In addition, we show decreased basal metallothionein-3 protein expression in
      alpha-Syn-expressing cells. Co-treatment with N-acetyl-L-cysteine was sufficient
      to attenuate and abolish the alpha-Syn * Cd-induced cytotoxicity. Collectively,
      these results demonstrate that alpha-Syn exhibits neurotoxic properties upon
      acute Cd exposure to cause cell death by causing oxidative stress, increasing Cd
      uptake, altering caspase-9 and caspase-3 activation, and diminishing the
      neuroprotective effect of Akt in a dopaminergic neuronal model of PD.

PMID- 28353033
TI  - A novel all-in-one intraoperative genotyping system for IDH1-mutant glioma.
AB  - IDH1 gene mutation has been demonstrated to be an oncogenic driver in a majority
      of lower-grade gliomas (LGGs). In contrast to other central nervous neoplasms and
      normal brain tissue without IDH1 mutation, almost 80% of LGGs exhibit IDH1
      mutation. Therefore, expeditious detection of IDH1 mutation is useful, not only
      for intraoperative diagnosis of these gliomas but also for determination of the
      border between the tumor and normal brain tissue. In this study, we established a
      rapid genotyping assay with a simple DNA extraction method, involving only
      incubation of the tumor specimen with Tris-EDTA buffer, which can be easily
      performed in an operating room. In all 11 tested cases, we could identify the
      IDH1 status within 90-100 min intraoperatively. In a case of anaplastic
      astrocytoma, IDH-mutant, we could detect the tumor border by IDH1 profiling. In
      addition, with this assay, we could detect IDH1 mutation using cell-free tumor
      DNA derived from cerebrospinal fluid in a case of glioblastoma, IDH-mutant.
      Considering that clinical trials of mutated IDH1 inhibitors are ongoing, less
      invasive intraoperative IDH1 gene profiling might be useful for decision making
      of the overall treatment strategy of LGGs. Our assay might be a useful tool for
      precision medicine and surgery of IDH1-mutant gliomas.

PMID- 28353034
TI  - Coronary flow capacity: concept, promises, and challenges.
AB  - The vasodilator capacity of the coronary circulation is an important diagnostic
      and prognostic characteristic, and its accurate assessment is therefore an
      important frontier. The coronary flow capacity (CFC) concept was introduced to
      overcome the limitations associated with the use of coronary flow reserve (CFR)
      for this purpose, which are related to the sensitivity of CFR to physiological
      alterations in systemic and coronary hemodynamics. CFC was developed from
      positron emission tomography, and was subsequently extrapolated to invasive
      coronary physiology. These studies suggest that CFC is a robust framework for the
      identification of clinically relevant coronary flow abnormalities, and improves
      identification of patients at risk for adverse events over the use of CFR alone.
      This Review will discuss the concept of CFC, its promises in the setting of
      ischaemic heart disease, and its challenges both in theoretical and practical
      terms.

PMID- 28353035
TI  - The Roles of Opioid Receptors in Cutaneous Wound Healing.
AB  - The process of recovery from skin wounding can be protracted and painful, and
      scarring may lead to weakness of the tissue, unpleasant sensations such as pain
      or itch, and unfavorable cosmetic outcomes. Moreover, some wounds simply fail to
      heal and become a chronic burden for the sufferer. Understanding the mechanisms
      underlying wound healing and the concomitant sensory disorders and how they might
      be manipulated for therapeutic benefit has attracted much interest in recent
      years, and here we discuss the latest developments in the field, focusing on the
      emergent roles of the peripheral opioid receptor (OPr) system.

PMID- 28353036
TI  - Resistance to Hormonal Therapy in Prostate Cancer.
AB  - Several therapeutic strategies are actually available in the management of
      prostate cancer: Targeting the androgen receptor (AR) is the goal both for
      initial androgen deprivation therapy (ADT) and second-generation androgen
      ablative agents (abiraterone and enzalutamide). Chemotherapy with taxanes,
      administered upon progression or as first line approach in association with ADT,
      is another therapeutic option. Unfortunately, none of these therapies is curative
      and patients are destined to develop a resistant phenotype.Progression to ADT
      leads to the attainment of a castration resistant disease whose mechanisms remain
      incompletely understood. Reactivation of AR has been shown to occur and second
      generation of AR targeting drugs are usually prescribed. Upon progression to
      these agents AR signaling still remains the primary driver although it often
      becomes ligand independent, since it can be either restored through mutations on
      the ligand binding domain and/or formation of AR splicing variants or by passed
      through a cross talk with other oncogenic signaling pathways.AR-independent
      signaling pathways may represent additional mechanisms underlying castration
      resistant progression. It is clear that castration resistant prostate cancer is a
      group of diverse diseases and new treatment paradigms need to be developed.

PMID- 28353037
TI  - Critical review of current clinical practice guidelines for antifungal therapy in
      paediatric haematology and oncology.

PMID- 28353038
TI  - A scoring system to guide the decision for a new systemic treatment after at
      least two lines of palliative chemotherapy for metastatic cancers: a prospective
      study.
AB  - PURPOSE: A four-parameter score has been identified as associated with overall
      survival (OS) in patients with advanced cancer with an estimated survival
      inferior to 6 months. Here, we tested its prognostic value for OS in patients who
      had received more than two lines of systemic therapy. METHODS: We prospectively
      enrolled patients with advanced cancer who were going to receive a third or more
      therapeutic line outside classical clinical guidelines. The four parameters
      (Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group performance status, number of metastatic
      sites, serum LDH, and serum albumin) were collected at baseline, allowing to
      calculate the score, which sorted the patients in three groups, A, B, and C (low,
      intermediate, and high score, respectively). We then searched for correlations
      between this grouping and clinicopathological features particularly OS. RESULTS:
      From August 2013 to March 2014, 65 patients were enrolled and corresponded after
      determining their score to 26 patients in group A, 30 in B, and 9 in C. The
      median OS of the cohort was 4.4 months, and the 6-month OS was 42%. Overall
      survival was different between the three groups, with respective 6-month OS equal
      to 80% in group A, 17% in group B, and 0% in group C and respective median OS of
      9, 2.3, and 1.6 months. Such prognostic value persisted in multivariate analysis.
      Similar OS differences were observed in patients with PS <=2. CONCLUSION: This
      simple scoring should help oncologists identify which patients, after at least
      two lines of systemic therapy, might benefit from best supportive care alone.

PMID- 28353039
TI  - A feasibility and efficacy trial of a hand-held humidification device in patients
      undergoing radiotherapy for head and neck cancer.
AB  - PURPOSE: This study aimed to evaluate the effects of warm-mist humidification
      during and after head and neck radiation therapy (HN RT) on quality of life
      (QOL), as measured by the M. D. Anderson Symptom Inventory-Head and Neck (MDASI
      HN) HN score. A secondary aim was to compare QOL among compliers (>=60% of
      protocol-recommended usage) versus non-compliers. METHODS: Twenty patients self
      administered a hand-held, self-sterilizing humidification device for a
      recommended time of at least 15 min twice daily for 12 weeks. Patients completed
      the MDASI-HN instrument at RT start, after 6 weeks, and after 12 weeks.
      Compliance was reported weekly. RESULTS: The average HN score at baseline was 1.7
      (SD = 1.8) and increased to 6.0 (SD = 1.6) after 6 weeks; this increase was much
      higher than anticipated and the primary endpoint could not be reached. However,
      compliers had an average of nearly two less HN symptoms (-1.8, 95% CI -4 to 0.2;
      p = 0.08) than non-compliers at 6 weeks and fewer symptoms at 12 weeks as well (
      0.9, 95% CI -2.9 to 1.2; p = 0.39). The most common terms patients used to
      describe humidification were "helpful" and "soothing." CONCLUSIONS: Compliance
      with humidification during RT was associated with fewer reported HN symptoms and
      a strong trend to better QOL. Improvements were seen from compliance with
      occasional required use of a portable, inexpensive device. Our findings support
      continued efforts to reduce barriers to humidification, as an intervention that
      should be considered for standard HN RT clinical practice.

PMID- 28353040
TI  - Confounding factors associated with oral mucositis assessment in patients
      receiving chemoradiotherapy for head and neck cancer.
AB  - PURPOSE: The aim of this study was to identify patient-centered, mucositis
      associated adverse impact factors and events that might confound physician
      assessed oral mucositis (OM) in head and neck cancer (HNC) patients receiving
      chemoradiotherapy. METHODS: This was a post hoc analysis of a previously
      conducted randomized trial to determine the efficacy of 5% phenylbutyrate
      mouthwash in preventing chemoradiotherapy-induced OM. This analysis identified
      patient-centered symptomatic, observable, and measurable factors that may
      confound physician scoring of the severity of OM during chemoradiotherapy.
      Confounding factors were then combined with physician-rated OM scores according
      to World Health Organization (WHO) and OM Assessment Scale (OMAS) criteria to
      investigate the therapeutic implications of OM treatment. RESULTS: The original
      analysis found no significant differences between experimental and placebo groups
      with respect to the cumulative incidence of physician-recorded severe OM (WHO >=3
      or OMAS >=2), patient-reported adverse events, and opioid use. However, patients
      in the experimental arm had relatively lower rates of OM-associated adverse
      clinical issues including unplanned short radiation breaks, skipping of
      chemotherapy, nausea/vomiting, late loss of body weight, and early opioid use,
      all of which could potentially interfere with physician-assessed OM scoring. When
      WHO OM grade (functional impact and pain), OMAS ulceration size (organic impact),
      and prolonged radiation treatment time (cancer treatment impact) were combined,
      there were significantly fewer interruptions of chemoradiotherapy treatment in
      symptomatic OM patients in the experimental compared to the placebo group. The
      benefits conferred by reducing the amount of chemoradiotherapy-related, OM
      associated adverse impacts in the experimental group were reflected by better 5
      year locoregional recurrence-free survival. CONCLUSIONS: This exploratory study
      raises questions as to whether the severity reflected by physician-rated OM
      scores is in concordance with OM-induced adverse impacts on HNC patients. Further
      investigations are warranted to identify patient-related and cancer-associated
      symptom burdens that may affect tolerance, compliance, and outcome of
      chemoradiotherapy and confound the evaluation of therapeutic effects on
      chemoradiotherapy-induced OM.

PMID- 28353041
TI  - The Inhibitory Effect of Mesenchymal Stem Cells with rAd-NK4 on Liver Cancer.
AB  - Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) can migrate to the tumor site and integrate into
      the tumor tissue. As a delivery vehicle of antitumor factors, MSCs have been
      tried in various tumor therapies. NK4 can both inhibit the growth, metastasis,
      and invasion of tumor cells induced by hepatocyte growth factor (HGF) and
      suppress tumor angiogenesis that is independent on HGF/cellular-mesenchymal-to
      transition factor pathway. Adenovirus can directly deliver NK4 for tumor
      treatment but may induce immunological rejection. We combined MSCs with an
      adenovirus vector to deliver NK4 for liver tumor treatment. This study detected
      the migration of MSCs to high metastasis liver carcinoma cells MHCC-97H in vitro,
      investigated the inhibitory effect of rAd-NK4-MSCs on the growth and metastasis
      of MHCC-97H cells, further explored the inhibitory mechanism of rAd-NK4-MSCs to
      MHCC-97H cell metastasis, and examined the inhibitory effect of rAd-NK4-MSCs on
      the migration of human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) in vitro. In
      this study, migration experiment was used for the potential capacity of MSCs and
      inhibition on migration of rAd-NK4-MSCs. Western blot was used for detecting the
      inhibition mechanism of rAd-NK4-MSCs to MHCC-97H cells. And, animal
      transplantation experiment was used for the inhibition of rAd-NK4-MSCs in vivo.
      MSC migration assay showed MSCs can significantly migrate to MHCC-97H cells. Co
      culture results indicated that rAd-NK4-MSCs significantly inhibited the
      proliferation and migration of MHCC-97H cells in vitro. Western blot results
      proved that rAd-NK4-MSCs inhibited MHCC-97H cell migration correlating with
      suppressing Erk1/2 phosphorylation. HUVEC migration experiment suggested that rAd
      NK4-MSCs had a potential of inhibiting tumor angiogenesis. Animal transplantation
      experiment showed that the tumor growth was significantly inhibited in the rAd
      NK4-MSC group. Taken together, this study proved that NK4-modified MSCs had an
      inhibitory effect on the growth and migration of MHCC-97H cells and tumor
      angiogenesis, which provided a new strategy for liver tumor target therapy.

PMID- 28353042
TI  - Beneficial Effects of Phyllanthus amarus Against High Fructose Diet Induced
      Insulin Resistance and Hepatic Oxidative Stress in Male Wistar Rats.
AB  - Insulin resistance (IR) is a characteristic feature of obesity, type 2 diabetes
      mellitus, and cardiovascular diseases. Emerging evidence suggests that the high
      fructose consumption is a potential and important factor responsible for the
      rising incidence of IR. The present study investigates the beneficial effects of
      aqueous extract of Phyllanthus amarus (PAAE) on IR and oxidative stress in high
      fructose (HF) fed male Wistar rats. HF diet (66% of fructose) and PAAE (200 mg/kg
      body weight/day) were given concurrently to the rats for a period of 60 days.
      Fructose-fed rats showed weight gain, hyperglycemia, hyperinsulinemia, impaired
      glucose tolerance, impaired insulin sensitivity, dyslipidemia, hyperleptinemia,
      and hypoadiponectinemia (P < 0.05) after 60 days. Co-administration of PAAE along
      with HF diet significantly ameliorated all these alterations. Regarding hepatic
      antioxidant status, higher lipid peroxidation and protein oxidation, lower
      reduced glutathione levels and lower activities of enzymatic antioxidants, and
      the histopathological changes like mild to severe distortion of the normal
      architecture as well as the prominence and widening of the liver sinusoids
      observed in the HF diet-fed rats were significantly prevented by PAAE treatment.
      These findings indicate that PAAE is beneficial in improving insulin sensitivity
      and attenuating metabolic syndrome and hepatic oxidative stress in fructose-fed
      rats.

PMID- 28353043
TI  - Immobilization of Candida antarctic Lipase B on Functionalized Ionic Liquid
      Modified MWNTs.
AB  - Multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWNTs) were modified by imidazole-based ionic
      liquids with different alkyl groups. The modified support samples were
      characterized by scanning transmission electron microscopy, Raman spectra,
      thermogravimetric analyses, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. The samples
      were used to immobilize Candida antarctic lipase (CALB) and the influence of
      alkyl chain length of ionic liquids on enzymatic properties was investigated by
      the hydrolysis reaction of triacetin. The results revealed that functionalized
      ionic liquids modification did not destroy the structure of MWNTs. Compared with
      the immobilized CALB on MWNTs, the immobilized CALB on novel carriers all
      exhibited higher activity, thermal stability, and reusability. Especially, the
      activity of MWNTs-IL (8C)-CALB improved 15.23-folds than MWNTs-CALB, meanwhile,
      after incubation at 70  degrees C for 20 min, residual enzyme activity of MWNTs
      IL (8C)-CALB was 46% of the initial activity, while MWNTs-CALB already lost all
      activity. Besides, MWNTs-IL (8C)-CALB retained 64.5% of its initial activity
      after 4 cycles, while MWNTs-CALB retained only 2.12%. Graphical Abstract ?.

PMID- 28353044
TI  - Preparation of Biodiesel with Liquid Synergetic Lipases from Rapeseed Oil
      Deodorizer Distillate.
AB  - To reduce industrial production cost, cheap and easily available rapeseed oil
      deodorizer distillates were used as feedstock to prepare biodiesel in this study.
      As a result, liquid forms of Candida rugosa lipase and Rhizopus oryzae lipase
      (ROL) were functioned as new and effective catalysts with biodiesel yield of
      92.63% for 30 h and 94.36% for 9 h, respectively. Furthermore, the synergetic
      effect between the two lipases was employed to enhance biodiesel yield with a
      result of 98.16% in 6 h under optimized conditions via response surface
      methodology. The obtained conversion rate surpassed both yields of the individual
      two lipases and markedly shortened the reaction time. The resultant optimal
      conditions were ROL ratio 0.84, water content 46 wt% (w/w), reaction temperature
      34  degrees C, and reaction time 6 h.

PMID- 28353045
TI  - Artificial Intelligence and the 'Good Society': the US, EU, and UK approach.
AB  - In October 2016, the White House, the European Parliament, and the UK House of
      Commons each issued a report outlining their visions on how to prepare society
      for the widespread use of artificial intelligence (AI). In this article, we
      provide a comparative assessment of these three reports in order to facilitate
      the design of policies favourable to the development of a 'good AI society'. To
      do so, we examine how each report addresses the following three topics: (a) the
      development of a 'good AI society'; (b) the role and responsibility of the
      government, the private sector, and the research community (including academia)
      in pursuing such a development; and (c) where the recommendations to support such
      a development may be in need of improvement. Our analysis concludes that the
      reports address adequately various ethical, social, and economic topics, but come
      short of providing an overarching political vision and long-term strategy for the
      development of a 'good AI society'. In order to contribute to fill this gap, in
      the conclusion we suggest a two-pronged approach.

PMID- 28353046
TI  - CORR Insights(r): What Influence Does Progression of a Nonhealing Rotator Cuff
      Tear Have on Shoulder Pain and Function?

PMID- 28353047
TI  - Editorial: Federal Restrictions on Gun Research Should Be Lifted.

PMID- 28353048
TI  - What Factors Influence the Biomechanical Properties of Allograft Tissue for ACL
      Reconstruction? A Systematic Review.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Allograft tissue is used in 22% to 42% of anterior cruciate ligament
      (ACL) reconstructions. Clinical outcomes have been inconsistent with allograft
      tissue, with some series reporting no differences in outcomes and others
      reporting increased risk of failure. There are numerous variations in processing
      and preparation that may influence the eventual performance of allograft tissue
      in ACL reconstruction. We sought to perform a systematic review to summarize the
      factors that affect the biomechanical properties of allograft tissue for use in
      ACL reconstruction. Many factors might impact the biomechanical properties of
      allograft tissue, and these should be understood when considering using allograft
      tissue or when reporting outcomes from allograft reconstruction.
      QUESTIONS/PURPOSES: What factors affect the biomechanical properties of allograft
      tissue used for ACL reconstruction? METHODS: We performed a systematic review to
      identify studies on factors that influence the biomechanical properties of
      allograft tissue through PubMed and SCOPUS databases. We included cadaveric and
      animal studies that reported on results of biomechanical testing, whereas studies
      on fixation, histologic evaluation, and clinical outcomes were excluded. There
      were 319 unique publications identified through the search with 48 identified as
      relevant to answering the study question. For each study, we recorded the type of
      tissue tested, parameters investigated, and the effects on biomechanical
      behavior, including load to failure and stiffness. Primary factors identified to
      influence allograft tissue properties were graft tissue type, sterilization
      methods (irradiation and chemical processing), graft preparation, donor
      parameters, and biologic adjuncts. RESULTS: Load to failure and graft stiffness
      varied across different tissue types, with nonlooped tibialis grafts exhibiting
      the lowest values. Studies on low-dose irradiation showed variable effects,
      whereas high-dose irradiation consistently produced decreased load to failure and
      stiffness values. Various chemical sterilization measures were also associated
      with negative effects on biomechanical properties. Prolonged freezing decreased
      load to failure, ultimate stress, and ultimate strain. Up to eight freeze-thaw
      cycles did not lead to differences in biomechanical properties of cadaveric
      grafts. Regional differences were noted in patellar tendon grafts, with the
      central third showing the highest load to failure and stiffness. Graft diameter
      strongly contributed to load-to-failure measurements. Age older than 40 years,
      and especially older than 65 years, negatively impacted biomechanical properties,
      whereas gender had minimal effect on the properties of allograft tissue. Biologic
      adjuncts show potential for improving in vivo properties of allograft tissue.
      CONCLUSIONS: Future clinical studies on allograft ACL reconstruction should
      investigate in vivo graft performance with standardized allograft processing and
      preparation methods that limit the negative effects on the biomechanical
      properties of tissue. Additionally, biologic adjuncts may improve the
      biomechanical properties of allograft tissue, although future preclinical and
      clinical studies are necessary to clarify the role of these treatments. CLINICAL
      RELEVANCE: Based on the findings of this systematic review that emphasize
      biomechanical properties of ACL allografts, surgeons should favor the use of
      central third patellar tendon or looped soft tissue grafts, maximize graft cross
      sectional area, and favor grafts from donors younger than 40 years of age while
      avoiding grafts subjected to radiation doses > 20 kGy, chemical processing, or
      greater than eight freeze-thaw cycles.

PMID- 28353050
TI  - Do Surgeon Expectations Predict Clinically Important Improvements in WOMAC Scores
      After THA and TKA?
AB  - BACKGROUND: Failure of THA or TKA to meet a patient's expectations may result in
      patient disappointment and litigation. However, there is little evidence to
      suggest that surgeons can consistently anticipate which patients will benefit
      from those interventions. QUESTIONS/PURPOSES: To determine the ability of
      surgeons to identify, in advance of surgery, patients who will benefit from THA
      or TKA and those who will not, where 'benefit' is defined as a clinically
      important improvement in a validated patient-reported outcomes score. METHODS: In
      this prospective study, eight high-volume orthopaedic surgeons completed
      validated THA and TKA expectations questionnaires (score 0-100, 100 being the
      highest expectation) as part of preoperative assessment of all their patients
      scheduled for a THA or TKA and enrolled in the Hospital for Special Surgery
      institutional registry. Enrolled patients completed the WOMAC preoperatively and
      at 2 years. Successful outcomes were defined as achieving the minimum clinically
      important difference (MCID) in WOMAC pain and function subscales. Sensitivity,
      specificity, and receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves were used to
      evaluate the ability of surgeons' expectation scores to identify patients likely
      to achieve the MCID on the WOMAC scale. Analyses were run separately for patients
      having THA and TKA. We enrolled 259 patients undergoing THA and 247 undergoing
      TKA, of whom 77% (n = 200) and 77% (n = 191) completed followup surveys 2 years
      after their procedures, respectively. RESULTS: Surgeons' expectation scores
      effectively anticipated patients who would improve after THA, but they were no
      better than chance in identifying patients who would achieve the MCID on the
      WOMAC score 2 years after TKA. For patients having THA, the areas under the ROC
      curve were 0.67 (95% CI, 0.53-0.82; p = 0.02) and 0.74 (95% CI, 0.63-0.85; p <
      0.01) for WOMAC function and pain outcomes, respectively, indicating good
      accuracy. Sensitivity and specificity were maximized on WOMAC pain and function
      scores (sensitivity = 0.69, specificity = 0.72, both for pain and function) at an
      expectations score of 83 or greater of 100. Surgeons' expectations were more
      accurate for patients who were men, who had a BMI less than 30 kg/m2, who had
      more than one comorbidity, and who were older than 65 years. For patients having
      TKA, surgeons' expectation scores were not better than chance for identifying
      those who would experience a clinically important improvement on the WOMAC scale
      (area under ROC curve: Function = 0.51, [95% CI, 0.42-0.61], p = 0.78; Pain =
      0.51, [95% CI, 0.40-0.61], p = 0.92). CONCLUSIONS: Most patients having THA and
      TKA achieved the MCID improvement after surgery. However, the inability of
      surgeons' expectation scores to discriminate accurately between patients who
      benefit and those who do not among patients scheduled for THA who are young, with
      no comorbidities, and with elevated BMIs, and among all patients scheduled for
      TKA, calls for surgeons to spend more time with these patients to fully
      understand and address their needs and expectations. Using standardized
      assessment tools to compare surgeons' expectations and those of their patients
      may help focus the surgeon-patient discussion further, and address patients'
      expectations more effectively. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Level II, therapeutic study.

PMID- 28353049
TI  - Single-stage Acetabular Revision During Two-stage THA Revision for Infection is
      Effective in Selected Patients.
AB  - BACKGROUND: The treatment of periprosthetic infections of hip arthroplasties
      typically involves use of either a single- or two-stage (with implantation of a
      temporary spacer) revision surgery. In patients with severe acetabular bone
      deficiencies, either already present or after component removal, spacers cannot
      be safely implanted. In such hips where it is impossible to use spacers and yet a
      two-stage revision of the prosthetic stem is recommended, we have combined a two
      stage revision of the stem with a single revision of the cup. To our knowledge,
      this approach has not been reported before. QUESTIONS/PURPOSES: (1) What
      proportion of patients treated with single-stage acetabular reconstruction as
      part of a two-stage revision for an infected THA remain free from infection at 2
      or more years? (2) What are the Harris hip scores after the first stage and at 2
      years or more after the definitive reimplantation? METHODS: Between June 2009 and
      June 2014, we treated all patients undergoing surgical treatment for an infected
      THA using a single-stage acetabular revision as part of a two-stage THA exchange
      if the acetabular defect classification was Paprosky Types 2B, 2C, 3A, 3B, or
      pelvic discontinuity and a two-stage procedure was preferred for the femur. The
      procedure included removal of all components, joint debridement, definitive
      acetabular reconstruction (with a cage to bridge the defect, and a cemented
      socket), and a temporary cemented femoral component at the first stage; the
      second stage consisted of repeat joint and femoral debridement and exchange of
      the femoral component to a cementless device. During the period noted, 35
      patients met those definitions and were treated with this approach. No patients
      were lost to followup before 2 years; mean followup was 42 months (range, 24-84
      months). The clinical evaluation was performed with the Harris hip scores and
      resolution of infection was assessed by the absence of clinical signs of
      infection and a C-reactive protein level less than 10 mg/L. All patients were
      assessed before surgery, between stages, every 3 months during the first year
      after surgery, every 6 months during the second year postoperative, and at latest
      followup, and were retrospectively drawn from a longitudinally maintained
      institutional database. RESULTS: Thirty-four of 35 patients (97.2%; 95% CI, 85.4%
      99.5%) appeared free of infection by criteria of Masri et al. and Zimmerli et al.
      at latest followup. The Harris hip score was 61 +/- 13 points after the first
      operation and 82 +/- 16 points 2 years after the second operation. CONCLUSIONS:
      This technique is a promising treatment option for periprosthetic infections of
      the hip in which substantial acetabular defects exclude implantation of a normal
      spacer and a two-stage revision of the femoral component is favored. LEVEL OF
      EVIDENCE: Level IV, therapeutic study.

PMID- 28353051
TI  - Is there evidence that the outcomes of primary anatomic and reverse shoulder
      arthroplasty are getting better?
AB  - PURPOSE: Have the results of shoulder arthroplasty got better over the last two
      decades? To answer this question, we sought published evidence that the patient
      reported outcomes and re-operation rates have improved in reports of more
      recently performed anatomic (TSA) and reverse (RSA) total shoulder
      arthroplasties. METHODS: We analyzed the arthroplasty results among studies
      published from 1990 to 2015, adjusting for the fact that the different
      publications presented patient groups with different combinations of diagnoses,
      used various outcome scales, and had different lengths of follow-up. RESULTS: The
      adjusted clinical outcomes (p = 0.048), but not the revision rates (p = 0.3),
      were significantly better for articles reporting more recent TSA procedures.
      Neither the clinical outcomes (p = 0.9) nor the revision rates (p = 0.4) were
      significantly better in articles reporting more recent RSA surgeries.
      CONCLUSIONS: Better evidence from reports with greater detail will be necessary
      to show that patients are realizing progressively better outcomes from shoulder
      arthroplasty. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Level IV.

PMID- 28353052
TI  - The effect of screw tunnels on the biomechanical stability of vertebral body
      after pedicle screws removal: a finite element analysis.
AB  - PURPOSE: Posterior reduction and pedicle screw fixation is a widely used
      procedure for thoracic and lumbar vertebrae fractures. Usually, the pedicle
      screws would be removed after the fracture healing and screw tunnels would be
      left. The aim of this study is to evaluate the effect of screw tunnels on the
      biomechanical stability of the lumbar vertebral body after pedicle screws removal
      by finite element analysis (FEA). METHODS: First, the CT values of the screw
      tunnels wall in the fractured vertebral bodies were measured in patients whose
      pedicle screws were removed, and they were then compared with the values of
      vertebral cortical bone. Second, an adult patient was included and the CT images
      of the lumbar spine were harvested. Three dimensional finite element models of
      the L1 vertebra with unilateral or bilateral screw tunnels were created based on
      the CT images. Different compressive loads were vertically acted on the models.
      The maximum loads which the models sustained and the distribution of the force in
      the different parts of the models were recorded and compared with each other.
      RESULTS: The CT values of the tunnels wall and vertebral cortical bone were
      387.126+/-62.342 and 399.204+/-53.612, which were not statistically different
      (P=0.149). The models of three dimensional tetrahedral mesh finite element of
      normal lumbar 1 vertebra were established with good geometric similarity and
      realistic appearance. After given the compressive loads, the cortical bone was
      the first one to reach its ultimate stress. The maximum loads which the bilateral
      screw tunnels model, unilateral screw tunnel model, and normal vertebral model
      can sustain were 3.97 Mpa, 3.83 Mpa, and 3.78 Mpa, respectively. For the diameter
      of the screw tunnels, the model with a diameter of 6.5 mm could sustain the
      largest load. In addition, the stress distributing on the outside of the cortical
      bone gradually decreased as the thickness of the tunnel wall increased.
      CONCLUSIONS: Based on the FEA, pedicle screw tunnels would not decrease the
      biomechanical stability and strength of the vertebral body. A large diameter of
      screw tunnel and thick tunnel wall were helpful for the biomechanical stability
      of the vertebral body.

PMID- 28353053
TI  - Influence of physico-chemical properties of soil clay fractions on the retention
      of dissolved organic carbon.
AB  - This study investigated the effects of surface functional groups, cation exchange
      capacity (CEC), surface charge, sesquioxides and specific surface area (SSA) of
      three soil clay fractions (SCFs) (kaolinite-illite, smectite and allophane) on
      the retention of dissolved organic carbon (DOC) in soils. Physico-chemical
      properties of the SCFs before and after removing native carbon and/or
      sesquioxides were characterised, and the DOC adsorption-desorption tests were
      conducted by a batch method. Native organic carbon (OC)/sesquioxide removal
      treatments led to a small change in the CEC values of kaolinite-illite, but
      significant changes in those of smectite and allophane. The net negative surface
      charge increased in all samples with an increase in pH indicating their variable
      charge characteristics. The removal of native OC resulted in a slight increase in
      the net positive charge on soil clay surfaces, while sesquioxide removal
      increased the negative charge. Changes in the functional groups on the SCF
      surfaces contributed to the changes in CEC and zeta potential values. There was a
      strong relationship (R 2 = 0.93, p < 0.05) between the Langmuir maximum DOC
      adsorption capacity (Q max) and SSA. The Q max value also showed a moderately
      strong relationship (R 2 = 0.55, p < 0.05) with zeta potential (at pH 7). Q max
      was only poorly correlated with CEC and native OC content. Therefore, along with
      SSA, the surface charge and functional groups of SCFs played the key role in
      determining the adsorption affinity and hence retention of DOC in soils.

PMID- 28353054
TI  - Application of artificial neural network in medical geochemistry.
AB  - For the evaluation of various adverse health effects of chemical elements
      occurring in the environment on humans, the comparison and linking of geochemical
      data (chemical composition of groundwater, soils, and dusts) with data on health
      status of population (so-called health indicators) play a key role. Geochemical
      and health data are predominantly nonlinear, and the use of standard statistical
      methods can lead to wrong conclusions. For linking such data, we find appropriate
      the use method of artificial neural networks (ANNs) which enable to eliminate
      data inhomogeneity and also potential data errors. Through method of ANNs, we are
      able to determine the order of influence of chemical elements on health
      indicators as well as to define limit values for the influential elements at
      which the health status of population is the most favourable (i.e. the lowest
      mortality, the highest life expectancy). For determination of dependence between
      the groundwater contents of chemical elements and health indicators, we recommend
      to create 200 ANNs. In further calculations performed for identification of order
      of influence of chemical elements as well as definition of limit values, we
      propose to work with median or mean values from calculated 200 ANNs. The ANN
      represents an appropriate method to be used for environmental and health data
      analysis in medical geochemistry.

PMID- 28353055
TI  - Accounting for Pharmacokinetic Variability of Certolizumab Pegol in Patients with
      Crohn's Disease.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Certolizumab pegol is an effective biologic for patients with Crohn's
      disease (CD). Individual differences in certolizumab pegol apparent clearance
      (CL/F) affect exposure and possibly efficacy. A previously developed population
      pharmacokinetic (PK) model did not account for dynamic changes in clinical
      parameters during therapy. OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to refine the
      existing PK model to capture the time-varying influence of covariates. METHODS:
      Data collected from 2157 Crohn's disease patients in nine studies were analyzed
      using nonlinear mixed-effects modeling software (NONMEM). Certolizumab pegol
      concentration-time data were described by a one-compartment PK model with first
      order absorption, and one-compartment disposition with linear, time-dependent
      elimination using antidrug antibody (ADAb) concentration as a continuous
      variable. RESULTS: The final dataset consisted of 12,926 analyzable records.
      Parameter estimates were absorption rate constant 1.83/day, CL/F 0.527 L/day, and
      apparent volume of distribution (V/F) 8.33 L. ADAb concentration (2.5-214
      units/mL) increased the median CL/F by 142-174%. For a typical patient, body
      weight (46.8-100.5 kg) increased the median CL/F and V/F from 82 to 120%. Albumin
      (32-48 g/L) decreased and C-reactive protein (0.5-54.0 mg/L) increased the median
      CL/F from 123 to 85% and from 83 to 113%, respectively. Between-patient
      variability of CL/F was 19.6%. CONCLUSIONS: By incorporating time-varying
      covariates, this population PK model reduces between-patient variability on CL/F
      estimates, and the relative influence of ADAb can now be assessed. As Crohn's
      disease patient covariates are often time-dependent, this model is more
      reflective of patient drug exposure with sustained treatment.

PMID- 28353056
TI  - Pharmacokinetics of Escalating Doses of Oral Psilocybin in Healthy Adults.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: Psilocybin is a psychedelic tryptamine that has shown promise in
      recent clinical trials for the treatment of depression and substance use
      disorders. This open-label study of the pharmacokinetics of psilocybin was
      performed to describe the pharmacokinetics and safety profile of psilocybin in
      sequential, escalating oral doses of 0.3, 0.45, and 0.6 mg/kg in 12 healthy
      adults. METHODS: Eligible healthy adults received 6-8 h of preparatory counseling
      in anticipation of the first dose of psilocybin. The escalating oral psilocybin
      doses were administered at approximately monthly intervals in a controlled
      setting and subjects were monitored for 24 h. Blood and urine samples were
      collected over 24 h and assayed by a validated liquid chromatography-tandem mass
      spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) assay for psilocybin and psilocin, the active metabolite.
      The pharmacokinetics of psilocin were determined using both compartmental
      (NONMEM) and noncompartmental (WinNonlin) methods. RESULTS: No psilocybin was
      found in plasma or urine, and renal clearance of intact psilocin accounted for
      less than 2% of the total clearance. The pharmacokinetics of psilocin were linear
      within the twofold range of doses, and the elimination half-life of psilocin was
      3 h (standard deviation 1.1). An extended elimination phase in some subjects
      suggests hydrolysis of the psilocin glucuronide metabolite. Variation in psilocin
      clearance was not predicted by body weight, and no serious adverse events
      occurred in the subjects studied. CONCLUSIONS: The small amount of psilocin
      renally excreted suggests that no dose reduction is needed for subjects with mild
      moderate renal impairment. Simulation of fixed doses using the pharmacokinetic
      parameters suggest that an oral dose of 25 mg should approximate the drug
      exposure of a 0.3 mg/kg oral dose of psilocybin. Although doses of 0.6 mg/kg are
      in excess of likely therapeutic doses, no serious physical or psychological
      events occurred during or within 30 days of any dose. CLINICAL TRIALS IDENTIFIER:
      NCT02163707.

PMID- 28353058
TI  - Objectively-Measured Free-Living Physical Activity and Heart Rate Recovery.
AB  - The purpose of this study was to examine the association of free-living,
      objectively-measured physical activity on treadmill-based heart rate recovery
      (HRR), a parameter known to associate with morbidity and mortality. Data was used
      from 2003 to 2004 NHANES. Physical activity was assessed via accelerometry, with
      HRR recovery assessed from a treadmill-based test. Heart rate recovery minute 1
      (HRR1) and minute 2 (HRR2) were calculated. After adjustment, light and vigorous
      intensity free-living physical activity, respectively, were associated with HRR1
      (betaadjusted = 0.69, 95% CI 0.22-1.14; betaadjusted 1.94, 95% CI 0.01-3.9) and
      HRR2 (betaadjusted = 0.99, 95% CI 0.35-1.62; betaadjusted = 5.88, 95% CI 2.63
      9.12). Moderate physical activity was not associated with HRR1 (betaadjusted =
      0.60, 95% CI -0.41 to 1.62), but was with HRR2 (betaadjusted = 2.28, 95% CI 1.27
      3.28). As free-living physical activity intensity increased, there was a greater
      association with HRR. This finding may provide mechanistic insight of previous
      research observations demonstrating intensity-specific effects of physical
      activity on various health outcomes.

PMID- 28353057
TI  - Levetiracetam Clinical Pharmacokinetic Monitoring in Pediatric Patients with
      Epilepsy.
AB  - Levetiracetam is a broad-spectrum antiepileptic drug (AED) with a unique
      mechanism of action. Older AEDs can cause serious short- and long-term adverse
      drug reactions and complications, rendering them undesirable to use in pediatric
      patients. Characteristics that make levetiracetam a near-ideal AED include its
      broad spectrum of activity, good tolerability profile, and minimal drug-drug
      interactions. Clinical pharmacokinetic monitoring (CPM) is often recommended in
      pediatric patients for certain AEDs due to large interindividual pharmacokinetic
      differences and unpredictable drug disposition. Our objective was to determine
      whether monitoring levetiracetam concentrations is warranted for pediatric
      patients with epilepsy, using a previously published 9-step decision-making
      algorithm. A literature search of the MEDLINE (1946-August 2016), EMBASE (1974
      August 2016), CENTRAL, and Google Scholar databases was performed to identify
      relevant English-language articles and answer the questions posed in the
      algorithm for levetiracetam CPM in pediatric epilepsies. Additional articles were
      identified from a manual bibliographic review of the relevant literature. We
      found that levetiracetam CPM met some criteria of the algorithm: levetiracetam is
      an appropriate adjunctive or monotherapy for pediatric patients with either focal
      or generalized seizures; it is readily measurable in plasma, with an appropriate
      degree of sensitivity, accuracy, and precision; it exhibits interindividual
      variation in pharmacokinetics; often, its pharmacologic effect cannot be easily
      measured; and the duration of therapy is expected to be long-term. However,
      important criteria not met include the following: there is no clear evidence for
      a concentration-response relationship for efficacy or toxicity; the proposed
      therapeutic range of 12-46 MUg/mL is not well-defined and is generally considered
      as wide. Thus, clinical decision making is unlikely to be affected as a result of
      routine levetiracetam CPM. In general, routine CPM of levetiracetam cannot be
      recommended for pediatric patients with epilepsy. However, CPM may be beneficial
      in select cases, such as patients in whom noncompliance is suspected, those who
      have severe overdoses, those switching between product brands, or patients for
      whom an 'individual therapeutic concentration' is documented. Nonetheless, in the
      majority of pediatric patients with epilepsy, measurement of levetiracetam
      concentrations is not expected to yield a therapeutic benefit. Thus, clinical
      assessment and judgment, without measuring drug concentrations, remain the
      monitoring strategy of choice for levetiracetam therapy.

PMID- 28353059
TI  - Getting satisfied with "satisfaction of search": How to measure errors during
      multiple-target visual search.
AB  - Visual search studies are common in cognitive psychology, and the results
      generally focus upon accuracy, response times, or both. Most research has focused
      upon search scenarios where no more than 1 target will be present for any single
      trial. However, if multiple targets can be present on a single trial, it
      introduces an additional source of error because the found target can interfere
      with subsequent search performance. These errors have been studied thoroughly in
      radiology for decades, although their emphasis in cognitive psychology studies
      has been more recent. One particular issue with multiple-target search is that
      these subsequent search errors (i.e., specific errors which occur following a
      found target) are measured differently by different studies. There is currently
      no guidance as to which measurement method is best or what impact different
      measurement methods could have upon various results and conclusions. The current
      investigation provides two efforts to address these issues. First, the existing
      literature is reviewed to clarify the appropriate scenarios where subsequent
      search errors could be observed. Second, several different measurement methods
      are used with several existing datasets to contrast and compare how each method
      would have affected the results and conclusions of those studies. The evidence is
      then used to provide appropriate guidelines for measuring multiple-target search
      errors in future studies.

PMID- 28353060
TI  - Response.

PMID- 28353061
TI  - Dose intensity and efficacy of the combination of everolimus and exemestane
      (EVE/EXE) in a real-world population of hormone receptor-positive (ER+/PgR+),
      HER2-negative advanced breast cancer (ABC) patients: a multicenter Italian
      experience.
AB  - AIM: This retrospective analysis focused on the effect of treatment with EVE/EXE
      in a real-world population outside of clinical trials. We examined the efficacy
      of this combination in terms of PFS and RR related to dose intensity (5 mg daily
      versus 10 mg daily) and tolerability. METHODS: 163 HER2-negative ER+/PgR+ ABC
      patients, treated with EVE/EXE from May 2011 to March 2016, were included in the
      analysis. The primary endpoints were the correlation between the daily dose and
      RR and PFS, as well as an evaluation of the tolerability of the combination.
      Secondary endpoints were RR, PFS, and OS according to the line of treatment.
      Patients were classified into three different groups, each with a different dose
      intensity of everolimus (A, B, C). RESULTS: RR was 29.8% (A), 27.8% (B) (p =
      0.953), and not evaluable (C). PFS was 9 months (95% CI 7-11) (A), 10 months (95%
      CI 9-11) (B), and 5 months (95% CI 2-8) (C), p = 0.956. OS was 38 months (95% CI
      24-38) (A), median not reached (B), and 13 months (95% CI 10-25) (C), p = 0.002.
      Adverse events were stomatitis 57.7% (11.0% grade 3-4), asthenia 46.0% (6.1%
      grade 3-4), hypercholesterolemia 46.0% (0.6% grade 3-4), and hyperglycemia 35.6%
      (5.5% grade 3-4). The main reason for discontinuation/interruption was grade 2-3
      stomatitis. CONCLUSIONS: No correlation was found between dose intensity (5 vs.
      10 mg labeled dose) and efficacy in terms of RR and PFS. The tolerability of the
      higher dose was poor in our experience, although this had no impact on efficacy.

PMID- 28353062
TI  - Self-reported long-term cardiac morbidity in breast cancer patients: a
      retrospective cohort study in Germany (PASSOS Heart Study).
AB  - PURPOSE: Improved survival after locoregional breast cancer has increased the
      concern about late adverse effects after therapy. In particular, radiotherapy was
      identified as a risk factor for major cardiac events in women treated until the
      1990s. While modern radiotherapy with computerized planning based on 3D-imaging
      can help spare organs at risk, heart exposure may remain substantial. In a
      retrospective cohort study of women treated for locoregional breast cancer, we
      investigated whether current radiotherapy is associated with an elevated long
      term cardiac morbidity risk. METHODS: The study included 11,982 women diagnosed
      with breast cancer in Germany in 1998-2008. After an individual mortality follow
      up, 9338 questionnaires on cardiac events before or after therapy and on
      associated risk factors were sent out in 2014. Based on 4434 questionnaires from
      women with radiotherapy, we used Cox regression to analyze the association
      between self-reported cardiac morbidity and breast cancer laterality as a
      surrogate measure of radiation exposure. RESULTS: After a median follow-up of 8.3
      years, there was no significant association of tumor laterality with cardiac
      morbidity in irradiated patients (458 events, hazard ratio for left-sided vs.
      right-sided tumors 1.07, 95% CI 0.89-1.29). Significant risk factors for any
      cardiac event included age at diagnosis, chemotherapy, hypertension,
      hypercholesteremia, and chronic kidney disease. CONCLUSIONS: For contemporary
      radiotherapy, we found no evidence for a significantly elevated cardiac morbidity
      risk in left-sided versus right-sided breast cancer. Possible reasons for failing
      to confirm earlier reports on increased risk include shorter follow-up,
      application of newer radiotherapy techniques, and improved health monitoring.

PMID- 28353064
TI  - Radiological imaging features of the basal ganglia that may predict progression
      to hemicraniectomy in large territory middle cerebral artery infarct.
AB  - PURPOSE: Predicting which patients are at risk for hemicraniectomy can be helpful
      for triage and can help preserve neurologic function if detected early. We
      evaluated basal ganglia imaging predictors for early hemicraniectomy in patients
      with large territory anterior circulation infarct. METHODS: This retrospective
      study evaluated patients with ischemic infarct admitted from January 2005 to July
      2011. Patients with malignant cerebral edema refractory to medical therapy or
      with herniating signs such as depressed level of consciousness, anisocoria, and
      contralateral leg weakness were triaged to hemicraniectomy. Admission images were
      reviewed for presence of caudate, lentiform nucleus (putamen and globus
      pallidus), or basal ganglia (caudate + lentiform nucleus) infarction. RESULTS:
      Thirty-one patients with large territory MCA infarct, 10 (32%), underwent
      hemicraniectomy. Infarction of the caudate nucleus (9/10 vs 6/21, p = 0.002) or
      basal ganglia (5/10 vs 2/21, p = 0.02) predicted progression to hemicraniectomy.
      Infarction of the lentiform nucleus only did not predict progression to
      hemicraniectomy. Sensitivity for patients who did and did not have
      hemicraniectomy were 50% (5/10) and 90.5% (19/21). For caudate nucleus and
      caudate plus lentiform nucleus infarcts, the crude- and age-adjusted odds of
      progression to hemicraniectomy were 9.5 (1.4-64.3) and 6.6 (0.78-55.4),
      respectively. CONCLUSION: Infarction of the caudate nucleus or basal ganglia
      correlated with patients progressing to hemicraniectomy. Infarction of the
      lentiform nucleus alone did not.

PMID- 28353063
TI  - The microRNA-7-mediated reduction in EPAC-1 contributes to vascular endothelial
      permeability and eNOS uncoupling in murine experimental retinopathy.
AB  - AIMS: To investigate the consequences of oxidative stress and hypoxia on EPAC-1
      expression during retinopathy. METHODS: Oxygen-induced retinopathy was induced in
      mice and EPAC-1 expression investigated by immunofluorescence. In silico analyses
      were used to identify a link between EPAC-1 expression and microRNA-7-5p in
      endothelial cells and confirmed by western blot analyses on cells expressing
      microRNA-7-5p. In vitro, endothelial cells were either incubated at 2% oxygen or
      transfected with microRNA-7-5p, and the effects of these treatments on EPAC-1
      expression, endothelial hyperpermeability and NO production were assessed. In the
      Ins2Akita mouse model, levels of EPAC-1 expression as well as microRNA-7-5p were
      assessed by qPCR. Endothelial nitric oxide synthase was assessed by
      immunoblotting in the Ins2Akita model. RESULTS: Hypoxia induces the expression of
      microRNA-7-5p that translationally inhibits the expression of EPAC-1 in
      endothelial cells, resulting in hyperpermeability and the loss of eNOS activity.
      Activation of EPAC-1 by the cAMP analogue 8-pCPT-2'-O-Me-cAMP reduced the
      sensitivity of EPAC-1 to oxidative stress and restored the endothelial
      permeability to baseline levels. Additionally, 8-pCPT-2'-O-Me-cAMP rescued eNOS
      activity and NO production. In mouse models of retinopathy, i.e., oxygen-induced
      retinopathy and the spontaneous diabetic heterozygous Ins2Akita mice, EPAC-1
      levels are decreased which is associated with an increase in microRNA-7-5p
      expression and reduced eNOS activity. CONCLUSION/INTERPRETATION: In retinopathy,
      EPAC-1 expression is decreased in a microRNA-7-mediated manner, contributing to
      endothelial dysfunction. Pharmacological activation of remnant EPAC-1 rescues
      endothelial function. Collectively, these data indicate that EPAC-1 resembles an
      efficacious and druggable target molecule for the amelioration of (diabetic)
      retinopathy.

PMID- 28353065
TI  - Four reasons to prefer Bayesian analyses over significance testing.
AB  - Inference using significance testing and Bayes factors is compared and contrasted
      in five case studies based on real research. The first study illustrates that the
      methods will often agree, both in motivating researchers to conclude that H1 is
      supported better than H0, and the other way round, that H0 is better supported
      than H1. The next four, however, show that the methods will also often disagree.
      In these cases, the aim of the paper will be to motivate the sensible evidential
      conclusion, and then see which approach matches those intuitions. Specifically,
      it is shown that a high-powered non-significant result is consistent with no
      evidence for H0 over H1 worth mentioning, which a Bayes factor can show, and,
      conversely, that a low-powered non-significant result is consistent with
      substantial evidence for H0 over H1, again indicated by Bayesian analyses. The
      fourth study illustrates that a high-powered significant result may not amount to
      any evidence for H1 over H0, matching the Bayesian conclusion. Finally, the fifth
      study illustrates that different theories can be evidentially supported to
      different degrees by the same data; a fact that P-values cannot reflect but Bayes
      factors can. It is argued that appropriate conclusions match the Bayesian
      inferences, but not those based on significance testing, where they disagree.

PMID- 28353066
TI  - [Comment on: What is the appropriate anesthesia for thrombectomy?]

PMID- 28353067
TI  - [Conflict matrix : Risk management tool in the operating room].
AB  - BACKGROUND: In business conflicts have long been known to have a negative effect
      on costs and team performance. In medicine this aspect has been widely neglected,
      especially when optimizing processes for operating room (OR) management. In the
      multidisciplinary setting of OR management, shortcomings in rules for decision
      making and lack of communication result in members perceiving themselves as
      competitors in the patient's environment rather than acting as art of a
      multiprofessional team. This inevitably leads to the emergence and escalation of
      conflicts. OBJECTIVE: We developed a conflict matrix to provide an inexpensive
      and objective way for evaluating the level of escalation of conflicts in a
      multiprofessional working environment, such as an OR. MATERIAL AND METHODS: The
      senior members of all involved disciplines were asked to estimate the level of
      conflict escalation between the individual professional groups on a scale of 0-9.
      By aggregating the response data, an overview of the conflict matrix within this
      OR section was created. RESULTS: No feedback was received from 1 of the 11
      contacted occupational groups. By color coding the median, minimum and maximum
      values of the retrieved data, an intuitive overview of the escalation levels of
      conflict could be provided. The value range of all feedbacks was between 0 and 6.
      Estimation of the escalation levels differed widely within one category, showing
      a range of up to 6 (out of 6) levels. CONCLUSION: The presented assessment using
      a conflict matrix is a simple and cost-effective method to assess the conflict
      landscape, especially in multidisciplinary environments, such as OR management.
      The chance of conflict prevention or the early recognition of existing conflicts
      represents an enormous potential for cost and risk saving and might have positive
      long-term effects by building a culture of conflict prevention at the workplace
      and a positive influence on interdisciplinary cooperation in this working
      environment.

PMID- 28353068
TI  - [Interhospital transport of patients with ARDS].
AB  - In patients with severely compromised gas exchange, interhospital transportation
      is frequently necessary due to the need to provide access to specialized care.
      Risks are inherent during transport, so the anticipated benefits of
      transportation must be weighed against the possible negative outcome during the
      transport. The use of specialized teams during transportation can help to reduce
      adverse events. Diligent planning of the transportation, monitoring and medical
      staff during transport can decrease adverse events and reduce risks. This article
      defines the group of patients that may benefit from referral. This article
      discusses the risks associated with the transportation of patients with severely
      impaired gas exchange and the risks related to different means of transportation.
      The decisions required before transportation are described as well as the
      practical approach starting at the transferring hospital until arrival at the
      admitting hospital.

PMID- 28353069
TI  - Epigenetic regulation of muscle development.
AB  - In eukaryote cells, chromatin appears in several forms and is composed of genomic
      DNA, protein and RNA. The protein content of chromatin is composed primarily of
      core histones that are packaged into nucleosomes resulting in the condensation of
      the DNA. Several epigenetic mechanisms regulate the stability of the nucleosomes
      and the protein-protein interactions that modify the transcriptional activity of
      the DNA. Interestingly, epigenetic control of gene expression has recently
      emerged as a relevant mechanism involved in the regulation of many different
      biological processes including that of muscle development, muscle mass
      maintenance, function, and phenotype in health and disease. Recent investigations
      have shed light into the epigenetic control of biological mechanisms that are key
      regulators of embryonic muscle development and postnatal myogenesis. In the
      present review article, we provide a summary of the contents discussed in session
      08, titled "Epigenetics of muscle regeneration", during the course of the 45th
      European Muscle Conference, which was celebrated in Montpellier (France) in
      September 2016. The main theme of that session was to highlight the most recent
      progress on the role of epigenetics in the regulation of muscle development and
      regeneration. The current mini-review has been divided into two major sections.
      On the one hand, a brief introduction on the topic of myogenesis is offered for
      the non-specialized reader. On the other, a brief overview of the most relevant
      epigenetic players that have been shown to control muscle development and
      regeneration is given.

PMID- 28353070
TI  - Effect of AHA dietary counselling on added sugar intake among participants with
      metabolic syndrome.
AB  - BACKGROUND: High added sugar consumption has been associated with the development
      of metabolic syndrome (MetS). The American Heart Association (AHA) diet is
      designed to prevent and treat MetS; however, it remains unclear whether the AHA
      diet is effective on decreasing added sugar consumption. The aim of our study was
      to evaluate the effect of the AHA dietary counselling on added sugar consumption
      among participants with MetS. METHODS: The AHA dietary counselling was conducted
      among 119 participants with MetS from June 2009 to January 2014
      (ClinicalTrials.gov: NCT00911885). Unannounced 24-hour recalls were collected at
      baseline, 3, 6 and 12 months. Added sugar consumption patterns over time were
      examined using linear mixed models. RESULTS: After 1-year dietary counselling,
      intake of added sugars decreased by 23.8 g/day (95% CI 15.1, 32.4 g/day); intake
      of nonalcoholic beverages dropped from the leading contributor of added sugar
      intake to number 7 (from 11.9 to 4.4%); the Alternative Healthy Eating Index
      (AHEI) score increased by 5.4 (95% CI 2.9, 8.0); however, added sugar intake for
      48% participants still exceeded the recommendation. Added sugar intake per meal
      among different meal type was similar (24.2-25.8%) at baseline. After the 1-year
      dietary counselling, breakfast became the major resource of added sugar intake
      (33.3%); the proportion of added sugar intake from snacks decreased from 25.8%
      (CI 23.1, 28.5%) to 20.9% (CI 19.6, 22.3%). CONCLUSION: Although the consumption
      of added sugars in participants with MetS decreased after the 1-year AHA dietary
      counselling, added sugar intake from majority of participants still exceeds
      recommended limits. Actions of successful public health strategies that focus on
      reducing added sugar intake are needed.

PMID- 28353071
TI  - The preliminary study of prebiotic potential of Polish wild mushroom
      polysaccharides: the stimulation effect on Lactobacillus strains growth.
AB  - PURPOSE: According to the vast body of evidence demonstrating that the intestinal
      microbiota is undoubtedly linked with overall health, including cancer risk,
      searching for functional foods and novel prebiotic influencing on beneficial
      bacteria is necessary. The present study aimed to investigate the potential of
      polysaccharides from 53 wild-growing mushrooms to stimulate the growth of
      Lactobacillus acidophilus and Lactobacillus rhamnosus and to determine the
      digestibility of polysaccharide fractions. METHODS: Mushroom polysaccharides were
      precipitated with ethanol from aqueous extracts. Determination of growth
      promoting activity of polysaccharides was performed in U-shaped 96-plates in an
      ELISA reader in relation to the reference strain of L. acidophilus and two
      clinical strains of L. rhamnosus. The digestibility of mushroom polysaccharides
      was investigated in vitro by exposing them to artificial human gastric juice.
      RESULTS: Obtained results revealed that fungal polysaccharides stimulate the
      growth of Lactobacillus strains stronger than commercially available prebiotics
      like inulin or fructooligosaccharides. Moreover, selected polysaccharides were
      subjected to artificial human gastric juice and remain undigested in more than
      90%. CONCLUSION: Obtained results indicate that mushroom polysaccharides are able
      to pass through the stomach unchanged, reaching the colon and stimulating the
      growth of beneficial bacteria. Majority of 53 polysaccharide fractions were
      analysed for the first time in our study. Overall, our findings suggest that
      polysaccharide fractions from edible mushrooms might be useful in producing
      functional foods and nutraceuticals.

PMID- 28353073
TI  - Erratum to: Ongoing Response in BRAF V600E-Mutant Melanoma After Cessation of
      Intermittent Vemurafenib Therapy: A Case Report.

PMID- 28353072
TI  - Changes in plasma concentrations of 25-hydroxyvitamin D and 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin
      D during pregnancy: a Brazilian cohort.
AB  - PURPOSE: To characterize the physiological changes in 25-hydroxyvitamin D
      [25(OH)D] and 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D [1,25(OH)2D] throughout pregnancy. METHODS:
      Prospective cohort of 229 apparently healthy pregnant women followed at 5th-13th,
      20th-26th, and 30th-36th gestational weeks. 25(OH)D and 1,25(OH)2D concentrations
      were measured by LC-MS/MS. Statistical analyses included longitudinal linear
      mixed-effects models adjusted for parity, season, education, self-reported skin
      color, and pre-pregnancy BMI. Vitamin D status was defined based on 25(OH)D
      concentrations according to the Endocrine Society Practice Guideline and
      Institute of Medicine (IOM) for adults. RESULTS: The prevalence of 25(OH)D <75
      nmol/L was 70.4, 41.0, and 33.9%; the prevalence of 25(OH)D <50 nmol/L was 16.1,
      11.2, and 10.2%; and the prevalence of 25(OH)D <30 nmol/L was 2, 0, and 0.6%, at
      the first, second, and third trimesters, respectively. Unadjusted analysis showed
      an increase in 25(OH)D (beta = 0.869; 95% CI 0.723-1.014; P < 0.001) and
      1,25(OH)2D (beta = 3.878; 95% CI 3.136-4.620; P < 0.001) throughout pregnancy.
      Multiple adjusted analyses showed that women who started the study in winter (P <
      0.001), spring (P < 0.001), or autumn (P = 0.028) presented a longitudinal
      increase in 25(OH)D concentrations, while women that started during summer did
      not. Increase of 1,25(OH)2D concentrations over time in women with insufficient
      vitamin D (50-75 nmol/L) at baseline was higher compared to women with sufficient
      vitamin D (>=75 nmol/L) (P = 0.006). CONCLUSIONS: The prevalence of vitamin D
      inadequacy varied significantly according to the adopted criteria. There was a
      seasonal variation of 25(OH)D during pregnancy. The women with insufficient
      vitamin D status present greater longitudinal increases in the concentrations of
      1,25(OH)2D in comparison to women with sufficiency.

PMID- 28353074
TI  - Gemcitabine in Combination with a Second Cytotoxic Agent in the First-Line
      Treatment of Locally Advanced or Metastatic Pancreatic Cancer: a Systematic
      Review and Meta-Analysis.
AB  - BACKGROUND: It remains controversial whether the addition of a second cytotoxic
      agent can further improve the therapeutic effect of gemcitabine monotherapy in
      advanced or metastatic pancreatic cancer (LA/MPC). OBJECTIVE: The objective of
      the present systematic review and meta-analysis was to investigate the efficacy
      and safety of gemcitabine-based doublet chemotherapy regimens compared to single
      agent gemcitabine in the first-line treatment of unresectable LA/MPC. METHODS: We
      searched for randomized controlled trials (RCTs) of gemcitabine monotherapy
      versus gemcitabine in combination with a second cytotoxic agent in patients with
      LA/MPC. The last search date was December 31, 2016. RESULTS: Twenty-seven RCTs
      were identified and included in the present systematic review and meta-analysis,
      involving a total of 7343 patients. The meta-analysis showed that gemcitabine
      based combination therapy significantly improved overall survival (OS) (HR: 0.89;
      95% confidence interval (CI): 0.85-0.94; P < 0.0001), progression-free survival
      (PFS) (HR: 0.80; 95% CI: 0.73-0.88; P < 0.0001), and overall response rate (ORR)
      (RR: 1.83; 95% CI: 1.62-2.07; P < 0.0001) in comparison to single-agent
      gemcitabine. Subgroup analysis suggested that the antitumor activity differed
      between gemcitabine-based combination regimens: doublet regimens of gemcitabine
      plus a taxoid, and gemcitabine plus a fluoropyrimidine, in particular an oral
      fluoropyrimidine, resulted in a significant OS benefit for the patients. However,
      the combination of gemcitabine with other cytotoxic agents, such as platinum
      compounds or topoisomerase inhibitors failed to reduce the mortality risk.
      Combination therapy caused more grade 3/4 toxicities, including neutropenia,
      thrombocytopenia, vomiting, diarrhea, and fatigue. CONCLUSIONS: Gemcitabine-based
      doublet regimens demonstrated superiority over gemcitabine monotherapy in overall
      efficacy, but were associated with increased toxicity. Different gemcitabine
      based combinations showed different antitumor activity, and doublet regimens of
      gemcitabine in combination with a taxoid or a fluoropyrimidine, in particular an
      oral fluoropyrimidine provided significant survival benefits in the first-line
      treatment of unresectable LA/MPC.

PMID- 28353075
TI  - Oral Microbiome and Nitric Oxide: the Missing Link in the Management of Blood
      Pressure.
AB  - Having high blood pressure puts you at risk for heart disease and stroke, which
      are leading causes of death in the USA and worldwide. One out of every three
      Americans has hypertension, and it is estimated that despite aggressive treatment
      with medications, only about half of those medicated have managed blood pressure.
      Recent discoveries of the oral microbiome that reduces inorganic nitrate to
      nitrite and nitric oxide provide a new therapeutic target for the management of
      hypertension. The presence or absence of select and specific bacteria may
      determine steady-state blood pressure levels. Eradication of oral bacteria
      through antiseptic mouthwash or overuse of antibiotics causes blood pressure to
      increase. Allowing recolonization of nitrate- and nitrite-reducing bacteria can
      normalize blood pressure. This review will provide evidence of the link between
      oral microbiota and the production of nitric oxide and regulation of systemic
      blood pressure. Management of systemic hypertension through maintenance of the
      oral microbiome is a completely new paradigm in cardiovascular medicine.

PMID- 28353076
TI  - DOCA-Salt Hypertension: an Update.
AB  - Hypertension is a multifaceted disease that is involved in ~40% of cardiovascular
      mortalities and is the result of both genetic and environmental factors. Because
      of its complexity, hypertension has been studied by using various models and
      approaches, each of which tends to focus on individual organs or tissues to
      isolate the most critical and treatable causes of hypertension and the related
      damage to end-organs. Animal models of hypertension have ranged from Goldblatt's
      kidney clip models in which the origin of the disease is clearly renal to animals
      that spontaneously develop hypertension either through targeted genetic
      manipulations, such as the TGR(mRen2)27, or selective breeding resulting in more
      enigmatic origins, as exemplified by the spontaneously hypertensive rat (SHR).
      These two genetically derived models simulate the less-common human primary
      hypertension in which research has been able to define a Mendelian linkage.
      Several models are more neurogenic or endocrine in nature and illustrate that
      crosstalk between the nervous system and hormones can cause a significant rise in
      blood pressure (BP). This review will examine one of these neurogenic models of
      hypertension, i.e., the deoxycorticosterone acetate (DOCA), reduced renal mass,
      and high-salt diet (DOCA-salt) rodent model, one of the most common experimental
      models used today. Although the DOCA-salt model is mainly believed to be
      neurogenic and has been shown to impact the central and peripheral nervous
      systems, it also significantly involves many other body organs.

PMID- 28353078
TI  - [Imaging for surgical planning : Tumor surgery including reconstructive
      procedures].
AB  - Alongside clinical investigation, imaging is an important diagnostic modality for
      guiding treatment decisions and particularly for surgical planning in head and
      neck cancer. The significance and type of imaging depends on localization of the
      primary tumor. Beside the primary tumor, each imaging procedure must also include
      the lymph nodes, in order to develop an overall concept of surgical treatment. In
      addition to the superficial growth of a tumor, it is of utmost importance that
      its infiltration also be detected by imaging, in order to define the extent of
      tumor resection and identify potentially necessary reconstructive procedures. The
      type of imaging needed to understand tumor localization and size, e.g., CT or
      MRI, depends on the region. In some cases the methods are complementary.

PMID- 28353079
TI  - Biological therapies in otology.
AB  - Hearing loss is present in millions of people worldwide. Current treatment for
      patients with severe to profound hearing loss consists of cochlear implantation.
      Providing the cochlear nerve is intact, patients generally benefit greatly from
      this intervention, frequently achieving significant improvements in speech
      comprehension. There are, however, some cases where current technology does not
      provide patients with adequate benefit. Ongoing research in cell transplantation
      and gene therapy promises to lead to new developments that will improve the
      function of cochlear implants. Translation of these experimental approaches is
      presently at an early stage. This review focuses on the application of biological
      therapies in severe hearing loss and discusses some of the barriers to
      translating basic scientific research into clinical reality. We emphasize the
      application of these novel therapies to cochlear implantation.

PMID- 28353077
TI  - Role of Orexin-A in Hypertension and Obesity.
AB  - PURPOSE OF REVIEW: Hypertension is one of the most challenging health problems
      inducing cerebrovascular disease and high percentage of death when associated
      with diabetes, dyslipidemias, and obesity. Orexin/hypocretin is a peptide
      expressed by a small number of neurons of the dorsolateral hypothalamus, a brain
      feeding and autonomic "fight-or-flight" regulatory center. According to this
      function, orexin has been demonstrated to evoke cardiovascular responses, heart
      rate, hypertension, hyperarousal, hyperphagia, and obesity. The focus of this
      review is to provide an overview about the mechanism through which orexin
      regulates food intake and cardiovascular responses and its role in the
      pathogenesis of obesity and hypertension which could be of great interest to
      establish possible new therapies. RECENT FINDINGS: In normal rats and mice,
      central administration of orexin increases food intake, blood pressure, and
      sympathetic nerve activity and these effects are blocked by selective orexin
      receptor antagonist SB-334867 or almorexant. Moreover, upregulation of orexin
      signaling, in combination with elevation of epinephrine and norepinephrine
      circulating levels, occurs in rats exposed to chronic stress, in models of
      spontaneous hypertension (SHR and BPH/2J Schlager mice) and in obese mice (ob/ob
      or mice fed with high fat diet). Therefore, hyperactivity of orexinergic neurons
      could be a factor in the development of obesity and essential hypertension.
      Because of their widespread projections to the brain regions involved in appetite
      and cardiovascular responses, as far down as sympathetic preganglionic neurons in
      the spinal cord, orexin evokes sympathetically mediated cardiovascular responses.
      Lasting upregulation of orexin signaling can lead to hyperphagia, obesity, and
      hypertensive state. Dual orexin receptor antagonists (DORAs) and selective orexin
      receptor antagonists (SORAs) have antihypertensive effects that could be of
      clinical use for regulation of food intake and hypertension, supporting the role
      of orexinergic neurons as critical checkpoint in the neurogenic control of
      metabolic and cardiovascular functions.

PMID- 28353080
TI  - Serological, culture and molecular survey of Mycobacterium avium paratuberculosis
      in a goat flock in Tuscany.
AB  - Mycobacterium avium paratuberculosis (Map) is a pathogen which causes a chronic
      progressive granulomatous enteritis known as paratuberculosis or Johne's disease
      and it primarily affects wild and domestic ruminants. The aim of this research
      was to examine a flock which consisted of 294 goats and was located in Garfagnana
      district (Tuscany, Italy) performing ELISA tests, culture and IS900 PCR assay;
      direct diagnostic methods were carried out not only on bulk tank milk and cheese
      samples but also on individual milk and tissue specimens collected from nine
      subjects positive to ELISA tests. Out of 294 animals, 20 goats (6.8%) were
      positive to ELISA surveys. Bulk tank milk samples were negative to culture and to
      PCR assay carried out on the DNA extracted directly from them, while, with
      respect to cheese, Map was detected by culture in 2/12 (16.66%) cheeses ripened
      for 3-7 days, and by PCR in 2/12 (16.66%) cheeses ripened for 3-7 days and in
      3/12 (25%) cheeses ripened for 45 days. Regarding individual milk samples, Map
      was detected by culture in 2/9 (22.22%) specimens and by PCR in 5/9 (55.55%)
      samples. Furthermore, Map was isolated from the intestine in 9/9 (100%) animals,
      from the mesenteric lymph nodes in 8/9 (88.88%) subjects, from the liver in 4/9
      (44.44%) goats, from the spleen in 5/9 (55.55%) animals, while Map DNA was found
      in all the tissue samples analyzed.The results demonstrated the presence of
      paratuberculosis in a goat flock located in Garfagnana district (Tuscany, Italy).

PMID- 28353081
TI  - Gastrointestinal manifestations of melioidosis: A single center experience.
AB  - Melioidosis, being increasing, is reported from India. Gastrointestinal
      manifestations are typically reported as unusual cause of liver and/or splenic
      abscess. We aimed to describe various gastrointestinal manifestation of
      melioidosis in the present study. We retrospectively collected data of culture
      positive melioidosis cases from hospital database during August 2014-October 2016
      at Asian Institute of Gastroenterology, Hyderabad. A total of nine culture
      positive cases (8 male) of melioidosis with median age of 40 years (range 23-66)
      were analyzed. Median duration of symptoms was 45 days. Two patients were being
      treated as tuberculosis. Three patients presented with liver abscess with two of
      them having simultaneous splenic abscess, and one had prostatic abscess. Three
      patients (43%) with history of acute pancreatitis had infected pancreatic
      collection, and one patient had left empyema with splenic abscess. One patient
      had wound infection with left lower limb cellulitis, presented as acute in
      chronic liver failure and another as spontaneous bacterial peritonitis (SBP).
      Diabetes and/or alcoholism was present in all patients. Seven patients had
      disseminated organ involvement. Seven patients underwent percutaneous
      intervention for drainage of abscess. Induction therapy as ceftazidime (n=4) or
      meropenem (n=5) followed by continuation therapy as oral cotrimoxazole (n=6) and
      doxycycline (n=1) was given. Six patients completed therapy and asymptomatic at
      end of follow up. Two patients died in the study period. One patient died due to
      acute-on-chronic liver failure (ACLF) with acute kidney injury and the other due
      to cardiac failure. One patient with SBP had lost to follow up. Apart from being
      unusual cause of liver/splenic abscess, melioidosis can present with infection of
      pancreatic collection, SBP, and infection in a compensated cirrhosis which can
      precipitate ACLF. Early recognition and specific therapy can improve prognosis.

PMID- 28353082
TI  - Erratum to: The effect of sinomenine in diabetic neuropathic pain mediated by the
      P2X3 receptor in dorsal root ganglia.

PMID- 28353083
TI  - Facts and alternative facts - basic principles of scientific work.

PMID- 28353085
TI  - Alterations in mechanical properties of the patellar tendon is associated with
      pain in athletes with patellar tendinopathy.
AB  - PURPOSE: To compare tendon strain and stiffness between athletes with patellar
      tendinopathy and healthy controls, and explore whether the intensity of pain and
      dysfunction were related to the mechanical properties of the tendon. METHODS:
      Thirty-four male athletes with patellar tendinopathy and 13 healthy controls
      matched by age and activity levels were recruited. The in vivo mechanical
      properties of the patellar tendon were examined by ultrasonography and
      dynamometry. In subjects with patellar tendinopathy, the intensities of self
      perceived pain (maximal pain in the past 7 days and pain during a single-legged
      declined-squat test) using the visual analogue scale and the assessment of
      functional disability using the Victorian Institute of Sport Assessment-patellar
      questionnaire, were collected. RESULTS: In subjects with patellar tendinopathy,
      tendon strain was significantly reduced by 22% (8.9 +/- 3.7 vs. 14.3 +/- 4.7%, P
      = 0.005) when compared with healthy controls. There was no significant group
      difference in tendon stiffness (P = 0.27). Significant negative correlations
      between tendon strain and the maximal self-perceived pain over 7 days (r = -0.37,
      P = 0.03), and pain during a single-legged declined-squat test (r = -0.37, P =
      0.03) were detected. A trend of significant positive correlation was found
      between tendon stiffness and pain during a single-legged declined-squat test (r =
      0.30, P = 0.09). CONCLUSION: Our findings show that tendon strain is reduced in
      athletes with patellar tendinopathy, and a lower tendon strain is associated with
      a greater magnitude of pain perceived.

PMID- 28353086
TI  - Intraductal papilloma of the breast in an 11-year-old male patient: a case
      report.
AB  - Intraductal papilloma (IP) constitutes a rare benign neoplasm among male
      population with only few reports on childhood patients. Herein, we describe an 11
      year-old IP male patient who presented with spontaneous nipple discharge of his
      right breast.

PMID- 28353087
TI  - Erratum to: The conversion rate of tuberculosis screening tests during biological
      therapies in patients with rheumatoid arthritis.

PMID- 28353088
TI  - Validation of the Mini-OAKHQOL for use in patients with osteoarthritis in Spain.
AB  - The Mini-Osteoarthritis Knee and Hip Quality of Life (Mini-OAKHQOL) questionnaire
      osteoarthritis is specific to individuals with knee or hip osteoarthritis. The
      objective of this study was to perform a validation of the Mini-OAKHQOL for use
      in Spain in terms of its psychometric properties of reliability, validity and
      responsiveness. Patients with osteoarthritis from the waiting list for a joint
      replacement completed the OAKHQOL, Short Form 36 Health Survey and Western
      Ontario and McMaster Universities Osteoarthritis Index. Reliability was assessed
      in terms of internal consistency and test-retest data, and convergent validity
      using Spearman's correlation coefficient. Structural validity was investigated by
      confirmatory factor analysis, and Rasch analysis was used to examine the
      unidimensionality of the scales. Responsiveness was assessed by calculating
      effect sizes. Confirmatory factor analysis confirmed the five-factor model, and
      the results of the Rasch analyses supported the unidimensionality assumption,
      with infit and outfit statistics. Cronbach's alpha ranged from 0.76 to 0.89 for
      all except the social dimensions. Statistically significant differences were
      observed between patients with different degrees of disease severity on all
      dimensions. There was convergent validity among dimensions expected to be
      correlated. The OAKHQOL questionnaire showed good responsiveness, with large
      changes for all dimensions apart from the two social dimensions, which had small
      effect sizes. Results of the study support the view that the Spanish version of
      the Mini-OAKHQOL questionnaire is a valid instrument to measure health-related
      quality of life in patients with osteoarthritis of the lower limb.

PMID- 28353089
TI  - Histological, immunohistological and molecular characteristics of intraductal
      precursor of carcinoma ex pleomorphic adenoma support a multistep carcinogenic
      process.
AB  - In recent years, multistep carcinogenesis of carcinoma ex pleomorphic adenoma
      (CEPA) has been identified, starting with intraductal neoplasia within pre
      existent pleomorphic adenoma (PA). However, as yet there is no consensus
      regarding clinical relevance and appropriate terminology of precursor lesions in
      CEPA. We therefore decided to investigate precursor lesions, especially
      intraductal carcinoma, in a series of 85 cases of CEPA. Intraductal carcinoma
      confined by benign myoepithelial cells was found in 60 cases and mostly exhibited
      high-grade cellular atypia, increased cellular proliferation and frequent genetic
      alterations (TP53, Her2-neu, androgen receptor). Intraductal carcinoma was absent
      only in the myoepithelial type of CEPA. In 26 cases, purely intraductal CEPA with
      extensive intraductal expansion was found. This suggests that there is a long
      period of intraductal growth before extraductal intracapsular infiltration of the
      PA. We identified two different histomorphological types of intraductal
      carcinoma, which we call 'clinging' and 'solid' types. In summary, combined
      histological, immunohistological and molecular data strongly support multistep
      carcinogenesis starting with intraductal carcinoma for all non-myoepithelial
      types of CEPA. The clinical significance of our finding of two histomorphological
      types of intraductal carcinoma (clinging and solid) is not yet clear. Intraductal
      carcinoma, intracapsular invasive CEPA and minor extracapsular invasive CEPA (up
      to about 6 mm) all show favourable prognosis and together comprise half of the
      cases in our study.

PMID- 28353090
TI  - Tissue inhibitors of metalloproteinase-expressing cells in human anterior
      pituitary and pituitary adenoma.
AB  - Extracellular matrix (ECM) is essential in tissue physiology and pathologic
      conditions such as tumorigenesis. It affects tumor cell behavior, proliferation,
      and metastasis. Pituitary adenomas differ in their clinical characteristics,
      including ECM deposition, and we recently reported that the characteristics of
      collagen-producing cells differed between control human anterior pituitary gland
      and pituitary adenomas. ECM deposition is not defined solely by production;
      degradation and maintenance are also important. Tissue inhibitors of
      metalloproteinases (TIMPs) help maintain ECM by inhibiting degradation caused by
      matrix metalloproteases. The present study attempted to characterize TIMP
      expressing cells in the human anterior pituitary. Specimens of human pituitary
      adenomas and control pituitary were obtained during surgery, and in situ
      hybridization for TIMP1, TIMP2, TIMP3, and TIMP4, followed by
      immunohistochemistry, was used to characterize TIMP-expressing cells. TIMP
      expression exhibited a distinct pattern in the human anterior pituitary. Azan
      staining showed that fibrous matrix deposition varied among pituitary adenomas
      and that the area of fibrosis was associated with the number and number of types
      of TIMP3-expressing cells. These results suggest that TIMPs are important in the
      maintenance of ECM in human pituitary and that TIMP expressions are altered in
      fibrosis associated with pituitary adenoma.

PMID- 28353091
TI  - Diversity of culturable fungi inhabiting petroleum-contaminated soils in Southern
      Iran.
AB  - The present study was aimed at characterising species diversity of fungi
      inhabiting petroleum-contaminated soils of oil fields in a southern region of
      Iran. Two different techniques were used for fungal isolation including
      enrichment on atmospheres of phenolic hydrocarbons and crude oil as substrate.
      Phylogenetic analysis of the internal transcribed spacer of ribosomal DNA was
      used for taxonomic identification with additional information from the beta
      tubulin gene for selected taxa. Overall, 183 strains from 14 genera and five
      orders were obtained: Pleosporales (Alternaria, Curvularia, Stemphylium,
      Ulocladium), Chaetothyriales (Exophiala), Eurotiales (Aspergillus), Hypocreales
      (Acremonium, Emericellopsis, Sarocladium, Stachybotrys, Fusarium, Trichoderma,
      Beauveria), and Capnodiales (Cladosporium). The most frequently isolated strains
      belonged to the genera Alternaria, Exophiala and Aspergillus. The crude oil
      substrate was the most successful isolation method, and among the four
      hydrocarbon enrichments, toluene substrate yielded the highest number of strains.
      Enrichment on xylene and benzene also yielded herpotrichiellaceous and other
      filamentous fungi.

PMID- 28353092
TI  - Functional and phylogenetic diversity of cultivable rhizobacterial endophytes of
      sorghum [Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench].
AB  - A diverse group of bacteria colonize the exo- and endo-rhizospheres of sorghum
      and play a critical role in its tolerance to drought and other abiotic stresses.
      Two hundred and eighty endophytic bacteria were isolated from the surface
      sterilized roots of four sorghum cultivars that were grown on three soil types at
      three different phenological stages of growth. The isolates were subjected to in
      vitro screening for their plant growth promoting traits. Out of 280 isolates, 70
      could produce Indole 3-Acetic Acid (IAA), 28 showed N-fixation, 28 could
      solubilize phosphate, 24 had ACC deaminase activity and 13 isolates were able to
      produce siderophores. Functional diversity grouping of the isolates indicated one
      isolate having five PGP traits and two isolates having four PGP traits; two and
      29 isolates having three and two PGP traits, respectively. Among the thirty-four
      isolates that possessed multiple PGP traits, 19 and 17 isolates were able to
      produce significant quantities of IAA in the presence and absence of L
      tryptophan, an inducer. Eight isolates possessed high levels of ACC deaminase
      activity. PCR-RFLP of the 16Sr RNA gene revealed a distinct clustering and
      considerable genetic diversity among these functionally characterized isolates.
      The 16S rRNA gene based identification of the isolates of single and multiple PGP
      traits revealed phylogenetic dominance of Firmicutes; Acinetobacter, Bacillus,
      Enterobacter, Geobacillus, Lysinibacillus, Microbacterium, Ochrobactrum,
      Paenibacillus and Pseudomonas were the major genera present in the endo
      rhizosphere of sorghum. Results of this study are constructive in selection of
      effective rhizobacterial endophytes or consortia for drought stress alleviation
      in sorghum.

PMID- 28353093
TI  - PD-L2: A prognostic marker in chromophobe renal cell carcinoma?
AB  - In the context of cancer immunotherapy, PD-1 as well as PD-L1 has been widely
      studied in renal cell carcinoma (RCC). PD-1 and PD-L1 play a significant role as
      prognostic markers in clear cell renal cell carcinoma. In contrast, little is
      known about PD-L2 expression patterns in RCC, especially in rarer subtypes. The
      aim of this study was to evaluate the prevalence, distribution and prognostic
      impact of PD-L2 expression in chromophobe (ch)RCC. Eighty-one patients who
      underwent renal surgery due to chRCC were retrospectively evaluated. Tumor
      specimens were analyzed for PD-L2 expression by immunohistochemistry. Expression
      data were associated with clinicopathological parameters and overall survival
      (OS). Twenty-three (28.4%) patients showed a PD-L2 > median (PD-L2 high) staining
      intensity. No significant association between clinicopathological parameters and
      PD-L2 expression was identified. A significant difference between 5- and 10-year
      OS in dependence of PD-L2 expression was found (PD-L2 low 96.4 and 87.7% vs. PD
      L2 high 87.1 and 56%; log rank, p = 0.029). However, in multivariate analysis PD
      L2 expression failed to be proofed as an independent prognostic factor. In
      conclusion, to our knowledge this is the first study evaluating the prognostic
      impact of PD-L2 in a considerably large cohort of chRCC. Our results showed a
      significant diminished OS in dependence of PD-L2 expression. This implicates that
      PD-L2 might play a role as prognostic marker in chRCC demanding further
      evaluation.

PMID- 28353094
TI  - Systematic review: isocaloric ketogenic dietary regimes for cancer patients.
AB  - The efficacy and benefits of ketogenic diets (KD) have recently been gaining
      worldwide and remain a controversial topic in oncology. This systematic review
      therefore presents and evaluates the clinical evidence on isocaloric KD dietary
      regimes and reveals that evidence supporting the effects of isocaloric ketogenic
      dietary regimes on tumor development and progression as well as reduction in side
      effects of cancer therapy is missing. Furthermore, an array of potential side
      effects should be carefully considered before applying KD to cancer patients. In
      regard to counseling cancer patients considering a KD, more robust and consistent
      clinical evidence is necessary before the KD can be recommended for any single
      cancer diagnosis or as an adjunct therapy.

PMID- 28353096
TI  - Alexithymia and weight loss in obese patients underwent laparoscopic sleeve
      gastrectomy.
AB  - PURPOSE: Obesity is a multifactorial disease characterized by genetic, social,
      cultural and psychological factors. Currently, bariatric surgery represents the
      gold-standard intervention to treat morbid obesity in order to counteract
      associated disabling comorbidities. Several studies showed correlation between
      post-surgery weight loss and psychological factors. Also, the alexithymia may
      have a role in affecting post-surgery outcomes in bariatric patients, even if
      there are no studies investigating its role at 12-month follow-up. The purpose of
      the present study was to investigate the association between alexithymia and the
      postoperative weight loss 12 months after laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy.
      METHODS: Seventy-five patients undergoing laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy were
      enrolled. The Toronto Alexithymia Scale (TAS-20) was administered to patients. A
      postoperative weight loss check was performed at 3 and then 12 months after
      surgery. RESULTS: The TAS-20 total score was negatively correlated with the
      percent of excess weight loss (%EWL) at the 12-month follow-up (r = -0.24; p =
      0.040). The analysis showed that non-alexithymic patients had a greater weight
      loss at 12 months after surgery compared to both probably alexithymics (71.88 +/-
      18.21 vs. 60.7 +/- 12.5; p = 0.047) and probably alexithymic patients (71.88 +/-
      18.21 vs. 56 +/- 22.8; p = 0.007). The preoperative BMI was a significant
      covariate [F(1,70) = 6.13 (p = 0.016)]. CONCLUSION: In the present study, the
      patients with higher preoperative BMI and identified as alexithymic showed lower
      %EWL at 12 months after laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy. Findings point out the
      importance to take into consideration possible psychological treatments focused
      on improving emotional regulations of patients who are seeking bariatric surgery.

PMID- 28353095
TI  - Selenoamino Acid-Enriched Green Pea as a Value-Added Plant Protein Source for
      Humans and Livestock.
AB  - Selenium deficiency in various degrees affects around 15% of the world's
      population, contributing to a variety of health problems. In this study, we
      examined the accumulation and biotransformation of soil applied Se
      supplementation (sodium selenite and sodium selenate forms) at different
      concentrations, along with growth and yield formation of green pea, in a
      greenhouse experiment. Biotransformation of inorganic Se was evaluated using HPLC
      ICP-MS for Se-species separation in the above ground parts of green pea. Results
      showed 3 mg kg-1 SeIV increased green pea growth biomarkers and also caused an
      increase in protein content in leaves by 17%. Selenomethionine represented 65% of
      the total selenium content in shoots, but was lower in pods and seeds (54 and
      38%, respectively). Selenomethionine was the major species in all plant parts and
      the only organic selenium form in the lower SeIV concentration range. Elevating
      the dose of SeIV (>=30 mg kg-1) triggered detrimental effects on growth and
      protein content and caused higher accumulation of inorganic Se in forms of SeVI
      and SeIV. Selenocysteine, another organic form of proteinogenic amino acid, was
      determined when SeIV (>=10 mg kg-1) was applied in higher concentrations. Thus,
      agronomic biofortification using the appropriate chemical form and concentration
      of Se will have positive effects on green pea growth and its enriched shoots and
      seeds provide a value-added protein source for livestock and humans with
      significant increased selenomethionine.

PMID- 28353097
TI  - Influence of natural zeolite and nitrification inhibitor on organics degradation
      and nitrogen transformation during sludge composting.
AB  - Sludge composting is one of the most widely used treatments for sewage sludge
      resource utilization. Natural zeolite and nitrification inhibitor (NI) are widely
      used during composting and land application for nitrogen conservation,
      respectively. Three composting reactors (A-the control, B-natural zeolite
      addition, and C-3,4-dimethylpyrazole phosphate (DMPP) addition) were established
      to investigate the influence of NI and natural zeolite addition on organics
      degradation and nitrogen transformation during sludge composting conducted at the
      lab scale. The results showed that, in comparison with the control, natural
      zeolite addition accelerated organics degradation and the maturity of sludge
      compost was higher, while the DMPP addition slowed down the degradation of
      organic matters. Meanwhile, the nitrogen transformation functional genes
      including those responses for nitrification (amoA and nxrA) and denitrification
      (narG, nirS, nirK, and nosZ) were quantified through quantitative PCR (qPCR) to
      investigate the effects of natural zeolites andDMPP addition on nitrogen
      transformation. Although no significant difference in the abundance of nitrogen
      transformation functional genes was observed between treatments, addition of both
      natural zeolite and DMPP increases the final total nitrogen content by 48.6% and
      23.1%, respectively. The ability of natural zeolite for nitrogen conservation was
      due to the absorption of NH3 by compost, and nitrogen conservation by DMPP was
      achieved by the source reduction of denitrification. Besides, it was assumed that
      the addition of natural zeolite and DMPP may affect the activity of these genes
      instead of the abundance.

PMID- 28353098
TI  - Cholinesterase characterization of two autochthonous species of Ria de Aveiro
      (Diopatra neapolitana and Solen marginatus) and comparison of sensitivities
      towards a series of common contaminants.
AB  - Biomonitoring of chemical contamination requires the use of well-established and
      validated tools, including biochemical markers that can be potentially affected
      by exposure to important environmental toxicants. Cholinesterases (ChEs) are
      present in a large number of species and have been successfully used for decades
      to discriminate the environmental presence of specific groups of pollutants. The
      success of cholinesterase inhibition has been due to their usefulness as a
      biomarker to address the presence of organophosphate (OP) and carbamate (CB)
      pesticides. However, its use in ecotoxicology has not been limited to such
      chemicals, and several other putative classes of contaminants have been
      implicated in cholinesterasic impairment. Nevertheless, the use of
      cholinesterases as a monitoring tool requires its full characterization in
      species to be used as test organisms. This study analyzed and differentiated the
      various cholinesterase forms present in two autochthonous organisms from the Ria
      de Aveiro (Portugal) area, namely the polychaete Diopatra neapolitana and the
      bivalve Solen marginatus, to be used in subsequent monitoring studies. In
      addition, this study also validated the putative use of the now characterized
      cholinesterasic forms by analyzing the in vitro effects of common anthropogenic
      contaminants, such as detergents, pesticides, and metals. The predominant
      cholinesterasic form found in tissues of D. neapolitana was acetylcholinesterase,
      while homogenates of S. marginatus were shown to possess an atypical
      cholinesterasic form, with a marked preference for propionylthiocholine.
      Cholinesterases from D. neapolitana were generally non-responsive towards the
      majority of the selected chemicals. On the contrary, strong inhibitory effects
      were reported for ChEs of S. marginatus following exposure to the selected
      pesticides.

PMID- 28353100
TI  - Characterization of suspended bacteria from processing units in an advanced
      drinking water treatment plant of China.
AB  - For the drinking water treatment plant (DWTP), the organic pollutant removal was
      the primary focus, while the suspended bacterial was always neglected. In this
      study, the suspended bacteria from each processing unit in a DWTP employing an
      ozone-biological activated carbon process was mainly characterized by using
      heterotrophic plate counts (HPCs), a flow cytometer, and 454-pyrosequencing
      methods. The results showed that an adverse changing tendency of HPC and total
      cell counts was observed in the sand filtration tank (SFT), where the
      cultivability of suspended bacteria increased to 34%. However, the cultivability
      level of other units stayed below 3% except for ozone contact tank (OCT, 13.5%)
      and activated carbon filtration tank (ACFT, 34.39%). It meant that filtration
      processes promoted the increase in cultivability of suspended bacteria
      remarkably, which indicated biodegrading capability. In the unit of OCT,
      microbial diversity indexes declined drastically, and the dominant bacteria were
      affiliated to Proteobacteria phylum (99.9%) and Betaproteobacteria class (86.3%),
      which were also the dominant bacteria in the effluent of other units. Besides,
      the primary genus was Limnohabitans in the effluents of SFT (17.4%) as well as
      ACFT (25.6%), which was inferred to be the crucial contributors for the
      biodegradable function in the filtration units. Overall, this paper provided an
      overview of community composition of each processing units in a DWTP as well as
      reference for better developing microbial function for drinking water treatment
      in the future.

PMID- 28353101
TI  - Fe plaque-related aquatic uranium retention via rhizofiltration along a redox
      state gradient in a natural Phragmites australis Trin ex Steud. wetland.
AB  - Studies have revealed that the rhizofiltration is a feasible plant-based
      technology for aquatic metal/metalloid removal. However, the performance of
      aquatic U retention via rhizofiltration has not been fully revealed yet. In this
      study, a field investigation was conducted in a Phragmites australis Trin ex
      Steud. dominated wetland to estimate the efficiency of Fe plaque (IP)-assisted U
      rhizofiltration, with redox-state gradient (-179 to 220 mV) and low aquatic U
      level (66.7 to 92.0 MUg l-1). The U concentrations were determined in soil, root,
      and aboveground biomass of P. australis. The IP on root surface was extracted via
      DCB extraction procedure. The bio-concentration factor (BCF) was applied to
      evaluate the aquatic U transfer capacity from root to above ground biomass of P.
      australis. The result suggested that root of P. australis was highly effective
      for aquatic U uptake via rhizofiltration (BCF 1025 to 1556). It also benefited
      the real U accumulation in aboveground biomass of P. australis (up to 0.4 mg m-2)
      and related plant-water-soil U recycling. The IP and associated microbial
      community in rhizosphere was effective mediator for aquatic U retention on root
      surface (BCF 1162 to 847). The IP-assisted aquatic U rhizofiltration was
      significantly promoted in relatively reductive environment. It was benefited by
      the enhanced root uptake of Fe due to lower oxidizers (e.g., DO and NO3-)
      availability. On the other hand, the competitive adsorption effect from co
      existing IP-affinitive elements (e.g., As) also possibly impaired the real
      capacity of IP-assisted aquatic U rhizofiltration via P. australis.

PMID- 28353099
TI  - Occurrence and geographic distribution of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in
      agricultural soils in eastern China.
AB  - Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in agricultural soils, eastern China,
      were studied through a collection of surface samples at 109 sites. The study
      covered US EPA priority pollutants but also several non-priority isomers
      including some dibenzopyrenes which are expected to have higher toxic potentials.
      The total PAH concentrations varied extensively from 8.8 to 3880 MUg/kg, with a
      geometric mean of 158 MUg/kg. There were significant differences in both the
      concentrations and composition profiles between the south and the north regions.
      The overall geographical distribution pattern was strongly influenced by both the
      per capita gross domestic product and soil organic carbon (SOC) content. The
      former is an indicator of anthropogenic emissions while soil SOC content is
      associated with the accumulative capacities of the soils. The sequestration
      mechanism is an important process controlling fates of PAHs in agricultural soil.

PMID- 28353102
TI  - Effect of humic acid preloading on phosphate adsorption onto zirconium-modified
      zeolite.
AB  - A zirconium-modified zeolite (ZrMZ) was prepared, and then, humic acid (HA) was
      immobilized on the ZrMZ surface to prepare HA-loaded ZrMZ (HA-ZrMZ). The obtained
      ZrMZ and HA-ZrMZ were characterized by energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy,
      elemental analyzer, N2 adsorption/desorption isotherms, pH at the point of zero
      charge, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. The adsorption characteristics of
      phosphate on ZrMZ and HA-ZrMZ were comparatively investigated in batch mode. The
      adsorption mechanism of phosphate on ZrMZ and HA-ZrMZ was investigated by ionic
      strength effect and 31P nuclear magnetic resonance. The mechanism for phosphate
      adsorption onto ZrMZ was the formation of inner-sphere phosphate complexes at the
      solid/solution interface. The preloading of HA on ZrMZ reduced the phosphate
      adsorption capacity, and the more the HA loading amount, the lower the phosphate
      adsorption capacity. However, the preloading of HA on ZrMZ did not change the
      phosphate adsorption mechanism; i.e., the formation of inner-sphere phosphate
      surface complexes was still responsible for the adsorption of phosphate on HA
      ZrMZ. The decreased phosphate adsorption capacity for ZrMZ after HA coating could
      be attributed to the fact that the coating of HA on ZrMZ reduced the amount of
      binding active sites available for phosphate adsorption, changed the adsorbent
      surface charges, and reduced the specific surface areas and pore volumes of ZrMZ.

PMID- 28353103
TI  - The geochemical release feature of Tl in Tl-rich pyrite mine wastes: a long-term
      leaching test.
AB  - Identifying and revealing the geochemical behaviour of Tl during mine waste
      weathering are very important to assess the potential environmental impact of
      Thallium (Tl) from open mine-waste piles. Herein, two methods including the
      modified BCR sequential extraction and the long-term humidity cell tests (HCT)
      were employed to understand the Tl chemical fractions and to stimulate intense
      chemical weathering process, respectively. The results from BCR sequential
      extraction showed that the Tl concentration in the studied sample was 18.78
      mg/kg, containing 1.878 mg/kg oxidisable, 0.282 mg/kg acid exchangeable and 1.596
      mg/kg reducible Tl. The acid exchangeable fraction contributed to a particular
      potential risk to the aquatic marine life in the early stages and the Fe/Mn
      oxidisable fraction posed a potential risk being dissolved into solution at low
      pH (i.e. acidic conditions). The variations of Tl concentration in leachates were
      classified as two period as the pH values decrease. In the first period, the Tl
      concentrations decreased positively with pH value with poor correlation between
      pH value and SO42- concentration in leachates. Drastic release of Tl was observed
      in the early period once the material was exposed to air and water, being ascribe
      to the acid exchangeable fraction bound to carbonate as dissolved by acid. During
      the second period, three increased peaks of Tl concentration (11.02, 16.03, 43.15
      MUg/L) and four increased peaks of SO42- concentration (315, 390, 899.61 and 2670
      mg/L) were observed. A good correlation (R 2 = 0.8384) between the concentrations
      of Tl and SO42- was observed, indicating the Tl was mainly released from the
      oxidation of sulphide.

PMID- 28353104
TI  - Removal of sulfamethoxazole (SMX) and sulfapyridine (SPY) from aqueous solutions
      by biochars derived from anaerobically digested bagasse.
AB  - This study explored the sorption of sulfamethoxazole (SMX) and sulfapyridine
      (SPY) onto biochars produced from raw and anaerobically digested bagasse. Initial
      evaluation of six bagasse biochars showed that digested bagasse biochar prepared
      at 600  degrees C (DBG600) was the best adsorbent to remove SMX and SPY. Further
      laboratory batch sorption experiments showed that DBG600 adsorbed SMX and SPY
      from aqueous solution with maximum adsorption capacity of 54.38 and 8.60 mg g-1,
      respectively. Solution pH showed strong effect on the sorption ability of DBG600
      to the two antibiotics, and the sorption decreased with increasing of solution
      pH. Experimental and model results suggested that adsorption of SMX and SPY onto
      DBG600 might be controlled by the pi-pi interaction.

PMID- 28353105
TI  - Response to the letter to editor "Cadmium exposure and urinary N-acetyl-beta-D
      glucosaminidase: a meta-analysis".

PMID- 28353106
TI  - Potential of used frying oil in paving material: solution to environmental
      pollution problem.
AB  - The improper disposal of used frying oil (UFO) presents numerous ecological,
      environmental and municipal problems. Of great concern is the resultant blockage
      of municipal drainage systems and water treatment facilities, harm to wildlife
      when they become coated in it and detriment to aquatic life and ecosystems due to
      the depletion of the oxygen content in water bodies such as rivers and lakes that
      have become contaminated. Statistics show that in Trinidad and Tobago, in excess
      of one million liters of used cooking oil is collected annually from various
      restaurant chains. This paper investigated the potential of using UFO as a
      performance enhancing additive for road paving applications utilizing Trinidad
      Lake Asphalt (TLA) and Trinidad Petroleum Bitumen (TPB) as a mitigation strategy
      for improper UFO disposal. Modified blends containing various additions of UFO (2
      10% wt) were prepared for the TLA and TPB asphaltic binders. Results demonstrated
      in terms of stiffness, increasing the dosage of UFO in TLA and TPB base binders
      resulted in a gradual decrease in stiffness (G* value decreased). In terms of
      elasticity, increasing the dosage of the UFO additive in TLA resulted in a
      general decrease in the elasticity of the blends indicated by an increase in
      phase angle or phase lag (delta). Increasing dosages of the UFO additive in TPB
      resulted in a significant decrease in delta where the most elastic blend was at
      the 6% UFO level. TLA and UFO-TLA modified blends exhibited significantly lower
      values of delta and higher values of G* confirming the superiority of the TLA
      material. Incorporation of the UFO in the blends led to a decrease in the rutting
      resistance and increase in the fatigue cracking resistance (decrease in
      G*/sindelta and G*sindelta, respectively). This study highlighted the potential
      for the reuse of UFO as an asphalt modifier capable of producing customized UFO
      modified asphaltic blends for special applications and confirms its feasibility
      as an environmentally attractive means of reusing the waste/hazardous UFO
      material locally.

PMID- 28353107
TI  - Enhancing anti-microbial properties of wood-plastic composites produced from
      timber and plastic wastes.
AB  - Considering the resource waste and environmental burden for timber and plastic
      materials ending up at landfills, this study proposed upcycling wood and plastic
      waste into value-added wood-plastic composites (WPCs), complying with the
      standard requirements of flexural strength, thickness swelling, water absorption
      and thermal insulation. Biological deterioration is a major concern of WPCs.
      Bacterial survival, fungal attack and algal growth of bactericide-treated WPCs
      were holistically analysed. Melamine resin was adopted for impregnating anti
      microbial agents on the surface. All the agents showed excellent bactericidal
      rate (Escherichia coli), yet poly-diallyl-dimethyl-ammonium chloride (PolyDADMAC)
      and silver had the lowest minimum inhibitory concentrations. In terms of weight
      loss and strength reduction due to fungal decay (Coriolus versicolor),
      PolyDADMAC, silver and cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB) imparted the highest
      resistance on the WPCs. Moreover, PolyDADMAC and copper provided the most
      protection against algal growth (Chlorella vulgaris), and the former presented
      durable inhibitory effect. This study presents a value-added solution to
      wood/plastic waste recycling.

PMID- 28353108
TI  - Curzerene, trans-beta-elemenone, and gamma-elemene as effective larvicides
      against Anopheles subpictus, Aedes albopictus, and Culex tritaeniorhynchus:
      toxicity on non-target aquatic predators.
AB  - A wide number of studies dealing with mosquito control focus on toxicity
      screenings of whole plant essential oils, while limited efforts shed light on
      main molecules responsible of toxicity, as well as their mechanisms of action on
      non-target organisms. In this study, GC-MS shed light on main essential oil
      components extracted from leaves of the Suriname cherry Eugenia uniflora, i.e.,
      curzerene (35.7%), trans-beta-elemenone (11.5%), and gamma-elemene (13.6%),
      testing them on Anopheles subpictus, Aedes albopictus, and Culex
      tritaeniorhynchus larvae. Non-target toxicity experiments were carried out on
      four species of aquatic larvivorous organisms, including fishes, backswimmers,
      and waterbugs. The essential oil from E. uniflora leaves tested on An. subpictus,
      Ae. Albopictus, and Cx. tritaeniorhynchus showed LC50 of 31.08, 33.50, and 36.35
      MUg/ml, respectively. Curzerene, trans-beta-elemenone, and gamma-elemene were
      extremely toxic to An. subpictus (LC50 = 4.14, 6.13, and 10.53 MUg/ml), Ae.
      albopictus (LC50 = 4.57, 6.74, and 11.29 MUg/ml), and Cx. tritaeniorhynchus (LC50
      = 5.01, 7.32, and 12.18 MUg/ml). The essential oil from E. uniflora leaves,
      curzerene, trans-beta-elemenone, and gamma-elemene showed low toxicity to
      larvivorous fishes, backswimmers, and waterbugs, with LC50 ranging from 303.77 to
      6765.56 MUg/ml. Predator safety factor (PSF) ranged from 55.72 to 273.45.
      Overall, we believe that curzerene isolated from the essential oil from E.
      uniflora leaves can represent an ideal molecule to formulate novel mosquito
      larvicides, due to its extremely low LC50 on all tested mosquito vectors (4.14
      5.01 MUg/ml), which far encompasses most of the botanical pesticides tested till
      now. Notably, the above-mentioned LC50 did not damage the four aquatic predators
      tested in this study.

PMID- 28353109
TI  - Exploring the Legionella pneumophila positivity rate in hotel water samples from
      Antalya, Turkey.
AB  - The genus Legionella is a fastidious Gram-negative bacteria widely distributed in
      natural waters and man made water supply systems. Legionella pneumophila is the
      aetiological agent of approximately 90% of reported Legionellosis cases, and
      serogroup 1 is the most frequent cause of infections. Legionnaires' disease is
      often associated with travel and continues to be a public health concern at
      present. The correct water management quality practices and rapid methods for
      analyzing Legionella species in environmental water is a key point for the
      prevention of Legionnaires' disease outbreaks. This study aimed to evaluate the
      positivity rates and serotyping of Legionella species from water samples in the
      region of Antalya, Turkey, which is an important tourism center. During January
      December 2010, a total of 1403 samples of water that were collected from various
      hotels (n = 56) located in Antalya were investigated for Legionella pneumophila.
      All samples were screened for L. pneumophila by culture method according to "ISO
      11731-2" criteria. The culture positive Legionella strains were serologically
      identified by latex agglutination test. A total of 142 Legionella pneumophila
      isolates were recovered from 21 (37.5%) of 56 hotels. The total frequency of L.
      pneumophila isolation from water samples was found as 10.1%. Serological typing
      of 142 Legionella isolates by latex agglutination test revealed that strains
      belonging to L. pneumophila serogroups 2-14 predominated in the examined samples
      (85%), while strains of L. pneumophila serogroup 1 were less numerous (15%).
      According to our knowledge, our study with the greatest number of water samples
      from Turkey demonstrates that L. pneumophila serogroups 2-14 is the most common
      isolate. Rapid isolation of L. pneumophila from environmental water samples is
      essential for the investigation of travel related outbreaks and the possible
      resources. Further studies are needed to have epidemiological data and to
      determine the types of L. pneumophila isolates from Turkey.

PMID- 28353111
TI  - The search for an alternative to piped water and sewer systems in the Alaskan
      Arctic.
AB  - Forty-two communities in rural Alaska are considered unserved or underserved with
      water and sewer infrastructure. Many challenges exist to provide centralized
      piped water and sewer infrastructure to the homes, and they are exacerbated by
      decreasing capital funding. Unserved communities in rural Alaska experience
      higher rates of disease, supporting the recommendation that sanitation
      infrastructure should be provided. Organizations are pursuing alternative
      solutions to conventional piped water and sewer in order to maximize water use
      and reuse for public health. This paper reviews initiatives led by the State of
      Alaska, the Alaska Native Tribal Health Consortium, and the Yukon Kuskokwim
      Health Corporation to identify and develop potential long-term solutions
      appropriate and acceptable to rural communities. Future developments will likely
      evolve based on the lessons learned from the initiatives. Recommendations include
      Alaska-specific research needs, increased end-user participation in the design
      process, and integrated monitoring, evaluation, and information dissemination in
      future efforts.

PMID- 28353110
TI  - Heavy metal monitoring, analysis and prediction in lakes and rivers: state of the
      art.
AB  - Several research efforts have been conducted to monitor and analyze the impact of
      environmental factors on the heavy metal concentrations and physicochemical
      properties of water bodies (lakes and rivers) in different countries worldwide.
      This article provides a general overview of the previous works that have been
      completed in monitoring and analyzing heavy metals. The intention of this review
      is to introduce the historical studies to distinguish and understand the previous
      challenges faced by researchers in analyzing heavy metal accumulation. In
      addition, this review introduces a survey on the importance of time increment
      sampling (monthly and/or seasonally) to comprehend and determine the rate of
      change of different parameters on a monthly and seasonal basis. Furthermore,
      suggestions are made for future research to achieve more understandable figures
      on heavy metal accumulation by considering climate conditions. Thus, the intent
      of the current study is the provision of reliable models for predicting future
      heavy metal accumulation in water bodies in different climates and pollution
      conditions so that water management can be achieved using intelligent proactive
      strategies and artificial neural network (ANN) techniques.

PMID- 28353112
TI  - Disinfection and removal of human pathogenic bacteria in arctic waste
      stabilization ponds.
AB  - Wastewater stabilization ponds (WSPs) are commonly used to treat municipal
      wastewater in Arctic Canada. The biological treatment in the WSPs is strongly
      influenced by climatic conditions. Currently, there is limited information about
      the removal of fecal and pathogenic bacteria during the short cool summer
      treatment season. With relevance to public health, the objectives of this paper
      were to determine if treatment in arctic WSPs resulted in the disinfection (i.e.,
      removal of fecal indicator bacteria, Escherichia coli) and removal of selected
      human bacterial pathogens from the treated effluent. The treatment performance,
      with focus on microbial removal, was assessed for the one-cell WSP in Pond Inlet
      (Nunavut [NU]) and two-cell WSP in Clyde River (NU) over three consecutive (2012
      2014) summer treatment seasons (late June-early September). The WSPs provided a
      primary disinfection treatment of the wastewater with a 2-3 Log removal of
      generic indicator E. coli. The bacterial pathogens Salmonella spp., pathogenic E.
      coli, and Listeria monocytogenes, but not Campylobacter spp. and Helicobacter
      pylori, were detected in the untreated and treated wastewater, indicating that
      human pathogens were not reliably removed. Seasonal and annual variations in
      temperature significantly (p < 0.05) affected the disinfection efficiency.
      Improved disinfection and pathogen removal was observed for the two-cell system
      in Clyde River as compared to the one-cell system in Pond Inlet. A quantitative
      microbial risk assessment should be performed to determine if the release of low
      levels of human pathogens into the arctic environment poses a human health risk.

PMID- 28353113
TI  - Plastisphere in action: evidence for an interaction between expanded polystyrene
      and dunal plants.
AB  - Among the many threats that can be recorded on sandy beaches, plastic litter
      represents a serious problem for these complex and endangered ecosystems.
      Expanded polystyrene (EPS) is increasingly abundant as a form of plastic litter
      in natural environments, particularly along shores and waterways. Nevertheless,
      despite the great number of scientific articles concerning the impact of litter
      on animal species, there are still no research focusing on the interaction
      between this type of beach litter and other biodiversity components. In this
      work, we reported the first evidence of interactions between EPS and living
      plants along a sandy beach of Tyrrhenian central Italy. We sampled 540 EPS items,
      mainly deriving from fishery activities (>75%). We obtained evidence for an
      interaction between EPS and plants: about 5% of items resulted perforated or have
      roots of three species (Phragmites australis, Spartina versicolor, Anthemis
      maritima). Apparently, we did not observed a relationship between plants and EPS
      items size. More research is needed to assess if the plant assemblage growing on
      EPS is random or if peculiar substrate exerts some sort of selection on the plant
      community.

PMID- 28353114
TI  - Blood Biomarkers in Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis.
AB  - PURPOSE: Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) is a progressive and lethal lung
      disease of unknown origin whose incidence has been increasing over the latest
      decade partly as a consequence of population ageing. New anti-fibrotic therapy
      including pirfenidone and nintedanib have now proven efficacy in slowing down the
      disease. Nevertheless, diagnosis and follow-up of IPF remain challenging.
      METHODS: This review examines the recent literature on potentially useful blood
      molecular and cellular biomarkers in IPF. Most of the proposed biomarkers belong
      to chemokines (IL-8, CCL18), proteases (MMP-1 and MMP-7), and growth factors
      (IGBPs) families. Circulating T cells and fibrocytes have also gained recent
      interest in that respect. Up to now, though several interesting candidates are
      profiling there has not been a single biomarker, which proved to be specific of
      the disease and predictive of the evolution (decline of pulmonary function test
      values, risk of acute exacerbation or mortality). CONCLUSION: Large scale
      multicentric studies are eagerly needed to confirm the utility of these
      biomarkers.

PMID- 28353115
TI  - Impact of Radiation Therapy in Surgically Resected Limited-Stage Small Cell Lung
      Carcinoma.
AB  - PURPOSE: To elucidate the role of radiation therapy (RT) in the treatment of
      surgically resected limited-stage small cell lung carcinoma (LSCLC). METHODS: We
      queried the SEER database from 1998 to 2012 to identify patients who were
      diagnosed with LSCLC as their only primary tumor. Kaplan-Meier analysis was
      utilized to determine disease-specific survival (DSS) and overall survival (OS),
      while multivariate analysis was used to compare survival in terms of patients and
      treatment characteristics. RESULTS: Eight hundred twenty-three LSCLC patients
      were identified for inclusion within the study. 12-month DSS for patients who did
      not receive surgery or RT was 31.9% (95% CI 27.7-36.3), 93.3% (95% CI 71.6-90.5)
      for surgery alone, and 81.0% (95% CI 69.3-88.6) for surgery + RT. 12-month OS was
      27.2% (95% CI 23.4-31.1), 74.7% (95% CI 62.6-83.4), and 78.3% (95% CI 66.4-86.4)
      for no surgery or RT, for surgery alone, and for surgery + RT, respectively. In
      terms of multivariate analysis, patients receiving surgery alone and patients
      receiving surgery + RT had a better DSS and OS than those who received neither
      treatment. However, OS (HR 1.60; 95% CI 0.93-2.75, p = 0.09) and DSS (HR 1.34;
      95% CI 0.72-2.51, p = 0.37) were not significantly associated with patients
      receiving surgery alone compared to surgery + RT. CONCLUSIONS: Surgery alone and
      surgery + RT were positively associated with DSS and OS compared to patients who
      did not receive surgery or RT. However, the addition of RT to surgery did not
      significantly predict DSS or OS compared to surgery alone.

PMID- 28353117
TI  - Continuous Cough Monitoring Using Ambient Sound Recording During Convalescence
      from a COPD Exacerbation.
AB  - PURPOSE: Cough is common in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and is
      associated with frequent exacerbations and increased mortality. Cough increases
      during acute exacerbations (AE-COPD), representing a possible metric of clinical
      deterioration. Conventional cough monitors accurately report cough counts over
      short time periods. We describe a novel monitoring system which we used to record
      cough continuously for up to 45 days during AE-COPD convalescence. METHODS: This
      is a longitudinal, observational study of cough monitoring in AE-COPD patients
      discharged from a single teaching hospital. Ambient sound was recorded from two
      sites in the domestic environment and analysed using novel cough classifier
      software. For comparison, the validated hybrid HACC/LCM cough monitoring system
      was used on days 1, 5, 20 and 45. Patients were asked to record symptoms daily
      using diaries. RESULTS: Cough monitoring data were available for 16 subjects with
      a total of 568 monitored days. Daily cough count fell significantly from mean +/-
      SEM 272.7 +/- 54.5 on day 1 to 110.9 +/- 26.3 on day 9 (p < 0.01) before
      plateauing. The absolute cough count detected by the continuous monitoring system
      was significantly lower than detected by the hybrid HACC/LCM system but
      normalised counts strongly correlated (r = 0.88, p < 0.01) demonstrating an
      ability to detect trends. Objective cough count and subjective cough scores
      modestly correlated (r = 0.46). CONCLUSIONS: Cough frequency declines
      significantly following AE-COPD and the reducing trend can be detected using
      continuous ambient sound recording and novel cough classifier software. Objective
      measurement of cough frequency has the potential to enhance our ability to
      monitor the clinical state in patients with COPD.

PMID- 28353116
TI  - Repository corticotropin for Chronic Pulmonary Sarcoidosis.
AB  - PURPOSE: The dose of repository corticotropin (RCI) and need for a loading dose
      in sarcoidosis patients receiving chronic corticosteroids are unclear. We
      performed a single-blind prospective study, comparing two doses of RCI in
      sarcoidosis. METHODS: Chronic pulmonary sarcoidosis patients receiving prednisone
      therapy with deterioration by 5% in FVC in the previous year were studied. RCI
      was administered subcutaneously at a loading dose of 80 units RCI for 10 days.
      Patients were randomized at day 14 to receive either 40- or 80-unit RCI twice a
      week. The dose of prednisone was modified by the clinician who was blinded to the
      patient's dosage of RCI. RESULTS: Sixteen patients completed the full 24 weeks of
      the study. At week 24, there was a decrease in the dose of prednisone, and
      improvements in DLCO, King's Sarcoidosis Questionnaire health status and fatigue
      score. There was no significant change in FVC % predicted. For the PET scan,
      there was a significant fall in the standard uptake value (SUV) of the lung
      lesions. Only 3/8 patients remained on 80 units RCI for full 24 weeks. There was
      no significant difference in the response to therapy for those treated with 40-
      versus 80-unit RCI. CONCLUSIONS: Repository corticotropin treatment was
      prednisone-sparing and associated with significant improvement in DLCO, PET scan,
      and patient-reported outcome measures. A dose of 40-unit RCI twice a week was as
      effective as 80-unit RCI and was better tolerated.

PMID- 28353118
TI  - Computed Tomography Findings of Bronchiectasis in Different Respiratory Phases
      Correlate with Pulmonary Function Test Data in Adults.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: To investigate bronchiectasis variations in different computed
      tomography (CT) respiratory phases, and their correlation with pulmonary function
      test (PFT) data, in adults. METHODS: Retrospective data analysis from 63 patients
      with bronchiectasis according to CT criteria selected from the institution
      database and for whom PFT data were also available. Bronchiectasis diameter was
      measured on inspiratory and expiratory phases. Its area and matched airway-vessel
      ratios in both phases were also calculated. Finally, PFT results were compared
      with radiological measurements. RESULTS: Bronchiectatic airways were larger on
      inspiration than on expiration (mean cross-sectional area, 69.44 vs. 40.84 mm2; p
      < 0.05) as were airway-vessel ratios (2.1 vs. 1.4; p < 0.05). Cystic
      bronchiectasis cases showed the least variation in cross-sectional area (48%).
      Mean predicted values of forced expiratory volume in 1 s (FEV1) and forced vital
      capacity (FVC) were 81.5 and 77.2%, respectively, in the group in which
      bronchiectasis could not be identified on expiratory images, and 58.3 and 56.0%,
      respectively, in the other group (p < 0.05). Variation in bronchiectasis area was
      associated with poorer lung function (r = 0.32). CONCLUSION: Bronchiectasis
      detection, diameter, and area varied significantly according to CT respiratory
      phase, with non-reducible bronchiectasis showing greater lung function
      impairment.

PMID- 28353119
TI  - Safety and Feasibility of Pleural Cryobiopsy Compared to Forceps Biopsy During
      Semi-rigid Pleuroscopy.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Pleural biopsy is often obtained in patients with undiagnosed
      exudative pleural effusion during pleuroscopy. Standard forceps have been
      traditionally used for the biopsy. Cryoprobes are being increasingly used for
      transbronchial lung biopsy as they obtain larger specimens and have less crush
      artifact. However, the safety and feasibility of cryoprobe biopsy compared to
      standard forceps for pleural biopsy has not been fully assessed. OBJECTIVES: The
      objective of this study was to demonstrate the safety and feasibility of
      cryoprobe biopsy in the pleural space using semi-rigid pleuroscopy. METHODS:
      Patients with idiopathic exudative pleural effusions underwent pleuroscopy. The
      procedure was done in the endoscopy suite with full barrier precautions and
      moderate sedation. Pleural biopsies were initially taken with a 2.0-mm saw
      toothed forceps followed by a 2.4-mm cryoprobe (ERBECRYO, ERBE, US). The freeze
      time for each biopsy was 3 s. RESULTS: There were a total of ten patients, five
      males and five females. The mean age was 69 years (SD +/- 11 years). The mean
      number of biopsies taken from the parietal pleura using forceps was 4.5 (SD +/-
      1.5) vs. 3.7 (SD +/- 1.4) using cryoprobe. The mean cumulative tissue volume with
      forceps biopsy was 80 cu. mm; the mean cumulative tissue volume with cryobiopsy
      was 320 cu. mm, p = 0.007. The diagnostic yields were similar in both the groups.
      There was no increased incidence of bleeding, chest wall injury, or pain using
      cryoprobe in any of the patients. CONCLUSION: The use of cryoprobe for parietal
      pleural biopsy via semi-rigid pleuroscopy was feasible and safe in this small
      pilot study.

PMID- 28353120
TI  - The Molecular Basis of Evolution and Disease: A Cold War Alliance.
AB  - This paper extends previous arguments against the assumption that the study of
      variation at the molecular level was instigated with a view to solving an
      internal conflict between the balance and classical schools of population
      genetics. It does so by focusing on the intersection of basic research in protein
      chemistry and the molecular approach to disease with the enactment of global
      health campaigns during the Cold War period. The paper connects advances in
      research on protein structure and function as reflected in Christian Anfinsen's
      The molecular basis of evolution, with a political reading of Emile Zuckerkandl
      and Linus Pauling's identification of molecular disease and evolution. Beyond
      atomic fallout, these advances constituted a rationale for the promotion of
      genetic surveys of human populations in the Third World, in connection with
      international health programs. Light is shed not only on the experimental roots
      of the molecular challenge but on the broader geopolitical context where the
      rising role of biomedicine and public health (particularly the malaria
      eradication campaigns) had an impact on evolutionary biology.

PMID- 28353121
TI  - Temperature-monitored optical treatment for radial tissue expansion.
AB  - Esophageal stricture occurs in 7-23% of patients with gastroesophageal reflux
      disease. However, the current treatments including stent therapy, balloon
      dilation, and bougienage involve limitations such as stent migration, formation
      of the new strictures, and snowplow effect. The purpose of the current study was
      to investigate the feasibility of structural expansion in tubular tissue ex vivo
      during temperature-monitored photothermal treatment with a diffusing applicator
      for esophageal stricture. Porcine liver was used as an ex vivo tissue sample for
      the current study. A glass tube was used to maintain a constant distance between
      the diffuser and tissue surface and to evaluate any variations in the luminal
      area after 10-W 1470-nm laser irradiation for potential stricture treatment. The
      3D goniometer measurements confirmed roughly isotropic distribution with less
      than 10% deviation from the average angular intensity over 2pi (i.e., 0.86 +/-
      0.09 in arbitrary unit) from the diffusing applicator. The 30-s irradiation
      increased the tissue temperature up to 72.5  degrees C, but due to temperature
      feedback, the interstitial tissue temperature became saturated at 70  degrees C
      (i.e., steady-state error = +/-0.4  degrees C). The irradiation times longer than
      5 s presented area expansion index of 1.00 +/- 0.04, signifying that irreversible
      tissue denaturation permanently deformed the lumen in a circular shape and
      secured the equivalent luminal area to that of the glass tube. Application of a
      temperature feedback controller for photothermal treatment with the diffusing
      applicator can regulate the degree of thermal denaturation to feasibly treat
      esophageal stricture in a tubular tissue.

PMID- 28353122
TI  - Phase II study of the Multikinase inhibitor of angiogenesis, Linifanib, in
      patients with metastatic and refractory colorectal cancer expressing mutated
      KRAS.
AB  - Background Targeting angiogenesis in advanced colorectal cancer (CRC) has been
      one of the many factors prolonging survival. Bevacizumab was the first agent to
      demonstrate this, but even after progression on bevacizumab, continued VEGF
      inhibition continues to improve survival. Combining epidermal growth factor
      receptor monoclonal antibodies with standard frontline therapies have also
      improved clinical outcomes, yet the improved benefit is not observed in patients
      with mutant KRAS. Thus, an unmet medical need exists to develop additional
      therapeutic options for patients with KRAS mutant CRC. Methods Patients received
      the anti-angiogenic agent linifanib at the recommended phase II dose of 17.5 mg.
      Primary endpoint was objective response rate (ORR), with a goal of 10%. Secondary
      endpoints were progression-free survival (PFS), overall survival (OS), and
      safety. Simon's optimal two-stage design was used to assess futility. Linifanib
      was considered inactive if two or fewer patients among the first 30 achieved an
      objective response. Results Thirty patients were enrolled on study. Grade 3
      treatment-related toxicities occurring in at least two patients were fatigue,
      hypertension, proteinuria, diarrhea, nausea, oral pain, vomiting,
      thrombocytopenia, and arthralgia. Although no responses were observed, 63.5% of
      patients achieved stable disease. The median PFS and OS were 4.7 months and 9.5
      months, respectively. Stopping rules for lack of clinical efficacy led to study
      closure. Conclusion Despite observing zero responses, a majority of patients had
      stable disease and eight patients had stable disease lasting longer than 5
      months. These results suggest that linifanib has some anti-tumor activity in KRAS
      mutant metastatic and refractory CRC.

PMID- 28353123
TI  - A phase 1, open label, dose escalation study to investigate the safety,
      tolerability, and pharmacokinetics of MG1102 (apolipoprotein(a) Kringle V) in
      patients with solid tumors.
AB  - Purpose MG1102 is a potent inhibitor of angiogenesis in both in vitro and in vivo
      models. The purpose of the study was to investigate the safety and tolerability,
      pharmacokinetic (PK) profile, and preliminary antitumor efficacy of MG1102.
      Methods Patients with refractory solid tumors were eligible. Each patient
      received 1 dose of MG1102 followed by a 6-day rest period, during which they
      underwent PK assessments and safety monitoring. If the initial dose was
      tolerated, the patient continued with the 21-day treatment of MG1102 (5 days on,
      2 days off for 3 weeks). Dose escalation was planned in 6 cohorts (6, 12, 24, 48,
      96, and 192 mg/m2). Primary objectives included safety and maximum tolerated dose
      (MTD) assessment. Secondary objectives included assessment of PK,
      pharmacodynamics, and efficacy. Results A total of 16 patients were enrolled and
      12 (75%) completed the study. The most common cancer type was colorectal cancer
      (n = 10). There was no dose limiting toxicity and the MTD was not reached at 192
      mg/m2. The most frequent treatment-emergent adverse events were gastrointestinal
      disorders, including nausea (30.8%), abdominal pain (23.1%), constipation
      (23.1%), and dyspepsia (23.1%). The PK of MG1102 was slightly less than dose
      proportional from Cohorts 3 to 6. Among 13 response-evaluable patients, 1
      unconfirmed partial response (PR) was seen (in the 48 mg/m2 cohort) and 4
      patients had stable disease. Conclusions The safety profile of MG1102 was
      generally manageable and the toxicities resolved quickly. Potential antitumor
      activity was observed with 1 unconfirmed PR (60% size reduction).

PMID- 28353124
TI  - Nrf2: a potential therapeutic target for diabetic neuropathy.
AB  - Different aspects involved in pathophysiology of diabetic neuropathy are related
      to inflammatory and apoptotic pathways. This article summarizes evidence that
      Nrf2 acts as a bridging link in various inflammatory and apoptotic pathways
      impacting progression of diabetic neuropathy. Nrf2 is involved in expression of
      various antioxidant proteins (such as detoxifying enzymes) via antioxidant
      response element (ARE) binding site. Under normal conditions, Nrf2 is inactive
      and remains in the cytosol. Hyperglycemia is a strong stimulus for oxidative
      stress and inflammation that downregulates the activity of Nrf2 through various
      neuroinflammatory pathways. Acute hyperglycemia increases the expression of Nrf2,
      but persistent hyperglycemia decreases its expression. This downregulation of
      Nrf2 causes various microvascular changes, which result in diabetic neuropathy.
      The key contribution of Nrf2 in progression of diabetic neuropathy has been
      summarized in the article. Despite involvement of Nrf2 in progression of diabetic
      neuropathy, targeting Nrf2 activators as a therapeutic potential will provide
      important new insights into the ways that influence treatment of diabetic
      neuropathy.

PMID- 28353126
TI  - Preventing Adolescent Substance Use Through an Evidence-Based Program: Effects of
      the Italian Adaptation of Life Skills Training.
AB  - Evidence-based preventive interventions for adolescent substance use, violence,
      and mental health issues are increasingly being adapted and disseminated
      internationally. In the present paper, we report the results of an effectiveness
      study that was part of a comprehensive initiative by a coalition of health
      promotion organizations in the Lombardy region of Italy to select, culturally
      adapt, implement, evaluate, and sustain an evidence-based drug abuse prevention
      program developed in the USA. Findings are presented from a large-scale
      effectiveness study of the Life Skills Training prevention program among over
      3000 students attending 55 middle schools in Italy. The prevention program taught
      drug refusal skills, antidrug norms, personal self-management skills, and general
      social skills. Relative to comparison group students, students who received the
      prevention program were less likely to initiate smoking at the post-test and 2
      year follow-up, and less likely to initiate weekly drunkenness at the 1-year
      follow-up. The program had direct positive effects on several cognitive,
      attitudinal, and skill variables believed to play a protective role in adolescent
      substance use. The findings from this study show that a drug abuse prevention
      program originally designed for adolescents in the USA is effective in a sample
      of Italian youth when a rigorous and systematic approach to cultural adaptation
      is followed that incorporates the input of multiple stakeholders.

PMID- 28353127
TI  - Testicular Tissue Cryopreservation and Ethical Considerations: A Scoping Review.
AB  - Testicular tissue cryopreservation (TTCP) aims to preserve the future option of
      genetic reproduction for prepubescent cancer patients who are at risk of
      infertility as a result of their cancer therapies. This technology is
      experimental and currently only offered in the research context. As TTCP moves
      towards becoming more widely available, it is imperative that healthcare
      providers recognize the complex ethical issues surrounding this technology. This
      scoping review study identifies and assesses the range and depth of ethical
      concerns related to this testicular tissue cryopreservation technology. At
      present, no such scoping review of ethical concerns exists in the TTCP
      literature. The forty-three full-text articles included in this study yielded
      twenty-two different ethical considerations discussed in relation to TTCP. It was
      observed that these ethical considerations fit within a mainstream Principlism
      approach to bioethics. Accordingly, there are ethical gaps in the TTCP literature
      that can be identified with alternative moral lenses. In particular, it was found
      that ethical concerns related to context and relational aspects of identity were
      absent in nearly all ethical examinations of TTCP. Furthermore, only 9 per cent
      of articles reviewed in this study focused primarily on the ethics of TTCP, thus
      demonstrating a need for further in depth ethical analyses of this technology.
      The results of this study are important for supporting the ethical provision of
      TTCP and can contribute to policy and guideline development. The findings of this
      study demonstrate the need for greater depth and diversity in analyses of ethical
      considerations related to this technology.

PMID- 28353125
TI  - Potential drug targets and treatment of schizophrenia.
AB  - Schizophrenia is one of the most prevalent chronic psychiatric disorders that
      affect 1% of the world's population. Despite its societal burden, pathophysiology
      of schizophrenia remains poorly understood. Currently available drugs
      predominantly control positive symptoms, and often have no or poor control on
      negative and related cognitive symptoms, which strongly affect functional outcome
      in schizophrenia. The present article is an attempt to provide a critical review
      of recent hypothesis to understand pathophysiology of schizophrenia and to
      highlight exploitable molecular drug targets other than dopaminergic systems to
      treat and manage schizophrenia effectively.

PMID- 28353128
TI  - Clinical Signs and Diagnostic Tests in Acute Respiratory Infections:
      Correspondence.

PMID- 28353129
TI  - Management of Hepatoblastoma: ICMR Consensus Document.
AB  - Dramatic advancement has been made in the management of children with
      hepatoblastoma (HB) over the past 3 decades owing to the improvement in
      diagnostic imaging, new chemotherapeutic agents, better surgical care and
      availability of liver transplantation. These advances are the end results of
      contributions from 4 major study groups across the globe including International
      Society of Pediatric Oncology - Liver Tumor Strategy Group (SIOPEL), Children's
      Oncology Group (COG), German Pediatric Hematology Oncology Group (GPOH) and
      Japanese Pediatric Liver Tumor Study Group (JPLT). The current manuscript is
      written with the objective of developing a consensus guideline for practitioners
      at a National level. Based on literature and personal experience over last 3
      decades, the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) Expert group has made
      recommendations for management of children with HB in resource-challenged nations
      including India.

PMID- 28353130
TI  - Coloboma of the Optic Disc and Retina.

PMID- 28353131
TI  - Frequent visitors at the psychiatric emergency room - A literature review.
AB  - Frequent visitors at the psychiatric emergency room (PER) constitute a small
      subgroup of patients, yet they are responsible for a disproportionate number of
      visits and thus claim considerable resources. Their needs are often left unmet
      and their repetitive visits reflect their dissatisfaction as well as that of
      PERs' staff. Motivated by these dilemmas, this study systematically reviews the
      literature about frequent visitors at PER and seeks to answer two questions: What
      characterizes frequent visitors at PER in the literature? and What characterizes
      PER in the literature? Based on 29 studies, this paper offers answers to the two
      questions based on a strength weakness opportunities and threats (SWOT) analysis.
      The results of the review and subsequent analysis of the literature revealed the
      multiplicity and complexity of frequent visitors' characteristics and how they
      appear to converge. Commonalities were more difficult to identify in PER
      characteristics. In some cases, this happened because the characteristics were
      poorly described or were context specific. As a result, it was not easy to
      compare the studies on PER. Based on SWOT and the findings of the analysis, the
      paper proposes new venues of research and suggests how the field of mental health
      might develop by taking into account its opportunities and threats.

PMID- 28353132
TI  - Evaluation of the parameters affecting bone temperature during drilling using a
      three-dimensional dynamic elastoplastic finite element model.
AB  - A three-dimensional dynamic elastoplastic finite element model was constructed
      and experimentally validated and was used to investigate the parameters which
      influence bone temperature during drilling, including the drill speed, feeding
      force, drill bit diameter, and bone density. Results showed the proposed three
      dimensional dynamic elastoplastic finite element model can effectively simulate
      the temperature elevation during bone drilling. The bone temperature rise
      decreased with an increase in feeding force and drill speed, however, increased
      with the diameter of drill bit or bone density. The temperature distribution is
      significantly affected by the drilling duration; a lower drilling speed reduced
      the exposure duration, decreases the region of the thermally affected zone. The
      constructed model could be applied for analyzing the influence parameters during
      bone drilling to reduce the risk of thermal necrosis. It may provide important
      information for the design of drill bits and surgical drilling powers.

PMID- 28353133
TI  - Automatic recognition of severity level for diagnosis of diabetic retinopathy
      using deep visual features.
AB  - Diabetic retinopathy (DR) is leading cause of blindness among diabetic patients.
      Recognition of severity level is required by ophthalmologists to early detect and
      diagnose the DR. However, it is a challenging task for both medical experts and
      computer-aided diagnosis systems due to requiring extensive domain expert
      knowledge. In this article, a novel automatic recognition system for the five
      severity level of diabetic retinopathy (SLDR) is developed without performing any
      pre- and post-processing steps on retinal fundus images through learning of deep
      visual features (DVFs). These DVF features are extracted from each image by using
      color dense in scale-invariant and gradient location-orientation histogram
      techniques. To learn these DVF features, a semi-supervised multilayer deep
      learning algorithm is utilized along with a new compressed layer and fine-tuning
      steps. This SLDR system was evaluated and compared with state-of-the-art
      techniques using the measures of sensitivity (SE), specificity (SP) and area
      under the receiving operating curves (AUC). On 750 fundus images (150 per
      category), the SE of 92.18%, SP of 94.50% and AUC of 0.924 values were obtained
      on average. These results demonstrate that the SLDR system is appropriate for
      early detection of DR and provide an effective treatment for prediction type of
      diabetes.

PMID- 28353134
TI  - Ontogeny of ramified CD45 cells in chicken embryo and their contribution to
      bursal secretory dendritic cells.
AB  - Embryonic tissues contain highly ramified stellate-shaped cells expressing CD45
      and MHC II antigens but their origin and immunophenotype are unknown. Using
      staged avian embryos and cell-type-specific antibodies, we establish a detailed
      spatiotemporal ontogeny of cells that express CD45, the earliest marker of
      hematopoietic stem cells in the chick. CD45 immunostaining marks three distinct
      embryonic cell populations: round, ramified and amoeboid cells. The round and
      ramified CD45+ cells appear first in yolk-sac blood islands before the onset of
      circulation. A subpopulation of round cells co-expresses the thrombocyte-specific
      CD51/CD61 antigen. Amoeboid cells express macrophage-specific antigens and
      frequently occur in regions of apoptosis. Ramified cells are distributed
      uniformly in the embryonic mesenchyme, colonize lymphoid and non-lymphoid organs
      and later express MHC II. To study the origin of CD45+ cells, 2-day-old chick
      embryos were ablated from the yolk sac before the establishment of circulation
      and incubated for 2-5 days. Large numbers of CD45+MHC II+ ramified cells
      differentiated in the yolk sac. Yolk-sac chimeras were generated by grafting
      embryos into GFP-expressing de-embryonated yolk sacs. GFP/CD45 co-expressing
      ramified and amoeboid cells colonized all organ primordia in the donor embryo. We
      also recombined GFP+ yolk sac with the bursa of Fabricius and found ramified
      GFP+CD45+ cells in the bursa where they differentiated into dendritic cells.
      Thus, CD45 cells are first present in the yolk sac during primitive hematopoiesis
      and then migrate from the extra-embryonic yolk sac to give rise to cells
      throughout all organ primordia, including dendritic cells in the bursa of
      Fabricius.

PMID- 28353136
TI  - Negative functional brain networks.
AB  - The anticorrelations in fMRI measurements are still not well characterized, but
      some new evidences point to a possible physiological role. We explored the
      topology of functional brain networks characterized by negative edgess and their
      possible alterations in schizophrenia, using functional images of 8 healthy
      subjects and 8 schizophrenic patients in a resting state condition. In order to
      minimize the insertion of artifactual negative correlations, the preprocessing of
      images was carried out by the CompCorr procedure, and the results compared with
      the Global Signal Regression (GSR) procedure. The degree distribution, the
      centrality, the efficiency and the rich-club behavior were used to characterize
      the functional brain network with negative links of healthy controls in
      comparison with schizophrenic patients. The results show that functional brain
      networks with both positive and negative values have a truncated power-law degree
      distribution. Moreover, although functional brain networks characterized by
      negative values have not small-world topology, they show a specific
      disassortative configuration: the more connected nodes tend to have fewer
      connections between them. This feature is lost using the GSR procedure. Finally,
      the comparison with schizophrenic patients showed a decreased (local and global)
      efficiency associated to a decreased connectivity among central nodes. As a
      conclusion, functional brain networks characterized by negative values, despite
      lacking a well defined topology, show specific features, different from random,
      and indicate an implication in the alterations associated to schizophrenia.

PMID- 28353135
TI  - Abnormal brain structure implicated in patients with functional dyspepsia.
AB  - Recent studies suggest dysfunctional brain-gut interactions are involved in the
      pathophysiology of functional dyspepsia (FD). However, limited studies have
      investigated brain structural abnormalities in FD patients. This study aimed to
      identify potential differences in both cortical thickness and subcortical volume
      in FD patients compared to healthy controls (HCs) and to explore relationships of
      structural abnormalities with clinical symptoms. Sixty-nine patients and forty
      nine HCs underwent 3T structural magnetic resonance imaging scans. Cortical
      thickness and subcortical volume were compared between the groups across the
      cortical and subcortical regions, respectively. Regression analysis was then
      performed to examine relationships between the structure alternations and
      clinical symptoms in FD patients. Our results showed that FD patients had
      decreased cortical thickness compared to HCs in the distributed brain regions
      including the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (dlPFC), ventrolateral prefrontal
      cortex (vlPFC), medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC), anterior/posterior cingulate
      cortex (ACC/PCC), insula, superior parietal cortex (SPC), supramarginal gyrus and
      lingual gyrus. Significantly negative correlations were observed between the
      Nepean Dyspepsia Index (NDI) and cortical thickness in the mPFC, second
      somatosensory cortex (SII), ACC and parahippocampus (paraHIPP). And significantly
      negative correlations were found between disease duration and the cortical
      thickness in the vlPFC, first somatosensory cortex (SI) and insula in FD
      patients. These findings suggest that FD patients have structural abnormalities
      in brain regions involved in sensory perception, sensorimotor integration, pain
      modulation, affective and cognitive controls. The relationships between the brain
      structural changes and clinical symptoms indicate that the alternations may be a
      consequence of living with FD.

PMID- 28353137
TI  - High-risk Trans-Catheter Aortic Valve Replacement in a Failed Freestyle Valve
      with Low Coronary Height: A Case Report.
AB  - A 55-year-old male with a history of two prior cardiac surgeries presented with
      decompensated heart failure due to severe bioprosthetic aortic valve
      insufficiency. A third operation was viewed prohibitively high risk and valve-in
      valve trans-catheter aortic valve replacement was considered. There were however
      several high-risk features and technically challenging aspects including low
      coronary ostia height, poor visualization of the aortic sinuses, and difficulty
      in identification of the coplanar view due to severe aortic insufficiency, and a
      highly mobile aortic valve mass. After meticulous peri-procedural planning, trans
      catheter aortic valve replacement was carried out with a SAPIEN 3 balloon
      expandable valve without any complication. Strategies undertaken to navigate the
      technically challenging aspects of the case are discussed.

PMID- 28353138
TI  - Effects of the Oral Administration of K2Cr2O7 and Na2SeO3 on Ca, Mg, Mn, Fe, Cu,
      and Zn Contents in the Heart, Liver, Spleen, and Kidney of Chickens.
AB  - This study aimed to investigate the effects of selenium on the ion profiles in
      the heart, liver, spleen, and kidney through the oral administration of
      hexavalent chromium. Approximately 22.14 mg/kg b.w. K2Cr2O7 was added to water to
      establish a chronic poisoning model. Different selenium levels (0.00, 0.31, 0.63,
      1.25, 2.50, and 5.00 mg Na2SeO3/kg b.w.) around the safe dose were administered
      to the experimental group model. Ca, Mg, Mn, Fe, Cu, and Zn were detected in the
      organs through flame atomic absorption spectrometry after these organs were
      exposed to K2Cr2O7 and Na2SeO3 for 14, 28, and 42 days. Results showed that these
      elements exhibited various changes. Ca contents declined in the heart, liver, and
      spleen. Ca contents also decreased on the 28th day and increased on the 42nd day
      in the kidney. Mn contents declined in the heart and spleen but increased in the
      kidney. Mn contents also decreased on the 28th day and increased on the 42nd day
      in the liver. Cu contents declined in the heart and spleen. Cu contents increased
      on the 28th day and decreased on the 42nd day in the liver and kidney. Zn
      contents declined in the heart and spleen. Zn contents increased on the 28th day
      and decreased on the 42nd day in the liver and kidney. Fe contents decreased in
      the heart and liver. Fe contents increased on the 28th day and decreased on the
      42nd day in the spleen and kidney. Mg contents did not significantly change in
      these organs. Appropriate selenium contents enhanced Mn and Zn contents, which
      were declined by chromium. Conversely, appropriate selenium contents reduced Ca,
      Fe, and Cu contents, which were increased by chromium. In conclusion, the
      exposure of chickens to K2Cr2O7 induced changes in different trace elements, and
      Na2SeO3 supplementation could alleviate this condition.

PMID- 28353139
TI  - Bioaccumulation of Heavy Metals in Various Tissues of Some Fish Species and Green
      Tiger Shrimp (Penaeus semisulcatus) from Iskenderun Bay, Turkey, and Risk
      Assessment for Human Health.
AB  - In this study, concentrations of heavy metals were determined by ICP-MS in the
      edible tissues of common sole (Solea solea Linnaeus, 1758), whiting (Merlangius
      merlangus Linnaeus, 1758), silver sillago (Sillago sihama Forsskal, 1775) and
      muscle-exoskeleton of green tiger shrimp (Penaeus semisulcatus De Haan, 1844),
      from the seas of Iskenderun Bay, Eastern Mediterranean, Turkey, in January
      February, 2016. The lowest and highest mean concentrations of Mn, Cr, Cd, Ni, Hg,
      As, Pb, and Co in fish and shrimp' muscles were found, respectively, as follows:
      0.166-0.382, 0.134-0.336, 0.005-0.008, 0.091-0.140, 0.026-0.228, 1.741-29.254,
      0.087-0.110, and <0.0005-0.027 mg kg-1; in the skin and exoskeleton, the values
      were found, respectively, as 0.103-15.819, 0.301-0.778, 0.007-0.026, 0.115-0.513,
      0.021-0.243, 1.548-17.930, 0.148-0.295, and <0.0005-0.140 mg kg-1. According to
      the results, mean concentrations of all metals in the muscles of fish, except for
      arsenic and chromium, were found to be below certain legal limit values,
      especially arsenic levels in shrimp that were found to be above all the legal
      limit values. Also, the hazard quotients (HQ) of individual heavy metals in fish
      and shrimp, except for As, revealed safe levels for human consumption. However,
      the HQ values of estimated inorganic As exceeded 1 in the muscles of shrimp (P.
      semisulcatus), which may constitute a risk to public health.

PMID- 28353141
TI  - A Focused Systematic Review of Pharmacological Treatment for Borderline
      Personality Disorder.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Medicines are routinely prescribed to treat borderline personality
      disorder (BPD) despite a relative lack of high-quality evidence and in breach of
      some treatment guidelines. An earlier Cochrane review of pharmacotherapy in BPD
      underlined the lack of evidence, encouraged the replication of earlier studies,
      but also emphasised the pressing need for more randomised placebo-controlled
      trials, and for those studies to employ broadened inclusion criteria. METHOD: The
      authors searched bibliographic databases, reference lists of articles and trials
      registers. Records were screened to identify those that met the inclusion
      criteria. Full-text articles were screened and assessed for eligibility. On-going
      trials of pharmacotherapy in BPD were also identified. RESULTS: Fifteen new
      studies of pharmacotherapy for BPD were identified since the earlier review.
      Eight of those examined second generation antipsychotics, two investigated mood
      stabilisers, three investigated antidepressants and two studied the effectiveness
      of opioid antagonists. Results for the effectiveness of antipsychotics appeared
      to be mixed. There has been little recent evidence to support the use of mood
      stabilisers. There is a lack of new placebo-controlled, randomised controlled
      trials investigating antidepressants and limited new evidence to support the use
      of opioid antagonists. CONCLUSIONS: The review revealed that there remains a
      dearth of high-quality research evidence to help patients, carers and clinicians
      make sound and safe evidence-based decisions about medicines to treat BPD.

PMID- 28353140
TI  - Antimicrobial Use in Patients with Dementia: Current Concerns and Future
      Recommendations.
AB  - Infections are common in people with dementia, and antibiotic use is widespread,
      albeit highly variable, across healthcare settings and countries. The few studies
      conducted to date that consider the appropriateness of antibiotic prescribing
      specifically for people with dementia focus on people with advanced dementia and
      suggest that much of the prescribing of antibiotics for these patients may be
      potentially inappropriate. We suggest that clinicians must consider a number of
      factors to determine appropriateness of antimicrobial prescribing for people with
      dementia, including the risks and benefits of assessing and treating infections,
      the uncertainty regarding the effects of antibiotics on patient comfort, goals of
      care and treatment preferences, hydration status, dementia severity and patient
      prognosis. Future research should examine antibiotic prescribing and its
      appropriateness across the spectrum of common infections, dementia severities,
      care settings and countries, and should consider how antibiotic therapy should be
      considered in discussions regarding treatment preferences, goals of care and/or
      advance care planning between clinicians, patients and families.

PMID- 28353142
TI  - Analysis of Species-Selectivity of Human, Mouse and Rat Cytochrome P450 1A and 2B
      Subfamily Enzymes using Molecular Modeling, Docking and Dynamics Simulations.
AB  - Cytochrome P450 (CYP) 1A and 2B subfamily enzymes are important drug metabolizing
      enzymes, and are highly conserved across species in terms of sequence homology.
      However, there are major to minor structural and macromolecular differences which
      provide for species-selectivity and substrate-selectivity. Therefore, species
      selectivity of CYP1A and CYP2B subfamily proteins across human, mouse and rat was
      analyzed using molecular modeling, docking and dynamics simulations when the
      chiral molecules quinine and quinidine were used as ligands. The three
      dimensional structures of 17 proteins belonging to CYP1A and CYP2B subfamilies of
      mouse and rat were predicted by adopting homology modeling using the available
      structures of human CYP1A and CYP2B proteins as templates. Molecular docking and
      dynamics simulations of quinine and quinidine with CYP1A subfamily proteins
      revealed the existence of species-selectivity across the three species. On the
      other hand, in the case of CYP2B subfamily proteins, no role for chirality of
      quinine and quinidine in forming complexes with CYP2B subfamily proteins of the
      three species was indicated. Our findings reveal the roles of active site amino
      acid residues of CYP1A and CYP2B subfamily proteins and provide insights into
      species-selectivity of these enzymes across human, mouse, and rat.

PMID- 28353143
TI  - Cervical disc replacement surgery: biomechanical properties, postoperative
      motion, and postoperative activity levels.
AB  - PURPOSE OF REVIEW: Cervical disc arthroplasty (CDA) is an evolving technique used
      in the treatment of cervical disc disease. To remain up to date on studies
      regarding its efficacy, we sought to answer three questions: What do
      biomechanical studies demonstrate in regard to the kinematics of CDA? How does
      CDA affect cervical motion? What are the postoperative activity levels of
      patients after cervical disc arthroplasty? RECENT FINDINGS: 1) In regard to
      biomechanics, recent data suggests that CDA maintains motion while possibly
      altering facet biomechanics. 2) Radiographic data indicates a reliable
      maintenance of motion in the short and medium term. 3) Postoperative activity
      levels are assessed with clinical outcome data which demonstrate reliable
      improvement in pain and function. The data reviewed here establishes CDA as an
      efficacious treatment in the relief of symptoms from CDD. It is important to note
      however that an evaluation of CDA would benefit from more robust data,
      specifically in regards to long-term clinical outcomes.

PMID- 28353145
TI  - MAPK/ERK signalling is required for zebrafish cardiac regeneration.
AB  - OBJECTIVES: To better understand the molecular mechanisms of regeneration and
      explore the potential signalling pathways as therapeutic targets for heart
      attacks. RESULTS: After treatment with the MEK inhibitor AZD6244 upon cardiac
      injury, the core members in MAPK/ERK signalling-mek and erk-demonstrate elevated
      expression, and these proteins are deposited at the injury site in zebrafish.
      pERK is also induced in non-cardiomyocytes near the injury site. Furthermore, the
      induced expression of a dominant-negative form of MEK1 inhibits zebrafish cardiac
      regeneration, characterized by increased cardiac fibrosis (a hallmark of
      regenerative failure), reduced or delayed production of regenerative myocardium,
      and migration of FLI1+ endothelial cells, without direct inhibition of
      cardiomyocyte proliferation. CONCLUSION: Appropriate activation of MAPK/ERK
      signalling is essential for zebrafish cardiac regeneration.

PMID- 28353144
TI  - Comparing the Administration of Letrozole and Megestrol Acetate in the Treatment
      of Women with Simple Endometrial Hyperplasia without Atypia: A Randomized
      Clinical Trial.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: The present study was conducted as a pilot to compare the
      therapeutic effects and the potential side effects of oral Megestrol acetate and
      Letrozole in the treatment of simple hyperplasia in perimenopausal women.
      METHODS: The participants of this randomized clinical trial consisted of two
      groups of 25 women aged 44-50 presenting with abnormal uterine bleeding diagnosed
      with simple endometrial hyperplasia without cytologic atypia confirmed by
      transvaginal ultrasonography and biopsy. The first group received 40-mg doses of
      Megestrol acetate for 2 weeks per month for a total period of 2 months. The
      second group received 2.5-mg daily doses of Letrozole for a total period of 2
      months. The differences in terms of quantitative measurements were analyzed using
      the independent two-sample t test and the paired t test. To compare the two
      groups in terms of the distribution of the categorical variables, Pearson's Chi
      square and Fisher's Exact tests were used at the significance level of 0.05 by
      Stata-9.2. RESULTS: Although the intervention led to significant improvements in
      both groups (P < .001), there was no difference between the groups in terms of
      accomplishing resolution (P = .74) [seven (28%) patients in the Letrozole group
      and five (20%) in the Megestrol group], while two patients in the Letrozole group
      and nine in the Megestrol group suffered from side effects, suggesting
      significantly lower side effects in the Letrozole group (P = .02). CONCLUSION:
      Letrozole and Megestrol acetate seem to have similar effects on the treatment of
      simple endometrial hyperplasia, the only difference being that Letrozole presents
      fewer side effects than Megestrol acetate in patients with this condition.
      FUNDING: Abnormal Uterine Bleeding Research Center of Semnan University of
      Medical Sciences, Semnan, Iran. TRIAL REGISTRATION: IRCT2015031011504N5.

PMID- 28353146
TI  - The lacrimal gland: development, wound repair and regeneration.
AB  - The lacrimal gland (LG) is important as it has a significant role in maintaining
      the stability of the microenvironment of the ocular surface. When a loss of
      function occurs in the LG, a significant reduction in tear production and dry eye
      disease (DED) may occur. A mammalian LG is a secretory gland consisting of acini
      and ducts. The interaction between epithelial cells and mesenchymal cells plays a
      major role during development and the self-restoration process of the gland. Some
      factors, such as fibroblast growth factor 10 and bone morphogenetic protein 7,
      are associated with these processes. Though several strategies for LG
      regeneration have been established, there is still a long way to go before there
      is clarity about LG stem cells. In this review, current knowledge on LG
      development, LG self-repair, DED and correlative regeneration therapies are
      summarized.

PMID- 28353147
TI  - Bioconversion of lutein by Enterobacter hormaechei to form a new compound, 8
      methyl-alpha-ionone.
AB  - OBJECTIVES: To investigate the final product of the bioconversion of lutein by a
      novel lutein-degrading bacterium, Enterobacter hormaechei A20, and the kinetics
      of the process. RESULTS: A new product, 8-methyl-alpha-ionone, was resolved by GC
      MS. The compound was further identified by NMR. A conversion yield of 90% was
      achieved by E. hormaechei in 36 h with 10 g lutein l-1. CONCLUSIONS: This is the
      first report of the bioconversion of lutein to form 8-methyl-alpha-ionone. A
      degradation pathway is proposed.

PMID- 28353148
TI  - Molecular and biochemical characterization of squalene synthase from Siraitia
      grosvenorii.
AB  - OBJECTIVES: To clone and characterize the squalene synthase from Siraitia
      grosvenorii (SgSQS). RESULTS: The gene encoding SgSQS was cloned. SgSQS has 417
      amino acid residues with an pI of 7.3. There are 32 phosphorylation sites in its
      sequence: S48 as well as S196 play important roles in regulation of enzyme
      activity. The enzyme is a monomeric protein with a cave-like active center formed
      by alpha helixes and has two transmembrane domains at its C-terminus. SgSQS mRNA
      expression in stem and root were about twice as much as that in leaf and peel.
      Full-length SgSQS with measurable catalytic activity was expressed in Escherichia
      coli. SgSQS activity was optimal at 37  degrees C and pH 7.5 respectively.
      CONCLUSION: SgSQS gene was cloned, and the molecular structure and biochemical
      function of SgSQS were characterized.

PMID- 28353149
TI  - Toxicity of an Annonin-Based Commercial Bioinsecticide Against Three Primary Pest
      Species of Stored Products.
AB  - The effects of a bioinsecticide formulation based on extract of Annona squamosa
      L. (Annonaceae) containing 10,000 mg L-1 of acetogenin annonin as the main active
      ingredient were investigated against three primary pest species of stored grains
      in Brazil [maize weevil Sitophilus zeamais Motschulsky (Coleoptera:
      Curculionidae), Mexican bean weevil Zabrotes subfasciatus (Boheman) (Coleoptera:
      Chrysomelidae: Bruchinae), and cowpea weevil Callosobruchus maculatus (Fabricius)
      (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae: Bruchinae)] by means of residual contact bioassays.
      In a concentration-dependent manner, the annonin-based commercial bioinsecticide
      caused significant adult mortality of C. maculatus (LC50 = 6890 MUL kg-1), S.
      zeamais (LC50 = 2781 MUL kg-1), and Z. subfasciatus (LC50 = 2120 MUL kg-1) after
      120 h of residual contact exposure. In addition to acute toxicity, the tested
      bioinsecticide also promoted a significant reduction of the number of eggs laid
      by females of C. maculatus (EC50 = 5949.7 MUL kg-1) and Z. subfasciatus (EC50 =
      552.7 MUL kg-1). Moreover, the bioinsecticide significantly reduced the number of
      emerged insects (F1 generation) of C. maculatus (EC50 = 2763.0 MUL kg-1), S.
      zeamais (EC50 = 1380.8 MUL kg-1), and Z. subfasciatus (EC50 = 561.5 MUL kg-1).
      The bioinsecticide also reduced the percentage of damaged grains for the three
      pest species studied, and its grain-protectant properties are comparable to or
      superior in efficacy in relation to a diatomaceous earth-based insecticide
      (Insecto(r) at 1000 mg kg-1) used as a positive control. Thus, this standardized
      formulation has promising bioactivity against stored insect species and can be a
      useful component for IPM of stored grains in Brazil and elsewhere.

PMID- 28353150
TI  - Gene methylation parallelisms between peripheral blood cells and oral mucosa
      samples in relation to overweight.
AB  - Epigenetics has an important role in the regulation of metabolic adaptation to
      environmental modifications. In this sense, the determination of epigenetic
      changes in non-invasive samples during the development of metabolic diseases
      could play an important role in the procedures in primary healthcare practice. To
      help translate the knowledge of epigenetics to public health practice, the
      present study aims to explore the parallelism of methylation levels between white
      blood cells and buccal samples in relation to obesity and associated disorders.
      Blood and buccal swap samples were collected from a subsample of the Spanish
      cohort of the Food4Me study. Infinium HumanMethylation450 DNA Analysis was
      carried out for the determination of methylation levels. Standard deviation for
      beta values method and concordance correlation analysis were used to select those
      CpG which showed best parallelism between samples. A total of 277 CpGs met the
      criteria and were selected for an enrichment analysis and a correlation analysis
      with anthropometrical and clinical parameters. From those selected CpGs, four
      presented high associations with BMI (cg01055691 in GAP43; r = -0.92 and rho = 
      0.84 for blood; r = -0.89 and rho = -0.83 for buccal sample), HOMA-IR (cg00095677
      in ATP2A3; r = 0.82 and rho = -0.84 for blood; r = -0.8 and rho = -0.83 for
      buccal sample) and leptin (cg14464133 in ADARB2; r = -0.9182 and rho = -0.94 for
      blood; r = -0.893 and rho = -0.79 for buccal sample). These findings demonstrate
      the potential application of non-invasive buccal samples in the identification of
      surrogate epigenetic biomarkers and identify methylation sites in GAP43, ATP2A3
      and ADARB2 genes as potential targets in relation to overweight management and
      insulin sensibility.

PMID- 28353151
TI  - The Use of Brain Stimulation in Dysphagia Management.
AB  - Dysphagia is common sequela of brain injury with as many as 50% of patients
      suffering from dysphagia following stroke. Currently, the majority of guidelines
      for clinical practice in the management of dysphagia focus on the prevention of
      complications while any natural recovery takes place. Recently, however, non
      invasive brain stimulation (NIBS) techniques like transcranial magnetic
      stimulation (TMS) and transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) have started
      to attract attention and are applied to investigate both the physiology of
      swallowing and influences on dysphagia. TMS allows for painless stimulation of
      the brain through an intact skull-an effect which would normally be impossible
      with electrical currents due to the high resistance of the skull. By comparison,
      tDCS involves passing a small electric current (usually under 2 mA) produced by a
      current generator over the scalp and cranium external to the brain. Initial
      studies used these techniques to better understand the physiological mechanisms
      of swallowing in healthy subjects. More recently, a number of studies have
      investigated the efficacy of these techniques in the management of neurogenic
      dysphagia with mixed results. Controversy still exists as to which site, strength
      and duration of stimulation yields the greatest improvement in dysphagia. And
      while multiple studies have suggested promising effects of NIBS, more randomised
      control trials with larger sample sizes are needed to investigate the short- and
      long-term effects of NIBS in neurogenic dysphagia.

PMID- 28353152
TI  - The effect of epigenetic modifications on the secondary structures and possible
      binding positions of the N-terminal tail of histone H3 in the nucleosome: a
      computational study.
AB  - The roles of histone tails as substrates for reversible chemical modifications
      and dynamic cognate surfaces for the binding of regulatory proteins are well
      established. Despite these crucial roles, experimentally derived knowledge of the
      structure and possible binding sites of histone tails in chromatin is limited. In
      this study, we utilized molecular dynamics of isolated histone H3 N-terminal
      peptides to investigate its structure as a function of post-translational
      modifications that are known to be associated with defined chromatin states. We
      observed a structural preference for alpha-helices in isoforms associated with an
      inactive chromatin state, while isoforms associated with active chromatin states
      lacked alpha-helical content. The physicochemical effect of the post
      translational modifications was highlighted by the interaction of arginine side
      chains with the phosphorylated serine residues in the inactive isoform. We also
      showed that the isoforms exhibit different tail lengths, and, using molecular
      docking of the first 15 N-terminal residues of an H3 isoform, identified
      potential binding sites between the superhelical gyres on the octamer surface,
      close to the site of DNA entry/exit in the nucleosome. We discuss the possible
      functional role of the binding of the H3 tail within the nucleosome on both
      nucleosome and chromatin structure and stability.

PMID- 28353153
TI  - Good tolerability of high dose colistin-based therapy in patients with
      haematological malignancies.
AB  - PURPOSE: Colistin is usually the only drug fully active against multi-drug
      resistant Gram-negative bacteria, but its nephrotoxicity might limit its use.
      Recent pharmacokinetic/pharmacodynamic data suggest that high dose of colistin,
      preceded by a loading dose, are needed to maximize its antibacterial effect. The
      aim of this study was to determine the safety of high doses colistin, in
      haematology population. METHODS: A retrospective review of haematology patients
      who received high dose colistin-based therapy in years 2011-2016 was performed.
      Nephrotoxicity was assessed using RIFLE criteria. RESULTS: Thirty patients who
      received 38 courses of colistin were included in the study. Colistin was always
      administered together with other antibiotics. Colistin was well tolerated, with
      one case of neurological toxicity and one of cutaneous reaction. There were 22
      (58%) treatment cycles without any nephrotoxicity, even though during 16 of these
      cycles other nephrotoxic drugs were administered. Severe (injury or failure)
      renal toxicity occurred during 6 (16%) treatment courses, requiring colistin
      discontinuation in 2 patients and colistin dose reduction in 1. Poorer renal
      function at baseline and younger age were the only variables associated with
      increased renal toxicity (p = 0.011 and p = 0.031, respectively). Overall
      mortality was 18% (7/38) and 29% (11/38) at 7 and 30 days after the treatment
      onset. CONCLUSIONS: In adult haematology population, high dose colistin therapy
      is safe and efficacious, despite high frequency of concomitant nephrotoxic
      treatment.

PMID- 28353154
TI  - Physiome approach for the analysis of vascular flow reserve in the heart and
      brain.
AB  - This work reviews the key aspects of coronary and neurovascular flow reserves
      with an emphasis on physiomic modeling characteristics by the use of a variety of
      numerical approaches. First, we explain the definition of fractional flow reserve
      (FFR) in coronary artery and introduce its clinical significance. Then,
      computational researches for obtaining FFR are reviewed, and their clinical
      outcomes are compared. In the case of cerebrovascular reserve (CVR), in spite of
      substantial progress in the simulation of cerebral hemodynamics, only a few
      computational studies exist. Thus, we discuss the limitations of CVR simulation
      study and suggest the challenging issue to overcome these. Also, the future
      direction of physiomic researches for the flow reserves in coronary arteries and
      cerebral arteries is described. Also, we introduce a machine learning algorithm
      trained by the existing physiomic simulation data of flow reserve and suggest a
      prospective research direction related to this.

PMID- 28353155
TI  - Occurrence of Potential Adverse Drug Events from Prescribing Errors in a
      Pediatric Intensive and High Dependency Unit in Hong Kong: An Observational
      Study.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Critically ill pediatric patients are considered at high risk for
      medication errors. Although much research focuses on the actual errors, equally
      important are medication errors that, although intercepted, carried the potential
      for an adverse drug event. The aim of this study was to determine the occurrence
      of prescribing errors and potential adverse drug events (pADEs) in a local
      pediatric intensive and critical care unit (PICU) in Hong Kong. Our secondary
      objective was to determine the type of error, nature of medication involved and
      the time of error occurrence. METHODS: We conducted a prospective observational
      chart review among patients in a pediatric intensive and high dependency unit
      between January 16, 2015 and April 20, 2015. Medical charts for each patient were
      reviewed for the occurrence of a prescribing error or pADE. Each pADE was
      assessed for the type of error, the classification of agent involved, clinical
      severity of the error, and the time the error occurred. RESULTS: Forty-one
      patients with a mean age of 3.2 years were included in our study. Of these
      patients, 19 (46.3%) experienced at least one pADE. We identified 131 pADEs, 129
      of which were prescribing errors conferring a rate of 6.8 errors per affected
      patient or 3.1 errors per patient admitted to the PICU. The most common error
      found in the study was incorrect dose calculation (48.1%), with intravenous
      fluids (41.7%), cardiovascular agents (15.0%), and anti-infectives (12.5%) the
      most common agents involved with an error. The majority of the pADEs in our study
      were either clinically serious (33.1%) or significant (44.9%) in nature. Nearly
      one in every four errors required monitoring and/or intervention to prevent harm,
      and almost all (96.9%) of the prescribing errors were intercepted before reaching
      the patient. CONCLUSION: This study highlights incorrect dose calculation as the
      most common prescribing error in a pediatric critical care setting. Intravenous
      fluids, cardiovascular agents, and anti-infectives were the classes of medication
      most commonly involved with a pADE. Due to the high-risk nature of medications
      used and the critical condition of these patients, more than three-quarters of
      pADEs were considered to be clinically serious or significant in causing patient
      harm.

PMID- 28353157
TI  - Spontaneously Reported Adverse Reactions for Herbal Medicinal Products and
      Natural Remedies in Sweden 2007-15: Report from the Medical Products Agency.
AB  - BACKGROUND: In relation to the extensive use of herbal medicinal products in self
      care, the safety information is limited and there is a need for improvement. This
      study describes spontaneously reported adverse reactions related to herbal
      medicinal products and natural remedies in Sweden. OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the
      characteristics and frequency of adverse events recorded by the Swedish Medical
      Products Agency, where herbal medicinal products and natural remedies were
      suspected as causative agents. METHODS: Adverse drug reactions reported to the
      Swedish Medical Product Agency during 2007-15 related to approved herbal
      medicinal products or natural remedies were included and analysed in the
      retrospective study. Reports had been assessed for causality when they were
      lodged and only reports that had been assessed as at least possible were included
      in the study. RESULTS: In total, 116 reports (concerning 259 adverse reactions)
      related to herbal medicinal products or natural remedies were found in the
      Swedish national pharmacovigilance database. The active ingredients most
      frequently suspected during the study period were black cohosh rhizome (15
      reports), purple coneflower herb (14 reports) and a combination of extracts of
      pollen (13 reports). Adverse reactions related to skin and subcutaneous tissue
      were the most commonly reported reactions. CONCLUSIONS: No previously unknown
      safety problems have been discovered in the present study. This finding could be
      explained by a thorough pre-approval assessment of medicinal products and the
      fact that most herbal preparations in medicinal products have been in clinical
      use for many years (for traditional herbal medicinal products, the requirements
      are >=30 years), i.e. adverse reactions are acknowledged and assessed before
      approval.

PMID- 28353158
TI  - Pretreatment methods of lignocellulosic biomass for anaerobic digestion.
AB  - Agricultural residues, such as lignocellulosic materials (LM), are the most
      attractive renewable bioenergy sources and are abundantly found in nature.
      Anaerobic digestion has been extensively studied for the effective utilization of
      LM for biogas production. Experimental investigation of physiochemical changes
      that occur during pretreatment is needed for developing mechanistic and effective
      models that can be employed for the rational design of pretreatment processes.
      Various-cutting edge pretreatment technologies (physical, chemical and
      biological) are being tested on the pilot scale. These different pretreatment
      methods are widely described in this paper, among them, microaerobic pretreatment
      (MP) has gained attention as a potential pretreatment method for the degradation
      of LM, which just requires a limited amount of oxygen (or air) supplied directly
      during the pretreatment step. MP involves microbial communities under mild
      conditions (temperature and pressure), uses fewer enzymes and less energy for
      methane production, and is probably the most promising and environmentally
      friendly technique in the long run. Moreover, it is technically and economically
      feasible to use microorganisms instead of expensive chemicals, biological enzymes
      or mechanical equipment. The information provided in this paper, will endow
      readers with the background knowledge necessary for finding a promising solution
      to methane production.

PMID- 28353156
TI  - Restless legs syndrome in maintenance hemodialysis patients: an epidemiologic
      survey in Hefei.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: To investigate the prevalence of restless legs syndrome (RLS) in
      maintenance hemodialysis (MHD) patients and its possible influencing factors.
      METHODS: MHD patients were consecutively enrolled from five hemodialysis centers
      in Hefei. Clinical, demographics, and laboratory data were recorded from December
      2013 to March 2014. RLS diagnosis scale, Zung Self-Rating Depression Scale (SDS),
      Zung Self-Rating Anxiety Scale (SAS), Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI), and
      kidney disease and quality of life (KDQOLTM-36) were used for analysis. RESULTS:
      A total of 269 MHD patients (81 women, 188 men) were enrolled, among which 39
      patients were diagnosed as RLS. The median duration of dialysis therapy was 33
      months and the prevalence of RLS was 14.5%. Compared with RLS-negative patients,
      RLS-positive patients had lower hemoglobin level (98.67 +/- 13.50 vs 106.34 +/-
      17.75, P = 0.011) and higher alkaline phosphatase concentration [131.0 (98.0,
      226.0) vs 94.0 (69.8, 157.5), P = 0.001]. The multivariate logistic regression
      showed that high hemoglobin level (OR 0.975, 95% CI 0.956-0.995, P = 0.015) was a
      protective factor for RLS, while high alkaline phosphatase (OR 1.003, 95% CI
      1.001-1.005, P = 0.018) was an independent risk factor for RLS. RLS patients had
      significantly higher PSQI scores (P < 0.001), reduced subjective sleep quality (P
      < 0.001), increased sleep latency (P < 0.007), shorter sleep duration (P <
      0.001), lower sleep efficiency (P = 0.001), higher sleep disturbances (P <
      0.001), and increased daytime dysfunction (P = 0.019). CONCLUSION: Our findings
      demonstrated that the prevalence of RLS was 14.5% in Hefei. High hemoglobin level
      was a protective factor for RLS, and high alkaline phosphatase was an independent
      risk factor. RLS affects many aspects of quality of life and sleep quality, which
      may contribute to the presence of depression and anxiety.

PMID- 28353159
TI  - A case of successful transluminal drainage of walled-off necrosis under contrast
      enhanced harmonic endoscopic ultrasonography guidance.
AB  - We report a case of successful transluminal drainage of walled-off necrosis (WON)
      under contrast-enhanced harmonic endoscopic ultrasonography (CH-EUS) guidance.
      Recently, EUS-guided transluminal drainage (EUS-TD) of WON has been increasingly
      used as a minimally invasive treatment option with reportedly high technical and
      clinical success rates; however, B-mode EUS occasionally fails to depict the
      target lesion and its margins, particularly in cases where the target shows a
      heterogeneous echogenicity. In our case, EUS-TD was attempted for infected WON,
      but visualization using B-mode EUS imaging was poor. Thus, CH-EUS was performed
      to enhance the contrast between the targeted WON and its surrounding tissues.
      Immediately after injecting a sonographic contrast agent, WON and its margins
      were clearly identified as an avascular area and were punctured under CH-EUS
      guidance. CH-EUS enables the assessment of the microvasculature and hemodynamics
      of the target lesion in real time. It may also provide valuable information and
      could be a useful modality for EUS-TD to clearly visualize target lesions and
      their margins and to decisively puncture them, even when they could not be
      identified using B-mode EUS.

PMID- 28353162
TI  - Living Donor Liver Transplantation for Hepatocellular Carcinoma with Bile Duct
      Tumor Thrombi.

PMID- 28353160
TI  - Evolutionary consequences of historical metal contamination for natural
      populations of Chironomus riparius (Diptera: Chironomidae).
AB  - Populations inhabiting metal-impacted freshwater systems located nearby
      industrial and urban areas may be under intense selection. The present study aims
      to address two fundamental microevolutionary aspects of metal contamination in
      the midge Chironomus riparius (Meigen): Are populations inhabiting historically
      metal contaminated sites genetically adapted to metals? And, are populations from
      these sites genetically eroded? To answer these questions, C. riparius
      populations were sampled from three sites with well-known histories of metal
      contamination and three nearby-located references. Genetic adaptation to metals
      was investigated through acute and chronic exposures to cadmium (Cd), after
      rearing all populations for at least six generations under laboratory clean
      conditions. Genetic diversity was estimated based on the allelic variation of
      seven microsatellite markers. Results showed higher acute tolerance to Cd in
      populations originating from metal contaminated sites compared to their
      respective references and significant differences in two out of three pairwise
      comparisons. However, there was a mismatch between acute and chronic tolerance to
      Cd with results of the partial life-cycle tests suggesting fitness costs under
      control clean conditions in two metal-adapted populations. Despite no evidences
      of genetic erosion in populations sampled from metal contaminated sites, our
      results suggest genetically inherited tolerance to Cd in populations inhabiting
      historically contaminated sites. These findings lend support to the use of C.
      riparius as a model organism in evolutionary toxicology and highlight the
      importance of coupling measures of neutral genetic diversity with assessments of
      chemical tolerance of populations for a better understanding of contaminant
      induced adaptation and evolutionary processes.

PMID- 28353161
TI  - Thyroid hormone related gene transcription in southern sand flathead
      (Platycephalus bassensis) is associated with environmental mercury and arsenic
      exposure.
AB  - Arsenic (As) and mercury (Hg) are ubiquitous elements known to disrupt thyroid
      function in vertebrates. To explore the underlying mechanisms of Hg and As on the
      fish thyroid system, we investigated the associations between muscle
      concentrations of Hg and As with thyroid-related gene transcription in flathead
      (Platycephalus bassensis) from a contaminated estuary. We sampled fish at several
      sites to determine the hepatic expression of genes including deiodinases (D1 and
      D2), transthyretin (TTR), thyroid hormone receptors (TRalpha and TRbeta) and
      related them to Hg and As levels in the same individuals. Negative correlations
      were observed between Hg levels and D2, TTR, TRalpha and TRbeta, whereas positive
      associations were found between As concentrations and TTR and TRbeta. These
      results suggest that Hg and As exposures from environmental pollution affect the
      regulation of genes important for normal thyroid function in fish. These thyroid
      related genes could be used as biomarkers for monitoring environmental thyroid
      hormone disrupting chemicals.

PMID- 28353163
TI  - Expression of S100A2 and S100P in human eccrine sweat glands and their
      application in differentiating secretory coil-like from duct-like structures in
      the 3D reconstituted eccrine sweat spheroids.
AB  - Secretory coils and ducts are two components of eccrine sweat glands with
      different structures and functions. In our previous study, we combined keratins
      and alpha-SMA to distinguish between secretory coils and ducts. However, the key
      deficiency of the method was that none of the antibodies used was specific for
      ducts. In this study, we first examined the co-localization of K5/K7, alpha
      SMA/K14, K7/S100P and alpha-SMA/S100A2 by double-immunofluorescence staining to
      confirm the localization of S100P and S100A2 in native human eccrine sweat
      glands, and second we identified secretory coil-like and duct-like structures in
      the 3D reconstituted eccrine sweat gland spheroids by double-immunofluorescence
      staining for K7/S100P and alpha-SMA/S100A2. In native human eccrine sweat glands,
      S100A2 immunoreactivity was confined to the outer layer and S100P to the inner
      layer of the duct. In 12-week Matrigel plugs containing eccrine sweat gland
      cells, double-immunofluorescence staining for K7/S100P and alpha-SMA/S100A2 could
      easily distinguish duct-like structures from secretory coil-like structures. We
      conclude that S100A2 and S100P can be used as specific duct markers in eccrine
      sweat glands, and combined use of S100P or S100A2 with keratins enables easy to
      distinction between secretory coils and ducts.

PMID- 28353164
TI  - Preference of Genetic Diagnosis of CXCR4 Mutation Compared with Clinical
      Diagnosis of WHIM Syndrome.

PMID- 28353165
TI  - Poikiloderma with Neutropenia in Morocco: a Report of Four Cases.
AB  - PURPOSE: Poikiloderma with Neutropenia (PN) is inherited genodermatosis which
      results from a biallelic mutation in the USB1 gene (U Six Biogenesis 1). PN,
      first described in Navajo Native Americans, is characterized by early onset
      poikiloderma, pachyonychia, palmo-plantar hyperkeratosis, and permanent
      neutropenia. This condition results in frequent respiratory tract infections
      during infancy and childhood. From 2011 to 2013, four cases of PN were diagnosed
      in Morocco. In this paper, we report the first four cases of PN diagnosed in
      Morocco, out of three unrelated consanguinous families. METHODS: We investigated
      the genetic, immunological, and clinical features of four Moroccan patients with
      PN from three unrelated consanguinous families. RESULTS: Mean age at onset was 3
      months and mean age at diagnosis was 7.5 years. The diagnosis of these PN
      patients was made based on clinical features and confirmed by molecular analysis
      for three cases. We identified two undescribed homozygous mutations in the USB1
      gene: c.609 + 1G>A in two siblings and c.518 T>G(p.(Leu173Arg)) in the other
      case. CONCLUSION: This report confirms the clinical and genetic identity of
      Poikiloderma with Neutropenia syndrome.

PMID- 28353170
TI  - Impact of Guidance on the Prescription Patterns of G-CSFs for the Prevention of
      Febrile Neutropenia Following Anticancer Chemotherapy: A Population-Based
      Utilization Study in the Lazio Region.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Current guidelines recommend prophylaxis with granulocyte colony
      stimulating factors (G-CSFs) for patients with cancer who are at greater risk of
      febrile neutropenia (FN) while receiving chemotherapy. G-CSF biosimilars are
      available and represent a savings opportunity; however, their uptake has thus far
      been low. OBJECTIVE: Our objective was to evaluate prescribing patterns for G
      CSFs in the prevention of chemotherapy-related FN and to evaluate the impact of
      regional guidance on G-CSF prescription. METHODS: We conducted an observational
      drug-utilization study in the Lazio region of Italy using the Electronic
      Therapeutic Plan Registry, which collects information on G-CSF prescriptions
      reimbursed by the regional health service. This registry includes information on
      demographics, tumour, indication for G-CSF use and previous G-CSF exposure. All
      therapeutic plans (TPs) registered from 1 July 2015 to 30 June 2016 were
      selected. A pharmaceutical policy intervention was implemented in November 2015.
      We evaluated temporal trends regarding G-CSF substances and compared the
      frequency of TPs for each G-CSF substance during the pre- and post-intervention
      periods. RESULTS: A total of 7082 TPs were eligible for the analysis,
      corresponding to 6592 patients. The frequency of TPs prescribed after the
      intervention indicated a significant increase in the use of a filgrastim
      biosimilar (% difference: 14.4; p < 0.001) and significant decreases in the use
      of lenograstim (% difference: -6.0; p < 0.001) and pegfilgrastim (% difference: 
      7.8; p < 0.001). The temporal trends analysis showed an increase in TPs using a
      filgrastim biosimilar (from 34.4% in July 2015 to 49.8% in June 2016; p < 0.0001)
      and a decrease in TPs using lenograstim and pegfilgrastim. CONCLUSIONS: This
      study shows it is possible to change attitudes towards the prescription of less
      expensive G-CSFs in the FN setting when the prescriber's decision-making
      processes are supported by evidence that includes both regulatory and clinical
      information and the analysis of clinical practice data.

PMID- 28353166
TI  - Immunodeficiencies Associated with Abnormal Newborn Screening for T Cell and B
      Cell Lymphopenia.
AB  - Newborn screening for SCID has revealed the association of low T cells with a
      number of unexpected syndromes associated with low T cells, some of which were
      not appreciated to have this feature. This review will discuss diagnostic
      approaches and the features of some of the syndromes likely to be encountered
      following newborn screening for immune deficiencies.

PMID- 28353169
TI  - The Effect of Single and Multiple Doses of Rifampin on the Pharmacokinetics of
      Doravirine in Healthy Subjects.
AB  - BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: Doravirine is a novel, next-generation, non-nucleoside
      reverse transcriptase inhibitor in development for the treatment of human
      immunodeficiency virus-1 infection in combination with other antiretrovirals.
      Doravirine is a substrate for cytochrome P450 (CYP) 3A and P-glycoprotein.
      Rifampin (rifampicin) is used for treating tuberculosis in patients who are co
      infected with human immunodeficiency virus. Rifampin demonstrates organic anion
      transporting polypeptide 1B1 and P-glycoprotein inhibition after single-dose
      administration and CYP3A and P-glycoprotein induction after multiple-dose
      administration. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of co
      administration of single and multiple doses of rifampin on doravirine
      pharmacokinetics. METHODS: In period 1 of this open-label, two-period, fixed
      sequence study in healthy adults, subjects received single-dose doravirine 100
      mg; blood samples for measuring plasma concentration were collected pre-dose and
      up to 72 h post-dose. In period 2, following a 7-day washout, subjects received
      doravirine 100 mg and rifampin 600 mg on day 1, rifampin 600 mg daily on days 4
      18, with doravirine 100 mg co-administered on day 17; blood samples were
      collected pre-dose and up to 72 h post-dose on day 1 and up to 48 h post-dose on
      day 17. Safety assessments included adverse events, physical examinations, vital
      signs, and clinical laboratory measurements. RESULTS: Ten subjects completed the
      study. Doravirine area under the concentration-time curve from time zero
      extrapolated to infinity and plasma concentration at 24 h post-dose were
      comparable in the presence and absence of single-dose rifampin [geometric mean
      ratios (90% confidence intervals)] of 0.91 (0.78-1.06) and 0.90 (0.80-1.01),
      respectively. Doravirine maximum plasma concentration increased when co
      administered with single-dose rifampin vs. doravirine alone, geometric mean ratio
      (90% confidence interval): 1.40 (1.21-1.63). Reductions in doravirine geometric
      mean ratios (90% confidence interval), area under the concentration-time curve
      from time zero extrapolated to infinity: 0.12 (0.10-0.15), plasma concentration
      at 24 h post-dose: 0.03 (0.02-0.04), maximum plasma concentration: 0.43 (0.35
      0.52), and apparent terminal half-life were observed when co-administered with
      multiple-dose rifampin vs. doravirine administered alone. Doravirine was well
      tolerated. Adverse events were mild and resolved by study completion.
      CONCLUSIONS: Doravirine co-administration with single-dose rifampin indicated
      that inhibition of organic anion-transporting polypeptide uptake transporters and
      P-glycoprotein has little impact on doravirine pharmacokinetics. Long-term co
      administration of rifampin or other strong CYP3A inducers with doravirine will
      likely reduce its efficacy.

PMID- 28353171
TI  - Lidocaine-loaded fish scale-nanocellulose biopolymer composite microneedles.
AB  - Microneedle (MN) technology has emerged as an effective drug delivery system, and
      it has tremendous potential as a patient friendly substitute for conventional
      methods for transdermal drug delivery (TDD). In this paper, we report on the
      preparation of lidocaine-loaded biodegradable microneedles, which are
      manufactured from fish scale-derived collagen. Lidocaine, a common tissue numbing
      anaesthetic, is loaded in these microneedles with an aim of delivering the drug
      with controlled skin permeation. Evaluation of lidocaine permeation in porcine
      skin has been successfully performed using Franz diffusion cell (FDC) which has
      shown that the drug permeation rate increases from 2.5 to 7.5% w/w after 36 h and
      pseudo steady state profile is observed from 5.0 to 10.0% w/w lidocaine-loaded
      microneedle. Swelling experiments have suggested that the microneedles have
      negligible swellability which implies that the patch would stick to the tissue
      when inserted. The experiments on MN dissolution have depicted that the lidocaine
      loaded in the patch is lower than the theoretical loading, which is expected as
      there can be losses of the drug during initial process manufacture.

PMID- 28353172
TI  - Dodecylamine Template-Based Hexagonal Mesoporous Silica (HMS) as a Carrier for
      Improved Oral Delivery of Fenofibrate.
AB  - The aim of present investigation was the preparation of dodecylamine template
      based hexagonal mesoporous silica (HMS) as a carrier for poorly water-soluble
      drug (fenofibrate). HMS material has distinctive characteristics such as easy
      synthesis, high surface area and wormhole pores. These characteristics are highly
      admirable to make use of it as a carrier in drug delivery system. HMS was
      prepared by pH and temperature-independent process. Fenofibrate was loaded into
      the HMS by solvent immersion method using organic solvent. The BET surface area
      of HMS was evaluated by nitrogen adsorption/desorption analysis. HMS and drug
      loaded HMS were characterized by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), X-ray
      powder diffraction (XRPD), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR),
      scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and
      contact angle study. The HMS-based system was also evaluated for in vitro and in
      vivo study as compared to plain drug. The BET surface area of HMS was found 974
      m2/g with a narrow pore size average of 2.6 nm. The DSC and XRD study confirmed
      the amorphization of drug within the HMS. SEM and TEM study showed morphological
      features of HMS as well as revealed the wormhole porous structure. Contact angle
      study showed improvement in aqueous wetting property of drug within the HMS
      (contact angle 46 degrees ). The In vitro drug release study showed a remarkable
      dissolution enhancement in HMS-based system as compared to plain drug. In vivo
      pharmacodynamic study (hyperlipidaemia model) exhibited HMS-based formulation was
      significantly improved the bioavailability of fenofibrate. Thus, HMS has
      admirable properties; makes it a potential carrier for delivery system of poorly
      water-soluble drugs.

PMID- 28353173
TI  - Recent Trends in the Development of Chitosan-Based Drug Delivery Systems.

PMID- 28353174
TI  - Application of Quality by Design: Development to Manufacturing of Diclofenac
      Sodium Topical Gel.
AB  - The objective of the present study was to develop and optimize generic topical
      gel formulation of diclofenac sodium through quality by design approaches. The
      quality target product profile was set for the critical quality attributes of the
      gel. The key material variables like hydrophilic gelling agent carbopol and
      penetration enhancer kolliphor were optimized using design of experiments. A
      central composite design was used considering viscosity and cumulative percent
      diffusion of the drug after 0.5, 1, 2, 4 and 6 h as responses. The p values for
      all models generated for different responses were statistically significant
      (<0.5). Design space was established and verified at the laboratory scale. The
      predicted and observed values were in close agreement. The robustness of the
      formula was tested at a higher scale (10X and 200X). The capability index was
      calculated followed by Monte Carlo simulation and the Cpk values for all the
      responses were more than 1.33.

PMID- 28353176
TI  - Mathematical investigation of IP3-dependent calcium dynamics in astrocytes.
AB  - We study evoked calcium dynamics in astrocytes, a major cell type in the
      mammalian brain. Experimental evidence has shown that such dynamics are highly
      variable between different trials, cells, and cell subcompartments. Here we
      present a qualitative analysis of a recent mathematical model of astrocyte
      calcium responses. We show how the major response types are generated in the
      model as a result of the underlying bifurcation structure. By varying key channel
      parameters, mimicking blockers used by experimentalists, we manipulate this
      underlying bifurcation structure and predict how the distributions of responses
      can change. We find that store-operated calcium channels, plasma membrane bound
      channels with little activity during calcium transients, have a surprisingly
      strong effect, underscoring the importance of considering these channels in both
      experiments and mathematical settings. Variation in the maximum flow in different
      calcium channels is also shown to determine the range of stable oscillations, as
      well as set the range of frequencies of the oscillations. Further, by conducting
      a randomized search through the parameter space and recording the resulting
      calcium responses, we create a database that can be used by experimentalists to
      help estimate the underlying channel distribution of their cells.

PMID- 28353175
TI  - Current Concepts in Treatment of Barrett's Esophagus With and Without Dysplasia.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Around 10-15% of patients with gastroesophageal reflux disease will
      develop Barrett's esophagus (BE). The development of novel endoscopic modalities
      has changed the management of BE in the last decade. AIM: The aim of this study
      was to review the current evidence for the treatment of BE with and without
      dysplasia. RESULTS: In patients with BE without dysplasia, antireflux surgery
      should not be suggested as a modality to prevent the malignant transformation of
      BE, but its indications should be the same as for other patients with
      gastroesophageal reflux. Endoscopic surveillance at intervals of 3-5 years is
      recommended for these patients. For patients with BE with low-grade dysplasia,
      radiofrequency ablation (RFA) is the preferred treatment modality, while
      endoscopic surveillance every 12 months is an acceptable alternative in patients
      with life-limiting comorbidities. For most patients with BE and high-grade
      dysplasia, RFA is the preferred treatment strategy. Patients with intramucosal
      adenocarcinoma (T1a), should be treated with EMR followed by ablative therapy, in
      order to eradicate the remaining intestinal metaplasia. Endoscopic resection may
      be suitable for low-risk T1b tumors (well-differentiated, without lymphovascular
      invasion, and with superficial submucosal invasion); however, further data are
      necessary to better risk stratify this group. CONCLUSIONS: Patients with BE
      without dysplasia should undergo endoscopic surveillance every 3-5 years.
      Endoscopic ablative therapy (RFA) is the preferred treatment modality for
      dysplastic BE. Patients with T1a adenocarcinoma should be treated with EMR
      followed by ablative therapy. Low-risk T1b tumors may be suitable for endoscopic
      resection.

PMID- 28353177
TI  - Embracing heterothermic diversity: non-stationary waveform analysis of
      temperature variation in endotherms.
AB  - Recent research is revealing incredible diversity in the thermoregulatory
      patterns of wild and captive endotherms. As a result of these findings, classic
      thermoregulatory categories of 'homeothermy', 'daily heterothermy', and
      'hibernation' are becoming harder to delineate, impeding our understanding of the
      physiological and evolutionary significance of variation within and around these
      categories. However, we lack a generalized analytical approach for evaluating and
      comparing the complex and diversified nature of the full breadth of heterothermy
      expressed by individuals, populations, and species. Here we propose a new
      approach that decomposes body temperature time series into three inherent
      properties-waveform, amplitude, and period-using a non-stationary technique that
      accommodates the temporal variability of body temperature patterns. This approach
      quantifies circadian and seasonal variation in thermoregulatory patterns, and
      uses the distribution of observed thermoregulatory patterns as a basis for intra-
      and inter-specific comparisons. We analyse body temperature time series from
      multiple species, including classical hibernators, tropical heterotherms, and
      homeotherms, to highlight the approach's general usefulness and the major axes of
      thermoregulatory variation that it reveals.

PMID- 28353178
TI  - Identification of HIF-1 signaling pathway in Pelteobagrus vachelli using RNA-Seq:
      effects of acute hypoxia and reoxygenation on oxygen sensors, respiratory
      metabolism, and hematology indices.
AB  - Oxygen is a vital element in aquatic environments. The concentration of oxygen to
      which aquatic organisms are exposed is influenced by salinity, water temperature,
      weather, and surface water runoff. Hypoxia has a serious effect on fish
      populations, and can lead to the loss of habitat and die-offs. Therefore, in the
      present study we used next-generation sequencing technology to characterize the
      transcriptomes of Pelteobagrus vachelli and identified 70 candidate genes in the
      HIF-1 signaling pathway that are important for the hypoxic response in all
      metazoan species. For the first time, the present study reported the effects of
      acute hypoxia and reoxygenation on oxygen sensors, respiratory metabolism, and
      hematology indices in P. vachelli. The predicted physiological adjustments show
      that P. vachelli's blood oxygen-carrying capacity was increased through increased
      RBC, HB, and SI after hypoxia exposure. Glycolysis-related enzyme activities
      (PFK, HK, and PK) and LDH in the brain and liver also increased, indicating a
      rise in anaerobic metabolism. The observed reduction in oxidative enzyme level
      (CS) in the liver during hypoxia suggests a concomitant depression in aerobic
      metabolism. There were significant increases in oxygen sensor mRNA expression and
      HIF-1alpha protein expression during hypoxia and reoxygenation exposure,
      suggesting that the HIF-1 signaling pathway was activated in the liver and brain
      of P. vachelli in response to acute hypoxia and reoxygenation. Our findings
      suggest that oxygen sensors (e.g., HIF-1alpha) of P. vachelli are potentially
      useful biomarkers of environmental hypoxic exposure. These data contribute to a
      better understanding of the molecular mechanisms of the hypoxia signaling pathway
      in fish under hypoxia and reoxygenation.

PMID- 28353179
TI  - Genotypic and Environmental Variations in Grain Cadmium and Arsenic
      Concentrations Among a Panel of High Yielding Rice Cultivars.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Rice is a major dietary source of cadmium (Cd) and arsenic (As) for
      populations consuming rice as the staple food. Excessive Cd and As accumulation
      in rice grain is of great concern worldwide, especially in South China where soil
      contamination with heavy metals and metalloids is widespread. It is important to
      reduce Cd and As accumulation in rice grain through selection and breeding of
      cultivars accumulating low levels of Cd or As. RESULTS: To assess the genetic and
      environmental variations in the concentrations of Cd and As in rice grains, 471
      locally adapted high-yielding rice cultivars were grown at three moderately
      contaminated sites in South China for two years. Cadmium and As concentrations in
      brown rice varied by 10 - 32 and 2.5 - 4 fold, respectively. Genotype (G),
      environment (E) and G x E interactions were highly significant factors explaining
      the variations. Brown rice Cd concentration was found to correlate positively
      with the heading date among different cultivars, whereas As concentration and
      heading date correlated negatively. There was a significant and negative
      correlation between grain Cd and As concentrations. CONCLUSIONS: Eight and 6 rice
      cultivars were identified as stable low accumulators of Cd and As, respectively,
      based on the multiple site and season trials. These cultivars are likely to be
      compliant with the grain Cd or As limits of the Chinese Food Safety Standards
      when grown in moderately contaminated paddy soils in South China.

PMID- 28353180
TI  - Efficacy and Safety of the Over-the-Scope Clip (OTSC) System in the Management of
      Leak and Fistula After Laparoscopic Sleeve Gastrectomy: a Systematic Review.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Endoscopic management of leaks/fistulas after laparoscopic sleeve
      gastrectomy (LSG) is gaining popularity in the bariatric surgery. OBJECTIVES:
      This study aimed to review the efficacy and safety of over-the-scope-clip (OTSC)
      system in endoscopic closure of post-LSG leak/fistula. METHODS: PubMed/Medline
      and major journals of the field were systematically reviewed for studies on
      endoscopic closure of post-LSG leaks/fistula by means of the OTSC system.
      RESULTS: A total of ten eligible studies including 195 patients with post-LSG
      leaks/fistula were identified. The time between LSG and leak/fistula ranged from
      1 day to 803 days. Most of the leaks/fistula were located at the proximal staple
      line, and they sized from 3 to 20 mm. Time between leak diagnosis and OTSC
      clipping ranged from 0 to 271 days. Thirty-three out of 53 patients (63.5%)
      required one clip for closure of the lesion. Regarding the OTSC-related
      complications, a leak occurred in five patients (9.3%) and OTSC migration,
      stenosis, and tear each in one patient (1.8%). Of the 73 patients with post-LSG
      leak treated with OTSC, 63 patients had an overall successful closure (86.3%).
      CONCLUSION: OTSC system is a promising endoscopic approach for management of post
      LSG leaks in appropriately selected patients. Unfortunately, most studies are
      series with a small sample size, short-term follow-up, and mixed data of
      concomitant procedures with OTSC. Further studies should distinguish the net
      efficacy of the OTSC system from other concomitant procedures in treatment of
      post-LSG leak.

PMID- 28353182
TI  - An international qualitative study of ability and disability in ADHD using the
      WHO-ICF framework.
AB  - This is the third in a series of four cross-cultural empirical studies designed
      to develop International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health
      (ICF, and Children and Youth version, ICF(-CY) Core Sets for Attention-Deficit
      Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). To explore the perspectives of individuals
      diagnosed with ADHD, self-advocates, immediate family members and professional
      caregivers on relevant areas of impairment and functional abilities typical for
      ADHD across the lifespan as operationalized by the ICF(-CY). A qualitative study
      using focus group discussions or semi-structured interviews of 76 participants,
      divided into 16 stakeholder groups. Participants from five countries (Brazil,
      India, Saudi Arabia, South Africa and Sweden) were included. A deductive
      qualitative content analysis was conducted to extract meaningful functioning and
      disability concepts from verbatim material. Extracted concepts were then linked
      to ICF(-CY) categories by independent researchers using a standardized linking
      procedure. In total, 82 ICF(-CY) categories were identified, of which 32 were
      related to activities and participation, 25 to environmental factors, 23 to body
      functions and 2 to body structures. Participants also provided opinions on
      experienced positive sides to ADHD. A high level of energy and drive, creativity,
      hyper-focus, agreeableness, empathy, and willingness to assist others were the
      most consistently reported strengths associated with ADHD. Stakeholder
      perspectives highlighted the need to appraise ADHD in a broader context,
      extending beyond diagnostic criteria into many areas of ability and disability as
      well as environmental facilitators and barriers. This qualitative study, along
      with three other studies (comprehensive scoping review, expert survey and
      clinical study), will provide the scientific basis to define ICF(-CY) Core Sets
      for ADHD, from which assessment tools can be derived for use in clinical and
      research setting, as well as in health care administration.

PMID- 28353181
TI  - Effects of UPR and ERAD pathway on the prolyl endopeptidase production in Pichia
      pastoris by controlling of nitrogen source.
AB  - Prolyl endopeptidase (PEP) is very useful in various industries, while the high
      cost of enzyme production remains a major obstacle for its industrial
      applications. Pichia pastoris has been used for the PEP production; however, the
      fermentation process has not be investigated and little is known about the impact
      of excessive PEP production on the host cell physiology. Here, we optimized the
      nitrogen source to improve the PEP expression level and further evaluated the
      cellular response including UPR and ERAD. During methanol induction phase the PEP
      activity (1583 U/L) was increased by 1.48-fold under the optimized nitrogen
      concentration of NH4+ (300 mmol/L) and casamino acids [1.0% (w/v)] in a 3-L
      bioreactor. Evaluated by RT-PCR the UPR and ERAD pathways were confirmed to be
      activated. Furthermore, a strong decrease of ERAD-related gene transcription was
      observed with the addition of nitrogen source, which contributed to a higher PEP
      expression level.

PMID- 28353183
TI  - Tetanus in adults: results of the multicenter ID-IRI study.
AB  - Tetanus is an acute, severe infection caused by a neurotoxin secreting bacterium.
      Various prognostic factors affecting mortality in tetanus patients have been
      described in the literature. In this study, we aimed to analyze the factors
      affecting mortality in hospitalized tetanus patients in a large case series. This
      retrospective multicenter study pooled data of tetanus patients from 25 medical
      centers. The hospitals participating in this study were the collaborating centers
      of the Infectious Diseases International Research Initiative (ID-IRI). Only adult
      patients over the age of 15 years with tetanus were included. The diagnosis of
      tetanus was made by the clinicians at the participant centers. Izmir Bozyaka
      Education and Research Hospital's Review Board approved the study. Prognostic
      factors were analyzed by using the multivariate regression analysis method. In
      this study, 117 adult patients with tetanus were included. Of these, 79 (67.5%)
      patients survived and 38 (32.5%) patients died. Most of the deaths were observed
      in patients >60 years of age (60.5%). Generalized type of tetanus, presence of
      pain at the wound area, presence of generalized spasms, leukocytosis, high
      alanine aminotransferase (ALT) and C-reactive protein (CRP) values on admission,
      and the use of equine immunoglobulins in the treatment were found to be
      statistically associated with mortality (p < 0.05 for all). Here, we describe the
      prognostic factors for mortality in tetanus. Immunization seems to be the most
      critical point, considering the advanced age of our patients. A combination of
      laboratory and clinical parameters indicates mortality. Moreover, human
      immunoglobulins should be preferred over equine sera to increase survival.

PMID- 28353184
TI  - High pneumococcal DNA load, procalcitonin and suPAR levels correlate to severe
      disease development in patients with pneumococcal pneumonia.
AB  - Community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) is mostly caused by Streptococcus pneumoniae.
      Identification of the pathogen causing CAP can be achieved by conventional
      culture techniques of sputum and/or blood, antigen detection from urine or
      molecular analysis. However, it remains difficult to determine patients who are
      at risk of severe disease development (intensive care unit [ICU] admittance
      and/or death). In this retrospective study, 121 patients admitted to the
      emergency department with pneumonia symptoms were included. Several markers of
      infection (pneumococcal DNA load in blood (real-time LytA PCR), white blood cell
      (WBC) count, C-reactive protein (CRP), procalcitonin (PCT) and soluble urokinase
      plasminogen activator receptor (suPAR) levels) were assessed for their ability to
      predict severe disease development. Of 121 patients, 6 were excluded from the
      study because of an alternative diagnosis, whereas 8 were excluded from biomarker
      analysis because of the presence of co-morbidities. Of the 115 patients analysed
      by the LytA PCR, 23 were positive. PCR detected S. pneumoniae DNA in 82% of
      patients with positive blood culture for S. pneumoniae. PCR missed three samples
      from patients in which S. pneumoniae was recovered by blood cultures. However,
      eight additional LytA PCR-positive samples were detected from patients whose
      blood cultures remained negative. Pneumococcal DNA load was also monitored in
      time for 31 patients, of whom 11 had positive PCR results. For 10 out of 11 (91%)
      positive PCR patients, a clear increase in Ct-values was observed, indicating a
      lower pneumococcal DNA load in the blood as a result of antibiotic therapy.
      Biomarker analysis was performed in 107 patients, of whom 29 showed severe
      disease development. Pneumococcal DNA load (p = 0.026), PCT (p = 0.046) and suPAR
      (p = 0.001) levels most reliably predicted severe disease development. In
      conclusion, in patients with CAP, higher pneumococcal DNA load, PCT and suPAR
      values are associated with severe disease development (ICU admission and/or
      death). These biomarkers may be useful tools for triage of patients suspected of
      having CAP in the emergency department.

PMID- 28353185
TI  - PK-PD Compass: bringing infectious diseases pharmacometrics to the patient's
      bedside.
AB  - Antimicrobial stewardship programs face many challenges, one of which is a lack
      of guidance regarding antimicrobial dose, interval, and duration. There is no
      tool that considers patient demographic, pathogen susceptibility, and
      pharmacokinetic-pharmacodynamic (PK-PD) targets for efficacy in order to evaluate
      appropriate antimicrobial dosing regimens. The PK-PD Compass, an educational
      mobile application, was developed to address this unmet need. The application
      consists of a Monte Carlo simulation algorithm which integrates pharmacokinetic
      (PK) and PK-PD data, patient-specific characteristics, and pathogen
      susceptibility data. Through the integration of these data, the application
      allows practitioners to assess the percent probability of PK-PD target attainment
      for 35 intravenous antimicrobial agents across 29 infection categories.
      Population PK models for each drug were identified, evaluated, and refined as
      needed. Susceptibility breakpoints were based upon FDA and CLSI criteria. By
      incorporating these data into one interface, clinicians can select the infection,
      pathogen, and antimicrobial agents of interest and obtain the percent probability
      of PK-PD target attainment for each regimen based upon patient-specific
      characteristics. The antimicrobial dosing regimens provided include those
      recommended by standard guidelines and reference texts. However, unlike these
      references, potential choices are prioritized based on percent probabilities of
      PK-PD target attainment. Such data will educate clinicians on selecting optimized
      antibiotic regimens through the lens of PK-PD.

PMID- 28353187
TI  - Noradrenergic beta-Adrenoceptor-Mediated Intracellular Molecular Mechanism of Na
      K ATPase Subunit Expression in C6 Cells.
AB  - Rapid eye movement sleep deprivation-associated elevated noradrenaline increases
      and decreases neuronal and glial Na-K ATPase activity, respectively. In this
      study, using C6 cell-line as a model, we investigated the possible intracellular
      molecular mechanism of noradrenaline-induced decreased glial Na-K ATPase
      activity. The cells were treated with noradrenaline in the presence or absence of
      adrenoceptor antagonists, modulators of extra- and intracellular Ca++ and
      modulators of intracellular signalling pathways. We observed that noradrenaline
      acting on beta-adrenoceptor decreased Na-K ATPase activity and mRNA expression of
      the catalytic alpha2-Na-K ATPase subunit in the C6 cells. Further, cAMP and
      protein kinase-A mediated release of intracellular Ca++ played a critical role in
      such decreased alpha2-Na-K ATPase expression. In contrast, noradrenaline acting
      on beta-adrenoceptor up-regulated the expression of regulatory beta2-Na-K ATPase
      subunit, which although was cAMP and Ca++ dependent, was independent of protein
      kinase-A and protein kinase-C. Combining these with previous findings (including
      ours) we have proposed a working model for noradrenaline-induced suppression of
      glial Na-K ATPase activity and alteration in its subunit expression. The findings
      help understanding noradrenaline-associated maintenance of brain excitability
      during health and altered states, particularly in relation to rapid eye movement
      sleep and its deprivation when the noradrenaline level is naturally altered.

PMID- 28353186
TI  - A novel phenotypic assay of hepatitis B virus polymerase with extensive site
      specific mutagenesis.

PMID- 28353188
TI  - Feasibility of standardized methods to specify behavioral pediatric obesity
      prevention interventions.
AB  - Standardized methods are needed to evaluate what occurs within the 'black box' of
      behavioral interventions to prevent pediatric obesity. The purpose of this
      research is to evaluate methods to specify the behavior change techniques used
      and the amount of time spent discussing target weight-related behaviors in an
      intervention for parents of children at risk for becoming overweight or obese.
      Independent coders were trained to identify behavior change techniques and time
      spent discussing weight-related behaviors in audio recordings and transcripts of
      intervention sessions from 100 randomly selected participants. The behavior
      change technique taxonomy (BCTTv1) was used to code techniques present in
      sessions. A newly-developed tool was used to code time spent discussing each
      target weight-related behavior (e.g., physical activity, screen time). Sessions
      from a subset of these participants (N = 20) were double coded to evaluate inter
      rater reliability. After revisions to coding protocols, coders reliably coded
      behavior change techniques used and time spent discussing target weight-related
      behaviors in sessions from the subset of 20 participants. The most commonly
      discussed target weight-related behavior was physical activity followed by energy
      intake and fruit and vegetable intake. On average, 13.9 (SD = 2.8) unique
      behavior change techniques were present across sessions for a given participant.
      These results offer reliable methods for systematically identifying behavior
      change techniques used and time spent discussing weight-related behaviors in a
      pediatric obesity prevention intervention. This work paves the way for future
      research to identify which specific target behaviors and techniques are most
      associated with the prevention of unhealthy weight gain in children.

PMID- 28353189
TI  - Reflections on Ethics and Humanity in Pediatric Neurology: the Value of
      Recognizing Ethical Issues in Common Clinical Practice.
AB  - Our goals in this reflection are to (i) identify the ethical dimensions inherent
      in any clinical encounter and (ii) bring to the forefront of our pediatric
      neurology practice the myriad of opportunities to explore and learn from these
      ethical questions. We highlight specifically Beauchamp and Childress's principles
      of biomedical ethics. We use the terms ethics in common clinical practice and an
      ethical lens to remind people of the ubiquity of ethical situations and the
      usefulness of using existing ethical principles to analyze and resolve difficult
      situations in clinical practice. We start with a few common situations with which
      many of us tend to struggle. We describe what we understand as ethics and how and
      why developments in technology, novel potential interventions, policies, and
      societal perspectives challenge us to think about and debate ethical issues.
      Individual patients are not a singular population; each patient has their own
      unique life situations, culture, goals, and expectations that need to be
      considered with a good dose of humanity and humility. We believe that using an
      ethical lens-by which we mean making an explicit effort to identify and consider
      these issues openly-will help us to achieve this goal in practice, education, and
      research.

PMID- 28353190
TI  - The day after the 7th day of the Creation: Breakthrough of human embryo in vitro
      culture.

PMID- 28353191
TI  - Long-Term Maintenance of Certolizumab Pegol Safety and Efficacy, in Combination
      with Methotrexate and as Monotherapy, in Rheumatoid Arthritis Patients.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: The safety and efficacy of certolizumab pegol (CZP) 400 mg every 4
      weeks (Q4W) monotherapy (FAST4WARD/NCT00548834) and in combination with
      methotrexate (MTX) (014/NCT00544154) in active rheumatoid arthritis (RA) has been
      published previously. This report outlines final long-term outcomes from the open
      label extension (OLE) study (015/NCT00160693), which enrolled patients from these
      randomized controlled trials (RCTs). METHODS: Patients who withdrew from or
      completed the 24-week 014/FAST4WARD RCTs were enrolled and received CZP 400 mg
      Q4W with/without MTX. Exposure-adjusted event rates (ER) per 100 patient-years
      (PYs) of adverse events (AEs) and serious AEs (SAEs) were reported for all
      patients receiving >=1 dose of CZP in RCTs or OLE (N = 427) between first CZP
      dose and up to 24 weeks after last CZP dose or study withdrawal. Efficacy
      assessments included clinical (ACR20/50/70 response rates, TJC, SJC) and patient
      reported outcomes (HAQ-DI, PtGADA, pain, fatigue) to week 304 (5.8 years) in the
      CZP intent-to-treat population. SDAI and CDAI outcomes were analyzed post hoc.
      Outcomes for CZP monotherapy and CZP+MTX combination-therapy were compared.
      RESULTS: Globally, ERs of AEs and SAEs were 408.1 and 25.2 per 100 PY,
      respectively. Eleven patients had AEs leading to death (ER 0.6). Improvements in
      clinical and patient-reported outcomes during the 24-week RCTs were maintained to
      week 304, and were similar between all subpopulations. CONCLUSIONS: The longest
      exposure duration to date with CZP 400 mg Q4W treatment confirmed the safety
      profile observed in previous studies. Initial improvements in signs and symptoms
      of RA, including PROs, were maintained in both CZP monotherapy and CZP + MTX
      combination-therapy patients. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ClinicalTrials.gov identifier,
      NCT00160693. FUNDING: UCB Pharma.

PMID- 28353192
TI  - Three cases of relapsed/refractory multiple myeloma under hemodialysis treated
      with panobinostat/bortezomib/dexamethasone (FVD).
AB  - Three patients under hemodialysis (HD) with relapsed/refractory multiple myeloma
      (MM) were administered panobinostat/bortezomib/dexamethasone (FVD). Case 1: The
      patient was a 66-year-old male with BJP-kappa. FVD was effective, but HD could
      not be discontinued. He developed Grade 3 adverse events (AEs), including nausea,
      dehydration, and fatigue, following the common terminology criteria for adverse
      events v4.0. FVD was discontinued after the third course, while HD was continued.
      Case 2: The patient was a 65-year-old female with IgG-lambda + BJP-lambda.
      Amyloidosis was complicated. The first course of FVD was effective, but HD could
      not be discontinued. She developed G2 AEs, including nausea and fatigue. The
      cardiac amyloidosis worsened, and she died of heart and renal failure. Case 3:
      The patient was a 79-year-old male with BJP-kappa. FVD was effective, and the HD
      could be discontinued on day 12 of treatment. No AEs were noted. However, he
      declined continuation of the FVD and died of MM relapse and renal failure. We
      analyzed the pharmacokinetics of panobinostat. There were no correlations between
      dose level and blood level of panobinostat or between blood level, efficacy, and
      incidence of AEs. We additionally measured the rate of elimination of the drug by
      HD.

PMID- 28353193
TI  - Exome sequencing for simultaneous mutation screening in children with
      hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis.
AB  - In the present study, we used exome sequencing to analyze PRF1, UNC13D, STX11,
      and STXBP2, as well as genes associated with primary immunodeficiency disease
      (RAB27A, LYST, AP3B1, SH2D1A, ITK, CD27, XIAP, and MAGT1) in Thai children with
      hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis (HLH). We performed mutation analysis of HLH
      associated genes in 25 Thai children using an exome sequencing method. Genetic
      variations found within these target genes were compared to exome sequencing data
      from 133 healthy individuals. Variants identified with minor allele frequencies
      <5% and novel mutations were confirmed using Sanger sequencing. Exome sequencing
      data revealed 101 non-synonymous single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in all
      subjects. These SNPs were classified as pathogenic (n = 1), likely pathogenic (n
      = 16), variant of unknown significance (n = 12), or benign variant (n = 72).
      Homozygous, compound heterozygous, and double-gene heterozygous variants,
      involving mutations in PRF1 (n = 3), UNC13D (n = 2), STXBP2 (n = 3), LYST (n =
      3), XIAP (n = 2), AP3B1 (n = 1), RAB27A (n = 1), and MAGT1 (n = 1), were
      demonstrated in 12 patients. Novel mutations were found in most patients in this
      study. In conclusion, exome sequencing demonstrated the ability to identify rare
      genetic variants in HLH patients. This method is useful in the detection of
      mutations in multi-gene associated diseases.

PMID- 28353195
TI  - Intrinsic worker mortality depends on behavioral caste and the queens' presence
      in a social insect.
AB  - According to the classic life history theory, selection for longevity depends on
      age-dependant extrinsic mortality and fecundity. In social insects, the common
      life history trade-off between fecundity and longevity appears to be reversed, as
      the most fecund individual, the queen, often exceeds workers in lifespan several
      fold. But does fecundity directly affect intrinsic mortality also in social
      insect workers? And what is the effect of task on worker mortality? Here, we
      studied how social environment and behavioral caste affect intrinsic mortality of
      ant workers. We compared worker survival between queenless and queenright
      Temnothorax longispinosus nests and demonstrate that workers survive longer under
      the queens' absence. Temnothorax ant workers fight over reproduction when the
      queen is absent and dominant workers lay eggs. Worker fertility might therefore
      increase lifespan, possibly due to a positive physiological link between
      fecundity and longevity, or better care for fertile workers. In social insects,
      division of labor among workers is age-dependant with young workers caring for
      the brood and old ones going out to forage. We therefore expected nurses to
      survive longer than foragers, which is what we found. Surprisingly, inactive
      inside workers showed a lower survival than nurses but comparable to that of
      foragers. The reduced longevity of inactive workers could be due to them being
      older than the nurses, or due to a positive effect of activity on lifespan.
      Overall, our study points to behavioral caste-dependent intrinsic mortality rates
      and a positive association between fertility and longevity not only in queens but
      also in ant workers.

PMID- 28353194
TI  - Impact of maxillary sinus augmentation on oral health-related quality of life.
AB  - BACKGROUND: The aim of this study was to measure the oral health-related quality
      of life (OHRQoL) after maxillary sinus augmentation to determine the physical and
      psychological impact of this procedure for the patient. METHODS: Three hundred
      sixteen patients treated with an external or internal maxillary sinus
      augmentation and a total of 863 implants in the Department of Oral and
      Maxillofacial Surgery, Johannes Gutenberg University, Mainz, Germany, between
      July 2002 and December 2007 were included in this retrospective study. Total
      implant survival was assessed. Completion of a modified 26-item version of the
      Oral Health Impact Profile (OHIP-G) for assessing the oral health-related quality
      of life before and after the treatment was asked for. Subcategories were (1)
      functional limitations, (2) physical and psychological disabilities, and (3)
      complaints due to the surgical procedure. In 53 patients available for clinical
      follow-up examination, assessment of soft tissue parameters was performed.
      RESULTS: After an average time in situ of 41.2 +/- 27 months (3.4 years), the in
      situ rate was 95.4%. One-year survival rate and five-year survival rate according
      to Kaplan Meier were 95.4 and 94.4%. Concerning functional limitations,
      significant better values for OHRQoL after sinus augmentation procedure than
      before the treatment (p < 0.001) were seen. In the subcategory physical and
      psychological disabilities, all questions had significant better values after the
      sinus lift (p < 0.001). Concerning complaints due to the surgical procedure, mean
      total scores were 5.1 +/- 5.4 pre-operative, 6.9 +/- 6.1 (0-31) post-operative,
      and 2.4 +/- 3.7 recently. This meant a significant difference between "pre
      operative" vs. "post-operative" (p = 0.003), "pre-operative" vs. "recently" (p <
      0.001), and "post-operative" vs. "recently" (p < 0.001). Concerning the influence
      of implant indication, edentulous patients showed the most distinct improvement
      after the procedure. Clinical assessment showed stable soft tissue parameters.
      CONCLUSIONS: Evaluation of OHRQoL after sinus augmentation showed a significant
      improvement indicating a remarkable benefit for the patients through this
      procedure.

PMID- 28353196
TI  - Robotic-assisted vesicovaginal fistula repair using an extravesical approach
      without interposition grafting.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Post-hysterectomy vesicovaginal fistula (VVF) is rare. In addition to
      conventional abdominal and vaginal approaches, robotic-assisted VVF repairs have
      recently been described. We present a case of an extravesical, robotic-assisted
      VVF repair, without placement of an interposition graft performed in a Canadian
      teaching center. CASE: A 51-year-old woman presented with urinary incontinence 5
      days after laparoscopic hysterectomy. Computed tomography cystogram, cystoscopy,
      and methylene blue dye test, confirmed a VVF above the bladder trigone. The
      patient underwent a robotic-assisted VVF repair 3 months after presentation,
      without complication. An abdominal, extravesical approach was used. Operative
      time was 116 min and repeat CT cystogram showed no evidence of persistent.
      CONCLUSION: We have demonstrated that a VVF repair, using a robotic-assisted,
      extravesical approach without interposition graft placement, can be safe, less
      invasive and have a successful outcome at 1 year of follow-up.

PMID- 28353197
TI  - Comparison of 18F-FDG-PET/CT and 18F-FDG-PET/MR imaging in oncology: a systematic
      review.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to systematically review the literature to
      evaluate the clinical performance of integrated 18F-FDG PET/MR as compared with
      18F-FDG PET/CT in oncologic imaging. METHODS: The literature was searched using
      MEDLINE and EMBASE via OVID. Studies comparing the diagnostic accuracy of
      integrated 18F-FDG PET/MR and 18F-FDG PET/CT in the diagnosis, staging/restaging,
      assessment of treatment response, or evaluation of metastasis in patients with
      suspected or diagnosed cancers were deemed eligible for inclusion. Risk of bias
      and applicability concerns were assessed using the QUADAS-2 tool. RESULTS: Twenty
      studies met the inclusion criteria. The overall quality of the studies was rated
      favorably with bias or applicability concerns in a few studies. Our review
      suggests that 18F-FDG PET/MR performs comparably to 18F-FDG PET/CT in the
      detection of local lymph node and distant metastases and superiorly in
      determining the local extent of tumor. SUV obtained from 18F-FDG PET/MR
      correlated highly with those obtained from 18F-FDG PET/CT. CONCLUSIONS: Based on
      early evidence, 18F-FDG PET/MR is comparable to 18F-FDG PET/CT in the clinical
      scenarios examined in this review. The potential for interchangeability of 18F
      FDG PET/MR with 18F-FDG PET/CT will vary by indication and the body site that is
      being imaged, with PET scanners integrated with MRI predicted to provide greater
      detail in the evaluation of local tumor extent, where 18F-FDG PET/CT can be
      limited.

PMID- 28353198
TI  - Is there sufficient evidence to support an optimum time for the extraction of
      first permanent molars?
AB  - AIM: To evaluate whether the literature contains evidence, of an appropriate
      quality, to support the fundamental belief that there is an "optimal time" for
      extraction of FPMs with a poor prognosis. METHODS: A comprehensive search,
      limited to human studies, was performed using five databases. PICO based
      inclusion and exclusion criteria were employed to facilitate article selection.
      Three independent reviewers assessed the quality of included studies using STROBE
      and GRADE criteria. RESULTS: Initially, 56 articles were selected, of which 9
      were included for final assessments. None of the included studies obtained
      moderate or high GRADE level rating and neither did they meet all of the STROBE
      requirements with only one study satisfying 95%, and another study satisfying
      73%, of the requirements. The inter-observer agreement was excellent. CONCLUSION:
      There is no scientific evidence, of an appropriate quality, to support the
      "optimal time" for extraction of FPMs with a poor prognosis.

PMID- 28353199
TI  - Lenticular nucleus correlates of general self-efficacy in young adults.
AB  - General self-efficacy (GSE) is an important factor in education, social
      participation, and medical treatment. However, the only study that has
      investigated the direct association between GSE and a neural correlate did not
      identify specific brain regions, rather only assessed brain structures, and
      included older adult subjects. GSE is related to motivation, physical activity,
      learning, the willingness to initiate behaviour and expend effort, and
      adjustment. Thus, it was hypothesized in the present study that the neural
      correlates of GSE might be related to changes in the basal ganglia, which is a
      region related to the abovementioned self-efficacy factors. This study aimed to
      identify the brain structures associated with GSE in healthy young adults (n =
      1204, 691 males and 513 females, age 20.7 +/- 1.8 years) using regional grey
      matter density and volume (rGMD and rGMV), fractional anisotropy (FA) and mean
      diffusivity (MD) analyses of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) data. The findings
      showed that scores on the GSE Scale (GSES) were associated with a lower MD value
      in regions from the right putamen to the globus pallidum; however, there were no
      significant association between GSES scores and regional brain structures using
      the other analyses (rGMD, rGMV, and FA). Thus, the present findings indicated
      that the lenticular nucleus is a neural correlate of GSE.

PMID- 28353201
TI  - The Importance of Recognizing Cannabinoid Hyperemesis Syndrome from Synthetic
      Marijuana Use.

PMID- 28353200
TI  - Asymptomatic acute hepatitis E in a female patient with ulcerative colitis.
AB  - We present a 60-year-old female patient with asymptomatic acute hepatitis E that
      was fortuitously detected during the course of ulcerative colitis (UC). She was
      admitted to hospital on October 30, 2015. Endoscopy and histological examination
      of the colon showed typical findings of UC. All parameters of liver function
      tests were normal on this date. Combination therapy with oral prednisolone and
      mesalazine was started and intravenous administration of infliximab once every 8
      weeks was added later. Her symptoms gradually improved after these treatments,
      and she was discharged on February 7, 2016. In a periodic check-up on July 7,
      2016, high levels of serum transaminases were detected in liver function tests.
      Although drug-induced liver injury was first suspected, anti-hepatitis E virus
      (HEV) immunoglobulin A was positive. The genotype and subgenotype of this HEV are
      3 and 3a, respectively, although the infectious route of the HEV was unclear.
      Within 2 weeks after the onset of acute liver injury, the HEV viremia disappeared
      and her liver function tests improved. Examination of serum anti-HEV
      immunoglobulin A should be added at the time of abnormal liver function tests in
      patients with UC receiving immunosuppressive and biological drugs.

PMID- 28353202
TI  - A single dialysis session of hemodiafiltration with sorbent-regenerated
      endogenous ultrafiltrate reinfusion (HFR) removes hepcidin more efficiently than
      bicarbonate hemodialysis: a new approach to containing hepcidin burden in
      dialysis patients?
AB  - BACKGROUND: Most hemodialysis patients have high Hepcidin-25 levels, which may be
      involved in the pathogenesis of several uremic complications related to an
      altered iron biology. The hemodialysis procedure itself can influence Hepcidin-25
      levels by removing Hepcidin-25 and maybe stimulating its production due to a pro
      inflammatory effect. METHODS: To assess the relationship between dialysis-related
      inflammation and intradialysis changes in Hepcidin-25, we performed a crossover
      trial in 28 hemodialysis patients to compare the effects on serum levels of
      Hepcidin-25 and inflammatory markers activated during dialysis [Tumor Necrosis
      Factor-alpha (TNF-alpha), Interleukin-6, C-reactive protein (CRP), Pentraxin-3]
      of a single dialysis session using a technique capable of reducing inflammation,
      HFR (Hemo Filtrate Reinfusion: a hemodiafiltration system combining convection,
      diffusion and adsorption) or bicarbonate-dialysis using either the same low-flux
      membrane as in the diffusion stage of HFR (LFBD) or a high-flux membrane (HFBD).
      RESULTS: HFR achieved a greater reduction in Hepcidin-25 levels than both LFBD [
      72% (95% CI: -11 to -133), p = 0.022] and HFBD [-137% (95% CI: -2 to -272), p =
      0.047], conceivably due to both a greater removal (because of its
      convective/adsorptive component) and a lower inflammation-related Hepcidin-25
      production. HFR also led to a greater decrease in TNF-alpha than LFBD [-277% (95%
      CI: -59 to -494), p = 0.014], while the two methods induced similar changes in
      Interleukin-6, CRP and Pentraxin-3 levels. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings suggest that
      a single bicarbonate-dialysis session can upregulate Hepcidin-25 synthesis and
      that HFR can fully overcome this effect, enabling a greater Hepcidin-25 removal
      during dialysis. Adequately-designed studies are needed, however, to establish
      whether the beneficial effect of HFR emerging from our study could reduce
      Hepcidin-25 (and TNF-alpha) burden and improve clinically-relevant outcomes.
      TRIAL REGISTRATION: ISRCTN15957905.

PMID- 28353204
TI  - Large-scale carbon stock assessment of woody vegetation in tropical dry deciduous
      forest of Sathanur reserve forest, Eastern Ghats, India.
AB  - Tropical dry forests are one of the most widely distributed ecosystems in
      tropics, which remain neglected in research, especially in the Eastern Ghats.
      Therefore, the present study was aimed to quantify the carbon storage in woody
      vegetation (trees and lianas) on large scale (30, 1 ha plots) in the dry
      deciduous forest of Sathanur reserve forest of Eastern Ghats. Biomass of adult
      (>=10 cm DBH) trees was estimated by species-specific allometric equations using
      diameter and wood density of species whereas in juvenile tree population and
      lianas, their respective general allometric equations were used to estimate the
      biomass. The fractional value 0.4453 was used to convert dry biomass into carbon
      in woody vegetation of tropical dry forest. The mean aboveground biomass value of
      juvenile tree population was 1.86 Mg/ha. The aboveground biomass of adult trees
      ranged from 64.81 to 624.96 Mg/ha with a mean of 245.90 Mg/ha. The mean
      aboveground biomass value of lianas was 7.98 Mg/ha. The total biomass of woody
      vegetation (adult trees + juvenile population of trees + lianas) ranged from
      85.02 to 723.46 Mg/ha, with a mean value of 295.04 Mg/ha. Total carbon
      accumulated in woody vegetation in tropical dry deciduous forest ranged from
      37.86 to 322.16 Mg/ha with a mean value of 131.38 Mg/ha. Adult trees accumulated
      94.81% of woody biomass carbon followed by lianas (3.99%) and juvenile population
      of trees (1.20%). Albizia amara has the greatest biomass and carbon stock
      (58.31%) among trees except for two plots (24 and 25) where Chloroxylon swietenia
      contributed more to biomass and carbon stock. Similarly, Albizia amara (52.4%)
      showed greater carbon storage in juvenile population of trees followed by
      Chloroxylon swietenia (21.9%). Pterolobium hexapetalum (38.86%) showed a greater
      accumulation of carbon in liana species followed by Combretum albidum (33.04%).
      Even though, all the study plots are located within 10 km radius, they show a
      significant spatial variation among them in terms of biomass and carbon stocks
      which could be attributed to variation in anthropogenic pressures among the plots
      as well as to changes in tree density across landscapes. Total basal area of
      woody vegetation showed a significant positive (R 2 = 0.978; P = 0.000)
      relationship with carbon storage while juvenile tree basal area showed the
      negative relationship (R 2 = 0.4804; P = 0.000) with woody carbon storage. The
      present study generates a large-scale baseline data of dry deciduous forest
      carbon stock, which would facilitate carbon stock assessment at a national level
      as well as to understand its contribution on a global scale.

PMID- 28353203
TI  - Gene structure of the pregnancy-associated glycoprotein-like (PAG-L) in the
      Eurasian beaver (Castor fiber L.).
AB  - The pregnancy-associated glycoprotein-like family (PAG-L) is a large group of
      chorionic products, expressed in the pre-placental trophoblast and later in the
      post-implantational chorionic epithelium, and are involved in proper placenta
      development and embryo-maternal interaction in eutherians. This study describes
      identification of the PAG-L family in the genome of the Eurasian beaver (Castor
      fiber L.), named CfPAG-L. We identified 7657 bp of the CfPAG-L gDNA sequence
      (Acc. No. KX377932), encompassing nine exons (1-9) and eight introns (A-H). The
      length of the CfPAG-L exons (59-200 bp) was equivalently similar to the only
      known counterparts of bPAG1, bPAG2, and pPAG2. The length of the CfPAG-L introns
      ranged 288-1937 bp and was completely different from previously known PAG
      introns. The exonic CfPAG-L regions revealed 50.3-72.9% homology with equivalent
      segments of bPAG1 and pPAG2 structure. The intronic CfPAG-L regions alignments
      revealed a lack of homology. Within the entire CfPAG-L gene, 31 potential single
      nucleotide variants (SNV: 7 transversions and 24 transitions) were predicted. The
      identified exonic polymorphic loci did not affect the amino acid sequence of the
      CfPAG-L polypeptide precursor. This is the first report describing the CfPAG-L
      gene sequence, structural organization, and SNVs in the Eurasian beaver, one of
      the largest rodents.

PMID- 28353205
TI  - Earth-tide-induced fluctuations in the salinity of an inland river, New South
      Wales, Australia: a short-term study.
AB  - Wybong Creek discharges salts into the agriculturally and industrially important
      Hunter River in New South Wales, Australia. Abrupt increases in salinity occur
      periodically in the mid-Wybong Creek catchment. In order to understand the
      processes which cause these abrupt increases, changes in surface and groundwater
      were investigated. It is shown that salinity increases can be attributed to
      highly discrete groundwater discharge directly into the river from below. Hourly
      electrical conductivity data measured in the river showed regular, diurnal
      electrical conductivity fluctuations of up to 350 MUS cm-1. These fluctuations
      could not be attributed to barometric pressure, temperature, or
      evapotranspiration. Instead, a similar periodicity in surface water electrical
      conductivity and groundwater height in nearby groundwater wells was found.
      Fluctuations were of similar periodicity to the orthotides which cause
      fluctuations in surface water height and are induced by Earth tides. The geology
      in the mid-catchment area indicates conditions are optimal for Earth tides to
      impact groundwater. The reporting of orthotidal changes in water chemistry in
      this article is believed to be the first of its kind in the scientific
      literature, with the large fluctuations noted having important implications for
      water monitoring and management in the catchment. Further research investigating
      Earth-tide-induced phases of groundwater heights will better constrain the
      relationships between surface water chemistry and groundwater height.

PMID- 28353207
TI  - Management of lung nodules newly found by virtual-assisted lung mapping: a case
      report.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Virtual-assisted lung mapping is a novel bronchoscopic lung marking
      technique that uses virtual images to perform multiple concurrent dye marking of
      barely palpable pulmonary tumors. Subsequent chest computed tomography is
      required to confirm the locations marked. We here report a patient in whom
      computed tomography after virtual-assisted lung mapping unexpectedly revealed
      additional tiny pulmonary nodules. CASE PRESENTATION: A 64-year-old woman with a
      history of renal cell carcinoma presented with two pulmonary nodules suspicious
      of metastases from renal cell carcinoma. Because we anticipated that the nodules
      would be difficult to palpate intraoperatively, we performed virtual-assisted
      lung mapping prior to attempting to resect them. Computed tomography after
      mapping unexpectedly detected two additional nodules. Although the existing
      markings did not relate to the newly found nodules, we used imaginary auxiliary
      lines and anatomical landmarks to extend the lung map to incorporate the
      unexpected nodules. The additional nodules were successfully resected by
      thoracoscopic wedge resection. Pathologic examination identified all nodules as
      metastases from renal cell carcinoma, and the surgical margins were negative.
      CONCLUSIONS: Imaginary auxiliary lines and anatomical landmarks extended the
      existing lung map of virtual-assisted lung mapping, enabling resection of
      unexpected pulmonary nodules found in post-mapping computed tomography images.

PMID- 28353206
TI  - Assessing spatio-temporal trend of vector breeding and dengue fever incidence in
      association with meteorological conditions.
AB  - Th aim of this study is to investigate spatio-temporal trends of dengue vector
      breeding and epidemic (disease incidence) influenced by climatic factors. The
      spatio-temporal (low-, medium-, and high-intensity periods) evaluation of
      entomological and epidemiological investigations along with climatic factors like
      rainfall (RF), temperature (Tmax), relative humidity (RH), and larval indexing
      was conducted to develop correlations in the area of Lahore, Pakistan. The vector
      abundance and disease transmission trend was geo-tagged for spatial insight. The
      sufficient rainfall events and optimum temperature and relative humidity
      supported dengue vector breeding with high larval indices for water-related
      containers (27-37%). Among temporal analysis, the high-intensity period
      exponentially projected disease incidence followed by post-rainfall impacts. The
      high larval incidence that was observed in early high-intensity periods effected
      the dengue incidence. The disease incidence had a strong association with RF (r =
      0.940, alpha = 0.01). The vector larva occurrence (r = 0.017, alpha = 0.05)
      influenced the disease incidence. Similarly, RH (r = 0.674, alpha = 0.05) and
      average Tmax (r = 0.307, alpha = 0.05) also induced impact on the disease
      incidence. In this study, the vulnerability to dengue fever highly correlates
      with meteorological factors during high-intensity period. It provides area
      specific understanding of vector behavior, key containers, and seasonal patterns
      of dengue vector breeding and disease transmission which is essential for
      preparing an effective prevention plan against the vector.

PMID- 28353210
TI  - Nuclear cardiology in the literature: A selection of recent, original research
      papers.

PMID- 28353208
TI  - Synthesis of Two Coumarin-Derived Schiff Bases and Investigation of theirs
      Selectivity for Zn2.
AB  - In this study, the coumarin-derived schiff bases (HL1 and HL2) have been designed
      and synthesized. Upon the addition of Zn2+, both of them show significant
      fluorescence enhancement owing to inhibits PET and ESIPT process respectively.
      However, the receptor HL2 response toward Cd2+, Mg2+, Ba2+, Ca2+ besides Zn2+ and
      exhibits fluorescence enhancement but not enough to detection of the
      concentration levels of Zn2+.

PMID- 28353211
TI  - Current status of stress myocardial perfusion imaging pharmaceuticals and
      radiation exposure in Japan: Results from a nationwide survey.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Ionizing radiation generated during medical imaging procedures is a
      matter of concern. However, the current status of radiopharmaceutical use in
      stress myocardial perfusion imaging (MPI) and the radiation exposure from these
      radiopharmaceuticals is unknown in Japan. METHODS AND RESULTS: A nationwide
      survey was conducted from June through July 2016. The questionnaires on the
      radiopharmaceuticals used and their administered doses during stress MPI were
      sent to 641 nuclear medicine facilities. The responses were collected from 431
      facilities and the effective dose (ED) for an adult with standard body weight was
      calculated. Forty-three percent of the facilities used only 201TlCl, 35% used
      only 99mTc radiopharmaceuticals, and the remaining 22% used both. The two main
      reasons for using 201TlCl instead of 99mTc radiopharmaceuticals were "more
      familiarity with the usage of 201TlCl than 99mTc radiopharmaceuticals" and
      "apprehension about increasing the burden of physicians performing tracer
      injection twice." The mean ED was 14.0 +/- 5.5 mSv (range, 3.9 to 25.2 mSv),
      which was higher than that reported in other countries. CONCLUSIONS: The ED of
      stress MPI radiopharmaceuticals in Japan is probably higher than the world
      standard because more than 50% of the facilities still use 201TlCl. We recommend
      revising the routine stress MPI protocol to reduce the effects of ionizing
      radiation.

PMID- 28353212
TI  - Stress-induced alteration of left ventricular eccentricity: An additional marker
      of multivessel CAD.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Abnormal left ventricular (LV) eccentricity index (EI) is a marker of
      adverse cardiac remodeling. However, the interaction between stress-induced
      alterations of EI and major cardiac parameters has not been explored. We sought
      to evaluate the relationship between LV EI and coronary artery disease (CAD)
      burden in patients submitted to myocardial perfusion imaging (MPI). METHODS AND
      RESULTS: Three-hundred and forty-three patients underwent MPI and coronary
      angiography. LV ejection fraction (EF) and EI were computed from gated stress
      images as measures of stress-induced functional impairment. One-hundred and
      thirty-six (40%), 122 (35%), and 85 (25%) patients had normal coronary arteries,
      single-vessel CAD, and multivessel CAD, respectively. Post-stress EI was lower in
      patients with multivessel CAD than in those with normal coronary arteries and
      single-vessel CAD (P = 0.001). This relationship was confirmed only in patients
      undergoing exercise stress test, where a lower post-stress EI predicted the
      presence of multivessel CAD (P = 0.039). CONCLUSIONS: Post-stress alterations of
      LV EI on MPI may unmask the presence of multivessel CAD.

PMID- 28353213
TI  - Development and validation of an automatic method to detect the latest
      contracting viable left ventricular segments to assist guide CRT therapy from
      gated SPECT myocardial perfusion imaging.
AB  - OBJECTIVES: The purpose of this study is to use ECG-gated SPECT MPI to detect the
      latest contracting viable left ventricular (LV) segments to help guide the LV
      probe placement used in CRT therapy and to validate segment selection against the
      visual integration method by experts. METHODS: For each patient, the resting ECG
      gated SPECT MPI short-axis images were sampled in 3D to generate a polar map of
      the perfusion distribution used to determine LV myocardial viability, and to
      measure LV synchronicity using our phase analysis tool. In the visual integration
      method, two experts visually interpreted the LV viability and mechanical
      dyssynchrony from the short-axis images and polar maps of viability and phase, to
      determine the latest contracting viable segments using the 17-segment model. In
      the automatic method, the apical segments, septal segments, and segments with
      more than 50% scar were excluded as these are not candidates for CRT LV probe
      placement. Amongst the remaining viable segments, the segments, whose phase
      angles were within 10 degrees  of the latest phase angle (the most delayed
      contracting segment), were identified for potential CRT LV probe placement and
      ranked based on the phase angles of the segments. Both methods were tested in 36
      pre-CRT patients who underwent ECG-gated SPECT MPI. The accuracy was determined
      as the percent agreement between the visual integration and automatic methods.
      The automatic method was performed by a second independent operator to evaluate
      the inter-operator processing reproducibility. RESULTS: In all the 36 patients,
      the LV lead positions of the 1st choices recommended by the automatic and visual
      integration methods were in the same segments in 35 patients, which achieved an
      agreement rate of 97.2%. In the inter-operator reproducibility test, the LV lead
      positions of the 1st choices recommended by the two operators were in the same
      segments in 25 patients, and were in the adjacent segments in 7 patients, which
      achieved an overall agreement of 88.8%. CONCLUSIONS: An automatic method has been
      developed to detect the latest contracting viable LV segments to help guide the
      LV probe placement used in CRT therapy. The retrospective clinical study with 36
      patients suggests that this method has high agreement against the visual
      integration method by experts and good inter-operator reproducibility.
      Consequently, this method is promising to be a clinical tool to recommend the CRT
      LV lead positions.

PMID- 28353214
TI  - Playing slot to hitting the jackpot in molecular imaging: On probability of
      uncovering subcellular pathogenesis vs achieving clinical applicability.

PMID- 28353216
TI  - Dissolution comparisons using a Multivariate Statistical Distance (MSD) test and
      a comparison of various approaches for calculating the measurements of
      dissolution profile comparison.
AB  - The f 2 test is generally used for comparing dissolution profiles. In cases of
      high variability, the f 2 test is not applicable, and the Multivariate
      Statistical Distance (MSD) test is frequently proposed as an alternative by the
      FDA and EMA. The guidelines provide only general recommendations. MSD tests can
      be performed either on raw data with or without time as a variable or on
      parameters of models. In addition, data can be limited-as in the case of the f 2
      test-to dissolutions of up to 85% or to all available data. In the context of the
      present paper, the recommended calculation included all raw dissolution data up
      to the first point greater than 85% as a variable-without the various times as
      parameters. The proposed MSD overcomes several drawbacks found in other methods.

PMID- 28353215
TI  - Severe Asthma in Children.
AB  - PURPOSE OF REVIEW: The aim of this study is to characterize, diagnose, evaluate,
      and treat severe childhood asthma. RECENT FINDINGS: Understanding the occurrence
      of the physiologic and clinical presentations of childhood severe asthma, the
      treatment and response may be predicted by biomarkers, but the patient's response
      is highly variable. The onset of severe asthma occurs early and is primarily
      predicted by severity of viral infection and coexistence of the atopic state.

PMID- 28353218
TI  - The 13-year observation of hip fracture in Poland-worrying trend and prognosis
      for the future.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: Hip fractures are often considered to be one of the most common
      osteoporotic fractures. In our previous study, we noted the increasing trend in
      the total number of hip fractures as well as crude and standardized rates, for
      both women and men. This observation enabled us to delve deeper into the study of
      osteoporotic fractures. METHODS: Hospital records between 1.01.2002 and
      31.12.2014 with ICD-10 codes S72.0. S72.1 and S72.2 (femoral neck.
      intertrochanteric, subtrochanteric, and inter and subtrochanteric fracture) were
      analysed. All fractures occurred in citizens who lived in the district Tarnowskie
      Gory and the city of Piekary Slaskie aged 50 years and more. RESULTS: 1507
      fragility hip fractures (400 in men, and 1107 in women) were registered. The
      rates increase in both sexes was still observed. The tendency to sustain
      fractures was lower in female (29.3%) than in the male population (63.6%). We
      observed a lower increase in urban (35.8%) population when compared to rural
      (40.8%) population. Incidence rate ratios for female gender were 1.89 (95% CI
      1.65-2.18). The rates in 2014 were as follows: crude rate of 216.2 (men 140.9;
      women 276.5) and standardized 183.9 (131.6 and 219.4, respectively). This
      observation allowed as to project a total crude rate of 467.2 (men 329.6; women
      584.7) for the year 2050. CONCLUSIONS: The number of osteoporotic hip fractures
      in Polish men and women is still relatively low, but the epidemiological
      situation is getting worse. The over 13 years of follow-up demonstrated that the
      trend to increase in total number of hip fractures for men and women is still
      observed. This prognosis is of a major concern.

PMID- 28353219
TI  - Prevalence and conversion to dementia of Mild Cognitive Impairment in an elderly
      Italian population.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI) represents a significant risk factor
      for dementia but there are only a few Italian population studies on its
      prevalence and its rate of conversion to dementia. AIMS: Aim of this study was to
      assess the prevalence of MCI, its subtypes, and rates of conversion to dementia 1
      year later in an elderly Italian population. METHODS: The data are based on an
      Italian multicenter population-based cohort study with both cross-sectional and
      longitudinal components. Two thousand three hundred thirty-seven individuals over
      65 underwent screening, clinical confirmation and 1-year follow-up. RESULTS: The
      prevalence of MCI was 21.6% and the amnestic multiple domain was the most
      frequent subtype (63.2%). The conversion rate to dementia was 4.1% and was found
      only in the amnestic multiple domain and in the unclassifiable subjects, persons
      with cognitive deficit but neither demented nor with MCI. DISCUSSION: The
      prevalence of MCI in this population sample was similar to that found in other
      population studies using Petersen's modified MCI criteria as well as his original
      criteria. With regard to conversion to dementia, our results emphasize the
      importance to better classify the unclassifiable subjects at high risk of
      progression to dementia and also at risk of being undiagnosed and untreated.
      CONCLUSION: MCI is characterized by extreme variability and instability. Data on
      the prevalence and the rate of conversion from MCI to dementia are difficult to
      compare given the important differences from study to study especially with
      regard to the diagnostic criteria utilized and their operationalization.

PMID- 28353217
TI  - Hypoxic Stress and Inflammatory Pain Disrupt Blood-Brain Barrier Tight Junctions:
      Implications for Drug Delivery to the Central Nervous System.
AB  - A functional blood-brain barrier (BBB) is necessary to maintain central nervous
      system (CNS) homeostasis. Many diseases affecting the CNS, however, alter the
      functional integrity of the BBB. It has been shown that various diseases and
      physiological stressors can impact the BBB's ability to selectively restrict
      passage of substances from the blood to the brain. Modifications of the BBB's
      permeability properties can potentially contribute to the pathophysiology of CNS
      diseases and result in altered brain delivery of therapeutic agents. Hypoxia
      and/or inflammation are central components of a number of diseases affecting the
      CNS. A number of studies indicate hypoxia or inflammatory pain increase BBB
      paracellular permeability, induce changes in the expression and/or localization
      of tight junction proteins, and affect CNS drug uptake. In this review, we look
      at what is currently known with regard to BBB disruption following a hypoxic or
      inflammatory insult in vivo. Potential mechanisms involved in altering tight
      junction components at the BBB are also discussed. A more detailed understanding
      of the mediators involved in changing BBB functional integrity in response to
      hypoxia or inflammatory pain could potentially lead to new treatments for CNS
      diseases with hypoxic or inflammatory components. Additionally, greater insight
      into the mechanisms involved in TJ rearrangement at the BBB may lead to novel
      strategies to pharmacologically increase delivery of drugs to the CNS.

PMID- 28353220
TI  - Patient Experience of Symptoms and Side Effects when Treated with Osimertinib for
      Advanced Non-Small-Cell Lung Cancer: A Qualitative Interview Substudy.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: Capturing the patient experience during treatment is important to
      both regulatory authorities and to patients starting treatment. We identified the
      symptoms and side effects experienced by patients with advanced non-small-cell
      lung cancer during osimertinib treatment, to understand treatment expectations,
      satisfaction, and the level of difficulty coping with the side effects
      experienced during treatment. METHODS: Qualitative interviews (approximately 4-6
      weeks after treatment initiation and again after approximately 4 months of
      treatment) were conducted during the phase I/II AURA clinical trial of
      osimertinib, a tyrosine kinase inhibitor of epidermal growth factor receptor
      sensitizing and T790M resistance mutations. RESULTS: During the first interview
      (23 patients), the most commonly reported symptoms/side effects were coughing,
      itching, tiredness (each reported by 56.5% of patients), and rash (43.5%). During
      the second interview (21 patients), compared with the first interview, shortness
      of breath and diarrhea were reported by more patients (57.1 and 38.1%,
      respectively; both increased from 34.8%); tiredness remained predominant (42.9%);
      and itching (38.1%), coughing (38.1%), and rash (14.3%) were reported by fewer
      patients. At both interviews, the most frequently reported symptoms/side effects
      were also those most often rated by patients for bothersomeness and severity, and
      generally received mean scores in the low-to-moderate range. However, several
      rarely expressed symptoms/side effects (e.g., abdominal pain, frequent day time
      urination) received high bothersomeness ratings. At the second interview,
      patients were highly satisfied with osimertinib and had a low level of difficulty
      in coping with side effects during treatment. CONCLUSIONS: These data enhance our
      understanding of patients' experiences of symptoms/side effects, which could
      increase the accuracy of the osimertinib benefit-risk assessment, guide
      management of adverse events, and improve the information given to patients
      receiving the drug.

PMID- 28353222
TI  - Application of Proteomic Techniques for Improved Stratification and Treatment of
      Schizophrenia Patients.
AB  - For major psychiatric disorders such as schizophrenia, there have been
      shortcomings in the translation of scientific findings into new treatments and
      this has led to diminished interest for large pharmaceutical companies. This
      chapter describes how incorporation of proteomic approaches into the clinical
      pipeline can lead to identification and implementation of biomarker tests for
      improved patient characterization, prediction of treatment response and
      monitoring treatment effects to help revitalize efforts in this important area.
      In addition, the construction of specific biomarker tests for disease prediction
      should smooth the progress of early intervention strategies which, in turn, may
      help to slow disease onset or progression. Finally, the development of purpose
      built biomarker tests using lab-on-a-chip platforms with smartphone readouts will
      help to shift the diagnosis and treatment of this major psychiatric disorder into
      point-of-care settings for increased effectiveness and improved patient outcomes.

PMID- 28353223
TI  - Multiplexing Biomarker Methods, Proteomics and Considerations for Alzheimer's
      Disease.
AB  - Biomarker research for Alzheimer's disease (AD) has been growing rapidly over
      recent years especially as the number of persons affected by this disease is
      nearing approximately 46 million worldwide. Single biomarker assays are
      challenging to establish since AD is multifactorial and complex. In addition to
      the classic signs of diminished cognition and memory, AD patients can also
      exhibit symptoms which may be confused with some psychiatric disorders, such as
      depression. No molecular biomarkers have been established or translated into
      clinical tools although recent efforts have resulted in addition of molecular
      biomarker profiles to the National Institute of Neurological and Communicative
      Disorders and Stroke and Alzheimer's Disease and Related Disorders Association
      criteria for research purposes. The three accepted molecular biomarkers are
      amyloid-betaeta peptide 1-42, total tau protein and hyperphosphorylated tau at
      threonine 181 in human cerebrospinal fluid (CSF). Aside from these three CSF
      markers, a number of potential candidates have been identified in CSF and other
      body fluids. In order to identify biomarkers for diagnosis, early prevention,
      prognosis and response to therapeutic treatment, multiplex biomarker tests will
      be required. These include multiplex immunoassay and mass spectrometry-based
      proteomics platforms. Proteomics analyses of bodily fluids such as plasma are
      growing in number and providing potential targets for further investigation and
      validation in AD research. This chapter highlights proteomic biomarker assays and
      their applications and potential use for clinical diagnosis and prognosis of AD.

PMID- 28353221
TI  - Health-Related Quality of Life in Chronic HCV-Infected Patients Switching to
      Pegylated-Interferon-Free Regimens (ANRS CO20 CUPIC Cohort Study and SIRIUS
      Trial).
AB  - OBJECTIVE: We aimed to compare health-related quality of life (HRQL) during and
      after hepatitis C virus (HCV) treatment in patients receiving pegylated
      interferon (PEG-IFN)-containing therapy (including boceprevir or telaprevir-ANRS
      CO20 CUPIC cohort) who subsequently switched to PEG-IFN-free regimens (sofosbuvir
      + ledipasvir with or without ribavirin [RBV]-SIRIUS trial). METHODS: Two analyses
      were performed. The first compared physical (PCS) and mental (MCS) HRQL (MOS SF
      12) scores during treatment between CUPIC and SIRIUS. The second compared PCS and
      MCS scores after treatment end between CUPIC and SIRIUS. The analyses used linear
      regression mixed models adjusted for pre-treatment HRQL scores, gender, and age
      at each visit. RESULTS: Among patients enrolled successively in both studies, 43
      (corresponding to 212 HRQL assessments) and 43 (82 HRQL assessments) were
      eligible for the 'during' and 'post' treatment analyses, respectively. In the
      'during-treatment' analysis, we found significantly higher PCS and MCS values
      during PEG-IFN-free treatment than for PEG-IFN-containing treatment. In the 'post
      treatment' analysis, results showed significantly higher MCS values after PEG-IFN
      free treatment than after PEG-IFN-containing treatment. No significant difference
      was found for PCS in the post-treatment analysis. CONCLUSIONS: These results
      highlight an improvement in both physical and mental HRQL during HCV treatment,
      but no major improvement in physical HRQL after treatment end, when comparing PEG
      IFN-free regimens with PEG-IFN-containing regimens. This suggests that in the PEG
      IFN-free regimens era, screening and comprehensive care of comorbidities and
      residual somatic symptoms during treatment, and especially after HCV clearance,
      are still needed to improve patient outcomes.

PMID- 28353224
TI  - What Have Proteomic Studies Taught Us About Novel Drug Targets in Autism?
AB  - Autism spectrum disorders (ASDs) are a heterogeneous group of conditions with
      complex behavioural phenotypes. Although ASDs show a high rate of heritability,
      genetic research alone has not provided a complete understanding of the
      underlying causes. Recent developments using imaging techniques and proteomic
      based molecular profiling approaches have now begun to generate new insights into
      the underlying pathways affected in both the brain and the periphery in
      individuals with these conditions. Of potential high importance is the constant
      finding of gender-specific biomarker profiles in ASD patients. This suggests that
      there are either distinct adaptive mechanisms or different aetiological causes in
      male and female ASD patients. This chapter addresses the findings using these
      approaches with a view to identification of novel drug targets or new treatment
      strategies based on personalized medicine objectives. Eventually, this will lead
      to a better disease understanding of ASD at the physiological and molecular
      levels, which may facilitate novel drug discovery efforts in this challenging
      area of medicine.

PMID- 28353225
TI  - Application of Proteomic Approaches to Accelerate Drug Development for
      Psychiatric Disorders.
AB  - Proteomic-based biomarkers are now an integral part of the drug development
      process. This chapter covers the role of proteomic biomarker tests as useful
      tools for improving preclinical research and clinical development. One medical
      area that has been lagging behind this process is the study of psychiatric
      disorders, and this is most likely due to the complexity of these diseases. The
      potential of incorporating biomarkers in the clinical pipeline to improve
      decision-making, accelerate drug development, improve translation and reduce
      development costs is also discussed, with a focus on psychiatric diseases like
      schizophrenia. This chapter will also discuss the next steps that must be taken
      to keep moving this process forwards.

PMID- 28353226
TI  - Proteomic Biomarker Identification in Cerebrospinal Fluid for Leptomeningeal
      Metastases with Neurological Complications.
AB  - Leptomeningeal metastases (LM) from solid tumours, lymphoma and leukaemia are
      characterized by multifocal neurological deficits with a high mortality rate.
      Early diagnosis and initiation of treatment are essential to kerb neurological
      deterioration. However, this is not always possible as 25% of cerebrospinal fluid
      samples produce false-negative results at first cytological examination. The
      identification of biomarkers that allow stratification of individuals according
      to risk for developing LM would be a major benefit. Proteomic-based approaches
      are now in increasing use for this purpose, and these are reviewed in this
      chapter with a focus on cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) analyses. The construction of a
      CSF proteome disease database would also facilitate analysis of other
      neurological disorders.

PMID- 28353227
TI  - Connecting Brain Proteomics with Behavioural Neuroscience in Translational Animal
      Models of Neuropsychiatric Disorders.
AB  - Modelling psychiatric disorders in animals has been hindered by several
      challenges related to our poor understanding of the disease causes. This chapter
      describes recent advances in translational research which may lead to animal
      models and relevant proteomic biomarkers that can be informative about disease
      mechanisms and potential new therapeutic targets. The review focuses on the
      behavioural and molecular correlates in models of schizophrenia and major
      depressive disorder, as guided by recently established Research Domain Criteria
      (RDoC). This approach is based on providing proteomic data for aetiologically
      driven, behaviourally well-characterised animal models to link discovered
      biomarker candidates with the human disease.

PMID- 28353228
TI  - LC-MSE for Qualitative and Quantitative Proteomic Studies of Psychiatric
      Disorders.
AB  - This chapter describes the advantages and disadvantages of label-free liquid
      chromatography mass spectrometry in data-independent analysis mode (LC-MSE) in
      the identification of disease biomarkers in studies of psychiatric disorders.
      Along with the description of the technology, we discuss some of the most
      significant findings from various studies of post-mortem brain and neuroendocrine
      tissues from psychiatric disorder patients compared with controls. In addition,
      we describe some of the needs and challenges of performing these analyses in body
      fluids and peripheral tissues from living patients in order to increase
      translation of the findings into the clinical environment.

PMID- 28353229
TI  - The Utility of Multiplex Assays for Identification of Proteomic Signatures in
      Psychiatry.
AB  - As substantial efforts are being made to identify biological markers of
      psychiatric illnesses, it is becoming clear that clinically useful accuracy will
      require larger sets of readouts that potentially span different technological
      platforms. For discovery of proteomic biomarkers, simultaneous measurement of
      analytes in small sample quantities has developed into a widely used technology
      of similar quality as the respective single-plex assays. Multiplex assay systems
      therefore hold promise for biomarker discovery and development in many complex
      disease areas including psychiatry. However, analysis of the derived data is
      subject to substantial challenges that may impede the possibility of obtaining
      meaningful findings. This chapter discusses potential applications of multiplexed
      assay technologies during biomarker development and highlights potential
      challenges for machine learning analysis of derived data.

PMID- 28353230
TI  - Blood Sampling and Preparation Procedures for Proteomic Biomarker Studies of
      Psychiatric Disorders.
AB  - A major challenge in proteomic biomarker discovery and validation for psychiatric
      diseases is the inherent biological complexity underlying these conditions. There
      are also many technical issues which hinder this process such as the lack of
      standardization in sampling, processing and storage of bio-samples in preclinical
      and clinical settings. This chapter describes a reproducible procedure for
      sampling blood serum and plasma that is specifically designed for maximizing data
      quality output in two-dimensional gel electrophoresis, multiplex immunoassay and
      mass spectrometry profiling studies.

PMID- 28353232
TI  - Sequential Immunoprecipitation of Secretory Vesicle Proteins from
      Biosynthetically Labelled Cells.
AB  - Pulse radiolabelling of cells with radioactive amino acids is a common method for
      studying the biosynthesis of proteins. The labelled proteins can then be
      immunoprecipitated and analysed by electrophoresis and imaging techniques. This
      chapter presents a protocol for the biosynthetic labelling and
      immunoprecipitation of pancreatic islet proteins which are known to be affected
      in psychiatric disorders such as schizophrenia.

PMID- 28353231
TI  - Multiplex Immunoassay Profiling of Serum in Psychiatric Disorders.
AB  - Multiplex immunoassays allow for the rapid profiling of biomarker proteins in
      biological fluids, using less sample and labour than in single immunoassays. This
      chapter details the methods to develop and manufacture a 5-plex immunoassay for
      the Luminex(r) platform. Although assay development is not included here, the
      same methods can be used to covalently couple antibodies to the Luminex beads and
      to label antibodies for the screening of sandwich pairs, if needed. An example
      will be given for the analysis of five hormones (glucagon-like peptide 1, growth
      hormone, insulin, leptin and thyroid-stimulating hormone) in serum samples from
      schizophrenia patients and controls.

PMID- 28353233
TI  - 2D Gel Electrophoresis of Insulin Secretory Granule Proteins from
      Biosynthetically Labelled Pancreatic Islets.
AB  - Pulse radiolabelling of cells with radioactive amino acids such is a common
      method for investigating the biosynthetic rates of proteins. In this way, the
      abundance of newly synthesized proteins can be determined by several proteomic
      techniques including 2D gel electrophoresis (2DE). This chapter describes a
      protocol for labelling pancreatic islets with 35S-methionine in the presence of
      low and high concentrations of glucose, followed by subcellular fractionation
      enrichment of secretory granule proteins and analysis of the granule protein
      contents by 2DE. This demonstrated that the biosynthetic rates of most of the
      granule proteins are co-ordinately regulated in the presence of stimulatory
      glucose concentrations.

PMID- 28353235
TI  - A Two-Dimensional Difference Gel Electrophoresis (2D-DIGE) Protocol for Studies
      of Neural Precursor Cells.
AB  - This chapter describes the basics of two-dimensional difference gel
      electrophoresis (2D-DIGE) for multiplex analysis of up to distinct proteomes. The
      example given describes the analysis of undifferentiated and differentiated
      neural precursor cells labelled with fluorescent Cy3 and Cy5 dyes in comparison
      to a pooled standard labelled with Cy2. After labelling, the proteomes are mixed
      together and electrophoresed on the same 2D gels. Scanning the gels at
      wavelengths specific for each dye allows direct overlay of the two different
      proteomes and the differences in abundance of specific protein spots can be
      determined through comparison to the pooled standard.

PMID- 28353234
TI  - Two-Dimensional Gel Electrophoresis: A Reference Protocol.
AB  - Two-dimensional gel electrophoresis (2DE) has been a mainstay of proteomic
      techniques for more than four decades. It was even in use for several years
      before the term proteomics was actually coined in the early 1990s. Over this
      time, it has been used in the study of many diseases including cancer, diabetes,
      heart disease, and psychiatric disorders through the proteomic analysis of body
      fluids and tissues. This chapter presents a general protocol which can be applied
      in the study of biological samples such as blood serum or plasma and multiple
      tissues including the brain.

PMID- 28353236
TI  - Identifying Biomarker Candidates in the Blood Plasma or Serum Proteome.
AB  - Brain disorders are among the most complex and difficult to understand of human
      disorders in terms of pathophysiology and etiology. Differently from other human
      diseases such as cancer, which uses biomarkers in clinical practice, there are no
      prognostic and diagnostic biomarkers available for psychiatric disorders. Those
      associated with the likelihood of a successful medication are also not existent,
      impairing treatment strategies. Proteomics is a suitable tool for identifying
      such biomarkers to be validated and further implemented in the clinic. Here we
      present a protocol for the proteome analyses of blood plasma and serum collected
      in vivo, aiming for the discovery of potential biomarkers and the comprehension
      of the molecular bases of diseases and treatments.

PMID- 28353237
TI  - Selective Reaction Monitoring Mass Spectrometry for Quantitation of Glycolytic
      Enzymes in Postmortem Brain Samples.
AB  - Patients with psychiatric disorders exhibit dysfunctions in peripheral and
      central metabolism. This may be a root cause of impaired neuronal function,
      manifested as changes in mood, behavior, and cognitive capabilities in patients
      suffering with these conditions. Here we describe a selective reaction monitoring
      mass spectrometry (SRM-MS)-based targeted proteomic protocol for precise
      simultaneous quantitation of three glycolytic enzymes in postmortem brain tissue
      extracts. The SRM-MS approach has several advantages in terms of sensitivity,
      reproducibility, and reduced sample consumption, compared to traditional MS
      methods.

PMID- 28353238
TI  - A Selected Reaction Monitoring Mass Spectrometry Protocol for Validation of
      Proteomic Biomarker Candidates in Studies of Psychiatric Disorders.
AB  - Most biomarker candidates arising from proteomic studies of psychiatric disorders
      have not progressed for use in clinical studies due to insufficient validation
      steps. Here we describe a selective reaction monitoring mass spectrometry (SRM
      MS) approach that could be used as a follow-up validation tool of proteins
      identified in blood serum or plasma. This protocol specifically covers the stages
      of peptide selection and optimization. The increasing application of SRM-MS
      should enable fast, sensitive, and robust methods with the potential for use in
      clinical studies involving sampling of serum or plasma. Understanding the
      molecular mechanisms and identifying potential biomarkers for risk assessment,
      diagnosis, prognosis, and prediction of drug response goes toward the
      implementation of translational medicine strategies for improved treatment of
      patients with psychiatric disorders and other debilitating diseases.

PMID- 28353239
TI  - Application of iTRAQ Shotgun Proteomics for Measurement of Brain Proteins in
      Studies of Psychiatric Disorders.
AB  - Shotgun proteomics has been used successfully for more than two decades for
      measurement of proteins from diverse biological systems. This has led to new
      insights and identification of potential biomarkers and drug targets for numerous
      medical conditions. The advent of mass-labeling approaches such as isobaric
      tagging for relative and absolute quantitation (iTRAQ) has allowed multiplexing
      of samples to improve the accuracy and throughput of experiments and the
      reduction of costs. Here, we describe a detailed iTRAQ mass spectrometry protocol
      for simultaneous analysis of four proteomes from postmortem brain tissue
      extracts. In addition, a post-labeling procedure for peptide fractionation is
      presented.

PMID- 28353241
TI  - Sequential Co-immunoprecipitation and Immunoblot Approach to Determine
      Oligomerisation of G-Protein-Coupled Receptors.
AB  - G-protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) play a major role in psychiatric disorders
      and are the targets of several current therapeutic approaches in this field. A
      number of studies have now shown that GPCRs can assemble as high molecular weight
      homo- and hetero-oligomers, which could affect ligand binding, intracellular
      signalling or trafficking. This information could be critical in design of new
      drugs to treat neurological and psychiatric disorders. This chapter describes a
      sequential co-immunoprecipitation and immunoblot protocol for determining
      oligomerisation of the 5-hydroxytryptamine (HT)1A receptor with other GPCRs in co
      transfected HEK-293 cells.

PMID- 28353240
TI  - Co-immunoprecipitation for Deciphering Protein Interactomes.
AB  - A single protein is often capable of binding with many partners, enabling
      potential effects on either protein, such as modifying its expression or
      activity. However, due to the complex nature of in vivo systems, it is often
      difficult to perform nontargeted assays with a protein of interest. Methods in
      discovery proteomics must be used to find potential interactors to pave the way
      for additional, more focused studies. This protocol describes the biological
      steps needed to create an interactome focused on a single protein target through
      co-immunoprecipitation.

PMID- 28353243
TI  - A Protocol for Producing the Maternal Low-Protein Rat Model: A Tool for
      Preclinical Proteomic Studies.
AB  - Epidemiological studies have shown that periods of poor nutrition during
      pregnancy can lead to an increased risk of metabolic and psychiatric disorders in
      the offspring. In addition, some individuals with disorders such as schizophrenia
      show signs of impaired insulin signalling. These findings indicate that there may
      be a link between metabolism and neuronal function and they also provide
      supporting evidence for neurodevelopmental origins of mental illness. This
      chapter gives a detailed protocol for generation of the maternal low-protein (LP)
      rat model, which leads to metabolic disturbances in the offspring. This model has
      been used in proteomic studies of several disorders including schizophrenia.

PMID- 28353242
TI  - A Clinical Study Protocol to Identify Serum Biomarkers Predictive of Response to
      Antipsychotics in Schizophrenia Patients.
AB  - An increasing number of studies are now exploring the potential of using blood
      based biomarkers for prediction of antipsychotic treatment response in studies of
      schizophrenia patients. Here we describe the detailed setup of a clinical study
      to identify biomarker candidates for prediction of response of patients prior to
      receiving antipsychotics over a 6-week treatment period. The main emphasis is on
      study design, patient recruitment, sampling and outcome measures.

PMID- 28353244
TI  - Generation of the Acute Phencyclidine Rat Model for Proteomic Studies of
      Schizophrenia.
AB  - Administration of the non-competitive N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptor
      antagonist phencyclidine (PCP) to rodents has been used as the gold standard
      preclinical model for schizophrenia. PCP treatment induces hyperlocomotion and
      stereotypic behaviour, which resemble the positive symptoms of schizophrenia. In
      addition, proteomic studies have identified changes in proteins associated with
      energy metabolism and neurotransmission which are typical hallmarks of the
      disease. This chapter presents a protocol for the generation of this model,
      behavioural assessment and preparation of key bio-samples to provide the raw
      materials for proteomic analyses.

PMID- 28353245
TI  - A Protocol for Generation of a Corticosterone Model of Psychiatric Disorders.
AB  - Some patients with psychiatric disorders show hyperactivity of the hypothalamic
      pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis. This may be due to an impaired feedback inhibition
      and can be seen through increased levels of circulating cortisol. Here a protocol
      is described to mimic this situation by subcutaneous implantation of
      corticosterone pellets in mice. We also present characterization of the model by
      looking at effects on neuronal proliferation in hippocampus, one of the main
      tissues known to be affected by HPA axis hyper-activation. Such tissues could be
      used in analyses by proteomic platforms.

PMID- 28353246
TI  - MK-801-Treated Oligodendrocytes as a Cellular Model to Study Schizophrenia.
AB  - Glutamate is the most important excitatory neurotransmitter in the brain. The N
      methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) subtype of glutamate receptor is found both in neurons
      and glial cells such as oligodendrocytes, which have been shown to be
      dysfunctional in schizophrenia. For this reasons, the oligodendrocyte MO3.13 cell
      line has been used to study glutamatergic dysfunction as a model of schizophrenia
      using the NMDA receptor antagonists such as MK-801 to block receptor function.
      Here, we describe a comprehensive protocol for culturing and carrying out
      proteomic analyses of MK-801-treated MO3.13 cells as a means of identifying
      potential new biomarkers and targets for drug discovery in schizophrenia
      research.

PMID- 28353247
TI  - Combining Patient-Reprogrammed Neural Cells and Proteomics as a Model to Study
      Psychiatric Disorders.
AB  - The mechanisms underlying the pathophysiology of psychiatric disorders are still
      poorly known. Most of the studies about these disorders have been conducted on
      postmortem tissue or in limited preclinical models. The development of human
      induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) has helped to increase the translational
      capacity of molecular profiling studies of psychiatric disorders through
      provision of human neuronal-like tissue. This approach consists of generation of
      pluripotent cells by genetically reprogramming somatic cells to produce the
      multiple neural cell types as observed within the nervous tissue. The finding
      that iPSCs can recapitulate the phenotype of the donor also affords the
      possibility of using this approach to study both the disease and control states
      in a given medical area. Here, we present a protocol for differentiation of human
      pluripotent stem cells to neural progenitor cells followed by subcellular
      fractionation which allows the study of specific cellular organelles and
      proteomic analysis.

PMID- 28353249
TI  - Preparation of Peripheral Blood Mononuclear Cells (PBMCs) as a Model for
      Proteomic Studies of Psychiatric Disorders.
AB  - Peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) have been used as a surrogate model of
      brain function in studies of psychiatric disorders, such as schizophrenia. This
      chapter describes the preparation of PBMCs from whole blood using a density
      gradient/cell culture protocol. This includes collection of the PBMC culture
      media and preparation of cell extracts in order to provide the raw materials for
      proteomic analyses.

PMID- 28353248
TI  - SILAC Mass Spectrometry Profiling: A Psychiatric Disorder Perspective.
AB  - Stable isotope labelling by amino acids in cell culture (SILAC) is a technique
      that allows proteomic profiling of cells. In this chapter we describe a protocol
      for the identification and quantification of newly synthesised proteins. The
      methodology can be applied to any cultured cell system with relevance to
      schizophrenia, affective disorders and autism spectrum conditions including those
      addressing responses to pharmacological stimuli.

PMID- 28353250
TI  - Proteomic Profiling of Skin Fibroblasts as a Model of Schizophrenia.
AB  - Since many aspects of schizophrenia are also manifested at the peripheral level
      in proliferating cell types, this chapter describes the analysis of skin
      fibroblasts biopsied from living patients. The method focuses on cell culture and
      sample preparation for characterization of the model. The resulting cell extracts
      can be analysed by any number of proteomic techniques for identification of
      biomarker candidates. This approach could help to elucidate the molecular
      mechanisms associated with the pathophysiology of schizophrenia and provide a
      useful model for a new target and drug discovery.

PMID- 28353251
TI  - Proteomic Profiling of the Pituitary Gland in Studies of Psychiatric Disorders.
AB  - Psychiatric disorders have been associated with perturbations of the hypothalamic
      pituitary-adrenal axis. Therefore, proteomic studies of the pituitary gland have
      the potential to provide new insights into the underlying pathways affected in
      these conditions as well as identify new biomarkers or targets for use in
      developing improved medications. This chapter describes a protocol for
      preparation of pituitary protein extracts followed by characterization of the
      pituitary proteome by label-free liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry
      in expression mode (LC-MSE). The main focus was on establishing a method for
      identifying the major pituitary hormones and accessory proteins as many of these
      have already been implicated in psychiatric diseases.

PMID- 28353252
TI  - Development of an Assay for Measuring Proprotein-Conversion Activity on a
      Multiplex Magnetic Bead-Based Array Platform.
AB  - This chapter describes a protocol for measuring prolyl oligopeptidase (POP)
      activity using a biotinylated peptide substrate coupled to magnetic microspheres.
      The complex is incubated in the presence of a pituitary extract and activity can
      be detected by loss of the biotin label. The assay can be multiplexed for
      measuring multiple proprotein-cleaving enzymes simultaneously and can be used in
      analyses of neuropsychiatric diseases in which proteolytic cleavage of
      biologically active peptides is known to play a role.

PMID- 28353253
TI  - Phenotyping Multiple Subsets of Immune Cells In Situ in Formalin-Fixed, Paraffin
      Embedded Tissue Sections.
AB  - Some somatic illnesses such as peripheral tumours can present with psychiatric
      symptoms. Many of these are characterized by changes in biomarkers related to the
      inflammation or immune response. Here, we describe a multispectral imaging
      protocol that can be used to phenotype immune and other cell types through
      simultaneous imaging of multiple proteins in sections of peripheral solid tumours
      and other tissues. This approach can also be used to assess the spatial
      organization of these cells within the tissue.

PMID- 28353254
TI  - Lab-on-a-Chip Proteomic Assays for Psychiatric Disorders.
AB  - Lab-on-a-chip assays allow rapid identification of multiple parameters on an
      automated user-friendly platform. Here we describe a fully automated multiplex
      immunoassay and readout in less than 15 min using the Fraunhofer in vitro
      diagnostics (ivD) platform to enable inexpensive point-of-care profiling of sera
      or a single drop of blood from patients with various diseases such as psychiatric
      disorders.

PMID- 28353255
TI  - Development of a User-Friendly App for Testing Blood Coagulation Status in
      Schizophrenia Patients.
AB  - Blood coagulation time is an important factor to consider for postoperative and
      cardiac disorder patients who have been prescribed anticoagulant coagulant
      medications. The coagulation process is also known to be perturbed in some
      individuals with psychiatric disorders, such as schizophrenia. This chapter
      describes a patient self-management system for a functional assessment of blood
      coagulation activity, determining the appropriate anticoagulant dosages using a
      test strip device and the Coagu app. The app can also be used as a patient
      reminder of treatment times and to monitor treatment and effects over time.

PMID- 28353256
TI  - Proteomic Approaches to Enable Point-of-Care Testing and Personalized Medicine
      for Psychiatric Disorders.
AB  - This chapter describes how innovations that are driven by proteomic biomarker
      techniques can facilitate earlier and better treatment of patients who suffer
      from psychiatric disorders. The application of new micro-fluidic devices along
      with miniaturized biosensors and transducers will enable the development of
      handheld point-of-care testing instruments which can analyse a drop of a blood
      within the time span of a single visit to the doctor's office. It is anticipated
      that these approaches will incorporate both biochemical and clinical information,
      resulting in unique profiles for each test subject. These profiles can in turn be
      used to drive personalized medicine approaches in this devastating disease area.
      In addition, smartphone applications (apps) for self-monitoring will see
      increasing use for improved patient outcomes.

PMID- 28353257
TI  - Waste Printed Circuit Board (PCB) Recycling Techniques.
AB  - With the development of technologies and the change of consumer attitudes, the
      amount of waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE) is increasing
      annually. As the core part of WEEE, the waste printed circuit board (WPCB) is a
      dangerous waste but at the same time a rich resource for various kinds of
      materials. In this work, various WPCB treatment methods as well as WPCB recycling
      techniques divided into direct treatment (landfill and incineration), primitive
      recycling technology (pyrometallurgy, hydrometallurgy, biometallurgy and
      primitive full recovery of NMF-non metallic fraction), and advanced recycling
      technology (mechanical separation, direct use and modification of NMF) are
      reviewed and analyzed based on their advantages and disadvantages. Also, the
      evaluation criteria are discussed including economic, environmental, and gate-to
      market ability. This review indicates the future research direction of WPCB
      recycling should focus on a combination of several techniques or in series
      recycling to maximize the benefits of process.

PMID- 28353258
TI  - Stem Cell Banking: A Global View.
AB  - Stem cell banking has been a topic of discussion and debate for more than a
      decade since the first public services to supply human embryonic stem cells
      (hESCs) were established in the USA and the UK. This topic has received a recent
      revival with numerous ambitious programmes announced to deliver large collections
      of human induced pluripotency cell (hiPSC) lines. This chapter will provide a
      brief overview charting the development of stem cell banks, their value, and
      their likely role in the future.

PMID- 28353260
TI  - Acquisition and Reception of Primary Tissues, Cells, or Other Biological
      Specimens.
AB  - The use and banking of biological material for research or clinical application
      is a well-established practice. The material can be of human or non-human origin.
      The processes involved in this type of activity, from the sourcing to receipt of
      materials, require adherence to a set of best practice principles that assure the
      ethical and legal procurement, traceability, and quality of materials.

PMID- 28353259
TI  - Quality Assurance in Stem Cell Banking: Emphasis on Embryonic and Induced
      Pluripotent Stem Cell Banking.
AB  - For quality assurance (QA) in stem cell banking, a planned system is needed to
      ensure that the banked products, stem cells, meet the standards required for
      research, clinical use, and commercial biotechnological applications. QA is
      process oriented, avoids, or minimizes unacceptable product defects, and
      particularly encompasses the management and operational systems of the bank, as
      well as the ethical and legal frameworks. Quality control (QC ) is product
      oriented and therefore ensures the stem cells of a bank are what they are
      expected to be. Testing is for controlling, not assuring, product quality, and is
      therefore a part of QC , not QA. Like QA, QC is essential for banking cells for
      quality research and translational application (Schwartz et al., Lancet 379:713
      720, 2012). Human embryonic stem cells (hESCs), as cells derived from donated
      supernumerary embryos from in vitro fertilization (IVF) therapy, are different
      from other stem cell types in resulting from an embryo that has had two donors .
      This imposes important ethical and legal constraints on the utility of the cells,
      which, together with quite specific culture conditions, require special attention
      in the QA system. Importantly, although the origin and derivation of induced
      pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs ) differ from that of hESCs, many of the principles
      of QA for hESC banking are applicable to iPSC banking (Stacey et al., Cell Stem
      Cell 13:385-388, 2013). Furthermore, despite differences between the legal and
      regulatory frameworks for hESC and iPSC banking between different countries, the
      requirements for QA are being harmonized (Stacey et al., Cell Stem Cell 13:385
      388, 2013; International Stem Cell Banking Initiative, Stem Cell Rev 5:301-314,
      2009).

PMID- 28353261
TI  - Information Management.
AB  - The collection and storage of human tissue samples has been undertaken in
      medicine for centuries; however, biobanking has only recently become a dedicated
      activity. The technological developments that have allowed the procurement and
      long-term storage of viable human cells ex vivo, and to obtain relevant
      scientific information, including genetic information, provide tremendous
      possibilities for advancing biomedical research. At the same time, these
      possibilities have raised complex information management issues regarding
      samples, processing, donor information, traceability, and use of the sample. This
      chapter considers the requirements for managing information within biobanks,
      critical to their operation. Special consideration is given to Laboratory
      Information Managing Systems (LIMS) as a tool for comprehensive access and
      storage of information.

PMID- 28353262
TI  - Cryopreservation: Vitrification and Controlled Rate Cooling.
AB  - Cryopreservation is the application of low temperatures to preserve the
      structural and functional integrity of cells and tissues. Conventional cooling
      protocols allow ice to form and solute concentrations to rise during the
      cryopreservation process. The damage caused by the rise in solute concentration
      can be mitigated by the use of compounds known as cryoprotectants. Such compounds
      protect cells from the consequences of slow cooling injury, allowing them to be
      cooled at cooling rates which avoid the lethal effects of intracellular ice. An
      alternative to conventional cooling is vitrification. Vitrification methods
      incorporate cryoprotectants at sufficiently high concentrations to prevent ice
      crystallization so that the system forms an amorphous glass thus avoiding the
      damaging effects caused by conventional slow cooling. However, vitrification too
      can impose damaging consequences on cells as the cryoprotectant concentrations
      required to vitrify cells at lower cooling rates are potentially, and often,
      harmful. While these concentrations can be lowered to nontoxic levels, if the
      cells are ultra-rapidly cooled, the resulting metastable system can lead to
      damage through devitrification and growth of ice during subsequent storage and
      rewarming if not appropriately handled.The commercial and clinical application of
      stem cells requires robust and reproducible cryopreservation protocols and
      appropriate long-term, low-temperature storage conditions to provide reliable
      master and working cell banks. Though current Good Manufacturing Practice (cGMP)
      compliant methods for the derivation and banking of clinical grade pluripotent
      stem cells exist and stem cell lines suitable for clinical applications are
      available, current cryopreservation protocols, whether for vitrification or
      conventional slow freezing, remain suboptimal. Apart from the resultant loss of
      valuable product that suboptimal cryopreservation engenders, there is a danger
      that such processes will impose a selective pressure on the cells selecting out a
      nonrepresentative, freeze-resistant subpopulation. Optimizing this process
      requires knowledge of the fundamental processes that occur during the freezing of
      cellular systems, the mechanisms of damage and methods for avoiding them. This
      chapter draws together the knowledge of cryopreservation gained in other systems
      with the current state-of-the-art for embryonic and induced pluripotent stem cell
      preservation in an attempt to provide the background for future attempts to
      optimize cryopreservation protocols.

PMID- 28353263
TI  - Quality Assured Characterization of Stem Cells for Safety in Banking for Clinical
      Application.
AB  - The promise of human pluripotent stem cells to serve as a scalable and renewable
      starting material for "off the shelf" therapeutic cell products to repair or
      replace cells and tissues damaged by disease or injury is unparalleled. Whether
      originating from embryos or the genetic manipulation of adult tissue-derived
      cells, this prospective impact dictates a comprehensive yet practicable standard
      of quality assured characterization, blending existing and bespoke standards and
      considerations. Here, we provide a guide to qualifying the suitability of this
      resource for human clinical application.

PMID- 28353265
TI  - Derivation of Human Embryonic Stem Cells.
AB  - Embryonic stem cells (ESCs) represent a mainstay for pluripotent stem cell
      research and development (R&D) and provide tangible opportunities for clinical
      translation including cell therapies and drug discovery. Moreover, in spite of
      the discovery of induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs), ESCs are an essential
      reference point, against which other pluripotent cells are compared. Hence, there
      is an ongoing need to derive and bank quality-controlled research-grade and
      clinical-grade ESC lines using established and standardized methods. Here, we
      provide a concise, step-by-step protocol for the derivation of ESCs from human
      embryos. While largely based on previously reported method for clinical-grade
      human ESC (hESC) line derivation, the protocol is suitable for routine
      application, although adaptable for clinical-compliance.

PMID- 28353264
TI  - Ethics and Governance of Stem Cell Banks.
AB  - This chapter examines the ethical principles and governance frameworks for stem
      cell banks. Good governance of stem cell banks should balance facilitation of the
      clinical use of stem cells with the proper respect and protection of stem cell
      sample providers and stem cell recipients and ensure compliance with national
      regulatory requirements to foster public trust in the use of stem cell
      technology. Stem cell banks must develop with regard to the science, the needs of
      scientists, and the requirements of the public, which will benefit from this
      science. Given the international reach of this promising research and its
      clinical application, it is necessary for stem cell bank governance frameworks to
      be harmonized across jurisdictions.

PMID- 28353266
TI  - Derivation of Human-Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells in Chemically Defined Medium.
AB  - Human somatic cells can be reprogrammed by defined factors to induced pluripotent
      stem cells (iPSCs). Importantly, the quality of iPSCs could impact the potential
      of these cells in basic and clinic research. Here, we describe a method to
      reprogram human fibroblast cells with Sendai virus in chemically defined
      conditions, to generate iPSCs that are integration-free and suitable for research
      and translational applications.

PMID- 28353267
TI  - Culture, Adaptation, and Expansion of Pluripotent Stem Cells.
AB  - The ability of human pluripotent stem cells (hPSCs) to proliferate indefinitely
      in culture while maintaining their pluripotent properties makes them a powerful
      tool for use in research, and provides tremendous potential for diagnostic
      testing, and therapeutic application. Success in these areas, however, is
      dependent on the ability to effectively expand them in long-term culture while
      preserving their distinct nature. Contained in this chapter are detailed
      protocols for the feeder-independent culture and expansion of hPSCs using mTeSR1
      medium and Matrigel matrix, and guidelines for the successful transfer of those
      cells to alternative platforms. These protocols have been used widely by
      laboratories around the world to successfully expand hPSCs for long-term culture
      while maintaining their undifferentiated, pluripotent state.

PMID- 28353268
TI  - Cryobanking Pluripotent Stem Cells.
AB  - Cryobanking human pluripotent stem cells (hPSCs), be they human embryonic (hESCs)
      or induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs), is essential for their use in research
      and cell-based therapeutics. Working and master cell banks can be generated with
      a desired level of quality assurance applied during cell freezing and storage.
      Conventional vitrification has evolved to more advanced control rate freezing,
      culminating in a myriad of published protocols with variable proficiencies and
      clinical efficacies. Notwithstanding, standardized and reliable protocols are
      necessary for basic science through to applied research and clinical product
      development. This chapter details several methods for hPSC cryopreservation,
      suitable for routine application, high-quality research, and adaptable for
      clinical compliance.

PMID- 28353269
TI  - Genome Editing in Human Pluripotent Stem Cells.
AB  - Genome editing in human pluripotent stem cells (hPSCs) enables the generation of
      reporter lines and knockout cell lines. Zinc finger nucleases, transcription
      activator-like effector nucleases (TALENs), and CRISPR/Cas9 technology have
      recently increased the efficiency of proper gene editing by creating double
      strand breaks (DSB) at defined sequences in the human genome. These systems
      typically use plasmids to transiently transcribe nucleases within the cell. Here,
      we describe the process for preparing hPSCs for transient expression of nucleases
      via electroporation and subsequent analysis to create genetically modified stem
      cell lines.

PMID- 28353270
TI  - Isolation, Culture, and Expansion of Mesenchymal Stem Cells.
AB  - Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs), together with hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs), are
      the most frequently used cell type for cell-based therapeutics. As for other cell
      types intended for research and translational use, it is important to establish
      correctly typed cell lines from human tissue donations. Here, we describe methods
      for isolating, culturing, and identifying MSCs from various tissues obtained
      through human tissue donation. The methods have been used in the context of a
      biobank, prepared as standard operating procedures (SOPs), ensuring traceability
      and reproducibility of cell production.

PMID- 28353271
TI  - Cryobanking Mesenchymal Stem Cells.
AB  - Cryopreservation and storage of culture-expanded mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) is
      essential for a biobank to maintain a collection of cell lines for research and
      clinical use. Optimization of cryopreservation protocols and methods to minimize
      damage to cells during freezing and thawing is critical to ensure reliable
      availability of viable cells. Controlling the freezing rate and the use of
      appropriate cryoprotectant, as well as stable storage temperature, can minimize
      the negative effects on cell viability. In this chapter, protocols for
      cryopreserving MSCs are described.

PMID- 28353272
TI  - Culturing and Cryobanking Human Neural Stem Cells.
AB  - The discovery and study of human neural stem cells has advanced our understanding
      of human neurogenesis, and the development of novel therapeutics based on neural
      cell replacement. Here, we describe methods to culture and cryopreserve human
      neural stem cells (hNSCs) for expansion and banking. Importantly, the protocols
      ensure that the multipotency of hNSCs is preserved to enable differentiation to
      neurons and supporting neuroglia.

PMID- 28353274
TI  - Relative hepatic weight using body weight may be not accurate.

PMID- 28353273
TI  - Clinical characteristics of children with hemolytic uremic syndrome in Hangzhou,
      China.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS) is a main cause of acute renal
      failure in children. This study aimed to analyze the clinical characteristics of
      HUS. METHODS: A retrospective analysis was performed in 46 children with sporadic
      HUS. RESULTS: Of the 46 HUS patients, 20 (43.5%) were diarrhea-related HUS, and
      26 (56.5%) were atypical HUS. Anemia, edema, oliguria, hemoglobinuria and
      hypertension were the most common manifestations. Thrombocytopenia, hyponatremia,
      hypocalcemia, hyperkalemia, metabolic acidosis, increased fibrinogen and
      hypocomplementemia were found in most patients. The age of onset (younger than 2
      years or not, P=0.009), the duration of oliguria or anuria (more than one week or
      not, P=0.005), accompanied with extrarenal complications or not (P=0.005),
      dialysis and plasma exchange (P=0.04) were associated with the mortality rate.
      CONCLUSIONS: The age of onset younger than 2 years, oliguria/anuria more than 1
      week, and associated with extrarenal complications were predictive factors of
      poor prognosis.

PMID- 28353275
TI  - Relative hepatic weight using body weight may be not accurate.

PMID- 28353276
TI  - Leucine-Rich Repeat Kinase (LRRK2) Genetics and Parkinson's Disease.
AB  - The discovery of LRRK2 mutations as a cause of Parkinson's disease (PD),
      including the sporadic late-onset form, established the decisive role of genetics
      in the field of PD research. Among LRRK2 mutations, the G2019S, mostly lying in a
      haplotype originating from a common Middle Eastern ancestor, has been identified
      in different populations worldwide. The G2385R and R1628P variants represent
      validated risk factors for PD in Asian populations. Here, we describe in detail
      the origin, the present worldwide epidemiology, and the penetrance of LRRK2
      mutations. Furthermore, this chapter aims to characterize other
      definitely/probably pathogenic mutations and risk variants of LRRK2. Finally, we
      provide some general guidelines for a LRRK2 genetic testing and counseling. In
      summary, LRRK2 discovery revolutionized the understanding of PD etiology and laid
      the foundation for a promising future of genetics in PD research.

PMID- 28353277
TI  - Clinical Features of LRRK2 Carriers with Parkinson's Disease.
AB  - LRRK2 mutations are present in 1% of all sporadic Parkinson's disease (PD) cases
      and 5% of all familial PD cases. Several mutations in the LRRK2 gene are
      associated with PD, the most common of which is the Gly2019Ser mutation. In the
      following review, we summarize the demographics and motor and non-motor symptoms
      of LRRK2 carriers with PD, as well as symptoms in non-manifesting carriers. The
      clinical features of LRRK2-associated PD are often indistinguishable from those
      of idiopathic PD on an individual basis. However, LRRK2 PD patients are likely to
      have less non-motor symptoms compared to idiopathic PD patients, including less
      olfactory and cognitive impairment. LRRK2-associated PD patients are less likely
      to report REM sleep behavior disorder (RBD) than noncarriers. In addition, it is
      possible that carriers are more prone to cancer than noncarriers with PD, but
      larger studies are required to confirm this observation. Development of more
      sensitive biomarkers to identify mutation carriers at risk of developing PD, as
      well as biomarkers of disease progression among LRRK2 carriers with PD, is
      required. Such biomarkers would help evaluate interventions, which may prevent PD
      among non-manifesting carriers, or slow down disease progression among carriers
      with PD.

PMID- 28353278
TI  - LRRK2 Phosphorylation.
AB  - Mutations in the leucine-rich repeat kinase 2 (LRRK2) gene were discovered in
      2004 and have been found to be the most frequently mutated gene in Parkinson's
      disease. LRRK2 is a large multi-domain protein with a functional GTPase and
      kinase domain. The signal transduction pathways in which LRRK2 is dysfunctional
      in the disease state are only now being resolved, but we do know that LRRK2 is,
      itself, a substrate of multiple kinases and phosphatases and exists in variable
      phosphorylated states. Autophosphorylation of LRRK2 can impact GTPase and
      pathological outcomes. LRRK2 serines (910/935/955/973) are differentially
      phosphorylated in pathogenic PD mutations and after LRRK2 kinase inhibition. The
      phosphorylation status of LRRK2 can therefore provide key insight into the
      mechanisms of kinase dysfunction during disease. This chapter will describe the
      identification of LRRK2 phosphorylation sites and how phosphoregulation of LRRK2
      reveals its own kinase activity and regulates its ubiquitination and localization
      in vitro, in cells, and in tissues.

PMID- 28353280
TI  - LRRK2 and Autophagy.
AB  - Leucine-rich repeat kinase 2 (LRRK2) has been implicated in a wide range of
      cellular processes, including the catabolic pathways collectively described as
      autophagy. In this chapter, the evidence linking LRRK2 to autophagy will be
      examined, along with how regulation of autophagy and lysosomal pathways may
      provide a nexus between the physiological function of this protein and the
      different diseases with which it has been associated. Data from cellular and
      animal models for LRRK2 function and dysfunction support a role in the regulation
      and control of autophagic pathways in the cell, although the extant results do
      not provide a clear indication as to whether LRRK2 is a positive or negative
      regulator of these pathways, and there are conflicting data as to the impact of
      mutations in LRRK2 causative for Parkinson's disease. Given that LRRK2 is a
      priority drug target for Parkinson's, the evidence suggesting that knockout or
      inhibition of LRRK2 can result in deregulation of autophagy may have important
      implications and is discussed in the context of our wider understanding of LRRK2.

PMID- 28353279
TI  - Understanding the GTPase Activity of LRRK2: Regulation, Function, and
      Neurotoxicity.
AB  - Mutations in the leucine-rich repeat kinase 2 (LRRK2) gene are the most frequent
      cause of Parkinson's disease (PD) with late-onset and autosomal-dominant
      inheritance. LRRK2 belongs to the ROCO superfamily of proteins, characterized by
      a Ras-of-complex (Roc) GTPase domain in tandem with a C-terminal-of-Roc (COR)
      domain. LRRK2 also contains a protein kinase domain adjacent to the Roc-COR
      tandem domain in addition to multiple repeat domains. Disease-causing familial
      mutations cluster within the Roc-COR tandem and kinase domains of LRRK2, where
      they act to either impair GTPase activity or enhance kinase activity. Familial
      LRRK2 mutations share in common the capacity to induce neuronal toxicity in
      cultured cells. While the contribution of the frequent G2019S mutation, located
      within the kinase domain, to kinase activity and neurotoxicity has been
      extensively investigated, the contribution of GTPase activity has received less
      attention. The GTPase domain has been shown to play an important role in
      regulating kinase activity, in dimerization, and in mediating the neurotoxic
      effects of LRRK2. Accordingly, the GTPase domain has emerged as a potential
      therapeutic target for inhibiting the pathogenic effects of LRRK2 mutations. Many
      important mechanisms remain to be elucidated, including how the GTPase cycle of
      LRRK2 is regulated, whether GTPase effectors exist for LRRK2, and how GTPase
      activity contributes to the overall functional output of LRRK2. In this review,
      we discuss the importance of the GTPase domain for LRRK2-linked PD focusing in
      particular on its regulation, function, and contribution to neurotoxic
      mechanisms.

PMID- 28353282
TI  - LRRK2 and the Immune System.
AB  - Polymorphisms in leucine-rich repeat kinase 2 (LRRK2) have been linked to
      familial Parkinson's disease, increased risk of sporadic Parkinson's disease,
      increased risk of Crohn's inflammatory bowel disease, and increased
      susceptibility to leprosy. As well as LRRK2 mutations, these diseases share in
      common immune dysfunction and inflammation. LRRK2 is highly expressed in
      particular immune cells and has been biochemically linked to the intertwined
      pathways regulating inflammation, mitochondrial function, and autophagy/lysosomal
      function. This review outlines what is currently understood about LRRK2 function
      in the immune system and the potential implications of LRRK2 dysfunction for
      diseases genetically linked to this enigmatic enzyme.

PMID- 28353281
TI  - Molecular Insights and Functional Implication of LRRK2 Dimerization.
AB  - The Parkinson's disease protein leucine-rich repeat kinase 2 (LRRK2) is a
      multidomain protein with an enzymatic core comprising serine-threonine kinase and
      GTPase activities and a number of protein-protein interaction domains. While the
      complex domain architecture of LRRK2 has hampered its structural investigation,
      there is convincing evidence that LRRK2 can form dimers in solution and in the
      cell and that the GTPase/ROC domain plays a central role in this process. This
      chapter focuses on recent studies addressing the molecular nature, the functional
      significance, and the pathological implication of LRRK2 dimerization.

PMID- 28353283
TI  - Regulation of LRRK2 by Phosphatases.
AB  - LRRK2 is a highly phosphorylated protein, and evidence of a physiological role
      for LRRK2 phosphorylation has accumulated in recent years for cellular
      phosphosites, many of which are found in the ANK-LRR interdomain region, i.e.,
      the S910/S935/S955/S973 sites as well as recently for autophosphorylation sites,
      at least one of which has been confirmed in cells, S1292. LRRK2 phosphorylation
      is modulated in several disease or potential therapy relevant conditions such as
      in disease mutant variants of LRRK2 or following LRRK2 kinase inhibitor
      treatment. This chapter will focus on the regulation of LRRK2 phosphorylation and
      more specifically the role of phosphatases in LRRK2 dephosphorylation. This will
      include reviewing the conditions in which LRRK2 is found to be dephosphorylated,
      the molecular partners and phosphatases involved in regulating LRRK2
      phosphorylation, as well as discussing how LRRK2 phosphatases may be therapeutic
      targets or biomarkers in their own right.

PMID- 28353285
TI  - LRRK2 and the "LRRKtosome" at the Crossroads of Programmed Cell Death: Clues from
      RIP Kinase Relatives.
AB  - Since its cloning and identification in 2004, considerable gains have been made
      in the understanding of the basic functionality of leucine-rich repeat kinase 2
      (LRRK2), including its kinase and GTPase activities, its protein interactors and
      subcellular localization, and its expression in the CNS and peripheral tissues.
      However, the mechanism(s) by which expression of mutant forms of LRRK2 lead to
      the death of dopaminergic neurons of the ventral midbrain remains largely
      uncharacterized. Because of its complex domain structure, LRRK2 exhibits
      similarities with multiple protein families including ROCO proteins, as well as
      the RIP kinases. Cellular models in which mutant LRRK2 is overexpressed in
      neuronal-like cell lines or in primary neurons have found evidence of apoptotic
      cell death involving components of the extrinsic as well as intrinsic death
      pathways. However, since the expression of LRRK2 is comparatively quite low in
      ventral midbrain dopaminergic neurons, the possibility exists that non-cell
      autonomous signaling also contributes to the loss of these neurons. In this
      chapter, we will discuss the different neuronal death pathways that may be
      activated by mutant forms of LRRK2, guided in part by the behavior of other
      members of the RIP kinase protein family.

PMID- 28353286
TI  - Interaction of LRRK2 and alpha-Synuclein in Parkinson's Disease.
AB  - Parkinson's disease (PD) is a progressively debilitating neurodegenerative
      syndrome. It is best described as a movement disorder characterized by motor
      dysfunctions, progressive degeneration of dopaminergic neurons of the substantia
      nigra pars compacta, and abnormal intraneuronal protein aggregates, named Lewy
      bodies and Lewy neurites. Nevertheless, knowledge of the molecular events leading
      to this pathophysiology is incomplete. To date, only mutations in the alpha
      synuclein and LRRK2-encoding genes have been associated with typical findings of
      clinical and pathologic PD. LRRK2 appears to have a central role in the
      pathogenesis of PD as it is associated with alpha-synuclein pathology and other
      proteins implicated in neurodegeneration. Thus, LRRK2 dysfunction may influence
      the accumulation of alpha-synuclein and its pathology through diverse
      pathomechanisms altering cellular functions and signaling pathways, including
      immune system, autophagy, vesicle trafficking, and retromer complex modulation.
      Consequently, development of novel LRRK2 inhibitors can be justified to treat the
      neurodegeneration associated with abnormal alpha-synuclein accumulation.

PMID- 28353287
TI  - Mechanisms of Mutant LRRK2 Neurodegeneration.
AB  - LRRK2 mutations are associated with the loss of neurons, that is to say toxicity,
      in patients and in experimental model systems. However, the mechanisms by which
      mutations can be linked to neurodegeneration are not fully defined. Here I will
      argue that mechanism in this context encompasses a variety of levels of
      information. Mutations or alterations in gene expression at a genetic level are
      one set of mechanisms that are reflected at the biochemical level likely in
      enhanced or persistent function of LRRK2. By impacting cellular pathways,
      prominently including changes in autophagy but also microtubule function,
      mitochondria and protein synthesis, in neurons and immune cells, the LRRK2 brain
      is primed for neurodegeneration in an age-dependent manner. These concepts have
      implications for not only modeling LRRK2 disease but also perhaps for Parkinson's
      disease more generally, including the development of therapeutic modalities.

PMID- 28353284
TI  - Models of LRRK2-Associated Parkinson's Disease.
AB  - Mutations in the leucine-rich repeat kinase 2 (LRRK2) gene are the most common
      genetic causes of Parkinson's disease (PD) and also one of the strongest genetic
      risk factors in sporadic PD. The LRRK2 protein contains a GTPase and a kinase
      domain and several protein-protein interaction domains. Both in vitro and in vivo
      assays in different model systems have provided tremendous insights into the
      molecular mechanisms underlying LRRK2-induced dopaminergic neurodegeneration.
      Among all the model systems, animal models are crucial tools to study the
      pathogenesis of human disease. How do the animal models recapitulate LRRK2
      induced dopaminergic neuronal loss in human PD? To answer this question, this
      review focuses on the discussion of the animal models of LRRK2-associated PD
      including genetic- and viral-based models.

PMID- 28353288
TI  - Small-Molecule Inhibitors of LRRK2.
AB  - Mutations in the leucine-rich repeat kinase 2 (LRRK2) protein have been
      genetically and functionally linked to Parkinson's disease (PD). The kinase
      activity of LRRK2 is increased by pathogenic mutations; therefore, modulation of
      LRRK2 kinase activity by a selective small-molecule inhibitor has been proposed
      as a potentially viable treatment for Parkinson's disease. This chapter presents
      a historical overview of the development and bioactivity of several small
      molecule LRRK2 inhibitors that have been used to inhibit LRRK2 kinase activity in
      vitro or in vivo. These compounds are important tools for understanding the
      cellular biology of LRRK2 and for evaluating the potential of LRRK2 inhibitors as
      disease-modifying PD therapies.

PMID- 28353289
TI  - Factor structure and concurrent construct validity of ICG among bereaved
      substance users.
AB  - BACKGROUND: It is important to understand the repercussions of Complicated Grief
      (CG) symptoms in addictions. There are no studies to date which have examined the
      psychometric properties of any test of bereavement among people with substance
      use disorder (SUD). Participants with SUD can have a different experience of
      bereavement from other people and therefore could respond differently to the
      usual instruments which assess CG symptomatology. METHOD: This study aims to
      establish the psychometric properties of the Spanish adaption of the Inventory of
      Complicated Grief (ICG) in a sample of 196 bereaved drug dependent patients.
      RESULTS: Results indicate that the internal consistency of the Spanish ICG was
      high (Cronbach&#8217;s alpha=0.922). The Spanish IDC shows good psychometric
      properties and it is a useful tool to discriminate adaptive reactions to
      symptomatology of complicated grief. Four factors were identified: discomfort,
      non-acceptance, loneliness-isolation and presence of deceased. Those factors
      showed a good internal reliability (minimum Cronbach&#8217;s alpha=0.78).
      CONCLUSIONS: The results of the current study confirm the multidimensionality of
      CG&#8217;s symptomatology construct.

PMID- 28353291
TI  - Problematic Technology Use in a clinical sample of children and adolescents.
      Personality and behavioral problems associated.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: In parallel to the rapid growth of access to new technologies (NT)
      there has been an increase in the problematic use of the same, especially among
      children and adolescents. Although research in this field is increasing, the
      studies have mainly been developed in the community, and the characteristics
      associated with the problematic use of NT are unknown in samples that require
      clinical care. Therefore, the aim of this study is to analyze the relationship
      between problematic use of video games (UPV) and Internet (UPI) and personality
      traits and behavior problems in a clinical sample of children and adolescents.
      METHODOLOGY: The sample consists of 88 patients who were examined in the clinical
      psychology consultation in the Mental Health Unit for Children and Adolescents of
      the University Hospital of Santiago de Compostela. Data were obtained from self
      reports and rating scales filled out by parents. RESULTS: 31.8% of the
      participants present UPI and 18.2%, UPV. The children and adolescents with UPNT
      have lower levels of Openness to experience, Conscientiousness and Agreeableness
      and higher levels of Emotional instability, global Impulsivity and Externalizing
      behavior problems, as well as Attention and Thought problems. CONCLUSIONS: UPNT
      is a problem that emerges as an important issue in clinical care for children and
      adolescents, so its study in child and youth care units is needed. Understanding
      the psychopathological profile of children and adolescents with UPNT will allow
      for the development of differential and more specific interventions.

PMID- 28353290
TI  - Validation of the Portuguese version of the Psychotic Symptom Rating Scales
      (PSYRATS).
AB  - The Psychotic Symptom Rating Scales (PSYRATS) is a clinical assessment tool that
      focuses on the detailed measurement of delusions and hallucinations in patients
      with psychosis. The goal of this study was to examine the psychometric properties
      of the Portuguese version of the PSYRATS. A sample of 92 outpatients suffering
      from schizophrenia or schizoaffective disorders and presenting persistent
      psychotic symptoms was assessed using the PSYRATS and the Positive and Negative
      Syndrome Scale (PANSS). Good inter-rater reliability, test-retest reliability,
      concurrent validity and internal consistency were found. Factor analysis of the
      auditory hallucinations scale items disclosed a four-factor solution: emotion
      characteristics and disruption factor (factor 1), a physical characteristics
      factor (factor 2), a control characteristics factor (factor 3) and a cognitive
      attribution factor (factor 4). Regarding the delusions scale items, a two-factor
      solution was found: cognitive interpretation and disruption factor (factor 1) and
      an emotional characteristics (factor 2). The Portuguese version of the PSYRATS
      partially replicates previously published results in other countries.

PMID- 28353292
TI  - Psychosis management in patients with hiv: case report.
AB  - Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection can cause neuropsychiatric disorders
      such as cognitive impairment, behavioural difficulties or psychiatric symptoms
      &#8211;for instance, mania and psychosis. HIV patients with psychiatric
      comorbidities need an appropriate treatment which tackles the HIV infection as
      much as the particular mental symptoms. Here we present the case of a patient
      suffering from delusions, which turned out to be caused by encephalitis secondary
      to a previously unknown HIV infection. A review of psychosis in HIV-infected
      patients is also presented. This review is focused on the epidemiology,
      etiopathogenesis and clinical presentation of HIV-induced psychosis, as well as
      the recommended pharmacological treatment (antiretroviral therapy and
      antipsychotic medication) and the expected treatment response. We also present
      wide information concerning pharmacological interactions between antiretroviral
      and antipsychotic medications that we hope will help the clinician to better
      manage this complex condition.

PMID- 28353293
TI  - Unconjugated bilirubin and acute schizophrenia: a probable correlation?

PMID- 28353294
TI  - Delusional psychosis induced by dopamine agonists in the treatment of
      Parkinson&#8217;s disease: four clinical cases.

PMID- 28353295
TI  - Comorbidity of autism spectrum disorder and bipolar disorder.

PMID- 28353296
TI  - Preliminary versions of the chapter on mental disorders of the ICD-11.

PMID- 28353299
TI  - An unusual case of accessory head of coracobrachialis muscle involving lateral
      cord of brachial plexus and its clinical significance.
AB  - Knowledge of anatomical variations in the peripheral nervous system is key in the
      interpretation of unusual clinical signs or during physical or diagnostic
      imaging. This case study is a description of an anatomical variation between the
      coracobrachialis muscle and brachial plexus. In a routine dissection in the human
      anatomy laboratory, we were faced with an anatomical variation in the
      coracobrachialis muscle, observed in the upper right limb of a male cadaver. The
      coracobrachialis muscle had a common origin at the apex of the coracoid process
      and then divided into two heads. The lateral head followed its normal course
      until insertion into the middle third of the humerus, while the medial head
      involved the lateral cord of the brachial plexus before insertion into the
      intermuscular septum in the proximal third of the humerus. Atypical anatomical
      variations have clinical and surgical implications in procedures such as brachial
      plexus block and lateral cord compression. In these cases the result could be
      paralysis of the flexor musculature of the forearm and hypoesthesia of the
      forearm.

PMID- 28353300
TI  - Morphological variations of the vermiform appendix in Iranian cadavers: a study
      from developing countries.
AB  - BACKGROUND: The vermiform appendix is a worm like tube containing a large amount
      of lymphoid follicles. In our knowledge, there is a little standard data about
      the vermiform appendix in Iranian population. Therefore, the objective of this
      study was to investigate the normal appendix size in Iranian cadavers. MATERIALS
      AND METHODS: A cross-sectional study was undertaken between June 2014 and July
      2015, in the autopsy laboratory, Legal Medicine Organization, Razavi Khorasan
      province, Iran. A total of 693 cadavers with the mean age of 40.46+/-20.99 years
      were divided into 10 groups. After writing down position of the appendix, the
      length, diameter and weight of appendix were measured. Statistical analysis was
      performed using SPSS software. RESULTS: The mean values of the demographic
      characteristics included: age= 40.46 +/- 20.99 years; weight = 63.47 +/- 17.84
      kg; height = 159.95 +/- 28.23 cm. The mean values of the appendix length,
      diameter, weight and index in the cadavers were 8.52 +/- 2.99 cm, 12.17 +/- 4.53
      mm, 6.43 +/- 3.26 grams and 0.013 +/- 0.01, respectively. The most common
      position of appendix was retrocecal in 71.7% of cases. A significant correlations
      were evident between the value of demographic data and appendix size (P<0.05).
      The diameter (P=0.002) and index of appendix (P=0.003) showed significant
      difference between males and females. CONCLUSIONS: Having standard data on the
      vermiform appendix is useful for clinicians as well as anthropologists. The
      findings of the present study can provide information about morphologic
      variations of the appendix in Iranian population.

PMID- 28353302
TI  - Prevalence and morphometric features of fossa navicularis on cone beam computed
      tomography in Turkish population.
AB  - BACKGROUND: The objective of this study is to determine the prevalence and
      morphometric features of fossa navicularis, a close radiographic anatomic
      variation of canalis basilaris medianus of the basiocciput, in a Turkish
      population using cone beam computed tomography (CBCT). MATERIALS AND METHODS: The
      study group consisted of 723 patients (female: 420, male: 303) having CBCT scans.
      The patients had no syndromes, history of neurological diseases or surgery in the
      area of interest. On the images that revealed a fossa navicularis, the depth,
      length, and width measurements were performed, and were compared to the age and
      gender of the patients. The shape and number of fossa navicularis were also
      recorded. RESULTS: Fossa navicularis was identified in 48 (6.6%) patients. Among
      these patients, 19 were female (4.5% of all female patients), whereas 29 were
      male (9.6% of all male patients), and their age ranged between 10 and 68 (mean
      age: 34.0+/-18.7). No significant difference was found between genders and age
      groups in terms of depth, length, and width measurements (p>0.05). In 39 patients
      (5.4%), fossa navicularis presented oval in shape. CONCLUSIONS: Even though the
      prevalence of fossa navicularis was found to be higher than previously reported,
      it still seems to be rare. Anatomical structure of the fossa navicularis can be
      studied effectively on CBCT images.

PMID- 28353301
TI  - Anatomical structure of the coracohumeral ligament and its effect on shoulder
      joint stability.
AB  - BACKGROUND: In this study, coracohumeral ligament (CHL) specimens were carefully
      dissected to observe its length, width, thickness and tension at different
      positions of the shoulder joint, thereby elucidating its effects on shoulder
      joint stability. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Fresh frozen shoulder joints from 40
      normal adult cadaveric specimens were dissected to reveal the CHL. With the
      shoulder joints placed at different positions, the length of the CHL and the
      width and thickness of the middle part of the ligament were measured. The changes
      in tension of the CHL were also observed. When the shoulder joint maintained the
      neutral position, the length of the CHL was 52.23 +/- 1.02 mm and the width and
      thickness of the middle part of the ligament were 15.95 +/- 0.59 and 1.46 +/-
      0.06 mm, respectively. RESULTS: When the shoulder joint moved from the neutral
      position to 90 degrees  external rotation, from the neutral position to 30
      degrees  adduction or from the neutral position to 30 degrees  flexion/extension
      or when the shoulder joint is pulled down with a 5 kg weight, the CHL was
      elongated and thinned, maintaining a strained state. When the shoulder joint
      moved from the neutral position to 90 degrees  internal rotation, from the
      neutral position to 90 degrees  abduction or from the neutral position to 30
      degrees  flexion/extension, the CHL was shortened and thickened, maintaining a
      relaxed state. CONCLUSIONS: The CHL may limit the external rotation, adduction
      and downward movement of the shoulder joint and the process from the neutral
      position to the 30 degrees  flexion/extension, maintaining shoulder joint
      stability.

PMID- 28353303
TI  - Stroke Bricks - spatial brain regions to assess ischaemic stroke localisation.
AB  - Computer-aided analysis of non-contrast computed tomography (NCCT) images for
      rapid diagnosis of ischaemic stroke is based on the augmented visualisation of
      evolving ischaemic lesions. Computerised support of NCCT often leads to
      overinterpretation of ischaemic areas, thus it is of great interest to provide
      neurologically verified regions in order to improve accuracy of subsequent
      radiological assessment. We propose Stroke Bricks (StBr) as an arbitrary spatial
      division of brain tissue into the regions associated with specific clinical
      symptoms of ischaemic stroke. Neurological stroke deficit is formally translated
      into respective areas of possible ischaemic lesions. StBr were designed according
      to formalised mapping of neurological symptoms and were attributed to the
      uniquely defined areas of impaired blood supply. StBr concept may be useful for
      an integrated radiological CT-based assessment of suspected stroke cases or can
      be included into computer-aided tools to optimise the evaluation of stroke site
      and its extent. These data in turn are appropriable for further diagnosis,
      predicting the therapeutic outcome as well as for patients' qualification for an
      appropriate form of reperfusion therapy. The usefulness of StBr was illustrated
      in the case studies.

PMID- 28353304
TI  - Radiological anatomy of distal phalanx of front foot in the pure Iranian Arabian
      horse.
AB  - Among the different breeds of horses, Asil horses with a five thousand year
      history have played an important role in human life. This study was designed as a
      result of the lack of information about the normal radiographic anatomy of this
      breed. Radiography of the distal phalanx and associated soft-tissue structures of
      the front feet of 10 healthy pure Iranian Arabian horses was performed on
      lateromedial radiographic projection to determine normal radiographic morphometry
      of this part. There were no problems in their limbs and in their history.
      Obtained radiograph of each front distal phalanx was used to measure important
      distances, angles and ratios of the hoof wall. There was no significant
      difference between left and right digits for any radiographic determination.
      Measurements of this study differed with those reported from other breeds, so it
      can be used in the future as reference values for diagnosis of laminitis in front
      feet of Iranian Arabian horses.

PMID- 28353305
TI  - Anatomical changes in the East Asian midface skeleton with aging.
AB  - PURPOSE: Understanding the aging process of the midface skeleton is considered
      crucial for correct facial rejuvenation. However, the canine fossa, an important
      morphological feature of the midface skeleton, has not yet been observed in
      connection with aging, despite the fact that it is the most main part of the
      maxillary bone. Here, the authors focus on the depression of the canine fossa to
      evaluate the Asian midface skeleton. METHODS: Computed tomography (CT) scans of
      the facial skeleton of 114 Koreans (59 males and 55 females) were reconstructed
      to three-dimensional (3-D) images using a 3-D analysis software program. The
      study subjects included 27 young males, 32 old males, 28 young females and 27 old
      females. The angular measurements of 3 bony regions were measured for each 3-D
      model: the canine fossa angle (assessing depth of the canine fossa), the
      maxillary angle (assessing orientation of the lateral maxilla) and the piriform
      angle (assessing orientation of the medial maxilla). RESULTS: The canine fossa
      angle showed a statistically significant decrease with aging in both sexes,
      indicating the canine fossa actually becomes more concave with age. In contrast,
      the maxillary and piriform angle showed statistically insignificant changes with
      aging in female subjects. CONCLUSIONS: These results suggest that the canine
      fossa may be one of the effective markers to evaluate the anatomical changes to
      the facial skeleton with midface aging.

PMID- 28353306
TI  - Anatomical variations of the sternal angle and anomalies of adult human sterna
      from the Galloway osteological collection at Makerere University Anatomy
      Department.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Anatomical variations of the sternal angle and anomalies of the
      sternum are unique happenings of major clinical significance.It is known that
      misplaced sternal angles may lead to inaccurate counting of ribs and create
      challenges with intercostal nerve blocks and needle thoracostomies. Sternal
      foramina may pose a great hazard during sternal puncture, due to inadvertent
      cardiac or great vessel injury. These sternal variations and anomalies are rarely
      reported among Africans. The aim of this study was to determine the anatomical
      variations of the sternal angle and anomalies of the sternum among adult dry
      human sterna at the Galloway osteological collection, Makerere University,
      Uganda. METHODS: This was a descriptive cross sectional study in which
      quantitative and qualitative data were collected. The study examined 85 adult
      human sterna at the Department of Anatomy, Makerere University. Univariate and
      bivariate analyses were done using SPSS 21.0 for windows. RESULTS: Over 40%
      (36/85) of the specimens had variations in size, location and fusion of the
      sternal angle. There was no significant difference in the mean size of the
      sternal angle in males at 163.40 (SD 6.7) compared with 165.00 (SD 6.4) in
      females (p=0.481). Of the 85 specimens examined, only 21 (24.7%) had a xiphoid
      process. The most frequent sternal anomalies were bifid xiphoid process 42.9%
      (9/21) and sternal foramen 12.9% (11/85). CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS:
      Sternal variations and anomalies are prevalent in the Galloway osteological
      collection and there is need for increased awareness of these findings as they
      may determine the accuracy of clinical and other procedures in the thoracic
      region.

PMID- 28353307
TI  - Prediction of unstable anticoagulation with acenocoumarol versus warfarin in
      atrial fibrillation.
AB  - BACKGROUND: The SAMe-TT2R2 (sex female, age, medical history, treatment, tobacco
      use, race) score was developed in patients with atrial fibrillation (AF) on
      warfarin. The present study aimed to 1) compare the anticoagulation quality and
      management of AF patients treated with warfarin with those on acenocoumarol and
      2) optimize the SAMe-TT2R2 score to detect AF patients at high risk of unstable
      anticoagulation with acenocoumarol and warfarin. METHODS: In a single-center
      retrospective study, 320 patients with AF, including 15 (5%) after valve
      replacement, aged 40-82 (median 70) years, including 203 (63%) receiving
      acenocoumarol and 117 (37%) treated with warfarin, were studied. The SAMe-TT2R2
      score was modified based on the candidate factors retrieved from univariate
      regression and assessed using the receiver operating curves (ROC). RESULTS: A
      median SAMe-TT2R2 score was 2 (1-3). Proportions of patients with >= 2 points and
      0-1 points in the SAMe-TT2R2 score who had the time in therapeutic range (TTR) <=
      70% were similar (61 [67%] vs. 63 [56%], p = 0.11). A modified score, involving
      medical history (myocardial infarction [MI] and chronic obstructive pulmonary
      disease [COPD], 1 point), statin treatment (1 point) and tobacco use (2 points)
      had a higher area under the curve (AUC) in patients on acenocoumarol compared to
      SAMe- TT2R2 (0.66; 95% confidence interval 0.58-0.73 vs. 0.56; 0.48-0.64, p =
      0.042); >= 1 point indicated TTR > 70% with a sensitivity and specificity of 61%
      and 63%, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: The SAMe-TT2R2 score is less effective in
      predicting unstable anticoagulation with acenocoumarol versus warfarin. Adding
      statin use and highlighting COPD and previous MI increases a predictive value of
      this score for acenocoumarol.

PMID- 28353308
TI  - Prognostic value of red blood cell distribution width in patients with left
      ventricular systolic dysfunction: Insights from the COMMIT-HF registry.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Previous studies have reported that in patients with heart failure,
      an increased value of red cell distribution width (RDW) is associated with
      adverse outcomes. Nonetheless, data regarding the association between RDW values
      and long-term mortality in patients with left ventricular systolic dysfunction
      (LVSD) are lacking. The aim of this investigation was to examine the relationship
      between mortality and RDW in patients with ischemic and non-ischemic LVSD.
      METHODS: Under analysis was 1734 patients with a left ventricular ejection
      fraction (LVEF) <= 35% of whom were hospitalized between 2009 and 2013. Patients
      were divided into three groups based on RDW tertiles. Low, medium and high
      tertiles were defined as RDW <= 13.4%, 13.4% < RDW <= 14.6% and RDW > 14.6%,
      respectively. RESULTS: There was a stepwise relationship between RDW intervals
      and comorbidities. Patients with the highest RDW values were older and more often
      diagnosed with anemia, diabetes, atrial fibrillation and chronic kidney disease.
      The main finding of our analysis was the presence of an 8-fold increase in all
      cause mortality in the entire cohort between high and low RDW tertile. Cox hazard
      analysis identi-fied RDW as an independent predictive factor of mortality in all
      patients (HR 2.8; 95% CI 2.1-3.8; p < 0.0001) and in subgroups of patients with
      ischemic (HR 2.8; 95% CI 2.0-3.9; p < 0.0001) and non-ischemic (HR 3.3; 95% CI
      2.01-5.5; p < 0.0001) LVSD. CONCLUSIONS: The highest RDW tertile was
      independently associated with higher long-term mortality compared with low and
      medium tertiles, both in all patients with a LVEF <= 35% and in subgroups of
      patients with ischemic and non-ischemic LVSD.

PMID- 28353309
TI  - Cardiac magnetic resonance imaging derived quantification of myocardial ischemia
      and scar improves risk stratification and patient management in stable coronary
      artery disease.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Quantification of myocardial ischemia and necrosis might ameliorate
      prognostic models and lead to improved patient management. However, no
      standardized consensus on how to assess and quantify these parameters has been
      established. The aim of this study was to quantify these variables by cardiac
      magnetic resonance imaging (CMR) and to establish possible incremental
      implications in cardiovascular risk prediction. METHODS: This study is a
      retrospective analysis of patients with known or suspected coronary artery
      disease (CAD) referred for adenosine perfusion CMR was performed. Myocardial
      ischemia and necrosis were assessed and quantified using an algorithm based on
      standard first-pass perfusion imaging and late gadolinium enhancement (LGE). The
      combined primary endpoint was defined as cardiac death, non-fatal myocardial
      infarction, and stroke. RESULTS: 845 consecutive patients were enrolled into the
      study. During the median follow-up of 3.64 [1.03; 10.46] years, 61 primary
      endpoints occurred. Patients with primary endpoint showed larger extent of
      ischemia (10.7 +/- 12.25% vs. 3.73 +/- 8.29%, p < 0.0001) and LGE (21.09 +/-
      15.11% vs. 17.73 +/- 10.72%, p < 0.0001). A risk prediction model containing the
      extent of ischemia and LGE proved to be superior in comparison to all other
      models (chi2 increase: from 39.678 to 56.676, integrated discrimination index:
      0.3851, p = 0.0033, net reclassification index: 0.11516, p = 0.0071). The ben
      eficial effect of revascularization tended to be higher in patients with greater
      extents of ischemia, though statistical significance was not reached.
      CONCLUSIONS: Quantification of myocardial ischemia and LGE was shown to
      significantly improve existing risk prediction models and might thus lead to an
      improvement in patient management.

PMID- 28353311
TI  - Blockade of beta2-adrenoceptor, rather than beta1-adrenoceptor, deteriorates
      cardiac anaphylaxis in isolated blood-perfused rat hearts.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Cardiac anaphylaxis is one of the features of anaphylactic
      hypotension. Patients treated with propranolol, a nonselective beta-adrenoceptor
      (AR) antagonist, develop severe anaphylaxis, but the mechanism remains unknown.
      Under examination were the effects of beta1- and beta2-AR antagonist on
      anaphylaxis-induced coronary vasoconstriction and cardiac dysfunction in isolated
      blood-perfused rat hearts. METHODS: Isolated hearts from ovalbumin-sensitized
      Wistar rats were subjected to coronary perfusion with blood at a constant
      pressure and measurements were made of coronary blood flow and left ventricu-lar
      (LV) pressure. Following pretreatment with selective beta2-AR antagonist
      ICI118,551 or selective beta1-AR antagonist atenolol, cardiac anaphylaxis was
      induced by intracoronary injections of ovalbumin antigen. LV contractility was
      evaluated by the maximum increasing rate of systolic LV pressure (dP/dtmax).
      RESULTS: In response to antigen administrations, ICI118,551 pretreated hearts
      showed a greater de-crease in coronary blood flow and consequently a greater
      increase in coronary vascular resistance than the atenolol pretreated hearts.
      Pretreatment with ICI118,551 caused a greater decrease in dP/dtmax than those
      with atenolol. CONCLUSIONS: Cardiac anaphylaxis-induced contractile dysfunction
      and coronary spasm are severe in b2-, rather than beta1-AR antagonist, pretreated
      isolated blood-perfused rat hearts.

PMID- 28353310
TI  - The early variation of left ventricular twisting function in patients with
      lymphoma received anthracycline therapy assessed by three-dimensional speckle
      tracking echocardiography.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Anthracycline-induced cardiotoxicity remains a significant and
      unresolved issue in patients receiving chemotherapy. The aim of this study was to
      evaluate left ventricular (LV) twisting function by three-dimensional speckle
      tracking echocardiography (3D-STE) in patients with lymphoma after anthracycline
      therapy. METHODS: One hundred and one patients with newly diagnosed diffuse large
      B-cell lymphoma who had planned to receive anthracycline chemotherapy were
      enrolled. LV apical rotation, basal rotation, twist, torsion, time to peak apical
      rotation and time to peak basal rotation were measured by 3D-STE at baseline,
      after the completion of two cycles and four cycles of the regimen, respectively.
      Apical-basal rotation delay was calculated as the difference between time to
      basal and time to apical rotation. RESULTS: The results showed that LV apical
      rotation, basal rotation, twist and torsion declined progressively during the
      whole procedure (baseline vs. two and four cycles of the regimen, apical
      rotation: 12.5 +/- +/- 4.5 degrees  vs. 8.8 +/- 3.6 degrees  vs. 6.0 +/- 3.2
      degrees ; basal rotation: -7.7 +/- 3.0 degrees  vs. -5.9 +/- 2.6 degrees  vs. 
      4.4 +/- 2.5 degrees ; twist: 20.0 +/- 6.4 degrees  vs. 14.5 +/- 5.1 degrees  vs.
      9.8 +/- 4.5 degrees ; torsion: 2.9 +/- 0.9 degrees /cm vs. 2.1 +/- 0.9 degrees
      /cm vs. 1.4 +/- 0.7 degrees /cm; all p < 0.01). Furthermore, apical-basal
      rotation delay increased significantly after two cycles as well as after four
      cycles of the regimen (38.3 +/- 67.9 ms vs. 66.7 +/- 73.9 ms vs. 92.6 +/- 96.9
      ms; p < 0.01). CONCLUSIONS: LV twisting function deteriorated in the early stage
      of anthracycline therapy in patients with lymphoma, which could be detected by 3D
      STE sensitively.

PMID- 28353312
TI  - Prediction of coronary artery disease severity in lower extremity artery disease
      patients: A correlation study of TASC II classification, Syntax and Syntax II
      scores.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Lower extremity arterial disease (LEAD) is a well-established risk
      factor for concomitant coronary artery disease (CAD). There are no published data
      combining all three lower limb arterial segments (aortoiliac, femoropopliteal and
      below the knee vessels) in order to estimate CAD severity in LEAD patients.
      Herein has been derived a new scoring system for this purpose, which uses the
      wellknown TASC II classification, Syntax score and, for the first time in medical
      literature, a Syntax II score. METHODS: The study population consisted of 178
      patients who underwent lower limb and coronary diagnostic angiography for
      assessment of LEAD and CAD at the same session. Syntax and Syntax II scores were
      calculated. TASC II classifications of the lower limb arteries were done. A new
      scoring system, called "Total Peripheral Score" (TPS), for lower limbs was also
      calculated. RESULTS: A positive correlation was found between TPS and Syntax
      score and a less prominent positive correlation between TPS and Syntax II score
      (p < 0.001). A cut-off value of '6' for the new score was found for estimating
      high risk subgorup of CAD (Syntax score > 32; p < 0.001). Critical
      femoropopliteal arterial segment stenosis was the most predictive lower limb
      arterial zone for presence of severe CAD (Syntax score > 32; p = 0.011).
      CONCLUSIONS: Taking into account all lower limb arterial segments for predicting
      CAD during lower limb arterial angiography was recommended. A TPS of more than
      '6' is the practical cut-off value for estimating severe CAD. Femoropopliteal
      arterial critical stenosis is the most predictive arterial zone for estimating
      severe CAD.

PMID- 28353313
TI  - Echocardiographic evaluation of diastolic functions in patients with polycystic
      ovary syndrome: A comperative study of diastolic functions in sub-phenotypes of
      polycystic ovary syndrome.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is a heterogeneous endocrine
      disorder among reproductive-aged women. It is known to be associated with
      cardiovascular diseases. The aim of this study was to determine and compare the
      echocardiographic data of patients according to the phenotypes of PCOS. METHODS:
      This study included 113 patients with PCOS and 52 controls. Patients were
      classified into four potential PCOS phenotypes. Laboratory analyses and
      echocardiographic measurements were performed. Left ventricular mass was
      calculated by using Devereux formula and was indexed to body surface area.
      RESULTS: Phenotype-1 PCOS patients had significantly higher homeostasis model
      assessment - insu-lin resistance (HOMA-IR) (p = 0.023), free testosterone (p <
      0.001), LDL cholesterol levels (p < 0.001) and free androgen index (p < 0.001)
      compared with the control group. There were significant differences between
      groups regarding the septal thickness, posterior wall thickness, Left ventricular
      ejection frac-tion, E/A ratio and left ventricular mass index (for all, p <
      0.05). PCOS patients with phenotype 1 and 2 had significantly higher left
      ventricular mass index than the control group (p < 0.001). In univariate and
      multivariate analyses, PCOS phenotype, modified Ferriman-Gallwey Score and
      estradiol were found as variables, which independently could affect the left
      ventricular mass index. CONCLUSIONS: This study showed that women in their
      twenties who specifically fulfilled criteria for PCOS phenotype-1 according to
      the Rotterdam criteria, had higher left ventricular mass index and decreased E/A
      ratio, which might be suggestive of early stage diastolic dysfunction. (Cariol J
      2017; 24, 4: 364-373).

PMID- 28353315
TI  - Comparison of leukocyte IL6 expression in patients with gestational diabetes
      mellitus (GDM) diagnosed by the Polish Diabetes Association (PDA) 2011 and 2014
      criteria.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: Controversial data exist in the literature regarding relationship
      of IL-6 with gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM), partially resulting from
      different criteria for GDM classification. In the present study, we revised this
      linkage by investigating leukocyte IL6 expression and its associations with
      clinical characteristics of patients diagnosed by the Polish Diabetes Association
      (PDA) 2011 and 2014 criteria. MATERIAL AND METHODS: A total of 145 pregnant women
      underwent 75 g two-hour OGTT, and GDM was diagnosed according to PDA 2011
      criteria (GDM/PDA 2011 group; n = 113) and PDA 2014 criteria (GDM/PDA 2014 group;
      n = 104). IL6 gene expression was investigated in leukocytes of all participants
      by using real-time PCR method. RESULTS: Compared to respective NGT control
      groups, the GDM/PDA 2011 group exhibited higher FPG, two-hour OGTT, HbA1C and IL6
      expression and lower HDL-C, whereas the GDM/PDA 2014 group had higher FPG, one
      hour and two-hour OGTT, HbA1C and HOMA-IR, lower QUICKI-IS, and unchanged IL6
      expression. No differences in metabolic parameters and IL6 expression were found
      between the two GDM groups. Compared to the NGT/PDA 2011 group, the NGT/PDA 2014
      group had lower one-hour and higher two-hour OGTT and increased IL6 expression.
      With PDA 2014 criteria, IL6 expression correlated positively with two-hour OGTT
      in both NGT and GDM groups as well as with LDL-C in NGT group, and negatively
      with HDL-C in NGT group. With PDA 2011 criteria, no associations were evident in
      NGT and GDM groups. Nevertheless, significant positive correlation of IL6 mRNA
      with two-hour OGTT was observed in the entire study group. CONCLUSIONS:
      Differences in metabolic phenotypes as well as gene expression and correlation
      data between GDM and NGT groups, categorised based on PDA 2011 and 2014 criteria,
      are related to changes in gestational glucose tolerance status resulting from
      using PDA 2014 criteria. Moreover, our findings support the hypothesis that IL-6
      is associated with glucose metabolism during pregnancy.

PMID- 28353314
TI  - Chemerin as a marker of subclinical cardiac involvement in psoriatic patients.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Chemerin has been associated with psoriasis and inflammation, but
      there are no studies demonstrating an association between chemerin and
      subclinical cardiac involvement in psoriatic patients. Therefore, the present
      study aimed to evaluate whether psoriatic patients with increased epicardial fat
      tissue, impaired flow-mediated dilatation, and diastolic dysfunction have higher
      serum chemerin levels than a healthy control group. METHODS: The study included
      60 psoriatic patients and 32 healthy controls. Echocardiographic parameters,
      epicardial fat tissue, flow-mediated dilatation, and chemerin levels were
      recorded for both groups. RESULTS: The serum levels of chemerin in the psoriatic
      patients were significantly higher than in the control group. The diastolic
      function parameters, including isovolumic contraction and relaxation time, E'/A'
      (early diastolic mitral annular velocity/late diastolic mitral annular velocity),
      and E/E' (early diastolic peak velocity of mitral inflow/early diastolic mitral
      annular velocity) values, differed significantly between the groups. Epicardial
      fat tissue was significantly higher and flow-mediated dilatation was
      significantly lower in psoriatic patients than in the controls. Chemerin was
      significantly positively correlated with age, body mass index, systolic and
      diastolic blood pressures, waist circumference, E/E', and epicardial fat tissue.
      Serum chemerin was significantly negatively correlated with E', E'/A', and flow
      mediated dilatation. A multiple linear regression analysis showed that chemerin
      was independently correlated with E/E'. CONCLUSIONS: Psoriatic patients exhibit
      early subclinical atherosclerosis and diastolic dysfunction. Chemerin can be used
      as a marker to screen for patients with subclinical cardiac involvement.

PMID- 28353316
TI  - Quality of care of hospitalised patients with heart failure in Poland in 2013:
      results of the second nationwide survey.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Optimal management of heart failure (HF) patients is crucial to
      reduce both mortality and the number of hospital admissions, at the same time
      improving patients' quality of life. AIM: The aim of the study was to assess the
      quality of care of hospitalised patients with HF in Poland in 2013 and compare it
      with the results of a similar survey performed in 2005. METHODS: The presented
      study was conducted from April to November 2013 in a sample of 260 hospital wards
      in Poland, recruited by stratified proportional sampling. Similarly to the first
      study edition in 2005, a trained nurse contacted physicians, who filled out the
      study questionnaires on the last five patients with HF, who had been discharged
      from an internal or cardiological ward. HF did not have to be a major cause of
      hospital admission. RESULTS: The mean age of the 1300 hospitalised patients was
      72.1 years, an increase of 2.3 years since the 2005 survey. The proportion of
      patients classified as New York Heart Association IV decreased from 28.5% in 2005
      to 22.1% in 2013. In comparison with 2005, more patients had concomitant
      disorders such as hypertension (79.5% vs. 71.0%), diabetes (46.2% vs. 33.2%), and
      chronic renal failure (33.4% vs. 19.4%). Access to echocardiography has improved
      in recent years: it was available for 98.9% of the surveyed hospital wards (93%
      in 2005) and it was performed during the hospitalisation in 60.2% of the patients
      (58.8% in 2005). In 2013 N-terminal pro-B-type natriuretic peptide was accessible
      for 80.8% of hospital wards (12.8% in 2005) and the test was performed in 31.3%
      of the hospitalised patients (3.3% in 2005). Angiotensin-converting enzyme
      inhibitor (ACEI) or angiotensin receptor blockers (ARB) were administered in
      68.9% of HF discharged patients, beta-blockers in 84.8%, mineralocorticoid
      receptor antagonist (MRA) in 57.9%, diuretics in 85.9%, and digoxin in 23%. The
      respective numbers in 2005 were 85.9%, 76.0%, 65.4%, 88.9%, and 38.4%. The
      decrease in prescription of ACEI or ARB resulted from lesser usage of these drugs
      in internal medicine wards (from 84.3% in 2005 to 55.6% in 2013). CONCLUSIONS: In
      comparison to the analogous project run in 2005, an improvement in some areas of
      HF treatment was observed in Polish hospitals, such as accessibility to
      echocardiography and natriuretic peptide measurement as well as beta-blocker and
      MRA use. At the same time, a meaningful decrease in ACEIs or ARBs usage in
      internal wards was observed, which might be the result of the ageing of the HF
      population and an increased number of comorbidities.

PMID- 28353318
TI  - High-flow nasal cannula therapies for respiratory management in pediatric
      patients.
AB  - High-flow nasal cannula (HFNC) oxygen therapy is a non-invasive form of
      respiratory support that is rapidly being taken up in pediatric intensive care
      units (PICU). For infants with bronchiolitis, who are the largest non-elective
      source of admissions to a PICU, there is some evidence that using HFNC therapy
      reduces the need for intubation and mechanical ventilation. The aim of this
      review article is to explore, describe, critique and add to the evidence
      surrounding the use of HFNC therapy in the pediatric population for the
      management of respiratory distress.

PMID- 28353317
TI  - Self-expanding STENTYS stents in daily routine use.
AB  - BACKGROUND: In the era of modern interventional cardiology, implantation of a
      balloon expandable stent is the finishing touch of almost every coronary
      angioplasty. However, sometimes we face a clinical situation in which the
      decision regarding the stent diameter is complicated, especially in the ectatic
      part of arteries, in situations when the artery lumen is obscured with the
      thrombus, or when the reference diameter of the proximal and distal part of the
      lesion vary greatly. That is why the idea of a self-apposing stent similar to the
      one used in peripheral vascular interventions was adopted into cardiology. AIM:
      The aim of this study was to present a single-centre registry of STENTYS(r) stent
      implantation in 40 selected patients with acute coronary syndromes (ACS) or with
      stable angina (coronary artery disease [CAD]) treated with this self-expandable
      stent. METHODS AND RESULTS: The device was successfully implanted in all
      patients. During in-hospital observation and 30-day follow-up there were two
      cases of death, but none of the patients had acute stent thrombosis or ACS ST
      elevation myocardial infarction. In one case ACS type 4b was diagnosed. In all
      patients the stent was delivered in the target lesion. In two cases the procedure
      was performed in patients with multivessel CAD extending into the left main stem
      in a state of cardiogenic shock. These patients died immediately after the
      procedure. There were two procedure complications: in one case dissection after
      post dilatation occurred distally to the stent, and in one patient the calcified
      proximal part of the left anterior descending artery was dissected with system
      passage. Thirty-eight patients survived the 12-month follow-up period, and three
      (7.8%) patients underwent repeated target-lesion revascularisation. CONCLUSIONS:
      In the presented single-centre registry the STENTYS(r) stent was used with a high
      delivery and procedural success rate. Satisfactory clinical long-term outcome
      both in stable patients and ACS patients with a repeated revascularisation ratio
      of 7.8% was observed. The stent design allowed successful treatment of
      bifurcation lesions.

PMID- 28353320
TI  - Pediatric exercise induced bronchoconstriction: a review.

PMID- 28353319
TI  - Early childhood caries: a review.
AB  - Early childhood tooth problems are associated with variations in intrauterine and
      postnatal growth. Both premature and delayed timing of this physiological process
      might be a manifestation of local and/or systemic alterations. Presently, most
      clinicians agree that teething does not serious cause life taking pathological
      state, however, they disagree about reasons responsible for tooth eruption. The
      distinctive clinical presentation of dental caries in infants and toddlers, which
      is often known as early childhood caries (ECC), and are influenced by the
      eruption sequence of the primary dentition. Partial evidence exists in the
      context of ECC development, pathways, and disease rates in infants and toddlers.
      The present review article is focused on the current views of ECC.

PMID- 28353321
TI  - Breastfeeding from mothers carrying HBV would not increase the risk of HBV
      infection in infants after proper immunoprophylaxis.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Previously meta-analysis had different conclusions about the role of
      breastfeeding in mother-to-child transmission (MTCT) of hepatitis B virus (HBV).
      We aimed to carry out an updated meta-analysis based on current published
      evidence to explore whether breastfeeding increase the risk of HBV infection from
      mothers carrying HBV after proper immunoprophylaxis in the infants or not.
      METHODS: Databases searched from January 1st,2000 to August 1st,2016 included
      PubMed searching engine, Cochrane Library, Embase database, Chinese National
      Knowledge Infrastructure, VIP Chinese database, and Wanfang Chinese database.
      RESULTS: 17 studies were incorporated into our meta-analysis. Our result showed
      that there was no significant difference between the breastfeeding group and the
      non-breastfeeding group (ORs = 1.01, 95%CI: 0.75-1.36, I2 = 0). Further, there
      was no significant difference between the cases and controls in HBVac group (ORs
      = 1.08, 95%CI: 0.42-2.76, I2 = 0) and in HBIG combined with HBVac group (ORs =
      0.97, 95%CI: 0.68-1.37, I2 = 0). CONCLUSIONS: Our update meta-analysis indicated
      that breastfeeding would not increase the risk of HBV injection from mothers
      carrying HBV after proper immunoprophylaxis in the infants. The results suggest
      that mother carrying HBV can breastfeed their babies after proper
      immunoprophylaxis in the infants.

PMID- 28353322
TI  - Recent perspectives of cerebral palsy (CP) in children: a review.
AB  - The movement and posture disorder of cerebral palsy (CP) is presumed to mainly be
      a consequence of the motor disorder, but accompanying disturbances with
      sensations and perception have also been suggested to influence motor function.
      The heterogeneous condition of cerebral palsy (CP) is caused by an injury to the
      immature brain affecting movement and posture development. The attainment of
      standing and walking can be difficult and an assistive device to accomplish the
      tasks may be required for some children with CP. In this review, we enlightened
      the role of possible sensory and perceptual disturbances for standing
      difficulties in children with CP.

PMID- 28353323
TI  - Pediatric patellar dislocation: a review.
AB  - Acute patellar dislocation affects approximately 1:1000 healthy children 9- 15
      years of age, and up to 50% are at risk for recurrent dislocations. In adults the
      condition is associated with long-term complications, such as osteoarthritis and
      impairment of knee function. However, literature describing the outcome in a
      pediatric population is sparse. The present review article evaluate the long-term
      effects on knee function and cartilage quality after traumatic patellar
      dislocation in childhood, and also to evaluate the reliability of two clinical
      tests of medio-lateral knee position, in healthy children.

PMID- 28353324
TI  - Influence of psychological nursing intervention in the recovery of children with
      Wilms' tumor.

PMID- 28353326
TI  - Immunotherapeutic approaches in pediatric osteosarcoma.

PMID- 28353325
TI  - The effect of preoperative anxiety on the pain and opioid consumption of children
      after tonsillectomy and adenoidectomy.

PMID- 28353327
TI  - Disaster Averted, For Now: How the American Health Care Act Would Have Affected
      Californians.
AB  - Although the American Health Care Act (AHCA) was recently defeated, the policies
      in the bill represented a mix of ideas long favored by conservatives. If enacted,
      this repeal-and-replace bill would have had devastating consequences for most of
      the5 million Californians currently receiving direct benefits from the Affordable
      Care Act (ACA), including more than 1 million who receive subsidies through
      Covered California and almost 4 million who have enrolled in the Medi-Cal
      expansion. Although the bill failed to garner enough votes for passage, it is
      likely that efforts to chip away at the ACA will continue and that some of the
      ideas contained within the AHCA will be revisited. This policy brief summarizes
      some of the most significant reversals that wouldhave occurred under the
      Republican plan in the individual and small group insurance markets.

PMID- 28353328
TI  - The frontline in the battle to eliminate major amputation from the landscape of
      treatment for CLI.

PMID- 28353329
TI  - The essential role of leadership in developing a safety culture.

PMID- 28353330
TI  - Robust, Self-Healing, and Multistimuli-Responsive Supergelator for the Visual
      Recognition and Separation of Short-Chain Cycloalkanes and Alkanes.
AB  - In this study, we show that a novel kind of cholesterol-based gelator NPS
      containing pyridyl and naphthalimide units can visually discriminate
      cyclohexane/cyclopentane from hexane/pentane on the basis of distinct optical
      differences in the gel platform, which is not observed in solution. The effect of
      congeneric solvents on the gel properties, such as morphology, rheology, and
      stimuli-responsive properties, is also studied. Intriguingly, NPS can form self
      supporting, self-healing, fluorescent, and highly visible transmittance gels in
      cyclohexane that can selectively and visually respond to picric acid. It is
      deduced that NPS adopted H-type aggregation mode in cyclohexane, and the gel
      exhibits a strong green emission, whereas, in hexane, J-type aggregates of NPS
      molecules are observed with yellow emission. Correlations between the gelation
      properties and Hansen solubility parameters indicate that the dispersion
      interactions are the main factor for the selective gelation of NPS toward short
      chain alkanes. A comparison of Hansen solvent parameters indicated that a similar
      energetic weight of the hydrogen-bonding units is the major contribution for the
      strong and specific interaction between NPS and cyclohexane. Furthermore, we
      demonstrated that the NPS xerogel can selectively solidify cyclohexane in the
      single-phase liquid of solvent mixtures, exhibiting fast gelation, high
      separation efficiency (>92%), and easy recycling of gelator and liquids. To the
      best of our knowledge, herein, we report the first paradigm that molecular gel
      formation is developed to visually discriminate and separate organic analogues of
      solvents with similar polarity.

PMID- 28353331
TI  - Paper/PMMA Hybrid 3D Cell Culture Microfluidic Platform for the Study of Cellular
      Crosstalk.
AB  - Studying cellular crosstalk is important for understanding tumor initiation,
      progression, metastasis, and therapeutic resistance. Moreover, a three
      dimensional (3D) cell culture model can provide a more physiologically meaningful
      culture microenvironment. However, studying cellular crosstalk in a 3D cell
      culture model involves tedious processing. In this study, a paper/poly(methyl
      methacrylate) (PMMA) hybrid 3D cell culture microfluidic platform was
      successfully developed for the study of cellular crosstalk. The platform was a
      paper substrate with culture microreactors placed on a PMMA substrate with
      hydrogel-infused channels. Different types of cells were directly seeded and
      cultured in the microreactors. Aberrant cell proliferation of the affected cells
      was induced by secretions from transfected cells, and the proliferation ratios
      were investigated using a colorimetric method. The results showed that the
      responses of cellular crosstalk were different in different types of cells.
      Moreover, neutralizing and competitive assays were performed to show the
      functionality of the platform. Additionally, the triggered signaling pathways of
      the affected cells were directly analyzed by a subsequent immunoassay. The
      microfluidic platform provides a simple method for studying cellular crosstalk
      and the corresponding signaling pathways in a 3D culture model.

PMID- 28353332
TI  - Adapting Data-Independent Acquisition for Mass Spectrometry-Based Protein Site
      Specific N-Glycosylation Analysis.
AB  - A hallmark of protein N-glycosylation is extensive heterogeneity associated with
      each glycosylation site. In human cells, the constituent glycoforms differ mostly
      in numerous ways of extensions from an invariable trimannosyl core and terminal
      modifications. The efficient identification of these glycoforms at the
      glycopeptide level by mass spectrometry (MS) requires a precursor sampling
      technique that is not dictated by signal intensity or by preset targets during
      MS2 data acquisition. We show here that the recently developed data-independent
      acquisition (DIA) approach is best suited to this demanding task. It allows
      postacquisition extraction of glycopeptide-specific fragment-ion chromatograms to
      be aligned with that of precursor MS1 ion by nanoLC elution time. For any target
      glycoprotein, judicious selection of the most favorable MS1/MS2 transitions can
      first be determined from prior analysis of a purified surrogate standard that
      carries similar site-specific glycosylation but may differ in its exact range of
      glycoforms. Since the MS2 transitions to be used for extracting DIA data is
      common to that glycosylation site and not dictated by a specific MS1 value, our
      workflow applies equally well to the identification of both targeted and
      unexpected glycoforms. Using a case example, we show that, in targeted mode, it
      identified more site-specific glycoforms than the more commonly used data
      dependent acquisition method when the amount of the target glycoprotein was
      limited in a sample of high complexity. In discovery mode, it allows detection,
      with supporting MS2 evidence, of under-sampled glycoforms and of those that
      failed to be identified by searching against a predefined glycan library owing to
      unanticipated modifications.

PMID- 28353334
TI  - Rising Temperatures, Rising Risks: The Food-Energy-Water Nexus in the Persian
      Gulf.

PMID- 28353333
TI  - Tomographic Mapping Analysis in the Depth Direction of High-Ge-Content SiGe
      Layers with Compositionally Graded Buffers Using Nanobeam X-ray Diffraction.
AB  - A high-Ge-content Si1-yGey/compositionally graded Si1-xGex-stacked structure
      grown on Si(001) is now considered to be an important platform for the
      realization of advanced nanometer-scale complementary metal oxide semiconductor
      devices with high-mobility channel materials, such as III-V materials and Ge, and
      monolithically integrated photonic modules. The performance of such advanced
      devices is critically influenced by crystalline inhomogeneity in the stacked
      structure; therefore, precise characterization of the crystallinity is important.
      In particular, the development of a characterization method not only for in-plane
      crystallinity but also for in-depth crystallinity is strongly required. This is
      because the crystalline quality of the constant composition Si1-yGey is
      sensitively dependent on that of the compositionally graded Si1-xGex layers
      underneath. Here, we have demonstrated in-depth tomographic mapping of a high-Ge
      content Si1-yGey/compositionally graded Si1-xGex-stacked structure using position
      dependent omega-2theta map measurement using nanobeam X-ray diffraction. This
      mapping technique is based on the correspondence of each 2theta value in the
      omega-2theta map to the lattice constant of stacked layers in the depth
      direction. Application of the proposed analytical procedure provides tomographic
      maps of the local variation in lattice plane tilting (VLPT) from the obtained
      omega-2theta maps. It is quantitatively verified that the local crystallinity in
      the layer at a certain depth is strongly influenced by that underneath the layer.
      The correlation between the local VLPT and real structural defects in the stacked
      structure is also discussed in detail.

PMID- 28353335
TI  - Porous Functionalized Self-Standing Carbon Fiber Paper Electrodes for High
      Performance Capacitive Energy Storage.
AB  - A facile and cost-efficient approach to functionalize raw carbon fiber paper
      (CFP) used for a self-standing capacitive electrode has been proposed here.
      Benefiting from the improved specific surface area and surface functional groups,
      the functionalized CFP (F-CFP) showed much enhanced capacitive performance, 3
      orders of magnitude higher than that of the raw CFP. It delivered the areal
      capacitance of 1275 mF cm-2 at 5 mA cm-2 with a rather wide voltage window of 1.4
      V (-0.4 to 1 V vs Ag/AgCl) in 0.5 M H2SO4. However, in a neutral 1 M Na2SO4
      aqueous solution, although the areal capacitance of 1115 mF cm-2 at 3 mA cm-2 is
      slightly smaller, the potential window is much wider (2 V, -1 to 1 V vs Ag/AgCl),
      indicating a high overpotential of hydrogen evolution. The areal capacitance was
      still as high as 722 mF cm-2 at a very fast charge-discharge current density of
      50 mA cm-2, and about 66% of the initial capacitance (at 3 mA cm-2) was remained
      in Na2SO4, indicating considerable rate capability.

PMID- 28353336
TI  - Simultaneous Measurement of Glucose-6-phosphate 3-Dehydrogenase (NtdC) Catalysis
      and the Nonenzymatic Reaction of Its Product: Kinetics and Isotope Effects on the
      First Step in Kanosamine Biosynthesis.
AB  - Glucose-6-phosphate 3-dehydrogenase (NtdC) is an NAD-dependent oxidoreductase
      encoded in the NTD operon of Bacillus subtilis. The oxidation of glucose 6
      phosphate by NtdC is the first step in kanosamine biosynthesis. The product, 3
      oxo-d-glucose 6-phosphate (3oG6P), has never been synthesized or isolated. The
      NtdC-catalyzed reaction is very slow at low and neutral pH, and its rate
      increases to a maximum near pH 9.5. However, under alkaline conditions, the
      product is not stable because of ring opening followed by deprotonation of the
      1,3-dicarbonyl compound. The absorbance band due to this enolate at 310 nm
      overlaps with that of the other enzymatic product, NADH, complicating kinetic
      measurements. We report the deconvolution of the resulting spectra of the
      reaction to determine the rate constants and likely kinetic mechanism. In doing
      so, we were able to determine the extinction coefficient of the enolate of 3oG6P
      (23000 M-1 cm-1), which allowed the measurement of the first-order rate constant
      (5.51 * 10-3 s-1) and activation energy (93 kJ mol-1) of nonenzymatic enolate
      formation. Using deuterium-labeled substrates, we show that hydride transfer from
      carbon 3 is partially rate-limiting in the enzymatic reaction, and deuterium
      substitution on carbon 2 has no significant effect on the enzymatic reaction but
      lowers the rate of deprotonation of 3oG6P 4-fold. These experiments clearly
      establish the regiochemistry of the reactions. Coupling of the NtdC reaction with
      the subsequent step in the pathway, NtdA-catalyzed glutamate-dependent amino
      transfer, has a small but significant effect on the rate of NAD reduction,
      consistent with these enzymes working together to process the unstable
      metabolite.

PMID- 28353337
TI  - Correction to Multilayer Heterojunction Anodes for Saline Wastewater Treatment:
      Design Strategies and Reactive Species Generation Mechanisms.

PMID- 28353338
TI  - Proton-Based Ultrafast Magic Angle Spinning Solid-State NMR Spectroscopy.
AB  - Protons are vastly abundant in a wide range of exciting macromolecules and thus
      can be a powerful probe to investigate the structure and dynamics at atomic
      resolution using solid-state NMR (ssNMR) spectroscopy. Unfortunately, the high
      signal sensitivity, afforded by the high natural-abundance and high gyromagnetic
      ratio of protons, is greatly compromised by severe line broadening due to the
      very strong 1H-1H dipolar couplings. As a result, protons are rarely used, in
      spite of the desperate need for enhancing the sensitivity of ssNMR to study a
      variety of systems that are not amenable for high resolution investigation using
      other techniques including X-ray crystallography, cryo-electron microscopy, and
      solution NMR spectroscopy. Thanks to the remarkable improvement in proton
      spectral resolution afforded by the significant advances in magic-angle-spinning
      (MAS) probe technology, 1H ssNMR spectroscopy has recently attracted considerable
      attention in the structural and dynamics studies of various molecular systems.
      However, it still remains a challenge to obtain narrow 1H spectral lines,
      especially from proteins, without resorting to deuteration. In this Account, we
      review recent proton-based ssNMR strategies that have been developed in our
      laboratory to further improve proton spectral resolution without resorting to
      chemical deuteration for the purposes of gaining atomistic-level insights into
      molecular structures of various crystalline solid systems, using small molecules
      and peptides as illustrative examples. The proton spectral resolution enhancement
      afforded by the ultrafast MAS frequencies up to 120 kHz is initially discussed,
      followed by a description of an ensemble of multidimensional NMR pulse sequences,
      all based on proton detection, that have been developed to obtain in-depth
      information from dipolar couplings and chemical shift anisotropy (CSA). Simple
      single channel multidimensional proton NMR experiments could be performed to
      probe the proximity of protons for structure determination using 1H-1H dipolar
      couplings and to evaluate the changes in chemical environments as well as the
      relative orientation to the external magnetic field using proton CSA. Due to the
      boost in signal sensitivity enabled by proton detection under ultrafast MAS, by
      virtue of high proton natural abundance and gyromagnetic ratio, proton-detected
      multidimensional experiments involving low-gamma nuclei can now be accomplished
      within a reasonable time, while the higher dimension also offers additional
      resolution enhancement. In addition, the application of proton-based ssNMR
      spectroscopy under ultrafast MAS in various challenging and crystalline systems
      is also presented. Finally, we briefly discuss the limitations and challenges
      pertaining to proton-based ssNMR spectroscopy under ultrafast MAS conditions,
      such as the presence of high-order dipolar couplings, friction-induced sample
      heating, and limited sample volume. Although there are still a number of
      challenges that must be circumvented by further developments in radio frequency
      pulse sequences, MAS probe technology and approaches to prepare NMR-friendly
      samples, proton-based ssNMR has already gained much popularity in various
      research domains, especially in proteins where uniform or site-selective
      deuteration can be relatively easily achieved. In addition, implementation of the
      recently developed fast data acquisition approaches would also enable further
      developments in the design and applications of proton-based ultrafast MAS
      multidimensional ssNMR techniques.

PMID- 28353339
TI  - Label-Free and Real-Time Detection of Protein Ubiquitination with a Biological
      Nanopore.
AB  - The covalent addition of ubiquitin to target proteins is a key post-translational
      modification that is linked to a myriad of biological processes. Here, we report
      a fast, single-molecule, and label-free method to probe the ubiquitination of
      proteins employing an engineered Cytolysin A (ClyA) nanopore. We show that ionic
      currents can be used to recognize mono- and polyubiquitinated forms of native
      proteins under physiological conditions. Using defined conjugates, we also show
      that isomeric monoubiquitinated proteins can be discriminated. The nanopore
      approach allows following the ubiquitination reaction in real time, which will
      accelerate the understanding of fundamental mechanisms linked to protein
      ubiquitination.

PMID- 28353340
TI  - Cysteine Addition Promotes Sulfide Production and 4-Fold Hg(II)-S Coordination in
      Actively Metabolizing Escherichia coli.
AB  - The bacterial uptake of mercury(II), Hg(II), is believed to be energy-dependent
      and is enhanced by cysteine in diverse species of bacteria under aerobic and
      anaerobic conditions. To gain insight into this Hg(II) biouptake pathway, we have
      employed X-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS) to investigate the relationship
      between exogenous cysteine, cellular metabolism, cellular localization, and
      Hg(II) coordination in aerobically respiring Escherichia coli (E. coli). We show
      that cells harvested in exponential growth phase consistently display mixtures of
      2-fold and 4-fold Hg(II) coordination to sulfur (Hg-S2 and Hg-S4), with added
      cysteine enhancing Hg-S4 formation. In contrast, cells in stationary growth phase
      or cells treated with a protonophore causing a decrease in cellular ATP
      predominantly contain Hg-S2, regardless of cysteine addition. Our XAS results
      favor metacinnabar (beta-HgS) as the Hg-S4 species, which we show is associated
      with both the cell envelope and cytoplasm. Additionally, we observe that added
      cysteine abiotically oxidizes to cystine and exponentially growing E. coli
      degrade high cysteine concentrations (100-1000 MUM) into sulfide. Thermodynamic
      calculations confirm that cysteine-induced sulfide biosynthesis can promote the
      formation of dissolved and particulate Hg(II)-sulfide species. This report
      reveals new complexities arising in Hg(II) bioassays with cysteine and emphasizes
      the need for considering changes in chemical speciation as well as growth stage.

PMID- 28353341
TI  - Study of Electrocatalytic Properties of Metal-Organic Framework PCN-223 for the
      Oxygen Reduction Reaction.
AB  - A highly robust metal-organic framework (MOF) constructed from Zr6 oxo clusters
      and Fe(III) porphyrin linkers, PCN-223-Fe was investigated as a heterogeneous
      catalyst for oxygen reduction reaction (ORR). Films of the framework were grown
      on a conductive FTO substrate and showed a high catalytic current upon
      application of cathodic potentials and achieved high H2O/H2O2 selectivity. In
      addition, the effect of the proton source on the catalytic performance was also
      investigated.

PMID- 28353342
TI  - Superconducting Continuous Graphene Fibers via Calcium Intercalation.
AB  - Superconductors are important materials in the field of low-temperature magnet
      applications and long-distance electrical power transmission systems. Besides
      metal-based superconducting materials, carbon-based superconductors have
      attracted considerable attention in recent years. Up to now, five allotropes of
      carbon, including diamond, graphite, C60, CNTs, and graphene, have been reported
      to show superconducting behavior. However, most of the carbon-based
      superconductors are limited to small size and discontinuous phases, which
      inevitably hinders further application in macroscopic form. Therefore, it raises
      a question of whether continuously carbon-based superconducting wires could be
      accessed, which is of vital importance from viewpoints of fundamental research
      and practical application. Here, inspired by superconducting graphene, we
      successfully fabricated flexible graphene-based superconducting fibers via a well
      established calcium (Ca) intercalation strategy. The resultant Ca-intercalated
      graphene fiber (Ca-GF) shows a superconducting transition at ~11 K, which is
      almost 2 orders of magnitude higher than that of early reported alkali metal
      intercalated graphite and comparable to that of commercial superconducting NbTi
      wire. The combination of lightness and easy scalability makes Ca-GF highly
      promising as a lightweight superconducting wire.

PMID- 28353343
TI  - Small Molecule and Peptide Recognition of Protein Transmembrane Domains.
AB  - Membrane proteins play vital roles in cell signaling, molecular transportation,
      and cell adhesion. The interactions of transmembrane domains are much less well
      understood than those of their water-soluble counterparts, and they have been
      deemed "undruggable" despite their important biological functions such as protein
      anchoring, signal transduction, and ligand recognition. Nevertheless, continual
      developments in this area have revealed useful probes for investigating and
      regulating these membrane proteins. This review summarizes and evaluates the
      strategies available for discovering small molecules and peptides that recognize
      the protein transmembrane domains of membrane proteins, with a particular focus
      on rational design and library screening.

PMID- 28353344
TI  - On the Importance of Electronic Symmetry for Triplet State Delocalization.
AB  - The influence of electronic symmetry on triplet state delocalization in linear
      zinc porphyrin oligomers is explored by electron paramagnetic resonance
      techniques. Using a combination of transient continuous wave and pulse electron
      nuclear double resonance spectroscopies, it is demonstrated experimentally that
      complete triplet state delocalization requires the chemical equivalence of all
      porphyrin units. These results are supported by density functional theory
      calculations, showing uneven delocalization in a porphyrin dimer in which a
      terminal ethynyl group renders the two porphyrin units inequivalent. When the
      conjugation length of the molecule is further increased upon addition of a second
      terminal ethynyl group that restores the symmetry of the system, the triplet
      state is again found to be completely delocalized. The observations suggest that
      electronic symmetry is of greater importance for triplet state delocalization
      than other frequently invoked factors such as conformational rigidity or
      fundamental length-scale limitations.

PMID- 28353345
TI  - Defect-Induced Band-Edge Reconstruction of a Bismuth-Halide Double Perovskite for
      Visible-Light Absorption.
AB  - Halide double perovskites have recently been developed as less toxic analogs of
      the lead perovskite solar-cell absorbers APbX3 (A = monovalent cation; X = Br or
      I). However, all known halide double perovskites have large bandgaps that afford
      weak visible-light absorption. The first halide double perovskite evaluated as an
      absorber, Cs2AgBiBr6 (1), has a bandgap of 1.95 eV. Here, we show that dilute
      alloying decreases 1's bandgap by ca. 0.5 eV. Importantly, time-resolved
      photoconductivity measurements reveal long-lived carriers with microsecond
      lifetimes in the alloyed material, which is very promising for photovoltaic
      applications. The alloyed perovskite described herein is the first double
      perovskite to show comparable bandgap energy and carrier lifetime to those of
      (CH3NH3)PbI3. By describing how energy- and symmetry-matched impurity orbitals,
      at low concentrations, dramatically alter 1's band edges, we open a potential
      pathway for the large and diverse family of halide double perovskites to compete
      with APbX3 absorbers.

PMID- 28353346
TI  - Csp-Csp3 Bond Formation via Iron(III)-Promoted Hydroalkynylation of Unactivated
      Alkenes.
AB  - An iron(III)-promoted hydroalkynylation of unactivated alkenes toward Csp-Csp3
      bond formation has been developed. Various alkenes, including mono-, di-, and
      trisubstituted alkenes, could all smoothly convert to structural diversified
      alkynes in this chemoselective protocol. Additionally, the scalability was
      unraveled and the further divergent transformations of products were conducted to
      demonstrate the synthetic utility.

PMID- 28353347
TI  - Conformation-Specific Infrared and Ultraviolet Spectroscopy of Cold [YAPAA+H]+
      and [YGPAA+H]+ Ions: A Stereochemical "Twist" on the beta-Hairpin Turn.
AB  - Incorporation of the unnatural d-proline (DP) stereoisomer into a polypeptide
      sequence is a typical strategy to encourage formation of beta-hairpin loops
      because natural sequences are often unstructured in solution. Using conformation
      specific IR and UV spectroscopy of cold (~10 K) gas-phase ions, we probe the
      inherent conformational preferences of the DP and LP diastereomers in the
      protonated peptide [YAPAA+H]+, where only intramolecular interactions are
      possible. Consistent with the solution-phase studies, one of the conformers of
      [YADPAA+H]+ is folded into a charge-stabilized beta-hairpin turn. However, a
      second predominant conformer family containing two sequential gamma-turns is also
      identified, with similar energetic stability. A single conformational isomer of
      the LP diastereomer, [YALPAA+H]+, is found and assigned to a structure that is
      not the anticipated "mirror image" beta-turn. Instead, the LP stereocenter
      promotes a cis-alanine-proline amide bond. The assigned structures contain clues
      that the preference of the DP diastereomer to support a trans-amide bond and the
      proclivity of LP for a cis-amide bond is sterically driven and can be reversed by
      substituting glycine for alanine in position 2, forming [YGLPAA+H]+. These
      results provide a basis for understanding the residue-specific and stereospecific
      alterations in the potential energy surface that underlie these changing
      preferences, providing insights to the origin of beta-hairpin formation.

PMID- 28353348
TI  - Synthesis of Pt3Y and Other Early-Late Intermetallic Nanoparticles by Way of a
      Molten Reducing Agent.
AB  - Early-late intermetallic phases have garnered increased attention recently for
      their catalytic properties. To achieve the high surface areas needed for
      industrially relevant applications, these phases must be synthesized as
      nanoparticles in a scalable fashion. Herein, Pt3Y-targeted as a prototypical
      example of an early-late intermetallic-has been synthesized as nanoparticles
      approximately 5-20 nm in diameter via a solution process and characterized by
      XRD, TEM, EDS, and XPS. The key development is the use of a molten borohydride
      (MEt3BH, M = Na, K) as both the reducing agent and reaction medium. Readily
      available halide precursors of the two metals are used. Accordingly, no organic
      ligands are necessary, as the resulting halide salt byproduct prevents sintering,
      which further permits dispersion of the nanoscale intermetallic onto a support.
      The versatility of this approach was validated by the synthesis of other
      intermetallic phases such as Pt3Sc, Pt3Lu, Pt2Na, and Au2Y.

PMID- 28353349
TI  - Biochar Soil Additions Affect Herbicide Fate: Importance of Application Timing
      and Feedstock Species.
AB  - Biochar (BC), solid biomass subjected to pyrolysis, can alter the fate of
      pesticides in soil. We investigated the effect of soil amendment with several
      biochars on the efficacy of two herbicides, clomazone (CMZ) and bispyribac sodium
      (BYP). To this aim, we evaluated CMZ and BYP sorption, persistence, and leaching
      in biochar-amended soil. Sorption of CMZ and BYP was greater in soil amended with
      BC produced at high temperature (700  degrees C). Significant sorption of the
      neutral CMZ herbicide also occurred in amended soil with BC prepared at low
      temperature (350 and 500  degrees C). For both herbicides, desorption possessed
      higher hysteretic behavior in soil amended with BC made at 700  degrees C
      (pyrolysis temperature). Dissipation of CMZ was enhanced after addition of BCs to
      soil, but no correlation between persistence and sorption was observed.
      Persistence of BYP was up to 3 times greater when BC made at 700  degrees C was
      added to soil. All BCs suppressed the leaching of CMZ and BYP as compared to the
      unamended soil. Amendment with 700  degrees C BC inhibited the action of CMZ
      against weeds, but 350 and 500  degrees C BCs had no such effect when added to
      soil. BYP activity was similar to that exhibited by unamended soil after the
      addition of 700  degrees C BC. From these results, biochar amendments can be a
      successful strategy to reduce the environmental impact of CMZ and BYP in soil.
      However, the phytotoxicity of soil-applied herbicides will depend on BC sorption
      characteristics and the pesticide's chemical properties, as well as the pesticide
      application timing (e.g., pre- or postemergence). According to our results,
      proper biochar screening with intended pesticides in light of the application
      mode (pre- or postemergence) is required prior to use to ensure adequate
      efficacy.

PMID- 28353352
TI  - Detecting Changes in Newspaper Reporting of Suicide after a Statewide Social
      Marketing Campaign.
AB  - A social marketing campaign was introduced in California in 2012, promoting media
      adherence to consensus-based guidelines on reporting about suicide. We examine
      adherence to these guidelines by applying quantitative scores to articles in
      California and a national control group in two six-month intervals prior to and
      following campaign implementation. Utilizing a difference-in-difference approach,
      we found no significant effect of the campaign, though the type of article
      content was a significant indicator of the overall score. Findings also
      demonstrated a nation-wide downward trend in the quality of reporting.
      Qualitative results suggest a need for more flexible guidelines in light of a
      technologically driven news culture.

PMID- 28353350
TI  - Multi-Level Characterization of the Membrane Properties of Resveratrol
      Incorporated Liposomes.
AB  - Resveratrol (RES) is a type of polyphenolic compound discovered from grapes and
      has gained prominence as a possible contributor to many disease treatments.
      Herein, three different types of liposomes were prepared as model cell membranes,
      and then the influence of the incorporation of RES on their membrane properties
      was evaluated by utilizing membrane-binding fluorescent probes. The binding of
      RES lead to the membrane polarities decreasing slightly, regardless of the phase
      states of the membrane, while the membrane fluidities decreased only in the case
      of liquid-disordered phase. In each model membrane system, the incorporation of
      RES dramatically dehydrated the membrane surface, which could prevent the
      permeation of water-soluble materials. Fluorescence quenching of Laurdan
      indicated less accessibility of hydroxyl radial into the inner region of the RES
      incorporated membrane. The comparison between the mass spectra of oxidized DOPC
      molecules treated with hydroxyl radical revealed that the RES-incorporation into
      DOPC membranes can contribute to prevent lipid oxidation. It is concluded that
      the binding of RES to the lipid membrane can play a key role in affecting
      membrane properties and functions.

PMID- 28353351
TI  - Effects of human umbilical cord blood mononuclear cells on respiratory system
      mechanics in a murine model of neonatal lung injury.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Mononuclear cells (MNCs) have well-documented beneficial effects in a
      wide range of adult pulmonary diseases. The effects of human umbilical cord blood
      derived MNCs on neonatal lung injury, highly relevant for potential autologous
      application in preterm newborns at risk for bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD),
      remain incompletely established. The aim of this study was to determine the long
      term morphologic and functional effects of systemically delivered MNCs in a
      murine model of neonatal lung injury. MATERIALS AND METHODS: MNCs from
      cryopreserved cord blood (1 * 106 cells per pup) were given intravenously to
      newborn mice exposed to 90% O2 from birth; controls received cord blood total
      nucleated cells (TNCs) or granular cells, or equal volume vehicle buffer (sham
      controls). In order to avoid immune rejection, we used SCID mice as recipients.
      Lung mechanics (flexiVentTM), engraftment, growth, and alveolarization were
      evaluated eight weeks postinfusion. RESULTS: Systemic MNC administration to
      hyperoxia-exposed newborn mice resulted in significant attenuation of
      methacholine-induced airway hyperreactivity, leading to reduction of central
      airway resistance to normoxic levels. These bronchial effects were associated
      with mild improvement of alveolarization, lung compliance, and elastance. TNCs
      had no effects on alveolar remodeling and were associated with worsened
      methacholine-induced bronchial hyperreactivity. Granular cell administration
      resulted in a marked morphologic and functional emphysematous phenotype,
      associated with high mortality. Pulmonary donor cell engraftment was sporadic in
      all groups. CONCLUSIONS: These results suggest that cord blood MNCs may have a
      cell type-specific role in therapy of pulmonary conditions characterized by
      increased airway resistance, such as BPD and asthma. Future studies need to
      determine the active MNC subtype(s), their mechanisms of action, and optimal
      purification methods to minimize granular cell contamination.

PMID- 28353354
TI  - Erratum.

PMID- 28353353
TI  - Risk of Malignancy in Thyroid Incidentaloma is Not Increased in Overweight or
      Obese Patients, but in Young Patients.
AB  - Thyroid incidentaloma is defined as an unsuspected, asymptomatic thyroid lesion
      that is discovered on an imaging study or during an operation unrelated to the
      thyroid gland. We aim to evaluate the relationship between overweight or obese
      and risk of malignancy in patients with thyroid incidentaloma detected by F18
      flurodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography/computed tomography and factors to
      predict risk of malignancy in thyroid incidentaloma. From January 2010 to
      December 2013, a total of 238 patients were eligible for this study. Using the
      Bethesda system for reporting thyroid cytopathology, categories I-III were
      defined as a nonmalignancy and categories V-VI were defined as a malignancy. When
      patients with body mass index (BMI) of less than 23 and 23 or more were divided
      into two groups of normal and overweight or obese, risk of malignancy of thyroid
      incidentaloma was not significantly different between two groups (P = 0.1812). In
      logistic regression analysis, age was the only variable that showed a significant
      association with malignancy of thyroid incidentaloma (odds ratio 0.9608, P =
      0.0021). However, none of sex, height, weight, and BMI was predictor of
      malignancy of thyroid incidentaloma. We demonstrated that being overweight or
      obese did not increase rate of malignancy in patients with thyroid incidentaloma.

PMID- 28353355
TI  - Phase Angle of Bioelectrical Impedance Analysis as Prognostic Factor in
      Palliative Care Patients at the National Cancer Institute in Mexico.
AB  - Patients with advanced cancer often experience symptoms of disease and treatment
      that contribute to distress such as weight loss, which is present in up to 85% of
      cancer patients. Palliative care in these patients focuses on care aimed at
      improving quality of life. Phase angle (PA) is obtained by bioelectric impedance
      analysis (BIA) and is associated with cellular function. It is considered a
      reliable marker of malnutrition. A low PA may suggest deterioration of the cell
      membrane, which in palliative patients may result in a short-term survival. The
      aim of this study was to associate PA and survival in palliative patients of the
      National Cancer Institute of Mexico. We included 452 patients (women, 56.4%); the
      average PA was 4.0 degrees . The most frequent disease was gastric cancer
      (39.2%). Mean body mass index (BMI) was 22.84. The average survival of patients
      with PA <= 4 degrees  was 86 days, while in the group with PA > 4 degrees , it
      was 163 days (P > 0.0001). PA showed significant positive correlation with
      survival time and BMI. Our results corroborate the reliability of PA in Mexican
      population, as an indicator of survival in palliative care patients compared to
      the reported literature in other countries.

PMID- 28353357
TI  - "The Scarlet C": Exploring Caesarean Section Stigma.
AB  - In this article, I explore my own journey with delivering my first child via
      Caesarean section. I discuss the discourse in society surrounding childbirth and
      the stigma associated with giving birth via C-section, as well as the impacts
      that this discourse has for women whose births don't go according to plan and who
      end up requiring medical intervention.

PMID- 28353356
TI  - Causative mutations and premature cardiovascular disease in patients with
      heterozygous familial hypercholesterolaemia.
AB  - Background Familial hypercholesterolemia is a common autosomal dominant disease,
      caused by mutations leading to elevated low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol
      and, if untreated, to premature cardiovascular disease. Methods Patients (young
      adults with a family history of hypercholesterolaemia or premature cardiovascular
      disease) with LDL cholesterol concentration >=4.9 mmol/l, after excluding
      Familial Combined Hyperlipidaemia, were evaluated for causative mutations, Dutch
      Lipid Clinic Network score calculation and non-invasive ultrasound examination of
      carotid arteries. Results Of the 263 patients, 210 were heterozygotes for LDL
      receptor ( LDLR) mutations, four had APOB gene mutations, one PCSK9 gene
      mutation, while 48 had no evidence of mutations. Among 194 unrelated index cases
      149 had mutations (77%). Among patients with LDLR mutations ( n = 145), there
      were five compound heterozygotes, 75 patients with null mutations and 65 with
      missense mutations. As many as 178 patients underwent a follow-up and treatment
      (statin +/- ezetimibe), achieving a mean reduction of 49% in LDL cholesterol,
      with 21% of patients reaching the LDL goal of 2.6 mmol/l. In a multivariate
      analysis, carotid plaques, at ultrasound examination, were associated with the
      presence of genetic mutation ( p = 0.001), LDL cholesterol ( p < 0.001), Dutch
      Lipid Clinic Network score ( p < 0.001), independently of age, gender, smoking
      habits and systolic blood pressure. The presence of carotid plaque ( p = 0.017),
      LDL cholesterol ( p < 0.003), Dutch Lipid Clinic Network score ( p < 0.001) were
      independently associated with premature cardiovascular disease. Conclusions We
      identified patients with causative mutations in 82% of the cases under study. In
      addition to LDL cholesterol and Dutch Lipid Clinic Network score, carotid plaques
      in ultrasound evaluation provide direct evidence of premature vascular disease
      and are associated with high risk for cardiovascular events.

PMID- 28353358
TI  - Financial Sustainability of Biobanks: From Theory to Practice.

PMID- 28353359
TI  - Impact of Undernutrition on the Pharmacokinetics and Pharmacodynamics of
      Anticancer Drugs: A Literature Review.
AB  - The etiology of undernourishment in cancer patients is multifactorial: tumor
      related mechanisms (such as obstruction, metabolic abnormalities, and
      functionality changes) in addition to the influence of anticancer therapies,
      which can induce or worsen undernutrition. The evident role of undernutrition in
      cancer treatment outcomes suggests the need of considering nutritional status
      when evaluating anticancer drugs. In order to merge the available data and offer
      researchers and clinicians a global view of this phenomenon, the present
      manuscript reviews on a drug-by-drug basis the undernutrition-related
      pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic aspects of anticancer treatments. This review
      notes interesting trends in the relationship between undernourishment and
      pharmacokinetics across studies, and indicates that dosing modifications of these
      drugs may be necessary to optimize chemotherapeutic treatments. Furthermore, this
      review has compiled evidence regarding undernourishment's capacity of enhancing
      treatment-related myelosuppression, cardiotoxicity, ototoxicity, neurotoxicity,
      and malignancies.

PMID- 28353360
TI  - Association between psychological measures with inflammatory anddisease-related
      markers of inflammatory bowel disease.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: This study aimed at investigating the associations between
      inflammatory mediators, symptoms and psychological disturbances in inflammatory
      bowel disease (IBD) patients. METHODS: IBD patients and patient controls were
      examined during a single visit to a gastroenterology clinic. Disease activity was
      assessed using the Mayo index for ulcerative colitis (UC), inflammatory bowel
      disease questionnaire (IBDQ), Crohn's disease activity index (CDAI) and Crohn's
      disease endoscopic index of severity (CDEIS). Gene expression of inflammatory
      mediators were measured in intestinal biopsies and whole blood samples along with
      circulating concentrations of interleukin (IL)-6, interferon (IFN)gamma, C
      reactive protein (CRP), kynurenine and tryptophan. Validated depression, anxiety
      and quality of life scores were used to assess psychological well-being. RESULTS:
      Patients who were symptomatic had the highest depression and anxiety scores,
      together with increased intestinal expression of IL-1beta, IL-6 and matrix
      metalloproteinase-9, increased circulating IL-6 and CRP, and an increased
      circulating kynurenine:tryptophan ratio. Increased Hamilton depression (HAM-D)
      scores in IBD patients were observed independent of the psychological impact of
      acute symptoms. CONCLUSIONS: Active IBD is associated with symptoms of depression
      and anxiety and with a raised circulating inflammatory mediator profile. Patients
      with active IBD exhibiting psychological symptoms should undergo psychological
      evaluation to ensure the psychological aspects of the condition are considered
      and addressed.

PMID- 28353361
TI  - Enhancement of the Antitumor Effect of Methotrexate on Colorectal Cancer Cells
      via Lactate Calcium Salt Targeting Methionine Metabolism.
AB  - Methionine (Met) is involved in one-carbon de novo nucleotide synthesis and is an
      essential amino acid for cell survival. The impact of lactate calcium salt (CaLa)
      on the Met metabolism was investigated to evaluate the enhanced antitumor effect
      of methotrexate (MTX) on colorectal cancer (CRC) cells. Met dependency relating
      to homocysteine (Hcy) and betaine was investigated in human CRC cells (HCT-116
      and HT-29) using a viability assay and liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry.
      Expression of betaine transporter-1 (BGT-1) following treatment with MTX alone or
      with CaLa was determined by Western blot. Enhanced antitumor effect due to
      malfunction of Met synthesis was confirmed. CRC cell viability decreased in Met
      restricted medium, but was maintained after Hcy and betaine treatment while
      overcoming Met restriction. BGT-1 expression was downregulated following the
      treatment of dose-increased CaLa, whereas there was no effect on BGT-1 expression
      after MTX treatment. CaLa in combination with MTX induced reduced Met synthesis
      when CRC cell viability was reduced. The results indicated that CaLa-mediated BGT
      1 downregulation inhibits Met synthesis by disrupting betaine homeostasis. CaLa
      raised the antitumor effect of MTX via secondary role in the inhibition of the de
      novo nucleotide synthesis. Combination therapy of MTX and CaLa could maximize the
      effectiveness of CRC treatment.

PMID- 28353362
TI  - Anti-coagulation complications in pregnancies with severe pulmonary arterial
      hypertension.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Epoprostenol, a potent vasodilator, is the treatment of choice for
      severe pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) in pregnancy. However, its
      inhibition of platelet aggregation increases the risk of coagulation
      complications with conjunctive use of anti-coagulants for thromboprophylaxis.
      CASES: Case 1 demonstrates a pregnancy complicated by thrombocytopenia. Case 2
      describes a pregnancy with newly diagnosed PAH at 35 weeks who delivered by
      repeat cesarean delivery complicated by a wound hematoma. Case 3 describes a
      patient who delivered at 32 weeks. She required extracorporeal membrane
      oxygenation and a heart-lung transplant. Her care was further complicated by
      severe thrombocytopenia with postpartum hemorrhage refractory to usual
      conservative measures. CONCLUSIONS: This case series describes three patients
      with severe PAH in pregnancy and the range of different complications that arose
      from anticoagulation in the setting of epoprostenol.

PMID- 28353364
TI  - Health Meanings among Foreign Domestic Workers in Singapore: A Culture-Centered
      Approach.
AB  - Economic migration is integral to processes of globalization, with large numbers
      of the global poor moving across borders in search of employment in the face of
      structural adjustment programs and large-scale displacement of the poor from
      traditional forms of livelihood. One such group are foreign domestic workers
      (FDWs). In this culture-centered study, we listen to the voices of FDWs in
      Singapore to understand the key meanings of health held by this group of migrant
      workers as they negotiate living and working in Singapore. Through the
      representation of FDW voices at sites where they have previously been excluded,
      we hope to co-create participatory spaces in national discourse so that policies
      and interventions can be developed to address the health needs of FDWs. The
      results represented in this essay are part of a larger project engaging the CCA
      to foster communicative platforms for structural transformation.

PMID- 28353363
TI  - Does chronomodulated radiotherapy improve pathological response in locally
      advanced rectal cancer?
AB  - The predominant mode of radiation-induced cell death for solid tumours is mitotic
      catastrophe, which is in part dependent on sublethal damage repair being complete
      at around 6 h. Circadian variation appears to play a role in normal cellular
      division, and this could influence tumour response of radiation treatment
      depending on the time of treatment delivery. We tested the hypothesis that
      radiation treatment later in the day may improve tumour response and nodal
      downstaging in rectal cancer patients treated neoadjuvantly with radiation
      therapy. Recruitment was by retrospective review of 267 rectal cancer patients
      treated neoadjuvantly in the Department of Radiation Oncology at the Canberra
      Hospital between January 2010 and November 2015. One hundred and fifty-five
      patients met the inclusion criteria for which demographic, pathological and
      imaging data were collected, as well as the time of day patients received
      treatment with each fraction of radiotherapy. Data analysis was performed using
      the Statistical Package R with nonparametric methods of significance for all
      tests set at p < 0.05. Of the 45 female and 110 male patients, the median age was
      64. Seventy-three percent had cT3 disease and there was a mean tumour distance
      from the anal verge of 7 cm. Time to surgical resection following radiotherapy
      ranged from 4 to 162 days with a median of 50 days, with a complete pathological
      response seen in 21% of patients. Patients exhibiting a favourable pathological
      response had smaller median pre- and postradiotherapy tumour size and had a
      greater change in tumour size following treatment (p < 0.01). Patients who
      received the majority of their radiotherapy fractions after 12:00 pm were more
      likely to show a complete or moderate pathological response (p = 0.035) and
      improved nodal downstaging. There were also more favourable responses amongst
      patients with longer time to surgical resection postradiotherapy (p < 0.004),
      although no relationship was seen between response and tumour distance from the
      anal verge. Females were less likely to exhibit several of the above responses.
      Neoadjuvant radiotherapy for locally advanced rectal cancer performed later in
      the day coupled with a longer time period to surgical resection may improve
      pathological tumour response rates and nodal downstaging. A prospective study in
      chronomodulated radiotherapy in this disease is warranted.

PMID- 28353366
TI  - Selenium Administration Attenuates 5-Flurouracil-Induced Intestinal Mucositis.
AB  - Chemotherapy-induced mucositis is mediated by the release of proinflammatory
      cytokines and reactive oxygen species. Selenium has several metabolic functions,
      including the protection of membrane lipids and macromolecules against oxidative
      damage. However, to date, there is little evidence on the effect of trace
      elements on intestinal mucositis after chemotherapy. This study investigated the
      protective effect of selenium against chemotherapy-induced mucositis in rats.
      Twenty-four 9-wk-old female Wistar rats were randomized to 4 groups: control,
      selenium, 5-fluorouracil (5-FU), and 5-FU plus selenium. Mucositis was induced by
      a single dose of 5-FU (400 mg/kg BW) via intraperitoneal injection, and selenium
      was administered by a single intraperitoneal dose of sodium selenite (0.2 mg/kg
      BW). Diarrhea and weight loss after 5-FU administration were attenuated by
      selenium treatment. The mean villus height in the 5-FU plus selenium group was
      significantly taller than rats administered with 5-FU alone, but not
      significantly different compared to the control group. Interleukin (IL)-1beta and
      tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-alpha mRNA expression were significantly lower in the
      5-FU plus selenium group than in the 5-FU only group (IL-1beta, P < 0.01; TNF
      alpha, P < 0.05). These findings indicate that selenium protects the mucosa
      during chemotherapy via its anti-inflammatory effects and its suppression of
      cytotoxic cytokine production.

PMID- 28353367
TI  - Infant Behavior Questionnaire-Revised Very Short Form: A New Factor Structure's
      Associations With Parenting Perceptions and Child Language Outcomes.
AB  - The Infant Behavior Questionnaire Revised-Very Short Form (IBQ-R VSF; Putnam,
      Helbig, Gartstein, Rothbart, & Leerkes, 2014 ) is a new publicly available
      measure of infant temperament measuring positive affectivity/surgency (PAS),
      negative emotionality (NEG), and orienting and regulatory capacity (ORC).
      Although the initial psychometric properties of the 3-factor model appear
      promising, it has not been administered to a large and diverse sample and its
      predictive validity has not been established. This study administered the IBQ-R
      VSF to a diverse sample of 5,639 mothers of infants aged between 23 and 52 weeks.
      Confirmatory factor analysis found that the 3-factor solution did not meet the
      requirement for satisfactory model fit. Exploratory factor analysis found that a
      5-factor solution (PAS, NEG, Orienting Capacity, Affiliation/Regulation, and
      Fear) was statistically and conceptually the most parsimonious. All 5 temperament
      dimensions were found to relate to both mother- and partner-reported infant
      closeness, parenting confidence, and parenting satisfaction, and four of the
      dimensions (PAS, Orienting Capacity, NEG, and Fear) related to the infants'
      communication development. Some parental differences were also found. Together
      these findings suggest that the 5-factor IBQ-R VSF is a promising measure of
      infant temperament and is related to parenting perceptions and child language
      development.

PMID- 28353368
TI  - Explicating the Appraisal Dimension of the Communal Coping Model.
AB  - The communal coping model argues that people cope with stress in the context of
      their relationships and that coping responses are both cognitive and behavioral
      in nature. However, the cognitive dimension of the model (appraisal) has not been
      explicated in extant research. The purpose of this study is to fill that gap by
      conceptualizing the appraisal dimension of communal coping in the context of
      families managing one member's type 2 diabetes. Analysis of interviews with
      individuals with type 2 diabetes and their family members (N = 28) revealed that
      appraisal consists of problem ownership and perceived problem influence and that
      appraisals are influenced by knowledge of the disease and changing health status.
      Theoretical and practical implications are discussed.

PMID- 28353369
TI  - Cystoid Macular Edema in Retinitis Pigmentosa with Intermediate Uveitis Responded
      Well to Oral and Posterior Subtenon Steroid.

PMID- 28353371
TI  - The Systemic Synuclein Sampling Study: toward a biomarker for Parkinson's
      disease.
AB  - The search for a biomarker for Parkinson's disease (PD) has led to a surge in
      literature describing peripheral alpha-synuclein (aSyn) in both biofluids and
      biopsy/autopsy tissues. Despite encouraging results, attempts to capitalize on
      this promise have fallen woefully short. The Systemic Synuclein Sampling Study
      (S4) is uniquely designed to identify a reproducible diagnostic and progression
      biomarker for PD. S4 will evaluate aSyn in multiple tissues and biofluids within
      the same subject and across the disease spectrum to identify the optimal
      biomarker source and provide vital information on the evolution of peripheral
      aSyn throughout the disease. Additionally, S4 will correlate the systemic aSyn
      profile with an objective measure of nigrostriatal dopaminergic function
      furthering our understanding of the pathophysiological progression of PD.

PMID- 28353372
TI  - Satisfaction, quality of life and perception of patients regarding burdens and
      benefits of vitamin K antagonists compared with direct oral anticoagulants in
      patients with nonvalvular atrial fibrillation.
AB  - AIM: To compare the satisfaction of patients treated with vitamin K antagonists
      (VKA) with that of patients treated with direct oral anticoagulants (DOACs) and
      to determine the impact on quality of life of both treatments in patients with
      nonvalvular atrial fibrillation (NVAF). METHODS: Cross-sectional multicenter
      study in which outpatients with NVAF completed the ACTS (Anti-Clot Treatment
      Scale), SAT-Q (Satisfaction Questionnaire) and EQ-5D-3L (EuroQol 5 dimensions
      questionnaire, 3 level version) questionnaires. RESULTS: The study population
      comprised 1337 patients, of whom 587 were taking DOACs and 750 VKAs. Compared
      with VKAs, DOACs were more commonly prescribed in patients with a history of
      stroke and in patients with a higher thromboembolic risk. The study scores were
      as follows: SAT-Q: 63.8 +/- 17.8; EQ-5D-3L total score: 75.6 +/- 20.9; visual
      analog scale: 63.1 +/- 20.6; ACTS Burdens: 51.8 +/- 8.4 and ACTS Benefits: 11.9
      +/- 2.4. The ACTS Burdens score and ACTS Benefits score were higher with DOACs
      than with VKAs (54.83 +/- 6.11 vs 49.50 +/- 9.15; p < 0.001 and 12.36 +/- 2.34 vs
      11.48 +/- 2.46; p < 0.001 respectively). CONCLUSION: NVAF patients treated with
      oral anticoagulants had many comorbidities and a high thromboembolic risk.
      Satisfaction and quality of life with oral anticoagulants were high, although
      they were both better with DOACs than with VKAs.

PMID- 28353373
TI  - A Cross-Cultural Analysis of the Infant Behavior Questionnaire Very Short Form:
      An Item Response Theory Analysis of Infant Temperament in New Zealand.
AB  - The Infant Behavior Questionnaire-Revised Very Short Form (IBQ-R VSF; Putnam,
      Helbig, Gartstein, Rothbart, & Leerkes, 2014 ) is a newly published measure of
      infant temperament with a 3-factor structure. Recently Peterson et al. ( 2017 )
      suggested that a 5-factor structure (Positive Affectivity/Surgency, Negative
      Emotionality, Orienting Capacity, Affiliation/Regulation, and Fear) was more
      parsimonious and showed promising reliability and predictive validity in a large,
      diverse sample. However, little is known about the 5-factor model's precision
      across the temperament dimensions range and whether it discriminates equally well
      across ethnicities. A total of 5,567 mothers responded to the IBQ-R VSF in
      relation to their infants (N = 5,639) between 23 and 52 weeks old. Using item
      response theory, we conducted a series of 2 parameter logistic item response
      models and found that 5 IBQ-R VSF temperament dimensions showed a good
      distribution of estimates across each latent trait range and these estimates
      centered close to the population mean. The IBQ-R VSF was also similarly precise
      across 4 ethnic groups (European, Maori, Pacific peoples, and Asians), suggesting
      that it can be used as comparable measure for infant temperament in a diversity
      of ethnic groups.

PMID- 28353374
TI  - Prediction of Poor Short-Term Prognosis and Unmet Needs in Advanced Chronic
      Obstructive Pulmonary Disease: Use of the Two-Minute Walking Distance Extracted
      from a Six-Minute Walk Test.
AB  - OBJECTIVES: Prognostic challenges hinder the identification of patients with
      advanced chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) for timely palliative
      interventions. We postulate that a two-minute derivative (two-minute walking
      distance [2MWD]) of a standard six-minute walk test (6MWT) can identify frail
      subjects with poorer survival for early palliative intervention. The primary
      outcome of interest is mortality at 18 months. Secondary objectives include
      evaluation of the relationship between the 2MWD and ability to self-care, dyspnea
      related disabilities, nutrition, forced expiratory volume in first second (FEV1),
      quality of life (QoL), and comorbidity burden. DESIGN AND SETTING: One hundred
      twenty-four subjects with stage 3 and 4 COPD were recruited and followed up.
      Ability to self-care, dyspnea-related disabilities, airflow limitation,
      nutrition, and QoL were measured by using modified Barthel index (MBI), Modified
      Medical Research Council (MMRC) dyspnea scale, FEV1 (% predicted), BODE [BMI(B),
      FEV1(O), MMRC(D), 6MWT(E)] index, updated ADO [Age(A), MMRC(D), FEV1(O)] index,
      Subjective Global Assessment (SGA), and St. George's Respiratory Questionnaire
      (SGRQ), respectively. Survival data were prospectively collected and analyzed.
      RESULTS: The 2MWD correlates highly with BODE and predicts updated ADO
      independent of age, co-morbidities, long-term oxygen therapy (LTOT), body mass
      index, and FEV1. Log-rank test performed with Kaplan-Meier plots demonstrates
      that 2MWD <=80 m significantly predicts survival time (p < 0.05). Cox
      proportional hazard regression shows a 3.6-time greater probability of 18-month
      mortality (hazard ratio [HR] 3.57; 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.26-10.13; p <
      0.05). In addition, 2MWD strongly predicted MBI and MMRC, independent of age, co
      morbidities, LTOT, body mass index, and FEV1. Subjects with 2MWD <=80 m have a
      poorer ability to self-care (median MBI 90 vs. 100), lower FEV1 (32.9% +/- 9.8%
      vs. 38.1% +/- 9.4%), poorer QoL (mean SGRQ 46.6 +/- 16.2 vs. 36.6 +/- 13.3), and
      greater dyspnea-related disability (mean MMRC 1.7 +/- 0.7 vs. 0.9 +/- 0.6), and
      they are more malnourished (40.4% vs. 9.7%; RR 1.51) (all p < 0.001). CONCLUSION:
      2MWD <=80 m identifies subjects with higher mortality, greater functional
      dependence, poorer in nutrition, greater dyspnea, and lower QoL. Incorporation of
      2MWD into composite prognostic indices can enhance predictive accuracy and
      identify patients requiring early proactive palliative interventions.

PMID- 28353375
TI  - Determination of serum carbamazepine concentration using dried blood spot
      specimens for resource-limited settings.
AB  - OBJECTIVES: Carbamazepine (CBZ) is a commonly used anti-epileptic in rural
      hospitals in India. These hospitals lack the facilities to measure CBZ
      concentration; however, in larger hospitals this is performed using high
      performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). Dried blood spot (DBS) represents a
      feasible matrix for safe transportation by post/courier. This study was to
      determine whether the concentration of CBZ in serum can be predicted from that
      measured in DBS using an inexpensive HPLC method and inexpensive standard filter
      paper. METHODS: CBZ in serum and DBS from 80 epileptic patients were measured
      using a validated HPLC assay. The data was then randomly divided into two groups;
      simple Deming regression was performed with the first group and validation was
      performed using the second. RESULTS: There was a good correlation between the
      serum and DBS concentrations (r = 0.932) in the first group. The regression
      equation obtained was: predicted serum concentration = DBS concentration x 0.83 +
      1.09. In the validation group, the correlation between the predicted and actual
      serum concentrations was also good (r = 0.958), and the mean difference between
      them was only 0.28 MUg/ml (p = 0.8062). The imprecision and bias in both the
      groups were acceptable. CONCLUSION: Using inexpensive materials, serum CBZ
      concentrations can be accurately predicted from DBS specimens. This method can be
      recommended for the therapeutic drug monitoring of CBZ in resource-limited
      settings.

PMID- 28353376
TI  - Acquired Cystic Disease-Associated Renal Cell Carcinoma: Review of Pathogenesis,
      Morphology, Ancillary Tests, and Clinical Features.
AB  - Acquired cystic disease-associated renal cell carcinoma (ACD-RCC) is a recently
      described subtype of RCC found in individuals with ACD of the kidney. Because of
      underrecognition, information regarding this lesion is sparse but continues to
      accumulate with each new report. Herein, a thorough literature review amassing
      the current understanding of this unique neoplasm is presented. Discussion
      focuses on clinical features, pathogenesis, disease outcome, and relation to the
      duration of dialysis. The macroscopic and characteristic microscopic features are
      described with illustrations. Compared with previous opinion, compiled
      immunohistochemical data may now allow for recognition of a unique
      immunophenotypic pattern of ACD-RCC. Distinction of ACD-RCC from clear cell and
      papillary RCCs based on molecular genetic information is deliberated, including a
      summary of the most frequently detected cytogenetic abnormalities. The key
      morphologic and immunophenotypic patterns used to distinguish this entity from a
      comprehensive differential diagnosis are provided.

PMID- 28353378
TI  - Follicular Dendritic Cell Sarcoma.
AB  - Follicular dendritic cell sarcoma is a rare tumor that typically arises within
      lymph nodes but can also occur extranodally. It is important to have a high index
      of suspicion, so follicular dendritic cell sarcoma is included in the
      differential diagnosis of a spindle cell neoplasm in the appropriate clinical and
      morphologic settings. When included in the differential diagnosis,
      immunohistochemistry is generally sufficient to substantiate the diagnosis of
      follicular dendritic cell sarcoma. In this review, we discuss the
      clinicopathologic features of follicular dendritic cell sarcoma, recent molecular
      and cytogenetic findings, prognosis, and current approaches to treatment.

PMID- 28353377
TI  - New Developments in Breast Cancer and Their Impact on Daily Practice in
      Pathology.
AB  - Advances in research have transformed our understanding of breast cancers and
      have altered the daily practice of pathology. Theranostic evaluations performed
      by pathologists are now critical in triaging the patients into appropriate
      treatment groups, as are new guidelines that were recently established for the
      evaluation of HER2/neu gene amplification. Emerging molecular classifications of
      breast cancers bring novel perspectives to the assessment of individual cases,
      and opportunities for better treatments. Molecular studies have particularly shed
      light on distinct biological subsets of triple-negative breast cancers, for which
      new targeted therapies are being developed. The prognostic and therapeutic
      utility of new histopathologic parameters, such as tumor-infiltrating
      lymphocytes, are also being elucidated, and new protocols have been devised for
      the pathologic evaluation of breast specimens that have undergone neoadjuvant
      treatment. Novel clinical practices, such as radioactive seed localization, also
      affect the way breast specimens are processed and evaluated. In this brief
      review, we highlight the developments that are most relevant to pathology and are
      changing or could potentially impact our daily practice.

PMID- 28353379
TI  - Benchmarking After Large-Scale, Comparative Data Analysis Improves the Use of
      Laboratory Tests: Lessons From the REDCONLAB Initiative.

PMID- 28353380
TI  - Characteristics of a Breast Pathology Consultation Practice.
AB  - CONTEXT: - Intradepartmental consultation is a routine practice commonly used for
      new diagnoses. Expert interinstitutional case review provides insight into
      particularly challenging cases. OBJECTIVE: - To investigate the practice of
      breast pathology consultation at a large tertiary care center. DESIGN: - We
      reviewed breast pathology cases sent for private consultation and internal cases
      reviewed by multiple pathologists at a tertiary center. Requisitions and reports
      were evaluated for diagnostic reason for consultation, rate of multiple
      pathologist review at the tertiary center, use of immunohistochemistry, and, for
      private consultation cases, type of sender and concordance with the outside
      diagnosis. RESULTS: - In the 985 private consultation cases, the most frequent
      reasons for review were borderline atypia (292 of 878; 33.3%), papillary lesion
      classification (151 of 878; 17.2%), evaluating invasion (123 of 878; 14%),
      subtyping carcinoma (75 of 878; 8.5%), and spindle cell (67 of 878; 7.6%) and
      fibroepithelial (65 of 878; 7.4%) lesion classification. Of 4981 consecutive
      internal cases, 358 (7.2%) were reviewed, most frequently for borderline atypia
      (90 of 358; 25.1%), subtyping carcinoma (63 of 358; 17.6%), staging/prognostic
      features (59 of 358; 16.5%), fibroepithelial lesion classification (45 of 358;
      12.6%), evaluating invasion (37 of 358; 10.3%), and papillary (20 of 358; 5.6%)
      and spindle cell (18 of 358; 5.0%) lesion classification. Of all internal cases,
      those with a final diagnosis of atypia had a significantly higher rate of review
      (58 of 241; 24.1%) than those with benign (119 of 2933; 4.1%) or carcinoma (182
      of 1807; 10.1%) diagnoses. Immunohistochemistry aided in diagnosis of 39.7% (391
      of 985) and 21.2% (76 of 359) of consultation and internally reviewed cases,
      respectively. CONCLUSIONS: - This study confirms areas of breast pathology that
      represent diagnostic challenge and supports that pathologists are appropriately
      using expert consultation.

PMID- 28353381
TI  - To Fast or Not to Fast?: Comments on the Consensus Statement From the European
      Atherosclerosis Society/European Federation of Clinical Chemistry and Laboratory
      Medicine.

PMID- 28353382
TI  - New-Generation Thromboelastography: Comprehensive Evaluation of Citrated and
      Heparinized Blood Sample Storage Effect on Clot-Forming Variables.
AB  - CONTEXT: - Thromboelastography (TEG) is a whole blood, real-time analyzer
      measuring the viscoelastic properties of the hemostasis process and allowing for
      individualized goal-directed therapy. However, routine use of TEG requires
      validation of sample storage effect on clot parameters. OBJECTIVES: - To
      establish the minimum time required for equilibration time and the maximum time
      for sample storage for all commercially available TEG tests for the new
      generation TEG 6s and to determine how those times compare with the older
      generation TEG 5000. DESIGN: - Citrated and heparinized whole blood samples
      obtained from 20 healthy donors were analyzed for clot parameters at multiple
      time points for both the TEG 6s and the TEG 5000. Samples were activated with the
      citrated multichannel cartridge or the platelet-mapping cartridge in the TEG 6s
      or with recalcified kaolin in the TEG 5000. RESULTS: - All blood samples yielded
      TEG parameter results within reference ranges and had a tendency toward
      hypercoagulable profiles with increased storage time. Sample storage resulted in
      increased platelet inhibition with significant differences at 4 hours in the
      platelet-mapping cartridge (arachidonic acid percentage of inhibition, P = .002;
      adenosine diphosphate percentage of inhibition, P = .02). CONCLUSIONS: - For
      nonemergent cases or in a central laboratory setting, all tests provided reliable
      results for up to 4 hours in the citrated multichannel cartridge and for 3 hours
      for platelet function information in the platelet-mapping cartridge. In
      emergent/urgent situations in which the sample needs to be run immediately,
      RapidTEG and functional fibrinogen tests may be preferred.

PMID- 28353383
TI  - SP174, NRAS Q61R Mutant-Specific Antibody, Cross-Reacts With KRAS Q61R Mutant
      Protein in Colorectal Carcinoma.
AB  - CONTEXT: - NRAS is a member of the RAS family oncoproteins implicated in cancer.
      Gain-of-function NRAS mutations were reported in a subset of colorectal cancers.
      These mutations occur at codons 12, 13, and 61 and are detected by molecular
      genetic testing. Recently, an antibody (clone SP174) became available to
      immunohistochemically pinpoint NRAS Q61R mutant protein. In malignant melanoma,
      NRAS Q61R mutant-specific immunohistochemistry was shown to be a valuable
      supplement to traditional genetic testing. OBJECTIVE: - To evaluate the
      significance of NRAS Q61R mutant-specific immunohistochemistry in a cohort of
      colorectal carcinomas. DESIGN: - A total of 1185 colorectal carcinomas were
      immunohistochemically evaluated with SP174 antibody. NRAS Q61R mutant-specific
      immunohistochemistry was validated by molecular genetic testing including Sanger
      sequencing, quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR), and next-generation
      sequencing. RESULTS: - Twelve tumors showed strong SP174 immunoreactivity. Sanger
      sequencing detected an identical c.182A>G substitution, causing NRAS Q61R
      mutation at the protein level, only in 8 SP174-positive cases. These results were
      confirmed by qPCR study. Subsequently, NRAS wild-type tumors with strong SP174
      staining were evaluated by next-generation sequencing and revealed KRAS c.182A>G
      substitutions predicted to cause KRAS Q61R mutation. Review of colorectal
      carcinomas with known KRAS and NRAS genotype revealed that none of 62 wild-type
      tumors or 47 mutants other than Q61R were SP174 positive. CONCLUSION: - SP174
      immunohistochemistry allows sensitive detection of NRAS and KRAS Q61R mutants.
      However, molecular genetic testing is necessary to determine specifically which
      RAS gene is mutated.

PMID- 28353384
TI  - Professional Practice Evaluation for Pathologists: The Development, Life, and
      Death of the Evalumetrics Program.
AB  - CONTEXT: - In 2008, the Joint Commission (JC) implemented a standard mandating
      formal monitoring of physician professional performance as part of the process of
      granting and maintaining practice privileges. OBJECTIVE: - To create a pathology
      specific management tool to aid pathologists in constructing a professional
      practice-monitoring program, thereby meeting the JC mandate. DESIGN: - A total of
      105 College of American Pathologists (CAP)-defined metrics were created. Metrics
      were based on the job descriptions of pathologists' duties in the laboratory, and
      metric development was aided by experience from the Q-Probes and Q-Tracks
      programs. The program was offered in a Web-based format, allowing secure data
      entry, customization of metrics, and central data collection for future
      benchmarking. RESULTS: - The program was live for 3 years, with 347 pathologists
      subscribed from 61 practices (median, 4 per institution; range, 1-35).
      Subscribers used 93 of the CAP-defined metrics and created 109 custom metrics.
      The median number of CAP-defined metrics used per pathologist was 5 (range, 1
      43), and the median custom-defined metrics per pathologist was 2 (range, 1-5).
      Most frequently, 1 to 3 metrics were monitored (42.7%), with 20% each following 4
      to 6 metrics, 5 to 9 metrics, or greater than 10 metrics. Anatomic pathology
      metrics were used more commonly than clinical pathology metrics. Owing to low
      registration, the program was discontinued in 2016. CONCLUSIONS: - Through
      careful vetting of metrics it was possible to develop a pathologist-specific
      management tool to address the JC mandate. While this initial product failed,
      valuable metrics were developed and implementation knowledge was gained that may
      be used to address new regulatory requirements for emerging value-based payment
      systems.

PMID- 28353385
TI  - Erratum.

PMID- 28353386
TI  - The Effects of Computerized Clinical Decision Support Systems on Laboratory Test
      Ordering: A Systematic Review.
AB  - CONTEXT: - Inappropriate laboratory test ordering has been shown to be as high as
      30%. This can have an important impact on quality of care and costs because of
      downstream consequences such as additional diagnostics, repeat testing, imaging,
      prescriptions, surgeries, or hospital stays. OBJECTIVE: - To evaluate the effect
      of computerized clinical decision support systems on appropriateness of
      laboratory test ordering. DATA SOURCES: - We used MEDLINE, Embase, CINAHL,
      MEDLINE In-Process and Other Non-Indexed Citations, Clinicaltrials.gov, Cochrane
      Library, and Inspec through December 2015. Investigators independently screened
      articles to identify randomized trials that assessed a computerized clinical
      decision support system aimed at improving laboratory test ordering by providing
      patient-specific information, delivered in the form of an on-screen management
      option, reminder, or suggestion through a computerized physician order entry
      using a rule-based or algorithm-based system relying on an evidence-based
      knowledge resource. Investigators extracted data from 30 papers about study
      design, various study characteristics, study setting, various intervention
      characteristics, involvement of the software developers in the evaluation of the
      computerized clinical decision support system, outcome types, and various outcome
      characteristics. CONCLUSIONS: - Because of heterogeneity of systems and settings,
      pooled estimates of effect could not be made. Data showed that computerized
      clinical decision support systems had little or no effect on clinical outcomes
      but some effect on compliance. Computerized clinical decision support systems
      targeted at laboratory test ordering for multiple conditions appear to be more
      effective than those targeted at a single condition.

PMID- 28353387
TI  - Recent Developments in Surgical Pathology of the Uterine Corpus.
AB  - There have been several updates recently on the classification of uterine tumors.
      Endometrial carcinomas have traditionally been divided into 2 types, but some are
      difficult to classify and do not fit readily into either of the currently
      recognized categories. The Cancer Genome Atlas Research Network has recently
      defined 4 new categories of endometrial cancer on the basis of mutational
      spectra, copy number alteration, and microsatellite instability, which might
      provide independent prognostic information beyond established risk factors. The
      Society of Gynecologic Oncology, moreover, now recommends systematic screening of
      every patient with endometrial cancer for Lynch syndrome. The new definition of
      high-grade endometrial stromal sarcoma disregards the number of mitotic figures
      as a primary diagnostic criterion and instead specifies moderate atypia still
      resembling stromal origin but lacking the pleomorphism of undifferentiated
      uterine sarcoma; these tumors also harbor a JAZF1-SUZ12 gene rearrangement.
      Mitotic count, atypia, and coagulative necrosis are the main histologic criteria
      that define leiomyosarcoma. Determining the type of necrosis can be very
      challenging in patients receiving various treatment modalities for symptomatic
      fibroids before myomectomy, since key histologic features of ischemic-type
      necrosis are often absent. Ancillary stains including p16, p53, MIB-1, trichrome,
      and reticulin may be helpful in tumors harboring necrosis that is difficult to
      classify. Minimally invasive gynecologic surgeries have introduced histologic
      artifacts that complicate the diagnosis. It is essential to recognize these as
      procedure-related artifacts to avoid upstaging tumors and triggering unnecessary
      adjuvant treatment.

PMID- 28353388
TI  - Children's Experiences and Awareness about Impact of Digital Media on Health.
AB  - Previous research has focused on the associations between technology use and
      children's health, using mainly quantitative designs. This qualitative study
      describes technology's impact on physical and mental health from children's
      perspectives. The differences between children's experiences and awareness of the
      health-related consequences associated with digital media use were examined.
      Focus groups and interviews were conducted with children between the ages of 9
      and 16 in nine European countries (N = 368). Results of this study indicate that
      children's experiences of health-related technology impacts are different from
      their awareness of these impacts. Children's direct experiences with media were
      less extreme in contrast to their awareness of health problems, which typically
      involved extreme examples of possible consequences, such as killing people,
      kidnapping, blindness, and developing learning or psychological disorders. The
      results are discussed in the context of the "media panic" and "third person
      effect" theories.

PMID- 28353389
TI  - Aminocyclopyrachlor sorption-desorption and leaching from three Brazilian soils.
AB  - This study aimed to evaluate the sorption-desorption and leaching of
      aminocyclopyrachlor from three Brazilian soils. The sorption-desorption of 14C
      aminocyclopyrachlor was evaluated using the batch method and leaching was
      assessed in glass columns. The Freundlich model showed an adequate fit for the
      sorption-desorption of aminocyclopyrachlor. The Freundlich sorption coefficient
      [Kf (sorption)] ranged from 0.37 to 1.34 umol (1-1/n) L1/n kg-1 and showed a
      significant positive correlation with the clay content of the soil, while the Kf
      (desorption) ranged from 3.62 to 5.36 umol (1-1/n) L1/n kg-1. The Kf (desorption)
      values were higher than their respective Kf (sorption), indicating that
      aminocyclopyrachlor sorption is reversible, and the fate of this herbicide in the
      environment can be affected by leaching. Aminocyclopyrachlor was detected at all
      depths (0-30 cm) in all the studied soils, where leaching was influenced by soil
      texture. The total herbicide leaching from the sandy clay and clay soils was
      <0.06%, whereas, ~3% leached from the loamy sand soil. The results suggest that
      aminocyclopyrachlor has a high potential of leaching, based on its low sorption
      and high desorption capacities. Therefore, this herbicide can easily contaminate
      underground water resources.

PMID- 28353390
TI  - Evidence for a differential interference of noise in sub-lexical and lexical
      reading routes in healthy participants and dyslexics.
AB  - The ineffective exclusion of surrounding noise has been proposed to underlie the
      reading deficits in developmental dyslexia. However, previous studies supporting
      this hypothesis focused on low-level visual tasks, providing only an indirect
      link of noise interference on reading processes. In this study, we investigated
      the effect of noise on regular, irregular, and pseudoword reading in 23 dyslexic
      children and 26 age- and IQ-matched controls, by applying the white noise
      displays typically used to validate this theory to a lexical decision task.
      Reading performance and eye movements were measured. Results showed that white
      noise did not consistently affect dyslexic readers more than typical readers.
      Noise affected more dyslexic than typical readers in terms of reading accuracy,
      but it affected more typical than dyslexic readers in terms of response time and
      eye movements (number of fixations and regressions). Furthermore, in typical
      readers, noise affected more the speed of reading of pseudowords than real words.
      These results suggest a particular impact of noise on the sub-lexical reading
      route where attention has to be deployed to individual letters. The use of a
      lexical route would reduce the effect of noise. A differential impact of noise
      between words and pseudowords may therefore not be evident in dyslexic children
      if they are not yet proficient in using the lexical route. These findings
      indicate that the type of reading stimuli and consequent reading strategies play
      an important role in determining the effects of noise interference in reading
      processing and should be taken into account by further studies.

PMID- 28353392
TI  - Epidemiology and Molecular Basis of Resistance to Fluconazole Among Clinical
      Candida parapsilosis Isolates in Kuwait.
AB  - Fluconazole resistance among clinical Candida parapsilosis isolates is an
      emerging problem in many countries, including Kuwait. Resistance to fluconazole
      is mediated by amino acid substitutions in ERG11 and/or by overexpression of
      efflux pumps MDR1 and CDR1. Clinical C. parapsilosis sensu stricto isolates (n =
      442) were tested for susceptibility to fluconazole by Etest, Vitek II, and broth
      microdilution methods. ERG11 was analyzed from fluconazole-resistant, fluconazole
      susceptible dose-dependent, and selected fluconazole-susceptible isolates. Of 442
      C. parapsilosis isolates, 425, 2, and 15 were identified as susceptible,
      susceptible dose-dependent, and resistant to fluconazole, respectively. PCR
      sequencing of ERG11 identified Y132F mutation in 5 of 11 fluconazole-resistant
      isolates available for analysis. This mutation was absent in 46 fluconazole
      susceptible and 2 fluconazole-susceptible dose-dependent isolates. A multiplex
      allele-specific PCR was developed for detection of Y132F mutation in ERG11, and
      results correlated perfectly with PCR sequencing data for ERG11 codon 132 for all
      isolates analyzed. Detection of resistance in 15 and reduced susceptibility in 2
      among 442 C. parapsilosis isolates highlights emerging resistance to fluconazole
      in Kuwait. The Y132F mutation in ERG11 was found in 5 of 11 (45%) fluconazole
      resistant isolates only. Detection of fluconazole resistance in C. parapsilosis
      will help in proper management of patients infected with this species.

PMID- 28353393
TI  - Toward a humanistic model in health communication.
AB  - Since the key to effective health communication lies in its ability to
      communicate well, some of its core problems are those that relate to the sharing
      of meaning between communicators. In elaborating on these problems, this paper
      offers two key propositions: one, health communication has to pass through the
      filter of a particular world view that creates a discrepancy between expected and
      actual message reception and response. Two, the assumption of a rational human
      actor made implicitly by most health psychological models is a contestable issue,
      as many times message recipients do not follow a cognitive judgment process. The
      phenomenon of resisting health messages by reasonable people asks the question
      whether we ought to rethink our adherence to a particular vision of human health
      as many times the adverse reaction to behaviour modification occurs as the result
      of a particular dialogical or discursive situation. At the same time, most
      motivational decisions in people's daily routines are automatic and use a concept
      known as self-identity to give stability to their behaviour patterns. Finally,
      health communication as part of organised government practices adheres to
      predominant value perspectives within health promotion practice that affect the
      manner in which health issues become problematised. This paper proposes a
      humanistic model that aims to pay attention to the intricacies of human
      communication by addressing all of the above problems in turn. It interprets the
      sharing of meaning element in human communication and addresses the question of
      how the idea of health is created through discourse. As such, it offers a
      complementary and constructive paradigm and set of approaches to understand
      health, its meanings and communication.

PMID- 28353391
TI  - Validity of self-reported concentration and memory problems: Relationship with
      neuropsychological assessment and depression.
AB  - BACKGROUND: This study investigated the validity of self-reported concentration
      and memory problems (CMP) in residents environmentally exposed to manganese (Mn).
      METHOD: Self-report of CMP from a health questionnaire (HQ) and the Symptom
      Checklist-90-Revised (SCL-90-R) was compared to neuropsychological assessment
      (Trails A&B; Digit Span; Digit Symbol; Similarities; Auditory Consonant Trigrams,
      ACT; NAB Memory; Rey-Osterrieth, Rey-O, Delayed). Participants included 146
      residents from Ohio exposed to air-Mn, with a modeled average concentration of
      0.55 ug m-3 (range = 0.01-4.58). RESULTS: Residents were primarily White (94.5%),
      aged 30-64 years (M = 51.24), with a minimum of 10 years of residence (range = 10
      64). Ninety-four (65.3%) participants reported concentration problems, and 107
      residents (73.3%) reported memory problems. More participants endorsed CMP on the
      SCL-90-R than on the HQ. The prevalence of self-reported CMP was higher for women
      than for men (88.4% vs. 68.3%). Point-biserial and Pearson's correlations between
      self-reported CMP and neuropsychological test scores were nonsignificant and weak
      for both the HQ (rpb = -.20 to rpb = .04) and the SCL-90-R (r = -.12 to r =
      .007). Greater levels of depression, anxiety, and female sex predicted having
      more self-reported CMP on both the HQ and the SCL-90-R. Air-Mn and blood-Mn were
      not associated with self-reported CMP. Residential distance from the Mn source
      accounted for a small proportion of variance (sr2 = .04), although depression
      remained the largest predictor (sr2 = .21). CONCLUSION: These results indicate
      that self-report of CMP in Mn-exposed residents appear to be invalid when
      compared to neuropsychological test scores. The participants' misperception of
      having CMP is associated with less education and higher levels of depression.
      Neuropsychological assessment is recommended to attain valid results.

PMID- 28353394
TI  - LC-MS/MS determination of pesticide residues in fruits and vegetables.
AB  - The aim of the research is to evaluate pesticide residue contamination of fresh
      and frozen fruits and vegetables, agricultural raw material, purchased from
      Polish farmers for production of frozen fruits and vegetables, and the estimation
      of the multiresidue method effectiveness expressed as the proportion of
      pesticides detected in food samples to the total number of pesticides analyzed by
      multiresidue methods. A total of 144 samples (of black currants, red currants,
      raspberries, cherries, strawberries, blackberries, cauliflowers and broccoli)
      were analyzed using LC-MS/MS method for the determination of 60 pesticides.
      QuEChERS extraction, matrix-matched calibration and dynamic multiple reaction
      monitoring method were used. Residues of 15 compounds, mainly fungicides and
      insecticides, were detected in 46 samples. The percentage of samples with
      residues above the maximum residue levels (MRL) was 15%, whereas samples with
      residues below MRL were 17%. A total of 13 samples contained more than one
      pesticide residue. Pesticide residues were detected most often in samples of
      black currants (50%), broccoli (36.4%), raspberries (29%) and red currants
      (21.8%). The most frequently detected pesticides were carbendazim and
      acetamiprid. The proportion of pesticides detected during our study to the total
      number of analyzed pesticides amounted to 25%. It was compared to literature
      findings. For three fourth of multiresidue methods, the proportion was below 50%
      for methods developed for the analysis of less than 100 pesticides, and below 30%
      for methods developed for the analysis of more than 100 pesticides. It appears
      that a lot of efforts and means is lost on pesticides never or rarely detected in
      examined samples. The workload and cost effectiveness of the development and
      application of multiresidue methods along with the range of pesticides covered by
      the method should be carefully and thoroughly considered anytime when a new
      method or workflow is developed. Including non-targeted screenings in pesticide
      residue control seems to be an alternative worth considering.

PMID- 28353395
TI  - Comparison of atmospheric concentrations of currently used pesticides between
      urban and rural areas during intensive application period in Alsace (France) by
      using XAD-2(r) based passive samplers.
AB  - XAD-2(r) passive samplers (PAS) have been exposed simultaneously for 14 days on
      two sites, one rural and one urban, situated in Alsace (East of France) during
      intensive pesticides application in agriculture (between March and September).
      PAS have been extracted and analyzed for current-used pesticides and lindane with
      an analytical method coupling accelerated solvent extraction (ASE), solid-phase
      microextraction (SPME) and GC/MS/MS. Results show the detection of pesticides is
      linked to the period of application and spatial and temporal variabilities can be
      observed with these PAS during the selected sampling period. The spatial and
      temporal variability is comparable to the one previously observed by comparing
      data obtained with PAS with data from Hi.-Vol. samplers in an urban area.
      Sampling rates were calculated for some pesticides and values are comparable to
      the data already available in the literature. From these sampling rates,
      concentrations in ng m-3 of pesticides in PAS have been calculated and are in the
      same order of magnitude as those obtained with Hi.Vol. sampling during the same
      period of time.

PMID- 28353396
TI  - Using sustainability as a collaboration magnet to encourage multi-sector
      collaborations for health.
AB  - The World Health Organization Commission on Social Determinants of Health (SDH)
      places great emphasis on the role of multi-sector collaboration in addressing
      SDH. Despite this emphasis on this need, there is surprisingly little evidence
      for this to advance health equity goals. One way to encourage more successful
      multi-sector collaborations is anchoring SDH discourse around 'sustainability',
      subordinating within it the ethical and empirical importance of 'levelling up'.
      Sustainability, in contrast to health equity, has recently proved to be an
      effective collaboration magnet. The recent adoption of the Sustainable
      Development Goals (SDGs) provides an opportunity for novel ways of ideationally
      re-framing SDH discussions through the notion of sustainability. The 2030 Agenda
      for the SDGs calls for greater policy coherence across sectors to advance on the
      goals and targets. The expectation is that diverse sectors are more likely and
      willing to collaborate with each other around the SDGs, the core idea of which is
      'sustainability'.

PMID- 28353397
TI  - Elemental composition and nutritional value of the edible fruits of coastal red
      milkwood (Mimusops caffra) and impact of soil quality on their chemical
      characteristics.
AB  - In this study, the elemental distribution of essential and toxic elements in the
      soil and fruits of the indigenous plant species, Mimusops caffra, from ten sites
      along the KwaZulu-Natal east coast was investigated using inductively coupled
      plasma-optical emission spectrometry. This was done to determine the nutritional
      value of the fruits as well as to evaluate the impact of soil quality on
      elemental uptake by the plant. The elemental concentrations in the fruits (in
      descending order) were found to be K > Na > Ca > Mg > Si > Al > Fe > Zn > Mn > Ni
      > Cr > Cu > Pb > Mo > Sb > As > Se > V > Cd > Co. The results show that
      approximately 10 g of fruit would contribute more than 85% towards the
      recommended dietary allowance for Fe and Si for most adults. The proximate
      chemical composition revealed the fruits to contain approximately 84% moisture,
      4.7% ash, 6.9% protein, 1.7% oil and 2.7% carbohydrates. The study indicates that
      the fruits of this indigenous plant species are a good source of essential
      elements with low levels of potentially toxic elements (Pb, As and Cd) which
      makes the plant a good indigenous food source especially for vulnerable
      communities that need food security.

PMID- 28353399
TI  - The Bacterial Effector AvrB-Induced RIN4 Hyperphosphorylation Is Mediated by a
      Receptor-Like Cytoplasmic Kinase Complex in Arabidopsis.
AB  - Bacterial pathogen Pseudomonas syringae delivers diverse type III effectors into
      host cells to interfere with their immune responses. One of the effectors, AvrB,
      targets a host guardee protein RIN4 and induces RIN4 phosphorylation in
      Arabidopsis. Phosphorylated RIN4 activates the immune receptor RPM1 to mount
      defense. AvrB-induced RIN4 phosphorylation depends on RIPK, a receptor-like
      cytoplasmic kinase (RLCK). In this study, we found several other RLCKs that were
      also able to phosphorylate RIN4. We demonstrated that these RLCKs formed a
      complex with RIPK and were functionally redundant to RIPK. We also found that
      unphosphorylated RIN4 was epistatic to phosphorylated RIN4 in terms of RPM1
      activation. AvrB-induced RLCK gene expression and phosphorylated RIN4-triggered
      RPM1 activation required RAR1, a central regulator in plant innate immunity. Our
      results unravel a mechanism in which plants employ multiple kinases to
      hyperphosphorylate the guardee protein RIN4 to ensure immune activation during
      pathogen invasion.

PMID- 28353400
TI  - Evolutionary History of Subtilases in Land Plants and Their Involvement in
      Symbiotic Interactions.
AB  - Subtilases, a family of proteases involved in a variety of developmental
      processes in land plants, are also involved in both mutualistic symbiosis and
      host-pathogen interactions in different angiosperm lineages. We examined the
      evolutionary history of subtilase genes across land plants through a phylogenetic
      analysis integrating amino acid sequence data from full genomes, transcriptomes,
      and characterized subtilases of 341 species of diverse green algae and land
      plants along with subtilases from 12 species of other eukaryotes, archaea, and
      bacteria. Our analysis reconstructs the subtilase gene phylogeny and identifies
      11 new gene lineages, six of which have no previously characterized members. Two
      large, previously unnamed, subtilase gene lineages that diverged before the
      origin of angiosperms accounted for the majority of subtilases shown to be
      associated with symbiotic interactions. These lineages expanded through both
      whole-genome and tandem duplication, with differential neofunctionalization and
      subfunctionalization creating paralogs associated with different symbioses,
      including nodulation with nitrogen-fixing bacteria, arbuscular mycorrhizae, and
      pathogenesis in different plant clades. This study demonstrates for the first
      time that a key gene family involved in plant-microbe interactions proliferated
      in size and functional diversity before the explosive radiation of angiosperms.

PMID- 28353398
TI  - A fly view on the roles and mechanisms of the m6A mRNA modification and its
      players.
AB  - RNA modifications are an emerging layer of posttranscriptional gene regulation in
      eukaryotes. N6-methyladenosine (m6A) is among the most abundant modifications in
      mRNAs (mRNAs) that was shown to influence many physiological processes from yeast
      to mammals. Like DNA methylation, m6A in mRNA is dynamically regulated. A
      conserved methyltransferase complex catalyzes the deposition of the methyl group
      on adenosine, which can be removed by specific classes of demethylases.
      Furthermore, YTH-domain containing proteins can recognize this modification to
      mediate m6A-dependent activities. Here we review the functions and mechanisms of
      the main m6A players with a particular focus on Drosophila melanogaster.

PMID- 28353401
TI  - Effect of NK cell immunotherapy on immune function in patients with hepatic
      carcinoma: A preliminary clinical study.
AB  - We investigated the effectiveness of adoptive transfer of KIR ligand-mismatched
      highly activated nature killer (HANK) cells in patients with hepatic carcinoma.
      Peripheral blood mononuclear cells were obtained and cultured in vitro to induce
      expansion and activation of HANK cells. After 12 d of culture, the cells were
      divided into 3 parts and infused intravenously on days 13 to 15. The patients (n
      = 16) were given one to 6 courses of immunotherapy. No side effects were
      observed. The lymphocyte subsets and cytokine, thymidine kinase 1 (TK1) and
      circulating tumor cell (CTC) levels were measured 1 day before treatment and 1
      month after the final infusion: the absolute number of total T cells and NK cells
      and the IL-2 and TNF-beta levels were significantly higher, and the TK1 and CTC
      levels were significantly lower at 1 month after treatment. The percentage of
      patients who experienced partial response, disease stabilization, and disease
      progression at 3 months after treatment was 18.8%, 50.0% and 31.2%, respectively.
      The total follow-up period was 2-12 months. The median progression-free survival
      from treatment was 7.5 months. This is the first study on the benefits of HANK
      cell immunotherapy for hepatic carcinoma These encouraging preliminary
      observations imply that HANK cell immunotherapy is safe, can improve the immune
      function of patients with liver cancer, and may even reduce the rate of tumor
      metastasis and recurrence. However, further studies on larger samples of patients
      with a longer follow-up period are required to confirm these findings.

PMID- 28353402
TI  - Everyday ethics of participation: a case study of a CBPR in Nunavik.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: Multiple reports highlight the need for community-based family
      oriented prevention services for Aboriginal peoples in order to address important
      health and social inequalities. Participatory, empowerment-based approaches are
      generally favoured for these means. Faced with important social issues, in a
      context of colonisation and complex power dynamics, we question how community
      members experience participation, as well as the everyday dynamics that take
      place when attempting to create community-level change. CONTEXT: The initial
      steps of this community-based participatory research (CBPR) took place over a two
      year period in a community of Nunavik, a large northern region of the province of
      Quebec. The objective of the CBPR was to develop a community-driven project aimed
      at supporting families to be able to keep children within their homes or
      communities, rather than having to be placed under child welfare services.
      METHOD: We participated in, and documented, various group meetings, community
      workshops, informal reflexive discussions, and formal interviews with community
      partners to explore their everyday experiences of participation in community
      based change. RESULTS: We describe some of the initial actions taken in this
      project. We describe how certain social and power dynamics infiltrated into the
      process of participation leading to various tensions, personal and interpersonal
      experiences and needs. DISCUSSION: We discuss how these experiences led to
      everyday ethical dilemmas regarding participation. We conclude that although
      participatory approaches towards community change may be effective, they are also
      ethically challenging and at times disempowering for those who participate. We
      describe some of the approaches used to work with these ethical challenges.

PMID- 28353403
TI  - The urgent need for health impact assessment: proposing a transdisciplinary
      approach to the e-waste crisis in sub-Saharan Africa.
AB  - Electronic waste (e-waste) is a growing health and environmental concern in
      developing countries. In the sub-Saharan African region e-waste is considered a
      crisis with no end in sight yet; there is lack of structures and regulations to
      manage the problem. In this article, we discuss the potential of Health Impact
      Assessment (HIA) in addressing the health, environmental, and social impacts of e
      waste in sub-Saharan Africa. We draw from environmental policy, environmental
      communication, global health policy, and health communication to argue that
      managing e-waste could be framed as ongoing HIA where all the steps of HIA are
      performed on a rolling basis with input from local communities. Further, we
      suggest that HIA should be infused into recycling legislation to help streamline
      the practice in order to make it safe for health and the environment and to
      maximize the economic benefits.

PMID- 28353404
TI  - Different shades of Newton: Herman Boerhaave on Newton mathematicus, philosophus,
      and optico-chemicus.
AB  - In this paper I will probe into Herman Boerhaave's (1668-1738) appropriation of
      Isaac Newton's natural philosophy. It will be shown that Newton's work served
      multiple purposes in Boerhaave's oeuvre, for he appropriated Newton's work
      differently in different contexts and in different episodes in his career. Three
      important episodes in, and contexts of, Boerhaave's appropriation of Newton's
      natural philosophical ideas and methods will be considered: 1710-11, the time of
      his often neglected lectures on the place of physics in medicine; 1715, when he
      delivered his most famous rectorial address; and, finally, 1731/2, in publishing
      his Elementa chemiae. Along the way, I will spell out the implications of
      Boerhaave's case for our understanding of the reception, or use, of Newton's
      ideas more generally.

PMID- 28353406
TI  - Conference Scene: The 2015 Tissue Engineering Congress, London, UK, 8-10
      September 2015.
AB  - The 2015 Tissue Engineering Congress, held in London, UK on 8-10 September 2015,
      brought together the principles of engineering and life sciences in tissue
      development and regenerative medicine to discuss scientific research and
      developments of clinical applications from leading experts in the field. The
      newest research and developing technology were presented in the field of stem
      cell biology, tissue regeneration, 3D culture and scaffolds and biomaterials. The
      focus was on interdisciplinary approaches based on the combination of new
      generation biomaterials and cell-based therapies, which can lead to breakthroughs
      in regenerating tissues in the future.

PMID- 28353407
TI  - Replicated evidence for aminoacylase 3 and nephrin gene variations to predict
      antihypertensive drug responses.
AB  - AIM: To replicate the genome-wide associations of the antihypertensive effects of
      bisoprolol and losartan in GENRES, using the Finnish patients of LIFE study.
      PATIENTS & METHODS: We analyzed association of four SNPs with atenolol and three
      SNPs with losartan response in 927 Finnish LIFE patients (467 for atenolol and
      460 for losartan). RESULTS: rs2514036, a variation at a transcription start site
      of ACY3, was associated with blood pressure response to atenolol in men in LIFE.
      Response to bisoprolol was correlated to baseline plasma levels of N
      acetylphenylalanine and phenylalanine (ACY3 substrate and end product,
      respectively) in GENRES study. NPHS1 variation rs3814995 was associated with
      losartan effect in LIFE. CONCLUSION: We provide support for two pharmacogenomic
      markers for beta-blockers and angiotensin receptor antagonists.

PMID- 28353408
TI  - Characterization of Small Focal Renal Lesions: Diagnostic Accuracy with Single
      Phase Contrast-enhanced Dual-Energy CT with Material Attenuation Analysis
      Compared with Conventional Attenuation Measurements.
AB  - Purpose To determine whether single-phase contrast material-enhanced dual-energy
      material attenuation analysis improves the characterization of small (1-4 cm)
      renal lesions compared with conventional attenuation measurements by using
      histopathologic analysis and follow-up imaging as the clinical reference
      standards. Materials and Methods In this retrospective, HIPAA-compliant,
      institutional review board-approved study, 136 consecutive patients (95 men and
      41 women; mean age, 54 years) with 144 renal lesions (111 benign, 33 malignant)
      measuring 1-4 cm underwent single-energy unenhanced and contrast-enhanced dual
      energy computed tomography (CT) of the abdomen. For each renal lesion,
      attenuation measurements were obtained; attenuation change of greater than or
      equal to 15 HU was considered evidence of enhancement. Dual-energy attenuation
      measurements were also obtained by using iodine-water, water-iodine, calcium
      water, and water-calcium material basis pairs. Mean lesion attenuation values and
      material densities were compared between benign and malignant renal lesions by
      using the two-sample t test. Diagnostic accuracy of attenuation measurements and
      dual-energy material densities was assessed and validated by using 10-fold cross
      validation to limit the effect of optimistic bias. Results By using cross
      validated optimal thresholds at 100% sensitivity, iodine-water material
      attenuation images significantly improved specificity for differentiating between
      benign and malignant renal lesions compared with conventional enhancement
      measurements (93% [103 of 111]; 95% confidence interval: 86%, 97%; vs 81% [90 of
      111]; 95% confidence interval: 73%, 88%) (P = .02). Sensitivity with iodine-water
      and calcium-water material attenuation images was also higher than that with
      conventional enhancement measurements, although the difference was not
      statistically significant. Conclusion Contrast-enhanced dual-energy CT with
      material attenuation analysis improves specificity for characterization of small
      (1-4 cm) renal lesions compared with conventional attenuation measurements. (c)
      RSNA, 2017 Online supplemental material is available for this article.

PMID- 28353410
TI  - Between distrust of science and scientism.

PMID- 28353409
TI  - What do we know about the role of regulatory B cells (Breg) during the course of
      infection of two major parasitic diseases, malaria and leishmaniasis?
AB  - Parasitic diseases, such as malaria and leishmaniasis, are relevant public health
      problems worldwide. For both diseases, the alarming number of clinical cases and
      deaths reported annually has justified the incentives directed to better
      understanding of host's factors associated with susceptibility to infection or
      protection. In this context, over recent years, some studies have given special
      attention to B lymphocytes with a regulator phenotype, known as Breg cells.
      Essentially important in the maintenance of immunological tolerance, especially
      in autoimmune disease models such as rheumatoid arthritis and experimentally
      induced autoimmune encephalomyelitis, the function of these lymphocytes has so
      far been poorly explored during the course of diseases caused by parasites. As
      the activation of Breg cells has been proposed as a possible therapeutic or
      vaccine strategy against several diseases, here we reviewed studies focused on
      understanding the relation of parasite and Breg cells in malaria and
      leishmaniasis, and the possible implications of these strategies in the course of
      both infections.

PMID- 28353411
TI  - Polymyxin-B and vancomycin-associated acute kidney injury in critically ill
      patients.
AB  - BACKGROUND: This study aims to investigate renal toxicities of Polymyxin B and
      Vancomycin among critically ill patients and risk factors for acute kidney injury
      (AKI). METHODS: This is a cross-sectional study conducted with patients admitted
      to an intensive care unit (ICU) of a tertiary hospital in Brazil. Patients were
      divided into two groups: those who used association of Polymyxin B + Vancomycin
      (Group I) and those who used only Polymyxin B (Group II). Risk factors for AKI
      were also analyzed. RESULTS: A total of 115 patients were included. Mean age was
      59.2 +/- 16.1 years, and 52.2% were males. Group I presented higher GFR (117.1 +/
      70.5 vs. 91.5 +/- 50 ml/min/1.73 m2, p = 0.02) as well as lower creatinine (0.9
      +/- 0.82 vs. 1.0 +/- 0.59 mg/dL, p = 0.014) and urea (51.8 +/- 23.7 vs. 94.5 +/-
      4.9 mg/dL, p = 0.006) than group II on admission. Group I also manifested
      significantly higher incidence of AKI than group II (62.7% vs. 28.5%, p = 0.005),
      even when stratified according to RIFLE criteria ('Risk' 33.9% vs. 10.7%;
      'Injury' 10.2% vs. 8.9%; 'Failure' 18.6% vs. 8.9%; p = 0.03). Accumulated
      Polymyxin B dose > 10 million IU was an independent predictor for AKI (OR = 2.72,
      95% CI = 1.13-6.51, p = 0.024). CONCLUSIONS: Although patients who received
      Polymyxin B plus vancomycin had more favorable clinical profile and higher
      previous GFR, they presented a higher AKI incidence than those patients who
      received Polymyxin B alone. Cumulative Polymyxin B dose > 10 million IU was
      independently associated to AKI.

PMID- 28353413
TI  - Undergraduate nursing students and the elderly: An assessment of attitudes in a
      Turkish university.
AB  - At times when populations are aging and nursing services for elders are needed,
      gerontology as a nursing specialty is not a highly sought career choice. The
      purposes of this study were to assess the overall attitudes of nursing students
      at a Turkish university toward the elderly and to identify the effects of
      demographic and social factors on attitudes. Using a non-experimental design, the
      Turkish version of the Kogan's Attitudes towards Old People (KAOP) Scale was
      given to undergraduate nursing students. Significant findings demonstrated that
      the older the student, the worse the attitude and that students willing to work
      with elders had significantly better total KAOP and better positive item scores
      than those not willing to work with elders. The findings support educational
      preparation as a major factor in shaping student attitudes. Geriatric education
      should be integral to nursing education to help ensure sustainability of nursing
      services for the elderly population.

PMID- 28353412
TI  - Safety of endovascular treatment in acute stroke patients taking oral
      anticoagulants.
AB  - Background The endovascular treatment of acute cerebral ischemia has been proven
      beneficial without major safety concerns. To date, the role of endovascular
      treatment in patients treated with oral anticoagulants, which may be associated
      with periprocedural intracranial bleeding, remains uncertain. Aims The objective
      of the current analysis is to evaluate the safety of endovascular treatment in
      patients treated with oral anticoagulants. Methods The ENDOSTROKE-Registry is a
      commercially independent, prospective observational study in 12 stroke centers in
      Germany and Austria collecting pre-specified variables about endovascular stroke
      therapy. Results Data from 815 patients (median age 70 (interquartile range (IQR)
      20), 57% male) undergoing endovascular treatment with known anticoagulation
      status were analyzed. A total of 85 (median age 76 (IQR 8), 52% male) patients
      (10.4%) took vitamin-K-antagonists prior to endovascular treatment.
      Anticoagulation status as measured with international normalized ratio was above
      2.0 in 31 patients. Intracranial hemorrhage occurred in 11.8% of patients taking
      vitamin-K-antagonists compared to no-vitamin-K-antagonists (12.2%, p = 0.909).
      After adjustment for confounding factors which were unbalanced at univariate
      level such as NIHSS and age, anticoagulation status was not found to
      significantly influence clinical outcome (modified Rankin Scale 3-6) and
      occurrence of intracranial hemorrhage in a multivariate logistic regression
      analysis. Conclusion Prior use of vitamin-K-antagonists was not associated with a
      higher rate of periprocedural intracranial hemorrhage after endovascular
      treatment or worse outcome. Endovascular treatment should be considered as an
      important treatment option in patients taking vitamin-K-antagonists.

PMID- 28353414
TI  - Emerging technology for increasing glucosinolates in arugula and mustard greens.
AB  - Two plant species, arugula (Eruca sativa) and mustard (Brassica juncea) were
      field-grown under four soil management practices: soil mixed with municipal
      sewage sludge (SS), soil mixed with horse manure (HM), soil mixed with chicken
      manure (CM), and no-mulch bare soil (NM) to investigate the impact of soil
      amendments on the concentration of glucosinolates (GSLs) in their shoots. GSLs,
      hydrophilic plant secondary metabolites in arugula and mustard were extracted
      using boiling methanol and separated by adsorption on sephadex ion exchange
      disposable pipette tips filled with DEAE, a weak base, with a net positive charge
      that exchange anions such as GSLs. Quantification of GSLs was based on
      inactivation of arugula and mustard myrosinase and liberation of the glucose
      moiety from the GSLs molecule by addition of standardized myrosinase
      (thioglucosidase) and spectrophotometric quantification of the liberated glucose
      moiety. Overall, GSLs concentrations were significantly greater (1287 ug g-1
      fresh shoots) in plants grown in SS compared to 929, 890, and 981 ug g-1 fresh
      shoots in plants grown in CM, HM, and NM soil, respectively. Results also
      revealed that mustard shoots contained greater concentrations of GSLs (974 ug g-1
      fresh shoots) compared to arugula (651 ug g-1 fresh shoots).

PMID- 28353415
TI  - Casting and Splinting Management for Hand Injuries in the In-Season Contact Sport
      Athlete.
AB  - CONTEXT: Upper extremity injuries are extremely common in contact sports such as
      football, soccer, and lacrosse. The culture of competitive athletics provides an
      environment where hand injuries are frequently downplayed in an effort to prevent
      loss of game time. However, studies have shown that many sport-induced hand
      injuries do not actually require immediate surgical attention and can be safely
      treated through immobilization so that the athlete may complete the athletic
      season. In these cases, appropriate casting and splinting measures should be
      taken to ensure protection of the injured player and the other competitors
      without causing loss of game time. EVIDENCE ACQUISITION: Articles published
      between 1976 and 2015 were reviewed to capture historical and current views on
      the treatment of hand injuries in the in-season athlete. STUDY DESIGN: Clinical
      review. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Level 5. RESULTS: Although traditionally many sports
      induced traumatic injuries to the hand held the potential to be season-ending
      injuries, experience has shown that in-season athletes do not necessarily need to
      lose game time to receive appropriate treatment. A thorough knowledge of
      converting everyday splints and casts into game day, sport-approved protective
      immobilization devices is key to safely allowing athletes with select injuries to
      play while injured. CONCLUSION: Protective techniques allow for maximum
      functionality during gameplay while safely and effectively protecting the injury
      from further trauma while bony healing takes place.

PMID- 28353417
TI  - Do Patients with Pre-Existing Psychiatric Illness Have an Increased Risk of
      Infection after Injury?
AB  - BACKGROUND: Trauma remains a leading cause of death and long term-morbidity. We
      have shown that patients who sustain traumatic injuries are at increased risk for
      the development of infectious complications. Psychiatric illnesses (PIs) are also
      noted to occur frequently among the general population. The presence of a PI has
      been shown to be a risk factor for the development of infections. Despite the
      prevalence of both traumatic injuries and psychiatric diseases, there are little
      data relating the impact of PI on the outcome of patients with trauma. We
      hypothesize that the presence of a PI will be associated with an increased risk
      of an infection developing after injury. PATIENTS AND METHODS: This is a five
      year retrospective chart review of all admitted patients with trauma age 18 years
      and older. Patients with and without a major psychiatric illness were compared.
      Demographic data, mechanism of injury and Injury Severity Score (ISS) were
      reviewed. Co-morbidities included diabetes mellitus, obesity, pre-injury steroid
      use, and International Classification of Diseases, 9th edition, based psychiatric
      illness. All infections were diagnosed by microbiologic criteria (urinary tract
      infection [UTI], ventilator-associated pneumonia) or Centers for Disease Control
      and Prevention criteria for clinically evident infections (surgical site
      infection). RESULTS: Of the 11,147 admitted trauma patients, 14.5% had a pre
      injury PI diagnosis. The PI patients were older (61.5 +/- 0.5 vs. 54.3; p <
      0.001), more often female (56% vs. 39.1%; p < 0.001), and had no difference in
      blunt mechanism rates (88.4% vs. 89.9%; p = 0.06) or median ISS (9 vs. 9; p =
      0.06). There was no difference between PI and non-PI patients in pre-injury
      diabetes mellitus (13.4% vs. 12.7%; p = 0.4), steroid use (2.5% vs. 1.9%; p =
      0.1), but patients with PI were more likely to be obese (15.7% vs. 13.6%; p =
      0.03). Patients with PI were more likely to have an infection develop (10.4% vs.
      7.5%; p < 0.001). The most common infection in both groups was UTI (6.9% vs.
      4.2%; p < 0.001). Compared with non-PI patients, adjusting for age, gender, ISS,
      diabetes mellitus, and obesity, patients with PI were more likely to have an
      infection develop (odds ratio 1.3, 95% confidence interval = 1.1-1.5)
      Conclusions: Patients with an underlying PI are at increased risk of having a UTI
      after traumatic injury. This study identifies a previously unknown independent
      risk factor for UTIs in patients with trauma. This stresses the need for
      increased awareness and attention to this vulnerable population.

PMID- 28353416
TI  - Resting state fMRI: A review on methods in resting state connectivity analysis
      and resting state networks.
AB  - The inquisitiveness about what happens in the brain has been there since the
      beginning of humankind. Functional magnetic resonance imaging is a prominent tool
      which helps in the non-invasive examination, localisation as well as
      lateralisation of brain functions such as language, memory, etc. In recent years,
      there is an apparent shift in the focus of neuroscience research to studies
      dealing with a brain at 'resting state'. Here the spotlight is on the intrinsic
      activity within the brain, in the absence of any sensory or cognitive stimulus.
      The analyses of functional brain connectivity in the state of rest have revealed
      different resting state networks, which depict specific functions and varied
      spatial topology. However, different statistical methods have been introduced to
      study resting state functional magnetic resonance imaging connectivity, yet
      producing consistent results. In this article, we introduce the concept of
      resting state functional magnetic resonance imaging in detail, then discuss three
      most widely used methods for analysis, describe a few of the resting state
      networks featuring the brain regions, associated cognitive functions and clinical
      applications of resting state functional magnetic resonance imaging. This review
      aims to highlight the utility and importance of studying resting state functional
      magnetic resonance imaging connectivity, underlining its complementary nature to
      the task-based functional magnetic resonance imaging.

PMID- 28353418
TI  - Factors Associated with the Development of Tertiary Peritonitis in Critically Ill
      Patients.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Critically ill surgical patients remain at a high risk of adverse
      outcomes as a result of secondary peritonitis (SP). The risk is even higher if
      tertiary peritonitis (TP) develops. Factors related to the development of TP,
      however, are scarce in the literature. The main aim of our study was to identify
      factors associated with the development of TP in patients with SP in the
      intensive care unit (ICU), and also to report differences in microbiologic
      patterns and antibiotic therapy in patients with the two conditions. PATIENTS AND
      METHODS: A prospective, observational study was conducted at our institution from
      2010 to 2014. Baseline characteristics on admission, outcomes, microbiologic
      results, and antibiotic therapy were recorded for analysis. RESULTS: We included
      343 patients with SP, of whom TP developed in 185 (53.9%). Almost two-thirds
      (64.4%) were male; mean age was 63.7 +/- 14.3 years, and mean APACHE was 19.4 +/-
      7.8. In-hospital death was 42.6% (146). Multivariable analysis showed that longer
      ICU stay (odds ratio [OR]: 1.019; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.004-1.034; p =
      0.010), urgent operation on hospital admission (OR: 3.247; 95% CI: 1.392-7.575; p
      = 0.006), total parenteral nutrition (TPN) (OR: 3.079; 95% CI: 1.535-6.177; p =
      0.002) and stomach-duodenum as primary infection site (OR: 4.818; 95% CI: 1.429
      16.247; p = 0.011) were factors associated with the development of TP, whereas
      patients with localized peritonitis were less prone to have TP develop (OR:
      0.308; 95% CI: 0.152-0.624; p = 0.001). Higher incidences of Candida spp. (OR:
      1.275; 95% CI: 1.096-1.789; p = 0.016), Enterococcus faecium (OR: 1.085; 95% CI:
      1.018-1.400; p = 0.002), and Enterococcus spp. (OR: 1.370; 95% CI: 1.139-1.989; p
      = 0.047) were found in TP, and higher rates of cephalosporin use in SP (OR: 3.51;
      95% CI: 1.139-10.817; p = 0.035). CONCLUSIONS: Complicated peritonitis remains a
      cause of a high numbers of deaths in the ICU. The need for TPN, urgent operation
      on hospital admission, and particularly surgical procedures in the proximal
      gastrointestinal tract were factors associated with development of TP and may
      potentially help to identify patients with SP at risk for development of TP.
      Physicians should be aware concerning multi-drug-resistant germs when treating
      these patients.

PMID- 28353419
TI  - A new anti-mesothelin antibody targets selectively the membrane-associated form.
AB  - Mesothelin is a glycosylphosphatidylinositol (GPI)-anchored membrane protein that
      shows promise as a target for antibody-directed cancer therapy. High levels of
      soluble forms of the antigen represent a barrier to directing therapy to cellular
      targets. The ability to develop antibodies that can selectively discriminate
      between membrane-bound and soluble conformations of a specific protein, and thus
      target only the membrane-associated antigen, is a substantive issue. We show that
      use of a tolerance protocol provides a route to such discrimination. Mice were
      tolerized with soluble mesothelin and a second round of immunizations was
      performed using mesothelin transfected P815 cells. RNA extracted from splenocytes
      was used in phage display to obtain mesothelin-specific antigen-binding fragments
      (Fabs) that were subsequently screened by flow cytometry and ELISA. This approach
      generated 147 different Fabs in 34 VH-CDR3 families. Utilizing competition assays
      with soluble protein and mesothelin-containing serum obtained from metastatic
      cancer patients, 10 of these 34 VH-CDR3 families were found to bind exclusively
      to the membrane-associated form of mesothelin. Epitope mapping performed for the
      1H7 clone showed that it does not recognize GPI anchor. VH-CDR3 sequence analysis
      of all Fabs showed significant differences between Fabs selective for the
      membrane-associated form of the antigen and those that recognize both membrane
      bound and soluble forms. This work demonstrates the potential to generate an
      antibody specific to the membrane-bound form of mesothelin. 1H7 offers potential
      for therapeutic application against mesothelin-bearing tumors, which would be
      largely unaffected by the presence of the soluble antigen.

PMID- 28353421
TI  - LGBT-Competence in Social Work Education: The Relationship of School Contexts to
      Student Sexual Minority Competence.
AB  - This study examined the relationship between master of social work programs'
      (MSW) support of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people (LGBT-competence)
      and the sexual minority competence (LGB-competence) of social work students. Data
      were gathered from a sample of MSW program directors, faculty members, and
      students (N = 1385) within 34 MSW programs in the United States. A series of
      hierarchical linear models tested if a MSW program's LGBT-competence was
      associated with the LGB-competence of its students. Results showed a significant
      relationship between organizational LGBT-competence and individual LGB-competence
      within schools of social work, and that programs with greater LGBT-competence
      also had students who felt more competent to work with sexual minorities. These
      findings suggest schools of social work can take substantive action at an
      organizational level to improve the professional LGB-competence of future social
      workers. Implications for social work education are discussed.

PMID- 28353422
TI  - Clinical trial research in focus: overcoming barriers in MDR-TB clinical trials.

PMID- 28353420
TI  - Antibody adsorption on the surface of water studied by neutron reflection.
AB  - Surface and interfacial adsorption of antibody molecules could cause structural
      unfolding and desorbed molecules could trigger solution aggregation, resulting in
      the compromise of physical stability. Although antibody adsorption is important
      and its relevance to many mechanistic processes has been proposed, few techniques
      can offer direct structural information about antibody adsorption under different
      conditions. The main aim of this study was to demonstrate the power of neutron
      reflection to unravel the amount and structural conformation of the adsorbed
      antibody layers at the air/water interface with and without surfactant, using a
      monoclonal antibody 'COE-3' as the model. By selecting isotopic contrasts from
      different ratios of H2O and D2O, the adsorbed amount, thickness and extent of the
      immersion of the antibody layer could be determined unambiguously. Upon mixing
      with the commonly-used non-ionic surfactant Polysorbate 80 (Tween 80), the
      surfactant in the mixed layer could be distinguished from antibody by using both
      hydrogenated and deuterated surfactants. Neutron reflection measurements from the
      co-adsorbed layers in null reflecting water revealed that, although the
      surfactant started to remove antibody from the surface at 1/100 critical micelle
      concentration (CMC) of the surfactant, complete removal was not achieved until
      above 1/10 CMC. The neutron study also revealed that antibody molecules retained
      their globular structure when either adsorbed by themselves or co-adsorbed with
      the surfactant under the conditions studied.

PMID- 28353423
TI  - Congestion of the streets and lungs in India.

PMID- 28353424
TI  - Florence Seibert.

PMID- 28353425
TI  - What has Europe ever done for health?

PMID- 28353426
TI  - Trauma for migrant children stranded in Greece.

PMID- 28353427
TI  - Preparing for future global health emergencies.

PMID- 28353428
TI  - Reducing global tuberculosis deaths-time for India to step up.

PMID- 28353429
TI  - Sustaining tuberculosis decline in the UK.

PMID- 28353430
TI  - Encountering pain.

PMID- 28353431
TI  - Offline: The dark heart of the wood.

PMID- 28353432
TI  - US health and science advocates gear up for battle over EPA.

PMID- 28353433
TI  - Iraq's health system under pressure as fighting escalates.

PMID- 28353434
TI  - New plan to end tuberculosis in south and southeast Asia.

PMID- 28353435
TI  - Ana Mari Cauce: leader of a new initiative in population health.

PMID- 28353436
TI  - Getting pandemic prevention right.

PMID- 28353437
TI  - The need to revise the Helsinki Declaration.

PMID- 28353438
TI  - Tracheal implants revisited.

PMID- 28353439
TI  - Feedback of results to trial participants: be upfront or risk affront.

PMID- 28353440
TI  - ANTARCTIC: platelet function testing to adjust therapy.

PMID- 28353441
TI  - ANTARCTIC: platelet function testing to adjust therapy - Authors' reply.

PMID- 28353442
TI  - ANTARCTIC: platelet function testing to adjust therapy.

PMID- 28353443
TI  - Department of Error.

PMID- 28353444
TI  - Department of Error.

PMID- 28353445
TI  - Department of Error.

PMID- 28353446
TI  - Decline and changing profile of hepatitis delta among injection drug users in
      Spain.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Roughly 15 million people worldwide have hepatitis delta, the most
      severe form of chronic viral hepatitis that often leads to cirrhosis and liver
      cancer. Injection drug users (IDUs) are the largest HDV reservoir. Their
      resurgence in North America and Europe may represent a new opportunity for HDV to
      spread more widely. METHODS: We examined all consecutive active IDUs seen for the
      first time and enrolled in detoxification programmes at two clinics in Spain
      during two periods (1993-1996 and 2011-2014, respectively). Serum markers of HIV,
      HBV and HDV infection were tested. RESULTS: A total of 209 IDUs were examined in
      the first period. Mean age was 27-years-old. All had markers of past or current
      HBV infection. The rate of HIV-antibody (Ab), hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg)
      and HDV-Ab was as follows: 122 (58.4%), 73 (34.9%) and 62 (29.7%), respectively.
      Serum HDV-Ab was recognized in 53.4% of HBsAg+ and 16.9% of HBsAg- patients
      (P<0.001). Positivity for HDV-Ab was associated with HIV regardless HBsAg status.
      In the second period we tested 47 active IDUs. Anti-HDV was found in only two
      (4.2%), both immigrants from HDV endemic countries and with HBsAg+. CONCLUSIONS:
      Acute HBV-HDV coinfections and self-limited HDV infections were frequent in the
      1990s among IDUs in Spain, especially in HIV+ individuals. In contrast,
      circulation of HDV has dramatically declined among active IDUs in Spain and is
      currently very rare, being concentrated in foreign immigrants. It may reflect the
      benefit of universal HBV vaccination as well as the success of needle exchange
      programmes in Spain.

PMID- 28353447
TI  - On the experimental validation of model-based dose calculation algorithms for
      192Ir HDR brachytherapy treatment planning.
AB  - There is an acknowledged need for the design and implementation of physical
      phantoms appropriate for the experimental validation of model-based dose
      calculation algorithms (MBDCA) introduced recently in 192Ir brachytherapy
      treatment planning systems (TPS), and this work investigates whether it can be
      met. A PMMA phantom was prepared to accommodate material inhomogeneities (air and
      Teflon), four plastic brachytherapy catheters, as well as 84 LiF TLD dosimeters
      (MTS-100M 1  *  1  *  1 mm3 microcubes), two radiochromic films (Gafchromic EBT3)
      and a plastic 3D dosimeter (PRESAGE). An irradiation plan consisting of 53 source
      dwell positions was prepared on phantom CT images using a commercially available
      TPS and taking into account the calibration dose range of each detector.
      Irradiation was performed using an 192Ir high dose rate (HDR) source. Dose to
      medium in medium, [Formula: see text], was calculated using the MBDCA option of
      the same TPS as well as Monte Carlo (MC) simulation with the MCNP code and a
      benchmarked methodology. Measured and calculated dose distributions were
      spatially registered and compared. The total standard (k  =  1) spatial
      uncertainties for TLD, film and PRESAGE were: 0.71, 1.58 and 2.55 mm.
      Corresponding percentage total dosimetric uncertainties were: 5.4-6.4, 2.5-6.4
      and 4.85, owing mainly to the absorbed dose sensitivity correction and the
      relative energy dependence correction (position dependent) for TLD, the film
      sensitivity calibration (dose dependent) and the dependencies of PRESAGE
      sensitivity. Results imply a LiF over-response due to a relative intrinsic energy
      dependence between 192Ir and megavoltage calibration energies, and a dose rate
      dependence of PRESAGE sensitivity at low dose rates (<1 Gy min-1). Calculations
      were experimentally validated within uncertainties except for MBDCA results for
      points in the phantom periphery and dose levels  <20%. Experimental MBDCA
      validation is laborious, yet feasible. Further work is required for the full
      characterization of dosimeter response for 192Ir and the reduction of
      experimental uncertainties.

PMID- 28353448
TI  - Predictive value of fever following arthroplasty in diagnosing an early
      infection.
AB  - Postoperative fever after orthopaedic surgery is a controversial clinical problem
      in daily practice because damaged tissue due to surgical intervention can induce
      the production of proinflammatory cytokines responsible of the systemic
      inflammatory response syndrome. No current diagnostic marker can differentiate
      with sufficient accuracy infectious from non-infectious fever in patients
      undergoing orthopaedic surgery, but early diagnosis of postoperative orthopaedic
      infections is important in order to rapidly initiate adequate antimicrobial
      therapy. Review of clinical trials on fever did not establish the parameters
      reporting sufficient diagnostic accuracy. Blood cultures, white blood-cent count,
      erythrocyte sedimentation rate and C-reactive protein have low specificity.
      Procalcitonin and IL-6 can be helpful diagnostic markers supporting clinical
      findings. An algorithm for evaluation of fever in orthopaedic surgery may be a
      helpful tool.

PMID- 28353449
TI  - Influence of socio-economic inequality measured by the Gini coefficient on
      meningitis incidence caused by Mycobacterium tuberculosis and Haemophilus
      influenzae in Colombia, 2008-2011.
AB  - Bacterial meningitis is an important cause of infectious neurological morbidity
      and mortality. Its incidence has decreased with the introduction of vaccination
      programmes against preventable agents. However, low-income and middle-income
      countries with poor access to health care still have a significant burden of the
      disease. Thus, the relationship between the Gini coefficient and H. influenzae
      and M. tuberculosis meningitis incidence in Colombia, during 2008-2011, was
      assessed. In this ecological study, the Gini coefficient was obtained from the
      Colombian Department of Statistics, incidence rates were calculated
      (cases/1,000,000 pop) and linear regressions were performed using the Gini
      coefficient, to assess the relationship between the latter and the incidence of
      meningitis. It was observed that when inequality increases in the Colombian
      departments, the incidence of meningitis also increases, with a significant
      association in the models (p<0.01) for both M. tuberculosis (r2=0.2382; p<0.001)
      and H. influenzae (r2=0.2509; p<0.001). This research suggests that high Gini
      coefficient values influence the incidence of Mycobacterium tuberculosis and
      Haemophilus influenzae meningitis, showing that social inequality is critical to
      disease occurrence. Early detection, supervised treatment, vaccination coverage,
      access to health care are efficient control strategies.

PMID- 28353451
TI  - The prevalence and resistance patterns of Pseudomonas aeruginosa in a tertiary
      care hospital in Kosovo.
AB  - Pseudomonas aeruginosa is a Gram-negative bacterium that continues to a leading
      cause of opportunistic nosocomial infections. The rapid increase in drug
      resistance in clinical isolates of this pathogen is a worldwide concern. The aim
      of this study was to investigate the distribution rate, prevalence and resistance
      patterns of P. aeruginosa in clinical specimens from the University Clinical
      Centre of Kosovo (UCCK). During a three-year period, 553 P. aeruginosa isolates
      were collected from patients admitted to a variety of UCCK units. The P.
      aeruginosa isolates were identified using standard laboratory procedures, and the
      susceptibility of the isolates to antimicrobial agents was investigated using the
      Kirby-Bauer disk diffusion assay according to European Committee on Antimicrobial
      Susceptibility Testing (EUCAST) (2013-2015) guidelines. P. aeruginosa was the
      second most frequently isolated pathogen. The isolation rate of P. aeruginosa was
      7.6%, 10.1% and 8.6% in 2013, 2014 and 2015, respectively. Most clinical samples
      were from ICU (380, 68.7%). There was a statistically significant difference
      between ICU and non-ICU (p<0.05). P. aeruginosa isolates were most frequently
      isolated from the respiratory tract (323, 58.4%). The rate of resistance against
      most of the tested antimicrobials has increased, especially for carbapenems.
      Imipenem resistance was 25.2%, 26.5%, and 37.7% and meropenem resistance was
      20.1%, 23.4%, and 36% in 2013, 2014 and 2015, respectively. This study provides
      important data on current antimicrobial resistance, and the results demonstrate
      that the resistance rates are progressively increasing. There is an urgent need
      to emphasise the prudent use of antibiotics and strictly adhere to the concept of
      "reserve drugs" to minimise the misuse of available antimicrobials. The
      acquisition and analysis of prevalence and resistance data will be an important
      tool to identify targets for quality improvement in Kosovo and will support the
      preparation of guidelines and protocols for the prudent use of antibiotics.

PMID- 28353450
TI  - Predominance of Clostridium difficile 027 during a five-year period in Bolzano,
      Northern Italy.
AB  - Toxigenic Clostridium difficile is responsible for antibiotic-associated
      diarrhoea and other diseases. The increasing frequency and severity is attributed
      to highly-virulent ribotypes such as 027. The aim of the study was to collect
      epidemiological and molecular data for C. difficile isolates during 2009-2013 in
      the Central Hospital of Bolzano, Northern Italy. Stool samples from inpatients of
      the Bolzano Central Hospital were screened for toxins A and B, and C. difficile
      was cultured and tested for antibiotic susceptibility. PCRs were performed for
      genes of toxin A, toxin B, binary toxin and ribotyping. During the period 2009-13
      from 320 patients (9% of patients tested) at least one stool sample proved
      positive for C. difficile toxins, and incidences for all hospital inpatients per
      10,000 patient days (per 1,000 admissions) varied between 2.2 (1.5) and 4.3
      (3.0). Out of 138 isolates (43% of total isolates were studied), 24 different
      ribotypes were identified. Isolates with ribotype 027 were predominant (38%),
      followed by 018 (13%) and 607 (10%). Whereas for ribotype 018 a significant
      decrease was seen during the five-year period, ribotype 027 increased
      significantly from 0% in 2009 to 64% in 2012, decreasing then to 10% in 2013.
      Isolates were sensitive to metronidazole and vancomycin, whereas isolates of the
      three major ribotypes were resistant to moxifloxacin. Our data indicates a
      significant change in C. difficile incidence rates and ribotype frequencies
      during the five-year period in the Central Hospital in Bolzano.

PMID- 28353452
TI  - Molecular characterization and antibiotic susceptibility of Haemophilus
      influenzae clinical isolates.
AB  - Haemophilus influenzae can cause invasive and severe infections in both adults
      and children such as otitis media, sinusitis, pneumonia, meningitis and
      bacteremia. The emerging antibiotic resistance in recent years against ampicillin
      and several other antibiotics among strains of H. influenzae gives cause for
      serious concern. Here, we investigate beta-lactamase (BL) activity in clinical
      isolates of H. influenzae, profile their resistance to antibiotics, and
      characterize the clonal relationship of the isolates. Antibiotic susceptibilities
      of 92 clinical isolates of H. influenzae (March 2011-May 2012) were determined
      using the disk diffusion method according to the Clinical & Laboratory Standards
      Institute (CLSI), and BL activity was detected using the nitrocefin disk method.
      The Rep-PCR method was used to characterize clonality of the isolates. All
      strains were found to be susceptible to levofloxacin and cefotaxime. Four
      isolates out of 92 (4.3%) were found resistant to ampicillin, one isolate (1.1%)
      was resistant to amoxicillin/clavulanic acid, 21 isolates (22.8%) were resistant
      to trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole (SXT), and three isolates (3.3%) showed BL
      activity. One strain was BL-negative but resistant to ampicillin. The three
      isolates with BL activity and four isolates with resistance to ampicillin did not
      have a clonal relationship. Three distinct clones [clone A (with subclones A1 and
      A2), clone B, and clone C] were identified among the SXT-resistant strains. Most
      of the H. influenzae isolates in this study were susceptible to the antibiotics
      while SXT resistance was relatively more prevalent, which suggests that
      significant obstacles in the therapeutic use of antibiotics against H. influenzae
      strains are not expected in our region.

PMID- 28353453
TI  - A change for the antibacterial treatment policy to decrease carbapenem
      consumption at a haematopoietic stem cell transplantation centre.
AB  - After experiencing a high rate of carbapenem-resistant Gram-negative bacilli
      infections in febrile neutropenic patients, a two-stage intervention was
      introduced in the haematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) centre. During
      the first eight months of 2014, carbapenems remained the first choice for the
      empirical treatment of febrile neutropenia while the use of
      piperacillin/tazobactam (TZP) was encouraged in patients with stable clinical
      condition. When blood cultures were reported as negative and the patient was
      clinically stable the carbapenem/TZP treatment was stopped regardless of
      continuous fever and neutrophil count. From October 2014, TZP (with prolonged
      infusion) with or without amikacin replaced carbapenems as the first line therapy
      of neutropenic fever except for high-risk patients previously known as colonized
      or infected with extended spectrum beta-lactamase (ESBL) producing
      Enterobacteriaceae, who presented with severe sepsis, septic shock or nosocomial
      pneumonia, and recently transferred from the intensive care unit with a high
      endemicity of multidrug-resistant Gram-negative bacilli. Vancomycin or
      teicoplanin was used when there was suspicion of septic shock or detection of
      severe mucositis and central-line associated bacteraemia. The antibacterial
      therapy was escalated or de-escalated in culture-positive patients according to
      the antimicrobial susceptibility reports and clinical progress. Daily defined
      dosages (DDD) per 1000 patient days were calculated for all antibiotics by the
      hospital pharmacist for each year. A total of 913 admissions with 11,544 patient
      days were followed in 2013; and 1,072 admissions with 11,843 patient-days were
      followed in 2014. The rate of ESBL production in Enterobacteriaceae bacteraemia
      was as 31.8% in 2013 and 47.3% in 2014. All staphylococci isolated from blood
      culture were methicillin-resistant for both years. All Enterococcus faecium
      isolates but one from blood cultures were resistant to ampicillin. The number of
      the patients who died during hospitalization was 24 in 2013, and 17 patients died
      in 2014. The DDDs/1000 patient days for imipenem, meropenem, vancomycin,
      teicoplanin, daptomycin, linezolid, colistin, piperacillin/tazobactam and
      amikacin in 2013 and 2014 were respectively as follows; 201 vs 19 (p<0.001);
      1,578 vs 1,092 (p<0.001); 533 vs 251 (p<0.001); 205 vs 159 (p<0.001); 56 vs 14
      (p<0.001); 76 vs 26 (p<0.001); 188 vs 154 (p<0.001); 157 vs 254 (p<0.001); and 5
      vs 41 (p<0.001). Our study showed that a febrile neutropenia pathway guided by
      local epidemiology and international guidelines can reduce the use of antibiotics
      in haematological cancer or HSCT patients. The sustainability of such an
      intervention requires strong multidisciplinary cooperation.

PMID- 28353454
TI  - Utility of the Aspergillus galactomannan antigen testing for neutropenic
      paediatric patients.
AB  - Invasive aspergillosis (IA) is an increasingly important cause of morbidity and
      mortality particularly in paediatric patients. Early diagnosis and the initiation
      of efficacious antifungal treatments could affect the prognosis of these
      patients. The aim of this study was to determine the clinical contribution of
      Galactomannan (GM) screening in paediatric patients. We reviewed the records of
      all in-patients, and followed up, in the various units at the Medical Faculty
      Children's Hospital of Erciyes University (Kayseri, Turkey), those who had at
      least one GM assay result from August 2009 to April 2012. Paediatric patients
      were classified as proven, probable or possible, according to the European
      Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer/Mycoses Study Group
      (EORTC/MSG). Twenty-five patients, with proven IA (n=3), probable IA (n=9) and
      possible IA (n=13) were included in the study. The GM antigen assay results were
      analysed in 158 blood samples from 47 patients. At the cut-off value of 0.5
      ng/ml, the sensitivity was 68% [95% confidence interval (CI); 47-85];
      specificity, 77% (95% CI; 55-92). To obtain more accurate results with GM
      testing, the diagnosis of IA should be confirmed by clinical investigation and
      the factors causing false positivity of the test should also be considered.

PMID- 28353455
TI  - Pharmacogenomic influence on sepsis outcome in critically ill patients.
AB  - In infectious and inflammatory diseases, pharmacogenetics affects treatment
      efficacy and toxicity. Moreover, recent studies suggest its important role in
      predicting the clinical outcome of sepsis. Our aim was to investigate the
      influence of single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in genes which we supposed to
      be involved in linezolid elimination upon sepsis outcome. Fourteen ICU-admitted
      patients in therapy with intravenous linezolid (600mg q12h) were enrolled and
      classified into three groups: group 0 for sepsis, 1 for severe sepsis and 2 for
      septic shock. Genotyping for SNPs in MDR1 3435 rs1045642 C>T, 2677 rs2032582 G>T
      and 1236 rs1128503 C>T, MRP2 -24 rs717620 G>A and 1249 rs2273697 G>A, MRP4 *879
      rs1059751 T>C and 3348 rs1751034 T>C, BCRP1 421 rs2231142 C>A and 1194+928
      rs13120400 T>C, -127 rs4149170 G>A and OCT1 480 rs683369 C>G genes was done using
      real-time PCR allelic discrimination assay. The Mann-Whitney statistical test was
      used to analyse variables. MDR1 2677 (p= 0.012), MRP2 1249 (p= 0.038), MRP4 *879
      (p= 0.032) and 3348 SNPs significantly influenced the sepsis score. Our study,
      despite its limited sample size, could be decisive for early sepsis prediction
      and may improve the management of critically ill patients.

PMID- 28353457
TI  - Infectious diseases among foreign prisoners: results of a hospital-based
      management model in Palermo.
AB  - Foreign prisoners have a high vulnerability in terms of morbidity and access to
      care in overcrowded Italian prisons. This paper presents and comments on the
      management model of infectious diseases in foreign prisoners at our outpatient
      clinic, in order to describe a model of management for these conditions. Overall,
      133 subjects (mean age 35.5 years) from 29 countries were followed for a period
      of 15 years. The most commonly represented area of origin (54.1%) was the Maghreb
      region. HCV infection (40.6%), HIV (22.5%), HBV (9.8%) and co-infection (15%,
      HIV/HCV or HIV/HBV) were observed. Ten subjects had tuberculosis, and only 30% of
      them were compliant with the treatment. Only 46.3% of HCV mono-infected patients
      completed the entire diagnostic process and even a lower percentage (37%) of them
      took treatment regularly. 90% of HBV mono-infected patients and 84% of those HIV
      mono- and co-infected completed the diagnostic workout. 77% of patients in each
      group took therapy regularly. Overall, the results show limited effectiveness.
      Therefore, it would be necessary to improve communication between healthcare
      professionals and correctional systems. Moreover, it appears urgent to reduce
      overcrowding in prisons to limit morbidity in prisoners.

PMID- 28353456
TI  - Comparison of IIF, ELISA and IgG avidity tests for the detection of anti
      Toxoplasma antibodies in single serum sample from pregnant women.
AB  - A valid estimate of test efficiency is needed to choose adequate screening and
      detecting strategies in diagnosis of acute toxoplasmosis. Therefore, in the
      present study we evaluated the efficiency of diagnostic laboratory methods to
      detect anti-toxoplasma antibodies in single serum samples of pregnant women by
      indirect immunofluorescence test (IIF), enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA)
      and IgG avidity tests in north-western Iran. In an analytical-descriptive study,
      during March 2010 to April 2013, 391 pregnant women aged 21 to 35 years who were
      referred by gynaecologists or infectious disease specialists for anti-toxoplasma
      antibody evaluation were studied. A peripheral blood sample was collected from
      individuals and serum was prepared immediately for anti-toxoplasma antibody
      evaluation by IIF, ELISA and IgG avidity tests. ELISA and IgG avidity tests were
      used as gold standard. Evaluation of anti-toxoplasma antibodies by IIF revealed
      that 280 cases (71.61%) were seropositive and 111 (28.38%) seronegative, while
      evaluation by ELISA revealed that 267 cases (68.28%) were seropositive and 124
      (31.70%) seronegative; 65 (16.62%) were IgM positive by both IIF and ELISA tests.
      There were 45 (69.23%) and 7 (10.76%) IgM positive suspected cases respectively
      in IIF and ELISA confirmed by the IgG avidity test for recent toxoplasmosis. This
      study highlights how to manage and evaluate pregnant women who are suspected to
      be infected with toxoplasmosis by using diagnostic tests, especially in a single
      serum sample indication.

PMID- 28353458
TI  - Suicidal behaviour in HIV-infected patients in Greece.
AB  - This study investigated suicide completion and suicide attempts by HIV-infected
      patients in Greece, which, from the existing literature, are more frequent than
      those among the general population. The study sample comprised HIV-infected
      patients who had been monitored for a minimum period of six months from 1992
      through 2012 at the "Andreas Sygros" University Hospital in Athens. Among the
      1884 patients who were monitored during the study period, 37 suicides were
      attempted by 28 (1.48%) patients (27 men and 1 woman). Six of them were fatal
      (0.3%, 52/100,000 person-years) while over the study, 397 patients died. No
      significant differences concerning main characteristics were recorded among
      patients with an attempted and those with a completed suicide. Seventeen of the
      28 patients (60.71%) demonstrated psychiatric morbidities. Suicide attempts were
      more numerous before the advent of combined antiretroviral therapy (cART),
      whereas there was no difference in attempts before and after the Greek financial
      crisis in 2009. The suicide frequency was higher than that of the general
      population for the same period. However, it decreased after the introduction of
      cART. Special attention is required in recording coexisting mental disorders and
      providing specialized psychiatric care to HIV-infected patients.

PMID- 28353459
TI  - First report of Kocuria marina bloodstream infection unrelated to a central
      venous catheter: a mini-review on an emerging and under-recognized opportunistic
      pathogen.
AB  - We report a case of sepsis by Kocuria marina in a 45-year-old woman carrying a
      midline venous catheter to provide total parenteral nutrition. Despite the
      finding of K. marina bacteraemia, no bacteria grew from the culture of the
      catheter tip. As the patient was affected with severe leg ulcers, K. marina
      bloodstream infection from a skin breakage other than CVC was supposed. K. marina
      is an emerging opportunistic agent deserving attention and probably under
      recognized, as it can be misdiagnosed as Staphylococcus if only conventional
      microbiological analyses are performed for bacterial identification.

PMID- 28353460
TI  - From soil to blood: first human case of Sphingobacterium hotanense bacteraemia.
AB  - This report describes a case of Sphingobacterium hotanense bacteraemia in a
      patient scratched by a rooster on the right arm. Diagnostic, clinical and
      therapeutic features are discussed. To the best of our knowledge, this is the
      first case of Sphingobacterium hotanense bacteremia reported in the medical
      literature.

PMID- 28353461
TI  - Saint Louis Encephalitis Virus, another re-emerging arbovirus: a literature
      review of worldwide research.
AB  - Not available.

PMID- 28353462
TI  - Tuberculin skin test and/or interferon gamma release assay: is it still time to
      debate?
AB  - Not available.

PMID- 28353463
TI  - Escherichia coli, a "symbiosis masquerade".
AB  - Not available.

PMID- 28353464
TI  - Wartime infections and tragedies at the beginning of the 20th century in the
      Eastern part of Turkey.
AB  - In the early 20th century, Europe and the Ottoman Empire as a whole experienced a
      large number of epidemic diseases, and several wars. During World War I (WW1) a
      general mobilization of the medical services under Ottoman Empire rule was
      enacted. However, shortages of food and water, unfavourable weather and poor
      sanitary conditions resulted in numerous diseases at the battle fronts. Indeed,
      during the Ottoman-Russian war on the Eastern Front, the Turks suffered massive
      loss of life. This article therefore emphasises that during WW1, such loss of
      life in the Ottoman Army on the Eastern Front, which was one of the key fronts of
      the war, was mainly due to epidemic diseases rather than battles.

PMID- 28353465
TI  - Assessing Impressions of Community Health Worker Use of Tablet-Based Medication
      Documentation Software.
AB  - Community health workers, an important and emerging role in the evolution of the
      care delivery system, are uniquely positioned to play a vital role in information
      gathering and exchange. NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital carried out a feasibility
      study to assess community health worker use and impressions of a medication
      documentation application that runs on a tablet. The nine community health
      workers successfully collected data on 16 patients in the home setting. On
      average, 10 medications were collected per patient, and the average time to
      collect the medication data was 1 hour. Key findings from the focus groups
      included the need for additional training and the desire to use the device to
      streamline other documentation activities. In general, the software was judged to
      be suitable for the proposed task and represents a starting point for further use
      of tools that leverage the community health worker in a team-based workflow.

PMID- 28353466
TI  - Associations Between Khat Use and HIV Risk and Status Among Voluntary Counseling
      and Testing Center Clients in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
AB  - OBJECTIVES: Ethiopia is 1 of 15 countries that account for nearly 75% of all
      people living with HIV. Khat use, a common practice in Ethiopia and sub-Saharan
      Africa, has gained attention as a potential risk factor for HIV. Our objective
      was to evaluate associations between khat use and demographic and risk-taking
      characteristics (alcohol use, sexual behavior), and also associations between HIV
      status and these characteristics among voluntary counseling and testing clients
      in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. METHODS: This cross-sectional study was conducted among
      Pro Pride voluntary counseling and testing center clients, aged 18 to 49 years,
      from November 2009 to March 2010. All clients were approached, and 98.8% of these
      (684) completed a self-administered questionnaire. Associations between khat use,
      alcohol use, multiple sexual partners, and HIV status were assessed using
      logistic regression models. RESULTS: Using khat in the past 90 days (current khat
      use) was significantly associated with being Muslim, being male, alcohol use, and
      having a greater number of sex partners in one's lifetime. The adjusted odds of
      current khat use was almost 7-fold higher in those having 4 or more sexual
      partners in their lifetime (adjusted odds ratio 6.89, 95% confidence interval
      3.87, 12.25) as compared with those with 1 or none. HIV-positive status was
      significantly associated with age, employment, marital status, number of sex
      partners in one's lifetime, and khat use. Having used khat in one's lifetime, but
      not currently, past khat use, was associated with over a 2-fold increased
      adjusted odds (adjusted odds ratio 2.64, 95% confidence interval 1.13, 6.19) of
      being HIV-infected. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings highlight associations between
      current khat use and the modifiable factors of number of lifetime sexual partners
      and alcohol use. In addition, we observed the association between HIV status and
      past khat use after adjusting for age, marital status, and number of sex partners
      in one's lifetime.

PMID- 28353468
TI  - Primary Budd-Chiari Syndrome in Children: King's College Hospital Experience.
AB  - Primary Budd-Chiari syndrome is a rare cause of liver disease in children in the
      western world. Here we present a retrospective review of children with Primary
      Budd-Chiari syndrome presenting from January 2001 to November 2015 to our
      hospital. Seven children were identified. Their presentation was mostly chronic.
      All had predisposing factors for thrombosis and were started on anticoagulation.
      Radiological interventions (2 transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunts and
      1 hepatic vein stenting), liver transplant and mesocaval shunt were done in 3, 2,
      and 1 patients, respectively; 1 child underwent bone marrow transplantation
      following transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunts and 1 child was managed
      only medically. After liver transplantation, one child died 3 years later as a
      result of subarachnoid haemorrhage, whereas others remain well at a median follow
      up of 6 years. Despite high morbidity, the disease can have a good long-term
      outcome with a multidisciplinary approach.

PMID- 28353467
TI  - Safety of a Rapidly Dissolving Buprenorphine/Naloxone Sublingual Tablet (BNX-RDT)
      for Treatment of Opioid Dependence: A Multicenter, Open-label Extension Study.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: To assess the safety of rapidly dissolving buprenorphine/naloxone
      sublingual tablets (BNX-RDT) in opioid-dependent patients. METHODS: This open
      label, 24-week extension study enrolled patients who completed primary trials of
      BNX-RDT. Daily tablet doses ranged from 5.7 to 17.1 mg. The primary endpoint was
      safety; secondary assessments included opioid cravings, addiction severity,
      health-related quality of life (QOL), and workplace productivity at screening
      (final day of the primary trials) through study end, with changes measured from
      baseline of the primary trials. RESULTS: In all, 665 patients received treatment;
      292 (43.9%) completed the study. A total of 258 patients (38.8%) reported 557
      treatment-emergent adverse events, most commonly headache (3.2%) and constipation
      (3.0%). Craving scores showed continued improvement on 100-mm visual analog scale
      (mean change from primary trial baseline, -52.8 at screening; mean change from
      extension trial baseline, -60.5 at week 24). Reductions in addiction severity
      from baseline of both the primary and extension trial were maintained through
      week 24 on multiple assessments, as were improvements in QOL on Short Form 36.
      Employment increased by 15% and mean (SD) hours worked per week increased by 4.6
      (20.1) from baseline to study end. Mean (SD) scores for impact of opioid
      dependence on work productivity improved from 4.7 (3.0) at baseline to 0.9 (1.8)
      at study end (11-point scale). CONCLUSIONS: Extended treatment with BNX-RDT
      demonstrated a safety profile similar to other BNX formulations, reduced opioid
      cravings, and improved both QOL and work productivity. Continued treatment may
      enable patients to advance in recovery and return to normal functioning.

PMID- 28353469
TI  - Recommendations on Surveillance and Management of Biallelic Mismatch Repair
      Deficiency (BMMRD) Syndrome: A Consensus Statement by the US Multi-society Task
      Force on Colorectal Cancer.

PMID- 28353470
TI  - The Impact of Nursing Leader's Behavioral Integrity and Intragroup Relationship
      Conflict on Staff Nurses' Intention to Remain.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: This study tested a multilevel model examining the effect of nursing
      leader's behavioral integrity and intragroup relationship conflict on staff
      nurses' intent to remain. BACKGROUND: In the challenging situation of nursing
      shortage, nurse executives are required to focus on the retention of nurses. No
      previous studies have examined the impact of nursing leader's behavioral
      integrity and intragroup relationship conflict on nurses' intention to remain.
      METHODS: A cross-sectional survey of 480 RNs in 34 nursing units of a large
      public hospital in South Korea was conducted to test the hypothesized multilevel
      model. RESULTS: Nursing leader's behavioral integrity was positively related to
      nurses' intention to remain (b = 0.34, P < .001). This relationship was enhanced
      when the level of intragroup relationship conflict was high (b = 0.21, P < .05).
      CONCLUSIONS: Nursing leaders assigned to units with a high level of intragroup
      relationship conflict should endeavor to maintain their behavioral integrity to
      promote nurses' intention to remain.

PMID- 28353471
TI  - The Phenylephrine Test Revisited.
AB  - PURPOSE: To characterize the phenylephrine test in ptotic patients to help
      clinicians perform the test more efficiently. METHODS: Adults with involutional
      ptosis (n = 24, 30 eyes) were assessed with digital photographs for response to
      topical 2.5% phenylephrine drop instillation. Patient characteristics (age,
      gender, iris color, dermatochalasis, brow ptosis, and baseline marginal reflex
      distance-1 [MRD-1] height) were recorded. From the photographs, change in (MRD
      1), presence of conjunctival blanching, pupillary dilation, and Hering effect
      were recorded at specified time intervals, 1 minute to 1 hour after drop
      placement. Correlations between patient characteristics and measured outcomes
      were evaluated using analysis of variance, Pearson coefficient, or chi-square
      tests. RESULTS: The authors found that 73% of eyes had eyelid elevation with
      phenylephrine. Of these, 50% reached maximal eyelid elevation by 5 minutes, and
      86% by 10 minutes after drop placement, but 14% did not reach maximal MRD-1 until
      30 minutes. There is a negative correlation between the maximum MRD-1 and the
      baseline MRD-1 eyelid height (r = -0.5330, p < 0.01). There is no significant
      relationship between time to pupillary dilation with either time to max eyelid
      elevation or max eyelid elevation. No patient characteristic studied affected the
      likelihood of eyelid response to phenylephrine or presence of Hering effect.
      CONCLUSIONS: Although most ptotic eyelids demonstrate a response to 2.5%
      phenylephrine within 10 minutes, there is a subset of patients that respond much
      later. More ptotic eyelids had greater eyelid elevation with phenylephrine.
      Pupillary dilation and conjunctival blanching are neither predictive of nor
      temporally associated with eyelid height elevation. The authors did not identify
      any patient factors (e.g., dermatochalasis, brow ptosis) that can predict the
      likelihood of response to phenylephrine.

PMID- 28353472
TI  - Orbital Schwannoma: Radiographic and Histopathologic Correlation in 15 Cases.
AB  - PURPOSE: To evaluate the relationship between radiographic and histopathologic
      features of orbital schwannoma. METHODS: Retrospective review of 15 patients with
      orbital schwannoma managed at an ocular oncology service. RESULTS: The mean
      patient age at the time of presentation was 42 years old (median 40, range 15-64
      years). The orbital schwannoma was found incidentally (n = 2) or with symptoms of
      proptosis (n = 2), blurred vision (n = 3), pain (n = 3), eyelid swelling (n = 2),
      diplopia (n = 2), or headache (n = 1). The mean duration of symptoms was 15
      months (median, 9; range 1-60 months). The tumor occupied the superior (n = 11)
      or inferior (n = 4) orbit. Antero-posterior tumor location involved the anterior
      (n = 2), middle (n = 3), posterior (n = 4), or entire (n = 6) orbit. MRI was
      performed in 12 patients (80%) and CT was the only form of imaging in 3 patients
      (20%). The T1-weighted MRI (n = 11) showed the mass as isointense (n = 10) or
      hyperintense (n = 1) to the extraocular muscles). On T2-weighted MRI (n = 10),
      the mass demonstrated hyperintensity (n = 9) or hypointensity (n = 1).
      Histopathologic assessment demonstrated Antoni A (n = 12) and Antoni B (n = 12)
      patterns. Antoni A pattern correlated with hyperintensity on T1-weighted MRI and
      hypointensity on T2-weighted MRI. Antoni B pattern correlated with hypointensity
      on T1-weighted MRI and hyperintensity on T2-weighted MRI. As Antoni B approached
      >50% of the solid mass (n = 8), both T1- and T2-weighted MRI images were more
      likely to be heterogeneous (n = 7, 88% and n = 6, 75%, respectively). CONCLUSION:
      Orbital schwannomas are nearly always benign, well-encapsulated slowly
      progressive tumors. Due to the biphasic distribution of Antoni A and Antoni B
      pattern, the appearance on MRI has a variable degree of heterogeneity. Antoni A
      pattern correlated with hyperintensity and Antoni B pattern correlated with
      hypointensity on T1-weighted MRI.

PMID- 28353474
TI  - Straight talk: Nurse manager role stress.

PMID- 28353473
TI  - Invasive Aspergillosis Masquerading as a Lacrimal Sac Abscess.

PMID- 28353475
TI  - Retention remedy: Building a sense of community through appreciative inquiry.

PMID- 28353476
TI  - The nurse manager and educator QI partnership.

PMID- 28353477
TI  - Cybersecurity awareness: Protecting data and patients.

PMID- 28353478
TI  - Demystifying nursing Research at the Bedside.

PMID- 28353479
TI  - NSI reports: Supporting Australian healthcare governance.

PMID- 28353480
TI  - What's your agility ability?

PMID- 28353481
TI  - The art of leadership diplomacy.

PMID- 28353482
TI  - How to defeat self-sabotaging behaviors.

PMID- 28353483
TI  - Ebola Preparedness in the Netherlands: The Need for Coordination Between the
      Public Health and the Curative Sector.
AB  - CONTEXT: During the Ebola outbreak in West Africa in 2014-2015, close cooperation
      between the curative sector and the public health sector in the Netherlands was
      necessary for timely identification, referral, and investigation of patients with
      suspected Ebola virus disease (EVD). OBJECTIVE: In this study, we evaluated
      experiences in preparedness among stakeholders of both curative and public health
      sectors to formulate recommendations for optimizing preparedness protocols.
      Timeliness of referred patients with suspected EVD was used as indicator for
      preparedness. DESIGN: In focus group sessions and semistructured interviews,
      experiences of curative and public health stakeholders about the regional and
      national process of preparedness and response were listed. Timeliness recordings
      of all referred patients with suspected EVD (13) were collected from first date
      of illness until arrival in the referral academic hospital. RESULTS: Ebola
      preparedness was considered extensive compared with the risk of an actual
      patient, however necessary. Regional coordination varied between regions. More
      standardization of regional preparation and operational guidelines was requested,
      as well as nationally standardized contingency criteria, and the National Centre
      for Infectious Disease Control was expected to coordinate the development of
      these guidelines. For the timeliness of referred patients with suspected EVD, the
      median delay between first date of illness until triage was 2.0 days (range: 0-10
      days), and between triage and arrival in the referral hospital, it was 5.0 hours
      (range: 2-7.5 hours). In none of these patients Ebola infection was confirmed.
      CONCLUSIONS: Coordination between the public health sector and the curative
      sector needs improvement to reduce delay in patient management in emerging
      infectious diseases. Standardization of preparedness and response practices,
      through guidelines for institutional preparedness and blueprints for regional and
      national coordination, is necessary, as preparedness for emerging infectious
      diseases needs a multidisciplinary approach overarching both the public health
      sector and the curative sector. In the Netherlands a national platform for
      preparedness is established, in which both the curative sector and public health
      sector participate, in order to implement the outcomes of this study.

PMID- 28353484
TI  - The Why Behind the What: Teaching With a Purpose.

PMID- 28353485
TI  - Peer Incivility Among Prelicensure Nursing Students: A Call to Action for Nursing
      Faculty.
AB  - This article reports findings from a study that examined the prevalence of peer
      incivility among nursing students and the impact of incivility on students'
      physical and mental health and their perceived stress level. Students who
      experienced high levels of peer incivility had lower mental health scores (P =
      .0002), lower physical health scores (P = .0069), and higher stress levels (P =
      .0016). Students who experienced incivility in the classroom had higher levels of
      peer incivility (P < .001) and lower physical health scores (P < .05).

PMID- 28353486
TI  - Adjunct Nurse Faculty Demographics and Intent to Stay Teaching.
AB  - Adjunct nurse educators have become a primary facilitator of students' clinical
      learning in nursing education. However, studies are lacking as to variables that
      correlate with their intent to stay teaching. This study examined demographic
      variables that had an impact on adjunct clinical educators' decisions about
      whether to leave a teaching position in an associate degree nursing program. Full
      time employment in addition to teaching as an adjunct faculty member predicted
      intent to leave the role. Measures to improve adjunct nurse faculty intent to
      stay are included.

PMID- 28353487
TI  - Pressure Mapping of a Standard Hospital Recliner and Select Cushions With Healthy
      Adults: A Comparative Study.
AB  - PURPOSE: The aim of the study was to compare the degree of pressure created when
      healthy adult volunteers sat on a hospital recliner chair in various positions
      and on various cushions. DESIGN: Comparative cross-sectional study. SUBJECTS AND
      SETTING: Thirty-four healthy subjects were recruited from the community, an urban
      city in a rural area of Eastern North Carolina. METHODS: Interface pressure
      measurements were taken by the investigators for each subject sitting on a
      standard hospital recliner under each of the following conditions: no cushion,
      foam cushion, nonadjustable air cushion, nonadjustable air/foam cushion, and
      adjustable air cushion. Subject positions, upright sitting and reclined, were
      randomly selected. Analyses consisted of data visualizations by investigators and
      univariate statistics. For each surface, mean pressure, peak pressure, and
      Pressure Area Index (PAI) were obtained and compared. Inferences were drawn from
      a repeated-measures analysis-of-covariance model. RESULTS: Subject position was
      not associated with any of the measures for each surface after adjusting for
      other variables (average pressure P = .1094, maximum/peak pressure P = .1318, PAI
      P = .4336). Subject weight, the type of surface, and their interaction do impact
      the results (average pressure, maximum/peak pressure, and PAI, P < .0001). The
      foam cushion had the highest mean and average interface pressures and the lowest
      PAI. The nonadjustable air and air/foam cushions performed most similarly to each
      other, showing lowest mean and average interface pressures and the highest PAI.
      CONCLUSION: Position of a hospital recliner chair in the 2 positions studied had
      no association with interface pressure outcomes; therefore, other methods of
      pressure redistribution need to be utilized by clinicians. Based on the results
      of this study, clinicians may need to reevaluate the type of cushion used in the
      acute hospital setting, as a standard foam cushion was found to increase
      interface pressures when compared to other cushions and a standard hospital
      recliner.

PMID- 28353488
TI  - Management of Central Venous Access Device-Associated Skin Impairment: An
      Evidence-Based Algorithm.
AB  - Patients relying on central venous access devices (CVADs) for treatment are
      frequently complex. Many have multiple comorbid conditions, including renal
      impairment, nutritional deficiencies, hematologic disorders, or cancer. These
      conditions can impair the skin surrounding the CVAD insertion site, resulting in
      an increased likelihood of skin damage when standard CVAD management practices
      are employed. Supported by the World Congress of Vascular Access (WoCoVA),
      developed an evidence- and consensus-based algorithm to improve CVAD-associated
      skin impairment (CASI) identification and diagnosis, guide clinical decision
      making, and improve clinician confidence in managing CASI. A scoping review of
      relevant literature surrounding CASI management was undertaken March 2014, and
      results were distributed to an international advisory panel. A CASI algorithm was
      developed by an international advisory panel of clinicians with expertise in
      wounds, vascular access, pediatrics, geriatric care, home care, intensive care,
      infection control and acute care, using a 2-phase, modified Delphi technique. The
      algorithm focuses on identification and treatment of skin injury, exit site
      infection, noninfectious exudate, and skin irritation/contact dermatitis. It
      comprised 3 domains: assessment, skin protection, and patient comfort. External
      validation of the algorithm was achieved by prospective pre- and posttest design,
      using clinical scenarios and self-reported clinician confidence (Likert scale),
      and incorporating algorithm feasibility and face validity endpoints. The CASI
      algorithm was found to significantly increase participants' confidence in the
      assessment and management of skin injury (P = .002), skin irritation/contact
      dermatitis (P = .001), and noninfectious exudate (P < .01). A majority of
      participants reported the algorithm as easy to understand (24/25; 96%),
      containing all necessary information (24/25; 96%). Twenty-four of 25 (96%) stated
      that they would recommend the tool to guide management of CASI.

PMID- 28353489
TI  - Sharing a Personal Trainer: Personal and Social Benefits of Individualized, Small
      Group Training.
AB  - Wayment, HA and McDonald, RL. Sharing a personal trainer: personal and social
      benefits of individualized, small-group training. J Strength Cond Res 31(11):
      3137-3145, 2017-We examined a novel personal fitness training program that
      combines personal training principles in a small-group training environment. In a
      typical training session, exercisers warm-up together but receive individualized
      training for 50 minutes with 1-5 other adults who range in age, exercise
      experience, and goals for participation. Study participants were 98 regularly
      exercising adult members of a fitness studio in the southwestern United States
      (64 women and 32 men), aged 19-78 years (mean, 46.52 years; SD = 14.15). Average
      membership time was 2 years (range, 1-75 months; mean, 23.54 months; SD = 20.10).
      In collaboration with the program directors, we developed a scale to assess
      satisfaction with key features of this unique training program. Participants
      completed an online survey in Fall 2015. Hypotheses were tested with a serial
      mediator model (model 6) using the SPSS PROCESS module. In support of the basic
      tenets of self-determination theory, satisfaction with small-group,
      individualized training supported basic psychological needs, which in turn were
      associated with greater autonomous exercise motivation and life satisfaction.
      Satisfaction with this unique training method was also associated with greater
      exercise self-efficacy. Autonomous exercise motivation was associated with both
      exercise self-efficacy and greater self-reported health and energy. Discussion
      focuses on why exercise programs that foster a sense of social belonging (in
      addition to motivation and efficacy) may be helpful for successful adherence to
      an exercise program.

PMID- 28353490
TI  - Accuracy of Clinician Assessments of Medication Status in the Emergency Setting:
      A Comparison of Clinician Assessment of Antipsychotic Usage and Plasma Level
      Determination.
AB  - PURPOSE: The present study aimed to assess the level of agreement between
      clinicians' routine assessments of medication status and plasma levels of
      commonly prescribed antipsychotic medications in patients presenting to an
      emergency room with an exacerbation of psychosis. METHODS: We studied 105
      patients presenting to an emergency room and admitted to an inpatient psychiatric
      unit with a diagnosis of schizophrenia, schizoaffective disorder, bipolar I
      disorder, or psychotic disorder not otherwise specified and a prior outpatient
      medication regimen including risperidone, olanzapine, quetiapine, aripiprazole,
      or paliperidone. Plasma levels of antipsychotics were drawn and sent to a
      specialty laboratory for testing. FINDINGS: Of the 97 patients with usable
      samples, 33 (34%) were found to have therapeutic antipsychotic levels. Of these,
      22 were judged by emergency room staff to be taking their medications at the
      appropriately prescribed doses, whereas 11 were judged not to be taking
      medication at all. Sixty-four patients were found to have subtherapeutic
      antipsychotic levels, 31 of whom had been assessed to be taking medication as
      prescribed. Emergency assessment of medication status predicted therapeutic and
      nontherapeutic antipsychotic levels at rates of 41.5% and 75%, respectively.
      Emergency staff assessment was statistically independent from the likelihood of
      having a therapeutic antipsychotic level. IMPLICATIONS: In patients presenting to
      emergency rooms with exacerbations of psychosis who are subsequently admitted to
      an inpatient facility, common assessments of medication status are frequently
      misleading. Readily available methods for rapidly measuring antipsychotic plasma
      levels in clinical settings are needed for clinicians to make reliable
      assessments.

PMID- 28353491
TI  - Nonprogrammed Vascular Access Is Associated With Greater Mortality in Patients
      Who Return to Hemodialysis With a Failing Renal Graft.
AB  - BACKGROUND: In incident hemodialysis (HD) patients, the use of catheters is
      associated with a worse prognosis when compared with those with an arteriovenous
      fistula, but the role of vascular access (VA) type in the morbidity and mortality
      of patients returning to HD with a failing renal allograft is unknown. We aimed
      to determine the associations between the type of VA and mortality in this
      population. METHODS: This was a retrospective observational cohort study of 138
      patients who initiated dialysis after kidney transplant failure between 1995 and
      2014. We recorded access type, laboratory values at entry, stratified patients
      per risk, and determined the effect on mortality of programmed VA (PVA),
      (arteriovenous fistula or PTFE graft) and nonprogrammed VA (UPVA) (tunneled or
      nontunneled catheters) at the initiation of HD. RESULTS: Eighty-five (61.6%) and
      53 (38.4%) patients initiated therapy with PVA and UPVA, respectively. Overall
      mortality was 14.6% at 1 year. Patients using catheters had greater mortality
      than those with a PVA (log rank P <0.0001). At 24 months, 7 patients died in PVA
      group versus 22 in UPVA group. Multivariate Cox analysis showed that initiation
      of HD with a catheter (hazard ratio, 5.90; 95%, confidence interval, 2.83-12.31)
      was independently associated with greater mortality after adjusting for
      confounders. CONCLUSIONS: Nonprogrammed VA with a catheter predicted all-cause
      mortality among patients with transplant failure reentering HD.

PMID- 28353493
TI  - Hypothermic Machine Perfusion of Liver Grafts Can Safely Extend Cold Ischemia for
      Up to 20 Hours in Cases of Necessity.

PMID- 28353492
TI  - Wait Time of Less Than 6 and Greater Than 18 Months Predicts Hepatocellular
      Carcinoma Recurrence After Liver Transplantation: Proposing a Wait Time "Sweet
      Spot".
AB  - BACKGROUND: It has been postulated that short wait time before liver transplant
      (LT) for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) results in the inclusion of tumors with
      aggressive biology, but prolonged wait time could result in a shift to more
      aggressive tumor behavior. We therefore test the hypothesis that a wait time
      "sweet spot" exists with a lower risk for HCC recurrence compared with the other
      2 extremes. METHODS: This multicenter study included 911 patients from 3 LT
      centers with short, medium, and long wait times (median of 4, 7, and 13 months,
      respectively) who received Model for End Stage Liver Disease exception listing
      for HCC from 2002 to 2012. RESULTS: Wait time, defined as time from initial HCC
      diagnosis to LT, was less than 6 months in 32.4%, 6 to 18 months in 53.7%, and
      greater than 18 months in 13.9%. Waitlist dropout was observed in 18.4% at a
      median of 11.3 months. Probability of HCC recurrence at 1 and 5 years were 6.4%
      and 15.5% with wait time of less than 6 or greater than 18 months (n = 343)
      versus 4.5% and 9.8% with wait time of 6 to 18 months (n = 397), respectively (P
      = 0.049). When only pre-LT factors were considered, wait time of less than 6 or
      greater than 18 months (HR, 1.6; P = 0.043) and AFP greater than 400 at HCC
      diagnosis (HR, 3.0; P < 0.001) predicted HCC recurrence in multivariable
      analysis. CONCLUSIONS: This large multicenter study provides evidence of an
      association between very short (<6 months) or very long (>18 months) wait times
      and an increased risk for HCC recurrence post-LT. The so-called sweet spot of 6
      to 18 months should be the target to minimize HCC recurrence.

PMID- 28353494
TI  - Increased Risk of Tics in Children Infected with Enterovirus: A Nationwide
      Population-Based Study.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: Both tics and enterovirus (EV) infections are common in children. The
      association between EV infections and tics has been seldom evaluated. The aim of
      this study was to evaluate the risk of diagnosed tics after EV infections in
      children. METHODS: A nationwide retrospective cohort study was conducted to
      determine the risk of tics after EV infections by analyzing data from the
      National Health Insurance Research Database in Taiwan. Children aged < 18 years
      with EV infection during 2000 to 2007 were enrolled. For comparison, non-EV
      infected children were randomly selected and matched with EV-infected children at
      a 1:1 ratio according to sex, age, urbanization level, parental occupation, and
      the year of EV infection. All patients were followed up until the diagnosis of
      tics, death, loss to follow-up, withdrawal from the insurance system, or December
      31, 2008. RESULTS: A total of 282,321 EV-infected and 282,317 non-EV-infected
      children were included in this study. The mean age was 2.39 years in both
      cohorts. The overall incidences of tics were 9.12 and 6.21 per 10,000 person
      years in the EV-infected and non-EV-infected cohorts, respectively. Children with
      EV infection were significantly associated with an increased risk of tics
      compared with those without EV infection (adjusted hazard ratio, 1.38; 95%
      confidence interval, 1.27-1.5). Multivariable analyses showed that boys, children
      living in urbanized areas, children whose parents had white-collar jobs, and
      children with allergic rhinitis or bronchial asthma exhibited a significantly
      increased risk of tics. CONCLUSION: This study revealed an increased risk of tics
      after EV infection in children.

PMID- 28353497
TI  - Recruiting and Retaining Community-Based Preceptors: A Multicenter Qualitative
      Action Study of Pediatric Preceptors.
AB  - PURPOSE: The recruitment and retention of community preceptors to teach medical
      students is difficult. The authors sought to characterize the underlying
      motivational factors for becoming a preceptor and to identify strategies for
      recruiting and retaining community-based pediatric preceptors. METHOD: This
      multicenter qualitative action study included semistructured interviews with
      community-based pediatric preceptors affiliated with 12 institutions from August
      to December 2015. Only active preceptors were included, and participating
      institutions were diverse with respect to geographic location and class size.
      Interviews were conducted over the telephone and transcribed verbatim. Six
      investigators used deidentified transcripts to develop a codebook. Through a
      constant comparative method, codes were revised as data were analyzed and
      disagreements were resolved through discussion. All investigators organized the
      themes into dimensions. RESULTS: Fifty-one preceptors were interviewed. Forty-one
      themes coalesced into four dimensions: (1) least liked aspects of teaching, (2)
      preparation to teach, (3) inspiration to teach, and (4) ways to improve
      recruitment and retention. Time constraints and patient care demands were the
      most commonly cited deterrents to teaching. Successful preceptors balanced their
      clinical demands with their desire to teach using creative scheduling. External
      rewards (e.g., recognition, continuing medical education credit) served as
      incentives. Internal motivation inspired participants to share their enthusiasm
      for pediatrics and to develop longitudinal relationships with their learners.
      CONCLUSIONS: Changes in health care delivery have imposed more time constraints
      on community-based preceptors. However, this study identified underlying factors
      motivating physicians to volunteer as preceptors. Strategies to recruit new and
      retain current preceptors must be collaborative.

PMID- 28353498
TI  - Validating Domains of Patient Contextual Factors Essential to Preventing
      Contextual Errors: A Qualitative Study Conducted at Chicago Area Veterans Health
      Administration Sites.
AB  - PURPOSE: "Patient context" indicates patient circumstances and characteristics or
      states that are essential to address when planning patient care. Specific patient
      "contextual factors," if overlooked, result in an inappropriate plan of care, a
      medical error termed a "contextual error." The myriad contextual factors that
      constitute patient context have been grouped into broad domains to create a
      taxonomy of challenges to consider when planning care. This study sought to
      validate a previously identified list of contextual domains. METHOD: This
      qualitative study used directed content analysis. In 2014, 19 Department of
      Veterans Affairs (VA) providers (84% female) and 49 patients (86% male) from two
      VA medical centers and four outpatient clinics in the Chicago area participated
      in semistructured interviews and focus groups. Topics included patient-specific,
      community, and resource-related factors that affect patients' abilities to manage
      their care. Transcripts were analyzed with a previously identified list of
      contextual domains as a framework. RESULTS: Analysis of responses revealed that
      patients and providers identified the same 10 domains previously published, plus
      3 additional ones. Based on comments made by patients and providers, the authors
      created a revised list of 12 domains from themes that emerged. Six pertain to
      patient circumstances such as access to care and financial situation, and 6 to
      patient characteristics/states including skills, abilities, and knowledge.
      CONCLUSIONS: Contextual factors in patients' lives may be essential to address
      for effective care planning. The rubric developed can serve as a "contextual
      differential" for clinicians to consider when addressing challenges patients face
      when planning their care.

PMID- 28353499
TI  - Emotional Learning and Identity Development in Medicine: A Cross-Cultural
      Qualitative Study Comparing Taiwanese and Dutch Medical Undergraduates.
AB  - PURPOSE: Current knowledge about the interplay between emotions and professional
      identity formation is limited and largely based on research in Western settings.
      This study aimed to broaden understandings of professional identity formation
      cross-culturally. METHOD: In fall 2014, the authors purposively sampled 22
      clinical students from Taiwan and the Netherlands and asked them to keep audio
      diaries, narrating emotional experiences during clerkships using three prompts:
      What happened? What did you feel/think/do? How does this interplay with your
      development as a doctor? Dutch audio diaries were supplemented with follow-up
      interviews. The authors analyzed participants' narratives using a critical
      discourse analysis informed by Figured Worlds theory and Bakhtin's concept of
      dialogism, according to which people's spoken words create identities in imagined
      future worlds. RESULTS: Participants talked vividly, but differently, about their
      experiences. Dutch participants' emotions related to individual achievement and
      competence. Taiwanese participants' rich, emotional language reflected on
      becoming both a good person and a good doctor. These discourses constructed
      doctors' and patients' autonomy in culturally specific ways. The Dutch construct
      centered on "hands-on" participation, which developed the identity of a
      technically skilled doctor, but did not address patients' self-determination. The
      Taiwanese construct located physicians' autonomy within moral values more than
      practical proficiency, and gave patients agency to influence doctor-patient
      relationships. CONCLUSIONS: Participants' cultural constructs of physician and
      patient autonomy led them to construct different professional identities within
      different imagined worlds. The contrasting discourses show how medical students
      learn about different meanings of becoming doctors in culturally specific
      contexts.

PMID- 28353500
TI  - How Can Medical Students Add Value? Identifying Roles, Barriers, and Strategies
      to Advance the Value of Undergraduate Medical Education to Patient Care and the
      Health System.
AB  - PURPOSE: As health systems evolve, the education community is seeking to
      reimagine student roles that combine learning with meaningful contributions to
      patient care. The authors sought to identify potential stakeholders regarding the
      value of student work, and roles and tasks students could perform to add value to
      the health system, including key barriers and associated strategies to promote
      value-added roles in undergraduate medical education. METHOD: In 2016, 32 U.S.
      medical schools in the American Medical Association's (AMA's) Accelerating Change
      in Education Consortium met for a two-day national meeting to explore value-added
      medical education; 121 educators, systems leaders, clinical mentors, AMA staff
      leadership and advisory board members, and medical students were included. A
      thematic qualitative analysis of workshop discussions and written responses was
      performed, which extracted key themes. RESULTS: In current clinical roles,
      students can enhance value by performing detailed patient histories to identify
      social determinants of health and care barriers, providing evidence-based
      medicine contributions at the point-of-care, and undertaking health system
      research projects. Novel value-added roles include students serving as patient
      navigators/health coaches, care transition facilitators, population health
      managers, and quality improvement team extenders. Six priority areas for
      advancing value-added roles are student engagement, skills, and assessments;
      balance of service versus learning; resources, logistics, and supervision;
      productivity/billing pressures; current health systems design and culture; and
      faculty factors. CONCLUSIONS: These findings provide a starting point for
      collaborative work to positively impact clinical care and medical education
      through the enhanced integration of value-added medical student roles into care
      delivery systems.

PMID- 28353501
TI  - Cooperative Extension as a Framework for Health Extension: The Michigan State
      University Model.
AB  - PROBLEM: The Affordable Care Act charged the Agency for Healthcare Research and
      Quality to create the Primary Care Extension Program, but did not fund this
      effort. The idea to work through health extension agents to support health care
      delivery systems was based on the nationally known Cooperative Extension System
      (CES). Instead of creating new infrastructure in health care, the CES is an ideal
      vehicle for increasing health-related research and primary care delivery.
      APPROACH: The CES, a long-standing component of the land-grant university system,
      features a sustained infrastructure for providing education to communities. The
      Michigan State University (MSU) Model of Health Extension offers another means of
      developing a National Primary Care Extension Program that is replicable in part
      because of the presence of the CES throughout the United States. A partnership
      between the MSU College of Human Medicine and MSU Extension formed in 2014,
      emphasizing the promotion and support of human health research. The MSU Model of
      Health Extension includes the following strategies: building partnerships,
      preparing MSU Extension educators for participation in research, increasing
      primary care patient referrals and enrollment in health programs, and exploring
      innovative funding. OUTCOMES: Since the formation of the MSU Model of Health
      Extension, researchers and extension professionals have made 200+ connections,
      and grants have afforded savings in salary costs. NEXT STEPS: The MSU College of
      Human Medicine and MSU Extension partnership can serve as a model to promote
      health partnerships nationwide between CES services within land-grant
      universities and academic health centers or community-based medical schools.

PMID- 28353503
TI  - What Should Guide Health Policy? A Perspective Beyond Politics.
AB  - As the U.S. electorate has become increasingly polarized, these divisions are
      poised to shape legislative and regulatory work in the years ahead. For those
      whose focus is on the public goods of health care for all, the advancement of
      science through rigorous research, and the contribution of higher education to
      the continual improvement of the nation's workforce, there is profound
      uncertainty about the future. There are several pressing questions facing the
      nation and academic medicine, including the future of affordable, accessible
      insurance; acceptance of scientific evidence; sustainable learning and teaching
      methodologies; and the well-being and preparation of the nation's health
      workforce to care for an increasingly diverse nation. For those in academic
      medicine and policy making alike, the authors propose a framework, grounded in
      scientific evidence and guided by clinical ethics, for designing and evaluating
      health policy solutions for these and other pressing questions.

PMID- 28353504
TI  - Ways to Write a Milestone: Approaches to Operationalizing the Development of
      Competence in Graduate Medical Education.
AB  - PURPOSE: To identify approaches to operationalizing the development of competence
      in Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) milestones.
      METHOD: The authors reviewed all 25 "Milestone Project" documents available on
      the ACGME Web site on September 11, 2013, using an iterative process to identify
      approaches to operationalizing the development of competence in the milestones
      associated with each of 601 subcompetencies. RESULTS: Fifteen approaches were
      identified. Ten focused on attributes and activities of the learner, such as
      their ability to perform different, increasingly difficult tasks (304/601; 51%),
      perform a task better and faster (171/601; 45%), or perform a task more
      consistently (123/601; 20%). Two approaches focused on context, inferring
      competence from performing a task in increasingly difficult situations (236/601;
      29%) or an expanding scope of engagement (169/601; 28%). Two used socially
      defined indicators of competence such as progression from "learning" to
      "teaching," "leading," or "role modeling" (271/601; 45%). One approach focused on
      the supervisor's role, inferring competence from a decreasing need for
      supervision or assistance (151/601; 25%). Multiple approaches were often combined
      within a single set of milestones (mean 3.9, SD 1.6). CONCLUSIONS: Initial ACGME
      milestones operationalize the development of competence in many ways. These
      findings offer insights into how physicians understand and assess the
      developmental progression of competence and an opportunity to consider how
      different approaches may affect the validity of milestone-based assessments. The
      results of this analysis can inform the work of educators developing or revising
      milestones, interpreting milestone data, or creating assessment tools to inform
      milestone-based performance measures.

PMID- 28353502
TI  - Looking Under the Streetlight? A Framework for Differentiating Performance
      Measures by Level of Care in a Value-Based Payment Environment.
AB  - The majority of quality measures used to assess providers and hospitals are based
      on easily obtained data, focused on a few dimensions of quality, and developed
      mainly for primary/community care and population health. While this approach
      supports efforts focused on addressing the triple aim of health care, many
      current quality report cards and assessments do not reflect the breadth or
      complexity of many referral center practices.In this article, the authors
      highlight the differences between population health efforts and referral care and
      address issues related to value measurement and performance assessment. They
      discuss why measures may need to differ across the three levels of care
      (primary/community care, secondary care, complex care) and illustrate the need
      for further risk adjustment to eliminate referral bias.With continued movement
      toward value-based purchasing, performance measures and reimbursement schemes
      need to reflect the increased level of intensity required to provide complex
      care. The authors propose a framework to operationalize value measurement and
      payment for specialty care, and they make specific recommendations to improve
      performance measurement for complex patients. Implementing such a framework to
      differentiate performance measures by level of care involves coordinated efforts
      to change both policy and operational platforms. An essential component of this
      framework is a new model that defines the characteristics of patients who require
      complex care and standardizes metrics that incorporate those definitions.

PMID- 28353505
TI  - Changes in Resident Well-Being at One Institution Across a Decade of Progressive
      Work Hours Limitations.
AB  - PURPOSE: To measure changes in markers of resident well-being over time as
      progressive work hours limitations (WHLs) were enforced, and to investigate
      resident perceptions of the 2011 WHLs. METHOD: A survey study of internal
      medicine residents was conducted at the University of Washington's multihospital
      residency program in 2012. The survey included validated well-being questions:
      the Maslach Burnout Inventory, the two-question PRIME-MD depression screen, and
      career satisfaction questions. Chi-square tests were used to compare 2012 well
      being questionnaire responses against nearly identical surveys conducted in 2001
      and 2004 at the same institution. In addition, residents were asked to rate the
      impact of WHLs on resident well-being and education as well as patient care, and
      to state preferences for future WHLs. RESULTS: Significantly different
      proportions of residents met burnout criteria across time, with fewer meeting
      criteria in 2012 than in 2001 (2001: 76% [87/115]; 2004: 64% [75/118]; 2012: 61%
      [68/112]; P = .039). Depression screening results also differed across time, with
      fewer screening positive in 2012 than in 2004 (2001: 45% [52/115]; 2004: 55%
      [65/118]; 2012 [35/112]: 31%; P = .001). Residents, especially seniors, reported
      perceived negative impacts of WHLs on their well-being, education, and patient
      care. Most senior residents favored reverting to the pre-July 2011 system of
      WHLs. Interns were more divided. CONCLUSIONS: Validated measures of resident well
      being changed across the three time points measured. Residents had the lowest
      rates of burnout and depression in 2012. Resident perceptions of the 2011 WHLs,
      however, were generally negative.

PMID- 28353506
TI  - A Foundation for Vital Academic and Social Support in Clerkships: Learning
      Through Peer Continuity.
AB  - Most medical students on clerkships currently experience lack of continuity of
      patient care, disjointed learning, and frequent changes in supervisors. Clerkship
      programs with continuity of care, curriculum, and supervisors appear to benefit
      student learning and patient-centeredness. A fourth form of continuity is
      proposed: continuity of peers, in which a stable cohort of students frequently
      meets to process their experiences on clerkships. This structure builds on
      benefits previously seen in peer-assisted learning, including enhanced knowledge,
      technical skills, and collegial peer relationships. Additional advantages of peer
      continuity in clerkships include facilitated integration into the workplace,
      social support, and enhanced clinical and professional learning. Practical
      components required for a successful peer continuity structure include
      intentional formation of peer cohorts; regular meetings that cover didactic or
      clinical skills learning; frequent opportunities for reflection on patient care,
      professional development, and well-being; and skilled facilitators without
      evaluative roles. Theoretical support for peer continuity comes from social
      cognitive theory, communities of clinical practice, and social comparison theory.
      Therefore, in conjunction with empirical programs that have shown benefits of
      developing these structures, peer continuity should become a formalized
      educational structure in clerkships.

PMID- 28353507
TI  - Patient Safety.

PMID- 28353509
TI  - Innovative Urgent Care for the Palliative Patient at Home.
AB  - Palliative and end-of-life patients in their homes are at risk of developing
      symptom crises requiring urgent care. The usual care for these patients involves
      transport to an Emergency Department (ED) despite the preference of most
      palliative patients to stay home. The objective of this initiative was to develop
      an innovative strategy to provide collaborative care in the home to alleviate
      symptoms and avoid transport. A partnership was created among Emergency Medical
      Services and Community Care staff, physicians, and leaders to enable patients to
      stay at home with existing resources during symptom crisis. As a result of the
      initiative, patients were able to stay at home more frequently. When patients
      required transport to the ED, it occurred after attempted symptom management in
      the home. A total of 110 calls were tracked in the first 18 months of the
      initiative. Of those, 61% ended with the patient staying home, in alignment with
      their preferred place of care at the end of life. A collaborative approach by
      care providers in the community enabled patients to stay home despite symptom
      crisis near the end of life.

PMID- 28353510
TI  - Home Telehealth Interventions for Older Adults With Diabetes.
AB  - The purpose of this literature review was to explore home telemedicine
      interventions for the treatment of older adults with diabetes. Eight databases
      were searched for articles published between 2011 and 2016, in the English
      language, and in peer-reviewed journals, resulting in 1,274 relevant articles.
      Following review against inclusion and exclusion criteria, six articles were
      retained. Studies included participants with a mean age from 68 to 76.8 years and
      from three different countries, with either Type 1 or Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus.
      The articles reviewed suggest that case management, education, closed-loop
      feedback and communication, home telemonitoring devices or units, and
      motivational interviewing or coaching can effectively decrease admissions, costs
      per person per year, mortality, and cognitive decline in older adults with
      diabetes. The scarcity of high-quality studies is consistent with findings from
      previous systematic reviews, and highlights the need for additional investigation
      before applying the results in practice.

PMID- 28353511
TI  - Caring for Chinese-American Home Care Patients.
AB  - Chinese-Americans are the largest group of Asian Americans. Home care providers
      in the United States will encounter patients with various levels of traditional
      Chinese lifestyles, cultural expressions, and health practices. A description of
      how to prepare for and conduct a home care visit with a patient from China is
      described. This article integrates recent research about Chinese-American elders
      and basics of Chinese culture to assist healthcare clinicians in providing
      supportive, culturally sensitive home care for Chinese patients and developing
      rapport and trust with them.

PMID- 28353512
TI  - New-Onset Atrial Fibrillation: What's the Significance?

PMID- 28353513
TI  - How an Aging Population Is Transforming Nursing.

PMID- 28353514
TI  - Caring for the Older Adult With Sensory Impairment.

PMID- 28353515
TI  - Accidental Overdoses Involving Fluorouracil Infusions.

PMID- 28353516
TI  - A Day in the Life of a Medicare Provider Outreach & Education Manager.

PMID- 28353517
TI  - Risks and Benefits of Warfarin Versus New Oral Anticoagulant Drugs.

PMID- 28353519
TI  - The Value of Letters to the Editor.

PMID- 28353518
TI  - Sepsis: A Call for Action.

PMID- 28353520
TI  - New-Onset Atrial Fibrillation: What's the Significance?

PMID- 28353521
TI  - Consequences of Early Conductive Hearing Loss on Long-Term Binaural Processing.
AB  - OBJECTIVES: The aim of the study was to investigate the long-term effects of
      early conductive hearing loss on binaural processing in school-age children.
      DESIGN: One hundred and eighteen children participated in the study, 82 children
      with a documented history of conductive hearing loss associated with otitis media
      and 36 controls who had documented histories showing no evidence of otitis media
      or conductive hearing loss. All children were demonstrated to have normal-hearing
      acuity and middle ear function at the time of assessment. The Listening in
      Spatialized Noise Sentence (LiSN-S) task and the masking level difference (MLD)
      task were used as the two different measures of binaural interaction ability.
      RESULTS: Children with a history of conductive hearing loss performed
      significantly poorer than controls on all LiSN-S conditions relying on binaural
      cues (DV90, p = <0.001 and SV90, p = 0.003). No significant difference was found
      between the groups in listening conditions without binaural cues. Fifteen
      children with a conductive hearing loss history (18%) showed results consistent
      with a spatial processing disorder. No significant difference was observed
      between the conductive hearing loss group and the controls on the MLD task.
      Furthermore, no correlations were found between LiSN-S and MLD. CONCLUSIONS:
      Results show a relationship between early conductive hearing loss and listening
      deficits that persist once hearing has returned to normal. Results also suggest
      that the two binaural interaction tasks (LiSN-S and MLD) may be measuring
      binaural processing at different levels. Findings highlight the need for a
      screening measure of functional listening ability in children with a history of
      early otitis media.

PMID- 28353522
TI  - Effects of Simulated Hearing Loss on Bilingual Children's Consonant Recognition
      in Noise.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: This study investigated the possible impact of simulated hearing loss
      on speech perception in Spanish-English bilingual children. To avoid confound
      between individual differences in hearing-loss configuration and linguistic
      experience, threshold-elevating noise simulating a mild-to-moderate sloping
      hearing loss was used with normal-hearing listeners. The hypotheses were that:
      (1) bilingual children can perform similarly to English-speaking monolingual
      peers in quiet; (2) for both bilingual and monolingual children, noise and
      simulated hearing loss would have detrimental impacts consistent with their
      acoustic characteristics (i.e., consonants with high-frequency cues remain highly
      intelligible in speech-shaped noise, but suffer from simulated hearing loss more
      than other consonants); (3) differences in phonology and acquisition order
      between Spanish and English would have additional negative influence on bilingual
      children's recognition of some English consonants. DESIGN: Listeners were 11
      English-dominant, Spanish-English bilingual children (6 to 12 years old) and 12
      English-speaking, monolingual age peers. All had normal hearing and age
      appropriate nonverbal intelligence and expressive English vocabulary. Listeners
      performed a listen-and-repeat speech perception task. Targets were 13 American
      English consonants embedded in vowel-consonant-vowel (VCV) syllables. VCVs were
      presented in quiet and in speech-shaped noise at signal-to-noise ratios (SNRs) of
      -5, 0, 5 dB (normal-hearing condition). For the simulated hearing-loss condition,
      threshold-elevating noise modeling a mild-to-moderate sloping sensorineural
      hearing loss profile was added to the normal-hearing stimuli for 0, 5 dB SNR, and
      quiet. Responses were scored for consonant correct. Individual listeners'
      performance was summarized for average across 13 consonants (overall) and for
      individual consonants. RESULTS: Groups were compared for the effects of
      background noise and simulated hearing loss. As predicted, group performed
      similarly in quiet. The simulated hearing loss had a considerable detrimental
      impact on both groups, even in the absence of speech-shaped noise. Contrary to
      our prediction, no group difference was observed at any SNR in either condition.
      However, although nonsignificant, the greater within-group variance for the
      bilingual children in the normal-hearing condition indicated a wider "normal"
      range than for the monolingual children. Interestingly, although it did not
      contribute to the group difference, bilingual children's overall consonant
      recognition in both conditions improved with age, whereas such a developmental
      trend for monolingual children was observed only in the simulated hearing-loss
      condition, suggesting possible effects of experience. As for the recognition of
      individual consonants, the influence of background noise or simulated hearing
      loss was similar between groups and was consistent with the prediction based on
      their acoustic characteristics. CONCLUSIONS: The results demonstrated that school
      age, English-dominant, Spanish-English bilingual children can recognize English
      consonants in a background of speech-shaped noise with similar average accuracy
      as English-speaking monolingual age peers. The general impact of simulated
      hearing loss was also similar between bilingual and monolingual children. Thus,
      our hypothesis that bilingual children's English consonant recognition would
      suffer from background noise or simulated hearing loss more than the monolingual
      peers was rejected. However, the present results raise several issues that
      warrant further investigation, including the possible difference in the "normal"
      range for bilingual and monolingual children, influence of experience, impact of
      actual hearing loss on bilingual children, and stimulus quality.

PMID- 28353524
TI  - Massive Mesenteric Lymphadenopathy Causing Protein-losing Enteropathy in Gaucher
      Disease: Retraction.

PMID- 28353523
TI  - Early Hearing Detection and Intervention-Pediatric Audiology Links to Services
      EHDI-PALS: Building a National Facility Database.
AB  - OBJECTIVES: To create a searchable web-based national audiology facility
      directory using a standardized survey, so parents and providers could identify
      which facilities had capacity to provide appropriate services based on child's
      age. DESIGN: An Early Hearing Detection and Intervention-Pediatric Audiology
      Links to Services expert panel was convened to create a survey to collect
      audiology facility information. Professional practice documents were reviewed, a
      survey was designed to collect pertinent test protocols of each audiology
      facility, and a standard of care template was created to cross-check survey
      answers. Audiology facility information across the United States was collected
      and compiled into a directory structured and displayed in an interactive website,
      ehdipals.org. RESULTS: Since November 7, 2012, to May 21, 2016, over 1000
      facilities have completed the survey and become listed in the Early Hearing
      Detection and Intervention-Pediatric Audiology Links to Services directory. The
      site has registered 10,759 unique visitors, 151,981 page views, and 9134 unique
      searches from consumers. User feedback has been positive overall. CONCLUSION: A
      searchable, web-based facility directory has proven useful to consumers as a tool
      to help them differentiate whether a facility was set up to test newborns versus
      young children. Use of a preprogrammed standard of practice template to cross
      check survey answers was also shown to be a practical aid.

PMID- 28353525
TI  - Rickettsialpox in a Pediatric Patient.
AB  - Rickettsialpox is a rare vector-borne rickettsiosis that manifests in hosts
      living in urban populations, particularly in New York City. The following is a
      case discussion of a 12-year-old girl with history of fever and right-ankle
      swelling. She was initially evaluated and treated for cellulitis. She later
      developed a maculopapular rash completing the classic triad for rickettsialpox:
      black eschar, papular rash, and fever. Her convalescent rickettsial titers
      returned positive, confirming the diagnosis of rickettsialpox.

PMID- 28353526
TI  - Raised in Darkness: A 7-Month-Old With Nystagmus From Severe Visual Deprivation.
AB  - Child neglect is the most common form of child maltreatment and accounts for 60%
      of all cases reported to child protective services. Whereas physical and
      emotional neglect account for a quarter of the reported cases of child neglect,
      educational neglect accounts for half of the cases. We describe a 7-month-old
      infant with several manifestations of physical and emotional neglect including
      excessive quietness, failure to thrive, global developmental delay, and a gastric
      lactobezoar. In addition, our patient had a fine, lateral nystagmus likely due to
      being kept in the dark for long periods. To our knowledge, this is the first
      reported case of acquired nystagmus due to visual deprivation from child neglect.

PMID- 28353527
TI  - Baclofen Pumps: Uses and Complications.
AB  - Intrathecal baclofen therapy, given via an implanted pump in the abdominal wall
      either as a continuous infusion or bolus dosing, has been used for more than 25
      years to treat the spasticity and dystonia associated with various brain and
      spinal cord conditions. Pediatric clinicians occasionally encounter baclofen
      pumps, and in the pediatric setting, significant morbidity can arise from their
      use. This article presents the background, mechanism of action, uses, and
      complications of intrathecal baclofen therapy and discusses various management
      strategies should complications occur.

PMID- 28353529
TI  - An Infant Diagnosed With Hydrocephalus by Point-of-Care Ultrasound.
AB  - Point-of-care ultrasound has become a valuable tool for pediatric emergency
      physicians, with an increasing number of indications being described. In this
      case presentation, we demonstrate the use of point-of-care ultrasound in the
      pediatric emergency department to diagnose ventriculomegaly in an infant
      presenting with a seizure.

PMID- 28353530
TI  - Cranium-Penetrating Mass Detected by Ultrasound Expedited Management of
      Langerhans Cell Histiocytosis.
AB  - A 6-year-old boy presented to the pediatric emergency department with a
      unilateral 5 * 3-cm superficial mass on the postauricular region growing for 1
      month. Point-of-care ultrasound was used to evaluate the mass, which revealed a
      complex cystic mass penetrating the temporal bone. After confirmatory magnetic
      resonance imaging, the patient was transferred for neurosurgical evaluation, and
      the tumor was excised. Pathology revealed Langerhans cell histiocytosis.

PMID- 28353531
TI  - Pediatric Emergency Medicine: Legal Briefs.

PMID- 28353532
TI  - Acute Illness Protocol for Fatty Acid Oxidation and Carnitine Disorders.
AB  - Inborn errors of metabolism (IEMs) are genetic disorders that disrupt enzyme
      activity, cellular transport, or energy production. They are individually rare
      but collectively have an incidence of 1:1000. Most patients with IEMs are
      followed by a physician with expertise in biochemical genetics (metabolism) but
      may present outside this setting. Because IEMs can present acutely with life
      threatening crises that require specific interventions, it is critical for the
      emergency medicine physicians, pediatricians, internists, critical care
      physicians, and biochemical geneticists to be familiar with the initial
      assessment and management of patients with these disorders. Appropriate early
      care can be lifesaving. This protocol is not designed to replace the expert
      consultation of a biochemical geneticist but rather to improve early care and
      increase the level of comfort of the acute care physician with initial management
      of fatty acid oxidation and carnitine disorders until specialty consultation is
      obtained.

PMID- 28353534
TI  - ECGs in the ED.

PMID- 28353539
TI  - Coronary artery endothelial dysfunction is present in HIV-positive individuals
      without significant coronary artery disease.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: HIV-positive (HIV+) individuals experience an increased burden of
      coronary artery disease (CAD) not adequately accounted for by traditional CAD
      risk factors. Coronary endothelial function (CEF), a barometer of vascular
      health, is depressed early in atherosclerosis and predict future events but has
      not been studied in HIV+ individuals. We tested whether CEF is impaired in HIV+
      patients without CAD as compared with an HIV-negative (HIV-) population matched
      for cardiac risk factors. DESIGN/METHODS: In this observational study, CEF was
      measured noninvasively by quantifying isometric handgrip exercise-induced changes
      in coronary vasoreactivity with MRI in 18 participants with HIV but no CAD
      (HIV+CAD-, based on prior imaging), 36 age-matched and cardiac risk factor
      matched healthy participants with neither HIV nor CAD (HIV-CAD-), 41 patients
      with no HIV but with known CAD (HIV-CAD+), and 17 patients with both HIV and CAD
      (HIV+CAD+). RESULTS: CEF was significantly depressed in HIV+CAD- patients as
      compared with that of risk-factor-matched HIV-CAD- patients (P < 0.0001) and was
      depressed to the level of that in HIV- participants with established CAD. Mean IL
      6 levels were higher in HIV+ participants (P < 0.0001) and inversely related to
      CEF in the HIV+ patients (P = 0.007). CONCLUSION: Marked coronary endothelial
      dysfunction is present in HIV+ patients without significant CAD and is as severe
      as that in clinical CAD patients. Furthermore, endothelial dysfunction appears
      inversely related to the degree of inflammation in HIV+ patients as measured by
      IL-6. CEF testing in HIV+ patients may be useful for assessing cardiovascular
      risk and testing new CAD treatment strategies, including those targeting
      inflammation.

PMID- 28353541
TI  - Dose-Response Relationship Between Exercise Intensity, Mood States, and Quality
      of Life in Patients With Heart Failure.
AB  - BACKGROUND: We conducted a secondary analysis to (1) compare changes in mood
      disorders and quality of life (QOL) among 4 groups of patients with heart failure
      in a home-based exercise program who had varying degrees of change in their
      exercise capacity and (2) determine whether there was an association between
      exercise capacity, mood disorders, and QOL. METHODS: Seventy-one patients were
      divided into 4 groups based on changes in exercise capacity from baseline to 6
      months: group 1showed improvements of greater than 10% (n = 19), group 2 showed
      improvements of 10% or less (n = 16), group 3 showed reductions of 10% or less (n
      = 9), and group 4 showed reductions of greater than 10% (n = 27). RESULTS: Over
      time, patients in all 4 groups demonstrated significantly lower levels of
      depression and hostility (P < .001) and higher levels of physical and overall
      quality of life (P = .046). Group differences over time were noted in anxiety (P
      = .009), depression (P = .015), physical quality of life (P < .001), and overall
      quality of life (P = .002). Greater improvement in exercise capacity was strongly
      associated with lower depression scores (r = -0.49, P = .01). CONCLUSIONS: An
      improvement in exercise capacity with exercise training was associated with a
      decrease in depression and anxiety and an increase in QOL in patients with heart
      failure.

PMID- 28353537
TI  - Defining HIV-1 transmission clusters based on sequence data.
AB  - : Understanding HIV-1 transmission dynamics is relevant to both screening and
      intervention strategies of HIV-1 infection. Commonly, HIV-1 transmission chains
      are determined based on sequence similarity assessed either directly from a
      sequence alignment or by inferring a phylogenetic tree. This review is aimed at
      both nonexperts interested in understanding and interpreting studies of HIV-1
      transmission, and experts interested in finding the most appropriate cluster
      definition for a specific dataset and research question. We start by introducing
      the concepts and methodologies of how HIV-1 transmission clusters usually have
      been defined. We then present the results of a systematic review of 105 HIV-1
      molecular epidemiology studies summarizing the most common methods and
      definitions in the literature. Finally, we offer our perspectives on how HIV-1
      transmission clusters can be defined and provide some guidance based on examples
      from real life datasets.

PMID- 28353542
TI  - Promoting Heart Health Among Rural African Americans.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Cardiovascular disease is a major cause of death for people living in
      the United States. African Americans bear a disproportionate burden of
      cardiovascular disease. Interventions designed to target multiple risk factors
      may facilitate elimination of cardiovascular disease health disparities.
      OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to evaluate a culturally relevant
      cardiovascular health promotion intervention that could potentially reduce
      cardiovascular disease risk among a group of rural African American adults by
      improving intentions, attitudes, norms, and self-efficacy to increase produce
      consumption, reduce dietary saturated fat intake, and increase exercise. METHODS:
      A cluster randomized controlled trial design was used to evaluate the effect of
      the "With Every Heartbeat Is Life" cardiovascular health promotion program among
      rural African Americans. The African American congregants of 12 rural churches
      located in northern Florida were randomly assigned to either an intervention
      group that received a culturally relevant cardiovascular health promotion
      intervention or a control group. Data analysis using linear mixed model was
      performed to compare group differences from pretest to posttest. RESULTS: The
      cardiovascular health promotion intervention had a positive influence on the
      intentions, attitudes, norms, and self-efficacy of rural African Americans to
      increase produce consumption and reduce dietary saturated fat. The intervention
      also enhanced participants' attitudes and self-efficacy regarding exercise.
      CONCLUSION: The culturally relevant cardiovascular health promotion program
      presented to cluster groups of rural African American participants had positive
      influences on psychosocial variables associated with engaging in cardiovascular
      health recommendations. Nurse-led interventions in community settings can
      potentially reduce cardiovascular disease risk.

PMID- 28353543
TI  - Identifying a Relationship Between Physical Frailty and Heart Failure Symptoms.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Heart failure (HF) is a complex clinical syndrome associated with
      significant symptom burden; however, our understanding of the relationship
      between symptoms and physical frailty in HF is limited. OBJECTIVE: The aim of
      this study was to quantify associations between symptoms and physical frailty in
      adults with HF. METHODS: A sample of adults with symptomatic HF were enrolled in
      a cross-sectional study. Physical symptoms were measured with the HF Somatic
      Perception Scale-Dyspnea subscale, the Epworth Sleepiness Scale, and the Brief
      Pain Inventory short form. Affective symptoms were measured with the Patient
      Health Questionnaire-9 and the Brief Symptom Inventory-Anxiety scale. Physical
      frailty was assessed according to the Frailty Phenotype Criteria: shrinking,
      weakness, slowness, physical exhaustion, and low physical activity. Comparative
      statistics and generalized linear modeling were used to quantify associations
      between symptoms and physical frailty, controlling for Seattle HF Model projected
      1-year survival. RESULTS: The mean age of the sample (n = 49) was 57.4 +/- 9.7
      years, 67% were male, 92% had New York Heart Association class III/IV HF, and 67%
      had nonischemic HF. Physically frail participants had more than twice the level
      of dyspnea (P < .001), 75% worse wake disturbances (P < .001), and 76% worse
      depressive symptoms (P = .003) compared with those who were not physically frail.
      There were no differences in pain or anxiety. CONCLUSIONS: Physically frail
      adults with HF have considerably worse dyspnea, wake disturbances, and
      depression. Targeting physical frailty may help identify and improve physical and
      affective symptoms in HF.

PMID- 28353544
TI  - Changes in small artery structure in hypertension: ready for prognostic
      translation?

PMID- 28353545
TI  - Orthostatic hypotension: new views for an old problem.

PMID- 28353546
TI  - Obstructive sleep apnea, hypertension, and fibrin clot properties: a novel
      pathogenetic link with cardiovascular disease?

PMID- 28353547
TI  - Hemodynamic effects by glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor analogues: what should be
      measured?

PMID- 28353548
TI  - Is renal denervation an alternative or a complement to aldosterone antagonists in
      treatment of resistant hypertension?

PMID- 28353549
TI  - Traditional vs. nontraditional risk factor assessment in chronic kidney disease:
      a case for laser Doppler flowmetry?

PMID- 28353550
TI  - Estimation of populational 24-h urinary sodium and potassium excretion from spot
      urine samples: evaluation of four formulas in a large national representative
      population.

PMID- 28353551
TI  - Reply.

PMID- 28353552
TI  - Magnesium, cardiovascular-renal disease and the Gitelman's syndrome paradox.

PMID- 28353553
TI  - Effect of estrogen on the change of GABA function in the vasopressin neurons of
      salt-dependent hypertension model rats: Retraction.

PMID- 28353554
TI  - In Reply.

PMID- 28353556
TI  - Granulomatosis with polyangiitis presenting with diffuse alveolar hemorrhage
      requiring extracorporeal membrane oxygenation with rapid multiorgan relapse: A
      case report.
AB  - RATIONALE: Granulomatosis with polyangiitis (GPA) is an antineutrophil
      cytoplasmatic antibodies (ANCA)-associated vasculitis affecting small- and medium
      sized blood vessels, mostly involving lung and kidney. PATIENT CONCERNS: We
      report the case of a 33-year-old man that presented with acute respiratory
      distress syndrome caused by alveolar hemorrhage. DIAGNOSES: Aggressive GPA
      presenting with diffuse alveolar hemorrhage and multiorgan involvement.
      INTEVENTIONS: Immunosuppressive therapy, plasma exchange, extracorporeal membrane
      oxygenation (ECMO). OUTCOMES: Relapse occurred very early, despite
      immunosuppressive treatment, with a rare involvement of genital system
      (epididymitis) and rapidly progressive glomerulonephritis difficult to treat.
      LESSONS: GPA is a challenging, multifaceted disease that can require aggressive
      supportive therapy and is associated with a high rate of relapse that may present
      with uncommon site of involvement.

PMID- 28353555
TI  - Effect of dyad training on medical students' cardiopulmonary resuscitation
      performance.
AB  - We investigated the effects of dyadic training on medical students' resuscitation
      performance during cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) training.We provided
      students with a 2-hour training session on CPR for simulated cardiac arrest.
      Student teams were split into double groups (Dyad training groups: Groups A and
      B) or Single Groups. All groups received 2 CPR simulation rounds. CPR simulation
      training began with peer demonstration for Group A, and peer observation for
      Group B. Then the 2 groups switched roles. Single Groups completed CPR simulation
      without peer observation or demonstration. Teams were then evaluated based on
      leadership, teamwork, and team member skills.Group B had the highest first
      simulation round scores overall (P = 0.004) and in teamwork (P = 0.001) and team
      member skills (P = 0.031). Group B also had the highest second simulation round
      scores overall (P < 0.001) and in leadership (P = 0.033), teamwork (P < 0.001),
      and team member skills (P < 0.001). In the first simulation, there were no
      differences between Dyad training groups with those of Single Groups in overall
      scores, leadership scores, teamwork scores, and team member scores. In the second
      simulation, Dyad training groups scored higher in overall scores (P = 0.002),
      leadership scores (P = 0.044), teamwork scores (P = 0.005), and team member
      scores (P = 0.008). Dyad training groups also displayed higher improvement in
      overall scores (P = 0.010) and team member scores (P = 0.022).Dyad training was
      effective for CPR training. Both peer observation and demonstration for peers in
      dyad training can improve student resuscitation performance.

PMID- 28353557
TI  - High blood pressure and associated risk factors as indicator of preclinical
      hypertension in rural West Africa: A focus on children and adolescents in The
      Gambia.
AB  - Hypertension is fast becoming a major public health problem across sub-Saharan
      Africa. We sought to determine the prevalence of high blood pressure (BP) and
      associated risk factors as indicator of preclinical hypertension in a rural
      Gambian population.We analyzed data on 6160 healthy Gambians cross-sectionally.
      Attention was given to 5 to <18-year olds (N = 3637), as data from sub-Saharan
      Africa on this young age group are scarce. High BP was defined as systolic blood
      pressure (SBP) above the 95th percentile for age-sex specific height z scores in
      <18-year olds employing population-specific reference values. Standard high BP
      categories were applied to >=18-year olds.In <18-year olds, the multivariable
      analysis gave an adjusted high BP prevalence ratio of 0.95 (95% confidence
      interval [CI] 0.92-0.98; P = 0.002) for age and 1.13 (95% CI 1.06-1.19; P <
      0.0001) for weight-for-height z score (zWT-HT); sex and hemoglobin were not shown
      to affect high BP. In adults age 1.05 (95% CI 1.04-1.05; P < 0.0001), body mass
      index z score 1.28 (95% CI 1.16-1.40; P < 0.0001), hemoglobin 0.90 (95% CI 0.85
      0.96; P < 0.0001) and high fasting glucose 2.60 (95% CI 2.02-3.36; P < 0.0001,
      though the number was very low) were confirmed as risk factors for high BP
      prevalence; sex was not associated.The reported high BP prevalence and associated
      risk factors in adults are comparable to other studies conducted in the region.
      The observed high BP prevalence of 8.2% (95% CI 7.4-9.2) in our generally lean
      young Gambians (<18 years) is alarming, given that high BP tracks from childhood
      to adulthood. Hence there is an urgent need for further investigation into risk
      factors of pediatric high BP/hypertension even in rural African settings.

PMID- 28353558
TI  - Transplanted lungs and the "white plague": A case-report and review of the
      literature.
AB  - RATIONALE: Solid organ transplant recipients, especially after lung
      transplantation, are at increased risk for Mycobacterium tuberculosis pulmonary
      tuberculosis due to lifelong immunosuppression. PATIENT CONCERNS: A 41-year-old
      woman underwent a second bilateral lung transplantation that was complicated by
      fatal pulmonary tuberculosis. DIAGNOSES: Histological examination of a lung
      biopsy performed 6 weeks after retransplantation revealed a caseating granuloma
      and necrosis. Acid-fast bacilli were identified as rifampicin-susceptible M.
      tuberculosis by real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR), confirmed by culture 2
      weeks later. INTERVENTIONS: Our investigation led us to highly suspect that the
      transplanted lungs were the source of M. tuberculosis transmission. LESSONS: In
      order to optimize diagnosis and treatment for lung recipients with latent or
      active tuberculosis, regular assessment of lower respiratory samples for M.
      tuberculosis, particularly during the 12-month period posttransplant should be
      implemented. Regarding donor-derived transmission, screening donor grafts with
      latent tuberculosis by M. tuberculosis real-time PCR in lymphoid and adipose
      tissues is an option that should be considered.

PMID- 28353559
TI  - Hyperactivity of the default-mode network in first-episode, drug-naive
      schizophrenia at rest revealed by family-based case-control and traditional case
      control designs.
AB  - Abnormal regional activity and functional connectivity of the default-mode
      network (DMN) have been reported in schizophrenia. However, previous studies may
      have been biased by unmatched case-control design. To limit such bias, the
      present study used both the family-based case-control design and the traditional
      case-control design to investigate abnormal regional activity of the DMN in
      patients with schizophrenia at rest.Twenty-eight first-episode, drug-naive
      patients with schizophrenia, 28 age-, sex-matched unaffected siblings of the
      patients (family-based controls, FBC), and 40 healthy controls (HC) underwent
      resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) scans. The group
      independent component analysis and fractional amplitude of low-frequency
      fluctuation (fALFF) methods were used to analyze the data.Patients with
      schizophrenia show increased fALFF in an overlapped region of the right superior
      medial prefrontal cortex (MPFC) relative to the FBC and the HC. Compared with the
      HC, the patients and the FBC exhibit increased fALFF in an overlapped region of
      the left posterior cingulate cortex/precuneus (PCC/PCu). Furthermore, the z
      values of the 2 overlapped regions can separate the patients from the FBC/HC, and
      separate the patients/FBC from the HC with relatively high sensitivity and
      specificity.Both the family-based case-control and traditional case-control
      designs reveal hyperactivity of the DMN in first-episode, drug-naive patients
      with paranoid schizophrenia, which highlights the importance of the DMN in the
      neurobiology of schizophrenia. Family-based case-control design can limit the
      confounding effects of environmental factors in schizophrenia. Combination of the
      family-based case-control and traditional case-control designs may be a viable
      option for the neuroimaging studies.

PMID- 28353561
TI  - Combination of laparoscope and choledochoscope to treat biliary ascariasis: A
      CARE-compliant case report.
AB  - RATIONALE: Ascariasis is an endemic parasitic disease caused by Ascaris
      lumbricoides, which severely burdens the healthcare system as well as harms the
      personal life quality, especially among less developed regions. Biliary
      ascariasis is a critical complication of intestinal ascariasis with painful and
      life-threatening manifestations. The exploration of proper strategies as its
      medical interventions remains largely controversial. PATIENT CONCERNS: A 16 year
      old patient complained of abdominal pain and yellow sclera. DIAGNOSES: Biliary
      ascariasis INTERVENTIONS:: Laparoscopic cholecystectomy and bile duct
      exploration. OUTCOMES: More than one hundred ascarids were extracted and the
      patient had been discharged from hospital without any complications. LESSONS: The
      combination of laparoscope and choledochoscope is an efficient method to treat
      biliary ascariasis, despite of large worm burden in the common bile duct.

PMID- 28353560
TI  - A life-threatening case of TAFRO syndrome with dramatic response to tocilizumab,
      rituximab, and pulse steroids: The first case report in Latin America.
AB  - RATIONALE: This is the report of the first case of TAFRO syndrome
      (Thrombocytopenia, Anasarca, myelofibrosis, Renal dysfunction, Organomegaly) in
      Latin America. PATIENT CONCERNS: The patient was a 61-year-old white woman of
      Ashkenazi Jewish descent, who presented with a history of 8 days of nausea,
      vomiting, and fever; severe pitting edema in both legs, ascites, splenomegaly,
      and palpable axillary lymph nodes. DIAGNOSES: Abdominal computed tomography (CT)
      showed bilateral pleural effusion and retroperitoneal lymph node enlargement.
      INTERVENTIONS: Anasarca and worsening of renal function led to admission to the
      intensive care unit (ICU) with multiple organ failure, requiring mechanical
      ventilation, vasopressor medications, and continuous renal replacement therapy
      (CRRT). Diagnosis of TAFRO syndrome was made on day 18 after admission, based on
      clinical findings and results of bone marrow and lymph node biopsies. She was
      treated with methylprednisolone, tocilizumab, and rituximab. One week after the
      first tocilizumab dose, she had dramatic improvements in respiratory and
      hemodynamic status, and was weaned from ventilator support and vasopressor
      medications. OUTCOMES: After 2 weeks of therapy, CRRT was switched to
      intermittent hemodialysis. On day 46, the patient was discharged from the ICU to
      the general ward, and 3 months after admission, she went home. LESSONS: Provided
      the interleukin-6 measurement is available, this approach is suggested in cases
      of TAFRO syndrome, in order to customize the treatment.

PMID- 28353563
TI  - Tissue expansion in the treatment of giant congenital melanocytic nevi of the
      upper extremity.
AB  - The aim of our study was to use tissue expansion for the treatment of giant
      congenital melanocytic nevi of the upper extremity and examine potential
      advantages over traditional techniques.There were 3 stages in the treatment of
      giant congenital melanocytic nevi of the upper extremities using tissue
      expansion: first, the expander was inserted into the subcutaneous pocket; second,
      the expander was removed, lesions were excised, and the wound of the upper
      extremity was placed into the pocket to delay healing; third, the residual lesion
      was excised and the pedicle was removed. The pedicle flap was then unfolded to
      resurface the wound.During the period between June 2007 and December 2015, there
      were 11 patients with giant congenital melanocytic nevi of the upper extremities
      who underwent reconstruction at our department with skin expansion. Few
      complications were noted in each stage of treatment. The functional and aesthetic
      results were observed and discussed in this study.Optimal aesthetic and
      functional results were obtained using tissue expansion to reconstruct the upper
      extremities due to the giant congenital melanocytic nevi.

PMID- 28353562
TI  - Primary hepatic extranodal marginal zone B-cell lymphoma of mucosa-associated
      lymphoid tissue type: A case report and literature review.
AB  - RATIONALE: Primary hepatic mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue (MALT) lymphoma is
      an extremely rare disease. To the best of our knowledge, only 67 cases had been
      reported in 39 English literatures to date. The aim of this study was to add a
      new case of this disease to the literature and to review the current literature.
      PATIENT CONCERNS: A 50-year-old man was incidentally identified with a solitary
      mass of 5 cm in diameter in the left lobe of the liver. DIAGNOSES: Based on the
      results of imaging studies, intrahepatic cholangiocellular carcinoma was
      suspected, and then surgery was performed. Microscopic findings showed that the
      tumor was a hepatic MALT lymphoma, and immunohistochemical analysis revealed that
      the lymphoma cells were CD20+, CD79a+, BCL-2+, CD3-, and CD5-. INTERVENTIONS: The
      patient received rituximab after surgery. OUTCOMES: He was free of disease for 13
      months at the time of this report. LESSONS: Since previously published case
      reports and our case described nonspecific clinical features of this rare
      disease, it was usually misdiagnosed before histological confirmation and surgery
      resection may be a good choice for both diagnosis and local therapy.

PMID- 28353565
TI  - Perioperative intravenous glucocorticoids can decrease postoperative nausea and
      vomiting and pain in total joint arthroplasty: A meta-analysis and trial sequence
      analysis.
AB  - BACKGROUND: This meta-analysis aimed to demonstrate the efficacy and safety of
      intravenous glucocorticoids for reducing pain intensity and postoperative nausea
      and vomiting (PONV) in patients undergoing total joint arthroplasty (TJA).
      METHODS: PubMed, Embase, the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials
      (CENTRAL), Web of Science, and Google databases were searched for randomized
      controlled trials (RCTs) comparing intravenous glucocorticoids versus no
      intravenous glucocorticoids or sham for patients undergoing TJA. Outcomes
      included visual analogue scale (VAS) pain at 12, 24, and 48 hours; the occurrence
      of PONV; length of hospital stay; the occurrence of infection; and blood glucose
      levels after surgery. We calculated risk ratios (RR) with a 95% confidence
      interval (CI) for dichotomous outcomes and the weighted mean difference (WMD)
      with a 95% CI for continuous outcomes. Trial sequential analysis was also used to
      verify the pooled results. RESULTS: Thirteen clinical trials involving 821
      patients were ultimately included in this meta-analysis. The pooled results
      indicated that intravenous steroids can decrease VAS at 12 hours (WMD = -8.54,
      95% CI -11.55 to -5.53, P = 0.000; I = 35.1%), 24 hours (WMD = -7.48, 95% CI 
      13.38 to -1.59, P = 0.013; I = 91.8%), and 48 hours (WMD = -1.90, 95% CI -3.75 to
      -0.05, P = 0.044; I = 84.5%). Intravenous steroids can decrease the occurrence of
      PONV (RR = 0.56, 95% CI 0.44-0.73, P = 0.000; I = 33.1%). There was no
      significant difference in the length of hospital stay, occurrence of infection,
      and blood glucose levels after surgery. CONCLUSION: Intravenous glucocorticoids
      not only alleviate early pain intensity but also decrease PONV after TJA. More
      high-quality RCTs are required to determine the safety of glucocorticoids before
      making final recommendations.

PMID- 28353564
TI  - Accuracy of using serum D-dimer for diagnosis of acute intestinal ischemia: A
      meta-analysis.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this meta-analysis is to comprehensively assess the
      accuracy of serum D-dimer for the diagnosis of acute intestinal ischemia.
      METHODS: Diagnostic studies of D-dimer for accurate diagnosis of acute intestinal
      ischemia were extracted from 6 databases, and prospective and retrospective
      studies that provided adequate data on sensitivity and specificity were included
      here. Sensitivity, positive likelihood ratio (PLR), negative likelihood ratio
      (NLR), and diagnostic odds ratio (DOR) were calculated. The overall diagnostic
      performance of D-dimer was assessed by plotting a summary receiver operating
      characteristic curve (SROC) and calculating the area under the curve (AUC).
      RESULTS: A total of 1300 patients with suspected acute intestinal ischemia from
      12 studies met the inclusion criteria. The combined sensitivity, specificity,
      PLR, NLR, and DOR were 0.94 (95% CI: 0.87-0.97), 0.50 (95% CI: 0.40-0.61), 1.9
      (95% CI: 1.5-2.3), 0.12 (95% CI: 0.05-0.26), and 16 (95% CI: 7-39), respectively.
      The AUC was 0.81 (95% CI: 0.78-0.84). CONCLUSION: The results of this meta
      analysis suggested that plasma D-dimer detection might be a useful means of
      identifying patients with acute intestinal ischemia of the abdomen.

PMID- 28353567
TI  - Are "normal hips" being labeled as femoroacetabular impingement due to EE angle?
AB  - Gluteal muscle contracture (GMC) is a clinical syndrome characterized by gait
      abnormality and limb dysfunction, as well as secondary deformities of pelvis and
      femur. Femoroacetabular impingement (FAI) typically could be diagnosed on the
      basis of computed tomography (CT) such as the equatorial-edge angle (EE angle),
      but it did not work well in GMC patients. In this study, we retrospected all
      image data and found small EE angles in GMCs, which meant retroverted acetabulum;
      however, none of them showed no symptoms and signs of FAI. Therefore, we had
      reasons to think that, some normal hips with unbalanced hip myodynamia as same as
      GMCs, may be incorrectly diagnosed as FAI through measuring EE angle only.In
      consequence, the paper was designed to assess the use of the EE angle in the
      assessment of FAI in the diagnosis, as described by Werner.Twenty-three patients
      (46 hips) were collected and calculated with the "equatorial-edge angle" (EE
      angle) by CT scans. All of them were excluded from FAI.Review of the hips showed
      a mean EE angle was 12.93 degrees , with a minimum of -3.42 degrees  and a
      maximum of 24.08 degrees . The mean value for males and females were 13.52
      degrees  and 12.40 degrees , respectively, without statistical significance,
      although the mean value of left hips and right sides reached 13.32 degrees  and
      12.54 degrees  individually, not having statistical differences neither. There
      were not any symptoms or signs of FAI in all patients. Thus, the reduced EE angle
      could suggest the local excessive coverage of the femoral head by the anterior
      acetabular edge, but might not be a reasonably good predictor of FAI.GMC
      patient's acetabular deformity mainly manifests as increased retroversion, which
      may be the anatomical basis for FAI and lead to high risks of the acetabular
      impingement. However, all patients in this study showed no symptoms and signs of
      FAI, suggesting that the measurement of EE angle can only be applied to assessing
      those people with normal hip myodynamia, and the bone deformity and the muscular
      disorder should be both considered in the diagnosis of FAI.

PMID- 28353566
TI  - Do renin-angiotensin system inhibitors influence the recurrence, metastasis, and
      survival in cancer patients?: Evidence from a meta-analysis including 55 studies.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Renin-angiotensin system inhibitors (RAS inhibitors) are
      antihypertensive agents with potential antitumor effects. However, various
      studies have yielded conflicting results on the influence of RAS inhibitors on
      survival of cancer patients. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of
      RAS inhibitors on recurrence, metastasis, and survival in cancer patients through
      a meta-analysis. METHODS: PubMed, Web of Science, EMBASE, and Cochrane Library
      were systematically searched from inception to December 2016. The pooled hazard
      ratio (HR) with its 95% confidence interval (95% CI) was calculated to evaluate
      the association between RAS inhibitors and recurrence, metastasis, and survival
      in cancer patients. RESULTS: Fifty-five eligible studies were included in the
      present meta-analysis. Results showed that there were significant improvements in
      overall survival (OS) (HR = 0.82; 95% CI: 0.77-0.88; P < 0.001), progression-free
      survival (HR = 0.74; 95% CI: 0.66-0.84; P < 0.001), and disease-free survival (HR
      = 0.80; 95% CI: 0.67-0.95; P = 0.01) in RAS inhibitor users compared with
      nonusers. Subgroup analyses revealed that the effect of RAS inhibitors on OS
      depended on the cancer type or different RAS inhibitors. CONCLUSION: This meta
      analysis suggests that RAS inhibitors could improve the survival of cancer
      patients and depend on cancer type and types of RAS inhibitors.

PMID- 28353568
TI  - Angiogenesis inhibitors for the treatment of small cell lung cancer (SCLC): A
      meta-analysis of 7 randomized controlled trials.
AB  - BACKGROUND: This study aimed to assess the effectiveness and safety of
      angiogenesis inhibitors for the treatment of patients with small cell lung cancer
      (SCLC) via meta-analysis. METHODS: Electronic databases including PubMed, Embase,
      and Cochrane Library were searched to look for eligible studies through February
      1, 2016. RCTs comprising angiogenesis inhibitors and nonangiogenesis inhibitors
      for SCLC patients were investigated. The extracted data including overall
      survival (OS), progression-free survival (PFS), and objective response rate (ORR)
      were summarized. In addition, the common adverse events (AEs) were also explored.
      RESULTS: There were 7 phase II/III RCTs, encompassing 1322 SCLC patients eligible
      for meta-analysis. In comparison to nonangiogenesis inhibitors, angiogenesis
      inhibitors treatment was not associated with improvement of PFS [HR = 0.87, 95%
      CI (0.74-1.02), P = 0.09), OS [HR = 0.99, 95% CI (0.88-1.12), P = 0.91], or ORR
      [OR = 1.12, 95% CI (0.85-1.47), P = 0.41). Also, there was no improvement in 1
      year survival rate [OR = 0.96, 95% CI (0.74-1.19), P = 0.63)], 2-year survival
      rate [OR = 1.00, 95% CI (0.66-1.51), P = 1.00)] or 1-year progression-free
      survival rates [OR = 0.95, 95% CI (0.69-1.31), P = 0.76)]. However, from subgroup
      analyses, it was observed that angiogenesis inhibitors improved ORR [HR = 1.66
      (95% CI 1.02-2.71), P = 0.04] in phase II studies and bevacizumab improved PFS
      [HR = 0.73 (95% CI 0.42-0.97), P = 0.04]. It is important to note that
      angiogenesis inhibitors reduced emesis [OR = 0.38, 95% CI (0.17-0.85), P = 0.02],
      but increased incidence of constipation [OR = 4.02, 95% CI (2.14-7.55), P <
      0.0001) and embolism [OR = 2.24, 95% CI (1.45-3.47), P = 0.0003). CONCLUSION:
      Adding angiogenesis inhibitors to chemotherapy did not improve PFS, OS, ORR, 1
      year survival rate, 2-year survival rate or 1-year progression-free survival rate
      for SCLC. However, subgroup analysis revealed that bevacizumab enhanced PFS.
      Angiogenesis inhibitors also had a high incidence of constipation and embolism.

PMID- 28353569
TI  - Case report and systematic literature review of a novel etiology of sinistral
      portal hypertension presenting with UGI bleeding: Left gastric artery
      pseudoaneurysm compressing the splenic vein treated by embolization of the
      pseudoaneurysm.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: A novel case is reported of upper gastrointestinal (UGI) bleeding
      from sinistral portal hypertension, caused by a left gastric artery (LGA)
      pseudoaneurysm (PA) compressing the splenic vein (SV) that was successfully
      treated with PA embolization. CASE REPORT: A 41-year-old man with previous
      medical history of recurrent, alcoholic pancreatitis presented with several
      episodes of hematemesis and abdominal pain for 48 hours. Physical examination
      revealed a soft abdomen, with no abdominal bruit, no pulsatile abdominal mass,
      and no stigmata of chronic liver disease. The hemoglobin declined acutely from
      12.3 to 9.3 g/dL. Biochemical parameters of liver function and routine
      coagulation profile were entirely within normal limits. Abdominal CT revealed a 5
      cm-wide peripancreatic mass compressing the stomach and constricting the SV.
      Esophagogastroduodenoscopy showed blood oozing from portal hypertensive
      gastropathy, small nonbleeding gastric cardial and fundal varices, gastric
      compression from the extrinsic mass, and no esophageal varices. MRCP and
      angiography showed that the mass was vascular, arose from the LGA, compressed the
      mid SV without SV thrombosis, and caused sinistral portal hypertension. At
      angiography, the PA was angioembolized and occluded. The patient has been
      asymptomatic with no further bleeding and a stable hemoglobin level during 8
      weeks of follow-up. DISCUSSION: Literature review of the 14 reported cases of LGA
      PA revealed that this report of acute UGI bleeding from sinistral portal
      hypertension from a LGA PA constricting the SV is novel; one previously reported
      patient had severe anemia without acute UGI bleeding associated with sinistral
      portal hypertension from a LGA PA. CONCLUSION: A patient presented with UGI
      bleeding from sinistral portal hypertension from a LGA PA compressing the SV that
      was treated by angiographic obliteration of the PA which relieved the SV
      compression and arrested the UGI bleeding. Primary therapy for this syndrome
      should be addressed to obliterate the PA and not the secondarily constricted SV.

PMID- 28353570
TI  - Nonspecific ST-T changes associated with unsatisfactory blood pressure control
      among adults with hypertension in China: Evidence from the CSPTT study.
AB  - Nonspecific ST-segment and T-wave (ST-T) changes represent one of the most
      prevalent electrocardiographic abnormalities in hypertensive patients. However, a
      limited number of studies have investigated the association between nonspecific
      ST-T changes and unsatisfactory blood pressure (BP) control in adults with
      hypertension.The study population comprised 15,038 hypertensive patients, who
      were selected from 20,702 participants in the China Stroke Primary Prevention
      Trial. The subjects were examined with electrocardiogram test at the initial
      visit in order to monitor baseline heart activity. According to the results of
      the electrocardiogram (defined by Minnesota coding), the subjects were divided
      into 2 groups: ST-T abnormal and ST-T normal. Unsatisfactory BP control was
      defined as systolic BP >=140 mm Hg or diastolic BP >=90 mm Hg following
      antihypertensive treatment during the 4.5-year follow-up period. Multivariate
      analysis was used to analyze the association between nonspecific ST-T
      abnormalities and unsatisfactory BP control.Nonspecific ST-T changes were common
      in hypertensive adults (approximately 8.5% in the study), and more prevalent in
      women (10.3%) and diabetic patients (13.9%). The unsatisfactory BP control rate
      was high in the total population (47.0%), notably in the ST-T abnormal group
      (55.5%). The nonspecific ST-T abnormal group exhibited a significantly greater
      rate of unsatisfactory BP control (odds ratio [OR] 1.20, 95% confidence interval
      [CI] [1.06, 1.36], P = 0.005]), independent of traditional risk factors, as
      demonstrated by multivariate regression analysis. Notable differences were
      further observed in male subjects (OR 1.51, 95% CI [1.17, 1.94], P = 0.002) and
      in patients with comorbid diabetes (OR 1.47, 95% CI [1.04, 2.07], P =
      0.029).Greater rates of unsatisfactory BP control in hypertensive patients with
      electrocardiographic nonspecific ST-T abnormalities were observed, notably in the
      subcategories of the male subjects and the diabetic patients.

PMID- 28353571
TI  - Green tea and the risk of prostate cancer: A systematic review and meta-analysis.
AB  - Prostate cancer (PCa) now remains the 2nd most frequently diagnosed cancer. In
      recent years, chemoprevention for PCa becomes a possible concept. Especially,
      many phytochemicals rich foods are suggested to lower the risk of cancer. Among
      these foods, green tea is considered as effective prevention for various cancers.
      However, clinical trials and previous meta-analyses on the relationship between
      green tea consumption and the risk of PCa have produced inconsistent outcomes.
      This study aims to determine the dose-response association of green tea intake
      with PCa risk and the preventive effect of green tea catechins on PCa risk. Seven
      observational studies and 3 randomized controlled trials were retrieved from
      Cochrane Library, PubMed, Sciencedirect Online, and hand searching. The STATA
      (version 12.0) was applied to analyze the data. The relative risks (RRs) and 95%
      confidence intervals were pooled by fixed or random effect modeling. Dose
      response relations were evaluated with categories of green tea intake. Although
      there was no statistical significance in the comparison of the highest versus
      lowest category, there was a trend of reduced incidence of PCa with each 1
      cup/day increase of green tea (P = 0.08). Our dose-response meta-analysis further
      demonstrated that higher green tea consumption was linearly associated with a
      reduced risk of PCa with more than 7 cups/day. In addition, green tea catechins
      were effective for preventing PCa with an RR of 0.38 (P = 0.02). In conclusion,
      our dose-response meta-analysis evaluated the association of green tea intake
      with PCa risk systematically and quantitatively. And this is the first meta
      analysis of green tea catechins consumption and PCa incidence. Our novel data
      demonstrated that higher green tea consumption was linearly reduced PCa risk with
      more than 7 cups/day and green tea catechins were effective for preventing PCa.
      However, further studies are required to substantiate these conclusions.

PMID- 28353572
TI  - New insight on antimicrobial therapy adjustment strategies for gram-negative
      bacterial infection: A cohort study.
AB  - Gram-negative bacterial infections, especially multidrug-resistant (MDR)
      bacterial infection, are becoming a serious threat to public health. Although it
      is widely accepted that both appropriate initial empirical therapy and targeted
      therapy are important, but for patients needing therapy adjustment, few studies
      have explored whether adjustment strategy based on microbiologic susceptibility
      test (MST) brings better outcome compared with empirical adjustment.A total of
      320 patients with gram-negative bacterial infection (airway, blood, or pleural
      effusion) were selected and a prospective cohort study was conducted. Baseline
      characteristics and outcomes (microbiologic, clinical, and economic) were
      documented during follow-up.MDR and nosocomial infections were common among
      subjects. Initial therapies consistent with MST could result in reduced in
      hospital mortality, treatment failure rate, infection-related death, percentages
      of patients needing therapy adjustment, and daily hospitalization cost with
      increased successful treatment rate compared with inconsistent with MST, and
      microbiologic outcomes were also better with appropriate therapies.For patients
      needing therapy adjustment, relying on MST gained no significant benefit on
      mortality, clinical, or microbiologic outcomes compared with depending on
      clinical experience. But for patients with MDR infection, adjustment relying on
      MST gained more benefit than non-MDR infection.Appropriate initial therapy
      significantly improved the prognosis of patients with gram-negative bacterial
      infections, but improvement was not that obvious for patients needing therapy
      adjustment which was based on MST compared with clinical experience, and more
      beneficial effects of adjustment relying on MST were obtained for patients with
      MDR bacterial infection.

PMID- 28353573
TI  - Aneurysm-related ischemic ventricular tachycardia: safety and efficacy of
      catheter ablation.
AB  - Left ventricular aneurysm (LVA) postmyocardial infarction (MI) might be an
      arrhythmogenic substrate. We examined the safety and efficacy of catheter
      ablation of LVA-related ventricular tachycardia (VT).Thirty-three consecutive
      patients who underwent primary catheter ablation of ischemic VT were divided into
      LVA group (11 patients, mean age 61.9 years, 10 men) and none LVA group. Acute
      procedural outcomes, complications, and long-term outcomes were assessed.In LVA
      group, average number of induced VTs were 3.2 +/- 2.6 (range 1-7), clinical VTs
      were located in the ventricular septum scar zone in 4 (36.4%) patients, acute
      success was achieved in 7 (63.6%) patients, partial success in 3 (27.3%) and
      failure in 1 patient, while none LVA group showing a statistically similar
      distribution of acute procedural outcomes (P = 0.52). There were no major or life
      threatening complications. VT-free survival rate at median 19 (1-44) months
      follow-up was numerically but not significantly lower in LVA versus none LVA
      group (48.5% vs 62.8%, log-rank P = 0.40).Catheter ablation of ischemic VT in the
      presence of LVA appears feasible and effective, with about one-third of cases
      having septal ablation targets. Further studies are warranted.

PMID- 28353574
TI  - A crucial temporal accuracy test of combining EEG and Tobii eye tracker.
AB  - Eye tracking and event-related potentials have been widely used in the field of
      cognitive psychology and neuroscience. Both techniques have the ability to refine
      cognitive models through a precise timeline description; nevertheless, they also
      have severe limitations. Combining measures of event-related potentials and eye
      movements can contribute to cognitive process capture, which provides the
      possibility to determine precisely when and in which order different cognitive
      operations occur. Combining of event-related potentials and eye movements has
      been recently conducted by synchronizing measures from an infrared eye tracker
      with an electroencephalograph to allow simultaneous data recording. Here, we
      describe in detail 4 types of co-registration methods for event-related
      potentials and eye movements on the Tobii platform. Moreover, the present
      investigation was designed to evaluate the temporal accuracy of data obtained
      using the 4 methods. We found that the method based on the Tobii Pro Analytics
      software development kit had a higher degree of temporal accuracy than the other
      co-registration methods. Furthermore, the reasons for the different temporal
      accuracies were assessed, and potential measures to correct clock drift were
      taken. General suggestions are made regarding timing in the co-registration of
      the electroencephalograph and eye tracker.

PMID- 28353575
TI  - Association between serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D and carotid atherosclerotic plaque
      in Chinese type 2 diabetic patients.
AB  - In this study, we investigated the distribution of vitamin D and its association
      with carotid atherosclerotic plaque (CP) in Chinese type 2 diabetic (T2D)
      patients. We performed a cross-sectional study in 210 T2D and 94 age- and gender
      matched nondiabetic patients during winter months, by determining serum 25
      hydroxyvitamin D (25(OH)D) levels in both diabetic and nondiabetic controls. We
      carried out measurements of B-mode ultrasonography of carotid arteries in each
      T2D patient. The 25(OH)D concentration was 26.25 nmol/L among the T2D patients.
      About 93.3% T2D patients suffered from hypovitaminosis D. First, we found a clear
      inverse correlation between the 25(OH)D concentration and CP (P <0.001). Second,
      an association between 25(OH)D and macrovascular disease was significant (P =
      0.005). In multivariate logistic regression analysis, decreasing 25(OH)D
      concentration was markedly associated with CP in T2D patients. Third, after
      adjusting for the confounding factors, we also observed a positive correlation
      between low levels of 25(OH)D in T2D patients with CP, when the following
      parameters were measured: old age (odds ratio [OR] = 2.533, P = 0.013); smoking
      (OR = 3.872, P = 0.001); and high level of low-density lipoprotein (LDL)
      cholesterol (OR = 2.776, P = 0.009). Thus, we concluded that high prevalence of
      hypovitaminosis D exists in Chinese T2D patients. Further, we found a significant
      association between low concentration of serum 25(OH)D and the existence of high
      body mass index, and high circulating LDL to be substantially positive predictors
      of patients with CP in T2D.

PMID- 28353577
TI  - Effect of different types of anesthesia on intraoperative blood glucose of
      diabetic patients: A PRISMA-compliant systematic review and meta-analysis.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Systematic review which analyzes the impact of different anesthesia
      on intraoperative blood glucose levels of diabetes patients. METHODS: We searched
      Medline (via PubMed), Embase, Cochrane Library, Web of Science, Wangfang, CNKI,
      and CBM database through June 2016, included in randomized controlled trial
      (RCT), about different anesthesia on intraoperative blood glucose levels in
      patients with diabetes. Two researchers in 1 group independently screened
      literatures with eligibility criteria, extracted information, and used RevMan5.3
      software to perform meta-analysis. RESULTS: We included 11 trials and performed
      the meta-analysis with 10 trials. The meta-analysis results suggested that
      compared with general anesthesia, the combined general-epidural anesthesia has a
      better glycemic control in intraoperative blood glucose levels (WMD -1.26, 95%
      confidence interval [CI] -1.77 to 0.76), the epidural anesthesia had no
      significant effects compared with general anesthesia (WMD -0.74, 95% CI 4.41
      2.92), and the combined spinal-epidural anesthesia had no significant effects
      compared with epidural anesthesia (WMD -0.28, 95% CI -1.02 to 0.46). One study
      suggested that compared with epidural anesthesia, the combined general-epidural
      anesthesia can lower blood glucose levels CONCLUSION:: Existing evidence showed
      that compared with general anesthesia, the combined general-epidural anesthesia
      has a better glycemic control in intraoperative blood glucose levels.

PMID- 28353576
TI  - Clinical and microbiological features of invasive nontyphoidal Salmonella
      associated with HIV-infected patients, Gauteng Province, South Africa.
AB  - The aim of this study was to define factors associated with HIV-infected versus
      uninfected patients with invasive nontyphoidal Salmonella (iNTS) and factors
      associated with mortality, which are inadequately described in Africa.Laboratory
      based surveillance for iNTS was undertaken. At selected sentinel sites, clinical
      data (age, sex, HIV status, severity of illness, and outcome) were
      collected.Surveillance was conducted in Gauteng, South Africa, from 2003 to 2013.
      Clinical and microbiological differences between HIV-infected and uninfected
      patients were defined and risk factors for mortality established.Of 4886 iNTS
      infections in Gauteng from 2003 to 2013, 3106 (63.5%) were diagnosed at sentinel
      sites. Among persons with iNTS infections, more HIV-infected persons were aged
      >=5 years (chi = 417.6; P < 0.001) and more HIV-infected children were
      malnourished (chi = 5.8; P = 0.02). Although 760 (30.6%) patients died, mortality
      decreased between 2003 [97/263 (36.9%)] and 2013 [926/120 (21.7%)]. On univariate
      analysis, mortality was associated with patients aged 25 to 49 years [odds ratio
      (OR) = 2.2; 95% confidence interval (CI) = 1.7-2.7; P < 0.001 and >=50 years (OR
      = 3.0; 95% CI = 2.2-4.1; P < 0.001) compared with children < 5 years, HIV
      infected patients (OR = 2.4; 95% CI = 1.7-3.4; P < 0.001), and severe illness (OR
      = 5.4; 95% CI = 3.6-8.1; P < 0.001). On multivariate analysis, mortality was
      associated with patients aged >=50 years [adjusted OR (AOR) = 3.6, 95% CI = 2.1
      6.1, P < 0.001] and severe illness (AOR = 6.3; 95% CI = 3.8-10.5; P <
      0.001).Mortality due to iNTS in Gauteng remains high primarily due to disease
      severity. Interventions must be aimed at predisposing conditions, including HIV,
      other immune-suppressive conditions, and malignancy.

PMID- 28353578
TI  - Rocuronium-induced neuromuscular block and sugammadex in pediatric patient with
      duchenne muscular dystrophy: A case Report.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: Anesthetic management of patients with Duchenne muscular dystrophy
      (DMD) is complicated because these patients are more sensitive to nondepolarizing
      neuromuscular blocking agents (NMBAs) and are vulnerable to postoperative
      complications, such as postoperative residual curarization and respiratory
      failure. Sugammadex is a new reversal agent for aminosteroidal NMBAs, but its
      safety in children is controversial. CLINICAL FEATURES: An 11-year-old boy with
      DMD underwent general anesthesia for a percutaneous nephrolithotomy. We used
      rocuronium bromide and sugammadex to reverse the deep neuromuscular block.
      Reversal of neuromuscular block was done 15 minutes after administration of 2
      mg/kg of sugammadex. The patient's recovery from anesthesia was uneventful, and
      he was discharged to the postoperative recovery ward. CONCLUSION: A delayed
      recovery was achieved, but no adverse events were observed, such as
      recurarization or hypersensitivity to sugammadex. We report safe use of 2 mg/kg
      of sugammadex to reverse a deep neuromuscular block in a child with DMD.

PMID- 28353579
TI  - Intensive insulin therapy for preventing postoperative infection in patients with
      traumatic brain injury: A randomized controlled trial.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: To assess the effect of intensive insulin therapy (IIT) for preventing
      postoperative infection in patients with traumatic brain injury (TBI). METHODS:
      In total, 88 patients with TBI were randomly divided into 2 groups, 44 in each
      group. One group (group ITT) received IIT and the other group (group CIT)
      received conventional insulin therapy (CIT). This study was conducted between
      February 2013 and January 2016. Outcomes included infection rate, mortality, and
      neurological outcome (measured by the Glasgow Outcome Scale [GOS]). RESULTS: A
      total of 81 patients completed the study. IIT showed greater efficacy than CIT,
      with a decreased infection rate in the IIT group compared to the CIT group (31.9%
      vs 52.3%, P = 0.03), and also a reduced duration of stay in intensive care unit
      (ICU) (IIT group, 4.5 +/- 2.1 days vs CIT group, 5.7 +/- 2.8 days, P = 0.02). In
      addition, a significant difference in scores on the GOS scale was observed
      between the 2 groups (P = 0.04). The mortality rates in hospital and at the 26
      week follow-up were similar between the 2 groups. CONCLUSION: IIT leads to a
      reduced infection rate, shorter stays in ICU, and improved neurological outcome.

PMID- 28353580
TI  - Comparison of periarticular anesthesia with liposomal bupivacaine with femoral
      nerve block for pain control after total knee arthroplasty: A PRISMA-compliant
      meta-analysis.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Periarticular anesthesia (PAI) with liposomal bupivacaine (LB) and
      femoral nerve block (FNB) were 2 common type of pain management after total knee
      arthroplasty (TKA). There is no consensus about PAI with LB shows better clinical
      outcome than FNB. Thus, we performed a systematic review and meta-analysis to
      compare the efficacy and safety of PAI with LB and FNB for patients prepared for
      TKA. METHODS: Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) and non-RCTs from PubMed (1966
      2017.2), EMBASE (1980-2017.2), and the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled
      Trials (CENTRAL, 2017.2), Web of Science (1966-2017.2), and Chinese Wanfang
      database (1980-2017.2) were searched. Continuous outcomes including visual
      analogue scale (VAS) at 24, 48, and 72 hours, total morphine consumption, length
      of hospital, and range of motion (ROM) were reported as the weighted mean
      difference with 95% and confidence interval (CI) and discontinuous outcomes (the
      occurrence of postoperative nausea and vomiting [PONV]) were presented as
      relative risk with 95% CI. Random-effects model was adopted to analyze the
      relevant data. RESULTS: According to the inclusion and exclusion criteria, 8
      studies with 2407 patients were eligible and finally included in this meta
      analysis (LB = 1114, FNB = 1293). There was no significant difference between VAS
      at 24, 4, and 72 hours, ROM, and the occurrence of PONV between PAI with LB group
      versus FNB group (P > 0.05). Compared with the FNB group, PAI with LB was
      associated with a significant decrease in length of hospital stay by 0.43 day (MD
      = -0.43; 95% CI -0.60 to -0.27; P = 0.001) and the total dose of total morphine
      consumption by (MD = -29.32; 95% CI -57.55 to -1.09; P = 0.042). CONCLUSIONS: The
      review of trials found that PAI with LB provided a significant beneficial effect
      over FNB in improving the pain or decreased the total morphine consumption in
      patients who underwent TKA. However, PAI with LB associated with less LOS than
      FNB. More high quality RCTs are still needed to identify the effects and optimal
      dose of LB for pain management after TKA.

PMID- 28353581
TI  - Prognostic implication of hepatoduodenal ligament lymph nodes in gastric cancer.
AB  - There has been controversy regarding whether hepatoduodenal lymph node (HDLN)
      metastasis in gastric cancer is distant or regional metastasis. HDLN positivity
      was classified as distant metastasis in the 7th American Joint Committee on
      Cancer (AJCC) classification, but it was reclassified as regional lymph node
      metastasis in the 8th AJCC classification. The aim of our study is to verify
      prognostic significance of HDLN metastasis in gastric cancer.This retrospective
      study enrolled patients with gastric cancer who underwent D2 gastrectomy from
      January 2007 to June 2010. HDLN was classified as a regional lymph node.Total
      number of patients was 3175; 143 (4.5%) of them had HDLN metastasis. The HDLN
      positivity was significantly associated with older age, more advanced tumor
      stage, undifferentiated histologic type, and pathologic diagnosis of lymphatic,
      vascular, and perineural invasions. Five-year survival rate of HDLN-positive
      patients with stages I to III disease was significantly higher than that of stage
      IV group (59.3% vs 18.8%, P = 0.001). In patients with stage III disease, 5-year
      survival rate of HDLN-positive group was significantly lower than that of HDLN
      negative group (51.7% vs 66.3%, P = 0.001). Multivariate analysis showed that
      HDLN metastasis was an independent prognostic factor.HDLN has a different
      prognostic significance from other regional lymph nodes in advanced stage of
      gastric cancer though its positivity is not considered as distant metastasis.
      HDLN positivity itself seems to be an independent prognostic factor in gastric
      cancer, and the survival outcomes of patients with stage III disease need to be
      reconsidered according to HDLN positivity.

PMID- 28353582
TI  - Association between pet ownership and coronary artery disease in a Chinese
      population.
AB  - A number of studies have suggested the benefits of pet ownership to human health,
      including cardiovascular disease (CVD). However, there are few findings regarding
      pet ownership and coronary artery disease (CAD). The objective of this study is
      to investigate the association between pet ownership and CAD in a Chinese
      population. From October 2015 to May 2016, a survey consisting of 561 consecutive
      patients was done in Nanjing, China. Based on the results of coronary
      arteriography for the first time, participants were divided into 2 groups (non
      CAD and CAD groups). Pet ownership information was collected by using a
      questionnaire. After multivariate adjustments, pet ownership was associated with
      a decreased CAD risk (odds ratios [OR]: 0.504, 95% confidence intervals [CIs]:
      0.310-0.819). There was a reduced CAD risk among dog owners (OR: 0.420, 95% CI:
      0.242-0.728) when compared with the cat group (OR: 0.738, 95% CI: 0.240-2.266)
      and the cat and dog group (OR: 1.052, 95% CI: 0.330-3.355). With the increase of
      pet ownership duration, there was a decreased tendency of CAD risk, including
      years of keeping pets (P for trend = 0.008) and time of playing with pets per day
      (P for trend = 0.001). In addition, similar dose-response relationship was
      observed for starting age of keeping pets (P for trend = 0.002). Pet ownership,
      especially dog ownership, can be a protective factor for CAD in Chinese patients.

PMID- 28353583
TI  - Influence of cyclosporine and everolimus on the main mycophenolate mofetil
      pharmacokinetic parameters: Cross-sectional study.
AB  - The objective of the present study was to assess the effect of cyclosporine (CsA)
      on the pharmacokinetic parameters of mycophenolic acid (MPA), an active
      mycophenolate mofetil (MMF) metabolite, and to compare with the effect of
      everolimus (EVR).Anonymized medical records of 404 kidney recipients were
      reviewed. The main MPA pharmacokinetic parameters (AUC(0-12) and Cmax) were
      evaluated.The patients treated with a higher mean dose of CsA displayed higher
      MPA AUC(0-12) exposure in the low-dose MMF group (1000 mg/day) (40.50 +/- 10.97
      vs 28.08 +/- 11.03 h mg/L; rs = 0.497, P < 0.05), medium-dose MMF group (2000
      mg/day) (43.00 +/- 6.27 vs 28.85 +/- 11.08 h mg/L; rs = 0.437, P < 0.01), and
      high-dose MMF group (3000 mg/day) (56.75 +/- 16.78 vs 36.20 +/- 3.70 h mg/L; rs =
      0.608, P < 0.05).A positive correlation was also observed between the mean CsA
      dose and the MPA Cmax in the low-dose MMF group (Cmax 22.83 +/- 10.82 vs 12.08 +/
      5.59 mg/L; rs = 0.507, P < 0.05) and in the medium-dose MMF group (22.77 +/-
      8.86 vs 13.00 +/- 6.82 mg/L; rs = 0.414, P < 0.01).The comparative analysis
      between 2 treatment arms (MMF + CsA and MMF + EVR) showed that MPA AUC(0-12)
      exposure was by 43% higher in the patients treated with a medium dose of MMF and
      EVR than in the patients treated with a medium dose of MMF and CsA.The data of
      the present study suggest a possible CsA versus EVR influence on MMF
      pharmacokinetics. Study results show that CsA has an impact on the main MPA
      pharmacokinetic parameters (AUC(0-12) and Cmax) in a CsA dose-related manner,
      while EVR mildly influence or does not affect MPA pharmacokinetic parameters. Low
      dose CsA (lower than 180 mg/day) reduces MPA AUC(0-12) exposure under the
      therapeutic window and may lead to ineffective therapy, while a high-dose CsA
      (>240 mg/day) is related to greater than 10 mg/L MPA Cmax and increases the
      likelihood of adverse events.

PMID- 28353584
TI  - Peliosis hepatis: 2 case reports of a rare liver disorder and its differential
      diagnosis.
AB  - RATIONALE: Peliosis hepatis (PH) is a rare tumor-like liver lesion composed of
      multiple blood-filled cavities within the liver parenchyma. It is hard to
      differentiate PH from other liver lesions by imaging, such as carcinoma,
      metastases, or abscess. PATIENT CONCERNS: Here, we reported 2 cases that
      presented with liver lesions under ultrasound and computed tomography (CT)
      scanning, without any history of liver diseases or drug usage traced back.
      DIAGNOSES: Liver biopsy and laparoscopy were processed, and the lesions were
      eventually diagnosed as PH by histopathology, which microscopically presented
      with multiple sinusoidal dilatations with blood-filled cystic spaces.
      INTERVENTIONS: After the liver biopsy or laparoscopy, the patients were
      discharged and followed up in the clinic. OUTCOMES: Both patients were followed
      up for at least 1 year with good recovery. LESSONS: PH should always be
      recognized in the differentiation of liver lesions, particularly indistinctive
      lesion(s) without any history of liver-related diseases.

PMID- 28353585
TI  - Relationship of oestrogen receptor alpha gene polymorphisms with risk for benign
      prostatic hyperplasia and prostate cancer in Chinese men.
AB  - The relationship of oestrogen receptor with benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH)
      and prostate cancer (PC) is not clear at present. This study aimed to investigate
      the molecular mechanism underlying the occurrence and development of BPH and
      prostate.Two hundred forty-four PC cases, 260 BPH patients, and 222 healthy men
      were recruited from Han people in China, and the oestrogen receptor alpha
      (ESRalpha) gene polymorphism (rs2234693 [PvuII] and rs9340799 [XbaI]) on intron 1
      was determined. The relationship of gene polymorphism with PC and BPH was
      evaluated with Logistic regression, and the linkage disequilibrium and
      haplotyping were assessed with SHEsis software.The risk for PC in BPH patients
      with PvuII C allele was higher (OR = 1.437, 95% CI: 1.110-1.859), but the
      differentiation degree of cancer cells was relatively better in PC patients with
      PvuII C allele (OR = 0.419, 95% CI: 0.285-0.616), and most of them are
      circumscribed (OR = 0.706, 95% CI: 0.485-1.02). There was significant linkage
      disequilibrium between PvuII and XbaI. The genotype TTAG not only induced BPH (OR
      = 6.260, 95% CI: 1.407-27.852), but increased the risk for PC (OR = 6.696, 95%
      CI: 1.504-29.801). However, the genotype TTAG in BPH patients had no relationship
      with the risk for PC (P > 0.05). Furthermore, men with haplotype TG were more
      likely to suffer PC (OR = 9.168, 95% CI: 2.393-35.119), but men with haplotype TA
      and enlarged prostate had a low risk for PC (OR = 0.708, 95% CI: 0.551
      0.912).These results show the relationship between ESRalpha gene polymorphism and
      susceptibility to PC and BPH in Chinese men, and the ethnic and regional
      difference as well.

PMID- 28353586
TI  - Association of depressive symptoms and suicidal ideation among university
      students in China: A systematic review and meta-analysis.
AB  - The aim of this study was to investigate whether depressive symptoms are
      associated with suicidal ideation among university students in China.Five Chinese
      and English electronic databases (EBSCO, PubMed, Chinese Web of Knowledge,
      Wanfang, and Weipu) were searched to identify relevant studies. Cross-sectional
      studies published from 2000 to 2016 reporting about the association between
      depressive symptoms and suicidal ideation among university students in China were
      used for meta-analysis to approximate the overall association between depression
      and suicidal ideation among university students in mainland China. StatsDirect 3
      was used for meta-analysis of included literatures.Of 513 initially identified
      references, 44 studies were selected, including 88,431 participants with
      depressive symptoms. The combined odd ratio of the relationship was 2.174 (95%
      confidence interval: 2.027-2.333; P < 0.0001).There exists a moderate association
      between depressive symptoms and suicidal ideation among university students in
      China, and depressive symptoms contribute to the development of suicidal
      ideation. In particular, university students from western regions of China, from
      nonmedical background, should be provided more psychological and clinical
      assistance.

PMID- 28353587
TI  - Sex differences in prevalence and risk factors of asymptomatic cholelithiasis in
      Korean health screening examinee: A retrospective analysis of a multicenter
      study.
AB  - The aim of this study was to evaluate sex difference in the prevalence and risk
      factors for asymptomatic cholelithiasis in Korean health screening
      examinees.Examinees who underwent examination through health promotion center at
      5 hospitals of Daegu-Gyeongbuk province in 2014 were analyzed retrospectively.
      All examinees were checked for height, weight, waist circumference, and blood
      pressure, and underwent laboratory tests and abdominal ultrasound. Diagnosis of
      cholelithiasis was made by ultrasound.Of the total of 30,544 examinees, mean age
      was 47.3 +/- 10.9 years and male to female ratio was 1.4:1. Asymptomatic
      cholelithiasis was diagnosed in 1268 examinees with overall prevalence of 4.2%.
      In age below 40 years, females showed higher prevalence of asymptomatic
      cholelithiasis than males (2.7% vs. 1.9%, P = 0.020), whereas prevalence of
      asymptomatic cholelithiasis was higher in males than females older than 50 years
      (6.2% vs. 5.1%, P = 0.012). Multiple logistic regression analysis revealed age
      (>=50 years), obesity, and high blood pressure as risk factors for asymptomatic
      cholelithiasis in males and age, obesity, hypertriglyceridemia, and chronic
      hepatitis B infection in females (P < 0.05).Overall prevalence of asymptomatic
      cholelithiasis was 4.2% in Korean health screening examinees. Females showed
      higher prevalence of asymptomatic cholelithiasis than males younger than 40
      years, whereas it was higher in males older than 50 years. Age and obesity were
      risk factors for asymptomatic cholelithiasis in both sexes. Males had additional
      risk factors of high blood pressure and females had hypertriglyceridemia and
      chronic hepatitis B infection.

PMID- 28353588
TI  - Primary esophageal mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue lymphoma: A case report and
      review of literature.
AB  - RATIONALE: Mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue (MALT) lymphoma is a low grade
      malignant B cell lymphoma which occurs mainly in the organs having mucosal layer.
      Though gastrointestinal tract is the most commonly involved extranodal site,
      primary esophageal MALT lymphoma is very rare with less than 20 cases reported in
      literature. PATIENT CONCERNS: A 75-year-old man was referred to our hospital for
      evaluation of dysphagia. Endoscopy revealed a submucosal tumor located in the
      middle and lower third of esophagus. CT chest and endoscopic ultrasound revealed
      a 15.5 * 5.9 * 4.0 cm well circumscribed submucosa esophageal tumor. Test for
      serum antibody against H. pylori was negative. Due to the large tumor size,
      patient underwent surgical resection. Histological examination showed a
      submucosal tumor consisting of multiple nodules of varying sizes with intact
      covering squamous epithelium. The nodules were mainly composed of diffusely and
      monoclonal proliferating centrocyte-like or monocyte-like cells. Follicular
      colonizations were observed without lymphoepithelial lesions. The tumor cells
      were diffusely positive for CD20, PAX-5, Bcl-2 and follicular dendritic cells
      were positive for CD21, CD23. Monoclonal gene rearrangement was positive for
      immunoglobulin heavy chain gene, Kappa light chain gene and Lambda light chain
      gene. DIAGNOSES: Based on these findings, final diagnosis of esophageal MALT
      lymphoma was made. OUTCOMES: At 8 month follow up, no recurrence or metastases
      was detected. LESSONS: Esophageal MALT lymphoma is a rare disease with definitive
      diagnosis possible only after histopathological examination. It carries good
      prognosis due to low malignant potential.

PMID- 28353589
TI  - Depressive symptoms in Chinese family caregivers of patients with heart failure:
      A cross-sectional study.
AB  - Depressive symptoms are related to negative health outcomes in caregivers of
      patients with HF. Understanding the factors that are associated with depressive
      symptoms among caregivers is essential to providing appropriate interventions.
      Little is known about which status and factors are related to depressive symptoms
      among Chinese caregivers of patients with heart failure. This study aimed to
      investigate the status of depressive symptoms and to identify the factors that
      are associated with depressive symptoms in family caregivers of patients with
      heart failure in China.A cross-sectional design and a convenience sample were
      used. Participants (N = 134) from 1 hospital in Chengdu were recruited from June
      2013 to June 2014. The following measurement tools were used in this study:
      Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale, Hospital Anxiety and
      Depression Scale, Coping Strategies Simplified Coping Style Questionnaire, and
      Zarit Burden Interview. A hierarchical multiple linear regression analysis was
      used to determine which factors were associated with depressive symptoms.The
      results showed that 31% of the caregivers experienced depressive symptoms. The
      type of payment for treatment (b = -0.312, P < 0.01), readmissions within the
      last 3 months (b = 0.397, P < 0.01), duration of caregiving (b = -0.213, P <
      0.05), caregiver burden (b = 0.299, P < 0.05), active coping (b = -0.235, P <
      0.01), and negative coping (b = 0.245, P < 0.05) were related to caregivers'
      depressive symptoms. Fifty-four percent of the variance in caregivers' depressive
      symptoms was explained by these factors.The caregiver depressive symptoms in
      China were higher than those reported in studies that were conducted in Western
      countries. Caregiver depressive symptoms can be improved by providing support for
      new caregivers (with a caregiving duration of less than 1 year), reducing
      readmissions, easing caregiver burden, and promoting their coping strategies.

PMID- 28353591
TI  - Systematic review and meta-analysis of preoperative chemoradiotherapy with or
      without oxaliplatin in locally advanced rectal cancer.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Preoperative chemoradiotherapy has become the current standard
      regimen for locally advanced rectal cancer (LARC). However, the additional
      benefit of oxaliplatin to preoperative chemotherapy was still controversial. On
      one hand, oxaliplatin may improve the tumor response rate of even prolong the
      survival time. On the other hand, it can bring a series of adverse effects.
      Opinions vary from studies to studies. We aim to perform a meta-analysis to
      evaluate the efficacy, safety, and long-term survival of oxaliplatin in
      preoperative chemoradiotherapy for LARC. METHOD: To identify clinical trials
      fusing oxaliplatin in preoperative chemoradiotherapy for LARC published until
      December 2015, we searched PubMed, the Cochrane Library, and the Springer Link
      databases by combining various key words. We also search for relevant ASCO
      conferences. Data were extracted from every study to perform a meta-analysis
      using STATA 12.0 software. RESULT: Eleven articles or ASCO abstracts from 8
      studies with a total of 5597 patients were included. Adding oxaliplatin to
      preoperative chemoradiotherapy can significantly improve the ypCR rate [risk
      ratio (RR) = 1.208, 95% confidence interval (95% CI): 1.070-1.364, P = 0.002, I =
      14.5%], and decrease the preoperative metastasis (RR = 0.494, 95% CI: 0.256
      0.954, P = 0.036, I = 53.9%) and local recurrence rate (RR = 0.761, 95% CI: 0.616
      0.941, P = 0.012, I = 26.1%). What's more, oxaliplatin can prolong the disease
      free survival (DFS) [hazard ratio (HR) = 0.867, 95% CI: 0.741-0.992, P = 0.000, I
      = 16.3%]. However, oxaliplatin can increase the chemoradiotherapy-related
      toxicities (RR = 1.858, 95% CI 1.427-2.419, P = 0.000, I = 84.7%). There was no
      significant difference between the groups with and without oxaliplatin in
      operation rate, R0 resection rate, sphincter preservation rate, permanent stoma
      rate, postoperative complication, mortality, and overall survival. CONCLUSION:
      Preoperative chemoradiotherapy with oxaliplatin bring both advantage and
      disadvantage to LARC. Whether to use oxaliplatin should be decided by patient's
      general condition and tolerance. Although oxaliplatin can prolong the DFS,
      survival benefit should be proved by further data.

PMID- 28353590
TI  - Point prevalence and epidemiological characteristics of chronic cough in the
      general adult population: The Korean National Health and Nutrition Examination
      Survey 2010-2012.
AB  - Cough is frequently self-limiting, but may persist longer in certain individuals.
      Most of previous studies on the epidemiology of chronic cough have only measured
      period prevalence, and thus have afforded limited information on the burden and
      natural course. We aimed to investigate the epidemiology of chronic cough by
      using a point prevalence measure in a large-scale general population.We analyzed
      cross-sectional data collected from 18,071 adults who participated in the Korean
      National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 2010-2012. Presence and duration
      of current cough was ascertained by structured questionnaires, and cough was
      classified into acute (<3 weeks), subacute (3-8 weeks), or chronic cough (>=8
      weeks). Demographic and clinical parameters were examined in relation to chronic
      cough.The point prevalences of acute, subacute, and chronic cough were 2.5 +/-
      0.2%, 0.8 +/- 0.1% and 2.6 +/- 0.2%, respectively. The proportion of current
      cough showed a steep decrease after 1 week of duration. However, 2 peaks in the
      prevalence of current cough were revealed; cough durations of less than 1 week
      and longer than 1 year were most common (31.1% and 27.7% of current cough,
      respectively). Subacute and chronic cough were more prevalent in the elderly
      (>=65 years); the positive associations with older age were independent of other
      confounders, including current smoking and comorbidities.This is the first report
      on the epidemiology of cough using a point prevalence measure in a nationally
      representative population sample. Our findings indicate a high burden of chronic
      cough among adults with current cough in the community. The dual-peak of cough
      duration suggested that the pathophysiology of acute and chronic cough may
      differ. The preponderance of elderly people in the prevalence of chronic cough
      warrants further investigation. In addition, more sophistication and validation
      of tools to define chronic cough will help our understanding of the epidemiology.

PMID- 28353593
TI  - Warming infusion improves perioperative outcomes of elderly patients who
      underwent bilateral hip replacement.
AB  - BACKGROUND: This prospective, randomized, and controlled study was performed to
      determine the benefits of prewarmed infusion in elderly patients who underwent
      bilateral hip replacement. METHODS: Between September 2015 and April 2016,
      elderly patients who underwent bilateral hips replacement that met the inclusion
      and exclusion criteria were included in this study. After inclusion, patients
      were randomized into one of the study groups: in the control group, patients
      received an infusion of fluid kept at room temperature (22-23 degrees C); in the
      warming infusion group, patients received an infusion of fluid warmed using an
      infusion fluid heating apparatus (35 degrees C). Postoperative outcomes,
      including recovery time, length of hospital stay, visual analogue scale (VAS)
      score, and postoperative complications rate of patients from both groups, were
      compared. RESULTS: A total of 64 patients were included in our study (71.2 +/-
      7.6 years, 53.1% males), with 32 patients in the control group and 32 patients in
      warming infusion group. No significant difference was found in terms of
      demographic data and intraoperative blood transfusion rate between 2 groups (P >
      0.05). Patients receiving a prewarmed infusion had a significantly shorter time
      to spontaneous breath, eye opening, consciousness recovery, and extubation than
      the control group (P < 0.05). In addition, significant differences were found in
      Steward score and VAS score between 2 groups (P < 0.05). Moreover, warming
      infusion group also showed an obviously decreased incidence of shivering and
      postoperative cognitive dysfunction (P < 0.05). CONCLUSION: A prewarmed infusion
      could reduce the incidence of perioperative hypothermia and improve outcomes in
      the elderly during bilateral hip replacement.

PMID- 28353592
TI  - The effect of MDR1 C3435T polymorphism on the eradication rate of H. pylori
      infection in PPI-based triple therapy: A meta-analysis.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Several studies have reported that multidrug resistance gene 1 (MDR1)
      C3435T polymorphism was associated with the rate of Helicobacter pylori (H.
      pylori) eradication in proton pump inhibitor (PPI)-based triple therapy. However,
      the conclusions were inconsistent. Therefore, this meta-analysis was conducted to
      evaluate the impact of MDR1 C3435T polymorphism on H. pylori eradication by PPI
      based triple therapy. METHODS: Seven eligible studies published up to August 2016
      and including 1019 patients were identified by searching the Chinese Biomedical
      Literature database, Wan fang, PubMed, and the Web of Science electronic
      databases. Consequently, a meta-analysis was conducted with STATA software, using
      summary odds ratios (OR) and a 95% confidence interval (CI). RESULTS: Overall,
      there was no significant difference between MDR1 C3435T polymorphism and the
      eradication rate of H. pylori in the entire genetic model, irrespective of the
      PPI used. Furthermore, in Asian populations, the TT genotype decreased H. pylori
      eradication (TT vs CT+CC: OR=0.411, 95% CI = 0.280-0.602, P = 0.000). In
      addition, a significantly low eradication rate was observed in a recessive model,
      in which either lansoprazole (TT vs CT+CC: OR = 0.305, 95% CI = 0.184-0.504, P =
      0.000) or omeprazole (TT vs CT+CC: OR = 0.229, 95% CI = 0.069-0.763, P = 0.016)
      was taken, in a subanalysis of individual PPIs. In the analyses that were
      stratified by disease type, no significant difference was observed in the peptic
      ulcer group and the combined diseases subgroup. CONCLUSION: This meta-analysis
      indicated that the TT genotype of the MDR1 C3435T polymorphism decreased H.
      pylori eradication in Asian populations and was also associated with a low cure
      rate of H. pylori in patients taking lansoprazole- and omeprazole-based triple
      therapies. However, future studies using larger sample sizes are required.

PMID- 28353594
TI  - Does the pancreatic volume reduction rate using serial computed tomographic
      volumetry predict new onset diabetes after pancreaticoduodenectomy?
AB  - Volume reduction of the pancreatic tissues following a pancreatectomy can lead to
      the deterioration of glucose homeostasis. This is defined as pancreatogenic
      diabetes mellitus (DM). The objective of this study was to investigate the
      occurrence of new-onset DM (NODM) and evaluate the risk factors, including the
      pancreas volume reduction rate in patients undergoing pancreaticoduodenectomy
      (PD).Sixty-six patients without preoperative DM underwent PD for periampullary
      tumors between August 2007 and December 2012 and were included in this analysis.
      These patients underwent follow-up tests and abdominal computed tomography (CT)
      scan 7 days, 6 months, 12 months, 24 months, and 36 months after the operation.
      The pancreas volume reduction rate was calculated by CT volumetry. The patients
      were divided into 2 groups according to the postoperative development of DM.After
      PD, newly diagnosed DM occurred in 16 patients (24.2%). The incidence of DM was
      highest among patients with carcinomas with an advanced T stage. The pancreatic
      volume reduction rate after 6 and 12 months in the NODM group was significantly
      higher than the normal glucose group in the univariate analysis. In the
      multivariate analysis, the pancreatic volume reduction rate 6 months after PD was
      the only significant predictive factor for the development of NODM (P =
      0.002).This study suggests that the pancreatic volume reduction rate 6 months
      after PD was the only significant predictive factor for the development of NODM.
      CT volumetry of the pancreas may be useful as a predictor of NODM after PD.

PMID- 28353596
TI  - Adult-onset hypophosphatemic osteomalacia associated with Sjogren syndrome:
      Clinical case report.
AB  - RATIONALE: Hypophosphatemic osteomalacia (HO) is a metabolic bone disease,
      exhibiting different etiologies such as genetic mutation, tumor induction,
      dysimmunity, or renal disease. Sjogren's syndrome (SS) is a connective tissue
      disorder commonly involving exocrine glands; however kidney involvement is also
      encountered, leading to abnormal phosphorus metabolism, even HO. PATIENT
      CONCERNS: A 47-year-old female patient presented progressively worsening pain in
      the chest wall, back and bilateral lower extremities as well as muscle weakness
      was referred to our department. DIAGNOSES, INTERVENTIONS AND OUTCOMES: Due to the
      laboratory test results, radiographic findings and pathologic results, she was
      diagnosed with adult-onset HO associated with SS. She was then treated with
      alkalinization, steroids, neutral phosphate, calcium supplements together with
      activated vitamin D. So far, she recovered uneventfully with relieved pain and
      increased serum phosphorus level. LESSONS: HO may be secondary to renal tubular
      acidosis of SS patients, and it might be a diagnostic challenge when the kidney
      involvement in SS is latent and precede the typical sicca symptoms.

PMID- 28353595
TI  - Eotaxin and IL-4 levels are increased in induced sputum and correlate with sputum
      eosinophils in patients with nonasthmatic eosinophilic bronchitis.
AB  - Nonasthmatic eosinophilic bronchitis (NAEB) is characterized by chronic cough and
      airway eosinophilic inflammation. Airway and systemic inflammation cytokine
      profile have not been comprehensively described in patients with NAEB.The aim of
      the study was to identify the cytokine profile in sputum and serum of NAEB
      patients. Furthermore, the relationship between cytokines and clinical features
      would be evaluated.Induced sputum and serum were collected from untreated NAEB
      patients and healthy subjects. The cytokine profile in sputum and serum was
      analyzed by a bead-based multiplex cytokine assay including 21 cytokines.The
      levels of EGF, eotaxin, GM-CSF, GRO, IFN-gamma, IL-1beta, IL-4, IL-6, IL-17A, IP
      10, MIP-1alpha, and TNF-alpha in sputum were significantly higher in NAEB
      patients than that in healthy subjects (all P < 0.05). Values of area under the
      receiver operating characteristic curve (AUROC) of these cytokines were all above
      0.750. The concentrations of eotaxin and IL-4 were positively correlated with
      sputum eosinophil percentage (r = 0.726, P = 0.002; r = 0.511, P = 0.043;
      respectively). No significant correlations between other cytokines (EGF, GM-CSF,
      GRO, IFN-gamma, IL-1beta, IL-6, IL-17A, IP-10, MIP-1alpha, and TNF-alpha) in
      sputum and sputum eosinophil percentage were found. The level of IL-4 in serum
      was slightly higher in NAEB patients than in healthy subjects. However, there was
      no correlation between serum IL-4 levels and sputum eosinophil percentage.We
      identified the cytokine profile in sputum and serum from NAEB patients. Sputum
      eotaxin and IL-4 could have the potential to become the biomarkers for NAEB and
      might be useful to assist in the diagnosis of NAEB.

PMID- 28353597
TI  - Ovarian response prediction in controlled ovarian stimulation for IVF using anti
      Mullerian hormone in Chinese women: A retrospective cohort study.
AB  - The predictive value of anti-Mullerian hormone (AMH) in Chinese women undergoing
      in vitro fertilization (IVF) treatment is data deficient. To determine the
      attributes of AMH in IVF, oocyte yield, cycle cancellation, and pregnancy
      outcomes were analyzed. All patients initiating their first IVF cycle with
      gonadotropin-releasing hormone agonist treatment in our center from October 2013
      through December 2014 were included, except patients diagnosed with polycystic
      ovarian syndrome. Serum samples collected prior to IVF treatment were used to
      determine serum AMH levels. A total of 4017 continuous cycles were analyzed. The
      AMH level was positively correlated with the number of oocytes retrieved.
      Overall, AMH was significantly correlated with risk of cycle cancellation, poor
      ovarian response (POR, 3, or fewer oocytes retrieved) and high response (>15
      oocytes), with an area under the curve (AUC) of 0.83, 0.89, and 0.82
      respectively. An AMH cutoff of 0.6 ng/mL had a sensitivity of 54.0% and a
      specificity of 90.0% for the prediction of cycle cancellation, and cutoff of 0.8
      ng/mL with a sensitivity of 55.0% and a specificity of 94.0% for the prediction
      of POR. Compared with AMH >2.0 ng/mL, patients with AMH < 0.6 ng/mL had a 53.6
      fold increased risk of cancellation (P < 0.001), and AMH <0.80 ng/mL were 17.5
      times more likely to experience POR (P < 0.001). However, AMH was less predictive
      of pregnancy and live birth, with AUCs of 0.55 and 0.53, respectively. Clinical
      pregnancy rate, ongoing pregnancy rate, and live birth rate per retrieval
      according to the AMH level (<=0.40, 0.41-0.60, 0.61-0.80, 0.81-1.00, 1.01-1.50,
      1.51-2.00, and >2.00 ng/mL) showed no significant differences. Even with AMH<=0.4
      ng/mL, 50.0% of all the patients achieved pregnancy and 34.8% of patients
      achieved live birth after transfer. Our results suggested that AMH is a fairly
      robust metric for the prediction of cycle cancellation and oocyte yield for
      Chinese women, but it is a relatively poor test for prediction of pregnancy
      outcomes. Patients with low levels of AMH still can achieve reasonable treatment
      outcomes and low AMH levels in isolation do not represent an appropriate marker
      for withholding fertility treatment.

PMID- 28353598
TI  - Increase in the prevalence of arthritis in adulthood among adults exposed to
      Chinese famine of 1959 to 1961 during childhood: A cross-sectional survey.
AB  - The developmental origins hypothesis postulates that under-nutrition in the early
      stage of life is associated with an increased risk of disease in adulthood. This
      study aimed to examine the association of exposure to the Chinese famine of 1959
      to 1961 in early life with the risk of arthritis in adulthood.From July to
      September 2009, the study adopted multistage stratified random sampling cross
      sectional survey to recruit 1224 eligible adults in Chongqing. Famine exposure
      groups were categorized into 3 groups: (1) childhood exposure, (2) fetal
      exposure, and (3) nonexposure. Self-reported arthritis of physician diagnosis was
      obtained. A total of 1224 eligible respondents were interviewed, including 299
      individuals exposed during childhood, 455 exposed when fetal, and 470 without
      exposure.The prevalence of arthritis in adulthood among individuals exposed to
      famine during childhood was significantly higher than those not exposed (17.39%
      vs 11.28%, odds ratio [OR] = 1.573 with a 95% confidence interval of [CI] [1.020,
      2.424]). Persons exposed to famine during the fetal period did not significantly
      contribute to a higher rate of arthritis in adulthood than those who were not
      exposed to famine (13.19% vs 11.28%, OR = 1.072, 95% CI = 0.713, 1.613). In
      addition, education level, the average monthly income, sleep status, and
      satisfaction of the present living condition were associated with the risk of
      arthritis in adulthood.Exposure to the Chinese famine during childhood may be
      associated with an increased risk of arthritis in adulthood. This study suggests
      that early life nutrition may have an effect on the risk of arthritis in
      adulthood.

PMID- 28353599
TI  - Glioblastoma multiforme in conus medullaris with intracranial metastasis after
      postoperative adjuvant therapy.
AB  - Spinal glioblastoma multiforme is not common among spinal cord tumors. According
      to our literature review, only 27 cases originating from the conus medullaris
      were reported. We herein reported a case of a 10-year-old child diagnosed with
      glioblastoma multiforme. The patient received adjuvant radiotherapy and standard
      temozolomide chemotherapy after total excision. Intracranial lesions were found 1
      month after postoperative adjuvant therapy. We described the clinical
      characteristics and postoperative therapy of the patient, and reviewed all of the
      published cases of conus medullaris glioblastoma. Location, age, leptomeningeal
      spread, and secondary hydrocephalus may be predictive factors.
      Immunohistochemical factors such as p53 and Ki-67 are also important. Combined
      treatment of surgery and postoperative adjuvant therapy is commonly used, but is
      controversial.

PMID- 28353600
TI  - Influence of gum-chewing on postoperative bowel activity after laparoscopic
      surgery for gastric cancer: A randomized controlled trial.
AB  - BACKGROUND: In some studies, gum-chewing was demonstrated to have a beneficial
      effect on resumption of bowel function; however, other contradictory findings in
      other studies refute the effects of gum-chewing on peristaltic movements and
      digestive system stimulation. In addition, most previous studies were after
      colorectal or gynecology surgery, whereas few reports focused on the effect of
      gum-chewing after gastrectomy. The aim of this randomized controlled trial was to
      assess the effectiveness of gum-chewing on postoperative bowel function in
      patients who had undergone laparoscopic gastrectomy. METHODS: From March 2014 to
      March 2016, 75 patients with gastric cancer received elective laparoscopic
      surgery in Shanghai Tongji hospital and were postoperatively randomly divided
      into 2 groups: 38 in a gum-chewing (Gum) group and 37 in a control (No gum)
      group. The patients in the Gum group chewed sugarless gum 3 times daily, each
      time for at least 15 minutes, until the day of postoperative exhaust defecation.
      RESULTS: The mean time to first flatus (83.4 +/- 35.6 vs. 79.2 +/- 24.2 hours; P
      = 0.554) and the mean time to first defecation (125.7 +/- 41.2 vs. 115.4 +/- 34.2
      hours; P = 0.192) were no different between the no gum and Gum groups. There was
      also no significant difference in the incidence of postoperative ileus (P =
      0.896) and postoperative hospital stay (P = 0.109) between the 2 groups. The
      postoperative pain score at 48 hours (P = 0.032) in the Gum group was
      significantly higher than in the no gum group. There was no significant
      difference between the 2 groups in regards to patient demographics,
      comorbidities, duration of surgery, complications, and nausea/vomiting score.
      CONCLUSION: Gum-chewing after laparoscopic gastrectomy did not hasten the return
      of gastrointestinal function. In addition, gum-chewing may increase patient pain
      on the second postoperative day.

PMID- 28353601
TI  - Urethral hemangioma in a prepubertal female patient: Report of a rare case.
AB  - RATIONALE: Urethral hemangiomas commonly occur in men or elderly women. We
      presented a rare case of urethral hemangioma in a prepubertal female patient.
      PATIENTS CONCERNS: An 8-year-old girl had the complaints of bloody staining of
      clothing, a foul perineal odor, and urethral pain. She was brought to our
      genitourinary outpatient department for survey and a single, 1-cm compressible
      reddish nodule at the 10-2 o'clock position in the distal urethra was found.
      DIAGNOSES: Urethral hemangioma in a prepubertal girl was diagnosed after excision
      of the urethral nodule. INTERVENTIONS: Excision with 8 "stay" sutures in the
      protruding urethral mucosa was performed. OUTCOMES: Normal micturition without
      symptom recurrence was noted at the 3-month follow-up. LESSONS: Urethral
      hemangioma is also found in prepubertal female patient. Increased physician
      awareness and early recognition of a urethral hemangioma can avoid unnecessary
      examinations and patient anxiety. The procedure of excision with 8 "stay" sutures
      in the protruding urethral mucosa facilitates mobilization from the distal
      urethra and provides a good surgical view of abnormal proliferative blood
      vessels. Therefore, the lesion can be removed as clean as possible.

PMID- 28353602
TI  - Association between genetic polymorphism of telomere-associated gene ACYP2 and
      the risk of HAPE among the Chinese Han population: A Case-control study.
AB  - High-altitude pulmonary edema (HAPE) is a hypoxia-induced, life-threatening,
      pulmonary edema, which is characterized by exaggerated pulmonary hypertension
      caused by stress failure. ACYP2 was found to associated with telomere length, the
      aim of this study was to identify whether ACYP2 polymorphisms increase or
      decrease HAPE risk in the Chinese Han individuals.In present study, we have
      genotyped 7 single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in ACYP2 to determine the
      haplotypes in a case-control study with 265 HAPE patients and 303 healthy
      individuals. Genotypes were determined using the Sequenom MassARRAY method. Odds
      ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were calculated by unconditional
      logistic regression with adjustment for gender and age. We found 3 SNPs yielded
      significant evidence for association with HAPE risk which had not been
      investigated before. Rs6713088 was found to have a 1.85- and 1.30-fold increased
      risk of HAPE in the recessive and additive model. The GT of rs843752 also
      conferred an increased risk of HAPE (GT/TT: OR = 1.51, 95% CI: 1.05-2.16, P =
      0.026) and the genotype frequency distributions of rs843752 had significant
      difference between cases and controls. The CC genotype of rs17045754 had a
      protect effect on HAPE patients, and it was found to have a 0.29-fold reduced
      risk of HAPE in the recessive model.Although additional, larger population-based
      studies are needed to confirm these findings, our study shed light on the
      association between ACYP2 variant and HAPE risk in Han Chinese population for the
      first time.

PMID- 28353603
TI  - Facial flushing after alcohol consumption and the risk of cancer: A meta
      analysis.
AB  - BACKGROUND: The association between facial flushing after alcohol consumption and
      the risk of cancer remains controversial. The aim of this study was to evaluate
      the relation between facial flushing and cancer risk. METHODS: PubMed, EMBASE,
      and Cochrane Library were searched for relevant literature. The patients'
      baseline characteristics and estimated risks were extracted. Odds ratios (ORs)
      with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were pooled to estimate the risk of facial
      flushing in cancer, and subgroup analysis was performed. RESULTS: Ten studies
      with 89,376 participants from East Asia were included. The pooled OR of facial
      flushing in all cancers was 1.43 (95% CI, 1.08-1.91), with the pooled ORs of 1.94
      (95% CI, 1.33-2.83) and 0.95 (95% CI, 0.80-1.12) in men and women, respectively.
      The pooled ORs were also estimated in different cancer types. CONCLUSION: Our
      results showed that facial flushing response to alcohol was associated with
      higher cancer risk in men in East Asia, especially in esophageal squamous cell
      carcinoma, yet facial flushing was not significantly associated with cancer risk
      among women.

PMID- 28353604
TI  - A case report of PVOD patient combined with pulmonary embolism: Anticoagulation
      or not?
AB  - RATIONALE: Pulmonary veno-occlusive disease (PVOD) is a rare form of pulmonary
      arterial hypertension (PAH). Oral anticoagulation is confined to patients with
      idiopathic PAH (IPAH), but no oral anticoagulation has been recommended for PVOD,
      because occult pulmonary hemorrhage was a common finding in PVOD. PATIENT
      CONCERNS: We report a case of PVOD, who was misdiagnosed as IPAH for 5 years with
      worsening dyspnea and two episodes of pulmonary embolism (PE). DIAGNOSES: He was
      confirmed as PVOD combined with PE by biopsy of the explanted lung specimen.
      INTERVENTIONS: He took oral anticoagulation, warfarin, to treat his first-time PE
      in July 2010, and his disease was kept stable for about 4 years, until he
      discontinued the anticoagulation therapy by himself sometime in 2014. Later on, a
      life-threatening PE recurred in January 2015, so he resumed the anticoagulation
      therapy. OUTCOMES: Fortunately, the bilateral sequential lung transplantation
      that was performed in July 2015 in time saved his life. He has been living well
      without dyspnea and the echocardiography showed the normalizations of the once
      increased pulmonary arterial pressure and the once enlarged right ventricle of
      his heart. In addition, to the best of my knowledge, he was the first PVOD
      patient receiving lung transplantation in China. LESSONS: We recommend that PVOD
      patients combined with PE should be treated with anticoagulation therapy
      indefinitely to prevent the recurrence of life-threatening PE until they get a
      chance for lung transplantation.

PMID- 28353605
TI  - Diabetes mellitus increases the risk of hepatocellular carcinoma in treatment
      naive chronic hepatitis C patients in China.
AB  - We investigated the link between diabetes mellitus (DM) and hepatitis C virus
      (HCV)-related hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) risk in treatment-naive chronic
      hepatitis C (CHC) patients in China.To examine the association between DM and
      HCC, we conducted a case-control study of 300 Chinese CHC patients with HCC,
      compared to an age- and sex-matched control group of 517 CHC patients not
      diagnosed with HCC.We found that DM was more prevalent in the HCC patient group
      (18.7%) than in the CHC-only patient group (10.8%). We conducted logistic
      regression analyses adjusting for demographics features and other HCC risk
      factors and found that DM increased the risk of HCC development nearly 2-fold
      [adjusted odds ratio (AOR), 95% confidence interval (95% CI), 1.80 (1.17-2.75)].
      Meanwhile, the proportion of HCC patients and CHC-only patients with liver
      cirrhosis were 79.3% and 46.2%, respectively, yielding an AOR of 4.62 (95% CI,
      3.31-6.46). Multivariate analyses comparing the risk of HCV-related HCC
      development in DM patients with and without liver cirrhosis revealed that the
      estimated AOR (95% CI) for those with liver cirrhosis was 5.60 (2.25-13.96).
      However, the HCC risk decreased significantly with a later age of diabetes onset
      (AOR [95% CI], 0.94 [0.89-0.99]).DM was associated with an increased risk for HCC
      development in treatment-naive CHC patients in China. Furthermore, liver
      cirrhosis and an early DM diagnoses further increased the risks of HCC
      development in patients diagnosed with both CHC and DM.

PMID- 28353606
TI  - Prophylactic vacuum sealing drainage (VSD) in the prevention of postoperative
      surgical site infections in pediatric patients with contaminated laparotomy
      incisions.
AB  - Surgical site infection (SSI) continues to be an issue in abdominal surgery,
      especially for contaminated (class III) and dirty-infected (class IV) wounds.
      Vacuum sealing drainage (VSD) was reported effective in the management of various
      types of wounds or skin grafts. Our goal was to investigate the efficacy of
      prophylactic VSD to better orient their medicosurgical care of high-risk
      incisions following laparotomy in a pediatric population.A total of 331 pediatric
      patients with contaminated (class III) and dirty-infected (class IV) wounds
      following emergency laparotomy were retrospectively reviewed between January 2005
      and January 2013. Among them, 111 cases were placed with prophylactic VSD when
      incisions were closed. Clinical outcomes, including, overall surgical site
      complication, device effectiveness, and mean postoperative LOS were evaluated
      based on VSD usage or not.VSD was applied for an average of 5.8 days (range, 5-7
      days), with 3 to 15 mL sucked fluid. The overall SSIs rate was 3% for patients
      with prophylactic VSD and 17% for patients with convention dressing (OR, 0.27;
      95% CI, 0.10-0.71, P = 0.004). In patients with prophylactic VSD, only 1 of 96
      wound developed postoperative incision dehiscence, which is significant reduced
      compared with patients for conventional dressings (OR, 0.12; 95% CI, 0.01-0.95; P
      = 0.017) (Table 2). It also exhibited a decreased mean postoperative LOS (P <
      0.001) for prophylactic VSD over conventional dressings.Our study demonstrated
      beneficial postoperative clinical effects of prophylactic VSD for high-risk
      laparotomy incisions following emergency laparotomy, such as shorter length of
      hospitalization, which may be attributed to the reduced overall SSIs rate.

PMID- 28353607
TI  - Specimen acquisition training with a new biosimulator in endobronchial ultrasound
      guided transbronchial needle aspiration.
AB  - Training for endobronchial ultrasound-guided transbronchial needle aspiration
      (EBUS-TBNA) has focused on the procedure itself; however, the techniques for
      obtaining adequate sample are also important for achieving a pathological
      diagnosis as well as for molecular testing. The aim of this study was to evaluate
      the feasibility and efficacy of a biosimulator for training subjects in adequate
      sample acquisition during EBUS-TBNA.A total of 19 bronchoscopists voluntarily
      participated in this study. A biosimulator (ArtiCHEST, HARADA Corporation, Tokyo,
      Japan) was used for the training. After a 10-minute briefing, the first pass was
      performed by pairs of trainees. The trainees then received a 30-minute lecture
      that focused on the acquisition of samples using EBUS-TBNA. The trainees next
      performed their second pass under the supervision of the trainers. Each
      participant obtained a cytological smear that was coded and evaluated for
      quantity as well as quality by an independent cytotechnologist.The trainees had
      an average of 5.9 years of bronchoscopy experience. With regard to the quantity
      evaluation, 9 (47.4%) subjects sampled a greater number of lymphocytes on the
      second pass than on the first, whereas 2 were better on the first pass, and the
      others sampled roughly the same amount both times. With regard to the quality
      assessment, 9 (47.4%) subjects obtained better quality samples on the second
      pass, whereas the quality of the first and second pass was deemed to be roughly
      the same for the remaining subjects.A biosimulator can be used to train doctors
      in specimen acquisition and evaluate their skills with sampling using EBUS-TBNA.

PMID- 28353608
TI  - Chemotherapy-induced prospective memory impairment in breast cancer patients with
      different hormone receptor expression.
AB  - This study aimed to investigate prospective memory impairment in patients with
      breast cancer with different expression of hormone receptors, including the
      estrogen receptor (ER) and the progesterone receptor (PR).A total of 120 patients
      with breast cancer who underwent chemotherapy following surgery were divided into
      2 groups. The A group included 60 patients with ER/PR status, and the B group
      included 60 patients with ER/PR status. After 6 cycles of postoperative adjuvant
      chemotherapy, all patients were administered neuropsychological and prospective
      memory tests, such as the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE), verbal fluency
      test (VFT), and digit span test (DST), as well as examination of event-based
      prospective memory (EBPM) and time-based prospective memory (TBPM).As the
      neuropsychological background test results showed, there were no significant
      differences in MMSE, DST, and TBPM scores (*:P > 0.05) between patients with
      breast cancer in the ER/PR and ER/PR groups, while the VFT and EBPM scores were
      significantly greater in patients with breast cancer with ER/PR status than in
      those with ER/PR status (**: P < 0.01), indicating that patients with ER/PR
      status have significant impairment in EBPM, although not in TBPM.The results of
      the present study indicate that different hormone receptor expression in patients
      with breast cancer may be associated with heterogeneity of chemotherapy-induced
      prospective memory impairment.

PMID- 28353609
TI  - Assessing practical skills in cardiopulmonary resuscitation: Discrepancy between
      standard visual evaluation and a mechanical feedback device.
AB  - This paper aims to analyze agreement in the assessment of external chest
      compressions (ECC) by 3 human raters and dedicated feedback software.While 54
      volunteer health workers (medical transport technicians), trained and experienced
      in cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR), performed a complete sequence of basic
      CPR maneuvers on a manikin incorporating feedback software (Laerdal PC v 4.2.1
      Skill Reporting Software) (L), 3 expert CPR instructors (A, B, and C) visually
      assessed ECC, evaluating hand placement, compression depth, chest decompression,
      and rate. We analyzed the concordance among the raters (A, B, and C) and between
      the raters and L with Cohen's kappa coefficient (K), intraclass correlation
      coefficients (ICC), Bland-Altman plots, and survival-agreement plots.The
      agreement (expressed as Cohen's K and ICC) was >=0.54 in only 3 instances and was
      <=0.45 in more than half. Bland-Altman plots showed significant dispersion of the
      data. The survival-agreement plot showed a high degree of discordance between
      pairs of raters (A-L, B-L, and C-L) when the level of tolerance was set low.In
      visual assessment of ECC, there is a significant lack of agreement among
      accredited raters and significant dispersion and inconsistency in data, bringing
      into question the reliability and validity of this method of measurement.

PMID- 28353610
TI  - Association of high waist-to-height ratio with functional outcomes in patients
      with acute ischemic stroke: A report from the ACROSS-China study.
AB  - The aim of our study was to investigate the relationship between the waist-to
      height ratio (WHR) and all-cause mortality and functional outcomes after acute
      ischemic stroke in a prospective cohort study.A total of 2076 patients (36.66%
      females) with ischemic stroke were analyzed from ACROSS-China, which is a
      nationwide, prospective, hospital-based stroke registry aimed to detect the
      glucose abnormality in China. One-year follow-up evaluation was done by telephone
      interview. Outcome measures were all-cause mortality and functional outcome
      defined as modified Rankin score being 6 and from 0 to 6, respectively. We
      identified predictors for functional outcomes using logistic regression analysis,
      and mortality outcome using Cox proportional hazards model which incorporated
      covariates with P value of < 0.2 in the univariate analysis and those of clinical
      importance.The higher WHR was associated with worse functional outcome, but not
      predictive of the patients' mortality outcomes. Compared with the first quartile
      (<=0.48), the fourth quartile of the WHR was more likely to be associated with
      poor functional recovery (fourth quartile (>=0.56), OR = 1.38, CI: 1.08-1.77, P =
      0.01; third quartile OR = 1.10, CI: 0.86-1.40, P = 0.45; second quartile OR =
      1.05, CI: 0.83-1.33, P = 0.71).Our findings suggest that abdominal fat
      accumulation may be associated with functional recovery after stroke, and is not
      associated with mortality after stroke. Compared with the lowest quartile, the
      highest quartile of WHR at admission was possibly associated with worse postacute
      ischemic stroke functional recovery.

PMID- 28353611
TI  - Comparison of intra-articular lumbar facet joint pulsed radiofrequency and intra
      articular lumbar facet joint corticosteroid injection for management of lumbar
      facet joint pain: A randomized controlled trial.
AB  - BACKGROUND: This study aimed to demonstrate the effect of intra-articular (IA)
      lumbar facet joint (LFJ) pulsed radiofrequency (PRF) for the management of LFJ
      pain, and to compare the effect of IA LFJ PRF to IA corticosteroid injection
      (ICI). Pathology in the LFJ is a common source of lower back pain (LBP). It is
      responsible for chronic LBP in approximately 15% to 45% of patients. It has been
      reported that PRF stimulation can effectively reduce refractory joint pain.
      METHODS: Sixty patients with LFJ pain were recruited and randomly assigned to 1
      of 2 groups: the IA PRF group and the ICI group. There were 30 patients in each
      group. At pretreatment, 2 weeks, 1, 3, and 6 months after treatment, we assessed
      the severity of LBP using a numeric rating scale (NRS). RESULTS: Compared with
      the pretreatment NRS scores, patients in both groups showed a significant
      decrease in NRS scores at 2 weeks, and 1, 3, and 6 months after each treatment.
      Between groups, changes in the NRS scores were significantly different over time.
      At 2 weeks and 1 month after each procedure, the NRS score after ICI was
      significantly lower than that after the PRF stimulation. However, at 3 and 6
      months after the procedures, the decrements of NRS scores were not significantly
      different between the 2 groups. Six months after treatment, about half of
      patients in both groups reported successful pain relief (pain relief of >=50%).
      CONCLUSION: In the current study, both IA PRF stimulation and ICI into the LFJ
      significantly relieved LFJ pain. Their effects persisted for at least 6 months
      after the procedure. Thus, IA PRF is a useful therapeutic option for the
      management of LFJ pain.

PMID- 28353612
TI  - The effectiveness and safety of angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibition or
      receptor blockade in vascular diseases in patients with hemodialysis.
AB  - Patients with end-stage renal disease (ESRD) who are on hemodialysis have high
      risk of vascular diseases. Our study sought to examine whether angiotensin
      converting enzyme inhibitors (ACEIs) or angiotensin type 1 receptor blockers
      (ARBs) could reduce the frequencies of cardiovascular and cerebrovascular events
      in patients receiving hemodialysis using the medication possession ratio (MPR)
      method of analysis.This retrospective cohort study identified cases of ESRD with
      dialysis from the National Health Insurance Research Database between 1999 and
      2006, and used Cox-regression methods to evaluate risk of poor outcomes. Primary
      outcomes, including death from any cause, and secondary outcomes, including
      admission for stroke, myocardial infarction, and heart failure, were
      examined.Compared to the nonuser group, the adjusted HRs for mortality of the
      nonadherence group and the adherence group were 0.81 (95% CI: 0.76-0.86) and 0.98
      (95% CI: 0.86-1.13), respectively. Cardiovascular events were more frequent in
      patients with ESRD receiving ACEIs /ARBs than in nonusers. Compared with
      nonusers, the hazard of secondary outcome significantly increased in the
      nonadherence group or adherence group in 10 years follow-up.Compared with
      patients with diabetes or chronic kidney disease, patients on hemodialysis may
      not experience the same cardiovascular and cerebrovascular benefits from
      ACEIs/ARBs use.

PMID- 28353613
TI  - Severe pneumonia due to Nocardia otitidiscaviarum identified by mass spectroscopy
      in a cotton farmer: A case report and literature review.
AB  - RATIONALE: Nocardia species are aerobic saprophytic bacilli. Among Nocardia
      species, Nocardia otitidiscaviarum (N otitidiscaviarum) is rarely reported in
      pulmonary infection. PATIENT CONCERNS: We reported a case of N otitidiscaviarum
      pneumonia in a cotton farmer. DIAGNOSES: N otitidiscaviarum pneumonia was
      identified by mass spectroscopy. INTERVENTIONS: Combined treatments (amikacin,
      imipenem and trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole) were administered after
      identification of N otitidiscaviarum. OUTCOMES: The patient eventually died from
      severe respiratory insufficiency in the hospital. LESSONS: Early precise
      diagnosis and prompt combined therapy are of vital importance in severe Nocardia
      pulmonary infection.

PMID- 28353614
TI  - Using health-system-wide data to understand hepatitis B virus prophylaxis and
      reactivation outcomes in patients receiving rituximab.
AB  - Hepatitis B virus (HBV) reactivation in the setting of rituximab use is a
      potentially fatal but preventable safety event. The rate of HBV screening and
      proportion of patients at risk who receive antiviral prophylaxis in patients
      initiating rituximab is unknown.We analyzed electronic health record (EHR) data
      from 2 health systems, a university center and a safety net health system,
      including diagnosis grouper codes, problem lists, medications, laboratory
      results, procedures codes, clinical encounter notes, and scanned documents. We
      identified all patients who received rituximab between 6/1/2012 and 1/1/2016. We
      calculated the proportion of rituximab users with inadequate screening for HBV
      according to the Centers for Disease Control guidelines for detecting latent HBV
      infection before their first rituximab infusion during the study period. We also
      assessed the proportion of patients with positive hepatitis B screening tests who
      were prescribed antiviral prophylaxis. Finally, we characterized safety failures
      and adverse events.We included 926 patients from the university and 132 patients
      from the safety net health system. Sixty-one percent of patients from the
      university had adequate screening for HBV compared with 90% from the safety net.
      Among patients at risk for reactivation based on results of HBV testing, 66% and
      92% received antiviral prophylaxis at the university and safety net,
      respectively.We found wide variations in hepatitis B screening practices among
      patients receiving rituximab, resulting in unnecessary risks to patients.
      Interventions should be developed to improve patient safety procedures in this
      high-risk patient population.

PMID- 28353615
TI  - A new method for estimating the prevalence of clonorchiasis in Korea: A proposal
      to replace arbitrary riverside sampling.
AB  - South Korea presently uses an arbitrary sampling method to monitor the prevalence
      of Clonorchis sinensis infection in the endemic areas of the country. However,
      the present method is not standardized and focuses primarily on individuals who
      reside nearest to the mainstream river. We propose a new sampling method that
      combines cluster sampling with proportionate quota sampling to ensure that the
      entire endemic area is accurately represented. We tested the new method in
      Okcheon-gun, South Korea, and determined that the C sinensis infection prevalence
      (8.9%) in 2013 was higher than that (6.9%) estimated in 2012 when the arbitrary
      method was used. Additionally, no difference was observed in the prevalence based
      on the distance from the riverside areas, including branches and creeks, between
      the areas <1 and >1 km away from the riversides. Therefore, health authorities
      should place equal emphasis on all regions within the endemic areas. Based on the
      findings, we recommend the following: the clonorchiasis prevalence rate must be
      measured using probability sampling, (clear guidelines on survey coverage should
      be provided to include the riverside areas and all areas nearby branch streams,
      and regional cohorts should be created for continuous monitoring of prevalence
      rates across the region.

PMID- 28353616
TI  - Associations between polymorphisms in coagulation-related genes and venous
      thromboembolism: A meta-analysis with trial sequential analysis.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Recently, several studies showed that the polymorphisms in the
      coagulation-related genes might be associated with venous thromboembolism (VTE);
      however, the results were still controversial. We performed a meta-analysis with
      trial sequential analysis to investigate the associations between the endothelial
      cell-activated protein C receptor (EPCR) rs9574, F11 rs2289252, F11 rs2036914,
      FGG rs2066865, FGG rs1049636, CYP4V2 rs13146272, SERPINC1 rs2227589, and GP6
      rs1613662 polymorphisms with the risk of VTE. METHODS: We searched both the
      common English-language databases and the Chinese literature databases. Two
      authors selected studies according to inclusion and exclusion criteria. Crude
      odds ratios with 95% confidence intervals (CI) were calculated to estimate the
      strength of this association. Between-study heterogeneity was assessed with the
      chi-square-based Q test and the I statistic. RESULTS: Overall, a total of 20
      studies were included. The meta-analysis revealed that the F11 rs2289252, F11
      rs2036914, FGG rs2066865, and CYP4V2 rs13146272 polymorphisms were closely
      related to the development of VTE in the white race under the best genetic models
      after multiple testing adjustments. The EPCR rs9574, FGG rs1049636, SERPINC1
      rs2227589, and GP6 rs1613662 polymorphisms might be potential candidates in the
      pathogenesis of VTE, but trial sequential analyses and sensitivity analyses
      indicated that the evidences were limited. Larger scale studies were demanded to
      avoid false-positive outcomes. CONCLUSIONS: Finally, our study demonstrated the
      important role of rs2289252, rs2036914, rs2066865, and rs13146272 polymorphisms
      in the development of VTE in the white race. Rs9574, rs1049636, rs2227589 and
      rs1613662 polymorphisms might be risk factors of VTE. However, more studies
      involving diverse races are needed to probe the ethnic difference and the
      underlying mechanisms of significant associations.

PMID- 28353617
TI  - A step-by-step regressed pediatric kidney depth formula validated by a reasonable
      index.
AB  - In predicting pediatric kidney depth, we are especially interested in that the
      errors of most estimates are within a narrow range. Therefore, this study was
      intended to use the proportion of estimates within a range of -5 to 5 mm (P5 mm)
      to evaluate the formulas and tried to regress a kidney depth formula for
      children. The enrolled children aged from 1 to 19 years were randomly sampled
      into group A and group B (75% and 25% of all recruits, respectively). Using data
      of the group A, the test formula was regressed by nonlinear regression and
      subsequently Passing & Bablok regression, and validated in group B. The Raynaud,
      Gordon, Tonnesen, Taylor, and the test formulas were evaluated in the 2 groups.
      Accuracy was evaluated by bias, absolute bias, and P5 mm; and precision was
      evaluated by correlation coefficient. In addition, root-mean square error was
      used as a mixed index for both accuracy and precision. Body weight, height, and
      age did not have significant differences between the 2 groups. In the nonlinear
      regression, coefficients of the formula (kidney depth = a * weight/height + b *
      age) from group A were in narrower 95% confidence intervals. After the Passing &
      Bablok regression, biases of left and right kidney estimates were significantly
      decreased. In the evaluation of formulas, the test formula was obviously better
      than other formulas mentioned above, and P5 mm for left and right kidneys was
      about 60%. Among children younger than 10 years, P5 mm was even more than 70% for
      left and right kidney depths. To predict pediatric kidney depth, accuracy and
      precision of a step-by-step regressed formula were better than the 4 "standard"
      formulas.

PMID- 28353618
TI  - Relationship of active trigger points with related disability and anxiety in
      people with tension-type headache.
AB  - To investigate the differences in the presence of trigger points (TrPs) and their
      association with headache-related disability and mood disorders in people with
      frequent episodic tension-type headache (TTH) (FETTH) and chronic TTH (CTTH). One
      hundred twenty-two individuals with TTH participated. Clinical features of
      headache (i.e., intensity, duration, and frequency) were recorded on a headache
      diary. Headache-related disability was assessed with the Headache Disability
      Inventory, trait and state anxiety levels with State-Trait Anxiety Inventory, and
      depression with the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale. TrPs were bilaterally
      explored in the temporalis, masseter, suboccipital, upper trapezius, splenius
      capitis, and sternocleidomastoid muscles. Sixty-two (51%) patients were
      classified as FETTH, whereas 60 (49%) were classified as CTTH. Individuals with
      CTTH showed higher burden of headache and depression than FETTH (P < 0.001).
      Subjects with FETTH showed similar number of TrPs (total number: 5.9 +/- 3.1,
      active TrPs: 4.7 +/- 2.5, and latent TrPs: 1.2 +/- 1.9) than those with CTTH
      (total number: 5.7 +/- 3.2, active TrPs: 4.2 +/- 3.0, and latent TrPs: 1.5 +/-
      1.8). The number of active TrPs was significantly associated with the burden of
      headache (r = 0.189; P = 0.037) and trait anxiety (r = 0.273; P = 0.005): the
      higher the number of active TrPs, the greater the physical burden of headache or
      the more the trait anxiety level. No association with the depression was
      observed. The presence of active TrPs in head and neck/shoulder muscles was
      similar between individuals with FETTH and CTTH and associated with the physical
      burden of headache and trait anxiety levels independently of the subgroup of TTH.

PMID- 28353619
TI  - Role of quantitative hepatitis B surface antigen in predicting inactive carriers
      and HBsAg seroclearance in HBeAg-negative chronic hepatitis B patients.
AB  - To evaluate quantitative hepatitis B surface antigen (qHBsAg) as a diagnostic
      marker for inactive carriers (ICs) and hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg)
      seroclearance in hepatitis B e antigen (HBeAg)-negative chronic hepatitis B (CHB)
      patients. We retrospectively studied 300 HBeAg-negative CHB patients with initial
      serum hepatitis B virus (HBV) Deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) levels <2000 IU/mL.
      Serum HBV DNA and alanine aminotransferase (ALT) levels were monitored every 6
      months for 24 months. ICs were identified as having persistent HBV DNA levels
      <2000 IU/mL and normal ALT levels, whereas active carriers (ACs) were identified
      as having HBV DNA levels >=2000 IU/mL, with or without elevated ALT levels. The
      serum qHBsAg level was defined at baseline and evaluated as a diagnostic
      predictor using a receiver-operating characteristic curve. The study group
      comprised 134 men and 166 women with a median age of 41.5 years. At baseline, 200
      ICs displayed lower levels of qHBsAg (1492 IU/mL) compared with 100 ACs (2936
      IU/mL) (P = 0.005). The qHBsAg level was independently associated with the IC
      state and HBsAg seroclearance. Baseline qHBsAg levels <1000 IU/mL and HBV DNA
      levels <2000 IU/mL, when detected simultaneously, allowed for identification of
      ICs with 41% sensitivity and 72% specificity. Fifteen patients (5%) displayed
      HBsAg seroclearance after 24 months. A qHBsAg cutoff value of <50 IU/mL provided
      100% sensitivity and 92% specificity in predicting HBsAg seroclearance. The
      qHBsAg level at a single timepoint among HBeAg-negative CHB patients with low HBV
      DNA levels at baseline was not a predictive marker for ICs; however, it
      accurately predicted spontaneous HBsAg seroclearance at 24 months.

PMID- 28353620
TI  - Electrode Array Displacement into the Fallopian Canal in Revisions of Long
      standing Cochlear Implants.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: To describe extracochlear extension of revision cochlear implant
      arrays into the Fallopian canal. PATIENTS: Two adult patients with extension of
      revision cochlear implant arrays into the Fallopian canal. INTERVENTIONS:
      Computed tomography (CT), selective deactivation of non-functional electrodes.
      MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Facial nerve function, facial nerve stimulation, cochlear
      implant electrode position, radiography, functional hearing. RESULTS: Two
      patients presented with failure of their long-standing cochlear implants (CIs).
      One patient with presumed postviral hearing loss presented with declining
      function and increasing facial stimulation from an implant placed 30 years
      previous. A second with postmeningitic hearing loss presented with a draining
      mastoid fistula from an implant placed 7 years before. Both patients were
      reimplanted with minimal insertion resistance via the established electrode
      tract, yet demonstrated facial nerve stimulation during intraoperative telemetry
      and on device activation. Postoperative CTs of each patient showed exit of the
      electrode from the cochlea into the tympanic or labyrinthine Fallopian canal.
      Both patients can use their devices effectively with selective electrode
      deactivation. CONCLUSIONS: Our cases illustrate the potential association of long
      standing electrodes with otic capsule changes, allowing extracochlear malposition
      of subsequent arrays. This can occur despite apparently uneventful reinsertion of
      a flexible array without undue force. Previously reported histopathology confirms
      the potential for a reactive osteitis from arrays that may contribute to this
      phenomenon. Intraoperative facial stimulation with neural telemetry testing can
      raise suspicion of a malpositioned array involving the Fallopian canal. Such
      cases can be effectively managed with selective deactivation of malpositioned
      electrode contacts.

PMID- 28353621
TI  - The Effect of Soft Tissue Infections on Device Performance in Adult Cochlear
      Implant Recipients.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to examine the effect of cochlear implant
      (CI) site infection and its subsequent management on CI mapping and CI
      performance. Risk factors for CI infections and pathogens causing infections were
      reviewed. Treatment options for CI infections were examined. STUDY DESIGN:
      Retrospective case review. SETTING: Tertiary referral center. PATIENTS: Adult
      patients with a significant CI soft tissue infection from the Northern Cochlear
      Implant Programme, New Zealand over a 10-year period (August 2004 until August
      2014). INTERVENTION: Patients were treated with intravenous antibiotics, washout
      and debridement or ex-plantation and reimplantation of CI. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE:
      CI mapping results and implant performance before and after management of CI
      infections were compared. RESULTS: There were nine CI infections. Most patients
      (7/9) were treated with washout and debridement. One patient required removal of
      the CI and one patient was deemed medically unfit for a general anaesthetic and
      was managed conservatively with antibiotics alone. Seven patients received long
      term antibiotics. Four patients were able to maintain CI performance after
      salvage treatment of the CI infection. Three patients had poorer CI performance
      after salvage treatment. One patient had reimplantation and became a nonuser due
      to only partial reinsertion. CONCLUSION: The pathophysiology of CI infections is
      complex. Infections can occur many years after CI surgery. The most common
      bacteria identified were Staphylococcus aureus, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and skin
      commensals. Biofilms are present around implants that are removed from patients
      and biofilms may play a role in CI infections, but the mechanism of infection is
      not clear.

PMID- 28353622
TI  - Hearing Preservation Outcomes for 139 Cochlear Implant Recipients Using a Thin
      Straight Electrode Array.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: To assess the hearing preservation outcomes in a large group of adult
      cochlear implant recipients implanted with a thin straight electrode array using
      atraumatic surgical techniques. Factors affecting hearing preservation will be
      investigated. STUDY DESIGN: Prospective cohort study undertaken at the Royal
      Victorian Eye and Ear Hospital in Melbourne, Australia from December 2010 to May
      2015. SETTING: Tertiary academic hospital. PATIENTS: One hundred thirty-nine
      adults undergoing cochlear implantation (CI). MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE: Primary
      outcome measure of interest was pre and postoperative pure-tone audiometry.
      RESULTS: Median low-frequency hearing change for the whole group of 139
      recipients was -22.5 dB at the 3 months postop point. Eighty-six participants had
      functional preoperative low-frequency hearing (<=70 dB average at 250 and 500
      Hz). Of these, 90.7% retained measureable hearing at 3 months postimplant. 39.5%
      of this original 86 participants retained functional hearing at 3 months
      postimplant. At 12 months postimplant, those who retained functional hearing at 3
      months had no significant change in hearing. The group who lost functional
      hearing continued to have a significant deterioration in low-frequency hearing.
      Degree of hearing loss preimplant was identified as a predictor for the
      preservation of hearing postoperatively. CONCLUSION: Preservation of hearing is
      possible following atraumatic cochlear implant surgery with a thin straight
      electrode array. The amount of hearing preserved seems to be variable, and
      factors related to this variability are not yet known. The results of the present
      study suggest preoperative low-frequency hearing at or better than 45 dB may be
      related to preservation of functional hearing.

PMID- 28353623
TI  - Preoperative CT Assessment in CI: Dehiscence of the Labyrinthine Segment of the
      Facial Nerve Causing Facial Nerve Stimulation.

PMID- 28353624
TI  - Cochlear Implants Versus Hearing Aids in a Middle-Income Country: Costs,
      Productivity, and Quality of Life.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: In Colombia there are three main treatment approaches for bilateral
      profound sensorineural hearing loss, also known as profound deafness (PD):
      cochlear implants (CI), hearing aids (HA), and no treatment (NT). The objective
      of this study is to determine the optimal treatment approach for PD in terms of
      productivity and cost-effectiveness. STUDY DESIGN: Hearing levels and SES data
      were obtained from audiometric tests conducted on 100 patients with CI. For each
      treatment approach, productivity and cost-effectiveness assessments were
      estimated using influence diagrams and Monte Carlo simulations. Productivity was
      calculated as the net present value of a patient's lifetime income divided by
      total health-related and educational costs. For the CI and HA, the cost
      effectiveness indicator was calculated as quality-adjusted life-years (QALYs)
      gained in comparison with the NT approach divided by the total cost of the
      treatment option. RESULTS: The results for the CI, the HA, and NT in terms of
      productivity ratio were 1.53, 0.94, and 1.47, respectively. Patients using CI had
      a gain of 5.7 QALYs, whereas patients using HA had a gain of 4.6 QALYs. The
      results for the CI and the HA in terms of cost-effectiveness were $15,169 and
      $15,430 per QALY, respectively. CONCLUSION: The CI was found to be the optimal
      treatment for PD, as it was the most efficient and cost-effective in terms of
      improving patients' productivity and quality of life. We observed that children
      who had received CI developed hearing and speech abilities that contributed to
      their productivity and quality of life to a greater extent than those with HA.

PMID- 28353626
TI  - Retraction: Khan et al. Structural and Magnetic Response in Bimetallic Core/Shell
      Magnetic Nanoparticles. Nanomaterials 2016, 6, 72.
AB  - It has come to our attention that Figure 3 of the title paper [1] contains
      unacceptable levels of image manipulation and thus does not provide firm evidence
      of the particles reported [...].

PMID- 28353627
TI  - Effects of Storage Time on Glycolysis in Donated Human Blood Units.
AB  - Background: Donated blood is typically stored before transfusions. During
      storage, the metabolism of red blood cells changes, possibly causing storage
      lesions. The changes are storage time dependent and exhibit donor-specific
      variations. It is necessary to uncover and characterize the responsible molecular
      mechanisms accounting for such biochemical changes, qualitatively and
      quantitatively; Study Design and Methods: Based on the integration of metabolic
      time series data, kinetic models, and a stoichiometric model of the glycolytic
      pathway, a customized inference method was developed and used to quantify the
      dynamic changes in glycolytic fluxes during the storage of donated blood units.
      The method provides a proof of principle for the feasibility of inferences
      regarding flux characteristics from metabolomics data; Results: Several
      glycolytic reaction steps change substantially during storage time and vary among
      different fluxes and donors. The quantification of these storage time effects,
      which are possibly irreversible, allows for predictions of the transfusion
      outcome of individual blood units; Conclusion: The improved mechanistic
      understanding of blood storage, obtained from this computational study, may aid
      the identification of blood units that age quickly or more slowly during storage,
      and may ultimately improve transfusion management in clinics.

PMID- 28353628
TI  - PI3K Signaling in Tissue Hyper-Proliferation: From Overgrowth Syndromes to Kidney
      Cysts.
AB  - The members of the PhosphoInositide-3 Kinase (PI3K) protein family are well-known
      regulators of proliferative signals. By the generation of lipid second
      messengers, they mediate the activation of AKT/PKB (AKT) and mammalian Target Of
      Rapamycin (mTOR) pathways. Although mutations in the PI3K/AKT/mTOR pathway are
      highly characterized in cancer, recent evidence indicates that alterations in the
      proliferative signals are major drivers of other diseases such as overgrowth
      disorders and polycystic kidney disease. In this review, we briefly summarize the
      role of the PI3K/AKT/mTOR pathway in cell proliferation by comparing the effect
      of alterations in PI3K enzymes in different tissues. In particular, we discuss
      the most recent findings on how the same pathway may lead to different biological
      effects, due to the convergence and cooperation of different signaling cascades.

PMID- 28353629
TI  - Imprinting of Microorganisms for Biosensor Applications.
AB  - There is a growing need for selective recognition of microorganisms in complex
      samples due to the rapidly emerging importance of detecting them in various
      matrices. Most of the conventional methods used to identify microorganisms are
      time-consuming, laborious and expensive. In recent years, many efforts have been
      put forth to develop alternative methods for the detection of microorganisms.
      These methods include use of various components such as silica nanoparticles,
      microfluidics, liquid crystals, carbon nanotubes which could be integrated with
      sensor technology in order to detect microorganisms. In many of these
      publications antibodies were used as recognition elements by means of specific
      interactions between the target cell and the binding site of the antibody for the
      purpose of cell recognition and detection. Even though natural antibodies have
      high selectivity and sensitivity, they have limited stability and tend to
      denature in conditions outside the physiological range. Among different
      approaches, biomimetic materials having superior properties have been used in
      creating artificial systems. Molecular imprinting is a well suited technique
      serving the purpose to develop highly selective sensing devices. Molecularly
      imprinted polymers defined as artificial recognition elements are of growing
      interest for applications in several sectors of life science involving the
      investigations on detecting molecules of specific interest. These polymers have
      attractive properties such as high bio-recognition capability, mechanical and
      chemical stability, easy preparation and low cost which make them superior over
      natural recognition reagents. This review summarizes the recent advances in the
      detection and quantification of microorganisms by emphasizing the molecular
      imprinting technology and its applications in the development of sensor
      strategies.

PMID- 28353630
TI  - Detection of 17 beta-Estradiol in Environmental Samples and for Health Care Using
      a Single-Use, Cost-Effective Biosensor Based on Differential Pulse Voltammetry
      (DPV).
AB  - Environmental estrogen pollution and estrogen effects on the female reproductive
      system are well recognized scientifically. Among the estrogens, 17 beta-estradiol
      is a priority in environmental estrogen pollution, and it is also a major
      contributor to estrogen which regulates the female reproductive system. 17 beta
      estradiol is carcinogenic and has a tumor promotion effect relating to breast
      cancer, lung cancer and others. It also affects psychological well-being such as
      depression, fatigue and others. Thus, a simple method of detecting 17 beta
      estradiol will be important for both environmental estrogen pollution and health
      care. This study demonstrates a single-use, cost-effective 17 beta-estradiol
      biosensor system which can be used for both environmental and health care
      applications. The bio-recognition mechanism is based on the influence of the
      redox couple, K3Fe(CN)6/K4Fe(CN)6 by the interaction between 17 beta-estradiol
      antigen and its alpha-receptor (ER-alpha; alpha-estrogen antibody). The
      transduction mechanism is an electrochemical analytical technique, differential
      pulse voltammetry (DPV). The levels of 17 beta-estradiol antigen studied were
      between 2.25 pg/mL and 2250 pg/mL; Phosphate buffered saline (PBS), tap water
      from the Cleveland regional water district, and simulated urine were used as the
      test media covering the potential application areas for 17 beta-estradiol
      detection. An interference study by testosterone, which has a similar chemical
      structure and molecular weight as those of 17 beta-estradiol, was carried out,
      and this 17 beta-estradiol biosensor showed excellent specificity without any
      interference by similar chemicals.

PMID- 28353631
TI  - Characterization and Potential Antitumor Activity of Polysaccharide from
      Gracilariopsis lemaneiformis.
AB  - Substances with valuable antitumor properties have been identified in many marine
      algae, including an edible polysaccharide from the marine alga Gracilariopsis
      lemaneiformis (PGL). We previously reported transcriptome profiling data showing
      that PGL induced transcriptional alterations generate anti-lung cancer activity.
      To identify how PGL is detrimental to tumors, we purified PGL to characterize its
      chemical composition, molecular weight, and sugar and protein content and
      investigated its antitumor activity. We demonstrated that PGL exerted its
      antitumor activities by modulating cell viability, morphology, apoptosis, and the
      apoptosis-related Fas/FasL signaling pathway in the human lung cancer cell line
      A549, the gastric cancer cell line MKN28, and the mouse melanoma cell line B16.
      Our data provide the first evidence that PGL inhibits cell proliferation by
      inducing apoptosis, which is largely mediated by Fas/FasL in cancer cells,
      suggesting that PGL might be a novel therapeutic agent against cancer.

PMID- 28353632
TI  - Attenuation of Bleomycin-Induced Pulmonary Fibrosis in Rats with S-Allyl
      Cysteine.
AB  - Pulmonary fibrosis is a complex disease with high mortality and morbidity. As
      there are currently no effective treatments, development of new strategies is
      essential for improving therapeutic outcomes. S-allyl cysteine (SAC) is a
      constituent of aged garlic extract that has demonstrated efficacy as an
      antioxidant and anti-inflammatory agent. The current study examines the effects
      of SAC on pulmonary fibrosis induced by a single intratracheal instillation of
      bleomycin (2.5 mg/kg). SAC was administered to rats as 0.15% SAC-containing diet
      from seven days prior to instillation up until the conclusion of the experiment
      (14 days post-instillation). SAC significantly reduced collagen mRNA expression
      and protein deposition (33.3 +/- 2.7 MUg/mg and 28.2 +/- 2.1 MUg/mg tissue in
      vehicle- and SAC-treated rats, respectively), and decreased fibrotic area, as
      assessed histologically. In the rats' lungs, SAC also attenuated the increased
      expression of transforming growth factor-beta1 (TGF-beta1), a central regulator
      of myofibroblast recruitment, activation, and differentiation. While bleomycin
      instillation increased the number of myofibroblasts within the lung mesenchymal
      area, this change was significantly reduced by SAC treatment. SAC may exert
      efficacy as an anti-fibrotic by attenuating myofibroblast differentiation through
      TGF-beta1-mediated fibroproliferative processes. Thus, our results indicate SAC
      may be useful for the prevention or treatment of pulmonary fibrosis.

PMID- 28353633
TI  - Another Look at Pyrroloiminoquinone Alkaloids-Perspectives on Their Therapeutic
      Potential from Known Structures and Semisynthetic Analogues.
AB  - This study began with the goal of identifying constituents from Zyzzya fuliginosa
      extracts that showed selectivity in our primary cytotoxicity screen against the
      PANC-1 tumor cell line. During the course of this project, which focused on six
      Z. fuliginosa samples collected from various regions of the Indo-Pacific, known
      compounds were obtained consisting of nine makaluvamine and three damirone
      analogues. Four new acetylated derivatives were also prepared. High-accuracy
      electrospray ionization mass spectrometry (HAESI-MS) m/z ions produced through
      MS2 runs were obtained and interpreted to provide a rapid way for dereplicating
      isomers containing a pyrrolo[4,3,2-de]quinoline core. In vitro human
      pancreas/duct epithelioid carcinoma (PANC-1) cell line IC50 data was obtained for
      16 compounds and two therapeutic standards. These results along with data gleaned
      from the literature provided useful structure activity relationship conclusions.
      Three structural motifs proved to be important in maximizing potency against PANC
      1: (i) conjugation within the core of the ABC-ring; (ii) the presence of a
      positive charge in the C-ring; and (iii) inclusion of a 4-ethyl phenol or 4-ethyl
      phenol acetate substituent off the B-ring. Two compounds, makaluvamine J (9) and
      15-O-acetyl makaluvamine J (15), contained all three of these frameworks and
      exhibited the best potency with IC50 values of 54 nM and 81 nM, respectively.
      These two most potent analogs were then tested against the OVCAR-5 cell line and
      the presence of the acetyl group increased the potency 14-fold from that of 9
      whose IC50 = 120 nM vs. that of 15 having IC50 = 8.6 nM.

PMID- 28353634
TI  - Vitamin D Insufficiency Exacerbates Adipose Tissue Macrophage Infiltration and
      Decreases AMPK/SIRT1 Activity in Obese Rats.
AB  - Obesity is recognized as a state of chronic low-grade systemic inflammation due
      to adipose tissue macrophage infiltration and production of proinflammatory
      adipokines. Decreased vitamin D status is associated with obesity. The specific
      aim of the present study is to investigate the effects of vitamin D on obesity
      induced adipose tissue inflammation. Male Sprague-Dawley rats were randomized and
      fed a normal diet (NOR, 1000 IU vitamin D/kg diet), a 45% high-fat diet (HF, 1000
      IU vitamin D/kg diet), or a 45% high-fat diet containing 25 IU vitamin D/kg diet
      (HF+LVD) for 12 weeks. The vitamin D-insufficient diet (HF+LVD) led to vitamin D
      inadequacy as determined by serum 25(OH)D level, 68.56 +/- 7.97 nmol/L. The
      HF+LVD group exacerbated HF-increased adipocyte size, adipogenic gene expression
      of PPARgamma, adipose tissue macrophage recruitment, and proinflammatory cytokine
      IL-6 and TNFalpha levels in epididymal white adipose tissue. In addition, vitamin
      D insufficiency significantly decreased mRNA levels of beta-oxidation-related
      genes such as CPT1alpha, PGC1alpha, PPARalpha, VLCAD, LCAD, MCAD, and UCP1.
      Moreover, significant decrements of SIRT1 and AMPK activity were noted in obese
      rats fed with a vitamin D-insufficient diet. The observed deleterious effects of
      vitamin D insufficiency on adipose tissue expansion, immune cell infiltration and
      inflammatory status suggest vitamin D plays a beneficial role in adipocyte
      metabolic metabolism and obesity progression. SIRT1 and AMPK activity may play a
      role in the mechanism of vitamin D action.

PMID- 28353636
TI  - Zinc and Oxidative Stress: Current Mechanisms.
AB  - Oxidative stress is a metabolic dysfunction that favors the oxidation of
      biomolecules, contributing to the oxidative damage of cells and tissues. This
      consequently contributes to the development of several chronic diseases. In
      particular, zinc is one of the most relevant minerals to human health, because of
      its antioxidant properties. This review aims to provide updated information about
      the mechanisms involved in the protective role of zinc against oxidative stress.
      Zinc acts as a co-factor for important enzymes involved in the proper functioning
      of the antioxidant defense system. In addition, zinc protects cells against
      oxidative damage, acts in the stabilization of membranes and inhibits the enzyme
      nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate oxidase (NADPH-Oxidase). Zinc also
      induces the synthesis of metallothioneins, which are proteins effective in
      reducing hydroxyl radicals and sequestering reactive oxygen species (ROS)
      produced in stressful situations, such as in type 2 diabetes, obesity and cancer.
      Literature provides strong evidence for the role of zinc in the protection
      against oxidative stress in several diseases.

PMID- 28353635
TI  - Effects of Fruit and Vegetable Consumption on Risk of Asthma, Wheezing and Immune
      Responses: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.
AB  - Abstract: Evidence suggests that reduced intake of fruit and vegetables may play
      a critical role in the development of asthma and allergies. The present review
      aimed to summarize the evidence for the association between fruit and vegetable
      intake, risk of asthma/wheeze and immune responses. Databases including PubMed,
      Cochrane, CINAHL and EMBASE were searched up to June 2016. Studies that
      investigated the effects of fruit and vegetable intake on risk of asthma/wheeze
      and immune responses were considered eligible (n = 58). Studies used cross
      sectional (n = 30), cohort (n = 13), case-control (n = 8) and experimental (n =
      7) designs. Most of the studies (n = 30) reported beneficial associations of
      fruit and vegetable consumption with risk of asthma and/or respiratory function,
      while eight studies found no significant relationship. Some studies (n = 20)
      reported mixed results, as they found a negative association between fruit only
      or vegetable only, and asthma. In addition, the meta-analyses in both adults and
      children showed inverse associations between fruit intake and risk of prevalent
      wheeze and asthma severity (p < 0.05). Likewise, vegetable intake was negatively
      associated with risk of prevalent asthma (p < 0.05). Seven studies examined
      immune responses in relation to fruit and vegetable intake in asthma, with n = 6
      showing a protective effect against either systemic or airway inflammation. Fruit
      and vegetable consumption appears to be protective against asthma.

PMID- 28353637
TI  - Current Status of Marine-Derived Compounds as Warheads in Anti-Tumor Drug
      Candidates.
AB  - In this review, we have attempted to describe all of the antibody-drug conjugates
      using a marine-derived compound as the "warhead", that are currently in clinical
      trials as listed in the current version of the NIH clinical trials database
      (clinicaltrials.gov). In searching this database, we used the beta-test version
      currently available, as it permitted more specific search parameters, since the
      regular version did not always find trials that had been completed in the past
      with some agents. We also added small discussion sections on candidates that are
      still at the preclinical stage, including a derivative of diazonamide that has an
      unusual interaction with tubulin (DZ-23840), which may also be a potential
      warhead in the future.

PMID- 28353638
TI  - A Specific Peptide with Calcium-Binding Capacity from Defatted Schizochytrium sp.
      Protein Hydrolysates and the Molecular Properties.
AB  - Marine microorganisms have been proposed as a new kind of protein source. Efforts
      are needed in order to transform the protein-rich biological wastes left after
      lipid extraction into value-added bio-products. Thus, the utilization of protein
      recovered from defatted Schizochytrium sp. by-products presents an opportunity. A
      specific peptide Tyr-Leu (YL) with calcium-binding capacity was purified from
      defatted Schizochytrium sp. protein hydrolysates through gel filtration
      chromatography and RP-HPLC. The calcium-binding activity of YL reached 126.34 +/-
      3.40 MUg/mg. The calcium-binding mechanism was investigated through ultraviolet,
      fluorescence and infrared spectroscopy. The results showed that calcium ions
      could form dative bonds with carboxyl oxygen atoms and amino nitrogen atoms as
      well as the nitrogen and oxygen atoms of amide bonds. YL-Ca exhibited excellent
      thermal stability and solubility, which was beneficial for its absorption and
      transport in the basic intestinal tract of the human body. Moreover, the cellular
      uptake of calcium in Caco-2 cells showed that YL-Ca could enhance calcium uptake
      efficiency and protect calcium ions against precipitation caused by dietary
      inhibitors such as tannic acid, oxalate, phytate and metal ions. The findings
      indicate that the by-product of Schizochytrium sp. is a promising source for
      making peptide-calcium bio-products as algae-based functional supplements for
      human beings.

PMID- 28353639
TI  - Influence of MTHFR Genetic Background on p16 and MGMT Methylation in Oral
      Squamous Cell Cancer.
AB  - Genetic polymorphisms of the methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase (MTHFR) enzyme
      may influence DNA methylation. Alterations in DNA methylation patterns of genes
      involved in the regulation of the cell cycle, DNA repair, cell adherence and
      metastasis process are known to contribute to cancer development. In this study,
      the influence of the MTHFR C677T and A1298C gene polymorphisms on global DNA
      methylation and site-specific methylation on p16 and O6-methylguanine-DNA
      methyltransferase (MGMT) gene promoters was investigated in patients with oral
      squamous cell cancer (OSCC). To this aim, methylation studies were carried out by
      using genomic DNA isolated from saliva samples of 58 OSCC patients and 90 healthy
      controls. The frequency of the CT/AC and TT/AA genotypes was significantly higher
      in patients than in controls. Whereas no difference in global DNA methylation
      levels was observed between patients and controls, a higher frequency of
      methylation at both p16 and MGMT gene promoters was detected in patients compared
      with controls. A significant association between MTHFR gene polymorphisms and p16
      and MGMT gene promoter methylation was found. The frequency of p16 and MGMT
      methylation was around 60% in patients with either the CT/AC or TT/AA genotype.
      Our results suggest that hypermethylation of cancer-related genes may be affected
      by MTHFR polymorphisms.

PMID- 28353640
TI  - Bisarylureas Based on 1H-Pyrazolo[3,4-d]pyrimidine Scaffold as Novel Pan-RAF
      Inhibitors with Potent Anti-Proliferative Activities: Structure-Based Design,
      Synthesis, Biological Evaluation and Molecular Modelling Studies.
AB  - RAF (Ras activating factor) kinases are important and attractive targets for
      cancer therapy. With the aim of discovering RAF inhibitors that bind to DFG-out
      inactive conformation created by the movement of Asp-Phe-Gly (DFG), we conducted
      structure-based drug design using the X-ray cocrystal structures of BRAF (v-raf
      murine sarcoma viral oncogene homolog B1), starting from bisarylurea derivative
      based on 1H-pyrazolo[3,4-d]pyrimidine scaffold 1a. Most of the synthesized
      compounds showed good to excellent inhibitory activities against BRAFV600E
      kinase, possessed moderate to potent anti-proliferative activities against four
      tumor cell lines (A375, HT-29, PC-3 and A549) and good selectivity towards cancer
      cells rather normal cells (Madin-Darby canine kidney, MDCK). The most promising
      compound, 1v, exhibited potent inhibitory activity against not only BRAFV600E
      (half maximal inhibitory concentration, IC50 = 23.6 nM) but also wild-type BRAF
      (IC50 = 51.5 nM) and C-RAF (IC50 = 8.5 nM), and effective cellular anti
      proliferative activities against A375, HT-29, PC-3 and A549 cell lines as well as
      a very good selectivity profile. Moreover, compound 1v mainly arrested the A375
      cell line in the G0/G1 stage, and showed significant suppression of MEK (mitogen
      activated protein kinase kinase) phosphorylation in A375 and HT-29 cell lines.
      Taken together, the optimal compound 1v showed excellent in vitro potency as a
      pan-RAF inhibitor. In addition, the promise of compound 1v was further confirmed
      by molecular dynamics simulation and binding free energy calculations.

PMID- 28353641
TI  - Rapid Determination of 30 Polyphenols in Tongmai Formula, a Combination of
      Puerariae Lobatae Radix, Salviae Miltiorrhizae Radix et Rhizoma, and Chuanxiong
      Rhizoma, via Liquid Chromatography-Tandem Mass Spectrometry.
AB  - Tongmai formula (TMF) is a herbal preparation composed of three traditional
      Chinese medicinal materials: Puerariae Lobatae Radix (Gegen), Salviae
      Miltiorrhizae Radix et Rhizoma (Danshen) and Chuanxiong Rhizoma (Chuanxiong). It
      has been used to treat cardiovascular diseases for decades. To develop a reliable
      and convenient analytical method for a comprehensive determination of polyphenols
      in TMF and the ascertainment of their chemical correlations with its herbal
      components, a method combining high-performance liquid chromatography with
      electrospray ionization tandem mass spectrometry (LC-ESI-MS/MS) was developed and
      validated for rapid determination of 30 polyphenols in TMF and its three herbal
      components. The chromatographic separation was carried out on a Chromolith
      Fastgradient RP-18 endcapped 50-2 column using an optimized gradient elution.
      Statistical analysis of obtained data demonstrated that the method had a
      desirable linearity, precision, and accuracy, as well as excellent sensitivity.
      The obtained results indicated that, among the 30 polyphenols in TMF, 22
      originated from Gegen, 6 originated from Danshen, and 2 originated from
      Chuanxiong. The major polyphenols in TMF have been identified as puerarin,
      mirificin, salvianolic acid B, salvianic acid A, 3'-hydroxypuerarin, 3'
      methoxypuerarin, and salvianolic acid A, with a combined contribution of 19.2% of
      the preparation. The development and validation of this method will greatly
      facilitate future pharmacological studies of TMF and its herbal components, as
      well as polyphenols in cardiovascular therapies.

PMID- 28353642
TI  - Dysregulated IER3 Expression is Associated with Enhanced Apoptosis in Titin-Based
      Dilated Cardiomyopathy.
AB  - Apoptosis (type I programmed cell death) of cardiomyocytes is a major process
      that plays a role in the progression of heart failure. The early response gene
      IER3 regulates apoptosis in a wide variety of cells and organs. However, its role
      in heart failure is largely unknown. Here, we investigate the role of IER3 in an
      inducible heart failure mouse model. Heart failure was induced in a mouse model
      that imitates a human titin truncation mutation we found in a patient with
      dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM). Transferase dUTP nick end labeling (TUNEL) and
      ssDNA stainings showed induction of apoptosis in titin-deficient cardiomyocytes
      during heart failure development, while IER3 response was dysregulated. Chromatin
      immunoprecipitation and knock-down experiments revealed that IER3 proteins target
      the promotors of anti-apoptotic genes and act as an anti-apoptotic factor in
      cardiomyocytes. Its expression is blunted during heart failure development in a
      titin-deficient mouse model. Targeting the IER3 pathway to reduce cardiac
      apoptosis might be an effective therapeutic strategy to combat heart failure.

PMID- 28353643
TI  - Plasma Vitamin D Deficiency Is Associated With Poor Sleep Quality and Night-Time
      Eating at Mid-Pregnancy in Singapore.
AB  - Plasma 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25OHD) deficiency, poor sleep quality, and night-time
      eating, have been independently associated with adverse pregnancy outcomes, but
      their inter-relationships are yet to be evaluated. We aimed to investigate the
      associations between maternal plasma 25OHD status and sleep quality and circadian
      eating patterns during pregnancy. Data on pregnant women (n = 890) from a
      prospective cohort (Growing Up in Singapore Towards healthy Outcomes) were
      analyzed. Plasma 25OHD concentration was measured, while the Pittsburgh sleep
      quality index (PSQI) and 24-h dietary recall were administered to women at 26-28
      weeks' gestation. Plasma 25OHD status was defined as sufficient (>75 nmol/L),
      insufficient (50-75 nmol/L), or deficient (<50 nmol/L). Poor sleep quality was
      defined by a total global PSQI score >5. Predominantly day-time (pDT) and
      predominantly night-time (pNT) were defined according to consumption of greater
      proportion of calories (i.e., >50%) from 07:00-18:59 and from 19:00-06:59,
      respectively. After adjustment for confounders, women with plasma 25OHD
      deficiency had higher odds of poor sleep quality (odds ratio (OR) 3.49; 95%
      confidence interval (CI) 1.84-6.63) and pNT eating (OR: 1.85; 95% CI 1.00-3.41)
      than those who were 25OHD sufficient. Our findings show the association of
      maternal plasma 25OHD deficiency with poor sleep quality and pNT eating at mid
      pregnancy.

PMID- 28353644
TI  - Methylmercury Induced Neurotoxicity and the Influence of Selenium in the Brains
      of Adult Zebrafish (Danio rerio).
AB  - The neurotoxicity of methylmercury (MeHg) is well characterised, and the
      ameliorating effects of selenium have been described. However, little is known
      about the molecular mechanisms behind this contaminant-nutrient interaction. We
      investigated the influence of selenium (as selenomethionine, SeMet) and MeHg on
      mercury accumulation and protein expression in the brain of adult zebrafish
      (Danio rerio). Fish were fed diets containing elevated levels of MeHg and/or
      SeMet in a 2 * 2 full factorial design for eight weeks. Mercury concentrations
      were highest in the brain tissue of MeHg-exposed fish compared to the controls,
      whereas lower levels of mercury were found in the brain of zebrafish fed both
      MeHg and SeMet compared with the fish fed MeHg alone. The expression levels of
      proteins associated with gap junction signalling, oxidative phosphorylation, and
      mitochondrial dysfunction were significantly (p < 0.05) altered in the brain of
      zebrafish after exposure to MeHg and SeMet alone or in combination. Analysis of
      upstream regulators indicated that these changes were linked to the mammalian
      target of rapamycin (mTOR) pathways, which were activated by MeHg and inhibited
      by SeMet, possibly through a reactive oxygen species mediated differential
      activation of RICTOR, the rapamycin-insensitive binding partner of mTOR.

PMID- 28353645
TI  - Inhibition or Stimulation of Autophagy Affects Early Formation of Lipofuscin-Like
      Autofluorescence in the Retinal Pigment Epithelium Cell.
AB  - The accumulation of lipofuscin in the retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) is
      dependent on the effectiveness of photoreceptor outer segment material
      degradation. This study explored the role of autophagy in the fate of RPE
      lipofuscin degradation. After seven days of feeding with either native or
      modified rod outer segments, ARPE-19 cells were treated with enhancers or
      inhibitors of autophagy and the autofluorescence was detected by fluorescence
      activated cell sorting. Supplementation with different types of rod outer
      segments increased lipofuscin-like autofluorescence (LLAF) after the inhibition
      of autophagy, while the induction of autophagy (e.g., application of rapamycin)
      decreased LLAF. The effects of autophagy induction were further confirmed by
      Western blotting, which showed the conversion of LC3-I to LC3-II, and by
      immunofluorescence microscopy, which detected the lysosomal activity of the
      autophagy inducers. We also monitored LLAF after the application of several
      autophagy inhibitors by RNA-interference and confocal microscopy. The results
      showed that, in general, the inhibition of the autophagy-related proteins
      resulted in an increase in LLAF when cells were fed with rod outer segments,
      which further confirms the effect of autophagy in the fate of RPE lipofuscin
      degradation. These results emphasize the complex role of autophagy in modulating
      RPE autofluorescence and confirm the possibility of the pharmacological clearance
      of RPE lipofuscin by small molecules.

PMID- 28353646
TI  - Intraguild Predation Dynamics in a Lake Ecosystem Based on a Coupled Hydrodynamic
      Ecological Model: The Example of Lake Kinneret (Israel).
AB  - The food web of Lake Kinneret contains intraguild predation (IGP). Predatory
      invertebrates and planktivorous fish both feed on herbivorous zooplankton, while
      the planktivorous fish also feed on the predatory invertebrates. In this study, a
      complex mechanistic hydrodynamic-ecological model, coupled to a bioenergetics
      based fish population model (DYCD-FISH), was employed with the aim of revealing
      IGP dynamics. The results indicate that the predation pressure of predatory
      zooplankton on herbivorous zooplankton varies widely, depending on the season. At
      the time of its annual peak, it is 10-20 times higher than the fish predation
      pressure. When the number of fish was significantly higher, as occurs in the lake
      after atypical meteorological years, the effect was a shift from a bottom-up
      controlled ecosystem, to the top-down control of planktivorous fish and a
      significant reduction of predatory and herbivorous zooplankton biomass. Yet,
      seasonally, the decrease in predatory-zooplankton biomass was followed by a
      decrease in their predation pressure on herbivorous zooplankton, leading to an
      increase of herbivorous zooplankton biomass to an extent similar to the base
      level. The analysis demonstrates the emergence of non-equilibrium IGP dynamics
      due to intra-annual and inter-annual changes in the physico-chemical
      characteristics of the lake, and suggests that IGP dynamics should be considered
      in food web models in order to more accurately capture mass transfer and trophic
      interactions.

PMID- 28353647
TI  - Wedelolactone Acts as Proteasome Inhibitor in Breast Cancer Cells.
AB  - Wedelolactone is a multi-target natural plant coumestan exhibiting cytotoxicity
      towards cancer cells. Although several molecular targets of wedelolactone have
      been recognized, the molecular mechanism of its cytotoxicity has not yet been
      elucidated. In this study, we show that wedelolactone acts as an inhibitor of
      chymotrypsin-like, trypsin-like, and caspase-like activities of proteasome in
      breast cancer cells. The proteasome inhibitory effect of wedelolactone was
      documented by (i) reduced cleavage of fluorogenic proteasome substrates; (ii)
      accumulation of polyubiquitinated proteins and proteins with rapid turnover in
      tumor cells; and (iii) molecular docking of wedelolactone into the active sites
      of proteasome catalytic subunits. Inhibition of proteasome by wedelolactone was
      independent on its ability to induce reactive oxygen species production by redox
      cycling with copper ions, suggesting that wedelolactone acts as copper
      independent proteasome inhibitor. We conclude that the cytotoxicity of
      wedelolactone to breast cancer cells is partially mediated by targeting
      proteasomal protein degradation pathway. Understanding the structural basis for
      inhibitory mode of wedelolactone might help to open up new avenues for design of
      novel compounds efficiently inhibiting cancer cells.

PMID- 28353650
TI  - Text Messaging: An Intervention to Increase Physical Activity among African
      American Participants in a Faith-Based, Competitive Weight Loss Program.
AB  - African American adults are less likely to meet the recommended physical activity
      guidelines for aerobic and muscle-strengthening activity than Caucasian adults.
      The purpose of this study was to assess whether a text message intervention would
      increase physical activity in this population. This pilot study used a pre-/post
      questionnaire non-randomized design. Participants in a faith-based weight loss
      competition who agreed to participate in the text messaging were assigned to the
      intervention group (n = 52). Participants who declined to participate in the
      intervention, but agreed to participate in the study, were assigned to the
      control group (n = 30). The text messages provided strategies for increasing
      physical activity and were based on constructs of the Health Belief Model and the
      Information-Motivation-Behavioral Skills Model. Chi square tests determined the
      intervention group participants increased exercise time by approximately eight
      percent (p = 0.03), while the control group's exercise time remained constant.
      The intervention group increased walking and running. The control group increased
      running. Most participants indicated that the health text messages were
      effective. The results of this pilot study suggest that text messaging may be an
      effective method for providing options for motivating individuals to increase
      physical activity.

PMID- 28353651
TI  - Pigments in Extra-Virgin Olive Oils Produced in Tuscany (Italy) in Different
      Years.
AB  - Pigments are responsible for the color of olive oils, and are an important
      ingredient that is directly related to the quality of this food. However, the
      concentration of pigments can vary significantly depending on the climate
      conditions, harvesting time, and olive cultivars. In this work, we quantified the
      main pigments in several extra-virgin olive oils produced from a blend of three
      cultivars (Moraiolo, Frantoio, and Leccino) typical of Tuscany (Italy) harvested
      in three different years: 2012, 2013, and 2014. Pigments-namely, beta-carotene,
      lutein, pheophytin A, and pheophytin B-were quantified by a method based on the
      mathematical analysis of the near ultraviolet-visible absorption spectra of the
      oils. Data were analyzed by a multivariate statistical approach. The results show
      that the pigments' content of extra-virgin olive oils produced in 2014 can be
      well distinguished with respect to previous years. This can be explained by the
      anomalous climate conditions, which strongly affected Italy and, in particular,
      Tuscany, where the olives were harvested. This study represents an interesting
      example of how pigment content can be significant in characterizing olive oils.
      Moreover, this is the first report of pigment quantification in extra-virgin
      olive oils produced in Tuscany.

PMID- 28353648
TI  - Vitamin C and Infections.
AB  - In the early literature, vitamin C deficiency was associated with pneumonia.
      After its identification, a number of studies investigated the effects of vitamin
      C on diverse infections. A total of 148 animal studies indicated that vitamin C
      may alleviate or prevent infections caused by bacteria, viruses, and protozoa.
      The most extensively studied human infection is the common cold. Vitamin C
      administration does not decrease the average incidence of colds in the general
      population, yet it halved the number of colds in physically active people.
      Regularly administered vitamin C has shortened the duration of colds, indicating
      a biological effect. However, the role of vitamin C in common cold treatment is
      unclear. Two controlled trials found a statistically significant dose-response,
      for the duration of common cold symptoms, with up to 6-8 g/day of vitamin C.
      Thus, the negative findings of some therapeutic common cold studies might be
      explained by the low doses of 3-4 g/day of vitamin C. Three controlled trials
      found that vitamin C prevented pneumonia. Two controlled trials found a treatment
      benefit of vitamin C for pneumonia patients. One controlled trial reported
      treatment benefits for tetanus patients. The effects of vitamin C against
      infections should be investigated further.

PMID- 28353649
TI  - High Dietary Fructose: Direct or Indirect Dangerous Factors Disturbing Tissue and
      Organ Functions.
AB  - High dietary fructose is a major contributor to insulin resistance and metabolic
      syndrome, disturbing tissue and organ functions. Fructose is mainly absorbed into
      systemic circulation by glucose transporter 2 (GLUT2) and GLUT5, and metabolized
      in liver to produce glucose, lactate, triglyceride (TG), free fatty acid (FFA),
      uric acid (UA) and methylglyoxal (MG). Its extrahepatic absorption and metabolism
      also take place. High levels of these metabolites are the direct dangerous
      factors. During fructose metabolism, ATP depletion occurs and induces oxidative
      stress and inflammatory response, disturbing functions of local tissues and
      organs to overproduce inflammatory cytokine, adiponectin, leptin and endotoxin,
      which act as indirect dangerous factors. Fructose and its metabolites directly
      and/or indirectly cause oxidative stress, chronic inflammation, endothelial
      dysfunction, autophagy and increased intestinal permeability, and then further
      aggravate the metabolic syndrome with tissue and organ dysfunctions. Therefore,
      this review addresses fructose-induced metabolic syndrome, and the disturbance
      effects of direct and/or indirect dangerous factors on the functions of liver,
      adipose, pancreas islet, skeletal muscle, kidney, heart, brain and small
      intestine. It is important to find the potential correlations between direct
      and/or indirect risk factors and healthy problems under excess dietary fructose
      consumption.

PMID- 28353652
TI  - Inhibitory Effect of Lychee Seed Saponins on Apoptosis Induced by Abeta25-35
      through Regulation of the Apoptotic and NF-kappaB Pathways in PC12 Cells.
AB  - Neuronal apoptosis plays a critical role in the pathogenesis of Alzheimer's
      disease (AD). Previous studies have shown that lychee seed saponins (LSS),
      isolated and extracted from traditional Chinese medicine lychee seeds, possess
      many beneficial activities including anti-oxidation, anti-diabetes, anti-AD, etc.
      In the present study, we established an in vitro neuronal apoptotic model of PC12
      cells induced by Abeta25-35 and studied the effect of LSS on apoptosis by the
      methods of Hoechst 33342/propidium iodide (PI) fluorescence double staining,
      Annexin V/PI double staining, and terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase (TdT)
      mediated dUTP nick-end labeling (TUNEL). We also investigated the effects of LSS
      on mitochondria membrane potential, the expressions of Bcl-2 and Bax proteins,
      and the mRNA expression and the nuclear translocation of NF-kappaBp65 in PC12
      cells. The results showed that LSS markedly inhibited apoptosis, improved the
      mitochondria membrane potentials, upregulated the expression of Bcl-2 protein,
      downregulated the expression of Bax protein, and decreased the mRNA expression
      and nuclear translocation of NF-kappaBp65 in PC12 cells. The study demonstrated
      that LSS significantly inhibited apoptosis induced by Abeta25-35 via regulation
      of the apoptotic and NF-kappaB pathways in PC12 cells. Therefore, LSS has the
      potential to be developed as a novel agent or nutrient supplement for the
      prevention and/or treatment of AD.

PMID- 28353653
TI  - Changes in the Fusarium Head Blight Complex of Malting Barley in a Three-Year
      Field Experiment in Italy.
AB  - In this study, conducted for three years on eleven malting barley varieties
      cultivated in central Italy, the incidence of different mycotoxigenic fungal
      genera, the identification of the Fusarium species associated with the Fusarium
      Head Blight (FHB) complex, and kernels contamination with deoxynivalenol (DON)
      and T-2 mycotoxins were determined. The influence of climatic conditions on
      Fusarium infections and FHB complex composition was also investigated. Fusarium
      species were always present in the three years and the high average and maximum
      temperatures during anthesis mainly favored their occurrence. The FHB complex was
      subject to changes during the three years and the main causal agents were F.
      poae, F. avenaceum, F. tricinctum and F. graminearum, which, even if constantly
      present, never represented the principal FHB agent. The relative incidence of
      Fusarium species changed because of climatic conditions occurring during the
      seasons. The FHB complex was composed of many different Fusarium species and some
      of them were associated with a specific variety and/or with specific weather
      parameters, indicating that the interaction between a certain plant genotype and
      climatic conditions may influence the presence of Fusarium spp. causing
      infections. With regard to mycotoxin contamination, T-2 toxin, in some cases, was
      found in kernels at levels that exceeded EU recommended values.

PMID- 28353654
TI  - The 'Molecule of the Month' Website-An Extraordinary Chemistry Educational
      Resource Online for over 20 Years.
AB  - The Molecule of the Month website (http://www.chm.bris.ac.uk/motm/motm.htm) is an
      educational resource that is celebrating its 20th anniversary. Here we reflect on
      its pioneering role in promoting new technology for visualizing and presenting
      chemical information on the web, as well as its achievements, as a free
      educational resource, both as a teaching aid and as a multi-user, multi-author
      learning platform. We discuss the legal aspects of such sites, as well as issues
      around how to make the content permanent. Finally, we look forward to how such
      sites may evolve in the future.

PMID- 28353655
TI  - Effects of Two Different Dietary Patterns on Inflammatory Markers, Advanced
      Glycation End Products and Lipids in Subjects without Type 2 Diabetes: A
      Randomised Crossover Study.
AB  - Epidemiological studies suggest that consumption of red and processed meat and
      refined grains are associated with type 2 diabetes and metabolic syndrome and
      increased inflammatory and fibrinolytic markers. We hypothesised that a diet high
      in red and processed meat and refined grains (HMD) would increase inflammatory
      markers and advanced glycation end products (AGEs) compared with a diet high in
      dairy, whole grains, nuts and legumes (HWD). We performed a randomised crossover
      study of two four-week interventions in 51 participants without type 2 diabetes
      (15 men and 36 women aged 35.1 +/- 15.6 years; body mass index: 27.7 +/- 6.9
      kg/m2). No baseline measurements were performed. Plasma fluorescent AGEs,
      carboxymethyllysine, glucose, insulin, lipids, hs-CRP, interleukin 6 (IL-6) and
      plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 (PAI-1) were analysed after four weeks on each
      diet. IL-6, hs-CRP, AGEs and carboxymethyllysine were not different between diets
      but PAI-1 was higher after the HMD than after HWD ((median and interquartile
      range) 158, 81 vs. 121, 53 ng/mL p < 0.001). PAI-1 on the HWD diet was inversely
      correlated with whole grains intake (p = 0.007). PAI-1 was inversely correlated
      with insulin sensitivity index (r = -0.45; p = 0.001) and positively correlated
      with serum total cholesterol (r = 0.35; p = 0.012) and serum triglyceride (r =
      0.32; p = 0.021) on HMD. This trial was registered with the Australian New
      Zealand Clinical Trials Registry (ACTRN12614000519651).

PMID- 28353656
TI  - Volatiles Emitted at Different Flowering Stages of Jasminum sambac and Expression
      of Genes Related to alpha-Farnesene Biosynthesis.
AB  - Fresh jasmine flowers have been used to make jasmine teas in China, but there has
      been no complete information about volatile organic compound emissions in
      relation to flower developmental stages and no science-based knowledge about
      which floral stage should be used for the infusion. This study monitored volatile
      organic compounds emitted from living flowers of Jasminum sambac (L.) Ait.
      'Bifoliatum' at five developmental stages and also from excised flowers. Among
      the compounds identified, alpha-farnesene, linalool, and benzyl acetate were most
      abundant. Since alpha-farnesene is synthesized through the Mevalonate pathway,
      four genes encoding 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl coenzyme A synthase, 3-hydroxy-3
      methylglutaryl coenzyme A reductase (HMGR), farnesyl pyrophosphate synthase, and
      terpene synthase were isolated. Their expression patterns in living flowers at
      the five stages and in excised flowers coincided with the emission patterns of
      alpha-farnesene. Application of lovastatin, a HMGR inhibitor, significantly
      reduced the expression of the genes and greatly decreased the emission of alpha
      farnesene. The sweet scent was diminished from lovastatin-treated flowers as
      well. These results indicate that alpha-farnesene is an important compound
      emitted from jasmine flowers, and its emission patterns suggest that flowers at
      the opening stage or flower buds 8 h after excision should be used for the
      infusion of tea leaves.

PMID- 28353657
TI  - Urinary Concentrations of Insecticide and Herbicide Metabolites among Pregnant
      Women in Rural Ghana: A Pilot Study.
AB  - : Use of pesticides by households in rural Ghana is common for residential pest
      control, agricultural use, and for the reduction of vectors carrying disease.
      However, few data are available about exposure to pesticides among this
      population. Our objective was to quantify urinary concentrations of metabolites
      of organophosphate (OP), pyrethroid, and select herbicides during pregnancy, and
      to explore exposure determinants. In 2014, 17 pregnant women from rural Ghana
      were surveyed about household pesticide use and provided weekly first morning
      urine voids during three visits (n = 51 samples). A total of 90.1% (46/51) of
      samples had detectable OP metabolites [geometric mean, GM (95% CI): 3,5,6
      trichloro-2-pyridinol 0.54 ug/L (0.36-0.81), para-nitrophenol 0.71 ug/L (0.51
      1.00)], 75.5% (37/49) had detectable pyrethroid metabolites [GM: 3-phenoxybenzoic
      acid 0.23 ug/L (0.17, 0.32)], and 70.5% (36/51) had detectable 2,4
      dichlorophenoxyacetic acid levels, a herbicide [GM: 0.46 ug/L (0.29-0.73)].
      Concentrations of para-nitrophenol and 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid in Ghanaian
      pregnant women appear higher when compared to nonpregnant reproductive-aged women
      in a reference U.S. POPULATION: Larger studies are necessary to more fully
      explore predictors of exposure in this population.

PMID- 28353658
TI  - Development of a Glycosaminoglycan Derived, Selectin Targeting Anti-Adhesive
      Coating to Treat Endothelial Cell Dysfunction.
AB  - Endothelial cell (EC) dysfunction is associated with many disease states
      including deep vein thrombosis (DVT), chronic kidney disease, sepsis and
      diabetes. Loss of the glycocalyx, a thin glycosaminoglycan (GAG)-rich layer on
      the EC surface, is a key feature of endothelial dysfunction and increases
      exposure of EC adhesion molecules such as selectins, which are involved in
      platelet binding to ECs. Once bound, platelets cause thrombus formation and an
      increased inflammatory response. We have developed a GAG derived, selectin
      targeting anti-adhesive coating (termed EC-SEAL) consisting of a dermatan sulfate
      backbone and multiple selectin-binding peptides designed to bind to inflamed
      endothelium and prevent platelet binding to create a more quiescent endothelial
      state. Multiple EC-SEAL variants were evaluated and the lead variant was found to
      preferentially bind to selectin-expressing ECs and smooth muscle cells (SMCs) and
      inhibit platelet binding and activation in a dose-dependent manner. In an in vivo
      model of DVT, treatment with the lead variant resulted in reduced thrombus
      formation. These results indicate that EC-SEAL has promise as a potential
      therapeutic in the treatment of endothelial dysfunction.

PMID- 28353659
TI  - A Pharmacological Examination of the Cardiovascular Effects of Malayan Krait
      (Bungarus candidus) Venoms.
AB  - Cardiovascular effects (e.g., tachycardia, hypo- and/or hypertension) are often
      clinical outcomes of snake envenoming. Malayan krait (Bungarus candidus)
      envenoming has been reported to cause cardiovascular effects that may be related
      to abnormalities in parasympathetic activity. However, the exact mechanism for
      this effect has yet to be determined. In the present study, we investigated the
      in vivo and in vitro cardiovascular effects of B. candidus venoms from Southern
      (BC-S) and Northeastern (BC-NE) Thailand. SDS-PAGE analysis of venoms showed some
      differences in the protein profile of the venoms. B. candidus venoms (50 ug/kg
      100 ug/kg, i.v.) caused dose-dependent hypotension in anaesthetised rats. The
      highest dose caused sudden hypotension (phase I) followed by a return of mean
      arterial pressure to baseline levels and a decrease in heart rate with transient
      hypertension (phase II) prior to a small decrease in blood pressure (phase III).
      Prior administration of monovalent antivenom significantly attenuated the
      hypotension induced by venoms (100 ug/kg, i.v.). The sudden hypotensive effect of
      BC-NE venom was abolished by prior administration of hexamethonium (10 mg/kg,
      i.v.) or atropine (5 mg/kg, i.v.). BC-S and BC-NE venoms (0.1 ug/kg-100 ug/ml)
      induced concentration-dependent relaxation (EC50 = 8 +/- 1 and 13 +/- 3 ug/mL,
      respectively) in endothelium-intact aorta. The concentration-response curves were
      markedly shifted to the right by pre-incubation with L-NAME (0.2 mM), or removal
      of the endothelium, suggesting that endothelium-derived nitric oxide (NO) is
      likely to be responsible for venom-induced aortic relaxation. Our data indicate
      that the cardiovascular effects caused by B. candidus venoms may be due to a
      combination of vascular mediators (i.e., NO) and autonomic adaptation via
      nicotinic and muscarinic acetylcholine receptors.

PMID- 28353660
TI  - Extensive Evolution of Cereal Ribosome-Inactivating Proteins Translates into
      Unique Structural Features, Activation Mechanisms, and Physiological Roles.
AB  - Ribosome-inactivating proteins (RIPs) are a class of cytotoxic enzymes that can
      depurinate rRNAs thereby inhibiting protein translation. Although these proteins
      have also been detected in bacteria, fungi, and even some insects, they are
      especially prevalent in the plant kingdom. This review focuses on the RIPs from
      cereals. Studies on the taxonomical distribution and evolution of plant RIPs
      suggest that cereal RIPs have evolved at an enhanced rate giving rise to a large
      and heterogeneous RIP gene family. Furthermore, several cereal RIP genes are
      characterized by a unique domain architecture and the lack of a signal peptide.
      This advanced evolution of cereal RIPs translates into distinct structures,
      activation mechanisms, and physiological roles. Several cereal RIPs are
      characterized by activation mechanisms that include the proteolytic removal of
      internal peptides from the N-glycosidase domain, a feature not documented for non
      cereal RIPs. Besides their role in defense against pathogenic fungi or
      herbivorous insects, cereal RIPs are also involved in endogenous functions such
      as adaptation to abiotic stress, storage, induction of senescence, and
      reprogramming of the translational machinery. The unique properties of cereal
      RIPs are discussed in this review paper.

PMID- 28353661
TI  - The Neutrophil/Lymphocyte Ratio at Diagnosis Is Significantly Associated with
      Survival in Metastatic Pancreatic Cancer Patients.
AB  - Different inflammation-based scores such as the neutrophil/lymphocyte ratio
      (NLR), the Odonera Prognostic Nutritional Index (PNI), the Glasgow Prognostic
      Score, the platelet/lymphocyte ratio, and the C-reactive protein/albumin ratio
      have been found to be significantly associated with pancreatic cancer (PDAC)
      prognosis. However, most studies have investigated patients undergoing surgery,
      and few of them have compared these scores. We aimed at evaluating the
      association between inflammatory-based scores and PDAC prognosis. In a single
      center cohort study, inflammatory-based scores were assessed at diagnosis and
      their prognostic relevance as well as that of clinic-pathological variables were
      evaluated through multiple logistic regression and survival probability analysis.
      In 206 patients, age, male sex, tumor size, presence of distant metastasis,
      access to chemotherapy, and an NLR > 5 but not other scores were associated with
      overall survival (OS) at multivariate analysis. Patients with an NLR < 5 had a
      median survival of 12 months compared to 4 months in those with an NLR > 5. In
      the 81 patients with distant metastasis at diagnosis, an NLR > 5 resulted in the
      only variable significantly associated with survival. Among patients with
      metastatic disease who received chemotherapy, the median survival was 3 months in
      patients with an NLR > 5 and 7 months in those with an NLR < 5. The NLR might
      drive therapeutic options in PDAC patients, especially in the setting of
      metastatic disease.

PMID- 28353663
TI  - Use of Carabids for the Post-Market Environmental Monitoring of Genetically
      Modified Crops.
AB  - Post-market environmental monitoring (PMEM) of genetically modified (GM) crops is
      required by EU legislation and has been a subject of debate for many years;
      however, no consensus on the methodology to be used has been reached. We explored
      the suitability of carabid beetles as surrogates for the detection of unintended
      effects of GM crops in general PMEM surveillance. Our study combines data on
      carabid communities from five maize field trials in Central Europe. Altogether,
      86 species and 58,304 individuals were collected. Modeling based on the gradual
      elimination of the least abundant species, or of the fewest categories of
      functional traits, showed that a trait-based analysis of the most common species
      may be suitable for PMEM. Species represented by fewer than 230 individuals (all
      localities combined) should be excluded and species with an abundance higher than
      600 should be preserved for statistical analyses. Sixteen species, representing
      15 categories of functional traits fulfill these criteria, are typical dominant
      inhabitants of agroecocoenoses in Central Europe, are easy to determine, and
      their functional classification is well known. The effect of sampling year is
      negligible when at least four samples are collected during maize development
      beginning from 1 April. The recommended methodology fulfills PMEM requirements,
      including applicability to large-scale use. However, suggested thresholds of
      carabid comparability should be verified before definitive conclusions are drawn.

PMID- 28353664
TI  - Modeling and Density Estimation of an Urban Freeway Network Based on Dynamic
      Graph Hybrid Automata.
AB  - In this paper, in order to describe complex network systems, we firstly propose a
      general modeling framework by combining a dynamic graph with hybrid automata and
      thus name it Dynamic Graph Hybrid Automata (DGHA). Then we apply this framework
      to model traffic flow over an urban freeway network by embedding the Cell
      Transmission Model (CTM) into the DGHA. With a modeling procedure, we adopt a
      dual digraph of road network structure to describe the road topology, use linear
      hybrid automata to describe multi-modes of dynamic densities in road segments and
      transform the nonlinear expressions of the transmitted traffic flow between two
      road segments into piecewise linear functions in terms of multi-mode switchings.
      This modeling procedure is modularized and rule-based, and thus is easily
      extensible with the help of a combination algorithm for the dynamics of traffic
      flow. It can describe the dynamics of traffic flow over an urban freeway network
      with arbitrary topology structures and sizes. Next we analyze mode types and
      number in the model of the whole freeway network, and deduce a Piecewise Affine
      Linear System (PWALS) model. Furthermore, based on the PWALS model, a multi-mode
      switched state observer is designed to estimate the traffic densities of the
      freeway network, where a set of observer gain matrices are computed by using the
      Lyapunov function approach. As an example, we utilize the PWALS model and the
      corresponding switched state observer to traffic flow over Beijing third ring
      road. In order to clearly interpret the principle of the proposed method and
      avoid computational complexity, we adopt a simplified version of Beijing third
      ring road. Practical application for a large-scale road network will be
      implemented by decentralized modeling approach and distributed observer designing
      in the future research.

PMID- 28353662
TI  - Black Tea High-Molecular-Weight Polyphenol-Rich Fraction Promotes Hypertrophy
      during Functional Overload in Mice.
AB  - Mitochondria activation factor (MAF) is a high-molecular-weight polyphenol
      extracted from black tea that stimulates training-induced 5' adenosine
      monophosphate-activated protein kinase (AMPK) activation and improves endurance
      capacity. Originally, MAF was purified from black tea using butanol and acetone,
      making it unsuitable for food preparation. Hence, we extracted a MAF-rich sample
      "E80" from black tea, using ethanol and water only. Here, we examined the effects
      of E80 on resistance training. Eight-week old C57BL/6 mice were fed with a normal
      diet or a diet containing 0.5% E80 for 4, 7 and 14 days under conditions of
      functional overload. It was found that E80 administration promoted overload
      induced hypertrophy and induced phosphorylation of the Akt/mammalian target of
      rapamycin (mTOR) pathway proteins, such as Akt, P70 ribosomal protein S6 kinase
      (p70S6K), and S6 in the plantaris muscle. Therefore, functional overload and E80
      administration accelerated mTOR signaling and increased protein synthesis in the
      muscle, thereby inducing hypertrophy.

PMID- 28353665
TI  - Does a 4-6 Week Shoeing Interval Promote Optimal Foot Balance in the Working
      Equine?
AB  - Variation in equine hoof conformation between farriery interventions lacks
      research, despite associations with distal limb injuries. This study aimed to
      determine linear and angular hoof variations pre- and post-farriery within a four
      to six week shoeing/trimming interval. Seventeen hoof and distal limb
      measurements were drawn from lateral and anterior digital photographs from 26
      horses pre- and post-farriery. Most lateral view variables changed significantly.
      Reductions of the dorsal wall, and weight bearing and coronary band lengths
      resulted in an increased vertical orientation of the hoof. The increased dorsal
      hoof wall angle, heel angle, and heel height illustrated this further, improving
      dorsopalmar alignment. Mediolateral measurements of coronary band and weight
      bearing lengths reduced, whilst medial and lateral wall lengths from the 2D
      images increased, indicating an increased vertical hoof alignment. Additionally,
      dorsopalmar balance improved. However, the results demonstrated that a four to
      six week interval is sufficient for a palmer shift in the centre of pressure,
      increasing the loading on acutely inclined heels, altering DIP angulation, and
      increasing the load on susceptible structures (e.g., DDFT). Mediolateral variable
      asymmetries suit the lateral hoof landing and unrollment pattern of the foot
      during landing. The results support regular (four to six week) farriery intervals
      for the optimal prevention of excess loading of palmar limb structures, reducing
      long-term injury risks through cumulative, excessive loading.

PMID- 28353666
TI  - Potentials of Long Noncoding RNAs (LncRNAs) in Sarcoma: From Biomarkers to
      Therapeutic Targets.
AB  - Sarcoma includes some of the most heterogeneous tumors, which make the diagnosis,
      prognosis and treatment of these rare yet diverse neoplasms especially
      challenging. Long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) are important regulators of cancer
      initiation and progression, which implies their potential as neoteric prognostic
      and diagnostic markers in cancer, including sarcoma. A relationship between
      lncRNAs and sarcoma pathogenesis and progression is emerging. Recent studies
      demonstrate that lncRNAs influence sarcoma cell proliferation, metastasis, and
      drug resistance. Additionally, lncRNA expression profiles are predictive of
      sarcoma prognosis. In this review, we summarize contemporary advances in the
      research of lncRNA biogenesis and functions in sarcoma. We also highlight the
      potential for lncRNAs to become innovative diagnostic and prognostic biomarkers
      as well as therapeutic targets in sarcoma.

PMID- 28353667
TI  - Incidence of Breast, Prostate, Testicular, and Thyroid Cancer in Italian
      Contaminated Sites with Presence of Substances with Endocrine Disrupting
      Properties.
AB  - The aim of the present study was to investigate the incidence of breast
      (females), prostate, testicular, and thyroid cancer in the Italian National
      Priority Contaminated Sites (NPCSs), served by cancer registries, where the
      presence of endocrine disruptors (EDs), reported to be linked to these tumours,
      was documented. Evidence of carcinogenicity of EDs present in NPCSs was assessed
      based on evaluation by international scientific institutions and committees.
      Standardized Incidence Ratios (SIRs) were computed for each NPCS and cancer site
      between 1996 and 2005. Excess incidence of one or more cancer site studied was
      found in twelve out of fourteen NPCSs. Significantly increased SIRs were found
      for breast cancer in eight NPCSs, for prostate cancer in six, for thyroid cancer
      (both gender) in four, and for testicular cancer in two. Non-significantly
      increased SIRs were found in five NPCSs for testicular cancer and in two for
      thyroid cancer (males). In a small number of instances a significant deficit was
      reported, mainly for thyroid and prostate cancer. Although increased incidence of
      one or more cancer sites studied were found in several NPCSs, the ecological
      study design and the multifactorial aetiology of the considered tumours do not
      permit concluding causal links with environmental contamination. Regarding the
      observation of some excesses in SIRs, continuing epidemiological surveillance is
      warranted.

PMID- 28353668
TI  - Bevacizumab for Patients with Recurrent Gliomas Presenting with a Gliomatosis
      Cerebri Growth Pattern.
AB  - Bevacizumab has been shown to improve progression-free survival and neurologic
      function, but failed to improve overall survival in newly diagnosed glioblastoma
      and at first recurrence. Nonetheless, bevacizumab is widely used in patients with
      recurrent glioma. However, its use in patients with gliomas showing a gliomatosis
      cerebri growth pattern is contentious. Due to the marked diffuse and infiltrative
      growth with less angiogenic tumor growth, it may appear questionable whether
      bevacizumab can have a therapeutic effect in those patients. However, the
      development of nodular, necrotic, and/or contrast-enhancing lesions in patients
      with a gliomatosis cerebri growth pattern is not uncommon and may indicate focal
      neo-angiogenesis. Therefore, control of growth of these lesions as well as
      control of edema and reduction of steroid use may be regarded as rationales for
      the use of bevacizumab in these patients. In this retrospective patient series,
      we report on 17 patients with primary brain tumors displaying a gliomatosis
      cerebri growth pattern (including seven glioblastomas, two anaplastic
      astrocytomas, one anaplastic oligodendroglioma, and seven diffuse astrocytomas).
      Patients have been treated with bevacizumab alone or in combination with
      lomustine or irinotecan. Seventeen matched patients treated with bevacizumab for
      gliomas with a classical growth pattern served as a control cohort. Response
      rate, progression-free survival, and overall survival were similar in both
      groups. Based on these results, anti-angiogenic therapy with bevacizumab should
      also be considered in patients suffering from gliomas with a mainly infiltrative
      phenotype.

PMID- 28353671
TI  - Facial Expression Recognition with Fusion Features Extracted from Salient Facial
      Areas.
AB  - In the pattern recognition domain, deep architectures are currently widely used
      and they have achieved fine results. However, these deep architectures make
      particular demands, especially in terms of their requirement for big datasets and
      GPU. Aiming to gain better results without deep networks, we propose a simplified
      algorithm framework using fusion features extracted from the salient areas of
      faces. Furthermore, the proposed algorithm has achieved a better result than some
      deep architectures. For extracting more effective features, this paper firstly
      defines the salient areas on the faces. This paper normalizes the salient areas
      of the same location in the faces to the same size; therefore, it can extracts
      more similar features from different subjects. LBP and HOG features are extracted
      from the salient areas, fusion features' dimensions are reduced by Principal
      Component Analysis (PCA) and we apply several classifiers to classify the six
      basic expressions at once. This paper proposes a salient areas definitude method
      which uses peak expressions frames compared with neutral faces. This paper also
      proposes and applies the idea of normalizing the salient areas to align the
      specific areas which express the different expressions. As a result, the salient
      areas found from different subjects are the same size. In addition, the gamma
      correction method is firstly applied on LBP features in our algorithm framework
      which improves our recognition rates significantly. By applying this algorithm
      framework, our research has gained state-of-the-art performances on CK+ database
      and JAFFE database.

PMID- 28353669
TI  - MIP-Based Sensors: Promising New Tools for Cancer Biomarker Determination.
AB  - Detecting cancer disease at an early stage is one of the most important issues
      for increasing the survival rate of patients. Cancer biomarker detection helps to
      provide a diagnosis before the disease becomes incurable in later stages.
      Biomarkers can also be used to evaluate the progression of therapies and surgery
      treatments. In recent years, molecularly imprinted polymer (MIP) based sensors
      have been intensely investigated as promising analytical devices in several
      fields, including clinical analysis, offering desired portability, fast response,
      specificity, and low cost. The aim of this review is to provide readers with an
      overview on recent important achievements in MIP-based sensors coupled to various
      transducers (e.g., electrochemical, optical, and piezoelectric) for the
      determination of cancer biomarkers by selected publications from 2012 to 2016.

PMID- 28353672
TI  - Gas Sensor Based on 3-D WO3 Inverse Opal: Design and Applications.
AB  - A three-dimensional inverse opal (3DIO) WO3 architecture has been synthesized via
      a simple sacrificial template method. Morphology features of the 3DIO were
      characterized by scanning electron microscope (SEM) and its structure was
      characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD). The shrinking ratio of the PMMA spheres
      was ~28.2% through measuring the distribution of the PMMA spheres and 3DIO WO3
      center-to-center distance between the spheres and macropores, respectively.
      Beyond that, the 3DIO gas sensing properties were investigated systematically and
      the sensing mechanism of 3DIO WO3 was proposed. The results indicated that the
      response of the 3DIO sensor possessed excellent sensitivity to acetone gas,
      especially at trace levels. The 3DIO gas sensor response was ~7 to 5 ppm of
      acetone and could detect acetone low to 0.2 ppm effectively, which was in close
      proximity to the theoretical low detection limit of 0.14 ppm when Ra/Rg >= 1.2
      was used as the criterion for reliable gas sensing. All in all, the obvious
      satisfaction of the gas-sensing properties was ascribed to the structure of the
      3DIO, and the sensor could be a promising novel device in the future.

PMID- 28353670
TI  - Demand and Signing of General Practitioner Contract Service among the Urban
      Elderly: A Population-Based Analysis in Zhejiang Province, China.
AB  - This study aims to examine whether the urban elderly in the Zhejiang Province of
      China signed contracts with their general practitioner (GP) based on their health
      service needs, and to further identify the determinants of their demand and
      signing decisions. A community-based cross-sectional study was conducted in 16
      community health service (CHS) institutions in Zhejiang Province, China. The
      urban elderly over 60 years of age were enrolled when visiting the sampled CHS.
      Baseline characteristics were compared between participants using Chi-Square
      tests for categorical variables. Univariate and multivariable logistic regression
      analyses were used to identify determinants of the GP contract service demand and
      signing decisions, respectively. Among the 1440 urban elderly, 56.67% had signed
      contracts with their GP, and 55.35% had a demand of the GP contract service. The
      influencing factors of demand were a history of diabetes or cardiovascular
      disease (OR = 1.33, 95% CI, 1.05-1.68); urban resident basic medical insurance
      (URBMI) vs. urban employee basic medical insurance (UEBMI) (OR = 1.96, 95% CI,
      1.46-2.61); and middle-income vs. low-income (OR = 0.67, 95% CI, 0.50-0.90 for
      RMB 1001-3000; OR = 0.59, 95% CI, 0.39-0.90 for RMB 3001-5000). Having a demand
      for the GP contract service was the strongest determinant of signing decisions
      (OR = 13.20, 95% CI, 10.09-17.27). Other factors also contributed to these
      decisions, including gender, caregiver, and income. The urban elderly who had
      signed contracts with GPs were mainly based on their health care needs. Elderly
      people with a history of diabetes or cardiovascular disease, as well as those
      with URBMI, were found to have stronger needs of a GP contract service. It is
      believed that the high-income elderly should be given equal priority to those of
      low-income.

PMID- 28353673
TI  - Metal Oxide Gas Sensors, a Survey of Selectivity Issues Addressed at the SENSOR
      Lab, Brescia (Italy).
AB  - This work reports the recent results achieved at the SENSOR Lab, Brescia (Italy)
      to address the selectivity of metal oxide based gas sensors. In particular, two
      main strategies are being developed for this purpose: (i) investigating different
      sensing mechanisms featuring different response spectra that may be potentially
      integrated in a single device; (ii) exploiting the electronic nose (EN) approach.
      The former has been addressed only recently and activities are mainly focused on
      determining the most suitable configuration and measurements to exploit the novel
      mechanism. Devices suitable to exploit optical (photoluminescence), magnetic
      (magneto-optical Kerr effect) and surface ionization in addition to the
      traditional chemiresistor device are here discussed together with the sensing
      performance measured so far. The electronic nose is a much more consolidated
      technology, and results are shown concerning its suitability to respond to
      industrial and societal needs in the fields of food quality control and detection
      of microbial activity in human sweat.

PMID- 28353674
TI  - Optimization of an Optical Test Bench for Tire Properties Measurement and Tread
      Defects Characterization.
AB  - Tire characteristics and behavior are of great importance in vehicle dynamics
      since the forces transmitted in the tire-road contact are the main contributors
      to global vehicle performance. Several research groups have focused on the study
      and modeling of tires. Some of the most important factors that need to be known
      are tread characteristics and pressure distribution in the tire-ground contact
      patch. In this work, a test bench has been used to adequately determine the
      aforementioned factors. The measurement principle of the test bench is the
      frustration of total internal reflection (FTIR) of light. It makes use of a
      laterally illuminated glass on which the tire leans. An interposed plastic
      interface between them causes the reflection of light. Finally, a video camera
      captures the bright image formed through the glass. The brightness level in each
      pixel of the image is related to existing normal pressure. A study of the
      parameters that affect the test bench calibration such as type of interface
      material used, diffuse light, hysteresis, creep and transverse light absorption
      is performed. Experimental tests are conducted to relate tire inflation pressure
      and camber angle to the pressure distribution. Furthermore, the test bench is
      used to detect and evaluate the influence of defects in the tire on the contact
      pressures.

PMID- 28353675
TI  - NMR and IR Investigations of Strong Intramolecular Hydrogen Bonds.
AB  - For the purpose of this review, strong hydrogen bonds have been defined on the
      basis of experimental data, such as OH stretching wavenumbers, nuOH, and OH
      chemical shifts, deltaOH (in the latter case, after correction for ring current
      effects). Limits for O-H...Y systems are taken as 2800 > nuOH > 1800 cm-1, and 19
      ppm > deltaOH > 15 ppm. Recent results as well as an account of theoretical
      advances are presented for a series of important classes of compounds such as
      beta-diketone enols, beta-thioxoketone enols, Mannich bases, proton sponges,
      quinoline N-oxides and diacid anions. The O...O distance has long been used as a
      parameter for hydrogen bond strength in O-H...O systems. On a broad scale, a
      correlation between OH stretching wavenumbers and O...O distances is observed, as
      demonstrated experimentally as well as theoretically, but for substituted beta
      diketone enols this correlation is relatively weak.

PMID- 28353676
TI  - An Improved Approach for RSSI-Based only Calibration-Free Real-Time Indoor
      Localization on IEEE 802.11 and 802.15.4 Wireless Networks.
AB  - Assuming a reliable and responsive spatial contextualization service is a must
      have in IEEE 802.11 and 802.15.4 wireless networks, a suitable approach consists
      of the implementation of localization capabilities, as an additional application
      layer to the communication protocol stack. Considering the applicative scenario
      where satellite-based positioning applications are denied, such as indoor
      environments, and excluding data packet arrivals time measurements due to lack of
      time resolution, received signal strength indicator (RSSI) measurements, obtained
      according to IEEE 802.11 and 802.15.4 data access technologies, are the unique
      data sources suitable for indoor geo-referencing using COTS devices. In the
      existing literature, many RSSI based localization systems are introduced and
      experimentally validated, nevertheless they require periodic calibrations and
      significant information fusion from different sensors that dramatically decrease
      overall systems reliability and their effective availability. This motivates the
      work presented in this paper, which introduces an approach for an RSSI-based
      calibration-free and real-time indoor localization. While switched-beam array
      based hardware (compliant with IEEE 802.15.4 router functionality) has already
      been presented by the author, the focus of this paper is the creation of an
      algorithmic layer for use with the pre-existing hardware capable to enable full
      localization and data contextualization over a standard 802.15.4 wireless sensor
      network using only RSSI information without the need of lengthy offline
      calibration phase. System validation reports the localization results in a
      typical indoor site, where the system has shown high accuracy, leading to a sub
      metrical overall mean error and an almost 100% site coverage within 1 m
      localization error.

PMID- 28353677
TI  - Physicochemical Properties of Jatropha Oil-Based Polyol Produced by a Two Steps
      Method.
AB  - A low cost, abundant, and renewable vegetable oil source has been gaining
      increasing attention due to its potential to be chemically modified to polyol and
      thence to become an alternative replacement for the petroleum-based polyol in
      polyurethane production. In this study, jatropha oil-based polyol (JOL) was
      synthesised from non-edible jatropha oil by a two steps process, namely
      epoxidation and oxirane ring opening. In the first step, the effect of the
      reaction temperature, the molar ratio of the oil double bond to formic acid, and
      the reaction time on the oxirane oxygen content (OOC) of the epoxidised jatropha
      oil (EJO) were investigated. It was found that 4.3% OOC could be achieved with a
      molar ratio of 1:0.6, a reaction temperature of 60  degrees C, and 4 h of
      reaction. Consequently, a series of polyols with hydroxyl numbers in the range of
      138-217 mgKOH/g were produced by oxirane ring opening of EJOs, and the
      physicochemical and rheological properties were studied. Both the EJOs and the
      JOLs are liquid and have a number average molecular weight (Mn) in the range of
      834 to 1457 g/mol and 1349 to 2129 g/mol, respectively. The JOLs exhibited
      Newtonian behaviour, with a low viscosity of 430-970 mPas. Finally, the JOL with
      a hydroxyl number of 161 mgKOH/g was further used to synthesise aqueous
      polyurethane dispersion, and the urethane formation was successfully monitored by
      Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR).

PMID- 28353679
TI  - Metal-Free alpha-C(sp3)-H Functionalized Oxidative Cyclization of Tertiary N,N
      Diaryl Amino Alcohols: Theoretical Approach for Mechanistic Pathway.
AB  - The mechanistic pathway of TEMPO/I2-mediated oxidative cyclization of N,N-diaryl
      amino alcohols 1 was investigated. Based on direct empirical experiments, three
      key intermediates (aminium radical cation 3, alpha-aminoalkyl radical 4, and
      iminium 5), four types of reactive species (radical TEMPO, cationic TEMPO, TEMPO
      I, and iodo radical), and three types of pathways ((1) SET/PCET mechanism; (2)
      HAT/1,6-H transfer mechanism; (3) ionic mechanism) were assumed. Under the
      assumption, nine free energy diagrams were acquired through density functional
      theory calculations. From the comparison of solution-phase free energy, some
      possible mechanisms were excluded, and then the chosen plausible mechanisms were
      concretized using the more stable intermediate 7.

PMID- 28353678
TI  - Assessment of Lipophilicity Indices Derived from Retention Behavior of
      Antioxidant Compounds in RP-HPLC.
AB  - Reverse phase high pressure liquid chromatography was employed in order to
      evaluate the lipophilicity of antioxidant compounds from different classes, such
      as phenolic acids, flavanones, flavanols, flavones, anthocyanins, stilbenes,
      xantonoids, and proanthocyanidins. The retention time of each compound was
      measured using five different HPLC columns: RP18 (LiChroCART, Purosphere RP-18e),
      C8 (Zorbax, Eclipse XDBC8), C16-Amide (Discovery RP-Amide C16), CN100
      (Saulentechnik, Lichrosphere), and pentafluorophenyl (Phenomenex, Kinetex PFP),
      and the mobile phase consisted of methanol and water (0.1% formic acid) in
      different proportions. The measurements were conducted at two different column
      temperatures, room temperature (22  degrees C) and, in order to mimic the
      environment from the human body, 37  degrees C. Furthermore, principal component
      analysis (PCA) was used to obtain new lipophilicity indices and holistic
      lipophilicity charts. Additionally, highly representative depictions of the
      chromatographic behavior of the investigated compounds and stationary phases at
      different temperatures were obtained using two new chemometric approaches, namely
      two-way joining cluster analysis and sum of ranking differences.

PMID- 28353680
TI  - A Self-Sustained Wireless Multi-Sensor Platform Integrated with Printable Organic
      Sensors for Indoor Environmental Monitoring.
AB  - A self-sustained multi-sensor platform for indoor environmental monitoring is
      proposed in this paper. To reduce the cost and power consumption of the sensing
      platform, in the developed platform, organic materials of PEDOT:PSS and
      PEDOT:PSS/EB-PANI are used as the sensing films for humidity and CO2 detection,
      respectively. Different from traditional gas sensors, these organic sensing films
      can operate at room temperature without heating processes or infrared
      transceivers so that the power consumption of the developed humidity and the CO2
      sensors can be as low as 10 MUW and 5 MUW, respectively. To cooperate with these
      low-power sensors, a Complementary Metal-Oxide-Semiconductor (CMOS) system-on
      chip (SoC) is designed to amplify and to read out multiple sensor signals with
      low power consumption. The developed SoC includes an analog-front-end interface
      circuit (AFE), an analog-to-digital convertor (ADC), a digital controller and a
      power management unit (PMU). Scheduled by the digital controller, the sensing
      circuits are power gated with a small duty-cycle to reduce the average power
      consumption to 3.2 MUW. The designed PMU converts the power scavenged from a dye
      sensitized solar cell (DSSC) module into required supply voltages for SoC
      circuits operation under typical indoor illuminance conditions. To our knowledge,
      this is the first multiple environmental parameters (Temperature/CO2/Humidity)
      sensing platform that demonstrates a true self-powering functionality for long
      term operations.

PMID- 28353681
TI  - A Cardiac Early Warning System with Multi Channel SCG and ECG Monitoring for
      Mobile Health.
AB  - Use of information and communication technology such as smart phone, smart watch,
      smart glass and portable health monitoring devices for healthcare services has
      made Mobile Health (mHealth) an emerging research area. Coronary Heart Disease
      (CHD) is considered as a leading cause of death world wide and an increasing
      number of people die prematurely due to CHD. Under such circumstances, there is a
      growing demand for a reliable cardiac monitoring system to catch the intermittent
      abnormalities and detect critical cardiac behaviors which lead to sudden death.
      Use of mobile devices to collect Electrocardiography (ECG), Seismocardiography
      (SCG) data and efficient analysis of those data can monitor a patient's cardiac
      activities for early warning. This paper presents a novel cardiac data
      acquisition method and combined analysis of Electrocardiography (ECG) and multi
      channel Seismocardiography (SCG) data. An early warning system is implemented to
      monitor the cardiac activities of a person and accuracy assessment of the early
      warning system is conducted for the ECG data only. The assessment shows 88%
      accuracy and effectiveness of our proposed analysis, which implies the viability
      and applicability of the proposed early warning system.

PMID- 28353682
TI  - A Coarse Alignment Method Based on Digital Filters and Reconstructed Observation
      Vectors.
AB  - In this paper, a coarse alignment method based on apparent gravitational motion
      is proposed. Due to the interference of the complex situations, the true
      observation vectors, which are calculated by the apparent gravity, are
      contaminated. The sources of the interference are analyzed in detail, and then a
      low-pass digital filter is designed in this paper for eliminating the high
      frequency noise of the measurement observation vectors. To extract the effective
      observation vectors from the inertial sensors' outputs, a parameter recognition
      and vector reconstruction method are designed, where an adaptive Kalman filter is
      employed to estimate the unknown parameters. Furthermore, a robust filter, which
      is based on Huber's M-estimation theory, is developed for addressing the outliers
      of the measurement observation vectors due to the maneuver of the vehicle. A
      comprehensive experiment, which contains a simulation test and physical test, is
      designed to verify the performance of the proposed method, and the results show
      that the proposed method is equivalent to the popular apparent velocity method in
      swaying mode, but it is superior to the current methods while in moving mode when
      the strapdown inertial navigation system (SINS) is under entirely self-contained
      conditions.

PMID- 28353684
TI  - Posture Detection Based on Smart Cushion for Wheelchair Users.
AB  - The postures of wheelchair users can reveal their sitting habit, mood, and even
      predict health risks such as pressure ulcers or lower back pain. Mining the
      hidden information of the postures can reveal their wellness and general health
      conditions. In this paper, a cushion-based posture recognition system is used to
      process pressure sensor signals for the detection of user's posture in the
      wheelchair. The proposed posture detection method is composed of three main
      steps: data level classification for posture detection, backward selection of
      sensor configuration, and recognition results compared with previous literature.
      Five supervised classification techniques-Decision Tree (J48), Support Vector
      Machines (SVM), Multilayer Perceptron (MLP), Naive Bayes, and k-Nearest Neighbor
      (k-NN)-are compared in terms of classification accuracy, precision, recall, and F
      measure. Results indicate that the J48 classifier provides the highest accuracy
      compared to other techniques. The backward selection method was used to determine
      the best sensor deployment configuration of the wheelchair. Several kinds of
      pressure sensor deployments are compared and our new method of deployment is
      shown to better detect postures of the wheelchair users. Performance analysis
      also took into account the Body Mass Index (BMI), useful for evaluating the
      robustness of the method across individual physical differences. Results show
      that our proposed sensor deployment is effective, achieving 99.47% posture
      recognition accuracy. Our proposed method is very competitive for posture
      recognition and robust in comparison with other former research. Accurate posture
      detection represents a fundamental basic block to develop several applications,
      including fatigue estimation and activity level assessment.

PMID- 28353683
TI  - Model-Based Estimation of Ankle Joint Stiffness.
AB  - We address the estimation of biomechanical parameters with wearable measurement
      technologies. In particular, we focus on the estimation of sagittal plane ankle
      joint stiffness in dorsiflexion/plantar flexion. For this estimation, a novel
      nonlinear biomechanical model of the lower leg was formulated that is driven by
      electromyographic signals. The model incorporates a two-dimensional kinematic
      description in the sagittal plane for the calculation of muscle lever arms and
      torques. To reduce estimation errors due to model uncertainties, a filtering
      algorithm is necessary that employs segmental orientation sensor measurements.
      Because of the model's inherent nonlinearities and nonsmooth dynamics, a square
      root cubature Kalman filter was developed. The performance of the novel
      estimation approach was evaluated in silico and in an experimental procedure. The
      experimental study was conducted with body-worn sensors and a test-bench that was
      specifically designed to obtain reference angle and torque measurements for a
      single joint. Results show that the filter is able to reconstruct joint angle
      positions, velocities and torque, as well as, joint stiffness during experimental
      test bench movements.

PMID- 28353685
TI  - Strong population structure in a species manipulated by humans since the
      Neolithic: the European fallow deer (Dama dama dama).
AB  - Species that have been translocated and otherwise manipulated by humans may show
      patterns of population structure that reflect those interactions. At the same
      time, natural processes shape populations, including behavioural characteristics
      like dispersal potential and breeding system. In Europe, a key factor is the
      geography and history of climate change through the Pleistocene. During glacial
      maxima throughout that period, species in Europe with temperate distributions
      were forced south, becoming distributed among the isolated peninsulas represented
      by Anatolia, Italy and Iberia. Understanding modern patterns of diversity depends
      on understanding these historical population dynamics. Traditionally, European
      fallow deer (Dama dama dama) are thought to have been restricted to refugia in
      Anatolia and possibly Sicily and the Balkans. However, the distribution of this
      species was also greatly influenced by human-mediated translocations. We focus on
      fallow deer to better understand the relative influence of these natural and
      anthropogenic processes. We compared modern fallow deer putative populations
      across a broad geographic range using microsatellite and mitochondrial DNA loci.
      The results revealed highly insular populations, depauperate of genetic variation
      and significantly differentiated from each other. This is consistent with the
      expectations of drift acting on populations founded by small numbers of
      individuals, and reflects known founder populations in the north. However, there
      was also evidence for differentiation among (but not within) physically isolated
      regions in the south, including Iberia. In those regions we find evidence for a
      stronger influence from natural processes than may be expected for a species with
      such strong, known anthropogenic influence.

PMID- 28353686
TI  - Genetic structure and invasion history of the house mouse (Mus musculus
      domesticus) in Senegal, West Africa: a legacy of colonial and contemporary times.
AB  - Knowledge of the genetic make-up and demographic history of invasive populations
      is critical to understand invasion mechanisms. Commensal rodents are ideal models
      to study whether complex invasion histories are typical of introductions
      involving human activities. The house mouse Mus musculus domesticus is a major
      invasive synanthropic rodent originating from South-West Asia. It has been
      largely studied in Europe and on several remote islands, but the genetic
      structure and invasion history of this taxon have been little investigated in
      several continental areas, including West Africa. In this study, we focussed on
      invasive populations of M. m. domesticus in Senegal. In this focal area for
      European settlers, the distribution area and invasion spread of the house mouse
      is documented by decades of data on commensal rodent communities. Genetic
      variation at one mitochondrial locus and 16 nuclear microsatellite markers was
      analysed from individuals sampled in 36 sites distributed across the country. A
      combination of phylogeographic and population genetics methods showed that there
      was a single introduction event on the northern coast of Senegal, from an
      exogenous (probably West European) source, followed by a secondary introduction
      from northern Senegal into a coastal site further south. The geographic locations
      of these introduction sites were consistent with the colonial history of Senegal.
      Overall, the marked microsatellite genetic structure observed in Senegal, even
      between sites located close together, revealed a complex interplay of different
      demographic processes occurring during house mouse spatial expansion, including
      sequential founder effects and stratified dispersal due to human transport along
      major roads.

PMID- 28353688
TI  - Quantitative method for gait pattern detection based on fiber Bragg grating
      sensors.
AB  - This paper presents a method that uses fiber Bragg grating (FBG) sensors to
      distinguish the temporal gait patterns in gait cycles. Unlike most conventional
      methods that focus on electronic sensors to collect those physical quantities
      (i.e., strains, forces, pressure, displacements, velocity, and accelerations),
      the proposed method utilizes the backreflected peak wavelength from FBG sensors
      to describe the motion characteristics in human walking. Specifically, the FBG
      sensors are sensitive to external strain with the result that their backreflected
      peak wavelength will be shifted according to the extent of the influence of
      external strain. Therefore, when subjects walk in different gait patterns, the
      strains on FBG sensors will be different such that the magnitude of the
      backreflected peak wavelength varies. To test the reliability of the FBG sensor
      platform for gait pattern detection, the gold standard method using force
      sensitive resistors (FSRs) for defining gait patterns is introduced as a
      reference platform. The reliability of the FBG sensor platform is determined by
      comparing the detection results between the FBG sensors and FSRs platforms. The
      experimental results show that the FBG sensor platform is reliable in gait
      pattern detection and gains high reliability when compared with the reference
      platform.

PMID- 28353689
TI  - Robust phase unwrapping for phase images in Fourier domain Doppler optical
      coherence tomography.
AB  - To solve the 2 ? phase ambiguity for phase-resolved Doppler images in Doppler
      optical coherence tomography, we present a modified network programming technique
      for the first time to the best of our knowledge. The proposed method assumes that
      error of the discrete derivatives between unwrapped phase image and wrapped phase
      image can be arbitrary values instead of integer-multiple of 2 ? , which makes
      the real-phase restoration accurate and robust against noise. We compared our
      proposed method with the network programming method. Parameters including root
      mean-square-error and noise amplification degree were adopted for comparison. The
      experimental study on simulated images, phantom, and real-vessel OCT images were
      performed. The proposed method consistently achieves optimal results.

PMID- 28353687
TI  - Harnessing endogenous signals from hepatocytes using a low volume multi-well
      plate.
AB  - Hepatocytes are highly differentiated epithelial cells that lose their phenotype
      and function when removed from the in vivo environment. Given the importance of
      hepatic cultures for drug toxicity, bioartificial liver assist devices and basic
      biology studies, considerable efforts have been focused on the maintenance of
      hepatic function in vitro. The methods used to date include co-cultivation of
      hepatocytes with stromal cells, organizing these cells into spheroids and
      imbedding them into bioactive gels. Our team has recently demonstrated that
      primary rat hepatocytes confined to microfluidic channels in the absence of
      convection maintained the epithelial phenotype through upregulation of endogenous
      signals including hepatocyte growth factor (HGF). The objective of the present
      study was to transition from microfluidic devices, which are somewhat specialized
      and challenging to use, towards low volume multiwell plates ubiquitous in biology
      laboratories. Using a combination of 3D printing and micromolding we have
      constructed inserts that can be placed into standard 12-well plates and can be
      used to create low volume culture conditions under which primary hepatocytes
      maintained a differentiated phenotype. This phenotype enhancement was confirmed
      by hepatic function assays including albumin synthesis and expression.
      Importantly we confirmed upregulation of HGF inside the low volume culture plates
      and demonstrated that inhibition of HGF signaling degraded the hepatic phenotype
      in our cell culture platform. Overall, this study outlines a new cell culture
      system that leverages the low volume effects of microfluidic channels in a
      multiwell plate format. Beyond hepatocytes, such a system may be of use in the
      maintenance of other difficult-to-culture cells including stem cells and primary
      cancer cells.

PMID- 28353691
TI  - ?

PMID- 28353690
TI  - Impact of Rates of Change of Lamina Cribrosa and Optic Nerve Head Surface Depths
      on Visual Field Progression in Glaucoma.
AB  - Purpose: To investigate the impact of the rates of change of anterior lamina
      cribrosa surface depth (ALCSD) and optic nerve head surface depth (ONHSD) on
      visual field (VF) progression in glaucoma. Methods: One hundred forty-six eyes of
      95 glaucoma patients had optical coherence tomography ONH imaging and VF testing
      at approximately 4-month intervals for greater than or equal to 5 years. Anterior
      lamina cribrosa surface depth and ONHSD were measured with reference to (1)
      Bruch's membrane opening (BMO), and (2) choroid-sclera interface (CSI). The rates
      of change of ALCSD and ONHSD of individual eyes were measured with linear
      regression analysis. The hazard ratios (HRs) of the rates of change of
      ALCSD/ONHSD for prediction of VF progression as per Early Manifest Glaucoma Trial
      criteria were determined by joint longitudinal and survival models. Results:
      Using the BMO reference, 23.3% and 28.1% of eyes showed a significant positive
      trend (posterior displacement), whereas 29.5% and 24.0% showed a significant
      negative trend (anterior displacement) of ALCSD and ONHSD, respectively. Using
      the CSI reference, the proportions with a significant negative trend decreased to
      11.6% and 14.4%, respectively; and the proportions with a significant positive
      trend increased to 37.7% and 38.4%, respectively. The HRs of VF progression were
      1.06 and 1.11 for each micrometer per year increase in the rates of change of
      ALCSDBMO and ONHSDBMO, respectively; and 1.07 and 1.09 for each micrometer per
      year increase in the rates of change of ALCSDCSI and ONHSDCSI, respectively.
      Conclusions: Identifying fast progressors of posterior ALCS/ONHS displacement is
      relevant to the management of glaucoma patients as they have a higher risk of VF
      progression.

PMID- 28353692
TI  - ?

PMID- 28353693
TI  - ?

PMID- 28353694
TI  - ?

PMID- 28353695
TI  - ?

PMID- 28353696
TI  - ?

PMID- 28353697
TI  - ?

PMID- 28353698
TI  - ?

PMID- 28353699
TI  - ?

PMID- 28353701
TI  - ?

PMID- 28353700
TI  - ?

PMID- 28353702
TI  - ?

PMID- 28353703
TI  - ?

PMID- 28353705
TI  - ?

PMID- 28353704
TI  - ?

PMID- 28353706
TI  - ?

PMID- 28353707
TI  - ?

PMID- 28353708
TI  - ?

PMID- 28353709
TI  - ?

PMID- 28353710
TI  - ?

PMID- 28353711
TI  - ?

PMID- 28353712
TI  - ?

PMID- 28353713
TI  - ?

PMID- 28353714
TI  - ?

PMID- 28353716
TI  - ?

PMID- 28353715
TI  - ?

PMID- 28353717
TI  - ?

PMID- 28353718
TI  - ?

PMID- 28353719
TI  - ?

PMID- 28353720
TI  - ?

PMID- 28353721
TI  - ?

PMID- 28353722
TI  - ?

PMID- 28353723
TI  - ?

PMID- 28353724
TI  - ?

PMID- 28353725
TI  - ?

PMID- 28353726
TI  - ?

PMID- 28353727
TI  - ?

PMID- 28353728
TI  - ?

PMID- 28353729
TI  - ?

PMID- 28353730
TI  - ?

PMID- 28353731
TI  - ?

PMID- 28353732
TI  - ?

PMID- 28353733
TI  - ?

PMID- 28353734
TI  - ?

PMID- 28353735
TI  - ?

PMID- 28353736
TI  - ?

PMID- 28353737
TI  - ?

PMID- 28353739
TI  - ?

PMID- 28353738
TI  - ?

PMID- 28353740
TI  - ?

PMID- 28353741
TI  - ?

PMID- 28353742
TI  - ?

PMID- 28353743
TI  - ?

PMID- 28353744
TI  - ?

PMID- 28353745
TI  - ?

PMID- 28353746
TI  - ?

PMID- 28353747
TI  - ?

PMID- 28353748
TI  - ?

PMID- 28353749
TI  - ?

PMID- 28353750
TI  - ?

PMID- 28353751
TI  - ?

PMID- 28353752
TI  - ?

PMID- 28353753
TI  - ?

PMID- 28353754
TI  - ?

PMID- 28353755
TI  - ?

PMID- 28353756
TI  - ?

PMID- 28353757
TI  - ?

PMID- 28353758
TI  - ?

PMID- 28353760
TI  - ?

PMID- 28353759
TI  - ?

PMID- 28353761
TI  - ?

PMID- 28353762
TI  - The occurrence of chondrodystrophy in chick embryos II. The genetic evidence.

PMID- 28353763
TI  - ?

PMID- 28353764
TI  - ?

PMID- 28353765
TI  - ?

PMID- 28353766
TI  - ?

PMID- 28353767
TI  - ?

PMID- 28353768
TI  - ?

PMID- 28353769
TI  - ?

PMID- 28353770
TI  - ?

PMID- 28353771
TI  - ?

PMID- 28353772
TI  - ?

PMID- 28353774
TI  - ?

PMID- 28353773
TI  - ?

PMID- 28353775
TI  - ?

PMID- 28353776
TI  - ?

PMID- 28353777
TI  - ?

PMID- 28353778
TI  - ?

PMID- 28353779
TI  - ?

PMID- 28353780
TI  - ?

PMID- 28353781
TI  - ?

PMID- 28353782
TI  - ?

PMID- 28353783
TI  - ?

PMID- 28353784
TI  - ?

PMID- 28353785
TI  - ?

PMID- 28353786
TI  - ?

PMID- 28353787
TI  - ?

PMID- 28353788
TI  - ?

PMID- 28353789
TI  - ?

PMID- 28353790
TI  - ?

PMID- 28353791
TI  - ?

PMID- 28353792
TI  - ?

PMID- 28353793
TI  - ?

PMID- 28353794
TI  - ?

PMID- 28353795
TI  - ?

PMID- 28353796
TI  - ?

PMID- 28353797
TI  - ?

PMID- 28353798
TI  - ?

PMID- 28353799
TI  - ?

PMID- 28353800
TI  - ?

PMID- 28353802
TI  - ?

PMID- 28353801
TI  - ?

PMID- 28353803
TI  - ?

PMID- 28353804
TI  - ?

PMID- 28353805
TI  - ?

PMID- 28353806
TI  - ?

PMID- 28353807
TI  - ?

PMID- 28353809
TI  - ?

PMID- 28353808
TI  - ?

PMID- 28353810
TI  - ?

PMID- 28353811
TI  - ?

PMID- 28353812
TI  - ?

PMID- 28353813
TI  - ?

PMID- 28353815
TI  - Asymmetry and relative growth of parts in the two sexes of the hermit-crab,
      eupagurus priedeauxi.

PMID- 28353814
TI  - ?

PMID- 28353816
TI  - ?

PMID- 28353817
TI  - ?

PMID- 28353818
TI  - ?

PMID- 28353819
TI  - ?

PMID- 28353820
TI  - ?

PMID- 28353821
TI  - ?

PMID- 28353822
TI  - ?

PMID- 28353823
TI  - ?

PMID- 28353824
TI  - ?

PMID- 28353825
TI  - ?

PMID- 28353826
TI  - ?

PMID- 28353827
TI  - The effect of yolk injections on the plumage of an ovariotomised brown leghron
      hen.

PMID- 28353828
TI  - ?

PMID- 28353829
TI  - ?

PMID- 28353830
TI  - Effect of thyroxin upon the thyroid gland and the regeneration and pigmentation
      of hair in Peromyscus.
AB  - 1. Thyroxin distended the follicles of the thyroid gland of Peromyscus. 2.
      Thyroxin increased the rapidity and extent of hair regeneration in mice from
      which half the hair on the back was removed. 3. The regenerated portion of the
      pelage contained fewer hairs than were removed; the smaller the type of hair the
      less complete was its regeneration. 4. Thyroxin did not affect the pigmentation
      of regenerated hairs.

PMID- 28353832
TI  - ?

PMID- 28353831
TI  - ?

PMID- 28353833
TI  - ?

PMID- 28353834
TI  - ?

PMID- 28353835
TI  - ?

PMID- 28353836
TI  - ?

PMID- 28353837
TI  - ?

PMID- 28353839
TI  - ?

PMID- 28353838
TI  - ?

PMID- 28353840
TI  - ?

PMID- 28353841
TI  - ?

PMID- 28353843
TI  - ?

PMID- 28353842
TI  - ?

PMID- 28353844
TI  - Spermatogenesis following early ovariotomy in the brown leghorn fowl.

PMID- 28353845
TI  - ?

PMID- 28353846
TI  - ?

PMID- 28353847
TI  - ?

PMID- 28353848
TI  - ?

PMID- 28353849
TI  - ?

PMID- 28353851
TI  - ?

PMID- 28353850
TI  - ?

PMID- 28353852
TI  - ?

PMID- 28353853
TI  - ?

PMID- 28353854
TI  - ?

PMID- 28353855
TI  - ?

PMID- 28353856
TI  - ?

PMID- 28353857
TI  - ?

PMID- 28353858
TI  - ?
AB  - ZUSAMMENFASSUNG: Wenn wir die Ausbildung der sekundaren Geschlechtsmerkmale in
      der postembryonalen Entwicklung des Ch. parallelus und der Wirbeltiere
      vergleichen, so beobachten wir eine grobetae Analogie zwischen denselben. 1. Die
      sekundaren Geschlechtsmerkmale erscheinen bei Ch. parallelus erst allmahlich, mit
      fortschreitendem Alter; sie fehlen in der 1. Altersstufe und fehlen auch ganz
      oder teilweise in der 2. Altersstufe. Sie sind in der 3. Altersstufe angedeutet
      und in der 4. klar zu erkennen, aber ihr Maximum erreichen sie erst beim Ubergang
      des Insekts zur erwachsenen Form. 2. Von besonderer Wichtigkeit ist es, dabeta
      bei der Entwicklung der sekundaren Geschlechtsmerkmale des Ch. parallelus ein
      deutlicher Sprung beim Ubergang zur erwachsenen Form beobachtet wird. Hier
      beobachten wir eine im Vergleich zu den vorhergehenden Altersstufen
      unverhaltnismabetaige Vergrobetaerung der sekundaren Geschlechtsunterschiede. 3.
      Die unverhaltnismabetaig starke Entwicklung der sekundaren Geschlechtsmerkmale
      beim Ubergang zum erwachsenen Zustand kann mit einer Entwicklungshemmung der
      einen und einer Entwicklungsstimulierung der anderen Merkmale bei den
      verschiedenen Geschlechtern erklart werden. 4. Nur die aubetaeren
      Geschlechtsorgane, zu welchen die letzten veranderten Hinterleibsegmente gehoren,
      unterscheiden sich deutlich (ohne Transgression) bei den Mannchen und Weibchen in
      der 1. Altersstufe, und zwar schon beim Ausschlupfen derselben aus dem Ei. Diese
      Unterschiede werden aber mit dem Alter grobetaer. Auf diese Weise entwickeln sich
      die Unterschiede im Bau der aubetaeren Geschlechtsteile viel fruher als die
      anderen Geschlechtsmerkmale.

PMID- 28353859
TI  - Intrinsic and extrinsic factors in the primary development of the skeleton.

PMID- 28353860
TI  - ?

PMID- 28353861
TI  - ?

PMID- 28353863
TI  - ?

PMID- 28353862
TI  - ?

PMID- 28353864
TI  - The influence of the quantity and quality of chromosomal material on the size of
      the cells in drosophila melanogaster.
AB  - 1. The small bristles on the surface of the wing ofDrosophila correspond each to
      a single cell. This fact makes possible the measurement of the size of the cells
      by counting the number of bristles within a known area of the wing surface. 2.
      Comparison of the cell size in male, female, superfemale, supermale, intersex and
      triploid female showed that the size of the cells increases with the increase of
      the total volume of the chromosomes contained in their nuclei. 3. The presence or
      absence of the Y-chromosome does not affect the size of the cells in spite of the
      considerable volume of the chromosome. 4. The loss of one fourth chromosome
      reduces the size of the cells considerably in spite of the smallness of the
      volume of this chromosome. 5. The mutant gene miniature alters the size of the
      cells strikingly. The epidermal cells of the wing membrane are apparent in
      miniature during the whole imaginal life of the fly; in wild-type and in all
      other mutants studied the epidermal cells degenerate soon after the emergence of
      the fly from the pupa. 6. The size of the cells in different races of the same
      species is determined by the quality as well as by the quantity of the
      chromosomal material contained in their nuclei.

PMID- 28353865
TI  - Determination of skeleton forming material at the time of the first cleavage in
      the eggs of echinus and paracentrotus.

PMID- 28353866
TI  - ?

PMID- 28353867
TI  - ?

PMID- 28353868
TI  - ?

PMID- 28353869
TI  - ?

PMID- 28353870
TI  - ?

PMID- 28353871
TI  - ?

PMID- 28353872
TI  - ?

PMID- 28353873
TI  - ?

PMID- 28353874
TI  - Regeneration and fragmentation in the Syllidian Polychaetes : Studies on the
      Syllidae II.

PMID- 28353875
TI  - ?

PMID- 28353876
TI  - ?

PMID- 28353877
TI  - ?

PMID- 28353878
TI  - Regeneration and reorganization in sabella.

PMID- 28353879
TI  - ?

PMID- 28353880
TI  - ?

PMID- 28353881
TI  - ?

PMID- 28353882
TI  - ?

PMID- 28353883
TI  - ?

PMID- 28353885
TI  - ?

PMID- 28353884
TI  - ?

PMID- 28353886
TI  - ?

PMID- 28353887
TI  - ?

PMID- 28353888
TI  - ?

PMID- 28353889
TI  - ?

PMID- 28353890
TI  - ?

PMID- 28353891
TI  - ?

PMID- 28353892
TI  - ?

PMID- 28353893
TI  - ?

PMID- 28353894
TI  - ?

PMID- 28353895
TI  - ?

PMID- 28353896
TI  - ?

PMID- 28353897
TI  - ?

PMID- 28353898
TI  - ?

PMID- 28353900
TI  - The effect of intensity and duration of light and of duration of darkness, partly
      modified by temperature, upon wing-production in aphids.

PMID- 28353899
TI  - ?

PMID- 28353901
TI  - ?

PMID- 28353903
TI  - ?

PMID- 28353902
TI  - ?

PMID- 28353904
TI  - ?

PMID- 28353905
TI  - ?

PMID- 28353906
TI  - ?

PMID- 28353908
TI  - ?

PMID- 28353907
TI  - ?

PMID- 28353909
TI  - ?

PMID- 28353910
TI  - ?

PMID- 28353911
TI  - ?

PMID- 28353912
TI  - ?

PMID- 28353913
TI  - ?

PMID- 28353915
TI  - ?

PMID- 28353914
TI  - ?

PMID- 28353916
TI  - ?

PMID- 28353917
TI  - ?

PMID- 28353918
TI  - ?

PMID- 28353919
TI  - ?

PMID- 28353920
TI  - ?

PMID- 28353922
TI  - ?

PMID- 28353921
TI  - The influence of temperature on egg size and variation in Drosophila
      melanogaster.

PMID- 28353923
TI  - ?

PMID- 28353924
TI  - ?

PMID- 28353925
TI  - ?

PMID- 28353926
TI  - ?

PMID- 28353927
TI  - ?

PMID- 28353928
TI  - ?

PMID- 28353929
TI  - ?

PMID- 28353930
TI  - ?

PMID- 28353931
TI  - ?

PMID- 28353932
TI  - A study of normal and regenerative growth in the pistol-crab, alpheus dentipes
      (Guer.), with special reference to the phenomenon of chela reversal.
AB  - An analysis has been made of the normal growth of the thoracic appendages in the
      pistol-crab,Alpheus dentipes. The chelae are the only asymmetrical appendages
      and, within an extensive size range, the growth-coefficient of the large chela
      (crusher) is smaller than that of the small chela (nipper), even in the most
      rapidly growing dimensions of the segment containing the growth-centre.The
      partition coefficient for growth in certain dimensions of the chelae is not
      constant but is reduced progressively during the growthperiod, due (it is
      suggested) to the impracticability of maintaining the intensive heterogony
      developed during the early stages of growth.Regenerative growth of the chelae has
      been studied quantitatively after autotomy of one, the other, or both normal
      chelae, effected once only or repeatedly as new chelae appeared at moulting. New
      chelae are regenerated repeatedly with little or no waning of growth intensity
      but in continuously growing chelae, growth intensity is substantially reduced at
      the end of the instar of autotomy. The amount of growth is not correlated with
      thenumber of days available for regeneration. When both chelae regenerate
      simultaneously the larger one grows relatively slower than the smaller one to the
      end of the instar of autotomy but afterwards this condition is reversed. When the
      nipper alone is autotomised, growth of the crusher is inhibited and shrinkage may
      occur. Crusher autotomy, on the other hand, stimulates nipper growth and to an
      extent which varies with the dimension.The problem of chela reversal has been
      discussed and certain suggestions have been preferred.

PMID- 28353933
TI  - ?

PMID- 28353934
TI  - ?

PMID- 28353935
TI  - ?

PMID- 28353936
TI  - ?

PMID- 28353938
TI  - ?

PMID- 28353937
TI  - ?

PMID- 28353939
TI  - ?

PMID- 28353941
TI  - ?

PMID- 28353942
TI  - ?

PMID- 28353940
TI  - ?

PMID- 28353943
TI  - ?

PMID- 28353944
TI  - ?

PMID- 28353945
TI  - ?

PMID- 28353946
TI  - ?

PMID- 28353947
TI  - ?

PMID- 28353948
TI  - ?

PMID- 28353949
TI  - ?

PMID- 28353950
TI  - ?

PMID- 28353951
TI  - Observations on limb development in Rana sylvatica following unilateral eye
      extirpation.
AB  - 1. The eye extirpation experiment ofDuRKEN (1913) has been repeated over a period
      of years with larvae ofRana sylvatica, and conflicting results have been
      obtained. 2. In the experiments herein reported, larvae have been reared under
      varied conditions of illumination and of temperature. The few defective cases
      obtained (0.7% of the whole) were distributed equally between the operated
      individuals and the controls, and were independent of the influences of darkness
      or of light, and of varying temperatures. 3. The results of these experiments
      strongly indicate that there is no causal relationship between the early removal
      of an eye and the later development of the limbs. 4. The occurrence of cases with
      defective limbs among museum specimens and among material collected in the field
      suggests that abnormal limb formation may be due to an instability of the
      individual.

PMID- 28353952
TI  - ?

PMID- 28353953
TI  - ?

PMID- 28353954
TI  - ?

PMID- 28353955
TI  - ?

PMID- 28353956
TI  - ?

PMID- 28353957
TI  - ?

PMID- 28353958
TI  - The development in vivo and in vitro of the avian patella.

PMID- 28353959
TI  - Induction by the endoderm in birds.
AB  - 1. The endoderm was separated from the epiblast in chick and duck embryos of
      young primitive streak stages, and then the two layers of tissue were replaced so
      that their longitudinal axes were diametrically opposed: i. e. the anterior part
      of the endoderm lay under the posterior region of the epiblast, and the posterior
      part of the endoderm under the anterior region of the epiblast. The combination
      was then cultivatedin vitro by the watch-glass technique. 2. The displaced
      endoderm had in most cases an effect on the development of the epiblast. It
      either (1) hindered the normal growth in length of the primitive streak, or (2)
      caused the development of a new primitive streak. In some cases the secondary
      (induced) streak disappeared on further cultivation, in some cases both streaks
      persisted and gave rise to a double monster, and in still other cases the
      secondary streak persisted and the primary disappeared. In two cases primary and
      secondary united to form a single semicircular embryo. 3. It is argued that the
      endoderm does not induce the differentiation of a definite tissue, but that it
      induces the form-building movements which lead to the development of the
      primitive streak.

PMID- 28353960
TI  - Induction by heteroplastic grafts of the primitive streak in birds.

PMID- 28353961
TI  - ?

PMID- 28353962
TI  - ?

PMID- 28353963
TI  - The influence of temperature on variation and inheritance of bodily dimensions
      inDrosophila melanogaster.

PMID- 28353964
TI  - ?

PMID- 28353966
TI  - ?

PMID- 28353965
TI  - ?

PMID- 28353967
TI  - ?

PMID- 28353968
TI  - ?

PMID- 28353969
TI  - ?

PMID- 28353970
TI  - ?

PMID- 28353971
TI  - ?

PMID- 28353972
TI  - ?

PMID- 28353973
TI  - ?

PMID- 28353974
TI  - ?

PMID- 28353975
TI  - Regional determination in the development of the trout.

PMID- 28353976
TI  - ?

PMID- 28353977
TI  - ?

PMID- 28353978
TI  - ?

PMID- 28353980
TI  - ?

PMID- 28353979
TI  - ?

PMID- 28353981
TI  - ?

PMID- 28353982
TI  - ?

PMID- 28353983
TI  - ?

PMID- 28353984
TI  - ?

PMID- 28353985
TI  - ?

PMID- 28353986
TI  - ?

PMID- 28353987
TI  - ?

PMID- 28353988
TI  - ?

PMID- 28353989
TI  - ?

PMID- 28353990
TI  - ?

PMID- 28353992
TI  - ?

PMID- 28353991
TI  - ?

PMID- 28353993
TI  - Experiments with direct currents on chick embryos.

PMID- 28353994
TI  - ?

PMID- 28353996
TI  - ?

PMID- 28353995
TI  - ?

PMID- 28353997
TI  - ?

PMID- 28353998
TI  - ?

PMID- 28353999
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354000
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354001
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354002
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354003
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354004
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354005
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354006
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354007
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354008
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354009
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354010
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354011
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354012
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354013
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354014
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354015
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354016
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354017
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354018
TI  - Studies on the effects of some genetic lethal factors on the embryonic
      development ofDrosophila melanogaster : V. An analysis of the mutantX 10.
AB  - 1. The development of the embryonic lethal mutantX 10 was studied by means of
      serial sections and by observations on living embryos. 2. The factor varies in
      its expression; three distinct types of abnormal embryos are produced, and in
      some the lethality does not occur until the larval stage. 3. Intype I embryos
      development stops after the formation of a cap of undifferentiated cells; intype
      II, differentiation is extremely limited, often giving nervous tissue
      exclusively, and no organ formation occurs;type III embryos reach a late stage of
      development, and the main features of morphogenesis are undisturbed, but cellular
      differentiation is retarded and abnormal. 4. Type III embryos provide some
      evidence that the pole cells invaginated with the posterior mid-gut rudiment give
      rise to both the germ cells and to the middle mid-gut cells, and also that the
      mesodermal parts of the gonads do not develop in the absence of the germ cells.
      5. The origin of distinct types of embryonic lethal abnormalities, and of a
      larval lethality, from a single mutant factor, is discussed in terms of general
      developmental concepts.

PMID- 28354019
TI  - Studies on the effects of some genetic lethal factors on the embryonic
      development ofDrosophila melanogaster : VI. An analysis of the mutantS9.
AB  - 1. The development of the embryonic lethal mutantS9 was studied by means of
      serial sections and by observations on living embryos. 2. Lethality does not
      occur in the embryonic stage in all cases; a variable proportion of individuals
      of the lethal genotype dies in the pupal or larval stages. 3. The primary
      abnormality in the affected embryos is a disturbance of the distribution of the
      cleavage nuclei, which causes the blastoderm to be fragile at its anterior end,
      and consequently to lead to deformations in the later development of this region.
      4. In the later stages of development, morphogenetic movements and cellular
      differentiation are disturbed in ways which differ greatly in individual cases,
      so that a wide variety of abnormalities is found in late embryos.

PMID- 28354020
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354021
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354022
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354023
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354024
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354025
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354026
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354027
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354028
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354029
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354030
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354031
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354033
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354034
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354032
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354035
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354036
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354037
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354039
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354038
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354040
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354041
TI  - Interaction between female and male parts in gynandromorphs of Drosophila
      simulans.

PMID- 28354042
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354043
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354044
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354045
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354046
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354047
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354048
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354049
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354050
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354051
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354052
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354053
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354054
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354055
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354056
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354058
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354057
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354059
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354060
TI  - The structure of the lymph glands ofDrosophila larvae.
AB  - 1. A detailed morphological and histological description is given of the lymph
      glands of late third instar wild type larvae. 2. In the late second instar of the
      wild type the lymph glands release some or their cells and these form the
      imaginal disc mesoderm, the lymph hearts, and other structures. The formation and
      the functioning of the lymph hearts are described. 3. It is argued that blood
      cells do not exist in theDrosophila larva.

PMID- 28354061
TI  - A genetically controlled malignant tumour inDrosophila.

PMID- 28354062
TI  - Lethal no-differentiation and the development of the imaginal discs during the
      larval stage inDrosophilia.
AB  - 1. Lethal no-differentiation, symboll-nd, is characterised by the failure of some
      or all of the imaginal buds to continue differentiation during the larval third
      instar. This is due to abnormal proliferation of the imaginal disc mesoderm. 2.
      There is a well-defined sequence in the sensitivity of the different organs to
      the lethal effect, the legs being the most commonly affected, and the genital
      disc the least commonly. 3. The abnormal proliferation of the mesoderm is
      preceded by degenerative changes in the lymph glands. 4. The mechanism of
      differentiation of the imaginal buds is discussed and it is argued that the
      organisation of the imaginal organs is determined primarily by the mesoderm. 5.
      It is suggested that the proliferation of the imaginal bud mesoderm is normally
      inhibited by a "bud-differentiation hormone" secreted by the lymph glands. The
      requirements of the different imaginal discs from this postulated hormone were
      represented by a histogram, in fig. 14.

PMID- 28354063
TI  - Regulation capacities of the wing- and halterediscs of wild type and
      bithoraxDrosophila.
AB  - 1. On removal of one dorsal mesothoracic disc from third-instar larvae
      ofDrosophila melanogaster (wild stock), regulation took place in one fourth of
      the cases, by the activity of the corresponding disc of the intact side. 2. In
      larvae of abithorax stock, regulation took place in the majority of cases, but it
      was due to the activity of thebx dorsal metathoracic disc of the operated side.
      3. The sternopleura is present after extirpation of the wing disc but absent
      after extirpation of the ventral mesothoracic disc. 4. The findings under 1 and 2
      are discussed in connection with previous work on regulation in larval discs.

PMID- 28354064
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354065
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354066
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354067
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354068
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354069
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354070
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354071
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354072
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354073
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354074
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354075
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354076
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354077
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354078
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354079
TI  - The morphogenetic action of follicle-stimulating hormone on post-nodal fragments
      of early chick blastoderms.
AB  - The morphogenetic action of ovine follicle-stimulating hormone has been studied.
      The hormone is incorporated in known concentrations in agar-albumen-compton base
      and post-nodal fragments of primitivestreak stage chick blastoderms 0.7 mm behind
      theHENSEN'S node are cultured on the base for 35-45 hours. The hormone is found
      to induce the formation of neural tissue, notochord-like tissue and mesodermal
      aggregations resembling somites.

PMID- 28354080
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354081
TI  - RNA and protein distribution during the development of axial mesodermal
      structures in the ascidian,Clavelina picta.

PMID- 28354082
TI  - Influence of the endoderm on heart differentiation during the early stages of
      development of the chicken embryo.
AB  - 1. In stages +4, 5 and +5 in the chick embryo, the bilateral extirpation of the
      endoderm in the entire extension of the P.H.M. region detains heart
      differentiation, giving rise to acardiac embryos. 2. The unilateral extirpation
      of the endoderm in the entire extension of the P.H.M. region detains heart
      differentiation of the primordium of the side operated on, forming a typical
      beating heart from the heterolateral primordium. 3. If the extirpation of the
      endoderm is partial, a small beating vesicle is formed on the side operated on,
      which has the characters of the ventricle bulb or atrium, according to which
      region of the endoderm was extirpated. 4. It is not possible to demonstrate a
      difference between right side and left side extirpations of the endoderm. 5. The
      formation of the fore-gut is detained completely or unilateraly due to the
      absence of the morphogenetic movements of the endoderm in the extirpated region.
      Neither are the fore-gut fissures formed. 6. The embryos which form are abnormal
      in the encephalic extremity, observing platyneuria and vascular dilatations with
      great frequency. 7. In the stages in which these experiments have been carried
      out, the P.H.M. is not found to be determined as yet and still needs the
      influence or induction of the endoderm in order to initiate its differentiation.

PMID- 28354083
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354084
TI  - The genetic control of developmental competence and morphogenetic tissue
      interactions in genetic mosaics.
AB  - 1. InDrosophila melanogaster the genotype Theta causes the development of an
      interalar bristle-organ which is not formed in the wild type. The genotype Minute
      n causes, in Theta flies, a strong reduction in the frequency of the occurrence
      of the interalar bristle. 2. By means of genetic mosaics, produced by somatic
      crossing over and segregation, a developmental analysis was applied to the
      differences in interalar differentiation between the wild-type, the Theta and the
      Minute-n genotype. 3. Loss of Minute-n in segregated tissues of Minute-n Theta
      flies leads to differentiation of the interalar bristle. Loss of Minute-n and
      Theta in segregates of such flies may also lead to differentiation of the
      bristle, particularly in spots of small area. 4. In the neighborhood of the
      border between the genetically different tissues of mosaics extra bristles may be
      formed. 5. The data furnish evidence for interactions between the genetically
      different tissues of mosaics: inhibition of bristle formation in the surroundings
      of differentiating bristles, and spread of gene-dependent substances concerned
      with differentiation. 6. The results can be interpreted in terms of a constant
      prepattern for the interalar bristle in wild-type, Theta and Minute Theta
      genotypes, but of different competence of cells with the three genotypes to
      respond to the prepattern by differentiation of the interalar bristle.

PMID- 28354085
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354086
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354087
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354088
TI  - Studies on the effects of some genetic lethal factors on the embryonic
      development ofDrosophila melanogaster : III. An analysis op the mutantX 27.
AB  - 1. The development of the embryonic lethal mutantX 27 was studied by means of
      serial sections and by observations on living embryos. 2. The embryos reaches a
      late stage of development, and survives after the time at which normal embryos
      hatch. 3. The earliest observable effect of the factor is upon the first stage of
      gastrulation, in which the formation of the ventral furrow is disturbed. 4. Some
      abnormalities of the final embryo, especially certain deformations of the hind
      gut and the nervous system, originate in mechanical disturbances arising from the
      abnormalities in gastrulation. 5. Other abnormalities do not originate in this
      way, but are due to defective cell differentiation: the gut remains sac-like, the
      ectoderm remains unsegmented, and the musculature of the body wall is
      undeveloped. 6. It is probable that the failure of the musculature of the body
      wall to develop follows from the absence of segmentation in the hypoderm, and
      that a type of inductive mechanism is involved.

PMID- 28354089
TI  - Studies on the effects of some genetic lethal factors on the embryonic
      development ofDrosophila melanogaster : IV. An analysis op the mutantX 20.
AB  - 1. The development of the embryonic lethal mutantX 20 was studied by means of
      serial sections and by observations on living embryos. 2. There is considerable
      variation in the expression of the lethality in the embryo. Four types of
      abnormal embryos are produced:I andII, in which there are certain abnormalities
      in various organ systems;III, in which there is an irregular blastoderm, and no
      development after gastrulation; andIV, in which cell proliferation occurs, but
      not differentiation. 3. Intypes I andII, the chief abnormality is in the
      differentiation of the ectoderm, but the disturbances in it are of contrary kinds
      in the two types. Intype I, a complete nervous system is produced, but the
      hypoderm is absent ventrally; whereas intype II, the nervous system is nearly or
      quite absent, and the hypoderm is complete. 4. The abnormal embryos oftype I are
      identical with some of those which previous workers have obtained by treating
      normal embryos with ultrasonics during blastoderm formation. 5. It is suggested
      that the primary effect of the factor is upon some sub-microscopic cellular
      factor in an early developmental stage, which has an effect upon ectodermal
      differentiation.

PMID- 28354090
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354091
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354092
TI  - ?
AB  - EDTA and ethylurethan specifically interferes with the formation of
      normalDictyostelium fruiting bodies without inhibiting the cellular
      differentiation into spores and stalk cells. Thus differentiation is largely
      independent from the normal culmination process.On the other hand a preferential
      inhibition of the differentiation has been observed with 2-mercaptoethanol, the
      spores being more sensitive than the stalk cells.

PMID- 28354093
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354094
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354095
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354096
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354097
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354098
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354099
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354100
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354101
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354102
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354103
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354104
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354105
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354106
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354107
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354108
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354109
TI  - Formation of the shell about the embryo of Hydra.

PMID- 28354111
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354110
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354112
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354113
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354114
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354115
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354116
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354117
TI  - Interactions between the endocrine system and the developing tissue inEphestia
      kuhniella.

PMID- 28354118
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354119
TI  - ?
AB  - 1. In a young larva ofRana esculenta, the budding fourth digit of a hind limb is
      cut off unilaterally. After 4 days, before regeneration has proceeded
      appreciably, the hind limbs are removed on both sides, fixed and compared with
      limbs of control larvae of identical stage. 2. It is found that one phalanx of
      the fourth digit is significantly shorter on the unoperated side than the
      corresponding phalanx of the controls. 3. The second and third digit, adjacent to
      the amputated fourth, lag behind in their growth compared with the controls.

PMID- 28354120
TI  - ?
AB  - 1. For the experiments larvae ofPeriplaneta americana (25-28 mm) were used. The
      antennae were amputated: (a) at different levels immediately after molting; (b)
      at the same level at different times after the molt. The rate of metamorphosis
      was observed at the first molt after the operation. 2. The proportion of adult
      molts increases with the length of the stump of the antennae if symmetrical
      amputations were carried out at different levels on the first day after the
      larval molt. There is a negative linear relation between the percentage of adult
      molts (probit values) and the calculated intensity of the regeneration processes
      which decreases with the length of the stump. 3. If the proportion of adult molts
      (probits) is plotted against the logarithm of the time of amputation a straight
      line relation to time is obtained provided the amputation was carried out during
      the growth and differentiation period of the antenna. The rate of metamorphosis
      increases with time. 4. The observed behavior is discussed in terms of a mutual
      relationship between the endocrine system and the developing tissue. It is
      suggested that the intensity of the developmental processes is the essential
      variable controlling the level of prothoracic gland hormone which controls the
      activity of the corpora allata.

PMID- 28354121
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354122
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354123
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354124
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354126
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354125
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354127
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354128
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354129
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354130
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354131
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354132
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354133
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354134
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354135
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354136
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354137
TI  - Selective fertilization in the rat.

PMID- 28354138
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354139
TI  - The effect of foreign skin on feather pattern in the common fowl (Gallus
      domesticus).
AB  - Experiments with skin grafting in the fowl have shown that a large measure of
      success is obtainable by means of a very simple technique. When a graft is placed
      on the back of a newly hatched chick the feathers subsequently developed conform
      very strictly in color and pattern to the type characteristic of the breed from
      which the graft was derived, except that occasionally some abnormally colored
      feathers are produced. These feathers are found to belong to two classes, one of
      which can be duplicated in unoperated birds, while the other is distinctive and
      represents a combination of the characteristics of donor and host. The data at
      hand do not justify anything more than a tentative hypothesis as to the exact
      mode of interaction in this case, but the fact that such an interaction does
      occur places the bird in line with some of the lower forms, and opens a new field
      for the study of regulatory processes in warm blooded animals.

PMID- 28354140
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354141
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354142
TI  - Differentiation versus cleavage in chorio-allantoic grafts.
AB  - A considerable amount of data obtained in the course of a large series of
      experiments upon the embryo of the fowl has lead to the conclusion that there is
      a great amount of independence between the processes involved in cell division
      and those concerned with differentiation in ontogeny. The conclusions are based
      upon the fact that when parts of the embryo are grafted at early stages, the size
      of the resulting organ is much smaller than that of organ segregates grafted at
      later stages. There is a direct relationship expressed in the series studied.
      Mention is made of the development of a number of organs in grafts and controls.
      The eye is selected for detailed discussion because of the fact that the
      differentiation of the subordinate parts is clear-cut, and models may easily be
      made of such organs for subsequent weighing and comparison. While there is a
      marked discrepancy between the sizes of the organs arising in grafts made at
      different developmental stages, the differentiation of the subordinate parts is
      essentially similar to that in the controls. The behavior in the chick is,
      therefore, similar to that already observed in some of the invertebrate groups.
      Such a method of attack may yield valuable information concerning the intimate
      nature of the processes involved in each event, viz. cell division, and cell
      differentiation, which may, very conceivably aid in their interpretation of these
      events.

PMID- 28354143
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354144
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354145
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354146
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354147
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354148
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354149
TI  - Some observations upon grafted eyes of frog larvae.

PMID- 28354150
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354151
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354152
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354153
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354154
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354155
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354156
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354157
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354158
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354159
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354160
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354161
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354162
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354163
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354164
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354165
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354167
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354168
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354166
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354169
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354170
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354171
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354172
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354173
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354174
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354175
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354176
TI  - ?
AB  - 1. Cells ofDictyostelium discoideum grow exponentially when cultivated in
      suspension. The generation time is 3,3 hrs (20 degrees  C). 2. In all stages of
      their development the cells can agglutinate spontaneously. Agglutinates in a
      certain developmental stage undergo immediate transformation into fruiting
      bodies, if they can make contact with the liquid/air interphase. This contact
      induces the polarity of the fruiting bodies. Autonomous polarization does not
      occur. Bilateral interphase contact induces twin fruiting bodies pointing in
      opposite directions. 3. Weakening of intercellular contacts results in a
      reduction of the average size of the agglutinates and can thus be recognized
      easily under standardized conditions. This was shown to be the case for two
      morphologically deficient mutants.

PMID- 28354177
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354178
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354179
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354180
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354181
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354182
TI  - Experiments showing the role of migrating neural crest (mesectoderm) in the
      formation of head skeleton and loose connective tissue in Rana palustris.

PMID- 28354183
TI  - An analysis of the responses of isolated portions of the amphibian nervous
      system.

PMID- 28354184
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354185
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354186
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354187
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354188
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354189
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354190
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354191
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354192
TI  - Embryonic segregation and its role in the life history.

PMID- 28354193
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354194
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354195
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354196
TI  - Studies on some aspects of regeneration inPelmatohydra oligactis.
AB  - 1. A histological and experimental study undertaken to elucidate the mechanism of
      regeneration ofPelmatohydra oligactis has shown that there is no significant
      mitotic activity in regeneration. 2. Chloroacetophenone (CAP) caused inhibition
      of regeneration but cystine and cysteine were ineffective. 3. The results are
      discussed from the point of view of the importance of -SH? -SS- equilibrium in
      regeneration. It is suggested that CAP might be acting on enzymatic -SH groups
      that are vitally concerned in some energy system.

PMID- 28354197
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354199
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354198
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354200
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354201
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354202
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354203
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354204
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354205
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354206
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354207
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354208
TI  - The genetic control of genital morphology inDrosophila : A study of the external
      genitalia of sex mosaics.

PMID- 28354209
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354210
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354211
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354212
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354213
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354214
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354215
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354216
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354217
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354219
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354218
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354220
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354221
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354222
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354223
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354224
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354225
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354226
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354227
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354228
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354229
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354230
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354231
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354233
TI  - Mitotic complex in the cardiac field of chick embryos.
AB  - 1. The mitotic peculiarity of the ventricle has been studied. 2. Diffused mitotic
      activity is noticed throughout the tissue matrix. No definite mitotic zone is
      seen. The total mitotic activity varies in the different regions as well as in
      different times of growth. 3. Except in 3 day heart, the rate of cell division is
      always more in the central area. 4. The ratio of dividing nuclei to resting
      nuclei in the peripheral region of 3 day heart is higher than that in the central
      region. 5. The most important item in the individuation of this organ is that the
      total percentage of dividing nuclei in the different stages, always present a
      slender figure. However, the cell increase is continuous. 6. The frequency is at
      its maximum. (11.03%) in 13 day heart, and the minimum (3.09%) in 21 day heart.
      The percentage of divisional figures in other stages fluctuates in between them.
      The cell increase in the heart continues even after hatching.

PMID- 28354232
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354234
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354235
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354236
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354237
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354238
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354239
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354240
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354241
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354242
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354243
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354244
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354245
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354246
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354247
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354248
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354249
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354250
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354251
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354252
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354253
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354254
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354255
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354256
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354257
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354258
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354259
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354260
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354261
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354262
TI  - Growth and development of flesh flies as influenced by the feeding of hypophysis
      (Pituitary gland).
AB  - 1. Flesh fly larvae of the speciesSarcophaga saracena andCalliphora
      erythrocephala were used. Different groups of larvae from the same parent, the
      same litter and under approximately the same meteorological conditions were fed
      exclusively on an abundant diet of the anterior lobe, posterior lobe and whole
      gland of the hypophysis of the pig. The controls were fed on an abundant diet of
      brain and muscle, obtained from the same animal. 2. A method for obtaining
      quickly the first stage larvae of a larviparous fly by cesarotomy was developed.
      3. When fed to flesh fly larvae under the conditions described, anterior lobe of
      the hypophysis exercises no growth promoting influence; neither was the rate of
      metamorphosis accelerated over that of the control animals. 4. The differences in
      growth that do occur may be conveniently accounted for by the normal variation in
      growth development occurring in the species. 5. No toxic effect or any observable
      retardation of growth was produced on the larvae as a result of an exclusive and
      abundant diet of the gland substance. 6. The larvae ingesting muscle showed an
      increased larval period ranging from 25 to 40 hours over that of the maggots
      feeding on the other substances and this factor is dependent on a slower rate of
      liquefaction of this tissue, for the pupal period in all groups of larvae of the
      same parentage was approximately of the same duration. 7. The chemical make up of
      the different substances fed, as well as any resulting bacterial action on them
      does not appear to be of any great significance in these experiments, since the
      larvae feeding on them developed into healthy adult flies. 8. Since the injection
      of extracts of hypophysis (anterior lobe) is usually effective and in most cases
      non-effective when the gland substance is fed by mouth, it becomes necessary to
      make a distinction between the effects produced by the feeding of the hypophysis
      and those resulting from the injection of its extracts.

PMID- 28354263
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354264
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354265
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354266
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354267
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354268
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354270
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354271
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354269
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354272
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354273
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354274
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354275
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354276
TI  - Effects of feeding silkworms on extract of the anterior lobe of the pituitary
      gland.
AB  - Silk worms have been fed upon extract of the anterior lobe of the pituitary
      gland, special precautions being taken to ensure that the insects actually ingest
      the active principle.Marked retardation of growth is described. Metamorphosis was
      delayed likewise, and the mortality at the various metamorphological stages much
      greater than in the control group of worms.Normal movements were unaffected but
      definite slowing of the circulation was observed.Reasons are advanced for the
      belief that the retardatory effect was caused by a failure of metabolism, and it
      is suggested that this may relate to carbohydrate metabolism in particular. A
      distinction between vertebrates and invertebrates is noted, the former exhibiting
      an initial retardatory effect followed by an acceleration of growth whilst the
      latter only show retardation.

PMID- 28354277
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354278
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354279
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354280
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354281
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354282
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354283
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354284
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354285
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354286
TI  - The formation of lenses from the margin of the optic cup in eyes implanted in the
      belly wall of Triton and the possibility of the formation of lenses from belly
      ectoderm.

PMID- 28354287
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354288
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354289
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354290
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354291
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354292
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354293
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354294
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354295
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354296
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354297
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354298
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354299
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354300
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354301
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354302
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354303
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354304
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354306
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354305
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354307
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354308
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354309
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354310
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354311
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354312
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354313
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354314
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354315
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354316
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354317
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354318
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354320
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354319
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354321
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354322
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354323
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354324
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354325
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354327
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354326
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354328
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354329
TI  - The effect of reversing the medio-lateral or transverse axis of the fore-limb bud
      in the salamander embryo (Amblystoma punctatum Linn.).

PMID- 28354330
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354331
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354332
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354333
TI  - On the coherence of the blastomeres of sea urchin eggs.
AB  - 1. The formation of the hyaline substance is prevented by the action of a
      solution of non-electrolyte. 2. Cell division does not depend upon the presence
      of hyaline substance or a hyaline layer. 3. The cell bridges arise independently
      of the hyaline layer. 4. The size and tensile strength of the cell bridges depend
      upon the concentration of calcium-ion. 5. Although both the hyaline layer and the
      cell bridges are affected in the same fashion by the lack of calcium-ion, they
      react differently to a medium slightly hypertonic.

PMID- 28354334
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354335
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354336
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354337
TI  - ?
AB  - 1. Chemically pure thyroxin solution was used to study the effect on the
      metamorphic rate, fecundity, sex ratio, size and crossing-over ofDrosophila
      melanogaster. 2. The data obtained show thatDrosophila does not respond to
      thyroxin in the same way as do the Vertebrates. 3. Some small alteration (e. g.
      in the egg-laying period) was due to the secondary effect of thyroxin; i. e. the
      altered pH of the food. 4. The negative results obtained byDOBKIEWICZ with dried
      thyroid gland were confirmed when pure thyroxin was used.

PMID- 28354338
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354339
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354340
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354341
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354342
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354343
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354344
TI  - The mutant "proboscipedia" in Drosophila melanogaster - A case of hereditary
      homoosis.
AB  - The recessive mutant "proboscipedia", found byBRIDGES April 27, 1931, has its
      locus in the third chromosome at approximately 5.3 units to the right of
      Dichaete, or at 45.7.In proboscipedia the oral lobes are converted into a labium
      like organ, which also resembles a pair of antenna-like or tarsus-like
      appendages. This change, as well as the modifications of the labrum, maxillae,
      maxillary palpi, and other structures give to the mouth parts of proboscipedia a
      resemblance to those of the biting type found in insects of lower orders.The four
      fold resemblance of the modified oral lobes in proboscipedia to the labrum, the
      maxillary palpi, the antenae and the tarsi is comprehensible in view of the
      homology of these three head-appendages with each other and with the walking
      legs.

PMID- 28354345
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354346
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354347
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354348
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354349
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354350
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354351
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354352
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354353
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354354
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354355
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354356
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354357
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354358
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354359
TI  - Observations on physiological factors influencing the genetic coloration of fowl
      plumage.
AB  - 1. Evidence is given that there is in the Brown Leghorn Fowl (light brown
      variety) a direct correlation between the rate of growth of the feathers and the
      amount of black pigment deposited in them. 2. The effect of hormones (male,
      female, thyroid and anterior pituitary extracts) on growth rates and on
      pigmentation is considered. 3. Tests are described to discover whether female
      hormone has an effect on the production of melanin by the tyrosine - tyrosinase
      reaction. 4. A suggestion is made regarding the previously known fact that there
      are in urine unidentified substances affecting (inhibiting) the tyrosine -
      tyrosinase reaction.

PMID- 28354360
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354361
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354362
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354363
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354364
TI  - Observations on effects of ultra-violet rays upon living eggs of Nereis limbata
      exposed before insemination.
AB  - A. Eggs ofNereis exposed to ultra-violet light before insemination exhibit threee
      marked effects: 1. They extrude jelly equally from all parts of the cortex. 2.
      The first cleavage plane passes through that area of the egg from which the
      membrane is farthest removed-the site of maximum effect of the exposure. This
      sharply localized cortical injury can be traced throughout the egg's development
      into the worm of three segments. The majority of these worms exhibit a blister on
      the side of the first segment behind the head. 3. Polar body formation is
      suppressed. B. These effects are due to a sharply localized cortical injury.

PMID- 28354366
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354365
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354367
TI  - Potencies of the gonad-forming area in the chick as tested in chorio-allantoic
      grafts.
AB  - 1. This report deals with an analysis by chorio-allantoic grafting of the
      developmental potentialities of the gonad-forming areas of stages prior to the
      genital ridge in the chick embryo. The stages tested include a) those prior to
      the formation of the germinal epithelium (donors having from 29 to 34 somites)
      and b) those in which a germinal epithelium is visibly differentiated (donors
      having from 35 to 41 somites). In all of these stages germ-cells are present in
      the gonadforming areas. 2. a) In 34% of the 77 grafts histologically examined a
      gonad of specific sex has differentiated. Prior to the origin of the germinal
      epithelium such a gonad arises in 23.9% of the grafts whereas after its formation
      in 48.4% of the grafts; according to a former report (WILLIER '27) when the
      genital ridge stage is reached it forms in approximately 100% of the grafts. b) A
      gonad-like body of undetermined sex forms commonly (60%) in the grafts of the
      gonad-forming area whereas it rarely does so in grafts of the genital ridge.
      Prior to the 31-somite stage this type of gonad only has thus far formed. Several
      grades of organization of these bodies are recognized. c) The gonad-forming area
      yields somewhat frequently multiple gonads whereas a well-defined genital ridge
      gives as a rule a single gonad. d) The size of the gonad of specific sex which
      arises from the gonad-forming area is smaller than one from the genital ridge. It
      is thus evident that a progressive change in the developmental potentialities of
      the gonad-forming area occurs as it transforms into a genital ridge. This is
      interpreted as indicating that the gonad-forming area during its initial
      development exhibits an ascending organization which finally attains at the
      genital ridge stage a fully "determined" condition. 3. In the majority of the
      grafts of the gonad-forming area masses of germinal-cells are found external to
      the gonad in the mesenchyme or spaces within it. In such positions the germ-cells
      merely undergo repeated multiplication, exhibiting no tendency to form a gonad.
      If by chance germ-cells come to be situated in the wall of either the Wolffian or
      Mullerian duct, the overlying coelomic epithelium thickens into a layer
      simulating a germinal epithelium, yet the essential components of an avian gonad,
      namely, the sexual cords, fail completely to invaginate. The origin and
      differentiation of the germinal epithelium, on the contrary, is apparently
      independent of primordial germ-cells since a sterile gonad forms in grafts of
      whole blastoderms of early somite stages following the removal of the "germ-cell
      crescent" ofSWIFT. 4. Germ-cells in the mesenchyme remain cytologically
      undifferentiated, like the primordial germ-cells, whereas those which come to be
      situated in the sexual cords undergo specific differentiation. The conclusion is
      reached, therefore, that the germ-cell is dependent upon the specific tissue
      environment of the sexual cord for its sexual differentiation.

PMID- 28354368
TI  - Gradients of normal and regenerative growth in the pistol-crab, alpheus dentipes.
AB  - 1. During normal growth of the pistol-crab,Alpheus dentipes, the distribution of
      growth potential along the antero-posterior axis of the body takes the form of a
      growth gradient with its high point in the chelae-bearing segment. Values of k
      are presented in the text. 2. During regenerative growth of the thoracic
      appendages the normal growth gradient is maintained, with slight modification;
      the relative rate of growth in length of the chelae is reduced. 3. The absolute
      and relative rate of regeneration of thoracic appendages is exceedingly rapid
      (see text for values) and varies with body size. Large males used in these
      experiments regenerate roughly twice the absolute length of appendage regenerated
      by small males, during the mean day, but form smaller fractions of normal
      appendage length. 4. Logarithmic plots of carapace length against appendage
      length at the end of the period of regeneration yield approximations to straight
      lines in every instance.HUXLEY's idea of growth partition receives support and is
      shown to apply in regeneration as in normal growth. 5. The partition coefficients
      for regenerative growth are smaller than those for normal growth, in general. The
      constant fractional factor kR/kN is considerably less than unity in the male
      crusher and its propus and it is suggested that small values of this constant are
      correlated with high normal growth coefficients.

PMID- 28354369
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354370
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354371
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354372
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354373
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354374
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354375
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354376
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354377
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354378
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354379
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354380
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354381
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354382
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354383
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354384
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354385
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354386
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354387
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354388
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354389
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354390
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354391
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354392
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354393
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354394
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354395
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354396
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354397
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354398
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354399
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354400
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354401
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354402
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354403
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354405
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354404
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354406
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354407
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354408
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354409
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354410
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354411
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354412
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354413
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354414
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354415
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354416
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354417
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354418
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354419
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354420
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354421
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354422
TI  - The antigenicity of regenerating tail tissue in the newt Diemictylus viridescens.
AB  - Young adult male rabbits were inoculated with antigens prepared from regenerating
      (blastema stage) and nonregenerating tail tissues of the newtDiemictylus
      viridescens. Blood was collected from these rabbits after six weeks of semiweekly
      injection, two weeks of respite, and two more weeks of injections. A Freund
      adjuvant was added to the antigen preparations at the time of injection in order
      to elicit the anamnestic effect.Ouchterlony agar diffusions of the newt antigen
      preparations vs. the rabbit antisera were carried out. The resulting patterns of
      precipitation bands were compared and photographed.The strongest precipitation
      reactions of a given series were those between the antigen preparations made from
      nonregenerating tissue and their homologous antisera. The weakest reactions
      occurred between regenerating tissue antigens and regenerating tissue antisera.
      The strength of the antigen-antibody reactions was judged by the number of bands
      appearing in the diffusion plate and by the distinctness of these bands.
      Reactions of intermediate strength occurred between regenerating antigens and
      nonregenerating antisera, between nonregenerating antigens and regenerating
      antisera, and between antigens and antisera of different series.The loss of
      antigenicity during the blastemal period was considered to be related to the
      destruction of tissue in the wound areas at this time, and to indicate a
      quantitative rather than a qualitative loss of protein in regenerating tissue.

PMID- 28354423
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354424
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354425
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354426
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354427
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354428
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354429
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354430
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354431
TI  - Correlation in the development and growth of the eye studied by means of
      heteroplastic transplantation.

PMID- 28354432
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354433
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354434
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354435
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354436
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354437
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354438
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354439
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354440
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354441
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354442
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354443
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354444
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354445
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354446
TI  - ?
AB  - The morphogenetic capacities of cells inDictyostelium discoideum, as well as of
      groups (agglutinates) of these cells are changed in a constant time course after
      food consumption has been stopped.Two questions were posed: 1. When is the
      capacity of aggregation at its maximum level in a culture of single suspended
      cells. 2. At what time do agglutinates answer an external stimulus immediately by
      establishing polarity.The maximum of aggregation capacity lies 8-10 hours after
      complete food exhaustion. This functional stage is cytologically characterized by
      accumulation of metachromatic granules in the cells [seeBONNER et al. (1955)]. -
      The polarization capacity of agglutinates depends primarily on the functional age
      of the cells (this means that the age of the cells is related to the time of
      complete food exhaustion), and secondly it depends on the age of the
      agglutinates. In the most favorable case the maximum response is reached 12 hours
      after complete food exhaustion.A difference of about 2 hours lies between the
      beginning of aggregation and polarization. This difference in time could explain
      the centerless aggregation patterns of a well synchronized cell population as
      well as the appearance of primary aggregation centers in non-synchronized
      cultures.

PMID- 28354448
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354447
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354449
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354450
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354451
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354452
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354453
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354454
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354455
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354456
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354457
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354458
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354459
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354460
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354461
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354462
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354463
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354464
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354465
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354466
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354468
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354467
TI  - A study of the physiological value of alpha-amino acids during the early periods
      of growth and differentiation.

PMID- 28354469
TI  - Mitosis in hydra : Mitosis in the indifferent interstitial cells of hydra.
AB  - 1. The indifferent interstitial cells divide by mitosis. 2. This mitosis occurs
      within the nuclear area but not inside the nuclear membrane. 3. Centrioles are
      present and appear to be enclosed within the nuclear membrane during the early
      telephase. 4. Various fixing agents have great effect upon the chromosomes,
      causing them to shrink from their V-shape to rather rod-like structures. 5. The
      indifferent cells of the endoderm divide in a manner similar to the indifferent
      cells of the ectoderm.

PMID- 28354470
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354471
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354472
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354473
TI  - Regional differences in the action of the organization center.

PMID- 28354474
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354475
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354476
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354477
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354478
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354479
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354480
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354481
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354482
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354483
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354484
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354485
TI  - Differential reduction of vital dyes in the early development of echinoderms.

PMID- 28354486
TI  - A contribution to the physiology of exogastrulation in echinoderms.

PMID- 28354487
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354488
TI  - Studies on the creeper fowl X. A study of the mode of action of a lethal factor
      by explantation methods.

PMID- 28354490
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354489
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354492
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354491
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354493
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354494
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354495
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354496
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354497
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354498
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354499
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354500
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354501
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354502
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354503
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354504
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354505
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354506
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354507
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354508
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354509
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354510
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354511
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354512
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354513
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354514
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354516
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354515
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354517
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354518
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354519
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354520
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354521
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354522
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354523
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354524
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354525
TI  - The production of pigment in vitro by chick neural crest.
AB  - 1. Neural crest, or regions containing presumptive neural crest, from chick
      embryos between late primitive streak stage and 20 somites, was explanted in
      plasma clot cultures on depression slides, and grown for periods ranging from 3
      to 14 days. 2. During the first four days in vitro, differentiation of pigment
      occurs, the colorless refractile granules of the cells gradually deepening in
      tone from yellow to deep brown or black, until large numbers of typical
      melanophores are present. 3. The most intense pigmentation occurred in cultures
      from embryos of dominant black breeds. There is an apparent positive correlation
      between the presence of the genetic factor for black and the capacity for pigment
      production, since hybrids carrying the black factor, and dominant white in which
      the presence of the black factor is masked by an inhibitor, also produce pigment
      in cultures of neural crest, while cultures of recessive white which lack the
      genetic factor for pigment were negative. 4. Pigment production is related to the
      stage of the embryo at the time of explantation. A very low percentage of
      positives was obtained from embryos prior to the formation of the neural folds,
      the highest percentage of strongly positive cultures being obtained from embryos
      of from one to 7 somites, when the neural crest material is most concentrated.
      The lower percentages obtained in early stages are probably due to the
      undetermined nature of the explant, in the older stages to the increasing
      diffuseness of the neural crest as a result of cellular migration. 5. Control
      cultures, made from other regions of the embryo, were invariably negative when
      taken in stages prior to migration of the neural crest, except in cases where the
      whole embryo was explanted after removal of the pre-otic crest. Here a few black
      cells occurred as probable derivatives of the post-otic section of the crest.

PMID- 28354526
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354527
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354528
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354529
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354530
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354531
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354532
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354534
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354533
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354535
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354536
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354538
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354537
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354539
TI  - Genes that affect early developmental stages of Drosophila melanogaster.

PMID- 28354540
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354541
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354542
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354543
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354544
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354545
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354546
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354547
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354548
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354549
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354550
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354551
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354552
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354553
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354554
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354555
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354556
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354557
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354558
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354559
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354560
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354561
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354562
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354563
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354564
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354565
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354566
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354567
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354568
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354569
TI  - Responses of the genital system and the urinogenital papilla of the female
      catfish,Heteropneustes fossilis (Bloch) to sex hormones.
AB  - Intraperitoneal injections of diethylstilbestrol and testosterone propionate into
      the catfish,Heteropneustes fossilis (BLOCH) elicited pronounced changes in the
      female reproductive system and the urinogenital papilla. Considerable gonadal and
      oviducal hypotrophy occurred in the hormone recipients. Marked histological
      alterations were also encountered in the genital system of the experimental
      females. Another interesting response was the inhibition of the urinogenital
      papilla of the treated fishes. It is suggested that the changes in the ovary and
      the oviduct were induced by the sex hormones throught the inhibition of the
      gonadotrophic activity of the anterior hypophysis. The changes in the
      urinogenital papilla proved that this structure in the female catfish is a true
      secondary sexual character and is under the estrogenic control of the ovary.

PMID- 28354570
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354571
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354572
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354573
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354574
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354575
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354576
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354577
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354578
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354579
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354580
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354581
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354582
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354583
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354584
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354585
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354586
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354587
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354588
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354589
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354590
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354591
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354592
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354593
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354594
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354595
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354596
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354597
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354598
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354599
TI  - Autonomy in the regionalisation of branchial endoderm in amphibia.
AB  - 1. The branchial endoderm taken from late neurula or tail bud embryos developed
      into typical pharynx, when left to develop with head-mesenchyme, while in a
      purely ectodermal environment lacking mesodermal elements, it did not give rise
      to any identifiable structure. 2. The same endodermal piece was explanted
      together with lateral mesoderm. In this combination, the frequency of the
      occurrence of intestine decreased with increasing age of the donor, and the
      appearance of "pharyngoid" (the amorphous assemblage of pharyngeal cells)
      increased. 3. The piece of branchial endoderm was removed from an early neurula,
      and was isolated alone or together with cranial ectomesoderm for 24 or 48 hours,
      until the synchronous control had reached early or late tail bud stage; then pre
      isolated piece of endoderm was combined with lateral mesoderm and cultivated
      further in an epidermal envelope. A decreased production of intestine and
      increased production of "pharyngoid" were obtained, according to the duration of
      the pre-isolation. 4. In the discussion, the establishment of regionalisation of
      endoderm in normal embryo was interpreted as anautonomous process, which can be
      accerelated by contact with head mesenchyme but which does not require it, while
      for the individuation of pharyngeal organisation, the presence of mesenchyme was
      considered to be indispensable.

PMID- 28354600
TI  - Induction of bone, cartilage and hemopoietic tissue by subcutaneously implanted
      tissue diaphragms.
AB  - The subcutaneous implantation of appropriate tissue diaphragms (short, broad
      glass cylinders) rather regularly induces the formation of bones provided with
      marrow cavities and junction cartilage plates, in the rat.Bone formation, unlike
      the development of hemopoietic tissue, can be prevented, under these
      circumstances, by topical blockade of the phagocyte system with carbon
      particles.The role of nonspecific topical stress factors, in the induction of
      such highly specific structural transformations, has been discussed.

PMID- 28354601
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354602
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354603
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354604
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354605
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354606
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354607
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354608
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354609
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354610
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354611
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354612
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354613
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354614
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354615
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354616
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354617
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354618
TI  - Morphogenesis studies by means of X-rays : II. Note on an inherited cuticular
      tumor in Drosophila.

PMID- 28354619
TI  - Morphogenesis studies by means of X-rays : III. X-ray induced persistence of a
      larval character in Drosophila.
AB  - A peculiar x-ray induced localized growth inDrosophila imagos is described and
      provisionally identified as a persistent larval spiracle. The view is expressed
      that a chromosomal upset changes the cell chemistry in such a way as to make them
      impervious to normal destruction during metamorphosis.

PMID- 28354620
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354622
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354621
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354623
TI  - Effects of temperature-fasting on the structural organisation of chick embryos.
AB  - 1. The progressive effects of temperature fasting on the blastoderms of chick
      have been studied. 2. The blastoderms do not show any morphogenetic change up to
      the 7th day of delay prior to incubation. Embryological changes in form of
      suppression arise in the organisation of blastoderms delayed over 12 days or
      more. The axes of the embryos tend to be more shortened in the further delayed
      embryos. 3. The axial structures of the blastoderms suffer reduction in shape and
      size until they disappear in the blastoderms kept waiting for 15 to 20 days. The
      blastoderms enlarge into a sheet-like structure without any mark of organisation.
      4. The blastoderms become gradually incapacitated beyond the temperature-fasting
      for over 20 days. 5. The probable mechanism of these morphogenetic features have
      been sought in the denaturation of "Cell substances" by dehydration, suppression
      of mitotic activities and morphogenetic movements of cells of the blastoderms.

PMID- 28354624
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354625
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354626
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354627
TI  - Experimental dissociation of cells from hydra.
AB  - 1. The cellular configuration of a hydra is dissociated under the pressure of a
      cover-glass and the different cell types are isolated and observed in hanging
      drop chamber. 2. With the exception of certain cnidoblasts, all the cells are
      rounded after dissociation of which only the nutritive muscular cells of the
      endoderm show amoeboid movement. 3. Pseudopodium originates as ectoplasmic out
      pushing in which endoplasm flows in afterwards. Pseudopodia are thrown from all
      sides of the cell. 4. The details of intra-cellular contents in the different
      cell-types are described. 5. The nature of surface rigidity, attachment and cell
      shape before and after dissociation have been discussed in relation to the animal
      form and morphallactic power of hydra.

PMID- 28354628
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354629
TI  - Transport of thermal energy across the organization centre of chick embryo.
AB  - 1. Transit of heat from three selected points across the blastoderm has been
      analysed. 2. The shock at the differentiating centre is more drastic than that at
      a point away from it. 3. The posterior and the middle portion of the embryo are
      more susceptible than the anterior portion of the same to the thermal shock. 4.
      Graded types of ontogenesis have been observed after thermal treatment. 5. The
      epiblast is the most susceptible layer to heat treatment than the other two. 6.
      Different aspects of the abnormal morphogenesis have been explained from the
      point of view of morphogenetic movement of cells.

PMID- 28354630
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354631
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354632
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354633
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354634
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354635
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354636
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354637
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354638
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354639
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354640
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354642
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354641
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354643
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354644
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354645
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354646
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354647
TI  - Duration of light and the wings op the aphid macrosiphum solanifolii.

PMID- 28354648
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354649
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354650
TI  - Physiological dominance and physiological isolation in development and
      reconstitution.

PMID- 28354651
TI  - Genetic rate-factors in gammarus.

PMID- 28354652
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354653
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354654
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354655
TI  - The development of egg-fragments in annelids.
AB  - 1. The unfertilized eggs ofChatopterus, taken near the beginning of the
      maturation-period, may readily, by strong centrifuging, be broken into fragments
      of varying size and contents. Both nucleated and non-nucleated fragments of
      various sizes may be fertilized, and may develop into actively swimming dwarf
      larvae, some of which approach the normal whole larvae in form, structure and
      movements. 2. The fragments may contain varying combinations of the three main
      zones produced by centrifuging, including those derived from the hyaline mid dle
      zone whicharealmost entirely composed of hyaloplasm. Any of the fragments
      irrespective of their contents may develop if of sufficient size. 3. The cleavage
      pattern of the fragments, irrespective of their contents, closely follows that of
      the whole eggs, including the size-relations, the alternation of spiral cleavages
      and the arrangement of the blastomeres. The first cleavage may or may not be
      accompanied by the formation of a polar lobe, the fragments being probably
      derived in the first case from the lower hemisphere, in the second from the upper
      one. In both cases the cleavage is unequal in the normal proportions, and there
      seems to be only one type of regular cleavage. 4. Since hyaline fragments may
      segment normally and may produce actively swimming dwarf larvae of nearly normal
      appearance, it seems probable that the basis of localization, cleavage-patterns,
      and differentiation must be sought in some kind of internalstructure in the
      apparently structureless hyoplasm or ground-substance. 5. Some review and
      discussion is offered of the evidence that the ooplasmic structure is
      progressively developed and transformed before, during and after cleavage. 6. The
      relation between mosaic development and embryonic induction or organizing
      activities is discussed, including some consideration of the question of
      organizing centers in the "mosaic" types of cleavage.

PMID- 28354656
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354657
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354658
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354660
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354659
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354661
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354662
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354663
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354664
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354665
TI  - Seasonal variations in fertility and in the sex ratio of mammals, with special
      reference to the rat.

PMID- 28354666
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354667
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354668
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354669
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354670
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354671
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354672
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354673
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354674
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354675
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354676
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354677
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354678
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354679
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354680
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354681
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354682
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354683
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354684
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354685
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354686
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354687
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354689
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354688
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354690
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354691
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354692
TI  - The modification of development by means of temperature gradients.

PMID- 28354693
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354694
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354695
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354696
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354697
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354698
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354699
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354700
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354701
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354703
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354702
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354704
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354705
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354706
TI  - Reproduction in alcoholic mice: II. Treated males : A study of prenatal mortality
      and sex ratios.

PMID- 28354707
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354708
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354709
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354710
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354711
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354712
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354713
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354714
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354715
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354716
TI  - Influence of the antimitotic phenanthrenequinone on the cleavage of the eggs of
      the mollusc,Mytilus edulis L.
AB  - 1. Phenanthrenequinone, in concentrations above 1?2 M, produces cytolysis. 2. It
      causes blockage in the single cell stage in concentrations down to 1?200 M. 3.
      The main area of antimitotic activity lies in between 1?2 M to 1?20 M. 4. Most of
      the abnormal forms are like those produced by naphthoquinone. 5. A new and so far
      unobserved "linear type of cleavage" is found at the three- and four-cell stages.
      6. Phenanthrenequinone is relatively more toxic than naphthoquinone. 7.
      Phenanthrenequinone can also affect the nuclear apparatus, producing pyenosis. 8.
      It can also inhibit the cell cortex in the same manner as naphthoquinone: there
      is no evidence that in Mytilus one quinone stimulates cortical expansion and the
      other cortical contraction.

PMID- 28354717
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354718
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354719
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354720
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354721
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354722
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354723
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354724
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354725
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354726
TI  - An electronmicroscopic study of developing amphibian ectoderm.
AB  - 1. Small pieces of ectoderm were excised from gastrulae, neurulae, and tailbud
      embryos ofXenopus laevis andTriturus alpestris, preserved inLEHMANN's fixatives,
      sectioned at 0.025-0.75MU, and photographed with a Trub-Tauber electron
      microscope. 2. The following features characterize the early gastrular ectoderm:
      endoplasmic reticulum coarse, vesicular, and predominantly loose; mitochondria
      mostly globular and irregular; lipoid droplets and yolk-platelets with investing
      plasma membranes; pigment granules ofTriturns, but not ofXenopus, composed of
      subunits; nuclei polymorphic, especially inTriturus, with deep infoldings of
      nuclear membrane; cells frequently connected only by cytoplasmic bridges which
      may be anastomosed, cells otherwise separated by spaces or canals. 3. Presumptive
      medullary plate from the very early neurula shows certain differences from the
      above features: endoplasmic and nuclear reticula considerably more dense;
      cytoplasmic vesicles, fibers, and granules more delicate; mitochondria smooth and
      rod-like with increased number of cristae; intercellular spaces less prominent,
      except between presumptive neural plate and chordamesoderm, the cytoplasmic
      processes of which may anastomose. 4. Presumptive epidermis of the very early
      neurula shows a wide meshed fibrous reticulum and distally situated mitochondria,
      foreshadowing the development of highly differentiated outer zones in the
      epidermal cells of the tailbud embryo. 5. Mitochondria of neural cells of the
      late tailbud embryo are predominantly perinuclear, quite elongate, relatively
      narrow, and possess many thin longitudinally or diagonally placed cristae. 6.
      Mitochondria of the tailbud epidermis are shorter and thicker than those of the
      neural tube cells, exhibit pores and swollen tubules, and occur in large numbers
      below a distal zone of dense cytoplasmic reticulum and secretory vesicles, which
      seem to form in waves and to discharge periodically their secretion to the
      surface of the skin. 7. The concept of mitochondrial "differentiation" is further
      developed and the function of epidermal mitochondria and the importance of
      intercellular contacts, especially in relation to neural induction, are
      discussed.

PMID- 28354727
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354728
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354729
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354730
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354731
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354732
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354733
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354734
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354735
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354737
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354736
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354738
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354740
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354741
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354739
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354742
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354743
TI  - Factors inhibiting metamorphosis inBugula andAmaroecium larvae.

PMID- 28354744
TI  - Studies on the process of lens induction inXenopus laevis (Daudin).
AB  - 1. Optic vesicle from stage 24 (NIEUWKOOP andFABER 1956) can induce lens in the
      ectoderm from early to mid grastrula, and even from ventral ectoderm of a tail
      bud stage. 2. Lenses were induced from early ectoderm cultured over night before
      grafting even though it remained thick. 3. For lens formation and its
      differentiation, prolonged contact with the optic vesicle seems essential. 4.
      Lens anlage removed from the influence of the optic vesicle as late as the stage
      24 (NIEUWKOOP andFABER 1956) and cultured as an explant attached to the head
      region failed to differentiate. 5. The environment offered by the head region and
      the headmesoderm plays an important role in determining the lens competence. 6.
      Xenopus optic vesicle can induce lens from Axolotl ectoderm. 7. There was no
      instance of retinal regeneration.

PMID- 28354745
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354746
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354747
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354748
TI  - An analysis of the early development ofPlanorbis exustus using barbituric acid.
AB  - 1. The effect of barbituric acid (BA), which is a structural analogue of uracil,
      has been studied on the development ofPlanorbis exustus. 2. Cleavage is not
      affected by BA at any concentration that has been tried. At 0.06 M, BA is found
      to stop development of the embryos at the early gastrula stage. Some of the
      arrested embryos subsequently exogastrulated. The block of development cannot be
      removed by transferiing them to normal medium. The chemical at concentrations
      ranging from 0.005 to 0.04 M cause a general retardation in development. It
      conspicuously prolongs the duration of development between the trochophore and
      the veliger stages. Reduction or absence of shell occurs when animals
      metamorphose in the presence of BA. 3. The results seem to indicate that in the
      molluscan species studied there is no RNA synthesis during the cleavage phase,
      that morphogenesis stops when the synthesis of RNA is blocked by the use of BA,
      that catabolism is predominant in the pre-trochophore phase. The irreversible
      block imposed by BA (0.06 M) at gastrulation is interpreted to suggest that the
      inhibitor acts on some nuclear RNA.

PMID- 28354749
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354750
TI  - Influence of the ectoderm on heart differentiation and placement in the chicken
      embryo.
AB  - 1. The unilateral or bilateral extirpation of the ectoderm of the P.H.M. region
      in stages 5 to 8 in the chicken embryo exerts no influence in heart determination
      and differentiation, since in all the cases a morphological and structurally
      typical heart is formed. 2. Neither does the extirpation of the ectoderm
      interfere in the migratory process of the cells of the P.H.M., since, with the
      exception of one case of cardia bifida, a unique heart is formed in a unique
      pericardial cavity. 3. The extirpation of the ectoderm exerts a clear influence
      over the situation of the heart and over its curvatures since when the ablation
      of the ectoderm is unilateral, the heart is displaced toward the side opposite
      that of the extirpation. It is, therefore, normal in the extirpations of the left
      ectoderm and inverted in those of the right. 4. The primary fore-gut pocket does
      not form on the side where the ectoderm has been extirpated. This, therefore,
      exerts a clear influence on the formation of the fore-gut pockets and in the form
      the fore-gut takes. 5. The extirpation of the ectoderm in stages 6 and 7
      constantly inhibits the process of the closing of the neural canal in the
      encephalic region (mesencephalon and anterior part of the rhombencephalon), the
      neural differentiation normally continuing its process. This suggests that the
      force of the neural folds during the formation of the neural tube is transmitted
      to them through the ectoderm.

PMID- 28354751
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354752
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354753
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354754
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354755
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354756
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354757
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354758
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354759
TI  - A critical analysis of excretory products as sex controlling agents in cladocera.
AB  - Conditions seem to exist under which the sex of the young to be produced by a
      Cladoceran mother is not determined by the animal's immediate environment. In
      such mothers a sex determining mechanism appears to have been inherited, and such
      mothers have been called "Sex Fast".Laboratory stock cultures of Cladocera not
      infrequently pass through periods of depression. While in such periods the
      mothers are for the most part "Sex Fast". Whether this can be termed sex control
      by inherent sexual cycles is questionable.The contention that many factors in the
      external environment of Cladocera may under suitable conditions act as sex
      controlling factors has been conclusively proven by numerous investigators. For
      the most part these are factors which affect the mother's metabolism, presumably
      accelerating or retarding the mother's development, acceleration being associated
      with female production, retardation with male production.Food, temperature and
      excretory substances are the external environmental factors most often associated
      with sex control in Cladocera. The evidence supporting the role of food and
      temperature in this reaction appears to be adequate but further experimental
      evidence supporting excretory substances in the control of sex is needed before a
      specific role in sex control in Cladocera can be assigned to this factor.

PMID- 28354760
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354761
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354762
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354763
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354764
TI  - A note on the asymmetry of male fiddler-crabs (UCA pugilator).

PMID- 28354765
TI  - A study of relative growth in UCA pugnax.
AB  - 1. 50 males and 43 females were divided into classes according to carapace
      breadth. The relative growth rates of certain parts of the body were investigated
      by analysis of linear measurements carried out on the carapace and appendages. 2.
      The increased growth rate of pereiopods immediately posterior to the strongly
      heterogonic cheliped was concluded to be due, in part at all events, to the rapid
      growth of the cheliped, since the increase is considerably smaller on the small
      cheliped side in the male. 3. There seems to be, in addition, a sexual
      difference, the growth in the corresponding pereiopods in the female differing
      from that found in the male on the small cheliped side. 4. In the female the
      growth of the last two pereiopods is greater than that in the male; it is
      suggested that this is possibly due to the influence of the region of rapid
      growth present in the abdomen in the female. 5. The appendages anterior to the
      large cheliped in the male are apparently not inhibited. In this respect Uca
      pugnax differs from other forms which have been investigated. 6. The growth rate
      of the carapace breadth is greater than that of its length throughout the period
      investigated in the male, but only throughout the earlier part of the development
      of the female.

PMID- 28354766
TI  - A further study of the growth of parts in palaemon carcinus.
AB  - Male and female prawns (Palaemon carcinus) were classed into groups according to
      carapace length, which was the standard adopted.The lengths of separate segments
      of pereiopods 1, 2, 3 and 5 were measured and their means calculated for the
      different classes.In the second pereiopod, the cheliped, the growth centre is in
      the dactylus in the female and in the propus in the male. But in young females it
      appears that the growth centre is in the propus and in young males in the
      dactylus.The difference between the rates of growth of the various segments in
      both males and females was slight in most cases, those in the male being
      consistently higher than those in the female.The lengths of the second and last
      abdominal segments were also measured. In both males and females growth was found
      to be negatively heterogonic, but growth was in each case more rapid in the
      female than in the male.

PMID- 28354768
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354767
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354769
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354770
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354771
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354772
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354773
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354774
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354775
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354776
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354777
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354778
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354779
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354780
TI  - ?
AB  - 1. Closely packed cells ofDictyostelium discoideum, grown in a suspension
      culture, form aggregation patterns whose specific structures reflect the
      functional states of the cells. 2. Prior to the development of these structures,
      waves of excitation appear which propagate with a velocity of about 40MU/min. If
      functioning rhythmically as a whole, the wave-propagating center gives rise to a
      system of separate, concentric waves. If, on the contrary, parts of the center
      become active successively, a continuous spiralshaped excitation front is formed.
      3. It is proposed, that the propagated waves associated with an autorhythmic
      center inhibit the formation of similar centers in its vicinity ("spacing
      effect"). 4. The aggregates formed by the closely packed cells are often too
      large to give rise to a single sorocarp. In this case a mechanism becomes active
      which divides the cell mass; each of the resulting parts transforms itself into a
      sorocarp.

PMID- 28354781
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354782
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354784
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354783
TI  - Morphogenesis in the amphibian embryo fertilization and blastula formation.
AB  - The morphology of the cortex of the amphibian egg is discussed, with special
      reference to the hyaline membrane.The physical properties of the cortex are
      reviewed, especially those evidenced by the wound healing reaction. The
      participation of the hyaline membrane in this process is particularly
      emphasized.An analysis of the activation processes normally associated with
      fertilization indicates that they may be accounted for by three cortical
      contractions, two radially symmetrical, with center at the animal pole, and one
      asymmetrical (or bilaterally symmetrical) originating at the point of sperm
      entrance. The contractions may be spatially correlated with three wounds normally
      afflicted on the cortex, viz., the expulsion of the polar bodies and penetration
      of the sperm. The first cortical contraction leads to separation between egg
      surface and vitelline membrane, and consequently to rotation of orientation, the
      second leads to formation of the perivitelline space, and the third to grey
      crescent formation.The mechanisms of blastula formation and of volume regulation
      are finally discussed. The strong adhesion between the cells and the hyaline
      membrane are of special importance in the former process. The hydrostatic
      pressure exerted through the cortex tension of the individual cells is suggested
      to account for the transport of water against the osmotic pressure difference
      from cells to blastocoele. The tension in the hyaline membrane developing in the
      late blastula and early gastrula is suggested to control the volume of the
      embryo.

PMID- 28354785
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354786
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354787
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354788
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354789
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354790
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354791
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354792
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354793
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354794
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354795
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354796
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354797
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354798
TI  - ?
AB  - A growth-regulation-system is defined in mathematical terms in order to interpret
      the observed behavior of regenerating and growing imaginal disks of the wings
      inEphestia kuhniella.It is assumed that the growth-rate of an imaginal disk
      depends upon two variables, a variablek which is interpreted as the concentration
      of the moulting hormone and a second variablez representing the size of the disk
      measured by the number of cells. A rising hormone concentration tends to increase
      and a rising number of cells tends to decrease the growth-rate of a disk. If two
      imaginal disks of different size are present in one larva and the concentration
      of the moulting hormone is the same for both, then the growth-rate of the smaller
      imaginal disk can only be greater than or equal to the growth-rate of the larger
      one. The model contains the possibility that a small imaginal disk grows
      independently of the hormone level with a maximum and constant rate.On the basis
      of that model some theorems are derived in order to simplify the interpretation
      of the empirical data which consist of daily counts of cell divisions on the
      upper side of the imaginal disks after successive extirpation or one, two of
      three imaginal disks. The data do not contradict the model and suggest that
      before reaching a critical size the regenerating imaginal disk grows
      independently of the hormone level while afterwards the growth-rate depends upon
      the two variables mentioned above.Some ideas are discussed about the control of
      the hormone level and the conditions under which the time for the regulation of
      size differences is minimized.

PMID- 28354799
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354800
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354801
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354802
TI  - ?
AB  - Studied is the establishment during oogenesis of the bilateral symmetry in the
      banana-shapedGryllus domesticus egg. Follicular length of the panoistic egg
      follicle is used for classification of oogenetic stages.External rotation
      symmetry of oocyte and follicle changes to the bilateral symmetric banana form at
      about 500MUm of follicular length.Internal bilateral symmetry is already visible
      at this and younger stages with regard to the eccentric position of the oocyte
      nucleus. In the banana form of the oocyte the oocyte nucleus is located
      presumptive dorso-caudally. In the cylindric form it lies in the posterior half
      of the oocyte.The germinal vesicle itself exhibits a marked polarity: oocyte
      nucleolus and a crescent of granular material are always eccentrically located in
      the presumptive dorso-caudal quarter of the nucleus.Germinal vesicle's
      polarization and its slightly eccentric location become simultaneously visible in
      follicles 60 to 100MUm of length. Thus at this time one can anticipate in a very
      early stage of oogenesis on the oocyte nucleus the future poles and axes of the
      coming embryo.Oocyte nucleus polarization and location appear to be uniform in
      all follicles of an ovariole and may presumably be due to external orientating
      factors.

PMID- 28354803
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354804
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354805
TI  - Contact reaction of cells in sponge aggregation.

PMID- 28354806
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354807
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354808
TI  - ?
AB  - A count-chamber like methodes enables us to estimate the number of cysts
      corresponding to each developmental stage of the spermatogenesis.The
      multiplication of the germ cells depends upon the physiological conditions of the
      host: it is stopped in isolated larval abdomina, and is low in larvae of a
      crowded culture where pupation is delayed. In implants of 48 h old testis in.
      virgin adult females the multiplication rate is lower than in males and in mated
      females; it is as high as in situ in castrated females or in pupal hosts.The time
      required for the oldest cysts with spermatocytes to enter the meiotic divisions
      is with one exception for all these experiments the same as in situ; only in
      pupal hosts it will be accelerated. The subsequent spermatid differentiation in
      sperm also takes the same time as in situ. Thereby the premeiotic growth and
      postmeiotic differentiation is as efficient in all tested milieus as in situ,
      even when the hosts have not attained or already bypassed the metamorphosis. This
      autonomy is also valid for germ cells under insufficient multiplying conditions,
      provided that the spermatocytes have reached a certain stage in the premeiotic
      growth.When the first cysts reach the postmeiotic stages the further
      multiplication of cysts is stopped. This regulative mechanism is attributed to a
      specific inhibition operated by the spermatids.The autonomy of the spermatocyte
      differentiation and the unified behaviour of all the cells within a cyst are
      discussed.

PMID- 28354809
TI  - ?
AB  - 48 h old testis were implanted into different adult hosts. In virgin females the
      germ cell multiplication is lower than in both mated females or in males. However
      in all host types the differentiation into spermatids beginns at the same time as
      in situ.The role of the different adult host glands in male germ cell development
      was investigated. Through inactivation of such glands in mated females or
      implantation of extra glands in virgin hosts was demonstrated, that not the adult
      Corpus allatum but the Median Neurosecretory Brain Cells (MNBC) are responsable
      for this germ cell multiplication.Adult host provided with larval Ring gland or
      pupal host accelerate the germ cell differentiation but not the germ cell
      multiplication of implanted testis. This acceleration would be much higher if the
      normal development of the germ cells in adult hosts were due to rests of pupal
      hormons in this milieu.The nutritive conditions of the host play a very important
      role in germ cell multiplication. The testis implanted in castrated females or
      females injected with casein hydrolisate show a higher number of developing germ
      cells. The MNBC controll the protein metabolism (assimilation) but are only
      indirectly responsable for the germ cell multiplication; the multiplication is a
      consequence of the autonomous protein synthesis of the germ cells themself.The
      growth of other imaginal discs in adult hosts are discussed in the light of these
      results.

PMID- 28354810
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354811
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354812
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354813
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354814
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354815
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354816
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354817
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354818
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354819
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354820
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354821
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354822
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354823
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354824
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354825
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354826
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354827
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354828
TI  - A study of the inductive capacity of post-nodal primitive-streak pieces after
      treatment with follicle-stimulating hormone.
AB  - Chick embryos at the primitive-streak stage were treatedin vitro with 0.002 and
      0.008% follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH)(NIH-FSH-S1) for 24 hours. Post-nodal
      primitive-streak pieces 0.8 mm behind the node level were grafted into host chick
      embryos at the primitive-streak stage to assess the capacity of the grafted
      pieces to produce inductions.Control grafts from donors maintained under
      identical conditions were unable to cause induction; all of them were resorbed
      into the host embryo. The post-nodal pieces treated with FSH acquired capacity to
      induce neural tissue. The grafts seemed to induce foregut formation also. FSH
      appeared to have supported differentiation of the grafts into somites and
      mesenchyme.

PMID- 28354829
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354830
TI  - Action of the rhombencephalon on the differentiation of the auditive placodes.
      Chronology of its influence.
AB  - 1. In order to establish the influence of the rhombencephalon on the
      differentiation of the auditive placode in the embryo of the chicken, and the
      chronology of this influence, we have extirpated the abovementioned encephalic
      vesicle in different stages of the embryonic development. We have also carried
      out transplants of the recently formed auditive vesicle to other embryonic
      regions. 2. The rhombencephalon is indispensable for the initiation of
      differentiation of the auditive placode until the pre-somitic phase of the
      embryonic development. 3. Once the somitic segmentation has begun, the influence
      of the rhombencephalon is no longer necessary for the formation of the auditive
      placode, fossa, and vesicle.

PMID- 28354831
TI  - Influence of the endoderm on heart differentiation.

PMID- 28354832
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354833
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354834
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354835
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354836
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354837
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354838
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354839
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354840
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354842
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354841
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354843
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354845
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354846
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354844
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354847
TI  - Physical investigation on the origin of coloured patches of some kidney beans,
      Phaseolus vulgaris L.
AB  - 1. The geometrical configuration of the coloured patches of a certain species of
      kidney bean,Phaseolus vulgaris L., is explained satisfactorily by the combination
      of two sets of boundary lines on the surface of seed. 2. It is shown
      experimentally that these two sets of lines have a close relationship to the
      crack-figures developed on enamel layer upon rubber ball when it is allowed to
      expand under suitable conditions. 3. The process of embryonal growth of the seed
      is investigated microscopically. An enormous expansion of ovule in comparison
      with funicular part is verified to take place m an early stage of ovular growth.
      4. From the above evidences it may be assumed that some kind of cracks or latent
      cracks are made on the outer layer of ovule at a certain stage of growth, which
      may mark the boundaries of areas with different kind of properties with respect
      to pigment formation. This latent crackfigure may be developed into the coloured
      pattern in the well-grown state of seed. Nearly the same mechanism is assumed to
      hold for the formation of albino in Toraudura Kidney Bean, one of the varieties
      of the species. 5. Coloured patches of some mammals are discussed also in
      connection with the phenomenon of rupture of the surface of embryo.

PMID- 28354848
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354849
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354850
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354851
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354852
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354853
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354854
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354855
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354856
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354857
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354858
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354859
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354860
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354861
TI  - Relation between the grey crescent and the organizer center of a urodele egg
      (Triturus torosus).

PMID- 28354862
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354863
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354864
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354865
TI  - ?
AB  - In the Lepidoptera the different cuticles of the caterpillar, of the pupa and of
      the adult are produced by the same epidermis, without regard to increase and
      polyploidisation of epidermis cells.By histological and morphological
      investigations it could be shown, which parts of the skin on an abdominal segment
      ofGalleria mellonella correspond to eachother in these three stages of
      development. A skin graft, heterotoply transplanted from one caterpillar to
      another as well as the experimental surroundings of that graft, do not develop
      corresponding to their normal prospective fate during metamorphosis. In grafting
      experiments a kind of regulating development takes place. The skin of the graft
      and its surroundings always develop by locally producing a succession of skin
      types which is normally to be found along the main axis of an adult segment:
      Morphological polarity is locally altered in grafting experiments. In the skin
      regions where morphological polarity is altered experimentally, the scales are no
      longer orientated parallel to the main axis of the body nor do they show an
      orientation parallel to the experimentally evoked "new segment axes". The scales
      show intermediate orientations. From the manner of morphological differentiation
      and scale orientation in the graft experiments a relationship may be concluded
      between the morphogenetic systems of the segmental epidermis inGalleria and of
      the early germ of the sea urchin.

PMID- 28354866
TI  - Separation of cell layers in hydra.
AB  - The mesolamella of hydra is dissociable by means of divalent metal chelation with
      EDTA and is more susceptible to this treatment than the intercellular cements of
      each layer. Uncontaminated gastrodermal and epidermal cells may be obtained by
      this treatment.

PMID- 28354867
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354868
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354869
TI  - Concerning the mechanism of hydrocephalus in the progeny of Trypan Blue treated
      rats.
AB  - 1. Seven foetal rats aged 19-21 days were examined in serial section to
      investigate the lesion responsible for the hydrocephalus in the offsprings of
      Trypan Blue injected mothers. 2. In four, lesions of the aqueduct were found.
      Three were examples of atresia which extended into the third ventricle. The
      fourth showed stenosis. 3. The obstruction in one of the remainder was probably
      due to impaction of the cerebellum and medulla oblongata in the foramen magnum
      associated with a spinal myelocele. 4. No satisfactory explanation for the
      hydrocephalus could be offered in the other two animals.

PMID- 28354870
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354871
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354872
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354873
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354874
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354875
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354876
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354877
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354878
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354879
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354880
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354881
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354882
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354883
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354884
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354885
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354886
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354887
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354888
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354889
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354891
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354890
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354892
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354893
TI  - Experimental studies on the induction of the sucker in Bombinator pachypus
      (homoplastic and xenoplastic transplantations).

PMID- 28354894
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354895
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354896
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354897
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354898
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354899
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354900
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354901
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354902
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354903
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354904
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354905
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354906
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354907
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354908
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354909
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354911
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354910
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354912
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354913
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354914
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354915
TI  - Epithelio-mesenchymal relationships in the regional differentiation of the
      digestive tract in the amphibian embryo.
AB  - 1. Endodermal pieces taken out of the presumptive gastric and intestinal regions
      of the early neurula were explanted together with ecto- or endomesodermal
      fragments removed from various regions of neurula ofTriturus pyrrhogaster. 2. The
      future development of the endodermal piece was found to be shifted anteriorwards
      to produce branchial and/or oesophago-gastric epithelium when the endoderm was
      left to develop within a mesenchymal environment. The endodermal piece showed
      predominantly a development into intestinal structures when it was combined with
      lateral mesoderm and left to develop within a mesenchyme-free environment. 3. The
      anteriorward shift of the future development of the explanted endoderm by
      niesenchyme occurred with different grades, according to the source from which
      the mesenchyme was derived. The mesenchyme derived from the cranial mesectoderm
      was found to be most effective, and the efficiency falls gradually in the
      mesenchyme derived from more lateral or posterior regions. 4. Considerable
      differences were noted between the endodermal pieces tested, in their reactivity
      to the effect from mesenchyme. The explanted gastric piece can be shifted
      anteriorwards more easily than can the explanted intestinal piece. 5. The
      developmental paths of the undetermined endoderm, in the explantation condition,
      appeared to be decided by two factors, one residing in the mesenchyme and another
      in the endoderm.

PMID- 28354916
TI  - The differentiating capacity of dissociated sponge cells.
AB  - 1. The intricacy of regeneration depends largely on the behaviour of cells during
      early hours of contact. 2. Cellular contact is a necessary prerequisite to bring
      about the phenomenon of regeneration. 3. Cells dedifferentiate and attain a
      generalized state before regeneration. 4. Certain unipotent cells can only
      redifferentiate into original fate e.g., pinacocytes, scleroblasts, choanocytes.
      5. Other types of cells completely lose their original characteristics and become
      totipotent i.e. redifferentiate into other types of cells. These are called
      pluripotent cells e.g. amoeboid cells. 6. Definite orientation of cells are
      observed from the beginning of cell aggregation. Archeocytes remain in the
      periphery and other cells in the middle of the mass. 7. Redifferentiation begins
      from 4-6 hours stage of reaggregation.

PMID- 28354917
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354918
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354919
TI  - The effects of chloro-acetophenone onXenopus laevis embryos.
AB  - The effects on Xenopus embryos of treatment for short periods with the sulphydryl
      inhibitor chlorocoetophenone (CAP) have been investigated. Abnormalities of the
      central nervous system and eyes are described, and compared with those obtained
      by other workers using various inhibitory treatments on amphibian embryos.

PMID- 28354920
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354921
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354922
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354923
TI  - Influence of the antimitotic naphthoquinone on the cleavage of the eggs of the
      mollusc,Mytilus edulis L.
AB  - 1. A brief account is given of the cleavage ofMytilus edulis L.2.Naphthoquinone
      in concentrations above 1? million produces cytolysis of the newly fertilised
      eggs. It causes some blockage of cleavage at the single cell stage in
      concentrations down to 1?40 M. The main area of its antimitotic activity is in
      the range between 1? M and 1?6 M. Resistance to the substance increases as
      cleavage proceeds. 3. Some abnormalities of cleavage are found at all antimitotic
      concentrations. The types of abnormality are described. They do not appear to fit
      easily into the hypothesis of Huber (1947) that the effect of this substance is
      to enhance the contraction and inhibit the expansion of the cell cortex.

PMID- 28354924
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354925
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354926
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354928
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354927
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354929
TI  - Behaviour op lethal-no-imaginal-bud larvae towards imaginal bud and lymph gland
      transplants.
AB  - 1. Lethal-no-imaginal-bud larvae become phenotypically normal if early third
      instar lymph glands or imaginal buds are transplanted into them before they
      develop the lethal phenotype. Both tissues were thrown down as melanised black
      bodies at the end of the third instar. 2. It was argued that the lymph gland
      transplant has inhibited the development of cell hypertrophy through its
      secretion, while the imaginal bud transplant seems to have stimulated the
      production of corresponding antibodies. The imaginal buds are thought to behave
      as isoantigens in the bud-free haemolymph ofl-nib larvae. 3. Early third instar
      wild type buds, or even saline solution, caused the melanisation of the cells of
      the lymph glands if injected into early third instar wild type larvae.

PMID- 28354930
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354931
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354932
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354934
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354933
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354935
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354936
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354937
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354939
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354938
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354940
TI  - ?
AB  - 1. Two imaginai discs of different mutants, sexes and species respectively of
      different segments (wing and genital disc) fromDrosophila larvae ready to pupate
      were mixed in order to get a homogeneous aggregate. Before mixing the two discs
      were partially dissociated either enzymatically or only mechanically. 2. The
      aggregates were implanted into larval hosts. Their differentiated structures were
      studied after metamorphosis. 3. Dissociated cells and groups of cells find
      together and form organized genital or wing structures. 4. Homoplastic-homonome
      homosexual aggregates of male genital discs form mosaics in all plates both
      donors taking part in building up one plate. The same cooperation is observed in
      the heteroplastic-homonome-homosexual combination. 5. The homoplastic-homonome
      heterosexual combination yields mosaics only in the anal plates and in the region
      of peripheral bristles. 6. In a heteronome combination the wing and genital cells
      separate completely so that no mosaic can be formed. 7. Mosaic plates are not
      randomly composed of different bristle types, but carry only those bristles which
      occur alsoin situ on one common plate. To form a mosaic, obviously, cells of the
      same field quality unite (isotypic association), whereby field specificity
      overrides species, sex and pattern specific differences. 8. In rare cases the
      rule of isotypic association is broken and "faulty" mosaics are formed. 9. The
      integration effect and the pattern formation are discussed and interpreted as a
      result of affinities and movements of determined cells.

PMID- 28354941
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354942
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354943
TI  - ?
AB  - The aggregation centers ofDictyostelium minutum have three functions: 1. they
      cause a chemotactic reaction, 2. they induce a change of the cells' functional
      state which enables the cells to establish intercellular contacts, 3. in some
      strains, they induce the foundation of further centers.Cells of this species,
      before being included in a center, are unable to join each other. From this
      results en exceptionally simple and clearly arranged aggregation pattern, because
      the assembling of aggregating cells into streams is omitted.

PMID- 28354944
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354945
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354946
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354947
TI  - ?

PMID- 28354948
TI  - A study of the effects of trypan blue injected into amphibian zygotes.
AB  - Trypan blue was injected (0.001-0.002 mg/egg) into zygotes ofRana. The trypan
      blue-injected series showed much greater mortality than the controls. A probable
      suppression of gastrulation was seen. 29.7% of the dye-injected and 50.3% of the
      control embryos developed beyond stage 14. Abnormalities seemed to appear only
      after neurulation began. Microcephaly, trunk and tail abnormalities occurred
      though in a small number. Sections of a few embryos revealed disorganized brain
      and degeneration of the neural tissue. There were no cases of mesodermalization
      of the notochord.The results are discussed from the view point that trypan blue
      alters the physical state of proteins in the cytoplasm of the egg.

PMID- 28354949
TI  - Inhibition of development ofPlanorbis exustus by chloramphenicol.
AB  - The effect of chloramphenicol (CP) on the development ofPlanorbis exustus has
      been studied. The antibiotic is found to inhibit cleavage at high concentrations.
      At low concentrations development is blocked at early gastrulation. There are
      indications that the effect cannot be reversed by mere transfer of the embryos
      into normal medium, if they have been treated for 48 hours. If transfer into
      normal medium is made 24 hours after commencement of treatment, development is
      resumed.Gastrulae developed normally even in the presence of CP. In low
      concentrations of CP a characteristic delay in development is observed between
      the trochophore and hippo stages.The significance of this developmental
      inhibition has been discussed in relation to synthetic processes occurring in the
      various phases of development.The antilytic property of CP is evident in these
      experiments.

PMID- 28354950
TI  - What are the factors which lead to the fusion of the two heart primordia ? An
      experimental analysis.
AB  - 1. In stages 5 and 6 ofHAMBURGER andHAMILTON, the presumptive heart primordia of
      both sides, placed in contact, Fig. 1, originate two hearts in many cases instead
      of joining and originating a unique heart, as happens during normogenesis. 2. The
      two hearts are independent and are found to be very close in the same pericardial
      cavity, Figs. 7 and 8. 3. The heart formed, from the primordium left "in situ",
      is a complete and normal heart, Figs. 7 and 8. 4. The heart formed from the
      transplant is much smaller and consists of a bulb, ventricle, and in some cases
      atrium, but its curvatures are typical and normal, Figs. 7 and 8. 5. The heart
      formed of the transplant organizes itself in contact with a small foregut formed
      from the endoderm of the transplant, Figs. 4 and 9. 6. The endoderm ist not only
      important in order for the P.H.M. to begin its differentiation in a heart
      direction but also organizes the P.H.M in such a way that the result is not only
      heart tissue but a heart, i.e. an organ with typical form and structure.

PMID- 28354951
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PMID- 28354972
TI  - Reproduction in alcoholic mice: I. Treated females. A study of the influence of
      alcohol on ovarian activity, prenatal mortality and sex ratio.
AB  - 1. When female mice are treated with light doses of alcohol fumes, (45 minutes a
      day starting at four weeks) and compared with their untreated sisters from the
      same litter of inbred lines: a) the time between mating and birth of a litter
      tends to be lengthened; b) the age at the opening of the vaginal orifice and at
      the first oestrous shown by smears, is questionably increased; c) the length of
      the oestrous cycle, the number of corpora lutea, size of litter (father
      untreated), natal and prenatal mortality, show no modification. 2. In isolated
      cases when the oestrous cycles were recorded before treatment began, the alcohol
      was associated with cycles whose length' was roughly doubled; this effect was
      more frequent when the heavy treatment was used. When female mice are treated
      with completely anesthetizing doses of alcohol fumes (five days a week starting
      at four weeks), are mated with normal males, and are compared with their
      untreated sisters from the same litter and mated with the same normal male: a)
      the treatment tends to delay the birth of the first litter and increases the
      intervals of time between successive births, when all young are killed at birth
      and the mothers remated at once; b) the number of corpora lutea per pregnancy is
      slightly increased without regard to whether the treatments are suspended during
      the last week of each pregnancy (series A) or not (series B); c) litter size is
      reduced by 0,5 mice in series A and 0,7 mice in series B; d) pregnancies yielding
      no full term young ("zero" litters) are slightly more frequent; e) the proportion
      of young found dead at birth is increased, in series A by 4,5%, in series B by
      9,4%; and in both test and control litters, the proportion of females dead is
      slightly higher than the males; f) the prenatal mortality is increased by from
      one to two embryos per litter; g) the sex ratios show no modification: the
      combined totals give 51,2% males in 2857 mice; h) the occurrence of abnormalities
      among the young is not influenced.

PMID- 28354973
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PMID- 28354983
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PMID- 28354985
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PMID- 28354986
TI  - The origin of independent and of conjoined twins in fresh-water snails.

PMID- 28354987
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PMID- 28354988
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PMID- 28355006
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PMID- 28355007
TI  - An immunological hypothesis of tumour development inDrosophila.

PMID- 28355008
TI  - A cinematographic study of the embryology ofDrosophila melanogaster.
AB  - In connection with studies on the effect of genetic abnormalities on development,
      a film was made of the normal development of theDrosophila embryo. Time-lapse
      motion technique was used, and this made it possible to make new observations on
      those phases of the development which involve large re-arrangements of the
      embryonic material, in particular on blastoderm formation, gastrulation and
      involution of the head. These new observations have been incorporated in an
      account of the complete development of the embryo up to the time of hatching.

PMID- 28355009
TI  - Studies on the effects of some genetic lethal factors on the embryonic
      development ofDrosophila melanogaster : I. A preliminary survey of some sex
      linked lethal stocks, and an analysis of the mutantLff 11.
AB  - 1. Out of seventy sex-linked lethal mutants examined, twelve were found to cause
      death in the embryonic stage. 2. In six of the embryonic lethals, no visible
      abnormalities occurred, but the embryos failed to hatch. 3. In the other six
      cases there were obvious morphogenetic disturbances. Detailed developmental
      studies were made of these, of which the mutantLff 11 is reported in the present
      paper. 4. The embryo of the mutantLff 11 reaches a late stage of development, and
      lives beyond the normal time of hatching, but it is abnormal in many respects.
      Differentiation of the tissues is relatively normal, but the organ systems are
      extremely disorganized. 5. The disorganization of the late embryo arises from
      abnormalities in gastrulation, which have two major effects:- 1) the invagination
      of the posterior mid-gut rudiment and the germband posteriorly; 2) the formation
      of a constriction behind the head region. 6. It seems likely that these
      abnormalities arise from disturbances in the relative timing of certain
      developmental events, in particular in the precocious formation of the embryonic
      membrane material. 7. The abnormalities in gastrulation are discussed with
      respect to the light they throw upon the mechanism of gastrulation in normal
      embryos, and especially upon the significance of the cephalic furrow. 8. Certain
      resemblances between the mutant development and that of coleopteran embryos are
      pointed out, and their evolutionary significance is discussed.

PMID- 28355010
TI  - Studies on the effects of some genetic lethal factors on the embryonic
      development ofDrosophila melanogaster : II. An analysis op the mutantX 2.
AB  - 1. The development of the embryonic lethal mutantX 2 was studied by means of
      serial sections and by time-lapse cine-photography of the complete development.
      2. The embryo reaches a late stage of development, and survives for several hours
      after the time at which normal embryos hatch. Differentiation of all the tissues
      occurs, but the organ systems are extremely disorganized. 3. The most distinctive
      characteristic of the late embryo is the absence of gut in the middle region, and
      its partial external development at the anterior and posterior ends. 4. The
      abnormalities of the late embryo result from the disorganization resulting from
      two effects which appear at the end of gastrulation:- 1) the partial or complete
      failure of the endoderm and proctodaeal and stomodaeal rudiments to invaginate;
      2) the presence of deep furrows over the surface of the embryo. 5. The primary
      effect of the factor appears to be upon the control of nuclear and cell division
      in blastoderm formation or in early gastrulation. This results in an excessive
      number of surface cells in the germ band, which causes it to become furrowed at
      the time of its extension. This in turn probably causes mechanical interference
      with the invagination of the gut rudiments.

PMID- 28355011
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PMID- 28355012
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PMID- 28355013
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PMID- 28355014
TI  - Tracing morphogenetic movements by means of labelled cells.
AB  - A technique involving the use of labelled grafts, detectable by autoradiographs,
      is proposed for mapping embryonic presumptive areas and cell migrations. It
      permits identification of isolated graft cells. It has been applied to
      reinvestigate the localization of presumptive endoderm in early gastrulae
      ofXenopus, originally described byNIEUWKOOP andFLORSCHUTZ.

PMID- 28355015
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PMID- 28355030
TI  - Preliminary evaluation of a novel bladder-liner for facilitating residual limb
      fluid volume recovery without doffing.
AB  - For people who wear a prosthetic limb, residual-limb fluid volume loss during the
      day may be problematic and detrimentally affect socket fit. The purpose of this
      research was to test the capability of a novel liner with adjustable bladders
      positioned within its wall to mitigate volume loss and facilitate limb fluid
      volume recovery and retention. Bioimpedance analysis was used to monitor fluid
      volume changes in the anterior and posterior residual limb of participants with
      transtibial amputation. Participants underwent six cycles of sitting for 90 s,
      standing for 90 s, and walking for 5 min with liquid within the bladder-liners.
      Between the third and fourth cycles, participants sat for 10 min with liquid left
      within the bladders (Liquid-In) or removed (Liquid-Out). Results showed that
      participants recovered more fluid volume during the 10 min of sitting with Liquid
      Out than Liquid-In (p = 0.09 for anterior and p = 0.04 for posterior). However,
      those fluid volume recoveries were not well retained in the short term (after the
      fourth cycle) or the long term (after the sixth cycle). Physiologic differences
      between sessions, reflected in the rates of fluid volume change at the outset of
      the session, and excessive stiffness of the bladder-liners may have affected
      fluid volume retentions.

PMID- 28355031
TI  - Metabolic effects of using a variable impedance prosthetic knee.
AB  - A transfemoral amputation has a significant effect on walking. Though current
      prosthetic knee options serve to restore mobility, as do purely passive devices,
      they do not fully restore nondisabled gait. Persons with transfemoral amputation
      incur a higher metabolic cost during walking than persons without amputation and
      as a result walk slower and for a shorter distance before tiring. An original
      variable-impedance transmission prosthetic knee (VI Knee) was tested with five
      study participants with unilateral transfemoral amputation at two steady-state
      walking speeds, one below and one above their preferred walking speed. While
      walking with the VI Knee, participants with shorter limbs showed a reduction in
      metabolic cost compared with their conventional C-Leg prosthesis, while those
      with longer limbs exhibited an increase. Though differences were observed between
      speeds, overall, the difference in metabolic cost (reduction or increase) was
      found to correlate significantly with rise in the center of mass, with those with
      shorter residual limbs exhibiting less overall lifting of the body during gait.

PMID- 28355033
TI  - Transtibial amputee gait efficiency: Energy storage and return versus solid ankle
      cushioned heel prosthetic feet.
AB  - Energy storage and return (ESR) feet have long been assumed to promote
      metabolically efficient amputee gait. However, despite being prescribed for
      approximately 30 yr, there is limited evidence that they achieve this desired
      function. Here, we report a meta-analysis of data from 10 studies that met our
      selection criteria to determine whether amputee walking with ESR feet is more
      efficient than with conventional solid ankle cushioned heel (SACH) feet.
      Additionally, the data were tested for a relationship with walking speed since it
      has been suggested ESR feet might perform better at higher speeds. The raw data
      are highly variable because of differences in study protocols; therefore, we
      normalized the data and found a statistically significant difference (p < 0.001)
      between ESR and SACH feet. However, the magnitude of this difference is small,
      with the cost of transport (COT) with ESR feet being 97.3% of the cost with SACH
      feet. No relationship between ESR COT and speed was found (p = 0.19). We
      hypothesize that the small but statistically significant difference between ESR
      and SACH feet may not constitute a functionally significant improvement in COT,
      possibly related to the limited push-off power provided by ESR feed compared with
      nondisabled ankles.

PMID- 28355032
TI  - Physical activity, ambulation, and comorbidities in people with diabetes and
      lower-limb amputation.
AB  - We characterized physical activity (PA) and its relation to physical function and
      number of comorbidities in people with diabetes and transtibial amputation (AMP),
      people with diabetes without AMP, and nondisabled adults without diabetes or AMP.
      Twenty-two individuals with type 2 diabetes mellitus (DM) and transtibial
      amputation (DM+AMP), 11 people with DM, and 13 nondisabled participants were
      recruited for this cross-sectional cohort study. Measures included PA volume and
      intensity, a Timed Up and Go test, a 2-min walk test, and number of
      comorbidities. The nondisabled group performed greater amounts of PA than the DM
      group, who performed greater amounts of PA than the DM+AMP group. PA was related
      to physical function in the DM group and in the DM+AMP group, whereas no such
      relationship existed in the nondisabled group. PA was not related to number of
      comorbidities in any group. These findings suggest the ability to walk may affect
      overall performance of PA. Alternately, PA may alleviate walking problems. This
      possibility is of interest because issues with walking may be modifiable by
      improved levels and intensity of PA. PA's lack of relation to number of
      comorbidities suggests that factors beyond multiple morbidities account for group
      differences in PA.

PMID- 28355036
TI  - Rehabilitation and multiple limb amputations: A clinical report of patients
      injured in combat.
AB  - This clinical report describes the outpatient rehabilitation program for patients
      with multiple limb amputations enrolled in the Comprehensive Combat and Complex
      Casualty Care facility at the Naval Medical Center San Diego. Injury-specific
      data for 29 of these patients wounded by blast weaponry in Afghanistan in 2010 or
      2011 were captured by the Expeditionary Medical Encounter Database at the Naval
      Health Research Center and were reviewed for this report. Their median Injury
      Severity Score was 27 (N = 29; range, 11-54). Patients averaged seven moderate to
      serious injuries (Abbreviated Injury Scale scores >=2), including multiple
      injuries to lower limbs and injuries to the torso and/or upper limbs. All
      patients received care from numerous clinics, particularly physical therapy
      during the first 6 mo postinjury. Clinic use generally declined after the first 6
      mo with the exception of prosthetic devices and repairs. The clinical team
      implemented the Mayo-Portland Adaptability Inventory, 4th Revision (MPAI-4) to
      assess functioning at outpatient program initiation and discharge (n = 23). At
      program discharge, most patients had improved scores for the MPAI-4 items
      assessing mobility, pain, and transportation, but not employment. Case reports
      described rehabilitation for two patients with triple amputations and illustrated
      multispecialty care and contrasting solutions for limb prostheses.

PMID- 28355034
TI  - The biomechanical response of persons with transfemoral amputation to variations
      in prosthetic knee alignment during level walking.
AB  - Prosthetic alignment is an important factor in the overall fit and performance of
      a lower-limb prosthesis. However, the association between prosthetic alignment
      and control strategies used by persons with transfemoral amputation to coordinate
      the movement of a passive prosthetic knee is poorly understood. This study
      investigated the biomechanical response of persons with transfemoral amputation
      to systematic perturbations in knee joint alignment during a level walking task.
      Quantitative gait data were collected for three alignment conditions: bench
      alignment, 2 cm anterior knee translation (ANT), and 2 cm posterior knee
      translation (POST). In response to a destabilizing alignment perturbation (i.e.,
      the ANT condition), participants significantly increased their early-stance hip
      extension moment, confirming that persons with transfemoral amputation rely on a
      hip extensor strategy to maintain knee joint stability. However, participants
      also decreased the rate at which they loaded their prosthesis, decreased their
      affected-side step length, increased their trunk flexion, and maintained their
      prosthesis in a more vertical posture at the time of opposite toe off.
      Collectively, these results suggest that persons with transfemoral amputation
      rely on a combination of strategies to coordinate stance-phase knee flexion.
      Further, comparatively few significant changes were observed in response to the
      POST condition, suggesting that a bias toward posterior alignment may have fewer
      implications in terms of stance-phase, knee joint control.

PMID- 28355035
TI  - Explaining modified 2-min walk test outcomes in male Veterans with traumatic or
      nontraumatic lower-limb amputation.
AB  - Little evidence exists to support the presence of differences in spatiotemporal
      gait parameters and ambulation ability between those individuals with traumatic
      and nontraumatic lower-limb amputation (LLA). We conducted an exploratory study
      of 81 male Veterans with unilateral amputation to quantify differences in
      spatiotemporal gait parameters and ambulatory mobility between Veterans with
      traumatic and nontraumatic LLA. Furthermore, we identified variables that
      significantly contributed to the explanation of variability in modified 2-min
      walk test distance. All participants completed the modified 2-min walk test and a
      spatiotemporal gait analysis using an instrumented walkway during a routine
      physical therapy visit. Veterans with nontraumatic LLA walked significantly
      shorter mean distances during a modified 2-min walk test than Veterans with
      traumatic LLA. Variables identified as significant contributors to modified 2-min
      walk test variability were amputated limb stance time, amputated limb step
      length, and percentage of the gait cycle spent in double support. These findings
      demonstrate that differences in spatiotemporal gait parameters and ambulatory
      mobility exist between Veterans with traumatic and nontraumatic LLA and identify
      important spatiotemporal parameters of gait contributing to this decline. These
      parameters should be considered as targets for intervention and future
      investigation.

PMID- 28355038
TI  - The perceived functional benefit of dynamic arm supports in daily life.
AB  - Dynamic arm supports are provided to assist with activities of daily living
      (ADLs) in people with limited upper-limb function. However, the perceived
      functional benefit of these devices in daily life is unknown. Insight into the
      functional benefit may give direction to the development of new devices and may
      affect the factors that patients and their health care providers consider during
      the selection process of a device. A cross-sectional study involving 23 Dutch
      experienced dynamic arm support users was performed in the Netherlands. The study
      included a questionnaire, an interview, and an observation of ADL task
      performance in the domestic setting. Twenty participants completed this study.
      Five users had a large perceived functional benefit, nine a moderate benefit, and
      five no benefit (one was unable to indicate the benefit). People with limited
      functional abilities benefited most. Participants varied in the amount of device
      use, activities the device is used for, and reasons for using (or not using) the
      device. On an individual level, selection using a selection tool and a good
      evaluation of the prescription could improve user-device matches.

PMID- 28355037
TI  - The effect of common wrist orthoses on the stiffness of wrist rotations.
AB  - Wrist orthoses (also known as splints, braces, or supports) are commonly used to
      support or restrict the motion of a weak or injured wrist. These orthoses
      generally function by stiffening the wrist joint. Therefore, choosing the proper
      orthosis (or improving orthoses) requires that we understand their stiffness
      properties. In this study, we present a method for measuring the stiffness of
      wrist orthoses, and we apply this method to 12 of the most common wrist orthoses.
      We found similarities and differences between these orthoses, indicating that
      different orthoses have different effects on the wrist joint and, presumably, on
      wrist behavior. In particular, all six orthoses with a stay on the volar side or
      the volar and dorsal sides added a significant amount of stiffness to the wrist
      joint. In contrast, only one of three orthoses with a stay on the dorsal side and
      none of the three orthoses without stays exhibited a significant amount of
      stiffness, calling into question their ability to support the wrist joint. This
      work lays a foundation for future studies investigating the effect of wrist
      orthosis stiffness on wrist behavior and how wrist orthosis stiffness can be
      designed to produce behavior that facilitates healing.

PMID- 28355039
TI  - Elevated vacuum suspension preserves residual-limb skin health in people with
      lower-limb amputation: Randomized clinical trial.
AB  - : A growing number of clinical trials and case reports support qualitative claims
      that use of an elevated vacuum suspension (EVS) prosthesis improves residual-limb
      health on the basis of self-reported questionnaires, clinical outcomes scales,
      and wound closure studies. Here, we report first efforts to quantitatively assess
      residual-limb circulation in response to EVS. Residual-limb skin health and
      perfusion of people with lower-limb amputation (N = 10) were assessed during a
      randomized crossover study comparing EVS with nonelevated vacuum suspension
      (control) over a 32 wk period using noninvasive probes (transepidermal water
      loss, laser speckle imaging, transcutaneous oxygen measurement) and functional
      hyperspectral imaging approaches. Regardless of the suspension system, prosthesis
      donning decreased perfusion in the residual limb under resting conditions. After
      16 wk of use, EVS improved residual-limb oxygenation during treadmill walking.
      Likewise, prosthesis-induced reactive hyperemia was attenuated with EVS following
      16 wk of use. Skin barrier function was preserved with EVS but disrupted after
      control socket use. Taken together, outcomes suggest chronic EVS use improves
      perfusion and preserves skin barrier function in people with lower-limb
      amputation. CLINICAL TRIAL REGISTRATION: ClinicalTrials.gov; "Evaluation of limb
      health associated with a prosthetic vacuum socket system": NCT01839123;
      https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT01839123?term=NCT01839123&rank=1.

PMID- 28355040
TI  - Barriers to outcome measure administration and completion at discharge from
      inpatient rehabilitation of people with amputation.
AB  - We performed a retrospective chart review of consecutive patients discharged from
      an inpatient amputee rehabilitation program over a 2 yr period (January 2010
      December 2011). Our objective was to determine barriers to the completion of a
      standardized maximum walk test (MWT) at discharge. Over the study period, there
      were 190 discharges. The sample had a mean age of 63.5 yr (standard deviation
      [SD] +/- 14.2 yr), was 71.6% male, and had a majority of transtibial amputation
      (67%). The average length of inpatient stay was 28.1 d (SD +/- 13.2 d). MWT
      including distance and time was completed in 149 (78%) of the discharges; the
      main factors limiting patient performance on this measure were cardiorespiratory
      fatigue (53%), lower-limb pain (24%), back pain (12%), and skin problems (6%).
      Among those patients who completed the MWT, in 31% no limiting factor was
      identified. Forty-one discharge MWTs were not completed as a result of
      nonambulatory status (34%), acute illness (17%), limb pain (7%), skin problems
      (12%), or other reasons. Knowing these limitations may direct care from a
      clinical standpoint and provides valuable data for research planning to further
      examine outcome measures in this population.

PMID- 28355041
TI  - Clozapine Augmentation With Antiepileptic Drugs for Treatment-Resistant
      Schizophrenia: A Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: To meta-analyze randomized controlled trials (RCTs) for the efficacy
      and safety of adjunctive antiepileptic drugs (AEDs) to augment clozapine therapy
      for treatment-resistant schizophrenia. DATA SOURCES: The search included
      databases in English (PubMed, PsycINFO, Embase, and Cochrane Library databases
      and the Cochrane Controlled Trials Register) and in Chinese (China Journal Net
      [CJN], WanFang, and China Biology Medicine [CBM]) and references from retrieved
      articles. The databases were searched using dates inclusive from their onset
      until January 1, 2016, for terms reflecting (a) schizophrenia, (b) clozapine, and
      (c) adjunctive drugs. STUDY SELECTION: From 1,969 potentially relevant articles,
      21 articles describing 22 RCTs were selected. DATA EXTRACTION: Two independent
      investigators extracted data for a random-effects meta-analysis and assessed the
      quality of the studies using risk of bias and the Jadad scale. Standard mean
      difference, risk ratio (RR) +/- 95% confidence intervals (CIs), and the number
      needed to harm (NNH) were used. RESULTS: A total of 22 RCTs (N = 1,227) with 4
      AEDs (topiramate [5 RCTs, n = 270], lamotrigine [8 RCTs, n = 299], sodium
      valproate [6 RCTs, n = 430], and magnesium valproate [3 RCTs, n = 228]) were
      analyzed. The means weighted by sample size were 12.1 weeks for treatment
      duration, 36.2 years for age, and 61% for male frequency. Significant superiority
      in total psychopathology was observed for topiramate (P < .0001), lamotrigine (P
      = .05), and sodium valproate (P = .002), compared to clozapine monotherapy. After
      removing outliers, the positive effect of sodium valproate remained, but the
      positive effect of lamotrigine disappeared (P = .40). Significantly improved
      efficacy in positive and general symptom severity was observed for topiramate (P
      = .04 and P = .02, respectively) and sodium valproate (P = .009 and P = .003,
      respectively). There were no significant differences regarding adverse drug
      reactions and all-cause discontinuations except for topiramate, which was
      associated with more all-cause discontinuations (RR = 1.99; 95% CI, 1.16 to 3.39;
      P = .01; I2 = 0%; NNH = 7). CONCLUSIONS: Sodium valproate augmentation was
      efficacious and safe. Topiramate augmentation had a too-high discontinuation
      rate. High-quality RCTs are needed to inform clinical recommendations.

PMID- 28355042
TI  - Contributing Factors and Mental Health Outcomes of First Suicide Attempt During
      Childhood and Adolescence: Results From a Nationally Representative Study.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: To investigate whether risk factors for suicide attempts differ in
      children and adolescents and to categorize adulthood mental health outcomes of
      child and adolescent suicide attempters in the general population. METHODS: Using
      a large (N = 34,653), nationally representative US adult sample, the 2004-2005
      National Epidemiologic Survey on Alcohol and Related Conditions, we examined
      whether individuals who first attempted suicide during childhood (under the age
      of 13 years) differ from those who first attempted suicide during adolescence (13
      through 17 years) in (1) contributing factors for first suicide attempt,
      including mental disorders and traumatic experiences that occurred before the
      first suicide attempt, parental history of mental disorders, and family poverty
      and (2) adulthood mental health outcomes, including lifetime and current
      prevalence of DSM-IV psychiatric disorders and quality of life measures. RESULTS:
      Suicide attempts during childhood (n = 104) were more strongly related to
      childhood maltreatment, while suicide attempts during adolescence (n = 415) were
      more strongly associated with major depressive episode. Compared to first suicide
      attempts during adolescence, first attempts during childhood were associated with
      increased risk for multiple suicide attempts (61.3% vs 32.6%), several
      psychiatric disorders (mania, hypomania, and panic disorder), and poorer social
      functioning during adulthood (all P values < .05). CONCLUSIONS: Suicide attempts
      in children and adolescents substantially differ in contributing factors and
      adulthood mental health outcomes. Preventing childhood maltreatment and early
      intervention for psychiatric disorders may have broad benefits to reduce not only
      the suffering of these children and adolescents, but also the burden of suicide.

PMID- 28355043
TI  - Gastroenterology-Urology Devices; Manual Gastroenterology-Urology Surgical
      Instruments and Accessories. Final rule; technical amendment.
AB  - The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is amending the identification of manual
      gastroenterology-urology surgical instruments and accessories to reflect that the
      device does not include specialized surgical instrumentation for use with
      urogyencologic surgical mesh specifically intended for use as an aid in the
      insertion, placement, fixation, or anchoring of surgical mesh during
      urogynecologic procedures ("specialized surgical instrumentation for use with
      urogynecologic surgical mesh"). These amendments are being made to reflect
      changes made in the recently issued final reclassification order for specialized
      surgical instrumentation for use with urogynecologic surgical mesh.

PMID- 28355044
TI  - Schedules of Controlled Substances: Placement of 10 Synthetic Cathinones Into
      Schedule I. Final rule.
AB  - With the issuance of this final rule, the Drug Enforcement Administration places
      10 synthetic cathinones: 4-methyl-N-ethylcathinone (4-MEC); 4-methyl-alpha
      pyrrolidinopropiophenone (4-MePPP); alpha-pyrrolidinopentiophenone ([alpha]-PVP);
      1-(1,3-benzodioxol-5-yl)-2-(methylamino)butan-1-one (butylone, bk-MBDB e); 2
      (methylamino)-1-phenylpentan-1-one (pentedrone); 1-(1,3-benzodioxol-5-yl)-2
      (methylamino)pentan-1-one (pentylone, bk-MBDP); 4-fluoro-N-methylcathinone (4
      FMC, flephedrone); 3-fluoro-N-methylcathinone (3-FMC); 1-(naphthalen-2-yl)-2
      (pyrrolidin-1-yl)pentan-1-one (naphyrone); alpha-pyrrolidinobutiophenone ([alpha]
      PBP) and their optical, positional, and geometric isomers, salts and salts of
      isomers, whenever the existence of such salts, isomers, and salts of isomers is
      possible, into schedule I of the Controlled Substances Act. This scheduling
      action is pursuant to the Controlled Substances Act which requires that such
      actions be made on the record after opportunity for a hearing through formal
      rulemaking. This rule continues the imposition of the regulatory controls and
      administrative, civil, and criminal sanctions applicable to schedule I controlled
      substances on persons who handle (manufacture, distribute, reverse distribute,
      import, export, engage in research, conduct instructional activities or chemical
      analysis, or possess), or propose to handle 4-MEC, 4-MePPP, [alpha]-PVP,
      butylone, pentedrone, pentylone, 4-FMC, 3-FMC, naphyrone, or [alpha]-PBP.

PMID- 28355045
TI  - Schedules of Controlled Substances: Placement of Brivaracetam Into Schedule V.
      Final rule.
AB  - This final rule adopts without change an interim final rule with request for
      comments published in the Federal Register on May 12, 2016. The Drug Enforcement
      Administration is placing the substance brivaracetam ((2S)-2-[(4R)-2-oxo-4
      propylpyrrolidin-1-yl] butanamide) (also referred to as BRV; UCB-34714; Briviact)
      (including its salts) into schedule V of the Controlled Substances Act. This
      scheduling action is pursuant to the Controlled Substances Act, as revised by the
      Improving Regulatory Transparency for New Medical Therapies Act which was signed
      into law on November 25, 2015.

PMID- 28355046
TI  - Medical Devices; Clinical Chemistry and Clinical Toxicology Devices;
      Classification of the Continuous Glucose Monitor Secondary Display. Final order.
AB  - The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is classifying the continuous glucose
      monitor secondary display into class II (special controls). The special controls
      that will apply to the device are identified in this order and will be part of
      the codified languagefor the continuous glucose monitor secondary display's
      classification. The Agency is classifying the device into class II (special
      controls) in order to provide a reasonable assurance of safety and effectiveness
      of the device.

PMID- 28355047
TI  - Medical Devices; Clinical Chemistry and Clinical Toxicology Devices;
      Classification of the High Throughput Genomic Sequence Analyzer for Clinical Use.
      Final order.
AB  - The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is classifying the high throughput genomic
      sequence analyzer for clinical use into class II (special controls). The special
      controls that will apply to the device are identified in this order and will be
      part of the codified language for the classification of the high throughput
      genomic sequence analyzer for clinical use device. The Agency is classifying the
      device into class II (special controls) in order to provide a reasonable
      assurance of safety and effectiveness of the device.

PMID- 28355048
TI  - Medical Devices; Neurological Devices, Classification of the Vibratory Counter
      Stimulation Device. Final order.
AB  - The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is classifying the vibratory counter
      stimulation device into class II (special controls). The special controls that
      will apply to the device are identified in this order and will be part of the
      codified language for the vibratory counter-stimulation device's classification.
      The Agency is classifying the device into class II (special controls) in order to
      provide a reasonable assurance of safety and effectiveness of the device.

PMID- 28355049
TI  - Schedules of Controlled Substances: Placement of FDA-Approved Products of Oral
      Solutions Containing Dronabinol [(-)-delta-9-transtetrahydrocannabinol (delta-9
      THC)] in Schedule II. Interim final rule, with request for comments.
AB  - On July 1, 2016, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved a new drug
      application for Syndros, a drug product consisting of dronabinol [(-)-delta-9
      trans-tetrahydrocannabinol (delta-9-THC)] oral solution. Thereafter, the
      Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) provided the Drug Enforcement
      Administration (DEA) with a scheduling recommendation that would result in
      Syndros (and other oral solutions containing dronabinol) being placed in schedule
      II of the Controlled Substances Act (CSA). In accordance with the CSA, as revised
      by the Improving Regulatory Transparency for New Medical Therapies Act, DEA is
      hereby issuing an interim final rule placing FDA-approved products of oral
      solutions containing dronabinol in schedule II of the CSA.

PMID- 28355050
TI  - Release of VA Records Relating to HIV. Final rule.
AB  - The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) is amending its medical regulations
      governing the release of VA medical records. Specifically, VA is eliminating the
      restriction on sharing a negative test result for the human immunodeficiency
      virus (HIV) with veterans' outside providers. HIV testing is a common practice
      today in healthcare and the stigma of testing that may have been seen in the
      1980s when HIV was first discovered is no longer prevalent. Continuing to protect
      negative HIV tests causes delays and an unnecessary burden on veterans when VA
      tries to share electronic medical information with the veterans' outside
      providers through electronic health information exchanges. For this same reason,
      VA will also eliminate restrictions on negative test results of sickle cell
      anemia. This final rule eliminates the current barriers to electronic medical
      information exchange.

PMID- 28355051
TI  - MOFabric: Electrospun Nanofiber Mats from PVDF/UiO-66-NH2 for Chemical Protection
      and Decontamination.
AB  - Textiles capable of capture and detoxification of toxic chemicals, such as
      chemical-warfare agents (CWAs), are of high interest. Some metal-organic
      frameworks (MOFs) exhibit superior reactivity toward CWAs. However, it remains a
      challenge to integrate powder MOFs into engineered materials like textiles, while
      retaining functionalities like crystallinity, adsorptivity, and reactivity. Here,
      we present a simple method of electrospinning UiO-66-NH2, a zirconium MOF, with
      polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF). The electrospun composite, which we refer to as
      "MOFabric", exhibits comparable crystal patterns, surface area, chlorine uptake,
      and simulant hydrolysis to powder UiO-66-NH2. The MOFabric is also capable of
      breaking down GD (O-pinacolyl methylphosphonofluoridae) faster than powder UiO-66
      NH2. Half-life of GD monitored by solid-state NMR for MOFabric is 131 min versus
      315 min on powder UiO-66-NH2.

PMID- 28355052
TI  - Design, Synthesis, and Experimental Validation of Peptide Ligands Targeting
      Mycobacterium tuberculosis sigma Factors.
AB  - Transcription in prokaryotes is a multistep process and is primarily regulated at
      the initiation stage. sigma factors are involved in promoter recognition and thus
      govern prokaryotic gene expression. Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb) sigma
      factors have been previously suggested as important drug targets through large
      scale genome analyses. Here we demonstrate the feasibility of specific targeting
      of Mtb sigma factors using designed peptides. A peptide library was generated
      using three-dimensional structural features corresponding to the interface
      regions of sigma factors and the RNA polymerase. In silico optimization of the
      peptides, employing structural as well as sequence features, aided specific
      targeting of sigmaA and sigmaB. We synthesized and characterized the best hit
      peptide from the peptide library along with other control peptides and studied
      the interaction of these peptides with sigmaB using biolayer interferometry. The
      experimental data validate the design strategy. These studies suggest the
      feasibility of designing specific peptides via in silico methods that bind sigmaB
      with nanomolar affinity. We note that this strategy can be broadly applied to
      modulate prokaryotic transcription by designed peptides, thereby providing a tool
      for studying bacterial adaptation as well as host-pathogen interactions in
      infectious bacteria.

PMID- 28355053
TI  - Experimental Study on the Role of Sedimentation and Degradation Processes on
      Atmospheric Deposition of Persistent Organic Pollutants in a Subtropical Water
      Column.
AB  - The goal of this study is to experimentally assess the role of vertical sinking
      and degradation processes of persistent organic pollutants (POPs) in a
      subtropical water column. This was done by measuring the concentrations of
      selected typical organochlorine pesticides, including hexachlorocyclohexanes
      (HCHs), hexachlorobenzene (HCB), dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethanes (DDTs), trans
      chlordane (TC), and cis-chlordane (CC), in atmosphere (gas phase), water
      (dissolved and particulate phases), and sedimentation samples simultaneously from
      October 2011 to April 2013 in a subtropical lake. The fugacity ratios suggested
      net deposition for alpha-HCH, gamma-HCH, p,p'-DDT, p,p'-DDD, p,p'-DDE, o,p'-DDT,
      TC, and CC, indicating that the subtropical lake was acting as a "sink" for these
      chemicals. The enantiomer fractions of alpha-HCH, o,p'-DDT, TC, and CC in the
      dissolved phase samples were much more deviated from the racemic values than were
      those in the air samples, suggesting that these chemicals have suffered microbial
      degradation in the subtropical lake. In fact, 99% to 100% of atmospheric input of
      alpha-HCH and gamma-HCH to the subtropical lake was estimated to be depleted via
      microbial degradation, while the role of hydrolysis and vertical sinking was very
      small. For more hydrophobic p,p'-DDT, o,p'-DDT, TC, and CC, the role of vertical
      sinking was 2 to 3 orders of magnitude larger than that for alpha-HCH and gamma
      HCH. Microbial degradation was also very important for removing p,p'-DDT, o,p'
      DDT, TC, and CC from the water column.

PMID- 28355054
TI  - Secondary Organic Aerosol Formation over Coastal Ocean: Inferences from
      Atmospheric Water-Soluble Low Molecular Weight Organic Compounds.
AB  - A lack of consensus on the distributions and formation pathways of secondary
      organic aerosols (SOA) over oceanic regions downwind of pollution sources limits
      our ability to assess their climate impact globally. As a case study, we report
      here on water-soluble SOA components such as dicarboxylic acids, oxocarboxylic
      acids, and alpha-dicarbonyls in the continental outflows from the Indo-Gangetic
      Plain (IGP) and Southeast Asia (SEA) to the Bay of Bengal. Oxalic acid (C2) is
      the dominant species followed by succinic (C4) and glyoxylic acids (omegaC2) in
      the outflow. Nonsea-salt SO42- also dominates (~70%) total water-soluble
      inorganic constituents and correlates well with aerosol liquid water content
      (LWC) and C2, indicating their production through aqueous phase photochemical
      reactions. Furthermore, mass ratios of dicarboxylic acids (C2/C4, C2/omegaC2),
      and their relative abundances in water-soluble organic carbon and total organic
      carbon are quite similar between the two continental (IGP and SEA) outflows,
      indicating the formation of SOA through aqueous phase photochemical reactions in
      LWC-enriched aerosols, largely controlled by anthropogenic SO42-.

PMID- 28355055
TI  - Layered Metal Thiophosphite Materials: Magnetic, Electrochemical, and Electronic
      Properties.
AB  - Beyond graphene, transitional metal dichalcogenides, and black phosphorus, there
      are other layered materials called metal thiophosphites (MPSx), which are
      recently attracting the attention of scientists. Here we present the synthesis,
      structural and morphological characterization, magnetic properties,
      electrochemical performance, and the calculated density of states of different
      layered metal thiophosphite materials with a general formula MPSx, and as a
      result of varying the metal component, we obtain CrPS4, MnPS3, FePS3, CoPS3,
      NiPS3, ZnPS3, CdPS3, GaPS4, SnPS3, and BiPS4. SnPS3, ZnPS3, CdPS3, GaPS4, and
      BiPS4 exhibit only diamagnetic behavior due to core electrons. By contrast,
      trisulfides with M = Mn, Fe, Co, and Ni, as well as CrPS4, are paramagnetic at
      high temperatures and undergo a transition to antiferromagnetic state on cooling.
      Within the trisulfides series the Neel temperature characterizing the transition
      from paramagnetic to antiferromagnetic phase increases with the increasing atomic
      number and the orbital component enhancing the total effective magnetic moment.
      Interestingly, in terms of catalysis NiPS3, CoPS3, and BiPS4 show the highest
      efficiency for hydrogen evolution reaction (HER), while for the oxygen evolution
      reaction (OER) the highest performance is observed for CoPS3. Finally, MnPS3
      presents the highest oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) activity compared to the
      other MPSx studied here. This great catalytic performance reported for these MPSx
      demonstrates their promising capabilities in energy applications.

PMID- 28355056
TI  - Deconvolution of Gene Expression Noise into Spatial Dynamics of Transcription
      Factor-Promoter Interplay.
AB  - Gene expression noise is not only the mere consequence of stochasticity, but also
      a signal that reflects the upstream physical dynamics of the cognate molecular
      machinery. Soil bacteria facing recalcitrant pollutants exploit noise of
      catabolic promoters to deploy beneficial phenotypes such as metabolic bet-hedging
      and/or division of biochemical labor. Although the role of upstream promoter
      regulator interplay in the origin of this noise is little understood, its
      specifications are probably ciphered in flow cytometry data patterns. We studied
      Pm promoter activity of the environmental bacterium Pseudomonas putida and its
      cognate regulator XylS by following expression of Pm-gfp fusions in single cells.
      Using mathematical modeling and computational simulations, we determined the
      kinetic properties of the system and used them as a baseline code to interpret
      promoter activity in terms of upstream regulator dynamics. Transcriptional noise
      was predicted to depend on the intracellular physical distance between regulator
      source (where XylS is produced) and the target promoter. Experiments with
      engineered bacteria in which this distance is minimized or enlarged confirmed the
      predicted effects of source/target proximity on noise patterns. This approach
      allowed deconvolution of cytometry data into mechanistic information on gene
      expression flow. It also provided a basis for selecting programmable noise levels
      in synthetic regulatory circuits.

PMID- 28355057
TI  - Trichloramine Removal with Activated Carbon Is Governed by Two Reductive
      Reactions: A Theoretical Approach with Diffusion-Reaction Models.
AB  - Mechanisms underlying trichloramine removal with activated carbon treatment were
      proven by batch experiments and theoretical analysis with diffusion-reaction
      models. The observed values of trichloramine and free chlorine were explained
      only by the model in which (1) both trichloramine and free chlorine were involved
      as reactants, (2) the removals of reactants were affected both by the
      intraparticle diffusion and by the reaction with activated carbon, and (3)
      trichloramine decomposition was governed by two distinct reductive reactions. One
      reductive reaction was expressed as a first-order reaction: the reductive
      reaction of trichloramine with the basal plane of PAC, which consists of graphene
      sheets. The other reaction was expressed as a second-order reaction: the
      reductive reaction of trichloramine with active functional groups located on the
      edge of the basal plane. Free chlorine competitively reacted with both the basal
      plane and the active functional groups. The fact that the model prediction
      succeeded even in experiments with different activated carbon doses, with
      different initial trichloramine concentrations, and with different sizes of
      activated carbon particles clearly proved that the mechanisms described in the
      model were reasonable for explaining trichloramine removal with activated carbon
      treatment.

PMID- 28355058
TI  - Real-Time Dissection of Distinct Dynamin-Dependent Endocytic Routes of Influenza
      A Virus by Quantum Dot-Based Single-Virus Tracking.
AB  - Entry is the first critical step for the infection of influenza A virus and of
      great significance for the research and development of antiflu drugs. Influenza A
      virus depends on exploitation of cellular endocytosis to enter its host cells,
      and its entry behaviors in distinct routes still need further investigation. With
      the aid of a single-virus tracking technique and quantum dots, we have realized
      real-time and multicolor visualization of the endocytic process of individual
      viruses and comprehensive dissection of two distinct dynamin-dependent endocytic
      pathways of influenza A virus, either dependent on clathrin or not. Based on the
      sequential progression of protein recruitment and viral motility, we have
      revealed the asynchronization in the recruitments of clathrin and dynamin during
      clathrin-dependent entry of the virus, with a large population of events for
      short-lived recruitments of these two proteins being abortive. In addition, the
      differentiated durations of dynamin recruitment and responses to inhibitors in
      these two routes have evidenced somewhat different roles of dynamin. Besides
      promoting membrane fission in both entry routes, dynamin also participates in the
      maturation of a clathrin-coated pit in the clathrin-dependent route.
      Collectively, the current study displays a dynamic and precise image of the entry
      process of influenza A virus and elucidates the mechanisms of distinct entry
      routes. This quantum dot-based single-virus tracking technique is proven to be
      well-suited for investigating the choreographed interactions between virus and
      cellular proteins.

PMID- 28355060
TI  - Phage-Based Structural Color Sensors and Their Pattern Recognition Sensing
      System.
AB  - The mammalian olfactory system provides great inspiration for the design of
      intelligent sensors. To this end, we have developed a bioinspired phage
      nanostructure-based color sensor array and a smartphone-based sensing network
      system. Using a M13 bacteriophage (phage) as a basic building block, we created
      structural color matrices that are composed of liquid-crystalline bundled
      nanofibers from self-assembled phages. The phages were engineered to express
      cross-responsive receptors on their major coat protein (pVIII), leading to rapid,
      detectable color changes upon exposure to various target chemicals, resulting in
      chemical- and concentration-dependent color fingerprints. Using these sensors, we
      have successfully detected 5-90% relative humidity with 0.2% sensitivity. In
      addition, after modification with aromatic receptors, we were able to distinguish
      between various structurally similar toxic chemicals including benzene, toluene,
      xylene, and aniline. Furthermore, we have developed a method of interpreting and
      disseminating results from these sensors using smartphones to establish a
      wireless system. Our phage-based sensor system has the potential to be very
      useful in improving national security and monitoring the environment and human
      health.

PMID- 28355061
TI  - Apo E-Functionalization of Solid Lipid Nanoparticles Enhances Brain Drug
      Delivery: Uptake Mechanism and Transport Pathways.
AB  - Several strategies have been implemented to enhance brain drug delivery, and
      herein solid lipid nanoparticles functionalized with apolipoprotein E were tested
      in hCMEC/D3 cell monolayers. The mean diameter of 160 nm, negative charge of -12
      mV, and their lipophilic characteristics make these nanosystems suitable for
      brain delivery. Confocal images and flow cytometry data showed a cellular uptake
      increase of 1.8-fold for SLN-Palmitate-ApoE and 1.9-fold for SLN-DSPE-ApoE when
      compared with the non-functionalized SLNs. Clathrin-mediated endocytosis was
      distinguished as the preferential internalization pathway involved in cellular
      uptake and nanoparticles could cross the blood-brain barrier predominantly by a
      transcellular pathway. The understanding of the mechanisms involved in the
      transport of these nanosystems through the blood-brain barrier may potentiate
      their application on brain drug delivery.

PMID- 28355059
TI  - Membrane Oxidation in Cell Delivery and Cell Killing Applications.
AB  - Cell delivery or cell killing processes often involve the crossing or disruption
      of cellular membranes. We review how, by modifying the composition and properties
      of membranes, membrane oxidation can be exploited to enhance the delivery of
      macromolecular cargoes into live human cells. We also describe how membrane
      oxidation can be utilized to achieve efficient killing of bacteria by
      antimicrobial peptides. Finally, we present recent evidence highlighting how
      membrane oxidation is intimately engaged in natural biological processes such as
      antigen delivery in dendritic cells and in the killing of bacteria by
      antimicrobial peptides. Overall, the insights that have been recently gained in
      this area should facilitate the development of more effective delivery
      technologies and antimicrobial therapeutic approaches.

PMID- 28355062
TI  - Impact of Pore Size on Fenton Oxidation of Methyl Orange Adsorbed on Magnetic
      Carbon Materials: Trade-Off between Capacity and Regenerability.
AB  - The economic cleanup of wastewater continues to be an active area of research. In
      this study, the influence of pore size on regeneration by Fenton oxidation for
      carbon materials with adsorbed methyl orange (MO) was investigated. More
      specifically three carbon supports, with pore sizes ranging from mainly
      microporous to half microporous-half mesoporous to mainly mesoporous, were
      impregnated with gamma-Fe2O3 to make them magnetic and easy to separate from
      solution. The carbon samples were characterized before adsorption and after
      regeneration with hydrogen peroxide at 20  degrees C. In addition, adsorption
      kinetics and isotherms were collected, and the Weber-Morris intraparticle
      diffusion model and Freundlich isotherm model fit to the data. The adsorption
      capacity increased with increasing microporosity while the regeneration
      efficiency increased with increasing mesoporosity. Further experiments with
      varying regeneration and adsorption conditions suggested that the regeneration
      process may be kinetically limited. The MO adsorbed in the micropores was
      strongly adsorbed and difficult to remove unlike the MO adsorbed in the
      mesopores, which could be reacted under relatively mild conditions. Thus, there
      was a trade-off between adsorption capacity and regeneration.

PMID- 28355063
TI  - Quantitative Adverse Outcome Pathways and Their Application to Predictive
      Toxicology.
AB  - A quantitative adverse outcome pathway (qAOP) consists of one or more
      biologically based, computational models describing key event relationships
      linking a molecular initiating event (MIE) to an adverse outcome. A qAOP provides
      quantitative, dose-response, and time-course predictions that can support
      regulatory decision-making. Herein we describe several facets of qAOPs, including
      (a) motivation for development, (b) technical considerations, (c) evaluation of
      confidence, and (d) potential applications. The qAOP used as an illustrative
      example for these points describes the linkage between inhibition of cytochrome
      P450 19A aromatase (the MIE) and population-level decreases in the fathead minnow
      (FHM; Pimephales promelas). The qAOP consists of three linked computational
      models for the following: (a) the hypothalamic-pitutitary-gonadal axis in female
      FHMs, where aromatase inhibition decreases the conversion of testosterone to
      17beta-estradiol (E2), thereby reducing E2-dependent vitellogenin (VTG; egg yolk
      protein precursor) synthesis, (b) VTG-dependent egg development and spawning
      (fecundity), and (c) fecundity-dependent population trajectory. While development
      of the example qAOP was based on experiments with FHMs exposed to the aromatase
      inhibitor fadrozole, we also show how a toxic equivalence (TEQ) calculation
      allows use of the qAOP to predict effects of another, untested aromatase
      inhibitor, iprodione. While qAOP development can be resource-intensive, the
      quantitative predictions obtained, and TEQ-based application to multiple
      chemicals, may be sufficient to justify the cost for some applications in
      regulatory decision-making.

PMID- 28355064
TI  - Plastic Bag Derived-Microplastics as a Vector for Metal Exposure in Terrestrial
      Invertebrates.
AB  - Microplastics are widespread contaminants in terrestrial environments but
      comparatively little is known about interactions between microplastics and common
      terrestrial contaminants such as zinc (Zn). In adsorption experiments fragmented
      HDPE bags c. one mm2 in size showed similar sorption characteristics to soil.
      However, when present in combination with soil, concentrations of adsorbed Zn on
      a per mass basis were over an order of magnitude lower on microplastics.
      Desorption of the Zn was minimal from both microplastics and soil in synthetic
      soil solution (0.01 M CaCl2), but in synthetic earthworm guts desorption was
      higher from microplastics (40-60%) than soil (2-15%), suggesting microplastics
      could increase Zn bioavailability. Individual Lumbricus terrestris earthworms
      exposed for 28 days in mesocosms of 260 g moist soil containing 0.35 wt % of Zn
      bearing microplastic (236-4505 mg kg-1) ingested the microplastics, but there was
      no evidence of Zn accumulation, mortality, or weight change. Digestion of the
      earthworms showed that they did not retain microplastics in their gut. These
      findings indicate that microplastics could act as vectors to increase metal
      exposure in earthworms, but that the associated risk is unlikely to be
      significant for essential metals such as Zn that are well regulated by metabolic
      processes.

PMID- 28355066
TI  - Thermodynamics of Protein Folding Studied by Umbrella Sampling along a Reaction
      Coordinate of Native Contacts.
AB  - Spontaneous transitions between the native and non-native protein conformations
      are normally rare events that hardly take place in typical unbiased molecular
      dynamics simulations. It was recently demonstrated that such transitions can be
      well described by a reaction coordinate, Q, that represents the collective
      fraction of the native contacts between the protein atoms. Here we attempt to use
      this reaction coordinate to enhance the conformational sampling. We perform
      umbrella sampling simulations with biasing potentials on Q for two model
      proteins, Trp-Cage and BBA, using the CHARMM force field. Hamiltonian replica
      exchange is implemented in these simulations to further facilitate the sampling.
      The simulations appear to have reached satisfactory convergence, resulting in
      unbiased free energies as a function of Q. In addition to the native structure,
      multiple folded conformations are identified in the reconstructed equilibrium
      ensemble. Some conformations without any native contacts nonetheless have rather
      compact geometries and are stabilized by hydrogen bonds not present in the native
      structure. Whereas the enhanced sampling along Q reasonably reproduces the
      equilibrium conformational space, we also find that the folding of an alpha-helix
      in Trp-Cage is a slow degree of freedom orthogonal to Q and therefore cannot be
      accelerated by biasing the reaction coordinate. Overall, we conclude that whereas
      Q is an excellent parameter to analyze the simulations, it is not necessarily a
      perfect reaction coordinate for enhanced sampling, and better incorporation of
      other slow degrees of freedom may further improve this reaction coordinate.

PMID- 28355065
TI  - Haze in Apple-Based Beverages: Detailed Polyphenol, Polysaccharide, Protein, and
      Mineral Compositions.
AB  - Producers of apple-based beverages are confronted with colloidal instability.
      Haze is caused by interactions between molecules that lead to the formation of
      aggregates. Haze composition in three apple-based beverages, namely, French
      sparkling cider, apple juice, and pommeau, was studied. Phenolic compounds,
      proteins, polysaccharides, and minerals were analyzed using global and detailed
      analytical methods. The results explained <75% (w/w) of haze dry mass.
      Polyphenols, represented mainly by procyanidins, were the main compounds
      identified and accounted for 10-31% of haze. However, oxidized phenolic compounds
      were probably underestimated and may represent a high proportion of haze.
      Proteins were present in all of the samples in proportions of <6% of haze except
      in two apple juice hazes, where they were the main constituents (18 and 24%).
      Polysaccharides accounted for 0-30% of haze. Potassium and calcium were the main
      minerals.

PMID- 28355067
TI  - Chemical Properties of Dialkyl Halonium Ions (R2Hal+) and Their Neutral
      Analogues, Methyl Carboranes, CH3-(CHB11Hal11), Where Hal = F, Cl.
AB  - Chloronium cations in their salts (CnH2n+1)2Cl+{CHB11Cl11-}, with n = 1 to 3 and
      exceptionally stable carborane anions, are stable at ambient and elevated
      temperatures. The temperature at which they decompose to carbocations with HCl
      elimination (below 150  degrees C) decreases with the increasing n from 1 to 3
      because of increasing ionicity of C-Cl bonds in the C-Cl+-C bridge. At room
      temperature, the salts of cations with n >= 4 [starting from t-Bu2Cl+ or (cyclo
      C5H11)2Cl+] are unstable and decompose. With decreasing chloronium ion stability,
      their ability to interact with chloroalkanes to form oligomeric cations
      increases. It was shown indirectly that unstable salt of fluoronium ions
      (CH3)2F+(CHB11F11-) must exist at low temperatures. The proposed (CH3)2F+ cation
      is much more reactive than the corresponding chloronium, showing at room
      temperature chemical properties expected of (CH3)2Cl+ at elevated temperatures.

PMID- 28355068
TI  - Rh2(II)-Catalyzed Ring Expansion of Cyclobutanol-Substituted Aryl Azides To
      Access Medium-Sized N-Heterocycles.
AB  - A new reactivity pattern of Rh2(II)-N-arylnitrenes was discovered that
      facilitates the synthesis of medium-sized N-heterocycles from ortho-cyclobutanol
      substituted aryl azides. The key ring-expansion step of the catalytic cycle is
      both chemoselective and stereospecific. Our mechanistic experiments implicate the
      formation of a rhodium N-arylnitrene catalytic intermediate and reveal that sp3 C
      H bond amination of this electrophilic species is competitive with the ring
      expansion process.

PMID- 28355069
TI  - Design, Synthesis, and Pharmacological Characterization of N-(4-(2 (6,7-Dimethoxy
      3,4-dihydroisoquinolin-2(1H)yl)ethyl)phenyl)quinazolin-4-amine Derivatives: Novel
      Inhibitors Reversing P-Glycoprotein-Mediated Multidrug Resistance.
AB  - P-glycoprotein (P-gp)-mediated multidrug resistance (MDR) is a principal obstacle
      for successful cancer chemotherapy. A novel P-gp inhibitor with a quinazoline
      scaffold, 12k, was considered to be the most promising for in-depth study. 12k
      possessed high potency (EC50 = 57.9 +/- 3.5 nM), low cytotoxicity, and long
      duration of activity in reversing doxorubicin (DOX) resistance in K562/A02 cells.
      12k also boosted the potency of other MDR-related cytotoxic agents with different
      structures, increased accumulation of DOX, blocked P-gp-mediated Rh123 efflux,
      and suppressed P-gp ATPase activity in K562/A02 MDR cells. However, 12k did not
      have any effects on CYP3A4 activity or P-gp expression. In particular, 12k had a
      good half-life and oral bioavailability and displayed no influence on DOX
      metabolism to obviate the side effects closely related to increased plasma
      concentrations of cytotoxic agents in vivo.

PMID- 28355070
TI  - Actinomycete Metabolome Induction/Suppression with N-Acetylglucosamine.
AB  - The metabolite profiles of three sponge-derived actinomycetes, namely,
      Micromonospora sp. RV43, Rhodococcus sp. RV157, and Actinokineospora sp. EG49
      were investigated after elicitation with N-acetyl-d-glucosamine. 1H NMR
      fingerprint methodology was utilized to study the differences in the metabolic
      profiles of the bacterial extracts before and after elicitation. Our study found
      that the addition of N-acetyl-d-glucosamine modified the secondary metabolite
      profiles of the three investigated actinomycete isolates. N-Acetyl-d-glucosamine
      induced the production of 3-formylindole (11) and guaymasol (12) in
      Micromonospora sp. RV43, the siderophore bacillibactin 16, and surfactin
      antibiotic 17 in Rhodococcus sp. RV157 and increased the production of minor
      metabolites actinosporins E-H (21-24) in Actinokineospora sp. EG49. These results
      highlight the use of NMR fingerprinting to detect changes in metabolism following
      addition of N-acetyl-d-glucosamine. N-Acetyl-d-glucosamine was shown to have
      multiple effects including suppression of metabolites, induction of new
      metabolites, and increased production of minor compounds.

PMID- 28355072
TI  - Spontaneous Amino-yne Click Polymerization: A Powerful Tool toward Regio- and
      Stereospecific Poly(beta-aminoacrylate)s.
AB  - Efficient synthesis of poly(enamine)s has been a great challenge because of their
      poor stability, poor solubility, and low molecular weights. In this work, a
      spontaneous amino-yne click polymerization for the efficient preparation of
      poly(enamine)s was established, which could proceed with 100% atom efficiency
      under very mild conditions without any external catalyst. Through systematic
      optimization of the reaction conditions, several soluble and thermally stable
      poly(beta-aminoacrylate)s with high molecular weights (Mw up to 64400) and well
      defined structures were obtained in excellent yields (up to 99%). Moreover, the
      polymerization can perform in a regio- and stereospecific fashion. Nuclear
      magnetic resonance spectra analysis revealed that solely anti-Markovnikov
      additive products with 100% E-isomer were obtained. The reaction mechanism was
      well demonstrated with the assistance of density functional theory calculations.
      In addition, by introducing the tetraphenylethene moiety, the resulting polymers
      exhibit unique aggregation-induced emission characteristics and could be applied
      in explosives detection and bioimaging. This polyhydroamination is a new type of
      click polymerization and opens up enormous opportunities for preparing functional
      polymeric materials.

PMID- 28355073
TI  - Enantiospecific Total Synthesis of the Highly Strained (-)-Presilphiperfolan-8-ol
      via a Pd-Catalyzed Tandem Cyclization.
AB  - A rare element of high strain in molecules of natural origin is a 1,2-trans
      fusion of 5-membered rings within a [3.3.0]-bicycle, a motif present in (-)
      presilphiperfolan-8-ol. This molecule also possesses a 1,3-trans stereochemical
      arrangement of substituents on one of its 5-membered rings, a pattern shared by a
      number of other terpenes. Herein, we disclose the first total synthesis of this
      highly strained target in 13 steps. The key operation is a Pd-catalyzed tandem
      cyclization that directly establishes the requisite 1,3-trans stereochemical
      arrangement on one ring while concurrently setting the stage for the controlled
      generation of the highly strained 1,2-trans ring fusion of the final
      architecture.

PMID- 28355074
TI  - Ion Distribution and Hydration Structure in the Stern Layer on Muscovite Surface.
AB  - Based on molecular dynamics simulations of eight ions (Na+, K+, Rb+, Cs+, Mg2+,
      Ca2+, Sr2+, and Ba2+) on muscovite mica surfaces in water, we demonstrate that
      experimental data on the muscovite mica surface can be rationalized through a
      unified picture of adsorption structures including the hydration structure,
      cation heights from the muscovite surface, and state stability. These simulations
      enable us to categorize the inner-sphere surface complex into two different
      species: an inner-sphere surface complex in a ditrigonal cavity (IS1) and that on
      top of Al (IS2). By considering the presence of the two inner-sphere surface
      complexes, the experimental finding that the heights of adsorbed cations from the
      muscovite surface are proportional to the ionic radius for K+ and Cs+ but
      inversely proportional to the ionic radius for Ca2+ and Ba2+ was explained. We
      find that Na+, Ca2+, Sr2+, and Ba2+ can form both IS1 and IS2; K+, Rb+, and Cs+
      can form only IS1; and Mg2+ can form only IS2. It is suggested that the formation
      of IS1 and IS2 is governed by the charge density of the ions. Among the eight
      ions, we also find that the hydration structure for the outer-sphere surface
      complexes of divalent cations differs from that of the monovalent cations by one
      adsorbed water molecule (i.e., a water molecule located in a ditrigonal cavity).

PMID- 28355075
TI  - Two-Dimensional Heterostructure as a Platform for Surface-Enhanced Raman
      Scattering.
AB  - Raman enhancement on a flat nonmetallic surface has attracted increasing
      attention, ever since the discovery of graphene enhanced Raman scattering.
      Recently, diverse two-dimensional layered materials have been applied as a flat
      surface for the Raman enhancement, attributed to different mechanisms. Looking
      beyond these isolated materials, atomic layers can be reassembled to design a
      heterostructure stacked layer by layer with an arbitrary chosen sequence, which
      allows the flow of charge carriers between neighboring layers and offers novel
      functionalities. Here, we demonstrate the heterostructure as a novel Raman
      enhancement platform. The WSe2 (W) monolayer and graphene (G) were stacked
      together to form a heterostructure with an area of 10 mm * 10 mm.
      Heterostructures with different stacked structuress are used as platforms for the
      enhanced Raman scattering, including G/W, W/G, G/W/G/W, and W/G/G/W. On the
      surface of the heterostructure, the intensity of the Raman scattering is much
      stronger compared with isolated layers, using the copper phthalocyanine (CuPc)
      molecule as a probe. It is found that the Raman enhancement effect on
      heterostructures depends on stacked methods. Phonon modes of CuPc have the
      strongest enhancement on G/W. W/G and W/G/G/W have a stronger enhancement than
      that on the isolated WSe2 monolayer, while lower than the graphene monolayer. The
      G/W/G/W/substrate demonstrated a comparable Raman enhancement effect than the
      G/W/substrate. These differences are due to the different interlayer couplings in
      heterostructures related to electron transition probability rates, which are
      further proved by first-principle calculations and probe-pump measurements.

PMID- 28355071
TI  - Ecdysone Receptor Agonism Leading to Lethal Molting Disruption in Arthropods:
      Review and Adverse Outcome Pathway Development.
AB  - Molting is critical for growth, development, reproduction, and survival in
      arthropods. Complex neuroendocrine pathways are involved in the regulation of
      molting and may potentially become targets of environmental endocrine disrupting
      chemicals (EDCs). Based on several known ED mechanisms, a wide range of
      pesticides has been developed to combat unwanted organisms in food production
      activities such as agriculture and aquaculture. Meanwhile, these chemicals may
      also pose hazards to nontarget species by causing molting defects, and thus
      potentially affecting the health of the ecosystems. The present review summarizes
      the available knowledge on molting-related endocrine regulation and chemically
      mediated disruption in arthropods (with special focus on insects and
      crustaceans), to identify research gaps and develop a mechanistic model for
      assessing environmental hazards of these compounds. Based on the review, multiple
      targets of EDCs in the molting processes were identified and the link between
      mode of action (MoA) and adverse effects characterized to inform future studies.
      An adverse outcome pathway (AOP) describing ecdysone receptor agonism leading to
      incomplete ecdysis associated mortality was developed according to the OECD
      guideline and subjected to weight of evidence considerations by evolved Bradford
      Hill Criteria. This review proposes the first invertebrate ED AOP and may serve
      as a knowledge foundation for future environmental studies and AOP development.

PMID- 28355076
TI  - Complementary Metal Oxide Semiconductor-Compatible, High-Mobility, ?111?-Oriented
      GaSb Nanowires Enabled by Vapor-Solid-Solid Chemical Vapor Deposition.
AB  - Using CMOS-compatible Pd catalysts, we demonstrated the formation of high
      mobility ?111?-oriented GaSb nanowires (NWs) via vapor-solid-solid (VSS) growth
      by surfactant-assisted chemical vapor deposition through a complementary
      experimental and theoretical approach. In contrast to NWs formed by the
      conventional vapor-liquid-solid (VLS) mechanism, cylindrical-shaped Pd5Ga4
      catalytic seeds were present in our Pd-catalyzed VSS-NWs. As solid catalysts,
      stoichiometric Pd5Ga4 was found to have the lowest crystal surface energy and
      thus giving rise to a minimal surface diffusion as well as an optimal in-plane
      interface orientation at the seed/NW interface for efficient epitaxial NW
      nucleation. These VSS characteristics led to the growth of slender NWs with
      diameters down to 26.9 +/- 3.5 nm. Over 95% high crystalline quality NWs were
      grown in ?111? orientation for a wide diameter range of between 10 and 70 nm.
      Back-gated field-effect transistors (FETs) fabricated using the Pd-catalyzed GaSb
      NWs exhibit a superior peak hole mobility of ~330 cm2 V-1 s-1, close to the
      mobility limit for a NW channel diameter of ~30 nm with a free carrier
      concentration of ~1018 cm-3. This suggests that the NWs have excellent
      homogeneity in phase purity, growth orientation, surface morphology and
      electrical characteristics. Contact printing process was also used to fabricate
      large-scale assembly of Pd-catalyzed GaSb NW parallel arrays, confirming the
      potential constructions and applications of these high-performance electronic
      devices.

PMID- 28355077
TI  - Isothermal Amplification for MicroRNA Detection: From the Test Tube to the Cell.
AB  - MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are a class of small noncoding RNAs that act as pivotal post
      transcriptional regulators of gene expression, thus involving in many fundamental
      cellular processes such as cell proliferation, migration, and canceration. The
      detection of miRNAs has attracted significant interest, as abnormal miRNA
      expression is identified to contribute to serious human diseases such as cancers.
      Particularly, miRNAs in peripheral blood have recently been recognized as
      important biomarkers potential for liquid biopsy. Furthermore, as miRNAs are
      expressed heterogeneously in different cells, investigations into single-cell
      miRNA expression will be of great value for resolving miRNA-mediated regulatory
      circuits and the complexity and heterogeneity of miRNA-related diseases. Thus,
      the development of miRNA detection methods, especially for complex clinic samples
      and single cells is in great demand. In this Account, we will present recent
      progress in the design and application of isothermal amplification enabling miRNA
      detection transition from the test tube to the clinical sample and single cell,
      which will significantly advance our knowledge of miRNA functions and disease
      associations, as well as its translation in clinical diagnostics. miRNAs present
      a huge challenge in detection because of their extremely short length (~22
      nucleotides) and sequence homology (even with only single-nucleotide variation).
      The conventional golden method for nucleic acid detection, quantitative PCR
      (qPCR), is not amenable to directly detecting short RNAs and hardly enables
      distinguishing between miRNA family members with very similar sequences.
      Alternatively, isothermal amplification has emerged as a powerful method for
      quantification of nucleic acids and attracts broad interest for utilization in
      developing miRNA assays. Compared to PCR, isothermal amplification can be
      performed without precise control of temperature cycling and is well fit for
      detecting short RNA or DNA. We and other groups are seeking methods based on
      isothermal amplification for detecting miRNA with high specificity (single
      nucleotide resolution) and sensitivity (detection limit reaching femtomolar or
      even attomolar level). These methods have recently been demonstrated to quantify
      miRNA in clinical samples (tissues, serum, and plasma). Remarkably, attributed to
      the mild reaction conditions, isothermal amplification can be performed inside
      cells, which has recently enabled miRNA detection in single cells. The localized
      in situ amplification even enables imaging of miRNA at the single-molecule level.
      The single-cell miRNA profiling data clearly shows that genetically identical
      cells exhibit significant cell-to-cell variation in miRNA expression. The leap of
      miRNA detection achievements will significantly contribute to its full clinical
      adoption and translation and give us new insights into miRNA cellular functions
      and disease associations.

PMID- 28355078
TI  - Discovery of Novel Indazole Derivatives as Orally Available beta3-Adrenergic
      Receptor Agonists Lacking Off-Target-Based Cardiovascular Side Effects.
AB  - We previously discovered that indazole derivative 8 was a highly selective beta3
      adrenergic receptor (beta3-AR) agonist, but it appeared to be metabolically
      unstable. To improve metabolic stability, further optimization of this scaffold
      was carried out. We focused on the sulfonamide moiety of this scaffold, which
      resulted in the discovery of compound 15 as a highly potent beta3-AR agonist
      (EC50 = 18 nM) being inactive to beta1-, beta2-, and alpha1A-AR (beta1/beta3,
      beta2/beta3, and alpha1A/beta3 > 556-fold). Compound 15 showed dose-dependent
      beta3-AR-mediated responses in marmoset urinary bladder smooth muscle, had a
      desirable metabolic stability and pharmacokinetic profile (Cmax and AUC), and did
      not obviously affect heart rate or mean blood pressure when administered
      intravenously (3 mg/kg) to anesthetized rats. Thus, compound 15 is a highly
      potent, selective, and orally available beta3-AR agonist, which may serve as a
      candidate drug for the treatment of overactive bladder without off-target-based
      cardiovascular side effects.

PMID- 28355079
TI  - Ultrafast Charge Transfer between Light Absorber and Co3O4 Water Oxidation
      Catalyst across Molecular Wires Embedded in Silica Membrane.
AB  - The mechanism of visible light-induced hole transfer from a molecular light
      absorber, in the form of a free-base porphyrin, coupled to a Co3O4 nanoparticle
      catalyst for water oxidation by a molecular wire (p-oligo(phenylenevinylene)
      featuring three aryl units) is investigated by transient absorption spectroscopy.
      The wires are covalently anchored on the Co3O4 surface and embedded in a dense,
      yet ultrathin (2 nm), silica layer that separates light absorber and catalyst.
      The porphyrin is electrostatically adsorbed on the silica surface, and aqueous
      colloidal solutions of the core-shell particles are used for transient optical
      measurements. Pulsed optical excitation of the porphyrin results in rapid
      injection of the photogenerated hole onto the molecular wire and concurrent
      formation of reduced light absorber in less than 1 picosecond (ps). Ultrafast
      charge separation was monitored by transient absorption of the wire radical
      cation, which is given by bands in the 500 to 600 nm region and at 1130 nm, while
      formation of reduced porphyrin was characterized by absorption at 700 nm. Forward
      transfer of the hole to Co3O4 catalyst proceeds in 255 +/- 23 ps. Ultrafast
      transfer of positive charge from the molecular assembly to a metal oxide
      nanoparticle catalyst for water oxidation is unprecedented. Holes on Co3O4
      recombined with electrons of the reduced sensitizer with biphasic kinetics on a
      much longer time scale of ten to several hundred nanoseconds. The unusually
      efficient hole transfer coupling of a molecular light absorber with an Earth
      abundant metal oxide catalyst by silica-embedded p-oligo(phenylenevinylene)
      offers an approach for integrated artificial photosystems featuring product
      separation on the nanoscale.

PMID- 28355081
TI  - Synthesis of cis,syndiotactic-A-alt-B Copolymers from Enantiomerically Pure Endo
      2-Substituted-5,6-Norbornenes.
AB  - Cis,syndiotactic A-alt-B copolymers, where A and B are two enantiomerically pure
      endo-2-substituted-5,6-norbornenes with "opposite" chiralities of the endo-2
      substituted-5,6-norbornene skeleton, can be prepared using Mo(N-2,6
      Me2C6H3)(CHCMe2Ph)(OHMT)(pyrrolide) (1) as the initiator (OHMT = O-2,6
      Mesityl2C6H3). Formation of a high percentage of A-alt-B dyads is proposed to
      rely on an inversion of chirality at the metal with each propagating step and a
      kinetically preferred diastereomeric relationship between a given chirality at
      the metal in propagating species and the chirality of the endo-2-substituted-5,6
      norbornene skeleton. We also demonstrate that A-alt-B copolymers can be modified
      to give new variations which may not be accessible through direct
      copolymerization.

PMID- 28355080
TI  - Synthesis of Ring-Fused Pyridinium Salts by Intramolecular Nucleophilic Aromatic
      Substitution Reaction and Their Optoelectronic Properties.
AB  - The synthesis of nitrogen cation-doped polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs)
      having a variety of counteranions is reported via the trimethylsilyl (TMS)
      promoted intramolecular aromatic nucleophilic substitution (SNAr) reaction of
      fluoroarenes and pyridine groups. The electrochemical properties and optical
      properties of the obtained nitrogen cation-doped PAHs were studied in detail,
      clarifying that they have low-lying LUMO levels and good emission properties
      derived from the incorporation of planar N-arylpyridinium moieties.

PMID- 28355083
TI  - Systematic Review of Outcomes Reporting in Professional Baseball: A Call for
      Increased Validation and Consistency.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Historically, treatment efficacy of professional baseball injuries
      has been determined by assessing the return-to-play (RTP) rate or using patient
      reported functional outcomes scores; however, these methods may not be sensitive
      and specific enough for elite athletes. As a consequence, performance-based
      statistics are increasingly being reported in the medical literature. PURPOSE: To
      (1) assess how treatment efficacy is currently reported in professional baseball
      players; (2) examine the variability in the reporting of these measures in terms
      of frequency, length of time followed, and units of measure; and (3) identify any
      attempts to validate these performance-based statistics. STUDY DESIGN: Systematic
      review. METHODS: All studies reporting treatment efficacy in professional
      baseball in PubMed, Embase, and Cochrane were identified. Data collected included
      frequency and method of reporting: RTP, functional outcomes, and performance
      based statistics. RESULTS: Fifty-four studies met all inclusion criteria. Of
      these, 51 (94%) reported RTP, 12 (22%) utilized functional outcomes, and 18 (33%)
      provided baseball-specific performance-based statistics to assess treatment
      efficacy. Great variability was seen in how follow-up was defined (games,
      seasons, months), duration of follow-up, and which performance-based statistics
      were utilized. None of the studies validated these performance-based statistics,
      determined minimal time of follow-up needed, or assessed the baseline variability
      in these statistics among noninjured players. CONCLUSION: Most studies reported
      RTP to determine treatment efficacy, but significant variability was seen in how
      players were followed. Similarly, great variability was noted in the type and
      number of performance-based statistics utilized. Additional studies are necessary
      to validate these measures and determine the appropriate length of time that they
      should be followed. CLINICAL RELEVANCE: This study provides a clear overview of
      the current methods that are used to determine treatment efficacy in professional
      baseball players.

PMID- 28355084
TI  - Effect of NSAIDs on Recovery From Acute Skeletal Muscle Injury: A Systematic
      Review and Meta-analysis.
AB  - BACKGROUND: There is debate as to whether the use of nonsteroidal anti
      inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) is beneficial after acute skeletal muscle injury.
      Some studies have suggested that NSAID use may be detrimental to injured muscle.
      PURPOSE: To determine whether NSAID use affects recovery from skeletal muscle
      injury as assessed by strength loss, soreness, and/or blood creatine kinase
      level. STUDY DESIGN: Systematic review and meta-analysis. METHODS: An extensive
      systematic review was completed searching 16 databases (eg, PubMed, Cochrane
      Library, EMBASE). Inclusion criteria were (1) acute injury to skeletal muscle,
      (2) use of a control condition, (3) certainty of the NSAID dose administered, and
      (4) use of 1 or more of the 3 desired outcome measures. A total of 5343 study
      reports were screened, of which 41 studies were deemed suitable for inclusion.
      The standardized mean difference was used as the effect size (ES) and was
      calculated such that a positive ES indicated NSAID efficacy. Meta-analyses were
      run using a random-effects model. RESULTS: For all studies, time points after
      injury, and injury markers combined, NSAID use was found to elicit a small to
      medium, significant decrease in the markers of injury (overall ES = +0.34; P =
      .0001). Because heterogeneity in study ES was apparent (ie, Q- df = 52.4, P =
      .000005; I2 = 57%), subgroup meta-analyses and meta-regressions were run in an
      attempt to explain the heterogeneity. In human studies, study ESs were higher
      when lower body muscles were injured ( P = .045). In animal studies, study ESs
      were lower with longer NSAID administration durations ( P = .023) and at longer
      follow-up times after injury ( P = .010). CONCLUSION: Overall, our analysis
      supports NSAID use for reducing strength loss, soreness, and blood creatine
      kinase level after an acute muscle injury, at least for humans and in the short
      term. Additional research is required to determine why NSAID use appears to be
      more effective when lower-body muscles in humans are injured. It would also be
      important to determine why NSAID use appears detrimental at later times after
      injury in animals but not humans.

PMID- 28355082
TI  - Mindfulness-Based Interventions in Clinical Samples of Adolescents with Chronic
      Illness: A Systematic Review.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Mindfulness-based interventions (MBIs) have emerged as a promising
      strategy for individuals with a chronic illness, given their versatility in
      targeting both physical and mental health outcomes. However, research to date has
      focused on adult or community-based populations. OBJECTIVES: To systematically
      review and critically appraise MBIs in clinical pediatric samples living with
      chronic physical illness. DATA SOURCES: Electronic searches were conducted by a
      Library Information Specialist familiar with the field by using EMBASE, PsycINFO,
      MEDLINE, CINAHL, Web of Science, and EBM Reviews databases. Study Eligibility,
      Participants, and Interventions: Published English peer-reviewed articles of MBIs
      in clinical samples of children and adolescents (3-18 years) with chronic
      physical illness. STUDY APPRAISAL AND SYNTHESIS METHODS: Two reviewers
      independently selected articles for review and extracted data. Results are
      narratively described, and the reporting quality of each study was assessed via
      the STROBE Checklist. RESULTS: Of a total 4710 articles, 8 articles met inclusion
      criteria. All studies were small (n < 20, except 1 study of n = 59), included
      only outpatient adolescent samples, and focused on feasibility and acceptability
      of MBI; only 1 study included a comparison group (n = 1). No studies included
      online components or remote attendance. All studies found that MBI was acceptable
      to adolescents, whereas feasibility and implementation outcomes were mixed. Many
      studies were underpowered to detect significant differences post-MBI, but MBI did
      demonstrate improvements in emotional distress in several studies. Conclusions
      and Implications of Key Findings: The literature on MBIs is preliminary in
      nature, focusing on adapting and developing MBI for adolescents. Although MBIs
      appear to be a promising approach to coping with symptoms related to chronic
      illness in adolescents, future research with adequate sample sizes and rigorous
      research designs is warranted.

PMID- 28355085
TI  - Validation of a Dry Model for Assessing the Performance of Arthroscopic Hip
      Labral Repair.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Arthroscopic hip labral repair is a technically challenging and
      demanding surgical technique with a steep learning curve. Arthroscopic simulation
      allows trainees to develop these skills in a safe environment. PURPOSE: The
      purpose of this study was to evaluate the use of a combination of assessment
      ratings for the performance of arthroscopic hip labral repair on a dry model.
      STUDY DESIGN: Cross-sectional study; Level of evidence, 3. METHODS: A total of 47
      participants including orthopaedic surgery residents (n = 37), sports medicine
      fellows (n = 5), and staff surgeons (n = 5) performed arthroscopic hip labral
      repair on a dry model. Prior arthroscopic experience was noted. Participants were
      evaluated by 2 orthopaedic surgeons using a task-specific checklist, the
      Arthroscopic Surgical Skill Evaluation Tool (ASSET), task completion time, and a
      final global rating scale. All procedures were video-recorded and scored by an
      orthopaedic fellow blinded to the level of training of each participant. RESULTS:
      The internal consistency/reliability (Cronbach alpha) using the total ASSET score
      for the procedure was high (intraclass correlation coefficient > 0.9). One-way
      analysis of variance for the total ASSET score demonstrated a difference between
      participants based on the level of training ( F3,43 = 27.8, P < .001). A good
      correlation was seen between the ASSET score and previous exposure to
      arthroscopic procedures ( r = 0.52-0.73, P < .001). The interrater reliability
      for the ASSET score was excellent (>0.9). CONCLUSION: The results of this study
      demonstrate that the use of dry models to assess the performance of arthroscopic
      hip labral repair by trainees is both valid and reliable. Further research will
      be required to demonstrate a correlation with performance on cadaveric specimens
      or in the operating room.

PMID- 28355086
TI  - Presence of Bacteria in Spontaneous Achilles Tendon Ruptures.
AB  - BACKGROUND: The structural pathology of Achilles tendon (AT) ruptures resembles
      tendinopathy, but the causes remain unknown. Recently, a number of diseases were
      found to be attributed to bacterial infections, resulting in low-grade
      inflammation and progressive matrix disturbance. The authors speculate that
      spontaneous AT ruptures may also be influenced by the presence of bacteria.
      HYPOTHESIS: Bacteria are present in ruptured ATs but not in healthy tendons.
      STUDY DESIGN: Cross-sectional study; Level of evidence, 3. METHODS: Patients with
      spontaneous AT ruptures and patients undergoing anterior cruciate ligament (ACL)
      reconstruction were recruited for this study. During AT surgical repair, excised
      tendinopathic tissue was collected, and healthy tendon samples were obtained as
      controls from hamstring tendon grafts used in ACL reconstruction. Half of every
      sample was reserved for DNA extraction and the other half for histology.
      Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) was conducted using 16S rRNA gene universal
      primers, and the PCR products were sequenced for the identification of bacterial
      species. A histological examination was performed to compare tendinopathic
      changes in the case and control samples. RESULTS: Five of 20 AT rupture samples
      were positive for the presence of bacterial DNA, while none of the 23 hamstring
      tendon samples were positive. Sterile operating and experimental conditions and
      tests on samples, controlling for harvesting and processing procedures, ruled out
      the chance of postoperative bacterial contamination. The species identified
      predominantly belonged to the Staphylococcus genus. AT rupture samples exhibited
      histopathological features characteristic of tendinopathy, and most healthy
      hamstring tendon samples displayed normal tendon features. There were no apparent
      differences in histopathology between the bacterial DNA-positive and bacterial
      DNA-negative AT rupture samples. CONCLUSION: The authors have demonstrated the
      presence of bacterial DNA in ruptured AT samples. It may suggest the potential
      involvement of bacteria in spontaneous AT ruptures.

PMID- 28355087
TI  - Reply: Validity of the Posttraumatic Stress Symptoms-14 Instrument in Acute
      Respiratory Failure Survivors.

PMID- 28355088
TI  - Temozolomide-Mediated Apoptotic Death Is Improved by Thymoquinone in U87MG Cell
      Line.
AB  - Apoptosis induction of cancer cells can be an appropriate strategy by which
      chemotherapeutic agents kill tumor cells. The aim of the present study was to
      investigate the effect of temozolomide and thymoquinone combination on apoptotic
      pathway of human glioblastoma multiforme cell line (U87MG). U87MG cells were
      cultured, treated with temozolomide and thymoquinone, and cell proliferation was
      measured. Apoptosis cell death and its possible mechanism were investigated by
      various methods. Combination of temozolomide and thymoquinone had a synergistic
      effect on cells viability. Thymoquinone intensified the temozolomide-induced
      apoptosis. Combination of temozolomide and thymoquinone can be a good strategy
      for treatment of glioblastoma.

PMID- 28355089
TI  - CT vaginography: a new CT technique for imaging of upper and middle vaginal
      fistulas.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: Different types of vaginal fistulas is a relatively uncommon condition
      in the Western world but very frequent in developing countries. In the past,
      conventional vaginography was the radiological examination of choice for
      exploring this condition. CT and MRI are now both used for this purpose. Our
      objective was to test the feasibility and to explore the potential role of a new
      CT imaging technique implementing vaginal introitus obstruction and opacification
      of the vagina with iodine contrast agent, to show patency of a fistula. METHODS:
      We describe the technical protocol of CT-vaginography as performed in Geneva
      University Hospitals, including vaginal catheterization with a Foley catheter and
      obstruction of the introitus by inflating the balloon of the catheter. We also
      report three cases of patients with suspected vaginal fistula who underwent CT
      vaginography. RESULTS: The examinations were technically successful. In one
      patient, it revealed the presence of fistulous pathways from the vaginal fornix
      along the bilateral infected surgical prostheses. In a second patient, it showed
      a fistula between the vagina and the necrotic cavity of a recurrent cervical
      cancer. In a third patient, it proved the absence of a suspected vaginal fistula.
      CONCLUSION: CT-vaginography is a technically feasible CT protocol that provides
      anatomical and functional information on clinically suspected vaginal fistulas.
      Advances in knowledge: After the abandon of conventional vaginography in the era
      of transaxial imaging, the current modalities of imaging vaginal fistulas provide
      excellent anatomical detail but less functional information concerning the
      permeability of a vaginal fistulous pathway. We propose the use of CT
      vaginography, a technical protocol that we describe in detail.

PMID- 28355090
TI  - Consistency of Effect with a Low-Dose, Estradiol Vaginal Capsule (TX-004HR):
      Evaluating Improvement in Vaginal Physiology and Moderate-to-Severe Dyspareunia
      in Subgroups of Postmenopausal Women.
AB  - BACKGROUND: The 12-week, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled,
      multicenter, phase 3 REJOICE trial demonstrated that TX-004HR, an
      investigational, applicator-free, low-dose vaginal softgel capsule containing
      solubilized 17beta-estradiol, effectively and rapidly treats symptoms of vulvar
      and vaginal atrophy (VVA) with negligible to very low systemic absorption. The
      aim of this analysis was to assess whether the efficacy of TX-004HR varies with
      age, body mass index (BMI), uterine status, pregnancy status, and vaginal
      delivery. METHODS: The REJOICE trial evaluated the efficacy of 4-, 10-, and 25
      MUg doses of TX-004HR in postmenopausal women (40-75 years) with VVA and a self
      identified most bothersome symptom of moderate-to-severe dyspareunia.
      Prespecified subgroup analyses of the four co-primary endpoints (percentages of
      superficial cells and parabasal cells, vaginal pH, and severity of dyspareunia)
      were analyzed with respect to age, BMI, uterine status, pregnancy status, and
      vaginal births. Each dose was compared with placebo for change from baseline to
      week 2 through week 12, respectively. RESULTS: TX-004HR significantly improved
      superficial cells, parabasal cells, and vaginal pH from baseline to weeks 2 and
      12 in most subgroups. All TX-004HR doses numerically reduced the severity of
      dyspareunia by 2 weeks and maintained efficacy over 12 weeks, with many of the
      subgroups having statistically significant improvement relative to placebo.
      CONCLUSIONS: TX-004HR was efficacious for treating symptomatic VVA, and it
      demonstrated a consistency of effect when women's age, BMI, uterine status,
      pregnancy status, and vaginal births were evaluated. Clinical Trial Identifier:
      NCT02253173.

PMID- 28355091
TI  - Cytomegalovirus Retinitis: A Review.
AB  - Cytomegalovirus (CMV) is a ubiquitous DNA herpes virus that causes significant
      morbidity and mortality in immunocompromised individuals. CMV retinitis is a
      potentially blinding manifestation of CMV infection that was commonly seen in
      advanced acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) in the era before modern
      combination antiretroviral therapy era, but is also recognized in patients with
      immune deficiency from multiple causes. The advent of and advances in
      antiretroviral therapies for human immunodeficiency virus have decreased the
      incidence of CMV retinitis by over 90% among AIDS patients, and improved visual
      outcomes in those affected. The diagnosis is generally a clinical one, and
      treatment modalities include systemic and intravitreal antiviral medications.
      Retinal detachment and immune recovery uveitis are sight-threatening
      complications of CMV retinitis that require specific treatments.

PMID- 28355092
TI  - Acute Toxicity and Cytotoxicity of Pereskia aculeata, a Highly Nutritious
      Cactaceae Plant.
AB  - Pereskia aculeata is a Cactaceae plant with valuable nutritional properties,
      including terrific amounts of protein, minerals, vitamins, and fiber. However, P.
      aculeata is reported to contain antinutrients and alkaloids in its leaves. In
      addition, in a study on growth and development, Wistar rats fed with P. aculeata
      and casein as protein source grew less than the control group (fed with casein
      only). Therefore, in this study, we evaluated, for the first time, the oral acute
      toxicity of P. aculeata in rats and also the cytotoxicity behavior of the plant
      on lettuce seeds. The acute toxicity research was carried out using dried P.
      aculeata ethanolic extract, in three different doses, administered by gavage to
      24 female Wistar rats. The rats were then examined for signs of toxicity, food
      intake, body weight, and fecal excretion fluctuations, as well as
      histopathological alterations, using eight different body tissues. The acute
      toxicity study did not show any difference among the groups in either clinical
      evaluation or histopathological analyses. For the cytotoxicity study, dried P.
      aculeata ethanolic extract was applied on lettuce seeds in five different
      concentrations. These seeds were evaluated for germination, root and shoot
      length, and mitotic index. The results show that P. aculeata extract affects
      lettuce root and shoot growth, but not germination or mitotic index. In
      conclusion, the acute toxicity on rats and the cytogenotoxicity on lettuce of P.
      aculeata are neglectable, validating the potential of this plant to be used as a
      functional food.

PMID- 28355093
TI  - A Multi-Institutional Study of Struvite Stones: Patterns of Infection and
      Colonization.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: To examine urine and stone bacteriology of struvite stone formers in a
      large cohort of patients undergoing percutaneous nephrolithotomy (PCNL).
      MATERIALS AND METHODS: A total of 1191 patients, with stone and urine cultures,
      treated with PCNL for renal calculi were included in the study. Statistical
      differences were assessed using Mann-Whitney U and T-tests. RESULTS: Stone
      cultures were positive in 72% of patients with struvite stones. Urea-splitting
      organisms accounted for only half of the positive stone cultures. Enterococcus
      (9/50, 18%), Proteus (9/50, 18%), and Escherichia coli (6/50, 12%) were the most
      commonly identified organisms. Notably, two-thirds of struvite formers with
      negative stone culture had at least one positive culture for a urea-splitting
      organism on urine culture going back 1 year from the time of surgery. A majority
      (67%) of struvite stone cultures were found to be resistant to first- and second
      generation cephalosporins. CONCLUSIONS: The bacteriology of struvite stones has
      shifted away from traditional urea-splitting organisms and antibiotic coverage
      must be expanded to include organisms such as Enterococcus that do not respond to
      cephalosporins. Causative organisms may be found by going back in time to
      identify the initial organism that could have induced struvite stone formation to
      inform preventative therapy.

PMID- 28355094
TI  - Advances in treatment of pulmonary arterial hypertension: patent review.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: Current therapeutic approaches for pulmonary arterial hypertension
      (PAH) commonly include use of prostacyclins, endothelin pathway antagonists or NO
      (nitric oxide) pathway modulators. These agents are non-specific and suffer from
      several important shortcomings including short half-lives, invasive routes of
      administration, higher dose and frequency requirements, and several dose-related
      systemic side effects. Hence, discovery of novel agents with improved therapeutic
      efficacy with respect to survival benefits and the development of non-invasive
      routes of administration are in critical need. Current research aimed at
      developing more selective therapies for PAH are focused both on agents acting on
      novel molecular targets, as well as, novel compounds acting on conventional
      pathways with improved characteristics. Area covered: The present review covers
      recently filed (issued/application) patents (2010-2016) describing novel agents
      acting on investigational targets as well as novel compounds with improved
      characteristics acting on established targets. Patents describing combinations of
      conventional and investigational compounds are also discussed. Expert opinion:
      PAH has recently been considered as cancer-like disease with over-proliferation
      of pulmonary arterial smooth muscle cells and endothelial cells. New cellular and
      molecular biological advances have revealed novel target/pathways involved in the
      pathogenesis and progression of PAH. Thus, discovery of agents that act on these
      novel pathways provides a promising avenue of research for improving therapeutic
      approaches for PAH.

PMID- 28355095
TI  - Postpartum Health of Women with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities: A
      Call to Action.

PMID- 28355096
TI  - Antimicrobial Resistance Profiles of Listeria monocytogenes and Listeria innocua
      Isolated from Ready-to-Eat Products of Animal Origin in Spain.
AB  - The objective of this work was to investigate the antimicrobial resistance in
      Listeria spp. isolated from food of animal origin. A total of 50 Listeria strains
      isolated from meat and dairy products, consisting of 7 Listeria monocytogenes and
      43 Listeria innocua strains, were characterized for antimicrobial susceptibility
      against nine antimicrobials. The strains were screened by real-time PCR for the
      presence of antimicrobial resistance genes: tet M, tet L, mef A, msr A, erm A,
      erm B, lnu A, and lnu B. Multidrug resistance was identified in 27 Listeria
      strains, 4 belonging to L. monocytogenes. Resistance to clindamycin was the most
      common resistance phenotype and was identified in 45 Listeria strains; the
      mechanisms of resistance are still unknown. A medium prevalence of resistance to
      tetracycline (15 and 9 resistant and intermediate strains) and ciprofloxacin (13
      resistant strains) was also found. Tet M was detected in Listeria strains with
      reduced susceptibility to tetracycline, providing evidence that both L. innocua
      and L. monocytogenes displayed acquired resistance. The presence of antimicrobial
      resistance genes in L. innocua and L. monocytogenes indicates that these genes
      may be transferred to commensal and pathogenic bacteria via the food chain;
      besides this, antibiotic resistance in L. monocytogenes could compromise the
      effective treatment of listeriosis in humans.

PMID- 28355098
TI  - Meniscus beyond mechanics: Using biology to advance our understanding of meniscus
      injury and treatment.

PMID- 28355097
TI  - Sex-Related 30-Day and Long-Term Mortality in Acute Myocardial Infarction
      Patients Treated with Percutaneous Coronary Intervention.
AB  - BACKGROUND: The data on sex as an independent risk factor for death in acute
      myocardial infarction (MI) patients are still contrasting. The aim was to assess
      how sex influences 30-day and long-term all-cause mortality in MI patients
      undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). MATERIALS AND METHODS: Data
      from 3624 MI patients undergoing PCI at our institution from January 2009 to
      December 2014, 30.6% were women, were analyzed. A propensity-matched analysis was
      performed to adjust for differences in the baseline characteristics between men
      and women. The effect of sex on 30-day and long-term mortality was observed.
      Multivariate logistic regression modeling was used for 30-day mortality and Cox
      regression analysis for long-term mortality. The median follow-up time was 27
      months (25th, 75th percentile: 9, 48). RESULTS: Women had a significantly higher
      unadjusted 30-day (5.9% in men vs. 9.5% in women; p < 0.0001) and long-term
      mortality (13.5% in men vs. 19.0% in women; p < 0.0001). In a propensity-matched
      analysis, female sex was not associated with a higher 30-day (adjusted odds
      ratio: 1.46; 95% confidence interval: 0.97-2.19) or long-term mortality (hazard
      ratio 1.02; 95% CI 0.81-1.28). Age older than 77 years, cardiogenic shock, PCI of
      left anterior descending artery (LAD), thrombolysis in myocardial infarction
      (TIMI) flow less than 3 after PCI, hypertension, dyslipidemia, and P2Y12 receptor
      antagonists were identified as independent predictors of 30-day and long-term
      mortality. In addition, renal failure requiring dialysis predicted long-term
      mortality. CONCLUSION: Older age, comorbidities, worse clinical presentation, and
      adjunctive pharmacotherapy rather than sex may explain the higher mortality rate
      in women with MI undergoing PCI.

PMID- 28355099
TI  - Validity of the Posttraumatic Stress Symptoms-14 Instrument in Acute Respiratory
      Failure Survivors.

PMID- 28355100
TI  - Primary SWL Is an Efficient and Cost-Effective Treatment for Lower Pole Renal
      Stones Between 10 and 20 mm in Size: A Large Single Center Study.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: To assess the clinical features, outcomes, complications, and cost
      effectiveness of shockwave lithotripsy (SWL), flexible ureterorenoscopy (FURS),
      and percutaneous nephrolithotomy (PCNL) in the treatment of lower pole (LP)
      stones (10-20 mm) in a large tertiary referral center. PATIENTS AND METHODS:
      Consecutive patients treated for solitary LP stones (10-20 mm) between 2008 and
      2013 were identified from a prospective database. SWL was used as primary
      treatment in all cases (following a stone multidisciplinary team assessment),
      with FURS and PCNL reserved for SWL contraindications, failure, or patient
      choice. "Success" was defined as stone free and/or clinically insignificant stone
      fragments (<=3 mm) at 1 and 3 months follow-up. Effect of anatomy on SWL success
      was determined from using CT images and regression analysis. Average cost per
      treatment modality (including additional second-line treatments) was calculated
      for each group using the National Health Service England 2014/15 National Tariff
      Healthcare Resource Group codes. RESULTS: Two hundred twenty-five patients were
      included (mean age 54.9; median stone size 12 mm). One hundred ninety-eight
      (88%), 21 (9.3%), and 6 (2.7%) patients underwent SWL, FURS, and PCNL as primary
      treatments, respectively, for median stone sizes of 12, 12, and 20 mm. Overall
      success rates were 82.8%, 76.1%, and 66.7%, respectively (p < 0.05). Sixty-three
      percent of patients undergoing primary SWL were effectively treated after one
      session. Anatomical analysis determined infundibulopelvic angle and infundibular
      length to be significantly different in patients effectively treated with SWL (p
      = 0.04). The average cost per treatment modality was also significantly lower for
      SWL (L750) than for FURS (L1261) or PCNL (L2658) (p < 0.01). CONCLUSION: SWL is
      both an efficacious and cost-effective primary treatment for patients with
      solitary LP stones (10-20 mm). The majority of patients can be effectively
      treated with primary SWL in a dedicated stone center, with the benefits of a
      short length of stay, low complication, and auxiliary treatment rates. The
      referral of such patients to high-volume lithotripsy centers with demonstrable
      outcomes should be given due consideration.

PMID- 28355101
TI  - Pioneer Robotic Serra-Doria Operation for Recurrent Achalasia After Heller's
      Cardiomyotomy: A "New Quondam" Procedure.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: Recurrence of achalasia may occur in 10%-20% of cases operated by
      Heller's cardiomyotomy. Most of these patients will require further surgery to
      relieve symptoms. Major technical difficulties can be found in these
      reoperations. CASE REPORT: A 50-year-old female patient with relapsed idiopathic
      achalasia after Heller's technique was treated with an unusual procedure, for the
      first time in the literature, by minimally invasive access with robotic
      assistance. CONCLUSIONS: The Serra-Doria operation allows preserving the
      esophagus and alleviating dysphagic symptoms with low rates of postoperative
      complications. The use of robotic technology is perfectly feasible and allows
      minimally invasive access in complex cases and reoperations.

PMID- 28355102
TI  - Suppressive roles of A3AR and TMIGD3 i1 in osteosarcoma malignancy.

PMID- 28355103
TI  - Homeopathic Treatment for Postpartum Depression: A Case Report.
AB  - Postpartum psychosis has long-lasting consequences for mother and child. Beside
      depression, sleep and eating disturbances, exhaustion, social withdrawal, and
      anxiety, postpartum depression can also interfere with normal maternal-infant
      bonding and adversely affect child development. Recent reports show that most
      affected pregnant women are hesitant about taking antidepressant drugs, with a
      high percentage discontinuing their use. Some authors suggest that the reluctance
      of pregnant women to take antidepressant drugs should encourage clinicians to
      discuss with their patients the use of psychological interventions or alternative
      forms of treatment. In this article, a case of severe postpartum depression,
      treated successfully with homeopathic therapy, is presented. Considering the high
      noncompliance of women suffering from postpartum depression with conventional
      antidepressant medication, research in safe complementary medical methods is
      justified. One of these methods should be homeopathy.

PMID- 28355104
TI  - Laparoscopic Colectomy Versus Open Colectomy for Treatment of Transverse Colon
      Cancer: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.
AB  - BACKGROUND: The surgical management of transverse colon cancer (TCC) is still not
      standardized. The aim of this meta-analysis was to evaluate the effect of
      laparoscopic colectomy (LC) for treatment of TCC in terms of short-term and long
      term outcomes compared with open colectomy. METHOD: A systematic literature
      search with no limits was performed in PubMed and Embase. The last search was
      performed on September 15, 2016. The short-term outcomes included intraoperative
      outcomes, postoperative outcomes, and oncological surgical quality. The long-term
      outcomes included overall survival (OS) and disease-free survival (DFS). RESULTS:
      Thirteen articles and one conference abstract published between 2010 and 2016
      with a total of 1728 patients were enrolled in this meta-analysis. LC was
      associated with significant less estimated blood loss, fewer total postoperative
      complications, and shorter time to first flatus, time to liquid diet, length of
      hospital stay, and length of postoperative hospital stay. However, longer
      operative time was needed in LC. There was no statistically significant
      difference between the groups concerning the intraoperative complications,
      mortality, ileus, anastomotic leakage, bleeding, wound infection, abdominal
      infection, lymph nodes harvested, proximal resection margin, distal resection
      margin, OS, or DFS. CONCLUSION: Our meta-analysis suggests that LC is a safe and
      feasible technique for TCC associated with less estimated blood loss, fewer total
      postoperative complications, quicker recovery of intestinal function, shorter
      length of hospital stay, and equivalent long-term outcomes. Furthermore, a large
      scaled, prospective randomized controlled study is warranted to verify those
      results.

PMID- 28355105
TI  - JOSD1 Negatively Regulates Type-I Interferon Antiviral Activity by
      Deubiquitinating and Stabilizing SOCS1.
AB  - The Josephin domain-containing (JOSD) protein 1 (JOSD1) is recognized as one
      member of deubiquitinases (DUBs) due to its catalytic "Josephin" domain. However,
      the in vivo deubiquitinating activity of JOSD1 remains unidentified, and the
      biological functions of JOSD1 are largely unknown. In this study, we report that
      JOSD1 plays an important role in regulating type-I interferon (IFN-I)-mediated
      antiviral activity. JOSD1 physically interacts with SOCS1, which is an essential
      negative regulator of many cytokines signaling, and enhances SOCS1 stability by
      deubiquitinating K48-linked polyubiquitination of SOCS1. Furthermore, JOSD1
      inhibits IFN-I-induced signaling pathway and antiviral response. Interestingly,
      during the early stage of viral infections, the levels of JOSD1 and SOCS1 undergo
      downregulation, which may facilitate activation of IFN-I signaling and efficient
      antiviral activity. Thus, our finding identified the first deubiquitinating
      substrate of JOSD1 and a novel biological function of JOSD1 and may provide a
      potential target for IFNs-based antiviral therapy.

PMID- 28355106
TI  - Chromosomal Mapping of Repetitive DNA Sequences in the Genus Bryconamericus
      (Characidae) and DNA Barcoding to Differentiate Populations.
AB  - The mapping of repetitive DNA sites by fluorescence in situ hybridization has
      been widely used for karyotype studies in different species of fish, especially
      when dealing with related species or even genera presenting high chromosome
      variability. This study analyzed three populations of Bryconamericus, with
      diploid number preserved, but with different karyotype formulae. Bryconamericus
      ecai, from the Forquetinha river/RS, presented three new cytotypes, increasing
      the number of karyotype forms to seven in this population. Other two populations
      of Bryconamericus sp. from the Vermelho stream/PR and Cambuta river/PR exhibited
      interpopulation variation. The chromosome mapping of rDNA sites revealed unique
      markings among the three populations, showing inter- and intrapopulation
      variability located in the terminal region. The molecular analysis using DNA
      barcoding complementing the cytogenetic analysis also showed differentiation
      among the three populations. The U2 small nuclear DNA repetitive sequence
      exhibited conserved features, being located in the interstitial region of a
      single chromosome pair. This is the first report on its occurrence in the genus
      Bryconamericus. Data obtained revealed a karyotype variability already assigned
      to the genus, along with polymorphism of ribosomal sites, demonstrating that this
      group of fish can be undergoing a divergent evolutionary process, constituting a
      substantive model for studies of chromosomal evolution.

PMID- 28355107
TI  - Pathology of Aging in NOD scid gamma Female Mice.
AB  - In the past decade, NOD.Cg- Prkdcscid Il2rgtm1Wjl/SzJ (NSG, NOD scid gamma) mice
      have become a model of choice in several areas of biomedical research; however,
      comprehensive data on their spontaneous age-related pathology are not currently
      available in the literature. The prevalence of spontaneous morbidity affecting
      aged NSG female breeders enrolled in a parasitology study was documented with
      classification of neoplastic and non-neoplastic (inflammatory, metabolic,
      degenerative) lesions. Malignant mammary neoplasms were most commonly diagnosed,
      often accompanied by pulmonary metastases, while a low frequency of lymphoma and
      histiocytic sarcoma was documented. The major inflammatory conditions were
      suppurative pleuropneumonia and bronchopneumonia with abscess formation, from
      which Pasteurella pneumotropica was commonly isolated, followed by otitis media.
      Both inflammatory and degenerative lesions of the genital tract were identified,
      along with neoplasms such as endometrial yolk sac carcinomas and granulosa cell
      tumors. Novel conditions identified included renal tubular degeneration and
      necrosis associated with 2 concurrent types of intranuclear inclusions, focal or
      multifocal hyperostosis of the skull, and neuroendocrine tumors of the
      mesometrium. The majority of degenerative lesions that affected the genital
      tract, endocrine, and skeletal systems did not represent the actual underlying
      cause of death but rather were considered incidental findings. This study
      indicates that both inflammatory and neoplastic conditions contribute to
      morbidity and mortality in experimentally manipulated aged female NSG mice.

PMID- 28355108
TI  - Prognostic Significance of Canine Mammary Tumor Histologic Subtypes: An
      Observational Cohort Study of 229 Cases.
AB  - Histopathology is considered the gold standard diagnostic method for canine
      mammary tumors. In 2011, a new histologic classification for canine mammary
      tumors was proposed. The present study was a 2-year prospective study that
      validated the 2011 classification as an independent prognostic indicator with
      multivariate analysis in a population of 229 female dogs, identifying subtype
      specific median survival times (MST) and local recurrence/distant metastasis
      rates. Dogs with benign tumors and carcinoma arising in benign mixed tumors all
      had an excellent prognosis. Dogs with complex carcinoma and simple tubular
      carcinoma also experienced prolonged survival. Those with simple tubulopapillary
      carcinoma, intraductal papillary carcinoma, and carcinoma and malignant
      myoepithelioma had a more than 10-fold higher risk of tumor-related death. The
      prognosis was even worse for adenosquamous carcinoma (MST = 18 months),
      comedocarcinoma (MST = 14 months), and solid carcinoma (MST = 8 months). The most
      unfavorable outcome was for anaplastic carcinoma (MST = 3 months) and
      carcinosarcoma (MST = 3 months), which also had the highest metastatic rates (89%
      and 100%, respectively). Adenosquamous carcinoma exhibited the highest local
      recurrence rate (50%). In the same canine population, the tumor diameter was
      recognized as a strong predictor of local recurrence/distant metastasis and an
      independent prognosticator of survival in the multivariate analysis. Excision
      margins were predictive only of local recurrence, whereas lymphatic invasion and
      histologic grade were predictive of local recurrence/distant metastasis and
      survival, although only in univariate analyses. In conclusion, this study
      validated the 2011 classification scheme and provided information to be used in
      the clinical setting and as the basis for future prognostic studies.

PMID- 28355109
TI  - Identification of 12 Piroplasms Infecting Ten Tick Species in China Using Reverse
      Line Blot Hybridization.
AB  - Piroplasmosis, a disease of domestic and wild animals, is caused by tick-borne
      protozoa in the genera of Theileria and Babesia. There is limited information
      available about the prevalence of piroplasmosis in ticks in China, and to assess
      the potential threat of piroplasmosis in China, we investigated the infections of
      ovine and bovine Babesia and Theileria species in ticks collected from cattle,
      yaks, sheep, horses, and camels in several regions of China where tick-borne
      diseases have been reported. In total, 652 ticks were collected from the animals
      in 6 provinces of China. Babesia spp. and Theileria spp. were detected with a PCR
      RLB method and identified by sequencing. Overall, 157 ticks (24.1%) were infected
      with 5 Babesia and 4 Theileria species. Among tested tick samples, 134 (20.6%)
      were single infections with 1 of 7 piroplasm species, with Theileria annulata
      (118/652, 18.1%) being dominant. Only 23 (3.5%) tick samples were double or
      triple infected, Theileria luwenshuni and Theileria sinensis (18/652, 2.8%) were
      frequently observed in co-infections. Some piroplasm species were carried by
      ticks that were not previously reported to be vectors.

PMID- 28355111
TI  - The Missing Fellow: First Description of the Trypanoxyuris pigrae Male (Nematoda:
      Oxyuridae), a Parasite of the Black Howler Monkey (Alouatta pigra) in Mexico.
AB  - The first morphological description of the male of Trypanoxyuris pigrae Solorzano
      Garcia, Nadler, and Perez-Ponce de Leon, 2016 , is presented in this study.
      Morphological data are supported by molecular data. Specimens of T. pigrae were
      recovered after the necropsy of a roadkill black howler monkey (Alouatta pigra)
      in southeastern Mexico. Males of T. pigrae are characterized by having 3 notched
      lips and a long esophagus with a posterior bulb; they also show a single crested
      lateral alae, a single spicule, and 4 caudal papillae. Morphological features
      coincide with those of the previously described T. pigrae females, and molecular
      profiles confirmed species identification. Males of T. pigrae are very similar to
      those of Trypanoxyuris minutus, another species of pinworm that also parasitizes
      the black howler monkey, A. pigra; however, the shape of the lips represents a
      very reliable diagnostic feature. Because of this, detailed en face observations
      are recommended to discriminate between these pinworm species.

PMID- 28355114
TI  - Hypofractionated Radiotherapy for Prostate Cancer: Further Evidence to Tip the
      Scales.

PMID- 28355113
TI  - Moderate Hypofractionation in High-Risk, Organ-Confined Prostate Cancer: Final
      Results of a Phase III Randomized Trial.
AB  - Purpose To report the final results on treatment outcomes of a randomized trial
      comparing conventional and hypofractionated radiotherapy in high-risk, organ
      confined prostate cancer (PCa). Patients and Methods This single-institution,
      randomized clinical trial, conducted from January 2003 to December 2007, enrolled
      168 patients with high-risk PCa who were randomly assigned in a 1:1 ratio to
      conventional (80 Gy in 40 fractions in 8 weeks) or hypofractionated radiotherapy
      (62 Gy in 20 fractions in 5 weeks) to prostate and seminal vesicles. The primary
      outcome measure was late toxicity. Additional outcomes were freedom from
      biochemical failure (FFBF), prostate cancer-specific survival (PCaSS), and
      overall survival (OS), evaluated on an intention-to-treat basis. Results A total
      of 85 patients were assigned to conventional and 83 to hypofractionated
      radiotherapy. At a median follow-up of 9 years (interquartile range, 7.5 to 10.1
      years), no differences was observed in physician-assessed late gastro intestinal
      and genitourinary toxicity greater than or equal to grade 2 ( P = .68 and .57,
      respectively) were found between the two arms. The 10-year FFBF rate was 72% in
      the hypofractionation group and 65% in the conventional fractionation group ( P =
      .148). Ten-year OS rates were 75% in the hypofractionation group and 64% in the
      conventional group, respectively ( P = .22). The same features for 10-year PCaSS
      were 95% and 88%, respectively ( P = .066). Hypofractionation, pretreatment
      prostate-specific antigen level, Gleason score, and clinical tumor stage for
      FFBF, and hypofractionation and Gleason score for PCaSS were significant
      prognostic variables on the multivariate analysis. Conclusion Long-term findings
      showed that hypofractionated radiotherapy failed the intent of either reducing
      physician-assessed late toxicity or maintaining the same efficacy. A
      postrandomization analysis, however, revealed that hypofractionation was a
      significant prognostic factor for FFBF and PCaSS, when adjusted for clinical
      prognostic variables.

PMID- 28355112
TI  - Final Results of the IELSG-19 Randomized Trial of Mucosa-Associated Lymphoid
      Tissue Lymphoma: Improved Event-Free and Progression-Free Survival With Rituximab
      Plus Chlorambucil Versus Either Chlorambucil or Rituximab Monotherapy.
AB  - Purpose There is no consensus on the optimal systemic treatment of patients with
      extranodal marginal zone lymphoma of mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue. The IELSG
      19 phase III study, to our knowledge, was the first such study to address the
      question of first-line treatment in a randomized trial. Patients and Methods
      Eligible patients were initially randomly assigned (1:1 ratio) to receive either
      chlorambucil monotherapy (6 mg/m2/d orally on weeks 1 to 6, 9 to 10, 13 to 14, 17
      to 18, and 21 to 22) or a combination of chlorambucil (same schedule as above)
      and rituximab (375 mg/m2 intravenously on day 1 of weeks 1, 2, 3, 4, 9, 13, 17,
      and 21). After the planned enrollment of 252 patients, the protocol was amended
      to continue with a three-arm design (1:1:6 ratio), with a new arm that included
      rituximab alone (same schedule as the combination arm) and with a final sample
      size of 454 patients. The main end point was event-free survival (EFS). Analysis
      of chlorambucil versus the combination arm was performed and reported separately
      before any analysis of the third arm. Results At a median follow-up of 7.4 years,
      addition of rituximab to chlorambucil led to significantly better EFS (hazard
      ratio, 0.54; 95% CI, 0.38 to 0.77). EFS at 5 years was 51% (95% CI, 42 to 60)
      with chlorambucil alone, 50% (95% CI, 42 to 59) with rituximab alone, and 68%
      (95% CI, 60 to 76) with the combination ( P = .0009). Progression-free survival
      was also significantly better with the combination ( P = .0119). Five-year
      overall survival was approximately 90% in each arm. All treatments were well
      tolerated. No unexpected toxicities were recorded. Conclusion Rituximab in
      combination with chlorambucil demonstrated superior efficacy in mucosa-associated
      lymphoid tissue lymphoma; however, improvements in EFS and progression-free
      survival did not translate into longer overall survival.

PMID- 28355116
TI  - Quality of Survivorship in a Rare Disease: Clinicofunctional Outcome and Physical
      Activity in an Observational Cohort Study of 618 Long-Term Survivors of Ewing
      Sarcoma.
AB  - Purpose Significantly improved survival rates in patients with Ewing sarcoma have
      raised interest in accessing the quality of long-term survivorship. In this
      study, subjective and objective measurement tools, preclassified as physical or
      mental scores, were used to assess clinicofunctional outcome and physical
      activity after intensive bone tumor treatment. Methods Long-term outcome of 618
      survivors from consecutive Ewing sarcoma trials was assessed by the Toronto
      Extremity Salvage Score, Short-Form Health Survey (SF-36), Brief Symptom
      Inventory (BSI), and Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale questionnaires and by the
      accelerometric StepWatch 3 Activity Monitor. Prospective measurements were
      correlated retrospectively with standardized primary trial data. Results were
      compared with 316 nonrandom healthy peers by using effect sizes ( d). Median
      observation time was 12.9 years from primary diagnosis (range, 3.7 to 31.2
      years). Results Absolute subjective scores were moderate to good for survivors.
      Compared with control subjects, unfavorable outcome was shown on physical Toronto
      Extremity Salvage Score, SF-36 Physical Component Summary, and BSI-Somatization
      scales (| d| >= 0.50; P < .01), in contrast to SF-36 Mental Component Summary,
      BSI-Anxiety, BSI-Depression, and Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale mental scales (| d|
      <= 0.31). Survivors were less active than control subjects, as demonstrated by a
      step count difference of 1,742 steps per day ( d = -0.43; P < .01); however, on
      average, the recommended level for an active lifestyle was achieved (>= 10,000
      steps). Location of pelvic tumor was the major inferior disease-specific
      prognostic factor in physical scores ( P < .01), whereas nondisease-specific
      inferior factors in questionnaires were older age and female sex ( P < .01).
      Conclusion Survivors of Ewing sarcoma apparently returned to a normal life with
      minor limitations. Observed reductions in physical scores should be a focus in
      future research to optimize treatment strategies to reduce a negative impact on
      the quality of survivorship.

PMID- 28355115
TI  - Complete Hematologic and Molecular Response in Adult Patients With
      Relapsed/Refractory Philadelphia Chromosome-Positive B-Precursor Acute
      Lymphoblastic Leukemia Following Treatment With Blinatumomab: Results From a
      Phase II, Single-Arm, Multicenter Study.
AB  - Purpose Few therapeutic options are available for patients with Philadelphia
      chromosome-positive (Ph+) B-precursor acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) who
      progress after failure of tyrosine kinase inhibitor (TKI) -based therapy. Here,
      we evaluated the efficacy and tolerability of blinatumomab in patients with
      relapsed or refractory Ph+ ALL. Patients and Methods This open-label phase II
      study enrolled adults with Ph+ ALL who had relapsed after or were refractory to
      at least one second-generation or later TKI or were intolerant to second
      generation or later TKIs and intolerant or refractory to imatinib. Blinatumomab
      was administered in 28-day cycles by continuous intravenous infusion. The primary
      end point was complete remission (CR) or CR with partial hematologic recovery
      (CRh) during the first two cycles. Major secondary end points included minimal
      residual disease response, rate of allogeneic hematopoietic stem-cell
      transplantation, relapse-free survival, overall survival, and adverse events
      (AEs). Results Of 45 patients, 16 (36%; 95% CI, 22% to 51%) achieved CR/CRh
      during the first two cycles, including four of 10 patients with the T315I
      mutation; 88% of CR/CRh responders achieved a complete minimal residual disease
      response. Seven responders (44%) proceeded to allogeneic hematopoietic stem-cell
      transplantation, including 55% (six of 11) of transplantation-naive responders.
      Median relapse-free survival and overall survival were 6.7 and 7.1 months,
      respectively. The most frequent AEs were pyrexia (58%), febrile neutropenia
      (40%), and headache (31%). Three patients had cytokine release syndrome (all
      grade 1 or 2), and three patients had grade 3 neurologic events, one of which
      (aphasia) required temporary treatment interruption. There were no grade 4 or 5
      neurologic events. Conclusion Single-agent blinatumomab showed antileukemia
      activity in high-risk patients with Ph+ ALL who had relapsed or were refractory
      to TKIs. AEs were consistent with previous experience in Ph- ALL.

PMID- 28355117
TI  - Molecular Cloning, Identification, and Expression Patterns of Myostatin Gene in
      Water Buffalo (Bubalus Bubalis).
AB  - : Myostatin (MSTN), also named growth differentiation factor 8 (GDF8), is a
      transforming growth factor-beta (TGF-beta) family member with a key role in the
      negative regulation of skeletal muscle growth. However, its role in ovarian
      folliculogenesis remains unclear. To provide us with a basis for understanding
      this role, we cloned MSTN and examined its expression patterns in water buffalo
      (Bubalus bubalis). The complete ORF of the water buffalo MSTN gene is 1,128
      nucleotides, which encode a 375 amino acid protein and sharing 99% identity at
      the deducted amino acid level with that of Bos taurus. Protein sequence analysis
      showed that MSTN is a weakly acerbic extracellular protein, consisting of signal
      peptides at 18-19 sites, a TGF-beta propeptide, and a TGF-beta domain. RT-PCR
      analyses demonstrated that water buffalo MSTN was expressed in multiple tissues
      but not limited to muscle. Immunohistochemistry staining confirmed the presence
      of MSTN in oocytes and granulosal cells. To our knowledge, this is the first
      study to confirm the expression of MSTN in the water buffalo ovary, suggesting an
      additional role of MSTN in water buffalo folliculogenesis, along with its role in
      skeletal muscle growth regulation. Further study of the regulatory mechanism of
      MSTN in water buffalo reproduction is warranted. ABBREVIATIONS: MSTN, myostatin;
      ORF, open reading frame.

PMID- 28355118
TI  - Carbonyl Compounds Produced by Vaporizing Cannabis Oil Thinning Agents.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: Cannabis use has increased in the United States, particularly the use
      of vaporized cannabis oil, which is often mixed with thinning agents for use in
      vaporizing devices. E-cigarette research shows that heated thinning agents
      produce potentially harmful carbonyls; however, similar studies have not been
      conducted (1) with agents that are commonly used in the cannabis industry and (2)
      at temperatures that are appropriate for cannabis oil vaporization. The goal of
      this study was to determine whether thinning agents used in the cannabis industry
      produce potentially harmful carbonyls when heated to a temperature that is
      appropriate for cannabis oil vaporization. DESIGN: Four thinning agents
      (propylene glycol [PG], vegetable glycerin [VG], polyethylene glycol 400 [PEG
      400], and medium chain triglycerides [MCT]) were heated to 230 degrees C and the
      resulting vapors were tested for acetaldehyde, acrolein, and formaldehyde. Each
      agent was tested three times. SETTING/LOCATION: Testing was conducted in a
      smoking laboratory. OUTCOME MEASURES: Carbonyl levels were measured in micrograms
      per puff block. RESULTS: Analyses showed that PEG 400 produced significantly
      higher levels of acetaldehyde and formaldehyde than PG, MCT, and VG. Formaldehyde
      production was also significantly greater in PG compared with MCT and VG.
      Acrolein production did not differ significantly across the agents. CONCLUSIONS:
      PG and PEG 400 produced high levels of acetaldehyde and formaldehyde when heated
      to 230 degrees C. Formaldehyde production from PEG 400 isolate was particularly
      high, with one inhalation accounting for 1.12% of the daily exposure limit,
      nearly the same exposure as smoking one cigarette. Because PG and PEG 400 are
      often mixed with cannabis oil, individuals who vaporize cannabis oil products may
      risk exposure to harmful formaldehyde levels. Although more research is needed,
      consumers and policy makers should consider these potential health effects before
      use and when drafting cannabis-related legislation.

PMID- 28355119
TI  - High-Intensity Focused Ultrasound for the Treatment of Prostate Cancer: A Review.
AB  - Over the past 25 years, the average life expectancy for men has increased almost
      4 years, and the age of prostate cancer detection has decreased an average of 10
      years with diagnosis increasingly made at early-stage disease where curative
      therapy is possible. These changing trends in the age and extent of malignancy at
      diagnosis have revealed limitations in conventional curative therapies for
      prostate cancer, including a significant risk of aggressive cancer recurrence,
      and the risk of long-term genitourinary morbidity and its detrimental impact on
      patient's quality of life (QOL). Greater awareness of the shortcomings in radical
      prostatectomy, external radiotherapy, and brachytherapy has prompted the search
      for alternative curative therapies that offer comparable rates of cancer control
      and less treatment-related morbidity to better preserve QOL. High-intensity
      focused ultrasound (HIFU) possesses characteristics that make it an attractive
      curative therapy option. HIFU is a noninvasive approach that uses precisely
      delivered ultrasound energy to achieve tumor cell necrosis without radiation or
      surgical excision. In current urologic oncology, HIFU is used clinically in the
      treatment of prostate cancer and is under experimental investigation for
      therapeutic use in multiple malignancies. Clinical research on HIFU therapy for
      localized prostate cancer began in the 1990s, and there have now been ~65,000
      prostate cancer patients treated with HIFU, predominantly with the Ablatherm
      (EDAP TMS, Lyon, France) device. Neoadjuvant transurethral resection of the
      prostate has been combined with HIFU since 2000 to reduce prostate size,
      facilitate tissue destruction, and to minimize side effects. Advances in imaging
      technologies are expected to further improve the already superior efficacy and
      morbidity outcomes, and ongoing investigation of HIFU as a focal therapy in
      salvage and palliative indications is serving to expand the role of HIFU as a
      highly versatile noninvasive therapy for prostate cancer.

PMID- 28355120
TI  - Monitoring the World Health Organization Global Target 2025 for Exclusive
      Breastfeeding: Experience From the United States.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Exclusive breastfeeding under 6 months, calculated from a single 24
      hour recall among mothers of children 0 to 5 months of age, is a World Health
      Organization (WHO) indicator used to monitor progress on the 2025 global
      breastfeeding target. Many upper-middle-income and high-income countries,
      including the United States, do not have estimates for this indicator. Research
      aim: To describe the prevalence of exclusive breastfeeding under 6 months in the
      United States. METHODS: We used a single 24-hour dietary recall from the National
      Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 2009-2012 to calculate the prevalence of
      exclusive breastfeeding under 6 months. We discuss our results in the context of
      routine breastfeeding surveillance, which is reported from a national survey with
      different methodology. RESULTS: Among children younger than 6 months, 24.4%, 95%
      confidence interval [17.6, 31.1], were exclusively breastfed the previous day.
      CONCLUSION: To our knowledge, this is the first estimate of the WHO indicator of
      exclusive breastfeeding under 6 months for the United States. This study supports
      the global surveillance and data strategy for reporting to the WHO on the 2025
      target for exclusive breastfeeding.

PMID- 28355121
TI  - Airway Resistance in Patients with Obstructive Sleep Apnea Syndrome Following
      Robotic Prostatectomy.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Because minimally invasive surgery can improve postoperative
      recovery, it became the preferred technique for patients with significant
      comorbidities. However, steep Trendelenburg position and abdominal CO2
      insufflation can lead to a significant increase in upper airway resistance and an
      alteration of overall lung function. In particular, patients who already suffer
      from an obstructive airway disease like obstructive sleep apnea syndrome (OSAS)
      might be at risk for postoperative airway complications. Therefore, we
      perioperatively performed spirometric tests in patients with OSAS undergoing
      robotic surgery in steep Trendelenburg position. METHODS: Twenty patients with
      OSAS were enrolled in the study. A day before surgery lung function measurements
      were performed and repeated preoperatively, 40, 120, and 240 minutes and 1 and 5
      days postoperatively. We measured vital capacity (VC), forced expiratory volume
      in 1 second (FEV1), maximal mid expiratory and inspiratory flow (MEF50, MIF50),
      arterial oxygen saturation, and nasal flow. RESULTS: The ratio of MEF50 to MIF50,
      as an indicator of upper airway resistance, was increased significantly
      postoperatively and normalized within 24 hours (p < 0.0001), while FEV1 and VC
      were significantly reduced and recovered only partially as much as the fifth
      postoperative day (p < 0.0001). CONCLUSION: Airway resistance increased following
      robotic radical prostatectomy in Trendelenburg position in patients with OSAS.
      Two separate major effects can be observed. A significant increase of the upper
      airway resistance, which improved to preoperative conditions within 24 hours, and
      a reduction in FEV1 and VC, which recovered only partially as much as the fifth
      postoperative day.

PMID- 28355122
TI  - The platelets' perspective to pathogen reduction technologies.
AB  - A wide variety of clinical conditions, associated with low circulating platelet
      counts, require platelet transfusion in order to normalize hemostatic function.
      Although single-donor apheresis platelets bear the lowest risk of transfusion
      transmitted infections, pathogen reduction technologies (PRT) are being
      implemented worldwide to reduce this risk further through inactivation of known,
      emergent and as yet to be discovered nucleic acid-based pathogens. Human blood
      platelets are now known to harbor a diverse transcriptome, important to their
      function and comprised of >5000 protein-coding messenger RNAs and different
      classes of non-coding RNAs, including microRNAs. Our appreciation of the nucleic
      acid-dependent functions of platelets is likely to increase. On the other hand,
      the side effects of PRT on platelet function are underappreciated. Recent
      evidences suggest that PRT may compromise platelets' responsiveness to agonists,
      and induce platelet activation. For instance, platelets have the propensity to
      release proinflammatory microparticles (MPs) upon activation, and the possibility
      that PRT may enhance the production of platelet MPs in platelet concentrates
      (PCs) appears likely. With this in mind, it would be timely and appropriate to
      investigate other means to inactivate pathogens more specifically, or to modify
      the currently available PRT so to better preserve the platelet function and
      improve the safety of PCs; platelets' perspective to PRT deserves to be
      considered.

PMID- 28355123
TI  - GFFview: A Web Server for Parsing and Visualizing Annotation Information of
      Eukaryotic Genome.
AB  - Owing to wide application of RNA sequencing (RNA-seq) technology, more and more
      eukaryotic genomes have been extensively annotated, such as the gene structure,
      alternative splicing, and noncoding loci. Annotation information of genome is
      prevalently stored as plain text in General Feature Format (GFF), which could be
      hundreds or thousands Mb in size. Therefore, it is a challenge for manipulating
      GFF file for biologists who have no bioinformatic skill. In this study, we
      provide a web server (GFFview) for parsing the annotation information of
      eukaryotic genome and then generating statistical description of six indices for
      visualization. GFFview is very useful for investigating quality and difference of
      the de novo assembled transcriptome in RNA-seq studies.

PMID- 28355124
TI  - Ocular Pharmacology for Scleritis: Review of Treatment and a Practical
      Perspective.
AB  - Scleritis is defined as an infectious or noninfectious inflammation of the sclera
      that can be broadly categorized according to anatomic location (ie, anterior or
      posterior) and whether the process is necrotizing or non-necrotizing. Treatment
      for scleritis is dictated by the etiology of the inflammation, with infectious
      forms requiring treatment of the inciting agent and noninfectious forms requiring
      treatment of the underlying inflammation with immunosuppression. Pharmacotherapy
      for noninfectious scleritis can be classified according to delivery route (eg,
      local or systemic) and mechanism of action (eg, biologic or nonbiologic). This
      review will briefly summarize the classification scheme for scleritis before
      reviewing in depth both systemic and local pharmacotherapies that can be used to
      effectively treat an eye afflicted by either infectious or noninfectious
      scleritis. Traditional anti-inflammatory agents such as nonsteroidal anti
      inflammatory drugs, steroids, and immunomodulatory therapy will be discussed, as
      well as newer biologic therapies such as antitumor necrosis factor alpha and anti
      CD20 agents.

PMID- 28355125
TI  - Epitope Mapping of the Antibody Response Against the Envelope Proteins of the
      Feline Foamy Virus.
AB  - Foamy viruses (FV) are retroviruses that infect several species without
      pathological signs, but induce substantial antibody responses in the infected
      host. In the case of feline FV (FFV), antibodies against Gag, Bet, and Env have
      been used to indicate infection; however, it is unclear whether the response to
      specific epitopes correlates with immunity. Here, we investigated the epitope
      specificity of antibodies targeting the Env protein using peptide microarrays.
      Sera from naturally and experimentally FFV-infected cats and pumas and from rats
      immunized with FFV Env expression plasmids were analyzed. An immunodominant
      epitope was identified in the Env leader protein (Elp), and a strong reactivity
      to two epitope clusters in the transmembrane (TM) subunit of Env was observed.
      Moreover, a short stretch of residues in the C-terminal part of the surface (SU)
      protein was found to be significantly associated with FFV serotype FUV-mediated
      neutralization. Taken together, our results add a new level of detail on the B
      cell epitope repertoire induced during FFV infection. Furthermore, our results
      provide a basis for current attempts to modify FV vectors to express and present
      vaccine epitopes for the directed induction of humoral immunity.

PMID- 28355126
TI  - Plasma protein binding monitoring of therapeutic drugs in patients using single
      set of hollow fiber centrifugal ultrafiltration.
AB  - AIM: Plasma protein binding (PPB), as a significant influenced factor of
      pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic properties of a medicine, is a suitable index
      for therapeutic drug monitoring (TDM) strategies. A suitable measurement
      technique of PPB of patients is in urgent need and attracts many analysts'
      attention. Results & methodology: In this study, a novel method was proposed to
      analyze free drug concentration and total drug concentration (Ct) successively in
      one unit with a sample. All RSDs were less than 3%. The absolute recovery of Ct
      ranged from 98.1 to 101.2%. DISCUSSION & CONCLUSION: It is extremely valuable to
      consider PPB as an important index for TDM, perfecting information of medication,
      reflecting the disease condition more comprehensively, providing assistance for
      doctors to adjust the dose regimen. The proposed technique, convenience, accuracy
      and without the influence of plasma condition, provides a feasible method to
      monitor PPB of various patients, facilitating the popularization of monitoring
      PPB in TDM.

PMID- 28355127
TI  - Being Spontaneous: The Future of Telehealth Implementation?
AB  - INTRODUCTION: The smartphone simplifies interprofessional communication, and
      smartphone applications can facilitate telemedicine activity. Much has been
      written about the steps that need to be followed to implement and establish a
      successful telemedicine service that is integrated into everyday clinical
      practice. A traditional and systematic approach has evolved incorporating
      activities such as strategy development, needs assessment, business cases and
      plans, readiness assessment, implementation plans, change management
      interventions, and ongoing monitoring and evaluation. This "best practice" has
      been promoted in the telehealth literature for many years. In contrast, several
      recent initiatives have arisen without any such formal undertakings. This article
      describes the strengths and weaknesses of two "spontaneous" telemedicine services
      in dermatology and burn management that have evolved in South Africa. METHODS:
      Two spontaneous services were identified and reviewed. RESULTS: In one
      unsolicited service, doctors at rural referring hospitals have been taking
      photographs of skin lesions and sending them with a brief text message history to
      dermatologists using the instant messaging smartphone app, WhatsApp. In the
      other, burns service, admissions to the burns unit or the clinic were triaged by
      telephonic description of the case and completion of a preadmission
      questionnaire. More recently, management and referral decisions are made only
      after completion of the questionnaire and subsequent submission of photographs of
      the burn sent by WhatsApp, with the decision transmitted by text message.
      DISCUSSION: Although efficient and effective, potential legal and ethical
      shortcomings have been identified. CONCLUSION: These "spontaneous" telehealth
      services challenge traditional best practice, yet appear to lead to truly
      integrated practice and, therefore, are successful and warrant further study.

PMID- 28355128
TI  - Concurrent Examination of Bobcats and Ticks Reveals High Prevalence of Cytauxzoon
      felis in Southern Illinois.
AB  - Cytauxzoon felis is an intraerythrocytic apicomplexan of felids enzootic in the
      southeastern United States. In domestic cats (Felis catus), this parasite can
      result in the highly fatal disease cytauxzoonosis or bobcat fever. Bobcats (Lynx
      rufus) are the wild animal reservoir host. To date, the characterization of
      prevalence of C. felis in bobcats is mostly based on broad-scale surveys from
      hunter-harvested specimens collected across large geographic areas, usually
      consisting of multiple states. Detailed studies on the development, transmission,
      distribution, effects, and prevalence of C. felis in the tick vectors are scarce.
      To fill some of these gaps in the literature, such as prevalence in ticks and
      bobcats in a discrete region, we examined bobcats and ticks in an 8,000-km2
      portion of southern Illinois. We screened for C. felis using a nested polymerase
      chain reaction that amplifies a fragment of the nuclear small subunit (SSU) 18S
      rRNA. We screened 125 individual bobcats collected in southern Illinois from 2003
      to 2015; of these, 70.6% were positive for C. felis. In addition, we screened 214
      ticks of both vector species (Amblyomma americanum and Dermacentor variabilis)
      and detected C. felis in 15.6% of them; this prevalence is higher than reported
      by previous surveys. Our study reports the prevalence of C. felis in ticks and
      bobcats from south Illinois. We found that 70.6% of bobcats and 15.6% of ticks
      were infected with C. felis, which suggests risk of transmission to domestic
      cats.

PMID- 28355129
TI  - Sudden water pollution accidents and reservoir emergency operations: impact
      analysis at Danjiangkou Reservoir.
AB  - Danjiangkou Reservoir is the source reservoir of the Middle Route of the South-to
      North Water Diversion Project (MRP). Any sudden water pollution accident in the
      reservoir would threaten the water supply of the MRP. We established a 3-D
      hydrodynamic and water quality model for the Danjiangkou Reservoir, and proposed
      scientific suggestions on the prevention and emergency management for sudden
      water pollution accidents based on simulated results. Simulations were performed
      on 20 hypothetical pollutant discharge locations and 3 assumed amounts, in order
      to model the effect of pollutant spreading under different reservoir operation
      types. The results showed that both the location and mass of pollution affected
      water quality; however, different reservoir operation types had little effect.
      Five joint regulation scenarios, which altered the hydrodynamic processes of
      water conveyance for the Danjiangkou and Taocha dams, were considered for
      controlling pollution dispersion. The results showed that the spread of a
      pollutant could be effectively controlled through the joint regulation of the two
      dams and that the collaborative operation of the Danjiangkou and Taocha dams is
      critical for ensuring the security of water quality along the MRP.

PMID- 28355130
TI  - Value of whole-body magnetic resonance imaging for screening multifocal
      osteonecrosis in patients with polymyositis/dermatomyositis.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: To assess the value of coronal short-tau inversion recovery whole-body
      MRI (STIR-WBMRI) for screening osteonecrosis in patients with polymyositis
      (PM)/dermatomyositis (DM). METHODS: The imaging and medical records of 129
      patients with PM/DM who met the Bohan and Peter diagnostic criteria were
      retrospectively analyzed. STIR-WBMRI was performed in all patients. 18 patients
      had follow-up STIR-WBMRI. 12 patients underwent regional knee and/or hip MRI
      while 25 patients underwent radiography of the lower extremities. RESULTS: STIR
      WBMRI detected osteonecrosis in 15 (11.6%) patients. 38 joints were affected
      (mean, 2.5 per patient; range, 1-5 joints). Of the 38 joints affected by
      osteonecrosis, 33 had no clinical symptoms. Among the 12 patients who underwent
      regional MRI, STIR-WBMRI detected all 10 osteonecrotic sites seen on the regional
      MRI. The location, shape and size of the osteonecrotic lesions revealed on
      regional MRI were in accordance with those displayed on STIR-WBMRI. Of the 15
      patients with osteonecrosis, 6 performed routine radiography of the affected
      joints and revealed no osteonecrotic lesions. Follow-up WBMRI detected new
      osteonecrosis in two patients whose first WBMRI revealed that there was no
      osteonecrosis in any skeleton. CONCLUSION: In addition to displaying muscle
      inflammation, STIR-WBMRI can efficiently detect early multifocal osteonecrosis in
      the whole bodies of patients with PM/DM. Advances in knowledge: In patients with
      PM/DM, WBMRI which takes 12-15 min can display muscular involvement and detect
      early multisite osteonecrosis in the whole body at the same time. Osteonecrotic
      lesions revealed by WBMRI are in accordance with those displayed on regional
      WBMRI.

PMID- 28355131
TI  - Silencing of BCR/ABL Chimeric Gene in Human Chronic Myelogenous Leukemia Cell
      Line K562 by siRNA-Nuclear Export Signal Peptide Conjugates.
AB  - Herein we described the synthesis of siRNA-NES (nuclear export signal) peptide
      conjugates by solid phase fragment coupling and the application of them to
      silencing of bcr/abl chimeric gene in human chronic myelogenous leukemia cell
      line K562. Two types of siRNA-NES conjugates were prepared, and both sense
      strands at 5' ends were covalently linked to a NES peptide derived from TFIIIA
      and HIV-1 REV, respectively. Significant enhancement of silencing efficiency was
      observed for both of them. siRNA-TFIIIA NES conjugate suppressed the expression
      of BCR/ABL gene to 8.3% at 200 nM and 11.6% at 50 nM, and siRNA-HIV-1REV NES
      conjugate suppressed to 4.0% at 200 nM and 6.3% at 50 nM, whereas native siRNA
      suppressed to 36.3% at 200 nM and 30.2% at 50 nM. We could also show complex of
      siRNA-NES conjugate and designed amphiphilic peptide peptidebeta7 could be taken
      up into cells with no cytotoxicity and showed excellent silencing efficiency. We
      believe that the complex siRNA-NES conjugate and peptidebeta7 is a promising
      candidate for in vivo use and therapeutic applications.

PMID- 28355132
TI  - Angiopoietin-2 in white adipose tissue improves metabolic homeostasis through
      enhanced angiogenesis.
AB  - Despite many angiogenic factors playing crucial roles in metabolic homeostasis,
      effects of angiopoietin-2 (ANG-2) in adipose tissue (AT) remain unclear.
      Utilizing a doxycycline-inducible AT-specific ANG-2 overexpression mouse model,
      we assessed the effects of ANG-2 in AT expansion upon a high-fat diet (HFD)
      challenge. ANG-2 is significantly induced, with subcutaneous white AT (sWAT)
      displaying the highest ANG-2 expression. ANG-2 overexpressing mice show increased
      sWAT vascularization and are resistant to HFD-induced obesity. In addition,
      improved glucose and lipid metabolism are observed. Mechanistically, the sWAT
      displays a healthier expansion pattern with increased anti-inflammatory
      macrophage infiltration. Conversely, ANG-2 neutralization in HFD-challenged wild
      type mice shows reduced vascularization in sWAT, associated with impaired glucose
      tolerance and lipid clearance. Blocking ANG-2 causes significant pro-inflammatory
      and pro-fibrotic changes, hallmarks of an unhealthy AT expansion. In contrast to
      other pro-angiogenic factors, such as vascular endothelial growth factor-A (VEGF
      A), this is achieved without any enhanced beiging of white AT.

PMID- 28355133
TI  - An allosteric transport mechanism for the AcrAB-TolC multidrug efflux pump.
AB  - Bacterial efflux pumps confer multidrug resistance by transporting diverse
      antibiotics from the cell. In Gram-negative bacteria, some of these pumps form
      multi-protein assemblies that span the cell envelope. Here, we report the near
      atomic resolution cryoEM structures of the Escherichia coli AcrAB-TolC multidrug
      efflux pump in resting and drug transport states, revealing a quaternary
      structural switch that allosterically couples and synchronizes initial ligand
      binding with channel opening. Within the transport-activated state, the channel
      remains open even though the pump cycles through three distinct conformations.
      Collectively, our data provide a dynamic mechanism for the assembly and operation
      of the AcrAB-TolC pump.

PMID- 28355136
TI  - Pharmacologic Impact (aka "Breaking Bad") of Medications on Wound Healing and
      Wound Development: A Literature-based Overview.
AB  - Patients with wounds often are provided pharmacologic interventions for their
      wounds as well as for their acute or chronic illnesses. Drugs can promote wound
      healing or substantively hinder it; some medications cause wound or skin
      reactions. A comprehensive review of extant literature was conducted to examine
      the impact of drug therapy on wound healing and skin health. MEDLINE and the
      Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature (CINAHL) were searched
      for English-language articles published between 2000 and 2016 using the terms
      drugs, medications, drug skin eruptions, adverse skin reactions, wound healing,
      delayed wound healing, nonhealing wound, herbals, and herbal supplements. The
      search yielded 140 articles (CINAHL) and 240 articles (MEDLINE) for medications
      and wound healing. For medications and adverse skin effects, the search
      identified 256 articles (CINAHL) and 259 articles (MEDLINE). The articles
      included mostly narrative reviews, some clinical trials, and animal studies.
      Notable findings were synthesized in a table per pharmacological class and/or
      agent focusing on wound healing impact and drug-induced adverse skin reactions.
      The medications most likely to impair wound healing and damage skin integrity
      include antibiotics, anticonvulsants, angiogenesis inhibitors, steroids, and
      nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs. Conversely, drugs such as ferrous sulfate,
      insulin, thyroid hormones, and vitamins may facilitate wound healing. Selected
      clinical practices, including obtaining a detailed medication history that
      encompasses herbal supplements use; assessing nutrition status especially protein
      blood levels affecting drug protein binding; and scrutinizing patient history and
      physical characteristics for risk factors (eg, atopy history) can help diminish
      and/or eliminate adverse integumentary outcomes. "Deprescribing" (discontinuing
      unnecessary medications) should be utilized when possible. Contemporary wound
      care clinicians must be cognizant of these mitigating clinical approaches.

PMID- 28355137
TI  - A Retrospective Study of Pilonidal Sinus Healing by Secondary Intention Using
      Negative Pressure Wound Therapy Versus Alginate or Gauze Dressings.
AB  - Pilonidal sinus (PS) disease is an inflammatory skin and subcutaneous tissue
      condition that presents with infection, acute abscess, chronic discharging
      wounds, and/or pain. Surgery with open healing by secondary intention typically
      is used to achieve the fastest healing time with minimal recurrence rates. A
      retrospective analysis was conducted of data extracted from the medical records
      of 73 consecutive patients who had symptomatic natal cleft PS over a 10-year
      period to compare use of NPWT to alginate-based/gauze daily dressing (DD) changes
      in terms of healing time and recurrence. Variables extracted included age,
      gender, PS wound diameter (small <1 cm, medium 1 cm to 3 cm, large >3 cm), and
      time in weeks to achieving the endpoint (epithelialization). Risk factors
      examined that can affect healing or recurrence of previously operated PS disease
      included initial drainage before excision and risk factors for impaired healing
      (morbid obesity as determined by body mass index [BMI] >=35, chronic infective
      skin conditions, and ongoing therapy with immuno-modulating drugs or
      chemotherapy), and loss to follow-up. Data were collected and analyzed using the
      chi-squared statistic, Kaplan-Meier curves, and Cox regression models. The total
      time of follow-up was 390 weeks for the DD group and 311 weeks for NPWT group.
      Patient mean age was 26.5 +/- 10.7 years, most (53, 72.6%) were male, and 12
      (16.4%) had comorbidities potentially affecting healing. Nine (9) were treated
      with primary closure and 62 patients were treated with open healing by secondary
      intention (2 additional patients receiving DD were excluded from the analysis
      because they had small sinuses that made NPWT unfeasible). Among participants, 30
      (48%) received DD and 32 had NPWT. The median time to healing was 10 weeks (95%
      CI: 7-17) in the DD group and 8 weeks (95% CI: 7-9) in the NPWT group (not
      significantly different). In patients who healed, the average time to healing was
      15.0 +/- 18.1 and 9.8 +/- 6.3 weeks in the DD and NPWT groups, respectively (not
      significantly different). The PS wound recurred in 5 patients - 4 (12.5%) in the
      DD group and 1 (3.1%) in the NPWT group (P = .355). In univariate analysis, only
      the presence of comorbidities was found to significantly affect time to healing
      (HR 95%, CI: 0.40 [0.17-0.93]; P = .033]. Prospective, randomized controlled
      clinical studies are warranted.

PMID- 28355134
TI  - The interactome of the copper transporter ATP7A belongs to a network of
      neurodevelopmental and neurodegeneration factors.
AB  - Genetic and environmental factors, such as metals, interact to determine
      neurological traits. We reasoned that interactomes of molecules handling metals
      in neurons should include novel metal homeostasis pathways. We focused on copper
      and its transporter ATP7A because ATP7A null mutations cause neurodegeneration.
      We performed ATP7A immunoaffinity chromatography and identified 541 proteins co
      isolating with ATP7A. The ATP7A interactome concentrated gene products implicated
      in neurodegeneration and neurodevelopmental disorders, including subunits of the
      Golgi-localized conserved oligomeric Golgi (COG) complex. COG null cells possess
      altered content and subcellular localization of ATP7A and CTR1 (SLC31A1), the
      transporter required for copper uptake, as well as decreased total cellular
      copper, and impaired copper-dependent metabolic responses. Changes in the
      expression of ATP7A and COG subunits in Drosophila neurons altered synapse
      development in larvae and copper-induced mortality of adult flies. We conclude
      that the ATP7A interactome encompasses a novel COG-dependent mechanism to specify
      neuronal development and survival.

PMID- 28355135
TI  - Dynamic transcriptional signature and cell fate analysis reveals plasticity of
      individual neural plate border cells.
AB  - The 'neural plate border' of vertebrate embryos contains precursors of neural
      crest and placode cells, both defining vertebrate characteristics. How these
      lineages segregate from neural and epidermal fates has been a matter of debate.
      We address this by performing a fine-scale quantitative temporal analysis of
      transcription factor expression in the neural plate border of chick embryos. The
      results reveal significant overlap of transcription factors characteristic of
      multiple lineages in individual border cells from gastrula through neurula
      stages. Cell fate analysis using a Sox2 (neural) enhancer reveals that cells that
      are initially Sox2+ cells can contribute not only to neural tube but also to
      neural crest and epidermis. Moreover, modulating levels of Sox2 or Pax7 alters
      the apportionment of neural tube versus neural crest fates. Our results resolve a
      long-standing question and suggest that many individual border cells maintain
      ability to contribute to multiple ectodermal lineages until or beyond neural tube
      closure.

PMID- 28355138
TI  - Ultrasound to Detect Pressure-related Deep Tissue Injuries in Adults Admitted via
      the Emergency Department: A Prospective, Descriptive, Pilot Study.
AB  - Stage 4 pressure ulcers (PUs) start with tissue death at the level of the bone,
      also known as deep tissue injury (DTI). Studies have shown the appearance of DTI
      on the skin is delayed for several days after the original pressure-related
      injury to the deep soft tissues. Studies also suggest DTI can be seen using
      ultrasound (US) technology. A prospective, descriptive, correlational pilot study
      was conducted to evaluate the use of US technology to detect DTI in the soft
      tissues that are not visible on the skin upon hospital admission. Study
      participants included a convenience sample of 33 persons at risk for PUs (ie,
      Braden score <18) admitted through the emergency department. Each participant had
      US scans of 13 common PU body sites. All scans were documented in the radiologist
      report in the electronic medical record. Creatinine phosphokinase, calcium
      levels, and urine myoglobin levels also were assessed upon enrollment. Skin
      failure risk factors (SFRFs), including fever, hypotension, weight loss,
      coagulopathy, and acidosis/respiratory failure, also were documented. Patients
      were examined for skin PUs every day for 7 days after US scan. Twenty-three (23)
      patients completed the study. US scans identified pressure necrosis at 2 levels:
      bone (54 positive [US+]) and subcutaneous (SC); 79 US+, respectively). US+ bone
      sites resulted in 5 PUs appearing 6 to 7 days post-admission (sensitivity = 100%,
      specificity 84.7%, positive predictive value 10%, and negative predictive value
      100%), indicating all DTI that later became purple skin DTI were detected by the
      US. US+ SC sites, located immediately under the skin, yielded 5 PUs appearing on
      day 2 after admission (sensitivity 100%, specificity 74.8%, positive predictive
      value 6.3%, and negative predictive value 100%). The participants with PU
      occurrence in both bone and SC groups had low Braden scores (bone group mean =
      13.25, SC group mean = 11.2). Study patients who were positive for PU also had >4
      SFRFs. Creatinine phosphokinase, calcium, and myoglobin levels were inconsistent
      and did not correlate with US+ scans. These observations warrant larger studies
      to confirm findings and optimize the validity of US screening for DTI in select
      populations, which may help improve protocols of care and PU admission
      documentation. The preliminary results suggest inclusion of the Braden Scale
      score and known PU risk factors may improve the positive predictive value of this
      test.

PMID- 28355139
TI  - Levamisole-induced Necrosis Syndrome: Presentation and Management.
AB  - Levamisole is an antihelminthic drug with immunomod- ulatory properties. Recent
      estimates suggest the majority of the cocaine in the United States is adulterated
      with levamisole. Le- vamisole-induced necrosis syndrome (LINES) is characterized
      by vasculitis, neutropenia, and purpura that progresses to skin necro- sis.
      Diagnosis relies on physical examination ndings and history of previous cocaine
      use. The purpose of this case series is to describe the pathophysiology,
      diagnosis, and management of LINES. The au- thors' institutional database was
      reviewed from 2008 to 2015, and they found 3 patients with LINES. Subsequent
      management and outcomes data are discussed. Patients had a variety of outcomes
      ranging from local wound care to necrosis and amputation of pha- langes. Patients
      with LINES can have a wide variety of outcomes; thus, this syndrome must be
      aggressively managed. Psychotherapy should also be utilized to help patients with
      further cocaine use. Levamisole-induced necrosis syndrome incidence is expected
      to in- crease, and all providers should be aware of this patient population.

PMID- 28355140
TI  - Pretibial Myxedema Masquerading as a Venous Leg Ulcer.
AB  - The authors report a case of pretibial myxedema (PTM) masquerading as a venous
      leg ulcer to alert wound care clinicians to this diagnostic possibility.
      Pretibial myxedema is a localized form of mucin cutaneous deposition
      characterized by indurated plaques most commonly on anterior legs. It is more
      likely to present in patients with Graves' disease, but it can be found in
      euthyroid patients as well. The physiopathology of PTM is complex, and there is
      an accumulation of highly hydrophilic glycosaminoglycans in the dermis. Minimal
      morbidity is associated with PTM, but the pruritus related to mucin deposition
      can be intense. The skin around venous leg ulcers and the skin changes related to
      PTM can have a similar clinical presentation, which may be a reason PTM is under
      recognized.

PMID- 28355143
TI  - An Experience of an Individual With a Chronic Wound in an Open Abdomen: A
      Grounded Theory.
AB  - : The open abdomen (OA) surgical technique has become an option for treating
      complex abdominal injuries; however, complications leading to late closure
      conditions might arise. In these cases the wound must be left open, which greatly
      impacts the patient's life. OBJECTIVE: The author aims to describe the
      experiences of individuals with a chronic OA wound. METHODS: Qualitative design
      using grounded theory was utilized. This study was carried out with a group of 28
      adults who were treated with OA technique and whose wound had remained open for
      more than a month in duration and only received outpatient wound care. Data were
      collected through open interviews and examined under continuous comparison. The
      average age of the respondents was 45 years, and their wound, treated with OA due
      to severe abdominal infection, remained open between 2 months and 8 years.
      RESULTS: An emergent theory was developed to describe how people facing this
      experience undergo a process of 4 stages: 1) finding an OA wound upon waking, 2)
      feeling desperate about the healing process and the limitations involved, 3)
      regaining control of their life, and 4) taking advantage of their second chance
      at life with an OA wound. CONCLUSION: This study provides insight for nurses and
      other health care professionals into the experiences of patients with a chronic
      OA wound and proposes an emerging theory based on the conceptualization of these
      experiences.

PMID- 28355142
TI  - Effects of Adrenomedullin and Glucagon-like Peptide on Distal Flap Necrosis and
      Vascularity: The Role of Receptor Systems and Nitric Oxide.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: Flap necrosis in the distal area due to the deficiency of blood
      circulation is a major complication in flap treatment. In many previous studies,
      some natural substances such as chlorogenic acid, adrenomedullin (ADM), and
      glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) have been used to improve flap viability via
      their vasodilator, angiogenic, and antioxidant effects. The aim of this study is
      to clarify the mechanism through the use of selective antagonists for calcitonin
      gene-related peptide (CGRP) receptors and GLP-1 receptors such as CGRP-(8-37),
      exendin-(9-39), respectively, in the flap healing effects of ADM and GLP-1. The
      role of nitric oxide (NO) was investigated in the mechanism as well. MATERIALS
      AND METHODS: Seventy adult female Wistar rats (200 g-250 g) were used in the
      study. The cutaneous skin flap (8 cm x 3 cm) on the abdominal wall was raised
      based on the superficial inferior epigastric artery (SIEA). Single-dose substance
      injections were administered into the SIEA. Necrosis in the flap area was
      evaluated on postoperative day 7. The proportion of the necrosis area (necrosis
      area % = [necrosis area/flap area] x 100) and vascularity (vascular number/cm2)
      in the distal area were calculated. RESULTS: The administrations of ADM or GLP-1
      increased the vascularity and decreased the necrosis area in the distal flap
      region. The ADM receptor antagonist, CGRP-(8-37), did not prevent the positive
      effects of ADM on flap healing and vascularity. A GLP-1 receptor antagonist,
      exendin-(9-39), prevented the effect of GLP-1 on flap healing and vascularity.
      Nitric oxide mediated the beneficial effects of both peptides on flap healing.
      CONCLUSION: The CGRP receptors have no direct role, but NO acts as a mediator in
      the beneficial effect of ADM on flap healing. The GLP-1 specific receptors and NO
      act as important interagents for the effects of GLP-1 on flap healing.

PMID- 28355144
TI  - The Effect of Negative Pressure Wound Therapy With Antiseptic Instillation on
      Biofilm Formation in a Porcine Model of Infected Spinal Instrumentation.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: This study evaluates the effect of negative pressure wound therapy
      with antiseptic instillation (NPWTi) in the clearance of infection and biofilm
      formation in an in vivo model of infected spinal implants compared to traditional
      treatment modalities. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Five pigs underwent titanium rod
      implantation of their spinous processes followed by injection of 1 x 106
      CFUs/100MUL of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus through the fascia at
      each site. At 1 week postoperatively, an experimental arm of 3 pigs received
      NPWTi, and a control arm of 2 pigs received wet-to-dry dressings. The persistence
      of local infection in the experimental group was compared to the control group
      using tissue cultures. Biofilm development on spinal implants was evaluated using
      scanning electron microscopy. RESULTS: Mean bacterial count showed a statistical
      difference between the experimental and the control groups (P < .05). Scanning
      electron microscopy revealed the presence of uniform biofilm formation across the
      surface of control group instrumentation, whereas the experimental group showed
      interrupted areas between biofilm formations. CONCLUSION: The authors concluded
      that NPWTi is associated with decreased bacterial load and biofilm formation
      compared to wet-to-dry dressings in an in vivo porcine model of infected spinal
      instrumentation.

PMID- 28355145
TI  - Histopathological and biochemical assessments of Costus afer stem on alloxan
      induced diabetic rats.
AB  - BACKGROUND: In continuation of our study of the biological activity of the
      aqueous extract of Costus afer stem used in tradomedicare in Nigeria, this work
      has investigated the biochemical, nephroprotective, hepatoprotective and
      protective effects of aqueous extract of C. afer stem on alloxan-induced
      hyperglycaemic albino Wistar rats. METHODS: Thirty male albino Wistar rats (150
      200 g) were weight-matched into six groups of five rats each. Groups 1 and 2 were
      the normal (non-induced) and toxic (alloxan-induced) controls, respectively.
      Groups 3-6 were induced and treated with 1, 2 and 3 g/kg of the aqueous extract
      of C. afer stem and glibenclamide (5 mg/kg), respectively. Food and fluid intake,
      body weight, absolute and relative weight of organs (liver, pancreas, and
      kidneys) and biochemical parameters were measured. RESULTS: There was a
      significant reduction in alanine aminotransferase, aspartate aminotransferase,
      alkaline phosphatase, total bilirubin triglyceride, creatinine, urea and
      electrolyte when compared with toxic control group. The liver marker enzymes were
      restored in all the treated groups. The aqueous stem extract possessed
      hypoglycaemic effect and reversed the histopathological damage in alloxan-induced
      diabetic rats. CONCLUSIONS: This study suggests that aqueous stem extract of C.
      afer possesses both hypoglycaemic and organ protective properties.

PMID- 28355146
TI  - IB2d: a Python and MATLAB implementation of the immersed boundary method.
AB  - The development of fluid-structure interaction (FSI) software involves trade-offs
      between ease of use, generality, performance, and cost. Typically there are large
      learning curves when using low-level software to model the interaction of an
      elastic structure immersed in a uniform density fluid. Many existing codes are
      not publicly available, and the commercial software that exists usually requires
      expensive licenses and may not be as robust or allow the necessary flexibility
      that in house codes can provide. We present an open source immersed boundary
      software package, IB2d, with full implementations in both MATLAB and Python, that
      is capable of running a vast range of biomechanics models and is accessible to
      scientists who have experience in high-level programming environments. IB2d
      contains multiple options for constructing material properties of the fiber
      structure, as well as the advection-diffusion of a chemical gradient, muscle
      mechanics models, and artificial forcing to drive boundaries with a preferred
      motion.

PMID- 28355147
TI  - GLIMPSE: Google Glass interface for sensory feedback in myoelectric hand
      prostheses.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: Providing sensory feedback to the user of the prosthesis is an
      important challenge. The common approach is to use tactile stimulation, which is
      easy to implement but requires training and has limited information bandwidth. In
      this study, we propose an alternative approach based on augmented reality.
      APPROACH: We have developed the GLIMPSE, a Google Glass application which
      connects to the prosthesis via a Bluetooth interface and renders the prosthesis
      states (EMG signals, aperture, force and contact) using augmented reality (see
      through display) and sound (bone conduction transducer). The interface was tested
      in healthy subjects that used the prosthesis with (FB group) and without (NFB
      group) feedback during a modified clothespins test that allowed us to vary the
      difficulty of the task. The outcome measures were the number of unsuccessful
      trials, the time to accomplish the task, and the subjective ratings of the
      relevance of the feedback. MAIN RESULTS: There was no difference in performance
      between FB and NFB groups in the case of a simple task (basic, same-color
      clothespins test), but the feedback significantly improved the performance in a
      more complex task (pins of different resistances). Importantly, the GLIMPSE
      feedback did not increase the time to accomplish the task. Therefore, the
      supplemental feedback might be useful in the tasks which are more demanding, and
      thereby less likely to benefit from learning and feedforward control. The
      subjects integrated the supplemental feedback with the intrinsic sources (vision
      and muscle proprioception), developing their own idiosyncratic strategies to
      accomplish the task. SIGNIFICANCE: The present study demonstrates a novel self
      contained, ready-to-deploy, wearable feedback interface. The interface was
      successfully tested and was proven to be feasible and functionally beneficial.
      The GLIMPSE can be used as a practical solution but also as a general and
      flexible instrument to investigate closed-loop prosthesis control.

PMID- 28355148
TI  - The unusual solvatochromism and solvatofluorochromism of longwave absorbing and
      emitting barbiturate merocyanine dyes.
AB  - Spectral-fluorescent properties of a series of merocyanine dyes comprising the
      barbituric acid residue as the electron-accepting terminal group are investigated
      in comparison with those of their N,N-methylated analogues in media of various
      polarity. It is revealed that in polar aprotic solvents the electronic absorption
      spectra of the studied compounds are influenced dramatically by the formation of
      hydrogen bonds between the NH-groups of barbituric residue and solvent molecules.
      An effect of such nucleophilic solvation on the electronic structure of the
      studied dyes is analysed using both the spectral data obtained and the DFT/B3LYP
      quantum chemical simulation. It is found also, that solvation has comparatively
      weak influence on the shape and position of the fluorescence bands of the studied
      merocyanines while the fluorescence quantum yield changes substantially in
      solvents of various polarity.

PMID- 28355149
TI  - Fluorescence of aminofluoresceins as an indicative process allowing one to
      distinguish between micelles of cationic surfactants and micelle-like aggregates.
AB  - Among the vast set of fluorescein derivatives, the double charged R2- anions of
      aminofluoresceins are known to exhibit only low quantum yields of fluorescence,
      [Formula: see text]. The [Formula: see text] value becomes as high as that of the
      fluorescein dianion when the lone electron pair of the amino group is involved in
      a covalent bond. According to Munkholm et al (1990 J. Am. Chem. Soc. 112 2608
      12), a much smaller increase in the emission intensity can be observed in the
      presence of surfactant micelles. However, all these observations refer to aqueous
      or alcoholic solvents. In this paper, we show that in the non-hydrogen bond donor
      (or 'aprotic') solvents DMSO and acetone, the quantum yields, phi, of the 4'- (or
      5')-aminofluorescein R2- species amount to 61-67% and approach that of
      fluorescein (phi  =  87%), whereas in water phi is only 0.6-0.8%. In glycerol, a
      solvent with an extremely high viscosity, the phi value is only 6-10%. We report
      on the enhancement of the fluorescence of the aminofluorescein dianions as an
      indicative process, which allows us to distinguish between the micelle-like
      aggregates of cationic dendrimers of low generation, common spherical surfactant
      micelles, and surfactant bilayers. Some of these colloidal aggregates partly
      restore the fluorescence of aminofluoresceins in aqueous media. By contrast,
      other positively charged micellar-like aggregates do not enhance the quantum
      yield of aminofluorescein R2- species. Results for several related systems, such
      as CTAB-coated SiO2 particles and reverse microemulsions, are briefly described,
      and the possible reasons for the observed phenomena are discussed.

PMID- 28355150
TI  - Spatiotemporal mapping of diffusion dynamics and organization in plasma
      membranes.
AB  - Imaging fluorescence correlation spectroscopy (FCS) and the related FCS diffusion
      law have been applied in recent years to investigate the diffusion modes of
      lipids and proteins in membranes. These efforts have provided new insights into
      the membrane structure below the optical diffraction limit, new information on
      the existence of lipid domains, and on the influence of the cytoskeleton on
      membrane dynamics. However, there has been no systematic study to evaluate how
      domain size, domain density, and the probe partition coefficient affect the
      resulting imaging FCS diffusion law parameters. Here, we characterize the effects
      of these factors on the FCS diffusion law through simulations and experiments on
      lipid bilayers and live cells. By segmenting images into smaller 7  *  7 pixel
      areas, we can evaluate the FCS diffusion law on areas smaller than 2 um and thus
      provide detailed maps of information on the membrane structure and heterogeneity
      at this length scale. We support and extend this analysis by deriving a
      mathematical expression to calculate the mean squared displacement (MSDACF) from
      the autocorrelation function of imaging FCS, and demonstrate that the MSDACF
      plots depend on the existence of nanoscopic domains. Based on the results, we
      derive limits for the detection of domains depending on their size, density, and
      relative viscosity in comparison to the surroundings. Finally, we apply these
      measurements to bilayers and live cells using imaging total internal reflection
      FCS and single plane illumination microscopy FCS.

PMID- 28355151
TI  - Interaction of a tricationic meso-substituted porphyrin with guanine-containing
      polyribonucleotides of various structures.
AB  - The interaction of a tricationic water-soluble meso-(N-methylpyridinium)
      substituted porphyrin, TMPyP3+, derived from classic TMPyP4, with double-stranded
      poly(G)  ?  poly(C) and four-stranded poly(G) polyribonucleotides has been
      studied in aqueous buffered solutions, pH 6.9, of low and near-physiological
      ionic strengths in a wide range of molar phosphate-to-dye ratios (P/D). To
      clarify the binding modes of TMPyP3+ to biopolymers various spectroscopic
      techniques, including absorption and polarized fluorescence spectroscopy, Raman
      spectroscopy, and resonance light scattering, were used. As a result, two
      competitive binding modes were revealed. In solution of low ionic strength
      outside binding of the porphyrin to the polynucleotide backbone with self
      stacking prevailed at low P/D ratios (P/D  <  3.5). It manifested itself by the
      substantial quenching of porphyrin fluorescence. Also the formation of large
      scale porphyrin aggregates was observed near the stoichiometric binding ratio.
      The spectral changes observed at P/D  >  30 including emission enhancement were
      supposed to be caused by the embedding of partially stacked porphyrin J-dimers
      into the polymer groove. TMPyP3+ binding to poly(G) induced a fluorescence
      increase 2.5 times as large as that observed for poly(G)  ?  poly(C). In solution
      of near-physiological ionic strength the efficiency of external porphyrin binding
      was reduced substantially due to the competitive binding of Na+ ions with the
      polymer backbone. The spectroscopic characteristics of porphyrin bound to
      polynucleotides at different conditions were compared with those for free
      porphyrin.

PMID- 28355152
TI  - Fluorescence of carbonyl-containing intraionic polymethines.
AB  - Electronic structure and spectral-fluorescent properties of four related indole
      based intraionic polymethines are discussed. They all comprise at least one
      carbonyl group in the acceptor part of their molecule but the effects of the
      carbonyls upon their UV/Vis and fluorescence spectra depend substantially on its
      position within the polymethine chromophore. At that, solvation of the carbonyls
      with highly electrophilic protic solvents can, as a function of dye structure,
      cause both a rise and decrease of fluorescence quantum yield of a dye or have no
      tangible effect at all. To get insight into the regularities of such behaviour,
      the dyes were examined closely using both their absorption and fluorescence
      spectral data and the (TD) DFT quantum chemical simulation.

PMID- 28355153
TI  - Novel benzanthrone probes for membrane and protein studies.
AB  - The applicability of a series of novel benzanthrone dyes to monitoring the
      changes in physicochemical properties of lipid bilayer and to differentiating
      between the native and aggregated protein states has been evaluated. Based on the
      quantitative parameters of the dye-membrane and dye-protein binding derived from
      the fluorimetric titration data, the most prospective membrane probes and amyloid
      tracers have been selected from the group of examined compounds. Analysis of the
      red edge excitation shifts of the membrane- and amyloid-bound dyes provided
      information on the properties of benzanthrone binding sites within the lipid and
      protein matrixes. To understand how amyloid specificity of benzanthrones
      correlates with their structure, quantitative structure activity relationship
      (QSAR) analysis was performed involving a range of quantum chemical molecular
      descriptors. A statistically significant model was obtained for predicting the
      sensitivity of novel benzanthrone dyes to amyloid fibrils.

PMID- 28355155
TI  - Dispersed dynamics of solvation in G-quadruplex DNA: comparison of dynamic Stokes
      shifts of probes in parallel and antiparallel quadruplex structures.
AB  - G-quadruplex DNA (GqDNA) structures play an important role in many specific
      cellular functions and are promising anti-tumor targets for small molecules
      (ligands). Here, we measured the dynamic Stokes shift of a ligand (Hoechst) bound
      to parallel c-Myc (mPu22) GqDNA over five decades of time from 100 fs to 10 ns,
      and compared it with the previously reported dynamics of DAPI bound to
      antiparallel human telomeric (hTelo22) GqDNA (Pal et al 2015 J. Phys. Chem. Lett.
      6 1754). Stokes shift data from fluorescence up-conversion and time-correlated
      single photon counting experiments was combined to cover the broad dynamic range.
      The results show that the solvation dynamics of Hoechst in parallel mPu22 GqDNA
      follow a power law relaxation, added to fast 2 ps exponential relaxation, from
      100 fs to 10 ns, with only a subtle difference of power law exponents in the two
      ligand-GqDNA systems (0.06 in Hoechst-mPu22 compared to 0.16 in DAPI-hTelo22). We
      measured steady-state fluorescence spectra and time-resolved anisotropy decays
      which confirm the tight binding of Hoechst to parallel mPu22 with a binding
      constant of ~1  *  105 M-1. The molecular docking of Hoechst in parallel GqDNA
      followed by a 50 ns molecular dynamics (MD) simulation on a Hoechst-GqDNA complex
      reveals that Hoechst binds to one of the outer G-tetrads by end-stacking near G13
      and G4, which is different from the binding site of DAPI inside a groove of
      antiparallel hTelo22 GqDNA. Reconciling previous experimental and simulation
      results, we assign the 2 ps component to the hydration dynamics of only weakly
      perturbed water near mPu22 and the power law relaxation to the coupled motion of
      water and DNA (i.e. DNA backbone, unpaired bases and loops connecting G-tetrads)
      which come near the Hoechst inside parallel GqDNA.

PMID- 28355154
TI  - Fluorescence monitoring of the effect of oxidized lipids on the process of
      protein fibrillization.
AB  - The kinetics of lysozyme and insulin amyloid formation in the presence of the
      oxidized phospholipids (oxPLs) was investigated using Thioflavin T fluorescence
      assay. The kinetic parameters of fibrillization process (lag time and apparent
      rate constant) have been determined upon varying the following experimental
      parameters: the type of lipid assemblies (premicellar aggregates and lipid
      bilayer vesicles), pH, temperature and lipid-to-protein molar ratio. It was found
      that oxPLs premicellar aggregates induced the more pronounced increase of the
      maximum Thioflavin T fluorescence, which is proportional to the extent of fibril
      formation, compared to the vesicles composed of the oxidized and unoxidized
      lipids. In contrast, the oxPLs, used as dispersions or included into vesicles,
      inhibited fibril nucleation and elongation under near-physiological conditions in
      vitro compared to liposomes containing unoxidized lipids. The results obtained
      provide deeper insight into the molecular mechanisms of the oxidative stress
      modulated conformational diseases, and could be employed for the anti-amyloid
      drug development.

PMID- 28355156
TI  - Combined thioflavin T-Congo red fluorescence assay for amyloid fibril detection.
AB  - Fluorescence represents one of the most powerful tools for the detection and
      structural characterization of the pathogenic protein aggregates, amyloid
      fibrils. The traditional approaches to the identification and quantification of
      amyloid fibrils are based on monitoring the fluorescence changes of the
      benzothiazole dye thioflavin T (ThT) and absorbance changes of the azo dye Congo
      red (CR). In routine screening it is usually sufficient to perform only the ThT
      and CR assays, but both of them, when used separately, could give false results.
      Moreover, fibrillization kinetics can be measured only by ThT fluorescence, while
      the characteristic absorption spectra and birefringence of CR represent more
      rigid criteria for the presence of amyloid fibrils. Therefore, it seemed
      reasonable to use both these dyes simultaneously, combining the advantages of
      each technique. To this end, we undertook a detailed analysis of the fluorescence
      spectral behavior of these unique amyloid tracers upon their binding to amyloid
      fibrils from lysozyme, insulin and an N-terminal fragment of apolipoprotein A-I
      with Iowa mutation. The fluorescence measurements revealed several criteria for
      distinguishing between fibrillar and monomeric protein states: (i) a common
      drastic increase in ThT fluorescence intensity; (ii) a sharp decrease in ThT
      fluorescence upon addition of CR; (iii) an appearance of the maximum at 535-540
      nm in the CR excitation spectra; (iv) increase in CR fluorescence intensity at
      610 nm. Based on these findings we designed a novel combined ThT-CR fluorescence
      assay for amyloid identification. Such an approach not only strengthens the
      reliability of the ThT assay, but also provides new opportunities for structural
      characterization of amyloid fibrils.

PMID- 28355157
TI  - Luminescence study of nanosized Al2O3:Tb3+ obtained by gas-dispersed synthesis.
AB  - Terbium-doped Al2O3 samples were obtained by gas-dispersed synthesis. It was
      shown that the resulting powders, with particle sizes of 10-70 nm, consist of a
      mixture of transition aluminas, among which the delta *-polymorph is dominant.
      The luminescence properties of Al2O3:Tb3+ have been studied upon excitation in
      the UV-visible range of the spectrum. It was found that Tb3+ ions cause several
      groups of inhomogeneously broadened emission bands in the range of 470-640 nm,
      which are characteristic for disordered materials. In addition, the emission
      spectra contain a broad band at about 450 nm and several narrower ones in the 680
      720 nm region. These features are attributed to surface defects and impurity Cr3+
      ions occupying Al3+ octahedral positions, respectively.

PMID- 28355158
TI  - Study on the interaction of 6-(2-morpholin-4-yl-ethyl)-6H-indolo [2,3
      b]quinoxaline hydrochloride with human serum albumin by fluorescence
      spectroscopy.
AB  - Under physiological conditions, in vitro interaction between the bio-active
      substance 6-(2-morpholin-4-yl-ethyl)-6H-indolo[2,3-b]quinoxaline hydrochloride
      (MIQ) and human serum albumin (HSA) was investigated at an excitation wavelength
      260 nm and at different temperatures (298 K, 308 K and 313 K) by fluorescence
      emission spectroscopy. From spectral analysis, MIQ showed a strong ability to
      quench the intrinsic fluorescence of HSA through a static quenching procedure.
      The binding constant is estimated asK A   =  2.55  *  10-4 l . mol-1 at 298 K.
      Based on the thermodynamic parameters evaluated from the van 't Hoff equation,
      the enthalpy change (DeltaH degrees ) and entropy change (DeltaS degrees ) were
      derived to be negative values. A value of 2.37 nm for the average distance r
      between MIQ (acceptor) and tryptophan residues of HSA (donor) was derived from
      the fluorescence resonance energy transfer. UV/vis absorption spectra were used
      to confirm the quenching mechanism.

PMID- 28355159
TI  - Fluorescent probes sensitive to changes in the cholesterol-to-phospholipids molar
      ratio in human platelet membranes during atherosclerosis.
AB  - Environment-sensitive fluorescent probes were used for the spectroscopic
      visualization of pathological changes in human platelet membranes during cerebral
      atherosclerosis. It has been estimated that the ratiometric probes 2-(2'
      hydroxyphenyl)-5-phenyl-1,3,4-oxadiazole and 2-phenyl-phenanthr[9,10]oxazole can
      detect changes in the cholesterol-to-phospholipids molar ratio in human platelet
      membranes during the disease.

PMID- 28355160
TI  - Probing protein-lipid interactions by FRET between membrane fluorophores.
AB  - Forster resonance energy transfer (FRET) is a powerful fluorescence technique
      that has found numerous applications in medicine and biology. One area where FRET
      proved to be especially informative involves the intermolecular interactions in
      biological membranes. The present study was focused on developing and verifying a
      Monte-Carlo approach to analyzing the results of FRET between the membrane-bound
      fluorophores. This approach was employed to quantify FRET from benzanthrone dye
      ABM to squaraine dye SQ-1 in the model protein-lipid system containing a
      polycationic globular protein lysozyme and negatively charged lipid vesicles
      composed of phosphatidylcholine and phosphatidylglycerol. It was found that
      acceptor redistribution between the lipid bilayer and protein binding sites
      resulted in the decrease of FRET efficiency. Quantification of this effect in
      terms of the proposed methodology yielded both structural and binding parameters
      of lysozyme-lipid complexes.

PMID- 28355161
TI  - Sensitive detection of PDT-induced cell damages with luminescent oxygen
      nanosensors.
AB  - In this work luminescent nanosensors specifically created for intracellular
      oxygen (ic-O2) were utilized to assess photodynamic therapy (PDT) -induced cell
      damages. Firstly, ic-O2 was demonstrated to be consumed much faster than
      extracellular O2 with respective O2 nanosensors. Using the ic-O2 nanosensors, PDT
      treated cells with different degree of impairment were then resolved according to
      the oxygen consumption rate (OCR). The evolving trend of cytotoxicity derived
      from OCRs was in agreement with cell viability obtained from 3-(4,5
      cimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyl tetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay. Moreover, the
      direct damage of PDT on cell mitochondria was successfully detected by monitoring
      respiration instantly after PDT treatment, which is actually beyond the scope of
      MTT assay. These results suggest that fluorescence sensing of ic-O2-associated
      cell respiration is promising and even may become a standardized method,
      complementary to MTT assay, to evaluate PDT-induced cytotoxicity.

PMID- 28355162
TI  - GFP as potential cellular viscosimeter.
AB  - The molecular dimensions of proteins such as green fluorescent protein (GFP) are
      large as compared to the ones of solvents like water or glycerol. The microscopic
      viscosity, which determines the resistance to diffusion of, e.g. GFP, is then the
      same as that determined from the resistance of the solvent to flow, which is
      known as macroscopic viscosity. GFP in water/glycerol mixtures senses this
      macroscopic viscosity, because the translational and rotational diffusion
      coefficients are proportional to the reciprocal value of the viscosity as
      predicted by the Stokes-Einstein equations. To test this hypothesis, we have
      performed time-resolved fluorescence anisotropy (reporting on rotational
      diffusion) and fluorescence correlation spectroscopy (reporting on translational
      diffusion) experiments of GFP in water/glycerol mixtures. When the solvent also
      contains macromolecules of similar or larger dimensions as GFP, the microscopic
      and macroscopic viscosities can be markedly different and the Stokes-Einstein
      relations must be adapted. It was established from previous dynamic fluorescence
      spectroscopy observations of diffusing proteins with dextran polysaccharides as
      co-solvents (Lavalette et al 2006 Eur. Biophys. J. 35 517-22), that rotation and
      translation sense a different microscopic viscosity, in which the one arising
      from rotation is always less than that from translation. A microscopic viscosity
      parameter is defined that depends on scaling factors between GFP and its
      immediate environment. The direct consequence is discussed for two reported
      diffusion coefficients of GFP in living cells.

PMID- 28355163
TI  - Self-assisted optothermal trapping of gold nanorods under two-photon excitation.
AB  - We report a self-assisted optothermal trapping and patterning of gold nanorods
      (GNRs) on glass surfaces with a femtosecond laser. We show that GNRs are not only
      the trapping targets, but also can enhance the optothermal trapping of other
      particles. This trapping phenomenon is the net result of thermophoresis and a
      convective flow caused by localized heating. The heating is due to the conversion
      of absorbed photons into heat at GNR's longitudinal surface plasmon resonance
      (LSPR) wavelength. First, we investigated the optothermal trapping of GNRs at
      their LSPR wavelength on the glass surface with as low as 0.5 mW laser power. The
      trapping range was observed to be larger than a typical field of view, e.g. 210
      um  *  210 um here. Second, by adjusting the distance between the laser focus and
      the glass surface, ring patterns of GNRs on the glass surface were obtained.
      These patterns could be controlled by the laser power and the numerical aperture
      of the microscope objective. Moreover, we examined the spectral emission of GNRs
      under different trapping conditions using the spectral phasor approach to reveal
      the temperature and association status of GNRs. Our study will help understanding
      manipulation of flows in solution and in biological systems that can be applied
      in future investigations of GNR-induced heating and flows.

PMID- 28355164
TI  - Bose-Einstein condensation and indirect excitons: a review.
AB  - We review recent progress on Bose-Einstein condensation (BEC) of semiconductor
      excitons. The first part deals with theory, the second part with experiments.
      This Review is written at a time where the problem of exciton Bose-Einstein
      condensation has just been revived by the understanding that the exciton
      condensate must be dark because the exciton ground state is not coupled to light.
      Here, we theoretically discuss this missed understanding before providing its
      experimental support through experiments that scrutinize indirect excitons made
      of spatially separated electrons and holes. The theoretical part first discusses
      condensation of elementary bosons. In particular, the necessary inhibition of
      condensate fragmentation by exchange interaction is stressed, before extending
      the discussion to interacting bosons with spin degrees of freedom. The
      theoretical part then considers composite bosons made of two fermions like
      semiconductor excitons. The spin structure of the excitons is detailed, with
      emphasis on the crucial fact that ground-state excitons are dark: indeed, this
      imposes the exciton Bose-Einstein condensate to be not coupled to light in the
      dilute regime. Condensate fragmentations are then reconsidered. In particular, it
      is shown that while at low density, the exciton condensate is fully dark, it
      acquires a bright component, coherent with the dark one, beyond a density
      threshold: in this regime, the exciton condensate is 'gray'. The experimental
      part first discusses optical creation of indirect excitons in quantum wells, and
      the detection of their photoluminescence. Exciton thermalisation is also
      addressed, as well as available approaches to estimate the exciton density. We
      then switch to specific experiments where indirect excitons form a macroscopic
      fragmented ring. We show that such ring provides efficient electrostatic trapping
      in the region of the fragments where an essentially-dark exciton Bose-Einstein
      condensate is formed at sub-Kelvin bath temperatures. The macroscopic spatial
      coherence of the photoluminescence observed in this essentially dark region
      confirms this conclusion.

PMID- 28355165
TI  - Environment-sensitive quinolone demonstrating long-lived fluorescence and
      unusually slow excited-state intramolecular proton transfer kinetics.
AB  - A new small fluorescent dye based on 3-hydroxybenzo[g]quinolone, a benzo-analogue
      of Pseudomonas quinolone signal species, has been synthesized. The dye
      demonstrates interesting optical properties, with absorption in the visible
      region, two band emission due to an excited-state intramolecular proton transfer
      (ESIPT) reaction and high fluorescence quantum yield in both protic and aprotic
      media. Time-resolved fluorescence spectroscopy shows that the ESIPT reaction time
      is unusually long (up to 8 ns), indicating that both forward and backward ESIPT
      reactions are very slow in comparison to other 3-hydroxyquinolones. In spite of
      these slow rate constants, the ESIPT reaction was found to show a reversible
      character as a result of the very long lifetimes of both N* and T* forms (up to
      16 ns). The ESIPT reaction rate is mainly controlled by the hydrogen bond donor
      ability in protic solvents and the polarity in aprotic solvents. Using large
      unilamellar vesicles and giant unilamellar vesicles of different lipid
      compositions, the probe was shown to preferentially label liquid disordered
      phases.

PMID- 28355166
TI  - Synchronisation through learning for two self-propelled swimmers.
AB  - The coordinated motion by multiple swimmers is a fundamental component in fish
      schooling. The flow field induced by the motion of each self-propelled swimmer
      implies non-linear hydrodynamic interactions among the members of a group. How do
      swimmers compensate for such hydrodynamic interactions in coordinated patterns?
      We provide an answer to this riddle though simulations of two, self-propelled,
      fish-like bodies that employ a learning algorithm to synchronise their swimming
      patterns. We distinguish between learned motion patterns and the commonly used a
      priori specified movements, that are imposed on the swimmers without feedback
      from their hydrodynamic interactions. First, we demonstrate that two rigid bodies
      executing pre-specified motions, with an alternating leader and follower, can
      result in substantial drag-reduction and intermittent thrust generation. In turn,
      we study two self-propelled swimmers arranged in a leader-follower configuration,
      with a-priori specified body-deformations. These two self-propelled swimmers do
      not sustain their tandem configuration. The follower experiences either an
      increase or decrease in swimming speed, depending on the initial conditions,
      while the swimming of the leader remains largely unaffected. This indicates that
      a-priori specified patterns are not sufficient to sustain synchronised swimming.
      We then examine a tandem of swimmers where the leader has a steady gait and the
      follower learns to synchronize its motion, to overcome the forces induced by the
      leader's vortex wake. The follower employs reinforcement learning to adapt its
      swimming-kinematics so as to minimize its lateral deviations from the leader's
      path. Swimming in such a sustained synchronised tandem yields up to [Formula: see
      text] reduction in energy expenditure for the follower, in addition to a
      [Formula: see text] increase in its swimming-efficiency. The present results show
      that two self-propelled swimmers can be synchronised by adapting their motion
      patterns to compensate for flow-structure interactions. Moreover, swimmers can
      exploit the vortical structures of their flow field so that synchronised swimming
      is energetically beneficial.

PMID- 28355167
TI  - Microvascular structure as a prognostically relevant endpoint.
AB  - Remodelling of subcutaneous small resistance arteries, as indicated by an
      increased media-to-lumen ratio, is frequently present in hypertensive, obese, or
      diabetic patients. The increased media-to-lumen ratio may impair organ flow
      reserve. This may be important in the maintenance and, probably, also in the
      progressive worsening of hypertensive disease. The presence of structural
      alterations represents a prognostically relevant factor, in terms of development
      of target organ damage or cardiovascular events, thus allowing us a prediction of
      complications in hypertension. In fact, media-to-lumen ratio of small arteries at
      baseline, and possibly their changes during treatment may have a strong
      prognostic significance. However, new, non-invasive techniques are needed before
      suggesting extensive application of the evaluation of remodelling of small
      arteries for the cardiovascular risk stratification in hypertensive patients.
      Some new techniques for the evaluation of microvascular morphology in the retina,
      currently under clinical investigation, seem to represent a promising and
      interesting future perspective. The evaluation of microvascular structure is
      progressively moving from bench to bedside, and it could represent, in the near
      future, an evaluation to be performed in all hypertensive patients, to obtain a
      better stratification of cardiovascular risk, and, possibly, it might be
      considered as an intermediate endpoint in the evaluation of the effects of
      antihypertensive therapy, provided that a demonstration of a prognostic value of
      non-invasive measures of microvascular structure is made available.

PMID- 28355168
TI  - Associations of plasma uric acid and purine metabolites with blood pressure in
      children: the KOALA Birth Cohort Study.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: Elevated serum uric acid concentration has been associated with high
      blood pressure (BP) and hypertension. A putative underlying mechanism is the
      accumulation of reactive oxygen species when uric acid is generated by an
      increased enzyme activity of xanthine oxidase (XO). The aims of the present study
      were to investigate the associations between plasma uric acid concentration,
      purine metabolite ratios, as proxies for increased XO activity, and SBP and DBP
      in school-age children. METHODS: Cross-sectional analyses were performed in 246
      children (46% boys; mean age 7.1 years) from the Dutch KOALA Birth Cohort Study.
      Purine metabolites were determined with ultra-performance liquid chromatography
      tandem mass spectrometry. During a home visit, a nurse collected a blood sample
      and measured BP three times; in addition, parents measured their child's BP on
      three consecutive days, in the morning and evening. Generalized estimating
      equations were used for analyses while controlling for variables such as sex,
      age, BMI, physical activity, and dietary intake. RESULTS: In multivariable
      analysis, uric acid (per SD of 38 MUmol/l) was associated with DBP z-scores
      [sbeta 0.07; confidence interval (CI), 0.01-1.14], but not with SBP z-scores.
      Higher ratios of uric acid/xanthine (per SD of 138) (sbeta 0.09; CI, 0.01-0.17)
      and xanthine/hypoxanthine (per SD of 321) (sbeta 0.08; CI, 0.02-0.17) were
      associated with higher DBP z-scores, but not with SBP z-scores. CONCLUSION: In
      school-age children, uric acid and the ratios of uric acid/xanthine and
      xanthine/hypoxanthine were significantly associated with DBP z-scores. Suggesting
      that, both uric acid concentration and increased XO activity are associated with
      BP.

PMID- 28355169
TI  - The systolic-diastolic difference in carotid stiffness is increased in type 2
      diabetes: The Maastricht Study.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: In type 2 diabetes (T2D), increased arterial stiffening results from
      accelerated arterial wall matrix remodeling. The associated structural
      alterations modify the pressure dependency of arterial stiffness, which can be
      quantified by the systolic-diastolic difference in carotid pulse wave velocity
      (deltaPWV). We evaluated the association between T2D and deltaPWV as marker for
      matrix remodeling and whether deltaPWV may contain additional information beyond
      carotid stiffness (cPWV). METHODS: In 746 individuals from The Maastricht Study,
      415 with normal glucose metabolism; 126 with prediabetes; and 205 with T2D,
      carotid pulse wave velocity (cPWV) and deltaPWV were determined by
      ultrasonography and tonometry. Multiple linear regression analyses were used to
      investigate associations of glucose metabolism status (with normal glucose
      metabolism as reference) with cPWV and deltaPWV, adjusting for age, sex, mean
      arterial pressure, prior cardiovascular disease, estimated glomerular filtration
      rate and smoking, and deltaPWV or cPWV as appropriate. RESULTS: After adjustment
      for age, sex, mean arterial pressure, prior cardiovascular disease, estimated
      glomerular filtration rate and smoking, T2D was associated with greater cPWV
      [beta (95% confidence interval) 0.376 (0.119; 0.632)] and deltaPWV [0.301 (0.013;
      0.589)]. After additional adjustment for deltaPWV or cPWV, associations of T2D
      with cPWV and deltaPWV were attenuated [0.294 (0.048; 0.539) and 0.173 (-0.103;
      0.449), respectively]. Prediabetes was not associated with either cPWV or
      deltaPWV. CONCLUSION: The systolic-diastolic difference in carotid stiffness is
      increased in T2D, but not prediabetes. Importantly, the association was not
      abolished by carotid stiffness, which suggests that systolic-diastolic difference
      in carotid stiffness carries additional information regarding arterial matrix
      remodeling.

PMID- 28355170
TI  - Comparing Practice Patterns Between Pediatric and General Emergency Medicine
      Physicians: A Scoping Review.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: Acutely ill infants and children presenting to the emergency
      department are treated by either physicians with pediatric emergency medicine
      (PEM) training or physicians without PEM training, a good proportion of which are
      general emergency medicine-trained physicians (GEDPs). This scoping review
      identified published literature comparing the care provided to infants and
      children (<=21 years of age) by PEM-trained physicians to that provided by GEDPs.
      METHODS: The search was conducted in 2 main steps as follows: (1) initial
      literature search to identify available literature with evolving feedback from
      the group while simultaneously deciding search concepts as well as inclusion and
      exclusion criteria and (2) modification of search concepts and conduction of
      search using finalized concepts as well as review and selection of articles for
      final analysis using set inclusion criteria. Each study was independently
      assessed by 2 reviewers for eligibility and quality. Data were independently
      abstracted by reviewers, and authors were contacted for missing data. RESULTS:
      Our search yielded 3137 titles and abstracts. Twenty articles reporting 19
      studies were included in the final analysis. The studies were grouped under type
      of care, diagnostic studies, medication administration, and process of care. The
      studies addressed differences in the management of fever, croup, bronchiolitis,
      asthma, urticaria, febrile seizures, and diabetic ketoacidosis. CONCLUSIONS: This
      review highlights the lack of robust studies and heterogeneity of literature
      comparing practice patterns of PEM-trained physicians with GEDPs. We have
      outlined a systematic approach to reviewing a body of literature for topics that
      lack clear terms of comparison across studies.

PMID- 28355171
TI  - Glaucoma Mini-Shunt Implantation After Keratoplasty.
AB  - PURPOSE: To report the outcomes of patients who underwent miniature glaucoma
      shunt implantation after secondary glaucoma due to keratoplasty. MATERIALS AND
      METHODS: Prospective study of consecutive clinical cases who underwent mini
      glaucoma shunt implantation following keratoplasty. In brief, a fornix-based
      conjunctival flap was performed, approximately 50% thickness scleral flap.
      Mitomycin C 0.025% placed under Tenon's capsule. A 25-G needle created entry for
      mini-shunt. Ex-PRESS model P-50 was inserted. Scleral flap and conjunctiva were
      closed with 10-0 Nylon. STATA 8.0 and SPSS software were used for statistical
      analysis. RESULTS: Seventeen eyes of 17 patients with a mean age of 39.70 years
      (SD=18.33, range: 18 to 76). A total of 64.70% were male and 35.30% female.
      Eleven cases after penetrating keratoplasty, 3 cases after triple procedure, 2
      after deep anterior lamellar keratoplasty, and 1 following endothelial
      keratoplasty. Most of the indications for keratoplasty were keratoconus in 9
      cases (52.94%), 4 due to endothelial failure (23.52%), 3 cases of herpetic
      keratitis (17.64%), and 1 case of post-LASIK ectasia (5.88%). Mean preoperative
      intraocular pressure was 35.94 mm Hg with maximal medical therapy (SD=9.65,
      range: 18 to 55). Decreasing intraocular pressure to 12.76 mm Hg postoperatively
      (SD=2.51, range 10 to 18) (P=0.001). Mean follow-up after mini-glaucoma shunt
      implantation was 23.76 months (SD=8.73, range: 10 to 35 mo). Preoperative mean
      uncorrected distance visual acuity (UDVA) was 1.31+/-0.63 (20/408 Snellen) and
      postoperative mean UDVA was 0.85+/-0.40 (20/141 Snellen) (P=0.001). Preoperative
      mean corrected distance visual acuity (CDVA) was 0.83+/-0.76 (20/135 Snellen) and
      postoperative mean CDVA was 0.56+/-0.44 (20/72 Snellen) (P=0.032). CONCLUSIONS:
      Ex-PRESS miniature glaucoma shunt could be an alternative treatment in
      postkeratoplasty glaucoma resistant to medical treatment. This technique may be
      helpful, in trying to avoid corneal damage produced by conventional glaucoma
      procedures.

PMID- 28355172
TI  - Eyepass Glaucoma Implant in Open-Angle Glaucoma After Failed Conventional Medical
      Therapy: Clinical Results of a 5-Year-Follow-up.
AB  - PURPOSE OF THE STUDY: The purpose of the study was to evaluate the long-term
      safety and intraocular pressure (IOP) lowering effect of the Eyepass glaucoma
      implant (GMP Vision Solutions, Inc.). PATIENTS AND METHODS: The prospective study
      included 15 patients (16 eyes) with primary open-angle glaucoma who underwent an
      implantation of the Y-shaped Eyepass glaucoma implant. This shunt diverts aqueous
      from the anterior chamber directly into Schlemm's canal to increase outflow and
      to lower the IOP. IOP, visual acuity, potential complications and the number of
      antiglaucomatous medications were monitored over a period of 5 years. RESULTS:
      The implant was successfully inserted in 14 of 16 eyes. Mean IOP was reduced from
      26.4+/-8.1 mm Hg (SD) to 16.4+/-5.3 mm Hg (P=0.032) at the end of the follow-up.
      Mean number of antiglaucomatous medications dropped from 2.1+/-1.2 (SD) to 0.9+/
      1.2 (SD). In 5 cases, no pressure-lowering medications were necessary 5 years
      after surgery. Mean best-corrected visual acuity did not change significantly
      (P>0.05). In all cases, filtering blebs were observed and sustained using
      antimetabolites. The most common complication was temporary ocular hypotony. Two
      patients required a revision surgery due to implant malposition. CONCLUSIONS: The
      Eyepass glaucoma implant seems to be a safe and effective treatment option for
      patients with primary open-angle glaucoma. The use of this device resulted in a
      significant decrease of IOP.

PMID- 28355173
TI  - Glaucoma Diagnostic Capability of Circumpapillary Retinal Nerve Fiber Layer
      Thickness in Circle Scans With Different Diameters.
AB  - PURPOSE: To compare varying circumpapillary optical coherence tomographic (OCT)
      scan diameters for glaucoma diagnosis. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Prospective, cross
      sectional, observational study. Circumpapillary retinal nerve fiber layer
      thickness (RNFLT) was measured using spectral-domain OCT in 1 randomly selected
      eye. Scans with diameters of 3.5, 4.1, and 4.7 mm were obtained, each with 7
      parameters: mean global (G) RNFLT and mean RNFLT for the temporal-inferior (TI),
      nasal-inferior (NI), temporal-superior (TS), nasal-superior (NS), nasal (N), and
      temporal (T) sectors. Areas under the receiver operating characteristic curve
      (AUCs) were calculated. RESULTS: Mean age was 55+/-18 years in 68 healthy eyes
      and 59+/-15 years in 95 glaucomatous eyes (P=0.12). Visual field mean deviation
      was -7.55+/-6.61 dB in glaucomatous eyes. In all 3 circle scans, mean TI RNFLT
      had the greatest AUC (0.974 to 0.983), followed by mean G RNFLT (0.949 to 0.956).
      The AUC of mean TI RNFLT in the 4.1-mm scan (0.983) was greater than the AUCs of
      mean TI RNFLTs in the 4.7- (0.978; P=0.128) and 3.5-mm (0.974; P=0.049) scans.
      The AUC of mean TI RNFLT in the 4.1-mm scan (0.983) was greater than the AUCs of
      mean G RNFLTs in the 3.5- (0.954; P=0.011), 4.1- (0.956; P=0.016), and 4.7-mm
      (0.949; P=0.011) scans. In 2 eyes with large parapapillary atrophy, RNFL
      segmentation error was noted only in the 3.5-mm scan in the area of parapapillary
      atrophy. CONCLUSIONS: Further investigations to find the spectral-domain OCT
      circle scan diameter with the best diagnostic capability and the least artifacts
      are warranted, especially focusing on larger-than-conventional circle scans.

PMID- 28355174
TI  - Nonmedical Out-of-Pocket Patient and Companion Expenditures Associated With
      Glaucoma Care.
AB  - PURPOSE: Nonmedical out-of-pocket cost to both patients and their companions of
      office visits for routine glaucoma care has not been extensively studied in the
      United States. We evaluate potential key predictors of patient expenditures that
      are critical to assessing the cost-effectiveness of glaucoma health care
      delivery. MATERIALS AND METHODS: In total, 300 patients responded to the survey
      in 3 clinics in 2 clinical practice settings. Main outcome measures included both
      average visit and yearly expenditures. RESULTS: Of the 300 patients, the majority
      were female (n=187, 62.3%) and African American (n=171, 57.0%). The median age
      was 66 years. The median [range; mean (SD)] expenditure per patient visit was
      $22.10 ($11.1, $42.9; $44.1 (72.8)). Patients with companions paid $38.77 more in
      average visit expenditure (beta: 0.87, P<0.001). The average visit expenditure
      for retired patients was $17.37 less when compared with nonretired patients
      (beta: -0.4, P=0.004). Patients living in a rural or suburban area paid $43.91
      and $14.13 more per visit, respectively (beta: 0.73, P=0.0004; beta: 0.31,
      P=0.03), compared with patients living in an urban area. Patients with
      noncommercial insurance paid $24.01 less in average visit expenditure (beta: 
      0.66, P=0.0008). The median yearly patient expenditure was $96.70 [$44.6, $222.7;
      $210.4 (333.9)]. Patients with companions paid $192.37 more in yearly expenditure
      (beta: 0.9, P<0.001) than those without companions, whereas retired patients paid
      $80.83 less in yearly expenditure (beta: -0.39, P=0.03) than nonretirees.
      Patients with noncommercial insurance paid $109.34 less in yearly expenditure
      (beta: -0.63, P=0.01). CONCLUSIONS: Although a small part of the total cost of
      glaucoma care, nonmedical out-of-pocket costs constitute a substantial noncovered
      medical expense to most patients in the United States. Patients who are employed,
      come with companions, live in nonurban areas, or are on Medicare have greater
      expenditures.

PMID- 28355175
TI  - Synergistic Cytotoxicity of beta-Elemene and Cisplatin in Gingival Squamous Cell
      Carcinoma by Inhibition of STAT3 Signaling Pathway.
AB  - BACKGROUND Cisplatin remains one of the most active agents and is the mainstay of
      combination chemotherapy regimens against gingival squamous cell carcinoma.
      However, the efficacy of cisplatin is limited by its high toxicity and the
      development of drug resistance. beta-elemene, isolated from the Chinese herb
      Rhizoma zedoariahas, is highly effective against malignancies and has low
      toxicity, but the development of beta-elemene sensitizing chemotherapy in
      targeting the STAT3 signaling pathway remains unexplored in gingival squamous
      cell carcinoma. The present study was conducted to assess the chemosensitizing
      effects of b-elemene for enhancing the cytotoxicity of cisplatin in gingival
      squamous cell carcinoma. MATERIAL AND METHODS The gingival squamous cell
      carcinoma YD-38 cell line was used. MTT assay, clonogenic assay, annexin V/PI
      apoptosis assay, Western blot analysis, and xenograft model treatment were
      carried out in vitro and in vivo. RESULTS beta-elemene significantly enhanced
      proliferative inhibition and cisplatin induced apoptosis in gingival squamous
      cell carcinoma. Cisplatin combined with beta-elemene decreased the expressions of
      p-STAT3, p-JAK2, and Bcl-2, and increased the expressions of Bax and caspase-3
      significantly compared to cisplatin only treatment, as well as in the xenograft
      model. CONCLUSIONS The results indicated that beta-elemene promoted the anti
      proliferative and apoptotic effect of cisplatin by inhibiting STAT3 and blocking
      the JAK2-STAT3 signaling pathway in GSCC in vitro and in vivo.

PMID- 28355176
TI  - Visualization and targeting of LGR5+ human colon cancer stem cells.
AB  - The cancer stem cell (CSC) theory highlights a self-renewing subpopulation of
      cancer cells that fuels tumour growth. The existence of human CSCs is mainly
      supported by xenotransplantation of prospectively isolated cells, but their
      clonal dynamics and plasticity remain unclear. Here, we show that human LGR5+
      colorectal cancer cells serve as CSCs in growing cancer tissues. Lineage-tracing
      experiments with a tamoxifen-inducible Cre knock-in allele of LGR5 reveal the
      self-renewal and differentiation capacity of LGR5+ tumour cells. Selective
      ablation of LGR5+ CSCs in LGR5-iCaspase9 knock-in organoids leads to tumour
      regression, followed by tumour regrowth driven by re-emerging LGR5+ CSCs. KRT20
      knock-in reporter marks differentiated cancer cells that constantly diminish in
      tumour tissues, while reverting to LGR5+ CSCs and contributing to tumour regrowth
      after LGR5+ CSC ablation. We also show that combined chemotherapy potentiates
      targeting of LGR5+ CSCs. These data provide insights into the plasticity of CSCs
      and their potential as a therapeutic target in human colorectal cancer.

PMID- 28355177
TI  - Optically excited structural transition in atomic wires on surfaces at the
      quantum limit.
AB  - Transient control over the atomic potential-energy landscapes of solids could
      lead to new states of matter and to quantum control of nuclear motion on the
      timescale of lattice vibrations. Recently developed ultrafast time-resolved
      diffraction techniques combine ultrafast temporal manipulation with atomic-scale
      spatial resolution and femtosecond temporal resolution. These advances have
      enabled investigations of photo-induced structural changes in bulk solids that
      often occur on timescales as short as a few hundred femtoseconds. In contrast,
      experiments at surfaces and on single atomic layers such as graphene report
      timescales of structural changes that are orders of magnitude longer. This raises
      the question of whether the structural response of low-dimensional materials to
      femtosecond laser excitation is, in general, limited. Here we show that a photo
      induced transition from the low- to high-symmetry state of a charge density wave
      in atomic indium (In) wires supported by a silicon (Si) surface takes place
      within 350 femtoseconds. The optical excitation breaks and creates In-In bonds,
      leading to the non-thermal excitation of soft phonon modes, and drives the
      structural transition in the limit of critically damped nuclear motion through
      coupling of these soft phonon modes to a manifold of surface and interface
      phonons that arise from the symmetry breaking at the silicon surface. This
      finding demonstrates that carefully tuned electronic excitations can create non
      equilibrium potential energy surfaces that drive structural dynamics at
      interfaces in the quantum limit (that is, in a regime in which the nuclear motion
      is directed and deterministic). This technique could potentially be used to tune
      the dynamic response of a solid to optical excitation, and has widespread
      potential application, for example in ultrafast detectors.

PMID- 28355178
TI  - Corrigendum: Carcinoma-astrocyte gap junctions promote brain metastasis by cGAMP
      transfer.

PMID- 28355179
TI  - CRISPR-Cas systems exploit viral DNA injection to establish and maintain adaptive
      immunity.
AB  - Clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPR)-Cas systems
      provide protection against viral and plasmid infection by capturing short DNA
      sequences from these invaders and integrating them into the CRISPR locus of the
      prokaryotic host. These sequences, known as spacers, are transcribed into short
      CRISPR RNA guides that specify the cleavage site of Cas nucleases in the genome
      of the invader. It is not known when spacer sequences are acquired during viral
      infection. Here, to investigate this, we tracked spacer acquisition in
      Staphylococcus aureus cells harbouring a type II CRISPR-Cas9 system after
      infection with the staphylococcal bacteriophage phi12. We found that new spacers
      were acquired immediately after infection preferentially from the cos site, the
      viral free DNA end that is first injected into the cell. Analysis of spacer
      acquisition after infection with mutant phages demonstrated that most spacers are
      acquired during DNA injection, but not during other stages of the viral cycle
      that produce free DNA ends, such as DNA replication or packaging. Finally, we
      showed that spacers acquired from early-injected genomic regions, which direct
      Cas9 cleavage of the viral DNA immediately after infection, provide better
      immunity than spacers acquired from late-injected regions. Our results reveal
      that CRISPR-Cas systems exploit the phage life cycle to generate a pattern of
      spacer acquisition that ensures a successful CRISPR immune response.

PMID- 28355180
TI  - DHX9 suppresses RNA processing defects originating from the Alu invasion of the
      human genome.
AB  - Transposable elements are viewed as 'selfish genetic elements', yet they
      contribute to gene regulation and genome evolution in diverse ways. More than
      half of the human genome consists of transposable elements. Alu elements belong
      to the short interspersed nuclear element (SINE) family of repetitive elements,
      and with over 1 million insertions they make up more than 10% of the human
      genome. Despite their abundance and the potential evolutionary advantages they
      confer, Alu elements can be mutagenic to the host as they can act as splice
      acceptors, inhibit translation of mRNAs and cause genomic instability. Alu
      elements are the main targets of the RNA-editing enzyme ADAR and the formation of
      Alu exons is suppressed by the nuclear ribonucleoprotein HNRNPC, but the broad
      effect of massive secondary structures formed by inverted-repeat Alu elements on
      RNA processing in the nucleus remains unknown. Here we show that DHX9, an
      abundant nuclear RNA helicase, binds specifically to inverted-repeat Alu elements
      that are transcribed as parts of genes. Loss of DHX9 leads to an increase in the
      number of circular-RNA-producing genes and amount of circular RNAs, translational
      repression of reporters containing inverted-repeat Alu elements, and
      transcriptional rewiring (the creation of mostly nonsensical novel connections
      between exons) of susceptible loci. Biochemical purifications of DHX9 identify
      the interferon-inducible isoform of ADAR (p150), but not the constitutively
      expressed ADAR isoform (p110), as an RNA-independent interaction partner. Co
      depletion of ADAR and DHX9 augments the double-stranded RNA accumulation defects,
      leading to increased circular RNA production, revealing a functional link between
      these two enzymes. Our work uncovers an evolutionarily conserved function of
      DHX9. We propose that it acts as a nuclear RNA resolvase that neutralizes the
      immediate threat posed by transposon insertions and allows these elements to
      evolve as tools for the post-transcriptional regulation of gene expression.

PMID- 28355181
TI  - Evolutionary dynamics on any population structure.
AB  - Evolution occurs in populations of reproducing individuals. The structure of a
      population can affect which traits evolve. Understanding evolutionary game
      dynamics in structured populations remains difficult. Mathematical results are
      known for special structures in which all individuals have the same number of
      neighbours. The general case, in which the number of neighbours can vary, has
      remained open. For arbitrary selection intensity, the problem is in a
      computational complexity class that suggests there is no efficient algorithm.
      Whether a simple solution for weak selection exists has remained unanswered. Here
      we provide a solution for weak selection that applies to any graph or network.
      Our method relies on calculating the coalescence times of random walks. We
      evaluate large numbers of diverse population structures for their propensity to
      favour cooperation. We study how small changes in population structure-graph
      surgery-affect evolutionary outcomes. We find that cooperation flourishes most in
      societies that are based on strong pairwise ties.

PMID- 28355182
TI  - Postsynaptic synaptotagmins mediate AMPA receptor exocytosis during LTP.
AB  - Strengthening of synaptic connections by NMDA (N-methyl-d-aspartate) receptor
      dependent long-term potentiation (LTP) shapes neural circuits and mediates
      learning and memory. During the induction of NMDA-receptor-dependent LTP, Ca2+
      influx stimulates recruitment of synaptic AMPA (alpha-amino-3-hydroxy-5-methyl-4
      isoxazole propionic acid) receptors, thereby strengthening synapses. How Ca2+
      induces the recruitment of AMPA receptors remains unclear. Here we show that, in
      the pyramidal neurons of the hippocampal CA1 region in mice, blocking
      postsynaptic expression of both synaptotagmin-1 (Syt1) and synaptotagmin-7
      (Syt7), but not of either alone, abolished LTP. LTP was restored by expression of
      wild-type Syt7 but not of a Ca2+-binding-deficient mutant Syt7. Blocking
      postsynaptic expression of Syt1 and Syt7 did not impair basal synaptic
      transmission, reduce levels of synaptic or extrasynaptic AMPA receptors, or alter
      other AMPA receptor trafficking events. Moreover, expression of dominant-negative
      mutant Syt1 which inhibits Ca2+-dependent presynaptic vesicle exocytosis, also
      blocked Ca2+-dependent postsynaptic AMPA receptor exocytosis, thereby abolishing
      LTP. Our results suggest that postsynaptic Syt1 and Syt7 act as redundant Ca2+
      sensors for Ca2+-dependent exocytosis of AMPA receptors during LTP, and thereby
      delineate a simple mechanism for the recruitment of AMPA receptors that mediates
      LTP.

PMID- 28355183
TI  - Single-nucleus Hi-C reveals unique chromatin reorganization at oocyte-to-zygote
      transition.
AB  - Chromatin is reprogrammed after fertilization to produce a totipotent zygote with
      the potential to generate a new organism. The maternal genome inherited from the
      oocyte and the paternal genome provided by sperm coexist as separate haploid
      nuclei in the zygote. How these two epigenetically distinct genomes are spatially
      organized is poorly understood. Existing chromosome conformation capture-based
      methods are not applicable to oocytes and zygotes owing to a paucity of material.
      To study three-dimensional chromatin organization in rare cell types, we
      developed a single-nucleus Hi-C (high-resolution chromosome conformation capture)
      protocol that provides greater than tenfold more contacts per cell than the
      previous method. Here we show that chromatin architecture is uniquely reorganized
      during the oocyte-to-zygote transition in mice and is distinct in paternal and
      maternal nuclei within single-cell zygotes. Features of genomic organization
      including compartments, topologically associating domains (TADs) and loops are
      present in individual oocytes when averaged over the genome, but the presence of
      each feature at a locus varies between cells. At the sub-megabase level, we
      observed stochastic clusters of contacts that can occur across TAD boundaries but
      average into TADs. Notably, we found that TADs and loops, but not compartments,
      are present in zygotic maternal chromatin, suggesting that these are generated by
      different mechanisms. Our results demonstrate that the global chromatin
      organization of zygote nuclei is fundamentally different from that of other
      interphase cells. An understanding of this zygotic chromatin 'ground state' could
      potentially provide insights into reprogramming cells to a state of totipotency.

PMID- 28355184
TI  - Smart wing rotation and trailing-edge vortices enable high frequency mosquito
      flight.
AB  - Mosquitoes exhibit unusual wing kinematics; their long, slender wings flap at
      remarkably high frequencies for their size (>800 Hz)and with lower stroke
      amplitudes than any other insect group. This shifts weight support away from the
      translation-dominated, aerodynamic mechanisms used by most insects, as well as by
      helicopters and aeroplanes, towards poorly understood rotational mechanisms that
      occur when pitching at the end of each half-stroke. Here we report free-flight
      mosquito wing kinematics, solve the full Navier-Stokes equations using
      computational fluid dynamics with overset grids, and validate our results with in
      vivo flow measurements. We show that, although mosquitoes use familiar separated
      flow patterns, much of the aerodynamic force that supports their weight is
      generated in a manner unlike any previously described for a flying animal. There
      are three key features: leading-edge vortices (a well-known mechanism that
      appears to be almost ubiquitous in insect flight), trailing-edge vortices caused
      by a form of wake capture at stroke reversal, and rotational drag. The two new
      elements are largely independent of the wing velocity, instead relying on rapid
      changes in the pitch angle (wing rotation) at the end of each half-stroke, and
      they are therefore relatively immune to the shallow flapping amplitude. Moreover,
      these mechanisms are particularly well suited to high aspect ratio mosquito
      wings.

PMID- 28355186
TI  - Ebola: The great ape gamble.

PMID- 28355187
TI  - Environment: Hothouse of disease.

PMID- 28355188
TI  - Perspective: The one-health way.

PMID- 28355185
TI  - Myeloid progenitor cluster formation drives emergency and leukaemic myelopoiesis.
AB  - Although many aspects of blood production are well understood, the spatial
      organization of myeloid differentiation in the bone marrow remains unknown. Here
      we use imaging to track granulocyte/macrophage progenitor (GMP) behaviour in mice
      during emergency and leukaemic myelopoiesis. In the steady state, we find
      individual GMPs scattered throughout the bone marrow. During regeneration, we
      observe expanding GMP patches forming defined GMP clusters, which, in turn,
      locally differentiate into granulocytes. The timed release of important bone
      marrow niche signals (SCF, IL-1beta, G-CSF, TGFbeta and CXCL4) and activation of
      an inducible Irf8 and beta-catenin progenitor self-renewal network control the
      transient formation of regenerating GMP clusters. In leukaemia, we show that GMP
      clusters are constantly produced owing to persistent activation of the self
      renewal network and a lack of termination cytokines that normally restore
      haematopoietic stem-cell quiescence. Our results uncover a previously
      unrecognized dynamic behaviour of GMPs in situ, which tunes emergency
      myelopoiesis and is hijacked in leukaemia.

PMID- 28355189
TI  - Parasites: Kitty carriers.

PMID- 28355190
TI  - Microbiome: Puppy power.

PMID- 28355191
TI  - Climate change: As the ice melts.

PMID- 28355192
TI  - Animal health.

PMID- 28355193
TI  - Pets: Millennia together.

PMID- 28355194
TI  - Dogs: The riddle of resistance.

PMID- 28355196
TI  - Response to Sabour.

PMID- 28355195
TI  - The relationship of human milk leptin and macronutrients with gastric emptying in
      term breastfed infants.
AB  - BackgroundInfants breastfed on demand exhibit a variety of feeding patterns and
      self-regulate their nutrient intake, but factors influencing their gastric
      emptying (GE) are poorly understood. Despite research into appetite regulation
      properties of leptin, there is limited information about relationships between
      human milk leptin and infant GE.MethodsGastric volumes were calculated from
      ultrasound scans of infants' stomachs (n=20) taken before and after
      breastfeeding, and then every 12.5 min (median; range: 3-45 min) until the next
      feed. Skim milk leptin and macronutrient concentrations were measured and doses
      were calculated.ResultsThe leptin concentration was (mean+/-SD) 0.51+/-0.16
      ng/ml; the leptin dose was 45.5+/-20.5 ng per feed. No relationships between both
      concentration and dose of leptin and time between the feeds (P=0.57; P=1,
      respectively) or residual stomach volumes before the subsequent feed (P=0.20;
      P=0.050) were found. Post-feed stomach volumes (GE rate) were not associated with
      leptin concentration (P=0.77) or dose (P=0.85).ConclusionGE in term breastfed
      infants was not associated with either skim milk leptin concentration or dose.
      Further investigation with inclusion of whole-milk leptin and other hormones that
      affect gastrointestinal activity is warranted.

PMID- 28355197
TI  - Response to "Commentary on identity of fibroblast pneumocyte factor: rat vs.
      human".

PMID- 28355198
TI  - Effects of osteopontin-enriched formula on lymphocyte subsets in the first 6
      months of life: a randomized controlled trial.
AB  - BackgroundHuman milk is rich in osteopontin (OPN), which has immunomodulatory
      functions.MethodsIn a randomized controlled trial, standard formula (SF) and the
      same formula with 65 mg of OPN/L (F65) or 130 mg of OPN/L (F130), representing
      ~50 and 100% of the OPN concentration in human milk, were compared. We examined
      frequencies and composition of peripheral blood immune cells by four-color
      immunoflow cytometry of formula-fed infants at ages 1, 4, and 6 months, and
      compared them with a breastfed (BF) reference group.ResultsThe F130 group had
      increased T-cell proportions compared with the SF (P=0.036, average effect size
      0.51) and F65 groups (P=0.008, average effect size 0.65). Compared with the BF
      group, the monocyte proportions were increased in the F65 (P=0.001, average
      effect size 0.59) and F130 (P=0.006, average effect size 0.50) groups, but were
      comparable among the formula groups.ConclusionOPN in an infant formula at a
      concentration close to that of human milk increased the proportion of circulating
      T cells compared with both SF and formula with added OPN at ~50% of the
      concentration in human milk. This suggests that OPN may favorably influence
      immune ontogeny in infancy and that the effects appear to be dose-dependent.

PMID- 28355199
TI  - Commentary on the identity of fibroblast pneumocyte factor: rat vs. human.

PMID- 28355200
TI  - Electronic cigarette use is not associated with quitting of conventional
      cigarettes in youth smokers.
AB  - BackgroundTo investigate the association between electronic cigarette (e-cig) use
      and smoking cessation among smokers who called the Youth Quitline in Hong
      Kong.MethodsThis longitudinal study collected data on youth smokers' (N=189) use
      and perception of e-cigs, conventional cigarette smoking behavior, and
      sociodemographic characteristics at baseline. Self-reported past 7-day point
      prevalence of abstinence (PPA) was assessed in the 6-month telephone follow-up.
      Linear and logistic regressions were used to estimate the association of e-cig
      use with quitting cigarette smoking and other cessation-related outcomes.ResultsE
      cig users were younger, more addicted to nicotine, and less ready to quit (all
      P<0.05) at baseline. The PPA rate was lower in e-cig users (13.4% vs. 20.8%) at
      follow-up. E-cig use was not associated with PPA at the 6-month follow-up (odds
      ratio (OR): 0.56, 95% CI: 0.24 to 1.35), but it was nonsignificantly related to
      more cessation attempts (raw coefficient (b): 1.26, 95% CI: -0.13 to 2.66). Among
      those who still smoked, e-cig use was nonsignificantly associated with intention
      to quit smoking (OR: 0.55, 95% CI: 0.15 to 2.05), nicotine dependence (Fagerstrom
      score, b: 0.75, 95% CI: -0.39 to 1.90), and perceptions on quitting cigarette
      smoking.ConclusionE-cig use was not associated with successful smoking cessation
      among Youth Quitline smokers.

PMID- 28355201
TI  - Sex and age differences in phenylephrine mechanisms and outcomes after piglet
      brain injury.
AB  - BackgroundTraumatic brain injury (TBI) is the leading cause of injury-related
      death in children, with boys and children under 4 years of age having
      particularly poor outcomes. Cerebral autoregulation is often impaired after TBI,
      contributing to poor outcome. In prior studies on newborn pigs, phenylephrine
      (Phe) preferentially protected cerebral autoregulation in female but not in male
      subjects after TBI. We hypothesized that, in contrast to the newborn, Phe
      prevents impairment of autoregulation and tissue injury following TBI in both
      sexes of older pigs.MethodsCerebral autoregulation, cerebrospinal fluid (CSF)
      extracellular signal-related kinase (ERK) and endothelin, and histopathology were
      determined after moderate fluid percussion brain injury (FPI) in male and female
      juvenile pigs after Phe.ResultsAutoregulation was more impaired in male than in
      female subjects. Phe protects autoregulation in both sexes after FPI, blocks ERK
      and endothelin, and decreases the number of necrotic neurons in male and female
      subjects after FPI.ConclusionsThese data indicate that Phe protects
      autoregulation and limits neuronal necrosis via blockage of ERK and endothelin
      after FPI in male and female subjects. Together with prior observations in
      newborn pigs where Phe protected autoregulation in female but not in male
      subjects, these data suggest that use of Phe to improve outcomes after TBI is
      both sex- and age-dependent.

PMID- 28355203
TI  - Response to Torday.

PMID- 28355202
TI  - MicroRNA-155 modulates bile duct inflammation by targeting the suppressor of
      cytokine signaling 1 in biliary atresia.
AB  - BackgroundBiliary atresia (BA) is an etiologically perplexing disease, manifested
      by neonatal cholestasis, repeated cholangitis, and progressive biliary fibrosis.
      MiR-155 has been implicated to modulate the immune response, which contributes to
      biliary injury. However, its potential role in the pathogenesis of BA has not
      been addressed so far.MethodsThe microRNA changes from BA patients and controls
      were identified via microarray. The immunomodulatory function of miR-155 was
      investigated via cell transfection and reporter assay. The lentiviral vector pL
      miR-155 inhibitor was transfected into a mouse model to investigate its role in
      BA.ResultsThe expression of miR-155 in livers of BA patients was significantly
      increased, and an inverse correlation between miR-155 and suppressor of cytokine
      signaling 1 (SOCS1) was detected. MiR-155 overexpression promoted expressions of
      major histocompatibility complex (MHC) I, MHC II, Chemokine (C-X-C motif) ligand
      (CXCL) 9, CXCL10, monocyte chemotactic protein 1, and CXCL1 after IFN-gamma
      stimulation, which could be suppressed by SOCS1 overexpression. Moreover, miR-155
      overexpression activated JAK2/STAT3, thus enhancing the pro-inflammatory effect.
      Downregulating miR-155 reduced the incidence of BA in a rhesus monkey rotavirus
      induced BA model.ConclusionOur results reveal a vital contribution of miR-155
      upregulation and consequent SOCS1 downregulation to an immune response triggered
      via IFN-gamma in BA.

PMID- 28355204
TI  - Characterization of CD31 expression on murine and human neonatal T lymphocytes
      during development and activation.
AB  - BackgroundCD31, expressed by the majority of the neonatal T-cell pool, is
      involved in modulation of T-cell receptor signaling by increasing the threshold
      for T-cell activation. Therefore, CD31 could modulate neonatal tolerance and
      adaptive immune responses.MethodsLymphocytes were harvested from murine neonates
      at different ages, human late preterm and term cord blood, and adult peripheral
      blood. Human samples were activated over a 5-day period to simulate acute
      inflammation. Mice were infected with influenza; lungs and spleens were harvested
      at days 6 and 9 post infection and analyzed by flow cytometry.ResultsCD31
      expressing neonatal murine CD4+ and CD8a+ T cells increase over the first week of
      life. Upon in vitro stimulation, human infants' CD4+ and CD8a+ T cells shed CD31
      faster in comparison with adults. In the context of acute infection, mice
      infected at 3 days of age have an increased number of naive and activated CD31+ T
      lymphocytes at the site of infection at days 6 and 9 post infection, as compared
      with those infected at 7 days of age; however, the opposite is true in the
      periphery.ConclusionDifferences in trafficking of CD31+ cytotoxic T lymphocytes
      (CTLs) during acute influenza infection could modulate tolerance and contribute
      to a dampened adaptive immune response in neonates.

PMID- 28355205
TI  - Interaction between maternal caffeine intake during pregnancy and CYP1A2 C164A
      polymorphism affects infant birth size in the Hokkaido study.
AB  - BackgroundCaffeine, 1,3,7-trimethylxanthine, is widely consumed by women of
      reproductive age. Although caffeine has been proposed to inhibit fetal growth,
      previous studies on the effects of caffeine on infant birth size have yielded
      inconsistent findings. This inconsistency may result from failure to account for
      individual differences in caffeine metabolism related to polymorphisms in the
      gene for CYP1A2, the major caffeine-metabolizing enzyme.MethodsFive hundred
      fourteen Japanese women participated in a prospective cohort study in Sapporo,
      Japan, from 2002 to 2005, and 476 mother-child pairs were included for final
      analysis.ResultsCaffeine intake was not significantly associated with mean infant
      birth size. When caffeine intake and CYP1A2 C164A genotype were considered
      together, women with the AA genotype and caffeine intake of >=300 mg per day had
      a mean reduction in infant birth head circumference of 0.8 cm relative to the
      reference group after adjusting for confounding factors. In a subgroup analysis,
      only nonsmokers with the AA genotype and caffeine intake of >=300 mg per day had
      infants with decreased birth weight (mean reduction, 277 g) and birth head
      circumference (mean reduction, 1.0 cm).ConclusionNonsmokers who rapidly
      metabolize caffeine may be at increased risk for having infants with decreased
      birth size when consuming >=300 mg of caffeine per day.

PMID- 28355206
TI  - Hepatic MDR3 expression impacts lipid homeostasis and susceptibility to
      inflammatory bile duct obstruction in neonates.
AB  - BackgroundHeterozygous mutations in the gene ABCB4, encoding the phospholipid
      floppase MDR3 (Mdr2 in mice), are associated with various chronic liver diseases.
      Here we hypothesize that reduced ABCB4 expression predisposes to extrahepatic
      biliary atresia (EHBA).MethodsLivers from neonatal wild-type (wt) and
      heterozygous Mdr2-deficient mice were subjected to mass spectrometry-based
      lipidomics and RNA sequencing studies. Following postnatal infection with rhesus
      rotavirus (RRV), liver immune responses and EHBA phenotype were assessed. Hepatic
      microarray data from 40 infants with EHBA were mined for expression levels of
      ABCB4.ResultsPhosphatidylcholine (PC) and phosphatidylethanolamine (PE) were
      increased, whereas the PC/PE ratio was decreased in neonatal Mdr2+/- mice
      compared with wt mice. Following RRV challenge, hepatic expression of IFNgamma
      and infiltration with CD8+ and NK+ lymphocytes were increased in Mdr2+/- mice.
      Plasma total bilirubin levels and prevalence of complete ductal obstruction were
      higher in these mice. In infants with EHBA, hepatic gene expression of ABCB4 was
      downregulated in those with an inflammatory compared with a fibrosing molecular
      phenotype.ConclusionDecreased expression of ABCB4 causes dysregulation in
      (phospho)lipid homeostasis, and predisposes to aberrant pro-inflammatory
      lymphocyte responses and an aggravated phenotype of EHBA in neonatal mice.
      Downregulated ABCB4 is associated with an inflammatory transcriptome signature in
      infants with EHBA.

PMID- 28355207
TI  - An integrated overview of the midgut bacterial flora composition of Phlebotomus
      perniciosus, a vector of zoonotic visceral leishmaniasis in the Western
      Mediterranean Basin.
AB  - BACKGROUND: The Leishmania developmental life cycle within its sand fly vector
      occurs exclusively in the lumen of the insect's digestive tract in the presence
      of symbiotic bacteria. The composition of the gut microbiota and the factors that
      influence its composition are currently poorly understood. A set of factors,
      including the host and its environment, may influence this composition. It has
      been demonstrated that the insect gut microbiota influences the development of
      several human pathogens, such as Plasmodium falciparum. For sand flies and
      Leishmania, understanding the interactions between the parasite and the microbial
      environment of the vector midgut can provide new tools to control Leishmania
      transmission. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: The midguts of female Phlebotomus
      perniciosus from laboratory colonies or from the field were collected during the
      months of July, September and October 2011 and dissected. The midguts were
      analyzed by culture-dependent and culture-independent methods. A total of 441 and
      115 cultivable isolates were assigned to 30 and 11 phylotypes from field
      collected and colonized P. perniciosus, respectively. Analysis of monthly
      variations in microbiota composition shows a species diversity decline in
      October, which is to the end of the Leishmania infantum transmission period. In
      parallel, a compilation and a meta-analysis of all available data concerning the
      microbiota of two Psychodidae genera, namely Phlebotomus and Lutzomyia, was
      performed and compared to P. perniciosus, data obtained herein. This integrated
      analysis did not reveal any substantial divergences between Old and New world
      sand flies with regards to the midgut bacterial phyla and genera diversity. But
      clearly, most bacterial species (>76%) are sparsely distributed between
      Phlebotominae species. CONCLUSION/SIGNIFICANCE: Our results pinpoint the need for
      a more exhaustive understanding of the bacterial richness and abundance at the
      species level in Phlebotominae sand flies in order to capture the role of midgut
      bacteria during Leishmania development and transmission. The occurrence of
      Bacillus subtilis in P. perniciosus and at least two other sand fly species
      studied so far suggests that this bacterial species is a potential candidate for
      paratransgenic or biolological approaches for the control of sand fly populations
      in order to prevent Leishmania transmission.

PMID- 28355209
TI  - Coefficients of variation of ground reaction force measurement in cats.
AB  - Gait analysis has been extensively performed in dogs and horses; however, very
      little is known about feline biomechanics. It was, therefore, the aim of this
      study to determine the coefficient of variation (CV) among three ground reaction
      force (GRF) measurements taken for 15 client-owned European shorthaired cats
      without a training period and a short acclimatisation time. Gait was measured as
      each cat walked across a pressure-sensitive walkway, and measurements were made
      three times over a multi-week period (range: 2 to 17 weeks). The parameters
      evaluated were peak vertical force (PFz), vertical impulse (IFz), stance phase
      duration (SPD), step length (SL), paw contact area (PCA) and symmetry index (SI%)
      of the front and hind limbs. After averaging each of the values from the three
      measurements, the CV and 95% confidence interval (CI) were calculated for all
      parameters. PFz showed the lowest CV (~ 3%), while IFz showed the highest CV
      (~11%) when normalised to body mass. When the GRFs were normalised to total
      force, the CV of PFz dropped to ~2% and that of IFz dropped to ~3%. The CV of SL
      and PCA were lower (~6% respectively ~5%) compared to the CV for SPD (~10%). The
      SI% for both PFz and IFz were comparable to the values reported in the gait
      analysis literature for dogs. Results of the current study indicate that gait
      analysis of cats using pressure-sensitive walkways produces reliable data and is
      a promising approach for evaluation of lameness. The results also suggest that
      PFz may be a more reliable parameter than IFz and that normalisation to percent
      of total force may aid in interpretation of the evaluated data.

PMID- 28355208
TI  - CLAVATA1 controls distinct signaling outputs that buffer shoot stem cell
      proliferation through a two-step transcriptional compensation loop.
AB  - The regulation of stem cell proliferation in plants is controlled by
      intercellular signaling pathways driven by the diffusible CLAVATA3 (CLV3p)
      peptide. CLV3p perception is thought to be mediated by an overlapping array of
      receptors in the stem cell niche including the transmembrane receptor kinase
      CLV1, Receptor-Like Protein Kinase 2 (RPK2), and a dimer of the receptor-like
      protein CLV2 and the CORYNE (CRN) pseudokinase. Mutations in these receptors have
      qualitatively similar effects on stem cell function but it is unclear if this
      represents common or divergent signaling outputs. Previous work in heterologous
      systems has suggested that CLV1, RPK2 and CLV2/CRN could form higher order
      complexes but it is also unclear what relevance these putative complexes have to
      in vivo receptor functions. Here I use the in vivo regulation of a specific
      transcriptional target of CLV1 signaling in Arabidopsis to demonstrate that,
      despite the phenotypic similarities between the different receptor mutants, CLV1
      controls distinct signaling outputs in living stem cell niches independent of
      other receptors. This regulation is separable from stem cell proliferation driven
      by WUSCHEL, a proposed common transcriptional target of CLV3p signaling. In
      addition, in the absence of CLV1, CLV1-related receptor kinases are ectopically
      expressed but also buffer stem cell proliferation through the auto-repression of
      their own expression. Collectively these data reveal a unique in vivo role for
      CLV1 separable from other stem cell receptors and provides a framework for
      dissecting the signaling outputs in stem cell regulation.

PMID- 28355213
TI  - The role of noise in self-organized decision making by the true slime mold
      Physarum polycephalum.
AB  - Self-organized mechanisms are frequently encountered in nature and known to
      achieve flexible, adaptive control and decision-making. Noise plays a crucial
      role in such systems: It can enable a self-organized system to reliably adapt to
      short-term changes in the environment while maintaining a generally stable
      behavior. This is fundamental in biological systems because they must strike a
      delicate balance between stable and flexible behavior. In the present paper we
      analyse the role of noise in the decision-making of the true slime mold Physarum
      polycephalum, an important model species for the investigation of computational
      abilities in simple organisms. We propose a simple biological experiment to
      investigate the reaction of P. polycephalum to time-variant risk factors and
      present a stochastic extension of an established mathematical model for P.
      polycephalum to analyze this experiment. It predicts that-due to the mechanism of
      stochastic resonance-noise can enable P. polycephalum to correctly assess time
      variant risk factors, while the corresponding noise-free system fails to do so.
      Beyond the study of P. polycephalum we demonstrate that the influence of noise on
      self-organized decision-making is not tied to a specific organism. Rather it is a
      general property of the underlying process dynamics, which appears to be
      universal across a wide range of systems. Our study thus provides further
      evidence that stochastic resonance is a fundamental component of the decision
      making in self-organized macroscopic and microscopic groups and organisms.

PMID- 28355210
TI  - Helicobacter pylori infection and low dietary iron alter behavior, induce iron
      deficiency anemia, and modulate hippocampal gene expression in female C57BL/6
      mice.
AB  - Helicobacter pylori (H.pylori), a bacterial pathogen, is a causative agent of
      gastritis and peptic ulcer disease and is a strong risk factor for development of
      gastric cancer. Environmental conditions, such as poor dietary iron resulting in
      iron deficiency anemia (IDA), enhance H.pylori virulence and increases risk for
      gastric cancer. IDA affects billions of people worldwide, and there is
      considerable overlap between regions of high IDA and high H.pylori prevalence.
      The primary aims of our study were to evaluate the effect of H.pylori infection
      on behavior, iron metabolism, red blood cell indices, and behavioral outcomes
      following comorbid H. pylori infection and dietary iron deficiency in a mouse
      model. C57BL/6 female mice (n = 40) were used; half were placed on a moderately
      iron deficient (ID) diet immediately post-weaning, and the other half were
      maintained on an iron replete (IR) diet. Half were dosed with H.pylori SS1 at 5
      weeks of age, and the remaining mice were sham-dosed. There were 4 study groups:
      a control group (-Hp, IR diet) as well as 3 experimental groups (-Hp, ID diet;
      +Hp, IR diet; +Hp,ID diet). All mice were tested in an open field apparatus at 8
      weeks postinfection. Independent of dietary iron status, H.pylori -infected mice
      performed fewer exploratory behaviors in the open field chamber than uninfected
      mice (p<0.001). Hippocampal gene expression of myelination markers and dopamine
      receptor 1 was significantly downregulated in mice on an ID diet (both p<0.05),
      independent of infection status. At 12 months postinfection, hematocrit (Hct) and
      hemoglobin (Hgb) concentration were significantly lower in +Hp, ID diet mice
      compared to all other study groups. H.pylori infection caused IDA in mice
      maintained on a marginal iron diet. The mouse model developed in this study is a
      useful model to study the neurologic, behavioral, and hematologic impact of the
      common human co-morbidity of H. pylori infection and IDA.

PMID- 28355212
TI  - Is music enriching for group-housed captive chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes)?
AB  - Many facilities that house captive primates play music for animal enrichment or
      for caregiver enjoyment. However, the impact on primates is unknown as previous
      studies have been inconclusive. We conducted three studies with zoo-housed
      chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes) and one with group-housed chimpanzees at the
      National Centre for Chimpanzee Care to investigate the effects of classical and
      pop/rock music on various variables that may be indicative of increased welfare.
      Study one compared the behaviour and use of space of 18 animals when silence,
      classical or pop/rock music was played into one of several indoor areas. Overall,
      chimpanzees did not actively avoid the area when music was playing but were more
      likely to exit the area when songs with higher beats per minute were broadcast.
      Chimpanzees showed significantly fewer active social behaviours when music,
      rather than silence, was playing. They also tended to be more active and engage
      in less abnormal behaviour during the music but there was no change to either
      self-grooming or aggression between music and silent conditions. The genre of
      music had no differential effects on the chimpanzees' use of space and behaviour.
      In the second study, continuous focal observations were carried out on three
      individuals with relatively high levels of abnormal behaviour. No differences in
      behaviour between music and silence periods were found in any of the individuals.
      The final two studies used devices that allowed chimpanzees to choose if they
      wanted to listen to music of various types or silence. Both studies showed that
      there were no persistent preferences for any type of music or silence. When taken
      together, our results do not suggest music is enriching for group-housed captive
      chimpanzees, but they also do not suggest that music has a negative effect on
      welfare.

PMID- 28355211
TI  - Transcriptome-wide analysis of alternative routes for RNA substrates into the
      exosome complex.
AB  - The RNA exosome complex functions in both the accurate processing and rapid
      degradation of many classes of RNA. Functional and structural analyses indicate
      that RNA can either be threaded through the central channel of the exosome or
      more directly access the active sites of the ribonucleases Rrp44 and Rrp6, but it
      was unclear how many substrates follow each pathway in vivo. We used CRAC (UV
      crosslinking and analysis of cDNA) in growing cells to identify transcriptome
      wide interactions of RNAs with the major nuclear exosome-cofactor Mtr4 and with
      individual exosome subunits (Rrp6, Csl4, Rrp41 and Rrp44) along the threaded RNA
      path. We compared exosome complexes lacking Rrp44 exonuclease activity, carrying
      a mutation in the Rrp44 S1 RNA-binding domain predicted to disfavor direct
      access, or with multiple mutations in Rrp41 reported to impede RNA access to the
      central channel in vitro. Preferential use of channel-threading was seen for
      mRNAs, 5S rRNA, scR1 (SRP) and aborted tRNAs transcripts. Conversely, pre-tRNAs
      preferentially accessed Rrp44 directly. Both routes participated in degradation
      and maturation of RNAPI transcripts, with hand-over during processing. Rrp41
      mutations blocked substrate passage through the channel to Rrp44 only for
      cytoplasmic mRNAs, supporting the predicted widening of the lumen in the Rrp6
      associated, nuclear complex. Many exosome substrates exhibited clear preferences
      for a specific path to Rrp44. Other targets showed redundancy, possibly allowing
      the efficient handling of highly diverse RNA-protein complexes and RNA
      structures. Both threading and direct access routes involve the RNA helicase
      Mtr4. mRNAs that are predominately nuclear or cytoplasmic exosome substrates can
      be distinguished in vivo.

PMID- 28355214
TI  - A new paramutation-like example at the Delta gene of Drosophila.
AB  - The hereditary transmission of a phenotype independent from DNA sequence implies
      epigenetic effects. Paramutation is a heritable epigenetic phenomenon observed in
      plants and animals. To investigate paramutation in Drosophila, we used the
      P{ry+t7.2 = PZ}Dl05151 P-element insertion in the Drosophila melanogaster genome
      that causes a dominant visible phenotype: the presence of characteristic extra
      veins in the fly wings. This extra-vein phenotype presents variable expressivity
      and incomplete penetrance. The insert is a PZ element located 680 bp upstream
      from the ATG of the Delta (Dl) gene, encoding the Notch ligand involved in wing
      vein development, and acts as a null allele. In the G2 offspring from a cross
      between the heterozygous transgenic stock and wild-type flies, we observed the
      transmission of the extra-vein phenotype to wild-type flies without the
      transgene, independently of gender and across many generations. This is a
      "paramutation-like" example in the fly: the heritable transmission of a
      phenotypic change not linked to a classical genetic mutation. A "paramutagenic"
      allele in heterozygotes transmits the phenotype of the heterozygotes to the wild
      type allele ("paramutant") in a stable manner through generations. Distinct from
      paramutation events so far described in Drosophila, here we deal with a dominant
      effect on a single gene involving variable hereditary signals.

PMID- 28355215
TI  - Salmonella genomic island 1 (SGI1) reshapes the mating apparatus of IncC
      conjugative plasmids to promote self-propagation.
AB  - IncC conjugative plasmids and Salmonella genomic island 1 (SGI1) and relatives
      are frequently associated with multidrug resistance of clinical isolates of
      pathogenic Enterobacteriaceae. SGI1 is specifically mobilized in trans by IncA
      and IncC plasmids (commonly referred to as A/C plasmids) following its excision
      from the chromosome, an event triggered by the transcriptional activator complex
      AcaCD encoded by these helper plasmids. Although SGI1 is not self-transmissible,
      it carries three genes, traNS, traHS and traGS, coding for distant homologs of
      the predicted mating pore subunits TraNC, TraHC and TraGC, respectively, encoded
      by A/C plasmids. Here we investigated the regulation of traNS and traHGS and the
      role of these three genes in the transmissibility of SGI1. Transcriptional fusion
      of the promoter sequences of traNS and traHGS to the reporter gene lacZ confirmed
      that expression of these genes is inducible by AcaCD. Mating experiments using
      combinations of deletion mutants of SGI1 and the helper IncC plasmid pVCR94
      revealed complex interactions between these two mobile genetic elements. Whereas
      traNC and traHGC are essential for IncC plasmid transfer, SGI1 could rescue null
      mutants of each individual gene revealing that TraNS, TraHS and TraGS are
      functional proteins. Complementation assays of individual traC and traS mutants
      showed that not only do TraNS/HS/GS replace TraNC/HC/GC in the mating pore
      encoded by IncC plasmids but also that traGS and traHS are both required for SGI1
      optimal transfer. In fact, remodeling of the IncC-encoded mating pore by SGI1 was
      found to be essential to enhance transfer rate of SGI1 over the helper plasmid.
      Furthermore, traGS was found to be crucial to allow DNA transfer between cells
      bearing IncC helper plasmids, thereby suggesting that by remodeling the mating
      pore SGI1 disables an IncC-encoded entry exclusion mechanism. Hence traS genes
      facilitate the invasion by SGI1 of cell populations bearing IncC plasmids.

PMID- 28355216
TI  - Chirosurveillance: The use of native bats to detect invasive agricultural pests.
AB  - Invasive insect pests cost the agricultural industry billions of dollars annually
      in crop losses. Timely detection of pests is critical for management efficiency.
      Innovative pest detection strategies, such as environmental DNA (eDNA)
      techniques, combined with efficient predators, maximize sampling resolution
      across space and time and may improve surveillance. We tested the hypothesis that
      temperate insectivorous bats can be important sentinels of agricultural insect
      pest surveillance. Specifically, we used a new high-sensitivity molecular assay
      for invasive brown marmorated stink bugs (Halyomorpha halys) to examine the
      extent to which big brown bats (Eptesicus fuscus) detect agricultural pests in
      the landscape. We documented consistent seasonal predation of stink bugs by big
      brown bats. Importantly, bats detected brown marmorated stink bugs 3-4 weeks
      earlier than the current standard monitoring tool, blacklight traps, across all
      sites. We highlight here the previously unrecognized potential ecosystem service
      of bats as agents of pest surveillance (or chirosurveillance). Additional studies
      examining interactions between other bat and insect pest species, coupled with
      comparisons of detectability among various conventional monitoring methods, are
      needed to verify the patterns extracted from this study. Ultimately, robust
      economic analyses will be needed to assess the cost-effectiveness of
      chirosurveillance as a standard strategy for integrated pest management.

PMID- 28355217
TI  - Correction: Transcriptional Orchestration of the Global Cellular Response of a
      Model Pennate Diatom to Diel Light Cycling under Iron Limitation.
AB  - [This corrects the article DOI: 10.1371/journal.pgen.1006490.].

PMID- 28355218
TI  - sCD163 levels as a biomarker of disease severity in leprosy and visceral
      leishmaniasis.
AB  - BACKGROUND: CD163, receptor for the haptoglobin-hemoglobin complex, is expressed
      on monocytes/macrophages and neutrophils. A soluble form of CD163 (sCD163) has
      been associated with the M2 macrophage phenotype, and M2 macrophages have been
      shown to down-modulate inflammatory responses. In particular, previous studies
      have shown that M2 is closely associated with the most severe clinical
      presentation of leprosy (i.e. lepromatous leprosy (LL)), as well as tuberculosis.
      We hypothesized that sCD163 correlates with severity of diseases caused by
      intracellular pathogens. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: To assess this
      hypothesis, sCD163 levels were measured in the serum of leprosy and visceral
      leishmaniasis (VL) patients stratified by severity of the clinical presentation.
      sCD163 levels were significantly higher in patients with these diseases than
      those observed in healthy control individuals. Further analyses on infection and
      disease status of leprosy and VL patients revealed a clear association of sCD163
      levels with clinical parameters of disease severity. In vitro culture assays
      revealed that Leishmania infection induced CD163 expression on the surface of
      both monocyte/macrophages and neutrophils, suggesting these cells as possible
      sources of sCD163. FACS analyses shows that the cells expressing CD163 produces
      both TNF-alpha and IL-4. CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE: Taken together, our results
      reveal sCD163 as a potential biomarker of severity of diseases caused by
      intracellular pathogens M. leprae and Leishmania spp. and have a modulatory role,
      with a mix of an inflammatory property induced by TNF-alpha release, but that
      potentially induces an anti-inflammatory T cell response, related to IL-4
      release.

PMID- 28355219
TI  - Discovery of temporal and disease association patterns in condition-specific
      hospital utilization rates.
AB  - Identifying temporal variation in hospitalization rates may provide insights
      about disease patterns and thereby inform research, policy, and clinical care.
      However, the majority of medical conditions have not been studied for their
      potential seasonal variation. The objective of this study was to apply a data
      driven approach to characterize temporal variation in condition-specific
      hospitalizations. Using a dataset of 34 million inpatient discharges gathered
      from hospitals in New York State from 2008-2011, we grouped all discharges into
      263 clinical conditions based on the principal discharge diagnosis using Clinical
      Classification Software in order to mitigate the limitation that administrative
      claims data reflect clinical conditions to varying specificity. After applying
      Seasonal-Trend Decomposition by LOESS, we estimated the periodicity of the
      seasonal component using spectral analysis and applied harmonic regression to
      calculate the amplitude and phase of the condition's seasonal utilization
      pattern. We also introduced four new indices of temporal variation: mean
      oscillation width, seasonal coefficient, trend coefficient, and linearity of the
      trend. Finally, K-means clustering was used to group conditions across these four
      indices to identify common temporal variation patterns. Of all 263 clinical
      conditions considered, 164 demonstrated statistically significant seasonality.
      Notably, we identified conditions for which seasonal variation has not been
      previously described such as ovarian cancer, tuberculosis, and schizophrenia.
      Clustering analysis yielded three distinct groups of conditions based on multiple
      measures of seasonal variation. Our study was limited to New York State and
      results may not directly apply to other regions with distinct climates and health
      burden. A substantial proportion of medical conditions, larger than previously
      described, exhibit seasonal variation in hospital utilization. Moreover, the
      application of clustering tools yields groups of clinically heterogeneous
      conditions with similar seasonal phenotypes. Further investigation is necessary
      to uncover common etiologies underlying these shared seasonal phenotypes.

PMID- 28355220
TI  - High GC content causes orphan proteins to be intrinsically disordered.
AB  - De novo creation of protein coding genes involves the formation of short ORFs
      from noncoding regions; some of these ORFs might then become fixed in the
      population. These orphan proteins need to, at the bare minimum, not cause serious
      harm to the organism, meaning that they should for instance not aggregate.
      Therefore, although the creation of short ORFs could be truly random, the
      fixation should be subjected to some selective pressure. The selective forces
      acting on orphan proteins have been elusive, and contradictory results have been
      reported. In Drosophila young proteins are more disordered than ancient ones,
      while the opposite trend is present in yeast. To the best of our knowledge no
      valid explanation for this difference has been proposed. To solve this riddle we
      studied structural properties and age of proteins in 187 eukaryotic organisms. We
      find that, with the exception of length, there are only small differences in the
      properties between proteins of different ages. However, when we take the GC
      content into account we noted that it could explain the opposite trends observed
      for orphans in yeast (low GC) and Drosophila (high GC). GC content is correlated
      with codons coding for disorder promoting amino acids. This leads us to propose
      that intrinsic disorder is not a strong determining factor for fixation of orphan
      proteins. Instead these proteins largely resemble random proteins given a
      particular GC level. During evolution the properties of a protein change faster
      than the GC level causing the relationship between disorder and GC to gradually
      weaken.

PMID- 28355221
TI  - Acute juvenile Paracoccidioidomycosis: A 9-year cohort study in the endemic area
      of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Paracoccidioidomycosis (PCM) is a systemic mycosis caused by
      pathogenic dimorphic fungi of the genus Paracoccidioides. It is the most
      important systemic mycosis in Latin America and the leading cause of
      hospitalizations and death among them in Brazil. Acute PCM is less frequent but
      relevant because vulnerable young patients are affected and the severity is
      usually higher than that of the chronic type. METHODS: The authors performed a
      retrospective cohort study from 2001 to 2009 including acute juvenile PCM
      patients from a reference center in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Clinical,
      epidemiological, diagnostic, therapeutic, and prognostic data were reported.
      RESULTS: Twenty-nine patients were included. The average age was 23 years old and
      the male to female ratio was 1:1.07. All cases were referred from 3 of 9 existing
      health areas in the state of Rio de Janeiro, predominantly from urban areas
      (96.5%). Lymph nodes were the most affected organs (100%), followed by the skin
      and the spleen (31% each). Twenty-eight patients completed treatment (median 25
      months) and progressed to clinical and serological cure; 1 death occurred. Twenty
      four patients completed 48-month median follow-up. Four patients abandoned follow
      up after the end of treatment. The most frequent sequela was low adrenal reserve.
      Paracoccidioides brasiliensis S1 was identified by partial sequencing of the arf
      and gp43 genes from 4 patients who presented a viable fungal culture. CONCLUSION:
      Acute juvenile PCM is a severe disease with a high rate of complications. There
      are few cohort clinical studies of acute PCM in the literature. More studies
      should be developed to promote improvement in patients' healthcare.

PMID- 28355223
TI  - Pre-control relationship of onchocercal skin disease with onchocercal infection
      in Guinea Savanna, Northern Nigeria.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Onchocerca volvulus infection can result in blindness, itching and
      skin lesions. Previous research concentrated on blindness. METHODS: A clinical
      classification system of the cutaneous changes in onchocerciasis was used for the
      first time in this study within the context of an early ivermectin drug trial in
      the savanna region of Kaduna State, northern Nigeria. Skin examinations were
      performed in 6,790 individuals aged 5+ years in endemic communities and 1,343
      individuals in nonendemic communities. RESULTS / DISCUSSION: There was increased
      risk for all forms of onchocercal skin disease in endemic communities with the
      most common finding being the presence of nodules (1,438 individuals, 21.2%),
      followed by atrophy (367, 6.1% of those < 50 years), acute papular
      onchodermatitis, APOD (233, 3.4%), depigmentation (216, 3.2%) and chronic papular
      onchodermatitis, CPOD (155, 2.3%). A further 645 individuals (9.5%) complained of
      pruritus but had completely normal skin. APOD was more common in males whereas
      atrophy, hanging groin and nodules were more common in females. After controlling
      for age and sex, microfilarial positivity was a risk factor for CPOD,
      depigmentation, hanging groin and nodules (OR 1.54, p = 0.046; OR 2.29, p =
      0.002; OR 2.18, p = 0.002 and OR 3.80, p <0.001 respectively). Comparable results
      were found using presence of nodules as the marker for infection. Microfilarial
      load showed similar, though weaker, results. A total of 2621(38.6%) endemic
      residents had itching with normal skin, or had one or more types of onchocercal
      skin disease including nodules, which may be considered as a composite index of
      the overall prevalence of onchocercal skin disease. CONCLUSION: Significant
      levels of onchocercal skin disease were documented in this savanna area, which
      subsequently resulted in a reassessment of the true burden of skin disease in
      onchocerciasis. This paper represents the first detailed report of the
      association of onchocercal skin disease with markers for onchocercal infection.

PMID- 28355224
TI  - Generation of infectious recombinant Adeno-associated virus in Saccharomyces
      cerevisiae.
AB  - The yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae has been successfully employed to establish
      model systems for a number of viruses. Such model systems are powerful tools to
      study the virus biology and in particular for the identification and
      characterization of host factors playing a role in the viral infection cycle.
      Adeno-associated viruses (AAV) are heavily studied due to their use as gene
      delivery vectors. AAV relies on other helper viruses for successful replication
      and on host factors for several aspects of the viral life cycle. However the role
      of host and helper viral factors is only partially known. Production of
      recombinant AAV (rAAV) vectors for gene delivery applications depends on
      knowledge of AAV biology and the limited understanding of host and helper viral
      factors may be precluding efficient production, particularly in heterologous
      systems. Model systems in simpler eukaryotes like the yeast S. cerevisiae would
      be useful tools to identify and study the role of host factors in AAV biology.
      Here we show that expression of AAV2 viral proteins VP1, VP2, VP3, AAP, Rep78,
      Rep52 and an ITR-flanked DNA in yeast leads to capsid formation, DNA replication
      and encapsidation, resulting in formation of infectious particles. Many of the
      AAV characteristics observed in yeast resemble those in other systems, making it
      a suitable model system. Future findings in the yeast system could be
      translatable to other AAV host systems and aid in more efficient production of
      rAAV vectors.

PMID- 28355222
TI  - Transaldolase inhibition impairs mitochondrial respiration and induces a
      starvation-like longevity response in Caenorhabditis elegans.
AB  - Mitochondrial dysfunction can increase oxidative stress and extend lifespan in
      Caenorhabditis elegans. Homeostatic mechanisms exist to cope with disruptions to
      mitochondrial function that promote cellular health and organismal longevity.
      Previously, we determined that decreased expression of the cytosolic pentose
      phosphate pathway (PPP) enzyme transaldolase activates the mitochondrial unfolded
      protein response (UPRmt) and extends lifespan. Here we report that transaldolase
      (tald-1) deficiency impairs mitochondrial function in vivo, as evidenced by
      altered mitochondrial morphology, decreased respiration, and increased cellular
      H2O2 levels. Lifespan extension from knockdown of tald-1 is associated with an
      oxidative stress response involving p38 and c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK) MAPKs
      and a starvation-like response regulated by the transcription factor EB (TFEB)
      homolog HLH-30. The latter response promotes autophagy and increases expression
      of the flavin-containing monooxygenase 2 (fmo-2). We conclude that cytosolic
      redox established through the PPP is a key regulator of mitochondrial function
      and defines a new mechanism for mitochondrial regulation of longevity.

PMID- 28355225
TI  - Aridity influences the recovery of vegetation and shrubland birds after wildfire.
AB  - Wildfires play a determining role in the composition and structure of many plant
      and animal communities. On the other hand, climate change is considered to be a
      major driver of current and future fire regime changes. Despite increases in
      drought in many areas of the world, the effects of aridity on post-fire
      colonization by animals have been rarely addressed. This study aims to analyse
      how a regional aridity gradient affects post-fire recovery of vegetation, bird
      species richness and the numbers of four early to middle-successional warbler
      species associated with the shrub cover. The database contains bird relative
      abundance and environmental variables from 3072 censuses in 695 transects located
      in 70 recently burnt areas (1 to 11 years after wildfire) in Catalonia (Spain),
      which were sampled between 2006 and 2013. Generalized linear mixed models (GLMMs)
      showed that plant cover was affected by time since fire, aridity and forest
      management. However, only the highest vegetation height layer (>100 cm) recovered
      slower in arid areas after fire. Time since fire positively influenced bird
      species richness and the relative abundance of the four focal species. The post
      fire recovery of Melodious (Hippolais polyglotta) and Subalpine warblers (Sylvia
      cantillans) was hampered by aridity. Although this was not demonstrated for
      Dartford (S. undata) and Sardinian warblers (S. melanocephala), their occurrence
      was low in the driest areas during the first three years after fire. Overall,
      this study suggests that future increases in aridity can affect plant
      regeneration after fire and slow down the recovery of animal populations that
      depend on understorey and shrublands. Given the recently highlighted increases in
      aridity and fire frequency in Mediterranean-climate regions, improved knowledge
      on how aridity affects ecological succession is especially necessary.

PMID- 28355226
TI  - Considering medical risk information and communicating values: A mixed-method
      study of women's choice in prenatal testing.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: Nowadays, an important decision for pregnant women is whether to
      undergo prenatal testing for aneuploidies and which tests to uptake. We
      investigate the factors influencing women's choices between non-invasive prenatal
      testing (NIPT) and invasive prenatal tests in pregnancies with elevated a priori
      risk of fetal aneuploidies. METHODOLOGY: This is a mixed-method study. We used
      medical data (1st Jan 2015-31st Dec 2015) about women participating in further
      testing at Fetomaternal Medical Center at Helsinki University Hospital and
      employed Chi-square tests and ANOVA to compare the groups of women choosing
      different methods. Multinomial logistic regressions revealed the significant
      clinical factors influencing women's choice. We explored the underlying values,
      beliefs, attitudes and other psychosocial factors that affect women's choice by
      interviewing women with the Theory of Planned Behavior framework. The semi
      structured interview data were processed by thematic analysis. RESULTS:
      Statistical data indicated that gestational age and counseling day were strong
      factors influencing women's choice. Interview data revealed that women's values
      and moral principles on pregnancy and childbirth chiefly determined the choices.
      Behavioral beliefs (e.g. safety and accuracy) and perceived choice control (e.g.
      easiness, rapidness and convenience) were also important and the major trade-offs
      happened between these constructs. DISCUSSION: Values are the determinants of
      women's choice. Service availability and convenience are strong factors. Medical
      risk status in this choice context is not highly influential. Choice aids can be
      developed by helping women to identify their leading values in prenatal testing
      and by providing lists of value-matching test options and attributes.

PMID- 28355227
TI  - When music is salty: The crossmodal associations between sound and taste.
AB  - Here we investigate associations between complex auditory and complex taste
      stimuli. A novel piece of music was composed and recorded in four different
      styles of musical articulation to reflect the four basic tastes groups (sweet,
      sour, salty, bitter). In Experiment 1, participants performed above chance at
      pairing the music clips with corresponding taste words. Experiment 2 uses
      multidimensional scaling to interpret how participants categorize these musical
      stimuli, and to show that auditory categories can be organized in a similar
      manner as taste categories. Experiment 3 introduces four different flavors of
      custom-made chocolate ganache and shows that participants can match music clips
      with the corresponding taste stimuli with above-chance accuracy. Experiment 4
      demonstrates the partial role of pleasantness in crossmodal mappings between
      sound and taste. The present findings confirm that individuals are able to make
      crossmodal associations between complex auditory and gustatory stimuli, and that
      valence may mediate multisensory integration in the general population.

PMID- 28355228
TI  - Indo-Pacific humpback dolphins (Sousa chinensis) in Hong Kong: Modelling
      demographic parameters with mark-recapture techniques.
AB  - Indo-Pacific humpback dolphins (Sousa chinensis) inhabiting Hong Kong waters are
      thought to be among the world's most anthropogenically impacted coastal
      delphinids. We have conducted a 5-year (2010-2014) photo-ID study and performed
      the first in this region comprehensive mark-recapture analysis applying a suite
      of open population models and robust design models. Cormack-Jolly-Seber (CJS)
      models suggested a significant transient effect and seasonal variation in
      apparent survival probabilities as result of a fluid movement beyond the study
      area. Given the spatial restrictions of our study, limited by an administrative
      border, if emigration was to be considered negligible the estimated survival rate
      of adults was 0.980. Super-population estimates indicated that at least 368
      dolphins used Hong Kong waters as part of their range. Closed robust design
      models suggested an influx of dolphins from winter to summer and increased site
      fidelity in summer; and outflux, although less prominent, during summer-winter
      intervals. Abundance estimates in summer (N = 144-231) were higher than that in
      winter (N = 87-111), corresponding to the availability of prey resources which in
      Hong Kong waters peaks during summer months. We point out that the current
      population monitoring strategy used by the Hong Kong authorities is ill-suited
      for a timely detection of a population change and should be revised.

PMID- 28355229
TI  - Surgery increases cell death and induces changes in gene expression compared with
      anesthesia alone in the developing piglet brain.
AB  - In a range of animal species, exposure of the brain to general anaesthesia
      without surgery during early infancy may adversely affect its neural and
      cognitive development. The mechanisms mediating this are complex but include an
      increase in brain cell death. In humans, attempts to link adverse cognitive
      development to infantile anaesthesia exposure have yielded ambiguous results. One
      caveat that may influence the interpretation of human studies is that infants are
      not exposed to general anaesthesia without surgery, raising the possibility that
      surgery itself, may contribute to adverse cognitive development. Using piglets,
      we investigated whether a minor surgical procedure increases cell death and
      disrupts neuro-developmental and cognitively salient gene transcription in the
      neonatal brain. We randomly assigned neonatal male piglets to a group who
      received 6h of 2% isoflurane anaesthesia or a group who received an identical
      anaesthesia plus 15 mins of surgery designed to replicate an inguinal hernia
      repair. Compared to anesthesia alone, surgery-induced significant increases in
      cell death in eight areas of the brain. Using RNAseq data derived from all 12
      piglets per group we also identified significant changes in the expression of 181
      gene transcripts induced by surgery in the cingulate cortex, pathway analysis of
      these changes suggests that surgery influences the thrombin, aldosterone, axonal
      guidance, B cell, ERK-5, eNOS and GABAA signalling pathways. This suggests a
      number of novel mechanisms by which surgery may influence neural and cognitive
      development independently or synergistically with the effects of anaesthesia.

PMID- 28355231
TI  - A systematic review of economic evaluations of population-based sodium reduction
      interventions.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: To summarise evidence describing the cost-effectiveness of population
      based interventions targeting sodium reduction. METHODS: A systematic search of
      published and grey literature databases and websites was conducted using
      specified key words. Characteristics of identified economic evaluations were
      recorded, and included studies were appraised for reporting quality using the
      Consolidated Health Economic Evaluation Reporting Standards (CHEERS) checklist.
      RESULTS: Twenty studies met the study inclusion criteria and received a full
      paper review. Fourteen studies were identified as full economic evaluations in
      that they included both costs and benefits associated with an intervention
      measured against a comparator. Most studies were modelling exercises based on
      scenarios for achieving salt reduction and assumed effects on health outcomes.
      All 14 studies concluded that their specified intervention(s) targeting
      reductions in population sodium consumption were cost-effective, and in the
      majority of cases, were cost saving. Just over half the studies (8/14) were
      assessed as being of 'excellent' reporting quality, five studies fell into the
      'very good' quality category and one into the 'good' category. All of the
      identified evaluations were based on modelling, whereby inputs for all the key
      parameters including the effect size were either drawn from published datasets,
      existing literature or based on expert advice. CONCLUSION: Despite a clear
      increase in evaluations of salt reduction programs in recent years, this review
      identified relatively few economic evaluations of population salt reduction
      interventions. None of the studies were based on actual implementation of
      intervention(s) and the associated collection of new empirical data. The studies
      universally showed that population-based salt reduction strategies are likely to
      be cost effective or cost saving. However, given the reliance on modelling, there
      is a need for the effectiveness of new interventions to be evaluated in the field
      using strong study designs and parallel economic evaluations.

PMID- 28355230
TI  - A blood-based biomarker panel to risk-stratify mild traumatic brain injury.
AB  - Mild traumatic brain injury (TBI) accounts for the vast majority of the nearly
      two million brain injuries suffered in the United States each year. Mild TBI is
      commonly classified as complicated (radiographic evidence of intracranial injury)
      or uncomplicated (radiographically negative). Such a distinction is important
      because it helps to determine the need for further neuroimaging, potential
      admission, or neurosurgical intervention. Unfortunately, imaging modalities such
      as computed tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) are costly and
      not without some risk. The purpose of this study was to screen 87 serum
      biomarkers to identify a select panel of biomarkers that would predict the
      presence of intracranial injury as determined by initial brain CT. Serum was
      collected from 110 patients who sustained a mild TBI within 24 hours of blood
      draw. Two models were created. In the broad inclusive model, 72kDa type IV
      collagenase (MMP-2), C-reactive protein (CRP), creatine kinase B type (CKBB),
      fatty acid binding protein-heart (hFABP), granulocyte-macrophage colony
      stimulating factor (GM-CSF) and malondialdehyde modified low density lipoprotein
      (MDA-LDL) significantly predicted injury visualized on CT, yielding an overall c
      statistic of 0.975 and a negative predictive value (NPV) of 98.6. In the
      parsimonious model, MMP-2, CRP, and CKBB type significantly predicted injury
      visualized on CT, yielding an overall c-statistic of 0.964 and a negative
      predictive value (NPV) of 97.2. These results suggest that a serum based
      biomarker panel can accurately differentiate patients with complicated mild TBI
      from those with uncomplicated mild TBI. Such a panel could be useful to guide
      early triage decisions, including the need for further evaluation or admission,
      especially in those environments in which resources are limited.

PMID- 28355232
TI  - A genome-wide trans-ethnic interaction study links the PIGR-FCAMR locus to
      coronary atherosclerosis via interactions between genetic variants and
      residential exposure to traffic.
AB  - Air pollution is a worldwide contributor to cardiovascular disease mortality and
      morbidity. Traffic-related air pollution is a widespread environmental exposure
      and is associated with multiple cardiovascular outcomes such as coronary
      atherosclerosis, peripheral arterial disease, and myocardial infarction. Despite
      the recognition of the importance of both genetic and environmental exposures to
      the pathogenesis of cardiovascular disease, studies of how these two contributors
      operate jointly are rare. We performed a genome-wide interaction study (GWIS) to
      examine gene-traffic exposure interactions associated with coronary
      atherosclerosis. Using race-stratified cohorts of 538 African-Americans (AA) and
      1562 European-Americans (EA) from a cardiac catheterization cohort (CATHGEN), we
      identify gene-by-traffic exposure interactions associated with the number of
      significantly diseased coronary vessels as a measure of chronic atherosclerosis.
      We found five suggestive (P<1x10-5) interactions in the AA GWIS, of which two
      (rs1856746 and rs2791713) replicated in the EA cohort (P < 0.05). Both SNPs are
      in the PIGR-FCAMR locus and are eQTLs in lymphocytes. The protein products of
      both PIGR and FCAMR are implicated in inflammatory processes. In the EA GWIS,
      there were three suggestive interactions; none of these replicated in the AA
      GWIS. All three were intergenic; the most significant interaction was in a
      regulatory region associated with SAMSN1, a gene previously associated with
      atherosclerosis and B cell activation. In conclusion, we have uncovered several
      novel genes associated with coronary atherosclerosis in individuals chronically
      exposed to increased ambient concentrations of traffic air pollution. These genes
      point towards inflammatory pathways that may modify the effects of air pollution
      on cardiovascular disease risk.

PMID- 28355233
TI  - Coding and non-coding gene regulatory networks underlie the immune response in
      liver cirrhosis.
AB  - Liver cirrhosis is recognized as being the consequence of immune-mediated
      hepatocyte damage and repair processes. However, the regulation of these immune
      responses underlying liver cirrhosis has not been elucidated. In this study, we
      used GEO datasets and bioinformatics methods to established coding and non-coding
      gene regulatory networks including transcription factor-/lncRNA-microRNA-mRNA,
      and competing endogenous RNA interaction networks. Our results identified 2224
      mRNAs, 70 lncRNAs and 46 microRNAs were differentially expressed in liver
      cirrhosis. The transcription factor -/lncRNA- microRNA-mRNA network we uncovered
      that results in immune-mediated liver cirrhosis is comprised of 5 core microRNAs
      (e.g., miR-203; miR-219-5p), 3 transcription factors (i.e., FOXP3, ETS1 and FOS)
      and 7 lncRNAs (e.g., ENTS00000671336, ENST00000575137). The competing endogenous
      RNA interaction network we identified includes a complex immune response
      regulatory subnetwork that controls the entire liver cirrhosis network.
      Additionally, we found 10 overlapping GO terms shared by both liver cirrhosis and
      hepatocellular carcinoma including "immune response" as well. Interestingly, the
      overlapping differentially expressed genes in liver cirrhosis and hepatocellular
      carcinoma were enriched in immune response-related functional terms. In summary,
      a complex gene regulatory network underlying immune response processes may play
      an important role in the development and progression of liver cirrhosis, and its
      development into hepatocellular carcinoma.

PMID- 28355234
TI  - Deltoid muscle volume affects clinical outcome of reverse total shoulder
      arthroplasty in patients with cuff tear arthropathy or irreparable cuff tears.
AB  - We aimed to estimate the interrelation between preoperative deltoid muscle status
      by measuring the 3-dimensional deltoid muscle volume and postoperative functional
      outcomes after reverse total shoulder arthroplasty(RTSA). Thirty-five patients
      who underwent RTSA participated in this study. All patients underwent
      preoperative magnetic resonance imaging(MRI) as well as pre- and postoperative
      radiography and various functional outcome evaluations at least 1 year. The
      primary outcome parameter was set as age- and sex-matched Constant scores. The 3
      dimensional deltoid muscle model was generated using a medical image processing
      software and in-house code, and the deltoid muscle volume was calculated
      automatically. Various clinical and radiographic factors comprising the deltoid
      muscle volume adjusted for body mass index(BMI) were analyzed, and their
      interrelation with the outcome parameters was appraised using a multivariate
      analysis. As a result, all practical consequences considerably improved following
      surgery(all p<0.01). Overall, 20 and 15 indicated a higher and a lower practical
      consequence than the average, respectively, which was assessed by the matched
      Constant scores. The deltoid muscle volume adjusted for BMI(p = 0.009), absence
      of a subscapularis complete tear (p = 0.040), and greater change in acromion
      deltoid tuberosity distance(p = 0.013) were associated with higher matched
      Constant scores. Multivariate analysis indicated that the deltoid muscle volume
      was the single independent prognostic factor for practical consequences(p =
      0.011). In conclusion, the preoperative deltoid muscle volume significantly
      affected the functional outcome following RTSA in patients with cuff tear
      arthropathy or irreparable cuff tears. Therefore, more attention should be paid
      to patients with severe atrophied deltoid muscle who are at a high risk for poor
      practical consequences subsequent to RTSA.

PMID- 28355235
TI  - Heat-induced symmetry breaking in ant (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) escape behavior.
AB  - The collective egress of social insects is important in dangerous situations such
      as natural disasters or enemy attacks. Some studies have described the phenomenon
      of symmetry breaking in ants, with two exits induced by a repellent. However,
      whether symmetry breaking occurs under high temperature conditions, which are a
      common abiotic stress, remains unknown. In our study, we deposited a group of
      Polyrhachis dives ants on a heated platform and counted the number of escaping
      ants with two identical exits. We discovered that ants asymmetrically escaped
      through two exits when the temperature of the heated platform was >32.75 degrees
      C. The degree of asymmetry increased linearly with the temperature of the
      platform. Furthermore, the higher the temperature of heated platform was, the
      more ants escaped from the heated platform. However, the number of escaping ants
      decreased for 3 min when the temperature was higher than the critical thermal
      limit (39.46 degrees C), which is the threshold for ants to endure high
      temperature without a loss of performance. Moreover, the ants tended to form
      small groups to escape from the thermal stress. A preparatory formation of ant
      grouping was observed before they reached the exit, indicating that the ants
      actively clustered rather than accidentally gathered at the exits to escape. We
      suggest that a combination of individual and grouping ants may help to optimize
      the likelihood of survival during evacuation.

PMID- 28355236
TI  - Environmental and biological cues for spawning in the crown-of-thorns starfish.
AB  - Sporadic outbreaks of the coral-eating crown-of-thorns starfish are likely to be
      due, at least in part, to spatial and temporal variation in reproductive and
      settlement success. For gonochoric and broadcast spawning species such as crown
      of-thorns starfish, spawning synchrony is fundamental for achieving high rates of
      fertilization. Highly synchronized gamete release within and among distinct
      populations is typically the result of the entrainment of neurohormonal
      endogenous rhythms by cues from the environment. In this study, we conducted
      multiple spawning assays to test the effects of temperature change, reduced
      salinity and nutrient enrichment of seawater, phytoplankton, gametes (sperm and
      eggs), and the combined effect of sperm and phytoplankton on the likelihood of
      spawning in male and female crown-of-thorns starfish. We also investigated sex
      specific responses to each of these potential spawning cues. We found that (1)
      abrupt temperature change (an increase of 4 degrees C) induced spawning in males,
      but less so in females; (2) males often spawned in response to the presence of
      phytoplankton, but none of the females spawned in response to these cues; (3) the
      presence of sperm in the water column induced males and females to spawn,
      although additive and synergistic effects of sperm and phytoplankton were not
      significant; and (4) males are more sensitive to the spawning cues tested and
      most likely spawn prior to females. We propose that environmental cues act as
      spawning 'inducers' by causing the release of hormones (gonad stimulating
      substance) in sensitive males, while biological cues (pheromones) from released
      sperm, in turn, act as spawning 'synchronizers' by triggering a hormonal cascade
      resulting in gamete shedding by conspecifics. Given the immediate temporal
      linkage between the timing of spawning and fertilization events, variability in
      the extent and synchronicity of gamete release will significantly influence
      reproductive success and may account for fluctuations in the abundance of crown
      of-thorns starfish.

PMID- 28355237
TI  - Identifying the effects of education on the ability to cope with a disability
      among individuals with disabilities.
AB  - The literature on disability has suggested that an educated individual with a
      disability is more likely to better cope with her/his disability than those
      without education. However, few published studies explore whether the
      relationship between education and ability to cope with a disability is anything
      more than an association. Using data on disability and accommodation from a large
      Danish survey from 2012-13 and exploiting a major Danish schooling reform as a
      natural experiment, we identified a potential causal effect of education on both
      economic (holding a job) as well as social (cultural activities, visiting
      clubs/associations, etc.) dimensions of coping among individuals with a
      disability, controlling for background factors, functioning, and disability
      characteristics. We found that endogeneity bias was only present in the case of
      economic participation and more educated individuals with a disability indeed had
      higher levels of both economic and social coping. To some extent, having more
      knowledge of public support systems and higher motivation explained the better
      coping among the group of individuals with disabilities who were educated. Our
      results indicated, however, that a large part of the effect of education on the
      ability to cope with a disability among individuals with disabilities was
      suggestive of a causal relationship.

PMID- 28355239
TI  - Temporal and spatial comparisons of the reproductive biology of northern Gulf of
      Mexico (USA) red snapper (Lutjanus campechanus) collected a decade apart.
AB  - In studies done a decade apart, we provide evidence of a recent shift toward a
      slower progression to sexual maturity as well as reduced egg production,
      especially among young, small female red snapper, in the Gulf of Mexico (Gulf).
      Slower maturation rates (among fish <=6 years old), lower GSI values and
      decreased spawning frequency were observed, and were especially pronounced in the
      northwestern Gulf. Furthermore, an Index of Reproductive Importance showed that
      young fish (ages 2-7) are contributing far less to the spawning stock in recent
      years, while older fish (>8 years) are contributing more, when compared to fish
      from the same age groups sampled in the previous decade. Coincident with these
      changes in reproductive output, fishing pressure has steadily declined gulf-wide,
      and spawning stock biomass and spawning potential ratio have increased. Thus, it
      is possible that the age structure of the red snapper stock is becoming less
      truncated, or that reproductive effort observed is due to the temporary influence
      of recent strong year classes produced in 2004 and 2006 as they begin to reach
      full reproductive potential. If the latter is true, careful documentation of the
      stock's reproductive dynamics during a time of population growth provides new
      understanding at the meta-population spatial and decadal temporal scales. In
      contrast, if the former is true, a truncated age structure due to overharvest can
      limit the productivity of the Gulf red snapper stock. In addition, we have
      learned that red snapper females in the northwestern Gulf collected on natural
      reefs and banks have much higher reproductive output than those on artificial
      reefs in the form of standing and toppled oil and gas platforms, thus making the
      need to know the relative abundance of females found on these disparate habitats
      an important next step toward better-understanding factors impacting the
      reproductive dynamics of this species.

PMID- 28355238
TI  - Terpene synthases from Cannabis sativa.
AB  - Cannabis (Cannabis sativa) plants produce and accumulate a terpene-rich resin in
      glandular trichomes, which are abundant on the surface of the female
      inflorescence. Bouquets of different monoterpenes and sesquiterpenes are
      important components of cannabis resin as they define some of the unique
      organoleptic properties and may also influence medicinal qualities of different
      cannabis strains and varieties. Transcriptome analysis of trichomes of the
      cannabis hemp variety 'Finola' revealed sequences of all stages of terpene
      biosynthesis. Nine cannabis terpene synthases (CsTPS) were identified in
      subfamilies TPS-a and TPS-b. Functional characterization identified mono- and
      sesqui-TPS, whose products collectively comprise most of the terpenes of 'Finola'
      resin, including major compounds such as beta-myrcene, (E)-beta-ocimene, (-)
      limonene, (+)-alpha-pinene, beta-caryophyllene, and alpha-humulene. Transcripts
      associated with terpene biosynthesis are highly expressed in trichomes compared
      to non-resin producing tissues. Knowledge of the CsTPS gene family may offer
      opportunities for selection and improvement of terpene profiles of interest in
      different cannabis strains and varieties.

PMID- 28355240
TI  - Optimized Triton X-114 assisted lipopolysaccharide (LPS) removal method reveals
      the immunomodulatory effect of food proteins.
AB  - SCOPE: Investigations into the immunological response of proteins is often masked
      by lipopolysaccharide (LPS) contamination. We report an optimized Triton X-114
      (TX-114) based LPS extraction method for beta-lactoglobulin (BLG) and soy protein
      extract suitable for cell-based immunological assays. METHODS AND RESULTS:
      Optimization of an existing TX-114 based phase LPS extraction method resulted in
      >99% reduction of LPS levels. However, remaining TX-114 was found to interfere
      with LPS and protein concentration assays and decreased viability of THP-1
      macrophages and HEK-Blue 293 cells. Upon screening a range of TX-114 extraction
      procedures, TX-114-binding beads were found to most effectively lower TX-114
      levels without affecting protein structural properties. LPS-purified proteins
      showed reduced capacity to activate TLR4 compared to non-treated proteins. LPS
      purified BLG did not induce secretion of pro-inflammatory cytokines from THP-1
      macrophages, as non-treated protein did, showing that LPS contamination masks the
      immunomodulatory effect of BLG. Both HEK293 cells expressing TLR4 and
      differentiated THP-1 macrophages were shown as a relevant model to screen the
      protein preparations for biological effects of LPS contamination. CONCLUSION: The
      reported TX-114 assisted LPS-removal from protein preparations followed by bead
      based removal of TX-114 allows evaluation of natively folded protein preparations
      for their immunological potential in cell-based studies.

PMID- 28355241
TI  - Effects of shallow natural gas well structures and associated roads on grassland
      songbird reproductive success in Alberta, Canada.
AB  - Grassland songbird populations across North America have experienced dramatic
      population declines due to habitat loss and degradation. In Canada, energy
      development continues to fragment and disturb prairie habitat, but effects of oil
      and gas development on reproductive success of songbirds in North American mixed
      grass prairies remains largely unknown. From 2010-2012, in southeastern Alberta,
      Canada, we monitored 257 nests of two ground-nesting grassland songbird species,
      Savannah sparrow (Passerculus sandwichensis) and chestnut-collared longspur
      (Calcarius ornatus). Nest locations varied with proximity to and density of
      conventional shallow gas well structures and associated roads in forty-two 258-ha
      mixed-grass prairie sites. We estimated the probabilities of nest success and
      clutch size relative to gas well structures and roads. There was little effect of
      distance to or density of gas well structure on nest success; however, Savannah
      sparrow experienced lower nest success near roads. Clutch sizes were lower near
      gas well structures and cattle water sources. Minimizing habitat disturbance
      surrounding gas well structures, and reducing abundance of roads and trails,
      would help minimize impacts on reproductive success for some grassland songbirds.

PMID- 28355242
TI  - Fluoroscopy-free Resuscitative Endovascular Balloon Occlusion of the Aorta
      (REBOA) for controlling life threatening postpartum hemorrhage.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Severe postpartum hemorrhage occurs in 1/1000 women giving birth.
      This condition is often dramatic and may be life threatening. Resuscitative
      Endovascular Balloon Occlusion of the Aorta (REBOA) has in recent years been
      introduced as a novel treatment for hemorrhagic shock. We present a series of
      fluoroscopy-free REBOA for controlling life threatening postpartum hemorrhage.
      METHODS: In 2008 an 'aortic occlusion kit' was assembled and used in three
      Norwegian university hospitals. The on-call interventional radiologist (IR) was
      to be contacted with a response time < 30 minutes in case of life threatening
      PPH. Demographics and characteristics were noted from the medical records.
      RESULTS: This retrospective study includes 36 patients treated with fluoroscopy
      free REBOA for controlling severe postpartum hemorrhage in the years 2008-2015.
      The REBOA success rate was 100% and no patients died from REBOA related
      complications. Uterine artery embolization was performed in 17 (47%) patients and
      a hysterectomy in 16 (44%) patients. A short (11cm) introducer length was
      strongly associated with iliac artery thrombus formation (rho = 0.50, P = 0.002).
      In addition, there was a strong negative correlation between uterine artery
      embolization and hysterectomy (rho = -0.50, P = 0.002). CONCLUSIONS: Our
      Norwegian experience indicates the clinical safety and feasibility of REBOA in
      life threatening PPH. Also, REBOA can be used in an emergency situation without
      the use of fluoroscopy with a high degree of technical success. It is important
      that safety implementation of REBOA is established, especially through limited
      aortic balloon occlusion time and a thorough balloon deflation regime.

PMID- 28355243
TI  - Ketogenic diet improves the spatial memory impairment caused by exposure to
      hypobaric hypoxia through increased acetylation of histones in rats.
AB  - Exposure to hypobaric hypoxia causes neuron cell damage, resulting in impaired
      cognitive function. Effective interventions to antagonize hypobaric hypoxia
      induced memory impairment are in urgent need. Ketogenic diet (KD) has been
      successfully used to treat drug-resistant epilepsy and improves cognitive
      behaviors in epilepsy patients and other pathophysiological animal models. In the
      present study, we aimed to explore the potential beneficial effects of a KD on
      memory impairment caused by hypobaric hypoxia and the underlying possible
      mechanisms. We showed that the KD recipe used was ketogenic and increased plasma
      levels of ketone bodies, especially beta-hydroxybutyrate. The results of the
      behavior tests showed that the KD did not affect general locomotor activity but
      obviously promoted spatial learning. Moreover, the KD significantly improved the
      spatial memory impairment caused by hypobaric hypoxia (simulated altitude of 6000
      m, 24 h). In addition, the improving-effect of KD was mimicked by intraperitoneal
      injection of BHB. The western blot and immunohistochemistry results showed that
      KD treatment not only increased the acetylated levels of histone H3 and histone
      H4 compared to that of the control group but also antagonized the decrease in the
      acetylated histone H3 and H4 when exposed to hypobaric hypoxia. Furthermore, KD
      hypoxia treatment also promoted PKA/CREB activation and BDNF protein expression
      compared to the effects of hypoxia alone. These results demonstrated that KD is a
      promising strategy to improve spatial memory impairment caused by hypobaric
      hypoxia, in which increased modification of histone acetylation plays an
      important role.

PMID- 28355245
TI  - Correction: Biting Midges (Diptera: Ceratopogonidae) from Cambay Amber Indicate
      that the Eocene Fauna of the Indian Subcontinent Was Not Isolated.
AB  - [This corrects the article DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0169144.].

PMID- 28355244
TI  - Does personality affect health-related quality of life? A systematic review.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Health-related quality of life (HRQOL) is increasingly measured as an
      outcome for clinical and health services research. However, relatively little is
      known about how non-health factors affect HRQOL. Personality is a potentially
      important factor, yet evidence regarding the effects of personality on HRQOL
      measures is unclear. METHODS: This systematic review examined the relationships
      among aspects of personality and HRQOL. Eligible studies were identified from
      Medline and PsycINFO. The review included 76 English-language studies with HRQOL
      as a primary outcome and that assessed personality from the psychological
      perspective. Individuals with various health states, including ill (e.g., cancer,
      cardiovascular disorders), aging, and healthy, were included in this review
      study. RESULTS: Some personality characteristics were consistently related to
      psychosocial aspects more often than physical aspects of HRQOL. Personality
      characteristics, especially neuroticism, mastery, optimism, and sense of
      coherence were most likely to be associated with psychosocial HRQOL. Personality
      explained varying proportions of variance in different domains of HRQOL. The
      range of variance explained in psychosocial HRQOL was 0 to 45% and the range of
      explained variance in physical HRQOL was 0 to 39%. CONCLUSIONS: Personality
      characteristics are related to HRQOL. Systematic collection and analysis of
      personality data alongside HRQOL measures may be helpful in medical research,
      clinical practice, and health policy evaluation.

PMID- 28355246
TI  - SEARCH 8Es: A novel point of care ultrasound protocol for patients with chest
      pain, dyspnea or symptomatic hypotension in the emergency department.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: This study was conducted to evaluate a problem-oriented focused torso
      bedside ultrasound protocol termed "Sonographic Evaluation of Aetiology for
      Respiratory difficulty, Chest pain, and/or Hypotension" (SEARCH 8Es) for its
      ability to narrow differential diagnoses and increase physicians' diagnostic
      confidence, and its diagnostic accuracy, for patients presenting with dyspnea,
      chest pain, or symptomatic hypotension. METHODS: This single-center prospective
      observational study was conducted over 12 months in an emergency department and
      included 308 patients (184 men and 124 women; mean age, 67.7 +/- 19.1 years) with
      emergent cardiopulmonary symptoms. The paired t-test was used to compare the
      number of differential diagnoses and physician's level of confidence before and
      after SEARCH 8Es. The overall accuracy of the SEARCH 8Es protocol in
      differentiating 13 diagnostic entities was evaluated based on concordance (kappa
      coefficient) with the diagnosis made by the inpatient specialists. Sensitivity,
      specificity, positive predictive value, and negative predictive value were
      calculated. RESULTS: SEARCH 8Es narrows the number of differential diagnoses (2.5
      +/- 1.5 vs. 1.4 +/- 0.7; p < 0.001) and improves physicians' diagnostic
      confidence (2.8 +/- 0.8 vs. 4.3 +/- 0.9; p < 0.001) significantly. The overall
      kappa coefficient value was 0.870 (p < 0.001), with the overall sensitivity,
      specificity, positive predictive value, and negative predictive value at 90.9%,
      99.0%, 89.7%, and 99.0%, respectively. CONCLUSION: The SEARCH 8Es protocol helps
      emergency physicians to narrow the differential diagnoses, increase diagnostic
      confidence and provide accurate assessment of patients with dyspnea, chest pain,
      or symptomatic hypotension.

PMID- 28355247
TI  - Effects of photocoagulation on ocular blood flow in patients with severe non
      proliferative diabetic retinopathy.
AB  - PURPOSE: To investigate ocular blood flow and correlations between ocular blood
      flow and variables in patients with severe non-proliferative diabetic retinopathy
      (S-NPDR) following panretinal photocoagulation (PRP). METHODS: In this
      retrospective, cross-sectional study, the blood flow on the optic nerve head
      (ONH) and choroid was assessed with laser speckle flowgraphy (LSFG) using the
      mean blur rate (MBR) in 76 eyes of 76 patients with S-NPDR who underwent PRP, 39
      eyes of 39 patients with S-NPDR who did not undergo PRP, and 71 eyes of 71 normal
      subjects. The correlation between MBR and variables, including visual acuity (VA)
      and choroidal area determined by binarization method, was analyzed. RESULTS: The
      mean age was 62.9 +/- 11.9 years in the S-NPDR with PRP eyes, 55.6 +/- 11.4 years
      in the S-NPDR without PRP eyes, and 60.3 +/- 11.1 years in the normal subject
      eyes. The ONH MBR in vessel and tissue areas and the choroidal MBR were
      significantly lower in the S-NDR with PRP group than in the other groups (p <
      0.001, p < 0.001, and p < 0.001, respectively). The luminal and the stromal areas
      were significantly smaller in the S-NDR with PRP group than in the other groups
      (p < 0.001 and p < 0.001, respectively). LogMAR best corrected visual acuity
      (BCVA) exhibited significant negative correlation with the ONH MBR in vessel (r =
      -0.386, p < 0.001), tissue (r = -0.348, p < 0.001), and the choroid MBR (r = 
      0.339, p = 0.002) in the S-NDR with PRP group. Stepwise multiple regression
      analysis demonstrated that BCVA was a common independent factor associated with
      the ONH MBR in vessel, tissue, and the choroidal MBR in the S-NDR with PRP group.
      CONCLUSIONS: ONH and choroid MBR in addition to choroidal component, including
      the luminal area, were significantly lower in eyes of patients with S-NPDR after
      PRP compared with no PRP and normal subjects group. This could suggest that the
      significantly reduced ocular blood flow in PRP-treated S-NPDR eyes correlated
      with long-term decreased post-PRP luminal area and visual acuity.

PMID- 28355248
TI  - Searching for new strategies against biofilm infections: Colistin-AMP
      combinations against Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Staphylococcus aureus single- and
      double-species biofilms.
AB  - Antimicrobial research is being pressured to look for more effective therapeutics
      for the ever-growing antibiotic-resistant infections, and antimicrobial peptides
      (AMP) and antimicrobial combinations are promising solutions. This work evaluates
      colistin-AMP combinations against two major pathogens, Pseudomonas aeruginosa and
      Staphylococcus aureus, encompassing non- and resistant strains. Colistin (CST)
      combined with the AMP temporin A (TEMP-A), citropin 1.1 (CIT-1.1) and tachyplesin
      I linear analogue (TP-I-L) was tested against planktonic, single- and double
      species biofilm cultures. Overall synergy for planktonic P. aeruginosa and
      synergy/additiveness for planktonic S. aureus were observed. Biofilm growth
      prevention was achieved with synergy and additiveness. Pre-established 24 h-old
      biofilms were harder to eradicate, especially for S. aureus and double-species
      biofilms; still, some synergy and addictiveness was observed for higher
      concentrations, including for the biofilms of resistant strains. Different
      treatment times and growth media did not greatly influence AMP activity. CST
      revealed low toxicity compared with the other AMP but its combinations were toxic
      for high concentrations. Overall, combinations reduced effective AMP
      concentrations, mainly in prevention scenarios. Improvement of effectiveness and
      toxicity of therapeutic strategies will be further investigated.

PMID- 28355249
TI  - Barley (Hordeum vulgare) in the Okhotsk culture (5th-10th century AD) of northern
      Japan and the role of cultivated plants in hunter-gatherer economies.
AB  - This paper discusses archaeobotanical remains of naked barley recovered from the
      Okhotsk cultural layers of the Hamanaka 2 archaeological site on Rebun Island,
      northern Japan. Calibrated ages (68% confidence interval) of the directly dated
      barley remains suggest that the crop was used at the site ca. 440-890 cal yr AD.
      Together with the finds from the Oumu site (north-eastern Hokkaido Island), the
      recovered seed assemblage marks the oldest well-documented evidence for the use
      of barley in the Hokkaido Region. The archaeobotanical data together with the
      results of a detailed pollen analysis of contemporaneous sediment layers from the
      bottom of nearby Lake Kushu point to low-level food production, including
      cultivation of barley and possible management of wild plants that complemented a
      wide range of foods derived from hunting, fishing, and gathering. This qualifies
      the people of the Okhotsk culture as one element of the long-term and spatially
      broader Holocene hunter-gatherer cultural complex (including also Jomon, Epi
      Jomon, Satsumon, and Ainu cultures) of the Japanese archipelago, which may be
      placed somewhere between the traditionally accepted boundaries between foraging
      and agriculture. To our knowledge, the archaeobotanical assemblages from the
      Hokkaido Okhotsk culture sites highlight the north-eastern limit of prehistoric
      barley dispersal. Seed morphological characteristics identify two different
      barley phenotypes in the Hokkaido Region. One compact type (naked barley)
      associated with the Okhotsk culture and a less compact type (hulled barley)
      associated with Early-Middle Satsumon culture sites. This supports earlier
      suggestions that the "Satsumon type" barley was likely propagated by the
      expansion of the Yayoi culture via south-western Japan, while the "Okhotsk type"
      spread from the continental Russian Far East region, across the Sea of Japan.
      After the two phenotypes were independently introduced to Hokkaido, the boundary
      between both barley domains possibly existed ca. 600-1000 cal yr AD across the
      island region. Despite a large body of studies and numerous theoretical and
      conceptual debates, the question of how to differentiate between hunter-gatherer
      and farming economies persists reflecting the wide range of dynamic subsistence
      strategies used by humans through the Holocene. Our current study contributes to
      the ongoing discussion of this important issue.

PMID- 28355250
TI  - Avian binocular vision: It's not just about what birds can see, it's also about
      what they can't.
AB  - With the exception of primates, most vertebrates have laterally placed eyes.
      Binocular vision in vertebrates has been implicated in several functions,
      including depth perception, contrast discrimination, etc. However, the blind area
      in front of the head that is proximal to the binocular visual field is often
      neglected. This anterior blind area is important when discussing the evolution of
      binocular vision because its relative length is inversely correlated with the
      width of the binocular field. Therefore, species with wider binocular fields also
      have shorter anterior blind areas and objects along the mid-sagittal plane can be
      imaged at closer distances. Additionally, the anterior blind area is of
      functional significance for birds because the beak falls within this blind area.
      We tested for the first time some specific predictions about the functional role
      of the anterior blind area in birds controlling for phylogenetic effects. We used
      published data on visual field configuration in 40 species of birds and measured
      beak and skull parameters from museum specimens. We found that birds with
      proportionally longer beaks have longer anterior blind areas and thus narrower
      binocular fields. This result suggests that the anterior blind area and beak
      visibility do play a role in shaping binocular fields, and that binocular field
      width is not solely determined by the need for stereoscopic vision. In visually
      guided foragers, the ability to see the beak-and how much of the beak can be seen
      varies predictably with foraging habits. For example, fish- and insect-eating
      specialists can see more of their own beak than birds eating immobile food can.
      But in non-visually guided foragers, there is no consistent relationship between
      the beak and anterior blind area. We discuss different strategies-wide binocular
      fields, large eye movements, and long beaks-that minimize the potential negative
      effects of the anterior blind area. Overall, we argue that there is more to avian
      binocularity than meets the eye.

PMID- 28355253
TI  - Three-party authenticated key agreements for optimal communication.
AB  - Authenticated key agreements enable users to determine session keys, and to
      securely communicate with others over an insecure channel via the session keys.
      This study investigates the lower bounds on communications for three-party
      authenticated key agreements and considers whether or not the sub-keys for
      generating a session key can be revealed in the channel. Since two clients do not
      share any common secret key, they require the help of the server to authenticate
      their identities and exchange confidential and authenticated information over
      insecure networks. However, if the session key security is based on asymmetric
      cryptosystems, then revealing the sub-keys cannot compromise the session key. The
      clients can directly exchange the sub-keys and reduce the transmissions. In
      addition, authenticated key agreements were developed by using the derived
      results of the lower bounds on communications. Compared with related approaches,
      the proposed protocols had fewer transmissions and realized the lower bounds on
      communications.

PMID- 28355251
TI  - Immunization with a streptococcal multiple-epitope recombinant protein protects
      mice against invasive group A streptococcal infection.
AB  - Streptococcus pyogenes (group A Streptococcus; GAS) causes clinical diseases,
      including pharyngitis, scarlet fever, impetigo, necrotizing fasciitis and
      streptococcal toxic shock syndrome. A number of group A streptococcus vaccine
      candidates have been developed, but only one 26-valent recombinant M protein
      vaccine has entered clinical trials. Differing from the design of a 26-valent
      recombinant M protein vaccine, we provide here a vaccination using the
      polyvalence epitope recombinant FSBM protein (rFSBM), which contains four
      different epitopes, including the fibronectin-binding repeats domain of
      streptococcal fibronectin binding protein Sfb1, the C-terminal immunogenic
      segment of streptolysin S, the C3-binding motif of streptococcal pyrogenic
      exotoxin B, and the C-terminal conserved segment of M protein. Vaccination with
      the rFSBM protein successfully prevented mortality and skin lesions caused by
      several emm strains of GAS infection. Anti-FSBM antibodies collected from the
      rFSBM-immunized mice were able to opsonize at least six emm strains and can
      neutralize the hemolytic activity of streptolysin S. Furthermore, the
      internalization of GAS into nonphagocytic cells is also reduced by anti-FSBM
      serum. These findings suggest that rFSBM can be applied as a vaccine candidate to
      prevent different emm strains of GAS infection.

PMID- 28355252
TI  - Factors associated with early mycological clearance in HIV-associated
      cryptococcal meningitis.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: The first-line combination therapy for HIV-associated cryptococcal
      meningitis (CM), a condition of high mortality particularly in the first two
      weeks of treatment, consists of amphotericin B plus flucytosine (5-FC). Given
      that 5-FC remains unavailable in many countries, the knowledge of factors
      influencing mycological clearance in patients treated with second-line therapy
      could contribute to effective management. OBJECTIVES: To determine the factors
      associated with the clearance of Cryptococcus sp. from the cerebrospinal fluid by
      the second week of effective antifungal therapy (early mycological clearance) in
      HIV-associated CM. METHODS: Retrospective cohort study based on secondary data
      corresponding to HIV-associated CM cases hospitalized at a tertiary health care
      center in Lima, Peru where 5-FC remains unavailable. Risk factors associated with
      early mycological clearance were analyzed by generalized linear regression
      models. RESULTS: From January 2000 to December 2013, 234 individuals were
      discharged with a diagnosis of HIV-associated CM; in 215 we retrieved the
      required data. The inpatient mortality was 20% (43/215), 15 of them in the first
      two weeks of treatment. In the final model (157 cases), adjusted for age,
      previous episode of CM, ART use, type of antifungal treatment, raised
      intracranial pressure, frequency of therapeutic lumbar punctures, baseline fungal
      burden and treatment period, the factors associated with early mycological
      clearance were: Amphotericin B deoxycholate plus fluconazole as combination
      therapy (RR, 1.56; 95% CI, 1.14-2.14); severe baseline intracranial pressure
      (>=35 cm H2O) (RR, 0.57; 95% CI, 0.33-0.99); and baseline fungal burden over 4.5
      log10 CFU/mL (RR, 0.61 95% CI: 0.39-0.95). CONCLUSIONS: In a setting without
      access to first-line therapy for CM, the combination therapy with amphotericin B
      deoxycholate plus fluconazole was positively associated with early mycological
      clearance, while high fungal burden and severe baseline intracranial pressure
      were negatively associated, and thus related to failure.

PMID- 28355254
TI  - Annexin A1 can inhibit the in vitro invasive ability of nasopharyngeal carcinoma
      cells possibly through Annexin A1/S100A9/Vimentin interaction.
AB  - Annexin A1 is a member of a large superfamily of glucocorticoid-regulated,
      calcium- and phospholipid-binding proteins. Our previous studies have shown that
      the abnormal expression of Annexin A1 is related to the occurrence and
      development of nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC). To understand the roles of Annexin
      A1 in the tumorigenesis of NPC, targeted proteomic analysis was performed on
      Annexin A1-associated proteins from NPC cells. We identified 436 proteins
      associated with Annexin A1, as well as two Annexin A1-interacted key proteins,
      S100A9 and Vimentin, which were confirmed by co-immunoprecipitation. Gene
      function classification revealed that the Annexin A1-associated proteins can be
      grouped into 21 clusters based on their molecular functions. Protein-protein
      interaction analysis indicated that Annexin A1 /S100A9/Vimentin interactions may
      be involved in the invasion and metastasis of NPC because they can form complexes
      in NPC cells. The down-regulation of Annexin A1 in NPC may lead to the
      overexpression of S100A9/Vimentin, which may increase the possibility of the
      invasion ability of NPC cells by adjusting the function of cytoskeleton proteins.
      Results suggested that the biological functions of Annexin A1 in NPC were
      diverse, and that Annexin A1 can inhibit the in vitro invasive ability of NPC
      cells through Annexin A1 /S100A9/Vimentin interaction.

PMID- 28355255
TI  - Efficiency and optimal size of hospitals: Results of a systematic search.
AB  - BACKGROUND: National Health Systems managers have been subject in recent years to
      considerable pressure to increase concentration and allow mergers. This pressure
      has been justified by a belief that larger hospitals lead to lower average costs
      and better clinical outcomes through the exploitation of economies of scale. In
      this context, the opportunity to measure scale efficiency is crucial to address
      the question of optimal productive size and to manage a fair allocation of
      resources. METHODS AND FINDINGS: This paper analyses the stance of existing
      research on scale efficiency and optimal size of the hospital sector. We
      performed a systematic search of 45 past years (1969-2014) of research published
      in peer-reviewed scientific journals recorded by the Social Sciences Citation
      Index concerning this topic. We classified articles by the journal's category,
      research topic, hospital setting, method and primary data analysis technique.
      Results showed that most of the studies were focussed on the analysis of
      technical and scale efficiency or on input / output ratio using Data Envelopment
      Analysis. We also find increasing interest concerning the effect of possible
      changes in hospital size on quality of care. CONCLUSIONS: Studies analysed in
      this review showed that economies of scale are present for merging hospitals.
      Results supported the current policy of expanding larger hospitals and
      restructuring/closing smaller hospitals. In terms of beds, studies reported
      consistent evidence of economies of scale for hospitals with 200-300 beds.
      Diseconomies of scale can be expected to occur below 200 beds and above 600 beds.

PMID- 28355257
TI  - Lithic technological responses to Late Pleistocene glacial cycling at Pinnacle
      Point Site 5-6, South Africa.
AB  - There are multiple hypotheses for human responses to glacial cycling in the Late
      Pleistocene, including changes in population size, interconnectedness, and
      mobility. Lithic technological analysis informs us of human responses to
      environmental change because lithic assemblage characteristics are a reflection
      of raw material transport, reduction, and discard behaviors that depend on hunter
      gatherer social and economic decisions. Pinnacle Point Site 5-6 (PP5-6), Western
      Cape, South Africa is an ideal locality for examining the influence of glacial
      cycling on early modern human behaviors because it preserves a long sequence
      spanning marine isotope stages (MIS) 5, 4, and 3 and is associated with robust
      records of paleoenvironmental change. The analysis presented here addresses the
      question, what, if any, lithic assemblage traits at PP5-6 represent changing
      behavioral responses to the MIS 5-4-3 interglacial-glacial cycle? It
      statistically evaluates changes in 93 traits with no a priori assumptions about
      which traits may significantly associate with MIS. In contrast to other studies
      that claim that there is little relationship between broad-scale patterns of
      climate change and lithic technology, we identified the following characteristics
      that are associated with MIS 4: increased use of quartz, increased evidence for
      outcrop sources of quartzite and silcrete, increased evidence for earlier stages
      of reduction in silcrete, evidence for increased flaking efficiency in all raw
      material types, and changes in tool types and function for silcrete. Based on
      these results, we suggest that foragers responded to MIS 4 glacial environmental
      conditions at PP5-6 with increased population or group sizes, 'place
      provisioning', longer and/or more intense site occupations, and decreased
      residential mobility. Several other traits, including silcrete frequency, do not
      exhibit an association with MIS. Backed pieces, once they appear in the PP5-6
      record during MIS 4, persist through MIS 3. Changing paleoenvironments explain
      some, but not all temporal technological variability at PP5-6.

PMID- 28355258
TI  - The value of Gd-EOB-DTPA-enhanced MR imaging in characterizing cirrhotic nodules
      with atypical enhancement on Gd-DTPA-enhanced MR images.
AB  - PURPOSE: To evaluate the utility of Gd-EOB-DTPA-enhanced magnetic resonance
      imaging (MRI) in characterizing atypically enhanced cirrhotic nodules detected on
      conventional Gd-DTPA-enhanced MR images. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We enrolled 61
      consecutive patients with 88 atypical nodules seen on conventional Gd-DTPA
      enhanced MR images who underwent Gd-EOB-DTPA-enhanced MRI within a 3-month
      period. Using a reference standard, we determined that 58 of the nodules were
      hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and 30 were dysplastic nodules (DNs). Tumor size,
      signal intensity on precontrast T1-weighted images (T1WI), T2-weighted images
      (T2WI) and diffusion-weighted images (DWI), and the enhancement patterns seen on
      dynamic phase and hepatocyte phase images were determined. RESULTS: There were
      significant differences between DNs and HCC in hyperintensity on T2WI,
      hypointensity on T1WI, hypervascularity on arterial phase images, typical HCC
      enhancement patterns on dynamic MR images, hypointensity on hepatocyte phase
      images, and hyperintensity on DWI. The sensitivity and specificity were 79.3% and
      83.3% for T2WI, 50.0% and 80.0% for T1WI, 82.8% and 76.7% for DWI, 17.2% and 100%
      for dynamic MR imaging, 93.1% and 83.3% for hepatocyte phase imaging, and 46.8%
      and 100% when arterial hypervascularity was combined with hypointensity on
      hepatocyte-phase imaging. CONCLUSION: Gd-EOB-DTPA-enhanced hepatocyte phase
      imaging is recommended for patients at high risk for HCC who present with
      atypical lesions on conventional Gd-DTPA-enhanced MR images.

PMID- 28355256
TI  - The usefulness of monomeric periostin as a biomarker for idiopathic pulmonary
      fibrosis.
AB  - The natural course of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) is variable. Predicting
      disease progression and survival in IPF is important for treatment. We previously
      demonstrated that serum periostin has the potential to be a prognostic biomarker
      for IPF. Our aim was to use monomeric periostin in a multicenter study to
      evaluate its efficacy in diagnosing IPF and predicting its progression. To do so,
      we developed a new periostin kit to detect only monomeric periostin. The subjects
      consisted of 60 IPF patients in a multicenter cohort study. We applied monomeric
      periostin, total periostin detected by a conventional kit, and the conventional
      biomarkers-KL-6, SP-D, and LDH-to diagnose IPF and to predict its short-term
      progression as estimated by short-term changes of %VC and % DL, CO. Moreover, we
      compared the fraction ratios of monomeric periostin to total periostin in IPF
      with those in other periostin-high diseases: atopic dermatitis, systemic
      scleroderma, and asthma. Monomeric periostin showed the greatest ability to
      identify IPF comparable with KL-6 and SP-D. Both monomeric and total periostin
      were well correlated with the decline of %VC and % DL, CO. Clustering of IPF
      patients into high and low periostin groups proved useful for predicting the
      short-term progression of IPF. Moreover, the relative ratio of monomeric
      periostin was higher in IPF than in other periostin-high diseases. Measuring
      monomeric periostin is useful for diagnosing IPF and predicting its short-term
      progression. Moreover, the ratio of monomeric periostin to total periostin is
      elevated in IPF compared to other periostin-high diseases.

PMID- 28355259
TI  - To evaluate efficacy and safety of amphotericin B in two different doses in the
      treatment of post kala-azar dermal leishmaniasis (PKDL).
AB  - BACKGROUND: Post kala-azar dermal leishmaniasis (PKDL) is a skin disorder that
      usually occurs among patients with a past history of visceral leishmaniasis (VL).
      Cases are also reported without a history of VL. There is no satisfactory
      treatment regimen available at present. We aimed to compare the efficacy and
      safety of amphotericin B in two different doses (0.5mg/kg vs 1mg/kg) in a
      prospective randomized trial in 50 PKDL patients. METHODS: In this open label
      study 50 patients with PKDL, aged between 5-60 years were randomized in two
      groups. Group A received amphotericin B in the dose of 0.5 mg/kg in 5% dextrose,
      daily for 20 infusions for 3 courses at an interval of 15 days between each
      course and Group B received amphotericin B in the dose of 1mg/kg in 5% dextrose
      on alternate days, 20 infusions for 3 courses an interval of 15 days between each
      course and followed up for one year. RESULTS: A total of 50 patients were
      enrolled, 25 in each of group A and group B. Two patients lost to follow up and
      three patients withdrew consent due to adverse events. The initial cure rate was
      92% in group A and 88% in group B by intention to treat analysis and final cure
      rate by per protocol analysis was 95.65% and 95.45% in group A and group B
      respectively. Two patients each from either group relapsed. Nephrotoxicity was
      the most common adverse event occurring in both the groups. CONCLUSION: The lower
      dose appears to have fewer adverse events however, nephrotoxicity remains a
      problem in both regimens. The 0.5mg/kg regimen may be considered instead of the
      higher dosage however safer treatments remain critical for PKDL treatment.

PMID- 28355260
TI  - Increased trefoil factor 2 levels in patients with chronic kidney disease.
AB  - In chronically damaged tissue, trefoil factor family (TFF) peptides ensure
      epithelial protection and restitution. In chronic kidney disease (CKD), TFF1 and
      TFF2 are reported to be upregulated. Especially in the early phase, CKD is
      associated with silently ongoing renal damage and inflammation. Moreover, many
      patients are diagnosed late during disease progression. We therefore sought to
      investigate the potential of TFF2 as biomarker for CKD. We followed 118 patients
      suffering from predialysis CKD and 23 healthy volunteers. TFF2 concentrations
      were measured using ELISA. Our results showed, that median TFF2 serum levels were
      significantly higher in patients with later CKD stages as compared to healthy
      controls (p < 0.001) or early stages (p < 0.001). In patients with mid CKD stages
      TFF2 serum levels were significantly higher than in healthy controls (p = 0.002).
      Patients with early or mid CKD stages had significantly higher TFF2 urine
      concentrations than later CKD stages (p < 0.001 and p = 0.009, respectively).
      Fractional TFF2 excretion differed significantly between early CKD stages and
      healthy controls (p = 0.01). ROC curve showed that TFF2 levels can predict
      different CKD stages (AUC > 0.75). In conclusion, urine and serum TFF2 levels of
      CKD patients show a different profile dependent on CKD stages. Whereas TFF2 urine
      levels continuously decreased with disease progression, TFF2 serum concentrations
      progressively increased from the early to later CKD stages, indicating changes in
      renal function and offering the potential to examine the course of CKD.

PMID- 28355262
TI  - Correction: Accuracy of optical biometry combined with Placido disc corneal
      topography for intraocular lens power calculation.
AB  - [This corrects the article DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0172634.].

PMID- 28355261
TI  - Preclinical mouse model to monitor live Muc5b-producing conjunctival goblet cell
      density under pharmacological treatments.
AB  - PURPOSE: Modification of mucous cell density and gel-forming mucin production are
      established hallmarks of mucosal diseases. Our aim was to develop and validate a
      mouse model to study live goblet cell density in pathological situations and
      under pharmacological treatments. METHODS: We created a reporter mouse for the
      gel-forming mucin gene Muc5b. Muc5b-positive goblet cells were studied in the eye
      conjunctiva by immunohistochemistry and probe-based confocal laser endomicroscopy
      (pCLE) in living mice. Dry eye syndrome (DES) model was induced by topical
      application of benzalkonium chloride (BAK) and recombinant interleukine (rIL) 13
      was administered to reverse the goblet cell loss in the DES model. RESULTS:
      Almost 50% of the total of conjunctival goblet cells are Muc5b+ in unchallenged
      mice. The decrease density of Muc5b+ conjunctival goblet cell population in the
      DES model reflects the whole conjunctival goblet cell loss. Ten days of BAK in
      one eye followed by 4 days without any treatment induced a -18.3% decrease in
      conjunctival goblet cell density. A four days of rIL13 application in the DES
      model restored the normal goblet cell density. CONCLUSION: Muc5b is a biological
      marker of DES mouse models. We bring the proof of concept that our model is
      unique and allows a better understanding of the mechanisms that regulate gel
      forming mucin production/secretion and mucous cell differentiation in the
      conjunctiva of living mice and can be used to test treatment compounds in mucosal
      disease models.

PMID- 28355263
TI  - The effect of a sequential structure of practice for the training of perceptual
      cognitive skills in tennis.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: Anticipation of opponent actions, through the use of advanced (i.e.,
      pre-event) kinematic information, can be trained using video-based temporal
      occlusion. Typically, this involves isolated opponent skills/shots presented as
      trials in a random order. However, two different areas of research concerning
      representative task design and contextual (non-kinematic) information, suggest
      this structure of practice restricts expert performance. The aim of this study
      was to examine the effect of a sequential structure of practice during video
      based training of anticipatory behavior in tennis, as well as the transfer of
      these skills to the performance environment. METHODS: In a pre-practice-retention
      transfer design, participants viewed life-sized video of tennis rallies across
      practice in either a sequential order (sequential group), in which participants
      were exposed to opponent skills/shots in the order they occur in the sport, or a
      non-sequential (non-sequential group) random order. RESULTS: In the video-based
      retention test, the sequential group was significantly more accurate in their
      anticipatory judgments when the retention condition replicated the sequential
      structure compared to the non-sequential group. In the non-sequential retention
      condition, the non-sequential group was more accurate than the sequential group.
      In the field-based transfer test, overall decision time was significantly faster
      in the sequential group compared to the non-sequential group. CONCLUSION:
      Findings highlight the benefits of a sequential structure of practice for the
      transfer of anticipatory behavior in tennis. We discuss the role of contextual
      information, and the importance of representative task design, for the testing
      and training of perceptual-cognitive skills in sport.

PMID- 28355264
TI  - Epidemiology and outcomes of hypoglycemia in patients with advanced diabetic
      kidney disease on dialysis: A national cohort study.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Patients with advanced diabetic kidney disease (DKD) behave
      differently to diabetic patients without kidney disease. We aimed to investigate
      the associations of hypoglycemia and outcomes after initiation of dialysis in
      patients with advanced DKD on dialysis. METHODS: Using National Health Insurance
      Research Database, 20,845 advanced DKD patients beginning long-term dialysis
      between 2002 and 2006 were enrolled. We investigated the incidence of severe
      hypoglycemia episodes before initiation of dialysis. Patients were followed from
      date of first dialysis to death, end of dialysis, or 2008. Main outcomes measured
      were all-cause mortality, myocardial infarction (MI), and subsequent severe
      hypoglycemic episodes after dialysis. RESULTS: 19.18% patients had at least one
      hypoglycemia episode during 1-year period before initiation of dialysis. Advanced
      DKD patients with higher adapted Diabetes Complications Severity Index (aDCSI)
      scores were associated with more frequent hypoglycemia (P for trend < 0.001).
      Mortality and subsequent severe hypoglycemia after dialysis both increased with
      number of hypoglycemic episodes. Compared to those who had no hypoglycemic
      episodes, those who had one had a 15% higher risk of death and a 2.3-fold higher
      risk of subsequent severe hypoglycemia. Those with two or more episodes had a 19%
      higher risk of death and a 3.9-fold higher risk of subsequent severe
      hypoglycemia. However, previous severe hypoglycemia was not correlated with risk
      of MI after dialysis. CONCLUSIONS: The rate of severe hypoglycemia was high in
      advanced DKD patients. Patients with higher aDCSI scores tended to have more
      hypoglycemic episodes. Hypoglycemic episodes were associated with subsequent
      hypoglycemia and mortality after initiation of dialysis. We studied the
      associations and further study is needed to establish cause. In addition, more
      attention is needed for hypoglycemia prevention in advanced DKD patients,
      especially for those at risk patients.

PMID- 28355265
TI  - Effects of different lower-limb sensory stimulation strategies on postural
      regulation-A systematic review and meta-analysis.
AB  - Systematic reviews of balance control have tended to only focus on the effects of
      single lower-limb stimulation strategies, and a current limitation is the lack of
      comparison between different relevant stimulation strategies. The aim of this
      systematic review and meta-analysis was to examine evidence of effects of
      different lower-limb sensory stimulation strategies on postural regulation and
      stability. Moderate- to high- pooled effect sizes (Unbiased (Hedges' g)
      standardized mean differences (SMD) = 0.31-0.66) were observed with the addition
      of noise in a Stochastic Resonance Stimulation Strategy (SRSS), in three
      populations (i.e., healthy young adults, older adults, and individuals with lower
      limb injuries), and under different task constraints (i.e., unipedal, bipedal,
      and eyes open). A Textured Material Stimulation Strategy (TMSS) enhanced postural
      control in the most challenging condition-eyes-closed on a stable surface (SMD =
      0.61), and in older adults (SMD = 0.30). The Wearable Garments Stimulation
      Strategy (WGSS) showed no or adverse effects (SMD = -0.68-0.05) under all task
      constraints and in all populations, except in individuals with lower-limb
      injuries (SMD = 0.20). Results of our systematic review and meta-analysis
      revealed that future research could consider combining two or more stimulation
      strategies in intervention treatments for postural regulation and balance
      problems, depending on individual needs.

PMID- 28355266
TI  - Molecular epidemiology and antimicrobial susceptibility of Clostridium difficile
      isolates from two Korean hospitals.
AB  - Clostridium difficile is one of the main etiological agents causing antibiotic
      associated diarrhea. This study investigated the genetic diversity of 70
      toxigenic C. difficile isolates from two Korean hospitals by employing
      toxinotyping, ribotyping, multilocus sequence typing (MLST), and pulsed-field gel
      electrophoresis (PFGE). Toxin gene amplification resulted in 68 A+B+ and two A-B+
      isolates. Most isolates (95.7-100%) were susceptible to daptomycin,
      metronidazole, and vancomycin. Seventy C. difficile isolates were classified into
      five toxinotypes, 19 ribotypes, 16 sequence types (STs), and 33 arbitrary
      pulsotypes. All C. difficile isolates of ribotype 018 (n = 38) were classified
      into ST17, which was the most prevalent ST in both hospitals. However, C.
      difficile isolates of ST17 (ribotype 018) exhibited pulsotypes that differed by
      hospital. ST2 (ribotype 014/020), 8 (ribotypes 002), 17 (ribotype 018), and 35
      (ribotypes 015) were detected in both hospitals, whereas other STs were unique to
      each hospital. Statistical comparison of the different typing methods revealed
      that ribotyping and PFGE were highly predictive of STs. In conclusion, our
      epidemiological study indicates that C. difficile infections in both hospitals
      are associated with the persistence of endemic clones coupled with the emergence
      of many unique clones. A combination of MLST with PFGE or ribotyping could be
      useful for monitoring epidemic C. difficile strains and the emergence of new
      clones in hospitals.

PMID- 28355267
TI  - Food consumption and food exchange of caged honey bees using a radioactive
      labelled sugar solution.
AB  - We measured the distribution of sugar solution within groups of caged honey bees
      (Apis mellifera) under standard in vitro laboratory conditions using 14C
      polyethylene glycol as a radioactive marker to analyze ingestion by individual
      bees after group feeding. We studied the impact of different experimental setups
      by varying the number of bees, age of bees, origin of bees, duration of
      experiment, the amount of available diet, and the influence of the neurotoxic
      pesticide imidacloprid in the diet on the feeding and food sharing behavior
      (trophallaxis). Sugar solution was non-uniformly distributed in bees in 36 out of
      135 cages. As a measure of the extent to which the sugar diet was equally
      distributed between caged bees, we calculated the (inner 80%) intake ratio by
      dividing the intake of the 90th percentile bee by the intake of the 10th
      percentile bee. This intake ratio ranged from 1.3 to 94.8 in 133 individual
      cages, further supporting a non-uniform distribution of food among caged bees. We
      can expect a cage with 10 or 30 bees containing one bee that ingests, on average,
      the 8.8-fold of the bee in the same cage ingesting the smallest quantity of food.
      Inner 80% intake ratios were lower in experiments with a permanent or chronic
      offering of labelled sugar solution compared to temporary or acute feedings.
      After pooling the data of replicates to achieve a higher statistical power we
      compared different experimental setups. We found that uniform food distribution
      is best approached with 10 newly emerged bees per cage, which originate from a
      brood comb from a single colony. We also investigated the trophallaxis between
      caged honey bees which originally consumed the diet and newly added bees. Color
      marked bees were starved and added to the cages in a ratio of 10:5 or 20:20 after
      the initial set of bees consumed all the labelled sugar solution. The
      distribution of the labelled sugar solution by trophallaxis within 48 hours to
      added bees was 25% (10:5) or 45% (20:20) of the initial sugar solution.
      Imidacloprid at its median lethal dose (LD50) in the sugar solution reduced this
      post-feeding food transmission to 27% (20:20). Our results show that differences
      in food intake exist within caged bees that may lead to differential exposure
      that can influence the interpretation of toxicity tests.

PMID- 28355268
TI  - Signs of current suicidality in men: A systematic review.
AB  - Suicide signs have been identified by expert consensus and are relied on by
      service providers, community helpers' and family members to identify suicidal
      men. Whether signs that are reported in suicide literature accurately describe
      male presentations of suicidality is unclear. A systematic review of the
      literature was conducted to identify male-specific signs of current suicidality
      and identify gaps in the literature for future research. Searches through
      Medline, CINAHL, PsychInfo and the Behavioral Sciences Collection, guided by the
      PRISMA-P statement, identified 12 studies that met the study eligibility
      criteria. Although the results generally reflected suicide signs identified by
      expert consensus, there is little research that has examined male-specific signs
      of the current suicidal state. This review highlights the need for scientific
      research to clarify male presentation of suicidality. Implications for future
      research to improve the prompt identification of suicidal men are discussed.

PMID- 28355269
TI  - Use of a counterfactual approach to evaluate the effect of area closures on
      fishing location in a tropical tuna fishery.
AB  - Spatial closures are widely used in marine conservation and fisheries management
      and it is important to understand their contribution to achieving management
      objectives. Many previous evaluations of closed area effects have used before
      after comparisons, which, without controlling for a full range of factors, cannot
      ascribe changes in fleet behaviour to area closures per se. In this study we used
      a counterfactual approach to disentangle the effect of two closed areas on
      fishing location from other competing effects on the behaviour of the Indian
      Ocean tuna purse seine fishery. Our results revealed an inconsistent effect of
      the one of the closed areas between years, after taking into account the
      influence of environmental conditions on fleet behaviour. This suggests that the
      policy of closing the area per se was not the main driver for the fleet
      allocating its effort elsewhere. We also showed a marked difference in effect
      between the two closed areas resulting from their different locations in the
      fishery area. These findings highlight the need to account for other key fleet
      behavioural drivers when predicting or evaluating the contribution of area
      closures to achieving conservation and fishery management objectives.

PMID- 28355270
TI  - The NF-kappaB-dependent and -independent transcriptome and chromatin landscapes
      of human coronavirus 229E-infected cells.
AB  - Coronavirus replication takes place in the host cell cytoplasm and triggers
      inflammatory gene expression by poorly characterized mechanisms. To obtain more
      insight into the signals and molecular events that coordinate global host
      responses in the nucleus of coronavirus-infected cells, first, transcriptome
      dynamics was studied in human coronavirus 229E (HCoV-229E)-infected A549 and HuH7
      cells, respectively, revealing a core signature of upregulated genes in these
      cells. Compared to treatment with the prototypical inflammatory cytokine
      interleukin(IL)-1, HCoV-229E replication was found to attenuate the inducible
      activity of the transcription factor (TF) NF-kappaB and to restrict the nuclear
      concentration of NF-kappaB subunits by (i) an unusual mechanism involving partial
      degradation of IKKbeta, NEMO and IkappaBalpha and (ii) upregulation of TNFAIP3
      (A20), although constitutive IKK activity and basal TNFAIP3 expression levels
      were shown to be required for efficient virus replication. Second, we
      characterized actively transcribed genomic regions and enhancers in HCoV-229E
      infected cells and systematically correlated the genome-wide gene expression
      changes with the recruitment of Ser5-phosphorylated RNA polymerase II and
      prototypical histone modifications (H3K9ac, H3K36ac, H4K5ac, H3K27ac, H3K4me1).
      The data revealed that, in HCoV-infected (but not IL-1-treated) cells, an
      extensive set of genes was activated without inducible p65 NF-kappaB being
      recruited. Furthermore, both HCoV-229E replication and IL-1 were shown to
      upregulate a small set of genes encoding immunomodulatory factors that bind p65
      at promoters and require IKKbeta activity and p65 for expression. Also, HCoV-229E
      and IL-1 activated a common set of 440 p65-bound enhancers that differed from
      another 992 HCoV-229E-specific enhancer regions by distinct TF-binding motif
      combinations. Taken together, the study shows that cytoplasmic RNA viruses fine
      tune NF-kappaB signaling at multiple levels and profoundly reprogram the host
      cellular chromatin landscape, thereby orchestrating the timely coordinated
      expression of genes involved in multiple signaling, immunoregulatory and
      metabolic processes.

PMID- 28355271
TI  - Transient helicity in intrinsically disordered Axin-1 studied by NMR spectroscopy
      and molecular dynamics simulations.
AB  - Many natural proteins are, as a whole or in part, intrinsically disordered.
      Frequently, such intrinsically disordered regions (IDRs) undergo a transition to
      a defined and often helical conformation upon binding to partner molecules. The
      intrinsic propensity of an IDR sequence to fold into a helical conformation
      already in the absence of a binding partner can have a decisive influence on the
      binding process and affinity. Using a combination of NMR spectroscopy and
      molecular dynamics (MD) simulations we have investigated the tendency of regions
      of Axin-1, an intrinsically disordered scaffolding protein of the WNT signaling
      pathway, to form helices in segments interacting with binding partners. Secondary
      chemical shifts from NMR measurements show an increased helical population in
      these regions. Systematic application of MD advanced sampling approaches on
      peptide segments of Axin-1 reproduces the experimentally observed tendency and
      allows insights into the distribution of segment conformations and free energies
      of helix formation. The results, however, were found to dependent on the force
      field water model. Recent water models specifically designed for IDRs
      significantly reduce the predicted helical content and do not improve the
      agreement with experiment.

PMID- 28355272
TI  - Vitamin D receptor gene is epigenetically altered and transcriptionally up
      regulated in multiple sclerosis.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: Vitamin D deficiency has been linked to increased risk of multiple
      sclerosis (MS) and poor outcome. However, the specific role that vitamin D plays
      in MS still remains unknown. In order to identify potential mechanisms underlying
      vitamin D effects in MS, we profiled epigenetic changes in vitamin D receptor
      (VDR) gene to identify genomic regulatory elements relevant to MS pathogenesis.
      METHODS: Human T cells derived from whole blood by negative selection were
      isolated in a set of 23 relapsing-remitting MS (RRMS) patients and 12 controls
      matched by age and gender. DNA methylation levels were assessed by bisulfite
      cloning sequencing in two regulatory elements of VDR. mRNA levels were measured
      by RT-qPCR to assess changes in VDR expression between patients and controls.
      RESULTS: An alternative VDR promoter placed at exon 1c showed increased DNA
      methylation levels in RRMS patients (median 30.08%, interquartile range 19.2%)
      compared to controls (18.75%, 9.5%), p-value<0.05. Moreover, a 6.5-fold increase
      in VDR mRNA levels was found in RRMS patients compared to controls (p
      value<0.001). CONCLUSIONS: An alternative promoter of the VDR gene shows altered
      DNA methylation levels in patients with multiple sclerosis, and it is associated
      with VDR mRNA upregulation. This locus may represent a candidate regulatory
      element in the genome relevant to MS pathogenesis.

PMID- 28355273
TI  - Synthesis, characterization, and debromination reactivity of cellulose-stabilized
      Pd/Fe nanoparticles for 2,2',4,4'-tretrabromodiphenyl ether.
AB  - In this study, two kinds of cellulose derivatives (polyanionic cellulose (PAC)
      and hydroxypropylmethyl cellulose (HPMC)) were selected as stabilizers of Pd/Fe
      nanoparticles (NPs) to investigate their influences on the debromination
      performances of 2,2',4,4'-tretrabromodiphenyl ether (BDE47). Field emission
      scanning electron microscope (FE-SEM) images revealed that the cellulose
      stabilized Pd/Fe NPs were smaller and more uniform than the bare-Pd/Fe NPs. X-ray
      diffractometer (XRD) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) results suggested
      that cellulose coatings found on Pd/Fe NPs surfaces featured some antioxidation
      abilities, which followed the order of HPMC < PAC. Sedimentation tests
      demonstrated that the stabilizing power of PAC for Pd/Fe NPs was higher than that
      of HPMC. Fourier transfer infrared spectrometer (FTIR) results indicated that PAC
      molecules were bound to the Pd/Fe NPs surfaces by polar covalent bonds and
      hydrogen bonds, while HPMC molecules interacted with the nanoparticles by
      hydrogen bonds. Batch debromination test for BDE47 demonstrated that the
      catalytic debromination rate with cellulose-stabilized Pd/Fe NPs was higher than
      that with bare-Pd/Fe NPs during reaction period of 15 min. Overall, this study
      indicated that both celluloses are beneficial to forming smaller, more regular,
      stable and antioxidative Pd/Fe NPs, leading to higher debromination reactivity
      for BDE47 compared with the bare-Pd/Fe NPs. Therefore Pd/Fe NPs can be utilized
      as a promising remediation technology for the contaminated groundwater and soils.

PMID- 28355275
TI  - Investigating time-efficiency of forward masking paradigms for estimating basilar
      membrane input-output characteristics.
AB  - It is well known that pure-tone audiometry does not sufficiently describe
      individual hearing loss (HL) and that additional measures beyond pure-tone
      sensitivity might improve the diagnostics of hearing deficits. Specifically,
      forward masking experiments to estimate basilar-membrane (BM) input-output (I/O)
      function have been proposed. However, such measures are very time consuming. The
      present study investigated possible modifications of the temporal masking curve
      (TMC) paradigm to improve time and measurement efficiency. In experiment 1,
      estimates of knee point (KP) and compression ratio (CR) of individual BM I/Os
      were derived without considering the corresponding individual "off-frequency"
      TMC. While accurate estimation of KPs was possible, it is difficult to ensure
      that the tested dynamic range is sufficient. Therefore, in experiment 2, a TMC
      based paradigm, referred to as the "gap method", was tested. In contrast to the
      standard TMC paradigm, the maker level was kept fixed and the "gap threshold" was
      obtained, such that the masker just masks a low-level (12 dB sensation level)
      signal. It is argued that this modification allows for better control of the
      tested stimulus level range, which appears to be the main drawback of the
      conventional TMC method. The results from the present study were consistent with
      the literature when estimating KP levels, but showed some limitations regarding
      the estimation of the CR values. Perspectives and limitations of both approaches
      are discussed.

PMID- 28355274
TI  - PrPSc formation and clearance as determinants of prion tropism.
AB  - Prion strains are characterized by strain-specific differences in neuropathology
      but can also differ in incubation period, clinical disease, host-range and tissue
      tropism. The hyper (HY) and drowsy (DY) strains of hamster-adapted transmissible
      mink encephalopathy (TME) differ in tissue tropism and susceptibility to
      infection by extraneural routes of infection. Notably, DY TME is not detected in
      the secondary lymphoreticular system (LRS) tissues of infected hosts regardless
      of the route of inoculation. We found that similar to the lymphotropic strain HY
      TME, DY TME crosses mucosal epithelia, enters draining lymphatic vessels in
      underlying laminae propriae, and is transported to LRS tissues. Since DY TME
      causes disease once it enters the peripheral nervous system, the restriction in
      DY TME pathogenesis is due to its inability to establish infection in LRS
      tissues, not a failure of transport. To determine if LRS tissues can support DY
      TME formation, we performed protein misfolding cyclic amplification using DY
      PrPSc as the seed and spleen homogenate as the source of PrPC. We found that the
      spleen environment can support DY PrPSc formation, although at lower rates
      compared to lymphotropic strains, suggesting that the failure of DY TME to
      establish infection in the spleen is not due to the absence of a strain-specific
      conversion cofactor. Finally, we provide evidence that DY PrPSc is more
      susceptible to degradation when compared to PrPSc from other lymphotrophic
      strains. We hypothesize that the relative rates of PrPSc formation and clearance
      can influence prion tropism.

PMID- 28355276
TI  - Rituximab maintenance therapy for patients with diffuse large B-cell lymphoma: A
      meta-analysis.
AB  - PURPOSE: The addition of rituximab to standard chemotherapy has significantly
      improved survival in patients with lymphoma. Recently, maintenance therapy with
      rituximab has been shown to prevent relapse and provide survival benefits for
      patients with follicular or mantle cell lymphoma. However, the effects of
      rituximab in patients with diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) remain unclear.
      Two new studies involving rituximab in the treatment of DLBCL were performed this
      past year. We performed a meta analysis to evaluate the effects of rituximab
      maintenance treatment of patients with DLBCL. METHODS: Several databases (PubMed,
      MEDLINE, EMBASE, and Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials) databases
      were reviewed for relevant randomized controlled trials published prior to May,
      2016. Two reviewers assessed the quality of the included studies and extracted
      data independently. The hazard ratios (HRs) for time-to-event data and relative
      risks (RRs) for the other data were pooled and estimated. RESULTS: Totally 5
      studies including 1740 patients were eligible for the meta-analysis. Compared to
      the observation group, patients who received rituximab maintenance therapy had
      significantly improved event-free survival (EFS) (HR = 0.80, 95% CI: 0.65-0.98)
      and progression-free survival (PFS) (HR = 0.72, 95% CI: 0.54-0.94). However,
      there was no statistically significant difference in overall survival (OS) (HR =
      0.66, 95% CI: 0.27-1.29). A subgroup analysis suggested that male patients may
      benefit from rituximab maintenance therapy with a better EFS (HR = 0.53, 95% CI:
      0.34-0.82-), while this advantage was not observed in female patients (HR = 0.99,
      95% CI: 0.64-1.52). CONCLUSIONS: Rituximab maintenance may provide survival
      benefits beyond that afforded by first- and second-line chemotherapy alone,
      especially in male patients. However, maintenance rituximab treatment may cause
      more adverse events. It is recommended that both survival benefits and adverse
      events should be taken into consideration when making treatment decisions.

PMID- 28355278
TI  - Analysis using national databases reveals a positive association between dietary
      polyunsaturated fatty acids with TV watching and diabetes in European females.
AB  - In recent years, dietary polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) have increased in
      parallel to sedentary behavior and diabetes across the world. To test any
      putative association between dietary PUFA and sedentary behavior or diabetes in
      females, we obtained country-specific, cross-sectional data on sedentary activity
      and diabetes prevalence from European Cardiovascular Statistics 2012. Age and
      gender-specific, nutritional data from each country were obtained from
      nutritional surveys as well. Socioeconomic (GDP), physical environment
      (urbanization index) and climatic confounders were accounted for each country.
      Upon analysis, we found a strong, positive association between sedentary
      lifestyle in 11-yr old girls (> = 2 hours of TV/ weekday) and dietary PUFA across
      21 European countries. Further, a weak association of dietary PUFA and a strong
      relationship of per-capita GDP was established with elevated fasting blood
      glucose [(> = 7.0 mmol/L; or on medication] among 25+ year old adult females
      across 23 countries in Europe. In summary, we present novel ecological evidence
      that dietary PUFA is strongly associated with sedentary behavior among pre-teen
      girls and weakly associated with diabetes among adult women across Europe. In the
      latter group, per-capita GDP was a significant predictor for diabetes as well.
      Therefore, we recommend that prospective randomized controlled trials (RCTs) be
      implemented to evaluate if ubiquitous presence of dietary PUFA and low
      socioeconomic status are possible confounders when intervening to treat/prevent
      sedentary lifestyle or diabetes in female subjects in Western nations.

PMID- 28355277
TI  - Modulation of the immune response by Fonsecaea pedrosoi morphotypes in the course
      of experimental chromoblastomycosis and their role on inflammatory response
      chronicity.
AB  - A common theme across multiple fungal pathogens is their ability to impair the
      establishment of a protective immune response. Although early inflammation is
      beneficial in containing the infection, an uncontrolled inflammatory response is
      detrimental and may eventually oppose disease eradication. Chromoblastomycosis
      (CBM), a cutaneous and subcutaneous mycosis, caused by dematiaceous fungi, is
      capable of inducing a chronic inflammatory response. Muriform cells, the
      parasitic form of Fonsecaea pedrosoi, are highly prevalent in infected tissues,
      especially in long-standing lesions. In this study we show that hyphae and
      muriform cells are able to establish a murine CBM with skin lesions and
      histopathological aspects similar to that found in humans, with muriform cells
      being the most persistent fungal form, whereas mice infected with conidia do not
      reach the chronic phase of the disease. Moreover, in injured tissue the presence
      of hyphae and especially muriform cells, but not conidia, is correlated with
      intense production of pro-inflammatory cytokines in vivo. High-throughput RNA
      sequencing analysis (RNA-Seq) performed at early time points showed a strong up
      regulation of genes related to fungal recognition, cell migration, inflammation,
      apoptosis and phagocytosis in macrophages exposed in vitro to muriform cells, but
      not conidia. We also demonstrate that only muriform cells required FcgammaR and
      Dectin-1 recognition to be internalized in vitro, and this is the main fungal
      form responsible for the intense inflammatory pattern observed in CBM, clarifying
      the chronic inflammatory reaction observed in most patients. Furthermore, our
      findings reveal two different fungal-host interaction strategies according to
      fungal morphotype, highlighting fungal dimorphism as an important key in
      understanding the bipolar nature of inflammatory response in fungal infections.

PMID- 28355280
TI  - The effect of social group size on feather corticosterone in the co-operatively
      breeding Smooth-billed Ani (Crotophaga ani): An assay validation and analysis of
      extreme social living.
AB  - Living closely with others can provide a myriad of fitness benefits, from shared
      territory defense to co-operative resource acquisition. Costs of social
      aggregation are not absent, however, and likely influence optimal and observed
      groups' sizes in a social species. Here, we explored optimal group size in a
      joint-nesting cuckoo species (the Smooth-billed Ani, Crotophaga ani) using
      endocrine markers of stress physiology (corticosterone, or CORT). Smooth-billed
      Anis exhibit intense reproductive competition that is exacerbated in atypically
      large groups. We therefore hypothesized that intra-group competition (measured by
      social group size) mediates the desirability and physiological cost of social
      group membership in this species. To test this hypothesis, we captured 47 adult
      Smooth-billed Anis (31 males, 16 females) during the breeding seasons of 2012
      2014 in south-western Puerto Rico, and documented social group sizes. Tail
      feathers were sampled and used to quantify CORT (pg/mg) in enzyme-linked
      immunosorbent assays (ELISAs) (n = 50). Our analyses show significant differences
      in feather-CORT of adults between categorical group sizes, with individuals from
      atypically large social groups (>= x + 1SD) having highest mean concentrations
      (33.319 pg/mg), and individuals from atypically small social groups (<= x - 1SD)
      having lowest mean concentrations (8.969 pg/mg). Whether reproductive competition
      or effort is responsible for elevated CORT in atypically large social groups,
      however, remains unclear. Our results suggest that living in atypically large
      groups is physiologically expensive and may represent an evolutionarily unstable
      strategy. To our knowledge, this is the first study to explore a correlation
      between stress physiology and group size in a joint-nesting species.

PMID- 28355279
TI  - Highly sensitive measurements of disease progression in rare disorders:
      Developing and validating a multimodal model of retinal degeneration in Stargardt
      disease.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Each inherited retinal disorder is rare, but together, they affect
      millions of people worldwide. No treatment is currently available for these
      blinding diseases, but promising new options-including gene therapy-are emerging.
      Arguably, the most prevalent retinal dystrophy is Stargardt disease. In each
      case, the specific combination of ABCA4 variants (> 900 identified to date) and
      modifying factors is virtually unique. It accounts for the vast phenotypic
      heterogeneity including variable rates of functional and structural progression,
      thereby potentially limiting the ability of phase I/II clinical trials to assess
      efficacy of novel therapies with few patients. To accommodate this problem, we
      developed and validated a sensitive and reliable composite clinical trial
      endpoint for disease progression based on structural measurements of retinal
      degeneration. METHODS AND FINDINGS: We used longitudinal data from early-onset
      Stargardt patients from the Netherlands (development cohort, n = 14) and the
      United Kingdom (external validation cohort, n = 18). The composite endpoint was
      derived from best-corrected visual acuity, fundus autofluorescence, and spectral
      domain optical coherence tomography. Weighting optimization techniques excluded
      visual acuity from the composite endpoint. After optimization, the endpoint
      outperformed each univariable outcome, and showed an average progression of 0.41
      degrees  retinal eccentricity per year (95% confidence interval, 0.30-0.52).
      Comparing with actual longitudinal values, the model accurately predicted
      progression (R2, 0.904). These properties were largely preserved in the
      validation cohort (0.43 degrees /year [0.33-0.53]; prediction: R2, 0.872). We
      subsequently ran a two-year trial simulation with the composite endpoint, which
      detected a 25% decrease in disease progression with 80% statistical power using
      only 14 patients. CONCLUSIONS: These results suggest that a multimodal endpoint,
      reflecting structural macular changes, provides a sensitive measurement of
      disease progression in Stargardt disease. It can be very useful in the evaluation
      of novel therapeutic modalities in rare disorders.

PMID- 28355281
TI  - Toward a phenological mismatch in estuarine pelagic food web?
AB  - Alterations of species phenology in response to climate change are now
      unquestionable. Until now, most studies have reported precocious occurrence of
      life cycle events as a major phenological response. Desynchronizations of biotic
      interactions, in particular predator-prey relationships, are however assumed to
      strongly impact ecosystems' functioning, as formalized by the Match-Mismatch
      Hypothesis (MMH). Temporal synchronicity between juvenile fish and zooplankton in
      estuaries is therefore of essential interest since estuaries are major nursery
      grounds for many commercial fish species. The Gironde estuary (SW France) has
      suffered significant alterations over the last three decades, including two
      Abrupt Ecosystem Shifts (AES), and three contrasted intershift periods. The main
      objective of this study was to depict modifications in fish and zooplankton
      phenology among inter-shift periods and discuss the potential effects of the
      resulting mismatches at a community scale. A flexible Bayesian method was used to
      estimate and compare yearly patterns of species abundance in the estuary among
      the three pre-defined periods. Results highlighted (1) an earlier peak of
      zooplankton production and entrance of fish species in the estuary and (2) a
      decrease in residence time of both groups in the estuary. Such species-specific
      phenological changes led to changes in temporal overlap between juvenile fish and
      their zooplanktonic prey. This situation questions the efficiency and potentially
      the viability of nursery function of the Gironde estuary, with potential
      implications for coastal marine fisheries of the Bay of Biscay.

PMID- 28355282
TI  - Breeding success of a marine central place forager in the context of climate
      change: A modeling approach.
AB  - In response to climate warming, a southward shift in productive frontal systems
      serving as the main foraging sites for many top predator species is likely to
      occur in Subantarctic areas. Central place foragers, such as seabirds and
      pinnipeds, are thus likely to cope with an increase in the distance between
      foraging locations and their land-based breeding colonies. Understanding how
      central place foragers should modify their foraging behavior in response to
      changes in prey accessibility appears crucial. A spatially explicit individual
      based simulation model (Marine Central Place Forager Simulator (MarCPFS)),
      including bio-energetic components, was built to evaluate effects of possible
      changes in prey resources accessibility on individual performances and breeding
      success. The study was calibrated on a particular example: the Antarctic fur seal
      (Arctocephalus gazella), which alternates between oceanic areas in which females
      feed and the land-based colony in which they suckle their young over a 120 days
      rearing period. Our model shows the importance of the distance covered to feed
      and prey aggregation which appeared to be key factors to which animals are highly
      sensitive. Memorization and learning abilities also appear to be essential
      breeding success traits. Females were found to be most successful for
      intermediate levels of prey aggregation and short distance to the resource,
      resulting in optimal female body length. Increased distance to resources due to
      climate warming should hinder pups' growth and survival while female body length
      should increase.

PMID- 28355283
TI  - Streptococcus gallolyticus infection in colorectal cancer and association with
      biological and clinical factors.
AB  - There is an unambiguous association of Streptococcus gallolyticus infection with
      colorectal cancer, although there is limited information about epidemiology or
      interaction between molecular and environmental factors. We performed an original
      quantitative analysis of S. gallolyticus in unselected colorectal cancer patients
      (n = 190) and their association with clinical, pathological tumor molecular
      profiles (microsatellite instability, hypermethylator phenotype and chromosomal
      instability pathways), and other biological factors in colorectal tumor and
      normal tissues (cytomegalovirus and Epstein-Barr virus infection). We developed a
      new quantitative method to assess bacterial load. Analytical validation was
      reached with a very high sensitivity and specificity. Our results showed a 3.2%
      prevalence of S. gallolyticus infection in our unselected cohort of colorectal
      cancer cases (6/190). The average S. gallolyticus copy number was 7,018 (range 44
      34,585). No previous reports relating to S. gallolyticus infection have been
      published for unselected cohorts of patients. Finally, and despite a low
      prevalence of S. gallolyticus in this study, we were able to define a specific
      association with tumor tissue (p = 0.03) and with coinfection with Epstein-Barr
      virus (p = 0.042; OR: 9.49; 95% IC: 1.1-82.9). The prevalence data provided will
      be very useful in the design of future studies, and will make it possible to
      estimate the sample size needed to assess precise objectives. In conclusion, our
      results show a low prevalence of S. gallolyticus infection in unselected
      colorectal cancer patients and an association of positive S. gallolyticus
      infection with tumor tissue and Epstein-Barr virus coinfection. Further studies
      will be needed to definitively assess the prevalence of S. gallolyticus in
      colorectal cancer and the associated clinicopathological and molecular profiles.

PMID- 28355285
TI  - Characteristics of women obtaining induced abortions in selected low- and middle
      income countries.
AB  - BACKGROUND: In 2010-2014, approximately 86% of abortions took place in low- and
      middle-income countries (LMICs). Although abortion incidence varies minimally
      across geographical regions, it varies widely by subregion and within countries
      by subgroups of women. Differential abortion levels stem from variation in the
      level of unintended pregnancies and in the likelihood that women with unintended
      pregnancies obtain abortions. OBJECTIVES: To examine the characteristics of women
      obtaining induced abortions in LMICs. METHODS: We use data from official
      statistics, population-based surveys, and abortion patient surveys to examine
      variation in the percentage distribution of abortions and abortion rates by age
      at abortion, marital status, parity, wealth, education, and residence. We analyze
      data from five countries in Africa, 13 in Asia, eight in Europe, and two in Latin
      America and the Caribbean (LAC). RESULTS: Women across all sociodemographic
      subgroups obtain abortions. In most countries, women aged 20-29 obtained the
      highest proportion of abortions, and while adolescents obtained a substantial
      fraction of abortions, they do not make up a disproportionate share. Region
      specific patterns were observed in the distribution of abortions by parity. In
      many countries, a higher fraction of abortions occurred among women of high
      socioeconomic status, as measured by wealth status, educational attainment, and
      urban residence. Due to limited data on marital status, it is unknown whether
      married or unmarried women make up a larger share of abortions. CONCLUSIONS:
      These findings help to identify subgroups of women with disproportionate levels
      of abortion, and can inform policies and programs to reduce the incidence of
      unintended pregnancies; and in LMICs that have restrictive abortion laws, these
      findings can also inform policies to minimize the consequences of unsafe abortion
      and motivate liberalization of abortion laws. Program planners, policymakers, and
      advocates can use this information to improve access to safe abortion services,
      postabortion care, and contraceptive services.

PMID- 28355284
TI  - Differential action of glucocorticoids on apolipoprotein E gene expression in
      macrophages and hepatocytes.
AB  - Apolipoprotein E (apoE) has anti-atherosclerotic properties, being involved in
      the transport and clearance of cholesterol-rich lipoproteins as well as in
      cholesterol efflux from cells. We hypothesized that glucocorticoids may exert
      anti-inflammatory properties by increasing the level of macrophage-derived apoE.
      Our data showed that glucocorticoids increased apoE expression in macrophages in
      vitro as well as in vivo. Dexamethasone increased ~6 fold apoE mRNA levels in
      cultured peritoneal macrophages and RAW 264.7 cells. Administered to C57BL/6J
      mice, dexamethasone induced a two-fold increase in apoE expression in peritoneal
      macrophages. By contrast, glucocorticoids did not influence apoE expression in
      hepatocytes, in vitro and in vivo. Moreover, dexamethasone enhanced apoE promoter
      transcriptional activity in RAW 264.7 macrophages, but not in HepG2 cells, as
      tested by transient transfections. Analysis of apoE proximal promoter deletion
      mutants, complemented by protein-DNA interaction assays demonstrated the
      functionality of a putative glucocorticoid receptors (GR) binding site predicted
      by in silico analysis in the -111/-104 region of the human apoE promoter. In
      hepatocytes, GR can bind to their specific site within apoE promoter but are not
      able to modulate the gene expression. The modulatory blockade in hepatocytes is a
      consequence of partial involvement of transcription factors and other signaling
      molecules activated through MEK1/2 and PLA2/PLC pathways. In conclusion, our
      study indicates that glucocorticoids (1) differentially target apoE gene
      expression; (2) induce a significant increase in apoE level specifically in
      macrophages. The local increase of apoE gene expression in macrophages at the
      level of the atheromatous plaque may have therapeutic implications in
      atherosclerosis.

PMID- 28355286
TI  - Gender preference and perinatal depression in Turkey: A cohort study.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Child gender preference is important in some cultures and has been
      found to modify risk for antenatal and postnatal depression. We investigated
      discrepancies in the child gender preference between participating women and
      other key family members and the extent to which these predicted perinatal
      depression. METHODS: In a large cohort study of perinatal depression in urban and
      rural Turkey, participants had been asked about child gender preferences: their
      own, and those of their husband, parents, and parents in-law. Of 730 participants
      recruited in their third trimester (94.6% participation), 578 (79.2%) were
      reassessed at a mean (SD) 4.1 (3.3) months after childbirth, and 488 (66.8%) were
      reassessed at 13.7 (2.9) months. RESULTS: No associations were found between any
      gender preference reported in the antenatal period and depression at any
      examination. On the other hand, we found associations of antenatal depression
      with differences in participant-reported gender preference and that reported for
      their mother-in-law (OR 1.81, 1.08-3.04). This non-agreement also predicted
      depression at the 4 month (OR 2.24, 1.24-4.03) and 14 month (OR 2.07, 1.05-4.04)
      post-natal examinations. These associations with postnatal depression persisted
      after adjustment for a range of covariates (ORs 3.19 (1.54-6.59) and 3.30 (1.49
      7.33) respectively). CONCLUSIONS: Reported disagreement in child gender
      preferences between a woman and her mother-in-law was a predictor of post-natal
      depression and may reflect wider family disharmony as an underlying factor.

PMID- 28355287
TI  - The Sirt6 gene: Does it play a role in tooth development?
AB  - Dental Mesenchymal Cells (DMCs) are known to play a role in tooth development as
      well as in the repair and regeneration of dental tissue. A large number of
      signaling molecules regulate the proliferation and differentiation of DMC, though
      the underlying mechanisms are still not fully understood. Sirtuin-6 (SIRT6), a
      key regulator of aging, can exert an impact on embryonic stem cell (ESC)
      differentiation. The experimental deletion of Sirt6 in mouse bone marrow cells
      has been found to have an inhibiting impact on the bone mineral density and the
      osteogenic differentiation of these cells. The possible role of Sirt6 in tooth
      development, however, has at present remained largely unexplored. In the present
      study, we found that SIRT6 had no effect on tooth development before birth.
      However, Sirt6 gene deletion in knockout mice did have two post-natal impacts: a
      delay in tooth eruption and sluggishness in the development of dental roots. We
      propose an explanation of the possible molecular basis of the changes observed in
      Sirt6-/- mice. SIRT6 is expressed in mouse odontoblasts. Sirt6 deletion enhanced
      the proliferation of DMCs, as well as their capacity for adipogenic
      differentiation. On the other hand, it inhibited their capacity for in vitro
      osteogenic/chondrogenic differentiation. Further studies suggested that other
      factors may mediate the role of Sirt6 in odontogenesis. These include the nuclear
      factor kappa B (NF-kappaB), p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase (p38-MAPK),
      extracellular regulated MAP kinase (ERK) pathways and the mitochondrial energy.
      We demonstrated that Sirt6 plays a role in tooth root formation and confirmed
      that SIRT6 is necessary for DMC differentiation as well as for the development of
      the tooth root and for eventual tooth eruption. These results establish a new
      link between SIRT6 and tooth development.

PMID- 28355288
TI  - Theory and associated phenomenology for intrinsic mortality arising from natural
      selection.
AB  - Standard evolutionary theories of aging and mortality, implicitly based on
      assumptions of spatial averaging, hold that natural selection cannot favor
      shorter lifespan without direct compensating benefit to individual reproductive
      success. However, a number of empirical observations appear as exceptions to or
      are difficult to reconcile with this view, suggesting explicit lifespan control
      or programmed death mechanisms inconsistent with the classic understanding.
      Moreover, evolutionary models that take into account the spatial distributions of
      populations have been shown to exhibit a variety of self-limiting behaviors,
      maintained through environmental feedback. Here we extend recent work on spatial
      modeling of lifespan evolution, showing that both theory and phenomenology are
      consistent with programmed death. Spatial models show that self-limited lifespan
      robustly results in long-term benefit to a lineage; longer-lived variants may
      have a reproductive advantage for many generations, but shorter lifespan
      ultimately confers long-term reproductive advantage through environmental
      feedback acting on much longer time scales. Numerous model variations produce the
      same qualitative result, demonstrating insensitivity to detailed assumptions; the
      key conditions under which self-limited lifespan is favored are spatial extent
      and locally exhaustible resources. Factors including lower resource availability,
      higher consumption, and lower dispersal range are associated with evolution of
      shorter lifespan. A variety of empirical observations can parsimoniously be
      explained in terms of long-term selective advantage for intrinsic mortality.
      Classically anomalous empirical data on natural lifespans and intrinsic
      mortality, including observations of longer lifespan associated with increased
      predation, and evidence of programmed death in both unicellular and multicellular
      organisms, are consistent with specific model predictions. The generic nature of
      the spatial model conditions under which intrinsic mortality is favored suggests
      a firm theoretical basis for the idea that evolution can quite generally select
      for shorter lifespan directly.

PMID- 28355289
TI  - Increased expression of protein kinase CK2alpha correlates with poor patient
      prognosis in epithelial ovarian cancer.
AB  - Epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC) is one of the deadly gynecological malignancies.
      The function of protein kinase CK2alpha (CK2alpha) in EOC is still unknown. Our
      study aimed to investigate the relationship between the protein expression of
      CK2alpha and the tumor progression, the prognosis of human EOC. In this study, we
      analyzed the expression levels of CK2alpha through Western blot, using EOC cell
      lines like A2780, HO8910, COV644, OVCAR3, SKOV3, and the primary normal ovarian
      surface epithelial (NOSE) cells. Furthermore, OVCAR3 and SKOV3 EOC cells were
      employed as a cellular model to study the role of CK2alpha on cell growth,
      migration, invasion, apoptosis, and cell cycle distribution. In addition, we
      investigated CK2alpha protein expression in tumor tissues from patients with EOC
      by immunohistochemistry and analyzed the association between CK2alpha expression
      and clinicopathologic parameters and prognosis of EOC patients. And we found that
      compared with NOSE cells, CK2alpha protein expression was increased in A2780,
      HO8910, OVCAR3, and SKOV3 ovarian cancer cell lines. Decreased CK2alpha
      expression suppressed OVCAR3 and SKOV3 cell growth and induced more apoptosis.
      CK2alpha knockdown using specific siRNAs inhibited migration and invasion ability
      of OVCAR3 and SKOV3 cells. In addition, high CK2alpha protein expression was
      found in 68.4% (80/117) of EOC patients. Increased CK2alpha expression of was
      significantly correlated with FIGO staging and peritoneal cytology. Patients with
      higher CK2alpha expression had a significantly poorer overall survival compared
      with those with lower CK2alpha expression. Multi-variate Cox regression analysis
      proved that increased CK2alpha expression was an independent prognostic marker
      for EOC. Taken together, our data displayed that CK2alpha may play a role in
      tumor aggressive behavior of EOC and could be used as a marker for predicting
      prognosis of EOC patient. High CK2alpha expression might predict poor patient
      survival.

PMID- 28355290
TI  - Prevalence of valvular heart diseases and associated risk factors in Han, Uygur
      and Kazak population in Xinjiang, China.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Valvular heart diseases (VHD) is very common in clinical practice and
      has became the subject of growing attention in the field of cardiovascular
      medicine. Our aim was to assess the prevalence and correlates of VHD in the
      general population in Xinjiang, China. METHODS: Using a 4-stage stratified
      cluster random sampling method, a total of 14618 participants were recruited in
      the Cardiovascular Risk Survey (CRS) study. The participants' personal
      information, medical history were assessed by questionnaire. VHD was diagnosed by
      transthoracic echocardiography. We carried out the statistical analysis utilizing
      SPSS Statistics version 19.0. RESULTS: In the total study group, VHD was observed
      in 1397 (9.65%) individuals. The prevalence rates of VHD in Han, Uygur and Kazak
      group are 13.51%, 2.71% and 12.29% respectively. The prevalence rates of VHD
      increased strikingly with age (all P < 0.001). The results of multinomial
      regression analysis indicated that VHD were related to age in Han group, to age
      smoking and hypertension in Uygur group, to age and hypertension in Kazak group.
      CONCLUSION: Our research provides a unique prevalence rate of VHD in Xinjiang
      natural population. The result suggests that VHD are notably common in this
      population (9.65%) and increase with age. There exists significant difference of
      prevalence rate between ethnics. The main risk factors of VHD are age,
      hypertension and smoking. Valvular heart diseases should be regarded as a serious
      and growing public-health problem.

PMID- 28355291
TI  - Site-specific variation in gene expression from Symbiodinium spp. associated with
      offshore and inshore Porites astreoides in the lower Florida Keys is lost with
      bleaching and disease stress.
AB  - Scleractinian coral are experiencing unprecedented rates of mortality due to
      increases in sea surface temperatures in response to global climate change. Some
      coral species however, survive high temperature events due to a reduced
      susceptibility to bleaching. We investigated the relationship between bleaching
      susceptibility and expression of five metabolically related genes of Symbiodinium
      spp. from the coral Porites astreoides originating from an inshore and offshore
      reef in the Florida Keys. The acclimatization potential of Symbiodinium spp. to
      changing temperature regimes was also measured via a two-year reciprocal
      transplant between the sites. Offshore coral fragments displayed significantly
      higher expression in Symbiodinium spp. genes PCNA, SCP2, G3PDH, PCP and psaE than
      their inshore counterparts (p<0.05), a pattern consistent with increased
      bleaching susceptibility in offshore corals. Additionally, gene expression
      patterns in Symbiodinium spp. from site of origin were conserved throughout the
      two-year reciprocal transplant, indicating acclimatization did not occur within
      this multi-season time frame. Further, laboratory experiments were used to
      investigate the influence of acute high temperature (32 degrees C for eight
      hours) and disease (lipopolysaccharide of Serratia marcescens) on the five
      metabolically related symbiont genes from the same offshore and inshore P.
      astreoides fragments. Gene expression did not differ between reef fragments, or
      as a consequence of acute exposure to heat or heat and disease, contrasting to
      results found in the field. Gene expression reported here indicates functional
      variation in populations of Symbiodinium spp. associated with P. astreoides in
      the Florida Keys, and is likely a result of localized adaptation. However, gene
      expression patterns observed in the lab imply that functional variation in
      zooxanthellae observed under conditions of chronic moderate stress is lost under
      the acute extreme conditions studied here.

PMID- 28355292
TI  - A decorated raven bone from the Zaskalnaya VI (Kolosovskaya) Neanderthal site,
      Crimea.
AB  - We analyze a radius bone fragment of a raven (Corvus corax) from Zaskalnaya VI
      rock shelter, Crimea. The object bears seven notches and comes from an
      archaeological level attributed to a Micoquian industry dated to between 38 and
      43 cal kyr BP. Our study aims to examine the degree of regularity and
      intentionality of this set of notches through their technological and
      morphometric analysis, complemented by comparative experimental work. Microscopic
      analysis of the notches indicate that they were produced by the to-and-fro
      movement of a lithic cutting edge and that two notches were added to fill in the
      gap left between previously cut notches, probably to increase the visual
      consistency of the pattern. Multivariate analysis of morphometric data recorded
      on the archaeological notches and sets of notches cut by nine modern
      experimenters on radii of domestic turkeys shows that the variations recorded on
      the Zaskalnaya set are comparable to experimental sets made with the aim of
      producing similar, parallel, equidistant notches. Identification of the Weber
      Fraction, the constant that accounts for error in human perception, for
      equidistant notches cut on bone rods and its application to the Zaskalnaya set of
      notches and thirty-six sets of notches incised on seventeen Upper Palaeolithic
      bone objects from seven sites indicate that the Zaskalnaya set falls within the
      range of variation of regularly spaced experimental and Upper Palaeolithic sets
      of notches. This suggests that even if the production of the notches may have had
      a utilitarian reason the notches were made with the goal of producing a visually
      consistent pattern. This object represents the first instance of a bird bone from
      a Neanderthal site bearing modifications that cannot be explained as the result
      of butchery activities and for which a symbolic argument can be built on direct
      rather than circumstantial evidence.

PMID- 28355293
TI  - Understanding the genetic diversity and population structure of yam (Dioscorea
      alata L.) using microsatellite markers.
AB  - Yams (Dioscorea sp.) are staple food crops for millions of people in tropical and
      subtropical regions. Dioscorea alata, also known as greater yam, is one of the
      major cultivated species and most widely distributed throughout the tropics.
      Despite its economic and cultural importance, very little is known about its
      origin, diversity and genetics. As a consequence, breeding efforts for resistance
      to its main disease, anthracnose, have been fairly limited. The objective of this
      study was to contribute to the understanding of D. alata genetic diversity by
      genotyping 384 accessions from different geographical regions (South Pacific,
      Asia, Africa and the Caribbean), using 24 microsatellite markers. Diversity
      structuration was assessed via Principal Coordinate Analysis, UPGMA analysis and
      the Bayesian approach implemented in STRUCTURE. Our results revealed the
      existence of a wide genetic diversity and a significant structuring associated
      with geographic origin, ploidy levels and morpho-agronomic characteristics.
      Seventeen major groups of genetically close cultivars have been identified,
      including eleven groups of diploid cultivars, four groups of triploids and two
      groups of tetraploids. STRUCTURE revealed the existence of six populations in the
      diploid genetic pool and a few admixed cultivars. These results will be very
      useful for rationalizing D. alata genetic resources in breeding programs across
      different regions and for improving germplasm conservation methods.

PMID- 28355294
TI  - Mining expression and prognosis of topoisomerase isoforms in non-small-cell lung
      cancer by using Oncomine and Kaplan-Meier plotter.
AB  - DNA topoisomerases are essential to modulate DNA topology during various cellular
      genetic processes. The expression and distinct prognostic value of topoisomerase
      isoforms in non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) is not well established. In the
      current study, we have examined the mRNA expression of topoisomerase isoforms by
      using Oncomine analysis and investigated their prognostic value via the Kaplan
      Meier plotter database in NSCLC patients. Our analysis indicated that the
      expression level of topoisomerases in lung cancer was higher compared with normal
      tissues. Especially, high expression of two topoisomerase isoforms, TOP2A and
      TOP3A, was found to be correlated to worse overall survival (OS) in all NSCLC and
      lung adenocarcinoma (Ade) patients, but not in lung squamous cell carcinoma (SCC)
      patients. In a contrast, high expression of isoforms TOP1 and TOP2B indicated
      better OS in all NSCLC and Ade, but not in SCC patients. Meanwhile, high
      expression of TOP1MT and TOP3B was not correlated with OS in NSCLC patients.
      Furthermore, we also demonstrated a relationship between topoisomerase isoforms
      and the clinicopathological features for the NSCLC patients, such as grades,
      clinical stages, lymph node status, smoking status, gender, chemotherapy and
      radiotherapy. These results support that TOP2A and TOP3A are associated with
      worse prognosis in NSCLC patients. In addition, our study also shows that TOP1
      and TOP2B contribute to favorable prognosis in NSCLC patients. The exact
      prognostic significance of TOP1MT and TOP3B need to be further elucidated.
      Comprehensive evaluation of expression and prognosis of topoisomerase isoforms
      will be a benefit for the better understanding of heterogeneity and complexity in
      the molecular biology of NSCLC, paving a way for more accurate prediction of
      prognosis and discovery of potential drug targets for NSCLC patients.

PMID- 28355295
TI  - Risk prediction of pulmonary tuberculosis using genetic and conventional risk
      factors in adult Korean population.
AB  - A complex interplay among host, pathogen, and environmental factors is believed
      to contribute to the risk of developing pulmonary tuberculosis (PTB). The lack of
      replication of published genome-wide association study (GWAS) findings limits the
      clinical utility of reported single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs). We conducted
      a GWAS using 467 PTB cases and 1,313 healthy controls obtained from two community
      based cohorts in Korea. We evaluated the performance of PTB risk models based on
      different combinations of genetic and nongenetic factors and validated the
      results in an independent Korean population comprised of 179 PTB cases and 500
      healthy controls. We demonstrated the polygenic nature of PTB and nongenetic
      factors such as age, sex, and body mass index (BMI) were strongly associated with
      PTB risk. None of the SNPs achieved genome-wide significance; instead, we were
      able to replicate the associations between PTB and ten SNPs near or in the genes,
      CDCA7, GBE1, GADL1, SPATA16, C6orf118, KIAA1432, DMRT2, CTR9, CCDC67, and CDH13,
      which may play roles in the immune and inflammatory pathways. Among the
      replicated SNPs, an intergenic SNP, rs9365798, located downstream of the C6orf118
      gene showed the most significant association under the dominant model (OR = 1.59,
      95% CI 1.32-1.92, P = 2.1*10-6). The performance of a risk model combining the
      effects of ten replicated SNPs and six nongenetic factors (i.e., age, sex, BMI,
      cigarette smoking, systolic blood pressure, and hemoglobin) were validated in the
      replication set (AUC = 0.80, 95% CI 0.76-0.84). The strategy of combining genetic
      and nongenetic risk factors ultimately resulted in better risk prediction for PTB
      in the adult Korean population.

PMID- 28355296
TI  - Tetraarsenic hexoxide induces G2/M arrest, apoptosis, and autophagy via PI3K/Akt
      suppression and p38 MAPK activation in SW620 human colon cancer cells.
AB  - Tetraarsenic hexoxide (As4O6) has been used in Korean folk medicines for the
      treatment of cancer, however its anti-cancer mechanisms remain obscured. Here,
      this study investigated the anti-cancer effect of As4O6 on SW620 human colon
      cancer cells. As4O6 has showed a dose-dependent inhibition of SW620 cells
      proliferation. As4O6 significantly increased the sub-G1 and G2/M phase
      population, and Annexin V-positive cells in a dose-dependent manner. G2/M arrest
      was concomitant with augment of p21 and reduction in cyclin B1, cell division
      cycle 2 (cdc 2) expressions. Nuclear condensation, cleaved nuclei and poly
      (adenosine diphosphate-ribose) polymerase (PARP) activation were also observed in
      As4O6-treated SW620 cells. As4O6 induced depolarization of mitochondrial membrane
      potential (MMP, DeltaPsim) but not reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation.
      Further, As4O6 increased death receptor 5 (DR5), not DR4 and suppressed the B
      cell lymphoma-2 (Bcl-2) and X-linked inhibitor of apoptosis protein (XIAP) family
      proteins. As4O6 increased the formation of AVOs (lysosomes and
      autophagolysosomes) and promoted the conversion of microtubule-associated protein
      1A/1B-light chain 3 (LC3)-I to LC3-II in a dose- and time- dependent manner.
      Interestingly, a specific phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3K)/Akt inhibitor
      (LY294002) augmented the As4O6 induced cell death; whereas p38 mitogen-activated
      protein kinases (p38 MAPK) inhibitor (SB203580) abrogated the cell death. Thus,
      the present study provides the first evidence that As4O6 induced G2/M arrest,
      apoptosis and autophagic cell death through PI3K/Akt and p38 MAPK pathways
      alteration in SW620 cells.

PMID- 28355297
TI  - Transcription factor-induced activation of cardiac gene expression in human c
      kit+ cardiac progenitor cells.
AB  - Although transplantation of c-kit+ cardiac progenitor cells (CPCs) significantly
      alleviates post-myocardial infarction left ventricular dysfunction, generation of
      cardiomyocytes by exogenous CPCs in the recipient heart has often been limited.
      Inducing robust differentiation would be necessary for improving the efficacy of
      the regenerative cardiac cell therapy. We assessed the hypothesis that
      differentiation of human c-kit+ CPCs can be enhanced by priming them with cardiac
      transcription factors (TFs). We introduced five different TFs (Gata4, MEF2C,
      NKX2.5, TBX5, and BAF60C) into CPCs, either alone or in combination, and then
      examined the expression of marker genes associated with the major cardiac cell
      types using quantitative RT-PCR. When introduced individually, Gata4 and TBX5
      induced a subset of myocyte markers. Moreover, Gata4 alone significantly induced
      smooth muscle cell and fibroblast markers. Interestingly, these gene expression
      changes brought by Gata4 were also accompanied by morphological changes. In
      contrast, MEF2C and NKX2.5 were largely ineffective in initiating cardiac gene
      expression in CPCs. Surprisingly, introduction of multiple TFs in different
      combinations mostly failed to act synergistically. Likewise, addition of BAF60C
      to Gata4 and/or TBX5 did not further potentiate their effects on cardiac gene
      expression. Based on our results, it appears that GATA4 is able to potentiate
      gene expression programs associated with multiple cardiovascular lineages in
      CPCs, suggesting that GATA4 may be effective in priming CPCs for enhanced
      differentiation in the setting of stem cell therapy.

PMID- 28355298
TI  - An alternative reference space for H&E color normalization.
AB  - Digital imaging of H&E stained slides has enabled the application of image
      processing to support pathology workflows. Potential applications include
      computer-aided diagnostics, advanced quantification tools, and innovative
      visualization platforms. However, the intrinsic variability of biological tissue
      and the vast differences in tissue preparation protocols often lead to
      significant image variability that can hamper the effectiveness of these
      computational tools. We developed an alternative representation for H&E images
      that operates within a space that is more amenable to many of these image
      processing tools. The algorithm to derive this representation operates by
      exploiting the correlation between color and the spatial properties of the
      biological structures present in most H&E images. In this way, images are
      transformed into a structure-centric space in which images are segregated into
      tissue structure channels. We demonstrate that this framework can be extended to
      achieve color normalization, effectively reducing inter-slide variability.

PMID- 28355299
TI  - Mild hypothermia alleviates brain oedema and blood-brain barrier disruption by
      attenuating tight junction and adherens junction breakdown in a swine model of
      cardiopulmonary resuscitation.
AB  - Mild hypothermia improves survival and neurological recovery after cardiac arrest
      (CA) and cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR). However, the mechanism underlying
      this phenomenon is not fully elucidated. The aim of this study was to determine
      whether mild hypothermia alleviates early blood-brain barrier (BBB) disruption.
      We investigated the effects of mild hypothermia on neurologic outcome, survival
      rate, brain water content, BBB permeability and changes in tight junctions (TJs)
      and adherens junctions (AJs) after CA and CPR. Pigs were subjected to 8 min of
      untreated ventricular fibrillation followed by CPR. Mild hypothermia (33 degrees
      C) was intravascularly induced and maintained at this temperature for 12 h,
      followed by active rewarming. Mild hypothermia significantly reduced cortical
      water content, decreased BBB permeability and attenuated TJ ultrastructural and
      basement membrane breakdown in brain cortical microvessels. Mild hypothermia also
      attenuated the CPR-induced decreases in TJ (occludin, claudin-5, ZO-1) and AJ (VE
      cadherin) protein and mRNA expression. Furthermore, mild hypothermia decreased
      the CA- and CPR-induced increases in matrix metalloproteinase-9 (MMP-9) and
      vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) expression and increased angiogenin-1
      (Ang-1) expression. Our findings suggest that mild hypothermia attenuates the CA-
      and resuscitation-induced early brain oedema and BBB disruption, and this
      improvement might be at least partially associated with attenuation of the
      breakdown of TJ and AJ, suppression of MMP-9 and VEGF expression, and
      upregulation of Ang-1 expression.

PMID- 28355301
TI  - Variations of pterygium prevalence by age, gender and geographic characteristics
      in China: A systematic review and meta-analysis.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Pterygium is a common chronic ophthalmic condition, which may result
      in significant visual morbidity or lead to blindness in extreme cases. The
      prevalence of pterygium in China has not been reported at the sub-national level.
      METHODS: In this study, we conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis to
      estimate the prevalence of pterygium in China. China National Knowledge
      Infrastructure (CNKI), Wanfang, Chinese Biomedicine Literature Database (CBM
      SinoMed), PubMed, Embase and Medline were searched before September 2016. We
      performed a multilevel mixed-effect meta-regression based on the included
      studies, our results showed that age, gender and latitude were significantly
      associated with pterygium prevalence. Based on the final model, the age and
      gender-specific prevalence of pterygium in 31 Chinese provinces (except Hongkong,
      Macau and Taiwan) and the whole country was generated. RESULTS: In 2010, the
      overall prevalence of pterygium in Chinese people aged 15-84 years was 9.84% (95%
      CI: 6.72-14.14), and the number of pterygium cases in China was 108.65 million
      (95% CI: 74.23-156.13). CONCLUSIONS: In conclusion, the prevalence of pterygium
      in Chinese population in 2010 was estimated at both the national and provincial
      levels. The higher burden of pterygium across the country calls for efforts to
      advocate public health education encouraging people to take appropriate
      protective measures.

PMID- 28355300
TI  - Evaluation of synthetic vascular grafts in a mouse carotid grafting model.
AB  - Current animal models for the evaluation of synthetic grafts are lacking many of
      the molecular tools and transgenic studies available to other branches of
      biology. A mouse model of vascular grafting would allow for the study of
      molecular mechanisms of graft failure, including in the context of clinically
      relevant disease states. In this study, we comprehensively characterise a
      sutureless grafting model which facilitates the evaluation of synthetic grafts in
      the mouse carotid artery. Using conduits electrospun from polycaprolactone (PCL)
      we show the gradual development of a significant neointima within 28 days, found
      to be greatest at the anastomoses. Histological analysis showed temporal
      increases in smooth muscle cell and collagen content within the neointima,
      demonstrating its maturation. Endothelialisation of the PCL grafts, assessed by
      scanning electron microscopy (SEM) analysis and CD31 staining, was near complete
      within 28 days, together replicating two critical aspects of graft performance.
      To further demonstrate the potential of this mouse model, we used longitudinal
      non-invasive tracking of bone-marrow mononuclear cells from a transgenic mouse
      strain with a dual reporter construct encoding both luciferase and green
      fluorescent protein (GFP). This enabled characterisation of mononuclear cell
      homing and engraftment to PCL using bioluminescence imaging and histological
      staining over time (7, 14 and 28 days). We observed peak luminescence at 7 days
      post-graft implantation that persisted until sacrifice at 28 days. Collectively,
      we have established and characterised a high-throughput model of grafting that
      allows for the evaluation of key clinical drivers of graft performance.

PMID- 28355303
TI  - Correction: Plant species classification using flower images-A comparative study
      of local feature representations.
AB  - [This corrects the article DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0170629.].

PMID- 28355302
TI  - Prevalence of Caesarean sections in Enugu, southeast Nigeria: Analysis of data
      from the Healthy Beginning Initiative.
AB  - BACKGROUND: In order to meet the Sustainable Development Goal to decrease
      maternal mortality, increased access to obstetric interventions such as Caesarean
      sections (CS) is of critical importance. As a result of women's limited access to
      routine and emergency obstetric services in Nigeria, the country is a major
      contributor to the global burden of maternal mortality. In this analysis, we aim
      to establish rates of CS and determine socioeconomic or medical risk factors
      associated with having a CS in Enugu, southeast Nigeria. METHODS: Data for this
      study originated from the Healthy Beginning Initiative study. Participant
      characteristics were obtained from 2300 women at baseline via a semi-structured
      questionnaire. Only women between the ages of 17-45 who had singleton deliveries
      were retained for this analysis. Post-delivery questionnaires were used to
      ascertain mode-of-delivery. Crude and adjusted logistic regressions with
      Caesarean as the main outcome are presented. RESULTS: In this sample, 7.22% women
      had a CS. Compared to women who lived in an urban setting, those who lived in a
      rural setting had a significant reduction in the odds of having a CS (aOR: 0.58;
      0.38-0.89). Significantly higher odds of having a CS were seen among those with
      high peripheral malaria parasitemia compared to those with low parasitemia (aOR:
      1.54; 1.04-2.28). CONCLUSION: This study revealed that contrary to the increasing
      trend in use of CS in low-income countries, women in this region of Nigeria had
      limited access to this intervention. Increasing age and socioeconomic proxies for
      income and access to care (e.g., having a tertiary-level education, full-time
      employment, and urban residence) were shown to be key determinants of access to
      CS. Further research is needed to ascertain the obstetric conditions under which
      women in this region receive CS, and to further elucidate the role of
      socioeconomic factors in accessing CS.

PMID- 28355304
TI  - Isolation and characterization of the TaSnRK2.10 gene and its association with
      agronomic traits in wheat (Triticum aestivum L.).
AB  - Sucrose non-fermenting 1-related protein kinases (SnRKs) comprise a major family
      of signaling genes in plants and are associated with metabolic regulation,
      nutrient utilization and stress responses. This gene family has been proposed to
      be involved in sucrose signaling. In the present study, we cloned three copies of
      the TaSnRK2.10 gene from bread wheat on chromosomes 4A, 4B and 4D. The coding
      sequence (CDS) is 1086 bp in length and encodes a protein of 361 amino acids that
      exhibits functional domains shared with SnRK2s. Based on the haplotypes of
      TaSnRK2.10-4A (Hap-4A-H and Hap-4A-L), a cleaved amplified polymorphic sequence
      (CAPS) marker designated TaSnRK2.10-4A-CAPS was developed and mapped between the
      markers D-1092101 and D-100014232 using a set of recombinant inbred lines (RILs).
      The TaSnRK2.10-4B alleles (Hap-4B-G and Hap-4B-A) were transformed into allele
      specific PCR (AS-PCR) markers TaSnRK2.10-4B-AS1 and TaSnRK2.10-4B-AS2, which were
      located between the markers D-1281577 and S-1862758. No diversity was found for
      TaSnRK2.10-4D. An association analysis using a natural population consisting of
      128 winter wheat varieties in multiple environments showed that the thousand
      grain weight (TGW) and spike length (SL) of Hap-4A-H were significantly higher
      than those of Hap-4A-L, but pant height (PH) was significantly lower.

PMID- 28355305
TI  - Inflammation scores predict the survival of patients with hepatocellular
      carcinoma who were treated with transarterial chemoembolization and recombinant
      human type-5 adenovirus H101.
AB  - BACKGROUND: The systemic inflammatory response plays an important role in cancer
      development and progression. An original inflammation-based staging system for
      predicting survival in patients undergoing transarterial chemoembolization (TACE)
      combined with recombinant human type-5 adenovirus H101 is not available. This
      study aimed to validate the prognostic value of inflammation scores for patients
      with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) who were treated with TACE combined with
      H101. METHODS: The data from 216 patients with HCC who underwent TACE combined
      with H101 from January 2007 to July 2015 were retrospectively collected, and the
      association of the inflammation scores with overall survival (OS) was analyzed.
      Univariate and multivariate analyses were performed to identify variables
      associated with OS. The prognostic value of the inflammation scores, including
      the neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR), platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio (PLR),
      neutrophil/ platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR-PLR), modified Glasgow Prognostic
      Score (mGPS), prognostic nutritional index (PNI), prognostic index (PI), tumor
      node-metastasis (TNM), Barcelona Clinic Liver Cancer (BCLC) and Cancer of the
      Liver Italian Program (CLIP) staging systems were analyzed and compared using the
      areas under the receiver operating characteristic curves (AUROCs). RESULTS: The
      estimated 1-, 2-, and 3-year OS rates were 61.3%, 44.2%, and 40.5% for the entire
      study cohort, respectively; the median OS was 17 months. According to the
      multivariate Cox proportional hazards model, the pretreatment NLR, tumor diameter
      and pretreatment alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) levels were independent predictors of
      OS. The CLIP score had superior discriminative abilities compared with other
      staging systems, and the NLR-PLR score consistently displayed a higher AUROC
      value than the other inflammation-based prognostic scores. The combination of the
      NLR-PLR and CLIP scores exhibited a superior prognostic ability for OS compared
      to the NLR-PLR or CLIP scores alone. CONCLUSIONS: The NLR-PLR score is a more
      powerful predictive system than the other inflammation-based scores for patients
      with HCC who were treated with TACE and H101. The predictive ability may be
      improved by utilizing a combination of the NLR-PLR and CLIP scores.

PMID- 28355306
TI  - Genome-wide association analysis identifies resistance loci for bacterial blight
      in a diverse collection of indica rice germplasm.
AB  - Bacterial blight, which is caused by Xanthomonas oryzae pv. oryzae (Xoo), is one
      of the most devastating rice diseases worldwide. The development and use of
      disease-resistant cultivars have been the most effective strategy to control
      bacterial blight. Identifying the genes mediating bacterial blight resistance is
      a prerequisite for breeding cultivars with broad-spectrum and durable resistance.
      We herein describe a genome-wide association study involving 172 diverse Oryza
      sativa ssp. indica accessions to identify loci influencing the resistance to
      representative strains of six Xoo races. Twelve resistance loci containing 121
      significantly associated signals were identified using 317,894 single nucleotide
      polymorphisms, which explained 13.3-59.9% of the variability in lesion length
      caused by Xoo races P1, P6, and P9a. Two hotspot regions (L11 and L12) were
      located within or nearby two cloned R genes (xa25 and Xa26) and one fine-mapped R
      gene (Xa4). Our results confirmed the relatively high resolution of genome-wide
      association studies. Moreover, we detected novel significant associations on
      chromosomes 2, 3, and 6-10. Haplotype analyses of xa25, the Xa26 paralog (MRKc;
      LOC_Os11g47290), and a Xa4 candidate gene (LOC_11g46870) revealed differences in
      bacterial blight resistance among indica subgroups. These differences were
      responsible for the observed variations in lesion lengths resulting from
      infections by Xoo races P1 and P9a. Our findings may be relevant for future
      studies involving bacterial blight resistance gene cloning, and provide insights
      into the genetic basis for bacterial blight resistance in indica rice, which may
      be useful for knowledge-based crop improvement.

PMID- 28355307
TI  - Mediterranean spotted fever in Spain, 1997-2014: Epidemiological situation based
      on hospitalization records.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: Mediterranean spotted fever (MSF) is a zoonotic disease caused by
      Rickettsia conorii. In Spain, deficiencies in the official reporting result in
      misreporting of this disease. This study aims to describe the clinical and
      temporal-spatial characteristics of MSF hospitalizations between 1997 and 2014.
      MATERIALS AND METHODS: We performed a retrospective descriptive study using the
      Hospitalization Minimum Data Set (CMBD). All CMBD's hospital discharges with ICD
      9 CM code 082.1 were analyzed. Hospitalization rates were calculated and clinical
      characteristics were described. Spatial distribution of cases and their temporal
      behavior were also assessed. RESULTS: A total of 4,735 hospitalizations with MSF
      diagnosis were recorded during the study period, out of which 62.2% were male,
      mean age of 48. Diabetes mellitus, alcohol dependence syndrome, and chronic liver
      disease occurred in 10.8%, 2.4% and 2.8% hospitalizations, respectively. The
      median annual hospitalization rate showed a decreasing trend from a maximum of
      12.9 in 1997 to a minimum rate of 3.1 in 2014. Most admissions occurred during
      the summer, showing a significant annual seasonal behavior. Important regional
      differences were found. DISCUSSION: Although MSF hospitalization rates have
      decreased considerably, it remains a public health problem due to its severity
      and economic impact. Therefore, it would be desirable to improve its oversight
      and surveillance.

PMID- 28355308
TI  - Structural basis for non-genuine phenolic acceptor substrate specificity of
      Streptomyces roseochromogenes prenyltransferase CloQ from the ABBA/PT-barrel
      superfamily.
AB  - Acceptor substrate specificity of Streptomyces roseochromogenes prenyltransferase
      SrCloQ was investigated using different non-genuine phenolic compounds. RP-UHPLC
      UV-MSn was used for the tentative annotation and quantification of the prenylated
      products. Flavonoids, isoflavonoids and stilbenoids with different types of
      substitution were prenylated by SrCloQ, although with less efficiency than the
      genuine substrate 4-hydroxyphenylpyruvate. The isoflavan equol, followed by the
      flavone 7,4'-dihydroxyflavone, were the best non-genuine acceptor substrates. B
      ring C-prenylation was in general preferred over A-ring C-prenylation (ratio
      5:1). Docking studies of non-genuine acceptor substrates with the B-ring oriented
      towards the donor substrate dimethylallyl pyrophosphate, showed that the carbonyl
      group of the C-ring was able to make stabilizing interactions with the residue
      Arg160, which might determine the preference observed for B-ring prenylation. No
      reaction products were formed when the acceptor substrate had no phenolic
      hydroxyl groups. This preference can be explained by the essential hydrogen bond
      needed between a phenolic hydroxyl group and the residue Glu281. Acceptor
      substrates with an additional hydroxyl group at the C3' position (B-ring), were
      mainly O3'-prenylated (> 80% of the reaction products). This can be explained by
      the proximity of the C3' hydroxyl group to the donor substrate at the catalytic
      site. Flavones were preferred over isoflavones by SrCloQ. Docking studies
      suggested that the orientation of the B-ring and of the phenolic hydroxyl group
      at position C7 (A-ring) of flavones towards the residue Tyr233 plays an important
      role in this observed preference. Finally, the insights obtained on acceptor
      substrate specificity and regioselectivity for SrCloQ were extended to other
      prenyltransferases from the CloQ/NhpB family.

PMID- 28355311
TI  - Enhancing Root Eminence and Papilla Contour Using Single, Contoured,
      Subepithelial Connective Tissue Autografts for Recession Coverage.
AB  - Current techniques using autogenous soft tissue in periodontal plastic surgery
      have limitations in the number of teeth that can be treated and may result in
      suboptimal esthetic results. The innovative use of single, contoured grafts
      reported in this article overcomes the drawbacks associated with these techniques
      by more efficient use of available donor tissue. Autogenous tissue is used to
      graft each individual tooth, leaving the interdental areas uncovered. Multiple
      teeth-in some cases an entire arch-can be treated in one session, providing
      consistent and predictable reestablishment of the normal scalloped gingival
      architecture and convex root eminence.

PMID- 28355309
TI  - The differential expression of MC1R regulators in dorsal and ventral quail
      plumages during embryogenesis: Implications for plumage pattern formation.
AB  - Melanin pigmentation patterns are ubiquitous in animals and function in crypsis,
      physical protection, thermoregulation and signalling. In vertebrates,
      pigmentation patterns formed over large body regions as well as within appendages
      (hair/feathers) may be due to the differential distribution of pigment producing
      cells (melanocytes) and/or regulation of the melanin synthesis pathway. We took
      advantage of the pigmentation patterns of Japanese quail embryos (pale ventrum
      and patterned feathers dorsally) to explore the role of genes and their
      transcripts in regulating the function of the melanocortin-1-receptor (MC1R) via
      1. activation: pro-opiomelanocortin (POMC), endoproteases prohormone convertase 1
      (PC1) and 2 (PC2), and 2. inhibition-agouti signaling and agouti-related protein
      (ASIP and AGRP, respectively). Melanocytes are present in all feather follicles
      at both 8 and 12 days post-fertilisation (E8/E12), so differential deposition of
      melanocytes is not responsible for pigmentation patterns in embryonic quail. POMC
      transcripts expressed were a subset of those found in chicken and POMC expression
      within feather follicles was strong. PC1 was not expressed in feather follicles.
      PC2 was strongly expressed in all feather follicles at E12. ASIP transcript
      expression was variable and we report four novel ASIP transcripts. ASIP is
      strongly expressed in ventral feather follicles, but not dorsally. AGRP
      expression within feather follicles was weak. These results demonstrate that the
      pale-bellied quail phenotype probably involves inhibition of MC1R, as found
      previously. However, quail may require MC1R activation for eumelanogenesis in
      dorsal feathers which may have important implications for an understanding of
      colour pattern formation in vertebrates.

PMID- 28355310
TI  - Tangent screen perimetry in the evaluation of visual field defects associated
      with ptosis and dermatochalasis.
AB  - PURPOSE: To determine if tangent visual fields gathered during assessment of
      superior visual field deficits caused by blepharoptosis and dermatochalasis offer
      good correlation to clinical exam in a time and cost efficient manner. METHODS:
      Prospective, observational case series. Subjects included all patients referred
      to a single surgeon (CCN) who underwent surgical correction of blepharoptosis
      and/or dermatochalasis. Preoperatively and postoperatively, upper margin-to
      reflex distances were assessed. Tangent visual fields were performed in a timed
      fashion and analyzed for degrees of intact vision in the vertical meridian and
      degrees squared of area under the curve. Data were compared by Student t-tests
      and Pearson correlation coefficients. RESULTS: Mean preoperative superior visual
      fields with the eyelid in the natural position measured 8 degrees  in the
      vertical meridian. Measurements in the vertical meridian and area under the curve
      showed excellent correlation (r = 0.87). Patients with ptosis showed strong
      correlation between margin-to-reflex distance and superior visual fields.
      Patients completed field testing faster than reported times for automated or
      Goldmann testing. Finally, tangent screens were the least expensive type of
      equipment to purchase. CONCLUSIONS: Tangent visual fields are a rapid and
      inexpensive way to test for functional loss of superior visual field in patients
      with upper eyelid malposition. Our data revealed potential differences between
      tangent screen results and published results for automated or Goldmann visual
      field testing which warrants further studies.

PMID- 28355312
TI  - Oral Rehabilitation of a Severe Periodontally Involved Patient with Mucous
      Membrane Pemphigoid: A 15-Year Follow-Up Case Report.
AB  - Mucous membrane pemphigoid (MMP) refers to a group of chronic autoimmune
      subepithelial diseases distinguished by erosive lesions of the mucous membranes
      and skin. Its treatment consists of inhibition of the inflammatory reaction by
      means of corticosteroids and symptomatic medication. This is a report of a
      patient suffering from a combination of MMP and severe generalized chronic
      periodontitis. The patient has been treated with oral corticosteroids, initial
      phase therapy, extraction with immediate implant placement, and periodontal
      surgery where the prognosis was questionable. The case has been followed up for
      15 years. Periodontal therapy with immediate implant placement was determined to
      be a viable modality to achieve a total rehabilitation of a case suffering from
      MMP combined with severe generalized chronic periodontitis.

PMID- 28355314
TI  - Ideology, science, and people in Amilcar Cabral.
AB  - The present article contributes to the debate on how historians and social
      scientists perceive and understand relations between ideology and science, which
      are often seen as realms belonging to rival kingdoms. Following an analysis and
      critical positioning vis-a-vis Cabralian studies, the text examines how scholars
      of Cabral have portrayed his agronomic activities. It then undertakes a
      genealogical analysis of the Cabralian concept of people and suggests that the
      emergence of this concept in Cabral's discourse derives from the intersection of
      the development of anti-colonial nationalist thought in the former Portuguese
      Empire and the development of agrarian studies in metropolitan Portugal.

PMID- 28355315
TI  - Bodies in motion: spaces, emotions and representations that (de)construct
      realities.
AB  - OBJECTIVE To analyze the social representations of the body among Brazilian and
      Costa Rican transsexual people through their life stories. METHOD Qualitative and
      descriptive multicenter research. The study population consisted of 70
      participants. Two organizations cooperated to collect the information, one in
      Florianopolis, SC-Brazil and one in San Jose, the capital of Costa Rica. Content
      Analysis was used to analyze the data. RESULTS Based on the results, a single
      social representation of corporeality was unveiled: "Modeled bodies: about the
      elasticity of corporeality". This representation described two clear elementary
      context units (discourse matrices). The first associates the body with an
      inconclusive, transitory, volatile, pliable, moldable and fluid object, while the
      second relates the body with a separate institution, but regulated and controlled
      by others. CONCLUSION In conclusion, the transsexual body is a volatile,
      transient, transformable institution, crossed by the marks of a historicizing and
      historicizable time, which comes within the scope not only of what can be named
      by means of linguistic signs, but also of what belongs to the unnamable in terms
      of sociocultural perceptions and feelings.

PMID- 28355313
TI  - Short-term quality of life change perceived by patients after transition to
      mandibular overdentures
AB  - The aim of this longitudinal observational study was to evaluate the oral health
      related quality of life (OHRQoL) following patient rehabilitation with implant
      retained mandibular overdentures (IMO) and to identify the contribution of the
      different domains to OHRQoL. The Oral Health Impact Profile (OHIP-EDENT), Dental
      Impact on Daily Living (DIDL), and Geriatric Oral Health Assessment Index (GOHAI)
      questionnaires were completed twice by 25 patients: after 3 months of
      rehabilitation with complete dentures (CD) and after 3 months of IMO loading
      using stud abutments. The evaluation after IMO rehabilitation showed significant
      improvement in three DIDL domains: appearance (p = 0.011), eating and chewing (p
      = 0.003), and general performance (p = 0.003). The GOHAI results showed
      significant differences in two domains: psychosocial (p = 0.005) and pain and
      discomfort (p = 0.0004). The OHIP-EDENT outcomes showed significant improvements
      in five domains: functional limitation (p = 0.0001), physical pain (p = 0.0002),
      physical disability (p = 0.0010), and psychological disability and handicap (p =
      0.032). The largest observed effect sizes were close to one standard deviation
      and were observed in the eating and chewing domain (0.93) of the DIDL; the pain
      and discomfort domain (0.83) of the GOHAI, and the functional limitation (0.89),
      physical pain (1.02), physical disability (0.84) domains of the OHIP-EDENT. The
      percentage of satisfied patients increased in all domains. Self-reported OHRQoL
      of CD wearers was significantly improved after 3 months of treatment with IMO,
      especially concerning the functional and pain-related aspects.

PMID- 28355316
TI  - Proposal of nursing care plan in people hospitalized with AIDS.
AB  - OBJECTIVE to elaborate and validate a proposal for a nursing care plan in people
      hospitalized with AIDS, in an infectious disease unit, using ICNP(r) version
      2015. METHODS A cross-sectional study, followed by validation of content,
      performed with 20 nurses and 120 people, living with AIDS in an infectious
      disease unit of a hospital of infectious diseases in Northeast Brazil. The
      methodological trajectory was carried out in the following stages: elaboration of
      the diagnosis, nursing outcomes; Initial proposal of nursing interventions;
      Preparation of a care plan; And validation of the plan by field experts. RESULTS
      42 diagnoses were elaborated and validated, 33 presented CVI > 0.80 (55.42%)
      among field experts. From this quantitative, 228 interventions were elaborated
      and 41 obtained a CVI > 0.80 (44.78%), considered validated. CONCLUSION The study
      allowed us to identify and validate nursing diagnoses, outcomes and interventions
      for the use in clinical practice, aiming to subsidize the process of care for
      people with AIDS.

PMID- 28355317
TI  - Control of anxiety through music in a head and neckoutpatient clinic: a
      randomized clinical trial.
AB  - OBJECTIVE Evaluating the effectiveness of a musical intervention in reducing
      anxiety and vital parameters in people suffering from head and neck cancer.
      METHOD A randomized controlled clinical trial, performed in a head and neck
      outpatient clinic with 40 participants, subdivided into two groups (intervention
      and control).The classicalmusic"Spring" from The Four Seasons by Vivaldi was used
      as an intervention.The State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI) was used as the data
      collectioninstrument,along with an inventory of socio-demographic and clinical
      data. Student'st-test was used to verify intragroup and intergroup statistical
      significance. RESULTS Participants presented a statistically significant
      reduction in levels of perceived anxiety (t= 12.68; p<0.001),as well as blood
      pressure levels (t = 4.56; p<0.001); pulse (t = 6.15; p<0.001) and respiratory
      rate (t = 5.10; p<0.001). CONCLUSION Music has proven to be an effective non
      pharmacological therapeutic resource in managinganxiety in an outpatient setting
      for people with cancer, as well as in reducing blood pressure, pulse and
      respiratory rate. Brazilian Registry of Clinical Trials: RBR-7W4YJJ.

PMID- 28355318
TI  - Cerebellar ataxia associated with anti-glutamic acid decarboxylase (anti-GAD)
      autoantibodies: a rare and puzzling disease.

PMID- 28355319
TI  - Malignant multiple sclerosis: clinical and demographic prognostic factors.
AB  - Patients with malignant multiple sclerosis (MMS) reach a significant level of
      disability within a short period of time (Expanded Disability Status Scale score
      of 6 within five years). The clinical profile and progression of the disease were
      analyzed in a Brazilian cohort of 293 patients. Twenty-five (8,53%) patients were
      found to have MMS and were compared with the remaining 268 (91,47%). Women, non
      white patients, older age at disease onset, shorter intervals between the first
      attacks, and more attacks in the first two years of the disease were all more
      common in the MMS group. These findings could serve as prognostic factors when
      making therapeutic decisions.

PMID- 28355320
TI  - Clinical characteristics of patients with cerebellar ataxia associated with anti
      GAD antibodies.
AB  - Methods: This retrospective and descriptive study evaluated the clinical
      characteristics and outcomes of patients with CA-GAD-ab. Result: Three patients
      with cerebellar ataxia, high GAD-ab titers and autoimmune endocrine disease were
      identified. Patients 1 and 2 had classic stiff person syndrome and insidious
      onset cerebellar ataxia, while Patient 3 had pure cerebellar ataxia with subacute
      onset. Patients received intravenous immunoglobulin therapy with no response in
      Patients 1 and 3 and partial recovery in Patient 2. Conclusion: CA-GAD-ab is rare
      and its clinical presentation may hamper diagnosis. Clinicians should be able to
      recognize this potentially treatable autoimmune cerebellar ataxia.

PMID- 28355321
TI  - Assessment of energy expenditure in individuals with post-poliomyelitis syndrome.
AB  - Methods: The Baecke questionnaire for the evaluation of habitual physical
      activity (HPA), assessment of quality of life (WHOQOL-Bref), and the Fatigue
      Severity Scale were administered to patients with PPS, poliomyelitis sequelae
      (PS) and to a control group (CG). Participated in the study 116 individuals
      (PPS=52,PS= 28,CG=36). Results: Patients with PPS tended to increase their HPA
      from 10 to 20 years of age, compared with those in the PS group and the CG. In
      the period from 21 to 30 years of age, there was significant increase in the PPS
      group's occupational physical activity compared to the PS group, and the
      occupational physical activity (21-30 years of age) correlated with the onset of
      symptoms of PPS. Conclusion: Patients with PPS had a higher energy expenditure
      during life, especially in occupational physical activity at ages 21-30 years,
      suggesting this decade is critical for the development of PPS.

PMID- 28355322
TI  - Cutaneous allodynia is more frequent in chronic migraine, and its presence and
      severity seems to be more associated with the duration of the disease.
AB  - Objective: To evaluate cutaneous allodynia among patients with chronic and
      episodic migraine in a tertiary headache clinic. Methods: 80 subjects with
      episodic migraine and 80 with chronic migraine were assessed in a tertiary
      hospital. The 12-item Allodynia Symptom Checklist/Brazil questionnaire was
      applied to classify subjects according to the presence and severity of cutaneous
      allodynia. Results: Cutaneous allodynia was identified in 81.3% of the episodic
      migraine group and 92.5% of the chronic migraine group (p = 0.03). No increased
      association could be attributed to chronic migraine when adjusted by years with
      disease (PR = 1.12; 95%CI = 0.99 to 1.27; p = 0.06). The groups also did not
      differ in the severity of allodynia, and severe presentation was the most
      frequent. Discussion: Both groups seemed to be similarly affected in the cephalic
      and extracephalic regions, with the same severity. Conclusion: Cutaneous
      allodynia is more frequent in chronic migraine, and its presence and severity
      seems to be more associated with the duration of the disease.

PMID- 28355323
TI  - Conventional physical therapy and physical therapy based on reflex stimulation
      showed similar results in children with myelomeningocele.
AB  - We aimed to investigate whether infants with myelomeningocele would improve their
      motor ability and functional independence after ten sessions of physical therapy
      and compare the outcomes of conventional physical therapy (CPT) to a physical
      therapy program based on reflex stimulation (RPT). Twelve children were allocated
      to CPT (n = 6, age 18.3 months) or RPT (n = 6, age 18.2 months). The RPT involved
      proprioceptive neuromuscular facilitation. Children were assessed with the Gross
      Motor Function Measure and the Pediatric Evaluation of Disability Inventory
      before and after treatment. Mann-Whitney tests compared the improvement on the
      two scales of CPT versus RPT and the Wilcoxon test compared CPT to RPT (before
      vs. after treatment). Possible correlations between the two scales were tested
      with Spearman correlation coefficients. Both groups showed improvement on self
      care and mobility domains of both scales. There were no differences between the
      groups, before, or after intervention. The CPT and RPT showed similar results
      after ten weeks of treatment.

PMID- 28355324
TI  - Validation of the Frenchay activity index on stroke victims.
AB  - Purpose: To evaluate the inter-rater reliability and predictive validity of the
      Frenchay Activities Index (FAI) in patients after stroke. Methods: One hundred
      sixty-one patients were selected for consecutive application of the FAI and
      National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS). Spearman's test was used for
      correlation between different scales. The FAI and NIHSS association was evaluated
      using ordinal logistic regression. Additionally, 36 patients underwent FAI rating
      on the same day by two independent evaluators. Results: A negative correlation
      between the FAI and the NIHSS scores (p = 0.017 r = -0.22) was found. Adjusting
      all variables with possible association with the NIHSS, ordinal logistic
      regression showed that the FAI had a significant association with NIHSS scores
      (OR 0.93, 95% CI 0.87 to 0.99, p: 0.033). The inter-rater agreement was
      considered good, k = 0.66 (0.54 to 0.78), p < 0.001. Conclusions: The FAI is a
      valid and useful method to assess instrumental activities before acute stroke in
      a Brazilian population.

PMID- 28355326
TI  - Soul, butterfly, mythological nymph: psyche in philosophy and neuroscience.
AB  - The term "psyche" and its derivatives - including "Psychology" and "Psychiatry" -
      are rooted in classical philosophy and in mythology. Over the centuries, psyche
      has been the subject of discourse and contemplation, and of fable; it has also
      come to signify, in entomology, the order of Lepidoptera. In the current surge of
      research on brain and mind, there is a gradual transition from the psyche (or the
      "soul") to the specified descriptors defined by the fields of Behavioral,
      Cognitive and Integrative Neuroscience.

PMID- 28355325
TI  - Estrogen receptor-alpha gene XbaI A > G polymorphism influences short-term
      cognitive decline in healthy oldest-old individuals.
AB  - Methods: The individuals were categorized in two groups according to the presence
      or absence of cognitive decline. Cognitive data were related to genetic
      information. Results: The XbaI -351 AA genotype was more common among cognitive
      decliners, while -351G allele carriers showed cognitive stability or improvement.
      Conclusion: These results suggest that ESR-1 could be associated with one-year
      cognitive decline in healthy oldest-old individuals, since the estrogen pathway
      may be involved with neuroprotection, even in healthy brain aging.

PMID- 28355327
TI  - Traumatic brain lesions in newborns.
AB  - Methods: A literature review using the PubMed data base, MEDLINE, EMBASE, Science
      Direct, The Cochrane Database, Google Scholar, and clinical trials. Selected
      papers from 1922 to 2016 were studied. We selected 109 papers, through key-words,
      with inclusion and exclusion criteria. Discussion: This paper discusses the risk
      factors for birth trauma, the anatomy of the occipito-anterior and vertex
      presentation, and traumatic brain lesions. Conclusion: Birth-related traumatic
      brain injury may cause serious complications in newborn infants. Its successful
      management includes special training, teamwork, and an individual approach.

PMID- 28355328
TI  - Georges Simenon, Inspector Maigret and his relevance to the practice of
      Neurology.
AB  - Georges Simenon's work, including his famous 'romans durs' novels and the
      forensic investigations carried out by his artistic creation, Inspector Maigret,
      bear many similarities to some of the diagnostic methods of the founders of
      Neurology, particularly Jean-Martin Charcot.

PMID- 28355330
TI  - Charcot and vascular Parkinsonism.
AB  - Jean-Martin Charcot (1825-1893), recognized as the founder of Neurology and the
      first formal teacher of nervous system diseases, died on August 16, 1893, from
      acute pulmonary edema secondary to myocardial infarction. In his last years,
      there were several descriptions of his gait and posture disorders, suggesting the
      diagnosis of "lower-half parkinsonism" due to cerebrovascular disease.

PMID- 28355329
TI  - Parkinson's disease - 200 years: the outstanding contribution of "Old Hubert".
AB  - Two hundred years after the publication, of "An Essay on the Shaking Palsy", this
      indisputable landmark in our understanding of the nature of Parkinson's disease
      still remains. What is frequently overlooked, however, is the originality of
      James Parkinson's ideas about how clinical observations could be segregated into
      diagnostic entities. Parkinson was a surgeon apothecary with wide ranging
      interests outside medicine including geology and paleontology. He was also a
      strong campaigner for social change and a political pamphleteer, writing under
      the nom de plume of "Old Hubert".

PMID- 28355331
TI  - Facial and bulbar muscle atrophy in acetylcholine receptor antibody-positive
      myasthenia gravis.

PMID- 28355332
TI  - Late radiation therapy brain abnormalities that mimic leukoencephalopathy with
      anterior temporal lobe cysts.

PMID- 28355333
TI  - Intracranial hypotension secondary to spontaneous spinal cerebrospinal fluid
      leaks.

PMID- 28355334
TI  - Social inequality in health: revisiting moments and trends in 50 years of
      publication of RSP.
AB  - This study describes the frequency and types of articles on social inequalities
      in health published in 50 years of the Revista de Saude Publica, taking as
      reference some milestones that were used as guidelines to develop the research on
      this theme. Checking titles, keywords and abstracts or full texts, we identified
      288 articles whose central or secondary focus was social inequalities in health.
      Corresponding to just 1.8% in the initial years, articles on social inequalities
      in health have represent 10.1% of the articles published in the last decade. The
      designs used were mainly cross-sectional (58.0%) and ecological (18.1%). The most
      analyzed themes were: food/nutrition (20.8%), mortality (13.5%), infectious
      diseases (10.1%), oral health (9.0%), and health services (8.7%). Articles
      focused on the analysis of racial inequalities in health amounted to 6.9%. Few
      articles monitored the trends of social inequalities in health, essential
      enterprise to assess and support interventions, and an even smaller number
      evaluated the impact of policies and programs on the reduction of social
      inequalities in health. RESUMO Este estudo descreve a frequencia e os tipos de
      artigos sobre desigualdades sociais em saude publicados nos 50 anos da Revista de
      Saude Publica, tomando por referencia alguns marcos que balizaram o
      desenvolvimento das investigacoes nessa tematica. Checando titulos, palavras
      chave e resumos ou textos completos, foram identificados 288 artigos cujo foco
      central ou secundario era desigualdades sociais em saude. Correspondendo a apenas
      1,8% nos anos iniciais, artigos sobre desigualdades sociais em saude chegaram a
      representar 10,1% dos publicados na ultima decada. Os desenhos utilizados foram
      principalmente transversais (58,0%) e ecologicos espaciais (18,1%). Os temas mais
      analisados foram: alimentacao/nutricao (20,8%), mortalidade (13,5%), doencas
      infecciosas (10,1%), saude bucal (9,0%) e servicos de saude (8,7%). Artigos
      voltados a analise de desigualdades raciais em saude somaram 6,9%. Poucos artigos
      monitoraram as tendencias das desigualdades sociais em saude, empreendimento
      essencial para avaliar e subsidiar intervencoes, e um numero ainda menor avaliou
      o impacto de politicas e programas na reducao das desigualdades sociais em saude.

PMID- 28355335
TI  - The mental health care model in Brazil: analyses of the funding, governance
      processes, and mechanisms of assessment.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: This study aims to analyze the current status of the mental health
      care model of the Brazilian Unified Health System, according to its funding,
      governance processes, and mechanisms of assessment. METHODS: We have carried out
      a documentary analysis of the ordinances, technical reports, conference reports,
      normative resolutions, and decrees from 2009 to 2014. RESULTS: This is a time of
      consolidation of the psychosocial model, with expansion of the health care
      network and inversion of the funding for community services with a strong
      emphasis on the area of crack cocaine and other drugs. Mental health is an
      underfunded area within the chronically underfunded Brazilian Unified Health
      System. The governance model constrains the progress of essential services, which
      creates the need for the incorporation of a process of regionalization of the
      management. The mechanisms of assessment are not incorporated into the health
      policy in the bureaucratic field. CONCLUSIONS: There is a need to expand the
      global funding of the area of health, specifically mental health, which has been
      shown to be a successful policy. The current focus of the policy seems to be
      archaic in relation to the precepts of the psychosocial model. Mechanisms of
      assessment need to be expanded. OBJETIVO: Analisar o estagio atual do modelo de
      atencao a saude mental do Sistema Unico de Saude, segundo seu financiamento,
      processos de governanca e mecanismos de avaliacao. METODOS: Foi realizada uma
      analise documental de portarias, informes tecnicos, relatorios de conferencia,
      resolucoes e decretos de 2009 a 2014. RESULTADOS: Trata-se de um momento de
      consolidacao do modelo psicossocial, com ampliacao da rede assistencial, inversao
      de financiamento para servicos comunitarios com forte enfase na area de crack e
      outras drogas. A saude mental e uma area subfinanciada dentro do subfinanciamento
      cronico do Sistema Unico de Saude. O modelo de governanca constrange o avanco de
      servicos essenciais, havendo a necessidade da incorporacao de um processo de
      regionalizacao da gestao. Os mecanismos avaliativos no campo burocratico se
      mostram pouco incorporados a politica de saude. CONCLUSOES: E necessario ampliar
      o financiamento global da saude e especifico da saude mental, que vem se
      constituindo como uma politica exitosa. O foco atual da politica se mostra
      anacronico aos preceitos do modelo psicossocial. Aponta-se a necessidade de
      ampliacao de mecanismos avaliativos.

PMID- 28355336
TI  - The relationship between indicators of socioeconomic status and cesarean section
      in public hospitals.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: To assess the relationship between indicators of socioeconomic status
      and cesarean section in public hospitals that adopt standardized protocols of
      obstetrical care. METHODS: This was a prospective cohort study conducted between
      May 2005 and January 2006 with 831 pregnant women recruited from 10 public
      primary care clinics in Sao Paulo, Brazil. Demographic and clinical
      characteristics were collected during pregnancy. The three main exposures were
      schooling, monthly family income per capita, and residential crowding. The main
      outcome was cesarean section at three public hospitals located in the area. Crude
      and adjusted risk ratios (RR), with 95% confidence intervals were calculated
      using Poisson regression with robust variance. We examined the effects of each
      exposure variable on cesarean section accounting for potential confounders by
      using four different models: crude, adjusted by mother's characteristics, by
      obstetrical complications, and by the other two indicators of socioeconomic
      status. RESULTS: Among the 757 deliveries performed in the public hospitals, 215
      (28.4%) were by cesarean section. In the bivariate analysis, cesarean section was
      associated with higher family income per capita, higher education, lower
      residential crowding, pregnancy planning, white skin color, having a partner, and
      advanced maternal age. In the multivariate analysis, after adjustment for
      covariates, none of the socioeconomic status variables remained associated with
      cesarean section. CONCLUSIONS: In this group, the chance of women undergoing
      cesarean section was not associated with indicators of socioeconomic status only,
      but was defined in accordance with major obstetric and clinical conditions.

PMID- 28355337
TI  - Translation, cross-cultural adaptation and validation of the Diabetes Empowerment
      Scale - Short Form.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: To translate, cross-culturally adapt and validate the Diabetes
      Empowerment Scale - Short Form for assessment of psychosocial self-efficacy in
      diabetes care within the Brazilian cultural context. METHODS: Assessment of the
      instrument's conceptual equivalence, as well as its translation and cross
      cultural adaptation were performed following international standards. The Expert
      Committee's assessment of the translated version was conducted through a web
      questionnaire developed and applied via the web tool e-Surv. The cross-culturally
      adapted version was used for the pre-test, which was carried out via phone call
      in a group of eleven health care service users diagnosed with type 2 diabetes
      mellitus. The pre-test results were examined by a group of experts, composed by
      health care consultants, applied linguists and statisticians, aiming at an
      adequate version of the instrument, which was subsequently used for test and
      retest in a sample of 100 users diagnosed with type 2 diabetes mellitus via phone
      call, their answers being recorded by the web tool e-Surv. Internal consistency
      and reproducibility of analysis were carried out within the statistical
      programming environment R. RESULTS: Face and content validity were attained and
      the Brazilian Portuguese version, entitled Escala de Autoeficacia em Diabetes -
      Versao Curta, was established. The scale had acceptable internal consistency with
      Cronbach's alpha of 0.634 (95%CI 0.494- 0.737), while the correlation of the
      total score in the two periods was considered moderate (0.47). The intraclass
      correlation coefficient was 0.50. CONCLUSIONS: The translated and cross
      culturally adapted version of the instrument to spoken Brazilian Portuguese was
      considered valid and reliable to be used for assessment within the Brazilian
      population diagnosed with type 2 diabetes mellitus. The use of a web tool (e
      Surv) for recording the Expert Committee responses as well as the responses in
      the validation tests proved to be a reliable, safe and innovative method.
      OBJETIVO: Traduzir, adaptar culturalmente e validar o Diabetes Empowerment Scale 
      Short Form para aplicacao no contexto cultural brasileiro. METODOS: A analise do
      instrumento, para avaliar a equivalencia conceitual e de itens, bem como sua
      traducao e adaptacao cultural, foram realizadas de acordo com a metodologia
      padrao. A etapa de avaliacao pelo comite de juizes foi conduzida por meio de
      questionario eletronico, desenvolvido e aplicado pela ferramenta web e-Surv. A
      versao adaptada foi utilizada durante o pre-teste, aplicado via ligacao
      telefonica, a um grupo de 11 usuarios com diabetes melito tipo 2. Os resultados
      do pre-teste foram examinados por profissionais da area da saude, linguistica
      aplicada e estatistica, para obtencao de uma versao adequada do instrumento. Em
      seguida, foi aplicada no teste e reteste em amostra de 100 usuarios com diabetes,
      por ligacao telefonica, com registro das respostas dos usuarios por meio da
      ferramenta e-Surv. As analises de consistencia interna e reprodutibilidade foram
      realizadas no ambiente de programacao estatistica R. RESULTADOS: Foi possivel
      obter validade de face e de conteudo do instrumento, que resultou na versao em
      portugues, intitulada Escala de Autoeficacia em Diabetes - Versao Curta. A escala
      apresentou consistencia interna aceitavel, com alfa de Cronbach igual a 0,634
      (IC95% 0,494-0,737), enquanto a concordancia do escore total nos dois momentos
      foi considerada moderada (0,47). O coeficiente de correlacao intraclasse teve o
      valor de 0,50. CONCLUSOES: O processo de traducao e de adaptacao para a lingua
      portuguesa falada no Brasil gerou uma versao do instrumento considerada valida e
      confiavel para a populacao brasileira. A utilizacao do e-Surv para o registro dos
      dados coletados do comite de juizes, assim como das respostas dos testes de
      validacao, mostrou-se uma metodologia confiavel, segura e inovadora.

PMID- 28355338
TI  - Social and behavior change communication in the fight against malaria in
      Mozambique.
AB  - Long-lasting insecticide-treated nets and/or indoor residual spraying, associated
      with case management, are key interventions in the control of malaria in Africa.
      The objective of this study is to comment on the role of social and behavior
      change communication as a potential key intervention in the control of malaria in
      Mozambique. RESUMO As redes mosquiteiras impregnadas com insecticidade de longa
      duracao e/ou pulverizacao intra-domiciliaria, associada ao manejo de casos sao
      intervencoes-chave no controlo da malaria em Africa. O objetivo deste estudo foi
      comentar o papel da comunicacao para a mudanca social e de comportamento como
      intervencao potencialmente chave no controlo da malaria em Mocambique.

PMID- 28355340
TI  - Erratum.

PMID- 28355339
TI  - Food consumed outside the home in Brazil according to places of purchase.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: This study aims to describe the places of purchase of food consumed
      outside the home, characterize consumers according to the places of consumption,
      and identify the food purchased by place of consumption in Brazil. METHODS: We
      have used data from the Pesquisa de Orcamento Familiar (Household Budget Survey)
      of 2008-2009 with a sample of 152,895 subjects over 10 years of age. The purchase
      of food outside the home was collected from the records of all expenditures made
      in seven days. The places of purchase were grouped according to their
      characteristics: supermarket, bakery, street food, restaurant, snack bar, fruit
      shop, and other places. The types of food were grouped into nine categories,
      considering the nutritional aspects and the marketing characteristics of the
      item. We have estimated the frequency of purchase in the seven groups of places
      in Brazil and according to gender and type of food purchased per place. We have
      calculated the average age, income and years of education, as well as the per
      capita expenditure according to places of purchase of food consumed outside the
      home. RESULTS: The purchase of food outside the home was reported by 41.2% of the
      subjects, being it greater among men than women (44% versus 38.5%). Adults had a
      higher frequency (46%) than teenagers (37.7%) and older adults (24.2%). The
      highest frequency of places of purchase were snack bar (16.9%) and restaurant
      (16.4%), while the fruit shop (1.2%) presented the lowest frequency. Sweets,
      snack chips and soft drinks were the most purchased items in most places. Average
      expenditure was higher for restaurant (R$33.20) and lower for fruit shop (R$4.10)
      and street food (R$5.00). CONCLUSIONS: The highest percentage of food consumed
      outside the home comes from snack bars and restaurants, pointing to important
      places for the development of public policies focused on promoting healthy
      eating. OBJETIVO: Descrever os locais de aquisicao dos alimentos consumidos fora
      do lar, caracterizar os consumidores de acordo com os locais de consumo e
      identificar os alimentos adquiridos por local de consumo no Brasil. METODOS:
      Utilizaram-se dados da Pesquisa de Orcamento Familiar 2008-2009 em uma amostra de
      152.895 individuos acima de 10 anos. A aquisicao de alimentos para consumo fora
      do lar foi coletada por registros de todos os gastos realizados no periodo de
      sete dias. Os locais de aquisicao de alimentos foram agrupados de acordo com suas
      caracteristicas: supermercado, padaria, comida de rua, restaurante, lanchonete,
      frutaria e outros. Os tipos de alimentos adquiridos foram alocados em nove
      categorias de alimentos, considerando os aspectos nutricionais e as
      caracteristicas de comercializacao do item. Estimou-se a frequencia de aquisicao
      de alimentos nos sete grupos de locais no Brasil e por sexo e o tipo de alimento
      adquirido por local. Calculou-se a media de idade, de renda e de anos de
      escolaridade, bem como da despesa per capita segundo locais de aquisicao de
      alimentos consumidos fora do lar. RESULTADOS: A aquisicao de alimentos fora do
      lar foi reportada por 41,2% dos individuos, sendo maior entre os homens do que
      nas mulheres (44% versus 38,5%). Os adultos apresentaram maior frequencia de
      aquisicao (46%) do que os adolescentes (37,7%) e os idosos (24,2%). Os locais com
      maiores frequencias de consumo de alimentos fora do lar foram lanchonete (16,9%)
      e restaurante (16,4%), enquanto frutaria (1,2%) apresentou a menor frequencia.
      Doces, salgadinhos e refrigerante foram os alimentos mais adquiridos na maioria
      dos locais. Os gastos medios com alimentos foram maiores para restaurante
      (R$33,20) e menores para frutaria (R$4,10) e comida de rua (R$5,00). CONCLUSOES:
      O maior percentual de consumo de alimentos fora do lar e proveniente de
      lanchonete e restaurante, apontando importantes locais para o desenvolvimento de
      politicas publicas com foco na promocao da alimentacao saudavel.

PMID- 28355341
TI  - Erratum.
AB  - [This corrects the article doi: 10.1590/1519-6984.12015].

PMID- 28355342
TI  - Association of weight control behaviors with body mass index and weight-based
      self-evaluation.
AB  - Objective:: To determine the frequency of weight control behaviors (WCBs) and
      their correlation with body mass index (BMI) and weight-based self-evaluation.
      Methods:: Data were collected by the Brazilian Internet Study on Temperament and
      Psychopathology (BRAINSTEP) from 27,501 volunteers (30.4% men, mean age 28.9+/
      8.7 years). Results:: The most prevalent WCBs for men and women were exhaustive
      physical exercise and prolonged fasting, respectively. Frequent exhaustive
      physical exercise was the only behavior more often adopted by men. BMI was
      positively associated with WCBs, which were very frequent in obese subjects.
      About 15% of normal-weight women reported using diuretics and laxatives, and
      12.2% reported vomiting as a WCB at least occasionally. Among subjects who
      regarded body weight highly in their self-evaluation, there was a strong positive
      association with all WCBs, at similar degrees, in both genders. Compared to those
      who never base their intrinsic personal value on body weight, those who
      frequently base intrinsic value on body weight were at 25-30 times higher risk of
      inducing vomiting. Conclusion:: The prevalence of participants adopting WCBs was
      high, especially in women and obese subjects. Weight-based self-evaluation was
      more strongly associated with WCBs than BMI.

PMID- 28355343
TI  - Association between body image dissatisfaction and depressive symptoms in
      adolescents.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: To determine the association between body image dissatisfaction (BID)
      and depressive symptoms in adolescents from a school in Lima, Peru. METHODS: A
      cross-sectional study was performed through a census of 875 high-school students,
      aged 13 to 17 years, from a school in Lima. Participants completed a survey
      containing the Body Shape Questionnaire (BSQ) and the Patient Health
      Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9). Data regarding demographics, alcohol and tobacco use,
      self-esteem, and family history of depression were also obtained. To identify
      associated factors, Poisson regression with robust variance was used. Prevalence
      ratios with 95% confidence intervals were calculated. RESULTS: Of the 875
      adolescents, 55.8% were male. The mean age was 14.1+/-1.5 years. Depressive
      symptoms were observed in 19.9% of participants. An association between BID and
      depressive symptoms was found. Alcohol and tobacco use were also associated with
      the outcome of interest. CONCLUSIONS: Teens who had BID were 3.7 times more
      likely to report depressive symptoms. Additionally, those who used tobacco or
      alcohol were 1.5 and 1.4 times more likely to have depressive symptoms,
      respectively. Further studies targeting other populations and using longitudinal
      designs are recommended.

PMID- 28355344
TI  - Psychiatric event in multiple sclerosis: could it be the tip of the iceberg?
AB  - Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a chronic progressive inflammatory disease of the
      central nervous system. Psychiatric comorbidities are highly prevalent in
      patients with MS, and can have drastic impact on quality of life and
      interpersonal relationships. Despite this high prevalence, whether psychiatric
      manifestations may represent the first signs of MS is still debatable. This
      constitutes an important issue, since early diagnosis of "psychiatric-onset MS"
      would result in prompt management, which usually ameliorates long-term prognosis.
      Here, we discuss clinical and radiological hints that suggest a diagnosis of
      psychiatric-onset MS. Briefly, this entity should be considered in healthy
      patients presenting with late-onset psychiatric symptoms, with or without
      cognitive decline, and with negative family history of psychiatric diseases. A
      thorough neurological exam is crucial to detect any subtle neurological signs.
      Brain magnetic resonance imaging is recommended to rule out frontotemporal
      lesions that might explain the clinical picture. Poor response to standard
      psychiatric treatments provides additional evidence for the diagnosis of an
      organic disease (e.g., MS). Combining psychopharmaceuticals with intravenous
      corticosteroids would result in good outcomes, but patients should be monitored
      carefully for possible psychiatric exacerbation, a common side effect of
      steroids.

PMID- 28355345
TI  - Chronic dosing with mirtazapine does not produce sedation in rats.
AB  - Objective:: Sedation/somnolence are major side effects of pharmacotherapies for
      depression, and negatively affect long-term treatment compliance in depressed
      patients. Use of mirtazapine (MIR), an atypical antidepressant approved for the
      treatment of moderate to severe depression with comorbid anxiety disorders, is
      associated with significant sedation/somnolence, especially in short-term
      therapy. Nonetheless, studies with human subjects suggest that MIR-induced
      sedation is transient, especially when high and repeated doses are used. The
      purpose of this study was to explore the effects of acute and chronic
      administration of different doses of MIR on sedation in the rat. Methods::
      Assessment of sedation was carried out behaviorally using the rotarod,
      spontaneous locomotor activity, and fixed-bar tests. Results:: A 15-mg/kg dose of
      MIR induced sedative effects for up to 60 minutes, whereas 30 mg/kg or more
      produced sedation within minutes and only in the first few days of
      administration. Conclusion:: These results suggest that 30 mg/kg is a safe, well
      tolerated dose of MIR which generates only temporary sedative effects.

PMID- 28355346
TI  - Association between dietary patterns and mental disorders in pregnant women in
      Southern Brazil.
AB  - Objective:: To evaluate the association between dietary patterns and mental
      disorders among pregnant women in southern Brazil. Methods:: Cross-sectional
      study with 712 pregnant women recruited from the Study of Food Intake and Eating
      Behaviors in Pregnancy (ECCAGe). Food intake assessment was performed using the
      Food Frequency Questionnaire. Dietary patterns were identified by cluster
      analysis. The Primary Care Evaluation of Mental Disorders (PRIME-MD) was used to
      evaluate participants' mental health. Poisson regression models with robust
      variance were fitted to estimate prevalence ratios (PR). Results:: In the
      adjusted models, there was a high prevalence of major depressive disorder among
      women with low fruit intake (43%, PR 1.43, 95%CI 1.04-1.95) and high sweets and
      sugars intake (91%, PR 1.91, 95%CI 1.19-3.07). Women with a common-Brazilian
      dietary pattern had higher prevalence of major depressive disorder compared to
      those with a varied consumption pattern (PR 1.43, 95%CI 1.01-2.02). Low intake of
      beans was significantly associated with generalized anxiety disorder (PR 1.40,
      95%CI 1.01-1.93). Conclusions:: Low consumption of fruits and beans and intake of
      the common-Brazilian dietary pattern during pregnancy were associated with higher
      prevalence of mental disorders. These results reinforce the importance of an
      adequate dietary intake to ensure better mental health in pregnancy.

PMID- 28355347
TI  - Mortality in traffic accidents with older adults in Colombia.
AB  - OBJECTIVE To analyze the traffic accident mortality in the Colombian older adults
      during the 1998-2012 period and show the loss of productive years and mortality
      from this cause. METHODS Quantitative study of the trend analysis of deaths in
      Colombia in traffic accidents, from 1998 to 2012, according to death records and
      population projected by the Colombian National Administrative Department of
      Statistics. Frequency distribution profile of the deceased, death rates per
      hundred thousand inhabitants, potential years of life lost and calculation of
      excess mortality by age in the over 60 were made. RESULTS In the study period
      100,758 deaths occurred in traffic accidents, 6,717 annual average, of which
      18.5% occurred in people aged 60 years and over. The predominated deaths were
      men; the risk of dying was 32.15 per hundred thousand people in this age range,
      with double risk of dying those under 60 years. CONCLUSIONS The young population
      has a higher proportion of deaths, but those over 60 years are at increased risk
      of death, leading to the need to turn our gaze to the improvement of road
      infrastructure and standards, to educate the population in self-care and
      compliance with safety measures and prepare society for an ever more adult
      population, more numerous and more prone to take risks.

PMID- 28355348
TI  - Validation of self-reported diabetes in a representative sample of Sao Paulo
      city.
AB  - OBJECTIVE To validate the self-reported diabetes mellitus in adults and older
      adults living in the city of Sao Paulo, Brazil. METHODS We have used data of 569
      subjects (284 adults and 285 older adults), participants of the population-based
      cross-sectional study Inquerito de Saude do Municipio de Sao Paulo (Health Survey
      of Sao Paulo). Fasting glucose >= 7.0 mmol/L (126 mg/dL) and/or use of drugs
      (oral hypoglycemic and/or insulin) defined the diagnosis of diabetes mellitus. We
      have validated the self-reported diabetes mellitus by calculating the
      sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive values, and negative predictive
      values. We have used Poisson regression with robust variance to verify the
      factors associated with the sensitivity of the self-reported datum. For all
      analyses, we have considered the sample design of the study. RESULTS The
      sensitivity of self-reported diabetes mellitus was 63.8% (95%CI 49.2-76.3),
      specificity was 99.7% (95%CI 99.1-99.9), positive predictive value was 95.5%
      (95%CI 84.4-98.8), and negative predictive value was 96.9% (95%CI 94.9-98.2). The
      correct reporting of diabetes mellitus was more prevalent among older adults (PR
      = 2.0; 95%CI 1.2-3.5) than among adults. CONCLUSIONS The use of the datum of self
      reported diabetes mellitus is valid, especially among older adults living in the
      city of Sao Paulo. The results highlight the need to track diabetes mellitus in
      asymptomatic subjects who have one or more risk factors for it, mainly in the
      adult population of this city.

PMID- 28355349
TI  - Overexpression of ezrin and galectin-3 as predictors of poor prognosis of
      cervical cancer.
AB  - The aim of this study was to explore the correlation of ezrin and galectin-3
      expressions with prognosis in cervical cancer. The immunohistochemical method was
      applied to detect ezrin and galectin-3 expressions in normal cervix tissues
      (n=30), cervicitis tissues (n=28), cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN)
      tissues (classified as I-III, n=89), and cervical carcinoma tissues (n=84).
      Follow-up was conducted for 5 to 78 months to analyze the correlation of protein
      expressions with prognosis. Ezrin and galectin-3 expressions in cervical cancer
      were significantly higher than in normal cervix, cervicitis and CIN (all P<0.05),
      and expressions in CIN were significantly higher than in normal cervix and
      cervicitis (both P<0.05). The expressions of ezrin and galectin-3 were both
      related with histological grade, deep myometrial invasion and lymph node
      metastasis (all P<0.05). Spearman analysis showed that ezrin expression was
      positively correlated with galectin-3 expression in cervical cancer (r=0.355,
      P<0.05). The survival rate of patients with high expressions of ezrin and
      galectin-3 was significantly lower than those with low expressions of proteins
      (both P<0.05). The expressions of ezrin and galectin-3, histological grade, depth
      of stromal invasion, and lymph node metastasis are risk factors affecting the
      survival rate of patients with cervical cancer. The expressions of ezrin and
      galectin-3 were correlated with the development of cervical cancer, and
      overexpressions of those proteins were indicative of poor prognosis in patients
      with cervical cancer.

PMID- 28355350
TI  - Influence of antihypertensive drugs on aortic and coronary effects of Ang-(1-7)
      in pressure-overloaded rats.
AB  - This study investigated the influence of antihypertensive drugs, such as
      angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors (ACEIs), AT1 receptor blockers (ARBs),
      voltage-gated L-type calcium channel blockers, and mineralocorticoid receptor
      antagonists (MRAs), on the effects of angiotensin-(1-7) [Ang-(1-7)] on aorta and
      coronary arteries from pressure-overloaded rats. Pressure overload was induced by
      abdominal aortic banding (AB). To evaluate the role of antihypertensive drugs on
      the effect of Ang-(1-7), AB male Wistar rats weighing 250-300 g were treated with
      vehicle or low doses (5 mg.kg-1.day-1, gavage) of losartan, captopril,
      amlodipine, or spironolactone. Isolated aortic rings and isolated perfused hearts
      under constant flow were used to evaluate the effect of Ang-(1-7) in thoracic
      aorta and coronary arteries, respectively. Ang-(1-7) induced a significant
      relaxation in the aorta of sham animals, but this effect was reduced in the
      aortas of AB rats. Chronic treatments with losartan, captopril or amlodipine, but
      not with spironolactone, restored the Ang-(1-7)-induced aorta relaxation in AB
      rats. The coronary vasodilatation evoked by Ang-(1-7) in sham rats was blunted in
      hypertrophic rats. Only the treatment with losartan restored the coronary
      vasodilatory effect of Ang-(1-7) in AB rat hearts. These data support a
      beneficial vascular effect of an association of Ang-(1-7) and some
      antihypertensive drugs. Thus, this association may have potential as a new
      therapeutic strategy for cardiovascular diseases.

PMID- 28355352
TI  - A novel frameshift mutation of Chediak-Higashi syndrome and treatment in the
      accelerated phase.
AB  - Chediak-Higashi syndrome (CHS) is a rare autosomal recessive immunodeficiency
      disease characterized by frequent infections, hypopigmentation, progressive
      neurologic deterioration and hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis (HLH), known as
      the accelerated phase. There is little experience in the accelerated phase of CHS
      treatment worldwide. Here, we present a case of a 9-month-old boy with continuous
      high fever, hypopigmentation of the skin, enlarged lymph nodes,
      hepatosplenomegaly and lung infection. He was diagnosed with CHS by gene
      sequencing, and had entered the accelerated phase. After 8 weeks of therapy, the
      boy had remission and was prepared for allogenic stem cell transplantation.

PMID- 28355351
TI  - Naringenin regulates production of matrix metalloproteinases in the knee-joint
      and primary cultured articular chondrocytes and alleviates pain in rat
      osteoarthritis model.
AB  - Inflammation of cartilage is a primary symptom for knee-joint osteoarthritis.
      Matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) are known to play an important role in the
      articular cartilage destruction related to osteoarthritis. Naringenin is a plant
      derived flavonoid known for its anti-inflammatory properties. We studied the
      effect of naringenin on the transcriptional expression, secretion and enzymatic
      activity of MMP-3 in vivo in the murine monosodium iodoacetate (MIA)
      osteoarthritis model. The assessment of pain behavior was also performed in the
      MIA rats. The destruction of knee-joint tissues was analyzed microscopically.
      Moreover, the effect of naringenin was also studied in vitro in IL-1beta
      activated articular chondrocytes. The transcriptional expression of MMP-3, MMP-1,
      MMP-13, thrombospondin motifs (ADAMTS-4) and ADAMTS-5 was also studied in primary
      cultured chondrocytes of rats. Naringenin caused significant reduction in pain
      behavior and showed marked improvement in the tissue morphology of MIA rats.
      Moreover, a significant inhibition of MMP-3 expression in MIA rats was observed
      upon treatment with naringenin. In the in vitro tests, naringenin caused a
      significant reduction in the transcriptional expression, secretion and enzymatic
      activity of the studied degradative enzymes. The NF-kappaB pathway was also found
      to be inhibited upon treatment with naringenin in vitro. Overall, the study
      suggests that naringenin alleviated pain and regulated the production of matrix
      metalloproteinases via regulation of NF-kappaB pathway. Thus, naringenin could be
      a potent therapeutic option for the treatment of osteoarthritis.

PMID- 28355353
TI  - Influence of schooling and age on cognitive performance in healthy older adults.
AB  - Few studies have examined the influence of a low level of schooling on age
      related cognitive decline in countries with wide social and economic inequalities
      by using the Cambridge Automated Neuropsychological Test Battery (CANTAB). The
      aim of the present study was to assess the influence of schooling on age-related
      cognitive decline using unbiased cognitive tests. CANTAB allows cognitive
      assessment across cultures and education levels with reduced interference of the
      examiner during data acquisition. Using two-way ANOVA, we assessed the influences
      of age and education on test scores of old adults (61-84 years of age). CANTAB
      tests included: Visual Sustained Attention, Reaction Time, Spatial Working
      Memory, Learning and Episodic Memory. All subjects had a minimum visual acuity of
      20/30 (Snellen Test), no previous or current history of traumatic brain/head
      trauma, stroke, language impairment, chronic alcoholism, neurological diseases,
      memory problems or depressive symptoms, and normal scores on the Mini Mental
      State Examination (MMSE). Subjects were grouped according to education level (1
      to 7 and >=8 years of schooling) and age (60-69 and >=70 years). Low schooling
      level was associated with significantly lower performance on visual sustained
      attention, learning and episodic memory, reaction time, and spatial working
      memory. Although reaction time was influenced by age, no significant results on
      post hoc analysis were detected. Our findings showed a significantly worse
      cognitive performance in volunteers with lower levels of schooling and suggested
      that formal education in early life must be included in the preventive public
      health agenda. In addition, we suggest that CANTAB may be useful to detect subtle
      cognitive changes in healthy aging.

PMID- 28355354
TI  - Cerebral blood flow and vasoreactivity in aging: an arterial spin labeling study.
AB  - Regional cerebral blood flow (CBF) and cerebrovascular reactivity (CVR) in young
      and elderly participants were assessed using pulsed arterial spin labeling (ASL)
      and blood oxygenation level-dependent (BOLD) magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)
      techniques in combination with inhalation of CO2. Pulsed ASL and BOLD-MRI were
      acquired in seventeen asymptomatic volunteers (10 young adults, age: 30+/-7
      years; 7 elderly adults, age: 64+/-8 years) with no history of diabetes,
      hypertension, and neurological diseases. Data from one elderly participant was
      excluded due to the incorrigible head motion. Average baseline CBF in gray matter
      was significantly reduced in elderly (46+/-9 mL.100 g-1.min-1) compared to young
      adults (57+/-8 mL.100 g-1.min-1; P=0.02). Decreased pulsed ASL-CVR and BOLD-CVR
      in gray matter were also observed in elderly (2.12+/-1.30 and 0.13+/-0.06 %/mmHg,
      respectively) compared to young adults (3.28+/-1.43 and 0.28+/-0.11 %/mmHg,
      respectively; P<0.05), suggesting some degree of vascular impairment with aging.
      Moreover, age-related decrease in baseline CBF was observed in different brain
      regions (inferior, middle and superior frontal gyri; precentral and postcentral
      gyri; superior temporal gyrus; cingulate gyri; insula, putamen, caudate, and
      supramarginal gyrus). In conclusion, CBF and CVR were successfully investigated
      using a protocol that causes minimal or no discomfort for the participants. Age
      related decreases in baseline CBF and CVR were observed in the cerebral cortex,
      which may be related to the vulnerability for neurological disorders in aging.

PMID- 28355355
TI  - CIRBP protects H9C2 cells against myocardial ischemia through inhibition of NF
      kappaB pathway.
AB  - Myocardial ischemia is a major cause of death and remains a disease with
      extremely deficient clinical therapies and a major problem worldwide. Cold
      inducible RNA-binding protein (CIRBP) is reported to be involved in multiple
      pathological processes, including myocardial ischemia. However, the molecular
      mechanisms of myocardial ischemia remain elusive. Here, we first overexpressed
      CIRBP by transfection of pc-CIRBP (pcDNA3.1 containing coding sequenced for
      CIRBP) and silenced CIRBP by transfection of small interfering RNA targeting
      CIRBP (siCIRBP). pcDNA3.1 and the negative control of siCIRBP (siNC) were
      transfected into H9C2 cells to act as controls. We then constructed a cell model
      of myocardial ischemia through culturing cells in serum-free medium with hypoxia
      in H9C2 cells. Subsequently, AlamarBlue assay, flow cytometry and western blot
      analysis were used, respectively, to assess cell viability, reactive oxygen
      species (ROS) level and apoptosis, and expression levels of IkappaBalpha, p65 and
      Bcl-3. We demonstrated that CIRBP overexpression promoted cell proliferation
      (P<0.001), inhibited cell apoptosis (P<0.05), reduced ROS level (P<0.001), down
      regulated phosphorylated levels of IkappaBalpha and p65 (P<0.01 or P<0.001), and
      up-regulated expression of Bcl-3 (P<0.001) in H9C2 cells with myocardial
      ischemia. The influence of CIRBP knockdown yielded opposite results. Our study
      revealed that CIRBP could protect H9C2 cells against myocardial ischemia through
      inhibition of NF-kappaB pathway.

PMID- 28355356
TI  - Therapy of tacrolimus combined with corticosteroids in idiopathic membranous
      nephropathy.
AB  - We evaluated the efficacy and safety of tacrolimus (TAC) combined with
      corticosteroids in treating patients with idiopathic membranous nephropathy
      (IMN). One hundred seventy-seven biopsy-proven IMN patients were recruited in
      this retrospective clinical study. Sixty patients received TAC (target blood
      concentration of 4-8 ng/mL) and 117 patients received daily cyclophosphamide
      (CYC, 100 mg) combined with prednisone. Remission rates at the end of the first,
      second and third month in the TAC group were significantly higher than that in
      the CYC group (1st: 35.0 vs 19.7%, P<0.05; 2nd: 56.7 vs 38.5%, P<0.05; 3rd: 76.7
      vs 59.0%, P<0.05). In the first 3 months, daily urinary protein and serum albumin
      in the TAC group obtained a better improvement than that in the CYC group
      (P<0.05). At the end of the sixth and the twelfth month, the remission rates,
      daily urinary protein and serum albumin were all comparable between the two
      groups (P>0.05). No significant difference of relapse rate between the groups was
      found (16.3 vs 12.0%, P>0.05). Patients were more likely to develop glucose
      intolerance in the TAC group. The TAC regimen obtained more benefits in treating
      IMN patients, especially in the first 3 months, than the CYC regimen.

PMID- 28355357
TI  - The influence of body image on surgical decisions in adolescent idiopathic
      scoliosis patients.
AB  - OBJECTIVES:: The objective of this study was to evaluate whether the severity of
      deformities in patients with adolescent idiopathic scoliosis contributes to
      patients' decision regarding whether to undergo an operation. METHODS:: We
      evaluated body image factors in adolescent idiopathic scoliosis patients. We
      evaluated the magnitude of the main scoliotic curve, gibbosity (magnitude and
      location), shoulder height asymmetry and patient's age. We analyzed the
      correlation of these data with the number of years the patient was willing to
      trade for surgery, as measured by the time-trade-off method. RESULTS:: A total of
      52 patients were studied. We did not find a correlation between any of the
      parameters that were studied and the number of years that the patient would trade
      for the surgery. CONCLUSIONS:: The magnitude of body deformities in patients with
      adolescent idiopathic scoliosis does not interfere with the decision to undertake
      surgical treatment.

PMID- 28355358
TI  - Breast-conserving surgery in locally advanced breast cancer submitted to
      neoadjuvant chemotherapy. Safety and effectiveness based on ipsilateral breast
      tumor recurrence and long-term follow-up.
AB  - OBJECTIVE:: To evaluate ipsilateral breast tumor recurrence after breast
      conserving surgery for locally advanced breast cancer. METHODS:: A retrospective
      observational cohort study was performed in patients with locally advanced breast
      cancer submitted to breast-conserving surgery after neoadjuvant chemotherapy
      based on an adriamycin-cyclophosphamide-paclitaxel regimen. We evaluated the
      clinical, pathologic, immunohistochemistry, and surgical factors that contribute
      to ipsilateral breast tumor recurrence and locoregional recurrence. A Kaplan
      Meier analysis and Cox model were used to evaluate the main factors related to
      disease-free survival. RESULTS:: Of the 449 patients who received neoadjuvant
      chemotherapy, 98 underwent breast-conserving surgery. The average diameter of the
      tumors was 5.3 cm, and 87.2% reached a size of up to 3 cm. Moreover, 86.7% were
      classified as clinical stage III, 74.5% had T3-T4 tumors, 80.5% had N1-N2 axilla,
      and 89.8% had invasive ductal carcinoma. A pathologic complete response was
      observed in 27.6% of the tumors, and 100.0% of samples had free margins. The 5
      year actuarial overall survival rate was 81.2%, and the mean follow-up was 72.8
      months. The rates of ipsilateral breast tumor recurrence and locoregional
      recurrence were 11.2% and 15.3%, respectively. Multifocal morphology response was
      the only factor related to ipsilateral breast tumor recurrence disease-free
      survival (p=0.04). A multivariate analysis showed that the pathologic response
      evaluation criteria in solid tumors (RECIST)-breast cutoff was the only factor
      related to locoregional recurrence disease-free survival (p=0.01). CONCLUSIONS::
      Breast-conserving surgery is a safe and effective therapy for selected locally
      advanced breast tumors.

PMID- 28355359
TI  - Oxidative stress and immune system analysis after cycle ergometer use in critical
      patients.
AB  - OBJECTIVE:: The passive cycle ergometer aims to prevent hypotrophy and improve
      muscle strength, with a consequent reduction in hospitalization time in the
      intensive care unit and functional improvement. However, its effects on oxidative
      stress and immune system parameters remain unknown. The aim of this study is to
      analyze the effects of a passive cycle ergometer on the immune system and
      oxidative stress in critical patients. METHODS:: This paper describes a
      randomized controlled trial in a sample of 19 patients of both genders who were
      on mechanical ventilation and hospitalized in the intensive care unit of the
      Hospital Agamenom Magalhaes. The patients were divided into two groups: one group
      underwent cycle ergometer passive exercise for 30 cycles/min on the lower limbs
      for 20 minutes; the other group did not undergo any therapeutic intervention
      during the study and served as the control group. A total of 20 ml of blood was
      analysed, in which nitric oxide levels and some specific inflammatory cytokines
      (tumour necrosis factor alpha (TNF-alpha), interferon gamma (IFN-gamma) and
      interleukins 6 (IL-6) and 10 (IL-10)) were evaluated before and after the study
      protocol. RESULTS:: Regarding the demographic and clinical variables, the groups
      were homogeneous in the early phases of the study. The nitric oxide analysis
      revealed a reduction in nitric oxide variation in stimulated cells (p=0.0021) and
      those stimulated (p=0.0076) after passive cycle ergometer use compared to the
      control group. No differences in the evaluated inflammatory cytokines were
      observed between the two groups. CONCLUSION:: We can conclude that the passive
      cycle ergometer promoted reduced levels of nitric oxide, showing beneficial
      effects on oxidative stress reduction. As assessed by inflammatory cytokines, the
      treatment was not associated with changes in the immune system. However, further
      research in a larger population is necessary for more conclusive results.

PMID- 28355360
TI  - Helicobacter Pylory infection in patients with esophageal squamous cell
      carcinoma.
AB  - OBJECTIVE:: Esophageal squamous cell carcinoma is one of the most common
      esophageal diseases in the developing world, but the relationship between
      esophageal squamous cell carcinoma and Helicobacter pylori infection remains a
      neglected topic. The primary objective of this study was to determine the
      association between Helicobacter pylori infection and esophageal squamous cell
      carcinoma. A second purpose was to determine the incidence and factors associated
      with Helicobacter pylori infection following esophagectomy. METHOD:: The
      microorganism was identified by testing the gastric biopsy materials from 95
      esophageal squamous cell carcinoma patients (66 females; 39 were
      esophagectomized) for urease activity in a medium containing urea and a power of
      hydrogen detection reagent and comparing the results with those from a healthy
      population. Differences in patient characteristics were assessed with chi-square
      tests and t-tests for categorical and continuous factors, respectively. RESULTS::
      The patients with esophageal squamous cell carcinoma had a significantly lower
      prevalence of Helicobacter pylori compared with the healthy population (p<0.001).
      The naive and esophagectomized patients, in contrast, showed no significant
      differences in Helicobacter pylori infection (p>0.005). Patients with esophageal
      squamous cell carcinoma showed a significant association between leukocytosis and
      hypoglobulinemia and the presence of Helicobacter pylori infection (p=0.023 and
      p=0.045, respectively). CONCLUSION:: These results suggest that Helicobacter
      pylori is not an etiological factor in patients with esophageal squamous cell
      carcinoma. We found a statistically significant negative correlation between
      esophageal squamous cell cancer and Helicobacter pylori infection. These findings
      may guide new strategies for esophageal squamous cell carcinoma therapy.

PMID- 28355361
TI  - Anaerobic bacteria in the intestinal microbiota of Brazilian children.
AB  - OBJECTIVE:: Changes in the neonatal gut environment allow for the colonization of
      the mucin layer and lumen by anaerobic bacteria. The aim of the present study was
      to evaluate Bifidobacterium, Lactobacillus and Lactococcus colonization through
      the first year of life in a group of 12 Brazilian infants and to correlate these
      data with the levels of Escherichia coli. The presence of anaerobic members of
      the adult intestinal microbiota, including Eubacterium limosum and
      Faecalibacterium prausnitzii, was also evaluated. METHODS:: Fecal samples were
      collected during the first year of life, and 16S rRNA from anaerobic and
      facultative bacteria was detected by real-time PCR. RESULTS:: Bifidobacterium was
      present at the highest levels at all of the studied time points, followed by E.
      coli and Lactobacillus. E. limosum was rarely detected, and F. prausnitzii was
      detected only in the samples from the latest time points. CONCLUSION:: These
      results are consistent with reports throughout the world on the community
      structure of the intestinal microbiota in infants fed a milk diet. Our findings
      also provide evidence for the influence of the environment on intestinal
      colonization due to the high abundance of E. coli. The presence of important
      anaerobic genera was observed in Brazilian infants living at a low socioeconomic
      level, a result that has already been well established for infants living in
      developed countries.

PMID- 28355362
TI  - Controlled clinical trial addressing teeth whitening with hydrogen peroxide in
      adolescents: a 12-month follow-up.
AB  - OBJECTIVES:: To evaluate the colorimetric change in incisors and canines of
      adolescents aged 12 to 20 years submitted to at-home whitening and to evaluate
      satisfaction, sensitivity and discomfort during the procedures through a
      questionnaire. METHOD:: Thirty adolescents were randomly assigned to the
      following groups: 1) 6.0% hydrogen peroxide (White Class with calcium - FGM); 2)
      7.5% hydrogen peroxide (White Class with calcium - FGM); 3) 10% hydrogen peroxide
      (Oral B 3D White - Oral-B); 4) Control group - placebo. Assessments were
      performed prior to treatment as well as at 7, 30, 180 and 360 days after
      treatment. Friedman's ANOVA was used to analyze color. The Kruskal-Wallis test
      followed by Dunn's post hoc test was used to compare the groups at the different
      evaluation times. Answers on the questionnaires were ranked, and non-parametrical
      tests were employed. The groups were compared in each period using the Kruskal
      Wallis test followed by the Student-Newman-Keuls test. Categorical data were
      analyzed using Fisher's exact test, and the Wilcoxon test was used for the
      analysis of different periods. P-values were corrected using the Hyan-Holm step
      down Bonferroni procedure. Clinicaltrials.gov: NCT01998386. RESULTS:: Similar
      results were obtained one month after treatment with both tooth whitening gels
      and whitening strips. Patients were partially satisfied with the treatment after
      the first and second weeks and would recommend it. All products demonstrated
      color stability after 12 months of follow-up. CONCLUSIONS:: The bleaching
      procedure was efficient, and the patients could perceive its result. Further
      investigations are needed to determine the effects of bleaching on young teeth.

PMID- 28355363
TI  - The effects of individually ventilated cages on the respiratory systems of male
      and female Wistar rats from birth until adulthood.
AB  - OBJECTIVE:: To evaluate the respiratory systems of male and female rats
      maintained in individually ventilated cages (IVCs) from birth until adulthood.
      METHODS:: Female Wistar rats were housed in individually ventilated cages or
      conventional cages (CCs) and mated with male Wistar rats. After birth and
      weaning, the male offspring were separated from the females and kept in cages of
      the same type until 12 weeks of age. RESULTS:: The level of food consumption was
      lower in male offspring (IVC=171.7+/-9; CC=193.1+/-20) than in female offspring
      (IVC=100.6+/-7; CC=123.4+/-0.4), whereas the water intake was higher in female
      offspring (IVC=149.8+/-11; CC=99.2+/-0) than in male offspring (IVC=302.5+/-25;
      CC=249.7+/-22) at 11 weeks of age when housed in IVCs. The cage temperature was
      higher in individually ventilated cages than in conventional cages for both male
      (IVCs=25.9+/-0.5; CCs=22.95+/-0.3) and female (IVCs=26.2+/-0.3; CCs=23.1+/-0.3)
      offspring. The respiratory resistance (IVC=68.8+/-2.8; CC=50.6+/-3.0) and
      elastance (IVC=42.0+/-3.9; CC=32.4+/-2.0) at 300 um/kg were higher in the female
      offspring housed in ventilated cages. The ciliary beat values were lower in both
      the male (IVCs=13.4+/-0.2; CC=15+/-0.4) and female (IVC=13.5+/-0.4; CC=15.9+/
      0.6) offspring housed in individually ventilated cages than in those housed in
      conventional cages. The total cell (IVC=117.5+/-9.7; CC=285.0+/-22.8), neutrophil
      (IVC=13.1+/-4.8; CC=75.6+/-4.1) and macrophage (IVC=95.2+/-11.8; CC=170.0+/-18.8)
      counts in the bronchoalveolar lavage fluid were lower in the female offspring
      housed in individually ventilated cages than in those housed in conventional
      cages. CONCLUSIONS:: The environmental conditions that exist in individually
      ventilated cages should be considered when interpreting the results of studies
      involving laboratory animals. In this study, we observed gender dimorphism in
      both the water consumption and respiratory mechanics of rats kept in ventilated
      cages.

PMID- 28355364
TI  - Sheep Model for Uterine Transplantation: The Best Option Before Starting a Human
      Program.
AB  - OBJECTIVE:: This study reports the first four cases of a uterine transplant
      procedure conducted in sheep in Latin America. The aim of this study was to
      evaluate the success of uterine transplantation in sheep. METHOD:: The study was
      conducted at Laboratory of Medical Investigation 37 (LIM 37) at the University of
      Sao Paulo School of Medicine. Four healthy mature ewes weighing 40-60 kg were
      used as both the donor and recipient for a transplant within the same animal
      (auto-transplant). Institutional guidelines for the care of experimental animals
      were followed. RESULTS:: The first two cases of auto-transplant were performed to
      standardize the technique. After complete uterine mobilization and isolation of
      the blood supply, the unilateral vascular pedicle was sectioned and anastomosed
      on the external iliac vessels. After standardization, the protocol was
      implemented. Procurement surgery was performed without complications or bleeding.
      After isolation of uterine arteries and veins as well as full mobilization of the
      uterus, ligation of the distal portion of the internal iliac vessels was
      performed with subsequent division and end-to-side anastomosis of the external
      iliac vessels. After vaginal anastomosis, the final case presented with arterial
      thrombosis in the left uterine artery. The left uterine artery anastomosis was re
      opened and flushed with saline solution to remove the clot from the artery lumen.
      Anastomosis was repeated with restoration of blood flow for a few minutes before
      another uterine artery thrombosis appeared on the same side. All four animals
      were alive after the surgical procedure and were euthanized after the
      experimental period. CONCLUSION:: We describe the success of four uterine auto
      transplants in sheep models.

PMID- 28355365
TI  - The acceptability of vaginal smear self-collection for screening for cervical
      cancer: a systematic review.
AB  - Cervical cancer is a major cause of death in adult women. However, many women do
      not undergo cervical cancer screening for the following reasons: fear, shame,
      physical limitations, cultural or religious considerations and lack of access to
      health care services. Self-collected vaginal smears maybe an alternative means of
      including more women in cervical cancer screening programs. The objective of this
      systematic review was to evaluate the acceptability of vaginal smear self
      collection for cervical cancer screening. We selected articles from PubMed, the
      Cochrane Library and Embase that were published between January 1995 and April
      2016. Studies written in English, French, Italian, Portuguese or Spanish that
      involved women between 18 and 69 years of age who had engaged in sexual
      intercourse were included in this review. The review was performed in accordance
      with the PRISMA (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta
      Analyses) statement. Nineteen studies were ultimately evaluated in this review.
      Most of the included studies (n=17) demonstrated that the self-collection method
      exhibited outstanding acceptability among women with respect to cervical cancer
      screening, and only two studies indicated that self-collection exhibited low
      acceptability among women in this context. The acceptability of self-collection
      was determined subjectively (without standardized questionnaires) in 10 studies
      (53%) and via structured and validated questionnaires in the remaining studies.
      The results of our review suggest that the self-collection method is well
      accepted and may therefore encourage greater participation in cervical cancer
      screening programs. However, additional studies are required to verify these
      results.

PMID- 28355367
TI  - Radiotherapy and the SUS: A collapse foretold.

PMID- 28355366
TI  - Diagnostic models of the pre-test probability of stable coronary artery disease:
      A systematic review.
AB  - A comprehensive search of PubMed and Embase was performed in January 2015 to
      examine the available literature on validated diagnostic models of the pre-test
      probability of stable coronary artery disease and to describe the characteristics
      of the models. Studies that were designed to develop and validate diagnostic
      models of pre-test probability for stable coronary artery disease were included.
      Data regarding baseline patient characteristics, procedural characteristics,
      modeling methods, metrics of model performance, risk of bias, and clinical
      usefulness were extracted. Ten studies involving the development of 12 models and
      two studies focusing on external validation were identified. Seven models were
      validated internally, and seven models were validated externally. Discrimination
      varied between studies that were validated internally (C statistic 0.66-0.81) and
      externally (0.49-0.87). Only one study presented reclassification indices. The
      majority of better performing models included sex, age, symptoms, diabetes,
      smoking, and hyperlipidemia as variables. Only two diagnostic models evaluated
      the effects on clinical decision making processes or patient outcomes. Most
      diagnostic models of the pre-test probability of stable coronary artery disease
      have had modest success, and very few present data regarding the effects of these
      models on clinical decision making processes or patient outcomes.

PMID- 28355368
TI  - Treatment of benign prostatic hyperplasia.

PMID- 28355369
TI  - Therapeutic use of the rebound effect of modern drugs: "New homeopathic
      medicines".
AB  - The homeopathic treatment is based on the principle of therapeutic similitude,
      employing medicines that cause certain disorders to treat similar manifestations,
      stimulating a reaction of the organism against its own ailments. The occurrence
      of this secondary reaction of the organism, opposite in nature to the primary
      action of the medicines, is evidenced in the study of the rebound (paradoxical)
      effect of several classes of modern drugs. In this work, in addition to
      substantiate the principle of similitude before the experimental and clinical
      pharmacology, we suggest a proposal to employ hundreds of conventional drugs
      according to homeopathic method, applying the therapeutic similitude between the
      adverse events of medicines and the clinical manifestations of patients.
      Describing existing lines of research and a specific method for the therapeutic
      use of the rebound effect of modern drugs
      (http://www.newhomeopathicmedicines.com), we hope to minimize prejudices related
      to the homeopathy and contribute to a broadening of the healing art.

PMID- 28355370
TI  - Targeting personalized medicine in a non-Hodgkin lymphoma patient with 18F-FDG
      and 18F-choline PET/CT.
AB  - Early diagnosis and staging of non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL) is essential for
      therapeutic strategy decision. Positron emission tomography/computed tomography
      (PET/CT) with fluordeoxyglucose (FDG), a glucose analogue, labeled with fluor-18
      (18F-FDG) has been used to evaluate staging, therapy response and prognosis in
      NHL patients. However, in some cases, 18F-FDG has shown false-positive uptake due
      to inflammatory reaction after chemo and/or radiation therapy. In this case
      report, we present a NHL patient evaluated with 18F-FDG and 18F-choline PET/CT
      scan imaging pre- and post-therapy. 18F-FDG and 18F-choline PET/CT were performed
      for the purpose of tumor staging and have shown intense uptake in infiltrative
      tissue as well as in the lymph node, but with some mismatching in the tumor. Post
      treatment 18F-FDG and 18F-choline PET/ CT scans revealed no signs of radiotracer
      uptake, suggesting complete remission of the tumor. 18F-choline may be a
      complimentary tool for staging and assessment of therapeutic response in non
      Hodgkin lymphoma, while non-18F-FDG tracer can be used for targeted therapy and
      patient management.

PMID- 28355371
TI  - Characteristics of training and motivation of physicians working in emergency
      medicine.
AB  - Introduction:: Emergency medicine is an area in which correct decisions often
      need to be made fast, thus requiring a well-prepared medical team. There is
      little information regarding the profile of physicians working at emergency
      departments in Brazil. Objective:: To describe general characteristics of
      training and motivation of physicians working in the emergency departments of
      medium and large hospitals in Salvador, Brazil. Method:: A cross-sectional study
      with standardized interviews applied to physicians who work in emergency units in
      25 medium and large hospitals in Salvador. At least 75% of the professionals at
      each hospital were interviewed. One hospital refused to participate in the study.
      Results:: A total of 659 physicians were interviewed, with a median age of 34
      years (interquartile interval: 29-44 years), 329 (49.9%) were female and 96
      (14.6%) were medical residents working at off hours. The percentage of physicians
      who had been trained with Basic Life Support, Advanced Cardiovascular Life
      Support and Advanced Trauma Life Support courses was 5.2, 18.4 and 11.0%,
      respectively, with a greater frequency of Advanced Cardiovascular Life Support
      training among younger individuals (23.6% versus 13.9%; p<0.001). Thirteen
      percent said they were completely satisfied with the activity, while 81.3%
      expressed a desire to stop working in emergency units in the next 15 years,
      mentioning stress levels as the main reason. Conclusion:: The physicians
      interviewed had taken few emergency immersion courses. A low motivational level
      was registered in physicians who work in the emergency departments of medium and
      large hospitals in Salvador.

PMID- 28355372
TI  - A prospective randomized trial comparing patent blue and methylene blue for the
      detection of the sentinel lymph node in breast cancer patients.
AB  - Introduction:: Methylene blue is more widely available and less expensive than
      patent blue, with an apparently lower risk of anaphylaxis. Objective:: The two
      dyes were compared regarding detection of the sentinel lymph node (SLN). Method::
      A prospective, randomized trial involved 142 patients with invasive breast
      carcinoma. Sixty-nine (49.3%) assigned to patent blue (group A) and 71 (50.70%)
      to methylene blue (group B). Thirty-five patients (25.0%) were clinical stage III
      or IV; 55 (38.7%) had axillary lymph nodes affected; and 69 (49.3%) underwent
      neoadjuvant chemotherapy. Two patients were excluded because the dye type was not
      recorded. Results:: Patients and tumor characteristics were similar in both
      groups. SLNs were identified in 47 women (68.1%) in group A and 43 (60.6%) in
      group B (p=0.35). SLNs were affected in 22 cases (51.2%) in group A and 21
      (48.8%) in group B (p=0.62). The SLN was the only node affected in 12 cases
      (54.5%) in group A and six (33.3%) in group B (p=0.18). The time and degree of
      difficulty involved in identifying the SLN were similar in both groups. There
      were no complications or allergies. Conclusion:: Methylene blue performed as well
      as patent blue in identifying the SLN in breast cancer patients.

PMID- 28355373
TI  - Overweight and obesity in preschoolers: Prevalence and relation to food
      consumption.
AB  - Objective:: To determine overweight and obesity prevalence in preschool children
      from public education, and to determine their relation to food consumption.
      Method:: Cross-sectional study with children aged between 2 and 5 years, of both
      sexes, enrolled at municipal day care centers. Socioeconomic, demographic and
      anthropometric data were collected, in order to calculate the body mass index
      (BMI) for age. Data on food consumption were assessed using a Food Frequency
      Questionnaire. chi2 test, Kruskal-Wallis test, Student's t-test and Pearson's
      correlation were used at a significance level of 5%. Results:: Of 548 children,
      52% were male, with mean age of 4.2 years old. Most families had incomes between
      1 and 2 minimum wages (59.7%), in addition to 10 years (mothers) of education.
      Anthropometric parameters did not differ significantly between sexes. According
      to the BMI-for-age, it was found that most of children were well-nourished
      (85.2%), 8.2% had the risk of becoming overweight, and 4.2% were overweight. The
      most consumed foods were: rice (100%), beans (99.4%), bread (98.5%), fruit
      (98.5%), red meat (97.1%), butter and margarine (95.4%), biscuits, cakes and
      sweet pies (94.1%), dairy products (94.1%), chocolate milk (91.7%), and soft
      drinks (90.2%). Consumed foods that were strongly correlated (r > 0.7) to the
      risk of/excess weight were, as follows: bread; biscuits, cakes, sweet pies; dairy
      products; chocolate milk; sausages. Conclusion:: There was low prevalence of
      overweight and absence of obesity among the population assessed. The risk of
      overweight was greater among girls. Data from the study showed deviations in food
      consumption.

PMID- 28355374
TI  - Qualitative and quantitative ultrasound assessment of gastric content.
AB  - Objective:: Pulmonary aspiration of the gastric contents is one of the most
      feared complications in anesthesia. Its prevention depends on preoperative
      fasting as well as identification of risky patients. A reliable diagnostic tool
      to assess gastric volume is currently lacking. The aim of this study performed on
      volunteers was to evaluate the feasibility of ultrasonography to identify
      qualitative and quantitative gastric content. Method:: A standardized gastric
      scanning protocol was applied on 67 healthy volunteers to assess the gastric
      antrum in four different situations: fasting, after ingesting clear fluid, milk
      and a solid meal. A qualitative and quantitative assessment of the gastric
      content in the antrum was performed by a blinded sonographer. The antrum was
      considered either as empty, or containing clear or thick fluid, or solids. Total
      gastric volume was predicted based on a cross-sectional area of the antrum. A p
      value less than 0.05 was considered statistically significant. Results:: For each
      type of gastric content, the sonographic characteristics of the antrum and its
      content were described and illustrated. Sonographic qualitative assessment
      allowed to distinguish between an empty stomach and one with different kinds of
      meal. The predicted gastric volume was significantly larger after the consumption
      of any food source compared to fasting. Conclusion:: Bedside sonography can
      determine the nature of gastric content. It is also possible to estimate the
      difference between an empty gastric antrum and one that has some food in it. Such
      information may be useful to estimate the risk of aspiration, particularly in
      situations when prandial status is unknown or uncertain.

PMID- 28355375
TI  - Influence of morbid obesity on physical capacity, knee-related symptoms and
      overall quality of life: A cross-sectional study.
AB  - Objective:: To evaluate the impact of morbid obesity on physical capacity, joint
      related symptoms, and on the overall quality of life. Method:: Cross-sectional
      study carried out at a university hospital, enrolling 39 individuals admitted to
      a bariatric surgery service. Physical capacity was assessed by Six-Minute Walk
      Test (SMWT) and the Borg rating of perceived exertion (RPE). Knee-related
      symptoms were evaluated by Knee Injury and Osteoarthritis Outcome Score (KOOS)
      and the Lysholm Score. Quality of life was evaluated by Short Form 36 Health
      Questionnaire (SF-36). Results:: On SMWT, the mean distance walked was 374.1+/
      107.5 m. The mean Borg score was 12.9+/-2.4. KOOS questionnaire found the
      following scores: pain (64.3+/-24), other symptoms (67.2+/-25.5), function in
      daily living (60.4+/-26.8), function in sport and recreation (28.5+/-32.2), knee
      related quality of life (35.9+/-33.5), mean Lysholm scale score (55.3+/-25.4). SF
      36 provided the following scores: physical functioning (41+/-27.4), physical role
      functioning (34.6+/-39.2), bodily pain (45.7+/-23.6), general health perceptions
      (63.1+/-26.2), vitality (53.5+/-12.1), social role functioning (52.6+/-29.3),
      emotional role functioning (41+/-44.9), mental health (55+/-27.7). Conclusion::
      Obesity led to significant loss of physical capacity, gait impairment, knee
      related symptoms, and a negative impact on the overall quality of life.

PMID- 28355376
TI  - Regulation of muscle plasticity and trophism by fatty acids: A short review.
AB  - The skeletal muscle tissue has a remarkable ability to alter its plastic
      structural and functional properties after a harmful stimulus, regulating the
      expression of proteins in complex events such as muscle regeneration. In this
      context, considering that potential therapeutic agents have been widely studied,
      nutritional strategies have been investigated in order to improve the
      regenerative capacity of skeletal muscle. There is evidence of the modulatory
      action of fatty acids, such that oleic and linoleic acids, that are abundant in
      Western diets, on muscle function and trophism. Thus, fatty acids appear to be
      potential candidates to promote or impair the recovery of muscle mass and
      function during regeneration, since they modulate intracellular pathways that
      regulate myogenesis. This study is the first to describe and discuss the effect
      of fatty acids on muscle plasticity and trophism, with emphasis on skeletal
      muscle regeneration and in vitro differentiation of muscle cells.

PMID- 28355377
TI  - Hypomagnesemia and its relation with chronic low-grade inflammation in obesity.
AB  - Introduction:: The accumulation of visceral fat in obesity is associated with
      excessive production of proinflammatory adipokines, which contributes to low
      grade chronic inflammation state. Moreover, the literature has shown that mineral
      deficiency, in particular of magnesium, has important role in the pathogenesis of
      this metabolic disorder with relevant clinical repercussions. Objective:: To
      bring updated information about the participation of hypomagnesemia in the
      manifestation of low-grade chronic inflammation in obese individuals. Method::
      Articles published in PubMed, SciELO, LILACS and ScienceDirect, using the
      following keywords: "obesity," "magnesium" and "low grade inflammation."
      Results:: Scientific evidence suggests that magnesium deficiency favors the
      manifestation of low-grade chronic inflammation in obese subjects. Conclusion::
      From literature data, it is evident the participation of magnesium through
      biochemical and metabolic reactions in protecting against this metabolic disorder
      present in obesity.

PMID- 28355378
TI  - Systematic review of the synergist muscle ablation model for compensatory
      hypertrophy.
AB  - Objective:: The aim was to evaluate the effectiveness of the experimental
      synergists muscle ablation model to promote muscle hypertrophy, determine the
      period of greatest hypertrophy and its influence on muscle fiber types and
      determine differences in bilateral and unilateral removal to reduce the number of
      animals used in this model. Method:: Following the application of the eligibility
      criteria for the mechanical overload of the plantar muscle in rats, nineteen
      papers were included in the review. Results:: The results reveal a greatest
      hypertrophy occurring between days 12 and 15, and based on the findings,
      synergist muscle ablation is an efficient model for achieving rapid hypertrophy
      and the contralateral limb can be used as there was no difference between
      unilateral and bilateral surgery, which reduces the number of animals used in
      this model. Conclusion:: This model differs from other overload models (exercise
      and training) regarding the characteristics involved in the hypertrophy process
      (acute) and result in a chronic muscle adaptation with selective regulation and
      modification of fast-twitch fibers in skeletal muscle. This is an efficient and
      rapid model for compensatory hypertrophy.

PMID- 28355379
TI  - Osteoporosis and autophagy: What is the relationship?
AB  - Autophagy is a survival pathway wherein non-functional proteins and organelles
      are degraded in lysosomes for recycling and energy production. Therefore,
      autophagy is fundamental for the maintenance of cell viability, acting as a
      quality control process that prevents the accumulation of unnecessary structures
      and oxidative stress. Increasing evidence has shown that autophagy dysfunction is
      related to several pathologies including neurodegenerative diseases and cancer.
      Moreover, recent studies have shown that autophagy plays an important role for
      the maintenance of bone homeostasis. For instance, in vitro and animal and human
      studies indicate that autophagy dysfunction in bone cells is associated with the
      onset of bone diseases such as osteoporosis. This review had the purpose of
      discussing the issue to confirm whether a relationship between autophagy
      dysfunction and osteoporosis exits.

PMID- 28355380
TI  - Induced pluripotent stem cells reprogramming: Epigenetics and applications in the
      regenerative medicine.
AB  - Induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) are somatic cells reprogrammed into an
      embryonic-like pluripotent state by the expression of specific transcription
      factors. iPSC technology is expected to revolutionize regenerative medicine in
      the near future. Despite the fact that these cells have the capacity to self
      renew, they present low efficiency of reprogramming. Recent studies have
      demonstrated that the previous somatic epigenetic signature is a limiting factor
      in iPSC performance. Indeed, the process of effective reprogramming involves a
      complete remodeling of the existing somatic epigenetic memory, followed by the
      establishment of a "new epigenetic signature" that complies with the new type of
      cell to be differentiated. Therefore, further investigations of epigenetic
      modifications associated with iPSC reprogramming are required in an attempt to
      improve their self-renew capacity and potency, as well as their application in
      regenerative medicine, with a new strategy to reduce the damage in degenerative
      diseases. Our review aimed to summarize the most recent findings on epigenetics
      and iPSC, focusing on DNA methylation, histone modifications and microRNAs,
      highlighting their potential in translating cell therapy into clinics.

PMID- 28355381
TI  - Bariatric surgery in individuals with liver cirrhosis: A narrative review.
AB  - Introduction:: Bariatric surgery has become the gold standard treatment for
      morbid obesity, but there is no consensus regarding its safety and efficacy among
      individuals with chronic liver diseases. Objective:: To critically evaluate the
      existing evidence on literature about bariatric surgery in individuals with liver
      cirrhosis. Method:: Narrative review performed by means of an online search in
      the MEDLINE and LILACS databases. Results:: Bariatric surgery is safe and
      effective in individuals with chronic liver disease without clinical
      decompensation or significant portal hypertension. Individuals with severe liver
      function impairment present significantly higher surgical morbidity and
      mortality. Among candidates to liver transplantation, surgery may be performed
      before, after and even during transplantation, and there is a predominant trend
      to perform it after. Vertical sleeve gastrectomy seems to be the most adequate
      technique in this group of subjects. Conclusion:: Bariatric surgery is safe and
      effective in individuals with compensated cirrhosis without significant portal
      hypertension, but presents higher morbidity. Among candidates to liver
      transplantation and/or individuals with severe portal hypertension, morbidity and
      mortality are significantly higher.

PMID- 28355382
TI  - Satisfaction and quality of life in users of auditory brainstem implant.
AB  - Purpose To evaluate satisfaction and quality of life of users of Auditory Implant
      Brainstem. Methods This is a cross-sectional and descriptive study conducted at
      Divisao de Clinica Otorrinolaringologica of Hospital das Clinicas of Faculdade de
      Medicina da Universidade de Sao Paulo, Brazil. For the research, 19 users of an
      Auditory Brainstem Implant answered the following questionnaires: KINDLR
      (Questionnaire for Measuring Health-Related Quality of Life in Children and
      Adolescents), for children and adolescents, their parents and/or caregivers;
      WHOQOL-BREF questionnaire, for adult participants; and the Satisfaction with
      Amplification in Daily Life (SADL) questionnaire culturally adapted to Brazilian
      Portuguese. Results The quality of life of children using Auditory Brainstem
      Implant from the perspective of their parents showed global results above
      average, as for most domains, except for the emotional well-being domain. Adults
      showed results above average for all domains. Regarding satisfaction with the
      device, the adult users of auditory brainstem implant were satisfied in general,
      except with regard to personal image. The parents of the children showed
      dissatisfaction in all subscales, except for the subscale of services and cost.
      Conclusion The results indicated that although patients are dissatisfied with the
      device in some aspects, overall the quality of life was rated as good for most of
      the aspects assessed.

PMID- 28355383
TI  - The relevance of syllable per minute measuring at the assessment of reading rate.
AB  - Purpose To verify whether there are differences in the assessment of reading rate
      of children at 3rd and 4th grade from elementary school using the measures of
      words read per minute and syllables read per minute. Methods This research
      counted on 29 children from 3rd grade and 28 from the 4th grade of elementary
      school without reading and writing disorders. All children were asked to read
      aloud a text according to their schooling level. The procedure was recorded and
      the reading rate was calculated both in words and syllables read per minute.
      Results Data indicated that syllable read per minute measure was more effective
      to calculate reading rate of children from different schooling levels since it
      provides a more reliable profile of reading rate. Conclusion The present study
      showed evidences that syllable per minute measure is more precise to characterize
      children's performance since it considers linguistic and textual features.

PMID- 28355384
TI  - Creation of a list of homonyms in Brazilian Portuguese for linguistic processing
      tasks.
AB  - Purpose This paper presents procedures and steps to create a list of homonyms,
      their meanings and representative images. Methods One hundred and three homonyms
      in Brazilian Portuguese were secluded through searches in text books and
      dictionaries and the meanings were verified. The homonyms were analyzed and
      selected according pre-established criteria. Twenty-six homonyms with two
      meanings were selected and one image was used to represent each meaning. To test
      the instrument, twenty elementary school children in 4th (n = 10) and 5ht (n =
      10) grades were selected from a private school in Sao Paulo. To identify the
      meanings of major and minor occurrence, the students gave their understanding of
      the words presented to them orally. The students were also asked to name the
      fifty-two images to determine the degree of recognition. Percentages of accuracy
      were calculated. Results Among the 26 homonyms, two were excluded because the
      students were unable to name them. Two images were little recognized and,
      therefore, replaced with others that better represented the homonyms. Conclusion
      A list of 24 homonyms and 48 images (one for each meaning) was developed. The
      results of the presentation of these items to elementary school children in the
      4th and 5th grades proved the adequacy of the list. The material is seen as
      efficient for use in recognition tasks and can be applied in semantic priming
      tasks.

PMID- 28355386
TI  - Biological invasion at an early stage? First record of the banjo catfish
      Pseudobunocephalus iheringii (Siluriformes: Aspredinidae) in the Tramandai river
      basin, Brazil and the potential invasion pathway to this system.

PMID- 28355385
TI  - Vocal tract discomfort in teachers after teaching activity.
AB  - Purpose To evaluate the vocal tract discomfort (VTD) reported by teachers,
      comparing their vocal self-assessment at three different times: before teaching,
      after four hours of teaching, and after eight hours of teaching. Methods The
      study sample was composed of 50 teachers: 42 women and eight men. The
      participating teachers were divided into two groups according to the cutoff value
      of the Voice Symptom Scale (VoiSS): Vocal Risk Group (VRG) and Vocally Healthy
      Group (VHG). The List of Vocal Signs and Symptoms (LVSS) was used to identify the
      number of vocal symptoms in each group. The groups were evaluated at three
      specific moments (before (BT) and after four (4HT) and eight (8HT) hours of
      teaching) by means of the Vocal Tract Discomfort Scale (VTD scale) and vocal self
      assessment. Results The VRG presented more vocal signs and symptoms of the LVSS
      than the VHG (total: VHG=0.56/VRG=1.60, p<0.001; work-related VHG=0.79/VRG=2.49,
      p<0.001). The VHG did not report change in discomfort for both frequency
      (p=1.132) and severity (p=0.431) and showed better vocal self-assessment
      (BT=0.67; 4HT=0.96; 8HT=0.96, p=0.007). However, the VRG presented vocal tract
      discomfort after four and eight hours of teaching for both frequency (BT=1.60;
      4HT=2.49; 8HT=2.95, p<0.001) and severity (BT=1.79; 4HT=2.52; 8HT=3.12, p<0.001)
      and worse voice self-assessment (BT=2.00; 4HT=2.42; 8HT=3.00, p<0.001).
      Conclusion Teachers at vocal risk present worse vocal self-assessment and
      increased vocal tract discomfort throughout the teaching working day.

PMID- 28355387
TI  - Effects of soil and space on the woody species composition and vegetation
      structure of three Cerrado phytophysiognomies in the Cerrado-Amazon transition.
AB  - The Cerrado Biome is considered one of the world's biodiversity hotspots because
      of its rich biodiversity, the high level of endemism and the increasing threat.
      The Cerrado is composed by a mosaic of different vegetation types, including
      physiognomies that vary from grasslands (campo limpo) to savannas (typical
      cerrado or cerrado sensu stricto) and cerrado woodlands (cerradao). However, the
      factors that determine the composition of the Cerrado's flora and the structure
      of the physiognomies that compose this biome are still poorly understood. Here,
      we investigate the influence of the chemical and granulometric properties of the
      soil and the effect of geographic distance on the occurrence and abundance of
      woody species in three Cerrado phytophysiognomies - cerrado woodland (cerradao),
      dense cerrado savanna and typical cerrado savanna - in the Cerrado-Amazon
      transition. We tested the hypothesis that the edaphic characteristics and
      geographic space determine the species composition and the structure of the woody
      vegetation of these three phytophysiognomies. We demonstrate that the
      dissimilarities in the structure and composition of the three sites were
      determined more by space (13% of explanation) than edaphic properties (1%), but
      primarily by the interaction between these two factors (26%). We conclude that,
      in situations where the chemical and granulometric properties of the soil are
      relatively homogeneous, as we found in the present study, geographic distance
      between sites has a greater influence than variation in the substrate's
      properties on modelling the occurrence and abundance of the woody plant species
      in the Cerrado.

PMID- 28355389
TI  - Leptodactylus chaquensis Cei, 1950 (Leptodactylidae, Leptodactylinae): extension
      of the distribution in state of Rio Grande do Sul, southern Brazil.

PMID- 28355388
TI  - "In vitro" evaluation of the bacterivore potential of three Cladoceran species
      occurring in tropical and subtropical regions.
AB  - Cladocerans occupy an important position among the bacterial consumers in
      freshwater food webs, being relatively non-selective filter feeders that can
      exert a strong impact on microbial populations. We evaluated the bacterivory
      potential of three cladocerans species of subtropical and tropical occurrence
      (Ceriodaphnia silvestrii, Daphnia gessneri and Ceriodaphnia cornuta) at different
      life stages, by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and by the quantification of
      their bacterial consumption rates using fluorescently labeled bacteria (FLB). All
      species showed filter mesh sizes sufficiently narrow to retain bacteria. The
      largest distance between setules was found in primiparous C. cornuta, and the
      smallest in neonate D. gessneri. The lowest ingestion (IR) and removal (RR) rates
      were observed in primiparous C. silvestrii and the highest values were observed
      in adults of D. gessneri. We conclude that bacteria may be considered an
      important food supplement, particularly for neonates who presented smaller
      intersetular distances and higher filtration rates than the other life stages.

PMID- 28355390
TI  - Could Fidicina mannifera (Hemiptera: Cicadoidea: Fidicinini) promote a resource
      pulse in two Brazilian Cerrado vegetation classes?
AB  - Cicadas are usually studied regarding their importance in agriculture. However,
      the possibility of this group to represent a pulse of nutrients can also imply on
      the success of a given species in the biome. The aim of this study was to assess
      the level of total soluble proteins and lipids of Fidicina mannifera (Fabricius,
      1803), and to determine whether the species can promote a pulse of nutrients in
      two vegetation classes of the Brazilian Cerrado. To assess the pulse of
      nutrients, it was concluded the determination of total soluble proteins and
      lipids from samples of males and adult females of F. mannifera, and the spatial
      distribution of exuviae of this species was also calculated in two vegetation
      classes of the Brazilian Cerrado. The amount of protein provided by each
      individual did not differ between males and females (p = 0.66) but females had
      40% more lipids than males (p = 0.05). Regarding F. mannifera the gallery forest
      offered 11.75 g/ha of protein, 3.91 g/ha of lipids, and the Cerrado stricto sensu
      offered 4.25 g/ha of protein, and 1.41 g/ha of lipid. The male cicadas have a
      hollow abdomen, which houses a resonance chamber for sound production in order to
      attract females to mate, and females store larger amounts of lipids, mainly
      located in the abdominal cavity, where the body fat is directly linked to the
      reproductive system for the development of the ovaries and egg production after
      emergence. The mass occurrence of F. mannifera in the Brazilian Cerrado and the
      fast availability of proteins and lipids make this species a food resource that
      can directly impact the diet of secondary consumers and scavengers, although the
      amount of nutrients available by F. mannifera does not promote a pulse of
      nutrients in the study site.

PMID- 28355391
TI  - Nesting of Morelet's crocodile, Crocodylus moreletii (Dumeril and Bibron), in Los
      Tuxtlas, Mexico.
AB  - We evaluated the nesting by Crocodylus moreletii in Lago de Catemaco, Veracruz,
      southeastern, Mexico. During the nesting and hatching seasons, we searched for
      nests along the northern margins of the lake and small associated streams. We
      investigated egg mortality by weekly monitoring each of the nests found,
      recording sign of predation (tracks and holes dug into the nest) and the effect
      of water level fluctuations. We not found differences to nest between inland or
      flooded zones. However, we found that egg size varied among nests. In nests built
      inland, predation was the major cause of egg mortality whereas flooding resulted
      in more deaths of eggs in the flooding zone. Flooding killed 25% of eggs
      monitored in this study. We suggest that to increase nest success in the
      Morelet's crocodile it is necessary to promote conservation of nesting areas
      around the lake, recently occupied by urban or tourist developments.

PMID- 28355393
TI  - Seed removal of Dipteryx alata Vog. (Leguminosae: Faboidae) in the edge and
      interior of Cerrado.
AB  - Post-dispersal seed agents of mortality include pathogens, invertebrates, and
      vertebrates, which may shape tropical tree populations and communities. In this
      study I experimentally evaluated Dipteryx alata endocarp removal both in the
      interior and edge of Cerrado vegetation. Specifically, I simulated primary
      dispersion of endocarps by bats and evaluated secondary removal intensity
      according to habitat, season, and endocarp number. This study was developed in
      the Pombo Natural Municipal Park, a large Cerrado remnant with an area of 9,000
      ha, located in the Western Brazil. In each of the two habitat types, I set down
      45 points in which D. alata piles of 1, 3, 7, 15, and 40 endocarps were
      positioned. On average, endocarp removal in the interior was higher than in the
      edge, so that the intensity of removal varied from positive density-dependent
      (interior: rains), to negative density-dependent (edge: both seasons). Also, at
      both habitat types and seasons non removed endocarps were intensely attacked by
      fungus. Indeed, seed mortality by fungus infestation was positive density
      dependent. The results indicate high propensity of endocarps to escape from
      removal in the edge, in principle, a defaunated area. As Dipteryx species
      strongly rely on caviomorph rodents for their dispersal, the scarcity of these
      vectors might reduce recruitment chances of D. alata in remnants of Cerrado. This
      imply in future changes in the vegetation structure from the edge to the interior
      towards low tree diversity.

PMID- 28355392
TI  - Insect diversity in organic rice fields under two management systems of levees
      vegetation.
AB  - Simplified environments characterize agroecosystems, reducing the diversity of
      associated plants, which are not cultivated for economic purposes, causing
      unbalances that can promote the emergence of cultivated plants pests, as well as
      the reduction of their natural enemies. Management systems that increase
      diversity in agroecosystems can extend the action of natural enemies of pests.
      Studies to understand the diversity of insects associated with rice cultivation
      and determine their ecological guilds can provide information about the
      composition and structure of such ecosystems, which can be applied to integrated
      pest management. Therefore, the study aimed to describe and compare groups of
      insects in irrigated rice fields, with organic management using two different
      systems of levees vegetation management, and relate them to the phenological
      states of rice cultivation (seedling, vegetative, and reproductive). Samples were
      taken in a plantation located in Aguas Claras district of Viamao, RS. The total
      area of 18 ha was divided into two. A subarea called not cut (NC), where wild
      vegetation of levees was maintained, and the subarea named cut (C), where monthly
      cuts were made to levees vegetation, from the beginning of soil preparation until
      the harvest. From October 2012 to March 2013 were held weekly collections in
      quadrats randomly located in both the rice fields and the levees. A total of 800
      insects were collected, 429 in the C subarea and 371 in the NC. There were
      identified 97 morphospecies in the C and 108 in NC, being 54 shared between the
      subareas. The captured insects were grouped into guilds: saprophages (C = 38.2%;
      NC = 27.5%), phytophagous (C = 28.5%; NC = 33.2%), entomophagous (grouping
      parasitoids and predators) (C = 29.4%; NC = 35%) and finally other insects (C = 4
      %; NC = 4.3%). The peak abundance of phytophagous and entomophagous was
      registered in the vegetative stage of rice. At the same stage the UPGMA analysis
      showed that similarity in species composition was greater than 90% in the groups
      obtained in the paddy fields of C and NC subareas. The vegetation of levees can
      positively influence the presence of entomophagous in the field. Although the
      abundance did not change clearly, the greatest diversity in the NC areas of all
      the groups, may contribute to the maintenance of ecological services expanding
      the system resilience.

PMID- 28355394
TI  - Severe sepsis from a Ciprofloxacin resistant salmonellosis in a kidney transplant
      recipient.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: Salmonellosis is a relatively rare complication in kidney
      transplant recipients that cannot be clinically distinguished from other forms of
      enteritis. Among kidney transplant patients, it varies broadly in intensity, and
      is highly associated with extra-intestinal disease, bacteremia, and, in this
      case, a high mortality rate. CASE REPORT: Here we describe a clinical case of
      ciprofloxacin resistant salmonellosis in a kidney transplant patient. CONCLUSION:
      This case illustrates how immunosuppressed patients can be exposed to rare forms
      of infection, often clinically difficult to identify, and possibly with severe
      clinical courses and poor outcomes despite evidence-based empiric antibiotic
      therapy.

PMID- 28355395
TI  - Obesity and kidney disease.
AB  - Obesity has been pointed out as an important cause of kidney diseases. Due to its
      close association with diabetes and hypertension, excess weight and obesity are
      important risk factors for chronic kidney disease (CKD). Obesity influences CKD
      development, among other factors, because it predisposes to diabetic nephropathy,
      hypertensive nephrosclerosis and focal and segmental glomerulosclerosis. Excess
      weight and obesity are associated with hemodynamic, structural and histological
      renal changes, in addition to metabolic and biochemical alterations that lead to
      kidney disease. Adipose tissue is dynamic and it is involved in the production of
      "adipokines", such as leptin, adiponectin, tumor necrosis factor-alpha, monocyte
      chemoattractant protein-1, transforming growth factor-beta and angiotensin-II. A
      series of events is triggered by obesity, including insulin resistance, glucose
      intolerance, dyslipidemia, atherosclerosis and hypertension. There is evidence
      that obesity itself can lead to kidney disease development. Further studies are
      required to better understand the association between obesity and kidney disease.

PMID- 28355396
TI  - Formula to detect high sodium excretion from spot urine in chronic kidney disease
      patients.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: Excessive sodium intake is related to adverse renal and
      cardiovascular outcomes in patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD) and
      assessment of sodium intake is complex and not evaluated very often in clinical
      practice. OBJECTIVE: To develop a new formula to estimate 24h sodium excretion
      from urine sample (second void) of patients with CKD. METHODS: We included 51
      participants with CKD who provided 24-hour urine collection and a sample of the
      second urine of the day to determine the sodium excretion. A formula to estimate
      the 24-hour sodium excretion was developed from a multivariate regression
      equation coefficients. The accuracy of the formula was tested by calculating the
      P30 (proportion of estimates within 30% of measured sodium exection) and the
      ability of the formula to discriminate sodium intake higher than 3.6 g/day was
      evaluated by ROC curve. RESULTS: Correlation test between measured and estimated
      sodium was significant (r = 0.57; p < 0.001), but P30 test identified a low
      accuracy (61%) of the formula. Different cutoff points were tested by performance
      tests and a ROC curve was generated with the cutoff that showed better
      performance (3.6 g/day). An area under the curve of 0.69 with a sensitivity of
      0.91 and specificity of 0.53 was obtained. CONCLUSION: A simple formula with high
      sensitivity in detecting patients with sodium consumption higher than 3.6 g/day
      from isolated urine sample was developed. Studies with a higher number of
      participants and with different populations are necessary to test formula's
      validity.

PMID- 28355397
TI  - 90-kDa N-domain angiotensin I-converting enzyme (ACE): possible marker for
      hypertension in a renal transplant model.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: Hypertension is nearly universal in kidney transplant and several
      factors are associated with post transplant hypertension, including
      immunosuppressive medications and genetic predisposition. OBJECTIVE: The aims
      were to evaluate the effects of spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR) kidney
      transplantation in Wistar rats and the possible transference of 80/90-kDa N
      domain ACE. METHODS: To do so, the data from Wistar recipients of kidney from SHR
      were compared to data from transplanted Wistar submitted to CsA treatment and, to
      Wistar Sham. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION: Despite the unaltered blood pressure
      observed at early stages, 80/90-kDa ACE was found expressed in the urine of rats
      7 and 15 days after transplantation, which was intense when rats became
      hypertensive 30 days post-surgery. CONCLUSION: Our data show that this enzyme is
      associated with the development of hypertension, and this marker appears in the
      urine before any substantial blood pressure alteration.

PMID- 28355398
TI  - Cinacalcet in peritoneal dialysis patients: one-center experience.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: Secondary hyperparathyroidism is the target of several therapeutic
      strategies, including the use of cinacalcet. Most studies were done only in
      hemodialysis patients, with few data from peritoneal dialysis patients.
      OBJECTIVE: The aim of our work was to evaluate the effectiveness of cinacalcet in
      secondary hyperparathyroidism in a one-center peritoneal dialysis patients.
      METHODS: A retrospective study was performed in 27 peritoneal dialysis patients
      with moderate to severe secondary hyperparathyroidism (PTHi > 500 pg/mL with
      normal or elevated serum calcium levels) treated with cinacalcet. Demographic,
      clinical and laboratory parameters at the beginning of cinacalcet therapy,
      second, fourth, sixth months after and at the time it was finished were analyzed.
      RESULTS: Patients were under peritoneal dialysis at 30.99 +/- 16.58 months and
      were treated with cinacalcet for 15.6 +/- 13.4 months; 21 (77.8%) patients showed
      adverse gastrointestinal effects; PTHi levels at the beginning of cinacalcet
      therapy were 1145 +/- 449 pg/mL. The last PTHi levels under cinacalcet therapy
      was 1131 +/- 642 pg/mL. PTHi reduction was statistically significant at 2 months
      after the beginning of cinacalcet (p = 0.007) but not in the following
      evaluations. CONCLUSION: It is necessary the development of new forms of
      cinacalcet presentation, in order to avoid gastrointestinal effects adverse
      factors and to improve therapeutic adherence.

PMID- 28355399
TI  - Comparative analysis of primary and secondary glomerulopathies in the northeast
      of Brazil: data from the Pernambuco Registry of Glomerulopathies - REPEG.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: In Brazil, glomerulopathies are the third leading cause of chronic
      renal disease, accounting for 11% of dialysis patients. Studies on the prevalence
      of this disease in Northeastern Brazil are scarce. OBJECTIVE: The aim was to
      describe the findings of biopsies and to conduct a comparative analysis on the
      clinical laboratory presentation of primary glomerulopathies (PG) and secondary
      glomerulopathies (SG). METHODS: This was a retrospective study conducted at two
      public teaching hospitals in the state of Pernambuco, Northeastern Brazil.
      RESULTS: A total of 1151 biopsies performed between 1998 and 2016 were analyzed.
      The sample consisted of 670 biopsies of native kidneys, after excluding extra
      glomerular diseases and unsuitable material. PG were more frequent than SG (58%
      vs. 42%). There was a prevalence among PG of focal segmental glomerulosclerosis
      (43%). Membranoproliferative glomerulonephritis and collapsing glomerulopathy,
      accounted for 9% and 3% of the PG, respectively. For SG, the main etiologies were
      lupus nephritis (67%) and infections (10%). Female sex, hematuria and an elevated
      level of creatinine were related to a greater chance of SG, at multivariate
      analysis. An increase of proteinuria reduced this chance. Nephrotic syndrome was
      more common among the PG, while urinary abnormalities and nephritic syndrome
      prevailed in patients with SG. CONCLUSION: This is the first registry of
      glomerulopathies in Northeastern Brazil. It also presents a comparative analysis
      of the main clinical laboratory abnormalities of PG and SG, and includes the
      current classifications of glomerular diseases.

PMID- 28355400
TI  - Acute kidney injury diagnosis in Intensive Care Units: biomarkers or Information?
AB  - In recent years, the diagnosis of acute kidney injury (AKI) has been based on
      classifications such as RIFLE, AKIN and KDIGO, which has the goal of world
      standardization and timely recognition of the disease. It is essential that
      intensivists be aware about these classifications, because most of the time, they
      will have the first opportunity to diagnose AKI. However, it is still very common
      that the nephrologist consultation be performed in advanced stages of the AKI,
      when the interventions to halt the progression are very limited. We recently
      assessed intensivist on AKI diagnostic criteria, with emphasis on RIFLE, and
      observed a very low level of knowledge and lack of use in daily practice. Faced
      with the constant search for new biomarkers of kidney injury, these and other
      evidences, highlights the urgency of simple actions, such as the beginning of
      educational interventions in order to familiarize the intensivist with the latest
      clinical tools for AKI diagnosis.

PMID- 28355401
TI  - Schistosoma mansoni associated glomerulopathy with IgA mesangial deposits: case
      report.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: Renal involvement is a severe form of schistosomiasis and occurs in
      10% to 15% of patients with the hepatosplenic form of the disease. Nephrotic
      syndrome is the most common clinical presentation. It is a complication caused by
      immune complexes (IC), it is rare to appear in the Brazilian context with a
      immunoglobulin A (IgA) deposits. When installed the renal injury by Schistosoma
      mansoni, classically presents as membranoproliferative glomerulonephritis
      (mesangiocapillary) with lobular accentuation. OBJECTIVE: To report a case of
      schistosomiasis nephropathy that appeared 7 years after treatment of
      hepatosplenic schistosomiasis with histologic pattern of mesangial proliferative
      glomerulonephritis with IgA deposits in mesangium. Clinically developed with
      progressive decrease of proteinuria with angiotensin receptor blocker (ARB).
      METHOD: It was reported a case of a 36 years old patient, brown, with classical
      sintoms of nephrotic syndrome (proteinuria > 3.5 g/24h, hypoalbuminemia and
      hypercholesterolemia), however with hepatosplenic schistosomiasis history 7 years
      ago and portal hypertension. Patient underwent renal biopsy which showed IgA
      deposits in mesangial, being more intense than immunoglobulin G (IgG),
      accompanied by C1q and C3, with 4/13 glomeruli sclerotic, standard light
      mesangial glomerulonephritis renal injury with IgA deposits. Patient began taking
      ARB with progressive improvement in proteinuria. CONCLUSION: Patients with
      glomerulonephritis by schistosoma don't show improvement of disease progression
      with antiparasitic treatment. However the anti-proteinuric treatment can slow the
      progression of end stage kidney disease.

PMID- 28355402
TI  - Budd-Chiari syndrome secondary to catheter-associated inferior vena cava
      thrombosis.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: Patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD) are at increased risk
      for thrombotic complications. The use of central venous catheters as dialysis
      vascular access additionally increases this risk. We describe the first case of
      Budd-Chiari syndrome (BCS) secondary to central venous catheter misplacement in a
      patient with CKD. CASE REPORT: A 30-year-old female patient with HIV/AIDS and CKD
      on hemodialysis was admitted to the emergency room for complaints of fever,
      prostration, and headache in the last six days. She had a tunneled dialysis
      catheter placed at the left jugular vein. The diagnosis of BCS was established by
      abdominal computed tomography that showed a partial thrombus within the inferior
      vena cava which extended from the right atrium to medium hepatic vein, and
      continuing along the left hepatic vein. Patient was treated with anticoagulants
      and discharged asymptomatic. DISCUSSION: Budd-Chiari syndrome is a rare medical
      condition caused by hepatic veins thrombosis. It can involve one, two, or all
      three of the major hepatic veins. It is usually related to myeloproliferative
      disorders, malignancy and hypercoagulable states. This case calls attention for
      inadvertent catheter tip placement into hepatic vein leading to this rare
      complication. CONCLUSION: Assessment of catheter dialysis tip location with
      radiological image seems to be a prudent measure after each procedure even if the
      tunneled dialysis catheter has been introduced with fluoroscopy image.

PMID- 28355403
TI  - When kidneys get old: an essay on nephro-geriatrics.
AB  - Aging is a nearly universal phenomenon in biology only partially controlled by
      genetic endowment. Individuals and their organs age at varying rates. The kidneys
      manifest the aging process by steady loss of nephrons and a corresponding
      decrease in glomerular filtration rate (GFR) beginning about age 30 years. The
      mechanisms responsible for this observation is are elusive. However, defining
      chronic kidney disease based on arbitrary, fixed thresholds of GFR in the later
      phases of life can be problematical as it may over-diagnosis CKD in the elderly.
      A modest, persisting reduction of GFR (around 45-59 ml/min/1.73m2) without
      abnormal proteinuria does not seem to confer much of an adverse effect on
      mortality and remaining life expectancy in older adults and the development of
      end-stage renal disease in such subjects is very uncommon. Old kidneys should not
      be equated with "diseased" kidneys.

PMID- 28355404
TI  - Daily variability of resting energy expenditure in acute kidney injury patients
      on dialysis.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: It is needed for nutrition prescription correct estimate of resting
      energy expenditure (REE), which is a challenge given the possible daily variation
      in critically ill patients with acute kidney injury (AKI). OBJECTIVE: To evaluate
      the daily variability of REE measured by indirect calorimetry (IC) in patients
      with AKI and dialysis indication and identify clinical variables associated with
      REE. METHODS: The REE was measured on the time of dialysis indication and the
      subsequent four days. We also evaluated parameters that can influence the REE.
      The daily differences were analyzed by generalized linear model for repeated
      measures. We also used Spearman correlation and multiple linear regression.
      RESULTS: There were 301 IC measurements in 114 patients, mean age of 60.65 +/-
      16.9 years and 68.4% were male. The average REE was 2081 +/- 645 kcal, rising on
      day 5 (2270 +/- 556 kcal) compared to the days 2 and 3 (2022 +/- 754; 2022 +/-
      660 kcal, respectively, p = 0,04). When normalized to weight, there was no
      significant difference in REE (kcal/kg/day) during follow-up. REE was positively
      correlated with total leukocyte count, C-reactive protein, minute volume (MV),
      fraction of inspired oxygen (FiO2) urea nitrogen appearance (UNA), weight and
      height and inversely with age. After multiple regression, MV, FiO2, weight and
      age are correlated independently with REE. CONCLUSION: Patients with AKI have REE
      stable. The REE was associated independently with FiO2, MV, body weight and age.
      Thus, ventilatory parameters should be evaluated each day for the necessary
      dietary changes may be made.

PMID- 28355405
TI  - Developing educational material on chronic kidney disease using best practices in
      health literacy.
AB  - Based in the precepts of Health Literacy (HL), an educational booklet "Do you
      know the Chronic Kidney Disease?" was written. It was used as a basic text for
      development of a Brazilian instrument for Assessment of Health Literacy (Teste de
      Avaliacao de Letramento em Saude or TALES). The guideline used to create the
      TALES obeyed four steps: systematization of content; creation and drawing of
      images by an expert designer; submission to a Committee of Experts on nephrology
      and linguistics; and editing and printing of the content. The content covering
      six aspects of chronic kidney disease (definition, diagnosis, signs and symptoms,
      prevention, risk factors and treatment) was developed utilizing multimodality
      techniques such as: creation of personages; verbal and visual metaphors;
      metonymy; personifications; direct dialogue; and plain language avoided of
      technicalities. During the development of TALES, the booklet proved to be useful
      in translating complicated scientific concepts on kidney disease into meaningfuly
      health messages. In conclusion, besides of being used as basic text for the
      development of TALES, the booklet "Do you know chronic kidney disease?", based in
      best practices in HL, can assist health professionals in communicating to
      patients using consumer-friendly educational materials that might impact positive
      health-related behaviors and results.

PMID- 28355406
TI  - Syndrome of inappropriate antidiuretic hormone secretion induced by the
      phytotherapy Harpagophytum procumbers: case report.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: The syndrome of inappropriate antidiuretic hormone secretion
      (SIADH) is the inability of antidiuretic hormone (ADH) suppression, compromising
      the mechanisms of water excretion and urinary concentration. It manifests as
      hyponatremia and its symptoms, especially neurological. There are many causes
      that trigger such disease, notably: central nervous system disorders, malignant
      neoplasm, drugs and others. CASE REPORT: A 65 years female hypertensive patient
      presented clinical and laboratory manifestations of hyponatremia due to SIADH. It
      happened twice under use of herbal medication for osteoarthritis treatment.
      DISCUSSION: The drug-related hyponatremia can be triggered by direct effect of
      the drug or by association with SIADH. The clinical manifestations presented
      could have been related to psychiatric condition and may have severe outcome if
      not properly diagnosed. The association of an herbal medicine to SIADH could be
      confirmed after a new episode of hyponatremia related to Harpagophytum procumbers
      reintroduction. Our literature review did not find this herbal medicine
      associated with SIADH, so far. CONCLUSION: SIADH may be caused by herbal medicine
      described from now on their association in the literature.

PMID- 28355407
TI  - Critical analysis of graft loss and death in kidney transplant recipients treated
      with mTOR inhibitors.
AB  - Registry studies and systematic reviews have shown higher risk for mortality and
      graft loss in patients in use of mTOR inhibitors (mTORi) compared to calcineurin
      based (CNI) immunosuppressive regimens. The majority of these studies pooled data
      from early trials using different strategies such as "de novo" combination of the
      high dose mTOR inhibitors with standard dose of CNI or high dose mTORi combined
      with mycophenolate. The large heterogeneity of these initial exploratory studies,
      many of them no longer in use, turns difficult any comparison with a well-defined
      standard of care regimen. The new strategies using concentration controlled
      reduced exposure of mTORi and CNI or early conversion from CNI to mTORi use have
      shown comparable patient and graft survival. Nevertheless, considering the
      central role of mTOR in health and disease states, more research is necessary to
      mitigate the adverse events and to explore further the potential beneficial
      effects of mTOR inhibitors.

PMID- 28355408
TI  - Evaluation of diagnostic tests for cytomegalovirus active infection in renal
      transplant recipients.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: Cytomegalovirus (CMV) infection is a main viral infection after
      kidney transplantation. The diagnostic methods currently employed are pp65
      antigenemia and nucleic acid amplification by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and
      aim at detecting viral replication. OBJECTIVE: The goal of this study was to
      evaluate and compare by both methods the incidence of CMV active infection in
      kidney transplant patients and to establishthe best clinical-laboratory
      correlation. METHODS: Thirty sequential kidney transplant recipients were
      enrolled in a single center prospective cohort study. Peripheral blood samples
      were drawn from day 15 until the 6th month after transplantation and tested for
      CMV replication by pp65 antigenemia and quantitative PCR assays (qPCR). RESULTS:
      Two hundred forty samples were analyzed and the incidence of active infection was
      similar by both methods. Time elapsed to the first positive test was almost
      identical but more samples tested positive by qPCR than by antigenemia in a
      behavior that was almost evenly distributed overtime. Agreement between tests was
      observed in 217 samples (90.4%; kappa = 0.529; p < 0.001) and in 25 patients the
      tests were concordant (83.3%; kappa = 0.667; p < 0.001). The evaluation of the
      diagnostic parameters for CMV replication revealed higher sensitivity for the
      qPCR test (82.1%) against antigenemia (59.0%). Quantitative PCR was also slightly
      more accurate than antigenemia. CONCLUSION: Our data demonstrate that both
      methods are suitable and have almost equivalent accuracy for the detection of
      post-transplant cytomegalovirus replication. The choice for either test must take
      in consideration the demand, execution capability and cost-effectiveness at each
      institution.

PMID- 28355409
TI  - Life-saving vascular access in vascular capital exhaustion: single center
      experience in intra-atrial catheters for hemodialysis.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: Intra-atrial catheter (IAC) placement through an open surgical
      approach has emerged as a life-saving technique in hemodialysis (HD) patients
      with vascular access exhaustion. OBJECTIVE: To assess the complications of IAC
      placement, as well as patient and vascular access survival after this procedure.
      METHODS: The authors retrospectively analyzed all seven patients with vascular
      capital exhaustion, without immediate alternative renal replacement therapy
      (RRT), who underwent IAC placement between January 2004 and December 2015 at a
      single center. RESULTS: Seven patients were submitted to twelve IAC placements.
      Bleeding (6/7) and infections (3/7) were the main complications in the early
      postoperative period. Two (2/7, 29%) patients died from early complications and
      5/7 were discharged with a properly functioning IAC. The most frequent late
      complication was catheter accidental dislodgement in all remaining five patients,
      followed by catheter thrombosis and catheter-related infections in the same
      proportion (2/5). During follow-up, two of five patients died from vascular
      accesses complications. After IAC failure, one patient was transferred to
      peritoneal dialysis and a kidney transplant was performed in the other. Only one
      patient remains on HD after the third IAC, with a survival of 50 months. The mean
      patient survival after IAC placement was 19 +/- 25 (0-60) months and the mean IAC
      patency was 8 +/- 11 (0-34) months. CONCLUSION: Placing an IAC to perform HD is
      associated to significant risks and high mortality. However, when alternative RRT
      are exhausted, or as a bridge to others modalities, this option should be
      considered.

PMID- 28355410
TI  - Obesity and kidney disease: hidden consequences of the epidemic.
AB  - Obesity has become a worldwide epidemic, and its prevalence has been projected to
      grow by 40% in the next decade. This increasing prevalence has implications for
      the risk of diabetes, cardiovascular disease and also for Chronic Kidney Disease.
      A high body mass index is one of the strongest risk factors for new-onset Chronic
      Kidney Disease. In individuals affected by obesity, a compensatory
      hyperfiltration occurs to meet the heightened metabolic demands of the increased
      body weight. The increase in intraglomerular pressure can damage the kidneys and
      raise the risk of developing Chronic Kidney Disease in the long-term. The
      incidence of obesity-related glomerulopathy has increased ten-fold in recent
      years. Obesity has also been shown to be a risk factor for nephrolithiasis, and
      for a number of malignancies including kidney cancer. This year the World Kidney
      Day promotes education on the harmful consequences of obesity and its association
      with kidney disease, advocating healthy lifestyle and health policy measures that
      makes preventive behaviors an affordable option.

PMID- 28355411
TI  - Evaluating the Effectiveness of Cooling Vest in a Hot and Humid Environment.
AB  - Objective: This study aims to evaluate the effectiveness of a newly designed
      hybrid cooling vest for construction workers in alleviating heat stress. Method:
      Two types of cooling vests, namely, a commonly worn Vest A and a newly designed
      Vest B, were tested in a climatic chamber environment (34.0 degrees C
      temperature, 60% relative humidity, and 0.4 m s-1 air velocity) using a sweating
      thermal manikin. Four test scenarios were included: fan off with no phase change
      materials (PCMs) (Fan-off), fan on with no PCMs (Fan-on), fan off with completely
      solidified PCMs (PCM + Fan-off), and fan on with completely solidified PCMs (PCM
      + Fan-on). Result: Test results showed that Vests A and B provided a continuous
      cooling effect during the 3-h test. The average cooling power for the torso
      region of Vest B was 67 W, which was higher than that of Vest A (56 W). The
      addition of PCMs offered a cooling effect of approximately 60 min. Ventilation
      fans considerably improved the evaporative heat loss compared with the Fan-off
      condition. Conclusion: The newly designed hybrid cooling vest (Vest B) may be an
      effective means to reduce heat strain and enhance work performance in a hot and
      humid environment.

PMID- 28355412
TI  - Influence of Work Pace on Upper Extremity Kinematics and Muscle Activity in a
      Short-Cycle Repetitive Pick-and-Place Task.
AB  - Objectives: This study investigated the extent to which controlled changes in
      work pace in a cyclic pick-and-place task influence upper extremity kinematics
      and muscle activity, and whether an effect depends on working height. Methods:
      Thirteen participants performed the task for 4 min at each of five work paces
      ranging from 8 to 12 cycles.min-1 in each of two experimental conditions where
      the hand was moved horizontally with an average upper arm elevation of 30 degrees
      and 50 degrees , respectively. For each work cycle, we calculated the average
      and standard deviation of the upper arm elevation angle and the activity of the
      trapezius and deltoid muscles, as well as the angular peak velocity. We
      summarized these seven variables by calculating averages across cycles and cycle
      to-cycle variabilities. Results: At 30 degrees  arm elevation, pace significantly
      influenced within-cycle angle variation, cycle-to-cycle variability of the
      average angle, angular peak velocity, and cycle-to-cycle variability of peak
      velocity. However, only angular peak velocity increased monotonically across all
      paces from 8 to 12 cycles.min-1). Average activity in the trapezius and the
      deltoid were the only muscle activity variables to increase consistently with
      pace. These effects of work pace did not change with working height. Conclusion:
      The present study did not find any consistent work pace effect on upper extremity
      kinematics and muscle activity, in spite of a comprehensive empirical basis
      compared to previous literature. While our results suggest that work pace may not
      be of critical concern in an occupational health context, we encourage further
      studies verifying or disproving this notion.

PMID- 28355413
TI  - Maintenance of Low-Pressure Carburising Furnaces: A Source of PAH Exposure.
AB  - Objectives: Low-pressure carburising is a new technology used to harden steel;
      the process has been shown to be a source of considerable polycyclic aromatic
      hydrocarbons (PAH) pollution. Some PAH are carcinogenic, and activities such as
      furnace maintenance may thus represent a risk to workers. Occupational exposure
      during these operations should therefore be assessed. Methods: In this study, the
      PAH-related carcinogenic risk associated with furnace maintenance was assessed by
      monitoring atmospheric levels of benzo[a]pyrene (BaP), a representative marker,
      alongside urinary levels of 3-hydroxybenzo[a]pyrene (3-OHBaP), one of its
      metabolites. PAH exposure levels were monitored during seven sampling campaigns
      in four different factories specialized in heat-treatment of mechanical
      workpieces for the automotive and helicopter industries. Two types of furnace
      were studied, and 37 individuals were monitored. Results: Values up to 20-fold
      the French regulatory value of 150 ng/m3 for atmospheric BaP, and, for urinary 3
      OHBaP values up to 40-fold the French biological limit value (BLV) of 0.35
      nmol/mol of creatinine were detected. Very high concentrations of BaP, close to
      or even exceeding those found in coal-tar pitch (up to about 20 g/kg), were
      measured in residues (tars, dusts) deposited inside the furnace. Even when
      adequate and suitable personal protective equipment was used, urinary 3-OHBaP
      values often exceeded the BLV. We hypothesize that this exposure is linked to
      insidious and fortuitous dermal contamination through contact with factory
      equipment and staining.

PMID- 28355414
TI  - Retrospective Assessment of Occupational Exposures for the GENEVA Study of ALS
      among Military Veterans.
AB  - Objective: This paper describes the retrospective exposure assessment conducted
      to assess occupational exposures for the Genes and Environmental Exposures in
      Veterans (GENEVA) study, a case-control study investigating the joint
      contribution of genetics and environmental exposures to the risk of amyotrophic
      lateral sclerosis (ALS) among military veterans. Methods: Occupational histories
      for 1597 study participants collected as part of the GENEVA study were the basis
      for this retrospective exposure assessment. The data set included 15528 jobs held
      from 1924 to 2010, representing 4539 unique industry and occupation (I&O)
      combinations. Three industrial hygiene experts were recruited to independently
      rate occupational exposures to specific agents previously associated with an
      increased risk of ALS. Utilizing information on industry, job title, tasks
      performed, and materials used for each job held, raters assigned exposures
      associated with each I&O for the 'current time' defined as the period after 1995
      (post-1995). The exposure assessment targeted agents identified as potential
      occupational risk factors for ALS. Experts rated semi-quantitatively exposure
      intensity in five exposure categories (0-4) for Group A agents (lead,
      formaldehyde, hydrocarbon solvents, and chlorinated solvents) and qualitatively
      as yes/no (1/0) exposed for Group B agents (mercury, selenium, arsenic,
      polychlorinated biphenyls, electromagnetic field, pesticides, and viral agents).
      Confidence scores (0-3) were reported for every I&O rated based on raters'
      experience with that industry and/or job. Each I&O was assigned an average
      exposure score of the raters and an alternative exposure rating was developed for
      each I&O by excluding low confidence (<2) scores before averaging. Exposure
      reconstruction for jobs held pre-1995 was done by comparing exposure data
      extracted from the OSHA Chemical Exposure and Health Database (CEHD) during pre
      1995 and post-1995. For agents with limited exposure data in the CEHD, pre-1995
      exposures were determined based on raters' judgment. Results: The proportion of
      I&O combinations determined to be 'exposed' ranged from 0.1 to 26% across
      different agents, with the highest values corresponding to hydrocarbon solvents
      and the lowest to selenium. Industries with the highest proportion of exposed
      records include manufacturing, utilities, healthcare, and military with non
      combat jobs. Analyses for raters' reliability showed the best agreement between
      the raters when rating exposure to viral agents (kappa = 0.67), hydrocarbon
      solvents (kappa = 0.53), and lead (kappa = 0.50). The proportion of 'exposed' I&O
      combinations increased for hydrocarbon solvents, chlorinated solvents, and
      pesticides when exposure ratings were adjusted by raters' confidence. Compared to
      post-1995, exposures in the earlier period (pre-1995) were deemed higher or the
      same for most of the agents and lower for formaldehyde and electromagnetic field
      exposures. Conclusions: Our results indicate that using raters' confidence
      assessment in determining exposure scores increases both the proportion of I&O
      combinations regarded as exposed and the intensity scores, suggesting raters tend
      to be conservative in their assessment when they lack detailed knowledge of an
      industry or job.

PMID- 28355415
TI  - Exposure to Inhalable Dust, Endotoxin, and Total Volatile Organic Carbons on
      Dairy Farms Using Manual and Automated Feeding Systems.
AB  - Introduction: Agricultural workers tend to have high exposures to organic dusts
      which may induce or exacerbate respiratory disorders. Studies investigating the
      effect of work tasks and farm characteristics on organic dust exposures among
      farm workers suggest that handling of animal feed is an important exposure
      determinant; however, the effect of the animal feeding system has not been
      explored in any detail. Objectives: To measure the exposure of Irish dairy
      farmers to inhalable dust, endotoxin, and total volatile organic compounds
      (TVOCs) during parlour work and to explore whether levels of exposure to these
      agents depend on the applied feeding system in the farms. Methods: Thirty-eight
      personal exposure measurements were collected from farmers across seven dairy
      farms. The farms used manual, loft, or semi-automated feeding systems.
      Information on worker tasks and farm characteristics was collected during the
      surveys. Associations between exposure concentrations and feeding systems, worker
      tasks, and other farm characteristics were explored in linear mixed-effect
      regression models with farmer identity treated as a random effect. Results:
      Exposure concentrations were variable and had a geometric mean (GM; geometric
      standard deviation) of 1.5 mg m-3 (1.8) for inhalable dust and 128 EU m-3 (2.5)
      for endotoxin. More than 50% of the exposure measurements for endotoxin, and
      organic dust exceeded recommended health-based occupational exposure limits.
      Endotoxin levels were somewhat lower in farms using semi-automatic feeding
      systems when compared to those using manual feeding systems but in multivariate
      regression analysis associations were not statistically significant (beta = 
      0.54, P = 0.4). Performance of activities related to handling and spreading of
      hay or straw was the strongest determinant for both inhalable dust and endotoxin
      exposure (beta = 0.78, P <= 0.001; beta = 0.72, P = 0.02, respectively). The
      level of dust exposure increased also as a consequence of a lower outdoor
      temperature, and higher ratio of distributed feed per cow (P = 0.01). Stationary
      measurements of TVOC and CO2 concentrations inside the dairy parlours had a GM of
      180 ppb (1.9) and 589 ppb (1.3), respectively. The use of cow teat disinfectants
      and building ventilation were both strong predictors of TVOC concentrations
      within parlours. Conclusions: Dairy farm workers can be exposed to high and
      variable levels of inhalable dust and endotoxin and may be at risk of respiratory
      disease. Results from this study suggest that exposure control strategies for
      organic dusts and TVOCs exposures should consider building ventilation and work
      tasks such as spreading of bedding material, using spray disinfectants and animal
      feeding. Until effective permanent engineering controls are established farm
      workers should be encouraged to wear respiratory protective equipment during
      these tasks.

PMID- 28355416
TI  - Accuracy Evaluation of Three Modelling Tools for Occupational Exposure
      Assessment.
AB  - Objectives: The objective of this study is to evaluate the accuracy and
      robustness of three exposure-modelling tools [STOFFENMANAGER(r) v.6, European
      Centre for Ecotoxicology and Toxicology of Chemical Target Risk Assessment v.3.1
      (ECETOC TRA v.3.1), and Advanced REACH Tool (ART v.1.5)], by comparing available
      measured data for exposure to organic solvents and pesticides in occupational
      exposure scenarios (ESs). Methods: Model accuracy was evaluated by comparing the
      predicted and the measured values, expressed as an underestimation or
      overestimation factor (PRED/EXP), and by regression analysis. Robustness was
      quantitatively described by the so-called variable 'Uncertainty Factor' (UF),
      which was attributed to each model's input: a higher UF score indicates greater
      model uncertainty and poorer robustness. Results: ART was the most accurate
      model, with median PRED/EXP factors of 1.3 and 0.15 for organic solvent and
      pesticide ESs, respectively, and a significant correlation (P < 0.05) among
      estimated and measured data. As expected, Tier 1 model ECETOC TRA demonstrated
      the worst performance in terms of accuracy, with median PRED/EXP factors of 2.0
      for organic solvent ESs and 3545 for pesticide ESs. Simultaneously,
      STOFFENMANAGER(r) showed a median UF equal to 2.0, resulting in the most robust
      model. Discussion: ECETOC TRA was not considered acceptable in terms of accuracy,
      confirming that this model is not appropriate for the evaluation of the selected
      ESs for pesticides. Conversely, STOFFENMANAGER(r) was the best choice, and ART
      tended to underestimate the exposure to pesticides. For organic solvent ESs,
      there were no cases of strong underestimation, and all models presented overall
      acceptable results; for the selected ESs, ART showed the best accuracy.
      Stoffenmanager was the most robust model overall, indicating that even with a
      mistake in ES interpretation, predicted values would remain acceptable.
      Conclusion: ART may lead to more accurate results when well-documented ESs are
      available. In other situations, Stoffenmanager appears to be a safer alternative
      because of its greater robustness, particularly when entry data uncertainty is
      difficult to assess. ECETOC TRA cannot be directly compared to higher tiered
      models because of its simplistic nature: the use of this tool should be limited
      only to exceptional cases in which a strong conservative and worst-case
      evaluation is necessary.

PMID- 28355418
TI  - Characterization of Particulate Fume and Oxides Emission from Stainless Steel
      Plasma Cutting.
AB  - Plasma cutting is a metal fabrication process that employs an electrically
      conductive plasma arc to cut metals. The metal fume emitted from stainless steel
      plasma cutting may consist of hexavalent chromium (Cr6+), which is a carcinogen,
      and other toxicants. Overexposure to plasma cutting fume may cause pulmonary
      toxicity and other health effects. This study was to evaluate the effects of
      operation parameters (arc current and arc time) on the fume formation rates, Cr6+
      and other oxides concentrations, particle size distributions (PSD), and particle
      morphology. A fume chamber and high-volume pump were used to collect fume
      produced from cutting ER308L stainless steel plates with arc currents varying
      between 20 and 50 A. The amount of fume collected on glass fiber filters was
      gravimetrically determined and normalized to arc time. Cr6+ and other oxides in
      the fume were analyzed using ion chromatography. PSD of the fume was examined
      using a scanning mobility particle sizer and an aerodynamic particle sizer for
      fine and coarse fractions, respectively. The particle morphology was imaged
      through a transmission electron microscope (TEM). Total fume generation rate
      increased with arc current and ranged from 16.5 mg min-1 at 20 A to 119.0 mg min
      1 at 50 A. Cr6+ emissions (219.8-480.0 ug min-1) from the plasma cutting were
      higher than welding fume in a previous study. Nitrogen oxides level can be an
      indicator of oxidation level and Cr6+ formation (R = 0.93). Both PSD measurement
      and TEM images confirmed a multimodal size distribution. A high concentration of
      a fine fraction of particles with geometric mean sizes from 96 to 235 nm was
      observed. Higher arc current yielded more particles, while lower arc current was
      not able to penetrate the metal plates. Hence, the worker should optimize the arc
      current to balance cut performance and fume emission. The findings indicated that
      arc current was the dominant factor in fume emission from plasma cutting.
      Appropriate ventilation and respiratory protection should be used to reduce
      workers' exposure.

PMID- 28355417
TI  - Organosilane-Based Coating of Quartz Species from the Traditional Ceramics
      Industry: Evidence of Hazard Reduction Using In Vitro and In Vivo Tests.
AB  - The exposure to respirable crystalline silica (RCS), e.g. quartz, in industrial
      settings can induce silicosis and may cause tumours in chronic periods.
      Consequently, RCS in the form of quartz and cristobalite has been classified as
      human lung carcinogen category 1 by the International Agency for Research on
      Cancer in 1997, acknowledging differences in hazardous potential depending on
      source as well as chemical, thermal, and mechanical history. The physico-chemical
      determinants of quartz toxicity are well understood and are linked to density and
      abundance of surface silanol groups/radicals. Hence, poly-2-vinylpyridine-N-oxide
      and aluminium lactate, which effectively block highly reactive silanol groups at
      the quartz surface, have formerly been introduced as therapeutic approaches in
      the occupational field. In the traditional ceramics industry, quartz-containing
      raw materials are indispensable for the manufacturing process, and workers are
      potentially at risk of developing quartz-related lung diseases. Therefore, in the
      present study, two organosilanes, i.e. Dynasylan(r) PTMO and Dynasylan(r) SIVO
      160, were tested as preventive, covalent quartz-coating agents to render ceramics
      production safer without loss in product quality. Coating effectiveness and
      coating stability (up to 1 week) in artificial alveolar and lysosomal fluids were
      first analysed in vitro, using the industrially relevant quartz Q1 as RCS model,
      quartz DQ12 as a positive control, primary rat alveolar macrophages as cellular
      model system (75 ug cm-2; 4 h of incubation +/- aluminium lactate to verify
      quartz-related effects), and lactate dehydrogenase release and DNA strand break
      induction (alkaline comet assay) as biological endpoints. In vitro results with
      coated quartz were confirmed in a 90-day intratracheal instillation study in rats
      with inflammatory parameters as most relevant readouts. The results of the
      present study indicate that in particular Dynasylan(r) SIVO 160 (0.2% w/w of
      quartz) was able to effectively and stably block toxicity of biologically active
      quartz species without interfering with technical process quality of certain
      ceramic products. In conclusion, covalent organosilane coatings of quartz might
      represent a promising strategy to increase workers' safety in the traditional
      ceramics industry.

PMID- 28355419
TI  - Farewell to Corbett, but Not to His Contributions.

PMID- 28355420
TI  - Kaizen.

PMID- 28355422
TI  - How We Evaluate Biomarker Studies.

PMID- 28355421
TI  - An Assessment of the Robustness of the COSHH-Essentials (C-E) Target Airborne
      Concentration Ranges 15 Years on, and Their Usefulness for Determining Control
      Measures.
AB  - The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) in Great Britain (GB), in association with
      its stakeholders, developed the Control of Substances Hazardous to Health (COSHH)
      Essentials (C-E) control banding tool in 1998. The objective was to provide a
      simple tool for employers, particularly small and medium-sized enterprises
      (SMEs), to help select and apply appropriate measures for the adequate control of
      exposure to hazardous substances. The tool used hazard classification information
      (R-phrases) to assign substances to one of five health hazard groups, each with
      its respective 'target airborne concentration range'. The validity of the
      allocation of substances to a target airborne concentration range was
      demonstrated at the time using 111 substances that had a current health-based
      Occupational Exposure Limit (OEL) in GB. The C-E control banding approach remains
      an important tool to complement exposure assessment/monitoring and the selection
      and use of suitable control measures for hazardous substances. These include
      engineering controls and personal protective equipment (PPE). The C-E based
      control banding approach has been adopted around the world. This paper extends
      the original validation exercise, using a greater number of chemical substances,
      to establish whether the target airborne concentration ranges remain appropriate.
      This is of particular interest in light of the introduction of the Globally
      Harmonized System (GHS) for classification, in which R-phrases have now been
      replaced by hazard-statements (H-statements). The validation exercise includes
      substances with OELs published by nine bodies internationally; and the Derived No
      Effect Levels (DNELs) assigned by registrants under the European Union
      Registration, Evaluation, Authorisation and Restriction of Chemicals (REACH)
      Regulations. When compared against 8-hour TWA OELs for 850 substances drawn from
      nine bodies and a limited number of DNELS, the C-E target airborne concentration
      ranges remain valid. This comparative work also informs a wider consideration
      around the practicality and the applicability of the C-E generic approach to
      facilitate the implementation of good practice control for a wide range of
      substances (more than 95%) which do not have any recognized OEL.

PMID- 28355423
TI  - Phototherapy for Vitiligo: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis.
AB  - Importance: References to the expected treatment response to phototherapy would
      be helpful in the management of vitiligo because phototherapy requires long
      treatment durations over several months. Objective: To estimate the treatment
      response of vitiligo to phototherapy. Data Sources: A comprehensive database
      search of MEDLINE, EMBASE, and the Cochrane library from inception to January 26,
      2016, was performed for all prospective studies. The main keywords used were
      vitiligo, phototherapy, psoralen, PUVA, ultraviolet, NBUVB, and narrowband. Study
      Selection: All prospective studies reporting phototherapy outcome for at least 10
      participants with generalized vitiligo were included. Of 319 studies initially
      identified, the full texts of 141 studies were assessed for eligibility, and 35
      were finally included in the analysis. Of these, 29 studies included 1201
      patients undergoing narrowband UV-B (NBUVB) phototherapy, and 9 included 227
      patients undergoing psoralen-UV-A (PUVA) phototherapy. Data Extraction and
      Synthesis: Two reviewers independently extracted the following data: study
      design, number and characteristics of the participants, phototherapy protocol,
      and rate of repigmentation based on the quartile scale. Single-arm meta-analyses
      were performed for the NBUVB and PUVA groups. Sample size-weighted means were
      calculated using a random-effects model for the repigmentation rates of the
      included studies. Main Outcomes and Measures: The primary outcomes were at least
      mild (>=25%), at least moderate (>=50%), and marked (>=75%) responses on a
      quartile scale. Response rates were calculated as the number of participants who
      showed the corresponding repigmentation divided by the number of all participants
      enrolled in the individual studies. Results: The meta-analysis included 35 unique
      studies (1428 unique patients). For NBUVB phototherapy, an at least mild response
      occurred in 62.1% (95% CI, 46.9%-77.3%) of 130 patients in 3 studies at 3 months,
      74.2% (95% CI, 68.5%-79.8%) of 232 patients in 11 studies at 6 months, and 75.0%
      (95% CI, 60.9%-89.2%) of 512 patients in 8 studies at 12 months. A marked
      response was achieved in 13.0% (95% CI, 2.1%-23.9%) of 106 patients in 2 studies
      at 3 months, 19.2% (95% CI, 11.4%-27.0%) of 266 patients in 13 studies at 6
      months, and 35.7% (95% CI, 21.5%-49.9%) of 540 patients in 9 studies at 12
      months. For PUVA phototherapy, an at least mild response occurred in 51.4% (95%
      CI, 28.1%-74.7%) of 103 patients in 4 studies at 6 months and 61.6% (95% CI,
      20.2%-100%) of 72 patients in 3 studies at 12 months. In the subgroup analyses,
      marked responses were achieved on the face and neck in 44.2% (95% CI, 24.2%
      64.2%), on the trunk in 26.1% (95% CI, 8.7%-43.5%), on the extremities in 17.3%
      (95% CI, 8.2%-26.5%), and on the hands and feet in none after at least 6 months
      of NBUVB phototherapy. Conclusions and Relevance: Long-duration phototherapy
      should be encouraged to enhance the treatment response in vitiligo. The greatest
      response is anticipated on the face and neck.

PMID- 28355425
TI  - Rituximab Treatment of Nivolumab-Induced Bullous Pemphigoid.

PMID- 28355424
TI  - Development and Validation of a Clinically Based Risk Calculator for the
      Transdiagnostic Prediction of Psychosis.
AB  - Importance: The overall effect of At Risk Mental State (ARMS) services for the
      detection of individuals who will develop psychosis in secondary mental health
      care is undetermined. Objective: To measure the proportion of individuals with a
      first episode of psychosis detected by ARMS services in secondary mental health
      services, and to develop and externally validate a practical web-based
      individualized risk calculator tool for the transdiagnostic prediction of
      psychosis in secondary mental health care. Design, Setting, and Participants:
      Clinical register-based cohort study. Patients were drawn from electronic, real
      world, real-time clinical records relating to 2008 to 2015 routine secondary
      mental health care in the South London and the Maudsley National Health Service
      Foundation Trust. The study included all patients receiving a first index
      diagnosis of nonorganic and nonpsychotic mental disorder within the South London
      and the Maudsley National Health Service Foundation Trust in the period between
      January 1, 2008, and December 31, 2015. Data analysis began on September 1, 2016.
      Main Outcomes and Measures: Risk of development of nonorganic International
      Statistical Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems, Tenth
      Revision psychotic disorders. Results: A total of 91 199 patients receiving a
      first index diagnosis of nonorganic and nonpsychotic mental disorder within South
      London and the Maudsley National Health Service Foundation Trust were included in
      the derivation (n = 33 820) or external validation (n = 54 716) data sets. The
      mean age was 32.97 years, 50.88% were men, and 61.05% were white race/ethnicity.
      The mean follow-up was 1588 days. The overall 6-year risk of psychosis in
      secondary mental health care was 3.02 (95% CI, 2.88-3.15), which is higher than
      the 6-year risk in the local general population (0.62). Compared with the ARMS
      designation, all of the International Statistical Classification of Diseases and
      Related Health Problems, Tenth Revision diagnoses showed a lower risk of
      psychosis, with the exception of bipolar mood disorders (similar risk) and brief
      psychotic episodes (higher risk). The ARMS designation accounted only for a small
      proportion of transitions to psychosis (n = 52 of 1001; 5.19% in the derivation
      data set), indicating the need for transdiagnostic prediction of psychosis in
      secondary mental health care. A prognostic risk stratification model based on
      preselected variables, including index diagnosis, age, sex, age by sex, and
      race/ethnicity, was developed and externally validated, showing good performance
      and potential clinical usefulness. Conclusions and Relevance: This online
      individualized risk calculator can be of clinical usefulness for the
      transdiagnostic prediction of psychosis in secondary mental health care. The risk
      calculator can help to identify those patients at risk of developing psychosis
      who require an ARMS assessment and specialized care. The use of this calculator
      may eventually facilitate the implementation of an individualized provision of
      preventive focused interventions and improve outcomes of first episode psychosis.

PMID- 28355426
TI  - Focal Pegylated Liposomal Doxorubicin-Induced Urticarialike Reaction at Cutaneous
      Transformed Sezary Lesions.

PMID- 28355427
TI  - Reply to the Letter by Dr Peter Griffin and Prof. Andrew Curran, "Response to
      Article by Prof. Hans Kromhout, Hygiene Without Numbers".

PMID- 28355429
TI  - Corrections to Text, Tables, and Figure.

PMID- 28355428
TI  - Health Disparities and Triple-Negative Breast Cancer in African American Women: A
      Review.
AB  - Importance: Variation in cancer incidence and outcome has well-documented
      correlations with racial/ethnic identity. In the United States, the possible
      genetic and ancestral hereditary explanations for these associations are
      confounded by socioeconomic, cultural, and lifestyle patterns. Differences in the
      breast cancer burden of African American compared with European/white American
      women represent one of the most notable examples of disparities in oncology
      related to racial/ethnic identity. Elucidating the source of these associations
      is imperative in achieving the promise of the national Precision Medicine
      Initiative. Observations: Population-based breast cancer mortality rates have
      been higher for African American compared with white American women since the
      early 1980s, largely reflecting declines in mortality that have been
      disproportionately experienced among white American patients and at least partly
      explained by the advent of endocrine therapy that is less effective in African
      American women because of the higher prevalence of estrogen receptor-negative
      disease. The increased risk of triple-negative breast cancer in African American
      women as well as western, sub-Saharan African women compared with white American,
      European, and east African women furthermore suggests that selected genetic
      components of geographically defined African ancestry are associated with
      hereditary susceptibility for specific patterns of mammary carcinogenesis.
      Disentangling health care access barriers, as well as reproductive, lifestyle,
      and dietary factors from genetic contributions to breast cancer disparities
      remains challenging. Epigenetics and experiences of societal inequality
      (allostatic load) increase the complexity of studying breast cancer risk related
      to racial/ethnic identity. Conclusions and Relevance: Oncologic anthropology
      represents a transdisciplinary field of research that can combine the expertise
      of population geneticists, multispecialty oncologists, molecular epidemiologists,
      and behavioral scientists to eliminate breast cancer disparities related to
      racial/ethnic identity and advance knowledge related to the pathogenesis of
      triple-negative breast cancer.

PMID- 28355430
TI  - Association Between Elements of Electronic Health Record Systems and the Weekend
      Effect in Urgent General Surgery.

PMID- 28355432
TI  - Primary Prevention Implantable Cardioverter Defibrillators in Patients With
      Nonischemic Cardiomyopathy: A Meta-analysis.
AB  - Importance: Conflicting data have emerged on the efficacy of implantable
      cardioverter defibrillators (ICDs) for primary prevention of sudden cardiac death
      (primary prevention ICDs) in patients with nonischemic cardiomyopathy. Objective:
      To investigate the association of primary prevention ICDs with all-cause
      mortality in patients with nonischemic cardiomyopathy. Data Sources: PubMed was
      searched from January 1, 2000, through October 31, 2016, for the terms
      implantable defibrillator OR implantable cardioverter defibrillator AND non
      ischemic cardiomyopathy. Additional references were identified from
      bibliographies of pertinent articles and queries to experts in this field. Study
      Selection: Inclusion criteria consisted of a randomized clinical trial design and
      comparison of the ICD with medical therapy (control) in at least 100 patients
      with nonischemic cardiomyopathy. In addition, studies had to report on all-cause
      mortality during a follow-up period of at least 12 months and be published in
      English. The search yielded 10 studies, of which only 1 met the inclusion
      criteria. A search of bibliographies of pertinent articles and queries of experts
      in this field led to 3 additional studies. Data Extraction and Synthesis: The
      PRISMA guidelines were used to abstract data and assess data quality and
      validity. Data were pooled using fixed- and random-effects models. Main Outcomes
      and Measures: The primary end point was all-cause mortality. Before data
      collection started, primary prevention ICDs were hypothesized to reduce all-cause
      mortality among patients with nonischemic cardiomyopathy. Results: Four
      randomized clinical trials met the selection criteria and included 1874 unique
      patients; 937 were in the ICD group and 937 in the control group. Pooling data
      from these trials showed a significant reduction in all-cause mortality with an
      ICD (hazard ratio, 0.75; 95% CI, 0.61-0.93; P = .008; P = .87 for heterogeneity).
      Conclusions and Relevance: Primary prevention ICDs are efficacious at reducing
      all-cause mortality among patients with nonischemic cardiomyopathy. These
      findings support professional guidelines that recommend the use of ICDs in such
      patients.

PMID- 28355433
TI  - Proteomics of Atrial Fibrillation: Evolving From a Coarse Understanding to a Fine
      Phenotype.

PMID- 28355431
TI  - State Variation in the Receipt of a Contralateral Prophylactic Mastectomy Among
      Women Who Received a Diagnosis of Invasive Unilateral Early-Stage Breast Cancer
      in the United States, 2004-2012.
AB  - Importance: The use of contralateral prophylactic mastectomies (CPMs) among
      patients with invasive unilateral breast cancer has increased substantially
      during the past decade in the United States despite the lack of evidence for
      survival benefit. However, whether this trend varies by state or whether it is
      correlated with changes in proportions of reconstructive surgery among these
      patients is unclear. Objective: To determine state variation in the temporal
      trend and in the proportion of CPMs among women with early-stage unilateral
      breast cancer treated with surgery. Design, Setting, and Participants: A
      retrospective cohort study of 1.2 million women 20 years of age or older
      diagnosed with invasive unilateral early-stage breast cancer and treated with
      surgery from January 1, 2004, through December 31, 2012, in 45 states and the
      District of Columbia as compiled by the North American Association of Central
      Cancer Registries. Data analysis was performed from August 1, 2015, to August 31,
      2016. Exposure: Contralateral prophylactic mastectomy. Main Outcomes and
      Measures: Temporal changes in the proportion of CPMs among women with early-stage
      unilateral breast cancer treated with surgery by age and state, overall and in
      relation to changes in the proportions of those who underwent reconstructive
      surgery. Results: Among the 1 224 947 women with early-stage breast cancer
      treated with surgery, the proportion who underwent a CPM nationally increased
      between 2004 and 2012 from 3.6% (4013 of 113 001) to 10.4% (12 890 of 124 231)
      for those 45 years or older and from 10.5% (1879 of 17 862) to 33.3% (5237 of 15
      745) for those aged 20 to 44 years. The increase was evident in all states,
      although the magnitude of the increase varied substantially across states. For
      example, among women 20 to 44 years of age, the proportion who underwent a CPM
      from 2004-2006 to 2010-2012 increased from 14.9% (317 of 2121) to 24.8% (436 of
      1755) (prevalence ratio [PR], 1.66; 95% CI, 1.46-1.89) in New Jersey compared
      with an increase from 9.8% (162 of 1657) to 32.2% (495 of 1538) (PR, 3.29; 95%
      CI, 2.80-3.88) in Virginia. In this age group, CPM proportions for the period
      from 2010 to 2012 were over 42% in the contiguous states of Nebraska, Missouri,
      Colorado, Iowa, and South Dakota. From 2004 to 2012, the proportion of
      reconstructive surgical procedures among women aged 20 to 44 years who were
      diagnosed with early-stage breast cancer and received a CPM increased in many
      states; however, it did not correlate with the proportion of women who received a
      CPM. Conclusions and Relevance: The increase in the proportion of CPMs among
      women with early-stage unilateral breast cancer treated with surgery varied
      substantially across states. Notably, in 5 contiguous Midwest states, nearly half
      of young women with invasive early-stage breast cancer underwent a CPM from 2010
      to 2012. Future studies should examine the reasons for the geographic variation
      and increasing trend in the use of CPMs.

PMID- 28355434
TI  - Economic Analysis of Apixaban Therapy for Patients With Atrial Fibrillation From
      a US Perspective: Results From the ARISTOTLE Randomized Clinical Trial.
AB  - Importance: The Apixaban for Reduction in Stroke and Other Thromboembolic Events
      in Atrial Fibrillation (ARISTOTLE) trial reported that apixaban therapy was
      superior to warfarin therapy in preventing stroke and all-cause death while
      causing significantly fewer major bleeds. To establish the value proposition of
      substituting apixiban therapy for warfarin therapy in patients with atrial
      fibrillation, we performed a cost-effectiveness analysis using patient-level data
      from the ARISTOTLE trial. Objective: To assess the cost and cost-effectiveness of
      apixaban therapy compared with warfarin therapy in patients with atrial
      fibrillation from the perspective of the US health care system. Design, Setting,
      and Participants: This economic analysis uses patient-level resource use and
      clinical data collected in the ARISTOTLE trial, a multinational randomized
      clinical trial that observed 18 201 patients (3417 US patients) for a median of
      1.8 years between 2006 and 2011. Interventions: Apixaban therapy vs warfarin
      therapy. Main Outcomes and Measures: Within-trial resource use and cost were
      compared between treatments, using externally derived US cost weights. Life
      expectancies for US patients were estimated according to their baseline risk and
      treatment using time-based and age-based survival models developed using the
      overall ARISTOTLE population. Quality-of-life adjustment factors were obtained
      from external sources. Cost-effectiveness (incremental cost per quality-adjusted
      life-year gained) was evaluated from a US perspective, and extensive sensitivity
      analyses were performed. Results: Of the 3417 US patients enrolled in ARISTOTLE,
      the mean (SD) age was 71 (10) years; 2329 (68.2%) were male and 3264 (95.5%) were
      white. After 2 years of anticoagulation therapy, health care costs (excluding the
      study drug) of patients treated with apixaban therapy and warfarin therapy were
      not statistically different (difference, -$60; 95% CI, -$2728 to $2608). Life
      expectancy, modeled from ARISTOTLE outcomes, was significantly longer with
      apixaban therapy vs warfarin therapy (7.94 vs 7.54 quality-adjusted life years).
      The incremental cost, including cost of anticoagulant and monitoring, of
      achieving these benefits was within accepted US norms ($53 925 per quality
      adjusted life year, with 98% likelihood of meeting a $100 000 willingness-to-pay
      threshold). Results were generally consistent when model assumptions were varied,
      with lifetime cost-effectiveness most affected by the price of apixaban and the
      time horizon. Conclusions and Relevance: Apixaban therapy for ARISTOTLE-eligible
      patients with atrial fibrillation provides clinical benefits at an incremental
      cost that represents reasonable value for money judged using US benchmarks for
      cost-effectiveness. Trial Registration: clinicaltrials.gov Identifier:
      NCT00412984.

PMID- 28355435
TI  - Do Patterns of Breast Cancer Surgical Care Reflect National Voting Records?

PMID- 28355436
TI  - Error in Byline and Results Section and Other Typographical Errors.

PMID- 28355437
TI  - Radiofrequency Exposures of Workers on Low-Power FM Radio Transmitters.
AB  - Low-power radio transmitters are one of the most common radio frequency sources
      and the exposure limit values (ELVs) for occupational exposure may be exceeded
      close to them. Therefore, a detailed analysis and assessment of occupational
      exposure in their vicinity is presented in the paper. For 20 different exposure
      scenarios, electric field strength and specific absorption rate (SAR) values were
      computed to determine whether the action levels (ALs) and ELVs of the European
      directive 2013/35/EU are exceeded for different 500 W radio transmitters. The
      results show that the ALs are very conservative for such exposure situations.
      Even when the ALs are greatly exceeded, the SAR values are not necessarily above
      the limit. However, in some situations, the ELVs were also exceeded. The local 10
      g averaged value of the SAR can be exceeded if the worker is grounded (in direct
      contact with the steel structure), while the whole body ELVs can be exceeded for
      exposures at distances of <1 m from the transmitting dipole array antennas.

PMID- 28355438
TI  - Exposure to Diisocyanates and Their Corresponding Diamines in Seven Different
      Workplaces.
AB  - Biological monitoring to assess exposure to diisocyanates in the workplace is
      becoming increasingly widespread due to its relative ease of use and ability to
      look at all exposure routes. Currently, biological monitoring measures the
      corresponding isocyanate-derived diamine in urine, after hydrolysis. Because of
      this, any exposure to the diamines themselves released during the industrial
      process could confound the assessment of diisocyanate exposure. This paper
      reports an initial assessment of the extent of diamine formation and exposure
      during different processes involving diisocyanates including casting, grouting,
      core making, spray painting, foam blowing, and floor screeding. Air monitoring
      and glove analysis were conducted for both the relevant diisocyanate (measured as
      total NCO) and its corresponding diamine; urine samples were analysed (after
      hydrolysis) for the isocyanate-derived diamine. Processes that generated aerosols
      (as demonstrated by impinger analysis) such as spray painting and foam blowing
      were associated with the detection of diamines. Those processes that did not
      generate aerosols (casting, grouting, core making, and screeding) had no diamines
      detected, either in air or on gloves. In spray-painting tasks, diamines were a
      minor component (<15%) of the ambient concentration whereas in the foam blowing
      processes, where water is added to the process, diamine generation is more marked
      (up to eight times the airborne NCO concentration). Some non-aerosol processes
      gave rise to substantial diamine levels in urine (in exceedance of international
      guidance values, >5 umol mol-1 creatinine) despite airborne levels being well
      within occupational exposure limits (20 ug m-3 total NCO in Great Britain);
      measurement data and statistical modelling indicated that skin absorption was the
      most likely exposure route. Foam blowing exposures were more complex, but urinary
      levels were greater than those expected from diisocyanate inhalation alone
      (measured as total NCO). This study provides evidence that biological monitoring
      for diisocyanates based on measuring the corresponding diamine in urine is valid,
      although any co-exposure to diamines themselves should be considered when
      interpreting results. It also demonstrates the potential for substantial skin
      absorption of diisocyanates in certain processes such as floor screeding and foam
      production.

PMID- 28355439
TI  - Constructing a Database of Similar Exposure Groups: The Application of the
      Exporisq-HAP Database from 1995 to 2015.
AB  - Background: Similar exposure groups (SEGs) are needed to reliably assess
      occupational exposures and health risks. However, the construction of SEGs can
      turn out to be rather challenging because of the multifactorial variability of
      exposures. Objectives: The objective of this study is to put forward a semi
      empirical approach developed to construct and implement a SEG database for
      exposure assessments. An occupational database of airborne levels of polycyclic
      aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) was used as an illustrative and working example.
      Methods: The approach that was developed consisted of four steps. The first three
      steps addressed the construction and implementation of the occupational Exporisq
      HAP database (E-HAP). E-HAP was structured into three hierarchical levels of
      exposure groups, each of which was based on exposure determinants, along 16
      dimensions that represented the sampled PAHs. A fourth step was implemented to
      identify and generate SEGs using the geometric standard deviation (GSD) of PAH
      concentrations. Results: E-HAP was restructured into 16 (for 16 sampled PAHs) 3 *
      3 matrices: three hierarchical levels of description versus three degrees of
      dispersion, which included low (the SEG database: GSD <= 3), medium (3 < GSD <=
      6), and high (GSD > 6). Benzo[a]pyrene (BaP) was the least dispersed particulate
      PAH with 41.5% of groups that could be considered as SEGs, 48.5% of groups of
      medium dispersion, and only 8% with high dispersion. These results were
      comparable for BaP, BaP equivalent toxic, or the sum of all carcinogenic PAHs but
      were different when individual gaseous PAHs or ?PAHG were chosen. Conclusion:
      Within the framework of risk assessment, such an approach, based on groundwork
      studies, allows for both the construction of an SEG database and the
      identification of exposure groups that require improvements in either the
      description level or the homogeneity degree toward SEG.

PMID- 28355440
TI  - Interventions for Hidradenitis Suppurativa: Updated Summary of an Original
      Cochrane Review.
AB  - Clinical Question: Which treatments have been shown to be effective in randomized
      clinical trials (RCTs) for hidradenitis suppurativa (HS) in adults? Bottom Line:
      There is high-quality evidence of benefit from adalimumab given weekly, while
      every other week dosing is ineffective, with reductions in Dermatology Life
      Quality Index (DLQI) scores compared with placebo of 2.8 points (95% CI, -3.7 to 
      2.0 points) and 1.6 points (95% CI, -3.9 to 0.6 points), respectively. Moderate
      quality evidence suggests that infliximab is beneficial; RCT evidence for other
      interventions was lower in quality or absent, limiting further conclusions.

PMID- 28355441
TI  - Annals of Occupational Hygiene Performance, 2016.

PMID- 28355442
TI  - Association Between Vascular Cell Adhesion Molecule 1 and Atrial Fibrillation.
AB  - Importance: Accumulating evidence links inflammation and atrial fibrillation
      (AF). Objective: To assess whether markers of systemic and atrial inflammation
      are associated with incident AF in the general population. Design, Setting, and
      Participants: The Bruneck Study is a prospective, population-based cohort study
      with a 20-year follow-up (n = 909). The population included a random sample of
      the general community aged 40 to 79 years. Levels of 13 inflammation markers were
      measured at baseline in 1990. Findings were replicated in a case-control sample
      nested within the prospective Salzburg Atherosclerosis Prevention Program in
      Subjects at High Individual Risk (SAPHIR) study (n = 1770). Data analysis was
      performed from February to May 2016. Exposures: Levels of 13 inflammation
      markers. Main Outcomes and Measures: Incident AF over a 20-year follow-up period
      in the Bruneck Study. Results: Of the 909 participants included in the Bruneck
      Study, mean [SD] age was 58.8 (11.4) years and 448 (49.3%) were women. Among the
      880 participants free of prevalent AF (n = 29) at baseline, 117 developed AF
      during the 20-year follow-up period (incidence rate, 8.2; 95% CI, 6.8-9.6 per
      1000 person-years). The levels of soluble vascular cell adhesion molecule 1 (VCAM
      1) and osteoprotegerin were significantly associated with incident AF (hazard
      ratio [HR], 1.49; 95% CI, 1.26-1.78; and 1.46; 95% CI, 1.25-1.69, respectively; P
      < .001 with Bonferroni correction for both), but osteoprotegerin lost
      significance after age and sex adjustment (HR, 1.05; 95% CI, 0.87-1.27; P > .99
      with Bonferroni correction). Matrix metalloproteinase 9, metalloproteinase
      inhibitor 1, monocyte chemoattractant protein-1, P-selectin, fibrinogen, receptor
      activator of nuclear factor-kappaB ligand, high-sensitivity C-reactive protein,
      adiponectin, leptin, soluble intercellular adhesion molecule 1, and E-selectin
      all fell short of significance (after Bonferroni correction in unadjusted and age
      and sex-adjusted analyses). The HR for a 1-SD higher soluble VCAM-1 level was
      1.34 (95% CI, 1.11-1.62; Bonferroni-corrected P = .03) in a multivariable model.
      The association was of a dose-response type, at least as strong as that obtained
      for N-terminal pro-B-type natriuretic peptide (multivariable HR for a 1-SD higher
      N-terminal pro-B-type natriuretic peptide level, 1.15; 95% CI, 1.04-1.26),
      internally consistent in various subgroups, and successfully replicated in the
      SAPHIR Study (age- and sex-adjusted, and multivariable odds ratios for a 1-SD
      higher soluble VCAM-1 level, 1.91; 95% CI, 1.24-2.96, P = .003; and 2.59; 95% CI,
      1.45-4.60; P = .001). Conclusions and Relevance: Levels of soluble VCAM-1, but
      not other inflammation markers, are significantly associated with new-onset AF in
      the general community. Future studies should address whether soluble VCAM-1 is
      capable of improving AF risk classification beyond the information provided by
      standard risk scores.

PMID- 28355444
TI  - Use of the Novel Derivatizing Agent 1,8-Diaminonapthalene With the CIP10 Sampler
      to Measure 4,4'-Methylene Diphenyl Diisocyanate Atmospheres.
AB  - DAN is a novel derivatizing agent for isocyanate sampling which targets total
      reactive isocyanate group (TRIG). Field evaluations have been conducted for 4,4'
      Methylene diphenyl diisocyanate (MDI) sampling using DAN as the derivatizing
      agent in a CIP10. The perimidone formed, selective of TRIG, was analyzed in
      laboratory by liquid chromatography coupled to tandem mass spectrometry.
      Workplaces using MDI-based polyurethane spray foam and MDI wood product binder
      were studied. Each study compared the data obtained between the CIP10/DAN, the
      CIP10/MP, and a reference method. As a first evaluation, the CIP10/DAN sampled
      simulated MDI spray foam atmosphere in parallel with impingers (reference method)
      and CIP10/MP. The mean of the TRIG concentration values measured was 16% (95%
      confidence interval [CI], [1, 31]) higher for the CIP10/MP samples as compared to
      the impinger samples, while the mean TRIG concentrations found were 98% (95% CI
      [63, 133]) higher for the CIP10/DAN samples as compared to the impinger samples.
      For sampling done in a real workplace using MDI-based spray foam, the CIP10/DAN
      method showed lower results than the CIP10/MP method. The presence of hygroscopic
      DMSO used in the DAN approach is a limitation and may prevent obtaining accurate
      results in the spray foam atmosphere. CIP10/DAN was also studied in MDI wood
      product binder atmosphere. Mean TRIG concentrations found were 80% (95% CI [51,
      110]) and 79% (95% CI [50, 108]) lower for the CIP10/MP and CIP10/DAN method,
      respectively, as compared to the reference method (a 13-mm filter coated with
      MP). In this case, the CIP10 may have reached its limit in this last evaluation
      where vapors and particles below 1 um were not collected as efficiently as they
      were with the reference method.

PMID- 28355445
TI  - Reducing the Margins of Error During Breast-Conserving Surgery: Disruptive
      Technologies or Traditional Disruptions?

PMID- 28355443
TI  - The Use of Metabolomics to Identify Biological Signatures of Manganese Exposure.
AB  - Objectives: Manganese (Mn) is a known neurotoxicant, and given its health effects
      and ubiquitous nature in metal-working settings, identification of a valid and
      reproducible biomarker of Mn exposure is of interest. Here, global metabolomics
      is utilized to determine metabolites that differ between groups defined by Mn
      exposure status, with the goal being to help inform a potential metabolite
      biomarker of Mn exposure. Methods: Mn exposed subjects were recruited from a Mn
      steel foundry and Mn unexposed subjects were recruited from crane operators at a
      metal recycling facility. Over the course of a work day, each subject wore a
      personal inhalable dust sampler (IOM), and provided an end of shift urine sample
      that underwent global metabolomics profiling. Both exposed and unexposed subjects
      were divided into a training set and demographically similar validation set.
      Using a two-sided adjusted t-test, relative abundances of all metabolites found
      were compared between Mn exposed and unexposed training sets, and those with a
      false discovery rates (FDR) <0.1 were further tested in the validation sets.
      Results: Fifteen ions were found to be significantly different (FDR < 0.1)
      between the exposed and unexposed training sets, and nine of these ions remained
      significantly different between the exposed and unexposed validation set as well.
      When further dividing exposure status into 'lower exposure' and 'higher
      exposure', several of these nine ions exhibited an apparent exposure-response
      relationship. Conclusions: This is the first time that metabolomics has been used
      to distinguish between Mn exposure status in an occupational cohort, though
      additional work should be done to replicate these findings with a larger cohort.
      With metabolite identification by name, empirical formula, or pathway, a better
      understanding of the relationship between Mn exposure and neurotoxic effects
      could be elucidated, and a potential metabolite biomarker of Mn exposure could be
      determined.

PMID- 28355447
TI  - US Public Opinion on Health Care Reform, 2017.

PMID- 28355446
TI  - Wood Dust in Joineries and Furniture Manufacturing: An Exposure Determinant and
      Intervention Study.
AB  - Objectives: To assess wood dust exposures and determinants in joineries and
      furniture manufacturing and to evaluate the efficacy of specific interventions on
      dust emissions under laboratory conditions. Also, in a subsequent follow-up study
      in a small sample of joinery workshops, we aimed to develop, implement, and
      evaluate a cost-effective and practicable intervention to reduce dust exposures.
      Methods: Personal inhalable dust (n = 201) was measured in 99 workers from 10
      joineries and 3 furniture-making factories. To assess exposure determinants, full
      shift video exposure monitoring (VEM) was conducted in 19 workers and task-based
      VEM in 32 workers (in 7 joineries and 3 furniture factories). We assessed the
      efficacy of vacuum extraction on hand tools and the use of vacuum cleaners
      instead of sweeping and dry wiping under laboratory conditions. These measures
      were subsequently implemented in three joinery workshops with 'high' (>4 mg m-3)
      and one with 'low' (<2 mg m-3) baseline exposures. We also included two control
      workshops (one 'low' and one 'high' exposure workshop) in which no interventions
      were implemented. Exposures were measured 4 months prior and 4 months following
      the intervention. Results: Average (geometric means) exposures in joinery and
      furniture making were 2.5 mg m-3 [geometric standard deviations (GSD) 2.5] and
      0.6 mg m-3 (GSD 2.3), respectively. In joinery workers cleaning was associated
      with a 3.0-fold higher (P < 0.001) dust concentration compared to low exposure
      tasks (e.g. gluing), while the use of hand tools showed 3.0- to 11.0-fold higher
      (P < 0.001) exposures. In furniture makers, we found a 5.4-fold higher exposure
      (P < 0.001) with using a table/circular saw. Laboratory efficiency experiments
      showed a 10-fold decrease in exposure (P < 0.001) when using a vacuum cleaner.
      Vacuum extraction on hand tools combined with a downdraft table reduced exposures
      by 42.5% for routing (P < 0.1) and 85.5% for orbital sanding (P < 0.001).
      Following intervention measures in joineries, a borderline statistically
      significant (P < 0.10) reduction in exposure of 30% was found in workshops with
      'high' baseline exposures, but no reduction was shown in the workshop with 'low'
      baseline exposures. Conclusions: Wood dust exposure is high in joinery workers
      and (to a lesser extent) furniture makers with frequent use of hand tools and
      cleaning being key drivers of exposure. Vacuum extraction on hand tools and
      alternative cleaning methods reduced workplace exposures substantially, but may
      be insufficient to achieve compliance with current occupational exposure limits.

PMID- 28355448
TI  - Urinary 8-Oxo-7,8-Dihydro-2'-Deoxyguanosine in Tunisian Electric Steel Foundry
      Workers Exposed to Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons.
AB  - In this study, urinary 8-oxo-7,8-dihydro-2'-deoxyguanosine (8-oxodG), as
      biomarker of oxidative DNA damage, was evaluated in Tunisian electric steel
      foundry workers and was associated with polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH)
      exposure. Ninety-three healthy male workers were enrolled in the study; 8-oxodG
      was assessed by liquid chromatography-triple quadrupole mass spectrometry.
      Exposure to PAHs was evaluated by measuring 16 urinary PAHs (U-PAHs) and 8
      monohydroxylated metabolites (OHPAHs). The median 8-oxodG level for all subjects
      was 3.20 ug l-1 (1.85 ug g-1 creatinine). No correlation between 8-oxodG and 1
      hydroxypyrene or any other OHPAH was found. Significant linear correlations
      between 8-oxodG and some U-PAHs were found, particularly urinary acenaphthylene
      (r = 0.249), phenanthrene (r = 0.327), anthracene (r = 0.357), fluoranthene (r =
      0.248), and pyrene (r = 0.244). Multiple regression analyses confirmed that
      urinary phenanthrene, anthracene, and naphthalene (the latter with a non-linear
      relationship) were predictors of 8-oxodG; job title, but not smoking, was a
      determinant of 8-oxodG; the variance explained by these models was up to 20%. The
      oxidative DNA damage assessed by urinary 8-oxodG was moderate and in the range of
      values reported in other occupational fields or in the general population. The
      results of this study indicate that the investigated biomarkers of PAH exposure
      were only minor contributors to urinary 8-oxodG.

PMID- 28355449
TI  - Rebuilding Consensus on Valid Criteria for Disordered Grief.

PMID- 28355450
TI  - Are Novel Anticoagulants Worth Their Cost?

PMID- 28355451
TI  - Treatment of Alopecia Areata With Tofacitinib.

PMID- 28355452
TI  - Low-Density Lipoprotein Measurement Discordance: When 2 Wrongs Lead to the Right
      Answer-Elevated Lipoprotein (a).

PMID- 28355454
TI  - A Study of the Validity of Two Exposure Assessment Tools: Stoffenmanager and the
      Advanced REACH Tool.
AB  - The use of exposure modelling tools for estimating chemical airborne exposure has
      increased since the European Union's REACH legislation for safe use of industrial
      chemicals came into force. Two tools that European Chemicals Agency recommends
      are Stoffenmanager(r) and the Advanced REACH Tool (ART). The aim of this study
      was to investigate the validity of these two exposure modelling tools by
      comparing the lack of agreement between estimated and measured exposure. We
      examined the airborne chemical exposure at companies in seven different types of
      industries: wood, printing, foundry, spray painting, flour milling, chemical
      industry, and plastic moulding industry. The inhalable exposure of liquids or
      powders at two to three situations at each company was modelled with both tools
      and measured. To study the validity of the tools, the mean differences and
      precisions (lack of agreement) of exposures from both situations handling liquids
      and powders were calculated by using the 50th percentile outcome of the tools and
      the geometric mean of the measured exposure (all data were ln transformed). For
      Stoffenmanager, the mean difference and precision of the situations concerning
      liquids were 0.22 +/- 1.0 and for powders -0.024 +/- 0.66. It was also shown that
      Stoffenmanager overestimated low exposures and underestimated high exposures.
      Stoffenmanager showed higher agreement with the measured exposure in the wood and
      flour mill industries than in foundry and the plastic moulding industry. For ART,
      the mean difference and precision of liquids were -0.55 +/- 0.88 and for powders 
      1.4 +/- 1.6. ART showed lower agreement with the measured exposure in the wood
      industry.

PMID- 28355453
TI  - Dermoscopic Clues for Diagnosing Melanomas That Resemble Seborrheic Keratosis.
AB  - Importance: Melanomas that clinically mimic seborrheic keratosis (SK) can delay
      diagnosis and adequate treatment. However, little is known about the value of
      dermoscopy in recognizing these difficult-to-diagnose melanomas. Objective: To
      describe the dermoscopic features of SK-like melanomas to understand their
      clinical morphology. Design, Setting, and Participants: This observational
      retrospective study used 134 clinical and dermoscopic images of
      histopathologically proven melanomas in 134 patients treated in 9 skin cancer
      centers in Spain, France, Italy, and Austria. Without knowledge that the definite
      diagnosis for all the lesions was melanoma, 2 dermoscopy-trained observers
      evaluated the clinical descriptions and 48 dermoscopic features (including all
      melanocytic and nonmelanocytic criteria) of all 134 images and classified each
      dermoscopically as SK or not SK. The total dermoscopy score and the 7-point
      checklist score were assessed. Images of the lesions and patient data were
      collected from July 15, 2013, through July 31, 2014. Main Outcomes and Measures:
      Frequencies of specific morphologic patterns of (clinically and dermoscopically)
      SK-like melanomas, patient demographics, and interobserver agreement of criteria
      were evaluated. Results: Of the 134 cases collected from 72 men and 61 women, all
      of whom were white and who had a mean (SD) age of 55.6 (17.5) years, 110 (82.1%)
      revealed dermoscopic features suggestive of melanoma, including pigment network
      (74 [55.2%]), blue-white veil (72 [53.7%]), globules and dots (68 [50.7%]),
      pseudopods or streaks (47 [35.1%]), and blue-black sign (43 [32.3%]). The
      remaining 24 cases (17.9%) were considered likely SKs, even by dermoscopy.
      Overall, lesions showed a scaly and hyperkeratotic surface (45 [33.6%]),
      yellowish keratin (42 [31.3%]), comedo-like openings (41 [30.5%]), and milia-like
      cysts (30 [22.4%]). The entire sample achieved a mean (SD) total dermoscopy score
      of 4.7 (1.6) and a 7-point checklist score of 4.4 (2.3), while dermoscopically SK
      like melanomas achieved a total dermoscopy score of only 4.2 (1.3) and a 7-point
      checklist score of 2.0 (1.9), both in the range of benignity. The most helpful
      criteria in correctly diagnosing SK-like melanomas were the presence of blue
      white veil, pseudopods or streaks, and pigment network. Multivariate analysis
      found only the blue-black sign to be significantly associated with a correct
      diagnosis, while hyperkeratosis and fissures and ridges were independent risk
      markers of dermoscopically SK-like melanomas. Conclusions and Relevance:
      Seborrheic keratosis-like melanomas can be dermoscopically challenging, but the
      presence of the blue-black sign, pigment network, pseudopods or streaks, and/or
      blue-white veil, despite the presence of other SK features, allows the correct
      diagnosis of most of the difficult melanoma cases.

PMID- 28355455
TI  - The Effects of Trivialization of Workplace Violence on Its Victims: Profession
      and Sex Differences in a Cross-Sectional Study among Healthcare and Law
      Enforcement Workers.
AB  - Background: Workers from the law enforcement and healthcare sectors tend to
      normalize or mute their victimization from workplace violence (WPV). Objectives:
      This study aims to assess the impact of the trivialization of WPV on
      psychological consequences for workers who have been affected by a WPV incident.
      The second aim is to assess the moderating effect of sex on the trivialization of
      WPV. The third and overarching aim is to assess the moderating effect of
      professional identity on the relations between individual and organizational
      factors and psychological consequences following a WPV incident. Methods: The
      findings are based on a convenience sample of 377 (204 female and 173 male)
      workers from the law enforcement and healthcare sectors. Individual factors (sex,
      age, professional identity, prior victimization, witnessing WPV, injuries, and
      trivialization of violence) and perceived support factors (colleagues' support
      and employer's support) were used as predictor variables of psychological
      consequences in hierarchical linear regression models. Sex was used as a
      moderator of trivialization while professional identity was used as a moderator
      of all predictors. Findings: When individual and social support factors were
      controlled for, normalizing violence was negatively associated with psychological
      consequences while perceiving a taboo associated with complaining about WPV was
      positively associated for all participants. When these relations were moderated
      by the sex of the participants and then by their professional identity,
      normalization was found to decrease psychological consequences only for male
      healthcare workers. Implications: To help employees cope with WPV, organizations
      should promote strategies adapted to profession and sex differences. For male
      healthcare workers, normalization as a cognitive coping strategy should be
      formally recognized. For both professions and sexes, organizational strategies
      that counter the perceived taboo of complaining about violence should be
      reinforced.

PMID- 28355456
TI  - The Surge of Opioid Use, Addiction, and Overdoses: Responsibility and Response of
      the US Health Care System.

PMID- 28355457
TI  - Clinically Relevant Diagnostic Criteria for a Persistent Impairing Grief
      Disorder: Putting Patients First.

PMID- 28355459
TI  - Laboratory Monitoring of Non-Vitamin K Antagonist Oral Anticoagulant Use in
      Patients With Atrial Fibrillation: A Review.
AB  - Importance: The non-vitamin K antagonist oral anticoagulants (NOACs) apixaban,
      dabigatran, edoxaban, and rivaroxaban are administered in fixed doses without
      anticoagulant monitoring. Randomized trials show that unmonitored NOAC therapy is
      at least as effective as and safer than dose-adjusted warfarin for stroke
      prevention in patients with nonvalvular atrial fibrillation. Subgroup analyses
      indicate that plasma drug levels or anticoagulant activity of the NOACs predict
      stroke and bleeding. This review examines the historical basis for anticoagulant
      monitoring, discusses methods to measure and interpret drug levels, and
      critically assesses the role of routine laboratory monitoring in the management
      of NOAC therapy. Observations: The predictable anticoagulant response of NOACs
      has provided the pharmacological basis for their administration in fixed doses
      without routine coagulation monitoring. Although it is possible to accurately
      measure NOAC drug levels, within-patient variability complicates interpretation
      of these results. Furthermore, patient characteristics, such as age and renal
      function, confound the association between NOAC drug levels and clinical
      outcomes. Information is lacking on the optimal drug level in particular patient
      groups (eg, elderly, the renally impaired, and those with high bleeding risk),
      the appropriate dose adjustment to achieve expected levels, and whether routine
      laboratory monitoring and dose adjustment will improve clinical outcomes. A
      benefit of a management strategy that incorporates routine therapeutic drug
      monitoring and dose adjustment over current standard-of-care metrics without such
      monitoring remains unproven. Conclusions and Relevance: Robust evidence from
      patients with atrial fibrillation randomized to NOACs or warfarin demonstrates
      that unmonitored NOAC therapy is at least as effective and safe as monitored
      warfarin, with lower rates of intracranial hemorrhage and reduced mortality.
      Further research is required to determine whether routine laboratory monitoring
      might provide a net benefit for patients. Until such data are available,
      clinicians should continue to prescribe NOACs in fixed doses without routine
      monitoring.

PMID- 28355458
TI  - Changes in US Lifetime Heroin Use and Heroin Use Disorder: Prevalence From the
      2001-2002 to 2012-2013 National Epidemiologic Survey on Alcohol and Related
      Conditions.
AB  - Importance: Heroin use is an urgent concern in the United States. Little is know
      about the course of heroin use, heroin use disorder, and associated factors.
      Objective: To examine changes in the lifetime prevalence, patterns, and
      associated demographics of heroin use and use disorder from 2001-2002 to 2012
      2013 in 2 nationally representative samples of the US adult general population.
      Design, Setting, and Participants: This survey study included data from 43 093
      respondents of the 2001-2002 National Epidemiologic Survey on Alcohol and Related
      Conditions (NESARC) and 36 309 respondents of the 2012-2013 NESARC-III. Data were
      analyzed from February 2 to September 15, 2016. Main Outcomes and Measures:
      Lifetime heroin use and DSM-IV heroin use disorder. Results: Among the 79 402
      respondents (43.3% men; 56.7% women; mean [SD] age, 46.1 [17.9] years),
      prevalence of heroin use and heroin use disorder significantly increased from
      2001-2002 to 2012-2013 (use: 0.33% [SE, 0.03%] vs 1.6% [SE, 0.08%]; disorder:
      0.21% [SE, 0.03%] vs 0.69% [SE, 0.06%]; P < .001). The increase in the prevalence
      of heroin use was significantly pronounced among white (0.34% [SE, 0.04%] in 2001
      2002 vs 1.90% [SE, 0.12%] in 2012-2013) compared with nonwhite (0.32% [SE, 0.05%]
      in 2001-2002 vs 1.05% [SE, 0.10%] in 2012-2013; P < .001) individuals. The
      increase in the prevalence of heroin use disorder was more pronounced among white
      individuals (0.19% [SE, 0.03%] in 2001-2002 vs 0.82% [SE, 0.08%] in 2012-2013; P
      < .001) and those aged 18 to 29 (0.21% [SE, 0.06%] in 2001-2002 vs 1.0% [0.17%]
      in 2012-2013; P = .01) and 30 to 44 (0.20% [SE, 0.04%] in 2001-2002 vs 0.77%
      [0.10%] in 2012-2013; P = .03) years than among nonwhite individuals (0.25% [SE,
      0.04%] in 2001-2002 vs 0.43% [0.07%] in 2012-2013) and older adults (0.22% [SE,
      0.04%] in 2001-2002 vs 0.51% [SE, 0.07%] in 2012-2013). Among users, significant
      differences were found across time in the proportion of respondents meeting DSM
      IV heroin use disorder criteria (63.35% [SE, 4.79%] in 2001-2001 vs 42.69% [SE,
      2.87%] in 2012-2013; P < .001). DSM-IV heroin abuse was significantly more
      prevalent among users in 2001-2002 (37.02% [SE, 4.67%]) than in 2012-2013 (19.19%
      [SE, 2.34%]; P = .001). DSM-IV heroin dependence among users was similar in 2001
      2002 (28.22% [SE, 3.95%]) and in 2012-2013 (25.02% [SE, 2.20%]; P = .48). The
      proportion of those reporting initiation of nonmedical use of prescription
      opioids before initiating heroin use increased across time among white
      individuals (35.83% [SE, 6.03%] in 2001-2002 to 52.83% [SE, 2.88%] in 2012-2013;
      P = .01). Conclusions and Relevance: The prevalence of heroin use and heroin use
      disorder increased significantly, with greater increases among white individuals.
      The nonmedical use of prescription opioids preceding heroin use increased among
      white individuals, supporting a link between the prescription opioid epidemic and
      heroin use in this population. Findings highlight the need for educational
      campaigns regarding harms related to heroin use and the need to expand access to
      treatment in populations at increased risk for heroin use and heroin use
      disorder.

PMID- 28355460
TI  - Temporal Trend in Wood Dust Exposure During the Production of Wood Pellets.
AB  - Objective: Wood dust data collected in the production of wood pellets during 2001
      to 2013 were evaluated to study a temporal trend in inhalation exposure. Methods:
      A linear mixed effects model of natural ln-transformed data was used to express
      the relative annual difference in inhalation wood dust exposure. Results: There
      was an annual decrease of -20.5% of the geometric mean wood dust exposure during
      2001 until 2013. The results were based on 617 inhalable dust samples collected
      at 14 different production units. The exposure to wood dust at the industrial
      premises investigated has decreased from a relatively high level of 6.4 mg m-3 in
      2001 to 1.0 mg-3 in 2013. The Swedish Occupational Exposure Limit (SOEL) of 2 mg
      m-3 may still be exceeded. Conclusion: Analysis of the temporal trend in soft
      wood production units revealed declines in exposure of 20.5% per annum. It is
      important that precautions are taken to protect workers from a hazardous exposure
      to wood dust at the premises as the SOEL of 2 mg m-3 at some occasions is still
      exceeded. Additional measurements of wood dust exposure should be carried out on
      a regular basis in wood pellet production units in Sweden as well in other
      countries.

PMID- 28355461
TI  - Isavuconazole: is there a need for a new antifungal?

PMID- 28355462
TI  - Changes in the epidemiological landscape of invasive mould infections and
      disease.
AB  - Although a wide variety of pathogens are associated with invasive mould diseases,
      Aspergillus spp. have historically been one of the most common causative
      organisms. Most invasive mould infections are caused by members of the
      Aspergillus fumigatus species complex and an emerging issue is the occurrence of
      azole resistance in A. fumigatus, with resistance to amphotericin B documented in
      other Aspergillus spp. The epidemiology of invasive fungal disease has shifted in
      recent years as non-A. fumigatus Aspergillus spp. and other moulds have become
      progressively more important, although there are no consolidated data on the
      prevalence of less common species of moulds. The incidence of mucormycosis may
      have been underestimated, which is a potential concern since species belonging to
      the order Mucorales are more resistant to antifungal agents than Aspergillus spp.
      All species of Mucorales are unaffected by voriconazole and most show moderate
      resistance in vitro to echinocandins. Fusarium spp. may be the second most common
      nosocomial fungal pathogen after Aspergillus in some tertiary hospitals, and show
      a susceptibility profile marked by a higher level of resistance than that of
      Aspergillus spp. Recently, Scedosporium aurantiacum has been reported as an
      emerging opportunistic pathogen, against which voriconazole is the most active
      antifungal agent. Other mould species can infect humans, although invasive fungal
      disease occurs less frequently. Since uncommon mould species exhibit individual
      susceptibility profiles and require tailored clinical management, accurate
      classification at species level of the aetiological agent in any invasive fungal
      disease should be regarded as the standard of care.

PMID- 28355463
TI  - Therapeutic drug monitoring for invasive mould infections and disease:
      pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic considerations.
AB  - Therapeutic drug monitoring (TDM) may be required to achieve optimal clinical
      outcomes in the setting of significant pharmacokinetic variability, a situation
      that applies to a number of anti-mould therapies. The majority of patients
      receiving itraconazole should routinely be managed with TDM. Voriconazole
      exhibits highly variable inter-individual pharmacokinetics, and a trough
      concentration of 1.0-5.5 mg/L is widely accepted although it is derived from
      relatively low-quality evidence. The case for TDM of posaconazole is currently in
      a state of flux following the introduction of a newer tablet formulation with
      improved oral bioavailability, but it may be indicated when used for either
      prophylaxis or treatment of established disease. The novel broad-spectrum azole
      drug isavuconazole does not currently appear to require TDM but 'real-world' data
      are awaited and TDM could be considered in selected clinical cases. For both
      polyene and echinocandin agents, there are insufficient data regarding the
      relationship between serum concentrations and therapeutic outcomes to support the
      routine use of TDM. A number of practical challenges to the implementation of TDM
      in the treatment of invasive mould infections remain unsolved. The delivery of
      TDM as a future standard of care will require real-time measurement of drug
      concentrations at the bedside and algorithms for dosage adjustment. Finally,
      measures of pharmacodynamic effect are required to deliver therapy that is truly
      individualized.

PMID- 28355464
TI  - Early diagnosis of invasive mould infections and disease.
AB  - Invasive mould infections (IMIs), such as invasive aspergillosis or mucormycosis,
      are a major cause of death in patients with haematological cancer and in patients
      receiving long-term immunosuppressive therapy. Early diagnosis and prompt
      initiation of antifungal therapy are crucial steps in the management of patients
      with IMI. The diagnosis of IMI remains a major challenge, with an increased
      spectrum of fungal pathogens and a diversity of clinical and radiological
      presentations within the expanding spectrum of immunocompromised hosts. Diagnosis
      is difficult to establish and is expressed on a scale of probability (proven,
      probable and possible). Imaging (CT scan), microbiological tools (direct
      examination, culture, PCR, fungal biomarkers) and histopathology are the pillars
      of the diagnostic work-up of IMI. None of the currently available diagnostic
      tests provides sufficient sensitivity and specificity alone, so the optimal
      approach relies on a combination of multiple diagnostic strategies, including
      imaging, fungal biomarkers (galactomannan and 1,3-beta-d-glucan) and molecular
      tools. In recent years, the development of PCR for filamentous fungi (primarily
      Aspergillus or Mucorales) and the progress made in the standardization of fungal
      PCR technology, may lead to future advances in the field. The appropriate
      diagnostic approach for IMI should be individualized to each centre, taking into
      account the local epidemiology of IMI and the availability of diagnostic tests.

PMID- 28355465
TI  - Clinical considerations in the early treatment of invasive mould infections and
      disease.
AB  - Different therapeutic strategies for invasive fungal diseases have been explored,
      each with particular strengths and weaknesses. Broad-spectrum antifungal
      prophylaxis seems logical, but selective use is important due to its substantial
      disadvantages, including interference with diagnostic assays, selection for
      resistance, drug toxicity and drug-drug interactions. Antimould prophylaxis
      should be restricted to high-risk groups, such as patients undergoing intensive
      chemotherapy for acute myeloid leukaemia or myelodysplastic syndrome, allogeneic
      HSCT patients with prior invasive fungal infection, graft-versus-host-disease or
      extended neutropenia, recipients of a solid organ transplant, or patients with a
      high-risk inherited immunodeficiency. An empirical approach, whereby mould-active
      therapy is started in neutropenic patients with fever unresponsive to broad
      spectrum antibiotics, is widely applied but incurs the clinical and cost
      penalties associated with overtreatment. A benefit for all-cause mortality using
      empirical therapy has not been shown, but it is recommended for high-risk
      patients who remain febrile after 4-7 days of broad-spectrum antibiotics and in
      whom extended neutropenia is anticipated. There is growing interest in delaying
      antifungal treatment until an invasive fungal infection is confirmed ('pre
      emptive' or 'diagnostics-driven' management), prompted by the development of more
      sensitive diagnostic techniques. Comparisons of empirical versus pre-emptive
      regimens are sparse, particularly with modern triazole agents, but treatment
      costs are lower with pre-emptive therapy and the available evidence has not
      indicated reduced efficacy. Pre-emptive treatment may be appropriate in
      neutropenic patients who remain febrile after administration of broad-spectrum
      antibiotics but who are clinically stable. Further work is required to define
      accurately the specific patient subgroups in which each management approach is
      optimal.

PMID- 28355466
TI  - Invasive mould infections in the ICU setting: complexities and solutions.
AB  - Infections caused by filamentous fungi represent a major burden in the ICU.
      Invasive aspergillosis is emerging in non-neutropenic individuals with
      predisposing conditions, e.g. corticosteroid treatment, chronic obstructive
      pulmonary disease, liver cirrhosis, solid organ cancer, HIV infection and
      transplantation. Diagnosis is challenging because the signs and symptoms are non
      specific, and initiation of additional diagnostic examinations is often delayed
      because clinical suspicion is low. Isolation of an Aspergillus species from the
      respiratory tract in critically ill patients, and tests such as serum
      galactomannan, bronchoalveolar lavage 1-3-beta-d-glucan and specific PCR should
      be interpreted with caution. ICU patients should start adequate antifungal
      therapy upon suspicion of invasive aspergillosis, without awaiting definitive
      proof. Voriconazole, and now isavuconazole, are the drugs of choice. Mucormycosis
      is a rare, but increasingly prevalent disease that occurs mainly in patients with
      uncontrolled diabetes mellitus, immunocompromised individuals or previously
      healthy patients with open wounds contaminated with Mucorales. A high proportion
      of cases are diagnosed in the ICU. Rapidly progressing necrotizing lesions in the
      rhino-sinusal area, the lungs or skin and soft tissues are the characteristic
      presentation. Confirmation of diagnosis is based on demonstration of tissue
      invasion by non-septate hyphae, and by new promising molecular techniques.
      Control of underlying predisposing conditions, rapid surgical resection and
      administration of liposomal amphotericin B are the main therapeutic actions, but
      new agents such as isavuconazole are a promising alternative. Patients with
      mucormycosis receive a substantial part of their care in ICUs and, despite
      advances in diagnosis and treatment, mortality remains very high.

PMID- 28355467
TI  - New pharmacological opportunities for the treatment of invasive mould diseases.
AB  - Recently, several randomized studies have been published that will shape
      treatment decisions in the prevention and management of invasive mould
      infections. Liposomal amphotericin B is an option for empirical or targeted
      treatment of invasive aspergillosis or mucormycosis, but for prophylaxis therapy,
      the triazole class now predominates. The triazole voriconazole is currently
      regarded as a drug of choice for the treatment of proven or probable invasive
      aspergillosis, and has shown significantly higher response rates than
      amphotericin B deoxycholate in this setting, with fewer severe drug-related
      adverse events. Isavuconazole, the newest triazole agent, offers the advantages
      of once-daily dosing, a wider spectrum of antifungal activity than voriconazole,
      predictable pharmacokinetics and fewer CYP enzyme-mediated drug interactions. A
      recent large randomized clinical trial showed mortality to be similar under
      isavuconazole or voriconazole in patients with invasive mould disease, with fewer
      drug-related adverse events in isavuconazole-treated patients. Another study has
      indicated that isavuconazole is also effective in mucormycosis infections but
      patient numbers were small and confirmation is awaited. Experimental studies
      combining different drug classes with antimould activity have been promising, but
      the clinical database is limited. A large randomized trial of combination therapy
      compared voriconazole plus the echinocandin anidulafungin versus voriconazole
      monotherapy in patients with invasive aspergillosis. Results showed the overall
      response rate to be similar, but combination therapy improved survival for the
      subpopulation of patients in whom the diagnosis was confirmed by serum and/or
      bronchoalveolar lavage fluid galactomannan positivity. This active field of
      research is likely to continue evolving rapidly in the coming years.

PMID- 28355471
TI  - Moving From Static to Dynamic Models of the Onset of Mental Disorder: A Review.
AB  - Importance: In recent years, there has been increased focus on subthreshold
      stages of mental disorders, with attempts to model and predict which individuals
      will progress to full-threshold disorder. Given this research attention and the
      clinical significance of the issue, this article analyzes the assumptions of the
      theoretical models in the field. Observations: Psychiatric research into
      predicting the onset of mental disorder has shown an overreliance on one-off
      sampling of cross-sectional data (ie, a snapshot of clinical state and other risk
      markers) and may benefit from taking dynamic changes into account in predictive
      modeling. Cross-disciplinary approaches to complex system structures and changes,
      such as dynamical systems theory, network theory, instability mechanisms, chaos
      theory, and catastrophe theory, offer potent models that can be applied to the
      emergence (or decline) of psychopathology, including psychosis prediction, as
      well as to transdiagnostic emergence of symptoms. Conclusions and Relevance:
      Psychiatric research may benefit from approaching psychopathology as a system
      rather than as a category, identifying dynamics of system change (eg, abrupt vs
      gradual psychosis onset), and determining the factors to which these systems are
      most sensitive (eg, interpersonal dynamics and neurochemical change) and the
      individual variability in system architecture and change. These goals can be
      advanced by testing hypotheses that emerge from cross-disciplinary models of
      complex systems. Future studies require repeated longitudinal assessment of
      relevant variables through either (or a combination of) micro-level (momentary
      and day-to-day) and macro-level (month and year) assessments. Ecological
      momentary assessment is a data collection technique appropriate for micro-level
      assessment. Relevant statistical approaches are joint modeling and time series
      analysis, including metric-based and model-based methods that draw on the
      mathematical principles of dynamical systems. This next generation of prediction
      studies may more accurately model the dynamic nature of psychopathology and
      system change as well as have treatment implications, such as introducing a means
      of identifying critical periods of risk for mental state deterioration.

PMID- 28355472
TI  - Drag Reduction in a Natural High-Frequency Swinging Micro-Articulation:
      Mouthparts of the Honey Bee.
AB  - Worker-bee mouthparts consist of the glossa, the galeae and the vestigial labial
      palp, and it is these structures that enable bees to feed themselves. The
      articulation joints, 60~70 um in diameter, are present on the tip of the labial
      palp and are covered with olfactory sensilla, allowing movements between the
      segments. Using a specially designed high-speed camera system, we discovered that
      the articulation joint could swing in the nectar at a frequency of ~50 Hz,
      considerably higher than the usual motion frequency of mammalian joints. To
      understand the potential drag reduction in this tiny organ, we examined its
      microstructure and also its surface wettability. We found that chitinous
      semispherical protuberances (4~6 um in diameter) are uniformly scattered on the
      surface of the joint and, moreover, that the surface is hydrophobic. We proposed
      a hydrodynamic model and revealed that the specialized surface can effectively
      reduce the mean equivalent friction (Ff) by ~10%, through the use of
      protuberances immersed in the liquid feed. Theoretical results indicated that the
      dimensions of such protuberances are the predominant factor in minimizing Ff, and
      that the natural dimensions of the protuberances are close to the theoretical
      optimum at which friction is at a minimum. These discoveries may inspire the
      design of high-frequency micro-joints for engineering applications, such as in
      micro-stirrers.

PMID- 28355473
TI  - Response of Chrysoperla nipponensis (Okamoto) (Neuroptera: Chrysopidae) Under
      Long and Short Photoperiods.
AB  - C. nipponensis: Photoperiod is an important factor influencing many biological
      processes including population dynamics of many insect species in temperate
      zones. To determine the population response of Chrysoperla nipponensis under
      altered conditions (high temperature and short photoperiod) and to test whether
      the short photoperiod was suitable for artificial storage, the life table data of
      were collected at 25  degrees C under a long photoperiod, 15:9 h (L:D), and a
      short photoperiod, 9:15 h (L:D) and analyzed using the age-stage, two-sex life
      table approach. We found that developed faster under long photoperiod than under
      the short photoperiod. The shorter developmental time, higher fecundity, and
      higher proportion of females found during the long photoperiod resulted in higher
      intrinsic and net reproductive rates, but a shorter mean generation time and life
      expectancy compared to those reared during the short photoperiod. Individuals
      reared under the short photoperiod also had a high reproductive value. Population
      projection demonstrated that reared at long photoperiod would complete four
      generations in 150 d, while reared under short photoperiod would just be entering
      the second generation. Our results demonstrated that the different fitness values
      obtained for individuals by varying photoperiod lengths, were readily
      distinguishable when using the age-stage, two-sex life table.

PMID- 28355474
TI  - Geographical Distribution Patterns and Niche Modeling of the Iconic Leafcutter
      Ant Acromyrmex striatus (Hymenoptera: Formicidae).
AB  - Ants are considered one of the most successful groups in the planet's
      evolutionary history. Among them highlights the fungus-farming ants of the genera
      Atta and Acromyrmex that occur throughout most of the Americas. Within the
      Acromyrmex genus, the species A. striatus distinguishes from other Acromyrmex
      species as its morphology and karyotype differ from its congeners. This species
      is found in open environments of dry climate in the southern States of Brazil,
      Argentina, Paraguay and Uruguay; however, little is known about the current
      distribution of the species. This article aimed to investigate the current
      distribution of the species by compiling its known distribution and discussing
      its distributional range. To achieve this, published and unpublished data
      obtained through a literature search and active collections in various locations
      were compiled. Published and unpublished data revealed that 386 colonies were
      recorded, distributed across four countries where its occurrence is known.
      Environmental factors, such as temperature, humidity, soil type and vegetation,
      as well as historical geological and climate events that have modified Earth's
      surface may have influenced species distribution patterns. In the Neotropics, the
      environmental factors that most impacted the distribution of species were the
      glaciation periods that occurred in the Quaternary, leading to a great migratory
      process. These factors may have contributed to the current geographical
      distribution of A. striatus.

PMID- 28355476
TI  - Illustrated Key to Species of Genus Dendroctonus (Coleoptera: Curculionidae)
      Occurring in Mexico and Central America.
AB  - We provide an illustrated key of species of Dendroctonus Erichson from Mexico and
      Central America based on characters of the male genitalia and external
      morphology. The key incorporates newly identified diagnostic characters for this
      genus that enhance discrimination of particularly difficult sibling species.

PMID- 28355475
TI  - Identification and Evaluation of Suitable Reference Genes for Normalization of
      MicroRNA Expression in Helicoverpa armigera (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) Using
      Quantitative Real-Time PCR.
AB  - More and more studies have focused on microRNAs (miRNAs) expression in the pest
      Helicoverpa armigera (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) recently. Quantitative real-time
      PCR (qRT-PCR) is being widely used in miRNA expression studies. Suitable
      reference genes are necessary for the correct analysis of results. In this study,
      10 candidate genes of H. armigera were selected and analyzed for their expression
      stability under different biotic and abiotic conditions with 3 statistical
      methods, including geNorm, NormFinder, and Bestkeeper. Combination the best
      number of reference genes was calculated by geNorm. One target gene, let-7, was
      used to validate the selection of reference genes. The suitable candidate
      reference genes were shown as follows: miR-9 and U6 snRNA for developmental
      stages, miR-100 and U6 snRNA for larval tissues, miR-100 and miR-305 for adult
      tissues, miR-9 and miR-279 for parasitic treatment, miR-998 and U6 snRNA for
      nuclear polyhedrosis virus infection, miR-9 and U6 snRNA for insecticide
      treatment, miR-92a, miR-100, and miR-279 for temperature treatment, miR-92a, miR
      305, and miR-998 for starvation treatment, miR-9 and miR-279 for light treatment,
      miR-305 and miR-998 for hormone treatment, and there was not one reference gene
      suitable for all samples. This study could promote future research on miRNAs
      expression in H. armigera with optimal reference genes under different
      experimental conditions.

PMID- 28355477
TI  - Population Growth Parameters of Tuta absoluta (Lepidoptera: Gelechiidae) on
      Tomato Plant Using Organic Substrate and Biofertilizers.
AB  - The tomato leafminer, Tuta absoluta (Meyrick) is a devastating pest associated
      with tomato. In this study, effects of tomato plants treated with vermicompost
      (20, 40, and 60%), humic fertilizer (2, 4 and 6 g/kg soil) and plant growth
      promoting rhizobacteria (Pseudomonas fluorescens and Bacillus subtilis) were
      investigated on the life table parameters of T. absoluta in a growth chamber at
      25 +/- 2  degrees C, 65 +/- 5% RH, and 16:8 (L:D) h. Significant differences were
      found for the total developmental time, fecundity, and oviposition period of T.
      absoluta on the treatments tested. The net reproductive rate (R0), intrinsic rate
      of natural increase (rm), finite rate of increase (lambda), mean generation time
      (T), and doubling time (DT) of T. absoluta were significantly different among
      treatments tested. We found that in all vermicompost, humic fertilizer and plant
      growth promoting rhizobacteria treatments, values of R0, rm, and lambda were
      lower than control treatment. However, the lowest values of these parameters were
      obtained on 2 g/kg humic fertilizer and 40% vermicompost. Furthermore, T.
      absoluta had longest T and DT values on 2 g/kg humic fertilizer treatment. Data
      obtained showed that the addition of 2 g/kg humic fertilizer and 40% vermicompost
      to the growing soil reduced T. absoluta populations in tomato cultures. In
      addition, these levels of fertilizers improved growth parameters of tomato
      seedlings (plant height, wet weight, and dry weight) compared with other
      treatments. These results could be useful in improving the sustainable management
      of the moth.

PMID- 28355478
TI  - Local and Landscape Constraints on Coffee Leafhopper (Hemiptera: Cicadellidae)
      Diversity.
AB  - The intensification of agriculture drives many ecological and environmental
      consequences including impacts on crop pest populations and communities. These
      changes are manifested at multiple scales including small-scale management
      practices and changes to the composition of land-use types in the surrounding
      landscape. In this study, we sought to examine the influence of local and
      landscape-scale agricultural factors on a leafhopper herbivore community in
      Mexican coffee plantations. We sampled leafhopper (Hemiptera: Cicadellidae)
      diversity in 38 sites from 9 coffee plantations of the Soconusco region of
      Chiapas, Mexico. While local management factors such as coffee density, branches
      per coffee bush, tree species, and density were not important in explaining
      leafhopper abundance and richness, shade management at the landscape level and
      elevation significantly affected leafhoppers. Specifically, the percentage of low
      shade coffee in the landscape (1,000-m radius surrounding sites) increased total
      leafhopper abundance. In addition, Shannon's diversity of leafhoppers was
      increased with coffee density. Our results show that abundance and diversity of
      leafhoppers are greater in simplified landscapes, thereby suggesting that these
      landscapes will have higher pest pressure and may be more at-risk for diseases
      vectored by these species in an economically important crop.

PMID- 28355480
TI  - Orientation Inside Linear Nests by Male and Female Osmia bicornis (Megachilidae).
AB  - Numerous species of solitary bees and wasps build linear nests with only one
      entrance. Developing insects must orient themselves inside their nest to choose
      the correct direction in which to emerge. Misorientation and chewing towards the
      dead end of the nest can result in significant mortality. Most insects position
      themselves towards the nest entrance during cocoon construction; however, some
      individuals are misoriented. We tested whether imagines can examine and possibly
      correct their orientation after emerging from their cocoons. Males were usually
      able to correct their misoriented position based on the shape of the cell wall
      and emerged through the correct entrance, whereas most females pursued the
      direction that they faced in their cocoons. We suggest that there can be more
      than one time point during development when bees can control their position in
      relation to the nest entrance and that the importance of these time points varies
      between sexes.

PMID- 28355479
TI  - A General Approach to Test for Interaction Among Mixtures of Insecticidal
      Proteins Which Target Different Orders of Insect Pests.
AB  - A shift toward transgenic crops which produce combinations of insecticidal
      proteins has increased the interest (Syngenta Seeds, Inc., Minnetonka, MN) in
      studying the potential for interactions amongst those proteins. We present a
      general testing method which accommodates proteins with nonoverlapping spectrums
      of activity. Our sequential testing approach first investigates groups of the
      proteins with overlapping activity; e.g., proteins active against Lepidoptera or
      Coleoptera, respectively. The Colby method is used to test for interactions
      within each respective group. Subsequently, the mixture of proteins within each
      group is regarded as a single entity and tests for interactions between the
      groups (when combined) is conducted using analysis of variance. We illustrate the
      method using Cry1Ab, Vip3Aa20, and Cry1F (a mixture of proteins active against
      Lepidoptera), and mCry3A and eCry3.1Ab (a mixture of proteins active against
      Coleoptera). These insecticidal proteins are produced by Bt11 * MIR162 * TC1507 *
      MIR604 * 5307 maize. We detected no interactions between Cry1Ab, Vip3Aa20, and
      Cry1F in tests using larvae of two different lepidopteran species, and possible
      slight antagonism between mCry3A and eCry3.1Ab with a coleopteran test species.
      We detected no effect of (eCry3.1Ab + mCry3A) on the potency of (Cry1Ab +
      Vip3Aa20 + Cry1F) to lepidopteran larvae, and no effect of (Cry1Ab + Vip3Aa20 +
      Cry1F) on the potency of (mCry3A + eCry3.1Ab) to coleopteran larvae. We discuss
      implications of these results for characterization of Bt11 * MIR162 * TC1507 *
      MIR604 * 5307 maize, and the value of the method for characterizing other
      transgenic crops that produce several insecticidal proteins.

PMID- 28355482
TI  - gamma-Aminobutyric Acid (GABA) Accumulation in Tea (Camellia sinensis L.) through
      the GABA Shunt and Polyamine Degradation Pathways under Anoxia.
AB  - gamma-Aminobutyric acid (GABA) is an important bioactive component of tea
      (Camellia sinensis) providing various health benefits. We studied GABA
      accumulation via the GABA shunt and polyamine degradation pathways under anoxia
      in tea leaves. Anoxia caused a ~20-fold increment in GABA concentration, relative
      to fresh tea leaves. This increment was due to the increase of glutamate
      decarboxylase and diamine oxidase activities. Genes involved in GABA formation,
      such as CsGAD1 and CsGAD2, were significantly up-regulated by anoxia. The
      concentrations of putrescine and spermine, two substrates for GABA production,
      were also increased by anoxia. Treating tea leaves with aminoguanidine completely
      inhibited diamine oxidase activity during anoxia, but the concentration of GABA
      decreased by only ~25%. We infer that about one-fourth of GABA formed in tea
      leaves under anoxia comes from the polyamine degradation pathway, opening the
      possibility of producing GABA tea based through the regulation of metabolism.

PMID- 28355481
TI  - Mechanistic Studies of an Amine Oxidase Derived from d-Amino Acid Oxidase.
AB  - The flavoprotein d-amino acid oxidase has long served as a paradigm for
      understanding the mechanism of oxidation of amino acids by flavoproteins.
      Recently, a mutant d-amino acid oxidase (Y228L/R283G) that catalyzed the
      oxidation of amines rather than amino acids was described [Yasukawa, K., et al.
      (2014) Angew. Chem., Int. Ed. 53, 4428-4431]. We describe here the use of pH and
      kinetic isotope effects with (R)-alpha-methylbenzylamine as a substrate to
      determine whether the mutant enzyme utilizes the same catalytic mechanism as the
      wild-type enzyme. The effects of pH on the steady-state and rapid-reaction
      kinetics establish that the neutral amine is the substrate, while an active-site
      residue, likely Tyr224, must be uncharged for productive binding. There is no
      solvent isotope effect on the kcat/Km value for the amine, consistent with the
      neutral amine being the substrate. The deuterium isotope effect on the kcat/Km
      value is pH-independent, with an average value of 5.3, similar to values found
      with amino acids as substrates for the wild-type enzyme and establishing that
      there is no commitment to catalysis with this substrate. The kcat/KO2 value is
      similar to that seen with amino acids as the substrate, consistent with the
      oxidative half-reaction being unperturbed by the mutation and with flavin
      oxidation preceding product release. All of the data are consistent with the
      mutant enzyme utilizing the same mechanism as the wild-type enzyme, transfer of
      hydride from the neutral amine to the flavin.

PMID- 28355483
TI  - Gas-Phase Conformations and N-Glycosidic Bond Stabilities of Sodium Cationized 2'
      Deoxyguanosine and Guanosine: Sodium Cations Preferentially Bind to the Guanine
      Residue.
AB  - 2'-Deoxyguanosine (dGuo) and guanosine (Guo) are fundamental building blocks of
      DNA and RNA nucleic acids. In order to understand the effects of sodium
      cationization on the gas-phase conformations and stabilities of dGuo and Guo,
      infrared multiple photon dissociation (IRMPD) action spectroscopy experiments and
      complementary electronic structure calculations are performed. The measured IRMPD
      spectra of [dGuo+Na]+ and [Guo+Na]+ are compared to calculated IR spectra
      predicted for the stable low-energy structures computed for these species to
      determine the most favorable sodium cation binding sites, identify the structures
      populated in the experiments, and elucidate the influence of the 2'-hydroxyl
      substituent on the structures and IRMPD spectral features. These results are
      compared with those from a previous IRMPD study of the protonated guanine
      nucleosides to elucidate the differences between sodium cationization and
      protonation on structure. Energy-resolved collision-induced dissociation (ER-CID)
      experiments and survival yield analyses of protonated and sodium cationized dGuo
      and Guo are performed to compare the effects of these cations toward activating
      the N-glycosidic bonds of these nucleosides. For both [dGuo+Na]+ and [Guo+Na]+,
      the gas-phase structures populated in the experiments are found to involve
      bidentate binding of the sodium cation to the O6 and N7 atoms of guanine, forming
      a 5-membered chelation ring, with guanine found in both anti and syn orientations
      and C2'-endo (2T3 or 3T2) puckering of the sugar. The ER-CID results, IRMPD
      yields and the computed C1'-N9 bond lengths indicate that sodium cationization
      activates the N-glycosidic bond less effectively than protonation for both dGuo
      and Guo. The 2'-hydroxyl substituent of Guo is found to impact the preferred
      structures very little except that it enables a 2'OH...3'OH hydrogen bond to be
      formed, and stabilizes the N-glycosidic bond relative to that of dGuo in both the
      sodium cationized and protonated complexes.

PMID- 28355484
TI  - Podosome Force Generation Machinery: A Local Balance between Protrusion at the
      Core and Traction at the Ring.
AB  - Determining how cells generate and transduce mechanical forces at the nanoscale
      is a major technical challenge for the understanding of numerous physiological
      and pathological processes. Podosomes are submicrometer cell structures with a
      columnar F-actin core surrounded by a ring of adhesion proteins, which possess
      the singular ability to protrude into and probe the extracellular matrix. Using
      protrusion force microscopy, we have previously shown that single podosomes
      produce local nanoscale protrusions on the extracellular environment. However,
      how cellular forces are distributed to allow this protruding mechanism is still
      unknown. To investigate the molecular machinery of protrusion force generation,
      we performed mechanical simulations and developed quantitative image analyses of
      nanoscale architectural and mechanical measurements. First, in silico modeling
      showed that the deformations of the substrate made by podosomes require
      protrusion forces to be balanced by local traction forces at the immediate core
      periphery where the adhesion ring is located. Second, we showed that three-ring
      proteins are required for actin polymerization and protrusion force generation.
      Third, using DONALD, a 3D nanoscopy technique that provides 20 nm isotropic
      localization precision, we related force generation to the molecular extension of
      talin within the podosome ring, which requires vinculin and paxillin, indicating
      that the ring sustains mechanical tension. Our work demonstrates that the ring is
      a site of tension, balancing protrusion at the core. This local coupling of
      opposing forces forms the basis of protrusion and reveals the podosome as a
      nanoscale autonomous force generator.

PMID- 28355485
TI  - Rigidity Theory-Based Approximation of Vibrational Entropy Changes upon Binding
      to Biomolecules.
AB  - We introduce a computationally efficient approximation of vibrational entropy
      changes (DeltaSvib) upon binding to biomolecules based on rigidity theory. From
      constraint network representations of the binding partners, DeltaSvib is
      estimated from changes in the number of low frequency ("spongy") modes with
      respect to changes in the networks' coordination number. Compared to DeltaSvib
      computed by normal-mode analysis (NMA), our approach yields significant and good
      to fair correlations for data sets of protein-protein and protein-ligand
      complexes. Our approach could be a valuable alternative to NMA-based DeltaSvib
      computation in end-point (free) energy methods.

PMID- 28355487
TI  - Comparison of QM/MM Methods To Obtain Ligand-Binding Free Energies.
AB  - We have compared two approaches to calculate relative binding free energies
      employing molecular dynamics simulations at the combined quantum
      mechanical/molecular mechanics (QM/MM) level. As a test case, we study the
      binding of nine cyclic carboxylate ligands to the octa-acid deep-cavitand host
      system. The ligand is treated with the semiempirical PM6-DH+ QM method. In the
      first approach, we perform direct alchemical QM/MM free energy perturbation
      (FEP). In the second, reference-potential approach, we convert the ligands with
      FEP at the molecular mechanics (MM) level and then perform also MM -> QM/MM FEP
      for each ligand. We show that the two approaches give identical results within
      statistical uncertainty. For the reference-potential approach, the MM -> QM/MM
      perturbation converges in terms of energies, uncertainties, and overlap measures
      with two intermediate states, giving a precision of 0.5-0.9 kJ/mol for all eight
      transformations considered. On the other hand, the QM/MM-FEP approach requires 17
      18 intermediate states, showing that the reference-potential approach is more
      effective. Previous calculations with single-step exponential averaging (i.e.,
      entirely avoiding QM/MM simulations) required fewer QM/MM energy calculations,
      but they gave worse precision and involved approximations with an unclear effect
      on the results.

PMID- 28355486
TI  - Molecular Recognition in Mitochondrial Cytochromes P450 That Catalyze the
      Terminal Steps of Corticosteroid Biosynthesis.
AB  - The mitochondrial cytochromes P450 11B1 and P450 11B2 are responsible for the
      final stages of cortisol and aldosterone synthesis, respectively. Dysregulation
      of both enzymes has been implicated in secondary forms of hypertension. Molecular
      recognition of the cytochromes P450 with their corresponding redox partner is a
      key step in the catalytic cycle, yet the precise nature of the interaction of
      P450 11B1 or P450 11B2 with their proximal partner, adrenodoxin (Adx), is still
      unknown. Here, we obtained P450 11B1.Adx2 and P450 11B2.Adx2 complexes using the
      zero-length cross-linker ethyl-3-[3-(dimethylamino)propyl]carbodiimide, which
      formed best under low-ionic strength conditions. R-to-K mutations were introduced
      into the P450s at residues predicted to form salt bridges with Adx and allow
      cross-linking with the carbodiimide reagent. Mass spectrometric analysis of the
      chymotrypsin-digested ternary complexes identified seven cross-linked peptide
      pairs. Consistent with the electrostatic interaction of K370 in P450 11B1-WT and
      K366 in P450 11B2-R366K with D79 of Adx, Adx mutation L80K abolished complex
      formation. Using these sites of interaction as constraints, protein docking
      calculations based on the crystal structures of the two proteins yielded a
      structural model of the P450 11B1.Adx2 complex. The appositional surfaces include
      R/K366, K370, and K357 of P450 11B1, which interact with D79, D76, and D113
      (second molecule) of Adx, respectively. Similar to P450 11B1, P450 11B2 also
      forms a complex with the Adx dimer via three lysine residues. We describe
      similarities and differences in our models of the P450 11B1.Adx2 and P450
      11B2.Adx2 complexes with the structure of the P450 11A1-Adx fusion protein.

PMID- 28355488
TI  - Spectrophotometry of Thin Films of Light-Absorbing Particles.
AB  - Thin films of dispersions of light-absorbing solid particles or emulsions
      containing a light-absorbing solute all have a nonuniform distribution of light
      absorbing species throughout the sample volume. This results in nonuniform light
      absorption over the illuminated area, which causes the optical absorbance, as
      measured using a conventional specular UV-vis spectrophotometer, to deviate from
      the Beer-Lambert relationship. We have developed a theoretical model to account
      for the absorbance properties of such films, which are shown to depend on the
      size and volume fraction of the light-absorbing particles plus other sample
      variables. We have compared model predictions with measured spectra for samples
      consisting of emulsions containing a dissolved light-absorbing solute. Using no
      adjustable parameters, the model successfully predicts the behavior of
      nonuniform, light-absorbing emulsion films with varying values of droplet size,
      volume fraction, and other parameters.

PMID- 28355489
TI  - Encapsulation of Ibuprofen in CD-MOF and Related Bioavailability Studies.
AB  - Although ibuprofen is one of the most widely used nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory
      drugs (NSAIDs), it exhibits poor solubility in aqueous and physiological
      environments as a free acid. In order to improve its oral bioavailability and
      rate of uptake, extensive research into the development of new formulations of
      ibuprofen has been undertaken, including the use of excipients as well as
      ibuprofen salts, such as ibuprofen lysinate and ibuprofen, sodium salt. The
      ultimate goals of these studies are to reduce the time required for maximum
      uptake of ibuprofen, as this period of time is directly proportional to the rate
      of onset of analgesic/anti-inflammatory effects, and to increase the half-life of
      the drug within the body; that is, the duration of action of the effects of the
      drug. Herein, we present a pharmaceutical cocrystal of ibuprofen and the
      biocompatible metal-organic framework called CD-MOF. This metal-organic framework
      (MOF) is based upon gamma-cyclodextrin (gamma-CD) tori that are coordinated to
      alkali metal cations (e.g., K+ ions) on both their primary and secondary faces in
      an alternating manner to form a porous framework built up from (gamma-CD)6 cubes.
      We show that ibuprofen can be incorporated within CD-MOF-1 either by (i) a
      crystallization process using the potassium salt of ibuprofen as the alkali
      cation source for production of the MOF or by (ii) absorption and deprotonation
      of the free-acid, leading to an uptake of 23-26 wt % of ibuprofen within the CD
      MOF. In vitro viability studies revealed that the CD-MOF is inherently not
      affecting the viability of the cells with no IC50 value determined up to a
      concentration of 100 MUM. Bioavailability investigations were conducted on mice,
      and the ibuprofen/CD-MOF pharmaceutical cocrystal was compared to control samples
      of the potassium salt of ibuprofen in the presence and absence of gamma-CD. From
      these animal studies, we observed that the ibuprofen/CD-MOF-1 cocrystal exhibits
      the same rapid uptake of ibuprofen as the ibuprofen potassium salt control sample
      with a peak plasma concentration observed within 20 min, and the cocrystal has
      the added benefit of a 100% longer half-life in blood plasma samples and is
      intrinsically less hygroscopic than the pure salt form.

PMID- 28355490
TI  - Phylogenomic inferences from reference-mapped and de novo assembled short-read
      sequence data using RADseq sequencing of California white oaks (Quercus section
      Quercus).
AB  - The emergence of next generation sequencing has increased by several orders of
      magnitude the amount of data available for phylogenetics. Reduced representation
      approaches, such as restriction-sited associated DNA sequencing (RADseq), have
      proven useful for phylogenetic studies of non-model species at a wide range of
      phylogenetic depths. However, analysis of these datasets is not uniform and we
      know little about the potential benefits and drawbacks of de novo assembly versus
      assembly by mapping to a reference genome. Using RADseq data for 83 oak samples
      representing 16 taxa, we identified variants via three pipelines: mapping
      sequence reads to a recently published draft genome of Quercus lobata, and de
      novo assembly under two sets of locus filters. For each pipeline, we inferred the
      maximum likelihood phylogeny. All pipelines produced similar trees, with minor
      shifts in relationships within well-supported clades, despite the fact that they
      yielded different numbers of loci (68 000 - 111 000 loci) and different degrees
      of overlap with the reference genome. We conclude that both the reference-aligned
      and de novo assembly pipelines yield reliable results, and that advantages and
      disadvantages of these approaches pertain mainly to downstream uses of RADseq
      data, not to phylogenetic inference per se.

PMID- 28355492
TI  - Longitudinal Bone Mineralization Assessment in Children Treated With Long-Term
      Parenteral Nutrition for Severe Intestinal Failure.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Metabolic bone disease is common in children receiving home
      parenteral nutrition (HPN) for intestinal failure (IF). Long-term evolution of
      bone mass in pediatric IF is poorly documented. The aims of this study were (1)
      to determine the prevalence of low bone mass (LBM) in children receiving HPN for
      IF, (2) to evaluate the evolution of total bone mineral content (TBMC) during HPN
      with dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry (DXA), and (3) to identify related factors.
      METHODS: All children referred in our HPN center from 2004 to 2014 were eligible.
      Inclusion criteria were HPN dependence due to noninflammatory IF, at least 2 TBMC
      assessments, and HPN duration of at least 2 years at last DXA. TBMC was expressed
      in z score for ideal weight for height (WFH). LBM was defined by a TBMC WFH z
      score <=-2 standard deviations (SD). RESULTS: A total of 175 DXAs for 31 children
      were performed, mean of 5.6 +/- 2.9 assessments per child. The median time
      between first and last DXA recorded was 6.2 years (0.7-16.6). At the first DXA,
      14 children (45%) had a LBM. TBMC increased by +0.1 +/- 0.04 SD per year of HPN (
      P = .012). The risk of LBM decreased with an odds ratio of 0.9 per year of HPN
      (95% confidence interval, 0.92-0.99; P = .018). Lean mass z score and calcium
      parenteral intakes were related to the TBMC improvement. CONCLUSION: LBM is
      common in pediatric IF, but bone status could improve during HPN in these
      children.

PMID- 28355491
TI  - Suicide Ideation and Attempts among First Nations Peoples Living On-Reserve in
      Canada: The Intergenerational and Cumulative Effects of Indian Residential
      Schools.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: Suicide rates among Indigenous peoples in Canada are at least twice
      that of their non-Indigenous counterparts. Although contemporary stressors
      contribute to this increased risk, historical experiences such as the Indian
      Residential School (IRS) system may also have continuing links with the risk for
      suicidal thoughts and behaviors. The current investigation examined the
      intergenerational and cumulative links between familial IRS attendance in
      relation to lifetime suicide ideation and attempts among First Nations adults
      living on-reserve. METHOD: Data from the 2008-2010 First Nations Regional Health
      Survey were analyzed, and participants comprised a representative sample of First
      Nations adults older than 18 years (weighted N = 127,338; IRS attendees were
      excluded). Of those who knew their familial IRS history, 38.0% had no history of
      attendance, 19.3% had a grandparent who attended, 16.2% had a parent who
      attended, and 26.5% had a parent and grandparent who attended. RESULTS: Exposure
      of one previous familial generation to the IRS experience was associated with
      increased risk for lifetime suicide ideation (odds ratio [OR], 1.46; 95%
      confidence interval [CI], 1.16 to 1.84; P = 0.001) and attempts (OR, 1.44; 95%
      CI, 1.07 to 1.94; P < 0.016) compared with those with no IRS history. Having 2
      generations of IRS familial history was associated with greater odds of reporting
      a suicide attempt compared with having one generation (OR, 1.35; 95% CI, 1.05 to
      1.75; P = 0.022), which was reduced when current levels of distress and ideation
      were accounted for. CONCLUSION: Findings support the existence of linkages
      between intergenerational exposure to IRS and risk for suicidal ideation and
      attempts and for a potential cumulative risk in relation to suicide attempts
      across generations.

PMID- 28355493
TI  - pfmdr1 (Plasmodium falciparum multidrug drug resistance gene 1): a pivotal factor
      in malaria resistance to artemisinin combination therapies.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: Plasmodium falciparum, the deadly agent of malaria, is notorious
      for its capacity to develop drug resistance. Treatment failures of artemisinin
      therapy regimens (ACTc), the present mainstay, is emerging. The transporter
      coding pfmdr1 gene is a central node in this process, having been associated with
      in vitro and in vivo parasite response to a broad range of ACT antimalarials.
      Areas covered: The review covers the historical origins of the pfmdr1 discovery,
      followed by a detailed description of its sequence and expression
      characteristics, as well as the structural and functional characteristics of its
      coded transmembrane protein. pfmdr1 association with ACT drugs response in vivo
      and in vitro is thoroughly reviewed. A reference is made to significant compounds
      presently in the development pipeline. The literature search was focused on
      Pubmed based searches with occasional resource to edited books, World Health
      Organization documentation and conference reports for adding valuable details.
      Expert commentary: Pfmdr1 has emerged as the central gene in P. falciparum ACT
      resistance. Understanding the basis of this role is critical for epidemiologic
      surveillance and design of improved resistance-refractory antimalarials.
      Specifically, unveiling situations of drug collateral sensitivity associated with
      specific pfmdr1 genetic variation will provide opportunities for personalized
      optimal therapy options.

PMID- 28355494
TI  - Potential methane emission reductions for two manure treatment technologies.
AB  - The effect of two dairy manure treatments, solid-liquid separation (SLS) and
      anaerobic digestion (AD), on methane potential and the speed of production was
      evaluated. Assays were performed in the lab to measure methane (CH4) production
      over 202 d from dairy manure samples taken before and after each treatment.
      Compared to raw manure, CH4 emissions on a per-L basis were reduced 81% by SLS
      and 59% by AD, on average. The mean (SD) ultimate CH4 emission potential (B0) per
      kg of volatile solids (VS) was 247 (8) L CH4 kg-1 VS for raw manure, 221 (9) L
      CH4 kg-1 VS for separated liquid, and 160 (4) L CH4 kg-1 VS for anaerobic
      digestate. Thus, SLS reduced the B0 of the liquid fraction by 11% and AD reduced
      B0 by up to 35% compared to raw manure. Manure treatment affected the speed of
      CH4 production: SLS increased the CH4 production rate and thus separated liquid
      manure was the fastest to produce 90% of the ultimate CH4 production. Therefore,
      both the speed of degradation and B0 should be considered when assessing these
      techniques for farm-scale manure storages, because actual emission reductions
      will depend on storage conditions.

PMID- 28355495
TI  - A novel polyaspartic acid derivative with multifunctional groups for scale
      inhibition application.
AB  - Polyaspartic acid is a green biodegradable antiscalant and widely applied in
      water treatment field. However, its scale inhibition efficiency is not prominent,
      especially for calcium orthophosphate. So we introduced acylamino and hydroxyl
      groups simultaneously to prepare a novel polyaspartic-acid derivative (PASPTU)
      with multifunctional groups by the reaction of polysuccinimide with threonine and
      urea. The graft copolymer was analyzed by using nuclear magnetic resonance, gel
      permeation chromatography, thermogravimetric analyzer and Fourier transform
      infrared spectroscopy. Its scale inhibition performance for calcium
      orthophosphate, calcium sulfate and calcium carbonate was evaluated. The findings
      showed that the scale inhibition rates of the graft copolymer reached up to 100%
      for calcium orthophosphate, 100% for calcium sulfate and 91% for calcium
      carbonate at certain dosages. The findings above showed that the copolymer had
      excellent scale inhibition efficiency for calcium salts in water treatment
      processes.

PMID- 28355496
TI  - Recovery of ammonia through struvite production using anaerobic digestate of
      piggery wastewater and leachate of sewage sludge ash.
AB  - Anaerobic digestate of piggery wastewater (ADPW) contains high concentrations of
      ammonia and phosphorus with unbalanced molar ratio. Thus, ammonia remains at a
      high level even after phosphorus is completely removed through struvite
      formation. In this study, both ammonia and phosphorus were recovered by adding
      leachate of sewage sludge ash (SSA) into ADPW. It was demonstrated that 11,600 mg
      L-1 of total phosphorus and 7266.7 mg L-1 of [Formula: see text]-P were extracted
      from SSA by using sulfuric acid at the H2SO4/SSA mass ratio of 0.35. ADPW and the
      leachate of SSA were mixed at the volumetric ratio of 1:1.29, and then struvite
      was formed at the molar ratio of 1.2 (Mg2+):1.0 ([Formula: see text]-P):1.0 (NH3
      N). Removal efficiencies of ammonia and phosphorus were 91.95% and 99.65%,
      respectively. The obtained struvite was analyzed by various methods and was found
      to meet the Korean fertilizer standards, except for copper.

PMID- 28355497
TI  - Molecular characterization of dihydroneopterin aldolase and aminodeoxychorismate
      synthase in common bean-genes coding for enzymes in the folate synthesis pathway.
AB  - Common beans (Phaseolus vulgaris) are excellent sources of dietary folates, but
      different varieties contain different amounts of these compounds. Genes coding
      for dihydroneopterin aldolase (DHNA) and aminodeoxychorismate synthase (ADCS) of
      the folate synthesis pathway were characterized by PCR amplification, BAC clone
      sequencing, and whole genome sequencing. All DHNA and ADCS genes in the
      Mesoamerican cultivar OAC Rex were isolated and compared with those genes in the
      genome of Andean genotype G19833. Both genotypes have two functional DHNA genes
      and one pseudo gene. PvDHNA1 and PvDHNA2 proteins have similar secondary
      structures and conserved residues as DHNA homologs in Staphylococcus aureus and
      Arabidopsis. Sequence analysis and synteny mapping indicated that PvDHNA1 might
      be a duplicated and transposed copy of PvDHNA2. There is only one ADCS gene
      (PvADCS) identified in the bean genome and it is identical in OAC Rex and G19833.
      PvADCS has the conserved motifs required for catalytic activity similar to other
      plant ADCS homologs. DHNA and ADCS gene-specific markers were developed, mapped,
      and compared to their physical locations on chromosomes 1 and 7, respectively.
      The gene-specific markers developed in this study should be useful for detection
      and selection of varieties with enhanced folate contents in bean breeding
      programs.

PMID- 28355498
TI  - Multispectral Optoacoustic Tomography for Assessment of Crohn's Disease Activity.

PMID- 28355499
TI  - Quadrivalent HPV Vaccination and the Risk of Adverse Pregnancy Outcomes.
AB  - BACKGROUND: The quadrivalent human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine is recommended
      for all girls and women 9 to 26 years of age. Some women will have inadvertent
      exposure to vaccination during early pregnancy, but few data exist regarding the
      safety of the quadrivalent HPV vaccine in this context. METHODS: We assessed a
      cohort that included all the women in Denmark who had a pregnancy ending between
      October 1, 2006, and November 30, 2013. Using nationwide registers, we linked
      information on vaccination, adverse pregnancy outcomes, and potential confounders
      among women in the cohort. Women who had vaccine exposure during the prespecified
      time windows were matched for propensity score in a 1:4 ratio with women who did
      not have vaccine exposure during the same time windows. Outcomes included
      spontaneous abortion, stillbirth, major birth defect, small size for gestational
      age, low birth weight, and preterm birth. RESULTS: In matched analyses, exposure
      to the quadrivalent HPV vaccine was not associated with significantly higher
      risks than no exposure for major birth defect (65 cases among 1665 exposed
      pregnancies and 220 cases among 6660 unexposed pregnancies; prevalence odds
      ratio, 1.19; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.90 to 1.58), spontaneous abortion
      (20 cases among 463 exposed pregnancies and 131 cases among 1852 unexposed
      pregnancies; hazard ratio, 0.71; 95% CI, 0.45 to 1.14), preterm birth (116 cases
      among 1774 exposed pregnancies and 407 cases among 7096 unexposed pregnancies;
      prevalence odds ratio, 1.15; 95% CI, 0.93 to 1.42), low birth weight (76 cases
      among 1768 exposed pregnancies and 277 cases among 7072 unexposed pregnancies;
      prevalence odds ratio, 1.10; 95% CI, 0.85 to 1.43), small size for gestational
      age (171 cases among 1768 exposed pregnancies and 783 cases among 7072 unexposed
      pregnancies; prevalence odds ratio, 0.86; 95% CI, 0.72 to 1.02), or stillbirth (2
      cases among 501 exposed pregnancies and 4 cases among 2004 unexposed pregnancies;
      hazard ratio, 2.43; 95% CI, 0.45 to 13.21). CONCLUSIONS: Quadrivalent HPV
      vaccination during pregnancy was not associated with a significantly higher risk
      of adverse pregnancy outcomes than no such exposure. (Funded by the Novo Nordisk
      Foundation and the Danish Medical Research Council.).

PMID- 28355500
TI  - Case 10-2017 - A 6-Month-Old Boy with Gastrointestinal Bleeding and Abdominal
      Pain.

PMID- 28355501
TI  - U.S. Nutrition Assistance, 2018 - Modifying SNAP to Promote Population Health.

PMID- 28355502
TI  - Motorcycle-Helmet Laws and Public Health.

PMID- 28355503
TI  - From Trial to Target Populations - Calibrating Real-World Data.

PMID- 28355504
TI  - Acute Kidney Injury in Critically Ill Children and Young Adults.

PMID- 28355505
TI  - Acute Kidney Injury in Critically Ill Children and Young Adults.

PMID- 28355506
TI  - Convalescent Plasma and the Dose of Ebola Virus Antibodies.

PMID- 28355507
TI  - Convalescent Plasma and the Dose of Ebola Virus Antibodies.

PMID- 28355508
TI  - Myasthenia Gravis.

PMID- 28355510
TI  - Tumbu Fly Larvae.

PMID- 28355509
TI  - Prostate Cancer Screening - A Perspective on the Current State of the Evidence.

PMID- 28355512
TI  - Under Pressure.

PMID- 28355511
TI  - Docosahexaenoic Acid and Bronchopulmonary Dysplasia in Preterm Infants.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Studies in animals and in humans have suggested that docosahexaenoic
      acid (DHA), an n-3 long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acid, might reduce the risk
      of bronchopulmonary dysplasia, but appropriately designed trials are lacking.
      METHODS: We randomly assigned 1273 infants born before 29 weeks of gestation
      (stratified according to sex, gestational age [<27 weeks or 27 to <29 weeks], and
      center) within 3 days after their first enteral feeding to receive either an
      enteral emulsion providing DHA at a dose of 60 mg per kilogram of body weight per
      day or a control (soy) emulsion without DHA until 36 weeks of postmenstrual age.
      The primary outcome was bronchopulmonary dysplasia, defined on a physiological
      basis (with the use of oxygen-saturation monitoring in selected infants), at 36
      weeks of postmenstrual age or discharge home, whichever occurred first. RESULTS:
      A total of 1205 infants survived to the primary outcome assessment. Of the 592
      infants assigned to the DHA group, 291 (49.1% by multiple imputation) were
      classified as having physiological bronchopulmonary dysplasia, as compared with
      269 (43.9%) of the 613 infants assigned to the control group (relative risk
      adjusted for randomization strata, 1.13; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.02 to
      1.25; P=0.02). The composite outcome of physiological bronchopulmonary dysplasia
      or death before 36 weeks of postmenstrual age occurred in 52.3% of the infants in
      the DHA group and in 46.4% of the infants in the control group (adjusted relative
      risk, 1.11; 95% CI, 1.00 to 1.23; P=0.045). There were no significant differences
      between the two groups in the rates of death or any other neonatal illnesses.
      Bronchopulmonary dysplasia based on a clinical definition occurred in 53.2% of
      the infants in the DHA group and in 49.7% of the infants in the control group
      (P=0.06). CONCLUSIONS: Enteral DHA supplementation at a dose of 60 mg per
      kilogram per day did not result in a lower risk of physiological bronchopulmonary
      dysplasia than a control emulsion among preterm infants born before 29 weeks of
      gestation and may have resulted in a greater risk. (Funded by the Australian
      National Health and Medical Research Council and others; Australian New Zealand
      Clinical Trials Registry number, ACTRN12612000503820 .).

PMID- 28355513
TI  - Ensuring Vaccine Safety in Pregnant Women.

PMID- 28355514
TI  - Maternal Immunization.

PMID- 28355515
TI  - Shortened Antimicrobial Treatment for Acute Otitis Media.

PMID- 28355516
TI  - Kaposi's Sarcoma of the Oral Cavity.

PMID- 28355517
TI  - Repurposing a Bacterial Immune System to Discover Antiviral Targets.

PMID- 28355519
TI  - Errata.

PMID- 28355518
TI  - Code-based Diagnostic Algorithms for Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis. Case
      Validation and Improvement.
AB  - RATIONALE: Population-based studies of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) in the
      United States have been limited by reliance on diagnostic code-based algorithms
      that lack clinical validation. OBJECTIVES: To validate a well-accepted
      International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision, code-based algorithm
      for IPF using patient-level information and to develop a modified algorithm for
      IPF with enhanced predictive value. METHODS: The traditional IPF algorithm was
      used to identify potential cases of IPF in the Kaiser Permanente Northern
      California adult population from 2000 to 2014. Incidence and prevalence were
      determined overall and by age, sex, and race/ethnicity. A validation subset of
      cases (n = 150) underwent expert medical record and chest computed tomography
      review. A modified IPF algorithm was then derived and validated to optimize
      positive predictive value. RESULTS: From 2000 to 2014, the traditional IPF
      algorithm identified 2,608 cases among 5,389,627 at-risk adults in the Kaiser
      Permanente Northern California population. Annual incidence was 6.8/100,000
      person-years (95% confidence interval [CI], 6.1-7.7) and was higher in patients
      with older age, male sex, and white race. The positive predictive value of the
      IPF algorithm was only 42.2% (95% CI, 30.6 to 54.6%); sensitivity was 55.6% (95%
      CI, 21.2 to 86.3%). The corrected incidence was estimated at 5.6/100,000 person
      years (95% CI, 2.6-10.3). A modified IPF algorithm had improved positive
      predictive value but reduced sensitivity compared with the traditional algorithm.
      CONCLUSIONS: A well-accepted International Classification of Diseases, Ninth
      Revision, code-based IPF algorithm performs poorly, falsely classifying many non
      IPF cases as IPF and missing a substantial proportion of IPF cases. A
      modification of the IPF algorithm may be useful for future population-based
      studies of IPF.

PMID- 28355520
TI  - Errata.

PMID- 28355521
TI  - Errata.

PMID- 28355522
TI  - Errata.

PMID- 28355523
TI  - Errata.

PMID- 28355524
TI  - Ten years on: a review of medical terminations of pregnancy performed in a sexual
      health clinic.
AB  - : Background Access to medical termination of pregnancy (MToP) services in
      regional Queensland remains inadequate and it is still possible for women and
      providers to be criminally prosecuted for accessing or providing abortion. Cairns
      Sexual Health Service (CSHS) has been providing medical terminations of pregnancy
      for 10 years, demonstrating that this service can be safely and successfully
      integrated into a primary healthcare setting. METHODS: A retrospective audit of
      MToPs performed between 2011 and 2015 was conducted to follow on from our
      previously reported audit covering 2006-09. RESULTS: In total, 1859 MToPs have
      been performed by CHSH since 2006, with 1712 within the 5-year period of 2011-15.
      Changes in clinical practice over this time have streamlined the service and
      reduced unsuccessful outcomes from 12.2% between 2006 and 2009 to 0.9% between
      2011 and 2015. CONCLUSION: The initial provision of MToP through CSHS was
      anticipated to be a short-term arrangement; however, 10 years on, this service
      continues with strong community demand. Provision of MToP services through
      primary healthcare settings can help improve access for women living outside of
      major metropolitan areas. If moves to decriminalise abortion in Queensland are
      successful, there is potential for even greater access.

PMID- 28355525
TI  - Time to wait: a systematic review of strategies that affect out-patient waiting
      times.
AB  - Objective Out-patient waiting times pose a significant challenge for public
      patients in need of specialist evaluation and intervention. The aim of the
      present study was to identify and categorise effective strategies to reduce
      waiting times for specialist out-patient services with a focus on the Australian
      healthcare system. Methods A systematic review of major health databases was
      conducted using the key terms 'outpatient*' AND 'waiting time', 'process*' AND
      'improvement in outpatient clinics'. Identified articles were assessed for their
      relevance by sequential review of the title, abstract and full text. References
      of the selected manuscripts were scanned for additional relevant articles.
      Selected articles were evaluated for consistent and emerging themes. Results In
      all, 152 articles were screened, of which 38 were included in the present review.
      Numerous strategies identified in the articles were consolidated into 26
      consistent approaches. Three overarching themes were identified as significantly
      affecting waiting times: resource realignment, operational efficiency and process
      improvement. Conclusions Strategies to align resources, increase operational
      efficiency and improve processes provide a comprehensive approach that may reduce
      out-patient waiting times. What is known about the topic? Out-patient waiting
      times are a challenge in most countries that seek to provide universal access to
      health care for all citizens. Although there has been extensive research in this
      area, many patients still experience extensive delays accessing specialist care,
      particularly in the public health sector. The multiple factors that contribute to
      bottlenecks and inefficiencies in the referral process and affect patient waiting
      times are often poorly understood. What does this paper add? This paper reviews
      the published healthcare literature to identify strategies that affect specialist
      out-patient waiting times for patients. The findings suggest that there are
      numerous operational strategies that affect waiting times. These strategies may
      be categorised into three overarching themes (resource alignment, operational
      efficiencies and out-patient processes) that, when actioned in a coordinated
      approach, have the potential to significantly reduce out-patient waiting times.
      What are the implications for practitioners? This paper identifies evidence-based
      strategies for aligning resources, improving operational efficiency and
      streamlining processes, which may provide improvements to specialist out-patient
      waiting times for patients. Addressing the identified organisational, person
      related, cultural and attitudinal factors will assist health system managers and
      health practitioners target the most appropriate improvement activities to reduce
      waiting times.

PMID- 28355526
TI  - Community knowledge of law at the end of life: availability and accessibility of
      web-based resources.
AB  - Objective The aim of the present study was to identify online resources community
      members may access to inform themselves about their legal duties and rights in
      end-of-life decision making. Methods Resource mapping identified online resources
      that members of the public in New South Wales, Victoria and Queensland are likely
      to identify, and assessed the ease or difficulty in locating them. Resources were
      then critically analysed for accessibility of language and format using the
      Patient Education Materials Assessment Tool (PEMAT). Results Identified resources
      differed considerably based on whether search terms identified by community
      members or experts were used. Most resources focused on advance directives,
      enduring powers of attorney and substitute decision making. Relatively few
      provided information about legal duties (e.g. powers and responsibilities of
      substitute decision makers) or resolving conflict with health practitioners.
      Accessibility (understandability and actionability) of resource content varied.
      Conclusions Although numerous resources on end-of-life law are available online,
      community members may not be able to identify relevant resources or find resource
      content accessible. What is known about the topic? Research on participation by
      patients in decision making about their treatment has focused primarily on
      medical rather than legal knowledge. What does this paper add? The present study
      investigated which online resources community members may access to inform
      themselves about the law on end-of-life decision making. The resources identified
      were analysed for ease of location and content accessibility. What are the
      implications for practitioners? Authors of online resources on end-of-life
      decision making should consider whether their resources can be: (1) identified by
      search terms used by the public; (2) understood by a general audience; and (3)
      readily used to promote reader action.

PMID- 28355527
TI  - Feasibility evaluation of a pilot scribe-training program in an Australian
      emergency department.
AB  - Objective Medical scribes have an emerging and expanding role in health,
      particularly in Emergency Medicine in the US. Scribes assist physicians with
      documentation and clerical tasks at the bedside while the physician consults with
      his or her patient. Scribes increase medical productivity. The aim of the present
      study was to examine the feasibility of a pilot hospital-administered scribe
      training program in Australia and to evaluate the ability of an American training
      course (Medical Scribe Training Systems) to prepare trainee scribes for clinical
      training in an emergency department in Australia. Methods The present study was a
      pilot, prospective, observational cohort study from September 2015 to February
      2016 at Cabrini Emergency Department, Melbourne. Scribe trainees were enrolled in
      the pre-work course and then trained clinically. Feasibility of training scribes
      and limited efficacy testing of the course was undertaken. Results The course was
      acceptable to users and demand for training exists. There were many
      implementation tasks and issues experienced and resources were required to
      prepare the site for scribe implementation. Ten trainees were enrolled for
      preclinical training. Six candidates undertook clinical training, five achieved
      competency (required seven to 16 clinical shifts after the preclinical course).
      The training course was helpful and provided a good introduction to the scribe
      role. The course required adaptation to a non-US setting and the specific
      hospital setting. In addition, it needed more detail in some common emergency
      department topics. Conclusion Training scribes at a hospital in Australia is
      feasible. The US training course used can assist with preclinical training.
      Course modification is required. What is known about the topic? Scribes increase
      emergency physician productivity in Australia. There is no previous work on how
      to train scribes in Australia. What does this paper add? We show that
      implementing a scribe-training program is feasible and that a training package
      can be purchased from the US to train scribes in Australia and that it is useful.
      We also show the adaptation that the course may require to meet Australian
      emergency department needs. What are the implications for practitioners? Scribes
      could become an additional member of the emergency department team in Australia
      and can be trained locally.

PMID- 28355528
TI  - Making every Australian count: challenges for the National Disability Insurance
      Scheme (NDIS) and the equal inclusion of homeless Aboriginal and Torres Strait
      Islander Peoples with neurocognitive disability.
AB  - This article highlights the dearth of accurate evidence available to inform the
      National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) regarding the extent and nature of
      neurocognitive disability amongst homeless Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander
      people. Without accurate prevalence rates of neurocognitive disability, homeless
      Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people are in danger of not being counted
      by the NDIS and not receiving supports to which they are entitled. Addressing
      this knowledge gap is challenged by a range of factors, including: (1) the long
      term effect of profound intergenerational disenfranchisement of Aboriginal and
      Torres Strait Islander people; (2) Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultural
      perspectives around disability; (3) the generally unrecognised and poorly
      understood nature of neurocognitive disability; (4) the use of research methods
      that are not culturally safe; (5) research logistics; and (6) the absence of
      culturally appropriate assessment tools to identify prevalence. It is argued that
      an accurate evidence base that is informed by culturally safe research methods
      and assessment tools is needed to accurately guide the Commonwealth government
      and the National Disability Insurance Agency about the expected level of need for
      the NDIS. Research within this framework will contribute to the realisation of a
      truly inclusive NDIS.

PMID- 28355529
TI  - Allied health leadership in New South Wales: a study of perceptions and
      priorities of allied health leaders.
AB  - Objective The aim of the present study was to investigate the opinions and
      perceptions of senior allied health (AH) leaders in relation to AH leadership,
      governance and organisation from an Australian public health perspective. The
      target group was the New South Wales (NSW) Health AH directors or advisors, the
      most senior public AH professionals in NSW. Methods The study was conducted over
      a 6-month period in 2014-15 and comprised two parts: (1) data collection through
      a 46-question online survey that sought the views of AH leaders about the field
      of AH in NSW; and (2) two confirmatory focus groups with members of the NSW
      Health Allied Health Directors Committee. Results The online questionnaire
      generated novel information about the field of AH in the public sector of NSW,
      including the current organisation, governance and culture of AH. Focus group
      participants explored key findings in greater depth, including the effects of AH
      on and value of AH to the health system as a whole, as well as the attributes and
      competencies required by AH leaders. Participants identified the need to build
      and grow their influence, to more clearly demonstrate AH's contribution and to
      realign efforts towards more strategic issues influencing governance,
      performance, professional standards and advocacy. This entailed broadening the
      vision and scope of AH Directors as well as across discipline leaders. Conclusion
      The results provide new information about Australian AH leadership, governance,
      culture and organisation, and highlight potential priorities for future
      leadership activities. What is known about this topic? Although leadership is
      considered an essential element in the provision of high-quality health care,
      leadership across AH remains underexamined. What does this paper add? There is a
      paucity of literature pertaining to AH leadership nationally and internationally.
      This paper describes the issues affecting AH leaders and leadership in NSW, as
      reported by senior AH leaders. What are the implications for practitioners? This
      study identifies key elements related to AH leadership and governance. Health
      systems and services can use this information to implement strategies that
      enhance AH leadership capability.

PMID- 28355530
TI  - Effects of benzo[a]pyrene dietary intake to antioxidative enzymes of Lymantria
      dispar (Lepidoptera: Lymantriidae) larvae from unpolluted and polluted forests.
AB  - Anthropogenic activity in industrial development has imposed great threats to the
      environment and wildlife in the form of persistent organic pollutants. Polycyclic
      aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) tend to accumulate in vegetation foliage which is the
      main food source of polyphagous insect species Lymantria dispar L. Origin and
      multigenerational adaptation of L. dispar population to environmental challenges
      strongly condition the enzymes' sensitivity to pollutants. In this study, our aim
      was to investigate response of the superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT) and
      glutathione S-transferase (GST) to the chronic dietary exposure of benzo[a]pyrene
      in the midgut tissues and hemolymph of two L. dispar populations originating from
      unpolluted and polluted forest habitat. Midgut tissue of the larvae from the
      polluted forest showed significant increase in SOD, CAT and GST activity, while
      in unpolluted forest's larvae SOD and CAT showed elevated activities in
      hemolymph. L. dispar populations adapted to different level of pollution in their
      environment and expressed distinct tissue-dependent antioxidative enzyme
      sensitivity to benzo[a]pyrene diet, implying high potential for further
      elucidation of these enzymes as molecular biomarkers.

PMID- 28355532
TI  - FISHing Out the Details of CRISPR Genome Tracks.

PMID- 28355533
TI  - If Life Keeps Throwing Curveballs, You've Probably Reached a Wall.

PMID- 28355531
TI  - Using a genome-scale metabolic network model to elucidate the mechanism of
      chloroquine action in Plasmodium falciparum.
AB  - Chloroquine, long the default first-line treatment against malaria, is now
      abandoned in large parts of the world because of widespread drug-resistance in
      Plasmodium falciparum. In spite of its importance as a cost-effective and
      efficient drug, a coherent understanding of the cellular mechanisms affected by
      chloroquine and how they influence the fitness and survival of the parasite
      remains elusive. Here, we used a systems biology approach to integrate genome
      scale transcriptomics to map out the effects of chloroquine, identify targeted
      metabolic pathways, and translate these findings into mechanistic insights.
      Specifically, we first developed a method that integrates transcriptomic and
      metabolomic data, which we independently validated against a recently published
      set of such data for Krebs-cycle mutants of P. falciparum. We then used the
      method to calculate the effect of chloroquine treatment on the metabolic flux
      profiles of P. falciparum during the intraerythrocytic developmental cycle. The
      model predicted dose-dependent inhibition of DNA replication, in agreement with
      earlier experimental results for both drug-sensitive and drug-resistant P.
      falciparum strains. Our simulations also corroborated experimental findings that
      suggest differences in chloroquine sensitivity between ring- and schizont-stage
      P. falciparum. Our analysis also suggests that metabolic fluxes that govern
      reduced thioredoxin and phosphoenolpyruvate synthesis are significantly decreased
      and are pivotal to chloroquine-based inhibition of P. falciparum DNA replication.
      The consequences of impaired phosphoenolpyruvate synthesis and redox metabolism
      are reduced carbon fixation and increased oxidative stress, respectively, both of
      which eventually facilitate killing of the parasite. Our analysis suggests that a
      combination of chloroquine (or an analogue) and another drug, which inhibits
      carbon fixation and/or increases oxidative stress, should increase the clearance
      of P. falciparum from the host system.

PMID- 28355534
TI  - Synthetic Biology: Engineering Living Systems from Biophysical Principles.
AB  - Synthetic biology was founded as a biophysical discipline that sought
      explanations for the origins of life from chemical and physical first principles.
      Modern synthetic biology has been reinvented as an engineering discipline to
      design new organisms as well as to better understand fundamental biological
      mechanisms. However, success is still largely limited to the laboratory and
      transformative applications of synthetic biology are still in their infancy.
      Here, we review six principles of living systems and how they compare and
      contrast with engineered systems. We cite specific examples from the synthetic
      biology literature that illustrate these principles and speculate on their
      implications for further study. To fully realize the promise of synthetic
      biology, we must be aware of life's unique properties.

PMID- 28355535
TI  - Volume Transitions of Isolated Cell Nuclei Induced by Rapid Temperature Increase.
AB  - Understanding the physical mechanisms governing nuclear mechanics is important as
      it can impact gene expression and development. However, how cell nuclei respond
      to external cues such as heat is not well understood. Here, we studied the
      material properties of isolated nuclei in suspension using an optical stretcher.
      We demonstrate that isolated nuclei regulate their volume in a highly temperature
      sensitive manner. At constant temperature, isolated nuclei behaved like passive,
      elastic and incompressible objects, whose volume depended on the pH and ionic
      conditions. When the temperature was increased suddenly by even a few degrees
      Kelvin, nuclei displayed a repeatable and reversible temperature-induced volume
      transition, whose sign depended on the valency of the solvent. Such phenomenon is
      not observed for nuclei subjected to slow heating. The transition temperature
      could be shifted by adiabatic changes of the ambient temperature, and the
      magnitude of temperature-induced volume transition could be modulated by
      modifying the chromatin compaction state and remodeling processes. Our findings
      reveal that the cell nucleus can be viewed as a highly charged polymer gel with
      intriguing thermoresponsive properties, which might play a role in nuclear volume
      regulation and thermosensing in living cells.

PMID- 28355536
TI  - Tracking Multiple Genomic Elements Using Correlative CRISPR Imaging and
      Sequential DNA FISH.
AB  - Live imaging of genome has offered important insights into the dynamics of the
      genome organization and gene expression. The demand to image simultaneously
      multiple genomic loci has prompted a flurry of exciting advances in multicolor
      CRISPR imaging, although color-based multiplexing is limited by the need for
      spectrally distinct fluorophores. Here we introduce an approach to achieve highly
      multiplexed live recording via correlative CRISPR imaging and sequential DNA
      fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH). This approach first performs one-color
      live imaging of multiple genomic loci and then uses sequential rounds of DNA FISH
      to determine the loci identity. We have optimized the FISH protocol so that each
      round is complete in 1 min, demonstrating the identification of seven genomic
      elements and the capability to sustain reversible staining and washing for up to
      20 rounds. We have also developed a correlation-based algorithm to faithfully
      register live and FISH images. Our approach keeps the rest of the color palette
      open to image other cellular phenomena of interest, as demonstrated by our
      simultaneous live imaging of genomic loci together with a cell cycle reporter.
      Furthermore, the algorithm to register faithfully between live and fixed imaging
      is directly transferrable to other systems such as multiplex RNA imaging with RNA
      FISH and multiplex protein imaging with antibody-staining.

PMID- 28355537
TI  - Ephemeral Protein Binding to DNA Shapes Stable Nuclear Bodies and Chromatin
      Domains.
AB  - Fluorescence microscopy reveals that the contents of many (membrane-free) nuclear
      bodies exchange rapidly with the soluble pool while the underlying structure
      persists; such observations await a satisfactory biophysical explanation. To shed
      light on this, we perform large-scale Brownian dynamics simulations of a
      chromatin fiber interacting with an ensemble of (multivalent) DNA-binding
      proteins able to switch between an "on" (binding) and an "off" (nonbinding)
      state. This system provides a model for any DNA-binding protein that can be
      posttranslationally modified to change its affinity for DNA (e.g., through
      phosphorylation). Protein switching is a nonequilibrium process, and it leads to
      the formation of clusters of self-limiting size, where individual proteins in a
      cluster exchange with the soluble pool with kinetics similar to those seen in
      photobleaching experiments. This behavior contrasts sharply with that exhibited
      by nonswitching proteins, which are permanently in the on-state; when these bind
      to DNA nonspecifically, they form clusters that grow indefinitely in size. To
      explain these findings, we propose a mean-field theory from which we obtain a
      scaling relation between the typical cluster size and the protein switching rate.
      Protein switching also reshapes intrachromatin contacts to give networks
      resembling those seen in topologically associating domains, as switching markedly
      favors local (short-range) contacts over distant ones. Our results point to
      posttranslational modification of chromatin-bridging proteins as a generic
      mechanism driving the self-assembly of highly dynamic, nonequilibrium, protein
      clusters with the properties of nuclear bodies.

PMID- 28355538
TI  - Understanding the Relative Flexibility of RNA and DNA Duplexes: Stretching and
      Twist-Stretch Coupling.
AB  - The flexibility of double-stranded (ds) RNA and dsDNA is crucial for their
      biological functions. Recent experiments have shown that the flexibility of dsRNA
      and dsDNA can be distinctively different in the aspects of stretching and twist
      stretch coupling. Although various studies have been performed to understand the
      flexibility of dsRNA and dsDNA, there is still a lack of deep understanding of
      the distinctive differences in the flexibility of dsRNA and dsDNA helices as
      pertains to their stretching and twist-stretch coupling. In this work, we have
      explored the relative flexibility in stretching and twist-stretch coupling
      between dsRNA and dsDNA by all-atom molecular dynamics simulations. The
      calculated stretch modulus and twist-stretch coupling are in good accordance with
      the existing experiments. Our analyses show that the differences in stretching
      and twist-stretch coupling between dsRNA and dsDNA helices are mainly attributed
      to their different (A- and B-form) helical structures. Stronger basepair
      inclination and slide in dsRNA is responsible for the apparently weaker
      stretching rigidity versus that of dsDNA, and the opposite twist-stretch coupling
      for dsRNA and dsDNA is also attributed to the stronger basepair inclination in
      dsRNA than in dsDNA. Our calculated macroscopic elastic parameters and
      microscopic analyses are tested and validated by different force fields for both
      dsRNA and dsDNA.

PMID- 28355540
TI  - Arginase of Helicobacter Gastric Pathogens Uses a Unique Set of Non-catalytic
      Residues for Catalysis.
AB  - Helicobacter pylori arginase, a bimetallic enzyme, is crucial for pathogenesis of
      the bacterium in human stomach. Despite conservation of the signature motifs in
      all arginases, the H. pylori homolog has a non-conserved motif
      (153ESEEKAWQKLCSL165), whose role was recently shown to be critical for its
      stability and function. The sequence analysis also reveals the presence of this
      motif with critical residues in the homolog of other Helicobacter gastric
      pathogens. However, the underlying mechanism for its significance in catalytic
      function is not clearly understood. Using H. pylori arginase, our studies reveal
      that the interactions of His122 and Tyr125 with Trp159 are indispensable for
      tertiary structural intactness through optimal positioning of the motif and thus
      for the catalytic function. The single and double mutants of His122 and Tyr125
      not only enhanced the solvent accessibility and conformational flexibility of
      Trp159 in the holo protein, but also showed complete loss of catalytic activity.
      An intact bimetallic center and unaltered substrate binding indicate that proper
      positioning of the motif by aromatic-aromatic contact is vital for the generation
      of a catalytically active conformation. Additionally, the metal ions provide
      higher stability to the holo protein. We also identified the presence of these
      two residues exclusively in arginase of other Helicobacter gastric pathogens,
      which may have similar function. Therefore, to the best of our knowledge, these
      findings highlight for the first time that arginase of all Helicobacter gastric
      pathogens utilizes a unique non-catalytic triad for catalysis, which could be
      exploited for therapeutics.

PMID- 28355539
TI  - Opposing Intermolecular Tuning of Ca2+ Affinity for Calmodulin by Neurogranin and
      CaMKII Peptides.
AB  - We investigated the impact of bound calmodulin (CaM)-target compound structure on
      the affinity of calcium (Ca2+) by integrating coarse-grained models and all
      atomistic simulations with nonequilibrium physics. We focused on binding between
      CaM and two specific targets, Ca2+/CaM-dependent protein kinase II (CaMKII) and
      neurogranin (Ng), as they both regulate CaM-dependent Ca2+ signaling pathways in
      neurons. It was shown experimentally that Ca2+/CaM (holoCaM) binds to the CaMKII
      peptide with overwhelmingly higher affinity than Ca2+-free CaM (apoCaM); the
      binding of CaMKII peptide to CaM in return increases the Ca2+ affinity for CaM.
      However, this reciprocal relation was not observed in the Ng peptide (Ng13-49),
      which binds to apoCaM or holoCaM with binding affinities of the same order of
      magnitude. Unlike the holoCaM-CaMKII peptide, whose structure can be determined
      by crystallography, the structural description of the apoCaM-Ng13-49 is unknown
      due to low binding affinity, therefore we computationally generated an ensemble
      of apoCaM-Ng13-49 structures by matching the changes in the chemical shifts of
      CaM upon Ng13-49 binding from nuclear magnetic resonance experiments. Next, we
      computed the changes in Ca2+ affinity for CaM with and without binding targets in
      atomistic models using Jarzynski's equality. We discovered the molecular
      underpinnings of lowered affinity of Ca2+ for CaM in the presence of Ng13-49 by
      showing that the N-terminal acidic region of Ng peptide pries open the beta-sheet
      structure between the Ca2+ binding loops particularly at C-domain of CaM,
      enabling Ca2+ release. In contrast, CaMKII peptide increases Ca2+ affinity for
      the C-domain of CaM by stabilizing the two Ca2+ binding loops. We speculate that
      the distinctive structural difference in the bound complexes of apoCaM-Ng13-49
      and holoCaM-CaMKII delineates the importance of CaM's progressive mechanism of
      target binding on its Ca2+ binding affinities.

PMID- 28355542
TI  - Exploring Binding Mechanisms in Nuclear Hormone Receptors by Monte Carlo and X
      ray-derived Motions.
AB  - In this study, we performed an extensive exploration of the ligand entry
      mechanism for members of the steroid nuclear hormone receptor family (androgen
      receptor, estrogen receptor alpha, glucocorticoid receptor, mineralocorticoid
      receptor, and progesterone receptor) and their endogenous ligands. The
      exploration revealed a shared entry path through the helix 3, 7, and 11 regions.
      Examination of the x-ray structures of the receptor-ligand complexes further
      showed two distinct folds of the helix 6-7 region, classified as "open" and
      "closed", which could potentially affect ligand binding. To improve sampling of
      the helix 6-7 loop, we incorporated motion modes based on principal component
      analysis of existing crystal structures of the receptors and applied them to the
      protein-ligand sampling. A detailed comparison with the anisotropic network model
      (an elastic network model) highlights the importance of flexibility in the
      entrance region. While the binding (interaction) energy of individual simulations
      can be used to score different ligands, extensive sampling further allows us to
      predict absolute binding free energies and analyze reaction kinetics using Markov
      state models and Perron-cluster cluster analysis, respectively. The predicted
      relative binding free energies for three ligands binding to the progesterone
      receptor are in very good agreement with experimental results and the Perron
      cluster cluster analysis highlighted the importance of a peripheral binding site.
      Our analysis revealed that the flexibility of the helix 3, 7, and 11 regions
      represents the most important factor for ligand binding. Furthermore, the
      hydrophobicity of the ligand influences the transition between the peripheral and
      the active binding site.

PMID- 28355541
TI  - A Combined NMR and SAXS Analysis of the Partially Folded Cataract-Associated V75D
      gammaD-Crystallin.
AB  - A cataract is a pathological condition characterized by the clouding of the
      normally clear eye lens brought about by deposition of crystallin proteins in the
      lens fiber cells. These protein aggregates reduce visual acuity by scattering or
      blocking incoming light. Chemical damage to proteins of the crystallin family,
      accumulated over a lifetime, leads to age-related cataract, whereas inherited
      mutations are associated with congenital or early-onset cataract. The V75D mutant
      of gammaD-crystallin is associated with congenital cataract in mice and was
      previously shown to un/fold via a partially folded intermediate. Here, we
      structurally characterized the stable equilibrium urea unfolding intermediate of
      V75D at the ensemble level using solution NMR and small-angle x-ray scattering.
      Our data show that, in the intermediate, the C-terminal domain retains a folded
      conformation that is similar to the native wild-type protein, whereas the N
      terminal domain is unfolded and comprises an ensemble of random conformers,
      without any detectable residual structural propensities.

PMID- 28355543
TI  - Structural Analysis of a Temperature-Induced Transition in a Viral Capsid Probed
      by HDX-MS.
AB  - Icosahedral viral capsids are made of a large number of symmetrically organized
      protein subunits whose local movements can be essential for infection. In the
      capsid of the minute virus of mice, events required for infection that involve
      translocation of peptides through capsid pores are associated with a subtle
      conformational change. In vitro, this change can be reversibly induced by
      overcoming the energy barrier through mild heating of the capsid, but little is
      known about the capsid regions involved in the process. Here, we use hydrogen
      deuterium exchange coupled to mass spectrometry to analyze the dynamics of the
      minute virus of mice capsid at increasing temperatures. Our results indicate that
      the transition associated with peptide translocation involves the structural
      rearrangement of regions distant from the capsid pores. These alterations are
      reflected in an increased dynamics of some secondary-structure elements in the
      capsid shell from which spikes protrude, and a decreased dynamics in the long
      intertwined loops that form the large capsid spikes. Thus, the translocation
      events through capsid pores involve a global conformational rearrangement of the
      capsid and a complex alteration of its equilibrium dynamics. This study
      additionally demonstrates the potential of hydrogen-deuterium exchange coupled to
      mass spectrometry to explore in detail temperature-dependent structural dynamics
      in large macromolecular protein assemblies. Most importantly, it paves the way
      for undertaking novel studies of the relationship between structure, dynamics,
      and biological function in virus particles and other large protein cages.

PMID- 28355545
TI  - Membrane Phase-Dependent Occlusion of Intramolecular GLUT1 Cavities Demonstrated
      by Simulations.
AB  - Experimental evidence has shown a close correlation between the composition and
      physical state of the membrane bilayer and glucose transport activity via the
      glucose transporter GLUT1. Cooling alters the membrane lipids from the fluid to
      gel phase, and also causes a large decrease in the net glucose transport rate.
      The goal of this study is to investigate how the physical phase of the membrane
      alters glucose transporter structural dynamics using molecular-dynamics
      simulations. Simulations from an initial fluid to gel phase reduce the size of
      the cavities and tunnels traversing the protein and connecting the external
      regions of the transporter and the central binding site. These effects can be
      ascribed solely to membrane structural changes since in silico cooling of the
      membrane alone, while maintaining the higher protein temperature, shows protein
      structural and dynamic changes very similar to those observed with uniform
      cooling. These results demonstrate that the protein structure is sensitive to the
      membrane phase, and have implications for how transmembrane protein structures
      respond to their physical environment.

PMID- 28355544
TI  - Complex Photochemistry within the Green-Absorbing Channelrhodopsin ReaChR.
AB  - Channelrhodopsins (ChRs) are light-activated ion channels widely employed for
      photostimulation of excitable cells. This study focuses on ReaChR, a chimeric ChR
      variant with optimal properties for optogenetic applications. We combined
      electrophysiological recordings with infrared and UV-visible spectroscopic
      measurements to investigate photocurrents and photochemical properties of ReaChR.
      Our data imply that ReaChR is green-light activated (lambdamax = 532 nm) with a
      non-rhodopsin-like action spectrum peaking at 610 nm for stationary
      photocurrents. This unusual spectral feature is associated with photoconversion
      of a previously unknown light-sensitive, blue-shifted photocycle intermediate L
      (lambdamax = 495 nm), which is accumulated under continuous illumination. To
      explain the complex photochemical reactions, we propose a symmetrical two-cycle
      model based on the two C15=N isomers of the retinal cofactor with either syn- or
      anti-configuration, each comprising six consecutive states D, K, L, M, N, and O.
      Ion conduction involves two states per cycle, the late M- (M2) with a
      deprotonated retinal Schiff base and the consecutive green-absorbing N-state that
      both equilibrate via reversible reprotonation. In our model, a fraction of the
      deprotonated M-intermediate of the anti-cycle may be photoconverted-as the L
      state-back to its inherent dark state, or to its M-state pendant (M') of the syn
      cycle. The latter reaction pathway requires a C13=C14, C15=N double-isomerization
      of the retinal chromophore, whereas the intracircular photoconversion of M back
      to D involves only one C13=C14 double-bond isomerization.

PMID- 28355546
TI  - Gramicidin A Channel Formation Induces Local Lipid Redistribution I: Experiment
      and Simulation.
AB  - Integral membrane protein function can be modulated by the host bilayer. Because
      biological membranes are diverse and nonuniform, we explore the consequences of
      lipid diversity using gramicidin A channels embedded in phosphatidylcholine (PC)
      bilayers composed of equimolar mixtures of di-oleoyl-PC and di-erucoyl-PC
      (dC18:1+dC22:1, respectively), di-palmitoleoyl-PC and di-nervonoyl-PC
      (dC16:1+dC24:1, respectively), and di-eicosenoyl-PC (pure dC20:1), all of which
      have the same average bilayer chain length. Single-channel lifetime experiments,
      molecular dynamics simulations, and a simple lipid compression model are used in
      tandem to gain insight into lipid redistribution around the channel, which
      partially alleviates the bilayer deformation energy associated with channel
      formation. The average single-channel lifetimes in the two-component bilayers (95
      +/- 10 ms for dC18:1+dC22:1 and 195 +/- 20 ms for dC16:1+dC24:1) were increased
      relative to the single-component dC20:1 control bilayer (65 +/- 10 ms), implying
      lipid redistribution. Using a theoretical treatment of thickness-dependent
      changes in channel lifetimes, the effective local enrichment of lipids around the
      channel was estimated to be 58 +/- 4% dC18:1 and 66 +/- 2% dC16:1 in the
      dC18:1+dC22:1 and dC16:1+dC24:1 bilayers, respectively. 3.5-MUs molecular
      dynamics simulations show 66 +/- 2% dC16:1 in the first lipid shell around the
      channel in the dC16:1+dC24:1 bilayer, but no significant redistribution (50 +/-
      4% dC18:1) in the dC18:1+dC22:1 bilayer; these simulated values are within the
      95% confidence intervals of the experimental averages. The strong preference for
      the better matching lipid (dC16:1) near the channel in the dC16:1+dC24:1 mixture
      and lesser redistribution in the dC18:1+dC22:1 mixture can be explained by the
      energetic cost associated with compressing the lipids to match the channel's
      hydrophobic length.

PMID- 28355547
TI  - Gramicidin A Channel Formation Induces Local Lipid Redistribution II: A 3D
      Continuum Elastic Model.
AB  - To change conformation, a protein must deform the surrounding bilayer. In this
      work, a three-dimensional continuum elastic model for gramicidin A in a lipid
      bilayer is shown to describe the sensitivity to thickness, curvature stress, and
      the mechanical properties of the lipid bilayer. A method is demonstrated to
      extract the gramicidin-lipid boundary condition from all-atom simulations that
      can be used in the three-dimensional continuum model. The boundary condition
      affects the deformation dramatically, potentially much more than typical
      variations in the material stiffness do as lipid composition is changed.
      Moreover, it directly controls the sensitivity to curvature stress. The curvature
      stress and hydrophobic surfaces of the all-atom and continuum models are found to
      be in excellent agreement. The continuum model is applied to estimate the
      enrichment of hydrophobically matched lipids near the channel in a mixture, and
      the results agree with single-channel experiments and extended molecular dynamics
      simulations from the companion article by Beaven et al. in this issue of
      Biophysical Journal.

PMID- 28355548
TI  - Deconvolution of Camera Instrument Response Functions.
AB  - Temporal sequences of fluorescence intensities in single-molecule experiments are
      often obtained from stacks of camera images. The dwell times of different
      macromolecular structural or functional states, correlated with characteristic
      fluorescence intensities, are extracted from the images and combined into dwell
      time distributions that are fitted by kinetic functions to extract corresponding
      rate constants. The frame rate of the camera limits the time resolution of the
      experiment and thus the fastest rate processes that can be reliably detected and
      quantified. However, including the influence of discrete sampling (framing) on
      the detected time series in the fitted model enables rate processes near to the
      frame rate to be reliably estimated. This influence, similar to the instrument
      response function in other types of instruments, such as pulsed emission decay
      fluorometers, is easily incorporated into the fitted model. The same concept
      applies to any temporal data that is low-pass filtered or decimated to improve
      signal to noise ratio.

PMID- 28355549
TI  - A Sigmoid Functional Response Emerges When Cytotoxic T Lymphocytes Start Killing
      Fresh Target Cells.
AB  - Cytotoxic T lymphocyte (CTL)-mediated killing involves the formation of a synapse
      with a target cell, followed by delivery of perforin and granzymes. Previously,
      we derived a general functional response for CTL killing while considering that
      CTLs form stable synapses (i.e., single-stage) and that the number of conjugates
      remains at steady state. However, the killing of target cells sometimes requires
      multiple engagements (i.e., multistage). To study how multistage killing and a
      lack of steady state influence the functional response, we here analyze a set of
      differential equations as well as simulations employing the cellular Potts model,
      in both cases describing CTLs that kill target cells. We find that at steady
      state the total killing rate (i.e., the number of target cells killed by all
      CTLs) is well described by the previously derived double saturation function.
      Compared to single-stage killing, the total killing rate during multistage
      killing saturates at higher CTL and target cell densities. Importantly, when the
      killing is measured before the steady state is approached, a qualitatively
      different functional response emerges for two reasons: First, the killing signal
      of each CTL gets diluted over several targets and because this dilution effect is
      strongest at high target cell densities; this can result in a peak in the
      dependence of the total killing rate on the target cell density. Second, the
      total killing rate exhibits a sigmoid dependence on the CTL density when killing
      is a multistage process, because it takes typically more than one CTL to kill a
      target. In conclusion, a sigmoid dependence of the killing rate on the CTLs
      during initial phases of killing may be indicative of a multistage killing
      process. Observation of a sigmoid functional response may thus arise from a
      dilution effect and is not necessarily due to cooperative behavior of the CTLs.

PMID- 28355550
TI  - Mechanotransduction-Induced Reversible Phenotypic Switching in Prostate Cancer
      Cells.
AB  - Phenotypic plasticity is posed to be a vital trait of cancer cells such as
      circulating tumor cells, allowing them to undergo reversible or irreversible
      switching between phenotypic states important for tumorigenesis and metastasis.
      While irreversible phenotypic switching can be detected by studying the genome,
      reversible phenotypic switching is often difficult to examine due to its dynamic
      nature and the lack of knowledge about its contributing factors. In this study,
      we demonstrate that culturing cells in different physical environments, stiff,
      soft, or suspension, induced a phenotypic switch in prostate cancer cells via
      mechanotransduction. The mechanosensitive phenotypic switching in prostate cancer
      cells was sustainable yet reversible even after long-term culture, demonstrating
      the impact of mechanical signals on prostate cancer cell phenotypes. Importantly,
      such a mechanotransduction-mediated phenotypic switch in prostate cancer cells
      was accompanied by decreased sensitivity of the cells to paclitaxel, suggesting a
      role of mechanotransduction in the evolution of drug resistance. Multiple
      signaling pathways such as p38MAPK, ERK, and Wnt were found to be involved in the
      mechanotransduction-induced phenotypic switching of prostate cancer cells. Given
      that cancer cells experience different physical environments during disease
      progression, this study provides useful information about the important role of
      mechanotransduction in cancer, and how circulating tumor cells may be capable of
      continuously changing their phenotypes throughout the disease process.

PMID- 28355551
TI  - Unraveling the Receptor-Ligand Interactions between Bladder Cancer Cells and the
      Endothelium Using AFM.
AB  - Adhesion of cancer cells to endothelial cells is a key step in cancer metastasis;
      therefore, identifying the key molecules involved during this process promises to
      aid in efforts to block the metastatic cascade. We have previously shown that
      intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (ICAM-1) expressed by endothelial cells is
      involved in the interactions of bladder cancer cells (BCs) with the endothelium.
      However, the ICAM-1 ligands have never been investigated. In this study, we
      combined adhesion assays and atomic force microscopy (AFM) to identify the
      ligands involved and to quantify the forces relevant in such interactions. We
      report the expression of MUC1 and CD43 on BCs, and demonstrate that these ligands
      interact with ICAM-1 to mediate cancer cell-endothelial cell adhesion in the case
      of the more invasive BCs. This was achieved with the use of adhesion assays,
      which showed a strong decrease in the attachment of BCs to endothelial cells when
      MUC1 and CD43 were blocked by antibodies. In addition, AFM measurements showed a
      similar decrease, by up to 70%, in the number of rupture events that occurred
      when MUC1 and CD43 were blocked. When we applied a Gaussian mixture model to the
      AFM data, we observed a distinct force range for receptor-ligand bonds, which
      allowed us to precisely identify the interactions of ICAM-1 with MUC1 or CD43.
      Furthermore, a detailed analysis of the rupture events suggested that CD43 is
      strongly connected to the cytoskeleton and that its interaction with ICAM-1
      mainly corresponds to force ramps followed by sudden jumps. In contrast, MUC1
      seems to be weakly connected to the cytoskeleton, as its interactions with ICAM-1
      are mainly associated with the formation of tethers. This analysis is quite
      promising and may also be applied to other types of cancer cells.

PMID- 28355552
TI  - Energy Transfer Mechanisms during Molecular Delivery to Cells by Laser-Activated
      Carbon Nanoparticles.
AB  - Previous studies have shown that exposure of carbon black nanoparticles to
      nanosecond pulsed near-infrared laser causes intracellular delivery of molecules
      through hypothesized transient breaks in the cell membrane. The goal of this
      study is to determine the underlying mechanisms of sequential energy transfer
      from laser light to nanoparticle to fluid medium to cell. We found that laser
      pulses on a timescale of 10 ns rapidly heat carbon nanoparticles to temperatures
      on the order of 1200 K. Heat is transferred from the nanoparticles to the
      surrounding aqueous medium on a similar timescale, causing vaporization of the
      surrounding water and generation of acoustic emissions. Nearby cells can be
      impacted thermally by the hot bubbles and mechanically by fluid mechanical forces
      to transiently increase cell membrane permeability. The experimental and
      theoretical results indicate that transfer of momentum and/or heat from the
      bubbles to the cells are the dominant mechanisms of energy transfer that results
      in intracellular uptake of molecules. We further conclude that neither thermal
      expansion of the nanoparticles nor a carbon-steam chemical reaction play a
      significant role in the observed effects on cells, and that acoustic pressure
      appears to be concurrent with, but not essential to, the observed bioeffects.

PMID- 28355553
TI  - Deciphering CaMKII Multimerization Using Fluorescence Correlation Spectroscopy
      and Homo-FRET Analysis.
AB  - While kinases are typically composed of one or two subunits, calcium-calmodulin
      (CaM)-dependent protein kinase II (CaMKII) is composed of 8-14 subunits arranged
      as pairs around a central core. It is not clear if the CaMKII holoenzyme
      functions as an assembly of independent subunits, as catalytic pairs, or as a
      single unit. One strategy to address this question is to genetically engineer
      monomeric and dimeric CaMKII and evaluate how their activity compares to the wild
      type (WT) holoenzyme. Here a technique that combines fluorescence correlation
      spectroscopy and homo-FRET analysis was used to characterize assembly mutants of
      Venus-tagged CaMKIIalpha to identify a dimeric CaMKII. Spectroscopy was then used
      to compare how holoenzyme structure and function changes in response to
      activation with CaM in the dimeric mutant, WT-holoenzyme, and a monomeric CaMKII
      oligomerization-domain deletion mutant control. CaM triggered an increase in
      hydrodynamic volume in both WT and dimeric CaMKII without altering subunit
      stoichiometry or the net homo-FRET between Venus-tagged catalytic domains.
      Biochemical analysis revealed that the dimeric mutant also functioned like WT
      holoenzyme in terms of its kinase activity with an exogenous substrate, and for
      endogenous T286 autophosphorylation. We conclude that the fundamental functional
      units of CaMKII holoenzyme are paired catalytic-domains.

PMID- 28355555
TI  - Experimental Estimation of Membrane Tension Induced by Osmotic Pressure.

PMID- 28355554
TI  - Hydrodynamic Hunters.
AB  - The Gram-negative Bdellovibrio bacteriovorus (BV) is a model bacterial predator
      that hunts other bacteria and may serve as a living antibiotic. Despite over 50
      years since its discovery, it is suggested that BV probably collides into its
      prey at random. It remains unclear to what degree, if any, BV uses chemical cues
      to target its prey. The targeted search problem by the predator for its prey in
      three dimensions is a difficult problem: it requires the predator to sensitively
      detect prey and forecast its mobile prey's future position on the basis of
      previously detected signal. Here instead we find that rather than chemically
      detecting prey, hydrodynamics forces BV into regions high in prey density,
      thereby improving its odds of a chance collision with prey and ultimately
      reducing BV's search space for prey. We do so by showing that BV's dynamics are
      strongly influenced by self-generated hydrodynamic flow fields forcing BV onto
      surfaces and, for large enough defects on surfaces, forcing BV in orbital motion
      around these defects. Key experimental controls and calculations recapitulate the
      hydrodynamic origin of these behaviors. While BV's prey (Escherichia coli) are
      too small to trap BV in hydrodynamic orbit, the prey are also susceptible to
      their own hydrodynamic fields, substantially confining them to surfaces and
      defects where mobile predator and prey density is now dramatically enhanced.
      Colocalization, driven by hydrodynamics, ultimately reduces BV's search space for
      prey from three to two dimensions (on surfaces) even down to a single dimension
      (around defects). We conclude that BV's search for individual prey remains
      random, as suggested in the literature, but confined, however-by generic
      hydrodynamic forces-to reduced dimensionality.

PMID- 28355556
TI  - Ufd1-Npl4 Recruit Cdc48 for Disassembly of Ubiquitylated CMG Helicase at the End
      of Chromosome Replication.
AB  - Disassembly of the Cdc45-MCM-GINS (CMG) DNA helicase is the key regulated step
      during DNA replication termination in eukaryotes, involving ubiquitylation of the
      Mcm7 helicase subunit, leading to a disassembly process that requires the Cdc48
      "segregase". Here, we employ a screen to identify partners of budding yeast Cdc48
      that are important for disassembly of ubiquitylated CMG helicase at the end of
      chromosome replication. We demonstrate that the ubiquitin-binding Ufd1-Npl4
      complex recruits Cdc48 to ubiquitylated CMG. Ubiquitylation of CMG in yeast cell
      extracts is dependent upon lysine 29 of Mcm7, which is the only detectable site
      of ubiquitylation both in vitro and in vivo (though in vivo other sites can be
      modified when K29 is mutated). Mutation of K29 abrogates in vitro recruitment of
      Ufd1-Npl4-Cdc48 to the CMG helicase, supporting a model whereby Ufd1-Npl4
      recruits Cdc48 to ubiquitylated CMG at the end of chromosome replication, thereby
      driving the disassembly reaction.

PMID- 28355557
TI  - Liver-Specific Activation of AMPK Prevents Steatosis on a High-Fructose Diet.
AB  - AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) plays a key role in integrating metabolic
      pathways in response to energy demand. We identified a mutation in the gamma1
      subunit (gamma1D316A) that leads to activation of AMPK. We generated mice with
      this mutation to study the effect of chronic liver-specific activation of AMPK in
      vivo. Primary hepatocytes isolated from these mice have reduced gluconeogenesis
      and fatty acid synthesis, but there is no effect on fatty acid oxidation compared
      to cells from wild-type mice. Liver-specific activation of AMPK decreases
      lipogenesis in vivo and completely protects against hepatic steatosis when mice
      are fed a high-fructose diet. Our findings demonstrate that liver-specific
      activation of AMPK is sufficient to protect against hepatic triglyceride
      accumulation, a hallmark of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). These
      results emphasize the clinical relevance of activating AMPK in the liver to
      combat NAFLD and potentially other associated complications (e.g., cirrhosis and
      hepatocellular carcinoma).

PMID- 28355559
TI  - Altered Synapse Stability in the Early Stages of Tauopathy.
AB  - Synapse loss is a key feature of dementia, but it is unclear whether synaptic
      dysfunction precedes degenerative phases of the disease. Here, we show that even
      before any decrease in synapse density, there is abnormal turnover of cortical
      axonal boutons and dendritic spines in a mouse model of tauopathy-associated
      dementia. Strikingly, tauopathy drives a mismatch in synapse turnover;
      postsynaptic spines turn over more rapidly, whereas presynaptic boutons are
      stabilized. This imbalance between pre- and post-synaptic stability coincides
      with reduced synaptically driven neuronal activity in pre-degenerative stages of
      the disease.

PMID- 28355558
TI  - Neuroprotective Functions for the Histone Deacetylase SIRT6.
AB  - The histone deacetylase SIRT6 promotes DNA repair, but its activity declines with
      age with a concomitant accumulation of DNA damage. Furthermore, SIRT6 knockout
      mice exhibit an accelerated aging phenotype and die prematurely. Here, we report
      that brain-specific SIRT6-deficient mice survive but present behavioral defects
      with major learning impairments by 4 months of age. Moreover, the brains of these
      mice show increased signs of DNA damage, cell death, and hyperphosphorylated Tau
      a critical mark in several neurodegenerative diseases. Mechanistically, SIRT6
      regulates Tau protein stability and phosphorylation through increased activation
      of the kinase GSK3alpha/beta. Finally, SIRT6 mRNA and protein levels are reduced
      in patients with Alzheimer's disease. Taken together, our results suggest that
      SIRT6 is critical to maintain genomic stability in the brain and that its loss
      leads to toxic Tau stability and phosphorylation. Therefore, SIRT6 and its
      downstream signaling could be targeted in Alzheimer's disease and age-related
      neurodegeneration.

PMID- 28355560
TI  - Identification of a Tissue-Restricted Isoform of SIRT1 Defines a Regulatory
      Domain that Encodes Specificity.
AB  - The conserved NAD+-dependent deacylase SIRT1 plays pivotal, sometimes
      contrasting, roles in diverse physiological and pathophysiological conditions. In
      this study, we uncover a tissue-restricted isoform of SIRT1 (SIRT1-DeltaE2) that
      lacks exon 2 (E2). Candidate-based screening of SIRT1 substrates demonstrated
      that the domain encoded by this exon plays a key role in specifying SIRT1 protein
      protein interactions. The E2 domain of SIRT1 was both necessary and sufficient
      for PGC1alpha binding, enhanced interaction with p53, and thus downstream
      functions. Since SIRT1-FL and SIRT1-DeltaE2 were found to have similar intrinsic
      catalytic activities, we propose that the E2 domain tethers specific substrate
      proteins. Given the absence of SIRT1-DeltaE2 in liver, our findings provide
      insight into the role of the E2 domain in specifying "metabolic functions" of
      SIRT1-FL. Identification of SIRT1-DeltaE2 and the conserved specificity domain
      will enhance our understanding of SIRT1 and guide the development of therapeutic
      interventions.

PMID- 28355561
TI  - Pneumocystis-Driven Inducible Bronchus-Associated Lymphoid Tissue Formation
      Requires Th2 and Th17 Immunity.
AB  - Inducible bronchus-associated lymphoid tissue (iBALT) is an ectopic lymphoid
      structure composed of highly organized T cell and B cell zones that forms in the
      lung in response to infectious or inflammatory stimuli. Here, we develop a model
      for fungal-mediated iBALT formation, using infection with Pneumocystis that
      induces development of pulmonary lymphoid follicles. Pneumocystis-dependent iBALT
      structure formation and organization required CXCL13 signaling. Cxcl13 expression
      was regulated by interleukin (IL)-17 family members, as Il17ra-/-, Il17rb-/-, and
      Il17rc-/- mice failed to develop iBALT. Interestingly, Il17rb-/- mice have intact
      Th17 responses, but failed to generate an anti-Pneumocystis Th2 response. Given a
      role for Th2 and Th17 immunity in iBALT formation, we demonstrated that primary
      pulmonary fibroblasts synergistically upregulated Cxcl13 transcription following
      dual stimulation with IL-13 and IL-17A in a STAT3/GATA3-dependent manner.
      Together, these findings uncover a role for Th2/Th17 cells in regulating Cxcl13
      expression and provide an experimental model for fungal-driven iBALT formation.

PMID- 28355562
TI  - Th1 Differentiation Drives the Accumulation of Intravascular, Non-protective CD4
      T Cells during Tuberculosis.
AB  - Recent data indicate that the differentiation state of Th1 cells determines their
      protective capacity against tuberculosis. Therefore, we examined the role of Th1
      polarizing factors in the generation of protective and non-protective subsets of
      Mtb-specific Th1 cells. We find that IL-12/23p40 promotes Th1 cell expansion and
      maturation beyond the CD73+CXCR3+T-betdim stage, and T-bet prevents deviation of
      Th1 cells into Th17 cells. Nevertheless, IL- 12/23p40 and T-bet are also
      essential for the production of a prominent subset of intravascular CX3CR1+KLRG1+
      Th1 cells that persists poorly and can neither migrate into the lung parenchyma
      nor control Mtb growth. Furthermore, T-bet suppresses development of CD69+CD103+
      tissue resident phenotype effectors in lung. In contrast, Th1-cell-derived IFN
      gamma inhibits the accumulation of intravascular CX3CR1+KLRG1+ Th1 cells. Thus,
      although IL-12 and T-bet are essential host survival factors, they simultaneously
      oppose lung CD4 T cell responses at several levels, demonstrating the dual nature
      of Th1 polarization in tuberculosis.

PMID- 28355563
TI  - Cell Traversal Activity Is Important for Plasmodium falciparum Liver Infection in
      Humanized Mice.
AB  - Malaria sporozoites are deposited into the skin by mosquitoes and infect
      hepatocytes. The molecular basis of how Plasmodium falciparum sporozoites migrate
      through host cells is poorly understood, and direct evidence of its importance in
      vivo is lacking. Here, we generated traversal-deficient sporozoites by genetic
      disruption of sporozoite microneme protein essential for cell traversal (PfSPECT)
      or perforin-like protein 1 (PfPLP1). Loss of either gene did not affect P.
      falciparum growth in erythrocytes, in contrast with a previous report that PfPLP1
      is essential for merozoite egress. However, although traversal-deficient
      sporozoites could invade hepatocytes in vitro, they could not establish normal
      liver infection in humanized mice. This is in contrast with NF54 sporozoites,
      which infected the humanized mice and developed into exoerythrocytic forms. This
      study demonstrates that SPECT and perforin-like protein 1 (PLP1) are critical for
      transcellular migration by P. falciparum sporozoites and demonstrates the
      importance of cell traversal for liver infection by this human pathogen.

PMID- 28355564
TI  - SMARCAD1 Contributes to the Regulation of Naive Pluripotency by Interacting with
      Histone Citrullination.
AB  - Histone citrullination regulates diverse cellular processes. Here, we report that
      SMARCAD1 preferentially associates with H3 arginine 26 citrullination (H3R26Cit)
      peptides present on arrays composed of 384 histone peptides harboring distinct
      post-transcriptional modifications. Among ten histone modifications assayed by
      ChIP-seq, H3R26Cit exhibited the most extensive genomewide co-localization with
      SMARCAD1 binding. Increased Smarcad1 expression correlated with naive
      pluripotency in pre-implantation embryos. In the presence of LIF, Smarcad1
      knockdown (KD) embryonic stem cells lost naive state phenotypes but remained
      pluripotent, as suggested by morphology, gene expression, histone modifications,
      alkaline phosphatase activity, energy metabolism, embryoid bodies, teratoma, and
      chimeras. The majority of H3R26Cit ChIP-seq peaks occupied by SMARCAD1 were
      associated with increased levels of H3K9me3 in Smarcad1 KD cells. Inhibition of
      H3Cit induced H3K9me3 at the overlapping regions of H3R26Cit peaks and SMARCAD1
      peaks. These data suggest a model in which SMARCAD1 regulates naive pluripotency
      by interacting with H3R26Cit and suppressing heterochromatin formation.

PMID- 28355565
TI  - Coordinated Pulses of mRNA and of Protein Translation or Degradation Produce EGF
      Induced Protein Bursts.
AB  - Protein responses to extracellular cues are governed by gene transcription, mRNA
      degradation and translation, and protein degradation. In order to understand how
      these time-dependent processes cooperate to generate dynamic responses, we
      analyzed the response of human mammary cells to the epidermal growth factor
      (EGF). Integrating time-dependent transcript and protein data into a mathematical
      model, we inferred for several proteins their pre-and post-stimulus translation
      and degradation coefficients and found that they exhibit complex, time-dependent
      variation. Specifically, we identified strategies of protein production and
      degradation acting in concert to generate rapid, transient protein bursts in
      response to EGF. Remarkably, for some proteins, for which the response
      necessitates rapidly decreased abundance, cells exhibit a transient increase in
      the corresponding degradation coefficient. Our model and analysis allow inference
      of the kinetics of mRNA translation and protein degradation, without perturbing
      cells, and open a way to understanding the fundamental processes governing time
      dependent protein abundance profiles.

PMID- 28355566
TI  - Enhanced Degradation of Misfolded Proteins Promotes Tumorigenesis.
AB  - An adequate cellular capacity to degrade misfolded proteins is critical for cell
      survival and organismal health. A diminished capacity is associated with aging
      and neurodegenerative diseases; however, the consequences of an enhanced capacity
      remain undefined. Here, we report that the ability to clear misfolded proteins is
      increased during oncogenic transformation and is reduced upon tumor cell
      differentiation. The augmented capacity mitigates oxidative stress associated
      with oncogenic growth and is required for both the initiation and maintenance of
      malignant phenotypes. We show that tripartite motif-containing (TRIM) proteins
      select misfolded proteins for proteasomal degradation. The higher degradation
      power in tumor cells is attributed to the upregulation of the proteasome and
      especially TRIM proteins, both mediated by the antioxidant transcription factor
      Nrf2. These findings establish a critical role of TRIMs in protein quality
      control, connect the clearance of misfolded proteins to antioxidant defense, and
      suggest an intrinsic characteristic of tumor cells.

PMID- 28355567
TI  - SIRT6 Is Essential for Adipocyte Differentiation by Regulating Mitotic Clonal
      Expansion.
AB  - Preadipocytes initiate differentiation into adipocytes through a cascade of
      events. Mitotic clonal expansion, as one of the earliest events, is essential for
      adipogenesis. However, the underlying mechanisms that regulate mitotic clonal
      expansion remain elusive. SIRT6 is a member of the evolutionarily conserved
      sirtuin family of nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD)+-dependent protein
      deacetylases. Here, we show that SIRT6 deficiency in preadipocytes blocks their
      adipogenesis. Analysis of gene expression during adipogenesis reveals that KIF5C,
      which belongs to the kinesin family, is negatively regulated by SIRT6.
      Furthermore, we show that KIF5C is a negative factor for adipogenesis through
      interacting with CK2alpha', a catalytic subunit of CK2. This interaction blocks
      CK2alpha' nuclear translocation and CK2 kinase activity and inhibits mitotic
      clonal expansion during adipogenesis. These findings reveal a crucial role of
      SIRT6 in adipogenesis and provide potential therapeutic targets for obesity.

PMID- 28355568
TI  - A Sequentially Priming Phosphorylation Cascade Activates the Gliomagenic
      Transcription Factor Olig2.
AB  - During development of the vertebrate CNS, the basic helix-loop-helix (bHLH)
      transcription factor Olig2 sustains replication competence of progenitor cells
      that give rise to neurons and oligodendrocytes. A pathological counterpart of
      this developmental function is seen in human glioma, wherein Olig2 is required
      for maintenance of stem-like cells that drive tumor growth. The
      mitogenic/gliomagenic functions of Olig2 are regulated by phosphorylation of a
      triple serine motif (S10, S13, and S14) in the amino terminus. Here, we identify
      a set of three serine/threonine protein kinases (glycogen synthase kinase
      3alpha/beta [GSK3alpha/beta], casein kinase 2 [CK2], and cyclin-dependent kinases
      1/2 [CDK1/2]) that are, collectively, both necessary and sufficient to
      phosphorylate the triple serine motif. We show that phosphorylation of the motif
      itself serves as a template to prime phosphorylation of additional serines and
      creates a highly charged "acid blob" in the amino terminus of Olig2. Finally, we
      show that small molecule inhibitors of this forward-feeding phosphorylation
      cascade have potential as glioma therapeutics.

PMID- 28355569
TI  - Severity of Demyelinating and Axonal Neuropathy Mouse Models Is Modified by Genes
      Affecting Structure and Function of Peripheral Nodes.
AB  - Charcot-Marie-Tooth (CMT) disease is a clinically and genetically heterogeneous
      group of inherited polyneuropathies. Mutations in 80 genetic loci can cause forms
      of CMT, resulting in demyelination and axonal dysfunction. The clinical
      presentation, including sensory deficits, distal muscle weakness, and atrophy,
      can vary greatly in severity and progression. Here, we used mouse models of CMT
      to demonstrate genetic interactions that result in a more severe neuropathy
      phenotype. The cell adhesion molecule Nrcam and the Na+ channel Scn8a (NaV1.6)
      are important components of nodes. Homozygous Nrcam and heterozygous Scn8a
      mutations synergized with both an Sh3tc2 mutation, modeling recessive
      demyelinating Charcot-Marie-Tooth type 4C, and mutations in Gars, modeling
      dominant axonal Charcot-Marie-Tooth type 2D. We conclude that genetic variants
      perturbing the structure and function of nodes interact with mutations affecting
      the cable properties of axons by thinning myelin or reducing axon diameter.
      Therefore, genes integral to peripheral nodes are candidate modifiers of
      peripheral neuropathy.

PMID- 28355570
TI  - Pancreatic alpha Cell-Derived Glucagon-Related Peptides Are Required for beta
      Cell Adaptation and Glucose Homeostasis.
AB  - Pancreatic alpha cells may process proglucagon not only to glucagon but also to
      glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1). However, the biological relevance of paracrine
      GLP-1 for beta cell function remains unclear. We studied effects of locally
      derived insulin secretagogues on beta cell function and glucose homeostasis using
      mice with alpha cell ablation and with alpha cell-specific GLP-1 deficiency.
      Normally, intestinal GLP-1 compensates for the lack of alpha cell-derived GLP-1.
      However, upon aging and metabolic stress, glucose tolerance is impaired. This was
      partly rescued with the DPP-4 inhibitor sitagliptin, but not with glucagon
      administration. In isolated islets from these mice, glucose-stimulated insulin
      secretion was heavily impaired and exogenous GLP-1 or glucagon rescued insulin
      secretion. These data highlight the importance of alpha cell-derived GLP-1 for
      glucose homeostasis during metabolic stress and may impact on the clinical use of
      systemic GLP-1 agonists versus stabilizing local alpha cell-derived GLP-1 by DPP
      4 inhibitors in type 2 diabetes.

PMID- 28355571
TI  - Identification of Interleukin-1 by Functional Screening as a Key Mediator of
      Cellular Expansion and Disease Progression in Acute Myeloid Leukemia.
AB  - Secreted proteins in the bone marrow microenvironment play critical roles in
      acute myeloid leukemia (AML). Through an ex vivo functional screen of 94
      cytokines, we identified that the pro-inflammatory cytokine interleukin-1 (IL-1)
      elicited profound expansion of myeloid progenitors in ~67% of AML patients while
      suppressing the growth of normal progenitors. Levels of IL-1beta and IL-1
      receptors were increased in AML patients, and silencing of the IL-1 receptor led
      to significant suppression of clonogenicity and in vivo disease progression. IL-1
      promoted AML cell growth by enhancing p38MAPK phosphorylation and promoting
      secretion of various other growth factors and inflammatory cytokines. Treatment
      with p38MAPK inhibitors reversed these effects and recovered normal CD34+ cells
      from IL-1-mediated growth suppression. These results highlight the importance of
      ex vivo functional screening to identify common and actionable extrinsic pathways
      in genetically heterogeneous malignancies and provide impetus for clinical
      development of IL-1/IL1R1/p38MAPK pathway-targeted therapies in AML.

PMID- 28355572
TI  - Precise Temporal Profiling of Signaling Complexes in Primary Cells Using SWATH
      Mass Spectrometry.
AB  - Spatiotemporal organization of protein interactions in cell signaling is a
      fundamental process that drives cellular functions. Given differential protein
      expression across tissues and developmental stages, the architecture and dynamics
      of signaling interaction proteomes is, likely, highly context dependent. However,
      current interaction information has been almost exclusively obtained from
      transformed cells. In this study, we applied an advanced and robust workflow
      combining mouse genetics and affinity purification (AP)-SWATH mass spectrometry
      to profile the dynamics of 53 high-confidence protein interactions in primary T
      cells, using the scaffold protein GRB2 as a model. The workflow also provided a
      sufficient level of robustness to pinpoint differential interaction dynamics
      between two similar, but functionally distinct, primary T cell populations.
      Altogether, we demonstrated that precise and reproducible quantitative
      measurements of protein interaction dynamics can be achieved in primary cells
      isolated from mammalian tissues, allowing resolution of the tissue-specific
      context of cell-signaling events.

PMID- 28355573
TI  - Single-Cell RNA-Seq Reveals Hypothalamic Cell Diversity.
AB  - The hypothalamus is one of the most complex brain structures involved in
      homeostatic regulation. Defining cell composition and identifying cell-type
      specific transcriptional features of the hypothalamus is essential for
      understanding its functions and related disorders. Here, we report single-cell
      RNA sequencing results of adult mouse hypothalamus, which defines 11 non-neuronal
      and 34 neuronal cell clusters with distinct transcriptional signatures. Analyses
      of cell-type-specific transcriptomes reveal gene expression dynamics underlying
      oligodendrocyte differentiation and tanycyte subtypes. Additionally, data
      analysis provides a comprehensive view of neuropeptide expression across
      hypothalamic neuronal subtypes and uncover Crabp1+ and Pax6+ neuronal populations
      in specific hypothalamic sub-regions. Furthermore, we found food deprivation
      exhibited differential transcriptional effects among the different neuronal
      subtypes, suggesting functional specification of various neuronal subtypes. Thus,
      the work provides a comprehensive transcriptional perspective of adult
      hypothalamus, which serves as a valuable resource for dissecting cell-type
      specific functions of this complex brain region.

PMID- 28355575
TI  - Mechanism study of humic acid functional groups for Cr(VI) retention: Two
      dimensional FTIR and 13C CP/MAS NMR correlation spectroscopic analysis.
AB  - Undissolved humic acid (HA) is known to substantially effect the migration and
      transformation of hexavalent chromium [Cr(VI)] in soils. The mechanisms of Cr(VI)
      retention in soils by undissolved HA have been reported; however, past studies
      are inconclusive about the types of HA functional groups that are involved in
      Cr(VI) retention and the retention mechanisms. Utilizing a two-dimensional
      correlation spectroscopy (2DCOS) analysis for FTIR and 13C CP/MAS NMR, this study
      investigated the variations of HA function groups and molecular structures after
      reactions with aqueous Cr(VI) under different pH conditions. Based on the
      changing sequence of functional groups interpreted from the 2DCOS results, a four
      step mechanism for Cr(VI) retention was determined as follows: (1) electrostatic
      adsorption of Cr(VI) to HA surface, (2) complexation of adsorbed Cr(VI) by
      carboxyl and ester, (3) reduction of complexed Cr(VI) to Cr(III) by phenol and
      polysaccharide, and (4) complexation of reduced Cr(III) by carboxylic groups.
      These functional groups that are involved in Cr(VI) retention were determined to
      occur in aromatic domains.

PMID- 28355574
TI  - Phosphoproteomics of Primary Cells Reveals Druggable Kinase Signatures in Ovarian
      Cancer.
AB  - Our understanding of the molecular determinants of cancer is still inadequate
      because of cancer heterogeneity. Here, using epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC) as a
      model system, we analyzed a minute amount of patient-derived epithelial cells
      from either healthy or cancerous tissues by single-shot mass-spectrometry-based
      phosphoproteomics. Using a multi-disciplinary approach, we demonstrated that
      primary cells recapitulate tissue complexity and represent a valuable source of
      differentially expressed proteins and phosphorylation sites that discriminate
      cancer from healthy cells. Furthermore, we uncovered kinase signatures associated
      with EOC. In particular, CDK7 targets were characterized in both EOC primary
      cells and ovarian cancer cell lines. We showed that CDK7 controls cell
      proliferation and that pharmacological inhibition of CDK7 selectively represses
      EOC cell proliferation. Our approach defines the molecular landscape of EOC,
      paving the way for efficient therapeutic approaches for patients. Finally, we
      highlight the potential of phosphoproteomics to identify clinically relevant and
      druggable pathways in cancer.

PMID- 28355577
TI  - A novel perceptual discrimination training task: Reducing fear overgeneralization
      in the context of fear learning.
AB  - Generalization is an adaptive learning mechanism, but it can be maladaptive when
      it occurs in excess. A novel perceptual discrimination training task was
      therefore designed to moderate fear overgeneralization. We hypothesized that
      improvement in basic perceptual discrimination would translate into lower fear
      overgeneralization in affective cues. Seventy adults completed a fear
      conditioning task prior to being allocated into training or placebo groups.
      Predesignated geometric shape pairs were constructed for the training task. A
      target shape from each pair was presented. Thereafter, participants in the
      training group were shown both shapes and asked to identify the image that
      differed from the target. Placebo task participants only indicated the location
      of each shape on the screen. All participants then viewed new geometric pairs and
      indicated whether they were identical or different. Finally, participants
      completed a fear generalization test consisting of perceptual morphs ranging from
      the CS + to the CS-. Fear-conditioning was observed through physiological and
      behavioural measures. Furthermore, the training group performed better than the
      placebo group on the assessment task and exhibited decreased fear generalization
      in response to threat/safety cues. The findings offer evidence for the
      effectiveness of the novel discrimination training task, setting the stage for
      future research with clinical populations.

PMID- 28355576
TI  - Role of germinal centers for the induction of broadly-reactive memory B cells.
AB  - Virus-specific memory B cells (Bmem) play a crucial role in protecting against
      variant viruses. The ability to recognize these variant viruses, defined as
      antibody breadth, is achieved in Bmem populations by two very different pathways,
      germline-encoded cross-reactivity and affinity-driven, somatic evolution in
      germinal centers (GCs) for conserved viral epitopes. The latter class of broadly
      reactive Bmem cells are not cross-reactive per se, but bind epitopes crucial for
      viral fitness. Although these conserved epitopes are often weakly immunogenic,
      the GC reaction is surprisingly permissive for the continued
      survival/proliferation of B cells that bind with low affinity or react to cryptic
      epitopes, increasing their chance of memory recruitment. In this review, we
      discuss the adaptive strategies of B-cell memory to viral antigenic variations.

PMID- 28355578
TI  - Self-perception of readiness for clinical practice: A survey of accelerated
      Masters program graduate registered nurses.
AB  - Accelerated nursing programs are gaining momentum as a means of career transition
      into the nursing profession for mature age learners in an attempt to meet future
      healthcare workforce demands in Australia. With a gap in the literature on
      readiness for practice of graduates from accelerated nursing programs at the
      Masters level the purpose of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of the
      program based on graduates' preparedness for practice and graduate outcomes.
      Using a descriptive, exploratory design an online survey was used to explore the
      perception of graduate nurses' readiness for clinical practice. Forty-nine
      graduates from a nursing Masters program at an Australian university completed
      the survey defining readiness for practice as knowledge of self-limitations and
      seeking help, autonomy in basic clinical procedures, exhibiting confidence,
      possessing theoretical knowledge and practicing safe care. Graduates perceived
      themselves as adequately prepared to work as a beginner practitioner with their
      perception of readiness for clinical practice largely positive. The majority of
      participants agreed that the program had prepared them for work as a beginner
      practitioner with respondents stating that they felt adequately prepared in most
      areas relating to clinical practice. This would suggest that educational
      preparation was adequate and effective in achieving program objectives.

PMID- 28355579
TI  - Stability of BK polyomavirus IgG seroreactivity and its correlation with
      preceding viremia.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Recently we showed that the level of BK polyomavirus (BKPyV) IgG
      seroreactivity in kidney donors predicted viremia and BKPyV-associated
      nephropathy in kidney transplant recipients (KTRs). This observation could be
      explained by assuming a direct association between BKPyV seroreactivity and the
      amount of persistent infectious virus in the renal allograft. OBJECTIVES: Since
      the renal BKPyV reservoir is probably sowed by viremia during primary BKPyV
      infection, we systematically analysed the dynamics of BKPyV IgG seroreactivity in
      relation to preceding BKPyV viremia in KTRs and healthy individuals. STUDY
      DESIGN: A cohort of 85 KTRs consisting of BKPyV viremic and nonviremic subjects
      was analysed for BKPyV IgG seroreactivity at five fixed time points until one
      year after transplantation. A cohort of 87 healthy blood donors (HBDs) was used
      as controls. RESULTS: Baseline BKPyV seropositivity was high in both KTRs and
      HBDs, and the baseline mean BKPyV IgG level comparable. BKPyV IgG levels in
      nonviremic KTRs and HBDs remained stable during follow-up, while a considerable
      increase was observed in viremic KTRs (p=0.015). The increase of BKPyV
      seroreactivity in viremic KTRs was associated with the duration and peak level of
      BKPyV viremia. CONCLUSIONS: BKPyV IgG seroreactivity was stable over time in
      immunocompetent subjects, which enables the use of this potential
      pretransplantation biomarker in kidney donors. The observed dose-dependent
      relationship of BKPyV IgG seroreactivity with preceding BKPyV replication is in
      agreement with the assumption that BKPyV seroreactivity reflects past BKPyV
      activity and correlates with the amount of latent BKPyV residing within a kidney
      allograft.

PMID- 28355580
TI  - Rapid determination of some psychotropic drugs in complex matrices by tandem
      dispersive liquid-liquid microextraction followed by high performance liquid
      chromatography.
AB  - Simple and rapid determinations of some psychotropic drugs in some pharmaceutical
      wastewater and human plasma samples were successfully accomplished via the tandem
      dispersive liquid-liquid microextraction combined with high performance liquid
      chromatography-ultraviolet detection (TDLLME-HPLC-UV). TDLLME of the three
      psychotropic drugs clozapine, chlorpromazine, and thioridazine was easily
      performed through two consecutive dispersive liquid-liquid microextractions. By
      performing this convenient method, proper sample preconcentrations and clean-ups
      were achieved in just about 7min. In order to achieve the best extraction
      efficiency, the effective parameters involved were optimized. The optimal
      experimental conditions consisted of 100MUL of CCl4 (as the extraction organic
      solvent), and the pH values of 13 and 2 for the donor and acceptor phases,
      respectively. Under these optimum experimental conditions, the proposed TDLLME
      HPLC-UV technique provided a good linearity in the range of 5-3000ngmL-1 for the
      three psychotropic drugs with the correlation of determinations (R2s) higher than
      0.996. The limits of quantification (LOQs) and limits of detection (LODs)
      obtained were 5.0ngmL-1 and 1.0-1.5ngmL-1, respectively. Also the proper
      enrichment factors (EFs) of 96, 99, and 88 for clozapine, chlorpromazine, and
      thioridazine, respectively, and good extraction repeatabilities (relative
      standard deviations below 9.3%, n=5) were obtained.

PMID- 28355581
TI  - Capecitabine in early breast cancer: A meta-analysis of randomised controlled
      trials.
AB  - PURPOSE: Capecitabine is an effective therapy for metastatic breast cancer. Its
      role in early breast cancer is uncertain due to conflicting data from randomised
      controlled trials (RCTs). METHODS: PubMed and major conference proceedings were
      searched to identify RCTs comparing standard chemotherapy with or without
      capecitabine in the neoadjuvant or adjuvant setting. Hazard ratios (HRs) for
      disease-free survival (DFS) and overall survival (OS), as well as odds ratios
      (ORs) for toxicities were extracted or calculated and pooled in a meta-analysis.
      Subgroup analysis compared triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) to non-TNBC and
      whether capecitabine was given in addition to or in place of standard
      chemotherapy. Meta-regression was used to explore the influence of TNBC on OS.
      RESULTS: Eight studies comprising 9302 patients were included. In unselected
      patients, capecitabine did not influence DFS (hazard ratio [HR] 0.99, p = 0.93)
      or OS (HR 0.90, p = 0.36). There was a significant difference in DFS when
      capecitabine was given in addition to standard treatment compared with in place
      of standard treatment (HR 0.92 versus 1.62, interaction p = 0.002). Addition of
      capecitabine to standard chemotherapy was associated with significantly improved
      DFS in TNBC versus non-TNBC (HR 0.72 versus 1.01, interaction p = 0.02). Meta
      regression showed that adding capecitabine to standard chemotherapy was
      associated with improved OS in studies with higher proportions of patients with
      TNBC (R = -0.967, p = 0.007). Capecitabine increased grade 3/4 diarrhoea (odds
      ratio [OR] 2.33, p < 0.001) and hand-foot syndrome (OR 8.08, p < 0.001), and
      resulted in more frequent treatment discontinuation (OR 3.80, p < 0.001).
      CONCLUSION: Adding capecitabine to standard chemotherapy appears to improve DFS
      and OS in TNBC, but increases adverse events in keeping with its known toxicity
      profile.

PMID- 28355583
TI  - Structure of the O-specific polysaccharide from a marine bacterium Cellulophaga
      algicola.
AB  - The O-polysaccharide was isolated from the lipopolysaccharide of Cellulophaga
      algicola and studied by chemical analyses along with 1H and 13C NMR spectroscopy,
      including 2D 1H, 1H COSY, TOCSY, ROESY, 1N, 13S HSQC, HMBC experiments. It was
      found that the polysaccharide is built up of branched pentasaccharide repeating
      units, containing D-mannose (Man), D-glucuronic acid (GlcA), N-acetyl-D
      glucosamine (GlcNAc), two L-rhamnose (Rha) residues and O-acetyl groups in a non
      stoichiometric amount and has the following structure.

PMID- 28355582
TI  - Synthesis of beta-galactosylamides as ligands of the peanut lectin. Insights into
      the recognition process.
AB  - The synthesis of mono and divalent beta-galactosylamides linked to a hydroxylated
      chain having a C2 symmetry axis derived from l-tartaric anhydride is reported.
      Reference compounds devoid of hydroxyl groups in the linker were also prepared
      from beta-galactosylamine and succinic anhydride. After functionalization with an
      alkynyl residue, the resulting building blocks were grafted onto different azide
      equipped scaffolds through the copper catalyzed azide-alkyne cycloaddition. Thus,
      a family of structurally related mono and divalent beta-N-galactopyranosylamides
      was obtained and fully characterized. The binding affinities of the ligands
      towards the model lectin PNA were measured by the enzyme-linked lectin assay
      (ELLA). The IC50 values were significantly higher than that of galactose but the
      presence of hydroxyl groups in the aglycone chain improved lectin recognition.
      Docking and molecular dynamics experiments were in accordance with the hypothesis
      that a hydroxyl group properly disposed in the linker could mimic the Glc O3 in
      the recognition process. On the other hand, divalent presentation of the ligands
      led to lectin affinity enhancements.

PMID- 28355584
TI  - Ambulatory urodynamic monitoring of women with overactive bladder syndrome during
      single voiding cycle.
AB  - OBJECTIVE(S): To present data of standardized ambulatory urodynamic monitoring
      (AUM) performed in women with overactive bladder syndrome (OAB) and to evaluate
      the relevance of AUM data with clinical findings of the patients. STUDY DESIGN:
      Records of women with symptoms of OAB were retrospectively reviewed (n=249). Of
      women fulfilling the Overactive Bladder Awareness Tool (OAB-V8) with a score >=8
      and the 3-day voiding diary (VD) with a frequency >7/day (n=167), those who
      underwent urodynamic investigation were selected (n=76). The data of this study
      were retrieved from the records of Ankara University Cebeci Hospital and based on
      the AUM findings of single voiding cycle of women with OAB. AUM, which is among
      the institutionally approved primary urodynamic investigation methods, is
      performed with LUNA ambulatory monitoring recorder (MMSTM) in the clinical
      setting with a standardized technique, in reproducing lower urinary tract
      symptoms of women since 2011. The relationship of the urodynamic data with the
      clinical findings were evaluated. RESULTS: AUM traces of women (n=76) with OAB
      revealed 63.1% DO, 64.4% urgency and 77.7% urinary incontinence of which were
      14.4% urgency urinary incontinence (UUI), 25% stress urinary incontinence (SUI)
      and 38.1% mixed urinary incontinence (MUI). OAB patients with DO reported more
      urinary incontinence episodes/day, nocturia and mixed urinary incontinence in the
      voiding diary (p<0.04) and had significantly higher irritative symptom bother
      reflected by the questionnaires (p<0.04). Women with DO were more likely to be
      postmenopausal (p=0.02) and were found to have more urgency (p<0.001), urgency
      episodes (p=0.05) and incontinence (urge and mixed) (p<0.001). However, no
      association was found between the extent of pelvic organ prolapse and the
      presence of DO. CONCLUSIONS: AUM performed with a standardized technique during
      single voiding cycle seems to be a reliable method in reproducing symptoms of
      women with OAB. It provides both clinically relevant findings and objective
      documentation of urgency which is the main symptom for OAB. The detection of DO
      according to the ICS definition were also found to be concordant with
      urodynamicaly observed urgency and urinary incontinence. Objective and subjective
      clinical findings of OAB were found to be more severe in women with DO.

PMID- 28355585
TI  - Isolation and characterization of a novel chalcone synthase gene family from
      mulberry.
AB  - Chalcone synthase (CHS) is the pivotal enzyme that catalyzes the first committed
      step of the phenylpropanoid pathway leading to flavonoids. Here, five CHS genes
      were determined in mulberry (Morus atropurpurea Roxb.). Interestingly,
      phylogenetic analysis tended to group three MaCHSs in the stilbene synthase (STS)
      family and initially annotated these as MaSTSs. A co-expression system that
      harbored a 4-coumarate:CoA ligase gene and one of the candidate genes was
      established to determine the functions of this novel gene family. The
      fermentation result demonstrated that MaSTS in fact encoded a CHS enzyme, and was
      consequently retermed MaCHS. Tissue-specific expression analysis indicated that
      MaCHS1/MaCHS2 was highly abundant in fruit, and MaCHS4 had significant expression
      in root bark, stem bark and old leaves, while MaCHS3 and MaCHS5 were more
      expressed in old leaves. Subcellular localization experiments showed that MaCHS
      was localized to the cytoplasm. Transcription levels suggested MaCHS genes were
      involved in a series of defense responses. Over-expression of MaCHS in transgenic
      tobacco modified the metabolite profile, and resulted in elevated tolerance to a
      series of environmental stresses. This study comprehensively evaluated the
      function of MaCHS genes and laid the foundation for future research on MaCHS in
      mulberry.

PMID- 28355586
TI  - Simultaneous removal of thallium and chloride from a highly saline industrial
      wastewater using modified anion exchange resins.
AB  - Simultaneous removal of thallium (Tl) and chloride from a highly saline
      industrial wastewater was investigated using modified anion ion exchange resins.
      The removal of thallium was mainly driven by the exchange of Tl-chlorocomplex
      (TlCl4-) formed in the oxidation of thallous (Tl (I)) to thallic ion (Tl (III))
      by hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) under saline conditions. Over 97% of thallium and
      chloride removal was achieved using the modified resins, with a wide optimal
      conditions found to be H2O2 dosage 1.0-25.0mL/L, pH 1.6-4.3, and flow rate 0.5
      4.7mL/L. The modified resins had an exchange capacity of 4.771mg Tl/g dry resins
      for thallium and 1800mg Cl/g dry resins for chloride. Stable regeneration could
      be achieved with the modified resins: over 97% of thallium and 90% of chloride
      can be eluted using Na2SO3 solution and alternating hot (60 degrees C) H2SO4 and
      cold (25 degrees C) water, and over 98% removal of thallium and chloride was
      achieved after five consecutive regeneration cycles.

PMID- 28355587
TI  - Exopolymeric substances from drinking water biofilms: Dynamics of production and
      relation with disinfection by products.
AB  - Exopolymeric substances (EPS) as an external matrix of biofilm could react with
      disinfectants in drinking water networks forming disinfection by-products (DBP).
      Based on an experimental setup using two chlorine conditions-biofilm 1 (2.6 +/-
      0.8 mgCl/L) and biofilm 2 (0.7 +/- 0.2 mg Cl/L)-samples of biofilms were
      recovered during 9 campaigns and EPS were extracted. Analyses of SUVA,
      fluorescence and amino acid (AA) content were carried out on the EPS to observe
      variation over time and correlations with DBP formation potential (DBPfp) after
      chlorination. SUVA values were under 2 L/mgC*m showing that both EPS were
      hydrophilic. Slightly higher SUVA in biofilm 2 with low variation over time was
      observed. Fluorescence showed that aromatic proteins and fulvic like substances
      were the principal components and increased in biofilm 1 over time. AA decreased
      with time, and higher values of alanine, threonine, proline and isoleucine were
      observed in biofilm 2. Based on general associations, the SUVA of biofilm 2
      correlated well with chloroform (CF) (r = 0.80). Generally, in both biofilms,
      tryptophan-like substances were negatively correlated with DBP while humic acid
      like substances correlated positively, but with low indexes (r = 0.3-0.6).
      Correlations of data from individual sampling increased the indices (r over 0.8),
      suggesting a temporal influence of other factors on DBPfp such as inorganics,
      filtered water and the structural composition of EPS. In biofilm 1, Br-haloacetic
      acids (Br-HAA), dibromoacetonitrile and bromochloro acetonitrile were inversely
      associated with arginine and valine, as were di and trichloropropanone to
      arginine. On the contrary, in biofilm 2, the following amino acids correlated
      positively with DBP: alanine with Br-HAA, alanine with CF, alanine with N-DBP
      (chloropicrin, di and tri-chloro acetonitrile), and valine with CF. As this is
      the first report about the relation between temporal variation of EPS and DBPfp
      of biofilms in two different chlorinated conditions, it provides new evidence
      about the function of these complex substances in drinking water systems.

PMID- 28355588
TI  - Dihydropyrazole and dihydropyrrole structures based design of Kif15 inhibitors as
      novel therapeutic agents for cancer.
AB  - Mitotic Kinesin motors, Eg5 and Kif15, have recently emerged as good targets for
      cancer as they play an inevitable role during mitosis. But, most of the Eg5
      inhibitors were found ineffective when the cancer cells develop resistance to
      them by escalating the expression of Kif15 as alternative to Eg5. Therefore, the
      drugs that target Kif15 became necessary to be used either as a single or in
      combination with Eg5 inhibitors. The present study used 39 dihydropyrazole and 13
      dihydropyrrole derivatives that were having in vitro inhibitory potential against
      kinesin motors to develop a common pharmacophore hypothesis AHRR and atom-based
      QSAR model. The model was used for virtual screening of ZINC database and the
      resultant hits were docked against Kif15. The four drug candidates with high
      docking score were examined for their activity and pharmacokinetic behaviour.
      Based on the results these drugs could be considered as lead candidates in
      further drug development for cancer.

PMID- 28355589
TI  - Fluorescence resonance energy transfer usage to track the sequence promoter
      changes in CGB5 gene in ovarian cancer patients.
AB  - PURPOSE: The survival rates for ovarian cancer patients remain very low, often as
      a result of late diagnosis due to the asymptomatic course of the early stage
      disease. Based on the important biological contribution of human chorionic
      gonadotropin to various key processes including; cell cycle control, DNA repair,
      cellular differentiation and developmental processes, we hypothesized that
      genetic polymorphisms in the genes promoter could be associated with ovarian
      cancer risk. Thus, the purpose of the study was to determine whether particular
      polymorphisms occur in the promoter region of the human chorionic gonadotropin
      polypeptide 5 encoding gene, and if so, are they associated with ovarian cancer
      outcome. PATIENTS AND METHODS: We analyzed Central European females diagnosed
      with ovarian cancer (n=95) and controls (n=76) for the occurrence of at least one
      of three polymorphisms (rs7260002, rs7246045, rs540432391) and their impact on
      cancer risk. The fluorescence resonance energy transfer technique was used in
      order to conduct single nucleotide polymorphisms genotyping. RESULTS: The
      occurrence of two studied polymorphisms, rs7260002 and rs540432391 present in the
      5' upstream region of the chorionic gonadotropin (CG) gene were associated with
      an increased risk of ovarian cancer. The former polymorphism had a minor impact
      on cancer risk (P=0.049; OR=1.95; 95% CI=0.97-3.92), while the latter had a much
      larger impact and may be of great importance in the evaluation of cancer
      development in the analyzed population (p<0.001; OR 8.5; 95% CI 3.59-20.23).
      CONCLUSIONS: The fluorescence resonance energy transfer application used in
      tracking the sequence promoter variations of genes expressed during tumorigenesis
      may be an important factor in early prediction of ovarian cancer. Taking under
      consideration the elevated CG expression associated with several different cancer
      types it seems reasonable to estimate if the analyzed polymorphisms could affect
      cancer outcome.

PMID- 28355590
TI  - Physicochemical characterization of the oolong tea polysaccharides with high
      molecular weight and their synergistic effects in combination with polyphenols on
      hepatocellular carcinoma.
AB  - This study was to investigate the synergistic effects of polysaccharides with the
      molecular weight more than 80kDa (OTPS1) and polyphenols (OTP) isolated from
      oolong tea on hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) in vitro and in vivo. The
      physicochemical properties of OTPS fractions were characterized. The synergistic
      effects of OTPS1 and OTP were evaluated based on the combination index (CI).
      Results showed that the highest uronic acid contents (32.96%) and viscosity
      (239.56mLg-1), multicavity structure of OTPS1 were contributed to the synergistic
      effects with OTP (52.17% content of epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG)). OTPS1 and
      OTP showed the strongest synergism ability on SMMC7721 cells (CI<0.2). Co
      administrated with OTPS1 and OTP exhibited the synergistic effects on the tumor
      proliferation and growth with the CI values of 0.34 and 0.39, respectively.
      Antioxidative and immune levels of the mice were obviously increased after
      combination administration. These results suggested that OTPS1 in combination
      with OTP might be functional supplements for the treatment of HCC.

PMID- 28355591
TI  - Effect of aquo-alchoholic extract of Glycyrrhiza glabra against Pseudomonas
      aeruginosa in Mice Lung Infection Model.
AB  - The prevalence of lung infection caused by Pseudomonas aeruginosa strains that
      are classified as multi-drug resistant has increased considerably and is mainly
      attributed to relative insufficiency of potent chemotherapeutic modalities. The
      present study was conducted to evaluate the antimicrobial activity of aquo
      alcoholic extract of Glycyrrhiza glabra against the P. aeruginosa causing lung
      infection in Swiss albino mice. The study involves evaluation of lethal dose of
      P. aeruginosa in Swiss albino mice and analysis of disease manifestation that
      includes bacteremia, hypothermia, reduction in body weight and other parameters
      for 48h of infection. Physical manifestations of infected mice showed a
      significant decline in body temperature that is 29+/-0.57 degrees C (at 48th h)
      from 38.81+/-0.33 degrees C (0h) and 30% weight loss was observed at the end of
      the study. Further the efficacy of G. glabra extract against lung infection
      induced with the calculated lethal dose was evaluated by employing bacteremia,
      histopathology and radiological analysis. Bacterial burden showed that 2.30+/
      0.02 Log10CFU/mL at day 7, a significant decline in the bacterial load as
      compared to day 1 when the bacterial burden was found to be 3.32+/-0.1
      Log10CFU/mL. Histopathological results showed more diffuse and patchy
      accumulation of inflammatory cells within the alveolar space also the infiltrates
      were noted in all the lung section of infected mice. In treated animal group
      improved lung histology was seen with the exudates were less seen in D1 dose
      (20mg/kg) and disappeared in D2 dose (80mg/kg). The study clearly declares that
      the G. glabra extract is effective against lung infection caused by P. aeruginosa
      at dose of 80mg/kg. The LCMS results revealed that the extract contains
      Glycyrrhizin, Stigmasterol and Ergosterol, Licochalcone and Glabridin. The
      current study expected to further exploit the biomedical properties of this
      extract in the preparation of a potent regimen against such threatening pathogen.

PMID- 28355592
TI  - Primary particulate emissions and secondary organic aerosol (SOA) formation from
      idling diesel vehicle exhaust in China.
AB  - In China diesel vehicles dominate the primary emission of particulate matters
      from on-road vehicles, and they might also contribute substantially to the
      formation of secondary organic aerosols (SOA). In this study tailpipe exhaust of
      three typical in-use diesel vehicles under warm idling conditions was introduced
      directly into an indoor smog chamber with a 30m3 Teflon reactor to characterize
      primary emissions and SOA formation during photo-oxidation. The emission factors
      of primary organic aerosol (POA) and black carbon (BC) for the three types of
      Chinese diesel vehicles ranged 0.18-0.91 and 0.15-0.51gkg-fuel-1, respectively;
      and the SOA production factors ranged 0.50-1.8gkg-fuel-1 and SOA/POA ratios
      ranged 0.7-3.7 with an average of 2.2. The fuel-based POA emission factors and
      SOA production factors from this study for idling diesel vehicle exhaust were 1-3
      orders of magnitude higher than those reported in previous studies for idling
      gasoline vehicle exhaust. The emission factors for total particle numbers were
      0.65-4.0*1015particleskg-fuel-1, and particles with diameters less than 50nm
      dominated in total particle numbers. Traditional C2-C12 precursor non-methane
      hydrocarbons (NMHCs) could only explain less than 3% of the SOA formed during
      aging and contribution from other precursors including intermediate volatile
      organic compounds (IVOC) needs further investigation.

PMID- 28355593
TI  - Blasted copper slag as fine aggregate in Portland cement concrete.
AB  - The present work focuses on assessing the viability of applying blasted copper
      slag, produced during abrasive blasting, as fine aggregate for Portland cement
      concrete manufacturing, resulting in an alternative and safe disposal method.
      Leaching assays showed no toxicity for this material. Concrete mixtures were
      produced, with high aggregate replacement ratios, varying from 0% to 100%. Axial
      compressive strength, diametrical compressive strength, elastic modulus, physical
      indexes and durability were evaluated. Assays showed a significant improvement in
      workability, with the increase in substitution of fine aggregate. With 80% of
      replacement, the concrete presented lower levels of water absorption capacity.
      Axial compressive strength and diametrical compressive strength decreased, with
      the increase of residue replacement content. The greatest reductions of
      compressive strength were found when the replacement was over 40%. For tensile
      strength by diametrical compression, the greatest reduction occurred for the
      concrete with 80% of replacement. After the accelerated aging, results of
      mechanic properties showed a small reduction of the concrete with blasted copper
      slag performance, when compared with the reference mixture. Results indicated
      that the blasted copper slag is a technically viable material for application as
      fine aggregate for concrete mixtures.

PMID- 28355594
TI  - Does teaching non-technical skills to medical students improve those skills and
      simulated patient outcome?
AB  - Objectives: The purpose of this study is to evaluate the effects of a tailor
      made, non-technical skills seminar on medical student's behaviour, attitudes, and
      performance during simulated patient treatment. Methods: Seventy-seven students
      were randomized to either a non-technical skills seminar (NTS group, n=43) or a
      medical seminar (control group, n=34). The human patient simulation was used as
      an evaluation tool. Before the seminars, all students performed the same
      simulated emergency scenario to provide baseline measurements. After the
      seminars, all students were exposed to a second scenario, and behavioural markers
      for evaluating their non-technical skills were rated. Furthermore, teamwork
      relevant attitudes were measured before and after the scenarios, and perceived
      stress was measured following each simulation. All simulations were also
      evaluated for various medical endpoints. Results: Non-technical skills concerning
      situation awareness (p<.01, r=0.5) and teamwork (p<.01, r=0.45) improved from
      simulation I to II in the NTS group. Decision making improved in both groups
      (NTS: p<.01, r=0.39; control: p<.01, r=0.46). The attitude 'handling errors'
      improved significantly in the NTS group (p<.05, r=0.34). Perceived stress
      decreased from simulation I to II in both groups. Medical endpoints and patients'
      outcome did not differ significantly between the groups in simulation II.
      Conclusions: This study highlights the effectiveness of a single brief seminar on
      non-technical skills to improve student's non-technical skills. In a next step,
      to improve student's handling of emergencies and patient outcomes, non-technical
      skills seminars should be accompanied by exercises and more broadly embedded in
      the medical school curriculum.

PMID- 28355595
TI  - Use of Hemoadsorption in a Case of Severe Hepatic Failure and Hyperbilirubinemia.

PMID- 28355596
TI  - ENETS Consensus Guidelines for the Standards of Care in Neuroendocrine Tumors:
      Radiological, Nuclear Medicine & Hybrid Imaging.

PMID- 28355598
TI  - Two Novel TEX15 Mutations in a Family with Nonobstructive Azoospermia.
AB  - AIM: Genetic investigations explain only a small percentage of cases of
      nonobstructive azoospermia (NOA), a condition that affects up to 2% of infertile
      couples. This study aimed to identify further genomic variants that are
      associated with primary spermatogenic failure within the testis. METHODS: One
      family with 2 infertile siblings affected by NOA was genotyped by whole-exome
      sequencing. DNA variants were filtered based on quality score, allele frequency,
      and functional roles of genes in spermatogenesis. RESULTS: Both NOA males were
      compound heterozygotes for a nonsense mutation and a single nucleotide deletion
      leading to premature stop codons in the TEX15 gene (c.2419A>T, p.Lys807*, and
      c.3040delT, p.Ser1014Leufs*5, respectively). The single mutations were identified
      only on one allele in 6 family members, including 3 fertile males who conceived
      naturally. CONCLUSION: This is the second reported case of a TEX15 deleterious
      mutation cosegregating with NOA in a family in which the infertile phenotype is
      reminiscent of the one observed in the TEX15-knockout mouse, confirming that
      TEX15 plays a critical role in normal spermatogenesis and its defects may be
      responsible for a number of NOA cases.

PMID- 28355597
TI  - Endobronchial Valve Used as Salvage Therapy in a Mechanically Ventilated Patient
      with Intractable Life-Threatening Haemoptysis.
AB  - Treatment options for intractable life-threatening haemoptysis in mechanically
      ventilated patients with structural lung disease who do not respond to bronchial
      artery embolisation (BAE) and who are deemed unfit for surgery are limited. A 26
      year-old HIV-positive male with a poorly preserved CD4 count and active pulmonary
      tuberculosis was intubated and mechanically ventilated for persistent life
      threatening haemoptysis. Two attempts at BAE failed, and life-threatening
      haemoptysis recurred daily for 14 days despite antituberculous therapy. He was
      deemed unfit for surgery during that period. We proceeded to identify the source
      of bleeding endoscopically and implanted an endobronchial valve in the left upper
      lobe bronchus. Following the collapse of the affected lobe, haemoptysis ceased
      and the patient was promptly liberated from mechanical ventilation. He remained
      haemoptysis free for the duration of his hospitalisation. Endobronchial valves,
      therefore, may be a viable option in patients mechanically ventilated with
      persistent life-threatening haemoptysis in whom all other conventional measures
      fail and who are considered unfit for surgery.

PMID- 28355599
TI  - Urinary Infections in Patients with Catheters in the Upper Urinary Tract:
      Microbiological Study.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Infections related to catheters in the upper urinary tract (CUUT) are
      associated with specific characteristics. METHODS: A prospective observational
      study was carried out from 2012 to 2015 to evaluate infections in patients with
      CUUT. RESULTS: A total of 209 infections were included (99 with double-J, 81 with
      nephrostomy, and 29 with internal/external nephroureteral stents). Among
      nephrostomy tube carriers, the most frequently isolated microorganisms were
      Pseudomonas and Enterococcus. In those with an internal/external nephroureteral
      stent, Klebsiella was the most common, and 57.1% were extended-spectrum beta
      lactamase-producing Klebsiella. In double-J carriers, Escherichia coli and
      Enterococcus were the most common microorganisms. Multiple-drug resistance (MDR)
      microorganisms were isolated in 28.6, 47.1, and 58.3% of patients with double-J,
      nephrostomy, and internal-external nephroureteral stents. A percutaneous CUUT (p
      = 0.005) and immunosuppression (p = 0.034) were risk factors for MDR
      microorganisms. CONCLUSIONS: Non-E. coli bacteria are commonly isolated in
      patients with CUUT. MDR microorganisms are frequent, mainly in percutaneous
      approach or immunosuppression.

PMID- 28355600
TI  - Usefulness of Endobronchial Ultrasound in Patients with Human Immunodeficiency
      Virus Infection and Mediastinal Lymphadenopathy.
AB  - BACKGROUND: There are few published studies about the usefulness of endobronchial
      ultrasound (EBUS) in patients infected with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV).
      The clinical spectrum of likely diseases in this population is varied and differs
      from patients not infected with HIV. OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to
      measure the usefulness of EBUS-guided transbronchial needle aspiration (EBUS
      TBNA) in HIV-infected patients with mediastinal lymphadenopathy. MATERIALS AND
      METHODS: We conducted an observational, cross-sectional, retrospective,
      descriptive study on patients with HIV infection and mediastinal lymphadenopathy
      who underwent EBUS-TBNA between September 2014 and April 2016. The patients'
      final diagnosis, regardless of the sample from which it was obtained, was
      considered the positive gold standard, and the absence of diagnosis was the
      negative. The study measured diagnostic accuracy of bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL),
      transbronchial biopsy (TBB), and EBUS-TBNA. RESULTS: A total of 43 procedures
      were performed; 79.1% (34/43) of the patients were male, and the median age was
      35 years (range, 22-66). The overall diagnostic yield including all types of
      samples was 90.7% (39/43); the yield of BAL was 50% (21), that of TBB 61.9% (26),
      and that of EBUS-TBNA was 60.5% (26). The combined yield of BAL with TBB was
      69.8% (30); the yield of BAL with EBUS-TBNA was 86% (37) and that of TBB with
      EBUS-TBNA was 88.4% (38). The highest diagnostic accuracy was 97.7% for the
      combination of TBB and EBUS-TBNA. CONCLUSIONS: The most common infectious
      diagnoses were tuberculosis, with a higher diagnostic accuracy using EBUS-TBNA
      than BAL. With malignancies, both EBUS-TBNA and TBB were useful. EBUS-TBNA is a
      minimally invasive diagnostic tool that should be considered in these patients.

PMID- 28355601
TI  - A Revised Fibrinogen Cutoff Value in the Chinese Disseminated Intravascular
      Coagulation Scoring System May Provide a Better Prognostic Value for
      Hematological Malignancies.
AB  - To retrospectively validate the prognostic value of the latest Chinese
      disseminated intravascular coagulation (DIC) scoring system (CDSS) in
      hematological malignancies, 260 patients with confirmed hematological
      malignancies and suspected DIC in West China Hospital between 2011 and 2015 were
      included in this study. We evaluated via univariate and multivariate analyses the
      diagnostic biomarkers, and the cutoff levels used in the CDSS, except those for
      fibrinogen, were found to be valid. In subgroup analyses, the value of fibrinogen
      was found to be mainly unfit for the acute promyelocytic leukemia group. Forty
      six patients (17.7%) had elevated fibrinogen levels (>4 g/L) and tended to have a
      poor prognosis, and thus we redetermined the cutoff value of fibrinogen (<1 g/L
      or >4 g/L was defined as abnormal). As a result, all of the markers used in the
      CDSS had prognostic value (including for the promyelocytic leukemia group);
      meanwhile, this modification also resulted in a larger area under the receiver
      operating characteristic curve compared to the CDSS and the International Society
      on Thrombosis and Haemostasis score. We believe that, with regard to prognosis
      prediction, this cutoff value modification for fibrinogen is preferable for DIC
      patients with a tendency toward severe hypofibrinogenemia. However, a
      multicenter, prospective study is needed to validate this possibility.

PMID- 28355602
TI  - Results from Two Consecutive Studies of Consolidation Therapy after Autologous
      Transplant for Multiple Myeloma: Thalidomide, Dexamethasone, and Clarithromycin
      or Lenalidomide, Dexamethasone, and Clarithromycin.
AB  - BACKGROUND: In multiple myeloma (MM), relapse is a problem after autologous
      hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (ASCT). In the nontransplant setting,
      thalidomide/dexamethasone/clarithromycin (BLT-D) and
      lenalidomide/dexamethasone/clarithromycin (BiRd) achieve responses with
      acceptable toxicity. Both regimens are reasonable objects of study in the post
      ASCT setting. PATIENTS AND METHODS: We report on BLT-D and BiRd given post-ASCT.
      Studies were conducted consecutively. After recovery from ASCT, therapy was
      started. All 3 drugs were given for 1 year, and then immunomodulatory drugs alone
      were given as long as tolerated or until disease progression. RESULTS: For BLT-D,
      the most common toxicity was peripheral neuropathy (PN). For BiRd, infection, PN,
      and neutropenia were the most common adverse events. BiRd was associated with a
      higher frequency of secondary cancers. The median follow-up for BLT-D was 10.2
      years (range 8.6-10.7) and for BiRd it was 7.5 years (range 6.4-8.4). After BLT
      D, 18 patients (67%) were alive and 10 (37%) were alive without disease
      progression, and after BiRd, 18 patients (58%) were alive and 10 (32%) were alive
      without disease progression. CONCLUSIONS: BLT-D and BiRd can be given post-ASCT
      with different toxicity profiles and comparable disease-free and overall survival
      rates. A randomized study comparing these regimens to single-agent lenalidomide
      is needed to determine which approach is superior. Key Message: Relapse of MM is
      a major problem after ASCT. Strategies are needed post-ASCT to improve outcomes.
      In the nontransplant setting, thalidomide or
      lenalidomide/dexamethasone/clarithromycin treat MM with acceptable toxicity. We,
      thus, studied both regimens post- ASCT. They can be given with different toxicity
      profiles and result in good disease control.

PMID- 28355603
TI  - Glomerular Morphology and Renal Function after Warm Ischemia by Main Artery or
      Selective Clamping in a Porcine Model.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: The study aimed to evaluate the ischemic and non-ischemic areas after
      selective arterial occlusion by using stereological analysis of glomeruli, and to
      compare them with main arterial clamping and sham-operated animals. MATERIALS AND
      METHODS: Twenty-four male pigs were used in the study. The animals were divided
      into 3 groups with 8 animals in each as follows: group sham, submitted to
      laparoscopic dissection of the renal pedicle but not submitted to ischemia; group
      arterial (A), submitted to left renal artery clamping; and group selective (S),
      submitted to left renal artery caudal branch occlusion. Groups A and S underwent
      30 min of warm ischemia. Left and right kidneys were collected after 21 days and
      renal fragments were processed for stereological evaluation. Glomerular volume
      density (Vv[glom]), mean glomerular volume (MGV), and glomerular density were
      measured. Serum creatinine and urea were assessed preoperatively, 10 days after
      surgery, and before euthanasia. RESULTS: There was no significant difference
      among groups with regard to renal function. Renal weight and volume were similar
      among groups. Also, no difference was observed between the groups with regard to
      Vv[glom], MGV, and glomerular density, both when compared to its right control or
      when left kidneys were compared. CONCLUSIONS: Selective arterial clamping
      technique was neither superior nor inferior to main artery clamping.

PMID- 28355605
TI  - The Use of a Software-Assisted Method to Estimate Fetal Weight at and Near Term
      Using Magnetic Resonance Imaging.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to apply a semi-automated calculation method
      of fetal body volume and, thus, of magnetic resonance-estimated fetal weight (MR
      EFW) prior to planned delivery and to evaluate whether the technique of
      measurement could be simplified while remaining accurate. METHODS: MR-EFW was
      calculated using a semi-automated method at 38.6 weeks of gestation in 36
      patients and compared to the picture archiving and communication system (PACS).
      Per patient, 8 sequences were acquired with a slice thickness of 4-8 mm and an
      intersection gap of 0, 4, 8, 12, 16, or 20 mm. The median absolute relative
      errors for MR-EFW and the time of planimetric measurements were calculated for
      all 8 sequences and for each method (assisted vs. PACS), and the difference
      between the methods was calculated. RESULTS: The median delivery weight was 3,280
      g. The overall median relative error for all 288 MR-EFW calculations was 2.4%
      using the semi-automated method and 2.2% for the PACS method. Measurements did
      not differ between the 8 sequences using the assisted method (p = 0.313) or the
      PACS (p = 0.118), while the time of planimetric measurement decreased
      significantly with a larger gap (p < 0.001) and in the assisted method compared
      to the PACS method (p < 0.01). CONCLUSION: Our simplified MR-EFW measurement
      showed a dramatic decrease in time of planimetric measurement without a decrease
      in the accuracy of weight estimates.

PMID- 28355604
TI  - Cutoff Pepsinogen Level for Predicting Unintendedly Eradicated Cases of
      Helicobacter pylori Infection in Subjects with Seemingly Normal Pepsinogen
      Levels.
AB  - BACKGROUNDS/AIMS: In the ABC method, which is a method for risk stratification of
      gastric cancer using serum anti-Helicobacter pylori antibody and pepsinogen (PG)
      test, subjects with normal PG and seronegative for H. pylori are named as "Group
      A" and are regarded as having a low risk of gastric cancer. These "Group A"
      subjects include unintentionally eradicated cases at relatively high risk, and
      this study aimed to identify these subjects. METHODS: Of the 109 subjects, 76
      were classified as uninfected Group A subjects with negative histologic H. pylori
      infection and no histologic and endoscopic atrophy, and 33 subjects were
      classified serologically as Group A after successful eradication, which are
      serologically equal to the unintendedly eradicated cases in Group A. The
      usefulness of measuring PG levels to detect post-eradication cases was validated
      by using a receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis. RESULTS: The
      area under the ROC curve for PGI level was 0.736 +/- 0.06 (p < 0.01; cutoff
      value, 37.0 ng/mL; sensitivity, 77.6%; specificity, 72.7%), and that for the
      PGI/II ratio was 0.660 +/- 0.06 (p < 0.01; cutoff value, 5.1; sensitivity, 84.2%;
      specificity, 43.4%). CONCLUSION: PGI levels of <=37 ng/mL and PGI/II ratios of
      <=5.1 effectively identified unintendedly eradicated cases in Group A.

PMID- 28355606
TI  - Use of an Osteoblast Overload Damage Model to Probe the Effect of Icariin on the
      Proliferation, Differentiation and Mineralization of MC3T3-E1 Cells through the
      Wnt/beta-Catenin Signalling Pathway.
AB  - BACKGROUND/AIMS: Mechanical loading plays an important role in the regulation of
      bone mass. However, bone cells are not always under physiological stress. In some
      cases, bone tissue is subjected to an overloaded mechanical environment. For
      example, a person who is weight training and a stevedore often experience bone
      pain, inflammation and other bone fatigue damage symptoms. Icariin is the major
      ingredient of Herba epimedii, which has been widely used for the treatment of
      bone injury in traditional Chinese medicine, but its mechanism remains unknown.
      The aim of this study was to probe the effect of icariin on the proliferation and
      differentiation of osteoblasts exposed to overload and to determine whether the
      Wnt/beta-catenin signalling pathway is involved in the drug response in
      osteoblasts. METHODS: Mouse MC3T3-E1 cells were exposed to mechanical tensile
      strain using a four- point bending device to create an overload damage model. An
      MTT assay was performed to determine the effects of icariin on MC3T3-E1 cell
      proliferation. The mRNA and protein levels of ALP, COL-I, OCN, RUNX2 and beta
      catenin were assessed using RT-PCR and immunoblotting. The protein levels of beta
      catenin in the MC3T3-E1 cells were also determined using fluorescence microscopy.
      The mineralization of osteoblasts was assessed using Alizarin Red S staining.
      RESULTS: We found that icariin enhanced the proliferation of osteoblasts exposed
      to overload and promoted MC3T3-E1 cell differentiation and mineralization.
      Furthermore, the gene and protein expression levels of beta-catenin and RUNX2 all
      increased with icariin treatment compared with those in the damage group.
      CONCLUSION: Our study suggested that icariin promotes proliferation and
      differentiation in osteoblasts exposed to overload. The effect of icariin on
      osteoblastic differentiation acted by activating the RUNX2 promoter and the
      Wnt/beta- catenin pathway.

PMID- 28355607
TI  - Superagonistic CD28 Protects against Renal Ischemic Injury by Expansion of
      Regulatory T-Cell.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Regulatory T (Treg) cells are a highly suppressive subset of CD4+
      lymphocytes and have recently been proved to be crucial to suppress the
      inflammatory responses of ischemic kidney injury. CD28 superagonists (CD28sa) are
      monoclonal antibodies that preferentially expand Treg cells without a T-cell
      receptor and a costimulatory signal. This study aims to test the protection and
      discover the mechanisms of CD28sa treatment against renal ischemia-reperfusion
      (IR) injury (IRI). METHODS: Male C57BL/6N mice were treated with CD28sa via
      peritoneal injection (0.1 mg) 6 days before the induction of IRI, or with 18-min
      ischemic precondition (IPC). IRI was induced by bilateral clamping of renal
      pedicles for 35 min followed by reperfusion. The role of Treg expansion in renal
      protection conferred by CD28sa treatment was examined using anti-CD25 antibody.
      RESULTS: CD28sa treatment alone significantly increased the percentage of Treg
      cells in the spleen (18.10 +/- 2.00 vs. 6.64 +/- 0.86%, p < 0.01), peripheral
      blood (16.43 +/- 5.94 vs. 2.57 +/- 1.09%, p < 0.01), and kidney (2.69 +/- 0.90
      vs. 0.53 +/- 0.14%, p < 0.01) of C57BL/6N mice 6 days after the administration.
      Mice pretreated with CD28sa or IPC had less renal injury at 24 h after IRI with
      attenuation of renal tubular damage and lower serum creatinine compared with the
      mice that underwent renal IRI alone. The number of infiltrating macrophages in
      the kidney and IFN-gamma secreting CD4+ T cells in peripheral blood were
      diminished in the CD28sa-IR group and the IPC-IR group. The renal protection
      bestowed by CD28sa or IPC was abolished by anti-CD25 antibody administration.
      CONCLUSIONS: Treg expansion induced by CD28sa ameliorated renal IRI.

PMID- 28355609
TI  - Emerging Role of CaV1.2 Channels in Proliferation and Migration in Distinct
      Cancer Cell Lines.
AB  - Extensive research is currently underway, seeking better diagnostic methods and
      treatments and a better understanding of the molecular mechanisms involved in
      cancer, from the role of specific genetic mutations to the intricate biochemical
      and molecular pathways involved. Because of their role in regulating relevant
      physiological events such as cell proliferation, migration, and invasion, ion
      channels have recently been recognized as important elements in cancer initiation
      and progression. Moreover, it has been reported that pharmacological intervention
      in ion channel activity might provide protection against diverse types of cancer,
      and that ion channels could be used as targets to counteract tumor growth,
      prevent metastasis, and overcome the therapy resistance of tumor cells. In this
      context, Ca2+ channels have been found to play a role in tumorigenesis and tumor
      progression. Specifically, L-type Ca2+ channel inhibition may affect cell
      proliferation, differentiation, and apoptosis. This review aims to provide
      insights into the potential role of these channels in cancer cell lines,
      emphasizing their participation in cell proliferation, migration, and autophagy
      induction, as well as their potential as rational targets for new cancer
      therapeutics.

PMID- 28355608
TI  - New Wavelet Neurovascular Bundle for Bedside Evaluation of Cerebral
      Autoregulation and Neurovascular Coupling in Newborns with Hypoxic-Ischemic
      Encephalopathy.
AB  - Neonatal encephalopathy (NE) resulting from birth asphyxia constitutes a major
      global public health burden for millions of infants every year, and despite
      therapeutic hypothermia, half of these neonates have poor neurological outcomes.
      As new neuroprotective interventions are being studied in clinical trials, there
      is a critical need to establish physiological surrogate markers of therapeutic
      efficacy, to guide patient selection and/or to modify the therapeutic
      intervention. The challenge in the field of neonatal brain injury has been the
      difficulty of clinically discerning NE severity within the short therapeutic
      window after birth or of analyzing the dynamic aspects of the cerebral
      circulation in sick NE newborns. To address this roadblock, we have recently
      developed a new "wavelet neurovascular bundle" analytical system that can measure
      cerebral autoregulation (CA) and neurovascular coupling (NVC) at multiple time
      scales under dynamic, nonstationary clinical conditions. This wavelet analysis
      may allow noninvasive quantification at the bedside of (1) CA (combining metrics
      of blood pressure and cerebral near-infrared spectroscopy, NIRS) and (2) NVC
      (combining metrics obtained from NIRS and EEG) in newborns with encephalopathy
      without mathematical assumptions of linear and stationary systems. In this
      concept paper, we present case examples of NE using the proposed physiological
      wavelet metrics of CA and NVC. The new approach, once validated in large NE
      studies, has the potential to optimize the selection of candidates for
      therapeutic decision-making, and the prediction of neurocognitive outcomes.

PMID- 28355610
TI  - Thymic Neuroendocrine Neoplasms: Biological Behaviour and Therapy.
AB  - Thymic neuroendocrine neoplasms are rare tumours, but their management can often
      be highly problematic. While previously assumed to be essentially variants of
      bronchopulmonary (lung) carcinoids, they are generally more aggressive and more
      difficult to treat. Some 25% are associated with multiple endocrine neoplasia-1,
      while a higher proportion are associated with the ectopic ACTH syndrome, and
      occasionally both. We discuss the classification of these tumours, their biology
      as far as is known, and their clinical, biochemical and imaging features. We also
      review possible management options and suggest stratagems to optimise their
      treatment, which even today is far from optimal.

PMID- 28355611
TI  - The Effects of miR-136-5p-Mediated Regulation of A20 in Astrocytes from Cultured
      Spinal Cord Cultured Cells In Vitro.
AB  - BACKGROUND/AIMS: This study focused on investigating the regulatory mechanism of
      miR-136-5p in mouse astrocytes stimulated with interleukin-17(IL-17). METHODS:
      C57BL/6 mouse astrocytes were stimulated with IL-17 (100ng/ml) for various
      periods of time (0-48 hours) and at various doses (0-200 ng), and the expression
      levels of inflammatory cytokine and chemokine genes (IL-6, TNF-alpha, MCP-1, MCP
      5 and MIP-2) were then detected by real-time PCR. The expression of the A20 gene
      was measured with real-time PCR in cells that were stimulated with IL-17 (50
      ng/ml) for various periods of time (0-48 hours). C57BL/6 mouse astrocytes were
      transfected with Ctrl-anti-miR-136-5p or LNA -anti-miR-136-5p for 48 h.
      Thereafter, the cells were stimulated with or without IL-17 (50ng/ml) for 6 h.
      The level of A20 protein (TNFalpha-induced protein 3, TNFAIP3) was detected by
      Western blot analysis. RESULTS: (1) Compared with the DMEM control group, within
      six hours, IL-17 stimulation significantly increased the expression levels of
      inflammatory cytokine and chemokine genes and clearly decreased the expression
      level of the A20 protein. (2) Without IL-17 stimulation, the expression level of
      the miR-136-5p gene was significantly decreased, whereas in the miR-136-5p
      inhibition group, the A20 protein expression was elevated. IL-17 stimulation
      slightly decreased the expression of the A20 protein in the miR-136-5p-inhibition
      group, but it was still slightly higher than in the control group. CONCLUSION:
      This study demonstrated that miR-136-5p affected the expression of A20 in IL-17
      stimulated astrocytes.

PMID- 28355612
TI  - Strengthening health security at the Hajj mass gatherings: characteristics of the
      infectious diseases surveillance systems operational during the 2015 Hajj.
AB  - Background: Hajj is one of the largest and the most ethnically and culturally
      diverse mass gatherings worldwide. The use of appropriate surveillance systems
      ensures timely information management for effective planning and response to
      infectious diseases threats during the pilgrimage. The literature describes
      infectious diseases prevention and control strategies for Hajj but with limited
      information on the operations and characteristics of the existing Hajj infectious
      diseases surveillance systems. Method: We reviewed documents, including
      guidelines and reports from the Saudi Ministry of Health's database, to describe
      the characteristics of the infectious diseases surveillance systems that were
      operational during the 2015 Hajj, highlighting best practices and gaps and
      proposing strategies for strengthening and improvement. Using Pubmed and Embase
      online search engines and a combination of search terms including, 'mass
      gatherings' 'Olympics' 'surveillance' 'Hajj' 'health security', we explored the
      existing literature and highlighted some lessons learnt from other international
      mass gatherings. Results: A regular indicator-based infectious disease
      surveillance system generates routine reports from health facilities within the
      Kingdom to the regional and central public health directorates all year round.
      During Hajj, enhanced indicator-based notifiable diseases surveillance systems
      complement the existing surveillance tool to ensure timely reporting of event
      information for appropriate action by public health officials. Conclusion: There
      is need to integrate the existing Hajj surveillance data management systems and
      to implement syndromic surveillance as an early warning system for infectious
      disease control during Hajj. International engagement is important to strengthen
      Hajj infectious diseases surveillance and to prevent disease transmission and
      globalization of infectious agents which could undermine global health security.

PMID- 28355614
TI  - Silent killer-the dangers of carbon monoxide poisoning during international
      travel.

PMID- 28355613
TI  - Clostridium difficile infection in returning travellers.
AB  - Background: There is increasing recognition of the contribution of community
      acquired cases to the global burden of Clostridium difficile infection (CDI). The
      epidemiology of CDI among international travellers is poorly understood, and
      factors associated with international travel, such as antibiotic use and changes
      in gut microbiota, could potentially put travellers at higher risk. Methods: We
      summarized demographic, travel-associated and geographic characteristics of
      travellers with CDI in the GeoSentinel database from 1997 to 2015. We also
      surveyed GeoSentinel sites to compare various testing indications, approaches,
      and diagnostic modalities. Results: We identified 260 GeoSentinel records,
      including 187 that satisfied criteria for analysis (confirmed cases in non
      immigrant travellers aged >2 years, seen <12 weeks post-travel). CDI was reported
      in all age groups and in travellers to all world regions; the largest proportions
      of cases having destinations in Asia (31%), Central/South America or the
      Caribbean (30%) and Africa (24%). Our site survey revealed substantial
      heterogeneity of testing approaches between sites; the most commonly used test
      was the C. difficile toxin gene PCR. Conclusions: CDI is encountered in returning
      international travellers, although there is considerable variability in testing
      practices. These data underscore the importance of awareness of C. difficile as a
      potential cause of travel-associated diarrhoea.

PMID- 28355615
TI  - Bordetella pertussis infections in travelers: data from the GeoSentinel global
      network.
AB  - Background: Pertussis is a highly contagious, vaccine-preventable respiratory
      infection that is endemic worldwide. There are limited data regarding the
      occurrence of pertussis in travelers. The objective of this study is to identify
      travel-related pertussis cases reported to the GeoSentinel Surveillance Network.
      Methods: This is a descriptive, retrospective analysis of GeoSentinel records
      from 25 travel/tropical medicine clinics in 16 countries. Frequencies of
      demographic and travel-related characteristics and symptoms of 74 cases of
      pertussis in travelers and new immigrants from 1999 to 2015 were analysed.
      Results: There were 74 probable and confirmed cases of pertussis in the
      GeoSentinel database; median age was 44 years, and 38 (51%) patients were female.
      Tourism was the most common reason for travel (41; 55%). Country of exposure was
      determined in 66 cases with travelers returning from India and China constituting
      the highest number of cases (10 cases each; 15% each). Seventy of 74 (95%)
      patients had respiratory symptoms, while fatigue and fever were reported by 21
      (28%) and 20 (27%), respectively. Immunization status against pertussis was
      unknown. Most cases were reported after 2005 (69; 93%). Conclusions: Our study
      describes 74 cases of pertussis acquired during travel and reported to the
      GeoSentinel Network. Pertussis should be considered in returned travelers who
      present with respiratory symptoms. Surveillance and detection of imported cases
      are important to prevent onward transmission in the community. The pre-travel
      consultation provides an opportunity to verify immunization status and provide
      routine vaccinations such as pertussis.

PMID- 28355616
TI  - Medical evacuations in the oil and gas industry: a retrospective review with
      implications for future evacuation and preventative strategies.
AB  - Background: Businesses increasingly conduct operations in remote areas where
      medical evacuation [Medevac(s)] carries more risk. Royal Dutch Shell developed a
      remote healthcare strategy whereby enhanced remote healthcare is made available
      to the patient through use of telemedicine and telemetry. To evaluate that
      strategy, a review of Medevacs of Shell International employees [i.e. expatriate
      employees (EEs) and frequent business travellers (FBTs)] was undertaken. Method:
      A retrospective review of Medevac data (period 2008-12) that were similar in
      operational constraints and population profile was conducted. Employee records
      and Human Resource data were used as a denominator for the population. Analogous
      Medevac data from specific locations were used to compare patterns of diagnoses.
      Results: A total of 130 Medevacs were conducted during the study period,
      resulting in a Medevac rate of 4 per 1000 of population with 16 per 1000 for
      females and 3 per 1000 for males, respectively. The youngest and oldest age
      groups required Medevacs in larger proportions. The evacuation rates were highest
      for countries classified as 'high' or 'extreme risk'. The most frequent
      diagnostic categories for Medevac were: trauma, digestive, musculoskeletal,
      cardiac and neurological. In 9% of the total, a strong to moderate link could be
      made between the pre-existing medical condition and diagnosis leading to Medevac.
      Conclusion: This study uniquely provides a benchmark Medevac rate (4 per 1000)
      for EEs and FBTs and demonstrates that Medevac rates are highest from countries
      identified as 'high risk'; there is an age and gender bias, and pre-existing
      medical conditions are of notable relevance. It confirms a change in the trend
      from injury to illness as a reason for Medevac in the oil and gas industry and
      demonstrates that diagnoses of a digestive and traumatic nature are the most
      frequent. A holistic approach to health (as opposed to a predominant focus on
      fitness to work), more attention to female travellers, and the application of
      modern technology and communication will reduce the need for Medevacs.

PMID- 28355617
TI  - Fasten your seatbelts: preventing injury from air turbulence in travellers.

PMID- 28355618
TI  - Avoiding the rough: travel health risks facing golf tourists.

PMID- 28355620
TI  - Imported dengue fever in East London: a 6-year retrospective observational study.
AB  - Background: Dengue fever (DF) is a frequently imported arthropod-borne infection
      in the United Kingdom but its broad range of clinical presentations makes it
      potentially unrecognized by clinicians. Methods: We conducted a 6-year
      retrospective case note review of laboratory confirmed DF patients in East London
      in the period from 1 January 2010 through 31 December 2015. Epidemiological,
      clinical and laboratory features of imported DF were described. Risk factors
      associated with viraemic DF presentations were assessed. Results: Forty-four
      patients (4 from primary care clinics and 40 from three acute hospitals) were
      confirmed to have DF through RNA and/or IgM detection. In total, 86.4% (38/44)
      had primary infection compared to 13.6% (6/44) with secondary infection. Viraemic
      DF presentations accounted for 59.1% (26/44) of cases. The median age was 34
      years (IQR 25-43). Most patients were males (68.2%, 30/44) and of non-white
      ethnicity (81.8%, 36/44). South Asia was the most frequent travel destination
      (52.3%, 23/44) followed by Southeast Asia (20.5%, 9/44). July-September was the
      peak season of presentation (43.2%, 19/44). The median interval between arrival
      in the UK and laboratory testing was 7 days (IQR 4-13). Arriving from abroad <= 7
      days before molecular testing (age-adjusted odds ratios [OR] 16.98, 95% CI 2.43
      118.75, P  =   0.004) and travel to South or Southeast Asia regions (age-adjusted
      OR 4.41, 95% CI 1.07-18.21, P  =   0.040) were associated with detectable
      viraemia at presentation. Only one DF patient met the WHO severity criteria. HIV
      serostatus was determined in 61.4% (27/44) of cases. Conclusion: Clinicians need
      to improve DF recognition as well as rates of HIV testing in tropical travellers.
      Region of travel and time since arrival from DF endemic settings may help
      clinicians optimize requests for molecular testing. Further research on the
      clinical and public health aspects of imported DF is needed.

PMID- 28355619
TI  - Infection burden among medical events onboard cargo ships: a four-year study.
AB  - Background: . Cargo ships are medically isolated, yet neglected environments. We
      aimed to know about medical events onboard cargo ships. Methods: We reviewed all
      the medical events onboard a large commercial 471-cargo ship company for 4 years.
      Medical events were recorded within 20 categories as routinely used by Medical
      Maritime Consulting Centers, using a 4-level medical gravity score. The chi 2
      test and logistic regression and correspondence analyses were used for the
      analysis of qualitative variables. Results: Excluding wounds and burns, a total
      of 322 illness events were notified by onboard health officers for 471 ships
      totalizing 46 navigation/months. 250 non-infectious events and 72 cases of
      infection yielded an incidence of 7.75 medical events for 1000 person-years.
      Infections comprised 25 digestive tract infections, 17 skin infections, 8 urinary
      tract infections, 5 dental infections, 4 isolated fevers, 3 Ear-Nose-Throat and
      respiratory tract infections, 2 ocular infections, myalgia and orchitis and 1
      case of mediastinal infection. The mean age for sailors diagnosed with infection
      (37.7 +/- 10.5 years) was significantly younger than the mean age of sailors
      diagnosed with non-infectious disease (40.8 +/- 11.2 years) ( P  = 0.04). In
      affected sailors, the proportion of death and hospitalization among infectious
      disease cases (26/69, 37.7%) was significantly higher than the proportion of
      death and hospitalization for non-infectious disease cases (48/242, 19.8%) ( P  
      =  0.02). The correspondence analysis showed that the routes may be classified
      according to two main independent risks, digestive infections and skin
      infections. We observed a statistically significant correlation between the
      severity of medical events and the maritime route "North Europe-OI-Australia
      India-North Europe". Conclusions: These data illustrate a previously
      underreported variability of the medical risks in various maritime routes; and
      help promoting targeted medical interventions including the implementation of
      onboard point-of-care laboratories, to further increase the rapidity of the
      diagnosis and the medical management onboard cargo ships.

PMID- 28355621
TI  - Use of pre-travel vaccine-preventable disease serology as a screening tool to
      identify patients in need of pre-travel vaccination: a retrospective audit.
AB  - Background: Vaccination is a safe and effective public health intervention that
      not only protects individual travellers from vaccine-preventable diseases (VPDs),
      but prevents them from becoming a source of disease in their destination and on
      their return. Obtaining an accurate vaccination history from travellers during a
      pre-travel review can be difficult; serology may be used to identify patients who
      are non-immune to specific diseases in order to guide vaccination requirements.
      Clinically relevant data about the usefulness of serology in this setting are
      lacking. We performed a retrospective audit of pre-travel VPD serology requested
      by practitioners of a busy community-based travel clinic. Methods: All
      serological results for measles, mumps, rubella, varicella zoster virus,
      hepatitis A and B requested over a 5-year period were extracted and analysed.
      Results were stratified by gender and year of birth and compared using Stata.
      Results: Four thousand four hundred and fifty-one serological assays from 1445
      individual were assessed. Overall, 47% of patients tested had at least one
      negative serological result. High rates of seropositivity for measles, mumps and
      rubella were seen in those born prior to 1966 but >10% of travellers born after
      1966 lacked serological evidence of protection against these diseases. Hepatitis
      A and B serological results revealed broadly lower rates of immunity in our
      community likely reflecting the absence of these vaccines from historical vaccine
      protocols. Conclusions: Serology can be a useful tool in the identification of
      non-immune travellers to enable targeted vaccination prior to travel. We
      recommend that travel health clinicians assess patients' vaccination and
      infection histories, and strongly consider serology or vaccination where there is
      doubt about immunity. This will help protect the traveller and prevent
      importation of disease into destination or home communities.

PMID- 28355622
TI  - Climate change, emerging infections and blood donations.

PMID- 28355623
TI  - QUEST+: A general multidimensional Bayesian adaptive psychometric method.
AB  - QUEST+ is a Bayesian adaptive psychometric testing method that allows an
      arbitrary number of stimulus dimensions, psychometric function parameters, and
      trial outcomes. It is a generalization and extension of the original QUEST
      procedure and incorporates many subsequent developments in the area of parametric
      adaptive testing. With a single procedure, it is possible to implement a wide
      variety of experimental designs, including conventional threshold measurement;
      measurement of psychometric function parameters, such as slope and lapse;
      estimation of the contrast sensitivity function; measurement of increment
      threshold functions; measurement of noise-masking functions; Thurstone scale
      estimation using pair comparisons; and categorical ratings on linear and circular
      stimulus dimensions. QUEST+ provides a general method to accelerate data
      collection in many areas of cognitive and perceptual science.

PMID- 28355624
TI  - Corrections.

PMID- 28355626
TI  - Color contributes to object-contour perception in natural scenes.
AB  - The magnitudes of chromatic and achromatic edge contrast are statistically
      independent and thus provide independent information, which can be used for
      object-contour perception. However, it is unclear if and how much object-contour
      perception benefits from chromatic edge contrast. To address this question, we
      investigated how well human-marked object contours can be predicted from
      achromatic and chromatic edge contrast. We used four data sets of human-marked
      object contours with a total of 824 images. We converted the images to the
      Derrington-Krauskopf-Lennie color space to separate chromatic from achromatic
      information in a physiologically meaningful way. Edges were detected in the three
      dimensions of the color space (one achromatic and two chromatic) and compared to
      human-marked object contours using receiver operating-characteristic (ROC)
      analysis for a threshold-independent evaluation. Performance was quantified by
      the difference of the area under the ROC curves (DeltaAUC). Results were
      consistent across different data sets and edge-detection methods. If chromatic
      edges were used in addition to achromatic edges, predictions were better for 83%
      of the images, with a prediction advantage of 3.5% DeltaAUC, averaged across all
      data sets and edge detectors. For some images the prediction advantage was
      considerably higher, up to 52% DeltaAUC. Interestingly, if achromatic edges were
      used in addition to chromatic edges, the average prediction advantage was smaller
      (2.4% DeltaAUC). We interpret our results such that chromatic information is
      important for object-contour perception.

PMID- 28355625
TI  - Predicting rhesus monkey eye movements during natural-image search.
AB  - There are three prominent factors that can predict human visual-search behavior
      in natural scenes: the distinctiveness of a location (salience), similarity to
      the target (relevance), and features of the environment that predict where the
      object might be (context). We do not currently know how well these factors are
      able to predict macaque visual search, which matters because it is arguably the
      most popular model for asking how the brain controls eye movements. Here we
      trained monkeys to perform the pedestrian search task previously used for human
      subjects. Salience, relevance, and context models were all predictive of monkey
      eye fixations and jointly about as precise as for humans. We attempted to disrupt
      the influence of scene context on search by testing the monkeys with an inverted
      set of the same images. Surprisingly, the monkeys were able to locate the
      pedestrian at a rate similar to that for upright images. The best predictions of
      monkey fixations in searching inverted images were obtained by rotating the
      results of the model predictions for the original image. The fact that the same
      models can predict human and monkey search behavior suggests that the monkey can
      be used as a good model for understanding how the human brain enables natural
      scene search.

PMID- 28355627
TI  - The role of one-shot learning in #TheDress.
AB  - #TheDress is remarkable in two aspects. First, there is a bimodal split of the
      population in the perception of the dress's colors (white/gold vs. black/blue).
      Second, whereas interobserver variance is high, intra-observer variance is low,
      i.e., the percept rarely switches in a given individual. There are two plausible
      routes of explanations: either one-shot learning during the first presentation of
      the image splits observers into two different, stable populations, or the
      differences are caused by stable traits of observers, such as different visual
      systems. Here, we hid large parts of the image by white occluders. The majority
      of naive participants perceived the dress as black and blue. With black
      occluders, the majority of observers perceived the dress as white and gold. The
      percept did not change when we subsequently presented the full image, arguing for
      a crucial role of one-shot learning. Next, we investigated whether the first
      fixation determines the perceived color in naive observers. We found no such
      effect. It remains thus a puzzling question where the source of variability in
      the different percepts comes from.

PMID- 28355628
TI  - Taking a(c)count of eye movements: Multiple mechanisms underlie fixations during
      enumeration.
AB  - We habitually move our eyes when we enumerate sets of objects. It remains unclear
      whether saccades are directed for numerosity processing as distinct from object
      oriented visual processing (e.g., object saliency, scanning heuristics). Here we
      investigated the extent to which enumeration eye movements are contingent upon
      the location of objects in an array, and whether fixation patterns vary with
      enumeration demands. Twenty adults enumerated random dot arrays twice: first to
      report the set cardinality and second to judge the perceived number of subsets.
      We manipulated the spatial location of dots by presenting arrays at 0 degrees ,
      90 degrees , 180 degrees , and 270 degrees  orientations. Participants required a
      similar time to enumerate the set or the perceived number of subsets in the same
      array. Fixation patterns were systematically shifted in the direction of array
      rotation, and distributed across similar locations when the same array was shown
      on multiple occasions. We modeled fixation patterns and dot saliency using a
      simple filtering model and show participants judged groups of dots in close
      proximity (2 degrees -2.5 degrees  visual angle) as distinct subsets. Modeling
      results are consistent with the suggestion that enumeration involves visual
      grouping mechanisms based on object saliency, and specific enumeration demands
      affect spatial distribution of fixations. Our findings highlight the importance
      of set computation, rather than object processing per se, for models of
      numerosity processing.

PMID- 28355629
TI  - Translucency and the perception of shape.
AB  - Previous studies have shown that the perceived three-dimensional (3D) shape of
      objects depends on their material composition. The majority of this work has
      focused on glossy, flat-matte, or velvety materials. Here, we studied perceived
      3D shape of translucent materials. We manipulated the spatial frequency of
      surface relief perturbations of translucent and opaque objects. Observers
      indicated which of two surfaces appeared to have more bumps. They also judged
      local surface orientation using gauge probe figures. We found that translucent
      surfaces appeared to have fewer bumps than opaque surfaces with the same 3D shape
      (Experiment 1), particularly when self-occluding contours were hidden from view
      (Experiment 2). We also found that perceived local curvature was underestimated
      for translucent objects relative to opaque objects, and that estimates of
      perceived local surface orientation were similarly correlated with luminance for
      images of both opaque and translucent objects (Experiment 3). These findings
      suggest that the perceived mesoscopic shape of completely matte translucent
      objects can be underestimated due to a decline in the steepness of luminance
      gradients relative to those of opaque objects.

PMID- 28355630
TI  - Inferring the stiffness of unfamiliar objects from optical, shape, and motion
      cues.
AB  - Visually inferring the stiffness of objects is important for many tasks but is
      challenging because, unlike optical properties (e.g., gloss), mechanical
      properties do not directly affect image values. Stiffness must be inferred either
      (a) by recognizing materials and recalling their properties (associative
      approach) or (b) from shape and motion cues when the material is deformed
      (estimation approach). Here, we investigated interactions between these two
      inference types. Participants viewed renderings of unfamiliar shapes with 28
      materials (e.g., nickel, wax, cork). In Experiment 1, they viewed nondeformed,
      static versions of the objects and rated 11 material attributes (e.g., soft,
      fragile, heavy). The results confirm that the optical materials elicited a wide
      range of apparent properties. In Experiment 2, using a blue plastic material with
      intermediate apparent softness, the objects were subjected to physical
      simulations of 12 shape-transforming processes (e.g., twisting, crushing,
      stretching). Participants rated softness and extent of deformation. Both
      correlated with the physical magnitude of deformation. Experiment 3 combined
      variations in optical cues with shape cues. We find that optical cues completely
      dominate. Experiment 4 included the entire motion sequence of the deformation,
      yielding significant contributions of optical as well as motion cues. Our
      findings suggest participants integrate shape, motion, and optical cues to infer
      stiffness, with optical cues playing a major role for our range of stimuli.

PMID- 28355631
TI  - Persistent illusory apparent motion in sequences of uncorrelated random dots.
AB  - We report a novel phenomenon in which long sequences of random dot arrays
      refreshing at 2.5 Hz lead to persistent illusory percepts of coherent apparent
      motion. We term this effect illusory apparent motion (IAM). To quantify this
      illusion, we devised a persistence task in which observers are primed with a
      particular motion pattern and must indicate when the motion pattern ends. In
      Experiment 1 (N = 119), we induced translational apparent motion patterns and
      show that both drifting motion (e.g., up-up-up-up) and rebounding motion (e.g.,
      up-down-up-down) persists throughout many frames of uncorrelated random dots,
      although rebounding motion tends to persist for longer (a rebounding bias). In
      Experiment 2 (N = 60), we induced rotational IAM on an annulus-shaped display,
      and show that the topology of the display (whether the annulus is complete or has
      a gap) determines whether or not the rebounding bias is present. Based on our
      findings, we argue that IAM provides a powerful tool to study the mechanisms,
      constraints, and individual differences in the perception of illusory motion.

PMID- 28355632
TI  - Cross-modal attention influences auditory contrast sensitivity: Decreasing visual
      load improves auditory thresholds for amplitude- and frequency-modulated sounds.
AB  - We used a cross-modal dual task to examine how changing visual-task demands
      influenced auditory processing, namely auditory thresholds for amplitude- and
      frequency-modulated sounds. Observers had to attend to two consecutive intervals
      of sounds and report which interval contained the auditory stimulus that was
      modulated in amplitude (Experiment 1) or frequency (Experiment 2). During
      auditory-stimulus presentation, observers simultaneously attended to a rapid
      sequential visual presentation-two consecutive intervals of streams of visual
      letters-and had to report which interval contained a particular color (low load,
      demanding less attentional resources) or, in separate blocks of trials, which
      interval contained more of a target letter (high load, demanding more attentional
      resources). We hypothesized that if attention is a shared resource across vision
      and audition, an easier visual task should free up more attentional resources for
      auditory processing on an unrelated task, hence improving auditory thresholds.
      Auditory detection thresholds were lower-that is, auditory sensitivity was
      improved-for both amplitude- and frequency-modulated sounds when observers
      engaged in a less demanding (compared to a more demanding) visual task. In accord
      with previous work, our findings suggest that visual-task demands can influence
      the processing of auditory information on an unrelated concurrent task, providing
      support for shared attentional resources. More importantly, our results suggest
      that attending to information in a different modality, cross-modal attention, can
      influence basic auditory contrast sensitivity functions, highlighting potential
      similarities between basic mechanisms for visual and auditory attention.

PMID- 28355633
TI  - Combining 1-D components to extract pattern information: It is about more than
      component similarity.
AB  - At least under some conditions, plaid stimuli are processed by combining
      information first extracted in orientation and scale-selective channels. The
      rules that govern this combination across channels are only partially understood.
      Although the available data suggests that only components having similar spatial
      frequency and contrast are combined, the extent to which this holds has not been
      firmly established. To address this question, we measured, in human subjects, the
      short-latency reflexive vergence eye movements induced by stereo plaids in which
      spatial frequency and contrast of the components are independently varied. We
      found that, although similarity in component spatial frequency and contrast
      matter, they interact in a nonseparable way. One way in which this relationship
      might arise is if the internal estimate of contrast is not a faithful
      representation of stimulus contrast but is instead spatial frequency-dependent
      (with higher spatial frequencies being boosted). We propose that such weighting
      might have been put in place by a mechanism that, in an effort of achieve
      contrast constancy and/or coding efficiency, regulates the gain of detectors in
      early visual cortex to equalize their long-term average response to natural
      images.

PMID- 28355634
TI  - The social determinants of inequalities in self-reported health in Europe:
      findings from the European social survey (2014) special module on the social
      determinants of health.
AB  - Background: Health inequalities persist between and within European countries.
      Such inequalities are usually explained by health behaviours and according to the
      conditions in which people work and live. However, little is known about the
      relative contribution of these factors to health inequalities in European
      countries. This paper aims to investigate the independent and joint contribution
      of a comprehensive set of behavioural, occupational and living conditions factors
      in explaining social inequalities in self-rated health (SRH). Method: Data from
      21 countries was obtained from the 2014 European Social Survey and examined for
      respondents aged 25-75. Adjusted rate differences (ARD) and adjusted rate risks
      (ARR), generated from binary logistic regression models, were used to measure
      health inequalities in SRH and the contribution of behavioural, occupational and
      living conditions factors. Result: Absolute and relative inequalities in SRH were
      found in all countries and the magnitude of socio-economic inequalities varied
      considerably between countries. While factors were found to differentially
      contribute to the explanation of educational inequalities in different European
      countries, occupational and living conditions factors emerged as the leading
      causes of inequalities across most of the countries, contributing both
      independently and jointly with behavioural factors. Conclusion: The observed
      shared effects of different factors to health inequalities points to the
      interdependent nature of occupational, behavioural and living conditions factors.
      Tackling health inequalities should be a concentred effort that goes beyond
      interventions focused on single factors.

PMID- 28355635
TI  - Subjective perceptions of unmet need for health care in Europe among social
      groups: Findings from the European social survey (2014) special module on the
      social determinants of health.
AB  - Background: Unmet need can be defined as the individually perceived subjective
      differences between services judged necessary to deal with health problems and
      the services actually received. This study examines what factors are associated
      with unmet need, as well as how reasons for unmet need are distributed across
      socioeconomic and demographic groups in Europe. Methods: Multilevel logistic
      regression models were employed using data from the 7th round of the European
      Social Survey, on people aged 25-75. Self-reported unmet need measured whether
      respondents had been unable to get medical consultation or treatment in the last
      12 months. Reasons for unmet need were grouped into three categories:
      availability, accessibility and acceptability. Health status was measured by self
      reported health, non-communicable diseases and depressive symptoms. Results: Two
      thirds of all unmet need were due waiting lists and appointment availability.
      Females and young age groups reported more unmet need. We found no educational
      inequalities, while financial strain was found to be an important factor for all
      types of unmet need for health care in Europe. All types of health care use and
      poor health were associated with unmet need. Low physician density and high out
      of-pocket payments were found to be associated with unmet need due to
      availability. Conclusion: Even though health care coverage is universal in many
      European welfare states, financial strain appeared as a major determinant for
      European citizens' access to health care. This may suggest that higher income
      groups are able to bypass waiting lists. European welfare states should,
      therefore, intensify their efforts in reducing barriers for receiving care.

PMID- 28355636
TI  - Educational inequalities in risky health behaviours in 21 European countries:
      findings from the European social survey (2014) special module on the social
      determinants of health.
AB  - Background: It has been suggested that cross-national variation in educational
      inequalities in health outcomes (e.g. NCDs) is due to cross-national variation in
      risky health behaviour. In this paper we aim to use highly recent data (2014) to
      examine educational inequalities in risky health behaviour in 21 European
      countries from all regions of the continent to map cross-national variation in
      the extent to which educational level is associated with risky health behaviour.
      We focus on four dimensions of risky health behaviour: smoking, alcohol use, lack
      of physical activity and lack of fruit and vegetable consumption. Methods: We
      make use of recent data from the 7th wave of the European Social Survey (2014),
      which contains a special rotating module on the social determinants of health. We
      performed logistic regression analyses to examine the associations between
      educational level and the risky health behaviour indicators. Educational level
      was measured through a three-category version of the harmonized International
      Standard Classification of Education (ISCED). Results: Our findings show
      substantial and mostly significant inequalities in risky health behaviour between
      educational groups in most of the 21 European countries examined in this paper.
      The risk of being a daily smoker is higher as respondents' level of education is
      lower (Low education (L): OR = 4.24 (95% CI: 3.83-4.68); Middle education (M): OR
      = 2.91 (95% CI: 2.65-3.19)). Respondents have a lower risk of consuming alcohol
      frequently if they have a low level of education (L: OR = 0.59 (95% CI: 0.54
      0.64); M: OR = 0.70 (95% CI: 0.65-0.76)), but a higher risk of binge drinking
      frequently (L: OR = 1.29 (95% CI: 1.16-1.44); M: OR = 1.15 (95% CI: 1.04-1.27)).
      People are more likely to be physically active at least 3 days in the past week
      when they have a higher level of education (M: OR = 1.42 (95% CI: 1.34-1.50); H:
      OR = 1.67 (95% CI: 1.55-1.80)). Finally, people are more likely to consume fruit
      and vegetables at least daily if they have a higher level of education (fruit: M:
      OR = 1.09 (95% CI: 1.03-1.16); H: OR = 1.77 (95% CI: 1.63-1.92); vegetables: M:
      OR = 1.34 (95% CI: 1.26-1.42); H: OR = 2.35 (95% CI: 2.16-2.55)). However, we
      also found considerable cross-national variation in the associations between
      education and risky health behaviour. Conclusions: Our results yield a complex
      picture: the lowest educational groups are more likely to smoke and less likely
      to engage in physical activity and to eat fruit and vegetables, but the highest
      educational groups are at greater risk of frequent alcohol consumption.
      Additionally, inequalities in risky health behaviour do not appear to be
      systematically weakest in the South or strongest in the North and West of Europe.

PMID- 28355637
TI  - Self-rated health and wellbeing among the working-age immigrant population in
      Western Europe: findings from the European social survey (2014) special module on
      the social determinants of health.
AB  - Background: The aim is to study the difference in self-rated health and wellbeing
      between native non-migrants and different immigrant groups: new (defined as
      having lived in the host country for 10 years or less), old (living in the host
      country for more than 10 years) and second-generation immigrants living in
      Western European countries. Methods: We use the European Social Survey Round 7,
      collected in 2014/15, to study the working-age population aged 20-64. We separate
      between first (new and old) and second-generation immigrants. Self-rated health
      was dichotomised as very good and good versus less than good health. Wellbeing
      was measured by constructing a continuous scale from eight 4-point Likert scale
      items (CES-D8). Data for 14 Western European countries were pooled together (N =
      18 577). Men and women were analyzed separately using binary logistic and OLS
      regression. Results: For self-rated health, we found support among both men and
      women for the healthy migrant hypothesis. Among men only, second-generation
      immigrants had more deteriorating self-rated health by age, and old immigrants
      were similar to the natives. The four groups differed in wellbeing only among
      those with primary education, and more so among men than among women. Second
      generation immigrants were worse and new immigrants better than natives and old
      immigrants. Conclusion: This study supports the healthy migrant hypothesis among
      both men and women. Among men, old and second-generation immigrants' predicted
      health falls more steeply by age. There was some variation between migrant groups
      in wellbeing among those with low education.

PMID- 28355638
TI  - The socioeconomic distribution of non-communicable diseases in Europe: findings
      from the European Social Survey (2014) special module on the social determinants
      of health.
AB  - Background: A range of non-communicable diseases (NCDs) has been found to follow
      a social pattern whereby socioeconomic status predicts either a higher or lower
      risk of disease. Comprehensive evidence on the socioeconomic distribution of NCDs
      across Europe, however, has been limited. Methods: Using cross-sectional 2014
      European Social Survey data from 20 countries, this paper examines socioeconomic
      inequalities in 14 self-reported NCDs separately for women and men:
      heart/circulatory problems, high blood pressure, back pain, arm/hand pain,
      foot/leg pain, allergies, breathing problems, stomach/digestion problems, skin
      conditions, diabetes, severe headaches, cancer, obesity and depression. Using
      education to measure socioeconomic status, age-controlled adjusted risk ratios
      were calculated and separately compared a lower and medium education group with a
      high education group. Results: At the pooled European level, a social gradient in
      health was observed for 10 NCDs: depression, diabetes, obesity, heart/circulation
      problems, hand/arm pain, high blood pressure, breathing problems, severe
      headaches, foot/leg pain and cancer. An inverse social gradient was observed for
      allergies. Social gradients were observed among both genders, but a greater
      number of inequalities were observed among women. Country-specific analyses show
      that inequalities in NCDs are present everywhere across Europe and that
      inequalities exist to different extents for each of the conditions. Conclusion:
      This study provides the most up-to-date overview of socioeconomic inequalities
      for a large number of NCDs across 20 European countries for both women and men.
      Future investigations should further consider the diseases, and their associated
      determinants, for which socioeconomic differences are the greatest.

PMID- 28355639
TI  - Occupational inequalities in self-rated health and non-communicable diseases in
      different regions of Europe: findings from the European Social Survey (2014)
      special module on the social determinants of health.
AB  - Background: Socioeconomic inequalities in the prevalence of non-communicable
      diseases (NCDs) are evident across European populations. Several previous studies
      have addressed the question of whether occupational inequalities in health differ
      across European regions. It is uncertain however, the degree to which
      occupational inequalities in NCDs are similar or dissimilar across different
      European regions. Methods: Using 2014 European Social Survey data from 20
      countries, this article examines occupational inequalities in poor self-rated
      health (SRH) and 14 self-reported NCDs separately for women and men, by European
      region: heart/circulatory problems, high blood pressure, back pain, arm/hand
      pain, foot/leg pain, allergies, breathing problems, stomach/digestion problems,
      skin conditions, diabetes, severe headaches, cancer, obesity and depression. Age
      controlled adjusted risk ratios were calculated and separately compared a working
      class and intermediate occupational group with a salariat group. Results: Working
      class Europeans appear to have the highest risk of reporting poor SRH and a
      number of NCDs. We find inequalities in some NCDS to be the largest in the
      Northern region, suggesting further evidence of a Nordic paradox. Like some
      previous work, we did not find larger inequalities in poor SRH in the
      Central/East region. However, we did find the largest inequalities in this region
      for some NCDs. Our results do not align completely with previous work which finds
      smaller health inequalities in Southern Europe. Conclusions: This work provides a
      first look at occupational inequalities across a range of NCDs for European men
      and women by region. Future work is needed to identify the underlying
      determinants behind regional differences.

PMID- 28355640
TI  - The contribution of housing and neighbourhood conditions to educational
      inequalities in non-communicable diseases in Europe: findings from the European
      Social Survey (2014) special module on the social determinants of health.
AB  - Background: Social gradients have been found across European populations, where
      less affluent groups are more often affected by poor housing and neighbourhood
      conditions. While poor housing and neighbourhood quality have been associated
      with a range of non-communicable diseases (NCDs), these conditions have rarely
      been applied to the examination of socioeconomic differences in NCDs. This study
      therefore asks 'to what extent does adjusting for poor housing and neighbourhood
      conditions reduce inequalities in NCDs among men and women in Europe'? Methods:
      Our analysis used pooled-data from 20 European countries for women (n= 12 794)
      and men (n= 11 974), aged 25-75, from round 7 of the European Social Survey.
      Fourteen NCDs were investigated: heart/circulatory problems, high blood pressure,
      back pain, arm/hand pain, foot/leg pain, allergies, breathing problems,
      stomach/digestion problems, skin conditions, diabetes, severe headaches, cancer,
      obesity and depression. We used binary logistic regression models, stratified by
      gender, and adjusted rate ratios to examine whether educational inequalities in
      NCDs were reduced after controlling for poor housing and neighbourhood quality.
      Results: Overall, we find that adjusting for poor housing and neighbourhood
      quality reduces inequalities in NCDs. While reductions were relatively small for
      some NCDs-for high blood pressure, reductions were found in the range of 0-4.27%
      among women-for other conditions reductions were more considerable. Controlling
      for both housing and neighbourhood conditions for example, reduced inequalities
      by 16-24% for severe headaches and 14-30% for breathing problems. Conclusions:
      Social gradients in poor housing and neighbourhood quality could be an important
      contributor to educational inequalities in some NCDs.

PMID- 28355641
TI  - Depressed during the depression: has the economic crisis affected mental health
      inequalities in Europe? Findings from the European Social Survey (2014) special
      module on the determinants of health.
AB  - Background: Economic crises constitute a shock to societies with potentially
      harmful effects to the mental health status of the population, including
      depressive symptoms, and existing health inequalities. Methods: With recent data
      from the European Social Survey (2006-14), this study investigates how the
      economic recession in Europe starting in 2007 has affected health inequalities in
      21 European nations. Depressive feelings were measured with the CES-D eight-item
      depression scale. We tested for measurement invariance across different socio
      economic groups. Results: Overall, depressive feelings have decreased between
      2006 and 2014 except for Cyprus and Spain. Inequalities between persons whose
      household income depends mainly on public benefits and those who do not have
      decreased, while the development of depressive feelings was less favorable among
      the precariously employed and the inactive than among the persons employed with
      an unlimited work contract. There are no robust effects of the crisis measure on
      health inequalities. Conclusion: Negative implications for mental health (in
      terms of depressive feelings) have been limited to some of the most strongly
      affected countries, while in the majority of Europe persons have felt less
      depressed over the course of the recession. Health inequalities have persisted in
      most countries during this time with little influence of the recession.
      Particular attention should be paid to the mental health of the inactive and the
      precariously employed.

PMID- 28355642
TI  - Quality of life and living with cancer: findings from the European social survey
      (2014) special module on the social determinants of health.
AB  - Background: This study is a comparison of quality of life (QOL) of current and
      previous cancer victims with people who never had experienced cancer in samples
      from the general population from the 19 countries in the European Social Survey
      (ESS) 2014. Methods: The study was based on the ESS 2014 with representative
      samples from 19 countries. QOL was measured by combining two questions on
      happiness and life satisfaction into a QOL scale. Multilevel modelling was used
      to examine whether the relationship between cancer status and QOL varies between
      countries in general and by welfare state regimes in particular. Results: People
      with cancer at the time of the interview, showed lower general QOL than both
      people who previously have had cancer and people who never have experienced
      cancer. The unadjusted and the adjusted odds ratios (ORs) for poor QOL were
      respectively, OR = 2.38, (2.07, 2.74) and OR = 1.98, (1.71, 2.30). The difference
      between the 'Never' and the 'Previously' groups was minor but statistical
      significant. The welfare state classification was a strong predictor of country
      differences in QOL, but there was no significant statistical interaction effect
      between cancer status and the welfare state classification. The study also
      replicated well-documented findings on differences in QOL by education and social
      support. Conclusion: The QOL of people with a cancer disease is significantly
      impaired. People who previously have had cancer, scored only slightly lower on
      the QOL scale than people who never had experienced cancer. We found evidence
      indicating that these differences may vary between the countries, but this
      variation cannot be explained by the welfare state classification.

PMID- 28355643
TI  - Regional inequalities in self-reported conditions and non-communicable diseases
      in European countries: Findings from the European Social Survey (2014) special
      module on the social determinants of health.
AB  - Background: Within the European Union (EU), substantial efforts are being made to
      achieve economic and social cohesion, and the reduction of health inequalities
      between EU regions is integral to this process. This paper is the first to
      examine how self-reported conditions and non-communicable diseases (NCDs) vary
      spatially between and within countries. Methods: Using 2014 European Social
      Survey (ESS) data from 20 countries, this paper examines how regional
      inequalities in self-reported conditions and NCDs vary for men and women in 174
      regions (levels 1 and 2 Nomenclature of Statistical Territorial Units, 'NUTS').
      We document absolute and relative inequalities across Europe in the prevalence of
      eight conditions: general health, overweight/obesity, mental health, heart or
      circulation problems, high blood pressure, back, neck, muscular or joint pain,
      diabetes and cancer. Results: There is considerable inequality in self-reported
      conditions and NCDs between the regions of Europe, with rates highest in the
      regions of continental Europe, some Scandinavian regions and parts of the UK and
      lowest around regions bordering the Alps, in Ireland and France. However, for
      mental health and cancer, rates are highest in regions of Eastern European and
      lowest in some Nordic regions, Ireland and isolated regions in continental
      Europe. There are also widespread and consistent absolute and relative regional
      inequalities in all conditions within countries. These are largest in France,
      Germany and the UK, and smallest in Denmark, Sweden and Norway. There were higher
      inequalities amongst women. Conclusion: Using newly available harmonized
      morbidity data from across Europe, this paper shows that there are considerable
      regional inequalities within and between European countries in the distribution
      of self-reported conditions and NCDs.

PMID- 28355644
TI  - Does the pattern of occupational class inequalities in self-reported health
      depend on the choice of survey? A comparative analysis of four surveys and 35
      European countries.
AB  - Background: Despite increasing overall life expectancy, substantial differences
      in health between socioeconomic groups persist. Research on inequalities in
      health often draws on data from different, single surveys. An important question
      that arises is whether these surveys reflect health and inequalities in the same
      way. When occupational class is utilized, data are often not analysed for women.
      The aim of this study therefore is to investigate whether patterns of
      occupational class inequalities in self-reported health differ across sex and
      country, between four major European surveys. Methods: Data on self-reported
      health and occupational class are taken from the European Social Survey (ESS),
      the EU Statistics on Income and Living Conditions (EU-SILC), the European Working
      Conditions Survey (EWCS) and the International Social Survey Programme (ISSP).
      Data from 35 countries for men and women aged 25-65 years are analysed.
      Occupational class is measured according to manual and non-manual workers. Age
      standardized prevalence rates, and prevalence ratios (PR) between non-manual and
      manual workers and likelihood ratio (LR) tests are estimated to determine
      occupational class inequalities in self-rated health in Europe. Results: Results
      show that prevalence rates of less than good health differ noticeably between
      countries and surveys. Furthermore, occupational class inequalities in health
      differ between countries. In some countries inequalities are larger for women
      than for men. This is especially true in Eastern, Central and Baltic European
      countries. Besides that no regional patterns, consistent over all surveys, in
      inequalities could be detected. Inequalities differed significantly between
      surveys. Conclusion: The magnitude of inequalities in all countries depend on the
      survey used in the analysis. When undertaking a comparative analysis of
      inequalities in health, or other determinants, these differences have to be taken
      into account, as results might differ according to the data source used.

PMID- 28355645
TI  - Informal care in Europe: findings from the European Social Survey (2014) special
      module on the social determinants of health.
AB  - Background: Against the background of a rising demand for informal care in
      European societies, this study sets out to provide descriptive information by
      gender on (i) prevalence rates of (intensive) informal caregiving, (ii)
      characteristics of (intensive) informal caregivers and (iii) consequences of
      (intensive) informal caregiving in terms of mental well-being. Results: On
      average, 34.3% of the population in 20 European countries were informal
      caregivers and 7.6% were intensive caregivers (providing care for minimum 11 h a
      week). Countries with high numbers of caregivers had low numbers of intensive
      caregivers. Caregiving was most prevalent among women, 50-59 year olds, non
      employed-especially those doing housework-and religious persons. Determinants of
      providing care hardly differed by gender. Caregivers, especially female and
      intensive caregivers, reported lower mental well-being than non-caregivers.
      Conclusions: Our results suggest support for both crowding-in and crowding-out
      effects of the welfare state. Middle-aged women may become increasingly time
      squeezed as they are likely to be the first to respond to higher demands for
      informal care, while they are also the major target groups in employment policies
      aiming for increased labour market participation. Caregivers, and especially
      female and intensive caregivers, report lower levels of mental well-being.
      Supportive policies such as respite care or training and counselling may
      therefore be needed in order to sustain informal care as an important resource of
      our health care systems.

PMID- 28355646
TI  - The social and behavioural determinants of health in Europe: findings from the
      European Social Survey (2014) special module on the social determinants of
      health.
AB  - Background: Previous studies comparing the social and behavioural determinants of
      health in Europe have largely focused on individual countries or combined data
      from various national surveys. In this article, we present the findings from the
      new rotating module on social determinants of health in the European Social
      Survey (ESS) (2014) to obtain the first comprehensive comparison of estimates on
      the prevalence of the following social and behavioural determinants of health:
      working conditions, access to healthcare, housing quality, unpaid care, childhood
      conditions and health behaviours. Methods: We used the 7th round of the ESS. We
      present separate results for men and women. All estimates were age-standardized
      in each separate country using a consistent metric. We show country-specific
      results as well as pooled estimates for the combined cross-national sample.
      Results: We found that social and behavioural factors that have a clear impact on
      physical and mental health, such as lack of healthcare access, risk behaviour and
      poor working conditions, are reported by substantial numbers of people in most
      European countries. Furthermore, our results highlight considerable cross
      national variation in social and behavioural determinants of health across
      European countries. Conclusions: Substantial numbers of Europeans are exposed to
      social and behavioural determinants of health problems. Moreover, the extent to
      which people experience these social and behavioural factors varies cross
      nationally. Future research should examine in more detail how these factors are
      associated with physical and mental health outcomes, and how these associations
      vary across countries.

PMID- 28355647
TI  - Prevalence of physical and mental non-communicable diseases in Europe: findings
      from the European Social Survey (2014) special module on the social determinants
      of health.
AB  - Background: Previous studies examining physical and mental non-communicable
      diseases (NCDs) in Europe have so far largely either focused on limited numbers
      of countries or on fairly limited ranges of NCDs, with mental health in
      particular often being ignored. This article has three aims: (i) To provide a
      recent, comprehensive overview of a broad range of NCDs across a range of
      countries in all European regions; (ii) To give an overview of measures of
      physical and mental health in the new special rotating module in the European
      Social Survey (ESS); and (iii) To offer the first comprehensive comparison of
      estimates on physical and mental NCDs across European countries in this new
      promising data source. We use data from the 7th wave of the ESS. Results are
      presented separately for men and women. All results were age-standardized by
      weighting up or down the unstandardized (crude) prevalence rates for 5-year age
      groups in each country to a common standard. We present pooled estimates for the
      combined cross-national sample as well as country-specific results. Overall,
      74.1% of men and 79.7% of women reported at least one physical NCD. Across the 21
      countries were observed that these percentages varied between 45.2% (for men in
      Hungary) and 91.6% (women in Finland). Serious depressive symptoms were reported
      by 10.2% of men and 18.8% of women, with percentages ranging between 6.2% (men in
      Ireland) and 30.9% (women in Portugal). A substantial share of Europeans
      experience the burden of NCDs, and the extent to which people report these
      conditions varies across countries. However, all physical and mental NCDs in this
      rotating module are reported by considerable percentages in each of the 21
      country samples, which emphasizes that these conditions are not marginal
      phenomena but public health concerns.

PMID- 28355648
TI  - The health of European populations: introduction to the special supplement on the
      2014 European Social Survey (ESS) rotating module on the social determinants of
      health.
AB  - This introduction summarizes the main findings of the Supplement 'Social
      inequalities in health and their determinants' to the European Journal of Public
      Health. The 16 articles that constitute this supplement use the new ESS (2014)
      health module data to analyze the distribution of health across European
      populations. Three main themes run across these articles: documentation of cross
      national variation in the magnitude and patterning of health inequalities;
      assessment of health determinants variation across populations and in their
      contribution to health inequalities; and the examination of the effects of health
      outcomes across social groups. Social inequalities in health are investigated
      from an intersectional stance providing ample evidence of inequalities based on
      socioeconomic status (occupation, education, income), gender, age, geographical
      location, migrant status and their interactions. Comparison of results across
      these articles, which employ a wide range of health outcomes, social determinants
      and social stratification measures, is facilitated by a shared theoretical and
      analytical approach developed by the authors in this supplement.

PMID- 28355649
TI  - Financial difficulties in childhood and adult depression in Europe.
AB  - Background: Financial difficulties in childhood may be associated with immediate
      and long-term consequences for mental health. The aim of the current paper is to
      investigate the association between childhood financial difficulties and adult
      depression, and assess the relative contribution of financial difficulties in
      childhood to symptoms of adult depression across different age groups. Methods:
      Using three age cohorts (25-40, 41-59, 60-75) from 19 countries in the European
      Social Survey Round 7 (N =18 401), multi-level and country-wise OLS regression
      analyses were used to investigate the association between financial difficulties
      in childhood and adult depression, while adjusting for age, education, gender,
      highest education in family, level of family conflict, number of social meetings
      and marital status. Results: Financial difficulties in childhood was found to be
      influential predictors of depression scores for 25-40 year olds in 10 out of 19
      countries in fully adjusted models. In older participants, depression scores were
      mostly influenced by frequency of social meetings and marital status. There was
      great variation in the pattern of influential risk factors across countries, and
      the predicted effect childhood financial difficulties had on adult depression
      scores. Conclusion: Childhood financial difficulties as predictors of depression
      appear to, by themselves, exert the strongest influence in younger adults. There
      was, however, large variation between countries in the magnitude of associated
      risk, and in the pattern of risk factors contributing to adult depression, which
      underscores the need to account for country-level factors when aiming to gain
      knowledge about mental health.

PMID- 28355650
TI  - Exploring the differences in general practitioner and health care specialist
      utilization according to education, occupation, income and social networks across
      Europe: findings from the European social survey (2014) special module on the
      social determinants of health.
AB  - Background: Low socioeconomic position (SEP) tends to be linked to higher use of
      general practitioners (GPs), while the use of health care specialists is more
      common in higher SEPs. Despite extensive literature in this area, previous
      studies have, however, only studied health care use by income or education. The
      aim of this study is, therefore, to examine inequalities in GP and health care
      specialist use by four social markers that may be linked to health care
      utilization (educational level, occupational status, level of financial strain
      and size and frequency of social networks) across 20 European countries and
      Israel. Methods: Logistic regression models were employed using data from the
      seventh round of the European Social Survey; this study focused upon people aged
      25-75 years, across 21 countries. Health care utilization was measured according
      to self-reported use of GP or specialist care within 12 months. Analyses tested
      four social markers: income (financial strain), occupational status, education
      and social networks. Results: We observed a cross-national tendency that
      countries with higher or equal probability of GP utilization by lower SEP groups
      had a more consistent probability of specialist use among high SEP groups.
      Moreover, countries with inequalities in GP use in favour of high SEP groups had
      comparable levels of inequalities in specialist care utilization. This was the
      case for three social markers (education, occupational class and social
      networks), while the pattern was less pronounced for income (financial strain).
      Conclusion: There are significant inequalities associated with GP and specialist
      health care use across Europe-with higher SEP groups more likely to use health
      care specialists, compared with lower SEP groups. In the context of health care
      specialist use, education and occupation appear to be particularly important
      factors.

PMID- 28355651
TI  - [Perception of the Emergency Department for Outpatient Care in a Rural Region in
      Saxony-Anhalt: A Qualitative Survey of Patients and General Practitioners].
AB  - Background The increasing number of low-acuity visits to Emergency Departments
      (ED) is an important issue in Germany and contributes to ED crowding. A
      sustainable solution needs deeper knowledge of patients' underlying rationales.
      Methods To explore patients' motives we conducted 31 semi-structured face-to-face
      interviews with low-acuity ED patients in a rural region in Saxony-Anhalt.
      Subsequently we interviewed 12 General Practitioners (GP)s about their
      perspectives on patients visiting ED with low-acuity conditions and referring
      patients to ED. A qualitative content analysis approach was used for data
      analysis. Results All patients were connected to a GP. One third had visited ED
      because of 24/7 availability when consultation hours and working times
      overlapped. Another third had addressed EDs full range of laboratory and imaging
      technology with a subjective need for fast diagnosis. One group reported that
      they had been referred to the ED by their GP. The interviewed GPs classified
      patients' ED usage for time-constraints as impatience and growing demand, while
      they expressed greater understanding for patients striving to ED for anxiety
      reasons. Most GPs sometimes referred patients to ED for diagnostic reasons.
      Conclusion The findings demonstrate that ED usage with non-urgent conditions
      takes place for different reasons. Therefore, ED plays a pivotal role not only in
      emergency care, but also in ambulant care. The growing demand for ambulant care
      indicates a need for changed health care structures.

PMID- 28355652
TI  - Endoscopic dissection of a symptomatic giant gastric leiomyoma arising from the
      muscularis propria.

PMID- 28355653
TI  - A rare etiology of idiopathic recurrent acute pancreatitis.

PMID- 28355654
TI  - Experience of Point-of-Care Devices in Obstetrical Care.
AB  - During pregnancy and puerperium, there are pronounced hemostatic changes
      characterized by increased coagulability and decreased fibrinolysis. In addition,
      hemostasis can change dramatically during obstetric complications. Several
      reports have described substandard management of hemostatic defects in this
      setting and state the need for guidelines and better care. Point-of-care devices
      can assess hemostatic status and are especially suitable in perioperative
      settings. Using point-of-care devices, no time is required for transportation,
      allowing faster availability of results and providing potential for better care
      of the patient. This article will demonstrate the use of a viscoelastic method in
      six different patients; five with impaired hemostasis, and where the use of
      viscoelastic method contributes or should have contributed to better care. The
      cases represent patients with normal delivery; postpartum hemorrhage (PPH); PPH
      with low fibrinogen; placental abruption; preeclampsia with hemolysis, elevated
      liver enzymes, low platelet count syndrome; and finally, one patient with sepsis.
      This article also shows the need for good practices and good supervision to
      implement the devices in patient care.

PMID- 28355657
TI  - [Editorial Ophthalmic Genetics: Insights Into Actual Methods of Diagnostics,
      Phenotyping and Therapy].

PMID- 28355655
TI  - Coronary Artery Bypass Surgery in Diffuse Advanced Coronary Artery Disease: 1
      Year Clinical and Angiographic Results.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Proper treatment of patients with diffuse, severe coronary artery
      disease (CAD) is a challenge due to its complexity. Thus, data on the outcomes
      after coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) in this population is scarce. In this
      study, we aimed to determine the impact of CABG on the clinical and functional
      status, as well as graft patency in those individuals. METHODS: Patients with
      severe and diffuse CAD who underwent incomplete CABG due to complex anatomy or
      extensive distal coronary involvement were evaluated preoperatively and 1 year
      after surgery. Postoperative coronary angiography was performed to evaluate graft
      patency. Graft occlusion was defined as the complete absence of opacification of
      the target vessel. Stratified analysis of graft occlusion was performed by graft
      type and territories, defined as left anterior descending artery (LAD), the left
      circumflex branch, and the right coronary artery territories; the latter two,
      grouped, were further classified as non-LAD territory. RESULTS: A total of 57
      patients were included, in whom 131 grafts were placed. There was a significant
      improvement in Canadian Cardiovascular Society angina symptom severity (Z = -6.1;
      p < 0.001) and maximum oxygen uptake (p < 0.001), with a corresponding decrease
      in the use of long-acting nitrates (p < 0.001). The overall graft occlusion rate
      was 19.1%, with no significant difference between LAD and non-LAD territories (p
      = 0.08). However, a significantly lower occlusion rate was noted for the internal
      mammary artery (IMA) grafts when compared with saphenous vein grafts (p = 0.01),
      though this difference was only significant in the LAD territory (p = 0.04).
      Overall, the use of venous graft was the only predictor occlusion at 1 year (odds
      ratio: 4.03; p = 0.016). CONCLUSION: In patients with diffuse CAD, incomplete
      CABG surgery resulted in a significant clinical improvement, with acceptable
      graft occlusion rates at 1 year, particularly for IMA grafts to the LAD
      territory.

PMID- 28355658
TI  - [Next-Generation Sequencing: A Quantum Leap in Ophthalmology Research and
      Diagnostics].
AB  - Many eye diseases have a genetic basis, and most can be caused by mutations in
      many different genes (extensive genetic heterogeneity). The retinal dystrophies
      are a good example: More than 200 genes have been identified for the isolated
      forms (Leber's congenital amaurosis, retinitis pigmentosa, cone-rod dystrophy,
      congenital stationary night blindness), and for syndromes that comprise
      additional dysfunctions or malformations of extraocular tissues and organs.
      Selecting genes for diagnostic testing has been difficult, and their analysis
      with the hitherto predominant DNA sequencing method (Sanger sequencing) has been
      extremely laborious: The phenotype rarely indicates the affected gene, and the
      contributions of the particular genes to the disease (e.g., to LCA) were largely
      unknown. Consequently, comprehensive genetic analyses were impossible in most
      cases. In the recent years, high-throughput sequencing technologies, summarized
      as next-generation sequencing (NGS), have revolutionized genetic research and,
      subsequently, genetic diagnostics. The latter has far-reaching implications for
      the individual management of patients with genetic eye diseases and their
      families.

PMID- 28355659
TI  - [Potential of fMRI for the Functional Assessment of the Pathological Visual
      System].
AB  - Current developments in functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) of the human
      visual system have generated a set of powerful approaches that are of great
      promise for modern ophthalmology. These make it possible to perform an objective
      spatially resolved test of visual function in patients with strong visual
      impairment and even to investigate the functional organisation of the visual
      cortex in the blind. As a consequence, they open a broad field of applications
      for functional assessment in ophthalmology and provide fundamental insights into
      the interplay of pathology and plasticity in the human visual system. This is
      highlighted by current studies investigating patients with acquired or congenital
      defects of the macula, or with visual pathway abnormalities, extended retinal
      damage, and complete blindness. Therapeutic approaches targeting the restoration
      of visual input are expected to benefit from these fMRI applications, either for
      the estimation of the success rate of a planned retinal therapy or as an
      objective high-level biomarker for the readout of therapy success.

PMID- 28355660
TI  - [Potential of Adaptive Optics for the Diagnostic Evaluation of Hereditary Retinal
      Diseases].
AB  - The use of adaptive optics in ophthalmoscopy is a breakthrough technological
      achievement. With AO ophthalmoscopes, the microscopic retinal structure can be
      visualised non-invasively and on a cellular level, allowing for cellular scale
      imaging of the retinal nerve fibre layer, the smallest retinal capillaries, rod
      and cone photoreceptors, and the retinal pigment epithelium mosaic in the living
      subject. Regarding the diagnostic evaluation of retinal diseases, the current
      research focuses on monogenetic retinal diseases, which - when better understood 
      may allow for conclusions to be drawn about other multifactorial diseases and
      their underlying mechanisms (model disease). For disease monitoring and current
      and future pharmacological intervention (e.g. gene therapy), they will help to
      better establish novel and reliable clinical endpoints. New AO imaging devices
      have just become commercially available, and the number of retinal pathologies
      visualised with AO is increasing. Recently, an AO-based microstimulation
      technique has been introduced, which offers the possibility to directly correlate
      retinal structure with visual function on a cellular level.

PMID- 28355661
TI  - [Gene Replacement Therapy for Inherited Retinal Dystrophies].
AB  - Characteristics of inherited retinal dystrophies include deficiencies in light
      perception and nervous conduction within the retina, leading to reduced vision or
      even blindness. In this context, the loss of function of photoreceptor-specific
      genes causes a variety of clinically and aetiologically distinct syndromes - each
      of them belonging to the group of rare diseases. With a prevalence of 1 in 2500,
      however, inherited retinal diseases are clinically significant and important -
      especially since these diseases lead to restrictions of a patient's fitness for
      work and overall quality of life. More than 250 genetic mutations causing the
      various types of inherited retinal dystrophies have been identified by now
      (https://sph.uth.tmc.edu/Retnet). In recent years, preclinical research on
      suitable animal models has yielded important progress in the understanding of the
      mutations underlying the pathological and molecular biological processes of these
      diseases. These findings have led to the development of novel and innovative
      therapeutic strategies for the treatment of inherited retinal dysfunctions, which
      are still incurable. Meanwhile, many of the successful preclinical studies have
      led to translational research projects aiming to find treatment options for human
      patients. However, some preliminary results of these human translational studies
      indicate the need to optimise and refine the underlying therapeutic concepts.

PMID- 28355662
TI  - [Photoreceptor Transplantation into the Degenerative Retina].
AB  - Vision impairment and blindness due to photoreceptor loss represents one of the
      major causes for disability in industrialized societies. Whereas rod
      photoreceptors allow vision under dim light conditions, cone photoreceptors
      provide high-acuity vision in daylight conditions and color detection. Several
      therapeutic strategies are currently developed to repair vision loss, including
      cell-based interventions. Within the last decade, major progress regarding the
      replacement of photoreceptors by transplantation has been made in pre-clinical
      animal models. This includes defining the necessary conditions, like the optimal
      ontogenetic stage of transplantable donor photoreceptors, cell-specific
      enrichment procedures and robust transplantation technologies. Moreover, first
      studies provided evidence for functional improvements by photoreceptor
      transplantation in mouse models of retinal dysfunction. Furthermore, advances in
      cell culture technology were made by introducing methods to generate
      photoreceptor-containing retinal organoids, derived from pluripotent stem cells,
      that provide theoretically unlimited sources for the production of photoreceptor
      transplants. Interestingly, the recently identified transfer of cytoplasmic
      material between donor and host photoreceptors might represent an additional
      treatment option for cell transplantation approaches. Within this review, we
      focus on the main developments within the photoreceptor transplantation field and
      discuss important achievements, challenges and hurdles to develop photoreceptor
      transplantation towards clinical applications.

PMID- 28355664
TI  - ?

PMID- 28355663
TI  - [Genotype-Phenotype Correlations in Patients with CRB1 Mutations].
AB  - Background Mutations in the CRB1 gene were identified in patients with early
      onset severe retinal dystrophy (EOSRD), childhood-onset and juvenile-onset rod
      cone dystrophy. This study describes the phenotypic spectrum of disease-causing
      CRB1-mutations in the first two decades of life. Materials and Methods Eight
      patients, aged three months to 20 years, underwent a full comprehensive
      ophthalmological examination including best corrected visual acuity testing
      (BCVA), color vision testing, funduscopy, spectral-domain optical coherence
      tomography (SD-OCT), and fundus autofluorescence (FAF) recording. Automated and
      manual retinal layer segmentation of SD-OCT recordings was performed using DIOCTA
      software. A full-field electroretinography (ffERG, ISCEV Standard) and visual
      fields were performed in cooperative patients. Results Five patients carried
      mutations causing a loss of the corresponding gene product (splice-mutation,
      nonsense-mutation, frame-shifting mutation). These patients presented with
      generally reduced vision in the first months of life that never exceeded 0.04
      during the observational period. The sixth patient carried a homozygous missense
      mutation and reached maximal BCVA 0.05 at the age of 6 years. Two further
      patients, carrying at least one hypomorphic missense-mutation, presented with
      better preserved visual function with up to 0.5 at the age of 20 years. The
      recorded ffERG was below threshold in the majority of patients. Visual fields
      were severely restricted. The photoreceptor layers were significantly reduced in
      SD-OCT whenever stratification of retinal layers was possible. The inner nuclear
      layer thickness increased with progressing retinal degeneration. A-Scan analysis
      revealed better preservation of the retinal stratification in patients with
      missense mutations. Conclusions Patients with CRB1-mutations presented with a
      severe phenotype with severely reduced visual acuity from birth. Missense
      mutations with predicted residual function of the gene product were associated
      with moderate expression of the disease. Severe and progressive restriction of
      visual fields occurred in the first decade of life. The reduced retinal
      stratification indicates a general loss of structural integrity of the retinal
      layers.

PMID- 28355665
TI  - ?

PMID- 28355666
TI  - ?

PMID- 28355667
TI  - Pancreas Divisum in Children and Duodenum-Preserving Resection of the Pancreatic
      Head.
AB  - INTRODUCTION:  A retrospective study was performed to evaluate the clinical
      features, diagnostic methods, and treatment alternatives in children with
      pancreas divisum (PD). MATERIALS AND METHODS:  Patients who underwent treatment
      for PD between 1999 and 2014 at our department were evaluated for sex, age,
      presenting symptoms, physical examination findings, biochemical markers,
      diagnostic methods, treatment modalities, and results of treatment during follow
      up. RESULTS:  Seven patients who underwent treatment of symptomatic PD were
      included in the study. The median for follow-up period was 8 years (from 26
      months to 16 years). Male-to-female ratio was 4:3 and the median age at
      presentation was 11 years (2-14 years). Presenting symptoms were recurrent
      episodic epigastric pain. Pancreatitis was documented by elevated amylase or
      lipase levels. Endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) was the
      method of diagnosis of PD in all patients. Five patients had complete PD and two
      had incomplete variants. Three patients improved after ERCP papillotomy. In three
      patients, papillotomy was unsuccessful but they have only mild episodes of
      pancreatitis. One patient presented at the age of 4 years with recurrent
      pancreatitis. She was treated surgically by duodenum-preserving resection of the
      pancreatic head (DPRPH) because of severe recurrent pancreatitis occurring even
      after ERCP papillotomy. The patient is 26 months after operation without any
      reported problems. CONCLUSION:  Patients with symptomatic PD are indicated for
      ERCP papillotomy attempt. If there is not improvement after ERCP, then recurrent
      bouts of severe pancreatitis are considered as an indication for surgical
      procedure. DPRPH is a safe and feasible surgical alternative.

PMID- 28355669
TI  - The Knee: Update on Imaging and Intervention.

PMID- 28355670
TI  - Update on MRI Pulse Sequences for the Knee: Imaging of Cartilage, Meniscus,
      Tendon, and Hardware.
AB  - Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is widely used in the clinical setting as well
      as for research applications. Since its inception, technical development has
      broadly progressed as a response to challenges in both the clinical and research
      settings. Higher magnetic field strength and advances in hardware and software
      have revolutionized the diagnostic potential of MRI and moved well beyond
      diagnosis to characterization of tissue metabolism, biochemistry, disease
      pathogenesis, and material property, to name a few. This article focuses on state
      of-the-art clinical and cutting-edge novel pulse sequences applied to knee MRI.

PMID- 28355671
TI  - Multiligamentous Injury of the Knee: MRI Diagnosis and Injury Patterns.
AB  - Anterior cruciate and posterior cruciate injuries rarely occur in isolation and
      are often associated with injuries to the secondary or supporting structures that
      provide stability against rotational forces. These structures include the
      posterolateral and posteromedial corner ligaments and tendons, as well as the
      anterolateral ligament. If injuries to these secondary structures are not
      appreciated at the time of cruciate ligament reconstruction, an isolated cruciate
      ligament reconstruction may be predisposed to early failure. Thus it is crucial
      for radiologists interpreting knee magnetic resonance imaging to understand and
      report on injury to these ligaments and tendons at the time of initial injury to
      help the orthopaedic surgeon plan a comprehensive approach to ligament
      reconstruction. This strategy will ultimately result in improved patient
      outcomes.

PMID- 28355672
TI  - Ligamentous Reconstruction of the Knee: What Orthopaedic Surgeons Want
      Radiologists to Know.
AB  - Knee ligament injuries are common, and treatment methods are continually
      evolving. Accurate clinical diagnosis with imaging confirmation is critical to
      support appropriate treatment. Several imaging pearls allow for improved
      recognition of injuries. Stress radiographs may be obtained to quantify knee
      laxity. Magnetic resonance imaging allows assessment of the complex anatomy of
      the knee and has excellent sensitivity and specificity for many injuries.

PMID- 28355673
TI  - The Extensor Mechanism: Imaging and Intervention.
AB  - We present an overview of imaging and intervention of the extensor mechanism of
      the knee. Particular focus is placed on the evaluation of patellofemoral tracking
      disorders, patellar and quadriceps tendinosis and tears, patellar fracture,
      lateral patellar condyle patellar friction syndrome, and prepatellar bursitis.
      Anatomical and biomechanical factors contributing to these disorders are
      considered. Imaging evaluation is presented in a clinical context, and
      therapeutic options for these disorders are discussed. Image-guided therapy
      options for symptomatic patellar tendinosis are also described and illustrated.

PMID- 28355674
TI  - Ultrasound of the Knee: Common Pathology Excluding Extensor Mechanism.
AB  - Ultrasound can be used to diagnose many types of pathology and guide various
      diagnostic or therapeutic procedures. The most common applications for
      musculoskeletal ultrasound of the knee include evaluation of the joint recesses,
      the extensor mechanism, and bursae including Baker's cyst. However, a role exists
      for ultrasound in the evaluation of cartilage, other tendons, ligaments,
      peripheral nerves, osseous structures, and vasculature. This article reviews
      common pathologies of these structures as seen with ultrasound. In addition,
      various ultrasound-guided procedures pertaining to these pathologies are
      introduced. The importance of a comprehensive evaluation is also emphasized as a
      method to maximize information gained from the ultrasound examination.

PMID- 28355675
TI  - Magnetic Resonance Imaging of Arthritis of the Knee.
AB  - The knee joint is involved in a wide variety of arthritides, and imaging has
      always played a major role in both aiding diagnosis and assessing the severity of
      such diseases. Plain film radiography has traditionally been used as the primary
      imaging modality for radiographic diagnosis of arthritis. However, magnetic
      resonance imaging (MRI) shows a greater sensitivity to both the bone and soft
      tissue features of this group of conditions. This article reviews the imaging
      features of osteoarthritis (OA) of the knee shown on MRI and the criteria used to
      diagnose this condition. It also discusses imaging features that suggest the
      underlying arthropathy is not OA.

PMID- 28355676
TI  - Imaging Nerve Pathology of the Knee: Magnetic Resonance Imaging and Ultrasound.
AB  - Peripheral neuropathies are not uncommon, and the diagnostic evaluation includes
      a clinical assessment and electrophysiologic studies as well as diagnostic
      imaging. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and high-resolution ultrasound (HRUS)
      are of special importance in providing the surgeon with information in the
      context of nerve trauma, entrapment, and nerve involvement by tumors. Peripheral
      neuropathy about the knee can occur in the context of associated knee pathology
      such as trauma, as part of a systemic disease, or as an isolated finding. In this
      review, we discuss the role of MRI and HRUS in the evaluation of peripheral
      neuropathy and present imaging examples of peripheral neuropathy involving the
      knee.

PMID- 28355677
TI  - Imaging of the Pediatric Knee.
AB  - The knee joint is commonly injured in the young athlete. This article discusses
      the common injury patterns around the knee that are unique to this patient
      population. Pediatric patients have relative weak points at their physes and
      apophyses that result in different forces on ligaments and bones during injury
      compared with adults. Common pathologic findings seen on imaging include patellar
      and patellar tendon injury, physeal fractures, osteochondral abnormality,
      ligament tears, and meniscal injury. Imaging studies are also performed to
      evaluate pediatric patients after surgical knee injury repair, and radiologists
      should be familiar with certain pediatric-specific knee repair techniques and
      their imaging appearances. A thorough knowledge of normal and pathologic imaging
      findings of the pediatric knee allows the radiologist to make important
      diagnostic and management contributions.

PMID- 28355678
TI  - Surgical Correction of Articular Damage in the Knee: Osteoarticular
      Transplantation to Joint Reconstruction.
AB  - Injuries of the articular cartilage remain difficult to treat and can range from
      small articular cartilage defects to end-stage severe osteoarthritis. In this
      review, we discuss various surgical treatment options including imaging features
      and associated complications. Specifically, we review microfracture, acellular
      matrix-induced microfracture, autologous osteochondral transplantation,
      osteochondral allograft transplantation, autologous chondrocyte implantation,
      along with various forms of knee arthroplasties.

PMID- 28355679
TI  - A Simple Technique to Prevent Early or Late EndoButton Deployment in Anterior
      Cruciate Ligament Reconstructions: A Technical Note.
AB  - The use of suspensory graft fixation methods in arthroscopic reconstruction of
      the anterior cruciate ligament has become increasingly popular with the more
      frequent use of tendon grafts and anatomical techniques involving the creation of
      bone tunnels. An important technical step to ensure adequate fixation of the
      graft when using EndoButton-type implants, particularly in the femur, involves
      flipping the EndoButton plate at the correct length to avoid performing this
      maneuver before the appropriate time or leaving soft tissue between the plate and
      lateral cortex of the femur. In the present study, we describe a simple
      arthroscopic technique for indicating the correct time to flip/deploy the
      EndoButton plate.

PMID- 28355680
TI  - Function of the Anterior Intermeniscal Ligament.
AB  - The function and importance of the anterior intermeniscal ligament (AIML) of the
      knee are not fully known. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the
      biomechanical and sensorimotor function of the AIML. Computational analysis was
      used to assess AIML and tibiomeniscofemoral biomechanics under combined
      translational and rotational loading applied during dynamic knee flexion
      extension. Histologic and immunohistochemical examination was used to identify
      and characterize neural elements in the tissue. The computational models were
      created from anatomy and passive motion of two female subjects and histologic
      examinations were conducted on AIMLs retrieved from 10 fresh-frozen cadaveric
      knees. It was found that AIML strain increased with compressive knee loading and
      that external rotation of the tibia unloads the AIML, suppressing the
      relationship between AIML strain and compressive knee loads. Extensive neural
      elements were located throughout the AIML tissue and these elements were
      distributed across the three AIML anatomical types. The AIMLs have a beneficial
      influence on knee biomechanics with decreased meniscal load sharing with AIML
      loss. The AIML plays a significant biomechanical and neurologic role in the
      sensorimotor functions of the knee. The major role for the AIML may primarily
      involve its neurologic function.

PMID- 28355681
TI  - A Biomechanical Study of Two Distinct Methods of Anterior Cruciate Ligament
      Rupture, and a Novel Surgical Reconstruction Technique, in a Small Animal Model
      of Posttraumatic Osteoarthritis.
AB  - Small animal models are critical for studies of sports-related knee injury and
      disease such as posttraumatic osteoarthritis (PTOA) following anterior cruciate
      ligament (ACL) rupture. In such models, ACL damage can be achieved by surgical
      transection or, using a more recent innovation, by noninvasive biomechanical
      means. Whether these approaches differentially alter normal mechanics is unknown.
      Furthermore, while surgical reconstruction of ruptured ACL can greatly improve
      joint stability, its effect on PTOA development is also unclear. Our primary
      purpose was to characterize rodent knee joint mechanics in two models of ACL
      rupture using a novel quantitative laxity mechanical test. Our secondary aim was
      to characterize a new reconstruction technique using autograft tail tendon, and
      to assess its effect on joint mechanics. Our hypothesis was that surgical ACL
      transection would have a greater effect on joint mechanics. A total of 24 rat
      knee specimens underwent surgical or biomechanical ACL rupture and were
      stabilized using a new reconstruction technique using autograft tail tendon.
      Joint mechanics were assessed three times; preinjury, postinjury, and again after
      reconstruction, using quantitative joint laxity testing. Primary test readouts
      were maximum anteroposterior (AP) laxity, loading curve slope, and energy
      absorption. Student's t-tests were performed to identify intragroup differences.
      All surgical transections were completed successfully; maximum load in the
      biomechanical model was 67 +/- 7.7 N, with a coefficient of variation of 11.43%.
      Surgical transection caused increased AP laxity, while biomechanical injury
      nonsignificantly increased this parameter. In both cases, these changes recovered
      to baseline by reconstruction. Loading curve slope was reduced in both models and
      was also returned to baseline by repair. Energy absorption followed the same
      pattern except it remained significantly different from baseline
      postreconstruction in the surgical group. This study supports our hypothesis knee
      joint mechanics is differentially affected by injury mechanism in a small animal
      model. We also report a novel reconstruction technique in this model, using
      autograft tail tendon.

PMID- 28355683
TI  - [Patients with endometriosis need long term management].

PMID- 28355682
TI  - Efficacy of Tranexamic Acid for Hemostasis in Patients Undergoing High Tibial
      Osteotomy.
AB  - Extensive bone bleeding and an uncomfortable hematoma can develop due to the
      opening gap and space during a medial open high tibial osteotomy (HTO).
      Tranexamic acid (TXA) has been used in various orthopaedic surgeries to reduce
      bleeding and wound complications. However, no study has investigated the effect
      of TXA during HTO. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to evaluate the
      efficacy of TXA in reducing postoperative blood loss in patients undergoing HTO.
      The hypothesis is that topical TXA administration will reduce postoperative
      bleeding in patients undergoing medial opening HTO. Topical TXA (2 g in 20 mL
      saline) was administered at the osteotomy site in patients (n = 15) who underwent
      medial open HTO from November 2015 to March 2016. Patients (n = 15) who underwent
      medial open wedge HTO by the same surgeon from October 2014 to October 2015 were
      enrolled as a control group for comparison. Drainage volumes on postoperative
      days (PODs) 1, 2, and 3 as well as hemoglobin (Hb) level on PODs 1, 6, and 13
      were measured and compared. Mean total postoperative drainage volume was 246 mL
      in the TXA group and 377 mL in the control group. Mean drainage volume on POD 1
      was 138 mL in the TXA group and 277 mL in the control group (p < 0.05). No
      differences in drainage volume were detected between the groups on POD 2 or 3.
      Preoperative Hb levels were 13.0 g/dL in the TXA group and 12.9 g/dL in the
      control group, which decreased to 11.9 g/dL in the TXA group and 11.2 g/dL in the
      control group on POD 1. These postoperative Hb differences were significant (p <
      0.05). Also, Hb levels were 11.7 and 12.0 g/dL in the TXA group and 11.4 and 11.6
      g/dL in the control group on PODs 6 and 13, respectively (p > 0.05). An extensive
      hematoma requiring additional surgery developed in one case in the control group.
      No wound complications were detected in the TXA group. Topical TXA was effective
      for reducing postoperative bleeding after medial open HTO. The level of evidence
      of the study is Level 3.

PMID- 28355684
TI  - [Reference ranges of gestational weight gain in Chinese population on the
      incidence of macrosomia: a multi-center cross-sectional survey].
AB  - Objective: To investigate the influence of gestational weight gain (GWG) on the
      incidence of macrosomia, and to establish the reference ranges of GWG based on
      the incidence of macrosomia. Methods: A multicenter, cross-sectional study was
      conducted. Totally, 112 485 women were recruited from 39 hospitals in 14
      provinces in China. Totally, 61 149 cases were eligible with singleton
      pregnancies and non-premature deliveries. The associations of pre-pregnancy body
      mass index (BMI), GWG, newborn gender and gestational diabetes with macrosomia
      were analyzed with logistic regression. The normal GWG ranges were calculated in
      all maternal BMI subgroups, based on the normal incidence of macrosomia was set
      as the range of 5.0% to 10.0%. Results: In this study, the incidence of
      macrosomia was 7.46% (4 563/611 149). The macrosociam was positive related with
      maternal height, delivery week, pre-pregnancy BMI, GWG, gestational diabetes,
      primipara, and male babies significantly (P<0.05), based on unadjusted and
      adjusted logestic regression. The normal range of GWG 20.0-25.0, 10.0-20.0, 0
      10.0 and 0-5.0 kg in subgroups of underweight (pre-pregnancy BMI<18.5 kg/m(2)),
      normal (18.5-24.9 kg/m(2)), overweight (25.0-29.9 kg/m(2)) and obese (>=30.0
      kg/m(2)), respectively. Conclusion: The reference range of GWG in China based on
      the incidence of macrosomia is established.

PMID- 28355685
TI  - [Clinical outcome and placenta characteristics of spontaneous twin anemia
      polycythemia sequence].
AB  - Objective: To investigate the clinical outcome and placental characteristics of
      spontaneous twin anemia-polycythemia sequence (sTAPS). Methods: Twelve cases with
      sTAPS delivered in Peking University Third Hospital from May 2013 to August 2016.
      The data of ultrasound characteristics, gestational age at delivery, and 1 minute
      Apgar score were analyzed, retrospectively. Placental superficial vascular
      anastomoses, placental territory discordance and the ratio of umbilical cords
      insertion distance to the longest placental diameter were also analyzed. Results:
      (1) Only 1 case of sTAPS was diagnosed prenatally, the others were diagnosed
      postnatally because the fetal middle cerebral artery(MCA) doppler was not
      measured regularly. Five cases were complicated with selective intrauterine
      growth restriction (sIUGR). The median gestational age at delivery was 32.8 weeks
      (31-37 weeks) . The pregnancies were terminated because 3 cases were sIUGR type
      I, 1 case was sIUGR type II, 1 case was sIUGR type III, 2 cases were fetal
      distress, 2 cases were severe pre-eclampsia, 2 cases were premature rupture of
      membrane, 1 case was fetal hydrops with abnormal doppler waveforms of ductus
      venouses. (2) When 5 sIUGR cases were excluded, there was no difference between
      the twins in birth weight [1 797 g (940-2 620 g) , 1 648 g (980-2 500 g) ;
      P=0.688]. The hemoglobin (Hb) level in all donor was significantly lower than
      recipient (P=0.000) and the inter-twin Hb difference was 147.6 g/L (84.0-216.0
      g/L). While the reticulocyte percentage in donor was significantly higher than
      recipient (P=0.013) and reticulocyte percentage ratio was 3.60 (1.04-7.50). Five
      donor newborns had neonatal asphyxia, including 1 severe asphyxia, while no
      asphyxia happened in the recipient twins. (3) Arterio-arterial (A-A) anastomoses,
      veno-venous (V-V) anastomoses, arterio-venous (A-V) anastomoses were found in 3,
      1 and 11 placentas, respectively. The total number of anastomoses was 2 (1-5) and
      the total diameter was 1.1 mm (0.4-2.1 mm), including 0 (0-1) A-A anastomoses
      with 0.2 mm (0.0-0.9 mm) in diameter and 2 (0-5) A-V anastomoses with 0.7 mm (0.0
      2.1 mm) in diameter. The placental territory discordance was 0.17 (0.02-0.40) and
      the ratio of umbilical cords insertion to the longest placental diameter was 0.82
      (0.34-0.99). Conclusions: The pathogenesis of sTAPS might result from slow and
      chronic blood transfusion from donor to recipient through a few minuscule
      vascular anastomoses in the placenta. In all monochorionic twins, especially
      sIUGR cases, MCA doppler should be monitored closely in the second and third
      trimester, in order to diagnose and manage sTAPS in time.

PMID- 28355686
TI  - [Retrospective analysis of outcomes of selectively or spontaneously reduced
      multiple pregnancies out of 6 917 in vitro fertilization-embryo transfer
      pregnancy cycles].
AB  - Objective: To analyze the effects of fetal reduction in early pregnancy on
      obstetric and neonatal outcomes of spontaneously or selectively reduced multiple
      pregnancies produced by in vitro fertilization-embryo transfer (IVF-ET). Methods:
      Retrospective study of 6 917 clinical pregnancies from IVF-ET cycles, including
      754 multiple pregnancies divided into two groups according to the remaining fetus
      number: reduced singleton group (n=599) and reduced twin group (n=155); and
      maternal and neonatal outcomes of two groups were compared to primary singleton
      group (n=3 589) and primary twin group (n=2 574). Results: The rate of pregnancy
      complication [9.85%(59/599) versus 6.21%(223/3 589)], preterm birth
      [19.37%(116/599) versus 10.73%(385/3 589)], low birth weight [9.71%(56/577)
      versus 4.57% (152/3 324)], perinatal death [0.69%(4/577) versus 0.12%(4/3 324)]
      and malformation [2.95%(17/577) versus 1.02%(34/3 324)] in reduced singleton
      group were significantly higher than those in primary singleton group (all
      P<0.01). There were no significant differences between reduced twin group and
      primary twin group (all P>0.05). In reduced singleton group, birth defect rate
      was 2.95%, which was higher than those of the other three groups (P<0.05), in
      this group spontaneous pregnancy reduction accounted for 89.3% (535/599).
      Conclusions: (1) The rate of pregnancy complication, preterm birth, low birth
      weight, perinatal death and malformation in reduced singleton group are still
      higher than primary singletons, suggesting embryo reduction only is a compensated
      method in multiple pregnancies. Limiting the number of embryos transferred is the
      essential solution. (2) The rate of birth defect in spontaneous pregnancy
      reduction group is higher, so prenatal examination should be reinforced in this
      group.

PMID- 28355687
TI  - [Clinical analysis of pelvic abscess with endometriosis].
AB  - Objective: To investigate the clinical features, diagnosis and treatments of
      pelvic abscess with endometriosis. Methods: A retrospective analysis was
      performed on 129 cases of pelvic abscess in Peking Union Medical College Hospital
      from January 2000 to January 2016. Among them, 34 women with endometriosis were
      divided into the study group and the others were in the control group. The
      clinical characteristics, therapeutic regimens and outcomes were compared.
      Results: (1) General conditions: there were no statistic differences between the
      two groups in age, WBC, serum CA(125), intrauterine device in use, pelvic
      inflammatory disease history; while incidence rates of dysmenorrhea (65%, 22/34)
      and infertility (21%, 7/34) in the study group were higher than those in the
      control group (all P<0.05). (2) Clinical manifestations: fever, abdominal pain
      and pelvic mass were the main symptoms in two groups. The incidence rates of
      septic shock were 12% (4/34) in the study group and 2% (2/95) in the control
      group (P<0.05). (3) Treatment: treatment with puncture all failed in the study
      group (7/7) and surgeries were required. In contrast, there was only 1/19
      treatment failure with puncture in the control group. The puncture failure rates
      were statistically significant (P<0.05). Compared with the study group and the
      control group, there were significant differences (P<0.05) in the operation time
      of laparoscopic surgery [(76+/-41) versus (53+/-21) minutes] and of laparotomy
      [(168+/-58) versus (116+/-35) minutes], intra-operative blood loss of
      laparoscopic surgery [(216+/-296) versus (43+/-36) ml] and of laparotomy [(448+/
      431) versus (145+/-24) ml]. Conclusions: Pelvic abscess in women with
      endometriosis is more severe and refractory to antibiotics and puncture
      treatment. Active surgical intervention is required. Although surgical procedures
      are often difficult, prognosis is comparatively satisfied.

PMID- 28355688
TI  - [A randomized study of intensity-modulated radiation therapy versus three
      dimensional conformal radiation therapy for pelvic radiation in patients of post
      operative treatment with gynecologic malignant tumor].
AB  - Objective: To study the difference between intensity-modulated radiation therapy
      (IMRT) and three dimensional conformal radiation therapy (3D-CRT) for pelvic
      radiation of post-operative treatment with gynecologic malignant tumor. Methods:
      A prospective investigation study was conducted on 183 patients of post-operative
      patients with whole pelvic radiation therapy of cervical cancer or endometrial
      cancer in Zhejiang Cancer Hospital [IMRT group (n=85) and 3D-CRT group (n=98)]
      from Oct. 2015 to Oct. 2016. The two groups received same dose (45 Gy in 25
      fractions). Comparison of two groups with radiation dosimetry:the score according
      to the Radiation Therapy Oncology Group (RTOG) acute radiation injury grading
      standards before and after radiotherapy reaction, the score from functional
      assessment of cancer therapy scale-cervix (FACT-Cx) scale and expanded prostate
      cancer index composite for clinical practice (EPIC-CP) scale were also analyzed.
      Results: (1) There were no significant effect with age, culture level, family
      economic condition and ratio of radiochemotherapy between two groups (all
      P>0.05). (2) Dosimetric comparison for IMRT vs 3D-CRT: the average dose of
      planning target volume (PTV) decreased (46.1+/-0.4) vs (46.4+/-0.5) Gy, V(45)
      dose percentage increased (95.2+/-1.0) % vs (93.3+/-2.0) %, intestinal bag dose
      of V(4)0 decreased (24.4+/-6.8) % vs (36.5+/-15.9) %, rectal V(40) dose
      percentage decreased (73.9+/-12.3) % vs (85.4+/-8.4) %, and lower rectal V(45)
      dose percentage (32.8+/-13.4) % vs (71.5+/-13.7) %, bladder V(40) dose percentage
      decreased (55.5+/-13.0) % vs (84.4+/-13.0) %. Bone marrow V(20) lower: (67.9+/
      5.4) % vs (79.5+/-6.6) %, V(1)0 lower: (82.1+/-6.0) % vs (86.3+/-6.6) %; there
      were significant differences (all P<0.05). There was no significant difference
      between the dose of V(45) in the intestinal pouch and bladder (P>0.05). (3) Acute
      radiation injury classification for IMRT vs 3D-CRT: big or small intestine: II
      III reaction [13% (11/85) vs 24% (24/98); chi(2)=3.925, P=0.048], there was
      significant difference. Bladder: III reaction [19% (16/85) vs 26% (25/98);
      chi(2)=1.171, P=0.279], there was no significant difference. Radiochemotherapy of
      bone marrow suppression: III-IV reaction (14/20), the incidence rate [26% (14/54)
      vs 31% (20/65); chi(2)=0.339, P=0.562], the difference was not statistically
      significant. (4) Quality of life scale by FACT-Cx scale in IMRT vs 3D-CRT: there
      were no significant difference before radiotherapy (82+/-16 vs 85+/-16; t=1.279,
      P=0.203), while there was significant difference after radiotherapy (76+/-14 vs
      71+/-18; t=-2.160, P=0.032). EPIC-CP scale score: before radiotherapy they were
      (16+/-7 vs 15+/-6; t=-0.174, P=0.862),but after radiotherapy (18+/-7 vs 22+/-7;
      t=3.158, P=0.002), there was significant difference between them. Before and
      after radiotherapy, the increased EPIC-CP scale of the IMRT group vs 3D-CRT group
      were 3+/-4 and 6+/-4, the 3D-CRT group was significantly higher, the difference
      was statistically significant (t=5.500, P=0.000). Conclusion: IMRT has shown that
      there are a significant benefit for the post-operative patients with cervical
      cancer and endometrial cancer compared to 3D-CRT.

PMID- 28355690
TI  - [Supporting treatment for bereavement in pregnancy loss].

PMID- 28355691
TI  - [How to improve the quality of cytologic sampling of uterine cervix: princixal
      points and difficulties].

PMID- 28355689
TI  - [Comparison of robotic surgery with laparoscopy for surgical staging of
      endometrial cancer: a meta-analysis].
AB  - Objective: To evaluate the safety and effectiveness of robotic surgery in
      surgical staging of endometrial cancer. Methods: Searched English and Chinese
      databases, including Cochrane library, PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, China
      National Knowledge Internet, data base of Wanfang, China Science and Technology
      Journal (CSTJ) , and relevant journals and magazines by hand from Jan. 2000 to
      Oct. 2016. (1) In accordance with the inclusion criteria, two independent
      investigators screened databases and extracted the relevant data respectively,
      then evaluated the quality of including studies in Newcastle-Ottawa Scale (NOS) .
      (2) Meta-analysis was performed with RevMan 5.3 software. Heterogeneity
      inspection was done for each study and different effect model included the random
      effect model and fixed effect model was chose according to the results: of the
      inspection. At last, the related parameters of the robotic surgery and
      laparoscopic surgery was analysed. Results (1) Thirteen articles were ultimately
      included. All of them were written in English and included a total of 1 554
      patients, included 739 cases of robotic surgery and 815 cases of laparoscopic
      surgery. Thirteen articles were all cohort study, four of them were prospective
      cohort study, while others were retrospective cohort study. After quality
      assessment, all studies had more than 5 stars and illustrated the higher quality.
      (2) Meta-analysis results showed: compared with laparoscopic surgery in surgical
      staging of endometrial cancer, robotic surgery had less estimated blood loss
      [standard deviation (SD)=-72.31 ml, 95%CI:-107.29 to-37.33, P<0.01], less time
      for hospital stay (SD=-0.29 days, 95%CI:-0.46 to-0.13, P=0.001), less need for
      blood transfusion [risk ratio (RR)=0.57, 95%CI: 0.33 to 0.97, P=0.040], and
      conversion to open surgery (RR=0.41, 95%CI: 0.26 to 0.65, P=0.000), less
      intraoperative complications (RR=0.43, 95%CI: 0.24 to 0.76, P=0.004) in surgical
      staging of endometrial cancer. There was no statistically significant difference
      in aspects of operative time (SD=10.26 minutes, 95% CI:-13.62 to 34.13, P=0.400),
      postoperative complications (RR=0.87, 95% CI: 0.67 to 1.12, P=0.280), the total
      number of lymph nodes removed (SD=-0.04, 95% CI:-3.99 to 3.91, P=0.980), the
      number of pelvic lymph node dissection (SD=0.48, 95%CI:-1.76 to 2.71, P=0.680)
      and the number of para-aortic lymph node dissection (SD=0.46, 95%CI:-1.42 to
      2.34, P=0.630). Conclusions: Compared the robotic surgery with laparoscopic
      surgery in surgical staging of endometrial cancer, robotic surgery has less
      estimated blood loss, less need for blood transfusion and conversion to open
      surgery, less intraoperative complications and other advantages. While its cost
      is so expensive that restrict clinical application.

PMID- 28355692
TI  - [Influence of aluminum on microRNA29 and beta-site amyloid precursor protein
      cleaving enzyme 1 in the brain of rats].
AB  - Objective: To investigate the influence of aluminum on microRNA29 (miR29)
      subtypes miR29a, miR29a*, miR29b1, miR29b2, miR29c1, and miR29c2 and beta-site
      amyloid precursor protein cleaving enzyme 1 (BACE1) in the brain of rats.
      Methods: A total of 40 Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly divided into control
      group and 15, 30, and 45 MUmol/kg groups according to the body weight, with 10
      rats in each group. The rats were exposed to aluminum (at a dose of 0.1 ml/100 g
      body weight) by intraperitoneal injection for 8 weeks. The rats in control group
      were given 0.9% normal saline, and those in exposure groups were given aluminum
      maltolate (equivalent volumesof maltolate and aluminum solution were mixed before
      exposure) . The cerebral cortex and hippocampus were isolated after exposure
      ended; Western blotting was used to measure the change in BACE1 expression, and
      real-time reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction was used to measure the
      mRNA expression of miR29 subtypes in the cerebral cortex and hippocampus.
      Results: Compared with the control group, the 45 MUmol/kg group had a significant
      increase in BACE1 expression in the cerebral cortex, and the 30 and 45 MUmol/kg
      groups had significant increases in BACE1 expression in the hippocampus (all
      P<0.05) . Compared with the control group, the 15, 30, and 45 MUmol/kg groups had
      significant reductions in the mRNA expression of miR29a*, miR29b2, miR29c1, and
      miR29c2 in the cerebral cortex and hippocampus (all P<0.01) , and the 45 MUmol/kg
      group had significant reductions in the mRNA expression of miR29a and miR29b1 in
      the cerebral cortex and hippocampus (all P<0.05) . The results of correlation
      analysis showed that there was no correlation between the mRNA expression of
      miR29a*, miR29b2, miR29c1, and miR29c2 and BACE1 expression in the cerebral
      cortex and hippocampus (all P>0.05) , while the mRNA expression of miR29a and
      miR29b1 was negatively correlated with BACE1 expression (cerebral cortex: r=
      0.987 and -0.981, P<0.05; hippocampus: r=-0.992 and -0.991, P<0.05) . Conclusion:
      Aluminum can reduce the expression of miR29 subtypes and increase BACE1
      expression in the brain, and the expression of miR29a and miR29b1 is negatively
      correlated with BACE1 expression.

PMID- 28355693
TI  - [Influence of occupational aluminum exposure on cognitive function and glutamate
      receptor protein expression in workers].
AB  - Objective: To investigate the influence of occupational aluminum exposure on
      cognitive function and glutamate receptor protein expression in peripheral blood
      lymphocytes in workers and the possibility of glutamate receptor being used as a
      biomarker for cognitive impairment in aluminum workers. Methods: From October to
      December, 2014, cluster sampling was performed to select 121 workers in aluminum
      electrolysis workshop as exposure group and 231 workers in thermoelectric
      workshop and logistics department as control group. Mini-Mental State
      Examination, clock drawing test, digit span test (DST) , verbal fluency test
      (VFT) , and Fuld Object-Memory (FOM) Evaluation were used to analyze cognitive
      function. Graphite furnace atomic absorption spectrophotometry was used to
      measure plasma aluminum level as an exposure indicator. Enzyme-linked
      immunosorbent assay was used to measure the content of glutamate receptor
      proteins in peripheral blood lymphocytes, including the subunits of N-methyl-D
      aspartate receptor NR1, NR2A, and NR2B and metabotropic glutamate receptor 1
      (mGluR1) . The correlation between cognitive function indices and the content of
      glutamate receptor proteins was analyzed. Results: There was no significant
      difference in plasma aluminum level between the control group and the exposure
      group (132.52+/-80.40 MUg/L vs 182.88+/-72.32 MUg/L, P>0.05) . According to the
      plasma aluminum level, the study subjects were divided into control group and low
      , medium-, and high-level plasma aluminum groups, and there were significant
      differences in plasma aluminum level between these groups (all P<0.01) . The high
      level plasma aluminum group had a significantly lower memory ability score than
      the control group and the low- and medium-level plasma aluminum groups (all
      P<0.05) . The high-level plasma aluminum group had lower DST and digital span
      forward (DSF) scores than the control group and the low-and medium-level plasma
      aluminum groups. The low-, medium-, and high-level plasma aluminum groups had
      lower digital span backward (DSB) scores than the control group. The medium-and
      high-level plasma aluminum groups had lower VFT scores than the control group and
      the low-level plasma aluminum group. The high-level plasma aluminum group had
      significantly lower expression of NR1 and NR2A proteins than the control group
      and the low-and medium-level plasma aluminum groups, and the medium- and high
      level plasma aluminum groups had significantly higher expression of mGluR1
      protein than the control group and the low-level plasma aluminum group (all
      P<0.05) . The expression of NR1 and NR2A proteins was negatively correlated with
      plasma aluminum level (r=-0.475 and -0.692, both P<0.05) , andthe expression of
      mGluR1 protein was positively correlated with plasma aluminum level (r=0.756,
      P<0.05) . The expression of NR1 protein was positively correlated with DSF, DSB,
      DST, and VFT scores (r(s)=0.213, 0.249, 0.271, and 0.228, all P<0.05) , and the
      expression of NR2A protein was positively correlated with VFT score (r(s)=0.206,
      P<0.05) . Conclusion: Occupational aluminum exposure may affect workers' memory
      function, and the expression of NR1 and NR2A in peripheral blood lymphocytes is
      correlated with cognitive function indices and can be used as biomarkers for
      cognitive impairment in aluminum workers.

PMID- 28355694
TI  - [Effect of the mediation of the taurine on striatum tissue Ca(2+) homeostasis in
      manganese exposed rats].
AB  - Objective: To elucidate the effect of taurine on neurotoxicity induced by Mn by
      investigating activities of Na(+)-K(+)-ATPase and Ca(2+)-Mg(2+)-ATPase and
      content of Mn and active calmodulin in manganese exposed rats. Methods: 156 male
      SD rats were randomly divided into 1 control group, 3 manganese exposed groups
      (10, 15, and 20 mg/kg respectively) , and 9 taurine intervened groups based on
      orthogonal design (doses of taurine intervention were 100, 150, and 200 mg/kg
      respectively) , with 12 rats in each group. After 12 weeks of exposure, all rats
      were decapitated and corpus striatums were removed, activities of Na(+)-K(+)
      ATPase and Ca(2+)-Mg(2+)-ATPase and content of Mn and active calmodulin were
      analyzed. Results: The corpus striatum Mn content of the 3 dose groups exposed to
      Mn and 9 taurine intervened groups were significantly higher than that of the
      control group (P<0.05) . Active calmodulin content in 10 mg/kg manganese exposed
      group was significantly higher than that of the control group (P<0.05) . 150 and
      200 mg/kg of taurine could decrease active calmodulin content of the group
      exposed to 10 mg/kg of Mn (P<0.05) . The corpus striatum activities of Na(+)-K(+)
      ATPase and Ca(2+)-Mg(2+)-ATPase of the 3 dose groups exposed to Mn were
      significantly lower than that of the control group (P<0.05) . 150 mg/kg of
      taurine could increase activities of Na(+)-K(+)-ATPase of the group exposed to 10
      mg/kg of Mn (P<0.05) . 150 and 200 mg/kg of taurine could respectively improve
      activities of Ca(2+)-Mg(2+)-ATPase of the group exposed to 15, 10 mg/kg of Mn
      (P<0.05) . Conclusion: Mn can decrease the rats corpus striatum activities of
      Na(+)-K(+)-ATPase and Ca(2+)-Mg(2+)-ATPase, effect level of active calmodulin in
      relation to dose of Mn, to a certain extent, taurine could regulate activities of
      Na(+)-K(+)-ATPase and Ca(2+)-Mg(2+)-ATPase and improve the level of active
      calmodulin.

PMID- 28355695
TI  - [Oxidative stress and autophagy in SK-N-SH cells induced by manganese chloride or
      1-methyl-4-phenylpyridinium: a comparative analysis].
AB  - Objective: To investigate the effect of manganese chloride (MnCl(2)) or 1-methyl
      4-phenylpyridinium (MPP (+)) on oxidative stress and autophagy in human
      neuroblastomaSK-N-SH cells and the mechanism of the neurotoxicity of manganese.
      Methods: SK-N-SH cells were treated with MnCl(2) or MPP(+) at doses of 0.062 5,
      0.125, 0.25, 0.5, 1.0, and 2.0 mmol/L for 24 hours, and MTT assay was used to
      measure cell viability. The cells weretreated with MnCl(2) or MPP(+) at doses of
      0.125, 0.25, and 0.5 mmol/L for 24 hours, and flow cytometry was used to measure
      the content of reactive oxygen species (ROS) in cells, a laser scanning confocal
      microscope was used to observe autophagosome in cells, and Western blot was used
      to measure the expression of autophagy-related proteins P62 and LC3-II/LC3-I.
      Results: Compared with the control group, the 0.0625-2.0 mmol/L MnCl(2) and 0.125
      2.0 mmol/L MPP (+) treatment groups had significant reductions in the viability
      of SK-N-SH cells, and the 0.25-2.0 mmol/L MnCl(2) treatment groups had
      significantly lower viability than the groups treated with the same doses of
      MPP(+) (all P<0.05) . Compared with the control group, the 0.125-0.25 mmol/L
      MnCl(2) and 0.125-0.5 mmol/L MPP(+) treatment groups had significant increases in
      the content of ROS, and the 0.25-0.5 mmol/L MPP(+) treatment groups had
      significantly higher content of ROS than the groups treated with the same doses
      of MnCl(2) (all P<0.05) . Compared with the control group, the 0.25-0.5 mmol/L
      MnCl(2) andMPP(+) treatment groups had significant increases in autophagy-related
      proteins LC3-II/LC3-I and significant reductions in P62 expression; the 0.125-0.5
      mmol/L MPP(+) treatment groups had significantly higher LC3-II/LC3-I than the
      groups treated with the same doses of MnCl(2), and the 0.125 and 0.25 mmol/L MPP
      (+) treatment groups had significantly lower P62 expression than the groups
      treated with the same doses of MnCl(2) (all P<0.05) . Conclusion: Both MnCl(2)
      and MPP(+) can induce oxidative stress and autophagy in SK-N-SH cells, and MPP(+)
      has a significantly greater inductive effect on autophagy of SK-N-SH cells than
      MnCl(2).

PMID- 28355696
TI  - [Effects of bisphenol A on the expression of N-cadherin, Vimentin and FSHR in rat
      Sertoli cells].
AB  - Objective: To explore the effects of BPA on the expression of N-cadherin,
      Vimentin and FSHR in rat Sertoli cells. Methods: Primary Sertoli cells collected
      from prepuberty rats (18-21 d) were cultured for 48 h, and then they were treated
      with 0, 30, 50, 70 MUmol/L BPA respectively for 24 h. The methods of MTT, real
      time quantitative PCR and Western blotting were utilized to measure the cell
      ability of Sertoli cells, the mRNA and protein expression levels of N-cadherin,
      Vimentin and FSHR respectively. Results: Compared with control, the cell
      abilities of Sertoli cells in 50 MUmol/L BPA group and 70 MUmol/L BPA group
      increased significantly (P<0.05) . The cell abilities of Sertoli cells decreased
      with the increases of exposure doses of BPA. Compared with control, the
      expression of N-cadherin mRNA only increased in 30 MUmol/L BPA group (P<0.05) ,
      the expression of Vimentin mRNA decreased significantly in all doses group of BPA
      (P<0.05) , the expression of FSHR mRNA increased in all doses group of BPA
      (P<0.05) . Compared with the control, the protein levels of N-cadherin increased
      significantly in 50 MUmol/L BPA group (P<0.05) , the protein levels of Vimentin
      decreased significantly in all doses group of BPA (P<0.05) , the protein levels
      of FSHR decreased significantly in 50 MUmol/L BPA group and 70 MUmol/L BPA group
      (P<0.05) . Conclusion: The mechanism of testicular toxicity from BPA might be the
      alterations of N-cadherin, Vimentin and FSHR by disturbing normal
      spermatogenesis.

PMID- 28355697
TI  - [Study on apoptosis mechanism of H9c2 cardiomyocytes induced by N, N
      dimethylformamide].
AB  - Objective: To observe the change levels of nuclear factor-kappa B (NF-kappaB) p65
      protein in cytoplasm and nuclear, phosphorylation of inhibitor of kappa B (p
      IkappaB) protein and cytochrome C (Cyt-c) , cleaved cysteinyl aspartate specific
      proteinase-3 (Cleaved caspase-3) , B-cell lymphoma/leukemia-2 (Bcl-2) in
      cytoplasm in the process of N, N-dimethylformamide (DMF) -induced apoptosis in
      H9c2 cardiomyocytes, and explore the tentative mechanism of apoptosis. Methods:
      H9c2 cardiomyocytes were exposed to 200 mmol/L DMF. Western blotting was used to
      detect the protein expression levels of p65 in cytoplasm and nuclear, p-IkappaB
      after exposure for 0, 2, 4, 6, 8, 12 h, and the protein expression levels of Cyt
      c, Cleaved caspase-3, Bcl-2 in cytoplasm after exposure for 0, 2, 4, 8, 12, 24 h.
      Immunofluorescencecytochemistry (IFC) was used to observe the location of Cyt-c
      after 200 mmol/L DMF exposure for different times. Results: The levels of p65 in
      cytoplasm and nuclear and p-IkappaB among groups were statistically significant
      (F were 7.79, 33.11, 90.25, respectively, all P<0.01) . Compared with the control
      group, the levels of p65 in cytoplasm of 2, 4, 6 h group were significantly
      decreased (all P<0.01) ; the levels of p65 in nuclear of 2, 4, 6, 8 h were
      significantly increased (all P<0.01) ; the levels of p-IkappaB of 2, 4, 6 h group
      were significantly increased (all P<0.01) . The levels of Cyt-c, Cleaved caspase
      3 and Bcl-2 among groups were statistically significant (F were 51.42, 503.68,
      73.37, respectively, all P<0.01) . Compared with the control group, the levels of
      Cyt-c of 8, 12 h group were significantly increased (both P<0.01) ; the levels of
      Cleaved caspase-3 of 2, 4, 8, 12, 24 h were significantly increased (all P<0.01)
      ; the levels of Bcl-2 of 2, 4, 8, 12, 24 h group were significantly decreased
      (all P<0.01) . IFC showed that Cyt-c was released from the mitochondria to the
      cytoplasm gradually as the extension of the exposure time. Conclusion: NF-kappaB
      signaling pathway and mitochondrial pathway are involved in the mechanism of DMF
      induced apoptosis in H9c2 cardiomyocytes.

PMID- 28355698
TI  - [Workplace social capital and intention to stay among Chinese nurses: a
      structural equation model].
AB  - Objective: To explore a model that workplace social capital is associated with
      intention to stay (ITS) in the nursing profession and that this association is
      partially mediated by organizational commitment, job satisfaction, and job stress
      among Chinese nurses. Methods: A cross-sectional, observationalstudy was
      conducted in Shanghai, China between September and December 2014. Two
      thousandforty-two nurses from 23 healthcare organizations were recruited for the
      current study using a two-stage sampling process.Intention to stay, workplace
      social capital, job satisfaction, organizational commitment, and job stress was
      measured by validated scale. Measured variable path analysis (MVPA) was used to
      test their hypothesized relationships. Results: There were significant positive
      direct effects from workplace social capital (beta=0.11, P<0.01) , organizational
      commitment (beta=0.81, P<0.01) and job satisfaction (beta=0.03, P<0.01) to ITS,
      and a negative direct effects from job strain to ITS (beta=-0.03, P<0.01) . The
      model explained 84% of the variability in ITS. Additionally, workplace social
      capital had significant positive direct effects on organizational commitment
      (beta=0.65, P<0.01) , job satisfaction (beta=0.44, P<0.01) and negative direct
      effects on job strain (beta=-0.35, P<0.01) . The indirect effect of social
      capital to ITS was 0.55. Job satisfaction was positively associated with
      organizational commitment (r=0.47, P<0.01) , and negtively associated with job
      stress (r=-0.12, P<0.01) . Job stress was negtively associated with
      organizational commitment (r=-0.20, P<0.01) . Conclusion: This study suggests
      that greater workplace social capital may lead to higher ITS in nursing primarily
      by increasing commitment to the nursing occupation and their job satisfaction and
      by reducing their sense of job stress.

PMID- 28355699
TI  - [Study on the health effect of the occupational stress in aircrew].
AB  - Objective: To explore the relationship between occupational stress and
      physiological and biochemical indexes, to research the health effect of the
      occupational stress in aircrew. Methods: 450 aircrews were conducted with the OSI
      R questionnaire survey, examine the level of blood pressure, blood routine, ALT
      and UA. Results: The concentration of HB was positively related with task
      conflict and entertainment and leisure (beta=0.262 and 0.106, both P<0.05) ,
      while heavy task, task discomfort and psychological stress reactions were
      negatively related with HB (beta=-0.163, -0.102, and -0.137, all P<0.05) ; task
      conflict and self-care were positively related with RBC (beta=0.221 and 0.159,
      both P<0.01) , heavy task, psychological stress reactions and social support were
      negatively related with RBC (beta=-0.157, -0.119, and -0.113, all P<0.05) ; task
      ambiguity and self-care had a positive relationship with ALT (beta=0.144 and
      0.159, both P<0.01) while heavy task, psychological stress reactions and social
      support had a negative relationship with ALT (beta=-0.176, -0.096, and -0.102,
      all P<0.05) ; self-care was positively related with SBP (beta=0.170, P<0.01) ,
      task discomfort, interpersonal stress reactions and social support were
      negatively related with SBP (beta=-0.093, -0.103, and -0.111, all P<0.05) ; while
      self-care was positively related with DBP (beta=0.139, P<0.01) , social support
      was negatively related with DBP (beta=-0.114, P<0.05) . Conclusion: Occupational
      stress of the aircrew is significantly related with blood pressure, RBC, ALT and
      UA, occupational stress can make effects on the health of aircrew.

PMID- 28355700
TI  - [Effects of video work on the ocular vascular hemodynamic and visual of the
      operators].
AB  - Objective: To investigate the effects of long time video display terminal (VDT)
      operation on the ocular vascular hemodynamic and visual acuity. Methods: During
      March and October 2015, 120 cases of video monitoring warriors were selected as
      study group, another 155 cases of logistics personnel as the control group. The
      low vision of the two groups was calculated and compared, and the color Doppler
      flow imaging was used to measure the central retinal artery (CRA) , short
      posterior ciliary artery (SPCA) , anterior ciliary artery (ACA) , (peak systolic
      velocity, PSV) , end diastolic velocity (EDV) and (resistance index (RI) . The
      differences of hemodynamic parameters between these two groups were evaluated,
      and the relationship between the visual acuity and each hemodynamic parameter was
      analyzed. Results: The visual acuity of the study group was[0.8 (0.4-1.2) ], much
      lower than the control group, and the rate of low version in the study group was
      40.00%, much higher than that of the control group. Compared with the control
      group, both of ACA and CRA of SPCA, PSV and EDV in the study group were
      decreased, while RI of CRA, ACA were increased (P<0.05) ; Compared with the
      control group, no statistical significance was found in the RI of SPCA in the
      study group (P>0.05) . The PSV and EDV were negatively correlated with visual
      acuity (r value of PSV and visual acuity were -0.352, -0.265 and -0.304; r value
      of EDV and visual acuity were -0.324, -0.348 and -0.365, while RI was positively
      correlated with visual acuity (r value were 0.363, 0.326 and 0.344) . Conclusion:
      Our data suggest that long time video operation may be associated with changes of
      ocular vascular hemodynamic parameters and raise the incidence of low vision.

PMID- 28355701
TI  - [Incidence and trend of occupational diseases in Ningbo, China, from 2006 to
      2015].
AB  - Objective: To investigate the incidence, distribution features, and incidence
      trend of occupational diseases in Ningbo, China, from 2006 to 2015. Methods: In
      February 2016, the data on occupational disease report cards in the occupational
      disease and occupational health information system from 2006 to 2015 were
      collected to perform a comprehensive analysis of the types, incidence trend,
      population characteristics, and enterprise characteristics of occupational
      diseases. Results: There were 845 new cases of occupational diseases in Ningbo
      from 2006 to 2015, among which 596 (70.53%) were pneumoconiosis; there were 445
      (74.66%) cases of stage I pneumoconiosis, 73 (12.25%) cases of stage II
      pneumoconiosis, and 78 (13.09%) cases of stage III pneumoconiosis; silicosis
      (59.76%) was the most common type of pneumoconiosis. Of all patients with
      occupational diseases, 84.97% were male, 64.50%were aged 35-55 years, and 63.67%
      had 5-20 working years. Most of the patients with occupational diseases worked in
      small and medium-sized private (or foreign) enterprises; the most common
      industries were black metal smelting and rolling (38.76%) , construction (17.11%)
      , and non-metallic ore mining (13.09%) . A total of 51.28%, 10.26%, and 7.69% of
      the patients with occupational poisoning worked in the electric apparatus
      manufacturing industry, furniture manufacturing industry, and chemical raw
      material and chemical product manufacturing industry, respectively. The cases of
      occupational diseases are mainly distributed in Yuyao City (24.62%) , Yinzhou
      District (23.91%) , and Ninghai County (15.62%) . Conclusion: Pneumoconiosis is
      the most common type of occupational disease in Ningbo and most of these patients
      work in small and medium-sized private (or foreign) enterprises. The supervision
      of small and medium-sized private enterprises should be enhanced to protect
      workers' health.

PMID- 28355702
TI  - [Prevalence of breast and gynecological diseases in female workers in the
      administrative office and workshop of an automobile part factory].
AB  - Objective: To investigate the prevalence of breast and gynecological diseases in
      female workers in the administrative office and workshop of an automobile part
      factory, and to provide a basis for promoting the health of female workers.
      Methods: In March 2015, color ultrasound examination of the breast, uterus, and
      bilateral adnexa was performed for all female workers, and routine gynecological
      examination, routine leucorrhea examination, and thinprep liquid-based cytology
      test were performed for married female workers. The detection rates of breast and
      gynecological diseases in female workers in the administrative office and
      workshop were analyzed. Results: In the 314 female workers, the overall detection
      rate of breast and gynecological diseases was 86.31%; the detection rate of
      abnormal breast ultrasound results was 72.93%, mainly breast hyperplasia; the
      detection rate of abnormal gynecological ultrasound results was 12.14%, mainly
      hysteromyoma, pelvic effusion, and uterus-rectum fossa effusion. The overall
      detection rate of cervicitis or vaginitis in married female workers was 66.86%.
      The univariate analysis showed that compared with those in the administrative
      office, the female workers in the workshop had significantly higher detection
      rates of breast hyperplasia and grade 2 breast lesions on the Breast Imaging
      Reporting and Data System (BI-RADS) and significantly lower detection rates of
      hysteromyoma and grade 3 breast lesions on the BI-RADS (all P <0.05) . The
      multivariate analysis showed that age was a risk factor for hysteromyoma
      (OR=1.261) , age and working in the workshop were risk factors for breast
      hyperplasia (OR=1.065 and 1.834) , married status was a protective factor against
      breast hyperplasia and grade 2 breast lesions on the BI-RADS (OR=0.334 and 0.450)
      , and working in workshop was a risk factor for grade 2 breast lesions on the BI
      RADS (OR=1.890) and a protective factor against grade 3 breast lesions on the BI
      RADS (OR=0.355) . Conclusion: Female workers in an automobile part factory have
      high prevalence rates of breast and gynecological diseases. Night shifts for
      female workers in the workshop should be reduced as much as possible, and female
      workers, especially those in the administrative office, should be guided to
      release pressure and take a balanced diet.

PMID- 28355703
TI  - [Comparison and application of two risk assessment methods for occupational lead
      exposure risk classification in a lead-acid battery enterprise].
AB  - Objective: To apply and compare two risk assessment methods for occupational lead
      exposure risk classification in a lead-acid battery enterprise. Methods: In April
      2013, an occupational health survey was carried out in a lead-acid battery
      enterprise. Lead smoke and lead dust were tested in the workplace. The risk
      assessment index system for occupational chemical hazards that was established
      and optimized by the research group (referred to as "optimized index system" ) ,
      as well as the Singapore semi-quantitative risk assessment model, was used for
      occupational lead exposure risk classification in the lead-acid battery
      enterprise. The two risk classification results were analyzed and compared.
      Results: In the lead smoke risk classification results, the optimized index
      system classified the raw material group and foundry group workshops as Class I
      hazardous and the assembling group workshop as Class II hazardous. The Singapore
      semi-quantitative risk assessment model classified the raw material group
      workshop as high risk and foundry group and assembling group workshops as
      extremely high risk. In the lead dust risk classification results, the optimized
      index system classified the raw material group workshop as Class I hazardous,
      while the plate painting group, plate cutting group, and assembling group
      workshops were classified as Class II hazardous. The Singapore semi-quantitative
      risk assessment model classified the raw material group workshop as medium risk,
      the plate painting group and plate cutting group workshops as high risk, and the
      assembling group workshop as extremely high risk. Conclusion: There are some
      differences in risk assessment of occupational lead exposure between the two risk
      assessment methods. The optimized index system is comparably more reasonable and
      feasible, and is highly operable.

PMID- 28355705
TI  - [Occupational mental health and job satisfaction in university teachers in
      Shenyang, China].
AB  - Objective: To investigate the current status of occupational mental health and
      job satisfaction in university teachers in Shenyang, China and related
      influencing factors. Methods: A total of 1500 teachers from 6 universities in
      Shenyang were randomly selected as study subjects from November 2013 to January
      2014. Self-administered questionnaires were used to investigate mental health,
      including effort-reward imbalance questionnaire, Minnesota Satisfaction
      Questionnaire, Center for Epidemiological Survey-Depression Scale, and
      Psychological Capital Questionnaire. Results: Of all teachers, 58.9% had
      depressive symptoms. Depressive symptoms in university teachers were negatively
      correlated with the scores of psychological capital, supervisory commitment, and
      perceived organizational support (r=-0.461, -0.306, and -0.366, all P<0.01) and
      were positively correlated with the score of occupational stress (r=0.414,
      P<0.01) . Job satisfaction was positively correlated with psychological capital,
      perceived organizational support, and supervisory commitment (r=0.650, 0.715, and
      0.636, all P<0.01) and negatively correlated with occupational stress (r=-0.475,
      P<0.01) . The direct effects of occupational stress, perceived organizational
      support, and supervisory commitment on job satisfaction were -0.30, 0.26, and
      0.14, respectively, and their indirect effects were -0.0176, 0.0656, and 0.0368,
      respectively. The direct effects of occupational stress, perceived organizational
      support, and supervisory commitment on depressive symptoms were 0.20, -0.08, and 
      0.05, respectively, and their indirect effects was 0.033, -0.123, and -0.069,
      respectively. Conclusion: Occupational mental health is closely associated with
      job satisfaction in university teachers in Shenyang, and psychological capital
      has a mediating effect on perceived organizational support, supervisory
      commitment, occupational stress, job satisfaction, and depressive symptoms.

PMID- 28355704
TI  - [A trend analysis of the incidence of occupational diseases in Chongqing, China,
      from 2006 to 2014].
AB  - Objective: To investigate the incidence of occupational diseases in Chongqing,
      China, from 2006 to 2014, and to analyze the harm, features, and trend of
      occupational diseases in Chongqing. Methods: The data of new cases of
      occupational diseases from 2006 to 2014 were collected, and the patients with a
      confirmed diagnosis of occupational diseases were selected as study subjects to
      analyze the incidence of occupational diseases in Chongqing. Results: There were
      17499 cases of occupational diseases in total in Chongqing from 2006 to 2014.
      Among these patients, 17124 (97.86%) were male, most of whom (95.40%) had
      occupational pneumoconiosis, and 375 (2.14%) were female, most of whom (72.80%)
      had occupational chemical poisoning. There were 16400 cases (93.72%) of
      occupational pneumoconiosis in total, mainly coal workers' pneumoconiosis
      (55.87%) and silicosis (43.02%) , and the main industries involved were coal
      mining and washing, railway transport equipment manufacturing, and mining and
      washing of bituminous coal and anthracite. There were 724 cases of occupational
      poisoning in total; there were 281 cases of acute occupational poisoning, mainly
      gas poisoning (39.86%) and carbon monoxide poisoning (33.10%) ; there were 443
      cases of chronic occupational poisoning, mainly poisoning caused by benzene
      (47.63%) , mercury and its inorganic compounds (32.74%) , and lead and its
      inorganic compounds (9.03%) . Conclusion: Occupational diseases in Chongqing are
      mainly occupational pneumoconiosis, and occupational health supervision should be
      enhanced in the industries of coal mining and washing and railway transport
      equipment manufacturing to protect workers' health.

PMID- 28355706
TI  - [Clinical effect of rock salt aerosol therapy in treatment of occupational
      allergic contact dermatitis].
AB  - Objective: To investigate the clinical effect and safety of rock salt aerosol
      therapy in the treatment of occupational allergic contact dermatitis. Methods: A
      total of 65 patients with acute exacerbation of occupational allergic contact
      dermatitis who were treated in the Outpatient Service and Inpatient Department of
      our hospital from March 2013 to December 2015 were enrolled and randomly divided
      into observation group and control group using a random number table. Both groups
      were givensymptomatic treatment including desensitization, and the patients in
      the observation group were given rock salt aerosol therapy for 2 courses in
      addition to the symptomatic treatment. The changes in symptoms, signs, blood
      eosinophil count, and IgE were observed. Results: There were significant changes
      in symptom score at the first and second courses of the treatment (P<0.05) , and
      there was an interaction between time of therapy and grouping (P<0.05) . There
      was no significant difference in symptom score before treatment between the two
      groups (P>0.05) , while there were differences at the first and second courses of
      the treatment (P<0.05) . After the second course of treatment, the observation
      group had a significantly higher overall response rate than the control group
      (P<0.05) ; both groups had significant reductions in blood eosinophil count and
      the observation group had a significantly greater reduction than the control
      group (P<0.05) . After two courses of treatment, both groups had significant
      increases in the number of patients with normal IgE (both P<0.05) , and after the
      second course of treatment, the observation group had a significantly higher
      number than the control group (P<0.05) . Both groups had mild adverse events,
      which did not affect the treatment. Conclusion: In the treatment of occupational
      allergic contact dermatitis, rock salt aerosol therapy has a certain effect on
      the recovery of symptoms, signs, blood eosinophil count, and IgE.

PMID- 28355707
TI  - [A case of severe poisoning with paint thinner].

PMID- 28355708
TI  - [Effects of extract of Ginkgo biloba on magnetic resonance imaging and
      electroencephalography in patients with delayed encephalopathy after acute carbon
      monoxide poisoning].
AB  - Objective: To observe the effects of extract of Ginkgo biloba (Ginaton) on
      magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and electroencephalography (EEG) in patients
      with delayed encephalopathy after acute carbon monoxide poisoning. Methods: The
      84 patients with delayed encephalopathy after acute carbon monoxide poisoning
      treated in our hospital from Jan. 2011 to Apr. 2016 were randomly divied into
      therapy group and observation group. The therapy group received routine
      treatments of hyperbaric oxygen, cure cerebral edema and promote brain cell
      metabolism, and observation group was given intravenous injection (intravenous
      drip) Ginaton 70 mg (adding 0.9% sodium chloride injection 250 ml) , once a day,
      2 weeks for one therapeutic course. The changes of MRI and EEG before and after
      treatment between therapy group and observation group were observed. Results: In
      the observation group, the white matter and globus pallidus lesions of 14 d after
      treatment were smaller than those in the treatment group, and the abnormal signal
      intensity was decreased. At 14 days after treatment the improvement of EEG in
      observation group were better than therapy group (P<0.05) . Conclusion: Early
      treatment of extract of Ginkgo biloba (Ginaton) in delayed encephalopathy after
      acute carbon monoxide poisoning can effectively improve lesion and signal on MRI
      and abnormal rate on EEG. It has a certain therapeutic effect in clinical.

PMID- 28355709
TI  - [A long-term follow-up of a patient with occupational chronic lead poisoning].

PMID- 28355710
TI  - [Determination of glycidyl methacrylate in the air of workplace captured
      adsorbent tube by gas chromatography].
AB  - Objective: To develop a new solid sorbent tube for capturing glycidyl
      methacrylate (GMA) in workplace air, and establish a complete set of method.
      Methods: GMA in workplace air was captured by the new solid sorbent tube filled
      with carbon aerogel adsorbent, desorbed with solution of 50% (V/V)
      dimethylformamide-carbon disulfide, separated through capillary chromatographic
      column, and then analyzed by gas chromatography-flame ionization detector.
      Results: The linear range of GMA was 0.38-604.80 mg/L, and the related
      coefficient was 0.999 82. The within-run and the between-run precision were 1.11%
      2.80% and 2.53%-4.84% respectively. The average desorption efficiency was 93.20%
      94.97%. The minimum quantification concentration and The minimum quantification
      concentration were 0.02 and 0.07 mg/m(3) respectively (3.00 L sample) . Samples
      could be stored for at least 8 days at room temperature. Conclusion: The newly
      developed solid sorbent tube and its complete set of gas chromatography method is
      simple, and has high sensitivity and precision, so it can be used for sampling
      and quantitative detection of GMA in workplace air.

PMID- 28355711
TI  - [Determination of dimethyl sulfate in the air of workplace by GC-MS].
AB  - Objective: To establish a method to detect the concentrations of dimethyl sulfate
      in the air of workplace by GC-MS. Methods: DMS in the air of workplace adsorpted
      by Silicone tube, then desorped by acetone, add 1.0 ml of acetone, shake 1 min,
      placed after 30 min, the desorption solution qualitative and quantitative
      determination by gas chromatography-mass. Results: The calibration curves were
      liner in the range of 0.1-200.0 MUg/ml. The within-run and between-run precisions
      were 2.6%-4.7% and 4.0%-9.0% respectively. The method detection limit is 0.1
      MUg/ml, the minimum detectable concentration is 0.02 mg/m(3) (in terms of
      sampling 4.5 L) . Add 1 ml of desorption liquid, place 30 min, the average
      desorption efficiency of more than 90%. Conclusion: This method has simple
      pretreatment, short analysis period, and optimized linear rage and limit of
      detection, and is suitable for the determination of DMS in workplace air.

PMID- 28355712
TI  - [The occupational disease hazards prevention and control status survey of
      tertiary hospitals in Shandong province].

PMID- 28355713
TI  - [Health protection zone standards for industrial enterprises in China and their
      application].

PMID- 28355714
TI  - [Focus on insomnia complicating cardiovascular disease].

PMID- 28355715
TI  - [Reappraisal of lipid management in patient with acute coronary syndrome].

PMID- 28355716
TI  - [A retrospective analysis of clinical characteristics and outcomes of heart
      failure patients with different left ventricular ejection fractions].
AB  - Objective: To compare the clinical characteristics, and outcomes of patients with
      heart failure with different left ventricular ejection fractions (LVEF). Methods:
      A total of 1 182 hospitalized patients with heart failure (HF) were enrolled and
      retrospectively studied in the present study. The patients were stratified by
      LVEF as reduced (HFrEF, LVEF<40%, n=313), mid-range (HFmrEF, 40% <=LVEF <50%,
      n=287) and preserved (HFpEF, LVEF>=50%, n=582) ejection fraction groups. Among
      the 1 182 cases, 941 of them (81.3%, 84.9%, and 84.0% inHFrEF, HFmrEF and HFpEF
      groups, respectively) were followed up for an median duration of 27.3 months.
      Results: (1) Among the study patients, 26.5% were in HFrEF, 24.3% in HFmrEF, and
      49.2% in HFpEF groups. (2) Ischemic heart disease with HFmrEF was more frequent
      than that in patients with HFrEF. The average age, percentage of female subjects,
      systolic blood pressure, uric acid, N terminal B-type natriuretic peptide
      precursor (NT-proBNP), hemoglobin, and the incidence of hypertensive heart
      disease, anemia, atrial fibrillation in patients with HFmrEF were higher than
      those in patients with HFrEF, but lower than those in patients with HFpEF (all
      P<0.01). (3) The all-cause cumulative mortality was 10.8% at 1 year, 20.6% at 2
      years and 35.9% at 5 years. No difference was observed in the all-cause
      cumulative mortality at 1 year, 2 years, 5 years among the three groups (all
      P>0.05). Conclusions: The HFmrEF patients, as a new and distinct group, were with
      many intermediate characteristics compared with HFrEF and HFpEF subjects.
      However, the all-cause mortality was not significantly different among HF
      patients with different LVEF.

PMID- 28355717
TI  - [The relationship between LDL-C and ischemic stroke in 2 470 patients with
      nonvalvular atrial fibrillation in Xinjiang region].
AB  - Objective: To evaluate the association between LDL-C and ischemic stroke in
      patients with nonvalvular atrial fibrillation (AF). Method: A total of 2 470
      patients with nonvalvular AF were included in the present study. The clinical
      data and laboratory examination results of the patients in the hospital were
      collected. The subjects were either divided into the ischemic stroke history
      (n=560), and non- ischemic stroke history groups (n=1 910), or divided into the
      low-middle risk (n=566) and high risk groups (n=1 904) based on CHA(2)DS(2) -
      VASc score. Results: There were significant differences in the proportion of Han,
      the ratio of gender, age, hemoglobin, hematocrit, ALT, serum uric acid, HDL-C and
      LDL-C between the patients with ischemic stroke history and without (all P<0.05).
      Similarly, there were significant differences in the proportion of Han, the ratio
      of gender, age, white blood cell count, hemoglobin, hematocrit, platelet count,
      ALT, albumin, TG and LDL-C between subjects in the low-middle risk group and
      those in the high risk group (all P<0.05). A logistical regression analysis
      showed that LDL-C was an independent risk factor for both the ischemic stroke
      history (OR 2.089, 95% CI 1.860-2.347, P<0.05), and future ischemic stroke risk
      (OR 1.270, 95% CI 1.079-1.494, P<0.05) in patients with nonvalvular AF.
      Conclusion: LDL-C is associated with ischemic stroke in patients with nonvalvular
      AF, and it is also an independent risk factor for future ischemic stroke in these
      patients.

PMID- 28355718
TI  - [The clinical characteristics of stroke in young patients with cardiac myxoma].
AB  - Objective: To investigate the clinical characteristics of stroke in young
      patients with cardiac myxoma. Methods: Medical records of young patients (aged
      between 18-44 years) diagnosed with cardiac myxoma in Beijing Anzhen Hospital
      affiliated to Capital Medical University from January 2005 to March 2016 were
      retrospective reviewed. Results: A total of 117 cases were included (85 female
      and 32 male)with the average age (36+/-7)years old. Most myxomas (83.8%) were
      located in the left atrium, 7.7% were in the right atrium, 3.5% were in the both
      atriums, 2.6% were in the left ventricle, and a few were in the left atrium plus
      left ventricle and in the right ventricle. Of all the patients, 24 (20.5%) (16
      women and 8 men) were complicated with cerebral infarction. Among them, 3
      patients were with lower extremity arterial embolisms. Two patients were with
      cerebral hemorrhage. The cerebral infarction mainly involved in the distribution
      area of the internal carotid artery. Infarctions involving 2 or more cerebral
      vessels were found in 4 cases. Most subjects (58.3%) manifested with hemiplegia,
      and some (18.2%) with syncope. The proportion of the left atrial myxoma in
      patients with cerebral infarction (100.0%) was significantly higher than those in
      patients without cerebral infarction (85.1%, P=0.044). Subjects with tumor
      diameter less than 3 cm were more frequently complicated with cerebral infarction
      (37.5% vs 13.8%, P= 0.009). A logistic analysis showed that the odds ratio of
      myxoma with tumor diameter less than 3 cm for cerebral infarction was 3.750(95%CI
      1.343-10.470). Conclusions: Cardiac myxoma is more common in young women, and
      often complicated with cerebral infarction. The infarctions are mainly
      distributed in internal carotid artery system, and some are involved in multiple
      vascular systems. The incidence of stroke is associated with the position of the
      myxoma. Smail-size myxoma cannot be ignored for its risk of stroke.

PMID- 28355719
TI  - [A clinical analysis of 123 cases of primary empty sella].
AB  - Objective: This study was conducted to analyze the clinical characteristics and
      pituitary function of patients with primary empty sella (PES). Methods: The
      clinical data from 123 hospitalized adult patients with PES from January 2010 to
      May 2016 were retrospectively studied. Results: (1) The average age of the 123
      (male 43, female 80) PES patients was (59.2+/-13.6) years (ranging 24-92 years),
      among whom 61% patients were in the age group between 50-69 years. (2) The
      symptoms of the patients included fatigue (56.1%), headache (34.1%), nausea and
      vomiting (17.9%), gonadal dysfunction (17.1%), visual disturbance (5.7%) and
      hypopituitarism crisis (3.3%). (3) Hypopituitarism was found in 66 of the 123
      patients. Among them, 36.6%, 31.7% and 17.1% were central hypoadrenalism,
      hypogonadism, and hypothyroidism, respectively.The percentage of hypopituitarism
      in complete PES was significantly higher than that in partial PES (P<0.05). (4)
      Sixteen patients were concomitant with other autoimmune diseases including 11
      patients with Graves' disease and 2 with Cushing's syndrome due to adrenal
      adenoma. Conclusions: The incidence of hypopituitarism in PES was 53.7%, in which
      the pituitary-adrenal axis hypofunction was more common. An overall evaluation of
      the pituitary function was essential for the patients who had headache and
      fatigue, or with suspected PES. The patients with hypopituitarism should be given
      hormone replacement therapy in time and followed up afterword.

PMID- 28355720
TI  - [The clinical characteristics of adult hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis treated
      with haploidentical donor hematopoietic stem cell transplantation].
AB  - Objective: To analyze the clinical characteristics of adult patients with
      hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis (HLH) receiving haploidentical donor
      hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HID HSCT). Method: We retrospectively
      reviewed 20 adult patients with HLH from August 2009 to August 2014.The clinical
      features and outcome were analyzed. Results: Conditioning regimens consisted of
      total body irradiation/etoposide/cyclophosphamide (TBI/VP-16/CTX) and busulfan
      (Bu)/VP-16/CTX in HLH with anti-thymocyte globulin (ATG) 8 mg/kg.The stem cells
      were mobilized from donors' peripheral blood.Median time to white blood cell
      engraftment was 13 (9-27) days.Median time to platelet engraftment was 14 (10-28)
      days.Mixed chimerism after transplantation developed in 4 patients and no patient
      presented graft failure.Eight patients developed grade II to III acute graft
      versus-host disease (GVHD), while as chronic GVHD occurred in 9 patients.Among 12
      patients with EB virus(EBV) reactivation, 2 patients developed post-transplant
      lymphoproliferative disorder (PTLD), 7 were suspected as PTLD and 3 were
      considered as relapse of primary disease.With a median follow-up of 20 months
      (range: 0.5-108 months) after transplantation, the estimated 2-year overall
      survival (OS) rate was (60.0+/-11.0)% in all patients.During the follow-up, 12
      patients survived, 8 died including 5 within 100 days after HSCT.Among 5 non
      remission patients before HSCT, 4 patients died within 100 days after HCT.
      Conclusions: HID HSCT is an effective treatment for adult patients with HLH to
      achieve remission and long-term survival. High proportion of mixed chimerism has
      been seen at early stage after transplantation.EBV reactivation and early
      transplant-related mortality are common.

PMID- 28355721
TI  - [The efficacy of cyclosporine A as salvage therapy for severe active ulcerative
      colitis refractory to glucocorticoid].
AB  - Objective: To clarify the efficacy and safety of cyclosporine A (CsA) as salvage
      therapy in patients with severe active ulcerative colitis (UC) and refractory to
      steroids. Methods: A total of 24 severe active UC patients refractory to steroids
      and hospitalized from 2006 to 2012, were retrospectively enrolled.Data including
      demographic features, clinical manifestations, laboratory tests and medications
      were collected. Results: CsA was effective in 15(62.5%) patients, who did not
      receive colectomy during 12-week administration. This regimen was tolerable in
      most patients.Twelve (50.0%) patients reported 16 adverse events, but only one
      patient withdrew CsA due to intolerance.The rates of adverse events in initial
      intravenous CsA including 4 mg.kg(-1).d(-1,) 3 mg.kg(-1).d(-1) and 2 mg.kg(-1).d(
      1) were 2/2, 9/17 and 1/5 respectively.Responders had higher white blood cell
      count compared with non-responders (P= 0.045). Conclusions: CsA could be an
      effective alternative regimen to colectomy in severe active UC patients who are
      refractory to steroids.

PMID- 28355723
TI  - [A cross-sectional study on application of glucocorticoid in systemic lupus
      erythematosus patients].
AB  - Objective: To explore the status of glucocorticoid application in patients with
      systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) in China. Methods: Epidemiological survey was
      used. The SLE patients who met the 1997 classification criteria of American
      College of Rheumatology were enrolled. The usage of glucocorticoid and related
      adverse reactions were recorded and analyzed. Results: A total of 400 SLE
      patients were enrolled, including 35 men and 365 women. The average age was
      (37.4+/-14.0) years old, and the average duration of disease was (6.7+/-5.8)
      years. There were 310 patients using glucocorticoid as maintenance. Sixty-one
      percent (n=244) patients started using medium dose (prednisone 30-<60 mg/d) as
      the initial treatment of glucocorticoid, which lasted for(37+/-11)days.The time
      of drug duration in patients with low dose prednisone (7.5-<30 mg/d)and high dose
      (60-100 mg/d) was(92+/-20)and(17+/-3)days respectively (P<0.05 between 3 groups).
      However, patients receiving different initial dosage were of no discrepancy in
      the maintenance therapy. During maintenance, even though 51.0% (n=158) patients
      were on prednisone 2.5-5 mg/d, the duration of drug use in >5-10 mg/d groupwas
      longer[(29.9+/-3.3) months]. Patients with involvement of internal organs had a
      higher tendency to use 60-100 mg/d prednisone or pulse-dose therapy in the
      initial treatment, nevertheless these two groups had no difference of maintenance
      dosage. Among all 400 patients, 62 patients withdrew glucocorticoid, including 17
      patients with disease remission (4.3%), 44 by self-withdrawal and one with
      adverse reaction. Conclusion: In China, the medium dosage of glucocorticoid is
      the most common initial treatment in patients with SLE.Prednisone 2.5-5 mg/d was
      the most common choicefor maintenance therapy. Currently, the proportion of
      glucocorticoid withdrawal remains low in SLE patients achieving remission.

PMID- 28355722
TI  - [A clinical analysis of 5 patients with infratentorial primary angiitis of
      central nervous system].
AB  - Objective: To explore the clinical characteristics of infratentorial primary
      angiitis in central nervous system(PACNS). Methods: A total of 5 cases diagnosed
      as infratentorial PACNS in the neurology department of Navy General Hospital of
      PLA in 2015 were enrolled in the study. The clinical, imaging and pathological
      data were collected and analyzed. Results: All the 5 cases were male with the
      median onset age of thirty-four. Five cases presented with dizziness, two with
      headache, three with walking unstable, two with facial numbness and one with
      dysarthria. Rising pressure of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) (190-245 cmH(2)O, 1
      cmH(2)O=0.098 kPa) was found in 4 cases by the lumbar puncture, mildly increased
      number of leukocyte in 2 cases [(12-28)*10(6)/L], increased CSF protein in 3
      cases(540-979 mg/L) and increased IgG index in 3 cases(0.84-1.45). Pons lesions
      were revealed by magnetic resonance imaging(MRI)in 4 cases, brachium pontis
      lesions in 2 cases, cerebellum lesions in 2 cases, one with midbrain lesion in 1
      case, unilateral lesions in 4 cases and bilateral lesion in 1 case. Different
      degree of edema and mass effect were shown in all lesions by MRI. Patch like
      enhancement was found by contrast MRI in 5 cases and meningeal enhancement in 2
      cases. Elevation of choline(Cho)peak was found by magnetic resonance
      spectroscopy(MRS)in 4 cases, reduction of N-acetyl aspartate(NAA) peak in 3
      cases, appearance of lactate peak in 1 case and lipid peak in another case.
      Arterial spin labeling(ASL) was performed in 4 cases and no hyperperfusion was
      found. Susceptibility weighted imaging(SWI) was performed in 3 cases and
      microhemorrhage in the lesions was found in 2 cases and normal in 1 case.
      Magnetic resonance arteriography(MRA) was performed in 1 case and no stenosis was
      found. Digital subtraction arteriography(DSA) was performed in 1 case and
      multiple stenosis of the intracranial arteries was showed. Two cases had taken
      the stereotactic brain biopsy and the histopathologic diagnosis was angiitis.
      Five cases were treated with methylprednisolone and cyclophosphamide was added on
      in 1 case. Good prognosis was found in all cases. Conclusions: Infratentorial
      PACNS mostly attacks middle-aged males. The lesions tend to locate in unilateral
      pons, brachium pontis, cerebellum and midbrain. Hemorrhage or microhemorrhage in
      lesions is often found by SWI and no hyperperfusion is shown by ASL, which would
      be useful to distinguish PACNS from malignant tumors. Given the limitations of
      brain biopsy in clinical practice, clinical and imaging features would be helpful
      to diagnose PACNS.

PMID- 28355724
TI  - [A clinical analysis on fever of unknown origin in in-patients with systemic
      lupus erythematosus].
AB  - To investigate the etiology and differential diagnoses of patients with systemic
      lupus erythematosus (SLE) and fever of unknown origin (FUO). From January 2012 to
      December 2014, a total of 928 SLE patients were admitted to Peking Union Medical
      College Hospital.Only 50 patients were combined with FUO (5.4%). The most common
      reason of fever was caused by infections(33 cases, 66.0%), including bacterial
      infection in 17 cases with 5 tuberculosis, viral infection in 11 cases, and
      fungal infection in 5 cases.The second reason offever was due to poor disease
      control or recurrence in 17 patients (34.0%). No fever was caused by malignant
      tumor.When clinical data was compared between 17 non-infected patients versus 33
      infected patients, C reactive protein and procalcitonin in the infected group
      were significantly higher than those in the non-infected group.In SLE patients
      combined with FUO, infection is the most common etiology which is necessary to be
      paid attention to.

PMID- 28355725
TI  - [A case report of immunoglonulin lambda light chain amyloidosis combined with
      leukocyte cell-derived chemotaxin-2 amyloidosis].

PMID- 28355726
TI  - [A case report of secondary hypoadrenocorticism caused by the intake of
      glycyrrhiza].

PMID- 28355727
TI  - [A case of renal cysts and diabetes syndrome presenting with gout as initial
      symptom].

PMID- 28355728
TI  - [The diagnosis and treatment of diabetic ketoacidosis].

PMID- 28355729
TI  - [An update of the application and mechanism of mesenchymal stem cells for
      treatment of systemic sclerosis].

PMID- 28355730
TI  - [A consensus statement on the diagnosis and treatment of cardiovascular diseases
      combined with insomnia from Chinese experts].
AB  - Recent years have seen a large amount of research indicating a high morbidity and
      mortality of cardiovascular disease (CVD) combined with insomnia, which leads to
      increasing attentions in studying the association between insomnia and CVD, such
      as coronary heart diseases, hypertension, heart failure, psycho-cardiology
      diseases and so on. Sufficient evidence shows that patients suffering from CVD
      are much more likely to get involved in insomnia than healthy persons.
      Furthermore, causing great troubles to patients with CVD, insomnia seriously
      influences the treatment process and prognosis of CVD. However, there is a lack
      of pragmatic direction for the diagnosis and treatment of this comorbidity. As a
      result, a specialized consensus statement offering guidance in diagnosing and
      treating CVD combined with insomnia, is in exigent need. This consensus, which is
      made by experienced experts from various relevant professional fields including
      cardiology, psychiatry, neurology, psychology and so forth, has summarized the
      recommendations for the concepts, epidemiology, pathophysiology mechanisms,
      diagnosis, management and the special approaches of traditional Chinese medicine
      in this comorbid conditions. In conclusion, it's certain that this consensus will
      contribute to the practitioners in managing CVD accompanied with insomnia.

PMID- 28355732
TI  - [Hybrid operation for cerebral vascular disease:status and prospect clinical
      application].

PMID- 28355731
TI  - [The 455th case: swollen leg, jaundice and mental disturbance].
AB  - A 17-year-old young man with a history of swollen leg and intermittent jaundice
      was presented to Peking Union Medical College Hospital with acute fever and
      mental disturbance. He developed deep venous thrombosis, acute myocardial
      infarction and plantar skin necrosis during the past four years, and was
      presented with an acute episode of fever, thrombocytopenia, acute kidney injury,
      acute myocardial infarction, mental disturbance, and obstructive jaundice.
      Laboratory tests showed schistocytes on peripheral blood smear.High titer of
      antiphospholipid antibodies was detected.Strikingly, the activity of a
      disintegrin and metalloprotease with a thrombospondin type 1 motif, member 13
      (ADAMTS13)was significantly decreased without the production of inhibitors.
      Images indicated stenosis of the common bile duct, common hepatic duct, and
      cystic duct, which caused dilation of bile ducts and the gall bladder.
      Corticosteroids and anticoagulation therapy were effective at first, but the
      disease relapsedonce the corticosteroids tapered down. Plasma exchange was
      administrated for 17 times, which was effective temporarily during this episode.
      Methylprednisolone pulse therapy, intravenous immunoglobulin, rituximab,
      anticoagulation therapy, and bile drainage, were all tried but still could not
      control the disease. The patient's family agreed to withdraw treatment after he
      developed septic shock.

PMID- 28355733
TI  - [Management of 42 complex intracranial aneurysms in hybrid operating room].
AB  - Objective: To analyze the efficacy and methods of hybrid operation in the
      treatment of complex intracranial aneurysms. Methods: Fourty-two patients with
      complex intracranial aneurysms were treated in hybrid operation room of Qilu
      Hospital of Shandong University between July 2011 and October 2016. Twenty-one
      cases of aneurysm clipping guided by intraoperative angiography, 10 cases of
      aneurysm clipping assisted by endovascular therapy, and 11 cases of aneurysm
      occlusion assisted by bypass surgery. Results: Thirty-five patients were followed
      up 6-36 months.Thirty-three (94.3%) cases were completely occlusion, 2 (5.7%)
      cases were recurrent in follow-up.One of the recurrence case was performed
      interventional embolization treatment, and the other was continuous follow-up.
      Conclusion: Hybrid operating room is beneficial to evaluate the surgical curative
      effect immediately. It could increase the occlusion rate of complicated
      aneurysms, and could provide an ideal platform for complicated intracranial
      aneurysm treatment.

PMID- 28355734
TI  - [Application of hybrid operating room in the treatment of spinal dural
      arteriovenous fistulas].
AB  - Objective: To explore the experience in the treatment of spinal dural
      arteriovenous fistulas with application of hybrid operating room. Method: A
      retrospective analysis was performed among 22 patients with spinal dural
      arteriovenous fistulas admitted to Department of Neurosurgery of Tianjin Medical
      University General Hospital who received operation in the hybrid operating room
      from March 2011 to February 2016. Modified Aminoff-Logue scores (ALS) for
      myelopathy was used to evaluate the spinal function.All the 22 patients were
      followed up 6-12 months after the operation. Result: All the patients were
      diagnosed by spinal digital subtraction angiography (DSA). The modified ALS pre
      operation and post-operation 6 months were (4.7+/-1.8) and (2.0+/-1.5),
      respectively, with significant difference (P<0.01). There were 15 cases with mild
      dysfunction, 6 cases with moderate dysfunction, severe dysfunction in 1 case
      before operation.Fifteen cases were cured, 4 cases improved, 1 case had no change
      after 6 months follow-up.The improvement rate was 95.45%. Conclusion: The
      application of hybrid operating room in the treatment of spinal dural
      arteriovenous fistulas achieves good outcome and provides a convenient and
      effective approach, which embodies the idea of precision medicine.

PMID- 28355735
TI  - [Clinical application of hybrid surgery for the treatment of cerebral
      arteriovenous malformations].
AB  - Objective: To investigate the application of hybrid technique for the treatment
      of cerebral arteriovenous malformations (CAVMs) and to assess the value of hybrid
      technique. Methods: The cases of CAVMs treated in Qilu hospital and People's
      Hospital of Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region from July 2011 to July 2016 were
      analyzed retrospectively.Two modes of hybrid surgery, "angiographic diagnosis
      craniotomy lesion resection or/and hematoma clearance-intraoperative angiography
      evaluation" and "angiographic diagnosis-intraoperative embolization-craniotomy
      lesion resection or/and hematoma clearance-intraoperative angiography evaluation"
      were applied for all the cases.We placed an aneurysm clip as marker in surgery
      field during real-time angiography.If CAVMs residues occurred during surgery, we
      re-resected the residue according to the guidance of the marker (clip) and DSA
      imaging. Intra-operative angiography evaluated the results of CAVMs resection one
      more time.Postoperatively, follow-up CT scan was performed for all the patients.
      Results: Of all the cases with CAVMs, there were 8 cases of scale I, 13 cases of
      scale II, 10 cases of scale III and 6 cases of scale IV according to Spetzler
      Martin Scale.There were 28 cases of acute hemorrhagic CAVMs and 9 cases of
      chronic hemorrhagic CAVMs or no-hemorrhagic CAVMs.Intra-operative angiography
      showed CAVMs residues in 6 cases of acute hemorrhagic CAVMs and only one in
      chronic group.About 18.92% residual rate of CAVMs were found for the first time
      intra-operative assessment angiography.With the guidance of intra-operative
      angiography and aneurysm clip as Marker, all residues of CAVMs were resected
      totally.Follow up CT showed the hematomas disappeared in all the cases of acute
      hemorrhagic cases.The cure rate of CAVMs with hybrid surgery was 100% according
      to the final intra-operative assessment angiography. Conclusions: (1)Hybrid
      surgery for the treatment of CAVMs in one session could evaluate the results of
      CAVMs resection and instruct the surgical procedure according to real-time
      angiography.This model could improve the treatment safety and efficacy for
      patients with CAVMs.(2)Patients with higher Spetzler-Martin Scale (III-IV) who
      need intra-operative embolization and patients with hemorrhagic CAVMs are more
      suitable for hybrid surgery.

PMID- 28355736
TI  - [Hybrid surgery for complex symptomatic intracranial fistulas: a technical note].
AB  - Objective: To explore the efficacy of hybrid management of complex symptomatic
      intracranial fistulas in neurovascular hybrid operating room. Methods: From March
      2014 to January 2015, 2 complex dural arteriovenous fistulas and 1 carotid
      cavernous fistulas were managed by hybrid surgeries in the PLA Rocket Force
      General Hospital.With first attempts with endovascular treatment failed, all
      cases were finally managed by hybrid surgery.Dural arteriovenous fistulas were
      approached via meningeal artery followed craniotomy.The carotid cavernous
      fistulas were treated by direct puncture into the left cavernous sinus after
      craniotomy. Results: Post-operative angiography demonstrated complete occlusion
      for 2 cases and nearly complete occlusion for 1 case.All 3 cases had no
      complications.On discharge 2 patients presented no symptoms and 1 greatly
      improved.Within the follow-up (1-33 months), 1 patient had recurrence after 21
      months and received re-embolization with complete occlusion. Conclusion: Hybrid
      surgery is a promising method to manage complex intracranial fistulas.

PMID- 28355737
TI  - [Clinical features and prognostic analysis of neuromyelitisoptica spectrum
      disease with sjogrensyndrome].
AB  - Objective: To explore the clinical features and conduct prognostic analysis about
      visual recovery and relapse of neuromyelitisoptica (NMO) spectrum disease (NMOSD)
      with sjogren syndrome (SS). Methods: A retrospective and prospective
      observational study was conducted.Between July 2013 and June 2016, 172 patients
      with NMOSD (NMOSD-non SS: 116/172, 67.4%; NMOSD-SS: 56/172, 32.6%) were assessed
      at Beijing Tongren Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China.The
      prognostic factors of NMOSD-SS patients were also analyzed. Results: As compared
      with NMOSD-non SS patients, NMOSD-SS patients had worse visual impairment
      (percentage of patients with visual acuity less than 0.1, 83.9% vs 69.8%,
      P<0.05), higher positive rate of SSA (92.9% vs 0.0%, P<0.05), higher proportion
      of dryness of mouth and eye (66.1% vs 5.2%, P<0.05) as well as higher percentage
      of reduced visual evoked potential (VEP) amplitude (60.7% vs 43.1%, P<0.05).
      NMOSD-SS patients had a significantly higher average year recurrent frequency
      (0.58 vs 0.53) and significantly shorter mean recurrence time (6.7 months vs 12.4
      months, P<0.05). The results showed that recurrent eyes, the worst visual
      acuities of onset less than 0.1 were independent risk factors of visual
      impairment (visual activity <0.1), according to at least six months' follow-up of
      all NMOSD-SS patients (OR=6.410 and 9.434, respectively, P<0.05). Meanwhile,
      immunosuppressive drugs were protective factors of relapse in NMOSD-SS patients
      (OR=0.107, P<0.05). Conclusions: NMOSD-SS patients have worse visual impairment,
      and they are more vulnerable to relapse than NMOSD-non SS patients, and the
      vision is lack of recovery for NMOSD-SS with recurrent eyes or the worst vision
      of onset less than 0.1.Immunosuppressive drugs can reduce the recurrence of NMOSD
      SS relapse.

PMID- 28355738
TI  - [Research on risk factors of short-term outcome in AIDS patients with
      pneumocystis pneumonia].
AB  - Objective: To investigate the prognostic risk factors of acquired
      immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) patients with pneumocystis pneumonia (PCP), and
      to establish risk models for predicting early outcome. Methods: The clinical data
      of 418 AIDS patients with PCP admitted to Department of Infectious Diseases,
      Beijing You'an Hospital, Capital Medical University from January 2008 to May 2016
      were retrospectively analyzed.The patients were divided into death group and
      survival group according to clinical outcome during hospitalization.Data of the
      two groups were collected including general information and laboratory test
      results.Multivariate Logistic regression was used to analyze risk factors
      affecting prognosis of patients, establish prognostic models and evaluate
      predictive value of the model. Results: Of the 418 AIDS patients with PCP, 388
      cases were male and 30 cases were female, aged from 5 to 82 years, mean age was
      (40+/-12) years.There were 82 patients in the death group and 336 patients in the
      survival group.Disease course, bacterial infection and alveolar-arterial oxygen
      pressure difference(P(A-a)O(2)), serum lactate dehydrogenase(LDH), white blood
      cell (WBC), neutrophil (N), alanine aminotransferase (AST), urea nitrogen (BUN)
      and serum potassium (K) were significantly higher in the death group than those
      in the survival group (all P<0.05), and arterial oxygen pressure (PaO(2)), blood
      oxygen saturation (SpO(2)), CD4(+) T lymphocyte count, lymphocyte (L) ,
      hemoglobin (Hb), platelet (PLT), albumin (ALB), prealbumin (PALB), cholinesterase
      (CHE), cholesterol (CHO), serum chlorine (Cl) and serum sodium (Na) were
      significantly lower in the death group than those in the survival group (all
      P<0.05). Multivariate Logistic regression analysis showed that P(A-a)O(2, )ALB,
      LDH, N and CD4(+) T lymphocyte count were prognostic factors of AIDS complicated
      with PCP.Prognostic index=9.736+ 0.112*P(A-a)O(2)-0.719*ALB+ 0.006*LDH+ 0.355*N
      0.021*CD4.ROC curve of the short-term prognostic model was 0.985 (95%CI 0.977
      0.994), with P value 0.000, cut-off value 0.907, sensitivity 92.0% and
      specificity 98.8%.The mortality rate increased with the increase of equation
      value. Conclusions: P(A-a)O(2, )ALB, LDH, N and CD4(+) T lymphocyte count are
      independent risk factors to predict short-term prognosis in these patients.The
      short-term prognostic model based on independent risk factors is useful in
      guiding clinical treatment.

PMID- 28355739
TI  - [Value of multi-slice spiral CT in preoperative diagnosis of pancreatic cancer].
AB  - Objective: To analyze the diagnostic value of multi-slice spiral computed
      tomography (MSCT) in preoperative tumor staging, lymphatic metastasis, vascular
      invasion and perineural invasion. Methods: From January 2013 to December 2015,
      MSCT images of 87 patients from the Second Hospital of Harbin Medical University
      who were examined by contrast-enhanced MSCT and diagnosed as pancreatic cancer by
      surgical pathology within 2 weeks were collected.MSCT images were retrospectively
      analyzed to evaluate the tumor staging, lymphatic metastasis, vascular invasion
      and perineural invasion and then compared with surgical pathology.Kappa test and
      receiver operation characteristic (ROC) curve were used to evaluate the
      diagnostic value of MSCT in pancreatic cancer. Results: The overall accuracy of
      MSCT in T staging of pancreatic cancer was 85.1% (kappa =0.67, P<0.01); the
      accuracy of T1, T2, T3 and T4 staging were 75.0%, 57.1%, 95.0% and 66.7%; the
      sensitivity were 75.0%, 80.0%, 87.7% and 75.0%; the specificity were 98.8%,
      92.2%, 86.4% and 96.2%; the positive predictive value (PPV) were 75.0%, 57.1%,
      95.0% and 66.7%; the negative predictive value (NPV) were 98.8%, 97.3%, 70.4% and
      97.4%.The accuracy, sensitivity, specificity, PPV and NPV of MSCT in diagnosing
      lymphatic metastasis were 62.1%, 62.3%, 61.5%, 79.2% and 41.0%.The accuracy,
      sensitivity, specificity, PPV and NPV of MSCT in diagnosing vascular invasion
      were 94.3%, 78.6%, 97.3%, 84.6% and 95.9%.The accuracy, sensitivity, specificity,
      PPV and NPV of MSCT in diagnosing MSCT perineural invasion were 80.5%, 81.1%,
      76.9%, 95.2% and 41.7%.The area under curve (AUC) was 0.79(95%CI 0.68-0.90,
      P=0.001). Conclusion: Contrast-enhanced MSCT plays important roles in evaluation
      of preoperative tumor staging, vascular invasion and perineural invasion of
      pancreatic cancer while it has little value on diagnosis of lymphatic metastasis.

PMID- 28355740
TI  - [A comparison between 3.0 T MRI and histopathology for preoperative T staging of
      potentially resectable esophageal cancer].
AB  - Objective: To explore the value of 3.0 T MRI using multiple sequences (star VIBE+
      BLADE) in evaluating the preoperative T staging for potentially resectable
      esophageal cancer (EC). Methods: Between April 2015 and March 2016, a total of 66
      consecutive patients with endoscopically proven resectable EC underwent 3.0T MRI
      in the Affiliated Cancer Hospital of Zhengzhou University.Two independent readers
      were assigned a T staging on MRI according to the 7th edition of UICC-AJCC TNM
      Classification, the results of preoperative T staging were compared and analyzed
      with post-operative pathologic confirmation. Results: The MRI T staging of two
      readers were highly consistent with histopathological findings, and the
      sensitivity, specificity and accuracy of preoperative T staging MR imaging were
      also very high. Conclusion: 3.0 T MRI using multiple sequences is with high
      accuracy for patients of potentially resectable EC in T staging. The staging
      accuracy of T1, T2 and T3 is better than that of T4a. 3.0T MRI using multiple
      sequences could be used as a noninvasive imaging method for pre-operative T
      staging of EC.

PMID- 28355741
TI  - [MRI of the finger ligament and tendon injuries: imaging technique and clinical
      application].
AB  - Objective: To explore the MRI technique and the clinical application in ligament
      and tendons of fingers. Methods: The study was reviewed and approved by an
      institutional review board of hospital.A total of 20 normal volunteers and 50
      patients from Beijing Jishuitan Hospital between May 2012 and May 2015 with
      finger injuries were chosen to undergo magnetic resonance examination by using
      Achieva 3.0 T MR produced by Philips.Scanning from coronal, sagittal and axial
      view in T(1)-weighted and proton fat saturation sequence (PD-FS), choosing
      suitable parameters, in order to get clear images of finger tendons and
      ligaments. Results: Twenty normal volunteers without tendons or ligament injuries
      showed homogeneous low-signal-intensity on T(1)-weighted and proton fat
      saturation sequence (PD-FS) images.In the 50 patients with finger injuries, there
      were 33 cases of ligament injuries, 10 cases of extensor tendon injuries and 7
      cases of flexor tendon injuries. There were 8 cases of all the 50 cases combined
      with bone fracture.The injured ligaments and tendons became thicker and
      discontinued in T(1)WI and demonstrated heterogeneously increased signal
      intensity with edema in the soft tissues surrounding the injured sites in PD-FS.
      Conclusion: MRI can demonstrate the anatomy and injuries features of ligament and
      tendons in fingers accurately.It is significance for the early diagnosis and
      treatment protocols of the ligament and tendons injuries.

PMID- 28355742
TI  - [Lumbosacral nerve bowstring disease].
AB  - Objective: To define a novel disease-lumbosacral nerve bowstring disease, and
      propose the diagnostic criteria, while capsule surgery was performed and
      evaluated in the preliminary study. Methods: From June 2016 to December 2016, a
      total of 30 patients (22 male and 8 female; mean age of 55.1+/-9.7 years) with
      lumbosacral nerve bowstring disease were included in Department of Spine Surgery,
      Changzheng Hospital, the Second Military Medical University.Lumbosacral nerve
      bowstring disease was defined as axial hypertension of nerve root and spinal cord
      caused by congenital anomalies, which could be accompanied by other lesions as
      lumbar disc herniation, spinal cord stenosis or spondylolisthesis, or aggravated
      by iatrogenic lesions, resulting in neurological symptoms.This phenomenon is
      similar to a stretched string, the higher tension on each end the louder
      sound.Meanwhile, the shape of lumbosacral spine looks like a bow, thus, the
      disease is nominated as lumbosacral nerve bowstring disease.All the patients
      underwent capsule surgery and filled out Owestry disability index (ODI) and Tempa
      scale for kinesiophobia (TSK) before and after surgery. Results: The mean surgery
      time was (155+/-36) min, (4.3+/-0.4) segments were performed surgery.The pre
      operative VAS, TSK and ODI scores were (7.6+/-0.8), (52.0+/-10.3) and (68.4+/
      12.7), respectively.The post-operative VAS, TSK and ODI scores were (3.3+/-0.4),
      ( 24.6+/-5.2) and (32.1+/-7.4)(P<0.05, respectively), respectively. Conclusion:
      The definition and diagnostic criteria of lumbosacral nerve bowstring disease was
      proposed.Capsule surgery was an effective strategy with most patients acquired
      excellent outcomes as symptoms relieved and quality of life improved.

PMID- 28355743
TI  - [Topping-off surgery versus double-segment fusion for treatment of lumbar
      degenerative disease with mid-long term follow-up].
AB  - Objective: To compare the mid-long term clinical effect of Topping-off surgery
      and lumbar fusion surgery for two-segmental lumbar degenerative disease. Methods:
      From March 2009 to March 2012, one hundred and twenty-six consecutive patients
      (Topping-off surgery and two-segment PLIF surgery) were studied in Orthopedics
      Department, Beijing Chao-Yang Hospital, Capital Medical University.The VAS and
      ODI were used to assess clinical symptoms.All patients underwent
      flexion/extension radiographs examinations before surgery, 1, 2 years and last
      follow-up postoperatively.Lumbar lordosis, sacral slop, data of Coflex segment
      and adjacent segment (disc height index, range of motion, foraminal height,
      foraminal width and Pfirrmann classification of intervertebral disc in MRI) were
      recorded.The paired double-tailed t test was used to analyze the differences in
      the results from baseline to each postoperative time point.The paired double
      tailed t test was used in both groups to analyze the differences in the results
      from baseline to each postoperative time point.The Chi-square test was used to
      evaluate the differences between the incidences of adjacent segment
      degeneration(ASD) in the groups. Logistic regression analysis was used to analyze
      risk factors for developing radiographic ASD. Results: In topping-off group, 60
      patients, average operation time was (134.5+/-10.2) min. The average blood loss
      was (301.5+/-64.6) ml.In fusion group, 68 patients, average age (58.3+/-4.6)
      years.The average follow-up time was (47.5+/-5.1) months.The average operation
      time was (158.6+/-19.3) min (P=0.000). The average blood loss was (413.6+/-131.3)
      ml (P=0.000). Sex, age, body mass index and intervertebral disc grading were
      matched between the two groups.Better improvement in VAS back pain score was
      noted in the topping-off group over the fusion group (P=0.030). Both groups
      achieved good recovery in ODI and improvement in VAS leg pain and back pain
      scores at last follow-up postoperatively.In the Topping-off group, FH increased
      from 10.5 mm at baseline to 11.8 mm at 1 year after surgery (P=0.000) and then
      decreased mildly in the third postoperative year, while in the fusion group,
      showed no significant change at all postoperative time points.In the fusion
      group, the disc height and FW at the same segment were no significant change
      after first year follow-up, while ROM was significantly decreased after surgery
      (P=0.000). Foraminal height, foraminal width and intervertebral disc height of
      adjacent segment of Coflex implant level were found decreased at the end of the
      postoperative follow-up, while compared with preoperative data no significant
      difference (P>0.05). At last follow-up, eight patients (13.3%) in the Topping-off
      group and eighteen patients (26.5%) in the fusion group developed ASD (P=0.033).
      Conclusions: Topping-off surgery compared with two-segment lumbar fusion surgery
      can achieve a good result in cases with pre-existing mild or moderate adjacent
      segment degeneration, restrict the adjacent segment's range of motion and reduce
      the adjacent segment degeneration. Under strict indications, Topping-off surgery
      is an acceptable alternative to fusion surgery for the treatment of two-segment
      lumbar disease.

PMID- 28355744
TI  - [Clinical effect of minimally-Invasive surgical-transforaminal lumbar interbody
      fusion technique associated with percutaneous pedicle screws in micro endoscopy
      discectomy].
AB  - Objective: To evaluate the clinical efficacy between the minimally-Invasive
      surgical (MIS)-transforaminal lumbar interbody fusion (TLIF) technique associated
      with percutaneous pedicle screws in micro endoscopy discectomyand MIS-TLIF
      technique associated with both sides of the lower lumbar spine Wiltse approach in
      Quadrant channel with treatment of single segment herniation associated with
      lumbar instability syndrome. Methods: From January 2012 to January 2015, 75 cases
      that meet the inclusion and exclusion criteria were treated by retrospective
      study method, which were divided into two groups in Department of Orthopedics,
      the Affiliated Hospital of Putian University.Experimental group(30 patients) were
      treated with MIS-TLIF technique associated with percutaneous pedicle screws in
      microendoscopy discectomy, control group were treated with MIS-TLIF technique
      associated with both sides of the lower lumbar spine Wiltse approach in Quadrant
      Chanel.Compare operation time, blood loss, postoperativehospital stay, clinical
      efficacy, nailing accuracy, fusion rate, postoperative pain scoring of two
      groups. Results: The blood loss[(102.1+/-5.5) min vs(103.7+/-7.7) min, t=-0.586,
      P>0.05], postoperative blood loss, hospital stay[(44.6+/-5.2) ml and(57.2+/-5.3)
      ml, (7.3+/-1.6) d and(9.3+/-1.9) d; t=-5.813, -2.774, P<0.05], JOA score before
      and after surgery in same group were statistically significant(P<0.05),
      respectively.Patients of two groups compared with operation time, clinical
      efficacy, nailing accuracy[group A: 97.5%, group B: 95.7%; chi(2)=3.00,
      P>0.05.Postoperative 3 month , group A: 96.7%(29/30), group B: 94.3%(33/35;
      chi(2)=0.79, P>0.05], fusion rate[group A: 96.7%(29/30), group B: 94.3%(33/35),
      chi(2)=0.79, P>0.05], preoperative JOA score[(20.4+/-2.4)score and(7.9+/-1.0),
      (19.1+/-2.7)score and(7.8+/-1.2)score], postoperative JOA score were no
      statistically significant respectively, P>0.05. JOA score of both groups were
      statistically significant respectively Before and after operate.Excellent rate:
      group A; 84.4%(25/30), group B: 80.0%(28/35), chi(2)=0.43, P>0.05. Conclusion:
      MIS-TLIF technique associated with percutaneous pedicle screws in micro endoscopy
      discectomy relative to conventional minimally invasive spine surgery had many
      advantages: minimal damage, operation conveniently, precisely clinical effect,
      that is a kind of feasible and reliable minimally invasive surgery which is worth
      promoting.

PMID- 28355746
TI  - [A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step: the impact of case
      report on medical literature].

PMID- 28355745
TI  - [Cinnamaldehyde attenuates pressure overload-induced cardiac fibrosis via
      inhibition of endothelial mesenchymal transition].
AB  - Objective: The aim of this study is to investigate the underlying mechanism of
      cinnamaldehyde attenuating pressure overload-induced cardiac fibrosis. Methods:
      The mice were randomly divided into control group, model group and treatment
      group by random number table and each group had 8 mice.Cardiac hypertrophy was
      induced by aortic banding. Heart vascular density was detected by
      immunohistochemical staining of CD31.The expression level of stromal cells marker
      alpha-smooth muscle actin (alpha-SMA) was detected by immunofluorescence staining
      in different groups.The expression levels of endothelial cell associated markers
      and stromal cell associated markers were detected by using Western blotting.The
      possible molecular pathway was also screened by using Western blotting. Human
      umbilical vein endothelial cell (HUVECs) were stimulated with TGFbeta1 and
      cultured with 10 nmol/L cinnamomum for 24 hour to further confirm the mechanism.
      Results: Eight weeks after operation, the vascular density was significantly
      decreased in model group mice heart.The expressions of stromal cells markers were
      increased (alpha-SMA: 2.57+/-0.38; Vimentin: 0.58+/-0.02) and endothelial cell
      markers were reduced (CD31: 0.58+/-0.29; CD34: 0.62+/-0.21). While
      cinnamicaldehyde treatment significantly increased the mouse heart vascular
      density, increased endothelial cell markers expression (CD31: 1.51+/-0.11; CD34:
      2.37+/-0.44; P<0.05), and reduced stromal cells marker expression (alpha-SMA:
      1.22+/-0.14; Vimentin: 0.35+/-0.03; P<0.05). Further studies showed that the anti
      fibrosis effect of cinnamicaldehyde was mainly through the TGFbeta /smad
      signaling pathway.10 nmol/L cinnamomum attenuated TGFbeta1 induced endothelial
      mesenchymal transition in HUVECs. Conclusion: Cinnamaldehyde may be able to
      retard the progression of cardiac fibrosis, via blocking endothelial to
      mesenchymal transition, which, in verse, is through regulating TGFbeta /smad
      signaling pathway.

PMID- 28355747
TI  - [Discussions of case studies in patients with sleep disorders].

PMID- 28355748
TI  - [The comment on clinical research for coordinative research].

PMID- 28355749
TI  - [Application of information intelligence technology in hospital operation
      decision analysis].

PMID- 28355750
TI  - [Association between subjective and objective sleepiness in obstructive sleep
      apnea hypopnea syndrome patients].
AB  - Objective: To examine the association between subjective sleepiness and objective
      sleepiness in Chinese obstructive sleep apnea hypopnea syndrome (OSAHS) patients.
      Methods: A total of 1 660 patients meeting the diagnostic criteria of OSAHS based
      on overnight polysomnography from West China Hospital, Sichuan University in the
      period from Jul 2010 to Jul 2014 were enrolled in the study. The Epworth
      Sleepiness Scale (ESS) and Multiple Sleep Latency Test (MSLT) were to evaluate
      subjective and objective sleepiness, respectively. The subjects were categorized
      into quartiles [A (0-4) (n=406), B (5-7) (n=325), C (8-12) (n=443), D(13-24)
      (n=486) groups] based on the ESS score distribution. Survival analysis was used
      to characterize the association between the ESS score and the mean sleep latency
      (MSL). Results: The apnea hypopnea index (AHI) in D group was higher than other
      three groups [(58.7+/-26.1) vs (36.8+/-24.2), (42.6+/-26.7), (45.7+/-26.6)
      events/h, all P<0.05]. The mean sleep latency in D group was shorter than other
      three groups [(8.0+/-4.6) vs (10.9+/-4.4), (10.3+/-4.8), (9.4+/-4.5) min, all
      P<0.05]. The Kaplan-Meier survivor functions across the ESS score quartiles were
      distinct and fourth quartiles were progressively associated with a greater
      tendency for falling asleep (chi(2)=77.76, P<0.001 by Log-rank test) in the
      daytime (The percentages of awaking patients in fourth quartiles were
      progressively lower at the same time). The adjusted hazard ratios for sleep onset
      during the MSLT for the group B, C and D were 1.05 (95%CI: 0.90-1.22), 1.22
      (95%CI: 1.07-1.40), and 1.38 (95%CI: 1.20-1.60), respectively, comparing to group
      A. Conclusion: Subjective report of daytime sleepiness is consistent with the
      objective sleepiness in OSAHS patients.

PMID- 28355751
TI  - [Accuracy of Berlin questionnaire with different body mass index cutoff values in
      the screening of patients with obstructive sleep apnea].
AB  - Objective: To evaluate the accuracy of Berlin questionnaire in the screening of
      patients with obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), after using different body mass
      index (BMI) cutoff values. Methods: The data were collected from September, 2011
      to May, 2012 at the Sleep Medicine Center of West China Hospital, Sichuan
      University (Chengdu, China). A total of 350 consecutive patients (302 males and
      48 females, 19-68 years old, average (42.9+/-11.0) years old) with suspected OSA
      who underwent an overnight polysomnography (PSG) were recruited into this study.
      Berlin questionnaire was completed. Based on the severity of OSA which were
      determined by apnea-hypopnea index (AHI), the patients were classified into four
      groups of primary snoring (<5 events/h), mild (5-<15 events/h), moderate (15-<30
      events/h) and severe OSA (>=30 events/h). Sensitivity, specificity, positive
      predictive values, negative predictive values and the area under the receiver
      operating characteristics curve of Berlin questionnaire with different BMI cutoff
      values were calculated. Results: In patients with BMI>=30 kg/m(2,) to diagnose
      mild-moderate-severe (AHI>=5 events/h), moderate-severe (AHI>=15 events/h), and
      severe (AHI>=30 events/h) OSA, the sensitivity of Berlin questionnaire were
      69.2%, 71.6%, and 76.6%; the negative predictive values were 15.7%, 33.0%, and
      56.5%, respectively. In patients with BMI>=24 kg/m(2,) questionnaire had the
      highest sensitivity (94.3%, 94.8%, and 96.7%, respectively) and negative
      predictive values (28.0%, 44.0%, and 72.0%, respectively). Conclusions: When BMI
      cutoff values gradually declines, the sensitivity and negative predictive values
      of Berlin questionnaire increase, but the specificity and positive predictive
      values decline. The accuracy of Berlin questionnaire possibly is related to BMI
      cutoff values.

PMID- 28355752
TI  - [Incidence and influencing factors of continuous positive airway pressure
      treatment-emergent central sleep apnea in the patients with obstructive sleep
      apnea syndrome at high altitude].
AB  - Objective: To investigate the incidence of treatment-emergent central sleep apnea
      (TE-CSA), the characteristics of demography and the influencing factors in
      patients with obstructive sleep apnea syndrome (OSAS) after initial continuous
      positive airway pressure (CPAP) titration at high altitude. Methods: Clinical
      data of 297 patients with OSAS which living in plateau areas (1 000 meters or
      more above sea level) were retrospectively analyzed in this study from January to
      December, 2015. All of these patients taken an overnight CPAP titration in the
      Sleep Medicine Center of First People's Hospital of Yunnan Province. They were
      classified as with TE-CSA group and non TE-CSA group according to the outcome of
      CPAP titration. Comparisons of demographic characteristic, parameters of
      polysomnography in CPAP titration night, lung function test and blood gas
      analysis were made between the two groups, respectively, and statistical analysis
      was carried. Results: The incidence of TE-CSA was 16.5% (49/297) after initial
      CPAP titration at high altitude, which was higher in male patients (18.2% vs
      6.8%, P=0.061). The incidence of TE-CSA decreased with the increase of age and
      body mass index (BMI), and the decrease of resident altitude. Multivariate
      Logistic regression analysis showed that the resident altitude, mixed apnea index
      (MAI), forced expiratory volume in 1 second (FEV(1)) and forced vital capacity
      (FVC) ratio, functional residual capacity (RV) and total lung capacity (TLC)
      ratio were the main factors affecting the occurrence of TE-CSA. Among them, the
      increase of resident altitude and MAI were risk factors [OR=1.16(1.02, 1.32),
      1.05(1.01, 1.09)]. The increase of FEV(1)/FVC and RV/TLC were protective factors
      [OR=0.94(0.89, 0.98), 0.94(0.88, 0.99)]. Conclusion: The incidence of TE-CSA is
      high at high altitude area, and the increase of resident altitude and MAI are the
      risk factors for TE-CSA.

PMID- 28355753
TI  - [Effect of obstructive sleep apnea on sleep architecture of acute ischemic stroke
      patients].
AB  - Objective: To investigate the effect of obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) on sleep
      architecture in acute ischemic stroke (AIS) patients. Methods: Seventy AIS
      patients with polysomnography examination from June 2014 to April 2016 were
      included in the Second Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University. Twenty-seven
      healthy controls during the same period were chosen as control group. According
      to apnea-hypopnea index (AHI), AIS patients were divided into AIS group (AHI<5/h)
      and AIS+ OSA group (AHI>=5/h). Their general conditions, Neurological function
      defect (national institutes of health stroke scale, NIHSS) on admission and at
      discharge and self-care ability (modified Rankin Scale, mRS) at discharge and 3
      months later (mRS score <2 reflected good prognosis, and mRS score>=2 reflected
      unfavorable prognosis) were collected. Results: Fifty-two patients (74.3%) had
      OSA in total seventy AIS patients. Total sleep time (TST) was significantly
      shorter and sleep efficiency (SE) was lower in AIS group than the control group
      (P=0.007, 0.008, respectively). AIS+ OSA group had longer non-rapid eye movement
      (NREM)1 than control group [24.9(21.3) vs 14.3(10.6), P=0.044]. Compared with AIS
      group, AIS+ OSA group had shorter NREM3 [13.0(13.2) vs 19.6(12.8), P=0.039].
      There was no significant difference between the infarct location of AIS group and
      AIS+ OSA group. However, AIS+ OSA group had higher mRS score observed at 3 months
      through follow-up visit than AIS group (P=0.027). Spearman correlation analysis
      showed a positive correlation between unfavorable prognosis of stroke at 3 months
      and atrial fibrillation, the oxygen desaturation index (ODI), percentage of
      oxygen saturation <90% of total recording time (TS90%), AHI, the longest time of
      apnea and hypopnea, respiratory related microarousal and NIHSS, while a negative
      correlation between unfavorable prognosis of stroke and NREM3, lowest nocturnal
      oxygen saturation (L-SaO(2)). On Logistic analysis, the unfavorable prognosis was
      independently predicted by AHI and NIHSS. Conclusions: Sleep architecture of
      cerebral infarction patients are disturbed with its characteristic of shorter
      total sleep time and lower sleep efficiency. Cerebral infarction patients with
      OSA have longer NREM1 and shorter NREM3.

PMID- 28355754
TI  - [Colorectal resection combined with simultaneous radiofrequency ablation in the
      treatment of synchronous colorectal liver metastases: a retrospective analysis].
AB  - Objective: To compare the efficacy and safety of colorectal resection combined
      with simultaneous radiofrequency ablation (RFA) in the treatment of synchronous
      colorectal liver metastases(SCRLM). Methods: This retrospective study involved
      the patients admitted between January 1st 2010 and September 1st 2013. A total of
      20 patients who underwent colorectal resection combined with simultaneous RFA of
      SCRLM were enrolled. Those patients (RFA group) were matched with 20 patients
      (Resection group) who underwent simultaneous resections of colorectal cancer and
      SCRLM based on the propensity scores. Perioperative parameters and survival
      outcomes were compared between the two groups. Results: The RFA and Resection
      groups were comparable in demographics, cancer characteristics and chemotherapy
      treatment (all P>0.05). The estimated blood loss and intraoperative blood
      transfusions in the RFA group were significantly lower than those in the
      resection group [150.00(100.00-200.00) vs 200.00(112.50-650.00), 1 vs 7, all
      P>0.05]. The postoperative stay in the RFA group was significantly shorter than
      that in laparoscopic group [8.50(8.00-10.75) vs 11.00(8.25-14.25), P=0.043].
      There was no significant difference in postoperative complications (P>0.05). The
      3-year disease free survival rate was 14.00% in the RFA group, and 31.20% in the
      Resection group (P=0.047). However, the 3-year overall rates were similar between
      the two groups (P>0.05). Conclusions: Compared with simultaneous resections of
      colorectal cancer and SCRLM resections, colorectal resection combined with
      simultaneous RFA of SCRLM was associated with less surgical blood loss and
      shorter hospitalization. Although inferior to simultaneous resections of
      colorectal cancer and SCRLM resections in survival outcomes, this approach
      extends the capability of delivering potentially curative treatment for
      colorectal cancer patients with unresectable SCRLM.

PMID- 28355755
TI  - [Predictors of in-hospital mortality in adult postcardiotomy cardiacgenic shock
      patients successfully weaned from venoarterial extracorporeal membrane
      oxygenation].
AB  - Objective: To assess the factors associated with outcome of patients undergoing
      extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) in a large ECMO center. Methods:
      Patients aged >18 years who received ECMO support for postcardiotomy cardiogenic
      shock were identified between January 2011 and December 2015. One hundred and
      seventy-seven patients (64.8%) successfully weaned from ECMO. These patients were
      divided into two groups depending on whether they could survive to hospital
      discharge: the survival group (group S, n=119) and death group (group D, n=58).
      Multivariate logistic regression was performed to identify risk factors
      independently associated with in-hospital mortality. Results: Compared to those
      from group D, patients in group S exhibited a younger age[(53.4+/-11.7) vs
      (58.9+/-11.5) years], a lower inotrope score at the beginning of ECMO [25(15, 60)
      vs 35.0(23, 60)], a lower average platelets transfusion [4.0(2.0, 5.2) vs
      5.0(3.0, 7.2)U] (all P<0.05). There were shorter duration of ECMO support
      [95.0(73.0, 131.0) vs 120.0(95.8, 160.2) h], shorter ventilation time
      [137.0(70.0, 236.8) vs 215.0(164.0, 305.0) h], shorter stay in ICU [182.0(140.0,
      236.0) vs 259.0(207.0, 382.0) h] and longer hospital stay after weaned from ECMO
      [14(11, 24) vs 8(4, 16) d] in group S patients compared to those in group D (all
      P<0.05). Age>65 years (P=0.046), neurologic complications (P<0.001) and lower
      extremity ischemia (P<0.001) during ECMO support, left ventricular ejection
      fraction<35% (P=0.011) and central venous pressure (CVP)>12 cmH(2)O(P=0.018) when
      weaned from ECMO, and the multi-organ function failure (P<0.001) after weaned
      from ECMO were independently associated with in-hospital mortality. Conclusions:
      Neurologic complications and lower extremity ischemia that occurred during ECMO,
      multi-organ function failure after weaned from ECMO had a significant impact on
      in-hospital mortality. Further studies are needed to prevent neurologic
      complications and lower extremity ischemia in these patients. Interventions that
      could reduce these complications may improve outcome.

PMID- 28355756
TI  - [Effect of intravenous infusion with lidocaine on rapid recovery of laparoscopic
      cholecystectomy].
AB  - Objective: To investigate the effect of intravenous infusion with lidocaine on
      rapid recovery of laparoscopic cholecystectomy. Methods: This study was a
      prospective randomized controlled trial. From February to August 2016 in
      Affiliated Yiwu Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, 60 patients scheduled for
      laparoscopic cholecystectomy under general anesthesia were involved and randomly
      divided into control group (n=30) and lidocaine group (n=30). Patients in
      lidocaine group received lidocaine 1.5 mg/kg intravenously before induction and
      followed by 2.0 mg.kg(-1).h(-1) to the end of surgery. Patients in control group
      received equal volumes of saline intravenously. Anesthesia induction in both
      groups were given intravenous midazolam 0.03 mg/kg, sufentanil 0.2 MUg/kg,
      propofol 2.0 mg/kg and cisatracuium 0.2 mg/kg. Anesthesia was maintained with
      propofol 0.05-0.20 mg.kg(-1).min(-1) and remifentanil 0.1-0.5 MUg.kg(-1).min(-1)
      for laryngeal mask airway which bispectral index (BIS) value maintained at 40-60.
      BIS, heart rate(HR) and mean arterial pressure(MAP) were recorded before
      anesthesia induction, before and immediately after laryngeal mask implantation,
      intraoperative 30 min and anesthesia awake. Pain scores were assessed using
      visual analogue scales (VAS) at postoperation immediately, 30 min during
      postanesthesia care unit (PACU), 2, 6, 12, and 24 h after surgery. The time of
      PACU retention, postoperative ambulation, first intestine venting and discharge
      were recorded. The dosage of propofol and remifentanil, the frequency of
      sufentanil used, the incidence of postoperative nausea and vomiting were also
      recorded. Patient satisfaction was evaluated by using Simple Restoration Quality
      Score (QoR-9). Results: BIS values before and after laryngeal mask implantation
      in lidocaine group were 50.50+/-3.47 and 54.63+/-1.25 respectively, which was
      lower than those in control group(54.30+/-4.78, 55.80+/-2.33; t=3.542, 2.423, all
      P<0.05). The VAS score at postoperation immediately, PACU 30 min, postoperative
      2, 6, 12 h in lidocaine group were 2.76+/-0.97, 2.37+/-0.93, 2.10+/-1.12, 1.76+/
      0.97, 1.20+/-0.76 respectively, which was lower than those in control group
      (3.83+/-1.34, 3.27+/-1.26, 3.06+/-1.20, 2.63+/-0.88, 1.90+/-0.84; t=3.528, 3.154,
      3.217, 3.603, 3.372, all P<0.05 ). The frequency of additional sufentanil at
      postoperation immediately and PACU 30 min in lidocaine group was 5(17%), 3(10%),
      which were less than those in control group(12(40%), 9(30%); chi(2)=4.022, 3.950,
      all P<0.05). The dosage of propofol and remifentanil in lidocaine group were
      (4.33+/-0.75) mg.kg(-1).h(-1) and (9.00+/-1.66) MUg.kg(-1).h(-1) respectively,
      which were less than those in control group ((5.20+/-1.39) mg.kg(-1).h(-1) and
      (10.43+/-2.20) MUg.kg(-1).h(-1;) t= 2.982, 2.842, all P<0.05). The time of PACU
      retention, postoperative ambulation and first intestine venting were (39.90 +/-
      8.06) min, (11.93+/-1.68) h and (10.16+/-1.05) h respectively in lidocaine group,
      which were shorter than those in control group ((48.23+/-10.04) min, (13.16+/
      1.58) h and (11.13+/-1.30) h; t=3.514, 2.931, 3.156, all P<0.05). The QoR-9 score
      in lidocaine group was 15.60+/-1.07, which was higher than that in control
      group(14.73+/-0.74, t=-3.649, P<0.05). There was no significant difference in the
      incidence of postoperative nausea/vomiting and the discharge time between two
      groups (all P>0.05). Conclusion: Intravenous infusion of lidocaine can
      effectively reduce the dosages of propofol and remifentanil, postoperative early
      VAS score, postoperative ambulation time and first intestine venting time which
      could improve the satisfaction of patients.

PMID- 28355757
TI  - [Concurrent renal cell carcinoma and urothelial carcinoma: long-term follow-up
      study of 24 cases].
AB  - Objective: To investigate the clinical manifestation, diagnosis, treatment and
      outcome of simultaneous occurrence of renal cell carcinoma and urothelial
      carcinoma. Methods: Twenty-four consecutive patients with synchronous renal cell
      carcinoma and urothelial carcinoma treated in our center from March 2005 to
      December 2015 were retrospectively reviewed. Their clinical, pathological and
      prognostic features were evaluated. Kaplan-Meier curves were used to estimate
      overall survival. Results: Patient' age was range from 48 to 79 yrs (median
      69.5). Fourteen patients presented with macroscopic hematuria, and 10 patients
      were asymptomatic. B-ultrasound, computed tomography (CT) and cystoscopy
      initially indicated renal cell carcinoma concurrent with ipsilateral upper
      urinary tract urothelial carcinoma (UTUC) in 4 cases, renal cell carcinoma
      concurrent with bladder tumor in 16 cases, renal cell carcinoma concurrent with
      both ipsilateral UTUC and bladder tumor in 1 case, renal cell carcinoma in 2
      cases and ureter carcinoma in 1 case. Different treatments were performed. The
      median follow-up time after surgery was 22.5 months. For patients with
      synchronous renal cell carcinoma and bladder tumor, there was no significant
      survival difference between patients treated with partial nephrectomy or radical
      nephrectomy. During follow up, 3 patients died of renal cell carcinoma, 3
      patients died of non-oncological disease and 1 patient died of ureter carcinoma.
      The 3-year overall survival rate was 82.7%. For patients with synchronous renal
      cell carcinoma and bladder tumor, there was no significant survival difference
      between patients treated with partial nephrectomy or radical nephrectomy
      (P=0.874). Conclusions: Concurrence of renal cell carcinoma and urothelial
      carcinoma is clinically rare. Treatments should be individualized. The prognosis
      for a patient with synchronous renal cell carcinoma and urothelial carcinoma is
      associated with the more aggressive one.

PMID- 28355758
TI  - [Progress and challenge of Stanford type A aortic dissection in China].
AB  - In recent 20 years, the rapid development of acute Stanford type A aortic
      dissection in China has been mainly due to three aspects: (1) the refined
      classification of aortic dissection based on Stanford classification, (2) right
      axillary artery canal and selective cerebral perfusion technology become basic
      cardiopulmonary bypass strategy for Stanford type A aortic dissection, and (3)
      total aortic arch replacement and descending aortic stent graft surgery (Sun's
      surgery) become the standard treatment of Stanford type A aortic dissection.
      However, there are still many problems in the diagnosis and treatment of aortic
      dissection in China, such as: (1) unstandardized, lack of comprehensive
      guidelines of aortic dissection, (2) immature, perioperative organ protection and
      intraoperative blood protection technology remains a big flaw, and (3) it takes a
      long time to get patient prepared for surgery. In conclusion, as to the issue of
      the management of acute Stanford type A aortic dissection, there will be a long
      way for Chinese doctors to go. Peers should pay more attention to this problem
      and take more efforts, so that the outcome of acute Stanford type A aortic
      dissection surgical patients can be improved.

PMID- 28355759
TI  - [Clinical practice and thoughts on the strategy of root reconstruction for
      Stanford type A aortic dissection].
AB  - The strategy of root reconstruction for Stanford type A aortic dissection (AAD)
      includes resection of the intimal tear site, correction of concomitant aortic
      valve dysfunction and amendment of coronary lesion. Supracommissural tube graft
      replacement is a well-adopted and convenient procedure for most patients,
      although its application is limited when distinct sinus expansion and severe
      intimal damage is present. Composite valve conduit replacement (Bentall
      procedure) is suitable for patients with overt sinus damage. However, a fraction
      of patients with functional aortic valve will be unnecessarily put into risks for
      prosthetic complications. Valve-sparing aortic root replacement (VSRR), which
      includes aortic root remodeling (Yacoub procedure) and reimplantation (David
      procedure) techniques, has the advantage of retaining autologous aortic valve
      while guaranteeing resection of damaged vessel segments.The Yacoub procedure is
      relatively convenient but harbors long-term risk for annulus expansion, while the
      David procedure demonstrates long-term benefit but may be too demanding to be
      operated in emergent scenario as AAD. The last decade has witnessed worldwide
      endeavors to investigate the treatment strategy for aortic root, especially the
      VSRR approach. The preliminary results are encouraging and demonstrating
      improvements for both mid- and long-term outcomes of AAD, which enables
      standardized and personalized surgical management for these patients.

PMID- 28355760
TI  - [Treatment strategies of complex lesions in patients with acute Stanford type A
      dissection of important branches involvement].
AB  - Acute Stanford type A aortic dissection with important branches involved is more
      complex, could lead to organ malperfusion syndrome even organ failure. The
      understanding of pathological anatomy, classification, staging, and the
      pathophysiological change has increasingly mature, but not complete. In addition,
      the treatment strategy for complex lesions is diversified, some questions may not
      reach consensus. Fully understanding of the anatomical and pathophysiology is
      very important for surgeons to choose reasonable treatment strategy. As the rapid
      development of the basic research, imaging techniques and the concept of surgery
      procedures, the manage technique of Stanfrod type A dissection and branch vessels
      at the same time is getting seriously, the related issues also need further
      discussions.

PMID- 28355761
TI  - [Factor analysis and method exploring for lymph nodes harvest in gastric cancer].
AB  - The number of lymph node dissection and positive lymph nodes are the necessary
      guarantees for patients to achieve accurate staging after gastric cancer surgery.
      On the basis of the minimum number of lymph nodes dissection recommended by the
      NCCN guidelines, as many as possible lymph node yields will be most likely to
      benefit patients. Many factors can influence the number of lymph node yields
      including surgery, patient, tumor pathology and postoperative sorting factors.
      Compared with traditional manual nodal dissection method, fat-clearing technique
      and methylene blue staining method can improve the number of lymph nodes
      detection, while lymphatic tracers, such as carbon nanoparticles, are conducive
      to show lymphatic vessels, contributing to the dissection of small lymph nodes.
      The initial results from People's Liberation Army General Hospital show that
      lymph node packet submission after isolation by surgeon yields more lymph nodes.
      For the establishment of standards, lymph node retrieval-related procedures need
      further in-depth exploration and investigation.

PMID- 28355762
TI  - [Clinical analysis of different root treatment methods in acute Stanford type A
      aortic dissection].
AB  - Objective: To discuss the perioperative and follow-up results of different
      surgical methods for acute Stanford type A aortic dissection patients and
      analyzed the results. Methods: The clinic data of 351 acute Stanford type A
      aortic dissection patients received surgical therapy at Department of Thoracic
      and Cardiovascular Surgery, Nanjing University Medical School Affiliated Nanjing
      Drum Tower Hospital from January 2008 to December 2015 were analyzed
      retrospectively. There were 272 male and 79 female patients, aging from 22 to 83
      years with a mean age of (52+/-13) years. According to root size, aortic valve
      structure and the status of dissection involvement, these patients were devided
      into three major groups: 218 cases with root reconstruction using Dacron felts,
      34 cases with root reconstruction concomitant with aortic valve resuspension
      repair and 99 cases in with Bentall procedure. Proper shape based on the status
      of dissection involvement of Dacron patch was cut and put between the middle and
      outerlayer of aorta, then inside the inner layerone band Dacron felt was sutured
      with the aorta and the new middle layer with Dacron patch as mentioned above. In
      some cases the prolapsed aortic valve was re-suspended to the aortic cusp.
      Clinical outcomes among the 3 procedures were compared by chi(2) test, Fisher's
      exact test, t test and analysis of variance. Results: Cardiopulmonary bypass,
      cross-clamp, and circulatory arrest times of all the patients were (250+/-78),
      (171+/-70) and (31+/-10) minutes, respectively. The 30-day mortality was
      9.2%(33/351), while no difference among the 3 procedures (9.6%, 8.8% and 9.1%).
      In the average follow-up time of (26.0+/-23.0) months (range from 0.5 to 90.0
      months), survival rates were similar among the 3 procedures (77.7%, 77.4% and
      77.8%). Only one patient received redo Bentall procedure because of severe aortic
      regurgitation and dilated aortic root (diameter of 50 mm). Conclusions: The
      indication of root management of acute Stanford type A aortic dissection is based
      on the diameter of aortic root, structure of aortic leaflets, and the dissection
      involvement. For most acute Stanford type A aortic dissection patients, aortic
      root reconstruction is a feasible and safe method.

PMID- 28355763
TI  - [Late reoperations after repaired Stanford type A aortic dissection].
AB  - Objective: To summarize the experience of reoperations on patients who had late
      complications related to previous aortic surgery for Stanford type A dissection.
      Methods: From August 2008 to October 2016, 14 patients (10 male and 4 female
      patients) who underwent previous cardiac surgery for Stanford type A aortic
      dissection accepted reoperations on the late complications at Department of
      Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery, Nanjing Hospital Affiliated to Nanjing
      Medical University. The range of age was from 41 to 76 years, the mean age was
      (57+/-12) years. In these patients, first time operations were ascending aorta
      replacement procedure in 3 patients, ascending aorta combined with partial aortic
      arch replacement in 4 patients, aortic root replacement (Bentall) associated with
      Marfan syndrome in 3 patients, aortic valve combined with ascending aorta
      replacement (Wheat) in 1 patient, ascending aorta combined with Sun's procedure
      in 1 patient, Wheat combined with Sun's procedure in 1 patient, Bentall combined
      with Sun's procedure in 1 patient. The interval between two operations averaged
      0.3 to 10.0 years with a mean of (4.8+/-3.1) years. The reasons for reoperations
      included part anastomotic split, aortic valve insufficiency, false aneurysm
      formation, enlargement of remant aortal and false cavity. The selection of
      reoperation included anastomotic repair, aortic valve replacement, total arch
      replacement and Sun's procedure. Results: Of the 14 patients, the cardiopulmonary
      bypass times were 107 to 409 minutes with a mean of (204+/-51) minutes, cross
      clamp times were 60 to 212 minutes with a mean of (108+/-35) minutes, selective
      cerebral perfusion times were 16 to 38 minutes with a mean of (21+/-11) minutes.
      All patients survived from the operation, one patient died from severe pulmonary
      infection 50 days after operation. Three patients had postoperative
      complications, including acute renal failure of 2 patients and pulmonary
      infection of 1 patient, and these patients were recovered after treatment.
      Thirteen patients were finally recovered from hospital. The patients were
      followed up for 16 to 45 months, and no aortic rupture, paraplegia and death were
      observed in the follow-up. Conclusions: Patients for residual aortic dissection
      after initial operations on Stanford type A aortic dissection should be attached
      great importance and always need emergency surgery, but the technique is
      demanding and risk is great for surgeons and patients, which need enough
      specification and accurate on aortic operation. More importantly, the Sun's
      procedure also should be performed on the treatment of residual aortic dissection
      or distal arch expansion, and obtains the short- and long-term results in the
      future.

PMID- 28355764
TI  - [Prognostic factors for in-hospital mortality in patients with acute kidney
      injury requiring continuous renal replacement therapy undergoing surgery for
      acute Stanford type A aortic dissection].
AB  - Objective: To evaluate prognostic factors for in-hospital mortality in patients
      with acute kidney injury (AKI) requiring continuous renal replacement therapy
      (CRRT) undergoing surgery for acute Stanford type A aortic dissection. Methods:
      Retrospective analysis were conducted for 60 patients diagnosed with AKI
      requiring CRRT undergoing surgery for acute Stanford type A aortic dissection at
      Beijing Anzhen Hospital, Capital Medical University from March 2015 to September
      2016. There were 43 male and 17 female patients with an mean age of (50+/-14)
      years. Demographic characteristics, diagnosis, perioperative periodrelated data,
      clinical parameters during CRRT were collected to set up a database. The patients
      were divided into survival group and non-survival group according to in-hospital
      mortality. The prognostic factors of mortality in-hospital after AKI requiring
      CRRT were analyzed by multivariate Logistic regression analysis regression.
      Results: In the 60 adult patients who had received CRRT, 21 patients (35.0%)
      died. There were significant differences between died and survival patients on
      proportion of age>60 years (chi(2)=6.851, P=0.003), lactic acid levels at 12-hour
      after CRRT (t=-3.631, P=0.004), lactic acid levels at 24 hours after CRRT (t=
      2.986, P=0.032), proportion of body mass index >25 kg/m(2) (chi(2)=5.660,
      P=0.041), cardiopulmonary bypass time (t=-2.720, P=0.001). Multivariate Logistic
      regression analysis revealed that age>=60 years (OR=16.450, 95% CI: 2.172 to
      84.589); high lactic acid levels at 12-hour after CRRT (OR=1.719, 95% CI: 1.998
      to 2.960) and long cardiopulmonary bypass time (OR=1.028, 95% CI: 1.004 to 1.052)
      (all P<0.05) were independent prognostic factors of in-hospital mortality.
      Conclusions: Age >=60 years, high lactic acid levels at 12-hour after CRRT and
      long cardiopulmonary bypass time were independent prognostic factors of patients
      with AKI requiring CRRT after aortic surgery. Proper identification and
      management shall improve the prognosis of patients.

PMID- 28355765
TI  - [Liposuction combined with lymphatico-venous anastomosis for treatment of
      secondary lymphedema of the lower limbs: a report of 49 cases].
AB  - Objective: To study the clinical effects of liposuction combined with lymphatico
      venous anastomosis for treatment of secondary lymphedema of the lower limbs.
      Methods: A retrospective analysis was performed for 49 patients who had undergone
      liposuction combined with lymphatico-venous anastomosis to treat secondary
      lymphedema of the lower limbs at Department of Lymph Surgery, Beijing Shijitan
      Hospital from November 2013 to February 2015.All patients were female aging from
      31 to 70 years with median age of (52+/-10)years.All patients had history of
      pelvic surgery.There were 32 cases with cervical carcinoma, 11 cases with
      endometrial cancer, 1 case with ovarian cancer who accepted radical hysterectomy,
      2 cases with benign tumor who accepted resection, 2 cases accepted inguinal lymph
      node dissection, 1 case with rectal cancer accepted radical resection.There were
      30 cases with history of radiation therapy and 23 cases with history of
      erysipelas recurrent((2.1+/-3.9)/year). The limb swelling degree in preoperative
      and postoperative patients was explored using one-way analysis of variance with
      replicate measures and paired sample t-test. Meanwhile the incidence of
      lymphogenous infection was used as an evaluation of operation efficacy. Results:
      The mean lower limb circumference difference at 7 days, 6 months and 12 months
      was (0.17+/-1.36)cm, (1.25+/-1.62)cm and(1.58+/-1.56)cm, respectively, which was
      significantly decreased compared with preoperative((4.92+/-2.16)cm) (t=-5.712, 
      5.777, -5.765; all P<0.01). The mean lower limb volume difference at 7 days, 6
      months and 12 months was (522+/-799)ml, (726+/-973)ml and (889+/-895)ml,
      respectively, which was significantly decreased compared with preoperative((2
      729+/-1 335) ml)(t=-5.905, -6.093, -5.777; all P<0.01). The incidence of
      erysipelas was 0.0(0.0, 0.0)/6 months within 6 months after operation and
      0.0(0.0, 0.0)/6 months within 6-12 months after operation, which was
      significantly lower than that before operation(0.0(0.0, 2.0)/year). The feeling
      of tightness and heaviness of the limb was significantly improved compared with
      preoperative. Conclusion: Liposuction combined with lymphatico-venous anastomosis
      is an effective method for the treatment of secondary lymphedema of the lower
      limbs.

PMID- 28355766
TI  - [Clinical outcomes of single-level lumbar spondylolisthesis by minimally invasive
      transforaminal lumbar interbody fusion with bilateral tubular channels].
AB  - Objective: To evaluate the clinical effectiveness of minimally invasive
      transforaminal lumbar interbody fusion (MIS-TLIF) for single-level lumbar
      spondylolisthesis treatment with bilateral Spotlight tubular channels. Methods: A
      total of 21 patients with lumbar spondylolisthesis whom underwent MIS-TLIF via
      bilateral Spotlight tubular channels were retrospectively analyzed from October
      2014 to November 2015. The 21 patients included 11 males and 10 females ranged
      from 35 to 82 years (average aged 60.7 years). In term of spondylolisthesis
      category, there were 18 cases of degenerative spondylolisthesis and 3 cases of
      isthmic spondylolisthesis. With respect to spondylolisthesis degree, 17 cases
      were grade I degrees  and 4 cases were grade II degrees . Besides, 17 cases at
      L(4-5) and 4 cases at L(5)-S(1)were categorized by spondylolisthesis levels.
      Operation duration, blood loss, postoperative drainage and intraoperative
      exposure time were recorded, functional improvement was defined as an improvement
      in the Oswestry Disability Index (ODI), Visual Analog Scale (VAS) was also
      employed at pre and post-operation (3 months and the last follow-up), to evaluate
      low back and leg pain. Furthermore, to evaluate the recovery of the
      intervertebral foramen and of lumbar sagittal curvature, average height of
      intervertebral space, Cobb angles of lumbar vertebrae and operative segments,
      spondylolisthesis index were measured. At the last follow-up, intervertebral
      fusion was assessed using Siepe evaluation criteria and the clinical outcome was
      assessed using the MacNab scale. Radiographic and functional outcomes were
      compared pre- and post-operation using the paired T test to determine the
      effectiveness of MIS-TLIF. Statistical significance was defined as P<0.05.
      Results: All patients underwent a successful MIS-TLIF surgery. The operation time
      (235.2+/-30.2) mins, intraoperative blood loss (238.1+/-130.3) ml, postoperative
      drainage (95.7+/-57.1) ml and intraoperative radiation exposure (47.1+/-8.8) were
      recorded. Different significance between 3 months post-operative follow-up and
      pre-operation was exhibited (P<0.01) in respects of lumbar VAS (t=11.1, P<0.01)
      and leg VAS (t=17.8, P<0.01). Moreover, final follow-up compared with pre
      operation, and final follow-up compared with 3 months post-operative follow-up,
      VAS scores were also statistical difference (P<0.01). At the final follow-up,
      there were significant differences compared with pre-operation in ODI scores
      (t=30.1, P<0.01). Comparison between 3 months post-operative follow-up and pre
      operation, statistical distinctions were demonstrated (P<0.05) in terms of mean
      height of intervertebral space (t=-10.9, P<0.01), the Cobb angles of lumbar
      vertebrae (t=-2.4, P<0.05), operative segments Cobb angles (t=-5.2, P<0.01) and
      Lumbar spondylolisthesis incidence (t=17.1, P<0.01). In addition, there was
      statistical difference between final follow-up and pre-operation (P<0.05) as
      well. For instance, mean height of intervertebral space (t=-10.5, P<0.01), the
      Cobb angles of lumbar vertebrae (t=-2.7, P<0.05), operative segments Cobb angles
      (t=-4.2, P<0.01) and Lumbar spondylolisthesis incidence (t=18.6, P<0.01) were
      involved. All spondylolisthesis vertebrae were restored completely. Lastly, at
      the last follow-up, 12 cases of grade 1 and 7 cases of grade 2 fusion were
      present as determined by the Siepe evaluation criteria. McNab scale assessment
      classified 17 patients having excellent clinical outcome, 3 patients in good and
      1 patient having a better clinical outcome. Conclusion: MIS-TLIF with bilateral
      Spotlight tubular channels is a safe and effective approach for single segment
      lumbar spondylolisthesis.

PMID- 28355767
TI  - [Effects of reconstruction with unicondylar osteoarticular allografts with or
      without prosthesis for bone tumors around knee joint].
AB  - Objective: To investigate the survival rate, function outcomes, and complications
      after using unicondylar osteoarticular allografts with or without prosthesis to
      reconstruct the knee joint for tumors located in distal femoral or proximal
      tibial uni-condyle. Methods: Twenty-two patients who underwent unicondylar
      osteoarticular allografts with or without prosthesis composite reconstructions
      from January 2007 to December 2015 in Department of Orthopaedic Surgery of Xi
      Jing Hospital, the Fourth Military Medical University were retrospectively
      reviewed. There were 14 males and 8 females and the mean age was 35 years(8-65
      years). There were 12 malignent tumors and 10 aggressive benign tumors. The
      tumors were located in distal femur in 14 cases and proximal tibia in 8 cases.
      After tumor excision, the distal femur was reconstructed with unicondylar
      osteoallograft-prosthesis composite, and proximal tibial plate was reconstructed
      with unicondylar osteoarticular allograft with the help of computer-assisted
      navigation system. Function and radiograph were documented according to the
      Musculoskeletal Tumor Society (MSTS) functional scoring system and the
      International Society of Limb Salvage (ISOLS) radiographic scoring system. The
      median follow-up time was 60 months (5-116 months). Results: At the latest follow
      up, 2 patients had amputation owing to local recurrence in 12 malignant tumors.
      Three patients had pulmonary metastasis and 1 patient died another 2 alive with
      disease. Kaplan-Meier analysis indicated that the disease-free survival rate was
      73%. There was no recurrence and metastasis in 10 patients with giant cell tumor.
      The average MSTS score was 26 points and the radiographic score was 78%
      94%(average 90%). The complications included superficial infection in 1 patient
      and screw broken in 1 patient. There was no broken or collapse allograft in all
      composite reconstruction patients but 6 cases in allograft reconstruction.
      Conclusions: Unicondylar osteoarticular allografts or prosthesis composite was
      feasible reconstruction for tumors in distal femoral uni-condyle. It could
      provide good functional outcomes and also prevent joint degeneration. Similarly,
      allograft reconstruction was also a reliable technique for proximal tibial
      defect.

PMID- 28355768
TI  - [Prognostic analysis of patients with myasthenia gravis after extended
      thymectomy].
AB  - Objective: To identify the long-term outcome of patients with myasthenia gravis
      (MG) after extended thymectomy, and to analyze the prognostic factors. Methods:
      The medical data and follow-up results in 72 patients with MG who underwent
      extended thymectomy in Department of Thoracic Surgery, Anhui Provincial Hospital
      Affiliated with Anhui Medical University from January 2006 to October 2015 were
      retrospectively reviewed and analyzed. There were 32 male and 40 female patients,
      aging from 10 to 70 years with a mean age of 39.5 years. The outcome-related
      factors including gender, age while being operated on, duration of preoperative
      period, whether taking steroid before operation, modified Osserman
      classification, pathology type of thymus were analyzed by chi(2) test and
      multivariate regression analysis. Results: All patients were followed up from 6
      to 75 months (median 37 months). Among them, 21 patients (29.2%) achieved
      complete stable remission, 18 patients (25.0%) experienced pharmacological
      remission, 20 patients (27.8%) improved, 9 patients (12.5%) reminded stable and 4
      patients (5.6%) deteriorated. Both univariate and multicariate analysis revealed
      that duration of preoperative period (OR=22.871, 95% CI: 2.813 to 185.917,
      P=0.003) and Osserman classification (OR=0.103, 95% CI: 0.014 to 0.774, P=0.027)
      showed significantly associated with the surgical curative effect. Conclusions:
      Extended thymectomy is an efective measure for MG. The duration of preoperative
      period and Osserman classification are prognostic factors for thymectomized MG.
      Those patients with generalized MG or whose duration of preperative period is
      less than 6 months are likely to have better prognosis.

PMID- 28355769
TI  - [Changes in nutritional status of patients with different diseases during
      hospitalization].
AB  - Objective: To evaluate changes in nutritional status of hospitalized patients
      with different diseases by subjective global assessment (SGA) and nutritional
      risk screening (NRS-2002). Methods: A prospective and parallel research done by
      multi-center collaboration from 34 hospitals in China from June to September
      2014. Hospitalized patients with the following diseases were investigated:
      malignant tumor (2 487 cases), benign disease of the digestive system (1 358
      cases), benign disease of the nervous system (1 043 cases), benign bone disease
      (451 cases), benign disease of the respiratory system(395 cases), cardiovascular
      disease (227 cases), benign thyroid and breast disease (179 cases), and endocrine
      disease (149 cases). Patients above the age of 18 and hospitalization time
      between 7-30 days were included. Physical indexes were measured, the NRS-2002 and
      SGA scores were recorded, the nutritional support were recorded during
      hospitalization and 24 hours after discharge from hospital. Measurement data
      between groups were analyzed using t test or Wilcoxon rank sum test, enumeration
      data and ranked data between groups were analyzed using chi-square test or Fisher
      exact test. Results: There were 6 638 cases of hospitalized patients, 3 861 cases
      were males and 2 777 were females, the male/female ratio was 1.4?1.0; the median
      age was 60 years; the median height was 1.66 m; the median weight was 62 kg; the
      median body mass index (BMI)was 22.89 kg/m(2). At discharge, compared with that
      of admission, the body weight, BMI, grip strength, upper arm and calf
      circumferences of patients with malignant tumor were significantly decreased
      (t=20.15-259.67, all P<0.01); the body weight and calf circumference were
      significantly decreased (t=35.27, 60.40, P<0.01)of patients with digestive benign
      disease; the body weight of patients with benign bone diseases was decreased
      (t=2.12, P=0.033); the body weight, grip strength and upper arm circumference
      were decreased in patients with benign thyroid and breast disease (t=2.79-10.18,
      all P<0.01); nutritional risk incidence rate (from NRS-2002) of patients with
      malignant tumor was significantly higher(chi(2)=21.275, P=0.000); moderate
      malnutrition (from SGA) incidence rate was significantly higher(chi(2)=62.318,
      P=0.000; chi(2)=11.312, P<0.01) in patients with malignant tumor and with
      orthopedics diseases. Compared with that of admission, records of the patients
      with other diseases had no statistically difference at discharge, no more than
      50% of the patients under risk of nutritional deficiency(except those with
      digestive benign diseases )received nutritional support, while the proportion of
      non-parenteral nutrition application was higher. Conclusion: The patients with
      malignant tumor have higher incidence rate of malnutrition on admission and at
      discharge. Doctors should pay more attention to the nutritional status(screening
      and evaluation) of patients before discharge and use appropriate and adequate
      nutrition support in order to prevent the weight loss and improve the life
      quality of patients.

PMID- 28355770
TI  - [Effects and mechanism of allogeneic platelet rich plasma on collagen synthesis
      in wound healing].
AB  - Objective: To investigate the effects and mechanism of allogeneic platelet rich
      plasma (PRP) on collagen in wound surface at different time. Methods: A total of
      50 clean 7-week rats were selected for this study, including 10 rats for platelet
      rich blood plasma preparation, 20 rats for PRP group and 20 rats for control
      group, 0.1 ml allogenic PRP and 0.1 ml saline were smeared respectively on wound
      surfaces of PRP and control group, wound regeneration and healing were examined.
      Cellular and histological morphology alteration was observed via Masson staining,
      type I and type III collagen protein and mRNA expression level were detected by
      Western blot and real-time PCR. T test was applied for comparison between two
      samples and one-way ANOVA was utilized for comparison between two groups.
      Results: The wound healing rate of PRP group was higher than that of control
      group on 3(rd,) 6(th,) 10(th) and 15(th) day (30.33+/-3.35 vs.18.35+/-2.04,
      55.51+/-2.74 vs.36.83+/-2.34, 79.64+/-1.40 vs.56.92+/-1.44, 86.88+/-2.12
      vs.65.80+/-1.76) after wound surface formation, there were statistic differences
      (t=13.66-50.48, all P<0.05). The wound collagen of PRP group form faster and
      coarser, and the fibers arrayed more densely in Masson staining. The protein
      expression of type I collagen(1.92+/-0.09 vs.1.18+/-0.11) and type III
      collagen(1.16+/-0.05 vs.0.74+/-0.11) of PRP group were higher than that of
      control group (t=22.99, P<0.01; t=17.62, P<0.05); the mRNA expression of type I
      collagen(5.17+/-0.11 vs.1.79+/-0.18, 6.97+/-0.09 vs.1.96+/-0.08, 6.00+/-0.26
      vs.2.10+/-0.05, 4.95+/-0.11 vs.3.58+/-0.09)and type III collagen(2.35+/-0.08
      vs.1.44+/-0.05, 3.08+/-0.05 vs.1.84+/-0.06, 3.48+/-0.07 vs.2.36+/-0.09, 4.42+/
      0.07 vs.2.77+/-0.10) were higher than that of control group on 3(rd,) 6(th,)
      10(th) and 15(th) day after wound surface formation, there were significant
      differences (t=43.37-188.37, all P<0.05). Conclusion: The allogeneic platelet
      rich plasma may promote fibroblasts secreted collagen by activated and releasing
      all kinds of growth factors, especially type I and type III collagen to
      accelerate the wound healing.

PMID- 28355771
TI  - [Progress of problems related to the reconstruction of aortic arch in acute type
      A aortic dissection].
AB  - Aortic arch reconstruction is one of the most challenging operations in aortic
      surgery. Anatomical abnormalities of the aortic arch, including bovine aortic
      arch, aberrant right subclavian artery, and single vertebral artery have direct
      impact on the choice of surgical procedures and methods of brain protection.The
      risk of aortic arch reconstruction and the difficulty of operation, it is
      possible to avoid the injury of patients by strictly grasping the indication of
      operation. Intraoperative arterial cannulation and brain protection strategies
      are directly related to the success of the operation. This article makes a brief
      review of the above problems in the reconstruction of the aortic arch, hoping to
      be helpful to the cardiovascular surgeon.

PMID- 28355772
TI  - [Progress in application of three-dimensional imaging technique in complex
      hepatobiliary surgery].
AB  - Hepatobiliary surgery is considered to be technically challenging because of
      complex intrahepatic and perihilar anatomical structures and variations.Nowadays,
      three-dimensional imaging technique plays an important role in the time of
      precise liver surgery.Three-dimensional images depict the spatial location of
      tumor, and the course, confluence pattern and variation of portal vein, hepatic
      artery, biliary system and hepatic vein distinctly while showing involved hepatic
      segments and the relationship with adjacent vessels from omnidirectional view,
      measuring the length of margin and future remnant liver.With the help of surgical
      simulation, surgeons can determine the significant vessels preoperatively.The
      application of three-dimensional imaging technique may improve the resectability
      and safety of complex hepatobiliary surgery, such as hilar cholangiocarcinoma,
      centrally located liver tumor, hepatolithiasis and living donor liver
      transplantation.Meanwhile, three-dimensional visualization facilitates the
      understanding of two-dimensional images and complicated surgical anatomy for
      surgeons.

PMID- 28355773
TI  - The cooperative breeding perspective helps in pinning down when uniquely human
      evolutionary processes are necessary-CORRIGENDUM.

PMID- 28355774
TI  - Identity matters to individuals: Group assessment cannot be reduced to collective
      performance.
AB  - Although we agree that both identification and differentiation play a key role in
      explaining individual behaviour in groups, we suggest that (1) cohesion and
      differentiation should be better articulated, (2) the proposal carries implicit
      value choices that are not necessarily universal, and (3) the success of a group
      in shaping individual behaviour should refer to the values of individual members.

PMID- 28355775
TI  - The hows and whys of "we" (and "I") in groups.
AB  - Informed by our interdisciplinary research program on collaborative recall, we
      argue that Baumeister et al. should consider: (1) group success as a balance
      between differentiation and integration (not differentiation alone); (2)
      variation in constellations of people and processes within and across groups; and
      (3) nuanced measurement of what people bring to, do in, and get out of groups.

PMID- 28355776
TI  - The unique role of the agent within the romantic group.
AB  - In this commentary, we apply the authors' view to small groups consisting of two
      people who are in a committed romantic relationship. Our focus is on the
      circumstances that make it more likely that people will stay within such a group
      and minimize the chances that they will replace their partner. In our restless
      society, such ongoing replacement is a pressing issue.

PMID- 28355777
TI  - The subtle effects of incentives and competition on group performance.
AB  - We show that, under some circumstances, identification and differentiation in the
      form of competition and individual rewards may undermine, rather than improve,
      group performance. The key factor for successful group performance seems to be
      whether or not group members share common goals and whether or not they have
      aligned incentives.

PMID- 28355778
TI  - Solved paradoxes and old hats? The research needed on differentiated selves.
AB  - The idea that differentiated selves almost always improve group outcomes is
      overly simplistic. We argue that it is essential to distinguish between two
      distinct elements of differentiated selves - identifiability and specialization -
      and to identify conditions under which they influence group outcomes. Adopting a
      group-by-situation perspective, in which group and situation variables are
      considered jointly, is recommended to generate novel hypotheses.

PMID- 28355779
TI  - Group and individual as complementary conceptual categories.
AB  - Baumeister et al. depart from self-theories that contrast the psychology of the
      group with the psychology of the individual by considering how differentiated
      identities further collective interests. In concert with Deviance Regulation
      Theory, their framework offers a foundation for predicting the reward and
      punishment contingencies that will help groups function as more than the sum of
      their parts.

PMID- 28355780
TI  - But is it social? How to tell when groups are more than the sum of their members.
AB  - Failure to distinguish between statistical effects and genuine social interaction
      may lead to unwarranted conclusions about the role of self-differentiation in
      group function. We offer an introduction to these issues from the perspective of
      recent research on collaborative cognition.

PMID- 28355781
TI  - Social, not individual, identification is the key to understanding group
      phenomena.
AB  - Baumeister and colleagues argue for the indispensability of groups in human life.
      Yet, in positing individual differentiation as the key to effective group
      functioning, they adopt a Western-centric view of the relationship of the
      individual to the group and overlook an alternative social identity account in
      which depersonalisation, not individuation, is central to understanding many
      group phenomena.

PMID- 28355782
TI  - Considering the role of ecology on individual differentiation.
AB  - Our commentary articulates some of the commonalities between Baumeister et al.'s
      theory of socially differentiated roles and Strategic Differentiation-Integration
      Effort. We expand upon the target article's position by arguing that
      differentiating social roles is contextual and driven by varying ecological
      pressures, producing character displacement not only among individuals within
      complex societies, but also across social systems and multiple levels of
      organization.

PMID- 28355783
TI  - Reputational concerns as a general determinant of group functioning.
AB  - To understand a group's (dys)functionality, we propose focusing on its members'
      concerns for their reputation. The examples of prosocial behavior and information
      exchange in decision-making groups illustrate that empirical evidence directly or
      indirectly suggests that reputational concerns play a central role in groups. We
      argue that our conceptualization fulfills criteria for a good theory: enhancing
      understanding, abstraction, testability, and applicability.

PMID- 28355784
TI  - Social identification is generally a prerequisite for group success and does not
      preclude intragroup differentiation.
AB  - On the basis of research in the social identity tradition, we contend (a) that
      identification and differentiation are not mutually exclusive, (b) that a
      sequence in which identification gives way to differentiation is not necessarily
      associated with superior organizational outcomes, and

PMID- 28355785
TI  - How group members contribute to group performance: Evidence from agent-based
      simulations.
AB  - The authors argue that group performance depends on the degree to which group
      members identify with the group as well as on their degree of differentiation. In
      this commentary, I discuss results from agent-based simulations, suggesting that
      group performance depends, at least in part, on features orthogonal to agents'
      caring about group performance or about how they are perceived by other group
      members.

PMID- 28355786
TI  - Humans are not the Borg: Personal and social selves function as components in a
      unified self-system.
AB  - Does joining groups trigger a cascade of psychological processes that can result
      in a loss of individuality and lead to such outcomes as social loafing and poor
      decision-making? Rather than privileging the self comprising primarily individual
      qualities as the "true self," a multilevel, multicomponent approach suggests
      that, in most cases, personal and collective identities are integrated and
      mutually sustaining.

PMID- 28355787
TI  - Groups need selves, but which selves? Dual selves in groups and the downsides of
      individuation.
AB  - It may be true that "groups need selves," as Baumeister et al. contend. However,
      certain types of selfhood and too much selfhood can both be detrimental to group
      functioning. I draw on theory and research on dual selves in work groups and
      teams to outline boundary conditions to the hypothesis that emphasizing
      individual selves yields positive effects for groups.

PMID- 28355788
TI  - We agree and we disagree, which is exactly what most people do most of the time.
AB  - Humans are continually diverging and converging with respect to each other.
      Research across many domains suggests that differentiation and integration are
      aspects of a more complex set of dynamics, and are not step-wise but
      interdependent and continuous. Research on conformity in particular reveals that
      divergence and dissent are forms of cooperation, reflecting concerns for both
      individual and group integrity.

PMID- 28355789
TI  - Beyond old dichotomies: Individual differentiation can occur through group
      commitment, not despite it.
AB  - The target article resuscitates an old but outdated dichotomy: a theoretical
      dualism between group belonging and intragroup differentiation. A convergence of
      evidence - including that within the social identity tradition - shows that
      intragroup differentiation is not incompatible with strong group identity.
      Indeed, when norms encourage autonomy, dissent, and individual freedom,
      intragroup differentiation occurs through group commitment, not despite it.

PMID- 28355790
TI  - Member differentiation and group tasks: More than meets the eye.
AB  - Analyzing how various forms of member similarity and difference affect group
      performance is a worthwhile task. I argue that the authors' analysis would be
      improved by distinguishing between subjective and objective forms of member
      differentiation and by utilizing a different typology of group tasks.

PMID- 28355791
TI  - Group behavior in the military may provide a unique case.
AB  - The optimal functioning of male coalitionary behavior in a military context may
      run contrary to some of the arguments about the importance of individual
      differentiation in Baumeister et al. Incentives become institutionally inverted
      within military contexts. Because the history of combat exerted powerful and
      sustained selection pressures on male groups, individual identification can work
      against the successful completion of collective action problems surrounding in
      group defense in military contexts.

PMID- 28355792
TI  - Group members differ in relative prototypicality: Effects on the individual and
      the group.
AB  - All groups are differentiated into more or less group-prototypical members.
      Central members readily influence and lead the group, and they define its
      identity. Peripheral members can feel voiceless and marginalized, as well as
      uncertain about their membership status - they may engage in extreme behaviors to
      try to win acceptance. These relative prototypicality dynamics sometimes benefit
      group performance but sometimes compromise performance.

PMID- 28355793
TI  - Group membership: Who gets to decide?
AB  - In this commentary, I focus on several problems that the authors' understanding
      of group identity raises: the legality of avoiding background diversity, the
      problem of effectively unshareable knowledge, the practical quality of some
      outcomes arrived at by groups with homogeneous backgrounds, and moral issues
      about fairness. I note also that much recent research challenges the view that
      background diversity is more likely to be a detriment than a benefit.

PMID- 28355794
TI  - Task specificity and the impact on both the individual and group during the
      formation of groups.
AB  - We agree with aspects of Baumeister et al.'s view that shared identities are
      necessary during initial stages of group formation. In contrast to their
      analysis, however, we provide evidence that the value of self-differentiation
      depends more on the task itself than on the stage of group development and
      challenge the authors to focus on the functions of the group.

PMID- 28355795
TI  - Differentiated selves help only when identification is strong and tasks are
      complex.
AB  - Whereas differentiation is overestimated - it more often hurts than helps group
      performance - identification is underestimated. A more viable perspective sees
      identification and cooperative motivation as the sine qua non of group
      functioning, with differentiation helping in a relatively narrow set of
      cognitively complex tasks that require creativity and deep and deliberate
      information processing by individual members.

PMID- 28355796
TI  - Vicarious contagion decreases differentiation - and comes with costs.
AB  - Baumeister et al. propose that individual differentiation is a crucial
      determinant of group success. We apply their model to processes lying in between
      the individual and the group - vicarious processes. We review literature in four
      domains - attitudes, emotions, moral behavior, and self-regulation - showing that
      group identification can lead to vicarious contagion, reducing individual
      differentiation and inducing negative consequences.

PMID- 28355797
TI  - Group effort in resuscitation teams.
AB  - Baumeister and colleagues underline that individual identification and
      differentiation of selves are important characteristics for group performance.
      They name specialization, moral responsibility, and efficiency as vital
      components of well-functioning groups. In my commentary, I transfer their
      framework to the group effort within resuscitation teams to discuss for the first
      time how these components determine teamwork during resuscitation.

PMID- 28355798
TI  - Differentiation of selves: Differentiating a fuzzy concept.
AB  - Notwithstanding the appeal of the "one size fits all" approach that Baumeister et
      al. propose, we argue that there is no panacea for improving group performance.
      The concept of "differentiation of selves" constitutes an umbrella term for
      similar seeming but actually different constructs. Even the same type of
      "differentiation of selves" can be beneficial for some and harmful for other
      tasks.

PMID- 28355799
TI  - Disputing deindividuation: Why negative group behaviours derive from group norms,
      not group immersion.
AB  - Strong social identity does not lead to lack of accountability and "bad" behavior
      in groups and crowds but rather causes group behavior to be driven by group
      norms. The solution to problematic group behavior is therefore not to
      individualize the group but rather to change group norms, as underlined by the
      relational dynamics widely studied in the SIDE tradition.

PMID- 28355800
TI  - Not even wrong: Imprecision perpetuates the illusion of understanding at the cost
      of actual understanding.
AB  - The target article is plagued by imprecision, making it largely impossible to
      evaluate the authors' theory in a scientific manner.

PMID- 28355801
TI  - Differentiated selves can surely be good for the group, but let's get clear about
      why.
AB  - We applaud the goal of reconciling the self and group literatures and agree that
      a differentiated self may sometimes improve group outcomes. Nevertheless, greater
      precision regarding the underlying mechanisms is needed. Specifically,
      differentiated selves improve outcomes by overriding selfishness when they allow
      for personal regulation (being personally recognized and valued) rather than
      social regulation (specialization of labor).

PMID- 28355803
TI  - Differentiating selves facilitates group outcomes.
AB  - The target article proposed that differentiation of selves is a crucial moderator
      of group outcomes, such that differentiation of selves contributes to beneficial
      outcomes of groups while limiting undesirable outcomes. In this response, we aim
      to complement the target article by refining and expanding several aspects of the
      theory. We address our conceptualization of optimal group functioning, clarify
      the term differentiation of selves, comment on the two-step nature of our model,
      offer theoretical connections and extensions, and discuss applications and
      opportunities for future research.

PMID- 28355802
TI  - Roles and ranks: The importance of hierarchy for group functioning.
AB  - Baumeister et al. propose that role differentiation is critical for group
      functioning. We propose that effective groups require rank differentiation in
      addition to role differentiation. We suggest that rank differentiation supports
      division of labor by incentivizing group members, satisfying fundamental human
      needs, and organizing and integrating the contributions of differentiated group
      members.

PMID- 28355804
TI  - Heavy objects and small children: Developmental data extend the passive frame
      theory.
AB  - Passive frame theory is compatible with modern complexity theory and the idea
      that conflict drives the emergence of a novel structural organization. After
      describing new developmental data, we suggest that this conflict needs to be
      expanded to include not only conflict between action options, but also between
      action and perception.

PMID- 28355805
TI  - Infer yourself: Interoception and internal "action" in conscious selfhood.
AB  - Can consciousness be understood through an association with voluntary
      skeletomotor action selection? Although flexible and integrated action selection
      is a plausible function for consciousness, a narrow focus on skeletomotor control
      neglects the contributions to conscious selfhood and subjectivity that rest on
      interoception and autonomic regulation (internal "action"). I consider these
      issues from the perspective of predictive processing.

PMID- 28355806
TI  - Can skeletomotor action integration occur without consciousness? Evidence from
      unconscious action inhibition.
AB  - Morsella et al. claim that consciousness functions to integrate incompatible
      skeletal muscle intentions. Their primary cases of conscious skeletomotor
      integration involve action suppression, such as holding one's breath underwater,
      which requires suppressing the urge to inhale. This indicates that the authors
      seem to think action inhibition counts as the relevant kind of integration. I
      suggest that there is reason to think this kind of inhibition can occur
      unconsciously via unconscious inhibitory mechanisms. Unconscious inhibition
      therefore potentially undermines the authors' thesis. If cases of unconscious
      inhibition are not instances of integration, then the authors should clarify
      exactly what counts as integration.

PMID- 28355807
TI  - The chemosensory brain requires a distributed cellular mechanism to harness
      information and resolve conflicts - is consciousness the forum?
AB  - The central nervous system (CNS) evolved from a chemosensory epithelium, but a
      simple epithelium has limited means to resolve conflicts between early drives
      (e.g., approach vs. avoid). Understanding the role of "consciousness" as a
      resolution device, with specific focus on chemosensation and the olfactory
      system, is of appeal. I argue that consciousness is not the adjudicator, but is
      instead the forum that brings conflicting (conscious) inputs into a form that
      allows them to be (unconsciously) compared/contrasted, guiding rational action.

PMID- 28355808
TI  - Conscious olfaction: Content, function, and localization.
AB  - The target article's emphasis on olfaction is a welcome reminder of the
      multimodal nature of conscious experience. Here, I explore the distinctive and
      even unique attributes of our sense of smell from the point of view of their
      bearing on and fit with a subcortical locus of sensory experience.

PMID- 28355809
TI  - Action-based synthesis of parental brain consciousness.
AB  - Parenting consciousness, in line with passive frame theory, may be considered
      inseparable from action. With combined brain-imaging and cognitive-behavioral
      analyses, we are in the early phases of understanding how parental brain circuits
      regulate parental thoughts and behavior. Furthermore, work on parental
      consciousness confirms the importance of motor outputs and outlines related
      circuits that inform consciousness across generations.

PMID- 28355810
TI  - Content encapsulation in consciousness is likely to be incomplete.
AB  - Although the passive frame theory (PST) seems to be very plausible, the
      encapsulation of content generation deserves further elaboration. Many concepts
      and data considering the capacity theory, perception, and higher cognitive
      processes seem to contradict this principle. In general, PST can be suitable in
      many cases, but it needs to be completed by other mechanisms.

PMID- 28355811
TI  - Consciousness around the time of saccadic eye movements.
AB  - During saccadic eye movements, the job of the nervous system is not to perceive a
      change in stimulation from the receptors, but to prevent a change from reaching
      consciousness. These movements occupy an intermediate range between actions that
      are almost always conscious, such as finger movements, and those that are never
      conscious, such as the smooth-muscle actions of the digestive system.
      Consciousness in this context requires attention to the consequences of an
      action.

PMID- 28355812
TI  - Calling for a developmental perspective on action-based consciousness.
AB  - Human newborns can resolve some response conflicts in order to adapt their
      behaviour, suggesting that the newborn has consciousness according to Morsella et
      al.'s framework. However, we pose a range of developmental questions regarding
      Morsella et al.'s account, especially concerning the role of consciousness in the
      development of action.

PMID- 28355813
TI  - Getting back from the basics: What is the role for attention and fronto-parietal
      circuits in consciousness?
AB  - Morsella et al. present a novel theory of consciousness which is more "low-level,
      circumscribed, counterintuitive, and passive" than previous accounts. There is
      much to like about this approach. However, what are the explanatory costs
      associated with these characteristics? In particular, how does this low-level and
      passive theory accommodate evidence for top-down attention being necessary (but
      not sufficient) for visual consciousness?

PMID- 28355814
TI  - Consciousness of emotions and action selection.
AB  - The domain of emotions corresponds to the consciousness model proposed by
      Morsella et al. The action schemata unconsciously activated by spontaneous
      emotions are indeed automatically selected from a small number of innate
      operative patterns, whereas behavioral responses selected at the cognitive level
      of emotional processing consist of strategic plans, leading to a conscious
      integration of goal-directed actions.

PMID- 28355815
TI  - At what timescale does consciousness operate?
AB  - While applauding Morsella et al. for linking consciousness to action control, we
      ask what their theory implies regarding the exact functionality of consciousness
      and the timescale at which it operates. Does consciousness operate on, and
      resolve the conflict it emerges from (despite its slowness), or does it operate
      on future conflicts that it might resolve by externalizing/socializing cognitive
      control?

PMID- 28355816
TI  - Locating consciousness: We are conflicted by the role of conflict.
AB  - What is consciousness for? Consciousness allows us to handle conflict, a
      promising proposal by Morsella et al. However, they provide little evidence as to
      why consciousness is particularly valuable in resolving conflict, nor do they
      limit the role of consciousness to only conflicting experiences. We attempt to
      clarify their possible positions and offer several solutions for how these might
      be formulated and tested.

PMID- 28355817
TI  - How does consciousness for action relate to attention for action?
AB  - The interesting target article by Morsella et al. addresses critical issues that
      impact our understanding of consciousness. It is surprising, however, to see no
      treatment of the relationship between attention and consciousness, particularly
      given available models. Whether olfaction is most suitable as a model system to
      study consciousness for action also seems questionable. These issues are
      elaborated in the present commentary.

PMID- 28355818
TI  - Insights on consciousness from taste memory research.
AB  - Taste research in rodents supports the relevance of memory in order to determine
      the content of consciousness by modifying both taste perception and later action.
      Associated with this issue is the fact that taste and visual modalities share
      anatomical circuits traditionally related to conscious memory. This challenges
      the view of taste memory as a type of non-declarative unconscious memory.

PMID- 28355819
TI  - Conflicts everywhere! Perceptions, actions, and cognition all entail memory and
      reflect conflict.
AB  - Morsella et al. assert that the function of consciousness is to determine which
      of many competing action options is expressed through the skeletomuscular system
      at any given moment. The present commentary addresses this issue from the first
      person perspective and agrees with Morsella and colleagues, yet further proposes
      that the option-selection function of consciousness plays out in cognition as
      well.

PMID- 28355820
TI  - Origins of emotional consciousness.
AB  - While the field of emotions research has benefited from new developments in
      neuroscience, many theoretical questions remain unsolved. We propose that
      integrating our iterative reprocessing (IR) framework with the passive frame
      theory (PFT) may help unify competing theoretical perspectives of emotion.
      Specifically, we propose that PFT and the IR framework offer a point of origin
      for emotional experience.

PMID- 28355821
TI  - Homing in on consciousness: Why is a dream conscious?
AB  - Morsella et al. argue convincingly that consciousness is for adaptive voluntary
      action. What, then, is consciousness in a dream for? Two prior questions present
      themselves. In a dream, how do contents get into the conscious field? What are
      the properties of consciousness in a dream?

PMID- 28355822
TI  - Metacognition and conscious experience.
AB  - Morsella et al. focus on the conscious nature of sensation. However, also
      critical to an understanding of consciousness is the role of internally generated
      experience, such as the content of autobiographical memory or metacognitive
      experiences. For example, tip-of-the-tongue states are conscious feelings that
      arise when recall fails. Internally driven experiences drive us to action and
      therefore are consistent with the current approach.

PMID- 28355824
TI  - Four questions for passive frame theory.
AB  - Four questions are raised about the passive frame theory of Morsella et al.: (1)
      What is the relation of the theory to the response-selection-bottleneck view of
      attention? (2) Does the theory accommodate the contents of consciousness? (3)
      What about animals without skeletal muscles? (4) How do the contents of
      consciousness change with the development of automaticity?

PMID- 28355823
TI  - Passive frame theory: A new synthesis.
AB  - Passive frame theory attempts to illuminate what consciousness is, in mechanistic
      and functional terms; it does not address the "implementation" level of analysis
      (how neurons instantiate conscious states), an enigma for various disciplines.
      However, in response to the commentaries, we discuss how our framework provides
      clues regarding this enigma. In the framework, consciousness is passive albeit
      essential. Without consciousness, there would not be adaptive skeletomotor
      action.

PMID- 28355825
TI  - The science of consciousness must include its more advanced forms.
AB  - Morsella et al. argue that science should not focus on high forms of
      consciousness. We disagree. An understanding of high forms of consciousness is
      invaluable to the scientific study of consciousness. Moreover, it poses
      challenges to the passive frame theory. Specifically, it challenges the notions
      that conscious thoughts are not connected and that consciousness serves
      skeletomotor conflict only.

PMID- 28355826
TI  - What if consciousness has no function?
AB  - An implicitly dualist or Cartesian materialist theory of consciousness is
      proposed without citing the many well-known problems with such theories. A
      function for consciousness is proposed with no reference to the possibility that
      "consciousness itself" has no function of its own. The theory builds on proposed
      "subset consensus" and "integration consensus" when in the literature there is no
      such consensus on these issues.

PMID- 28355827
TI  - Consciousness weaves our internal view of the outside world.
AB  - Low-level consciousness is fundamental to our understanding of the world. Within
      the conscious field, the constantly changing external visual information is
      transformed into stable, object-based percepts. Remarkably, holistic objects are
      perceived while we are cognizant of all of the spatial details comprising the
      objects and of the relationship between individual elements. This parallel
      conscious association is unique to the brain. Conscious contributions to motor
      activity come after our understanding of the world has been established.

PMID- 28355828
TI  - Consciousness for perception and for action: A perspective from unconscious
      binding.
AB  - I argue that the scope and strength of unconscious perception have been
      overestimated in extant theories. I describe an unconscious binding perspective,
      and how in conjunction with rigorous methodology it can guide the delineation of
      unconscious processing. Under this perspective, the function of consciousness is
      to increase the saliency of conscious contents by facilitating the deployment of
      focal attention.

PMID- 28355829
TI  - An "ecological" action-based synthesis.
AB  - We expand upon Morsella et al.'s synthesis in the direction of what Gibson (1979)
      called an ecological approach to perception. Morsella et al. describe
      consciousness as a director of voluntary action, but they understate the role of
      the environment in its evolution as well as in directing behavior. We elaborate
      these roles in the context of the concept of affordances.

PMID- 28355830
TI  - Is conscious content available only to the skeletal muscle system?
AB  - I applaud Morsella et al.'s approach to investigate consciousness in terms of
      behavioral control. After all, the function of the brain is to control behavior,
      and consciousness contributes to the function of the brain. However, I question
      whether conscious content is available only to the skeletal muscle system, as the
      principle of parallel responses into skeletal muscle (PRISM) (Morsella 2005)
      proposes.

PMID- 28355831
TI  - The primary (dis)function of consciousness: (Non)Integration.
AB  - Morsella et al. put forward an interesting theory about the functions of
      consciousness. However, I argue that this theory is more about showing what is
      not the function of consciousness, and claiming that it does not integrate, than
      vice versa - as opposed to its proclaimed goal. In addition, the question of
      phenomenality and its relations with integration is still left open.

PMID- 28355832
TI  - Human consciousness is fundamental for perception and highest emotions.
AB  - Have Morsella et al. examined the fundamentals of consciousness? An experiment by
      Bar et al. (2006) has demonstrated the fundamental aspects of conscious and
      unconscious mechanisms of perception. The mental representations are not crisp
      and conscious like the perceived objects are, but vague and unconscious. This
      experiment points to the fundamental function of the neural mechanisms of
      consciousness in perception. Consciousness is also fundamental for the highest
      emotions.

PMID- 28355833
TI  - Explaining consciousness: From correlations to foundations.
AB  - What does it take to explain the roles of consciousness for action and action for
      consciousness? This commentary claims that efficient functional explanations must
      meet two epistemological requirements: independent description of explanandum and
      explanans, and foundational explanation of their mutual relationship. It is
      argued that Morsella et al.'s target articledoes not fully meet these
      requirements.

PMID- 28355834
TI  - Conscious content generated by unconscious action-related adjustments.
AB  - As mentioned in the target article by Morsella et al., the motor program's
      contents as a whole do not influence each other in the conscious field; however,
      research shows that some of their generated aspects could be sensitive to the
      context of the behavior. Such motivational "context-contamination" leads to
      voluntarily "turn off" of negative states. Taking place out of the conscious
      field, these adjustments would have critical influence on behavior, such as
      aggression.

PMID- 28355835
TI  - Bidirectional synaptic plasticity can explain bidirectional retrograde effects of
      emotion on memory.
AB  - Emotional events can either impair or enhance memory for immediately preceding
      items. The GANE model explains this bidirectional effect as a glutamate
      "priority" signal that modulates noradrenaline release depending on arousal
      state. We argue for an alternative explanation: that priority itself evokes
      phasic noradrenaline release. Thus, contrasting E-1 memory effects are explained
      by a mechanism based on the Bienenstock-Cooper-Munro theory.

PMID- 28355837
TI  - Firestone & Scholl conflate two distinct issues.
AB  - Firestone & Scholl (F&S) seem to believe that the viability of a distinction
      between perception and cognition depends on perception being encapsulated from
      top-down information. We criticize this assumption and argue that top-down
      effects can leave the distinction between perception and cognition fully intact.
      Individuating the visual system is one thing; the question of encapsulation is
      quite another.

PMID- 28355838
TI  - Acting is perceiving!
AB  - We challenge Firestone & Scholl's (F&S's) narrow conceptualization of what
      perception is and - most important - what it is for. Perception guides our
      (inter)actions with the environment, with attention ensuring that the actor is
      attuned to information relevant for action. We dispute F&S's misconceived (and
      counterfactual) view of perception as a module that functions independently from
      cognition, attention, and action.

PMID- 28355839
TI  - Attention alters predictive processing.
AB  - Firestone & Scholl (F&S) bracket many attentional effects as "peripheral,"
      altering the inputs to a cognitive process without altering the processing
      itself. By way of contrast, I highlight an emerging class of neurocomputational
      models that imply profound, pervasive, nonperipheral influences of attention on
      perception. This transforms the landscape for empirical debates concerning
      possible top-down effects on perception.

PMID- 28355836
TI  - GANEing traction: The broad applicability of NE hotspots to diverse cognitive and
      arousal phenomena.
AB  - The GANE (glutamate amplifies noradrenergic effects) model proposes that local
      glutamate-norepinephrine interactions enable "winner-take-more" effects in
      perception and memory under arousal. A diverse range of commentaries addressed
      both the nature of this "hotspot" feedback mechanism and its implications in a
      variety of psychological domains, inspiring exciting avenues for future research.

PMID- 28355840
TI  - Studies on cognitively driven attention suggest that late vision is cognitively
      penetrated, whereas early vision is not.
AB  - Firestone & Scholl (F&S) examine, among other possible cognitive influences on
      perception, the effects of peripheral attention and conclude that these effects
      do not entail cognition directly affecting perception. Studies in neuroscience
      with other forms of attention, however, suggest that a stage of vision, namely
      late vision, is cognitively penetrated mainly through the effects of cognitively
      driven spatial and object-centered attention.

PMID- 28355841
TI  - Hallucinations and mental imagery demonstrate top-down effects on visual
      perception.
AB  - In this commentary, we present two examples where perception is not only
      influenced by, but also in fact driven by, top-down effects: hallucinations and
      mental imagery. Crucially, both examples avoid all six of the potential confounds
      that Firestone & Scholl (F&S) raised as arguments against previous studies
      claiming to demonstrate the influence of top-down effects on perception.

PMID- 28355842
TI  - Fundamental differences between perception and cognition aside from cognitive
      penetrability.
AB  - Fundamental differences between perception and cognition argue that the
      distinction can be maintained independently of cognitive penetrability. The core
      processes of cognition can be integrated under the theory of relational
      knowledge. The distinguishing properties include symbols and an operating system,
      structure-consistent mapping between representations, construction of
      representations in working memory that enable generation of inferences, and
      different developmental time courses.

PMID- 28355843
TI  - Gaining knowledge mediates changes in perception (without differences in
      attention): A case for perceptual learning.
AB  - Firestone & Scholl (F&S) assert that perceptual learning is not a top-down
      effect, because experience-mediated changes arise from familiarity with the
      features of the object through simple repetition and not knowledge about the
      environment. Emberson and Amso (2012) provide a clear example of perceptual
      learning that bypasses the authors' "pitfalls" and in which knowledge, not
      repeated experience, results in changes in perception.

PMID- 28355844
TI  - Beyond perceptual judgment: Categorization and emotion shape what we see.
AB  - By limiting their review largely to studies measuring perceptual judgment,
      Firestone & Scholl (F&S) overstate their case. Evidence from inattentional
      blindness and emotion-induced blindness suggests that categorization and emotion
      shape what we perceive in the first place, not just the qualities that we judge
      them to have. The role of attention in such cases is not easily dismissed as
      "peripheral."

PMID- 28355845
TI  - Attention and memory-driven effects in action studies.
AB  - We provide empirical examples to conceptually clarify some items on Firestone &
      Scholl's (F&S's) checklist, and to explain perceptual effects from an attentional
      and memory perspective. We also note that action and embodied cognition studies
      seem to be most susceptible to misattributing attentional and memory effects as
      perceptual, and identify four characteristics unique to action studies and
      possibly responsible for misattributions.

PMID- 28355846
TI  - Convergent evidence for top-down effects from the "predictive brain".
AB  - Modern conceptions of brain function consider the brain as a "predictive organ,"
      where learned regularities about the world are utilised to facilitate perception
      of incoming sensory input. Critically, this process hinges on a role for
      cognitive penetrability. We review a mechanism to explain this process and expand
      our previous proposals of cognitive penetrability in visual recognition to social
      vision and visual hallucinations.

PMID- 28355847
TI  - Task demand not so damning: Improved techniques that mitigate demand in studies
      that support top-down effects.
AB  - Firestone & Scholl's (F&S's) techniques to combat task demand by manipulating
      expectations and offering alternative cover stories are fundamentally flawed
      because they introduce new forms of demand. We review five superior techniques to
      mitigate demand used in confirmatory studies of top-down effects. We encourage
      researchers to apply the same standards when evaluating evidence on both sides of
      the debate.

PMID- 28355848
TI  - Attention and multisensory modulation argue against total encapsulation.
AB  - Firestone & Scholl (F&S) postulate that vision proceeds without any direct
      interference from cognition. We argue that this view is extreme and not in line
      with the available evidence. Specifically, we discuss two well-established
      counterexamples: Attention directly affects core aspects of visual processing,
      and multisensory modulations of vision originate on multiple levels, some of
      which are unlikely to fall "within perception."

PMID- 28355849
TI  - The myth of pure perception.
AB  - Firestone & Scholl (F&S) assume that pure perception is unaffected by cognition.
      This assumption is untenable for definitional, anatomical, and empirical reasons.
      They discount research showing nonoptical influences on visual perception,
      pointing out possible methodological "pitfalls." Results generated in multiple
      labs are immune to these "pitfalls," suggesting that perceptions of physical
      layout do indeed reflect bioenergetic resources.

PMID- 28355850
TI  - An action-specific effect on perception that avoids all pitfalls.
AB  - The visual system is influenced by action. Objects that are easier to reach or
      catch look closer and slower, respectively. Here, we describe evidence for one
      action-specific effect, and show that none of the six pitfalls can account for
      the results. Vision is not an isolate module, as shown by this top-down effect of
      action on perception.

PMID- 28355851
TI  - Memory colours affect colour appearance.
AB  - Memory colour effects show that colour perception is affected by memory and prior
      knowledge and hence by cognition. None of Firestone & Scholl's (F&S's) potential
      pitfalls apply to our work on memory colours. We present a Bayesian model of
      colour appearance to illustrate that an interaction between perception and memory
      is plausible from the perspective of vision science.

PMID- 28355852
TI  - Action valence and affective perception.
AB  - Respecting all constraints proposed by Firestone & Scholl (F&S), we have shown
      that perceived facial expressions of emotion depend on the congruency between
      bodily action (comfort/discomfort) and target emotion (happiness/anger) valence.
      Our studies challenge any bold claim against penetrability of perception and
      suggest that perceptual theory can benefit from demonstrations of how - under
      controlled circumstances - observer's states can mold expressive qualities.

PMID- 28355853
TI  - What draws the line between perception and cognition?
AB  - The investigation of top-down effects on perception requires a rigorous
      definition of what qualifies as perceptual to begin with. Whereas Firestone &
      Scholl's (F&S's) phenomenological demarcation of perception from cognition
      appeals to intuition, we argue that the dividing line is best attained at the
      functional level. We exemplify how this approach facilitates scrutinizing
      putative interactions between judging and perceiving.

PMID- 28355854
TI  - The anatomical and physiological properties of the visual cortex argue against
      cognitive penetration.
AB  - We are consciously aware of visual objects together with the minute details that
      characterize each object. Those details are perceived instantaneously and in
      parallel. V1 is the only visual area with spatial resolution and topographical
      exactitude matching perceptual abilities. For cognition to penetrate perception,
      it needs to affect V1 image representation. That is unlikely because of the
      detailed parallel V1 organization and the nature of top-down connections, which
      can influence only large parts of the visual field.

PMID- 28355856
TI  - The folly of boxology.
AB  - Although the authors do a valuable service by elucidating the pitfalls of
      inferring top-down effects, they overreach by claiming that vision is cognitively
      impenetrable. Their argument, and the entire question of cognitive penetrability,
      seems rooted in a discrete, stage-like model of the mind that is unsupported by
      neural data.

PMID- 28355855
TI  - The El Greco fallacy and pupillometry: Pupillary evidence for top-down effects on
      perception.
AB  - In this commentary, we address the El Greco fallacy by reviewing some recent
      pupillary evidence supporting top-down modulation of perception. Furthermore, we
      give justification for including perceptual effects of attention in tests of
      cognitive penetrability. Together, these exhibits suggest that cognition can
      affect perception (i.e., they support cognitive penetrability).

PMID- 28355857
TI  - Cognition can affect perception: Restating the evidence of a top-down effect.
AB  - We argue that Firestone & Scholl (F&S) provide worthwhile recommendations but
      that their critique of research by Levin and Banaji (2006) is unfounded. In
      addition, we argue that F&S apply unjustified level of skepticism about top-down
      effects relative to other broad hypotheses about the sources of perceptual
      intelligence.

PMID- 28355858
TI  - Oh the irony: Perceptual stability is important for action.
AB  - I review experiments in which drinking a sugarless drink causes some participants
      who have low blood sugar from fasting to give lower slant estimates. Ironically,
      this only occurs to the extent that they believe that they have received sugar
      and that the sugar was meant to make the hill look shallower; those who received
      sugar showed no similar effect. These findings support the hypothesis that low
      blood sugar causes greater participant cooperation - which, in combination with
      other experimental details, can lead participants to make judgments that can
      either seem to support the effort hypothesis or contradict it. I also emphasize
      the importance of perceptual stability in the perception of spatial layout.

PMID- 28355859
TI  - Crossmodal processing and sensory substitution: Is "seeing" with sound and touch
      a form of perception or cognition?
AB  - The brain has evolved in this multisensory context to perceive the world in an
      integrated fashion. Although there are good reasons to be skeptical of the
      influence of cognition on perception, here we argue that the study of sensory
      substitution devices might reveal that perception and cognition are not
      necessarily distinct, but rather continuous aspects of our information processing
      capacities.

PMID- 28355860
TI  - Perception, as you make it.
AB  - The main question that Firestone & Scholl (F&S) pose is whether "what and how we
      see is functionally independent from what and how we think, know, desire, act,
      and so forth" (sect. 2, para. 1). We synthesize a collection of concerns from an
      interdisciplinary set of coauthors regarding F&S's assumptions and appeals to
      intuition, resulting in their treatment of visual perception as context-free.

PMID- 28355861
TI  - Perception, cognition, and delusion.
AB  - Firestone & Scholl's (F&S) critique of putative empirical evidence for the
      cognitive penetrability of perception focuses on studies of neurologically normal
      populations. We suggest that a comprehensive exploration of the cognition
      perception relationship also incorporate work on abnormal perception and
      cognition. We highlight the prominence of these issues in contemporary debates
      about the formation and maintenance of delusions.

PMID- 28355862
TI  - Carving nature at its joints or cutting its effective loops? On the dangers of
      trying to disentangle intertwined mental processes.
AB  - Attention is often inextricably intertwined with perception, and it is deployed
      not only to spatial regions, but also to sensory dimensions, learned dimensions,
      and learned complex configurations. Firestone & Scholl's (F&S)'s tactic of
      isolating visual perceptual processes from attention and action has the negative
      consequence of neglecting interactions that are critically important for allowing
      people to perceive their world in efficient and useful ways.

PMID- 28355863
TI  - Representation of affect in sensory cortex.
AB  - Contemporary neuroscience suggests that perception is perhaps best understood as
      a dynamically iterative process that does not honor cleanly segregated "bottom
      up" or "top-down" streams. We argue that there is substantial empirical support
      for the idea that affective influences infiltrate the earliest reaches of sensory
      processing and even that primitive internal affective dimensions (e.g., goodness
      to-badness) are represented alongside physical dimensions of the external world.

PMID- 28355864
TI  - Not even wrong: The "it's just X" fallacy.
AB  - I applaud Firestone & Scholl (F&S) in calling for more rigor. But, although F&S
      are correct that some published work on top-down effects suffers from confounds,
      their sweeping claim that there are no top-down effects on perception is premised
      on incorrect assumptions. F&S's thesis is wrong. Perception is richly and
      interestingly influenced by cognition.

PMID- 28355865
TI  - Tweaking the concepts of perception and cognition.
AB  - One approach to the issue of a joint in nature between perception and cognition
      is to investigate whether the concepts of perception and cognition can be tweaked
      to avoid direct, content-specific effects of cognition on perception.

PMID- 28355866
TI  - How cognition affects perception: Brain activity modelling to unravel top-down
      dynamics.
AB  - In this commentary on Firestone & Scholl's (F&S's) article, we argue that
      researchers should use brain-activity modelling to investigate top-down
      mechanisms. Using functional brain imaging and a specific cognitive paradigm,
      modelling the BOLD signal provided new insight into the dynamic causalities
      involved in the influence of cognitions on perceptions.

PMID- 28355867
TI  - On the neural implausibility of the modular mind: Evidence for distributed
      construction dissolves boundaries between perception, cognition, and emotion.
AB  - Firestone & Scholl (F&S) rely on three problematic assumptions about the mind
      (modularity, reflexiveness, and context-insensitivity) to argue cognition does
      not fundamentally influence perception. We highlight evidence indicating that
      perception, cognition, and emotion are constructed through overlapping,
      distributed brain networks characterized by top-down activity and context
      sensitivity. This evidence undermines F&S's ability to generalize from case
      studies to the nature of perception.

PMID- 28355868
TI  - Seeing and thinking: Foundational issues and empirical horizons.
AB  - The spectacularly varied responses to our target article raised big-picture
      questions about the nature of seeing and thinking, nitty-gritty experimental
      design details, and everything in between. We grapple with these issues,
      including the ready falsifiability of our view, neuroscientific theories that
      allow everything but demand nothing, cases where seeing and thinking conflict,
      mental imagery, the free press, an El Greco fallacy fallacy, hallucinogenic
      drugs, blue bananas, subatomic particles, Boeing 787s, and the racial identities
      of geometric shapes.

PMID- 28355869
TI  - Bottoms up! How top-down pitfalls ensnare speech perception researchers, too.
AB  - Not only can the pitfalls that Firestone & Scholl (F&S) identify be generalised
      across multiple studies within the field of visual perception, but also they have
      general application outside the field wherever perceptual and cognitive
      processing are compared. We call attention to the widespread susceptibility of
      research on the perception of speech to versions of the same pitfalls.

PMID- 28355870
TI  - The distinction between perception and judgment, if there is one, is not clear
      and intuitive.
AB  - Firestone & Scholl (F&S) consider the distinction between judgment and perception
      to be clear and intuitive. Their intuition is based on considerations about
      visual perception. That such a distinction is clear, or even existent, is less
      obvious in nonvisual modalities. Failing to distinguish between perception and
      judgment is therefore not a flaw in investigating top-down effects of cognition
      on perception, as the authors suggest. Instead, it is the result of considering
      the variety of human perception.

PMID- 28355871
TI  - Behavior is multiply determined, and perception has multiple components: The case
      of moral perception.
AB  - We introduce two propositions for understanding top-down effects on perception.
      First, perception is not a unitary construct but is composed of multiple
      components. Second, behavior is multiply determined by cognitive processes. We
      call for a process-oriented research approach to perception and use our own
      research on moral perception as a "case study of case studies" to examine these
      issues.

PMID- 28355872
TI  - Epitaxial Growth of SrTiO3 Films on Cube-Textured Cu-Clad Substrates by PLD at
      Low Temperature Under Reducing Atmosphere.
AB  - The growth of epitaxial {001}<100> SrTiO3 (STO) on low-cost cube-textured Cu
      based clad substrate at low temperature was carried out by means of pulsed laser
      deposition (PLD). STO film was deposited in one step under a reducing atmosphere
      (5% H2 and 95% Ar mixture) to prevent the oxidation of the metal surface. The
      optimization of PLD parameters leads to a sharpest biaxial texture at a
      temperature as low as 500  degrees C and a thickness of 500 nm with a (100) STO
      layer. The upper limit of highly textured STO thickness was also investigated.
      The maximum thickness which retains the best quality {001}<100> texture is 800
      nm, since the texture is preserved not only through the layer but also on the
      surface. Atomic force microscopy (AFM) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM)
      measurements showed that STO films are continuous, dense, and smooth with very
      low roughness (between 5 and 7 nm). This paper describes the development of STO
      layer by means of PLD in absence of oxygen throughout the process, suggesting an
      alternative and effective method for growing highly {001}<100> textured STO layer
      on low-cost metal substrates.

PMID- 28355873
TI  - Role of Vacancy Condensation in the Formation of Voids in Rutile TiO2 Nanowires.
AB  - Titanium dioxide nanowire (NW) arrays are incorporated in many devices for energy
      conversion, energy storage, and catalysis. A common approach to fabricate these
      NWs is based on hydrothermal synthesis strategies. A drawback of this low
      temperature method is that the NWs have a high density of defects, such as
      stacking faults, dislocations, and oxygen vacancies. These defects compromise the
      performance of devices. Here, we report a postgrowth thermal annealing procedure
      to remove these lattice defects and propose a mechanism to explain the underlying
      changes in the structure of the NWs. A detailed transmission electron microscopy
      study including in situ observation at elevated temperatures reveals a two-stage
      process. Additional spectroscopic analyses and X-ray diffraction experiments
      clarify the underlying mechanisms. In an early, low-temperature stage, the as
      grown mesocrystalline NW converts to a single crystal by the dehydration of
      surface-bound OH groups. At temperatures above 500  degrees C, condensation of
      oxygen vacancies takes place, which leads to the fabrication of NWs with internal
      voids. These voids are faceted and covered with Ti3+-rich amorphous TiOx.

PMID- 28355875
TI  - Insights on Water Dynamics in the Hygromorphic Phenomenon of Biopolymer Films.
AB  - Water-responsive biopolymer thin films with engineered matrix characteristics can
      accomplish desirable shape changing properties such as self-folding. Self-folding
      response of chitosan film is experimentally characterized by its total folding
      time and rate of folding. Here, atomistic simulation is employed to investigate
      the molecular mechanism responsible for modified self-folding behavior observed
      in nanoparticle reinforced chitosan films. The nanocomposite system is solvated
      with water content varying from 10% to 100% of total mass of the system. The free
      volume available for diffusion of water molecules is affected by the flexibility
      of glycosidic linkages present in chitosan chains. The increase in mobility of
      water molecules with increase in water content decides the rate of folding. A
      separate molecular system is modeled with confined region between nanoparticles
      densified with chitosan chains and water molecules. The thickness of confined
      region is determined from the critical distance of influence of nanoparticles on
      water molecules. The adsorption of water on nanoparticle surface and relaxation
      of chitosan chains are responsible for increased total folding time with
      nanoparticle concentration. This simulation study, complemented with experimental
      observations provides a useful insight into the designing of actuators and
      sensors based on the phenomenon of hygromorphism.

PMID- 28355874
TI  - Targeted Diazotransfer Reagents Enable Selective Modification of Proteins with
      Azides.
AB  - In chemical biology, azides are used to chemically manipulate target structures
      in a bioorthogonal manner for a plethora of applications ranging from target
      identification to the synthesis of homogeneously modified protein conjugates.
      While a variety of methods have been established to introduce the azido group
      into recombinant proteins, a method that directly converts specific amino groups
      in endogenous proteins is lacking. Here, we report the first biotin-tethered
      diazotransfer reagent DtBio and demonstrate that it selectively modifies the
      model proteins streptavidin and avidin and the membrane protein BioY on cell
      surface. The reagent converts amines in the proximity of the binding pocket to
      azides and leaves the remaining amino groups in streptavidin untouched. Reagents
      of this novel class will find use in target identification as well as the
      selective functionalization and bioorthogonal protection of proteins.

PMID- 28355876
TI  - Diverse Redoxome Reactivity Profiles of Carbon Nucleophiles.
AB  - Targeted covalent inhibitors have emerged as a powerful approach in the drug
      discovery pipeline. Key to this process is the identification of signaling
      pathways (or receptors) specific to (or overexpressed in) disease cells. In this
      context, fragment-based ligand discovery (FBLD) has significantly expanded our
      view of the ligandable proteome and affords tool compounds for biological
      inquiry. To date, such covalent ligand discovery has almost exclusively employed
      cysteine-reactive small-molecule fragments. However, functional cysteine residues
      in proteins are often redox-sensitive and can undergo oxidation in cells. Such
      reactions are particularly relevant in diseases, like cancer, which are linked to
      excessive production of reactive oxygen species. Once oxidized, the sulfur atom
      of cysteine is much less reactive toward electrophilic groups used in the
      traditional FBLD paradigm. To address this limitation, we recently developed a
      novel library of diverse carbon-based nucleophile fragments that react
      selectively with cysteine sulfenic acid formed in proteins via oxidation or
      hydrolysis reactions. Here, we report analysis of sulfenic acid-reactive C
      nucleophile fragments screened against a colon cancer cell proteome. Covalent
      ligands were identified for >1280 S-sulfenylated cysteines present in "druggable"
      proteins and orphan targets, revealing disparate reactivity profiles and target
      preferences. Among the unique ligand-protein interactions identified was that of
      a pyrrolidinedione nucleophile that reacted preferentially with protein tyrosine
      phosphatases. Fragment-based covalent ligand discovery with C-nucleophiles
      affords an expansive snapshot of the ligandable "redoxome" with significant
      implications for covalent inhibitor pharmacology and also affords new chemical
      tools to investigate redox-regulation of protein function.

PMID- 28355877
TI  - Hard Superconducting Gap in InSb Nanowires.
AB  - Topological superconductivity is a state of matter that can host Majorana modes,
      the building blocks of a topological quantum computer. Many experimental
      platforms predicted to show such a topological state rely on proximity-induced
      superconductivity. However, accessing the topological properties requires an
      induced hard superconducting gap, which is challenging to achieve for most
      material systems. We have systematically studied how the interface between an
      InSb semiconductor nanowire and a NbTiN superconductor affects the induced
      superconducting properties. Step by step, we improve the homogeneity of the
      interface while ensuring a barrier-free electrical contact to the superconductor
      and obtain a hard gap in the InSb nanowire. The magnetic field stability of NbTiN
      allows the InSb nanowire to maintain a hard gap and a supercurrent in the
      presence of magnetic fields (~0.5 T), a requirement for topological
      superconductivity in one-dimensional systems. Our study provides a guideline to
      induce superconductivity in various experimental platforms such as semiconductor
      nanowires, two-dimensional electron gases, and topological insulators and holds
      relevance for topological superconductivity and quantum computation.

PMID- 28355878
TI  - Promoting colorectal cancer screening through a new model of delivering rural
      primary care in the USA: a qualitative study.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: Despite the known benefits of colorectal cancer (CRC) screening,
      rural areas have consistently reported lower screening rates than their urban
      counterparts. Alternative healthcare delivery models, such as accountable care
      organizations (ACOs), have the potential to increase CRC rates through
      collaboration among healthcare providers with the aim of improving quality and
      decreasing cost. However, researchers have not sufficiently explored how this
      innovative model could influence the promotion of cancer screening. The purpose
      of the study was to explore the mechanism of how CRC screening can be promoted in
      ACO-participating rural primary care clinics. METHODS: The study collected
      qualitative data from in-depth interviews with 21 healthcare professionals
      employed in ACO-participating primary care clinics in rural Nebraska.
      Participants were asked about their views on opportunities and challenges to
      promote CRC screening in an ACO context. Data were analyzed using a grounded
      theory approach. RESULTS: The study found that the new healthcare delivery model
      can offer opportunities to promote cancer screening in rural areas through
      enhanced electronic health record use, information sharing and collaborative
      learning within ACO networks, use of standardized quality measures and
      performance feedback, a shift to preventive/comprehensive care, adoption of team
      based care, and empowered care coordinators. The perceived challenges were found
      in financial instability, increased staff workload, lack of provider
      training/education, and lack of resources in rural areas. CONCLUSIONS: This study
      found that the innovative care delivery model, ACO, could provide a well-designed
      platform for promoting CRC screening in rural areas, if sustainable resources (eg
      finance, health providers, and education) are provided. This study provides
      'practical' information to identify effective and sustainable intervention
      programs to promote preventive screening. Further efforts are needed to
      facilitate delivery system reforms in rural primary care, such as improving
      performance evaluation measures and methods.

PMID- 28355879
TI  - Developing a grounded theory for interprofessional collaboration acquisition
      using facilitator and actor perspectives in simulated wilderness medical
      emergencies.
AB  - CONTEXT: Interprofessional collaboration is a complex process that has the
      potential to transform patient care for the better in urban, rural and remote
      healthcare settings. Simulation has been found to improve participants'
      interprofessional competencies, but the mechanisms by which interprofessionalism
      is learned have yet to be understood. A rural wilderness medicine conference
      (WildER Med) in northern Ontario, Canada with simulated medical scenarios has
      been demonstrated to be effective in improving participants' collaboration
      without formal interprofessional education (IPE) curriculum. ISSUES:
      Interprofessionalism may be taught through rural and remote medical simulation,
      as done in WildER Med where participants' interprofessional competencies improved
      without any formal IPE curriculum. This learning may be attributed to the
      informal and hidden curriculum. Understanding the mechanism by which this rural
      educational experience contributed to participants' learning to collaborate
      requires insight into the events before, during and after the simulations. The
      authors drew upon feedback from facilitators and patient actors in one-on-one
      interviews to develop a grounded theory for how collaboration is taught and
      learned. LESSONS LEARNED: Sharing emerged as the core concept of a grounded
      theory to explain how team members acquired interprofessional collaboration
      competencies. Sharing was enacted through the strategies of developing common
      goals, sharing leadership, and developing mutual respect and understanding.
      Further analysis of the data and literature suggests that the social wilderness
      environment was foundational in enabling sharing to occur. Medical simulations in
      other rural and remote settings may offer an environment conducive to
      collaboration and be effective in teaching collaboration. When designing
      interprofessional education, health educators should consider using emergency
      response teams or rural community health teams to optimize the informal and
      hidden curriculum contributing to interprofessional learning.

PMID- 28355882
TI  - Corrigendum.
AB  - Duschinsky, R., & Solomon, J. (2017) Infant Disorganized Attachment: Clarifying
      Levels of Analysis. Clinical Child Psychology and Psychiatry. DOI:
      10.1177/1359104516685602 .

PMID- 28355881
TI  - Delineating Characteristics of Maladaptive Repetitive Thought.
AB  - Worry, rumination, and obsessive thinking are theorized to differ on temporal
      orientation, positive perceived function, degree of intrusiveness, and
      discordance with one's self-concept. However, prior findings with respect to such
      differences may be due to method variance of the measures used and/or inclusion
      of items confounded by diagnostic symptoms. Accurately capturing differences
      between types of perseverative thought linked to psychopathology and
      understanding whether such aspects are common across disorders or specific to
      some may be important to designing effective treatments for them. Two studies are
      presented detailing the development and validation of the Perseverative
      Cognitions Questionnaire (PCQ). The PCQ is a 45-item self-report measure that
      assesses six dimensional characteristics of worry, rumination, and obsessive
      thinking previously found to discriminate these thought styles: Lack of
      Controllability, Preparing for the Future, Expecting the Worst, Searching for
      Causes/Meaning, Dwelling on the Past, and Thinking Discordant with Ideal Self.
      Factor structure of the PCQ was established using principal components,
      exploratory factor, and confirmatory factor analyses. PCQ scales exhibited
      differential convergence with measures of perseverative thought and
      psychopathology. The PCQ also demonstrated acceptable retest correlations across
      1- and 2-week periods, and incremental validity when predicting symptoms of
      anxiety, depression, and obsessive compulsive disorder.

PMID- 28355880
TI  - Current Treatment Strategies for Intracranial Aneurysms: An Overview.
AB  - Intracranial aneurysm is a leading cause of stroke. Its treatment has evolved
      over the past 2 decades. This review summarizes the treatment strategies for
      intracranial aneurysms from 3 different perspectives: open surgery approach,
      transluminal treatment approach, and new technologies being used or trialed. We
      introduce most of the available treatment techniques in detail, including
      contralateral clipping, wrapping and clipping, double catheters assisting coiling
      and waffle-cone technique, and so on. Data from major trials such as Analysis of
      Treatment by Endovascular approach of Non-ruptured Aneurysms (ATENA), Internal
      Subarachnoid Trial (ISAT), Clinical and Anatomical Results in the Treatment of
      Ruptured Intracranial Aneurysms (CLARITY), and Barrow Ruptured Aneurysm Trial
      (BRAT) as well as information from other clinical reports and local experience
      are reviewed to suggest a clinical pathway for treating different types of
      intracranial aneurysms. It will be a valuable supplement to the current existing
      guidelines. We hope it could help assisting real-time decision-making in clinical
      practices and also encourage advancements in managing the disease.

PMID- 28355883
TI  - Thalassiolin D: a new flavone O-glucoside Sulphate from the seagrass Thalassia
      hemprichii.
AB  - Thalassiolin D, a new flavone O-glucoside sulphate along with three flavonoids,
      two steroids, p-hydroxybenzoic acid, 4,4'-dihydroxybenzophenone and nitrogen
      compound, octopamine were isolated from the seagrass Thalassia hemprichii,
      collected from the Saudi Red Sea coast. By extensive spectroscopic analysis
      including 1D and 2D NMR and MS data, the structure of the new compound was
      elucidated as diosmetin 7-O-beta-glucosyl-2"-sulphate. The new compound displayed
      moderately in vitro antiviral HCV protease activity with IC50 value 16 MUM.

PMID- 28355884
TI  - Does the CATCH Early Childhood Program Increase Physical Activity Among Low
      Income Preschoolers?-Results From a Pilot Study.
AB  - PURPOSE: To explore whether the physical activity (PA) component of the
      Coordinated Approach to Child Health Early Childhood (CATCH EC) program helps
      increasing preschoolers' PA during active times at preschool. DESIGN:
      Nonrandomized controlled experimental study. SETTING: Head Start centers in
      Houston, Texas, 2009 to 2010 school year. PARTICIPANTS: A total of 439
      preschoolers aged 3 to 5 years (3 intervention centers, n = 220; 3 comparison
      centers, n = 219). INTERVENTION: The CATCH EC preschool-based teacher-led
      nutrition and PA program. MEASURES: Preschoolers' PA was measured at baseline and
      postintervention using the System for Observing Fitness Instruction Time
      Preschool version, a direct observation method measuring PA at the classroom
      level. Parent surveys provided demographic data. ANALYSIS: Pre-to-post changes in
      preschoolers' PA were examined using the Mann-Whitney U test. RESULTS: Results
      show a significant decrease in the percentage time preschoolers spent in level 2
      PA (low activity) at intervention ( P = .005) and comparison ( P = .041) centers.
      Indoor vigorous activity increased significantly on an average by +6.04% pre-to
      post intervention among preschoolers in the intervention group ( P = .049); no
      significant change was found in the comparison group. CONCLUSION: The CATCH EC
      favorably increased indoor vigorous PA level among low-income children attending
      Head Start.

PMID- 28355886
TI  - The diagnostic utility of patient-report and speech-language pathologists'
      ratings for detecting the early onset of bulbar symptoms due to ALS.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to determine the diagnostic utility of clinician
      speech ratings and patient self-report for detecting early bulbar changes
      associated with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), compared to instrumentation
      based speech measures. METHODS: Thirty-six individuals with ALS and 17 healthy
      control participants were included. Patients' awareness of early bulbar motor
      involvement was assessed using self-reported scores on the Amyotrophic Lateral
      Sclerosis Functional Rating Scale-Revised (ALSFRS-R). Clinicians' detection of
      early bulbar motor involvement was assessed through perceptual speech ratings by
      two experienced speech-language pathologists. Participants with ALS were grouped
      as 'bulbar pre-symptomatic' or 'bulbar symptomatic' based on self-report and
      clinician ratings, and compared to healthy controls on six instrumentation-based
      speech measures. ROC analysis was used to compare the sensitivity and specificity
      of perceptual and instrumentation-based measures for detecting bulbar changes in
      pre-symptomatic individuals. RESULTS: Early bulbar changes that were documented
      using instrumentation-based measures were undetected by both patients and
      clinicians. ROC analyses indicated that instrumentation-based measures
      outperformed clinicians' scaled severity ratings, and that percent pause time was
      the best measure for differentiating healthy controls from bulbar pre-symptomatic
      individuals with ALS. CONCLUSIONS: Findings suggested that instrumentation-based
      measures of speech may be necessary for early detection of bulbar changes due to
      ALS.

PMID- 28355888
TI  - Diagnosing lung cancer using etoposide microparticles labeled with 99mTc.
AB  - The diagnosis of lung cancer mostly occurs when the cancer is already in an
      advanced stage. In this situation, there are few options for the treatment and
      most of them have few chances of success. In this study, we developed and tested
      etoposide microparticles as a diagnostic agent for imaging lung cancer at early
      stages of development. We tested etoposide microparticles labeled with technetium
      99m in inducted mice. The results demonstrated that over 10% of the total dose
      used was uptake by the tumor site. Also, the results showed that the
      microparticles had a good renal clearance and low uptake by liver and spleen. The
      data suggest that these micro-radiopharmaceuticals may be used for lung cancer
      imaging exam, especially single-photo emission computed tomography
      (SPECT).[Formula: see text].

PMID- 28355887
TI  - Micro to nanoneedles: a trend of modernized transepidermal drug delivery system.
AB  - The transdermal route of drug delivery is convenient, pain-free and follows
      controlled rate release pattern. However, many therapeutically active drugs
      cannot cross the stratum corneum effectively. Lipophilic drugs like nifedipine
      cross the outer skin barrier easily and polar drugs, such as epinephrine are
      ineffective in showing the same effect. Due to these reasons, advancements in
      drug delivery have taken place to deliver a wide range of drugs, especially
      macromolecules through the transdermal route and directly into systemic
      circulation bypassing hepatic metabolism and GIT degradation. So there is a need
      for advanced drug delivery systems like microneedles and nanoneedles through
      transdermal route. These tiny needles will also serve as non-toxic, safe and
      stable systems for advanced drug delivery. Thus, macro to nanoformulation is the
      fast emerging fields nowadays. These have additional advantages to transdermal
      patches, such as better penetration, permeation, controlled release and direct
      delivery to the cytoplasm.

PMID- 28355889
TI  - Polyarginine and PEG-AEYLR comodified nanostructured lipid carrier: 10mol%
      uncleavable PEG-AEYLR showed no shielding effect to polyarginine in vitro while
      maintaining good tumor targeting in vivo.
AB  - We constructed a dual ligands-modified nanostructured lipid carrier (NLC) called
      PAR-NLC, in which the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR)-targeted small
      peptide AEYLR was attached to the distal end of PEG2000 anchored on the NLC
      surface naming PEG-AEYLR, and poly-arginine (R8) as a classic cell-penetrating
      peptide was attached directly to the NLC surface. PAR-NLC was near-spherical
      particle with average size ~50 nm and zeta potential at +14.09 mV; the cellular
      uptake of PAR-NLC showed synergistic effect of the two peptides, presented as
      significant superior cellular uptake in EGFR-positive cells NCI-H1299 and S180
      over EGFR-negative cell K562. In the animal optical imaging study, 2 h after the
      administration of the Dir-loaded PAR-NLC, maximum Dir signal appeared in tumor
      tissue, indicating prompt tumor targeting effect, as time prolonged to 48 h, the
      Dir signal attenuated in the organs except tumor, suggesting constant clearance
      from the body. In the in vivo antitumor study, in premise of the same dose,
      paclitaxel-loaded PAR-NLC exhibited better antitumor and safety effect than
      Taxol, the body weight of the mice was more stable and tumor size was smaller. In
      summary, PAR-NLC was a potential drug carrier to deliver anticancer drugs safely
      and effectively.

PMID- 28355890
TI  - A randomized controlled trial of expressive writing in breast cancer survivors
      with lymphedema.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: Breast cancer survivors who develop lymphedema report poorer quality
      of life (QoL) than those without lymphedema. Expressive writing is a potential
      intervention to address QoL. DESIGN: Adult women (N = 107) with breast cancer and
      chronic Stage II lymphedema were randomised to writing about thoughts and
      feelings specific to lymphedema and its treatment (intervention) or about daily
      activities (control) for four, 20-min sessions. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Outcome
      measures were several indicators of QoL assessed at baseline, one, three, and six
      months post-intervention (total scores and subscales of Upper Limb Lymphedema 27
      and Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy-Breast). Hypothesised moderators of
      change in QoL were dispositional optimism, avoidant behaviours, and time since
      lymphedema diagnosis. RESULTS: There was no statistically significant intent-to
      treat main effects of expressive writing on QoL. Statistically significant
      moderating effects on change in different indicators of QoL were observed for all
      three moderators. Expressive writing was more effective for improving QoL in
      women who were higher on optimism, lower on avoidance and had less time since a
      lymphedema diagnosis. CONCLUSION: These results provide further evidence that
      there are subsets of individuals for whom expressive writing is more effective.
      Future research may investigate targeting expressive writing based on identified
      moderators.

PMID- 28355892
TI  - Cardiac Rehabilitation.

PMID- 28355891
TI  - Assessing the Factor Structure of the Integrative Hope Scale.
AB  - While some researchers contend that hope is unidimensional, other researchers
      regard hope to be multidimensional. Schrank, Woppmann, Sibitz, and Lauber's
      exploratory factor analysis of their Integrative Hope Scale (IHS) found subscales
      of Trust, Future Orientation, Social Relations, and Lack of Perspective. However,
      subsequent articles have utilized only the total IHS score. To resolve this
      issue, a community sample of 288 participants completed the IHS as well as two
      measures of hedonic well-being (Positive and Negative Affect Schedule; Temporal
      Satisfaction With Life Scale), a measure of eudemonic well-being (Measure of
      Actualization of Potential), and a measure of time orientation (the Zimbardo Time
      Perspective Inventory). One-factor, four-factor oblique, higher order, and
      bifactor models were compared through confirmatory factor analysis and
      interpreted using Omega reliability coefficients. While the poorest model fit was
      for the one-factor model, little reliable variance was found in subscale scores
      after controlling for a general hope factor with the exception of the Lack of
      Perspective factor. IHS total and subscale scores were associated with measures
      of well-being and time orientation. We suggest researchers continue to focus on
      using the IHS total score, but also report subscale scores, especially for the
      Lack of Perspective subscale.

PMID- 28355893
TI  - Physical activity/Sports Cardiology.

PMID- 28355894
TI  - Diabetes/ Lipids/Obesity/Nutrition.

PMID- 28355895
TI  - Physical activity/Sports cardiology.

PMID- 28355896
TI  - Exercise testing/ training/ Cardiac Rehabilitation.

PMID- 28355897
TI  - Prevention, Epidemiology & Population Science (PEP).

PMID- 28355900
TI  - Other.

PMID- 28355898
TI  - Exercise testing/ training/ Cardiac rehabilitation.

PMID- 28355902
TI  - Risk factors: others.

PMID- 28355901
TI  - New frontiers in Sports Cardiology: quantifying risk in master athletes.

PMID- 28355903
TI  - Exercise Basic & Translational Research (EBTR).

PMID- 28355904
TI  - Update on the athlete's ECG; International criteria 2017.

PMID- 28355905
TI  - Diabetes/Lipids/Obesity.

PMID- 28355906
TI  - Diabetes/ Lipids/Obesity/Nutrition.

PMID- 28355907
TI  - Sport Cardiology.

PMID- 28355908
TI  - Exercise testing/ training/ Cardiac Rehabilitation.

PMID- 28355909
TI  - Risk factors: others.

PMID- 28355910
TI  - Exercise testing/ training/ Cardiac Rehabilitation.

PMID- 28355911
TI  - Physical activity/Sports Cardiology.

PMID- 28355913
TI  - Investigating and managing challenging cases in sports cardiology.

PMID- 28355912
TI  - Epidemiology/ Public health.

PMID- 28355914
TI  - Epidemiology.

PMID- 28355915
TI  - Epidemiology/ Public health.

PMID- 28355916
TI  - Other.

PMID- 28355917
TI  - Risk factors: others.

PMID- 28355918
TI  - Physical activity/Sports Cardiology.

PMID- 28355919
TI  - Innovations in preventing sudden death in athletes.

PMID- 28355920
TI  - Epidemiology/ Public health.

PMID- 28355921
TI  - Diabetes/ Lipids/Obesity/Nutrition.

PMID- 28355923
TI  - Diabetic ulcer regeneration: stem cells, biomaterials, growth factors.
AB  - The impairment of ulcer wound healing in diabetic patients is a vital clinical
      problem affecting millions of patients. Several clinical and basic science
      studies have demonstrated that stem cell therapy, to be effective in healing
      diabetic ulcer. Furthermore, these ulcer wounds may be healed from molecular
      maneuvering of growth factors to improve microcirculation within the ulcer wound.
      In addition, ulcer wound dressings may be employed as medicated systems, through
      the delivery of drugs, growth factors, peptides and stem cells. These dressing
      materials can include natural, modified and synthetic polymers, as well as their
      mixtures or combinations. This review paper will give a summary of some of the
      recent advances on the application of stem cells, biomaterials and growth factors
      in the treatment of diabetic ulcer wound.

PMID- 28355924
TI  - Insulin Pump Occlusions: For Patients Who Have Been Around the (Infusion) Block.

PMID- 28355925
TI  - Exploring change in a group-based psychological intervention for multiple
      sclerosis patients.
AB  - PURPOSE: The study is focused on a group-based cognitive behavioral intervention
      aimed at promoting the quality of life and psychological well-being of multiple
      sclerosis patients. The study investigates how the group intervention promoted
      change among participants and fostered their adjustment to the illness. MATERIALS
      AND METHODS: The intervention involved six groups of patients (a total of 41
      patients) and included four consecutive sessions and a 6-month follow-up. To
      explore change, verbatim transcripts of the intervention sessions were analyzed
      using a mixed-methods content analysis with qualitative data combined with
      descriptive statistics. The categories of resistance and openness to change were
      used to describe the process of change. RESULTS: Resistance and openness to
      change coexisted during the intervention. Only in the first session did
      resistance prevail over openness to change; thereafter, openness to change
      gradually increased and stabilized over time, and openness to change was then
      always stronger than resistance. CONCLUSIONS: The study builds on previous
      research on the effectiveness of group-based psychological interventions for
      multiple sclerosis patients and gives methodological and clinical suggestions to
      health care professionals working with multiple sclerosis patients. Implications
      for rehabilitation The study suggests that a group-based cognitive behavioral
      intervention for multiple sclerosis patients focused on the promotion of identity
      redefinition, a sense of coherence and self-efficacy in dealing with multiple
      sclerosis fosters the process of change and may be effective in promoting
      patients' adjustment to their illness. Health care professionals leading group
      based psychological interventions for multiple sclerosis patients should be aware
      that resistance and openness to change coexist in the process of change. The
      study suggests that the duration of the intervention is a crucial factor: a
      minimum of three sessions appears to be necessary for group participants to
      develop greater openness to change and follow-up sessions should be implemented
      to maintain positive changes among participants. The use of qualitative
      instruments to evaluate group interventions captures the complexity of processes
      and gives useful indications to health professionals to improve rehabilitation
      programs.

PMID- 28355927
TI  - Permutation Disalignment Index as an Indirect, EEG-Based, Measure of Brain
      Connectivity in MCI and AD Patients.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: In this work, we introduce Permutation Disalignment Index (PDI) as a
      novel nonlinear, amplitude independent, robust to noise metric of coupling
      strength between time series, with the aim of applying it to
      electroencephalographic (EEG) signals recorded longitudinally from Alzheimer's
      Disease (AD) and Mild Cognitive Impaired (MCI) patients. The goal is to
      indirectly estimate the connectivity between the cortical areas, through the
      quantification of the coupling strength between the corresponding EEG signals, in
      order to find a possible matching with the disease's progression. METHOD: PDI is
      first defined and tested on simulated interacting dynamic systems. PDI is then
      applied to real EEG recorded from 8 amnestic MCI subjects and 7 AD patients, who
      were longitudinally evaluated at time [Formula: see text]0 and 3 months later
      (time [Formula: see text]1). At time [Formula: see text]1, 5 out of 8 MCI
      patients were still diagnosed MCI (stable MCI) whereas the remaining 3 exhibited
      a conversion from MCI to AD (prodromal AD). PDI was compared to the Spectral
      Coherence and the Dissimilarity Index. RESULTS: Limited to the size of the
      analyzed dataset, both Coherence and PDI resulted sensitive to the conversion
      from MCI to AD, even though only PDI resulted specific. In particular, the
      intrasubject variability study showed that the three patients who converted to AD
      exhibited a significantly ([Formula: see text]) increased PDI (reduced coupling
      strength) in delta and theta bands. As regards Coherence, even though it
      significantly decreased in the three converted patients, in delta and theta
      bands, such a behavior was also detectable in one stable MCI patient, in delta
      band, thus making Coherence not specific. From the Dissimilarity Index point of
      view, the converted MCI showed no peculiar behavior. CONCLUSIONS: PDI
      significantly increased, in delta and theta bands, specifically in the MCI
      subjects who converted to AD. The increase of PDI reflects a reduced coupling
      strength among the brain areas, which is consistent with the expected
      connectivity reduction associated to AD progression.

PMID- 28355926
TI  - Role of male partner involvement in ART retention and adherence in Malawi's
      Option B+ program.
AB  - Malawi's Option B+ program provides all HIV-infected pregnant women free lifelong
      antiretroviral therapy (ART), but challenges remain regarding retention and ART
      adherence, potentially due to male partner barriers. We explored relationships
      between male partner involvement and Option B+ retention and adherence. In 2014,
      a randomized controlled trial in Malawi compared male recruitment strategies for
      couple HIV testing and counseling (cHTC) at an antenatal clinic. This secondary
      analysis was conducted among the entire cohort (N = 200) of women, irrespective
      of randomization status. We assessed whether cHTC attendance, early disclosure of
      HIV-positive status, and partner ART reminders were associated with retention and
      adherence at one month after starting treatment. Retention was defined as
      attending HIV clinic follow-up within one day of running out of pills. Adherence
      was defined as taking >=95% of ARTs by pill count. We used binomial regression to
      calculate adjusted risk ratios (aRR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI). Median
      female age was 26 years. Most women (79%) were retained; of these, 68% were
      adherent. Receiving cHTC was associated with improved retention (aRR 1.33, 95% CI
      1.12, 1.59). Receiving male partner ART reminders was weakly associated with
      retention (aRR 1.16, 95% CI 0.96, 1.39). Disclosure within one day was not
      associated with retention (aRR 1.08, 95% CI: 0.91, 1.28). Among those who were
      retained, these three behaviors were not associated with improved 95% adherence.
      CHTC could play an important role in improving Option B+ retention. Increasing
      cHTC participation and enhancing adherence-related messages within cHTC are
      important.

PMID- 28355929
TI  - Teasing Apart Overclaiming, Overconfidence, and Socially Desirable Responding.
AB  - Contamination with positivity bias is a potential problem in virtually all areas
      of psychological assessment. To determine the impact of positivity bias, one
      common approach is to embed special indicators within one's assessment battery.
      Such tools range from social desirability scales to overconfidence measures to
      the so-called overclaiming technique. Despite the large literature on these
      different approaches and underlying theoretical notions, little is known about
      the overall nomological network-in particular, the degree to which these
      constructs overlap. To this end, a broad spectrum of positivity bias detection
      tools was administered in low-stakes settings ( N = 798) along with measures of
      the Big Five, grandiose narcissism, and cognitive ability. Exploratory factor
      analyses revealed six first-order and two second-order factors. Overclaiming was
      not loaded by any of the six first-order factors and overconfidence was not
      explained by either of the two second-order factors. All other measures were
      confounded with personality and/or cognitive ability. Based on our findings,
      overclaiming is the most distinct potential indicator of positivity bias and
      independent of known personality measures.

PMID- 28355928
TI  - Measurement properties of mental health literacy tools measuring help-seeking: a
      systematic review.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Mental health literacy is important to improve help-seeking
      behaviors. However, the quality of mental health help-seeking tools remains
      unknown. AIMS: We conducted a systematic review to appraise the quality of such
      tools. METHODS: We searched databases for English publications addressing
      psychometrics of help-seeking tools. We included help-seeking tools addressing
      mental health in general and tools on four mental disorders: anxiety, depression,
      attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and schizophrenia. We determined
      the methodological quality of studies as "excellent", "good", "fair", or
      "indeterminate". We ranked the level of evidence of each measurement property as
      "strong", "moderate", "limited", "conflicting" or "unknown". RESULTS: We found 12
      help-seeking tools in 24 studies that assessed related psychometrics. The
      methodological quality of included studies ranged from "poor" to "excellent" with
      four studies on the content validity, structural validity or internal consistency
      demonstrating "excellent" quality. Three tools demonstrated overall strong
      evidence (content or structural validity); eight tools demonstrated moderate
      evidence (internal consistency, structural or construct validity); and eight
      tools demonstrated limited evidence (reliability, construct validity or internal
      consistency). CONCLUSIONS: We recommend the application of tools with strong or
      moderate evidence for their psychometric properties. Future research may focus on
      the generalizability of the tools across diverse settings.

PMID- 28355930
TI  - Use of voriconazole in non-meningeal cryptococcosis.

PMID- 28355931
TI  - A Brief Measure of Narcissism Among Female Juvenile Delinquents and Community
      Youths: The Narcissistic Personality Inventory-13.
AB  - Research on narcissism has a long tradition, but there is limited knowledge
      regarding its application among female youth, especially for forensic samples of
      incarcerated female youth. Drawing on 377 female adolescents (103 selected from
      forensic settings and 274 selected from school settings) from Portugal, the
      current study is the first to examine simultaneously the psychometric properties
      of a brief version of the Narcissistic Personality Inventory (NPI-13) among
      females drawn from incarcerated and community settings. The results support the
      three-factor structure model of narcissism after the removal of one item due to
      its low factor loading. Internal consistency, convergent validity, and
      discriminant validity showed promising results. In terms of criterion-related
      validity, significant associations were found with criterion-related variables
      such as age of criminal onset, conduct disorder, crime severity, violent crimes,
      and alcohol and drug use. The findings provide support for use of the NPI-13
      among female juveniles.

PMID- 28355932
TI  - How Danish dentists and dental hygienists handle their role in child abuse and
      neglect matters.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study was to identify how the dental team
      perceives its role in safeguarding children, to identify barriers to referral to
      social services, to compare data with data previously reported from Denmark, and
      to assess if increased focus on safeguarding children has had an effect on how
      the dental team handles its responsibility to refer to social services. MATERIAL
      AND METHODS: The study is based on a Danish version of a questionnaire previously
      used in Scotland and Denmark. The questionnaire was sent to a random sample of
      the Danish dental team. RESULTS: The number of returned questionnaires was 964
      (67.0%) with valid data. Of these, 40.8% had had a suspicion of child abuse or
      neglect and 50.0% had referred their concern to social services. Frequently
      reported barriers to referral were uncertainty about observations, signs, and
      symptoms of abuse and neglect, and uncertainty about referral procedures. A total
      of 84 (8.9%) of the respondents had received both undergraduate and postgraduate
      training on the topic, and 64.4% of the respondents found that the dental staff
      could recognize signs and symptoms of abuse and neglect. CONCLUSION: Findings
      suggest a continuous need for a focus on the awareness and training of the Danish
      dental staff on the important topic of child abuse and neglect.

PMID- 28355933
TI  - Interprofessional Survey of Perceived Barriers and Facilitators to Early
      Mobilization of Critically Ill Patients in Montreal, Canada.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: Early mobilization is safe, feasible, and associated with better
      outcomes in patients with critical illness. However, barriers to mobilization in
      clinical practice still exist. The objective of this study was to assess the
      knowledge and practice patterns of intensive care unit (ICU) clinicians, as well
      as the barriers and facilitators to early mobilization. DESIGN: Cross-sectional
      survey. SETTING: Intensive care units of 3 university-affiliated hospitals in
      Montreal, Canada. PARTICIPANTS: One hundred and thirty-eight ICU clinicians,
      including nurses, physicians, respiratory therapists, and physiotherapists.
      INTERVENTIONS: None. MEASUREMENTS: Perceived barriers, facilitators, knowledge,
      and practice patterns of early mobilization were assessed using a previously
      validated mobility survey tool. MAIN RESULTS: The overall response rate was 50.0%
      (138 of 274). Early mobilization was not perceived as a top priority in 49% of
      respondents. Results showed that clinicians were not fully aware of the benefits
      of early mobilization as per the current literature. About 58% of clinicians did
      not feel well trained and informed to mobilize mechanically ventilated patients.
      Perceptions on patient-level barriers varied with clinicians' professional
      training, but there was a high degree of interprofessional and intraprofessional
      disagreement on the permissible maximal level activity in different scenarios of
      critically ill patients. CONCLUSIONS: Our survey shows limited awareness, among
      our respondents, of the clinical benefits of early mobilization and high level of
      disagreement on the permissible maximal level of activity in the critically ill
      patients. Future studies should evaluate the role of knowledge translation in
      modifying these barriers and improving early mobilization.

PMID- 28355934
TI  - Simulation-based trauma education for medical students: A review of literature.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Medical students often do not feel prepared to manage emergency
      situations after graduation. They experience a lack of practical skills and show
      significant deficits in cognitive performance to assess and stabilize trauma
      patients. Most reports in the literature about simulation-based education pertain
      to postgraduate training. Simulation-based trauma education (SBTE) in
      undergraduate medical education could improve confidence and performance of
      recently graduated doctors in trauma resuscitation. We reviewed the literature in
      search of SBTE effectiveness for medical students. METHODS: A PubMed, Embase and
      CINAHL literature search was performed to identify all studies that reported on
      the effectiveness of SBTE for medical students, on student perception on SBTE or
      on the effectiveness of different simulation modalities. RESULTS: Eight studies
      were included. Three out of four studies reporting on the effectiveness of SBTE
      demonstrated an increase in performance of students after SBTE. SBTE is generally
      highly appreciated by medical students. Only one study directly compared two
      modalities of SBTE and reported favorable results for the mechanical model rather
      than the standardized live patient model. CONCLUSION: SBTE appears to be an
      effective method to prepare medical students for trauma resuscitation.
      Furthermore, students enjoy SBTE and they perceive SBTE as a very useful learning
      method.

PMID- 28355936
TI  - Assessment of Adult ADHD With College Students.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: When assessing adult ADHD, self-report measures are commonly used to
      guide clinical diagnosis. Self-report measures may be broadband covering a range
      of behaviors or narrowband and specific to symptoms associated with ADHD. METHOD:
      This study examined the results of broadband and narrowband measures for college
      students referred for evaluation of ADHD at a university clinic. RESULTS: With
      consideration of diagnosis, which included additional information, the group of
      students who received a diagnosis of ADHD differed significantly from those who
      did not receive an ADHD diagnosis only on the symptom sets associated with ADHD
      for both the broadband and narrowband. At the same time, for the total sample,
      significant correlations emerged for ADHD symptoms with social stress, anxiety,
      and sense of inadequacy. CONCLUSION: This suggests the need for consideration of
      alternative or co-occurring factors influencing symptom presentation and
      functional impairment.

PMID- 28355935
TI  - Proof-of-Concept Evaluation of the SailValve Self-Expanding Deep Venous Valve
      System in a Porcine Model.
AB  - PURPOSE: To evaluate the SailValve, a new self-expanding deep venous valve
      concept based on a single polytetrafluoroethylene cusp floating up and down in
      the bloodstream like a sail, acting as a flow regulator and allowing minimal
      reflux to reduce thrombogenicity. METHODS: Both iliac veins of 5 pigs were
      implanted with SailValve devices; the first animal was an acute pilot experiment
      to show the feasibility of accurately positioning the SailValve via a femoral
      access. The other 4 animals were followed for 2 weeks (n=2) or 4 weeks (n=2)
      under a chronic implantation protocol. Patency and valve function were evaluated
      directly in all animals using ascending and descending phlebography after device
      placement and at termination in the chronic implant animals. For reasons of
      clinical relevance, a regimen of clopidogrel and calcium carbasalate was
      administered. Histological analysis was performed according to a predefined
      protocol by an independent pathologist. RESULTS: Deployment was technically
      feasible in all 10 iliac veins, and all were patent directly after placement. No
      perioperative or postoperative complications occurred. Ascending phlebograms in
      the follow-up animals confirmed the patency of all valves after 2 or 4 weeks.
      Descending phlebograms showed full function in 5 of 8 valves. Limited reflux was
      seen in 1 valve (4-week group), and the function in the remaining 2 valves (2
      week group) was insufficient because of malpositioning. No macroscopic thrombosis
      was noted on histology. Histology in the follow-up groups revealed a progressive
      inflammatory reaction to the valves. CONCLUSION: This animal study shows the
      potential of the SailValve concept with sufficient valve function after adequate
      positioning and no (thrombogenic) occlusions after short-term follow-up. Future
      research is essential to optimize valve material and long-term patency.

PMID- 28355937
TI  - Treatment and outcomes of endoscopic surgery and traditional open resection in
      sinonasal mucosal melanoma.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: The optimal surgical approach for sinonasal mucosal melanoma (SNM)
      remains under debate. We aimed to compare the therapeutic efficacy of traditional
      open resection and endoscopic surgery for patients with SNM treated at a single
      center. METHODS: Thirty-three patients diagnosed with SNM who underwent surgery
      between January 1995 and June 2014 at a single institution were retrospectively
      analyzed; 18 patients were treated using an open resection approach and 15 using
      an endoscopic resection approach for the primary tumor. The associations between
      open resection and endoscopic resection with treatment-related survival outcomes
      were assessed using the Kaplan-Meier method and log-rank test. RESULTS: The most
      common presenting symptoms were epistaxis and abstraction; the nasal cavity was
      the most common anatomic location. The open resection and endoscopic resection
      groups did not have significantly different demographic or tumor characteristics.
      Overall survival (p = .66) and disease-free survival (p = .73) were modest and
      did not differ significantly between the open resection and endoscopic resection
      groups. CONCLUSIONS: This retrospective study indicates that the endoscopic
      endonasal approach is an effective treatment for SNM in selected cases and, when
      performed by a skilled surgeon, can enable successful radical resection with a
      similar efficacy as traditional open resection.

PMID- 28355938
TI  - Extrapolation of Survival Data in Cost-effectiveness Analyses: The Need for
      Causal Clarity.

PMID- 28355939
TI  - Comparison of four electronic root canal length measurement devices.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study is to evaluate the performance of four
      electronic root canal length measurement devices (ERCLMDs) [Root ZX, Raypex 6,
      ProPex II, and VDW Gold with ERCLMD] in wet and dry root canals with different
      major foramen diameters, in association with three file positions within the
      final 1 mm of canals. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Fifty roots were divided into five
      groups that were instrumented apically to the terminus diameter using K-files 15,
      20, 30, 40, and 60. ERCLMD measurements were made when the file tip was at major
      foramen, 0.5 mm and 1.0 mm short of the foramen, when the apex touched to the
      surface of saline or was immersed 3 mm into saline, and when the canal was dry or
      was irrigated with saline. The differences between the electronic lengths and the
      actual lengths were calculated. The data were analyzed using the three-, two-,
      and one-way ANOVA and the LSD test (p < .05). RESULTS: Overall, the four ERCLMDs
      demonstrated 12.8% unstable and beyond the foramen measurements (11.3%). About
      85% of the beyond the foramen measurements had foramen diameters 0.40 and 0.60.
      ERCLMD comparisons related to the file positions in the foramen diameters showed
      significant differences between ERCLMDs in each foramen diameter (p < .05).
      CONCLUSIONS: All ERCLMDs provided highly accurate measurements within the final 1
      mm of the foramen. Wet or dry canals and apex conditions did not adversely affect
      the accuracy of the ERCLMDs' readings. ProPex II located the file positions in
      the teeth with different foramen diameters more accurately than the other
      ERCLMDs.

PMID- 28355940
TI  - Immunohistochemical analysis of EGFR and hyaluronan in tongue cancer and the
      development of regional recurrence in patients initially diagnosed N0.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: To investigate whether the extent of expression of hyaluronan (HA) and
      epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) in squamous cell carcinoma of the mobile
      tongue can predict the risk of cervical metastasis and survival. STUDY DESIGN:
      Retrospective histopathologic study. METHODS: Surgical specimens from 64 patients
      who had undergone surgery for squamous cell carcinoma of the mobile tongue were
      assessed using immunohistochemistry to investigate the expression of HA and EGFR
      in the primary tumours, and the data were then correlated to cervical metastasis
      and survival. RESULTS: There was a significant correlation between the intensity
      of HA staining and patient survival (p .024), and a weak correlation between the
      staining proportion of EGFR and the risk for regional recurrence (AUC 66).
      CONCLUSIONS: This study indicates that immunoscoring using HA could be used to
      provide prognostic tools for tongue cancer, and that it might be of interest to
      study the prognostic properties of EGFR further concerning the risk for regional
      recurrence after the primary treatment.

PMID- 28355941
TI  - P.S. for post-Soviet: A glimpse to a life of persons with intellectual
      disabilities.
AB  - This article focuses on the situation of persons with intellectual disabilities
      in the developing post-Soviet countries and aims to review the extent to which
      services offered to them promote values of the Convention on the Rights of
      Persons with Disabilities and empower these persons to lead fulfilling lives.
      Interviews with experts revealed that post-Soviet countries form a peculiar
      cluster among other developing countries, which has specific attributes. First of
      all, there prevails a strong stigmatization, which consequently leads to the
      predominant silent mandate to isolate those with intellectual disabilities in big
      residential care institutions. Second, the governments' lack political will to
      start the reforms and initiatives of nongovernmental organizations which they do
      not sustain (or, assumingly, are even suppressed). As a result, persons with
      intellectual disabilities find themselves stuck between the Soviet tradition of
      exclusion and simulated superficial reforms.

PMID- 28355942
TI  - A preliminary investigation of a school-based musical theater intervention
      program for children with intellectual disabilities.
AB  - The presence of an intellectual disability may cause a child to have significant
      deficits in social skills and emotion regulation abilities across development. A
      vital next step is to find interventions that can be delivered in the school
      environment and across disability categories that target socioemotional factors.
      The current study investigated the feasibility of delivering a school-based
      musical theater program to students with intellectual disability across a range
      of school settings. A within-group repeated-measures design was used to analyze
      pre- and post-video recordings of the intervention program, which were coded for
      six domains of socioemotional ability across all participants ( n = 47). Results
      showed that significant gains across all domains were observed. However, these
      gains related to school- and individual-level student factors, such as grade
      level, severity of disability, and baseline social skill ability.

PMID- 28355944
TI  - Commissurorraphy in the Dog.
AB  - Commissurorraphy is a surgical procedure designed to move the lip commissure
      rostrally. This procedure may be helpful as a unilateral procedure in cases of
      unilateral mandibulectomy to support tongue function and improve esthetics.
      Bilateral commissurorraphy is utilized in cases of radical bilateral
      mandibulectomy and as a salvage procedure for support of bilateral mandibular
      fractures in cases where rigid surgical fixation is not feasible. Dehiscence is
      the most likely complication of commissurorraphy. Tension can be reduced at the
      rostral extent of the incision by utilizing mattress sutures, intravenous fluid
      tubing, and/or buttons to prevent tearing through sutures.

PMID- 28355943
TI  - Atopic Eczema: Genetic Associations and Potential Links to Developmental
      Exposures.
AB  - Atopic eczema (AE), or atopic dermatitis (AD), is a common inflammatory skin
      disease with a disrupted epidermal barrier and an allergic immune response. AD/AE
      is prominently characterized by a symptomatic itch and transient skin lesions.
      Infants compose a significant percentage affected. Two models have been proposed
      to explain AD/AE skin pathology: the gut microbiome-focused inside-outside model
      and the outside-inside model concentrating on the disrupted skin barrier/skin
      microbiome. Gene disruptions contributing to epidermal structure, as well as
      those in immune system genes, are implicated. Over 30 genes have been linked to
      AD/AE with Flg and Tmem79/Matt alterations being common. Other linked disruptions
      are in the interleukin-1 family of cytokines/receptors and the TH2 gene family of
      cytokines. Inheritable epigenetic modifications of the genes or associated
      proteins may also be involved. Skin barrier disruption and the allergic immune
      response have been the main foci in mechanistic studies of AD/AE, but the role of
      the environment is becoming more apparent. Thus, an examination of in utero
      exposures could be very helpful in understanding the heterogeneity of AD/AE.
      Although research is limited, there is evidence that developmental exposure to
      environmental tobacco smoke or phthalates may impact disease. Management for
      AD/AE includes topical corticosteroids and calcineurin inhibitors, which safely
      facilitate improvements in select individuals. Disease heterogeneity warrants
      continued research not only into elucidating disease mechanism(s), via
      identification of contributing genetic alterations, but also research to
      understand how/when these genetic alterations occur. This may lead to the cure
      that those affected by AD/AE eagerly await.

PMID- 28355946
TI  - Dysexecutive Symptoms in Primary Progressive Aphasia: Beyond Diagnostic Criteria.
AB  - Primary progressive aphasia (PPA) is a heterogeneous neurodegenerative condition
      in which the most prominent clinical feature is language difficulties. Other
      cognitive domains have been described to remain unaffected at the early stages of
      the disease and, therefore, excluded from diagnostic criteria. However, we show
      in this article that executive function (EF) disorders may be present in the 3
      variants (nonfluent/agrammatic, logopenic, and semantic) of PPA. We also
      illustrate changes in language and EF by means of a 3-year behavioral and
      neuroimaging longitudinal study of a patient suffering from the semantic variant
      of PPA. This review provides an update on current knowledge of PPA, suggesting
      that dysexecutive symptoms may be encountered in the 3 PPA variants, in their
      early phases and/or in more advanced stages, when atrophy extends to adjacent
      brain areas.

PMID- 28355947
TI  - Evaluation of combined dynamic compression and single channel noise reduction for
      hearing aid applications.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: Single-channel noise reduction (SCNR) and dynamic range compression
      (DRC) are important elements in hearing aids. Only relatively few studies have
      addressed interaction effects and typically used real hearing aids with limited
      knowledge about the integrated algorithms. Here the potential benefit of
      different combinations and integration of SCNR and DRC was systematically
      assessed. DESIGN: Ten different systems combining SCNR and DRC were implemented,
      including five serial arrangements, a parallel and two multiplicative approaches.
      In an instrumental evaluation, signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) improvement and
      spectral contrast enhancement (SCE) were assessed. Quality ratings at 0 and +6 dB
      SNR, and speech reception thresholds (SRTs) in noise were measured using
      stationary and babble noise. STUDY SAMPLE: Thirteen young normal-hearing (NH)
      listeners and 12 hearing-impaired (HI) listeners participated. RESULTS: In line
      with an increased segmental SNR and spectral contrast compared to a serial
      concatenation, the parallel approach significantly reduced the perceived noise
      annoyance for both subject groups. The proposed multiplicative approaches could
      partly counteract increased speech distortions introduced by DRC and achieved the
      best overall quality for the HI listeners. CONCLUSIONS: For high SNRs well above
      the individual SRT, the specific combination of SCNR and DRC is perceptually
      relevant and the integrative approaches were preferred.

PMID- 28355945
TI  - Late-Life Depression: Modifications of Brain Resting State Activity.
AB  - Late-life depression (LLD) is a common emotional and mental disability in the
      elderly population characterized by the presence of depressed mood, the loss of
      interest or pleasure in daily activities, and other depression symptoms. It has a
      serious effect on the quality of life of elderly individuals and increases their
      risk of developing physical and mental diseases. It is an important area of
      research, given the growing elderly population. Brain functional connectivity
      modifications represent one of the neurobiological biomarker for LLD even if to
      date remains poorly understood. In our study, we enrolled 10 elderly patients
      with depressive symptoms compared to 11 age-matched healthy controls. All
      participants were evaluated by means of neuropsychological tests and underwent
      the same functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) protocol to evaluate
      modifications of brain resting state functional connectivity. Between-group
      differences were observed for the Geriatric Depression Scale and Hamilton
      Depression Rating Scale, with higher scores for patients with LLD. Voxel-wise, 1
      way analysis of variance revealed between-group differences in left
      frontoparietal network (lFPN) and sensory motor network (SMN): Increased
      intrinsic connectivity in the LLD group was observed in the left dorsolateral
      prefrontal cortex and in the left superior parietal lobule of the lFPN and
      increased intrinsic connectivity in the LLD group was observed in the bilateral
      primary somatosensory cortex of the SMN. Our findings support the use of resting
      state fMRI as a potential biomarker for LLD; even if to confirm the relationship
      between brain changes and the pathophysiology of LLD, longitudinal neuroimaging
      studies are required.

PMID- 28355948
TI  - Sequential endoscopic ultrasound identifies predictive variables for relapse-free
      follow-up after neoadjuvant chemotherapy in gastric cancer.
AB  - BACKGROUND: The accuracy of endosonographic tumor staging after neoadjuvant
      therapy is less reliable than in primary staging. Therefore, the value of
      sequential endosonographic examinations after neaodjuvant chemotherapy in gastro
      esophageal cancer is discussed controversially. Previous data suggest, that
      endoscopic ultrasound (EUS) after neoadjuvant treatment using other variables
      than classic uTN-criteria may identify patients with a better prognosis. METHODS:
      In 67 patients with locally advanced gastric cancer treated in curative intent,
      we performed EUS before and after neoadjuvant chemotherapy. Endosonographic yTN
      stage was compared to pathohistological yTN-stage after curative resection. The
      uTN-stage, yuTN-stage, maximal tumor thickness and maximal lymph node diameter as
      well as the shift of these variables after neoadjuvant therapy were analyzed for
      their usefulness to predict recurrence-free follow-up. RESULTS: Accuracy of EUS
      for yTN-staging after neoadjuvant therapy was poor, especially in lower tumor
      stages. However, three heavily correlated variables analyzed by sequential EUS
      could be used for the prediction of prognosis: low endosonographic tumor stage
      (yuT0-2) after neoadjuvant chemotherapy, a decrease of two or more steps in uT
      stage and a maximal tumor thickness of <15 mm after chemotherapy were
      significantly associated with recurrence-free follow-up. Endosonographic T-stage
      before neoadjuvant therapy, as well as lymph node variables before or after
      chemotherapy, were of no predictive value. CONCLUSION: In spite of poor
      concordance between endosonographic and pathohistological TN-stage after
      neoadjuvant treatment, sequential EUS, performed before and after neoadjuvant
      therapy, possibly identify patients at risk for tumor relapse after multimodal
      treatment in gastric cancer. This finding should be validated in a larger patient
      cohort.

PMID- 28355949
TI  - Differences in the suppression of distortion product otoacoustic emissions by
      contralateral white noise between patients with acute or chronic tinnitus.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: The mechanisms underlying the shift from acute tinnitus to chronic
      remain obscure. An association between tinnitus and medial olivocochlear bundle
      (MOCB) reflex dysfunction has been hypothesised by several studies. The
      differences between participants with acute and chronic tinnitus have not yet
      been investigated. DESIGN: Participants were examined with distortion product
      otoacoustic emissions (DPOAEs) suppression elicited by contralateral white noise.
      They were compared in terms of frequency regions with non-recordable DPOAEs,
      suppression amplitudes and the presence of DPOAE enhancement. STUDY SAMPLE:
      Eighteen participants with acute tinnitus, 40 age-matched adults with chronic
      tinnitus and 17 controls were included. All participants (aged 34.7 +/- 9.6years;
      mean +/- Standard deviation) had normal hearing. Tinnitus was bilateral in 22
      participants and unilateral in 36. RESULTS: Ears with chronic tinnitus presented
      significantly lower DPOAE suppression amplitudes than ears with acute tinnitus (p
      < 0.0001). Both acute and chronic tinnitus ears present a high prevalence of
      enhancement, significantly different from controls (p < 0.0001, p = 0.0002,
      respectively). Non-recordable DPOAEs were significantly more frequent in the
      chronic than in the acute tinnitus and control groups (p < 0.0001). CONCLUSIONS:
      The differences between study groups indicate that when tinnitus becomes chronic,
      DPOAEs suppression presents changes that might reveal corresponding steps in
      tinnitus pathophysiology. Treatment implications are discussed.

PMID- 28355950
TI  - Caregiving roles: when will they be routinely recognized and supported?

PMID- 28355952
TI  - Is there evidence to support serum antinuclear antibodies testing in women with
      recurrent implantation failure undergoing in vitro fertilization?
AB  - One of the most challenging aspects of reproductive medicine is the management of
      recurrent implantation failure. Various investigations, including antinuclear
      antibodies testing, are performed to seek an explanation and guide treatment.
      However, is there sufficient evidence or available therapeutic options to support
      antinuclear antibodies testing? We present a short review on the current
      literature and an attempt at a systematic review evaluating the association
      between antinuclear antibodies and recurrent implantation failure to address this
      question.

PMID- 28355951
TI  - Output signal-to-noise ratio and speech perception in noise: effects of
      algorithm.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: The aims of this study were to: 1) quantify the amount of change in
      signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) as a result of compression and noise reduction (NR)
      processing in devices from three hearing aid (HA) manufacturers and 2) use the
      SNR changes to predict changes in speech perception. We hypothesised that the SNR
      change would differ across processing type and manufacturer, and that
      improvements in SNR would relate to improvements in performance. DESIGN: SNR at
      the output of the HAs was quantified using a phase-inversion technique. A linear
      mixed model was used to determine whether changes in SNR across HA conditions
      were predictive of changes in aided speech perception in noise. STUDY SAMPLE: Two
      groups participated: 25 participants had normal-hearing and 25 participants had
      mild to moderately severe sensorineural hearing loss. RESULTS: The HAs programmed
      for both groups changed the SNR by a small, but statistically significant amount.
      Significant interactions in SNR changes were observed between HA devices and
      processing types. However, the change in SNR was not predictive of changes in
      speech perception. CONCLUSION: Although observed significant changes in SNR
      resulting from compression and NR did not convert to changes in speech
      perception, these algorithms may serve other purposes.

PMID- 28355953
TI  - Novel fork-tip needles versus standard needles for EUS-guided tissue acquisition
      from solid masses of the upper GI tract: a matched cohort study.
AB  - BACKGROUND: There are very few available data on the novel SharkCoreTM needles
      for EUS-FNB. AIM: Comparison of the performance of the SharkCoreTM needles with
      the standard EUS-FNA needles for the diagnosis of solid upper GI masses. PATIENTS
      AND METHODS: Single-center, retrospective cohort study in an academic tertiary
      referral hospital. Patients were matched 1:1 for the site of the lesion and the
      presence or absence of rapid on-site evaluation (ROSE). RESULTS: A total of 102
      patients were included. There was no statistically significant difference in the
      mean number of passes (3.3 +/- 1.3 versus 3.4 +/- 1.5; p = .89). Similar results
      were observed at the subgroup with ROSE (4.3 +/- 1.3 versus 3.7 +/- 1.5; p =
      .26). More histological specimens were obtained with the SharkCoreTM needles
      compared to standard needles (59 versus 5%; p < .001). Diagnostic test
      characteristics were not significantly different (sensitivity: 91.5 versus 85.7;
      specificity: 100 versus 100%; accuracy: 92.2 versus 85.4% for SharkCoreTM versus
      standard needles, p > .05 in all cases). At multivariable analysis, there was no
      statistically significant difference in the mean number of passes in all patients
      (p = .23) and in the ROSE subgroup (p = .66). However, the SharkCoreTM needle
      obtained significantly more histological material than the standard needle (odds
      ratio 66; 95% confidence interval: 11.8, 375.8, p < .001). There was no
      significant difference in complication rates (p = .5). LIMITATIONS: Retrospective
      study, single-center. CONCLUSION: The SharkCore needles were similar to standard
      FNA needles in terms of the number of passes to reach diagnosis, but obtained
      significantly more histological specimen.

PMID- 28355954
TI  - Evaluation of an automated enzyme-linked fluorescent assay for thyroxine
      measurement in cat and dog sera.
AB  - Measurement of total thyroxine (T4) is the first testing step in the work-up of
      thyroid disease in small animals. We evaluated an enzyme-linked fluorescent assay
      (ELFA) as an in-house method to measure T4 in cats and dogs. We compared the T4
      concentration in sera of 122 cats and 176 dogs measured by the ELFA with an
      enzyme immunoassay (EIA) to assess the concordance of the 2 methods. Bias of the
      ELFA in cats was -11.4% and in dogs 1.4%. Using Bland-Altman plots, limits of
      agreement were -81.5 to 58.7% in cats and -71.4 to 74.4% in dogs. Imprecision was
      calculated for both methods. Intra- and interassay coefficients of variation
      (CVs) of the ELFA in feline sera were 0.7 and 3.4% and of the EIA 7.6 and 15.7%,
      respectively. Intra- and interassay CVs of both ELFA and EIA in canine sera were
      <9.5%. Reference intervals for the ELFA method were established and were 13.3
      49.5 nmol/L for cats and 10.1-42.9 nmol/L for dogs. Accuracy of the EIA and ELFA
      was scored by assessing if the measured T4 value would identify the expected T4
      range (low, normal, or elevated) of patients, based on history, clinical
      presentation, other diagnostic means, and response to therapy. This was possible
      for 75 cats and 50 dogs. Both methods yielded acceptable results, but the EIA was
      more accurate compared to the ELFA (percentage of true-positives in cats and
      dogs: EIA: 97% and 100%; ELFA: 92% and 94%).

PMID- 28355955
TI  - Helicobacter pylori infection in Icelandic children.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: The prevalence of Helicobacter pylori (HP) infection is decreasing in
      the western world. The seroprevalence among 25-50-year-old Icelandic adults was
      recently shown to be 30-40%. Information on the seroprevalence in Nordic children
      is limited. We aimed at ascertaining the infection prevalence among healthy
      Icelandic children. METHODS: The infection status in stored frozen blood samples
      from two cross-sectional studies on the health of 7-9-year-old children (n = 125)
      and 16-18-year-old adolescents (n = 80) was determined by enzyme-linked
      immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Information on family demographics and GI symptoms
      was obtained by standardized questionnaires. RESULTS: Overall, 3.4% (7/205) of
      the children were infected with H. pylori. The prevalence was 2.6% (5/190),
      missing data n = 3, among children with both parents born in a low prevalence
      country compared to 17% (2/12) among those with at least one parent born in a
      high prevalence area (p = .026). When at least one parent was born in a high
      prevalence country, the odds ratio for being H. pylori seropositive was 2.2 (95%
      CI, 1.02-54.67), when adjusted for the educational status of the mother. There
      was no significant association between H. pylori infection and gastrointestinal
      symptoms. CONCLUSION: Prevalence of H. pylori infection in Iceland has become
      very low, suggesting a great reduction in transmission from older generations.
      There was an association between H. pylori infection and origin from high
      prevalence areas but not with gastrointestinal symptoms. The results mirror
      recent studies of children of Scandinavian ancestry.

PMID- 28355956
TI  - Hepatocellular carcinoma in Danish patients: a single Copenhagen center
      experience.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a common cause of cancer, and most
      HCC patients have underlying cirrhosis. Retrospectively, we aimed to characterize
      patients with newly diagnosed HCC at a Danish hospital and to investigate
      survival and identify predictive factors for survival. METHODS: All patients
      diagnosed with HCC from January 2008 to December 2014 were retrospectively
      enrolled in this study. Overall survival was estimated by using the Kaplan-Meier
      method. A multivariate Cox regression analysis was performed to identify
      predictive factors for survival. RESULTS: Sixty-seven patients were diagnosed
      with HCC (incidence rate 3.55/100,000 people/year). Ninety-three percent had
      underlying cirrhosis. Alcohol-related liver disease and chronic viral hepatitis B
      or C were responsible for 55 and 31% of cases, respectively. Median survival was
      81 days and 1-month, 3-months and 1-year cumulative survival rates were 74, 40
      and 17%, respectively. We identified the presence of portal vein thrombosis, high
      Child-Pugh score, high MELD score and high AST as independent negative prognostic
      factors for survival. Survival was poorer in patients seen for the first time
      when the diagnosis of HCC was made than in patients followed in the outpatient
      clinic (p = .06) indicating a substantial delay in diagnosis. CONCLUSIONS:
      Survival was poor in this cohort of patients, almost exclusively caused by delay
      in diagnosis and admittance to hospital. An increased general information about
      HCC and the possibilities of therapy seems warranted.

PMID- 28355957
TI  - Adolescent brain activation: dependence on sex, dietary satiation, and restraint.
AB  - The study aimed to explore how both sex and dietary restraint impacts brain
      activation in response to visual food stimuli in young adolescents (12-13 years)
      under fed and fasted conditions. Food and non-food images were viewed by 15 boys
      and 14 girls, while functional magnetic resonance images were acquired. The
      adolescents were either fasted or in a satiated (fed) state following a
      randomized crossover study design. When satiation state was not considered, girls
      showed significantly greater brain activity than boys in regions associated with
      executive function and decision making, working memory, and self-awareness. In
      contrast, when either fasted or fed states were considered separately, boys
      showed significantly increased brain activity in regions linked to executive
      function, self-awareness, and decision making than the girls. When fasted,
      compared to unrestrained eaters, restrained individuals showed heightened
      activation in regions connected to executive function and decision making, with
      areas associated with self-assessment showing increased activity for unrestrained
      eaters relative to restrained under fed conditions. These findings highlight
      important differences in adolescent brain activity and support further
      investigations to gain greater insight into how these differences might evolve
      with age.

PMID- 28355958
TI  - The Patient Health Questionnaire depression screener in spinal cord injury.
AB  - CONTEXT: Although depression is not inevitable following spinal cord
      injury/dysfunction (SCI/D), it can have a negative impact on rehabilitation.
      Evidence-based assessment of depression utilizing self-report instruments, such
      as the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9), is considered good clinical
      practice. Although the PHQ-9 has been studied in individuals with SCI/D, little
      is known about the clinical utility of the Patient Health Questionnaire-2 (PHQ
      2). Traditional cutoff scores for the PHQ-2 were examined to explore their
      operating characteristics as related to PHQ-9 results. METHODS: Archival data
      were collected for 116 Veterans with SCI/D who completed the PHQ-2 and PHQ-9 as
      one component of their routine, comprehensive SCI annual evaluation at a Veterans
      Affairs Medical Center. Logistic regressions were performed to determine the
      impact of different cutoff scores for the PHQ-2 on the likelihood that
      participants would endorse clinically significant levels of depressive symptoms
      on the PHQ-9 (>=10). RESULTS: Using a cutoff score of 3 or greater correctly
      classified 94.8% of the cases, outperforming the other cutoff scores. A cutoff
      score of 3 or greater had a sensitivity of 83.3% and specificity of 97.8%, and
      yielded a positive predictive value of 90.9% and a negative predictive value of
      95.7%. CONCLUSION: The PHQ-2 shows promise as a clinically useful screener in the
      community-residing SCI/D population. Findings regarding the presence of suicidal
      ideation emphasize the importance of routine screening for depressive
      symptomatology in the SCI/D population. Future research should investigate the
      role of the PHQ-2 in clinical decision-making and treatment monitoring.

PMID- 28355959
TI  - Does national expenditure on research and development influence stroke outcomes?
AB  - Background Expenditure on research and development is a macroeconomic indicator
      representative of national investment. International organizations use this
      indicator to compare international research and development activities. Aim We
      investigated whether differences in expenditures on research and development at
      the country level may influence the incidence of stroke and stroke mortality.
      Methods We compared stroke metrics with absolute amount of gross domestic
      expenditure on R&D (GERD) per-capita adjusted for purchasing power parity (aGERD)
      and relative amount of GERD as percent of gross domestic product (rGERD). Sources
      included official data from the UNESCO, the World Health Organization, the World
      Bank, and population-based studies. We used correlation analysis and
      multivariable linear regression modeling. Results Overall, data on stroke
      mortality rate and GERD were available from 66 countries for two periods (2002
      and 2008). Age-standardized stroke mortality rate was associated with aGERD (r = 
      0.708 in 2002 and r = -0.730 in 2008) or rGERD (r = -0.545 in 2002 and r = -0.657
      in 2008) (all p < 0.001). Multivariable analysis showed a lower aGERD and rGERD
      were independently and inversely associated with higher stroke mortality (all p <
      0.05). The estimated prevalence of hypertension, diabetes, or obesity was higher
      in countries with lower aGERD. The analysis of 27 population-based studies showed
      consistent inverse associations between aGERD or rGERD and incident risk of
      stroke and 30-day case fatality. Conclusions There is higher stroke mortality
      among countries with lower expenditures in research and development. While this
      study does not prove causality, it suggests a potential area to focus efforts to
      improve global stroke outcomes.

PMID- 28355961
TI  - Stress, sense of coherence and subjective health in adolescents aged 13-18 years.
AB  - BACKGROUND: This study investigated the relationships between sex, age, stress
      and sense of coherence (SOC) and each of self-rated health (SRH) and subjective
      health complaints (SHCs) in adolescents. METHODS: The study was based on a cross
      sectional sample of 1239 adolescents aged 13-18 years. The participants reported
      scores on a questionnaire, including 12 items assessing SHC, the 13-item version
      of the Orientation to Life Questionnaire and the 30-item Adolescent Stress
      Questionnaire. Data were analysed with descriptive, comparative and hierarchical
      multiple regression analyses. RESULTS: Boys scored significantly higher on SRH
      than girls, whereas girls scored higher on SHCs. In the multivariate model,
      stress was significantly associated with SHCs, but not with SRH. SOC was
      significantly positively related to SRH and negatively related to SHC; the
      associations were significantly stronger for girls than for boys. A significant
      moderation effect (protective role) of SOC was found on the relation between
      stress and SHC. CONCLUSIONS: No causal conclusion was possible, but the findings
      may be used as a basis for further investigation of the role of stress and SOC in
      longitudinal studies and intervention studies.

PMID- 28355960
TI  - Preventive effects of multiple domain interventions on lifestyle and risk factor
      changes in stroke survivors: Evidence from a two-year randomized trial.
AB  - Background and aim Behavioral and lifestyle interventions in stroke patients need
      to be intense enough to result in sustainable treatment differences among groups
      of a randomized trial. Therefore, we report the effects of multidomain
      interventions on lifestyle and laboratory parameters after 12 and 24 months from
      a trial that examined whether intensive risk factor management can prevent
      cognitive decline in ischemic stroke patients. Methods This prospective
      randomized, open-label, blinded endpoint trial recruited patients within three
      months after acute stroke in five Austrian neurological clinics during June 2010
      and November 2012. One hundred and one patients were randomized into multidomain
      intervention and 101 into standard care. Lifestyle interventions were
      individualized to match predefined targets of regular physical activity, healthy
      diet, and adequate physiological risk factor control. Results A total of 167
      participants (80 intervention, 87 control) completed the 12-month visit and 155
      (76 intervention, 79 control) the 24-month visit. During the first 12 months,
      adherence to healthy lifestyle and adequately controlled physiological parameters
      (measured by summary scores) improved significantly in the intervention group
      compared to controls (p < 0.01). The consumption of reduced-fat milk (p = 0.031),
      reduced-fat spreads (p = 0.007), and fish (p = 0.021) increased in the
      intervention group from baseline to 12 months but not in controls. After 24
      months, the group difference was significant for the lifestyle summary score but
      no longer for the combined laboratory lifestyle score. Conclusions These results
      demonstrate that intensified individualized multidomain lifestyle interventions
      in stroke patients are effective in promoting healthy lifestyle in stroke care.

PMID- 28355962
TI  - Indications and Outcomes From 32 Consecutive Patients for the Treatment of Rectal
      Lesions by Transanal Minimally Invasive Surgery.
AB  - BACKGROUND: The aim of this study was to evaluate the feasibility, safety,
      perioperative morbidity, and short-term outcomes of the transanal minimally
      invasive surgery (TAMIS) technique. METHODS: This is a descriptive review of
      prospectively collected data from 32 consecutive patients who underwent TAMIS
      procedures in our colorectal unit over a 40-month period. GelPOINT Path port was
      used in all cases. Demographic data, indications, tumor characteristics,
      morbidity, and follow-up data were collected. Primary endpoints included
      feasibility, safety, perioperative morbidity, and resection quality. RESULTS:
      Fifteen adenomas, 12 carcinomas, 1 gastrointestinal stromal tumor, and 1
      neuroendocrine tumor were locally excised. Additionally, 3 pelvic abscesses were
      drained transanally using the TAMIS port. Mean distance from the anal verge was
      5.6 +/- 1.5 cm. Early postoperative complications occurred in 22%, with only one
      case of major complication (3.1%) requiring reoperation, and no postoperative
      mortality. Four carcinomas were understaged (33.3%) and 1 adenoma overstaged
      (6.7%) preoperatively. Three carcinomas were not suspected preoperatively (25%).
      Microscopic positive lateral margin was found in one case, and no affected deep
      margin was found. Fragmentation rate was 6.9%, 2 cases, both lesions over 20 cm2.
      In cases of fit patients with high-risk carcinomas, 2 underwent immediate salvage
      surgery and another 2 refused and were treated with adjuvant radiotherapy. With a
      median follow-up of 26 months, the overall recurrence rate was 10.3%, 1 adenoma
      and 2 carcinomas. CONCLUSION: TAMIS seems to be a safe and reproducible procedure
      for local excision of well-selected rectal lesions with low morbidity and good
      functional outcomes.

PMID- 28355963
TI  - Risk factors for infant mortality in rural and urban Nigeria: evidence from the
      national household survey.
AB  - AIMS: This study investigates the rural-urban differences in infant mortality
      rates (IMRs) and the associated risk factors in Nigeria. METHODS: The dataset
      from the 2013 Nigeria demographic and health survey (NDHS), disaggregated by
      rural-urban residence, was analyzed using complex samples statistics. A
      multivariable logistic regression analysis was computed to explore the adjusted
      relationship and identify risk factors for infant mortality. RESULTS: In rural
      and urban Nigeria, IMRs were 70 and 49 deaths per 1000 live births, respectively.
      Risk factors in rural residence were past maternal marital union (adjusted odds
      ratio (AOR): 1.625, p = 0.020), small birth size (AOR: 1.550, p < 0.001), birth
      interval <24 months (AOR: 2.057, p < 0.001), residence in North-East (AOR: 1.346,
      p = 0.038) and North-West (AOR: 1.653, p < 0.001) regions, and cesarean delivery
      (AOR: 2.922, p = 0.001). Risk factors in urban residence were poor wealth index
      (AOR: 2.292, p < 0.001), small birth size (AOR: 2.276, p < 0.001), male gender
      (AOR: 1.416, p = 0.022), birth interval <24 months (AOR: 1.605, p = 0.002),
      maternal obesity (AOR: 1.641, p = 0.008), and cesarean delivery (AOR: 1.947, p =
      0.032). CONCLUSIONS: Infants in rural residence had higher rates of mortality
      than their urban counterparts and disparities in risk factors exist between the
      residences.

PMID- 28355964
TI  - Study of Image Qualities From 6D Robot-Based CBCT Imaging System of Small Animal
      Irradiator.
AB  - PURPOSE: To assess the quality of cone beam computed tomography images obtained
      by a robotic arm-based and image-guided small animal conformal radiation therapy
      device. METHOD AND MATERIALS: The small animal conformal radiation therapy device
      is equipped with a 40 to 225 kV X-ray tube mounted on a custom made gantry, a
      1024 * 1024 pixels flat panel detector (200 MUm resolution), a programmable 6
      degrees of freedom robot for cone beam computed tomography imaging and conformal
      delivery of radiation doses. A series of 2-dimensional radiographic projection
      images were recorded in cone beam mode by placing and rotating microcomputed
      tomography phantoms on the "palm' of the robotic arm. Reconstructed images were
      studied for image quality (spatial resolution, image uniformity, computed
      tomography number linearity, voxel noise, and artifacts). RESULTS: Geometric
      accuracy was measured to be 2% corresponding to 0.7 mm accuracy on a Shelley
      microcomputed tomography QA phantom. Qualitative resolution of reconstructed
      axial computed tomography slices using the resolution coils was within 200 MUm.
      Quantitative spatial resolution was found to be 3.16 lp/mm. Uniformity of the
      system was measured within 34 Hounsfield unit on a QRM microcomputed tomography
      water phantom. Computed tomography numbers measured using the linearity plate
      were linear with material density ( R2 > 0.995). Cone beam computed tomography
      images of the QRM multidisk phantom had minimal artifacts. CONCLUSION: Results
      showed that the small animal conformal radiation therapy device is capable of
      producing high-quality cone beam computed tomography images for precise and
      conformal small animal dose delivery. With its high-caliber imaging capabilities,
      the small animal conformal radiation therapy device is a powerful tool for small
      animal research.

PMID- 28355967
TI  - Joint power generation differentiates young and adult sprinters during the
      transition from block start into acceleration: a cross-sectional study.
AB  - The aim of this study was to investigate differences in joint power generation
      between well-trained adult athletes and young sprinters from block clearance to
      initial contact of second stance. Eleven under 16 (U16) and 18 under 18 (U18)
      promising sprinters executed an explosive start action. Fourteen well-trained
      adult sprinters completed the exact same protocol. All athletes were equipped
      with 74 spherical reflective markers, while an opto-electronic motion analysis
      system consisting of 12 infrared cameras (250 Hz, MX3, Vicon, Oxford Metrics, UK)
      and 2 Kistler force plates (1,000 Hz) was used to collect the three-dimensional
      marker trajectories and ground reaction forces (Nexus, Vicon). Three-dimensional
      kinematics, kinetics, and power were calculated (Opensim) and time normalised
      from the first action after gunshot until initial contact of second stance after
      block clearance. This study showed that adult athletes rely on higher knee power
      generation during the first stance to induce longer step length and therefore
      higher velocity. In younger athletes, power generation of hip was more dominant.

PMID- 28355965
TI  - Long Noncoding RNA PVT1 Promotes EMT and Cell Proliferation and Migration Through
      Downregulating p21 in Pancreatic Cancer Cells.
AB  - BACKGROUND AND AIM: Long noncoding RNA-plasmacytoma variant translocation 1 is
      identified to be highly expressed and exhibits oncogenic activity in a variety of
      human malignancies, including pancreatic cancer. However, little is known about
      the overall biological role and mechanism of plasmacytoma variant translocation 1
      in pancreatic cancer so far. In this study, we investigated the effect of
      plasmacytoma variant translocation 1 on pancreatic cancer cell proliferation and
      migration as well as epithelial-mesenchymal transition. METHODS: Pancreatic
      cancer tissue specimens and cell line were used in this study, with normal tissue
      and cell line acting as control. RESULTS: It showed that plasmacytoma variant
      translocation 1 expression was significantly upregulated in pancreatic cancer
      tissues or cell line compared to normal groups. Plasmacytoma variant
      translocation 1 downregulation significantly inhibited zinc finger E-box-binding
      protein 1/Snail expression but promoted p21 expression, and it also inhibited the
      cell proliferation and migration. Additionally, p21 downregulation enhanced, and
      p21 overexpression repressed, zinc finger E-box-binding protein 1/Snail
      expression and cells proliferation in PANC-1 cells. However, p21 downregulation
      reversed the effect of plasmacytoma variant translocation 1 downregulation on
      zinc finger E-box-binding protein 1/Snail expression and cell proliferation and
      migration. CONCLUSION: Plasmacytoma variant translocation 1 promoted epithelial
      mesenchymal transition and cell proliferation and migration through
      downregulating p21 in pancreatic cancer cells.

PMID- 28355968
TI  - Abiraterone-induced rhabdomyolysis resulting in acute kidney injury: A case
      report and review of the literature.
AB  - Abiraterone, a CYP17 inhibitor, blocks androgen biosynthesis in multiple tissue
      types. In combination with prednisone, it is approved as a first-line treatment
      for metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer. We present a case of
      rhabdomyolysis associated with abiraterone therapy resulting in acute on chronic
      kidney injury in a patient with metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer.
      Strict monitoring should be employed in patients started on abiraterone who have
      additional risk factors for developing rhabdomyolysis.

PMID- 28355969
TI  - Incidence of asparaginase-related hepatotoxicity, pancreatitis, and thrombotic
      events in adults with acute lymphoblastic leukemia treated with a pediatric
      inspired regimen.
AB  - Asparaginase is a critical component of acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL)
      treatment in children; however, its use in adults is often avoided as a result of
      toxicities including hepatotoxicity, thrombosis, and pancreatitis which have been
      reported more commonly in adults than in children. In this retrospective
      analysis, short-acting L-asparaginase (L-ASP) and long-acting polyethylene glycol
      (PEG)-asparaginase (PEG-ASP) were compared for grade 3-4 toxicities and
      characterized by patient and drug-related factors to identify strategies for
      toxicity avoidance in adults with ALL. Asparaginase was administered during
      sequential courses of chemotherapy using a pediatric-inspired treatment regimen.
      Forty-eight patients who received PEG-ASP and nine patients who received L-ASP
      were identified. The rates of toxicity were as follows for the PEG-ASP and L-ASP
      groups, respectively: hepatotoxicity (60% vs. 33%, P = 0.275), pancreatitis (17%
      vs. 22%, P = 0.650), thrombosis (19.0% vs. 0%, P = 0.328), or any grade 3-4
      toxicity (71% vs. 44%, P = 0.143). Toxicity did not correlate with dose, either
      by individual dose based on flat or BSA-based measures. Logistic regression
      identified obesity as a risk factor for heptatotoxicity (OR = 8.44, 95% CI: 1.395
      51.117). Hypofibrinogenemia was identified as a pharmacodynamic marker for
      predicting hepatotoxicity. In conclusion, grade 3-4 toxicity was not
      statistically different between adult ALL patients receiving PEG-ASP and L-ASP,
      but toxicity was strongly associated with obesity and hypofibrinogenemia, not
      dose.

PMID- 28355970
TI  - Clinical impact and management of fluconazole discontinuation on sirolimus levels
      in bone marrow transplant patients.
AB  - Sirolimus, an immunosuppressant, is indicated post-allogeneic stem cell
      transplant to reduce the risk of graft-versus-host-disease. Sirolimus is
      metabolized by cytochrome P450 3A4 and is a substrate of the P-glycoprotein (P
      gp) drug efflux pump. Interactions with known inhibitors of the CYP3A4 enzyme and
      P-glycoprotein, such as fluconazole, are anticipated. Co-administration of
      fluconazole leads to an increase in sirolimus blood concentrations due to an
      inhibition of metabolism. The discontinuation of fluconazole will likely result
      in a decline in sirolimus blood concentrations, leaving patients at risk of graft
      versus-host-disease. We report on three patients managed by the Hematology,
      Oncology Blood and Marrow Transplant Program at the Alberta Children's Hospital.
      The discontinuation of fluconazole showed a marked reduction in sirolimus trough
      levels, requiring >200% increase in sirolimus dose to achieve therapeutic levels.

PMID- 28355971
TI  - Could knee inflammatory synovitis be induced by pembrolizumab?
AB  - Pembrolizumab, a selective anti-PD-1 humanized monoclonal antibody, reactivates T
      cells to fight cancer. Immune-related adverse events such as autoimmune colitis,
      pneumonitis, hepatitis, nephritis, hypophysitis, and thyroiditis may occur
      during, or weeks to months after therapy. Pemprolizumab-induced synovitis is
      rarely reported. With the wide use of immunotherapy to treat cancers, physicians
      need to be aware of this rare immune-related adverse event and provide immediate
      treatment to avoid permanent joint damage.

PMID- 28355973
TI  - Patient-therapist convergence in alliance ratings as a predictor of outcome in
      psychotherapy for generalized anxiety disorder.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: Although patients and therapists aligning over time on their
      perceptions of alliance quality is regarded as clinically important, few studies
      have examined the influence of such dyadic convergence on psychotherapy outcomes.
      This study tested whether early treatment convergence in patient-therapist
      alliance ratings was associated with subsequent worry and distress reduction in
      psychotherapy for generalized anxiety disorder (GAD), and whether treatment type
      and the dyad members' initial alliance perceptions moderated these associations.
      METHOD: Data derived from a randomized trial for which patients with severe GAD
      received either 15 sessions of standard cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT; n =
      43) or CBT integrated with motivational interviewing (n = 42). Patients and
      therapists rated the alliance after each session. Patients rated worry after each
      session, and their distress multiple times. RESULTS: As predicted, dyadic
      multilevel modeling revealed that early alliance convergence was associated with
      greater subsequent worry (p = .03) and distress (p = .01) reduction, and the
      combination of low initial patient-rated alliance and low convergence was
      associated with the worst outcome for the distress variable (p = .04).
      CONCLUSIONS: Results suggest that alliance convergence may be an important
      clinical process that bears on outcome, rendering it an important marker for
      therapist responsiveness.

PMID- 28355974
TI  - Microbial alginate dressings show improved binding capacity for
      pathophysiological factors in chronic wounds compared to commercial alginate
      dressings of marine origin.
AB  - Marine alginates are well established in wound management. Compared with
      different modern wound dressings, marine alginates cannot prove superior effects
      on wound healing. Alginates from bacteria have never been studied for medical
      applications so far, although the microbial polymer raises expectations for
      improved binding of wound factors because of its unique O-acetylation. Due to its
      possible positive effects on wound healing, alginates from bacteria might be a
      superior future medical product for clinical use. To prove the binding capacity
      of microbial alginates to pathophysiological factors in chronic wounds, we
      processed microbial alginate fibres, produced from fermentation of the soil
      bacterium Azotobacter vinelandii ATCC 9046, into needle web dressings and
      compared them with commercial dressings made of marine alginate. Four dressings
      were assessed: Marine alginate dressings containing either ionic silver or
      zinc/manganese/calcium, and microbial alginate dressings with and without
      nanosilver. All dressings were tested in an in vitro approach for influence on
      chronic wound parameters such as elastase, matrix metalloproteases-2, tumour
      necrosis factor-alpha, interleukin-8, and free radical formation. Despite the
      alginate origin or addition of antimicrobials, all dressings were able to reduce
      the concentration of the proinflammatory cytokines TNF-alpha and IL-8. However,
      microbial alginate was found to bind considerable larger amounts of elastase and
      matrix metalloproteases-2 in contrast to the marine alginate dressings. The
      incorporation of zinc, silver or nanosilver into alginate fibres did not improve
      their binding capacity for proteases or cytokines. The addition of nanosilver
      slightly enhanced the antioxidant capacity of microbial alginate dressings,
      whereas the marine alginate dressing containing zinc/manganese/calcium was unable
      to inhibit the formation of free radicals. The enhanced binding affinity by
      microbial alginate of Azotobacter vinelandii to pathophysiological factors may be
      interesting to support optimal conditions for wound healing.

PMID- 28355975
TI  - The Potential of Collective Intelligence in Emergency Medicine: Pooling Medical
      Students' Independent Decisions Improves Diagnostic Performance.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Evidence suggests that pooling multiple independent diagnoses can
      improve diagnostic accuracy in well-defined tasks. We investigated whether this
      is also the case for diagnostics in emergency medicine, an ill-defined task
      environment where diagnostic errors are rife. METHODS: A computer simulation
      study was conducted based on empirical data from 2 published experimental
      studies. In the computer experiments, 285 medical students independently
      diagnosed 6 simulated patients arriving at the emergency room with dyspnea.
      Participants' diagnoses (n = 1,710), confidence ratings, and expertise levels
      were entered into a computer simulation. Virtual groups of different sizes were
      randomly created, and 3 collective intelligence rules (follow-the-plurality rule,
      follow-the-most-confident rule, and follow-the-most-senior rule) were applied to
      combine the independent decisions into a final diagnosis. For different group
      sizes, the performance levels (i.e., percentage of correct diagnoses) of the 3
      collective intelligence rules were compared with each other and against the
      average individual accuracy. RESULTS: For all collective intelligence rules,
      combining independent decisions substantially increased performance relative to
      average individual performance. For groups of 4 or fewer, the follow-the-most
      confident rule outperformed the other rules; for larger groups, the follow-the
      plurality rule performed best. For example, combining 5 independent decisions
      using the follow-the-plurality rule increased diagnostic accuracy by 22
      percentage points. These results were robust across case difficulty and expertise
      level. Limitations of the study include the use of simulated patients diagnosed
      by medical students. Whether results generalize to clinical practice is currently
      unknown. CONCLUSION: Combining independent decisions may substantially improve
      the quality of diagnoses in emergency medicine and may thus enhance patient
      safety.

PMID- 28355977
TI  - Physical Therapist Clinical Reasoning and Action for Individuals With Undiagnosed
      Lower Extremity Tumors: A Report of 3 Cases.
AB  - Study Design Resident's case problem. Background Although rare in the general
      population, bone and soft tissue tumors may be more frequently encountered in
      patients seeking physical therapy because of the propensity of their initial
      symptoms to mimic those of commonly treated musculoskeletal disorders. Screening
      for tumors requires the physical therapist to be attentive to unexpected
      findings. The purpose of this paper was to describe the clinical-reasoning and
      screening processes of physical therapists who facilitated the timely recognition
      of bone and soft tissue tumors in 3 patients referred through medical channels.
      Diagnosis The referral diagnoses were lumbar spinal stenosis, calcaneal bursitis,
      and postexcisional quadriceps weakness. When comprehensively examined, each of
      the patients had either atypical examination findings or failed to respond to
      physical therapy treatment. After the physical therapists alerted the appropriate
      medical providers of the examination findings, diagnoses of high-grade
      osteosarcoma of the pelvis, chondroma of the knee, and liposarcoma of the thigh
      followed. Discussion Tumors of the lower extremity can initially mimic common
      musculoskeletal pathology. Physical therapists must remain alert for red flags,
      atypical signs and symptoms, and poor responses to treatment, even when patients
      are referred through medical channels. Particular attention is necessary in the
      case of unusual symptoms in the lower extremity, where over half of primary
      malignant tumors occur. Level of Evidence Differential diagnosis, level 5. J
      Orthop Sports Phys Ther 2017;47(5):359-366. Epub 29 Mar 2017.
      doi:10.2519/jospt.2017.7037.

PMID- 28355976
TI  - On-Ice Return-to-Hockey Progression After Anterior Cruciate Ligament
      Reconstruction.
AB  - Synopsis The literature pertaining to the rehabilitation of ice hockey players
      seeking to return to sport after anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction (ACLR)
      is currently limited. The purpose of this clinical commentary was to present a
      criterion-based progression for return to ice hockey for athletes after ACLR.
      First, we review pertinent literature and provide previously published guidelines
      on general rehabilitation after ACLR. Then, we present a 4-phase, on-ice skating
      progression with objective criteria to initiate each phase. During the early on
      ice phase, the athlete is reintroduced to specific demands, including graded
      exposure to forward, backward, and crossover skating. In the intermediate on-ice
      phase, the emphasis shifts to developing power and introducing anticipated
      changes of direction within a controlled environment. During the late on-ice
      phase, the focus progresses to developing anaerobic endurance and introducing
      unanticipated changes of direction, but still without other players or contact.
      Finally, once objective return-to-sport criteria are met, noncontact team drills,
      outnumbered and even-numbered drills, practices, scrimmages, and games are
      progressively reintroduced during the return-to-sport phase. Recommendations for
      off-ice strength and conditioning exercises complement the on-ice progression.
      Additionally, we apply the return-to-hockey progression framework to a case
      report of a female collegiate defensive ice hockey player who returned to sport
      successfully after ACLR. This criterion-based return-to-hockey progression may
      guide rehabilitation specialists managing athletes returning to ice hockey after
      ACLR. J Orthop Sports Phys Ther 2017;47(5):324-333. Epub 29 Mar 2017.
      doi:10.2519/jospt.2017.7245.

PMID- 28355978
TI  - Limb Symmetry Indexes Can Overestimate Knee Function After Anterior Cruciate
      Ligament Injury.
AB  - Study Design Prospective cohort. Background The high risk of second anterior
      cruciate ligament (ACL) injuries after return to sport highlights the importance
      of return-to-sport decision making. Objective return-to-sport criteria frequently
      use limb symmetry indexes (LSIs) to quantify quadriceps strength and hop scores.
      Whether using the uninvolved limb in LSIs is optimal is unknown. Objectives To
      evaluate the uninvolved limb as a reference standard for LSIs utilized in return
      to-sport testing and its relationship with second ACL injury rates. Methods
      Seventy athletes completed quadriceps strength and 4 single-leg hop tests before
      anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction (ACLR) and 6 months after ACLR. Limb
      symmetry indexes for each test compared involved-limb measures at 6 months to
      uninvolved-limb measures at 6 months. Estimated preinjury capacity (EPIC) levels
      for each test compared involved-limb measures at 6 months to uninvolved-limb
      measures before ACLR. Second ACL injuries were tracked for a minimum follow-up of
      2 years after ACLR. Results Forty (57.1%) patients achieved 90% LSIs for
      quadriceps strength and all hop tests. Only 20 (28.6%) patients met 90% EPIC
      levels (comparing the involved limb at 6 months after ACLR to the uninvolved limb
      before ACLR) for quadriceps strength and all hop tests. Twenty-four (34.3%)
      patients who achieved 90% LSIs for all measures 6 months after ACLR did not
      achieve 90% EPIC levels for all measures. Estimated preinjury capacity levels
      were more sensitive than LSIs in predicting second ACL injuries (LSIs, 0.273; 95%
      confidence interval [CI]: 0.010, 0.566 and EPIC, 0.818; 95% CI: 0.523, 0.949).
      Conclusion Limb symmetry indexes frequently overestimate knee function after ACLR
      and may be related to second ACL injury risk. These findings raise concern about
      whether the variable ACL return-to-sport criteria utilized in current clinical
      practice are stringent enough to achieve safe and successful return to sport.
      Level of Evidence Prognosis, 2b. J Orthop Sports Phys Ther 2017;47(5):334-338.
      Epub 29 Mar 2017. doi:10.2519/jospt.2017.7285.

PMID- 28355979
TI  - Longitudinal Monitoring of Patients With Chronic Low Back Pain During Physical
      Therapy Treatment Using the STarT Back Screening Tool.
AB  - Study Design Preplanned secondary analysis of a randomized clinical trial.
      Background The STarT Back Screening Tool (SBST) was developed to screen and to
      classify patients with low back pain into subgroups for the risk of having a poor
      prognosis. However, this classification at baseline does not take into account
      variables that can influence the prognosis during treatment or over time.
      Objectives (1) To investigate the changes in risk subgroup measured by the SBST
      over a period of 6 months, and (2) to assess the long-term predictive ability of
      the SBST when administered at different time points. Methods Patients with
      chronic nonspecific low back pain (n = 148) receiving physical therapy care as
      part of a randomized trial were analyzed. Pain intensity, disability, global
      perceived effect, and the SBST were collected at baseline, 5 weeks, 3 months, and
      6 months. Changes in SBST risk classification were calculated. Hierarchical
      linear regression models adjusted for potential confounders were built to analyze
      the predictive capabilities of the SBST when administered at different time
      points. Results A large proportion of patients (60.8%) changed their risk
      subgroup after receiving physical therapy care. The SBST improved the prediction
      for all 6-month outcomes when using the 5-week risk subgroup and the difference
      between baseline and 5-week subgroup, after controlling for potential
      confounders. The SBST at baseline did not improve the predictive ability of the
      models after adjusting for confounders. Conclusion This study shows that many
      patients change SBST risk subgroup after receiving physical therapy care, and
      that the predictive ability of the SBST in patients with chronic low back pain
      increases when administered at different time points. Level of Evidence
      Prognosis, 2b. J Orthop Sports Phys Ther 2017;47(5):314-323. Epub 29 Mar 2017.
      doi:10.2519/jospt.2017.7199.

PMID- 28355980
TI  - Star Excursion Balance Test Anterior Asymmetry Is Associated With Injury Status
      in Division I Collegiate Athletes.
AB  - Study Design Retrospective cohort. Background Star Excursion Balance Test (SEBT)
      performance differs by sport in healthy collegiate athletes, and lower extremity
      injury rates also vary by sport, sex, and athletic exposure. The relationship
      between SEBT performance and injury risk has not been evaluated with
      consideration of these additional variables, which may be necessary to fully
      describe the relationship between SEBT performance and injury risk. Objectives To
      assess the association between preseason SEBT performance and noncontact injury
      occurrence to the knee or ankle in Division I collegiate athletes when
      controlling for sport, sex, and athletic exposure. Methods Star Excursion Balance
      Test performance, starting status, and injury status were reviewed
      retrospectively in National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I collegiate
      athletes from a single institution. A total of 147 athletes were healthy at the
      time of preseason SEBT testing and either remained healthy (n = 118) or sustained
      a noncontact injury to the knee or ankle (n = 29) during their sport's subsequent
      competitive season. Side-to-side asymmetries were calculated in each direction as
      the absolute difference in reach distance between limbs. Star Excursion Balance
      Test reach distances and asymmetries were compared between groups using
      multivariable regression, controlling for sport, sex, and athletic exposure
      (starter, nonstarter). Receiver operating characteristic curves were used to
      determine optimal sensitivity and specificity for significant models. Results
      When controlling for sport, sex, and athletic exposure, SEBT side-to-side
      asymmetry in the anterior direction, expressed as an absolute or normalized to
      limb length, discriminated between injured and noninjured athletes (area under
      the curve greater than 0.82). Conclusion Assessing side-to-side reach asymmetry
      in the anterior direction of the SEBT may assist in identifying collegiate
      athletes who are at risk for sustaining noncontact injuries to the knee or ankle.
      Level of Evidence Prognosis, level 2b. J Orthop Sports Phys Ther 2017;47(5):339
      346. Epub 29 Mar 2017. doi:10.2519/jospt.2017.6974.

PMID- 28355981
TI  - Risk of Recurrence of Low Back Pain: A Systematic Review.
AB  - Study Design Systematic review. Background While most people with acute low back
      pain (LBP) recover quickly, recurrences are believed to be common. To our
      knowledge, no published high-quality systematic review has assessed the risk of
      recurrent LBP or the factors that would predict LBP recurrence. Objectives The
      aim of this study was to investigate the risk of, and prognostic factors for, a
      recurrence of LBP in patients who have recovered from a previous episode of LBP
      within the last year. Methods Systematic searches were conducted in the MEDLINE,
      Embase, and CINAHL databases. We included longitudinal studies of adults who had
      recovered from a previous episode of LBP within 12 months. The primary outcome
      was a new episode of LBP. Secondary outcomes were other types of recurrence (eg,
      episodes causing care seeking). Results Eight studies were included in the
      review: 7 observational studies and 1 randomized trial (2 publications). Six
      studies reported recurrence proportions for the primary outcome of an episode of
      LBP. Meta-analysis was not conducted due to the low quality and heterogeneity of
      studies. Only 1 study was considered an inception cohort study; it reported a 1
      year recurrence proportion of 33%. A history of previous episodes of LBP prior to
      the most recent episode was the only factor that consistently predicted
      recurrence of LBP. Conclusion The available research does not provide robust
      estimates of the risk of LBP recurrence and provides little information about
      factors that predict recurrence in people recently recovered from an episode of
      LBP. Level of Evidence Prognosis, 1a-. Prospectively registered in PROSPERO on
      February 9, 2016 (CRD42016030220). J Orthop Sports Phys Ther 2017;47(5):305-313.
      Epub 29 Mar 2017. doi:10.2519/jospt.2017.7415.

PMID- 28355982
TI  - Low copy numbers of FCGR3A and FCGR3B associated with Chinese patients with SLE
      and AASV.
AB  - Low-affinity Fcgamma receptors (FcgammaR) act as key mediators of the pathogenic
      effects of autoantibodies. In this study, we aimed to determine whether copy
      number variations (CNVs) in FCGR3A and FCGR3B were associated with systemic lupus
      nephritis (SLE) and ANCA-associated systemic vasculitis (AASV) in Chinese
      individuals. A total of 1118 individuals were enrolled, including 415 SLE
      patients, 139 AASV patients, and 564 healthy controls. FCGR3A and FCGR3B copy
      numbers (CNs) were determined by both a paralogue ratio test and TaqMan
      quantitative PCR assay. In the susceptibility associations, a low FCGR3B CN was
      significantly associated with SLE ( p = 5.01 * 10-3; odds ratio (OR) 1.71; 95%
      confidence interval (CI) 1.17-2.48) and AASV ( p = 0.04; OR = 1.72; 95% CI 1.02
      2.88). A low FCGR3A CN was also significantly associated with SLE ( p = 6.02 * 10
      3; OR 2.72; 95% CI 1.30-5.71) and AASV ( p = 0.042; OR 2.64; 95% CI 1.00-6.93).
      Further subphenotype analysis revealed that low CNs of FCGR3A and FCGR3B were
      significantly associated with clinical manifestations in SLE and AASV patients.
      Therefore, in this case-control study, we identified low CNs of FCGR2A and FCGR3B
      to be common risk factors for SLE and AASV.

PMID- 28355983
TI  - Mesenteric inflammatory veno-occlusive disease of the spleen metasynchronous with
      two arterial thrombotic events in systemic lupus erythematosus.
AB  - Vasculitides, particularly those affecting small vessels, are known to complicate
      systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE); however, isolated venulitis of the mesenteric
      bed has rarely been reported. Here we relate the case of a 46-year-old woman with
      SLE who presented with acute abdominal pain due to artery thrombosis and extended
      splenic ischemia requiring splenectomy. The histological examination revealed
      diffuse venulitis in the absence of arterial vasculitis consistent with the
      definition of mesenteric inflammatory veno-occlusive disease (MIVOD).
      Furthermore, arterial wall thickening suggestive of uncomplicated atherosclerosis
      was observed. Two months later, the patient suffered of severe myocardial
      infarction (MI) resulting from thrombosis of the anterior interventricular
      coronary artery with otherwise no signs of coronary disease at coronarography.
      Extensive work-up to establish the cause of MI was negative, with the exception
      of marginal, isolated and transient elevation of cardiolipin IgG (14.5 GPL, n.v.
      0-5 GPL). This patient's SLE history is dramatically marked by the previously non
      described association of MIVOD and two arterial thrombotic events (splenic and
      coronary) occurring within a two months period, and stresses the need of better
      understanding and prevention of vascular complications in SLE.

PMID- 28355984
TI  - Hydroxychloroquine-induced hyperpigmentation in systemic diseases: prevalence,
      clinical features and risk factors: a cross-sectional study of 41 cases.
AB  - Introduction Hydroxychloroquine is an antimalarial agent widely prescribed in
      internal medicine, rheumatology and dermatology. Its use can be complicated by
      various side effects including skin pigmentation. Objectives The aim of the study
      is to review epidemiological, clinical features and risk factors of
      hydroxychloroquine-induced pigmentation. Materials and methods We performed a
      cross-sectional study conducted over a period of 5 months. During this period,
      patients who had been treated with hydroxychloroquine for over 6 months, in the
      internal medicine department, underwent a complete dermatological examination.
      All patients completed a structured questionnaire to collect demographic data,
      dosage and treatment duration of hydroxychloroquine, other drug intake,
      hydroxychloroquine indication, and presence of pigmentary changes on the skin,
      nail, hair, and mucosa. Results A total of 41 patients (38 women and 3 men) were
      included in the study. The mean age was 39.2 +/- 15.4 years. The
      hydroxychloroquine was indicated for systemic lupus erythematosus in 73.2%,
      dermatomyositis in 12.2%, rheumatoid arthritis in 9.8%, actinic lichen and
      sarcoidosis each in 2.4%. Cutaneous pigmented lesions were found in 21 cases
      (51%), mucous pigmentation in 5 cases (12%) and nail pigmentation in 1 case
      (2.5%). In 12 of 41 (29%) of the hydroxychloroquine users, we conclude a
      hydroxychloroquine-induced pigmentation. There were 11 women and one man with a
      mean age of 43 years and all of them were systemic lupus erythematosus patients.
      Pigmented lesions were located on the lower limbs in seven cases, the face in two
      cases, lips in two cases and the gum in two cases. Pigmentation appeared after a
      median duration of hydroxychloroquine treatment of 32 months with a median
      cumulative dose of 361 g. Overall, two patients reported that the appearance of
      pigmented lesions was preceded by the occurrence of ecchymotic areas following
      microtrauma. Significant association was found between hydroxychloroquine-induced
      pigmentation and treatment with oral anticoagulants and/or antiplatelet agents (
      p = 0.03). Conclusion Our systematic examination of patients demonstrated that
      hydroxychloroquine-induced pigmentation is not rare. The imputability of
      hydroxychloroquine in the genesis of this discoloration is difficult to
      establish. Our study supports the hypothesis that ecchymosis, platelet
      antiaggregants and oral anticoagulants may be the main predisposing factors to
      hydroxychloroquine-induced pigmentation.

PMID- 28355985
TI  - Cessation of oral anticoagulants in antiphospholipid syndrome.
AB  - Objective To study the outcome of patients with antiphospholipid syndrome (APS)
      after oral anticoagulant treatment cessation. Methods We performed a
      retrospective study of patients with APS experiencing cessation of oral
      anticoagulant and enrolled in a French multicentre observational cohort between
      January 2014 and January 2016. The main outcome was the occurrence of recurrent
      thrombotic event after oral anticoagulation cessation. Results Forty four APS
      patients interrupted oral anticoagulation. The median age was 43 (27-56) years.
      The median duration of anticoagulation was 21 (9-118) months. Main causes of oral
      anticoagulant treatment cessation were switch from vitamin K antagonists to
      aspirin in 15 patients, prolonged disappearance of antiphospholipid antibodies in
      ten, bleeding complications in nine and a poor therapeutic adherence in six.
      Eleven (25%) patients developed a recurrent thrombotic event after oral
      anticoagulation cessation, including three catastrophic APS and one death due to
      lower limb ischemia. Antihypertensive treatment required at time of oral
      anticoagulants cessation seems to be an important factor associated with
      recurrent thrombosis after oral anticoagulant cessation (15.2% in patients with
      no relapse versus 45.5% in patients with recurrent thrombosis, p = 0.038). Oral
      anticoagulant treatment was re-started in 18 (40.9%) patients. Conclusion The
      risk of a new thrombotic event in APS patients who stopped their anticoagulation
      is high, even in those who showed a long lasting disappearance of
      antiphospholipid antibodies. Except for the presence of treated hypertension,
      this study did not find a particular clinical or biological phenotype for APS
      patients who relapsed after anticoagulation cessation. Any stopping of
      anticoagulant in such patients should be done with caution.

PMID- 28355986
TI  - Retinal vasculopathy in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus.
AB  - A retrospective case control study was conducted in the Peking Union Medical
      College Hospital. Medical records were reviewed for demographic data, clinical
      features, laboratory results, systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) disease activity
      evaluations, and ophthalmic examinations to investigate the clinical
      characteristics and significance of retinal vasculopathy (RV) in Chinese patients
      with systemic lupus erythematosus. The prevalence of RV was approximately 0.66%
      (35/5298) in SLE patients. A total of 60 eyes were involved. The ocular
      presentations included decrease of visual acuity (48/60, 80%), visual field loss
      (7/60, 11.7%), and diplopia (3/60, 5%). Ophthalmic fundoscopic examination
      revealed cotton-wool spots (30/60, 50%), retinal vascular attenuation (31/60,
      51.6%), and hemorrhages (41/60, 68.3%). Retinal angiogram showed that 72.7%
      (16/22) eyes had vaso-occlusion. The ophthalmic episodes could occur at any stage
      of SLE duration, with a median of 12 months (0-168 months) following SLE onset.
      Twenty-one (35%) eyes did not recover, or even worsened, during hospital stay. RV
      was found to be significantly associated with neuropsychiatric lesions (51.4% vs.
      21.3%, p = .005) and hematological disturbance (62.9% vs. 34.3%, p = .005). SLE
      patients with RV had significantly higher SLE disease activity index scores than
      controls (19.9 +/- 0.9 vs. 10.2 +/- 0.7, p < .001). An inverse association of
      anti-SSA antibody with RV was detected (34.3% vs. 67.1%, p = .001). Nervous
      system disturbance (odds ratio (OR) = 4.340, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.438,
      13.094, p = .009) and leukocytopenia (OR = 6.385, 95% CI 1.916, 21.278, p = .003)
      were independent risk factors, while anti-SSA antibody positivity (OR = 0.249,
      95% CI 0.087, 0.710, p = .009) was a protective factor for RV in SLE patients. In
      certain cases, RV is a threatening condition for SLE patients presenting with
      clinical ocular manifestations. Ophthalmo-fundoscopic detection is recommended as
      soon as SLE is diagnosed.

PMID- 28355987
TI  - Acute acalculous cholecystitis in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus: A
      unique form of disease flare.
AB  - Objective We aimed to investigate the clinical features of acute acalculous
      cholecystitis (AAC) in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). Methods
      SLE patients with AAC hospitalized in the Peking Union Medical College Hospital
      (PUMCH) from January 2001 to September 2015 were retrospectively analyzed. Their
      medical records were systematically reviewed. The diagnosis of AAC was based on
      clinical manifestations and confirmed by radiologic findings including a
      distended gallbladder with thickened wall, pericholecystic fluid and absence of
      gallstones. Results Among the 8411 hospitalized SLE patients in PUMCH, 13 (0.15%)
      were identified to have SLE-AAC. Eleven (84.6%) of them were female, with a mean
      age of 30.1 +/- 8.6 years. AAC was the initial manifestation of SLE in four
      (30.8%) cases. Eleven (84.6%) patients complained of fever and abdominal pain,
      four (30.8%) had positive Murphy's sign and six (46.2%) had elevated liver
      enzymes. The median SLE Disease Activity Index was 8.0 (range 0-20.0) at the time
      of AAC. Other affected organs in SLE-AAC included kidney (11, 84.6%) and
      hematologic system (11, 84.6%), followed by mucocutaneous (seven, 53.8%),
      musculoskeletal (seven, 53.8%) and neuropsychiatric (two, 15.4%) systems. All
      patients received treatment of glucocorticoids and immunosuppressants but none
      underwent surgical intervention. During a median follow-up of 28 months (range, 2
      320 months), 12 cases (92.4%) responded to treatment with no relapse and one
      patient (7.6%) died of septic shock. Conclusion Our study suggests that AAC is a
      relatively uncommon and underestimated gastrointestinal involvement of SLE that
      is often associated with active disease. For patients with AAC in SLE, treatment
      with aggressive glucocorticoids could result in a good prognosis.

PMID- 28355988
TI  - Direct oral anticoagulants: an alternative treatment for thrombotic
      antiphospholipid syndrome?
AB  - Background Direct oral anticoagulants (DOACs) demonstrate a lower risk-benefit
      ratio than vitamin K antagonists (VKAs) for secondary thromboprophylaxis of
      thrombotic events. But there are no data on the efficacy of DOACs for the
      prevention of thrombotic recurrence in patients with antiphospholipid syndrome
      (APS). In this study, we evaluated the efficacy of DOACs to prevent recurrences
      of thrombotic events in patients with APS. Methods This was a single-center
      pilot, using a multi-step Fleming design. If seven or fewer patients presented
      treatment failure with rivaroxaban, the study could conclude efficacy. Results A
      total of 23 patients were included. APS involved the veins only ( n = 19),
      arteries only ( n = 2) or both ( n = 1) and 1 patient exhibited catastrophic
      antiphospholipid syndrome (CAPS). Overall, two patients were positive for lupus
      anticoagulant, anti-beta-2 glycoprotein I antibodies and anticardiolipid
      antibodies (triple positivity). The mean duration of follow up was 35.6 (range,
      29-40) months. A total of six treatment failures were reported: one patient, with
      triple positivity, developed bilateral distal pulmonary embolism (PE) after 20
      months of treatment with rivaroxaban, two patients refused to take rivaroxaban,
      the treatment was stopped in three other patients: two with adverse effects and
      one with chronic iron-deficiency anemia. Conclusions Rivaroxaban may represent an
      alternative for secondary thromboprophylaxis for thrombo-embolism in patients
      with APS, in particular, those with poor international normalized ratio (INR)
      control and those who are not at the highest risk of recurrent thrombosis, such
      as those with triple positivity.

PMID- 28355989
TI  - Reduced volumes of the CA1 and CA4-dentate gyrus hippocampal subfields in
      systemic lupus erythematosus.
AB  - Introduction There is evidence for hippocampal dysfunctions in systemic lupus
      erythematosus (SLE), which may contribute to neuropsychiatric impairments.
      However, fine structural alterations of the hippocampus have not been
      investigated in SLE. Methods We measured the volume of hippocampal subfields in
      18 SLE patients and 20 healthy control individuals matched for age, gender, and
      education. The MRI protocol included structural T1 volumes (Philips Achieva 3T
      scanner, magnetization-prepared rapid acquisition gradient echo (MPRAGE)). For
      image processing, we used the neuGRID platform and the longitudinal pipeline of
      FreeSurfer v6.0 with the "hipposubfields" flag. Results Patients with SLE showed
      reduced volumes of CA1 (Cornu Ammonis 1) and CA4-dentate gyrus subfields relative
      to the control individuals. Smaller CA1 volumes were associated with worse
      performance on the Addenbrooke's Cognitive Examination. Conclusions These
      preliminary results indicate a prominent vulnerability and functional relevance
      of the CA1 hippocampal subfield in SLE.

PMID- 28355990
TI  - Active elbow flexion is possible in C4 quadriplegia using hybrid assistive limb
      (HAL(r)) technology: A case study.
AB  - CONTEXT: Patients with complete quadriplegia after high cervical spinal cord
      injury are fully dependent with activities of daily living. Assistive technology
      can improve their quality of life. We examined the use of a hybrid assistive limb
      for single joints (HAL-SJ) in a 19-year-old man with complete C4 quadriplegia due
      to chronic spinal cord injury to restore function of active elbow flexion. This
      is the first report on the use of the HAL-SJ in a patient with spinal cord
      injury. FINDINGS: The HAL-SJ intervention for each elbow was administered in 10
      sessions. Clinical assessment using surface EMG was conducted to evaluate muscle
      activity of the trapezius, biceps brachii, infraspinatus, and triceps brachii
      muscle before, and during the 2nd, 3rd, 6th, and 9th interventions. Surface
      electromyography (EMG) before intervention showed no contraction in the upper
      arms, but in the bilateral trapezius. The HAL-SJ used motion intention from the
      right trapezius for activation. After the 6th and 7th session, respectively,
      biceps EMG showed that voluntary contraction and right elbow flexion could be
      performed by motion intention from the right biceps. After the 10th session,
      voluntary bicep contraction was possible. HAL-SJ treatment on the left elbow was
      performed using the same protocol with a similar outcome. After completing
      treatment on both upper extremities, both biceps contracted voluntarily, and he
      could operate a standard wheelchair for a short distance independently.
      CONCLUSION: HAL-SJ intervention is feasible and effective in restoring elbow
      flexor function in a patient with C4 chronic spinal cord injury and complete
      quadriplegia.

PMID- 28355992
TI  - A Qualitative Systematic Review of the Bereavement Process Following Suicide.
AB  - Despite the fact that a large number of people are bereaved by suicide each year,
      the experiences of those bereaved by suicide are poorly understood. It has been
      suggested that a contributing factor in relation to this lack of understanding
      has been the use of quantitative methods, which may not be sensitive to the
      bereavement process and its thematic content. Therefore, the current article
      outlines a systematic review of 11 qualitative studies that address issues
      related to the bereavement process following suicide. The results indicate that
      those bereaved by suicide encounter a range of difficult feelings following
      suicide including blame, guilt, and emptiness and that these feelings are
      affected by participants' ability to make meaning of the event. The meaning
      making process is a complex one that occurs within a difficult social context in
      which both those bereaved by suicide and members of the wider community struggle
      to interact with each other in a beneficial way. Clinical implications of these
      findings are discussed.

PMID- 28355991
TI  - Cautioning Health-Care Professionals.
AB  - Science and practice seem deeply stuck in the so-called stage theory of grief.
      Health-care professionals continue to "prescribe" stages. Basically, this
      perspective endorses the idea that bereaved people go through a set pattern of
      specific reactions over time following the death of a loved one. It has
      frequently been interpreted prescriptively, as a progression that bereaved
      persons must follow in order to adapt to loss. It is of paramount importance to
      assess stage theory, not least in view of the current status of the maladaptive
      "persistent complex bereavement-related disorder" as a category for further
      research in DSM-5. We therefore review the status and value of this approach. It
      has remained hugely influential among researchers as well as practitioners across
      recent decades, but there has also been forceful opposition. Major concerns
      include the absence of sound empirical evidence, conceptual clarity, or
      explanatory potential. It lacks practical utility for the design or allocation of
      treatment services, and it does not help identification of those at risk or with
      complications in the grieving process. Most disturbingly, the expectation that
      bereaved persons will, even should, go through stages of grieving can be harmful
      to those who do not. Following such lines of reasoning, we argue that stage
      theory should be discarded by all concerned (including bereaved persons
      themselves); at best, it should be relegated to the realms of history. There are
      alternative models that better represent grieving processes. We develop
      guidelines to enhance such a move beyond the stage approach in both theory and
      practice.

PMID- 28355993
TI  - "Our Only Child Has Died"-A Study of Bereaved Older Chinese Parents.
AB  - Long and complicated grief is a relevant factor contributing to the deterioration
      of the older adults' later life quality. In China, the unintentional consequence
      of the one-child policy has emerged. There, the group of older adults who lost
      their only child is called shiduers. The current study compared 42 older adults
      who lost their only child to 33 older adults who have a child, in term of their
      physical and mental health, and social support. The results confirmed the general
      deteriorating trend in those aspects of the bereaved Chinese parents' life after
      their only child's death. The results also revealed the impairments on the
      shiduers' physical, mental, and social aspects were significant, compared to the
      clinical diagnosis cutoff points used in Western countries. Unique policy and
      cultural characteristics are the main factors contributing to the severe
      impairment of shiduers. Results have implications for policy advocacy and
      practice intervention in specific cultural environments.

PMID- 28355995
TI  - New Advances in Infant Feeding: New Products and Novel Technologies.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Breastfeeding is the best way to provide ideal food for infants.
      However, there are many situations in which breastfeeding is unviable (maternal
      illness, hygiene problems, intravenous feeding requirement, storage). Safe,
      efficient, and nutritious products should be offered by the industry to mothers
      and healthcare professionals as an alternative. OBJECTIVE: The present review
      aims to update the state of the art regarding the most innovative developments in
      infant feeding formulation and, the promising novel technologies that are being
      investigated to achieve a balance between the microbiological stability,
      organoleptic and nutritional value of baby food. METHODS: The research lines
      included in the present systematic review are focused on both, the most
      innovative ingredients and emergent technologies applied increasing the offer of
      tailor-made nutritional profiled products with improved quality and safety.
      RESULTS: According to the reviewed research and recently published patents the
      current emergence of a new generation of infant products is remarkable, with
      specific product lines aimed at infants at different stages of development and
      affected by several disorders (low-weight babies, premature neonates, allergenic
      patients), with special emphasis on the application of novel technologies (e.g.
      High Hydrostatic Pressure (HHP) and microencapsulation) as potential techniques
      to ensure the microbiological safety of developed products, and the improvement
      of their nutritional value, complementary to the addition of functional
      ingredients, such as omega 3 and 6 fatty acids, amino acids, prebiotics and
      probiotics, and medicinal herb supplementation (e.g. lemon balm, royal jelly).
      CONCLUSION: The present research work provides a general view of recent advances
      in infant products processing and formulation focusing on the technological
      effects and quality/safety developments.

PMID- 28355994
TI  - College Student Adjustment and Coping.
AB  - The present study examined the coping-related predictors of four domains of
      college adjustment (i.e., academic, social, personal or emotional, and
      institutional attachment) for bereaved and nonbereaved students ( N = 225).
      Findings indicated that support from friends was positively associated with
      academic and social adjustment and institutional attachment and that avoidant
      emotional-focused coping was negatively associated with all domains of adjustment
      for both bereaved and nonbereaved students. Interaction effects indicated that
      institutional attachment was lower at high levels of problem-focused coping for
      bereaved students and that bereaved students exhibited lower levels of both
      social adjustment and institutional attachment at low levels of family support,
      whereas nonbereaved students exhibited lower social adjustment at high levels of
      family support. Directions for future research and implications for practice and
      higher education policy are offered.

PMID- 28355996
TI  - Environmentally Responsive Systems for Drug Delivery.
AB  - BACKGROUND: In recent decades, the development of the environmentally responsive
      systems for drug delivery has been well regarded, with enormous potential in
      different applications. <P><P> Methods: These environmentally sensitive, smart,
      intelligent formulations have the ability to alter their physical properties in
      response to small changes in physical or chemical conditions, such as
      temperature, glucose, pH, ultrasound, light, electric field and redox potential
      with a huge potential in drug delivery systems. The use of formulations
      containing smart materials enables to carry the drug to the target tissue, cells
      and release in a triggered way. Consequently, they have demonstrated several
      advantages like decreased dose frequency, ease of preparation and administration,
      prolonged release with reduced side effects, as well as, reduced costs when
      compared to conventional processes for industrial applications. In this sense,
      many patents have deposited, displaying different pharmaceutical devices using
      responsive systems. <P><P> Results: There are more than twenty-five patents
      deposited about thermoresponsive systems. Furthermore, a few number of patents
      within glucose responsive, ultrasound responsive and light responsive deposited.
      There also are about eight patents that are pH-responsive, four as electric-field
      responsive. Most of them cover more than one type of stimuli. <P><P> Conclusion:
      Therefore, in this review, since 1975 to 2016, we have categorized, reviewed and
      discussed the patents, applications, pharmaceutical dosage forms, the importance
      and perspectives of this environmentally responsive approach as potentially
      useful therapeutic modality.

PMID- 28355997
TI  - Magnetic Nanoparticles: A Review on Stratagems of Fabrication an d its Biomedical
      Applications.
AB  - BACKGROUND: The aim of this review is to provide an insight to the underlying
      biomedical applications of magnetic nanoparticles (MNPs). METHODS: The most
      specific characteristic of MNPs is their response to an applied magnetic force,
      and this property of MNPs has been utilized in applications such as diagnosis of
      diseases, drug delivery and drug targeting. Currently, MNPs have attracted great
      attention because of their potential as contrast agents for magnetic resonance
      imaging (MRI) and heat mediators for cancer therapy (hyperthermia). RESULTS:
      Furthermore, the MNPs are also being used to achieve targeted delivery of
      biological molecules. Nowadays cancer is one of the biggest challenges and our
      goal is not only to improve the therapeutic outcome, but also to improve the
      methods of treatment along with the minimum adverse effect. Some suitable
      conclusions have been quoted on the precise synthesis approaches by focusing the
      mechanism of MNPs and new modification made on the production of these
      nanoparticles. CONCLUSION: In this review diverse biomedical application of MNPs
      were also addressed and patents related remarks also made from the literature.

PMID- 28355999
TI  - Can Ligands of Different Functional Types Induce Distinct Dynamics in G Protein
      Coupled Receptors?
AB  - G Protein-Coupled Receptors (GPCRs) are the most common therapeutic targets for
      drug discovery by the pharmaceutical industries. Since 2007, several three
      dimensional X-ray crystallographic structures of ligand-activated GPCRs have been
      determined in their agonist-bound or inverse agonist-bound states, providing a
      wealth of fundamental resources for the investigation of the atomic-level
      mechanism of receptor activation and deactivation. A number of computational
      methods, such as conventional and enhanced sampling Molecular Dynamic (MD)
      simulations have been applied to investigate the receptor dynamics bound with
      ligands of different functional types (i.e., agonist and inverse agonist). In
      this article, we reviewed recent efforts in characterizing the dynamical
      activation and deactivation mechanisms of GPCRs induced by different functional
      types of ligands.

PMID- 28355998
TI  - Bioactive Molecule-loaded Drug Delivery Systems to Optimize Bone Tissue Repair.
AB  - Bioactive molecules such as peptides and proteins can optimize the repair of bone
      tissue; however, the results are often unpredictable when administered alone,
      owing to their short biological half-life and instability. Thus, the development
      of bioactive molecule-loaded drug delivery systems (DDS) to repair bone tissue
      has been the subject of intense research. DDS can optimize the repair of bone
      tissue owing to their physicochemical properties, which improve cellular
      interactions and enable the incorporation and prolonged release of bioactive
      molecules. These characteristics are fundamental to favor bone tissue
      homeostasis, since the biological activity of these factors depends on how
      accessible they are to the cell. Considering the importance of these DDS, this
      review aims to present relevant information on DDS when loaded with osteogenic
      growth peptide and bone morphogenetic protein. These are bioactive molecules that
      are capable of modulating the differentiation and proliferation of mesenchymal
      cells in bone tissue cells. Moreover, we will present different approaches using
      these peptide and protein-loaded DDS, such as synthetic membranes and scaffolds
      for bone regeneration, synthetic grafts, bone cements, liposomes, and micelles,
      which aim at improving the therapeutic effectiveness, and we will compare their
      advantages with commercial systems.

PMID- 28356000
TI  - New Achievements in Bioinformatics Prediction of Post Translational Modification
      of Proteins.
AB  - Post translational modification (PTM) is one of the critical levels in regulation
      of gene expression that determines the fate of proteins after translation in
      eukaryotic cells. Since the detection of PTM sites in proteins is useful for
      diagnosis and prevention of diseases, numerous web-tool predictors are introduced
      to predict various types of PTMs. In this paper, an attempt is made to summarize
      a number of server predictors for the prediction of PTM sites.

PMID- 28356001
TI  - Atomoxetine Protects Against NMDA Receptor-mediated Hippocampal Neuronal Death
      Following Transient Global Cerebral Ischemia.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Atomoxetine has been widely used for the treatment of attention
      deficit/ hyperactivity disorder. ATX has additional abilities such as
      antagonistic effects on the N-methyl-Daspartate receptors (NMDARs) and benefit
      effects in some animal models of neurological disorders. However, there were few
      studies regarding protective effects and related mechanisms of ATX against
      cerebral ischemic insults. OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study is to
      investigate neuroprotection of ATX pretreatment and its mechanisms in the
      hippocampal cornu ammonis 1 (CA1) region following transient global cerebral
      ischemia in gerbils. METHOD: Gerbils were subjected to transient global cerebral
      ischemia induced by the occlusion of common carotid arteries for 5 min. Thirty
      mg/kg of ATX was administrated intraperitoneally once daily for 3 days before
      ischemic surgery. To examine neuroprotective effects of ATX, we carried out
      neuronal nuclear antigen immunohistochemistry and Fluoro-Jade B histofluorescence
      staining. In addition, immunoreactivities of NMDAR1, NMDAR2A/B, B-cell lymphoma 2
      (Bcl-2) and Bcl-2- associated X protein (Bax) are closely related with
      neuroexcitotoxicity. RESULTS: ATX pretreatment reduced ischemia-induced
      hyperactivity and protected CA1 pyramidal neurons from ischemia. Pretreatment
      with ATX significantly attenuated ischemia-induced increases of NMDAR1 and
      NMDAR2A/B immunoreactivities in the CA1 pyramidal neurons at early time following
      ischemia. In addition, significant ischemia-induced alterations of Bcl-2 and Bax
      immunoreactivities were not observed in the ATX-treated group following ischemia.
      CONCLUSION: These results show that pretreatment with ATX protected against
      ischemic neuronal via inhibition of ischemia-induced excitotoxicity at early time
      following transient global cerebral ischemia.

PMID- 28356003
TI  - Young Stroke Patients Treated with Intravenous Thrombolysis have a More Favorable
      Outcome and Mortality Compared with Older Patients.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Previous clinical studies suggest that intravenous thrombolysis (IVT)
      with recombinant tissue plasminogen activator benefits stroke patients, but the
      efficacy of IVT in young stroke patients is not well-studied in China. OBJECTIVE:
      We compared the safety and efficacy of IVT with recombinant tissue plasminogen
      activator between Chinese young stroke patients (18-50 years old) and older
      patients (51-80 years old). METHOD: We analyzed data from the Soochow Stroke
      Registry for 373 stroke patients (18-50 years, n=74 vs. 51-80 years, n=299) who
      received IVT between May 2009 and January 2016. Main outcomes included
      symptomatic intracerebral hemorrhage (sICH) within 7 days, and mortality and
      favorable outcome (modified Rankin scale 0-2) at 3 months. Associations between
      baseline characteristics and outcomes for the two groups were analyzed by
      logistic regression. RESULTS: Favorable outcome at 3 months was significantly
      higher in young adults (adjusted odds ratio 2.09; 95% confidence interval 1.09
      3.99, p=0.026). The incidence of sICH and mortality was low for young adults
      compared with older patients, but there were no statistically significant
      differences between the two groups. Multivariable analysis showed that baseline
      National Institutes of Health Stroke Score was associated with favorable outcome
      (p=0.026) in young adults. CONCLUSION: Our analysis indicated that young stroke
      patients treated with IVT had a more favorable outcome without an increased risk
      of sICH and mortality compared with older patients. We conclude that IVT is safe
      and at least as beneficial for Chinese young adults with acute ischemic stroke
      compared with older patients.

PMID- 28356004
TI  - Post-Transcriptional and Post-translational Regulation of Central Carbon
      Metabolic Enzymes in Cancer.
AB  - Malignant transformation of cells requires specific adaptations of cellular
      metabolism to support growth and survival. Alterations in cancer central carbon
      metabolism including aerobic glycolysis, elevated glutaminolysis, dysregulated
      tricarboxylic acid cycle and pentose phosphate pathway, facilitate cancer
      development by maintaining viability and building new biomass. Although a variety
      of oncogenes or tumor suppressors contribute to these rewiring, accumulating
      evidence suggests that both post-transcriptional and post-translational
      modifications (PTMs) also orchestrate the tightly controlled regulation of cancer
      metabolic adaptations, broadening the biological mechanisms of cancer metabolic
      reprogramming. Micro RNA, one kind of posttranscriptional modification, mediates
      transcriptional silencing of various metabolic enzymes. Additional, different
      kinds of PTMs play important roles in cancer metabolic rewiring by affecting the
      function, interaction or stability of target proteins. We survey recent studies
      demonstrating PTMs at lysine residues and microRNAs that are involved in
      reprogramming of cancer central carbon metabolism, and summarize the effect of
      these modifications according to different parts of central carbon metabolic
      pathway. Moreover, we provide an updated overview of the compounds or agents
      targeting central carbon metabolism in cancer. Given that the heterogeneity of
      cancer biology, a combination of these novel therapeutics and standard
      chemotherapeutic agents may obtain better benefit and overcome drug resistance.
      Finally, this review discusses the challenges and some new steps that may further
      advance this field.

PMID- 28356002
TI  - Prognostic Parameters for Symptomatic Intracranial Hemorrhage after Intravenous
      Thrombolysis in Acute Ischemic Stroke in an Asian Population.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Symptomatic intracranial hemorrhage (sICH) is a major complication
      after intravenous thrombolysis leading to severe disability and death. The
      incidence was higher in Asian than in western countries. Prognostic factors
      across ethnicities are presumably different. Studies in Asian populations are
      limited. METHOD: Clinical data from January 2008 to September 2016 in one
      provincial and four regional hospitals in the northern part of Thailand were
      retrospectively reviewed. Patients were those with acute ischemic stroke, to whom
      recombinant tissue plasminogen activator (rt-PA) had been prescribed. They were
      classified into 3 groups; no intracranial hemorrhage (no ICH), asymptomatic
      intracranial hemorrhage (asICH) and symptomatic intracranial hemorrhage (sICH),
      based on clinical and brain imaging (computed tomography or CT). Prognostic
      parameters were investigated using a multi-level, multivariable ordinal logistic
      model. RESULTS: After exclusion of ineligible patients, the remaining 1,172
      patients were classified into no ICH (n=923, 78.8%), asICH (n=154, 13.1%) and
      sICH (n=95, 8.1%). Independent prognostic parameters for intracranial hemorrhage
      were the National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS) >20 (OR, 3.51; 95%
      CI, 2.18-5.65; p<0.001), NIHSS >10 (OR, 2.02; 95% CI, 1.42-2.87; p<0.001), use of
      nicardipine during rt-PA (OR, 1.61; 95% CI, 1.09-2.40; p=0.018), systolic blood
      pressure (SBP) prior to thrombolysis >= 140 mmHg (OR, 1.47; 95% CI, 1.06-2.04;
      p=0.021), and platelet count <250,000 cell/mm3 (OR, 1.45; 95% CI, 1.04-2.01;
      p=0.029). CONCLUSION: Patients with these parameters should be closely monitored.
      Information should be provided to the patients and their relatives.

PMID- 28356005
TI  - The Oxime Derivatives of 1-R-1H-Naphtho[2,3-d][1,2,3]triazole-4,9-dione 2-oxides:
      Synthesis and Properties.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: To synthesize a novel chemotype based on the naphthoquinone scaffold
      with retained cytotoxicity and provisionally low intracellular oxidation
      potential. BACKGROUND: Derivatives of naphthoquinone, although potent anticancer
      agents, can exert heart toxicity due to generation of free oxygen species.
      METHODS: In this study, we modified the scaffold by replacing one carbonyl group
      with the oxime moiety. Interestingly, only one carbonyl group in 1-R-1H
      naphtho[2,3-d][1,2,3]triazole-4,9-dione 2-oxides reacted with hydroxylamine. The
      spatial structure was determined by X-ray analysis. New compounds were tested for
      the ability to form stable complexes with double stranded DNA by spectroscopy and
      molecular docking and to induce death of tumor cell lines and non-malignant
      counterparts. RESULTS: The resulting 1-R-1H-naphtho[2,3-d][1,2,3]triazole-4,9
      dione 4-oxime 2-oxides were further acylated to produce a series of 1-R-1H
      naphtho[2,3-d][1,2,3]triazole-4,9-dione 4-(O-acyloxime) 2-oxides. Newly
      synthesized compounds demonstrated a higher (in submicromolar or low micromolar
      range) cytotoxic potency against human colon and breast adenocarcinoma cell lines
      than to non-malignant skin fibroblasts. Spectroscopic measurements revealed that,
      unlike other classes of quinone derivatives, new naphthotriazoledione oxides did
      not form stable complexes with double stranded DNA regardless of their fitting to
      the DNA minor groove (as determined by molecular modeling). CONCLUSION: Thus, our
      chemical modifications yielded a new chemotype with good cytotoxic properties and
      yet-to-be-identified intracellular target(s).

PMID- 28356006
TI  - Body Fluids-Derived Exosomes: Paving the Novel Road to Lung Cancer Diagnosis and
      Therapy.
AB  - Lung cancer is a major human malignancy. Nowadays, the lack of specific
      diagnostic markers of lung cancer restricts the early diagnosis and therapy of
      patients. Exosomes, as spherical 30-100 nm microvesicles, are released by normal
      and cancer cells in both physiological and pathological circumstances. Exosomes
      carry various molecular cargos such as miRNA, proteins, mRNA, DNA and lipids.
      Therefore, analysis of the molecular profiles of exosomes may provide beneficial
      biomarkers for disease diagnosis. Exosomes can be transported by body fluids. The
      molecules (miRNAs and proteins) detected in body fluid exosomes may contribute to
      lung cancer diagnosis. In this review, we summarize typical molecules (miRNAs and
      proteins) in body fluids-derived exosomes to reveal the potential biomarkers in
      lung cancer. Besides, the role and the application of exosomes in chemotherapy
      and radiotherapy of lung cancer patients have also been discussed in this review.

PMID- 28356008
TI  - The Evolutionary Tale and Future Directions of Aromatase Inhibitors in Breast
      Carcinoma.
AB  - Aromatase inhibitors have often been likened to that of 'medical scalpels' for
      the treatment of breast carcinoma. By inhibiting the singular step of
      aromatisation, they have proven to be extremely effective allies in the treatment
      of breast cancer among postmenopausal women. However, their relevance soon may
      not be limited to the post-menopausal age group alone. Recent studies have hinted
      at their utility amongst the premenopausal women; combined with ovarian ablation
      techniques, aromatase inhibitors may prove to be equally effective and more, as
      compared to tamoxifen in this age-group. Additionally, explorations aimed at
      ascertaining their potential utility as an effective preventive strategy against
      breast carcinoma have yielded encouraging results. However, for aromatase
      inhibitors to be able to attain their full potential, further strategic fine
      tuning aimed at maximising their efficacy and minimising their potentially far
      reaching adverse effects, is the need of the hour. Despite the recent
      diversification, the issue of resistance to aromatase inhibitors in breast cancer
      threatens to derail the advances so gained till date. Fortunately, a few novel
      ploys have come to the fore, for instance combining aromatase inhibitors with HER
      2 antibodies that could potentially help circumvent the menace of resistance in
      the near future. Till date, the utility of aromatase inhibitors can at best be
      described as onedimensional. However, with the unearthing of potential new
      avenues for its application, this assortment of molecules today stands on the
      precipice of ushering in a new revolution in the treatment of breast carcinoma.

PMID- 28356007
TI  - Fluorescent Immortalized Human Adipose Derived Stromal Cells (hASCs-TS/GFP+) for
      Studying Cell Drug Delivery Mediated by Microvesicles.
AB  - BACKGROUND: A new tool for the drug delivery is based on the use of Mesenchymal
      Stromal Cells (MSCs) loaded in vitro with anti-cancer drugs. Unfortunately, the
      restricted lifespan of MSCs represents a significant limitation to produce them
      in high amounts and for long time studies. Immortalized MSCs from adipose tissue
      (hASCs) have been generated as good source of cells with stable features. These
      cells could improve the development of standardized procedures for both in vitro
      and preclinical studies. Furthermore they facilitate procedures for preparing
      large amounts of secretome containing microvesicles (MVs). METHOD: We used human
      adipose tissue derived MSCs immortalized with hTERT+SV40 (TS) genes and
      transfected with GFP (hASCs-TS/GFP+). This line was investigated for its ability
      to uptake and release anticancer drugs. Microvesicles associated to paclitaxel
      (MVs/PTX) were isolated, quantified, and tested on pancreatic cancer cells.
      RESULTS: The line hASCs-TS/GFP+ maintained the main mesenchymal characters and
      was able to uptake and release, in active form, both paclitaxel and gemcitabine.
      From paclitaxel loaded hASCs-TS/GFP+ cells were isolated microvesicles in
      sufficient amount to inhibit "in vitro" the proliferation of pancreatic tumor
      cells. CONCLUSION: Our study suggests that human immortalized MSCs could be used
      for a large scale production of cells for mediated drug delivery. Moreover, the
      secretion of drug-associated MVs could represent a new way for producing new drug
      formulation by "biogenesis". In the context of the "advanced cell therapy
      procedure", the MVs/PTX production would use less resource and time and it could
      possibly contribute to simplification of GMP procedures.

PMID- 28356009
TI  - ECPIRM, a Potential Therapeutic Agent for Cutaneous T-Cell Lymphoma, Inhibits
      Cell Proliferation and Promotes Apoptosis via a JAK/STAT Pathway.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Retinoids are important agents for the treatment of cutaneous T-cell
      lymphomas (CTCL). But side effects and drug resistance caused by activation of
      RAR/RXR limited their clinical application. Therefore, it is urgent to develop
      new agents to fight against CTCL. ECPIRM, a 13-cis retinoic acid derivative, was
      reported that it inhibited proliferation and induced apoptosis of SCL-1 cells.
      OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to evaluate the biological activities and
      mechanisms of ECPIEM. METHODS: The effect of ECPIRM on cell proliferation was
      determined by MTT assay and Trypan blue exclusion assay while FACS analysis was
      used to detect changes in cell cycle and apoptosis in HUT78 cells. The influence
      of ECPIRM on RAR/RXR and JAK/STAT signaling was evaluated by western blot
      analysis. RESULTS: ECPIRM, better than other agents (all-trans retinoic acid,13
      cis-retinoic acid or bexarotene), inhibited proliferation and induced apoptosis
      significantly in HUT78 cells, but with little cytotoxicity on normal lymphocytes.
      Then ECPIRM induced G0/G1 phase arrest by decreasing the expression of cyclinD1,
      cyclinE, CDK2 and CDK4 while increasing p21. Furthermore, the unaffected
      expression of RAR and RXR members suggested that ECPIRM acted independently of
      RAR/RXR pathway in HUT78 cells. But decreased phosphorylation of JAK1, STAT3,
      STAT5 and downregulated Bcl-xL, Cyclin D1 and c-Myc indicated that ECPIRM
      inhibited the activation of JAK/STAT signaling. CONCLUSION: ECPIRM inhibited
      proliferation, induced apoptosis and G0/G1 phase arrest in HUT78 cells through
      inhibiting JAK/STAT pathway but not RAR/RXR pathway, which presented ECPIRM as a
      promising candidate for the treatment of CTCL patients.

PMID- 28356010
TI  - The Emerging Roles of RASSF5 in Human Malignancy.
AB  - Ras association domain family member 5 (RASSF5, also named NORE1) is an
      identified member of the RASSF gene family which could bind selectively to
      activate Ras and function as an antineoplastic effector in multiple cellular
      regulations. While highly expressed in majority of normal tissues, RASSF5 is
      epigenetically inactivated by promoter hypermethylation in numerous cancer cell
      lines and primary cancers, suggesting it as a potential tumor suppressor.
      Nevertheless, the physiologic significance of RASSF5 in tumorigenesis remains
      unclear. We performed a systematic literature review and assessment from PUBMED
      and MEDLINE databases in this article. RASSF5 is involved in a series of cellular
      responses including apoptosis, senescence, cell cycle regulation, differentiation
      and cell proliferation and the inactivation of RASSF5 has been implicated to
      participate in the oncogenesis, progression and poor prognosis of human cancers.
      In this review, we mainly elucidate the acknowledged structure, progress in the
      verified functions and research advances of RASSF5 and the probably relevant
      signaling pathways. Based on these evidences, potentiality of RASSF5 as a new
      therapeutic target for human cancers may play a significant role in future
      oncotherapy.

PMID- 28356011
TI  - Thymol Elicits HCT-116 Colorectal Carcinoma Cell Death Through Induction of
      Oxidative Stress.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Colon cancer is one of the most deadly and common carcinomas
      occurring worldwide and there have been many attempts to treat this cancer. The
      present work was designed in order to evaluate thymol as a potent drug against
      colon cancer. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Cytotoxicity of thymol at different
      concentrations was evaluated against a human colon carcinoma cell line (HCT-116
      cells). Fluorescent staining was carried out to evaluate the level of ROS as well
      as mitochondrial and DNA fragmentation and immunoblot analysis were performed to
      confirm apoptosis and mitoptosis. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION: Results of the study
      demonstrated that thymol efficiently created an oxidative stress environment
      inside HCT-116 cells, a colorectal carcinoma cell line, through induction of ROS
      production along with intense damage to DNA and mitochondria, as observed through
      Hoechst and rhodamine 123 staining, respectively. Moreover, expression of PARP-1,
      p-JNK, cytochrome-C and caspase-3 proteins was up-regulated, suggesting HCT-116
      cells underwent mitoptotic cell death. Therefore, thymol could be used as a
      potent drug against colon cancer due to its lower toxicity and prevalence in
      natural medicinal plants.

PMID- 28356012
TI  - Synthesis of Novel Imine Stilbene Analogs Exhibiting Potent Anticancer Activity.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Resveratrol (RV) and its analogues Aza-stilbenes were found effective
      in exhibiting anticancer activity. OBJECTIVE: The present study mainly focused on
      the green synthesis of novel imine stilbene analogues and evaluation of their
      anticancer activity besides their influence on hypoxia-induced gene expression in
      cancer cells. METHOD: Novel imine stilbenes, differing in number and/or position
      of hydroxyl and methoxy functional groups, have been synthesized using green
      chemistry mediated condensation reaction between aldehydes and amines in the
      ethanolic extract of Psoralea corylifolia hairy roots and tested for their
      anticancer potential. RESULTS: Ethanol containing 1% hairy root extract
      facilitated instant reaction and yielded more than 99% product( s). MTT assay on
      HeLa cells treated with imine stilbene analogues revealed an increase in the
      inhibition of cell proliferation as compared to RV. Treatment of nontumor HEK293
      cells with these compounds disclosed minimal toxicity implying the selective
      advantage of these compounds for cervical cancer therapy. Scratch assay on HeLa
      cells displayed inhibition of directional cell motility by these analogues and
      compound 3e [4-((E)-(4- hydroxyphenylimino)methyl)-2-methoxyphenol] recorded
      maximum inhibition. In reporter assay, as compared to untreated N-(2-Methoxy-2
      oxoacetyl) glycine methyl ester (DMOG) induced cells, hypoxia response element-
      directed transcriptional activity has been significantly reduced in DMOG induced
      cells treated with imine stilbene analogues. CONCLUSION: Overall results
      indicated that four of the five imine stilbene analogues exhibited enhanced
      anticancer activity than that of the RV. As such, the novel synthetic compounds
      3d, 3e and 3b endowed with potent anticancer activity than RV can serve as drug
      lead molecules.

PMID- 28356013
TI  - Synthesis and Cytotoxic Activities of Difluoro-Dimethoxy Chalcones.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Although anticancer chemotherapeutics are available in markets, side
      effects related to the drugs in clinical use lead to researchers to investigate
      new drug candidates which are more safe, potent and selective than others.
      Chalcones are popular with their anticancer activities with the several reported
      mechanisms including inhibition of angiogenesis, inhibition of tubulin
      polymerization, and induction of apoptosis etc. OBJECTIVE: This study was focused
      on to synthesize of 1-(2,4/2,6-difluorophenyl)-3-(2,3/2,4/2,5/3,4-
      dimethoxyphenyl)-2-propen-1-ones (1-8) and investigate their cytotoxic properties
      with possible mechanism of action. METHOD: The compounds were synthesized by
      Claisen-Schmidt condensation. The chemical structures were confirmed by 1H NMR,
      13C NMR, DEPT, COSY, HMQC, HMBC, 19F NMR and HRMS. In vitro cytotoxic effects of
      the compounds against human tumour cell lines [gingival carcinoma (Ca9-22), oral
      squamous cell carcinoma (HSC-2)] and human normal oral cells [gingival
      fibroblasts (HGF), periodontal ligament fibroblasts (HPLF)] were evaluated via
      MTT test. RESULTS: All compounds had higher cytotoxicity than reference compound
      5-Fluorouracil (5-FU). The compounds 3-7 had higher potency selectivity
      expression values (PSE) than 5-FU and PSE values of the compounds were over 100.
      All chalcone derivatives seem good candidates for further studies according to
      very remarkable and high PSE values. CONCLUSION: It was clearly demonstrated that
      compound 7 can induce early apoptosis at a concentration of 10 uM and dose
      dependent late apoptosis starting at 10 uM. Compound 7 induced cleavage of the
      apoptosis marker PARP. The results indicate that new chalcones reported here can
      promote apoptosis in human tumour cell lines.

PMID- 28356014
TI  - Inhibition of EGFR Signaling by N-cyclohexyl-2-(1-(phenylsulfonyl)piperidin-4-yl)
      acetamide.
AB  - BACKGROUND: The epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) is a driver oncogene and
      specific blockade of EGFR has been shown to be an effective therapeutic approach
      against multiple human cancers. AIMS: Here we employed the homogeneous time
      resolved fluorescence (HTRF) technology to screen new EGFR mediators. METHOD: 4
      hits (NDS-41107, NDS-41119, NDS-41111 and NDS-41126) were confirmed in a compound
      library of 8000 compounds, and the IC50 values were determined to be 15.45+/
      2.25uM (NDS-41107), 6.16+/-0.88 uM (NDS-41119), 11.33+/-3.31 uM (NDS-41111) and
      11.19+/-1.67uM (NDS-41126), respectively. We then showed that NDS-41119 (N
      cyclohexyl-2-(1-(phenylsulfonyl) piperidin-4-yl) acetamide) significantly
      inhibited EGFR signaling in human lung cancer cells, as evidenced by decreased
      phosphorylation of EGFR,ERK and Akt. NDS-41119 also attenuated EGF-induced cell
      proliferation and migration in a dose-dependent manner. We finally demonstrated
      that NDS-41119 inhibited the T790M mutation in NCI-H1975 cells and potentiated
      the effect of gefitinib against resistant cells. RESULT: Our results will
      contribute to the development of novel EGFR-targeted anti-cancer drugs.

PMID- 28356015
TI  - Synthesis of Phenol-derivatives and Biological Screening for Anticancer Activity.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Phenolic compounds are known for their cytotoxic properties against
      cancer cells despite their still unclear general mechanism of action. Herein is
      reported the evaluation of the cytotoxic effects of on human osteosarcoma cells
      of nine phenol derivatives against osteosarcoma cells, and some insights on their
      mechanism. METHOD AND RESULTS: The cytotoxicity was characterized by cell
      viability, scratch assay, cellular DNA content measurement, Annexin V apoptosis,
      mitochondrial calcium and caspase 3/7 assays. The study shows that out of the
      nine compounds used in this study, a tetrahydroquinoline derivative, 2-((1,2,3,4
      tetrahydroquinolin-1-yl)(4- methoxyphenyl)methyl) phenol, was found to exhibit
      strong inhibitory response with IC50 of 50.5 +/- 3.8 uM, and therefore can be a
      potential chemotherapeutic agent. Further experiments revealed that this compound
      induces cell death by apoptosis and also act as a migration inhibitor. Analysis
      of the mitochondrial calcium following treatment with the compound on U2OS cells
      showed a significant reduction in the level of mitochondrial calcium
      concentration suggesting a mitochondrial calcium-independent mechanism in
      triggering apoptosis. Treatment of HEK293 cells with the compound confirmed the
      cytotoxic effects of the compound, however, an increase in the level of
      mitochondrial calcium was observed. Moreover, the caspase 3/7 mediated cell death
      was also observed in both cell types. CONCLUSION: Overall, the study suggests
      that the derivatives of this compound can be used for development of new
      therapeutics for osteosarcoma and other cancers.

PMID- 28356016
TI  - Tetrazole Derivatives as Promising Anticancer Agents.
AB  - Tetrazole cycle is a promising pharmacophore fragment frequently used in the
      development of novel drugs. This moiety is a stable, practically non-metabolized
      bioisosteric analog of carboxylic, cis-amide, and other functional groups. Over
      recent 10-15 years, various isomeric forms of tetrazole (NH-unsubstituted, 1H-1-
      substituted, and 2H-2-substituted tetrazoles) have been successfully used in the
      design of promising anticancer drugs. Coordination compounds of transition metals
      containing tetrazoles as ligands, semisynthetic tetrazolyl derivatives of natural
      compounds (biogenic acids, peptides, steroids, combretastatin, etc.), 5-oxo and 5
      thiotetrazoles, and some other related compounds have been recognized as
      promising antineoplastic agents. This review presents a comprehensive analysis of
      modern approaches to synthesis of these tetrazole derivatives as well as their
      biological (anticancer) properties. The most promising structure types of
      tetrazoles to be used as anticancer agents have been picked out.

PMID- 28356017
TI  - Antitumor Activity of Copper (I)-Nicotinate Complex and Autophagy Modulation in
      HCC1806 Breast Cancer Cells.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Squamous cell cancer is a heterogeneous aggressive disease,
      therefore, its treatment is challenging. Increased attention has been paid to
      metal complexes as anticancer drugs. However, new insights towards autophagy have
      been recognized due to its role in tumor cell death or survival. OBJECTIVE: To
      clarify the antitumor activity of copper (I) nicotinate complex (CNC) as new
      therapeutic agent and understand the role of autophagy modulation as a
      prospective target for the advancement of efficient therapeutic agent for
      treatment. METHOD: Viability of MDA-MB-231 and HCC1806 cells and IC50 values of
      CNC for both cell lines were assessed by MTT assay. Also, the viability and IC50
      values of Torin1 and Chloroquine (CQ) were assessed only in HCC1806 cells by MTT
      assay. The level of microtubule-associated protein 1 light chain 3 (LC3) was
      assessed by ELISA. Real time PCR was used to detect the changes in NBR1 gene
      expression. Cell cycle distribution and quantitative detection of acid vesicular
      organelles (AVOs) were determined by flow cytometry. Fluorescence microscope was
      used for qualitative detection of AVOs. Modulation of autophagy was carried out
      by Torin1 as inducer and CQ as inhibitor. RESULTS: CNC restrained the growth, in
      a dose-dependent manner, and induced cell death in human HCC1806 cell line. In
      addition, the CNC treated cells displayed inhibition of autophagy, as indicated
      by reduction of AVOs, decrease in LC3 protein level and up regulation of NBR1
      gene expression. CONCLUSION: CNC, as an autophagy inhibitor and pro-apoptotic
      agent, could be a promising anti-cancer agent either alone or in combination with
      other therapeutic drugs.

PMID- 28356019
TI  - Biological Activity Evaluation of Novel 1,2,4-Triazine Derivatives Containing
      Thiazole/Benzothiazole Rings.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Triazine ring is a prominent structural motif found in some
      azanucleosides whose efficiency improved many times in the research area of
      antitumor agents. OBJECTIVE: In this study, we have designed and synthesized
      novel 2-[(5,6-diphenyl-1,2,4-triazin-3-yl)thio]-N-(6- substituted benzo/(thiazol)
      2-yl)acetamide (2a-d, 3a-f) derivatives using 1,2,4-triazine core along with two
      important heterocyles, thiazole and benzothiazole rings. METHOD: The acquired ten
      final compounds were screened to investigate their antitumor activity against
      lung adenocarcinoma cell line, A549 and mouse fibroblast cell line, NIH/3T3. Five
      compounds with higher antiproliferative activity have been further studied to
      evaluate whether the cell death due to necrosis or apoptosis using flow
      cytometry. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION: Compound 3b bearing 6-methylbenzothiazole
      moiety has been established as the most active antitumor compound with a
      selective profile and higher apoptotic cell level. All final componds were also
      screened against acetylcholine/butyrylcholinesterase enzymes to state their
      anticholinesterase activity.

PMID- 28356018
TI  - Enhancement of the Effect of Methyl Pyropheophorbide-a-Mediated Photodynamic
      Therapy was Achieved by Increasing ROS through Inhibition of Nrf2-HO-1 or Nrf2
      ABCG2 Signaling.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Emerging evidence indicates that the transcription factor nuclear
      factor-E2-related factor 2 (Nrf2) plays an essential role in cellular defense
      against oxidative stress; its activation has been related to cytoprotection.
      OBJECTIVE: Here, we investigated the role of Nrf2 in improving the efficacy of
      methyl pyropheophorbide-amediated photodynamic therapy (Mppa-PDT) via the
      downregulation of Nrf2. METHOD: Human ovarian cancer A2780 cells and SKOV3 cells
      were treated with Mppa-PDT and siRNA transfection was performed to inhibit Nrf2.
      After treated with siRNA and Mppa-PDT, the cell viability was examined with CCK-8
      assay; cell apoptosis was detected tested by flow cytometry with Annexin V
      FITC/PI; the celluar reactive oxygen species (ROS) and mitochondrial membrane
      potential were measured with DCFHDA and JC-1 staining; expression of protein was
      assessed by western blot analysis. RESULTS: We found that Nrf2 translocated from
      the cytoplasm to the nucleus in vitro and in vivo, and the expression of Nrf2 and
      P-Nrf2 increased through a possible mechanism regulated by mitogen-activated
      protein kinase (MAPK) after Mppa-PDT treatment. Furthermore, cytotoxicity and
      apoptosis induced by Mppa-PDT increased after Nrf2down-regulation. Nrf2 down 
      regulation increased reactive oxygen species (ROS) levels by attenuating
      antioxidants or pumping Mppa out of cells,which resulted from the inhibition of
      Nrf2-HO-1 or Nrf2- ABCG2 signaling. In addition, SKOV3 cells exhibited increased
      resistance to Mppa-PDT, and the expression levels of P-Nrf2 and ABCG2 were higher
      in SKOV3 cells than in A2780 cells, suggesting that Nrf2-ABCG2 signaling might be
      involved in the intrinsic resistanceto Mppa-PDT. CONCLUSION: These results
      provided evidence that Nrf2 down-regulation can enhance the effect of Mppa-PDT.

PMID- 28356021
TI  - Novel Thiourea Derivatives Bearing Sulfonamide Moiety as Anticancer Agents
      Through COX-2 Inhibition.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Thiourea derivatives bearing sulfonamide moiety are well known for
      their anticancer activity. OBJECTIVE: The anticancer activity of the target
      compounds was studied, via inhibition of COX-2 enzyme. METHOD: A series of novel
      thioureas 5a-n, 8, quinazoline 6, benzo[g]quinazoline 7 and benzo[1,3] dioxole
      10, bearing a sulfonamide moiety was synthesized from the starting compound N
      (2,6-dimethoxypyrimidin-4-yl)-4- isothiocyanatobenzenesulfonamide 2. The target
      compounds were screened against HepG2, MCF-7, Caco-2, HCT-116, PC-3 cancer cell
      lines and VERO-B normal cell line. RESULTS: Out of all the tested compounds,
      compound 5c showed a broad selective cytotoxicity against HepG2, MCF-7, Caco-2
      and PC-3 cancer cells. Moreover, a sensitization assay was performed on Caco-2
      cells, and compound 5c proved to act as a chemosensitizer for cisplatin on colon
      cancer (Caco-2) cells. The target compounds were further screened in vitro for
      their anti COX1/COX2 activity and investigated in vivo as antiinflammatory agents
      against carrageenan-induced rat paw oedema model. CONCLUSION: Compound 5g showed
      the most selective inhibitory activity against COX-2. While, compounds 5a, 6, 5m,
      5n, 5g and 5i revealed significant anti-inflammatory effect as presented in
      carrageenan-induced oedema assay. Molecular docking of the tested compounds
      disclosed important binding modes which may be responsible for their anticancer
      activity via inhibition of the COX-2 enzyme.

PMID- 28356020
TI  - Anti-cancer Effect of Cyanidin-3-glucoside from Mulberry via Caspase-3 Cleavage
      and DNA Fragmentation in vitro and in vivo.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Fruits of Morus alba L. (mulberry) have various bioactive compounds
      such as polyphenols and anthocyanins and used as a herbal medicine. However, the
      anti-cancer effects and molecular basis have not been elucidated. METHODS: We
      isolated the cyanidin-3-glucoside in various cultivar of mulberry by acidified
      methanol extraction methods. This molecule were compared mass spectroscopic
      properties by LC-MS/MS and analyzed by 1H and 13C NMR. We examined the anti
      cancer effect with molecular mechanisms of the cyanidin-3-glucoside on MDA-MB-453
      human breast cancer cells and xenograft animal model. RESULTS: The treatment with
      the mulberry cyanidin-3-glucoside decreased cell viability in a dose-dependent
      manner with alteration of apoptotic protein contents, and DNA fragmentation,
      suggesting that cells undergo apoptosis. Supporting the observations, Treatment
      with the cyanidin-3-glucoside showed active apoptosis by caspase-3 cleavage and
      DNA fragmentation through Bcl-2 and Bax pathway. Indeed, cyanidin-3-glucoside
      inhibits tumor growth in MDA-MB-453 cells-inoculated nude mice. Tumor growth of
      xenograft nude mouse was significantly reduced compared to the control group by
      the cyanidin-3-glucoside. CONCLUSION: The data demonstrate that cyanidin-3
      glucoside isolated from mulberry induced apoptosis in breast cancer (MDA-MB-453)
      cells, and therefore, has a potential as an anti-cancer agent. These results show
      that mulberry cyanidin-3-glucoside inhibit the proliferation and growth in vitro
      and in vivo model and, indicating the inhibition of tumor progression.

PMID- 28356022
TI  - Synthesis and Evaluation of Some Dibromoquinazoline-sulphonamide Hybrids and some
      Schiff's Base Analogs for their Cytotoxic Activity.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Cancer is one of the most dangerous diseases with quite a high
      mortality rate. Many quinazoline derivatives show potent anticancer activity.
      OBJECTIVE: In this work our aim is to develop novel, safe and effective
      anticancer agents. METHOD: New 6,8-dibromo-2-(4-chlorophenyl)-quinazoline
      sulphonamide hybrids and some Schiff's base analogs were synthesized, and their
      structures were confirmed by spectral and elemental analysis. Cytotoxicity of all
      synthesized compounds was evaluated on three cancer cell lines MCF7, HCT116 and
      HEPG2 using sulpharodamine- B assay method and doxorubicin as a reference drug.
      All tested compounds show promising cytotoxic activities on the three cell lines.
      RESULTS: Compound IXd was 2 times more active than doxorubicin on MCF7 cancer
      cells, while it was 3 times more potent than doxorubicin on HCT116 cancer cells.
      Compound IV was 2 times more active than doxorubicin while compound VI exhibited
      similar activity to doxorubicin on HEPG2 cell line. The most active compounds
      were tested against epidermal growth factor receptor tyrosine kinase (EGFR TK).
      Compounds IV, IXd, IXf show the most potent inhibitory percent 62.3, 91.1, 91.6
      respectively. Compounds IV, V, VII, IXd, IXf caused a significant increase of
      CASP3 activity with range 86.5-37.6 %. CONCLUSION: The present work led to the
      discovery of new cytotoxic compounds having quinazoline pharmacophore.

PMID- 28356023
TI  - The Cross-talk between Tristetraprolin and Cytokines in Cancer.
AB  - Cytokines are small secreted proteins serving as vital mediators that mediate the
      host immune responses. Transcription and post-transcription play a critical role
      in cytokine expression through the regulation of message RNA (mRNA) cytoplasmic
      localization, translation initiation and decay. Researches have been conducted to
      reveal regulatory mechanisms of cytokines production in cells involved in cancer.
      AU-rich element (ARE) can regulate the degradation and translation of mRNA by
      connecting with specific ARE binding proteins. It is now clear that
      tristetraprolin (TTP), as the most common ARE binding protein, negatively
      regulates many aspects of the cytokines through binding to the AREs in the 3'
      untranslated region (3'UTR) of mRNA. Furthermore, some certain cytokines have an
      impact on TTP expression and function. Therefore, the cross-regulation between
      cytokines and TTP has come into sight. The complicated regulatory networks
      between cytokines and TTP are closely related to tumorigenesis. In this review,
      we summarize specific regulatory mechanisms of cytokine mRNAs. We focus on how
      TTP negatively regulates inflammatory and oncogenic cytokines expression after
      combining with AREs, we also pay attention to some cytokines mediating the
      expression of TTP and their cross-talk in various cancers in detail.

PMID- 28356026
TI  - Volatile Inhibitors of Phosphatidylinositol-3-Kinase (PI3K) Pathway: Anticancer
      Potential of Aroma Compounds of Plant Essential Oils.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Cancer is a grave health problem for the world as the global cancer
      burden rises to 14 million new cases with 8.2 million deaths every year which is
      expected to rise by 70% in the next 2 decades as reported by the WHO.These steady
      rises in death demand for rapid developments in anti-cancer agents. Essential
      oils, being natural and multi-component complex systems have recently attracted a
      lot of attention in this search for novel anti-cancer agents. MATERIALS AND
      METHODS: The pharmaceutical attributes of essential oil components, specifically
      focusing on their affinity towards COX, 5-LOX, AKT, MDM2, PDK1 and mTOR which
      defines the phosphatidylinositol-3- kinase (PI3K) pathway, were assessed. 123
      compounds present in essential oils of different plants were analyzed for their
      drug like attributes which were then allowed to dock with PI3K dependent
      receptors crucial for the development of cancer malignancies. Among them, 21
      compounds were filtered possessing high druglikeness with favourable metabolism
      offered by major cytochromeP450 isoforms. Finally, the best docked compounds with
      highest binding affinities were employed for building a ligand based
      pharmacophore. Being inhibitors of P-glycoproteins, these molecules also
      exhibited good absorption profiles and noncarcinogenic properties. Further from
      these 21, six compounds were evaluated against A549 lung cancer cells. RESULTS:
      The pharmacophoric feature obtained can be applied for both designing and
      screening moieties for active inhibitors of the phosphatidylinositol-3-kinase
      pathway specifically from essential oil compounds and these final 21 compounds
      can be further promoted to studies for anti-cancer drug development. Among these,
      six compounds exhibited promising inhibitory results against A549 lung cancer
      cells. Furthermore, immunoblotting assay confirmed the efficacy of the compounds
      for inhibiting mTOR and AKT enzymes which are bandmasters for downstream
      signaling of thePI3K pathway. CONCLUSION: Methyl nonanoate, (R)-citronellol, cis
      carveol (L-carveol), 3-methyl-Cyclohexanone, 4-carene and thujopsene were finally
      screened for PI3K targeted anti-cancer therapies which may find direct
      application as inhalers or sprays against lung cancer as these compounds are
      highly volatile.

PMID- 28356025
TI  - Regulation of Apoptosis by SYB in HepG2 Liver Cancer Cells is Mediated by the
      P53/Caspase 9 Axis.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: To explore the function of miR-34a in promotion of apoptosis by SYB.
      METHODS: In this study, the most effective concentration of SYB was determined by
      measuring cell proliferation. Relative miR-34a mRNA levels were detected by
      quantitative RT-PCR. Apoptosis was assessed using Annexin- V/PI assays, whereas
      protein levels of p53, caspase 3, caspase 9, caspase 8 and Bcl2 were evaluated by
      western blotting. RESULTS: Minimum HepG2 cell growth was observed after 36h of
      exposure to 150 nmol/L SYB. miR-34a expression was highest 40min after the
      addition of SYB. SYB slightly decreased the abundance of Bcl-2, but increased the
      abundance of p53, caspase 3, caspase 9 and caspase 8. SYB failed to alter miR-34a
      expression when p53 was inhibited. Bcl-2 abundance remained low over time,
      whereas the abundance of caspase 3, caspase 9 and caspase 8 gradually increased.
      Inhibition of p53 promoted HepG2 cell growth in comparison with that of the
      control group. miR-34a was silenced to assess the role of miR-34a in the
      inhibitory effect of SYB on HepG2 cell growth. When p53 was silenced, protein
      abundance of Bcl2, caspase 3, caspase 8 and caspase 9 remained unchanged
      following the addition of SYB; moreover, HepG2 cell growth was increased.
      Conlusion: SYB represents a promising therapeutic approach for liver cancer
      patients.

PMID- 28356024
TI  - Anti-Cancer Effects of Citalopram on Hepatocellular Carcinoma Cells Occur via
      Cytochrome C Release and the Activation of NF-kB.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Evidence has been provided of the anti-proliferative activity of
      citalopram against some cancer cells. OBJECTIVE: The apoptotic impact of
      citalopram, an antidepressant, against liver hepatocellular carcinoma cell line
      HepG2 was investigated in relation to the oxidative pathway and nuclear factor
      (NF)kappaB activation. METHOD: The cytotoxic effects of citalopram on HepG2 cells
      were determined by MTT assay. Reactive oxygen species (ROS) formation and
      cytochrome c release were measured following treatment with citalopram. Apoptosis
      analysis and Bax and Bcl--2 mRNA and protein levels were also determined.
      RESULTS: The cytotoxic effects of different concentrations of citalopram on HepG2
      cells were observed as a reduction in cell viability and an increase in ROS
      formation. Citalopram caused an increase in mitochondrial Bax levels and a
      decrease in Bcl2 levels and also caused cytochrome c release. Moreover, DAPI
      staining and flow cytometry assays revealed citalopram-induced apoptosis in HepG2
      cells. Oxidant scavengers and Bay 11-7082 (an irreversible inhibitor of NFkappaB
      activation) prevented the citalopram-associated cell death, increased BAX and
      decreased Bcl2. CONCLUSION: Outcomes from current study suggest that citalopram
      might exhibit apoptotic effect against hepatocellular carcinoma cell line by
      induction of cell death through cytochrome c release and ROS-dependent activation
      of NFkappaB.

PMID- 28356027
TI  - Natural Polyphenols in the Treatment of Alzheimer's Disease.
AB  - Neurodegenerative disease is an incurable disease which involves the degeneration
      or death of the nerve cells. Alzheimer's Disease (AD) is a neurodegenerative
      disease discovered in 1906 by Alois Alzheimer, a German clinical psychiatrist and
      neuroanatomist. The main pathological hallmarks of this disease are the formation
      of extracellular amyloid beta (Abeta) plaques and intracellular neurofibrillary
      tangle (NFT). The accumulation of the amyloid protein aggregates in the brain of
      AD patients leads to oxidative stress and inflammation. Other postulated reasons
      for the development of this disease are cholinergic depletion and excessive
      glutamatergic neurotransmission. The current drugs approved and marketed for the
      treatment of AD are cholinesterase inhibitors (ChEIs) and N-methyl-Daspartate
      (NMDA) receptor antagonists. The function of ChEIs is to avoid cholinergic
      depletion; whereas the function of NMDA receptor antagonist is to block excessive
      glutamatergic neurotransmission. Unfortunately, the current drugs prescribed for
      AD show only modest improvement in terms of symptomatic relief and delay the
      progression of the disease. This review will discuss about several polyphenolic
      compounds as potential natural treatment options for AD. Three compounds are
      highlighted in this review - Curcumin (Cur), Resveratrol (Rsv) and
      Epigallocatechin-3- gallate (EGCG). These compounds have huge potential for AD
      treatment, especially due to their low frequency of adverse events. However, the
      current conventional pharmaceutical drugs remain as the mainstay of treatment for
      AD.

PMID- 28356028
TI  - The Application of Nanomaterials in Stem Cell Therapy for Some Neurological
      Diseases.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Stem cell therapy provides great promising therapeutic benefits for
      various neurological disorders. Cell transplantation has emerged as cell
      replacement application for nerve damage. Recently, nanomaterials obtain wide
      development in various industrial and medical fields, and nanoparticles have been
      applied in the neurological field for tracking and treating nervous system
      diseases. Combining stem cells with nanotechnology has raised more and more
      attentions; and it has demonstrated that the combination has huge effects on
      clinical diagnosis and therapeutics in multiple central nervous system diseases,
      meanwhile, improves prognosis. OBJECTIVE: The aim of this review was to give a
      brief overview of the application of nanomaterials in stem cell therapy for
      neurological diseases. RESULTS: Nanoparticles not only promote stem cell
      proliferation and differentiation in vitro or in vivo, but also play dominant
      roles on stem cell imaging and tracking. Furthermore, via delivering genes or
      drugs, nanoparticles can participate in stem cell therapeutic applications for
      various neurological diseases, such as ischemic stroke, spinal cord injury (SCI),
      multiple sclerosis (MS), Parkinson's disease (PD), Alzheimer's disease (AD) and
      gliomas. However, nanoparticles have potential cytotoxic effects on nerve cells,
      which are related to their physicochemical properties. CONCLUSION: Nano-stem cell
      based therapy as a promising strategy has the ability to affect neuronal repair
      and regeneration in the central nervous system.

PMID- 28356029
TI  - Oncogenic Role of SET/I2PP2A for Gynecologic Cancers.
AB  - SET (SE translocation, SET) is an evolutionarily conserved gene broadly expressed
      in various human tissues, especially in the gonadal and neural system. As a
      multitasking protein, SET is involved in essential cell processes such as histone
      modification, chromatin remodeling, DNA repair, gene transcription, and androgen
      synthesis. Recent studies showed that SET is overexpressed in breast cancers,
      ovary cancers and a variety of other malignancies. The strong correlation between
      SET expression levels and survival of ovarian cancer patients, and SET-mediated
      activation of androgen synthesis, strongly indicated that this factor may play a
      significant role in gynecologic cancers. Here, we summarized data pertaining to
      the pathological implications of SET in tumorigenesis and cancer progression. We
      analyzed how SET, through the PP2A-dependent and PP2A-independent pathways, may
      regulate different cell functions. Potential interactions among these pathways
      and future studies on SET's oncogenic activities are also discussed.

PMID- 28356030
TI  - Comparison the Effect of Fish-Oil and Calcium Supplementation on Treatment of
      Primary Dysmenorrhea.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Primary dysmenorrhea is common among young girls and childbearing
      women. Dysmenorrhea is a painful contraction of uterus which occurs in the
      beginning of bleeding or before the menstrual cycle begins. Regarding the
      mechanism of calcium in response to hormonal change and the role of fish oil on
      reducing prostaglandins, we compared the effectiveness of fish-oil and calcium
      supplementation in treating primary dysmenorrheal. METHODS: This randomized
      double-blinded clinical trial was conducted on women aged 18 to 45 years with
      moderate to severe primary dysmenorrhea symptoms from January 2015 to March 2015.
      The women were randomly divided to two groups (fish oil and calcium). The drugs
      were given every day in the first cycle and from 8 days before till 2 days after
      initiation of menstruation for the second and third cycles. The intensity of pain
      and other symptoms of dysmenorreha were recorded and data were analyzed in SPSS
      16 using T-test and X2 tests. Significant level was considered to be less than
      0.05. RESULTS: The mean +/- SD age of the patients in the fish oil group was
      25.0+/-4.3 and in calcium group was 25.48+/-6.6 years. According to this result,
      there was no statistically significant difference in the intensity of pain
      between fish-oil group and calcium group before and 1 month after the study
      (P>0.05). However, there was statistically significant difference between fish
      oil group and calcium group before the study and 2 months (P=0.001) and 3 months
      after study (p<0.001). Besides, the fishoil patients needed less analgesic as
      compared to the calcium patients. CONCLUSION: It is concluded that omega-3 is
      more effective than calcium, what can be justified by pain mechanisms and
      symptoms pathology in dysmenorrheal.

PMID- 28356031
TI  - Old But Good: Modified-Release Prednisone in Rheumatoid Arthritis.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Since more than 50 years glucocorticoids represent the milestone in
      the treatment of inflammatory diseases, including rheumatoid arthritis (RA).
      However, many patients with RA present a circadian rhythm in symptoms severity
      with a significant worsening in the morning, that correlates with cyclic changes
      in circulating hormones and cytokines. Classical steroid therapy given in the
      morning fails to intercept this pathophysiological phenomenon. In the last years,
      a novel formulation of prednisone has been developed in order to better fit these
      variations, improve efficacy and minimize adverse events (chronotherapy). This
      modified-release (MR) prednisone is administered in the evening at 10.00 p.m. and
      absorbed after about 4 hours. METHODS: In this article, we reviewed the recent
      clinical trials evaluating the efficacy of MR prednisone in RA patients,
      including two randomized controlled double-blind clinical trials Circadian
      Administration of Prednisone in Rheumatoid Arthritis - 1 (CAPRA-1) and CAPRA-2
      and other nonrandomized observational studies. RESULTS: According to the
      available evidence, MR prednisone seems effective in ameliorating morning
      stiffness in RA patients. CONCLUSION: In conclusion, the use of MR prednisone in
      the treatment regimen could be a costeffective choice in a significant proportion
      of RA patients, particularly in those with a clinical phenotype characterized by
      morning stiffness or morning recrudescence of pain. With regards to the safety,
      MR prednisone adverse events profile does not differ from that of IR
      glucocorticoids.

PMID- 28356032
TI  - Impact of Percutaneous Closure of Interatrial Shunts on Migraine Attacks: Single
      Operator Series and Review of the Literature.
AB  - BACKGROUND: The association of migraine with intracardiac communications and a
      resultant improvement with their closure has been a matter of controversy. Mostly
      observational and retrospective studies indicate a significant improvement in
      migraine attacks in patients undergoing percutaneous closure procedures. However,
      there is a paucity of randomized trials on this topic and prospective data
      provide little evidence that the device closure approach has any significant
      effect on migrainous attacks. OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study is to further
      examine this important controversial topic by presenting our own prospective
      findings from a single-operator series of 110 patients with patent foramen ovale
      (PFO) or atrial septal defect (ASD) undergoing percutaneous device closure and
      also by conducting an in-depth literature review, amply discussing the data on
      this topic and finally proposing a practical strategy for migraineurs. METHODS: A
      prospective analysis of our own data was conducted among 110 patients undergoing
      percutaneous closure of either a patent foramen ovale (PFO) (n=75) or an atrial
      septal defect (ASD) (n=35), investigating the impact of PFO/ASD closure on
      migraine symptoms. Closure was effected with use of an Amplatzer occluder in a
      simplified procedure, performed under local anesthesia with use of plain
      fluoroscopy alone without intra-procedural echocardiographic guidance. Complete
      sealing was obtained in 98.7% of PFO patients and 94.3% of ASD patients. All
      patients were questioned about migraine symptomatology and were followed-up long
      term for their clinical outcome. They all received dual antiplatelet therapy for
      6 months. RESULTS: Great improvement in migraine symptomatology was observed
      after the closure procedures. Specifically, 54 (49%) patients suffered from
      migraine before the procedures, 45 PFO and 9 ASD patients. Improvement (50%) or
      abolition (33.3%) of migraine symptoms occurred in 45 patients, 37 (82.2%) PFO
      and 8 (88.9%) ASD patients, yielding an overall favorable effect of 83.3%. An
      atrial septal aneurysm was present in 44 (58.7%) PFO patients, which has recently
      been considered an important predictor of the occurrence of migraine in PFO
      patients. Importantly, the favorable effect extended beyond the 6-month period
      when dual antiplatelet therapy was discontinued. A recent comprehensive meta
      analysis of 20 studies, comprising patients with unexplained stroke and migraine
      undergoing transcatheter PFO closure, showed that resolution of migraine occurred
      in a majority of patients with aura and for a smaller proportion of patients
      without aura. On the other hand, another recent review maintains that closure of
      PFO for migraine prevention does not significantly reduce the intensity and
      severity of migraine. CONCLUSION: A high percentage (49%) of PFO/ASD patients in
      this series were also migraine sufferers. Percutaneous closure offered migraine
      relief in 83% of patients, 82% in PFO patients and 89% in ASD patients. Thus,
      based on this experience and on literature review, a strategic approach for
      device closure is proposed for migraineurs with a PFO or ASD.

PMID- 28356033
TI  - A Glycation Angle to Look into the Diabetic Vasculopathy: Cause and Cure.
AB  - In diabetic patients, accelerated glycation process causes increased oxidative
      stress and chronic hyperglycaemia that play a vital role in the diabetic
      complications. Extensive intracellular and extracellular generation of these
      glycated products finally form advanced glycation end products (AGEs). The
      accumulation of AGEs is related with the intensive risk for microvascular and
      macrovascular injuries for diabetic patients. Therefore, formation of AGEs
      results from the condensation of reducing sugars with biomolecules like nucleic
      acids, proteins, and lipids which potentially alter their function. Effect of
      AGEs formation is also related with the cross-linking that promotes vascular
      stiffness which modifies the vascular structure and long-life function of
      proteins. Formation of AGEs may also activate specific receptors, like receptor
      for AGEs (RAGEs) that induce the intracellular signaling which enhance the
      oxidative stress and also the amplification of key pro-sclerotic and pro
      inflammatory cytokines. From last few decades, a huge number of pre-clinical
      studies related with the AGEs formation in the diabetic patients have been
      performed. The target for such trials was the formation and degradation of AGEs,
      and its interaction with RAGEs. This review focuses on the mechanism how these
      AGEs exert detrimental nuisance in the diabetes, as well as deal with existing
      strategies to disrupt the action or formation of AGEs. Therefore, the unseen role
      of both the early and advanced stage glycation in the diabetic Vasculopathy is
      described. We have also illustrated how the glycation inhibition results in the
      delay of the development of vascular complications in diabetic patients.

PMID- 28356034
TI  - The Role of Redox Dysregulation in the Inflammatory Response to Acute Myocardial
      Ischaemia-reperfusion Injury - Adding Fuel to the Fire.
AB  - BACKGROUND: The inflammatory response to acute myocardial ischaemia/ reperfusion
      injury (IRI) plays a critical role in determining myocardial infarct (MI) size,
      and subsequent post-MI left ventricular (LV) remodelling, making it a potential
      therapeutic target for improving clinical outcomes in patients presenting with an
      acute myocardial infarction (AMI). Recent experimental studies using advanced
      imaging and molecular techniques, have yielded new insights into the mechanisms
      through which reactive oxygen species (ROS) contribute to the inflammatory
      response induced by acute myocardial IRI - "adding fuel to the fire". The
      infiltration of inflammatory cells into the MI zone, leads to elevated myocardial
      concentrations of ROS, cytokine release, and activation of apoptotic and necrotic
      death pathways. Anti-oxidant and anti-inflammatory therapies have failed to
      protect the heart against acute myocardial IRI. This may be, in part, due to a
      lack of understanding of the time course, nature and mechanisms of the
      inflammation and redox dysregulation, which occur in the setting of acute
      myocardial IRI. CONCLUSION: In this article, we examine the inflammatory response
      and redox dysregulation induced by acute myocardial IRI, and highlight potential
      therapeutic options for targeting redox dysregulation, in order to attenuate the
      detrimental effects of the inflammatory response following an AMI, so as to
      reduce MI size and prevent heart failure.

PMID- 28356035
TI  - Environmental Factors and Hypertension.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Environmental factors are a major cause of poor health worldwide. The
      most solid evidence is for air pollution, leading to increased disability
      adjusted life years. Outdoor temperature and other seasonal climate changes may
      also influence cardiovascular health, according to their direct modulation of air
      pollution. Moreover, an increasing body of evidence associates environmental
      exposure to noise with poor cardiovascular outcome, and in particular with
      hypertension. METHODS: This review is aimed at reviewing current evidence about
      the role of these environmental factors in cardiovascular disease and
      specifically hypertension. In particular, the impact of air pollution, with its
      short-term and long-term effects, the outdoor temperature and noise pollution
      will be investigated. CONCLUSIONS: People belonging to low social classes, as
      well as children, women, older people and those with established cardiovascular
      diseases, seem to have a greater susceptibility to the effects of environmental
      stressors, recalling the concept of "environmental justice". The accumulating
      strong scientific evidence may thus support public health policies aimed at
      reducing social inequalities in cardiovascular health.

PMID- 28356036
TI  - New Imaging Frontiers in Cardiology: Fast and Quantitative Maps from Raw Data.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Among the novelties in the field of cardiovascular imaging, the
      construction of quantitative maps in a fast and efficient way is one of the most
      interesting aspects of the clinical research. Quantitative parametric maps are
      typically obtained by post processing dynamic images, that is, sets of images
      usually acquired in different temporal intervals, where several images with
      different contrasts are obtained. Magnetic resonance imaging, and emission
      tomography (positron emission and single photon emission) are the imaging
      techniques best suited for the formation of quantitative maps. METHODS: In this
      review article we present several methods that can be used for obtaining
      parametric maps, in a fast way, starting from the acquired raw data. We describe
      both methods commonly used in clinical research, and more innovative methods that
      build maps directly from the raw data, without going through the image
      reconstruction. RESULTS: We briefly described recently developed methods in
      magnetic resonance imaging that accelerate further the MR raw data generation,
      based on appropriate sub-sampling of k-space; then, we described recently
      developed methods for generating MR parametric maps. With regard to the emission
      tomography techniques, we gave an overview of both conventional methods, and more
      recently developed direct estimation algorithms for parametric image
      reconstruction from dynamic positron emission tomography data. CONCLUSION: We
      have provided an overview of the possible approaches that can be followed to
      realize useful parametric maps from imaging raw data. We moved from the
      conventional approaches to more recent and efficient methods for accelerating the
      raw data generation and the of parametric maps formation.

PMID- 28356037
TI  - Markers of Early Vascular Ageing.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Cardiovascular damage is clinically manifested as coronary artery
      disease, heart failure, stroke and peripheral artery disease. The prevalence of
      these adverse conditions is higher with advancing age. Although many patients
      present cardiovascular damage late in their life, it is common to see patients
      with early atherosclerosis in cardiovascular intensive care units at ages lower
      than 50 years in men and 55 for women. METHODS AND RESULTS: In this review of the
      literature we identified risk factors of early vascular damage. The classic risk
      factors such as age, gender, diabetes mellitus, dyslipidemia, smoking, alcohol,
      hypertension, obesity, family history and newer biomarkers such as hs-CRP, folic
      acid, homocysteine, fibrinogen are neither strong nor predictive of the
      individual patient's risk to present early cardiovascular disease. All these risk
      factors have been used to propose risk scores for possible future events but we
      still lack a single strong marker indicating new onset of disease that will
      predict the future independently of the classical factors. The role of vascular
      imaging techniques to identify patients with subclinical atherosclerotic vascular
      damage before clinical disease, including the effect of known and unknown risk
      factors on the vascular tree, seems to be very important for intensifying
      preventive measures in high risk patients. Early arteriosclerosis measured from
      pulse wave velocity is associated with reduced arterial elasticity and is
      associated with future cardiovascular events. CONCLUSIONS: Vascular measurements
      may better represent the continuum of cardiovascular disease from a young healthy
      to an aged diseased vessel that is going to produce adverse clinical events.

PMID- 28356038
TI  - Factors Associated with HIV Testing and HIV Treatment Adherence: A Systematic
      Review.
AB  - BACKGROUND: The impact of the global economic crisis on HIV-related access and
      care remains unclear. The objective of this systematic review of the literature
      was to evaluate the association between socioeconomic factors and HIV diagnosis,
      and adherence to treatment, following the 2008 global economic crisis. METHOD: A
      systematic search of PubMed and Scopus for studies published between January 2008
      and October 2016 was conducted. Studies providing data on social, demographic,
      economic and cultural barriers associated with HIV diagnosis and treatment were
      included. RESULTS: Of 33 studies included, 22 evaluated HIV testing and 11
      evaluated treatment adherence. Medical history of a sexually transmitted disease,
      knowledge of HIV-related risks, and age, were significantly associated with HIV
      testing in most of the included studies. Absence of social support, and alcohol
      or substance use, were the most common factors associated with adherence.
      Financial factors were not as commonly found to be related to access to HIV
      diagnosis and HIV treatment adherence, compared to knowledge of HIV-related risks
      and social support. CONCLUSION: The identification of persons who are less likely
      to test for HIV, and to adhere to HIV treatment, may serve as a guide for public
      health interventions, especially in resource-limited areas.

PMID- 28356039
TI  - The Potential Protective Effects of Phenolic Compounds against Low-density
      Lipoprotein Oxidation.
AB  - BACKGROUND: The exact mechanism(s) of atherosclerosis in humans remains elusive,
      but one theory hypothesizes that this deleterious process results from the
      oxidative modification of low-density lipoprotein (LDL). Research suggests that
      foods rich in dietary phenolic compounds with antioxidant activity can mitigate
      the extent of LDL oxidation in vivo. With regard to the different classes of
      flavonoids, there appears to be a structurefunction relationship between the
      various moieties/constituents attached to the flavonoids' three ring system and
      their impact at retarding LDL oxidation. METHODS: This article summarizes the
      findings to date of both in vitro and in vivo studies using foods or phenolic
      extracts isolated from foodstuffs at inhibiting the incidence of LDL oxidation.
      Three bases: SCOPUS, Web Science, and PubMed were used for search. RESULTS: An
      often used method for the determination of antioxidant properties of natural
      phenolic compounds is the LDL oxidation assay. LDLs are isolated from human
      plasma and their oxidation is induced by Cu2+ ions or 2,2'-azobis(2
      methylpropionamidine) dihydrochloride (AAPH). The sample is incubated with a
      phenolic extract or individual/isolated phenolic compounds. LDL oxidation is then
      monitored by various chemical methods (e.g., measurement of the generation of
      conjugated dienes and trienes). This technique confirmed the antioxidant
      properties of several extracts as obtained from plant material (e.g., grapes,
      berries, orange, grapefruit, coffee, tea, chocolate, olives, nuts) as well as the
      individual phenolic compounds (e.g., luteolinidin, apigenidin, caffeic acid,
      chlorogenic acid, catechin, quercetin, rutin). Several studies in vivo confirmed
      protective effects of phenolic compounds against LDL oxidation. They covered the
      healthy subjects with hyperlipidaemia, overweight, obesity, metabolic syndrome,
      heavy smokers, patients receiving haemodialysis, patients with peripheral
      vascular disease, and subjects at high cardiovascular risk. The studies comprise
      individuals of all ages, and the number of participants in the different
      experiments varied widely. CONCLUSION: Properly designed double-blind, placebo
      controlled randomised clinical trials offer stronger evidence as to the impact of
      dietary phenolics consumption at retarding LDL oxidation. More such clinical
      trials are needed to strengthen the hypothesis that foods rich in dietary
      phenolic compounds with antioxidant activity can mitigate the extent of LDL
      oxidation in vivo.

PMID- 28356040
TI  - The Relevance of Dietary Polyphenols in Cardiovascular Protection.
AB  - The chemical structure of polyphenols consisting of aromatic rings, capable of
      quenching free radicals, makes them ideal candidates to protect against
      oxidation. Polyphenols are present in a variety of foods including grapes,
      berries, dark chocolate, coffee and tea to mention a few. A number of studies
      have shown that dietary polyphenols exert a protective effect against
      hypertension, dyslipidemias, inflammation, endothelial function and
      atherosclerosis, conditions associated with increased risk for cardiovascular
      disease. Studies indicate that by decreasing cholesterol absorption, polyphenols
      alter hepatic cholesterol homeostasis resulting in decreases in plasma lipids and
      reduction in atherogenic lipoproteins thus having a protective effect against
      atherosclerosis; polyphenols have also been shown to decrease the activity of
      enzymes involved in the renin-angiotensinaldosterone system and improve blood
      pressure. Further, they have been recognized to increase nitric oxide production
      and to improve endothelial function. In this review we will present some of the
      evidence derived from epidemiological studies, clinical interventions as well as
      animal and cell studies supporting the cardioprotective effects of dietary
      polyphenols.

PMID- 28356041
TI  - Recent Advances in Antiretroviral Agents: Potent Integrase Inhibitors.
AB  - Integrase strand transfer inhibitors (INSTIs) belong to a novel class of
      antiretroviral agents that have emerged as the new first-line treatments. Three
      such compounds are currently available, raltegravir, elvitegravir, dolutegravir
      and two more under development, bictegravir and cabotegravir. These compounds
      share the same mode of action but exhibit different pharmacokinetic/
      pharmacodynamic properties, and drug-drug interactions. A series of studies in
      the past decade have established their efficacy compared to previous regimens,
      both in treatment- naive and experienced patients. INSTIs have demonstrated a
      favorable safety profile with fewer adverse events and low rates of virological
      failure. Emergence of resistance to these agents, however, is a worrying concern,
      particularly for elvitegravir and raltegravir that display a lower genetic
      barrier than dolutegravir. On-going trials aim at establishing INSTIs as part of
      dual-drug HIV treatments or even monotherapy. New long-acting, injectable
      formulations are under investigation for treatment or prevention.

PMID- 28356042
TI  - Recent Advances in Oncological Submissions of Dendrimer.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Disseminated metastatic cancer requires insistent management owing to
      its reduced responsiveness for chemotherapeutic agents, toxicity to normal cells
      consequently lower survival rate and hampered quality of life of patients.
      METHODS: Dendrimer mediated cancer therapy is advantageous over conventional
      chemotherapy, radiotherapy and surgical resection due to reduced systemic
      toxicity, and molecular level cell injury to cancerous mass, for an appreciable
      survival of the subject. Recently used dendrimer mediated nanotechnology for
      oncology aims to conquer these challenges. Dendrimers based nano-constructs are
      having architectures comparable to that of biological vesicles present in the
      human body. RESULTS: Operating with dendrimer technology, proffers the exclusive
      and novel strategies with numerous applications in cancer management involving
      diagnostics, therapeutics, imaging, and prognostics by sub-molecular
      interactions. Dendrimers are designed to acquire the benefits of the malignant
      tumor morphology and characteristics, i.e. leaky vasculature of tumor, expression
      of specific cell surface antigen, and rapid proliferation. CONCLUSION: Dendrimers
      mediated targeted therapy recommends innovatory function equally in diagnostics
      (imaging, immune-detection) as well as chemotherapy. Currently, dendrimers as
      nanomedicine has offered a strong assurance and advancement in drastically
      varying approaches towards cancer imaging and treatment. The present review
      discusses different approaches for cancer diagnosis and treatment such as,
      targeted and control therapy, photodynamic therapy, photo-thermal therapy, gene
      therapy, antiangiogenics therapy, radiotherapy etc.

PMID- 28356044
TI  - An Updated Portrait of Pathogenesis, Molecular Markers and Signaling Pathways of
      Hepatocellular Carcinoma.
AB  - Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the vital cause of cancer -related death
      throughout the world. At present, the exact mechanism responsible for the
      formation of HCC and its maintenance remains suspicious. Hepatocarcinogenesis
      involves a multistep activity involving several genetic aberrations which result
      in malignant transformation of the liver cells. The prevalence and occurrence of
      this disease are kept on increasing and an increase in the liver transplantation
      cases are vital indications for it. In the past decades, significant progress has
      been achieved toward the better elucidation of molecular pathways of oncogenic
      processes. Several, cell signaling mechanisms involved in tumor pathogenesis have
      been identified, leading to the production of new tumor markers and to set
      targets for therapy, including cytokines, enzymes, proteantigens. However, more
      tumor markers are in need for the effective early diagnosis of the disease
      condition and monitor the treatment efficacy. This review updates the recent
      findings in key molecular markers, pathways involved, animal models and treatment
      strategies in HCC and the advances obtained from basic research and clinical
      studies.

PMID- 28356043
TI  - Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis for HIV: Evidence and Perspectives.
AB  - HIV remains an important public health issue worldwide. However, new prevention
      approaches have recently been developed and are very promising. Antiretroviral
      treatment as prevention, or as a prophylaxis after exposure to HIV, has been
      shown to reduce the likelihood of HIV acquisition. Over the last years, animal
      studies and randomized clinical trials in humans showed that antiretrovirals can
      also be efficacious and safe if used once daily, or intermittently, as
      prophylaxis before an individual is exposed to HIV (Pre-exposure Prophylaxis -
      PrEP). Fears about development of resistant strains have not been justified
      insofar given the accumulated evidence from research studies. Demonstration
      projects are ongoing and first results indicate that interests in the uptake of
      PrEP are high and adherence is satisfactory. Models suggest that PrEP could be a
      cost-effective or cost-saving approach under certain provisions including
      delivery to people at high risk of HIV infection, using less expensive
      medications, delivery in high HIV prevalence settings, short-term use for periods
      of higher risk, and evaluation in a longer-term period. The current review
      summarizes evidence on efficacy, safety and effectiveness of PrEP, and discusses
      future challenges and perspectives.

PMID- 28356045
TI  - Pathophysiological Implications of Dipeptidyl Peptidases.
AB  - Dipeptidyl peptidases (DPPs) belong to one of the protease families classified
      under EC 3.4.14 in the Nomenclature Committee of the International Union of
      Biochemistry and Molecular Biology. DPPs family consists of eight members in the
      mammalian species. They play a role in oligopeptide N-terminal processing and
      degradation of bioactive peptides. Over the past 20 years, most of the studies
      have been focused on DPP 4 that has important roles in metabolism and immunity. A
      large number of pharmacological inhibitors against DPP 4 have been tested
      rigorously and some of them are now used in the treatment of type 2 diabetes and
      obesity. In addition, current researches cast a spotlight on other physiological
      and pathological functions of DPP family members such as DPP 3 for the purpose of
      investigating their application as novel therapeutic compounds. In this review,
      we provide an update about the pathophysiological functions of DPPs, and discuss
      the future potential of the DPP family as pharmacological and therapeutic agents
      and targets.

PMID- 28356046
TI  - White Matter Integrity in Subcortical Vascular Cognitive Impairment: A Multimodal
      Structural MRI Study.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: To investigate the disruption of white matter (WM) integrity in
      patients with subcortical vascular cognitive impairment (SVCI) with multimodal
      structural magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), and to explore the relationships
      between WM damage, structural network disruptions, and general cognitive function
      decline. METHODS: Twenty-eight patients with SVCI and twenty control subjects
      underwent structural MRI scans and neuropsychological assessment. WM volume
      (WMV), WM hyperintensities (WMH), lacunar infarcts (LI), diffusion tensor imaging
      parameters and structural network characteristics were compared between two
      groups. Correlations between these parameters and general cognitive function were
      calculated. RESULTS: WMV, WMH load, LI number, mean fractional anisotropy (FA),
      peak height and peak location of mean diffusivity (MD) of normal-appearing WM
      (NAWM) and structural network characteristics were significantly different
      between the two groups. Disruption of WM microstructure and network
      characteristics was widespread. WMV, WMH load, mean FA and peak location of MD of
      NAWM explained about 70% of the variance in structural network characteristics.
      Shortest path length with LI number explained 47.5% of the variance in z-scores.
      CONCLUSION: SVCI was associated with widespread disruptions of WM integrity in
      the brain. Network characteristics may be a comprehensive reflection of WM
      integrity and a superior predictor of general cognitive function, while LI was an
      independent predictor of cognitive impairment.

PMID- 28356047
TI  - Is VEGF a Key Target of Cotinine and Other Potential Therapies Against Alzheimer
      Disease?
AB  - BACKGROUND: The vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) is a neuroprotective
      cytokine that promotes neurogenesis and angiogenesis in the brain. In animal
      models, it has been shown that environmental enrichment and exercise, two non
      pharmacological interventions that are beneficial decreasing the progression of
      Alzheimer disease (AD) and depressive-like behavior, enhance hippocampal VEGF
      expression and neurogenesis. Furthermore, the stimulation of VEGF expression
      promotes neurotransmission and synaptic plasticity processes such as
      neurogenesis. It is thought that these VEGF actions in the brain, may underly its
      beneficial therapeutic effects against psychiatric and other neurological
      conditions. CONCLUSION: In this review, evidence linking VEGF deficit with the
      development of AD as well as the potential role of VEGF signaling as a
      therapeutic target for cotinine and other interventions in neurodegenerative
      conditions are discussed.

PMID- 28356048
TI  - Diagnostic and Prognostic Potential of Retinal Biomarkers in Early On-Set
      Alzheimer's Disease.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: Accumulating evidence suggests that the eye can be used in the
      assessment of early on-set Alzheimer's disease (AD). The eye offers a natural
      window to the brain through the retina. The retina and brain share common
      developmental origins and patho-physiological origins and mechanisms, having been
      sequestered from it during early development, but retaining its connections with
      the brain via the optic nerve. Therefore, it is well understood that neurological
      abnormalities have a direct profound impact on the retina. Recent studies suggest
      an array of physiological and pathological changes in the retina in dementia and
      specifically in AD. There are also reports on imaging the two hallmark proteins
      of the disease, extracellular amyloid beta peptides and intracellular hyper
      phosphorylated tau protein, as a proxy to neuroimaging. RESULTS: In this review,
      we summarise retinal structural, functional and vascular changes reported to be
      associated with AD. We also review techniques employed to image these two major
      hall mark proteins of AD and their relevance for early detection of AD.

PMID- 28356052
TI  - The Limitations of Gram-stain Microscopy of Synovial Fluid in Concomitant Septic
      and Crystal Arthritis.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Rapid diagnosis of septic arthritis from Gram-stain microscopy is
      limited by an inherent false-negative rate of 25-78%. The presence of concomitant
      crystal arthritis in 5% of cases represents a particular diagnostic challenge.
      OBJECTIVES: This study aims to investigate the effects that a concomitant crystal
      arthropathy has on the ability of Gram-stain microscopy of synovial fluid to
      diagnose a septic arthritis. METHODS: This is a 22-year retrospective cohort
      study. Inclusion criteria were a positive synovial fluid culture result with a
      positive clinical diagnosis of septic arthritis. Results were correlated with the
      presence or absence of urate and calcium pyrophosphate crystals, and Gram-stain
      result. During this time our collection and analysis methods remained unchanged.
      All samples were collected in Lithium Heparin containers. Chi-squared test with a
      p value < 0.05 was considered significant. RESULTS: 602 synovial fluid samples
      were included. 162 cases of concomitant crystal arthritis were identified (27%).
      Of these, 16 (10%) had an initial negative Gram-stain. Out of the 440 samples
      with no crystals detected, 18 (4%) had an initial negative Gram-stain microscopy
      result (p < 0.05). CONCLUSION: The incidence of concurrent septic and crystal
      arthritis may be higher than previously thought. Synovial fluid samples in
      concomitant septic and crystal arthritis are significantly less likely to have a
      positive Gram-stain at microscopy than in cases of an isolated septic arthritis.
      We would advise the clinician to maintain a high index of suspicion for septic
      arthritis in these patients.

PMID- 28356051
TI  - The Frequency of HLA-B27 in a Colombian Population with Signs of
      Spondyloarthritis.
AB  - BACKGROUND: The strong association between HLA-B27 and spondyloarthritis (SpA)
      has demonstrated that typing the HLA-B27 antigen is a crucial step in diagnosis
      and aids in defining the progression and severity of disease. OBJECTIVE: To
      describe the frequency of HLA-B27 in Colombian individuals with clinical
      manifestations associated with SpA. MATERIALS AND METHODOLOGY: We retrospectively
      analyzed 4109 HLA-B27 typing requests to the Hospital Militar Central and the
      Instituto de Referencia Andino from Colombian individuals with clinical signs
      suggestive of SpA between 2009 and 2012. We used basic digital cytometry followed
      by Polymerase Chain Reaction with sequence specific primers when confirmation was
      needed. We determined the frequency of HLA-B27 in the population and levels of
      association of HLA-B27 with SpA. RESULTS: Our population included 1585 men
      (36.8%) and 2524 women (61.4%). The predominant age range was between 19 and 45
      years (49.9%). The majority (95.4%) of the study population came from the Andean
      region and eastern plains. The most frequent clinical manifestations were
      peripheral. Only a small fraction (12.1%) of the 4109 subjects was HLA-B27
      positive. Of those, 56.9% were male, and 54.7% were between 19 and 45 years old.
      In contrast, when rheumatologists referred the HLA B27, 64% were found to be
      positive. CONCLUSION: The frequency of the HLA-B27 allele in individuals with
      clinical signs suggestive of SpA was low, in accordance with the lower prevalence
      found in Colombian patients diagnosed with SpA compared to American and European
      population.

PMID- 28356049
TI  - Calcium-engaged Mechanisms of Nongenomic Action of Neurosteroids.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Neurosteroids form the unique group because of their dual mechanism
      of action. Classically, they bind to specific intracellular and/or nuclear
      receptors, and next modify genes transcription. Another mode of action is linked
      with the rapid effects induced at the plasma membrane level within seconds or
      milliseconds. The key molecules in neurotransmission are calcium ions, thereby we
      focus on the recent advances in understanding of complex signaling crosstalk
      between action of neurosteroids and calcium-engaged events. METHODS: Short-time
      effects of neurosteroids action have been reviewed for GABAA receptor complex,
      glycine receptor, NMDA receptor, AMPA receptor, G protein-coupled receptors and
      sigma-1 receptor, as well as for several membrane ion channels and plasma
      membrane enzymes, based on available published research. RESULTS: The
      physiological relevance of neurosteroids results from the fact that they can be
      synthesized and accumulated in the central nervous system, independently from
      peripheral sources. Fast action of neurosteroids is a prerequisite for genomic
      effects and these early events can significantly modify intracellular downstream
      signaling pathways. Since they may exert either positive or negative effects on
      calcium homeostasis, their role in monitoring of spatio-temporal Ca2+ dynamics,
      and subsequently, Ca2+-dependent physiological processes or initiation of
      pathological events, is evident. CONCLUSION: Neurosteroids and calcium appear to
      be the integrated elements of signaling systems in neuronal cells under
      physiological and pathological conditions. A better understanding of cellular and
      molecular mechanisms of nongenomic, calcium-engaged neurosteroids action could
      open new ways for therapeutic interventions aimed to restore neuronal function in
      many neurological and psychiatric diseases.

PMID- 28356053
TI  - Levetiracetam in Compare to Sodium Valproate for Prophylaxis in Chronic Migraine
      Headache: A Randomized Double-Blind Clinical Trial.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Migraine is not curable, but preventive treatments are usually used
      to decrease the intensity and frequency of headache attacks. Different
      therapeutic options are widely studied for chronic migraine (CM), but all of them
      have different inefficacies. OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to compare the
      efficacy of levetiracetam versus sodium valproate in the treatment of CM.
      METHODS: A randomized controlled clinical trial was conducted on 62 patients with
      chronic migraine (30 patients in intervention group-treated with levetiracetam
      and 32 patients in control group- treated with sodium valproate). The treatment
      regimen consisted of initial dose of levetiracetam or sodium valproate 500 mg
      daily which increased to 500 mg two times a day after two weeks. The treatment
      response was evaluated by measuring pain frequency, pain severity, and the MIDAS
      (migraine disability assessment) score over three months follow-up. RESULTS:
      During a three-month follow-up, the mean of headache frequency, severity, and
      MIDAS score were changed significantly. The rate of decrease in headache
      frequency was higher in control group than intervention group ((6.7+/-2.7 and
      14.4+/-5.3 day/month, respectively) (P<0.001). Also, headache severity and MIDAS
      score significantly decreased in the control group than intervention group (3.4+/
      1.1 and 5.7+/-1.6, respectively P<0.001, 16.7 +/- 6.1 and 30.2+/-9.8,
      respectively (P<0.001). CONCLUSIONS: According to our findings, levetiracetam
      offered improvement in headache frequency, severity, and MIDAS score in patients
      with CM. However, levetiracetam was not effective enough for chronic migraine as
      valproate, despite some significant effect. Thus levetiracetam can be one of the
      choices for limited chronic migraine subjects who are in contraindication of
      Valproate.

PMID- 28356054
TI  - Role of Chirality in Drugs: An Overview.
AB  - Stereochemistry has occupied a great role in the manufacture and development of
      pharmaceuticals. Chiral properties play an important role in the determination of
      pharmacological actions of the drug. In recent years, there is a considerable
      interest in chiral separation to isolate and examine both enantiomers. This
      article provides an overview about the stereochemistry and its role in drugs, and
      also, offers approved isolation methods for enantiomeric pairs.

PMID- 28356055
TI  - A genome-wide association study reveals a locus for bilateral iridal
      hypopigmentation in Holstein Friesian cattle.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Eye pigmentation abnormalities in cattle are often related to
      albinism, Chediak-Higashi or Tietz like syndrome. However, mutations only
      affecting pigmentation of coat color and eye have also been described. Herein 18
      Holstein Friesian cattle affected by bicolored and hypopigmented irises have been
      investigated. RESULTS: Affected animals did not reveal any ophthalmological or
      neurological abnormalities besides the specific iris color differences. Coat
      color of affected cattle did not differ from controls. Histological examination
      revealed a reduction of melanin pigment in the iridal anterior border layer and
      stroma in cases as cause of iris hypopigmentation. To analyze the genetics of the
      iris pigmentation differences, a genome-wide association study was performed
      using Illumina BovineSNP50 BeadChip genotypes of the 18 cases and 172 randomly
      chosen control animals. A significant association on bovine chromosome 8 (BTA8)
      was identified at position 60,990,733 with a -log10(p) = 9.17. Analysis of
      genotypic and allelic dependences between cases of iridal hypopigmentation and an
      additional set of 316 randomly selected Holstein Friesian cattle controls showed
      that allele A at position 60,990,733 on BTA8 (P = 4.0e-08, odds ratio = 6.3, 95%
      confidence interval 3.02-13.17) significantly increased the chance of iridal
      hypopigmentation. CONCLUSIONS: The clinical appearance of the iridal
      hypopigmentation differed from previously reported cases of pigmentation
      abnormalities in syndromes like Chediak-Higashi or Tietz and seems to be mainly
      of cosmetic character. Iridal hypopigmentation is caused by a reduced content of
      melanin pigment in the anterior border layer and iridal stroma. A single genomic
      position on BTA8 was detected to be significantly associated with iridal
      hypopigmentation in examined cattle. To our knowledge this is the first report
      about this phenotype in Holstein Friesian cattle.

PMID- 28356057
TI  - Erratum to: What impact do assumptions about missing data have on conclusions? a
      practical sensitivity analysis for a cancer survival registry.

PMID- 28356056
TI  - M-AMST: an automatic 3D neuron tracing method based on mean shift and adapted
      minimum spanning tree.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Understanding the working mechanism of the brain is one of the
      grandest challenges for modern science. Toward this end, the BigNeuron project
      was launched to gather a worldwide community to establish a big data resource and
      a set of the state-of-the-art of single neuron reconstruction algorithms. Many
      groups contributed their own algorithms for the project, including our mean shift
      and minimum spanning tree (M-MST). Although M-MST is intuitive and easy to
      implement, the MST just considers spatial information of single neuron and
      ignores the shape information, which might lead to less precise connections
      between some neuron segments. In this paper, we propose an improved algorithm,
      namely M-AMST, in which a rotating sphere model based on coordinate
      transformation is used to improve the weight calculation method in M-MST.
      RESULTS: Two experiments are designed to illustrate the effect of adapted minimum
      spanning tree algorithm and the adoptability of M-AMST in reconstructing variety
      of neuron image datasets respectively. In the experiment 1, taking the
      reconstruction of APP2 as reference, we produce the four difference scores
      (entire structure average (ESA), different structure average (DSA), percentage of
      different structure (PDS) and max distance of neurons' nodes (MDNN)) by comparing
      the neuron reconstruction of the APP2 and the other 5 competing algorithm. The
      result shows that M-AMST gets lower difference scores than M-MST in ESA, PDS and
      MDNN. Meanwhile, M-AMST is better than N-MST in ESA and MDNN. It indicates that
      utilizing the adapted minimum spanning tree algorithm which took the shape
      information of neuron into account can achieve better neuron reconstructions. In
      the experiment 2, 7 neuron image datasets are reconstructed and the four
      difference scores are calculated by comparing the gold standard reconstruction
      and the reconstructions produced by 6 competing algorithms. Comparing the four
      difference scores of M-AMST and the other 5 algorithm, we can conclude that M
      AMST is able to achieve the best difference score in 3 datasets and get the
      second-best difference score in the other 2 datasets. CONCLUSIONS: We develop a
      pathway extraction method using a rotating sphere model based on coordinate
      transformation to improve the weight calculation approach in MST. The
      experimental results show that M-AMST utilizes the adapted minimum spanning tree
      algorithm which takes the shape information of neuron into account can achieve
      better neuron reconstructions. Moreover, M-AMST is able to get good neuron
      reconstruction in variety of image datasets.

PMID- 28356058
TI  - HIV-infected persons with type 2 diabetes show evidence of endothelial
      dysfunction and increased inflammation.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Increased incidence of cardiovascular diseases (CVD) in both HIV
      infection and type 2 diabetes (T2D) compared to the general population has been
      described. Little is known about the combined effect of HIV infection and T2D on
      inflammation and endothelial function, both of which may contribute to elevated
      risk of CVD. METHODS: Cross-sectional study including 50 HIV-infected persons on
      combination anti-retroviral therapy (cART), with HIV RNA <200 copies/mL (n = 25
      with T2D (HIV + T2D+), n = 25 without T2D (HIV + T2D-)) and 50 uninfected persons
      (n = 22 with T2D (HIV-T2D+) and n = 28 without T2D (HIV-T2D-)). Groups were
      matched on age and sex. High sensitive C-reactive protein (hsCRP) was used to
      determine inflammation (cut-off 3 mg/L). The marker of endothelial dysfunction
      asymmetric dimethylarginine (ADMA) was measured using high performance liquid
      chromatography. Trimethylamine-N-oxide (TMAO), a microbiota-dependent, pro
      atherogenic marker was measured using stable isotope dilution LC/MS/MS. RESULTS:
      The percentage of HIV + T2D+, HIV + T2D-, HIV-T2D+, and HIV-T2D- with hsCRP above
      cut-off was 50%, 19%, 47%, and 11%, respectively. HIV + T2D+ had elevated ADMA
      (0.67 MUM (0.63-0.72) compared to HIV + T2D- (0.60 MUM (0.57-0.64) p = 0.017),
      HIV-T2D+ (0.57 MUM (0.51-63) p = 0.008), and HIV-T2D- (0.55 MUM (0.52-0.58) p <
      0.001). No differences in TMAO between groups were found. However, a positive
      correlation between ADMA and TMAO was found in the total population (rs = 0.32, p
      = 0.001), which was mainly driven by a close correlation in HIV + T2D+ (rs =
      0.63, p = 0.001). CONCLUSION: Elevated inflammation and evidence of endothelial
      dysfunction was found in HIV-infected persons with T2D. The effect on
      inflammation was mainly driven by T2D, while both HIV infection and T2D may
      contribute to endothelial dysfunction. Whether gut microbiota is a contributing
      factor to this remains to be determined.

PMID- 28356059
TI  - Association between acute gastrointestinal injury and biomarkers of intestinal
      barrier function in critically ill patients.
AB  - BACKGROUND: To assess the associations of biomarkers of intestinal barrier
      function and other clinical variables with acute gastrointestinal injury (AGI)
      grade, and of these clinical variables with mortality in critically ill patients.
      METHODS: This was a single-center, observational, prospective study. Patients
      were included if they were diagnosed with AGI and underwent tests for the
      measurement of plasma levels of intestinal fatty acid-binding protein (i-FABP), D
      lactate (D-la), and lipopolysaccharide. General characteristics, AGI grades,
      Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation (APACHE) II scores, Sepsis-related
      Organ Failure Assessment (SOFA) scores, intra-abdominal pressure (IAP), and 28
      day mortality were recorded and compared among patients with different AGI
      grades. RESULTS: Among the 90 included patients, the APACHE II score, IAP, and
      LPS and D-la levels significantly differed between the four AGI grades.
      Multinomial logistic regression analysis with grade I as the reference for grades
      II, III, and IV revealed that high APACHE II scores increased the odds of AGI
      grade III (odds ratio [OR], 1.754; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.225-2.511) and
      grade IV (OR, 1.493; 95% CI, 1.079-2.066). Similarly, IAP increased the odds of
      AGI grade III (OR, 1.622; 95% CI, 1.111-2.369) and grade IV (OR, 1.518; 95% CI,
      1.066-2.162). Elevated D-la increased the odds of AGI grades II (OR, 1.059; 95%
      CI, 1.005-1.117), III (OR, 1.155; 95% CI, 1.052-2.268), and IV (OR, 1.088; 95%
      CI, 1.013-1.168). In contrast, i-FABP and LPS did not increase the odds of any
      AGI grade. SOFA scores could independently predict the odds of death in AGI
      patients (OR, 1.223; 95% CI, 1.007-1.485). CONCLUSION: AGI patients exhibit loss
      of gastrointestinal barrier function, and D-la could serve as a better marker of
      AGI grade than i-FABP or lipopolysaccharide.

PMID- 28356060
TI  - Genetic variation in the microsomal triglyceride transfer protein (-493G/T) is
      associated with hepatic steatosis in patients infected with hepatitis C virus.
AB  - BACKGROUND: In chronic hepatitis C, the fibrosis progression rates are extremely
      variable and can be influenced by factors associated with the host, virus and
      environment. Among the associated metabolic factors, hepatic steatosis is
      characterized by an accumulation of triglycerides in hepatocytes. In the host,
      genetic determinants of hepatic steatosis are observed, such as single-nucleotide
      polymorphisms (SNPs) in the microsomal triglyceride transfer protein (MTTP) gene.
      The MTTP -493G/T SNP appears to play an important role in the regulation of gene
      expression and influences the plasma concentration of circulating low-density
      lipoprotein (LDL). The present study investigated the influence of this SNP in
      the development of hepatic steatosis in patients with chronic hepatitis C and
      evaluated the association of hepatic steatosis with certain characteristics of
      these patients and the hepatitis C virus (HCV). METHODS: Two hundred thirty-nine
      patients with chronic hepatitis C were genotyped for the MTTP -493G/T SNP by a
      polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP)
      assay. The association between hepatic steatosis and selected characteristics of
      the patient and virus was evaluated using bivariate and multivariate analyses.
      RESULTS: The most prevalent MTTP -493G/T genotype was GG (46%) followed by GT
      (43.5%) and TT (10.5%). Multivariate analysis of the total cohort revealed
      associations between the presence of hepatic steatosis and inflammatory activity
      of moderate to high intensity (P < 0.001), advanced age (P = 0.010), elevated
      gamma glutamyl transpeptidase (GGT) levels (P = 0.010) and low LDL levels (P =
      0.022). Hepatic steatosis was also associated with the TT/GT genotype of the MTTP
      -493G/T SNP in patients infected with HCV genotype 3 (P < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: In
      chronic hepatitis C patients infected with HCV genotype 3 and with the TT/GT
      genotype of the MTTP -493G/T SNP, a significant increase in hepatic steatosis was
      observed, which may indicate that this SNP has a significant influence on the
      accumulation of triglycerides in hepatocytes. Furthermore, associations were
      observed between hepatic steatosis and inflammatory activity of moderate to high
      intensity, advanced age, elevated GGT and low LDL levels.

PMID- 28356061
TI  - Distribution of Ki-67 values within HER2 & ER/PgR expression variants of ductal
      breast cancers as a potential link between IHC features and breast cancer
      biology.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Unexpected differences in Ki-67 values among HER2 & ER/PgR defined
      subgroups were found. This study aims to detect possible subdivisions beyond the
      conventional breast cancer types. METHODS: One thousand one hundred eighty
      consecutive patients with invasive ductal breast carcinoma were included and
      distributed in 16 subgroups (four HER2 phenotypes (0+, 1+, 2+ and 3+) times four
      ER/PgR phenotypes). Complex distributions of Ki-67 values were tested by
      expectation maximization (EM) clustering. RESULTS: Pooled Ki67 values of all
      patients showed the presence of three EM clusters (defined as LMA-low mitotic
      activity, IMA-intermediate mitotic activity and HMA-high mitotic activity) with
      expected mean Ki-67 values of 1.17%, 40.45% and 77.79%, respectively. Only ER-PgR
      tumors significantly dispersed in three clusters (29.75% tumors in LMA, 46.95%
      in IMA and 23.30% in the HMA cluster), while almost no detected HMA tumors were
      of ER + PgR+ or ER + PgR- phenotypes. Among 799 ER + PgR+ patients distribution
      in clusters was HER2 dependent (p = 0.000243), due to increased number of IMA
      HER2 3+ tumors on the expense of LMA HER2 3+ tumors (52 IMA out of 162 HER2 3+
      patients versus113 IMA out of 637 HER2 < 3+ patients). This was not found among
      ER + PgR- patients (p = 0.186968). Among ER-PgR- patients, HER2 overexpression
      also increased number of IMA tumor, but by reducing the number of HMA tumors (p <
      0.000001). Here, difference between HER2 absent (0+) and HER2 3+ patients was
      evident (10 HMA out of 125 HER2 3+ patients versus 42 HMA out of 103 HER2 0+
      patients). CONCLUSIONS: Results suggest that distributions of breast cancers in
      three clusters of mitotic activity depend on different mechanisms for ER + PgR+
      and ER negative tumors. Although HER2 overexpression increases number of IMA
      tumors in both settings, in the former it is done by reducing number of LMA
      tumors, while in the latter it reduces the number of HMA tumors. Mitotic activity
      of ER + PgR- tumors seems unrelated to the HER2 status, possibly as an indicator
      that ER dysfunctionality in cancers that lack PgR expression. Among ER negative
      tumors, the absence of HER2 (0+) might be as important as the HER2
      overexpression.

PMID- 28356062
TI  - Successful multigravid pregnancy in a 42-year-old patient on continuous
      ambulatory peritoneal dialysis and a review of the literature.
AB  - BACKGROUND: For peritoneal dialysis patients, the likelihood of conception is low
      and the probability of getting through the pregnancy successfully is even lower.
      Almost 60 years after the first reported case of a successful pregnancy in a
      dialysis patient, many issues concerning pregnancy in dialysis patients remain
      unresolved. Our patient's pregnancy is considered high risk as she has end stage
      renal failure and falls in the category of advance maternal age for pregnancy. We
      describe here the course of her uneventful pregnancy which we hope will
      contribute to the overall knowledge and management of pregnancy in elderly
      patients receiving peritoneal dialysis. CASE PRESENTATION: We report a successful
      elderly multigravid pregnancy, in a patient undergoing continuous ambulatory
      peritoneal dialysis (CAPD). Her pregnancy was detected early and she was closely
      managed by the nephrologist and obstetrician. She tolerated the same PD
      prescription throughout 36 weeks of pregnancy with daily ultrafiltration of 500
      1500mls. Her blood pressure remained well controlled without the need of any
      antihypertensive medication. Her total Kt/V ranged from 1.93 to 2.73. Her blood
      parameters remained stable and she was electively admitted at 36 weeks for a
      trans-peritoneal lower segment caesarian section and bilateral tubal ligation.
      CONCLUSIONS: At the age of 42, our case is the oldest reported successful
      pregnancy in a patient on peritoneal dialysis. With careful counselling and
      meticulous follow up, we have shown that woman in the early stage of end stage
      renal failure can successfully deliver a full term baby without any
      complications. Therefore, these women should not be discourage from conceiving
      even if they are in advanced maternal age for pregnancy.

PMID- 28356063
TI  - Daclatasvir/asunaprevir based direct-acting antiviral therapy ameliorate
      hepatitis C virus-associated cryoglobulinemic membranoproliferative
      glomerulonephritis: a case report.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Direct-acting antivirals (DAAs) dramatically improve the treatment of
      hepatitis C virus (HCV) infections. However, the effects of DAAs on extra-hepatic
      manifestations such as HCV-associated glomerulonephritis, especially in cases
      with renal dysfunction, are not well elucidated. CASE PRESENTATION: A 69-year-old
      Japanese woman was diagnosed as having chronic hepatitis C, genotype 1b at the
      age of 55. She presented with hypertension, microscopic hematuria, proteinuria,
      renal dysfunction, purpura, and arthralgia at the age of 61. She also had
      hypocomplementemia and cryoglobulinemia. Renal biopsy revealed
      membranoproliferative glomerulonephritis (MPGN), and she was diagnosed as having
      HCV-associated cryoglobulinemic MPGN. She declined interferon therapy at the time
      and was treated with antihypertensive medications as well as oral corticosteroid
      that were effective in reducing proteinuria. However, when the corticosteroid
      dose was reduced, proteinuria worsened. She began antiviral treatment with
      daclatasvir/asunaprevir (DCV/ASV). Clearance of HCV-RNA was obtained by 2 weeks
      and sustained, and liver function was normalized. In addition, microhematuria
      turned negative, proteinuria decreased, hypocomplementemia and estimated
      glomerular filtration rate were improved, whereas cryoglobulinemia persisted. She
      completed 24 weeks of therapy without significant adverse effects. CONCLUSION: In
      a case of HCV-associated cryoglobulinemic MPGN with renal dysfunction, DCV/ASV 
      based DAAs ameliorated microhematuria, proteinuria and renal function without
      significant side effects.

PMID- 28356064
TI  - Protocol of the PANCALYZE trial: a multicenter, prospective study investigating
      the tumor biomarkers CXCR4, SMAD4, SOX9 and IFIT3 in patients with resected
      pancreatic adenocarcinoma to predict the pattern of recurrence of the disease.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is one of the most lethal
      malignancies today with an urgent need for novel therapeutic strategies.
      Biomarker analysis helps to better understand tumor biology and might emerge as a
      tool to develop personalized therapies. The aim of the study is to investigate
      four promising biomarkers to predict the clinical course and particularly the
      pattern of tumor recurrence after surgical resection. DESIGN: Patients undergoing
      surgery for PDAC can be enrolled into the PANCALYZE trial. Biomarker expression
      of CXCR4, SMAD4, SOX9 and IFIT3 will be prospectively assessed by
      immunohistochemistry and verified by rt.-PCR from tumor and adjacent healthy
      pancreatic tissue of surgical specimen. Immunohistochemistry expression pattern
      of all four biomarkers will be combined into a single score. Beginning with the
      hospital stay clinical data from enrolled patients will be collected and
      followed. Different adjuvant chemotherapy protocols will be used to create
      subgroups. The combined biomarker expression score will be correlated with the
      further clinical course of the patients to test the hypothesis if CXCR4 positive,
      SMAD4 negative, SOX9 positive, IFIT3 positive tumors will predominantly develop
      metastatic spread. DISCUSSION: Pancreatic cancer is associated with different
      patterns of progression requiring personalized therapeutic strategies. Biomarker
      expression analysis might be a tool to predict the pattern of tumor recurrence
      and discriminate patients that develop systemic metastatic disease from those
      with tumors that rather develop local recurrence over time. This data might lead
      to personalized adjuvant treatment decisions as patients with tumors that stay
      localized might benefit from adjuvant local therapies like radiochemotherapy as
      compared to those with systemic recurrence who would benefit exclusively from
      chemotherapy. Moreover, the pattern of propagation might be a predefined
      characteristic of pancreatic cancer determined by the genetic signature of the
      tumor. In the future, biomarker expression analysis could be performed on tumor
      biopsies to develop personalized therapeutic pathways right after diagnosis of
      cancer. TRIAL REGISTRATION: German Clinical Trials Register, DRKS00006179 .

PMID- 28356065
TI  - Purification, characterization and amino acid content of cholesterol oxidase
      produced by Streptomyces aegyptia NEAE 102.
AB  - BACKGROUND: There is an increasing demand on cholesterol oxidase for its various
      industrial and clinical applications. The current research was focused on
      extracellular cholesterol oxidase production under submerged fermentation by a
      local isolate previously identified as Streptomyces aegyptia NEAE 102. The crude
      enzyme extract was purified by two purification steps, protein precipitation
      using ammonium sulfate followed by ion exchange chromatography using DEAE
      Sepharose CL-6B. The kinetic parameters of purified cholesterol oxidase from
      Streptomyces aegyptia NEAE 102 were studied. RESULTS: The best conditions for
      maximum cholesterol oxidase activity were found to be 105 min of incubation time,
      an initial pH of 7 and temperature of 37  degrees C. The optimum substrate
      concentration was found to be 0.4 mM. The higher thermal stability behavior of
      cholesterol oxidase was at 50  degrees C. Around 63.86% of the initial activity
      was retained by the enzyme after 20 min of incubation at 50  degrees C. The
      apparent molecular weight of the purified enzyme as sized by sodium dodecyl
      sulphate-polyacryalamide gel electrophoresis was approximately 46 KDa. On DEAE
      Sepharose CL-6B column cholesterol oxidase was purified to homogeneity with final
      specific activity of 16.08 U/mg protein and 3.14-fold enhancement. The amino acid
      analysis of the purified enzyme produced by Streptomyces aegyptia NEAE 102
      illustrated that, cholesterol oxidase is composed of 361 residues with glutamic
      acid as the most represented amino acid with concentration of 11.49 MUg/mL.
      CONCLUSIONS: Taking into account the extracellular production, wide pH tolerance,
      thermal stability and shelf life, cholesterol oxidase produced by Streptomyces
      aegyptia NEAE 102 suggested that the enzyme could be industrially useful.

PMID- 28356066
TI  - Effectiveness of conservative interventions for sickness and pain behaviors
      induced by a high repetition high force upper extremity task.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Systemic inflammation is known to induce sickness behaviors,
      including decreased social interaction and pain. We have reported increased serum
      inflammatory cytokines in a rat model of repetitive strain injury (rats perform
      an upper extremity reaching task for prolonged periods). Here, we sought to
      determine if sickness behaviors are induced in this model and the effectiveness
      of conservative treatments. METHODS: Experimental rats underwent initial training
      to learn a high force reaching task (10 min/day, 5 days/week for 6 weeks), with
      or without ibuprofen treatment (TRHF vs. TRHF + IBU rats). Subsets of trained
      animals went on to perform a high repetition high force (HRHF) task for 6 or 12
      weeks (2 h/day, 3 days/week) without treatment, or received two secondary
      interventions: ibuprofen (HRHF + IBU) or a move to a lower demand low repetition
      low force task (HRHF-to-LRLF), beginning in task week 5. Mixed-effects models
      with repeated measures assays were used to assay duration of social interaction,
      aggression, forepaw withdrawal thresholds and reach performance abilities. One
      way and two-way ANOVAs were used to assay tissue responses. Corrections for
      multiple comparisons were made. RESULTS: TRHF + IBU rats did not develop
      behavioral declines or systemic increases in IL-1beta and IL-6, observed in
      untreated TRHF rats. Untreated HRHF rats showed social interaction declines,
      difficulties performing the operant task and forepaw mechanical allodynia.
      Untreated HRHF rats also had increased serum levels of several inflammatory
      cytokines and chemokines, neuroinflammatory responses (e.g., increased TNFalpha)
      in the brain, median nerve and spinal cord, and Substance P and neurokinin 1
      immunoexpression in the spinal cord. HRHF + IBU and HRHF-to-LRLF rats showed
      improved social interaction and reduced inflammatory serum, nerve and brain
      changes. However, neither secondary treatment rescued HRHF-task induced forepaw
      allodynia, or completely attenuated task performance declines or spinal cord
      responses. CONCLUSIONS: These results suggest that inflammatory mechanisms
      induced by prolonged performance of high physical demand tasks mediate the
      development of social interaction declines and aggression. However, persistent
      spinal cord sensitization was associated with persistent behavioral indices of
      discomfort, despite use of conservative secondary interventions indicating the
      need for prevention or more effective interventions.

PMID- 28356067
TI  - Probiotic bacteria prevent Salmonella - induced suppression of
      lymphoproliferation in mice by an immunomodulatory mechanism.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Salmonella enterica infections often exhibit a form of immune
      evasion. We previously observed that probiotic bacteria could prevent inhibition
      of lymphoproliferation and apoptosis responses of T cells associated with S.
      enterica infections in orally challenged mice. RESULTS: In this study, changes in
      expression of genes related to lymphocyte activation in mucosa-associated
      lymphoid tissues (MALT) of mice orally infected with S. enterica with and without
      treatment with probiotic bacteria were evaluated. Probiotic bacteria increased
      expression of mRNA for clusters of differentiation antigen 2 (Cd2), protein
      tyrosine phosphatase receptor type C (Ptprc), and Toll-like receptor 6 (Tlr6)
      genes related to T and B cell activation in mouse intestinal tissue. The
      probiotic bacteria were also associated with reduced mRNA expression of a group
      of genes (RelB, Myd88, Ikappakappaa, Jun, Irak2) related to nuclear factor of
      kappa light chains enhancer in B cells (NF-kappaB) signal transduction pathway
      regulated cytokine responses. Probiotic bacteria were also associated with
      reduced mRNA expression of apoptotic genes (Casp2, Casp12, Dad1, Akt1, Bad) that
      suggest high avidity lymphocyte sparing. Reduced CD2 immunostaining in mesenteric
      lymph nodes (MLN) was suggestive of reduced lymphocyte activation in probiotic
      treated mice. Reduced immunostaining of TLR6 in MALT of probiotic-treated, S.
      enterica-infected mice suggests that diminished innate immune sensitivity to S.
      enterica antigens is associated with preventing lymphocyte deletion. CONCLUSIONS:
      The results of this study are consistent with prevention of S. enterica-induced
      deletion of lymphocytes by the influence of probiotic bacteria in mucosal
      lymphoid tissues of mice.

PMID- 28356068
TI  - A randomized trial of remote ischemic preconditioning and control treatment for
      cardioprotection in sevoflurane-anesthetized CABG patients.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Remote ischemic preconditioning (RIPC) efficacy is debated. Possibly,
      because propofol, which has a RIPC-inhibiting action, is used in most RIPC
      trials. It has been suggested that clinical efficacy is, however, present with
      volatile anesthesia in the absence of propofol, although this is based on one
      phase 1 trial only. Therefore, in the present study we further explore the
      relation between RIPC and cardioprotection with perioperative anesthesia
      restricted to sevoflurane and fentanyl, in CABG patients without concomitant
      procedures. METHODS: In a single-center study, we aimed to randomize 46 patients
      to either RIPC (3x5 min inflation of a blood pressure cuff around the arm) or
      control treatment (deflated cuff around the arm). Blood samples were obtained
      before and after RIPC to evaluate potential RIPC-induced mediators (Interleukin
      (IL)-6, IL-10, Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha, Macrophage Inhibitory Factor). An
      atrial tissue sample was obtained at cannulation of the appendix of the right
      atrium for determination of mitochondrial bound hexokinase II (mtHKII) and other
      survival proteins (Akt and AMP-activated protein kinase alpha). In blood samples
      taken before and 6, 12 and 24 h after surgery cardiac troponin T (cTnT) and C
      reactive protein (CRP) were determined. Surgery was strictly performed under
      sevoflurane anesthesia (no propofol). RESULTS: We actually randomized 16 patients
      to control treatment and 13 patients to RIPC. The mean 24 h area under the curve
      (AUC) cTnT was 11.44 (standard deviation 4.66) in the control group and 10.90
      (standard deviation 4.73) in the RIPC group (mean difference 0.54, 95% CI -3.06
      to 4.13; p = 0.76). The mean 24 h AUC CRP was 1319 (standard deviation 92) in the
      control group and 1273 (standard deviation 141) in the RIPC group (mean
      difference 46.2, 95% CI -288 to 380; p = 0.78). RIPC was without effect on
      survival proteins in atrial tissue samples obtained before surgery (mitochondrial
      hexokinase, Akt and AMPK) and inflammatory mediators obtained before and
      immediately after RIPC (IL-6, IL-10, TNF-alpha, macrophage migration inhibitory
      factor). CONCLUSION: Many factors can interfere with the outcome of RIPC. Trying
      to correct for this led to strict inclusion criteria, which, in combination with
      a decreased institutional frequency of CABG without concomitant procedures and a
      change in institutional anesthetic regimen away from volatile anesthetics towards
      total intravenous anesthesia, caused slow inclusion and halting of this trial
      after 3 years, before target inclusion could be reached. Therefore this study is
      underpowered to prove its primary goal that RIPC reduced AUC cTnT by < 25%.
      Nevertheless, we have shown that the effect of RIPC on 24 h AUC cTnT, in cardiac
      surgery with anesthesia during surgery restricted to sevoflurane/fentanyl (no
      propofol), was between a decrease of 27% and an increase of 36%. These findings
      are not in line with previous studies in this field. TRIAL REGISTRATION: The
      Netherlands Trial Register: NTR2915 ; Registered 25 Mei 2011.

PMID- 28356069
TI  - Broad induction of immunoregulatory mechanisms after a short course of anti-IL
      7Ralpha antibodies in NOD mice.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Type 1 diabetes is an autoimmune disease caused by T cell-mediated
      destruction of the insulin-producing beta-cells in the pancreas. Therefore,
      approaches that effectively halt the pathogenic T cell response are predicted to
      have preventive or therapeutic benefit for type 1 diabetes patients. We
      previously demonstrated that long-term blocking of IL-7 signaling, which is
      critical for the survival and function of T cells, prevented and reversed type 1
      diabetes in non-obese diabetic mice. However, such persistent inhibition of T
      cell responses raises concerns about causing immunodeficiency. Here, we asked
      whether a reduced duration of the treatment with anti-IL-7Ralpha antibodies
      retained efficacy in preventing diabetes. Moreover, we sought to identify
      immunoregulatory mechanisms induced by anti-IL-7Ralpha administration. RESULTS:
      Anti-IL-7Ralpha antibodies were administered to prediabetic NOD mice for 3 weeks
      and blood samples were taken at the end of treatment and 2 weeks later to analyze
      changes in T cell phenotypes in response to IL-7Ralpha blockade. We found that
      the co-inhibitory receptors LAG-3, Tim-3 and PD-1 were increased on peripheral
      blood CD4+ and CD8+ T cells from anti-IL-7Ralpha-treated mice. Expression of
      these receptors contributed to reduced T cell cytokine production in response to
      TCR stimulation. In addition, the frequency of Tregs within the circulating CD4+
      T cells was increased at the end of anti-IL-7Ralpha antibody treatment and these
      Tregs showed a more activated phenotype. In vitro restimulation assays revealed
      that effector T cells from anti-IL-7Ralpha-treated mice were more sensitive to co
      inhibitory receptor induction after TCR stimulation. Importantly, these changes
      were accompanied by delayed type 1 diabetes disease kinetics. CONCLUSIONS:
      Together, our data show that short-term blockade of IL-7Ralpha induces detectable
      changes in co-inhibitory receptor expression and Treg frequencies in peripheral
      blood of NOD mice. These changes appear to have long-lasting effects by delaying
      or preventing type 1 diabetes incidence. Hence, our study provides further
      support for using anti-IL-7Ralpha antibodies to modulate autoreactive T cell
      responses.

PMID- 28356070
TI  - Core-genome scaffold comparison reveals the prevalence that inversion events are
      associated with pairs of inverted repeats.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Genome rearrangement describes gross changes of chromosomal regions,
      plays an important role in evolutionary biology and has profound impacts on
      phenotype in organisms ranging from microbes to humans. With more and more
      complete genomes accomplished, lots of genomic comparisons have been conducted in
      order to find genome rearrangements and the mechanisms which underlie the
      rearrangement events. In our opinion, genomic comparison of different
      individuals/strains within the same species (pan-genome) is more helpful to
      reveal the mechanisms for genome rearrangements since genomes of the same species
      are much closer to each other. RESULTS: We study the mechanism for inversion
      events via core-genome scaffold comparison of different strains within the same
      species. We focus on two kinds of bacteria, Pseudomonas aeruginosa and
      Escherichia coli, and investigate the inversion events among different strains of
      the same species. We find an interesting phenomenon that long (larger than 10,000
      bp) inversion regions are flanked by a pair of Inverted Repeats (IRs). This
      mechanism can also explain why the breakpoint reuses for inversion events happen.
      We study the prevalence of the phenomenon and find that it is a major mechanism
      for inversions. The other observation is that for different rearrangement events
      such as transposition and inverted block interchange, the two ends of the swapped
      regions are also associated with repeats so that after the rearrangement
      operations the two ends of the swapped regions remain unchanged. To our
      knowledge, this is the first time such a phenomenon is reported for transposition
      event. CONCLUSIONS: In both Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Escherichia coli strains,
      IRs were found at the two ends of long sequence inversions. The two ends of the
      inversion remained unchanged before and after the inversion event. The existence
      of IRs can explain the breakpoint reuse phenomenon. We also observed that other
      rearrangement operations such as transposition, inverted transposition, and
      inverted block interchange, had repeats (not necessarily inverted) at the ends of
      each segment, where the ends remained unchanged before and after the
      rearrangement operations. This suggests that the conservation of ends could
      possibly be a popular phenomenon in many types of chromosome rearrangement
      events.

PMID- 28356072
TI  - Comparative and functional genomics of the Lactococcus lactis taxon; insights
      into evolution and niche adaptation.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Lactococcus lactis is among the most widely studied lactic acid
      bacterial species due to its long history of safe use and economic importance to
      the dairy industry, where it is exploited as a starter culture in cheese
      production. RESULTS: In the current study, we report on the complete sequencing
      of 16 L. lactis subsp. lactis and L. lactis subsp. cremoris genomes. The
      chromosomal features of these 16 L. lactis strains in conjunction with 14
      completely sequenced, publicly available lactococcal chromosomes were assessed
      with particular emphasis on discerning the L. lactis subspecies division,
      evolution and niche adaptation. The deduced pan-genome of L. lactis was found to
      be closed, indicating that the representative data sets employed for this
      analysis are sufficient to fully describe the genetic diversity of the taxon.
      CONCLUSIONS: Niche adaptation appears to play a significant role in governing the
      genetic content of each L. lactis subspecies, while (differential) genome decay
      and redundancy in the dairy niche is also highlighted.

PMID- 28356073
TI  - Practical partnered research to improve weight loss among overweight/obese
      veterans: lessons from the trenches.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Obesity and obesity-related conditions, such as type 2 diabetes, are
      a major issue for Veteran health. Veterans Health Administration (VA) researchers
      and health systems leaders have worked separately and together to provide more
      effective weight management programs for Veterans. Although randomized clinical
      trials are often considered the gold standard for establishing efficacy of
      interventions in controlled circumstances, pragmatic clinical trials (PCTs)
      provide agility for translation. MAIN TEXT: VA researchers and health system
      leaders collaboratively designed a PCT to compare the Diabetes Prevention Program
      (VA-DPP) to usual care (MOVE!(r)) in promoting weight loss and glycemic control
      among overweight/obese Veterans with prediabetes. Together, they navigated the
      tensions that exist between quality improvement and research activities, facing
      challenges but reaping significant rewards. Early findings led to updated
      national guidance for delivering obesity treatment in VA. SHORT CONCLUSION:
      Partnered research and the use of PCTs can be powerful strategies for
      accelerating evidence-based findings into practice. Collaborative partnerships
      between researchers and health systems leaders can help enhance and sustain
      translation in real-world settings.

PMID- 28356074
TI  - A deletion in the intergenic region upstream of Ednrb causes head spot in the rat
      strain KFRS4/Kyo.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Head spot is one of the phenotypes identified in the KFRS4/Kyo rat
      strain. Although previous linkage analysis suggested that Ednrb, which is
      frequently involved in coat color variations in various animals, could be the
      gene responsible for this phenotype, no mutations have been identified in its
      coding region. RESULTS: To identify mutations causative of this phenotype in
      KFRS4/Kyo, we analyzed target capture sequencing data that we recently generated.
      Our target capture method has a unique feature, i.e., it covers not only exonic
      regions but also conserved non-coding sequences (CNSs) among vertebrates;
      therefore, it has the potential to detect regulatory mutations. We identified a
      deletion of approximately 50 kb in length approximately 50 kb upstream of Ednrb.
      A comparative analysis with the epigenomic data in the corresponding region in
      humans and mice showed that one of the CNSs might be an enhancer. Further
      comparison with Hi-C data, which provide information about chromosome
      conformation, indicated that the putative enhancer is spatially close to the
      promoter of Ednrb, suggesting that it acts as an enhancer of Ednrb. CONCLUSIONS:
      These in silico data analyses strongly suggest that the identified deletion in
      the intergenic region upstream of Ednrb, which might contain a melanocyte
      specific enhancer, is the mutation causative of the head spot phenotype in the
      KFRS4/Kyo rat strain.

PMID- 28356071
TI  - Changes in the Sclerotinia sclerotiorum transcriptome during infection of
      Brassica napus.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Sclerotinia sclerotiorum causes stem rot in Brassica napus, which
      leads to lodging and severe yield losses. Although recent studies have explored
      significant progress in the characterization of individual S. sclerotiorum
      pathogenicity factors, a gap exists in profiling gene expression throughout the
      course of S. sclerotiorum infection on a host plant. In this study, RNA-Seq
      analysis was performed with focus on the events occurring through the early (1 h)
      to the middle (48 h) stages of infection. RESULTS: Transcript analysis revealed
      the temporal pattern and amplitude of the deployment of genes associated with
      aspects of pathogenicity or virulence during the course of S. sclerotiorum
      infection on Brassica napus. These genes were categorized into eight functional
      groups: hydrolytic enzymes, secondary metabolites, detoxification, signaling,
      development, secreted effectors, oxalic acid and reactive oxygen species
      production. The induction patterns of nearly all of these genes agreed with their
      predicted functions. Principal component analysis delineated gene expression
      patterns that signified transitions between pathogenic phases, namely host
      penetration, ramification and necrotic stages, and provided evidence for the
      occurrence of a brief biotrophic phase soon after host penetration. CONCLUSIONS:
      The current observations support the notion that S. sclerotiorum deploys an array
      of factors and complex strategies to facilitate host colonization and mitigate
      host defenses. This investigation provides a broad overview of the sequential
      expression of virulence/pathogenicity-associated genes during infection of B.
      napus by S. sclerotiorum and provides information for further characterization of
      genes involved in the S. sclerotiorum-host plant interactions.

PMID- 28356075
TI  - Genome-wide association study and accuracy of genomic prediction for teat number
      in Duroc pigs using genotyping-by-sequencing.
AB  - BACKGROUND: The number of teats in pigs is related to a sow's ability to rear
      piglets to weaning age. Several studies have identified genes and genomic regions
      that affect teat number in swine but few common results were reported. The
      objective of this study was to identify genetic factors that affect teat number
      in pigs, evaluate the accuracy of genomic prediction, and evaluate the
      contribution of significant genes and genomic regions to genomic broad-sense
      heritability and prediction accuracy using 41,108 autosomal single nucleotide
      polymorphisms (SNPs) from genotyping-by-sequencing on 2936 Duroc boars. RESULTS:
      Narrow-sense heritability and dominance heritability of teat number estimated by
      genomic restricted maximum likelihood were 0.365 +/- 0.030 and 0.035 +/- 0.019,
      respectively. The accuracy of genomic predictions, calculated as the average
      correlation between the genomic best linear unbiased prediction and phenotype in
      a tenfold validation study, was 0.437 +/- 0.064 for the model with additive and
      dominance effects and 0.435 +/- 0.064 for the model with additive effects only.
      Genome-wide association studies (GWAS) using three methods of analysis identified
      85 significant SNP effects for teat number on chromosomes 1, 6, 7, 10, 11, 12 and
      14. The region between 102.9 and 106.0 Mb on chromosome 7, which was reported in
      several studies, had the most significant SNP effects in or near the PTGR2,
      FAM161B, LIN52, VRTN, FCF1, AREL1 and LRRC74A genes. This region accounted for
      10.0% of the genomic additive heritability and 8.0% of the accuracy of
      prediction. The second most significant chromosome region not reported by
      previous GWAS was the region between 77.7 and 79.7 Mb on chromosome 11, where
      SNPs in the FGF14 gene had the most significant effect and accounted for 5.1% of
      the genomic additive heritability and 5.2% of the accuracy of prediction. The 85
      significant SNPs accounted for 28.5 to 28.8% of the genomic additive heritability
      and 35.8 to 36.8% of the accuracy of prediction. CONCLUSIONS: The three methods
      used for the GWAS identified 85 significant SNPs with additive effects on teat
      number, including SNPs in a previously reported chromosomal region and SNPs in
      novel chromosomal regions. Most significant SNPs with larger estimated effects
      also had larger contributions to the total genomic heritability and accuracy of
      prediction than other SNPs.

PMID- 28356076
TI  - Dexmedetomidine's inhibitory effects on acetylcholine release from cholinergic
      nerves in guinea pig trachea: a mechanism that accounts for its clinical benefit
      during airway irritation.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Airway instrumentation can evoke upper airway reflexes including
      bronchoconstriction and cough which can cause serious complications including
      airway trauma, laryngospasm or bronchospasm which may in turn lead to difficulty
      with ventilation and hypoxemia. These airway events are mediated in part by
      irritant-induced neuronal modulation of airway tone and cough responses. We
      investigated whether the commonly used anesthetic agents dexmedetomidine,
      lidocaine or remifentanil attenuated neuronal and airway smooth muscle responses
      in the upper airways of guinea pigs. METHODS: The ability of dexmedetomidine,
      lidocaine or remifentanil to attenuate direct cholinergic nerve stimulation, C
      fiber stimulation or direct smooth muscle contraction were studied using isolated
      tracheal rings from male guinea pigs under four paradigms; (1) the magnitude of
      contractile force elicited by cholinergic electrical field stimulation (EFS); (2)
      the amount of acetylcholine released during cholinergic EFS; (3) the direct
      airway smooth muscle relaxation of a sustained acetylcholine-induced contraction
      and (4) the magnitude of C-fiber mediated contraction. RESULTS: Dexmedetomidine
      (1-100 MUM) and lidocaine (1 mM) attenuated cholinergic 30Hz EFS-induced tracheal
      ring contraction while remifentanil (10 MUM) had no effect. Dexmedetomidine at 10
      MUM (p = 0.0047) and 100 MUM (p = 0.01) reduced cholinergic EFS-induced
      acetylcholine release while lidocaine (10 MUM-1 mM) and remifentanil (0.1-10 MUM)
      did not. Tracheal ring muscle force induced by the exogenous addition of the
      contractile agonist acetylcholine or by a prototypical C-fiber analogue of
      capsaicin were also attenuated by 100 MUM dexmedetomidine (p = 0.0061 and p =
      0.01, respectively). The actual tracheal tissue concentrations of dexmedetomidine
      achieved (0.54-26 nM) following buffer application of 1-100 MUM of
      dexmedetomidine were within the range of clinically achieved plasma
      concentrations (12 nM). CONCLUSIONS: The alpha2 adrenoceptor agonist
      dexmedetomidine reduced cholinergic EFS-induced contractions and acetylcholine
      release consistent with the presence of inhibitory alpha2 adrenoceptors on the
      prejunctional side of the postganglionic cholinergic nerve-smooth muscle
      junction. Dexmedetomidine also attenuated both exogenous acetylcholine-induced
      contraction and C-fiber mediated contraction, suggesting a direct airway smooth
      muscle effect and an underlying mechanism for cough suppression, respectively.

PMID- 28356078
TI  - Calcium oxalate crystal related kidney injury in a patient receiving Roux-en Y
      hepaticojejunostomy due to gall bladder cancer.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Calcium oxalate nephropathy is rare in current practice. It was a
      common complication during jejunoileal bypass, but much less seen in modern
      gastric bypass surgery for morbid obesity. The major cause of it is enteric
      hyperoxaluria. CASE PRESENTATION: We report on a patient here with acute kidney
      disease due to calcium oxalate nephropathy, rather than the conditions mentioned
      above. The male patient received a Roux-en Y hepaticojejunostomy and common bile
      duct drainage. In addition to enteric hyperoxaluria, chronic kidney disease
      related metabolic acidosis, chronic diarrhea related volume depletion, a high
      oxalate and low potassium diet, long term ascorbic acid intake and long term
      exposure to antibiotics, all predisposed him to having oxalate nephropathy.
      CONCLUSION: This is the first case with such conditions and we recommend that
      similarly diagnosed patients avoid all these predisposing factors, in order to
      avoid this rare disease and its undesired outcome.

PMID- 28356077
TI  - Evolutionary origin and function of NOX4-art, an arthropod specific NADPH
      oxidase.
AB  - BACKGROUND: NADPH oxidases (NOX) are ROS producing enzymes that perform essential
      roles in cell physiology, including cell signaling and antimicrobial defense.
      This gene family is present in most eukaryotes, suggesting a common ancestor. To
      date, only a limited number of phylogenetic studies of metazoan NOXes have been
      performed, with few arthropod genes. In arthropods, only NOX5 and DUOX genes have
      been found and a gene called NOXm was found in mosquitoes but its origin and
      function has not been examined. In this study, we analyzed the evolution of this
      gene family in arthropods. A thorough search of genomes and transcriptomes was
      performed enabling us to browse most branches of arthropod phylogeny. RESULTS: We
      have found that the subfamilies NOX5 and DUOX are present in all arthropod
      groups. We also show that a NOX gene, closely related to NOX4 and previously
      found only in mosquitoes (NOXm), can also be found in other taxonomic groups,
      leading us to rename it as NOX4-art. Although the accessory protein p22-phox,
      essential for NOX1-4 activation, was not found in any of the arthropods studied,
      NOX4-art of Aedes aegypti encodes an active protein that produces H2O2. Although
      NOX4-art has been lost in a number of arthropod lineages, it has all the domains
      and many signature residues and motifs necessary for ROS production and, when
      silenced, H2O2 production is considerably diminished in A. aegypti cells.
      CONCLUSIONS: Combining all bioinformatic analyses and laboratory work we have
      reached interesting conclusions regarding arthropod NOX gene family evolution.
      NOX5 and DUOX are present in all arthropod lineages but it seems that a NOX2-like
      gene was lost in the ancestral lineage leading to Ecdysozoa. The NOX4-art gene
      originated from a NOX4-like ancestor and is functional. Although no p22-phox was
      observed in arthropods, there was no evidence of neo-functionalization and this
      gene probably produces H2O2 as in other metazoan NOX4 genes. Although functional
      and present in the genomes of many species, NOX4-art was lost in a number of
      arthropod lineages.

PMID- 28356079
TI  - Enterobacteriaceae producing extended-spectrum beta-lactamases (ESBLs)
      colonization as a risk factor for developing ESBL infections in pediatric cardiac
      surgery patients: "retrospective cohort study".
AB  - BACKGROUND: Children with cardiac defects need many hospitalizations and
      repetitive antibiotic therapies, with an increasing risk of colonization with
      multidrug-resistant bacteria (MDRB) such as extended-spectrum beta-lactamase
      producing Enterobacteriaceae (ESBL-E) Post-operative infections with these
      bacteria in paediatric cardiac surgery are life threatening. This article aims to
      study the prevalence of ESBL colonization among paediatric cardiac surgery
      patients, and to compare occurrence of post-operative infections with and without
      ESBL colonization. We also aim to study the correlation between the onset of
      postoperative infection and other parameters such as age, length of stay and
      preoperative antibiotic therapy. METHODS: A retrospective cohort study included
      paediatric cardiac surgery patients in Cheikh Zaid hospital in Rabat, Morocco,
      between the 1st of January 2011 and 31 December 2014. A screening for ESBL
      colonization was requested for children who had a risk factor (previous
      hospitalization and/or taking antibiotics) at admission. Swabs were collected
      from three sites (throat, nose and anus). Two groups were compared - patients
      colonized and not colonized with ESBLs. Statistical analysis was performed using
      R software. RESULTS: ESBL colonization screening was performed in 111 patients.
      Positive colonization was detected in 17 cases (15%). Klebsiella pneumoniae (KP):
      9 (53%) was the most frequently isolated species. Among the 17 patients, 23.5%
      (4/17) developed a postoperative infection due to ESBLs versus only one patient
      without colonization (1%). There was a statically significant difference in terms
      of occurrence of postoperative infection between the two groups (p = 0.001).
      Relative risk of developing a postoperative infection with positive colonization
      was 22 (95% CI, 8.37-58.5). CONCLUSIONS: The analysis of colonization with
      multidrug-resistant bacteria and the prevention of nosocomial infections appear
      to be important challenges for paediatric cardiac surgery. Systematic screening
      of ESBL colonization for cardiac surgery could have a significant contribution,
      on one hand to guide prophylactic antibiotic therapy of patients, and on the
      other, to prevent spread of those infections.

PMID- 28356080
TI  - Patient-reported non-adherence and immunosuppressant trough levels are associated
      with rejection after renal transplantation.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Different measures of non-adherence to immunosuppressant (IS)
      medication have been found to be associated with rejection episodes after
      successful transplantation. The aim of the current study was to investigate
      whether graft rejection after renal transplantation is associated with patient
      reported IS medication non-adherence and IS trough level variables (IS trough
      level variability and percentage of sub-therapeutic IS trough levels). METHODS:
      Patient-reported non-adherence, IS trough level variability, percentage of sub
      therapeutic IS trough levels, and acute biopsy-proven late allograft rejections
      were assessed in 267 adult renal transplant recipients who were >=12 months post
      transplantation. RESULTS: The rate of rejection was 13.5%. IS trough level
      variability, percentage of sub-therapeutic IS trough levels as well as patient
      reported non-adherence were all significantly and positively associated with
      rejection, but not with each other. Logistic regression analyses revealed that
      only the percentage of sub-therapeutic IS trough levels and age at
      transplantation remained significantly associated with rejection. CONCLUSIONS:
      Particularly, the percentage of sub-therapeutic IS trough levels is associated
      with acute rejections after kidney transplantation whereas IS trough level
      variability and patient-reported non-adherence seem to be of subordinate
      importance. Patient-reported non-adherence and IS trough level variables were not
      correlated; thus, non-adherence should always be measured in a multi
      methodological approach. Further research concerning the best combination of non
      adherence measures is needed.

PMID- 28356081
TI  - The prevalence of HIV among adults with pulmonary TB at a population level in
      Zambia.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Tuberculosis and HIV co-infection is one of the main drivers of poor
      outcome for both diseases in Zambia. HIV infection has been found to predict TB
      infection/disease and TB has been reported as a major cause of death among
      individuals with HIV. Improving case detection of TB/HIV co-infection has the
      potential to lead to early treatment of both conditions and can impact positively
      on treatment outcomes. This study was conducted in order to determine the HIV
      prevalence among adults with tuberculosis in a national prevalence survey setting
      in Zambia, 2013-2014. METHODS: A countrywide cross sectional survey was conducted
      in 2013/2014 using stratified cluster sampling, proportional to population size
      for rural and urban populations. Each of the 66 countrywide clusters represented
      one census supervisory area with cluster size averaging 825 individuals. Socio
      demographic characteristics were collected during a household visit by trained
      survey staff. A standard symptom-screening questionnaire was administered to
      46,099 eligible individuals across all clusters, followed by chest x-ray reading
      for all eligible. Those symptomatic or with x-ray abnormalities were confirmed or
      ruled out as TB case by either liquid culture or Xpert MTBRif performed at the
      three central reference laboratories. HIV testing was offered to all participants
      at the survey site following the national testing algorithm with rapid tests. The
      prevalence was expressed as the proportion of HIV among TB cases with 95%
      confidence limits. RESULTS: A total of 265/6123 (4.3%) participants were
      confirmed of having tuberculosis. Thirty-six of 151 TB survey cases who accepted
      HIV testing were HIV-seropositive (23.8%; 95% CI 17.2-31.4). The mean age of the
      TB/HIV cases was 37.6 years (range 24-70). The majority of the TB/HIV cases had
      some chest x-ray abnormality (88.9%); were smear positive (50.0%), and/or had a
      positive culture result (94.4%). None of the 36 detected TB/HIV cases were
      already on TB treatment, and 5/36 (13.9%) had a previous history of TB treatment.
      The proportion of TB/HIV was higher in urban than in the rural clusters. The HIV
      status was unknown for 114/265 (43.0%) of the TB cases. CONCLUSIONS: The TB/HIV
      prevalence in the general population was found to be lower than what is routinely
      reported as incident TB/HIV cases at facility level. However; the TB/HIV co
      infection was higher in areas with higher TB prevalence. Innovative and effective
      strategies for ensuring TB/HIV co-infected individuals are detected and treated
      early are required.

PMID- 28356082
TI  - Anti-tumor effects of everolimus and metformin are complementary and glucose
      dependent in breast cancer cells.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Clinical efficacy of the mTOR inhibitor everolimus is limited in
      breast cancer and regularly leads to side-effects including hyperglycemia. The
      AMPK inhibitor and anti-diabetic drug metformin may counteract everolimus-induced
      hyperglycemia, as well as enhancing anti-cancer efficacy. We investigated the
      glucose-dependent growth-inhibitory properties of everolimus, metformin and the
      combination in breast cancer cell lines. METHODS: The breast cancer cell lines
      MCF-7, MDA-MB-231 and T47D were cultured in media containing 11 mM or 2.75 mM
      glucose with 21% or 1% oxygen. Everolimus and metformin treated cells were
      subjected to cytotoxicity and clonogenic assays, western blotting, FACS and
      metabolic measurements. RESULTS: Everolimus was less effective in MCF7 cells
      under low glucose conditions compared to high glucose conditions (IC50 of >50 nM
      vs 29.1 +/- 1.4 nM) in a short-term survival assay, while sensitivity of MDA-MB
      231 and T47D cells to everolimus was lost under low glucose conditions. In
      contrast, metformin was more effective in low than in high glucose conditions in
      MCF7 (IC50 of 1.8 +/- 1.2 mM vs >5 mM) and MDA-MB231 cells (1.5 +/- 1.3 mM vs 2.6
      +/- 1.2 mM). Metformin sensitivity of T47D cells was independent of glucose
      concentrations. Everolimus combined with metformin additively inhibited cell
      survival, clonogenicity, mTOR signaling activity and mitochondrial respiration.
      These effects were not the result of enhanced autophagy or apoptosis induction.
      Similar results were observed under hypoxic conditions. CONCLUSION: Metformin
      induced effects are additive to the anti-proliferative and colony inhibitory
      properties of everolimus through inhibition of mitochondrial respiration and mTOR
      signaling. These results warrant further in vivo investigation of everolimus
      combined with metformin as a putative anti-cancer therapy.

PMID- 28356083
TI  - Limitations and opportunities of whole blood bilirubin measurements by GEM
      premier 4000(r).
AB  - BACKGROUND: Neonatal hyperbilirubinemia has traditionally been screened by either
      total serum bilirubin or transcutaneous bilirubin. Whole blood bilirubin (TwB) by
      the GEM Premier 4000(r) blood gas analyzer (GEM) is a relatively new technology
      and it provides fast bilirubin results with a small sample volume and can measure
      co-oximetry and other analytes. Our clinical study was to evaluate the
      reliability of TwB measured by the GEM and identify analytical and clinical
      factors that may contribute to possible bias. METHODS: 440 consecutive healthy
      newborn samples that had plasma bilirubin ordered for neonatal hyperbilirubinemia
      screening were included. TwB was first measured using the GEM, after which the
      remainder of the blood was spun and plasma neonatal bilirubin was measured using
      the VITROS 5600(r) (VITROS). RESULTS: 62 samples (14%) were excluded from
      analysis due to failure in obtaining GEM results. Passing-Bablok regression
      suggested that the GEM results were negatively biased at low concentrations of
      bilirubin and positively biased at higher concentrations relative to the VITROS
      results (y = 1.43x-61.13). Bland-Altman plots showed an overall negative bias of
      the GEM bilirubin with a wide range of differences compared to VITROS. Both
      hemoglobin concentration and hemolysis affected the accuracy of the GEM results.
      Clinically, male infants had higher mean bilirubin levels, and infants delivered
      by caesarean section had lower hemoglobin levels. When comparing the number of
      results below the 40th percentile and above the 95th percentile cut-offs in the
      Bhutani nomogram which would trigger discharge or treatment, GEM bilirubin
      exhibited poor sensitivity and poor specificity in contrast to VITROS bilirubin.
      CONCLUSIONS: An imperfect correlation was observed between whole blood bilirubin
      measured on the GEM4000(r) and plasma bilirubin on the VITROS 5600(r). The
      contributors to the observed differences between the two instruments were
      specimen hemolysis and the accuracy of hemoglobin measurements, the latter of
      which affects the calculation of plasma-equivalent bilirubin. Additionally, the
      lack of standardization of total bilirubin calibration particularly in newborn
      specimens, may also account for some of the disagreement in results.

PMID- 28356084
TI  - Conjugal amyotrophic lateral sclerosis: a case report from Scotland.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Conjugal amyotrophic lateral sclerosis is rare, with significant
      effects on psychological and care needs. We report a case of conjugal amyotrophic
      lateral sclerosis disease from central Scotland. This case is particularly
      unusual as both patients were diagnosed within an 18-month period and experienced
      the disease simultaneously, with similar symptomatology and progression. CASE
      PRESENTATION: Patient A was a 71-year-old man who presented with unilateral arm
      weakness and wasting. Patient B was a 68-year-old woman who presented with
      unilateral shoulder and elbow weakness. Diagnosis of amyotrophic lateral
      sclerosis was made within a few months of presentation in both cases, based on
      typical clinical symptomatology together with supportive neurophysiological
      testing. Interventions included enteral feeding and non-invasive ventilation. The
      time period between symptom onset and death was 5 years for Patient A and 3.5
      years for Patient B. CONCLUSION: This case illustrates two main points: the care
      issues surrounding cases of conjugal neurological disease, and the psychological
      issues in these patients. There are significant care issues arising when co
      habiting couples both develop severe functionally limiting neurological diseases
      at the same time. The more slowly progressive nature of Patient A's disease may
      be at least partially explained by the support he was able to receive from
      Patient B before she developed symptoms. Secondly, there are important
      psychological effects of living with someone with the same - but more advanced -
      progressive and incurable neurological disease. Thus, Patient B was reluctant to
      have certain interventions that she had observed being given to her husband.
      Lastly, no plausible shared environmental risk factors were identified, implying
      that the co-occurrence of ALS in this couple was a random association.

PMID- 28356088
TI  - Erratum to: SWITCH: Highlighting consensus among medical scientists increases
      public support for vaccines: evidence from a randomized experiment.

PMID- 28356086
TI  - Characterization of calcineurin from Cryptococcus humicola and the application of
      calcineurin in aluminum tolerance.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Calcineurin (CaN) is a Ca2+- and calmodulin (CaM)-dependent
      serine/threonine phosphatase. Previous studies have found that CaN is involved in
      the regulation of the stress responses. RESULTS: In this study, the growth of
      Cryptococcus humicola was inhibited by the CaN inhibitor tacrolimus (FK506) under
      aluminum (Al) stress. The expression of CNA encoding a catalytic subunit A (CNA)
      and its interaction with CaM were upregulated when the concentration of Al was
      increased. A CaM-binding domain and key amino acids responsible for interaction
      with CaM were identified. ?CNAb with a deletion from S454 to A639 was detected to
      bind to CaM, while ?CNAa with a deletion from R436 to A639 showed no binding to
      CaM. The binding affinities of CNA1 and CNA2, in which I439 or I443 were replaced
      by Ala, were decreased relative to wild-type CNA. The phosphatase activities of
      ?CNAa, CNA1 and CNA2 were lower than the wild-type protein. These results suggest
      that the region between R436 and S454 is essential for the interaction with CaM
      and I439, I443 are key amino acids in this region. The ability of the CNA
      transgenic yeast to develop resistance to Al was significantly higher than that
      of control yeast. Residual Al in the CNA transgenic yeast culture media was
      significantly lower than the amount of Al originally added to the media or the
      residual Al remaining in the control yeast culture media. These findings suggest
      that CNA confers Al tolerance, and the mechanism of Al tolerance may involve
      absorption of active Al. CONCLUSIONS: Al stress up-regulated the expression of
      CNA. CaM-binding domain and key amino acids responsible for interaction with CaM
      were identified and both are required for phosphatase activities. CNA conferred
      yeast Al resistance indicating that the gene has a potential to improve Al
      tolerance through gene engineering.

PMID- 28356085
TI  - CNV discovery for milk composition traits in dairy cattle using whole genome
      resequencing.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Copy number variations (CNVs) are important and widely distributed in
      the genome. CNV detection opens a new avenue for exploring genes associated with
      complex traits in humans, animals and plants. Herein, we present a genome-wide
      assessment of CNVs that are potentially associated with milk composition traits
      in dairy cattle. RESULTS: In this study, CNVs were detected based on whole genome
      re-sequencing data of eight Holstein bulls from four half- and/or full-sib
      families, with extremely high and low estimated breeding values (EBVs) of milk
      protein percentage and fat percentage. The range of coverage depth per individual
      was 8.2-11.9*. Using CNVnator, we identified a total of 14,821 CNVs, including
      5025 duplications and 9796 deletions. Among them, 487 differential CNV regions
      (CNVRs) comprising ~8.23 Mb of the cattle genome were observed between the high
      and low groups. Annotation of these differential CNVRs were performed based on
      the cattle genome reference assembly (UMD3.1) and totally 235 functional genes
      were found within the CNVRs. By Gene Ontology and KEGG pathway analyses, we found
      that genes were significantly enriched for specific biological functions related
      to protein and lipid metabolism, insulin/IGF pathway-protein kinase B signaling
      cascade, prolactin signaling pathway and AMPK signaling pathways. These genes
      included INS, IGF2, FOXO3, TH, SCD5, GALNT18, GALNT16, ART3, SNCA and WNT7A,
      implying their potential association with milk protein and fat traits. In
      addition, 95 CNVRs were overlapped with 75 known QTLs that are associated with
      milk protein and fat traits of dairy cattle (Cattle QTLdb). CONCLUSIONS: In
      conclusion, based on NGS of 8 Holstein bulls with extremely high and low EBVs for
      milk PP and FP, we identified a total of 14,821 CNVs, 487 differential CNVRs
      between groups, and 10 genes, which were suggested as promising candidate genes
      for milk protein and fat traits.

PMID- 28356087
TI  - Evaluation of ocular pulse amplitude in non-arteritic anterior ischaemic optic
      neuropathy.
AB  - BACKGROUND: To evaluate the ocular pulse amplitude (OPA) in patients with chronic
      non-arteritic anterior ischaemic optic neuropathy (NAION). METHODS: This cross
      sectional study comprised a study group of 30 eyes from 30 patients with NAION
      and a control group of 31 eyes from 31 age and gender-matched healthy subjects.
      Bilateral OPA was measured with dynamic contour tonometry (DCT) and was compared
      between the study and control groups. RESULTS: No statistically significant
      difference was found between the study and control groups in terms of
      hypertension, diabetes mellitus, ischaemic heart disease and hyperlipidemia. The
      mean intraocular pressure (IOP) measured with Goldmann Applanation Tonometry and
      DCT in the study and control groups was not statistically different (p1 = 0.094,
      p2 = 0.240). The mean OPA in the study group and the control group were 2.01 +/-
      0.69 mmHg and 1.97 +/- 0.68 mmHg (p = 0.839). CONCLUSION: No significant
      difference was determined in the OPA levels of eyes with NAION at the chronic
      stage and eyes in the control group.

PMID- 28356089
TI  - Sedentary behaviour is associated with increased long-term cardiovascular risk in
      patients with rheumatoid arthritis independently of moderate-to-vigorous physical
      activity.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA) is associated with an increased risk of
      cardiovascular disease (CVD). The physical dysfunction symptomatic of RA means
      people living with this disease spend large periods of the day sedentary, which
      may further elevate their risk of CVD. The primary aim of this study was to
      investigate relationships between objectively assessed sedentary behaviour
      patterns and light physical activity (LPA) with 10-year risk of CVD. Secondary
      aims were to explore the role of sedentary behaviour patterns and LPA for
      individual CVD risk factors and functional disability in RA. The extent to which
      associations were independent of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA)
      engagement was also examined. METHODS: Baseline data from a subsample of
      participants recruited to the Physical Activity in Rheumatoid Arthritis (PARA)
      study were used to answer current research questions. Sixty-one patients with RA
      (mean age (+/- SD) = 54.92 +/- 12.39 years) provided a fasted blood sample and
      underwent physical assessments to evaluate factors associated with their
      cardiovascular health. Sedentary behaviour patterns (sedentary time, sedentary
      bouts, sedentary breaks), LPA and MVPA were measured via 7-days of accelerometry.
      Ten-year CVD risk was computed (Q-risk-score2), and functional disability
      determined via questionnaire. RESULTS: Regressions revealed significant positive
      associations between sedentary time and the number of sedentary bouts per day
      >=20 min with 10-year CVD risk, with the reverse true for LPA participation.
      Associations were independent of MVPA engagement. CONCLUSIONS: Promoting LPA
      participation and restricting sedentary bouts to <20 min may attenuate long-term
      CVD risk in RA, independent of MVPA engagement. TRIAL REGISTRATION:
      ISRCTN04121489 (retrospectively registered 19/10/2012).

PMID- 28356090
TI  - ANCA vasculitis in a patient with Alport syndrome: a difficult diagnosis but a
      treatable disease!
AB  - BACKGROUND: Alport syndrome and ANCA-associated vasculitis are both rare
      diseases. The co-existence of these two conditions has never been reported. There
      is no obvious pathogenic link between these two glomerular diseases. The
      management of this case highlights the importance of a systematic approach when
      investigating the unexpected unfavourable evolution of a known glomerulopathy.
      CASE PRESENTATION: A-17 year old caucasian boy with a genetically proven X-linked
      Alport syndrome presented with progressive dyspnea, fatigue and pallor. His blood
      tests showed a severe anemia (Hb 6.9 g/dl) with acute worsening of kidney
      function (serum creatinine, normal 9 months earlier, was now 3.6 mg/dl).
      Microscopic hematuria and proteinuria also worsened. He soon developed signs of
      alveolar hemorrhage. Serological tests showed the presence of perinuclear ANCA
      with anti MPO specificity. Kidney biopsy showed a necrotizing and crescentic
      glomerulonephritis. Pulses of methylprednisolone were given in combination with
      plasmapheresis. The patient further received 6 pulses of cyclophosphamide,
      followed by maintenance oral azathioprine. During the 15-months follow up he
      remained well with serum creatinine back to normal, and some residual proteinuria
      and hematuria ascribed to Alport syndrome. CONCLUSION: We report a young patient
      with the coexistence of Alport syndrome and ANCA associated vasculitis.
      Clinicians should be aware of the possibility of a second acquired disease in a
      patient with a known kidney disease, genetic in this case. This coexistence is
      very rare, but should be considered even if both diseases are rare, if the
      evolution is atypical for the single (known) primary disease. The diagnosis of
      the added vasculitis prompted in our case the initiation of immunosuppressive
      drugs, with a favourable outcome.

PMID- 28356091
TI  - Effects of yoga, strength training and advice on back pain: a randomized
      controlled trial.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Among the working population, non-specific low-back pain and neck
      pain are one of the most common reasons for sickness absenteeism. The aim was to
      evaluate the effects of an early intervention of yoga - compared with strength
      training or evidence-based advice - on sickness absenteeism, sickness
      presenteeism, back and neck pain and disability among a working population.
      METHODS: A randomized controlled trial was conducted on 159 participants with
      predominantly (90%) chronic back and neck pain. After screening, the participants
      were randomized to kundalini yoga, strength training or evidence-based advice.
      Primary outcome was sickness absenteeism. Secondary outcomes were sickness
      presenteeism, back and neck pain and disability. Self-reported questionnaires and
      SMS text messages were completed at baseline, 6 weeks, 6 and 12 months. RESULTS:
      The results did not indicate that kundalini yoga and strength training had any
      statistically significant effects on the primary outcome compared with evidence
      based advice. An interaction effect was found between adherence to
      recommendations and sickness absenteeism, indicating larger significant effects
      among the adherers to kundalini yoga versus evidence-based advice: RR = 0.47 (CI
      0.30; 0.74, p = 0.001), strength training versus evidence-based advice: RR = 0.60
      (CI 0.38; 0.96, p = 0.032). Some significant differences were also found for the
      secondary outcomes to the advantage of kundalini yoga and strength training.
      CONCLUSIONS: Guided exercise in the forms of kundalini yoga or strength training
      does not reduce sickness absenteeism more than evidence-based advice alone.
      However, secondary analyses reveal that among those who pursue kundalini yoga or
      strength training at least two times a week, a significantly reduction in
      sickness absenteeism was found. Methods to increase adherence to treatment
      recommendations should be further developed and applied in exercise
      interventions. TRIAL REGISTRATION: Clinicaltrials.gov NCT01653782, date of
      registration: June, 28, 2012, retrospectively registered.

PMID- 28356092
TI  - The educational gradient in cardiovascular risk factors: impact of shared family
      factors in 228,346 Norwegian siblings.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Various indicators of childhood socioeconomic position have been
      related to cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk in adulthood. We investigated the
      impact of shared family factors on the educational gradient in midlife CVD risk
      factors by assessing within sibling similarities in the gradient using a
      discordant sibling design. METHODS: Norwegian health survey data (1980-2003) was
      linked to educational and generational data. Participants with a full sibling in
      the health surveys (228,346 individuals in 98,046 sibships) were included.
      Associations between attained educational level (7-9 years, 10-11 years, 12
      years, 13-16 years, or >16 years) and CVD risk factor levels in the study
      population was compared with the corresponding associations within siblings.
      RESULTS: Educational gradients in risk factors were attenuated when factors
      shared by siblings was taken into account: A one category lower educational level
      was associated with 0.7 (95% confidence interval 0.6 to 0.8) mm Hg higher
      systolic blood pressure (27% attenuation), 0.4 (0.4 to 0.5) mmHg higher diastolic
      blood pressure (30%), 1.0 (1.0 to 1.1) more beats per minute higher heart rate
      (21%), 0.07 (0.06 to 0.07) mmol/l higher serum total cholesterol (32%), 0.2 (0.2
      to 0.2) higher smoking level (5 categories) (30%), 0.15 (0.13 to 0.17) kg/m2
      higher BMI (43%), and 0.2 (0.2 to 0.2) cm lower height (52%). Attenuation
      increased with shorter age-difference between siblings. CONCLUSION: About one
      third of the educational gradients in modifiable CVD risk factors may be
      explained by factors that siblings share. This implies that childhood environment
      is important for the prevention of CVD.

PMID- 28356093
TI  - Conflict-related trauma and bereavement: exploring differential symptom profiles
      of prolonged grief and posttraumatic stress disorder.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Exposure to trauma and bereavement is common in conflict-affected
      regions. Previous research suggests considerable heterogeneity in responses to
      trauma and loss with varying symptom representations. The purpose of the current
      study was to (1) identify classes of prolonged grief disorder (PGD) and
      posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptom profiles among individuals who were
      exposed to both trauma and loss due to the Colombian armed conflict and (2) to
      examine whether sociodemographic, loss and trauma-related characteristics could
      predict class membership. METHODS: Three hundred eight victims of internal
      displacement who had experienced trauma and loss were assessed through measures
      of PGD (PG-13), PTSD (PCL-C), and social support (DUKE-UNC). Latent class
      analysis (LCA) was performed to analyze differential profiles by symptoms of PGD
      and PTSD and multinomial logistic regression was used to analyze predictors of
      class membership. RESULTS: LCA revealed a four-class solution: a resilient class
      (23.6%), a PTSD-class (23.3%), a predominately PGD class (25.3%) and a high
      distress-class with overall high values of PGD and PTSD (27.8%). Relative to the
      resilient class, membership to the PGD class was predicted by the loss of a close
      family member and the exposure to a higher number of assaultive traumatic events,
      whereas membership to the PTSD class was predicted by the perception of less
      social support. Compared to the resilient class, participants in the high
      distress-class were more likely to be female, to have lost a close relative,
      experienced more accidental and assaultive traumatic events, and perceived less
      social support. DISCUSSION: Specific symptom profiles emerged following exposure
      to trauma and loss within the context of the Colombian armed conflict. Profiles
      were associated with distinct types of traumatic experiences, the degree of
      closeness to the person lost, the amount of social support perceived, and gender.
      The results have implications for identifying distressed subgroups and informing
      interventions in accordance with the patient's symptom profile.

PMID- 28356094
TI  - Do the correlates of screen time and sedentary time differ in preschool children?
AB  - BACKGROUND: Preschool children can spend up to 12 h a day in sedentary time and
      few meet current recommendations for screen time. Little is known about
      ecological correlates that could be targeted to decrease specific versus total
      sedentary behaviour. This study examined whether the correlates of screen time
      and sedentary time differ in preschool boys and girls. METHODS: Parents
      participating in the HAPPY Study in 2008/09 in Melbourne, Australia reported
      their child's usual screen time and potential individual, social and physical
      environment correlates. Children wore ActiGraph GT1M accelerometers for eight
      days to objectively assess sedentary time (<100 counts.min-1). Multivariable
      linear regression analyses were performed, stratified by sex and controlling for
      child age, preschool/childcare attendance and clustering by centre of
      recruitment. Correlates significantly associated with screen time or sedentary
      time in individual models (p < 0.05) were included in final combined models.
      RESULTS: Children were sedentary for 301.1 (SD 34.1) minutes/day and spent 108.5
      (SD 69.6) minutes/day in screen time. There were no sex differences in screen or
      sedentary time. In the final models, sleep duration was inversely associated with
      girls' sedentary time and boys' screen time. The only other consistent correlates
      for boys and girls were parental self-efficacy to limit screen time and screen
      time rules, which were inversely associated with screen time for both sexes.
      Parents reporting that they get bored watching their child play was inversely
      associated and maternal television viewing was positively associated with boys'
      screen time. Paternal age was positively associated with boys' sedentary time.
      Maternal ethnicity was inversely associated and paternal education, child
      preferences for sedentary behaviour, and parental concerns about child's physical
      activity and sedentary behaviour were positively associated with girls' screen
      time. CONCLUSIONS: The modifiable correlates of total sedentary and screen time
      identified in this study could be targeted in interventions to reduce these
      behaviours. With correlates differing for screen and sedentary time, and between
      boys and girls, interventions may also benefit from including behaviour- and sex
      specific strategies.

PMID- 28356095
TI  - Methylphenidate use and school performance among primary school children: a
      descriptive study.
AB  - BACKGROUND: There is no conclusive evidence that stimulants have beneficial
      effects on major associated outcome parameters, particularly school performance.
      We assessed the differences in school performance among children using
      methylphenidate at the end of primary school in relation to various parameters of
      methylphenidate use. METHODS: We linked children from a pharmacy prescription
      database with standardized achievement test results at the end of primary school.
      We explored differences in test scores between current methylphenidate users
      versus never users and methylphenidate users who stopped treatment at least 6
      months before the test, early versus late starters, different dosage of
      methylphenidate, and concurrent antipsychotic or asthma treatment. RESULTS: Out
      of the 7736 children, 377 (4.9%) children were treated with methylphenidate at
      the time of the test. After adjusting for confounders the methylphenidate users
      (532.58 +/- .48) performed significantly lower on the test than never users
      (534.72 +/- .11). Compared with late starters of methylphenidate treatment
      (536.94 +/- 1.51) we found significantly lower test scores for the early starters
      (532.33 +/- .50). CONCLUSION: Our study indicates that children using
      methylphenidate still perform less at school compared to their peers. Our study
      also suggests that earlier start of methylphenidate treatment is associated with
      a lower school performance compared to children starting later with the
      treatment. This result could either indicate a limited effect of long term
      treatment or a more strongly affected group of early starters.

PMID- 28356096
TI  - beta-Cell protection and antidiabetic activities of Crassocephalum crepidioides
      (Asteraceae) Benth. S. Moore extract against alloxan-induced oxidative stress via
      regulation of apoptosis and reactive oxygen species (ROS).
AB  - BACKGROUND: Medicinal plants are becoming more popular in the treatment of
      various diseases because of the adverse effects of the current therapy,
      especially antioxidant plant components such as phenols and flavonoids have a
      protective role against oxidative stress-induced degenerative diseases like
      diabetes. Thus, the purpose of this study was to investigate beta-cell protection
      and antidiabetic activities of Crassocephalum crepidioides (Asteraceae) Benth. S.
      Moore. METHOD: The in-vitro study was conducted by the pancreatic beta-cell
      culture and alpha-amylase inhibition technique which includes two methods, namely
      starch-iodine method and 3,5-dinitrosalicylic acid (DNSA) method. On the other
      hand, the in-vivo study was performed by oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT)
      method and alloxan-induced diabetes method by using Wistar albino rat. At the end
      pancreatic specimens were removed and processed for histopathological study.
      RESULT: The plant extract showed significant (*p < 0.05, **p < 0.01) effect on
      hyperglycemia as compared to standard (Gliclazide) in OGTT. The plant extract
      showed efficient protection activity of pancreatic beta-cell from cell death in
      INS-1 cell line by significantly reduced (*p < 0.05, **p < 0.01) the levels
      alloxan-induced apoptosis and intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS)
      accumulation. In addition, the plant extract showed a significant (*p < 0.05, **p
      < 0.01) effect on hyperglycemia by increases in percent of beta-cells present in
      each islet (45% - 60%) compared to the diabetic group. CONCLUSION: The result
      showed that C. crepidioides had beta-cell protection and antidiabetic activities
      in pancreatic beta-cell culture and Wistar albino rat.

PMID- 28356098
TI  - Bitterness and antibacterial activities of constituents from Evodia rutaecarpa.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Bitter herbs are important in Traditional Chinese Medicine and the
      Electronic Tongue (e-Tongue) is an instrument that can be trained to evaluate
      bitterness of bitter herbs and their constituents. The aim of this research was
      to evaluate bitterness of limonoids and alkaloids from Evodia rutaecarpa to
      demonstrate that they are main bitter material basic of E. rutaecarpa. METHODS:
      Nine compounds, including limonoids, indoloquinazoline alkaloids and quinolone
      alkaloids, were isolated, identified and analyzed by the e-Tongue. Additionally,
      the antibacterial activities of the nine compounds were evaluated against E. coli
      and S. aureus. RESULTS: All the nine compounds had bitter taste and antibacterial
      activities to some extent. Among them, limonoids, which were the bitterest
      compounds, had greater antibacterial activities than alkaloids. And there is a
      positive correlation between bitter taste and antibacterial activities.
      CONCLUSIONS: It was confirmed in our study that limonoids, indoloquinazoline
      alkaloids and quinolone alkaloids are main bitter material basic of E. rutaecarpa
      based on two evaluation methods of e-Tongue and antibacterial experiment. In
      addition, the e-Tongue technique is a suitable new method to measure bitter
      degree in herbs.

PMID- 28356097
TI  - Adaptive goal setting and financial incentives: a 2 * 2 factorial randomized
      controlled trial to increase adults' physical activity.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Emerging interventions that rely on and harness variability in
      behavior to adapt to individual performance over time may outperform
      interventions that prescribe static goals (e.g., 10,000 steps/day). The purpose
      of this factorial trial was to compare adaptive vs. static goal setting and
      immediate vs. delayed, non-contingent financial rewards for increasing free
      living physical activity (PA). METHODS: A 4-month 2 * 2 factorial randomized
      controlled trial tested main effects for goal setting (adaptive vs. static goals)
      and rewards (immediate vs. delayed) and interactions between factors to increase
      steps/day as measured by a Fitbit Zip. Moderate-to-vigorous PA (MVPA) minutes/day
      was examined as a secondary outcome. RESULTS: Participants (N = 96) were mainly
      female (77%), aged 41 +/- 9.5 years, and all were insufficiently active and
      overweight/obese (mean BMI = 34.1 +/- 6.2). Participants across all groups
      increased by 2389 steps/day on average from baseline to intervention phase (p <
      .001). Participants receiving static goals showed a stronger increase in steps
      per day from baseline phase to intervention phase (2630 steps/day) than those
      receiving adaptive goals (2149 steps/day; difference = 482 steps/day, p = .095).
      Participants receiving immediate rewards showed stronger improvement (2762
      step/day increase) from baseline to intervention phase than those receiving
      delayed rewards (2016 steps/day increase; difference = 746 steps/day, p = .009).
      However, the adaptive goals group showed a slower decrease in steps/day from the
      beginning of the intervention phase to the end of the intervention phase (i.e.
      less than half the rate) compared to the static goals group (-7.7 steps vs. -18.3
      steps each day; difference = 10.7 steps/day, p < .001) resulting in better
      improvements for the adaptive goals group by study end. Rate of change over the
      intervention phase did not differ between reward groups. Significant goal phase x
      goal setting x reward interactions were observed. CONCLUSIONS: Adaptive goals
      outperformed static goals (i.e., 10,000 steps) over a 4-month period. Small
      immediate rewards outperformed larger, delayed rewards. Adaptive goals with
      either immediate or delayed rewards should be preferred for promoting PA. TRIAL
      REGISTRATION: ClinicalTrials.gov ID: NCT02053259 registered prospectively on
      January 31, 2014.

PMID- 28356099
TI  - Corneal densitometry changes in a patient with interface fluid syndrome after
      small incision lenticule extraction.
AB  - BACKGROUND: To report a case of interface fluid syndrome (IFS) following small
      incision lenticule extraction (SMILE) evaluated with corneal densitometry and
      optical coherence tomography (OCT). CASE PRESENTATION: An 18-year-old man
      reported sudden vision loss 24 days after SMILE procedure. Intraocular pressure
      (IOP) was 36.3 mmHg (OD) and 36.7 mmHg (OS) by noncontact tonometry. Moderate
      corneal edema, interface fluid pocket and haze were observed by OCT and confirmed
      by corneal densitometry values. Discontinuation of steroids and addition of
      hypotensive medication were offered immediately. The symptoms were cured after
      the medication. Changes of corneal densitometry were consistent with the clinical
      course of IFS. CONCLUSION: This case illustrates that it is crucial to be aware
      that a history of SMILE can also cause IFS. Both OCT and corneal densitometry can
      serve as auxiliary means to evaluate the clinical course of IFS, and appropriate
      IOP management is an effective approach.

PMID- 28356101
TI  - Erratum to: Reference intervals for thyroid stimulating hormone and free
      thyroxine derived from neonates undergoing routine screening for congenital
      hypothyroidism at a university teaching hospital in Nairobi, Kenya: a cross
      sectional study.

PMID- 28356100
TI  - Bioactivity of arid region honey: an in vitro study.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties of honey have been
      largely recognized by various studies. Almost all of the potential benefits are
      associated with polyphenol content. Honey varieties from the arid region are
      reported to be rich in polyphenols, but data related to its bioactivity in vitro
      is greatly lacking. This study aimed at establishing the antioxidant and anti
      inflammatory properties of arid region honey. Four honey varieties from arid
      region (H1, H2, H3, and H4) and two popular non-arid region honey (H5 and H6)
      were tested in vitro in this study. METHODS: The erythrocyte membrane protection
      effect of honey varieties were measured by hemolysis assay after exposing
      erythrocytes to a peroxide generator. The subsequent production of MDA
      (malondialdehyde) content in erythrocytes was measured. Immunomodulatory effect
      of the honey varieties was tested in prostate cancer cells PC-3 and PBMC
      (peripheral blood mononuclear cells) by measuring the IL-6 (interleukin 6) and NO
      (nitric oxide) levels in cell culture supernatant after incubation with the honey
      varieties. PC-3 cell viability was assessed after incubation with honey varieties
      for 24 h. RESULTS: Arid region honey exhibited superior erythrocyte membrane
      protection effect with H4 measuring 1.3 +/- 0.042mMTE/g and H2 measuring 1.122 +/
      0.018mMTE/g. MDA levels were significantly reduced by honey samples, especially
      H4 (20.819 +/- 0.63 nmol/mg protein). We observed a significant decrease in cell
      population in PC-3 after 24 h in culture on treatment with honey. A moderate
      increase in NO levels was observed in both cultures after 24 h at the same time
      levels of IL-6 were remarkably reduced by honey varieties. CONCLUSION: The
      results demonstrate the antioxidant effect of arid region honey due to its
      erythrocyte membrane protection effect and subsequent lowering of oxidative
      damage as evident from lower levels of lipid peroxidation byproduct MDA. Arid
      region honey varieties were as good as non-arid region types at decreasing cell
      viability of prostate cancer cells. The moderate increase in NO levels in PC-3
      and PBMCs were not significant enough to elicit any pro-inflammatory response.
      However, IL-6 secretion was remarkably reduced by all honey varieties in a
      comparable level indicating the potential anti-inflammatory property of arid
      region honey.

PMID- 28356103
TI  - Erratum to: Unraveling the associations of age and menopause with cardiovascular
      risk factors in a large population-based study.

PMID- 28356102
TI  - Methods for analyzing observational longitudinal prognosis studies for rheumatic
      diseases: a review & worked example using a clinic-based cohort of juvenile
      dermatomyositis patients.
AB  - Most outcome studies of rheumatic diseases report outcomes ascertained on a
      single occasion. While single assessments are sufficient for terminal or
      irreversible outcomes, they may not be sufficiently informative if outcomes
      change or fluctuate over time. Consequently, longitudinal studies that measure
      non-terminal outcomes repeatedly afford a better understanding of disease
      evolution.Longitudinal studies require special analytic methods. Newer
      longitudinal analytic methods have evolved tremendously to deal with common
      challenges in longitudinal observational studies. In recent years, an increasing
      number of studies have used longitudinal design. This review aims to help readers
      understand and apply the findings from longitudinal studies. Using a cohort of
      children with juvenile dermatomyositis (JDM), we illustrate how to study
      evolution of disease activity in JDM using longitudinal methods.

PMID- 28356104
TI  - Heterologous biosynthesis and manipulation of crocetin in Saccharomyces
      cerevisiae.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Due to excellent performance in antitumor, antioxidation,
      antihypertension, antiatherosclerotic and antidepressant activities, crocetin,
      naturally exists in Crocus sativus L., has great potential applications in
      medical and food fields. Microbial production of crocetin has received increasing
      concern in recent years. However, only a patent from EVOVA Inc. and a report from
      Lou et al. have illustrated the feasibility of microbial biosynthesis of
      crocetin, but there was no specific titer data reported so far. Saccharomyces
      cerevisiae is generally regarded as food safety and productive host, and
      manipulation of key enzymes is critical to balance metabolic flux, consequently
      improve output. Therefore, to promote crocetin production in S. cerevisiae, all
      the key enzymes, such as CrtZ, CCD and ALD should be engineered combinatorially.
      RESULTS: By introduction of heterologous CrtZ and CCD in existing beta-carotene
      producing strain, crocetin biosynthesis was achieved successfully in S.
      cerevisiae. Compared to culturing at 30  degrees C, the crocetin production was
      improved to 223 MUg/L at 20  degrees C. Moreover, an optimal CrtZ/CCD combination
      and a titer of 351 MUg/L crocetin were obtained by combinatorial screening of
      CrtZs from nine species and four CCDs from Crocus. Then through screening of
      heterologous ALDs from Bixa orellana (Bix_ALD) and Synechocystis sp. PCC6803
      (Syn_ALD) as well as endogenous ALD6, the crocetin titer was further enhanced by
      1.8-folds after incorporating Syn_ALD. Finally a highest reported titer of 1219
      MUg/L at shake flask level was achieved by overexpression of CCD2 and Syn_ALD.
      Eventually, through fed-batch fermentation, the production of crocetin in 5-L
      bioreactor reached to 6278 MUg/L, which is the highest crocetin titer reported in
      eukaryotic cell. CONCLUSIONS: Saccharomyces cerevisiae was engineered to achieve
      crocetin production in this study. Through combinatorial manipulation of three
      key enzymes CrtZ, CCD and ALD in terms of screening enzymes sources and
      regulating protein expression level (reaction temperature and copy number),
      crocetin titer was stepwise improved by 129.4-fold (from 9.42 to 1219 MUg/L) as
      compared to the starting strain. The highest crocetin titer (6278 MUg/L) reported
      in microbes was achieved in 5-L bioreactors. This study provides a good insight
      into key enzyme manipulation involved in serial reactions for microbial
      overproduction of desired compounds with complex structure.

PMID- 28356105
TI  - First clinical case report of Cytauxzoon sp. infection in a domestic cat in
      France.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Feline cytauxzoonosis is an emerging infection caused by tick
      transmitted apicomplexan parasites of the genus Cytauxzoon. The association of
      clinical disease with Cytauxzoon infection appears to be limited to C. felis
      infections in the Americas. Sporadic infections of wild and domestic felids with
      Cytauxzoon sp. were recently described in European countries but clinical reports
      of the infection are rare and incomplete. This case report brings new interesting
      information on cytauxzoonosis expression in Europe. CASE PRESENTATION: A 9-years
      old castrated European shorthair cat living in rural area of north-eastern France
      (Saint Sauveur, Bourgogne-Franche-Comte region), without any travel history was
      presented for consultation due to hyperthermia, anorexia, depression and
      prolonged fever that didn't respond to antibiotic therapy. The cat had outdoor
      access with a history of vagrancy and was adequately vaccinated (core vaccines
      and FeLV vaccine). During biological investigations, intraerythrocytic inclusions
      were observed on blood smear and were further investigated by PCR analysis and
      sequencing. Molecular analyses confirmed Cytauxzoon sp. infection. The cat was
      treated with a subcutaneous injection of imidocarb dipropionate (3.5 mg/kg). One
      week after treatment, the cat improved clinically, although parasitic inclusions
      within erythrocytes persisted, and only a mild lymphocytosis was found. Two weeks
      after treatment, the cat appeared in excellent health, appetite was normal and
      parasitemia was negative. However, one month after treatment the cat relapsed
      with hyperthermia, anorexia, and depression. Blood smears and PCR were once again
      positive. Subsequently, the cat received an additional dose of imidocarb
      dipropionate (3.5 mg/kg SC) and recovered rapidly without other clinical signs.
      Two weeks after the second imidocarb injection, the cat was hit by a car and
      died. CONCLUSION: This case provides the first clinical description of infection
      by Cytauxzoon sp. in a domestic cat in France. These findings support the fact
      that cytauxzoonosis should be considered in the differential diagnosis of acute
      febrile illness which does not respond to antibiotic in cats with outdoor access
      especially in areas where populations of wild felids are present.

PMID- 28356106
TI  - Protective effects of various ratios of DHA/EPA supplementation on high-fat diet
      induced liver damage in mice.
AB  - BACKGROUND: A sedentary lifestyle and poor diet are risk factors for the
      progression of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease. However, the pathogenesis of
      hepatic lipid accumulation is not completely understood. Therefore, the present
      study explored the effects of dietary supplementation of various ratios of
      docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) and eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) on a high-fat diet
      induced lipid metabolism disorder and the concurrent liver damage. METHODS: Using
      high-fat diet-fed C57BL/6 J mice as the animal model, diets of various ratios of
      DHA/EPA (2:1, 1:1, and 1:2) with an n-6/n-3 ratio of 4:1 were prepared using fish
      and algae oils enriched in DHA and/or EPA and sunflower seed oils to a small
      extent instead of the high-fat diet. RESULTS: Significantly decreased hepatic
      lipid deposition, body weight, serum lipid profile, inflammatory reactions, lipid
      peroxidation, and expression of adipogenesis-related proteins and inflammatory
      factors were observed for mice that were on a diet supplemented with DHA/EPA
      compared to those in the high-fat control group. The DHA/EPA 1:2 group showed
      lower serum triglycerides (TG), total cholesterol (TC), and low-density
      lipoprotein-cholesterol levels, lower SREBP-1C, FAS, and ACC-1 relative mRNA
      expression, and higher Fra1 mRNA expression, with higher relative mRNA expression
      of enzymes such as AMPK, PPARalpha, and HSL observed in the DHA/EPA 1:1 group.
      Lower liver TC and TG levels and higher superoxide dismutase levels were found in
      the DHA/EPA 2:1 group. Nonetheless, no other notable effects were observed on the
      biomarkers mentioned above in the groups treated with DHA/EPA compared with the
      DHA group. CONCLUSIONS: The results showed that supplementation with a lower
      DHA/EPA ratio seems to be more effective at alleviating high-fat diet-induced
      liver damage in mice, and a DHA/EPA ratio of 1:2 mitigated inflammatory risk
      factors. These effects of n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) on lipid
      metabolism may be linked to the upregulation of Fra1 and attenuated activity of c
      Jun and c-Fos, thus ultimately reducing the severity of the lipid metabolism
      disorder and liver damage to some extent.

PMID- 28356107
TI  - Parental separation in childhood as a risk factor for depression in adulthood: a
      community-based study of adolescents screened for depression and followed up
      after 15 years.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Earlier research has investigated the association between parental
      separation and long-term health outcomes among offspring, but few studies have
      assessed the potentially moderating role of mental health status in adolescence.
      The aim of this study was to analyze whether parental separation in childhood
      predicts depression in adulthood and whether the pattern differs between
      individuals with and without earlier depression. METHODS: A community-based
      sample of individuals with adolescent depression in 1991-93 and matched non
      depressed peers were followed up using a structured diagnostic interview after 15
      years. The participation rate was 65% (depressed n = 227; non-depressed controls
      n = 155). Information on parental separation and conditions in childhood and
      adolescence was collected at baseline. The outcome was depression between the
      ages 19-31 years; information on depression was collected at the follow-up
      diagnostic interview. The statistical method used was binary logistic regression.
      RESULTS: Our analyses showed that depressed adolescents with separated parents
      had an excess risk of recurrence of depression in adulthood, compared with
      depressed adolescents with non-separated parents. In addition, among adolescents
      with depression, parental separation was associated with an increased risk of a
      switch to bipolar disorder in adulthood. Among the matched non-depressed peers,
      no associations between parental separation and adult depression or bipolar
      disorder were found. CONCLUSIONS: Parental separation may have long-lasting
      health consequences for vulnerable individuals who suffer from mental illness
      already in adolescence.

PMID- 28356108
TI  - Amelioration of experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis by clozapine is not
      associated with defective CD4 T cell responses.
AB  - Atypical antipsychotic agents, such as clozapine, are used for treating psychosis
      and depression and have recently been found to modulate neuroinflammation. We
      have shown previously that treatment of mice with the atypical antipsychotic
      agents, clozapine or risperidone, attenuates disease severity in experimental
      autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE); however, the mechanism by which they are
      protective is unknown. In this study, we investigated the effects of clozapine on
      CD4+ T cell responses and found that clozapine did not significantly affect the
      expansion of myelin-specific T cells, their differentiation into pathogenic
      subsets, or their encephalitogenic capacity to induce EAE. Interestingly,
      although clozapine enhanced differentiation of regulatory T (Treg) cells, in vivo
      neutralization of Tregs indicated that Tregs were not responsible for the
      protective effects of clozapine during the induction and effector phase of EAE.
      Taken together, our studies indicate that clozapine does not mediate its
      protective effects by directly altering CD4 T cells.

PMID- 28356109
TI  - Systematic review and meta-analysis of mortality of patients infected with
      carbapenem-resistant Klebsiella pneumoniae.
AB  - PURPOSE: Carbapenem resistant K. pneumoniae (CRKP) has aroused widespread
      attention owing to its very limited therapeutic options, and this strain has
      increased rapidly in recent years. Although it is accepted that drug resistance
      is associated with increased mortality in general, but some other studies found
      no such relationship. To estimate mortality of patients infected with CRKP in
      general and analyze factors for mortality of this infection, thus, we conducted
      this systematic review and meta-analysis. METHODS: A systematic literature review
      of relevant studies published until December 2015 was conducted. We selected and
      assessed articles reporting mortality of patients infected with CRKP. RESULTS:
      Pooled mortality was 42.14% among 2462 patients infected with CRKP versus 21.16%
      in those infected with carbapenem-susceptible K. pneumoniae (CSKP). The mortality
      of patients with bloodstream infection (BSI) or urinary tract infection was 54.30
      and 13.52%, respectively, and 48.9 and 43.13% in patients admitted to the
      intensive care unit (ICU) or who underwent solid organ transplantation (SOT).
      Mortality was 47.66% in patients infected with K. pneumoniae carbapenemase
      producing K. pneumoniae and 46.71% in those infected with VIM-producing K.
      pneumoniae. Geographically, mortality reported in studies from North America,
      South America, Europe, and Asia was 33.24, 46.71, 50.06, and 44.82%,
      respectively. CONCLUSIONS: Our study suggests that patients infected with CRKP
      have higher mortality than those infected with CSKP, especially in association
      with BSI, ICU admission, or SOT. We also considered that patients' survival has a
      close relationship with their physical condition. Our results imply that
      attention should be paid to CRKP infection, and that strict infection control
      measures and new antibiotics are required to protect against CRKP infection.

PMID- 28356112
TI  - Predictors of breath alcohol concentrations in college parties.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Alcohol use and subsequent consequences are harmful for individual
      college students. Other students and the university can also be negatively
      impacted by the consequences of alcohol use. METHOD: A field-based study was used
      to assess the alcohol use environment at college parties. Researchers replicated
      a previous study by driving and walking a route to identify parties primarily on
      Thursday, Friday, and Saturday evenings between 9:00 PM and 1:00 AM across an
      academic year. Parties were randomly sampled. Hosts were asked for permission to
      enter the party at each sampled location. A census of partygoers was attempted at
      each party. Participants were asked to complete a brief survey and give a breath
      sample. All participants were recruited into a follow-up survey. Bivariate and
      multivariate analyses of individual-level and party-level factors associated with
      intoxication are presented. RESULTS: The research team identified 29 parties: 16
      were approached, and 12 were surveyed. Overall, 112 participants were surveyed
      for a response rate of approximately 28.7% of partygoers. Controlling for
      demographic characteristics, consumption of shots of liquor/spirits was
      significantly associated with a five times greater risk for intoxication.
      Notably, drinking games were protective of breath alcohol concentration (BrAC)
      risk in this model. Individuals who reported engaging in drinking games were 74%
      less likely to report a BrAC above the U.S. legal limit, while controlling for
      underage drinking in the model. Several party characteristics were identified
      that increased overall BrAC at the parties, including whether the party was
      themed, if it was a Greek life party, and whether there were illicit drugs
      present. Notably, when intoxication is examined by gender and party theme, women
      are significantly more likely to be intoxicated at themed parties: 75% were above
      0.08 at themed parties compared to 35% above 0.08 at non-themed parties.
      CONCLUSIONS: Field-based data collection methods can, and should, be modified to
      conduct needs assessment and evaluation of prevention programs on college
      campuses. The findings on this campus were different than the originally sampled
      campus. Prevention programs should target unique risks identified on each campus,
      and to respond to problematic party behaviors with comprehensive programming
      rather than policy-level bans.

PMID- 28356110
TI  - Understanding cell signaling in cancer stem cells for targeted therapy - can
      phosphoproteomics help to reveal the secrets?
AB  - BACKGROUND: Cancer represents heterogeneous and aberrantly proliferative
      manifestations composed of (epi)genetically and phenotypically distinct cells
      with a common clonal origin. Cancer stem cells (CSC) make up a rare subpopulation
      with the remarkable capacity to initiate, propagate and spread a malignant
      disease. Furthermore, CSC show increased therapy resistance, thereby contributing
      to disease relapse. Elimination of CSC, therefore, is a crucial aim to design
      efficacious treatments for long-term survival of cancer patients. In this
      article, we highlight the nature of CSC and propose that phosphoproteomics based
      on unbiased high-performance liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry provides a
      powerful tool to decipher the molecular CSC programs. Detailed knowledge about
      the regulation of signaling processes in CSC is a prerequisite for the
      development of patient-tailored multi-modal treatments including the elimination
      of rare CSC. MAIN BODY: Phosphorylation is a crucial post-translational
      modification regulating a plethora of both intra- and intercellular communication
      processes in normal and malignant cells. Small-molecule targeting of kinases has
      proven successful in the therapy, but the high rates of relapse and failure to
      stem malignant spread suggest that these kinase inhibitors largely spare CSC.
      Studying the kinetics of global phosphorylation patterns in an unbiased manner
      is, therefore, required to improve strategies and successful treatments within
      multi-modal therapeutic regimens by targeting the malignant behavior of CSC. The
      phosphoproteome comprises all phosphoproteins within a cell population that can
      be analyzed by phosphoproteomics, allowing the investigation of thousands of
      phosphorylation events. One major aspect is the perception of events underlying
      the activation and deactivation of kinases and phosphatases in oncogenic
      signaling pathways. Thus, not only can this tool be harnessed to better
      understand cellular processes such as those controlling CSC, but also applied to
      identify novel drug targets for targeted anti-CSC therapy. CONCLUSION: State-of
      the-art phosphoproteomics approaches focusing on single cell analysis have the
      potential to better understand oncogenic signaling in heterogeneous cell
      populations including rare, yet highly malignant CSC. By eliminating the
      influence of heterogeneity of populations, single-cell studies will reveal novel
      insights also into the inter- and intratumoral communication processes
      controlling malignant CSC and disease progression, laying the basis for improved
      rational combination treatments.

PMID- 28356111
TI  - Tumor-derived CXCL5 promotes human colorectal cancer metastasis through
      activation of the ERK/Elk-1/Snail and AKT/GSK3beta/beta-catenin pathways.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Metastasis is a major cause of death in human colorectal cancer
      patients. However, the contribution of chemokines in the tumor microenvironment
      to tumor metastasis is not fully understood. METHODS: Herein, we examinined
      several chemokines in colorectal cancer patients using chemokine ELISA array.
      Immunohistochemistry was used to detect expression of CXCL5 in colorectal cancer
      patients tissues. Human HCT116 and SW480 cell lines stably transfected with
      CXCL5, shCXCL5 and shCXCR2 lentivirus plasmids were used in our in vitro study.
      Immunoblot, immunofluorescence and transwell assay were used to examine the
      molecular biology and morphological changes in these cells. In addition, we used
      nude mice to detect the influence of CXCL5 on tumor metastasis in vivo. RESULTS:
      We found that CXCL5 was overexpressed in tumor tissues and associated with
      advanced tumor stage as well as poor prognosis in colorectal cancer patients. We
      also demonstrated that CXCL5 was primarily expressed in the tumor cell cytoplasm
      and cell membranes, which may indicate that the CXCL5 was predominantly produced
      by cancer epithelial cells instead of fibroblasts in the tumor mesenchyme.
      Additionally, overexpression of CXCL5 enhanced the migration and invasion of
      colorectal cancer cells by inducing the epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT)
      through activation of the ERK/Elk-1/Snail pathway and the AKT/GSK3beta/beta
      catenin pathway in a CXCR2-dependent manner. The silencing of Snail and beta
      catenin attenuated CXCL5/CXCR2-enhanced cell migration and invasion in vitro. The
      elevated expression of CXCL5 can also potentiate the metastasis of colorectal
      cancer cells to the liver in vivo in nude mice intrasplenic injection model.
      CONCLUSION: In conclusion, our findings support CXCL5 as a promoter of colorectal
      cancer metastasis and a predictor of poor clinical outcomes in colorectal cancer
      patients.

PMID- 28356113
TI  - Killing of Serratia marcescens biofilms with chloramphenicol.
AB  - Serratia marcescens is a Gram-negative bacterium with proven resistance to
      multiple antibiotics and causative of catheter-associated infections. Bacterial
      colonization of catheters mainly involves the formation of biofilm. The
      objectives of this study were to explore the susceptibility of S. marcescens
      biofilms to high doses of common antibiotics and non-antimicrobial agents.
      Biofilms formed by a clinical isolate of S. marcescens were treated with
      ceftriaxone, kanamycin, gentamicin, and chloramphenicol at doses corresponding to
      10, 100 and 1000 times their planktonic minimum inhibitory concentration. In
      addition, biofilms were also treated with chemical compounds such as polysorbate
      80 and ursolic acid. S. marcescens demonstrated susceptibility to ceftriaxone,
      kanamycin, gentamicin, and chloramphenicol in its planktonic form, however, only
      chloramphenicol reduced both biofilm biomass and biofilm viability. Polysorbate
      80 and ursolic acid had minimal to no effect on either planktonic and biofilm
      grown S. marcescens. Our results suggest that supratherapeutic doses of
      chloramphenicol can be used effectively against established S. marcescens
      biofilms.

PMID- 28356114
TI  - Effectiveness of multi-drug regimen chemotherapy treatment in osteosarcoma
      patients: a network meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Osteosarcoma is the most common malignant bone tumour. Due to the
      high metastasis rate and drug resistance of this disease, multi-drug regimens are
      necessary to control tumour cells at various stages of the cell cycle, eliminate
      local or distant micrometastases, and reduce the emergence of drug-resistant
      cells. Many adjuvant chemotherapy protocols have shown different efficacies and
      controversial results. Therefore, we classified the types of drugs used for
      adjuvant chemotherapy and evaluated the differences between single- and multi
      drug chemotherapy regimens using network meta-analysis. METHODS: We searched
      electronic databases, including PubMed (MEDLINE), EmBase, and the Cochrane
      Library, through November 2016 using the keywords "osteosarcoma", "osteogenic
      sarcoma", "chemotherapy", and "random*" without language restrictions. The major
      outcome in the present analysis was progression-free survival (PFS), and the
      secondary outcome was overall survival (OS). We used a random effect network meta
      analysis for mixed multiple treatment comparisons. RESULTS: We included 23
      articles assessing a total of 5742 patients in the present systematic review. The
      analysis of PFS indicated that the T12 protocol (including adriamycin, bleomycin,
      cyclophosphamide, dactinomycin, methotrexate, cisplatin) plays a more critical
      role in osteosarcoma treatment (surface under the cumulative ranking (SUCRA)
      probability 76.9%), with a better effect on prolonging the PFS of patients when
      combined with ifosfamide (94.1%) or vincristine (81.9%). For the analysis of OS,
      we separated the regimens to two groups, reflecting the disconnection. The T12
      protocol plus vincristine (94.7%) or the removal of cisplatinum (89.4%) is most
      likely the best regimen. CONCLUSIONS: We concluded that multi-drug regimens have
      a better effect on prolonging the PFS and OS of osteosarcoma patients, and the
      T12 protocol has a better effect on prolonging the PFS of osteosarcoma patients,
      particularly in combination with ifosfamide or vincristine. The OS analysis
      showed that the T12 protocol plus vincristine or the T12 protocol with the
      removal of cisplatinum might be a better regimen for improving the OS of
      patients. However, well-designed randomized controlled trials of chemotherapeutic
      protocols are still necessary.

PMID- 28356115
TI  - Integrating ethnobiological knowledge into biodiversity conservation in the
      Eastern Himalayas.
AB  - Biocultural knowledge provides valuable insight into ecological processes, and
      can guide conservation practitioners in local contexts. In many regions, however,
      such knowledge is underutilized due to its often-fragmented record in disparate
      sources. In this article, we review and apply ethnobiological knowledge to
      biodiversity conservation in the Eastern Himalayas. Using Sikkim, India as a case
      study, we: (i) traced the history and trends of ethnobiological documentation;
      (ii) identified priority species and habitat types; and, (iii) analyzed within
      and among community differences pertaining to species use and management. Our
      results revealed that Sikkim is a biocultural hotspot, where six ethnic
      communities and 1128 species engage in biocultural relationships. Since the mid
      1800s, the number of ethnobiological publications from Sikkim has exponentially
      increased; however, our results also indicate that much of this knowledge is both
      unwritten and partitioned within an aging, gendered, and caste or ethnic group
      specific stratum of society. Reviewed species were primarily wild or wild
      cultivated, native to subtropical and temperate forests, and pend IUCN Red List
      of Threatened Species assessment. Our results demonstrate the value of engaging
      local knowledge holders as active participants in conservation, and suggest the
      need for further ethnobiological research in the Eastern Himalayas. Our
      interdisciplinary approach, which included rank indices and geospatial modelling,
      can help integrate diverse datasets into evidence-based policy.

PMID- 28356116
TI  - Occupational exposures and determinants of ultrafine particle concentrations
      during laser hair removal procedures.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Occupational exposures to ultrafine particles in the plume generated
      during laser hair removal procedures, the most commonly performed light based
      cosmetic procedure, have not been thoroughly characterized. Acute and chronic
      exposures to ambient ultrafine particles have been associated with a number of
      negative respiratory and cardiovascular health effects. Thus, the aim of this
      study was to measure airborne concentrations of particles in a diameter size
      range of 10 nm to 1 MUm in procedure rooms during laser hair removal procedures.
      METHODS: TSI Model 3007 Condensation Particle Counters were used to quantify the
      particle count concentrations in the waiting and procedure rooms of a dermatology
      office. Particle concentrations were sampled before, during, and after laser hair
      removal procedures, and characteristics of each procedure were noted by the
      performing dermatologist. RESULTS: Twelve procedures were sampled over 4 days.
      Mean ultrafine particle concentrations in the waiting and procedure rooms were
      14,957.4 particles/cm3 and 22,916.8 particles/cm3 (p < 0.0001), respectively.
      Compared to background ultrafine particle concentrations before the procedure,
      the mean concentration in the procedure room was 2.89 times greater during the
      procedure (p = 0.009) and 2.09 times greater after the procedure (p = 0.007).
      Duration of procedure (p = 0.006), body part (p = 0.013), and the use of pre
      laser lotion/type of laser (p = 0.039), were the most important predictors of
      ultrafine particle concentrations. Use of a smoke evacuator (a recommended form
      of local exhaust ventilation) positioned at 30.5 cm from the source, as opposed
      to the recommended 1-2 in., lowered particle concentrations, but was not a
      statistically significant predictor (p = 0.49). CONCLUSIONS: Laser hair removal
      procedures can generate high exposures to ultrafine particles for dermatologists
      and other individuals performing laser hair removal, with exposure varying based
      on multiple determinants.

PMID- 28356117
TI  - Association of traditional Chinese medicine therapy and the risk of dementia in
      patients with hypertension: a nationwide population-based cohort study.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Patients with hypertension (HTN) reportedly have a higher risk of
      developing dementia. However, it remains unclear if use of Traditional Chinese
      Medicine (TCM), the most common form of complementary and alternative medicine,
      can help lower the risk of dementia for these patients. So the aim of the study
      was to investigate the effects of TCM on dementia risk among patients with
      hypertension. METHODS: This longitudinal cohort study used the Taiwanese National
      Health Insurance Research Database (NHIRD) to identify 143,382 newly diagnosed
      hypertension patients aged 20-90 years who received treatment between 1998 and
      2007. Among them, 52,365 (36.52%) had received TCM after the onset of
      hypertension (TCM users), and the remaining 91,017 patients (63.48%) were
      designated as a control group (non-TCM users). All enrollees were followed until
      the end of 2012 to record the incidence of dementia. A Cox proportional hazards
      regression model was used to compute the hazard ratio (HR) of dementia in
      patients who received TCM. RESULTS: During the 15-year follow-up, 3933 TCM users
      and 10,316 non-TCM users developed dementia, representing an incidence rate of
      8.41 and 11.55%, respectively, per 1000 person-years. TCM users had a
      significantly reduced risk of dementia compared to non-TCM users (adjusted HR =
      0.76; 95% confidence interval [CI] = 0.74-0.81). The predominant effect was
      observed among those treated with TCM longer than 180 days (adjusted HR = 0.65;
      95% CI = 0.62-0.69). Among the commonly used TCM products, Tian-Ma-Gou-Teng-Yin,
      Dan-Shen (Radix Salviae Miltiorrhizae), Chuan-Niu-Xi (Radix Cyathulae), Ge-Gen
      (Radix Puerariae), Jia-Wei-Xiao-Yao-San, and Jue-Ming-Zi (Semen Cassiae) were
      significantly associated with a lower risk of dementia. CONCLUSIONS: Results from
      this population-based study support the effects of TCM on reducing dementia risk,
      which may provide a reference for dementia prevention strategies.

PMID- 28356118
TI  - Algometry to measure pain threshold in the horse's back - An in vivo and in vitro
      study.
AB  - BACKGROUND: The aim of this study was to provide information on algometric
      transmission of pressure through the dorsal thoracolumbar tissues of the equine
      back. Using a commercially available algometer, measurements were carried out
      with six different tips (hemispheric and cylindrical surfaces, contact areas 0.5
      cm2, 1 cm2, and 2 cm2). In nine live horses the threshold of pressure that lead
      to any reaction was documented. In postmortem specimens of five euthanized horses
      the transmission of algometer pressure onto a pressure sensor placed underneath
      the dorsal thoracolumbar tissues at the level of the ribs or the transverse
      lumbar processes respectively was measured. RESULTS: Algometer tips with a
      contact area of 1 cm2 led to widely similar results irrespective of the surface
      shape; these measurements also had the lowest variance. Contact areas of 0.5 cm2
      resulted in a lower pressure threshold, and those of 2 cm2 resulted in a higher
      pressure threshold. The hemispheric shape of the contact area resulted in a
      higher pressure threshold, than the cylindrical contact area. Compared to the
      thoracic region, a significantly higher pressure threshold was found in the
      lumbar region in the live horses. This result corresponds to the increased tissue
      thickness in the lumbar region compared to the thoracic region, also documented
      as less pressure transmission in the lumbar region on the in vitro specimens.
      CONCLUSIONS: Algometry is an easily practicable and well tolerated method to
      quantify pain but it is important to consider the many factors influencing the
      results obtained.

PMID- 28356119
TI  - Erratum to: Cross-border movement of older patients: a descriptive study on
      health service use of Japanese retirees in Thailand.

PMID- 28356121
TI  - A survey of the impact of owning a service dog on quality of life for individuals
      with physical and hearing disability: a pilot study.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Quality of life refers to a person's experienced standard of health,
      comfort and happiness and is typically measured using subjective self-report
      scales. Despite increasing scientific interest in the value of dogs to human
      health and the growing demand for trained service dogs, to date no research has
      reported how service dogs may affect client perceptions of quality of life.
      METHOD: We compared quality of life scores on the 16 item Flanagan quality of
      life scale from individuals who owned a trained service dog with those who were
      eligible to receive a dog, but did not yet have one (waiting list control). Data
      were analysed separately from two groups; those with a service dog trained for
      individuals with physical disabilities (with physical service dog: n = 72;
      waiting for a service dog: n = 24; recruited from Dogs for Good database) and
      those with a hearing service dog (with hearing service dog = 111; waiting for a
      service dog = 30; recruited from Hearing Dogs for Deaf People database). RESULTS:
      When controlling for age and gender individuals scored higher on total quality of
      life scores if they owned a service dog or a hearing service dog, but this was
      only statistically significant for those with a service dog. Both groups
      (physical service dog and hearing service dog) scored significantly higher on
      items relating to health, working, learning and independence if they owned a
      service dog, in comparison to those on the waiting list. Those with a physical
      service dog also scored significantly higher on items relating to recreational
      activities (including items relating to reading/listening to music, socialising,
      creative expression), and those involving social interactions (including items
      relating to participating in organisations, socialising, relationship with
      relatives). Additionally, those with a physical service dog scored higher on
      understanding yourself and material comforts than those on the waiting list
      control. In contrast, those with a hearing service dog appeared to receive fewer
      benefits on items relating to social activities. CONCLUSIONS: Owning a service
      dog can bring significant specific and potentially general benefits to the
      quality of life of individuals with physical disabilities and hearing
      impairments. These benefits may have considerable implications for individuals
      with disabilities, society and the economy by promoting independence, learning
      and working abilities.

PMID- 28356120
TI  - In vivo TSPO and cannabinoid receptor type 2 availability early in post-stroke
      neuroinflammation in rats: a positron emission tomography study.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Upregulated levels of 18-kDa translocator proteins (TSPO) and type 2
      endocannabinoid receptors (CB2) are considered to reflect different aspects of
      microglia-related neuroinflammatory responses in the brain. Relative to the
      increase in the TSPO expression that occurs slightly later during
      neuroinflammation in a proinflammatory fashion, CB2 activation is considered to
      relate to the neuroprotective responses that occurs predominantly at an early
      stage of brain disorders. These findings, however, were deduced from studies with
      different animal samples under different experimental settings. Here, we aimed to
      examined the differences in TSPO binding and CB2 availability at an early stage
      of stroke in the same animal using positron emission tomography (PET). METHODS:
      We used a total of eight Sprague-Dawley rats that underwent photothrombotic
      stroke surgery. The binding levels of a TSPO tracer [11C](R)PK11195 and a CB2
      tracer [11C]NE40 were measured at 24 h after the surgery in the same animal using
      PET in combination with immunohistochemistry for CB2 and several other markers. A
      morphological inspection was also performed with X-ray computed tomography for
      small animals. RESULTS: The levels of [11C]NE40 binding potential (BPND) were
      significantly higher in the cerebral cortical region on the lesion side than
      those on the non-lesion side, whereas no difference was found in the levels of
      [11C](R)PK11195 BPND between hemispheres. The tracer influx index (R1) data were
      all reduced on the lesion side irrespective of tracers. This increase in
      [11C]NE40 BPND was concomitant with an elevation in CB2 expression mainly within
      the microglia in the peri-infarct area, as shown by immunohistochemical
      examinations with Iba-1, CD11b/c+, and NG2+ staining. CONCLUSIONS: The present
      results provide in vivo evidence of different responses of microglia occurring in
      the acute state of stroke. The use of the CB2 tracer [11C]NE40 allows us to
      evaluate the roles played by the neuroprotective aspect of microglia in acute
      neuroinflammatory processes.

PMID- 28356122
TI  - Integrated analysis identifies microRNA-195 as a suppressor of Hippo-YAP pathway
      in colorectal cancer.
AB  - BACKGROUND: With persistent inconsistencies in colorectal cancer (CRC) miRNAs
      expression data, it is crucial to shift toward inclusion of a "pre-laboratory"
      integrated analysis to expedite effective precision medicine and translational
      research. Aberrant expression of hsa-miRNA-195 (miR-195) which is distinguished
      as a clinically noteworthy miRNA has previously been observed in multiple
      cancers, yet its role in CRC remains unclear. METHODS: In this study, we
      performed an integrated analysis of seven CRC miRNAs expression datasets. The
      expression of miR-195 was validated in The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) datasets,
      and an independent validation sample cohort. Colon cancer cells were transfected
      with miR-195 mimic and inhibitor, after which cell proliferation, colony
      formation, migration, invasion, and dual luciferase reporter were assayed.
      Xenograft mouse models were used to determine the role of miR-195 in CRC
      tumorigenicity in vivo. RESULTS: Four downregulated miRNAs (hsa-let-7a, hsa-miR
      125b, hsa-miR-145, and hsa-miR-195) were demonstrated to be potentially useful
      diagnostic markers in the clinical setting. CRC patients with a decreased level
      of miR-195-5p in tumor tissues had significantly shortened survival as revealed
      by the TCGA colon adenocarcinoma (COAD) dataset and our CRC cohort.
      Overexpression of miR-195-5p in DLD1 and HCT116 cells repressed cell growth,
      colony formation, invasion, and migration. Inhibition of miR-195-5p function
      contributed to aberrant cell proliferation, migration, invasion, and epithelial
      mesenchymal transition (EMT). We identified miR-195-5p binding sites within the
      3'-untranslated region (3'-UTR) of the human yes-associated protein (YAP) mRNA.
      YAP1 expression was downregulated after miR-195-5p treatment by qRT-PCR analysis
      and western blot. CONCLUSIONS: Four downregulated miRNAs were shown to be prime
      candidates for a panel of biomarkers with sufficient diagnostic accuracy for CRC
      in a clinical setting. Our integrated microRNA profiling approach identified miR
      195-5p independently associated with prognosis in CRC. Our results demonstrated
      that miR-195-5p was a potent suppressor of YAP1, and miR-195-5p-mediated
      downregulation of YAP1 significantly reduced tumor development in a mouse CRC
      xenograft model. In the clinic, miR-195-5p can serve as a prognostic marker to
      predict the outcome of the CRC patients.

PMID- 28356123
TI  - Epidemiology of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease in the global HIV-infected
      population: a systematic review and meta-analysis protocol.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Evidence suggests a relationship between human immunodeficiency virus
      (HIV) infection and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Although the
      high burden of COPD and the HIV disease is clearly demonstrated, to the best of
      our knowledge, there is a lack of summary and meta-analysis data on the
      epidemiology of COPD in the global HIV-infected population to date. The present
      protocol for a systematic review and meta-analysis intends to summarize existing
      data on the prevalence, incidence, and risk factors of COPD in the global HIV
      infected population. METHODS AND DESIGN: The present review will include cohort,
      cross-sectional, and case-control studies conducted among HIV infected people,
      which report prevalence, incidence, and factors associated with COPD or enough
      data for their estimation. We will consider published and unpublished studies in
      English and French language, regardless of geographical location. Relevant
      records will be searched using PubMed/Medline, and Scopus from inception to
      December 31st, 2016. Reference lists of eligible papers and relevant review
      articles will be screened. Two investigators will independently screen, select
      studies, and extract data, with discrepancies resolved by consensus or
      arbitrarily by a third investigator. Risk of bias and methodological quality of
      the included studies will be assessed using the Newcastle-Ottawa Scale. Funnel
      plots and Egger's test will be used to determine publication bias. The study
      specific estimates will be pooled through a random-effects meta-analysis model to
      obtain an overall summary estimate. To keep the effect of studies with extremely
      small or extremely large estimates on the overall estimate to a minimum, the
      variance of the study-specific prevalence/incidence will be stabilized with the
      Freeman-Tukey single arc-sine transformation. The heterogeneity will be evaluated
      by the chi2 test on Cochrane's Q statistic. Results will be presented by
      geographic region and by antiretroviral therapy status. We plan to summarize data
      on factors associated with COPD in narrative format. DISCUSSION: This systematic
      review and meta-analysis will give an overview of the epidemiology of COPD in the
      global HIV population to inform policy-makers and to provide accurate data that
      can underpin effective interventions for optimizing their detection and
      management. SYSTEMATIC REVIEW REGISTRATION: PROSPERO CRD42016052639 .

PMID- 28356124
TI  - Denosumab treatment for progressive skull base giant cell tumor of bone in a 14
      year old female - a case report and literature review.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Giant cell tumor of bone (GCT) is a rare primary bone tumor, which
      can metastasize and undergo malignant transformation. The standard treatment of
      GCT is surgery. In patients with unresectable or metastatic disease, additional
      therapeutic options are available. These include blocking of the receptor
      activator of NF-kappa B ligand (RANKL) signaling pathway, which plays a role in
      the pathogenesis of GCT of bone, via the anti-RANKL monoclonal antibody
      denosumab. CASE PRESENTATION: Herein we report on a female teenager who presented
      in a very poor clinical condition (cachexia, diplopia, strabismus, dysphonia with
      palsy of cranial nerves V, VI, VIII, IX, X, XI and XII) due to progressive
      disease, after incomplete resection and adjuvant radiotherapy, of a GCT which
      affected the cervical spine (C1 and C2) as well as the skull base; and who had an
      impressive clinical response to denosumab therapy. To the best of our knowledge,
      this is the youngest patient ever reported with a skull base tumor treated with
      denosumab. CONCLUSION: In situations when surgery can be postponed and local
      aggressiveness of the tumor does not urge for acute surgical intervention,
      upfront use of denosumab in order to reduce the tumor size might be considered.
      Principally, the goal of denosumab therapy is to reduce tumor size as much as
      possible, with the ultimate goal to make local surgery (or as in our case re
      surgery) amenable. However, improvement in quality of life, as demonstrated in
      our patient, is also an important aspect of such targeted therapies.

PMID- 28356125
TI  - Feasibility and acceptability of group music therapy vs wait-list control for
      treatment of patients with long-term depression (the SYNCHRONY trial): study
      protocol for a randomised controlled trial.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Depression is of significant global concern. Despite a range of
      effective treatment options it is estimated that around one in five diagnosed
      with an acute depressive episode continue to experience enduring symptoms for
      more than 2 years. There is evidence for effectiveness of individual music
      therapy for depression. However, no studies have as yet looked at a group
      intervention within an NHS context. This study aims to assess the feasibility of
      conducting a randomised controlled trial of group music therapy for patients with
      long-term depression (symptom durations of 1 year or longer) within the
      community. METHODS: This is a single-centre randomised controlled feasibility
      trial of group music therapy versus wait-list control with a nested process
      evaluation. Thirty participants will be randomised with unbalanced allocation (20
      to receive the intervention immediately, 10 as wait-list controls). Group music
      therapy will be offered three times per week in a community centre with a focus
      on songwriting. Data will be collected post-intervention, 3 and 6 months after
      the intervention finishes. We will examine the feasibility of recruitment
      processes including identifying the number of eligible participants,
      participation and retention rates and the intervention in terms of testing
      components, measuring adherence and estimation of the likely intervention effect.
      A nested process evaluation will consist of treatment fidelity analysis,
      exploratory analysis of process measures and end-of-participation interviews with
      participants and referring staff. DISCUSSION: Whilst group music therapy is an
      option in some community mental health settings, this will be the first study to
      examine group music therapy for this particular patient group. We will assess
      symptoms of depression, acceptability of the intervention and quality of life. We
      anticipate potential challenges in the recruitment and retention of participants.
      It is unclear whether offering the intervention three times per week will be
      acceptable to participants, particularly given participants' enduring symptoms
      and impact upon motivation. This study will provide data to inform both
      development of the intervention and to assess and inform the design of a full
      trial. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ISRCTN.com, ISRCTN18164037 . Registered on 26
      September 2016.

PMID- 28356127
TI  - Photon irradiation using a water bath technique for treatment of confluent
      carcinoma in situ of the hand, digits, and nail bed: a case report.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Confluent squamous cell carcinoma in situ, or Bowen's disease,
      involving the hand, digit, and nail bed is rare and represents a significant
      therapeutic challenge. Surgical excision is recommended as first-line treatment
      but in cases of extensive disease can lead to unacceptable functional morbidity
      or cosmetic outcomes. Radiation therapy has been shown to be equally efficacious
      to surgery in the treatment of carcinoma in situ but its use has historically
      been limited due to concerns regarding toxicity. In this case report we present a
      novel therapeutic technique that may enable radiotherapy to be employed as a
      definitive treatment option in these challenging cases. CASE PRESENTATION: A 75
      year-old white man with a previous history of carcinoma in situ of his right hand
      previously treated with 5-fluorouracil presented with recurrent biopsy-proven
      confluent squamous cell carcinoma in situ of multiple surfaces of his right hand
      and digits with involvement of nail beds. To avoid extensive resection and
      possible amputation he was offered definitive external beam radiation therapy
      utilizing a water bath as a tissue-equivalent bolus material. This protocol
      enabled improved dose homogeneity to the target volume while minimizing acute
      toxicity. He experienced complete clinical resolution of the disease with only
      minimal acute edema and hyperpigmentation. Twenty months following treatment
      completion he remains disease-free with normal function and excellent cosmesis.
      CONCLUSIONS: Therapeutic radiation utilizing water as a tissue-equivalent bolus
      in this complicated case enabled definitive treatment of disease without
      compromising functional or cosmetic outcomes. Radiotherapy may therefore be an
      alternative and under-utilized approach to surgical excision in difficult-to
      treat cases of carcinoma in situ.

PMID- 28356126
TI  - Starch/PCL composite nanofibers by co-axial electrospinning technique for
      biomedical applications.
AB  - BACKGROUND: In this study, starch and polycaprolactone (PCL), composite
      nanofibers were fabricated by co-axial needle electrospinning technique.
      Processing parameters such as polymer concentration, flow rate and voltage had a
      marked influence on the composite fiber diameter. Fourier transform infrared
      spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), mechanical and physical
      properties (such as density, viscosity and electrical conductivity) of the
      composite fibres were evaluated. Moreover, a cell culture test was performed in
      order to determine their cytotoxicity for wound dressing application. RESULTS:
      The effect of starch ratio in the solution on the properties and morphological
      structure of the fibers produced was presented. With lower starch concentration
      values, the fibers have greater ultimate tensile strength characteristic (mostly
      4 and 5 wt%). According to SEM results, it can be figured out that the nanofibers
      fabricated have good spinnability and morphology. The mean diameter of the fibers
      is about 150 nm. According to results of cell culture study, the finding can be
      determined that the increase of starch in the fiber also increases the cell
      viability. CONCLUSIONS: Composite nanofibers of starch/PCL have been prepared
      using a co-axial needle electrospinning technique. PCL was successfully
      encapsulated within starch. Fiber formation was observed for different ratio of
      starch. With several test, analysis and measurement performed, some important
      parameters such as quality and effectuality of each fiber obtained for wound
      dressing applications were discussed in detail.

PMID- 28356128
TI  - The impact of conscientiousness, mastery, and work circumstances on subsequent
      absenteeism in employees with and without affective disorders.
AB  - BACKGROUND: High numbers of employees are coping with affective disorders. At the
      same time, ambitiousness, achievement striving and a strong sense of personal
      control and responsibility are personality characteristics that are nowadays
      regarded as key to good work functioning, whereas social work circumstances tend
      to be neglected. However, it is largely unkown how personality characteristics
      and work circumstances affect work functioning when facing an affective disorder.
      Given the high burden of affective disorders on occupational health, we
      investigate these issues in the context of affective disorders and absenteeism
      from work. The principal aim of this paper is to examine whether particular
      personality characteristics that reflect self-governance (conscientiousness and
      mastery) and work circumstances (demands, control, support) influence the impact
      of affective disorders on long-term absenteeism (>10 working days). METHODS:
      Baseline and 1-year follow-up data from 1249 participants in the Netherlands
      Study of Depression and Anxiety (NESDA) in 2004-2006 was employed. Multivariate
      logistic regression analyses were performed, including interaction effects
      between depressive, anxiety, and comorbid disorders and personality and work
      circumstances. RESULTS: In general, mastery and conscientiousness increased nor
      diminished odds of subsequent long-term absenteeism, whereas higher job support
      significantly decreased these odds. Interaction effects showed that the impact of
      affective disorders on absenteeism was stronger for highly conscientious
      employees and for employees who experienced high job demands. CONCLUSIONS:
      Affective disorders may particularly severely affect work functioning of
      employees who are highly conscientious or face high psychological job demands.
      Adjusting working conditions to their individual needs may prevent excessive work
      absence.

PMID- 28356129
TI  - The effects of probiotic and synbiotic supplementation on metabolic syndrome
      indices in adults at risk of type 2 diabetes: study protocol for a randomized
      controlled trial.
AB  - BACKGROUND: The incidence of type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular diseases, and
      obesity has been rising dramatically; however, their pathogenesis is particularly
      intriguing. Recently, dysbiosis of the intestinal microbiota has emerged as a new
      candidate that may be linked to metabolic diseases. We hypothesize that selective
      modulation of the intestinal microbiota by probiotic or synbiotic supplementation
      may improve metabolic dysfunction and prevent diabetes in prediabetics. In this
      study, a synthesis and study of synbiotics will be carried out for the first time
      in Iran. METHODS/DESIGN: In a randomized triple-blind controlled clinical trial,
      120 adults with impaired glucose tolerance based on the inclusion criteria will
      be selected by a simple random sampling method and will be randomly allocated to
      6 months of 6 g/d probiotic, synbiotic or placebo. The fecal abundance of
      bacteria, blood pressure, height, weight, and waist and hip circumferences will
      be measured at baseline and following treatment. Also, plasma lipid profiles,
      HbA1C, fasting plasma glucose, and insulin levels, will be measured and insulin
      resistance (HOMA-IR) and beta-cell function (HOMA-B) will be calculated at
      baseline and will be repeated at months 3, 6, 12, and 18. The data will be
      compared within and between groups using statistical methods. DISCUSSION: The
      results of this trial could contribute to the evidence-based clinical guidelines
      that address gut microbiota manipulation to maximize health benefits in
      prevention and management of metabolic syndrome in prediabetes. TRIAL
      REGISTRATION: Iranian Registry of Clinical Trials: IRCT201511032321N2 .
      Registered on 27 February 2016.

PMID- 28356130
TI  - Parecoxib reduced ventilation induced lung injury in acute respiratory distress
      syndrome.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) contributes to ventilation induced lung
      injury (VILI) and acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS). The objective of
      present study was to observe the therapeutic effect of parecoxib on VILI in ARDS.
      METHODS: In this parallel controlled study performed at Harbin Medical
      University, China between January 2016 and March 2016, 24 rats were randomly
      allocated into sham group (S), volume ventilation group/ARDS (VA),
      parecoxib/volume ventilation group/ARDS (PVA). Rats in the S group only received
      anesthesia; rats in the VA and PVA group received intravenous injection of
      endotoxin to induce ARDS, and then received ventilation. Rats in the VA and PVA
      groups were treated with intravenous injection of saline or parecoxib. The ratio
      of arterial oxygen pressure to fractional inspired oxygen (PaO2/FiO2), the wet to
      dry weight ratio of lung tissue, inflammatory factors in serum and
      bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF), and histopathologic analyses of lung tissue
      were examined. In addition, survival was calculated at 24 h after VILI. RESULTS:
      Compared to the VA group, in the PVA group, PaO2/FiO2 was significantly
      increased; lung tissue wet to dry weight ratio; macrophage and neutrophil counts,
      total protein and neutrophil elastase levels in BALF; tumor necrosis factor
      alpha, interleukin-1beta, and prostaglandin E2 levels in BALF and serum; and
      myeloperoxidase (MPO) activity, malondialdehyde levels, and Bax and COX-2 protein
      levels in lung tissue were significantly decreased, while Bcl-2 protein levels
      were significantly increased. Lung histopathogical changes and apoptosis were
      reduced by parecpxib in the PVA group. Survival was increased in the PVA group.
      CONCLUSIONS: Parecoxib improves gas exchange and epithelial permeability,
      decreases edema, reduces local and systemic inflammation, ameliorates lung injury
      and apoptosis, and increases survival in a rat model of VILI.

PMID- 28356131
TI  - Treatment of infants with Syndromic Robin sequence with modified palatal plates:
      a minimally invasive treatment option.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Infants with Robin sequence (RS) suffer from upper airway obstruction
      (UAO) and feeding problems. We developed an oral appliance with a velar extension
      in combination with functional treatment and appropriate feeding techniques,
      which was proven effective in isolated RS. As the above problems are particularly
      challenging in syndromic RS, we set out to evaluate our treatment concept also in
      these patients. METHODS: We searched our electronic departmental database to
      identify all children admitted to our department between 01/01/2003 and
      31/12/2009 because of syndromic RS. UAO was quantified by cardiorespiratory sleep
      studies performed before and during treatment with a modified palatal plate. This
      appliance consists of a palatal part, covering the hard palate as well as the
      alveolar ridges and the potential cleft, and a velar extension shifting the
      tongue in a more anterior position, thereby opening the pharyngeal airway. It is
      adjusted by fiberoptic nasopharyngoscopy and controlled by cardiorespiratory
      sleep studies. Obstructive sleep apnea was defined as a mixed obstructive sleep
      apnea index (MOAI) >3/h. Feeding modalities before and after treatment and weight
      gain, determined as standard deviation score, were also evaluated. RESULTS: Of 68
      children meeting inclusion criteria, 56 completed treatment (46 of these being
      infants). Underlying diagnoses included craniofacial dysostosis (N = 13) and
      synostosis syndromes (N = 5), unspecified dysmorphic syndromes (N = 23) and
      miscellaneous rare conditions (N = 27). Median MOAI decreased from 8.5 (range 0.3
      76.0) at admission to 1.1 (0.0-5.2) at discharge (p < 0.001). 51 children
      received only a TPP and 5 additionally continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP)
      or high-flow nasal cannula during sleep for mild residual OSA. Three children
      ultimately required tracheostomy. The number of exclusively gavage fed infants
      was reduced from 23 to 7. Conversely, the number of children fed exclusively by
      mouth increased from 18 to 30. Median SDS for weight decreased from -1.6 (-3.5
      1.7) to -1.3 (-4.1-2.5). Twelve children had their treatment prematurely
      discontinued, e.g. due to laryngeal collapse/laryngomalacia. No patient died
      during treatment. CONCLUSION: Treatment of UAO and feeding problems in these
      children with syndromic RS by a modified palatal plate with a velar extension was
      shown to be effective and safe. If confirmed in prospective studies, it may help
      to avoid more invasive interventions.

PMID- 28356132
TI  - Down-regulation of E-cadherin enhances prostate cancer chemoresistance via Notch
      signaling.
AB  - BACKGROUND: The chemoresistance of prostate cancer (PCa) is invariably associated
      with the aggressiveness and metastasis of this disease. New emerging evidence
      indicates that the epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT) may play pivotal
      roles in the development of chemoresistance and metastasis. As a hallmark of EMT,
      E-cadherin is suggested to be a key marker in the development of chemoresistance.
      However, the molecular mechanisms underlying PCa chemoresistance remain unclear.
      The current study aimed to explore the association between EMT and
      chemoresistance in PCa as well as whether changing the expression of E-cadherin
      would affect PCa chemoresistance. METHODS: Parental PC3 and DU145 cells and their
      chemoresistant PC3-TxR and DU145-TxR cells were analyzed. PC3-TxR and DU145-TxR
      cells were transfected with E-cadherin-expressing lentivirus to overexpress E
      cadherin; PC3 and DU145 cells were transfected with small interfering RNA to
      silence E-cadherin. Changes of EMT phenotype-related markers and signaling
      pathways were assessed by Western blotting and quantitative real-time polymerase
      chain reaction. Tumor cell migration, invasion, and colony formation were then
      evaluated by wound healing, transwell, and colony formation assays, respectively.
      The drug sensitivity was evaluated using MTS assay. RESULTS: Chemoresistant PC3
      TxR and DU145-TxR cells exhibited an invasive and metastatic phenotype that
      associated with EMT, including the down-regulation of E-cadherin and up
      regulation of Vimentin, Snail, and N-cadherin, comparing with that of parental
      PC3 and DU145 cells. When E-cadherin was overexpressed in PC3-TxR and DU145-TxR
      cells, the expression of Vimentin and Claudin-1 was down-regulated, and tumor
      cell migration and invasion were inhibited. In particular, the sensitivity to
      paclitaxel was reactivated in E-cadherin-overexpressing PC3-TxR and DU145-TxR
      cells. When E-cadherin expression was silenced in parental PC3 and DU145 cells,
      the expression of Vimentin and Snail was up-regulated, and, particularly, the
      sensitivity to paclitaxel was decreased. Interestingly, Notch-1 expression was up
      regulated in PC3-TxR and DU145-TxR cells, whereas the E-cadherin expression was
      down-regulated in these cells comparing with their parental cells. The use of
      gamma-secretase inhibitor, a Notch signaling pathway inhibitor, significantly
      increased the sensitivity of chemoresistant cells to paclitaxel. CONCLUSION: The
      down-regulation of E-cadherin enhances PCa chemoresistance via Notch signaling,
      and inhibiting the Notch signaling pathway may reverse PCa chemoresistance.

PMID- 28356133
TI  - Abdominal massage for neurogenic bowel dysfunction in people with multiple
      sclerosis (AMBER - Abdominal Massage for Bowel Dysfunction Effectiveness
      Research): study protocol for a randomised controlled trial.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a life-long condition primarily affecting
      younger adults. Neurogenic bowel dysfunction (NBD) occurs in 50-80% of these
      patients and is the term used to describe constipation and faecal incontinence,
      which often co-exist. Data from a pilot study suggested feasibility of using
      abdominal massage for the relief of constipation, but the effectiveness remains
      uncertain. METHODS/DESIGN: This is a multi-centred patient randomised superiority
      trial comparing an experimental strategy of once daily abdominal massage for 6
      weeks against a control strategy of no massage in people with MS who have stated
      that their constipation is bothersome. The primary outcome is the Neurogenic
      Bowel Dysfunction Score at 24 weeks. Both groups will receive optimised advice
      plus the MS Society booklet on bowel management in MS, and will continue to
      receive usual care. Participants and their clinicians will not be blinded to the
      allocated intervention. Outcome measures are primarily self-reported and
      submitted anonymously. Central trial staff who will manage and analyse the trial
      data will be unaware of participant allocations. Analysis will follow intention
      to-treat principles. DISCUSSION: This pragmatic randomised controlled trial will
      demonstrate if abdominal massage is an effective, cost-effective and viable
      addition to the treatment of NBD in people with MS. TRIAL REGISTRATION:
      ClinicalTrials.gov, ISRCTN85007023 . Registered on 10 June 2014.

PMID- 28356134
TI  - External validation of the ROSC after cardiac arrest (RACA) score in a physician
      staffed emergency medical service system.
AB  - BACKGROUND: The return of spontaneous circulation (ROSC) after cardiac arrest
      (RACA) score may have implications as a quality indicator for the emergency
      medical services (EMS) system. We aimed to validate this score externally in a
      physician staffed urban EMS system. METHODS: We conducted a retrospective cohort
      study. Data on resuscitation attempts from the Helsinki EMS cardiac arrest
      registry from 1.1.2008 to 31.12.2010 were collected and analyzed. For each
      attempted resuscitation the RACA score variables were collected and the score
      calculated. The endpoint was ROSC defined as palpable pulse over 30 s.
      Calibration was assessed by comparing predicted and observed ROSC rates in the
      whole sample, separately for shockable and non-shockable rhythm, and separately
      for resuscitations lead by a specialist, registrar or medical supervisor (i.e.,
      senior paramedic). Data are presented as medians and interquartile ranges.
      Statistical testing included chi-square test, the Mann-Whitney U test, Hosmer
      Lemeshow goodness of fit test and calculation of 95% confidence intervals (CI)
      for proportions. RESULTS: A total of 680 patients were included of whom 340
      attained ROSC. The RACA score was higher in patients with ROSC (0.62 [0.46-0.69]
      than in those without (0.46 [0.36-0.57]) (p < 0.001). Observed against predicted
      ROSC indicated reasonable calibration overall (p = 0.30), with better calibration
      in patients with a shockable initial rhythm (p = 0.75) than in patients with a
      non-shockable rhythm (p = 0.04). There was no statistical difference between
      observed and predicted ROSC rates in resuscitations attended by a specialist (50%
      vs 53%, 95% CI 45-55) or registrar (55% vs 53%, 95% CI 48-62), but rates were
      lower than predicted in resuscitations lead by a medical supervisor (36% vs 49%,
      95% CI 25-47). DISCUSSION: Developing a practical severity-of-illness scoring
      system for out-of-hospital cardiac arrest patients would allow patient
      heterogeneity adjustment and measurement of quality of care in analogy to commoly
      used severity-of-illness- scores developed for the similar purposes for the
      general intensive care unit population. However, transferring RACA score to
      another country with different population and EMS system might affect the
      performance and generalizability of the score. CONCLUSIONS: This study found a
      good overall calibration and moderate discrimination of the RACA score in a
      physician staffed urban EMS system which suggests external validity of the score.
      Calibration was suboptimal in patients with a non-shockable rhythm which may due
      to a local do-not-attempt-resuscitation policy. The lower than expected overall
      ROSC rate in resuscitations attended by medical supervisors requires further
      study.

PMID- 28356135
TI  - DNA methylation mediates genotype and smoking interaction in the development of
      anti-citrullinated peptide antibody-positive rheumatoid arthritis.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Multiple factors, including interactions between genetic and
      environmental risks, are important in susceptibility to rheumatoid arthritis
      (RA). However, the underlying mechanism is not fully understood. This study was
      undertaken to evaluate whether DNA methylation can mediate the interaction
      between genotype and smoking in the development of anti-citrullinated peptide
      antibody (ACPA)-positive RA. METHODS: We investigated the gene-smoking
      interactions in DNA methylation using 393 individuals from the Epidemiological
      Investigation of Rheumatoid Arthritis (EIRA). The interaction between rs6933349
      and smoking in the risk of developing ACPA-positive RA was further evaluated in a
      larger portion of the EIRA (1119 controls and 944 ACPA-positive patients with
      RA), and in the Malaysian Epidemiological Investigation of Rheumatoid Arthritis
      (MyEIRA) (1556 controls and 792 ACPA-positive patients with RA). Finally,
      mediation analysis was performed to investigate whether DNA methylation of
      cg21325723 mediates this gene-environment interaction on the risk of developing
      of ACPA-positive RA. RESULTS: We identified and replicated one significant gene
      environment interaction between rs6933349 and smoking in DNA methylation of
      cg21325723. This gene-smoking interaction is a novel interaction in the risk of
      developing ACPA-positive in both Caucasian (multiplicative P value = 0.056;
      additive P value = 0.016) and Asian populations (multiplicative P value = 0.035;
      additive P value = 0.00027), and it is mediated through DNA methylation of
      cg21325723. CONCLUSIONS: We showed that DNA methylation of cg21325723 can mediate
      the gene-environment interaction between rs6933349 and smoking, impacting the
      risk of developing ACPA-positive RA, thus being a potential regulator that
      integrates both internal genetic and external environmental risk factors.

PMID- 28356136
TI  - Efficacy and safety of rapid intermittent correction compared with slow
      continuous correction with hypertonic saline in patients with moderately severe
      or severe symptomatic hyponatremia: study protocol for a randomized controlled
      trial (SALSA trial).
AB  - BACKGROUND: Hyponatremia is the most common electrolyte imbalance encountered in
      clinical practice, associated with increased mortality and length of hospital
      stay. However, no high-quality evidence regarding whether hypertonic saline is
      best administered as a continuous infusion or a bolus injection has been found to
      date. Therefore, in the current study, we will evaluate the efficacy and safety
      of rapid intermittent correction compared with slow continuous correction with
      hypertonic saline in patients with moderately severe or severe symptomatic
      hyponatremia. METHODS/DESIGN: This is a prospective, investigator-initiated,
      multicenter, open-label, randomized controlled study with two experimental
      therapy groups. A total of 178 patients with severe symptomatic hyponatremia will
      be enrolled and randomly assigned to receive either rapid intermittent bolus or
      slow continuous infusion management with hypertonic saline. The primary outcome
      is the incidence of overcorrection at any given period over 2 days. The secondary
      outcomes will include the efficacy and safety of two other approaches to the
      treatment of hyponatremia with 3% hypertonic saline. DISCUSSION: This is the
      first clinical trial to investigate the efficacy and safety of rapid intermittent
      correction compared with slow continuous correction with hypertonic saline in
      patients with moderately severe or severe hyponatremia. TRIAL REGISTRATION:
      ClinicalTrials.gov, identifier number: NCT02887469 . Registered on 1 August 2016.

PMID- 28356138
TI  - Can flosealTM be applied safely during otologic surgery? Assessment of
      ototoxicity in a chinchilla animal model.
AB  - BACKGROUND: In otologic surgery good visualization is paramount, and patients
      with bleeding diatheses or who need to be anti-coagulated can present a
      significant challenge. Here, we determine whether FlosealTM, a hemostatic matrix,
      is ototoxic in a validated animal model. METHODS: Nine chinchillas housed in the
      animal care facilities of the Montreal Children's Hospital Research Institute
      were used for the study. After a myringotomy incision was made in each tympanic
      membrane, baseline auditory brainstem response measurements were performed at 8,
      20, and 25 kHz. In each animal one ear was randomized to receive FlosealTM to the
      middle ear cavity, whereas the other ear served as the control and received 0.9%
      sodium chloride. Outcome measures included early (day 7) and late (day 30)
      auditory brainstem response, clinical evidence of facial nerve or vestibular
      disturbance and histological evidence of ototoxity. RESULTS: There was no
      significant hearing threshold shift on auditory brainstem response across all
      tested frequencies for both experimental and control ear. No animals receiving
      FlosealTM developed facial or vestibular nerve dysfunction and there was no
      histological evidence of ototoxicity. CONCLUSION: Based on the preliminary
      ototoxicity assessment on nine chinchillas, transtympanic FlosealTM does not
      appear to be ototoxic. More studies are warranted to assess the safety and
      applicability of the product in humans.

PMID- 28356137
TI  - Ethnic and diet-related differences in the healthy infant microbiome.
AB  - BACKGROUND: The infant gut is rapidly colonized by microorganisms soon after
      birth, and the composition of the microbiota is dynamic in the first year of
      life. Although a stable microbiome may not be established until 1 to 3 years
      after birth, the infant gut microbiota appears to be an important predictor of
      health outcomes in later life. METHODS: We obtained stool at one year of age from
      173 white Caucasian and 182 South Asian infants from two Canadian birth cohorts
      to gain insight into how maternal and early infancy exposures influence the
      development of the gut microbiota. We investigated whether the infant gut
      microbiota differed by ethnicity (referring to groups of people who have certain
      racial, cultural, religious, or other traits in common) and by breastfeeding
      status, while accounting for variations in maternal and infant exposures (such as
      maternal antibiotic use, gestational diabetes, vegetarianism, infant milk diet,
      time of introduction of solid food, infant birth weight, and weight gain in the
      first year). RESULTS: We demonstrate that ethnicity and infant feeding practices
      independently influence the infant gut microbiome at 1 year, and that ethnic
      differences can be mapped to alpha diversity as well as a higher abundance of
      lactic acid bacteria in South Asians and a higher abundance of genera within the
      order Clostridiales in white Caucasians. CONCLUSIONS: The infant gut microbiome
      is influenced by ethnicity and breastfeeding in the first year of life. Ethnic
      differences in the gut microbiome may reflect maternal/infant dietary differences
      and whether these differences are associated with future cardiometabolic outcomes
      can only be determined after prospective follow-up.

PMID- 28356139
TI  - Tumor microenvironment: driving forces and potential therapeutic targets for
      breast cancer metastasis.
AB  - Distant metastasis to specific target organs is responsible for over 90% of
      breast cancer-related deaths, but the underlying molecular mechanism is unclear.
      Mounting evidence suggests that the interplay between breast cancer cells and the
      target organ microenvironment is the key determinant of organ-specific metastasis
      of this lethal disease. Here, we highlight new findings and concepts concerning
      the emerging role of the tumor microenvironment in breast cancer metastasis; we
      also discuss potential therapeutic intervention strategies aimed at targeting
      components of the tumor microenvironment.

PMID- 28356140
TI  - Clinical course and prognosis of musculoskeletal pain in patients referred for
      physiotherapy: does pain site matter?
AB  - BACKGROUND: Danish patients with musculoskeletal disorders are commonly referred
      for primary care physiotherapy treatment but little is known about their general
      health status, pain diagnoses, clinical course and prognosis. The objectives of
      this study were to 1) describe the clinical course of patients with
      musculoskeletal disorders referred to physiotherapy, 2) identify predictors
      associated with a satisfactory outcome, and 3) determine the influence of the
      primary pain site diagnosis relative to those predictors. METHODS: This was a
      prospective cohort study of patients (n = 2,706) newly referred because of
      musculoskeletal pain to 30 physiotherapy practices from January 2012 to May 2012.
      Data were collected via a web-based questionnaire 1-2 days prior to the first
      physiotherapy consultation and at 6 weeks, 3 and 6 months, from clinical records
      (including primary musculoskeletal symptom diagnosis based on the ICPC-2
      classification system), and from national registry data. The main outcome was the
      Patient Acceptable Symptom State. Potential predictors were analysed using
      backwards step-wise selection during longitudinal Generalised Estimating Equation
      regression modelling. To assess the influence of pain site on these associations,
      primary pain site diagnosis was added to the model. RESULTS: Of the patients
      included, 66% were female and the mean age was 48 (SD 15). The percentage of
      patients reporting their symptoms as acceptable was 32% at 6 weeks, 43% at 3
      months and 52% at 6 months. A higher probability of satisfactory outcome was
      associated with place of residence, being retired, no compensation claim, less
      frequent pain, shorter duration of pain, lower levels of disability and fear
      avoidance, better mental health and being a non-smoker. Primary pain site
      diagnosis had little influence on these associations, and was not predictive of a
      satisfactory outcome. CONCLUSION: Only half of the patients rated their symptoms
      as acceptable at 6 months. Although satisfactory outcome was difficult to predict
      at an individual patient level, there were a number of prognostic factors that
      were associated with this outcome. These factors should be considered when
      developing generic prediction tools to assess the probability of satisfactory
      outcome in musculoskeletal physiotherapy patients, because the site of pain did
      not affect that prognostic association.

PMID- 28356141
TI  - Genomic history of the origin and domestication of common bean unveils its
      closest sister species.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Modern civilization depends on only a few plant species for its
      nourishment. These crops were derived via several thousands of years of human
      selection that transformed wild ancestors into high-yielding domesticated
      descendants. Among cultivated plants, common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) is the
      most important grain legume. Yet, our understanding of the origins and concurrent
      shaping of the genome of this crop plant is limited. RESULTS: We sequenced the
      genomes of 29 accessions representing 12 Phaseolus species. Single nucleotide
      polymorphism-based phylogenomic analyses, using both the nuclear and chloroplast
      genomes, allowed us to detect a speciation event, a finding further supported by
      metabolite profiling. In addition, we identified ~1200 protein coding genes
      (PCGs) and ~100 long non-coding RNAs with domestication-associated haplotypes.
      Finally, we describe asymmetric introgression events occurring among common bean
      subpopulations in Mesoamerica and across hemispheres. CONCLUSIONS: We uncover an
      unpredicted speciation event in the tropical Andes that gave rise to a sibling
      species, formerly considered the "wild ancestor" of P. vulgaris, which diverged
      before the split of the Mesoamerican and Andean P. vulgaris gene pools. Further,
      we identify haplotypes strongly associated with genes underlying the emergence of
      domestication traits. Our findings also reveal the capacity of a predominantly
      autogamous plant to outcross and fix loci from different populations, even from
      distant species, which led to the acquisition by domesticated beans of adaptive
      traits from wild relatives. The occurrence of such adaptive introgressions should
      be exploited to accelerate breeding programs in the near future.

PMID- 28356143
TI  - Reverse pupillary block after implantation of a scleral-sutured posterior chamber
      intraocular lens: a retrospective, open study.
AB  - BACKGROUND: To report the clinical features of patients with reverse pupillary
      block (RPB) after scleral-sutured posterior chamber intraocular lens (PC IOL)
      implantation and biometric changes after laser peripheral iridotomy (LPI).
      METHODS: Eight patients attending our hospital's ophthalmology outpatient clinic,
      who developed RPB after implantation of a scleral-sutured PC IOL due to
      subluxation of the crystalline lens or IOL, were investigated in this
      retrospective, observational study. RESULTS: Preoperative evaluations showed
      angle pigmentation in all cases and iridodonesis in 2 cases. Two subjects had
      used an alpha1A-adrenoceptor antagonist for benign prostatic hyperplasia. Pars
      plana or anterior partial vitrectomy was performed in all cases. All eyes showed
      an extremely deep anterior chamber, a concave iris configuration, and contact
      between the IOL optic and the iris at the pupillary margin. Pupil capture was
      detected in 2 cases. The mean (+/- SD) anterior chamber angle (ACA) was 89.91 +/-
      10.06 degrees , and the anterior chamber depth (ACD) was 4.42 +/- 0.16 mm before
      LPI. After LPI, the iris immediately became flat with a decreased ACA (51.70 +/-
      2.59 degrees ; P = 0.018) and ACD (4.14 +/- 0.15 mm; P = 0.012). After LPI, the
      intraocular pressure decreased from 19.75 +/- 3.77 mmHg to 15.63 +/- 4.30 mmHg (P
      = 0.011), and the spherical equivalent decreased from -0.643 +/- 0.385 D to -
      0.875 +/- 0.505 D (P = 0.016). CONCLUSION: Concomitant vitrectomy, angle
      pigmentation, and iridodonesis may be risk factors for RPB after scleral-sutured
      PC IOL implantation. LPI is effective for relieving the RPB.

PMID- 28356142
TI  - Towards evidence-based vitamin D supplementation in infants: vitamin D
      intervention in infants (VIDI) - study design and methods of a randomised
      controlled double-blinded intervention study.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Vitamin D is important for bone mass accrual during growth.
      Additionally, it is considered a requirement for a multitude of processes
      associated with, for example, the development of immunity. Many countries apply
      vitamin D supplementation strategies in infants, but the guidelines are not based
      on scientific evidence and aim at prevention of rickets. It remains unclear
      whether the recommended doses are sufficient for the wide array of other effects
      of vitamin D. The VIDI trial performed in Finland is the first large randomised
      controlled study for evaluation of the effects of different vitamin D
      supplemental doses in infancy on: 1. bone strength 2. infections and immunity 3.
      allergy, atopy and asthma 4. cognitive development 5. genetic regulation of
      mineral homeostasis METHODS/DESIGN: VIDI, a randomised controlled double-blinded
      single-centre intervention study is conducted in infants from the age of 2 weeks
      to 24 months. Participants, recruited at Helsinki Maternity Hospital, are
      randomised to receive daily either 10 MUg (400 IU) or 30 MUg (1 200 IU) of
      vitamin D3 supplementation. Both groups are assessed at 6 months of age for
      calcium homeostasis, and at 12 and 24 months of age for parameters associated
      with bone strength, growth, developmental milestones, infections, immunity, atopy
      related diseases, and genetic factors involved in these functions. DISCUSSION:
      The study enables evaluation of short and long term effects of supplemental
      vitamin D on growth, immune functions and skeletal and developmental parameters
      in infants, and the effects of genetic factors therein. The results enable
      institution of evidence-based guidelines for vitamin D supplementation in
      infancy. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT01723852 , registration date
      6.11.2012.

PMID- 28356145
TI  - Adoption of innovative and evidence-based practices for children and adolescents
      in state-supported mental health clinics: a qualitative study.
AB  - BACKGROUND: This study examined how mental health clinic administrators decided
      whether or not to adopt evidence-based and other innovative practices by
      exploring their views of implementation barriers and facilitators and operation
      of these views in assessment of implementation costs and benefits. METHODS: Semi
      structured interviews were conducted with 75 agency chief executive officers and
      program directors of 34 New York State-licensed mental health clinics serving
      children and adolescents. RESULTS: Three interconnected themes relating to
      barriers and facilitators were identified, namely costs and benefits associated
      with adoption, capacity for adoption, and acceptability of new practices. The
      highest percentage of participants (86.7%) mentioned costs as a barrier, followed
      by limited capacity (55.9%) and lack of acceptability (52.9%). The highest
      percentage (82.3%) of participants identified available capacity as a
      facilitator, followed by acceptability (41.2%) and benefits or limited costs
      (24.0%). Assessment of costs and benefits exhibited several principles of
      behavioural economics, including loss aversion, temporal discounting use of
      heuristics, sensitivity to monetary incentives, decision fatigue, framing, and
      environmental influences. CONCLUSIONS: The results point to opportunities for
      using agency leader models to develop strategies to facilitate implementation of
      evidence-based and innovative practices for children and adolescents.

PMID- 28356144
TI  - Amplification and up-regulation of MIR30D was associated with disease progression
      of cervical squamous cell carcinomas.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Cervical squamous cell carcinoma (CSCC) is the most frequent type
      among cervical cancers. Although the altered miRNA miR-30d expression and the
      amplified chromosome locus of MIR30D, 8q24, have been reported in somatic
      cancers, the definitive functional impact of such region especially in CSCC
      remains under-investigated. METHODS: One hundred thirty-six cases of CSCC tissues
      and matched adjacent normal ovarian epithelial tissues were assessed in this
      study. FISH and qPCR were performed to detect the copy number and microRNA
      expression of MIR30D gene in the collected samples. In in-vitro study,
      proliferation of CSCC cells were analyzed using WST-1 assay and invasion
      abilities of CSCC cells were evaluated by transwell assay. In-vivo study using a
      model of nude mice bearing tumor was also performed. RESULTS: Copy number gains
      of MIR30D were detected in 22.8% (31 out of 136) of CSCC samples. Copy number of
      MIR30D was positively correlated with tumor progression. CSCCs with lymph node
      metastases (LNM) also showed more frequencies (36.4%) of MIR30D amplification
      than those without LNM (18.4%, p < 0.05). CSCCs with increased copy number of
      MIR30D also showed a positive correlation with miR-30d up-regulation. Inhibition
      of miR-30d in CSCC cells led to impaired tumor growth and migration. CONCLUSIONS:
      Copy number amplifications of MIR30D gene and enhanced expression of miR-30d were
      positively correlated with tumor progression in CSCCs, indicating miR-30d might
      play an oncomiric role in the progression of CSCC.

PMID- 28356146
TI  - Do the disc degeneration and osteophyte contribute to the curve rigidity of
      degenerative scoliosis?
AB  - BACKGROUND: The factors associated with lateral curve flexibility in degenerative
      scoliosis have not been well documented. Disc degeneration could result in
      significant change in stiffness and range of motion in lateral bending films. The
      osteophytes could be commonly observed in degenerative spine but the relationship
      between osteophyte formation and curve flexibility remains controversial. The aim
      of the current study is to clarify if the disc degeneration and osteophyte
      formation were both associated with curve flexibility of degenerative scoliosis.
      METHODS: A total of 85 patients were retrospectively analyzed. The inclusion
      criteria were as follow: age greater than 45 years, diagnosed as degenerative
      scoliosis and coronal Cobb angle greater than 20 degrees . Curve flexibility was
      calculated based on Cobb angle, and range of motion (ROM) was based on disc angle
      evaluation. Regional disc degeneration score (RDS) was obtained according to
      Pfirrmann classification and osteophyte formation score (OFS) was based on
      Nanthan classification. Spearman correlation was performed to analyze the
      relationship between curve flexibility and RDS as well as OFS. RESULTS: Moderate
      correlation was found between RDS and curve flexibility with a Spearman
      coefficient of -0.487 (P = 0.009). Similarly, moderate correlation was observed
      between curve flexibility and OFS with a Spearman coefficient of -0.429 (P =
      0.012). Strong correlation was found between apical ROM and OFS compared to the
      relationship between curve flexibility and OFS with a Spearman coefficient of 
      0.627 (P < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: Both disc degeneration and osteophytes formation
      correlated with curve rigidity. The pre-operative evaluation of both features may
      aid in the surgical decision-making in degenerative scoliosis patients.

PMID- 28356147
TI  - Genotypic and phenotypic characterization of G6PD deficiency in Bengali adults
      with severe and uncomplicated malaria.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Control of malaria increasingly involves administration of 8
      aminoquinolines, with accompanying risk of haemolysis in individuals with glucose
      6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PD) deficiency. Few data on the prevalence and
      genotypic basis of G6PD deficiency are available from Bangladesh, where malaria
      remains a major problem in the South (Chittagong Division). The aim of this study
      was to determine the prevalence of G6PD deficiency, and associated G6PD
      genotypes, in adults with falciparum malaria in southern Bangladesh. METHODS:
      G6PD status was assessed via a combination of fluorescent spot testing (FST) and
      genotyping in 141 Bengali patients admitted with falciparum malaria to two
      centres in Chittagong Division from 2012 to 2014. In addition, an analysis of
      genomic data from 1000 Genomes Project was carried out among five healthy Indian
      subcontinent populations. RESULTS: One male patient with uncomplicated malaria
      was found to have G6PD deficiency on FST and a genotype associated with
      deficiency (hemizygous Orissa variant). In addition, there were two female
      patients heterozygous for deficiency variants (Orissa and Kerala-Kalyan). These
      three patients had a relatively long duration of symptoms prior to admission
      compared to G6PD normal cases, possibly suggesting an interaction with parasite
      multiplication rate. In addition, one of 27 healthy local controls was deficient
      on FST and hemizygous for the Mahidol variant of G6PD deficiency. Examination of
      1000 Genomes Project sequencing data across the Indian subcontinent showed that
      19/723 chromosomes (2.63%) carried a variant associated with deficiency. In the
      Bengali from Bangladesh 1000 Genomes population, three of 130 chromosomes (2.31%)
      carried deficient alleles; this included single chromosomes carrying the Kerala
      Kalyan and Orissa variants. CONCLUSIONS: In line with other recent work, G6PD
      deficiency is uncommon in Bengalis in Bangladesh. Further studies of particular
      ethnic groups are needed to evaluate the potential risk of wide deployment of
      primaquine in malaria control efforts in Bangladesh.

PMID- 28356149
TI  - Disparities in receipt of recommended care among younger versus older medicare
      beneficiaries: a cohort study.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Although health disparities have been documented between Medicare
      beneficiaries based on age (<65 years vs. older age groups), underuse of
      recommended medical care in younger beneficiaries has not been thoroughly
      investigated. In this study, we aim to identify and characterize vulnerabilities
      of the younger Medicare age group (aged <65 years) in relation to older age
      groups (aged 65-74 years and >=75 years) and to explore age group as a
      determinant of use of recommended care among Medicare beneficiaries. METHODS: We
      conducted a cohort study of community-dwelling Medicare beneficiaries who
      participated in the Medicare Current Beneficiary Survey between 2001 and 2008 (N
      = 30,117). Age group characteristics were compared using cross-sectional data at
      baseline. During follow-up, we assessed the association between age and receipt
      of recommended care on 38 recommended care indicators, adjusting for
      sociodemographic and clinical characteristics. Follow-up periods differed by
      component indicator. RESULTS: At baseline, a higher proportion of younger
      beneficiaries experienced social disadvantage, disability and certain morbidities
      than older age groups. During follow-up, younger beneficiaries were significantly
      less likely to receive overall recommended care compared to those 65-74 years of
      age (adjusted odds ratio and 95% confidence interval: 0.75, 0.70-0.80). In
      addition, male gender, non-Hispanic black race, less than high school education,
      living alone, with children or with others, psychiatric disorders and higher
      activity limitation stages were all associated with underuse of recommended care.
      CONCLUSIONS: Younger Medicare beneficiary status appears to be an independent
      risk factor for underuse of appropriate care. Support to ameliorate disparities
      in different social and health aspects may be warranted.

PMID- 28356148
TI  - Prediction of complications in early-onset pre-eclampsia (PREP): development and
      external multinational validation of prognostic models.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Unexpected clinical deterioration before 34 weeks gestation is an
      undesired course in early-onset pre-eclampsia. To safely prolong preterm
      gestation, accurate and timely prediction of complications is required. METHOD:
      Women with confirmed early onset pre-eclampsia were recruited from 53 maternity
      units in the UK to a large prospective cohort study (PREP-946) for development of
      prognostic models for the overall risk of experiencing a complication using
      logistic regression (PREP-L), and for predicting the time to adverse maternal
      outcome using a survival model (PREP-S). External validation of the models were
      carried out in a multinational cohort (PIERS-634) and another cohort from the
      Netherlands (PETRA-216). Main outcome measures were C-statistics to summarise
      discrimination of the models and calibration plots and calibration slopes.
      RESULTS: A total of 169 mothers (18%) in the PREP dataset had adverse outcomes by
      48 hours, and 633 (67%) by discharge. The C-statistics of the models for
      predicting complications by 48 hours and by discharge were 0.84 (95% CI, 0.81
      0.87; PREP-S) and 0.82 (0.80-0.84; PREP-L), respectively. The PREP-S model
      included maternal age, gestation, medical history, systolic blood pressure, deep
      tendon reflexes, urine protein creatinine ratio, platelets, serum alanine amino
      transaminase, urea, creatinine, oxygen saturation and treatment with
      antihypertensives or magnesium sulfate. The PREP-L model included the above
      except deep tendon reflexes, serum alanine amino transaminase and creatinine. On
      validation in the external PIERS dataset, the reduced PREP-S model showed
      reasonable calibration (slope 0.80) and discrimination (C-statistic 0.75) for
      predicting adverse outcome by 48 hours. Reduced PREP-L model showed excellent
      calibration (slope: 0.93 PIERS, 0.90 PETRA) and discrimination (0.81 PIERS, 0.75
      PETRA) for predicting risk by discharge in the two external datasets.
      CONCLUSIONS: PREP models can be used to obtain predictions of adverse maternal
      outcome risk, including early preterm delivery, by 48 hours (PREP-S) and by
      discharge (PREP-L), in women with early onset pre-eclampsia in the context of
      current care. They have a potential role in triaging high-risk mothers who may
      need transfer to tertiary units for intensive maternal and neonatal care. TRIAL
      REGISTRATION: ISRCTN40384046 , retrospectively registered.

PMID- 28356150
TI  - Pregnane X receptor is associated with unfavorable survival and induces
      chemotherapeutic resistance by transcriptional activating multidrug resistance
      related protein 3 in colorectal cancer.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Although chemotherapy represents a predominant anti-cancer
      therapeutic modality, drug treatment efficacy is often limited due to the
      development of resistant tumor cells. The pregnane X receptor (PXR) affects
      chemotherapeutic effects by regulating targets involved in drug metabolism and
      transportation, but the regulatory mechanism is poorly understood. METHODS:
      Oxaliplatin (L-OHP) content in tumor cells was analyzed by mass cytometry. The
      roles of PXR on cancer cell proliferation, apoptosis and tumor growth with L-OHP
      treated were investigated by MTS, colony formation, flow cytometry and xenograft
      tumor assays. Luciferase reporter, Chromatin-immunoprecipitation and Site
      directed mutagenesis were evaluated the mechanisms. The PXR and multidrug
      resistance-related protein 3 (MRP3) expressions were examined by western blot, RT
      PCR or immunohistochemistry of TMA. Kaplan-Meier and Cox regression were adopted
      to analyze the prognostic value of PXR in colorectal cancer (CRC). RESULTS: PXR
      over-expression significantly increased oxaliplatin (L-OHP) transport capacity
      with a reduction of its content and repressed the effects of L-OHP on tumour cell
      proliferation and apoptosis. Conversely, PXR knockdown augments L-OHP-mediated
      cellular proliferation and apoptosis. Moreover, PXR significantly reduced the
      therapeutic effects of L-OHP on tumor growth in nude mice. Further studies
      indicated a positive correlation between PXR and MRP3 expression and this finding
      was confirmed in two independent cohorts. Significantly increased MRP3 expression
      was also found in PXR over-expressing cell lines. Mechanistically, PXR could
      directly bind to the MRP3 promoter, activating its transcription. The PXR binding
      sites were determined to be at -796 to -782bp (CTGAAGCAGAGGGAA) and the key
      binding sites were the "AGGGA" (-787 to -783bp) on the MRP3 promoter.
      Accordingly, blockade of MRP3 diminishes the effects on drug resistance of PXR.
      In addition, PXR expression is significantly associated with poor overall
      survival and represents an unfavorable and independent factor for male or stage I
      + II CRC patient prognosis. CONCLUSIONS: PXR is a potential biomarker for
      predicting outcome and activates MRP3 transcription by directly binding to its
      promoter resulting in an increased L-OHP efflux capacity, and resistance to L-OHP
      or platinum drugs in CRC. Our work reveals a novel and unique mechanism of drug
      resistance in CRC.

PMID- 28356152
TI  - Mid-term outcome following revision surgery of clavicular non- and malunion using
      anatomic locking compression plate and iliac crest bone graft.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Treatment of clavicular non- and malunion is still challenging.
      Current surgical procedures often result in frustrating functional outcome along
      with high-grade subjective impairment and increased rates of revision surgery.
      However, the combination of biological augmentation with vital bone graft and a
      biomechanically sufficient fixation system seems to be a promising concept of
      treatment. METHODS: In this retrospective study, 14 patients with a mean age of
      44 years (26-67 years) suffering from non-union (n = 11) and/or malunion (n = 3)
      of the clavicle were enrolled. All patients were surgically treated using an
      anatomical precontoured locking compression plate (LCP) and autologous iliac
      crest bone graft. Functional outcome was assessed using the age- and sex-specific
      relative Constant Score. RESULTS: Mean follow-up was 27 months (range 12-44
      months). The relative Constant Score significantly improved from preoperative 61
      +/- 8 (43-72) to 82 +/- 10 (65-100) points at the final follow-up examination (p
      < 0.05). All patients showed bony union radiographically. One patient presented
      with a re-fracture of the clavicle nearly 3 years after revision surgery and 5
      weeks after implant removal. Secondary fractures at the donor site of the
      anterior superior iliac spine were recorded in two patients. CONCLUSIONS: Iliac
      crest bone graft and anatomic locking plate fixation allow for a safe and
      adequate stabilization and radiographical bony union in non- and malunions of the
      clavicle with a high degree of patient satisfaction. However, secondary fractures
      of the anterior superior iliac spine constitute relevant complications and the
      time of hardware removal should be considered carefully.

PMID- 28356151
TI  - Endothelial dysfunction in the pathogenesis of pre-eclampsia in Ghanaian women.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Pre-eclampsia (PE) remains a disease of theories despite extensive
      research into its etiology. Alteration in the production of vascular endothelial
      growth factor (VEGF), a biomarker of endothelial dysfunction, is associated with
      pre-eclampsia although conflicting reports have been reported. The aim of the
      study was to determine and compare maternal serum levels of VEGF among pre
      eclamptics, normotensive non pregnant and pregnant women. This was a cross
      sectional study involving 100 women with pre-eclampsia, 102 women with
      normotensive pregnancy and 75 normotensives who were not pregnant. The study was
      carried out at Korle Bu Teaching Hospital (KBTH) from April to June in 2011.
      Basic socio-demographic and obstetric data were obtained by means of structured
      questionnaire. Following venesection, about 5mls of blood was sampled from the
      participants for the various tests. Enzyme Linked Immunosorbent Assay was used to
      determine the maternal serum levels of free VEGF. Data analysis was performed
      using SPSS version 20. RESULTS: Significant reduction in median serum levels of
      free VEGF was seen in both, normal pregnant [84.06 pg/ml (IQR: 78.90-99.67)] and
      pre-eclamptic women [4.71 pg/ml, (IQR: 3.41-7.93)] compared to the non-pregnant
      (395.85 pg/ml, IQR 234.93-625) with p < 0.001; the reduction was far greater in
      the pre-eclamptic group compared to that of normotensive pregnant group (p <
      0.001). Early-onset pre-eclampsia had significantly more severe reduction in free
      VEGF levels (3.89, IQR: 2.60-5.67 pg/ml) compared to that of late onset PE (5.23,
      IQR: 3.78-16.97 pg/ml) with p<0.001 indicating a severer endothelial damage in
      former. CONCLUSIONS: Endothelial dysfunction contributes significantly to the
      pathogenesis of pre-eclampsia as demonstrated by profound decrease in maternal
      serum VEGF levels in PE compared to normotensive pregnancy and non-pregnancy
      state. The pathophysiology of early-onset pre-eclampsia may be partly explained
      by marked reduction in free serum VEGF levels with resultant severe endothelial
      dysfunction.

PMID- 28356153
TI  - Scrotal granulomatous aspergillosis in a dromedary camel (Camelus dromedarius).
AB  - BACKGROUND: This report describes a case of primary subcutaneous aspergillosis in
      a 7-year-old neutered male dromedary camel (Camelus dromedarius). CASE
      PRESENTATION: The animal developed a large nodular lesion in the right scrotum
      two years after surgical intervention for neutering. The mass had a firm
      consistency and was painful at palpation. Histopathology revealed dermal
      granulomatous inflammation with a necrotic centre, surrounded by plasma cells,
      macrophages, neutrophils, and sparse fungal hyphae characterised by parallel cell
      walls, distinct septa, and dichotomous branching. Fungal culture was not
      performed, but a panel of mono- and polyclonal antibodies specific for different
      fungal genera identified the hyphae as Aspergillus sp. CONCLUSIONS: The
      occurrence of subcutaneous lesions is a rare manifestation of aspergillosis in
      animals, and this appears to be the first case reported in the dromedary camel.

PMID- 28356154
TI  - Patterns of cross-contamination in a multispecies population genomic project:
      detection, quantification, impact, and solutions.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Contamination is a well-known but often neglected problem in
      molecular biology. Here, we investigated the prevalence of cross-contamination
      among 446 samples from 116 distinct species of animals, which were processed in
      the same laboratory and subjected to subcontracted transcriptome sequencing.
      RESULTS: Using cytochrome oxidase 1 as a barcode, we identified a minimum of 782
      events of between-species contamination, with approximately 80% of our samples
      being affected. An analysis of laboratory metadata revealed a strong effect of
      the sequencing center: nearly all the detected events of between-species
      contamination involved species that were sent the same day to the same company.
      We introduce new methods to address the amount of within-species, between
      individual contamination, and to correct for this problem when calling genotypes
      from base read counts. CONCLUSIONS: We report evidence for pervasive within
      species contamination in this data set, and show that classical population
      genomic statistics, such as synonymous diversity, the ratio of non-synonymous to
      synonymous diversity, inbreeding coefficient FIT, and Tajima's D, are sensitive
      to this problem to various extents. Control analyses suggest that our published
      results are probably robust to the problem of contamination. Recommendations on
      how to prevent or avoid contamination in large-scale population
      genomics/molecular ecology are provided based on this analysis.

PMID- 28356155
TI  - Minimal disease activity and impact of disease in psoriatic arthritis: a Spanish
      cross-sectional multicenter study.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Patients with psoriatic arthritis (PsA) experience functional
      impairment and reduced quality of life, and thus patient global assessment in PsA
      is explained mainly by the physical, but also by the psychological, aspect of the
      disease. To assess the prevalence of minimal disease activity (MDA) in Spanish
      patients with PsA, we examined their characteristics and the association between
      MDA and the impact of the disease as assessed by the PsA Impact of Disease
      (PsAID) questionnaire. METHODS: A cross-sectional multicenter study was carried
      out in patients who fulfilled the Classification for Psoriatic Arthritis (CASPAR)
      criteria with at least 1 year of disease duration, and who were treated with
      biological or conventional synthetic (cs) disease-modifying anti-rheumatic drugs
      (DMARDs) according to routine clinical practice in Spain. Patients were
      considered in MDA if they met at least 5/7 of the MDA criteria. The association
      between MDA and the recently developed PsAID questionnaire was also recorded.
      RESULTS: Of 227 patients included, 133 (58.6%) were in the MDA state (52% with
      antitumor necrosis factor (anti-TNF)alpha monotherapy, 24% with csDMARD
      monotherapy, and 24% with anti-TNFalpha in combination with csDMARD). Using
      multivariate logistic regression analysis, male gender (odds ratio (OR) 2.74, p =
      0.001), a sedentary lifestyle (OR 3.13, p = 0.002), familial history of PsA (OR
      0.38, p = 0.036), C-reactive protein (CRP) level (OR 0.92, p = 0.010), and use of
      corticoids (OR 0.33, p = 0.007) were considered features related to MDA. MDA
      patients had a significantly lower impact of the disease according to PsAID (mean
      total score (SD): MDA 3.3 (3.1) vs. non-MDA 7.1 (5.2); p < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS:
      Nearly 60% of Spanish PsA patients achieve MDA in routine clinical practice. MDA
      remains one of the most useful therapeutic targets for PsA since patients who
      reached this state also had a significantly lower impact of disease according to
      PsAID.

PMID- 28356156
TI  - Chimeric antigen receptor T cells: a novel therapy for solid tumors.
AB  - The chimeric antigen receptor T (CAR-T) cell therapy is a newly developed
      adoptive antitumor treatment. Theoretically, CAR-T cells can specifically
      localize and eliminate tumor cells by interacting with the tumor-associated
      antigens (TAAs) expressing on tumor cell surface. Current studies demonstrated
      that various TAAs could act as target antigens for CAR-T cells, for instance, the
      type III variant epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFRvIII) was considered as an
      ideal target for its aberrant expression on the cell surface of several tumor
      types. CAR-T cell therapy has achieved gratifying breakthrough in hematological
      malignancies and promising outcome in solid tumor as showed in various clinical
      trials. The third generation of CAR-T demonstrates increased antitumor
      cytotoxicity and persistence through modification of CAR structure. In this
      review, we summarized the preclinical and clinical progress of CAR-T cells
      targeting EGFR, human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2), and mesothelin
      (MSLN), as well as the challenges for CAR-T cell therapy.

PMID- 28356158
TI  - Interactions between Sirt1 and MAPKs regulate astrocyte activation induced by
      brain injury in vitro and in vivo.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Astrocyte activation is a hallmark of traumatic brain injury
      resulting in neurological dysfunction or death for an overproduction of
      inflammatory cytokines and glial scar formation. Both the silent mating type
      information (Sirt1) expression and mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) signal
      pathway activation represent a promising therapeutic target for several models of
      neurodegenerative diseases. We investigated the potential effects of Sirt1
      upregulation and MAPK pathway pharmacological inhibition on astrocyte activation
      in vitro and in vivo. Moreover, we attempted to confirm the underlying
      interactions between Sirt1 and MAPK pathways in astrocyte activation after brain
      injury. METHODS: The present study employs an interleukin-1beta (IL-1beta)
      stimulated primary cortical astrocyte model in vitro and a nigrostriatal pathway
      injury model in vivo to mimic the astrocyte activation induced by traumatic brain
      injury. The activation of GFAP, Sirt1, and MAPK pathways were detected by Western
      blot; astrocyte morphological hypertrophy was assessed using immunofluorescence
      staining; in order to explore the neuroprotective effect of regulation Sirt1
      expression and MAPK pathway activation, the motor and neurological function tests
      were assessed after injury. RESULTS: GFAP level and morphological hypertrophy of
      astrocytes are elevated after injury in vitro or in vivo. Furthermore, the
      expressions of phosphorylated extracellular regulated protein kinases (p-ERK),
      phosphorylated c-Jun N-terminal kinase (p-JNK), and phosphorylated p38 activation
      (p-p38) are upregulated, but the Sirt1 expression is downregulated.
      Overexpression of Sirt1 significantly increases the p-ERK expression and reduces
      the p-JNK and p-p38 expressions. Inhibition of ERK, JNK, or p38 activation
      respectively with their inhibitors significantly elevated the Sirt1 expression
      and attenuated the astrocyte activation. Both the overproduction of Sirt1 and
      inhibition of ERK, JNK, or p38 activation can alleviate the astrocyte activation,
      thereby improving the neurobehavioral function according to the modified
      neurological severity scores (mNSS) and balance latency test. CONCLUSIONS: Thus,
      Sirt1 plays a protective role against astrocyte activation, which may be
      associated with the regulation of the MAPK pathway activation induced by brain
      injury in vitro and in vivo.

PMID- 28356157
TI  - Migration of mitochondrial DNA in the nuclear genome of colorectal
      adenocarcinoma.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Colorectal adenocarcinomas are characterized by abnormal
      mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) copy number and genomic instability, but a molecular
      interaction between mitochondrial and nuclear genome remains unknown. Here we
      report the discovery of increased copies of nuclear mtDNA (NUMT) in colorectal
      adenocarcinomas, which supports link between mtDNA and genomic instability in the
      nucleus. We name this phenomenon of nuclear occurrence of mitochondrial component
      as numtogenesis. We provide a description of NUMT abundance and distribution in
      tumor versus matched blood-derived normal genomes. METHODS: Whole-genome sequence
      data were obtained for colon adenocarcinoma and rectum adenocarcinoma patients
      participating in The Cancer Genome Atlas, via the Cancer Genomics Hub, using the
      GeneTorrent file acquisition tool. Data were analyzed to determine NUMT
      proportion and distribution on a genome-wide scale. A NUMT suppressor gene was
      identified by comparing numtogenesis in other organisms. RESULTS: Our study
      reveals that colorectal adenocarcinoma genomes, on average, contains up to 4.2
      fold more somatic NUMTs than matched normal genomes. Women colorectal tumors
      contained more NUMT than men. NUMT abundance in tumor predicted parallel
      abundance in blood. NUMT abundance positively correlated with GC content and gene
      density. Increased numtogenesis was observed with higher mortality. We identified
      YME1L1, a human homolog of yeast YME1 (yeast mitochondrial DNA escape 1) to be
      frequently mutated in colorectal tumors. YME1L1 was also mutated in tumors
      derived from other tissues. We show that inactivation of YME1L1 results in
      increased transfer of mtDNA in the nuclear genome. CONCLUSIONS: Our study
      demonstrates increased somatic transfer of mtDNA in colorectal tumors. Our study
      also reveals sex-based differences in frequency of NUMT occurrence and that NUMT
      in blood reflects NUMT in tumors, suggesting NUMT may be used as a biomarker for
      tumorigenesis. We identify YME1L1 as the first NUMT suppressor gene in human and
      demonstrate that inactivation of YME1L1 induces migration of mtDNA to the nuclear
      genome. Our study reveals that numtogenesis plays an important role in the
      development of cancer.

PMID- 28356159
TI  - Prevalence and risk factors for anemia severity and type in Malawian men and
      women: urban and rural differences.
AB  - BACKGROUND: The global burden of anemia is large especially in sub-Saharan
      Africa, where HIV is common and lifestyles are changing rapidly with
      urbanization. The effects of these changes are unknown. Studies of anemia usually
      focus on pregnant women or children, among whom the burden is greatest. We
      describe prevalence and risk factors for anemia among rural and urban men and
      women of all ages in Malawi. METHODS: We analyzed data from a population-wide
      cross-sectional survey of adults conducted in two sites, Karonga (rural) and
      Lilongwe (urban), commencing in May 2013. We used multinomial logistic regression
      models, stratified by sex to identify risk factors for mild and moderate-to
      severe anemia. RESULTS: Anemia prevalence was assessed among 8,926 men (age range
      18-100 years) and 14,978 women (age range: 18-103 years). Weighted prevalence
      levels for all, mild, and moderate-to-severe anemia were 8.2, 6.7 and 1.2% in
      rural men; 19.4, 12.0 and 7.4% in rural women; 5.9, 5.1 and 0.8% in urban men;
      and 23.4, 13.6 and 10.1% in urban women. Among women, the odds of anemia were
      higher among urban residents and those with higher socioeconomic status.
      Increasing age was associated with higher anemia prevalence in men. Among both
      men and women, HIV infection was a consistent risk factor for severity of anemia,
      though its relative effect was stronger on moderate-to-severe anemia.
      CONCLUSIONS: The drivers of anemia in this population are complex, include both
      socioeconomic and biological factors and are affecting men and women differently.
      The associations with urban lifestyle and HIV indicate opportunities for targeted
      intervention.

PMID- 28356160
TI  - Optimizing conditions for labeling of mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs) with gold
      nanoparticles: a prerequisite for in vivo tracking of MSCs.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs) have an inherent migratory capacity
      towards tumor tissue in vivo. With the future objective to quantify the tumor
      homing efficacy of MSCs, as first step in this direction we investigated the use
      of inorganic nanoparticles (NPs), in particular ca. 4 nm-sized Au NPs, for MSC
      labeling. Time dependent uptake efficiencies of NPs at different exposure
      concentrations and times were determined via inductively coupled plasma mass
      spectrometry (ICP-MS). RESULTS: The labeling efficiency of the MSCs was
      determined in terms of the amount of exocytosed NPs versus the amount of
      initially endocytosed NPs, demonstrating that at high concentrations the
      internalized Au NPs were exocytosed over time, leading to continuous exhaustion.
      While exposure to NPs did not significantly impair cell viability or expression
      of surface markers, even at high dose levels, MSCs were significantly affected in
      their proliferation and migration potential. These results demonstrate that
      proliferation or migration assays are more suitable to evaluate whether labeling
      of MSCs with certain amounts of NPs exerts distress on cells. However, despite
      optimized conditions the labeling efficiency varied considerably in MSC lots from
      different donors, indicating cell specific loading capacities for NPs. Finally,
      we determined the detection limits of Au NP-labeled MSCs within murine tissue
      employing ICP-MS and demonstrate the distribution and homing of NP labeled MSCs
      in vivo. CONCLUSION: Although large amounts of NPs improve contrast for imaging,
      duration and extend of labeling needs to be adjusted carefully to avoid
      functional deficits in MSCs. We established an optimized labeling strategy for
      human MSCs with Au NPs that preserves their migratory capacity in vivo.

PMID- 28356162
TI  - Blood transfusion and coagulopathy in geriatric trauma patients.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Trauma resuscitation has undergone a paradigm shift with new emphasis
      on the early use of blood products and increased proportions of plasma and
      platelets. However, it is unclear how this strategy is applied or how effective
      it is in the elderly population. The study aim is to identify differences in
      transfusion practices and the coagulopathy of trauma in the elderly. METHODS:
      Data was prospectively collected on all consecutive patients that met trauma
      activation criteria at a Level I trauma centre. Data fields included patient
      demographics, co-morbidities, injury and resuscitation data, laboratory values,
      thromboelastography (TEG) results, and outcome measures. Elderly patients were
      defined as those 55 and older. Propensity-score matched analysis was completed
      for patients receiving blood product transfusion. Patients were matched by
      gender, mechanism, injury severity score (ISS), head injury, and time from
      injury. RESULTS: Total of 628 patients were included, of which 142 (23%) were
      elderly. Elderly patients were more likely to be female (41% vs. 24%), suffer
      blunt mechanism of trauma (96% vs. 80%), have higher ISS scores (mean 25.4 vs.
      21.6) and mortality (19% vs. 8%). Elderly patients were significantly more likely
      to receive a blood transfusion (42% vs. 30%), specifically for red cells and
      plasma. Propensity-matched analysis resulted in no difference in red cell
      transfusion or mortality. Despite the broad similarities between the matched
      cohorts, trauma coagulopathy as measured by TEG was less commonly observed in the
      elderly. DISCUSSION: Our results suggest that elderly trauma patients are more
      likely to receive blood products when admitted to a trauma centre, though this
      may be attributed to under-triage. The results also suggest an altered
      coagulopathic response to traumatic injury which is partially influenced by
      increased anticoagulant and antiplatelet medication use in the geriatric
      population. CONCLUSION: It is not clear whether the acute coagulopathy of trauma
      is equivalent in geriatric patients, and further study is therefore warranted.

PMID- 28356163
TI  - A novel system for continuous, real-time monitoring of heart motion signals.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Understanding cardiac mechanics is important for developing cardiac
      therapies. Current modalities for assessing cardiac mechanics sample patient's
      heart at specific heart rate, contractility, preload, and afterload. The
      objective of this study was to test the feasibility of a novel system composed of
      intra-cardiac leads equipped with an inertial module chip (3D accelerometers and
      3D gyroscopes) in monitoring continuous heart motion. METHODS: In this
      descriptive study, four healthy pigs were anesthetized and instrumented with
      motion-sensitive intra-cardiac leads; the temporal correlation between signals
      from motion sensors and tissue Doppler from the chest wall were studied; changes
      in real-time heart accelerations (ACC) and angular velocity (ANGV) were reported
      as percentages of change from baseline. RESULTS: Heart motion signals were sensed
      continuously from the right ventricular apex (RVa) and coronary sinus (CS).
      Volume expansion did not produce significant changes in the ACC and ANGV signals.
      Increasing heart rate increased the peak systolic ACC signal recorded from RVa
      and CS by 94 and 76%, respectively, and increased both peak systolic (61% RVa and
      27% CS) and diastolic ANGV (200% CS vs. 31% RVa). Epinephrine administration
      increased peak systolic ACC signals at both sites (246% RVa; 331% CS). Peak
      systolic and diastolic ANGV increased in response to epinephrine (systolic: 198%
      RVa and 175% CS; diastolic: 723% CS and 89% RVa) (p = 0.125 for all changes
      expressed in percent). Temporal correlation between the ANGV signal and tissue
      Doppler signal was detected throughout all interventions. CONCLUSIONS: A novel
      system for continuously monitoring heart motion signals from within the heart was
      presented. Heart motion signals in response to physiologic manipulations were
      characterized.

PMID- 28356161
TI  - The cell cycle checkpoint inhibitors in the treatment of leukemias.
AB  - The inhibition of the DNA damage response (DDR) pathway in the treatment of
      cancers has recently reached an exciting stage with several cell cycle checkpoint
      inhibitors that are now being tested in several clinical trials in cancer
      patients. Although the great amount of pre-clinical and clinical data are from
      the solid tumor experience, only few studies have been done on leukemias using
      specific cell cycle checkpoint inhibitors. This review aims to summarize the most
      recent data found on the biological mechanisms of the response to DNA damages
      highlighting the role of the different elements of the DDR pathway in normal and
      cancer cells and focusing on the main genetic alteration or aberrant gene
      expression that has been found on acute and chronic leukemias. This review, for
      the first time, outlines the most important pre-clinical and clinical data
      available on the efficacy of cell cycle checkpoint inhibitors in single agent and
      in combination with different agents normally used for the treatment of acute and
      chronic leukemias.

PMID- 28356164
TI  - Excessive activation of the TLR9/TGF-beta1/PDGF-B pathway in the peripheral blood
      of patients with systemic lupus erythematosus.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Our aim is to study the existence of the TLR9/TGF-beta1/PDGF-B
      pathway in healthy humans and patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE),
      and to explore its possible involvement in the pathogenesis of lupus nephritis
      (LN). METHODS: Protein levels of the cytokines were detected by ELISA. mRNA
      levels of the cytokines were analyzed by real-time PCR. MTT assay was used to
      test the proliferation of mesangial cells under different treatments. RESULTS:
      Compared to healthy controls (N Control = 56), levels of Toll-like receptor
      (TLR)9, transforming growth factor (TGF)-beta1, and platelet-derived growth
      factor B (PDGF-B) were increased significantly in the peripheral blood of SLE
      patients (N SLE = 112). Significant correlations between the levels of TLR9, TGF
      beta1, and PDGF-B were observed in both healthy controls and SLE patients. The
      levels of TGF-beta1 and PDGF-B were greatly enhanced by TLR9 activation in
      primary cell cultures. The proliferation of mesangial cells induced by the plasma
      of SLE patients was significantly higher than that induced by healthy controls;
      PDGF-B was involved in this process. The protein levels of PDGF-B homodimer
      correlated with the levels of urine protein in SLE patients with LN (N LN =38).
      CONCLUSIONS: The TLR9/TGF-beta1/PDGF-B pathway exists in humans and can be
      excessively activated in SLE patients. High levels of PDGF-B may result in
      overproliferation of mesangial cells in the kidney that are involved in the
      development of glomerulonephritis and LN. Further studies are necessary to
      identify TLR9, TGF-beta1, and PDGF-B as new therapeutic targets to prevent the
      development of glomerulonephritis and LN.

PMID- 28356165
TI  - Relationship between hyperglycemia, antioxidant capacity and some enzymatic and
      non-enzymatic antioxidants in African patients with type 2 diabetes.
AB  - BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Studies demonstrate that free radicals are involved in
      the pathogenesis of diabetic complications. The aim of this study was to
      determine the implication of total antioxidant capacity (TAC) and some enzymatic
      and non-enzymatic antioxidants as suitable biomarkers of diabetic complications
      risk factors. METHODS: A total of 90 patients (70 patients with or without
      diabetic complications +20 normal healthy) were examined by evaluating the level
      of lipid peroxidation, nitrogen monoxide (NO), fasting blood glucose, glycated
      haemoglobin (HbA1c), enzymatic and non-enzymatic antioxidants using standard
      spectrophotometric methods. RESULTS: The fasting blood glucose and HbA1c levels
      were respectively 2.05 and 2.32 times higher in the group of patients with
      diabetes and complications (DPWC) compared to those of healthy persons. A
      statistically higher level of malondialdehyde (MDA), NO and TAC was observed in a
      group of patients with diabetes and complications compared to those without
      complications (DPNC). A significant positive correlation was found between
      catalase (CAT) and fasting blood glucose while a significant and negative
      correlation was noted between reduced glutathione (GSH) and fasting blood
      glucose. Also was noted a significant relationship between HbA1c and other
      markers of oxidative stress. CONCLUSIONS: The results suggest that the plasma
      levels of CAT, TAC and reduced glutathione could give information on the risk of
      developing complications of diabetes, considering that the modification of these
      biomarkers levels were associated with oxidative stress.

PMID- 28356167
TI  - SGEM Hot Off the Press: Computer provider order entry (CPOE) and emergency
      department flow.

PMID- 28356170
TI  - Oenococcus oeni: Queen of the cellar, nightmare of geneticists.
AB  - Oenococcus oeni is a wine-associated lactic acid bacterium (LAB) responsible
      mostly for wine malolactic fermentation (MLF). This fastidious bacterium
      (auxotrophic for many amino acids and slow growing) possesses remarkable
      adaptability to harsh physicochemical conditions and can reprogramme its
      metabolic pathways to enhance its survival in wine. Thus, O. oeni is an
      instructive bacterial model for investigating stress response mechanisms in LAB.
      However, the lack of appropriate techniques to modify the O. oeni genome has
      hampered molecular studies of this species. The application of recent advances in
      molecular genetics promises to provide a better understanding of the regulation
      of stress responses in this species in the future.

PMID- 28356169
TI  - The KL24 gene cluster and a genomic island encoding a Wzy polymerase contribute
      genes needed for synthesis of the K24 capsular polysaccharide by the multiply
      antibiotic resistant Acinetobacter baumannii isolate RCH51.
AB  - The whole-genome sequence of the multiply antibiotic resistant Acinetobacter
      baumannii isolate RCH51 belonging to sequence type ST103 (Institut Pasteur
      scheme) revealed that the set of genes at the capsule locus, KL24, includes four
      genes predicted to direct the synthesis of 3-acetamido-3,6-dideoxy-d-galactose (d
      Fuc3NAc), and this sugar was found in the capsular polysaccharide (CPS). One of
      these genes, fdtE, encodes a novel bifunctional protein with an N-terminal FdtA
      3,4-ketoisomerase domain and a C-terminal acetyltransferase domain. KL24 lacks a
      gene encoding a Wzy polymerase to link the oligosaccharide K units to form the
      CPS found associated with isolate RCH51, and a wzy gene was found in a small
      genomic island (GI) near the cpn60 gene. This GI is in precisely the same
      location as another GI carrying wzy and atr genes recently found in several A.
      baumannii isolates, but it does not otherwise resemble it. The CPS isolated from
      RCH51, studied by sugar analysis and 1D and 2D 1H and 13C NMR spectroscopy,
      revealed that the K unit has a branched pentasaccharide structure made up of Gal,
      GalNAc and GlcNAc residues with d-Fuc3NAc as a side branch, and the K units are
      linked via a beta-d-GlcpNAc-(1->3)-beta-d-Galp linkage formed by the Wzy encoded
      by the GI. The functions of the glycosyltransferases encoded by KL24 were
      assigned to formation of specific bonds. A correspondence between the order of
      the genes in KL24 and other KL and the order of the linkages they form was noted,
      and this may be useful in future predictions of glycosyltransferase
      specificities.

PMID- 28356166
TI  - Integrative clustering reveals a novel split in the luminal A subtype of breast
      cancer with impact on outcome.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Breast cancer is a heterogeneous disease at the clinical and
      molecular level. In this study we integrate classifications extracted from five
      different molecular levels in order to identify integrated subtypes. METHODS:
      Tumor tissue from 425 patients with primary breast cancer from the Oslo2 study
      was cut and blended, and divided into fractions for DNA, RNA and protein
      isolation and metabolomics, allowing the acquisition of representative and
      comparable molecular data. Patients were stratified into groups based on their
      tumor characteristics from five different molecular levels, using various
      clustering methods. Finally, all previously identified and newly determined
      subgroups were combined in a multilevel classification using a "cluster-of
      clusters" approach with consensus clustering. RESULTS: Based on DNA copy number
      data, tumors were categorized into three groups according to the complex arm
      aberration index. mRNA expression profiles divided tumors into five molecular
      subgroups according to PAM50 subtyping, and clustering based on microRNA
      expression revealed four subgroups. Reverse-phase protein array data divided
      tumors into five subgroups. Hierarchical clustering of tumor metabolic profiles
      revealed three clusters. Combining DNA copy number and mRNA expression classified
      tumors into seven clusters based on pathway activity levels, and tumors were
      classified into ten subtypes using integrative clustering. The final consensus
      clustering that incorporated all aforementioned subtypes revealed six major
      groups. Five corresponded well with the mRNA subtypes, while a sixth group
      resulted from a split of the luminal A subtype; these tumors belonged to distinct
      microRNA clusters. Gain-of-function studies using MCF-7 cells showed that
      microRNAs differentially expressed between the luminal A clusters were important
      for cancer cell survival. These microRNAs were used to validate the split in
      luminal A tumors in four independent breast cancer cohorts. In two cohorts the
      microRNAs divided tumors into subgroups with significantly different outcomes,
      and in another a trend was observed. CONCLUSIONS: The six integrated subtypes
      identified confirm the heterogeneity of breast cancer and show that finer
      subdivisions of subtypes are evident. Increasing knowledge of the heterogeneity
      of the luminal A subtype may add pivotal information to guide therapeutic
      choices, evidently bringing us closer to improved treatment for this largest
      subgroup of breast cancer.

PMID- 28356171
TI  - A Case of "Abnormally Abnormal" Hypoxic Ventilatory Responses: A Novel NPARM PHOX
      2B Gene Mutation.
AB  - ABSTRACT: Congenital central hypoventilation syndrome (CCHS) is a rare disorder
      associated with dysregulation of the autonomic ventilatory response to hypoxia
      and hypercarbia usually caused by polyalanine repeat expansion mutations in the
      PHOX 2B gene. Non-polyalanine repeat mutations (NPARM) represent approximately
      10% of cases, and usually require continuous ventilation during sleep, although
      our knowledge of disease progression is limited. Here we present a case with a
      novel NPARM CCHS mutation associated with a premature stop codon for the PHOX 2B
      protein. Despite the type of the mutation, patient management with supplementary
      oxygen has been sufficient. Experience from our case may help when counseling
      parents.

PMID- 28356172
TI  - Severe Obstructive Sleep Apnea in a Child With Goldenhar Syndrome and Nasal
      Obstruction.
AB  - ABSTRACT: A 4-year-old boy with Goldenhar syndrome and severe obstructive sleep
      apnea does not tolerate nasal continuous positive airway pressure. Evaluation
      with imaging showed nasal obstruction with an inverted tooth. This case
      illustrates the importance of personalized evaluation and treatment plan in a
      child with Goldenhar syndrome.

PMID- 28356174
TI  - Next Steps for the Premier Clinical Journal in the Sleep Field.

PMID- 28356175
TI  - Transparency and Partnership.

PMID- 28356173
TI  - Management of Obstructive Sleep Apnea in Commercial Motor Vehicle Operators:
      Recommendations of the AASM Sleep and Transportation Safety Awareness Task Force.
AB  - ABSTRACT: The American Academy of Sleep Medicine Sleep and Transportation Safety
      Awareness Task Force responded to the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration
      and Federal Railroad Administration Advance Notice of Proposed Rulemaking and
      request for public comments regarding the evaluation of safety-sensitive
      personnel for moderate-to-severe obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). The following
      document represents this response. The most salient points provided in our
      comments are that (1) moderate-to-severe OSA is common among commercial motor
      vehicle operators (CMVOs) and contributes to an increased risk of crashes; (2)
      objective screening methods are available and preferred for identifying at-risk
      drivers, with the most commonly used indicator being body mass index; (3)
      treatment in the form of continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) is effective
      and reduces crashes; (4) CPAP is economically viable; (5) guidelines are
      available to assist medical examiners in determining whether CMVOs with moderate
      to-severe OSA should continue to work without restrictions, with conditional
      certification, or be disqualified from operating commercial motor vehicles.

PMID- 28356176
TI  - Underestimation of Sleep Apnea With Home Sleep Apnea Testing Compared to In
      Laboratory Sleep Testing.

PMID- 28356177
TI  - Automated Screening of Children With Obstructive Sleep Apnea Using Nocturnal
      Oximetry: An Alternative to Respiratory Polygraphy in Unattended Settings.
AB  - STUDY OBJECTIVES: Nocturnal oximetry has become known as a simple, readily
      available, and potentially useful diagnostic tool of childhood obstructive sleep
      apnea (OSA). However, at-home respiratory polygraphy (HRP) remains the preferred
      alternative to polysomnography (PSG) in unattended settings. The aim of this
      study was twofold: (1) to design and assess a novel methodology for pediatric OSA
      screening based on automated analysis of at-home oxyhemoglobin saturation (SpO2),
      and (2) to compare its diagnostic performance with HRP. METHODS: SpO2 recordings
      were parameterized by means of time, frequency, and conventional oximetric
      measures. Logistic regression models were optimized using genetic algorithms
      (GAs) for three cutoffs for OSA: 1, 3, and 5 events/h. The diagnostic performance
      of logistic regression models, manual obstructive apnea-hypopnea index (OAHI)
      from HRP, and the conventional oxygen desaturation index >= 3% (ODI3) were
      assessed. RESULTS: For a cutoff of 1 event/h, the optimal logistic regression
      model significantly outperformed both conventional HRP-derived ODI3 and OAHI:
      85.5% accuracy (HRP 74.6%; ODI3 65.9%) and 0.97 area under the receiver operating
      characteristics curve (AUC) (HRP 0.78; ODI3 0.75) were reached. For a cutoff of 3
      events/h, the logistic regression model achieved 83.4% accuracy (HRP 85.0%; ODI3
      74.5%) and 0.96 AUC (HRP 0.93; ODI3 0.85) whereas using a cutoff of 5 events/h,
      oximetry reached 82.8% accuracy (HRP 85.1%; ODI3 76.7) and 0.97 AUC (HRP 0.95;
      ODI3 0.84). CONCLUSIONS: Automated analysis of at-home SpO2 recordings provide
      accurate detection of children with high pretest probability of OSA. Thus,
      unsupervised nocturnal oximetry may enable a simple and effective alternative to
      HRP and PSG in unattended settings.

PMID- 28356178
TI  - Autotitrating CPAP as a Tool for CPAP Initiation for Children.
AB  - STUDY OBJECTIVES: Few studies have assessed autotitrating positive airway
      pressure (autoPAP) for treatment of obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) in children. We
      aimed to review our use of autoPAP for initiation of continuous positive airway
      pressure (CPAP) therapy in children, and compare autoPAP-derived treatment
      pressures to CPAP treatment pressure determined by attended polysomnography
      (PSG). METHODS: Retrospective review of children initiated on autoPAP from 2013
      to 2015. Mean autoPAP pressure (AutoMean pressure) and average device pressure <=
      90% of time (Auto90 pressure) were taken from downloaded data and compared to the
      recommended treatment pressure following titration PSG (PSG pressure). RESULTS:
      Fifty-two children started CPAP, of whom 26 (age +/- standard deviation 11.9 +/-
      3.4 years) used autoPAP and had titration PSG. AutoPAP was used on average 84% of
      nights (standard deviation 20%) in the first month, with a mean +/- standard
      deviation 6.3 +/- 2.0 hours of use on nights used. The median (interquartile
      range) obstructive apnea-hypopnea index decreased from 16.6 (11, 35) events/h
      before treatment to 2.2 (0.4, 3.8) events/h on the titration PSG. Median
      (interquartile range) PSG pressure was 9.0 cm H2O (7.0, 10.0), AutoMean pressure
      was 6.3 cm H2O (5.3, 7.5), and Auto90 pressure was 8.1 cm H2O (7.1, 9.5). These
      were significantly different (P < .001), with the significant difference lying
      between AutoMean and the other two pressures. PSG pressure was greater than or
      equal to the AutoMean pressure in all cases, and greater than or equal to the
      Auto90 pressure in 20 out of 26 cases (77%). CONCLUSIONS: AutoPAP is a safe and
      effective means of initiating CPAP in children. AutoMean and Auto90 pressures are
      usually below treatment pressure determined by titration PSG.

PMID- 28356179
TI  - Upper Airway Reflexes are Preserved During Dexmedetomidine Sedation in Children
      With Down Syndrome and Obstructive Sleep Apnea.
AB  - STUDY OBJECTIVES: The assessment of pharyngeal collapsibility is difficult to
      perform in children under normal sleep. An alternative is to perform the
      assessment under an anesthetic, such as dexmedetomidine (DEX), that induces non
      rapid eye movement (NREM) sleep. The objectives of this study were to compare
      critical closing airway pressure (Pcrit) obtained during natural sleep to that
      obtained under DEX in patients with Down syndrome (DS) and persistent obstructive
      sleep apnea (OSA) and determine whether Pcrit measured under sedation predicts
      the severity of OSA. METHODS: The passive and active Pcrit, which represent
      airway passive mechanical properties and active dynamic responses to airway
      obstruction, respectively, were measured. Upper airway reflex activity was
      estimated by calculating the difference between active and passive Pcrit.
      Subjects underwent overnight polysomnography during which Pcrit was measured
      during normal sleep. Pcrit was also measured during DEX sedation at a dose of 2
      MUg/kg/h. RESULTS: The study included 50 patients with median age of 11.4 years
      (interquartile range: 7.0-13.9) and median body mass index of 23.0 kg/m2
      (interquartile range: 18.4-29.1), 66% male and 80% Caucasian. Passive Pcrit was
      significantly higher than active Pcrit when measured during normal sleep and DEX
      induced sleep. There was a positive association between apnea-hypopnea index and
      passive Pcrit (Spearman r = 0.53, P = .0001) and active Pcrit (r = 0.55, P =
      .0002) under DEX-induced sleep. There were no significant differences between the
      Pcrit measurements during natural sleep and during DEX sedation. CONCLUSION:
      Patients with OSA can compensate for airway obstruction under DEX-induced sleep.
      The close association between Pcrit and apnea-hypopnea index suggests that airway
      responses with DEX sedation parallel those seen during natural sleep. CLINICAL
      TRIAL REGISTRATION: ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT01902407.

PMID- 28356180
TI  - Nocturnal Desaturation is Associated With Atrial Fibrillation in Patients With
      Ischemic Stroke and Obstructive Sleep Apnea.
AB  - STUDY OBJECTIVES: Both atrial fibrillation (AF) and obstructive sleep apnea (OSA)
      are risk factors for ischemic stroke. Previous studies suggested that OSA is
      associated with AF in individuals who have not had a stroke. For better secondary
      prevention of stroke, this study determined the association between OSA and AF
      among patients with ischemic stroke. METHODS: This cross-sectional study
      recruited consecutive patients with subacute ischemic stroke admitted for
      neurorehabilitation. The baseline and clinical data were collected, and standard
      polysomnography was performed in a sleep center. RESULTS: The 47 women and 111
      men enrolled in this study were divided into two groups according to the presence
      of AF. The AF group (n = 26) had a significantly older age (72.2 versus 60.1
      years, P = .016), significantly more disability (Barthel index: 35 versus 45, P =
      .045), and marginally higher mean oxygen desaturation (6.7% versus 5.6%, P =
      .079) compared to the non-AF group. The two groups did not significantly differ
      in sex, body mass index, prevalence of hyperthyroidism, and other parameters of
      OSA. The multivariate logistic regression analysis revealed that mean
      desaturation was significantly associated with AF after adjusting for age, neck
      circumference, Barthel index and high-density lipoprotein level (odds ratio =
      1.19 (95% confidence interval 1.05-1.35), P = .008). CONCLUSIONS: Nocturnal
      hypoxia due to OSA is an independent predictor of AF in patients with subacute
      ischemic stroke. The use of overnight pulse oximeter to assess nocturnal hypoxia
      and predict paroxysmal AF in patients with cryptogenic stroke needs further
      evaluation. COMMENTARY: A commentary on this article appears in this issue on
      page 667.

PMID- 28356181
TI  - Validation of the Nox-T3 Portable Monitor for Diagnosis of Obstructive Sleep
      Apnea in Chinese Adults.
AB  - STUDY OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the performance of a portable monitor (Nox-T3, Nox
      Medical Inc. Reykjavik, Iceland) used to diagnose obstructive sleep apnea in
      Chinese adults. METHODS: Eighty Chinese adults (mean +/- standard deviation age
      47.6 +/- 14.0 years, 77.5% males, body mass index 27.5 +/- 5.4 kg/m2) underwent
      overnight, unattended home sleep apnea testing (HSAT) with the Nox-T3 portable
      monitor followed by an overnight in-laboratory polysomnogram (PSG) with
      simultaneous portable monitor recording. The portable monitor recordings were
      scored using automated analysis and then manually edited using different criteria
      for scoring hypopneas. Polysomnography was scored based on recommended
      guidelines. RESULTS: When scoring of hypopneas required a >= 4% oxygen
      desaturation event, the mean +/- standard deviation apnea-hypopnea index (AHI)
      was 24.4 +/- 20.8 events/h on HSAT, 28.0 +/- 22.9 events/h on in-laboratory
      portable monitor recording, and 28.6 +/- 23.9 events/h on PSG (P < .0001). Bland
      Altman analysis of AHI on PSG versus HSAT showed a mean difference (95%
      confidence interval) of -4.64 (-7.15, -2.13); limits of agreement (equal to +/- 2
      standard deviations) was -26.62 to 17.35 events/h. Based on a threshold of AHI >=
      5 events/h, HSAT had 95% sensitivity, 69% specificity, 94% positive predictive
      value, and 75% negative predictive value compared to PSG. Using an AHI >= 15
      events/h, HSAT had 93% sensitivity, 85% specificity, 89% positive predictive
      value, and 91% negative predictive value. Closer agreements were present when
      comparing the simultaneous recordings. Similar results were obtained using
      different scoring criteria for hypopneas. CONCLUSIONS: Despite known differences
      between HSAT and PSG, the results show close agreement between the two diagnostic
      tests in Chinese adults, especially when controlling for night-to-night
      variability and changes in sleeping environment.

PMID- 28356183
TI  - Cryopreservation of saltwater crocodile (Crocodylus porosus) spermatozoa.
AB  - The aim of the present study was to develop a protocol for the successful
      cryopreservation of Saltwater crocodile spermatozoa. Sperm cells were frozen
      above liquid nitrogen vapour in phosphate-buffered saline (PBS) containing either
      0.3M trehalose, 0.3M raffinose or 0.3M sucrose and compared with glycerol (0.3
      2.7M). Although the highest levels of mean post-thaw motility were observed
      following cryopreservation in 0.3M trehalose (7.6%) and 0.3M sucrose (7.3%),
      plasma membrane integrity (PI) was best following cryopreservation in 2.7M
      glycerol (52.5%). A pilot study then assessed the cytotoxicity of glycerol and
      sucrose prior to cryopreservation and revealed no loss of survival when
      spermatozoa were diluted in 0.68M glycerol or 0.2-0.3M sucrose once
      cryoprotectants were washed out with PBS or Biggers, Whitten and Whittingham
      medium containing sperm capacitation agents (BWWCAP). A final study refined the
      combined use of permeating (0.68 or 1.35M glycerol) and non-permeating (0.2 or
      0.3M sucrose) cryoprotectants. Spermatozoa were cryopreserved in liquid nitrogen
      vapour at rates of approximately -21 degrees Cmin-1 (fast freeze) or -6.0 degrees
      Cmin-1 (slow freeze). Post-thaw survival was highest with a combination of 0.2M
      sucrose and 0.68M glycerol and when these cryoprotectants were washed out with
      BWWCAP, regardless of whether spermatozoa were frozen using a fast (motility
      14.2+/-4.7%; PI 20.7+/-2.0%) or slow (motility 12.0+/-2.7%; PI 22+/-4%)
      cryopreservation rate.

PMID- 28356184
TI  - Placentation in the plains zebra (Equus quagga).
AB  - The placenta and fetal gonads of 12 pregnant plains zebra (Equus quagga),
      estimated to be between 81 and 239 days of gestation, were examined. The diffuse,
      microcotyledonary zebra placenta appeared, developmentally, to be 3-4 weeks
      behind its counterpart in horse pregnancy and this, together with the presence of
      small and long-lived endometrial cups, low levels of zebra chorionic
      gonadotrophin in maternal serum and few accessory corpora lutea in the maternal
      ovaries during the first half of gestation, made zebra pregnancy more similar to
      donkey than horse pregnancy. Zebra fetal gonads enlarged after 80 days of
      gestation and their interstitial cells stained positively for 3beta
      hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase and 17,20 lyase steroid enzymes while the
      trophoblast stained for aromatase. This confirmed that zebra fetal gonads, like
      those of the horse and donkey, can synthesise C19 androgens, which can then be
      aromatised by the placenta to C18 oestrogens. It is remarkable that such unusual
      feto-placental mechanisms of production of gonadotrophic and steroid hormones has
      persisted unchanged within the genus Equus despite the many physical adaptations
      and the considerable loss of chromosomes that have occurred during the evolution
      of its member species.

PMID- 28356182
TI  - The Efficacy of Low-Level Continuous Positive Airway Pressure for the Treatment
      of Snoring.
AB  - STUDY OBJECTIVES: To assess effects of low-level continuous positive airway
      pressure (CPAP) on snoring in habitual snorers without obstructive sleep apnea
      (OSA). METHODS: A multicenter prospective in-laboratory reversal crossover
      intervention trial was conducted between September 2013 and August 2014. Habitual
      snorers were included if they snored (inspiratory sound pressure level >= 40 dBA)
      for >= 30% all sleep breaths on a baseline sleep study (Night 1), and if
      significant OSA and daytime somnolence were absent. Included participants then
      underwent a CPAP titration study at 2, 4, or 6 cm H2O (Night 2) to examine
      snoring responses to step-increases in nasal pressure, a treatment night at
      optimal pressure (Night 3), followed by baseline night (Night 4). At each
      pressure, snoring intensity was measured on each breath. Snoring frequency was
      quantified as a percentage of sleep breaths at thresholds of 40, 45, 50, and 55
      dBA. Sleep architecture and OSA severity were characterized using standard
      measurements. RESULTS: On baseline sleep studies, participants demonstrated
      snoring at >= 40 dBA on 53 +/- 3% and >= 45 dBA on 35 +/- 4% of breaths. Snoring
      frequency decreased progressively as nasal pressure increased from 0 to 4 cm H2O
      at each threshold, and plateaued thereafter. CPAP decreased snoring frequency by
      67% and 85% at 40 and 45 dBA, respectively. Intervention did not alter sleep
      architecture and sleep apnea decreased minimally. CONCLUSIONS: Low-level CPAP
      below the range required to treat OSA diminished nocturnal snoring, and produced
      uniform reduction in nightly noise production below the World Health
      Organization's limit of 45 dBA. CLINICAL TRIAL REGISTRATION: ClinicalTrials.gov,
      identifier: NCT01949584.

PMID- 28356186
TI  - Welcome Message.

PMID- 28356185
TI  - Steroid hormones interact with natriuretic peptide C to delay nuclear maturation,
      to maintain oocyte-cumulus communication and to improve the quality of in vitro
      produced embryos in cattle.
AB  - In vivo, oocyte maturation is triggered by the ovulatory LH surge, whereas in
      vitro it is precociously induced when the cumulus-oocyte complex is removed from
      the follicle. Natriuretic peptide C (NPPC) delays germinal vesicle breakdown
      (GVBD) while increasing oocyte-cumulus communication during in vitro maturation
      (IVM) in cattle. In the present study we first tested the hypothesis that
      steroids secreted by the follicle (17beta-oestradiol, progesterone and
      androstenedione) interact with NPPC to delay GVBD and to maintain oocyte-cumulus
      communication as assessed by transfer of a dye (Lucifer Yellow) from the oocyte
      to cumulus cells. Then, we assessed the effects of steroid hormones and NPPC,
      alone and in combination in a pre-IVM culture, on embryo production. The
      combination of NPPC with steroids delayed GVDB, increased natriuretic peptide
      receptor 2 (NPR2) mRNA abundance in cumulus cells during culture, and maintained
      oocyte-cumulus communication at levels not different from non-cultured controls.
      The addition of steroids and/or NPPC to a pre-IVM culture did not alter
      blastocyst rates after IVF, but supplementation with steroids increased
      blastocyst total cell number. The present study provides evidence, for the first
      time in cattle, that steroids interact with NPPC to regulate oocyte nuclear
      maturation and oocyte-cumulus communication, and improve oocyte developmental
      competence.

PMID- 28356187
TI  - Vulvar carcinoma in Norway: A 50-year perspective on trends in incidence,
      treatment and survival.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: To explore trends in vulvar squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) incidence,
      age and stage at diagnosis, treatment and survival in Norway from 1961 to 2010.
      METHODS: From 1961 to 2010, 2233 cases of vulvar SCC were extracted from the
      Cancer Registry of Norway. Data on age at diagnosis, tumor morphology, stage of
      the disease and treatment were analyzed. Age-standardized incidence rates,
      adjusted to the Norwegian standard population, were computed. Relative survival
      was calculated as a ratio of the observed survival in the study population over
      the expected survival in the background population. Multivariate Cox model was
      fitted to estimate hazard ratios. RESULTS: The overall incidence of vulvar SCC
      increased >2.5 fold (from 1.70 to 4.66 per 100,000 women/year; P<0.01). Age
      specific incidence rates increased among women aged <=60years (by 150% in age
      group 0-39years, 175% in age group 40-49years and 68% in age group 50-59years).
      From 1971 to 2010, the percentage of patients receiving surgery as only treatment
      decreased from 81% to 61%, whereas the use of radiation and combination therapy
      (surgery and radiation) increased from 3% to 11% and 6% to 20%, respectively. 5
      year relative survival increased significantly among women <=80years (from 72% to
      83% among women aged <=60years and from 60% to 65% among women aged 61-80years).
      CONCLUSIONS: The incidence of vulvar SCC has increased since the sixties,
      particularly among women younger than 60years. Despite less aggressive surgical
      treatment, survival has improved.

PMID- 28356188
TI  - An index of the ratio of inflammatory to antiviral cell types mediates the
      effects of social adversity and age on chronic illness.
AB  - BACKGROUND: It is assumed that both social stress and chronological age increase
      the risk of chronic illness, in part, through their effect on systemic
      inflammation. Unfortunately, observational studies usually employ single-marker
      measures of inflammation (e.g., Interleukin-6, C-reactive protein) that preclude
      strong tests for mediational effects. OBJECTIVE: The present study investigated
      the extent to which the effects of socioeconomic disadvantage and age on onset of
      chronic illness is mediated by dominance of the innate (inflammatory) over the
      acquired (antiviral) components of the immune system. METHODS: We assessed
      inflammation using the ratio of inflammatory to antiviral cell types (ITACT
      Ratio). This approach provided a stronger test of evolutionary arguments
      regarding the effect of social stress on chronic inflammation than is the case
      with cytokine measures, and afforded an opportunity to replicate findings
      obtained utilizing mRNA. We used structural equation modeling and longitudinal
      data from a sample of 100 middle-age African American women to perform our
      analyses. RESULTS: Dominance of inflammatory over antiviral cell activity was
      associated with each of the eight illnesses included in our chronic illness
      measure. Both socioeconomic disadvantage and age were also associated with
      inflammatory dominance. Pursuant to the central focus of the study, the effects
      of socioeconomic adversity and age on increased illness were mediated by our
      measure of inflammatory dominance. The indirect effect of these variables through
      inflammatory cell profile was significant, with neither socioeconomic
      disadvantage nor age showing a significant association with illness once the
      impact of inflammatory cell profile was taken into account. CONCLUSIONS: First,
      the analysis provides preliminary validation of a new measure of inflammation
      that is calculated based on the ratio of inflammatory to antiviral white blood
      cells. Second, our results support the hypothesis that socioeconomic disadvantage
      and chronological age increase risk for chronic illness in part through their
      effect on inflammatory processes.

PMID- 28356189
TI  - Longevity of fiber-reinforced composite fixed partial dentures (FRC FPD)
      Systematic review.
AB  - OBJECTIVES: to assess FRC FPDs longevity through systematically reviewing
      contemporary clinical evidence. Population investigated comprised patients
      requiring replacement of a single missing anterior/posterior tooth. Intervention
      was FRC FPDs. No control/comparison selected. Outcome was longevity of FRC FPDs.
      The focus question was: 'What is the longevity of FRC FPDs used to replace one
      anterior or posterior tooth in patients?' DATA: Randomised, non-randomised,
      controlled, prospective and retrospective clinical studies were included. The
      Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses were applied.
      The Overall Strength of Clinical Recommendation (OSCR) was assessed using the
      Strength of Recommendation Taxonomy system. Survival of FPDs was assessed using
      the Kaplan-Meier method. Analysis of FPD-survival according to location and
      occurrence of different failures was performed using Logrank and Chi-square
      testing. SOURCES: PubMed, MEDLINE, and Web of Science databases were searched
      between January 2007 and December 2015. STUDY SELECTION: Nine studies were
      included, involving placement of 592 FRC FPDs in 463 patients. Follow-up periods
      ranged between 2 months and 8 years. Kaplan-Meier overall survival probability
      was 94.5% (95%C.I: 92.5%-96.5%) at 4.8 years. There was no significant difference
      in survival probability of anterior versus posterior FRC FPDs (P=0.278).
      Veneering material fracture/delamination occurred significantly more than other
      types of failures (Ps<0.05). A meta-analysis could not be performed. OSCR was
      moderate. CONCLUSIONS: FRC FPDs demonstrated high overall survival with
      predictable performance outcomes. However, long-term performance remains unclear.
      CLINICAL SIGNIFICANCE: FRC FPDs are viable medium-term management alternatives
      for replacing single anterior or posterior teeth in patients.

PMID- 28356190
TI  - Plug-plug kinetic capillary electrophoresis for in-capillary exoglycosidase
      digestion as a profiling tool for the analysis of glycoprotein glycans.
AB  - An online exoglycosidase digestion was combined with a plug-plug kinetic mode of
      capillary electrophoresis (CE) for the analysis of glycoprotein-derived
      oligosaccharides. An exoglycosidase solution and a solution of glycoprotein
      glycans derivatized with 8-aminopyrene-1,3,6-trisulfonic acid (APTS) were
      introduced to a neutrally coated capillary previously filled with electrophoresis
      buffer solution containing 0.5w/v% hydroxypropylcellulose. After immersion of
      both ends of the capillary in the buffer solutions, a negative voltage was
      applied for analysis. An APTS group of an oligosaccharide derivative has triply
      negative charges, which forced saccharide derivatives to anode with fast mobility
      and pass through the enzyme plug, which are detected at the anodic end. If the
      terminal monosaccharides of APTS-labeled oligosaccharides are released by the
      action of an exoglycosidase, the migration times of the oligosaccharides shift to
      those of digested oligosaccharides. We examined beta-galactosidase, alpha
      mannosidase, beta-N-acetylhexosaminidase, alpha-neuraminidase, and alpha
      fucosidase, and found only beta-galactosidase and alpha-neuraminidase showed good
      reactivity toward APTS-labeled oligosaccharides; the reaction was completed by
      injecting a 3.6cm long plug of 200 and 50mU/mL concentration of exoglycosidases.
      In contrast, other exoglycosidases could not react with APTS labeled
      oligosaccharides at a concentration up to 5U/mL. The beta-N-acetylhexosaminidase
      reaction was successively followed by the electrophoretic mobility of APTS
      oligosaccharides and stopped for 10min when saccharide derivatives were achieved
      in the enzyme plug. The reaction of alpha-fucosidase and alpha-mannosidase was
      completed by decreasing the electrophoretic voltage to -2kV when the APTS
      oligosaccharides were passing through an exoglycosidase plug. We established the
      CE conditions for all of the glycosidic linkage analysis of glycoprotein glycans.

PMID- 28356191
TI  - Performance of permethyl pillar[5]arene stationary phase for high-resolution gas
      chromatography.
AB  - This work presents the investigation of permethyl pillar[5]arene (MP5) as
      stationary phase for capillary gas chromatographic (GC) separations. The MP5
      capillary column fabricated by the sol-gel coating method exhibited weak polarity
      and high column efficiency over 4200 plates/m for n-dodecane, n-octanol and
      naphthalene. Particularly, the MP5 stationary phase displays unique retention for
      dibromoalkanes, which was found to be closely related with the linker length, and
      shows high resolving capability for a wide range of positional and structural
      isomers, including alkylbenzenes, chlorobenzenes and chloronitrobenzenes,
      naphthalene derivatives, phenols and anilines. Moreover, the MP5 column showed
      good thermal stability and repeatability and reproducibility with the relative
      standard deviation in the range of 0.02-0.04% for intra-day, 0.32-0.46% for inter
      day and 1.5-3.4% for between-column, respectively. This work demonstrates an
      promising future of pillar[n]arenes as a new type of stationary phase in
      chromatographic separations.

PMID- 28356192
TI  - Empirically based assessment and taxonomy of psychopathology for ages 11/2-90+
      years: Developmental, multi-informant, and multicultural findings.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Originating in the 1960s, the Achenbach System of Empirically Based
      Assessment (ASEBA) comprises a family of instruments for assessing problems and
      strengths for ages 11/2-90+ years. PURPOSE: To provide an overview of the ASEBA,
      related research, and future directions for empirically based assessment and
      taxonomy. CONTENT: Standardized, multi-informant ratings of transdiagnostic
      dimensions of behavioral, emotional, social, and thought problems are
      hierarchically scored on narrow-spectrum syndrome scales, broad-spectrum
      internalizing and externalizing scales, and a total problems (general
      psychopathology) scale. DSM-oriented and strengths scales are also scored. The
      instruments and scales have been iteratively developed from assessments of
      clinical and population samples of hundreds of thousands of individuals. Items,
      instruments, scales, and norms are tailored to different kinds of informants for
      ages 11/2-5, 6-18, 18-59, and 60-90+ years. To take account of differences
      between informants' ratings, parallel instruments are completed by parents,
      teachers, youths, adult probands, and adult collaterals. Syndromes and
      Internalizing/Externalizing scales derived from factor analyses of each
      instrument capture variations in patterns of problems that reflect different
      informants' perspectives. Confirmatory factor analyses have supported the
      syndrome structures in dozens of societies. Software displays scale scores in
      relation to user-selected multicultural norms for the age and gender of the
      person being assessed, according to ratings by each type of informant.
      Multicultural norms are derived from population samples in 57 societies on every
      inhabited continent. Ongoing and future research includes multicultural
      assessment of elders; advancing transdiagnostic progress and outcomes assessment;
      and testing higher order structures of psychopathology.

PMID- 28356193
TI  - Cell Calcium special issue: Preface.

PMID- 28356194
TI  - Assessment of TRPM7 functions by drug-like small molecules.
AB  - Transient receptor potential cation channel subfamily M member 7 (TRPM7) is a
      plasma membrane ion channel linked to a cytosolic protein kinase domain. Genetic
      inactivation of this bi-functional protein revealed its crucial role in Ca2+
      signalling, Mg2+ metabolism, immune responses, cell motility, proliferation and
      differentiation. Malfunctions of TRPM7 are associated with anoxic neuronal death,
      cardiac fibrosis, tumour progression and macrothrombocytopenia. Recently, several
      groups have identified small organic compounds acting as inhibitors or activators
      of the TRPM7 channel. In follow-up studies, the identified TRPM7 modulators were
      successfully used to uncover new cellular functions of TRPM7 in situ including a
      crucial role of TRPM7 in Ca2+ signaling and Ca2+ dependent cellular processes.
      Hence, TRPM7 has been defined as a promising drug target. Here, we summarize the
      progress in this quickly developing field.

PMID- 28356195
TI  - Age-related changes and distribution of T cell markers (CD3 and CD4) and toll
      like receptors(TLR2, TLR3,TLR4 and TLR7) in the duck lymphoid organs.
AB  - T lymphocytes and Toll-like receptors have been confirmed to have correlation
      with the ability to resistance to pathogenic challenges and play an important
      role in duck immune system. However, the information of ontogeny of T lymphocytes
      and Toll-like receptors is scarcely in duck. Therefore, to address these
      questions, we report the development and distribution of CD3 and CD4 by
      immunocytochemistry and the age-related mRNA level of duck T cell markers (CD3
      and CD4) and Toll-like receptors (TLR2, TLR3, TLR4 and TLR7) by real time
      quantitative PCR in duck lymphoid organs (thymus, bursa of Fabricius and spleen).
      Results indicated that CD3 and CD4 positive cells can be observed in all test
      organs and partly change in an age-related way. CD4 positive T cell of duck
      spleen mainly distributed in periarterial lymphatic sheaths and red pulp, not in
      white pulp. Both of CD3 and CD4 were experienced significant increased wave twice
      in duck lymphoid organs and T cell dependent cellular immunity of duck may well
      established until 5 weeks old. The mRNA expression levels of duck TLRs were age
      and organ dependent, and duck TLR3 and TLR7 were significantly lower abundance in
      the spleen but higher in thymus and bursa of Fabricius, respectively. This study
      provide the essential knowledge of the ontogeny of T cells and Toll-like
      receptors in duck, which may shed lights on the T-cell mediate immunity and
      innate immunity in duck.

PMID- 28356196
TI  - Facile preparation of fibrin coated open tubular column for characterization of
      monoclonal antibody variants by capillary electrochromatography.
AB  - Monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) are one of the most promising classes of therapeutic
      protein biopharmaceuticals. However, the complexity of mAbs poses a daunting
      analytical challenge for heterogeneity characterization of mAbs. In this study,
      inspired by blood coagulation, we adopted a fibrin coating as a novel stationary
      phase in open tubular (OT) column for the separation of the mAbs variants by
      capillary electrochromatography. The fibrin coating was prepared by in situ
      polymerization of fibrin in the presence of thrombin as a catalyst inside a fused
      silica capillary. Scanning electron microscopy and electroosmotic flow
      measurement were carried out to characterize the fibrin coated OT columns. The
      average thickness of the fibrin coating was about 1.13MUm. And the EOF of the
      column was pH-dependent. The electrochromatographic performance of the prepared
      columns was evaluated by characterization of the variants of three mAbs
      (cetuximab, trastuzumab and rituximab). The columns demonstrated good
      repeatability with the run-to-run, day-to-day and column-to-column relative
      standard deviations of migration times less than 2.42%. The study highlighted the
      potential of adsorbed proteins as stationary phases for the separation of mAbs
      variants. Furthermore, the study provided a new platform for characterization of
      heterogeneity of mAbs in pharmaceutical industry.

PMID- 28356197
TI  - Risk factors for depression following traumatic injury: An epidemiological study
      from a scandinavian trauma center.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: A significant proportion of patients suffer depression following
      traumatic injuries. Once manifested, major depression is challenging to overcome
      and its presence risks impairing the potential for physical rehabilitation and
      functional recovery. Risk stratification for early detection and intervention in
      these instances is important. This study aims to investigate patient and injury
      characteristics associated with an increased risk for depression. METHODS: All
      patients with traumatic injuries were recruited from the trauma registry of an
      urban university hospital between 2007 and 2012. Patient and injury
      characteristics as well as outcomes were collected for analysis. Patients under
      the age of eighteen, prescribed antidepressants within one year of admission, in
      hospital deaths and deaths within 30days of trauma were excluded. Pre- and post
      admission antidepressant data was requested from the national drugs registry.
      Post-traumatic depression was defined as the prescription of antidepressants
      within one year of trauma. To isolate independent risk factors for depression a
      multivariable forward stepwise logistic regression model was deployed. RESULTS: A
      total of 5981 patients met the inclusion criteria of whom 9.2% (n=551) developed
      post-traumatic depression. The mean age of the cohort was 42 [standard deviation
      (SD) 18] years and 27.1% (n=1620) were females. The mean injury severity score
      was 9 (SD 9) with 18.4% (n=1100) of the patients assigned a score of at least 16.
      Six variables were identified as independent predictors for post-traumatic
      depression. Factors relating to the patient were female gender and age. Injury
      specific variables were penetrating trauma and GCS score of<=8 on admission.
      Furthermore, intensive care admission and increasing hospital length of stay were
      predictors of depression. CONCLUSION: Several risk factors associated with the
      development of post-traumatic depression were identified. A better targeted in
      hospital screening and patient-centered follow up can be offered taking these
      risk factors into consideration.

PMID- 28356198
TI  - Prevalence of Unanticipated Events Associated With MRI Examinations: A Benchmark
      for MRI Quality, Safety, and Patient Experience.
AB  - PURPOSE: To determine the prevalence of unanticipated events (UE) associated with
      MRI examinations in a multicenter academic radiology department. METHODS: UE
      reported by MRI technologists for examinations performed between June 2013 and
      November 2014 on 17 scanners in a university- and community-affiliated single
      health system were retrospectively reviewed. Events were categorized into the
      following categories: (1) problems with orders and scheduling; (2) scan delays;
      (3) unanticipated foreign bodies; (4) non-contrast-related patient events (eg,
      patient motion, discomfort, claustrophobia, need for sedation); (5) contrast
      related patient events; and (6) technical acquisition issues. Logistic regression
      analysis of UE was performed after adjusting based on scanner site (university-
      vs community-affiliated hospital), hospital setting (outpatient [OP] vs mixed
      outpatient and inpatient [OP/IP]), and timing of the scan (business days vs
      weekends/holidays). RESULTS: A total of 34,587 MRI examinations were assessed
      (87% university-affiliated; 58% OP) with 5775 (16.7%) UE (1.9% of patients had
      more than one category event). Rates of UE for each category were as follows:
      1.9% orders and scheduling, 3.3% delays in scan, 0.5% foreign bodies, 10.4% non
      contrast-related patient events, 1.3% contrast-related patient events, and 1.5%
      technical issues. After adjustment for location of scanner, clinical setting, and
      timing of the scan, the rate of overall UE was significantly higher in university
      affiliated sites (coefficient, 0.09 [95% confidence interval (CI), 0.07-0.10]; P
      < .001), in scans performed in the mixed OP/IP setting (coefficient, 0.09 [95%
      CI, 0.08-0.09]; P < .001), and in scans performed during weekends/holidays
      (coefficient, 0.02 [95% CI, 0.01-0.04]; P < .001). CONCLUSIONS: UE associated
      with MRI examinations are common (16.7%), with the majority being patient-related
      issues unrelated to contrast administration.

PMID- 28356199
TI  - R-SCAN: Appropriate Imaging for Low-Risk Prostate Cancer.

PMID- 28356200
TI  - Both qSOFA score and bedside plasma lactate are the predictors of mortality for
      patients with infections in ED.

PMID- 28356201
TI  - The risk of level IB nodal involvement in oropharynx cancer: Guidance for
      submandibular gland sparing irradiation.
AB  - PURPOSE: Xerostomia remains a common side effect of head and neck irradiation.
      Conflicting data exist regarding the likelihood of level IB involvement for
      patients with oropharyngeal squamous cell cancer (OPSCC), and data are limited on
      this risk in patients with human papillomavirus-positive disease. This study
      examined surgically treated OPSCC to determine the risk of pathologic level IB
      nodal involvement and to identify a cohort of patients in whom ipsilateral level
      IB radiation therapy may be safely omitted. METHODS AND MATERIALS: A total of 102
      submandibular nodal dissections were identified (92 ipsilateral and 10
      contralateral) in 92 patients from 2010 to 2016 in those undergoing primary
      surgical treatment and dissection of ipsilateral level IB lymph nodes.
      Radiographically positive cases were excluded. Retrospective chart review was
      used for data collection, and the rate of pathologic level IB involvement was
      determined. RESULTS: The ipsilateral level IB nodal station had negative imaging
      and pathologically positive nodes at rates of 4.3% in OPSCC and 5.3% in human
      papillomavirus-positive OPSCC. Positive node burden in the ipsilateral neck at
      stations other than IB appeared to correlate with the risk of pathologic positive
      IB (pIB+) nodes: 50% of pathologically IB-negative patients had 2 or more
      positive nodes versus 75% of pIB+ patients who had 4 or more positive nodes.
      CONCLUSIONS: Our data indicate a low risk of pathologic level IB involvement in
      early-stage OPSCC. High positive node burden in stations near level IB may be
      associated with a higher chance of pathologic level IB involvement.

PMID- 28356202
TI  - Role of tissue expansion in abdominal wall reconstruction: A systematic evidence
      based review.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Tissue expanders (TEs) can be used to assist primary closure of
      complicated hernias and large abdominal wall defects. However, there is no
      consensus regarding the optimal technique, use, or associated risk of TE in
      abdominal wall reconstruction. METHODS: A systematic search of PubMed and Embase
      databases was conducted to identify articles reporting abdominal wall
      reconstruction with TE techniques. English articles published between 1980 and
      2016 were included on the basis of the following inclusion criteria: two-stage TE
      surgical technique, >3 cases, reporting of postoperative complications, hernia
      recurrence, and patient-based clinical data. RESULTS: Fourteen studies containing
      103 patients (85 adults and 18 children) were identified for analysis. Most
      patients presented with a skin-grafted ventral hernia (n = 86). The etiology of
      the hernia was from trauma or prior abdominal surgery. The remaining patients had
      TE placed before organ transplantation (n = 12) or for congenital abdominal wall
      defects (n = 5). The location for expander placement was subcutaneous (n = 74),
      between the internal and external obliques (n = 26), posterior to the rectus
      sheath (n = 2), and intra-peritoneal (n = 1). Postoperative infections and
      implant-related problems were the most commonly reported complications after
      Stage I. The most common complication after Stage II was recurrent hernia, which
      was observed in 12 patients (11.7%). Five patients with TE died. Complications
      and mortality were more prevalent in children, immunosuppressed patients, and
      those with chronic illnesses. CONCLUSIONS: Tissue expansion for abdominal wall
      reconstruction can be successfully used for a variety of carefully selected
      patients with an acceptable complication and risk profile.

PMID- 28356204
TI  - What Is the Utility of Thrombolytic Therapy for Acute Deep Venous Thrombosis?

PMID- 28356203
TI  - Variation in Patients' Travel Times among Imaging Examination Types at a Large
      Academic Health System.
AB  - RATIONALE AND OBJECTIVES: Patients' willingness to travel farther distances for
      certain imaging services may reflect their perceptions of the degree of
      differentiation of such services. We compare patients' travel times for a range
      of imaging examinations performed across a large academic health system.
      MATERIALS AND METHODS: We searched the NYU Langone Medical Center Enterprise Data
      Warehouse to identify 442,990 adult outpatient imaging examinations performed
      over a recent 3.5-year period. Geocoding software was used to estimate typical
      driving times from patients' residences to imaging facilities. Variation in
      travel times was assessed among examination types. RESULTS: The mean expected
      travel time was 29.2 +/- 20.6 minutes, but this varied significantly (p < 0.001)
      among examination types. By modality, travel times were shortest for ultrasound
      (26.8 +/- 18.9) and longest for positron emission tomography-computed tomography
      (31.9 +/- 21.5). For magnetic resonance imaging, travel times were shortest for
      musculoskeletal extremity (26.4 +/- 19.2) and spine (28.6 +/- 21.0) examinations
      and longest for prostate (35.9 +/- 25.6) and breast (32.4 +/- 22.3) examinations.
      For computed tomography, travel times were shortest for a range of screening
      examinations [colonography (25.5 +/- 20.8), coronary artery calcium scoring (26.1
      +/- 19.2), and lung cancer screening (26.4 +/- 14.9)] and longest for angiography
      (32.0 +/- 22.6). For ultrasound, travel times were shortest for aortic aneurysm
      screening (22.3 +/- 18.4) and longest for breast (30.1 +/- 19.2) examinations.
      Overall, men (29.9 +/- 21.6) had longer (p < 0.001) travel times than women (27.8
      +/- 20.3); this difference persisted for each modality individually (p <= 0.006).
      CONCLUSIONS: Patients' willingness to travel longer times for certain imaging
      examination types (particularly breast and prostate imaging) supports the role of
      specialized services in combating potential commoditization of imaging services.
      Disparities in travel times by gender warrant further investigation.

PMID- 28356205
TI  - Hospital Emergency Care as a Public Good and Community Health Benefit.

PMID- 28356206
TI  - Lung-Protective Ventilation in the Emergency Department.

PMID- 28356207
TI  - The US Emergency Care Coordination Center.

PMID- 28356208
TI  - Paraclinical findings in Iranian veterans exposed to sulfur mustard gas: A
      literature review.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: Sulfur mustard (SM) causes various systemic disturbances in human
      beings. This study aimed to assess paraclinical changes caused by exposure to SM
      gas in Iranian veterans during the war between Iraq and Iran. METHODS: A
      literature review was carried out in international and national medical databases
      including ISI, Medline, Scopus, Iranmedex and Irandoc. Both Farsi and English
      literature were searched. RESULTS: Search of the literature yielded 422 medical
      articles related to SM poisoning. Among them, 30 relevant articles were
      thoroughly reviewed. The most important reported complications were leukopenia,
      neutropenia, lymphopenia, eosinophilia, thrombocytopenia, increased bleeding
      time, positive C-reactive protein (CRP), rheumatoid factor (RF), antinuclear
      antibody (ANA), decreased T helper cells, natural killer cells, IL6, and IL8
      levels, elevation of serum immunoglobulins, decreased levels of T3, T4 and
      cortisol, increased level of adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH), proteinuria,
      hematuria, and elevated liver enzymes. Also, there were some changes in chest
      assessments. CONCLUSIONS: SM causes profound systemic complications in victims,
      even years after exposure. The paraclinical changes can be observed in
      hematology, immune system, biochemistry, hormonal profile and some imaging
      studies.

PMID- 28356209
TI  - Nutcracker Syndrome: An Update on Current Diagnostic Criteria and Management
      Guidelines.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Nutcracker syndrome (NCS) describes left renal vein compression
      between the superior mesenteric artery and the aorta. Although uncommon, it is an
      important diagnosis due to the important morbidity associated with it, including
      the risk of chronic kidney disease from long-term left renal vein (LRV)
      hypertension and the risk of LRV thrombosis. METHODS: This article reviews the
      literature on NCS, particularly with respect to the diagnostic accuracy of
      different imaging modalities and the success rates, complications, and long-term
      follow-up data associated with various surgical interventions. RESULTS AND
      DISCUSSION: The diagnosis of this condition is based on a stepwise work-up with
      history and clinical examination, followed by Doppler ultrasonography, computed
      tomography, magnetic resonance imaging, intravascular ultrasound (IVUS) and
      phlebography with measurement of the renocaval pressure gradient. Management is
      determined by symptom severity; often symptom resolution occurs following a
      conservative approach. However, in some cases, surgical management is required,
      particularly when conservative management is unsuccessful. When it comes to the
      surgical management of NCS three main pathways exist: open surgery, laparoscopic
      surgery and endovascular approaches, with the latter 2 becoming increasingly
      popular due to their minimal invasiveness. Additionally, cases involving the use
      of robotic surgery in the management of NCS have been reported. CONCLUSION:
      Despite the rarity of NCS, its recognition and management are important. This
      article has explored the evidence basis for conservative, medical and surgical
      options.

PMID- 28356210
TI  - Outcome After Ruptured AAA Repair in Octo- and Nonagenarians in Sweden 1994-2014.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: To report the outcome after ruptured abdominal aortic aneurysm (rAAA)
      repair in octo- and nonagenarians from the Swedish Vascular Registry 1994-2014.
      MATERIAL AND METHODS: 2335 intact AAA (iAAA) and 1538 rAAA were identified in
      patients aged 80 years and older. Crude, long-term, and relative survival data
      were analysed using the Kaplan-Meier method. Crude survival was calculated
      including all deaths. Long-term survival was analysed excluding AAA repair
      related mortality, defined as death within 90 days of surgery. Relative survival
      was assessed by comparing the observed long-term survival after AAA repair with
      the expected survival of a Swedish population adjusted for age, gender, and
      operation year. Differences were compared using log-rank tests. The multivariate
      Cox model was used for adjusting for confounding factors between open repair (OR)
      and endovascular aneurysm repair (EVAR). RESULTS: Crude survival after rAAA
      repair was 30 days (55%), 90 days (50%), 1 year (45%), 5 years (26%), and 10
      years (9%). Long-term survival was 1 year (90%), 5 years (53%), and 10 years
      (18%). When individuals with rAAA were categorized into males and females, crude
      and long-term survival showed no significant differences (p = .204 and p = .134).
      When rAAA patients were categorized into age groups (80-84 years, 85-89 years,
      90+) crude survival diminished with increasing age, but long-term survival was
      not (p = .009 and p = .368). Compared with the general population, rAAA patients
      showed only a minor decrease in relative survival. Crude survival after rAAA was
      better for EVAR compared with OR (p = .007), hazard ratio 1.3 (95% CI 1.1-1.6, p
      < .012). CONCLUSIONS: There is a high (50%) peri-operative mortality after
      surgery for rAAA in octo- and nonagenarians, with no significant differences
      between the sexes and worse survival with increasing age. However, if a patient
      has survived the initial 90 days, long-term survival in this very old cohort is
      surprisingly good at more than 50% after 5 years, only slightly less than the
      general population.

PMID- 28356212
TI  - The use of think-aloud protocols to identify a decision-making process of
      community pharmacists aimed at improving CMS Star Ratings scores.
AB  - BACKGROUND: The Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) created the Star
      Rating system based on multiple measures that indicate the overall quality of
      health plans. Community pharmacists can impact certain Star Ratings measure
      scores through medication adherence and patient safety interventions. OBJECTIVE:
      To explore methods, needs, and workflow issues of community pharmacists to
      improve CMS Star Ratings measures. METHODS: Think-aloud protocols (TAPs) were
      conducted with active community retail pharmacists in Oklahoma. Each TAP was
      audio recorded and transcribed to documents for analysis. Analysts agreed on
      common themes, illuminated differences in findings, and saturation of the data
      gathered. Methods, needs, and workflow themes of community pharmacists associated
      with improving Star Ratings measures were compiled and organized to exhibit a
      decision-making process. Five TAPs were performed among three independent
      pharmacy owners, one multi-store owner, and one chain-store administrator.
      RESULTS: A thematically common 4-step process to monitor and improve CMS Star
      Ratings scores among participants was identified. To improve Star Ratings
      measures, pharmacists: 1) used technology to access scores, 2) analyzed data to
      strategically set goals, 3) assessed individual patient information for
      comprehensive assessment, and 4) decided on interventions to best impact Star
      Ratings scores. Participants also shared common needs, workflow issues, and
      benefits associated with methods used in improving Star Ratings. CONCLUSION: TAPs
      were useful in exploring processes of pharmacists who improve CMS Star Ratings
      scores. Pharmacists demonstrated and verbalized their methods, workflow issues,
      needs, and benefits related to performing the task. The themes and decision
      making process identified to improving CMS Star Ratings scores will assist in the
      development of training and education programs for pharmacists in the community
      setting.

PMID- 28356213
TI  - Organizational readiness for change: Preceptor perceptions regarding early
      immersion of student pharmacists in health-system practice.
AB  - PURPOSE: To examine preceptors' perceptions regarding readiness for change pre-
      and post-implementation of a pilot early immersion program engaging student
      pharmacists in direct patient care. METHODS: Student pharmacists enrolled in the
      second professional year of a Doctor of Pharmacy degree program completed a four
      week health-system introductory pharmacy practice experience (IPPE) which was
      modified to include direct patient care roles in operational (drug preparation
      and dispensing) and clinical (comprehensive medication management) pharmacy
      environments. Pharmacy preceptors with direct oversight for program
      implementation completed a pre/post Organizational Readiness for Implementing
      Change (ORIC) survey and a 50-min interview or focus group post-experience. The
      ORIC survey evaluates two dimensions of organizational readiness for change -
      change commitment and change efficacy. Additional items assessed included
      implementation needs, support, and perceived value of the change. ORIC survey
      constructs were compared before and after the experience. Interviews and focus
      groups were audio recorded, transcribed, and evaluated by constant comparative
      analysis. A mixed methods approach was used to triangulate findings and develop
      greater understanding of the ORIC survey results. RESULTS: Twenty pharmacy
      preceptors (37 +/- 8 years of age, 60% female, 65% clinical pharmacist position,
      70% prior preceptor experience) participated in the study. There were no
      significant changes in pre/post survey constructs, except for a decline in the
      perception of organizational change commitment (p < 0.001). Sub-analyses
      indicated the decline was associated with items assessing individual dedication
      and individual commitment to the change (p < 0.05 for both). Primary emerging
      themes from interviews included concerns about implementation requirements,
      contextual factors of the experience that affected implementation, and varying
      perceptions about the value of early immersion across preceptor roles.
      CONCLUSION: As pharmacy curricula immerse student pharmacists in practice earlier
      in their education, pharmacy departments can utilize the ORIC survey to identify
      preceptors' commitment and concerns to support the necessary changes for student
      pharmacist engagement.

PMID- 28356211
TI  - PKD2-Related Autosomal Dominant Polycystic Kidney Disease: Prevalence, Clinical
      Presentation, Mutation Spectrum, and Prognosis.
AB  - BACKGROUND: PKD2-related autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease (ADPKD) is
      widely acknowledged to be of milder severity than PKD1-related disease, but
      population-based studies depicting the exact burden of the disease are lacking.
      We aimed to revisit PKD2 prevalence, clinical presentation, mutation spectrum,
      and prognosis through the Genkyst cohort. STUDY DESIGN: Case series, January 2010
      to March 2016. SETTINGS & PARTICIPANTS: Genkyst study participants are
      individuals older than 18 years from 22 nephrology centers from western France
      with a diagnosis of ADPKD based on Pei criteria or at least 10 bilateral kidney
      cysts in the absence of a familial history. Publicly available whole-exome
      sequencing data from the ExAC database were used to provide an estimate of the
      genetic prevalence of the disease. OUTCOMES: Molecular analysis of PKD1 and PKD2
      genes. Renal survival, age- and sex-adjusted estimated glomerular filtration
      rate. RESULTS: The Genkyst cohort included 293 patients with PKD2 mutations (203
      pedigrees). PKD2 patients with a nephrology follow-up corresponded to 0.63 (95%
      CI, 0.54-0.72)/10,000 in Brittany, while PKD2 genetic prevalence was calculated
      at 1.64 (95% CI, 1.10-3.51)/10,000 inhabitants in the European population. Median
      age at diagnosis was 42 years. Flank pain was reported in 38.9%; macroscopic
      hematuria, in 31.1%; and cyst infections, in 15.3% of patients. At age 60 years,
      the cumulative probability of end-stage renal disease (ESRD) was 9.8% (95% CI,
      5.2%-14.4%), whereas the probability of hypertension was 75.2% (95% CI, 68.5%
      81.9%). Although there was no sex influence on renal survival, men had lower
      kidney function than women. Nontruncating mutations (n=36) were associated with
      higher age-adjusted estimated glomerular filtration rates. Among the 18 patients
      with more severe outcomes (ESRD before age 60), 44% had associated conditions or
      nephropathies likely to account for the early progression to ESRD. LIMITATIONS:
      Younger patients and patients presenting with milder forms of PKD2-related
      disease may not be diagnosed or referred to nephrology centers. CONCLUSIONS:
      Patients with PKD2-related ADPKD typically present with mild disease. In case of
      accelerated degradation of kidney function, a concomitant nephropathy should be
      ruled out.

PMID- 28356214
TI  - Global Forum of the World Federation of Hemophilia, September 26-27, 2005,
      Montreal, Quebec, Canada.

PMID- 28356215
TI  - Successful treatment of adult pleomorphic rhabdomyosarcoma with bone invasion in
      the lower leg by chemotherapy and biological reconstruction: A case report.

PMID- 28356216
TI  - Novel dental adhesive with triple benefits of calcium phosphate recharge, protein
      repellent and antibacterial functions.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: A new adhesive containing nanoparticles of amorphous calcium phosphate
      (NACP) with calcium (Ca) and phosphate (P) ion rechargeability was recently
      developed; however, it was not antibacterial. The objectives of this study were
      to: (1) develop a novel adhesive with triple benefits of Ca and P ion recharge,
      protein-repellent and antibacterial functions via dimethylaminohexadecyl
      methacrylate (DMAHDM) and 2-methacryloyloxyethyl phosphorylcholine (MPC); and (2)
      investigate dentin bond strength, protein adsorption, Ca and P ion concentration,
      microcosm biofilm response and pH properties. METHODS: MPC, DMAHDM and NACP were
      mixed into a resin consisting of ethoxylated bisphenol A dimethacrylate
      (EBPADMA), pyromellitic glycerol dimethacrylate (PMGDM), 2-hydroxyethyl
      methacrylate (HEMA) and bisphenol A glycidyl dimethacrylate (BisGMA). Protein
      adsorption was measured using a micro bicinchoninic acid method. A human saliva
      microcosm biofilm model was tested on resins. Colony-forming units (CFU),
      live/dead assay, metabolic activity, Ca and P ion concentration and biofilm
      culture medium pH were determined. RESULTS: The adhesive with 5% MPC+5%
      DMAHDM+30% NACP inhibited biofilm growth, reducing biofilm CFU by 4 log, compared
      to control (p<0.05). Dentin shear bond strengths were similar (p>0.1). Biofilm
      medium became a Ca and P ion reservoir having ion concentration increasing with
      NACP filler level. The adhesive with 5% MPC+5% DMAHDM+30% NACP maintained a safe
      pH>6, while commercial adhesive had a cariogenic pH of 4. SIGNIFICANCE: The new
      adhesive with triple benefits of Ca and P ion recharge, protein-repellent and
      antibacterial functions substantially reduced biofilm growth, reducing biofilm
      CFU by 4 orders of magnitude, and yielding a much higher pH than commercial
      adhesive. This novel adhesive is promising to protect tooth structures from
      biofilm acids. The method of using NACP, MPC and DMAHDM is promising for
      application to other dental materials to combat caries.

PMID- 28356217
TI  - Growth and accelerated differentiation of mesenchymal stem cells on graphene
      oxide-coated titanate with dexamethasone on surface of titanium implants.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: In this study, the objective is to construct graphene-oxide-coated
      titanate on titanium foils as drug vehicle to enhance cell proliferation and
      osteo-differentiation of rat bone mesenchymal stem cells (rBMSCs). METHODS:
      Graphene oxide (GO) sheets obtained using the modified Hummer's method and
      characterized by AFM were coupled with bioactive titanate on Ti implants (GO-Ti)
      pretreated by alkali, followed by reduction (rGO-Ti). They were characterized by
      Raman spectroscopy, XPS, SEM, FTIR and contact angle. After dexamethasone (DEX)
      was loaded onto them (DEX-GO-Ti and DEX-rGO-Ti), cell proliferation of rBMSCs on
      them was evaluated by CCK-8 and F-actin staining, and differentiation through
      alkaline phosphatase activity, mRNA expression, and calcium nodules. RESULTS: The
      obtained GO sheets were monolayers from AFM. Raman spectra exhibited two
      prominent peaks at D and G bands, and the I(D)/I(G) ratios increased from 0.96 to
      1.68 after reduction. XPS proved the existence of oxygenated functional groups
      for GO-Ti and the reduction of their intensity for rGO-Ti. From SEM, GO and rGO
      were evenly coated on nanostructures. DEX-GO-Ti absorbed most amount of DEX and
      released in a sustained manner. CCK-8 results showed that DEX-GO-Ti showed
      excellent performance on promoting cell proliferation. RMBSCs on DEX-GO-Ti
      presented greatly high expression of calcium, proteins and mRNA related to
      osteogenic differentiation. SIGNIFICANCE: GO coated titanate nanostructrues on
      surfaces of Ti foils by a simple self-assembly method, showed excellent vechiles
      for DEX. The construct promoted proliferation and accelerated osteogenic
      differentiation of rBMSCs, and would be prosperous for their further
      applications.

PMID- 28356218
TI  - Efficient antibody production in the methylotrophic yeast Ogataea minuta by
      overexpression of chaperones.
AB  - A production system for a therapeutic monoclonal antibody was developed using the
      methylotrophic yeast Ogataea minuta IFO10746. The genetically engineered O.
      minuta secreted a detectable amount of anti-TRAIL receptor antibody into the
      culture supernatant, and the secreted antibody was purified by multiple column
      chromatography steps. In the purification process, both fully and partially
      assembled antibodies were detected and isolated. The fully assembled antibody
      from O. minuta showed almost the same biological activity as that derived from
      mammalian cells despite the distinct glycosylation profile, whereas the partially
      assembled antibody showed no cytotoxic activity. To increase the production of
      active antibody in O. minuta, we overexpressed selected chaperone proteins
      (included protein disulfide isomerase (OmPDI1), thiol oxidase (OmERO1), and
      immunoglobulin heavy chain binding protein (OmKAR2)) known to assist in the
      proper folding (in the endoplasmic reticulum) of proteins destined for secretion.
      Each of these chaperones enhanced antibody secretion, and together these three
      factors yielded 16-fold higher antibody accumulation while increasing the ratio
      of the fully assembled antibody compared to that from the parental strain.
      Supplementation of a rhodanine-3-acetic acid derivative (R3AD_1c), an inhibitor
      of O-mannosylation, further increased the secretion of the correctly assembled
      antibody. These results indicated that the co-overexpression of chaperones is an
      effective way to produce the correctly assembled antibody in O. minuta.

PMID- 28356219
TI  - Cell wall alpha-1,3-glucan prevents alpha-amylase adsorption onto fungal cell in
      submerged culture of Aspergillus oryzae.
AB  - We have previously reported that alpha-amylase (Taka-amylase A, TAA) activity
      disappears in the later stage of submerged Aspergillus oryzae culture as a result
      of TAA adsorption onto the cell wall. Chitin, one of the major components of the
      cell wall, was identified as a potential factor that facilitates TAA adsorption.
      However, TAA adsorption only occurred in the later stage of cultivation, although
      chitin was assumed to be sufficiently abundant in the cell wall regardless of the
      submerged culture period. This suggested the presence a factor that inhibits TAA
      adsorption to the cell wall in the early stage of cultivation. In the current
      study, we identified alpha-1,3-glucan as a potential inhibiting factor for TAA
      adsorption. We constructed single, double, and triple disruption mutants of three
      alpha-1,3-glucan synthase genes (agsA, agsB, and agsC) in A. oryzae. Growth
      characteristics and cell wall component analysis of these disruption strains
      showed that AgsB plays a major role in alpha-1,3-glucan synthesis. In the
      DeltaagsB mutant, TAA was adsorbed onto the mycelium in all stages of cultivation
      (early and later), and the DeltaagsB mutant cell walls had a significantly high
      capacity for TAA adsorption. Moreover, the alpha-1,3-glucan content of the cell
      wall prepared from the wild-type strain in the later stage of cultivation was
      markedly reduced compared with that in the early stage. These results suggest
      that alpha-1,3-glucan is a potential inhibiting factor for TAA adsorption onto
      the cell wall component, chitin, in the early stage of submerged culture in A.
      oryzae.

PMID- 28356220
TI  - Ethyl acetate production by the elusive alcohol acetyltransferase from yeast.
AB  - Ethyl acetate is an industrially relevant ester that is currently produced
      exclusively through unsustainable processes. Many yeasts are able to produce
      ethyl acetate, but the main responsible enzyme has remained elusive, hampering
      the engineering of novel production strains. Here we describe the discovery of a
      new enzyme (Eat1) from the yeast Wickerhamomyces anomalus that resulted in high
      ethyl acetate production when expressed in Saccharomyces cerevisiae and
      Escherichia coli. Purified Eat1 showed alcohol acetyltransferase activity with
      ethanol and acetyl-CoA. Homologs of eat1 are responsible for most ethyl acetate
      synthesis in known ethyl acetate-producing yeasts, including S. cerevisiae, and
      are only distantly related to known alcohol acetyltransferases. Eat1 is therefore
      proposed to compose a novel alcohol acetyltransferase family within the
      alpha/beta hydrolase superfamily. The discovery of this novel enzyme family is a
      crucial step towards the development of biobased ethyl acetate production and
      will also help in selecting improved S. cerevisiae brewing strains.

PMID- 28356221
TI  - Rapid detection of all known ebolavirus species by reverse transcription-loop
      mediated isothermal amplification (RT-LAMP).
AB  - Ebola virus disease (EVD), a highly virulent infectious disease caused by
      ebolaviruses, has a fatality rate of 25-90%. Without a licensed chemotherapeutic
      agent or vaccine for the treatment and prevention of EVD, control of outbreaks
      requires accurate and rapid diagnosis of cases. In this study, five sets of six
      oligonucleotide primers targeting the nucleoprotein gene were designed for
      specific identification of each of the five ebolavirus species using reverse
      transcription-loop mediated isothermal amplification (RT-LAMP) assay. The
      detection limits of the ebolavirus species-specific primer sets were evaluated
      using in vitro transcribed RNAs. The detection limit of species-specific RT-LAMP
      assays for Zaire ebolavirus, Sudan ebolavirus, Tai Forest ebolavirus, and
      Bundibugyo ebolavirus was 256 copies/reaction, while the detection limit for
      Reston ebolavirus was 64 copies/reaction, and the detection time for each of the
      RT-LAMP assays was 13.3+/-3.0, 19.8+/-4.6, 14.3+/-0.6, 16.1+/-4.7, and 19.8+/
      2.4min (mean+/-SD), respectively. The sensitivity of the species-specific RT-LAMP
      assays were similar to that of the established RT-PCR and quantitative RT-PCR
      assays for diagnosis of EVD and are suitable for field or point-of-care
      diagnosis. The RT-LAMP assays were specific for the detection of the respective
      species of ebolavirus with no cross reaction with other species of ebolavirus and
      other viral hemorrhagic fever viruses such as Marburg virus, Lassa fever virus,
      and Dengue virus. The species-specific RT-LAMP assays developed in this study are
      rapid, sensitive, and specific and could be useful in case of an EVD outbreak.

PMID- 28356222
TI  - Neutrophil to Lymphocyte Ratio is Associated With Outcome During Ipilimumab
      Treatment.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Ipilimumab (IPI) and BRAF inhibitors (BRAFi) improve survival in
      melanoma, but not all patients will benefit and toxicity can be significant.
      Pretreatment neutrophil to lymphocyte ratio (NLR) has been associated with
      outcome in IPI-treated patients, but has not been studied during treatment or in
      BRAFi-treated patients. METHODS: Using a prospectively maintained database,
      patients with unresectable stage III or IV melanoma treated with IPI or a BRAFi
      (vemurafenib or dabrafenib as monotherapy) from 2006 to 2011 were identified. NLR
      was calculated before treatment and at 3-week intervals after treatment
      initiation until 9weeks. Baseline NLR was tested for association with overall
      survival (OS), progression free survival (PFS), and clinical response to
      treatment. On-treatment NLRs were tested for association with the same outcomes
      using landmark survival analyses and time-dependent Cox regression models. The
      association of relative change of NLR from baseline with outcomes was also
      examined. A multivariate model tested the association of NLR and OS/PFS with
      additional clinical factors. RESULTS: There were 197 IPI patients and 65 BRAFi
      patients. In multivariable analysis adjusting for M stage, and disease type (in
      OS)/gender (in PFS), an NLR value of 5 or above at every timepoint was associated
      with worse OS (HR 2.03-3.37, p<0.001), PFS (HR 1.81-2.51, p<0.001), and response
      to therapy (OR 3.92-9.18, p<0.007), in the IPI cohort. In addition, a >30%
      increase in NLR above baseline at any timepoint was associated with a worse OS
      and PFS (HR 1.81 and 1.66, p<0.004). In BRAFi patients, NLR was not consistently
      associated with outcomes. CONCLUSIONS: A high NLR, whether measured prior to or
      during treatment with IPI, is associated with worse OS, PFS, and clinical
      response in patients with advanced melanoma. An increasing NLR from baseline
      during treatment was correlated with worse OS and PFS in IPI-treated patients. In
      comparison, as NLR was not associated with outcomes in BRAFi patients, NLR may
      have a uniquely predictive value in patients treated with immunotherapy.

PMID- 28356224
TI  - Socially-induced variation in physiological mediators of parental care in a
      colonial bird.
AB  - Social facilitation of reproduction occurs in humans and animals, and may
      represent one of the bases of reproduction in groups. However, its underlying
      physiological mechanisms remain largely unexplored. Here, we found in a colonial
      bird, the Adelie penguin (Pygoscelis adeliae), that the number of parental
      interactions (nest relief ceremonies) performed by breeding individuals on the
      colony was positively related to prolactin levels in other breeding individuals
      exposed to these interactions (i.e. focal individuals). As prolactin is typically
      involved in the expression of parental behaviour in birds, this suggests that
      parental interactions by conspecifics represent social cues that might increase
      parental motivation in focal individuals. Moreover, parental interactions were
      not related to corticosterone levels in focal individuals, suggesting that these
      social cues were not stressful for penguins. However, social stimulation still
      had a cost for focal individuals, as it was negatively related to their
      antioxidant defences (a component of self-maintenance). As social stimulation was
      also positively related to prolactin levels, this highlights the fact that social
      stimulation acts on the trade-off between reproduction and self-maintenance. For
      the first time, the results of the current study shed light on the physiological
      factors potentially underlying social facilitation of parental care. Importantly,
      they suggest that, even though social facilitation of parental care may increase
      breeding performance, it can also negatively affect other fitness components.

PMID- 28356223
TI  - The role of the PI(3,5)P2 kinase TbFab1 in endo/lysosomal trafficking in
      Trypanosoma brucei.
AB  - Protein trafficking through endo/lysosomal compartments is critically important
      to the biology of the protozoan parasite Trypanosoma brucei, but the routes
      material may take to the lysosome, as well as the molecular factors regulating
      those routes, remain incompletely understood. Phosphoinositides are signaling
      phospholipids that regulate many trafficking events by recruiting specific
      effector proteins to discrete membrane subdomains. In this study, we investigate
      the role of one phosphoinositide, PI(3,5)P2 in T. brucei. We find a low steady
      state level of PI(3,5)P2 in bloodstream form parasites comparable to that of
      other organisms. RNAi knockdown of the putative PI(3)P-5 kinase TbFab1 decreases
      the PI(3,5)P2 pool leading to rapid cell death. TbFab1 and PI(3,5)P2 both
      localize strongly to late endo/lysosomes. While most trafficking functions were
      intact in TbFab1 deficient cells, including both endocytic and biosynthetic
      trafficking to the lysosome, lysosomal turnover of an endogenous ubiquitinylated
      membrane protein, ISG65, was completely blocked suggesting that TbFab1 plays a
      role in the ESCRT-mediated late endosomal/multivesicular body degradative
      pathways. Knockdown of a second component of PI(3,5)P2 metabolism, the PI(3,5)P2
      phosphatase TbFig4, also resulted in delayed turnover of ISG65. Together, these
      results demonstrate an essential role for PI(3,5)P2 in the turnover of
      ubiquitinylated membrane proteins and in trypanosome endomembrane biology.

PMID- 28356225
TI  - miR-532 promoted gastric cancer migration and invasion by targeting NKD1.
AB  - Gastric cancer is one of the most common human malignant neoplasms, especially in
      China, its regulatory mechanism is important to develop new therapy approaches.
      miRNAs have been demonstrated to regulate gastric cancer progression. We found
      miR-532 was overexpressed in gastric cancer tissues and cells. Wound healing and
      transwell assay revealed that its overexpression promoted gastric cancer cell
      migration and invasion, its knockdown inhibited gastric cancer cell migration and
      invasion. Wnt/beta-catenin antagonist naked cuticle homolog 1 (NKD1) was the
      target of miR-532, miR-532 inhibited NKD1 expression. TOP/FOP luciferase activity
      analysis suggested miR-532 also increased Wnt/beta-catenin pathway activity.
      Overexpression miR-532 and NKD1 inhibited gastric cancer cell migration and
      invasion, consistent with miR-532 knockdown. These findings revealed miR-532
      promoted gastric cancer cell migration and invasion through inhibiting NKD1 and
      activated Wnt/beta-catenin pathway. We provide a potential target for gastric
      cancer therapy.

PMID- 28356226
TI  - Surfactants from itaconic acid: Toxicity to HaCaT keratinocytes in vitro,
      micellar solubilization, and skin permeation enhancement of hydrocortisone.
AB  - One of the most widely used approaches for improving drug permeation across the
      stratum corneum barrier of the skin is the use of chemical penetration enhancers,
      such as surfactants. In this study, two anionic surfactants, named C12-OPK and
      C18-OPK, were synthesized via condensation of itaconic acid and fatty amines,
      with C12 and C18 alkyl chains, respectively. Assessment of impacts on HaCaT
      keratinocyte cell viability was used as indicator of their potential to cause
      skin irritation 24h post exposure (Alamar Blue assay). The LC50 values of C12-OPK
      and C18-OPK (144 and 85mg/L, respectively) were lower than LC50 values of the
      most used commercial surfactants (e.g. SDS). The effect of different surfactant
      concentrations (up to ten times the critical micellar concentration, CMC) on
      hydrocortisone (HC) solubility and permeation through porcine skin was also
      evaluated. Results showed that drug solubility increased linearly with increasing
      concentrations of both surfactants, as a consequence of the association between
      drug and micelles. In vitro permeation results showed that the permeability
      coefficient increased at surfactant concentrations lower than the CMC. In
      particular, a higher enhancement effect on drug permeation was obtained with C18
      OPK, due to its hydrophobic properties that ensured a more effective HC
      permeation in comparison to C12-OPK.

PMID- 28356227
TI  - Production and characterization of a PEGylated derivative of recombinant human
      deoxyribonuclease I for cystic fibrosis therapy.
AB  - Recombinant human deoxyribonuclease I (rhDNase) is the mucolytic agent most
      widely used for the treatment of respiratory disease in cystic fibrosis. However,
      rhDNase is rapidly cleared from the lungs which implies a high dosing frequency
      and limited patient adherence. The aim of this study was to produce a long-acting
      PEGylated derivative of rhDNase presenting a preserved enzymatic activity. Site
      specific PEGylation on the N-terminal (N-ter) leucine residue of rhDNase was
      achieved by reductive alkylation at acidic pH using linear 20kDa, linear 30kDa or
      two-arm 40kDa polyethylene glycol (PEG) propionaldehydes. Yields of mono
      PEGylated products ranged between 45% and 61%. Conjugation to PEG fully preserved
      the secondary structure and the in vitro enzymatic activity of the native
      protein. These properties offer interesting perspectives for in vivo inhalation
      studies of the PEGylated enzyme.

PMID- 28356228
TI  - Co-injection of Abeta1-40 and ApoE4 impaired spatial memory and hippocampal long
      term potentiation in rats.
AB  - Apolipoprotein E4 (APOE4) allele located on chromosome 19 is a major genetic risk
      factor for developing Alzheimer's disease (AD). However, the direct effects of
      ApoE4 on the cognitive function and long-term synaptic plasticity have not fully
      investigated. At the same time, although amyloid beta protein (Abeta)-ApoE
      complexes are principal components of AD-associated brain damage, there is still
      lack of in vivo study on the effects of co-existed Abeta1-40 and ApoE4. In the
      present study, we examined the effects of ApoE4 on the spatial memory and
      hippocampal long term potentiation (LTP) by using Morris water maze test and in
      vivo field potential recording, compared the neurotoxicity of Abeta1-40 and
      ApoE4, and investigated the effects of co-application of Abeta1-40 and ApoE4 on
      cognitive behavior and synaptic plasticity. The results showed that
      intracerebrovenrticular (i.c.v.) injection of Abeta1-40 or ApoE4 significantly
      and similarly impaired spatial learning and memory, and depressed the high
      frequency stimulus (HFS) induced LTP. Importantly, compared to the effects of
      Abeta1-40 or ApoE4 alone, co-injection of Abeta1-40 and ApoE4 produced much
      heavier damages in cognitive behaviors and long term synaptic plasticity. These
      results demonstrated that ApoE4 not only exerted direct neurotoxicity but also
      enhanced the neurotoxicity of Abeta1-40 on spatial cognitive function and
      hippocampal LTP, which maybe partly elucidates the mechanism by which APOE4
      allele exerted negative effects as a major genetic risk factor for developing AD.

PMID- 28356229
TI  - Association of rs1738074 polymorphism of TAGAP gene with susceptibility to
      multiple sclerosis in the Iranian population.
AB  - Multiple sclerosis (MS) is one of the most common diseases of the central nervous
      system (CNS) in the Iranian population. To date, association of many genes with
      the prevalence and progression of the disease have been investigated. In the
      present study, the impact of rs1738074 single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) in
      the TAGAP gene (TAGAP rs1738074) on the risk of MS was evaluated in a sample of
      the Iranian population. In a case control study, genotyping was performed on 300
      patients and normal individuals. The data were analyzed using Pearson's chi
      square test. The results showed a significant difference in the SNP frequency
      between case and control groups (p-value=0.049). The genotype frequencies of TT,
      TC and CC in patients were 10.67%, 51.33% and 38%, respectively, and in normal
      individuals were 20.66%, 42.67% and 36.67%, respectively. The results showed a
      significant difference in the genotype frequency of T/T between the patient and
      control groups (p<0.05). Interestingly, individuals with T/T genotype were
      estimated to be less susceptible to MS ((p-value=0.025), Fisher's exact test),
      odd ratio was 2.18 (controls versus MS patients) with 95% CI: 1.137-4.187. The
      results suggested that TAGAP rs1738074 polymorphism could be considered as a risk
      factor in the prevalence of MS in the Iranian population.

PMID- 28356232
TI  - Detection of high Leishmania infantum loads in Phlebotomus perniciosus captured
      in the leishmaniasis focus of southwestern Madrid region (Spain) by real time
      PCR.
AB  - Since 2010 a human leishmaniasis outbreak has been notified in southwestern
      Madrid region that still remains active. Entomological surveys have been carried
      out in the affected area in order to obtain information about species diversity,
      distribution, and density of sand flies. Moreover, molecular identification of
      blood meal preferences of sand flies and molecular detection of Leishmania
      infantum has been performed. In this work, we optimized a real time PCR assay in
      order to determine parasite loads in unfed and blood-fed Phlebotomus perniciosus
      female sand flies caught in the focus area. Results showed elevated parasite
      loads in nearly 70% of the studied positive sand flies. Furthermore,
      significantly higher parasite loads were observed in females without blood in
      their guts. In conclusion, high L. infantum loads found in P. perniciosus sand
      flies from the Madrid focus support the exceptional characteristics of this
      outbreak.

PMID- 28356230
TI  - Effect of 7,8-dihydroneopterin mediated CD36 down regulation and oxidant
      scavenging on oxidised low-density lipoprotein induced cell death in human
      macrophages.
AB  - The role of CD36 in oxidised low-density lipoprotein (oxLDL) mediated cell death
      was examined by down regulating the receptor level with the macrophage generated
      antioxidant 7,8-dihydroneopterin. Down regulation of CD36 protein levels in human
      monocyte derived macrophages by 7,8-dihydroneopterin corresponded to a decrease
      in CD36-mRNA. The oxidation products of 7,8-dihydroneopterin, dihydroxanthopterin
      and neopterin did not significantly down regulate CD36. The CD36 down regulation
      resulted in a decrease in oxLDL uptake measured as 7-ketocholesterol
      accumulation. Though less oxLDL was taken up by the macrophages as a result of
      the 7,8-dihydroneopterin induced down regulation in CD36 levels, the cytotoxicity
      of the oxLDL was not decreased. Addition of 7,8-dihydroneopterin to oxLDL treated
      macrophages decreased the concentration of intracellular oxidants. In the
      presence of oxLDL, 7,8-dihydroneopterin was oxidised to neopterin showing that
      the 7,8-dihydroneopterin was scavenging intracellular oxidants generated in
      response to the oxLDL. The results show CD36 down regulation does not protect
      human macrophages form oxLDL cytotoxicity but 7,8-dihydroneopterin intracellular
      oxidant scavenging is protective.

PMID- 28356231
TI  - Malaria overdiagnosis and subsequent overconsumption of antimalarial drugs in
      Angola: Consequences and effects on human health.
AB  - Microscopic blood smear examinations done in health centers of Angola
      demonstrated a large overdiagnosis of malaria cases with an average rate of
      errors as high as 85%. Overall 83% of patients who received Coartem(r) had an
      inappropriate treatment. Overestimated malaria diagnosis was noticed even when
      specific symptoms were part of the clinical observation, antimalarial treatments
      being subsequently given. Then, malaria overdiagnosis has three main
      consequences, (i) the lack of data reliability is of great concern, impeding
      epidemiological records and evaluation of the actual influence of operations as
      scheduled by the National Malaria Control Programme; (ii) the large misuse of
      antimalarial drug can increase the selective pressure for resistant strain and
      can make a false consideration of drug resistant P. falciparum crisis; and (iii)
      the need of strengthening national health centers in term of human, with training
      in microscopy, and equipment resources to improve malaria diagnosis with a large
      scale use of rapid diagnostic tests associated with thick blood smears, backed up
      by a "quality control" developed by the national health authorities. Monitoring
      of malaria cases was done in three Angolan health centers of Alto Liro (Lobito
      town) and neighbor villages of Cambambi and Asseque (Benguela Province) to
      evaluate the real burden of malaria. Carriers of Plasmodium among patients of
      newly-borne to 14 years old, with or without fever, were analyzed and compared to
      presumptive malaria cases diagnosed in these health centers. Presumptive malaria
      cases were diagnosed six times more than the positive thick blood smears done on
      the same children. In Alto Liro health center, the percentage of diagnosis error
      reached 98%, while in Cambambi and Asseque it was of 79% and 78% respectively.
      The percentage of confirmed malaria cases was significantly higher during the dry
      (20.2%) than the rainy (13.2%) season. These observations in three peripheral
      health centers confirmed what has already been noticed in other malaria endemic
      regions, and highlight the need for an accurate evaluation of the Malaria control
      programme implemented in Angola.

PMID- 28356233
TI  - Pine processionary caterpillar Thaumetopoea pityocampa envenomation in 109 dogs:
      A retrospective study.
AB  - Contact with the caterpillars of the pine processionary moth (CPPM) Thaumetopoea
      pityocampa induces severe local allergic reactions. The purpose of this large
      scale retrospective cohort-study was to describe the clinical manifestations and
      related risk factors of CPPM exposure. This cohort-study included 109 dogs
      between the years of 2000 and 2016. Tongue lesions ranging from oedema to severe
      necrosis were observed in 94/109 dogs (86%). The following systemic signs were
      observed in 60/109 dogs (55%): vomiting (52/109, 48%), dyspnoea (6/109, 5%),
      hypovolemia (4/109, 4%) and diarrhoea (2/109, 2%). Based on the time elapsed from
      CPPM contact to the first oral flushing, three groups were defined: <2 h (group
      1, 37/105, 35%), 2 h-6 h (group 2, 39/105, 37%) and >6 h (group 3, 29/105, 28%).
      Tongue necrosis (TN) at admission was significantly more common in the dogs in
      group 3 than those in groups 1 and 2 (45% vs. 5% and 5% respectively, p =
      0.0002). In addition, the development of TN during hospitalisation was
      significantly more common in the dogs in group 3 (65%) than in those in the other
      groups (21% in group 1, p = 0.02) and 31% in group 2, p = 0.001). The dogs in
      group 3 presented a 14.63-fold higher risk of TN at admission and a 3.78-fold
      higher risk of developing necrosis during hospitalisation compared with the other
      groups. The survival rate after exposure was 97%. Long-term follow-up data were
      available for 69/109 dogs (63%). Twenty-three dogs (37%) had persistent,
      definitive TN without major consequences on quality of life. Elapsed time between
      contact and first oral flushing appears to be a key determinant for the
      progression of necrotic lesions, and the best results were observed when flushing
      occurred within 6 h of contact. The prognosis of CPPM envenomation is excellent,
      with a short hospitalisation duration.

PMID- 28356235
TI  - Engineering a xylanase from Streptomyce rochei L10904 by mutation to improve its
      catalytic characteristics.
AB  - Protein engineering was performed by N-terminal region replacement and site
      directed mutagenesis in the cord of a xylanase (Srxyn) from Streptomyce rochei
      L10904 to improve its catalytic characteristics. Three mutants SrxynF, SrxynM and
      SrxynFM displayed 2.1-fold, 3.2-fold and 5.3-fold higher specific activities than
      that of Srxyn, respectively. Moreover, all of the mutants showed greater
      substrate affinity and kcat/Km than the native Srxyn. In addition, the enzymes
      showed improved hydrolysis characteristics, of which the most noteworthy is the
      enhanced ability of producing xylobiose (X2) and xylotriose (X3) from polymeric
      substrates. The engineered xylanases have greater potential for applications in
      oligosaccharide preparation industry.

PMID- 28356236
TI  - Characterization of the groove binding between di-(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate and
      calf thymus DNA.
AB  - In this study, the interaction between di-(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP) and
      calf thymus DNA (ctDNA) was investigated by a combination of multispectroscopic
      methods, chemometrics algorithm, cyclic voltammetry and molecular simulation. The
      concentration profiles of the components obtained from resolving the UV-vis
      absorption data by multivariate curve resolution-alternating least-squares (MCR
      ALS) provided a basic evidence for the formation of DEHP-ctDNA complex.
      Furthermore, the groove binding of DEHP to ctDNA was evidenced by the results
      from iodide quenching effect, single-stranded DNA quenching effect, melting
      studies, viscosity measurements and cyclic voltammetry. The binding constant of
      the complex was in the order of magnitudes of 104Lmol-1, and hydrophobic forces
      were inferred to drive the binding process. Analysis of Fourier transform
      infrared spectra suggested that DEHP preferentially bound to A-T rich region of
      ctDNA in the minor groove, and these results further confirmed by molecular
      docking. The circular dichroism spectra indicated that DEHP induced a decrease in
      base stacking degree and an increase in right-handed helicity of ctDNA, but did
      not cause a significant damage in DNA. This study may improve the understanding
      of interaction between DEHP and ctDNA and help evaluate the toxicological effect
      of DEHP.

PMID- 28356238
TI  - Hepatic effects of tartrazine (E 102) after systemic exposure are independent of
      oestrogen receptor interactions in the mouse.
AB  - Tartrazine is a food colour that activates the transcriptional function of the
      human oestrogen receptor alpha in an in vitro cell model. Since oestrogens are
      cholestatic, we hypothesised tartrazine will cause periportal injury to the liver
      in vivo. To test this hypothesis, tartrazine was initially administered
      systemically to mice resulting in a periportal recruitment of inflammatory cells,
      increased serum alkaline phosphatase activity and mild periportal fibrosis. To
      determine whether an oestrogenic effect may be a key event in this response,
      tartrazine, sulphonated metabolites and a food additive contaminant were screened
      for their ability to interact with murine oestrogen receptors. In all cases,
      there were no interactions as agonists or antagonists and further, no
      oestrogenicity was observed with tartrazine in an in vivo uterine growth assay.
      To examine the relevance of the hepatic effects of tartrazine to its use as a
      food additive, tartrazine was orally administered to transgenic NF-kappaB-Luc
      mice. Pre- and concurrent oral treatment with alcohol was incorporated given its
      potential to promote gut permeability and hepatic inflammation. Tartrazine alone
      induced NF- kappaB activities in the colon and liver but there was no periportal
      recruitment of inflammatory cells or fibrosis. Tartrazine, its sulphonated
      metabolites and the contaminant inhibited sulphotransferase activities in murine
      hepatic S9 extracts. Given the role of sulfotransferases in bile acid excretion,
      the initiating event giving rise to periportal inflammation and subsequent
      hepatic pathology through systemic tartrazine exposure is therefore potentially
      associated an inhibition of bile acid sulphation and excretion and not on
      oestrogen receptor-mediated transcriptional function. However, these effects were
      restricted to systemic exposures to tartrazine and did not occur to any
      significant effect after oral exposure.

PMID- 28356234
TI  - Efficacy of novel antibody-based drugs against rhinovirus infection: In vitro and
      in vivo results.
AB  - Rhinoviruses (RVs) cause the common cold and are associated with exacerbations of
      chronic inflammatory respiratory diseases, especially asthma and chronic
      obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). We have assessed the antiviral drugs
      Anaferon for Children (AC) and Ergoferon (containing AC as one of the active
      pharmaceutical ingredients) in in vitro and in vivo experimental models, in order
      to evaluate their anti-rhinoviral and immunomodulatory potential. HeLa cells were
      pretreated with AC, and levels of the interferon-stimulated gene (ISG), 2'-5'
      oligoadenylate synthetase 1 (OAS1-A) and viral replication were analyzed. In a
      mouse model of RV-induced exacerbation of allergic airway inflammation we
      administered Ergoferon and analyzed its effect on type I (IFN-beta), type II (IFN
      gamma) and type III (IFN-lambda) IFNs induction, cell counts in bronchoalveolar
      lavage (BAL), cytokine (interleukin (IL)-4; IL-6) and chemokine (CXCL10/IP-10;
      CXCL1/KC) levels. It was shown that AC increased OAS1-A production and
      significantly decreased viral replication in vitro. Increased IFNs expression
      together with reduced neutrophils/lymphocytes recruitment and correlated IL-4/IL
      6 declination was demonstrated for Ergoferon in vivo. However, there was no
      effect on examined chemokines. We conclude that AC and Ergoferon possess effects
      against RV infection and may have potential as novel therapies against RV-induced
      exacerbations of asthma.

PMID- 28356240
TI  - The Annual American Men's Internet Survey of Behaviors of Men Who Have Sex With
      Men in the United States: 2015 Key Indicators Report.
AB  - The American Men's Internet Survey (AMIS) is an annual Web-based behavioral
      survey of men who have sex with men (MSM) living in the United States. This Rapid
      Surveillance Report describes the third cycle of data collection (September 2015
      through April 2016; AMIS-2015). The key indicators are the same as previously
      reported for AMIS (December 2013-May 2014, AMIS-2013; November 2014-April 2015,
      AMIS-2014). The AMIS survey methodology has not substantively changed since AMIS
      2014. MSM were recruited from a variety of websites using banner advertisements
      and email blasts. Additionally, participants from AMIS-2014 who agreed to be
      recontacted for future research were emailed a link to the AMIS-2015 survey. Men
      were eligible to participate if they were age 15 years and older, resided in the
      United States, provided a valid US ZIP code, and reported ever having sex with a
      man. We examined demographic and recruitment characteristics using multivariable
      regression modeling (P<.05) stratified by participants' self-reported human
      immunodeficiency virus (HIV) status. The AMIS-2015 round of data collection
      resulted in 10,217 completed surveys from MSM representing every US state and
      Puerto Rico. Participants were mainly non-Hispanic white, older than 40 years,
      living in the US South, living in urban areas, and recruited from general social
      networking websites. Self-reported HIV prevalence was 9.35% (955/10,217).
      Compared to HIV-negative/unknown status participants, HIV-positive participants
      were more likely to have had anal sex without a condom with any male partner in
      the past 12 months (75.50%, 721/955 vs 63.09%, 5843/9262, P<.001) and more likely
      to have had anal sex without a condom with a serodiscordant or unknown status
      partner (34.45%, 329/955 vs 17.07%, 1581/9262, P<.001). The reported use of
      marijuana and other illicit substances in the past 12 months was higher among HIV
      positive participants than HIV-negative/unknown status participants (marijuana
      use: 24.61%, 235/955 vs 22.96%, 2127/9262; other illicit substance use: 28.59%,
      273/955 vs 17.51%, 1622/9262, respectively; both P<.001). Most HIV
      negative/unknown status participants (79.11%, 7327/9262) reported ever having a
      previous HIV test, and 55.69% (5158/9262) reported HIV testing in the past 12
      months. HIV-positive participants were more likely to report sexually transmitted
      infection (STI) testing and diagnosis compared to HIV-negative/unknown status
      participants (STI testing: 71.73%, 685/955 vs 38.52%, 3568/9262; STI diagnosis:
      25.65%, 245/955 vs 8.12%, 752/9262, respectively; both P<.001).

PMID- 28356239
TI  - "Fitspiration" on Social Media: A Content Analysis of Gendered Images.
AB  - BACKGROUND: "Fitspiration" (also known as "fitspo") aims to inspire individuals
      to exercise and be healthy, but emerging research indicates exposure can
      negatively impact female body image. Fitspiration is frequently accessed on
      social media; however, it is currently unclear the degree to which messages about
      body image and exercise differ by gender of the subject. OBJECTIVE: The aim of
      our study was to conduct a content analysis to identify the characteristics of
      fitspiration content posted across social media and whether this differs
      according to subject gender. METHODS: Content tagged with #fitspo across
      Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and Tumblr was extracted over a composite 30-minute
      period. All posts were analyzed by 2 independent coders according to a codebook.
      RESULTS: Of the 415/476 (87.2%) relevant posts extracted, most posts were on
      Instagram (360/415, 86.8%). Most posts (308/415, 74.2%) related thematically to
      exercise, and 81/415 (19.6%) related thematically to food. In total, 151 (36.4%)
      posts depicted only female subjects and 114/415 (27.5%) depicted only male
      subjects. Female subjects were typically thin but toned; male subjects were often
      muscular or hypermuscular. Within the images, female subjects were significantly
      more likely to be aged under 25 years (P<.001) than the male subjects, to have
      their full body visible (P=.001), and to have their buttocks emphasized (P<.001).
      Male subjects were more likely to have their face visible in the post (P=.005)
      than the female subjects. Female subjects were more likely to be sexualized than
      the male subjects (P=.002). CONCLUSIONS: Female #fitspo subjects typically
      adhered to the thin or athletic ideal, and male subjects typically adhered to the
      muscular ideal. Future research and interventional efforts should consider the
      potential objectifying messages in fitspiration, as it relates to both female and
      male body image.

PMID- 28356241
TI  - Virtual Reality for Management of Pain in Hospitalized Patients: Results of a
      Controlled Trial.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Improvements in software and design and reduction in cost have made
      virtual reality (VR) a practical tool for immersive, three-dimensional (3D),
      multisensory experiences that distract patients from painful stimuli. OBJECTIVE:
      The objective of the study was to measure the impact of a onetime 3D VR
      intervention versus a two-dimensional (2D) distraction video for pain in
      hospitalized patients. METHODS: We conducted a comparative cohort study in a
      large, urban teaching hospital in medical inpatients with an average pain score
      of >=3/10 from any cause. Patients with nausea, vomiting, dementia, motion
      sickness, stroke, seizure, and epilepsy and those placed in isolation were
      excluded. Patients in the intervention cohort viewed a 3D VR experience designed
      to reduce pain using the Samsung Gear Oculus VR headset; control patients viewed
      a high-definition, 2D nature video on a 14-inch bedside screen. Pre- and
      postintervention pain scores were recorded. Difference-in-difference scores and
      the proportion achieving a half standard deviation pain response were compared
      between groups. RESULTS: There were 50 subjects per cohort (N=100). The mean pain
      reduction in the VR cohort was greater than in controls (-1.3 vs -0.6 points,
      respectively; P=.008). A total of 35 (65%) patients in the VR cohort achieved a
      pain response versus 40% of controls (P=.01; number needed to treat=4). No
      adverse events were reported from VR. CONCLUSIONS: Use of VR in hospitalized
      patients significantly reduces pain versus a control distraction condition. These
      results indicate that VR is an effective and safe adjunctive therapy for pain
      management in the acute inpatient setting; future randomized trials should
      confirm benefit with different visualizations and exposure periods. TRIAL
      REGISTRATION: Clinicaltrials.gov NCT02456987;
      https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT02456987 (Archived by WebCite at
      http://www.webcitation.org/6pJ1P644S).

PMID- 28356242
TI  - Indian doctors take to streets to demand better security.

PMID- 28356237
TI  - Preparation, characterization and antibacterial applications of carboxymethyl
      chitosan/CuO nanocomposite hydrogels.
AB  - In this study, a series of antibacterial carboxymethyl chitosan/CuO
      nanocomposites were prepared by treating the carboxymethyl chitosan (CMCh)
      hydrogel with copper (II) chloride (CuCl2) solution followed by the oxidation of
      copper ions in the presence of sodium hydroxide. The resulting nanocomposite
      hydrogels were characterized by using FTIR, XRD and SEM techniques. The SEM
      micrographs revealed the uniform distribution of CuO nanoparticles in the
      hydrogel matrix with the size ranging from 20nm to 50nm, while XRD patterns
      confirmed the formation of monoclinic crystalline structures of CuO
      nanoparticles. The swelling behavior of the nanocomposite hydrogels were studied
      at a varied pH range. CMCh/CuO nanocomposite hydrogels showed rather higher
      swelling as compared to pure CMCh hydrogel. The antibacterial properties of the
      nanocomposite hydrogels were studied against Staphylococcus aureus and
      Escherichia coli. The results showed excellent antibacterial behavior of the
      nanocomposite hydrogels. Therefore, the developed CMCh/CuO nanocomposite
      hydrogels might be used effectively in numerous biomedical fields.

PMID- 28356243
TI  - Efficacy of glucocorticoids, conventional and targeted synthetic disease
      modifying antirheumatic drugs: a systematic literature review informing the 2016
      update of the EULAR recommendations for the management of rheumatoid arthritis.
AB  - OBJECTIVES: To perform a systematic literature review (SLR) informing the 2016
      update of the recommendations for the management of rheumatoid arthritis (RA).
      METHODS: An SLR for the period between 2013 and 2016 was undertaken to assess the
      efficacy of glucocorticoids (GCs), conventional synthetic disease-modifying
      antirheumatic drugs (csDMARDs) and targeted synthetic DMARDs (tsDMARDs)
      (tofacitinib and baricitinib) in randomised clinical trials. RESULTS: For GCs,
      four studies were included in the SLR. Patients without poor prognostic factors
      experienced benefit when GCs were added to methotrexate (MTX). Lower doses of GCs
      were similar to higher doses. For csDMARDs, two new studies comparing MTX
      monotherapy with combination csDMARD were included in the SLR. In the tREACH
      trial at the end of 12 months no difference between the groups in disease
      activity, functional ability and radiographic progression was seen, using
      principles of tight control (treat-to-target). In the CareRA trial, combination
      therapy with csDMARDs was not superior to MTX monotherapy and monotherapy was
      better tolerated.For tsDMARDs, tofacitinib and baricitinib were shown to be more
      effective than placebo (MTX) in different patient populations. CONCLUSIONS:
      Addition of GCs to csDMARD therapy may be beneficial but the benefits should be
      balanced against the risk of toxicity. Under tight control conditions MTX
      monotherapy is not less effective than combination csDMARDs, but better
      tolerated. Tofacitinib and baricitinib are efficacious in patients with RA,
      including those with refractory disease.

PMID- 28356245
TI  - Exercise prescription and the doctor's duty of non-maleficence.

PMID- 28356246
TI  - Intracranial hemorrhage in patients with atrial fibrillation receiving
      anticoagulation therapy.
AB  - We investigated the frequency and characteristics of intracranial hemorrhage
      (ICH), the factors associated with the risk of ICH, and outcomes post-ICH overall
      and by randomized treatment. We identified patients with ICH from the overall
      trial population enrolled in the Apixaban for Reduction in Stroke and Other
      Thromboembolic Events in Atrial Fibrillation trial who received >=1 dose of the
      study drug (n = 18 140). ICH was adjudicated by a central committee. Cox
      regression models were used to identify factors associated with ICH. ICH occurred
      in 174 patients; most ICH events were spontaneous (71.7%) versus traumatic
      (28.3%). Apixaban resulted in significantly less ICH (0.33% per year), regardless
      of type and location, than warfarin (0.80% per year). Independent factors
      associated with increased risk of ICH were enrollment in Asia or Latin America,
      older age, prior stroke/transient ischemic attack, and aspirin use at baseline.
      Among warfarin-treated patients, the median (25th, 75th percentiles) time from
      most recent international normalized ratio (INR) to ICH was 13 days (6, 21 days).
      Median INR prior to ICH was 2.6 (2.1, 3.0); 78.5% of patients had a pre-ICH INR
      <3.0. After ICH, the modified Rankin scale score at discharge was >=4 in 55.7% of
      patients, and the overall mortality rate at 30 days was 43.3% with no difference
      between apixaban- and warfarin-treated patients. ICH occurred at a rate of 0.80%
      per year with warfarin regardless of INR control and at a rate of 0.33% per year
      with apixaban and was associated with high short-term morbidity and mortality.
      This highlights the clinical relevance of reducing ICH by using apixaban rather
      than warfarin and avoiding concomitant aspirin, especially in patients of older
      age. This trial was registered at www.clinicaltrials.gov as #NCT00412984.

PMID- 28356247
TI  - PD-1 blockade with nivolumab in relapsed/refractory primary central nervous
      system and testicular lymphoma.
AB  - Primary central nervous system (CNS) lymphoma (PCNSL) and primary testicular
      lymphoma (PTL) are rare extranodal large B-cell lymphomas with similar genetic
      signatures. There are no standard-of-care treatment options for patients with
      relapsed and refractory PCNSL and PTL, and the overall prognosis is poor. PCNSLs
      and PTLs exhibit frequent 9p24.1 copy-number alterations and infrequent
      translocations of 9p24.1 and associated increased expression of the programmed
      cell death protein 1 (PD-1) ligands, PD-L1 and PD-L2. The activity of PD-1
      blockade in other lymphomas with 9p24.1 alterations prompted us to test the
      efficacy of the anti-PD1 antibody, nivolumab, in 4 patients with
      relapsed/refractory PCNSL and 1 patient with CNS relapse of PTL. All 5 patients
      had clinical and radiographic responses to PD-1 blockade, and 3 patients remain
      progression-free at 13+ to 17+ months. Our data suggest that nivolumab is active
      in relapsed/refractory PCNSL and PTL and support further investigation of PD-1
      blockade in these diseases.

PMID- 28356248
TI  - How productive are NHS consultants?

PMID- 28356249
TI  - A rare clavicular lump in a baby: congenital pseudarthrosis.

PMID- 28356250
TI  - Pseudotumor cerebri syndrome in childhood: incidence, clinical profile and risk
      factors in a national prospective population-based cohort study.
AB  - AIM: To investigate the epidemiology, clinical profile and risk factors of
      pseudotumor cerebri syndrome (PTCS) in children aged 1-16 years. METHODS: A
      national prospective population-based cohort study over 25 months. Newly
      diagnosed PTCS cases notified via British Paediatric Surveillance Unit were
      ascertained using classical diagnostic criteria and categorised according to 2013
      revised diagnostic criteria. We derived national age, sex and weight-specific
      annual incidence rates and assessed effects of sex and weight categories.
      RESULTS: We identified 185 PTCS cases of which 166 also fulfilled revised
      diagnostic criteria. The national annual incidence (95% CI) of PTCS in children
      aged 1-16 years was 0.71 (0.57 to 0.87) per 100 000 population increasing with
      age and weight to 4.18 and 10.7 per 100 000 in obese boys and girls aged 12-15
      years, respectively. Incidence rates under 7 years were similar in both sexes.
      From 7 years onwards, the incidence in girls was double that in boys, but only in
      overweight (including obese) children. In children aged 12-15 years, an estimated
      82% of the incidence of PTCS was attributable to obesity. Two subgroups of PTCS
      were apparent: 168 (91%) cases aged from 7 years frequently presented on
      medication and with headache and were predominantly female and obese. The
      remaining 17 (9%) cases under 7 years often lacked these risk factors and
      commonly presented with paralytic squint. CONCLUSIONS: This uniquely large
      population-based study of childhood PTCS will inform the design of future
      intervention studies. It suggests that weight reduction is central to the
      prevention of PTCS.

PMID- 28356252
TI  - Palliative care doctors should be included in treatment discussions.

PMID- 28356253
TI  - Adrenocortical carcinoma masquerading as Cushing's disease.
AB  - Cushing's syndrome (CS) can be classified as adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH)
      dependent or ACTH-independent depending on the ACTH levels. However, 30% of the
      patients with CS have ACTH levels in the 'grey zone' (5-20 pg/mL), thereby posing
      a challenge in establishing the aetiological diagnosis. In a patient with full
      blown features of Cushing's syndrome with equivocal ACTH levels, and a pituitary
      microadenoma on contrast-enhanced MRI sella, can falsely lead to a diagnosis of
      Cushing's disease. Pituitary microadenoma, if <6 mm in size, may be an incidental
      finding (incidentaloma) in this scenario and can be present in ~3-27% of the
      healthy population. Therefore, in a patient with CS with equivocal ACTH levels
      and a pituitary microadenoma, multiple samplings for ACTH and adrenal imaging
      should be performed to exclude ACTH-independent CS and if required, bilateral
      inferior petrosal sinus sampling to determine the source of ACTH excess.

PMID- 28356254
TI  - Haemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis associated with fulminant hepatitis and
      multiorgan failure following primary Epstein-Barr virus and herpes simplex virus
      type 1 infection.
AB  - We present a case of severe fatal hepatitis in a young patient presumably
      triggered by two ubiquitous viral diseases which occurred in close succession.
      This case is unusual because of the exceptional chronological sequence of primary
      Epstein-Barr virus and herpes simplex virus type 1 infection causing systemic
      immune dysregulation associated with rapidly developing liver failure and
      consecutive multiorgan failure. Clinical, laboratory and histopathological
      findings indicated the development of secondary haemophagocytic
      lymphohistiocytosis triggered by these closely succeeding viral primary
      infections.

PMID- 28356258
TI  - A boy with fever and arthralgia.

PMID- 28356257
TI  - Exploring Human Antimicrobial Antibody Responses on a Single B Cell Level.
AB  - Analysis of monoclonal antibodies (MAbs) derived from single B cell cloning has
      been highly beneficial for antimicrobial immunotherapy, vaccine design, and
      advancing our understanding of pathogen-triggered effects on the human
      immunoglobulin repertoire. Sequencing of variable domains of single B cells, and
      characterization of binding and functional activities of MAbs derived from those
      sequences, provides in-depth insight not only into sites of susceptibility for
      antibody-mediated neutralization or opsonization of the pathogen but also into
      the dynamics of protective antibody evolution during infection. This information
      can be utilized to rapidly develop novel immunotherapies of completely human
      origin and provides a roadmap for structure-based vaccine design that aims to
      elicit similar protective antibody responses. Here, we summarize recent aspects
      of the single B cell cloning approach.

PMID- 28356260
TI  - QOFerrendum.

PMID- 28356261
TI  - Ribociclib Approved for Advanced Breast Cancer.
AB  - The FDA has approved ribociclib combined with aromatase inhibitor therapy for
      women with metastatic HR-positive, HER2-negative breast cancer. It is the second
      CDK 4/6 inhibitor approved for these patients, behind palbociclib; a third is
      under investigation.

PMID- 28356262
TI  - Of Cancer and Random Mutations.
AB  - In an expanded analysis that includes data from 69 countries, researchers at
      Johns Hopkins School of Medicine in Baltimore, MD, once again report a strong
      correlation between stem-cell division rates and lifetime cancer risk. They have
      also calculated, for the first time, the respective contributions of random
      replication errors, environmental factors, and heredity to mutations that drive
      cancer.

PMID- 28356256
TI  - Recent Progress in the Prevention of Serogroup B Meningococcal Disease.
AB  - The widespread use of meningococcal polysaccharide conjugate vaccines has
      highlighted the challenge of providing protection against serogroup B disease.
      Over a period of 4 decades, vaccine development has focused on subcapsular
      protein antigens, first with outer membrane vesicle (OMV) vaccines against
      epidemic outbreaks, and more recently on new multicomponent vaccines designed to
      offer better cross-protection against the antigenically diverse strains
      responsible for endemic disease. Because of the low incidence of meningococcal
      disease, the protective efficacy of these vaccines has not been determined in
      clinical studies, and their licensure has been based on serological data;
      however, the serological assays used to predict protective coverage have
      limitations. As a result, evidence of the effectiveness of these vaccines against
      different strains and the contribution of specific antigens to protection can
      only be provided by epidemiological analyses following their implementation in
      sufficiently large populations. The recent inclusion of the four-component
      meningococcal serogroup B (4CMenB) vaccine, Bexsero, in the infant immunization
      program in the UK has provided preliminary evidence that the vaccine is
      effective. Ongoing surveillance will provide valuable data on its longer-term
      impact and antigenic coverage. Further development of protein-based vaccines
      against meningococcal disease is anticipated to improve antigenic coverage and
      adjust to changes in circulating strains. At the same time, alternative
      immunization strategies may be explored to improve overall vaccine effectiveness
      by, for example, protecting the youngest infants or providing herd protection.

PMID- 28356263
TI  - Profiling Response, Resistance to Immunotherapy.
AB  - In a longitudinal analysis of patients with metastatic melanoma who received
      sequential therapies targeting CTLA-4, then PD-1 upon disease progression,
      researchers have discovered that high copy-number loss in recurrent regions of
      the tumor genome is associated with resistance to immune checkpoint blockade.

PMID- 28356266
TI  - Nurse led clinics can improve secondary prevention after coronary events.

PMID- 28356264
TI  - Screening of the Filamin C Gene in a Large Cohort of Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy
      Patients.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Recent exome sequencing studies identified filamin C (FLNC) as a
      candidate gene for hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM). Our aim was to determine
      the rate of FLNC candidate variants in a large cohort of HCM patients who were
      also sequenced for the main sarcomere genes. METHODS AND RESULTS: A total of 448
      HCM patients were next generation-sequenced (semiconductor chip technology) for
      the MYH7, MYBPC3, TNNT2, TNNI3, ACTC1, TNNC1, MYL2, MYL3, TPM1, and FLNC genes.
      We also sequenced 450 healthy controls from the same population. Based on the
      reported population frequencies, bioinformatic criteria, and familial
      segregation, we identified 20 FLNC candidate variants (13 new; 1 nonsense; and 19
      missense) in 22 patients. Compared with the patients, only 1 of the control's
      missense variants was nonreported (P=0.007; Fisher exact probability test). Based
      on the familial segregation and the reported functional studies, 6 of the
      candidate variants (in 7 patients) were finally classified as likely pathogenic,
      10 as variants of uncertain significance, and 4 as likely benign. CONCLUSIONS: We
      provide a compelling evidence of the involvement of FLNC in the development of
      HCM. Most of the FLNC variants were associated with mild forms of HCM and a
      reduced penetrance, with few affected in the families to confirm the segregation.
      Our work, together with others who found FLNC variants among patients with
      dilated and restrictive cardiomyopathies, pointed to this gene as an important
      cause of structural cardiomyopathies.

PMID- 28356265
TI  - Programmatic Approach to Management of Tetralogy of Fallot With Major
      Aortopulmonary Collateral Arteries: A 15-Year Experience With 458 Patients.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Tetralogy of Fallot with major aortopulmonary collateral arteries is
      a complex and heterogeneous condition. Our institutional approach to this lesion
      emphasizes early complete repair with the incorporation of all lung segments and
      extensive lobar and segmental pulmonary artery reconstruction. METHODS AND
      RESULTS: We reviewed all patients who underwent surgical intervention for
      tetralogy of Fallot and major aortopulmonary collateral arteries at Lucile
      Packard Children's Hospital Stanford (LPCHS) since November 2001. A total of 458
      patients underwent surgery, 291 (64%) of whom underwent their initial procedure
      at LPCHS. Patients were followed for a median of 2.7 years (mean 4.3 years) after
      the first LPCHS surgery, with an estimated survival of 85% at 5 years after first
      surgical intervention. Factors associated with worse survival included first
      LPCHS surgery type other than complete repair and Alagille syndrome. Of the
      overall cohort, 402 patients achieved complete unifocalization and repair, either
      as a single-stage procedure (n=186), after initial palliation at our center
      (n=74), or after surgery elsewhere followed by repair/revision at LPCHS (n=142).
      The median right ventricle:aortic pressure ratio after repair was 0.35. Estimated
      survival after repair was 92.5% at 10 years and was shorter in patients with
      chromosomal anomalies, older age, a greater number of collaterals unifocalized,
      and higher postrepair right ventricle pressure. CONCLUSIONS: Using an approach
      that emphasizes early complete unifocalization and repair with incorporation of
      all pulmonary vascular supply, we have achieved excellent results in patients
      with both native and previously operated tetralogy of Fallot and major
      aortopulmonary collateral arteries.

PMID- 28356267
TI  - Hemoglobin inhibits albumin uptake by proximal tubule cells: implications for
      sickle cell disease.
AB  - Proximal tubule (PT) dysfunction, including tubular proteinuria, is a significant
      complication in young sickle cell disease (SCD) that can eventually lead to
      chronic kidney disease. Hemoglobin (Hb) dimers released from red blood cells upon
      hemolysis are filtered into the kidney and internalized by megalin/cubilin
      receptors into PT cells. The PT is especially sensitive to heme toxicity, and
      tubular dysfunction in SCD is thought to result from prolonged exposure to
      filtered Hb. Here we show that concentrations of Hb predicted to enter the tubule
      lumen during hemolytic crisis competitively inhibit the uptake of another
      megalin/cubilin ligand (albumin) by PT cells. These effects were independent of
      heme reduction state. The Glu7Val mutant of Hb that causes SCD was equally
      effective at inhibiting albumin uptake compared with wild-type Hb. Addition of
      the Hb scavenger haptoglobin (Hpt) restored albumin uptake in the presence of Hb,
      suggesting that Hpt binding to the Hb alphabeta dimer-dimer interface interferes
      with Hb binding to megalin/cubilin. BLAST searches and structural modeling
      analyses revealed regions of similarity between Hb and albumin that map to this
      region and may represent sites of Hb interaction with megalin/cubilin. Our
      studies suggest that impaired endocytosis of megalin/cubilin ligands, rather than
      heme toxicity, may be the cause of tubular proteinuria in SCD patients.
      Additionally, loss of these filtered proteins into the urine may contribute to
      the extra-renal pathogenesis of SCD.

PMID- 28356268
TI  - Neurotrophin 3 upregulates proliferation and collagen production in human aortic
      valve interstitial cells: a potential role in aortic valve sclerosis.
AB  - Calcific aortic valve disease (CAVD) is a leading cardiovascular disorder in the
      elderly. Diseased aortic valves are characterized by sclerosis (fibrosis) and
      nodular calcification. Sclerosis, an early pathological change, is caused by
      aortic valve interstitial cell (AVIC) proliferation and overproduction of
      extracellular matrix (ECM) proteins. However, the mechanism of aortic valve
      sclerosis remains unclear. Recently, we observed that diseased human aortic
      valves overexpress growth factor neurotrophin 3 (NT3). In the present study, we
      tested the hypothesis that NT3 is a profibrogenic factor to human AVICs. AVICs
      isolated from normal human aortic valves were cultured in M199 growth medium and
      treated with recombinant human NT3 (0.10 ug/ml). An exposure to NT3 induced AVIC
      proliferation, upregulated the production of collagen and matrix
      metalloproteinase (MMP), and augmented collagen deposition. These changes were
      abolished by inhibition of the Trk receptors. NT3 induced Akt phosphorylation and
      increased cyclin D1 protein levels in a Trk receptor-dependent fashion.
      Inhibition of Akt abrogated the effect of NT3 on cyclin D1 production.
      Furthermore, inhibition of either Akt or cyclin D1 suppressed NT3-induced
      cellular proliferation and MMP-9 and collagen production, as well as collagen
      deposition. Thus, NT3 upregulates cellular proliferation, ECM protein production,
      and collagen deposition in human AVICs. It exerts these effects through the Trk
      Akt-cyclin D1 cascade. NT3 is a profibrogenic mediator in human aortic valve, and
      overproduction of NT3 by aortic valve tissue may contribute to the mechanism of
      valvular sclerosis.

PMID- 28356269
TI  - miR-375 negatively regulates the synthesis and secretion of catecholamines by
      targeting Sp1 in rat adrenal medulla.
AB  - The adrenal gland is an important endocrine gland in balancing homeostasis and
      the response to stress by synthesizing and secreting catecholamines (CATs), and
      it has been confirmed that microRNA-375 (miR-375) is highly expressed in adrenal
      medulla. However, up to now there are few reports about the functions and related
      mechanisms in adrenal medulla. The present study was thus designed to study the
      roles and related mechanisms in rat adrenal medulla. Our results showed that miR
      375 was specifically expressed in rat adrenal medulla chromaffin cells, and its
      expression was downregulated when rats were exposed to stress. The further
      functional studies demonstrated that the inhibition of endogenous miR-375 induced
      the secretion of CATs in primary rat medulla chromaffin cells and PC12 cells,
      whereas miR-375 overexpression resulted in a decline of CAT secretion. In
      addition, our results showed that miR-375 negatively regulated tyrosine
      hydroxylase (TH) and dopamine-beta-hydroxylase (DBH) and mediated adrenomedullary
      CAT biosynthesis. These functions of miR-375 were accomplished by its binding to
      the 3'-untranslated region of Sp1, which was involved in the regulation of TH and
      DBH expressions. These novel findings suggest that miR-375 acts as a potent
      negative mediator in regulating the synthesis and secretion of CATs in the
      adrenal medulla during the maintenance of homeostasis under stress.

PMID- 28356271
TI  - Cashew consumption reduces total and LDL cholesterol: a randomized, crossover,
      controlled-feeding trial.
AB  - Background: Cashews are the third most-consumed tree nut in the United States and
      are abundant with monounsaturated fatty acids and polyunsaturated fatty acids,
      which are associated with reduced cardiovascular disease risk. Although a
      qualified Food and Drug Administration health claim exists for nuts and heart
      health, cashews have been exempt from its use because cashews exceed the
      disqualifying amount of saturated fatty acids. Approximately one-third of the
      saturated fat in cashews is stearic acid, which is relatively neutral on blood
      lipids, thereby suggesting that cashews could have effects that are similar to
      those of other nuts. However, clinical data on cashews and blood lipids have been
      limited.Objective: We investigated the effect of reasonable intakes of cashews on
      serum lipids in adults with or at risk of high LDL cholesterol.Design: In a
      randomized, crossover, isocaloric, controlled-feeding study, 51 men and women
      (aged 21-73 y) with a median LDL-cholesterol concentration of 159 mg/dL (95% CI:
      146, 165 mg/dL) at screening consumed typical American diets with cashews (28-64
      g/d; 50% of kilocalories from carbohydrate, 18% of kilocalories from protein, and
      32% of kilocalories from total fat) or potato chips (control; 54% of kilocalories
      from carbohydrate, 18% of kilocalories from protein, and 29% of kilocalories from
      total fat) for 28 d with a >=2-wk washout period.Results: Consumption of the
      cashew diet resulted in a significantly greater median change from baseline
      (compared with the control, all P < 0.05) in total cholesterol [-3.9% (95% CI: 
      9.3%, 1.7%) compared with 0.8% (95% CI: -1.5%, 4.5%), respectively], LDL
      cholesterol [-4.8% (95% CI: -12.6%, 3.1%) compared with 1.2% (95% CI: -2.3%,
      7.8%), respectively], non-HDL cholesterol [-5.3% (95% CI: -8.6%, 2.1%) compared
      with 1.7% (95% CI: -0.9%, 5.6%), respectively], and the total-cholesterol:HDL
      cholesterol ratio [-0.0% (95% CI: -4.3%, 4.8%) compared with 3.4% (95% CI: 0.6%,
      5.2%), respectively]. There were no significant differences between diets for HDL
      cholesterol and triglyceride.Conclusions: In comparison with a control diet, the
      incorporation of cashews into typical American diets decreases total cholesterol
      and LDL cholesterol. Results from this study provide support that the daily
      consumption of cashews, when substituted for a high-carbohydrate snack, may be a
      simple dietary strategy to help manage total cholesterol and LDL cholesterol.
      This study was registered at clinicaltrials.gov as NCT02769741.

PMID- 28356270
TI  - Ulk1-mediated autophagy plays an essential role in mitochondrial remodeling and
      functional regeneration of skeletal muscle.
AB  - Autophagy is a conserved cellular process for degrading aggregate proteins and
      dysfunctional organelle. It is still debatable if autophagy and mitophagy (a
      specific process of autophagy of mitochondria) play important roles in myogenic
      differentiation and functional regeneration of skeletal muscle. We tested the
      hypothesis that autophagy is critical for functional regeneration of skeletal
      muscle. We first observed time-dependent increases (3- to 6-fold) of autophagy
      related proteins (Atgs), including Ulk1, Beclin1, and LC3, along with reduced p62
      expression during C2C12 differentiation, suggesting increased autophagy capacity
      and flux during myogenic differentiation. We then used cardiotoxin (Ctx) or
      ischemia-reperfusion (I/R) to induce muscle injury and regeneration and observed
      increases in Atgs between days 2 and 7 in adult skeletal muscle followed by
      increased autophagy flux after day 7 Since Ulk1 has been shown to be essential
      for mitophagy, we asked if Ulk1 is critical for functional regeneration in
      skeletal muscle. We subjected skeletal muscle-specific Ulk1 knockout mice (MKO)
      to Ctx or I/R. MKO mice had significantly impaired recovery of muscle strength
      and mitochondrial protein content post-Ctx or I/R. Imaging analysis showed that
      MKO mice have significantly attenuated recovery of mitochondrial network at 7 and
      14 days post-Ctx. These findings suggest that increased autophagy protein and
      flux occur during muscle regeneration and Ulk1-mediated mitophagy is critical for
      recovery for the mitochondrial network and hence functional regeneration.

PMID- 28356272
TI  - Choline and its metabolites are differently associated with cardiometabolic risk
      factors, history of cardiovascular disease, and MRI-documented cerebrovascular
      disease in older adults.
AB  - Background: There is a potential role of choline in cardiovascular and
      cerebrovascular disease through its involvement in lipid and one-carbon
      metabolism.Objective: We evaluated the associations of plasma choline and choline
      related compounds with cardiometabolic risk factors, history of cardiovascular
      disease, and cerebrovascular pathology.Design: A cross-sectional subset of the
      Nutrition, Aging, and Memory in Elders cohort who had undergone MRI of the brain
      (n = 296; mean +/- SD age: 73 +/- 8.1 y) was assessed. Plasma concentrations of
      free choline, betaine, and phosphatidylcholine were measured with the use of
      liquid-chromatography-stable-isotope dilution-multiple-reaction monitoring-mass
      spectrometry. A volumetric analysis of MRI was used to determine the
      cerebrovascular pathology (white-matter hyperintensities and small- and large
      vessel infarcts). Multiple linear and logistic regression models were used to
      examine relations of plasma measures with cardiometabolic risk factors, history
      of cardiovascular disease, and radiologic evidence of cerebrovascular
      pathology.Results: Higher concentrations of plasma choline were associated with
      an unfavorable cardiometabolic risk-factor profile [lower high-density
      lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol, higher total homocysteine, and higher body mass
      index (BMI)] and greater odds of large-vessel cerebral vascular disease or
      history of cardiovascular disease but lower odds of small-vessel cerebral
      vascular disease. Conversely, higher concentrations of plasma betaine were
      associated with a favorable cardiometabolic risk-factor profile [lower low
      density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol and triglycerides] and lower odds of
      diabetes. Higher concentrations of plasma phosphatidylcholine were associated
      with characteristics of both a favorable cardiometabolic risk-factor profile
      (higher HDL cholesterol, lower BMI, lower C-reactive protein, lower waist
      circumference, and lower odds of hypertension and diabetes) and an unfavorable
      profile (higher LDL cholesterol and triglycerides).Conclusion: Choline and its
      metabolites have differential associations with cardiometabolic risk factors and
      subtypes of vascular disease, thereby suggesting differing roles in the
      pathogenesis of cardiovascular and cerebral large-vessel disease compared with
      that of small-vessel disease.

PMID- 28356273
TI  - Nutrition label use is associated with lower longer-term diabetes risk in US
      adults.
AB  - Background: Regular nutrition label use may have important long-term health
      implications. To our knowledge, the role of nutrition label use in protecting
      against the development of chronic diseases was unexplored prospectively before
      this study.Objective: We tested the association between nutrition label use and
      risk of a future diabetes diagnosis in a multiethnic US cohort.Design: Data from
      the ongoing National Longitudinal Survey of Youth-1979 (NLSY79) were analyzed.
      From 2002 (baseline) to 5 follow-up time points (2004-2012), 7150 diabetes-free,
      multiethnic young adults were prospectively followed for a diagnosis of incident
      diabetes. Nutrition label use, diabetes diagnosis, time to diabetes diagnosis,
      and all covariates were self-reported.Results: Between January 2002 and September
      2013, 430 participants (6.0%) were diagnosed with diabetes. A weighted,
      multivariable, extended Cox regression was conducted, which suggested that in
      nutrition label users, the HR of diabetes diagnosis risk decreased significantly
      with time (P-nutrition label use * time interaction < 0.05) compared with risk in
      nutrition label nonusers.Conclusions: There is an association between nutrition
      label use and diabetes risk in the longer term. However, additional longitudinal
      research with a robust dietary intake assessment is needed to test this
      hypothesis.

PMID- 28356274
TI  - Relation between hypermetabolism, cachexia, and survival in cancer patients: a
      prospective study in 390 cancer patients before initiation of anticancer therapy.
AB  - Background: Cachexia is a major cause of death in cancer patients. The role of
      hypermetabolism in cancer cachexia remains unclear.Objective: We studied the
      relation between resting energy expenditure (REE), the estimated energy balance,
      clinical and biological markers of cachexia, and survival.Design: REE was
      measured with the use of indirect calorimetry in cancer patients before the
      initiation of anticancer therapies. Hypermetabolic, normometabolic, and
      hypometabolic patients were identified with the use of Boothby's standard. Weight
      loss, performance status (PS), C-reactive protein (CRP), albumin, the nutritional
      risk index, daily energy intake, energy balance (equal to daily energy intakes
      minus the REE), and survival were recorded.Results: Of 390 enrolled patients, 49%
      of subjects were hypermetabolic, 30% of subjects were normometabolic, and 21% of
      subjects were hypometabolic. Mean daily energy intakes did not differ
      significantly between the 3 groups. Hypermetabolic patients, compared with
      normometabolic patients, were more likely to have a negative energy balance [45%
      compared with 32%, respectively; OR: 1.74 (95% CI: 1.05, 2.91); P = 0.024],
      weight loss >5% [48% compared with 34%, respectively; OR: 1.83 (95% CI: 1.11,
      3.04); P = 0.013], PS >=2 [40% compared with 29%, respectively; OR: 1.70 (95% CI:
      1.01, 2.88); P = 0.038], and CRP concentrations >=10 mg/L [52% compared with 33%,
      respectively; OR: 2.2 (95% CI: 1.33, 3.66); P = 0.001]. In metastatic patients,
      compared with normometabolism, hypermetabolism was associated with a reduced
      median survival [14.6 compared with 21.4 mo, respectively; OR: 1.48 (95% CI:
      1.01, 2.17); P = 0.044].Conclusions: Hypermetabolism is correlated with clinical
      and biological markers of cancer cachexia and is associated with a shorter
      survival in metastatic cancer patients. The development of therapeutic strategies
      that aim to blunt hypermetabolism appears warranted. This trial was registered at
      www.controlled-trials.com as ISRCTN46152275.

PMID- 28356276
TI  - Dietary intake and adipose tissue content of long-chain n-3 PUFAs and subsequent
      5-y change in body weight and waist circumference.
AB  - Background: Adding long-chain n-3 (omega-3) polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs)
      to a rodent diet reduces fat mass and prevents the development of obesity, but
      evidence of a similar effect in humans is rather limited.Objectives: We
      investigated the associations between dietary intake and adipose tissue content
      of long-chain n-3 PUFAs and subsequent 5-y change in body weight and waist
      circumference in humans. Effect modification by the carbohydrate:protein ratio
      and glycemic index was also investigated.Design: A total of 29,152 participants
      included in the Diet, Cancer, and Health cohort were followed. Dietary intake was
      assessed with the use of a validated 192-item semiquantitative food-frequency
      questionnaire. Adipose tissue content of fatty acids was determined by gas
      chromatography in a random sample of the cohort (n = 1660). Anthropometric
      measurements were taken at baseline and 5 y later. Associations were investigated
      with the use of a linear regression model.Results: For high (1.22 g/d) compared
      with low (0.28 g/d) total n-3 PUFA intake, the difference in 5-y weight change
      was 147.6 g (95% CI: -42.3, 337.5 g); P-trend = 0.088. No associations between
      the individual n-3 PUFAs eicosapentaenoic acid, docosapentaenoic acid, and
      docosahexaenoic acid were observed. Intake of n-3 PUFAs was not associated with a
      5-y change in waist circumference. For high (0.16%) compared with low (0.06%)
      adipose tissue content of EPA, the difference in 5-y weight change was -649.6 g
      (95% CI: -1254.2, -44.9 g); P-trend = 0.027. No associations between total n-3
      PUFA, docosapentaenoic acid, and docosahexaenoic acid and 5-y weight change were
      observed. Adipose tissue content of n-3 PUFAs was not associated with 5-y change
      in waist circumference. No effect modification by carbohydrate:protein ratio or
      glycemic index was found.Conclusion: Dietary intake and adipose tissue content of
      long-chain n-3 PUFAs were neither consistently nor appreciably associated with
      change in body weight or waist circumference.

PMID- 28356275
TI  - A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials of the
      effect of konjac glucomannan, a viscous soluble fiber, on LDL cholesterol and the
      new lipid targets non-HDL cholesterol and apolipoprotein B.
AB  - Background: Evidence from randomized controlled trials (RCTs) suggests the
      consumption of konjac glucomannan (KJM), a viscous soluble fiber, for improving
      LDL-cholesterol concentrations. It has also been suggested that the cholesterol
      lowering potential of KJM may be greater than that of other fibers. However,
      trials have been relatively scarce and limited in sample size and duration, and
      the effect estimates have been inconsistent. The effect of KJM on new lipid
      targets of cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk is also unknown.Objective: This
      systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to assess the effect of KJM on LDL
      cholesterol, non-HDL cholesterol, and apolipoprotein B.Design: Medline, Embase,
      CINAHL, and the Cochrane Central databases were searched. We included RCTs with a
      follow-up of >=3 wk that assessed the effect of KJM on LDL cholesterol, non-HDL
      cholesterol, or apolipoprotein B. Data were pooled by using the generic inverse
      variance method with random-effects models and expressed as mean differences
      (MDs) with 95% CIs. Heterogeneity was assessed by the Cochran Q statistic and
      quantified by the I2 statistic.Results: Twelve studies (n = 370), 8 in adults and
      4 in children, met the inclusion criteria. KJM significantly lowered LDL
      cholesterol (MD: -0.35 mmol/L; 95% CI: -0.46, -0.25 mmol/L) and non-HDL
      cholesterol (MD: -0.32 mmol/L; 95% CI: -0.46, -0.19 mmol/L). Data from 6 trials
      suggested no impact of KJM on apolipoprotein B.Conclusions: Our findings support
      the intake of ~3 g KJM/d for reductions in LDL cholesterol and non-HDL
      cholesterol of 10% and 7%, respectively. The information may be of interest to
      health agencies in crafting future dietary recommendations related to reduction
      in CVD risk. This study was registered at clinicaltrials.gov as NCT02068248.

PMID- 28356277
TI  - Validation of spot urine in predicting 24-h sodium excretion at the individual
      level.
AB  - Background: Evidence for the effect of dietary sodium intake on the risk of
      cardiovascular disease has been controversial. One of the main explanations for
      the conflicting results lies in the great variability associated with measurement
      methods for sodium intake. Spot urine collection is a convenient method commonly
      used for sodium estimation, but its validity for predicting 24-h urinary sodium
      excretion at the individual level has not been well evaluated among the general
      population.Objective: The aim of this study was to evaluate the validity of the
      Kawasaki, the International Cooperative Study on Salt, Other Factors, and Blood
      Pressure (INTERSALT), and the Tanaka formulas in predicting 24-h urinary sodium
      excretion by using spot urine samples in Chinese adults.Design: We analyzed the
      relative and absolute differences and misclassification at the individual level
      from 3 commonly used methods for estimating sodium intake among 141 Chinese
      community residents.Results: The mean measured 24-h sodium excretion was 220.8
      mmol/d. The median (95% CIs) differences between measured sodium and those
      estimated from the Kawasaki, INTERSALT, and Tanaka methods were 6.4 mmol/d (
      17.5, 36.8 mmol/d), -67.3 mmol/d (-96.5, -46.9 mmol/d), and -42.9 mmol/d (-59.1, 
      24.8 mmol/d), respectively. The proportions of relative differences >40% with the
      Kawasaki, INTERSALT, and Tanaka methods were 31.2%, 41.1%, and 22.0%,
      respectively; and the absolute difference for the 3 methods was >51.3 mmol/d (3 g
      salt) in approximately half of the participants. The misclassification rate was
      63.1% for the Kawasaki method, 78.7% for the INTERSALT method, and 66.0% for the
      Tanaka method at the individual level.Conclusion: The results from our study do
      not support the use of spot urine to estimate 24-h urinary sodium excretion at
      the individual level because of its poor performance with respect to
      misclassification. This trial was registered at www.chictr.org.cn as ChiCTR-IOR
      16010278.

PMID- 28356278
TI  - What's normal? Oligosaccharide concentrations and profiles in milk produced by
      healthy women vary geographically.
AB  - Background: Human milk is a complex fluid comprised of myriad substances, with
      one of the most abundant substances being a group of complex carbohydrates
      referred to as human milk oligosaccharides (HMOs). There has been some evidence
      that HMO profiles differ in populations, but few studies have rigorously explored
      this variability.Objectives: We tested the hypothesis that HMO profiles differ in
      diverse populations of healthy women. Next, we examined relations between HMO and
      maternal anthropometric and reproductive indexes and indirectly examined whether
      differences were likely related to genetic or environmental variations.Design: In
      this cross-sectional, observational study, milk was collected from a total of 410
      healthy, breastfeeding women in 11 international cohorts and analyzed for HMOs by
      using high-performance liquid chromatography.Results: There was an effect of the
      cohort (P < 0.05) on concentrations of almost all HMOs. For instance, the mean 3
      fucosyllactose concentration was >4 times higher in milk collected in Sweden than
      in milk collected in rural Gambia (mean +/- SEM: 473 +/- 55 compared with 103 +/-
      16 nmol/mL, respectively; P < 0.05), and disialyllacto-N-tetraose (DSLNT)
      concentrations ranged from 216 +/- 14 nmol/mL (in Sweden) to 870 +/- 68 nmol/mL
      (in rural Gambia) (P < 0.05). Maternal age, time postpartum, weight, and body
      mass index were all correlated with several HMOs, and multiple differences in
      HMOs [e.g., lacto-N-neotetrose and DSLNT] were shown between ethnically similar
      (and likely genetically similar) populations who were living in different
      locations, which suggests that the environment may play a role in regulating the
      synthesis of HMOs.Conclusions: The results of this study support our hypothesis
      that normal HMO concentrations and profiles vary geographically, even in healthy
      women. Targeted genomic analyses are required to determine whether these
      differences are due at least in part to genetic variation. A careful examination
      of sociocultural, behavioral, and environmental factors is needed to determine
      their roles in this regard. This study was registered at clinicaltrials.gov as
      NCT02670278.

PMID- 28356280
TI  - Sex-Specific Relationship Between Serum Uric Acid and Risk of Stroke: A Dose
      Response Meta-Analysis of Prospective Studies.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Conflicting findings of the association between serum uric acid (UA)
      and stroke have been reported in both men and women, and it is unclear whether
      this association was different between men and women. We preformed this meta
      analysis to assess the sex-specific effect of serum UA on the risk of stroke and
      its subtypes. METHODS AND RESULTS: Prospective studies that reported sex-specific
      association of UA levels with stroke or reported in a certain sex were included.
      Dose-response relationships were assessed by the generalized least squares trend
      estimation, and summary effect estimates were evaluated with random-effect
      models. Subgroup and sensitivity analyses were performed to assess the potential
      sources of heterogeneity and the robustness of the pooled estimation. Altogether,
      13 prospective studies were identified in this study. The summary of relative
      risks (95% CIs) of stroke for a 1-mg/dL increase in serum UA levels were 1.10
      (1.05-1.14) for men and 1.11 (1.09-1.13) for women. There is no significant
      difference in the effect of UA on future stroke risk between men and women
      (Pinteraction=0.736). Subgroup analyses showed that the significant associations
      persisted in most stratifications, and sensitivity analyses according to various
      inclusion criteria yielded similar results. A nonlinear relationship was observed
      in men (Pnon-linearity<0.001), with risk increasing significantly from a UA of 6
      mg/dL and more steeply at higher UA levels. CONCLUSIONS: Elevated serum UA levels
      were significantly associated with modestly increased risk of stroke in both men
      and women and have similar adverse effects on development of stroke in both
      sexes.

PMID- 28356281
TI  - Sex- and Race-Related Differences in Characteristics and Outcomes of
      Hospitalizations for Heart Failure With Preserved Ejection Fraction.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Sex and race have emerged as important contributors to the phenotypic
      heterogeneity of heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF). However,
      there remains a need to identify important sex- and race-related differences in
      characteristics and outcomes using a nationally representative cohort. METHODS
      AND RESULTS: Data were obtained from the Agency for Healthcare Research and
      Quality Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project-Nationwide Inpatient Sample files
      between 2008 and 2012. Hospitalizations with a diagnosis of HFpEF were included
      for analysis. Demographics, hospital characteristics, and age-adjusted
      comorbidity prevalence rates were compared between men and women and whites and
      blacks. In-hospital mortality was determined and compared for each subgroup.
      Multivariable regression analyses were used to identify and compare correlates of
      in-hospital mortality for each subgroup. A sample of 1 889 608 hospitalizations
      was analyzed. Men with HFpEF were slightly younger than women with HFpEF and had
      a higher Elixhauser comorbidity score. Men experienced higher in-hospital
      mortality compared with women, a finding that was attenuated after adjusting for
      comorbidity. Blacks with HFpEF were younger than whites with HFpEF, with lower
      rates of most comorbidities. Hypertension, diabetes, anemia, and chronic renal
      failure were more common among blacks. Blacks experienced lower in-hospital
      mortality compared with whites, even after adjusting for age and comorbidity.
      Important correlates of mortality among all 4 subgroups included pulmonary
      circulation disorders, liver disease, and chronic renal failure. Atrial
      fibrillation was an important correlate of mortality only among women and blacks.
      CONCLUSIONS: Differences in patient characteristics and outcomes reinforce the
      notion that sex and race contribute to the phenotypic heterogeneity of HFpEF.

PMID- 28356279
TI  - History of Periodontitis Diagnosis and Edentulism as Predictors of Cardiovascular
      Disease, Stroke, and Mortality in Postmenopausal Women.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Few studies have reported associations between periodontitis and
      cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk in older women, which is the objective of the
      present investigation. METHODS AND RESULTS: Participants were 57 001
      postmenopausal women ages 55 to 89 years (mean 68 years; >85% 60 and older) who
      were enrolled (1993-1998) in the Women's Health Initiative Observational Study,
      and were without known CVD when history of periodontitis and edentulism was
      assessed by questionnaire at study Year-5 (1998-2003). There were 3589 incident
      CVD events and 3816 total deaths during a mean follow-up of 6.7 years. In
      multivariable analysis, periodontitis was not associated with CVD events, but was
      associated with higher total mortality (hazard ratio (HR)=1.12, 95% CI: 1.05
      1.21). Edentulism was associated with higher age- and smoking-adjusted risks of
      CVD (HR=1.42, 95% CI: 1.27-1.59) and mortality (HR=1.47, 95% CI: 1.32-1.63).
      Further adjustment eliminated the association with CVD, but mortality remained
      significantly increased (HR=1.17, 95% CI: 1.02-1.33). Stratification on age, race
      ethnicity, smoking, and diabetes mellitus yielded comparable results; however,
      edentulism was more strongly associated with CVD in women reporting >=1 dental
      visit (HR=1.57) compared with <1 visit (HR 1.03, interaction P=0.004) annually.
      CONCLUSIONS: In community-dwelling older women, edentulism was associated with
      increased risks of CVD and total mortality, and presence of periodontitis, which
      is more prevalent than edentulism, was associated with 17% higher mortality rate.
      These findings suggest that improving periodontal condition of the general
      population could reduce overall mortality.

PMID- 28356282
TI  - Impact of Diabetes Mellitus on the Pharmacodynamic Effects of Ticagrelor Versus
      Clopidogrel in Troponin-Negative Acute Coronary Syndrome Patients Undergoing Ad
      Hoc Percutaneous Coronary Intervention.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Diabetes mellitus (DM) is associated with enhanced platelet
      reactivity and impaired response to oral antiplatelet therapy, including
      clopidogrel. This post hoc analysis investigated the pharmacodynamic effects of
      ticagrelor versus clopidogrel loading dose (LD) in troponin-negative acute
      coronary syndrome patients with or without DM undergoing percutaneous coronary
      intervention in the Ad Hoc PCI study. METHODS AND RESULTS: Patients randomized
      (1:1) to receive ticagrelor 180 mg LD or clopidogrel 600 mg LD were assessed by
      diabetic status. Platelet reactivity (P2Y12 reaction units [PRU] on VerifyNow(r)
      assay) was measured pre-LD, at 0.5, 2, and 8 hours post-LD, and at the end of the
      percutaneous coronary intervention. The primary endpoint was PRU levels 2 hours
      post-LD; secondary endpoints included rates of high on-treatment platelet
      reactivity (PRU>=208). Of 100 randomized patients, 51 received ticagrelor (DM,
      n=20; non-DM, n=31) and 49 clopidogrel (DM, n=16; non-DM, n=33). At 2 hours post
      LD, mean (SD) PRU levels in DM patients were 130.1 (111.7) with ticagrelor versus
      287.6 (71.9) with clopidogrel (mean [95%CI] difference -157.5 [-225.3, -89.8];
      P<0.001); in non-DM patients, they were 75.3 (75.7) versus 243.0 (72.4) (mean
      difference -167.7 [-207.1, -128.3]; P<0.001). High on-treatment platelet
      reactivity rates at 2 hours post-LD were also significantly (P<0.001) reduced
      with ticagrelor versus clopidogrel in DM and non-DM patients. Between-treatment
      differences for PRU and high on-treatment platelet reactivity were not
      significant at earlier time points but were at 8 hours post-LD (P<0.001).
      CONCLUSIONS: Compared with clopidogrel, ticagrelor achieved faster, enhanced
      platelet inhibition and reduced high on-treatment platelet reactivity rates, in
      DM and non-DM patients. CLINICAL TRIAL REGISTRATION: URL:
      http://www.clinicaltrials.gov. Unique identifier: NCT01603082.

PMID- 28356286
TI  - Early, but not late, treatment with human umbilical cord blood-derived
      mesenchymal stem cells attenuates cisplatin nephrotoxicity through
      immunomodulation.
AB  - Preemptive treatment with mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) can attenuate cisplatin
      induced acute kidney injury (AKI). However, it is uncertain whether MSC treatment
      after the development of renal dysfunction prevents AKI progression or if MSC
      immunomodulatory properties contribute to MSC therapy. In this study, human
      umbilical cord blood (hUCB)-derived MSCs were used to compare the effects and
      mechanisms of early and late MSC therapy in a murine model. After cisplatin
      injection into C57BL/6 mice, hUCB-MSCs were administered on day 1 (early
      treatment) or day 3 (late treatment). With early treatment, cisplatin
      nephrotoxicity was attenuated as evidenced by decreased blood urea nitrogen (BUN)
      and reduced apoptosis and tubular injury scores on day 3 Early treatment resulted
      in downregulation of intrarenal monocyte chemotactic protein-1 and IL-6
      expression and upregulation of IL-10 and VEGF expression. Flow cytometric
      analysis showed similar populations of infiltrated immune cells in both groups;
      however, regulatory T-cell (Treg) infiltration was 2.5-fold higher in the early
      treatment group. The role of Tregs was confirmed by the blunted effect of early
      treatment on renal injury after Treg depletion. In contrast, late treatment (at a
      time when BUN levels were 2-fold higher than baseline levels) showed no
      renoprotective effects on day 6 Neither the populations of intrarenal
      infiltrating immune cells (including Tregs) nor cytokine expression levels were
      affected by late treatment. Our results suggest that early MSC treatment
      attenuates renal injury by Treg induction and immunomodulation, whereas a late
      treatment (i.e., after the development of renal dysfunction) does not prevent AKI
      progression or alter the intrarenal inflammatory micromilieu.

PMID- 28356288
TI  - 2017 Robert W. Berliner Award for Excellence in Renal Physiology.

PMID- 28356283
TI  - Saving the sweetness: renal glucose handling in health and disease.
AB  - Glucose homeostasis is highly controlled, and the function of the kidney plays an
      integral role in this process. The exquisite control of blood glucose relies, in
      part, on renal glucose filtration, renal glucose reabsorption, and renal
      gluconeogenesis. Particularly critical to maintaining glucose homeostasis is the
      renal reabsorption of glucose; with ~162 g of glucose filtered by the kidney per
      day, it is imperative that the kidney have the ability to efficiently reabsorb
      nearly 100% of this glucose back in the bloodstream. In this review, we focus on
      this central process, highlighting the renal transporters and regulators involved
      in both the physiology and pathophysiology of glucose reabsorption.

PMID- 28356284
TI  - Monophosphoryl lipid A induces protection against LPS in medullary thick
      ascending limb through a TLR4-TRIF-PI3K signaling pathway.
AB  - Monophosphoryl lipid A (MPLA) is a detoxified derivative of LPS that induces
      tolerance to LPS and augments host resistance to bacterial infections.
      Previously, we demonstrated that LPS inhibits [Formula: see text] absorption in
      the medullary thick ascending limb (MTAL) through a basolateral Toll-like
      receptor 4 (TLR4)-myeloid differentiation factor 88 (MyD88)-ERK pathway. Here we
      examined whether pretreatment with MPLA would attenuate LPS inhibition. MTALs
      from rats were perfused in vitro with MPLA (1 ug/ml) in bath and lumen or bath
      alone for 2 h, and then LPS was added to (and MPLA removed from) the bath
      solution. Pretreatment with MPLA eliminated LPS-induced inhibition of [Formula:
      see text] absorption. In MTALs pretreated with MPLA plus a phosphatidylinositol 3
      kinase (PI3K) or Akt inhibitor, LPS decreased [Formula: see text] absorption.
      MPLA increased Akt phosphorylation in dissected MTALs. The Akt activation was
      eliminated by a PI3K inhibitor and in MTALs from TLR4-/- or Toll/IL-1 receptor
      domain-containing adaptor-inducing IFN-beta (TRIF)-/- mice. The effect of MPLA to
      prevent LPS inhibition of [Formula: see text] absorption also was TRIF dependent.
      Pretreatment with MPLA prevented LPS-induced ERK activation; this effect was
      dependent on PI3K. MPLA alone had no effect on [Formula: see text] absorption,
      and MPLA pretreatment did not prevent ERK-mediated inhibition of [Formula: see
      text] absorption by aldosterone, consistent with MPLA's low toxicity profile.
      These results demonstrate that pretreatment with MPLA prevents the effect of LPS
      to inhibit [Formula: see text] absorption in the MTAL. This protective effect is
      mediated directly through MPLA stimulation of a TLR4-TRIF-PI3K-Akt pathway that
      prevents LPS-induced ERK activation. These studies identify detoxified TLR4-based
      immunomodulators as novel potential therapeutic agents to prevent or treat renal
      tubule dysfunction in response to bacterial infections.

PMID- 28356290
TI  - Novel contrast mixture improves bladder wall contrast for visualizing bladder
      injury.
AB  - Here, we tested whether combined contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging
      (CCE-MRI), using a mixture of gadolinium- and iron oxide-based contrast agents,
      can segment the bladder wall from the bladder lumen. CCE-MRI relies on the
      differences in particle size and contrast mechanisms of two agents for improved
      image contrast. Under isoflurane anesthesia, T1-weighted imaging of adult female
      Sprague-Dawley rat bladder was performed using standard turbospin echo sequences
      at 7 Tesla, before and after transurethral instillation of 0.3 ml of single
      contrast MRI or CCE-MRI composed of 0.4-64 mM of gadolinium chelate (Gd
      DTPA/Gadavist) and 5 mM ferumoxytol. Bladder wall contrast was assessed in the
      control group exposed to saline and in the bladder injury group exposed to 0.5 ml
      of protamine sulfate (10 mg/ml) for 30 min. CCE-MRI following instillation of 0.4
      4 mM Gd-DTPA and 5 mM ferumoxytol mixture achieved segmentation between the
      bladder lumen and bladder wall. Hyperintensity in the bladder wall combined with
      hypointensity in the lumen is consistent with the increased diffusion of the
      dissolved Gd-DTPA and simultaneous localization of the larger nanoparticles of
      ferumoxytol in the lumen. The normalized hyperintense signal in the bladder wall
      increased from 0.46 +/- 0.07 in control group to 0.73 +/- 0.14 in the protamine
      sulfate-exposed group (P < 0.0001). CCE-MRI following instillation of contrast
      mixture identifies bladder wall changes likely associated with bladder injury
      with improved image contrast.

PMID- 28356285
TI  - Exosome production and its regulation of EGFR during wound healing in renal
      tubular cells.
AB  - Kidney repair following injury involves the reconstitution of a structurally and
      functionally intact tubular epithelium. Growth factors and their receptors, such
      as EGFR, are important in the repair of renal tubules. Exosomes are cell-produced
      small (~100 nm in diameter) vesicles that contain and transfer proteins, lipids,
      RNAs, and DNAs between cells. In this study, we examined the relationship between
      exosome production and EGFR activation and the potential role of exosome in wound
      healing. EGFR activation occurred shortly after scratch wounding in renal tubular
      cells. Wound repair after scratching was significantly promoted by EGF and
      suppressed by EGFR inhibitor gefitinib. Interestingly, scratch wounding induced a
      significant increase of exosome production. The exosome production was decreased
      by EGF and increased by gefitinib, suggesting a suppressive role of EGFR
      signaling in exosome production. Conversely, inhibition of exosome release by
      GW4869 and manumycin A markedly increased EGFR activation and promoted wound
      healing. Moreover, exosomes derived from scratch-wounding cells could inhibit
      wound healing. Collectively, the results indicate that wound healing in renal
      tubular cells is associated with EGFR activation and exosome production. Although
      EGFR activation promotes wound healing, released exosomes may antagonize EGFR
      activation and wound healing.

PMID- 28356287
TI  - PGF2alpha regulates the basolateral K channels in the distal convoluted tubule.
AB  - Our aim is to examine the role of PGF2alpha receptor (FP), a highly expressed
      prostaglandin receptor in the distal convoluted tubule (DCT) in regulating the
      basolateral 40-pS K channel. The single-channel studies demonstrated that
      PGF2alpha had a biphasic effect on the 40-pS K channel in the DCT-PGF2alpha
      stimulated at low concentrations (less than 500 nM), while at high concentrations
      (above 1 uM), it inhibited the 40-pS K channels. Moreover, neither 13,14-dihydro
      15-keto-PGF2alpha (a metabolite of PGF2alpha) nor PGE2 was able to mimic the
      effect of PGF2alpha on the 40-pS K channel in the DCT. The inhibition of PKC had
      no significant effect on the 40-pS K channel; however, it abrogated the
      inhibitory effect of 5 uM PGF2alpha on the K channel. Moreover, stimulation of
      PKC inhibited the 40-pS K channel in the DCT, suggesting that PKC mediates the
      inhibitory effect of PGF2alpha on the 40-pS K channel. Conversely, the
      stimulatory effect of PGF2alpha on the 40-pS K channel was absent in the DCT
      treated with DPI, a NADPH oxidase (NOX) inhibitor. Also, adding 100 uM H2O2
      mimicked the stimulatory effect of PGF2alpha and increased the 40-pS K channel
      activity in DCT. Moreover, the stimulatory effect of 500 nM PGF2alpha and H2O2
      was not additive, suggesting the role of superoxide-related species in mediating
      the stimulatory effect of PGF2alpha on the 40-pS K channel. The inhibition of Src
      family tyrosine protein kinase (SFK) not only inhibited the 40-pS K channel in
      the DCT but also completely abolished the stimulatory effects of PGF2alpha and
      H2O2 on the 40-pS K channel. We conclude that PGF2alpha at low doses stimulates
      the basolateral 40-pS K channel by a NOX- and SFK-dependent mechanism, while at
      high concentrations, it inhibits the K channel by a PKC-dependent pathway.

PMID- 28356291
TI  - Slowly cycling Rho kinase-dependent actomyosin cross-bridge "slippage" explains
      intrinsic high compliance of detrusor smooth muscle.
AB  - Biological soft tissues are viscoelastic because they display time-independent
      pseudoelasticity and time-dependent viscosity. However, there is evidence that
      the bladder may also display plasticity, defined as an increase in strain that is
      unrecoverable unless work is done by the muscle. In the present study, an
      electronic lever was used to induce controlled changes in stress and strain to
      determine whether rabbit detrusor smooth muscle (rDSM) is best described as
      viscoelastic or viscoelastic plastic. Using sequential ramp loading and unloading
      cycles, stress-strain and stiffness-stress analyses revealed that rDSM displayed
      reversible viscoelasticity, and that the viscous component was responsible for
      establishing a high stiffness at low stresses that increased only modestly with
      increasing stress compared with the large increase produced when the viscosity
      was absent and only pseudoelasticity governed tissue behavior. The study also
      revealed that rDSM underwent softening correlating with plastic deformation and
      creep that was reversed slowly when tissues were incubated in a Ca2+-containing
      solution. Together, the data support a model of DSM as a viscoelastic-plastic
      material, with the plasticity resulting from motor protein activation. This model
      explains the mechanism of intrinsic bladder compliance as "slipping" cross
      bridges, predicts that wall tension is dependent not only on vesicle pressure and
      radius but also on actomyosin cross-bridge activity, and identifies a novel
      molecular target for compliance regulation, both physiologically and
      therapeutically.

PMID- 28356289
TI  - Sex-specific computational models of the spontaneously hypertensive rat kidneys:
      factors affecting nitric oxide bioavailability.
AB  - The goals of this study were to 1) develop a computational model of solute
      transport and oxygenation in the kidney of the female spontaneously hypertensive
      rat (SHR), and 2) apply that model to investigate sex differences in nitric oxide
      (NO) levels in SHR and their effects on medullary oxygenation and oxidative
      stress. To accomplish these goals, we first measured NO synthase (NOS) 1 and NOS3
      protein expression levels in total renal microvessels of male and female SHR. We
      found that the expression of both NOS1 and NOS3 is higher in the renal
      vasculature of females compared with males. To predict the implications of that
      finding on medullary oxygenation and oxidative stress levels, we developed a
      detailed computational model of the female SHR kidney. The model was based on a
      published male kidney model and represents solute transport and the biochemical
      reactions among O2, NO, and superoxide ([Formula: see text]) in the renal
      medulla. Model simulations conducted using both male and female SHR kidney models
      predicted significant radial gradients in interstitial fluid oxygen tension (Po2)
      and NO and [Formula: see text] concentration in the outer medulla and upper inner
      medulla. The models also predicted that increases in endothelial NO-generating
      capacity, even when limited to specific vascular segments, may substantially
      raise medullary NO and Po2 levels. Other potential sex differences in SHR,
      including [Formula: see text] production rate, are predicted to significantly
      impact oxidative stress levels, but effects on NO concentration and Po2 are
      limited.

PMID- 28356295
TI  - Role of leptin in energy expenditure: the hypothalamic perspective.
AB  - The adipocyte-derived hormone leptin is a peripheral signal that informs the
      brain about the metabolic status of an organism. Although traditionally viewed as
      an appetite-suppressing hormone, studies in the past decade have highlighted the
      role of leptin in energy expenditure. Leptin has been shown to increase energy
      expenditure in particular through its effects on the cardiovascular system and
      brown adipose tissue (BAT) thermogenesis via the hypothalamus. The current review
      summarizes the role of leptin signaling in various hypothalamic nuclei and its
      effects on the sympathetic nervous system to influence blood pressure, heart
      rate, and BAT thermogenesis. Specifically, the role of leptin signaling on three
      different hypothalamic nuclei, the dorsomedial hypothalamus, the ventromedial
      hypothalamus, and the arcuate nucleus, is reviewed. It is known that all of these
      brain regions influence the sympathetic nervous system activity and thereby
      regulate BAT thermogenesis and the cardiovascular system. Thus the current work
      focuses on how leptin signaling in specific neuronal populations within these
      hypothalamic nuclei influences certain aspects of energy expenditure.

PMID- 28356293
TI  - Urinary DcR2 is a novel biomarker for tubulointerstitial injury in patients with
      diabetic nephropathy.
AB  - Tubulointerstitial injury (TII) plays a crucial role in the progression of
      diabetic nephropathy (DN), but lack of specific and sensitive biomarkers for
      monitoring TII in DN management. This study is to investigate whether urinary
      decoy receptor 2 (uDcR2) could serve as a novel noninvasive biomarker for
      assessing TII in DN. We recruited 311 type 2 diabetics and 139 DN patients who
      were diagnosed by renal biopsy. uDcR2 levels were measured by ELISA, and renal
      DcR2 expression was detected immunohistochemically. Associations between uDcR2
      and renal DcR2 and renal functional parameters were evaluated. Receiver operating
      characteristics (ROC) curve analyzed area under the curve (AUC) of uDcR2 for
      assessing TII. Double staining was undertaken for renal DcR2 with proximal and
      distal tubular markers; senescent markers p16, p21, and senescence-associated
      beta-galactosidase (SA-beta-gal); and fibrotic markers collagen I and IV. We
      found DcR2 was primarily expressed in renal proximal tubules; uDcR2 levels were
      elevated per albuminuria stratum and correlated with renal functional parameters
      in diabetics and were associated with percentage of tubular DcR2 and TII score in
      DN. The uDcR2 had an AUC of 0.909 for assessing TII in DN by ROC analysis. Almost
      all tubular DcR2 was coexpressed with p16 and p21, and nearly more than one-half
      of tubular DcR2 was positive for SA-beta-gal, primarily in collagen I- and IV
      positive regions of DN. Our results indicate uDcR2 could potentially serve as a
      novel biomarker for TII and may reflect senescence of renal proximal tubular
      cells in DN pathogenesis.

PMID- 28356297
TI  - Nitric oxide-sensitive guanylyl cyclase signaling affects CO2-dependent but not
      pressure-dependent regulation of cerebral blood flow.
AB  - Cerebrovascular CO2 reactivity is affected by nitric oxide (NO). We tested the
      hypothesis that sildenafil selectively potentiates NO-cGMP signaling, which
      affects CO2 reactivity. Fourteen healthy males (34 +/- 2 yr) were enrolled in the
      study. Blood pressure (BP), ECG, velocity of cerebral blood flow (CBF; measured
      by transcranial Doppler), and end-tidal CO2 (EtCO2) were assessed at baseline
      (CO2 ~39 mmHg), during hyperventilation (CO2 ~24 mmHg), during hypercapnia (CO2
      ~46 mmHg), during boluses of phenylephrine (25-200 ug), and during graded head-up
      tilting (HUT). Measurements were repeated 1 h after 100 mg sildenafil were taken.
      Results showed that sildenafil did not affect resting BP, heart rate, CBF peak
      and mean velocities, estimated regional cerebrovascular resistance (eCVR; mean
      BP/mean CBF), breath/min, and EtCO2: 117 +/- 2/67 +/- 3 mmHg, 69 +/- 3 beats/min,
      84 +/- 5 and 57 +/- 4 cm/s, 1.56 +/- 0.1 mmHg.cm-1.s-1, 14 +/- 0.5 breaths/min,
      and 39 +/- 0.9 mmHg, respectively. Sildenafil increased and decreased the
      hypercapnia induced in CBF and eCVR, respectively. Sildenafil also attenuated the
      decrease in peak velocity of CBF, 25 +/- 2 vs. 20 +/- 2% (P < 0.05) and increased
      the eCVR, 2.5 +/- 0.2 vs. 2 +/- 0.2% (P < 0.03) during hyperventilation.
      Sildenafil did not affect CBF despite significant increases in the eCVRs that
      were elicited by phenylephrine and HUT. This investigation suggests that
      sildenafil, which potentiates the NO-cGMP signaling, seems to affect the
      cerebrovascular CO2 reactivity without affecting the static and dynamic pressure
      dependent mechanisms of cerebrovascular autoregulation.

PMID- 28356298
TI  - Activation of CB1 receptors by 2-arachidonoylglycerol attenuates vasoconstriction
      induced by U46619 and angiotensin II in human and rat pulmonary arteries.
AB  - Recent evidence suggests that endocannabinoids acting via cannabinoid CB1
      receptors may modulate vascular responses of various vasoconstrictors in the
      rodent systemic vasculature. The aim of the study was to investigate whether
      endocannabinoids modulate the contractile responses evoked by a thromboxane A2
      analog (U46619), angiotensin II (ANG II), serotonin (5-HT), and phenylephrine,
      which stimulate distinct Gq/11 protein-coupled receptors (thromboxane, ANG II
      type 1, 5-HT2, and alpha1-adrenergic receptors) in isolated endothelium-intact
      human and rat pulmonary arteries (hPAs and rPAs, respectively). The CB1 receptor
      antagonist AM251 (1 MUM) and diacylglycerol lipase (2-arachidonoylglycerol
      synthesis enzyme) inhibitor RHC80267 (40 MUM) enhanced contractions induced by
      U46619 in hPAs and rPAs and by ANG II in rPAs in an endothelium-dependent manner.
      AM251 did not influence vasoconstrictions induced by 5-HT or phenylephrine in
      rPAs. The monoacylglycerol lipase (2-arachidonoylglycerol degradation enzyme)
      inhibitor JZL184 (1 MUM), but not the fatty acid amide hydrolase (anandamide
      degradation enzyme) inhibitor URB597 (1 MUM), attenuated contractions evoked by
      U46619 in hPAs and rPAs and ANG II in rPAs. 2-Arachidonoylglycerol concentration
      dependently induced relaxation of hPAs, which was inhibited by endothelium
      denudation or AM251 and enhanced by JZL184. Expression of CB1 receptors was
      confirmed in hPAs and rPAs using Western blotting and immunohistochemistry. The
      present study shows the protective interaction between the endocannabinoid system
      and vasoconstriction in response to U46619 and ANG II in the human and rat
      pulmonary circulation. U46619 and ANG II may stimulate rapid endothelial release
      of endocannabinoids (mainly 2-arachidonoylglycerol), leading to CB1 receptor
      dependent and/or CB1 receptor-independent vasorelaxation, which in the negative
      feedback mechanism reduces later agonist-induced vasoconstriction.

PMID- 28356292
TI  - Responses of distal nephron Na+ transporters to acute volume depletion and
      hyperkalemia.
AB  - We assessed effects of acute volume reductions induced by administration of
      diuretics in rats. Direct block of Na+ transport produced changes in urinary
      electrolyte excretion. Adaptations to these effects appeared as alterations in
      the expression of protein for the distal nephron Na+ transporters NCC and ENaC.
      Two hours after a single injection of furosemide (6 mg/kg) or hydrochlorothiazide
      (HCTZ; 30 mg/kg) Na+ and K+ excretion increased but no changes in the content of
      activated forms of NCC (phosphorylated on residue T53) or ENaC (cleaved gamma
      subunit) were detected. In contrast, amiloride (0.6 mg/kg) evoked a similar
      natriuresis that coincided with decreased pT53NCC and increased cleaved
      gammaENaC. Alterations in posttranslational membrane protein processing
      correlated with an increase in plasma K+ of 0.6-0.8 mM. Decreased pT53NCC
      occurred within 1 h after amiloride injection, whereas changes in gammaENaC were
      slower and were blocked by the mineralocorticoid receptor antagonist
      spironolactone. Increased gammaENaC cleavage correlated with elevation of the
      surface expression of the subunit as assessed by in situ biotinylation. Na
      depletion induced by 2 h of furosemide or HCTZ treatment increases total NCC
      expression without affecting ENaC protein. However, restriction of Na intake for
      10 h (during the day) or 18 h (overnight) increased the abundance of both total
      NCC and of cleaved alpha- and gammaENaC. We conclude that the kidneys respond
      acutely to hyperkalemic challenges by decreasing the activity of NCC while
      increasing that of ENaC. They respond to hypovolemia more slowly, increasing Na+
      reabsorptive capacities of both of these transporters.

PMID- 28356303
TI  - Devi Sridhar: Governing global health.

PMID- 28356296
TI  - Sex-dependent effects of antenatal glucocorticoids on insulin sensitivity in
      adult sheep: role of the adipose tissue renin angiotensin system.
AB  - Exposure to glucocorticoids in utero is associated with changes in organ function
      and structure in the adult. The aims of this study were to characterize the
      effects of antenatal exposure to glucocorticoids on glucose handling and the role
      of adipose tissue. Pregnant sheep received betamethasone (Beta, 0.17 mg/kg) or
      vehicle 24 h apart at 80 days of gestation and allowed to deliver at term. At 9
      mo, male and female offspring were fed at either 100% of nutritional allowance
      (lean) or ad libitum for 3 mo (obese). At 1 yr, they were chronically
      instrumented under general anesthesia. Glucose tolerance was evaluated using a
      bolus of glucose (0.25 g/kg). Adipose tissue was harvested after death to
      determine mRNA expression levels of angiotensinogen (AGT), angiotensin-converting
      enzyme (ACE) 1, ACE2, and peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma (PPAR
      gamma). Data are expressed as means +/- SE and analyzed by ANOVA. Sex, obesity,
      and Beta exposure had significant effects on glucose tolerance and mRNA
      expression. Beta impaired glucose tolerance in lean females but not males.
      Superimposed obesity worsened the impairment in females and unmasked the defect
      in males. Beta increased ACE1 mRNA in females and males and AGT in females only
      (P < 0.05 by three-way ANOVA). Obesity increased AGT in females but had no effect
      on ACE1 in either males or females. PPAR-gamma mRNA exhibited a significant sex
      (F = 42.8; P < 0.01) and obesity (F = 6.9; P < 0.05) effect and was significantly
      higher in males (P < 0.01 by three-way ANOVA). We conclude that adipose tissue
      may play an important role in the sexually dimorphic response to antenatal
      glucocorticoids.

PMID- 28356299
TI  - Well patient, worrying thoracic magnetic resonance aortogram.

PMID- 28356305
TI  - Sixty seconds on . . . happiness.

PMID- 28356306
TI  - Effect of Age and Sex on the QTc Interval in Children and Adolescents With Type 1
      and 2 Long-QT Syndrome.
AB  - BACKGROUND: In congenital long-QT syndrome, age, sex, and genotype have been
      associated with cardiac events, but their effect on the trend in QTc interval has
      never been established. We, therefore, aimed to assess the effect of age and sex
      on the QTc interval in children and adolescents with type 1 (LQT1) and type 2
      (LQT2) long-QT syndrome. METHODS AND RESULTS: QTc intervals of 12-lead resting
      electrocardiograms were determined, and trends over time were analyzed using a
      linear mixed-effects model. The study included 278 patients with a median follow
      up of 4 years (interquartile range, 1-9) and a median number of 6 (interquartile
      range, 2-10) electrocardiograms per patient. Both LQT1 and LQT2 male patients
      showed QTc interval shortening after the onset of puberty. In LQT2 male patients,
      this was preceded by a progressive QTc interval prolongation. In LQT1, after the
      age of 12 years, male patients had a significantly shorter QTc interval than
      female patients. In LQT2, during the first years of life and from 14 to 26 years,
      male patients had a significantly shorter QTc interval than female patients. On
      the contrary, between 5 and 14 years, LQT2 male patients had significantly longer
      QTc interval than LQT2 female patients. CONCLUSIONS: There is a significant
      effect of age and sex on the QTc interval in long-QT syndrome, with a unique
      pattern per genotype. The age of 12 to 14 years is an important transitional
      period. In the risk stratification and management of long-QT syndrome patients,
      clinicians should be aware of these age-, sex-, and genotype-related trends in
      QTc interval and especially the important role of the onset of puberty.

PMID- 28356304
TI  - Erythromycin: prophylaxis against recurrent small bowel obstruction.
AB  - We describe three cases where erythromycin suspension has been used successfully
      in preventing recurrence of small bowel obstruction in patients with terminal
      illness and for whom it proved more effective than standard preparations such as
      metoclopramide and domperidone. These patients also experienced a longer term
      benefit over some months. With recent alerts over longer term use of
      metoclopramide and domperidone, we demonstrate that erythromycin is a viable
      alternative prokinetic in patients with terminal illness at risk of small bowel
      obstruction instead of or alongside metoclopramide and domperidone. More research
      is required to establish the point at which erythromycin should be considered in
      the management of symptoms. In addition, research into the possibility of a
      viable alternative to erythromycin is needed.

PMID- 28356308
TI  - What Is the Best Age for Diagnostic Prediction of Pediatric Long-QT Syndrome With
      a Borderline QT Interval?

PMID- 28356300
TI  - Reassessing Phase II Heart Failure Clinical Trials: Consensus Recommendations.
AB  - The increasing burden and the continued suboptimal outcomes for patients with
      heart failure underlines the importance of continued research to develop novel
      therapeutics for this disorder. This can only be accomplished with successful
      translation of basic science discoveries into direct human application through
      effective clinical trial design and execution that results in a substantially
      improved clinical course and outcomes. In this respect, phase II clinical trials
      play a pivotal role in determining which of the multitude of potential basic
      science discoveries should move to the large and expansive registration trials in
      humans. A critical examination of the phase II trials in heart failure reveals
      multiple shortcomings in their concept, design, execution, and interpretation. To
      further a dialogue on the challenges and potential for improvement and the role
      of phase II trials in patients with heart failure, the Food and Drug
      Administration facilitated a meeting on October 17, 2016, represented by
      clinicians, researchers, industry members, and regulators. This document
      summarizes the discussion from this meeting and provides key recommendations for
      future directions.

PMID- 28356302
TI  - Impact of introduction of rapid diagnostic tests for malaria on antibiotic
      prescribing: analysis of observational and randomised studies in public and
      private healthcare settings.
AB  - Objectives To examine the impact of use of rapid diagnostic tests for malaria on
      prescribing of antimicrobials, specifically antibiotics, for acute febrile
      illness in Africa and Asia.Design Analysisof nine preselected linked and
      codesigned observational and randomised studies (eight cluster or individually
      randomised trials and one observational study).Setting Public and private
      healthcare settings, 2007-13, in Afghanistan, Cameroon, Ghana, Nigeria, Tanzania,
      and Uganda.Participants 522 480 children and adults with acute febrile
      illness.Interventions Rapid diagnostic tests for malaria.Main outcome measures
      Proportions of patients for whom an antibiotic was prescribed in trial groups who
      had undergone rapid diagnostic testing compared with controls and in patients
      with negative test results compared with patients with positive results. A
      secondary aim compared classes of antibiotics prescribed in different
      settings.Results Antibiotics were prescribed to 127 052/238 797 (53%) patients in
      control groups and 167 714/283 683 (59%) patients in intervention groups.
      Antibiotics were prescribed to 40% (35 505/89 719) of patients with a positive
      test result for malaria and to 69% (39 400/57 080) of those with a negative
      result. All but one study showed a trend toward more antibiotic prescribing in
      groups who underwent rapid diagnostic tests. Random effects meta-analysis of the
      trials showed that the overall risk of antibiotic prescription was 21% higher
      (95% confidence interval 7% to 36%) in intervention settings. In most
      intervention settings, patients with negative test results received more
      antibiotic prescriptions than patients with positive results for all the most
      commonly used classes: penicillins, trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole (one
      exception), tetracyclines, and metronidazole.Conclusions Introduction of rapid
      diagnostic tests for malaria to reduce unnecessary use of antimalarials-a
      beneficial public health outcome-could drive up untargeted use of antibiotics.
      That 69% of patients were prescribed antibiotics when test results were negative
      probably represents overprescription.This included antibiotics from several
      classes, including those like metronidazole that are seldom appropriate for
      febrile illness, across varied clinical, health system, and epidemiological
      settings. It is often assumed that better disease specific diagnostics will
      reduce antimicrobial overuse, but they might simply shift it from one
      antimicrobial class to another. Current global implementation of malaria testing
      might increase untargeted antibiotic use and must be examined.

PMID- 28356294
TI  - Exocytosis proteins as novel targets for diabetes prevention and/or remediation?
AB  - Diabetes remains one of the leading causes of morbidity and mortality worldwide,
      affecting an estimated 422 million adults. In the US, it is predicted that one in
      every three children born as of 2000 will suffer from diabetes in their lifetime.
      Type 2 diabetes results from combinatorial defects in pancreatic beta-cell
      glucose-stimulated insulin secretion and in peripheral glucose uptake. Both
      processes, insulin secretion and glucose uptake, are mediated by exocytosis
      proteins, SNARE (soluble N-ethylmaleimide-sensitive factor attachment protein
      receptor) complexes, Sec1/Munc18 (SM), and double C2-domain protein B (DOC2B).
      Increasing evidence links deficiencies in these exocytosis proteins to diabetes
      in rodents and humans. Given this, emerging studies aimed at restoring and/or
      enhancing cellular levels of certain exocytosis proteins point to promising
      outcomes in maintaining functional beta-cell mass and enhancing insulin
      sensitivity. In doing so, new evidence also shows that enhancing exocytosis
      protein levels may promote health span and longevity and may also harbor anti
      cancer and anti-Alzheimer's disease capabilities. Herein, we present a
      comprehensive review of the described capabilities of certain exocytosis proteins
      and how these might be targeted for improving metabolic dysregulation.

PMID- 28356307
TI  - Visualizing Localized Reentry With Ultra-High Density Mapping in Iatrogenic
      Atrial Tachycardia: Beware Pseudo-Reentry.
AB  - BACKGROUND: The activation pattern of localized reentry (LR) in atrial
      tachycardia remains incompletely understood. We used the ultra-high density
      Rhythmia mapping system to study activation patterns in LR. METHODS AND RESULTS:
      LR was suggested by small rotatory activations (carousels) containing the full
      spectrum of the color-coded map. Twenty-three left-sided atrial tachycardias were
      mapped in 15 patients (age: 64+/-11 years). 16 253+/-9192 points were displayed
      per map, collected over 26+/-14 minutes. A total of 50 carousels were identified
      (median 2; quartiles 1-3 per map), although this represented LR in only n=7 out
      of 50 (14%): here, rotation occurred around a small area of scar (<0.03 mV; 12+/
      6 mm diameter). In LR, electrograms along the carousel encompassed the full
      tachycardia cycle length, and surrounding activation moved away from the carousel
      in all directions. Ablating fractionated electrograms (117+/-18 ms; 44+/-13% of
      tachycardia cycle length) within the carousel interrupted the tachycardia in
      every LR case. All remaining carousels were pseudo-reentrant (n=43/50 [86%])
      occurring in areas of wavefront collision (n=21; median 0.5; quartiles 0-2 per
      map) or as artifact because of annotation of noise or interpolation in areas of
      incomplete mapping (n=22; median 1, quartiles 0-2 per map). Pseudo-reentrant
      carousels were incorrectly ablated in 5 cases having been misinterpreted as LR.
      CONCLUSIONS: The activation pattern of LR is of small stable rotational
      activations (carousels), and this drove 30% (7/23) of our postablation atrial
      tachycardias. However, this appearance is most often pseudo-reentrant and must be
      differentiated by interpretation of electrograms in the candidate circuit and
      activation in the wider surrounding region.

PMID- 28356309
TI  - Arginase-II Promotes Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha Release From Pancreatic Acinar
      Cells Causing beta-Cell Apoptosis in Aging.
AB  - Aging is associated with glucose intolerance. Arginase-II (Arg-II), the type-II L
      arginine-ureahydrolase, is highly expressed in pancreas. However, its role in
      regulation of pancreatic beta-cell function is not known. Here we show that
      female (not male) mice deficient in Arg-II (Arg-II-/-) are protected from age
      associated glucose intolerance and reveal greater glucose induced-insulin
      release, larger islet size and beta-cell mass, and more proliferative and less
      apoptotic beta-cells compared with the age-matched wild-type (WT) controls.
      Moreover, Arg-II is mainly expressed in acinar cells and is upregulated with
      aging, which enhances p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase (p38 MAPK) activation
      and release of tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha). Accordingly, conditioned
      medium of isolated acinar cells from old WT (not Arg-II-/-) mice contains higher
      TNF-alpha levels than the young mice and stimulates beta-cell apoptosis and
      dysfunction, which are prevented by a neutralizing anti-TNF-alpha antibody. In
      acinar cells, our study demonstrates an age-associated Arg-II upregulation, which
      promotes TNF-alpha release through p38 MAPK leading to beta-cell apoptosis,
      insufficient insulin secretion, and glucose intolerance in female rather than
      male mice.

PMID- 28356310
TI  - Statement of Retraction. Transcription Factor 7-Like 2 Regulates beta-Cell
      Survival and Function in Human Pancreatic Islets.

PMID- 28356315
TI  - Reporting of professional misconduct is influenced by nurses' level of education
      and managerial experience.

PMID- 28356317
TI  - Conduct and reporting of a vertebroplasty trial warrants critical examination.

PMID- 28356316
TI  - Targeted psychological interventions may prevent depression in children and
      adolescents.

PMID- 28356313
TI  - Phenobarbital Meets Phosphorylation of Nuclear Receptors.
AB  - Phenobarbital was the first therapeutic drug to be characterized for its
      induction of hepatic drug metabolism. Essentially at the same time, cytochrome
      P450, an enzyme that metabolizes drugs, was discovered. After nearly 50 years of
      investigation, the molecular target of phenobarbital induction has now been
      delineated to phosphorylation at threonine 38 of the constitutive androstane
      receptor (NR1I3), a member of the nuclear receptor superfamily. Determining this
      mechanism has provided us with the molecular basis to understand drug induction
      of drug metabolism and disposition. Threonine 38 is conserved as a
      phosphorylation motif in the majority of both mouse and human nuclear receptors,
      providing us with an opportunity to integrate diverse functions of nuclear
      receptors. Here, I review the works and accomplishments of my laboratory at the
      National Institutes of Health National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences
      and the future research directions of where our study of the constitutive
      androstane receptor might take us.

PMID- 28356318
TI  - Early invasive strategy in patients with non-ST segment elevation acute coronary
      syndrome delays death or MI by 18 months.

PMID- 28356314
TI  - High-Throughput and Reliable Isotope Label-free Approach for Profiling 24
      Metabolic Enzymes in FVB Mice and Sex Differences.
AB  - FVB mice are extensively used in transgenic and pharmacokinetic research. In this
      study, a validated isotope label-free method was constructed using ultrahigh
      performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (UHPLC-MS/MS) to
      quantify 24 drug-metabolizing enzymes (DMEs) in FVB mice. The DMEs include
      cytochrome P450s (CYP450s/Cyp450s), UDP-glucuronsyltransferases (UGTs/Ugts), and
      sulfotransferases (SULTs/Sults), which catalyze a variety of reactions to
      detoxify xenobiotics and endobiotics. The proposed UHPLC-MS/MS method exhibited
      good range and high sensitivity for signature peptides, as well as acceptable
      accuracy, precision, and recovery. The protein expression profiles of the DMEs
      were determined in male and female mice. Overall, the major Cyps, Ugts, and Sults
      were expressed in male mice followed the rank order: Cyp2c29 > 2e1 > 3a11 > 1a2 >
      2d22 > 27a1 > 2c39; Ugt2b5 > 2b1 > 1a6a > 1a9 > 1a1 > 2a3 > 1a2 > 1a5; and
      Sult1a1 > 3a > 1d1. In contrast, the rank order in female mice was Cyp2c29 > 2e1
      > 2c39 > 2d22 > 3a11 > 1a2 > 27a1; Ugt1a6a > 2b5 > 1a1 > 2b1 > 2a3 > 1a9 > 1a5 >
      1a2; and Sult1a1 > 3a1 > 1d1. Cyp2c29, Cyp1a2, Cyp27a1, Ugt2b1, Ugt2b5 and
      Ugt2b36 were male predominant, whereas Cyp2c39, Cyp2d22, Cyp7a1, Ugt1a1, Ugt1a5,
      Sult1a1, Sult3a1, and Sult1d1 were female predominant. This work could serve as a
      useful reference for the metabolic study of new drugs and for elucidating the
      effectiveness and toxicity of drugs. The method is stable, simple, and rapid for
      determining the expression of DMEs in animals.

PMID- 28356319
TI  - Fast-Acting Insulin Aspart Improves Glycemic Control in Basal-Bolus Treatment for
      Type 1 Diabetes: Results of a 26-Week Multicenter, Active-Controlled, Treat-to
      Target, Randomized, Parallel-Group Trial (onset 1).
AB  - OBJECTIVE: This multicenter, treat-to-target, phase 3 trial evaluated the
      efficacy and safety of fast-acting insulin aspart (faster aspart) versus
      conventional insulin aspart (IAsp) in adults with type 1 diabetes. RESEARCH
      DESIGN AND METHODS: The primary end point was change from baseline in HbA1c after
      26 weeks. After an 8-week run-in, subjects were randomized (1:1:1) to double
      blind mealtime faster aspart (n = 381), IAsp (n = 380), or open-label postmeal
      faster aspart (n = 382)-each with insulin detemir. RESULTS: HbA1c was reduced in
      both treatment groups, and noninferiority to IAsp was confirmed for both mealtime
      and postmeal faster aspart (estimated treatment difference [ETD] faster aspart
      IAsp, mealtime, -0.15% [95% CI -0.23; -0.07], and postmeal, 0.04% [-0.04; 0.12]);
      mealtime faster aspart statistically significantly reduced HbA1c versus IAsp (P =
      0.0003). Postprandial plasma glucose (PPG) increments were statistically
      significantly lower with mealtime faster aspart at 1 h (ETD -1.18 mmol/L [95% CI 
      1.65; -0.71], -21.21 mg/dL [-29.65; -12.77]; P < 0.0001) and 2 h (-0.67 mmol/L [
      1.29; -0.04], -12.01 mg/dL [-23.33; -0.70]; P = 0.0375) after the meal test;
      superiority to IAsp for the 2-h PPG increment was confirmed. The overall rate of
      severe or blood glucose-confirmed (plasma glucose <3.1 mmol/L [56 mg/dL])
      hypoglycemic episodes and safety profiles were similar between treatments.
      CONCLUSIONS: Faster aspart effectively improved HbA1c, and noninferiority to IAsp
      was confirmed, with superior PPG control for mealtime faster aspart versus IAsp.
      Subjects randomized to postmeal faster aspart for all meals maintained HbA1c
      noninferior to that obtained with mealtime IAsp.

PMID- 28356320
TI  - Risk Adjustment, Reinsurance Improved Financial Outcomes For Individual Market
      Insurers With The Highest Claims.
AB  - The Affordable Care Act (ACA) reformed the individual health insurance market.
      Because insurers can no longer vary their offers of coverage based on applicants'
      health status, the ACA established a risk adjustment program to equalize health
      related cost differences across plans. The ACA also established a temporary
      reinsurance program to subsidize high-cost claims. To assess the impact of these
      programs, we compared revenues to claims costs for insurers in the individual
      market during the first two years of ACA implementation (2014 and 2015), before
      and after the inclusion of risk adjustment and reinsurance payments. Before these
      payments were included, for the 30 percent of insurers with the highest claims
      costs, claims (not including administrative expenses) exceeded premium revenues
      by $90-$397 per enrollee per month. The effect was reversed after these payments
      were included, with revenues exceeding claims costs by $0-$49 per month. The risk
      adjustment and reinsurance programs were relatively well targeted in the first
      two years. While there is ongoing discussion regarding the future of the ACA, our
      findings can shed light on how risk-sharing programs can address risk selection
      among insurers-a pervasive issue in all health insurance markets.

PMID- 28356312
TI  - An intranasally delivered peptide drug ameliorates cognitive decline in Alzheimer
      transgenic mice.
AB  - Alzheimer's disease (AD) is the most common neurodegenerative disease. Imbalance
      between the production and clearance of amyloid beta (Abeta) peptides is
      considered to be the primary mechanism of AD pathogenesis. This amyloid
      hypothesis is supported by the recent success of the human anti-amyloid antibody
      aducanumab, in clearing plaque and slowing clinical impairment in prodromal or
      mild patients in a phase Ib trial. Here, a peptide combining polyarginines
      (polyR) (for charge repulsion) and a segment derived from the core region of
      Abeta amyloid (for sequence recognition) was designed. The efficacy of the
      designed peptide, R8-Abeta(25-35), on amyloid reduction and the improvement of
      cognitive functions were evaluated using APP/PS1 double transgenic mice. Daily
      intranasal administration of PEI-conjugated R8-Abeta(25-35) peptide significantly
      reduced Abeta amyloid accumulation and ameliorated the memory deficits of the
      transgenic mice. Intranasal administration is a feasible route for peptide
      delivery. The modular design combining polyR and aggregate-forming segments
      produced a desirable therapeutic effect and could be easily adopted to design
      therapeutic peptides for other proteinaceous aggregate-associated diseases.

PMID- 28356311
TI  - Regulation of Brn3b by DLX1 and DLX2 is required for retinal ganglion cell
      differentiation in the vertebrate retina.
AB  - Regulated retinal ganglion cell (RGC) differentiation and axonal guidance is
      required for a functional visual system. Homeodomain and basic helix-loop-helix
      transcription factors are required for retinogenesis, as well as patterning,
      differentiation and maintenance of specific retinal cell types. We hypothesized
      that Dlx1, Dlx2 and Brn3b homeobox genes function in parallel intrinsic pathways
      to determine RGC fate and therefore generated Dlx1/Dlx2/Brn3b triple-knockout
      mice. A more severe retinal phenotype was found in the Dlx1/Dlx2/Brn3b-null
      retinas than was predicted by combining features of the Brn3b single- and
      Dlx1/Dlx2 double-knockout retinas, including near total RGC loss with a marked
      increase in amacrine cells in the ganglion cell layer. Furthermore, we discovered
      that DLX1 and DLX2 function as direct transcriptional activators of Brn3b
      expression. Knockdown of Dlx2 expression in primary embryonic retinal cultures
      and Dlx2 gain of function in utero strongly support that DLX2 is both necessary
      and sufficient for Brn3b expression in vivo We suggest that ATOH7 specifies RGC
      committed progenitors and that Dlx1 and Dlx2 function both downstream of ATOH7
      and in parallel, but cooperative, pathways that involve regulation of Brn3b
      expression to determine RGC fate.

PMID- 28356323
TI  - Bacterial and Fungal Endophthalmitis.
AB  - Endophthalmitis is a severe eye infection that may result in permanent loss of
      useful vision in the affected eye. Most cases are exogenous and occur as a
      complication of cataract surgery, an intravitreal injection, or penetrating
      ocular trauma. Endogenous endophthalmitis results from hematogenous seeding of
      the eye by bacteria or fungi, but bacteremia or fungemia may be transient and
      patients may present without symptoms of systemic infection. Nearly all
      endophthalmitis patients present with decreased vision, and some also have eye
      pain. Eye examination usually reveals a hypopyon and intraocular inflammation.
      Diagnosis is clinical, supported by cultures of the vitreous and/or aqueous or by
      blood cultures in some endogenous cases. Molecular diagnostic techniques have
      been used in research laboratories for pathogen identification in endophthalmitis
      and offer the possibility of rapid diagnosis, including in culture-negative
      cases. Intravitreal injection of antibiotics is the most important component of
      treatment; some cases also benefit from surgical debridement of the vitreous by a
      vitrectomy. The visual outcome depends partly on the pathogen: coagulase-negative
      staphylococcal endophthalmitis has a better prognosis than does streptococcal
      endophthalmitis, for example. Endophthalmitis is a medical emergency, and prompt
      diagnosis and treatment are essential for saving vision.

PMID- 28356322
TI  - Mechanisms of precise genome editing using oligonucleotide donors.
AB  - The use of programmable meganucleases is transforming genome editing and
      functional genomics. CRISPR/Cas9 was developed such that targeted genomic lesions
      could be introduced in vivo with unprecedented ease. In the presence of homology
      donors, these lesions facilitate high-efficiency precise genome editing (PGE) via
      homology-directed repair (HDR) pathways. However, the identity and hierarchy of
      the HDR (sub)pathways leading to the formation of PGE products remain elusive.
      Here, we established a green to blue fluorescent protein conversion system to
      systematically characterize oligodeoxynucleotide (ODN)-mediated PGE using Cas9
      and its nickase variants in human cells. We demonstrate that, unlike double
      stranded DNA (dsDNA) donors with central heterologies, ODNs generated short
      conversion tracts with Gaussian-like distributions. Interestingly, single-nick
      induced PGE using ODN donors produced conversion tracts biased either mostly uni-
      or bidirectional depending on the relative strandedness of the ODNs and the nick.
      Moreover, the ODNs were physically incorporated into the genome only in the
      bidirectional, but not in the unidirectional, conversion pathway. In the presence
      of double-stranded genomic lesions, the unidirectional conversion pathway was
      preferentially utilized even though the knock-in mutation could theoretically
      have been converted by both pathways. Collectively, our results suggest that ODN
      mediated PGE utilizes synthesis-dependent strand annealing and single-stranded
      DNA incorporation pathways. Both of these pathways generate short conversion
      tracts with Gaussian-like distributions. Although synthesis-dependent strand
      annealing is preferentially utilized, our work unequivocally establishes the
      existence of a single-stranded DNA incorporation pathway in human cells. This
      work extends the paradigms of HDR-mediated gene conversion and establishes
      guidelines for PGE in human cells.

PMID- 28356328
TI  - Technology versus biology: the limits of pre-implantation genetic screening:
      Better methods to detect the origin of aneuploidy in pre-implantation embryos
      could improve the success rate of artificial reproduction.

PMID- 28356326
TI  - Caenorhabditis elegans oocytes detect meiotic errors in the absence of canonical
      end-on kinetochore attachments.
AB  - Mitotically dividing cells use a surveillance mechanism, the spindle assembly
      checkpoint, that monitors the attachment of spindle microtubules to kinetochores
      as a means of detecting errors. However, end-on kinetochore attachments have not
      been observed in Caenorhabditis elegans oocytes and chromosomes instead associate
      with lateral microtubule bundles; whether errors can be sensed in this context is
      not known. Here, we show that C. elegans oocytes delay key events in anaphase,
      including AIR-2/Aurora B relocalization to the microtubules, in response to a
      variety of meiotic defects, demonstrating that errors can be detected in these
      cells and revealing a mechanism that regulates anaphase progression. This
      mechanism does not appear to rely on several components of the spindle assembly
      checkpoint but does require the kinetochore, as depleting kinetochore components
      prevents the error-induced anaphase delays. These findings therefore suggest that
      in this system, kinetochores could be involved in sensing meiotic errors using an
      unconventional mechanism that does not use canonical end-on attachments.

PMID- 28356324
TI  - Insulin-regulated aminopeptidase inhibitors do not alter glucose handling in
      normal and diabetic rats.
AB  - Insulin-regulated aminopeptidase (IRAP) co-localizes with the glucose transporter
      4 (GLUT4) in GLUT4 storage vesicles (GSV) in insulin-responsive cells. In
      response to insulin, IRAP is the only transmembrane enzyme known to translocate
      together with GLUT4 to the plasma membrane in adipocytes and muscle cells.
      Although the intracellular region of IRAP is associated with GLUT4 vesicle
      trafficking, the role of the aminopeptidase activity in insulin-responsive cells
      has not been elucidated. The aim of this study was to investigate whether the
      inhibition of the aminopeptidase activity of IRAP facilitates glucose uptake in
      insulin-responsive cells. In both in vitro and in vivo studies, inhibition of
      IRAP aminopeptidase activity with the specific inhibitor, HFI-419, did not
      modulate glucose uptake. IRAP inhibition in the L6GLUT4myc cell line did not
      alter glucose uptake in both basal and insulin-stimulated state. In keeping with
      these results, HFI419 did not affect peripheral, whole-body glucose handling
      after an oral glucose challenge, neither in normal rats nor in the streptozotocin
      (STZ)-induced experimental rat model of diabetes mellitus (DM). Therefore, acute
      inhibition of IRAP aminopeptidase activity does not affect glucose homeostasis.

PMID- 28356321
TI  - Transcriptional regulatory dynamics drive coordinated metabolic and neural
      response to social challenge in mice.
AB  - Agonistic encounters are powerful effectors of future behavior, and the ability
      to learn from this type of social challenge is an essential adaptive trait. We
      recently identified a conserved transcriptional program defining the response to
      social challenge across animal species, highly enriched in transcription factor
      (TF), energy metabolism, and developmental signaling genes. To understand the
      trajectory of this program and to uncover the most important regulatory
      influences controlling this response, we integrated gene expression data with the
      chromatin landscape in the hypothalamus, frontal cortex, and amygdala of socially
      challenged mice over time. The expression data revealed a complex spatiotemporal
      patterning of events starting with neural signaling molecules in the frontal
      cortex and ending in the modulation of developmental factors in the amygdala and
      hypothalamus, underpinned by a systems-wide shift in expression of energy
      metabolism-related genes. The transcriptional signals were correlated with
      significant shifts in chromatin accessibility and a network of challenge
      associated TFs. Among these, the conserved metabolic and developmental regulator
      ESRRA was highlighted for an especially early and important regulatory role. Cell
      type deconvolution analysis attributed the differential metabolic and
      developmental signals in this social context primarily to oligodendrocytes and
      neurons, respectively, and we show that ESRRA is expressed in both cell types.
      Localizing ESRRA binding sites in cortical chromatin, we show that this nuclear
      receptor binds both differentially expressed energy-related and
      neurodevelopmental TF genes. These data link metabolic and neurodevelopmental
      signaling to social challenge, and identify key regulatory drivers of this
      process with unprecedented tissue and temporal resolution.

PMID- 28356325
TI  - Return on investment of public health interventions: a systematic review.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Public sector austerity measures in many high-income countries mean
      that public health budgets are reducing year on year. To help inform the
      potential impact of these proposed disinvestments in public health, we set out to
      determine the return on investment (ROI) from a range of existing public health
      interventions. METHODS: We conducted systematic searches on all relevant
      databases (including MEDLINE; EMBASE; CINAHL; AMED; PubMed, Cochrane and Scopus)
      to identify studies that calculated a ROI or cost-benefit ratio (CBR) for public
      health interventions in high-income countries. RESULTS: We identified 2957
      titles, and included 52 studies. The median ROI for public health interventions
      was 14.3 to 1, and median CBR was 8.3. The median ROI for all 29 local public
      health interventions was 4.1 to 1, and median CBR was 10.3. Even larger benefits
      were reported in 28 studies analysing nationwide public health interventions; the
      median ROI was 27.2, and median CBR was 17.5. CONCLUSIONS: This systematic review
      suggests that local and national public health interventions are highly cost
      saving. Cuts to public health budgets in high income countries therefore
      represent a false economy, and are likely to generate billions of pounds of
      additional costs to health services and the wider economy.

PMID- 28356327
TI  - The crossover conformational shift of the GTPase atlastin provides the energy
      driving ER fusion.
AB  - The homotypic fusion of endoplasmic reticulum membranes is catalyzed by the
      atlastin GTPase. The mechanism involves trans-dimerization between GTPase heads
      and a favorable crossover conformational shift, catalyzed by GTP hydrolysis, that
      converts the dimer from a "prefusion" to "postfusion" state. However, whether
      crossover formation actually energizes fusion remains unclear, as do the sequence
      of events surrounding it. Here, we made mutations in atlastin to selectively
      destabilize the crossover conformation and used fluorescence-based kinetic assays
      to analyze the variants. All variants underwent dimerization and crossover
      concurrently, and at wild-type rates. However, certain variants were unstable
      once in the crossover dimer conformation, and crossover dimer stability closely
      paralleled lipid-mixing activity. Tethering, however, appeared to be unimpaired
      in all mutant variants. The results suggest that tethering and lipid mixing are
      catalyzed concurrently by GTP hydrolysis but that the energy requirement for
      lipid mixing exceeds that for tethering, and the full energy released through
      crossover formation is necessary for fusion.

PMID- 28356329
TI  - Effectors of Filamentous Plant Pathogens: Commonalities amid Diversity.
AB  - Fungi and oomycetes are filamentous microorganisms that include a diversity of
      highly developed pathogens of plants. These are sophisticated modulators of plant
      processes that secrete an arsenal of effector proteins to target multiple host
      cell compartments and enable parasitic infection. Genome sequencing revealed
      complex catalogues of effectors of filamentous pathogens, with some species
      harboring hundreds of effector genes. Although a large fraction of these effector
      genes encode secreted proteins with weak or no sequence similarity to known
      proteins, structural studies have revealed unexpected similarities amid the
      diversity. This article reviews progress in our understanding of effector
      structure and function in light of these new insights. We conclude that there is
      emerging evidence for multiple pathways of evolution of effectors of filamentous
      plant pathogens but that some families have probably expanded from a common
      ancestor by duplication and diversification. Conserved folds, such as the
      oomycete WY and the fungal MAX domains, are not predictive of the precise
      function of the effectors but serve as a chassis to support protein structural
      integrity while providing enough plasticity for the effectors to bind different
      host proteins and evolve unrelated activities inside host cells. Further effector
      evolution and diversification arise via short linear motifs, domain integration
      and duplications, and oligomerization.

PMID- 28356334
TI  - Clinical Applications of Circulating Tumor Cells in Pharmacotherapy: Challenges
      and Perspectives.
AB  - Screening for circulating tumor cells (CTCs) has been identified as one approach
      to ultrasensitive liquid biopsy in real-time monitoring of cancer patients. The
      detection of CTCs in peripheral blood from cancer patients is promising as a
      diagnostic tool; however, the application of CTCs in therapeutic treatment still
      faces serious challenges with respect to specificity and sensitivity. Here, we
      review the significant roles of CTCs in metastasis and the strengths and
      weaknesses of the currently available methods for CTC detection and
      characterization. Moreover, we discuss the clinical application of CTCs as
      markers for patient prognosis, and we specifically focus on the application of
      CTCs as indicators in cancer pharmacotherapy. Characterization of the detected
      CTCs will provide new biologic perspectives and clinical applications for the
      treatment of cancer patients with metastasis.

PMID- 28356333
TI  - Patients' reports of adverse events: a data linkage study of Australian adults
      aged 45 years and over.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Understanding a patient's hospital experience is fundamental to
      improving health services and policy, yet, little is known about their
      experiences of adverse events (AEs). This study redresses this deficit by
      investigating the experiences of patients in New South Wales hospitals who
      suffered an AE. METHODS: Data linkage was used to identify a random sample of 20
      000 participants in the 45 and Up Cohort Study, out of 267 153 adults aged 45
      years and over, who had been hospitalised in the prior 6 months. A cross
      sectional survey was administered to these patients to capture their experiences,
      including whether they had an AE and received honest communication about it.
      RESULTS: Of the 18 993 eligible participants, 7661 completed surveys were
      received (40% response rate) and 474 (7%) reported having an AE. Most AEs related
      to clinical processes and procedures (33%), or medications and intravenous fluids
      (21%). Country of birth and admission through emergency were significant
      predictors of the occurrence of an event. An earlier admission in the prior 6
      months or a transfer to another healthcare facility was also associated with more
      AEs. Of those who suffered an AE, 58% reported serious or moderate effects.
      CONCLUSIONS: Given the exclusions in our sample population (under 45 years), the
      AE rate reported by patients of 7% is similar to the approximately 10% rate
      reported in the general population by retrospective medical record reviews. AE
      data that include patient experience may provide contextual information currently
      missing. Capturing and using patient experience data more effectively is
      critical; there may be opportunities for applying co-design methodology to
      improve the management of AEs and be more responsive to patients' concerns.

PMID- 28356332
TI  - Occupational exposure and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis in a prospective cohort.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: To prospectively study suspected occupational risk factors for
      amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). METHODS: For this case-cohort analysis
      within the prospective Netherlands Cohort Study, 58 279 men and 62 573 women aged
      55-69 years at enrolment in 1986 were followed up for 17.3 years on ALS
      mortality. Information on occupational history and potential confounders were
      collected at baseline through a self-administered questionnaire and entered for a
      random subcohort (2092 men and 2074 women) and ALS deaths (76 men and 60 women).
      Occupational exposure to solvents, pesticides, metals, extremely low frequency
      magnetic fields (ELF-MFs) and electrical shocks was estimated by means of job
      exposure matrices (JEMs). Associations between ever/never occupationally exposed
      and cumulative exposure and ALS mortality were analysed by gender using Cox
      regression. RESULTS: Occupational exposure to ELF-MF showed a possible
      association with ALS mortality among men: HR for ever holding a job with high
      exposure versus background 2.19 (95% (CI): 1.02 to 4.73) and HR for the highest
      tertile of cumulative exposure versus background 1.93 (95% CI 1.05 to 3.55).
      INTERPRETATION: These results strengthen the evidence suggesting a positive
      association between ELF-MF exposure and ALS. We did not replicate earlier
      positive findings for other occupational exposures.

PMID- 28356331
TI  - DNA Damage Induces a Secretory Program in the Quiescent TME that Fosters Adverse
      Cancer Phenotypes.
AB  - Carcinomas develop in complex environments that include a diverse spectrum of
      cell types that influence tumor cell behavior. These microenvironments represent
      dynamic systems that contribute to pathologic processes. Damage to DNA is a
      notable inducer of both transient and permanent alterations in cellular
      phenotypes. Induction of a DNA damage secretory program is known to promote
      adverse tumor cell behaviors such as proliferation, invasion, metastasis, and
      treatment resistance. However, prior studies designed to identify genotoxic
      stress-induced factors evaluated actively proliferating in vitro cultures of
      cells such as fibroblasts as experimental models. Conversely, the vast majority
      of benign cells in a typical tumor microenvironment (TME) are not proliferating
      but rather exist in quiescent (i.e., G0) or in terminally differentiated states.
      In this study, the diversity and magnitude of transcriptional responses to
      genotoxic damage in quiescent prostate fibroblasts were assessed using gene
      expression profiling. The secretory damage response in quiescent cells was highly
      concordant with that of actively dividing cells. Quiescent human prostate stroma
      exposed to genotoxic agents (e.g., mitoxantrone) in vivo resulted in significant
      upregulation (2.7- to 5.7-fold; P <= 0.01) of growth factors and cytokines
      including IL1beta, MMP3, IL6, and IL8. The paracrine effects of damaged quiescent
      cells consistently increased the proliferation and invasion of prostate cancer
      cells and promoted cell survival and resistance to apoptosis following exposure
      to chemotherapy.Implications: Benign quiescent cells in the TME respond to
      genotoxic stress by inducing a secretory program capable of promoting therapy
      resistance. Developing approaches to suppress the secretory program may improve
      treatment responses. Mol Cancer Res; 15(7); 842-51. (c)2017 AACR.

PMID- 28356336
TI  - Near-Infrared Fluorescence Lymphatic Imaging of a Toddler With Congenital
      Lymphedema.
AB  - Primary lymphedema in the pediatric population remains poorly diagnosed and
      misunderstood due to a lack of information on the causation and underlying
      anatomy of the lymphatic system. Consequently, therapeutic protocols for
      pediatric patients remain sparse and with little evidence to support them. In an
      effort to better understand the causation of primary pediatric lymphedema and to
      better inform clinical care, we report the use of near-infrared fluorescence
      lymphatic imaging on the extremities of an alert, 21-month-old boy who presented
      with unilateral right arm and hand lymphedema at birth. The imaging results
      indicated an intact, apparently normal lymphatic anatomy with no obvious
      malformation, but with decreased lymphatic contractile function of the affected
      upper extremity relative to the contralateral and lower extremities. We
      hypothesized that the lack of contraction of the lymphatic vessels rather than an
      anatomic malformation was the source of the unilateral extremity swelling, and
      that compression and manual lymphatic drainage could be effective treatments.

PMID- 28356335
TI  - Childhood Adiposity and Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease in Adulthood.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: To investigate the association of childhood adiposity and change in
      adiposity status from childhood to adulthood with nonalcoholic fatty liver
      disease (NAFLD) and abnormal liver enzyme levels in adulthood. METHODS: Data were
      obtained from a population-based cohort of children aged 6 to 18 years started in
      1987. From 2010 to 2014, 1350 subjects (aged 28-45 years) from the original
      cohort were followed. Childhood overweight and obesity were defined using BMI and
      subscapular skinfold thickness, respectively. In adulthood, ultrasound-based
      NAFLD, abnormal liver enzymes, and related risk factors were assessed. RESULTS:
      Overweight or obese children were more likely to have adult NAFLD (males: odds
      ratio [OR] = 2.49 for BMI and 2.78 for subscapular skinfold thickness; females:
      OR = 3.34 and 3.61; all Ps < .001) and alanine aminotransferase (ALT) elevation
      (males: OR = 1.64 and 1.66; females: OR = 2.12 and 3.01; all Ps < .05) than
      children with normal weight for both sexes. Compared with subjects who had normal
      weight in childhood and were nonobese in adulthood, subjects who were obese in
      adulthood, irrespective of their childhood adiposity status, were more likely to
      have NAFLD and ALT elevation in adulthood for both sexes. However, subjects who
      were overweight or obese in childhood but became nonobese in adulthood had
      similar likelihood of having NAFLD and ALT elevation in adulthood for both sexes.
      CONCLUSIONS: Overweight or obese children are more likely to have NAFLD and ALT
      elevation in adulthood. However, the risk associated with increased weight during
      childhood can be mitigated by becoming nonobese in adulthood.

PMID- 28356330
TI  - Cancer Immunotherapy: Whence and Whither.
AB  - The current concepts and practice of cancer immunotherapy evolved from classical
      experiments that distinguished "self" from "non-self" and the finding that
      humoral immunity is complemented by cellular immunity. Elucidation of the biology
      underlying immune checkpoints and interactions between ligands and ligand
      receptors that govern the immune system's ability to recognize tumor cells as
      foreign has led to the emergence of new strategies that mobilize the immune
      system to reverse this apparent tolerance. Some of these approaches have led to
      new therapies such as the use of mAbs to interfere with the immune checkpoint.
      Others have exploited molecular technologies to reengineer a subset of T cells to
      directly engage and kill tumor cells, particularly those of B-cell malignancies.
      However, before immunotherapy can become a more effective method of cancer care,
      there are many challenges that remain to be addressed and hurdles to overcome.
      Included are manipulation of tumor microenvironment (TME) to enhance T effector
      cell infiltration and access to the tumor, augmentation of tumor MHC expression
      for adequate presentation of tumor associated antigens, regulation of cytokines
      and their potential adverse effects, and reduced risk of secondary malignancies
      as a consequence of mutations generated by the various forms of genetic
      engineering of immune cells. Despite these challenges, the future of
      immunotherapy as a standard anticancer therapy is encouraging. Mol Cancer Res;
      15(6); 635-50. (c)2017 AACR.

PMID- 28356338
TI  - Time-Varying Association of Individual BP Components with eGFR in Late-Stage CKD.
AB  - BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: The association of individual BP components with
      changes in eGFR in patients with late-stage CKD is unknown. The objectives of our
      study were to examine the associations of systolic BP, diastolic BP, and pulse
      pressure with continuous temporal changes in eGFR and an eGFR decline >=30% in
      late-stage CKD. DESIGN, SETTING, PARTICIPANTS, & MEASUREMENTS: We performed a
      retrospective cohort study (2010-2015) of patients with CKD in a
      multidisciplinary CKD clinic with an eGFR<=30. The associations of repeat
      measures of BP (systolic BP, diastolic BP, and pulse pressure) with eGFR were
      examined using general linear mixed models. The associations of BP components and
      eGFR decline >=30% were examined with time-varying Cox models. RESULTS: In total,
      1203 patients were followed for a median of 548 days (interquartile range, 292
      913), with an average of 6.7 visits and BP measures per patient. Mean baseline
      systolic BP, diastolic BP, pulse pressure, and eGFR were 139.2 mmHg, 73.2 mmHg,
      64.9 mmHg, and 16.8 ml/min, respectively. Systolic BP and diastolic BP measures
      over time were statistically significantly associated with changes in eGFR
      (P<0.001), whereas pulse pressure was not. Patients with extremes of systolic BP
      (<105 or >170) and high diastolic BP (>90) measures were at a higher risk of GFR
      decline >=30% (systolic BP <105: hazard ratio, 1.51; 95% confidence interval,
      0.98 to 2.34; systolic BP >170: hazard ratio, 1.62; 95% confidence interval, 1.05
      to 2.49; referent systolic BP =121-130; diastolic BP =81-90: hazard ratio, 1.40;
      95% confidence interval, 0.99 to 1.86; diastolic BP >90: hazard ratio, 1.83; 95%
      confidence interval, 1.21 to 2.77; referent diastolic BP =61-70). The findings
      were consistent after multiple sensitivity analyses. Pulse pressure was not
      significantly associated with risk of eGFR decline. CONCLUSIONS: In patients
      referred to a multidisciplinary care clinic with late-stage CKD, only extremes of
      systolic BP and elevations of diastolic BP were associated with eGFR decline.

PMID- 28356342
TI  - Widespread changes in nucleosome accessibility without changes in nucleosome
      occupancy during a rapid transcriptional induction.
AB  - Activation of transcription requires alteration of chromatin by complexes that
      increase the accessibility of nucleosomal DNA. Removing nucleosomes from
      regulatory sequences has been proposed to play a significant role in activation.
      We tested whether changes in nucleosome occupancy occurred on the set of genes
      that is activated by the unfolded protein response (UPR). We observed no decrease
      in occupancy on most promoters, gene bodies, and enhancers. Instead, there was an
      increase in the accessibility of nucleosomes, as measured by micrococcal nuclease
      (MNase) digestion and ATAC-seq (assay for transposase-accessible chromatin [ATAC]
      using sequencing), that did not result from removal of the nucleosome. Thus,
      changes in nucleosome accessibility predominate over changes in nucleosome
      occupancy during rapid transcriptional induction during the UPR.

PMID- 28356337
TI  - "Maybe They Don't Even Know That I Exist": Challenges Faced by Family Members and
      Friends of Patients with Advanced Kidney Disease.
AB  - BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Family members and friends of patients with advanced
      chronic illness are increasingly called on to assist with ever more complex
      medical care and treatment decisions arising late in the course of illness. Our
      goal was to learn about the experiences of family members and friends of patients
      with advanced kidney disease. DESIGN, SETTING, PARTICIPANTS, & MEASUREMENTS: As
      part of a study intended to identify opportunities to enhance advance care
      planning, we conducted semistructured interviews at the Veterans Affairs Puget
      Sound Health Care System with 17 family members and friends of patients with
      advanced kidney disease. Interviews were conducted between April of 2014 and May
      of 2016 and were audiotaped, transcribed, and analyzed inductively using grounded
      theory to identify emergent themes. RESULTS: The following three themes emerged
      from interviews with patients' family members and friends: (1) their roles in
      care and planning were fluid over the course of the patient's illness, shaped by
      the patients' changing needs and their readiness to involve those close to them;
      (2) their involvement in patients' care was strongly shaped by health care system
      needs. Family and friends described filling gaps left by the health care system
      and how their involvement in care and decision-making was at times constrained
      and at other times expected by providers, depending on system needs; and (3) they
      described multiple sources of tension and conflict in their interactions with
      patients and the health care system, including instances of being pitted against
      the patient. CONCLUSIONS: Interviews with family members and friends of patients
      with advanced kidney disease provide a window on the complex dynamics shaping
      their engagement in patients' care, and highlight the potential value of offering
      opportunities for engagement throughout the course of illness.

PMID- 28356340
TI  - Analysis of Cardiac Myocyte Maturation Using CASAAV, a Platform for Rapid
      Dissection of Cardiac Myocyte Gene Function In Vivo.
AB  - RATIONALE: Loss-of-function studies in cardiac myocytes (CMs) are currently
      limited by the need for appropriate conditional knockout alleles. The factors
      that regulate CM maturation are poorly understood. Previous studies on CM
      maturation have been confounded by heart dysfunction caused by whole organ gene
      inactivation. OBJECTIVE: To develop a new technical platform to rapidly
      characterize cell-autonomous gene function in postnatal murine CMs and apply it
      to identify genes that regulate transverse tubules (T-tubules), a hallmark of
      mature CMs. METHODS AND RESULTS: We developed CRISPR/Cas9/AAV9-based somatic
      mutagenesis, a platform in which AAV9 delivers tandem guide RNAs targeting a gene
      of interest and cardiac troponin-T promoter-driven Cre to RosaCas9GFP/Cas9GFP
      neonatal mice. When directed against junctophilin-2 (Jph2), a gene previously
      implicated in T-tubule maturation, we achieved efficient, rapid, and CM-specific
      JPH2 depletion. High-dose AAV9 ablated JPH2 in 64% CMs and caused lethal heart
      failure, whereas low-dose AAV9 ablated JPH2 in 22% CMs and preserved normal heart
      function. In the context of preserved heart function, CMs lacking JPH2 developed
      T-tubules that were nearly morphologically normal, indicating that JPH2 does not
      have a major, cell-autonomous role in T-tubule maturation. However, in hearts
      with severe dysfunction, both adeno-associated virus-transduced and nontransduced
      CMs exhibited T-tubule disruption, which was more severe in the transduced
      subset. These data indicate that cardiac dysfunction disrupts T-tubule structure
      and that JPH2 protects T-tubules in this context. We then used CRISPR/Cas9/AAV9
      based somatic mutagenesis to screen 8 additional genes for required, cell
      autonomous roles in T-tubule formation. We identified RYR2 (Ryanodine Receptor-2)
      as a novel, cell-autonomously required T-tubule maturation factor. CONCLUSIONS:
      CRISPR/Cas9/AAV9-based somatic mutagenesis is a powerful tool to study cell
      autonomous gene functions. Genetic mosaics are invaluable to accurately define
      cell-autonomous gene function. JPH2 has a minor role in normal T-tubule
      maturation but is required to stabilize T-tubules in the failing heart. RYR2 is a
      novel T-tubule maturation factor.

PMID- 28356343
TI  - Targeted deletion of Kcne3 impairs skeletal muscle function in mice.
AB  - KCNE3 (MiRP2) forms heteromeric voltage-gated K+ channels with the skeletal
      muscle-expressed KCNC4 (Kv3.4) alpha subunit. KCNE3 was the first reported
      skeletal muscle K+ channel disease gene, but the requirement for KCNE3 in
      skeletal muscle has been questioned. Here, we confirmed KCNE3 transcript and
      protein expression in mouse skeletal muscle using Kcne3-/- tissue as a negative
      control. Whole-transcript microarray analysis (770,317 probes, interrogating
      28,853 transcripts) findings were consistent with Kcne3 deletion increasing
      gastrocnemius oxidative metabolic gene expression and the proportion of type IIa
      fast-twitch oxidative muscle fibers, which was verified using immunofluorescence.
      The down-regulated transcript set overlapped with muscle unloading gene
      expression profiles (>=1.5-fold change; P < 0.05). Gastrocnemius K+ channel alpha
      subunit remodeling arising from Kcne3 deletion was highly specific, involving
      just 3 of 69 alpha subunit genes probed: known KCNE3 partners KCNC4 and KCNH2
      (mERG) were down-regulated, and KCNK4 (TRAAK) was up-regulated (P < 0.05).
      Functionally, Kcne3-/- mice exhibited abnormal hind-limb clasping upon tail
      suspension (63% of Kcne3-/- mice >=10-mo-old vs. 0% age-matched Kcne3+/+
      littermates). Whereas 5 of 5 Kcne3+/+ mice exhibited the typical biphasic decline
      in contractile force with repetitive stimuli of hind-limb muscle, both in vivo
      and in vitro, this was absent in 6 of 6 Kcne3-/- mice tested. Finally, myoblasts
      isolated from Kcne3-/- mice exhibit faster-inactivating and smaller sustained
      outward currents than those from Kcne3+/+ mice. Thus, Kcne3 deletion impairs
      skeletal muscle function in mice.-King, E. C., Patel, V., Anand, M., Zhao, X.,
      Crump, S. M., Hu, Z., Weisleder, N., Abbott, G. W. Targeted deletion of Kcne3
      impairs skeletal muscle function in mice.

PMID- 28356339
TI  - Nicotinamide Phosphoribosyltransferase in Smooth Muscle Cells Maintains Genome
      Integrity, Resists Aortic Medial Degeneration, and Is Suppressed in Human
      Thoracic Aortic Aneurysm Disease.
AB  - RATIONALE: The thoracic aortic wall can degenerate over time with catastrophic
      consequences. Vascular smooth muscle cells (SMCs) can resist and repair artery
      damage, but their capacities decline with age and stress. Recently, cellular
      production of nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD+) via nicotinamide
      phosphoribosyltransferase (Nampt) has emerged as a mediator of cell vitality.
      However, a role for Nampt in aortic SMCs in vivo is unknown. OBJECTIVES: To
      determine whether a Nampt-NAD+ control system exists within the aortic media and
      is required for aortic health. METHODS AND RESULTS: Ascending aortas from
      patients with dilated aortopathy were immunostained for NAMPT, revealing an
      inverse relationship between SMC NAMPT content and aortic diameter. To determine
      whether a Nampt-NAD+ control system in SMCs impacts aortic integrity, mice with
      Nampt-deficient SMCs were generated. SMC-Nampt knockout mice were viable but with
      mildly dilated aortas that had a 43% reduction in NAD+ in the media. Infusion of
      angiotensin II led to aortic medial hemorrhage and dissection. SMCs were not
      apoptotic but displayed senescence associated-beta-galactosidase activity and
      upregulated p16, indicating premature senescence. Furthermore, there was evidence
      for oxidized DNA lesions, double-strand DNA strand breaks, and pronounced
      susceptibility to single-strand breakage. This was linked to suppressed poly(ADP
      ribose) polymerase-1 activity and was reversible on resupplying NAD+ with
      nicotinamide riboside. Remarkably, we discovered unrepaired DNA strand breaks in
      SMCs within the human ascending aorta, which were specifically enriched in SMCs
      with low NAMPT. NAMPT promoter analysis revealed CpG hypermethylation within the
      dilated human thoracic aorta and in SMCs cultured from these tissues, which
      inversely correlated with NAMPT expression. CONCLUSIONS: The aortic media depends
      on an intrinsic NAD+ fueling system to protect against DNA damage and premature
      SMC senescence, with relevance to human thoracic aortopathy.

PMID- 28356344
TI  - YAP promotes myogenic differentiation via the MEK5-ERK5 pathway.
AB  - Yes-associated protein (YAP) is a transcriptional coactivator in the Hippo
      pathway that regulates cell proliferation, differentiation, and apoptosis. The
      MEK5/ERK5 MAPK cascade is essential for the early step of myogenesis. In this
      study, we generated C2C12 stable cell lines that expressed YAP (C2C12-YAP cells)
      and found that ERK5 and MEK5 were activated in C2C12-YAP cells compared with
      control C2C12 (C2C12-vector) cells. C2C12-YAP stable cells also differentiated
      into myotubes better than C2C12-vector cells, and expressed elevated levels of
      myogenin, a transcription factor that regulates myogenesis, as well as elevated
      levels of myosin heavy chain, a skeletal muscle marker. Western blot analysis
      revealed that Src and c-Abl (Abelson murine leukemia viral oncogene homolog 1)
      activation were enhanced in C2C12-YAP cells. Conversely, treatment of inhibitors
      of c-Abl, Src, or MEK5 inhibited activation of MEK5 and ERK5 and myogenesis of
      C2C12 myoblasts. Specific interactions between YAP and proteins in the ERK5
      pathway, such as MEK kinase 3 (MEKK3) and ERK5, were illustrated by
      coimmunoprecipitation experiments. MEKK3 contains the PPGY motif (aa 178-181),
      which may interact with YAP. Site-directed mutagenesis experiments revealed that
      expression of MEKK3 Y181F mutant inhibited MEK5/ERK5 activation and myogenic
      differentiation. These results suggest that YAP promotes muscle differentiation
      by activating the Abl/Src/MEKK3/MEK5/ERK5 kinase cascade.-Chen, T.-H., Chen, C.
      Y., Wen, H.-C., Chang, C.-C., Wang, H.-D., Chuu, C.-P., Chang, C.-H. YAP promotes
      myogenic differentiation via the MEK5-ERK5 pathway.

PMID- 28356341
TI  - Essential role for centromeric factors following p53 loss and oncogenic
      transformation.
AB  - In mammals, centromere definition involves the histone variant CENP-A (centromere
      protein A), deposited by its chaperone, HJURP (Holliday junction recognition
      protein). Alterations in this process impair chromosome segregation and genome
      stability, which are also compromised by p53 inactivation in cancer. Here we
      found that CENP-A and HJURP are transcriptionally up-regulated in p53-null human
      tumors. Using an established mouse embryonic fibroblast (MEF) model combining p53
      inactivation with E1A or HRas-V12 oncogene expression, we reproduced a similar up
      regulation of HJURP and CENP-A. We delineate functional CDE/CHR motifs within the
      Hjurp and Cenpa promoters and demonstrate their roles in p53-mediated repression.
      To assess the importance of HJURP up-regulation in transformed murine and human
      cells, we used a CRISPR/Cas9 approach. Remarkably, depletion of HJURP leads to
      distinct outcomes depending on their p53 status. Functional p53 elicits a cell
      cycle arrest response, whereas, in p53-null transformed cells, the absence of
      arrest enables the loss of HJURP to induce severe aneuploidy and, ultimately,
      apoptotic cell death. We thus tested the impact of HJURP depletion in pre
      established allograft tumors in mice and revealed a major block of tumor
      progression in vivo. We discuss a model in which an "epigenetic addiction" to the
      HJURP chaperone represents an Achilles' heel in p53-deficient transformed cells.

PMID- 28356346
TI  - Biophysical characterization of the Varroa destructor NaV1 sodium channel and its
      affinity for tau-fluvalinate insecticide.
AB  - The decline of the western honeybee (Apis mellifera) has been reported to be due
      to parasitism by Varroa destructor mites and to colony collapse disorder in which
      these mites may be involved. In-hive chemicals such as tau-fluvalinate are being
      used to control Vdestructor populations. This approach may lead to the chronic
      exposure of bees to this liposoluble chemical, which tends to accumulate in
      hives. We cloned a variant of the V. destructor voltage-dependent sodium (VdNaV1)
      channel and studied its biophysical characteristics and sensitivity to tau
      fluvalinate using the Xenopus oocyte expression system and the 2-microelectrode
      voltage-clamp technique. We compared the affinity of VdNaV1 for tau-fluvalinate
      with the honeybee voltage-dependent sodium ortholog. Our results showed that the
      honeybee sodium channel is more sensitive to tau-fluvalinate than the V.
      destructor channel, suggesting that care must be taken when treating hives with
      this chemical.-Gosselin-Badaroudine, P., Chahine, M. Biophysical characterization
      of the Varroa destructor NaV1 sodium channel and its affinity for tau-fluvalinate
      insecticide.

PMID- 28356347
TI  - Leukocyte phosphodiesterase expression after lipopolysaccharide and during sepsis
      and its relationship with HLA-DR expression.
AB  - Phosphodiesterases (PDEs) may modulate inflammatory pathways, but PDE expression
      is poorly documented in humans with sepsis. Using quantitative PCR on whole blood
      leukocytes, we characterized PDE mRNA expression in healthy volunteers (n = 20),
      healthy volunteers given lipopolysaccharide (LPS; n = 18), and critically ill
      patients with (n = 20) and without (n = 20) sepsis. PDE4B protein expression was
      also studied in magnetic-activated cell sorting (MACS)-isolated CD15+ neutrophils
      (from 7 healthy volunteers, 5 patients without and 5 with sepsis). We studied
      relationships between PDE expression, HLA-DR (mRNA and expression on CD14+
      monocytes), tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-alpha, and interleukin (IL)-10 levels.
      LPS administration in volunteers was associated with increases in PDE4B and PDE4D
      and decreases in PDE4A and PDE7A mRNAs. The observed global down-regulation of
      the HLA-DR complex was correlated with PDE7A. Critically ill patients had lower
      TNF-alpha/IL-10 mRNA ratios than the volunteers had and global down-regulation of
      the HLA-DR complex. Septic patients had persistently lower mRNA levels of PDE7A,
      PDE4A, and 4B (also at a protein level) and decreasing levels of PDE4D over time.
      Low PDE4D mRNA levels correlated negatively with HLA-DMA and HLA-DMB. LPS
      administration and sepsis are, therefore, associated with different PDE mRNA
      expression patterns. The effect of PDE changes on immune dysfunction and HLA-DR
      expression requires further investigation.

PMID- 28356345
TI  - mTOR activation protects liver from ischemia/reperfusion-induced injury through
      NF-kappaB pathway.
AB  - Hepatic steatosis renders liver more vulnerable to ischemia/reperfusion injury
      (IRI), which commonly occurs in transplantation, trauma, and liver resection. The
      underlying mechanism is not fully characterized. We aimed to clarify the role of
      mechanistic target of rapamycin (mTOR) signaling in hepatic ischemia/reperfusion
      injury (HIRI) in normal and steatotic liver using Alb-TSC1-/- (AT) and Alb-mTOR-/
      (Am) transgenic mice. Steatotic liver induced by high-fat diet was more
      vulnerable to IRI. Activation of hepatic mTOR in AT mice decreased lipid
      accumulation attenuated HIRI as measured by terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase
      dUTP nick-end labeling (TUNEL) staining, circulating levels of alanine
      aminotransferase and lactate dehydrogenase, and inflammatory mediators such as
      monocyte chemoattractant protein 1 (MCP-1), TNF-alpha, and IL-6 and hepatic
      cleaved caspase 3 in mice fed either a normal chow diet or a high-fat diet. The
      effects of mTOR activation on hepatic cleaved caspase 3 were reversed by
      rapamycin, an inhibitor of mTOR signaling. Inhibition of hepatic mTOR in Am mice
      increased hepatic lipid deposition and HIRI. The increment in hepatic
      susceptibility to IRI was significantly attenuated by pretreatment with IKKbeta
      inhibitor. Further, suppression of mTOR facilitated nuclear translocation of NF
      kappaB p65. In conclusion, our study suggests that mTOR activity in hepatocytes
      decreases hepatic vulnerability to injury through a mechanism dependent on NF
      kappaB proinflammatory cytokine signaling pathway in both normal and steatotic
      liver.-Li, Z., Zhang, J., Mulholland, M., Zhang, W. mTOR activation protects
      liver from ischemia/reperfusion-induced injury through NF-kappaB pathway.

PMID- 28356349
TI  - cAMP: a multifaceted modulator of immune synapse assembly and T cell activation.
AB  - T Lymphocyte activation involves a substantial reorganization of the membranous
      and intracellular compartments. Signaling complexes assemble and dismantle in a
      highly ordered fashion in both compartments and orchestrate the activation of T
      cells with high sensitivity and specificity. TCR ligation leads to a short burst
      of cAMP production, which is centrally required for T cell activation; however,
      sustained elevations in intracellular cAMP concentrations are immunosuppressive.
      Emerging evidence of the existence of local cAMP pools gleaned from studies on
      other cell types suggests that cAMP compartmentalization may account, in part,
      for these opposing effects. Whereas cAMP compartmentalization has been identified
      as a central factor in the control of the cAMP-dependent processes in other cell
      types, this has, as yet, not been addressed in T lymphocytes. In this review, we
      discuss the role of cAMP in T cell activation and differentiation, with an
      emphasis on the effects mediated by the cAMP effectors, protein kinase A (PKA)
      and exchange protein activated by cAMP (EPAC)1, and on the regulatory proteins
      that may control the generation of local cAMP pools in T cells. We also present
      an overview of the available tools to image cAMP production at the subcellular
      level and discuss how bacterial adenylate cyclase (AC) toxins that are known to
      generate local cAMP pools can be exploited to address the role of cAMP
      compartmentalization in T cell activation.

PMID- 28356348
TI  - Tpl2 promotes neutrophil trafficking, oxidative burst, and bacterial killing.
AB  - Tumor progression locus 2 (Tpl2) is a serine/threonine kinase that promotes
      inflammatory cytokine production by activating the MEK/ERK pathway. Tpl2 has been
      shown to be important for eliciting the inflammatory properties of macrophages;
      however, there is relatively little known about the contribution of Tpl2 to
      neutrophil effector functions. This is an important consideration, as neutrophils
      provide the first line of defense against infection in the innate immune system.
      We found that Tpl2 is expressed in both human and murine neutrophils, suggesting
      a potential function for Tpl2 in this lineage. Despite significantly higher
      proportions of bone marrow (BM) neutrophils in Tpl2-deficient (Tpl2-/- ) mice
      compared with wild-type (WT) mice, Tpl2-/- mice have significantly reduced
      proportions of circulating neutrophils. Tpl2-/- neutrophils show impaired
      recruitment to thioglycollate, which was primarily a result of neutrophil
      extrinsic factors in the host. In response to infection, neutrophils secrete
      inflammatory cytokines and produce reactive oxygen species (ROS), which promote
      bacterial killing. Tpl2 ablation impaired neutrophil TNF secretion in response to
      LPS stimulation, superoxide generation in response to the chemotactic peptide
      fMLP, and killing of the extracellular bacterium, Citrobacter rodentium, despite
      normal bacterial phagocytosis. These results implicate Tpl2 in the regulation of
      multiple neutrophil antimicrobial pathways, including inflammatory cytokine
      secretion and oxidative burst. Furthermore, they indicate that Tpl2 functions
      early during infection to bolster neutrophil-mediated innate immunity against
      extracellular bacteria.

PMID- 28356350
TI  - From top to bottom: midkine and pleiotrophin as emerging players in immune
      regulation.
AB  - Cytokines are pivotal in the generation and resolution of the inflammatory
      response. The midkine/pleiotrophin (MK/PTN) family of cytokines, composed of just
      two members, was discovered as heparin-binding neurite outgrowth-promoting
      factors. Since their discovery, expression of this cytokine family has been
      reported in a wide array of inflammatory diseases and cancer. In this minireview,
      we will discuss the emerging appreciation of the functions of the MK/PTN family
      in the immune system, which include promoting lymphocyte survival, sculpting
      myeloid cell phenotype, driving immune cell chemotaxis, and maintaining
      hematopoiesis.

PMID- 28356351
TI  - Juvenile hormone differentially regulates two Grp78 genes encoding protein
      chaperones required for insect fat body cell homeostasis and vitellogenesis.
AB  - Juvenile hormone (JH) has a well known role in stimulating insect vitellogenesis
      (i.e. yolk deposition) and oocyte maturation, but the molecular mechanisms of JH
      action in insect reproduction are unclear. The 78-kDa glucose-regulated protein
      (Grp78) is a heat shock protein 70-kDa family member and one of the most abundant
      chaperones in the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) where it helps fold newly
      synthesized peptides. Because of its prominent role in protein folding, and also
      ER stress, we hypothesized that Grp78 might be involved in fat body cell
      homeostasis and vitellogenesis and a regulatory target of JH. We report here that
      the migratory locust Locusta migratoria possesses two Grp78 genes that are
      differentially regulated by JH. We found that Grp78-1 is regulated by JH through
      Mcm4/7-dependent DNA replication and polyploidization, whereas Grp78-2 expression
      is directly activated by the JH-receptor complex comprising methoprene-tolerant
      and Taiman proteins. Interestingly, Grp78-2 expression in the fat body is about
      10-fold higher than that of Grp78-1 Knockdown of either Grp78-1 or Grp78-2
      significantly reduced levels of vitellogenin (Vg) protein, accompanied by
      retarded maturation of oocytes. Depletion of both Grp78-1 and Grp78-2 resulted in
      ER stress and apoptosis in the fat body and in severely defective Vg synthesis
      and oocyte maturation. These results indicate a crucial role of Grp78 in JH
      dependent vitellogenesis and egg production. The presence and differential
      regulation of two Grp78 genes in L. migratoria likely help accelerate the
      production of this chaperone in the fat body to facilitate folding of massively
      synthesized Vg and other proteins.

PMID- 28356353
TI  - A ternary membrane protein complex anchors the spindle pole body in the nuclear
      envelope in budding yeast.
AB  - In budding yeast (Saccharomyces cerevisiae) the multilayered spindle pole body
      (SPB) is embedded in the nuclear envelope (NE) at fusion sites of the inner and
      outer nuclear membrane. The SPB is built from 18 different proteins, including
      the three integral membrane proteins Mps3, Ndc1, and Mps2. These membrane
      proteins play an essential role in the insertion of the new SPB into the NE. How
      the huge core structure of the SPB is anchored in the NE has not been
      investigated thoroughly until now. The present model suggests that the NE protein
      Mps2 interacts via Bbp1 with Spc29, one of the coiled-coil proteins forming the
      central plaque of the SPB. To test this model, we purified and reconstituted the
      Mps2-Bbp1 complex from yeast and incorporated the complex into liposomes. We also
      demonstrated that Mps2-Bbp1 directly interacts with Mps3 and Ndc1. We then
      purified Spc29 and reconstituted the ternary Mps2-Bbp1-Spc29 complex, proving
      that Bbp1 can simultaneously interact with Mps2 and Spc29 and in this way link
      the central plaque of the SPB to the nuclear envelope. Interestingly, Bbp1
      induced oligomerization of Spc29, which may represent an early step in SPB
      duplication. Together, this analysis provides important insights into the
      interaction network that inserts the new SPB into the NE and indicates that the
      Mps2-Bbp1 complex is the central unit of the SPB membrane anchor.

PMID- 28356356
TI  - Web stickiness optimised to humidity.

PMID- 28356352
TI  - Rearrangement of a polar core provides a conserved mechanism for constitutive
      activation of class B G protein-coupled receptors.
AB  - The glucagon receptor (GCGR) belongs to the secretin-like (class B) family of G
      protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) and is activated by the peptide hormone
      glucagon. The structures of an activated class B GPCR have remained unsolved,
      preventing a mechanistic understanding of how these receptors are activated.
      Using a combination of structural modeling and mutagenesis studies, we present
      here two modes of ligand-independent activation of GCGR. First, we identified a
      GCGR-specific hydrophobic lock comprising Met-338 and Phe-345 within the IC3 loop
      and transmembrane helix 6 (TM6) and found that this lock stabilizes the TM6 helix
      in the inactive conformation. Disruption of this hydrophobic lock led to
      constitutive G protein and arrestin signaling. Second, we discovered a polar core
      comprising conserved residues in TM2, TM3, TM6, and TM7, and mutations that
      disrupt this polar core led to constitutive GCGR activity. On the basis of these
      results, we propose a mechanistic model of GCGR activation in which TM6 is held
      in an inactive conformation by the conserved polar core and the hydrophobic lock.
      Mutations that disrupt these inhibitory elements allow TM6 to swing outward to
      adopt an active TM6 conformation similar to that of the canonical beta2
      adrenergic receptor complexed with G protein and to that of rhodopsin complexed
      with arrestin. Importantly, mutations in the corresponding polar core of several
      other members of class B GPCRs, including PTH1R, PAC1R, VIP1R, and CRFR1, also
      induce constitutive G protein signaling, suggesting that the rearrangement of the
      polar core is a conserved mechanism for class B GPCR activation.

PMID- 28356358
TI  - Chilly white-browed babblers huddle to avoid torpor.

PMID- 28356357
TI  - For Heliconius' eyes only.

PMID- 28356354
TI  - N-terminal half of transportin SR2 interacts with HIV integrase.
AB  - The karyopherin transportin SR2 (TRN-SR2, TNPO3) is responsible for shuttling
      specific cargoes such as serine/arginine-rich splicing factors from the cytoplasm
      to the nucleus. This protein plays a key role in HIV infection by facilitating
      the nuclear import of the pre-integration complex (PIC) that contains the viral
      DNA as well as several cellular and HIV proteins, including the integrase. The
      process of nuclear import is considered to be the bottleneck of the viral
      replication cycle and therefore represents a promising target for anti-HIV drug
      design. Previous studies have demonstrated that the direct interaction between
      TRN-SR2 and HIV integrase predominantly involves the catalytic core domain (CCD)
      and the C-terminal domain (CTD) of the integrase. We aimed at providing a
      detailed molecular view of this interaction through a biochemical
      characterization of the respective protein complex. Size-exclusion chromatography
      was used to characterize the interaction of TRN-SR2 with a truncated variant of
      the HIV-1 integrase, including both the CCD and CTD. These experiments indicate
      that one TRN-SR2 molecule can specifically bind one CCD-CTD dimer. Next, the
      regions of the solenoid-like TRN-SR2 molecule that are involved in the
      interaction with integrase were identified using AlphaScreen binding assays,
      revealing that the integrase interacts with the N-terminal half of TRN-SR2
      principally through the HEAT repeats 4, 10, and 11. Combining these results with
      small-angle X-ray scattering data for the complex of TRN-SR2 with truncated
      integrase, we propose a molecular model of the complex. We speculate that nuclear
      import of the PIC may proceed concurrently with the normal nuclear transport.

PMID- 28356359
TI  - Stay-at-home zebra finches use magnetic compasses too.

PMID- 28356355
TI  - Metabolomic profiling reveals a finely tuned, starvation-induced metabolic switch
      in Trypanosoma cruzi epimastigotes.
AB  - Trypanosoma cruzi, the etiological agent of Chagas disease, is a protozoan
      parasite with a complex life cycle involving a triatomine insect and mammals.
      Throughout its life cycle, the T. cruzi parasite faces several alternating events
      of cell division and cell differentiation in which exponential and stationary
      growth phases play key biological roles. It is well accepted that arrest of the
      cell division in the epimastigote stage, both in the midgut of the triatomine
      insect and in vitro, is required for metacyclogenesis, and it has been previously
      shown that the parasites change the expression profile of several proteins when
      entering this quiescent stage. However, little is known about the metabolic
      changes that epimastigotes undergo before they develop into the metacyclic
      trypomastigote stage. We applied targeted metabolomics to measure the metabolic
      intermediates in the most relevant pathways for energy metabolism and oxidative
      imbalance in exponentially growing and stationary growth-arrested epimastigote
      parasites. We show for the first time that T. cruzi epimastigotes transitioning
      from the exponential to the stationary phase exhibit a finely tuned adaptive
      metabolic mechanism that enables switching from glucose to amino acid
      consumption, which is more abundant in the stationary phase. This metabolic
      plasticity appears to be crucial for survival of the T. cruzi parasite in the
      myriad different environmental conditions to which it is exposed during its life
      cycle.

PMID- 28356360
TI  - Slime molds transfer knowledge through fusion.

PMID- 28356361
TI  - [Cardiac] Pressure's on for thirsty trout.

PMID- 28356362
TI  - Too much hibernation isn't always good for you.

PMID- 28356363
TI  - Bumblebees adapt for turbulence.

PMID- 28356364
TI  - Feisty fish from anoxic waters.

PMID- 28356365
TI  - A radical shift in perspective: mitochondria as regulators of reactive oxygen
      species.
AB  - Mitochondria are widely recognized as a source of reactive oxygen species (ROS)
      in animal cells, where it is assumed that over-production of ROS leads to an
      overwhelmed antioxidant system and oxidative stress. In this Commentary, we
      describe a more nuanced model of mitochondrial ROS metabolism, where integration
      of ROS production with consumption by the mitochondrial antioxidant pathways may
      lead to the regulation of ROS levels. Superoxide and hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) are
      the main ROS formed by mitochondria. However, superoxide, a free radical, is
      converted to the non-radical, membrane-permeant H2O2; consequently, ROS may
      readily cross cellular compartments. By combining measurements of production and
      consumption of H2O2, it can be shown that isolated mitochondria can intrinsically
      approach a steady-state concentration of H2O2 in the medium. The central
      hypothesis here is that mitochondria regulate the concentration of H2O2 to a
      value set by the balance between production and consumption. In this context, the
      consumers of ROS are not simply a passive safeguard against oxidative stress;
      instead, they control the established steady-state concentration of H2O2 By
      considering the response of rat skeletal muscle mitochondria to high levels of
      ADP, we demonstrate that H2O2 production by mitochondria is far more sensitive to
      changes in mitochondrial energetics than is H2O2 consumption; this concept is
      further extended to evaluate how the muscle mitochondrial H2O2 balance should
      respond to changes in aerobic work load. We conclude by considering how
      differences in the ROS consumption pathways may lead to important distinctions
      amongst tissues, along with briefly examining implications for differing levels
      of activity, temperature change and metabolic depression.

PMID- 28356366
TI  - Zebra finches have a light-dependent magnetic compass similar to migratory birds.
AB  - Birds have a light-dependent magnetic compass that provides information about the
      spatial alignment of the geomagnetic field. It is proposed to be located in the
      avian retina and mediated by a light-induced, radical-pair mechanism involving
      cryptochromes as sensory receptor molecules. To investigate how the behavioural
      responses of birds under different light spectra match with cryptochromes as the
      primary magnetoreceptor, we examined the spectral properties of the magnetic
      compass in zebra finches. We trained birds to relocate a food reward in a spatial
      orientation task using magnetic compass cues. The birds were well oriented along
      the trained magnetic compass axis when trained and tested under low-irradiance
      521 nm green light. In the presence of a 1.4 MHz radio-frequency electromagnetic
      (RF)-field, the birds were disoriented, which supports the involvement of radical
      pair reactions in the primary magnetoreception process. Birds trained and tested
      under 638 nm red light showed a weak tendency to orient ~45 deg clockwise of the
      trained magnetic direction. Under low-irradiance 460 nm blue light, they tended
      to orient along the trained magnetic compass axis, but were disoriented under
      higher irradiance light. Zebra finches trained and tested under high-irradiance
      430 nm indigo light were well oriented along the trained magnetic compass axis,
      but disoriented in the presence of a RF-field. We conclude that magnetic compass
      responses of zebra finches are similar to those observed in nocturnally migrating
      birds and agree with cryptochromes as the primary magnetoreceptor, suggesting
      that light-dependent, radical-pair-mediated magnetoreception is a common property
      for all birds, including non-migratory species.

PMID- 28356367
TI  - Humidity-mediated changes in an orb spider's glycoprotein adhesive impact prey
      retention time.
AB  - Properties of the viscous prey capture threads of araneoid orb spiders change in
      response to their environment. Relative humidity (RH) affects the performance of
      the thread's hygroscopic droplets by altering the viscoelasticity of each
      droplet's adhesive glycoprotein core. Studies that have characterized this
      performance used smooth glass and steel surfaces and uniform forces. In this
      study, we tested the hypothesis that these changes in performance translate into
      differences in prey retention times. We first characterized the glycoprotein
      contact surface areas and maximum extension lengths of Araneus marmoreus droplets
      at 20%, 37%, 55%, 72% and 90% RH and then modeled the relative work required to
      initiate pull-off of a 4 mm thread span, concluding that this species' droplets
      and threads performed optimally at 72% RH. Next, we evaluated the ability of
      three equally spaced capture thread strands to retain a house fly at 37%, 55% and
      72% RH. Each fly's struggle was captured in a video and bouts of active escape
      behavior were summed. House flies were retained 11 s longer at 72% RH than at 37%
      and 55% RH. This difference is ecologically significant because the short time
      after an insect strikes a web and before a spider begins wrapping it is an
      insect's only opportunity to escape from the web. Moreover, these results
      validate the mechanism by which natural selection can tune the performance of an
      orb spider's capture threads to the humidity of its habitat.

PMID- 28356368
TI  - Avian torpor or alternative thermoregulatory strategies for overwintering?
AB  - It is unclear whether torpor really is uncommon amongst passerine birds. We
      therefore examined body temperature and thermoregulatory strategies of an Austral
      passerine, the white-browed babbler (Pomatostomus superciliosus), which has
      characteristics related to a high probability of torpor use; it is a sedentary,
      insectivorous, cooperative breeding species, which we studied during winter in a
      temperate habitat. Wild, free-living babblers maintained normothermy overnight,
      even at sub-zero ambient temperatures, with a mean minimum body temperature of
      38.5+/-0.04 degrees C that was independent of minimum black bulb temperature.
      Physiological variables measured in the laboratory revealed that babblers had a
      low basal metabolic rate and evaporative water loss, but their body temperature
      and thermal conductance were typical of those of other birds and they had a
      typical endothermic response to low ambient temperature. Huddling yielded
      significant energy savings at low temperatures and a roost nest created a
      microclimate that buffered against low temperatures. Low basal energy
      requirements, communal roosting and the insulation of a roost nest confer
      sufficient energetic benefits, allowing babblers to meet energy requirements
      without resorting to heterothermia, even in their depauperate, low-productivity
      landscape, suggesting that passerine birds use alternatives to torpor to balance
      their energy budgets when possible.

PMID- 28356369
TI  - The independence of eye movements in a stomatopod crustacean is task dependent.
AB  - Stomatopods have an extraordinary visual system, incorporating independent
      movement of their eyes in all three degrees of rotational freedom. In this work,
      we demonstrate that in the peacock mantis shrimp, Odontodactylus scyllarus, the
      level of ocular independence is task dependent. During gaze stabilization in the
      context of optokinesis, there is weak but significant correlation between the
      left and right eyes in the yaw degree of rotational freedom, but not in pitch and
      torsion. When one eye is completely occluded, the uncovered eye does not drive
      the covered eye during gaze stabilization. However, occluding one eye does
      significantly affect the uncovered eye, lowering its gaze stabilization
      performance. There is a lateral asymmetry, with the magnitude of the effect
      depending on the eye (left or right) combined with the direction of motion of the
      visual field. In contrast, during a startle saccade, the uncovered eye does drive
      a covered eye. Such disparate levels of independence between the two eyes suggest
      that responses to individual visual tasks are likely to follow different neural
      pathways.

PMID- 28356370
TI  - Comorbidities in the management of patients with lung cancer.
AB  - Lung cancer represents a major public health issue worldwide. Unfortunately, more
      than half of them are diagnosed at an advanced stage. Moreover, even if diagnosed
      early, diagnosis procedures and treatment can be difficult due to the frequent
      comorbidities observed in these patients. Some of these comorbidities have a
      common major risk factor, i.e. smoking, whereas others are unrelated to smoking
      but frequently observed in the general population. These comorbidities must be
      carefully assessed before any diagnostic and/or therapeutic decisions are made
      regarding the lung cancer. For example, in a patient with severe emphysema or
      with diffuse lung fibrosis, transthoracic needle biopsy can be contraindicated,
      meaning that in some instances a precise diagnosis cannot be obtained; in a
      patient with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, surgery may be impossible or
      should be preceded by intensive rehabilitation; patients with interstitial lung
      disease are at risk of radiation pneumonitis and should not receive drugs which
      can worsen the respiratory insufficiency. Patients who belong to what are called
      "special populations", e.g. elderly or HIV infected, should be treated
      specifically, especially regarding systemic treatment. Last but not least,
      psychosocial factors are of great importance and can vary from one country to
      another according to health insurance coverage.

PMID- 28356372
TI  - Pulmonary complications and survival after autologous stem cell transplantation:
      predictive role of pulmonary function and pneumotoxic medications.

PMID- 28356371
TI  - Metabolomics analysis identifies different metabotypes of asthma severity.
AB  - In this study, we sought to determine whether asthma has a metabolic profile and
      whether this profile is related to disease severity.We characterised the serum
      from 22 healthy individuals and 54 asthmatics (12 mild, 20 moderate, 22 severe)
      using liquid chromatography-high-resolution mass spectrometry-based metabolomics.
      Selected metabolites were confirmed by targeted mass spectrometry assays of
      eicosanoids, sphingolipids and free fatty acids.We conclusively identified 66
      metabolites; 15 were significantly altered with asthma (p<=0.05). Levels of
      dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate, cortisone, cortisol, prolylhydroxyproline,
      pipecolate and N-palmitoyltaurine correlated significantly (p<0.05) with inhaled
      corticosteroid dose, and were further shifted in individuals treated with oral
      corticosteroids. Oleoylethanolamide increased with asthma severity independently
      of steroid treatment (p<0.001). Multivariate analysis revealed two patterns: 1) a
      mean difference between controls and patients with mild asthma (p=0.025), and 2)
      a mean difference between patients with severe asthma and all other groups
      (p=1.7*10-4). Metabolic shifts in mild asthma, relative to controls, were
      associated with exogenous metabolites (e.g. dietary lipids), while those in
      moderate and severe asthma (e.g. oleoylethanolamide, sphingosine-1-phosphate, N
      palmitoyltaurine) were postulated to be involved in activating the transient
      receptor potential vanilloid type 1 (TRPV1) receptor, driving TRPV1-dependent
      pathogenesis in asthma.Our findings suggest that asthma is characterised by a
      modest systemic metabolic shift in a disease severity-dependent manner, and that
      steroid treatment significantly affects metabolism.

PMID- 28356373
TI  - Maximal mid-expiratory flow detects early lung disease in alpha1-antitrypsin
      deficiency.
AB  - Pathological studies suggest that loss of small airways precedes airflow
      obstruction and emphysema in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Not
      all alpha1-antitrypsin deficiency (AATD) patients develop COPD, and measures of
      small airways function might be able to detect those at risk.Maximal mid
      expiratory flow (MMEF), forced expiratory volume in 1 s (FEV1), ratio of
      FEV1/forced vital capacity (FVC), health status, presence of emphysema (computed
      tomography (CT) densitometry) and subsequent decline in FEV1 were assessed in 196
      AATD patients.FEV1/FVC, FEV1 % predicted and lung densitometry related to MMEF %
      pred (r2=0.778, p<0.0001; r2=0.787, p<0.0001; r2=0.594, p<0.0001, respectively)
      in a curvilinear fashion. Patients could be divided into those with normal
      FEV1/FVC and MMEF (group 1), normal FEV1/FVC and reduced MMEF (group 2) and those
      with spirometrically defined COPD (group 3). Patients in group 2 had worse health
      status than group 1 (median total St George's Respiratory Questionnaire (SGRQ)
      23.15 (interquartile range (IQR) 7.09-39.63) versus 9.67 (IQR 1.83-22.35);
      p=0.006) and had a greater subsequent decline in FEV1 (median change in FEV1 
      1.09% pred per year (IQR -1.91-0.04% pred per year) versus -0.04% pred per year
      (IQR -0.67-0.03% pred per year); p=0.007).A reduction in MMEF is an early feature
      of lung disease in AATD and is associated with impaired health status and a
      faster decline in FEV1.

PMID- 28356374
TI  - Concordance between upper and lower airway microbiota in infants with cystic
      fibrosis.
AB  - Nasopharyngeal and oropharyngeal samples are commonly used to direct therapy for
      lower respiratory tract infections in non-expectorating infants with cystic
      fibrosis (CF).We aimed to investigate the concordance between the bacterial
      community compositions of 25 sets of nasopharyngeal, oropharyngeal and
      bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) samples from 17 infants with CF aged ~5 months
      (n=13) and ~12 months (n=12) using conventional culturing and 16S-rRNA
      sequencing.Clustering analyses demonstrated that BAL microbiota profiles were in
      general characterised by a mixture of oral and nasopharyngeal bacteria, including
      commensals like Streptococcus, Neisseria, Veillonella and Rothia spp. and
      potential pathogens like Staphylococcus aureus, Haemophilus influenzae and
      Moraxella spp. Within each individual, however, the degree of concordance
      differed between microbiota of both upper respiratory tract niches and the
      corresponding BAL.The inconsistent intra-individual concordance between
      microbiota of the upper and lower respiratory niches suggests that the lungs of
      infants with CF may have their own microbiome that seems seeded by, but is not
      identical to, the upper respiratory tract microbiome.

PMID- 28356375
TI  - IFN-alpha/IFN-lambda responses to respiratory viruses in paediatric asthma.

PMID- 28356376
TI  - A good asthma catch by professional fishing.

PMID- 28356377
TI  - "Baseline characteristics of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis: analysis from the
      Australian Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis Registry." Helen E. Jo, Ian Glaspole,
      Christopher Grainge, Nicole Goh, Peter M.A. Hopkins, Yuben Moodley, Paul N.
      Reynolds, Sally Chapman, E. Haydn Walters, Christopher Zappala, Heather Allan,
      Gregory J. Keir, Andrew Hayen, Wendy A. Cooper, Annabelle M. Mahar, Samantha
      Ellis, Sacha Macansh and Tamera J. Corte. Eur Respir J 2017; 49: 1651592.

PMID- 28356378
TI  - IFN-alpha/IFN-lambda responses to respiratory viruses in paediatric asthma.

PMID- 28356379
TI  - Rhinovirus species/genotypes and interferon-lambda: subtypes, receptor and
      polymorphisms - missing pieces of the puzzle of childhood asthma?

PMID- 28356380
TI  - Understanding at-risk subgroups for lung function impairment in life-long
      nonsmokers with alpha1-antitrypsin deficiency.

PMID- 28356381
TI  - Rhinovirus species/genotypes and interferon-lambda: subtypes, receptor and
      polymorphisms - missing pieces of the puzzle of childhood asthma?

PMID- 28356382
TI  - Limited Presence of IL-22 Binding Protein, a Natural IL-22 Inhibitor, Strengthens
      Psoriatic Skin Inflammation.
AB  - Psoriasis is a chronic inflammatory disease resulting from dysregulated immune
      activation associated with a large local secretion of cytokines. Among them, IL
      22 largely contributes to epithelial remodeling and inflammation through
      inhibiting the terminal differentiation of keratinocytes and inducing
      antimicrobial peptides and selected chemokines. The activity of IL-22 is
      regulated by IL-22 binding protein (IL-22BP); however, the expression and role of
      IL-22BP in psoriatic skin has remained unknown so far. Here we showed that
      nonaffected skin of psoriasis patients displayed lower expression of IL-22BP than
      skin of healthy controls. Furthermore, the strong IL-22 increase in lesional
      psoriatic skin was accompanied by a moderate induction of IL-22BP. To investigate
      the role of IL-22BP in controlling IL-22 during skin inflammation, we used
      imiquimod-induced skin disease in rodents and showed that rats with genetic IL
      22BP deficiency (Il22ra2-/-) displayed exacerbated disease that associated with
      enhanced expression of IL-22-inducible antimicrobial peptides. We further
      recapitulated these findings in mice injected with an anti-IL-22BP neutralizing
      Ab. Hypothesizing that the IL-22/IL-22BP expression ratio reflects the level of
      bioactive IL-22 in psoriasis skin, we found positive correlations with the
      expression of IL-22-inducible molecules (IL-20, IL-24, IL-36gamma, CXCL1, and
      BD2) in keratinocytes. Finally, we observed that serum IL-22/IL-22BP protein
      ratio strongly correlated with psoriasis severity. In conclusion, we propose that
      although IL-22BP can control deleterious actions of IL-22 in the skin, its
      limited production prevents a sufficient neutralization of IL-22 and contributes
      to the development and maintenance of epidermal alterations in psoriasis.

PMID- 28356383
TI  - Vigilin Regulates the Expression of the Stress-Induced Ligand MICB by Interacting
      with Its 5' Untranslated Region.
AB  - NK cells are part of the innate immune system, and are able to identify and kill
      hazardous cells. The discrimination between normal and hazardous cells is
      possible due to an array of inhibitory and activating receptors. NKG2D is one of
      the prominent activating receptors expressed by all human NK cells. This receptor
      binds stress-induced ligands, including human MICA, MICB, and UL16-binding
      proteins 1-6. The interaction between NKG2D and its ligands facilitates the
      elimination of cells under cellular stress, such as tumor transformation.
      However, the mechanisms regulating the expression of these ligands are still not
      well understood. Under normal conditions, the NKG2D ligands were shown to be
      posttranscriptionally regulated by cellular microRNAs and RNA-binding proteins
      (RBPs). Thus far, only the 3' untranslated regions (UTRs) of MICA, MICB, and UL16
      binding protein 2 were shown to be regulated by RBPs and microRNAs, usually
      resulting in their downregulation. In this study we investigated whether MICB
      expression is controlled by RBPs through its 5'UTR. We used an RNA pull-down
      assay followed by mass spectrometry and identified vigilin, a ubiquitously
      expressed multifunctional RNA-binding protein. We demonstrated that vigilin binds
      and negatively regulates MICB expression through its 5'UTR. Additionally, vigilin
      downregulation in target cells led to a significant increase in NK cell
      activation against said target cells. Taken together, we have discovered a novel
      mode of MICB regulation.

PMID- 28356384
TI  - IL-26 Confers Proinflammatory Properties to Extracellular DNA.
AB  - In physiological conditions, self-DNA released by dying cells is not detected by
      intracellular DNA sensors. In chronic inflammatory disorders, unabated
      inflammation has been associated with a break in innate immune tolerance to self
      DNA. However, extracellular DNA has to complex with DNA-binding molecules to gain
      access to intracellular DNA sensors. IL-26 is a member of the IL-10 cytokine
      family, overexpressed in numerous chronic inflammatory diseases, in which
      biological activity remains unclear. We demonstrate in this study that IL-26
      binds to genomic DNA, mitochondrial DNA, and neutrophil extracellular traps, and
      shuttles them in the cytosol of human myeloid cells. As a consequence, IL-26
      allows extracellular DNA to trigger proinflammatory cytokine secretion by
      monocytes, in a STING- and inflammasome-dependent manner. Supporting these
      biological properties, IL-10-based modeling predicts two DNA-binding domains, two
      amphipathic helices, and an in-plane membrane anchor in IL-26, which are
      structural features of cationic amphipathic cell-penetrating peptides. In line
      with these properties, patients with active autoantibody-associated vasculitis, a
      chronic relapsing autoimmune inflammatory disease associated with extensive cell
      death, exhibit high levels of both circulating IL-26 and IL-26-DNA complexes.
      Moreover, in patients with crescentic glomerulonephritis, IL-26 is expressed by
      renal arterial smooth muscle cells and deposits in necrotizing lesions.
      Accordingly, human primary smooth cells secrete IL-26 in response to
      proinflammatory cytokines. In conclusion, IL-26 is a unique cationic protein more
      similar to a soluble pattern recognition receptor than to conventional cytokines.
      IL-26 expressed in inflammatory lesions confers proinflammatory properties to DNA
      released by dying cells, setting up a positive amplification loop between
      extensive cell death and unabated inflammation.

PMID- 28356387
TI  - Inducible TAP1 Negatively Regulates the Antiviral Innate Immune Response by
      Targeting the TAK1 Complex.
AB  - The innate immune response is critical for host defense and must be tightly
      controlled, but the molecular mechanisms responsible for its negative regulation
      are not yet completely understood. In this study, we report that transporter 1,
      ATP-binding cassette, subfamily B (TAP1), a virus-inducible endoplasmic reticulum
      associated protein, negatively regulated the virus-triggered immune response. In
      this study, we observed upregulated expression of TAP1 following virus infection
      in human lung epithelial cells (A549), THP-1 monocytes, HeLa cells, and Vero
      cells. The overexpression of TAP1 enhanced virus replication by inhibiting the
      virus-triggered activation of NF-kappaB signaling and the production of IFNs, IFN
      stimulated genes, and proinflammatory cytokines. TAP1 depletion had the opposite
      effect. In response to virus infection, TAP1 interacted with the TGF-beta
      activated kinase (TAK)1 complex and impaired the phosphorylation of TAK1,
      subsequently suppressing the phosphorylation of the IkappaB kinase complex and NF
      kappaB inhibitor alpha (IkappaBalpha) as well as NF-kappaB nuclear translocation.
      Our findings collectively suggest that TAP1 plays a novel role in the negative
      regulation of virus-triggered NF-kappaB signaling and the innate immune response
      by targeting the TAK1 complex.

PMID- 28356385
TI  - RGC-32 Promotes Th17 Cell Differentiation and Enhances Experimental Autoimmune
      Encephalomyelitis.
AB  - Th17 cells play a critical role in autoimmune diseases, including multiple
      sclerosis and its animal model, experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis.
      Response gene to complement (RGC)-32 is a cell cycle regulator and a downstream
      target of TGF-beta that mediates its profibrotic activity. In this study, we
      report that RGC-32 is preferentially upregulated during Th17 cell
      differentiation. RGC-32-/- mice have normal Th1, Th2, and regulatory T cell
      differentiation but show defective Th17 differentiation in vitro. The impaired
      Th17 differentiation is associated with defects in IFN regulatory factor 4, B
      cell-activating transcription factor, retinoic acid-related orphan receptor
      gammat, and SMAD2 activation. In vivo, RGC-32-/- mice display an attenuated
      experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis phenotype accompanied by decreased CNS
      inflammation and reduced frequency of IL-17- and GM-CSF-producing CD4+ T cells.
      Collectively, our results identify RGC-32 as a novel regulator of Th17 cell
      differentiation in vitro and in vivo and suggest that RGC-32 is a potential
      therapeutic target in multiple sclerosis and other Th17-mediated autoimmune
      diseases.

PMID- 28356388
TI  - Emergency medicine: what keeps me, what might lose me? A narrative study of
      consultant views in Wales.
AB  - : EDs are currently under intense pressure due to increased patient demand. There
      are major issues with retention of senior personnel, making the specialty a less
      attractive choice for junior doctors. This study aims to explore what attracted
      EM consultants to their career and keeps them there. It is hoped this can inform
      recruitment strategies to increase the popularity of EM to medical students and
      junior doctors, many of whom have very limited EM exposure. METHODS:
      Semistructured interviews were conducted with 10 consultants from Welsh EDs using
      a narrative approach. RESULTS: Three main themes emerged that influenced the
      career choice of the consultants interviewed: (1) early exposure to positive EM
      role models; (2) non-hierarchical team structure; (3) suitability of EM for
      flexible working. The main reason for consultants leaving was the pressure of
      work impacting on patient care. CONCLUSION: The study findings suggest that EM
      consultants in post are positive about their careers despite the high volume of
      consultant attrition. This study reinforces the need for dedicated undergraduate
      EM placements to stimulate interest and encourage medical student EM aspirations.
      Consultants identified that improving the physical working environment, including
      organisation, would increase their effectiveness and the attractiveness of EM as
      a long-term career.

PMID- 28356386
TI  - The Granulocyte Progenitor Stage Is a Key Target of IRF8-Mediated Regulation of
      Myeloid-Derived Suppressor Cell Production.
AB  - Alterations in myelopoiesis are common across various tumor types, resulting in
      immature populations termed myeloid-derived suppressor cells (MDSCs). MDSC burden
      correlates with poorer clinical outcomes, credited to their ability to suppress
      antitumor immunity. MDSCs consist of two major subsets, monocytic and
      polymorphonuclear (PMN). Intriguingly, the latter subset predominates in many
      patients and tumor models, although the mechanisms favoring PMN-MDSC responses
      remain poorly understood. Ordinarily, lineage-restricted transcription factors
      regulate myelopoiesis that collectively dictate cell fate. One integral player is
      IFN regulatory factor (IRF)-8, which promotes monocyte/dendritic cell
      differentiation while limiting granulocyte development. We recently showed that
      IRF8 inversely controls MDSC burden in tumor models, particularly the PMN-MDSC
      subset. However, where IRF8 acts in the pathway of myeloid differentiation to
      influence PMN-MDSC production has remained unknown. In this study, we showed
      that: 1) tumor growth was associated with a selective expansion of newly defined
      IRF8lo granulocyte progenitors (GPs); 2) tumor-derived GPs had an increased
      ability to form PMN-MDSCs; 3) tumor-derived GPs shared gene expression patterns
      with IRF8-/- GPs, suggesting that IRF8 loss underlies GP expansion; and 4)
      enforced IRF8 overexpression in vivo selectively constrained tumor-induced GP
      expansion. These findings support the hypothesis that PMN-MDSCs result from
      selective expansion of IRF8lo GPs, and that strategies targeting IRF8 expression
      may limit their load to improve immunotherapy efficacy.

PMID- 28356389
TI  - Liver carcinogenesis by FOS-dependent inflammation and cholesterol dysregulation.
AB  - Human hepatocellular carcinomas (HCCs), which arise on a background of chronic
      liver damage and inflammation, express c-Fos, a component of the AP-1
      transcription factor. Using mouse models, we show that hepatocyte-specific
      deletion of c-Fos protects against diethylnitrosamine (DEN)-induced HCCs, whereas
      liver-specific c-Fos expression leads to reversible premalignant hepatocyte
      transformation and enhanced DEN-carcinogenesis. c-Fos-expressing livers display
      necrotic foci, immune cell infiltration, and altered hepatocyte morphology.
      Furthermore, increased proliferation, dedifferentiation, activation of the DNA
      damage response, and gene signatures of aggressive HCCs are observed.
      Mechanistically, c-Fos decreases expression and activity of the nuclear receptor
      LXRalpha, leading to increased hepatic cholesterol and accumulation of toxic
      oxysterols and bile acids. The phenotypic consequences of c-Fos expression are
      partially ameliorated by the anti-inflammatory drug sulindac and largely
      prevented by statin treatment. An inverse correlation between c-FOS and the
      LXRalpha pathway was also observed in human HCC cell lines and datasets. These
      findings provide a novel link between chronic inflammation and metabolic pathways
      important in liver cancer.

PMID- 28356391
TI  - TLR4 signals in B lymphocytes are transduced via the B cell antigen receptor and
      SYK.
AB  - Toll-like receptors (TLRs) play an important role in immune responses to
      pathogens by transducing signals in innate immune cells in response to microbial
      products. TLRs are also expressed on B cells, and TLR signaling in B cells
      contributes to antibody-mediated immunity and autoimmunity. The SYK tyrosine
      kinase is essential for signaling from the B cell antigen receptor (BCR), and
      thus for antibody responses. Surprisingly, we find that it is also required for B
      cell survival, proliferation, and cytokine secretion in response to signaling
      through several TLRs. We show that treatment of B cells with lipopolysaccharide,
      the ligand for TLR4, results in SYK activation and that this is dependent on the
      BCR. Furthermore, we show that B cells lacking the BCR are also defective in TLR
      induced B cell activation. Our results demonstrate that TLR4 signals through two
      distinct pathways, one via the BCR leading to activation of SYK, ERK, and AKT and
      the other through MYD88 leading to activation of NF-kappaB.

PMID- 28356390
TI  - The kinase TBK1 functions in dendritic cells to regulate T cell homeostasis,
      autoimmunity, and antitumor immunity.
AB  - Dendritic cells (DCs) are crucial for mediating immune responses but, when
      deregulated, also contribute to immunological disorders, such as autoimmunity.
      The molecular mechanism underlying the function of DCs is incompletely
      understood. In this study, we have identified TANK-binding kinase 1 (TBK1), a
      master innate immune kinase, as an important regulator of DC function. DC
      specific deletion of Tbk1 causes T cell activation and autoimmune symptoms and
      also enhances antitumor immunity in animal models of cancer immunotherapy. The
      TBK1-deficient DCs have up-regulated expression of co-stimulatory molecules and
      increased T cell-priming activity. We further demonstrate that TBK1 negatively
      regulates the induction of a subset of genes by type I interferon receptor
      (IFNAR). Deletion of IFNAR1 could largely prevent aberrant T cell activation and
      autoimmunity in DC-conditional Tbk1 knockout mice. These findings identify a DC
      specific function of TBK1 in the maintenance of immune homeostasis and tolerance.

PMID- 28356393
TI  - JNeurosci Manuscripts May Now Include Extended Datasets.

PMID- 28356394
TI  - Age-Related Changes in Frontal, Striatal, and Medial Temporal Activity during
      Expected Value Evaluation.

PMID- 28356392
TI  - BATF2 inhibits immunopathological Th17 responses by suppressing Il23a expression
      during Trypanosoma cruzi infection.
AB  - Inappropriate IL-17 responses are implicated in chronic tissue inflammation. IL
      23 contributes to Trypanosoma cruzi-specific IL-17 production, but the molecular
      mechanisms underlying regulation of the IL-23-IL-17 axis during T. cruzi
      infection are poorly understood. Here, we demonstrate a novel function of BATF2
      as a negative regulator of Il23a in innate immune cells. IL-17, but not IFN
      gamma, was more highly produced by CD4+ T cells from spleens and livers of T.
      cruzi-infected Batf2-/- mice than by those of wild-type mice. In this context,
      Batf2-/- mice showed severe multiorgan pathology despite reduced parasite burden.
      T. cruzi-induced IL-23 production was increased in Batf2-/- innate immune cells.
      The T. cruzi-induced enhanced Th17 response was abrogated in Batf2-/-Il23a-/-
      mice. The interaction of BATF2 with c-JUN prevented c-JUN-ATF-2 complex
      formation, inhibiting Il23a expression. These results demonstrate that IFN-gamma
      inducible BATF2 in innate immune cells controls Th17-mediated immunopathology by
      suppressing IL-23 production during T. cruzi infection.

PMID- 28356395
TI  - The Dorsolateral Prefrontal Cortex, a Dynamic Cortical Area to Enhance Top-Down
      Attentional Control.

PMID- 28356396
TI  - Correction: Liu et al., "Vectored Intracerebral Immunization with the Anti-Tau
      Monoclonal Antibody PHF1 Markedly Reduces Tau Pathology in Mutant Tau Transgenic
      Mice".

PMID- 28356397
TI  - Correction: Favero and Castro-Alamancos, "Synaptic Cooperativity Regulates
      Persistent Network Activity in Neocortex".

PMID- 28356398
TI  - Erratum: de la Vega et al., "Large-Scale Meta-Analysis of Human Medial Frontal
      Cortex Reveals Tripartite Functional Organization".

PMID- 28356400
TI  - Phospho-ERK and sex steroids in the mPOA: involvement in male mouse sexual
      behaviour.
AB  - This paper aimed to investigate the mechanisms triggering ERK phosphorylation and
      its functional role in male sexual behaviour. ERK1/2-phosphorylated form was
      detected in the medial preoptic area of the hypothalamus (mPOA) during the sexual
      stimulation of naive and sexually experienced males who were killed 5 min after
      the first intromission. This mating-induced ERK phosphorylation was increased in
      sexually experienced males compared to that in naive mice. The functional role of
      the ERK1/2 pathway activation during sexual behaviour was explored with the
      administration of a MEK inhibitor, SL-327 (30 mg/kg, i.p.), 45 min before the
      contact with a receptive female. Inhibition of ERK phosphorylation was found to
      decrease sexual motivation in both naive and experienced males without altering
      their copulatory ability. The mechanisms potentially involved in this rapid
      ERK1/2 pathway activation were specified ex vivo on hypothalamic slices. A thirty
      minute incubation with 100 nM of testosterone (T), dihydrotestosterone (DHT) or
      oestradiol (E2) led to ERK phosphorylation. No changes were observed after
      incubation with testosterone 3-(O-carboxymethyl)oxime-BSA (T-BSA), an impermeable
      to the plasma membrane form of testosterone. All these results indicate that ERK
      phosphorylation within the mPOA could be a key player in the motivational
      signalling pathway and considered as an index of sexual motivation. They also
      demonstrate the involvement of oestrogen receptor (ER) and androgen receptor (AR)
      transduction pathways in steroid-dependent ERK activation.

PMID- 28356403
TI  - Short- and long-term effects of diving on pulmonary function.
AB  - The diving environment provides a challenge to the lung, including exposure to
      high ambient pressure, altered gas characteristics and cardiovascular effects on
      the pulmonary circulation. Several factors associated with diving affect
      pulmonary function acutely and can potentially cause prolonged effects that may
      accumulate gradually with repeated diving exposure. Evidence from experimental
      deep dives and longitudinal studies suggests long-term adverse effects of diving
      on the lungs in commercial deep divers, such as the development of small airways
      disease and accelerated loss of lung function. In addition, there is an
      accumulating body of evidence that diving with self-contained underwater
      breathing apparatus (scuba) may not be associated with deleterious effects on
      pulmonary function. Although changes in pulmonary function after single scuba
      dives have been found to be associated with immersion, ambient cold temperatures
      and decompression stress, changes in lung function were small and suggest a low
      likelihood of clinical significance. Recent evidence points to no accelerated
      loss of lung function in military or recreational scuba divers over time. Thus,
      the impact of diving on pulmonary function largely depends on factors associated
      with the individual diving exposure. However, in susceptible subjects clinically
      relevant worsening of lung function may occur even after single shallow-water
      scuba dives.

PMID- 28356404
TI  - Medical management of chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension.
AB  - Chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension (CTEPH) results from incomplete
      resolution of acute pulmonary emboli, organised into fibrotic material that
      obstructs large pulmonary arteries, and distal small-vessel arteriopathy.
      Pulmonary endarterectomy (PEA) is the treatment of choice for eligible patients
      with CTEPH; in expert centres, PEA has low in-hospital mortality rates and
      excellent long-term survival. Supportive medical therapy consists of lifelong
      anticoagulation plus diuretics and oxygen, as needed.An important recent advance
      in medical therapy for CTEPH is the arrival of medical therapies for patients
      with inoperable disease or persistent/recurrent pulmonary hypertension after PEA.
      The soluble guanylate cyclase stimulator riociguat is licensed for the treatment
      of CTEPH in patients with inoperable disease or with recurrent/persistent
      pulmonary hypertension after PEA. Clinical trials of this agent have shown
      improvements in patients' haemodynamics and exercise capacity. Phosphodiesterase
      5 inhibitors, endothelin receptor antagonists and prostanoids have been used in
      the treatment of CTEPH, but evidence of benefit is limited. Challenges in the
      future development of medical therapy for CTEPH include better understanding of
      the underlying pathology, end-points to monitor the condition's progress, and the
      optimisation of pulmonary arterial hypertension therapies in relation to diverse
      patient characteristics and emerging options such as balloon pulmonary
      angioplasty.

PMID- 28356401
TI  - Exposure to endocrine disruptors during adulthood: consequences for female
      fertility.
AB  - Endocrine disrupting chemicals are ubiquitous chemicals that exhibit endocrine
      disrupting properties in both humans and animals. Female reproduction is an
      important process, which is regulated by hormones and is susceptible to the
      effects of exposure to endocrine disrupting chemicals. Disruptions in female
      reproductive functions by endocrine disrupting chemicals may result in
      subfertility, infertility, improper hormone production, estrous and menstrual
      cycle abnormalities, anovulation, and early reproductive senescence. This review
      summarizes the effects of a variety of synthetic endocrine disrupting chemicals
      on fertility during adult life. The chemicals covered in this review are
      pesticides (organochlorines, organophosphates, carbamates, pyrethroids, and
      triazines), heavy metals (arsenic, lead, and mercury), diethylstilbesterol,
      plasticizer alternatives (di-(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate and bisphenol A
      alternatives), 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin, nonylphenol, polychlorinated
      biphenyls, triclosan, and parabens. This review focuses on the hypothalamus,
      pituitary, ovary, and uterus because together they regulate normal female
      fertility and the onset of reproductive senescence. The literature shows that
      several endocrine disrupting chemicals have endocrine disrupting abilities in
      females during adult life, causing fertility abnormalities in both humans and
      animals.

PMID- 28356402
TI  - The biochemical properties of the two Arabidopsis thaliana isochorismate
      synthases.
AB  - The important plant hormone salicylic acid (SA; 2-hydroxybenzoic acid) regulates
      several key plant responses including, most notably, defence against pathogens. A
      key enzyme for SA biosynthesis is isochorismate synthase (ICS), which converts
      chorismate into isochorismate, and for which there are two genes in Arabidopsis
      thaliana One (AtICS1) has been shown to be required for increased SA biosynthesis
      in response to pathogens and its expression can be stimulated throughout the leaf
      by virus infection and exogenous SA. The other (AtICS2) appears to be expressed
      constitutively, predominantly in the plant vasculature. Here, we characterise the
      enzymatic activity of both isozymes expressed as hexahistidine fusion proteins in
      Escherichia coli. We show for the first time that recombinant AtICS2 is
      enzymatically active. Both isozymes are Mg2+-dependent with similar temperature
      optima (ca. 33 degrees C) and similar Km values for chorismate of 34.3 +/- 3.7
      and 28.8 +/- 6.9 uM for ICS1 and ICS2, respectively, but reaction rates were
      greater for ICS1 than for ICS2, with respective values for Vmax of 63.5 +/- 2.4
      and 28.3 +/- 2.0 nM s-1 and for kcat of 38.1 +/- 1.5 and 17.0 +/- 1.2 min-1
      However, neither enzyme displayed isochorismate pyruvate lyase (IPL) activity,
      which would enable these proteins to act as bifunctional SA synthases, i.e. to
      convert chorismate into SA. These results show that although Arabidopsis has two
      functional ICS enzymes, it must possess one or more IPL enzymes to complete
      biosynthesis of SA starting from chorismate.

PMID- 28356405
TI  - The pathophysiology of chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension.
AB  - Chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension (CTEPH) is a rare, progressive
      pulmonary vascular disease that is usually a consequence of prior acute pulmonary
      embolism. CTEPH usually begins with persistent obstruction of large and/or middle
      sized pulmonary arteries by organised thrombi. Failure of thrombi to resolve may
      be related to abnormal fibrinolysis or underlying haematological or autoimmune
      disorders. It is now known that small-vessel abnormalities also contribute to
      haemodynamic compromise, functional impairment and disease progression in CTEPH.
      Small-vessel disease can occur in obstructed areas, possibly triggered by
      unresolved thrombotic material, and downstream from occlusions, possibly because
      of excessive collateral blood supply from high-pressure bronchial and systemic
      arteries. The molecular processes underlying small-vessel disease are not
      completely understood and further research is needed in this area. The degree of
      small-vessel disease has a substantial impact on the severity of CTEPH and
      postsurgical outcomes. Interventional and medical treatment of CTEPH should aim
      to restore normal flow distribution within the pulmonary vasculature, unload the
      right ventricle and prevent or treat small-vessel disease. It requires early,
      reliable identification of patients with CTEPH and use of optimal treatment
      modalities in expert centres.

PMID- 28356406
TI  - Balloon pulmonary angioplasty in chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension.
AB  - Chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension (CTEPH) is thought to result from
      incomplete resolution of pulmonary thromboemboli that undergo organisation into
      fibrous tissue within pulmonary arterial branches, filling pulmonary arterial
      lumina with collagenous obstructions. The treatment of choice is pulmonary
      endarterectomy (PEA) in CTEPH centres, which has low post-operative mortality and
      good long-term survival. For patients ineligible for PEA or who have recurrent or
      persistent pulmonary hypertension after surgery, medical treatment with riociguat
      is beneficial. In addition, percutaneous balloon pulmonary angioplasty (BPA) is
      an emerging option, and promises haemodynamic and functional benefits for
      inoperable patients. In contrast to conventional angioplasty, BPA with undersized
      balloons over guide wires exclusively breaks intraluminal webs and bands, without
      dissecting medial vessel layers, and repeat sessions are generally required.
      Observational studies report that BPA improves haemodynamics, symptoms and
      functional capacity in patients with CTEPH, but controlled trials with long-term
      follow-up are needed. Complications include haemoptysis, wire injury, vessel
      dissection, vessel rupture, reperfusion pulmonary oedema, pulmonary parenchymal
      bleeding and haemorrhagic pleural effusions. This review summarises the available
      evidence for BPA, patient selection, recent technical refinements and
      periprocedural imaging, and discusses the potential future role of BPA in the
      management of CTEPH.

PMID- 28356407
TI  - An epidemiological analysis of the burden of chronic thromboembolic pulmonary
      hypertension in the USA, Europe and Japan.
AB  - Epidemiological data for chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension (CTEPH)
      are limited and there are conflicting reports regarding its pathogenesis.A
      literature review was conducted to identify CTEPH epidemiological data up to June
      2014. Data were analysed to provide estimates of the incidence of CTEPH in the
      USA, Europe and Japan. An epidemiological projection model derived country
      specific estimates of future incidence and diagnosis rates of CTEPH.Overall, 25
      publications and 14 databases provided quantitative epidemiological data. In the
      USA and Europe, the crude annual incidence of diagnosed pulmonary embolism and
      crude annual full (i.e. diagnosed and undiagnosed) incidence of CTEPH were 66-104
      and 3-5 cases per 100 000 population, respectively, while in Japan these rates
      were lower at 6.7 and 1.9 per 100 000 population, respectively. In 2013, 7-29% of
      CTEPH cases in Europe and the USA were diagnosed, and the majority of patients
      were in New York Heart Association functional class III/IV at diagnosis. The
      projection model indicated that incidence of CTEPH will continue to increase over
      the next decade.These data suggest that CTEPH is underdiagnosed and undertreated,
      and there is an urgent need to increase awareness of CTEPH. High-quality
      epidemiological studies are required to increase understanding of CTEPH.

PMID- 28356408
TI  - Biological responses of sharks to ocean acidification.
AB  - Sharks play a key role in the structure of marine food webs, but are facing major
      threats due to overfishing and habitat degradation. Although sharks are also
      assumed to be at relatively high risk from climate change due to a low intrinsic
      rate of population growth and slow rates of evolution, ocean acidification (OA)
      has not, until recently, been considered a direct threat. New studies have been
      evaluating the potential effects of end-of-century elevated CO2 levels on sharks
      and their relatives' early development, physiology and behaviour. Here, we review
      those findings and use a meta-analysis approach to quantify the overall direction
      and magnitude of biological responses to OA in the species of sharks that have
      been investigated to date. While embryo survival and development time are mostly
      unaffected by elevated CO2, there are clear effects on body condition, growth,
      aerobic potential and behaviour (e.g. lateralization, hunting and prey
      detection). Furthermore, studies to date suggest that the effects of OA could be
      as substantial as those due to warming in some species. A major limitation is
      that all past studies have involved relatively sedentary, benthic sharks that are
      capable of buccal ventilation-no studies have investigated pelagic sharks that
      depend on ram ventilation. Future research should focus on species with different
      life strategies (e.g. pelagic, ram ventilators), climate zones (e.g. polar
      regions), habitats (e.g. open ocean), and distinct phases of ontogeny in order to
      fully predict how OA and climate change will impact higher-order predators and
      therefore marine ecosystem dynamics.

PMID- 28356409
TI  - Embracing interactions in ocean acidification research: confronting multiple
      stressor scenarios and context dependence.
AB  - Changes in the Earth's environment are now sufficiently complex that our ability
      to forecast the emergent ecological consequences of ocean acidification (OA) is
      limited. Such projections are challenging because the effects of OA may be
      enhanced, reduced or even reversed by other environmental stressors or
      interactions among species. Despite an increasing emphasis on multifactor and
      multispecies studies in global change biology, our ability to forecast outcomes
      at higher levels of organization remains low. Much of our failure lies in a poor
      mechanistic understanding of nonlinear responses, a lack of specificity regarding
      the levels of organization at which interactions can arise, and an incomplete
      appreciation for linkages across these levels. To move forward, we need to fully
      embrace interactions. Mechanistic studies on physiological processes and
      individual performance in response to OA must be complemented by work on
      population and community dynamics. We must also increase our understanding of how
      linkages and feedback among multiple environmental stressors and levels of
      organization can generate nonlinear responses to OA. This will not be a simple
      undertaking, but advances are of the utmost importance as we attempt to mitigate
      the effects of ongoing global change.

PMID- 28356410
TI  - Why men trophy hunt.

PMID- 28356411
TI  - Jewelled spiders manipulate colour-lure geometry to deceive prey.
AB  - Selection is expected to favour the evolution of efficacy in visual
      communication. This extends to deceptive systems, and predicts functional links
      between the structure of visual signals and their behavioural presentation. Work
      to date has primarily focused on colour, however, thereby understating the
      multicomponent nature of visual signals. Here I examined the relationship between
      signal structure, presentation behaviour, and efficacy in the context of colour
      based prey luring. I used the polymorphic orb-web spider Gasteracantha fornicata,
      whose yellow- or white-and-black striped dorsal colours have been broadly
      implicated in prey attraction. In a manipulative assay, I found that spiders
      actively control the orientation of their conspicuous banded signals in the web,
      with a distinct preference for near-diagonal bearings. Further field-based study
      identified a predictive relationship between pattern orientation and prey
      interception rates, with a local maximum at the spiders' preferred orientation.
      There were no morph-specific effects on capture success, either singularly or via
      an interaction with pattern orientation. These results reveal a dynamic element
      in a traditionally 'static' signalling context, and imply differential functions
      for chromatic and geometric signal components across visual contexts. More
      broadly, they underscore how multicomponent signal designs and display behaviours
      may coevolve to enhance efficacy in visual deception.

PMID- 28356412
TI  - Dynamic masquerade with morphing three-dimensional skin in cuttlefish.
AB  - Masquerade is a defence tactic in which a prey resembles an inedible or inanimate
      object thus causing predators to misclassify it. Most masquerade colour patterns
      are static although some species adopt postures or behaviours to enhance the
      effect. Dynamic masquerade in which the colour pattern can be changed is rare.
      Here we report a two-step sensory process that enables an additional novel
      capability known only in cuttlefish and octopus: morphing three-dimensional
      physical skin texture that further enhances the optical illusions created by
      coloured skin patterns. Our experimental design incorporated sequential sensory
      processes: addition of a three-dimensional rock to the testing arena, which
      attracted the cuttlefish to settle next to it; then visual processing by the
      cuttlefish of physical textures on the rock to guide expression of the skin
      papillae, which can range from fully relaxed (smooth skin) to fully expressed
      (bumpy skin). When a uniformly white smooth rock was presented, cuttlefish moved
      to the rock and deployed a uniform body pattern with mostly smooth skin. When a
      rock with small-scale fragments of contrasting shells was presented, the
      cuttlefish deployed mottled body patterns with strong papillae expression. These
      robust and reversible responses indicate a sophisticated visual sensorimotor
      system for dynamic masquerade.

PMID- 28356414
TI  - Prospective Evaluation of Light Scatter Technology Paired with Matrix-Assisted
      Laser Desorption Ionization-Time of Flight Mass Spectrometry for Rapid Diagnosis
      of Urinary Tract Infections.
AB  - Urinary tract infections are one of the most common reasons for health care
      visits. Diagnosis and optimal treatment often require a urine culture, which
      takes an average of 1.5 to 2 days from urine collection to results, delaying
      optimal therapy. Faster, but accurate, alternatives are needed. Light scatter
      technology has been proposed for several years as a rapid screening tool, whereby
      negative specimens are excluded from culture. A commercially available light
      scatter device, BacterioScan 216Dx (BacterioScan, Inc.), has recently been
      advertised for this application. Paired use of mass spectrometry (MS) for
      bacterial identification and automated-system-based susceptibility testing
      straight from the light scatter suspension might provide dramatic improvement in
      times to a result. The present study prospectively evaluated the BacterioScan
      device, with culture as the reference standard. Positive light scatter specimens
      were used for downstream rapid matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization-time
      of flight (MALDI-TOF) MS organism identification and automated-system-based
      antimicrobial susceptibility testing. Prospective evaluation of 439 urine samples
      showed a sensitivity of 96.5%, a specificity of 71.4%, and positive and negative
      predictive values of 45.1% and 98.8%, respectively. MALDI-TOF MS analysis of the
      suspension after density-based selection yielded a sensitivity of 72.1% and a
      specificity of 96.9%. Antimicrobial susceptibility testing of the samples
      identified by MALDI-TOF MS produced an overall categorical agreement of 99.2%.
      Given the high sensitivity and negative predictive value of results obtained,
      BacterioScan 216Dx is a reasonable approach for urine screening and might produce
      negative results in as few as 3 h, with no downstream workup. Paired rapid
      identification and susceptibility testing might be useful when MALDI-TOF MS
      results in an organism identification, and it might decrease the time to a result
      by more than 24 h.

PMID- 28356413
TI  - Epidemiological and Molecular Characterization of an Invasive Group A
      Streptococcus emm32.2 Outbreak.
AB  - An emm32.2 invasive group A streptococcus (iGAS) outbreak occurred in Liverpool
      from January 2010 to September 2012. This genotype had not previously been
      identified in Liverpool, but was responsible for 32% (14/44) of all iGAS cases
      reported during this time period. We performed a case-case comparison of emm32.2
      iGAS cases with non-emm32.2 control iGAS cases identified in the Liverpool
      population over the same time period to assess patient risk factors for emm32.2
      iGAS infection. The emm32.2 iGAS cases were confined to the adult population. We
      show that homelessness, intravenous drug use, and alcohol abuse predisposed
      patients to emm32.2 iGAS disease; however, no obvious epidemiological linkage
      between the patients with emm32.2 iGAS could be identified. Comparative whole
      genome sequencing analysis of emm32.2 iGAS and non-emm32.2 control isolates was
      also performed to identify pathogen factors which might have driven the outbreak.
      We identified 19 genes, five of which had previously been implicated in
      virulence, which were present in all of the emm32.2 iGAS isolates but not present
      in any of the non-emm32.2 control isolates. We report that a novel emm32.2
      genotype emerged in Liverpool in 2010 and identified a specific subset of genes,
      which could have allowed this novel emm32.2 genotype to persist in a
      disadvantaged population in the region over a 3-year period.

PMID- 28356415
TI  - Evaluation of GenoType NTM-DR Assay for Identification of Mycobacterium chimaera.
AB  - Identification of species within the Mycobacterium avium complex (MAC) is
      difficult, and most current diagnostic laboratory tests cannot distinguish
      between species included in the complex. Differentiation of species within the
      MAC is important, as Mycobacterium chimaera has recently emerged as a major cause
      of invasive cardiovascular infections following open heart surgery. A new
      commercial diagnostic assay, GenoType NTM-DR ver. 1.0, is intended to
      differentiate between three species within the MAC, namely, Mycobacterium avium,
      Mycobacterium intracellulare, and Mycobacterium chimaera In this study, we
      investigated an archival collection of 173 MAC isolates using 16S rRNA and 16S
      23S internal transcribed spacer (ITS) gene sequencing, and GenoType NTM-DR was
      evaluated for identifying M. chimaera and other species belonging to the MAC.
      Species identification of 157/173 (91%) isolates with the GenoType NTM-DR assay
      was in agreement with 16S rRNA and 16S-23S ITS gene sequencing results.
      Misidentification occurred with 16 isolates which belonged to four species
      included in the MAC that are rarely encountered in clinical specimens. Despite
      some limitations of this assay, GenoType NTM-DR had 100% specificity for
      identifying M. chimaera This novel assay will enable diagnostic laboratories to
      differentiate species belonging to the Mycobacterium avium complex and to
      accurately identify M. chimaera It can produce rapid results and is also more
      cost efficient than gene sequencing methods.

PMID- 28356416
TI  - In Vitro Antifungal Susceptibility of Yeast and Mold Phases of Isolates of
      Dimorphic Fungal Pathogen Emergomyces africanus (Formerly Emmonsia sp.) from HIV
      Infected South African Patients.
AB  - Disseminated emmonsiosis is an important AIDS-related mycosis in South Africa
      that is caused by Emergomycesafricanus, a newly described and renamed dimorphic
      fungal pathogen. In vitro antifungal susceptibility data can guide management.
      Identification of invasive clinical isolates was confirmed phenotypically and by
      sequencing of the internal transcribed spacer region. Yeast and mold phase MICs
      of fluconazole, voriconazole, itraconazole, posaconazole, caspofungin,
      anidulafungin, micafungin, and flucytosine were determined with custom-made
      frozen broth microdilution (BMD) panels in accordance with Clinical and
      Laboratory Standards Institute recommendations. MICs of amphotericin B,
      itraconazole, posaconazole, and voriconazole were determined by Etest. Fifty
      unique E. africanus isolates were tested. The yeast and mold phase geometric mean
      (GM) BMD and Etest MICs of itraconazole were 0.01 mg/liter. The voriconazole and
      posaconazole GM BMD MICs were 0.01 mg/liter for both phases, while the GM Etest
      MICs were 0.001 and 0.002 mg/liter, respectively. The fluconazole GM BMD MICs
      were 0.18 mg/liter for both phases. The GM Etest MICs of amphotericin B, for the
      yeast and mold phases were 0.03 and 0.01 mg/liter. The echinocandins and
      flucytosine had very limited in vitro activity. Treatment and outcome data were
      available for 37 patients; in a multivariable model including MIC data, only
      isolation from blood (odds ratio [OR], 8.6; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.3 to
      54.4; P = 0.02) or bone marrow (OR, 12.1; 95% CI, 1.2 to 120.2; P = 0.03) (versus
      skin biopsy) was associated with death. In vitro susceptibility data support the
      management of disseminated emmonsiosis with amphotericin B, followed by
      itraconazole, voriconazole, or posaconazole. Fluconazole was a relatively less
      potent agent.

PMID- 28356417
TI  - Use of Ancillary Carbapenemase Tests To Improve Specificity of Phenotypic
      Definitions for Carbapenemase-Producing Enterobacteriaceae.
AB  - Carbapenemase-producing Enterobacteriaceae (CPE) are a significant threat to
      public health. In 2015, CDC revised the surveillance definition for CPE to
      include all Enterobacteriaceae resistant to any carbapenem tested. However, this
      definition is associated with poor specificity. We evaluated the performance of
      this definition, compared to carbapenemase PCR, for a collection of 125
      Enterobacteriaceae We also investigated the impact of ancillary testing for
      carbapenemase of isolates that met the CDC CPE surveillance definition. The two
      ancillary tests evaluated were the Xpert Carba-R assay, a molecular test, and the
      carbapenem inactivation method (CIM). Two variables were evaluated for the CIM:
      suspension of organisms in double-distilled water (ddH2O) versus tryptic soy
      broth (TSB) to incubate disks, and incubation of plates for 6 h versus 18 to 20
      h. The sensitivity and specificity of the Carba-R assay were 100% compared to the
      results of in-house PCR. The sensitivities of the CIM performed with TSB were
      94.6% when read at 6 h and 97.7% when read at 18 to 20 h; the sensitivities with
      ddH2O were 88.0% when read at 6 h and 93.0% when incubated for 18 to 20 h. The
      specificity was 100% for all variables tested. Without ancillary testing, the
      sensitivity of the CDC definition was 98.9% for CPE, and the specificity was
      6.1%. Testing isolates that screened positive by the CDC definition with the
      Xpert Carba-R did not change the sensitivity, and it improved the specificity to
      100%. Similarly, the use of the CIM (TSB and 18 to 20 h of incubation) to confirm
      screen-positive isolates resulted in a sensitivity of 95.6% and specificity of
      100%.

PMID- 28356419
TI  - Chronic breathlessness associated with poorer physical and mental health-related
      quality of life (SF-12) across all adult age groups.
AB  - Little is known about the impact of chronic breathlessness (modified Medical
      Research Council (mMRC) score >=2 for most days, at least three of the last six
      months) on health-related quality of life (Short Form-12 (SF-12)). 3005 adults
      from randomly selected households were interviewed face-to-face in South
      Australia. mMRC >=2 community prevalence was 2.9%. Adjusted analyses showed
      clinically meaningful and statistically significant decrements of physical and
      mental components of SF-12 (mean SF-12 summary scores in physical (-13.0 (-16.0
      to -10.2)) and mental (-10.7 (-13.7 to -7.8)) components compared with people
      with mMRC=0) as chronic breathlessness severity increased, across five age
      groupings.

PMID- 28356418
TI  - Impact of Contaminating DNA in Whole-Genome Amplification Kits Used for
      Metagenomic Shotgun Sequencing for Infection Diagnosis.
AB  - Whole-genome amplification (WGA) is a useful tool for amplification of very small
      quantities of DNA for many uses, including metagenomic shotgun sequencing for
      infection diagnosis. Depending on the application, background DNA from WGA kits
      can be problematic. Three WGA kits were tested for their utility in a
      metagenomics approach to identify the pathogens in sonicate fluid comprised of
      biofilms and other materials dislodged from the surfaces of explanted prosthetic
      joints using sonication. The Illustra V2 Genomiphi, Illustra single cell
      Genomiphi, and Qiagen REPLI-g single cell kits were used to test identical
      sonicate fluid samples. Variations in the number of background reads, the genera
      identified in the background, and the number of reads from known pathogens known
      to be present in the samples were observed between kits. These results were then
      compared to those obtained with a library preparation without prior WGA using an
      NEBNext Ultra II paired-end kit, which requires a very small amount of input DNA.
      This approach also resulted in the presence of contaminant bacterial DNA and
      yielded fewer reads from the known pathogens. These findings highlight the impact
      that WGA kit selection can have on metagenomic analysis of low-biomass samples
      and the importance of the careful selection and consideration of the implications
      of using these tools.

PMID- 28356420
TI  - PKC-mediated phosphorylation of nuclear lamins at a single serine residue
      regulates interphase nuclear size in Xenopus and mammalian cells.
AB  - How nuclear size is regulated is a fundamental cell-biological question with
      relevance to cancers, which often exhibit enlarged nuclei. We previously reported
      that conventional protein kinase C (cPKC) contributes to nuclear size reductions
      that occur during early Xenopus development. Here we report that PKC-mediated
      phosphorylation of lamin B3 (LB3) contributes to this mechanism of nuclear size
      regulation. By mapping PKC phosphorylation sites on LB3 and testing the effects
      of phosphomutants in Xenopus laevis embryos, we identify the novel site S267 as
      being an important determinant of nuclear size. Furthermore, FRAP studies
      demonstrate that phosphorylation at this site increases lamina dynamics,
      providing a mechanistic explanation for how PKC activity influences nuclear size.
      We subsequently map this X. laevis LB3 phosphorylation site to a conserved site
      in mammalian lamin A (LA), S268. Manipulating PKC activity in cultured mammalian
      cells alters nuclear size, as does expression of LA-S268 phosphomutants. Taken
      together, these data demonstrate that PKC-mediated lamin phosphorylation is a
      conserved mechanism of nuclear size regulation.

PMID- 28356421
TI  - UNC-45A is required for neurite extension via controlling NMII activation.
AB  - UNC-45A is a highly conserved member of the UNC-45/CRO1/She4p family of proteins,
      which act as chaperones for conventional and nonconventional myosins. NMII
      mediates contractility and actin-based motility, which are fundamental for proper
      growth cone motility and neurite extension. The presence and role of UNC-45A in
      neuronal differentiation have been largely unknown. Here we demonstrate that UNC
      45A is a novel growth cone--localized, NMII-associated component of the
      multiprotein complex regulating growth cone dynamics. We show that UNC-45A is
      dispensable for neuron survival but required for neurite elongation.
      Mechanistically, loss of UNC-45A results in increased levels of NMII activation.
      Collectively our results provide novel insights into the molecular mechanisms of
      neurite growth and define UNC-45A as a novel and master regulator of NMII
      mediated cellular processes in neurons.

PMID- 28356422
TI  - Clustering of integrin alpha5 at the lateral membrane restores epithelial
      polarity in invasive colorectal cancer cells.
AB  - Apicobasolateral polarity is a fundamental property of epithelial cells, and its
      loss is a hallmark of cancer. Integrin-mediated contact with the extracellular
      matrix defines the basal surface, setting in motion E-cadherin-mediated cell-cell
      contact, which establishes apicobasolateral polarity. Role(s) for lateral
      integrins in this polarization process and the consequences of their disruption
      are incompletely understood. We show that addition of an integrin beta1
      activating monoclonal antibody, P4G11, to invasive colorectal cancer cells in
      three-dimensional type 1 collagen reverts the invasive phenotype and restores
      apicobasolateral polarity. P4G11 induces clustering of integrin alpha5beta1 at
      lateral, intercellular surfaces. This leads to deposition and polymerization of
      fibronectin and recruitment of paxillin to sites of lateral integrin alpha5beta1
      clustering and is followed by tight junction formation, as determined by ZO-1
      localization. Inducible elimination of integrin alpha5 abrogates the epithelial
      organizing effects of P4G11. In addition, polymerization of fibronectin is
      required for the effects of P4G11, and addition of polymerized superfibronectin
      is sufficient to induce tight junction formation and apicobasolateral
      polarization. In the normal human colon, we show that integrin alpha5 localizes
      to the lateral membrane of terminally differentiated colonocytes and that
      integrin alpha5 staining may be reduced in colorectal cancer. Thus we propose a
      novel role for integrin alpha5beta1 in regulating epithelial morphogenesis.

PMID- 28356423
TI  - Phosphorylated cortactin recruits Vav2 guanine nucleotide exchange factor to
      activate Rac3 and promote invadopodial function in invasive breast cancer cells.
AB  - Breast carcinoma cells use specialized, actin-rich protrusions called invadopodia
      to degrade and invade through the extracellular matrix. Phosphorylation of the
      actin nucleation-promoting factor and actin-stabilizing protein cortactin
      downstream of the epidermal growth factor receptor-Src-Arg kinase cascade is
      known to be a critical trigger for invadopodium maturation and subsequent cell
      invasion in breast cancer cells. The functions of cortactin phosphorylation in
      this process, however, are not completely understood. We identify the Rho-family
      guanine nucleotide exchange factor Vav2 in a comprehensive screen for human SH2
      domains that bind selectively to phosphorylated cortactin. We demonstrate that
      the Vav2 SH2 domain binds selectively to phosphotyrosine-containing peptides
      corresponding to cortactin tyrosines Y421 and Y466 but not to Y482. Mutation of
      the Vav2 SH2 domain disrupts its recruitment to invadopodia, and an SH2-domain
      mutant form of Vav2 cannot support efficient matrix degradation in invasive MDA
      MB-231 breast cancer cells. We show that Vav2 function is required for promoting
      invadopodium maturation and consequent actin polymerization, matrix degradation,
      and invasive migratory behavior. Using biochemical assays and a novel Rac3
      biosensor, we show that Vav2 promotes Rac3 activation at invadopodia. Rac3
      knockdown reduces matrix degradation by invadopodia, whereas a constitutively
      active Rac3 can rescue the deficits in invadopodium function in Vav2-knockdown
      cells. Together these data indicate that phosphorylated cortactin recruits Vav2
      to activate Rac3 and promote invadopodial maturation in invasive breast cancer
      cells.

PMID- 28356424
TI  - Bridging length scales to measure polymer assembly.
AB  - Time-resolvable quantitative measurements of polymer concentration are very
      useful to elucidate protein polymerization pathways. There are numerous
      techniques to measure polymer concentrations in purified protein solutions, but
      few are applicable in vivo. Here we develop a methodology combining microscopy
      and spectroscopy to overcome the limitations of both approaches for measuring
      polymer concentration in cells and cell extracts. This technique is based on
      quantifying the relationship between microscopy and spectroscopy measurements at
      many locations. We apply this methodology to measure microtubule assembly in
      tissue culture cells and Xenopus egg extracts using two-photon microscopy with
      FLIM measurements of FRET. We find that the relationship between FRET and two
      photon intensity quantitatively agrees with predictions. Furthermore, FRET and
      intensity measurements change as expected with changes in acquisition time,
      labeling ratios, and polymer concentration. Taken together, these results
      demonstrate that this approach can quantitatively measure microtubule assembly in
      complex environments. This methodology should be broadly useful for studying
      microtubule nucleation and assembly pathways of other polymers.

PMID- 28356425
TI  - Efficacy of the PARP Inhibitor Veliparib with Carboplatin or as a Single Agent in
      Patients with Germline BRCA1- or BRCA2-Associated Metastatic Breast Cancer:
      California Cancer Consortium Trial NCT01149083.
AB  - Purpose: We aimed to establish the MTD of the poly (ADP-ribose) (PAR) polymerase
      inhibitor, veliparib, in combination with carboplatin in germline BRCA1- and
      BRCA2- (BRCA)-associated metastatic breast cancer (MBC), to assess the efficacy
      of single-agent veliparib, and of the combination treatment after progression,
      and to correlate PAR levels with clinical outcome.Experimental Design: Phase I
      patients received carboplatin (AUC of 5-6, every 21 days), with escalating doses
      (50-20 mg) of oral twice-daily (BID) veliparib. In a companion phase II trial,
      patients received single-agent veliparib (400 mg BID), and upon progression,
      received the combination at MTD. Peripheral blood mononuclear cell PAR and serum
      veliparib levels were assessed and correlated with outcome.Results: Twenty-seven
      phase I trial patients were evaluable. Dose-limiting toxicities were nausea,
      dehydration, and thrombocytopenia [MTD: veliparib 150 mg po BID and carboplatin
      (AUC of 5)]. Response rate (RR) was 56%; 3 patients remain in complete response
      (CR) beyond 3 years. Progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS)
      were 8.7 and 18.8 months. The PFS and OS were 5.2 and 14.5 months in the 44
      patients in the phase II trial, with a 14% RR in BRCA1 (n = 22) and 36% in BRCA2
      (n = 22). One of 30 patients responded to the combination therapy after
      progression on veliparib. Higher baseline PAR was associated with clinical
      benefit.Conclusions: Safety and efficacy are encouraging with veliparib alone and
      in combination with carboplatin in BRCA-associated MBC. Lasting CRs were observed
      when the combination was administered first in the phase I trial. Further
      investigation of PAR level association with clinical outcomes is warranted. Clin
      Cancer Res; 23(15); 4066-76. (c)2017 AACR.

PMID- 28356426
TI  - Whole-Grain Intake, Reflected by Dietary Records and Biomarkers, Is Inversely
      Associated with Circulating Insulin and Other Cardiometabolic Markers in 8- to 11
      Year-Old Children.
AB  - Background: Whole-grain consumption seems to be cardioprotective in adults, but
      evidence in children is limited.Objective: We investigated whether intakes of
      total whole grain and dietary fiber as well as specific whole grains were
      associated with fat mass and cardiometabolic risk profile in children.Methods: We
      collected cross-sectional data on parental education, puberty, diet by 7-d
      records, and physical activity by accelerometry and measured anthropometry, fat
      mass index by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry, and blood pressure in 713 Danish
      children aged 8-11 y. Fasting blood samples were obtained and analyzed for
      alkylresorcinols, biomarkers of whole-grain wheat and rye intake, HDL and LDL
      cholesterol, triacylglycerols, insulin, and glucose. Linear mixed models included
      puberty, parental education, physical activity, and intakes of energy, fruit and
      vegetables, saturated fat, and n-3 (omega-3) polyunsaturated fatty acids.Results:
      Median (IQR) whole-grain and dietary fiber intakes were 52 g/d (35-72 g/d) and 17
      g/d (14-22 g/d), respectively. Fourteen percent of children were overweight or
      obese and most had low-risk cardiometabolic profiles. Dietary whole-grain and
      fiber intakes were not associated with fat mass index but were inversely
      associated with serum insulin [both P < 0.01; e.g., with 0.68 pmol/L (95% CI:
      0.26, 1.10 pmol/L) lower insulin . g whole grain-1 . MJ-1]. Whole-grain oat
      intake was inversely associated with fat mass index, systolic blood pressure, and
      LDL cholesterol (all P < 0.05) as well as insulin (P = 0.003), which also tended
      to be inversely associated with whole-grain rye intake (P = 0.11). Adjustment for
      fat mass index did not change the associations. The C17-to-C21 alkylresorcinol
      ratio, reflecting whole-grain rye to wheat intake, was inversely associated with
      insulin (P < 0.001).Conclusions: Higher whole-grain intake was associated with
      lower serum insulin independently of fat mass in 8- to 11-y-old Danish children.
      Whole-grain oat intake was linked to an overall protective cardiometabolic
      profile, and whole-grain rye intake was marginally associated with lower serum
      insulin. This supports whole grains as healthy dietary components in childhood.
      This trial was registered at clinicaltrials.gov as NCT01577277.

PMID- 28356427
TI  - Microbiota-Gut-Brain Axis: Modulator of Host Metabolism and Appetite.
AB  - The gut harbors an enormous diversity of microbes that are essential for the
      maintenance of homeostasis in health and disease. A growing body of evidence
      supports the role of this microbiota in influencing host appetite and food
      intake. Individual species within the gut microbiota are under selective pressure
      arising from nutrients available and other bacterial species present. Each
      bacterial species within the gut aims to increase its own fitness, habitat, and
      survival via specific fermentation of dietary nutrients and secretion of
      metabolites, many of which can influence host appetite and eating behavior by
      directly affecting nutrient sensing and appetite and satiety-regulating systems.
      These include microbiota-produced neuroactives and short-chain fatty acids. In
      addition, the gut microbiota is able to manipulate intestinal barrier function,
      interact with bile acid metabolism, modulate the immune system, and influence
      host antigen production, thus indirectly affecting eating behavior. A growing
      body of evidence indicates that there is a crucial role for the microbiota in
      regulating different aspects of eating-related behavior, as well as behavioral
      comorbidities of eating and metabolic disorders. The importance of intestinal
      microbiota composition has now been shown in obesity, anorexia nervosa, and forms
      of severe acute malnutrition. Understanding the mechanisms in which the gut
      microbiota can influence host appetite and metabolism will provide a better
      understanding of conditions wherein appetite is dysregulated, such as obesity and
      other metabolic or eating disorders, leading to novel biotherapeutic strategies.

PMID- 28356428
TI  - Avanelle Kirksey, PhD (1926-2016).

PMID- 28356429
TI  - Enrichment of Triglyceride-Rich Lipoproteins with Apolipoprotein C-I Is
      Positively Associated with Their Delayed Plasma Clearance Independently of Other
      Transferable Apolipoproteins in Postmenopausal Overweight and Obese Women.
AB  - Background: The role of plasma apolipoprotein (apo) C-I in cardiometabolic risk
      in humans is unclear. However, in vitro studies showed a dual role for apoC-I,
      both protective and harmful, depending on the carrier lipoprotein.Objective: We
      tested the hypothesis that triglyceride (TG)-rich lipoprotein (TRL) apoC-I, not
      total or HDL apoC-I, is associated with delayed postprandial plasma clearance of
      TRLs, independently of apoC-II, apoC-III, and apoE.Methods: This cross-sectional
      study examines the plasma clearance of a 13C-triolein-labeled high-fat meal (68%
      fat energy) in 20 postmenopausal overweight and obese women [body mass index (in
      kg/m2) >=27; aged 45-74 y] as the increment change in area under the 6-h
      postprandial curves (iAUC6h) of TRL parameters. Lipoproteins were fractionated by
      fast-protein LC. Transferable apolipoproteins were measured by ELISA. TRL
      enrichment with apolipoproteins was calculated by dividing their TRL
      concentrations by TRL apoB. The effects of human apoC-I and apoC-III on the
      hydrolysis and storage of 3H-triolein-labeled TRLs were tested in 3T3-L1
      adipocytes.Results: TRL apoC-I was positively associated with plasma apo B-48 and
      total and non-HDL TGs, cholesterol, and apoB (r = 0.52-0.97) and negatively with
      HDL cholesterol (r = -0.52) and LDL diameter (r = -0.91) (P < 0.05). Total and
      HDL apoC-I were correlated only with total (r = 0.62) and HDL (r = 0.75)
      cholesterol. Women with high fasting TRL enrichment with apoC-I (99-365 MUmol
      apoC-I/MUmol apoB), but not apoC-II, apoC-III, or apoE, had higher iAUC6h for TGs
      (+195%), 13C-TGs (+319%), and apo B-48 (+186%) than those with low enrichment (14
      97 MUmol apoC-I/MUmol apoB). The 4-h postprandial increase in TRL apoC-I was
      associated with a 4-h increase in TRL TGs and iAUC6h for TGs, 13C-TGs, and apo B
      48 (r = 0.74-0.86, P < 0.001), independently of 4-h changes in TRL apoB, apoC-II,
      apoC-III, or apoE. ApoC-I and apoC-III inhibited 3H-TRL clearance by adipocytes
      by >75% (P < 0.001).Conclusions: TRL enrichment with apoC-I is positively
      associated with postprandial hypertriglyceridemia and remnant accumulation in
      postmenopausal overweight and obese women, independently of apoC-II, apoC-III, or
      apoE, which may be due to inhibiting TRL clearance by adipocytes. Reducing TRL
      apoC-I may ameliorate delayed postprandial plasma clearance of TRLs and
      associated risks in humans.

PMID- 28356430
TI  - A Novel Organic Selenium Compound Exerts Unique Regulation of Selenium
      Speciation, Selenogenome, and Selenoproteins in Broiler Chicks.
AB  - Background: A new organic selenium compound, 2-hydroxy-4-methylselenobutanoic
      acid (SeO), displayed a greater bioavailability than sodium selenite (SeNa) or
      seleno-yeast (SeY) in several species.Objective: This study sought to determine
      the regulation of the speciation of selenium, expression of selenogenome and
      selenocysteine biosynthesis and degradation-related genes, and production of
      selenoproteins by the 3 forms of selenium in the tissues of broiler
      chicks.Methods: Day-old male chicks (n = 6 cages/diet, 6 chicks/cage) were fed a
      selenium-deficient, corn and soy-based diet [base diet (BD), 0.05 mg Se/kg] or
      the BD + SeNa, SeY, or SeO at 0.2 mg Se/kg for 6 wk. Plasma, livers, and pectoral
      and thigh muscles were collected at weeks 3 and 6 to assay for total selenium,
      selenomethionine, selenocysteine, redox status, and selected genes, proteins, and
      enzymes.Results: Although both SeY and SeO produced greater concentrations (P <
      0.05) of total selenium (20-172%) and of selenomethionine (<=15-fold) in the
      liver, pectoral muscle, and thigh than those of SeNa, SeO further raised (P <
      0.05) these concentrations by 13-37% and 43-87%, respectively, compared with SeY.
      Compared with the BD, only SeO enhanced (P < 0.05) the mRNA of selenoprotein
      (Seleno) s and methionine sulfoxide reductase B1 (Msrb1) in the liver and thigh
      (62-98%) and thioredoxin reductase (TXRND) activity in the pectoral and thigh
      muscles (20-37%) at week 3. Furthermore, SeO increased (P < 0.05) the expression
      of glutathione peroxidase (Gpx) 3, GPX4, SELENOP, and SELENOU relative to the
      SeNa group by 26-207%, and the expression of Selenop, O-phosphoseryl-transfer RNA
      (tRNA):selenocysteinyl-tRNA synthase, GPX4, and SELENOP relative to the SeY group
      by 23-55% in various tissues.Conclusions: Compared with SeNa or SeY, SeO
      demonstrated a unique ability to enrich selenomethionine and total selenium
      depositions, to induce the early expression of Selenos and Mrsb1 mRNA and TXRND
      activity, and to enhance the protein production of GPX4, SELENOP, and SELENOU in
      the tissues of chicks.

PMID- 28356431
TI  - Acute Peanut Consumption Alters Postprandial Lipids and Vascular Responses in
      Healthy Overweight or Obese Men.
AB  - Background: Postprandial hyperlipidemia is associated with impaired endothelial
      function. Peanut consumption favorably affects the lipid and lipoprotein profile;
      however, the effects on endothelial function remain unclear.Objective: The
      purpose of the study was to evaluate the effects of acute peanut consumption as
      part of a high-fat meal on postprandial endothelial function.Methods: We
      conducted a randomized, controlled, crossover postprandial study to evaluate the
      effect of acute peanut consumption on postprandial lipids and endothelial
      function as assessed by flow-mediated dilatation (FMD) of the brachial artery in
      15 healthy overweight or obese men [mean age: 26.7 y; mean body mass index (in
      kg/m2): 31.4]. Participants consumed, in a randomized order, a peanut meal
      containing 3 ounces (85 g) ground peanuts (1198 kcal; 40.0% carbohydrate, 47.7%
      fat, 19.4% saturated fat, 13.2% protein) and a control meal matched for energy
      and macronutrient content. Meals were in the form of a shake, scheduled >=1 wk
      apart. Lipids, lipoproteins, glucose, and insulin were measured at baseline (0
      min) and at 30, 60, 120, and 240 min after shake consumption. FMD was measured at
      baseline and at 240 min.Results: Acute peanut consumption blunted the serum
      triglyceride (TG) response 120 and 240 min after consumption compared with the
      control meal (means +/- SEMs-120 min: 188.9 +/- 19.4 compared with 197.5 +/- 20.7
      mg/dL; 240 min: 189.9 +/- 24.3 compared with 197.3 +/- 18.4 mg/dL; P < 0.05 for
      both). Total, LDL, and HDL cholesterol and glucose and insulin responses were
      similar between the test meals. Compared with baseline, only the control meal
      significantly decreased FMD at 240 min (control: -1.2% +/- 0.5%; P = 0.029;
      peanut: -0.6% +/- 0.5%; P = 0.3). Participants with higher baseline total (>150
      mg/dL) and LDL (>100 mg/dL)-cholesterol concentrations showed a significant
      decrease in FMD after the control meal (-1.8%, P = 0.017; -2.0%, P = 0.038),
      whereas the peanut meal maintained endothelial function in all participants
      irrespective of total- and LDL-cholesterol concentrations.Conclusion: The
      inclusion of 85 g peanuts (3 ounces) as part of a high-fat meal improved the
      postprandial TG response and preserved endothelial function in healthy overweight
      or obese men. This trial was registered at clinicaltrials.gov as NCT01405300.

PMID- 28356432
TI  - The Inflammatory Potential of the Diet Is Associated with Depressive Symptoms in
      Different Subgroups of the General Population.
AB  - Background: Low-grade chronic inflammation, which can be modulated by diet, has
      been suggested as an important risk factor for depression, but few studies have
      investigated the association between the inflammatory potential of the diet and
      depression.Objective: We investigated the prospective association between the
      inflammatory potential of the diet, measured by the Dietary Inflammatory Index
      (DII), and incident depressive symptoms and tested the potential modulating
      effect of sex, age, physical activity, and smoking status.Methods: This study
      included 3523 participants (aged 35-60 y) from the SU.VI.MAX (Supplementation en
      Vitamines et Mineraux Antioxydants) cohort, who were initially free of depressive
      symptoms. Baseline DII (1994-1996) was computed by using repeated 24-h dietary
      records. Incident depressive symptoms were defined by a Center for Epidemiologic
      Studies-Depression Scale score >=17 for men and >=23 for women in 2007-2009. We
      used multivariable logistic regression models to estimate ORs and 95% CIs, and
      modeled the DII as a continuous variable and as sex-specific quartiles.Results: A
      total of 172 cases of incident depressive symptoms were identified over a mean
      follow-up of 12.6 y. The DII was not associated with incident depressive symptoms
      in the full sample. In sex-specific models, men with a higher DII had a higher
      risk of incident depressive symptoms (quartile 4 compared with quartile 1-OR:
      2.32; 95% CI: 1.01, 5.35), but the association was only marginally significant (P
      trend = 0.06). When analyses were performed across smoking status, current and
      former smokers with a higher DII had a higher risk of incident depressive
      symptoms (quartile 4 compared with quartile 1-OR: 2.21; 95% CI: 1.08, 4.52). A
      positive association was also observed among less physically active participants
      (quartile 4 compared with quartile 1-OR: 2.07; 95% CI: 1.05, 4.07).Conclusion:
      The promotion of a healthy diet with anti-inflammatory properties may help to
      prevent depressive symptoms, particularly among men, smokers, or physically
      inactive individuals. This trial was registered at clinicaltrials.gov as
      NCT0027242.

PMID- 28356434
TI  - The Growth-Promoting Effect of Dietary Nucleotides in Fish Is Associated with an
      Intestinal Microbiota-Mediated Reduction in Energy Expenditure.
AB  - Background: Nucleotides have been used as functional nutrients to improve the
      growth and health of animals, including fish. The mechanism involved in the
      growth-promotion effect of nucleotides is still unclear.Objective: We
      investigated the bioenergetic mechanism underlying the growth-promotion effect of
      nucleotides in zebrafish and the associated roles played by the intestinal
      microbiota.Methods: Larval zebrafish were fed a control or a 0.1% mixed
      nucleotides-supplemented diet for 2 wk. Standard metabolic rate, the minimal rate
      of energy expenditure by animals at rest, was evaluated by oxygen consumption
      with the use of a respirometer. The expressions of fasting-induced adipose factor
      (Fiaf), inflammatory cytokines, and genes involved in fatty acid (FA) oxidation
      were tested by quantitative reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction. The
      intestinal microbiota from the nucleotide-fed fish (NT fish) or control fish was
      transferred to 3-d postfertilization germ-free zebrafish in which oxygen
      consumption and expression of cytokines and fiaf were evaluated.Results: Compared
      with controls, nucleotide supplementation at 0.1% increased the weight and energy
      gains of zebrafish by 10% and 25%, respectively (P < 0.01). Standard metabolic
      rate was 28% lower in NT fish than in controls (P < 0.001). Nucleotide
      supplementation downregulated the inflammatory tone in the head kidney of the
      fish. Moreover, NT fish had a 51% lower intestinal expression of fiaf than did
      controls (P < 0.05), which was consistent with decreased expression of key genes
      involved in FA oxidation [carnitine:palmitoyl transferase 1a (cpt1a) and medium
      chain acyl coenzyme A dehydrogenase (mcad)] in liver and muscle. Germ-free
      zebrafish colonized with microbiota from NT fish had a 25% lower standard
      metabolic rate than did those colonized by control microbiota (P < 0.01), whereas
      direct nucleotide feeding of germ-free zebrafish did not affect standard
      metabolic rate relative to germ-free controls that were not fed nucleotides.
      Furthermore, germ-free zebrafish colonized with nucleotide microbiota exhibited
      downregulated inflammatory tone and 33% lower fiaf expression compared with their
      control microbiota-colonized counterparts.Conclusions: The growth-promoting
      effect of dietary nucleotides in zebrafish involves 2 intestinal microbiota
      mediated mechanisms that result in reduced standard metabolic rate: 1) lower
      inflammatory tone and 2) reduced FA oxidation associated with increased microbial
      suppression of intestinal fiaf.

PMID- 28356435
TI  - Robert Proulx Heaney, MD (1927-2016).

PMID- 28356433
TI  - Circulating Vitamin K Is Inversely Associated with Incident Cardiovascular
      Disease Risk among Those Treated for Hypertension in the Health, Aging, and Body
      Composition Study (Health ABC).
AB  - Background: A role for vitamin K in coronary artery calcification (CAC), a
      subclinical manifestation of cardiovascular disease (CVD), has been proposed
      because vitamin K-dependent proteins, including the calcification inhibitor
      matrix Gla protein (MGP), are present in vascular tissue. Observational studies
      found that low circulating phylloquinone (vitamin K-1) was associated with
      increased CAC progression, especially in persons treated for hypertension. It is
      unknown whether hypertension treatment modifies this putative role of vitamin K
      in clinical CVD risk.Objective: We determined the association between vitamin K
      status and incident clinical CVD in older adults in the Health ABC (Health,
      Aging, and Body Composition Study) and whether the association differed by
      hypertension treatment status.Methods: Plasma phylloquinone was measured in 1061
      participants free of CVD (70-79 y of age, 58% women, 39% black). Plasma
      uncarboxylated MGP [(dp)ucMGP] was measured in a subset of 635 participants.
      Multivariate Cox models estimated the HR for incident CVD over 12.1 follow-up
      years. Effect modification by hypertension was tested with the use of interaction
      terms.Results: Neither low plasma phylloquinone (<0.2 nmol/L) nor elevated
      (dp)ucMGP (>=574 pmol/L) was significantly associated with incident CVD
      [respective HRs (95% CIs): 1.27 (0.75, 2.13) and 1.02 (0.72, 1.45)]. In
      participants treated for hypertension (n = 489; 135 events), low plasma
      phylloquinone was associated with higher CVD risk overall (HR: 2.94; 95% CI:
      1.41, 6.13). In those with untreated hypertension (n = 153; 48 events) and
      without hypertension (n = 418; 92 events), low plasma phylloquinone was not
      associated with incident CVD. The association between high (dp)ucMGP did not
      differ by hypertension treatment status (P-interaction = 0.72).Conclusions:
      Vitamin K status was not significantly associated with CVD risk overall, but low
      plasma phylloquinone was associated with a higher CVD risk in older adults
      treated for hypertension. Additional evidence from larger clinical studies is
      needed to clarify the importance of vitamin K to CVD in persons treated for
      hypertension, a segment of the population at high risk of clinical CVD events.

PMID- 28356436
TI  - Intestinal Barrier Function and the Gut Microbiome Are Differentially Affected in
      Mice Fed a Western-Style Diet or Drinking Water Supplemented with Fructose.
AB  - Background: The consumption of a Western-style diet (WSD) and high fructose
      intake are risk factors for metabolic diseases. The underlying mechanisms are
      largely unclear.Objective: To unravel the mechanisms by which a WSD and fructose
      promote metabolic disease, we investigated their effects on the gut microbiome
      and barrier function.Methods: Adult female C57BL/6J mice were fed a sugar- and
      fat-rich WSD or control diet (CD) for 12 wk and given access to tap water or
      fructose-supplemented water. The microbiota was analyzed with the use of 16S rRNA
      gene sequencing. Barrier function was studied with the use of permeability tests,
      and endotoxin, mucus thickness, and gene expressions were measured.Results: The
      WSD increased body weight gain but not endotoxin translocation compared with the
      CD. In contrast, high fructose intake increased endotoxin translocation 2.6- and
      3.8-fold in the groups fed the CD + fructose and WSD + fructose, respectively,
      compared with the CD group. The WSD + fructose treatment also induced a loss of
      mucus thickness in the colon (-46%) and reduced defensin expression in the ileum
      and colon. The lactulose:mannitol ratio in the WSD + fructose mice was 1.8-fold
      higher than in the CD mice. Microbiota analysis revealed that fructose, but not
      the WSD, increased the Firmicutes:Bacteroidetes ratio by 88% for CD + fructose
      and 63% for WSD + fructose compared with the CD group. Bifidobacterium abundance
      was greater in the WSD mice than in the CD mice (63-fold) and in the WSD +
      fructose mice than in the CD + fructose mice (330-fold).Conclusions: The
      consumption of a WSD or high fructose intake differentially affects gut
      permeability and the microbiome. Whether these differences are related to the
      distinct clinical outcomes, whereby the WSD primarily promotes weight gain and
      high fructose intake causes barrier dysfunction, needs to be investigated in
      future studies.

PMID- 28356437
TI  - Getting the terminology right in sexual health research: the importance of
      accurately classifying fuck buddies among men who have sex with men.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: The aim of this report was to raise the issue of the definition and
      classification of partner terminology in men who have sex with men (MSM)
      research, particularly in regards to 'fuck buddies'. If definitions in research
      differ from general consensus in the MSM population, it is possible that public
      health strategies will be ineffective as the target population may be inaccurate.
      METHODS: Thirty semistructured interviews with MSM attending the Melbourne Sexual
      Health Centre were conducted, focusing on the willingness to change sexual
      practices to reduce the risk of pharyngeal gonorrhoea. As part of these
      interviews, men were also asked their views on the terminology they used to
      describe their relationships and sexual partners. RESULTS: The degree of
      emotional attachment often defined the type or classification of relationships.
      There was a consensus among men that partners they engaged with for 'sex only'
      were classified as casual partners and partners with whom there was an emotional
      attachment or formalisation of the relationship were classified as 'regular
      partners'. However, the classification of 'fuck buddy' as a regular or casual
      partner was less clear. CONCLUSIONS: Further research is needed to ascertain the
      ways in which men conceptualise sexual relationships and define or classify
      partner types, particularly 'fuck buddy' relationships. A third category for
      sexual relationships should be considered to encapsulate fuck buddy
      relationships.

PMID- 28356438
TI  - Googling Service Boundaries for Endovascular Clot Retrieval Hub Hospitals in a
      Metropolitan Setting: Proof-of-Concept Study.
AB  - BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: There is great interest in how endovascular clot
      retrieval hubs provide services to a population. We applied a computational
      method to objectively generate service boundaries for such endovascular clot
      retrieval hubs, defined by traveling time to hub. METHODS: Stroke incidence data
      merged with population census to estimate numbers of stroke in metropolitan
      Melbourne, Australia. Traveling time from randomly generated addresses to 4
      endovascular clot retrieval-capable hubs (Royal Melbourne Hospital [RMH], Monash
      Medical Center [MMC], Alfred Hospital [ALF], and Austin Hospital [AUS]) estimated
      using Google Map application program interface. Boundary maps generated based on
      traveling time at various times of day for combinations of hubs. RESULTS: In a 2
      hub model, catchment was best distributed when RMH was paired with MMC (model 1a,
      RMH 1765 km2 and MMC 1164 km2) or with AUS (model 1c, RMH 1244 km2 and AUS 1685
      km2), with no statistical difference between models (P=0.20). Catchment was
      poorly distributed when RMH was paired with ALF (model 1b, RMH 2252 km2 and ALF
      676 km2), significantly different from both models 1a and 1c (both P<0.05). Model
      1a had the greatest proportion of patients arriving within ideal time of 30
      minutes followed by model 1c (P<0.001). In a 3-hub model, the combination of RMH,
      MMC, and AUS was superior to that of RMH, MMC, and ALF in catchment distribution
      and travel time. The method was also successfully applied to the city of Adelaide
      demonstrating wider applicability. CONCLUSIONS: We provide proof of concept for a
      novel computational method to objectively designate service boundaries for
      endovascular clot retrieval hubs.

PMID- 28356440
TI  - Fractional Flow Reserve and Cardiac Events in Coronary Artery Disease: Data From
      a Prospective IRIS-FFR Registry (Interventional Cardiology Research Incooperation
      Society Fractional Flow Reserve).
AB  - BACKGROUND: We evaluated the prognosis of deferred and revascularized coronary
      stenoses after fractional flow reserve (FFR) measurement to assess its
      revascularization threshold in clinical practice. METHODS: The IRIS-FFR registry
      (Interventional Cardiology Research In-cooperation Society Fractional Flow
      Reserve) prospectively enrolled 5846 patients with >=1coronary lesion with FFR
      measurement. Revascularization was deferred in 6468 lesions and performed in 2165
      lesions after FFR assessment. The primary end point was major adverse cardiac
      events (cardiac death, myocardial infarction, and repeat revascularization) at a
      median follow-up of 1.9 years and analyzed on a per-lesion basis. A marginal Cox
      model accounted for correlated data in patients with multiple lesions, and a
      model to predict per-lesion outcomes was adjusted for confounding factors.
      RESULTS: For deferred lesions, the risk of major adverse cardiac events
      demonstrated a significant, inverse relationship with FFR (adjusted hazard ratio,
      1.06; 95% confidence interval, 1.05-1.08; P<0.001). However, this relationship
      was not observed in revascularized lesions (adjusted hazard ratio, 1.00; 95%
      confidence interval, 0.98-1.02; P=0.70). For lesions with FFR >=0.76, the risk of
      major adverse cardiac events was not significantly different between deferred and
      revascularized lesions. Conversely, in lesions with FFR <=0.75, the risk of major
      adverse cardiac events was significantly lower in revascularized lesions than in
      deferred lesions (for FFR 0.71-0.75, adjusted hazard ratio, 0.47; 95% confidence
      interval, 0.24-0.89; P=0.021; for FFR <=0.70, adjusted hazard ratio 0.47; 95%
      confidence interval, 0.26-0.84; P=0.012). CONCLUSIONS: This large, prospective
      registry showed that the FFR value was linearly associated with the risk of
      cardiac events in deferred lesions. In addition, revascularization for coronary
      artery stenosis with a low FFR (<=0.75) was associated with better outcomes than
      the deferral, whereas for a stenosis with a high FFR (>=0.76), medical treatment
      would be a reasonable and safe treatment strategy. CLINICAL TRIAL REGISTRATION:
      URL: http://www.clinicaltrials.gov. Unique identifier: NCT01366404.

PMID- 28356441
TI  - Left Ventricular Dysfunction Switches Mesenchymal Stromal Cells Toward an
      Inflammatory Phenotype and Impairs Their Reparative Properties Via Toll-Like
      Receptor-4.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Little is known about the potentially unfavorable effects of
      mesenchymal stromal cell (MSC) activation on the heart. MSCs can respond to
      tissue injury by anti- or proinflammatory activation. We aimed to study the
      potential negative interaction between left ventricular dysfunction (LVD) and MSC
      activation. METHODS: We isolated MSCs from cardiac and subcutaneous fat tissues
      of mice with LVD 28 days after myocardial infarction or sham operation. To
      evaluate the effect of LVD on MSCs, we characterized cardiac MSCs and
      subcutaneous MSCs in vitro. Subsequently, we injected MSCs or saline into the
      infarcted myocardium of mice and evaluated LV remodeling and function 28 days
      after myocardial infarction. To test the hypothesis that toll-like receptor 4
      (TLR4) mediates proinflammatory polarization of MSCs, we characterized cardiac
      MSCs from TLR4-/- and wild-type (WT) mice after inflammatory stimulation in
      vitro. Next, we transplanted cardiac MSCs from TLR4-/- and WT male mice into the
      infarcted myocardium of female WT mice and evaluated infarct size, MSC retention,
      inflammation, remodeling, and function after 7 days. RESULTS: LVD switched
      cardiac MSCs toward an inflammatory phenotype, with increased secretion of
      inflammatory cytokines as well as chemokines. The effect of LVD on subcutaneous
      MSCs was less remarkable. Although transplantation of cardiac MSCs and
      subcutaneous MSCs from LVD and sham hearts did not improve LV remodeling and
      function, cardiac MSCs from LVD exacerbated anterior wall thinning 28 days after
      myocardial infarction. The inflammatory polarization of cardiac MSCs by LVD was
      mediated by TLR4, as we found less secretion of inflammatory cytokines and higher
      secretion of anti-inflammatory cytokines from activated cardiac MSCs of TLR4
      deficient mice, compared with WT cardiac MSCs. Significantly, TLR4 deficiency
      preserved the expression of CD47 (don't eat me signal) on cardiac MSCs after both
      TLR4 stimulation in vitro and transplantation into the infarcted heart. Compared
      with WT cardiac MSCs and saline, TLR4-/- cardiac MSCs survived in the cardiac
      tissue and maintained their reparative properties, reduced infarct size,
      increased scar thickness, and attenuated LV dilatation 7 days after myocardial
      infarction. CONCLUSIONS: The environment of the failing and infarcted myocardium
      drives resident and transplanted MSCs toward a proinflammatory phenotype and
      restricts their survival and reparative effects in a mechanism mediated by TLR4.

PMID- 28356442
TI  - Modulation of Endothelial Bone Morphogenetic Protein Receptor Type 2 Activity by
      Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor Receptor 3 in Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Bone morphogenetic protein (BMP) signaling has multiple roles in the
      development and function of the blood vessels. In humans, mutations in BMP
      receptor type 2 (BMPR2), a key component of BMP signaling, have been identified
      in the majority of patients with familial pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH).
      However, only a small subset of individuals with BMPR2 mutation develops PAH,
      suggesting that additional modifiers of BMPR2 function play an important role in
      the onset and progression of PAH. METHODS: We used a combination of studies in
      zebrafish embryos and genetically engineered mice lacking endothelial expression
      of Vegfr3 to determine the interaction between vascular endothelial growth factor
      receptor 3 (VEGFR3) and BMPR2. Additional in vitro studies were performed by
      using human endothelial cells, including primary lung endothelial cells from
      subjects with PAH. RESULTS: Attenuation of Vegfr3 in zebrafish embryos abrogated
      Bmp2b-induced ectopic angiogenesis. Endothelial cells with disrupted VEGFR3
      expression failed to respond to exogenous BMP stimulation. Mechanistically,
      VEGFR3 is physically associated with BMPR2 and facilitates ligand-induced
      endocytosis of BMPR2 to promote phosphorylation of SMADs and transcription of ID
      genes. Conditional, endothelial-specific deletion of Vegfr3 in mice resulted in
      impaired BMP signaling responses, and significantly worsened hypoxia-induced
      pulmonary hypertension. Consistent with these data, we found significant decrease
      in VEGFR3 expression in pulmonary arterial endothelial cells from human PAH
      subjects, and reconstitution of VEGFR3 expression in PAH pulmonary arterial
      endothelial cells restored BMP signaling responses. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings
      identify VEGFR3 as a key regulator of endothelial BMPR2 signaling and a potential
      determinant of PAH penetrance in humans.

PMID- 28356443
TI  - A MicroRNA93-Interferon Regulatory Factor-9-Immunoresponsive Gene-1-Itaconic Acid
      Pathway Modulates M2-Like Macrophage Polarization to Revascularize Ischemic
      Muscle.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Currently, no therapies exist for treating and improving outcomes in
      patients with severe peripheral artery disease (PAD). MicroRNA93 (miR93) has been
      shown to favorably modulate angiogenesis and to reduce tissue loss in genetic PAD
      models. However, the cell-specific function, downstream mechanisms, or signaling
      involved in miR93-mediated ischemic muscle neovascularization is not clear.
      Macrophages were best known to modulate arteriogenic response in PAD, and the
      extent of arteriogenic response induced by macrophages is dependent on greater M2
      to M1 activation/polarization state. In the present study, we identified a novel
      mechanism by which miR93 regulates macrophage polarization to promote
      angiogenesis and arteriogenesis to revascularize ischemic muscle in experimental
      PAD. METHODS: In vitro (macrophages, endothelial cells, skeletal muscle cells
      under normal and hypoxia serum starvation conditions) and in vivo experiments in
      preclinical PAD models (unilateral femoral artery ligation and resection) were
      conducted to examine the role of miR93-interferon regulatory factor-9
      immunoresponsive gene-1 (IRG1)-itaconic acid pathway in macrophage polarization,
      angiogenesis, arteriogenesis, and perfusion recovery. RESULTS: In vivo, compared
      with wild-type controls, miR106b-93-25 cluster-deficient mice (miR106b-93-25-/-)
      showed decreased angiogenesis and arteriogenesis correlating with increased M1
      like macrophages after experimental PAD. Intramuscular delivery of miR93 in
      miR106b-93-25-/- PAD mice increased angiogenesis, arteriogenesis, and the extent
      of perfusion, which correlated with more M2-like macrophages in the proximal and
      distal hind-limb muscles. In vitro, miR93 promotes and sustains M2-like
      polarization even under M1-like polarizing conditions (hypoxia serum starvation).
      Delivery of bone marrow-derived macrophages from miR106b-93-25-/- to wild-type
      ischemic muscle decreased angiogenesis, arteriogenesis, and perfusion, whereas
      transfer of wild-type macrophages to miR106b-93-25-/- had the opposite effect.
      Systematic analysis of top differentially upregulated genes from RNA sequencing
      between miR106b-93-25-/- and wild-type ischemic muscle showed that miR93
      regulates IRG1 function to modulate itaconic acid production and macrophage
      polarization. The 3' untranslated region luciferase assays performed to determine
      whether IRG1 is a direct target of miR93 revealed that IRG1 is not an miR93
      target but that interferon regulatory factor-9, which can regulate IRG1
      expression, is an miR93 target. In vitro, increased expression of interferon
      regulatory factor-9 and IRG1 and itaconic acid treatment significantly decreased
      endothelial angiogenic potential. CONCLUSIONS: miR93 inhibits interferon
      regulatory factor-9 to decrease IRG1-itaconic acid production to induce M2-like
      polarization in ischemic muscle to enhance angiogenesis, arteriogenesis, and
      perfusion recovery in experimental PAD.

PMID- 28356444
TI  - Antibody-Mediated Inhibition of Tspan12 Ameliorates Vasoproliferative Retinopathy
      Through Suppression of beta-Catenin Signaling.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Anti-angiogenic biologicals represent an important concept for the
      treatment of vasoproliferative diseases. However, the need for continued
      treatment, the presence of nonresponders, and the risk of long-term side effects
      limit the success of existing therapeutic agents. Although Tspan12 has been shown
      to regulate retinal vascular development, nothing is known about its involvement
      in neovascular disease and its potential as a novel therapeutic target for the
      treatment of vasoproliferative diseases. METHODS: Rodent models of retinal
      neovascular disease, including the mouse model of oxygen-induced retinopathy and
      the very low density lipoprotein receptor knockout mouse model were analyzed for
      Tspan/beta-catenin regulation. Screening of a phage display of a human
      combinatorial antibody (Ab) library was used for the development of a high
      affinity Ab against Tspan12. Therapeutic effects of the newly developed Ab on
      vascular endothelial cells were tested in vitro and in vivo in the oxygen-induced
      retinopathy and very low density lipoprotein receptor knockout mouse model.
      RESULTS: The newly developed anti-Tspan12 Ab exhibited potent inhibitory effects
      on endothelial cell migration and tube formation. Mechanistic studies confirmed
      that the Ab inhibited the interaction between Tspan12 and Frizzled-4 and
      effectively modulates beta-catenin levels and target genes in vascular
      endothelial cells. Tspan12/beta-catenin signaling was activated in response to
      acute and chronic stress in the oxygen-induced retinopathy and very low density
      lipoprotein receptor mouse model of proliferative retinopathy. Intravitreal
      application of the Ab showed significant therapeutic effects in both models
      without inducing negative side effects on retina function. Moreover, combined
      intravitreal injection of the Ab with a known vascular endothelial growth factor
      inhibitor, Aflibercept, resulted in significant enhancement of the therapeutic
      efficacy of each monotherapy. Combination therapy with the Tspan12 blocking
      antibody can be used to reduce anti-vascular endothelial growth factor doses,
      thus decreasing the risk of long-term off-target effects. CONCLUSIONS:
      Tspan12/beta-catenin signaling is critical for the progression of
      vasoproliferative disease. The newly developed anti-Tspan12 antibody has
      therapeutic effects in vasoproliferative retinopathy and can enhance the potency
      of existing anti- vascular endothelial growth factor agents.

PMID- 28356445
TI  - Diagnosis, Treatment, and Long-Term Management of Kawasaki Disease: A Scientific
      Statement for Health Professionals From the American Heart Association.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Kawasaki disease is an acute vasculitis of childhood that leads to
      coronary artery aneurysms in ~25% of untreated cases. It has been reported
      worldwide and is the leading cause of acquired heart disease in children in
      developed countries. METHODS AND RESULTS: To revise the previous American Heart
      Association guidelines, a multidisciplinary writing group of experts was convened
      to review and appraise available evidence and practice-based opinion, as well as
      to provide updated recommendations for diagnosis, treatment of the acute illness,
      and long-term management. Although the cause remains unknown, discussion sections
      highlight new insights into the epidemiology, genetics, pathogenesis, pathology,
      natural history, and long-term outcomes. Prompt diagnosis is essential, and an
      updated algorithm defines supplemental information to be used to assist the
      diagnosis when classic clinical criteria are incomplete. Although intravenous
      immune globulin is the mainstay of initial treatment, the role for additional
      primary therapy in selected patients is discussed. Approximately 10% to 20% of
      patients do not respond to initial intravenous immune globulin, and
      recommendations for additional therapies are provided. Careful initial management
      of evolving coronary artery abnormalities is essential, necessitating an
      increased frequency of assessments and escalation of thromboprophylaxis. Risk
      stratification for long-term management is based primarily on maximal coronary
      artery luminal dimensions, normalized as Z scores, and is calibrated to both past
      and current involvement. Patients with aneurysms require life-long and
      uninterrupted cardiology follow-up. CONCLUSIONS: These recommendations provide
      updated and best evidence-based guidance to healthcare providers who diagnose and
      manage Kawasaki disease, but clinical decision making should be individualized to
      specific patient circumstances.

PMID- 28356446
TI  - Fibroblast-Specific Genetic Manipulation of p38 Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase
      In Vivo Reveals Its Central Regulatory Role in Fibrosis.
AB  - BACKGROUND: In the heart, acute injury induces a fibrotic healing response that
      generates collagen-rich scarring that is at first protective but if
      inappropriately sustained can worsen heart disease. The fibrotic process is
      initiated by cytokines, neuroendocrine effectors, and mechanical strain that
      promote resident fibroblast differentiation into contractile and extracellular
      matrix-producing myofibroblasts. The mitogen-activated protein kinase p38alpha
      (Mapk14 gene) is known to influence the cardiac injury response, but its direct
      role in orchestrating programmed fibroblast differentiation and fibrosis in vivo
      is unknown. METHODS: A conditional Mapk14 allele was used to delete the p38alpha
      encoding gene specifically in cardiac fibroblasts or myofibroblasts with 2
      different tamoxifen-inducible Cre recombinase-expressing gene-targeted mouse
      lines. Mice were subjected to ischemic injury or chronic neurohumoral stimulation
      and monitored for survival, cardiac function, and fibrotic remodeling.
      Antithetically, mice with fibroblast-specific transgenic overexpression of
      activated mitogen-activated protein kinase kinase 6, a direct inducer of p38,
      were generated to investigate whether this pathway can directly drive
      myofibroblast formation and the cardiac fibrotic response. RESULTS: In mice, loss
      of Mapk14 blocked cardiac fibroblast differentiation into myofibroblasts and
      ensuing fibrosis in response to ischemic injury or chronic neurohumoral
      stimulation. A similar inhibition of myofibroblast formation and healing was also
      observed in a dermal wounding model with deletion of Mapk14. Transgenic mice with
      fibroblast-specific activation of mitogen-activated protein kinase kinase 6-p38
      developed interstitial and perivascular fibrosis in the heart, lung, and kidney
      as a result of enhanced myofibroblast numbers. Mechanistic experiments show that
      p38 transduces cytokine and mechanical signals into myofibroblast differentiation
      through the transcription factor serum response factor and the signaling effector
      calcineurin. CONCLUSIONS: These findings suggest that signals from diverse modes
      of injury converge on p38alpha mitogen-activated protein kinase within the
      fibroblast to program the fibrotic response and myofibroblast formation in vivo,
      suggesting a novel therapeutic approach with p38 inhibitors for future clinical
      application.

PMID- 28356439
TI  - Botulinum Neurotoxins: Biology, Pharmacology, and Toxicology.
AB  - The study of botulinum neurotoxins (BoNT) is rapidly progressing in many aspects.
      Novel BoNTs are being discovered owing to next generation sequencing, but their
      biologic and pharmacological properties remain largely unknown. The molecular
      structure of the large protein complexes that the toxin forms with accessory
      proteins, which are included in some BoNT type A1 and B1 pharmacological
      preparations, have been determined. By far the largest effort has been dedicated
      to the testing and validation of BoNTs as therapeutic agents in an ever
      increasing number of applications, including pain therapy. BoNT type A1 has been
      also exploited in a variety of cosmetic treatments, alone or in combination with
      other agents, and this specific market has reached the size of the one dedicated
      to the treatment of medical syndromes. The pharmacological properties and mode of
      action of BoNTs have shed light on general principles of neuronal transport and
      protein-protein interactions and are stimulating basic science studies. Moreover,
      the wide array of BoNTs discovered and to be discovered and the production of
      recombinant BoNTs endowed with specific properties suggest novel uses in
      therapeutics with increasing disease/symptom specifity. These recent developments
      are reviewed here to provide an updated picture of the biologic mechanism of
      action of BoNTs, of their increasing use in pharmacology and in cosmetics, and of
      their toxicology.

PMID- 28356448
TI  - Broad-scale trophic shift in the pelagic North Pacific revealed by an oceanic
      seabird.
AB  - Human-induced ecological change in the open oceans appears to be accelerating.
      Fisheries, climate change and elevated nutrient inputs are variously blamed, at
      least in part, for altering oceanic ecosystems. Yet it is challenging to assess
      the extent of anthropogenic change in the open oceans, where historical records
      of ecological conditions are sparse, and the geographical scale is immense. We
      developed millennial-scale amino acid nitrogen isotope records preserved in
      ancient animal remains to understand changes in food web structure and nutrient
      regimes in the oceanic realm of the North Pacific Ocean (NPO). Our millennial
      scale isotope records of amino acids in bone collagen in a wide-ranging oceanic
      seabird, the Hawaiian petrel (Pterodroma sandwichensis), showed that trophic
      level declined over time. The amino acid records do not support a broad-scale
      increase in nitrogen fixation in the North Pacific subtropical gyre, rejecting an
      earlier interpretation based on bulk and amino acid specific delta15N
      chronologies for Hawaiian deep-sea corals and bulk delta15N chronologies for the
      Hawaiian petrel. Rather, our work suggests that the food web structure in the NPO
      has shifted at a broad geographical scale, a phenomenon potentially related to
      industrial fishing.

PMID- 28356447
TI  - Exposure to dairy manure leads to greater antibiotic resistance and increased
      mass-specific respiration in soil microbial communities.
AB  - Intensifying livestock production to meet the demands of a growing global
      population coincides with increases in both the administration of veterinary
      antibiotics and manure inputs to soils. These trends have the potential to
      increase antibiotic resistance in soil microbial communities. The effect of
      maintaining increased antibiotic resistance on soil microbial communities and the
      ecosystem processes they regulate is unknown. We compare soil microbial
      communities from paired reference and dairy manure-exposed sites across the USA.
      Given that manure exposure has been shown to elicit increased antibiotic
      resistance in soil microbial communities, we expect that manure-exposed sites
      will exhibit (i) compositionally different soil microbial communities, with
      shifts toward taxa known to exhibit resistance; (ii) greater abundance of
      antibiotic resistance genes; and (iii) corresponding maintenance of antibiotic
      resistance would lead to decreased microbial efficiency. We found that bacterial
      and fungal communities differed between reference and manure-exposed sites.
      Additionally, the beta-lactam resistance gene ampC was 5.2-fold greater under
      manure exposure, potentially due to the use of cephalosporin antibiotics in dairy
      herds. Finally, ampC abundance was positively correlated with indicators of
      microbial stress, and microbial mass-specific respiration, which increased 2.1
      fold under manure exposure. These findings demonstrate that the maintenance of
      antibiotic resistance associated with manure inputs alters soil microbial
      communities and ecosystem function.

PMID- 28356450
TI  - Terrestrial reproduction as an adaptation to steep terrain in African toads.
AB  - How evolutionary novelties evolve is a major question in evolutionary biology. It
      is widely accepted that changes in environmental conditions shift the position of
      selective optima, and advancements in phylogenetic comparative approaches allow
      the rigorous testing of such correlated transitions. A longstanding question in
      vertebrate biology has been the evolution of terrestrial life histories in
      amphibians and here, by investigating African bufonids, we test whether
      terrestrial modes of reproduction have evolved as adaptations to particular
      abiotic habitat parameters. We reconstruct and date the most complete species
      level molecular phylogeny and estimate ancestral states for reproductive modes.
      By correlating continuous habitat measurements from remote sensing data and
      locality records with life-history transitions, we discover that terrestrial
      modes of reproduction, including viviparity evolved multiple times in this group,
      most often directly from fully aquatic modes. Terrestrial modes of reproduction
      are strongly correlated with steep terrain and low availability of accumulated
      water sources. Evolutionary transitions to terrestrial modes of reproduction
      occurred synchronously with or after transitions in habitat, and we, therefore,
      interpret terrestrial breeding as an adaptation to these abiotic conditions,
      rather than an exaptation that facilitated the colonization of montane habitats.

PMID- 28356449
TI  - Why does drug resistance readily evolve but vaccine resistance does not?
AB  - Why is drug resistance common and vaccine resistance rare? Drugs and vaccines
      both impose substantial pressure on pathogen populations to evolve resistance and
      indeed, drug resistance typically emerges soon after the introduction of a drug.
      But vaccine resistance has only rarely emerged. Using well-established principles
      of population genetics and evolutionary ecology, we argue that two key
      differences between vaccines and drugs explain why vaccines have so far proved
      more robust against evolution than drugs. First, vaccines tend to work
      prophylactically while drugs tend to work therapeutically. Second, vaccines tend
      to induce immune responses against multiple targets on a pathogen while drugs
      tend to target very few. Consequently, pathogen populations generate less
      variation for vaccine resistance than they do for drug resistance, and selection
      has fewer opportunities to act on that variation. When vaccine resistance has
      evolved, these generalities have been violated. With careful forethought, it may
      be possible to identify vaccines at risk of failure even before they are
      introduced.

PMID- 28356451
TI  - Warming magnifies predation and reduces prey coexistence in a model litter
      arthropod system.
AB  - Climate warming can destabilize interactions between competitors as smaller
      organisms gain advantages in warmer environments. Whether and how warming-induced
      effects on competitive interactions are modified by predation remains unknown. We
      hypothesized that predation will offset the competitive advantage of smaller prey
      species in warmer environments because of their greater vulnerability to
      predation. To test this, we assembled a litter arthropod community with two
      Collembola species (Folsomia candida and Proisotoma minuta) of different body
      sizes across a temperature gradient (three thermal environments) and in the
      presence and absence of predatory mites. Predatory mites reduced Collembola
      coexistence with increasing temperatures. Contradicting our hypothesis, the
      larger prey species always outperformed the smaller prey species in warmer
      environments with predators. Larger prey probably benefited as they expressed a
      greater trait (body length) plasticity to warming. Warming can thus magnify
      predation effects and reduce the probability of prey coexistence.

PMID- 28356452
TI  - The dynamic association between ovariole loss and sterility in adult honeybee
      workers.
AB  - In the social insects, ovary state (the presence or absence of mature oocytes)
      and ovary size (the number of ovarioles) are often used as proxies for the
      reproductive capacity of an individual worker. Ovary size is assumed to be fixed
      post-eclosion whereas ovary state is demonstrably plastic post-eclosion. Here, we
      show that in fact ovary size declines as honeybee workers age. This finding is
      robust across two honeybee species: Apis mellifera and A. cerana The ovariole
      loss is likely to be due to the regression of particular ovarioles via programmed
      cell death. We also provide further support for the observation that honeybee
      workers with activated ovaries (mature oocytes present) most commonly have five
      ovarioles rather than a greater or smaller number. This result suggests that
      workers with more than five ovarioles are unable to physiologically support more
      than five activated ovarioles and that workers with fewer than five ovarioles are
      below a threshold necessary for ovary activation. As a worker's ovariole number
      declines with age, studies on worker ovariole number need to take this plasticity
      into account.

PMID- 28356454
TI  - First macrobiota biomineralization was environmentally triggered.
AB  - Why large and diverse skeletons first appeared ca 550 Ma is not well understood.
      Many Ediacaran skeletal biota show evidence of flexibility, and bear notably thin
      skeletal walls with simple, non-hierarchical microstructures of either aragonite
      or high-Mg calcite. We present evidence that the earliest skeletal macrobiota,
      found only in carbonate rocks, had close soft-bodied counterparts hosted in
      contemporary clastic rocks. This includes the calcareous discoidal fossil
      Suvorovella, similar to holdfasts of Ediacaran biota taxa previously known only
      as casts and moulds, as well as tubular and vase-shaped fossils. In sum, these
      probably represent taxa of diverse affinity including unicellular eukaryotes,
      total group cnidarians and problematica. Our findings support the assertion that
      the calcification was an independent and derived feature that appeared in diverse
      groups where an organic scaffold was the primitive character, which provided the
      framework for interactions between the extracellular matrix and mineral ions. We
      conclude that such skeletons may have been acquired with relative ease in the
      highly saturated, high alkalinity carbonate settings of the Ediacaran, where
      carbonate polymorph was further controlled by seawater chemistry. The trigger for
      Ediacaran biomineralization may have been either changing seawater Mg/Ca and/or
      increasing oxygen levels. By the Early Cambrian, however, biomineralization
      styles and the range of biominerals had significantly diversified, perhaps as an
      escalating defensive response to increasing predation pressure. Indeed skeletal
      hardparts had appeared in clastic settings by Cambrian Stage 1, suggesting
      independence from ambient seawater chemistry where genetic and molecular
      mechanisms controlled biomineralization and mineralogy had become evolutionarily
      constrained.

PMID- 28356453
TI  - The melanocortin system regulates body pigmentation and social behaviour in a
      colour polymorphic cichlid fish.
AB  - The melanocortin system is a neuroendocrine system that regulates a range of
      physiological and behavioural processes. We examined the extent to which the
      melanocortin system simultaneously regulates colour and behaviour in the cichlid
      fish Astatotilapia burtoni We found that yellow males are more aggressive than
      blue males, in line with previous studies. We then found that exogenous alpha
      melanocyte-stimulating hormone (alpha-MSH) increases yellowness of the body and
      dispersal of xanthophore pigments in both morphs. However, alpha-MSH had a morph
      specific effect on aggression, with only blue males showing an increase in the
      rate of aggression. Exogenous agouti signalling peptide (ASIP), a melanocortin
      antagonist, did not affect coloration but reduced the rate of aggression in both
      colour morphs. Blue males had higher cortisol levels than yellow males. Neural
      gene expression of melanocortin receptors (mcr) and ligands was not
      differentially regulated between colour morphs. In the skin, however, mc1r and
      pro-opiomelanocortin (pomc) beta were upregulated in blue males, while asip 1 was
      upregulated in yellow males. The effects of alpha-MSH on behaviour and body
      coloration, combined with morph-specific regulation of the stress response and
      the melanocortin system, suggest that the melanocortin system contributes to the
      polymorphism in behaviour and coloration in A. burtoni.

PMID- 28356455
TI  - Seasonal body size reductions with warming covary with major body size gradients
      in arthropod species.
AB  - Major biological and biogeographical rules link body size variation with latitude
      or environmental temperature, and these rules are often studied in isolation.
      Within multivoltine species, seasonal temperature variation can cause substantial
      changes in adult body size, as subsequent generations experience different
      developmental conditions. Yet, unlike other size patterns, these common seasonal
      temperature-size gradients have never been collectively analysed. We undertake
      the largest analysis to date of seasonal temperature-size gradients in
      multivoltine arthropods, including 102 aquatic and terrestrial species from 71
      global locations. Adult size declines in warmer seasons in 86% of the species
      examined. Aquatic species show approximately 2.5-fold greater reduction in size
      per  degrees C of warming than terrestrial species, supporting the hypothesis
      that greater oxygen limitation in water than in air forces aquatic species to
      exhibit greater plasticity in body size with temperature. Total percentage change
      in size over the annual cycle appears relatively constant with annual temperature
      range but varies between environments, such that the overall size reduction in
      aquatic-developing species (approx. 31%) is almost threefold greater than in
      terrestrial species (approx. 11%). For the first time, we show that strong
      correlations exist between seasonal temperature-size gradients, laboratory
      responses and latitudinal-size clines, suggesting that these patterns share
      common drivers.

PMID- 28356456
TI  - Field study suggests that sex determination in sea lamprey is directly influenced
      by larval growth rate.
AB  - Sex determination mechanisms in fishes lie along a genetic-environmental
      continuum and thereby offer opportunities to understand how physiology and
      environment interact to determine sex. Mechanisms and ecological consequences of
      sex determination in fishes are primarily garnered from teleosts, with little
      investigation into basal fishes. We tagged and released larval sea lamprey
      (Petromyzon marinus) into unproductive lake and productive stream environments.
      Sex ratios produced from these environments were quantified by recapturing tagged
      individuals as adults. Sex ratios from unproductive and productive environments
      were initially similar. However, sex ratios soon diverged, with unproductive
      environments becoming increasingly male-skewed and productive environments
      becoming less male-skewed with time. We hypothesize that slower growth in
      unproductive environments contributed to the sex ratio differences by directly
      influencing sex determination. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first
      study suggesting that growth rate in a fish species directly influences sex
      determination; other studies have suggested that the environmental variables to
      which sex determination is sensitive (e.g. density, temperature) act as cues for
      favourable or unfavourable growth conditions. Understanding mechanisms of sex
      determination in lampreys may provide unique insight into the underlying
      principles of sex determination in other vertebrates and provide innovative
      approaches for their management where valued and invasive.

PMID- 28356457
TI  - Speed dependency in alpha-motoneuron activity and locomotor modules in human
      locomotion: indirect evidence for phylogenetically conserved spinal circuits.
AB  - Coordinated locomotor muscle activity is generated by the spinal central pattern
      generators (CPGs). Vertebrate studies have demonstrated the following two
      characteristics of the speed control mechanisms of the spinal CPGs: (i) rostral
      segment activation is indispensable for achieving high-speed locomotion; and (ii)
      specific combinations between spinal interneuronal modules and motoneuron (MN)
      pools are sequentially activated with increasing speed. Here, to investigate
      whether similar control mechanisms exist in humans, we examined spinal neural
      activity during varied-speed locomotion by mapping the distribution of MN
      activity in the spinal cord and extracting locomotor modules, which generate
      basic MN activation patterns. The MN activation patterns and the locomotor
      modules were analysed from multi-muscle electromyographic recordings. The
      reconstructed MN activity patterns were divided into the following three patterns
      depending on the speed of locomotion: slow walking, fast walking and running.
      During these three activation patterns, the proportion of the activity in rostral
      segments to that in caudal segments increased as locomotion speed increased.
      Additionally, the different MN activation patterns were generated by distinct
      combinations of locomotor modules. These results are consistent with the speed
      control mechanisms observed in vertebrates, suggesting phylogenetically conserved
      spinal mechanisms of neural control of locomotion.

PMID- 28356459
TI  - Viral hepatitis and the risk of Parkinson disease.

PMID- 28356458
TI  - Cortical superficial siderosis and first-ever cerebral hemorrhage in cerebral
      amyloid angiopathy.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: To investigate whether cortical superficial siderosis (cSS) is
      associated with increased risk of future first-ever symptomatic lobar
      intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH) in patients with cerebral amyloid angiopathy (CAA)
      presenting with neurologic symptoms and without ICH. METHODS: Consecutive
      patients meeting modified Boston criteria for probable CAA in the absence of ICH
      from a single-center cohort were analyzed. cSS and other small vessel disease MRI
      markers were assessed according to recent consensus recommendations. Patients
      were followed prospectively for future incident symptomatic lobar ICH.
      Prespecified Cox proportional hazard models were used to investigate cSS and
      first-ever lobar ICH risk adjusting for potential confounders. RESULTS: The
      cohort included 236 patients with probable CAA without lobar ICH at baseline. cSS
      prevalence was 34%. During a median follow-up of 3.26 years (interquartile range
      1.42-5.50 years), 27 of 236 patients (11.4%) experienced a first-ever symptomatic
      lobar ICH. cSS was a predictor of time until first ICH (p = 0.0007, log-rank
      test). The risk of symptomatic ICH at 5 years of follow-up was 19% (95%
      confidence interval [CI] 11%-32%) for patients with cSS at baseline vs 6% (95% CI
      3%-12%) for patients without cSS. In multivariable Cox regression models, cSS
      presence was the only independent predictor of increased symptomatic ICH risk
      during follow-up (HR 4.04; 95% CI 1.73-9.44, p = 0.001), after adjusting for age,
      lobar cerebral microbleeds burden, and white matter hyperintensities.
      CONCLUSIONS: cSS is consistently associated with an increased risk of future
      lobar ICH in CAA with potentially important clinical implications for patient
      care decisions such as antithrombotic use.

PMID- 28356460
TI  - Impaired intracortical inhibition demonstrated in vivo in people with Dravet
      syndrome.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: Dravet syndrome is a rare neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by
      seizures and other neurologic problems. SCN1A mutations account for ~80% of
      cases. Animal studies have implicated mutation-related dysregulated cortical
      inhibitory networks in its pathophysiology. We investigated such networks in
      people with the condition. METHODS: Transcranial magnetic stimulation using
      single and paired pulse paradigms was applied to people with Dravet syndrome and
      to 2 control groups to study motor cortex excitability. RESULTS: Short interval
      intracortical inhibition (SICI), which measures GABAergic inhibitory network
      behavior, was undetectable in Dravet syndrome, but detectable in all controls.
      Other paradigms, including those testing excitatory networks, showed no
      difference between Dravet and control groups. CONCLUSIONS: There were marked
      differences in inhibitory networks, detected using SICI paradigms, while other
      inhibitory and excitatory paradigms yielded normal results. These human data
      showing reduced GABAergic inhibition in vivo in people with Dravet syndrome
      support established animal models.

PMID- 28356461
TI  - Parental family history of dementia in relation to subclinical brain disease and
      dementia risk.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: To determine the association of parental family history with risk of
      dementia by age at onset and sex of affected parent in a population-based cohort.
      METHODS: From 2000 to 2002, we assessed parental history of dementia in
      participants without dementia of the Rotterdam Study. We investigated
      associations of parental history with risk of dementia until 2015, adjusting for
      demographics, cardiovascular risk factors, and known genetic risk variants.
      Furthermore, we determined the association between parental history and markers
      of neurodegeneration and vascular disease on MRI. RESULTS: Of 2,087 participants
      (mean age 64 years, 55% female), 407 (19.6%) reported a history of dementia in
      either parent (mean age at diagnosis 79 years). During a mean follow-up of 12.2
      years, 142 participants developed dementia. Parental history was associated with
      risk of dementia independently of known genetic risk factors (hazard ratio [HR]
      1.67, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.12-2.48), in particular when parents were
      diagnosed at younger age (<80 years: HR 2.58, 95% CI 1.61-4.15; >=80 years: HR
      1.01, 95% CI 0.58-1.77). Accordingly, age at diagnosis in probands was highly
      correlated with age at diagnosis in their parents <80 years (r = 0.57, p = 0.001)
      but not thereafter (r = 0.17, p = 0.55). Among 1,161 participants without
      dementia with brain MRI, parental history was related to lower cerebral perfusion
      and higher burden of white matter lesions and microbleeds. Dementia risk and MRI
      markers were similar for paternal and maternal history. CONCLUSIONS: Parental
      history of dementia increases risk of dementia, primarily when age at parental
      diagnosis is <80 years. Unexplained heredity may be attributed in part to
      cerebral hypoperfusion and small vessel disease. We found no evidence of
      preferential maternal compared to paternal transmission.

PMID- 28356462
TI  - Diagnostic errors in cerebrovascular disease: What are we missing?

PMID- 28356463
TI  - Dopamine D2/D3 imbalance during migraine attack and allodynia in vivo.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: To evaluate in vivo the dynamics of endogenous dopamine (DA)
      neurotransmission during migraine ictus with allodynia. METHODS: We examined 8
      episodic migraineurs and 8 healthy controls (HC) using PET with [11C]raclopride.
      The uptake measure of [11C]raclopride, nondisplaceable binding potential (BPND),
      would increase when there was a reduction in endogenous DA release. The opposite
      is true for a decrease in [11C]raclopride BPND. Patients were scanned twice: one
      PET session was during a spontaneous migraine ictus at rest, followed by a
      sustained thermal pain threshold (STPT) challenge on the trigeminal region,
      eliciting an allodynia experience; another was during interictal phase. RESULTS:
      Striatal BPND of [11C]raclopride in migraineurs did not differ from HC. We found
      a significant increase in [11C]raclopride BPND in the striatum region of
      migraineurs during both headache attack and allodynia relative to interictal
      phase. However, when compared to the migraine attack at rest, migraineurs during
      the STPT challenge had a significant sudden reduction in [11C]raclopride BPND in
      the insula. Such directional change was also observed in the caudate of HC
      relative to the interictal phase during challenge. Furthermore, ictal changes in
      [11C]raclopride BPND in migraineurs at rest were positively correlated with the
      chronicity of migraine attacks, and negatively correlated with the frequency
      during challenge. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings demonstrate that there is an
      imbalanced uptake of [11C]raclopride during the headache attack and ictal
      allodynia, which indicates reduction and fluctuation in ictal endogenous DA
      release in migraineurs. Moreover, the longer the history and recurrence of
      migraine attacks, the lower the ictal endogenous DA release.

PMID- 28356464
TI  - ED misdiagnosis of cerebrovascular events in the era of modern neuroimaging: A
      meta-analysis.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: With the emergency department (ED) being a high-risk site for
      diagnostic errors, we sought to estimate ED diagnostic accuracy for identifying
      acute cerebrovascular events. METHODS: MEDLINE and Embase were searched for
      studies (1995-2016) reporting ED diagnostic accuracy for ischemic stroke, TIA, or
      subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH). Two independent reviewers determined inclusion. We
      identified 1,693 unique citations, examined 214 full articles, and analyzed 23
      studies. Studies were rated on risk of bias (QUADAS-2). Diagnostic data were
      extracted. We prospectively defined clinical presentation subgroups to compare
      odds of misdiagnosis. RESULTS: Included studies reported on 15,721 patients.
      Studies were at low risk of bias. Overall sensitivity (91.3% [95% confidence
      interval (CI) 90.7-92.0]) and specificity (92.7% [91.7-93.7]) for a
      cerebrovascular etiology was high, but there was significant variation based on
      clinical presentation. Misdiagnosis was more frequent among subgroups with milder
      (SAH with normal vs abnormal mental state; false-negative rate 23.8% vs 4.2%,
      odds ratio [OR] 7.03 [4.80-10.31]), nonspecific (dizziness vs motor findings;
      false-negative rate 39.4% vs 4.4%, OR 14.22 [9.76-20.74]), or transient (TIA vs
      ischemic stroke; false discovery rate 59.7% vs 11.7%, OR 11.21 [6.66-18.89])
      symptoms. CONCLUSIONS: Roughly 9% of cerebrovascular events are missed at initial
      ED presentation. Risk of misdiagnosis is much greater when presenting neurologic
      complaints are mild, nonspecific, or transient (range 24%-60%). This difference
      suggests that many misdiagnoses relate to symptom-specific factors. Future
      research should emphasize studying causes and designing error-reduction
      strategies in symptom-specific subgroups at greatest risk of misdiagnosis.

PMID- 28356465
TI  - Viral hepatitis and Parkinson disease: A national record-linkage study.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: To study associations between viral hepatitis and Parkinson disease
      (PD). METHODS: A retrospective cohort study was done by analyzing linked English
      National Hospital Episode Statistics and mortality data (1999-2011). Cohorts of
      individuals with hepatitis B, hepatitis C, autoimmune hepatitis, chronic active
      hepatitis, and HIV were constructed, and compared to a reference cohort for
      subsequent rates of PD. RESULTS: The standardized rate ratio (RR) of PD following
      hepatitis B was 1.76 (95% confidence interval [CI] 1.28-2.37) (p < 0.001), based
      on 44 observed compared with 25 expected cases. The RR of PD following hepatitis
      C was 1.51 (95% CI, 1.18-1.9) (p < 0.001), based on 48.5 expected and 73 observed
      cases. There was no significant association between autoimmune hepatitis, chronic
      active hepatitis or HIV, and subsequent PD. When including only those episodes of
      care for PD that occurred first at least 1 year following each exposure
      condition, the RR for hepatitis B and hepatitis C were 1.82 (1.29-2.5) and 1.43
      (1.09-1.84), respectively. CONCLUSIONS: We report strong evidence in favor of an
      elevation of rates of subsequent PD in patients with hepatitis B and hepatitis C.
      These findings may be explained by factors peculiar to viral hepatitis, but
      whether it reflects consequences of infection, shared disease mechanisms, or the
      result of antiviral treatment remains to be elucidated. Further work is needed to
      confirm this association and to investigate pathophysiologic pathways,
      potentially advancing etiologic understanding of PD more broadly.

PMID- 28356468
TI  - Strategies for obstacle avoidance during walking in the cat.
AB  - Avoiding obstacles is essential for successful navigation through complex
      environments. This study aimed to clarify what strategies are used by a typical
      quadruped, the cat, to avoid obstacles during walking. Four cats walked along a
      corridor 2.5 m long and 25 or 15 cm wide. Obstacles, small round objects 2.5 cm
      in diameter and 1 cm in height, were placed on the floor in various locations.
      Movements of the paw were recorded with a motion capture and analysis system
      (Visualeyez, PTI). During walking in the wide corridor, cats' preferred strategy
      for avoiding a single obstacle was circumvention, during which the stride
      direction changed while stride duration and swing-to-stride duration ratio were
      preserved. Another strategy, stepping over the obstacle, was used during walking
      in the narrow corridor, when lateral deviations of walking trajectory were
      restricted. Stepping over the obstacle involved changes in two consecutive
      strides. The stride preceding the obstacle was shortened, and swing-to-stride
      ratio was reduced. The obstacle was negotiated in the next stride of increased
      height and normal duration and swing-to-stride ratio. During walking on a surface
      with multiple obstacles, both strategies were used. To avoid contact with the
      obstacle, cats placed the paw away from the object at a distance roughly equal to
      the diameter of the paw. During obstacle avoidance cats prefer to alter muscle
      activities without altering the locomotor rhythm. We hypothesize that a choice of
      the strategy for obstacle avoidance is determined by minimizing the complexity of
      neuro-motor processes required to achieve the behavioral goal.NEW & NOTEWORTHY In
      a study of feline locomotor behavior we found that the preferred strategy to
      avoid a small obstacle is circumvention. During circumvention, stride direction
      changes but length and temporal structure are preserved. Another strategy,
      stepping over the obstacle, is used in narrow walkways. During overstepping, two
      strides adjust. A stride preceding the obstacle decreases in length and duration.
      The following stride negotiating the obstacle increases in height while retaining
      normal temporal structure and nearly normal length.

PMID- 28356467
TI  - The potential for understanding the synaptic organization of human motor commands
      via the firing patterns of motoneurons.
AB  - Motoneurons are unique in being the only neurons in the CNS whose firing patterns
      can be easily recorded in human subjects. This is because of the one-to-one
      relationship between the motoneuron and muscle cell behavior. It has long been
      appreciated that the connection of motoneurons to their muscle fibers allows
      their action potentials to be amplified and recorded, but only recently has it
      become possible to simultaneously record the firing pattern of many motoneurons
      via array electrodes placed on the skin. These firing patterns contain detailed
      information about the synaptic organization of motor commands to the motoneurons.
      This review focuses on parameters in these firing patterns that are directly
      linked to specific features of this organization. It is now well established that
      motor commands consist of three components, excitation, inhibition, and
      neuromodulation; the importance of the third component has become increasingly
      evident. Firing parameters linked to each of the three components are discussed,
      along with consideration of potential limitations in their utility for
      understanding the underlying organization of motor commands. Future work based on
      realistic computer simulations of motoneurons may allow quantitative "reverse
      engineering" of human motoneuron firing patterns to provide good estimates of the
      relative amplitudes and temporal patterns of all three components of motor
      commands.

PMID- 28356466
TI  - Evidence for a causal relationship between low vitamin D, high BMI, and pediatric
      onset MS.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: To utilize Mendelian randomization to estimate the causal association
      between low serum vitamin D concentrations, increased body mass index (BMI), and
      pediatric-onset multiple sclerosis (MS) using genetic risk scores (GRS). METHODS:
      We constructed an instrumental variable for vitamin D (vitD GRS) by computing a
      GRS for 3 genetic variants associated with levels of 25(OH)D in serum using the
      estimated effect of each risk variant. A BMI GRS was also created that
      incorporates the cumulative effect of 97 variants associated with BMI.
      Participants included non-Hispanic white individuals recruited from over 15 sites
      across the United States (n = 394 cases, 10,875 controls) and Sweden (n = 175
      cases, 5,376 controls; total n = 16,820). RESULTS: Meta-analysis findings
      demonstrated that a vitD GRS associated with increasing levels of 25(OH)D in
      serum decreased the odds of pediatric-onset MS (odds ratio [OR] 0.72, 95%
      confidence interval [CI] 0.55, 0.94; p = 0.02) after controlling for sex, genetic
      ancestry, HLA-DRB1*15:01, and over 100 non-human leukocyte antigen MS risk
      variants. A significant association between BMI GRS and pediatric disease onset
      was also demonstrated (OR 1.17, 95% CI 1.05, 1.30; p = 0.01) after adjusting for
      covariates. Estimates for each GRS were unchanged when considered together in a
      multivariable model. CONCLUSIONS: We provide evidence supporting independent and
      causal effects of decreased vitamin D levels and increased BMI on susceptibility
      to pediatric-onset MS.

PMID- 28356470
TI  - Development and long-term integration of MGE-lineage cortical interneurons in the
      heterochronic environment.
AB  - Interneuron precursors transplanted into visual cortex induce network plasticity
      during their heterochronic maturation. Such plasticity can have a significant
      impact on the function of the animal and is normally present only during a brief
      critical period in early postnatal development. Elucidating the synaptic and
      physiological properties of interneuron precursors as they mature is key to
      understanding how long-term circuit changes are induced by transplants. We
      studied the development of transplant-derived interneurons and compared it to
      endogenously developing interneurons (those that are born and develop in the same
      animal) at parallel developmental time points, using patch-clamp recordings in
      acute cortical slices. We found that transplant-derived interneurons develop into
      fast-spiking and non-fast-spiking neurons characteristic of the medial ganglionic
      eminence (MGE) lineage. Transplant-derived interneurons matured more rapidly than
      endogenously developing interneurons, as shown by more hyperpolarized membrane
      potentials, smaller input resistances, and narrower action potentials at a
      juvenile age. In addition, transplant-derived fast-spiking interneurons have more
      quickly saturating input-output relationships and lower maximal firing rates in
      adulthood, indicating a possible divergence in function. Transplant-derived
      interneurons both form inhibitory synapses onto host excitatory neurons and
      receive excitatory synapses from host pyramidal cells. Unitary connection
      properties are similar to those of host interneurons. These transplant-derived
      interneurons, however, were less densely functionally connected onto host
      pyramidal cells than were host interneurons and received fewer spontaneous
      excitatory inputs from host cells. These findings suggest that many physiological
      characteristics of interneurons are autonomously determined, while some factors
      impacting their circuit function may be influenced by the environment in which
      they develop.NEW & NOTEWORTHY Transplanting embryonic interneurons into older
      brains induces a period of plasticity in the recipient animal. We find that these
      interneurons develop typical fast-spiking and non-fast-spiking phenotypes by the
      end of adolescence. However, the input-output characteristics of transplant
      derived neurons diverged from endogenously developing interneurons during
      adulthood, and they showed lower connection rates to local pyramidal cells at all
      time points. This suggests a unique and ongoing role of transplant-derived
      interneurons in host circuits, enabling interneuron transplant therapies.

PMID- 28356469
TI  - PICs in motoneurons do not scale with the size of the animal: a possible
      mechanism for faster speed of muscle contraction in smaller species.
AB  - The majority of studies on the electrical properties of neurons are carried out
      in rodents, and in particular in mice. However, the minute size of this animal
      compared with humans potentially limits the relevance of the resulting insights.
      To be able to extrapolate results obtained in a small animal such as a rodent,
      one needs to have proper knowledge of the rules governing how electrical
      properties of neurons scale with the size of the animal. Generally speaking,
      electrical resistances of neurons increase as cell size decreases, and thus
      maintenance of equal depolarization across cells of different sizes requires the
      underlying currents to decrease in proportion to the size decrease. Thus it would
      generally be expected that voltage-sensitive currents are smaller in smaller
      animals. In this study, we used in vivo preparations to record electrical
      properties of spinal motoneurons in deeply anesthetized adult mice and cats. We
      found that PICs do not scale with size, but instead are constant in their
      amplitudes across these species. This constancy, coupled with the threefold
      differences in electrical resistances, means that PICs contribute a threefold
      larger depolarization in the mouse than in the cat. As a consequence,
      motoneuronal firing rate sharply increases as animal size decreases. These
      differences in firing rates are likely essential in allowing different species to
      control muscles with widely different contraction speeds (smaller animals have
      faster muscle fibers). Thus from our results we have identified a possible new
      mechanism for how electrical properties are tuned to match mechanical properties
      within the motor output system.NEW & NOTEWORTHY The small size of the mouse
      warrants concern over whether the properties of their neurons are a scaled
      version of those in larger animals or instead have unique features. Comparison of
      spinal motoneurons in mice to cats showed unique features. Firing rates in the
      mouse were much higher, in large part due to relatively larger persistent inward
      currents. These differences likely reflect adaptations for controlling much
      faster muscle fibers in mouse than cat.

PMID- 28356471
TI  - Contributions of space-clamp errors to apparent time-dependent loss of Mg2+ block
      induced by NMDA.
AB  - N-methyl-d-aspartate receptors (NMDARs) govern synaptic plasticity, development,
      and neuronal response to insult. Prolonged activation of NMDARs such as during an
      insult may activate secondary currents or modulate Mg2+ sensitivity, but the
      conditions under which these occur are not fully defined. We reexamined the
      effect of prolonged NMDAR activation in juvenile mouse hippocampal slices. NMDA
      (10 MUM) elicited current with the expected negative-slope conductance in the
      presence of 1.2 mM Mg2+ However, several minutes of continued NMDA exposure
      elicited additional inward current at -70 mV. A higher concentration of NMDA (100
      uM) elicited the current more rapidly. The additional current was not dependent
      on Ca2+, network activity, or metabotropic NMDAR function and did not persist on
      agonist removal. Voltage ramps revealed no alteration of either reversal
      potential or NMDA-elicited conductance between -30 mV and +50 mV. The result was
      a more linear NMDA current-voltage relationship. The current linearization was
      also induced in interneurons and in mature dentate granule neurons but not
      immature dentate granule cells, dissociated cultured hippocampal neurons, or
      nucleated patches excised from CA1 pyramidal neurons. Comparative simulations of
      NMDA application to a CA1 pyramidal neuron and to a cultured neuron revealed that
      linearization can be explained by space-clamp errors arising from gradual
      recruitment of distal dendritic NMDARs. We conclude that persistent secondary
      currents do not strongly contribute to NMDAR responses in juvenile mouse
      hippocampus and careful discernment is needed to exclude contributions of clamp
      artifacts to apparent secondary currents.NEW & NOTEWORTHY We report that upon
      sustained activation of NMDARs in juvenile mouse hippocampal neurons there is
      apparent loss of Mg2+ block at negative membrane potentials. However, the
      phenomenon is explained by loss of dendritic voltage clamp, leading to a linear
      current-voltage relationship. Our results give a specific example of how spatial
      voltage errors in voltage-clamp recordings can readily be misinterpreted as
      biological modulation.

PMID- 28356472
TI  - Task-dependent vestibular feedback responses in reaching.
AB  - When reaching for an earth-fixed object during self-rotation, the motor system
      should appropriately integrate vestibular signals and sensory predictions to
      compensate for the intervening motion and its induced inertial forces. While it
      is well established that this integration occurs rapidly, it is unknown whether
      vestibular feedback is specifically processed dependent on the behavioral goal.
      Here, we studied whether vestibular signals evoke fixed responses with the aim to
      preserve the hand trajectory in space or are processed more flexibly, correcting
      trajectories only in task-relevant spatial dimensions. We used galvanic
      vestibular stimulation to perturb reaching movements toward a narrow or a wide
      target. Results show that the same vestibular stimulation led to smaller
      trajectory corrections to the wide than the narrow target. We interpret this
      reduced compensation as a task-dependent modulation of vestibular feedback
      responses, tuned to minimally intervene with the task-irrelevant dimension of the
      reach. These task-dependent vestibular feedback corrections are in accordance
      with a central prediction of optimal feedback control theory and mirror the
      sophistication seen in feedback responses to mechanical and visual perturbations
      of the upper limb.NEW & NOTEWORTHY Correcting limb movements for external
      perturbations is a hallmark of flexible sensorimotor behavior. While visual and
      mechanical perturbations are corrected in a task-dependent manner, it is unclear
      whether a vestibular perturbation, naturally arising when the body moves, is
      selectively processed in reach control. We show, using galvanic vestibular
      stimulation, that reach corrections to vestibular perturbations are task
      dependent, consistent with a prediction of optimal feedback control theory.

PMID- 28356473
TI  - Density of available striatal dopamine receptors predicts trait impulsiveness
      during performance of an attention-demanding task.
AB  - The density (measured at binding potential) of available striatal D2/D3 receptors
      has been shown to predict trait impulsiveness. This relationship is highly robust
      and well replicated. In each case, however, the availability of dopamine
      receptors was measured at rest. More broadly, the extent to which relationships
      between dopamine receptor availability and behavioral traits hold when
      participants perform a cognitive task is unclear. Furthermore, the performance of
      a cognitive task engages fundamentally different neural networks than are
      maximally engaged during the resting state. This complicates interpretation of
      previously observed correlations, which could be influenced by two distinct
      factors. The first is variation in available receptor density, which reflects a
      stable trait of the individual. The second is variation in context-specific
      dopamine release, which differentially displaces some dopamine radiotracers (such
      as raclopride) across individuals. Using an existing data set, we related trait
      impulsiveness, as measured using the Barratt Impulsiveness Scale (BIS-11), to the
      density (binding potential) of available striatal D2/D3 receptors as measured
      using positron emission tomography (PET) with [11C]raclopride. Importantly, the
      PET scan was completed while participants performed an attention-demanding visual
      search task. We replicate robust correlations between this measure of receptor
      availability and trait impulsiveness previously demonstrated during the resting
      state, extending this relationship to periods of active task engagement. Our
      results support the idea that this relationship depends on striatal D2/D3
      receptor density and not on context-dependent dopamine release.NEW & NOTEWORTHY
      Several studies have demonstrated a relationship between the density of available
      striatal D2/D3 receptors and trait impulsiveness. However, in each case, the
      availability of dopamine receptors was measured during the resting state. This
      complicates interpretation of previously observed correlations, which could be
      influenced by either stable variation in receptor density or context-dependent
      dopamine release. We present evidence uniquely consistent with the former
      interpretation, providing clarity to the nature of this brain-behavior
      relationship.

PMID- 28356475
TI  - Afferent motor feedback determines the perceived location of tactile stimuli in
      the external space presented to the moving arm.
AB  - People make systematic errors when localizing a brief tactile stimulus in the
      external space presented on the index finger while moving the arm. Although these
      errors likely arise in the spatiotemporal integration of the tactile input and
      information about arm position, the underlying arm position information used in
      this process is not known. In this study, we tested the contributions of afferent
      proprioceptive feedback and predictive arm position signals by comparing
      localization errors during passive vs. active arm movements. In the active
      trials, participants were instructed to localize a tactile stimulus in the
      external space that was presented to the index finger near the time of a self
      generated arm movement. In the passive trials, each of the active trials was
      passively replayed in randomized order, using a robotic device. Our results
      provide evidence that the localization error patterns of the passive trials are
      similar to the active trials and, moreover, did not lag but rather led the active
      trials, which suggests that proprioceptive feedback makes an important
      contribution to tactile localization. To further test which kinematic property of
      this afferent feedback signal drives the underlying computations, we examined the
      localization errors with movements that had differently skewed velocity profiles
      but overall the same displacement. This revealed a difference in the localization
      patterns, which we explain by a probabilistic model in which temporal uncertainty
      about the stimulus is converted into a spatial likelihood, depending on the
      actual velocity of the arm rather than involving an efferent, preprogrammed
      movement.NEW & NOTEWORTHY We show that proprioceptive feedback of arm motion
      rather than efferent motor signals contributes to tactile localization during an
      arm movement. Data further show that localization errors depend on arm velocity,
      not displacement per se, suggesting that instantaneous velocity feedback plays a
      role in the underlying computations. Model simulation using Bayesian inference
      suggests that these errors depend not only on spatial but also on temporal
      uncertainties of sensory and motor signals.

PMID- 28356474
TI  - Functional remodeling of subtype-specific markers surrounding implanted
      neuroprostheses.
AB  - Microelectrode arrays implanted in the brain are increasingly used for the
      research and treatment of intractable neurological disease. However, local
      neuronal loss and glial encapsulation are known to interfere with effective
      integration and communication between implanted devices and brain tissue, where
      these observations are typically based on assessments of broad neuronal and
      astroglial markers. However, both neurons and astrocytes comprise heterogeneous
      cellular populations that can be further divided into subclasses based on unique
      functional and morphological characteristics. In this study, we investigated
      whether or not device insertion causes alterations in specific subtypes of these
      cells. We assessed the expression of both excitatory and inhibitory markers of
      neurotransmission (vesicular glutamate and GABA transporters, VGLUT1 and VGAT,
      respectively) surrounding single-shank Michigan-style microelectrode arrays
      implanted in the motor cortex of adult rats by use of quantitative
      immunohistochemistry. We found a pronounced shift from significantly elevated
      VGLUT1 within the initial days following implantation to relatively heightened
      VGAT by the end of the 4-wk observation period. Unexpectedly, we observed VGAT
      positivity in a subset of reactive astrocytes during the first week of
      implantation, indicating heterogeneity in early-responding encapsulating glial
      cells. We coupled our VGLUT1 data with the evaluation of a second marker of
      excitatory neurons (CamKiialpha); the results closely paralleled each other and
      underscored a progression from initially heightened to subsequently weakened
      excitatory tone in the neural tissue proximal to the implanted electrode
      interface (within 40 MUm). Our results provide new evidence for subtype-specific
      remodeling surrounding brain implants that inform observations of suboptimal
      integration and performance.NEW & NOTEWORTHY We report novel changes in the local
      expression of excitatory and inhibitory synaptic markers surrounding
      microelectrode arrays implanted in the motor cortex of rats, where a progressive
      shift toward increased inhibitory tone was observed over the 4-wk observation
      period. The result was driven by declining glutamate transporter expression
      (VGLUT1) in parallel with increasing GABA transporter expression (VGAT) over
      time, where a reactive VGAT+ astroglial subtype made an unexpected contribution
      to our findings.

PMID- 28356476
TI  - Transfer of dynamic motor skills acquired during isometric training to free
      motion.
AB  - Recent studies have explored the prospects of learning to move without moving, by
      displaying virtual arm movement related to exerted force. However, it has yet to
      be tested whether learning the dynamics of moving can transfer to the
      corresponding movement. Here we present a series of experiments that investigate
      this isometric training paradigm. Subjects were asked to hold a handle and
      generate forces as their arms were constrained to a static position. A precise
      simulation of reaching was used to make a graphic rendering of an arm moving
      realistically in response to the measured interaction forces and simulated
      environmental forces. Such graphic rendering was displayed on a horizontal
      display that blocked their view to their actual (statically constrained) arm and
      encouraged them to believe they were moving. We studied adaptation of horizontal,
      planar, goal-directed arm movements in a velocity-dependent force field. Our
      results show that individuals can learn to compensate for such a force field in a
      virtual environment and transfer their new skills to the actual free motion
      condition, with performance comparable to practice while moving. Such nonmoving
      techniques should impact various training conditions when moving may not be
      possible.NEW & NOTEWORTHY This study provided early evidence supporting that
      training movement skills without moving is possible. In contrast to previous
      studies, our study involves 1) exploiting cross-modal sensory interactions
      between vision and proprioception in a motionless setting to teach motor skills
      that could be transferable to a corresponding physical task, and 2) evaluates the
      movement skill of controlling muscle-generated forces to execute arm movements in
      the presence of external forces that were only virtually present during training.

PMID- 28356477
TI  - Moving slowly is hard for humans: limitations of dynamic primitives.
AB  - Mounting evidence suggests that human motor control uses dynamic primitives,
      attractors of dynamic neuromechanical systems that require minimal central
      supervision. However, advantages for control may be offset by compromised
      versatility. Extending recent results showing that humans could not sustain
      discrete movements as duration decreased, this study tested whether smoothly
      rhythmic movements could be maintained as duration increased. Participants
      performed horizontal movements between two targets, paced by sounds with
      intervals that increased from 1 to 6 s by 200 ms per cycle and then decreased
      again. The instruction emphasized smooth rhythmic movements without interspersed
      dwell times. We hypothesized that 1) when oscillatory motions slow down,
      smoothness decreases; 2) slower oscillatory motions are executed as submovements
      or even discrete movements; and 3) the transition between smooth oscillations and
      submovements shows hysteresis. An alternative hypothesis was that 4) removing
      visual feedback restores smoothness, indicative of visually evoked corrections
      causing the irregularity. Results showed that humans could not perform slow and
      smooth oscillatory movements. Harmonicity decreased with longer intervals, and
      dwell times between cycles appeared and became prominent at slower speeds.
      Velocity profiles showed an increase with cycle duration of the number of
      overlapping submovements. There was weak evidence of hysteresis in the transition
      between these two types of movement. Eliminating vision had no effect, suggesting
      that intermittent visually evoked corrections did not underlie this phenomenon.
      These results show that it is hard for humans to execute smooth rhythmic motions
      very slowly. Instead, they "default" to another dynamic primitive and compose
      motion as a sequence of overlapping submovements.NEW & NOTEWORTHY Complementing a
      large body of prior work showing advantages of composing primitives to manage the
      complexity of motor control, this paper uncovers a limitation due to composition
      of behavior from dynamic primitives: while slower execution frequently makes a
      task easier, there is a limit and it is hard for humans to move very slowly. We
      suggest that this remarkable limitation is not due to inadequacies of muscle, nor
      to slow neural communication, but is a consequence of how the control of movement
      is organized.

PMID- 28356478
TI  - Spatial attention during saccade decisions.
AB  - Behavioral measures of decision making are usually limited to observations of
      decision outcomes. In the present study, we made use of the fact that oculomotor
      and sensory selection are closely linked to track oculomotor decision making
      before oculomotor responses are made. We asked participants to make a saccadic
      eye movement to one of two memorized target locations and observed that visual
      sensitivity increased at both the chosen and the nonchosen saccade target
      locations, with a clear bias toward the chosen target. The time course of changes
      in visual sensitivity was related to saccadic latency, with the competition
      between the chosen and nonchosen targets resolved faster before short-latency
      saccades. On error trials, we observed an increased competition between the
      chosen and nonchosen targets. Moreover, oculomotor selection and visual
      sensitivity were influenced by top-down and bottom-up factors as well as by
      selection history and predicted the direction of saccades. Our findings
      demonstrate that saccade decisions have direct visual consequences and show that
      decision making can be traced in the human oculomotor system well before choices
      are made. Our results also indicate a strong association between decision making,
      saccade target selection, and visual sensitivity.NEW & NOTEWORTHY We show that
      saccadic decisions can be tracked by measuring spatial attention. Spatial
      attention is allocated in parallel to the two competing saccade targets, and the
      time course of spatial attention differs for fast-slow and for correct-erroneous
      decisions. Saccade decisions take the form of a competition between potential
      saccade goals, which is associated with spatial attention allocation to those
      locations.

PMID- 28356480
TI  - Estimating the implicit component of visuomotor rotation learning by constraining
      movement preparation time.
AB  - When sensory feedback is perturbed, accurate movement is restored by a
      combination of implicit processes and deliberate reaiming to strategically
      compensate for errors. Here, we directly compare two methods used previously to
      dissociate implicit from explicit learning on a trial-by-trial basis: 1) asking
      participants to report the direction that they aim their movements, and
      contrasting this with the directions of the target and the movement that they
      actually produce, and 2) manipulating movement preparation time. By instructing
      participants to reaim without a sensory perturbation, we show that reaiming is
      possible even with the shortest possible preparation times, particularly when
      targets are narrowly distributed. Nonetheless, reaiming is effortful and comes at
      the cost of increased variability, so we tested whether constraining preparation
      time is sufficient to suppress strategic reaiming during adaptation to visuomotor
      rotation with a broad target distribution. The rate and extent of error reduction
      under preparation time constraints were similar to estimates of implicit learning
      obtained from self-report without time pressure, suggesting that participants
      chose not to apply a reaiming strategy to correct visual errors under time
      pressure. Surprisingly, participants who reported aiming directions showed less
      implicit learning according to an alternative measure, obtained during trials
      performed without visual feedback. This suggests that the process of reporting
      can affect the extent or persistence of implicit learning. The data extend
      existing evidence that restricting preparation time can suppress explicit
      reaiming and provide an estimate of implicit visuomotor rotation learning that
      does not require participants to report their aiming directions.NEW & NOTEWORTHY
      During sensorimotor adaptation, implicit error-driven learning can be isolated
      from explicit strategy-driven reaiming by subtracting self-reported aiming
      directions from movement directions, or by restricting movement preparation time.
      Here, we compared the two methods. Restricting preparation times did not
      eliminate reaiming but was sufficient to suppress reaiming during adaptation with
      widely distributed targets. The self-report method produced a discrepancy in
      implicit learning estimated by subtracting aiming directions and implicit
      learning measured in no-feedback trials.

PMID- 28356479
TI  - Dynamical signatures of isometric force control as a function of age, expertise,
      and task constraints.
AB  - From the conceptual and methodological framework of the dynamical systems
      approach, force control results from complex interactions of various subsystems
      yielding observable behavioral fluctuations, which comprise both deterministic
      (predictable) and stochastic (noise-like) dynamical components. Here, we
      investigated these components contributing to the observed variability in force
      control in groups of participants differing in age and expertise level. To this
      aim, young (18-25 yr) as well as late middle-aged (55-65 yr) novices and experts
      (precision mechanics) performed a force maintenance and a force modulation task.
      Results showed that whereas the amplitude of force variability did not differ
      across groups in the maintenance tasks, in the modulation task it was higher for
      late middle-aged novices than for experts and higher for both these groups than
      for young participants. Within both tasks and for all groups, stochastic
      fluctuations were lowest where the deterministic influence was smallest. However,
      although all groups showed similar dynamics underlying force control in the
      maintenance task, a group effect was found for deterministic and stochastic
      fluctuations in the modulation task. The latter findings imply that both
      components were involved in the observed group differences in the variability of
      force fluctuations in the modulation task. These findings suggest that between
      groups the general characteristics of the dynamics do not differ in either task
      and that force control is more affected by age than by expertise. However,
      expertise seems to counteract some of the age effects.NEW & NOTEWORTHY Stochastic
      and deterministic dynamical components contribute to force production. Dynamical
      signatures differ between force maintenance and cyclic force modulation tasks but
      hardly between age and expertise groups. Differences in both stochastic and
      deterministic components are associated with group differences in behavioral
      variability, and observed behavioral variability is more strongly task dependent
      than person dependent.

PMID- 28356482
TI  - Representation of individual forelimb muscles in primary motor cortex.
AB  - Stimulus-triggered averaging (StTA) of forelimb muscle electromyographic (EMG)
      activity was used to investigate individual forelimb muscle representation within
      the primary motor cortex (M1) of rhesus macaques with the objective of
      determining the extent of intra-areal somatotopic organization. Two monkeys were
      trained to perform a reach-to-grasp task requiring multijoint coordination of the
      forelimb. EMG activity was simultaneously recorded from 24 forelimb muscles
      including 5 shoulder, 7 elbow, 5 wrist, 5 digit, and 2 intrinsic hand muscles.
      Microstimulation (15 uA at 15 Hz) was delivered throughout the movement task and
      individual stimuli were used as triggers for generating StTAs of EMG activity.
      StTAs were used to map the cortical representations of individual forelimb
      muscles. As reported previously (Park et al. 2001), cortical maps revealed a
      central core of distal muscle (wrist, digit, and intrinsic hand) representation
      surrounded by a horseshoe-shaped proximal (shoulder and elbow) muscle
      representation. In the present study, we found that shoulder and elbow flexor
      muscles were predominantly represented in the lateral branch of the horseshoe
      whereas extensors were predominantly represented in the medial branch. Distal
      muscles were represented within the core distal forelimb representation and
      showed extensive overlap. For the first time, we also show maps of inhibitory
      output from motor cortex, which follow many of the same organizational features
      as the maps of excitatory output.NEW & NOTEWORTHY While the orderly
      representation of major body parts along the precentral gyrus has been known for
      decades, questions have been raised about the possible existence of additional
      more detailed aspects of somatotopy. In this study, we have investigated this
      question with respect to muscles of the arm and show consistent features of
      within-arm (intra-areal) somatotopic organization. For the first time we also
      show maps of how inhibitory output from motor cortex is organized.

PMID- 28356481
TI  - SK channel inhibition mediates the initiation and amplitude modulation of
      synchronized burst firing in the spinal cord.
AB  - Burst firing in motoneurons represents the basis for generating meaningful
      movements. Neuromodulators and inhibitory receptor blocker cocktails have been
      used for years to induce burst firing in vitro; however, the ionic mechanisms in
      the motoneuron membrane that contribute to burst initiation and amplitude
      modulation are not fully understood. Small conductance Ca2+-activated potassium
      (SK) channels regulate excitatory inputs and firing output of motoneurons and
      interneurons and therefore, are a candidate for mediating bursting behavior. The
      present study examines the role of SK channels in the generation of synchronized
      bursting using an in vitro spinal cord preparation from adult mice. Our results
      show that SK channel inhibition is required for both initiation and amplitude
      modulation of burst firing. Specifically, administration of the synaptic
      inhibition blockers strychnine and picrotoxin amplified the spinal circuit
      excitatory drive but not enough to evoke bursting. However, when SK channels were
      inhibited using various approaches, the excitatory drive was further amplified,
      and synchronized bursting was always evoked. Furthermore, graded SK channel
      inhibition modulated the amplitude of the burst in a dose-dependent manner, which
      was reversed using SK channel activators. Importantly, modulation of neuronal
      excitability using multiple approaches failed to mimic the effects of SK
      modulators, suggesting a specific role for SK channel inhibition in generating
      bursting. Both NMDA (N-methyl-d-aspartate) and AMPA (alpha-amino-3-hydroxy-5
      methylisoxazole-4-propionate) receptors were found to drive the synchronized
      bursts. The blocking of gap junctions did not disturb the burst synchrony. These
      results demonstrate a novel mechanistic role for SK channels in initiating and
      modulating burst firing of spinal motoneurons.NEW & NOTEWORTHY This study
      demonstrates that cholinergic inhibition or direct blockade of small conductance
      Ca2+-activated potassium (SK) channels facilitates burst firing in spinal
      motoneurons. The data provide a novel mechanistic explanation for synchronized
      bursting initiation and amplitude modulation through SK channel inhibition.
      Evidence also shows that synchronized bursting is driven by NMDA (N-methyl-d
      aspartate) and AMPA (alpha-amino-3-hydroxy-5-methylisoxazole-4-propionate)
      receptors and that gap junctions do not mediate motoneuron synchronization in
      this behavior.

PMID- 28356483
TI  - Depletion of the human N-terminal acetyltransferase hNaa30 disrupts Golgi
      integrity and ARFRP1 localization.
AB  - The organization of the Golgi apparatus (GA) is tightly regulated. Golgi stack
      scattering is observed in cellular processes such as apoptosis and mitosis, and
      has also been associated with disruption of cellular lipid metabolism and
      neurodegenerative diseases. Our studies show that depletion of the human N-alpha
      acetyltransferase 30 (hNaa30) induces fragmentation of the Golgi stack in HeLa
      and CAL-62 cell lines. The GA associated GTPase ADP ribosylation factor related
      protein 1 (ARFRP1) was previously shown to require N-terminal acetylation for
      membrane association and based on its N-terminal sequence, it is likely to be a
      substrate of hNaa30. ARFRP1 is involved in endosome-to-trans-Golgi network (TGN)
      traffic. We observed that ARFRP1 shifted from a predominantly cis-Golgi and TGN
      localization to localizing both Golgi and non-Golgi vesicular structures in
      hNaa30-depleted cells. However, we did not observe loss of membrane association
      of ARFRP1. We conclude that hNaa30 depletion induces Golgi scattering and induces
      aberrant ARFRP1 Golgi localization.

PMID- 28356484
TI  - A randomized placebo-controlled clinical study of nab-paclitaxel as second-line
      chemotherapy for patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer in China.
AB  - We performed a randomized and placebo-controlled clinical study to investigate
      whether nab-paclitaxel can improve survival in patients with advanced non-small
      cell lung cancer (NSCLC) after unsuccessful first-line chemotherapy. Patients
      with stages III to IV advanced NSCLC after first-line platinum-based chemotherapy
      failure were randomly assigned in a 1:1 ratio to receive second-line treatment of
      nab-paclitaxel or placebo. Ninety two eligible patients were enrolled in the
      study. The median progression-free survival (PFS) was 4.6 months (95% confidence
      interval (CI): 3.4-6.7 months) for nab-paclitaxel, compared with 2.0 months (95%
      CI: 0.9-4.3 months) for placebo, representing a 56% reduction in disease
      progression (hazard ratio: 0.62; 95% CI: 0.33-0.81; P<0.001). The median overall
      survival (OS) was 6.3 months (95% CI: 3.9-8.2 months) for nab-paclitaxel,
      compared with 4.9 months (95% CI: 2.1-5.9 months) for placebo, representing a 22%
      reduction in disease progression (hazard ratio: 0.71; 95% CI: 0.33-0.85;
      P<0.001). Adverse events (AEs) were also observed for nab-paclitaxel. Nab
      paclitaxel can improve survival in patients with advanced NSCLC after
      unsuccessful first-line chemotherapy.

PMID- 28356485
TI  - Down-regulation of microRNA-216b inhibits IL-1beta-induced chondrocyte injury by
      up-regulation of Smad3.
AB  - Osteoarthritis (OA) is the most common type of joint disease, leading to a major
      cause of pain and disability. OA is characterized by the continuous degradation
      of articular cartilage, mainly resulting in an imbalance between synthesis and
      degradation of articular chondrocyte extracellular matrix (ECM). Aberrant miR
      216b expression has been found in multiple cancers. However, the level of miR
      216b in OA cartilage and its role in progression of this disease are still
      unknown. In the present study, the functional roles of miR-216b and its
      expression in OA tissues and interleukin-1beta (IL-1beta)-induced chondrocytes
      were examined. We found that the level of miR-216b was significantly higher and
      Smad3 expression was obviously lower in OA cartilage and IL-1beta-induced
      chondrocytes than in normal tissues and cells. Furthermore, a bioinformatics
      analysis and luciferase reporter assay identified Smad3 as a direct target gene
      of miR-216b, and Smad3 expression was reduced by miR-216b overexpression at both
      the mRNA and protein levels. A functional analysis demonstrated that miR-216b
      down-regulation obviously alleviated the IL-1beta-induced inhibition in cell
      proliferation, type II collagen, and aggrecan down-regulation and matrix
      metalloproteinase-13 (MMP-13) up-regulation, while miR-216b overexpression had
      the opposite effects. Knockdown of Smad3 by siRNA reversed the effects of the miR
      216b inhibitor on cell proliferation, the expressions of type II collagen,
      aggrecan, and MMP-13. Our results suggested that miR-216b contributes to
      progression of OA by directly targeting Smad3, providing a potential therapeutic
      target for treatment of OA.

PMID- 28356486
TI  - Caveat emptor: for researchers, a rose will not smell sweet unless we know its
      composition.
AB  - In a recent publication in Bioscience Reports "Contaminants in commercial
      preparations of 'purified' small leucine-rich proteoglycans may distort
      mechanistic studies", Brown et al. identified by mass spectrometry and
      immunoblotting that certain commercial preparations of the small leucine-rich
      proteoglycans (SLRPs) decorin and biglycan, in fact, contained a mix of several
      proteoglycans that also included fibromodulin and aggrecan. The preparations were
      thus not suitable to study specific activities of decorin or biglycan. Decorin
      and biglycan are widely studied SLRPs that are considered to have highly multi
      functional effects on cells. Decorin is of interest as a transforming growth
      factor-beta antagonist and is also finding use in tissue engineering materials.
      This Commentary discusses Brown et al.'s findings and general issues raised for
      researchers who work with commercially sourced purified proteoglycans.

PMID- 28356488
TI  - The opinions and experiences of Irish obstetric and gynaecology trainee doctors
      in relation to abortion services in Ireland.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: The provision of abortion services in the Republic of Ireland is
      legally restricted. Recent legislation that has been implemented allows for
      abortion if there is a real and substantial risk to the woman's life, but in
      general Irish women must travel abroad for abortion services. The aims of this
      study were to investigate the clinical experiences of Irish obstetric non
      consultant hospital doctors (NCHDs) that work in this environment and to assess
      their attitudes towards termination of pregnancy (ToP). METHODS: We conducted an
      online cross-sectional descriptive survey of 184 Irish obstetric NCHDs.
      Quantitate and qualitative analysis was performed. RESULTS: There was a 28%
      response rate. 88% of respondents thought that ToP should be permitted for fatal
      fetal abnormality if the parents choose, 96% if the woman's health is severely
      affected and 86% in cases of rape and incest. Over 90% of respondents believed a
      woman's health suffers because of the need to travel abroad to undergo a ToP.
      Physical, psychological and social reasons were explored. The research also
      highlights that obstetric trainees are actively involved in the provision of
      preabortion and postabortion care. CONCLUSIONS: The clinical experiences and
      opinions of the respondents suggest that the current legal availability of
      abortion in Ireland is insufficient to guide best clinical practice and does not
      represent the views of those that provide obstetric care.

PMID- 28356489
TI  - How shared is shared decision-making? A care-ethical view on the role of partner
      and family.
AB  - The aim of shared decision-making (SDM) is to provide information to patients in
      order to enable them to decide autonomously and freely about treatment together
      with the doctor, without interference, force or coercion by others. Relatives may
      be considered as hindering or impeding a patient's own decision. Qualitative
      empirical research into lived experience of SDM of patients with cancer, however,
      problematises the patient's autonomy when facing terminal illness and the need to
      make decisions regarding treatment. Confronted with this difficulty, this
      contribution tries to think through patients' dependency of others, and make
      their autonomy more relational, drawing on care-ethical critics of a one-sided
      view of autonomy and on Ricoeur's view of the fundamentally intersubjective,
      relational self. We aim to conceptualise relatives not as a third party next to
      the doctor and the patient, but as co-constituents of the patient's identity and
      as such present in the decision-making process from the outset. What is more,
      partners and the family may be of inestimable help in retrieving the patient's
      identity in line with the past, present and possible future.

PMID- 28356487
TI  - A structural and functional analogue of a Bowman-Birk-type protease inhibitor
      from Odorrana schmackeri.
AB  - Frog skin secretions contain complex peptidomes and peptidic protease inhibitors
      that are one of the biologically and structurally described groups of components.
      In the present study, by use of molecular 'shotgun' cloning and LC MS/MS
      fractionation sequencing, a novel Bowman-Birk-type heptadecapeptide
      (AALKGCWTKSIPPKPCF-amide), named Odorrana schmackeriTrypsin Inhibitor (OSTI),
      with a canonical Cys6-Cys16 disulfide bridge, was isolated and identified in
      piebald odorous frog (O. schmackeri) skin secretion. A synthetic replicate of
      OSTI-exhibited trypsin inhibitory activity with a Ki value of 0.3 +/- 0.04 nM and
      also a tryptase inhibitory effect with a Ki of 2.5 +/- 0.6 MUM. This is the first
      time that this property has been reported for a peptide originating from
      amphibian sources. In addition, substituting lysine (K) with phenylalanine (F) at
      the presumed P1 position, completely abrogated the trypsin and tryptase
      inhibition, but produced a strong chymotrypsin inhibition with a Ki of 1.0 +/-
      0.1 MUM. Thus, the specificity of this peptidic protease inhibitor could be
      optimized through modifying the amino acid residue at the presumed P1 position
      and this novel native OSTI, along with its analogue, [Phe9]-OSTI, have expanded
      the potential drug discovery and development pipeline directed towards
      alleviation of serine protease-mediated pathologies.

PMID- 28356491
TI  - Should gratitude be a requirement for access to live organ donation?
AB  - Gratitude is both expected and problematic in live organ donation. Are there
      grounds to require it, and to forbid access to live donor transplantation to a
      recipient who fails to signal that he feels any form of gratitude? Recipient
      gratitude is not currently required for organ donation, but it is expected and
      may be a moral requirement. Despite this, we argue that making it a condition for
      live organ transplantation would be unjustified. It would constitute a
      problematic and disproportionate punishment for perceived immoral behaviour on
      the part of the recipient. It would also bar the donor from positive aspects of
      organ donation that remain even in the absence of recipient gratitude. A
      potential recipient's lack of gratitude should be explored as a possible symptom
      of other morally problematic issues and integrated into the information provided
      to the potential donor. Recognition of the donor's gift and gratitude for it may
      also need to be expressed in part by others. This last aspect is relevant even in
      cases where the recipient feels and expresses gratitude.

PMID- 28356490
TI  - The deadly business of an unregulated global stem cell industry.
AB  - In 2016, the Office of the State Coroner of New South Wales released its report
      into the death of an Australian woman, Sheila Drysdale, who had died from
      complications of an autologous stem cell procedure at a Sydney clinic. In this
      report, we argue that Mrs Drysdale's death was avoidable, and it was the result
      of a pernicious global problem of an industry exploiting regulatory systems to
      sell unproven and unjustified interventions with stem cells.

PMID- 28356492
TI  - The moral bioenhancement of psychopaths.
AB  - We argue that the mandatory moral bioenhancement of psychopaths is justified as a
      prescription of social morality. Moral bioenhancement is legitimate when it is
      justified on the basis of the reasons of the recipients. Psychopaths expect and
      prefer that the agents with whom they interact do not have certain psychopathic
      traits. Particularly, they have reasons to require the moral bioenhancement of
      psychopaths with whom they must cooperate. By adopting a public reason and a
      Kantian argument, we conclude that we can justify to a psychopath being the
      recipient of mandatory moral bioenhancement because he has a reason to require
      the application of this prescription to other psychopaths.

PMID- 28356493
TI  - The psychological health and well-being experiences of female military veterans:
      a systematic review of the qualitative literature.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: Women in the military are a minority group who, in addition to
      facing exposure to traumatic events due to the nature of the work, face
      additional stressors while deployed. It is argued that these exposures and
      experiences place individuals at a significantly higher risk of finding it
      difficult adjusting post deployment. This paper focuses on the psychological
      health and well-being of female veterans post-deployment. METHODS: A systematic
      review of the literature related to female veterans' experiences upon returning
      home from deployment was conducted. RESULTS: Eight in-depth qualitative studies
      met the inclusion criteria for the study and were analysed using thematic
      analysis. Five key themes were identified in the papers: (1) bringing the war
      home, (2) post-deployment adjustment, (3) loss, (4) failed belongingness and (5)
      post-traumatic growth. CONCLUSIONS: These studies provide a useful insight into
      the different psychological health and well-being experiences that female
      veterans encounter. Additionally, the associated effects upon the individual and
      their families and communities are considered.

PMID- 28356495
TI  - Classic Spotlight, 1982 and 1983: Articles of Significant Interest Selected from
      the Journal of Virology Archives by the Editors.

PMID- 28356496
TI  - Erratum for Weger-Lucarelli et al., "Development and Characterization of
      Recombinant Virus Generated from a New World Zika Virus Infectious Clone".

PMID- 28356494
TI  - Soluble Epoxide Hydrolase Pharmacological Inhibition Decreases Alveolar Bone Loss
      by Modulating Host Inflammatory Response, RANK-Related Signaling, Endoplasmic
      Reticulum Stress, and Apoptosis.
AB  - Epoxyeicosatrienoic acids (EETs), metabolites of arachidonic acid derived from
      the cytochrome P450 enzymes, are mainly metabolized by soluble epoxide hydrolase
      (sEH) to their corresponding diols. EETs but not their diols, have anti
      inflammatory properties, and inhibition of sEH might provide protective effects
      against inflammatory bone loss. Thus, in the present study, we tested the
      selective sEH inhibitor, 1-trifluoromethoxyphenyl-3-(1-propionylpiperidin-4-yl)
      urea (TPPU), in a mouse model of periodontitis induced by infection with
      Aggregatibacter actinomycetemcomitans Oral treatment of wild-type mice with TPPU
      and sEH knockout (KO) animals showed reduced bone loss induced by A.
      actinomycetemcomitans This was associated with decreased expression of key
      osteoclastogenic molecules, receptor activator of nuclear factor-kappaB/RANK
      ligand/osteoprotegerin, and the chemokine monocyte chemotactic protein 1 in the
      gingival tissue without affecting bacterial counts. In addition, downstream
      kinases p38 and c-Jun N-terminal kinase known to be activated in response to
      inflammatory signals were abrogated after TPPU treatment or in sEH KO mice.
      Moreover, endoplasmic reticulum stress was elevated in periodontal disease but
      was abrogated after TPPU treatment and in sEH knockout mice. Together, these
      results demonstrated that sEH pharmacological inhibition may be of therapeutic
      value in periodontitis.

PMID- 28356498
TI  - In vivo targets of human placental micro-vesicles vary with exposure time and
      pregnancy.
AB  - Throughout human gestation, the placenta extrudes vast quantities of
      extracellular vesicles (EVs) of different sizes into the maternal circulation.
      Although multinucleated macro-vesicles are known to become trapped in the
      maternal lungs and do not enter the peripheral circulation, the maternal organs
      and cells that smaller placental micro-vesicles interact with in vivo remain
      unknown. This study aimed to characterise the interaction between placental micro
      vesicles and endothelial cells in vitro and to elucidate which organs placental
      micro-vesicles localise to in vivo Placental macro- and micro-vesicles were
      isolated from cultured human first trimester placental explants by sequential
      centrifugation and exposed to human microvascular endothelial cells for up to 72
      h. In vivo, placental macro- and micro-vesicles were administered to both non
      pregnant and pregnant CD1 mice, and after two or 30 min or 24 h, organs were
      imaged on an IVIS Kinetic Imager. Placental EVs rapidly interacted with
      endothelial cells via phagocytic and clathrin-mediated endocytic processes in
      vitro, with over 60% of maximal interaction being achieved by 30 min of exposure.
      In vivo, placental macro-vesicles were localised exclusively to the lungs
      regardless of time of exposure, whereas micro-vesicles were localised to the
      lungs, liver and kidneys, with different distribution patterns depending on the
      length of exposure and whether the mouse was pregnant or not. The fact that
      placental EVs can rapidly interact with endothelial cells and localise to
      different organs in vivo supports that different size fractions of placental EVs
      are likely to have different downstream effects on foeto-maternal communication.

PMID- 28356499
TI  - Relationship of DNA integrity to HRG C633T SNP and ART outcome in infertile
      couples.
AB  - The status of sperm DNA fragmentation, protamine deficiency, free thiols and
      disulphide bonds in colloid-selected samples and its relationship to ART outcome
      or HRG C633T SNP is not known. The objective of this study was to determine these
      relationships in spermatozoa from men with male factor or unknown factor
      infertility (n = 118) undergoing in vitro fertilisation (IVF) or intracytoplasmic
      sperm injection (ICSI). Sperm DNA integrity was analysed by flow cytometry using
      three fluorescent probes (acridine orange, monobromobimane and chromomycin A3).
      Principal component analysis (PCA) was used to identify the parameters that most
      influenced fertility. The relationships of sperm DNA integrity with seminal
      parameters, HRG C633T SNP and ART outcome were established using ANOVA and t
      test. Sperm concentration and yield after preparation accounted for 27% of the
      total variance; sperm DNA integrity (%DFI and disulphide bonds) accounted for 16%
      of the variance in men from infertile couples. Sperm %DFI was significantly
      higher (P < 0.05) in older men than in younger men. A significant difference (P <
      0.01) was observed in %DFI between smokers and non-smokers. Sperm %DFI was
      significantly higher (P < 0.01) in male factor infertility compared to either
      female factor or unknown factor infertility while free thiols were significantly
      higher (P < 0.01) in unknown infertility factor. No significant difference was
      observed between IVF success/failure in any of the seminal parameters studied.
      There was a tendency for protamine deficiency to be higher and disulphide
      concentration to be lower in men with HRG 633T. Such assessments may provide
      additional useful information about the prognosis for ART outcome, although more
      research is needed before clinical guidelines can be provided.

PMID- 28356500
TI  - A novel testis-specific protein, PRAMEY, is involved in spermatogenesis in
      cattle.
AB  - Preferentially expressed antigen in melanoma (PRAME) is a cancer/testis antigen
      that is predominantly expressed in normal testicular tissues and a variety of
      tumors. The function of the PRAME family in spermatogenesis remains unknown. This
      study was designed to characterize the Y-linked PRAME (PRAMEY) protein during
      spermatogenesis in cattle. We found that PRAMEY is a novel male germ cell
      specific, and a germinal granule-associated protein that is expressed in
      spermatogenic cells during spermatogenesis. The intact PRAMEY protein (58 kDa)
      was detected in different ages of testes but not in epididymal spermatozoa. A
      PRAMEY isoform (30 kDa) was highly expressed only in testes after puberty and in
      epididymal spermatozoa. This isoform interacts with PP1gamma2 and is likely the
      mature protein present in the testes and sperm. Immunofluorescent staining
      demonstrated that PRAMEY was located predominantly in the acrosome granule of
      spermatids, and in acrosome and flagellum of spermatozoa. Immunogold electron
      microscopy further localized the PRAMEY protein complex to the nucleus and
      several cytoplasmic organelles, including the rough endoplasmic reticulum, some
      small vesicles, the intermitochondrial cement, the chromatoid body and the
      centrioles, in spermatogonia, spermatocytes, spermatids and/or spermatozoa.
      PRAMEY was highly enriched in and structurally associated with the matrix of the
      acrosomal granule (AG) in round spermatids, and migrated with the expansion of
      the AG during acrosomal biogenesis. While the function of PRAMEY remains unclear
      during spermatogenesis, our results suggest that PRAMEY may play an essential
      role in acrosome biogenesis and spermatogenesis.Free Chinese abstract: A Chinese
      translation of this abstract is freely available at http://www.reproduction
      online.org/content/153/6/847/suppl/DC1.FreeSpanish abstract: A Spanish
      translation of this abstract is freely available at http://www.reproduction
      online.org/content/153/6/847/suppl/DC2.

PMID- 28356501
TI  - Anti-Mullerian Hormone (AMH) and fertility management in agricultural species.
AB  - A reliable, easy to assess marker for fertility in agricultural species would be
      highly desirable and Anti-Mullerian Hormone (AMH) is a promising candidate. This
      review summarizes recent findings concerning AMH and its role in fertility
      management, mainly in cattle. It focuses on (1) alterations in circulating AMH
      concentrations from birth to puberty and during estrous cycles; (2) correlation
      of circulating AMH concentrations with ovarian follicle numbers and ovarian
      reserve; (3) factors that impact circulating AMH concentrations; (4) use of AMH
      as a predictor of fertility. Circulating AMH concentrations can be easily and
      reliably measured with a single blood sample in adult cattle because AMH varies
      minimally during the estrous cycle and is repeatable across multiple cycles.
      Circulating AMH concentrations are positively associated with several measures of
      fertility. Dairy heifers with low compared with higher AMH concentrations
      subsequently had lower pregnancy rates, higher probability of being culled after
      birth of their first calf and shorter herd longevity. Also, AMH is predictive of
      response to superovulation in cattle and sheep. Several factors contribute to the
      variability in AMH concentrations among individuals; for example, beef cattle
      have higher AMH than dairy cattle. Nutritional imbalances, disease and endocrine
      disruptors during fetal life may negatively program the size of the ovarian
      reserve and consequently serum AMH concentrations and potential fertility in
      adulthood. We conclude that AMH may be a predictor of fertility and herd
      longevity in cattle, whereas in sheep and other farm species, the potential
      association between AMH and reproductive performance remains largely
      unexplored.Free Italian abstract: An Italian translation of this abstract is
      freely available at http://www.reproduction
      online.org/content/154/1/R1/suppl/DC1.

PMID- 28356502
TI  - Origins and Evolution of Stomatal Development.
AB  - The fossil record suggests stomata-like pores were present on the surfaces of
      land plants over 400 million years ago. Whether stomata arose once or whether
      they arose independently across newly evolving land plant lineages has long been
      a matter of debate. In Arabidopsis, a genetic toolbox has been identified that
      tightly controls stomatal development and patterning. This includes the basic
      helix-loop-helix (bHLH) transcription factors SPEECHLESS (SPCH), MUTE, FAMA, and
      ICE/SCREAMs (SCRMs), which promote stomatal formation. These factors are
      regulated via a signaling cascade, which includes mobile EPIDERMAL PATTERNING
      FACTOR (EPF) peptides to enforce stomatal spacing. Mosses and hornworts, the most
      ancient extant lineages to possess stomata, possess orthologs of these
      Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana) stomatal toolbox genes, and manipulation in
      the model bryophyte Physcomitrella patens has shown that the bHLH and EPF
      components are also required for moss stomatal development and patterning. This
      supports an ancient and tightly conserved genetic origin of stomata. Here, we
      review recent discoveries and, by interrogating newly available plant genomes, we
      advance the story of stomatal development and patterning across land plant
      evolution. Furthermore, we identify potential orthologs of the key toolbox genes
      in a hornwort, further supporting a single ancient genetic origin of stomata in
      the ancestor to all stomatous land plants.

PMID- 28356505
TI  - Target practice in severe asthma.
AB  - The NLRP3 inflammasome/caspase-1/IL-1beta axis may be a therapeutic target in
      severe steroid-resistant asthma.

PMID- 28356504
TI  - Using geospatial mapping to design HIV elimination strategies for sub-Saharan
      Africa.
AB  - Treatment as prevention (TasP) has been proposed by the World Health Organization
      and the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) as a global strategy
      for eliminating HIV. The rationale is that treating individuals reduces their
      infectivity. We present a geostatistical framework for designing TasP-based HIV
      elimination strategies in sub-Saharan Africa. We focused on Lesotho, where ~25%
      of the population is infected. We constructed a density of infection map by
      gridding high-resolution demographic data and spatially smoothing georeferenced
      HIV testing data. The map revealed the countrywide geographic dispersion pattern
      of HIV-infected individuals. We found that ~20% of the HIV-infected population
      lives in urban areas and that almost all rural communities have at least one HIV
      infected individual. We used the map to design an optimal elimination strategy
      and identified which communities should use TasP. This strategy minimized the
      area that needed to be covered to find and treat HIV-infected individuals. We
      show that UNAIDS's elimination strategy would not be feasible in Lesotho because
      it would require deploying treatment in areas where there are ~4 infected
      individuals/km2 Our results show that the spatial dispersion of Lesotho's
      population hinders, and may even prevent, the elimination of HIV.

PMID- 28356506
TI  - The neural substrates of super memory.
AB  - Specific neural networks support superior memory in world-class memory athletes.

PMID- 28356507
TI  - How to straighten out that which bends up.
AB  - Chikungunya virus requires host granzyme A to drive joint inflammation.

PMID- 28356503
TI  - EXO70C2 Is a Key Regulatory Factor for Optimal Tip Growth of Pollen.
AB  - The exocyst, a eukaryotic tethering complex, coregulates targeted exocytosis as
      an effector of small GTPases in polarized cell growth. In land plants, several
      exocyst subunits are encoded by double or triple paralogs, culminating in tens of
      EXO70 paralogs. Out of 23 Arabidopsis thaliana EXO70 isoforms, we analyzed seven
      isoforms expressed in pollen. Genetic and microscopic analyses of single mutants
      in EXO70A2, EXO70C1, EXO70C2, EXO70F1, EXO70H3, EXO70H5, and EXO70H6 genes
      revealed that only a loss-of-function EXO70C2 allele resulted in a significant
      male-specific transmission defect (segregation 40%:51%:9%) due to aberrant pollen
      tube growth. Mutant pollen tubes grown in vitro exhibited an enhanced growth rate
      and a decreased thickness of the tip cell wall, causing tip bursts. However,
      exo70C2 pollen tubes could frequently recover and restart their speedy
      elongation, resulting in a repetitive stop-and-go growth dynamics. A pollen
      specific depletion of the closest paralog, EXO70C1, using artificial microRNA in
      the exo70C2 mutant background, resulted in a complete pollen-specific
      transmission defect, suggesting redundant functions of EXO70C1 and EXO70C2. Both
      EXO70C1 and EXO70C2, GFP tagged and expressed under the control of their native
      promoters, localized in the cytoplasm of pollen grains, pollen tubes, and also
      root trichoblast cells. The expression of EXO70C2-GFP complemented the aberrant
      growth of exo70C2 pollen tubes. The absent EXO70C2 interactions with core exocyst
      subunits in the yeast two-hybrid assay, cytoplasmic localization, and genetic
      effect suggest an unconventional EXO70 function possibly as a regulator of
      exocytosis outside the exocyst complex. In conclusion, EXO70C2 is a novel factor
      contributing to the regulation of optimal tip growth of Arabidopsis pollen tubes.

PMID- 28356509
TI  - Macrophages take rheumatoid arthritis up a "Notch".
AB  - Notch signaling in bone marrow-derived inflammatory macrophages is central to
      synovial inflammation seen in rheumatoid arthritis, representing a promising
      future therapeutic target.

PMID- 28356508
TI  - The druggable genome and support for target identification and validation in drug
      development.
AB  - Target identification (determining the correct drug targets for a disease) and
      target validation (demonstrating an effect of target perturbation on disease
      biomarkers and disease end points) are important steps in drug development.
      Clinically relevant associations of variants in genes encoding drug targets model
      the effect of modifying the same targets pharmacologically. To delineate drug
      development (including repurposing) opportunities arising from this paradigm, we
      connected complex disease- and biomarker-associated loci from genome-wide
      association studies to an updated set of genes encoding druggable human proteins,
      to agents with bioactivity against these targets, and, where there were licensed
      drugs, to clinical indications. We used this set of genes to inform the design of
      a new genotyping array, which will enable association studies of druggable genes
      for drug target selection and validation in human disease.

PMID- 28356510
TI  - Estimation of polio infection prevalence from environmental surveillance data.
AB  - A major obstacle to eradicating polio is that poliovirus from endemic countries
      can be reintroduced to polio-free countries. Environmental surveillance (ES) can
      detect poliovirus from sewage or wastewaters samples, even in the absence of
      patients with paralysis. ES is underused, in part because its sensitivity is
      unknown. We used two unique data sets collected during a natural experiment
      provided by the 2013 polio outbreak in Israel: ES data from different locations
      and records of supplemental immunization with the live vaccine. Data from the
      intersecting population between the two data sets (covering more than 63,000
      people) yielded a dose-dependent relationship between the number of poliovirus
      shedders and the amount of poliovirus in sewage. Using a mixed-effects linear
      regression analysis of these data, we developed several quantitative tools, such
      as (i) ascertainment of the number of infected individuals from ES data for
      application during future epidemics elsewhere, (ii) evaluation of the sensitivity
      of ES, and (iii) determination of the confidence level of the termination of
      poliovirus circulation after an outbreak. These results will be valuable in
      monitoring future outbreaks with ES, and this approach could be used to certify
      poliovirus elimination or to validate the need for more containment efforts.

PMID- 28356512
TI  - Cardiac regeneration: All work and no repair?
AB  - Structural changes in the developing heart may influence the limited regenerative
      capacity of the adult heart. We examine how the workload exerted on the adult
      mammalian heart may limit regenerative capability and discuss recent therapies
      that demonstrate beneficial effects through unloading the heart.

PMID- 28356513
TI  - The Devil is in the details for DNA mismatch repair.

PMID- 28356511
TI  - Poly(GP) proteins are a useful pharmacodynamic marker for C9ORF72-associated
      amyotrophic lateral sclerosis.
AB  - There is no effective treatment for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), a
      devastating motor neuron disease. However, discovery of a G4C2 repeat expansion
      in the C9ORF72 gene as the most common genetic cause of ALS has opened up new
      avenues for therapeutic intervention for this form of ALS. G4C2 repeat expansion
      RNAs and proteins of repeating dipeptides synthesized from these transcripts are
      believed to play a key role in C9ORF72-associated ALS (c9ALS). Therapeutics that
      target G4C2 RNA, such as antisense oligonucleotides (ASOs) and small molecules,
      are thus being actively investigated. A limitation in moving such treatments from
      bench to bedside is a lack of pharmacodynamic markers for use in clinical trials.
      We explored whether poly(GP) proteins translated from G4C2 RNA could serve such a
      purpose. Poly(GP) proteins were detected in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) and in
      peripheral blood mononuclear cells from c9ALS patients and, notably, from
      asymptomatic C9ORF72 mutation carriers. Moreover, CSF poly(GP) proteins remained
      relatively constant over time, boding well for their use in gauging biochemical
      responses to potential treatments. Treating c9ALS patient cells or a mouse model
      of c9ALS with ASOs that target G4C2 RNA resulted in decreased intracellular and
      extracellular poly(GP) proteins. This decrease paralleled reductions in G4C2 RNA
      and downstream G4C2 RNA-mediated events. These findings indicate that tracking
      poly(GP) proteins in CSF could provide a means to assess target engagement of
      G4C2 RNA-based therapies in symptomatic C9ORF72 repeat expansion carriers and
      presymptomatic individuals who are expected to benefit from early therapeutic
      intervention.

PMID- 28356514
TI  - Cytokine receptor signaling is required for the survival of ALK- anaplastic large
      cell lymphoma, even in the presence of JAK1/STAT3 mutations.
AB  - Activating Janus kinase (JAK) and signal transducer and activator of
      transcription (STAT) mutations have been discovered in many T-cell malignancies,
      including anaplastic lymphoma kinase (ALK)- anaplastic large cell lymphomas
      (ALCLs). However, such mutations occur in a minority of patients. To investigate
      the clinical application of targeting JAK for ALK- ALCL, we treated ALK- cell
      lines of various histological origins with JAK inhibitors. Interestingly, most
      exogenous cytokine-independent cell lines responded to JAK inhibition regardless
      of JAK mutation status. JAK inhibitor sensitivity correlated with the STAT3
      phosphorylation status of tumor cells. Using retroviral shRNA knockdown, we have
      demonstrated that these JAK inhibitor-sensitive cells are dependent on both JAK1
      and STAT3 for survival. JAK1 and STAT3 gain-of-function mutations were found in
      some, but not all, JAK inhibitor-sensitive cells. Moreover, the mutations alone
      cannot explain the JAK1/STAT3 dependency, given that wild-type JAK1 or STAT3 was
      sufficient to promote cell survival in the cells that had either JAK1or STAT3
      mutations. To investigate whether other mechanisms were involved, we knocked down
      upstream receptors GP130 or IL-2Rgamma. Knockdown of GP130 or IL-2Rgamma induced
      cell death in selected JAK inhibitor-sensitive cells. High expression levels of
      cytokines, including IL-6, were demonstrated in cell lines as well as in primary
      ALK- ALCL tumors. Finally, ruxolitinib, a JAK1/2 inhibitor, was effective in vivo
      in a xenograft ALK- ALCL model. Our data suggest that cytokine receptor signaling
      is required for tumor cell survival in diverse forms of ALK- ALCL, even in the
      presence of JAK1/STAT3 mutations. Therefore, JAK inhibitor therapy might benefit
      patients with ALK- ALCL who are phosphorylated STAT3<sup/>.

PMID- 28356515
TI  - Identification of targets of tumor suppressor microRNA-34a using a reporter
      library system.
AB  - miRNAs play critical roles in various biological processes by targeting specific
      mRNAs. Current approaches to identifying miRNA targets are insufficient for
      elucidation of a miRNA regulatory network. Here, we created a cell-based
      screening system using a luciferase reporter library composed of 4,891 full
      length cDNAs, each of which was integrated into the 3' UTR of a luciferase gene.
      Using this reporter library system, we conducted a screening for targets of miR
      34a, a tumor-suppressor miRNA. We identified both previously characterized and
      previously uncharacterized targets. miR-34a overexpression in MDA-MB-231 breast
      cancer cells repressed the expression of these previously unrecognized targets.
      Among these targets, GFRA3 is crucial for MDA-MB-231 cell growth, and its
      expression correlated with the overall survival of patients with breast cancer.
      Furthermore, GFRA3 was found to be directly regulated by miR-34a via its coding
      region. These data show that this system is useful for elucidating miRNA
      functions and networks.

PMID- 28356516
TI  - Efficacy, long-term toxicity, and mechanistic studies of gold nanorods
      photothermal therapy of cancer in xenograft mice.
AB  - Gold nanorods (AuNRs)-assisted plasmonic photothermal therapy (AuNRs-PPTT) is a
      promising strategy for combating cancer in which AuNRs absorb near-infrared light
      and convert it into heat, causing cell death mainly by apoptosis and/or necrosis.
      Developing a valid PPTT that induces cancer cell apoptosis and avoids necrosis in
      vivo and exploring its molecular mechanism of action is of great importance.
      Furthermore, assessment of the long-term fate of the AuNRs after treatment is
      critical for clinical use. We first optimized the size, surface modification
      [rifampicin (RF) conjugation], and concentration (2.5 nM) of AuNRs and the PPTT
      laser power (2 W/cm2) to achieve maximal induction of apoptosis. Second, we
      studied the potential mechanism of action of AuNRs-PPTT using quantitative
      proteomic analysis in mouse tumor tissues. Several death pathways were
      identified, mainly involving apoptosis and cell death by releasing neutrophil
      extracellular traps (NETs) (NETosis), which were more obvious upon PPTT using RF
      conjugated AuNRs (AuNRs@RF) than with polyethylene glycol thiol-conjugated AuNRs.
      Cytochrome c and p53-related apoptosis mechanisms were identified as contributing
      to the enhanced effect of PPTT with AuNRs@RF. Furthermore, Pin1 and IL18-related
      signaling contributed to the observed perturbation of the NETosis pathway by PPTT
      with AuNRs@RF. Third, we report a 15-month toxicity study that showed no long
      term toxicity of AuNRs in vivo. Together, these data demonstrate that our AuNRs
      PPTT platform is effective and safe for cancer therapy in mouse models. These
      findings provide a strong framework for the translation of PPTT to the clinic.

PMID- 28356517
TI  - Protectin D1n-3 DPA and resolvin D5n-3 DPA are effectors of intestinal
      protection.
AB  - The resolution of inflammation is an active process orchestrated by specialized
      proresolving lipid mediators (SPM) that limit the host response within the
      affected tissue; failure of effective resolution may lead to tissue injury.
      Because persistence of inflammatory signals is a main feature of chronic
      inflammatory conditions, including inflammatory bowel diseases (IBDs), herein we
      investigate expression and functions of SPM in intestinal inflammation. Targeted
      liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry-based metabololipidomics was used
      to identify SPMs from n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids in human IBD colon
      biopsies, quantifying a significant up-regulation of the resolvin and protectin
      pathway compared with normal gut tissue. Systemic treatment with protectin (PD)1n
      3 DPA or resolvin (Rv)D5n-3 DPA protected against colitis and intestinal
      ischemia/reperfusion-induced inflammation in mice. Inhibition of 15-lipoxygenase
      activity reduced PD1n-3 DPA and augmented intestinal inflammation in experimental
      colitis. Intravital microscopy of mouse mesenteric venules demonstrated that PD1n
      3 DPA and RvD5n-3 DPA decreased the extent of leukocyte adhesion and emigration
      following ischemia-reperfusion. These data were translated by assessing human
      neutrophil-endothelial interactions under flow: PD1n-3 DPA and RvD5n-3 DPA
      reduced cell adhesion onto TNF-alpha-activated human endothelial monolayers. In
      conclusion, we propose that innovative therapies based on n-3 DPA-derived
      mediators could be developed to enable antiinflammatory and tissue protective
      effects in inflammatory pathologies of the gut.

PMID- 28356520
TI  - Consistent and powerful graph-based change-point test for high-dimensional data.
AB  - A change-point detection is proposed by using a Bayesian-type statistic based on
      the shortest Hamiltonian path, and the change-point is estimated by using ratio
      cut. A permutation procedure is applied to approximate the significance of
      Bayesian-type statistics. The change-point test is proven to be consistent, and
      an error probability in change-point estimation is provided. The test is very
      powerful against alternatives with a shift in variance and is accurate in change
      point estimation, as shown in simulation studies. Its applicability in tracking
      cell division is illustrated.

PMID- 28356518
TI  - BCL6 promotes glioma and serves as a therapeutic target.
AB  - ZBTB transcription factors orchestrate gene transcription during tissue
      development. However, their roles in glioblastoma (GBM) remain unexplored. Here,
      through a functional screening of ZBTB genes, we identify that BCL6 is required
      for GBM cell viability and that BCL6 overexpression is associated with worse
      prognosis. In a somatic transgenic mouse model, depletion of Bcl6 inhibits the
      progression of KrasG12V-driven high-grade glioma. Transcriptome analysis
      demonstrates the involvement of BCL6 in tumor protein p53 (TP53), erythroblastic
      leukemia viral oncogene homolog (ErbB), and MAPK signaling pathways. Indeed, BCL6
      represses the expression of wild-type p53 and its target genes in GBM cells.
      Knockdown of BCL6 augments the activation of TP53 pathway in response to
      radiation. Importantly, we discover that receptor tyrosine kinase AXL is a
      transcriptional target of BCL6 in GBM and mediates partially the regulatory
      effects of BCL6 on both MEK-ERK (mitogen-activated protein/extracellular signal
      regulated kinase kinase-extracellular signal-regulated kinase) and S6K-RPS6
      (ribosomal protein S6 kinase-ribosomal protein S6) axes. Similar to BCL6
      silencing, depletion of AXL profoundly attenuates GBM proliferation both in vitro
      and in vivo. Moreover, targeted inhibition of BCL6/nuclear receptor corepressor 1
      (NCoR) complex by peptidomimetic inhibitor not only significantly decreases AXL
      expression and the activity of MEK-ERK and S6K-RPS6 cascades but also displays a
      potent antiproliferative effect against GBM cells. Together, these findings
      uncover a glioma-promoting role of BCL6 and provide the rationale of targeting
      BCL6 as a potential therapeutic approach.

PMID- 28356519
TI  - Structural reconstruction of protein ancestry.
AB  - Ancestral protein reconstruction allows the resurrection and characterization of
      ancient proteins based on computational analyses of sequences of modern-day
      proteins. Unfortunately, many protein families are highly divergent and not
      suitable for sequence-based reconstruction approaches. This limitation is
      exemplified by the antigen receptors of jawed vertebrates (B- and T-cell
      receptors), heterodimers formed by pairs of Ig domains. These receptors are
      believed to have evolved from an extinct homodimeric ancestor through a process
      of gene duplication and diversification; however molecular evidence has so far
      remained elusive. Here, we use a structural approach and laboratory evolution to
      reconstruct such molecules and characterize their interaction with antigen. High
      resolution crystal structures of reconstructed homodimeric receptors in complex
      with hen-egg white lysozyme demonstrate how nanomolar affinity binding of
      asymmetrical antigen is enabled through selective recruitment and structural
      plasticity within the receptor-binding site. Our results provide structural
      evidence in support of long-held theories concerning the evolution of antigen
      receptors, and provide a blueprint for the experimental reconstruction of protein
      ancestry in the absence of phylogenetic evidence.

PMID- 28356521
TI  - Hot spot of N2 fixation in the western tropical South Pacific pleads for a
      spatial decoupling between N2 fixation and denitrification.

PMID- 28356522
TI  - Minute Virus of Canines NP1 Protein Governs the Expression of a Subset of
      Essential Nonstructural Proteins via Its Role in RNA Processing.
AB  - Parvoviruses use a variety of means to control the expression of their compact
      genomes. The bocaparvovirus minute virus of canines (MVC) encodes a small, genus
      specific protein, NP1, which governs access to the viral capsid gene via its role
      in alternative polyadenylation and alternative splicing of the single MVC pre
      mRNA. In addition to NP1, MVC encodes five additional nonstructural proteins (NS)
      that share an initiation codon at the left end of the genome and which are
      individually encoded by alternative multiply spliced mRNAs. We found that three
      of these proteins were encoded by mRNAs that excise the NP1-regulated MVC intron
      immediately upstream of the internal polyadenylation site, (pA)p, and that
      generation of these proteins was thus regulated by NP1. Splicing of their
      progenitor mRNAs joined the amino termini of these proteins to the NP1 open
      reading frame, and splice site mutations that prevented their expression
      inhibited virus replication in a host cell-dependent manner. Thus, in addition to
      controlling capsid gene access, NP1 also controls the expression of three of the
      five identified NS proteins via its role in governing MVC pre-mRNA
      splicing.IMPORTANCE The Parvovirinae are small nonenveloped icosahedral viruses
      that are important pathogens in many animal species, including humans. Minute
      virus of canine (MVC) is an autonomous parvovirus in the genus Bocaparvovirus It
      has a single promoter that generates a single pre-mRNA. NP1, a small genus
      specific MVC protein, participates in the processing of this pre-mRNA and so
      controls capsid gene access via its role in alternative internal polyadenylation
      and splicing. We show that NP1 also controls the expression of three of the five
      identified NS proteins via its role in governing MVC pre-mRNA splicing. These NS
      proteins together are required for virus replication in a host cell-dependent
      manner.

PMID- 28356523
TI  - ORF7 of Varicella-Zoster Virus Is Required for Viral Cytoplasmic Envelopment in
      Differentiated Neuronal Cells.
AB  - Although a varicella-zoster virus (VZV) vaccine has been used for many years, the
      neuropathy caused by VZV infection is still a major health concern. Open reading
      frame 7 (ORF7) of VZV has been recognized as a neurotropic gene in vivo, but its
      neurovirulent role remains unclear. In the present study, we investigated the
      effect of ORF7 deletion on VZV replication cycle at virus entry, genome
      replication, gene expression, capsid assembly and cytoplasmic envelopment, and
      transcellular transmission in differentiated neural progenitor cells (dNPCs) and
      neuroblastoma SH-SY5Y (dSY5Y) cells. Our results demonstrate that the ORF7
      protein is a component of the tegument layer of VZV virions. Deleting ORF7 did
      not affect viral entry, viral genome replication, or the expression of typical
      viral genes but clearly impacted cytoplasmic envelopment of VZV capsids,
      resulting in a dramatic increase of envelope-defective particles and a decrease
      in intact virions. The defect was more severe in differentiated neuronal cells of
      dNPCs and dSY5Y. ORF7 deletion also impaired transmission of ORF7-deficient virus
      among the neuronal cells. These results indicate that ORF7 is required for
      cytoplasmic envelopment of VZV capsids, virus transmission among neuronal cells,
      and probably the neuropathy induced by VZV infection.IMPORTANCE The neurological
      damage caused by varicella-zoster virus (VZV) reactivation is commonly manifested
      as clinical problems. Thus, identifying viral neurovirulent genes and
      characterizing their functions are important for relieving VZV related
      neurological complications. ORF7 has been previously identified as a potential
      neurotropic gene, but its involvement in VZV replication is unclear. In this
      study, we found that ORF7 is required for VZV cytoplasmic envelopment in
      differentiated neuronal cells, and the envelopment deficiency caused by ORF7
      deletion results in poor dissemination of VZV among neuronal cells. These
      findings imply that ORF7 plays a role in neuropathy, highlighting a potential
      strategy to develop a neurovirulence-attenuated vaccine against chickenpox and
      herpes zoster and providing a new target for intervention of neuropathy induced
      by VZV.

PMID- 28356524
TI  - SGTA-Dependent Regulation of Hsc70 Promotes Cytosol Entry of Simian Virus 40 from
      the Endoplasmic Reticulum.
AB  - Membrane penetration by nonenveloped viruses remains enigmatic. In the case of
      the nonenveloped polyomavirus simian virus 40 (SV40), the virus penetrates the
      endoplasmic reticulum (ER) membrane to reach the cytosol and then traffics to the
      nucleus to cause infection. We previously demonstrated that the cytosolic Hsc70
      SGTA-Hsp105 complex is tethered to the ER membrane, where Hsp105 and SGTA
      facilitate the extraction of SV40 from the ER and transport of the virus into the
      cytosol. We now find that Hsc70 also ejects SV40 from the ER into the cytosol in
      a step regulated by SGTA. Although SGTA's N-terminal domain, which mediates
      homodimerization and recruits cellular adaptors, is dispensable during ER-to
      cytosol transport of SV40, this domain appears to exert an unexpected post-ER
      membrane translocation function during SV40 entry. Our study thus establishes a
      critical function of Hsc70 within the Hsc70-SGTA-Hsp105 complex in promoting SV40
      ER-to-cytosol membrane penetration and unveils a role of SGTA in controlling this
      step.IMPORTANCE How a nonenveloped virus transports across a biological membrane
      to cause infection remains mysterious. One enigmatic step is whether host
      cytosolic components are co-opted to transport the viral particle into the
      cytosol. During ER-to-cytosol membrane transport of the nonenveloped polyomavirus
      SV40, a decisive infection step, a cytosolic complex composed of Hsc70-SGTA
      Hsp105 was previously shown to associate with the ER membrane. SGTA and Hsp105
      have been shown to extract SV40 from the ER and transport the virus into the
      cytosol. We demonstrate here a critical role of Hsc70 in SV40 ER-to-cytosol
      penetration and reveal how SGTA controls Hsc70 to impact this process.

PMID- 28356525
TI  - MicroRNA miR-27 Inhibits Adenovirus Infection by Suppressing the Expression of
      SNAP25 and TXN2.
AB  - Recent studies have reported that host microRNAs (miRNAs) regulate infections by
      several types of viruses via various mechanisms and that inhibition of the miRNA
      processing factors enhances or prevents viral infection. However, it has not been
      clarified whether these effects of miRNAs extend to adenovirus (Ad) infection.
      Here we show that miR-27a and -b efficiently inhibit infection with an Ad via the
      downregulation of SNAP25 and TXN2, which are members of the SNARE proteins and
      the thioredoxin family, respectively. Approximately 80% reductions in Ad genomic
      copy number were found in cells transfected with miR-27a/b mimics, whereas there
      were approximately 2.5- to 5-fold larger copy numbers of the Ad genome following
      transfection with miR-27a/b inhibitors. Microarray gene expression analysis and
      in silico analysis demonstrated that SNAP25 and TXN2 are target genes of miR
      27a/b. A reporter assay using plasmids containing the 3' untranslated regions of
      the SNAP25 and TXN2 genes showed that miR-27a/b directly suppressed SNAP25 and
      TXN2 expression through posttranscriptional gene silencing. Knockdown of SNAP25
      led to a significant inhibition of Ad entry into cells. Knockdown of TXN2 induced
      cell cycle arrest at G1 phase, leading to a reduction in Ad replication. In
      addition, overexpression of Ad-encoded small noncoding RNAs (VA-RNAs) restored
      the miR-27a/b-mediated reduction in infection level with a VA-RNA-lacking Ad
      mutant due to the VA-RNA-mediated inhibition of miR-27a/b expression. These
      results indicate that miR-27a and -b suppress SNAP25 and TXN2 expression via
      posttranscriptional gene silencing, leading to efficient suppression of Ad
      infection.IMPORTANCE Adenovirus (Ad) is widely used as a platform for replication
      incompetent Ad vectors (Adv) and replication-competent oncolytic Ad (OAd) in gene
      therapy and virotherapy. Regulation of Ad infection is highly important for
      efficient gene therapies using both Adv and OAd. In this study, we demonstrate
      that miR-27a and -b, which are widely expressed in host cells, suppress SNAP25
      and TXN2 expression through posttranscriptional gene silencing. Suppression of
      SNAP25 and TXN2 expression leads to inhibition of Ad entry into cells and to cell
      cycle arrest, respectively, leading to efficient suppression of Ad infection. Our
      findings provide important clues to the improvement of gene therapies using both
      Adv and OAd.

PMID- 28356526
TI  - Chimeric Hemagglutinin Constructs Induce Broad Protection against Influenza B
      Virus Challenge in the Mouse Model.
AB  - Seasonal influenza virus epidemics represent a significant public health burden.
      Approximately 25% of all influenza virus infections are caused by type B viruses,
      and these infections can be severe, especially in children. Current influenza
      virus vaccines are an effective prophylaxis against infection but are impacted by
      rapid antigenic drift, which can lead to mismatches between vaccine strains and
      circulating strains. Here, we describe a broadly protective vaccine candidate
      based on chimeric hemagglutinins, consisting of globular head domains from exotic
      influenza A viruses and stalk domains from influenza B viruses. Sequential
      vaccination with these constructs in mice leads to the induction of broadly
      reactive antibodies that bind to the conserved stalk domain of influenza B virus
      hemagglutinin. Vaccinated mice are protected from lethal challenge with diverse
      influenza B viruses. Results from serum transfer experiments and antibody
      dependent cell-mediated cytotoxicity (ADCC) assays indicate that this protection
      is antibody mediated and based on Fc effector functions. The present data suggest
      that chimeric hemagglutinin-based vaccination is a viable strategy to broadly
      protect against influenza B virus infection.IMPORTANCE While current influenza
      virus vaccines are effective, they are affected by mismatches between vaccine
      strains and circulating strains. Furthermore, the antiviral drug oseltamivir is
      less effective for treating influenza B virus infections than for treating
      influenza A virus infections. A vaccine that induces broad and long-lasting
      protection against influenza B viruses is therefore urgently needed.

PMID- 28356528
TI  - Interactions between the Dengue Virus Polymerase NS5 and Stem-Loop A.
AB  - The process of RNA replication by dengue virus is still not completely understood
      despite the significant progress made in the last few years. Stem-loop A (SLA), a
      part of the viral 5' untranslated region (UTR), is critical for the initiation of
      dengue virus replication, but quantitative analysis of the interactions between
      the dengue virus polymerase NS5 and SLA in solution has not been performed. Here,
      we examine how solution conditions affect the size and shape of SLA and the
      formation of the NS5-SLA complex. We show that dengue virus NS5 binds SLA with a
      1:1 stoichiometry and that the association reaction is primarily entropy driven.
      We also observe that the NS5-SLA interaction is influenced by the magnesium
      concentration in a complex manner. Binding is optimal with 1 mM MgCl2 but
      decreases with both lower and higher magnesium concentrations. Additionally, data
      from a competition assay between SLA and single-stranded RNA (ssRNA) indicate
      that SLA competes with ssRNA for the same binding site on the NS5 polymerase.
      SLA70 and SLA80, which contain the first 70 and 80 nucleotides (nt),
      respectively, bind NS5 with similar binding affinities. Dengue virus NS5 also
      binds SLAs from different serotypes, indicating that NS5 recognizes the overall
      shape of SLA as well as specific nucleotides.IMPORTANCE Dengue virus is an
      important human pathogen responsible for dengue hemorrhagic fever, whose global
      incidence has increased dramatically over the last several decades. Despite the
      clear medical importance of dengue virus infection, the mechanism of viral
      replication, a process commonly targeted by antiviral therapeutics, is not well
      understood. In particular, stem-loop A (SLA) and stem-loop B (SLB) located in the
      5' untranslated region (UTR) are critical for binding the viral polymerase NS5 to
      initiate minus-strand RNA synthesis. However, little is known regarding the
      kinetic and thermodynamic parameters driving these interactions. Here, we
      quantitatively examine the energetics of intrinsic affinities, characterize the
      stoichiometry of the complex of NS5 and SLA, and determine how solution
      conditions such as magnesium and sodium concentrations and temperature influence
      NS5-SLA interactions in solution. Quantitatively characterizing dengue virus NS5
      SLA interactions will facilitate the design and assessment of antiviral
      therapeutics that target this essential step of the dengue virus life cycle.

PMID- 28356527
TI  - Chemokine Receptor Ccr7 Restricts Fatal West Nile Virus Encephalitis.
AB  - West Nile virus (WNV) is a mosquito-transmitted flavivirus that can cause
      debilitating encephalitis. To delineate the mechanisms behind this pathology, we
      studied Ccr7-deficient mice, which afforded us the capacity to study infection in
      mice with disrupted peripheral cellular trafficking events. The loss of Ccr7
      resulted in an immediate pan-leukocytosis that remained elevated throughout the
      infection. This leukocytosis resulted in a significant enhancement of leukocyte
      accumulation within the central nervous system (CNS). Despite an excess of virus
      specific T cells in the CNS, Ccr7-deficient mice had significantly higher CNS
      viral loads and mortality rates than wild-type animals. Mechanistically, the
      elevated trafficking of infected myeloid cells into the brain in Ccr7-deficient
      mice resulted in increased levels of WNV in the CNS, thereby effectively
      contributing to neuroinflammation and lowering viral clearance. Combined, our
      experiments suggest that during WNV infection, Ccr7 is a gatekeeper for
      nonspecific viral transference to the brain.IMPORTANCE In this study, we show
      that Ccr7 is required for the sufficient migration of dendritic cells and T cells
      into the draining lymph node immediately following infection and for the
      restriction of leukocyte migration into the brain. Further, the severe loss of
      dendritic cells in the draining lymph node had no impact on viral replication in
      this organ, suggesting that WNV may migrate from the skin into the lymph node
      through another mechanism. Most importantly, we found that the loss of Ccr7
      results in a significant leukocytosis, leading to hypercellularity within the
      CNS, where monocytes/macrophages contribute to CNS viremia, neuroinflammation,
      and increased mortality. Together, our data point to Ccr7 as a critical host
      defense restriction factor limiting neuroinflammation during acute viral
      infection.

PMID- 28356530
TI  - Role of Neuraminidase in Influenza A(H7N9) Virus Receptor Binding.
AB  - Influenza A(H7N9) viruses have caused a large number of zoonotic infections since
      their emergence in 2013. They remain a public health concern due to the repeated
      high levels of infection with these viruses and their perceived pandemic
      potential. A major factor that determines influenza A virus fitness and therefore
      transmissibility is the interaction of the surface glycoproteins hemagglutinin
      (HA) and neuraminidase (NA) with the cell surface receptor sialic acid.
      Typically, the HA is responsible for binding to the sialic acid to allow virus
      internalization and the NA is a sialidase responsible for cleaving sialic acid to
      aid virus spread and release. N9 NA has previously been shown to have receptor
      binding properties mediated by a sialic acid binding site, termed the
      hemadsorption (Hb) site, which is discrete from the enzymatically active
      sialidase site. This study investigated the N9 NA from a zoonotic H7N9 virus
      strain in order to determine its possible role in virus receptor binding. We
      demonstrate that this N9 NA has an active Hb site which binds to sialic acid,
      which enhances overall virus binding to sialic acid receptor analogues. We also
      show that the N9 NA can also contribute to receptor binding due to unusual
      kinetic characteristics of the sialidase site which specifically enhance binding
      to human-like alpha2,6-linked sialic acid receptors.IMPORTANCE The interaction of
      influenza A virus glycoproteins with cell surface receptors is a major
      determinant of infectivity and therefore transmissibility. Understanding these
      interactions is important for understanding which factors are necessary to
      determine pandemic potential. Influenza A viruses generally mediate binding to
      cell surface sialic acid receptors via the hemagglutinin (HA) glycoprotein, with
      the neuraminidase (NA) glycoprotein being responsible for cleaving the receptor
      to allow virus release. Previous studies showed that the NA proteins of the N9
      subtype can bind sialic acid via a separate binding site distinct from the
      sialidase active site. This study demonstrates for purified protein and virus
      that the NA of the zoonotic H7N9 viruses has a binding capacity via both the
      secondary binding site and unusual kinetic properties of the sialidase site which
      promote receptor binding via this site and which enhance binding to human-like
      receptors. This could have implications for understanding human-to-human
      transmission of these viruses.

PMID- 28356531
TI  - Homologous Capsid Proteins Testify to the Common Ancestry of Retroviruses,
      Caulimoviruses, Pseudoviruses, and Metaviruses.

PMID- 28356529
TI  - Antigenic Drift Defines a New D4 Subgenotype of Measles Virus.
AB  - The measles virus hemagglutinin (MeV-H) protein is the main target of protective
      neutralizing antibodies. Using a panel of monoclonal antibodies (MAbs) that
      recognize known major antigenic sites in MeV-H, we identified a D4 genotype
      variant that escapes neutralization by MAbs targeting the neutralizing epitope
      (NE) antigenic site. By site-directed mutagenesis, L249P was identified as the
      critical mutation disrupting the NE in this genotype D4 variant. Forty-two
      available D4 genotype gene sequences were subsequently analyzed and divided into
      2 groups according to the presence or absence of the L249P MeV-H mutation.
      Further analysis of the MeV-N gene sequences of these 2 groups confirmed that
      they represent clearly definable, sequence-divergent D4 subgenotypes, which we
      named subgenotypes D4.1 and D4.2. The subgenotype D4.1 MeVs were isolated
      predominantly in Kenya and Ethiopia, whereas the MAb-resistant subgenotype D4.2
      MeVs were isolated predominantly in France and Great Britain, countries with
      higher vaccine coverage rates. Interestingly, D4.2 subgenotype viruses showed a
      trend toward diminished susceptibility to neutralization by human sera pooled
      from approximately 60 to 80 North American donors. Escape from MAb neutralization
      may be a powerful epidemiological surveillance tool to monitor the evolution of
      new MeV subgenotypes.IMPORTANCE Measles virus is a paradigmatic RNA virus, as the
      antigenic composition of the vaccination has not needed to be updated since its
      discovery. The vaccine confers protection by inducing neutralizing antibodies
      that interfere with the function of the hemagglutinin protein. Viral strains are
      indistinguishable serologically, although characteristic nucleotide sequences
      differentiate 24 genotypes. In this work, we describe a distant evolutionary
      branch within genotype D4. Designated subgenotype D4.2, this virus is
      distinguishable by neutralization with vaccine-induced monoclonal antibodies that
      target the neutralizing epitope (NE). The subgenotype D4.2 viruses have a higher
      predominance in countries with intermediary levels of vaccine coverage. Our
      studies demonstrate that subgenotype D4.2 lacks epitopes associated with half of
      the known antigenic sites, which significantly impacts our understanding of
      measles virus evolution.

PMID- 28356532
TI  - pH Optimum of Hemagglutinin-Mediated Membrane Fusion Determines Sensitivity of
      Influenza A Viruses to the Interferon-Induced Antiviral State and IFITMs.
AB  - The replication and pathogenicity of influenza A viruses (IAVs) critically depend
      on their ability to tolerate the antiviral interferon (IFN) response. To
      determine a potential role for the IAV hemagglutinin (HA) in viral sensitivity to
      IFN, we studied the restriction of IAV infection in IFN-beta-treated human
      epithelial cells by using 2:6 recombinant IAVs that shared six gene segments of
      A/Puerto Rico/8/1934 virus (PR8) and contained HAs and neuraminidases of
      representative avian, human, and zoonotic H5N1 and H7N9 viruses. In A549 and Calu
      3 cells, viruses displaying a higher pH optimum of HA-mediated membrane fusion,
      H5N1-PR8 and H7N9-PR8, were less sensitive to the IFN-induced antiviral state
      than their counterparts with HAs from duck and human viruses, which fused at a
      lower pH. The association between a high pH optimum of fusion and reduced IFN
      sensitivity was confirmed by using HA point mutants of A/Hong Kong/1/1968-PR8
      that differed solely by their fusion properties. Furthermore, similar effects of
      the viral fusion pH on IFN sensitivity were observed in experiments with (i)
      primary human type II alveolar epithelial cells and differentiated cultures of
      human airway epithelial cells, (ii) nonrecombinant zoonotic and pandemic IAVs,
      and (iii) preparations of IFN-alpha and IFN-lambda1. A higher pH of membrane
      fusion and reduced sensitivity to IFN correlated with lower restriction of the
      viruses in MDCK cells stably expressing the IFN-inducible transmembrane proteins
      IFITM2 and IFITM3, which are known to inhibit viral fusion. Our results reveal
      that the pH optimum of HA-driven membrane fusion of IAVs is a determinant of
      their sensitivity to IFN and IFITM proteins.IMPORTANCE The IFN system constitutes
      an important innate defense against viral infection. Substantial information is
      available on how IAVs avoid detection by sensors of the IFN system and disable
      IFN signaling pathways. Much less is known about the ability of IAVs to tolerate
      the antiviral activity of IFN-induced cellular proteins. The IFN-induced proteins
      of the IFITM family block IAV entry into target cells and can restrict viral
      spread and pathogenicity. Here we show for the first time that the sensitivity of
      IAVs to the IFN-induced antiviral state and IFITM2 and IFITM3 proteins depends on
      the pH value at which the viral HA undergoes a conformational transition and
      mediates membrane fusion. Our data imply that the high pH optimum of membrane
      fusion typical of zoonotic IAVs of gallinaceous poultry, such as H5N1 and H7N9,
      may contribute to their enhanced virulence in humans.

PMID- 28356533
TI  - A Lipopeptide HIV-1/2 Fusion Inhibitor with Highly Potent In Vitro, Ex Vivo, and
      In Vivo Antiviral Activity.
AB  - Peptides derived from the C-terminal heptad repeat (CHR) region of the human
      immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) fusogenic protein gp41 are potent viral
      entry inhibitors, and currently, enfuvirtide (T-20) is the only one approved for
      clinical use; however, emerging drug resistance largely limits its efficacy. In
      this study, we generated a novel lipopeptide inhibitor, named LP-19, by
      integrating multiple design strategies, including an N-terminal M-T hook
      structure, an HIV-2 sequence, intrahelical salt bridges, and a membrane-anchoring
      lipid tail. LP-19 showed stable binding affinity and highly potent, broad, and
      long-lasting antiviral activity. In in vitro studies, LP-19 efficiently inhibited
      HIV-1-, HIV-2-, and simian immunodeficiency virus (SIV)-mediated cell fusion,
      viral entry, and infection, and it was highly active against diverse subtypes of
      primary HIV-1 isolates and inhibitor-resistant mutants. Ex vivo studies
      demonstrated that LP-19 exhibited dramatically increased anti-HIV activity and an
      extended half-life in rhesus macaques. In short-term monotherapy, LP-19 reduced
      viral loads to undetectable levels in acutely and chronically simian-human
      immunodeficiency virus (SHIV)-infected monkeys. Therefore, this study offers an
      ideal HIV-1/2 fusion inhibitor for clinical development and emphasizes the
      importance of the viral fusion step as a drug target.IMPORTANCE The peptide drug
      T-20 is the only viral fusion inhibitor in the clinic, which is used for
      combination therapy of HIV-1 infection; however, it requires a high dosage and
      easily induces drug resistance, calling for a new drug with significantly
      improved pharmaceutical profiles. Here, we have developed a short-lipopeptide
      based fusion inhibitor, termed LP-19, which mainly targets the conserved gp41
      pocket site and shows highly potent inhibitory activity against HIV-1, HIV-2, and
      even SIV isolates. LP-19 exhibits dramatically increased antiviral activity and
      an extended half-life in rhesus macaques, and it has potent therapeutic efficacy
      in SHIV-infected monkeys, highlighting its high potential as a new viral fusion
      inhibitor for clinical use.

PMID- 28356534
TI  - Mutual Interplay between the Human Cytomegalovirus Terminase Subunits pUL51,
      pUL56, and pUL89 Promotes Terminase Complex Formation.
AB  - Human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) genome encapsidation requires several essential
      viral proteins, among them pUL56, pUL89, and the recently described pUL51, which
      constitute the viral terminase. To gain insight into terminase complex assembly,
      we investigated interactions between the individual subunits. For analysis in the
      viral context, HCMV bacterial artificial chromosomes carrying deletions in the
      open reading frames encoding the terminase proteins were used. These experiments
      were complemented by transient-transfection assays with plasmids expressing the
      terminase components. We found that if one terminase protein was missing, the
      levels of the other terminase proteins were markedly diminished, which could be
      overcome by proteasome inhibition or providing the missing subunit in trans These
      data imply that sequestration of the individual subunits within the terminase
      complex protects them from proteasomal turnover. The finding that efficient
      interactions among the terminase proteins occurred only when all three were
      present together is reminiscent of a folding-upon-binding principle leading to
      cooperative stability. Furthermore, whereas pUL56 was translocated into the
      nucleus on its own, correct nuclear localization of pUL51 and pUL89 again
      required all three terminase constituents. Altogether, these features point to a
      model of the HCMV terminase as a multiprotein complex in which the three players
      regulate each other concerning stability, subcellular localization, and assembly
      into the functional tripartite holoenzyme.IMPORTANCE HCMV is a major risk factor
      in immunocompromised individuals, and congenital CMV infection is the leading
      viral cause for long-term sequelae, including deafness and mental retardation.
      The current treatment of CMV disease is based on drugs sharing the same
      mechanism, namely, inhibiting viral DNA replication, and often results in adverse
      side effects and the appearance of resistant virus strains. Recently, the HCMV
      terminase has emerged as an auspicious target for novel antiviral drugs. A new
      drug candidate inhibiting the HCMV terminase, Letermovir, displayed excellent
      potency in clinical trials; however, its precise mode of action is not understood
      yet. Here, we describe the mutual dependence of the HCMV terminase constituents
      for their assembly into a functional terminase complex. Besides providing new
      basic insights into terminase formation, these results will be valuable when
      studying the mechanism of action for drugs targeting the HCMV terminase and
      developing additional substances interfering with viral genome encapsidation.

PMID- 28356535
TI  - Phosphatidylserine Lateral Organization Influences the Interaction of Influenza
      Virus Matrix Protein 1 with Lipid Membranes.
AB  - Influenza A virus matrix protein 1 (M1) is an essential component involved in the
      structural stability of the virus and in the budding of new virions from infected
      cells. A deeper understanding of the molecular basis of virion formation and the
      budding process is required in order to devise new therapeutic approaches. We
      performed a detailed investigation of the interaction between M1 and
      phosphatidylserine (PS) (i.e., its main binding target at the plasma membrane
      [PM]), as well as the distribution of PS itself, both in model membranes and in
      living cells. To this end, we used a combination of techniques, including Forster
      resonance energy transfer (FRET), confocal microscopy imaging, raster image
      correlation spectroscopy, and number and brightness (N&B) analysis. Our results
      show that PS can cluster in segregated regions in the plane of the lipid bilayer,
      both in model bilayers constituted of PS and phosphatidylcholine and in living
      cells. The viral protein M1 interacts specifically with PS-enriched domains, and
      such interaction in turn affects its oligomerization process. Furthermore, M1 can
      stabilize PS domains, as observed in model membranes. For living cells, the
      presence of PS clusters is suggested by N&B experiments monitoring the clustering
      of the PS sensor lactadherin. Also, colocalization between M1 and a fluorescent
      PS probe suggest that, in infected cells, the matrix protein can specifically
      bind to the regions of PM in which PS is clustered. Taken together, our
      observations provide novel evidence regarding the role of PS-rich domains in
      tuning M1-lipid and M1-M1 interactions at the PM of infected cells.IMPORTANCE
      Influenza virus particles assemble at the plasma membranes (PM) of infected
      cells. This process is orchestrated by the matrix protein M1, which interacts
      with membrane lipids while binding to the other proteins and genetic material of
      the virus. Despite its importance, the initial step in virus assembly (i.e., M1
      lipid interaction) is still not well understood. In this work, we show that
      phosphatidylserine can form lipid domains in physical models of the inner leaflet
      of the PM. Furthermore, the spatial organization of PS in the plane of the
      bilayer modulates M1-M1 interactions. Finally, we show that PS domains appear to
      be present in the PM of living cells and that M1 seems to display a high affinity
      for them.

PMID- 28356537
TI  - Pathogenic Events in a Nonhuman Primate Model of Oral Poliovirus Infection
      Leading to Paralytic Poliomyelitis.
AB  - Despite a great deal of prior research, the early pathogenic events in natural
      oral poliovirus infection remain poorly defined. To establish a model for study,
      we infected 39 macaques by feeding them single high doses of the virulent Mahoney
      strain of wild type 1 poliovirus. Doses ranging from 107 to 109 50% tissue
      culture infective doses (TCID50) consistently infected all the animals, and many
      monkeys receiving 108 or 109 TCID50 developed paralysis. There was no apparent
      difference in the susceptibilities of the three macaque species (rhesus,
      cynomolgus, and bonnet) used. Virus excretion in stool and nasopharynges was
      consistently observed, with occasional viremia, and virus was isolated from
      tonsils, gut mucosa, and draining lymph nodes. Viral replication proteins were
      detected in both epithelial and lymphoid cell populations expressing CD155 in the
      tonsil and intestine, as well as in spinal cord neurons. Necrosis was observed in
      these three cell types, and viral replication in the tonsil/gut was associated
      with histopathologic destruction and inflammation. The sustained response of
      neutralizing antibody correlated temporally with resolution of viremia and
      termination of virus shedding in oropharynges and feces. For the first time, this
      model demonstrates that early in the infectious process, poliovirus replication
      occurs in both epithelial cells (explaining virus shedding in the
      gastrointestinal tract) and lymphoid/monocytic cells in tonsils and Peyer's
      patches (explaining viremia), extending previous studies of poliovirus
      pathogenesis in humans. Because the model recapitulates human poliovirus
      infection and poliomyelitis, it can be used to study polio pathogenesis and to
      assess the efficacy of candidate antiviral drugs and new vaccines.IMPORTANCE
      Early pathogenic events of poliovirus infection remain largely undefined, and
      there is a lack of animal models mimicking natural oral human infection leading
      to paralytic poliomyelitis. All 39 macaques fed with single high doses ranging
      from 107 to 109 TCID50 Mahoney type 1 virus were infected, and many of the
      monkeys developed paralysis. Virus excretion in stool and nasopharynges was
      consistently observed, with occasional viremia; tonsil, mesentery lymph nodes,
      and intestinal mucosa served as major target sites of viral replication. For the
      first time, this model demonstrates that early in the infectious process,
      poliovirus replication occurs in both epithelial cells (explaining virus shedding
      in the gastrointestinal tract) and lymphoid/monocytic cells in tonsils and
      Peyer's patches (explaining viremia), thereby supplementing historical
      reconstructions of poliovirus pathogenesis. Because the model recapitulates human
      poliovirus infection and poliomyelitis, it can be used to study polio
      pathogenesis, candidate antiviral drugs, and the efficacy of new vaccines.

PMID- 28356538
TI  - Automated tracking and classification of the settlement behaviour of barnacle
      cyprids.
AB  - A focus on the development of nontoxic coatings to control marine biofouling has
      led to increasing interest in the settlement behaviour of fouling organisms.
      Barnacles pose a significant fouling challenge and accordingly the behaviour of
      their settlement-stage cypris larva (cyprid) has attracted much attention, yet
      remains poorly understood. Tracking technologies have been developed that
      quantify cyprid movement, but none have successfully automated data acquisition
      over the prolonged periods necessary to capture and identify the full repertoire
      of behaviours, from alighting on a surface to permanent attachment. Here we
      outline a new tracking system and a novel classification system for identifying
      and quantifying the exploratory behaviour of cyprids. The combined system
      enables, for the first time, tracking of multiple larvae, simultaneously, over
      long periods (hours), followed by automatic classification of typical cyprid
      behaviours into swimming, wide search, close search and inspection events. The
      system has been evaluated by comparing settlement behaviour in the light and dark
      (infrared illumination) and tracking one of a group of 25 cyprids from the water
      column to settlement over the course of 5 h. Having removed a significant
      technical barrier to progress in the field, it is anticipated that the system
      will accelerate our understanding of the process of surface selection and
      settlement by barnacles.

PMID- 28356536
TI  - Herpes Simplex Virus 1 UL34 Protein Regulates the Global Architecture of the
      Endoplasmic Reticulum in Infected Cells.
AB  - Upon herpes simplex virus 1 (HSV-1) infection, the CD98 heavy chain (CD98hc) is
      redistributed around the nuclear membrane (NM), where it promotes viral de
      envelopment during the nuclear egress of nucleocapsids. In this study, we
      attempted to identify the factor(s) involved in CD98hc accumulation and
      demonstrated the following: (i) the null mutation of HSV-1 UL34 caused specific
      dispersion throughout the cytoplasm of CD98hc and the HSV-1 de-envelopment
      regulators, glycoproteins B and H (gB and gH); (ii) as observed with CD98hc, gB,
      and gH, wild-type HSV-1 infection caused redistribution of the endoplasmic
      reticulum (ER) markers calnexin and ERp57 around the NM, whereas the UL34-null
      mutation caused cytoplasmic dispersion of these markers; (iii) the ER markers
      colocalized efficiently with CD98hc, gB, and gH in the presence and absence of
      UL34 in HSV-1-infected cells; (iv) at the ultrastructural level, wild-type HSV-1
      infection caused ER compression around the NM, whereas the UL34-null mutation
      caused cytoplasmic dispersion of the ER; and (v) the UL34-null mutation
      significantly decreased the colocalization efficiency of lamin protein markers of
      the NM with CD98hc and gB. Collectively, these results indicate that HSV-1
      infection causes redistribution of the ER around the NM, with resulting
      accumulation of ER-associated CD98hc, gB, and gH around the NM and that UL34 is
      required for ER redistribution, as well as for efficient recruitment to the NM of
      the ER-associated de-envelopment factors. Our study suggests that HSV-1 induces
      remodeling of the global ER architecture for recruitment of regulators mediating
      viral nuclear egress to the NM.IMPORTANCE The ER is an important cellular
      organelle that exists as a complex network extending throughout the cytoplasm.
      Although viruses often remodel the ER to facilitate viral replication,
      information on the effects of herpesvirus infections on ER morphological
      integrity is limited. Here, we showed that HSV-1 infection led to compression of
      the global ER architecture around the NM, resulting in accumulation of ER
      associated regulators associated with nuclear egress of HSV-1 nucleocapsids. We
      also identified HSV-1 UL34 as a viral factor that mediated ER remodeling.
      Furthermore, we demonstrated that UL34 was required for efficient targeting of
      these regulators to the NM. To our knowledge, this is the first report showing
      that a herpesvirus remodels ER global architecture. Our study also provides
      insight into the mechanism by which the regulators for HSV-1 nuclear egress are
      recruited to the NM, where this viral event occurs.

PMID- 28356539
TI  - Mechanisms of stochastic onset and termination of atrial fibrillation studied
      with a cellular automaton model.
AB  - Mathematical models of cardiac electrical excitation are increasingly complex,
      with multiscale models seeking to represent and bridge physiological behaviours
      across temporal and spatial scales. The increasing complexity of these models
      makes it computationally expensive to both evaluate long term (more than 60 s)
      behaviour and determine sensitivity of model outputs to inputs. This is
      particularly relevant in models of atrial fibrillation (AF), where individual
      episodes last from seconds to days, and interepisode waiting times can be minutes
      to months. Potential mechanisms of transition between sinus rhythm and AF have
      been identified but are not well understood, and it is difficult to simulate AF
      for long periods of time using state-of-the-art models. In this study, we
      implemented a Moe-type cellular automaton on a novel, topologically equivalent
      surface geometry of the left atrium. We used the model to simulate stochastic
      initiation and spontaneous termination of AF, arising from bursts of spontaneous
      activation near pulmonary veins. The simplified representation of atrial
      electrical activity reduced computational cost, and so permitted us to
      investigate AF mechanisms in a probabilistic setting. We computed large numbers
      (approx. 105) of sample paths of the model, to infer stochastic initiation and
      termination rates of AF episodes using different model parameters. By generating
      statistical distributions of model outputs, we demonstrated how to propagate
      uncertainties of inputs within our microscopic level model up to a macroscopic
      level. Lastly, we investigated spontaneous termination in the model and found a
      complex dependence on its past AF trajectory, the mechanism of which merits
      future investigation.

PMID- 28356541
TI  - On the Inside.

PMID- 28356542
TI  - The First Broad-Spectrum Abscisic Acid Antagonist.

PMID- 28356543
TI  - ADDENDUM: Vol. 167: 481-492, 2015.

PMID- 28356540
TI  - Population genetics of immune-related multilocus copy number variation in Native
      Americans.
AB  - While multiallelic copy number variation (mCNV) loci are a major component of
      genomic variation, quantifying the individual copy number of a locus and defining
      genotypes is challenging. Few methods exist to study how mCNV genetic diversity
      is apportioned within and between populations (i.e. to define the population
      genetic structure of mCNV). These inferences are critical in populations with a
      small effective size, such as Amerindians, that may not fit the Hardy-Weinberg
      model due to inbreeding, assortative mating, population subdivision, natural
      selection or a combination of these evolutionary factors. We propose a likelihood
      based method that simultaneously infers mCNV allele frequencies and the
      population structure parameter f, which quantifies the departure of homozygosity
      from the Hardy-Weinberg expectation. This method is implemented in the freely
      available software CNVice, which also infers individual genotypes using
      information from both the population and from trios, if available. We studied the
      population genetics of five immune-related mCNV loci associated with complex
      diseases (beta-defensins, CCL3L1/CCL4L1, FCGR3A, FCGR3B and FCGR2C) in 12
      traditional Native American populations and found that the population structure
      parameters inferred for these mCNVs are comparable to but lower than those for
      single nucleotide polymorphisms studied in the same populations.

PMID- 28356545
TI  - CORRECTION: Vol. 169: 2761-2773, 2015.

PMID- 28356544
TI  - CORRECTION: Vol. 173: 998-1016, 2017.

PMID- 28356546
TI  - RETRACTION: Vol. 153: 1321-1331, 2010.

PMID- 28356547
TI  - Mechanisms of iPS cell generation and beyond.
AB  - The generation of induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) achieved by
      overexpression of Oct4, Sox2, Klf4 and c-Myc, transformed our classical views of
      the cellular epigenetic landscape and delivered a new concept for cell and tissue
      engineering. In addition to iPSCs, several other cell types have also been
      generated by master transcription factor (TF)-mediated transdifferentiation.
      However, the critical molecular mechanisms amongst diverse cellular identity
      changes are not well understood. Through the investigation of reprogramming
      mechanisms, we recently revealed that over-expression of constitutive active
      Smad3 boosted not only iPSC generation, but also 3 other master TF-mediated
      conversions, from B cells to macrophages, myoblasts to adipocytes, and human
      fibroblasts to neurons. This demonstrated that there were common mechanisms
      underlying different master TF-mediated cell conversions. To illuminate such
      mechanisms further, we have recently performed CRISPR/Cas9-mediated genome-wide
      knockout screening during reprogramming with a lentiviral gRNA library containing
      90,000 gRNAs. This screening provided us with ~15 novel reprogramming roadblock
      genes as well as ~20 candidate genes essential for the reprogramming process but
      not for ES cell self-renewal. This data set will be a valuable resource to
      further understand how overexpression of master TFs alters cellular identity, and
      to achieve more faithful, efficient cell conversions for regenerative
      medicine.(Presented at the 1934th Meeting, March 17, 2017).

PMID- 28356548
TI  - Linking Pathogen Virulence, Host Immunity and The Microbiota at the Intestinal
      Barrier.
AB  - The mechanisms that allow enteric pathogens to colonize the intestine and host
      immunity as well as the indigenous microbiota to inhibit pathogen colonization
      remain poorly understood. Our laboratory is using Citrobacter rodentium, a mouse
      pathogen that models human infections by enteropathogenic E. coli, to understand
      the mechanisms that regulate the colonization and clearance of the pathogen in
      the gut. These studies have revealed how the pathogen colonizes and replicates
      successfully early during infection and how host immunity and the indigenous
      microbiota cooperate to eradicate the pathogen in the later stage of the
      infection. The impairment of the immune system to control the barrier function of
      the intestine leads to pathogen invasion and the induction of a second layer of
      host protective immunity to limit the systemic spread of the pathogen.(Presented
      at the 1931st Meeting, January 17, 2017).

PMID- 28356550
TI  - A Blast of Mistakes: Undiagnosed Cervical Spondylolisthesis Following a Bomb
      Explosion.
AB  - BACKGROUND A case of spinal trauma had an unusual clinical course due to medical
      mistakes, from which we can learn some important lessons. CASE REPORT We report a
      case of spondylolisthesis following a bomb explosion, which went undiagnosed for
      a long time because of a series of mistakes that are highlighted in this article.
      What makes this case unique is that the spondylolisthesis developed during
      hospital stay, but the patient had no loss of mobility, strength, or sensitivity.
      CONCLUSIONS This case shows that establishing the conditions of an organ or a
      body part upon admission to hospital may not be enough when a patient has
      suffered extensive and serious trauma, and that it is necessary to carry out more
      checkups over time, especially if there are new clues and symptoms.

PMID- 28356549
TI  - Expression of Adiponectin Receptor-1 and Prognosis of Epithelial Ovarian Cancer
      Patients.
AB  - BACKGROUND Adiponectin receptor-1 (AdipoR1) has been reported to be associated
      with the risk of obesity-associated malignancies, including epithelial ovarian
      cancer (EOC). The aim of this study was to determine if AdipoR1 could serve as a
      prognosis indicator for patients with EOC. MATERIAL AND METHODS In this study,
      expression of AdipoR1 in 73 EOC patients consecutively admitted to our hospital
      was detected by immunohistochemical staining. Univariate and multivariate
      analyses were performed to assess the relationship between AdipoR1 expression
      level and progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) rates in
      patients. RESULTS A relatively lower expression of AdipoR1 in the cancerous
      tissues was detected compared to normal ovarian tissues, but the difference was
      not significant (p>0.05). AdipoR1 expression level in EOC patients was negatively
      correlated with advanced FIGO stages in patients and tumor differentiation, but
      had no correlation with pathological types, presenting of ascites, shorter
      platinum-free interval (PFI), diabetes, preoperative and postoperative body mass
      index (BMI), or platelet counts (p>0.05). Moreover, patients with AdipoR1
      expression had a significantly longer PFS and OS compared to the negative
      expression group (p<0.001). CONCLUSIONS Our findings suggest that AdipoR1
      expression level in cancerous tissues might serve as an independent prognostic
      indicator in EOC patients and is associated with longer PFS and OS.

PMID- 28356551
TI  - [Epidemiology of Campylobacteriosis in Castile and Leon, Spain,during the period
      2008-2015].
AB  - OBJECTIVE: Campylobacter is considered the most frequent agent of gastroenteritis
      in humans all around the world. The aim of this study was to know the incidence,
      trend and seasonality of notified campylobacteriosis cases in Castile and Leon,
      Spain, from 2008 to 2015. In addition, to describe the type of case and source of
      notification, and study the influence of age, sex and Campylobacter species on
      the hospitalization of cases. METHODS: Retrospective cross-sectional study with a
      time series analysis. Data on notified campylobacteriosis cases were collected
      from the Epidemiological Surveillance System of Castile and Leon (2008-2015).
      Incidence rates and incidence rate ratios by age, sex and year of notification
      were calculated. In order to estimate trend and seasonality, a time series
      analysis was performed using a multiplicative method and adjusted to a linear and
      exponential model. RESULTS: From 4,330 cases analyzed, 49.4% of children aged
      under 5 were affected. The ratio of men to women was 1.43 and 61.8% of cases were
      notified from secondary care. C. jejuni was isolated from 72.3% of samples
      (n=2,593). Incidence rate ranged from 11.42 cases per 100,000 inhabitants in 2008
      to 33.53 in 2015. The seasonality range was from 71.97% (13th four-week period)
      to 125.54% (9th four-week period). Hospitalization reached 62.5% for people aged
      60 or over. CONCLUSIONS: A growing trend of notified campylobacteriosis cases is
      observed in Castile and Leon (2008-2015), mainly in children aged under 5, with a
      peak in summer months. Males are more affected than females and hospitalization
      increases with age.

PMID- 28356553
TI  - Altering the coffee-ring effect by adding a surfactant-like viscous polymer
      solution.
AB  - A uniform deposition of the suspended particles in an evaporating droplet is
      necessary in many research fields. Such deposition is difficult to achieve,
      because the coffee-ring effect dominates the internal flow in a droplet. The
      present study adopts a biocompatible, surfactant-like polymer (Polyethylene
      glycol, PEG) to break the coffee-ring effect and obtain a relatively uniform
      deposition of the microparticles with yielding multi-ring pattern over a droplet
      area. Movements of the suspended particles in evaporating droplets and deposition
      patterns of them on a glass substrate were analyzed with microscopic images and
      video files. The PEG in the droplets successfully altered the coffee-ring effect
      because of the surface tension variation, which induced a centripetal Marangoni
      flow. Balancing these two phenomena apparently generated the Marangoni vortex.
      For PEG solution droplets, the pinning-depinning process during evaporation was
      periodically repeated and multiple rings were regularly formed. In conclusion,
      adding a surfactant-like viscous polymer in a droplet could provide a uniform
      coating of suspended particles, such as cells and various biomaterials, which
      would be essentially required for droplet assays of biomedical applications.

PMID- 28356552
TI  - Pharmacokinetic-Pharmacodynamic modelling of intracellular Mycobacterium
      tuberculosis growth and kill rates is predictive of clinical treatment duration.
AB  - Tuberculosis (TB) treatment is long and complex, typically involving a
      combination of drugs taken for 6 months. Improved drug regimens to shorten and
      simplify treatment are urgently required, however a major challenge to TB drug
      development is the lack of predictive pre-clinical tools. To address this
      deficiency, we have adopted a new high-content imaging-based approach capable of
      defining the killing kinetics of first line anti-TB drugs against intracellular
      Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb) residing inside macrophages. Through use of this
      pharmacokinetic-pharmacodynamic (PK-PD) approach we demonstrate that the killing
      dynamics of the intracellular Mtb sub-population is critical to predicting
      clinical TB treatment duration. Integrated modelling of intracellular Mtb killing
      alongside conventional extracellular Mtb killing data, generates the biphasic
      responses typical of those described clinically. Our model supports the
      hypothesis that the use of higher doses of rifampicin (35 mg/kg) will
      significantly reduce treatment duration. Our described PK-PD approach offers a
      much needed decision making tool for the identification and prioritisation of new
      therapies which have the potential to reduce TB treatment duration.

PMID- 28356554
TI  - A simple technique to overcome self-focusing, filamentation, supercontinuum
      generation, aberrations, depth dependence and waveguide interface roughness using
      fs laser processing.
AB  - Several detrimental effects limit the use of ultrafast lasers in multi-photon
      processing and the direct manufacture of integrated photonics devices, not least,
      dispersion, aberrations, depth dependence, undesirable ablation at a surface,
      limited depth of writing, nonlinear optical effects such as supercontinuum
      generation and filamentation due to Kerr self-focusing. We show that all these
      effects can be significantly reduced if not eliminated using two coherent,
      ultrafast laser-beams through a single lens - which we call the Dual-Beam
      technique. Simulations and experimental measurements at the focus are used to
      understand how the Dual-Beam technique can mitigate these problems. The high peak
      laser intensity is only formed at the aberration-free tightly localised focal
      spot, simultaneously, suppressing unwanted nonlinear side effects for any
      intensity or processing depth. Therefore, we believe this simple and innovative
      technique makes the fs laser capable of much more at even higher intensities than
      previously possible, allowing applications in multi-photon processing, bio
      medical imaging, laser surgery of cells, tissue and in ophthalmology, along with
      laser writing of waveguides.

PMID- 28356555
TI  - Prevalence of polymorphisms in OPG, RANKL and RANK as potential markers for
      Charcot arthropathy development.
AB  - Charcot arthropathy is one of the most serious complications of diabetic foot
      syndrome that leads to amputation of the affected limb. Since there is no cure
      for Charcot arthropathy, early diagnosis and implementation preventive care are
      the best available treatment. However, diagnosis is hindered by obscure clinical
      picture of the disease and lack of molecular markers for its early detection.
      Results of recent research suggest that OPG-RANKL-RANK axis regulating bone
      metabolism can be associated with Charcot arthropathy and that SNPs in OPG gene
      are associated with the disease. Here we report the results of comprehensive
      analysis of ten SNPs in OPG, RANKL and RANK genes in 260 subjects divided into
      diabetes, neuropathy and Charcot arthropathy groups. Besides genotype analysis we
      performed linkage disequilibrium and hierarchical clustering to obtain
      information about correlation between SNPs. Our results show that OPG 245T/G
      (rs3134069) and OPG 1217C/T (rs3102734) polymorphisms co-occur in patients with
      Charcot arthropathy (r2 = 0.99). Moreover, hierarchical clustering revealed a
      characteristic profile of all SNPs in Charcot arthropathy and neuropathy, which
      is distinct from control group. Our results suggest that analysis of multiple
      SNPs can be used as potential marker of Charcot arthropathy and provide insight
      into possible molecular mechanisms of its development.

PMID- 28356556
TI  - Spin-dependent thermoelectric effects in Fe-C6 doped monolayer MoS2.
AB  - By using the non-equilibrium Green's function with density functional theory, we
      have studied the thermal spin transport properties of Fe-C6 cluster doped
      monolayer MoS2. The results show that the device has a perfect Seebeck effect
      under temperature difference without gate voltage or bias voltage. Moreover, we
      also find the thermal colossal magnetoresistance effect, which is as high as
      107%. The competition between spin up electrons and spin down holes of the
      parallel spin configuration leads to peculiar behavior of colossal
      magnetoresistance and thermo-current, which is essential for the design of
      thermal transistors. These results are useful in future MoS2-based
      multifunctional spin caloritronic devices.

PMID- 28356559
TI  - Reinterpretation of oceanic 230Th profiles based on decadal export productivity
      (2003-2010).
AB  - Understanding 230Th distributions in the global ocean is important to support and
      guide the use of this important radioactive nuclide in multiple aspects of
      oceanographic research, and this issue is now revisited. Based on estimates of
      export productivity (EP) over 2003-2010 and assuming 230Th scavenging at
      equilibrium at seven Pacific stations where linear 230Th profiles are found, an
      empirical equilibrium-state 230Th-scavenging versus EP correlation is
      established. This correlation demonstrates the relationship between 230Th
      scavenging intensity and EP in the absence of advection. With this correlation,
      other 230Th profiles from global oceans are reinterpreted. My findings provide
      alternative explanations of signals carried by 230Th distributions with regard to
      advection, by a reassessment of the 230Th deficits in deep waters. Such an
      equilibrium-state 230Th-scavenging versus EP correlation provides a basis for
      convenient parameterization for use in 3D modeling studies of the 230Th
      distributions.

PMID- 28356558
TI  - Rising fluoroquinolone resistance in Campylobacter isolated from feedlot cattle
      in the United States.
AB  - Antibiotic resistance, particularly to fluoroquinolones and macrolides, in the
      major foodborne pathogen Campylobacter is considered a serious threat to public
      health. Although ruminant animals serve as a significant reservoir for
      Campylobacter, limited information is available on antibiotic-resistant
      Campylobacter of bovine origin. Here, we analyzed the antimicrobial
      susceptibilities of 320 C. jejuni and 115 C. coli isolates obtained from feedlot
      cattle farms in multiple states in the U.S. The results indicate that
      fluoroquinolone resistance reached to 35.4% in C. jejuni and 74.4% in C. coli,
      which are significantly higher than those previously reported in the U.S. While
      all fluoroquinolone resistant (FQR) C. coli isolates examined in this study
      harbored the single Thr-86-Ile mutation in GyrA, FQR C. jejuni isolates had other
      mutations in GyrA in addition to the Thr-86-Ile change. Notably, most of the
      analyzed FQR C. coli isolates had similar PFGE (pulsed field gel electrophoresis)
      patterns and the same MLST (multilocus sequence typing) sequence type (ST-1068)
      regardless of their geographic sources and time of isolation, while the analyzed
      C. jejuni isolates were genetically diverse, suggesting that clonal expansion is
      involved in dissemination of FQR C. coli but not C. jejuni. These findings reveal
      the rising prevalence of FQR Campylobacter in the U.S. and provide novel
      information on the epidemiology of antibiotic-resistant Campylobacter in the
      ruminant reservoir.

PMID- 28356560
TI  - Brain activity in the right-frontal pole and lateral occipital cortex predicts
      successful post-operatory outcome after surgery for anterior glenoumeral
      instability.
AB  - Shoulder apprehension is more complex than a pure mechanical problem of the
      shoulder, creating a scar at the brain level that prevents the performance of
      specific movements. Surgery corrects for shoulder instability at the physical
      level, but a re-dislocation within the first year is rather common. Predicting
      which patient will be likely to have re-dislocation is therefore crucial. We
      hypothesized that the assessment of neural activity at baseline and follow-up is
      the key factor to predict the post-operatory outcome. 13 patients with shoulder
      apprehension (30.03 +/- 7.64 years) underwent clinical and fMRI examination
      before and one year after surgery for shoulder dislocation contrasting
      apprehension cue videos and control videos. Data analyses included task-related
      general linear model (GLM) and correlations imaging results with clinical scores.
      Clinical examination showed decreased pain and increased shoulder functions for
      post-op vs. pre-op. Coherently, GLM results show decreased activation of the left
      pre-motor cortex for post-surgery vs. pre-surgery. Right-frontal pole and right
      occipital cortex activity predicts good recovery of shoulder function measured by
      STT. Our findings demonstrate that beside physical changes, changes at the brain
      level also occur one year after surgery. In particular, decreased activity in pre
      motor and orbito-frontal cortex is key factor for a successful post-operatory
      outcome.

PMID- 28356561
TI  - Myeloperoxidase-positive cell infiltration of normal colorectal mucosa is related
      to body fatness and is predictive of adenoma occurrence.
AB  - Body fatness is a risk factor for colorectal cancer, and promotes an inflammatory
      environment. Indeed, inflammation in normal colorectal mucosa may be a factor
      linking body fatness to colorectal carcinogenesis. In this study, we evaluated
      myeloperoxidase (MPO)-positive cells infiltration of normal colorectal mucosa as
      a marker of cancer-promoting inflammation in overweight and obese subjects. One
      hundred and three subjects with normal colonoscopy entered the study. Waist
      circumference (WC) and body mass index (BMI) were measured, and MPO-positive
      cells on histological sections of biopsies of normal colorectal mucosa were
      counted under a light microscope. The occurrence of adenomas was then evaluated
      on follow-up colonoscopies. Mean MPO-positive cell count (+/-s.e.m.) was higher
      in subject with a WC equal or above the obesity cutoff values according to gender
      (2.63+/-0.20 vs 2.06+/-0.18, P=0.03), and in subjects with BMI equal or above 25
      kg m-2 (2.54+/-0.18 vs 1.97+/-0.20, P=0.03). A Cox proportional hazard model
      showed that mean MPO-positive cell count in normal colorectal mucosa was the only
      factor independently related to occurrence of adenomas in follow-up
      colonoscopies. Though preliminary, these results show that MPO-positive cell
      infiltration in normal colorectal mucosa is related with body fatness, as
      evaluated by WC and BMI, and it may be considered a useful and simple marker to
      estimate adenoma occurrence risk.

PMID- 28356562
TI  - Proteomic analysis reveals a role of melatonin in promoting cucumber seed
      germination under high salinity by regulating energy production.
AB  - Seed germination is a critical and complex process in the plant life cycle.
      Although previous studies have found that melatonin can promote seed germination
      under salt stress, the involvement of melatonin in the regulation of proteomic
      changes remains poorly understood. In this study, a total of 157 proteins were
      significantly influenced (ratio >= 2 or <= -2) by melatonin during seed
      germination under salt stress using a label-free quantitative technique. Our GO
      analysis revealed that several pathways were obviously regulated by melatonin,
      including ribosome biosynthesis, lipid metabolism, carbohydrate metabolism, and
      storage protein degradation. Not only stress-tolerant proteins but also proteins
      that produce ATP as part of glycolysis, the citric acid cycle, and the glyoxylate
      cycle were upregulated by melatonin. Overall, this study provides new evidence
      that melatonin alleviates the inhibitory effects of NaCl stress on seed
      germination by promoting energy production. This study is the first to provide
      insights at the proteomic level into the molecular mechanism of melatonin in
      response to salt stress in cucumber seeds. This may be helpful to further
      understand the role of melatonin in cucumber seed germination under stress
      conditions.

PMID- 28356563
TI  - Homozygous p.(Glu87Lys) variant in ISCA1 is associated with a multiple
      mitochondrial dysfunctions syndrome.
AB  - The iron-sulfur (Fe-S) cluster (ISC) biogenesis pathway is indispensable for many
      fundamental biological processes and pathogenic variations in genes encoding
      several components of the Fe-S biogenesis machinery, such as NFU1, BOLA3, IBA57
      and ISCA2 are already implicated in causing four types of multiple mitochondrial
      dysfunctions syndromes (MMDS). We report on two unrelated families, with two
      affected children each with early onset neurological deterioration, seizures,
      extensive white matter abnormalities, cortical migrational abnormalities, lactic
      acidosis and early demise. Exome sequencing of two affected individuals, one from
      each family, revealed a homozygous c.259G>A [p.(Glu87Lys)] variant in ISCA1 and
      Mendelian segregation was confirmed in both families. The ISCA1 variant lies in
      the only shared region of homozygosity between the two families suggesting the
      possibility of a founder effect. In silico functional analyses and structural
      modeling of the protein predict the identified ISCA1 variant to be detrimental to
      protein stability and function. Notably the phenotype observed in all affected
      subjects with the ISCA1 pathogenic variant is similar to that previously
      described in all four types of MMDS. Our findings suggest association of a
      pathogenic variant in ISCA1 with another MMDS.

PMID- 28356564
TI  - Combined pituitary hormone deficiency due to gross deletions in the POU1F1 (PIT
      1) and PROP1 genes.
AB  - Pituitary development depends on a complex cascade of interacting transcription
      factors and signaling molecules. Lesions in this cascade lead to isolated or
      combined pituitary hormone deficiency (CPHD). The aim of this study was to
      identify copy number variants (CNVs) in genes known to cause CPHD and to
      determine their structure. We analyzed 70 CPHD patients from 64 families.
      Deletions were found in three Turkish families and one family from northern Iraq.
      In one family we identified a 4.96 kb deletion that comprises the first two exons
      of POU1F1. In three families a homozygous 15.9 kb deletion including complete
      PROP1 was discovered. Breakpoints map within highly homologous AluY sequences.
      Haplotype analysis revealed a shared haplotype of 350 kb among PROP1 deletion
      carriers. For the first time we were able to assign the boundaries of a
      previously reported PROP1 deletion. This gross deletion shows strong evidence to
      originate from a common ancestor in patients with Kurdish descent. No CNVs within
      LHX3, LHX4, HESX1, GH1 and GHRHR were found. Our data prove multiplex ligation
      dependent probe amplification to be a valuable tool for the detection of CNVs as
      cause of pituitary insufficiencies and should be considered as an analytical
      method particularly in Kurdish patients.

PMID- 28356565
TI  - Functional analysis of a nonstop mutation in MITF gene identified in a patient
      with Waardenburg syndrome type 2.
AB  - Waardenburg syndrome (WS) is an autosomal dominant inherited neurogenic disorder
      with the combination of various degrees of sensorineural deafness and pigmentary
      abnormalities affecting the skin, hair and eye. The four subtypes of WS were
      defined on the basis of the presence or absence of additional symptoms. Mutation
      of human microphthalmia-associated transcription factor (MITF) gene gives rise to
      WS2. Here, we identified a novel WS-associated mutation at the stop codon of MITF
      (p.X420Y) in a Chinese WS2 patient. This mutation resulted in an extension of
      extra 33 amino-acid residues in MITF. The mutant MITF appeared in both the
      nucleus and the cytoplasm, whereas the wild-type MITF was localized in the
      nucleus exclusively. The mutation led to a reduction in the transcriptional
      activities, whereas the DNA-binding activity was not altered. We show that the
      foremost mechanism was haploinsufficiency for the mild phenotypes of WS2 induced
      in X420Y MITF.

PMID- 28356566
TI  - Successful newborn screening for Gaucher disease using fluorometric assay in
      China.
AB  - Gaucher disease (GD) is an inherited metabolic disorder that involves
      accumulation of glycolipid glucocerebroside in monocyte-macrophage cells, which
      can result in multiple organ damage. Enzyme replacement and substrate reduction
      therapies have improved the potential for early diagnosis and treatment.
      Determining the true incidence of this rare disease is critical for relevant
      policy establishment. Newborn screening allows for early diagnosis and an
      comparatively accurate incidence of GD. A fluorometric method to detect acid beta
      glucocerebrosidase (GBA) activity on a dried blood spot punch was developed.
      Validity and feasibility of the fluorometric method was demonstrated by examining
      116 healthy controls, 19 confirmed GD patients and 19 obligate carriers. GBA
      activity was measured on dried blood spots of 80 855 newborns. Samples from
      positively screened newborns were reanalyzed by a leukocyte GBA activity test and
      GBA gene analysis. Plasma glucosylsphingosine level was determined as a biomarker
      of the pathophysiology of GD. GD patients were distinguished from healthy
      controls and obligate carriers using the fluorometric method. Mean GBA activity
      in newborn screening specimens was 145.69+/-44.76 MUmol l-1 h-1 (n=80 844). Three
      children had low GBA activity, of which one child had low GBA activity on the
      second dried blood spot specimen. Leukocyte, genetic and biomarker analysis
      confirmed the diagnosis and indicated that this child was in the early stages of
      GD. In conclusion, the incidence of GD in Shanghai of China is approximately 1 in
      80 855. Screening for GD by fluorometric analysis of GBA activity is an efficient
      and feasible technology in newborns.

PMID- 28356567
TI  - Fast learning in free-foraging bumble bees is negatively correlated with lifetime
      resource collection.
AB  - Despite widespread interest in the potential adaptive value of individual
      differences in cognition, few studies have attempted to address the question of
      how variation in learning and memory impacts their performance in natural
      environments. Using a novel split-colony experimental design we evaluated visual
      learning performance of foraging naive bumble bees (Bombus terrestris) in an
      ecologically relevant associative learning task under controlled laboratory
      conditions, before monitoring the lifetime foraging performance of the same
      individual bees in the field. We found appreciable variation among the 85 workers
      tested in both their learning and foraging performance, which was not predicted
      by colony membership. However, rather than finding that foragers benefited from
      enhanced learning performance, we found that fast and slow learners collected
      food at comparable rates and completed a similar number of foraging bouts per day
      in the field. Furthermore, bees with better learning abilities foraged for fewer
      days; suggesting a cost of enhanced learning performance in the wild. As a
      result, slower learning individuals collected more resources for their colony
      over the course of their foraging career. These results demonstrate that enhanced
      cognitive traits are not necessarily beneficial to the foraging performance of
      individuals or colonies in all environments.

PMID- 28356568
TI  - Negative regulators and their mechanisms in NLRP3 inflammasome activation and
      signaling.
AB  - Inflammasomes are cytosolic multiprotein complexes that cause the release of
      biologically active interleukin-1beta. The best-characterized inflammasome is the
      NLRP3 (nucleotide-binding domain, leucine-rich-containing family, pyrin domain
      containing-3 or Nod-like receptor protein 3) inflammasome. The NLRP3 inflammasome
      forms an assembly consisting of the ASC (apoptosis-associated speck-like protein
      containing a C-terminal caspase recruitment domain) adaptor protein and the
      effector, caspase-1 (cysteine-dependent aspartate-directed protease-1). Numerous
      agents and ligands derived from pathogens, modified self-cells and the
      environment induce NLRP3 inflammasome complex formation. NLRP3 inflammasome
      activation is tightly controlled at the transcriptional and post-translational
      levels to prevent unwanted excessive inflammation. Recent studies have
      highlighted the roles and mechanisms of several negative regulators that inhibit
      the assembly of NLRP3 inflammasome complexes and suppress inflammatory responses.
      The identification and characterization of new players in the regulation of NLRP3
      inflammasome may lead to the development of inflammasome-targeting therapeutics
      against various inflammatory diseases related to NLRP3 inflammasome-associated
      pathogenesis.

PMID- 28356569
TI  - Synergistic targeting of breast cancer stem-like cells by human gammadelta T
      cells and CD8+ T cells.
AB  - The inherent resistance of cancer stem cells (CSCs) to existing therapies has
      largely hampered the development of effective treatments for advanced malignancy.
      To help develop novel immunotherapy approaches that efficiently target CSCs, an
      experimental model allowing reliable distinction of CSCs and non-CSCs was set up
      to study their interaction with non-MHC-restricted gammadelta T cells and antigen
      specific CD8+ T cells. Stable lines with characteristics of breast CSC-like cells
      were generated from ras-transformed human mammary epithelial (HMLER) cells as
      confirmed by their CD44hi CD24lo GD2+ phenotype, their mesenchymal morphology in
      culture and their capacity to form mammospheres under non-adherent conditions, as
      well as their potent tumorigenicity, self-renewal and differentiation in
      xenografted mice. The resistance of CSC-like cells to gammadelta T cells could be
      overcome by inhibition of farnesyl pyrophosphate synthase (FPPS) through
      pretreatment with zoledronate or with FPPS-targeting short hairpin RNA.
      gammadelta T cells induced upregulation of MHC class I and CD54/ICAM-1 on CSC
      like cells and thereby increased the susceptibility to antigen-specific killing
      by CD8+ T cells. Alternatively, gammadelta T-cell responses could be specifically
      directed against CSC-like cells using the humanised anti-GD2 monoclonal antibody
      hu14.18K322A. Our findings identify a powerful synergism between MHC-restricted
      and non-MHC-restricted T cells in the eradication of cancer cells including
      breast CSCs. Our research suggests that novel immunotherapies may benefit from a
      two-pronged approach combining gammadelta T-cell and CD8+ T-cell targeting
      strategies that triggers effective innate-like and tumour-specific adaptive
      responses.

PMID- 28356572
TI  - Coming to grips with cell surface polarity.

PMID- 28356570
TI  - Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis and a role for autoimmunity.
AB  - Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) is the most common of the idiopathic
      interstitial pneumonias. It is typically associated with extensive and
      progressive fibrosis, and is fatal and has limited treatment options.
      Characteristically IPF patients display large lymphocyte aggregates composed of
      CD3+ T cells and CD20+ B cells within the lung tissue that are located near sites
      of active fibrosis. In addition, IPF patients can have autoantibodies to a range
      of host antigens, suggesting a breakdown in immunological tolerance. In this
      review, we examine the role of T and B cells in IPF pathogenesis and discuss how
      loss of self-tolerance to lung-specific proteins could exacerbate disease
      progression in IPF. We discuss what these results mean in terms of future
      prospects for immunotherapy of IPF.

PMID- 28356573
TI  - Plant cell development: Forcing cell polarity.

PMID- 28356574
TI  - Comments on the associations of systolic and diastolic blood pressure night-to
      day ratios with atherosclerotic cardiovascular diseases.

PMID- 28356571
TI  - The mystery of membrane organization: composition, regulation and roles of lipid
      rafts.
AB  - Cellular plasma membranes are laterally heterogeneous, featuring a variety of
      distinct subcompartments that differ in their biophysical properties and
      composition. A large number of studies have focused on understanding the basis
      for this heterogeneity and its physiological relevance. The membrane raft
      hypothesis formalized a physicochemical principle for a subtype of such lateral
      membrane heterogeneity, in which the preferential associations between
      cholesterol and saturated lipids drive the formation of relatively packed (or
      ordered) membrane domains that selectively recruit certain lipids and proteins.
      Recent studies have yielded new insights into this mechanism and its relevance in
      vivo, owing primarily to the development of improved biochemical and biophysical
      technologies.

PMID- 28356576
TI  - Pade resummation of many-body perturbation theories.
AB  - In a typical scenario the diagrammatic many-body perturbation theory generates
      asymptotic series. Despite non-convergence, the asymptotic expansions are useful
      when truncated to a finite number of terms. This is the reason for the popularity
      of leading-order methods such as the GW approximation in condensed matter,
      molecular and atomic physics. Appropriate truncation order required for the
      accurate description of strongly correlated materials is, however, not known a
      priori. Here an efficient method based on the Pade approximation is introduced
      for the regularization of perturbative series allowing to perform higher-order
      self-consistent calculations and to make quantitative predictions on the
      convergence of many-body perturbation theories. The theory is extended towards
      excited states where the Wick theorem is not directly applicable. Focusing on the
      plasmon-assisted photoemission from graphene, we treat diagrammatically electrons
      coupled to the excited state plasmons and predict new spectral features that can
      be observed in the time-resolved measurements.

PMID- 28356577
TI  - The powerful advantages of extracellular electrical recording.

PMID- 28356575
TI  - Ejection time: influence of hemodynamics and site of measurement in the arterial
      tree.
AB  - The left ventricular ejection time is routinely measured from a peripheral
      arterial waveform. However, the arterial waveform undergoes constant
      transformation as the pulse wave propagates along the arterial tree. Our goal was
      to determine if the left ventricular ejection time measured peripherally in the
      arterial tree accurately reflected the ejection time measured through the aortic
      valve. Moreover, we examined/accessed the modulating influence of hemodynamics on
      ejection time measurements. Continuous wave Doppler waveform images through the
      aortic valve and the simultaneously obtained radial artery pressure waveforms
      were analyzed to determine central and peripheral ejection times, respectively.
      The peripheral ejection time was significantly longer than the simultaneously
      measured central ejection time (174.5+/-25.2 ms vs. 120.7+/-14.4 ms; P<0.0001;
      17.4+/-8.7% increase). Moreover, the ejection time prolongation was accentuated
      at lower blood pressures, lower heart rate and lower pulse wave velocity. The
      time difference between centrally and peripherally measured ejection times likely
      reflects intrinsic vascular characteristics. Moreover, given that the ejection
      time also depends on blood pressure, heart rate and pulse wave velocity,
      peripherally measured ejection times might need to be adjusted to account for
      changes in these variables.

PMID- 28356578
TI  - Stem cells: A case of metabolic identity in the intestinal crypt.

PMID- 28356579
TI  - Power comes from technical fidelity, not from ease of use.

PMID- 28356580
TI  - Extracellular gastrointestinal electrical recordings: movement not
      electrophysiology.

PMID- 28356582
TI  - Gut microbiota: NLRP12 regulates gut microbiota to suppress intestinal
      inflammation.

PMID- 28356581
TI  - Gut microbiome as a clinical tool in gastrointestinal disease management: are we
      there yet?
AB  - Spurred on by ever-evolving developments in analytical methodology, the
      microbiome, and the gut microbiome in particular, has become the hot topic in
      biomedical research. Ingenious experiments in animal models have revealed the
      extent to which the gut microbiota sustains health and how its disruption might
      contribute to disease pathogenesis. Not surprisingly, associations between the
      microbiota and disease states in humans have been the subject of considerable
      interest and many links proposed. However, with rare exceptions, the
      incrimination of an altered microbiota in disease pathogenesis seems premature at
      this time given our incomplete understanding of the composition of the gut
      microbiota in health and the effect of many confounding factors in the
      interpretation of supposedly abnormal microbial signatures. Future studies must
      account for these variables and the bidirectionality of host-microorganism
      interactions in health and disease. In this Perspectives, the status of
      microbiota signatures in the clinical arena (for facilitating diagnosis or
      refining prognosis) will be critically assessed and guidance toward future
      progress provided.

PMID- 28356584
TI  - Hearing loss: Vector overcomes barrier to gene therapy delivery.

PMID- 28356583
TI  - Correct techniques for extracellular recordings of electrical activity in
      gastrointestinal muscle.

PMID- 28356585
TI  - Drug toxicity: Cardiac safety index for TKIs.

PMID- 28356586
TI  - TransCelerate makes progress.

PMID- 28356587
TI  - Fragment-based phenotypic screening is a hit.

PMID- 28356588
TI  - Viral infections: Reinvigorating exhausted T cells in hepatitis B infection.

PMID- 28356589
TI  - Jay Bradner.

PMID- 28356590
TI  - Cancer: Bacterium-based immunotherapy.

PMID- 28356591
TI  - PRIME time at the EMA.

PMID- 28356592
TI  - Infectious diseases: Targeting T cells to treat Chikungunya virus infections.

PMID- 28356593
TI  - Liver disease: Conscious uncoupling in NASH.

PMID- 28356594
TI  - Ocular disorders: Vitamin B3 blocks glaucoma.

PMID- 28356595
TI  - Anticancer drugs: All roads lead to EZH2 inhibition.

PMID- 28356596
TI  - FDA approves Novartis's CDK4/6 inhibitor.

PMID- 28356597
TI  - Cardiovascular disease: Thioredoxin lowers hypertension.

PMID- 28356598
TI  - PARP inhibitors plough on.

PMID- 28356601
TI  - Prospects for RNA delivery with nanotechnologies.

PMID- 28356600
TI  - Double TALEN-edited T-cells kick B-ALL into touch.

PMID- 28356599
TI  - Towards Personalized Medicine in Melanoma: Implementation of a Clinical Next
      Generation Sequencing Panel.
AB  - Molecular diagnostics are increasingly performed routinely in the diagnosis and
      management of patients with melanoma due to the development of novel therapies
      that target specific genetic mutations. The development of next-generation
      sequencing (NGS) technologies has enabled to sequence multiple cancer-driving
      genes in a single assay, with improved sensitivity in mutation detection. The
      main objective of this study was the design and implementation of a melanoma
      specific sequencing panel, and the identification of the spectrum of somatic
      mutations in a series of primary melanoma samples. A custom panel was designed to
      cover the coding regions of 35 melanoma-related genes. Panel average coverage was
      2,575.5 reads per amplicon, with 92,8% of targeted bases covered >=500*. Deep
      coverage enabled sensitive discovery of mutations in as low as 0.5% mutant allele
      frequency. Eighty-five percent (85/100) of the melanomas had at least one somatic
      mutation. The most prevalent mutated genes were BRAF (50%;50/199), NRAS
      (15%;15/100), PREX2 (14%;14/100), GRIN2A (13%;13/100), and ERBB4 (12%;12/100).
      Turn-around-time and costs for NGS-based analysis was reduced in comparison to
      conventional molecular approaches. The results of this study demonstrate the cost
      effectiveness and feasibility of a custom-designed targeted NGS panel, and
      suggest the implementation of targeted NGS into daily routine practice.

PMID- 28356602
TI  - Does Quality Affect Patients' Choice of Doctor? Evidence from England.
AB  - Reforms giving users of public services choice of provider aim to improve
      quality. But such reforms will work only if quality affects choice of provider.
      We test this crucial prerequisite in the English health care market by examining
      the choice of 3.4 million individuals of family doctor. Family doctor practices
      provide primary care and control access to non-emergency hospital care, the
      quality of their clinical care is measured and published and care is free. In
      this setting, clinical quality should affect choice. We find that a 1 standard
      deviation increase in clinical quality would increase practice size by around
      17%.

PMID- 28356603
TI  - Photocatalytic performance of Cu2O-loaded TiO2/rGO nanoheterojunctions obtained
      by UV reduction.
AB  - A novel dot-like Cu2O-loaded TiO2/reduced graphene oxide (rGO) nanoheterojunction
      was synthesized via UV light reduction for the first time. Cu2O with size of ca.
      5 nm was deposited on rGO sheet and TiO2 nanosheets. The products were
      characterized by infrared spectroscopy, Raman spectrum, UV-Vis diffuse
      reflectance spectra, XPS techniques, photoluminescence spectra. The results
      demonstrated that Cu2O and rGO enhanced the absorption for solar light,
      separation efficiency of electron-hole pairs, charge shuttle and transfer, and
      eventually improved photoelectrochemical and photocatalytic performance for
      contaminants degradation. The reaction time and anion precursor could affect the
      final copper-containing phase. As extending UV irradiation time, Cu2+ was be
      first reduced to Cu2O and then transformed to metal Cu. In comparison with CH3COO
      (copper acetate), NO3- (copper nitrate) and Cl- (copper chloride), SO42- (copper
      sulfate) was the optimum for synthesizing pure Cu2O phase.

PMID- 28356604
TI  - Early molecular signatures of responses of wheat to Zymoseptoria tritici in
      compatible and incompatible interactions.
AB  - Zymoseptoria tritici, the causal agent of septoria tritici blotch, a serious
      foliar disease of wheat, is a necrotrophic pathogen that undergoes a long latent
      period. Emergence of insensitivity to fungicides, and pesticide reduction
      policies, mean there is a pressing need to understand septoria and control it
      through greater varietal resistance. Stb6 and Stb15, the most common qualitative
      resistance genes in modern wheat cultivars, determine specific resistance to
      avirulent fungal genotypes following a gene-for-gene relationship. This study
      investigated compatible and incompatible interactions of wheat with Z. tritici
      using eight combinations of cultivars and isolates, with the aim of identifying
      molecular responses that could be used as markers for disease resistance during
      the early, symptomless phase of colonization. The accumulation of TaMPK3 was
      estimated using western blotting, and the expression of genes implicated in gene
      for-gene interactions of plants with a wide range of other pathogens was measured
      by qRT-PCR during the presymptomatic stages of infection. Production of TaMPK3
      and expression of most of the genes responded to inoculation with Z. tritici but
      varied considerably between experimental replicates. However, there was no
      significant difference between compatible and incompatible interactions in any of
      the responses tested. These results demonstrate that the molecular biology of the
      gene-for-gene interaction between wheat and Zymoseptoria is unlike that in many
      other plant diseases, indicate that environmental conditions may strongly
      influence early responses of wheat to infection by Z. tritici, and emphasize the
      importance of including both compatible and incompatible interactions when
      investigating the biology of this complex pathosystem.

PMID- 28356605
TI  - Assessing Historical Mining and Smelting Effects on Heavy Metal Pollution of
      River Systems over Span of Two Decades.
AB  - Research was conducted on the most polluted river system in Poland, impacted by
      active and historical mining. Bottom sediment, suspended particulate matter and
      river water were collected in 2014 from Przemsza river and its tributaries.
      Sampling points remained the same as those chosen in a 1995 study. This allowed
      the comparison of heavy metal accumulation in bottom sediment over a span of
      almost two decades. It was concluded that Przemsza river water and its
      tributaries are heavily contaminated with the following (in MUg/dm3): Pb (0.99
      145.7), Zn (48-5020), and Cd 0.12-12.72). Concentrations of metals in bottom
      sediment exceeded the background values by a factor of several hundred (100 times
      for Zn, 150 times for Pb, and 240 times for Cd). The arithmetic mean for metal
      concentration in fractions <63 MUm sampled in 2014 has remained comparable to the
      level found in 1995 (in mg/kg): Zn 16,918 and 13,505, Pb 4177 and 4758, and Cd 92
      and 134. It was determined that 20-50% more metals have accumulated in suspended
      matter, rather than in bottom sediment (in mg/kg): 20,498 Zn, Pb 5170, and 164
      Cd. This exceeds the limits of the most polluted LAWA Class IV classification.
      Since the concentrations of Zn, Pb, and Cd increase drastically after the outlet
      of the Przemsza into the Vistula, it was concluded that river Przemsza is the
      cause of significant degradation of Vistula's bottom sediment and suspended
      matter. A two-decade legacy of extremely high contamination of the Przemsza river
      sediments has persisted despite decreasing mining and smelting activity in the
      vicinity.

PMID- 28356606
TI  - Stratospheric variability contributed to and sustained the recent hiatus in
      Eurasian winter warming.
AB  - The recent hiatus in global-mean surface temperature warming was characterized by
      a Eurasian winter cooling trend, and the cause(s) for this cooling is unclear.
      Here we show that the observed hiatus in Eurasian warming was associated with a
      recent trend toward weakened stratospheric polar vortices. Specifically, by
      calculating the change in Eurasian surface air temperature associated with a
      given vortex weakening, we demonstrate that the recent trend toward weakened
      polar vortices reduced the anticipated Eurasian warming due to increasing
      greenhouse gas concentrations. Those model integrations whose stratospheric
      vortex evolution most closely matches that in reanalysis data also simulate a
      hiatus. While it is unclear whether the recent weakening of the midwinter
      stratospheric polar vortex was forced, a properly configured model can simulate
      substantial deviations of the polar vortex on decadal timescales and hence such
      hiatus events, implying that similar hiatus events may recur even as greenhouse
      gas concentrations rise.

PMID- 28356607
TI  - Output-Sensitive Filtering of Streaming Volume Data.
AB  - Real-time volume data acquisition poses substantial challenges for the
      traditional visualization pipeline where data enhancement is typically seen as a
      pre-processing step. In the case of 4D ultrasound data, for instance, costly
      processing operations to reduce noise and to remove artefacts need to be executed
      for every frame. To enable the use of high-quality filtering operations in such
      scenarios, we propose an output-sensitive approach to the visualization of
      streaming volume data. Our method evaluates the potential contribution of all
      voxels to the final image, allowing us to skip expensive processing operations
      that have little or no effect on the visualization. As filtering operations
      modify the data values which may affect the visibility, our main contribution is
      a fast scheme to predict their maximum effect on the final image. Our approach
      prioritizes filtering of voxels with high contribution to the final visualization
      based on a maximal permissible error per pixel. With zero permissible error, the
      optimized filtering will yield a result that is identical to filtering of the
      entire volume. We provide a thorough technical evaluation of the approach and
      demonstrate it on several typical scenarios that require on-the-fly processing.

PMID- 28356608
TI  - BIOPHYSICAL PROPERTIES OF SUBTHRESHOLD RESONANCE OSCILLATIONS AND SUBTHRESHOLD
      MEMBRANE OSCILLATIONS IN NEURONS.
AB  - Subthreshold-level activities in neurons play a crucial role in neuronal
      oscillations. These small-amplitude oscillations have been suggested to be
      involved in synaptic plasticity and in determining the frequency of network
      oscillations. Subthreshold membrane oscillations (STOs) and subthreshold
      resonance oscillations (SROs) are the main constituents of subthreshold-level
      activities in neurons. In this study, a general theoretical framework for
      analyzing the mechanisms underlying STOs and SROs in neurons is presented.
      Results showed that the resting membrane potential and the hyperpolarization
      activated potassium channel (h-channel) affect the subthreshold-level activities
      in stellate cells. The contribution of h-channel on resonance is attributed to
      its large time constant, which produces the time lag between Ih and the membrane
      potential. Conversely, the persistent sodium channels (Nap-channels) only play an
      amplifying role in these neurons.

PMID- 28356609
TI  - Ischemia-Modified Albumin as a Marker of Acute Coronary Syndrome: The Case for
      Revising the Concept of "N-Terminal Modification" to "Fatty Acid Occupation" of
      Albumin.
AB  - Ischemia-modified albumin (IMA) is assumed "N-terminal modified" albumin which is
      generated immediately following myocardial ischemia. The diagnosis of IMA is
      based on reduced cobalt binding affinity to albumin which is attributed mainly to
      incapability of cobalt to bind at albumin's modified N-terminus. Although the
      albumin cobalt binding test was accepted as a potentially powerful marker for
      discriminating acute coronary syndrome from nonischemic chest pain, its
      usefulness has been brought into question in recent years. Patients with acutely
      ischemic myocardium exhibit a rapid increase in serum levels of fatty acids
      (FAs). Almost all released FAs are strongly bound to albumin which create
      conformational changes in the protein with resultant reduced cobalt binding
      affinity. There is a clear metabolic and temporal relationship between IMA
      measured via albumin cobalt binding testing and serum levels of FAs. In line with
      what has been suggested recently in the literature, we conclude that a shift from
      the concept of "N-terminal modified" to "FA-occupied" albumin is required, as
      this better describes IMA in patients with acute coronary syndrome. We also offer
      "oxidation modified albumin, OMA," which is conceptually different from the "FA
      occupied" IMA, to describe modification of albumin in chronic disease associated
      with increased oxidative stress.

PMID- 28356610
TI  - A Panel of CA19-9, Ca125, and Ca15-3 as the Enhanced Test for the Differential
      Diagnosis of the Pancreatic Lesion.
AB  - Background. Proper diagnosis of pancreatic lesion etiology is a challenging
      clinical dilemma. Studies suggest that surgery for suspected pancreatic ductal
      adenocarcinoma (PDAC) reveals a benign lesion in 5% to 13% of cases. The aim of
      our study was to assess whether routinely used biomarkers such as CA19-9, Ca125,
      Ca15-3, and CEA, when combined, can potentially yield an accurate test predicting
      pancreatic lesion etiology. Methods. We retrospectively analyzed data of 326
      patients who underwent a diagnostic process due to pancreatic lesions of unknown
      etiology. Results. We found statistically significant differences in mean levels
      of all biomarkers. In logistic regression model, we applied levels CA19-9, Ca125,
      and Ca15-3 as variables. Two validation methods were used, namely, random data
      split into training and validation groups and bootstrapping. Afterward, we built
      ROC curve using the model that we had created, reaching AUC = 0,801. With an
      optimal cut-off point, it achieved specificity of 81,2% and sensitivity of
      63,10%. Our proposed model has superior diagnostic accuracy to both CA19-9 (p =
      0,0194) and CA125 (p = 0,0026). Conclusion. We propose a test that is superior to
      CA19-9 in a differential diagnosis of pancreatic lesion etiology. Although our
      test fails to reach exceptionally high accuracy, its feasibility and cost
      effectiveness make it clinically useful.

PMID- 28356611
TI  - Predatory interactions between prey affect patch selection by predators.
AB  - ABSTRACT: When predators can use several prey species as food sources, they are
      known to select prey according to foraging efficiency and food quality. However,
      interactions between the prey species may also affect prey choice, and this has
      received limited attention. The effect of one such interaction, intraguild
      predation between prey, on patch selection by predators was studied here. The
      predatory mite Neoseiulus californicus preys on young larvae of the western
      flower thrips Frankliniella occidentalis and on all stages of the two-spotted
      spider mite Tetranychus urticae. The two prey species co-occur on several plant
      species, on which they compete for resources, and western flower thrips feed on
      eggs of the spider mites. A further complicating factor is that the thrips can
      also feed on the eggs of the predator. We found that performance of the predatory
      mite was highest on patches with spider mites, intermediate on patches with
      spider mites plus thrips larvae and lowest on patches with thrips larvae alone.
      Patch selection and oviposition preference of predators matched performance:
      predators preferred patches with spider mites over patches with spider mites plus
      thrips. Patches with thrips only were not significantly more attractive than
      empty patches. We also investigated the cues involved in patch selection and
      found that the attractiveness of patches with spider mites was significantly
      reduced by the presence of cues associated with killed spider mite eggs. This
      explains the reduced attractiveness of patches with both prey. Our results point
      at the importance of predatory interactions among prey species for patch
      selection by predators. SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT: Patch selection by predators is
      known to be affected by factors such as prey quality, the presence of competitors
      and predators, but little is known on the effects of interactions among prey
      species present on patch selection. In this paper, we show that patch selection
      by a predator is affected by such interactions, specifically by the feeding of
      one prey species on eggs of the other.

PMID- 28356612
TI  - Contact with Counter-Stereotypical Women Predicts Less Sexism, Less Rape Myth
      Acceptance, Less Intention to Rape (in Men) and Less Projected Enjoyment of Rape
      (in Women).
AB  - Intergroup contact-(positive) interactions with people from different social
      groups-is a widely researched and strongly supported prejudice-reducing mechanism
      shown to reduce prejudice against a wide variety of outgroups. However, no known
      previous research has investigated whether intergroup contact can also reduce
      sexism against women. Sexism has an array of negative outcomes. One of the most
      detrimental and violent ones is rape, which is both justified and downplayed by
      rape myth acceptance. We hypothesised that more frequent, higher quality contact
      with counter-stereotypical women would predict lower levels of sexism and thus
      less rape myth acceptance (in men) and less sexualised projected responses to
      rape (in women). Two studies using online surveys with community samples
      supported these hypotheses. In Study 1, 170 male participants who experienced
      more positive contact with counter-stereotypical women reported less intention to
      rape. Similarly, in Study 2, 280 female participants who experienced more
      positive contact with counter-stereotypical women reported less projected sexual
      arousal at the thought of being raped. Thus, the present research is the first
      known to show that contact could be a potential tool to combat sexism, rape myth
      acceptance, intentions to rape in men, and sexualisation of rape by women.

PMID- 28356613
TI  - Atomic Layer Deposition of Titanium Oxide on Single-Layer Graphene: An Atomic
      Scale Study toward Understanding Nucleation and Growth.
AB  - Controlled synthesis of a hybrid nanomaterial based on titanium oxide and single
      layer graphene (SLG) using atomic layer deposition (ALD) is reported here. The
      morphology and crystallinity of the oxide layer on SLG can be tuned mainly with
      the deposition temperature, achieving either a uniform amorphous layer at 60 
      degrees C or ~2 nm individual nanocrystals on the SLG at 200  degrees C after
      only 20 ALD cycles. A continuous and uniform amorphous layer formed on the SLG
      after 180 cycles at 60  degrees C can be converted to a polycrystalline layer
      containing domains of anatase TiO2 after a postdeposition annealing at 400 
      degrees C under vacuum. Using aberration-corrected transmission electron
      microscopy (AC-TEM), characterization of the structure and chemistry was
      performed on an atomic scale and provided insight into understanding the
      nucleation and growth. AC-TEM imaging and electron energy loss spectroscopy
      revealed that rocksalt TiO nanocrystals were occasionally formed at the early
      stage of nucleation after only 20 ALD cycles. Understanding and controlling
      nucleation and growth of the hybrid nanomaterial are crucial to achieving novel
      properties and enhanced performance for a wide range of applications that exploit
      the synergetic functionalities of the ensemble.

PMID- 28356614
TI  - A study on the physical fitness of children with juvenile rheumatoid arthritis.
AB  - [Purpose] This study was conducted to assess the physical fitness of children
      with juvenile rheumatoid arthritis (JRA). [Subjects and Methods] In total, 26
      children with juvenile rheumatoid arthritis (JRA) and 25 healthy controls
      participated in this study. Using the physical fitness measurement instruments,
      the Inbody 720 and Quark b2, the elements of physical fitness that were assessed
      included muscular strength, muscular endurance, flexibility, lung capacity, and
      body composition. [Results] The results revealed significant differences in
      muscular strength, muscular endurance, lung capacity, body composition,
      functional ability, and health-related quality of life between the children with
      juvenile rheumatoid arthritis (JRA) and the control group. [Conclusion] These
      results suggested that children with juvenile rheumatoid arthritis (JRA) have
      inferior physical fitness when compared to healthy children. The present study
      was conducted to develop an accurate evaluation standard to assess the physical
      fitness of children with juvenile rheumatoid arthritis (JRA).

PMID- 28356615
TI  - Effect of belly dancing on urinary incontinence-related muscles and vaginal
      pressure in middle-aged women.
AB  - [Purpose] This study examined the effect of belly dancing on the urinary
      incontinence-related muscles and vaginal pressure in middle-aged women to provide
      fundamental data for establishing an effective training program focusing on
      mitigating and preventing urinary incontinence. [Subjects and Methods] The
      subjects included 24 middle-aged women, who have been diagnosed with urinary
      incontinence. The subjects were randomly divided into two groups, viz. the
      experimental group (N=12) and control group (N=12). The experimental group
      underwent a belly dancing program focusing on pelvis moves. [Results] In the
      experimental group, the urinary incontinence-related muscle strength and vaginal
      pressure were increased, while the control group showed no significant change.
      [Conclusion] Belly dancing focusing on pelvis moves had a positive effect on the
      urinary incontinence-related muscle strength and vaginal pressure, suggesting
      that a recreational dance program focusing on pelvic exercise can be used to
      prevent and relieve the symptoms of urinary incontinence as a non-surgical
      treatment.

PMID- 28356616
TI  - The effects of horse-riding simulator exercise on balance in elderly with knee
      osteoarthritis.
AB  - [Purpose] The aim of this study was to examine the effects of horse-riding
      simulator exercise on balance in elderly with knee osteoarthritis. [Subjects and
      Methods] Fifty elderly patients with knee osteoarthritis were recruited, a horse
      riding simulator group performed exercise three times a week for eight weeks. And
      each exercise was performed for 30 minutes. [Results] The horse-riding simulator
      group showed significant differences after the intervention in Short Form Berg
      Balance Scale, Functional reaching test. [Conclusion] The results of this study
      indicate that horse-riding simulator exercise is effective on knee
      osteoarthritis. Therefore, horse-riding simulator exercise can be used balance
      training for knee osteoarthritis.

PMID- 28356617
TI  - Effects on sitting pressure distribution during the application of different
      cushions and anterior height wedges.
AB  - [Purpose] The purpose of this study was to investigate interface pressure
      redistribution in healthy volunteers when applying different cushions and
      anterior wedge heights. [Subjects and Methods] This study included 36 healthy
      individuals in their 20s. The peak and mean pressures were measured by applying
      different cushions and anterior wedge heights. The results were analyzed by using
      a one-way analysis of variance and post-hoc analysis. [Results] The peak and mean
      pressures were statistically significant based on the cushion types and anterior
      wedge height. The peak pressure was at its highest and lowest when sitting on a 6
      cm anterior wedge and a foam cushion, respectively. The mean pressure was
      greatest when sitting on a 6-cm anterior wedge of a firm surface and smallest
      when sitting on a 5 cm foam cushion. [Conclusion] This study shows that the most
      effective method for pressure redistribution was sitting on a 5 cm foam cushion
      without an anterior wedge.

PMID- 28356618
TI  - Affective temperament profile in ankylosing spondylitis patients using TEMPS-A.
AB  - [Purpose] This study aimed to compare the most common dominant affective
      temperaments in Ankylosing Spondylitis patients and investigate the relationship
      between the dominant affective temperaments and pain levels, disease activity,
      quality of life, current depression, and anxiety level in Ankylosing Spondylitis
      patients. [Subjects and Methods] Fifty-one patients diagnosed with axial
      spondiloartropathy and forty-two age- and gender-matched control subjects were
      included in this study. Disease duration, erythrocyte sedimentation rate, serum C
      reactive protein, pain by the Visual Analog Scale, disease activity by the Bath
      Ankylosing Spondylitis Disease Activity Index, functional status by the Bath
      Ankylosing Spondylitis Functional Index; psychological status by the Beck
      Depression Inventory, Beck Anxiety Inventory and overall health assessment by the
      Ankylosing Spondylitis Quality of Life Scale were assessed in patients. The
      Turkish version of the Temperament Evaluation of Memphis, Pisa, Paris and San
      Diego Auto Questionnaire was used to determine the dominant affective
      temperament. [Results] There was no statistical difference in the distribution of
      temperament subtypes between patients with Ankylosing Spondylitis and the
      controls. Depressive, anxious, and cyclothymic temperament scores were higher in
      patients with high values on the Bath Ankylosing Spondylitis Functional Index and
      Visual Analog Scale. There was a correlation between anxious subtypes of
      affective temperament scores and the value of Ankylosing Spondylitis Quality of
      Life Scale. Correlation analysis also found depressive, cyclothymic, irritable,
      and anxious temperament and psychiatric symptoms to be significantly related.
      [Conclusion] Affective temperament may contribute to symptoms of depression and
      anxiety in patients with Ankylosing Spondylitis and may increase disease activity
      and may reduce their quality of life.

PMID- 28356619
TI  - Cognitive basis about risk level classifications for the self-assessment of older
      drivers.
AB  - [Purpose] This study analyzed the cognitive functions according to risk level for
      the Driver 65 Plus measure, and examined the cognitive basis of self-assessment
      for screening the driving risk of elderly drivers. [Subjects and Methods] A total
      of 46 older drivers with a driver's license participated in this study. All
      participants were evaluated with Driver 65 Plus. They were classified into three
      groups of "safe," "caution" and "stop," and examined for cognitive functions with
      Trail Making Test and Montreal Cognitive Assessment-K. The cognitive test results
      of the three groups were compared. [Results] Trail Making Test-A, Trail Making
      Test-B, and Montreal Cognitive Assessment-K showed a significant difference
      between the three groups. The safe group showed significantly higher ability than
      the caution and stop groups in the three cognitive tests. In addition, cognitive
      functions of naming, attention, language, and delayed recall were significantly
      different between the three groups. [Conclusion] Self-assessment of older drivers
      is a useful tool for screening the cognitive aspects of driving risk. The
      cognitive functions, such as attention and recall, are the critical factors for
      screening the driving risk of elderly drivers.

PMID- 28356620
TI  - Effect of a modified grip angle of a walker on the wrist deviation angle, muscle
      activation and palmar load during walker-assisted gait in elderly people.
AB  - [Purpose] The aim of this study was to develop a new handle holder by modifying
      the inclination of the existing handle holder to reduce load on the wrist joints.
      [Subjects and Methods] The subjects of this study consisted of 25 elderly people
      aged 65 years or older accustomed to a walker-assisted gait. Two types of handle
      holders ((1) standard handle holder (2) inclination handle holder) were applied
      to all subjects and their wrist joint movement and muscle activity were measured
      while they conducted 10 cycle walker-assisted gait. [Results] The use of an
      inclination handle holder during the walker-assisted gait decreased considerably
      the extensor carpi radialis longus activity and angles of the ulnar deviation and
      wrist extension. [Conclusion] Improvements in the overall structure of a walker
      may be a new tool for improving existing walker users but the replacement cost
      will be expensive. The inclination handle holder presented in this study
      decreases the burden on the wrist joints of walker users without any overall
      structural changes in the walker, thereby reducing the occurrence of
      musculoskeletal diseases of the wrist joint during the walker-assisted gait of
      elderly people.

PMID- 28356621
TI  - Changes in T2-weighted MRI of supinator muscle, pronator teres muscle, and
      extensor indicis muscle with manual muscle testing.
AB  - [Purpose] In order to detect muscle activity with manual muscle testing, T2
      weighted magnetic resonance (T2w-MR) images were detected by a 0.2 T compact MRI
      system. [Subjects and Methods] The subjects were 3 adult males. Transverse T2
      weighted multi-slice spin-echo images of the left forearm were measured by a 39
      ms echo-time with a 2,000 ms repetition time, a 9.5 mm slice thickness, 1
      accumulation and a total image acquisition time of 4 min 16 s. First, T2w-MR
      images in the resting condition were measured. Then, manipulative isometric
      contraction exercise (5 sec duration) to the supinator muscle, the pronator teres
      muscle or the extensor indicis muscle was performed using Borg's rating of
      perceived exertion (RPE) scale of 15-17. The T2w-MR images were measured
      immediately after the exercise. [Results] T2w-MR image intensities increased
      significantly in the supinator muscle, the pronator teres muscle and the extensor
      indicis muscle after the exercise. However, the image intensities in the rest of
      the muscle did not change. [Conclusion] Using T2w-MR images, we could detect
      muscle activity in a deep muscle, the supinator muscle, and a small muscle, the
      extensor indicis muscle. These results also support the reliability of the manual
      muscle testing method.

PMID- 28356622
TI  - Evaluation of the relationship between the static measurement of transverse arch
      flexibility of the forefoot and gait parameters in healthy subjects.
AB  - [Purpose] To investigate the relationship between the static measurement of the
      transverse arch of the forefoot, using a 3-dimensional (3D) foot scanner, and
      kinetics and kinematics of gait parameters in the sagittal plane. [Subjects and
      Methods] Twenty healthy subjects participated in this study. The transverse arch
      of the forefoot was measured under three conditions as follows: condition 1,
      sitting; condition 2, standing; and condition 3, foot forward and lower leg
      tilting anteriorly to the maximum position with heel contact. Gait parameters
      were recorded using a 3D motion analysis system and force plate. Correlation
      coefficients between TAF for each comparison of conditions and gait parameters
      were calculated using the Spearman correlation analysis. [Results] Rates of the
      transverse arch of the forefoot width and height between condition 2 and
      condition 3 were significantly correlated with the anterior and posterior
      component of ground reaction forces, the hip joint extension angle, and the ankle
      plantar flexion moment. [Conclusion] Our study's findings indicated that
      increased stiffness of the transverse arch of the forefoot was related to the
      increase in ankle plantar moment, and decreased stiffness of the transverse arch
      of the forefoot was related to the increase in hip joint extension angle during
      gait.

PMID- 28356623
TI  - "Slow walking with turns" increases quadriceps and erector spinae muscle
      activity.
AB  - [Purpose] To maintain an independent lifestyle, older adults should improve
      muscle strength and mass, or aerobic capacity. A new exercise pattern, called
      slow walking with turns, which incorporates turning as an extra load additional
      to walking. The purpose of this study was to measure oxygen consumption during
      exercise and muscle activity while turning. [Subjects and Methods] Recreationally
      active volunteers participated. The participants performed 20 turns per minute
      while walking back and forth over distances of 1.5 to 3.5 m. We measured oxygen
      consumption, heart rate, and rating of perceived exertion and performed
      electromyography during the exercise. [Results] The metabolic equivalents of the
      exercise were 4.0 +/- 0.4 to 6.3 +/- 4.0 Mets. Activity was significantly greater
      in the vastus medialis, vastus lateralis, and erector spinae during the turn
      phase of slow walking with turns than during the stance phase of treadmill
      walking. [Conclusion] These findings suggest that slow walking with turns may
      help to preserve the muscle strength and mass of the trunk and lower limbs that
      are needed to maintain an independent lifestyle. Slow walking can be performed
      easily by older people, and in slow walking with turns, the exercise intensity
      can be adjusted as required for each individual.

PMID- 28356624
TI  - Relation between change in exercise capacity and change in blood amino acids in
      patients with chronic heart failure.
AB  - [Purpose] Although cardiac rehabilitation (CR) is recommended for patients with
      chronic heart failure (CHF), adequate exercise effect cannot be obtained in
      elderly patients. Administration of amino acids (AA) to CHF patients has been
      reported to improve exercise capacity, but the changes in AA composition in
      plasma before and after CR had not been reported. This study aimed to measure
      plasma levels of AA in CHF patients and compare with values of normal range. In
      addition the relationship between the change of exercise capacity and AA were
      examined. [Subjects and Methods] Twelve CHF patients (60% males, aged 68 +/- 12
      years) were studied. The correction between the rates of changes in exercise
      capacity parameters and in plasma AA levels was investigated. [Results] Anaerobic
      threshold (AT) and peak oxygen uptake (VO2) improved significantly after CR. The
      AA profile showed no specific pattern, and citrulline (Cit) was the amino acid
      showing a significant positive correlation with exercise capacity (?Cit vs. ?AT:
      r=0.602, ?Cit vs. ?AT-work rate (WR): r=0.681, ?Cit vs. ?VO2/WR: r=0.635). A
      tendency of positive correlation was observed between ?Cit and ?peak VO2
      (r=0.456). [Conclusion] The AA profile showed no specific pattern, but a
      relationship between change in exercise capacity and Cit were found.

PMID- 28356626
TI  - Effects of wearing functional foot orthotic on pelvic angle among college
      students in their 20s with flatfoot.
AB  - [Purpose] This study examined the impact of wearing a functional foot orthotic on
      the pelvic angle of young adults who have flatfoot. [Subjects and Methods] A
      total of 15 college students diagnosed with flatfoot were included in the study.
      Changes in the pelvic angle in the stance period during walking before and after
      orthotic use were measured using a VICON Motion System (VICON, Hansung, Korea).
      The data were analyzed using SPSS 12.0 for Windows. [Results] In the experimental
      group, the pelvic angle during the mid-stance and mid-swing periods of the gait
      cycle significantly decreased on the left and right sides after wearing the
      orthotic, compared to the measurements taken before orthotic usage. The pelvic
      angle change on the left and right sides also decreased after wearing the
      orthotic, though this difference was not significant. [Conclusion] The pelvic
      angle of college students with flatfoot decreased after they wore orthotics. This
      implies that wearing orthotic shoes can greatly benefit individuals during normal
      walking by promoting passive changes that decrease the pelvic angle.

PMID- 28356625
TI  - Instantaneous changes in respiratory function induced by passive pelvic
      suspension in the supine position in relation to increased diaphragm excursion.
AB  - [Purpose] This study aimed to introduce an approach of pelvic suspension (PS)
      using sling cords and to obtain evidence for changes in respiratory function of
      healthy subjects. [Subjects and Methods] Subjects were 25 healthy men. In the
      supine position, with hip and knee joints flexed at 90 degrees , the subjects'
      pelvises were suspended with sling belts. Diaphragm excursion, respiratory
      function, and respiratory comfort in these postures were measured using
      ultrasonography, respirometry, and visual analog scale (VAS), respectively.
      [Results] When the pelvis was passively suspended with sling cords, the diaphragm
      moved 5 mm cranially and diaphragm excursion showed an instantaneous increase
      compared with the control. The tidal volume (VT) showed an increase and the
      respiration rate (RR) showed a decrease. The extent of diaphragm excursion was
      correlated with changes in VT under the control and PS conditions. Independent
      measurements of pulmonary function revealed that PS reduced the expiratory
      reserve volume, being correlated positively and negatively to increases in vital
      and inspiratory capacities, respectively. Furthermore, VAS values for respiratory
      ease were greater with PS than with the control. [Conclusion] These results
      suggest that PS effectively changed diaphragm excursion and respiratory function,
      leading to ease of breathing (i.e., deep and slow respiration).

PMID- 28356627
TI  - Examination of center of pressure displacement and muscle activity of the hip
      girdle muscles on lateral movement in the sitting position, focusing on kinematic
      features before and after the start of exercise.
AB  - [Purpose] This study aimed to evaluate the kinematic characteristics at the start
      of lateral movement in the sitting position, for application in physical therapy.
      [Subjects and Methods] Eleven healthy male subjects (mean age, 24.8 +/- 3.7
      years) were included in the study after they provided informed consent. The
      electromyographic activities of the tensor fascia lata, gluteus medius, and
      rectus femoris, and the center of pressure (COP) displacement during lateral
      reach in the sitting position were measured. The task was recorded on video for
      analysis. [Results] In almost all subjects, before the beginning of the task, the
      electromyographic activity in the opposite side of each studied muscle was
      recorded, and the opposite and anterior displacement of the COP was observed. The
      video analysis revealed that all subjects showed lateral displacement of the
      thoracic part of the trunk after the start of the task. However, the lumbar
      region and pelvis maintained their starting positions. [Conclusion] COP
      displacement occurred in the reverse reaction before the task, and this involved
      the hip girdle muscles of the opposite side. A reverse reaction displaced the
      pelvis to the opposite side to ensure instability of posture through side tilting
      of the trunk at the beginning of the task.

PMID- 28356628
TI  - Factors inducing falling in schizophrenia patients.
AB  - [Purpose] The purpose of this study is to investigate the factors causing falling
      among patients with schizophrenia hospitalized in psychiatric hospitals.
      [Subjects and Methods] The study subjects were divided into either those having
      experienced a fall within the past one year (Fall group, 12 patients) and those
      not having experienced a fall (Non-fall group, 7 patients), and we examined
      differences between the two groups. Assessment items measured included muscle
      strength, balance ability, flexibility, body composition assessment, Global
      Assessment of Functioning scale (GAF), the antipsychotic drug intake, and Drug
      Induced Extra-Pyramidal Symptoms Scale (DIEPSS). [Results] As a result,
      significant differences were observed in regard to One leg standing time with
      eyes open, Time Up and Go Test (TUGT), and DIEPSS Sialorrhea between the Fall
      group and the Non-fall group. [Conclusion] These results suggest that a decrease
      in balance ability was significantly correlated with falling in schizophrenia
      patients.

PMID- 28356629
TI  - The effects of posterior talar glide with dorsiflexion of the ankle on mobility,
      muscle strength and balance in stroke patients: a randomised controlled trial.
AB  - [Purpose] The purpose of this study was to examine the effectiveness of posterior
      talar glide (PTG) with dorsiflexion of the ankle on stroke patients ankle
      mobility, muscle strength, and balance ability. [Subjects and Methods] Thirty
      four subjects were randomly assigned to either a PTG with dorsiflexion group
      (PTG; n=17), or a weight-bearing with placebo PTG group (control; n=17). Subjects
      in the PTG group performed PTG with dorsiflexion, designed to improve ankle
      mobility, muscle strength and balance ability with proprioceptive control of the
      ankle, for 10 glides of 5 sets/day, 5 days/week, for 4 weeks. [Results] The
      experimental group showed significant improvement on the Ankle Dorsiflexion Range
      of Motion assessment, Ankle Dorsiflexor Manual Muscle Test, Functional Reach
      Test, Time Up and Go test, and Functional Gait Assessment compared to the control
      group. However, regarding Ankle Plantarflexion Range of Motion assessment and the
      Ankle Plantarflexor Manual Muscle Test, no significant differences were found
      between the two groups. [Conclusion] The results of this study show that PTG with
      dorsiflexion can improve ankle mobility, muscle strength and balance ability in
      patients recovering from stroke. This exercise may prove useful in clinical
      rehabilitation. Further research on the long-term effectiveness of PTG on gait
      ability is suggested.

PMID- 28356630
TI  - Activities of daily living and manual hand dexterity in persons with idiopathic
      parkinson disease.
AB  - [Purpose] The purpose of this study was to evaluate the relationship between
      daily activities and manual dexterity in persons with Parkinson disease.
      [Subjects and Methods] The study participants were 25 patients with idiopathic
      Parkinson disease. This study used two clinical tools, the box-and-block test and
      Schwab and England Activities of Daily Living scale, to investigate the
      relationship between manual dexterity and Schwab and England Activities of Daily
      Living score. [Results] A positive correlation was observed between the Schwab
      and England Activities of Daily Living and the box-and-block test scores on the
      more and less affected sides. Moreover, the Schwab and England Activities of
      Daily Living score had a greater correlation with the box-and-block test score on
      the less affected side than that on the more affected side. [Conclusion] Manual
      dexterity and activities of daily living showed a positive correlation in
      individuals with Parkinson disease. The results of this study suggest that manual
      dexterity is an important factor for predicting physical performance in daily
      living in persons with Parkinson disease.

PMID- 28356631
TI  - Associations of knee muscle force, bone malalignment, and knee-joint laxity with
      osteoarthritis in elderly people.
AB  - [Purpose] From the viewpoint of prevention of knee osteoarthritis, the aim of
      this study was to verify how muscle strength and joint laxity are related to knee
      osteoarthritis. [Subjects and Methods] The study subjects consisted of 90
      community-dwelling elderly people aged more than 60 years (22 males, 68 females).
      Femorotibial angle alignment, knee joint laxity, knee extensors and flexor muscle
      strengths were measured in all subjects. In addition, the subjects were divided
      into four groups based on the presence of laxity and knee joint deformation, and
      the muscle strength values were compared. [Results] There was no significant
      difference in knee extensor muscle strength among the four groups. However, there
      was significant weakness of the knee flexor muscle in the group with deformation
      and laxity was compared with the group without deformation and laxity.
      [Conclusion] Decreased knee flexor muscle strengths may be involved in knee joint
      deformation. The importance of muscle strength balance was also considered.

PMID- 28356632
TI  - The effects of inspiratory diaphragm breathing exercise and expiratory pursed-lip
      breathing exercise on chronic stroke patients' respiratory muscle activation.
AB  - [Purpose] The purpose of this study is to examine the effects of inspiratory
      diaphragm breathing exercise and expiratory pursed-lip breathing exercise on
      chronic stroke patients' respiratory muscle activation. [Subjects and Methods]
      All experimental subjects performed exercises five times per week for four weeks.
      Thirty chronic stroke patients were randomly assign to an experimental group of
      15 patients and a control group of 15 patients. The experimental group underwent
      exercises consisting of basic exercise treatment for 15 minutes and inspiratory
      diaphragm breathing exercise and expiratory pursed-lip breathing exercise for 15
      minutes and the control group underwent exercises consisting of basic exercise
      treatment for 15 minutes and auto-med exercise for 15 minutes. The activation
      levels of respiratory muscles were measured before and after the experiment using
      MP 150WSW to obtain the results of the experiment. [Results] In the present
      study, when the pulmonary functions of the experimental group and the control
      group before and after the experiment were compared, whereas the experimental
      group showed significant differences in all sections. In the verification of
      intergroup differences between the experimental group and the control group
      before and after the experiment. [Conclusion] The respiratory rehabilitation
      exercise is considered to be capable of inducing positive effects on stroke
      patients' respiratory muscles through diaphragm breathing exercise and lip
      puckering breathing exercise.

PMID- 28356634
TI  - Comparison of anterior gluteus medius fiber activation during general exercises
      and PNF exercises.
AB  - [Purpose] This study compared the activation of anterior gluteus medius fibers
      during general exercises and proprioceptive neuromuscular facilitation exercises.
      [Subjects and Methods] The study enrolled 15 healthy adults. The participants
      performed general hip abductor strengthening exercises and proprioceptive
      neuromuscular facilitation exercises; during both types of exercise,
      electromyography activity was recorded. [Results] Greater anterior gluteus medius
      fiber activation was observed during the proprioceptive neuromuscular
      facilitation exercises compared with the general hip abductor strengthening
      exercises. The anterior gluteus medius fibers exhibited greater activity during
      pattern 2 exercises compared with any other type of exercise. [Conclusion] The
      results suggest that pattern 2 exercises can selectively activate anterior
      gluteus medius fibers.

PMID- 28356633
TI  - Factors influencing executive function by physical activity level among young
      adults: a near-infrared spectroscopy study.
AB  - [Purpose] Prevention of dementia requires early intervention against it. To
      ensure that early interventions are effective it is crucial to study the
      cognitive functions related to dementia in young adulthood. Moreover, it is
      needed not only to verify the cognitive function test but also to elucidate the
      actual brain activity and the influence of related factors on the brain activity.
      To investigate the factors influencing cognitive function among young adults and
      examine the differences in executive function by physical activity level.
      [Subjects and Methods] Forty healthy university students (mean age, 20.4 years)
      were classified into two groups by cognitive function score (HIGH and LOW),
      determined according to Trail Making Test performance and Stroop task processing
      time. We then assessed what factors were related to cognitive function by
      logistic regression analysis. Executive function was determined by brain blood
      flow using near-infrared spectroscopy during the Stroop task, and was then
      compared by physical activity levels (determined according to number of steps per
      hour). [Results] Full-scale Intelligence Quotient according to the 3rd Wechsler
      Adult Intelligent Scale and number of steps per hour influenced cognitive
      function score, with odds ratios of 1.104 and 1.012, respectively. Oxy-hemoglobin
      concentrations in areas related to executive function during the Stroop task were
      significantly higher among those in the high physical activity group than among
      those in the low physical activity group. [Conclusion] The study revealed that
      Full-scale Intelligence Quotient and a number of steps per hour are factors
      associated with the cognitive functions in young adulthood. In addition, activity
      in execution function related area was found to be significantly higher in the
      high physical activity group than in the low physical activity group, suggesting
      the importance of physical activity for enhancing young adulthood cognitive
      functions.

PMID- 28356635
TI  - Effects of a standard transfer exercise program on transfer quality and
      activities of daily living for transfer-dependent spinal cord injury patients.
AB  - [Purpose] The objective of this study was to analyze the effect of a standard
      transfer exercise program on the transfer quality and activities of daily living
      (ADL) in wheelchair-dependent spinal cord injury patients. [Subjects and Methods]
      We randomly divided 22 patients into 2 groups. During the intervention period,
      one group received treatment with both conventional physical therapy and a
      standard sitting pivot transfer exercise program (experimental group, n=12) and
      the other group was managed solely with conventional physical therapy (control
      group, n=10). The standard transfer exercise program comprised of an independent
      and a dependent program. Exercises were conducted 30 minutes daily, 3 times per
      week, over a period of 6 weeks. All subjects were tested using a transfer
      assessment instrument (TAI) and spinal cord independence measure (SCIM) before
      and after the intervention. [Results] Compared to the control group, the
      intervention group scored higher on both the transfer assessment instrument (TAI
      Part 1, Part 2, TAI total score) and spinal cord independence measure tests (SCIM
      mobility room and toilet score; SCIM total score). [Conclusion] In conclusion,
      the standard transfer exercise program is an effective tool which improves
      transfer quality and the ability of wheelchair-dependent spinal cord injury
      patients to carry out their ADLs.

PMID- 28356636
TI  - Functional electrical stimulation to the abdominal wall muscles synchronized with
      the expiratory flow does not induce muscle fatigue.
AB  - [Purpose] Continuous electrical stimulation of abdominal wall muscles is known to
      induce mild muscle fatigue. However, it is not clear whether this is also true
      for functional electrical stimulation delivered only during the expiratory phase
      of breathing. This study aimed to examine whether or not intermittent electrical
      stimulation delivered to abdominal wall muscles induces muscle fatigue. [Subjects
      and Methods] The subjects were nine healthy adults. Abdominal electrical
      stimulation was applied for 1.5 seconds from the start of expiration and then
      turned off during inspiration. The electrodes were attached to both sides of the
      abdomen at the lower margin of the 12th rib. Abdominal electrical stimulation was
      delivered for 15 minutes with the subject in a seated position. Expiratory flow
      was measured during stimulus. Trunk flexor torque and electromyography activity
      were measured to evaluate abdominal muscle fatigue. [Results] The mean
      stimulation on/off ratio was 1:2.3. The declining rate of abdominal muscle torque
      was 61.1 +/- 19.1% before stimulus and 56.5 +/- 20.9% after stimulus, not
      significantly different. The declining rate of mean power frequency was 47.8 +/-
      11.7% before stimulus and 47.9 +/- 10.2% after stimulus, not significantly
      different. [Conclusion] It was found that intermittent electrical stimulation to
      abdominal muscles synchronized with the expiratory would not induce muscle
      fatigue.

PMID- 28356637
TI  - Rate of oral intake and effects of mechanical insufflation-exsufflation on
      pulmonary complications in patients with duchenne muscular dystrophy.
AB  - [Purpose] In Duchenne muscular dystrophy, it increases risks of difficulties of
      expectoration of secretion, asphyxia, aspiration pneumonia because of decreased
      cough function. The aim of this study is to prove that manually assisted coughing
      or mechanical insufflation-exsufflation prevents pulmonary complication and
      contribute to continue oral intake safely and continue rate of oral intake in
      Duchenne muscular dystrophy. [Subjects and Methods] We investigated the status of
      using ventilator, manually assisted coughing or mechanical insufflation
      exsufflation, and oral intake or not. In addition, we inspected the frequency of
      fever (over 37  degrees C) needed antibiotics from medical records for index of
      respiratory tract infection, and compared with every period of using mechanical
      insufflation-exsufflation from respiratory evaluation on cough peak flow.
      [Results] Fifty-eight patients participated in this study. There were 45 Full
      time noninvasive positive pressure ventilation patients. Forty-three in 45 Full
      time noninvasive positive pressure ventilation patients (95.6%) avoided
      tracheostomy and continued noninvasive positive pressure ventilation because they
      continued oral intake without tracheal intubation due to the respiratory acute
      exacerbation by asphyxia or aspiration pneumonia. [Conclusion] Duchenne muscular
      dystrophy patients can continue oral intake safely while preventing pulmonary
      complication by using manually assisted coughing or mechanical insufflation
      exsufflation.

PMID- 28356638
TI  - Effects of manual lymph drainage for abdomen on the brain activity of subjects
      with psychological stress.
AB  - [Purpose] The present study investigated the effects of manual lymph drainage for
      abdomen on electroencephalography in subjects with psychological stress.
      [Subjects and Methods] Twenty-eight subjects were randomly allocated to undergo a
      20-min session of either manual lymph drainage or abdominal massage on a bed.
      [Results] Analysis of electroencephalograms from the manual lymph drainage group
      showed a significant increase in relaxation, manifested as an increase in average
      absolute, relative alpha activity and a decrease in relative gamma activity.
      [Conclusion] Our results suggest that the application of manual lymph drainage
      from the abdomen provides acute neural effects that increase relaxation in
      subjects with psychological stress.

PMID- 28356639
TI  - The effects of upper extremity task training with symmetric abdominal muscle
      contraction on trunk stability and balance in chronic stroke patients.
AB  - [Purpose] The purpose of this study is to examine the effects of upper extremity
      task training employing the bracing method on the trunk control and balance of
      stroke patients. [Subjects and Methods] The subjects were 46 stroke patients
      whose strokes had occurred six months or more prior to the study. The subjects
      were divided into two groups. One group underwent upper extremity task training
      with symmetric abdominal muscle contraction (bracing) applied. The other group
      simply underwent upper extremity task training, without bracing. [Results] The
      experimental group's Trunk Impairment Scale (TIS) significantly increased after
      the intervention, whereas the control group did not see any significant
      difference. There was significant improvement in balance after the intervention
      in both the experimental group and the control group. According to the between
      group comparisons, the improvements in the experimental group were significantly
      greater in the control group, except in the Postural Assessment Scale (PASS).
      [Conclusion] Based on the results of this study, upper extremity task exercises
      with symmetric abdominal muscle contraction, conducted as part of adult
      hemiplegic patients' trunk stabilization exercises, can be applied to a diverse
      range of hemiplegic patients and implemented as an exercise program after
      discharge from hospital.

PMID- 28356641
TI  - Effect of transcranial direct current stimulation of stroke patients on
      depression and quality of life.
AB  - [Purpose] The aim of this study was to assess the effects of transcranial direct
      current stimulation (tDCS) on depression and quality of life (QOL) in patients
      with stroke, by conducting conventional occupational therapy with and without
      tDCS on 20 patients each. [Subjects and Methods] The experimental group (N=20)
      received both tDCS and conventional occupational therapy, while the control group
      (N=20) received false tDCS and conventional occupational therapy. The treatment
      was conducted 20 times over a four-week period; each session was 30 minutes long.
      The Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) was administered to score the depression
      levels in patients before and after the intervention, while the stroke-specific
      quality of life (SS-QOL) was measured to compare the QOL. [Result] Following the
      intervention, the patients in the experimental group showed a significant
      decrease in depression and an increase in the QOL. In contrast, the control group
      showed no significant changes in depression or QOL. Our findings indicate that
      tDCS decreased depression while increasing QOL in patients with stroke.
      [Conclusion] In other words, our study confirmed that the application of tDCS
      during stroke rehabilitation improves the depression symptoms and QOL in
      patients.

PMID- 28356640
TI  - Fatigue influences lower extremity angular velocities during a single-leg drop
      vertical jump.
AB  - [Purpose] Fatigue alters lower extremity landing strategies and decreases the
      ability to attenuate impact during landing. The purpose of this study was to
      reveal the influence of fatigue on dynamic alignment and joint angular velocities
      in the lower extremities during a single leg landing. [Subjects and Methods] The
      34 female college students were randomly assigned to either the fatigue or
      control group. The fatigue group performed single-leg drop vertical jumps before,
      and after, the fatigue protocol, which was performed using a bike ergometer.
      Lower extremity kinematic data were acquired using a three-dimensional motion
      analysis system. The ratio of each variable (%), for the pre-fatigue to post
      fatigue protocols, were calculated to compare differences between each group.
      [Results] Peak hip and knee flexion angular velocities increased significantly in
      the fatigue group compared with the control group. Furthermore, hip flexion
      angular velocity increased significantly between each group at 40 milliseconds
      after initial ground contact. [Conclusion] Fatigue reduced the ability to
      attenuate impact by increasing angular velocities in the direction of hip and
      knee flexion during landings. These findings indicate a requirement to evaluate
      movement quality over time by measuring hip and knee flexion angular velocities
      in landings during fatigue conditions.

PMID- 28356642
TI  - The effects of preceding exercise on myocardial damage in rats.
AB  - [Purpose] The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of exercise on
      myocardial injury in male Sprague-Dawley rats. Two groups of rats were trained
      with either moderate- or high-intensity treadmill running for four weeks.
      Subsequently, the concentrations of cardiac troponin and the N-terminal of
      prohormone brain natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) were examined following a single
      bout of prolonged intensive exercise (lasting 3 h). [Subjects and Methods] The
      study included 40 six-week-old male Sprague-Dawley rats weighing 150-180 g each.
      The aerobic exercise group was divided into high-intensity (28 m/min) and
      moderate-intensity (15 m/min) subgroups. Both subgroups were trained for 35 min
      daily for six days per week (excluding Sunday) over a four-week period. Following
      training, the high- and moderate-intensity exercise groups and a nonexercise
      group performed one bout of prolonged treadmill exercise for 3 h at a speed of 15
      m/min. [Results] The cardiac troponin and NT-proBNP levels differed significantly
      between the groups. [Conclusion] The exercise groups showed lower levels of
      cardiac troponin and NT-proBNP than the nonexercise group after the bout of
      prolonged intensive exercise.

PMID- 28356643
TI  - Effects of friction massage of the popliteal fossa on blood flow velocity of the
      popliteal vein.
AB  - [Purpose] Friction massage (friction) of the popliteal fossa is provided for the
      purpose of relieving pain related to circulatory disorders by improving venous
      flow in the lower legs. The purpose of this study is to verify the effects of
      enhancing the venous flow based on measuring the blood flow velocity of the
      popliteal vein before and after providing friction to the patients. [Subjects and
      Methods] Fifteen healthy male university students participated in the study. The
      Doppler ultrasonography (DU) was used to measure the blood flow velocity of the
      popliteal vein, in order to verify the effects of enhancing the venous flow by
      comparing the measured values before and after a friction massage. [Results] The
      result of comparing the blood flow velocity before and after providing friction
      showed that there was a significant increase after friction. [Conclusion] This
      study proved that friction to the popliteal fossa is effectively enhances venous
      flow by increasing the blood flow velocity in the popliteal vein.

PMID- 28356645
TI  - The study of elbow injury in male adult kendo players.
AB  - [Purpose] Elbow injury in male adult kendo players was investigated and examined
      in order to obtain an indicator of prophylaxis of injury. [Subjects and Methods]
      The subjects were 22 male adult kendo players aged 25 to 60 years old, and
      presence or absence of pain, range of motion, and muscle strength in the elbow
      joints were investigated. In addition, among athletes with limited range of
      motion (ROM) in the elbow joints, three athletes who had received an explanation
      and had provided informed consent underwent CT, and the images were examined.
      [Result] As a result, posterior pain and decreased range of extension motion in
      the right elbow were noted in 86% of the subjects, and the CT images showed free
      bone fragments and osteophytes in the olecranon. Also, characteristics were noted
      that extension muscle strength was stronger than flexion muscle strength in elbow
      muscle strength. [Conclusion] Based on these results, characteristic disorders in
      male adult kendo players include an impingement disorder in the posterior region
      of the right elbow.

PMID- 28356644
TI  - Maximal respiratory pressure in healthy Japanese children.
AB  - [Purpose] Normal values for respiratory muscle pressures during development in
      Japanese children have not been reported. The purpose of this study was to
      investigate respiratory muscle pressures in Japanese children aged 3-12 years.
      [Subjects and Methods] We measured respiratory muscle pressure values using a
      manovacuometer without a nose clip, with subjects in a sitting position. Data
      were collected for ages 3-6 (Group I: 68 subjects), 7-9 (Group II: 86 subjects),
      and 10-12 (Group III: 64 subjects) years. [Results] The values for respiratory
      muscle pressures in children were significantly higher with age in both sexes,
      and were higher in boys than in girls. Correlation coefficients were significant
      at values of 0.279 to 0.471 for each gender relationship between maximal
      respiratory pressure and age, height, and weight, respectively. [Conclusion] In
      this study, we showed pediatric respiratory muscle pressure reference value for
      each age. In the present study, values for respiratory muscle pressures were
      lower than Brazilian studies. This suggests that differences in respiratory
      muscle pressures vary with ethnicity.

PMID- 28356646
TI  - The effects of action observation training and mirror therapy on gait and balance
      in stroke patients.
AB  - [Purpose] The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of action observation
      training and mirror therapy to improve on balance and gait function of stroke
      patients. [Subjects and Methods] The participants were randomly allocated to one
      of three groups: The action observation training with activity group practiced
      additional action observation training with activity for three 30-minute session
      for six weeks (n=12). The mirror therapy with activity group practiced additional
      mirror therapy with activity for three 30-minute sessions for six weeks (n=11).
      The only action observation training group practiced additional action
      observation training for three 30-minute sessions for weeks (n=12). All groups
      received conventional therapy for five 60-minute sessions over a six-week period.
      [Results] There were significant improvements in balance and gait function. The
      action observation training with activity group significantly improved subjects'
      static balance. The action observation training with activity group and the
      mirror therapy with activity group significantly improved subjects' gait ability.
      [Conclusion] The activation of mirror neurons combined with a conventional stroke
      physiotherapy program enhances lower-extremity motor recovery and motor
      functioning in stroke patients.

PMID- 28356647
TI  - The effects of exercise training using transcranial direct current stimulation
      (tDCS) on breathing in patients with chronic stroke patients.
AB  - [Purpose] This study was conducted to investigate the effect of exercise training
      using transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) on breathing in patients
      with chronic stroke patients. [Subjects and Methods] Thirty chronic stroke
      patients who do not show abnormal response to electric stimulation were enrolled
      in this study and each 15 subjects were randomized either into the study group
      and the sham-controlled group. The subjects performed diaphragmatic breathing
      exercise for 20 minutes while tDCS device was attached to them (for study group,
      the device was on while for the sham-controlled group, the device was turned off
      30 seconds later) [Results] The results of FVC, FEF1 and FEV1/FVC in the study
      group and those of FVC and FEV1 in the sham-controlled group were significantly
      increased after the breathing exercise. The independent comparison result between
      the groups showed that the breathing performance of study group significantly
      improved based on the results of FVC and FEV1. [Conclusion] In conclusion, the
      results of this study confirmed that breathing exercise effectively improved FVC
      and FEV1 in chronic stroke patients. Also, the breathing exercise using tDCS was
      more effective in improving FVC and FEV1.

PMID- 28356648
TI  - Effect of maitland mobilization in cervical and thoracic spine and therapeutic
      exercise on functional impairment in individuals with chronic neck pain.
AB  - [Purpose] This study evaluated joint mobilization and therapeutic exercise
      applied to the cervical spine and upper thoracic spine for functional impairment
      caused by chronic neck pain. [Subjects and Methods] Eighteen study subjects were
      randomly assigned to two groups of nine people each. Therapeutic exercise only
      was applied to the cervical and upper thoracic spine for Group I, while both
      therapeutic exercise and joint mobilization were applied to Group II. The visual
      analog scale, neck disability index, active cervical range of motion, static
      balance capacity, and muscle tone were assessed with a pre-test. The intervention
      was carried out for 60 minutes a day, three times a week, for two weeks for each
      group, followed by a post-test using the same protocol as the pre-test. [Results]
      The visual analog scale, neck disability index, and active cervical range of
      motion improved significantly in both groups. Group II improved significantly
      more on right lateral flexion and rightward rotation. Muscle tone improved
      significantly in the upper trapezius in both groups. [Conclusion] The joint
      mobilization and therapeutic exercise for functional impairments caused by
      chronic neck pain had a significant effect on several types of functional
      impairment.

PMID- 28356649
TI  - The effects of extracorporeal shock wave therapy on the pain and function of
      patients with degenerative knee arthritis.
AB  - [Purpose] The purpose of this study was to identify the effects of extracorporeal
      shock wave therapy on the pain and function of patients with degenerative knee
      arthritis. [Subjects and Methods] Twenty patients with degenerative knee
      arthritis were divided into a conservative physical therapy group (n=10) and an
      extracorporeal shock wave therapy group (n=10). Both groups received general
      conservative physical therapy, and the extracorporeal shock wave therapy was
      additionally treated with extracorporeal shock wave therapy after receiving
      conservative physical therapy. Both groups were treated three times a week over a
      four-week period. The visual analogue scale was used to evaluate pain in the knee
      joints of the subjects, and the Korean Western Ontario and McMaster Universities
      Osteoarthritis Index was used to evaluate the function of the subjects. [Results]
      The comparison of the visual analogue scale and Korean Western Ontario and
      McMaster Universities Osteoarthritis Index scores within each group before and
      after the treatment showed statistically significant declines in scores in both
      the conservative physical therapy group and extracorporeal shock wave therapy
      group. A group comparison after the treatment showed statistically significant
      differences in these scores in the extracorporeal shock wave therapy group and
      the conservative physical therapy group. [Conclusion] extracorporeal shock wave
      therapy may be a useful nonsurgical intervention for reducing the pain of
      patients with degenerative knee arthritis and improving these patients' function.

PMID- 28356650
TI  - The effects of pelvic diagonal movements and resistance on the lumbar multifidus.
AB  - [Purpose] The purpose of this study was to compare the effects of pelvic diagonal
      movements, made with and without resistance, on the thickness of lumbar
      multifidus muscles. [Subjects and Methods] Participants in this study were
      healthy subjects who had no musculoskeletal disorders or lumbar-related pain.
      Participants were positioned on their side and instructed to lie with their hip
      flexor at 40 degrees. Ultrasonography was used for measurement, and the values of
      two calculations were averaged. [Results] The thickness of ipsilateral lumbar
      multifidus muscles showed a significant difference following the exercise of
      pelvic diagonal movements. The results of anterior elevation movements and
      posterior depression movements also demonstrated significant difference. There
      was no significant difference in lumbar multifidus muscles thickness between
      movements made with and without resistance. [Conclusion] These findings suggest
      that pelvic diagonal movements can be an effective method to promote muscular
      activation of the ipsilateral multifidus. Furthermore, researchers have concluded
      that resistance is not required during pelvic diagonal movements to selectively
      activate the core muscles.

PMID- 28356651
TI  - A comparison of outcomes of asymmetry in infants with congenital muscular
      torticollis according to age upon starting treatment.
AB  - [Purpose] The purpose of this study was to compare the outcomes of asymmetry in
      infants with congenital muscular torticollis (CMT) according to the age when
      treatment was started. [Subjects and Methods] 102 infant CMT patients under the
      age of 6 months were selected. The subjects were divided into a group that
      started treatment before six weeks (n=55) and a group that started treatment
      after six weeks (n=47). Asymmety was evaluated by determining the difference in
      the thickness of the two sternocleidomastoid muscles (DTSM) using
      ultrasonography, head tilt (HT) based on a physical examination, and the
      torticollis overall assessment (TOA). Patients received ultrasound and massage
      therapy for 30 minutes, in conjunction with passive stretching exercises, 3 times
      a week. [Results] Following the intervention, the DTSM, HT and TOA showed
      significant differences in the two groups. The DTSM of the group that started
      treatment before six weeks was significantly better than that of the group that
      started treatment after six weeks. [Conclusion] The results of this study suggest
      that early intervention is more effective than later intervention.

PMID- 28356652
TI  - The Canadian occupational performance measure for patients with stroke: a
      systematic review.
AB  - [Purpose] This study investigated whether the Canadian Occupational Performance
      Measure is a suitable outcome measure for assessing patients with stroke in
      research and clinical settings. [Subjects and Methods] The study included into
      two parts: (1) an investigation of the reliability and validity of the Canadian
      Occupational Performance Measure for patients with stroke and (2) an exploration
      of Canadian Occupational Performance Measure results in randomized controlled
      trials of patients with stroke. For this review, the study searched the MEDLINE,
      PubMed, and CINAHL Plus with Full Text databases for articles published before
      September 2015. [Results] Finally, three eligible articles were collected in part
      1, and ten randomized controlled trials studies were collected in part 2. The
      findings of part 1 revealed that the Canadian Occupational Performance Measure
      had efficient test-retest reliability, however, the Canadian Occupational
      Performance Measure revealed weak associations with other assessment tools such
      as Barthel Index used for patients with stroke. Six of the randomized controlled
      trials studies used the Canadian Occupational Performance Measure as a primary
      outcome and two as a secondary outcome, while the other two as a goal-setting
      instrument. [Conclusion] This review indicates that the Canadian Occupational
      Performance Measure is appropriate for clinicians, including physiotherapists, in
      assessing outcome for patients with stroke. The Canadian Occupational Performance
      Measure can assist patients in identifying their outcome performance and provide
      therapists with directions on interventions.

PMID- 28356653
TI  - Effects of electrical stimulation combined with dysphagia therapy in elderly
      individual with oropharyngeal dysphagia: a case study.
AB  - [Purpose] The purpose of the present study was to investigate the effects of
      dysphagia therapy in an old man with difficulty swallowing in the oral and
      pharyngeal phases. [Subjects and Methods] The subject was a 72-year-old man with
      no history of neurological disorders. He was admitted to local hospital because
      of the complaint of swallowing difficulty. The interventions performed were
      electrical stimulation and conventional dysphagia therapy. We assessed the tongue
      and lip muscle strengths. Swallowing function was evaluated by using the
      videofluoroscopic dysphagia and penetration-aspiration scales. [Results] After
      the intervention, the tongue and lip muscle strengths increased from 35 to 39 kPa
      and from 18 to 23 kPa, respectively. Moreover, the oral and pharyngeal phases of
      the videofluoroscopic dysphagia scale were improved. Furthermore, aspiration
      decreased from 4 to 2 points in the penetration-aspiration scale. [Conclusion]
      Our results suggest that electrical stimulation and conventional dysphagia
      therapy were effective in improving the swallowing function in an elderly
      individual with dysphagia.

PMID- 28356654
TI  - Disordered voluntary cough as freezing phenomenon in parkinsonism.
AB  - [Purpose] In patients with parkinsonism, the precise mechanism of impaired
      voluntary cough remains poorly understood. This study used the flow-volume curve
      to clarify whether disordered voluntary cough reflects the freezing phenomenon.
      [Subjects and Methods] Case 1 was a 58-year-old female who had been suffering
      from progressive supranuclear palsy-pure akinesia with gait freezing. Case 2 was
      a 59-year-old female who had advanced juvenile parkinsonism. The subjects were
      asked to take a deep inspiration to the total lung capacity and then cough more
      than five times through the face mask into the spirometer without intervening
      inspirations between the coughing efforts. [Results] Hesitation in cough
      initiation (case 2), decreased peak cough flow (case 1), and rounding of the
      first spike (cases 1 and 2) were observed. In addition, movements of the spike
      wave at a lower lung volume became progressively smaller and faster (cases 1 and
      2). [Conclusion] These clinical manifestations in our patients are similar to
      those observed in the freezing phenomenon. However, to date, the concept of cough
      freezing has been underrecognized in clinical practice. From the present study,
      it could be hypothesized that the freezing phenomenon can occur in voluntary
      cough as well as in gait, speech, and writing.

PMID- 28356655
TI  - Early literacy and comprehension skills in children learning English as an
      additional language and monolingual children with language weaknesses.
AB  - Many children learning English as an additional language (EAL) show reading
      comprehension difficulties despite adequate decoding. However, the relationship
      between early language and reading comprehension in this group is not fully
      understood. The language and literacy skills of 80 children learning English from
      diverse language backgrounds and 80 monolingual English-speaking peers with
      language weaknesses were assessed at school entry (mean age = 4 years, 7 months)
      and after 2 years of schooling in the UK (mean age = 6 years, 3 months). The EAL
      group showed weaker language skills and stronger word reading than the
      monolingual group but no difference in reading comprehension. Individual
      differences in reading comprehension were predicted by variations in decoding and
      language comprehension in both groups to a similar degree.

PMID- 28356656
TI  - CpG Type A Induction of an Early Protective Environment in Experimental Multiple
      Sclerosis.
AB  - Experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE) is an inflammatory, demyelinating
      disease of the CNS that mimics human multiple sclerosis (MS), and it is thought
      to be driven by Th1 and Th17 myelin-reactive cells. Although adaptive immunity is
      clearly pivotal in the pathogenesis of EAE, with an essential role of CD4+ T
      cells, little is known of early, innate responses in this experimental setting.
      CpG-rich oligodeoxynucleotides (ODNs), typically found in microbial genomes, are
      potent activators of TLR9 in plasmacytoid dendritic cells (pDCs). In this study,
      we compared the effects of two types of CpG, namely, type A and type B, on EAE.
      We found that treatment with CpG type A ODN (CpG-A), known to induce high amounts
      of IFN-alpha in pDCs, significantly reduced disease severity in EAE, relative to
      controls (12.63 +/- 1.86 versus 23.49 +/- 1.46, resp.; p = 0.001). Treatment also
      delayed onset of neurological deficits and reduced spinal cord demyelination,
      while increasing the percentage of splenic regulatory (Foxp3+ CD4+) T cells. CpG
      A likewise reduced the levels of IL-17 and IFN-gamma in the CNS. Mechanistic
      insight into those events showed that CpG-A promoted a regulatory phenotype in
      pDCs. Moreover, adoptive transfer of pDCs isolated from CpG-A-treated mice
      inhibited CNS inflammation and induced disease remission in acute-phase EAE. Our
      data thus identify a link between TLR9 activation by specific ligands and the
      induction of tolerance via innate immunity mechanisms.

PMID- 28356658
TI  - N-acetyl cysteine versus allopurinol in the prevention of contrast nephropathy in
      patients with chronic kidney disease: A randomized controlled trial.
AB  - Contrast media administration can lead to acute deterioration in renal function
      particularly in patients with pre-existing chronic kidney disease. This
      prospective, randomized controlled open-label parallel group study was undertaken
      at Nizam's Institute of Medical Sciences, Hyderabad, from June to December 2015.
      A total of 95 patients were included, of which 35 received n-acetylcysteine (NAC)
      + normal saline (NS), 30 patients received allopurinol (ALL) + NS, and 30
      patients received placebo. In our study, the overall incidence of CIN was 24%.
      Incidence of CIN in NAC + NS, ALL + NS, and placebo group were 20%, 16%, and 36%,
      respectively. The major finding of this study was there was no significant
      difference between NAC and allopurinol in the prevention of contrast nephropathy.
      However, only allopurinol was superior to placebo. In our study, hyperuricemia
      and baseline serum creatinine were the only risk factors associated with CIN.

PMID- 28356657
TI  - Obesity and kidney disease: Hidden consequences of the epidemic.

PMID- 28356659
TI  - The effect of resolution time of acute kidney injury on clinical outcomes.
AB  - Acute kidney injury (AKI) is a frequent and complex disease. It is not clearly
      defined whether its duration is related to adverse outcomes. We determined the
      effect of AKI resolution time on patient's clinical outcomes. A prospective
      cohort of hospitalized patients with AKI by AKI network (AKIN) creatinine
      criteria was included. Variables for prognosis and follow-up were analyzed. One
      hundred and thirteen patients were included in the study. Seventy-seven (68.1%)
      were males, mean age 55 years (range, 16-76 years), and 48 (42.5%) were diabetic.
      The most common cause of AKI was sepsis (31%). AKI resolution time <=2 days and
      >2 days was seen in 47 (41.6%) and 66 (58.4%) of the cases, respectively. AKI
      resolution time >2 days was common in older patients (66.24 +/- 17.6 year vs.
      47.16 +/- 12.32 year, P = 0.004), with the use of mechanical ventilation (27% vs.
      4%, P = 0.02) and vasopressors (41% vs. 11%, P <= 0.01); it was associated with
      increased mortality (47% vs. 4%, P <= 0.01), and a discharge estimated glomerular
      filtration rate (eGFR) <60 ml/min/1.73 m2 (52% vs. 2%, P = 0.01), than in
      patients with resolution time <=2 days. Survival rate was significantly worse in
      patients with a resolution time >2 days. By multivariate logistic step-wise
      regression analysis, AKI >2days, vasopressor use, and AKIN stage 2-3 were
      independently associated with higher mortality. AKI >2 days and vasopressor
      utilization were independently associated to an eGFR <60 ml/min/1.73 m2 at the
      time of discharge. We conclude that AKI resolution time >2 days is linked to
      adverse clinical outcomes.

PMID- 28356660
TI  - Prevalence of hypothyroidism in nondiabetic chronic kidney disease and effect of
      thyroxine replacement on estimated glomerular filtration rate.
AB  - Reduced T3 and free T4, elevated thyroid stimulating hormone, and
      hyporesponsiveness to thyrotropin releasing hormone raise questions about the
      presence of hypothyroidism in chronic kidney disease (CKD) and raise the
      possibility of benefit from thyroxine supplementation. A prospective cohort study
      was conducted on 73 nondiabetic CKD cases. Hypothyroid patients were started on
      levothyroxine and were reviewed after 3 and 6 months. The mean age of study
      population was 42.3 +/- 16.8 years. Of the total population, 32 (43.8%) cases had
      hypothyroidism, among whom 2 (2.7%) had overt hypothyroidism and 30 (41.1%) had
      subclinical hypothyroidism. Prevalence of hypothyroidism increased with
      increasing severity of CKD. There were 1 (3.1%) case with hypothyroidism in stage
      3b, 8 (25%) cases in stage 4, and 23 (71.9%) cases in stage 5. The mean estimated
      glomerular filtration rate (ml/min/1.73 m2) at baseline was 13.7 +/- 8.9 which
      increased to 17.5 +/- 6.8 and 22.4 +/- 9.3 after 3 and 6 months of thyroid
      hormone replacement therapy (THRT), respectively (P < 0.001). Hypothyroidism is
      commonly associated with nondiabetic CKD and its prevalence increases with
      declining renal function. THRT significantly improves renal function in
      nondiabetic CKD with hypothyroidism.

PMID- 28356661
TI  - Anti-glomerular basement membrane disease: Case series from a tertiary center in
      North India.
AB  - Anti-glomerular basement (anti-GBM) disease is an uncommon disorder with a
      bimodal age of presentation. Patients presenting with dialysis-dependent renal
      failure have poor renal outcomes. There is limited data regarding the clinical
      presentation and outcomes of anti-GBM disease from India. We conducted this
      prospective study to analyze the clinical presentation and outcomes of anti-GBM
      disease at a large tertiary care hospital in North India over 11/2 years.
      Subjects with a biopsy proven anti-GBM disease (light microscopic examination
      showing crescents and immunofluorescence examination showing linear deposition of
      IgG) with or without positive anti-GBM antibodies in serum were included in the
      study and followed-up for at least 12 months. All the patients were treated with
      steroids, cyclophosphamide, and plasma exchange. A total of 17 patients (nine
      males) were included. The mean age at presentation was 39.11 +/- 16.58 (range 11
      72) years. Twelve patients (70%) presented with rapidly progressive
      glomerulonephritis (RPGN), 4 (23.5%) presented with Goodpasture syndrome, while 1
      (5.8%) had nephritic syndrome, 7 (41%) were hypertensive, and 14 (82.3%) required
      dialysis at the time of presentation. Four patients (23.5%) had associated anti
      neutrophil cytoplasmic antibody positivity (anti-myeloperoxidase antibodies in
      all). Fourteen (87.5%) patients had crescentic glomerulonephritis, while 5
      (31.25%) showed necrotizing (n = 4) or granulomatous (n = 1) in the vasculitis.
      Of 16 patients who received treatment, four (23.25%) achieved complete remission.
      In this single-center study, the majority of anti-GBM disease patients presented
      with RPGN and had crescentic glomerulonephritis on biopsy with poor treatment
      outcome.

PMID- 28356662
TI  - Pregnancy-related acute kidney injury: An analysis of 165 cases.
AB  - Pregnancy-related acute kidney injury (PRAKI) contributes to 3-7% of overall
      acute kidney injury (AKI) cases in Indian subcontinent. The aim of this study was
      to determine the outcomes of PRAKI and risk factors associated with renal injury
      and maternal mortality. One hundred and sixty-five patients with PRAKI, seen at
      M. S. Ramaiah Medical College between 2005 and 2014, were included in this,
      observational study. AKI was analyzed in terms of maximal stage of renal injury
      attained as per Risk, Injury, Failure, Loss of function, and End-stage renal
      disease (RIFLE) criteria. Outcomes included requirement for renal replacement
      therapy (RRT), maternal, and fetal mortality. Incidence of PRAKI was 1.56%, and
      the mean age of the study population was 25 years. Fifty percent of the patients
      were diagnosed with PRAKI during their first pregnancy. PRAKI was observed most
      commonly in the postpartum period (60%), followed by third trimester (32%); as
      per RIFLE criteria, failure was seen in 36% and injury in 34%. Thirty percent of
      cases required RRT. Sepsis (59%), pre-eclampsia, and eclampsia (56%) were the
      leading causes of PRAKI, while sepsis was the leading cause of maternal
      mortality. Maternal and fetal mortality were 20% and 22%, respectively. In
      univariate analysis, shock, hemorrhage requiring transfusion of >5 units packed
      red blood cells, oliguria, and "Loss" category of RIFLE were significantly
      associated with mortality. Majority of the patients (57%) required Intensive Care
      Unit care with a mean duration of admission at 7.3 days, and 75% was diagnosed
      with AKI at the time of admission. We report the lowest incidence of PRAKI in
      contemporary Indian literature. PRAKI was associated with high maternal and fetal
      mortality, with sepsis being the leading cause. No association was noted between
      mortality and initial stages of RIFLE criteria.

PMID- 28356663
TI  - Safety and effectiveness of transjugular renal biopsy: A single center study.
AB  - Although percutaneous renal biopsy remains the preferred method, there are
      several scenarios where transjugular approach is more suitable. We hereby
      describe our technique of transjugular renal biopsy (TJRB) and evaluate its
      safety and efficacy. We retrospectively collected data regarding indication for
      the transjugular route of biopsy, its complications, clinical and laboratory
      data, and adequacy of samples from patients' records. TJRB was performed when the
      patients were at a high risk for bleeding from percutaneous renal biopsy. Tissue
      samples were assessed by a pathologist for adequacy. All patients were followed
      up with ultrasonographic scan 3 h after the procedure and on day 3. Nine patients
      (age 41.5 +/- 15.4 years; 8 men) underwent 9 TJRB procedures. The procedure was
      technically successful in all patients. Six patients (66.67%) had a platelet
      count of <50,000/mcL, 2 (33.3%) had an elevated International Normalized Ratio of
      more than 1.4, and 1 had both. 3.2 +/- 0.4 cores were obtained, with median
      (range) number of glomeruli being ten (7-11). Adequate renal tissue sample was
      obtained in all the patients. Though capsular perforation developed in 5
      patients, none had major complication requiring management (endovascular
      treatment or blood transfusion). TJRB is a safe and effective in patients with
      contraindications to percutaneous biopsy.

PMID- 28356664
TI  - Comparison of serum creatinine-based estimating equations with gates protocol for
      predicting glomerular filtration rate in indian population.
AB  - In clinical practice, serum creatinine-based predicting equations and Gates
      protocol based on gamma camera imaging of kidneys after injection of Tc99m
      diethylenetriaminepentaacetic acid (DTPA) are commonly used to assess glomerular
      filtration rate (GFR). Comparison of these methods, especially the chronic kidney
      disease-epidemiology collaboration (CKD-EPI) equation with gold standard method
      of assessment of GFR by plasma clearance of Tc-99mDTPA is not well-studied in
      Indian population. We conducted this study to compare GFR estimation by gamma
      camera-based Gates protocol and serum creatinine-based predicting equations with
      GFR measured by plasma clearance of Tc-99mDTPA. One hundred and five patients (65
      male and 40 female) underwent Tc-99m DTPA renal scan followed by withdrawal of
      venous blood samples at 2, 3, and 4 h as per predefined protocol. Gates method
      GFR (GFRs) was assessed using standard protocol. GFR by plasma sampling (GFRp)
      was calculated by slope-intercept method with provision for corrections.
      Estimated GFR was calculated by Cockroft-Gault formula, four variable
      modification of diet in renal disease (MDRD) equation, and CKD-EPI equation
      (GFRCG, GFRMDRD, GFRCKD-EPI, respectively). GFR measured by gold standard method
      (GFRp) was compared with that estimated by other methods by calculating
      correlation coefficient, bias, precision, and accuracy. GFR estimated by all
      three estimating equations correlated better than GFRs with GFRp. For estimating
      GFRp, GFRCKD-EPI had highest correlation with GFRp with least bias and highest
      precision. Gamma camera-based Gates protocol was the least precise and least
      accurate method for estimating GFRp. To conclude, all three estimating equations
      based on serum creatinine are superior to Tc-99m DTPA scintigraphy for estimating
      GFR; CKD-EPI equation being the most accurate and precise.

PMID- 28356665
TI  - Renal allograft eosinophilia: An unusual presentation of sudden graft
      dysfunction.
AB  - We present a case of sudden allograft dysfunction 11 months after renal
      transplantation which presented as severe peripheral and allograft eosinophilia
      and was managed as a case of an acute cellular rejection with significant
      interstitial graft eosinophilic infiltration. Patient had partial response to
      antirejection therapy and eventually ended up in a chronic allograft dysfunction.

PMID- 28356667
TI  - Hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis secondary to hemodialysis catheter-related
      blood stream infection.
AB  - A 57-year-old man on dialysis presented with fever due to Pseudomonas septicemia.
      Workup revealed very high triglycerides and serum ferritin levels. A bone marrow
      examination showed hemophagocytosis. A diagnosis of hemophagocytic
      lymphohistiocytosis (HLH) was made and steroids were started. He was put on
      automated peritoneal dialysis. Patients' condition continued to deteriorate and
      he succumbed to his illness. This case illustrates the development of HLH
      secondary to infections which are increasingly being recognized in the
      literature. Often this diagnosis is missed as it becomes difficult to
      differentiate between sepsis and HLH. The presence of high ferritin,
      hypertriglyceridemia, and hemophagocytosis in the bone marrow confirms the
      diagnosis.

PMID- 28356666
TI  - Acyclovir-induced thrombotic microangiopathy.
AB  - Acyclovir is a commonly used antiviral drug. Acute kidney injury (AKI) due to
      intratubular crystal precipitation and interstitial nephritis is well known. Here
      we present a case of acyclovir induced AKI in a 61 year old male with herpes
      zoster, which presented like thrombotic microangiopathy with acute interstitial
      nephritis. This is the first case report on acyclovir causing thrombotic
      microaniopathy with partial improvement in renal function after plasmapharesis.

PMID- 28356668
TI  - Targeting renin-angiotensin system in malignant hypertension in atypical
      hemolytic uremic syndrome.
AB  - Hypertension is common in hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS) and often difficult to
      control. Local renin-angiotensin activation is believed to be an important part
      of thrombotic microangiopathy, leading to a vicious cycle of progressive renal
      injury and intractable hypertension. This has been demonstrated in vitro via
      enhanced tissue factor expression on glomerular endothelial cells which is
      enhanced by angiotensin II. We report two pediatric cases of atypical HUS with
      severe refractory malignant hypertension, in which we targeted the renin
      angiotensin system by using intravenous (IV) enalaprilat, oral aliskiren, and
      oral enalapril with quick and dramatic response of blood pressure. Both drugs,
      aliskiren and IV enalaprilat, were effective in controlling hypertension
      refractory to multiple antihypertensive medications. These appear to be promising
      alternatives in the treatment of severe atypical HUS-induced hypertension and
      hypertensive emergency.

PMID- 28356669
TI  - C3 glomerulopathy associated to multiple myeloma successfully treated by
      autologous stem cell transplant.
AB  - A 32-year-old male presented with advanced renal failure and nephrotic
      proteinuria due to lambda light chain multiple myeloma. Renal biopsy showed a
      proliferative glomerulonephritis with isolated C3 deposits. Renal recovery was
      obtained after chemotherapy and autologous stem cell transplant. We review
      previously described cases of C3 glomerulopathy associated with monoclonal
      gammopathy.

PMID- 28356670
TI  - An unusual case of gastrointestinal mucormycosis in a patient with nephrotic
      syndrome.
AB  - Immunosuppression predisposes to a variety of infections, some of which occur at
      unusual sites. Of all the forms of mucormycosis, involvement of the intestines is
      rare. High degree of suspicion along with the use of invasive procedures can
      facilitate the diagnosis of these infections. We report a rare case of
      gastrointestinal Mucor in a patient with nephrotic syndrome.

PMID- 28356671
TI  - Brachial plexus compression due to subclavian artery pseudoaneurysm from internal
      jugular vein catheterization.
AB  - Internal jugular vein (IJV) catheterization has become the preferred approach for
      temporary vascular access for hemodialysis. However, complications such as
      internal carotid artery puncture, vessel erosion, thrombosis, and infection may
      occur. We report a case of brachial plexus palsy due to compression by right
      subclavian artery pseudoaneurysm as a result of IJV catheterization in a patient
      who was under maintenance hemodialysis.

PMID- 28356672
TI  - Scrub typhus meningitis in a renal transplant recipient.
AB  - Scrub typhus is a rickettsial infection commonly seen in Asia. The clinical
      presentation ranges from nonspecific febrile illness to potentially fatal
      multiorgan involvement such as liver, kidney, or lung. Central nervous system
      involvement is uncommon. We report a 45-year-old female renal transplant
      recipient who presented with fever, headache, meningeal signs, graft dysfunction,
      and eschar. IgM antibodies against Orientia tsutsugamushi were positive by enzyme
      linked immunosorbent assay. Despite oral doxycycline therapy for 5 days, she did
      not improve but responded well to intravenous azithromycin. To the best of our
      knowledge, scrub typhus as a cause of meningitis in a renal transplant recipient
      has not been reported so far.

PMID- 28356673
TI  - Remission of post-transplant focal segmental glomerulosclerosis with angiotensin
      receptor blockers.
AB  - Recurrence of focal segmental glomerulosclerosis (FSGS) is common after kidney
      transplantation. Plasmapheresis (PP) is considered to be the most effective
      treatment; however, results are variable and relapse is common after stopping
      plasmapheresis. Here, we report an unusual case of recurrent FSGS, who achieved
      complete remission with angiotensin receptor blocker therapy.

PMID- 28356674
TI  - Fibrillary glomerulonephritis presenting as crescentic glomerulonephritis.
AB  - Fibrillary glomerulonephritis (FGN) is a rare primary glomerular disease that
      commonly presents clinically with hypertension, proteinuria, microscopic
      hematuria, and varying degree of renal insufficiency. Histologically, FGN can
      present with different patterns of glomerular injury, more commonly
      mesangioproliferative, membranoproliferative, and membranous nephropathy. While
      crescent formation has been described in some kidney biopsy series of FGN,
      crescentic glomerulonephritis pattern of glomerular injury has been rarely
      described. Optimal therapy and outcomes in FGN presenting with crescentic GN is
      not currently known. We report an adult patient who presented with massive
      proteinuria and severe renal failure. The kidney biopsy revealed crescentic FGN
      (C-FGN). The patient remained dialysis dependent despite immunosuppressive
      therapy. We also briefly review FGN, and the few reported cases of C-FGN that
      presented as rapidly progressive or advanced renal failure in the literature.

PMID- 28356675
TI  - Thrombotic microangiopathy due to Viperidae bite: Two case reports.
AB  - Snake bite is mainly an occupational hazard and causes serious health problems in
      rural India. Acute kidney injury (AKI) occurs in 5-30% cases. Renal pathologic
      findings include acute tubular necrosis, cortical necrosis, interstitial
      nephritis, glomerulonephritis, and vasculitis. Thrombotic microangiopathy (TMA)
      occurrence after a snake bite is reported rarely. Here, we present two patients
      who developed TMA after viper bite treated with hemodialysis and plasmapheresis.
      Renal biopsy showed fibrin thrombi in glomeruli and arterioles with cortical
      necrosis. One patient progressed to end-stage renal disease and other was lost to
      follow-up. TMA should be considered as a possible pathogenesis of AKI after snake
      bite. The role of plasma exchanges in snake bite TMA is yet to be defined.

PMID- 28356676
TI  - Brief report: Fungal balls in the urinary tract of an infant.

PMID- 28356678
TI  - Net2Align: An Algorithm For Pairwise Global Alignment of Biological Networks.
AB  - The amount of data on molecular interactions is growing at an enormous pace,
      whereas the progress of methods for analysing this data is still lacking behind.
      Particularly, in the area of comparative analysis of biological networks, where
      one wishes to explore the similarity between two biological networks, this holds
      a potential problem. In consideration that the functionality primarily runs at
      the network level, it advocates the need for robust comparison methods. In this
      paper, we describe Net2Align, an algorithm for pairwise global alignment that can
      perform node-to-node correspondences as well as edge-to-edge correspondences into
      consideration. The uniqueness of our algorithm is in the fact that it is also
      able to detect the type of interaction, which is essential in case of directed
      graphs. The existing algorithm is only able to identify the common nodes but not
      the common edges. Another striking feature of the algorithm is that it is able to
      remove duplicate entries in case of variable datasets being aligned. This is
      achieved through creation of a local database which helps exclude duplicate
      links. In a pervasive computational study on gene regulatory network, we
      establish that our algorithm surpasses its counterparts in its results. Net2Align
      has been implemented in Java 7 and the source code is available as supplementary
      files.

PMID- 28356679
TI  - Identification and analysis of insulin like peptides in nematode secretomes
      provide targets for parasite control.
AB  - Insulin-like (ins) peptides play an important role in development and metabolism
      across the metazoa. In nematodes, these are also required for dauer formation and
      longevity and are expressed in different types of neurons across various life
      stages which demonstrate their role in parasites and could become possible
      targets for parasite control. To date, many nematode genomes are publically
      available. However, a systematic screening of ins peptides across different
      nematode group has not been reported. In the present study, we systematically
      identified ins peptides in the secretomes of 73 nematodes with fully sequenced
      genomes covering five different groups viz. plant parasitic, animal parasitic,
      human parasitic, entomopathogenic and free living nematodes. From the total of
      93,949 secretory proteins, 176 proteins were uniquely mapped to 40 identified C.
      elegans ins families. The obtained result showed that 74.15% of the identified
      ins proteins were represented in free living nematodes only and remaining 25.84%
      were combinedly identified in all other nematode groups. The ins-1, ins-17 and
      ins-18 were the only ins families which were detected in all the studied nematode
      groups. Out of 176 proteins, 96 of ins proteins were predicted as hydrophilic in
      nature and 39 proteins were found stable using ProtParam analysis. Our study
      provides insight into the distribution of ins peptides across different group of
      nematodes and this information could be useful for further experimental study.

PMID- 28356680
TI  - Micro surgery - need of the hour.

PMID- 28356677
TI  - The role of metabolic reprogramming in T cell fate and function.
AB  - T lymphocytes undergo extensive changes in their metabolic properties during
      their transition through various differentiation states, from naive to effector
      to memory or regulatory roles. The cause and effect relationship between
      metabolism and differentiation is a field of intense investigation. Many recent
      studies demonstrate the dependency of T cell functional outcomes on metabolic
      pathways and the possibility of metabolic intervention to modify these functions.
      In this review, we describe the basic metabolic features of T cells and new
      findings on how these correlate with various differentiation fates and functions.
      We also highlight the latest information regarding the main factors that affect T
      cell metabolic reprogramming.

PMID- 28356681
TI  - Complications in the use of bilateral inferiorly based nasolabial flaps for
      advanced oral submucous fibrosis.
AB  - Surgical management of advanced oral submucous fibrosis (OSMF) using bilateral
      inferiorly based nasolabial flaps is becoming increasingly popular. However no
      comprehensive analysis of delayed complications using this technique is available
      in the literature. The authors have conducted a retrospective study to examine
      the delayed complications of bilateral inferiorly based nasolabial flaps used in
      advanced oral submucous fibrosis at their institute along with a detailed review
      of literature on the subject. Thirty-two patients from January 2004 to December
      2015 with OSMF and an interincisal distance less than 15 mm were included. All
      patients were treated with bilateral inferiorly based nasolabial flaps for
      correction of the restricted mouth opening. All patients had postoperative
      physiotherapy and were followed up for a minimum period of 6 months. All
      complaints of patients during the follow up phase were included in this study. In
      this series, complications such as partial necrosis, intra-oral hair growth,
      unacceptable extra-oral scar, wound dehiscence, orocutaneous fistula, and
      pincushioning effect were observed. Numerous complications can occur with the use
      of nasolabial flaps for the management of advanced oral submucous fibrosis.
      Although most complications are of inconsequential nature the surgeon must
      observe due diligence when using this flap.

PMID- 28356682
TI  - Dental implants in children: A multidisciplinary perspective for long-term
      success.
AB  - Congenital hypodontia or trauma is a frequent cause of loss of teeth in children.
      The absence of teeth leads to loss of function and lack of normal alveolar
      growth, along with unpleasant esthetics that hamper the psychosocial development
      of the young child. Traditionally, the management of tooth loss in the young
      child is done by conservative means. None of those methods of treatment are
      completely satisfactory and have their own drawbacks. Dental implants in a young
      child would be an ideal mode of treatment for the absence of teeth. One of the
      main deterring factors for implant placement in children is the impending growth.
      Growth in the maxilla and mandible does not happen uniformly in one plane. It is
      multidirectional, occurring in sagittal, vertical, and transverse planes. It does
      not happen at a fixed pace, slow periods of growth are followed by phases of
      accelerated growth called the growth spurts. Successful implant treatment in
      children has been achieved by several clinicians when they incorporated a
      multidisciplinary approach in their treatment plan. The design and type of
      implant system used in pediatric patients is also responsible for successful
      treatment outcome. The purpose of this review is to understand the implications
      of growth and growth assessment and recommendations for the formulation of the
      treatment plan in pediatric dental implant patients.

PMID- 28356684
TI  - Effects of honey in the management of alveolar osteitis: A study.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: Alveolar osteitis (AO) is a complication of tooth extraction which
      indicates inflammation of alveolar bone of either maxilla or mandible. This study
      uses Apitherapy where honey catalyses biological reactions to improve immune
      system, makes local environment unbearable for microorganisms in the affected
      socket and enhances healing. MATERIALS AND METHODS: 50 patients of AO were
      included in the study. After cleansing of the affected socket, honey dressing was
      applied. Dressings were changed daily for first 2 days and then altenatively. In
      biochemical investigations, CRP levels in the body were measured using
      Nephelometry method. Microbiological examination was done for the identification
      of microorganism and semi quantitative count of colony forming units. RESULT:
      Results were assessed from clinical, microbiological, biochemical and
      radiological findings at 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 5th, 7th day based on VAS score,
      erythema, pus discharge, swelling, lymphadenitis, fever, bleeding on probing,
      exposed bone and necrotic debris. Pre-Treatment CRP was 2.08 +/- 1.62 which
      significantly (P = 0.0001) decreased to 0.82 +/- 0.48. Mean change and average
      percentage change were 1.25 +/- 1.51 and 44.1% respectively. CONCLUSION: Majority
      of the patients with exposed bone got healed socket with evidance of granulation
      tissue and healing gingiva in about one week. CRP levels at the completion of
      treatment of AO with honey dressing showed a significant decrease from the pre
      treatment values indicating fast recovery. Microbiological examination showed
      presence of normal commensal flora at AO sites like Streptococcus, Staphyloccocus
      and Enterococcus. So, the role of bacteria in the genesis of AO, if any, appears
      unclear.

PMID- 28356683
TI  - A study on total intravenous anesthesia in orthognathic surgical procedures.
AB  - AIMS AND OBJECTIVE: To assess the use of propofol for induction and maintenance
      of anaesthesia among patients undergoing various combinations of orthognathic
      surgical procedures. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Following Preoperative evaluation,
      patients were given Fentanyl (2 micrograms/kg) intravenously. Induction (2 mg/kg)
      and maintenance (10 mg/kg/hr) of anaesthesia was achieved by Propofol infusion.
      Blood Pressure and heart rate were maintained at >70 or 80 mm Hg and >50
      respectively and were monitored continuously. Infusion was stopped approximately
      30 to 40 minutes before the end of surgery. Immediate recovery recorded and was
      assessed. RESULTS: The average duration of anaesthesia and surgery were found to
      be 4 hrs 28 min (SD= 1 hr. 35 min) and 4 hrs 3 min (SD=1 hr 38 min). None of the
      patients experienced pain on injection of induction agent. No significant change
      was observed in the mean heart rate and mean BP at different time intervals from
      baseline value to 30 minutes after the recovery. The average time taken to obey
      simple commands after stopping Propofol infusion was 42.60 +/- 9.09 min. Time
      taken for spontaneous eye opening, full orientation and to count backwards was
      43.45 +/- 9.11, 47.85 +/- 8.18 and 50.9 +/- 9.14 respectively. Face-Hand test
      performed at 15 min after extubation was positive in all the patients. The mean
      Aldrete score at 15 min after extubation was 11.65 +/- 0.75. The mean value of
      unaided sitting time for at least 2 min was after 119.00 +/- 20.56 min. The
      average score of picture card test, time taken in "picking up matches" test, Ball
      bearing test, time taken to walk and to void urine were 5.80 +/- 1.47, 67.95 +/-
      5.72, 9.80 +/- 2.57, 172.75 +/- 39.25 and 163.75 +/- 55.96 respectively. Ninety
      percent of the patients were amenable for a repeat of this anaesthetic using the
      same regime but 10% of them did not answer anything. Seven patients (35%) had
      chills post-operatively. CONCLUSION: Propofol is an excellent anaesthetic for day
      care procedures.

PMID- 28356685
TI  - Treatment modalities for surgical management of anterior palatal fistula:
      Comparison of various techniques, their outcomes, and the factors governing
      treatment plan: A retrospective study.
AB  - AIM: Aim of this retrospective study was to access the various surgical treatment
      options available for repair of Anterior palatal fistula depending upon their
      size and presenting age, and also to anticipate the treatment outcome. MATERIALS
      AND METHODS: The series include study report of forty patients with secondary
      anterior palatal fistula post cleft palate repair, reported in a single unit
      during a duration of 3 years. All the cases were managed surgically under general
      anesthesia. The patients were classified depending upon the location of anterior
      palatal fistula (APF), the quality of tissue and age of patients to chalk out a
      justified treatment option outlay. RESULTS: Forty cases were split for surgical
      correction into various options depending on their size, site, and quality of the
      tissue. Most of the cases were operated with a Bardach's Redo for fistula closure
      (n = 16) (40%) and crevicular flap technique (n = 13) (32.5%). Our overall
      success (satisfactory results) was 77.5% as observed in 31 out of 40 cases with
      individual success rates for Bardach's and crevicular being 75% and 77%,
      respectively. There was reduction in size of fistula in three cases (7.5%) and a
      remnant pinpoint hole in four cases (10%) among all the operated cases.
      CONCLUSION: Management of post palatoplasty fistulas of the hard palate presents
      a challenging situation for a clinician following the surgical correction of
      cleft palate. Current paper describes the diagnosis and clinical management of
      forty cases reporting with unilateral APF following cleft palate surgery, over 3
      years. Authors have attempted to propose different treatment modalities for
      surgical management of unilateral APF. It was concluded in the primary review
      that the size of fistula was irrelevant in determining the clinical outcome.
      Instead, the quality and condition of the adjacent tissue appear to be the major
      governing factors for selecting treatment modality as well as the surgical
      consequences.

PMID- 28356687
TI  - Evaluation of two socket healing procedures with and without mesenchymal stem
      cells: A comparative study.
AB  - AIMS AND OBJECTIVES: Successful preservation of the edentulous ridge after
      extraction may eliminate or reduce the need for ridge augmentation procedures. It
      is proved that grafting of fresh extraction sockets with bone grafts promotes
      ridge preservation. An objective method of maintaining height and width of
      alveolar ridge using mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) seeded on collagen membrane
      was implemented in this study. METHODOLOGY: Ten bilaterally symmetrical
      extraction sockets scheduled for extraction were selected for this study.
      Involved teeth were extracted atraumatically and the sockets were curetted. MSCs
      seeded on collagen membrane were placed in the extracted socket on one side. On
      the other side, only collagen membrane was placed inside the socket. Both the
      sockets were closed primarily with nonresorbable sutures. Buccolingual and
      mesiodistal widths of the ridges at three different levels (2 mm below
      cementoenamel junction [CEJ], 5 mm below CEJ, and 8 mm below CEJ) were assessed
      immediately after extraction and postoperatively at 3 and 6 months. RESULTS:
      There was statistically significant observation in maintaining the alveolar ridge
      width in the grafted site when compared to the nongrafted site. CONCLUSION:
      Socket healing procedure using MSCs and collagen membrane was successful in
      maintaining width of alveolar socket.

PMID- 28356686
TI  - Evaluating the use of octyl-2-cyanoacrylate in unilateral cleft lip repair.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Facial cosmetic results are one of the most concerning issues for the
      parents who get their children operated for cleft lip. Moreover, the
      postoperative care of the surgical site, the discomfort associated with the
      suture removal, and additional visit for suture removal are other reasons which
      encourages one to use any new technologies that may replace the need for suture
      placement. In this study, we used octyl-2-cyanoacrylate, a tissue adhesive which
      offers a viable alternative to traditional techniques without compromising
      optimal wound closure. OBJECTIVE: To perform a comprehensive comparison of the
      outcomes from the use of Dermabond in patients undergoing primary repair of
      congenital cleft lip +/- palate anomalies. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Twenty
      patients, in the age group of 3-18 months were treated surgically for unilateral
      cleft lip deformity using Millard rotation-advancement flap. Pre- and post
      operative photographs of the patients were taken at 1 week, 2 week, 1 month, 6
      months, and 1 year postoperatively and were evaluated using Vancouver scar scale
      which was given by Sullivan in 1990. Paired t-test was used for statistical
      analysis. RESULTS: Increased vascularity (hyperemia) was seen in the 1st and 2nd
      week in 35% and 30% patients, respectively which gradually reduced to normal in
      subsequent follow-ups. The scar was flat in 85% of patients in 1st week, and the
      number decreased to 10% at the end of 1 year. No wound dehiscence was found in
      any patients. Statistical analysis showed that among all the follow-ups, only the
      difference between the first and second follow-ups. Comparison of the results of
      1 week with all other follow-ups yielded no significant results. CONCLUSION:
      Octyl-2-cyanoacrylate can be used for cleft lip closure effectively. The
      procedure is relatively painless and quick. Added to this are benefits of
      protection from wound infection since the material is bacteriostatic.

PMID- 28356688
TI  - Comparing hemodynamic and glycemic response to local anesthesia with epinephrine
      and without epinephrine in patients undergoing tooth extractions.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: Lignocaine with epinephrine as local anesthetic (LA) provides
      hemostasis and decreases the risk of systemic toxicity. The purpose of the
      present study was to investigate and compare the response of lignocaine with and
      without epinephrine to evaluate hemodynamic and metabolic response in
      normotensive and type II controlled diabetic patients. MATERIAL AND METHODS: A
      total of 50 patients (25 healthy and 25 controlled type II diabetics) undergoing
      multiple tooth extractions (age group of 20-80 years) were included in this
      prospective, randomised, clinical study. On their first visit, the patients were
      given 2% lignocaine HCl with 1:200,000 epinephrine, and 2% lignocaine HCl was
      given on the second visit, to carry out tooth extractions. Blood pressure (BP),
      pulse rate, oxygen saturation, and blood glucose estimations were done at
      definite intervals (before, immediately after, and 20 min after the
      administration of LA) on both the visits. RESULTS: The increase in blood glucose
      concentration following the administration of 2% lignocaine HCl with 1:200,000
      epinephrine was statistically significant (P < 0.05) in controlled diabetic
      patients. Statistically significant variability in diastolic BP (DBP) was also
      noted in controlled diabetic patients. Both systolic BP and DBPs were
      statistically significantly elevated after the administration of 2% lignocaine
      HCl. CONCLUSION: 2% lignocaine HCl with 1:200,000 epinephrine in type II
      diabetics and 2% lignocaine HCl should be used with caution in normotensive as
      well as type II controlled diabetic patients.

PMID- 28356689
TI  - An epidemiological survey in hospital setup in Lucknow district: A cross
      sectional study.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: Oral cancer is the sixth most common form of cancer reported
      globally which includes lip, tongue, mouth, and throat. Developing countries face
      several challenges to identify and remove potential risk factors. Chewing
      tobacco/pan masala is considered to be the most potential risk factor for oral
      precancerous lesions and oral cancer. OBJECTIVE: To study the clinical
      epidemiological profile of oral cancer cases and potential risk factor associated
      with it. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This is cross-sectional study which includes all
      major tertiary hospital in Lucknow district. Five hundred and eight cases of oral
      cancer reported in all major tertiary hospitals in Lucknow district during 2013
      2016. STUDY VARIABLE: Clinicoepidemiological characteristics of oral cancer
      cases. STATISTICAL ANALYSIS: percentages, proportions. RESULTS: Out of 508 cases,
      majority of the subjects included in the study belonged to 18-75 years age group.
      Reported cases of oral cancer in males were higher as compared to females. Most
      of the subjects belonged to lower middle and upper lower socioeconomic group. It
      was found that 199 (39.2%) subjects consumed smokeless tobacco. Buccal mucosa was
      the common site of oral cancer being present in 50.4% of the subjects.
      Histopathologically, 256 cases of buccal mucosa, 17 cases of lip, 33 cases of
      alveolar region, 16 cases of mandible region, 156 cases of tongue region, 7 cases
      of gingival buccal sulcus region, and 23 cases of palate were diagnosed as oral
      squamous cell carcinoma. CONCLUSION: In the present study, the most affected site
      was buccal mucosa (50.4%), tongue (30.7%), and other diagnosis was <10%.

PMID- 28356692
TI  - Ameloblastic fibroma or fibrosarcoma: A dilemma of oral surgeon.
AB  - Ameloblastic fibroma (AF) is an uncommon true mixed odontogenic tumor, with a
      relative frequency between 1.5% and 4.5% of all odontogenic tumors. It may behave
      either as a true neoplasm or as a hamartomatous proliferation of odontogenic
      epithelium of the enamel organ and odontogenic mesenchyme of the primitive dental
      pulp. Frequently diagnosed between the first and second decades of life with 75%
      of cases was diagnosed before the age of 20 and present with a well-defined
      unilocular or multilocular radiolucencies. A conservative approach, enucleation
      with curettage, and long-term follow-up are absolutely necessary for any
      recurrence or change to fibrosarcoma. We report a case of AF in a 10-year-old
      male patient who presented with a chief complaint of swelling in the right
      mandibular posterior region. Enucleation and curettage were done under general
      anesthesia, followed by immunohistochemical markers (Ki-67, Mib-1) to assess the
      sarcomatous changes and aggressiveness of the tumor.

PMID- 28356691
TI  - Preoperative evaluation of cervical lymph nodes for metastasis in patients with
      oral squamous cell carcinoma: A comparative study of efficacy of palpation,
      ultrasonography and computed tomography.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: Oral cancer is a major health threat in a country like India, where
      patients frequently present with advanced disease with regional dissemination to
      cervical lymph nodes. The management and prognosis depend on the status of
      cervical lymph nodes. Thus, it becomes imperative to diagnose and evaluate them
      preoperatively. AIM: This study aims to compare the efficacy of palpation,
      ultrasonography (USG) and computed tomography (CT) in the preoperative evaluation
      of cervical lymph node for metastasis in patients with oral squamous cell
      carcinoma. SETTINGS: Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, SCB Dental
      College and Hospital, Cuttack, Odisha, India. METHODOLOGY: A total of thirty
      patients of either sex of age group 20-70 years, diagnosed with oral cancer were
      randomly selected for the study and subjected to palpation, USG and computer
      tomography followed by histopathology for confirmation. The results were evaluate
      statistically by sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, and
      negative predictive value and accuracy. RESULTS: For level IA palpation, USG and
      CT were equally sensitive (100%) and specific (100%). Although palpation, USG and
      CT were equally sensitive (80%) for level IB, the specificity of palpation (70%)
      <USG (95%) = CT (95%). For level II sensitivity of palpation (25%) <USG (75%) <CT
      (100%) whereas specificity was CT (84.6%) <palpation (92.3%) <USG (100%).
      CONCLUSION: CT (96.1%) and USG (97.7%) were more accurate than palpation (92.7%),
      for detection of metastasis in cervical lymph nodes in patients with oral
      squamous cell carcinoma. CT along with USG should be used for accurate
      preoperative evaluation of cervical lymph node.

PMID- 28356690
TI  - Sedation in oral and maxillofacial day care surgery: A comparative study between
      intravenous dexmedetomidine and midazolam.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: Sedation is an important component of day care oral and
      maxillofacial surgical procedures under local anesthesia. Although various
      sedative drugs in different regimens have been used for sedation, an ideal agent
      and regimen are yet to be established. AIM: The aim of this study is to compare
      the efficacy of intravenous (IV) dexmedetomidine and midazolam as a sedative
      agent for day care oral and maxillofacial surgical procedures. SETTINGS: The
      study was conducted in the Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, SCB
      Dental College and Hospital, Cuttack, Odisha, India. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A
      total of sixty adult patients of age group 18-65 years, of either sex were
      randomly selected equally in two groups for the study. One group named Group D
      received dexmedetomidine and the other named Group M received midazolam. Patients
      were evaluated for oxygen saturation (SPO2), respiration rate (RR), systolic
      blood pressure (SBP), diastolic blood pressure (DBP), Ramsay sedation score,
      bispectral index (BIS) score, amnesia, Aldrete score, relaxation during the
      surgery, and drug preference. RESULTS: Midazolam was associated with greater
      amnesia. Dexmedetomidine was associated with lower heart rate, SBP, and DBP.
      There was no significant difference in SPO2, RR, Aldrete score, Ramsay sedation
      score, and BIS score between the two drugs. Patient preference and relaxation
      were more in dexmedetomidine group. CONCLUSION: IV dexmedetomidine is a
      comparable alternative to midazolam for sedation in day care oral and
      maxillofacial surgery under local anesthesia. It is the preferred drug when a
      lower heart rate and blood pressure or less amnesia is needed without any serious
      side effects.

PMID- 28356693
TI  - The use of mini plates for intermaxillary fixation in a severely comminuted
      mandibular fracture with bilateral condylar fractures.
AB  - Intermaxillary fixation (IMF) is an integral technique utilized by maxillofacial
      surgeons to appropriately reduce and relate maxillary and mandibular fractures to
      both one another and the facial skeleton. This case report reviews the management
      of a comminuted mandibular fracture including inoperable bilateral condylar
      fractures that precluded the use of convention IMF techniques necessitating an
      alternative technique. This was achieved in the form of modified bony plates
      extending intraorally. Postoperative review showed favorable results with
      occlusion and range of motion comparable to the premorbid function and no
      unforeseen complications.

PMID- 28356694
TI  - Naso-orbital fistula and socket reconstruction with radial artery forearm flap
      following orbital mucormycosis.
AB  - Invasive mucormycosis is an uncommon cause of orbital exenteration.
      Reconstruction of an exenterated orbit is a surgical challenge. The loss of
      eyelids, adnexal structures, and even surrounding skin causes significant facial
      disfigurement. The goal for reconstruction demands a symmetrical orbital cavity
      with good prosthetic rehabilitation. Multiple reconstructive options in the form
      of skin grafts, local flaps, and free flaps are available. However, none of them
      provide ideal reconstruction. Our patient not only had extensive soft-tissue loss
      and unstable lining but also a large naso-orbital fistula. Reconstruction for
      this complex defect was done using an adipofascial radial artery flap which not
      only closed the fistula but also provided soft-tissue bulk and good skin match.
      Radial artery forearm flap provides a simple, stable, and good reconstructive
      option postorbital exenteration.

PMID- 28356695
TI  - Sialocele: A rare sequlae of transparotid approach in subcondylar fracture
      management.
AB  - Iatrogenic injury and/or damage to the parotid salivary gland during transparotid
      approach for open reduction and internal fixation of mandibular condyle fracture
      is a rare event. Accumulation of saliva in the gland leads to formation of a
      sialocele. Huge sialocele often seeks drain through the most dependent area
      through an extraoral wound, whereas in the absence of extraoral fistula, saliva
      can be redirected intraorally using a stent. A case of mangement of sialocele
      caused by damage to glandular elements during a transparotid approach for a
      subcondylar fracture reduction is reported. The various conservative methods and
      surgical management for this condition are discussed.

PMID- 28356696
TI  - HIV-associated large aggressive extranodal lymphoma of the oral cavity.
AB  - Malignant lymphomas form a heterogeneous group of neoplasms of the lymphoid
      tissue with different clinical courses, depending on the treatment and the
      prognosis. Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection and acquired immune
      deficiency syndrome (AIDS) have been associated with an increased risk for the
      development of lymphoproliferative disorders. The incidence of lymphoma is
      associated with 60-fold increase in seropositive patients as compared to
      seronegative patients. The present case describes a diffuse aggressive extranodal
      lymphoma in a known HIV patient.

PMID- 28356698
TI  - Inadequate vertical bone dimension managed by indirect sinus grafting technique
      and simultaneous implant placement.
AB  - Implant placement into the posterior maxilla often creates a challenge due to
      inadequate bone height because of close sinus proximity. This article presents a
      case report of indirect sinus lift technique involving hydraulic pressure to
      elevate the floor of the maxillary sinus.

PMID- 28356697
TI  - Orofacial cysticercosis: Report of a rare case with review of literature.
AB  - Cysticercosis is common in developing countries in which the combination of rural
      society, crowding, and poor sanitation facilities allows greater contact between
      humans and pigs and thus more opportunities for fecal contamination of food and
      water occurs. They are rarely located in oral and perioral tissues, particularly
      in the muscles of mastication, muscle of the facial expression, suprahyoid
      muscles, and postcervical musculature and also as in the tongue, buccal mucosa,
      and lip. Cysticercosis is a potentially fatal parasitic disease that rarely found
      in the maxillofacial region in humans. This paper reports the case of a young
      female patient presented with isolated lesion of cysticercosis involving
      buccinator muscle. In conclusion, we suggest that cysticercosis should be
      considered in the differential diagnosis of intraoral solitary nodules within the
      oral and maxillofacial region, especially in endemic areas. High-resolution
      ultrasonography is an excellent noninvasive and cost-effective modality for the
      diagnosis and also suggests that localized parasitic infections such as
      Cysticercus cellulosae can be successfully treated with conservative management
      using oral antiparasitic (antihelminthic) medication.

PMID- 28356699
TI  - A systematic noninvasive approach for rehabilitation of traumatized maxillary
      incisors.
AB  - Esthetic and functional impairment due to dental trauma is a major concern for
      patients. The management of such traumatic cases is complex, and it requires a
      comprehensive knowledge, diagnosis, and treatment planning. It is also important
      to take into account the patient's desire as well as economical status. The
      present case report describes a simple, conservative, and noninvasive approach
      for the rehabilitation of traumatized maxillary incisors.

PMID- 28356700
TI  - Indolent palatal swelling: Catch 22.
AB  - We present an interesting but intriguing case of an indolent palatal swelling.
      The lesion was asymptomatic causing little discomfort to the patient and thus was
      an incidental clinical finding. Provisional diagnosis was a benign, minor
      salivary gland tumor. Clinical differential diagnoses included benign
      lymphoepithelial lesion or mucus extravasation phenomenon. Nevertheless, we also
      considered malignancies such as mucoepidermoid carcinoma, lymphoma, and neoplasm
      of the maxillary sinus. However, the histopathology revealed a rare
      clinicopathologic entity prompting immediate treatment of the lesion.

PMID- 28356701
TI  - "I'm not being rude, I'd want somebody normal": Adolescents' Perception of their
      Peers with Tourette's Syndrome: an Exploratory Study.
AB  - Tourette's syndrome (TS) is a highly stigmatised condition, and typically
      developing adolescents' motives and reasons for excluding individuals with TS
      have not been examined. The aim of the study was to understand how TS is
      conceptualised by adolescents and explore how individuals with TS are perceived
      by their typically developing peers. Free text writing and focus groups were used
      to elicit the views of twenty-two year ten students from a secondary school in
      South East England. Grounded theory was used to develop an analytical framework.
      Participants' understanding about the condition was construed from
      misconceptions, unfamiliarity and unanswered questions. Adolescents who conceived
      TS as a condition beyond the individual's control perceived their peers as being
      deprived of agency and strength and as straying from the boundaries of normalcy.
      People with TS were viewed as individuals deserving pity, and in need of support.
      Although participants maintained they had feelings of social politeness towards
      those with TS, they would avoid initiating meaningful social relationships with
      them due to fear of 'social contamination'. Intergroup anxiety would also inhibit
      a close degree of social contact. Participants that viewed those with TS as
      responsible for their condition expressed a plenary desire for social distance.
      However, these behavioural intentions were not limited to adolescents that
      elicited inferences of responsibility to people with TS, indicating that
      attributional models of stigmatisation may be of secondary importance in the case
      of TS. Implications for interventions to improve school belonging among youth
      with TS are discussed.

PMID- 28356702
TI  - Appropriately differentiated ARPE-19 cells regain phenotype and gene expression
      profiles similar to those of native RPE cells.
AB  - PURPOSE: The RPE cell line ARPE-19 provides a dependable and widely used
      alternative to native RPE. However, replication of the native RPE phenotype
      becomes more difficult because these cells lose their specialized phenotype after
      multiple passages. Compounding this problem is the widespread use of ARPE-19
      cells in an undifferentiated state to attempt to model RPE functions. We wished
      to determine whether suitable culture conditions and differentiation could
      restore the RPE-appropriate expression of genes and proteins to ARPE-19, along
      with a functional and morphological phenotype resembling native RPE. We compared
      the transcriptome of ARPE-19 cells kept in long-term culture with those of
      primary and other human RPE cells to assess the former's inherent plasticity
      relative to the latter. METHODS: ARPE-19 cells at passages 9 to 12 grown in DMEM
      containing high glucose and pyruvate with 1% fetal bovine serum were
      differentiated for up to 4 months. Immunocytochemistry was performed on ARPE-19
      cells grown on filters. Total RNA extracted from ARPE-19 cells cultured for
      either 4 days or 4 months was used for RNA sequencing (RNA-Seq) analysis using a
      2 * 50 bp paired end protocol. The RNA-Seq data were analyzed to identify the
      affected pathways and recognize shared ontological classification among
      differentially expressed genes. RPE-specific mRNAs and miRNAs were assessed with
      quantitative real-time (RT)-PCR, and proteins with western blotting. RESULTS:
      ARPE-19 cells grown for 4 months developed the classic native RPE phenotype with
      heavy pigmentation. RPE-expressed genes, including RPE65, RDH5, and RDH10, as
      well as miR-204/211, were greatly increased in the ARPE-19 cells maintained at
      confluence for 4 months. The RNA-Seq analysis provided a comprehensive view of
      the relative abundance and differential expression of the genes in the
      differentiated ARPE-19 cells. Of the 16,757 genes with detectable signals, nearly
      1,681 genes were upregulated, and 1,629 genes were downregulated with a fold
      change of 2.5 or more differences between 4 months and 4 days of culture. Gene
      Ontology analysis showed that the upregulated genes were associated with visual
      cycle, phagocytosis, pigment synthesis, cell differentiation, and RPE-related
      transcription factors. The majority of the downregulated genes play a role in
      cell cycle and proliferation. CONCLUSIONS: The ARPE-19 cells cultured for 4
      months developed a phenotype characteristic of native RPE and expressed proteins,
      mRNAs, and miRNAs characteristic of the RPE. Comparison of the ARPE-19 RNA-Seq
      data set with that of primary human fetal RPE, embryonic stem cell-derived RPE,
      and native RPE revealed an important overall similar expression ratio among all
      the models and native tissue. However, none of the cultured models reached the
      absolute values in the native tissue. The results of this study demonstrate that
      low-passage ARPE-19 cells can express genes specific to native human RPE cells
      when appropriately cultured and differentiated.

PMID- 28356704
TI  - Osmotic regulation of NFAT5 expression in RPE cells: The involvement of
      purinergic receptor signaling.
AB  - PURPOSE: Systemic hypertension is a risk factor for age-related neovascular
      retinal diseases. The major condition that induces hypertension is the intake of
      dietary salt (NaCl) resulting in increased extracellular osmolarity. High
      extracellular NaCl was has been shown to induce angiogenic factor production in
      RPE cells, in part via the transcriptional activity of nuclear factor of
      activated T cell 5 (NFAT5). Here, we determined the signaling pathways that
      mediate the osmotic expression of the NFAT5 gene in RPE cells. METHODS: Cultured
      human RPE cells were stimulated with high (+100 mM) NaCl. Alterations in gene and
      protein expression were determined with real-time reverse transcriptase (RT)-PCR
      and western blot analysis, respectively. RESULTS: NaCl-induced NFAT5 gene
      expression was fully inhibited by calcium chelation and blockers of inositol
      triphosphate (IP3) receptors and phospholipases C and A2. Blockers of
      phospholipases C and A2 also prevented the NaCl-induced increase of the cellular
      NFAT5 protein level. Inhibitors of multiple intracellular signaling transduction
      pathways and kinases, including p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK),
      extracellular signal-regulated kinases 1 and 2 (ERK1/2), c-Jun NH2-terminal
      kinase (JNK), phosphatidylinositol-3 kinase (PI3K), protein kinases A and C, Src
      tyrosine kinases, and calpains, as well as cyclooxygenase inhibitors, decreased
      the NaCl-induced expression of the NFAT5 gene. In addition, autocrine purinergic
      signaling mediated by a release of ATP and a nucleoside transporter-mediated
      release of adenosine, activation of P2X7, P2Y1, P2Y2, and adenosine A1 receptors,
      but not adenosine A2A receptors, is required for the full expression of the NFAT5
      gene under hyperosmotic conditions. NaCl-induced NFAT5 gene expression is in part
      dependent on the activity of nuclear factor kappaB (NF-kappaB). The NaCl-induced
      expression of NFAT5 protein was prevented by inhibitors of phospholipases C and
      A2 and an inhibitor of NF-kappaB, but it was not prevented by a P2Y1 inhibitor.
      CONCLUSIONS: The data suggest that in addition to calcium signaling and
      activation of inflammatory enzymes, autocrine/paracrine purinergic signaling
      contributes to the stimulatory effect of hyperosmotic stress on the expression of
      the NFAT5 gene in RPE cells. It is suggested that high intake of dietary salt
      induces RPE cell responses, which may contribute to age-related retinal diseases.

PMID- 28356703
TI  - Differential responses of choroidal melanocytes and uveal melanoma cells to low
      oxygen conditions.
AB  - PURPOSE: Tissue culture is traditionally performed at atmospheric oxygen
      concentration (21%), which induces hyperoxic stress, as endogenous physiologic
      oxygen tension found in tissues varies between 2% and 9%. This discrepancy may
      lead to misinterpretation of results and may explain why effects observed in
      vitro cannot always be reproduced in vivo and vice versa. Only a few studies have
      been conducted in low physiologic oxygen conditions to understand the development
      and differentiation of cells from the eye. METHODS: The aim of this study was to
      investigate the growth and gene expression profile of melanocytes from the
      choroid permanently exposed to 21% (hyperoxic) or 3% (physiologic) oxygen with
      proliferation assays and DNA microarray. The cellular behavior of the melanocytes
      was then compared to that of cancer cells. RESULTS: The gross morphology and
      melanin content of choroidal melanocytes changed slightly when they were exposed
      to 3% O2, and the doubling time was statistically significantly faster. There was
      an increase in the percentage of choroidal melanocytes in the active phases of
      the cell cycle as observed by using the proliferation marker Ki67. The caveolin-1
      senescence marker was not increased in choroidal melanocytes or uveal melanoma
      cells grown in hyperoxia. In comparison, the morphology of the uveal melanoma
      cells was similar between the two oxygen levels, and the doubling time was slower
      at 3% O2. Surprisingly, gene expression profiling of the choroidal melanocytes
      did not reveal a large list of transcripts considerably dysregulated between the
      two oxygen concentrations; only the lactate transporter monocarboxylate
      transporter (MCT4) was statistically significantly upregulated at 3% O2.
      CONCLUSIONS: This study showed that the oxygen concentration must be tightly
      controlled in experimental settings, because it influences the subsequent
      cellular behavior of human choroidal melanocytes.

PMID- 28356706
TI  - A mutagenesis-derived Lrp5 mouse mutant with abnormal retinal vasculature and low
      bone mineral density.
AB  - PURPOSE: Familial exudative vitreoretinopathy (FEVR) is caused by mutations in
      the genes encoding low-density lipoprotein receptor-related protein (LRP5) or its
      interacting partners, namely frizzled class receptor 4 (FZD4) and norrin cystine
      knot growth factor (NDP). Mouse models for Lrp5, Fzd4, and Ndp have proven to be
      important for understanding the retinal pathophysiology underlying FEVR and
      systemic abnormalities related to defective Wnt signaling. Here, we report a new
      mouse mutant, tvrm111B, which was identified by electroretinogram (ERG) screening
      of mice generated in the Jackson Laboratory Translational Vision Research Models
      (TVRM) mutagenesis program. METHODS: ERGs were used to examine outer retinal
      physiology. The retinal vasculature was examined by in vivo retinal imaging, as
      well as by histology and immunohistochemistry. The tvrm111B locus was identified
      by genetic mapping of mice generated in a cross to DBA/2J, and subsequent
      sequencing analysis. Gene expression was examined by real-time PCR of retinal
      RNA. Bone mineral density (BMD) was examined by peripheral dual-energy X-ray
      absorptiometry. RESULTS: The tvrm111B allele is inherited as an autosomal
      recessive trait. Genetic mapping of the decreased ERG b-wave phenotype of
      tvrm111B mice localized the mutation to a region on chromosome 19 that included
      Lrp5. Sequencing of Lrp5 identified the insertion of a cytosine
      (c.4724_4725insC), which is predicted to cause a frameshift that disrupts the
      last three of five conserved PPPSPxS motifs in the cytoplasmic domain of LRP5,
      culminating in a premature termination. In addition to a reduced ERG b-wave,
      Lrp5tvrm111B homozygotes have low BMD and abnormal features of the retinal
      vasculature that have been reported previously in Lrp5 mutant mice, including
      persistent hyaloid vessels, leakage on fluorescein angiography, and an absence of
      the deep retinal capillary bed. CONCLUSIONS: The phenotype of the Lrp5tvrm111B
      mutant includes abnormalities of the retinal vasculature and of BMD. This model
      may be a useful resource to further our understanding of the biological role of
      LRP5 and to evaluate experimental therapies for FEVR or other conditions
      associated with LRP5 dysfunction.

PMID- 28356705
TI  - Novel splice-site mutation in TTLL5 causes cone dystrophy in a consanguineous
      family.
AB  - PURPOSE: To report the clinical and genetic findings of one family with autosomal
      recessive cone dystrophy (CD) and to identify the causative mutation. METHODS: An
      institutional study of three family members from two generations. The clinical
      examination included best-corrected Snellen visual acuity measurement,
      fundoscopy, the Farnsworth D-15 color vision test, a full-field electroretinogram
      (ERG) that incorporated the International Society for Clinical Electrophysiology
      of Vision standards and methodology, fundus autofluorescence (FAF) and infrared
      (IR), and spectral-domain optical coherence tomography (SD-OCT). Genetic findings
      were achieved with DNA analysis using whole exome sequencing (WES) and Sanger
      sequencing. RESULTS: The proband, a 9-year-old boy, presented with a condition
      that appeared to be congenital and stationary. The clinical presentation
      initially reflected incomplete congenital stationary night blindness (icCSNB)
      because of myopia, a decrease in visual acuity, abnormal oscillatory potentials,
      and reduced amplitudes on the 30 Hz flicker ERG but was atypical because there
      were no clear electronegative responses. However, no disease-causing mutations in
      the genes underlying icCSNB were identified. Following WES analysis of family
      members, a homozygous splice-site mutation in intron 3 of TTLL5 (c.182-3_182
      1delinsAA) was found cosegregating within the phenotype in the family.
      CONCLUSIONS: The distinction between icCSNB and CD phenotypes is not always
      straightforward in young patients. The patient was quite young, which most likely
      explains why the progression of the CD was not obvious. WES analysis provided
      prompt diagnosis for this family; thus, the use of this technique to refine the
      diagnosis is highlighted in this study.

PMID- 28356708
TI  - The efficacy of Alahmady ring implantation in the management of neovascular
      glaucoma.
AB  - PURPOSE: To evaluate the efficacy and safety of Alahmady ring implantation in the
      management of neovascular glaucoma. METHODS: A total of 15 eyes of 15 patients
      with intractable neovascular glaucoma with intraocular pressure (IOP) >=28 mmHg
      not responding to medical treatment were retrospectively analyzed. All patients
      had poor visual acuity and underwent Alahmady ring implantation. The ring was
      designed from fenestrated silicon tube used in lacrimal surgeries and was
      implanted subsclerally after passing it through the anterior chamber. Patients
      were followed up for at least 24 months. Success in this study was defined based
      on IOP >=8 mmHg and <21 mmHg, with not more than 1 glaucoma drug, and improvement
      of patient symptoms and signs with maximum use of beta blocker as antiglaucoma
      drug. RESULTS: A total of 15 eyes of 15 patients (9 males [60%] and 6 females
      [40%]) were analyzed in this study. The mean IOP before surgery was 38.6 mmHg
      (standard deviation [SD]: 6.98) and it was 14.05 mmHg (SD =7.57) after surgery.
      The follow-up range was 24-36 months. Success of silicon drainage device was
      defined as an IOP <21 mmHg on the last follow-up visit. Medications included only
      beta-blockers and topical steroids for those who were without severe
      complications or for those who were not in a condition to undergo a further
      glaucoma surgery. CONCLUSION: Alahmady ring implantation proves to be a good
      surgical option for neovascular glaucoma; however, a longer follow-up period is
      recommended.

PMID- 28356710
TI  - Switching to preservative-free latanoprost: impact on tolerability and patient
      satisfaction.
AB  - Patient satisfaction with glaucoma treatment has been poorly studied to date.
      Because glaucoma is a chronic condition in which the therapeutic response is
      dependent on adherence to treatment, patient acceptability is an important factor
      in achieving satisfactory outcomes. This multicenter, international (Belgium, the
      Netherlands, and Spain), epidemiological convenience sample survey among patients
      commencing treatment with preservative-free latanoprost collected data on patient
      satisfaction with particular regard to tolerability. A total of 1,541 patients
      were recruited who were predominantly elderly (74% were over 60 years of age) and
      female (61%). Most of the patients had previously received preserved topical
      glaucoma medication (69%), 6.7% had previously received preservative-free
      medication, whereas 24% had not previously been treated for glaucoma. The great
      majority of patients (>95%) were satisfied with the preservative-free latanoprost
      treatment. Among the patients who had previously received preserved medication,
      73% of patients found preservative-free latanoprost to be better tolerated and
      89% found it at least as easy to use as their prior treatment. Patient
      satisfaction (determined by a 0-100 mm visual analog scale) was improved by 47%
      on a switch from preserved treatment to preservative-free latanoprost.
      Intraocular pressure was similar in patients who had previously received
      preserved (18.3 mmHg), preservative-free (17.8 mmHg) glaucoma medication or who
      were naive to treatment (20.3 mmHg). Preservative-free latanoprost provided
      effective reduction of intraocular pressure with better tolerability and patient
      satisfaction than preserved glaucoma medication. This tolerability profile can be
      expected to improve adherence to treatment in glaucoma patients.

PMID- 28356707
TI  - Epigenetic intervention with a BET inhibitor ameliorates acute retinal ganglion
      cell death in mice.
AB  - PURPOSE: The bromo and extraterminal (BET) epigenetic "reader" family is becoming
      an appealing new therapeutic target for several common diseases, yet little is
      known of its role in retinal neurodegeneration. We explored the potential of BET
      inhibition in the protection of retinal ganglion cells (RGCs). METHODS: To test
      the therapeutic effect of JQ1, an inhibitor highly selective for the BET family
      of proteins, we used an acute RGC damage model induced by N-methyl-D-aspartic
      acid (NMDA) excitotoxicity. Adult C57BL/6 mice received an intravitreal injection
      of NMDA with (or without) JQ1 in one eye and vehicle control in the contralateral
      eye; RGC loss was assessed on retinal sections and whole mounts. Gene expression
      and apoptosis were analyzed by quantitative real time (RT)-PCR and terminal
      deoxynucleotidyl transferase dUTP nick end labeling (TUNEL), respectively. For
      counting RGCs, immunostaining of the marker protein BRN3A was performed on whole
      mounts. RESULTS: NMDA treatment eliminated RGCs (day 7 and day 14 post injection)
      and diminished the expression (mRNAs) of RGC-selective genes, including Thy1,
      Nrn1, Sncg, and Nfl (day 3 and day 7). In contrast, co-injection with JQ1
      maintained the number and gene expression of RGCs at ~2 fold of the control (NMDA
      only, no JQ1), and it decreased NMDA-induced TUNEL-positive cells in the RGC
      layer by 35%. While NMDA treatment dramatically upregulated mRNAs of inflammatory
      cytokines (TNFalpha, IL-1beta, MCP-1, RANTES) in retinal homogenates, co
      injection with JQ1 suppressed their upregulation by ~50%. CONCLUSIONS:
      Intravitreal injection of a BET inhibitor (JQ1) ameliorates NMDA-induced RGC
      death, revealing the RGC-protective potential of pharmacological blockage of the
      BET family. This new strategy of epigenetic intervention may be extended to other
      retinal degenerative conditions.

PMID- 28356711
TI  - Intravitreal aflibercept versus intravitreal ranibizumab for the treatment of
      diabetic macular edema.
AB  - PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to compare the efficacy of intravitreal
      aflibercept and ranibizumab in the treatment of diabetic macular edema (DME) in
      eyes with moderate visual loss. PATIENTS AND METHODS: This study is a randomized
      prospective study. Seventy eyes with DME were divided into two groups (each
      containing 35 eyes). Eyes in group I were treated with intravitreal injection of
      2 mg/0.05 mL aflibercept and eyes in group II were treated with intravitreal
      injection of 0.5 mg/0.1 mL ranibizumab. All the eyes had three successive
      injections as a loading dose (with 1 month interval), and then the patients were
      followed up monthly for 12 months. The outcomes of the study were visual acuity,
      central macular thickness (CMT), and the number of re-injections of the drug.
      RESULTS: Mean age of the patients in group I was 55.05+/-4.7 years and in group
      II was 56.64+/-5.8 years (P=0.17). The mean baseline best corrected visual acuity
      (BCVA) of eyes treated with aflibercept was 0.17+/-0.05 and with ranibizumab was
      0.18+/-0.04 (P=0.9). BCVA was improved in both the groups at the end of the
      follow-up period and was found to be 0.42+/-0.28 and 0.37+/-0.23, respectively
      (P=0.27). The mean baseline CMT of eyes in group I was 465.29+/-33.7 um and in
      group II was 471.5+/-34.4 um (P=0.65). CMT decreased in both the groups to
      360.8+/-85.7 um and 387.3+/-87.8 um, respectively (P=0.2). The mean number of
      drug re-injection was 2.62+/-0.68 and 3.03+/-0.95 in both the groups,
      respectively (P=0.02). CONCLUSION: Aflibercept and ranibizumab have the same
      efficacy in the treatment of DME in eyes with moderate visual loss but with less
      number of drug re-injection and less treatment burden with aflibercept (2.62+/
      0.68 versus 3.03+/-0.95).

PMID- 28356709
TI  - The SPARC-related modular calcium binding protein 2 (SMOC2) gene polymorphism in
      primary glaucoma: a case-control study.
AB  - Primary glaucomas are among the most common eye diseases that may potentially
      result in bilateral blindness. Both genetics and environmental factors are
      reported to be involved in the etiology of primary glaucomas. Secreted protein
      acidic and rich in cysteine (SPARC)-related modular calcium binding protein 2
      (SMOC2) is a matricellular glycoprotein encoded by the SMOC2 gene and known to
      regulate the expression of extracellular matrix (ECM) proteins and matrix
      metalloproteinases (MMPs), which play an important role in the pathogenesis of
      primary glaucomas. The frequencies of alleles and genotypes of SMOC2 variants
      were examined in 406 Saudi subjects, including primary open angle glaucoma (POAG,
      n=140) and primary angle closure glaucoma (PACG, n=64) patients and 202 matched
      healthy controls using the polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length
      polymorphism (PCR-RFLP) technique. Genotyping of SMOC2 polymorphism (rs13208776)
      revealed a significantly higher frequency of the heterozygous genotype GA
      (P<0.01) and a lower frequency of wild type GG genotype (P=0.05) in glaucoma
      patients compared to the controls. Upon stratification of the patients on the
      basis of types of glaucoma, PACG patients had a significantly higher frequency of
      GA genotype as compared to the controls (P<0.01), whereas there was no
      significant difference between the POAG patient and control groups in frequencies
      of SMOC2 alleles and genotypes. Further, there was no significant difference in
      frequency distribution of alleles and genotypes between male and female patients.
      This study indicates that the GA genotype of SMOC2 (G>A) polymorphism is
      significantly associated with PACG and may be a risk factor. However, further
      large-scale studies in the Saudi population as well as in other ethnic
      populations are needed to confirm this association.

PMID- 28356712
TI  - A protocol for topographic-guided corneal repair utilizing the US Food and Drug
      Administration-approved Wavelight Contoura.
AB  - PURPOSE: To demonstrate how Wavelight Contoura can be used to repair corneas
      damaged by trauma and prior poor surgical outcomes. METHODS: Four representative
      eyes are presented that show different scenarios in which highly irregular
      corneas can be corrected with Wavelight Contoura using a protocol (named the San
      Diego Protocol) designed to use the information in Contoura processing. Both
      laser-assisted in situ keratomileusis (LASIK) and photorefractive keratectomy
      (PRK) were used. RESULTS: Highly aberrant corneas with large amounts of warpage
      can be corrected safely with the Wavelight Contoura system. The San Diego
      Protocol requires individual analysis of each case with decisions based on the
      level of warpage and the level of epithelial hyperplastic compensation. The need
      for a second refractive power equalization procedure should be planned for.
      CONCLUSION: Contoura measured refraction can be integrally used as part of the
      San Diego Protocol to safely repair highly warped corneas. The refractive
      outcomes show dramatic improvement in vision, best-corrected visual acuity
      (BCVA), refraction, and topographic uniformity.

PMID- 28356715
TI  - Clinical potential of SLAMF7 antibodies - focus on elotuzumab in multiple
      myeloma.
AB  - Elotuzumab is one of the first monoclonal antibodies to be approved for the
      treatment of multiple myeloma. It is a humanized immunoglobulin G kappa
      (IgGkappa) antibody that targets signaling lymphocytic activation molecule family
      member 7 (SLAMF7), a surface marker that is highly expressed on normal and
      malignant plasma cells. This review summarizes the preclinical and clinical data
      that led to the approval of elotuzumab, along with a discussion on the ongoing
      and future clinical investigations.

PMID- 28356714
TI  - Delafloxacin: design, development and potential place in therapy.
AB  - Delafloxacin (DLX) is a new fluoroquinolone pending approval, which has shown a
      good in vitro and in vivo activity against major pathogens associated with skin
      and soft tissue infections and community-acquired respiratory tract infections.
      DLX also shows good activity against a broad spectrum of microorganisms,
      including those resistant to other fluoroquinolones, as methicillin-resistant
      Staphylococcus aureus. Its pharmacokinetic properties and excellent activity in
      acidic environments make DLX an alternative in the treatment of these and other
      infections. In this manuscript, a detailed analysis of this new fluoroquinolone
      is performed, from its chemical structure to its in vivo activity in recently
      published clinical trials. Its possible place in the current antimicrobial
      outlook and in other infectious models is also discussed.

PMID- 28356713
TI  - Artonin E induces p53-independent G1 cell cycle arrest and apoptosis through ROS
      mediated mitochondrial pathway and livin suppression in MCF-7 cells.
AB  - Artonin E is a prenylated flavonoid compound isolated from the stem bark of
      Artocarpus elasticus. This phytochemical has been previously reported to be drug
      like with full compliance to Lipinski's rule of five and good physicochemical
      properties when compared with 95% of orally available drugs. It has also been
      shown to possess unique medicinal properties that can be utilized in view of
      alleviating most human disease conditions. In this study, we investigated the
      cytotoxic mechanism of Artonin E in MCF-7 breast cancer cells, which has so far
      not been reported. In this context, Artonin E significantly suppressed the breast
      cancer cell's viability while inducing apoptosis in a dose-dependent manner. This
      apoptosis induction was caspase dependent, and it is mediated mainly through the
      intrinsic pathway with the elevation of total reactive oxygen species. Gene and
      protein expression studies revealed significant upregulation of cytochrome c,
      Bax, caspases 7 and 9, and p21 in Artonin E-treated MCF-7 cells, while MAPK and
      cyclin D were downregulated. Livin, a member of the inhibitors of apoptosis,
      whose upregulation has been noted to precede chemotherapeutic resistance and
      apoptosis evasion was remarkably repressed. In all, Artonin E stood high as a
      potential agent in the treatment of breast cancer.

PMID- 28356716
TI  - Synergistic protective effect of N-acetylcysteine and taurine against cisplatin
      induced nephrotoxicity in rats.
AB  - Cisplatin (cis-diaminedichloroplatinum II; CDDP) is an effective anticancer drug,
      but it has limitations because of its nephrotoxicity. This study investigates the
      protective effect of N-acetylcysteine (NAC) and taurine (TAU), both individually
      and in combination, against CDDP nephrotoxicity in rats. For this purpose, 48
      male rats were assigned into eight groups (n=6) as follows: 1) control group, 2)
      NAC group, 3) TAU group, 4) NAC-TAU group, 5) CDDP group, 6) CDDP-NAC group, 7)
      CDDP-TAU group, and 8) CDDP-NAC-TAU group. Cisplatin was administered as a single
      intraperitoneal injection at a concentration of 6 mg/kg. Three days after CDDP
      administration, NAC (50 mg/kg) and/or TAU (50 mg/kg) were administered three
      times weekly for four consecutive weeks. Kidney function markers in serum,
      urinary glucose and protein, as well as oxidant and antioxidant parameters in
      renal tissue were assessed. Administration of CDDP significantly elevated urinary
      glucose and protein, as well as serum creatinine, urea, and uric acid. Moreover,
      CDDP enhanced lipid peroxidation and suppressed the major enzymatic antioxidants
      in the kidney tissue. Treatment with NAC or TAU protected against the alterations
      in the serum, urine, and renal tissue when used individually along with CDDP.
      Furthermore, a combined therapy of both was more effective in ameliorating CDDP
      induced nephrotoxicity, which points out to their synergistic effect.

PMID- 28356717
TI  - Nanostructured lipid carriers for incorporation of copper(II) complexes to be
      used against Mycobacterium tuberculosis.
AB  - Tuberculosis (TB) is a disease caused by Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Cessation of
      treatment before the recommended conclusion may lead to the emergence of
      multidrug-resistant strains. The aim of this study was to develop nanostructured
      lipid carriers (NLCs) for use in the treatment of M. tuberculosis. The NLCs
      comprised the following lipid phase: 2.07% polyoxyethylene 40 stearate, 2.05%
      caprylic/capric triglyceride, and 0.88% polyoxyl 40 hydrogenated castor oil; the
      following aqueous phase: 3.50% poloxamer 407 (F1-F6), and 0.50%
      cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (F7-F12); and incorporated the copper(II)
      complexes [CuCl2(INH)2].H2O (1), [Cu(NCS)2(INH)2].5H2O (2), and
      [Cu(NCO)2(INH)2].4H2O (3) to form compounds F11.1, F11.2, and F11.3,
      respectively. The mean diameter of F11, F11.1, F11.2, and F11.3 ranged from
      111.27+/-21.86 to 134.25+/-22.72 nm, 90.27+/-12.97 to 116.46+/-9.17 nm, 112.4+/
      10.22 to 149.3+/-15.82 nm, and 78.65+/-6.00 to 122.00+/-8.70 nm, respectively.
      The polydispersity index values for the NLCs ranged from 0.13+/-0.01 to 0.30+/
      0.09. The NLCs showed significant changes in zeta potential, except for F11.2,
      with F11, F11.1, F11.2, and F11.3 ranging from 18.87+/-4.04 to 23.25+/-1.13 mV,
      17.03+/-1.77 to 21.42+/-1.87 mV, 20.51+/-1.88 to 22.60+/-3.44 mV, and 17.80+/
      1.96 to 25.25+/-7.78 mV, respectively. Atomic force microscopy confirmed the
      formation of nanoscale spherical particle dispersions by the NLCs. Differential
      scanning calorimetry determined the melting points of the constituents of the
      NLCs. The in vitro activity of copper(II) complex-loaded NLCs against M.
      tuberculosis H37Rv showed an improvement in the anti-TB activity of 55.4, 27.1,
      and 41.1 times the activity for complexes 1, 2, and 3, respectively. An in vivo
      acute toxicity study of complex-loaded NLCs demonstrated their reduced toxicity.
      The results suggest that NLCs may be a powerful tool to optimize the activity of
      copper(II) complexes against M. tuberculosis.

PMID- 28356719
TI  - Synergistic effects of antimicrobial peptide DP7 combined with antibiotics
      against multidrug-resistant bacteria.
AB  - Antibiotic-resistant bacteria present a great threat to public health. In this
      study, the synergistic effects of antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) and antibiotics
      on several multidrug-resistant bacterial strains were studied, and their
      synergistic effects on azithromycin (AZT)-resistance genes were analyzed to
      determine the relationships between antimicrobial resistance and these
      synergistic effects. A checkerboard method was used to evaluate the synergistic
      effects of AMPs (DP7 and CLS001) and several antibiotics (gentamicin, vancomycin
      [VAN], AZT, and amoxicillin) on clinical bacterial strains (Staphylococcus
      aureus, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Acinetobacter baumannii, and Escherichia coli).
      The AZT-resistance genes (ermA, ermB, ermC, mefA, and msrA) were identified in
      the resistant strains using quantitative polymerase chain reaction. For all the
      clinical isolates tested that were resistant to different antibiotics, DP7 had
      high antimicrobial activity (<=32 mg/L). When DP7 was combined with VAN or AZT,
      the effect was most frequently synergistic. When we studied the resistance genes
      of the AZT-resistant isolates, the synergistic effect of DP7-AZT occurred most
      frequently in highly resistant strains or strains carrying more than two AZT
      resistance genes. A transmission electron microscopic analysis of the S. aureus
      strain synergistically affected by DP7-AZT showed no noteworthy morphological
      changes, suggesting that a molecular-level mechanism plays an important role in
      the synergistic action of DP7-AZT. AMP DP7 plus the antibiotic AZT or VAN is more
      effective, especially against highly antibiotic-resistant strains.

PMID- 28356720
TI  - mHealth intervention to support asthma self-management in adolescents: the ADAPT
      study.
AB  - PURPOSE: Poor medication adherence in adolescents with asthma results in poorly
      controlled disease and increased morbidity. The aim of the ADolescent Adherence
      Patient Tool (ADAPT) study is to develop an mHealth intervention to support self
      management and to evaluate the effectiveness in improving medication adherence
      and asthma control. INTERVENTION: The ADAPT intervention consists of an
      interactive smartphone application (app) connected to a desktop application for
      health care providers, in this study, the community pharmacist. The app contains
      several functions to improve adherence as follows: 1) a questionnaire function to
      rate asthma symptoms and monitor these over time; 2) short movie clips with
      medication and disease information; 3) a medication reminder; 4) a chat function
      with peers; and 5) a chat function with the pharmacist. The pharmacist receives
      data from the patient's app through the desktop application, which enables the
      pharmacist to send information and feedback to the patient. STUDY DESIGN: The
      ADAPT intervention is tested in a community pharmacy-based cluster randomized
      controlled trial in the Netherlands, aiming to include 352 adolescents with
      asthma. The main outcome is adherence, measured by patient's self-report and
      refill adherence calculated from pharmacy dispensing records. In addition, asthma
      control, illness perceptions, medication beliefs, and asthma-related quality of
      life are measured. CONCLUSION: This study will provide in-depth knowledge on the
      effectiveness of an mHealth intervention to support asthma self-management in
      adolescents. These insights will also be useful for adolescents with other
      chronic diseases.

PMID- 28356718
TI  - Sodium-glucose cotransporter 2 inhibitors combined with dipeptidyl peptidase-4
      inhibitors in the management of type 2 diabetes: a review of current clinical
      evidence and rationale.
AB  - Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) is a progressive and multifactorial
      cardiometabolic disorder. Almost half of adults with diabetes fail to achieve
      their recommended glucose control target. This has prompted some clinicians to
      advocate the use of more intensive initial therapy, including the use of
      combination therapy to target multiple physiologic defects in diabetes with the
      goal of achieving and sustaining glucose control. Numerous options exist for
      combining the various classes of glucose-lowering agents in the treatment of
      T2DM. This report reviews the mechanism, rationale, and evidence from clinical
      trials for combining two of the newer drug classes, namely, dipeptidyl peptidase
      4 inhibitors and sodium-glucose cotransporter 2 inhibitors, and considers the
      possible role of such dual therapy in the management of T2DM.

PMID- 28356721
TI  - The influence of wearing schemes and supportive telephone calls on adherence in
      accelerometry measurement: results of a randomized controlled trial.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Physical activity (PA) can be assessed by accelerometer monitors.
      However, a high adherence to wearing this device is essential to obtain valid
      data. In this study, the influence of different wearing schemes and additional
      supportive phone calls (SPCs) on adherence was examined. METHODS: A randomized
      study with four groups was conducted in the context of a health examination
      program among participants aged 40-75 years without a history of cardiovascular
      diseases. Participants were recruited in different settings (general medical
      practices, job center, and health insurance). The participants were asked to wear
      an accelerometer for 7 consecutive days according to the wearing scheme "day and
      night" or "day only" and received or did not receive SPCs. Full adherence was
      defined as a total wearing time of 98 hours (between 8 am and 10 pm during 7
      days). A generalized linear model was used to calculate the difference between
      the maximum possible and the observed adherence. RESULTS: Adherence could be
      assessed for 249 participants (mean age: 56.40 years; standard deviation [SD]
      9.83, 40% males). The mean wearing time was 84.04 hours (SD 20.75). Participants
      with the wearing scheme day and night were significantly more adherent than
      participants with the wearing scheme day only (incidence rate ratio [IRR] 0.63;
      P=0.005). SPCs had no additional effect on adherence (IRR 0.80; P=0.168).
      CONCLUSION: To assess PA, the wearing scheme day and night provides the best
      possible adherence in this group of participants. Further studies are necessary
      to examine adherence and the effects of additional SPCs in other samples or
      settings.

PMID- 28356722
TI  - From therapeutic patient education principles to educative attitude: the
      perceptions of health care professionals - a pragmatic approach for defining
      competencies and resources.
AB  - Educative attitude is an essential, if implicit, aspect of training to acquire
      competency in therapeutic patient education (TPE). With multiple (or nonexistent)
      definitions in the literature, however, the concept needs clarification. The
      primary aim of this study was to analyze the representations and transformations
      experienced by health care professionals in the course of TPE training in order
      to characterize educative attitude. We conducted an exploratory qualitative study
      using several narrative research-based tools with participants of two TPE
      continuing education courses. We then performed an inductive thematic analysis.
      Thirty-three people participated in the study; the majority were women (n=29),
      nurses (n=17) working in a hospital setting (n=28). Seven categories of
      statements were identified: time-related ("the right moment, how much time it
      takes"), the benefits of TPE (to health care professionals' personal well-being),
      emotions and feelings (quality of exchanges, sharing), the professional nature of
      TPE (educational competencies required), the holistic, interdisciplinary approach
      (complexity of the person and value of teamwork), the educational nature of the
      care relationship (education an integral part of care) and the ethical dimension
      (introspection essential). The first three components appear fairly innovative,
      at least in formulation. The study's originality rests primarily in its choice of
      participants - highly motivated novices who expressed themselves in a completely
      nontheoretical way. Health models see attitude as critical for adopting a
      behavior. Best TPE practices should encourage personal work on this, opening
      professionals to the social, experiential and emotional aspects of managing
      chronic illness.

PMID- 28356724
TI  - Evaluation of the association between subconjunctival orbital fat prolapse and
      thyroid-associated orbitopathy.

PMID- 28356723
TI  - Treatment patterns in Medicaid patients with schizophrenia initiated on a first-
      or second-generation long-acting injectable versus oral antipsychotic.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Poor antipsychotic (AP) adherence is a key issue in patients with
      schizophrenia. First-generation antipsychotic (FGA) and second-generation
      antipsychotic (SGA) long-acting injectable therapies (LAI) may improve adherence
      compared to oral antipsychotics (OAP). The objective of the study was to compare
      treatment adherence and persistence in Medicaid patients with schizophrenia
      initiated on first-generation long-acting injectable therapies (FGA-LAI) or
      second-generation long-acting injectable therapies (SGA-LAI) versus OAP. METHODS:
      Adults with schizophrenia initiated on FGA-LAI, SGA-LAI, or OAP on or after
      January 2010 were identified using a six-state Medicaid database (January 2009
      March 2015). Outcomes were assessed during the 12 months following treatment
      initiation. Index medication adherence was assessed using the proportion of days
      covered >=80%, while persistence was assessed as no gap of >=30, >=60, or >=90
      days between days of supply. Outcomes were compared between FGA/SGA-LAI and OAP
      cohorts using chi-squared tests and adjusted odds ratios (OR). RESULTS: During
      follow-up, AP polypharmacy was more common in FGA-LAI patients (N=1,089; 36%;
      P=0.029) and less common in SGA-LAI patients (N=2,209; 27%; P<0.001) versus OAP
      patients (N=20,478; 33%). After adjustment, SGA-LAI patients had 24% higher odds
      of adherence at 12 months (OR: 1.24; P<0.001), in contrast to FGA-LAI patients
      who had 48% lower odds of adherence (OR: 0.52; P<0.001) relative to OAP patients.
      SGA-LAI patients were more likely to be persistent (no gap >=60 days) at 12
      months than OAP patients (37% vs 30%; P<0.001), but not FGA-LAI patients (31% vs
      30%; P=0.776). In comparison to OAP patients, SGA-LAI patients had 46% higher
      adjusted odds of persistence (no gap >=60 days; OR: 1.46; P<0.001), while FGA-LAI
      patients were not significantly different (OR: 0.95; P=0.501). CONCLUSION:
      Medicaid patients initiated on SGA-LAI demonstrated better treatment adherence
      and persistence compared to OAP patients, while those initiated on FGA-LAI did
      not show significant improvement in adherence or persistence and had more AP
      polypharmacy relative to OAP patients. These findings suggest the potential value
      of SGA-LAI in the treatment of schizophrenia.

PMID- 28356725
TI  - Is diabetes mellitus associated with clinical outcomes in aging males treated
      with transurethral resection of prostate for bladder outlet obstruction:
      implications from Taiwan Nationwide Population-Based Cohort Study.
AB  - PURPOSE: We assessed the lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTSs) and clinical
      outcomes between diabetes mellitus (DM) patients and non-diabetic (non-DM)
      patients receiving transurethral resection of prostate (TUR-P). METHODS: This
      analysis was a retrospective cohort study using 13 years (2000-2012) of claims
      data from Taiwan's National Health Insurance Research Database (NHIRD). A total
      of 4,887 patients who had persistent LUTSs and underwent TUR-P for prostate
      enlargement (benign prostate enlargement [BPE]) were enrolled and divided into
      two groups: DM and non-DM groups. The patients' characteristics, postoperative
      clinical outcomes, and the medication records after TUR-P were compared. Chi
      square test was used for categorical variables and independent samples t-test for
      continuous variables. Multivariable logistic regression analysis was used to
      compare the risk of postoperative outcomes. Finally, we estimated the medication
      free survival rate after TUR-P using Kaplan-Meier method and compared it between
      study groups using log-rank test. RESULTS: DM group patients had a higher
      prevalence of comorbidities. Postoperatively, the DM group had lower rates of
      urinary tract infection (UTI; odds ratio [OR], 0.78; P=0.009) and higher rates of
      urinary retention requiring catheterization (OR, 1.35; P=0.01) within 1 month
      after TUR-P. A higher proportion of patients with DM took anti-muscarinics (OR,
      1.23; P=0.032) within the first 3 months and alpha-blockers (OR, 1.18; P=0.049)
      during 3-12 months after receiving TUR-P. Overall, the DM group patients had a
      worse postoperative medication-free survival compared to that of non-DM group
      patients (95% confidence interval [95% CI], 1.14; P=0.005). CONCLUSION: DM
      patients require higher rates of continuing medication after TUR-P, especially
      anti-muscarinics in 3 months postoperatively and alpha-blocker after 3 months
      postoperatively. DM patients also had higher incidence of urine retention after
      surgery. DM patients had relatively poor treatment outcomes compared to DM-free
      patients.

PMID- 28356726
TI  - Searching for the relationship between the parameters of metabolic syndrome and
      the rs17782313 (T>C) polymorphism of the MC4R gene in postmenopausal women.
AB  - Metabolic syndrome (MS) is widespread in the human population, and its incidence
      is continuously increasing, generating serious health problems. The purpose of
      this study was to find the relationship between the parameters of MS and the
      melanocortin type 4 receptor (MC4R) gene polymorphism in postmenopausal women.
      The study involved 344 healthy Polish women, who had their last menstrual cycle 1
      year ago or earlier. The study included blood analysis, survey, and body
      measurements. The mean age was 58.5+/-6.6 years. An increased body mass index was
      observed in 65.7% and abdominal obesity in 80.3% of the study population. MS was
      diagnosed in 40.7% of all participants, including 39.3% of women with the T/T
      genotype and 44.7% of those with the C/X genotype (chi2 test; P>0.05). A logistic
      regression model showed that the probability of MS was higher in patients with
      the C/X genotype (odds ratio =1.25) (chi2 test; P>0.05). The study concluded that
      MS is a very common condition among postmenopausal women. The C/X genotype of the
      MC4R gene seems to predispose postmenopausal women to developing some MS
      symptoms.

PMID- 28356727
TI  - Effects of dual tasks and dual-task training on postural stability: a systematic
      review and meta-analysis.
AB  - The use of dual-task training paradigm to enhance postural stability in patients
      with balance impairments is an emerging area of interest. The differential
      effects of dual tasks and dual-task training on postural stability still remain
      unclear. A systematic review and meta-analysis were conducted to analyze the
      effects of dual task and training application on static and dynamic postural
      stability among various population groups. Systematic identification of published
      literature was performed adhering to Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic
      Reviews and Meta-analysis (PRISMA) guidelines, from inception until June 2016, on
      the online databases Scopus, PEDro, MEDLINE, EMBASE, and SportDiscus.
      Experimental studies analyzing the effects of dual task and dual-task training on
      postural stability were extracted, critically appraised using PEDro scale, and
      then summarized according to modified PEDro level of evidence. Of 1,284 records,
      42 studies involving 1,480 participants met the review's inclusion criteria. Of
      the studies evaluating the effects of dual-task training on postural stability,
      87.5% of the studies reported significant enhancements, whereas 30% of the
      studies evaluating acute effects of dual tasks on posture reported significant
      enhancements, 50% reported significant decrements, and 20% reported no effects.
      Meta-analysis of the pooled studies revealed moderate but significant
      enhancements of dual-task training in elderly participants (95% CI: 1.16-2.10)
      and in patients suffering from chronic stroke (-0.22 to 0.86). The adverse
      effects of complexity of dual tasks on postural stability were also revealed
      among patients with multiple sclerosis (-0.74 to 0.05). The review also discusses
      the significance of verbalization in a dual-task setting for increasing cognitive
      motor interference. Clinical implications are discussed with respect to practical
      applications in rehabilitation settings.

PMID- 28356728
TI  - Impact of a COPD comprehensive case management program on hospital length of stay
      and readmission rates.
AB  - BACKGROUND: COPD accounts for the highest rate of hospital admissions among major
      chronic diseases. COPD hospitalizations are associated with impaired quality of
      life, high health care utilization, and poor prognosis and result in an economic
      and a social burden that is both substantial and increasing. AIM: The aim of this
      study is to determine the efficacy of a comprehensive case management program
      (CCMP) in reducing length of stay (LOS) and risk of hospital admissions and
      readmissions in patients with COPD. MATERIALS AND METHODOLOGY: We retrospectively
      compared outcomes across five large hospitals in Vancouver, BC, Canada, following
      the implementation of a systems approach to the management of COPD patients who
      were identified in the hospital and followed up in the community for 90 days. We
      compared numbers, rates, and intervals of readmission and LOS during 2 years of
      active program delivery compared to 1 year prior to program implementation.
      RESULTS: A total of 1,564 patients with a clinical diagnosis of COPD were
      identified from 2,719 hospital admissions during the 3 years of study. The
      disease management program reduced COPD-related hospitalizations by 30% and
      hospitalizations for all causes by 13.6%. Similarly, the rate of readmission for
      all causes showed a significant decline, with hazard ratios (HRs) of 0.55 (year
      1) and 0.51 (year 2) of intervention (P<0.001). In addition, patients' mean LOS
      (days) for COPD-related admissions declined significantly from 10.8 to 6.8
      (P<0.05). CONCLUSION: A comprehensive disease management program for COPD
      patients, including education, case management, and follow-up, was associated
      with significant reduction in hospital admissions and LOS.

PMID- 28356729
TI  - Measures of bronchodilator response of FEV1, FVC and SVC in a Swedish general
      population sample aged 50-64 years, the SCAPIS Pilot Study.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Data are lacking from general population studies on how to define
      changes in lung function after bronchodilation. This study aimed to analyze
      different measures of bronchodilator response of forced expiratory volume in 1
      second (FEV1), forced vital capacity (FVC) and slow vital capacity (SVC).
      MATERIALS AND METHODS: Data were derived from the Swedish Cardiopulmonary
      Bioimage Study (SCAPIS) Pilot study. This analysis comprised 1,050 participants
      aged 50-64 years from the general population. Participants were investigated
      using a questionnaire, and FEV1, FVC and SVC were recorded before and 15 minutes
      after inhalation of 400 ug of salbutamol. A bronchodilator response was defined
      as the relative change from baseline value expressed as the difference in units
      of percent predicted normal. Predictors of bronchodilator responses were assessed
      using multiple linear regression models. Airway obstruction was defined as
      FEV1/FVC ratio below lower limit of normal (LLN) before bronchodilation, and COPD
      was defined as an FEV1/FVC ratio below LLN after bronchodilation. Physician
      diagnosed asthma was defined as an affirmative answer to "Have you ever had
      asthma diagnosed by a physician?". Asymptomatic never-smokers were defined as
      those not reporting physician-diagnosed asthma, physician-diagnosed COPD or
      emphysema, current wheeze or chronic bronchitis and being a lifelong never
      smoker. RESULTS: Among all subjects, the greatest bronchodilator responses (FEV1,
      FVC and SVC) were found in subjects with asthma or COPD. The upper 95th
      percentile of bronchodilator responses in asymptomatic never-smokers was 8.7% for
      FEV1, 4.2% for FVC and 5.0% for SVC. The bronchodilator responses were similar
      between men and women. In a multiple linear regression model comprising all
      asymptomatic never-smokers, the bronchodilator response of FEV1 was significantly
      associated with airway obstruction and height. CONCLUSION: When the
      bronchodilator response in asymptomatic never-smokers is reported as the
      difference in units of predicted normal, significant reversibility of FEV1, FVC
      and SVC to bronchodilators is ~9%, 4% and 5%, respectively.

PMID- 28356730
TI  - Plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 is elevated in patients with COPD independent
      of metabolic and cardiovascular function.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: Plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 (PAI-1), a major inhibitor of
      fibrinolysis, is associated with thrombosis, obesity, insulin resistance,
      dyslipidemia, and premature aging, which all are coexisting conditions of chronic
      obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). The role of PAI-1 in COPD with respect to
      metabolic and cardiovascular functions is unclear. METHODS: In this study, which
      was nested within a prospective cohort study, the serum levels of PAI-1 were
      cross-sectionally measured in 74 stable COPD patients (Global Initiative for
      Chronic Obstructive Lung Disease [GOLD] Stages I-IV) and 18 controls without lung
      disease. In addition, triglycerides, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol,
      fasting plasma glucose, waist circumference, blood pressure, smoking status, high
      sensitive C-reactive protein (hs-CRP), adiponectin, ankle-brachial index, N
      terminal pro-B-type natriuretic peptide, and history of comorbidities were also
      determined. RESULTS: The serum levels of PAI-1 were significantly higher in COPD
      patients than in controls, independent of a broad spectrum of possible
      confounders including metabolic and cardiovascular dysfunction. A multivariate
      regression analysis revealed triglyceride and hs-CRP levels to be the best
      predictors of PAI-1 within COPD. GOLD Stages II and III remained independently
      associated with higher PAI-1 levels in a final regression analysis. CONCLUSION:
      The data from the present study showed that the serum levels of PAI-1 are higher
      in patients with COPD and that moderate-to-severe airflow limitation,
      hypertriglyceridemia, and systemic inflammation are independent predictors of an
      elevated PAI-1 level. PAI-1 may be a potential biomarker candidate for COPD
      specific and extra-pulmonary manifestations.

PMID- 28356731
TI  - Co-delivery nanoparticles with characteristics of intracellular precision release
      drugs for overcoming multidrug resistance.
AB  - Combination chemotherapy in clinical practice has been generally accepted as a
      feasible strategy for overcoming multidrug resistance (MDR). Here, we designed
      and successfully prepared a co-delivery system named S-D1@L-D2 NPs, where denoted
      some smaller nanoparticles (NPs) carrying a drug doxorubicin (DOX) were loaded
      into a larger NP containing another drug (vincristine [VCR]) via water-in-oil-in
      water double-emulsion solvent diffusion-evaporation method. Chitosan-alginate
      nanoparticles carrying DOX (CS-ALG-DOX NPs) with a smaller diameter of about 20
      nm formed S-D1 NPs; vitamin E D-alpha-tocopheryl polyethylene glycol 1000
      succinate-modified poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid) nanoparticles carrying VCR (TPGS
      PLGA-VCR NPs) with a larger diameter of about 200 nm constituted L-D2 NPs. Some
      CS-ALG-DOX NPs loaded into TPGS-PLGA-VCR NPs formed CS-ALG-DOX@TPGS-PLGA-VCR NPs.
      Under the acidic environment of cytosol and endosome or lysosome in MDR cell, CS
      ALG-DOX@TPGS-PLGA-VCR NPs released VCR and CS-ALG-DOX NPs. VCR could arrest cell
      cycles at metaphase by inhibiting microtubule polymerization in the cytoplasm.
      After CS-ALG-DOX NPs escaped from endosome, they entered the nucleus through the
      nuclear pore and released DOX in the intra-nuclear alkaline environment, which
      interacted with DNA to stop the replication of MDR cells. These results indicated
      that S-D1@L-D2 NPs was a co-delivery system of intracellular precision release
      loaded drugs with pH-sensitive characteristics. S-D1@L-D2 NPs could obviously
      enhance the in vitro cytotoxicity and the in vivo anticancer efficiency of co
      delivery drugs, while reducing their adverse effects. Overall, S-D1@L-D2 NPs can
      be considered an innovative platform for the co-delivery drugs of clinical
      combination chemotherapy for the treatment of MDR tumor.

PMID- 28356732
TI  - Angiopep-2-conjugated poly(ethylene glycol)-co- poly(epsilon-caprolactone)
      polymersomes for dual-targeting drug delivery to glioma in rats.
AB  - The blood-brain barrier is a formidable obstacle for glioma chemotherapy due to
      its compact structure and drug efflux ability. In this study, a dual-targeting
      drug delivery system involving Angiopep-2-conjugated biodegradable polymersomes
      loaded with doxorubicin (Ang-PS-DOX) was developed to exploit transport by the
      low-density lipoprotein receptor-related protein 1 (LRP1), which is overexpressed
      in both blood-brain barrier and glioma cells. The polymersomes (PS) were prepared
      using a thin-film hydration method. The PS were loaded with doxorubicin using the
      pH gradient method (Ang-PS-DOX). The resulting PS were uniformly spherical, with
      diameters of ~135 nm and with ~159.9 Angiopep-2 molecules on the surface of each
      PS. The drug-loading capacity and the encapsulation efficiency for doxorubicin
      were 7.94%+/-0.17% and 95.0%+/-1.6%, respectively. Permeability tests
      demonstrated that the proton diffusion coefficient across the PS membrane was far
      slower than that across the liposome membrane, and the common logarithm value was
      linearly dependent on the dioxane content in the external phase. Compared with PS
      DOX, Ang-PS-DOX demonstrated significantly higher cellular uptake and stronger
      cytotoxicity in C6 cells. In vivo pharmacokinetics and brain distribution
      experiments revealed that Ang-PS-DOX achieved a more extensive distribution and
      more abundant accumulation in glioma cells than PS-DOX. Moreover, the survival
      time of glioma-bearing rats treated with Ang-PS-DOX was significantly prolonged
      compared with those treated with PS-DOX or a solution of free doxorubicin. These
      results suggested that Ang-PS-DOX can target glioma cells and enhance
      chemotherapeutic efficacy.

PMID- 28356734
TI  - Therapeutic effects of proteoliposomes on X-linked chronic granulomatous disease:
      proof of concept using macrophages differentiated from patient-specific induced
      pluripotent stem cells.
AB  - Chronic granulomatous disease (CGD) is a rare inherited immunodeficiency due to
      dysfunction of the phagocytic nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate (NADPH)
      oxidase complex leading to severe and recurrent infections in early childhood.
      The main genetic form is the X-linked CGD leading to the absence of cytochrome
      b558 composed of NOX2 and p22 phox , the membrane partners of the NADPH oxidase
      complex. The first cause of death of CGD patients is pulmonary infections.
      Recombinant proteoliposome-based therapy is an emerging and innovative approach
      for membrane protein delivery, which could be an alternative local, targeted
      treatment to fight lung infections in CGD patients. We developed an enzyme
      therapy using recombinant NOX2/p22 phox liposomes to supply the NADPH oxidase
      activity in X0-linked CGD (X0-CGD) macrophages. Using an optimized prokaryotic
      cell-free protein synthesis system, a recombinant cytochrome b558 containing
      functional hemes was produced and directly inserted into the lipid bilayer of
      specific liposomes. The size of the NOX2/p22 phox liposomes was estimated to be
      around 700 nm. These proteoliposomes were able to generate reactive oxygen
      species (ROS) in an activated reconstituted cell-free NADPH oxidase activation
      assay in the presence of recombinant p47 phox , p67 phox and Rac, the cytosolic
      components of the NADPH oxidase complex. Furthermore, using flow cytometry and
      fluorescence microscopy, we demonstrated that cytochrome b558 was successfully
      delivered to the plasma membrane of X0-CGD-induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC)
      derived macrophages. In addition, NADPH oxidase activity was restored in X0-CGD
      iPSC-derived macrophages treated with NOX2/p22 phox liposomes for 8 h without any
      toxicity. In conclusion, we confirmed that proteoliposomes provide a new
      promising technology for the delivery of functional proteins to the membrane of
      targeted cells. This efficient liposomal enzyme replacement therapy will be
      useful for future treatment of pulmonary infections in CGD patients refractory to
      conventional anti-infectious treatments.

PMID- 28356733
TI  - A novel selective VPAC2 agonist peptide-conjugated chitosan modified selenium
      nanoparticles with enhanced anti-type 2 diabetes synergy effects.
AB  - A novel neuroendocrine peptide, pituitary adenylate cyclase activating peptide
      (PACAP), was found to have an important role in carbohydrate or lipid metabolism
      and was susceptible to dipeptidyl peptidase IV degradation. It can not only
      mediate glucose-dependent insulin secretion and lower blood glucose by activating
      VPAC2 receptor, but also raise blood glucose by promoting glucagon production by
      VPAC1 receptor activation. Therefore, its therapeutic application is restricted
      by the exceedingly short-acting half-life and the stimulatory function for
      glycogenolysis. Herein, we generated novel peptide-conjugated selenium
      nanoparticles (SeNPs; named as SCD), comprising a 32-amino acid PACAP-derived
      peptide DBAYL that selectively binds to VPAC2, and chitosan-modified SeNPs (SeNPs
      CTS, SC) as slow-release carrier. The circulating half-life of SCD is 14.12 h in
      mice, which is 168.4-and 7.1-fold longer than wild PACAP (~5 min) and DBAYL
      (~1.98 h), respectively. SCD (10 nmol/L) significantly promotes INS-1 cell
      proliferation, glucose uptake, insulin secretion, insulin receptor expression and
      also obviously reduces intracellular reactive oxygen species levels in H2O2
      injured INS-1 cells. Furthermore, the biological effects of SCD are stronger than
      Exendin-4 (a clinically approved drug through its insulinotropic effect), DBAYL,
      SeNPs or SC. A single injection of SCD (20 nmol/kg) into db/db mice with type 2
      diabetes leads to enhanced insulin secretion and sustained hypoglycemic effect,
      and the effectiveness and duration of SCD in enhancing insulin secretion and
      reducing blood glucose levels are much stronger than Exendin-4, SeNPs or SC. In
      db/db mice, chronic administration of SCD by daily injection for 12 weeks
      markedly improved glucose and lipid profiles, insulin sensitivity and the
      structures of pancreatic and adipose tissue. The results indicate that SC can
      play a role as a carrier for the slow release of bioactive peptides and SCD could
      be a hopeful therapeutic against type 2 diabetes through the synergy effects of
      DBAYL and SeNPs.

PMID- 28356735
TI  - Inhibition of gap junction intercellular communication is involved in silica
      nanoparticles-induced H9c2 cardiomyocytes apoptosis via the mitochondrial
      pathway.
AB  - Gap junction intercellular communication (GJIC) between cardiomyocytes is
      essential for synchronous heart contraction and relies on connexin-containing
      channels. Connexin 43 (Cx43) is a major component involved in GJIC in heart
      tissue, and its abnormal expression is closely associated with various cardiac
      diseases. Silica nanoparticles (SNPs) are known to induce cardiovascular
      toxicity. However, the mechanisms through which GJIC plays a role in
      cardiomyocytes apoptosis induced by SNPs remain unknown. The aim of the present
      study is to determine whether SNPs-decreased GJIC promotes apoptosis in rat
      cardiomyocytes cell line (H9c2 cells) via the mitochondrial pathway using CCK-8
      Kit, scrape-loading dye transfer technique, Annexin V/PI double-staining assays,
      and Western blot analysis. The results showed that SNPs elicited cytotoxicity in
      H9c2 cells in a time- and concentration-dependent manner. SNPs also reduced GJIC
      in H9c2 cells in a concentration-dependent manner through downregulation of Cx43
      and upregulation of P-Cx43. Inhibition of gap junctions by gap junction blocker
      carbenoxolone disodium resulted in decreased survival and increased apoptosis,
      whereas enhancement of the gap junctions by retinoic acid led to enhanced
      survival but decreased apoptosis. Furthermore, SNPs-induced apoptosis through the
      disrupted functional gap junction was correlated with abnormal expressions of the
      proteins involved in the mitochondrial pathway-related apoptosis such as Bcl
      2/Bax, cytochrome C, Caspase-9, and Caspase-3. Taken together, our results
      provide the first evidence that SNPs-decreased GJIC promotes apoptosis in
      cardiomyocytes via the mitochondrial pathway. In addition, downregulation of GJIC
      by SNPs in cardiomyocytes is mediated through downregulation of Cx43 and
      upregulation of P-Cx43. These results suggest that in rat cardiomyocytes cell
      line, GJIC plays a protective role in SNPs-induced apoptosis and that GJIC may be
      one of the targets for SNPs-induced biological effects.

PMID- 28356736
TI  - Nanoliposomal artemisinin for the treatment of murine visceral leishmaniasis.
AB  - Visceral leishmaniasis (VL) is a fatal, vector-borne disease caused by the
      intracellular protozoa of the genus Leishmania. Most of the therapeutics for VL
      are toxic, expensive, or ineffective. Sesquiterpenes are a new class of drugs
      with proven antimicrobial and antiviral activities. Artemisinin is a
      sesquiterpene lactone with potent antileishmanial activity, but with limited
      access to infected cells, being a highly lipophilic molecule. Association of
      artemisinin with liposome is a desirable strategy to circumvent the problem of
      poor accessibility, thereby improving its efficacy, as demonstrated in a murine
      model of experimental VL. Nanoliposomal artemisinin (NLA) was prepared by thin
      film hydration method and optimized using Box-Behnken design with a mean particle
      diameter of 83+/-16 nm, polydispersity index of 0.2+/-0.03, zeta potential of 
      27.4+/-5.7 mV, and drug loading of 33.2%+/-2.1%. Morphological study of these
      nanoliposomes by microscopy showed a smooth and spherical surface. The mechanism
      of release of artemisinin from the liposomes followed the Higuchi model in vitro.
      NLA was free from concomitant signs of toxicity, both ex vivo in murine
      macrophages and in vivo in healthy BALB/c mice. NLA significantly denigrated the
      intracellular infection of Leishmania donovani amastigotes and the number of
      infected macrophages ex vivo with an IC50 of 6.0+/-1.4 ug/mL and 5.1+/-0.9 ug/mL,
      respectively. Following treatment in a murine model of VL, NLA demonstrated
      superior efficacy compared to artemisinin with a percentage inhibition of 82.4%+/
      3.8% in the liver and 77.6%+/-5.5% in spleen at the highest dose of 20 mg/kg body
      weight with modulation of cell-mediated immunity towards protective Th1 type.
      This study is the first report on the use of a liposomal drug delivery system for
      artemisinin as a promising alternative intervention against VL.

PMID- 28356737
TI  - Synthesis, characterization, and antimicrobial properties of novel double layer
      nanocomposite electrospun fibers for wound dressing applications.
AB  - Herein, novel hybrid nanomaterials were developed for wound dressing applications
      with antimicrobial properties. Electrospinning was used to fabricate a double
      layer nanocomposite nanofibrous mat consisting of an upper layer of poly(vinyl
      alcohol) and chitosan loaded with silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) and a lower layer
      of polyethylene oxide (PEO) or polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP) nanofibers loaded with
      chlorhexidine (as an antiseptic). The top layer containing AgNPs, whose purpose
      was to protect the wound site against environmental germ invasion, was prepared
      by reducing silver nitrate to its nanoparticulate form through interaction with
      chitosan. The lower layer, which would be in direct contact with the injured
      site, contained the antibiotic drug needed to avoid wound infections which would
      otherwise interfere with the healing process. Initially, the upper layer was
      electrospun, followed sequentially by electrospinning the second layer, creating
      a bilayer nanofibrous mat. The morphology of the nanofibrous mats was studied by
      scanning electron microscopy and transmission electron microscopy, showing
      successful nanofiber production. X-ray diffraction confirmed the reduction of
      silver nitrate to AgNPs. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy showed a
      successful incorporation of the material used in the produced nanofibrous mats.
      Thermal studies carried out by thermogravimetric analysis indicated that the PVP
      drug-loaded layer had the highest thermal stability in comparison to other
      fabricated nanofibrous mats. Antimicrobial activities of the as-synthesized
      nanofibrous mats against Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas
      aeruginosa, and Candida albicans were determined using disk diffusion method. The
      results indicated that the PEO-drug-loaded mat had the highest antibacterial
      activity, warranting further attention for numerous wound-healing applications.

PMID- 28356738
TI  - pH-sensitive micelles self-assembled from polymer brush (PAE-g-cholesterol)-b-PEG
      b-(PAE-g-cholesterol) for anticancer drug delivery and controlled release.
AB  - A novel amphiphilic pH-sensitive triblock polymer brush (poly(beta-amino esters)
      g-cholesterol)-b-poly(ethylene glycol)-b-(poly(beta-amino esters)-g-cholesterol)
      ((PAE-g-Chol)-b-PEG-b-(PAE-g-Chol)) was designed and synthesized successfully
      through a three-step reaction, and their self-assembled polymeric micelles were
      used as hydrophobic anticancer drug delivery carriers to realize effectively
      controlled release. The critical micelle concentrations were 6.8 MUg/mL, 12.6
      MUg/mL, 17.4 MUg/mL, and 26.6 MUg/mL at pH values of 7.4, 6.5, 6.0, and 5.0,
      respectively. The trend of critical micelle concentrations indicated that the
      polymer had high stability that could prolong the circulation time in the body.
      The hydrodynamic diameter and zeta potential of the polymeric micelles were
      influenced significantly by the pH values. As pH decreased from 7.4 to 5.0, the
      particle size and zeta potential increased from 205.4 nm to 285.7 nm and from
      +12.7 mV to +47.0 mV, respectively. The pKb of the polymer was confirmed to be
      approximately 6.5 by the acid-base titration method. The results showed that the
      polymer had sharp pH-sensitivity because of the protonation of the amino groups,
      resulting in transformation of the PAE segment from hydrophobic to hydrophilic.
      Doxorubicin-loaded polymeric micelles were prepared with a high loading content
      (20%) and entrapment efficiency (60%) using the dialysis method. The in vitro
      results demonstrated that drug release rate and cumulative release were obviously
      dependent on pH values. Furthermore, the drug release mechanism was also
      controlled by the pH values. The polymer had barely any cytotoxicity, whereas the
      doxorubicin-loaded system showed high toxicity for HepG2 cells as free drugs. All
      the results proved that the pH-sensitive triblock polymer brush and its self
      assembled micelle might be a potential delivery carrier for anticancer drugs with
      sustained release.

PMID- 28356739
TI  - A pH-responsive prodrug delivery system of 10-HCPT for controlled release and
      tumor targeting.
AB  - We synthesized a pH-responsive conjugate of 10-hydroxycamptothecin
      thiosemicarbazide-linear polyethylene glycol 2000 (PEG2000). The conjugate was
      confirmed by matrix-assisted laser desorption time of flight mass spectrometry,
      1H NMR, and 13C NMR. The water solubility of the prodrug was increased by over
      3,000 times; much longer body circulation time, higher tumor-targeting ability,
      and reduced toxicity were observed, compared with commercial 10-HCPT injection.
      The linker contains a pH-sensitive hydrazone bond, which breaks under low pH
      conditions in the tumor microenvironment. The conjugates showed good stability in
      phosphate-buffered saline (pH 7.4) and rat plasma. This amphiphilic conjugate
      could self-assemble into nanosized micelles of 80-100 nm. Cytotoxicity assay
      results indicate significantly higher efficacy of the conjugate (IC50 [half
      maximal inhibitory concentration] =0.117 uM on SW180 cells) than 10-HCPT solution
      (IC50 =0.241 uM on SW480 cells). Cellular uptake analysis suggested its rapid
      internalization and nuclear transport. Pharmacokinetic analysis of the conjugates
      demonstrated that the conjugate circulated for a longer time in the blood
      circulation system (T2/1 =10.516+/-1.158 h) than did 10-HCPT solution (T2/1
      =1.859+/-1.385 h), and that it also enhanced the targeting and mean residence
      time (MRT0-inf =39.873+/-4.549 h) in the tumor site, compared with 10-HCPT (MRT0
      inf =9.247+/-1.026 h). Finally, the conjugate demonstrated an increased tumor
      growth inhibition effect (TIR =82.66%+/-7.175%) in vivo and lower side effects
      than 10-HCPT (TIR =63.85%+/-5.233%). This prodrug holds great promise in
      improving therapeutic efficacy and overcoming multidrug resistance.

PMID- 28356741
TI  - Laser thermal ablation of multidrug-resistant bacteria using functionalized gold
      nanoparticles.
AB  - The issue of multidrug resistance (MDR) has become an increasing threat to public
      health. One alternative strategy against MDR bacteria would be to construct
      therapeutic vectors capable of physically damaging these microorganisms. Gold
      nanoparticles hold great promise for the development of such therapeutic agents,
      since the nanoparticles exhibit impressive properties, of which the most
      important is the ability to convert light into heat. This property has scientific
      significance since is exploited to develop nano-photothermal vectors to destroy
      bacteria at a molecular level. The present paper summarizes the latest
      advancements in the field of nanotargeted laser hyperthermia of MDR bacteria
      mediated by gold nanoparticles.

PMID- 28356742
TI  - Some children with autism have latent social skills that can be tested.
AB  - BACKGROUND: The idea of latent social skills in autism emerged as a possible
      interpretation of the rapid (but temporary) improvement of autistic subjects in
      oxytocin studies. We tested a hypothesis that a normal response to Item No 59
      "Secure Base" from the third version of the Autism Diagnostic Interview - Revised
      (ADIR-59) could indicate the presence of latent social skills in autism. METHODS:
      We examined 110 autistic children (88 boys and 22 girls) with a mean age of 6.0+/
      2.5 years (range: 2.2-14.8 years) using the Autism Diagnostic Observation
      Schedule (ADOS) - Generic. A diagnosis of mental retardation was established in
      68 autistic children (62%). RESULTS: The difference in the ADOS social domain
      between children aged <=5 years on one side and children older than 5 years on
      the other side was significant in subjects with normal responses to ADIR-59 (9.60
      vs 6.47; P=0.031) but not in those with abnormal responses to ADIR-59 (10.62 vs
      9.63; P=0.537). In a predictive model, lower ADOS social domain scores were
      predicted by older age (P=0.001), lower scores on the ADIR-59 (P=0.01), and the
      absence of mental retardation (P=0.049). CONCLUSION: The results support the
      hypothesis that the normal response to item ADIR-59 "Secure Base" indicates the
      presence of latent social skills in autism that might foretell further social
      growth in older autistic subjects.

PMID- 28356740
TI  - PEG-b-(PELG-g-PLL) nanoparticles as TNF-alpha nanocarriers: potential cerebral
      ischemia/reperfusion injury therapeutic applications.
AB  - Brain ischemia/reperfusion (I/R) injury (BI/RI) is a leading cause of death and
      disability worldwide. However, the outcome of pharmacotherapy for BI/RI remains
      unsatisfactory. Innovative approaches for enhancing drug sensitivity and
      recovering neuronal activity in BI/RI treatment are urgently needed. The purpose
      of this study was to evaluate the protective effects of tumor necrosis factor
      (TNF)-alpha-loaded poly(ethylene glycol)-b-(poly(ethylenediamine L-glutamate)-g
      poly(L-lysine)) (TNF-alpha/PEG-b-(PELG-g-PLL)) nanoparticles on BI/RI. The
      particle size of PEG-b-(PELG-g-PLL) and the loading and release rates of TNF
      alpha were determined. The nanoparticle cytotoxicity was evaluated in vitro using
      rat cortical neurons. Sprague Dawley rats were preconditioned with free TNF-alpha
      or TNF-alpha/PEG-b-(PELG-g-PLL) polyplexes and then subjected to 2 hours ischemia
      and 22 hours reperfusion. Brain edema was assessed using the brain edema ratio,
      and the antioxidative activity was assessed by measuring the superoxide dismutase
      (SOD) activity and the malondialdehyde (MDA) content in the brain tissue. We
      further estimated the inflammatory activity and apoptosis level by determining
      the levels of interleukin-4 (IL-4), IL-6, IL-8, IL-10, and nitric oxide (NO), as
      well as the expression of glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP), intercellular
      adhesion molecule-1 (ICAM-1), and cysteine aspartase-3 (caspase-3), in the brain
      tissue. We provide evidence that TNF-alpha preconditioning attenuated the
      oxidative stress injury, the inflammatory activity, and the apoptosis level in
      I/R-induced cerebral injury, while the application of block copolymer PEG-b-(PELG
      g-PLL) as a potential TNF-alpha nanocarrier with sustained release significantly
      enhanced the bioavailability of TNF-alpha. We propose that the block copolymer
      PEG-b-(PELG-g-PLL) may function as a potent nanocarrier for augmenting BI/RI
      pharmacotherapy, with unprecedented clinical benefits. Further studies are needed
      to better clarify the underlying mechanisms.

PMID- 28356743
TI  - Dynamic balance in children with attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder and its
      relationship with cognitive functions and cerebellum.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is linked to the
      presence of motor deficiencies, including balance deficits. The cerebellum serves
      as an integrative structure for balance control and is also involved in
      cognition, including timing and anticipatory regulation. Cerebellar development
      may be delayed in children and adolescents with ADHD, and inconsistent reaction
      time is commonly seen in ADHD. We hypothesized that dynamic balance deficits
      would be present in children with ADHD and they would correlate with attention
      and cerebellar functions. METHODS: Sixty-two children with ADHD and no other
      neurological conditions and 62 typically developing (TD) children were examined
      with five trials of the Phyaction Balance Board, an electronic balancing
      platform. Cerebellar clinical symptoms were evaluated using an international
      ataxia rating scale. Conners' Continuous Performance Test was used to evaluate
      patterns of reaction. RESULTS: Children with ADHD had poorer performance on
      balancing tasks, compared to TD children (P<0.001). They exhibited significantly
      greater sway amplitudes than TD children (P<0.001) in all of the five balancing
      trials. The effect size of the difference between the groups increased
      continuously from the first to the last trial. Balance score in both groups was
      related to the variation in the reaction time, including reaction time standard
      error (r =0.25; P=0.0409, respectively, r =0.31; P=0.0131) and Variability of
      Standard Error (r =0.28; P=0.0252, respectively, r =0.41; P<0.001). The burden of
      cerebellar symptoms was strongly related to balance performance in both groups (r
      =0.50, P<0.001; r =0.49, P=0.001). CONCLUSION: This study showed that ADHD may be
      associated with poor dynamic balance control. Furthermore, we showed that
      maintaining balance correlates with neuropsychological measures of consistency of
      reaction time. Balance deficits and impaired cognitive functioning could reflect
      a common cerebellar dysfunction in ADHD children.

PMID- 28356744
TI  - The influence of depression, level of functioning in everyday life, and illness
      acceptance on quality of life in patients with Parkinson's disease: a preliminary
      study.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Parkinson's disease (PD) is the second most common neurodegenerative
      disorder after Alzheimer's disease, and its incidence will increase as the global
      population ages. Due to the multitude of symptoms, this disease clearly has a
      significant impact on decreasing quality of life for those with PD. We aimed to
      evaluate the effect of selected variables on quality of life in people with
      idiopathic PD treated pharmacologically. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This study was
      conducted among 50 patients with PD aged 47-85 years. The diagnostic survey
      method was applied to collect data with the use of the authors' questionnaire and
      standardized questionnaires, including, Parkinson's Disease Questionnaire (PDQ),
      Beck Depression Inventory, Instrumental Activities of Daily Living Scale, and
      Acceptance of Illness Scale. The results were statistically analyzed. RESULTS:
      Analysis of the study material showed that people who were more self-reliant were
      characterized by lower intensity of depressive symptoms (rho=-0.567, P=0), were
      more likely to accept their illness (rho=0.611, P=0), and assessed quality of
      life better in each of the studied domains of the PDQ. Illness acceptance
      correlated with the occurrence of depressive symptoms (rho=-0.567, P=0) and
      significantly affected quality of life. CONCLUSION: Factors such as depression,
      disease acceptance, and functional capacity have a significant impact on the
      subjective assessment of quality of life in patients with PD. Evaluation of these
      factors should be taken into account in the therapeutic process, to minimize
      their negative impact on quality of life in patients with PD.

PMID- 28356745
TI  - Illness denial questionnaire for patients and caregivers.
AB  - PURPOSE: Interest in assessing denial is still present, despite the criticisms
      concerning its definition and measurement. We tried to develop a questionnaire
      (Illness Denial Questionnaire, IDQ) assessing patients' and caregivers' denial in
      relation to their illness/disturbance. PATIENTS AND METHODS: After a preliminary
      study, a final version of 24 dichotomous items (true/false) was selected. We
      hypothesized a theoretical model with three dimensions: denial of negative
      emotions, resistance to change, and conscious avoidance, the first two composing
      the actual Denial and the last representing an independent component of the
      illness denial behavior. The IDQ was administered to 400 subjects (219 patients
      and 181 caregivers) together with the Anxiety-Depression Questionnaire - Reduced
      form (AD-R), in order to assess concurrent validity. Confirmatory factor analysis
      (CFA), internal consistency indices (Cronbach's alpha and McDonald's omega), and
      test-retest analysis were performed. RESULTS: CFA and internal consistency
      indices (Cronbach's alpha: 0.87-0.96) indicated a clear and meaningful three
      factor structure of IDQ, for both patients and caregivers. Further analyses
      showed good concurrent validity, with Denial and its subscale negatively
      associated with anxiety and depression and avoidance positively associated with
      anxiety and depression. The IDQ also showed a good stability (r from 0.71 to
      0.87). CONCLUSION: The IDQ demonstrated good psychometric properties. Denial of
      negative emotions and resistance to change seem to contribute to a real
      expression of denial, and conscious avoidance seems to constitute a further step
      in the process of cognitive-affective elaboration of the illness.

PMID- 28356746
TI  - An estimate of the cost of administering intravenous biological agents in Spanish
      day hospitals.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: To estimate the unit costs of administering intravenous (IV)
      biological agents in day hospitals (DHs) in the Spanish National Health System.
      PATIENTS AND METHODS: Data were obtained from 188 patients with rheumatoid
      arthritis, collected from nine DHs, receiving one of the following IV therapies:
      infliximab (n=48), rituximab (n=38), abatacept (n=41), or tocilizumab (n=61). The
      fieldwork was carried out between March 2013 and March 2014. The following three
      groups of costs were considered: 1) structural costs, 2) material costs, and 3)
      staff costs. Staff costs were considered a fixed cost and were estimated
      according to the DH theoretical level of activity, which includes, as well as
      personal care of each patient, the DH general activities (complete imputation
      method, CIM). In addition, an alternative calculation was performed, in which the
      staff costs were considered a variable cost imputed according to the time spent
      on direct care (partial imputation method, PIM). All costs were expressed in
      euros for the reference year 2014. RESULTS: The average total cost was ?146.12
      per infusion (standard deviation [SD] +/-87.11; CIM) and ?29.70 per infusion (SD
      +/-11.42; PIM). The structure-related costs per infusion varied between ?2.23 and
      ?62.35 per patient and DH; the cost of consumables oscillated between ?3.48 and
      ?20.34 per patient and DH. In terms of the care process, the average difference
      between the shortest and the longest time taken by different hospitals to
      administer an IV biological therapy was 113 minutes. CONCLUSION: The average
      total cost of infusion was less than that normally used in models of economic
      evaluation coming from secondary sources. This cost is even less when the staff
      costs are imputed according to the PIM. A high degree of variability was observed
      between different DHs in the cost of the consumables, in the structure-related
      costs, and in those of the care process.

PMID- 28356747
TI  - Second-line afatinib administration in an elderly patient with squamous cell
      carcinoma.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: The majority of cases of lung cancer are still diagnosed at a late
      stage. At this stage, palliative therapeutic options including nonspecific
      cytotoxic drugs, targeted therapy, or immunotherapy can be utilized. In 2016,
      immunotherapy was approved in Europe for squamous cell carcinoma and
      adenocarcinoma. Moreover, afatinib was also approved as second-line therapy for
      squamous cell carcinoma. CASE REPORT: This article presents a case of a 76-year
      old male with squamous cell carcinoma who received nab-paclitaxel as first-line
      therapy, and his treatment was switched to the tyrosine kinase inhibitor afatinib
      (40 mg) after disease progression with left lung atelectasis. After receiving
      afatinib for only 28 days, the atelectasis resolved. No adverse effects were
      observed from the afatinib therapy. DISCUSSION: In this case, afatinib 40 mg
      proved to be an effective alternative treatment for an elderly patient. Treatment
      choice should be based on the performance status of the patient, cost
      effectiveness, and drug treatment guidelines.

PMID- 28356749
TI  - Adrenalectomy does not improve survival rates of patients with solitary adrenal
      metastasis from non-small cell lung cancer.
AB  - BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Several case reports and studies have suggested that
      there is an increased survival rate for patients who undergo resection of
      solitary adrenal metastasis from non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). This study
      aimed to investigate whether NSCLC patients with solitary adrenal metastasis
      could gain a higher survival rate after adrenalectomy (ADX) when compared with
      those patients undergoing nonsurgical treatment, and to investigate the potential
      prognostic factors. PATIENTS AND METHODS: A total of 1,302 NSCLC inpatients' data
      from 2001 to 2015 were retrospectively reviewed to identify those with solitary
      adrenal metastasis. Overall survival for those who underwent both primary
      resection and ADX was compared to those patients with conservative treatment
      using the log-rank test. Potential prognostic variables were evaluated with
      univariate and multivariate analyses including clinical, therapeutic, pathologic,
      primary and metastatic data. RESULTS: A total of 22 NSCLC patients with solitary
      adrenal metastasis were identified, with an overall median survival of 11 months
      (95% confidence interval: 9.4-12.6 months) and a 1-year survival rate of 51.4%
      (95% confidence interval: 29.6%-73.2%). All of the patients had died by 30
      months. There was no significant survival difference between patients who
      underwent primary and metastasis resection (n=10) and those treated
      conservatively (n=12), (P=0.209). Univariate analysis identified Eastern
      Cooperative Oncology Group performance status (ECOG PS) as the significant
      predictor of survival (P=0.024). Age (<65 vs >=65 years), sex, pathologic type,
      mediastinal lymph node stage (N2 vs N0/N1), primary tumor size (<5 vs >=5 cm),
      primary location (central vs peripheral), metastatic tumor size (<5 vs >=5 cm),
      metastasis laterality, synchronous metastasis, and metastatic field radiotherapy
      were not identified as potential prognostic factors in relation to survival rate.
      In multivariate analysis, a stepwise selection procedure allowed both ECOG PS
      (P=0.007, relative risk =3.57) and pathologic type (P=0.069) to enter the Cox's
      hazard function. CONCLUSION: Primary and metastatic radical resection may not
      prolong the survival of NSCLC patients with solitary adrenal metastasis. ECOG PS
      and pathologic type might be the prognostic factors for these patients.

PMID- 28356748
TI  - Effects of sharing information on drug administration errors in pediatric wards:
      a pre-post intervention study.
AB  - BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Drug administration errors are more likely to reach the
      patient than other medication errors. The main aim of this study was to determine
      whether the sharing of information on drug administration errors among health
      care providers would reduce such problems. PATIENTS AND METHODS: This study
      involved direct, undisguised observations of drug administrations in two
      pediatric wards of a major teaching hospital in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. This
      study consisted of two phases: Phase 1 (pre-intervention) and Phase 2 (post
      intervention). Data were collected by two observers over a 40-day period in both
      Phase 1 and Phase 2 of the study. Both observers were pharmacy graduates:
      Observer 1 just completed her undergraduate pharmacy degree, whereas Observer 2
      was doing her one-year internship as a provisionally registered pharmacist in the
      hospital under study. A drug administration error was defined as a discrepancy
      between the drug regimen received by the patient and that intended by the
      prescriber and also drug administration procedures that did not follow standard
      hospital policies and procedures. Results from Phase 1 of the study were
      analyzed, presented and discussed with the ward staff before commencement of data
      collection in Phase 2. RESULTS: A total of 1,284 and 1,401 doses of drugs were
      administered in Phase 1 and Phase 2, respectively. The rate of drug
      administration errors reduced significantly from Phase 1 to Phase 2 (44.3% versus
      28.6%, respectively; P<0.001). Logistic regression analysis showed that the
      adjusted odds of drug administration errors in Phase 1 of the study were almost
      three times that in Phase 2 (P<0.001). The most common types of errors were
      incorrect administration technique and incorrect drug preparation. Nasogastric
      and intravenous routes of drug administration contributed significantly to the
      rate of drug administration errors. CONCLUSION: This study showed that sharing of
      the types of errors that had occurred was significantly associated with a
      reduction in drug administration errors.

PMID- 28356750
TI  - Early discharge compared with ordinary discharge after percutaneous coronary
      intervention - a systematic review and meta-analysis of safety and cost.
AB  - AIM: We aimed to summarize the pooled effect of early discharge compared with
      ordinary discharge after percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) on the
      composite endpoint of re-infarction, revascularization, stroke, death, and
      incidence of rehospitalization. We also aimed to compare costs for the two
      strategies. METHODS: The study was a systematic review and a meta-analysis of 12
      randomized controlled trials including 2962 patients, followed by trial
      sequential analysis. An estimation of cost was considered. Follow-up time was 30
      days. RESULTS: For early discharge, pooled effect for the composite endpoint was
      relative risk of efficacy (RRe)=0.65, 95% confidence interval (CI) (0.52-0.81).
      Rehospitalization had a pooled effect of RRe=1.10, 95% CI (0.88-1.38). Early
      discharge had an increasing risk of rehospitalization with increasing frequency
      of hypertension for all populations, except those with stable angina, where a
      decreasing risk was noted. Advancing age gave increased risk of
      revascularization. Early discharge had a cost reduction of 655 Euros per patient
      compared with ordinary discharge. CONCLUSION: The pooled effect supports the safe
      use of early discharge after PCI in the treatment of a heterogeneous population
      of patients with coronary artery disease. There was an increased risk of
      rehospitalization for all subpopulations, except patients with stable angina.
      Clinical trials with homogeneous populations of acute coronary syndrome are
      needed to be conclusive on this issue.

PMID- 28356752
TI  - Value as the key concept in the health care system: how it has influenced medical
      practice and clinical decision-making processes.
AB  - In the last 10 years, value has played a key role in the health care system. In
      this concept, innovations in medical practice and the increasing importance of
      patient centeredness have contributed to draw the attention of the medical
      community. Nonetheless, a large consensus on the meaning of "value" is still
      lacking: patients, physicians, policy makers, and other health care professionals
      have different ideas on which component of value may play a prominent role. Yet,
      shared clinical decision-making and patient empowerment have been recognized as
      fundamental features of the concept of value. Different paradigms of health care
      system embrace different meanings of value, and the absence of common and widely
      accepted definition does not help to identify a unique model of care in health
      care system. Our aim is to provide an overview of those paradigms that have
      considered value as a key theoretical concept and to investigate how the presence
      of value can influence the medical practice. This article may contribute to draw
      attention toward patients and propose a possible link between health care system
      based on "value" and new paradigms such as patient-centered system (PCS), patient
      empowerment, and P5 medicine, in order to create a predictive, personalized,
      preventive, participatory, and psycho-cognitive model to treat patients. Indeed,
      patient empowerment, value-based system, and P5 medicine seem to shed light on
      different aspects of a PCS, and this allows a better understanding of people
      under care.

PMID- 28356751
TI  - New pharmacological and technological management strategies in heart failure.
AB  - Heart failure is a complex clinical syndrome resulting from impairment of
      ventricular filling or ejection of blood associated with symptoms of dyspnea,
      fatigue, as well as peripheral and/or pulmonary edema. This syndrome is
      progressive and characterized by worsening quality of life despite escalating
      levels of care, affecting 5.7 million Americans with an annual cost of over >=30
      billion US dollars. Treatment for this syndrome has evolved over three distinct
      eras: the nonpharmacological era, the pharmacological era, and the device era,
      with the focus shifting from symptomatic relief to decreasing morbidity and
      mortality. Over the past 10 years, the field has undergone a renaissance, with
      the development of new pharmacologic, hemodynamic monitoring, and device
      therapies proven to improve outcomes in patients with heart failure. This article
      will review several recent innovations in the management of patients with heart
      failure.

PMID- 28356753
TI  - Mental resilience, perceived immune functioning, and health.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Mental resilience can be seen as a trait that enables an individual
      to recover from stress and to face the next stressor with optimism. People with
      resilient traits are considered to have a better mental and physical health.
      However, there are limited data available assessing the relationship between
      resilient individuals and their perspective of their health and immune status.
      Therefore, this study was conducted to examine the relationship between mental
      resilience, perceived health, and perceived immune status. METHODS: A total of
      779 participants recruited at Utrecht University completed a questionnaire
      consisting of demographic characteristics, the brief resilience scale for the
      assessment of mental resilience, the immune function questionnaire (IFQ), and
      questions regarding their perceived health and immune status. RESULTS: When
      correcting for gender, age, height, weight, smoker status, amount of cigarettes
      smoked per week, alcohol consumption status, amount of drinks consumed per week,
      drug use, and frequency of past year drug use, mental resilience was
      significantly correlated with perceived health (r=0.233, p=0.0001), perceived
      immune functioning (r=0.124, p=0.002), and IFQ score (r=-0.185, p=0.0001).
      CONCLUSION: A significant, albeit modest, relationship was found between mental
      resilience and perceived immune functioning and health.

PMID- 28356755
TI  - Primary pancreatic lymphoma: two case reports and a literature review.
AB  - Primary pancreatic lymphoma (PPL) is an extremely rare disease, with only a few
      cases reported in the literature. Clinical manifestations of PPL are often
      nonspecific and may mimic other pancreatic diseases. Because of the limited
      experience of PPL, clinicopathological features, differential diagnosis, optimal
      therapy, and outcomes are not well defined. We described two cases diagnosed as
      PPL and confirmed by histological examination and immunohistochemical analysis.
      Case 1 was a young man with obstructive jaundice and upper abdominal malaise
      mimicking a pancreatic adenocarcinoma. A computed tomography (CT) scan revealed a
      diffuse heterogeneous mass in the head of the pancreas along with dilated bile
      ducts, no dilated pancreatic duct, no liver or splenic involvement, or evident
      retroperitoneal adenopathies. The patient underwent a pancreatico-duodenectomy,
      and the postoperative histopathology confirmed diffuse large B-cell non-Hodgkin
      lymphoma. Postoperatively, he received six courses of the CHOP regimen
      (cyclophosphamide, doxorubicin, vincristine, and prednisolone). Case 2 was an
      older man with left flank pain. A CT confirmed a mass with irregular margins at
      the tail of the pancreas and the hilum of the spleen. The mass was heterogeneous,
      with no clear boundary between lesions, spleen, stomach, and pancreas, with
      nearby blood vessels wrapped around it, and multiple enlarged lymph nodes in the
      abdominal cavity. A CT-guided biopsy was performed. The immunohistological
      findings of the specimen revealed a diffuse large B-cell lymphoma. The size of
      the tumor was significantly reduced after four cycles of the CHOP chemotherapy
      regimen. These two cases were different in clinical manifestation, location, and
      treatment. We reviewed the literature and discussed the clinicopathological
      features, differential diagnosis, optimal therapy, and outcomes of this neoplasm.

PMID- 28356754
TI  - Identification of key pathways and genes influencing prognosis in bladder
      urothelial carcinoma.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Genomic profiling can be used to identify the predictive effect of
      genomic subsets for determining prognosis in bladder urothelial carcinoma (BUC)
      after radical cystectomy. This study aimed to investigate potential gene and
      pathway markers associated with prognosis in BUC. METHODS: A microarray dataset
      of BUC was obtained from The Cancer Genome Atlas database. Differentially
      expressed genes (DEGs) were identified by DESeq of the R platform. Kaplan-Meier
      analysis was applied for prognostic markers. Key pathways and genes were
      identified using bioinformatics tools, such as gene set enrichment analysis, gene
      ontology, the Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes, gene multiple association
      network integration algorithm (GeneMANIA), Search Tool for the Retrieval of
      Interacting Genes/Proteins, and Molecular Complex Detection. RESULTS: A
      comparative gene set enrichment analysis of tumor and adjacent normal tissues
      suggested BUC tumorigenesis resulted mainly from enrichment of cell cycle and DNA
      damage and repair-related biological processes and pathways, including TP53 and
      mitotic recombination. Two hundred and fifty-six genes were identified as
      potential prognosis-related DEGs. Gene ontology and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes
      and Genomes analyses showed that the potential prognosis-related DEGs were
      enriched in angiogenesis, including the cyclic adenosine monophosphate
      biosynthetic process, cyclic guanosine monophosphate-protein kinase G, mitogen
      activated protein kinase, Rap1, and phosphoinositide-3-kinase-AKT signaling
      pathway. Nine hub genes, TAGLN, ACTA2, MYH11, CALD1, MYLK, GEM, PRELP, TPM2, and
      OGN, were identified from the intersection of protein-protein interaction and
      GeneMANIA networks. Module analysis of protein-protein interaction and GeneMANIA
      networks mainly showed enrichment of the cyclic guanosine monophosphate-protein
      kinase G signaling pathway, angiogenesis, cell proliferation, and
      differentiation, which are associated with tumor angiogenesis and cancer
      prognosis. CONCLUSION: Genes and pathways related to cell cycle and DNA damage
      and repair may play a crucial role in BUC pathogenesis, whereas those pertaining
      to tumor angiogenesis may be key factors in influencing BUC prognosis, especially
      in advanced disease stages.

PMID- 28356756
TI  - Suppression of microRNA-629 enhances sensitivity of cervical cancer cells to 1'S
      1'-acetoxychavicol acetate via regulating RSU1.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Cervical cancer is the fourth most frequent malignancy affecting
      women worldwide, but drug resistance and toxicities remain a major challenge in
      chemotherapy. The use of natural compounds is promising because they are less
      toxic and able to target multiple signaling pathways. The 1'S-1'-acetoxychavicol
      acetate (ACA), a natural compound isolated from wild ginger Alpinia conchigera,
      induced cytotoxicity on various cancer cells including cervical cancer. MicroRNAs
      (miRNAs) are short noncoding RNAs that regulate numerous biological processes,
      such as apoptosis and chemosensitivity. Past studies reported that miR-629 is
      upregulated in many cancers, and its expression was altered in ACA-treated
      cervical cancer cells. However, the role of miR-629 in regulating sensitivity
      toward ACA or other anticancer agents has not been reported. Hence, this study
      aims to investigate the role of miR-629 in regulating response toward ACA on
      cervical cancer cells. METHODS: The miR-629 expression following transfection
      with miR-629 hairpin inhibitor and hairpin inhibitor negative control was
      measured using quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR). The 3
      (4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay was used
      to investigate sensitivity toward ACA. Apoptosis was detected using Annexin
      V/propidium iodide and Caspase 3/7 assays. The gene target for miR-629 was
      identified using miRNA target prediction programs, luciferase reporter assay and
      Western blots. Gene overexpression studies were performed to evaluate its role in
      regulating response toward ACA. RESULTS: Transfection with miR-629 hairpin
      inhibitor downregulated its expression in both cervical cancer cell lines.
      Suppression of miR-629 increased sensitivity toward ACA by reducing cell
      proliferation and inducing apoptosis. Luciferase reporter assay confirmed RSU1 as
      a direct target of miR-629. Overexpression of miR-629 decreased RSU1 protein
      expression, while inhibition of miR-629 increased RSU1 protein expression.
      Overexpression of RSU1 augmented antiproliferative and apoptosis-inducing effects
      of ACA. CONCLUSION: Our findings showed that combination of ACA with miR-629 and
      RSU1 may provide a potential strategy in treating cervical cancer.

PMID- 28356757
TI  - Erratum: Primary neuroendocrine breast carcinomas: a retrospective analysis and
      review of literature [Corrigendum].
AB  - [This corrects the article on p. 397 in vol. 10, PMID: 28176908.].

PMID- 28356758
TI  - Erratum: Efficacy and safety of icotinib in patients with brain metastases from
      lung adenocarcinoma [Corrigendum].
AB  - [This corrects the article on p. 2911 in vol. 9, PMID: 27274284.].

PMID- 28356759
TI  - Diagnostic and prognostic roles of IRAK1 in hepatocellular carcinoma tissues: an
      analysis of immunohistochemistry and RNA-sequencing data from the cancer genome
      atlas.
AB  - BACKGROUND: IRAK1 has been repoted to play an essential role in the development
      of multiple cancers. However, the clinical significance of IRAK1 in
      hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and the underlying molecular mechanism remain
      unclear. Therefore, we aimed to investigate the role of IRAK1 in the pathogenesis
      of HCC in this study. MATERIALS AND METHODS: HCC tissues and para-carcinoma
      tissues were collected for immunohistochemistry (IHC) analysis to evaluate IRAK1
      expression. Data of IRAK1 expression were downloaded from the cancer genome atlas
      (TCGA) for analyzing the clinical significance of IRAK1. Receiver operating
      characteristic (ROC) curve and survival analyses were carried out to assess the
      diagnostic and prognostic significance of IRAK1 in IHC and TCGA data.
      Additionally, we investigated the alteration of IRAK1 gene in HCC from cBioPortal
      to generate a network of the interaction between IRAK1 and the neighboring genes.
      The influence of IRAK1 gene alteration on the prognosis of HCC patients was
      evaluated by survival analysis. RESULTS: Analysis of both IHC and TCGA data
      revealed a significant upregulation of IRAK1 in HCC tissues. The IHC analysis
      revealed there was an increasing trend in IRAK1 expression among normal liver
      tissues, liver cirrhosis tissues, para-carcinoma tissues and HCC tissues. The ROC
      curves for IHC and TCGA data demonstrated that IRAK1 exhibited a significant
      diagnostic value for HCC. Moreover, IRAK1 expression was observed to be
      associated with tumor size, metastasis and T-stage. The survival analysis
      indicated that the upregulation of IRAK1 predicted a worse overall survival of
      HCC. Additionally, data from cBioPortal confirmed that 29% of HCC tissues
      possessed an alteration of the IRAK1 gene. CONCLUSION: IRAK1 may act as an
      oncogene in the development of HCC with its overexpression in HCC. Moreover,
      IRAK1 might serve as a promising diagnostic and therapeutic target for HCC.

PMID- 28356760
TI  - The associations between five polymorphisms of vascular endothelial growth factor
      and renal cell carcinoma risk: an updated meta-analysis.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) is a key mediator that
      plays an important role in angiogenesis, tumor growth, and tumor metastasis. The
      associations between five polymorphisms of VEGF (rs3025039, rs699947, rs10434,
      rs1570360, and rs2010963) and renal cell carcinoma (RCC) risk have been
      extensively investigated, but the currently available results are inconsistent
      and inconclusive. To obtain a more accurate assessment of the associations, we
      conducted a meta-analysis in this study. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Relevant studies
      were collected systemically from the following three electronic databases:
      MEDLINE, Web of Science, and CNKI (Chinese National Knowledge Infrastructure).
      Statistical analyses were performed using Review Manager 5.2 in a fixed- or
      random-effects model. Pooled odds ratios (ORs) with 95% confidence intervals (95%
      CIs) were calculated to establish the strength of associations. RESULTS: A total
      of eight case-control studies with 1,936 RCC cases and 2,770 controls fulfilling
      the inclusion criteria were selected for this meta-analysis. The pooled OR
      indicated that rs699947 polymorphism was significantly associated with RCC risk
      in all genetic models. A significant association was also found between the
      rs3025039 polymorphism and RCC risk in a homozygous model (TT vs CC: OR =1.38,
      95% CI =1.11-1.72, P=0.004), a dominant model (CT+TT vs CC: OR =1.21, 95% CI
      =1.05-1.39, P=0.01), and a recessive model (TT vs CC+CT: OR =1.28, 95% CI =1.04
      1.57, P=0.02). After a subgroup analysis of ethnicity in the allele contrast
      model of rs3025039 polymorphism, we found a significant relationship in the
      allele contrast model (T vs C: OR =1.21, 95% CI =1.05-1.40, P=0.007) in the Asian
      population. With regard to rs10434 polymorphism, significant association was
      observed only in a homozygous model (GG vs AA: OR =0.75, 95% CI =0.57-0.98,
      P=0.03). As to rs1570360 or rs2010963, we did not observe any relationship
      between the two polymorphisms and RCC risk in our study. CONCLUSION: Our meta
      analysis confirmed the fact that rs699947, rs3025039, and rs10434 polymorphisms
      were significantly relevant to elevated RCC risk. In the meanwhile, this study
      also demonstrated that the allele contrast model of rs3025039 polymorphism was
      likely to be associated with risk of RCC in the Asian population.

PMID- 28356761
TI  - The coexpression of EphB4 and EphrinB2 is associated with poor prognosis in HER2
      positive breast cancer.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: HER2 overexpression is associated with aggressive phenotypes in breast
      cancer, including increased tumor proliferation, greater invasiveness, and
      reduced overall survival. The overall response rate to HER2-targeted therapies
      remains <30%. There is an urgent need for the identification of efficient markers
      to predict patients with a poor prognosis. This study was designed to investigate
      the correlation between EphB4 and EphrinB2 expression and the clinicopathological
      characteristics of HER2-positive breast cancer. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A total of
      111 primary HER2-positive breast cancer patients were enrolled in this study
      (diagnosed since December 2005 to November 2010 from the Second Hospital of
      Dalian Medical University). The protein expression of EphB4 and EphrinB2 was
      examined by immunohistochemistry using paraffin-embedded tumor tissues. RESULTS:
      There was a significant correlation between EphB4 and EphrinB2 expression
      (P=0.013, r=0.255). Kaplan-Meier analysis showed that the prognosis of patients
      with a high expression of both EphB4 and EphrinB2 was significantly worse than
      the prognosis of patients with either EphB4 or EphrinB2 expression and patients
      with negative expression (hazard ratio [HR] =1.935, P=0.0224). However, high
      expression of EphB4 or EphrinB2 alone was not an independent prognostic factor to
      predict worse overall survival. To summarize, HER2-positive breast cancer
      patients with overexpression of both EphB4 and EphrinB2 were associated with the
      worst prognosis. CONCLUSION: High expression of EphB4 and EphrinB2 correlated
      with poor overall survival, which can serve as an independent prognostic
      indicator in primary HER2-positive breast cancer patients.

PMID- 28356763
TI  - The US Food and Drug Administration's drug safety recommendations and long-acting
      beta2-agonist dispensing pattern changes in adult asthma patients: 2003-2012.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Emerging safety issues associated with long-acting beta2-agonist
      (LABA) have led to multiple regulatory activities by the US Food and Drug
      Administration (FDA) since 2003, including Drug Safety Communications (DSCs) in
      2010. These DSCs had three specific recommendations for the safe use of LABA
      products in adult asthma treatment. METHODS: We examined the initiation of LABA
      containing products for adult asthma treatment using an intermittent time series
      approach in a claims database from 2003 to 2012. We assessed the alignment of
      dispensing patterns with the following 2010 FDA recommendations: 1)
      contraindicated use of single-ingredient (SI)-LABA without an asthma controller
      medication (ACM); 2) a LABA should only be used when asthma is not adequately
      controlled on inhaled corticosteroids (ICSs) or ACM; and 3) step-down asthma
      therapy (e.g., discontinue LABA) when asthma control is achieved. RESULTS: There
      were 477,922 adults (18-64 years old) dispensed a new LABA during 2003-2012.
      Among LABA initiators, patients who initiated an SI-LABA and who did "not" have
      an ACM dispensed on the same date decreased from >9% in 2003 (the initial
      labeling change) to <2% post 2010 DSCs (p-value <0.0001 in the segmented
      regression model). The proportion of asthma patients dispensed an ICS in 6 months
      prior to initiating LABA treatment did not increase. The proportion of patients
      with longer than 4 months of continuous treatment did not decrease over the study
      period. CONCLUSION: Although the decrease in SI-LABA initiation is consistent
      with FDA's recommendations, low ICS dispensing before initiating a LABA and LABA
      continuation practices require further efforts to move toward the recommended
      safe practices.

PMID- 28356762
TI  - In silico-based vaccine design against Ebola virus glycoprotein.
AB  - Ebola virus (EBOV) is one of the lethal viruses, causing more than 24 epidemic
      outbreaks to date. Despite having available molecular knowledge of this virus, no
      definite vaccine or other remedial agents have been developed yet for the
      management and avoidance of EBOV infections in humans. Disclosing this, the
      present study described an epitope-based peptide vaccine against EBOV, using a
      combination of B-cell and T-cell epitope predictions, followed by molecular
      docking and molecular dynamics simulation approach. Here, protein sequences of
      all glycoproteins of EBOV were collected and examined via in silico methods to
      determine the most immunogenic protein. From the identified antigenic protein,
      the peptide region ranging from 186 to 220 and the sequence HKEGAFFLY from the
      positions of 154-162 were considered the most potential B-cell and T-cell
      epitopes, correspondingly. Moreover, this peptide (HKEGAFFLY) interacted with HLA
      A*32:15 with the highest binding energy and stability, and also a good
      conservancy of 83.85% with maximum population coverage. The results imply that
      the designed epitopes could manifest vigorous enduring defensive immunity against
      EBOV.

PMID- 28356765
TI  - Erratum: Reduced butyrylcholinesterase activity is an early indicator of trauma
      induced acute systemic inflammatory response [Corrigendum].
AB  - [This corrects the article on p. 221 in vol. 9, PMID: 27920568.].

PMID- 28356764
TI  - Study of nasal exhaled nitric oxide levels in diagnosis of allergic rhinitis in
      subjects with and without asthma.
AB  - BACKGROUND: The measure of fractional exhaled nitric oxide (FENO) in the airways
      is a useful tool to guide the diagnosis and titration of inhaled corticosteroids
      in patients with asthma. However, its role in diagnosis of allergic rhinitis
      (AR), especially in subjects with asthma, is not well established. OBJECTIVE: To
      study the cutoff of nasal FENO in the diagnosis of subjects with AR and AR-asthma
      compared to age-matched subjects without AR or asthma and its correlations with
      the clinical and functional characteristics. METHODS: The study was cross
      sectional and descriptive. Subjects were grouped into control subjects, AR, and
      AR-asthma, based on the inclusion criteria. Exhaled NO (nasal FENO, bronchial
      FENO, and alveolar concentration of NO) was measured by multiple flow electro
      luminescence device. RESULTS: Six hundred twenty-eight subjects were included:
      217 control subjects (children: n=98, 10+/-4 years; adults: n=119, 50+/-16
      years), 168 subjects with AR (children: n=54, 10+/-3 years; adults: n=114, 49+/
      15 years), and 243 subjects with AR-asthma (children: n=115, 10+/-3 years;
      adults: n=128, 51+/-14 years). Nasal peak inspiratory flow and peak expiratory
      flow were lower in subjects with AR and AR-asthma than in control subjects
      (P<0.01 and P<0.01; and P<0.05 and P<0.01, respectively). Nasal FENO levels were
      significantly higher in subjects with AR and AR-asthma than in control subjects
      (1614+/-629 and 1686+/-614 ppb vs 582+/-161 ppb; P<0.001 and P<0.001,
      respectively). In subjects with AR non-asthma, the cutoffs of nasal FENO for
      those diagnosed with AR were 775 ppb in children, 799 ppb in adults, and 799 in
      the general population (sensitivity: 92.68%, 92.63%, and 92.65%, respectively;
      specificity: 91.67%, 95.00%, and 96.87%, respectively). In subjects with AR
      asthma, the cutoffs of nasal FENO were higher, especially in asthma children
      (1458 ppb; sensitivity: 72.97% and specificity: 95.83%). CONCLUSION: Nasal FENO
      measurement is a useful technique for the diagnosis of AR in subjects with and
      without asthma.

PMID- 28356767
TI  - Efficacy and safety of guaifenesin for upper back, neck, and shoulder pain: a
      Phase II proof-of-concept, multicenter, placebo-controlled, repeat-dose, parallel
      group study.
AB  - BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVE: Guaifenesin, an over-the-counter (OTC) expectorant, has
      exhibited muscle relaxant effects preclinically and clinically. This proof-of
      principle study explored whether OTC doses of guaifenesin can provide relief from
      acute upper back, neck, or shoulder muscle spasm and pain. METHODS: This
      multicenter, placebo-controlled, repeat-dose, parallel study randomly assigned
      adults experiencing acute pain and muscle spasm in their upper back, neck, or
      shoulder to guaifenesin 600 or 1200 mg or matched placebo twice daily (BID) in a
      2:2:1:1 ratio for 7 days. The primary end point was the change from baseline in
      muscle spasm relief, measured using an 11-point numeric rating scale (0=not
      present to 10=unbearable) recorded twice daily and averaged over the 7-day
      treatment period. Analyses were performed using a linear mixed model that
      included treatment as a fixed effect and site as a random effect. RESULTS: A
      total of 77 subjects were included in the 4 treatment groups. Least squares mean
      muscle spasm score over 7 days was 1.77 with guaifenesin 1200 mg, 1.42 with its
      matched placebo, 1.53 with guaifenesin 600 mg, and 1.74 with its matched placebo.
      Treatment with guaifenesin 1200 mg BID provided 25% greater reduction in mean
      muscle spasm over its matched placebo and 16% greater reduction than guaifenesin
      600 mg BID. These differences were not statistically significant. Based on
      comparisons of absolute mean values, a consistent directional change in effect
      was observed, suggesting some benefit from placebo to lower-to-upper doses of
      guaifenesin with regard to muscle spasm, tension, pain, discomfort, and
      relaxation. No severe or serious adverse events were reported. CONCLUSION:
      Results suggest the potential for OTC dose of guaifenesin 1200 mg BID to provide
      symptomatic relief of upper back musculoskeletal pain and spasm. Confirmation of
      this preliminary result in a larger, adequately powered study is needed.

PMID- 28356766
TI  - Post-thoracotomy pain syndrome and sensory disturbances following thoracotomy at
      6- and 12-month follow-ups.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Persistent pain affects a large proportion of patients after
      thoracotomy and is associated with sensory disturbances. The objective of this
      prospective study was to investigate the time course of pain and sensory
      disturbances over a 12-month period. METHODS: Patients scheduled for thoracotomy
      were recruited. Data were collected on the day before surgery, including baseline
      characteristics and the presence of any preoperative pain. At 6- and 12-month
      follow-ups, data on pain were collected using the Brief Pain Inventory-Short
      Form, and perceived sensory disturbances around the thoracotomy scar were
      recorded from a self-exploration test. RESULTS: At 12 months after surgery, 97
      patients had complete data including baseline and 6-and 12-month measurements.
      Almost half of the patients reported post-thoracotomy pain at the follow-ups.
      However, 20% of the patients not reporting post-thoracotomy pain at 6 months did
      report it at 12 months. Between 40% and 60% of patients experienced some kind of
      sensory disturbance at 6 months. A small decline in some kind of sensory
      disturbance was reported by 20%-50% of patients at 12 months. CONCLUSION: A
      proportion of patients experienced either resolved or delayed onset of pain.
      Sensory changes were strongly associated with post-thoracotomy pain syndrome, but
      were also present in a large proportion of patients without it.

PMID- 28356768
TI  - Drug-screening and genomic analyses of HER2-positive breast cancer cell lines
      reveal predictors for treatment response.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Approximately 15%-20% of all diagnosed breast cancers are
      characterized by amplified and overexpressed HER2 (= ErbB2). These breast cancers
      are aggressive and have a poor prognosis. Although improvements in treatment have
      been achieved after the introduction of trastuzumab and lapatinib, many patients
      do not benefit from these drugs. Therefore, in-depth understanding of the
      mechanisms behind the treatment responses is essential to find alternative
      therapeutic strategies. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Thirteen HER2 positive breast
      cancer cell lines were screened with 22 commercially available compounds, mainly
      targeting proteins in the ErbB2-signaling pathway, and molecular mechanisms
      related to treatment sensitivity were sought. Cell viability was measured, and
      treatment responses between the cell lines were compared. To search for response
      predictors and genomic and transcriptomic profiling, PIK3CA mutations and PTEN
      status were explored and molecular features associated with drug sensitivity
      sought. RESULTS: The cell lines were divided into three groups according to the
      growth-retarding effect induced by trastuzumab and lapatinib. Interestingly, two
      cell lines insensitive to trastuzumab (KPL4 and SUM190PT) showed sensitivity to
      an Akt1/2 kinase inhibitor. These cell lines had mutation in PIK3CA and loss of
      PTEN, suggesting an activated and druggable Akt-signaling pathway. Expression
      levels of five genes (CDC42, MAPK8, PLCG1, PTK6, and PAK6) were suggested as
      predictors for the Akt1/2 kinase-inhibitor response. CONCLUSION: Targeting the
      Akt-signaling pathway shows promise in cell lines that do not respond to
      trastuzumab. In addition, our results indicate that several molecular features
      determine the growth-retarding effects induced by the drugs, suggesting that
      parameters other than HER2 amplification/expression should be included as markers
      for therapy decisions.

PMID- 28356769
TI  - Validation of Health Behavior and Stages of Change Questionnaire.
AB  - BACKGROUND: The transtheoretical model (TTM) has been widely used to promote
      healthy behaviors in different groups. However, a questionnaire has not yet been
      developed to evaluate the health behaviors that medical practitioners often
      consider in individuals with cancer or at a high risk of developing cancer.
      PURPOSE: The aim of this study was to construct and validate the Health Behavior
      and Stages of Change Questionnaire (HBSCQ), which is based on the TTM and health
      recommendations related to risk and factors that protect against cancer. METHODS:
      Content validity was conducted in two phases (qualitative and quantitative). Item
      difficulty index, item discrimination index, and discrimination coefficient were
      obtained based on the classical test theory. Finally, Cronbach's alpha was used.
      RESULTS: Measure of concordance showed scores considered adequate and excellent.
      The item discrimination index obtained a rating of "excellent" and suggested the
      preservation of all items. The discrimination coefficient scores are >0.74. The
      global internal consistency of the HBSCQ was 0.384. HBSCQ specification between
      groups of internal consistency for the sample of men was 0.712 and that for the
      sample of women was 0.378. CONCLUSION/IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTICE: The HBSCQ
      represents a proposal for a fast, simple, and innovative screening test, which
      aims to identify persons who may benefit from interventions to promote health
      behaviors delimited to the stage of change.

PMID- 28356770
TI  - Breast cancer in patients with Li-Fraumeni syndrome - a case-series study and
      review of literature.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Li-Fraumeni Syndrome (LFS) is a rare disease with autosomal dominant
      inheritance linked to germline mutations of tumor suppressor gene TP53. These
      patients are predisposed to malignancies such as sarcoma, breast cancer,
      leukemia, and other malignancies. Breast cancer, the most common malignancy in
      adult patients with LFS, has an early-onset presentation and is usually treated
      as per the guidelines for the general population due to the limited literature
      about breast cancer in LFS. We aimed to describe our institutional experience
      treating patients with breast cancer and LFS to contribute to literature about
      this entity. DESIGN: Retrospective single-institution case-series study. We
      searched for cases with LFS and breast cancer from 01/01/2000 to 12/31/2015 with
      treatment received at our institution. RESULTS: We identified 4 cases (2 African
      Americans, 1 Indian, and 1 Hispanic) in 4 different families, who were diagnosed
      with LFS after presenting with breast cancer. Three cases were triple-negative
      disease and 1 case was ER+, HER2 positive disease. They were treated with
      mastectomy and a third-generation breast chemotherapy regimen and/or trastuzumab
      containing regimen. Radiation therapy was used in 2 patients. Breast cancer
      recurrence was seen in 1 patient, while three other malignancies were identified
      after breast cancer treatment (1 breast sarcoma, 1 leiomyosarcoma, and 1
      myelodysplastic syndrome). A patient, who underwent surveillance with a positron
      emission tomography-computed tomography scan, was found to have a stage I
      leiomyosarcoma and was treated with surgical resection, but then developed
      metastatic disease requiring cytotoxic chemotherapy. CONCLUSION: Breast cancer
      among patients with LFS needs a multidisciplinary treatment approach. Surgical
      management follows the guidelines for the general population. Risk-benefit
      assessment of chemotherapy and radiotherapy needs to be performed carefully in a
      case-by-case approach. Patients should undergo multimodality cancer surveillance,
      preferably in the context of a clinical trial.

PMID- 28356771
TI  - nab-Paclitaxel for the treatment of pancreatic cancer.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Nanoparticle albumin-bound paclitaxel (nab-P) plus gemcitabine (Gem)
      became a standard treatment option for metastatic pancreatic cancer (MPC)
      following positive results from a global phase III trial (MPACT). A large number
      of studies have now published results on the use of nab-P/Gem to treat advanced
      and early-stage disease, warranting a comprehensive review. The main goal of this
      systematic review is to summarize the efficacy and safety data of nab-P/Gem for
      the treatment of pancreatic cancer (PC). METHODS: This systematic review includes
      results from studies that either published results in a peer-reviewed journal or
      presented the results at a major oncology conference. RESULTS: Sixty-two studies
      were included (50 in the advanced/metastatic setting and 12 in the locally
      advanced setting). Most studies on the treatment of MPC were exclusively first
      line (33/50). Nevertheless, the studies in this review comprised a broad spectrum
      of patients, including those <65 and >=65 years of age and those with a Karnofsky
      performance status of 70-100. Median overall survival (OS) in studies of nab
      P/Gem in the advanced/metastatic setting ranged from 8.7 to 13.5 months. In
      addition, 15 studies of patients with advanced/metastatic PC examined nab-P/Gem
      as a backbone on which to add a variety of agents, including cancer stem cell
      inhibitors, stromal disrupting agents, and immune-modulating agents (median OS,
      6.9-17 months). Ongoing trials are investigating nab-P/Gem with or without other
      agents across disease settings. DISCUSSION: Studies conducted after MPACT have
      demonstrated that nab-P/Gem is an effective regimen for the first-line treatment
      of MPC for a wide range of patients. Regimens using nab-P/Gem as a backbone on
      which to combine additional agents are being studied actively, particularly in
      the advanced disease setting. Ongoing studies will yield valuable insights on the
      utility of nab-P-containing regimens to improve patient outcomes in PC in both
      earlier-stage and advanced disease.

PMID- 28356772
TI  - Chinese health care system and clinical epidemiology.
AB  - China has gone through a comprehensive health care insurance reform since 2003
      and achieved universal health insurance coverage in 2011. The new health care
      insurance system provides China with a huge opportunity for the development of
      health care and medical research when its rich medical resources are fully
      unfolded. In this study, we review the Chinese health care system and its
      implication for medical research, especially within clinical epidemiology. First,
      we briefly review the population register system, the distribution of the urban
      and rural population in China, and the development of the Chinese health care
      system after 1949. In the following sections, we describe the current Chinese
      health care delivery system and the current health insurance system. We then
      focus on the construction of the Chinese health information system as well as
      several existing registers and research projects on health data. Finally, we
      discuss the opportunities and challenges of the health care system in regard to
      clinical epidemiology research. China now has three main insurance schemes. The
      Urban Employee Basic Medical Insurance (UEBMI) covers urban employees and retired
      employees. The Urban Residence Basic Medical Insurance (URBMI) covers urban
      residents, including children, students, elderly people without previous
      employment, and unemployed people. The New Rural Cooperative Medical Scheme
      (NRCMS) covers rural residents. The Chinese Government has made efforts to build
      up health information data, including electronic medical records. The
      establishment of universal health care insurance with linkage to medical records
      will provide potentially huge research opportunities in the future. However,
      constructing a complete register system at a nationwide level is challenging. In
      the future, China will demand increased capacity of researchers and data
      managers, in particular within clinical epidemiology, to explore the rich
      resources.

PMID- 28356773
TI  - Update on the usage and safety of epinephrine auto-injectors, 2017.
AB  - Anaphylaxis is a serious, potentially fatal allergic reaction. Guidelines
      recommend prompt intramuscular injections of epinephrine as the first-line
      therapy for anaphylaxis. Delayed epinephrine treatment may cause undesirable
      clinical outcomes, including death. In the community, epinephrine auto-injectors
      (EAIs) are commonly used to treat anaphylaxis. This literature review examines
      several recent concerns regarding the safety of EAIs that may prevent the timely
      administration of epinephrine. Reports of cardiovascular complications are linked
      with epinephrine administration, although recent studies suggest that these
      events are much more commonly associated with intravenous epinephrine rather than
      with EAIs. Recent studies have also highlighted accidental injections of EAIs in
      patients' or caregivers' fingers and lacerations associated with the use of EAI
      in children. However, the data suggest that both accidental injections and
      lacerations are rare and require limited medical intervention. In addition,
      patients may receive conflicting information on the safety and efficacy of using
      expired EAIs. Overall, it is believed that the benefits of using EAIs far
      outweigh the potential risks of not administering an EAI. Although legitimate
      safety concerns are associated with EAIs, adverse events are rare. Continued
      training of medical providers, caregivers, and patients may be beneficial to
      address these concerns and reduce EAI-associated injuries while ensuring that
      patients receive necessary medical care.

PMID- 28356775
TI  - Alternative surgical methods for ptosis in patients with 18p deletion syndrome.

PMID- 28356774
TI  - Robotic-assisted hysterectomy: patient selection and perspectives.
AB  - Minimally invasive hysterectomy via the laparoscopic or vaginal approach is
      beneficial to patients when compared with laparotomy, but has not been offered in
      the past to all women because of the technical difficulties and the long learning
      curve required for laparoscopic hysterectomy. Robotic-assisted hysterectomy for
      benign indications may allow for a shorter learning curve but does not offer
      clear advantages over conventional laparoscopic hysterectomy in terms of surgical
      outcomes. In addition, robotic hysterectomy is invariably associated with
      increased costs. Nevertheless, this surgical approach has been widely adopted by
      gynecologic surgeons. The aim of this review is to describe specific indications
      and patients who may benefit from robotic-assisted hysterectomy. These include
      hysterectomy for benign conditions in cases with high surgical complexity (such
      as pelvic adhesive disease and endometriosis), hysterectomy and lymphadenectomy
      for treatment of endometrial carcinoma, and obese patients. In the future,
      additional evidence regarding the benefits of single-site robotic hysterectomy
      may further modify the indications for robotic-assisted hysterectomy.

PMID- 28356776
TI  - Diabetic papillopathy treated with intravitreal ranibizumab.
AB  - In this report, we present a case of diabetic papillopathy that resolved after a
      single dose of intravitreal ranibizumab injection. A 50-year-old male presented
      with painless visual loss in his right eye. His visual acuity was 1/10 in the
      right eye and 10/10 in the left eye. Anterior segment examination of both eyes
      was unremarkable. Posterior segment of the right eye showed nonproliferative
      diabetic retinopathy with a swollen optic disc. Fluorescein angiography and
      optical coherence tomography were performed. There was dye leakage from the right
      optic disc. Optical coherence tomography revealed a significant increase in
      retinal nerve fiber layer thickness. Magnetic resonance imaging of the brain and
      orbit were normal. The patient received a single intravitreal ranibizumab (0.5
      mg) injection. Two weeks after the injection, there was a marked regression of
      the disc swelling. Three months after the injection the optic disc was pallor and
      visual acuity was 6/10.

PMID- 28356777
TI  - Intraocular eyelashes and iris cyst in anterior chamber following penetrating eye
      injury: a case report.
AB  - BACKGROUND: The presence of intraocular eyelashes following penetrating eye
      injury or ocular surgery is relatively uncommon. The response of the eye to
      intraocular eyelashes is variable. The eyelash may be symptomatic or may remain
      asymptomatic for long periods. OBJECTIVE: We report a case with two intraocular
      eyelashes and an iris cyst after 2 years of asymptomatic period following
      penetrating eye injury. CASE PRESENTATION: A 24-year-old male presented with
      decreased vision in the left eye which he had noticed for the previous 2 weeks.
      His visual acuity was 6/6 in the right eye and 6/18 in the left eye, improving to
      6/9 with -2.5 DC * 140 degrees  correction. The intraocular pressure was 12 mmHg
      in both eyes. On slit-lamp examination, the left eye showed 8 mm linear
      peripheral corneal opacity nasally, two eyelashes in the superior anterior
      chamber, and an iris cyst measuring 4 mm * 4 mm in the superior iris. The right
      eye was normal. Dilated fundus examination of both eyes was normal. The eyelashes
      and cyst were removed surgically. There were no complications during the 3-month
      follow-up period. CONCLUSION: Intraocular implantation of eyelashes following
      penetrating eye injury can remain asymptomatic for long periods; however, late
      development of iris cyst may occur.

PMID- 28356778
TI  - Decreasing racial disparity with the combination of ledipasvir-sofosbuvir for the
      treatment of chronic hepatitis C.
AB  - African Americans (AA) in the US are twice as likely to be infected with
      hepatitis C virus (HCV) compared to the non-Hispanic-white US population (Cau).
      They are also more likely to be infected with HCV genotype 1, more likely to
      develop hepatocellular carcinoma, and, in addition, have a lower response rate to
      interferon-based therapies. With the increase in response rates reported for
      combinations of direct-acting antivirals, the possibility that racial disparity
      would be eliminated by agents that directly inhibit virus replication has become
      a reality. The objective of this review is to evaluate the literature from
      clinical studies and retrospective analysis with respect to the response of AA to
      the most prescribed antiviral combination sofosbuvir plus ledipasvir. While few
      studies have focused on AA patients, sufficient information is availed from the
      literature and studies in our predominately AA clinic population to confirm that
      ledipasvir-sofosbuvir has a similar effectiveness in AA as compared to Cau.

PMID- 28356780
TI  - Views on group simulation in an integrated medical curriculum.

PMID- 28356779
TI  - Potential use of mesenchymal stem cells in human meniscal repair: current
      insights.
AB  - The menisci of the human knee play an important role in maintaining normal
      functions to provide stability and nutrition to the articular cartilage, and to
      absorb shock. Once injured, these important structures have very limited natural
      healing potential. Unfortunately, the traditional arthroscopic meniscectomy
      performed on these damaged menisci may predispose the joint toward early
      development of osteoarthritis. Although a very limited number of studies are
      available, mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) have been investigated as an alternative
      therapeutic modality to repair human knee meniscal tears. This review summarizes
      the results of published applications of MSCs in human patients, which showed
      that the patients who received MSCs (autologous adipose tissue-derived stem cells
      or culture-expanded bone marrow-derived stem cells) presented symptomatic
      improvements, along with magnetic resonance imaging evidences of the meniscal
      repair.

PMID- 28356781
TI  - The importance of feedback for medical students' development.

PMID- 28356782
TI  - An evaluation of exact matching and propensity score methods as applied in a
      comparative effectiveness study of inhaled corticosteroids in asthma.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Cohort matching and regression modeling are used in observational
      studies to control for confounding factors when estimating treatment effects. Our
      objective was to evaluate exact matching and propensity score methods by applying
      them in a 1-year pre-post historical database study to investigate asthma-related
      outcomes by treatment. METHODS: We drew on longitudinal medical record data in
      the PHARMO database for asthma patients prescribed the treatments to be compared
      (ciclesonide and fine-particle inhaled corticosteroid [ICS]). Propensity score
      methods that we evaluated were propensity score matching (PSM) using two
      different algorithms, the inverse probability of treatment weighting (IPTW),
      covariate adjustment using the propensity score, and propensity score
      stratification. We defined balance, using standardized differences, as
      differences of <10% between cohorts. RESULTS: Of 4064 eligible patients, 1382
      (34%) were prescribed ciclesonide and 2682 (66%) fine-particle ICS. The IPTW and
      propensity score-based methods retained more patients (96%-100%) than exact
      matching (90%); exact matching selected less severe patients. Standardized
      differences were >10% for four variables in the exact-matched dataset and <10%
      for both PSM algorithms and the weighted pseudo-dataset used in the IPTW method.
      With all methods, ciclesonide was associated with better 1-year asthma-related
      outcomes, at one-third the prescribed dose, than fine-particle ICS; results
      varied slightly by method, but direction and statistical significance remained
      the same. CONCLUSION: We found that each method has its particular strengths, and
      we recommend at least two methods be applied for each matched cohort study to
      evaluate the robustness of the findings. Balance diagnostics should be applied
      with all methods to check the balance of confounders between treatment cohorts.
      If exact matching is used, the calculation of a propensity score could be useful
      to identify variables that require balancing, thereby informing the choice of
      matching criteria together with clinical considerations.

PMID- 28356783
TI  - High-resolution mapping of genes involved in plant stage-specific partial
      resistance of barley to leaf rust.
AB  - Partial resistance quantitative trait loci (QTLs) Rphq11 and rphq16 against
      Puccinia hordei isolate 1.2.1 were previously mapped in seedlings of the mapping
      populations Steptoe/Morex and Oregon Wolfe Barleys, respectively. In this study,
      QTL mapping was performed at adult plant stage for the two mapping populations
      challenged with the same rust isolate. The results suggest that Rphq11 and rphq16
      are effective only at seedling stage, and not at adult plant stage. The cloning
      of several genes responsible for partial resistance of barley to P. hordei will
      allow elucidation of the molecular basis of this type of plant defence. A map
      based cloning approach requires to fine-map the QTL in a narrow genetic window.
      In this study, Rphq11 and rphq16 were fine-mapped using an approach aiming at
      speeding up the development of plant material and simplifying its evaluation. The
      plant materials for fine-mapping were identified from early plant materials
      developed to produce QTL-NILs. The material was first selected to carry the
      targeted QTL in heterozygous condition and susceptibility alleles at other
      resistance QTLs in homozygous condition. This strategy took four to five
      generations to obtain fixed QTL recombinants (i.e., homozygous resistant at the
      Rphq11 or rphq16 QTL alleles, homozygous susceptible at the non-targeted QTL
      alleles). In less than 2 years, Rphq11 was fine-mapped into a 0.2-cM genetic
      interval and a 1.4-cM genetic interval for rphq16. The strongest candidate gene
      for Rphq11 is a phospholipid hydroperoxide glutathione peroxidase. Thus far, no
      candidate gene was identified for rphq16.

PMID- 28356784
TI  - Synthesis of beta-cyclodextrin-lysozyme conjugates and their physicochemical and
      biochemical properties.
AB  - Recently a great interest in the field of protein engineering and the design of
      innovative drug delivery systems employing specific ligands such as cyclodextrins
      is observed. The paper reports the solid state, thermal method for protein
      coupling with beta-cyclodextrin and the physicochemical and biological properties
      of the obtained conjugates. The structure of the obtained conjugates was
      investigated via liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry, dynamic light
      scattering and circular dichroism analysis. The presented conjugates were
      biologically active and covalently bound beta-cyclodextrin preserved the ability
      to form inclusion complexes with the model compound. This report demonstrates the
      great potential of cyclodextrin as a modifying unit that can be used to modulate
      the properties of therapeutic proteins, additionally giving such conjugates the
      possibility to transport many therapeutic substances in the form of inclusion
      complexes. In addition, the paper presents the potential of protein-cyclodextrin
      conjugates to construct innovative bioactive molecules for biological and medical
      applications.

PMID- 28356785
TI  - Successful application of thrombolysis and angioplasty in case of mechanical
      aortic valve and coronary graft thrombosis.
AB  - Prosthetic valve thrombosis (PVT) is a rare and fatal complication requiring
      immediate treatment. Optimal management of the left-sided obstructive PVT is
      still controversial and depends on patient's status, estimated risk of surgery,
      thrombus location and size, and clinician's experience. We report a case of a 71
      year-old woman, presenting with signs of cardiogenic shock. Transesophageal
      echoscopy was used to diagnose acute obstructive thrombosis of the mechanical
      aortic valve. Concomitant coronary graft thrombosis was suspected due to signs of
      acute myocardial infarction. Thrombolysis with alteplase and subsequent stenting
      of the venous graft lead to successful resolution of the thrombotic lesions and a
      favourable patient outcome. Fibrinolytic therapy followed by angioplasty is a
      rational treatment alternative for inoperable or high risk patients in the case
      of concomitant mechanical valve and graft thrombosis.

PMID- 28356786
TI  - FFR guided PCI on long coronary lesions: 2-year clinical results with 2nd or
      newer generation DES.
AB  - Background. Despite improvements in drug-eluting stent (DES) technology,
      treatment strategies for long coronary artery lesions remain a controversial
      issue. The aim of our study was to evaluate the long-term clinical results after
      FFR guided PCI on long coronary lesions. Materials and methods. A total of 74
      consecutive patients with significant (mean FFR 0.61 +/- 0.11) coronary artery
      lesions >=30 mm in length were included in the prospective study. All patients
      were treated with FFR guided PCI implanting newer generation Biolimus, Everolimus
      or Zotarolimus eluting stents. Clinical endpoints - target vessel
      revascularization (TVR) and major adverse cardiac events (MACE) - were recorded
      at 1 and 2 years. Results. 100% angiographic procedure success was achieved, the
      mean post procedural FFR was 0.88 +/- 0.06. At 2-year follow-up, 6 (8.1%)
      patients had ischemia driven TVR, all within the first 12 months. There were no
      target vessel related acute coronary syndromes and definite stent thromboses in
      the study group. At 2 years, the total MACE rate was 29.7%. There was a trend
      towards a higher TVR rate in patients with overlapping DES vs single DES
      implanted (9.6 vs 4.5%, p = 0.6). On regression analysis, the total stent length
      had no influence on the TVR rate. Conclusions. At 2 years after stenting long
      coronary lesions with newer generation DES the TVR rate was 8.1%, which is
      acceptable in the high cardiovascular risk population with diffuse coronary
      artery disease. The total stent length did not affect the long-term clinical
      outcomes.

PMID- 28356787
TI  - Vasa praevia: a case report and literature review.
AB  - Background. The aim of this article is to present a rare clinical case of vasa
      praevia as well as to assess the relevance of the problem by reviewing the latest
      literature sources. Materials and methods. In this report we present a case of a
      33-year-old woman diagnosed with vasa praevia at 33 weeks of pregnancy, after
      hospitalisation with preterm rupture of membranes following the delivery of a
      live healthy baby through a lower segment Caesarean section during 33rd week of
      gestation at Vilnius University Hospital Santariskiu Clinics. We investigated all
      the documentation of the patient before and after delivery. Results and
      conclusions. Vasa praevia is a rather rare pathology which is likely to occur
      during pregnancy, may result in heavy bleeding and be particularly threatening to
      the fetus life. A timely diagnosis for these women is essential. The gold
      standard for vasa praevia diagnosis is the fetal ultrasound scan. Vasa praevia
      pathology is found during the routine second trimester ultrasound check-up. The
      selection of proper tactics applied during pregnancy care is essential. At the
      gestational age of 28-32, it is advisable to mature fetal lungs as well as the
      fetus condition should be investigated by a perinatologist. The mode of delivery
      is the C-section which tends to reduce the frequency of possible complications.

PMID- 28356788
TI  - The changes of radiotherapy in Lithuania: infrastructure, utilization rate, and
      cost.
AB  - Background. The aim of this study was to evaluate radiation therapy (RT)
      productivity, capacity, and cost in Lithuania. Materials and methods. An
      electronic questionnaire was prepared and sent to the country's RT centres. The
      data was collected for the years 2011-2014. The early data of the RT
      infrastructure was obtained from the QUARTS Project (2001). Results. In Lithuania
      the external beam RT was applied to 32.6% of new cancer cases (non-melanomatous
      skin cancer and benign conditions were excluded). In 2014, RT was more frequently
      applied for breast and prostate carcinomas, 23 and 20%, respectively. The country
      owned 11 units of linear accelerators (linacs) and this accounts for 3.7 linacs
      per one million population. 3D conformal RT is the standard approach in all four
      RT centres in Lithuania. IMRT practices were established in three centers and
      VMAT or stereotactic RT in two of them. 73% of linacs were capable of IGRT, while
      only 27% were equipped with CBCT. The average linac workload was 567 patients per
      year and showed a 10% decrease compared with the 2011 data. During a ten-year
      period, the average cost per patient for RT treatment increased 7.6 times - from
      EUR 129 to 974. The reimbursement system in Lithuania is not favourable for
      application of RT. Conclusions. During the recent thirteen years, RT services in
      Lithuania have dramatically improved, but we are still behind the average of
      European countries and benchmark rates. It is important to continue optimising
      the efficiency of RT services, and further evidence-based studies on RT
      infrastructure assessment and planning are needed.

PMID- 28356789
TI  - Significance of KRAS, NRAS, BRAF and PIK3CA mutations in metastatic colorectal
      cancer patients receiving Bevacizumab: a single institution experience.
AB  - Background. KRAS mutation is an important predictive and prognostic factor for
      patients receiving anti-EGFR therapy. An expanded KRAS, NRAS, BRAF, PIK3CA
      mutation analysis provides additional prognostic information, but its role in
      predicting bevacizumab efficacy is unclear. The aim of our study was to evaluate
      the incidence of KRAS, NRAS, BRAF and PIK3CA mutations in metastatic colorectal
      cancer patients receiving first line oxaliplatin based chemotherapy with or
      without bevacizumab and to evaluate their prognostic and predictive significance.
      Methods. 55 patients with the first-time diagnosed CRC receiving FOLFOX +/-
      bevacizumab were involved in the study. Tumour blocks were tested for KRAS
      mutations in exons 2, 3 and 4, NRAS mutations in exons 2, 3 and 4, BRAF mutation
      in exon 15 and PIK3CA mutations in exons 9 and 20. The association between
      mutations and clinico-pathological factors, treatment outcomes and survival was
      analyzed. Results. KRAS mutations were detected in 67.3% of the patients, BRAF in
      1.8%, PIK3CA in 5.5% and there were no NRAS mutations. A significant association
      between the high CA 19-9 level and KRAS mutation was detected (mean CA 19-9
      levels were 276 and 87 kIU/l, respectively, p = 0.019). There was a significantly
      higher response rate in the KRAS, NRAS, BRAF and PIK3CA wild type cohort
      receiving bevacizumab compared to any gene mutant type (100 and 60%,
      respectively, p = 0.030). The univariate Cox regression analysis did not confirm
      KRAS and other tested mutations as prognostic factors for PFS or OS. Conclusions.
      Our study revealed higher KRAS and lower NRAS, BRAF and PIK3CA mutation rates in
      the Lithuanian population than those reported in the literature. KRAS mutation
      was associated with the high CA 19-9 level and mucinous histology type, but did
      not show any predictive or prognostic significance. The expanded KRAS, NRAS, BRAF
      and PIK3CA mutation analysis provided additional significant predictive
      information.

PMID- 28356790
TI  - Response preparation and intra-individual reaction time variability in
      schizophrenia.
AB  - Background. It is important to prepare response in advance to increase the
      efficiency of its execution. The process of response preparation is usually
      studied using the precueing paradigm. In this paradigm subjects have to employ
      the preceding information about further imperative stimulus to perform proper
      response preparation, which shortens the reaction time of subsequent response
      execution. Previous studies detected the impairment of response preparation in
      schizophrenia only with the help of electroencephalographic parameters, but not
      with the assessing of reaction time. Therefore, in this study we attempted to
      find a behavioural parameter that could detect impairment in response preparation
      of schizophrenia patients. It was recently found that appropriate response
      preparation not only shortens the reaction time but also increases its stability,
      which is measured with the intra-individual reaction time variability. It was
      also revealed that response stability could better find cognitive dysfunction in
      some studies of schizophrenia disorder than classical behavioural parameters.
      Hence, the main goal of this study was to verify if intra-individual reaction
      time variability could detect the impairment of response preparation in
      schizophrenia patients. Materials and methods. In order to achieve the main
      purpose, we carried out a study with 14 schizophrenia patients and 14 control
      group subjects. We used precueing paradigm in our research, in which participants
      had to employ information about stimulus probability for the proper response
      preparation. Results. Our main result showed that despite the responses of
      schizophrenia patients were faster to the high-probability stimulus than to the
      low-probability one (F (1, 13) = 30.9, p < 0.001), intra-individual reaction time
      variability did not differ in this group between the responses to more and less
      probable stimuli (F (1, 13) = 0.64, p = 0.44). Conclusions. Results of the study
      suggest that people with schizophrenia were able to use precueing probabilistic
      information only to shorten their reaction time, but not to increase response
      stability. Therefore, it was found that intra-individual reaction time
      variability parameter could detect response preparation impairment in
      schizophrenia, and could be used in clinical purposes.

PMID- 28356791
TI  - ?
AB  - ELECTRONIC CIGARETTES A NEW WAY TO QUIT SMOKING OR A NEW THREAT?: The use of e
      cigarettes in adults and adolescents has increased since 2010. Most e-cigarette
      users are cigarette smokers. A majority of e-cigarette users perceive them to be
      a tool to quit or reduce smoking. E-cigarette devices consist of a cartridge
      containing a liquid, an atomizer (vaporization chamber with a heating element),
      and a battery. The user activates the atomizer, which heats the liquid and
      produces a vapour to inhale. Across all brands, the main components in e
      cigarette liquids are propylene glycol or glycerol, in addition, nicotine and/or
      flavourings can be added. A variety of other compounds have also been identified.
      Long-term health consequences of e-cigarette use are unknown but are likely to be
      less than continuing to smoke conventional cigarettes. The toxicity of chronic
      exposure to these and other components of e-cigarettes is uncertain. The safety
      and efficacy of e-cigarette use for smoking cessation is unknown. Clinicians
      should encourage smokers seeking to quit smoking to use US Food and Drug
      Administration (FDA)-approved smoking cessation aids as a first choice and make
      sure that newer approved strategies for smoking cessation pharmacotherapy are
      offered. If a smoker is not willing to use these evidence-based approaches and
      asks about using e-cigarettes, the clinician should not discourage e-cigarette
      use as long as the smoker is informed about the uncertainties of the device
      safety and efficacy. Public health concerns regarding e-cigarettes include their
      potential to increase youth initiation of tobacco products and to re-normalize
      tobacco use in places where cigarette smoking is not acceptable. The health
      effects of second-hand vapour exposure are unknown. Regulation for e-cigarettes
      varies worldwide and is changing. Keywords: electronic cigarettes, smoking,
      vapour.

PMID- 28356792
TI  - A fast and fatal course of bronchiectasis: an unusual rare expression of chronic
      graft versus host disease. A case report.
AB  - Introduction. We report a case of a patient with acute myeloid leukaemia whose
      treatment with bone marrow transplantation (BMT) was followed by chronic graft
      versus host disease (GVHD) with lung involvement and bronchiectasis. This report
      illustrates an unusual course of a fast progression of the bronchiectasis due to
      BMT. Case description. A 33-year-old female was diagnosed with acute myeloid
      leukaemia. An allogeneic BMT was performed. One month after the transplantation,
      acute GVHD with skin involvement occurred. Treatment with prednisolone and
      mycophenolate mofetil (MMF) has been started. Nine months later, the patient was
      examined by a pulmonologist due to progressive dyspnoea. A pulmonary computed
      tomography (CT) scan showed normal parenchyma of the lungs and no changes to the
      bronchi. A CT scan performed 7 months later revealed bronchiectasis for the first
      time. No clinical response was associated with the treatment and the patient's
      respiratory status progressively deteriorated. During the final hospitalization,
      a CT scan performed 1 year later revealed huge cystic bronchiectasis in both
      lungs. Despite the prophylaxis and treatment of GVHD and aggressive antimicrobial
      therapy, the patient died one year after the diagnosis of bronchiectasis.
      Conclusions. This case demonstrates that a fast and fatal course of
      bronchiectasis, that occurs after BMT, should always be considered as a possible
      manifestation of chronic graft versus host disease (cGVHD) following allogeneic
      BMT.

PMID- 28356793
TI  - Heterogeneity of nutritional habits of Lithuanian ethnolinguistic groups:
      population-based study.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Lithuania is a Northern European country consisting of two main
      ethnolinguistic groups: Samogitians and Highlanders. The objective of the paper
      is to investigate differences in nutritional habits of 18-65-year-old Lithuanians
      living in different ethnolinguistic regions. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A
      representative, population-based, random sample of the 18-65-year-old ethnic
      Lithuanian population was interviewed from 17 December 2008 to 20 May 2013.
      Lithuanians living in their ethnolinguistic region for at least three generations
      were included (n = 1,133). We analysed responses to 12 questions about
      nutritional habits of respondents. For the univariate analysis, we applied the
      chi-squared test. For the clusterisation of the survey questions, we employed a
      multiple correspondence analysis (MCA). RESULTS: Comparing Samogitians' and
      Highlanders' responses according to their gender, education, and place of
      residence, we observed more often significant differences (p < 0.05) for the
      urban population, respondents without higher education, and women. The nutrition
      of Highlanders was more consistent with national and WHO nutritional
      recommendations. Significant differences were obtained in the consumption of fish
      (p = 1.9 . 10-12), milk (p = 1.8 . 10-4) and grain products (p = 0.01). MCA
      revealed that all questions fall into three groups with a different composition
      for Samogitians and Highlanders. We failed to demonstrate the impact of different
      nutritional habits on the body mass index. CONCLUSIONS: According to the
      univariate and multivariate analysis, the nutritional habits of Lithuanian
      ethnolinguistic regions are heterogeneous. Dependency on an ethnolinguistic
      region might be considered an important factor for the preparation of appropriate
      health and nutrition education and disease prevention programmes. The issue of
      excess weight remains equally important for both ethnolinguistic groups.

PMID- 28356794
TI  - Identification of genetic causes of congenital neurodevelopmental disorders using
      genome wide molecular technologies.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Intellectual disability affects about 1-2% of the general population
      worldwide, and this is the leading socio-economic problem of health care. The
      evaluation of the genetic causes of intellectual disability is challenging
      because these conditions are genetically heterogeneous with many different
      genetic alterations resulting in clinically indistinguishable phenotypes. Genome
      wide molecular technologies are effective in a research setting for establishing
      the new genetic basis of a disease. We describe the first Lithuanian experience
      in genome-wide CNV detection and whole exome sequencing, presenting the results
      obtained in the research project UNIGENE. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The patients
      with developmental delay/intellectual disability have been investigated (n = 66).
      Diagnostic screening was performed using array-CGH technology. FISH and real time
      PCR were used for the confirmation of gene-dose imbalances and investigation of
      parental samples. Whole exome sequencing using the next generation high
      throughput NGS technique was used to sequence the samples of 12 selected
      families. RESULTS: 14 out of 66 patients had pathogenic copy number variants, and
      one patient had novel likely pathogenic aberration (microdeletion at 4p15.2).
      Twelve families have been processed for whole exome sequencing. Two identified
      sequence variants could be classified as pathogenic (in MECP2, CREBBP genes). The
      other families had several candidate intellectual disability gene variants that
      are of unclear clinical significance and must be further investigated for
      possible effect on the molecular pathways of intellectual disability.
      CONCLUSIONS: The genetic heterogeneity of intellectual disability requires genome
      wide approaches, including detection of chromosomal aberrations by chromosomal
      microarrays and whole exome sequencing capable of uncovering single gene
      mutations. This study demonstrates the benefits and challenges that accompany the
      use of genome wide molecular technologies and provides genotype-phenotype
      information on 32 patients with chromosomal imbalances and ID candidate sequence
      variants.

PMID- 28356795
TI  - Hypoplastic left heart syndrome: a review.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Hypoplastic left heart syndrome (HLHS) is an etiologically
      multifactorial congenital heart disease affecting one in 5,000 newborns. Thirty
      years ago there were no treatment options for this pathology and the natural
      course of the disease led to death, usually within the first weeks of life.
      Recently surgical palliative techniques have been developed allowing for a five
      year survival in more than half the cases. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We reviewed
      literature available on HLHS, specifically its anatomy, embryology and
      pathophysiology, and treatment. The Pubmed and ClinicalKey databases were
      searched using the key words hypoplastic left heart syndrome, foetal aortic
      valvuloplasty, foetal septoplasty, Norwood procedure, bidirectional Glenn
      procedure, Fontan procedure, hybrid procedure. The relevant literature was
      reviewed and included in the article. We reported a case from Children's Clinical
      University Hospital, Riga, to illustrate treatment tactics in Latvia. RESULTS:
      There are three possible directions for therapy in newborns with HLHS: orthotopic
      heart transplantation, staged surgical palliation and palliative non-surgical
      treatment or comfort care. Another treatment mode - foetal therapy - has arisen.
      Staged palliation and full Fontan circulation is a temporary solution, however,
      the only means for survival until heart transplantation. Fifty to 70% of patients
      who have gone through all three stages of palliation live to the age of five
      years. CONCLUSIONS: The superior mode of treatment is not yet clear and the
      management must be based on each individual case, the experience of each clinic,
      as well as the financial aspects and will of the patient's parents.

PMID- 28356798
TI  - Trends in maternal health in Lithuania 1995-2014.
AB  - BACKGROUND: The Lithuanian Perinatology Program, orders issued by the Ministry of
      Health, regulating the care and treatment of mothers and their infants, and the
      well-running perinatal care system helped to improve the diagnostics and
      treatment of pregnancy pathology. Over the last 20 years, Lithuania has
      experienced significant improvements in the maternal and perinatal health.
      MATERIALS AND METHODS: Data was collected from the official statistics database,
      Medical Data of Births, provided by the Institute of Hygiene Health Information
      Centre, Vilnius University Faculty of Medicine, and the Vilnius University Centre
      of Neonatology in 1995-2014. RESULTS: The average maternal age at delivery ranged
      from 25.8 years in 1995 to 28.8 years in 2014. The comparison of 2001 and 2014
      data shows that the incidence of gestational diabetes increased by 6.7 times due
      to the improved diagnosis. The percentage of hypertensive disorders decreased
      from 6.1% in 1997 to 3.2% in 2014. Between 1995 and 2014, the prevalence of
      anemia among pregnant women declined by half. The marked decrease in respiratory,
      urinary, genital and other diseases was observed among pregnant women. From 1995
      to 2014, in Lithuania there were 67 maternal deaths related to pregnancy and
      childbirth. Hemorrhage and infections during pregnancy, delivery and the
      postpartum period are considered the most common causes of maternal death.

PMID- 28356796
TI  - Preoperative risk factors of malnutrition for cardiac surgery patients.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Malnutrition (MN) is prevalent in cardiac surgery, but there are no
      specific preoperative risk factors of MN. The aim of this study is to assess the
      clinically relevant risk factors of MN for cardiac surgery patients. MATERIALS
      AND METHODS: The nutritional state of the patients was evaluated one day prior to
      surgery using a bioelectrical impedance analysis phase angle (PA). Two groups of
      patients were generated according to low PA: malnourished and well nourished.
      Risk factors of MN were divided into three clinically relevant groups:
      psychosocial and lifestyle factors, laboratory findings and disease-associated
      factors. Variables in each different group were entered into separate
      multivariate logistic regression models. RESULTS: A total of 712 patients were
      included in the study. The majority of them were 65-year old men after a CABG
      procedure. Low PA was present in 22.9% (163) of patients. The analysis of disease
      related factors of MN revealed the importance of heart functions (NYHA IV class
      OR: 3.073, CI95%: 1.416-6.668, p = 0.007), valve pathology (OR: 1.825, CI95%:
      1.182-2.819, p = 0.007), renal insufficiency (OR: 4.091, CI95%: 1.995-8.389, p <
      0.001) and body mass index (OR: 0.928, CI95%: 0.890-0.968, p < 0.001). Laboratory
      values related to MN were levels of haemoglobin (OR: 0.967, CI95%: 0.951-0.983, p
      < 0.001) and C-reactive protein (OR: 1.015, CI95%: 1.002-1.028, p = 0.0279). The
      lifestyle variables that qualified as risk factors concerned the intake of food
      (OR: 3.030, CI95%: 1.353-6.757, p = 0.007) and mobility (OR: 2.770, CI95%: 1.067
      7.194, p = 0.036). CONCLUSIONS: MN risk factors comprise three different clinical
      groups: psychosocial and lifestyle factors, laboratory findings and disease
      associated factors. The patients who are most likely to be malnourished are those
      with valve pathology, severe imparted heart function, insufficient renal function
      and high inflammatory markers. Also these patients have decreased mobility and
      food intake.

PMID- 28356797
TI  - Successful treatment of advanced stage yolk sac tumour of extragonadal origin: a
      case report and review of literature.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Yolk sac tumour diagnosis should be considered for young age patients
      admitted to the hospital with non-specific complaints of widespread disease.
      Correct diagnosis and carefully planned treatment is the key to a successful
      outcome. METHODS AND MATERIALS: We present a rare case of a widespread yolk sack
      tumour of a uterine broad ligament. Our team directed a special attention towards
      the patient's young age, advanced disease, and fertility sparing strategy of
      treatment. RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONS: Stage IV yolk sac tumours of extragonadal
      origin are rarely reported in the literature. Hence, diagnosis and treatment
      often pose a challenge for emergency care unit doctors, gynaecologists, and
      oncologists. However, it can be a potentially curable disease. Moreover,
      patients' fertility can also be preserved. We believe that further analysis of
      similar cases is necessary to study outcomes and evaluate patients' responses to
      a sequence of medical decisions taken for this specific case.

PMID- 28356800
TI  - Inappropriate habits of antibiotic use among medical specialists and students in
      Vilnius.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: The resistance to antibacterial drugs is an emerging worldwide
      problem. Numbers of inappropriate ways to use antibiotics contribute to this
      issue. Self-medication is one of them. This study seeks to find out how prevalent
      the self-medication with antibiotics, their storage at home and the inappropriate
      acquisition of antibacterial drugs are among medical specialists in Vilnius,
      Lithuania. METHODS: A cross-sectional survey was conducted. To better identify
      the potential target groups, the respondents were classified according to their
      relation to medical care: physicians, other medical personnel, medical students
      and people, directly not related to medical care. RESULTS: The overall actual
      self-medication with antibiotics rate was 4.0%. And, although the actual self
      medication rate might seem rather low, the intended self-medication rate was
      51.4%. Also, a prevalent antibacterial drugs storage at home (45.8%) with a wide
      variety of preparations was reported. Only 61.9% respondents received
      prescriptions for antibiotics from their treating physician. 7.6% used the non
      prescribed medicines and 22.0% received a prescription from a physician, who was
      either their colleague or a familiar person. CONCLUSIONS: Inappropriate habits of
      antibiotic use are prevalent. While there were some differences between the
      research groups, most of them were not statistically significant. It means that
      measures should be taken targeting health care givers as well as the general
      population. Educational programs about the rational use of antibiotics may help
      reducing the improper habits of antibacterial drugs usage, including self
      medication. Encouraging the electronic drug prescription may be beneficial while
      reducing the prevalent inappropriate acquisition of antibiotics.

PMID- 28356799
TI  - Quality of diabetes care at the largest outpatient clinics in Vilnius.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Essential data on the quality of diabetes care needed for the
      development of National Diabetes Programme in Lithuania are lacking. The aim of
      the study was to assess the quality of diabetes care compared to the local
      guidelines in Vilnius, Lithuania. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Retrospective data
      collection covering the period from 2012 to 2013 was performed in 5 Vilnius
      outpatient clinics assessing process and outcome indicators in type 1 (T1DM) and
      type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) subjects. RESULTS: In a sample of 1,719 patients
      (58.9% women, 92.6% T2DM) the annual HbA1c assessment rate was 88.6%. Glycaemic
      control was significantly better in T2DM compared to T1DM patients: average HbA1c
      was 7.0 +/- 1.4% vs 9.1 +/- 1.8% and HbA1c <= 7% in 59 vs 9.4%, respectively (p <
      0.001); referrals to an endocrinologist were recommended in 56.3% of cases.
      Annual screening for diabetic foot, retinopathy, nephropathy, renal function and
      lipids was performed in 4.6, 24.4, 2.3, 29.3 and 13.2% of patients, respectively,
      with higher performance rate of retinal screening and urinary microalbumin in
      T1DM; BMI and blood pressure were recorded for 50.2 and 97.2% of patients,
      respectively. Prevalence of nephropathy, polyneuropathy, retinopathy, and
      angiopathy was 8.4, 36.2, 10.7 and 7.7%, respectively, with the higher prevalence
      in T1DM. CONCLUSIONS: The analysis revealed good glycaemic control in T2DM, but
      insufficient in T1DM. Continuous monitoring of diabetes complications and
      cardiovascular risk factors did not meet the local Diabetes Care Guidelines.

PMID- 28356801
TI  - Fatal pulmonary complication during induction therapy in a patient with ANCA
      associated vasculitis.
AB  - ANCA-associated vasculitis (AAV) is an inflammatory systemic disorder affecting
      small to medium sized vessels and likely leading to any organ dysfunction.
      Adequate treatment is important to avoid mortality or severe organ damage. In
      most cases initial treatment (induction therapy) allows to achieve remission.
      Induction therapy leads to immunosuppression and may cause severe infections.
      However, in vasculitis patients even an intensive immunosuppressive therapy is
      rarely complicated by an invasive fungal infection. We present a case in a 29
      year old male patient with newly diagnosed AAV. He suffered a fatal pulmonary
      complication of the induction immunosuppressive treatment. Pathological
      (infectious) changes in the lungs were misinterpreted as progression of the
      vasculitis and he died due to disseminated angioinvasive aspergillosis. A
      clinical course, imaging and histopathology of this case are described and
      discussed.

PMID- 28356802
TI  - ?
AB  - ECTOPIC HETEROTOPIC PANCREAS IN THE MESENTERY OF THE JEJUNUM CASE REPORT AND
      LITERATURE REVIEW: Ectopic pancreas is a rare congenital disorder characterized
      by the presence of the normal pancreatic tissue located outside the pancreas. The
      heterotopic pancreatic tissue in the mesentery of the jejunum is an entity that
      is seen very rarely. It is often found incidentally at different sites in the
      gastrointestinal (GI) tract. Although it is usually a silent anomaly, an ectopic
      pancreas may become clinically evident when complicated by inflammation,
      bleeding, obstruction or malignant transformation. However, the development of
      clinical symptoms depends on the size, location, and pathological changes similar
      to those observed in the case of the normal pancreas. Surgery is not indicated
      unless complications occur, so diagnosis is very important for prevention of
      unnecessary surgery. We present a case that had the ectopic pancreatic tissue in
      the mesentery of the jejunum. We show the computed tomography imaging findings of
      this patient. The presented case report demonstrated that heterotopic pancreas
      should always be considered in the differential diagnosis of gastric tumours.
      Keywords: ectopic heterotopic pancreas, jejunum, mesentery.

PMID- 28356803
TI  - Superior mesenteric artery syndrome.
AB  - BACKGROUND: An obstruction of the distal part of the duodenum can occur because
      of the superior mesenteric artery syndrome (SMAS) after a surgical correction of
      scoliosis. It is essential to evaluate the risk factors and diagnose the SMAS in
      time because complications of this condition are life-threatening and it is
      associated with a high rate of morbidity. Diagnostics of the SMAS is challenging,
      because it is rare and its symptoms are non-specific. Therefore, in order to
      better understand the essence of this pathology and to make diagnosis easier we
      present a rare clinical case of the superior mesenteric artery syndrome after a
      surgical correction of neuromuscular scoliosis. THE CLINICAL CASE: A 12-year-old
      girl with a specific development disorder, sensory neuropathy and progressive
      kypho-scoliosis was admitted to Vilnius University Children's Hospital. The
      patient had right side 50-degree thoracic scoliosis and an 80-degree thoracic
      kyphosis. She underwent posterior spinal fusion with hooks and screws from Th1 to
      L2. On the fourth day after the surgery the patient developed nausea and began to
      vomit each day 1-2 times per day, especially after meals. The SMAS was suspected
      and a nasogastric tube was inserted, stomach decompression and the correction of
      electrolytes disbalance were made. After the treatment, the symptoms did not
      recur and a satisfactory correction and balance of the spine were made in coronal
      and sagittal planes. CONCLUSIONS: It is extremely important to identify the risk
      factors of the SMAS and begin preoperative diet supplements before surgical
      correction of scoliosis for patients with a low body mass index. After the first
      episode of vomiting following the surgery, we recommend to investigate these
      patients for a gastrointestinal obstruction as soon as possible. Decompression of
      the stomach, enteral or parenteral nutrition, and fluid therapy are essential in
      treating the SMAS.

PMID- 28356804
TI  - Aorto-duodenal fistula: a rare but serious complication of gastrointestinal
      hemorrhage. A case report.
AB  - A primary aortoduodenal fistula (PADF) is a rare cause of gastrointestinal
      bleeding that is difficult to diagnose (and sometimes not diagnosed until a
      laparotomy.) A PADF is associated with high mortality if undiagnosed and
      untreated (the mortality rate of nearly 100% in the absence of a surgical
      intervention). While this condition is extremely rare with an incidence rate at
      autopsy of 0.04% to 0.07%, a secondary ADF occurs much more commonly (the post
      operative incidence of 0.5% to 2.3%) and is due to prior aortic surgery and/or
      the placement of a synthetic aortic graft. It should be considered in any elderly
      patient who presents with upper gastrointestinal bleeding in the context of a
      known abdominal aortic aneurysm or without it when no identifiable source of
      bleeding is found. We present an autopsy case of a 59-year-old man with no
      history of an abdominal aortic aneurysm who presented with intermittent massive
      gastrointestinal bleeding. The autopsy revealed a pinhole fistula. It was
      identified between an atherosclerotic abdominal aortic aneurysm and the lower
      horizontal part of the duodenum. Our case indicates that the aortoenteric fistula
      can result in fatal gastrointestinal bleeding. This case is unique in that the
      fistula formed as a result of a complex atherosclerotic abdominal aorta and a
      localized necrotizing granulomatous aortitis the etiology of which was not clear.

PMID- 28356805
TI  - Successful management of gastropulmonary fistula due to invasive fungal infection
      after chemotherapy and autologous stem cell transplantation: a case report.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Invasive fungal infections (IFI) contribute significantly to
      mortality and morbidity in patients receiving myelosuppressive chemotherapy for
      hematologic malignancies. Acquired gastropulmonary fistula is a rare complication
      of IFI. MATERIAL AND METHODS: We present a case history of a patient with
      malignant myeloma. She was treated with autologous stem cell transplantation and
      chemotherapy for three years. She had been treated with antifungal agents as
      well. Following a specific treatment, she developed an invasive fungal infection
      (IFI) of the left lung which had been complicated with left gastropulmonary
      fistula. The patient's general condition was deteriorating, so it was decided to
      perform a surgical intervention. At the first procedure, open-window thoracostomy
      was created in order to facilitate treatment by daily packing of the cavity. Four
      weeks after the thoracostomy, a thoracomyoplasty was performed to repair a
      gastropleural fistula. During the laparotomy, the gastric fundus was freed from
      adjacent tissues and repaired. Intrathoracic transposition of the latissimus
      dorsi and anterior serratus muscle flaps was performed simultaneously to create a
      new diaphragm. The open-window thoracostomy was left open due to some small
      bronchial fistulas. The thoracostomy opening healed spontaneously during the
      following six months. CONCLUSION: We report what is, to the best of our
      knowledge, the first case of an invasive fungal infection (Geotrichum capitatum)
      successfully treated with intravenous amphotericin B, voriconazole, and surgery
      on infected soft tissues (organs) for a patient with multiple myeloma in
      prolonged neutropenia. The efficacy and safety of the surgery for infected soft
      tissues requires further evaluation.

PMID- 28356806
TI  - Mental hygiene movement as a (r)evolutionary trend in public health in interwar
      Kaunas and Vilnius from 1918 to 1939.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: The health care system of the interwar period is distinguished by its
      revolutionary attempts to overcome social diseases and social hardships in
      general. In the researches published after the Second World War, different and in
      some cases even contradicting ideas on mental hygiene and eugenics were mixed
      together and were associated - almost exclusively - with the Nazi's racist
      ideology, totalitarian, or authoritarian regimes. The assessments of social
      medical policy of the interwar period in the Baltic region also became rather one
      sided. Felder's recent study (1) gives the impression that changes in psychiatry
      in Lithuania were caused by the Nazi's eugenics as a single agent. However, there
      were other factors. One of the most significant ones was the mental hygiene
      movement that will be discussed in this paper. METHODS: In this research we used
      descriptive and comparative methods. RESULTS: After the First World War, the
      problem of treatment of the mentally ill was a medical and a social issue that
      required a completely new approach both in Lithuania and in Vilnius. The most
      notable manifestation of such a new attitude in psychiatry was a mental hygiene
      movement. University scientists in Vilnius and Kaunas were discussing issues of
      mental hygiene. CONCLUSIONS: The mental hygiene movement of the early 20th
      century played an important role in the later development in psychiatry and
      medical sciences. The ideas published by the medical doctors in Kaunas and
      Vilnius were partly characteristic of the interwar period, although some of them
      went far ahead of their times.

PMID- 28356808
TI  - The Impact of Event Scale - Revised: psychometric properties of the Lithuanian
      version in a sample of employees exposed to workplace bullying.
AB  - BACKGROUND: The Impact of Event Scale-Revised (IES-R) is often used as a self
      report instrument for symptoms of post-traumatic stress (PTS). The objective of
      this study was to explore the reliability and validity of the Lithuanian IES-R in
      a sample of employees with exposure to workplace bullying in different
      occupations. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The original IES-R was translated into
      Lithuanian, and the comparability of content was verified through back
      translation procedures. 294 employees with exposure to workplace bullying (52
      teachers from the secondary schools of Kaunas, 56 family physicians, 101 nurses
      of internal medicine departments, 40 waiters, and 45 seafarers) were administered
      the Lithuanian IES-R and the General Health Questionnaire - 12 (GHQ-12) in order
      to verify some aspects of convergent validity. The exploratory factor analysis
      was used to verify the construct validity of the IES-R. RESULTS: The reliability
      of the Lithuanian version of the IES-R was verified. Cronbach's alpha of the
      total scale was 0.95. Exploratory factor analysis showed a clear factor structure
      with three independent dimensions: intrusion, avoidance and hyperarousal.
      Cronbach's alpha for subscales of intrusion, avoidance and hyperarousal were
      0.89, 0.85, and 0.88, respectively. The convergent validity was supported by
      positive correlations between the subscales (intrusion, avoidance, hyperarousal)
      and the GHQ-12. CONCLUSIONS: The results suggest that the self-reported
      Lithuanian IES-R is a valid instrument for assessing the dimensions of post
      traumatic stress, has good psychometric properties, and may be applied in
      prolonged trauma-exposed populations.

PMID- 28356807
TI  - Increasing attendance in a cervical cancer screening programme by personal
      invitation: experience of a Lithuanian primary health care centre.
AB  - BACKGROUND: High participation rates are an essential component of an effective
      screening programme and many approaches were introduced as being successful for
      enhancing compliance to screening guidelines. The aim of this study was to
      evaluate to which extent a personal invitation by mail increases the rate of
      attendance in a cervical cancer screening programme in a primary health care
      centre. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The study was carried out as a pilot project to
      gain insight into feasibility of applying a well-known compliance increasing
      measure in Lithuanian population. The study included a sample of women registered
      at the primary health care centre in Panevezys who had not participated in the
      cervical cancer screening programme for six and more years. Personal registered
      invitation letters to attend the primary health care centre for a Pap smear were
      sent out to 1789 women by mail. RESULTS: In total, 2195 women were tested during
      2011 at the primary health care centre. 487 (22.2%) of them attended the
      screening programme after receiving a personal invitation letter. Response rate
      for attending screening after receiving a personal invitation letter was 27.3%.
      CONCLUSIONS: Our study demonstrated that personal invitation letters addressed to
      long-term non-attendees could markedly increase participation in cervical cancer
      screening in Lithuania.

PMID- 28356809
TI  - A series of cases of rhabdomyolysis after ingestion of Tricholoma equestre.
AB  - Tricholoma equestre (hereinafter - T. equestre) is a common edible fungus that is
      considered to be toxic under certain conditions. Here, we report four cases of
      acute poisoning caused by T. equestre, including one lethal outcome in Lithuania
      between 2004 and 2013. In the severe case, fatigue, nausea without vomiting and
      muscle pain, profuse sweating without fever, and respiratory insufficiency
      occurred. Laboratory tests showed an elevation of creatine kinase (CK), aspartate
      aminotransferase (AST), and alanine aminotransferase (ALT). Although clinical
      findings and laboratory tests support evidence of rhabdomyolysis, no renal
      insufficiency was observed. Significance of T. equestre in cardiac changes is
      feasible but remains unclear.

PMID- 28356810
TI  - Perinatal injury of the central nervous system in Lithuania from 1997 to 2014.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Perinatal CNS injuries are significant for the health of neonates and
      for child development at a later period. The aim of this study was to evaluate
      the dynamics of the frequency of perinatal CNS lesions (corresponding to ICD 10
      code P91) over a 20-year period, using the data collected from the Lithuanian
      Medical Data of Births (Registry of Births). MATERIAL AND METHODS: In total, data
      of 559,164 newborns were analyzed. RESULTS: During the period from 1997 to 2014,
      the frequency of term newborns with perinatal CNS injury decreased almost two
      times, from 20.4/1000 live births in 1997 to 15.5/1000 live births in 2014, or
      from 3.12% (95% CI 2.95; 3.31) to 1.46% (95% CI 1.32; 1.61). In 18 years, the
      rate of infant mortality from perinatal CNS injury decreased by more than four
      times and in 2014 it was 0.3/1000 births; it accounts for 11% of neonatal
      mortality (2.6/1000 live births). The largest decrease of CNS injury was seen
      after a caesarean birth (from 13.7% in 1999 to 1.7% in 2014) and breech delivery
      (from 9.7% in 1999 to 0.8% in 2014). Analysis of the dynamics of perinatal CNS
      injury in preterm births in selected groups did not identify a significant
      positive shift during the period. When evaluating the level of childbirth
      services in different-level maternity hospitals, CNS injury is undoubtedly
      diminished in 2B-level maternity hospitals (regional). Also, positive dynamics
      was observed in the data of 2A-level maternity hospitals, while in 3-level
      maternity hospitals (university hospitals), which deal with the most complicated
      obstetrical pathology and preterm newborns, positive dynamics was not observed.
      It is estimated that the frequency of hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy was
      0.63/1000 live births in Lithuania in 1993. CONCLUSIONS: The frequency of
      perinatal CNS injury and its positive dynamics in over 18 years shows a
      progressive and scientifically-based perinatal health care organization in
      Lithuania.

PMID- 28356811
TI  - ?
AB  - A COMPARATIVE STUDY OF BREAST VOLUME BODY SIZE AND PASSIVE BODY MASS IN PREGNANT
      AND YOUNG NULLIPAROUS WOMEN: The aim. To compare the relation between the changes
      in the body and breast size in pregnant and young nulliparous women. Materials
      and methods. In 2008-2009, 82 young nulliparous nineteen-year-old women were
      examined in Siauliai (Study I). Their body mass and breast size data were
      compared with the findings obtained from the examination of pregnant women during
      their first trimester in Vilnius from 2013 to 2015 (Study II). These findings
      involved longitudinal and transverse dimensions, the volume of various parts of
      the body, skin folds, breast dimensions, waist, hips, body mass indices, breast
      volume, and passive body mass. Both studies used standard anthropometric
      techniques and Martin instruments. The breast volume was calculated according to
      the formula of Kramer and Dexler (1981). The percentage of the passive body mass
      (fat tissue) were determined from the skin folds and the subcutaneous adipose
      tissue according to the formulae of Wilmore and Behnke (1970), and of Siri
      (1961). The differences between the groups were assessed by Student's t test. The
      selected reliability level was p < 0.05. Results. The following indicators were
      found to be statistically significantly higher in the group of pregnant women:
      chest, waist, hips, breast volume and the waist-hip index. The adipose tissue in
      pregnant women increased in the upper part of the body, although the relative and
      absolute passive body weight between the groups differed insignificantly. a
      comparison of the measurements of primiparous and multiparous young women with
      the measurements of the nulliparous subjects shows that the multiparous women had
      a larger amount of fat tissue, while in primiparous and young nulliparous women
      these indicators were not significantly different. Body size indices of the
      subgroups of pregnant women with small, medium, and large breasts were higher
      than those of the young nulliparous with similar measurements. The body size of
      lean women (below 25 percentile) was higher than that of young nulliparous women
      in the group of pregnant women. Differences in the body size indices of medium
      obese women (between 25 and 75 percentiles) were similar to the indicators of
      medium-sized female breasts in the group of pregnant women. The differences found
      in obese women (above 75 percentile) were similar to the indices recorded in the
      women of medium obesity. Conclusions. The passive body mass of pregnant women was
      accumulating in the upper part of the body. The body mass index in pregnant women
      was higher than that in nulliparous young women. Over the course of time (the age
      difference between the studied groups was ~10 years), the female body increases,
      the topography of the distribution of the adipose tissue changes. Pregnant
      women's breast volume was significantly higher than that of young nulliparous
      women. This phenomenon can be explained by pregnant women's higher passive body
      mass and older age. Keywords: anthropometry, passive body mass, pregnancy,
      breasts.

PMID- 28356812
TI  - Antenatal diagnostic aspects of placenta percreta and its influence on the
      perinatal outcome: a clinical case and literature review.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Placenta percreta is a very rare, but extremely life-threatening
      obstetrical pathology for the mother and the child, especially in the cases when
      it is not diagnosed before the birth and when it results in massive bleeding and
      a dramatic deterioration of condition. It is extremely important to diagnose this
      pathology as early as possible and plan further optimal care of patients in order
      to minimize life-threatening complications. CASE REPORT: The paper presents an
      illustrated clinical case of placenta percreta determined before the birth.
      Features of visual diagnostics are discussed. A 32-year-old pregnant woman with a
      history of two caesarean deliveries arrived at the tertiary level hospital at 22
      weeks of gestation due to abdomen pain. Placenta previa was diagnosed and
      ultrasound, magnetic resonance imaging suggesting placenta percreta were seen. On
      the 32nd week, the planned caesarean hysterectomy was performed. The balloon
      catheters to occlude the internal iliac arteries and minimize bleeding during the
      surgery were used. CONCLUSIONS: Antenatal diagnosis of placenta percreta is
      especially important. Methods of visual diagnostics are complementary. The
      optimal surgical approach during caesarean hysterectomy remains controversial. In
      the case of the slow oozing without a clearly identified source of bleeding after
      hysterectomy and internal iliac arteries balloons deflation, ligation of one of
      the internal iliac arteriescan be reasonable to avoid residual haemorrhage and
      relaparotomy.

PMID- 28356813
TI  - Laparoscopic repair of the uterine scar defect - successful treatment of
      secondary infertility: a case report and literature review.
AB  - BACKGROUND: The aim of this paper is to present a clinical case of laparoscopic
      repair of a uterine scar defect, to assess the effectiveness of treatment
      reviewing the latest literature sources, and to provide recommendations of
      uterine scar defect management. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We report the case of a 33
      year-old woman with an insufficient uterine scar and one-year history of
      secondary infertility. Following this, she underwent corrective laparoscopic
      repair, successfully got pregnant two months later and carried pregnancy to full
      term. We discuss the prevalence of caesarean scar defects, their clinical
      symptoms, diagnostic methods, various treatment techniques, and their outcomes.
      RESULTS AND CONCLUSION: Caesarean scar defects, insufficient uterine scars,
      isthmocele or scar dehiscence following a caesarean section involve myometrial
      discontinuity at the site of a scar previous caesarean section. These anatomical
      defects associated with prolonged menstrual bleeding, chronic pelvic pain,
      dysmenorrhea, dyspareunia and secondary infertility. Laparoscopic repair of the
      uterine scar defect is an effective method of treatment of secondary infertility.
      Patients with a previous history of caesarean section who present complaints of
      secondary infertility, need a detailed evaluation of the uterine scar before
      planning future pregnancies.

PMID- 28356814
TI  - Chronobiological types, duration of sleeping and psycho-emotional condition of
      teenagers.
AB  - Sleep is a biological process that operates according to day and night cycles.
      This self-regulatory system is universal in all organisms, including humans and
      mammals. For this reason, the topic is widely analysed in the existing
      literature; however, no studies about chronobiological types of teenagers have
      been conducted in Lithuania before. 253 schoolchildren, 13 to 18 years of age,
      were surveyed in schools of Vilnius and Panevezys, Lithuania. Responses were
      gathered during the period from September 2013 to February 2014. The survey
      consists of four parts: demographical data, Morningness-Eveningness
      Questionnaire, PedsQL 4.0 survey of life quality, and HADS - Hospital Anxiety and
      Depression Survey. In total, 115 (45.5%) boys and 138 (54.5%) girls participated
      in the survey. On average, boys sleep 7.10 (+/-1.27) hours, compared to 6.79 (+/
      1.20) (p = 0.05) hours for girls. 94 (37.2%) survey participants feel sleepy
      and/or very sleepy at school. 133 (52.6%) respondents find it difficult/very
      difficult to wake up in the morning. 218 (86.2%) respondents use the computer
      before going to sleep: 96 (83.5%) boys and 122 (88.4%) girls. Based on a
      subjective evaluation, 187 (73.9%) respondents categorize themselves as the
      evening type and 66 (26.1%) as the morning type. 13 (5.1%) respondents exhibit
      symptoms of depression. The majority of the respondents categorize themselves as
      evening/middle chronotypes. The average duration of sleep is 6.93 (+/-1.24)
      hours. 86.2% of the respondents use the computer before going to sleep. Half of
      the children may have difficulties waking up in the morning. One out of three
      children feels sleepy at school.

PMID- 28356816
TI  - Pediatric Laboratory Medicine: Some Aspects of Obesity, Metabolic Syndrome,
      Neonatal Screening, Reference and Critical Values.

PMID- 28356815
TI  - A higher-level classification of the Pannonian and western Pontic steppe
      grasslands (Central and Eastern Europe).
AB  - QUESTIONS: What are the main floristic patterns in the Pannonian and western
      Pontic steppe grasslands? What are the diagnostic species of the major
      subdivisions of the class Festuco-Brometea (temperate Euro-Siberian dry and semi
      dry grasslands)? LOCATION: Carpathian Basin (E Austria, SE Czech Republic,
      Slovakia, Hungary, Romania, Slovenia, N Croatia and N Serbia), Ukraine, S Poland
      and the Bryansk region of W Russia. METHODS: We applied a geographically
      stratified resampling to a large set of releves containing at least one indicator
      species of steppe grasslands. The resulting data set of 17 993 releves was
      classified using the TWINSPAN algorithm. We identified groups of clusters that
      corresponded to the class Festuco-Brometea. After excluding releves not belonging
      to our target class, we applied a consensus of three fidelity measures, also
      taking into account external knowledge, to establish the diagnostic species of
      the orders of the class. The original TWINSPAN divisions were revised on the
      basis of these diagnostic species. RESULTS: The TWINSPAN classification revealed
      soil moisture as the most important environmental factor. Eight out of 16
      TWINSPAN groups corresponded to Festuco-Brometea. A total of 80, 32 and 58
      species were accepted as diagnostic for the orders Brometalia erecti,
      Festucetalia valesiacae and Stipo-Festucetalia pallentis, respectively. In the
      further subdivision of the orders, soil conditions, geographic distribution and
      altitude could be identified as factors driving the major floristic patterns.
      CONCLUSIONS: We propose the following classification of the Festuco-Brometea in
      our study area: (1) Brometalia erecti (semi-dry grasslands) with Scabioso
      ochroleucae-Poion angustifoliae (steppe meadows of the forest zone of E Europe)
      and Cirsio-Brachypodion pinnati (meadow steppes on deep soils in the forest
      steppe zone of E Central and E Europe); (2) Festucetalia valesiacae (grass
      steppes) with Festucion valesiacae (grass steppes on less developed soils in the
      forest-steppe zone of E Central and E Europe) and Stipion lessingianae (grass
      steppes in the steppe zone); (3) Stipo-Festucetalia pallentis (rocky steppes)
      with Asplenio septentrionalis-Festucion pallentis (rocky steppes on siliceous and
      intermediate soils), Bromo-Festucion pallentis (thermophilous rocky steppes on
      calcareous soils), Diantho-Seslerion (dealpine Sesleria caerulea grasslands of
      the Western Carpathians) and Seslerion rigidae (dealpine Sesleria rigida
      grasslands of the Romanian Carpathians).

PMID- 28356818
TI  - Epidemiology and Natural History of NAFLD.
AB  - Paralleling the growing prevalence of obesity and metabolic syndrome,
      nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is emerging as the most frequent
      hepatopathy in adults and children. The true prevalence of pediatric NAFLD is
      still unknown, because of the heterogeneity of diagnostic methods used for
      diagnosis in the available studies and the different characteristics of the
      populations evaluated. Pediatric NAFLD is typically of primary origin and it is
      strongly associated with several features of the metabolic syndrome. Age, gender
      and race/ethnicity are significant determinants of risk, and sex hormones,
      insulin sensitivity and adipocytokines are implicated in the pathogenesis of
      pediatric NAFLD. The natural history of NAFLD in children is still poorly
      understood, because of its complex nature and the scarcity of prospective
      studies, especially in pediatric populations. Both genetic and environmental
      factors seem to be implicated in the development and progression of the disease
      via multiple mechanisms that involve liver crosstalk with other organs and
      tissues, especially gut and adipose tissue. To evaluate and effectively treat
      pediatric NAFLD, the pathophysiology and natural history of the disease should be
      clarified and noninvasive methods for screening, diagnosis, and longitudinal
      assessment developed.

PMID- 28356819
TI  - Different Viewpoints: International Perspectives on Newborn Screening.
AB  - Newborn blood-spot screening to detect potentially treatable disorders is widely
      practiced across the globe. However, there are great variations in practice, both
      in terms of disorders covered, screening technologies, disease definition,
      information provision, parental informed consent, and storage and disposal of
      residual specimens, partly reflecting the degree to which screening is the
      subject of explicit legislation (and thus public and media pressure) or is
      embedded in a general health care system and managed at an executive level. It is
      generally accepted that disorders to be screened for should comply with the ten
      Wilson and Jungner criteria, but the way that compliance is assessed ranges from
      broadly-based opinion surveys to detailed analysis of quantitative data.
      Consequently, even countries with comparable levels of economic development and
      health care show large differences in the number of disorders screened for. There
      are several areas on which there are no generally accepted guidelines: how should
      parents be informed about screening and to what extent should they be encouraged
      to regard screening as an option to choose to refuse? Is DNA mutation analysis
      acceptable as part of a screening protocol? How soon should the blood samples be
      destroyed once screening has been completed? As technology advances and the
      potential scope of screening expands at both the metabolite and genome level,
      challenging policy issues will have to be faced.

PMID- 28356817
TI  - Pediatric Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease.
AB  - The rapidly increasing prevalence of childhood obesity and its associated co
      morbidities such as hypertriglyceridemia, hyper-insulinemia, hypertension, early
      atherosclerosis, metabolic syndrome, and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease are
      major public health concerns in many countries. Therefore the trends in child and
      adolescent obesity should be closely monitored over time, as in the near future,
      we may anticipate a major increase of young adults with the stigmata of the
      metabolic syndrome, and of the related non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD),
      that may lead to non-alcoholic steatohepatitis.

PMID- 28356820
TI  - Advances in Pediatric Reference Intervals for Biochemical Markers: Establishment
      of the Caliper Database in Healthy Children and Adolescents.
AB  - Clinical laboratory reference intervals provide valuable information to medical
      practitioners in their interpretation of quantitative laboratory test results,
      and therefore are critical in the assessment of patient health and in clinical
      decision-making. The reference interval serves as a health-associated benchmark
      with which to compare an individual test result. Unfortunately, critical gaps
      currently exist in accurate and up-to-date pediatric reference intervals for
      accurate interpretation of laboratory tests performed in children and
      adolescents. These critical gaps in the available laboratory reference intervals
      have the clear potential of contributing to erroneous diagnosis or misdiagnosis
      of many diseases. To address these important gaps, several initiatives have begun
      internationally by a number of bodies including the KiGGS initiative in Germany,
      the Aussie Normals in Australia, the AACC-National Children Study in USA, the
      NORICHILD Initiative in Scandinavia, and the CALIPER study in Canada. In the
      present article, we will review the gaps in pediatric reference intervals,
      challenges in establishing pediatric norms in healthy children and adolescents,
      and the major contributions of the CALIPER program to closing the gaps in this
      crucial area of pediatric laboratory medicine. We will also discuss the recently
      published CALIPER reference interval database (www.caliperdatabase.com) developed
      to provide comprehensive age and gender specific pediatric reference intervals
      for a larger number of biochemical markers, based on a large and diverse healthy
      children cohort. The CALIPER database is based on a multiethnic population
      examining the influence of ethnicity on laboratory reference intervals. Thus the
      database has proved to be of global benefit and is being adopted by hospital
      laboratories worldwide.

PMID- 28356821
TI  - Metabolic Setup and Risks in Obese Children.
AB  - BACKGROUND: In the past decades, the obesity epidemic in children of all ages has
      been an important research field for detecting the metabolic causes and
      consequences of obesity, the major focus being on insulin and adipocytokine
      levels. Metabolic work-up in obese children is recommended in the age group as
      young as 2-6 years. There is evidence that birth weight can be a factor causing
      obesity later in life accompanied by metabolic complications. METHODS: Insulin,
      leptin, and adiponectin levels were analyzed in 269 obese children and 60
      controls, as well as 110 newborn children with different birth weight and
      different length of gestation, using standard methods. RESULTS: In 53.6% of the
      obese children, complications of obesity such as diabetes mellitus, obesity,
      hyperlipidemia, heart attack or stroke were found in family members. The peak
      insulinemia on OGTT was significantly higher in the pubertal compared to the
      prepubertal group (110.5+/- 75.9 MUU/mL versus 72.2+/-62.7 MUU/mL) (p<0.005).
      Glucose intolerance was confirmed in 24%. The leptin level was significantly
      higher and the adiponectin level was lower in pubertal obese children compared to
      the prepubertal children and controls (p<0.05). In newborns the leptin and
      adiponectin levels were in correlation with anthropometric parameters: body
      weight (BW), body length (BL), BW/BL, BMI, and the pondered index (p<0.05).
      CONCLUSION: Obese children have high insulinemia in all ages, reaching its peak
      towards puberty. The leptin and adiponectin levels might be indicators of the
      metabolic syndrome. Our findings in newborns might influence the nutritional
      approach in the future in order to prevent complications of obesity.

PMID- 28356822
TI  - The Diagnosis of Prediabetes in Adolescents.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Prediabetes is characterized by isolated impaired fasting glucose
      (IFG), isolated impaired glucose tolerance (IGT), and combined IFG/IGT. This
      study aimed to establish the prevalence of prediabetes and examine possible
      contributory factors in a cohort of obese adolescents. METHODS: In this
      prospective study, we recruited 85 obese patients from the Obesity Clinic at the
      University Children's Hospital and 17 normal weight controls. All patients were
      of Caucasian origin, 60 males/42 females, aged 7.4-18.3 years, with at least
      Tanner 2 stage of puberty. RESULTS: Depending on criteria we used, insulin
      resistance was confirmed in 62-100% of obese patients, predominantly in the group
      with BMI SDS > 3. oGTT revealed isolated impaired fasting glucose (IFG) in 13.9%,
      impaired glucose tolerance (IGT) in 20.8% and combined IFG and IGT only in 2.8%
      of the obese patients. Patients in the prediabetes group were older (14+/-2.4 vs
      12.8+/-2.5 p=0.04) and had higher glucose levels (p<0.001) during the whole oGTT
      compared to normal glucose tolerance (NGT) group. There was no difference between
      groups in respect to family history, BMI, lipids and fasting insulin.
      Insulinogenic index, WBISI and HOMA%B were significantly lower in the prediabetes
      group compared to the NGT group (p=0.07, 0.01 and 0.04 respectively). HbA1c level
      was measured in 58% of patients and was significantly higher in the prediabetes
      group (5.4+/-0.3 vs 5.7+/-0.4, p=0.002). CONCLUSION: Prediabetes occurrence was
      fairly high in our obese adolescents. Further studies should establish what would
      be the most appropriate screening test to diagnose these patients at risk for
      type 2 diabetes and initiate treatment without delay.

PMID- 28356823
TI  - Molecular Analysis of Cystic Fibrosis Patients in Hungary - An Update to the
      Mutational Spectrum.
AB  - BACKGROUND: In this study the authors present an update to the CFTR mutation
      profile in Hungary, utilizing data from a selected cohort of 45 cystic fibrosis
      (CF) patients from different regions of the country. METHODS: Depending on the
      preceding analysis, four different mutation detection methods were used. A
      commercial assay targeting the most common CF-causing mutations was performed as
      the first test followed by an allele specific PCR for CFTRdele2,3(21kb), Sanger
      sequencing and MLPA analysis of the coding region of the CFTR gene. RESULTS: In
      our recent study 27 different mutations were detected, including 2 novel ones
      (c.1037_1038insA and c.1394C>T). Besides F508del (c.1521_1523delCTT), the
      following mutations were found at a frequency of >= 4.0%: W1282X (c.3846G>A),
      N1303K (c.3909C>G), CFTRdele2,3(21kb) (c.54-5940_273+10250del21kb) and 2184insA
      (c.2052_2053insA). In addition, four mutations (G542X, Y1092X, 621+1G>T, and
      2143delT) were found in more than one allele. CONCLUSIONS: The updated database
      of Hungarian mutations not only enables to increase the efficiency of the
      existing diagnostic approach, but also provides a further refined basis for the
      introduction of the molecular newborn screening (NBS) program in Hungary.

PMID- 28356826
TI  - Population-Based Pediatric Reference Intervals in General Clinical Chemistry: A
      Swedish Survey.
AB  - Very few high quality studies on pediatric reference intervals for general
      clinical chemistry and hematology analytes have been performed. Three recent
      prospective community-based projects utilising blood samples from healthy
      children in Sweden, Denmark and Canada have substantially improved the situation.
      The Swedish survey included 701 healthy children. Reference intervals for general
      clinical chemistry and hematology were defined.

PMID- 28356824
TI  - Direct Molecular Diagnosis of CYP21A2 Point Mutations in Macedonian and Serbian
      Patients with 21-Hydroxylase Deficiency.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Steroid 21-hydroxylase deficiency is present in 90-95% of all cases
      with congenital adrenal hyperplasia (CAH), an autosomal recessive disorder. It
      can present as the severe classical salt wasting (SW) or simple virilising (SV)
      form, or the milder, nonclassical form. Nine pseudogene-derived point mutations
      account for about 80% of all defects in the CYP21A2 gene coding the 21
      hydroxylase enzyme. METHODS: We have studied nine CYP21A2 point mutations in 61
      Macedonian and 24 Serbian patients with different clinical presentations of CAH,
      using the PCR/ACRS method. RESULTS: Six different mutations were detected in
      71.3% of alleles of the Macedonian patients. The most prevalent mutation was
      IVS2. Mutations were detected in 85.4% of the SW, 83.4% SV and 47.7% LO alleles.
      In the Macedonian patients the most common genotype was IVS2/IVS2. Five different
      mutations were detected in 64.6% of alleles of the Serbian patients. The most
      prevalent was P30L. Mutations were present in 83.3% SW, 80% SV and 50% of the LO
      alleles. In the Serbian patients, the P30L/P30L genotype was the most frequent.
      CONCLUSIONS: Specific CYP21A2 mutations are involved in different clinical forms
      of CAH. High frequency of P30L was found in both populations. Also, high
      prevalence of the mild P30L mutation was found in both the Macedonian and Serbian
      classical SV patients. Our findings support the role of the P30L mutation in
      pronounced virilisation. An unusual finding is the low frequency of V281L in the
      Macedonian non-classical patients and its absence in the ones from Serbia.

PMID- 28356825
TI  - Selective Screening for Metabolic Disorders in the Slovenian Pediatric
      Population.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Inborn errors of metabolism (IEM) are disorders with a block in the
      metabolic pathway caused by a genetic defect of a specific enzyme. Although each
      of these diseases is quite rare, as a group they account for a significant
      proportion of newborn and childhood morbidity and mortality. Early diagnosis is
      important to prevent complications or even death of the child. Selective
      screening is an important diagnostic tool for the diagnosis of IEM. METHODS: In
      Slovenia, symptomatic patients with suspected IEM are referred to the University
      Children's Hospital Ljubljana. Techniques used for selective screening are gas
      chromatography-mass spectrometry, ion exchange chromatography-post-column
      derivatization, liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry and isoelectric
      focusing. Fluorimetric method is used for enzyme activity measurement. RESULTS:
      There are 168 patients with amino and organic acidemias, 5 patients with
      disorders in fatty acids metabolism, 1 patient with a congenital disorder of
      glycosylation, 42 patients with Fabry disease (of which 37 are adult) and 20
      patients with Gaucher disease (of which 18 are adult) in the Slovenian Register
      for Rare Diseases. CONCLUSIONS: In Slovenia, management of patients with IEM is
      centralized at the University Children's Hospital, with the exception of adult
      patients with Fabry and Gaucher disease. The team work is well organized with
      close cooperation between the laboratory and pediatricians specialized in
      metabolic disorders. According to the known frequencies of IEM from the
      literature, we would expect more positive results than obtained. To evaluate
      these results, we are planning to perform a pilot study on expanded newborn
      screening.

PMID- 28356827
TI  - Effect of L-carnitine Supplementation on Circulating C-reactive Protein Levels: A
      Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.
AB  - BACKGROUND: C-reactive protein (CRP) has been proposed as a risk marker and risk
      factor of cardiovascular disease. There have been a number of clinical reports
      suggesting that supplementation with L-carnitine can modulate systemic
      inflammation and lower circulating CRP concentrations, but the results have not
      been consistent. METHODS: A comprehensive literature search in Medline, Scopus
      and Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials was performed in December 2012
      to identify clinical trials investigating the impact of oral L-carnitine
      supplementation on serum/plasma CRP concentration. A random effect method was
      used to calculate the combined effect size. RESULTS: Six studies comprising 541
      cases and 546 controls met the inclusion criteria. Meta-analysis of included
      trials revealed a significant reduction of circulating CRP concentrations in
      subjects under L-carnitine intervention compared to the control treatment. The
      calculated combined weighted mean reduction in CRP concentrations was -0.39 mg/L
      [95% CI (-0.62 - -0.16)]. This effect size estimate was found to be robust and
      remained unaffected by the removal of each single study. CONCLUSIONS: The overall
      findings of the present meta-analysis support the clinically relevant benefit of
      L-carnitine supplementation in lowering the circulating levels of CRP.

PMID- 28356828
TI  - Oxidized Low Density Lipoprotein and High Sensitive C-Reactive Protein in Non
      Diabetic, Pre-Diabetic and Diabetic Patients in the Acute Phase of the First
      Myocardial Infarction Treated by Primary Percutaneous Coronary Intervention.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Oxidized low density lipoprotein (ox-LDL) and high-sensitive C
      reactive protein (hs-CRP) are elevated in diabetes mellitus (DM) and associated
      with accelerated atherosclerosis. Little is known about their dynamics in the
      acute phase of ST segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI), especially in
      relation to the presence of DM and pre-diabetes (pre-DM). This study aimed to
      analyze time-dependent changes in ox-LDL and hs-CRP regarding the presence of pre
      DM and DM in STEMI patients treated by primary percutaneous coronary intervention
      (pPCI). METHODS: In 103 consecutive patients with the first anterior STEMI ox-LDL
      and hs-CRP were measured before pPCI, on day 2 and day 7 after pPCI. RESULTS:
      Patients were classified into: non-diabetics, pre-diabetics and diabetics. In
      each group the maximal ox-LDL concentration was found on admission, decreased on
      day 2 and reached the lowest values on day 7 (p<0.001). Diabetics had the highest
      ox-LDL concentrations compared to pre-diabetics and non-diabetics (on admission:
      p=0.028, on day 2: p=0.056, on day 7: p=0.004). hs-CRP concentration rose from
      admission, reached its peak on day 2 and decreased on day 7, in each group
      (p<0.001). Significant differences in hs-CRP concentrations were found between
      non-diabetics and pre-diabetics on admission (p=0.018) and day 2 (p=0.026). In a
      multivariate analysis DM was an independent determinant of high ox-LDL
      concentrations. Both ox-LDL and hs-CRP significantly correlated with Killip
      class, left ventricular ejection fraction, NT-proBNP and peak troponin I.
      CONCLUSIONS: In patients with the first STEMI treated by pPCI there were
      significant differences in ox-LDL and hs-CRP concentrations between non
      diabetics, pre-diabetics and diabetics. Ox-LDL and hs-CRP concentrations were
      related to heart failure parameters.

PMID- 28356829
TI  - Associations of Resistin Levels with Resistin Gene Polymorphism and Metabolic
      Syndrome in Thais.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Metabolic syndrome (MS) is a clinical constellation comprising risk
      factors associated with developing cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes.
      Resistin has been suggested as a linkage between obesity, inflammation and type 2
      diabetes. This study aimed to investigate resistin concentrations and
      hematological-biochemical parameters in MS subjects and controls, and to
      determine whether two resistin gene (RETN) polymorphisms (-420C>G & +299G>A) are
      linked to resistin levels and MS among Thais. METHODS: This case-control study
      was performed with 322 Thai volunteers: 160 MS subjects and 162 controls.
      Anthropometric parameters and hematological-biochemical variables were
      determined. The RETN -420C>G (rs1862513) and +299G>A (rs3745367) polymorphisms
      were genotyped by PCR-RFLP technique. RESULTS: The resistin levels of the MS
      group were significantly higher than those of the control group. Resistin levels
      were positively correlated with anthropometric parameters and WBC count in the MS
      group. According to RETN -420C>G polymorphism, MS subjects with the G allele
      (CG/GG) (3.9 MUg/L) had significantly higher resistin concentrations than in
      subjects with the CC genotype (2.4 MUg/L); with regard to RETN +299G>A
      polymorphism, carriers with the A allele (GA/AA) (3.8 MUg/L) had significantly
      higher resistin levels than subjects with the GG genotype (2.7 MUg/L), after
      adjusting for potential covariates. However, the RETN -420C>G and +299G>A
      polymorphisms were not found to be associated with MS, hematological-biochemical
      parameters and anthropometric variables. CONCLUSIONS: These findings suggest
      resistin levels are linked with MS and the RETN -420C>G and +299G>A polymorphisms
      have impacted the circulating resistin concentrations. However, these two RETN
      polymorphisms probably do not influence susceptibility to MS among Thais.

PMID- 28356830
TI  - Post-Effort Changes in Activity of Traditional Diagnostic Enzymatic Markers in
      Football Players' Blood.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Long-term and intensive physical effort causes metabolic and
      biochemical adaptations for both athletic and non-athletic objectives. Knowing
      the importance of aerobic training in football players, the aim of this study was
      to evaluate changes in the activity of: creatinine kinase (CK), creatine kinase
      MB (CKMB), lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), alpha-hydroxybutyrate dehydrogenase
      (HBDH), cholinesterase (ChE) and alkaline phosphatase (ALP) in response to a semi
      long distance outdoor run under aerobic conditions among both female and male
      football players. METHODS: Sixteen participants aged 21.9+/-2 years (women) and
      18.4+/-0.5 years (men), all of them voluntarily recruited football players, took
      part in an outdoor run, the women covering a distance of 7.4+/-0.3 km while men
      covered a distance of 10.7+/-1.0 km. Plasma activities of the studied enzymes
      were determined using an appropriate diagnostic assay kit. RESULTS: Our results
      indicate that total LDH activity could be a useful tool in evaluating physical
      fitness among athletes. We simultaneously established that ChE could not be a
      marker useful in assessing metabolic response to physical effort in athletes.
      Moreover, our results suggest that post-effort changes in ALP activity might be
      used to estimate early symptoms of certain vitamin deficiencies in an athlete's
      diet. CONCLUSIONS: We confirmed that the assessment of activity of selected
      traditional diagnostic enzymatic markers provides information about muscle state
      after physical effort.

PMID- 28356831
TI  - Correlation Between Glycated Hemoglobin and Homa Indices in Type 2 Diabetes
      Mellitus: Prediction of Beta-Cell Function from Glycated Hemoglobin.
AB  - BACKGROUND: The present study aimed to determine the most efficient insulin
      resistance function related to glycemic control expressed as glycated hemoglobin
      (HbA1c) in type 2 diabetes mellitus patients (T2DM). The other aim is to derive
      equations for the prediction of beta cell functions containing HbA1c as a
      parameter in addition to fasting glucose and insulin. METHODS: T2DM Patients were
      grouped according to the following: (1) degree of control (good, fair, and poor
      control) and (2) insulin resistance as observed in obtained data and significant
      differences revealed by the homeostasis model assessment (HOMA) of related
      parameters (insulin resistance = HOMA2IR, beta-cell function = HOMA%B, and
      insulin sensitivity = HOMA%S) among groups. Correlations and forecasting
      regression analysis were calculated. RESULTS: HbA1c was found to be correlated
      with insulin resistance parameters in T2DM subgroups. This correlation was also
      significantly correlated with HOMA%B and the quantitative insulin sensitivity
      check index (QUICKI) in fair and poor control groups. Regression analysis was
      used to predict the forecasting equations for HOMA%B. The best applicable
      equations were derived for healthy control (HOMA2%B=
      1.76*FBG+5.00*Insulin+4.69*HbA1c+189.84) and poor control groups (HOMA2%B=0.001*
      FBG+0.5*Insulin-8.67*HbA1c+101.96). These equations could be used to predict beta
      cell function (HOMA%B) after FBG, insulin and HbA1c values were obtained for
      healthy and poor control groups. In the good and fair control groups, the
      applicability of the HOMA model fails to yield appropriate results. CONCLUSIONS:
      Beta-cell function is correlated with QUICKI and HbA1c and could be predicted
      properly from HbA1c, insulin, and glucose in the healthy and poor control groups.
      New regression equations were established that involve HbA1c.

PMID- 28356832
TI  - Homologous Recombination Repair Polymorphisms and the Risk for Osteosarcoma.
AB  - BACKGROUND: DNA repair mechanisms are essential for maintaining genome stability,
      and genetic variability in DNA repair genes may contribute to cancer
      susceptibility. Our aim was to evaluate the influence of polymorphisms in the
      homologous recombination repair genes XRCC3, RAD51, and NBN on the risk for
      osteosarcoma. METHODS: In total, 79 osteosarcoma cases and 373 controls were
      genotyped for eight single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in XRCC3, RAD51, and
      NBN. Logistic regression was used to determine the association of these SNPs with
      risk for osteosarcoma. RESULTS: None of the investigated SNPs was associated with
      risk for osteosarcoma in the whole cohort of patients, however, in patients
      diagnosed before the age of thirty years XRCC3 rs861539 C>T and NBN rs1805794 G>C
      were associated with significantly decreased risk for osteosarcoma (P=0.047,
      OR=0.54, 95% CI=0.30-0.99 and P=0.036, OR=0.42, 95% CI=0.19-0.94, respectively).
      Moreover, in the carriers of a combination of polymorphic alleles in both SNPs
      risk for osteosarcoma was decreased even more significantly (Ptrend=0.007). The
      risk for developing osteosarcoma was the lowest in patients with no wild-type
      alleles for both SNPs (P=0.039, OR=0.31, 95% CI=0.10-0.94). CONCLUSIONS: Our
      results suggest that polymorphisms in homologous recombination repair genes might
      contribute to risk for osteosarcoma in patients diagnosed below the age of thirty
      years.

PMID- 28356833
TI  - Association of Functional Variants of Phase I and II Genes with Chronic
      Obstructive Pulmonary Disease in a Serbian Population.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a complex disorder
      characterized by increased oxidative stress. Functional genetic variants of phase
      I and II genes are implicated in oxidants-antioxidants imbalance and may be
      involved in COPD development. In this study, we aimed to investigate the role of
      cytochrome P450 (CYP), glutathione S-transferase (GST) and microsomal epoxide
      hydrolase (mEH) functional variants in the pathogenesis of COPD in a Serbian
      population. METHODS: The genotypes of 122 COPD patients and 100 controls with
      normal lung function were determined for CYP1A1 *1A/*2A, CYP2E1 *1A/*5B, GSTM1
      null, GSTT1 null GSTP1 Ile105Val, mEH Tyr113His and mEH His139Arg gene variants.
      RESULTS: Results obtained showed that GSTM1 null variant was significantly more
      represented in COPD patients than in controls (61.5% vs. 47.0%; OR=1.80;
      p=0.042). Also, a significant difference was observed for combinations of GSTM1
      null and GSTP1 105Val/(Val) (38.5% vs. 24.0%; OR=1.98; p=0.029), as well as for
      CYP1A1 *1A/*2A, GSTM1 null and mEH 113His/(His) genotypes (7.4% vs. 1.0%;
      OR=7.88; p=0.025). CONCLUSIONS: These are the first data concerning the analysis
      of the variants of phase I and II genes in the pathogenesis of COPD in a Serbian
      population. Results obtained in this study open up the possibility for thorough
      analyses of the role of genetic factors in COPD on larger cohorts. Also, they
      implicate the importance of previously described genetic associations with COPD
      in our population, as well as reveal a new one, not reported so far.

PMID- 28356835
TI  - "Treatment Resistance" Enigma Resolved by Pharmacogenomics - A Case Study of
      Clozapine Therapy in Schizophrenia.
AB  - The introduction of antipsychotic medication in the 1950s forever changed the
      outlook on the treatment of schizophrenia, although there is still a large
      proportion of patients who do not reach functional recovery. At least 30% of
      patients do not respond to clozapine, the tricyclic dibenzodiazepine with complex
      pharmacological actions, which was proven to be more effective than any other
      antipsychotic in the treatment of schizophrenia. According to most of the
      therapeutic guidelines for schizophrenia, clozapine is the third line therapy for
      patients who did not respond to other antipsychotics. Large inter-individual
      variability exists for clozapine bioavailability and plasma steady-state
      concentrations and clearance. Clozapine is metabolized by the cytochrome P450
      oxidase enzyme family (CYP450). Cytochrome P450 1A2 (CYP1A2), which is
      polymorphically expressed in humans, is the main enzyme of clozapine metabolism.
      This case report addresses the influence of CYP1A2*1F genetic polymorphism on
      clozapine metabolism, explains the primary non-response of a young patient with
      schizophrenia due to increased gene expression in homozygous genotype *1F/*1F
      (increased metabolism of clozapine) and underlies the importance of personalizing
      schizophrenia treatment by means of genetic and other molecular tools, at least
      in the cases of "treatment resistance".

PMID- 28356834
TI  - Brain Injury Alters Ectonucleotidase Activities and Adenine Nucleotide Levels in
      Rat Serum.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Cortical stab injury (CSI) induces changes in the activity,
      expression and cellular distribution of specific ectonucleotidases at the injury
      site. Also, several experimentally induced neuropathologies are associated with
      changes in soluble ectonucleotidase activities in the plasma and serum, whilst
      various insults to the brain alter purine compounds levels in cerebrospinal
      fluid, but also in serum, indicating that insults to the brain may induce
      alterations in nucleotides release and rate of their hydrolysis in the vascular
      system. Since adenine nucleotides and adenosine regulate diverse cellular
      functions in the vascular system, including vascular tone, platelet aggregation
      and inflammatory responses of lymphocytes and macrophages, alterations of
      ectonucleotidase activities in the vascular system may be relevant for the
      clinical outcome of the primary insult. METHODS: We explored ectonucleotidase
      activities using specific enzyme assays and determined adenine nucleotides
      concentrations by the UPLC method in the rat serum after cortical stab injury.
      RESULTS: At 4-h post-injury, ATP and AMP hydrolysis increased by about 60% and
      40%, respectively, while phosphodiesterase activity remained unchanged. Also, at
      4-h post-injury a marked decrease in ATP concentration and more than 2-fold
      increase in AMP concentration were recorded. CONCLUSIONS: CSI induces rapid up
      regulation of nucleotide catabolizing soluble ectonucleotidases in rat serum,
      which leads to the observed shift in serum nucleotide levels. The results
      obtained imply that ectonucleotidases and adenine nucleotides participate in the
      communication between the brain and the vascular system in physiological and
      pathological conditions and thereby may be involved in the development of various
      human neuropathologies.

PMID- 28356836
TI  - Laryngeal Granuloma - Benefit in Treatment with Zinc Supplementation?
AB  - Laryngeal granulomas present as contact and postintubation ulcers and granulomas.
      Essentially, a contact granuloma is a pseudotumor of the lateral wall of the
      posterior glottis. The most common etiological factor is voice abuse, with
      predisponing factors such as reflux disease. Postintubation ulcers and
      granulomas, although of different etiology, according to all the other traits
      belong to this clinical entity. The therapy of choice is conservative treatment.
      Surgical laser excision is indicated for resistant cases and those whose size is
      causing respiratory distress. Treatment of laryngeal granulomas with zinc
      supplementation is reported in the literature as one of the forms of conservative
      treatment, and we wanted to consider it in this review. Zinc is an essential
      mineral that plays a vital role in many biochemical reactions and is considered
      very important for wound healing.

PMID- 28356837
TI  - Curious Cases of the Enzymes.
AB  - Life as we know it heavily relies on biological catalysis, in fact, in a very
      nonromantic version of it, life could be considered as a series of chemical
      reactions, regulated by the guarding principles of thermodynamics. In ancient
      times, a beating heart was a good sign of vitality, however, to me, it is
      actually the presence of active enzymes that counts... Though we do not usually
      pay attention, the history of enzymology is as old as humanity itself, and dates
      back to the ancient times. This paper is dedicated to these early moments of this
      remarkable science that touched our lives in the past and will make life a lot
      more efficient for humanity in the future. There was almost always a delicate,
      fundamentally essential relationship between mankind and the enzymes. Challenged
      by a very alien and hostile Nature full of predators, prehistoric men soon
      discovered the medicinal properties of the plants, through trial and error. In
      fact, they accidently discovered the enzyme inhibitors and thus, in crude terms,
      kindled a sparkling area of research. These plant-derivatives that acted as
      enzyme inhibitors helped prehistoric men in their pursuit of survival and
      protection from predators; in hunting and fishing... Later in history, while the
      underlying purposes of survival and increasing the quality of life stayed intact,
      the ways and means of enzymology experienced a massive transformation, as the
      'trial and error' methodology of the ancients is now replaced with rational
      scientific theories.

PMID- 28356838
TI  - Role and Responsibilities of Laboratory Medicine Specialists in the Verification
      OF Metrological Traceability of in vitro Medical Diagnostics.
AB  - To be accurate and equivalent, laboratory results should be traceable to higher
      order references. Furthermore, their quality should fulfill acceptable
      measurement uncertainty as defined to fit the intended clinical use. With this
      aim, in vitro diagnostics (IVD) manufacturers should define a calibration
      hierarchy to assign traceable values to their system calibrators and to fulfill
      during this process uncertainty limits for calibrators, which should represent a
      proportion of the uncertainty budget allowed for clinical laboratory results. It
      is therefore important that, on one hand, the laboratory profession clearly
      defines the clinically acceptable uncertainty for relevant tests and, on the
      other hand, end-users may know and verify how manufacturers have implemented the
      traceability of their calibrators and estimated the corresponding uncertainty.
      Important tools for IVD traceability surveillance are quality control programmes
      through the daily verification by clinical laboratories that control materials of
      analytical systems are in the manufacturer's declared validation range [Internal
      Quality Control (IQC) component I] and the organization of External Quality
      Assessment Schemes meeting metrological criteria. In a separate way, clinical
      laboratories should also monitor the reliability of employed commercial systems
      through the IQC component II, devoted to estimation of the measurement
      uncertainty due to random effects, which includes analytical system imprecision
      together with individual laboratory performance in terms of variability.

PMID- 28356839
TI  - Laboratory Diagnostics and Quality of Blood Collection.
AB  - Diagnostic blood samples collected by phlebotomy are the most common type of
      biological specimens drawn and sent to laboratory medicine facilities for being
      analyzed, thus supporting caring physicians in patient diagnosis, follow-up
      and/or therapeutic monitoring. Phlebotomy, a relatively invasive medical
      procedure, is indeed critical for the downstream procedures accomplished either
      in the analytical phase made in the laboratory or in the interpretive process
      done by the physicians. Diagnosis, management, treatment of patients and
      ultimately patient safety itself can be compromised by poor phlebotomy quality.
      We have read with interest a recent article where the authors addressed important
      aspects of venous blood collection for laboratory medicine analysis. The authors
      conducted a phlebotomy survey based on the Clinical and Laboratory Standard
      Institute (CLSI) H03-A6 document (presently replaced by the GP41-A6 document) in
      three government hospitals in Ethiopia to evaluate 120 professionals (101 non
      laboratory professionals vs. 19 laboratory professionals) as regards the venous
      blood collection practice. The aim of this mini (non-systematic) review is to
      both take a cue from the above article and from current practices we had already
      observed in other laboratory settings, and discuss four questionable activities
      performed by health care professionals during venous blood collection. We refer
      to: i) diet restriction assessment; ii) puncture site cleansing; iii) timing of
      tourniquet removal and; iv) mixing specimen with additives.

PMID- 28356841
TI  - Effect of Nutritionally Relevant Doses of Long-Chain N-3 Pufa on Lipid Status,
      Oxidative Stress and Inflammatory Markers in an Average Middle-Aged Serbian
      Population.
AB  - BACKGROUND: This study investigated the effects of a nutritionally relevant
      intake of eicosapentaenoic (EPA) and docosahexaenoic (DHA) fatty acids derived
      from oily fish or a fish oil supplement on selected cardiovascular risk factors
      in average middle-aged individuals. METHODS: Thirty-three participants were
      randomized to receive salmon (oily fish) providing 274 mg EPA + 671 mg DHA/day or
      a commercial fish oil supplement providing 396 mg EPA + 250 mg DHA/day in a cross
      over trial over an 8-week period separated by a 6-month washout period. Blood
      samples were collected before and after each intervention and lipids,
      inflammatory and oxidative stress parameters were determined. RESULTS: Plasma
      levels of EPA, DHA and total n-3 fatty acids significantly increased after both
      interventions. A decreasing trend in triglycerides was more pronounced with
      salmon than with the fish oil supplement, but the changes noticed were not
      significant. Although there were no relevant changes in inflammatory marker
      concentrations at the end of both interventions, significant negative
      correlations were noticed between total plasma n-3 fatty acids and soluble
      intercellular adhesion molecule and C-reactive protein throughout the whole
      intervention period (p<0.05). Among the oxidative stress parameters, intervention
      with salmon showed a prooxidative effect through a superoxide anion increase
      (p=0.025). A relevant positive correlation was also found between its
      concentration and total plasma n-3 fatty acids (p<0.05). Other oxidative stress
      markers were not significantly influenced by the dietary interventions applied.
      CONCLUSIONS: Following two sets of recommendations for n-3 fatty acids intake
      aimed at the general public had only a moderate effect on the selected
      cardiovascular risk factors in average healthy middle-aged subjects over a short
      term period.

PMID- 28356842
TI  - The Pleiotropic Effects of Atorvastatin on Stable Angina Patients: Evidence by
      Analysis of High-Density Lipoprotein Size and Subclasses, and Plasma mRNA.
AB  - BACKGROUND: High-density lipoproteins (HDL) have athero-protective biological
      properties: antioxidative, anti-apoptotic, anti-inflammatory, and they have the
      efflux capacity of cellular cholesterol. Plasma mRNA analysis can be used to
      investigate statin pleiotropy in vivo as a new analytical tool for non-invasive
      assessment of gene expression in vascular beds. The aim of this study was to
      assess the pleiotropic effects of atorvastatin in stable angina patients with
      high-risk values (group A) as compared with patients who had borderline and
      desirable HDL-cholesterol (HDL-C) values (group B). METHODS: The atorvastatin
      therapy (20 mg/day) was given to forty-three patients with stable angina for 10
      weeks. We investigated three statin pleiotropy-targeted genes: inter-cellular
      adhesion molecule-1, chemokine (C-C motif) ligand 2 and cathepsin S and assessed
      by gel electrophoresis gradient the effects of atorvastatin on HDL size and
      subclasses. RESULTS: In group A, after therapy, HDL-C concentration was
      significantly increased but not in group B. Atorvastatin lowered plasma chemokine
      (C-C motif) ligand 2 and intercellular adhesion molecule-1 mRNA levels in both
      groups, but did not change the plasma cathepsin S mRNA levels. In group A only,
      baseline total bilirubin showed negative correlations with the genes of cathepsin
      S (r=-0.506; p=0.023) and significantly increased after therapy. CONCLUSIONS: HDL
      C and bilirubin can be promising therapeutic targets in the treatment of
      cardiovascular diseases. Analysis of cell-free mRNA in plasma might become a
      useful tool for estimating statin pleiotropy.

PMID- 28356840
TI  - Oxidative and Nitrosative Stress in Stable Renal Transplant Recipients with
      Respect to the Immunosuppression Protocol - Differences or Similarities?
AB  - BACKGROUND: The aim of the study was to evaluate parameters of oxidative and
      nitrosative stress as well as antioxidative parameters in a group of renal
      transplant recipients with stable graft function and no clinical signs of
      cardiovascular disease. We also aimed to determine the correlations among these
      parameters and to evaluate potential differences in all the biomarkers with
      regard to the immunosuppression protocol. METHODS: We enrolled 57 renal
      transplant recipients and 31 controls who were age and sex matched with the renal
      transplant recipients. All of the patients included in this study had post-renal
      transplant surgery at least 12 months earlier and were on standard
      immunosuppressive therapy. In this study, we determined thiobarbituric acid
      reactive substances in plasma and red blood cells and advanced oxidation protein
      products, nitrosative stress parameters (asymmetric and symmetric
      dimethylarginine - ADMA and SDMA), and antioxidative parameters (total SH groups
      and catalase activity). RESULTS: The results of our study demonstrated that the
      levels of oxidative and nitrosative stress were significantly increased compared
      to the healthy population (p<0.01 except for plasma catalase activity p<0.05).
      Correlation analysis showed significant positive correlations between: ADMA and
      SDMA (p<0.01); ADMA and nitrates (p<0.05); SDMA and nitrates (p<0.05); between OS
      parameters in the experimental group; AOPP and SH groups (p<0.05) and TBARS in
      plasma and SH groups (p<0.01), SDMA and AOPP (p< 0.05); SDMA and TBARS in plasma
      (p<0.05); SDMA and SH groups (p<0.01); nitrates and SH groups (p<0.05).
      CONCLUSION: There was no significant difference in oxidative and nitrosative
      stress parameters with respect to the immunosuppressive protocol.

PMID- 28356844
TI  - High False Positives and False Negatives in Yeast Parameter in an Automated Urine
      Sediment Analyzer.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Automated urine sediment analyzers have proven their feasibility in
      medical laboratories. However, editing manual microscopic review of some
      specimens severely limits the usefulness of such systems. This study aims to give
      feedback on the practical experience on "Yeast", which is one of the parameters
      that compel frequent manual reviews. METHODS: 5448 freshly collected urine
      specimens submitted from various departments of our hospital for diagnostic
      urinalysis were studied by the UriSed(r) (77 Elektronika, Hungary). A specialist
      medical doctor inspected every image on-board, and reviewed the ones with a
      "Yeast" alarm by traditional manual microscopy. RESULTS: UriSed alarmed in 491
      samples (9%) for yeast. In 59 samples (1%) the number of particles exceeded the
      cut-off and a "positive for yeast" was set. A false positive report of yeast +1
      to 3+/HPF was found in 51 samples (0.9%). There were 8 cases with positive for
      yeast from both microscopic methods. Thirty-three "negative for yeast" samples
      were corrected as positive after the manual microscopic review. CONCLUSIONS: We
      report a high percentage of false positives and negatives in the yeast parameter,
      in line with other studies on UriSed as well as on other instruments in the
      market. As an important feedback, our observations showed that the major concern
      in false results was "the focusing problem". We believe in the necessity of a
      focus check and comparison of alarms between images on board.

PMID- 28356843
TI  - Association Between Thyroid Hormones, Lipids and Oxidative Stress Markers in
      Subclinical Hypothyroidism.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Oxidative stress plays a role in the pathogenesis of many chronic
      diseases. It is recognized in overt hypothyroidism while its existence in
      subclinical hypothyroidism (SCH) is not well established. The aim of this study
      was to determine whether there was increased oxidation of lipids and proteins in
      SCH, and examine their association with lipids and thyroid hormones. METHODS:
      Male adults (35-59 years) with SCH (n=467) and euthyroid controls (n=190) were
      studied. Anthropometric measurements, plasma lipids, thyroid stimulating hormone
      (TSH), free thyroxine (FT4), free triiodothyronine (FT3), total antioxidant
      capacity (T-AOC), lipid peroxidation products, malondialdehyde (MDA), advanced
      oxidation protein products (AOPP) and dityrosine concentrations were measured.
      RESULTS: Plasma concentrations of MDA were significantly higher (p<0.05) in SCH
      (8.11+/-1.39 nmol/mL) compared with euthyroid controls (7.34+/-1.31 nmol/mL)
      while AOPP, dityrosine and T-AOC levels were not different. MDA was not
      associated with TSH (beta=-0.019, P=0.759), FT4 (beta=-0.062, P=0.323) and FT3
      (beta=-0.018, P=0.780) in SCH while levels increased with elevated total
      cholesterol (beta=0.229, P=0.001), LDL (beta=0.203, P=0.009) and triglycerides
      (beta=0.159, P=0.036) after adjustment for age and body mass index. T-AOC reduced
      (beta=-0.327, P=0.030) with increased MDA in euthyroid controls and not in SCH
      (beta=-0.068, P=0.349), while levels increased with elevated triglycerides in
      both groups. CONCLUSIONS: Oxidative stress was increased in subclinical
      hypothyroidism as evidenced by the elevated lipid peroxidation product,
      malondialdehyde, while protein oxidation was absent. Thus, reduction of oxidative
      stress may be beneficial in patients with subclinical hypothyroidism.

PMID- 28356845
TI  - HMGA2 Expression in Renal Carcinoma and its Clinical Significance.
AB  - BACKGROUND: The objective of this study is to detect HMGA2 expression in renal
      carcinoma to explore its relationship with clinicopathology and its significance
      in prognosis. METHODS: Expressions of HMGA2 mRNA and protein were detected in 50
      renal carcinoma specimens, 50 corresponding adjacent normal kidney tissue samples
      and 40 renal benign tumour specimens via reverse transcription polymerase chain
      reaction and immunohistochemical assay. Expression analysis was performed along
      with clinical data analysis. RESULTS: The relative expression levels of HMGA2
      mRNA in renal carcinoma, renal benign tumour tissues and adjacent normal renal
      tissues were 0.84+/-0.23, 0.19+/-0.06 and 0.08+/-0.04, respectively. HMGA2
      protein positive rates were 68.0%, 7.5% and 2.0%, with a significant difference
      (P<0.05). HMGA2 expression was not significantly correlated with gender, age,
      tumour size and histological type (P>0.05), but was significantly correlated with
      TNM stages and lymph node metastasis (P<0.05). CONCLUSIONS: The expressions of
      HMGA2 gene and protein in renal carcinoma were closely correlated with tumour
      formation, progression and metastasis. HMGA2 may become a powerful new
      pathological marker and prognostic factor for renal carcinoma.

PMID- 28356846
TI  - Multicenter Comparison of Seven 25OH Vitamin D Automated Immunoassays.
AB  - BACKGROUND: The measurement of 25OH vitamin D continues to grow in clinical
      laboratories. The aim of this multi-center study was to compare the results of
      seven automated commercial immunoassays with a reference HPLC technique. METHODS:
      One hundred and twenty consecutive outpatient serum samples were centrifuged,
      divided in aliquots, frozen and shipped to the participating laboratories. 25OH
      Vitamin D was measured with a reference HPLC system and with seven automated
      commercial immunoassays (Roche Cobas E601, Beckman Coulter Unicel DXI 800, Ortho
      Vitros ES, DiaSorin Liaison, Siemens Advia Centaur, Abbott Architect i System and
      IDS iSYS). RESULTS: Compared to the reference method, the regression coefficients
      ranged from 0.923 to 0.961 (all p<0.001). The slope of Deming fit ranged from
      0.95 to 1.06, whereas the intercept was comprised between -15.2 and 9.2 nmol/L.
      The bias from the reference HPLC technique varied from -14.5 to 8.7 nmol/L. The
      minimum performance goal for bias was slightly exceeded by only one immunoassay.
      The agreement between HPLC and the different immunoassays at 50 nmol/L 25OH
      Vitamin D varied between 0.61 and 0.85 (all p<0.001). The percentage of samples
      below this cut-off was significantly different with only one immunoassay.
      CONCLUSIONS: The excellent correlation with the reference HPLC technique attests
      that all seven automated immunoassays may be reliably used for routine assessment
      of 25OH-D in clinical laboratories. The significant bias among the different
      methods seems mostly attributable to the lack of standardization and calls for
      additional efforts for improving harmonization of 25OH-D immunoassays.

PMID- 28356847
TI  - LAPTM4B Gene Expression and Polymorphism as Diagnostic Markers of Breast Cancer
      in Egyptian Patients.
AB  - BACKGROUND: The aim of this study was to investigate the association between
      LAPTM4B gene polymorphism and the risk of breast cancer among Egyptian female
      patients. Also, measurement was done of its serum level to evaluate its
      significance as a diagnostic marker for breast cancer. METHODS: This case control
      study was done on 88 breast cancer patients, 40 with fibroadenoma and 80 healthy
      subjects. Genotyping of the LAPTM4B polymorphism was determined by PCR. Serum
      LAPTM4B level was measured using ELISA. RESULTS: There was a significant
      difference in the (*1/2+ *2/2) genotypes in breast cancer patients (59.1)
      compared to the control subjects (43.8%) (P=0.047; OR=1.86; 95% CI =1.01-3.43).
      The frequency of the allele 2* of the LAPTM4B gene was significantly higher in
      breast cancer patients (36.4%) than in the control (25.6%) (p=0.034; OR=1.66; 95%
      CI =1.04-2.65). Genotypes (*1/2+*2/2) were significantly associated with the
      differential classification of TNM. Serum level of LAPTM4B was significantly
      higher in breast cancer patients than in control and fibroadenoma and in
      fibroadenoma patients than in control. In breast cancer patients, serum LAPTM4B
      was significantly higher in stage III and in large tumor size. Serum LAPTM4B was
      significantly higher in the cancer patients' genotypes (*1/2+*2/2). CONCLUSIONS:
      Genetic polymorphism of LAPTM4B is a potential risk factor for the development of
      breast cancer. Serum LAPTM4B may be used as a diagnostic and prognostic marker
      for breast cancer.

PMID- 28356848
TI  - Genetic Variants of Cytochrome b-245, Alpha Polypeptide Gene and Premature Acute
      Myocardial Infarction Risk in an Iranian Population.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Oxidative stress induced by superoxide anion plays critical roles in
      the pathogenesis of coronary artery disease (CAD) and hence acute myocardial
      infarction (AMI). The major source of superoxide production in vascular smooth
      muscle and endothelial cells is the NADPH oxidase complex. An essential component
      of this complex is p22phox, that is encoded by the cytochrome b-245, alpha
      polypeptide (CYBA) gene. The aim of this study was to investigate the association
      of CYBA variants (rs1049255 and rs4673) and premature acute myocardial infarction
      risk in an Iranian population. METHODS: The study population consisted of 158
      patients under the age of 50 years, with a diagnosis of premature AMI, and 168
      age-matched controls with normal coronary angiograms. Genotyping of the
      polymorphisms was performed by the polymerase chain reaction and restriction
      fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP). RESULTS: There was no association
      between the genotypes and allele frequencies of rs4673 polymorphism and premature
      acute myocardial infarction (P>0.05). A significant statistical association was
      observed between the genotypes distribution of rs1049255 polymorphism and AMI
      risk (P=0.037). Furthermore, the distribution of AA+AG/GG genotypes was found to
      be statistically significant between the two groups (P=0.011). CONCLUSIONS: Our
      findings indicated that rs1049255 but not rs4673 polymorphism is associated with
      premature AMI.

PMID- 28356849
TI  - Susceptibility to Breast Cancer and Intron 3 Ins/Del Genetic Polymorphism of DNA
      Double-Strand Break Repair Gene XRCC4.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Since genetic variations in X-ray cross-complementing group 4 (XRCC4;
      OMIM: 194363) repair gene might be associated with a reduction in cellular DNA
      repair capacity, it is hypothesized that XRCC4 Ins/Del (I/D) polymorphism (in
      intron 3 of the gene; rs28360071) may be a risk factor for breast cancer.
      Therefore, the present case-control study was carried out. METHODS: The present
      case-control study included 407 females with breast cancer and a total of 394
      healthy females from the general population matched with patients according to
      age. Genotypic analysis for the XRCC4 I/D polymorphism was performed by PCR. In
      order to investigate the effect of XRCC4 I/D polymorphism on age at diagnosis of
      breast cancer, the Kaplan-Meier survival analysis and the Cox proportional
      hazards regression model were used. RESULTS: Based on the present case-control
      study, the ID (OR=0.95, 95% CI: 0.69-1.31, P=0.781) and DD (OR=1.24, 95% CI: 0.84
      1.83, P=0.274) genotypes were not associated with breast cancer risk compared
      with the II genotype. Based on the Cox regression model, there was significant
      association between genotypes of I/D polymorphism and age at diagnosis of breast
      cancer (ID+DD vs II; HR=0.79, 95% CI: 0.64-0.98, P=0.036). CONCLUSION: Although
      there was no significant association between XRCC4 I/D polymorphism and risk of
      breast cancer, patients having the II genotype have lower age at diagnosis in
      comparison with patients having ID+DD genotypes.

PMID- 28356850
TI  - Influence of Promoter Polymorphisms of the TNF-alpha (-308G/A) and IL-6 (-174G/C)
      Genes on Therapeutic Response to Etanercept in Rheumatoid Arthritis.
AB  - BACKGROUND: The study was undertaken to assess the influence of functional 
      308G/A TNF-alpha (rs 1800629) and -174G/C IL-6 (rs1800795) promoter polymorphisms
      on the therapeutic response to etanercept, a TNF-alpha blocker, in patients with
      rheumatoid arthritis (RA). METHODS: Seventy-three patients suffering from active
      RA were studied, at baseline and 6 and 12 months after therapy. The therapeutic
      response was estimated according to the European League Against Rheumatism
      response criteria. Patients were genotyped for -308G/A TNF-alpha and -174G/C IL-6
      polymorphisms by the PCR-RFLP method, and the influence of genotype on etanercept
      response was assessed. RESULTS: No difference in the percentage of responders
      (patients who had DAS28 improvement > 1.2) between patients with the TNF-alpha
      308GG and GA and AA genotype was detected after 6 and 12 months of treatment.
      After 12 months of treatment the percentage of responders was significantly
      increased in patients with the IL-6 -174GG genotype compared with those with the
      GC or CC genotype (p=0.006 by Chi-square test). Evaluation of the patients
      according to their combined IL-6/TNF-alpha genotypes showed that patients with
      the IL-6 -174GG / TNF-alpha-308GG genotype were more frequent among the
      responders compared to those with other combined genotypes (p=0.022 by Chi-square
      test). More precisely, all patients with the combined IL-6 -174GG / TNF-alpha
      308GG genotype were responders after 12 months of etanercept treatment.
      CONCLUSIONS: The study suggests that patients who are genetically low TNF-alpha
      and IL-6 producers are the best responders to etanercept therapy.

PMID- 28356851
TI  - Pharmacogenetics may Influence Tacrolimus Daily Dose, but not Urinary Tubular
      Damage Markers in the Long-Term Period after Renal Transplantation.
AB  - BACKGROUND: The primary goal of this study was to evaluate the influence of
      cytochrome P450 (CYP) 3A5 (6986A>G) and ABCB1 (3435C>T) polymorphisms on
      tacrolimus (TAC) dosage regimen and exposure. Second, we evaluated the influence
      of TAC dosage regimen and the tested polymorphisms on renal oxidative injury, as
      well as the urinary activities of tubular ectoenzymes in a long-term period after
      transplantation. Also, we aimed to determine the association between renal
      oxidative stress and tubular damage markers in the renal transplant patients.
      METHODS: The study included 72 patients who were on TAC based immunosuppression.
      Allele-specific PCR was used for polymorphism determination. We measured the
      urinary thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS) and reactive carbonyl
      derivates (RCD) in order to evaluate oxidative injury, as well as the urinary
      activities of ectoenzymes (N-acetyl-beta-D-glucosaminidase, aminopeptidase N and
      dipeptidyl peptidase IV) to evaluate tubular damage. RESULTS: The carriers of CYP
      3A5*1 allele required statistically higher daily doses of TAC than CYP *3/*3
      carriers, as well as the carriers of C allele of ABCB1 gene compared to those
      with TT genotype. Also, there were no differences in TBARS, RCD and the
      activities of ectoenzymes between the patients' genotypes. Our results showed
      significant correlations between urinary TBARS and RCD and the ectoenzymes'
      activities. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings suggest that CYP 3A5 and ABCB1 3435
      polymorphism may affect TAC daily doses, but not the drug's tubular toxicity.
      Furthermore, tubular damage may be associated with increased renal oxidative
      stress.

PMID- 28356852
TI  - Prognostic Value and Daily Trend of Interleukin-6, Neutrophil CD64 Expression, C
      Reactive Protein and Lipopolysaccharide-Binding Protein in Critically Ill
      Patients: Reliable Predictors of Outcome or Not?
AB  - BACKGROUND: Severe sepsis and/or trauma complicated by multiple organ dysfunction
      syndrome are the leading causes of death in critically ill patients. The aim of
      this prospective single-centre study was to assess the prognostic value and daily
      trend of interleukin-6 (IL-6), neutrophil CD64 expression, C-reactive protein
      (CRP) and lipopolysaccharide-binding protein (LBP) regarding outcome in
      critically ill patients with severe trauma and/or severe sepsis. Outcome measure
      was hospital mortality. METHODS: One hundred and two critically ill patients
      admitted to the intensive care unit of a tertiary university hospital were
      enrolled in this prospective study. Blood samples were collected on admission
      (day 1), days 2 and 3. RESULTS: CD64 index was 1.6-fold higher on day 1 and 1.78
      fold higher on day 2 in non-survivors (p<0.05). The area under the curve (AUC)
      for the CD64 index on day 1 for outcome was 0.727. At a cut-off level of 2.80
      sensitivity was 75% and specificity was 65%. Patients with CD64 index level on
      day 1 higher than 2.80 had 2.4-fold higher probability of dying. Odds ratio is
      2.40; 95% CI 0.60-9.67. CONCLUSIONS: CD64 index on day 1 is a fairly good
      predictor of outcome. AUCs for IL-6, CRP and LBP were < 0.55, suggesting these
      biomarkers failed to predict outcome.

PMID- 28356853
TI  - Association of Serum Pentraxin-3 and High-Sensitivity C-Reactive Protein with the
      Extent of Coronary Stenosis in Patients Undergoing Coronary Angiography.
AB  - BACKGROUND: We compared factors of inflammation - high sensitivity C-reactive
      protein (hsCRP) and pentraxin-3 (PTX3), and we explored their relationship with
      coronary artery disease (CAD). Also, we tested the usefulness of hsCRP and PTX3
      in the risk assessment of coronary stenosis development and the diagnostic
      ability of these biomarkers to detect disease severity. METHODS: The study group
      consisted of 93 CAD patients undergoing coronary angiography. Patients were
      divided into CAD(0), representing subclinical stenosis, and CAD (1-3),
      representing significant stenosis in one, two or three vessels. RESULTS: We
      determined the concentration of lipid status parameters, hsCRP and PTX3. We found
      significantly lower PTX3 and hsCRP concentrations in CAD(0) than in CAD(1-3)
      group. Concentration of PTX3 showed an increasing trend with the increasing
      number of vessels affected. The area under ROC curve (AUC) for the combinations
      of hsCRP and PTX3 with lipid parameters had useful accuracy for detecting CAD(1
      3) patients (AUC=0.770, p<0.001). CONCLUSION: PTX3 is a promising independent
      diagnostic marker for identifying patients with CAD, and a useful indicator of
      disease progression. In all the analyses PTX3 showed better performance than
      hsCRP. A combination of PTX3, hsCRP with the lipid status parameters provides
      risk stratification of the development of coronary stenosis and better
      classification than their individual application.

PMID- 28356854
TI  - Association of Hyponatremia and Hypovitaminosis D in Ambulatory Adults.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Hyponatremia and vitamin D deficiency are frequent disorders, and
      both have been associated with gait disturbances, falls and fractures. The aim of
      this study was to evaluate the existence of an association between serum sodium
      and vitamin D serum levels. METHODS: We performed a retrospective investigation
      to establish whether hyponatremia and vitamin D deficiency may be associated in a
      general population of unselected outpatients. An electronic search was performed
      in the laboratory information systems of the Hospital of Verona and the Hospital
      of Parma (Italy), to retrieve combined results for total vitamin D and sodium
      obtained in all outpatients referred for health check-up in the year 2013.
      RESULTS: Combined results of vitamin D and sodium could be retrieved for 5097
      outpatients (3859 females and 1238 males; mean age 64+/-17 years). Vitamin D
      deficient subjects displayed significantly lower levels of serum sodium (140
      versus 141 mmol/L; p<0.001), along with a significantly higher rate of
      hyponatremia (6.3% versus 5.1%; p=0.037). Accordingly, hyponatremic subjects had
      significantly lower levels of serum vitamin D (55 versus 60 nmol/L; p=0.015),
      along with a significantly higher rate of vitamin D deficiency (41.8% versus
      36.1%; p=0.030). A highly significant correlation was found between sodium and
      total vitamin D after adjustment for age and gender (p<0.001). CONCLUSIONS: The
      results of this study demonstrate for the first time the existence of a
      significant correlation between the serum levels of sodium and total vitamin D in
      a general population of unselected outpatients.

PMID- 28356855
TI  - Increased Antioxidant Quality Versus Lower Quantity of High Density Lipoprotein
      in Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Oxidative stress may be involved in the pathogenesis of every human
      disease. To understand its possible role in benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH),
      we measured the overall oxidative status of patients with BPH and the serum
      activity of the high density lipoprotein (HDL)-related antioxidant enzymes
      paraoxonase 1 (PON1) and arylesterase (ARE). METHODS: Fifty-six urology
      outpatient clinic patients with BPH (mean age 64+/-8.6 years) were prospectively
      included in the study. Forty volunteer healthy controls from the laboratory staff
      (mean age 62+/-10 years) were enrolled for comparison. Serum total antioxidant
      status (TAS), total oxidant status (TOS), PON1, ARE, and HDL levels were measured
      by commercially available, ready-to-use kits. RESULTS: Serum TAS and HDL levels
      were significantly lower in the BPH group than in the control group (P=0.004 and
      P=0.02, respectively). No significant between-group differences were observed for
      TOS levels or PON1 and ARE enzyme activities (P=0.30, P=0.89, and P=0.74,
      respectively). In the BPH group, the calculated parameters PON1/HDL and ARE/HDL
      were significantly higher (P=0.02 and P=0.04, respectively). CONCLUSIONS: Our
      findings agree with the previous reports of impaired oxidant/antioxidant balance
      in BPH patients. The activities of HDL-related enzymes between groups with
      significantly different HDL levels may be deceptive; adjusted values may help to
      reach more accurate conclusions.

PMID- 28356856
TI  - Hematological and Biochemical Parameters in Elite Soccer Players During A
      Competitive Half Season.
AB  - BACKGROUND: The purpose of the present study was to report and discuss the
      hematological and biochemical behavior of elite soccer players, in order to get
      more insight in the physiological characteristics of these sportsmen and to
      provide trainers and sports doctors with useful indicators. METHODS: Nineteen
      male soccer players volunteered to participate in this study. We followed the
      young elite soccer players during a competitive half season. Venous blood samples
      were collected between 9:00 and 10:00 a.m. after an overnight fast (10 h) at
      baseline, after 45 and 90 days and hematological and biochemical parameters were
      measured. RESULTS: Hemoglobin and hematocrit levels were significantly reduced
      over the observational period (p<0.05), but erythrocyte count and iron levels
      remained unchanged. Bilirubin and ferritin levels significantly increased in
      response to regular soccer training (p<0.05). We observed a significant decrease
      in muscle enzyme plasma activity during the 90 days study period. ANOVA analysis
      revealed a significant increase in the leukocyte and neutrophil counts (p<0.05),
      in parallel with a significant decrease in the lymphocyte count (p<0.05) after
      the observational period of 90 days. CONCLUSIONS: Elite soccer players are
      characterized by significant changes in biochemical and hematological parameters
      over the half season, which are linked to training workload, as well as
      adaptation induced by the soccer training. Although the values of the measured
      parameters fell within the reference range, regular monitoring of the biochemical
      and hematological parameters is fundamental for the identification of a healthy
      status and related optimal performances by sport doctors and trainers and
      selection of a correct workload by trainers.

PMID- 28356857
TI  - Questionable Reliability of Homocysteine as the Metabolic Marker for Folate and
      Vitamin B12 Deficiency in Patients with Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease.
AB  - BACKGROUND: An increased homocysteine (Hcy) concentration may represent a
      metabolic marker of folate and vitamin B12 deficiency, both significant public
      health problems. For different reasons, patients with chronic obstructive
      pulmonary disease (COPD) are prone to these deficiencies. The study evaluates the
      reliability of Hcy concentration in predicting folate or vitamin B12 deficiency
      in these patients. METHODS: A group of 50 COPD patients (28 males/22 females, age
      (chi+/-SD=49.0+/-14.5) years was enrolled. A chemiluminescent microparticle
      immunoassay was applied for homocysteine, folate and vitamin B12 concentration.
      Kolmogorov-Smirnov, Mann-Whitney U and chi2 tests, Spearman's correlation and ROC
      analysis were included in the statistical analysis, with the level of
      significance set at 0.05. RESULTS: Average (SD) concentrations of folate and
      vitamin B12 were 4.13 (2.16) MUg/L and 463.6 (271.0) ng/L, whereas only vitamin
      B12 correlated with the Hcy level (P=-0.310 (R=0.029)). Gender related
      differences were not significant and only a borderline significant correlation
      between age and folate was confirmed (R=0.279 (P=0.047)). The incidence of folate
      and vitamin B12 deficiency differed significantly (P=0.000 and P<0.000 for folate
      and vitamin B12 respectively), depending on the cutoff used for classification
      (4.4, 6.6 and 8.0 MUg/L - folate; 203 and 473 ng/L - vitamin B12). ROC analyses
      failed to show any significance of hyperhomocysteinemia as a predictor of folate
      or vitamin B12 deficiency. CONCLUSION: Reliability of the Hcy concentration as a
      biomarker of folate or vitamin B12 depletion in COPD patients is not
      satisfactory, so their deficiency cannot be predicted by the occurrence of HHcy.

PMID- 28356858
TI  - Greater Efficiency Observed 12 Months Post-Implementation of an Automatic Tube
      Sorting and Registration System in a Core Laboratory.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Sample classification and registration have been recognized as
      important and time-consuming processes in laboratories. There is increasing
      pressure on laboratories to automate processes due to intense workload and reduce
      manual procedures and errors. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the
      positive effects of an automatic tube registration and sorting system on specimen
      processing. METHODS: An automatic tube registration and sorting system (HCTS2000
      MK2, m-u-t AG, Wedel, Germany) was evaluated. Turnaround time (TAT), rate of
      sample rejection and unrealized tests were examined 12 months pre- and post
      implementation of the automatic tube sorting and registration system. RESULTS:
      The mean TAT of routine chemistry immunoassay, complete blood cell count (CBC)
      and coagulation samples were significantly improved (P<0.001). The number of
      rejected samples and unrealized tests was insignificantly decreased post
      implementation of the system (0.4% to 0.2% and 4.5% to 1.4%, respectively)
      (P>0.05). CONCLUSIONS: By reducing delays and errors in the preanalytical
      processing and sorting of samples, significant improvements in specimen
      processing were observed after implementation of the system. These results
      suggest that an automatic tube registration and sorting system may also be used
      to improve specimen processing in a higher-volume core laboratory.

PMID- 28356859
TI  - Diagnostic Accuracy of Brain-derived Neurotrophic Factor and Nitric Oxide in
      Patients with Schizophrenia: A pilot study.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) and nitric oxide (NO) play
      multiple roles in the developing and adult CNS. Since BDNF and NO metabolisms are
      dysregulated in schizophrenia, we measured these markers simultaneously in the
      blood of schizophrenics and assessed their diagnostic accuracy. METHODS: Thirty
      eight patients with schizophrenia classified according to demographic
      characteristics, symptomatologyand therapy and 39 age- and gender-matched healthy
      controls were enrolled. BDNF was determined by the ELISA technique while the
      concentration of nitrite/nitrate ([Formula: see text]) was measured by the
      colorimetric method. RESULTS: Serum BDNF levels were significantly lower (20.38+/
      3.73 ng/mL, P = 1.339E-05), whilst plasma [Formula: see text] concentrations were
      significantly higher (84.3 (72-121) MUmol/L, P=4.357E-08) in patients with
      schizophrenia than in healthy controls (25.65+/-4.32 ng/mL; 60.9 (50-76) MUmol/L,
      respectively). The lowest value of BDNF (18.14+/-3.26 ng/mL) and the highest
      [Formula: see text] concentration (115.3 (80-138) MUmol/L) were found in patients
      treated with second-generation antipsychotics (SGA). The patients diseased before
      the age of 24 and the patients suffering for up to one year had significantly
      lower serum BDNF levels than those diseased after the age of 24 and the patients
      who were ill longer than one year. Both BDNF and [Formula: see text] showed good
      diagnostic accuracy, but BDNF had better ROC curve characteristics, especially in
      patients with negative symptomatology. CONCLUSIONS: BDNF and nitrite/nitrate
      showed inverse changes in schizophrenic patients. The most pronounced changes
      were found in patients treated with second-generation antipsychotics. Although
      BDNF is not specific of schizophrenia, it may be a clinically useful biomarker
      for the diagnosis of patients expressing predominantly negative symptoms.

PMID- 28356860
TI  - Regulation of Insulin and Insulin-Like Activity in Malnourished Patients with
      Carcinoma Ventriculi Subjected to Total Gastrectomy and Personalized Nutritional
      Support.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Insulin and insulin-like growth factor (IGF) activities are disturbed
      during critical illness. Time-course changes in the concentrations of insulin,
      IGF-I and IGF-binding proteins (IGFBPs) were monitored in this study and their
      correlation with interleukin (IL)-6 was assessed in patients subjected to total
      gastrectomy and specific nutritional regime. METHODS: Patients were fed post
      operatively according to the following scheme: parenteral nutrition on day 1,
      enteral nutrition combined with parenteral form from day 2 to 7, peroral
      nutrition from day 8 and full oral nutrition from day 14. Blood samples were
      taken periodically and the levels of IL-6, insulin, IGF-I and IGFBP-1 to -4 were
      determined. RESULTS: On day 1 post-operatively, the concentration of IL-6 reached
      its maximum and decreased afterwards. The concentration of insulin increased
      until day 3 and then started to fall. The concentration of IGF-I, already low
      preoperatively, continued to decrease. The concentration of IGFBP-1 peaked on day
      1 post-operatively, whereas the concentration of IGFBP-3 decreased on that day.
      The concentration of IL-6 correlated positively with the concentration of IGFBP-1
      and negatively with IGFBP-3. On day 14, the concentrations of IL-6, insulin and
      IGFBP-1 returned to or were close to their basal levels, whereas the
      concentrations of IGF-I and IGFBP-3 remained reduced. CONCLUSIONS: A 14-day post
      operative recovery, which included specific nutritional support, was suitable to
      restore insulin concentration and re-establish IGFBP-1 regulation primarily by
      nutrition. Very low IGF-I level on day 14 after surgery and IGFBP-3 concentration
      still lower than before surgery indicated that the catabolic condition was not
      compensated.

PMID- 28356862
TI  - CTX Correlation to Disease Duration and Adiponectin in Egyptian Children with
      T1DM.
AB  - BACKGROUND: In this study, we investigated the relationship of adiponectin with
      bone marker changes in Egyptian children and adolescents with T1DM and the effect
      of disease duration on these markers, as well as the possible correlations
      between adiponectin and bone markers in these patients. METHODS: Sixty Egyptian
      children and adolescent patients with T1DM were studied. Serum adiponectin and
      collagen breakdown products (cross-linked C-terminal telopeptide of collagen type
      l "CTX") were measured and compared to the results of 20 age-matched healthy
      controls. RESULTS: After adjustment for age, BMI, Tanner stage and gender;
      (total) adiponectin was significantly higher in all T1DM patients. Serum level of
      CTX and 25(OH)D showed a marked decrease in diabetics with disease duration > 5
      years. Serum level of (total) calcium and inorganic phosphorus (Pi) did not show
      significant difference from control. CTX was inversely correlated to FBG and T1DM
      duration. Pi was inversely, while 25(OH)D was directly correlated to FBG. Total
      calcium showed an inverse correlation with HbA1c. FBG, TC, TAG, LDL-C were
      independent predictors of CTX in T1DM. CONCLUSIONS: Adiponectin showed no
      correlation with either CTX or bone homeostatic indices. FBG, TC, TAG, LDL-C were
      independent predictors of CTX in T1DM. We recommend further investigation of
      adiponectin isoforms in a population-based study, to establish a good age- and
      sex-related reference.

PMID- 28356861
TI  - Influence of Cyp2c19*2 Gene Variant on Therapeutic Response During Clopidogrel
      Treatment in Patients with Carotid Artery Stenosis.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Despite the proven clinical effect of oral antiplatelet drugs, a
      considerable number of patients do not have an adequate response to clopidogrel.
      The aim of our study was to determine the influence of CYP2C19*2 loss-of-function
      variant allele on clopidogrel responsiveness in patients with carotid artery
      stenosis. METHODS: One hundred and twelve patients with carotid artery stenosis
      undergoing endarterectomy were included in this one-year prospective study. All
      of them received clopidogrel (75 mg daily) for at least 30 days after the
      intervention. They were followed from the moment of hospital admission. CYP2C19*2
      genotyping was performed by TaqMan Assay. The influence of CYP2C19*2 variant
      allele on clopidogrel platelet reactivity was determined using multiple-electrode
      aggregometry (MEA). RESULTS: Genotyping results showed that 82 (73.2%) patients
      were homozygous for wild type, 29 (25.9%) were heterozygous for the CYP2C19*2
      allele and 1 (0.9%) was CYP2C19*2 homozygous. After 24 hours, among those with
      the wild type 29.3% were clopidogrel responders, and in those with the CYP2C19*2
      alleles 10%. In the wild type group, 74.4% were clopidogrel responders after 7
      days of taking the drug; 82.9% after 30 days of clopidogrel introduction,
      respectively. In patients with the CYP2C19*2 alleles the number of responders
      increased up to 46.7% after 7 days; 53.3% after 30 days of taking the drug,
      respectively. The risk for being a low-responder is higher for the patients
      heterozygous for the CYP2C19*2 allele vs. wild-type (OR 4.250, 95% CI 1.695
      10.658, P<0.01). CONCLUSIONS: The CYP2C19*2 loss-of-function variant allele has
      significant influence on clopidogrel response in patients with carotid artery
      stenosis undergoing endarterectomy.

PMID- 28356863
TI  - NO-Synthase Activity in Patients with Coronary Heart Disease Associated with
      Hypertension of Different Age Groups.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Coronary heart disease is the leading cause of death and disability
      worldwide. Hypertension is a major independent risk factor for the development of
      CHD. Abnormalities in NO generation or activity have been proposed as a major
      mechanism of CHD. The purpose of this article is to determine the activity of
      eNOS and iNOS in patients with isolated CHD and CHD associated with HT of
      different age groups. METHODS: Fifty patients with isolated CHD and 42 patients
      with CHD associated with HT were enrolled in this study. NOS activity was
      determined by nitrite anion formed in the reaction. RESULTS: A statistically
      significant increase in iNOS activity is observed in elderly donors. In patients
      with isolated coronary heart disease cNOS activity is statistically significantly
      reduced with respect to the control group. The reduction of enzymatic activity of
      cNOS is more expressed in elderly patients than in middle-aged patients with
      coronary heart disease. Alterations in eNOS activity are more expressed in
      patients with coronary heart disease associated with hypertension than in
      patients with isolated coronary heart disease. Against the background of cNOS
      inhibition in the patients, a sharp increase in iNOS activity is observed.
      CONCLUSIONS: It has been shown that disturbance of endothelial function in
      patients with coronary heart disease associated with hypertension is
      characterized by reduced endothelial NO synthesis by cNOS and increased systemic
      NO synthesis due to increased iNOS activity. It has been found that the lack of
      endothelial NO and hyperproduction of "harmful" NO by iNOS are more expressed in
      elderly patients.

PMID- 28356864
TI  - Increased Monoclonal Components: Prevalence in an Italian Population of 44 474
      Outpatients Detected by Capillary Electrophoresis.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Identification, quantification and typing of M-Proteins (MP) play an
      important role in the diagnosis, classification and monitoring of monoclonal
      gammopathies both of malignant origin (eg. Multiple Myeloma) and of unknown
      origin. Previous evidence attests that MGUS (Monoclonal Gammopathy of
      Undetermined Significance) detected by agarose gel electrophoresis has a
      prevalence of 3.2% in the general population. Therefore, our study aimed to
      verify this data by means of capillary zone electrophoresis (CZE). METHODS: CZE
      was performed to evaluate the prevalence of M-Protein (MP) in 44.474 consecutive
      outpatients of all ages with a prescription for serum protein electrophoresis
      over a 2-year period (2008 and 2009). All MPs that were identified were then
      typed by immunofixation electrophoresis on agarose gel (IFE). RESULTS: In
      subjects aged over 50 (23.408, i.e., 52.6% of the whole cohort) MP <=30 g/L
      (MGUS) was identified in 6.0% of cases, with a frequency nearly double than that
      previously reported. The population was then divided into ten-year age groups:
      the 71-80 age group had the highest percentage of MP (29%), followed by 61-70
      (27%), 51-60 (18%), 81-90 (12%), 41-50 (8%), 31-40 (3%), >90 (2%) and <30 (1%).
      The frequency of MP types (IFE) was the same in each age group, with IgG Kappa
      being the most represented class. CONCLUSIONS: According to the high MGUS
      prevalence observed in this study, these results may be useful especially for
      general practitioners, because the identification even of small MP (analytical
      sensitivity: 0.5 g/L) may help optimize clinical management.

PMID- 28356865
TI  - Evaluation of Systemic Antioxidant Level and Oxidative Stress in Relation to
      Lifestyle and Disease Progression in Asthmatic Patients.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Asthma is a chronic disorder of the airways. Oxidative stress is an
      important part of asthma pathogenesis. It plays a crucial role in exacerbating
      the disease, as well as an important consequence of airways inflammation. AIM:
      The present study was undertaken to investigate the lipid peroxidation and
      catalase activity in serum and antioxidant level in plasma of asthmatic patients
      and their association with lifestyle and severity of the disease. METHODS: A
      total of 210 subjects, 120 asthmatics and 90 healthy controls matched in respect
      to age, sex, lifestyle and socioeconomic status, were chosen randomly for the
      present study. The samples were analyzed for MDA concentration and catalase
      activity in serum and ferric reducing ability of plasma (FRAP). Statistical
      analysis was done using unpaired Student's t-test, ANOVA with Duncan post hoc
      test and Pearson coefficient of correlation. RESULTS: The serum MDA was found to
      be significantly higher in the asthmatics as compared to healthy individuals
      (p<0.01) while catalase activity in serum and antioxidant level of the plasma
      were markedly lower in the asthmatics as compared to healthy individuals
      (p<0.01). A significant difference was observed in serum MDA, catalase activity
      and plasma antioxidant level among the patients in relation to the severity of
      disease. There was a marked increase in the serum MDA in the patients with longer
      duration of the disease (p<0.05). CONCLUSIONS: The oxidant-antioxidant imbalance
      occurs in asthma leading to oxidative stress and is an important part of the
      asthma pathogenesis.

PMID- 28356866
TI  - Survivin and VEGF as Novel Biomarkers in Diagnosis of Endometriosis.
AB  - BACKGROUND: The aim of this study was to investigate the role of peripheral blood
      markers as additional diagnostic tools to transvaginal ultrasound (TVU) findings
      in the diagnosis of endometriosis. METHODS: This study included 40 patients
      undergoing laparoscopy for suspected endometriosis from January to December 2012.
      Preoperative levels of serum CA125, CA19-9, CEA and mRNA expression levels for
      survivin and VEGF were obtained. Real-time PCR was used to determine relative
      gene expression. A new diagnostic score was obtained by deploying the peripheral
      blood markers to the TVU findings. Statistical methods used were Chi-square,
      Fisher's, Student's t-test or the Mann - Whitney test. RESULTS: There was a
      statistically significant difference in serum CA125, survivin and VEGF levels in
      patients with endometriosis and those without endometriosis (p<0.001, p=0.025 and
      p=0.009, respectively). False negative TVU findings were noted in 3/13 patients
      (23.1%) with peritoneal endometriosis without ovaries involvement. High
      sensitivity (93.3%), specificity (90.0%), PPV (96.6%), NPV (81.8%) and accuracy
      (92.5%) were obtained for a diagnostic score based on TVU and significant
      peripheral blood markers (CA125, survivin and VEGF). CONCLUSIONS: Determination
      of serum CA125, mRNA expression levels for survivin and VEGF along with TVU can
      contribute to higher accuracy of the noninvasive diagnostic tools for
      endometriosis.

PMID- 28356867
TI  - Seventy Years of Biochemical Subjects' Development in Pharmacy Curricula:
      Experience from Serbia.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: The pharmacists played an important role in the development of
      biochemistry as applied chemistry in Serbia. What is more, the first seven state
      chemists in Serbia were pharmacists. State chemists performed the chemical
      toxicological analysis as well as some medical and biochemical ones. When it
      comes to the education of medical biochemists as health workers, the period after
      the beginning of the second half of the twentieth century should be taken into
      account because that is when the training of pharmaceutical staff of the Faculty
      of Pharmacy, University of Belgrade, begins on the territory of Serbia. This
      paper presents the development of medical biochemistry through the development of
      curriculum, personnel and literature since the foundation of the Faculty of
      Pharmacy in Serbia until today. OBJECTIVE: The aim of this paper is to present
      the historical development of biochemistry at the Faculty of Pharmacy, University
      of Belgrade, through analysis of three indicators: undergraduate and postgraduate
      education of medical biochemists, teaching literature and professional
      associations and trade associations. METHOD: The method of direct data was
      applied in this paper. Also, desktop analysis was used for analyzing of secondary
      data, regulations, curricula, documents and bibliographic material. Desktop
      research was conducted and based on the following sources: Archives of the
      University of Belgrade-Faculty of Pharmacy, Museum of the History of Pharmacy at
      the University of Belgrade-Faculty of Pharmacy, the Society of Medical
      Biochemists of Serbia and the Serbian Chamber of Biochemists. RESULTS AND
      CONCLUSION: The curricula, the Bologna process of improving education, the
      expansion of the range of subjects, the number of students, professional
      literature for teaching biochemistry, as well as professional associations and
      trade associations are presented through the results.

PMID- 28356868
TI  - Quality Assurance in Clinical Chemistry: A Touch of Statistics and A Lot of
      Common Sense.
AB  - Working in laboratories of clinical chemistry, we risk feeling that our personal
      contribution to quality is small and that statistical models and manufacturers
      play the major roles. It is seldom sufficiently acknowledged that personal
      knowledge, skills and common sense are crucial for quality assurance in the
      interest of patients. The employees, environment and procedures inherent to the
      laboratory including its interactions with the clients are crucial for the
      overall result of the total testing chain. As the measurement systems, reagents
      and procedures are gradually improved, work on the preanalytical, postanalytical
      and clinical phases is likely to pay the most substantial dividends in
      accomplishing further quality improvements. This means changing attitudes and
      behaviour, especially of the users of the laboratory. It requires understanding
      people and how to engage them in joint improvement processes. We need to use our
      knowledge and common sense expanded with new skills e.g. from the humanities,
      management, business and change sciences in order to bring this about together
      with the users of the laboratory.

PMID- 28356869
TI  - Blood Sampling Seasonality as an Important Preanalytical Factor for Assessment of
      Vitamin D Status.
AB  - BACKGROUND: The measurement of vitamin D is now commonplace for preventing
      osteoporosis and restoring an appropriate concentration that would be effective
      to counteract the occurrence of other human disorders. The aim of this study was
      to establish whether blood sampling seasonality may influence total vitamin D
      concentration in a general population of Italian unselected outpatients. METHODS:
      We performed a retrospective search in the laboratory information system of the
      University Hospital of Parma (Italy, temperate climate), to identify the values
      of total serum vitamin D (25-hydroxyvitamin D) measured in outpatients aged 18
      years and older, who were referred for routine health check-up during the entire
      year 2014. RESULTS: The study population consisted in 11,150 outpatients (median
      age 62 years; 8592 women and 2558 men). The concentration of vitamin D was
      consistently lower in samples collected in Winter than in the other three
      seasons. The frequency of subjects with vitamin D deficiency was approximately
      double in samples drawn in Winter and Spring than in Summer and Autumn. In the
      multivariate analysis, the concentration of total vitamin D was found to be
      independently associated with sex and season of blood testing, but not with the
      age of the patients. CONCLUSIONS: According to these findings, blood sampling
      seasonality should be regarded as an important preanalytical factor in vitamin D
      assessment. It is also reasonable to suggest that the amount of total vitamin D
      synthesized during the summer should be high enough to maintain the levels > 50
      nmol/L throughout the remaining part of the year.

PMID- 28356870
TI  - Salivary Cortisol as a Biomarker of Stress in Mothers and their Low Birth Weight
      Infants and Sample Collecting Challenges.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Salivary cortisol measurement is a non-invasive method suitable for
      use in neonatal research. Mother-infant separation after birth represents stress
      and skin-to-skin contact (SSC) has numerous benefits. The aim of the study was to
      measure salivary cortisol in mothers and newborns before and after SSC in order
      to assess the effect of SSC on mothers' and infants' stress and to estimate the
      efficacy of collecting small saliva samples in newborns. METHODS: Salivary
      cortisol was measured in 35 mother-infant pairs before and after the first and
      the fifth SSC in small saliva samples (50 MUL) using the high sensitivity
      Quantitative ELISA-Kit (0.0828 nmol/L) for low cortisol levels detection. Samples
      were collected with eye sponge during 3 to 5 minutes. RESULTS: Cortisol level in
      mothers decreased after SSC: the highest levels were measured before and the
      lowest after SSC and the differences in values were significant during both the
      first (p<0.001) and the fifth SSC (p<0.001). During the first SSC the cortisol
      level decrease was detected in 14 (40%) and an increase in 21 (60%) newborns, and
      during the fifth SSC a decrease was detected in 16 (45.7%) and an increase in 19
      (54.3%) newborns, without confirmed significance of the difference. Saliva
      sampling efficacy using eye sponge was 75%. CONCLUSIONS: Cortisol level decrease
      in mothers proves the stress reduction during SSC, while variable cortisol levels
      in infants do not indicate stress reduction and imply the need for further
      research. The used sampling method appeared to be one of the most optimal
      considering the sample volume, sampling time and efficacy.

PMID- 28356871
TI  - Comparison of Spectrophotometric and Fluorimetric Methods in Evaluation of
      Biotinidase Deficiency.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Biotin, a water-soluble vitamin, is used as a co-factor by enzymes
      involved in carboxylation reactions. Biotinidase (BTD) catalyzes the recycling of
      biotin from endogenous and dietary sources. Biotinidase deficiency (BD) is an
      autosomal recessively inherited disorder of biotin recycling that is associated
      with neurologic and cutaneous consequences when untreated. The aim of the study
      was to compare the results of spectrophotometric and fluorimetric methods, as
      well as to evaluate the advantages and disadvantages of both methods in current
      research practices. METHODS: Study group was chosen among the BD suspected
      newborn, children and parents (n = 52) who applied to Hacettepe University
      Pediatric Metabolism Unit. RESULTS: BTD activity is stable for 2 hours at room
      temperature and at 4  degrees C, and for 4 months at -20  degrees C and -80 
      degrees C. Genetic and clinical results showed that 25% of the total number of
      patients had complete BD which was treated with 10 mg/day biotin, while 15.38% of
      the patients had partial BD, and they were prescribed biotin 5 mg/day. The area
      under the ROC curve was 0.960+/-0.25 and 0.927+/- 0.41 for the fluorimetric and
      spectrophotometric method, respectively. Fluorimetric method showed 100%
      sensitivity and 97% specificity, whereas spectrophotometric method showed 90.5%
      sensitivity and 93.7% specificity. CONCLUSIONS: Fluorimetric method is superior
      to the spectrophotometric method due to higher sensitivity and specificity.

PMID- 28356872
TI  - The Relationship of Myocardial Collagen Metabolism and Reverse Remodeling after
      Cardiac Resynchronization Therapy.
AB  - BACKGROUND: In the majority of patients with a wide QRS complex and heart failure
      resistant to optimal medical therapy, cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT)
      leads to reverse ventricular remodeling and possibly to changes in cardiac
      collagen synthesis and degradation. We investigated the relationship of
      biomarkers of myocardial collagen metabolism and volumetric response to CRT.
      METHODS: We prospectively studied 46 heart failure patients (mean age 61+/-9
      years, 87% male) who underwent CRT implantation. Plasma concentrations of amino
      terminal propeptide type I (PINP), a marker of collagen synthesis, and carboxy
      terminal collagen telopeptide (CITP), a marker of collagen degradation, were
      measured before and 6 months after CRT. Response to CRT was defined as 15% or
      greater reduction in left ventricular end-systolic volume at 6-month follow-up.
      RESULTS: Baseline PINP levels showed a negative correlation with both left
      ventricular end-diastolic volume (r=-0.51; p=0.032), and end-systolic diameter
      (r=-0.47; p=0.049). After 6 months of device implantation, 28 patients (61%)
      responded to CRT. No significant differences in the baseline levels of PINP and
      CITP between responders and nonresponders were observed (p>0.05 for both). During
      follow-up, responders demonstrated a significant increase in serum PINP level
      from 31.37+/-18.40 to 39.2+/-19.19 MUg/L (p=0.049), whereas in non-responders
      serum PINP levels did not significantly change (from 28.12+/-21.55 to 34.47+/-
      18.64 MUg/L; p=0.125). There were no significant changes in CITP levels in both
      responders and non-responders (p>0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Left ventricular reverse
      remodeling induced by CRT is associated with an increased collagen synthesis in
      the first 6 months of CRT implantation.

PMID- 28356873
TI  - Silencing of LncRNA HULC Enhances Chemotherapy Induced Apoptosis in Human Gastric
      Cancer.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Gastric cancer (GC) is one of the most common cancers in the world;
      however, chemoresistance greatly decreases the efficacy of therapy in gastric
      cancer. Long noncoding RNAs (IncRNAs) participate in a variety of biological
      processes, and we hypothesize that lncRNA HULC regulates the multidrug resistance
      in GC treatment. METHODS: We obtained GC tissue samples from 42 GC patients and
      detected the expression level of HULC in the plasma and tissues via qRT-PCR. The
      relationship between HULC expression and survival rate was confirmed by Kaplan
      Meier survival analysis. We verified the expression of HULC in GC cell lines via
      qRT-PCR, and the function of HULC was detected via flow cytometry assay and CCK-8
      assay. RESULTS: HULC was highly expressed in the plasma and tissues of the GC
      patients compared with controls, with HULC high expression indicating lower
      survival rate. HULC knockdown enhanced cisplatin-induced apoptosis in GC cells.
      CONCLUSIONS: Our results suggest that silencing lncRNA HULC could enhance
      chemotherapy induced apoptosis in GC cells, which could provide a novel approach
      for therapeutic strategies.

PMID- 28356874
TI  - Transcriptional Activity of Gene Encoding Subunits R1 and R2 of Interferon Gamma
      Receptor in Peripheral Blood Mononuclear Cells in Patients with Slow Coronary
      Flow.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Slow coronary flow (SCF) is a coronary artery disorder characterized
      with delayed opacification of epicardial coronary arteries without obstructive
      coronary disease. The pathophysiological mechanisms of SCF remain unclear. One of
      the possible mechanisms that may participate in the pathology of SCF is
      endothelial dysfunction related to the inflammatory process. Interferon gamma
      (IFN-gamma) is an inflammatory cytokine that acts through its specific receptor
      composed of two subunits, IFN-gammaR1 and IFN-gammaR2. Transcriptional activity
      of the gene encoding these subunits influences IFN-gamma activity. This study
      aimed to investigate the gene expression of IFN-gamma receptor subunits in
      peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) from patients with SCF. METHODS: The
      study was performed with 30 patients (22 male/8 female) aged 35-76 (52.8+/-11.7
      years) with SCF and 15 sex- (11 male/4 female), Body Max Index (BMI)- and age
      matched (54.73+/-9.42 years) healthy subjects. Total mRNA was extracted from PBMC
      and was determined by quantitative reverse transcriptase polymerase chain
      reaction (qRT-PCR). The relative expression values (2-DeltaDeltaCt) between
      control and case groups were determined and the Mann-Whitney U test was used for
      statistical analysis. RESULTS: There was a significant increase in the gene
      expression of IFN-gammaR1 in PBMC from SCF patients vs. controls (P< 0.0001); but
      the differences in IFN-gammaR2 gene expression were statistically insignificant
      between patient and control groups (P= 0.853). CONCLUSIONS: It can be concluded
      that IFN-gamma gene expression may influence the function of microvasculature and
      thereby contribute to the pathophysiology of SCF.

PMID- 28356876
TI  - Usefulness of NT-proBNP in the Follow-Up of Patients after Myocardial Infarction.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Since serial analyses of NT-proBNP in patients with acute coronary
      syndromes have shown that levels measured during a chronic, later phase are a
      better predictor of prognosis and indicator of left ventricular function than the
      levels measured during an acute phase, we sought to assess the association of NT
      proBNP, measured 6 months after acute myocardial infarction (AMI), with
      traditional risk factors, characteristics of in-hospital and early postinfarction
      course, as well as its prognostic value and optimal cut-points in the ensuing 1
      year follow-up. METHODS: Fasting venous blood samples were drawn from 100
      ambulatory patients and NT-proBNP concentrations in lithium-heparin plasma were
      determined using a one-step enzyme immunoassay based on the "sandwich" principle
      on a Dimension RxL clinical chemistry system (DADE Behring-Siemens). Patients
      were followed-up for the next 1 year, for the occurrence of new cardiac events.
      RESULTS: Median (IQR) level of NT-proBNP was 521 (335-1095) pg/mL. Highest values
      were mostly associated with cardiac events during the first 6 months after AMI.
      Negative association with reperfusion therapy for index infarction confirmed its
      long-term beneficial effect. In the next one-year follow-up of stable patients,
      multivariate Cox regression analysis revealed the independent prognostic value of
      NT-proBNP for new-onset heart failure prediction (p=0.014), as well as for new
      coronary events prediction (p=0.035). Calculation of the AUCs revealed the
      optimal NT-proBNP cut-points of 800 pg/mL and 516 pg/mL, respectively.
      CONCLUSIONS: NT-proBNP values 6 months after AMI are mainly associated with the
      characteristics of early infarction and postinfarction course and can predict new
      cardiac events in the next one-year follow-up.

PMID- 28356875
TI  - Association of Bax Expression and Bcl2/Bax Ratio with Clinical and Molecular
      Prognostic Markers in Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia.
AB  - BACKGROUND: In chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL), in vivo apoptotic resistance
      of malignant B lymphocytes results, in part, from the intrinsic defects of their
      apoptotic machinery. These include genetic alterations and aberrant expression of
      many apoptosis regulators, among which the Bcl2 family members play a central
      role. AIM: The aim of this study was to investigate the association of pro
      apoptotic Bax gene expression and Bcl2/Bax ratio with the clinical features of
      CLL patients as well as with molecular prognostic markers, namely the mutational
      status of rearranged immunoglobulin heavy variable (IGHV) genes and lipoprotein
      lipase (LPL) gene expression. METHODS: We analyzed the expression of Bax mRNA and
      Bcl2/Bax mRNA ratio in the peripheral blood mononuclear cells of 58 unselected
      CLL patients and 10 healthy controls by the quantitative reverse-transcriptase
      polymerase chain reaction. RESULTS: We detected significant Bax gene
      overexpression in CLL samples compared to non-leukemic samples (p=0.003), as well
      as an elevated Bcl2/Bax ratio (p=<0.001). Regarding the association with
      prognostic markers, the Bcl2/Bax ratio showed a negative correlation to
      lymphocyte doubling time (r=-0.307; p=0.0451), while high-level Bax expression
      was associated with LPL-positive status (p=0.035). Both the expression of Bax and
      Bcl2/Bax ratio were higher in patients with unmutated vs. mutated IGHV
      rearrangements, but this difference did not reach statistical significance.
      CONCLUSIONS: Our results suggest that dysregulated expression of Bcl2 and Bax,
      which leads to a high Bcl2/Bax ratio in leukemic cells, contributes to the
      pathogenesis and clinical course of CLL.

PMID- 28356877
TI  - Lack of Association between Angiotensin Converting Enzyme I/D Polymorphism and
      Unexplained Recurrent Miscarriage in Saudi Arabia.
AB  - BACKGROUND: An insertion/deletion (I/D) polymorphism in the angiotensin
      converting enzyme (ACE) gene has been associated with recurrent miscarriage (RM)
      in several populations. We initiated this study to determine the association, if
      any, between the I/D polymorphism of ACE gene and RM in Saudi females. METHOD:
      This study was conducted on 61 Saudi females suffering from RM (mean age: 34.1+/
      6.2 years; range 15-45) attending clinics at King Khalid University Hospital, and
      59 age matched females who had at least 2 children, as controls. Blood samples
      were drawn in EDTA tubes by venipuncture. DNA was extracted using the Puregene
      DNA purification kits. Insertion/Deletion (I/D) polymorphism of ACE gene was
      investigated by amplifying the genomic DNA by PCR using gene-specific primers. A
      single 190 bp or 490 bp band was obtained in the homozygous cases for the D
      allele or I allele, respectively, while the presence of both 190 and 490 bp bands
      indicated heterozygosity (ID). STATISTICAL ANALYSIS: Deviation from Hardy
      Weinberg equilibrium was determined (http://ihg.gsf.de/cgi-bin/hw/hwa1.pl). A
      standard chi-square (chi2) test was used for comparing the genotype and allele
      frequencies in the two groups and Students't' test and chi2 test were employed to
      compare values between the two groups. P<0.05 was considered statistically
      significant. RESULTS: The frequencies of DD, ID, and II genotypes were 56.7%,
      29.5% and 4.9%, respectively, in females with RM and 54.2%, 42.3% and 3.3%
      respectively in the control group, but the difference was not statistically
      significant. CONCLUSION: In some populations, meta-analyses showed an association
      between I/D polymorphism and RM risk, and the D allele was implicated as an
      increased risk factor for RM. However, this association was not apparent in the
      Saudi females.

PMID- 28356878
TI  - Cardiac Troponin I is Increased in Patients with Polytrauma and Chest or Head
      Trauma. Results of A Retrospective Case-Control Study.
AB  - BACKGROUND: We performed a retrospective case-control study to assess the values
      of cardiac troponin I (cTnI) in a large number of patients admitted to the
      emergency department (ED) with different types of trauma. METHODS: The study
      population consisted of all patients aged 18 years or older admitted to the local
      ED with all types of traumas over a 1-year period. Results of cTnI were compared
      with those of 125 consecutive blood donors and 25 non-cardiac chest pain ED
      patients. RESULTS: The final study population consisted of 380 trauma patients,
      10 with isolated abdominal trauma, 99 with isolated trauma of the limbs, 49 with
      isolated chest trauma, 145 with isolated head trauma and 77 with polytrauma. The
      concentration of cTnI did not differ among the three study populations, but the
      frequency of measurable values was substantially higher in patients with trauma
      (63%) than in blood donors and non-cardiac chest pain ED patients (both 20%). The
      frequency of cTnI values above the 99th percentile of the reference range was
      significantly higher in trauma patients (20%) than in blood donors (0%) and
      noncardiac chest pain ED patients (8%). Increased cTnI values were more frequent
      after head trauma (21%), chest trauma (27%) and polytrauma (29%) compared to
      patients with abdominal (0%) or limbs trauma (8%). CONCLUSIONS: These results
      suggest that the measurement of cardiac troponin may be advisable to identify
      potential cardiac involvement in trauma patients, especially in those with
      polytrauma and head or chest trauma.

PMID- 28356879
TI  - Relationship between Cardiovascular Risk Score and Traditional and Nontraditional
      Cardiometabolic Parameters in Obese Adolescent Girls.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Since the cardiovascular (CV) risk score in the young population,
      children and adolescents, is underestimated, especially in developing countries
      such as Montenegro, where a strong interaction exists between the genetically
      conditioned CV risk and environmental factors, the purpose of this study was to
      estimate CV risk in apparently healthy adolescent girls. Moreover, we aimed to
      test some new, emerging CV risk factors and their interaction with the
      traditional ones, such as obesity. Precisely, we aimed to assess the impact of
      low bilirubin levels, as a routine biochemical parameter, as an additional risk
      factor for atherosclerotic disease in the adult phase. METHODS: Forty-five obese
      adolescent girls (mean age 17.8+/-1.22 years) and forty-five age- and sex-matched
      normal weight controls, all nonsmokers, were included. Anthropometric and
      biochemical parameters were measured. Cardiovascular Risk Score (CVRS) was
      calculated by adding the points for each risk factor (e.g. sex, HDL-c, non-HDL-c,
      blood pressure and fasting glycemia). RESULTS: A significant positive
      relationship between CVRS and ALT, hsCRP and TG/HDL-c, but an opposite
      relationship between CVRS and total bilirubin were found (P<0.001). Multiple
      linear regression analysis showed that higher waist circumference (WC) and LDL-c,
      but lower HDL-c were independent predictors of lower bilirubin values (adjusted
      R2=0.603, P<0.001). CONCLUSIONS: Obese adolescent girls are at an increased risk
      of cardiovascular disease late in life. In addition to the traditional risk
      factors, total bilirubin may have the potential to discriminate between low and
      higher risk for cardiovascular disturbances in healthy adolescent girls.

PMID- 28356880
TI  - Cardiovascular Risk Factors in 7-13 Years Old Children from Vojvodina (Serbia).
AB  - BACKGROUND: Atherosclerosis is a chronic inflammatory disease which starts early
      in life and depends on many factors, an important one being dyslipoproteinemia.
      According to several studies, atherosclerotic plaques or their precursors could
      be seen in children younger than 10 years. During later life, interaction with a
      sedentary way of life, as well as unhealthy nutrition, smoking, alcohol
      consumption, obesity and family history of cardiovascular disease cause the
      burden of atherosclerotic disease. METHODS: Study included 624 children (316
      boys, 308 girls), aged from 7-13 years. We analysed socio-demographic data (BMI,
      blood pressure, cardiovascular family history, smoking status), as well as lipid
      status with lipoprotein little a-Lp(a), and apolipoproteins: Apo AI, Apo B-100
      for all children. This enabled us to calculate new atherogenic indices Tg/HDL-c,
      lipid tetrad index (LTI) and lipid pentad index (LPI). Cardiovascular risk for
      later life was estimated by using modified Risk Score for Young Individuals (RS),
      which divided the subjects according to the score level: low, medium and higher
      risk. RESULTS: The older children (13 y) had better lipid status than the younger
      children, i.e. significantly lower total cholesterol, LDL-C, triglycerides and
      non-HDL-C concentration and significantly higher HDL-C concentration than the
      younger children and this was in accordance with the RS level. Children with a
      positive family history of CV disease had significantly higher Lp(a)
      concentration and blood pressure. LPI was significantly higher in children with a
      higher RS. CONCLUSIONS: The results of our work could be used for cardiovascular
      risk assessment in apparently healthy children to provide preventive measures
      which could control the changeable risk factors.

PMID- 28356882
TI  - Protective Role of Maternal P.VAL158MET Catechol-O-Methyltransferase Polymorphism
      against Early-Onset Preeclampsia and its Complications.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Up until now there have been contradictory data about the association
      between p.Val158Met catechol-O-methyltransferase (COMT) polymorphism and risk of
      preeclampsia (PE). The goal of this study was to assess the potential correlation
      between p.Val158Met COMT polymorphism and risk of early-onset PE, risk of a
      severe form of early-onset PE, as well as risk of small-for-gestational-age (SGA)
      complicating PE. METHODS: The study included 47 early-onset PE patients and 47
      control cases. Forty-seven early-onset PE patients were grouped by disease
      severity (33 patients with a severe form and 14 patients without severe features)
      and secondly by size for gestational age (12 patients with appropriate-for
      gestational-age (AGA) and 35 patients with SGA size). p.Val158Met polymorphism
      was genotyped by PCR-RFLP analysis. RESULTS: Allele analysis showed significant
      difference in COMT allele distribution between early-onset PE and control group
      as well as early-onset PE SGA and controls (p=0.04057 and p=0.0411 respectively).
      A statistically significant distribution difference between the severe form and
      form without severe features of early-onset PE patients was not observed
      (p>0.05). The highest difference observed was in the allele recessive model where
      COMT MetMet genotype was associated with decreased risk of early-onset PE
      (OR=0.281; 95%CI = 0.092-0.7836) and PE complications including severe early
      onset PE (OR= 0.304; 95%CI=0.086-0.944) and SGA early-onset PE (OR=0.284;
      95%CI=0.081-0.874). CONCLUSIONS: COMT may be used as a candidate gene for early
      onset PE and its severe form and SGA complications.

PMID- 28356883
TI  - NLRP3 and CARD8 Polymorphisms Influence Higher Disease Activity in Rheumatoid
      Arthritis.
AB  - BACKGROUND: The activation of NLRP3-inflammasome may contribute to inflammatory
      processes in rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Functional polymorphisms in the genes
      coding for its components NLRP3 and CARD8 were associated with a proinflammatory
      phenotype. Our aim was to investigate the influence of these polymorphisms on RA
      susceptibility and disease activity at the time of diagnosis and after six months
      of treatment. METHODS: A group of 128 RA patients treated with methotrexate and
      122 healthy controls were genotyped for NLRP3 rs35829419 (p. Q705K) and CARD8
      rs2043211 (p. C10X) polymorphisms. RESULTS: RA susceptibility was not influenced
      by the investigated polymorphisms or their interaction. The investigated
      polymorphisms explained 8% of variability in DAS28 at the time of diagnosis.
      Carriers of NLRP3 rs35829419 or CARD8 rs2043211 polymorphisms had significantly
      higher DAS28 at the time of diagnosis (p=0.003; p=0.022; respectively).
      Polymorphic CARD8 rs2043211 TT genotype was also associated with higher DAS28
      after six months of treatment (p=0.033). CONCLUSIONS: Genetic variability of
      inflammasome components may contribute to higher disease activity at the time of
      diagnosis and after 6 months of methotrexate treatment in RA patients. Better
      understanding of the immunological mechanisms behind a more active course of RA
      may suggest novel treatment approaches in a subset of patients with a
      proinflammatory phenotype.

PMID- 28356881
TI  - Association of GSTO1 and GSTO2 Polymorphism with Risk of End-Stage Renal Disease
      Development and Patient Survival.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Oxidative stress in patients with end-stage renal disease (ESRD) is
      associated with long-term cardiovascular complications. The cytosolic family of
      glutathione S-transferases (GSTs) is involved in the detoxication of various
      toxic compounds and antioxidant protection. GST omega class members, GSTO1 and
      GSTO2 possess, unlike other GSTs, dehydroascorbate reductase and
      deglutathionylation activities. The aim of this study was to clarify the role of
      genetic polymorphisms of GSTO1 (rs4925) and GSTO2 (rs156697) as risk determinants
      for ESRD development, as well as in the survival of these patients. METHODS: A
      total of 199 patients and 199 healthy subjects were included in the study and
      genotyped for both GSTO1 and GSTO2 polymorphism. Protein thiol and carbonyl
      groups as markers of protein oxidative damage were determined
      spectrophotometrically. Cox proportional hazard model and Kaplan-Meier analysis
      were performed to investigate the role of GSTO1 and GSTO2 genetic polymorphism on
      mortality of ESRD patients during the follow-up period (36 month). RESULTS:
      Individuals carrying the variant GSTO2 GG genotype were at 2.45-fold higher risk
      of ESRD development compared to the wild type GSTO2 AA genotype (OR=2.45;
      95%CI=1.18-5.07; p=0.016). The results of GSTO1/GSTO2 haplotype analysis showed
      that the haplotype combination of GSTO1 (*A)/GSTO2 (*A) (GSTO1 variant/GSTO2 wild
      type allele) was protective for ESRD (OR=0.23 95%CI=0.12-0.44, p=0.001). Patients
      carrying at least one GSTO1 reference allele have shorter mean overall (Log
      rank=2.844, p =0.241) and cardiovascular survival probability (Log rank=4.211,
      p=0.122). CONCLUSIONS: GSTO polymorphisms have been shown to act as significant
      markers in assessing the risk of ESRD development and patients' survival.

PMID- 28356884
TI  - Predictive Value of Carcinoembryonic and Carbohydrate Antigen 19-9 Related to
      Some Clinical, Endoscopic and Histological Colorectal Cancer Characteristics.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Colorectal cancer (CRC) is an important oncological and public health
      problem worldwide, including Serbia. Unfortunately, half of the patients are
      recognized in an advanced stage of the disease, therefore, early detection
      through specific tumor biomarkers, such as carcinoembryonic (CEA) and
      carbohydrate antigen 19-9 (CA 19-9), is the only way to cope with CRC expansion.
      METHODS: Our cross-sectional study evaluated the influence of some clinical,
      endoscopic and histological characteristics of CRC on CEA and CA 19-9 serum
      levels, to determine whether these biomarkers could be related to CRC detection.
      The study included 372 participants: 181 suffered from CRC and 191 participants
      were controls. Endoscopic and histological examinations were used for CRC
      diagnosis, while additional ultrasound and abdominal computerised tomography
      imaging were used for staging the disease. Measurement of CEA and CA 19-9 was
      performed after CRC confirmation. RESULTS: Age, gender, tumor localization, macro
      morphological and histological characteristics did not influence biomarkers serum
      levels. Both were significantly higher (p<0.01) in patients with Dukes D stage of
      CRC compared with controls. Sensitivity (76.8%) and specificity (76.6%) of CEA
      alone were higher than for CA 19-9, but with no statistical significance.
      Furthermore, sensitivity of CEA alone in the Dukes A/B group was similar to the
      entire CRC patient group. CONCLUSIONS: Although not recommended as a screening
      method for the general population, elevated values of each biomarker indicate
      further diagnostic procedures and their simultaneous testing can improve the
      diagnostic sensitivity in early detection of CRC, as shown by the united analysis
      (AUC 0.842).

PMID- 28356885
TI  - Susceptibility to Ulcerative Colitis and Genetic Polymorphisms of A251G SOD1 and
      C-262T CAT.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Reactive oxygen species can attack and damage almost every molecule
      found in living cells, including proteins, carbohydrates, lipids, and DNA. For
      this reason, their production is normally tightly controlled. Among the most
      important defenses against these radicals are the superoxide dismutase (SOD)
      enzymes and catalase (CAT). Increasing attention has been given to the role of
      reactive oxygen metabolites in the pathogenesis of ulcerative colitis (UC), which
      is defined as an idiopathic and chronic intestinal inflammation. Accordingly, we
      hypothesized a relation between genetic polymorphisms in the two antioxidant
      enzymes SOD1 A251G (rs2070424) and CAT C-262T (rs1001179) and the risk of UC.
      METHODS: The present case-control study included 109 UC patients (46 males and 50
      females) and 186 (67 males and 119 females) gender-matched healthy controls.
      Genotyping was done by the PCR-RFLP method. RESULTS: After adjusting for age and
      gender, a significant association was observed between the AG+GG genotypes of
      SOD1 A251G polymorphism (vs. AA genotype) and risk of UC (OR=0.29, 95% CI: 0.10
      0.86, P= 0.025) after adjusting for age and gender. Our statistical analysis
      revealed that the CAT C-262T polymorphism did not associate with the risk of UC
      before and/or after adjusting for age and gender. CONCLUSIONS: Based on the
      present statistical analysis, the G allele of the SOD1 A251G polymorphism
      decreases the risk of UC, thus it might be assumed that the G allele has a
      protective role.

PMID- 28356886
TI  - Analysis of the Variability of Epstein-Barr Virus Genes in Infectious
      Mononucleosis: Investigation of the Potential Correlation with Biochemical
      Parameters of Hepatic Involvement.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Primary Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) infection is usually asymptomatic,
      although at times it results in the benign lymphoproliferative disease,
      infectious mononucleosis (IM), during which almost half of patients develop
      hepatitis. The aims of the present study are to evaluate polymorphisms of EBV
      genes circulating in IM isolates from this geographic region and to investigate
      the correlation of viral sequence patterns with the available IM biochemical
      parameters. METHODS: The study included plasma samples from 128 IM patients. The
      genes EBNA2, LMP1, and EBNA1 were amplified using nested-PCR. EBNA2 genotyping
      was performed by visualization of PCR products using gel electrophoresis.
      Investigation of LMP1 and EBNA1 included sequence, phylogenetic, and statistical
      analyses. RESULTS: The presence of EBV DNA in plasma samples showed correlation
      with patients' necessity for hospitalization (p=0.034). The majority of EBV
      isolates was genotype 1. LMP1 variability showed 4 known variants, and two new
      deletions (27-bp and 147-bp). Of the 3 analyzed attributes of LMP1 isolates, the
      number of 33-bp repeats less than the reference 4.5 was the only one that
      absolutely correlated with the elevated levels of transaminases. EBNA1
      variability was presented by prototype subtypes. A particular combination of
      EBNA2, LMP1, and EBNA1 polymorphisms, deleted LMP1/P-thr and non-deleted LMP1/P
      ala, as well as genotype 1/ 4.5 33-bp LMP1 repeats or genotype 2/ 4.5 33-bp LMP1
      repeats showed correlation with elevated AST (aspartate aminotransferase) and ALT
      (alanine transaminase). CONCLUSIONS: This is the first study which identified the
      association between EBV variability and biochemical parameters in IM patients.
      These results showed a possibility for the identification of hepatic related
      diagnostic EBV markers.

PMID- 28356887
TI  - Pre-Test and Post-Test Applications to Shape the Education of Phlebotomists in A
      Quality Management Program: An Experience in a Training Hospital.
AB  - BACKGROUND: After the introduction of modern laboratory instruments and
      information systems, preanalytic phase is the new field of battle. Errors in
      preanalytical phase account for approximately half of total errors in clinical
      laboratory. The objective of this study was to share an experience of an
      education program that was believed to be successful in decreasing the number of
      rejected samples received from the Emergency Department (ED). METHODS: An
      education program about laboratory procedures, quality requirements in the
      laboratory, patient and health-care worker safety was planned by the quality team
      to be performed on 36 people who were responsible for sample collection in the
      ED. A questionary which included 11 questions about the preanalytic phase was
      applied to all the attendees before and after training. The number of rejected
      samples per million was discovered with right proportion account over the number
      of accepted and rejected samples to laboratory after and before the training
      period. RESULTS: Most of the attendees were nurses (n: 22/55%), with over 12
      years of experience in general and 2-4 years experience in the ED. Knowledge
      level of the attendees was calculated before training as 58.9% and after training
      as 91.8%. While the total rate of sample rejection before training was 2.35%
      (sigma value 3.37-3.50), the rate after training was 1.56% (sigma value 3.62
      3.75). CONCLUSIONS: Increasing the knowledge of staff has a direct positive
      impact on the preanalytic phase. The application of a pre-test was observed to be
      a feasible tool to shape group specific education programs.

PMID- 28356888
TI  - Mothers' Mobility after Separation: Do Grandmothers Matter?
AB  - Starting from a life course perspective, this study aims to gain more insight
      into mobility patterns of recently separated mothers, focusing especially on
      moves to the location of their own mother: the maternal grandmother. Separated
      mothers, having linked lives with their own mothers, may benefit from their
      practical and emotional support. Additionally, the grandparents' home can be a
      (temporary) place to stay shortly after divorce. Data come from the System of
      social statistical datasets (Statistics Netherlands). This unique dataset
      combines longitudinal data from a vast number of administrative registers. It
      covers the complete Dutch population, making it exceptionally well suited for
      life course and mobility research. We studied mothers with minor children between
      1/1/2008 and 31/12/2010. Our study included 579,500 mothers, of whom about 8,800
      (1.5%) experienced a separation in 2008. Separated mothers moved to the
      grandmother's municipality more often than non-separated mothers, which might be
      partially motivated by the need for childcare. They also coresided with the
      grandmother more than non-separated movers, mostly because of a vulnerable socio
      economic position. Although often temporary, coresidence appears to have a
      prolonged impact on the mothers' location choice; mothers frequently stayed in
      the grandmother's municipality after moving out. Finally, our results indicated
      that some mothers seemed to use the parental home as a stepping stone to cohabit
      with a new partner. (c) 2016 The Authors. Population, Space and Place published
      by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

PMID- 28356889
TI  - The Effects of Different Intensities of Exercise on Behavioral and Molecular Pain
      Related Reactions in Rats: Implications for Medication Development.
AB  - Drug discovery for pain management is an important area of research given current
      limitations in medications for pain, including the addictive potential of
      opiates. While exercise may help worsen or lessen pain, the precise molecular
      mechanisms involved are incompletely understood. Thus, in the present study, we
      evaluated the effects of exercise intensity on pain via assessment of behavior
      and c-Fos expression. An animal model of moderate and high-intensity treadmill
      exercise was established. The specific nociceptive behaviors, such as flinches,
      favoring, lifting, and licking, were observed within 60 min following
      intraplantar injection of formalin. Lifting and licking times in the 1 h
      following formalin injection were shorter in the moderate/high-intensity exercise
      groups than the control group. The common pain scores in the exercise groups were
      significantly lower than those in the control group. There was no significant
      difference between the exercise groups. There was no significant difference in
      flinches among the three groups. Moderate/high-intensity exercise decreased c-Fos
      expression in the ipsilateral dorsal horn. These results suggest that different
      intensities of exercise may substantially influence pain-related responses.
      Exercise may reduce c-Fos expression and attenuate pain-related behaviors and
      provide insight into how exercise may reduce pain. Further research is needed to
      understand the precise mechanisms by which exercise may reduce c-Fos expression
      as the mediating entities may represent suitable targets for medication
      development for pain management, including medications that might be used in lieu
      of or in conjunction with exercise.

PMID- 28356890
TI  - Evaluation and Optimization of in silico designed Sphingosine-1-Phosphate (S1P)
      Receptor Subtype 1 Modulators for the Management of Multiple Sclerosis.
AB  - Multiple Sclerosis (MS) is a chronic autoimmune disorder affecting the Central
      Nervous System (CNS) through inflammation, demyelination and neurodegeneration.
      Sphingosine-1-phosphate receptor (S1PR1) modulators have been approved for the
      management of MS. Phosphorylated fingolimod mimics endogenous sphingosine-1
      phosphate (S1P), a bioactive lipid that regulates remyelination and cell injury.
      Amiselimod was developed as a successor of fingolimod, with more specificity for
      S1PR1, and showed promising results until phase 2 clinical trials. This study
      utilized the fingolimod and amiselimod scaffolds, together with their critical
      binding interactions for the S1PR1 Ligand Binding Pocket, as templates for the in
      silico de novo design of high efficiency binding Lipinski rule-compliant
      molecules. A rigorous selection process identified two molecules, Molecules 003
      and 019, deriving from fingolimod and amiselimod, respectively, which were deemed
      most suitable for further optimization.

PMID- 28356891
TI  - Variable Effects of Autophagy Induction by Trehalose on Herpesviruses Depending
      on Conditions of Infection.
AB  - Trehalose is a non-reducing sugar formed from two glucose units. Trehalose
      induces abundant autophagy in cultured cells and also reduces the rate of
      aggregation of the huntingtin protein in the animal model of Huntington disease,
      a chronic neurological disease in humans. The mechanism of this effect on
      autophagy is now known to be caused by starvation secondary to inhibition of a
      family of glucose transporters known as the solute carrier 2 or the glucose
      transporter family. Variable effects of trehalose treatment have been observed
      during infections with two herpesviruses-human cytomegalovirus and varicella
      zoster virus. The reasons for differing results have now been delineated. These
      differences are caused by two variables in conditions of infection: timing of
      addition of trehalose and type of inoculum (cell-free virus vs. infected cells).
      When monolayers pretreated with trehalose were inoculated with cell-free virus,
      there was a decline in virus spread by as much as 93 percent when compared with
      untreated monolayers. However, when monolayers were inoculated with infected
      cells rather than cell-free virus, there was no decline in virus spread. These
      results demonstrated that the effect of trehalose was limited to monolayers that
      were starved when inoculated with cell-free virus. In contrast, sufficient virus
      was already present in infected cell inocula so as to minimize any inhibitory
      effect of a starved monolayer. These results also showed that trehalose did not
      specifically inhibit a herpesvirus; rather, addition of trehalose to cell culture
      media altered the intracellular environment.

PMID- 28356892
TI  - Discovery of a Structurally Unique Small Molecule that Inhibits Protein
      Synthesis.
AB  - Identifying and characterizing natural products and synthetic small molecules
      that inhibit biochemical processes such as ribosomal translation can lead to
      novel sources of molecular probes and therapeutics. The search for new
      antibiotics has been invigorated by the increasing burden of drug-resistant
      bacteria and has identified many clinically essential prokaryote-specific
      ribosome inhibitors. However, the current cohort of antibiotics is limited with
      regards to bacterial resistance mechanisms because of structural similarity
      within classes. From a high-throughput screen for translation inhibitors, we
      discovered a new compound, T6102, which inhibits bacterial protein synthesis in
      vitro, inhibits bacterial growth of Bacillus subtilis in vivo, and has a chemical
      structure that appears to be unique among known classes of translation-inhibiting
      antibiotics. T6102's unique structure compared to current clinically-utilized
      antibiotics makes it an exciting new candidate for the development of next
      generation antibiotics.

PMID- 28356893
TI  - Alzheimer's Toxic Amyloid Beta Oligomers: Unwelcome Visitors to the Na/K ATPase
      alpha3 Docking Station.
AB  - Toxic amyloid beta oligomers (AbetaOs) are known to accumulate in Alzheimer's
      disease (AD) and in animal models of AD. Their structure is heterogeneous, and
      they are found in both intracellular and extracellular milieu. When given to CNS
      cultures or injected ICV into non-human primates and other non-transgenic
      animals, AbetaOs have been found to cause impaired synaptic plasticity, loss of
      memory function, tau hyperphosphorylation and tangle formation, synapse
      elimination, oxidative and ER stress, inflammatory microglial activation, and
      selective nerve cell death. Memory loss and pathology in transgenic models are
      prevented by AbetaO antibodies, while Aducanumab, an antibody that targets
      AbetaOs as well as fibrillar Abeta, has provided cognitive benefit to humans in
      early clinical trials. AbetaOs have now been investigated in more than 3000
      studies and are widely thought to be the major toxic form of Abeta. Although much
      has been learned about the downstream mechanisms of AbetaO action, a major gap
      concerns the earliest steps: How do AbetaOs initially interact with surface
      membranes to generate neuron-damaging transmembrane events? Findings from Ohnishi
      et al (PNAS 2005) combined with new results presented here are consistent with
      the hypothesis that AbetaOs act as neurotoxins because they attach to particular
      membrane protein docks containing Na/K ATPase-alpha3, where they inhibit ATPase
      activity and pathologically restructure dock composition and topology in a manner
      leading to excessive Ca++ build-up. Better understanding of the mechanism that
      makes attachment of AbetaOs to vulnerable neurons a neurotoxic phenomenon should
      open the door to therapeutics and diagnostics targeting the first step of a
      complex pathway that leads to neural damage and dementia.

PMID- 28356894
TI  - A Novel Epi-drug Therapy Based on the Suppression of BET Family Epigenetic
      Readers.
AB  - Recent progress in epigenetic research has made a profound influence on
      pharmacoepigenomics, one of the fastest growing disciplines promising to provide
      new epi-drugs for the treatment of a broad range of diseases. Histone acetylation
      is among the most essential chromatin modifications underlying the dynamics of
      transcriptional activation. The acetylated genomic regions recruit the BET
      (bromodomain and extra-terminal) family of bromodomains (BRDs), thereby serving
      as a molecular scaffold in establishing RNA polymerase II specificity. Over the
      past several years, the BET epigenetic readers have become the main targets for
      drug therapy. The discovery of selective small-molecule compounds with capacity
      to inhibit BET proteins has paved a path for developing novel strategies against
      cancer, cardiovascular, skeletal, and inflammatory diseases. Therefore, further
      research into small chemicals impeding the regulatory activity of BRDs could
      offer therapeutic benefits for many health problems including tumor growth, heart
      disease, oral, and bone disorders.

PMID- 28356895
TI  - Exploiting Long Noncoding RNAs as Pharmacological Targets to Modulate Epigenetic
      Diseases.
AB  - Long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) constitute the largest class of non-coding
      transcripts in the human genome. Results from next-generation sequencing and
      bioinformatics advances indicate that the human genome contains more non-coding
      RNA genes than protein-coding genes. Validated functions of lncRNAs suggest that
      they are master regulators of gene expression and often exert their influences
      via epigenetic mechanisms by modulating chromatin structure. Specific lncRNAs can
      regulate transcription in gene clusters. Since the functions of protein-coding
      genes in clusters are often tied to specific pathways, lncRNAs constitute
      attractive pharmacological targets. Here we review the current knowledge of
      lncRNA functions in human cells and their roles in disease processes. We also
      present forward-looking perspectives on how they might be manipulated
      pharmacologically for the treatment of a variety of human diseases, in which
      regulation of gene expression by epigenetic mechanisms plays a major role.

PMID- 28356896
TI  - A Cell-Based Assay to Assess Hemichannel Function.
AB  - Activation of connexin hemichannels is involved in the pathophysiology of
      disorders that include deafness, stroke, and cardiac infarct. This aspect makes
      hemichannels an attractive therapeutic target. Unfortunately, most available
      inhibitors are not selective or isoform specific, which hampers their
      translational application. The absence of a battery of useful inhibitors is due
      in part to the absence of simple screening assays for the discovery of
      hemichannel-active drugs. Here, we present an assay that we have recently
      developed to assess hemichannel function. The assay is based on the expression of
      functional human connexins in a genetically modified bacterial strain deficient
      in K+ uptake. These modified cells do not grow in low-K+ medium, but functional
      expression of connexin hemichannels allows K+ uptake and growth. This cell-growth
      based assay is simple, robust, and easily scalable to high-throughput multi-well
      platforms.

PMID- 28356898
TI  - Novel Pharmacologic Candidates for Treatment of Primary Open-Angle Glaucoma.
AB  - Primary open-angle glaucoma (OAG) affects approximately 45 million people
      worldwide and more than 2.5 million people aged 40 years or older in the United
      States. Pharmacologic treatment for glaucoma is directed towards lowering
      intraocular pressure (IOP) to slow disease progression and delay visual field
      loss. Current medical treatment options for the lowering of IOP include the
      following classes of topical medications: beta-adrenergic antagonists, alpha
      adrenergic agonists, cholinergic agonists, carbonic anhydrase inhibitors, and
      prostaglandin analogs. Issues with existing drugs include failure to achieve
      target IOP with monotherapy, drug-related side effects, and low patient
      compliance with multiple daily administration of eye drops. In recent years, the
      scientific and medical community has seen encouraging development of novel
      classes of drugs for primary OAG, the majority of which lower IOP by targeting
      the trabecular meshwork outflow pathway to increase aqueous humor outflow. Among
      the most promising new pharmacologic candidates are rho kinase inhibitors
      including ripasudil (K-115), netarsudil (AR-13324), and AMA0076; adenosine
      receptor agonists including trabodenoson (INO-8875); and modified prostaglandin
      analogs including latanoprostene bunod (LBN, BOL-303259-X) and ONO-9054. This
      study aims to systematically review and summarize the most recent developments in
      clinical trials for new pharmacologic options for the treatment of primary open
      angle glaucoma.

PMID- 28356900
TI  - Medication Safety in Clinical Trials: Role of the Pharmacist in Optimizing
      Practice, Collaboration, and Education to Reduce Errors.
AB  - Standardized safety practices for investigational drugs in clinical research
      protocols are limited and the vast majority of research pharmacists have concerns
      regarding its safety. Identified areas for medication safety risks include
      protocol complexity, medication ordering, and the processes for packaging,
      storage, and dispensing investigational medications. Inclusion of a pharmacist
      creates multiple mechanisms to promote safety and improve the quality of clinical
      research. This is accomplished through collaborating in the development of a
      research protocol, reviewing as a member of an advisory committee, developing
      mechanisms that contribute to safety, and assuring compliance with local and
      national regulations and standards. Ultimately, the profession of pharmacy has
      foundational responsibility for assuring the safe and effective use of
      medications, including investigational drugs in clinical research. It is through
      multidisciplinary collaboration that a research study will attain the highest
      standards for safety and maximize the quality and effectiveness of the data
      obtained in the clinical trial.

PMID- 28356899
TI  - Drug Development Against Metastatic Cancers.
AB  - While combinational diagnostic and treatment strategies over the past decades
      have significantly improved the overall survival of cancer patients, metastatic
      cancer remains a leading cause of death in developed countries. The lack of
      successful treatment strategies for the disease is in large part due to the
      complexity of the metastatic transformation, which embodies extensive cellular
      and extracellular alterations, enabling metastatic cancer cells to reach and
      colonize other organs. The mode of action for the majority of anti-cancer drugs
      used in clinics today is primarily tumor growth inhibition. While they are
      effective in destroying cancer cells, they fall short in blocking metastasis.
      Here we discuss the evolution of past and current anti-cancer drug development,
      the limits of current strategies, and possible alternative approaches for future
      drug development against metastatic cancers.

PMID- 28356897
TI  - Novel Molecular Strategies and Targets for Opioid Drug Discovery for the
      Treatment of Chronic Pain.
AB  - Opioid drugs like morphine and fentanyl are the gold standard for treating
      moderate to severe acute and chronic pain. However, opioid drug use can be
      limited by serious side effects, including constipation, tolerance, respiratory
      suppression, and addiction. For more than 100 years, we have tried to develop
      opioids that decrease or eliminate these liabilities, with little success. Recent
      advances in understanding opioid receptor signal transduction have suggested new
      possibilities to activate the opioid receptors to cause analgesia, while reducing
      or eliminating unwanted side effects. These new approaches include designing
      functionally selective ligands, which activate desired signaling cascades while
      avoiding signaling cascades that are thought to provoke side effects. It may also
      be possible to directly modulate downstream signaling through the use of
      selective activators and inhibitors. Separate from downstream signal
      transduction, it has also been found that when the opioid system is stimulated,
      various negative feedback systems are upregulated to compensate, which can drive
      side effects. This has led to the development of multi-functional molecules that
      simultaneously activate the opioid receptor while blocking various negative
      feedback receptor systems including cholecystokinin and neurokinin-1. Other novel
      approaches include targeting heterodimers of the opioid and other receptor
      systems which may drive side effects, and making endogenous opioid peptides
      druggable, which may also reduce opioid mediated side effects. Taken together,
      these advances in our molecular understanding provide a path forward to break the
      barrier in producing an opioid with reduced or eliminated side effects,
      especially addiction, which may provide relief for millions of patients.

PMID- 28356903
TI  - Biomarkers, Translational Medicine, and Drug Development: An Interview with
      Chirag R. Parikh, MD, PhD.

PMID- 28356901
TI  - Penicillin's Discovery and Antibiotic Resistance: Lessons for the Future?
AB  - Undoubtedly, the discovery of penicillin is one of the greatest milestones in
      modern medicine. 2016 marks the 75th anniversary of the first systemic
      administration of penicillin in humans, and is therefore an occasion to reflect
      upon the extraordinary impact that penicillin has had on the lives of millions of
      people since. This perspective presents a historical account of the discovery of
      the wonder drug, describes the biological nature of penicillin, and considers
      lessons that can be learned from the golden era of antibiotic research, which
      took place between the 1940s and 1960s. Looking back at the history of penicillin
      might help us to relive this journey to find new treatments and antimicrobial
      agents. This is particularly relevant today as the emergence of multiple drug
      resistant bacteria poses a global threat, and joint efforts are needed to combat
      the rise and spread of resistance.

PMID- 28356902
TI  - Is Open Science the Future of Drug Development?
AB  - Traditional drug development models are widely perceived as opaque and
      inefficient, with the cost of research and development continuing to rise even as
      production of new drugs stays constant. Searching for strategies to improve the
      drug discovery process, the biomedical research field has begun to embrace open
      strategies. The resulting changes are starting to reshape the industry. Open
      science-an umbrella term for diverse strategies that seek external input and
      public engagement-has become an essential tool with researchers, who are
      increasingly turning to collaboration, crowdsourcing, data sharing, and open
      sourcing to tackle some of the most pressing problems in medicine. Notable
      examples of such open drug development include initiatives formed around malaria
      and tropical disease. Open practices have found their way into the drug discovery
      process, from target identification and compound screening to clinical trials.
      This perspective argues that while open science poses some risks-which include
      the management of collaboration and the protection of proprietary data-these
      strategies are, in many cases, the more efficient and ethical way to conduct
      biomedical research.

PMID- 28356904
TI  - Clinical utility of patiromer, sodium zirconium cyclosilicate, and sodium
      polystyrene sulfonate for the treatment of hyperkalemia: an evidence-based
      review.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: Hyperkalemia is a serious medical condition that often manifests in
      patients with chronic kidney disease and heart failure. Renin-angiotensin
      aldosterone system inhibitors are known to improve outcomes in these disease
      states but can also cause drug-induced hyperkalemia. New therapeutic options
      exist for managing hyperkalemia in these patients which warrant evidence-based
      evaluation. AIM: The objective of this article was to review the efficacy and
      safety evidence for patiromer, sodium zirconium cyclosilicate (ZS9), and sodium
      polystyrene sulfonate (SPS) for the treatment of hyperkalemia. EVIDENCE REVIEW:
      Current treatment options to enhance potassium excretion are SPS and loop
      diuretics, which are complicated by ambiguous efficacy and known toxicities.
      Patiromer and ZS9 are new agents designed to address this treatment gap. Both
      unabsorbable compounds bind potassium in the gastrointestinal (GI) tract to
      facilitate fecal excretion. The capacity to bind other medications in the GI
      tract infers high drug-drug interaction potential, which has been demonstrated
      with patiromer but not yet investigated with ZS9 or SPS. Phase II and III
      clinical trials of patiromer and ZS9 demonstrated clear evidence of a dose
      dependent potassium-lowering effect and the ability to initiate, maintain, or
      titrate renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system inhibitors. There is limited
      evidence base for SPS: two small clinical trials indicated potassium reduction in
      chronic hyperkalemia. All agents may cause adverse GI effects, although they are
      less frequent with ZS9. Concerns remain for SPS to cause rare GI damage.
      Electrolyte abnormalities occurred with patiromer and SPS, whereas urinary tract
      infections, edema, and corrected QT-interval prolongations were reported with
      ZS9. CONCLUSION: Patiromer and ZS9 have improved upon the age-old standard SPS
      for the treatment of hyperkalemia. Additional research should focus on drug-drug
      interactions in patients on multiple medications, incidence of rare adverse
      events, and use in high-risk populations.

PMID- 28356905
TI  - Corrigendum: Matrix Metalloproteinase-7 and Kidney Fibrosis.
AB  - [This corrects the article on p. 21 in vol. 8, PMID: 28239354.].

PMID- 28356906
TI  - Corrigendum: Failing to get the gist of what's being said: background noise
      impairs higher-order cognitive processing.
AB  - [This corrects the article on p. 548 in vol. 6, PMID: 26052289.].

PMID- 28356907
TI  - Neuroprotective Effect and Mechanism of Thiazolidinedione on Dopaminergic Neurons
      In Vivo and In Vitro in Parkinson's Disease.
AB  - The aim of the present study was to gain insight into the neuroprotection effects
      and mechanism of thiazolidinedione pioglitazone in both in vitro and in vivo
      MPP+/MPTP induced PD models. In vivo experimental results showed that oral
      treatment of pioglitazone resulted in significant improvements in behavior
      symptoms damaged by MPTP and increase in the survival of TH positive neurons in
      the pioglitazone intervention groups. In addition, oral treatment of pioglitazone
      increased the expression of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-gamma
      coactivator of 1alpha (PGC-1alpha) and increased the number of mitochondria,
      along with an observed improvement in mitochondrial ultrastructure. From in vitro
      studies, 2,4-thiazolidinedione resulted in increased levels of molecules
      regulated function of mitochondria, including PGC-1alpha, nuclear respiratory
      factor 1 (NRF1), NRF2, and mitochondria fusion 2 (Mfn2), and inhibited
      mitochondria fission 1 (Fis1). We show that protein levels of Bcl-2 and ERK were
      reduced in the MPP+-treated group compared with the control group. This effect
      was observed to be reversed upon treatment with 2,4-thiazolidinedione, as Bcl-2
      and ERK expression levels were increased. We also observed that levels of the
      apoptotic protein Bax showed opposite changes compared to Bcl-2 and ERK levels.
      The results from this study confirm that pioglitazone/2,4-thiazolidinedione is
      able to activate PGC-1alpha and prevent damage of dopaminergic neurons and
      restore mitochondria ultrastructure through the regulation of mitochondria
      function.

PMID- 28356908
TI  - Random Deep Belief Networks for Recognizing Emotions from Speech Signals.
AB  - Now the human emotions can be recognized from speech signals using machine
      learning methods; however, they are challenged by the lower recognition
      accuracies in real applications due to lack of the rich representation ability.
      Deep belief networks (DBN) can automatically discover the multiple levels of
      representations in speech signals. To make full of its advantages, this paper
      presents an ensemble of random deep belief networks (RDBN) method for speech
      emotion recognition. It firstly extracts the low level features of the input
      speech signal and then applies them to construct lots of random subspaces. Each
      random subspace is then provided for DBN to yield the higher level features as
      the input of the classifier to output an emotion label. All outputted emotion
      labels are then fused through the majority voting to decide the final emotion
      label for the input speech signal. The conducted experimental results on
      benchmark speech emotion databases show that RDBN has better accuracy than the
      compared methods for speech emotion recognition.

PMID- 28356909
TI  - Treatment of Prolapsing Hemorrhoids in HIV-Infected Patients with Tissue
      Selecting Technique.
AB  - The aim of this retrospective study was to evaluate the outcome of a tissue
      selecting therapy stapler (TST) for prolapsing hemorrhoids in HIV-infected
      patients. Sixty-two patients with stage III-IV hemorrhoidal prolapse were treated
      with TST by a single surgeon between June and November 2014. The TST group
      comprised 32 patients (4 females), and the TST + HIV group comprised 30 HIV
      infected patients (3 females). Age, gender, and preoperative examination as well
      as intraoperative and postoperative features were assessed. There was no marked
      difference in hemorrhoidal prolapse between the TST and HIV + TST groups, except
      for patient satisfaction at 12 months. TST is an effective and safe technique for
      treatment of prolapsing hemorrhoids in HIV-infected patients.

PMID- 28356910
TI  - Clinicopathological Characteristics and Prognosis of Papillary Thyroid Carcinoma
      in Naturally Menopausal Women with Various Durations of Premenarche, Reproductive
      Periods, and Postmenopausal Stages.
AB  - Background. Papillary thyroid cancer (PTC) exhibits a higher incidence in women.
      Due to various ages at menarche and menopause, estrogen levels vary, which may
      account for the differences in the occurrence, development, and prognosis of
      female patients with PTC. Objective. The aim of this study was to investigate the
      association between various durations in different estrogen levels and PTC and to
      provide important information to guide clinical management and treatment of this
      disease. Methods. First, we selected naturally menopausal female study subjects
      diagnosed with PTC at Zhejiang Cancer Hospital from 2007 to 2012 and then
      compared the differences in clinicopathological characteristics and prognosis
      among subjects with various lengths of premenarche, reproductive periods, and
      postmenopausal stages. Results. We found that all patients showed a significantly
      higher incidence of tumor multicentricity and intrathyroidal dissemination as the
      time after menopause increased. Additionally, women with shorter (<30) or longer
      (>38) reproductive lives had increased recurrence rates of PTC. Conclusions. In
      this study, we did not find any relationship of self-reported menarche and
      menopausal ages with the prognosis of PTC patients. More importantly, natural
      postmenopausal PTC patients with shorter or longer reproductive life, compared to
      the normal groups, had a higher rate of cancer recurrence and the patients with
      these characteristics could be recommended a more aggressive surgical treatment.

PMID- 28356911
TI  - Factors Associated with the Prevalence of Thyroid Nodules and Goiter in Middle
      Aged Euthyroid Subjects.
AB  - The aim of the present study was to determine associations of thyroid hormone
      levels and different metabolic parameters and anthropometric measurements with
      volume of nodular and nonnodular thyroid as well as with prevalence of goiter and
      thyroid nodules in middle-aged euthyroid subjects. Methods. The study consisted
      of 317 euthyroid subjects aged 48-49 from the Kaunas Cardiovascular Risk Cohort
      study. Thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH), free thyroxine (FT4), and antithyroid
      peroxidase antibody (ATPO) levels, as well as anthropometric and metabolic
      parameters and smoking information, were evaluated. Results. In subjects with and
      without thyroid nodules, thyroid volume correlated with components of metabolic
      syndrome, body mass index (BMI), smoking, and TSH levels. In the nonnodular
      thyroid group, thyroid volume was also positively related to serum insulin and
      HOMA-IR, whereas a negative correlation between thyroid volume and leptin was
      identified in the nodular thyroid group. The goiter was identified in 12.3% of
      subjects. Female gender, thyroid nodules, smoking, BMI, and levels of TSH were
      independent predictors for goiter. Thyroid nodules were found in 31.2% of
      participants. Female gender, higher TSH levels, and thyroid volume were
      independent risk factors for thyroid nodules. Conclusions. Female gender, thyroid
      nodules, smoking, BMI, and TSH levels were identified as potential predictors of
      goiter. Female gender, TSH levels, and thyroid volume predicted the presence of
      thyroid nodules.

PMID- 28356912
TI  - Toothpick inside the Common Bile Duct: A Case Report and Literature Review.
AB  - The incidence and prevalence of foreign body (FB) ingestion are difficult to
      estimate. Unlike other foreign bodies, the ingestion of a toothpick is very
      uncommon and carries high morbidity and mortality rates. We report a case of a 73
      year-old female patient presenting mid-term epigastric pain. Abdominal ultrasound
      revealed a slightly dilated common bile duct (CBD) and magnetic resonance showed
      an irregular filling failure in distal CBD and gallstones. Endoscopic Retrograde
      Cholangiopancreatography revealed major papilla on the edge of a diverticulum and
      confirmed the distal filling failure. After sphincterotomy, a partially intact
      toothpick was extracted from the CBD. Neither fistulas nor perforation signs were
      found. Literature related to foreign bodies and toothpick ingestion was reviewed
      and some hypotheses to explain the reported case were created. To our knowledge,
      this is the first report of a toothpick lodged inside the biliary tract.

PMID- 28356913
TI  - Posterior Cord Syndrome and Trace Elements Deficiency as an Uncommon Presentation
      of Common Variable Immunodeficiency.
AB  - Diarrhea is one of the most common symptoms in common variable immunodeficiency,
      but neurologic manifestations are rare. We presented a 50-year-old woman with
      recurrent diarrhea and severe weight loss that developed a posterior cord
      syndrome. Endoscopy found a duodenal villous blunting, intraepithelial
      lymphocytosis, and lack of plasma cells and magnetic resonance imaging of the
      spine was normal. Laboratory assays confirmed common variable immunodeficiency
      syndrome and showed low levels of trace elements (copper and zinc). Treatment was
      initiated with parenteral replacement of trace elements and intravenous human
      immunoglobulin and the patient improved clinically. In conclusion, physicians
      must be aware that gastrointestinal and neurologic disorders may be related to
      each other and remember to request trace elements laboratory assessment.

PMID- 28356915
TI  - Role of Parental Smoking in Severe Bronchiolitis: A Hospital Based Case-Control
      Study.
AB  - Objective. Bronchiolitis is one of the commonest causes of hospitalization of
      infants and young children in Bangladesh. About 21% of under 5 children attending
      different hospitals of Bangladesh have bronchiolitis. Fifty percent (50%) men and
      three percent (3%) women of Bangladesh are smokers. Parental smoking is an
      important risk factor for both susceptibility and severity of bronchiolitis. The
      aim of this study was to find out the role of parental smoking in severe
      bronchiolitis. Design. Case-control study. Place and Duration of Study. The study
      was conducted in the Department of Paediatrics, Sylhet MAG Osmani Medical College
      Hospital, Bangladesh, from July 2013 to December 2015. Patients and Methods.
      Sixty-four patients admitted into the ward with severe bronchiolitis were
      enrolled as cases and sixty-four suitably matched apparently healthy children
      attending EPI centre and outpatient department presenting with nonrespiratory
      illness were enrolled as controls. Sample size was calculated using Guilford and
      Frucher formula. The technique was systematic random sampling. Every second case
      satisfying the inclusion and exclusion criteria was enrolled in the study.
      Results. The mean age of the patients was 7.53 (SD +/- 4.75) months. Forty
      (62.5%) patients were male and twenty four (37.5%) patients were female. Male-to
      female ratio was 1.7 : 1. Most of the cases (60.95%) came from low socioeconomic
      background. More than half of the cases (53.13%) were not exclusively breastfed
      babies. Mean length of hospital stay was 6.41 (SD +/- 2.82) days. Thirty eight
      (59%) cases and twenty six (34%) controls were exposed to parental smoking.
      Result was highly significant (p = 0.005). Odds ratio was 2.8 (95% CI from 1.36
      to 5.72). Conclusion. Exposure to parental smoking causes a statistically
      significant (p = 0.005, odds ratio = 2.8) increase in the risk of developing
      severe bronchiolitis in the first year of life.

PMID- 28356914
TI  - Targeting Signaling Pathways in Cancer Stem Cells for Cancer Treatment.
AB  - The Wnt, Hedgehog, and Notch pathways are inherent signaling pathways in normal
      embryogenesis, development, and hemostasis. However, dysfunctions of these
      pathways are evident in multiple tumor types and malignancies. Specifically,
      aberrant activation of these pathways is implicated in modulation of cancer stem
      cells (CSCs), a small subset of cancer cells capable of self-renewal and
      differentiation into heterogeneous tumor cells. The CSCs are accountable for
      tumor initiation, growth, and recurrence. In this review, we focus on roles of
      Wnt, Hedgehog, and Notch pathways in CSCs' stemness and functions and summarize
      therapeutic studies targeting these pathways to eliminate CSCs and improve
      overall cancer treatment outcomes.

PMID- 28356916
TI  - Spasmolytic and Antibacterial Activity of Two Citrus sinensis Osbeck Varieties
      Cultivated in Mexico.
AB  - Antibacterial activity on ATCC strains of Escherichia coli, Salmonella enterica,
      Salmonella enteritidis, and Salmonella choleraesuis and spasmolytic effect on
      contraction on rat ileum trips were determinate. Eight organic extracts (hexanic
      and methanolic) of albedo (mesocarp) and flavedo (pericarp) of two varieties
      (Valencian and National) of Citrus sinensis (L.) Osbeck of Yucatan, Mexico, were
      studied. Additionally, chromatographic fingerprints were obtained and correlated
      with their pharmacological effects. MAN, MAV, and HFN extract caused inhibition
      against S. choleraesuis (MIC: 1000 ug/mL) and S. enteritidis (MIC: 1000 ug/mL).
      Regarding the spasmolytic effect, the Valencian extracts variety was more
      efficient on spontaneous contraction, HAV (Emax = 51.98 +/- 1.98%), MAV (Emax =
      35.98 +/- 1.42%), HFV (Emax = 68.91 +/- 4.14%), and MFV (Emax = 51.28 +/- 2.59%),
      versus National variety, HAN (Emax = 43.80 +/- 6.32%), MAN (Emax = 14.62 +/-
      1.69%), HFN (Emax = 64.87 +/- 3.04%), and MFN (Emax = 31.01 +/- 3.92%).
      Chromatographic fingerprints of HFV and HFN were found to have some similar
      signals that belong to monoterpenes, whereas for HAN and HAV similar signals were
      found belonging to fatty acids and triterpenoids. Methanolic extracts showed
      signals of (1) furfural, (2) furfural acetone (3) furfuraldehyde and (4) beta
      sitosterol compounds. Flavedo portion of C. sinensis possessed spasmolytic effect
      on rat ileum strips and antibacterial activity against Salmonella strains. This
      species is source for obtaining bioactive compounds with therapeutic potential in
      the treatment of infectious diarrhea.

PMID- 28356917
TI  - Introduction to LJPC issue 9.1.

PMID- 28356918
TI  - Collaborating sites for community-oriented integrated care and health promotion.
AB  - London Journal of Primary Care wishes to develop a network of collaborating sites
      to better understand how to achieve community-oriented integrated care and health
      promotion in different contexts. A collaborating site can do more than submit
      papers. It can develop its own domain on the LJPC website, contribute to the
      development of LJPC policy, and stimulate discussions with other collaborating
      sites. At any time a collaborating site can opt out. In addition to securing
      papers for publication, a site might nurture a network of supporters, teach
      people to use multiple research and quality improvement methods, develop a system
      of governance for locally led inquiries, develop case studies of community
      oriented integrated care and health promotion and facilitate within-site and
      between-site learning and change.

PMID- 28356919
TI  - The use of case studies to drive bottom-up leadership in community-oriented
      integrated care and health promotion (COIC).
AB  - London Journal of Primary Care is supporting a collaborative network of
      multidisciplinary colleagues with an interest in community-oriented health care
      and health promotion (COIC). Case study methodology is well suited to generating
      knowledge from the frontline of health and social care service delivery and is a
      much under-developed resource. It is most effective when dealing with wicked
      problems, namely, the sort of complex, entangled and multi-faceted problems that
      successful COIC programmes must overcome. Used collaboratively, it supports
      effective networking across professional and community boundaries.

PMID- 28356920
TI  - General practice nursing: who is cherishing this workforce?
AB  - The remodelling of the NHS requires a strong general practice nurse (GPN)
      workforce within general practice. The challenges facing general practice nursing
      are set within the current policy context and recent available evidence and
      illustrated by drawing upon the experience of a current GPN working in London. It
      is argued that there is a need to support the professional development of GPNs
      and nurture the next generation of potential GPNs if the current shortage of GPNs
      is to be addressed.

PMID- 28356921
TI  - Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec's talent - and troubles - were larger than life.

PMID- 28356922
TI  - New Care Models revisited.

PMID- 28356923
TI  - The Guy's and St Thomas's NHS Foundation Trust @home service: an overview of a
      new service.
AB  - Hospital in the home is a relatively new concept within the UK healthcare system.
      The Guy's and St Thomas's NHS Foundation Trust (GSTT) @home service 'Bringing
      hospital care to your home' was commissioned by Lambeth and Southwark CCG in 2014
      to provide acute care in the patients' place of residence by facilitating rapid
      discharge from hospital. The service is designed for 260-280 referrals each month
      from local hospitals, London Ambulance Service, GPs, district nurses and
      palliative care services. The GSTT@home provides intensive care for a short
      episode through multidisciplinary team work with the aim of returning the patient
      to their prior health status following an acute episode of ill health. The main
      criteria for referrals are adults, living within Lambeth or Southwark with an
      acute onset of illness often with acute exacerbations of chronic conditions. Care
      is delivered using 25 clinical pathways using integrated care teams, including
      those for respiratory disease, heart failure and palliative care services.
      Recently, the service extended to include overnight palliative care. As care
      shifts from hospital to the community, it is envisaged that these types of
      programmes will become an essential component of care provision. This paper
      describes the service and presents initial service evaluation data.

PMID- 28356924
TI  - Whole system quality: local benchmarking to improve workforce planning.

PMID- 28356925
TI  - IkappaB-alpha: At the crossroad between oncogenic and tumor-suppressive signals.
AB  - Nuclear factor kappaB (NF-kappaB) is an essential component of tumorigenesis and
      resistance to cancer treatments. NFKB inhibitor alpha (IkappaB-alpha) acts as a
      negative regulator of the classical NF-kappaB pathway through its ability to
      maintain the presence of NF-kappaB in the cytoplasm. However, IkappaB-alpha is
      also able to form a complex with tumor protein p53, promoting its inactivation.
      Recently, we demonstrated that IkappaB-alpha is able to mediate p53 nuclear
      exclusion and inactivation in chronic myeloid leukemia, indicating that IkappaB
      alpha can modulate either oncogenic or tumor-suppressive functions, with
      important implications for cancer treatment. The present review describes the
      role of IkappaB-alpha in cancer pathogenesis, with particular attention to
      hematological cancers, and highlights the involvement of IkappaB-alpha in the
      regulation of p53 tumor-suppressive functions.

PMID- 28356926
TI  - Familial risk for lung cancer.
AB  - Lung cancer, which has a low survival rate, is a leading cause of cancer
      associated mortality worldwide. Smoking and air pollution are the major causes of
      lung cancer; however, numerous studies have demonstrated that genetic factors
      also contribute to the development of lung cancer. A family history of lung
      cancer increases the risk for the disease in both smokers and never-smokers. This
      review focuses on familial lung cancer, in particular on the familial aggregation
      of lung cancer. The development of familial lung cancer involves shared
      environmental and genetic factors among family members. Familial lung cancer
      represents a good model for investigating the association between environmental
      and genetic factors, as well as for identifying susceptibility genes for lung
      cancer. In addition, studies on familial lung cancer may help to elucidate the
      etiology and mechanism of lung cancer, and may identify novel biomarkers for
      early detection and diagnosis, targeted therapy and improved prevention
      strategies. This review presents the aetiology and molecular biology of lung
      cancer and then systematically introduces and discusses several aspects of
      familial lung cancer, including the characteristics of familial lung cancer,
      population-based studies on familial lung cancer and the genetics of familial
      lung cancer.

PMID- 28356928
TI  - A novel hysteroscopic approach for ovarian cancer screening/early diagnosis.
AB  - The lethality of epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC) may be due to common
      misconceptions regarding etiology and the absence of effective screening and
      early diagnostic tools. Reviews of histopathological surveys performed on the
      resected fallopian tubes of breast cancer (BRCA) mutation carriers, who underwent
      risk-reducing salpingo-oophorectomy, unexpectedly revealed the presence of occult
      carcinomas of the fallopian tubes. This finding prompted studies that
      demonstrated the most accredited theory of type II EOC development, which
      suggests that a large proportion of these tumors are derived from the fallopian
      tube. At present, no diagnostic tools or screening programs have been
      demonstrated to be effective or cost-effective in improving the outcome of EOC;
      it is therefore imperative that the scientific community unite its efforts in the
      identification of a valid screening and/or early diagnostic method for the
      treatment of this lethal gynecological malignancy. To this end, the present paper
      proposes a novel tool for the screening/early diagnosis of EOC: The 'Tuba-check'.
      This novel approach is based on the possibility of acquiring specimens for tubal
      lumen cytology via hysteroscopy in a minimally-invasive outpatient setting. The
      present study protocol aimed to validate the technical feasibility and
      oncological accuracy of the proposed approach, commencing with a cohort of
      patients with an expected increased oncological risk, including BRCA mutation
      carriers or those with a gene expression profile of 'BRCA-ness'. If the data
      collected by the present study protocol validates this approach, the 'Tuba-check'
      may, in the near future, be extended for the treatment of all women, therefore
      reducing the number of victims of epithelial ovarian carcinoma.

PMID- 28356927
TI  - From inflammation to gastric cancer: Role of Helicobacter pylori.
AB  - Gastric cancer is a multifactorial disease and a leading cause of mortality and
      the risk factors for this include environmental factors and factors that
      influence host-pathogen interaction and complex interplay between these factors.
      Gastric adenocarcinomas are of two types, namely intestinal and diffuse type, and
      Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) infection has been suspected of being causally
      linked to the initiation of chronic active gastritis, which leads to
      adenocarcinoma of the intestinal type. Even though most individuals with H.
      pylori infection do not show any clinical symptoms, long-term infection leads to
      inflammation of gastric epithelium and approximately 10% of infected patients
      develop peptic ulcers and 1-3% of patients develop gastric adenocarcinoma. Among
      the several mechanisms involved in tumorigenesis, CagA and peptidoglycan of H.
      pylori, which enter the infected gastric epithelial cells play an important role
      by triggering oncogenic pathways. Inflammation induced by H. pylori in gastric
      epithelium, which involves the cyclooxygenase-2/prostaglandin E2 pathway and IL
      1beta, is also an important factor that triggers chronic active gastritis and
      adenocarcinoma. H. pylori infection induced oxidative stress and dysregulated E
      cadherin/beta-catenin/p120 interactions and function also play a critical role in
      tumorigenesis. Environmental and dietary factors, in particular salt intake, are
      known to modify the pathogenesis induced by H. pylori. Gastric cancer induced by
      H. pylori appears to involve several mechanisms, making this mode of
      tumorigenesis a highly complicated process. Nevertheless, there are many events
      in this tumorigenesis that remain to be clarified and investigated.

PMID- 28356929
TI  - Anti-tumor effects of metformin on head and neck carcinoma cell lines: A
      systematic review.
AB  - Metformin is commonly used for treating type 2 diabetes, and may also reduce
      cancer risk. Previous studies have demonstrated the association between metformin
      use and a decreased risk of head and neck cancer. Therefore, the aim of the
      present systematic review was to summarize the available literature on the in
      vitro anti-tumor effects of metformin on head and neck squamous cell carcinoma
      (HNSCC). Research studies were obtained from Cochrane Library, Embase, LILACS,
      MEDLINE and PubMed databases, without time or language restrictions. Only in
      vitro studies analyzing the effects of metformin on HNSCC cell lines were
      included. The authors methodically appraised all the selected studies according
      to the Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation method
      to make a judgment of the evidence quality. Of the 388 identified reports, 11
      studies met the inclusion criteria and were used for qualitative analysis. These
      studies demonstrated that metformin is important in inhibiting cell
      proliferation, inducing G0/G1 cell cycle arrest and apoptosis, and in regulating
      proteins involved in carcinogenesis pathways, which corroborates its potential in
      vitro anti-tumor effects. The present systematic review highlights the biological
      mechanisms of metformin used alone or together with traditional therapies for
      cancer. Though very limited, currently available preclinical evidence shows that
      metformin exerts a potential effect on head and neck carcinoma.

PMID- 28356930
TI  - Effect of targeted silencing of IL-8 on in vitro migration and invasion of SKOV3
      ovarian cancer cells.
AB  - The aim of the study was to determine whether interleukin-8 (IL-8) affects human
      SKOV3 ovarian cancer cell migration and invasion by targeting silencing of IL-8
      expression. Silencing small-interfering RNA (siRNA) targeting IL-8 gene was
      constructed to infect SKOV3 cells by lentiviral vector. The expression of IL-8
      and p-nuclear factor (NF)-kappaB protein was detected by western blot analysis.
      The wound scratch and Transwell tests were used to assay the cell migration and
      invasiveness of SKOV3 cells infected with lentiviral vector targeting IL-8 gene
      siRNA. The levels of IL-8 protein expressed by SKOV3 cells infected by lentiviral
      vector targeting IL-8 gene siRNA decreased by 72.3%. IL-8 (50 ng/ml) increased
      the ability of SKOV3 cells to suppress cell migration (p<0.01). Cisplatin and
      silencing of IL-8 achieved the ability to inhibit SKOV3 cell invasion (p<0.01),
      and 100 ng/ml concentration of IL-8 enhanced the ability of SKOV3 invasion
      (p<0.01). Silencing of IL-8 to a certain extent reduced the expression of p-NF
      kappaB proteins, but it was not statistically significant. In conclusion,
      silencing of IL-8 may inhibit the migration and invasion of SKOV3 cells, which
      may be independent of the p-NF-kappaB protein.

PMID- 28356931
TI  - MicroRNA-320a downregulation mediates human liver cancer cell proliferation
      through the Wnt/beta-catenin signaling pathway.
AB  - MicroRNAs (miRs) have emerged as key epigenetic regulators involved in cancer
      progression. miR-320a has been demonstrated to be a novel tumor suppressive
      microRNA in several types of cancers. In the present study, the role of miR-320a
      in human hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) was investigated. The expression levels
      of miR-320a and messenger RNA were determined by reverse transcription
      quantitative polymerase chain reaction, while cell cycle and cell apoptosis were
      analyzed by flow cytometry. The cell proliferative ability was determined by Cell
      Counting Kit-8 assay and colony formation assay. The downstream target of miR
      320a was confirmed by luciferase reporter assay, while the protein levels were
      measured by western blotting. The results revealed that miR-320a was inversely
      associated with HCC proliferation in HCC cell lines. Functional studies
      demonstrated that miR-320a significantly decreased the capability of cell
      proliferation and induced G0/G1 growth arrest in vitro. In addition, beta-catenin
      was identified as one of the direct targets of miR-320a, downregulating the
      expression level of beta-catenin, c-myc, cyclin D1 and dickkopf-1. In conclusion,
      miR-320a may act as a tumor-suppressive microRNA through targeting beta-catenin
      in HCC.

PMID- 28356932
TI  - Human serum albumin-mediated apoptin delivery suppresses breast cancer cell
      growth in vitro and in vivo.
AB  - Gene therapy is one of the most promising potential therapeutic strategies for
      many types of cancer. Cell apoptosis is an active, programmed physiological
      process of the body, and its disruption has been closely associated with the
      occurrence of tumor development. Apoptin is known to induce tumor cell apoptosis.
      In the present study, the MCF-7 breast cancer cell line was transfected with a
      human serum albumin (HSA) and apoptin expressing plasmid [HSA-polyethylenimine
      (PEI)-pcDNA-Apoptin]. Reverse transcription-quantitative polymerase chain
      reaction and western blotting were performed to detect the expression of apoptin
      in the transfected MCF-7 cells, while MTT assays and flow cytometry were
      conducted to detect cell viability and apoptosis. Furthermore, hematoxylin and
      eosin staining was used to observe the morphology of xenografts from mice
      injected with MCF-7 cells. It was demonstrated that the HSA-PEI-pcDNA-Apoptin
      expression plasmid resulted in the upregulation of apoptin in MCF-7 cells, and
      efficiently suppressed breast tumor growth in vivo. These findings indicated that
      the use of HSA as an apoptin expression vector has potential therapeutic benefits
      for cancer and confirms the requirement for the further evaluation of apoptin in
      clinical trials.

PMID- 28356933
TI  - DKK4 enhances resistance to chemotherapeutics 5-Fu and YN968D1 in colorectal
      cancer cells.
AB  - Dickkopf-related protein 4 (DKK4) is a target of the beta-catenin/transcription
      factor 4 complex in colorectal cancer. Previous research has demonstrated that
      its expression level may vary and has indicated that it may have a role in the
      development of resistance to chemotherapy in colorectal cancer cells. In the
      present study, DKK4 was over expressed in several colorectal cancer cell lines.
      The DKK4 over-expressing cell lines were screened using reverse transcription
      quantitative polymerase chain reaction analysis and western blotting. Analysis of
      cell viability in the control and DKK4 over-expressing cell lines, following
      treatment with 5-fluorouracil (5-Fu), YN968D1 or both, indicated that DKK4 over
      expressing cells exhibit increased drug resistance. The results of Transwell
      chamber assays suggested that DKK4 had an effect on cell migration. Furthermore,
      the results from flow cytometric analysis showed that the percentage of apoptotic
      cells was reduced in the DKK4 over-expressing cell lines, following drug
      treatment, compared with the control. The present data suggested that DKK4 may
      enhance the resistance of colorectal cancer cells to 5-Fu and YN968D1 treatment,
      when used alone or in combination.

PMID- 28356934
TI  - A malignant inflammatory myofibroblastic tumor of the hypopharynx harboring the
      3a/b variants of the EML4-ALK fusion gene.
AB  - Inflammatory myofibroblastic tumors (IMT) in the head and neck region are rare
      neoplasms that generally mimic benign/low-grade neoplasms. Overexpression of
      anaplastic lymphoma kinase (ALK) has been reported in 50% of IMT cases, secondary
      to ALK activation by structural rearrangements in the ALK gene, which results in
      a fusion protein with echinoderm microtubule associated protein like 4 (EML4) in
      ~20% of cases. The present study describes a case of a 74-year-old woman with a
      malignant IMT in the right posterior hypopharynx harboring a previously
      unreported chromosomal rearrangement resulting in EML4 and ALK gene fusion.
      Strong ALK immunoreactivity was observed in neoplastic cells, while fluorescent
      in situ hybridization combined with fluorescent fragment analysis and direct
      sequencing identified the first case of the 3a/b variants of the EML4-ALK fusion
      gene in IMT. The results of the current study highlight the uncommon occurrence
      of ALK-positive IMT in the head/neck region and demonstrate the importance of
      integrating different molecular methodologies to identify unequivocal gene fusion
      characterization.

PMID- 28356935
TI  - Melittin inhibits the invasion of MCF-7 cells by downregulating CD147 and MMP-9
      expression.
AB  - Tumor invasion and metastasis are the critical steps in determining the
      aggressive phenotype of human cancers. Melittin, a major component of bee venom,
      has been reported to induce apoptosis in several cancer cells. However, the
      mechanisms of melittin involvement in cancer invasion and metastasis remain
      unclear. Our previous study indicated that melittin inhibits cyclophilin A
      (CypA), a ubiquitously distributed peptidylprolyl cis-trans isomerase, in
      macrophage cells. In the present study, the Transwell assay results showed that
      melittin may downregulate the invasion level of MCF-7 cells in a dose-dependent
      manner. Additionally, it was also found, using flow cytometry and reverse
      transcription-polymerase chain reaction, that melittin decreased the expression
      of cluster of differentiation (CD)147 and matrix metallopeptidase-9 (MMP-9),
      whereas CypA upregulated the expression of CD147 and MMP-9. Overall, the present
      study indicated that melittin decreased the invasion level of MCF-7 cells by
      downregulating CD147 and MMP-9 by inhibiting CypA expression. The results of the
      present study provide an evidence for melittin in anticancer therapy and
      mechanisms.

PMID- 28356936
TI  - Danshensu, a major water-soluble component of Salvia miltiorrhiza, enhances the
      radioresponse for Lewis Lung Carcinoma xenografts in mice.
AB  - The molecule 3-(3,4-dihydroxyphenyl)-2-hydroxypropanoic acid (danshensu), a
      herbal preparation used in traditional Chinese medicine, has been found to
      possess potential antitumor and anti-angiogenesis effects. The aim of the present
      study was to investigate the efficacy of the combination of radiation therapy
      (RT) with danshensu in the treatment of Lewis lung carcinoma (LLC) xenografts,
      whilst exploring and evaluating the mechanism involved. In total, 8-week old
      female C57BL/6J mice were randomly assigned into 3 groups to receive: RT, RT +
      cisplatin and RT + danshensu, respectively, when LLC reached 100-150 mm3. Each
      group was divided into 7 subgroups according to the different irradiation doses
      that were administered. Tumor growth curves were created and the sensitization
      enhancement ratios of the drugs were calculated. The experiment was then
      repeated, and the 4 groups of tumor-bearing mice were treated with natural
      saline, danshensu, RT + danshensu and RT, respectively. The mice were sacrificed
      on day 7, and tumor tissue and blood were collected to determine microvessel
      density, the expression of proangiogenic factors, and the levels of blood
      thromboxane B2 and 6-keto-prostaglandin-F1alpha. Tumor hypoxia was also detected
      using in vivo fluorescence imaging. With respect to LLC xenografts, treatment
      with danshensu + RT significantly enhanced the effects of tumor growth inhibition
      (P<0.05). Furthermore, tumor vasculature was remodeled and microcirculation was
      improved, which significantly reduced tumor hypoxia (P<0.05). The present study
      demonstrated that danshensu significantly enhanced the radioresponse of LLC
      xenografts in mice. The mechanism involved may be associated with the alleviation
      of tumor cell hypoxia following treatment with danshensu + RT, caused by the
      improvement of tumor microcirculation and the remodeling of tumor vasculature.

PMID- 28356937
TI  - Resveratrol promotes regression of renal carcinoma cells via a renin-angiotensin
      system suppression-dependent mechanism.
AB  - The aim of the present study was to investigate the effect of resveratrol on
      renal carcinoma cells and explore possible renin-angiotensin system-associated
      mechanisms. Subsequent to resveratrol treatment, the cell viability, apoptosis
      rate, cytotoxicity levels, caspase 3/7 activity and the levels of angiotensin II
      (AngII), AngII type 1 receptor (AT1R), vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF)
      and cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) were evaluated in renal carcinoma cells. The effects
      of AngII, AT1R, VEGF and COX-2 on resveratrol-induced cell growth inhibition and
      apoptosis were also examined. The results indicated that resveratrol treatment
      may suppress growth, induce apoptosis, and decrease AngII, AT1R, VEGF and COX-2
      levels in renal carcinoma ACHN and A498 cells. In addition, resveratrol-induced
      cell growth suppression and apoptosis were reversed when co-culturing with AT1R
      or VEGF. Thus, resveratrol may suppress renal carcinoma cell proliferation and
      induce apoptosis via an AT1R/VEGF pathway.

PMID- 28356938
TI  - Expression of Axl and its prognostic significance in human breast cancer.
AB  - Breast cancer is the most common malignant cancer and second leading cause of
      cancer-related death among women, and its prevalence continues to increase. Axl
      overexpression has been identified in the many types of human cancer, and it has
      been demonstrated to participate in signaling pathways related to carcinogenesis
      and cancer development. In the present study, Axl expression was examined by
      performing immunohistochemical staining in 60 breast cancer tumors and 40 benign
      breast lesions (25 mammary dysplasia and 15 breast fibroadenoma). In total, 34
      (56.67%) cancer tissues and 13 (32.5%) benign breast lesions were classified as
      exhibiting high levels of Axl expression, indicating a significant association
      between malignancy and high Axl expression. High Axl expression was also
      associated with estrogen receptor (ER) positivity (P=0.028), progesterone
      receptor (PR) positivity (P=0.007), and poor tumor differentiation (P=0.033). No
      significant associations were observed between Axl expression and age, tumor
      size, lymph node metastasis, tumor node metastasis staging, human epidermal
      growth factor receptor 2 and Ki67 antigen. The Kaplan-Meier survival analysis and
      Cox proportional hazard model both demonstrated that there was no statistical
      difference between Axl expression and breast cancer prognosis. However, it
      remains unclear whether the expression of Axl is correlated with the prognosis of
      luminal type breast cancer patients.

PMID- 28356939
TI  - Identification of genes associated with tongue cancer in patients with a history
      of tobacco and/or alcohol use.
AB  - The present study aimed to identify genes associated with tongue cancer in
      patients with a history of tobacco and/or alcohol use. Microarray dataset
      GSE42023, including 10 tissue samples of tongue cancer from patients with a
      history of tobacco and/or alcohol use (habit group) and 11 tissue samples of non
      habit-associated tongue cancer (non-habit group), were downloaded from the Gene
      Expression Omnibus database. Differentially-expressed genes (DEGs) between the
      habit and non-habit groups were identified using the Linear Models for Microarray
      Data software package. The enrichment functions and pathways of these genes were
      subsequently predicted using Gene Ontology and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and
      Genomes analysis. Transcription factors (TFs) and tumor-associated genes (TAGs)
      were selected from the DEGs using the Encyclopedia of DNA Elements database and
      the TAG database, respectively. Protein-protein interaction (PPI) networks for
      DEGs were constructed using Cytoscape. In addition, functional module analysis
      was performed using BioNet. This analysis identified 642 DEGs between the habit
      and non-habit groups, including 200 upregulated and 442 downregulated genes. The
      majority of upregulated DEGs were functionally enriched in the regulation of
      apoptosis and the calcium signaling pathway. The majority of downregulated DEGs
      were functionally enriched in fat cell differentiation and the adipocytokine
      signaling pathway. In addition, 31 TFs and 42 TAGs were identified from the DEGs.
      Furthermore, this analysis demonstrated that certain DEGs, including AKT
      serine/threonine kinase 1 (AKT1), E1A binding protein p300 (EP300), erb-b2
      receptor tyrosine kinase 2 (ERBB2) and epiregulin (EREG), had high connectivity
      degrees in the PPI networks and/or functional modules. Overall, DEGs in a
      functional module, such as AKT1, EP300, ERBB2 and EREG, may serve important roles
      in the development of tongue cancer in patients with a history of tobacco and/or
      alcohol use. These DEGs are potential therapeutic targets for the treatment of
      tongue cancer in these groups.

PMID- 28356940
TI  - Imbalanced adaptive responses associated with microsatellite instability in
      cholangiocarcinoma.
AB  - The adaptive response of the genome protection mechanism occurs in cells when
      exposed to genotoxic stress due to the overproduction of free radicals via
      inflammation and infection. In such circumstances, cells attempt to maintain
      health via several genome protection mechanisms. However, evidence is increasing
      that this adaptive response may have deleterious effect; a reduction of
      antioxidant enzymes and/or imbalance in the DNA repair system generates
      microsatellite instability (MSI), which has procarcinogenic implications.
      Therefore, the present study hypothesized that MSI caused by imbalanced responses
      of antioxidant enzymes and/or DNA repair enzymes as a result of
      oxidative/nitrative stress arising from the inflammatory response is involved in
      liver fluke-associated cholangiocarcinogenesis. The present study investigated
      this hypothesis by identifying the expression patterns of antioxidant enzymes,
      including superoxide dismutase 2 (SOD2) and catalase (CAT), and DNA repair
      enzymes, including alkyladenine DNA glycosylase (AAG), apurinic endonuclease
      (APE) and DNA polymerase beta (DNA pol beta). In addition, the activities of the
      antioxidant enzymes, SOD2 and CAT, were examined in human cholangiocarcinoma
      (CCA) tissues using immunohistochemical staining. MSI was also analyzed in human
      CCA tissues. The resulting data demonstrated that the expression levels of the
      SOD2 and CAT enzymes decreased. The activities of SOD2 and CAT decreased
      significantly in the CCA tissues, compared with the hepatic tissue of cadaveric
      donors. In the DNA repairing enzymes, it was found that the expression levels of
      AAG and DNA pol beta enzymes increased, whereas the expression of APE decreased.
      In addition, it was found that MSI-high was present in 69% of patients, whereas
      MSI-low was present in 31% of patients, with no patients classified as having
      microsatellite stability. In the patients, a MSI-high was correlated with poor
      prognosis, indicated by a shorter survival rate. These results indicated that the
      reduction of antioxidant enzymes and adaptive imbalance of base excision repair
      enzymes in human CCA caused MSI, and may be associated with the progression of
      cancer.

PMID- 28356941
TI  - Aspirin enhances the cytotoxic activity of bortezomib against myeloma cells via
      suppression of Bcl-2, survivin and phosphorylation of AKT.
AB  - In our previous study, it was found that aspirin (ASA) exerted antimyeloma
      actions in vivo and in vitro. The resistance to bortezomib (BTZ) in multiple
      myeloma (MM) is partly due to AKT activation and the upregulation of survivin
      induced by BTZ, which are the targets of ASA in gastric and ovarian cancer,
      respectively. Thus, the present study investigated the interaction between ASA
      and BTZ in MM and further clarified the underlying mechanisms. MM1.S and RPMI
      8226 cell lines harboring the N- and K-Ras mutations, respectively, were treated
      with 2.5 mM ASA, 10 nM BTZ and ASA+BTZ for different durations. The proliferation
      and apoptosis of the cells were determined, and the underlying mechanisms
      governing the interaction of ASA and BTZ were examined in the MM cells. Treatment
      with ASA+BTZ caused higher rates of proliferative inhibition and apoptosis in the
      MM1.S and RPMI-8226 cells in time-dependent manner, compared with either agent
      alone. A drug interaction assay revealed the additive effect of ASA and BTZ on
      the myeloma cells. ASA alone inhibited the levels of phosphorylated AKT (p-AKT)
      and survivin, whereas BTZ alone augmented the levels of p-AKT and survivin. Of
      note, ASA markedly decreased the upregulation of p-AKT and survivin induced by
      BTZ. Treatment with ASA+BTZ significantly suppressed the level of Bcl-2, compared
      with either agent alone. ASA may potentiate the antimyeloma activity of BTZ
      against myeloma cells via suppression of AKT phosphorylation, survivin and Bcl-2,
      indicating the potential of ASA+BTZ in treating MM, particularly for cases of BTZ
      refractory/relapsed MM.

PMID- 28356942
TI  - Anti-metastatic activity of fangchinoline in human gastric cancer AGS cells.
AB  - Fangchinoline (FCL) is an active component isolated from the traditional
      medicinal plant Stephania tetrandra S. Moore, and has been reported to possess
      anti-cancer functions in several types of cancers; however, the effect of FCL on
      gastric cancer metastasis and its underlying molecular mechanisms remain unknown.
      The current study aimed to investigate the effect of FCL on the cell migration
      and invasion of human metastatic gastric cancer AGS cells and its mechanisms. Our
      study demonstrates that FCL dosage dependently suppressed the adhesion, migration
      and invasion capacities of human gastric cancer AGS cells without obvious
      cytotoxic effects. Reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction and western
      blot assays demonstrated that FCL greatly inhibited the expression of matrix
      metalloproteinase (MMP)-2 and MMP-9 at both the mRNA and protein levels, while it
      significantly increased the expression of tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinase
      (TIMP) 1 and TIMP2 messenger RNAs. Our results also indicated that FCL repressed
      the phosphorylation of AKT in gastric cancer AGS cells. In summary, FCL may exert
      its anti-metastatic property in human gastric cancer cells in vitro by
      suppression of MMP-2 and MMP-9, increase of TIMP1 and TIMP2 genes, and inhibition
      of AKT phosphorylation. FCL may be a drug candidate for the treatment of gastric
      cancer metastasis.

PMID- 28356943
TI  - LASS2 inhibits growth and invasion of bladder cancer by regulating ATPase
      activity.
AB  - Homo sapiens longevity assurance homolog 2 of yeast LAG1 (LASS2) is a novel
      suppressor of human cancer metastasis, and downregulation of LASS2 has been
      associated with a poor prognosis in patients with bladder cancer (BC). However,
      the molecular mechanism underlying LASS2-mediated inhibition of tumor invasion
      and metastasis in BC remains unclear. LASS2 has been reported to directly bind to
      subunit C of vacuolar H+-ATPase (V-ATPase) in various types of cancer, suggesting
      that LASS2 may inhibit cancer invasion and metastasis by regulating the function
      of V-ATPase. The present study investigated the effect of LASS2-specific small
      interfering (si)RNA on the invasion and metastasis of the RT4 human BC cell line,
      which has a low metastatic potential, and its functional interaction with V
      ATPase. Silencing of LASS2 in RT4 cells was able to increase V-ATPase activity,
      the extracellular hydrogen ion concentration and, in turn, the activation of
      secreted matrix metalloproteinase (MMP)-2 and MMP-9, which occurred
      simultaneously with enhanced cell proliferation, cell survival and cell invasion
      in vitro, as well as acceleration of BC growth in vivo. In this process, it was
      found that siRNA-LASS2 treatment was able to suppress cell apoptosis induced by
      doxorubicin. These findings suggest that silencing of LASS2 may enhance the
      growth, invasion and metastasis of BC by regulating ATPase activity.

PMID- 28356944
TI  - Plasma miR-145, miR-20a, miR-21 and miR-223 as novel biomarkers for screening
      early-stage non-small cell lung cancer.
AB  - Non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) is the leading cause of cancer-related
      mortality in the world. Late diagnosis is one of the most significant reasons for
      the high mortality rate of lung cancer. The identification of microRNAs (miRNAs)
      has opened a new field for molecular diagnosis of cancer. The purpose of the
      present study was to investigate whether plasma miRNAs may be used as biomarkers
      for early-stage NSCLC. A total of 232 participants, including 149 NSCLC patients
      and 83 healthy controls, were recruited between July 2012 and May 2014. We
      measured the levels of 10 miRNAs (miR-30d, miR-383, miR-20a, miR-145, miR-221,
      miR-25, miR-223, miR-21, miR-126 and miR-210) in plasma samples of 40 individuals
      (20 patients and 20 matched healthy controls) at the point of identification of
      disease, and 129 NSCLC patients and 83 healthy controls at the validation stage
      using reverse transcription-quantitative polymerase chain reaction. Receiver
      operating characteristics (ROC) curves were generated for each possible
      combination of the miRNAs. We observed that the expression of plasma miR-145, miR
      20a, miR-21 and miR-223 was significantly increased in the early-stage NSCLC
      samples compared with controls. miRNAs have significant diagnostic value for
      early-stage NSCLC. Combined ROC analyses using these four miRNAs revealed an
      elevated area under the ROC curve (AUC) of 0.897, with a sensitivity and
      specificity of 81.8 and 90.1%, respectively. This AUC helped in distinguishing
      early-stage NSCLC. Furthermore, the levels of the four plasma miRNAs were
      significantly decreased following surgery (P<0.05). Altered expression of miR
      145, miR-20a, miR-21 and miR-223 in plasma are of tumor origin, and the four
      miRNAs may represent potential novel non-invasive biomarkers for early-stage
      NSCLC.

PMID- 28356945
TI  - Evaluation of nano-magnetic fluid on malignant glioma cells.
AB  - The temperature variation rule of nano-magnetic fluid in the specific magnetic
      field and the effect on the treatment of malignant glioma were examined. The
      temperature variation of nano-magnetic fluid in the specific magnetic field was
      investigated by heating in vitro, and cell morphology was observed through
      optical microscopy and electron microscopy. MTT detection also was used to detect
      the effect of Fe3O4 nanometer magnetic fluid hyperthermia (MFH) on the
      proliferation of human U251 glioma cell line. The Fe3O4 nano MFH experiment was
      used to detect the inhibition rate of the tumor volume in nude mice with tumors.
      The results of the experiment showed that the heating ability of magnetic fluid
      was positively correlated with its concentration at the same intensity of the
      magnetic field. The results also indicated the prominent inhibitory effect of
      nanometer MFH on the proliferation of glioma cells, which was a dose-dependent
      relationship with nanometer magnetic fluid concentration. The hyperthermia
      experiment of nude mice with tumors displayed a significant inhibiting effect of
      Fe3O4 nanometer magnetic fluid in glioma volume. These results explain that iron
      (II, III) oxide (Fe3O4) nanometer MFH can inhibit the proliferation of U251
      glioma cells, and has an obvious inhibitory effect on glioma volume, which plays
      a certain role in the treatment of brain glioma.

PMID- 28356946
TI  - Ginsenoside Rh2 enhances the antitumor immunological response of a melanoma mice
      model.
AB  - The treatment of malignant tumors following surgery is important in preventing
      relapse. Among all the post-surgery treatments, immunomodulators have
      demonstrated satisfactory effects on preventing recurrence according to recent
      studies. Ginsenoside is a compound isolated from panax ginseng, which is a famous
      traditional Chinese medicine. Ginsenoside aids in killing tumor cells through
      numerous processes, including the antitumor processes of ginsenoside Rh2 and Rg1,
      and also affects the inflammatory processes of the immune system. However, the
      role that ginsenoside serves in antitumor immunological activity remains to be
      elucidated. Therefore, the present study aimed to analyze the effect of
      ginsenoside Rh2 on the antitumor immunological response. With a melanoma mice
      model, ginsenoside Rh2 was demonstrated to inhibit tumor growth and improved the
      survival time of the mice. Ginsenoside Rh2 enhanced T-lymphocyte infiltration in
      the tumor and triggered cytotoxicity in spleen lymphocytes. In addition, the
      immunological response triggered by ginsenoside Rh2 could be transferred to other
      mice. In conclusion, the present study provides evidence that ginsenoside Rh2
      treatment enhanced the antitumor immunological response, which may be a potential
      therapy for melanoma.

PMID- 28356947
TI  - Downregulation of feline sarcoma-related protein inhibits cell migration,
      invasion and epithelial-mesenchymal transition via the ERK/AP-1 pathway in
      bladder urothelial cell carcinoma.
AB  - Feline sarcoma-related protein (Fer) is a nuclear and cytoplasmic non-receptor
      protein tyrosine kinase and Fer overexpression is associated with various
      biological processes. However, the clinicopathological characteristics and
      molecular mechanisms of Fer expression in bladder urothelial cell carcinoma (UCC)
      have yet to be elucidated. The present study demonstrated that Fer was
      significantly upregulated in bladder UCC tissues and cell lines. A
      clinicopathological analysis suggested that Fer expression was significantly
      associated with tumor stage, histological grade and lymph node status, and Fer
      expression was a prognostic factor for overall survival in a multivariate
      analysis. Furthermore, small interfering RNA (siRNA) was used to silence the
      expression of the Fer gene in human bladder UCC T24 cells, and was shown to
      significantly reduce the migration and invasion of the cells. It was also
      observed that Fer-siRNA caused the T24 cells to acquire an epithelial cobblestone
      phenotype, and was able to reverse the epithelial-mesenchymal transition of the
      cells. Subsequently, Fer-knockdown was shown to deactivate the extracellular
      signal-regulated kinase/activator protein-1 signaling pathway in T24 cells. These
      results indicated, for the first time, that Fer has a critical role in bladder
      UCC progression and may be a potential therapeutic target for bladder UCC
      metastasis.

PMID- 28356948
TI  - EGFR expression is associated with cytoplasmic staining of CXCR4 and predicts
      poor prognosis in triple-negative breast carcinomas.
AB  - The purpose of the present study was to investigate the significance of C-X-C
      motif chemokine receptor type 4 (CXCR4) and epidermal growth factor receptors
      (EGFRs) in triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC). CXCR4 and EGFR expression levels
      were immunohistochemically determined in 207 primary breast cancer specimens. The
      associations between receptor expression and clinicopathological characteristics
      were analyzed, and receptor expression was also assessed as a prognostic factor.
      In the human MDA-MB-231 TNBC cell line, CXCR4 or EGFR was stably knocked down by
      short hairpin RNA, and the biological behavior of the cells, including migration,
      invasion and tumorigenesis, was investigated. The results revealed that TNBC was
      associated with younger age, higher histological grade and an aggressive
      phenotype. CXCR4 and EGFR were highly expressed in patients with TNBC, and those
      with high CXCR4 or EGFR expression exhibited an unfavorable prognosis in terms of
      disease-free survival and overall survival. In MDA-MB-231 cells, the expression
      of CXCR4 protein was decreased following EGFR silencing, while CXCR4 knockdown
      also caused a decrease in EGFR protein levels. The migratory and invasive
      capabilities of MDA-MB-231 cells were decreased following the knockdown of CXCR4
      or EGFR expression. A strong correlation between CXCR4 and EGFR expression was
      identified in patients with TNBC. The results suggest that elevated expression
      levels of these two receptors may serve as predictive factors for poor prognosis
      in patients with TNBC. In addition, tumor proliferation, migration, invasion and
      tumorigenesis are weakened in MDA-MB-231 cells following suppression of CXCR4 or
      EGFR expression. Therefore, EGFR and CXCR4 may be potential therapeutic targets
      for TNBC.

PMID- 28356950
TI  - Expression of CHODL in hepatocellular carcinoma affects invasion and migration of
      liver cancer cells.
AB  - Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the third leading cause of cancer-associated
      death. Due to rapid progression and metastasis, the long-term survival remains
      poor for most patients. Thus, it is important to discover and develop novel
      preventive strategies and therapeutic approaches for HCC. Recent data show that
      chondrolectin (CHODL) is commonly overexpressed in the majority of lung cancers,
      indicating a possible correlation between CHODL and metastasis of lung cancer
      cells. Our investigation shows that the expression of CHODL is significantly
      decreased in HCC clinical samples and in HCC cell lines. Overexpression of CHODL
      in SMMC7721 cells with a lentiviral vector increased SMMC7721 cell migration and
      invasion. Our findings establish for the first time an association between human
      CHODL and HCC metastasis.

PMID- 28356949
TI  - Association between XRCC1 and ERCC1 single-nucleotide polymorphisms and the
      efficacy of concurrent radiochemotherapy in patients with esophageal squamous
      cell carcinoma.
AB  - The aim of the present study was to investigate the association between single
      nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in X-ray repair cross-complementing 1-399 (XRCC1
      399) or excision repair cross-complementation group 1-118 (ERCC1-118) and the
      short-term efficacy of radiochemotherapy, tumor metastasis and relapse, as well
      as the survival time in patients with esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC).
      TaqMan probe-based quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) was conducted to
      examine the levels of XRCC1-399 and ERCC1-118 SNPs in the peripheral blood of 50
      patients with pathologically confirmed ESCC. In addition, the associations
      between different genotypes and short-term therapeutic efficacy [the complete
      remission (CR) rate], tumor metastasis and relapse, as well as the survival time
      following concurrent radiochemotherapy, were determined. A total of 50 ESCC
      patients who received concurrent radiochemotherapy were enrolled. It was found
      that the short-term therapeutic efficacy (CR rate) was higher in the group of
      patients carrying the homozygous mutation of XRCC1-399 (A/A genotype) than in the
      group of patients without the XRCC1-399 mutation (G/G genotype). In addition, the
      CR rate was significantly increased in patients carrying one or two ERCC1-118 C
      alleles (C/C or C/T genotype) compared with patients lacking the C allele (T/T
      genotype). The differences were statistically significant (A/A vs. G/G, P=0.014;
      TT vs. C/T+C/C, P=0.040). During the follow-up period, the group of patients
      carrying the homozygous mutation of XRCC1-399 (A/A genotype) exhibited a markedly
      reduced risk of metastasis and relapse compared with the group of patients
      carrying non-mutated XRCC1-399 (G/G genotype; P=0.031). By contrast, ERCC1-118
      SNP was not associated with the risk of metastasis and recurrence (P>0.05). The
      combined results of univariate and multivariate Cox regression analysis showed
      that the SNP in ERCC1-118 was closely associated with survival time. The mean
      survival time was significantly prolonged in patients carrying 1 or 2 C alleles
      (C/C or C/T genotype) compared with patients lacking the C allele (T/T genotype)
      [T/T vs. C/C, HR=12.96, 95% confidence interval (CI)=3.08-54.61, P<0.001; TT vs.
      C/T+C/C, HR=11.71, 95% CI=3.06-44.83, P<0.001]. However, XRCC1-399SNP had no
      effect on survival time (P>0.05). XRCCl-399 SNP was associated with the short
      term therapeutic efficacy (the CR rate) and tumor metastasis/relapse in ESCC
      patients who received the docetaxel plus cisplatin (TP) regimen-based concurrent
      radiochemotherapy. By contrast, ERCC1-118 SNP was significantly associated with
      the short-term therapeutic efficacy (the CR rate) and survival time in ESCC
      patients who received TP regimen-based concurrent radiochemotherapy.

PMID- 28356951
TI  - MicroRNA-93-5p increases multidrug resistance in human colorectal carcinoma cells
      by downregulating cyclin dependent kinase inhibitor 1A gene expression.
AB  - Multidrug resistance (MDR) impedes successful chemotherapy in colorectal
      carcinoma (CRC) and emerging evidence suggests that microRNAs (miRs) are involved
      in the development of MDR. In the present study, the role of miR-93-5p in the
      modulation of drug resistance in CRC was investigated using HCT-8 and MDR HCT
      8/vincristine (VCR) cell lines. The results demonstrated upregulated expression
      of miR-93-5p and MDR protein 1 (MDR1) in HCT-8/VCR cells, compared with the
      parental HCT-8 cells. Furthermore, cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitor 1A (CDKN1A)
      was identified as a potential target of miR-93-5p using miR target analysis
      tools, including PicTar, TargetScan and miRanda. In addition, inhibition of miR
      93-5p expression in HCT-8/VCR cells markedly downregulated MDR1 gene expression,
      upregulated CDKN1A gene expression and induced cell cycle arrest in G1.
      Conversely, the overexpression of miR-93-5p in HCT-8/VCR cells upregulated MDR1
      gene expression, downregulated CDKN1A gene expression and promoted G1/S
      transition. Furthermore, the in vitro drug sensitivity assay performed suggested
      that downregulation of miR-93-5p enhanced the sensitivity of HCT-8/VCR cells to
      VCR, while the upregulation of miR-93-5p decreased the sensitivity of HCT-8 cells
      to VCR. In conclusion, the results of the present study suggest that miR-93-5p
      serves a role in the development of MDR through downregulating CDKN1A gene
      expression in CRC.

PMID- 28356952
TI  - Forkhead transcription factor 1 inhibits endometrial cancer cell proliferation
      via sterol regulatory element-binding protein 1.
AB  - The morbidity and mortality associated with endometrial cancer (EC) has increased
      in recent years. Regarded as a tumor suppressor, forkhead transcription factor 1
      (FOXO1) has various biological activities and participates in cell cycle
      progression, apoptosis and differentiation. Notably, FOXO1 also functions in the
      regulation of lipogenesis and energy metabolism. Lipogenesis is a feature of
      cancer and is upregulated in EC. Sterol regulatory element-binding protein 1
      (SREBP1) is a transcription factor that is also able to regulate lipogenesis.
      Increased expression of SREBP1 is directly correlated with malignant
      transformation of tumors. A previous study demonstrated that SREBP1 was highly
      expressed in EC and directly resulted in tumorigenesis. However, the association
      between FOXO1 and SREBP1 in EC is not clear. In the present study, lentiviruses
      overexpressing FOXO1 were used in cell transfection and transduction. Cell
      viability assays demonstrated that the overexpression of FOXO1 was able to
      suppress cell proliferation significantly in Ishikawa and AN3 CA cell lines. In
      addition, FOXO1 overexpression significantly inhibited cell migration and
      invasion ability in vitro. In xenograft models, overexpression of FOXO1
      suppressed cell tumorigenesis, and western blot analysis demonstrated that SREBP1
      expression was markedly reduced in the FOXO1-overexpressing cells. It may
      therefore be concluded that FOXO1 is able to inhibit the proliferative capacity
      of cells in vitro and in vivo, in addition to the migratory and invasive
      capacities in vitro by directly targeting SREBP1.

PMID- 28356953
TI  - Alkaloids of fascaplysin are effective conventional chemotherapeutic drugs,
      inhibiting the proliferation of C6 glioma cells and causing their death in vitro.
AB  - Glioblastoma multiforme is an invasive malignant glial brain tumor with a poor
      prognosis for patients. The primary reasons that lead to the development of
      treatment resistance are associated with tumor cells infiltrating the brain
      parenchyma and the specific properties of tumor stem cells. A crucial research
      area in medical science is the search for effective agents that are able to act
      on these targets. Fascaplysin alkaloids possess potent antitumor activity. Modern
      methods for the targeted delivery of drugs reveal extensive possibilities in
      terms of the clinical use of these compounds. The aim of the present study was to
      establish effective concentrations of fascaplysin that inhibit the growth and
      kill the cells of glial tumors, as well as to perform a comparative analysis of
      fascaplysin's effectiveness in relation to other chemotherapy drugs. C6 glioma
      cells were utilized as an optimal model of glioblastoma. It was established that
      fascaplysin at 0.5 uM has a strong cytotoxic effect, which is subsequently
      replaced by tumor cell death via apoptosis as the length of drug exposure time is
      increased. Fascaplysin kills glioma cells at a dose higher than 0.5 uM. The
      efficiency of fascaplysin was observed to significantly exceed that of
      temozolomide. Therefore, a significant feature of fascaplysin is its ability to
      inhibit the growth of and kill multipotent tumor cells.

PMID- 28356954
TI  - Multicenter phase II study of infusional 5-fluorouracil (5-FU), leucovorin, and
      oxaliplatin, plus biweekly cetuximab as first-line treatment in patients with
      metastatic colorectal cancer (CELINE trial).
AB  - The current phase II study investigated the efficacy and safety of biweekly
      cetuximab combined with standard oxaliplatin-based chemotherapy [infusional 5
      fluorouracil (5-FU), leucovorin, and oxaliplatin (FOLFOX-6)] in the first-line
      treatment of KRAS wild-type metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC). Sixty patients
      with a median age of 64 years (range, 38-82 syears) received a biweekly
      intravenous infusion of cetuximab (500 mg/m2 on day 1) followed by FOLFOX-6 (2
      hour oxaliplatin 85 mg/m2 infusion on day 1 in tandem with a 2-h leucovorin 200
      mg/m2 infusion on days 1 and 2, and 5-FU as a 400 mg/m2 bolus followed by a 46
      hour 2,400 mg/m2 infusion on days 1-3). Patient response rate was 70%, with 95%
      disease control rates. The median progression-free survival was 13.8 months.
      Thirteen patients (21.7%) were able to undergo resection of previously
      unresectable metastases, with the aim of curing them. The median follow-up was
      22.7 months, and median overall survival was 31.0 months. Cetuximab did not
      increase FOLFOX-6 toxicity and was generally well tolerated. The results of the
      current study demonstrate that the combination of biweekly cetuximab with FOLFOX
      6 was well tolerated and had a manageable safety profile for the first-line
      treatment of KRAS wild-type metastatic colorectal cancer. Efficacy was comparable
      to other treatment regimens. The results support the administration of biweekly
      cetuximab in combination with FOLFOX-6, which may be more convenient and provide
      treatment flexibility in this setting for patients with metastatic colorectal
      cancers.

PMID- 28356956
TI  - P300 promotes migration, invasion and epithelial-mesenchymal transition in a
      nasopharyngeal carcinoma cell line.
AB  - A previous study demonstrated that p300 is overexpressed in nasopharyngeal
      carcinoma (NPC), and that its expression is an independent prognostic factor. The
      aim of the present study is to investigate the role of p300 in human NPC
      development. A small hairpin (sh) RNA lentiviral expression vector targeting the
      p300 gene was constructed to suppress the expression of p300 in NPC cells.
      Knockdown of p300 was verified by reverse transcription-quantitative polymerase
      chain reaction and western blotting. Wound-healing, invasion, immunofluorescence
      and immunoprecipitation assays were performed to assess the influence of p300 on
      nasopharyngeal tumorigenesis and metastasis in vitro. The expression of p300 was
      upregulated in NPC cell lines. After knockdown of p300, the migration and
      invasion ability of shp300 cells were significantly inhibited (P<0.05).
      Furthermore, the depletion of p300 expression in NPC cell lines resulted in the
      upregulation of epithelial phenotype marker E-cadherin and alpha-catenin, and
      downregulation of mesenchymal phenotype markers N-cadherin and vimentin. p300
      promotes epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) through the acetylation of Smad2
      and Smad3 in the tumor growth factor-beta signaling pathway. In conclusion, p300
      may be involved in the invasion and metastasis of NPC through the induction of
      EMT.

PMID- 28356955
TI  - Ursolic acid sensitizes radioresistant NSCLC cells expressing HIF-1alpha through
      reducing endogenous GSH and inhibiting HIF-1alpha.
AB  - In previous studies, the present authors demonstrated that effective
      sensitization of ionizing radiation-induced death of tumor cells, including non
      small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) cells, could be produced by oleanolic acid (OA), a
      pentacyclic triterpenoid present in plants. In the present study, it was
      investigated whether ursolic acid (UA), an isomer of OA, had also the capacity of
      sensitizing radioresistant NSCLC cells. The radioresistant cell line H1299/M
      hypoxia inducible factor-1alpha (HIF-1alpha) was established by transfection with
      a recombinant plasmid expressing mutant HIF-1alpha (M-HIF-1alpha). Compared with
      parental H1299 cells and H1299 cells transfected with empty plasmid, H1299/M-HIF
      1alpha cells had lower radiosensitivity. Following the use of UA to treat NSCLC
      cells, elevation of the radiosensitivity of cells was observed by MTT assay. The
      irradiated H1299/M-HIF-1alpha cells were more sensitive to UA pretreatment than
      the irradiated cells with empty plasmid and control. The alteration of DNA damage
      in the irradiated cells was further measured using micronucleus (MN) assay. The
      combination of UA treatment with radiation could induce the increase of cellular
      MN frequencies, in agreement with the change in the tendency observed in the cell
      viability assay. It was further shown that the endogenous glutathione (GSH)
      contents were markedly attenuated in the differently irradiated NSCLC cells with
      UA (80 umol/l) pretreatment through glutathione reductase/5,5'-dithiobis-(2
      nitrob-enzoic acid) (DTNB) recycling assay. The results revealed that UA
      treatment alone could effectively decrease the GSH content in H1299/M-HIF-1alpha
      cells. In addition, the inhibition of HIF-1alpha expression in radioresistant
      cells was confirmed by western blotting. It was then concluded that UA could
      upregulate the radiosensitivity of NSCLC cells, and in particular reduce the
      refractory response of cells expressing HIF-1alpha to ionizing radiation. The
      primary mechanism is associated with reduction of endogenous GSH and inhibition
      of high expression of intracellular HIF-1alpha. UA should therefore be deeply
      studied as a potential radiosensitizing reagent for NSCLC radiotherapy.

PMID- 28356957
TI  - Autophagy impacts on oxaliplatin-induced hepatocarcinoma apoptosis via the IL
      17/IL-17R-JAK2/STAT3 signaling pathway.
AB  - The interleukin (IL)-17/IL-17 receptor (IL-17R) complex has been shown to be
      important for the regulation of inflammation; however, its role in the regulation
      of tumor processes has recently emerged as a research focus. The present study
      demonstrated that oxaliplatin was able to increase the levels of IL-17/IL-17R in
      hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) patients and cells lines, and that it had
      important roles in reducing the susceptibility of the cells to oxaliplatin
      induced apoptosis. Furthermore, the expression of autophagy-related proteins was
      induced by IL-17/IL-17R and autophagy was shown to induce resistance to
      oxaliplatin in HCC. In addition, the janus kinase 2 (JAK2)/signal transducer and
      activator of transcription 3 (STAT3) pathway was shown to be an important pathway
      in the induction of autophagy in response to oxaliplatin. Autopjhagy was
      inhibited by 3-methyladenine and JAK2/STAT3 signaling was blocked by AG490, which
      induced apoptosis in SMMC7721 cells treated with oxaliplatin. The results of the
      present study may help to elucidate the mechanism underlying the role of IL-17/IL
      17R-induced autophagy in the chemoresistance of HCC, as well as help to establish
      and develop measures to overcome chemoresistance in HCC.

PMID- 28356958
TI  - Bioinformatic identification of candidate genes induced by trichostatin A in BGC
      823 gastric cancer cells.
AB  - The aim of the present study was to identify the candidate genes induced by
      trichostatin A (TSA) in BGC-823 gastric cancer (GC) cells and to explore the
      possible inhibition mechanism of TSA in GC. Gene expression data were obtained
      through chip detection, and differentially expressed genes (DEGs) between GC
      cells treated with TSA and untreated GC cells (control group) were identified.
      Gene ontology analysis of the DEGs was performed using the database for
      annotation, visualization and integrated discovery. Then sub-pathway enrichment
      analysis was performed and a microRNA (miRNA) regulatory network was constructed.
      We selected 76 DEGs, among which 43 were downregulated genes and 33 were
      upregulated genes. By sub-pathway enrichment analysis of the DEGs, the propanoate
      metabolism pathway was selected as the sub-pathway. By constructing a miRNA
      regulatory network, we identified that DKK1 and KLF13 were the top hub nodes. The
      propanoate metabolism pathway and the genes DKK1 and KLF13 may play significant
      roles in the inhibition of GC induced by TSA. These genes may be potential
      therapeutic targets for GC. However, further experiments are still required to
      confirm our results.

PMID- 28356959
TI  - Effect of cancer/testis antigen NY-SAR-35 on the proliferation, migration and
      invasion of cancer cells.
AB  - NY-SAR-35 is a cancer/testis (CT) antigen that was identified by serological
      analysis of recombinant complementary DNA expression libraries. The gene encoding
      NY-SAR-35 is located on the * chromosome and is aberrantly expressed in a number
      of cancer types and germ cells, such as those in the testes, but not in normal
      tissue. It has been reported that treatment with a demethylating agent induced
      the expression of NY-SAR-35 in several types of cancer cells. However, the
      function of NY-SAR-35 in cancer remains undetermined. In present study, the role
      of NY-SAR-35 in human lung adenocarcinoma (SK-LC-14) and hepatocellular carcinoma
      (SNU-449) cells was investigated following stable transfection of the NY-SAR-35
      gene. NY-SAR-35 was observed to be expressed in the cytoplasm of the cells. In
      addition, the bromodeoxyuridine incorporation assay and immunofluorescence
      staining for proliferating cell nuclear antigen and Ki-67 demonstrated that
      proliferation was increased in cells transfected with NY-SAR-35. In addition, the
      trypan blue exclusion assay indicated that NY-SAR-35 increased cancer cell
      viability. Furthermore, NY-SAR-35 increased the migration and invasion of the
      cells. These results indicate that NY-SAR-35 increases cancer cell viability,
      proliferation, migration and invasion.

PMID- 28356960
TI  - Induction of apoptosis by FFJ-5, a novel naphthoquinone compound, occurs via
      downregulation of PKM2 in A549 and HepG2 cells.
AB  - Pyruvate kinase isoenzyme M2 (PKM2) has previously been identified as a tumor
      biomarker and as a potential target for cancer therapy. In this study, FSFJ-5, a
      characterized naphthoquinone modifier of mollugin, was synthesized in order to
      investigate its anticancer activity and the potential mechanisms. It was observed
      that FFJ-5 inhibited the cell growth of human lung adenocarcinoma cells A549 and
      human hepatoma cells HepG2 by MTT assays. FFJ-5 arrested cell cycle at the G2/M
      phase. Further analyses demonstrated that FFJ-5 attenuated the expression of PKM2
      and reduced the production of adenosine triphosphate (ATP). Reduced expression
      and activity of epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) and Akt were observed in
      A549 and HepG2 cells exposed to FFJ-5. FFJ-5 exposure also resulted in cell
      apoptosis, in association with decreased intracellular pH level and mitochondrial
      membrane potential. In addition, FFJ-5 activated the caspase-3 cascade. In
      conclusion, FFJ-5 inhibited cancer cell growth via the blocking the EGFR-Akt-PKM2
      pathway or through the synergistic action of EGFR, Akt and PKM2 proteins,
      alongside a decrease in ATP production. In addition, FFJ-5 induced cancer cell
      apoptosis by decreasing the intracellular pH level and the mitochondrial
      apoptosis pathway. The present results suggest a potential role of FFJ-5 on the
      therapy of human cancer.

PMID- 28356961
TI  - 2-Deoxyglucose and sorafenib synergistically suppress the proliferation and
      motility of hepatocellular carcinoma cells.
AB  - Cancer cells consume more glucose than normal cells, mainly due to their
      increased rate of glycolysis. 2-Deoxy-d-glucose (2DG) is an analogue of glucose,
      and sorafenib is a kinase inhibitor and molecular agent used to treat
      hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). The present study aimed to demonstrate whether
      combining 2DG and sorafenib suppresses tumor cell proliferation and motility more
      effectively than either drug alone. HLF and PLC/PRF/5 HCC cells were incubated
      with sorafenib with or without 1 uM 2DG, and subjected to a proliferation assay.
      A scratch assay was then performed to analyze cell motility following the
      addition of 2DG and sorafenib in combination, and each agent alone. RNA was
      isolated and subjected to reverse transcription-quantitative polymerase chain
      reaction to analyze the expression of cyclin D1 and matrix metalloproteinase-9
      (MMP9) following the addition of 2DG and sorafenib in combination and each agent
      alone. Proliferation was markedly suppressed in cells cultured with 1 uM 2DG and
      30 uM sorafenib compared with cells cultured with either agent alone (P<0.05). In
      addition, levels of Cyclin D1 expression decreased in cells exposed to 3 uM
      sorafenib and 1 uM 2DG compared with cells exposed to 2DG or sorafenib alone
      (P<0.05). Scratch assay demonstrated that the distance between the growing edge
      of the cell sheet and the scratched line was shorter in cells cultured with
      sorafenib and 2DG than in cells cultured with 2DG or sorafenib alone (P<0.05).
      Levels of MMP9 expression decreased more in cells treated with both sorafenib and
      2DG than in cells treated with 2DG or sorafenib alone (P<0.05). Therefore, 2DG
      and sorafenib in combination suppressed the proliferation and motility of HCC
      cells more effectively than 2DG or sorafenib alone, and a cancer treatment
      combining both drugs may be more effective than sorafenib alone.

PMID- 28356962
TI  - Comparative clinicopathological characteristics of colon and rectal T1 carcinoma.
AB  - Lymph node metastasis significantly influences the management of patients with
      colorectal carcinoma. It has been observed that the biology of colorectal
      carcinoma differs by location. The aim of the current study was to
      retrospectively compare the clinicopathological characteristics of patients with
      colon and rectal T1 carcinomas, particularly their rates of lymph node
      metastasis. Of the 19,864 patients who underwent endoscopic or surgical resection
      of colorectal neoplasms at Showa University Northern Yokohama Hospital, 557 had
      T1 surgically resected carcinomas, including 457 patients with colon T1
      carcinomas and 100 patients with rectal T1 carcinomas. Analysed
      clinicopathological features included patient age, gender, tumor size,
      morphology, tumor budding, invasion depth, vascular invasion, histological grade,
      lymphatic invasion and lymph node metastasis. Rectal T1 carcinomas were
      significantly larger than colon T1 carcinomas (mean +/- standard deviation:
      23.7+/-13.1 mm vs. 19.9+/-11.0 mm, P<0.01) and were accompanied by significantly
      higher rates of vascular invasion (48.0% vs. 30.2%, P<0.01). Significant
      differences were not observed among any other clinicopathological factors. In
      conclusion, tumor location itself was not a risk factor for lymph node metastasis
      in colorectal T1 carcinomas, even though on average, rectal T1 carcinomas were
      larger and accompanied by a significantly higher rate of vascular invasion than
      colon T1 carcinomas.

PMID- 28356963
TI  - Human antigen R as a predictive marker for response to gemcitabine-based
      chemotherapy in advanced cisplatin-resistant urothelial cancer.
AB  - In patients with advanced urothelial cancer (UC), a combination of cisplatin
      (CDDP) and gemcitabine (GEM) is the most commonly used first-line systematic
      chemotherapy regimen. Although no standard regime for the treatment of CDDP
      resistant UC has been established, GEM-based regimens are frequently used in
      these patients. In other types of cancer, human antigen R (HuR) status in cancer
      cells is closely associated with patient response to GEM. The aim of the present
      study was to establish the predictive potential of HuR expression for disease
      progression and survival in patients with UC who were treated with GEM-based
      regimens as a first or second-line chemotherapy. A total of 50 patients with
      advanced UC were enrolled in the current study. As first-line chemotherapy,
      methotrexate, vinblastine, epirubicin and CDDP (MVEC) combination therapy and GEM
      and CDDP combination therapy were administered in 34 (68.0%) and 16 patients
      (32.0%), respectively. Following progression, 45 patients (90.0%) were treated
      with combined GEM and paclitaxel therapy, and 5 patients (10.0%) were treated
      with GEM monotherapy. Cytoplasmic and nuclear HuR expression was evaluated using
      immunohistochemical techniques. The associations between HuR expression levels
      and local tumor response and treatment outcomes were analyzed. In first-line
      chemotherapy, no anticancer effects were observed to be significantly associated
      with nuclear or cytoplasmic HuR expression. In second-line chemotherapy nuclear
      HuR expression also exhibited no significant association with anticancer effects;
      however, the local tumor response was significantly improved if positive
      cytoplasmic HuR expression was present (P=0.002). Multivariate analyses revealed
      that cytoplasmic HuR expression levels were a significant predictive marker for
      longer OS (hazard ratio, 0.22; 95% confidence interval, 0.09-0.56; P=0.001). No
      significant association was observed between nuclear HuR expression levels and
      the overall survival. Therefore, cytoplasmic HuR expression is a significant
      predictive marker of response to GEM-based chemotherapy in patients with CDDP
      resistant UC. Despite the limitations of a small and retrospective study, the
      results of the present study may facilitate the development of novel treatment
      strategies and provide a focus for additional basic and clinical studies.

PMID- 28356964
TI  - Prognostic significance of KLF4 expression in gastric cancer.
AB  - To understand the roles of pluripotent stem cell-inducing genes in gastric
      cancer, the expression of Kruppel-like factor 4 (KLF4), Nanog, octamer-binding
      transcription factor 4 (Oct4), avian myelocytomatosis viral oncogene homolog (c
      Myc) and sex-determining region Y-box 2 (SOX2) was examined using the newly
      developed gastric carcinoma tissue microarray. The associations between the
      immunohistochemical expression levels of the pluripotency-inducing factors and
      the clinicopathological data of 108 patients with gastric cancer were analyzed.
      No associations were identified between the expression levels of the five
      pluripotency-inducing factors and the tumor-node-metastasis (TNM) classification
      or clinicopathological characteristics of the patients. In addition, multivariate
      analysis revealed no association of Nanog, Oct4, SOX2 or c-Myc with the prognosis
      of the gastric cancer patients; however, low expression of KLF4 was determined to
      be an independent negative prognostic factor (P=0.0331), particularly in patients
      who underwent R0 resection (TNM stages 2 and 3; P=0.0048). In summary, low KLF4
      expression was found to be negatively associated with overall survival, and may
      therefore be a useful prognostic marker in gastric cancer patients.

PMID- 28356966
TI  - Stromal expression of Fer suppresses tumor progression in renal cell carcinoma
      and is a predictor of survival.
AB  - Fps/Fes related (Fer) is a non-receptor tyrosine kinase that is expressed in
      fibroblasts, immune cells and endothelial cells. Fer serves an important
      pathological role in cell survival, angiogenesis and the immune system. However,
      the pathological role of Fer expression in the stromal cells surrounding renal
      cell carcinoma (RCC) has not been previously investigated. In the present study,
      immunohistochemical analysis of Fer was performed using the formalin-fixed tissue
      samples of 152 patients with RCC. The proliferative and apoptotic indices were
      used to represent the percentage of proliferation marker protein Ki-67- and
      cleaved caspase-3-positive cells, respectively. The microvessel density was
      defined as the number of cluster of differentiation (CD) 31-positively stained
      vessels/mm2. In addition, CD57+ and CD68+ cells were counted using semi
      quantification of natural killer (NK) cells and macrophages. Fer expression in
      stromal cells was negatively associated with Fuhrman grade, pathological tumor
      stage and metastasis (P<0.001). Fer expression in stromal cells was negatively
      associated with CD68+ macrophage density, whereas it was positively associated
      with CD57+ NK cell density. Kaplan-Meier estimators indicated that decreased
      stromal Fer expression was a predictive marker of decreased cause-specific
      survival rate (P<0.001). Furthermore, low expression of Fer was identified as
      being an independent marker of decreased cause-specific survival using
      multivariate analysis (hazard ratio, 7.4; 95% confidence interval, 1.7-33.0;
      P<0.001). The results of the present study suggested that low Fer expression in
      stromal cells is associated with increased malignant aggressiveness and decreased
      survival in patients with RCC. CD57+ NK cell and CD68+ macrophage regulation in
      cancer-stromal tissue is considered to affect RCC pathology.

PMID- 28356965
TI  - Overexpression of KAI1 inhibits retinoblastoma metastasis in vitro.
AB  - The present study aimed to investigate the expression of cluster of
      differentiation 82 (KAI1), a gene involved in the suppression of tumor
      metastasis, in human retinoblastoma (RB) tissue and to study the effect of KAI1
      expression on RB cell migration and invasion. KAI1 expression was examined in 26
      patients with non-invasive and invasive retinoblastoma using reverse
      transcription-quantitative polymerase chain reaction and western blot analysis. A
      lentiviral vector containing KAI1 cDNA was used to transfect the two RB cell
      lines, HXO-Rb44-Gl and Y79. Following successful transfection, the migratory and
      invasive capacity of the two RB cell lines was evaluated using a Transwell(r)
      migration assay. KAI1 expression was observed to be downregulated in invasive RB
      compared to non-invasive RB. The migratory and invasive capacities of KAI1
      transfected cell lines were significantly decreased compared to those of the
      control cells. KAI1 may be involved in retinoblastoma metastasis, and increased
      expression of KAI1 significantly inhibits the metastatic ability of RB cells in
      vitro.

PMID- 28356967
TI  - Trametes robiniophila may induce apoptosis and inhibit MMPs expression in the
      human gastric carcinoma cell line MKN-45.
AB  - Gastric carcinoma (GC) is one of the most common malignant tumors and is mainly
      treated by invasive surgeries. The present study aimed to investigate the
      treatment potential of Trametes robiniophila on GC using the human GC cell line
      MKN-45. Cells were incubated with Trametes robiniophila at a concentration of 0,
      5 and 10 mg/ml for 24 h. The apoptosis of the cell line was examined with
      acridine orange/ethidium bromide staining and flow cytometry. The expression of B
      cell lymphoma (Bcl)-2, Fas, caspase-3, matrix metalloproteinase (MMP)-2 and MMP-9
      was analyzed using reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction and western
      blotting. With increasing drug concentrations, the proportion of apoptotic and
      necrotic cells increased. For a certain concentration, the apoptotic ratio also
      increased with increasing response times. Compared with the control group, the
      Bcl-2, MMP-2 and MMP-9 expression levels in the MKN-45 cell line decreased, while
      the expression levels of Fas and caspase-3 increased (P<0.05), and the expression
      patterns were strengthened with increasing drug concentrations. The present study
      revealed that Trametes robiniophila had treatment potential on GC, and it may act
      on gastric cells through apoptotic induction and MMPs expression inhibition.
      Based on the present results, Trametes robiniophila may be considered as an
      alternative approach for noninvasive therapy of GC. However, future studies
      should be performed to clarify this further.

PMID- 28356968
TI  - Bone metastasis from lung cancer identified by genetic profiling.
AB  - Cancer metastasis remains responsible for the vast majority of cases of cancer
      related morbidity and mortality. Metastasis, by its definition, is the spread of
      cancer from the primary site to the distant tissues. Advancing the scientific and
      clinical understanding of cancer metastasis is a high priority. The prerequisite
      requirement for pathological consistency may be compromised during metastasis.
      The present study reports the case of a cancer patient with different
      pathological types. The patient presented with pain in the neck and right hip, as
      well as weight loss. He underwent whole-body positron emission tomography
      computed tomography, which identified a mass in the lung and abnormal metabolism
      of the bone. Biopsies of the ilium and lung were performed and he was shown to
      have lung adenocarcinoma and bone squamous carcinoma. The morphology and
      immunohistochemical patterns were completely different, while each lesion
      harbored an identical genetic profile. The bone lesion was identified to be a
      metastasis from the lung cancer. The patient was prescribed an epithelial growth
      factor receptor inhibitor, which resulted in a partial response in the lung mass
      and alleviation of the patient's bone pain. Through this case study, we advocate
      the importance of using genetic testing in addition to pathological assessment.

PMID- 28356969
TI  - MicroRNA-149 targets specificity protein 1 to suppress human tongue squamous cell
      carcinoma cell proliferation and motility.
AB  - The expression and function of microRNA-149 have been studied in numerous types
      of cancer. However, thus far, there are no studies of microRNA-149 in tongue
      squamous cell carcinoma (TSCC). The present study investigated the expression,
      biological function and molecular mechanism of microRNA-149 in TSCC in vitro,
      discussing whether it may be a therapeutic biomarker of TSCC in the future. In
      the present study, microRNA-149 expression in TSCC tissues, matched normal
      adjacent tissues, TSCC cell lines and normal gingival epithelial cells were
      analyzed using quantitative polymerase chain reaction. Following transfection
      with microRNA-149 mimics, cell proliferation, migration and invasion assays, a
      luciferase assay and western blotting were performed. The present study found
      that the expression of microRNA-149 was significantly decreased in TSCC tissues
      and cell lines compared with matched normal tissue and normal gingival epithelial
      cells, respectively. In addition, it was also demonstrated that microRNA-149
      inhibited cell proliferation, migration and invasion by directly targeting
      specificity protein 1. Therefore, the results suggested that microRNA-149 may be
      a novel target for TSCC therapy in the future.

PMID- 28356970
TI  - Influence of gap junction intercellular communication composed of connexin 43 on
      the antineoplastic effect of adriamycin in breast cancer cells.
AB  - Gap junctions (GJs) serve the principal role in the antineoplastic (cytotoxicity
      and induced apoptosis) effect of chemical drugs. The aim of the present study was
      to determine the effect of GJ intercellular communication (GJIC) composed of
      connexin 43 (Cx43) on adriamycin cytotoxicity in breast cancer cells. Four cell
      lines (Hs578T, MCF-7, MDA-MB-231 and SK-BR-3) with different degree of malignancy
      were used in the study. The results of western blotting and immunofluorescence
      revealed that, in Hs578T and MCF-7 cells, which have a low degree of malignancy,
      the expression levels of Cx43 and GJIC were higher than those in MDA-MB-231 and
      SK-BR-3 cells (which have a high degree of malignancy). In Hs578T and MCF-7
      cells, where GJ could be formed, the function of GJ was modulated by a
      pharmacological potentiators [retinoid acid (RA)]/inhibitors [oleamide and 18
      alpha-glycyrrhetinic acid (18-alpha-GA)] and small interfering RNA (siRNA). In
      high-density cells (where GJ was formed), enhancement of GJ function by RA
      increased the cytotoxicity of adriamycin, while inhibition of GJ function by
      oleamide/18-alpha-GA and siRNA decreased the cytotoxicity caused by adriamycin.
      Notably, the modulation of GJ did not affect the survival of cells treated with
      adriamycin when cells were in low density (no GJ was formed). The present study
      illustrated the association between GJIC and the antitumor effect of adriamycin
      in breast cancer cells. The cytotoxicity of adriamycin on breast cancer cells was
      increased when the function of gap junctions was enhanced.

PMID- 28356972
TI  - Wild-type p53-induced phosphatase 1 is a prognostic marker and therapeutic target
      in bladder transitional cell carcinoma.
AB  - Wild-type p53-induced phosphatase (Wip1) is an established oncogene and is
      associated with development of multiple forms of human cancer. However, the
      expression and role of Wip1 in human bladder transitional cell carcinoma (TCC)
      remains to be elucidated. In the present study, immunohistochemistry demonstrated
      that Wip1 was overexpressed in bladder TCC tissues compared with corresponding
      normal bladder tissues in 106 bladder TCC cases (P<0.0001). Furthermore, high
      expression levels of Wip1 were significantly associated with increasing tumor
      size (P=0.002), pathological grade (P=0.025), clinical T stage (P=0.001) and
      lymph nodal metastasis (P=0.003). Kaplan-Meier survival analysis identified that
      patients with high Wip1 expression levels exhibited a lower overall survival time
      (P<0.0001), and Cox proportional hazards regression model analysis demonstrated
      that Wip1 expression was an independent prognostic factor in patients with
      bladder TCC (P=0.025). In addition, downregulation of Wip1 expression by
      transfection with small interfering RNA in bladder cancer cells inhibited cell
      proliferation, invasion and migration (P<0.05), along with the upregulation of
      p53 protein levels (P<0.05). These findings suggest that Wip1 may function as a
      potential prognostic marker and therapeutic target in bladder cancer.

PMID- 28356971
TI  - Elevated microRNA-125b levels predict a worse prognosis in HER2-positive breast
      cancer patients.
AB  - Breast cancer, the second most common cancer worldwide, is the leading cause of
      cancer-associated mortality in women, accounting for ~15% of all cancer
      associated mortalities in women. The development, local invasion and metastasis
      of breast cancer are associated with the dysregulation and mutation of numerous
      genes and epigenetic mechanisms, including coding RNA and non-coding RNA, such as
      microRNAs (miRs/miRNAs). Previous studies have shown a dual-faced role of miR
      125b in breast cancer. In the present study, a total of 221 paraffin-embedded
      breast cancer and 49 paraffin-embedded non-cancerous breast tissue samples were
      collected. In situ hybridization was used to analyze the expression of miR-125b
      in the breast cancer tissues. Spearman's rank correlation analysis was used to
      analyze the expression correlation between miR-125b and human epidermal growth
      factor 2 (HER2). The overall survival estimates over time were calculated using
      the Kaplan-Meier method with log-rank test. It was found that miR-125b expression
      was significantly increased in the breast cancer tissues compared with that in
      the non-cancerous tissues, and high miR-125b expression indicated a poor
      prognosis in the breast cancer patients. In addition, miR-125b expression was
      positively correlated with HER2, but not with progesterone receptor and estrogen
      receptor. Notably, high miR-125b expression was significantly correlated with
      tumor size and Tumor-Node-Metastasis stage in the HER2-positive breast cancer
      patients, along with a poor prognosis. The present study provides clinical data
      to confirm the oncogenic potential of miR-125b, particularly in HER2-positive
      human breast cancer. Thus, identification of miR-125b may be a potential
      molecular biomarker for the prediction of clinical outcomes in breast cancer
      patients, particularly HER2-positive cases that will receive paclitaxel-based
      neoadjuvant chemotherapy.

PMID- 28356973
TI  - Patients with normal-range CA19-9 levels represent a distinct subgroup of
      pancreatic cancer patients.
AB  - Pancreatic cancer remains a lethal disease that responds poorly to multiple types
      of treatment. Therefore, the identification of distinct subgroups that exhibit
      unique therapeutic responses is an urgent requirement. In the present multicenter
      study (1,912 cases), the differences between the therapeutic responses and
      clinical characteristics of two subgroups of pancreatic cancer, carbohydrate
      antigen 19-9 (CA19-9)-normal (baseline serum level, <=37 U/ml) and CA19-9
      elevated (baseline serum level, >37 U/ml), were analyzed. CA19-9-normal
      expression was identified to be an independent prognostic factor for patients
      with stage I-II [hazard ratio (HR)=0.77; P=0.037] and stage III-IV (HR=0.68;
      P<0.001) pancreatic cancer. The 5-year survival rate of the stage III-IV CA19-9
      normal subgroup was increased compared with the stage I-II CA19-9-elevated
      subgroup (15.4 vs. 13.8%). In the stage I-II CA19-9-normal and CA19-9-elevated
      subgroups, gemcitabine-based chemotherapy was a significant positive prognostic
      factor for survival (CA19-9-normal, HR=0.54, P=0.013; CA19-9-elevated, HR=0.55,
      P<0.001). However, among stage III-IV patients, the CA19-9-normal subgroup
      exhibited a poor response to gemcitabine-based chemotherapy (HR=0.77; P=0.165),
      while the CA19-9-elevated subgroup exhibited a favorable response, resulting in a
      lower rate of mortality (HR=0.70; P<0.001) compared with no chemotherapy. It was
      concluded that CA19-9-normal pancreatic cancer is a less aggressive subgroup;
      however, advanced CA19-9-normal pancreatic cancer exhibits a poorer response to
      gemcitabine-based chemotherapy.

PMID- 28356974
TI  - Gastrointestinal stromal tumor with a PDGFRA mutation masquerading as gastric
      plexiform fibromyxoma: A comparative clinicopathological study of two cases.
AB  - Gastric plexiform fibromyxoma (PF) is a rare mesenchymal tumor with a
      histologically distinctive multinodular pattern, dissimilar to conventional
      gastrointestinal stromal tumor (GIST). The current study presents one case of
      gastric PF, and one case of GIST with a platelet-derived growth factor receptor
      alpha (PDGFRA) mutation mimicking PF, and discusses their differential diagnoses.
      The two patients were a 51-year-old male with PF and a 47-year-old female with
      GIST, each of whom presented with an occupying lesion in the gastric antrum.
      Histologically, the two cases shared a rare and approximately unanimous
      morphological pattern of a prominent multinodular and plexiform figuration in the
      gastric wall, including mucoid matrix, short spindle cells and small caliber
      vascular elements, and areas of stromal tumor cells exhibited an epithelioid
      appearance. Immunohistochemistry revealed that the PF tumor cells were positive
      for smooth muscle actin (SMA), but negative for mast/stem cell growth factor
      receptor (KIT), GIST-1 (DOG1), cluster of differentiation (CD) 34, S-100, desmin
      and cytokeratin AE1/AE3. The case of GIST expressed KIT and DOG1, but was
      negative for SMA, CD34, S-100, desmin and AE1/AE3. In addition, the GIST case,
      which was observed to harbor a D842V mutation in exon 18 of PDGFRA, was
      demonstrated to be genetically distinct from PF. The cases presented in the
      current study were uncommon in that GIST exhibited a plexiform appearance that
      mimicked the histology of the rare PF tumor; therefore, GIST must be considered
      and discounted first when determining a differential diagnosis for a
      gastrointestinal mesenchymal neoplasm.

PMID- 28356975
TI  - Potential regulation of glioma through the induction of apoptosis signaling via
      Egl-9 family hypoxia-inducible factor 3.
AB  - Glioma is an aggressive form of brain cancer that occurs following the abnormal
      proliferation of glial cells. Although glioma cannot spread to other organs, the
      morbidity and mortality rates of the disease are high, even following surgery,
      radiotherapy and chemotherapy. The function of Egl-9 family hypoxia-inducible
      factor 3 (Egln3) in cancer is controversial, and it is debated as to whether
      Egln3 positively or negatively regulates tumors. In the present study, a mouse
      model of low-grade glioma was successfully established. Through the use of
      immunohistochemical and western blot analyses, it was demonstrated that Egln3
      expression in glioma tissue performed an important role in regulation by
      amplifying the signals for apoptosis, as determined by an increase in DNA
      fragments. Furthermore, Egln3 expression was inhibited by the administration of
      dimethyloxalylglycine, and the downregulated expression of Egln3 had marked
      effects on the regulation of glioma through apoptosis. The present study
      therefore provides evidence of an association between Egln3 expression and
      apoptosis in low-grade glioma.

PMID- 28356976
TI  - CD147 promotes the proliferation, invasiveness, migration and angiogenesis of
      human lung carcinoma cells.
AB  - Cluster of differentiation (CD) 147 is a transmembrane glycoprotein that is
      highly expressed at the tumor cell surface, which stimulates fibroblasts to
      produce a large number of matrix metalloproteinases and promotes tumor invasion
      and metastasis and tumor-induced angiogenesis. The present study investigated the
      functions and the role of CD147 in the human lung carcinoma A549 cell line. The
      present study constructed expression and interference [small interfering (si)
      RNA] lentiviral vectors of CD147, which established stable overexpression and low
      expression of CD147 in the A549 cell line, named A549-CD147 and A549-siCD147,
      respectively. The differences in biological features between various levels of
      CD147 expression in A549 cells was investigated by cell counting kit-8 (CCK-8),
      Transwell, scratch and lumen formation assays. The results of the CCK-8 assay
      revealed that A549-CD147 cell proliferation was significantly increased and A549
      siCD147 cell proliferation was decreased compared with the control groups. The
      A549-CD147 cells had the largest number of cells penetrating the Matrigel in the
      Transwell assay, which indicates that upregulation of CD147 expression increases
      the infiltration capacity of cells. The scratch assay revealed that A549-CD147
      cells have the highest capacity for migration, while A549-siCD147 cells have the
      lowest. Quantitative polymerase chain reaction and western blot analysis
      demonstrated that vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) expression was
      proportional to the expression level of CD147 at the mRNA and protein level. The
      lumen formation assay revealed that the number of vessel lumens that human
      umbilical vein endothelial cells formed in the A549-CD147 cell supernatant was
      increased compared with the A549-siCD147 cells. Collectively, the present results
      suggest that CD147 is important in the promotion of lung carcinoma cell
      proliferation, invasion and metastasis and the upregulation of VEGF, which
      stimulates the angiogenesis of lung carcinoma. In conclusion, CD147 may be a
      potential target in the treatment of lung carcinoma.

PMID- 28356977
TI  - Clinical significance of platelet-derived growth factor receptor-beta gene
      expression in stage II/III gastric cancer with S-1 adjuvant chemotherapy.
AB  - Overall survival remains unsatisfactory in stage II/III gastric cancer, even
      after curative surgery and adjuvant chemotherapy. Platelet-derived growth factor
      receptor-beta (PDGFR-beta) is associated with the proliferation of cancer cells.
      The present study therefore investigated the association of PDGFR-beta gene
      expression with patient outcome in 134 stage II/III gastric cancer patients who
      received adjuvant chemotherapy with S-1. Relative PDGFR-beta gene expression was
      measured in surgical cancer tissue and adjacent normal mucosa specimens by
      reverse transcription-quantitative polymerase chain reaction. The PDGFR-beta gene
      expression levels were found to be significantly higher in the cancer tissues
      compared with the adjacent normal mucosa. A high level of PDGFR-beta gene
      expression was associated with a significantly poorer 5-year overall survival
      rate compared with a low level of PDGFR-beta expression. Upon multivariate
      analysis, PDGFR-beta gene expression was found to be an independent predictor of
      survival. Overall, the study indicates that PDGFR-beta overexpression in gastric
      cancer tissues is a useful independent predictor of outcome in patients with
      stage II/III gastric cancer who receive adjuvant chemotherapy with S-1.

PMID- 28356978
TI  - Reproducibility of the EGFR immunohistochemistry scores for tumor samples from
      patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer.
AB  - Epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) is overexpressed in >60% of non-small
      cell lung cancer (NSCLC) cases. In combination with radiotherapy or chemotherapy,
      first-line treatments with antibodies against EGFR, including cetuximab and
      necitumumab, have demonstrated benefits by increasing overall survival (OS),
      particularly in patients who overexpress EGFR. The present study evaluated the
      interobserver agreement among three senior pathologists, who were blinded to the
      clinical outcomes and assessed tumor samples from 85 patients with NSCLC using
      the H-score method. EGFR immunohistochemistry was performed using a qualitative
      immunohistochemical kit. The reported (mean +/- standard deviation) H-scores from
      each pathologist were 111+/-102, 127+/-103 and 128.53+/-104.03. The patients with
      average H-scores >=1, >=100, >=200 and between 250-300 were 85.9, 54.1, 28.2 and
      12.9, respectively. Patients who had an average H-score >100 had a shorter OS
      time compared with those with lower scores. Furthermore, patients with EGFR
      mutations who were treated with EGFR-tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) and had an
      average H-score >100 had a longer OS time compared with those with an average H
      score <100. The interobserver concordance for the total H-scores were 0.982,
      0.980 and 0.988, and for a positive H-score >=200, the interobserver concordance
      was 0.773, 0.710 and 0.675, respectively. The determination of EGFR expression by
      the H-score method is highly reproducible among pathologists and is a prognostic
      factor associated with a poor OS in all patients. Additionally, the results of
      the present study suggest that patients with EGFR mutations that are treated with
      EGFR-TKIs and present with a high H-score have a longer OS time.

PMID- 28356979
TI  - Inhibition of store-operated Ca2+ entry counteracts the apoptosis of
      nasopharyngeal carcinoma cells induced by sodium butyrate.
AB  - Sodium butyrate (NaBu), a histone deacetylase inhibitor, has demonstrated anti
      tumor effects in several cancers, and is a promising candidate chemotherapeutic
      agent. However, its roles in nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC), an endemic malignant
      disease in Southern China and Southeast Asia, has rarely been studied. In the
      present study, MTT assay, colony formation assay, flow cytometry analysis and
      western blotting were performed to explore the influence of NaBu on NPC cells and
      its underlying mechanism. NaBu induced morphological changes and inhibited
      proliferation in 5-8F and 6-10B cells. MTT assay revealed that NaBu was cytotoxic
      to 5-8F and 6-10B cells in a dose- and time-dependent manner. Furthermore, flow
      cytometry analysis revealed that NaBu induced obvious cell apoptosis in 5-8F and
      6-10B cells due to the activation of the mitochondrial apoptosis axis. In
      addition, flow cytometry analysis and western blotting demonstrated that NaBu
      could enhance the Ca2+ influx by promoting store-operated Ca2+ entry (SOCE) in 5
      8F and 6-10B cells. Inhibition of SOCE by specific inhibitors or downregulated
      expression of calcium release-activated calcium channel protein 1 and stromal
      interaction molecule 1 could counteract the apoptosis of NPC cells induced by
      NaBu. Thus, the current study revealed that enhanced SOCE and activated
      mitochondrial apoptosis axis may account for the mechanisms of cytotoxicity of
      NaBu in NPC cells, and that NaBu serves as a promising chemotherapeutic agent in
      NPC therapy.

PMID- 28356980
TI  - Regulation of cell migration via the EGFR signaling pathway in oral squamous cell
      carcinoma cells.
AB  - Cell migration potency is essential in cancer metastasis and is often regulated
      by extracellular stimuli. Oral squamous cell carcinoma cell lines include those
      that are sensitive, as well as resistant, to the effects of the epidermal growth
      factor receptor (EGFR) inhibitor cetuximab on cell migration. In the present
      study, the molecular differences in the EGFR response to cell migration between
      the SAS cetuximab-sensitive and HSC4 cetuximab-resistant cell lines was examined.
      Treatment with the EGFR inhibitors AG1478 and cetuximab reduced the migration
      potency of SAS cells, but not HSC4 cells. The migration of the two cell lines was
      inhibited under serum-free culture conditions, and the addition of EGF to the
      serum-free medium promoted the migration of SAS cells, but not HSC4 cells. In
      addition, SAS cell migration was reduced by the mitogen-activated protein kinase
      kinase and protein kinase B (Akt) inhibitors PD98059 and MK2206, whereas HSC4
      cell migration was only inhibited by MK2206. EGF induced an increase in
      extracellular signal-regulated kinase phosphorylation levels in HSC4 cells, and
      stimulated Akt phosphorylation levels in SAS cells. Furthermore, the staining of
      actin filaments with phalloidin was significantly increased by the inhibition of
      EGFR in SAS cells, but was not observed as altered in HSC4 cells. Conversely, the
      addition of EGF to the culture medium decreased the accumulation of actin
      filaments in SAS cells. The results suggest that the EGF-EGFR signaling pathway
      has an important role in SAS cell migration via the modulation of actin dynamics,
      and that HSC4 cell migration is regulated by a serum component other than EGFR.

PMID- 28356981
TI  - Characteristic expression of fukutin in gastric cancer among atomic bomb
      survivors.
AB  - Approximately 70 years have passed since the atomic bombs were dropped on
      Nagasaki and Hiroshima. To elucidate potential biomarkers and possible mechanisms
      of radiation-induced cancer, the expression of FKTN, which encodes fukutin
      protein and causes Fukuyama-type congenital muscular dystrophy, was analyzed in
      gastric cancer (GC) tissue samples from atomic bomb survivors. Expression of
      cluster of differentiation (CD) 10 was also evaluated, as it has previously been
      observed that positive fukutin expression was frequently noted in CD10-positive
      GC cases. In the first cohort from Hiroshima Red Cross Hospital and Atomic-Bomb
      Survivors Hospital (Hiroshima, Japan; n=92), 102 (53%) of the GC cases were
      positive for fukutin. Expression of fukutin was not associated with exposure
      status, but was associated with CD10 expression (P=0.0001). The second cohort was
      from Hiroshima University Hospital (Hiroshima, Japan; n=86), and these patients
      were also in the Life Span Study cohort, in which atomic bomb radiation doses
      were precisely estimated using the DS02 system. Expression of fukutin was
      detected in 58 (67%) of GC cases. GC cases positive for fukutin were observed
      more frequently in the low dose-exposed group than in the high dose-exposed group
      (P=0.0001). Further studies with a larger cohort, including precise radiation
      dose estimation, may aid in clarifying whether fukutin could serve as a potential
      biomarker to define radiation-induced GC in atomic-bomb survivors.

PMID- 28356982
TI  - DHX32 expression is an indicator of poor breast cancer prognosis.
AB  - Emerging evidence suggests that DEAH-box polypeptide 32 (DHX32) serves an
      important role in the progression and metastasis of cancer. However, the role of
      DHX32 in breast cancer remains to be completely elucidated. The aim of the
      present study was to evaluate the expression and clinical significance of DHX32
      in breast cancer. The reverse transcription-quantitative polymerase chain
      reaction was performed to analyze DHX32 messenger (m)RNA expression, and western
      blotting and immunohistochemistry were performed to examine DHX32 protein
      expression in breast cancer and adjacent non-cancerous tissues. The association
      in breast cancer between DHX32 expression, clinicopathological features and
      prognosis was analyzed using 193 breast cancer tissue samples. The results of the
      present study demonstrated that breast cancer tissues exhibited increased DHX32
      mRNA and protein expression compared with adjacent non-cancerous tissues
      (P<0.001). In addition, DHX32 expression was significantly associated with breast
      cancer clinical stage (P=0.006), histological grade (P=0.029), lymph node
      metastasis (P<0.001) and expression of the proliferation marker Ki-67 (P=0.004).
      Kaplan-Meier estimator analysis indicated that increased DHX32 expression is
      associated with poor prognosis in patients with breast cancer. Furthermore, the
      Cox proportional hazards model indicated that DHX32 expression is an independent
      prognostic factor for decreased overall survival and disease-free survival in
      patients with breast cancer. In conclusion, the results of the present study
      suggest that DHX32 overexpression is an unfavorable prognostic biomarker in
      breast cancer and a potential therapeutic target of future breast cancer
      treatments.

PMID- 28356983
TI  - TCN, an AKT inhibitor, exhibits potent antitumor activity and enhances
      radiosensitivity in hypoxic esophageal squamous cell carcinoma in vitro and in
      vivo.
AB  - The aim of the present study was to investigate the radiosensitization effect of
      triciribine (TCN) on human esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) in normoxia
      or hypoxia and its mechanism. The cytotoxicity and radiosensitization mechanism
      of TCN were investigated by Cell Counting Kit 8, clonogenic assay, flow
      cytometry, western blotting (WB) and immunofluorescence staining of phospho
      histone H2A.X, Ser139 (gamma-H2AX) in ESCC in vitro, while the protein expression
      levels of AKT, phosphorylated (p)-AKT, hypoxia-inducible factor (HIF)-1alpha and
      vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) were evaluated by WB in vivo. The
      cytotoxicity of TCN was dose dependent. Upon exposure to TCN, ESCC cells in
      hypoxia treated with 4-Gy radiotherapy exhibited an evidently higher apoptotic
      rate than cells subjected to other treatments. TCN could significantly inhibit
      the protein expression of p-AKT, HIF-1alpha and VEGF in vitro and in vivo. The
      present results suggested that TCN can effectively inhibit AKT, p-AKT, HIF-1alpha
      and VEGF, thus conferring radiosensitivity to ESCC in vitro and vivo. TCN is
      considered as an adjuvant in radiotherapy of ESCC in clinical application.

PMID- 28356984
TI  - Interleukin-1beta activates focal adhesion kinase and Src to induce matrix
      metalloproteinase-9 production and invasion of MCF-7 breast cancer cells.
AB  - Interleukin-1beta (IL-1b) is a pleiotropic cytokine that is important in tumor
      progression and invasion. Matrix metalloproteinase-9 (MMP-9), which is a secreted
      matrix-degrading enzyme, is one of the key regulators of tumor invasion and
      metastasis. The current report indicated that IL-1b promotes MMP-9 production and
      cell invasion in non-metastatic MCF-7 breast cancer cells. IL-1b activated focal
      adhesion kinase (FAK) and proto-oncogene tyrosine-protein kinase Src (Src).
      Moreover, inhibiting the Src/FAK pathway reduced the IL-1b-induced production of
      MMP-9 and cell invasion. To investigate the functional role of FAK in MMP-9
      production cell lines expressing mutant FAK in FAK knock-out mouse fibroblasts
      were generated. In wild-type FAK-expressing cells, MMP-9 production was induced
      by IL-1b stimulation. By contrast, IL-1b-induced MMP-9 production was abrogated
      in FAK knock-out, FAK Y397F, FAK Y925F, and kinase dead mutant-expressing cells.
      Therefore the results of the current study indicate that FAK and Src kinases are
      activated by IL-1b and play a critical role in MMP-9 production and tumor cell
      invasion.

PMID- 28356985
TI  - Molecular mechanisms of cholangiocarcinoma cell inhibition by medicinal plants.
AB  - Cholangiocarcinoma (CCA) is one of the most common causes of cancer-associated
      mortality in Thailand. Certain phytochemicals have been demonstrated to modulate
      apoptotic signaling pathways, which may be targeted for the prevention and
      treatment of cancer. Therefore, the aim of the present study was to investigate
      the effect of specific medicinal plants on the inhibition of CCA cell
      proliferation, and to identify the molecular mechanisms underlying this. A WST-1
      cell proliferation assay was performed using an RMCCA1 cell line, and apoptotic
      signaling pathways were also investigated using a PathScan Stress and Apoptosis
      Signaling Antibody Array Kit. The cell proliferation assay indicated that
      extracts from the Phyllanthus emblica fruit pulp (PEf), Phyllanthus emblica seed
      (PEs), Terminalia chebula fruit pulp (TCf), Terminalia chebula seed (TCs), Areca
      catechu seed (ACs), Curcuma longa (CL) and Moringa oleifera seed (MOs) exerted
      anti-proliferative activity in RMCCA1 cells. In addition, the PathScan assay
      revealed that certain pro-apoptotic molecules, including caspase-3, poly (ADP
      ribose) polymerase, checkpoint kinase 2 and tumor protein 53, exhibited increased
      activity in RMCCA1 cells treated with the aforementioned selected plant extracts,
      with the exception of PEf. The mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) pathways
      (including ERK1/2 and p38 MAPK) expression level was significantly increased in
      RMCCA1 cells pre-treated with extracts of PEs, TCf, CL and MOs. The activation of
      protein kinase B (Akt) was significantly demonstrated in RMCCA1 cells pre-treated
      with extracts of TCf, ACs and MOs. In summary, the present study demonstrated
      that extracts of PEs, TCf, TCs, ACs, CL and MOs exhibited anti-proliferative
      effects in CCA cells by inducing pro-apoptotic signals and modulating signal
      transduction molecules. Further studies in vivo are required to demonstrate the
      potential applications of specific plant extracts for the treatment of human
      cancer.

PMID- 28356986
TI  - Hypoxia regulates CD44 expression via hypoxia-inducible factor-1alpha in human
      gastric cancer cells.
AB  - Hypoxia induces proliferation and invasion in cancer cells via hypoxia-inducible
      factor (HIF)-1alpha. The cell adhesion molecule cluster of differentiation (CD)
      44 has been associated with increased cell invasion and metastasis. Whether
      hypoxia regulates the expression of CD44 in gastric cancer cells remains to be
      established. In the current study, the effects of hypoxia on HIF-1alpha and CD44
      expression levels in human gastric cell lines SGC-7901 and BGC-823 were
      evaluated. The cells were cultured in 1% O2 for 1 week and then treated with 20
      nM rapamycin for 72 h. Cell viability was evaluated using the Cell Counting kit-8
      assay, and cell invasion was detected by the Transwell invasion assay. The
      protein and messenger (m) RNA expression levels of HIF-1alpha and CD44 were
      detected using western blotting and reverse transcription-quantitative polymerase
      chain reaction, respectively. The results revealed that cell viability and
      invasion increased under hypoxic conditions, but decreased following rapamycin
      treatment in SGC-7901 and BGC-823 cells. Hypoxia also increased the protein and
      mRNA expression levels of HIF-1alpha and CD44 in these two cell lines. However,
      this hypoxia-induced increase in HIF-1alpha and CD44 protein and mRNA expression
      levels was inhibited by rapamycin. These findings suggest that hypoxia induced
      the proliferation and invasion of SGC-7901 and BGC-823 cells. Furthermore, CD44
      expression levels were potentially associated with HIF-1alpha expression levels.
      Therefore, in gastric cancer cells, hypoxia may regulate CD44 expression via HIF
      1alpha in order to promote cell proliferation and invasion.

PMID- 28356987
TI  - Pro-apoptotic and anti-proliferative effects of corn silk extract on human colon
      cancer cell lines.
AB  - Corn silk is an economically and nutritionally significant natural product as it
      represents a staple food for a large proportion of the world population. This
      study investigated the anticancer activity of corn silk extract in human colon
      cancer cells and human gastric cancer cells. Following treatment with corn silk
      extract, certain apoptosis-related events were observed, including inhibition of
      cell proliferation, loss of mitochondrial membrane potential (DeltaPsim), release
      of Ca2+ and release of cytochrome c from the mitochondria into the cytosol. Our
      results revealed that corn silk extract inhibited the proliferation of cancer
      cells and increased the level of apoptosis in a concentration-dependent manner.
      Western blot analysis revealed that corn silk extract upregulated the levels of
      Bax, cytochrome c, caspase-3 and caspase-9, but downregulated the levels of B
      cell lymphoma 2. These results suggest that corn silk extract may induce
      apoptosis through the mitochondria-mediated pathway.

PMID- 28356988
TI  - Complete response to capecitabine in a frail, elderly patient with metastatic
      colorectal cancer: A case report.
AB  - The clinical management of frail, elderly patients affected by colorectal cancer
      (CRC) remains a subject of debate. The present study reports the case of an
      elderly man with metastatic CRC (mCRC) who was successfully treated with
      capecitabine. The patient survived for 29 months, thus highlighting its potential
      activity in terms of obtaining a complete response and high efficacy. A 77-year
      old man presented with adenocarcinoma of the rectum with multiple and synchronous
      liver metastases, in addition to several comorbidities. The patient received
      single-agent capecitabine chemotherapy (825 mg/mq twice a day) on days 1-14 of a
      21-day cycle. Following 12 cycles of well-tolerated therapy, a computed
      tomography scan revealed a complete response with no evidence of liver
      metastases. An overall survival of 29 months was documented, and the patient
      eventually succumbed to a diabetes-related complication. In compromised patients
      with mCRC, reduced-dose capecitabine is an excellent therapeutic option due to
      its positive safety profile, activity and efficacy.

PMID- 28356990
TI  - Single nucleotide polymorphisms of the haptoglobin gene in non-small cell lung
      cancer treated with personalized peptide vaccination.
AB  - The present study analyzed polymorphisms of the 5' flanking region (from nt -840
      to +151) of the haptoglobin gene in 120 patients with advanced non-small cell
      lung cancer (NSCLC) receiving personalized peptide vaccinations. In the region,
      six single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) were confirmed, of which two, rs5472
      and rs9927981, were completely linked to each other. The minor allele frequencies
      of rs5472/rs9927981 and rs4788458 were higher than those of the other three SNPs.
      The genotype frequencies of rs5472 or rs9927981 were A/A or C/C (42.5%, n=51),
      A/G or C/T (40.8%, n=49), and G/G or T/T (16.7%, n=20), respectively; and those
      of rs4788458 were T/T (34.2%, n=41), T/C (40.0%, n=48), and C/C (25.8%, n=31).
      The association between polymorphism rs5472/rs9927981 and prognosis, or between
      rs4788458 and prognosis, was analyzed further. However, no correlation was found
      between these SNPs and overall survival, regardless of subgroup analysis of
      gender, histology or concurrent therapy. These results suggest that the
      polymorphisms rs5472/rs9927981 and rs4788458 are not useful prognostic tools for
      patients with NSCLC treated with personalized peptide vaccination.

PMID- 28356991
TI  - Prognostic significance of the preoperative lymphocyte-to-monocyte ratio in
      patients with colorectal cancer.
AB  - A correlation between the lymphocyte-to-monocyte ratio (LMR) and the survival of
      patients with hematological malignancies has been reported previously. However,
      there have been few studies investigating the prognostic significance of LMR in
      patients with solid tumors. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the
      prognostic significance of preoperative LMR in patients with colorectal cancer
      (CRC). A total of 189 patients undergoing potentially curative surgery for CRC
      were enrolled. The LMR was calculated from preoperative blood samples by dividing
      absolute lymphocyte count by absolute monocyte count. A cut-off value of 4.8 was
      set based on the receiver operating characteristic curve; 116 patients were
      classified as high-LMR, and 73 patients classified as low-LMR. The high-LMR group
      exhibited significantly better relapse-free survival (P=0.0018) and overall
      survival (P=0.0127) rates than the low-LMR group. According to the multivariate
      analysis of survival, preoperative LMR was identified as an independent
      prognostic factor for relapse-free survival (P=0.041) and overall survival
      (P=0.031). Therefore, preoperative LMR is a useful prognostic marker in patients
      with CRC.

PMID- 28356992
TI  - Arctigenin, a natural lignan compound, induces G0/G1 cell cycle arrest and
      apoptosis in human glioma cells.
AB  - The aim of the current study was to investigate the anticancer potential of
      arctigenin, a natural lignan compound, in malignant gliomas. The U87MG and T98G
      human glioma cell lines were treated with various concentrations of arctigenin
      for 48 h and the effects of arctigenin on the aggressive phenotypes of glioma
      cells were assessed. The results demonstrated that arctigenin dose-dependently
      inhibited the growth of U87MG and T98G cells, as determined using 3-(4,5
      dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide and bromodeoxyuridine
      incorporation assays. Arctigenin exposure also induced a 60-75% reduction in
      colony formation compared with vehicle-treated control cells. However, arctigenin
      was not observed to affect the invasiveness of glioma cells. Arctigenin
      significantly increased the proportion of cells in the G0/G1 phase and reduced
      the number of cells in the S phase, as compared with the control group (P<0.05).
      Western blot analysis demonstrated that arctigenin increased the expression
      levels of p21, retinoblastoma and p53 proteins, and significantly decreased the
      expression levels of cyclin D1 and cyclin-dependent kinase 4 proteins.
      Additionally, arctigenin was able to induce apoptosis in glioma cells, coupled
      with increased expression levels of cleaved caspase-3 and the pro-apoptotic BCL2
      associated X protein. Furthermore, arctigenin-induced apoptosis was significantly
      suppressed by the pretreatment of cells with Z-DEVD-FMK, a caspase-3 inhibitor.
      In conclusion, the results suggest that arctigenin is able to inhibit cell
      proliferation and may induce apoptosis and cell cycle arrest at the G0/G1 phase
      in glioma cells. These results warrant further investigation of the anticancer
      effects of arctigenin in animal models of gliomas.

PMID- 28356993
TI  - Primary breast lymphoma: A single center study.
AB  - The aim of the present study was to summarize the clinical characteristics of
      primary breast lymphoma (PBL) and evaluate its management approaches. A total of
      29 patients newly diagnosed with PBL, and treated between April 2006 and May
      2013, were analyzed retrospectively. The median survival follow-up time for all
      patients was 66.8 (range, 25.4-110.0) months. The results of the follow-up
      revealed 22 living lymphoma-free patients and 7 patients who had succumbed to
      PBL. Of the 7 deceased patients, 6 had succumbed to lymphoma and 1 to
      chemotherapy-associated hepatic failure. In total, 1 patient who presented with
      bilateral breast lymphoma developed left breast relapse following lumpectomy and
      chemotherapy, 2 patients developed a bone marrow relapse, 1 patient developed
      lung and mediastinal lymph node relapses, and 1 patient developed a skin relapse.
      The Kaplan-Meier estimator predicted 5-year overall survival and progression-free
      survival rates for all patients of 74.4 and 74.6%, respectively. PBL appears to
      be a rare disease with a good overall prognosis and low incidence of local
      relapse, following chemotherapy alone or in combination with other treatments.
      Further studies investigating the development of effective agents for use in
      treatment-resistant patients are required.

PMID- 28356989
TI  - Sorafenib therapy following resection prolongs disease-free survival in patients
      with advanced hepatocellular carcinoma at a high risk of recurrence.
AB  - Sorafenib is the standard systemic treatment for patients with advanced
      hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC); however, its therapeutic value in patients with
      HCC following resection remains controversial. The current retrospective study
      was undertaken to assess the effects of sorafenib treatment following surgical
      resection in patients with advanced HCC disease who were at a high risk for
      recurrence. Between July 2010 and July 2013, a consecutive cohort of 42 patients
      with advanced HCC and at a high risk of recurrence (i.e., those with portal vein
      tumor thrombosis, adjacent organ involvement or tumor rupture) who underwent
      resection were analyzed. The patients were categorized into the sorafenib group
      (n=14) or the best supportive care (BSC) group (n=28). Although the histological
      grade, Barcelona Clinic Liver Cancer Stage, tumor size, nodule number and
      proportion of patients with high serum alpha-fetoprotein levels were comparable
      between the sorafenib and BSC groups, those receiving sorafenib following
      resection had significantly longer disease-free survival (DFS) of 5.2 months [95%
      confidence interval (CI), 1.2-9.2 months] compared with the BSC group [1.8 months
      (95% CI, 0.6-3.0 months)]. No differences in overall survival were noted between
      the groups. Furthermore, no drug-related adverse events resulted in
      discontinuation of sorafenib therapy. Univariate log-rank analysis revealed that
      sorafenib treatment (P=0.002) and treatment prior to resection (P=0.012) were
      significantly associated with longer DFS; however, sorafenib therapy (P=0.027)
      and tumor size (P=0.028) were associated with longer DFS by multivariate
      analysis. Furthermore, sorafenib was well-tolerated and improved DFS in patients
      with advanced HCC who underwent hepatic resection. Thus, tumor resection followed
      by sorafenib therapy may represent an effective therapeutic strategy for patients
      with advanced HCC. This possibility should be confirmed in larger, multicenter
      studies.

PMID- 28356994
TI  - Pinus massoniana bark extract inhibits migration of the lung cancer A549 cell
      line.
AB  - The bark of Pinus massoniana is a traditional Chinese medicine for the treatment
      of various health disorders. Previous studies have demonstrated that P.
      massoniana bark extract (PMBE) may induce the apoptosis of hepatoma and cervical
      cancer cells. However, whether PMBE is able to inhibit the migration of lung
      cancer cells requires further investigation. In the current study, the effects of
      PMBE on the viability of human lung cancer A549 cells were detected using an MTT
      assay. The migration of lung cancer cells following exposure to PMBE were
      quantified using wound healing and Transwell assays, respectively. The expression
      levels of matrix metalloproteinase (MMP)-9 were determined using western
      blotting. The results revealed that PMBE significantly inhibited the growth of
      the lung cancer cells. In addition, the wound closure rate and the migration of
      the lung cancer cells were suppressed by PMBE. Furthermore, the expression levels
      of MMP-9 were reduced. These findings indicated that PMBE is able to restrict the
      migration and invasion of lung cancer cells, and that PMBE may serve as a novel
      therapeutic agent for patients with metastatic lung cancer in the future.

PMID- 28356995
TI  - Apigenin enhances the cisplatin cytotoxic effect through p53-modulated apoptosis.
AB  - Epidemiological and experimental evidence suggests that dietary flavonoids,
      including apigenin, have anticancer roles. Apigenin has been reported to elevate
      p53, a critical molecule in the induction of apoptosis. The present study aimed
      to investigate whether apigenin, a dietary flavonoid, improves the cytotoxic
      effect of cisplatin in a cancer cell culture system, and to elucidate the
      mechanism of this effect. Multiple tumor cell types were treated with apigenin,
      cisplatin or both drugs. Cell viability was evaluated, and the cytotoxic effect
      was determined biochemically and microscopically. Treatment with apigenin
      increased cisplatin-induced DNA damage and the apoptosis of tumor cells in a p53
      dependent manner. Apigenin, when used with cisplatin, inhibited cell
      proliferation and promoted mitogen-activated protein kinase activation and
      subsequent p53 phosphorylation, leading to p53 accumulation and upregulation of
      proapoptotic proteins. Cisplatin is one of the most commonly used
      chemotherapeutic drugs for malignant tumors, but resistance to this drug occurs.
      The current results therefore demonstrate that dietary flavonoids may diminish
      the resistance of cancers to cisplatin.

PMID- 28356997
TI  - Variations in the structure of airborne bacterial communities in Tsogt-Ovoo of
      Gobi desert area during dust events.
AB  - Asian dust events transport the airborne bacteria in Chinese desert regions as
      well as mineral particles and influence downwind area varying biological
      ecosystems and climate changes. However, the airborne bacterial dynamics were
      rarely investigated in the Gobi desert area, where dust events are highly
      frequent. In this study, air samplings were sequentially performed at a 2-m high
      above the ground at the sampling site located in desert area (Tsogt-Ovoo of Gobi
      desert; Mongolia 44.2304 degrees N, 105.1700 degrees E). During the dust event
      days, the bacterial cells and mineral particles increased to more than tenfold of
      concentrations. MiSeq sequencing targeting 16S ribosomal DNA revealed that the
      airborne bacteria in desert area mainly belonged to the classes Acidobacteria,
      Actinobacteria, Bacteroidetes, Chloroflexi, Bacilli, Alpha-proteobacteria, Beta
      proteobacteria, and Gamma-proteobacteria. The bacterial community structures were
      different between dust events and non-dust events. The air samples collected at
      the dust events indicated high abundance rates of Alpha-proteobacteria, which
      were reported to dominate on the leaf surfaces of plants or in the saline lake
      environments. After the dust events, the members of Firmicutes (Bacilli) and
      Bacteroidetes, which are known to form endospore and attach with coarse
      particles, respectively, increased their relative abundances in the air samples.
      Presumably, the bacterial compositions and diversities in atmosphere
      significantly vary during dust events, which carry some particles from grassland
      (phyllo-sphere), dry lake, and sand surfaces, as well as some bacterial
      populations such as Firmicutes and Bacteroidetes maintain in the atmosphere for
      longer time.

PMID- 28356996
TI  - Methods for 20S Immunoproteasome and 20S Constitutive Proteasome Determination
      Based on SPRI Biosensors.
AB  - The 20S proteasome, released into the circulation, is a novel cancer biomarker.
      It exists in two forms: the constitutive proteasome (20Sc) and the
      immunoproteasome (20Si), which both have separate diagnostic significance. The
      aim of this work was to develop new methods for 20Si and 20Sc determination. Five
      alternative specific biosensors usable with the surface plasmon resonance imaging
      (SPRI) technique for 20Si determination have been developed. Specific 20Si
      entrapment on the biosensor surface from an analyzed solution was achieved by
      means of an immobilized specific 20Si receptor. Four of the biosensors contain
      newly synthesized specific 20Si receptors, while the fifth contains the inhibitor
      ONX 0914. A method for 20Sc determination using an SPRI biosensor containing PSI
      inhibitor has been developed. By the introduction of an inhibitor blocking 20Si,
      20Sc is selectively determined. All of the methods developed for 20Si and 20Sc
      determination exhibit good selectivity and satisfactory precision, recoveries and
      dynamic response ranges. 20Si and 20Sc were determined in blood plasma samples
      from healthy donors and patients with acute leukemia. In the case of these
      patients 20Si was the major component, and its level was more than one order of
      magnitude higher than in the healthy donors.

PMID- 28356998
TI  - Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons bound to outdoor and indoor airborne particles
      (PM2.5) and their mutagenicity and carcinogenicity in Silesian kindergartens,
      Poland.
AB  - Assessment of exposure to polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) is important
      due to the widespread presence of PAHs in the environment and their toxicological
      relevance, especially to susceptible populations such as children and their
      health. The aim of this study is to compare indoor and outdoor concentrations of
      particulate matter with a diameter of 2.5 MUm or less (PM2.5) and 15 individual
      PAHs, as well as contribution of the analyzed PAHs to mutagenic and carcinogenic
      activity. Samples were collected during spring season in two sites in southern
      Poland (Silesia) representing urban and rural areas. Indoor samples of PM2.5 were
      sampled in kindergartens. At the same time, in the vicinity of the kindergarten
      buildings, the collection of the outdoor PM2.5 samples was carried out. Mutagenic
      (MEQ) and carcinogenic (TEQ) equivalents related to BaP and the percentage share
      expressed as mutagenic (MP) and carcinogenic (CP) potential of each individual
      compound to the total mutagenic/carcinogenic potential of the PAH mixture were
      calculated. The obtained results show that high concentrations of PM2.5 (above 25
      MUg/m3) and 15 PM2.5-bound PAHs in outdoor and indoor air were similar in the two
      studied areas. In overall PAHs mutagenic and carcinogenic potential, the
      percentage share of benzo(a)pyrene (BaP) was dominant and varied from 49.0-54.5%
      to 62.5-70.0%, respectively. The carried out study indicates the necessity of
      reducing PAH emission from solid fuel combustion, which is reflected in PM2.5
      bound PAHs concentrations and their diagnostic ratios. In the recent years,
      health effects on children resulting from their activity pattern and air quality
      in the public places have been a serious problem.

PMID- 28356999
TI  - Ozone Treatment on Dentin Hypersensitivity Surfaces - A Pilot Study.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Dentin hypersensitivity (DH) is a frequent condition in adults and
      difficult to treat. The aim of this single-blind, randomised controlled clinical
      trial was to investigate immediate and long-term effect of ozone treatment
      (Prozone, W&H NORDIC AB) for 12 seconds on hypersensitive teeth compared to
      placebo treatment, using a split-mouth design. METHODS: 26 patients (12 M, 14 F,
      mean age 44+ 2) were included in the study having at least two teeth with
      confirmed DH in different quadrants of the dentition (each subject had one test
      and one control tooth). A visual analogue scale (VAS) was used to measure the
      patients' pain perception immediately and at a long-term follow-up three months
      later. RESULTS: Significant reduction in pain perception from DH surfaces was
      demonstrated from ozone treated test teeth as well as in placebo treated control
      teeth. We found a moderate (16.2%) but significant pain relief (p< 0.012) over
      time in 57.7% of all treated teeth. CONCLUSION: Results from this study confirm
      previously published results showing no significant effect of ozone treatment on
      hypersensitive teeth compared to placebo treatment.

PMID- 28357001
TI  - Laser Assisted Non-surgical Periodontal Therapy: A Double Blind, Randomized
      Clinical Trial.
AB  - The objective of this study was to examine potential benefits of using laser
      therapy for secular decontamination in conjunction with scaling and root planing
      in the treatment of chronic periodontitis. The study was performed on 173 teeth
      in 14 patients in a split-mouth design, one side received scaling and root
      planing followed by laser therapy using a carbon dioxide (CO2) laser with an
      ablative handpiece (test group); the contralateral side received scaling and root
      planing without laser (control group). Clinical and laboratory parameters were
      evaluated prior to treatment and at 3 and 6 months following therapy; clinical
      measurements were performed by two blinded examiners. The clinical parameters
      included measurement of gingival recession (REC), bleeding on probing (BOP),
      clinical attachment level (CAL), pocket depth (PD), furcation involvement (FUR),
      and tooth mobility (MOB). Laboratory testing to determine the levels of
      periodontal pathogens was performed using PCR techniques. The results of the
      study revealed statistically significant differences in clinical and laboratory
      parameters at 3 and 6 months after therapy for both test and control groups, but
      no significant difference was observed between the two groups. However, sites
      receiving laser therapy tended to show a greater decrease in probing depths, gain
      in clinical attachment level, and reduced bacterial levels. In conclusion, the
      overall results of the study suggest a potential benefit of using laser therapy
      in conjunction with scaling and root planing for the treatment of chronic
      periodontitis.

PMID- 28357000
TI  - Root Canal Transportation and Centering Ability of Nickel-Titanium Rotary
      Instruments in Mandibular Premolars Assessed Using Cone-Beam Computed Tomography.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: The aim of this study was to evaluate, using cone-beam computed
      tomography (CBCT), transportation and centralization of different nickel-titanium
      (NiTi) rotary instruments. METHODS: One hundred and twenty eight mandibular
      premolars were selected and instrumented using the following brands of NiTi
      files: WaveOne, WaveOne Gold, Reciproc, ProTaper Next, ProTaper Gold, Mtwo,
      BioRaCe and RaCe. CBCT imaging was performed before and after root canal
      preparation to obtain measurements of mesial and distal dentin walls and
      calculations of root canal transportation and centralization. A normal
      distribution of data was confirmed by the Kolmogorov-Smirnov and Levene tests,
      and results were assessed using the Kruskal-Wallis test. Statistical significance
      was set at 5%. RESULTS: ProTaper Gold produced the lowest canal transportation
      values, and RaCe, the highest. ProTaper Gold files also showed the highest values
      for centering ability, whereas BioRaCe showed the lowest. No significant
      differences were found across the different instruments in terms of canal
      transportation and centering ability (P > 0.05). CONCLUSION: Based on the
      methodology employed, all instruments used for root canal preparation of
      mandibular premolars performed similarly with regard to canal transportation and
      centering ability.

PMID- 28357003
TI  - Alveolar Ridge Preservation After Tooth Extraction with DFDBA and Platelet
      Concentrates: A Radiographic Retrospective Study.
AB  - OBJECTIVES: The purpose of this study was to evaluate vertical alveolar bone loss
      3 months after tooth extraction when a technique of ridge preservation was
      applied using a particulate demineralized freeze-dried bone allograft 300 - 500
      um associated with platelet concentrates (platelet-rich-fibrin) in the form of
      gel and membranes. MATERIAL AND METHODS: A retrospective radiological clinical
      study was conducted on 56 patients for whom 95 extractions had been performed
      immediately followed by alveolar filling. Among the patients, 17 were smokers and
      16 were provided with an immediate removable temporary prosthesis after
      extractions. Vertical bone loss was measured radiologically by panoramic X-ray
      before extractions and by a computed tomography scan 3 months after, at the level
      of mid-buccal bone wall, by two independent observers. For statistical analysis,
      Student's t-test was performed to compare the mean bone loss between mono- and
      pluri-radicular teeth and to compare the mean bone loss between tobacco users
      versus non users and finally to compare the mean bone loss between individuals
      that had provisional removable prosthesis and those that had not. RESULTS: Three
      months after tooth extraction, the mean of vertical loss of the mid-buccal bone
      wall was 0.72 (SD 0.71) mm (5.53% SD 5.19). No significant difference between
      bone loss at mono-radicular and pluri-radicular teeth (P = 0.982) was observed.
      There was no significant correlation between tobacco habits and bone loss (P =
      0.2), nor between provisional removable prosthesis and bone loss (P = 0.786).
      CONCLUSION: These results indicate a good potential for the technique using
      Demineralized Freeze-Dried Bone Allograft 300 - 500 um and platelet concentrates
      in alveolar bone preservation.

PMID- 28357002
TI  - Evidence of Signs and Symptoms of Craniomandibular Disorders in Fibromyalgia
      Patients.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study is to highlight the evidence of signs and
      symptoms of craniomandibular disorders (CMD) in patients suffering from
      fibromyalgia. MATERIALS AND METHOD: The study has been carried out from May 2011
      to May 2015, recruiting a sample of fibromyalgia patients at the Department of
      Neurophysiopathology at the hospital Policlinico in Bari. Among the 150 examined
      patients, 60 of them have been diagnosed to suffer from fibromyalgia and 27
      accepted to be investigated with a gnathologic examination at the Dental School
      at the University of Bari. RESULTS: 24 patients (88.9%) were women and 3 (11.1%)
      men; from 26 to 66 years old (average age, 39). 14 patients (51.9%) were affected
      by primary fibromyalgia, the remaining 13 (48.1%) by secondary fibromyalgia,
      mainly associated with hypothyroidism (29.6%). VAS average score was about 8 +/-
      1.85. The frequency of pain was daily in 15 patients (55.6%); twice a week in 10
      patients (37.03%) and a few times a month in 2 patients (7.4%). 11 patients
      (40.7%) attributed the onset of fibromyalgia to a specific instigating event. In
      addition, from the gnathologic anamnesis, 11 patients (40,7%) reported a painful
      symptom in the head-neck region, especially in the frontal region, in the neck,
      in the masseter muscle and ATM. VAS average score was 3.4 +/- 2.8, significantly
      lower than the one referring to the fibromyalgia pain. The gnathological
      examination found CMD signs and symptoms in 18 patients (66.7%). Concerning the
      prevalence of CMD, in type I fibromyalgia, myofascial pain was more frequent (5
      patients), whereas in type II fibromyalgia, what was more frequent was a
      dislocation with reduction (3 patients). CONCLUSION: Based on clinic experience,
      we can affirm that some patients with CMD report pain in other regions. It is
      difficult to distinguish the CMD forms directly correlated to fibromyalgia from
      those engendered by parafunctional activities; hence the need is to resolve the
      fibromyalgia syndrome adopting a multidisciplinary approach.

PMID- 28357004
TI  - Perceptions of Teaching Methods for Preclinical Oral Surgery: A Comparison with
      Learning Styles.
AB  - PURPOSE: Dental extraction is a routine part of clinical dental practice. For
      this reason, understanding the way how students' extraction knowledge and skills
      development are important. PROBLEM STATEMENT AND OBJECTIVES: To date, there is no
      accredited statement about the most effective method for the teaching of
      exodontia to dental students. Students have different abilities and preferences
      regarding how they learn and process information. This is defined as learning
      style. In this study, the effectiveness of active learning in the teaching of
      preclinical oral surgery was examined. The personality type of the groups
      involved in this study was determined, and the possible effect of personality
      type on learning style was investigated. METHOD: This study was undertaken over
      five years from 2011 to 2015. The sample consisted of 115 students and eight
      staff members. Questionnaires were submitted by 68 students and all eight staff
      members involved. Three measures were used in the study: The Index of Learning
      Styles (Felder and Soloman, 1991), the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI), and
      the styles of learning typology (Grasha and Hruska-Riechmann). RESULTS AND
      DISCUSSION: Findings indicated that demonstration and minimal clinical exposure
      give students personal validation. Frequent feedback on their work is strongly
      indicated to build the cognitive, psychomotor, and interpersonal skills needed
      from preclinical oral surgery courses. CONCLUSION: Small group cooperative active
      learning in the form of demonstration and minimal clinical exposure that gives
      frequent feedback and students' personal validation on their work is strongly
      indicated to build the skills needed for preclinical oral surgery courses.

PMID- 28357005
TI  - Peripheral Solitary Osteoma of the Zygomatic Arch: A Case Report and Literature
      Review.
AB  - Osteoma is a benign slow-growing osteogenic neoplasm commonly occurring in the
      craniofacial skeleton, characterized by the proliferation of compact and/or
      cancellous bone. Osteomas may be peripheral, central, or extraskeletal.
      Peripheral osteomas arise from the periosteum and are quite uncommon in the jaw
      bones. The exact aetiology and pathogenesis of peripheral osteoma are unknown.
      Clinically, peripheral osteomas are usually asymptomatic, but depending on the
      location and size of the lesion, it may cause swelling, pain, esthetic
      disfigurement and functional impairment. On radiological imaging, a peripheral
      osteoma appears often as well-circumscribed, round to oval, pedunculated
      radiopaque mass attached to the cortex by a broad base or a pedicle. Asymptomatic
      osteomas are treated conservatively, while surgical excision is indicated when
      the lesion is symptomatic, actively growing, or for cosmetic reasons.
      Histologically, osteomas are composed of a normal-appearing, dense mass of
      lamellar bone. Recurrence of peripheral osteoma after surgical removal is
      extremely rare and there are no reports of malignant transformation. A review of
      the literature disclosed only 7 well-documented cases of peripheral osteoma
      located at the zygomatic bone. The purpose of this article is to present the
      clinical, radiographic, surgical and histological features of a solitary
      peripheral osteoma of the left zygomatic arch in a 55-year-old woman and to
      review the literature about this uncommon pathologic entity.

PMID- 28357006
TI  - Comparison of Three types of Tooth Brushes on Plaque and Gingival Indices: A
      Randomized Clinical Trial.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: To compare clinical results of three types of manual tooth brushes on
      plaque removal efficacy and gingivitis. METHOD: This study is a single blind
      randomized trial with crossover design which involved 30 periodontaly healthy
      individuals. Professional plaque removal and oral hygiene instruction were
      performed for all the participants in the first step of our study followed by
      asking them to avoid brushing for 2 days. Thereafter plaque and gingivitis scores
      were measured using plaque and gingival indices (PI and GI). Then subjects were
      instructed to use Pulsar tooth brush for a two-week period and then, GI and PI
      indices were assessed again. After passing one-week period for wash out, subjects
      didn't brush for 2 days and indices were recorded again. The same procedure was
      done for CrossAction, and Butler 411 tooth brushes respectively and at the end of
      the study these variables were analyzed using SPSS software ver.16. Repeated
      measurement ANOVA test was used to compare the scores between different brushes.
      RESULT: Finding of this study reveals that using all three types of tooth brushes
      resulted in significant plaque and gingivitis reduction compared to baseline
      levels. Pulsar tooth brush was significantly more effective in diminishing PI and
      GI than Butler tooth brush (p=0.044 and 0.031 respectively). CONCLUSION:
      According to our findings all 3 types of tooth brushes are effective in reduction
      of plaque and gingivitis and this reduction is significantly greater for Pulsar
      tooth brush compared to Butler and CrossAction tooth brushes.

PMID- 28357007
TI  - Maze Procedures for Atrial Fibrillation, From History to Practice.
AB  - Atrial fibrillation may result in significant symptoms, (systemic) thrombo
      embolism, as well as tachycardia-induced cardiomyopathy with cardiac failure, and
      consequently be associated with significant morbidity and mortality. Nowadays
      symptomatic atrial fibrillation can be treated with catheter-based ablation,
      surgical ablation or hybrid approaches. In this setting a fairly large number of
      surgical approaches and procedures are described and being practised. It should
      be clear that the Cox-maze procedure resulted from building up evidence and
      experience in different steps, while some of the present surgical approaches and
      techniques are being based only on technical feasibility with limited experience,
      rather than on a process of consequent methodology. Some of the issues still
      under debate are whether or not the maze procedure can be limited to the left
      atrium or even to isolation of the pulmonary veins or that bi-atrial procedures
      are indicated, whether or not cardiopulmonary bypass is to be applied and which
      route of exposure facilitates an optimal result. In addition, maze procedures are
      not procedures guide by electrophysiological mapping. At least in theory not in
      all patients all lesions of the maze procedures are necessary. A history and
      aspects of current practise in surgical treatment of atrial fibrillation is
      presented.

PMID- 28357008
TI  - Rotational Atherectomy and Stent Implantation for Calcified Left Main Lesions.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Left main coronary artery (LMCA) bifurcation and heavily calcified
      lesions are common and challenging to treat percutaneously. Rotational
      atherectomy (RA) may be beneficial in this setting to facilitate stent placement
      though direct supporting evidence is lacking. This study sought to analyze
      patients who underwent RA of the LMCA. METHODS: Consecutive cases involving RA of
      the LMCA between 1/1/2004 and 12/31/2009 at a private, tertiary referral hospital
      were reviewed retrospectively. Medical records, angiograms and clinically driven
      follow-up were reviewed. RESULTS: Thirty-one cases were identified (20 protected,
      11 unprotected), including 23 with stent implantation (21 drug-eluting, 2 bare
      metal). All 31 lesions had moderate to severe calcification, 84% involved the
      distal segment. Mean burr-to-vessel ratio was 0.43. Overall angiographic success
      was 90% (28/31) and was higher with a drug-eluting stent versus no stent (100%
      vs. 62%; P = 0.0153). In-hospital major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE)
      occurred in 1 patient (3%). Mid-term MACE occurred in 6 patients (26%) and tended
      to occur less frequently in patients with protected LMCAs (P = 0.0697). At final
      follow-up, patients were more likely to be alive and free from angina with a
      protected LMCA (94% vs. 57% unprotected; P = 0.0564) and with a drug-eluting
      stent (89% vs. 50% with no stent; P = 0.0281). CONCLUSIONS: RA of the LMCA to
      facilitate stent implantation appears to be safe and effective with favorable mid
      term outcomes. In the setting of severe calcification and distal LMCA involvement
      RA and drug-eluting stent implantation should be considered.

PMID- 28357010
TI  - Do We Need Premedication Before Coronary Angiography? A Controlled Clinical
      Trial.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Premedication with benzodiazepines has been thought to reduce patient
      anxiety, pain perception, and non-catheter-induced coronary spasms and may
      increase procedure-related complications. We used to routinely provide
      premedication with diazepam and chlorpheniramine before cardiac catheterization
      procedures. However the benefits of such a treatment are not well established
      here. Therefore, we designed this study to test whether the routine use of
      premedication during coronary angiography is needed. METHODS: A total of 200
      consecutive patients scheduled to undergo either diagnostic or therapeutic
      coronary angiographic procedures were randomized to receive either premedication
      with diazepam (5 mg) and chlorpheniramine (4 mg) 60 minutes prior to their
      procedures (n = 100) or no premedication (n = 100). The administration of
      intravenous midazolam during the procedures was permitted at the operator's
      discretion. The primary endpoints were anxiety and pain perception during the
      procedure. RESULTS: A total of 200 patients with similar baseline characteristics
      were randomized into two groups. The first group received oral premedication with
      diazepam (5 mg) and chlorphenamine (4 mg) 60 minutes prior to their procedures,
      and the other group did not receive premedication. We observed no differences in
      periprocedural pain perception (31% in the premedicated group versus 29% in the
      non-premedicated group; P = 0.75) or anxiety (59% in the premedicated group
      versus 50% in the non-premedicated group; P = 0.2). Interestingly, local pain was
      more pronounced in the premedicated patients than in the non-premedicated
      patients (30% versus 16%, respectively; P = 0.018). There were no contrast
      related reactions reported in either group. CONCLUSION: Treatment with oral
      diazepam and chlorphenamine prior to cardiac catheterization and percutaneous
      coronary intervention does not alter rates of anxiety, periprocedural pain.

PMID- 28357011
TI  - Short-Term Left Ventricular Remodeling After Revascularization in Subacute Total
      and Subtotal Occlusion With the Infarct-Related Left Anterior Descending Artery.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Large randomized studies revealed that percutaneous coronary
      intervention has no clinical benefit in patients with total occlusion. The
      purpose of this study is to evaluate left ventricular remodelling after PCI for
      total and subtotal infarct-related left anterior desending artery in stable
      patients who have not received trombolytic theraphy. METHODS: Sixty stable
      patients with subacute anterior myocardial infarction who have total or subtotal
      occlusion in the infarct-related left anterior descending artery were enrolled
      the study (20 patient in the total-medical group, 20 patient in the total-PCI
      group and 20 patient in the subtotal-PCI group). All patients' left ventricular
      diameters, volumes and ejection fractions measured at admission and after a
      month. RESULTS: The necrotic segment number in scintigraphy were similar in three
      groups. In the total-PCI group, there were significant increases in left
      ventricular diastolic diameter, left ventricular end-diastolic volume and left
      ventricular end-systolic volume at first month. A borderline significant increase
      was observed in LVEDV in the total-medical group at first month. No significant
      difference was seen in all echocardiographic parameters in the subtotal-PCI group
      at a month after discharge. The percentage of increase in LVEDV was significantly
      higher and the percentage of increase in LVESV was borderline significantly
      higher in the total-PCI group than the other groups. CONCLUSIONS: In stable
      patients, PCI for total occlusion in the subacute phase of anterior MI causes an
      increase in LV remodeling. Nevertheless PCI for subtotal occlusion in the
      subacute phase of anterior MI may prevent LV remodeling.

PMID- 28357009
TI  - Peripheral Augmentation Index is Associated With the Ambulatory Arterial
      Stiffness Index in Patients With Hypertension.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Vascular dysfunction is highly prevalent if not ubiquitous in
      patients with hypertension. We compared two different measures of vascular
      function obtained from digital volume waveforms with measures of ventricular
      vascular load derived from 24-hour blood pressure (BP) recordings in patients
      with hypertension. METHODS: Digital pulsatile volume waveforms were captured via
      plethysmography (peripheral arterial tone, PAT) and used to derive augmentation
      index (a measure of ventricular-vascular coupling) and the pulse wave amplitude
      reactive hyperemia index (a measure of microvascular reactivity). Ambulatory
      arterial stiffness index (AASI) and the BP variability ratio (BPVR) were derived
      from 24-hour ambulatory BP recordings. RESULTS: There was a positive association
      between PAT-AIx and AASI (r = 0.52, P < 0.05). There was also a positive
      association between PAT-AIx and BPVR (r = 0.37, P < 0.05). PAT-AIx was not
      associated with PWA-RHI (r = -0.14, P > 0.05). PWA-RHI was not associated with
      AASI or BPVR (P > 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: PAT-AIx is associated with ambulatory
      measures of vascular function and may offer clinical insight into vascular burden
      and cardiovascular disease risk in patients with hypertension independent of
      information obtained from PWA-RHI.

PMID- 28357013
TI  - Late Atrio-ventricular Block After Arterial Switch for D-transposition of the
      Great Vessels With Intact Interventricular Septum.
AB  - Arterial switch operation for transposition of the great arteries without
      ventricular septal defect usually does not lead to atrio-ventricular conduction
      disturbances. We discuss the case of a young boy presenting with first and second
      degree supra hisian atrio-ventricular block late after switch operation.

PMID- 28357012
TI  - Bovine Intestinal Alkaline Phosphatase Reduces Inflammation After Induction of
      Acute Myocardial Infarction in Mice.
AB  - BACKGROUND: There has been increasing evidence suggesting that lipopolysaccharide
      or endotoxin may be an important activator of the innate immune system after
      acute myocardial infarction. Bovine intestinal alkaline phosphatase reduces
      inflammation in several endotoxin mediated diseases by dephosphorylation of the
      lipid A moiety of lipopolysaccharide. The aim of this study was to investigate
      the effect of bovine intestinal alkaline phosphatase on reducing inflammation
      after acute myocardial infarction. METHODS: Just before permanent ligation of the
      left anterior descending coronary (LAD) artery to induce acute myocardial
      infarction in Balb/c mice, bovine intestinal alkaline phosphatase (bIAP) was
      administrated intravenously. After 4 hours, mice were sacrificed and the
      inflammatory response was assessed. Acute myocardial infarction induced the
      production of different cytokines, which were measured in blood. RESULTS:
      Treatment with bovine intestinal alkaline phosphatase resulted in a significant
      reduction of the pro-inflammatory cytokines IL-6, IL-1beta and the chymase mouse
      mast cell protease-1. No difference in the production of the anti-inflammatory
      cytokine IL-10 was observed between the control group and the bovine intestinal
      alkaline phosphatase treated group. CONCLUSION: In a mouse model of permanent LAD
      coronary artery ligation, bIAP diminishes the pro-inflammatory responses but does
      not have an effect on the anti-inflammatory response in the acute phase after
      acute myocardial infarction.

PMID- 28357014
TI  - Giant Left Atrial Myxoma Causing Mitral Valve Obstruction and Concomitant
      Coronary Artery Disease.
AB  - We describe a 56-year old male patient who presented with congestive heart
      failure and had undergone echocardiography that showed a mobile, giant left
      atrial mass which caused obstruction in the left ventricular outflow tract. The
      patient underwent a coronary angiography before operation that showed severe
      stenosis in the left anterior descending and circumflex artery. The patient
      underwent resection of the mass and coronary artery bypass grafting. The
      pathology of the mass was myxoma and patient had a satisfactory outcome.

PMID- 28357015
TI  - Persistent Left Superior Vena Cava Draining into the Coronary Sinus: A Case
      Report.
AB  - Persistent left superior vena cava (PLSVC) is a congenital anomaly of the
      thoracic venous system resulting from the abnormal persistence of an
      embryological vessel that normally regresses during early fetal life. This
      anomaly is often discovered incidentally during surgery, cardiovascular imaging
      or invasive cardiovascular procedures. In most cases, a PLSVC drains into the
      right atrium through the coronary sinus. In the remainder of cases, it enters
      directly or through the pulmonary veins into the left atrium. A dilated coronary
      sinus on echocardiography should always raise the suspicion of a PLSVC as it has
      important clinical implications. The diagnosis should be confirmed by saline
      contrast echocardiography. We report a patient with persistent left superior vena
      cava with an enlarged coronary sinus and normal right superior vena cava.

PMID- 28357016
TI  - Isolated Pericardial Hydatid Cyst: A Case Report.
AB  - Cardiac echinococcosis is extremely rare, and cysts are found mostly within the
      myocardium. Most cardiac hydatid cysts are located in the left ventricular wall.
      Only a few cases of isolated pericardial hydatid cysts have been reported.
      Echocardiography, computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging are
      important diagnostic tools for the diagnosis of echinococcosis. Herein, we report
      a rare case of isolated pericardial hydatid cyst who presented to our emergency
      department with complaints of mid-sternal chest pain and shortness of breath.

PMID- 28357017
TI  - Temporary Transvenous Cardiac Pacing in Patients With Acute Myocardial Infarction
      Predicts Increased Mortality.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Temporary pacemakers (TP) are used in emergency situations for severe
      bradyarrhythmias secondary to acute myocardial infarction (AMI) and to non-AMI
      related cardiac disorders. TP have been studied previously in AMI patients
      treated with thrombolytic therapy; limited information is available on current
      outcomes in AMI patients treated with percutaneous coronary intervention.
      METHODS: We reviewed the indications, complications, and mortality associated
      with TP insertion over a four year period (2003 - 2007) at a university hospital.
      RESULTS: Seventy-three temporary pacemakers were inserted (47 men, 26 women)
      during this period. The mean age was 65.2 years. TP were used in 29 AMI patients
      (39.7 % of total) and 44 non-AMI patients (60.3% of total). The duration of TP
      use was 2.6 +/- 0.4 days in the whole cohort, 2.46 % of all AMI patients
      (29/1180) admitted during this period required a TP. Six of these patients
      requiring a TP required a permanent pacemaker. Eight patients with AMI and a TP
      died (27.6%). In contrast 8.9 % of AMI patients not requiring a TP died (P <
      0.01). There were no statistically significant differences between the AMI and
      non-AMI groups in the duration of temporary pacing (2.4 +/- 0.6 days vs. 2.8 +/-
      0.4 days), in complications (27.6% vs. 29.5%), or in mortality (27.6% vs. 15.9%).
      The need for a permanent pacemaker (PPM) differed significantly between the AMI
      and non-AMI patients (20.7% vs. 54.5%; P < 0.05). CONCLUSION: Our results
      indicate that AMI patients infrequently require a TP and that approximately 20%
      of these patients require a PPM. These results suggest that early
      revascularization of the conduction system with current interventional techniques
      has decreased the need for TP in AMI patients. However, this group requires more
      intensive monitoring as the mortality rate in this group of patients is
      significantly higher than the other AMI patients not requiring TP.

PMID- 28357018
TI  - New Guidelines for the Management of Chest Pain: Lessons From a Recent Audit in
      Tauranga, New Zealand.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Protocol based care is known to improve the outcomes of patients
      admitted with recent onset chest pain. The aim of this clinical review was to
      investigate chest pain management, using newly published guidance from NICE, in
      the emergency department of a regional hospital in New Zealand. METHODS: All
      admissions with chest pain during the period of September-October 2010 were
      identified retrospectively (n = 599), and a sufficiently powered random sample (n
      = 120) taken. Relevant data was identified from patient notes, including basic
      demographics and specific management details. RESULTS: One hundred and eighteen
      patients were analysed (M = 65, F = 53), 99.2% received an ECG on admission, yet
      only 59.3% of patients had documented evidence of a repeat ECG, with admissions
      during the day less likely to receive one compared to those admitted overnight
      (51.5% vs 69.2%, P = 0.04). Younger patients (< 39 years) appeared less likely to
      receive aspirin than older patients (38.9% vs 80.0%, P = 0.06), 21.3% of patients
      failed to receive 300 mg aspirin, and 45.6% of patients received oxygen despite
      normal saturations. CONCLUSIONS: Despite good performance in a number of areas,
      this clinical review has highlighted that some standards, such as repeat ECGs,
      administration of aspirin therapy and appropriate use of oxygen are not being met
      in all patients with chest pain. A chest pain management pathway is to be
      implemented for all relevant admissions, to ensure that essential aspects of care
      are not missed. Timely dissemination and implementation of new clinical
      guidelines remains a challenge in clinical practice.

PMID- 28357019
TI  - Effectiveness of Telemetry Guidelines in Predicting Clinically Significant
      Arrhythmias in Hospitalized Patients.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Cardiac rhythm monitoring is widely applied on hospitalized patients.
      However, its value has not been evaluated systematically. METHODS: This study
      considered the utility of our institutional telemetry guidelines in predicting
      clinically significant arrhythmias. A retrospective analysis was performed of 562
      patients admitted to the telemetry unit. A total of 1932 monitoring days were
      evaluated. Patients were divided into 2 groups based on telemetry guidelines:
      "telemetry indicated" and "telemetry not indicated". RESULTS: Differences in
      arrhythmia event rates and pre-defined clinical significance were determined. One
      hundred and forty-four (34%) vs. 16 (11%) patients had at least one arrhythmic
      event in the "telemetry indicated" group compared with the "telemetry not
      indicated" group, respectively (P = 0.001). No patient in the "telemetry not
      indicated" group had a clinically significant arrhythmia. In contrast, of
      patients in the "telemetry indicated" group who had at least one arrhythmic
      event, 36% were considered clinically significant (P < 0.05). CONCLUSION: In
      conclusion, this study validates and supports the use of our institutional
      telemetry guidelines to allocate this resource appropriately and predict
      clinically significant arrhythmias.

PMID- 28357020
TI  - Long Term Outcomes in Stress Echocardiography: Ten Year Follow up of a Cohort in
      a Single Centre.
AB  - BACKGROUD: The high service burden for acute admissions and referrals via rapid
      access chest pain clinics for evaluation of possible coronary artery disease
      means that many patients are now undergoing an investigation such as stress
      echocardiography as part of their evaluation. We aimed to see if the reassurance
      provided by negative stress echocardiography correlates with long-term event free
      survival. METHODS: A cohort of all patients who were referred at a single centre
      for stress echocardiography for diagnosis of coronary artery disease between
      January 1st 1999 and December 31st 2000 were followed up at least 10 years
      following theirs stress echocardiogram for further major cardiovascular events
      and mortality. RESULTS: A total of 64 patients were identified where records
      could be obtained for analysis. There were 16 positive scans, 37 negative scans
      and 11 inconclusive scans. The indeterminacy rate of scans was 17%, the
      sensitivity rate for detecting significant disease as indexed to invasive
      angiography was 88 % and the specificity rate compared with angiography was 75%.
      There were no myocardial infarctions or new diagnoses of heart failure in the
      negative echocardiogram group. There were seven deaths in the total population
      and only one death from cardiovascular causes in the negative echocardiogram
      group. CONCLUSION: Stress echocardiography even in this small group predicts long
      term outcomes as well as invasive coronary angiography.

PMID- 28357021
TI  - Choice and Utility of Pacing Maneuver in Establishing the Mechanism of
      Supraventricular Tachycardia: A Single Center Experience.
AB  - BACKGROUND: To evaluate the choice and utility of pacing maneuvers in the
      electrophysiology (EP) laboratory in establishing supraventricular tachycardia
      (SVT) mechanism. METHODS: We retrospectively examined a cohort of 160 consecutive
      patients with SVT presenting for invasive EP evaluation to a single center with 8
      electrophysiologists. We analyzed the utility of the two most commonly used
      pacing maneuvers: (1) ventricular entrainment (VE) and (2) His-refractory
      premature ventricular stimuli (HRPVC) during SVT. RESULTS: VE was performed in 96
      patients: atrial tachycardia (AT) 12, atrioventricular nodal reentrant
      tachycardia (AVNRT) 66, and orthodromic reciprocating tachycardia (ORT) 18.
      During VE, AT patients were most likely to have ventriculo-atrial (VA)
      dissociation (AT 58%, AVNRT 18%, ORT 0%, P < 0.001) and had a tendency towards
      less SVT termination (AT 0%, AVNRT 9%, ORT 11%, P = 0.19). HRPVCs were delivered
      in 39 patients: AT 1, AVNRT 24, and ORT 14. Advancement of atrial signal with
      HRPVC was only observed in ORT (AT 0%, AVNRT 0%, ORT 79%, P < 0.001) and SVT
      termination was also mostly observed in ORT (AT 0%, AVNRT 4%, ORT 21%, P = 0.33).
      The overall diagnostic utility of VE was lowest in AT (AT 42%, AVNRT 71%, ORT
      83%, P = 0.04), while HRPVC was rarely used in AT. Furthermore, the utilization
      of maneuvers varied extensively (0% to100%) among the 8 electrophysiologists.
      CONCLUSION: There is great variation in the utilization of pacing maneuvers and
      their utility in ascertaining the mechanism of SVT. Our results support the fact
      that discerning AT from AVNRT mechanism remains the most challenging task in SVT
      diagnosis.

PMID- 28357022
TI  - Failure to Treat Torsades de Pointes.
AB  - A healthy 22 year old male with no history of cardiac disease was admitted with
      severe community acquired pneumonia that was initially treated with moxifloxacin
      and azithromycin. At admission, he was found to be hypokalemic and
      hypomagnesemic. Two days after admission, he experienced several episodes of
      Torsades de Pointes (TdP). He was initially treated with isoproterenol. A
      temporary transvenous pacemaker was inserted and set at a rate of 100 bpm. After
      correction of electrolytes, withdrawal of QT-prolonging medications and
      ventricular pacing at the mentioned heart rate, another episode of TdP ensued.We
      report and discuss a case of recurrent TdP in spite of conventional acute
      management for this condition.

PMID- 28357023
TI  - Acute Stroke and Limb Ischemia Secondary to Catastrophic Massive Intracardiac
      Thrombus in a 40-Year-Old Patient With Dilated Cardiomyopathy.
AB  - Dilated cardiomyopathy has been associated with left ventricular (LV) thrombosis
      which leads to substantial morbidity and mortality as a site for systemic emboli.
      We report an interesting case of a stroke and acute limb ischemia secondary to a
      large mobile pedunculated LV thrombus in 40-year-old patient with dilated
      cardiomyopathy.

PMID- 28357025
TI  - A Rare Case of Non-Obstructive Membrane of the Body of Left Atrial Appendage
      Incidentally Found in Asymptomatic Adult Woman.
AB  - The membranes of the left atrial appendage cavity are very rare entity and their
      clinical significance is not clear. We reported a rare case of a non-obstructive
      membrane traversing the body of the left atrial appendage incidentally found in
      asymptomatic adult woman.

PMID- 28357024
TI  - Atrial Myxoma: A Case Presentation and Review.
AB  - Myxomas are the most common primary cardiac tumors, most frequently found in the
      left atrium. We present a case of an atrial myxoma. An in-depth review of atrial
      myxoma is presented, examining the important clinical symptoms and diagnostic
      indicators. The treatment of atrial myxoma is then discussed, with an emphasis on
      current therapies. An extensive literature review has been performed to present a
      comprehensive review of the causes, pathophysiology of atrial myxoma.

PMID- 28357028
TI  - Limitations and opportunities of non-invasive liver stiffness measurement in
      children.
AB  - Changes in liver structure are an important issue in chronic hepatopathies. Until
      the end of the 20th century, these changes could only be determined by
      histological analyses of a liver specimen obtained via biopsy. The well-known
      limitations of this technique (i.e., pain, bleeding and the need for sedation)
      have precluded its routine use in follow-up of patients with liver diseases.
      However, the introduction of non-invasive technologies, such as ultrasound and
      magnetic resonance imaging, for measurement of liver stiffness as an indirect
      marker of fibroses has changed this situation. Today, several non-invasive tools
      are available to physicians to estimate the degree of liver fibrosis by analysing
      liver stiffness. This review describes the currently available tools for liver
      stiffness determination that are applicable to follow-up of liver
      fibrosis/cirrhosis with established clinical use in children, and discusses their
      features in comparison to the "historical" tools.

PMID- 28357027
TI  - Exercise Modifies the Gut Microbiota with Positive Health Effects.
AB  - The human gastrointestinal tract (GIT) is inhabited by a wide cluster of
      microorganisms that play protective, structural, and metabolic functions for the
      intestinal mucosa. Gut microbiota is involved in the barrier functions and in the
      maintenance of its homeostasis. It provides nutrients, participates in the
      signaling network, regulates the epithelial development, and affects the immune
      system. Considering the microbiota ability to respond to homeostatic and
      physiological changes, some researchers proposed that it can be seen as an
      endocrine organ. Evidence suggests that different factors can determine changes
      in the gut microbiota. These changes can be both quantitative and qualitative
      resulting in variations of the composition and metabolic activity of the gut
      microbiota which, in turn, can affect health and different disease processes.
      Recent studies suggest that exercise can enhance the number of beneficial
      microbial species, enrich the microflora diversity, and improve the development
      of commensal bacteria. All these effects are beneficial for the host, improving
      its health status. In this paper, we intend to shed some light over the recent
      knowledge of the role played by exercise as an environmental factor in
      determining changes in microbial composition and how these effects could provide
      benefits to health and disease prevention.

PMID- 28357029
TI  - Chronic exposure to ethanol causes steatosis and inflammation in zebrafish liver.
AB  - AIM: To evaluate the effects of chronic exposure to ethanol in the liver and the
      expression of inflammatory genes in zebrafish. METHODS: Zebrafish (n = 104), wild
      type, adult, male and female, were divided into two groups: Control and ethanol
      (0.05 v/v). The ethanol was directly added into water; tanks water were changed
      every two days and the ethanol replaced. The animals were fed twice a day with
      fish food until satiety. After two and four weeks of trial, livers were
      dissected, histological analysis (hematoxilin-eosin and Oil Red staining) and
      gene expression assessment of adiponectin, adiponectin receptor 2 (adipor2),
      sirtuin-1 (sirt-1), tumor necrosis factor-alpha (tnf-a), interleukin-1b (il-1b)
      and interleukin-10 (il-10) were performed. Ultrastructural evaluations were
      conducted at fourth week. RESULTS: Exposing zebrafish to 0.5% ethanol developed
      intense liver steatosis after four weeks, as demonstrated by oil red staining. In
      ethanol-treated animals, the main ultrastructural changes were related to
      cytoplasmic lipid particles and droplets, increased number of rough endoplasmic
      reticulum cisterns and glycogen particles. Between two and four weeks, hepatic
      mRNA expression of il-1b, sirt-1 and adipor2 were upregulated, indicating that
      ethanol triggered signaling molecules which are key elements in both hepatic
      inflammatory and protective responses. Adiponectin was not detected in the liver
      of animals exposed and not exposed to ethanol, and il-10 did not show significant
      difference. CONCLUSION: Data suggest that inflammatory signaling and
      ultrastructural alterations play a significant role during hepatic steatosis in
      zebrafish chronically exposed to ethanol.

PMID- 28357026
TI  - Novel Noninvasive Nuclear Medicine Imaging Techniques for Cardiac Inflammation.
AB  - PURPOSE OF REVIEW: Inflammation is a key player in a wide range of cardiovascular
      and myocardial diseases. Given the numerous implications of inflammatory
      processes in disease initiation and progression, functional imaging modalities
      including positron emission tomography (PET) represent valuable diagnostic,
      prognostic, and monitoring tools in patient management. Since increased glucose
      metabolism is a hallmark of inflammation, PET using the radiolabeled glucose
      analog [18F]-2-deoxy-2-fluoro-d-glucose (FDG) is the mainstay diagnostic test for
      nuclear imaging of (cardiac) inflammation. Recently, new approaches using more
      specific tracers to overcome the limited specificity of FDG have emerged. RECENT
      FINDINGS: PET imaging has proven its value in a number of inflammatory conditions
      of the heart including myocarditis, endocarditis, sarcoidosis, or reactive
      changes after myocardial infarction. In infection-related endocarditis, FDG-PET
      and white blood cell scintigraphy have been implemented in current guidelines.
      FDG-PET is considered as nuclear medical gold standard in myocarditis,
      pericarditis, or sarcoidosis. Novel strategies, including targeting of
      somatostatin receptors or C-X-C motif chemokine receptor CXCR4, have shown
      promising results in first studies. SUMMARY: Nuclear medicine techniques offer
      valuable information in the assessment of myocardial inflammation. Given the
      possibility to directly visualize inflammatory activity, they represent useful
      tools for diagnosis, risk stratification, and therapy monitoring.

PMID- 28357031
TI  - Concordance of non-invasive mechanical and serum tests for liver fibrosis
      evaluation in chronic hepatitis C.
AB  - AIM: To determine the sensitivity and specificity of liver stiffness measurement
      (LSM) and serum markers (SM) for liver fibrosis evaluation in chronic hepatitis
      C. METHODS: Between 2012 and 2014, 81 consecutive hepatitis C virus (HCV)
      patients had METAVIR score from liver biopsy compared with concurrent results
      from LSM [transient elastography (TE) [FibroScan(r)/ARFI technology (Virtual
      Touch(r))] and SM [FIB-4/aspartate aminotransferase-to-platelet ratio index
      (APRI)]. The diagnostic performance of these tests was assessed using receiver
      operating characteristic curves. The optimal cut-off levels of each test were
      chosen to define fibrosis stages F >= 2, F >= 3 and F = 4. The Kappa index set
      the concordance analysis. RESULTS: Fifty point six percent were female and the
      median age was 51 years (30-78). Fifty-six patients (70%) were treatment-naive.
      The optimal cut-off values for predicting F >= 2 stage fibrosis assessed by TE
      were 6.6 kPa, for acoustic radiation force impulse (ARFI) 1.22 m/s, for APRI 0.75
      and for FIB-4 1.47. For F >= 3 TE was 8.9 kPa, ARFI was 1.48 m/s, APRI was 0.75,
      and FIB-4 was 2. For F = 4, TE was 12.2 kPa, ARFI was 1.77 m/s, APRI was 1.46,
      and FIB-4 was 3.91. The APRI could not distinguish between F2 and F3, P = 0.92.
      The negative predictive value for F = 4 for TE and ARFI was 100%. Kappa index
      values for F >= 3 METAVIR score for TE, ARFI and FIB-4 were 0.687, 0.606 and
      0.654, respectively. This demonstrates strong concordance between all three
      screening methods, and moderate to strong concordance between them and APRI
      (Kappa index = 0.507). CONCLUSION: Given the costs and accessibility of LSM
      methods, and the similarity with the outcomes of SM, we suggest that FIB-4 as
      well as TE and ARFI may be useful indicators of the degree of liver fibrosis.
      This is of particular importance to developing countries.

PMID- 28357030
TI  - Factors associated with long-term survival after liver transplantation: A
      retrospective cohort study.
AB  - AIM: To identify predictive factors associated with long-term patient and graft
      survival (> 15 years) in liver transplant recipients. METHODS: Medical charts of
      all de novo adult liver transplant recipients (n = 140) who were transplanted in
      Hamburg between 1997 and 1999 were retrospectively reviewed. In total, 155
      transplantations were identified in this time period (15 re-transplantations).
      Twenty-six orthotopic liver transplant (OLT) recipients were early lost to follow
      up due to moving to other places within 1 year after transplantation. All
      remaining 114 patients were included in the analysis. The following recipient
      factors were analysed: Age, sex, underlying liver disease, pre-OLT body mass
      index (BMI), and levels of alanine aminotransferase (ALT), bilirubin, creatinine
      and gamma-glutamyltransferase (gamma-GT), as well as warm and cold ischemia
      times. Furthermore, the following donor factors were assessed: Age, BMI, cold
      ischemia time and warm ischemia time. All surviving patients were followed until
      December 2014. We divided patients into groups according to their underlying
      diagnosis: (1) hepatocellular carcinoma (n = 5, 4%); (2) alcohol toxic liver
      disease (n = 25, 22.0%); (3) primary sclerosing cholangitis (n = 6, 5%); (4)
      autoimmune liver diseases (n = 7, 6%); (5) hepatitis C virus cirrhosis (n = 15,
      13%); (6) hepatitis B virus cirrhosis (n = 21, 19%); and (7) other (n = 35, 31%).
      The group "other" included rare diagnoses, such as acute liver failure, unknown
      liver failure, stenosis and thrombosis of the arteria hepatica, polycystic liver
      disease, Morbus Osler and Caroli disease. RESULTS: The majority of patients were
      male (n = 70, 61%). Age and BMI at the time point of transplantation ranged from
      16 years to 69 years (median: 53 years) and from 15 kg/m2 to 33 kg/m2 (median:
      24), respectively. Sixty-six OLT recipients (58%) experienced a follow-up of 15
      years after transplantation. Recipient's age (P = 0.009) and BMI (P = 0.029) were
      identified as risk factors for death by chi2-test. Kaplan-Meier analysis
      confirmed BMI or age above the median as predictors of decreased long-term
      survival (P = 0.008 and P = 0.020). Hepatitis B as underlying disease showed a
      trend for improved long-term survival (P = 0.049, chi2-test, P = 0.055; Kaplan
      Meier analysis, Log rank). Pre-transplant bilirubin, creatinine, ALT and gamma-GT
      levels were not associated with survival in these patients of the pre-era of the
      model of end stage liver disease. CONCLUSION: The recipients' age and BMI were
      predictors of long-term survival after OLT, as well as hepatitis B as underlying
      disease. In contrast, donors' age and BMI were not associated with decreased
      survival. These findings indicate that recipient factors especially have a high
      impact on long-term outcome after liver transplantation.

PMID- 28357032
TI  - Meta-analysis reveals up-regulation of cholesterol processes in non-alcoholic and
      down-regulation in alcoholic fatty liver disease.
AB  - AIM: To compare transcriptomes of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) and
      alcoholic liver disease (ALD) in a meta-analysis of liver biopsies. METHODS:
      Employing transcriptome data from patient liver biopsies retrieved from several
      public repositories we performed a meta-analysis comparing ALD and NAFLD.
      RESULTS: We observed predominating commonalities at the transcriptome level
      between ALD and NAFLD, most prominently numerous down-regulated metabolic
      pathways and cytochrome-related pathways and a few up-regulated pathways which
      include ECM-receptor interaction, phagosome and lysosome. However some pathways
      were regulated in opposite directions in ALD and NAFLD, for example, glycolysis
      was down-regulated in ALD and up-regulated in NAFLD. Interestingly, we found rate
      limiting genes such as HMGCR, SQLE and CYP7A1 which are associated with
      cholesterol processes adversely regulated between ALD (down-regulated) and NAFLD
      (up-regulated). We propose that similar phenotypes in both diseases may be due to
      a lower level of the enzyme CYP7A1 compared to the cholesterol synthesis enzymes
      HMGCR and SQLE. Additionally, we provide a compendium of comparative KEGG
      pathways regulation in ALD and NAFLD. CONCLUSION: Our finding of adversely
      regulated cholesterol processes in ALD and NAFLD draws the focus to regulation of
      cholesterol secretion into bile. Thus, it will be interesting to further
      investigate CYP7A1-mediated cholesterol secretion into bile - also as possible
      drug targets. The list of potential novel biomarkers may assist differential
      diagnosis of ALD and NAFLD.

PMID- 28357034
TI  - An adaptable toolkit to assess commercial fishery costs and benefits related to
      marine protected area network design.
AB  - Around the world, governments are establishing Marine Protected Area (MPA)
      networks to meet their commitments to the United Nations Convention on Biological
      Diversity. MPAs are often used in an effort to conserve biodiversity and manage
      fisheries stocks. However, their efficacy and effect on fisheries yields remain
      unclear. We conducted a case-study on the economic impact of different MPA
      network design strategies on the Atlantic cod ( Gadus morhua) fisheries in
      Canada. The open-source R toolbox that we developed to analyze this case study
      can be customized to conduct similar analyses for other systems. We used a
      spatially-explicit individual-based model of population growth and dispersal
      coupled with a fisheries management and harvesting component. We found that MPA
      networks that both protect the target species' habitat (particularly the spawning
      grounds), and were spatially optimized to improve population connectivity had the
      highest net present value (i.e., were most profitable for the fishing industry).
      These higher profits were achieved primarily by reducing the distance travelled
      for fishing and reducing the probability of a moratorium event. These findings
      add to a growing body of knowledge demonstrating the importance of incorporating
      population connectivity in the MPA planning process, as well as the ability of
      this R toolbox to explore ecological and economic consequences of alternative MPA
      network designs.

PMID- 28357033
TI  - A double blinded, placebo-controlled pilot study to examine reduction of CD34
      +/CD117 +/CD133 + lymphoma progenitor cells and duration of remission induced by
      neoadjuvant valspodar in dogs with large B-cell lymphoma.
AB  - We previously described a population of lymphoid progenitor cells (LPCs) in
      canine B-cell lymphoma defined by retention of the early progenitor markers CD34
      and CD117 and "slow proliferation" molecular signatures that persist in the
      xenotransplantation setting. We examined whether valspodar, a selective inhibitor
      of the ATP binding cassette B1 transporter (ABCB1, a.k.a., p
      glycoprotein/multidrug resistance protein-1) used in the neoadjuvant setting
      would sensitize LPCs to doxorubicin and extend the length of remission in dogs
      with therapy naive large B-cell lymphoma. Twenty dogs were enrolled into a double
      blinded, placebo controlled study where experimental and control groups received
      oral valspodar (7.5 mg/kg) or placebo, respectively, twice daily for five days
      followed by five treatments with doxorubicin 21 days apart with a reduction in
      the first dose to mitigate the potential side effects of ABCB1 inhibition. Lymph
      node and blood LPCs were quantified at diagnosis, on the fourth day of
      neoadjuvant period, and 1-week after the first chemotherapy dose. Valspodar
      therapy was well tolerated. There were no differences between groups in total
      LPCs in lymph nodes or peripheral blood, nor in event-free survival or overall
      survival. Overall, we conclude that valspodar can be administered safely in the
      neoadjuvant setting for canine B-cell lymphoma; however, its use to attenuate
      ABCB1 + cells does not alter the composition of lymph node or blood LPCs, and it
      does not appear to be sufficient to prolong doxorubicin-dependent remissions in
      this setting.

PMID- 28357035
TI  - dbVar structural variant cluster set for data analysis and variant comparison.
AB  - dbVar houses over 3 million submitted structural variants (SSV) from 120 human
      studies including copy number variations (CNV), insertions, deletions,
      inversions, translocations, and complex chromosomal rearrangements. Users can
      submit multiple SSVs to dbVAR  that are presumably identical, but were
      ascertained by different platforms and samples,  to calculate whether the variant
      is rare or common in the population and allow for cross validation. However,
      because SSV genomic location reporting can vary - including fuzzy locations where
      the start and/or end points are not precisely known - analysis, comparison,
      annotation, and reporting of SSVs across studies can be difficult. This project
      was initiated by the Structural Variant Comparison Group for the purpose of
      generating a non-redundant set of genomic regions defined by counts of
      concordance for all human SSVs placed on RefSeq assembly GRCh38 (RefSeq accession
      GCF_000001405.26). We intend that the availability of these regions, called
      structural variant clusters (SVCs), will facilitate the analysis, annotation, and
      exchange of SV data and allow for simplified display in genomic sequence viewers
      for improved variant interpretation. Sets of SVCs were generated by variant type
      for each of the 120 studies as well as for a combined set across all studies.
      Starting from 3.64 million SSVs, 2.5 million and 3.4 million non-redundant SVCs
      with count >=1 were generated by variant type for each study and across all
      studies, respectively. In addition, we have developed utilities for annotating,
      searching, and filtering SVC data in GVF format for computing summary statistics,
      exporting data for genomic viewers, and annotating the SVC using external data
      sources.

PMID- 28357036
TI  - Finger stick blood collection for gene expression profiling and storage of tempus
      blood RNA tubes.
AB  - With this report we aim to make available a standard operating procedure (SOP)
      developed for RNA stabilization of small blood volumes collected via a finger
      stick. The anticipation that this procedure may be improved through peer-review
      and/or readers public comments is another element motivating the publication of
      this SOP. Procuring blood samples from human subjects can, among other uses,
      enable assessment of the immune status of an individual subject via the profiling
      of RNA abundance using technologies such as real time PCR, NanoString,
      microarrays or RNA-sequencing. It is often desirable to minimize blood volumes
      and employ methods that are the least invasive and can be practically implemented
      outside of clinical settings. Finger-stick blood samples are increasingly used
      for measurement of levels of pharmacological drugs and biological analytes. It is
      a simple and convenient procedure amenable for instance to field use or self
      collection at home using a blood sample collection kit. Such methodologies should
      also enable the procurement of blood samples at high frequency for health or
      disease monitoring applications.

PMID- 28357037
TI  - Electronic medical records in humanitarian emergencies - the development of an
      Ebola clinical information and patient management system.
AB  - By November 2015, the West Africa Ebola epidemic had caused 28598 infections and
      11299 deaths in the three countries most affected. The outbreak required rapid
      innovation and adaptation. Medecins sans Frontieres (MSF) scaled up its usual 20
      30 bed Ebola management centres (EMCs) to 100-300 beds with over 300 workers in
      some settings. This brought challenges in patient and clinical data management
      resulting from the difficulties of working safely with high numbers of Ebola
      patients. We describe a project MSF established with software developers and the
      Google Social Impact Team to develop context-adapted tools to address the
      challenges of recording Ebola clinical information. We share the outcomes and key
      lessons learned in innovating rapidly under pressure in difficult environmental
      conditions. Information on adoption, maintenance, and data quality was gathered
      through review of project documentation, discussions with field staff and key
      project stakeholders, and analysis of tablet data. In March 2015, a full
      prototype was deployed in Magburaka EMC, Sierra Leone. Inpatient data were
      captured on 204 clinical interactions with 34 patients from 5 March until 10
      April 2015. 85 record "pairs" for 32 patients with 26 data items (temperature and
      symptoms) per pair were analysed. The average agreement between sources was 85%,
      ranging from 69% to 95% for individual variables. The time taken to deliver the
      product was more than that anticipated by MSF (7 months versus 6 weeks).
      Deployment of the tablet coincided with a dramatic drop in patient numbers and
      thus had little impact on patient care. We have identified lessons specific to
      humanitarian-technology collaborative projects and propose a framework for
      emergency humanitarian innovation. Time and effort is required to bridge
      differences in organisational culture between the technology and humanitarian
      worlds. This investment is essential for establishing a shared vision on
      deliverables, urgency, and ownership of product.

PMID- 28357039
TI  - Predictors and brain connectivity changes associated with arm motor function
      improvement from intensive robotic practice in chronic stroke.
AB  - Background and Purpose: The brain changes that underlie therapy-induced
      improvement in motor function after stroke remain obscure. This study sought to
      demonstrate the feasibility and utility of measuring motor system physiology in a
      clinical trial of intensive upper extremity rehabilitation in chronic stroke
      related hemiparesis. Methods: This was a substudy of two multi-center clinical
      trials of intensive robotic arm therapy in chronic, significantly hemiparetic,
      stroke patients. Transcranial magnetic stimulation was used to measure motor
      cortical output to the biceps and extensor digitorum communus muscles. Magnetic
      resonance imaging (MRI) was used to determine the cortical anatomy, as well as to
      measure fractional anisotropy, and blood oxygenation (BOLD) during an eyes-closed
      rest state. Region-of-interest time-series correlation analysis was performed on
      the BOLD signal to determine interregional connectivity. Functional status was
      measured with the upper extremity Fugl-Meyer and Wolf Motor Function Test.
      Results: Motor evoked potential (MEP) presence was associated with better
      functional outcomes, but the effect was not significant when considering baseline
      impairment. Affected side internal capsule fractional anisotropy was associated
      with better function at baseline. Affected side primary motor cortex (M1)
      activity became more correlated with other frontal motor regions after treatment.
      Resting state connectivity between affected hemisphere M1 and dorsal premotor
      area (PMAd) predicted recovery.  Conclusions: Presence of motor evoked potentials
      in the affected motor cortex and its functional connectivity with PMAd may be
      useful in predicting recovery. Functional connectivity in the motor network shows
      a trends towards increasing after intensive robotic or non-robotic arm therapy.
      Clinical Trial Registration URL:  http://www.clinicaltrials.gov. Unique
      identifiers:  CT00372411 & NCT00333983.

PMID- 28357040
TI  - Simple and adaptable R implementation of WHO/ISH cardiovascular risk charts for
      all epidemiological subregions of the world.
AB  - The World Health Organisation and International Society of Hypertension (WHO/ISH)
      cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk assessment charts have been implemented in many
      low- and middle-income countries as part of the WHO Package of Essential Non
      Communicable Disease (PEN) Interventions for Primary Health Care in Low-Resource
      settings. Evaluation of the WHO/ISH cardiovascular risk charts and their use is a
      key priority and since they only exist in paper or PDF formats, we developed a
      simple R implementation of the charts for all epidemiological subregions of the
      world. The main strengths of this implementation are that it is built in a free,
      open-source, coding language with simple syntax, can be modified by the user, and
      can be used with a standard computer.

PMID- 28357041
TI  - Improving data transparency in clinical trials using blockchain smart contracts.
AB  - The scientific credibility of findings from clinical trials can be undermined by
      a range of problems including missing data, endpoint switching, data dredging,
      and selective publication. Together, these issues have contributed to
      systematically distorted perceptions regarding the benefits and risks of
      treatments. While these issues have been well documented and widely discussed
      within the profession, legislative intervention has seen limited success.
      Recently, a method was described for using a blockchain to prove the existence of
      documents describing pre-specified endpoints in clinical trials. Here, we extend
      the idea by using smart contracts - code, and data, that resides at a specific
      address in a blockchain, and whose execution is cryptographically validated by
      the network - to demonstrate how trust in clinical trials can be enforced and
      data manipulation eliminated. We show that blockchain smart contracts provide a
      novel technological solution to the data manipulation problem, by acting as
      trusted administrators and providing an immutable record of trial history.

PMID- 28357038
TI  - Neurosteroids are reduced in diabetic neuropathy and may be associated with the
      development of neuropathic pain.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: Peripheral and central sensitisation are implicated in the
      development of neuropathic pain. Hypersensitivity of pain pathway neurons has
      been described in animal models of diabetic neuropathy, which is postulated to be
      related to an imbalance between inhibitory and excitatory signals within the
      spinal cord. GABAergic neurons within the pain pathway are vital for the
      transmission of painful stimuli to higher centres. A developmental change in the
      rate of exponential decay of GABAergic synaptic events has been observed in other
      types of neurons and this may be associated with fluctuations in endogenous
      neurosteroid tone.  Methods: The whole-cell patch-clamp technique was used on
      slices of neural tissue. Electrophysiological recordings were obtained from wild
      type mice between the ages of 6 and 80 days in the spinal cord, the nucleus
      reticularis of the thalamus and the cerebral cortex. Recordings were also
      obtained from mice with diabetic neuropathy (ob/ob and db/db) between the ages of
      60 and 80 days. Behavioural experiments were performed to examine mechanical and
      thermal nociception. RESULTS: Electrophysiological recordings from cortical pain
      pathway neurons from mature type-2 diabetic mice revealed that the endogenous
      neurosteroid tone is reduced compared to control. However, selected neurosteroid
      compounds had a more pronounced effect on the GABA A receptors of these diabetic
      mice. ob/ob mice exhibit mechanical hyperalgesia and allodynia, which was reduced
      by neurosteroids applied exogenously. CONCLUSIONS: The reduced endogenous
      neurosteroid tone in ob/ob mice may be linked to their hypersensitivity.
      Neurosteroids may exert analgesic effects in pathological pain states by
      attempting to restore the physiological GABAergic inhibitory tone.

PMID- 28357042
TI  - Low-cost, rapidly-developed, 3D printed in vitro corpus callosum model for
      mucopolysaccharidosis type I.
AB  - The rising prevalence of high throughput screening and the general inability of
      (1) two dimensional (2D) cell culture and (2) in vitro release studies to predict
      in vivo neurobiological and pharmacokinetic responses in humans has led to
      greater interest in more realistic three dimensional (3D) benchtop platforms.
      Advantages of 3D human cell culture over its 2D analogue, or even animal models,
      include taking the effects of microgeometry and long-range topological features
      into consideration. In the era of personalized medicine, it has become
      increasingly valuable to screen candidate molecules and synergistic therapeutics
      at a patient-specific level, in particular for diseases that manifest in highly
      variable ways. The lack of established standards and the relatively arbitrary
      choice of probing conditions has limited in vitro drug release to a largely
      qualitative assessment as opposed to a predictive, quantitative measure of
      pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics in tissue. Here we report the methods used
      in the rapid, low-cost development of a 3D model of a mucopolysaccharidosis type
      I patient's corpus callosum, which may be used for cell culture and drug release.
      The CAD model is developed from in vivo brain MRI tracing of the corpus callosum
      using open-source software, printed with poly (lactic-acid) on a Makerbot
      Replicator 5X, UV-sterilized, and coated with poly (lysine) for cellular
      adhesion. Adaptations of material and 3D printer for expanded applications are
      also discussed.

PMID- 28357045
TI  - Growth performance and feed utilization of keureling fish Tor tambra (Cyprinidae)
      fed formulated diet supplemented with enhanced probiotic.
AB  - Background The objective of the present study was to determine the optimum dosage
      of probiotic in the diet of keureling fish ( Tor tambra) fry.
      MethodsLactobacillus casei from Yakult(r) was used as a starter, and enhanced
      with Curcuma xanthorrhiza, Kaempferia galanga and molasses. The mixture was
      fermented for 7 days prior to use as probiotic in a formulated diet containing
      30% crude protein. Four levels of probiotic dosage; 0 ml kg -1 (control), 5 ml kg
      -1, 10 ml kg -1 and 15 ml kg -1 were tested in this study. The fish was fed twice
      a day at 08.00 AM and 06.00 PM at the ration of 5% body weight for 80 days.
      Results The results showed that growth performance and feed efficiency increased
      with increasing probiotic dosage in the diet from control (no probiotic) to 10 ml
      kg -1 of probiotic dosage and then decreased when the dosage was increased up to
      15 ml kg -1. Conclusions The best values for all measured parameters were
      recorded at the dosage of 10 ml kg -1. Therefore, it was concluded that the
      optimum dosage of enhanced probiotic for T. tambra fry was 10 ml kg -1 of feed.

PMID- 28357046
TI  - Surgical education and adult learning: Integrating theory into practice.
AB  - Surgical education continues to evolve from the master-apprentice model. Newer
      methods of the process need to be used to manage the dual challenges of educating
      while providing safe surgical care. This requires integrating adult learning
      concepts into delivery of practical training and education in busy clinical
      environments. A narrative review aimed at outlining and integrating adult
      learning and surgical education theory was undertaken. Additionally, this
      information was used to relate the practical delivery of surgical training and
      education in day-to-day surgical practice. Concepts were sourced from reference
      material. Additional material was found using a PubMed search of the words:
      'surgical education theory' and 'adult learning theory medical'. This yielded
      1351 abstracts, of which 43 articles with a focus on key concepts in adult
      education theory were used. Key papers were used to formulate structure and
      additional cross-referenced papers were included where appropriate. Current
      concepts within adult learning have a lot to offer when considering how to better
      deliver surgical education and training. Better integration of adult learning
      theory can be fruitful. Individual teaching surgical units need to rethink their
      paradigms and consider how each individual can contribute to the education
      experience. Up skilling courses for trainers can do much to improve the delivery
      of surgical education. Understanding adult learning concepts and integrating
      these into day-to-day teaching can be valuable.

PMID- 28357044
TI  - Characterization of BRCA1/2 mutations in patients with family history of breast
      cancer in Armenia.
AB  - Background. Breast cancer is one of the most common cancers in women worldwide.
      The germline mutations of the BRCA1 and BRCA2 genes are the most significant and
      well characterized genetic risk factors for hereditary breast cancer. Intensive
      research in the last decades has demonstrated that the incidence of mutations
      varies widely among different populations. In this study we attempted to perform
      a pilot study for identification and characterization of mutations in BRCA1 and
      BRCA2 genes among Armenian patients with family history of breast cancer and
      their healthy relatives.  Methods. We performed targeted exome sequencing for
      BRCA1 and BRCA2 genes in 6 patients and their healthy relatives. After alignment
      of short reads to the reference genome, germline single nucleotide variation and
      indel discovery was performed using GATK software. Functional implications of
      identified variants were assessed using ENSEMBL Variant Effect Predictor tool. 
      Results. In total, 39 single nucleotide variations and 4 indels were identified,
      from which 15 SNPs and 3 indels were novel. No known pathogenic mutations were
      identified, but 2 SNPs causing missense amino acid mutations had significantly
      increased frequencies in the study group compared to the 1000 Genome populations.
      Conclusions. Our results demonstrate the importance of screening of BRCA1 and
      BRCA2 gene variants in the Armenian population in order to identity specifics of
      mutation spectrum and frequencies and enable accurate risk assessment of
      hereditary breast cancers.

PMID- 28357047
TI  - The challenges with the validation of research antibodies.
AB  - This article further discusses the reproducibility crisis in biomedical science
      and how poor conduct of commercial antibodies contribute to this. In addition,
      the way quality data are presented on product sheets by antibody vendors is
      scrutinized. The article proposes that there is a distinction between testing
      data and validation data, and special attention is asked for consistency between
      batches and aliquots. Moreover, the article separates the specifics, such as
      formulation, antigen and price, from the specifics on performance. Finally, a two
      tier approach is discussed, enabling scientists to anticipate how an antibody is
      likely to perform when repeated purchases are required.

PMID- 28357043
TI  - Recent advances in understanding and preventing human papillomavirus-related
      disease.
AB  - High-risk human papillomaviruses (hrHPV) are responsible for anogenital and
      oropharyngeal cancers, which together account for at least 5% of cancers
      worldwide. Industrialised nations have benefitted from highly effective screening
      for the prevention of cervical cancer in recent decades, yet this vital
      intervention remains inaccessible to millions of women in low- and middle-income
      countries (LMICs), who bear the greatest burden of HPV disease. While there is an
      urgent need to increase investment in basic health infrastructure and rollout of
      prophylactic vaccination, there are now unprecedented opportunities to exploit
      recent scientific and technological advances in screening and treatment of pre
      invasive hrHPV lesions and to adapt them for delivery at scale in resource
      limited settings. In addition, non-surgical approaches to the treatment of
      cervical intraepithelial neoplasia and other hrHPV lesions are showing
      encouraging results in clinical trials of therapeutic vaccines and antiviral
      agents. Finally, the use of next-generation sequencing to characterise the
      vaginal microbial environment is beginning to shed light on host factors that may
      influence the natural history of HPV infections. In this article, we focus on
      recent advances in these areas and discuss their potential for impact on HPV
      disease.

PMID- 28357048
TI  - Bibliometric analysis of Oropouche research: impact on the surveillance of
      emerging arboviruses in Latin America.
AB  - Given the emergence and reemergence of viral diseases, particularly in Latin
      America, we would like to provide an analysis of the patterns of research and
      publication on Oropouche virus (OROV). We also discuss the implications of recent
      epidemics in certain areas of South America, and how more clinical and
      epidemiological information regarding OROV is urgently needed.

PMID- 28357050
TI  - Heat remains unaccounted for in thermal physiology and climate change research.
AB  - In the aftermath of the Paris Agreement, there is a crucial need for scientists
      in both thermal physiology and climate change research to develop the integrated
      approaches necessary to evaluate the health, economic, technological, social, and
      cultural impacts of 1.5 degrees C warming. Our aim was to explore the fidelity of
      remote temperature measurements for quantitatively identifying the continuous
      redistribution of heat within both the Earth and the human body. Not accounting
      for the regional distribution of warming and heat storage patterns can undermine
      the results of thermal physiology and climate change research. These concepts are
      discussed herein using two parallel examples: the so-called slowdown of the
      Earth's surface temperature warming in the period 1998-2013; and the
      controversial results in thermal physiology, arising from relying heavily on core
      temperature measurements. In total, the concept of heat is of major importance
      for the integrity of systems, such as the Earth and human body. At present, our
      understanding about the interplay of key factors modulating the heat distribution
      on the surface of the Earth and in the human body remains incomplete. Identifying
      and accounting for the interconnections among these factors will be instrumental
      in improving the accuracy of both climate models and health guidelines.

PMID- 28357051
TI  - The cyanobacterial nitrogen fixation paradox in natural waters.
AB  - Nitrogen fixation, the enzymatic conversion of atmospheric N (N 2) to ammonia (NH
      3), is a microbially mediated process by which "new" N is supplied to N-deficient
      water bodies. Certain bloom-forming cyanobacterial species are capable of
      conducting N 2 fixation; hence, they are able to circumvent N limitation in these
      waters. However, this anaerobic process is highly sensitive to oxygen, and since
      cyanobacteria produce oxygen in photosynthesis, they are faced with a paradoxical
      situation, where one critically important (for supporting growth) biochemical
      process is inhibited by another. N 2-fixing cyanobacterial taxa have developed an
      array of biochemical, morphological, and ecological adaptations to minimize the
      "oxygen problem"; however, none of these allows N 2 fixation to function at a
      high enough efficiency so that it can supply N needs at the ecosystem scale,
      where N losses via denitrification, burial, and advection often exceed the inputs
      of "new" N by N 2 fixation. As a result, most marine and freshwater ecosystems
      exhibit chronic N limitation of primary production. Under conditions of perpetual
      N limitation, external inputs of N from human sources (agricultural, urban, and
      industrial) play a central role in determining ecosystem fertility and, in the
      case of N overenrichment, excessive primary production or eutrophication. This
      points to the importance of controlling external N inputs (in addition to
      traditional phosphorus controls) as a means of ensuring acceptable water quality
      and safe water supplies. Nitrogen fixation, the enzymatic conversion of
      atmospheric N 2 to ammonia (NH 3) is a  microbially-mediated process by which
      "new" nitrogen is supplied to N-deficient water bodies.  Certain bloom-forming
      cyanobacterial species are capable of conducting N 2 fixation; hence they are
      able to circumvent nitrogen limitation in these waters. However, this anaerobic
      process is highly sensitive to oxygen, and since cyanobacteria produce oxygen in
      photosynthesis, they are faced with a paradoxical situation, where one critically
      important (for supporting growth) biochemical process is inhibited by another.
      Diazotrophic cyanobacterial taxa have developed an array of biochemical,
      morphological and ecological adaptations to minimize the "oxygen problem";
      however, none of these allows N 2 fixation to function at a high enough
      efficiency so that it can supply N needs at the ecosystem scale, where N losses
      via denitrification, burial and advection often exceed the inputs of "new" N by N
      2 fixation.  As a result, most marine and freshwater ecosystems exhibit chronic N
      limitation of primary production.  Under conditions of perpetual N limitation,
      external inputs of N from human sources (agricultural, urban, industrial) play a
      central role in determining ecosystem fertility and in the case of N
      overenrichment, excessive primary production, or eutrophication. This points to
      the importance of controlling external N inputs (in addition to traditional
      phosphorus controls) as a means of ensuring acceptable water quality and safe
      water supplies.

PMID- 28357049
TI  - Neuronal substrates for initiation, maintenance, and structural organization of
      sleep/wake states.
AB  - Animals continuously alternate between sleep and wake states throughout their
      life. The daily organization of sleep and wakefulness is orchestrated by
      circadian, homeostatic, and motivational processes. Over the last decades, much
      progress has been made toward determining the neuronal populations involved in
      sleep/wake regulation. Here, we will discuss how the application of advanced in
      vivo tools for cell type-specific manipulations now permits the functional
      interrogation of different features of sleep/wake state regulation: initiation,
      maintenance, and structural organization. We will specifically focus on recent
      studies examining the roles of wake-promoting neuronal populations.

PMID- 28357053
TI  - C3 glomerulopathy.
AB  - C3 glomerulopathy is a recently defined entity that encompasses a group of kidney
      diseases caused by abnormal control of complement activation with deposition of
      complement component C3 in glomeruli leading to variable glomerular inflammation.
      Before the recognition of the unique pathogenesis of these cases, they were
      variably classified according to their morphological features. C3 glomerulopathy
      accounts for roughly 1% of all renal biopsies. Clear definition of this entity
      has allowed a better understanding of its pathogenesis and clinical course and is
      likely to lead to the design of rational therapies over the next few years.

PMID- 28357052
TI  - Recent advances in understanding and managing gout.
AB  - Gout is the most common crystal arthropathy and the leading cause of inflammatory
      arthritis. It is associated with functional impairment and, for many, a
      diminished health-related quality of life. Numerous studies have demonstrated the
      impact of gout and its associated conditions on patient morbidity and mortality.
      Unfortunately, gout remains under-diagnosed and under-treated in the general
      community. Despite major advances in treatment strategies, as many as 90% of
      patients with gout are poorly controlled or improperly managed and their
      hyperuricemia and recurrent flares continue. The introduction of novel urate
      lowering therapies, new imaging modalities, and a deeper understanding of the
      pathogenesis of gout raise the possibility of better gout care and improved
      patient outcomes. Here, we spotlight recent advances in the diagnosis and
      management of gout and discuss novel therapeutics in gout treatment.

PMID- 28357054
TI  - Recent advances in Japanese encephalitis.
AB  - Japanese encephalitis is a flaviviral disease that is endemic to the South,
      Southeast Asia, and Asia Oceania regions. Given that about 60% of the world's
      population (about 7.4 billion) resides in this region (about 4.4 billion), this
      disease poses a significant threat to global health. Active vaccination campaigns
      conducted in endemic countries have led to a decrease in the number of reported
      cases over the years. In this article, we strive to briefly highlight recent
      advances in understanding the role of microRNAs in disease pathology, focus on
      providing brief summaries of recent clinical trials in the field of Japanese
      encephalitis therapeutics, and review the current prophylactic strategies.

PMID- 28357056
TI  - What serial homologs can tell us about the origin of insect wings.
AB  - Although the insect wing is a textbook example of morphological novelty, the
      origin of insect wings remains a mystery and is regarded as a chief conundrum in
      biology. Centuries of debates have culminated into two prominent hypotheses: the
      tergal origin hypothesis and the pleural origin hypothesis. However, between
      these two hypotheses, there is little consensus in regard to the origin tissue of
      the wing as well as the evolutionary route from the origin tissue to the
      functional flight device. Recent evolutionary developmental (evo-devo) studies
      have shed new light on the origin of insect wings. A key concept in these studies
      is "serial homology". In this review, we discuss how the wing serial homologs
      identified in recent evo-devo studies have provided a new angle through which
      this century-old conundrum can be explored. We also review what we have learned
      so far from wing serial homologs and discuss what we can do to go beyond simply
      identifying wing serial homologs and delve further into the developmental and
      genetic mechanisms that have facilitated the evolution of insect wings.

PMID- 28357055
TI  - Recent advances in treating Parkinson's disease.
AB  - This article summarizes (1) the recent achievements to further improve
      symptomatic therapy of motor Parkinson's disease (PD) symptoms, (2) the still-few
      attempts to systematically search for symptomatic therapy of non-motor symptoms
      in PD, and (3) the advances in the development and clinical testing of compounds
      which promise to offer disease modification in already-manifest PD. However,
      prevention (that is, slowing or stopping PD in a prodromal stage) is still a
      dream and one reason for this is that we have no consensus on primary endpoints
      for clinical trials which reflect the progression in prodromal stages of PD, such
      as in rapid eye movement sleep behavior disorder (RBD) -a methodological
      challenge to be met in the future.

PMID- 28357058
TI  - How are base excision DNA repair pathways deployed in vivo?
AB  - Since the discovery of the base excision repair (BER) system for DNA more than 40
      years ago, new branches of the pathway have been revealed at the biochemical
      level by in vitro studies. Largely for technical reasons, however, the
      confirmation of these subpathways in vivo has been elusive. We review methods
      that have been used to explore BER in mammalian cells, indicate where there are
      important knowledge gaps to fill, and suggest a way to address them.

PMID- 28357057
TI  - Cell-cell adhesion interface: rise of the lateral membrane.
AB  - The lateral membrane plays an important role in the mechanical stability of
      epithelial cell sheet in steady state. In addition, the lateral membrane is
      continuously remodeled during dynamic processes such as cell extrusion,
      cytokinesis, and intercellular cell movement. In wound healing, the lateral
      membrane must be built from flat and spread cells that had crawled into the area
      of the wound. Thus, forming the lateral membrane is a phenomenon that occurs not
      only in development but also during homeostatic maintenance and regeneration of
      differentiated epithelial tissues.

PMID- 28357060
TI  - Visceral scalloping on abdominal computed tomography due to abdominal
      tuberculosis.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: Scalloping of visceral organs is described in pseudomyxoma peritonei,
      malignant ascites, among other conditions, but not tuberculosis. METHODS: We
      report findings from a retrospective study of patients with abdominal
      tuberculosis who had visceral scalloping on abdominal computed tomography (CT).
      Diagnosis of abdominal tuberculosis was made on the basis of combination of
      clinical, biochemical, radiological and microbiological criteria. The clinical
      data, hematological and biochemical parameters, and findings of chest X-ray, CT,
      Mantoux test, and HIV serology were recorded. RESULTS: Of 72 patients with
      abdominal tuberculosis whose CT scans were included, seven patients had visceral
      scalloping. The mean age of these patients was 32.14 +/- 8.43 years and four were
      men. While six patients had scalloping of liver, one had splenic scalloping. The
      patients presented with abdominal pain (all), abdominal distension (five
      patients), loss of weight or appetite (all), and fever (four patients). Mantoux
      test was positive in five, while none had HIV infection. The diagnosis was based
      on fluid (ascitic or collections) evaluation in four patients, ileo-cecal biopsy
      in one patient, fine needle aspiration from omental thickening in one patient,
      and sputum positivity for acid fast bacilli (AFB) in one patient. On CT
      examination, four patients had ascites, five had collections, one had
      lymphadenopathy, four had peritoneal involvement, three had pleural effusion, and
      two had ileo-cecal thickening. All except one patient received standard ATT for 6
      months or 9 months (one patient). Pigtail drainage for collections was needed for
      two patients. DISCUSSION: This report is the first description of visceral
      scalloping of liver and spleen in patients with abdominal tuberculosis.
      Previously, this finding has been reported primarily with pseudomyxoma peritonei
      and peritoneal carcinomatosis. CONCLUSION: Visceral scalloping may not
      conclusively distinguish peritoneal tuberculosis from peritoneal carcinomatosis
      or pseudomyxoma peritonei.

PMID- 28357059
TI  - Recent advances in managing and understanding uveitis.
AB  - Uveitis is a sight-threatening disease entity with intraocular inflammation that
      arises from various causes. It mainly affects working-age individuals and may
      lead to irreversible visual loss if not treated properly in a timely manner. This
      article reviews recent advances in the management and understanding of uveitis
      since 2014, including treatment with new immunosuppressive therapies that use
      biological agents, local therapy with steroid implants, and imaging studies for
      the evaluation of uveitis.

PMID- 28357061
TI  - Oral mucositis caused by Candida glabrata biofilms: failure of the concomitant
      use of fluconazole and ascorbic acid.
AB  - OBJECTIVES: Candida glabrata is becoming one of the most prevalent pathogenic
      yeasts in cases of oral diseases. Mucositis is an recurrent oral infection in
      immunocompromised patients, and the actual guidelines recommend the use of
      fluconazole (Flu) for many cases. However, the azole resistance by C. glabrata is
      renowned, causing a reduced therapeutic response, especially when it occurs in
      biofilms. In this study, we performed an in vitro evaluation of an alternative
      pharmacotherapy for C. glabrata biofilm infections, combining ascorbic acid (AA)
      with Flu. AA is recognized for degrading beta-glucans, an important compound of
      the biofilm matrices, which prevent drug diffusion. MATERIALS AND METHODS:
      Routine clinical 30 or 40 mg/l doses of Flu were applied to C. glabrata biofilms
      simultaneously with 200 or 300 mg/l of AA. RESULTS: The results showed that this
      combination effectively promoted the degradation of the biofilm network, but
      unfortunately, also stimulated the growth of the yeasts population due to release
      of several glucose monomers during beta-glucans hydrolysis. DISCUSSION: AA lead
      to the hydrolysis of the beta-glucans of the matrix, liberating glucose molecules
      which are used as carbon souce by the yeasts, thus suppressing the desired
      antifungal effect of the drug combination with Flu. CONCLUSIONS: Unlike to what
      happens in treatment of bacterial infection, AA should not be used together with
      Flu in the treating oral mucositis caused by Candida.

PMID- 28357062
TI  - Treatment optimization for HIV/HCV co-infected patients.
AB  - Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and hepatitis C virus (HCV) infections affect
      millions of persons around the globe and cause profound morbidity and mortality.
      A major intersection exists between these two epidemics, with HCV infection being
      more common in persons with HIV than in the general population, largely due to
      shared routes of transmission. HCV co-infection increases risk for liver- and non
      liver-related morbidity and mortality, making HCV treatment a priority in HIV co
      infected persons, but the treatment of HCV in co-infected patients has been
      daunting for multiple reasons. Until recently, HCV treatment has frequently been
      deferred due to the low rates of cure, significant adverse effects, burdensome
      duration of therapy and drug-drug interactions with HIV antiretroviral
      medications. Untreated HCV has resulted in significant health consequences for
      the millions of those infected and has led to multiple downstream impacts on our
      healthcare systems around the world. The development of a remarkable number of
      new HCV direct-acting agents (DAAs) that are significantly more efficacious and
      tolerable than the previous interferon-based regimens has transformed this
      important field of medicine, with the potential to dramatically reduce the burden
      of infection and improve health outcomes in this population. This review will
      summarize the epidemiology and clinical impact of HIV/HCV co-infection and
      current approaches to the treatment of HCV in HIV/HCV co-infected patients.

PMID- 28357064
TI  - Key proteins involved in insulin vesicle exocytosis and secretion.
AB  - In vivo insulin secretion is predominantly affected by blood glucose
      concentration, blood concentration of amino acids, gastrointestinal hormones and
      free nerve functional status, in addition to other factors. Insulin is one of the
      most important hormones in the body, and its secretion is precisely controlled by
      nutrients, neurotransmitters and hormones. The insulin exocytosis process is
      similar to the neurotransmitter release mechanism. There are various types of
      proteins and lipids that participate in the insulin secretory vesicle fusion
      process, such as soluble N-ethylmaleimide-sensitive factor attachment protein
      receptor (SNARE) protein, Ras-related proteins and vacuolar-type H+-ATPase (V
      ATPase). Notably, the SNARE protein is the molecular basis of exocytotic
      activity. In the current review, the role of the vesicle membrane proteins
      (synaptobrevins, vesicle associated membrane proteins and target membrane
      proteins) and auxiliary proteins (Rab proteins and Munc-18 proteins) in vesicle
      fusion activity were summarized. A summary of these key proteins involved in
      insulin granule secretion will facilitate understanding of the pathogenesis of
      diabetes.

PMID- 28357063
TI  - Protein kinase CK2 in development and differentiation.
AB  - Among the human kinomes, protein kinase CK2 (formerly termed casein kinase II) is
      considered to be essential, as it is implicated in the regulation of various
      cellular processes. Experiments with pharmacological inhibitors of the kinase
      activity of CK2 provide evidence that CK2 is essential for development and
      differentiation. Therefore, the present review addresses the role of CK2 during
      embryogenesis, neuronal, adipogenic, osteogenic and myogenic differentiation in
      established model cell lines, and in embryonic, neural and mesenchymal stem
      cells. CK2 kinase activity appears to be essential in the early stages of
      differentiation, as CK2 inhibition at early time points generally prevents
      differentiation. In addition, the present review reports on target proteins of
      CK2 in embryogenesis and differentiation.

PMID- 28357065
TI  - Role of microRNAs in the pathogenesis of diabetic cardiomyopathy.
AB  - The morbidity of diabetes mellitus has been increasing annually. As a progressive
      metabolic disorder, chronic complications occur in the late stage of diabetes. In
      addition, cardiovascular diseases account for the major cause of morbidity and
      mortality among the diabetic population worldwide. Diabetic cardiomyopathy (DCM)
      is a type of diabetic heart disease. Patients with DCM show symptoms and signs of
      heart failure while no specific cause, such as coronary disease, hypertension,
      alcohol consumption, or other structural heart diseases has been identified. The
      pathogenesis of DCM is complex and has not been well understood until recently.
      MicroRNAs (miRs) belong to a novel family of highly conserved, short, non-coding,
      single-stranded RNA molecules that regulate transcriptional and post
      transcriptional gene expression. Furthermore, recent studies have demonstrated an
      association between miRs and DCM. In the current review, the role of miRs in the
      pathogenesis of DCM is summarized. It was concluded that miRs contribute to the
      regulation of cardiomyocyte hypertrophy, myocardial fibrosis, cardiomyocyte
      apoptosis, mitochondrial dysfunction, myocardial electrical remodeling,
      epigenetic modification and various other pathophysiological processes of DCM.
      These studies may provide novel insights into targets for prevention and
      treatment of the disease.

PMID- 28357066
TI  - Association of two synonymous splicing-associated CpG single nucleotide
      polymorphisms in calpain 10 and solute carrier family 2 member 2 with type 2
      diabetes.
AB  - Coding synonymous single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) have attracted little
      attention until recently. However, such SNPs located in epigenetic, CpG sites
      modifying exonic splicing enhancers (ESEs) can be informative with regards to the
      recently verified association of intragenic methylation and splicing. The present
      study describes the association of type 2 diabetes (T2D) with the exonic,
      synonymous, epigenetic SNPs, rs3749166 in calpain 10 (CAPN10) glucose transporter
      (GLUT4) translocator and rs5404 in solute carrier family 2, member 2 (SLC2A2),
      also termed GLUT2, which, according to prior bioinformatic analysis, strongly
      modify the splicing potential of glucose transport-associated genes. Previous
      association studies reveal that only rs5404 exhibits a strong negative T2D
      association, while data on the CAPN10 polymorphism are contradictory. In the
      present study DNA from blood samples of 99 Greek non-diabetic control subjects
      and 71 T2D patients was analyzed. In addition, relevant publicly available cases
      (40) resulting from examination of 110 Personal Genome Project data files were
      analyzed. The frequency of the rs3749166 A allele, was similar in the patients
      and non-diabetic control subjects. However, AG heterozygotes were more frequent
      among patients (73.24% for Greek patients and 54.55% for corresponding non
      diabetic control subjects; P=0.0262; total cases, 52.99 and 75.00%, respectively;
      P=0.0039). The rs5404 T allele was only observed in CT heterozygotes (Greek non
      diabetic control subjects, 39.39% and Greek patients, 22.54%; P=0.0205; total
      cases, 34.69 and 21.28%, respectively; P=0.0258). Notably, only one genotype,
      heterozygous AG/CC, was T2D-associated (Greek non-diabetic control subjects,
      29.29% and Greek patients, 56.33%; P=0.004; total cases, 32.84 and 56.58%,
      respectively; P=0.0008). Furthermore, AG/CC was strongly associated with very
      high (>=8.5%) glycosylated plasma hemoglobin levels among patients (P=0.0002 for
      all cases). These results reveal the complex heterozygotic SNP association with
      T2D, and indicate possible synergies of these epigenetic, splicing-regulatory,
      synonymous SNPs, which modify the splicing potential of two alternative glucose
      transport-associated genes.

PMID- 28357067
TI  - Mid-term efficacy and safety of cervical disc arthroplasty versus fusion in
      cervical spondylosis: A systematic review and meta-analysis.
AB  - Anterior cervical discectomy and fusion (ACDF) and cervical disc arthroplasty
      (CDA) are the most commonly used procedures in cervical spondylosis. However,
      only a few published studies exist in the literature comparing these two
      operation types, particularly its mid-term efficacy and safety. Furthermore, in
      those studies, even large sample trials, when compared, have elicited
      controversial results, making it inconvenient for clinicians to refer to them.
      The aim of the present study was to clarify the advantages and shortcomings of
      the two procedures. Articles indexed in the PubMed, Web of Science, Cochrane
      Library, EMBASE, China Biological Medicine and China National Knowledge
      Infrastructure (CNKI) databases, as of March 2016, that met our criteria were
      searched. A total of 18 trials involving 3,040 patients were included in our
      final analysis. The most important results drawn from the present analysis were
      as follows: Insignificant differences were identified in the blood loss [weighted
      mean difference (WMD)=6.23; 95% confidence intervals (CI), -0.85 to 13.32;
      P=0.08], surgical time [standardized mean difference (SMD)=0.40; 95% CI, -0.01 to
      0.82; P=0.06], the time of hospital stay (SMD=0.05; 95% CI, -0.28 to 0.37;
      P=0.77) and the total complications rate [odds ratio (OR)=0.86; 95% CI, 0.66 to
      1.131; P=0.28] on a comparison of the two operation methods. By contrast,
      comparing CDA with ACDF, the CDA had higher Short Form survey (SF-36) scores
      (WMD=1.65; 95% CI, 0.61 to 2.69; P=0.002), a larger range of motion in the
      operation level (SMD=6.53; 95% CI, 3.89 to 9.17; P<0.0001), a higher rate of
      neurological improvement following the operation (OR=1.80; 95% CI, 1.29 to 2.52;
      P=0.0006), a lower Visual Analog Scale (VAS) score of neck pain (WMD= 0.16; 95%
      CI, -0.28 to 0.05; P=0.006) and arm pain (WMD= 0.12; 95% CI, -0.24 to -0.01;
      P=0.04). In addition, in the mid-term following the surgery, CDA had a lower Neck
      Disability Index (NDI; SMD=0.18; 95% CI, -0.28 to -0.07; P=0.001) and a lower
      reoperation rate of adjacent levels (OR=0.54; 95% CI, 0.35 to 0.85; P=0.007)
      compared with ACDF. Taken together, these results suggested that CDA and ACDF are
      efficient and safe methods for dealing with cervical spondylosis. However, with
      respect to certain specific indicators, such as the reoperation rate of adjacent
      levels following surgery, the former has several advantages.

PMID- 28357068
TI  - Differential proteomics analysis of liver failure in peripheral blood mononuclear
      cells using isobaric tags for relative and absolute quantitation.
AB  - The aim of the present study was to examine differentially expressed proteome
      profiles for candidate biomarkers in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs)
      of liver failure (LF) patients. Ten patients were diagnosed as LF and 10 age- and
      gender-matched subjects were recruited as healthy controls. Isobaric tags for
      relative and absolute quantitation (iTRAQ)-based quantitative proteomic
      technology is efficiently applicable for identification and relative quantitation
      of the proteomes of PBMCs. Eight-plex iTRAQ coupled with strong cation exchange
      chromatography, and liquid chromatography coupled with tandem mass spectrometry
      were used to analyze total proteins in LF patients and healthy control subjects.
      Molecular variations were detected using the iTRAQ method, and western blotting
      was used to verify the results. LF is a complex type of medical emergency that
      evolves following a catastrophic insult to the liver, and its outcome remains the
      most ominous of all gastroenterologic diseases. Serious complications tend to
      occur during the course of the disease and further exacerbate the problems. Using
      the iTRAQ method, differentially expressed proteome profiles of LF patients were
      determined. In the present study, 627 proteins with different expression levels
      were identified in LF patients compared with the control subjects; with 409
      proteins upregulated and 218 proteins downregulated. Among them, four proteins
      were significantly differentially expressed; acylaminoacyl-peptide hydrolase and
      WW domain binding protein 2 were upregulated, and resistin and tubulin beta 2A
      class IIa were downregulated. These proteins demonstrated differences in their
      expression levels compared with other proteins with normal expression levels and
      the significant positive correlation with LF. The western blot results were
      consistent with the results from iTRAQ. Thus, investigation of the molecular
      mechanism of the proteins involved in LF may facilitate an improved understanding
      of the pathogenesis of LF and elucidation of novel biomarker candidates.

PMID- 28357069
TI  - Efficacy of a potassium-competitive acid blocker for improving symptoms in
      patients with reflux esophagitis, non-erosive reflux disease, and functional
      dyspepsia.
AB  - The aim of the present study was to investigate the efficacy of a potassium
      competitive acid blocker (PCAB) named vonoprazan (VPZ) for improving symptoms in
      patients with reflux esophagitis (RE), non-erosive reflux disease (NERD), and
      functional dyspepsia (FD). A hospital-based, retrospective study of outpatients
      in our department (Department of Gastroenterology, University of Juntendo, Tokyo,
      Japan) between March 2015 and August 2016 was performed. The patients who were
      experiencing heartburn, acid regurgitation, gastric pain, and/or a heavy feeling
      in the stomach of at least moderate severity at baseline were treated with 20 mg
      VPZ once daily for 4 weeks. The patients completed the global overall symptom
      (GOS) scale to determine their symptom severity at baseline and after the 4 week
      treatment period. The proportions of patients with RE, NERD, and FD achieving
      improvement of their symptoms, defined as a GOS scale score of 1 ('no problem')
      or 2 ('minimal problem'), were evaluated. During 4 weeks of VPZ therapy, changes
      in the gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) score, which was defined as the
      total points for heartburn and acid regurgitation on the GOS scale in patients
      with RE and NERD, and in the FD score, which was defined as the total points for
      gastric pain and a heavy feeling in the stomach on the GOS scale in patients with
      FD, were also evaluated. A total of 88 eligible cases were included in the
      present study, comprising 20 patients with RE, 25 patients with NERD, and 43
      patients with FD. The rates of symptomatic improvement in patients with RE, NERD,
      and FD were 75.0, 60.0, and 48.8%, respectively. For the patients who were first
      administered VPZ, the rates of symptomatic improvement were 90.9, 66.7, and 58.8%
      in patients with RE, NERD, and FD, respectively. For those patients who were
      resistant to 8 weeks of proton pump inhibitor therapy, the rates of symptomatic
      improvement were 55.6, 53.8, and 42.3% in patients with RE, NERD, and FD,
      respectively. The GERD score in patients with RE and NERD, and the FD score in FD
      patients, were decreased after 4 weeks of VPZ therapy (P<0.01). In patients with
      RE, NERD and FD, the possibility that PCAB may be used as a novel therapeutic
      drug was suggested. However, the number of study subjects was small; therefore,
      further, larger and prospective studies are required.

PMID- 28357070
TI  - Bioinformatic prediction of the epitopes of Echinococcus granulosus antigen 5.
AB  - The aim of the present study was to predict and analyze the secondary structure,
      and B and T cell epitopes of Echinococcus granulosus antigen 5 (Ag5) using online
      software in order to investigate its immunogenicity and preliminarily evaluate
      its potential as an effective antigen peptide vaccine for cystic echinococcosis.
      The PortParam program was used to analyze molecular weight, the theoretical
      isoelectric point, instability index and other physicochemical properties. The
      secondary structure of the Ag5 protein was predicted using Self-Optimized
      Prediction method With Alignment and the tertiary structure of the Ag5 protein
      was predicted using 3DLigandSite together with Center for Biological Sequence
      Analysis Prediction Servers. Furthermore, the Immune Epitope Database software
      was used to predict B cell epitopes, and T cell epitopes were predicted with the
      BioInformatics and Molecular Analysis Section and SYFPEITHI programs. The results
      demonstrated that alpha-helixes, beta-turns, random coils and extended strands
      account for 23.35, 10.95, 41.32, and 24.38% of the secondary structure of the Ag5
      protein, respectively. Ten potential B cell epitopes of Ag5 were identified as
      the amino acids sequences 27-39, 70-80, 117-130, 146-168, 250-262, 284-293, 339
      349, 359-371, 403-412 and 454-462, and seven potential T cell epitopes were
      identified as the amino acid sequences 52-60, 57-65, 182-190, 231-239, 273-281,
      318-326 and 467-475. Thus, ten B cell epitopes and seven T cell epitopes were
      identified on Ag5, suggesting the strong immunogenicity of this protein, which
      could be applied to design antigen peptide vaccines for echinococcosis.

PMID- 28357071
TI  - Prostaglandin E2 reduces swine myocardial ischemia reperfusion injury via
      increased endothelial nitric oxide synthase and vascular endothelial growth
      factor expression levels.
AB  - Prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) has been demonstrated to attenuate cardiac ischemia
      reperfusion (I/R) injury. However, the underlying mechanism of PGE2 in cardiac
      I/R injury remains unknown. Upregulated expression levels of vascular endothelial
      growth factor (VEGF) and endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS) were reported
      in acute myocardial infarction (AMI), and were demonstrated to diminish I/R
      injury. In the current study the involvement of VEGF and eNOS in the myocardial
      protective effect of PGE2 were investigated in a catheter-based porcine model of
      AMI. Twenty-two Chinese miniature pigs were randomized into sham-surgery (n=6),
      control (n=8) and PGE2 (n=8) groups. PGE2 (1 ug/kg) was injected from 10 min
      prior to left anterior descending occlusion up to 1 h after reperfusion in the
      PGE2 group. Subsequently, the hemodynamic parameters were evaluated. Thioflavin-S
      and Evans Blue double staining were performed to evaluate the extent of the
      myocardial reperfusion area (RA) and no-reflow area (NRA). Immunohistochemical
      and western blot analysis were used to evaluate protein expression levels of VEGF
      and eNOS. Left ventricular (LV) systolic pressure significantly improved and LV
      end-diastolic pressure significantly decreased in the PGE2 group when compared
      with the control group 2 h after occlusion and 3 h after reperfusion (P<0.05,
      respectively). The RA and NRA were smaller in the PGE2 group than in the control
      group (P<0.05, respectively). Furthermore, PGE2 treatment increased the
      myocardial content of VEGF and eNOS when compared with the control group (P<0.05,
      respectively). Thus, the results of the present study demonstrate the cardio
      protective mechanisms of PGE2, which may protect the heart from I/R injury via
      enhancement of VEGF and eNOS expression levels.

PMID- 28357073
TI  - Effect of bosentan is correlated with MMP-9/TIMP-1 ratio in bleomycin-induced
      pulmonary fibrosis.
AB  - Pulmonary fibrosis (PF) is a life-threatening non-tumorous disease characterized
      by progressive fibrosis and worsening lung function. Various drugs, such as
      bleomycin, can contribute to lung injury and PF, with lung injury potentially
      occurring in 10% of bleomycin users. Bleomycin is the most commonly used drug in
      the establishment of an animal model of PF in rats. Matrix metalloproteinases
      (MMPs) and tissue inhibitors of metalloproteinases (TIMPs) serve an important
      role in controlling tissue organization and fibrosis following injury. The
      present study examined the effect of bosentan on fibrotic lung tissue in rats
      administrated with bleomycin. In total, 48 Wistar rats were administrated with
      bleomycin, with or without bosentan, while the control rats received saline. The
      lung tissues were microscopically examined by staining with hematoxylin and eosin
      and Masson's trichome. ELISA was also used to detect the MMP-9 and TIMP-1
      concentrations in the plasma. The results indicated that the bosentan-treated
      groups on the next day and the 15th day showed significant reversal of
      pathological findings. In addition, the concentrations of MMP-9 and TIMP-1
      appeared to be altered following bosentan treatment, improving the bleomycin
      induced PF. Masson's trichome staining showed high collagen deposition in the
      lung tissue sections, which may be a direct result of the activity of MMP-9 and
      TIMP-1. Furthermore, the deposition of collagen was significantly inhibited in
      bosentan-treated groups. In conclusion, these results demonstrated that bosentan
      inhibited lung fibrosis induced by bleomycin and it may be used as an inhibitor
      of PF.

PMID- 28357072
TI  - Analysis of plasma free amino acid profiles in canine brain tumors.
AB  - Canine brain tumors are best diagnosed using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI).
      However, opportunities of MRI examination are restricted due to its limited
      availability in veterinary facilities; thus, numerous canine brain tumors are
      diagnosed at an advanced stage. Therefore, development of a noninvasive
      diagnostic biomarker is required for the early detection of brain tumors. In the
      present study, plasma free amino acid (PFAA) profiles between dogs with and
      without brain tumors were compared. A total of 12 dogs with brain tumors,
      diagnosed based on clinical signs, and on the results of intracranial MRI and/or
      pathological examination were evaluated. In addition, eight dogs diagnosed with
      idiopathic epilepsy and 16 healthy dogs were also included. A liquid
      chromatography system with automated pre-column derivatization functionality was
      used to measure the levels of 20 amino acids. As a result, the levels of three
      amino acids (alanine, proline and isoleucine) were increased significantly (1.6-,
      1.5- and 1.6-fold, respectively) in the plasma of dogs with brain tumors as
      compared with the levels in control dogs (all P<0.05). Thus, the PFAA levels of
      dogs with brain tumors differed from those of healthy dogs. The present study
      demonstrated that analysis of PFAA levels of dogs with brain tumors may serve as
      a useful biomarker for the early detection of canine brain tumors.

PMID- 28357074
TI  - TRAF6 regulates the effects of polarized maturation of tolerability: Marrow
      derived dendritic cells on collagen-induced arthritis in mice.
AB  - The study aimed to investigate the relationship between tumor necrosis factor
      receptor-associated factor 6 (TRAF6) and a differentially mature dendritic cell
      (mDC) in collagen-induced arthritis (CIA) mice and to determine whether or not
      TRAF6 regulates the activation of an immature dendritic cell (iDC) and inhibits
      iDC maturation to induce immune tolerance. The mouse bone marrow stem cells were
      induced with recombinant granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor (rmGM
      CSF) and recombinant interleukin-4 (rmIL-4) to differentiate immature dendritic
      cells (DCs), which were divided into four groups with different maturation
      states: rmGM-CSF, rmIL-4; TNF-alpha; LPS; and FK506 group. The levels of the cell
      surfaces of CD80, CD86, and MHI-II were analyzed by flow cytometry to prove DCs
      at different levels of maturity. The expression of IL-12 in DCs at different
      maturation states was detected by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). The
      expression of TRAF6 mRNA and protein in each group of DCs was detected by a
      reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and western blot
      analysis. The results revealed that the differentiation of bone marrow cells into
      iDCs was significantly induced by cytokines (rmGM-CSF, IL-4). CD80, CD86, MHC-II
      were expressed in the four groups, and the difference between them was
      statistically significant (P<0.05). A higher degree of DC differentiation led to
      a gradual increase of IL-12 secretion in the four groups. The difference was
      statistically significant (P<0.05) for this secretion (group D, 10,620.73+/
      276.73 pg/ml). The expression levels of TRAF6 mRNA were significantly higher in
      group D than those in the other three groups (P<0.01). Although there was no
      significant difference in the expression levels of TRAF6 mRNA between groups B
      and C, the expression levels of TRAF6 mRNA between groups B and C were higher
      than those of the control group. The TRAF6 protein expression was higher in group
      D than that in the other three groups (P<0.01), and the difference was
      statistically significant. There was a statistically significant difference in
      the TRAF6 protein expression between group A and groups B and C, but the
      expression in group C was higher than that in group B (P<0.01). In conclusion,
      the expression of co-stimulatory molecules gradually increased in the DCs of
      different maturation states, and the expression of IL-12, TRAF6 mRNA, and TRAF6
      protein positively correlated with the degree of DC maturation. TRAF6 is
      important in iDC polarity and maturation.

PMID- 28357075
TI  - De novo, systemic, deleterious amino acid substitutions are common in large
      cytoskeleton-related protein coding regions.
AB  - Human mutagenesis is largely random, thus large coding regions, simply on the
      basis of probability, represent relatively large mutagenesis targets. Thus, we
      considered the possibility that large cytoskeletal-protein related coding regions
      (CPCRs), including extra-cellular matrix (ECM) coding regions, would have
      systemic nucleotide variants that are not present in common SNP databases.
      Presumably, such variants arose recently in development or in recent, preceding
      generations. Using matched breast cancer and blood-derived normal datasets from
      the cancer genome atlas, CPCR single nucleotide variants (SNVs) not present in
      the All SNPs(142) or 1000 Genomes databases were identified. Using the Protein
      Variation Effect Analyzer internet-based tool, it was discovered that apparent,
      systemic mutations (not shared among others in the analysis group) in the CPCRs,
      represented numerous deleterious amino acid substitutions. However, no such
      deleterious variants were identified among the (cancer blood-matched) variants
      shared by other members of the analysis group. These data indicate that private
      SNVs, which potentially have a medical consequence, occur de novo with
      significant frequency in the larger, human coding regions that collectively
      impact the cytoskeleton and ECM.

PMID- 28357077
TI  - Circulating osteocyte-derived exosomes contain miRNAs which are enriched in
      exosomes from MLO-Y4 cells.
AB  - Signaling molecules produced by osteocytes have been proposed to serve as soluble
      factors that contribute to bone remodeling, as well as to homeostasis of other
      organs. However, to the best of our knowledge, there are currently no studies
      investigating the role of osteocyte-secreted exosomes. In the present study,
      ablation of osteocytes in mice [osteocyte-less (OL)] was used to examine the
      microRNA (miRNA) levels of plasma-circulating exosomes. In order to investigate
      the function of osteocyte-secreted exosomes, exosomes derived from MLO-Y4 cells
      were extracted and their miRNA expression levels were examined using miRNA array
      analysis and deep sequencing. Comparison of miRNA expression levels between
      plasma exosomes from OL mouse plasma and MLO-Y4-derived exosomes revealed that
      decreases in the number of miRNAs from exosomes circulating in the OL mouse
      plasma may be caused by a decrease in secretion of exosomes from osteocytes.
      These results suggest that osteocytes secrete exosomes containing characterized
      miRNAs and then circulate in the blood, and may thus transfer their components,
      including miRNAs, to recipient cells where they function as signaling molecules
      in other organs and/or tissues to regulate biological responses.

PMID- 28357076
TI  - Association of p53 codon 72 polymorphism with susceptibility to hepatocellular
      carcinoma in a Chinese population from northeast Sichuan.
AB  - The p53 tumor suppressor gene is key in tumor development and progression, and
      the single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) of the p53 gene codon 72 (p53Arg/Pro)
      changes the structure of the protein. In addition, it affects its activity, which
      may affect cancer risk. The aim of the present study was to investigate the
      association between p53 codon 72 polymorphism and susceptibility to
      hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) in a Chinese population from northeast Sichuan. A
      total of 342 HCC patients and 347 non-cancer control subjects were recruited, and
      the polymorphism of p53 codon 72 was measured by TaqMan(r) minor groove binder
      fluorescent quantitative polymerase chain reaction assay. The distribution
      frequency of p53 sites of arginine (Arg)/Arg, Arg/proline (Pro), Pro/Pro were
      18.4, 48.8 and 32.8% in the control group, as compared with 18.7, 49.9 and 31.4%
      in the case group, which indicated that there was no difference between two
      groups (chi2=0.14; P=0.93). Upon further stratification with smoking, alcohol
      consumption, gender and hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection, no risk increasing
      genotype was identified. However, interactions between p53 codon 72 SNP and
      smoking, alcohol consumption and HBV infection may increase the risk of HCC
      [smoking odds ratio (OR), 2.00; 95% confidence interval (CI), 1.21-3.29; alcohol
      consumption OR, 1.87; 95% CI, 1.08-3.26; HBV infection OR, 1.84; 95% CI, 1.10
      3.08]. No significant association was identified between p53 codon 72
      polymorphism and HCC, and it may not have an independent effect on the
      susceptibility to HCC in a Chinese population from northeast Sichuan. However,
      interaction between genetic factors and environment exposure significantly
      increased the risk of HCC.

PMID- 28357078
TI  - Efficacy of intra-articular magnesium for postoperative analgesia in total hip
      arthroplasty.
AB  - The aim of the present study was to compare the efficacy of intra-articular
      magnesium sulphate and a saline placebo for postoperative pain control following
      total hip arthroplasty (THA). Sixty patients underwent THA and were randomly
      allocated into two groups to receive intra-articular injections of either 10 ml
      magnesium sulphate (100 mg/ml; magnesium group, n=30) or 10 ml normal saline
      solution (control group, n=30). Postoperative analgesia was maintained by
      intravenous morphine injection. The outcome measurements were visual analogue
      score (VAS), morphine consumption and Harris hip score (HHS). The two groups were
      well matched. The outcome of VAS at rest was significantly lower at postoperative
      hours 6 and 12 in the magnesium group as compared with the control group,
      although the difference was insignificant preoperatively and at postoperative
      hours 2, 4, 24 and 48, and days 3, 7 and 14. This indicator during activity was
      also lower in the magnesium group at postoperative hour 24 than that of the
      control group, although the difference was insignificant preoperatively and at
      hour 48, and days 7 and 14. The consumption of morphine (the total quantity) at 0
      6, 6-12 and 0-48 h in the magnesium group was significantly lower than in the
      control group, although no significant differences were observed at 12-24 and 24
      48 h between the groups. The improvements of HHS from preoperative to
      postoperative scores were statistically significant, however, no significant
      differences were identified between groups. Thus, the findings indicate that
      intra-articular magnesium sulphate injections provided improved pain control and
      reduced the need for morphine when compared with a saline placebo following THA.

PMID- 28357079
TI  - Cyclin D1 G870A polymorphism: Association with uterine leiomyoma risk and in
      silico analysis.
AB  - Uterine leiomyoma (UL) is the most common benign tumor causing considerable
      morbidity during the reproductive years in women. Cyclin D1 (CCND1) is a cell
      cycle regulatory protein that is required for the G1 phase, and increased
      expression levels of this protein may affect tumorigenesis. The present study
      aimed to assess the possible effect of the CCND1 G870A polymorphism on UL
      susceptibility. A total of 154 women with UL and 197 healthy women who were age-,
      body mass index (BMI)- and ethnicity-matched were genotyped for the CCND1 G870A
      (rs9344) polymorphism using the polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment
      length polymorphism method. The effects of G870A transition on the structure of
      mRNA and proteins of CCND1 was evaluated using bioinformatics tools. The
      frequency of the CCND1 870AA genotype was significantly higher in women with UL
      compared with the control subjects, and the risk of UL was 1.4-fold higher in
      women with the AA genotype when compared with the GG genotype before and after
      adjusting for age, BMI, and ethnicity [odds ratio (OR), 1.4; 95% confidence
      interval (CI), 1.1-2 (P=0.02)]. The frequency of CCND1 870GA genotype was not
      significantly different between the two groups. The frequency of the CCND1 870A
      allele was significantly higher in the women with UL when compared with the
      control subjects (57 vs. 48%; P=0.02). The in silico analysis revealed that the
      G870A transition may fundamentally alter the structure of the CCND1-mRNA. Thus,
      the CCND1 870AA genotype was associated with UL susceptibility in a sample of
      women from the southeast of Iran.

PMID- 28357080
TI  - Association of renal function with clinical parameters and conditions in a
      longitudinal population-based epidemiological study.
AB  - The aim of the present study was to examine the association of renal function
      with clinical parameters and conditions in the general population. Study subjects
      comprised 6,027 community-dwelling individuals who were recruited to the Inabe
      Health and Longevity Study: A longitudinal genetic epidemiological study of
      atherosclerotic, cardiovascular and metabolic diseases. The cutoff value, which
      was used to divide the subjects into those with normal and those with low
      estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR), was 60 ml/min/1.73 m2. Bonferroni's
      correction was applied to establish the statistical significance of the
      association. Longitudinal analysis using the generalized linear mixed-effect
      model, following adjustments for age and gender, revealed that the eGFR was
      significantly associated (P<0.0017) with serum levels of triglycerides, low
      density lipoprotein cholesterol, uric acid, blood glycosylated hemoglobin
      content, fasting plasma glucose and body mass index. These parameters decreased
      curvilinearly with increases in eGFR. Furthermore, eGFR correlated positively
      with serum levels of high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol. Longitudinal
      analysis using the generalized estimating equation following adjustment for age
      and gender indicated a significant association (P<0.0024) between eGFR and
      prevalence of hypertension, type 2 diabetes mellitus, hypo-HDL cholesterolemia,
      hyperuricemia and obesity. Thus, low eGFR results in detrimental effects on
      various clinical parameters and conditions, resulting in increased risk of
      hypertension, dyslipidemia, type 2 diabetes mellitus, hyperuricemia and obesity.

PMID- 28357081
TI  - Lectin, galactoside-binding, soluble, 3 rs4652 A/C gene variation and the risk
      for rheumatoid arthritis.
AB  - Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a complex genetic disease. The lectin, galactoside
      binding, soluble, 3 (LGALS3) gene, encodes a member of the galectin family of
      carbohydrate binding proteins, and is one of the best examples of a non-human
      leukocyte antigen gene associated with a risk for RA in various populations. In
      the current study, the association between LGALS3 rs4652 gene polymorphism and RA
      was examined. This case-control study was performed on the 120 patients with RA
      and 120 healthy subjects. Genomic DNA was extracted from whole blood, and gene
      polymorphism was tested using a tetra-primer amplification refractory mutation
      system-polymerase chain reaction. The results demonstrated that LGALS3 rs4652 AC
      genotype increased the risk of RA (OR=11.622, 95% CI=4.473-28.656; P=0.001) when
      compared with the AA genotype. However, the CC genotype and the C allele were not
      associated with RA. These findings indicated an association between LGALS3 rs4652
      variation and the risk of RA in a sample of Iranian individuals. Further studies
      with larger sample sizes and populations of different ethnicities are required to
      validate our findings.

PMID- 28357083
TI  - Primary laryngeal localization of multiple myeloma: A case report.
AB  - Multiple myeloma is a lymphoproliferative disease that may involve the bone
      marrow as well as extramedullary soft tissues. However, laryngeal localization of
      multiple myeloma is extremely rare. We herein present the case of a 68-year-old
      male patient with a history of dyspnea, dysphonia and dysphagia. Laryngoscopic
      examination revealed a lesion involving the right glottis and right vestibular
      (false) vocal fold, with absence of ipsilateral laryngeal motility and
      constriction of the airway. Computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging
      revealed a gross swelling infiltrating the right glottis and right false vocal
      fold, sized 33*19*33 mm, with sub-centimeter laterocervical lymph nodes
      bilaterally. Careful integration of the clinical manifestations with the
      radiological and pathological data led to the diagnosis of multiple myeloma.
      Given the rarity of this localization, the purpose of this study was to increase
      knowledge of this disease among ear, nose and throat specialists, in order to
      enable a more timely diagnosis.

PMID- 28357084
TI  - Sclerosing adenosis: Ultrasonographic and mammographic findings and correlation
      with histopathology.
AB  - The present study was conducted to evaluate the radiological findings,
      particularly the ultrasonographic (US) characteristics of sclerosing adenosis
      (SA), and their correlation with histopathological results. A retrospective
      review identified 191 patients with a total of 200 lesions histopathologically
      confirmed as SA following breast surgery between July 2009 and December 2012. Of
      the 191 patients, 145 (151 lesions) with SA as the major component were included
      for US and mammographic (MG) analysis. All 145 patients analyzed were female,
      with a mean age +/- standard deviation of 46.8+/-7.8 years (range, 25-71 years).
      All 145 patients underwent US examination and the imaging findings included
      heterogeneously echogenic areas in 9.3% (14/151), masses in 51.7% (78/151),
      masses with calcifications in 13.9% (21/151), focal acoustic shadowing in 4.0%
      (6/151) and were negative in 21.2% (32/151) patients. Among the 119 lesions with
      visible abnormalities, 87.4% (104/119) were hypoechoic, 58.0% (69/119) were
      irregular in shape, 52.1% (62/119) had an ill-defined margin, calcifications were
      found in 17.6% (21/119) and 7.6% (9/119) were hypervascular, while none of the
      characteristics mentioned above were significantly correlated with
      histopathology. A total of 136 patients underwent MG at the Fudan University
      Shanghai Cancer Center, and the imaging findings included microcalcifications in
      31.6% (43/136), masses in 23.5% (32/136), asymmetric focal density in 14.7%
      (20/136), focal architectural distortion in 22.8% (31/136), and were negative in
      7.4% (10/136). The mass lesions were fewer on MG compared with US (23.5 vs.
      65.6%, respectively). The area under the curve of US distinguishing between
      benign and malignant lesions was significantly larger compared with that of MG
      (0.547 vs. 0.497, respectively; P=0.036). In the 60 lesions that were
      overestimated by Breast Imaging Reporting and Data System US category, one or
      more characteristics of malignancy were found on US imaging. The most common
      finding of SA was masses with or without calcifications on US and
      microcalcifications on MG. The accuracy of US was limited, but higher compared
      with that of MG; however, SA mimicking the characteristics of malignancy may
      contribute to misdiagnosis with US.

PMID- 28357085
TI  - Long-term survival and prognosis associated with conversion surgery in patients
      with metastatic gastric cancer.
AB  - In gastric cancer, primary systemic chemotherapy is the standard approach for the
      management of patients with initially unresectable metastasis, and it
      occasionally leads to a reduction in the size of the lesion, which facilitates
      surgical resection. The aim of this study was to examine the prognosis of
      patients who were able to undergo complete resection following chemotherapy. A
      total of 10 patients who underwent radical surgery for stage IV primary gastric
      cancer after chemotherapy between 2009 and 2015 at the Department of Surgery of
      Hokkaido Social Work Association Obihiro Hospital (Obihiro, Japan) were
      retrospectively investigated. Three regimens were used (S-1, n=1; S-1 +
      cisplatin, n=8; and S-1 + docetaxel, n=1). The mean time from chemotherapy to
      surgery was 210 days. One total gastrectomy + splenectomy + colectomy, one total
      gastrectomy + splenectomy, four total gastrectomies and three distal
      gastrectomies were performed. There were two cases of pancreatic fistula
      formation postoperatively. All the patients survived for >1 year. Of the 10
      patients, 5 survived without recurrence. The median survival time was 871.1 days
      after diagnosis. Therefore, curative resection after chemotherapy is associated
      with a better prognosis in stage IV gastric cancer patients.

PMID- 28357082
TI  - The role of peroxiredoxins in cancer.
AB  - Peroxiredoxins (PRDXs) are a ubiquitously expressed family of small (22-27 kDa)
      non-seleno peroxidases that catalyze the peroxide reduction of H2O2, organic
      hydroperoxides and peroxynitrite. They are highly involved in the control of
      various physiological functions, including cell growth, differentiation,
      apoptosis, embryonic development, lipid metabolism, the immune response, as well
      as cellular homeostasis. Although the protective role of PRDXs in cardiovascular
      and neurological diseases is well established, their role in cancer remains
      controversial. Increasing evidence suggests the involvement of PRDXs in
      carcinogenesis and in the development of drug resistance. Numerous types of
      cancer cells, in fact, are characterized by an increase in reactive oxygen
      species (ROS) production, and often exhibit an altered redox environment compared
      with normal cells. The present review focuses on the complex association between
      oxidant balance and cancer, and it provides a brief account of the involvement of
      PRDXs in tumorigenesis and in the development of chemoresistance.

PMID- 28357086
TI  - A large psammomatoid ossifying fibroma with proptosis: A case report.
AB  - The psammomatoid ossifying fibroma (POF) is a rare and benign fibro-osseous
      lesion predominantly affecting the paranasal sinuses and orbits of children and
      young adults. The diagnosis and management of the lesion remains challenging. The
      present study reported a rare case of a large POF in a 39-year-old male patient.
      The patient had a 30 year history of a slowly growing tumor and this had resulted
      in right craniofacial deformity, as well as right lateral displacement of the eye
      ball. Due to the large tumor size, surgical removal of the lesion was the
      predominant treatment. At 5 months after complete surgical resection, the patient
      was free from any symptoms. The radiological and histological findings, as well
      as the surgical management, were presented and the relevant literature was
      reviewed.

PMID- 28357087
TI  - Comparison of laparoscopic vs. open surgery for rectal cancer.
AB  - This study was conducted to evaluate the safety of laparoscopic radical resection
      for rectal cancer. A total of 64 cases of rectal cancer patients undergoing
      radical surgery between January, 1998 and March, 2010 were collected. The
      patients were divided into the laparoscopic rectal surgery group (LS group, n=31)
      and the open surgery group (OS group, n=33). Operation time, postoperative
      recovery, complications and tumor-free survival rate were compared between the
      two groups. The inclusion criteria were as follows: Standard Karnofsky score >70
      prior to surgery, definitive pathological diagnosis and complete clinical data.
      The exclusion criteria were concomitant tumors affecting survival. With the Dixon
      operation, the LS group had a longer operation time compared with the OS group
      (271.2+/-56.2 vs. 216.0+/-62.7 min, respectively; P=0.036), and an earlier time
      of oral intake (3.0+/-0.9 vs. 4.7+/-1.0 days, respectively; P=0.000). There were
      no significant differences between the LS and OS groups in terms of
      intraoperative blood loss, number of lymph nodes retrieved, duration of
      postoperative hyperthermia and hospitalization time (P>0.05). With the Miles
      operation, there were no obvious differences between the LS and OS groups
      regarding operation time, intraoperative blood loss, number of lymph nodes
      retrieved, time of oral intake, duration of postoperative hyperthermia and
      hospitalization time (P>0.05). Furthermore, there were no significant differences
      between the LS and OS groups with the Dixon or Miles operation in terms of 3-year
      tumor-free survival rate (P>0.05). Thus, laparoscopic surgery appears to be a
      safe and feasible option for the treatment of rectal cancer.

PMID- 28357089
TI  - Chromothripsis and progression-free survival in metastatic colorectal cancer.
AB  - Metastatic dissemination of the primary tumor is the major cause of death in
      colorectal cancer (CRC) patients. Multiple chromosomal breaks and chromothripsis,
      a phenomenon involving multiple chromosomal fragmentations occurring in a single
      catastrophic event, are associated with cancer genesis, progression and
      developing of metastases. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of
      chromothripsis and total breakpoint count (breakpoint instability index) on
      progression-free survival (PFS). A total of 19 patients with metastatic CRC
      (mCRC) receiving FOLFOX first-line palliative chemotherapy between August, 2011
      and October, 2012 were selected for this study. The results indicated that the
      highest breakpoint count was observed in chromosomes 1, 2 and 6. Chromothripsis
      was detected in 52.6% of the study patients. Furthermore, chromothripsis was
      associated with an increased median PFS (mPFS; 14 vs. 8 months, respectively;
      P=0.03), but an association with overall survival was not identified. The present
      study demonstrated that chromothripsis affected CRC patient survival, suggesting
      a role for this event as a prognostic and predictive marker in mCRC treatment.

PMID- 28357090
TI  - Raynaud's of the tongue following chemoradiation for squamous cell carcinoma of
      the oropharynx.
AB  - Raynaud's of the tongue following radiation alone or chemoradiotherapy (CRT) is a
      rare occurrence. The present study reports a case where typical symptoms and
      signs of Raynaud's phenomenon involving the tongue occurred ~18 months following
      CRT treatment in a 53-year-old female, who was a smoker prior to CRT with stage
      T2N2cM0 local-regional advanced stage IV oropharyngeal cancer. The patient was
      treated using cisplatin chemotherapy and intensity-modulated radiation with a
      dose of 70 Gray (Gy). The intermittent episodes of painful discoloration of the
      tongue were exacerbated due to the cold and emotional stress. No definite
      clinical or laboratory evidence of connective tissue disorder was identified. To
      the best of our knowledge, this is the first reported case of Raynaud's of the
      tongue following CRT without primary Raynaud's of the digits. The possible
      pathogenesis involving vascular and neural mechanism is discussed in the case
      report.

PMID- 28357088
TI  - Fever of unknown origin revealed to be primary splenic lymphoma: A rare case
      report with review of the literature.
AB  - Fever is a common clinical presentation of a number of diseases. A sustained
      unexplained fever >38.3 degrees C lasting for >3 weeks without an established
      diagnosis despite intensive diagnostic evaluation is referred to as fever of
      unknown origin (FUO). FUO remains a clinical challenge for physicians, as it may
      be attributed to a wide range of disorders, mainly infections, malignancies, non
      infectious inflammatory diseases and miscellaneous diseases. We herein report the
      case of a 59-year-old male patient who presented with prolonged unexplained fever
      and was found to have a diffusely enlarged hypermetabolic spleen, as shown on 18F
      fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography/computed tomography examination.
      Following splenectomy, histopathological examination revealed primary splenic
      lymphoma (PSL) of B-cell origin. The patient received 6 courses of systemic
      chemotherapy with rituximab, etoposide, cyclophosphamide, doxorubicin,
      vincristine and prednisone (R-ECHOP regimen) and responded well to treatment.
      Thus, in patients with FUO and splenomegaly, the possibility of PSL should be
      taken into consideration.

PMID- 28357091
TI  - Colon cancer metastasis to the mandibular gingiva with partial occult squamous
      differentiation: A case report and literature review.
AB  - Metastasis is the primary cause of death among patients with colon cancer.
      However, the number of available studies regarding oral cavity metastases from
      colon cancer is currently limited. We herein report an unusual case of a 60-year
      old male patient who developed an oral cavity metastasis from colon cancer. A
      total of 12 clinical case studies reporting colon cancer metastases to the
      mandibular gingival region were also reviewed, with the aim to elucidate the
      clinical and pathological characteristics of this disease entity in order to
      improve clinical diagnosis and treatment. It was demonstrated that patients with
      oral cavity metastases from colon cancer were predominantly in the sixth or
      seventh decades of life. The mandible was the main site of metastatic tumors to
      the oral cavity, while the occurrence of gingival metastases was comparatively
      rare. Moreover, the diagnoses of an oral metastatic tumor and primary colon
      cancer were often synchronous and were frequently accompanied with metastases to
      other organs. Several key aspects were suggested that should be accounted for
      when diagnosing colon cancer patients, including focusing attention to oral
      symptoms when examining cancer patients, utilizing a multidisciplinary approach
      for differential diagnosis and utilizing postoperative pathological examination
      to accurately diagnose the type of tumor and optimize the efficacy of treatment.

PMID- 28357092
TI  - Extravascular type of intravascular papillary endothelial hyperplasia mimicking
      parotid gland neoplasia and the possible role of ferritin in the pathogenesis: A
      case report.
AB  - Intravascular papillary endothelial hyperplasia (IPEH) is defined as a vascular
      lesion characterized by extensive proliferation of vascular endothelial cells.
      This lesion was first described by Pierre Masson in 1923 as intravascular
      hemangioendothelioma. The most frequent sites of involvement are the skin and
      subcutis. IPEH comprises ~2% of the vascular tumors of the skin and subcutaneous
      tissue and it has a predilection for the head, neck, trunk and the extremities.
      The diagnosis is based on histopathology. We herein present the second case of
      Masson's tumor of the parotid gland described in literature. The patient was a 70
      year-old female. Magnetic resonance imaging revealed an irregular lesion with
      smooth margins, initially considered to be compatible with pleomorphic adenoma.
      Immunohistochemical analysis revealed positivity of the tumor cells for ferritin
      heavy and light chains, vimentin and CD31. The aim of the present study was to
      emphasize the immunohistochemical characteristics and briefly discuss the
      potential role of ferritin in the pathogenesis of IPEH.

PMID- 28357094
TI  - High-grade serous ovarian cancer 3 years after bilateral salpingectomy: A case
      report.
AB  - Although epithelial ovarian cancer commonly originates from the ovarian surface
      epithelium and/or ovarian inclusion cysts, it was recently proposed that high
      grade serous ovarian cancer (HGSC) develops from the Fallopian tubes. In our
      department, we encountered a case of HGSC that contradicts the hypothesis of a
      tubal origin for HGSC. A 51-year-old postmenopausal woman had undergone
      hysterectomy, left oophorectomy and bilateral salpingectomy for uterine myoma.
      Three years later, the patient was diagnosed with stage IV ovarian cancer and
      underwent primary debulking surgery. The pathological examination revealed HGSC,
      although there was no evidence of serous tubal intraepithelial carcinoma or any
      other type of cancer in the previously resected left ovary and bilateral
      Fallopian tubes. Moreover, p53 overexpression was not detected in the right
      ovarian cancer specimen, while paired box gene 8, a marker of Fallopian tube
      epithelium, was highly expressed. Therefore, HGSC may develop from an inclusion
      cyst with metaplasia of from the ovarian surface epithelium.

PMID- 28357093
TI  - Triple-phase 99mTc-3P-RGD2 imaging of peripheral primitive neuroectodermal tumor
      in the hip muscle group with bone metastasis.
AB  - Peripheral primitive neuroectodermal tumors (pPNETs) are a group of aggressive
      neoplasms that are most commonly encountered in pediatric patients and may be
      located in the abdomen, pelvis, thoracopulmonary region and, rarely, in the head
      and neck region. pPNETs in adults are extremely rare. The present study reports a
      case of pPNET located in the hip muscles with bone metastasis. The patient was a
      44-year-old woman who complained of progressive pain and swelling with a mass
      near the left hip. Computed tomography (CT) and enhanced CT revealed a soft
      tissue mass lesion in the hip muscle group measuring 4.3*4.3*4.4 cm. The lesion
      was ill-defined, heterogeneous, exhibiting mild post-contrast enhancement. There
      was a large number of bent neovessels and several branches from the left internal
      iliac artery and deep femoral artery on enhanced CT scan. Triple-phase dynamic
      imaging with integrin alphavbeta3-targeted 99mTc-3P-RGD2 as the radiotracer
      revealed increased blood perfusion and radiotracer aggregation in the large, ill
      defined, heterogeneous, hypodense mass and adjacent bone. The patient was
      suspected of having pPNET with bone metastasis, which was confirmed by
      histological examination of a sample obtained by needle aspiration. Due to the
      high blood perfusion of primary pPNETs and high RGD uptake by the primary and
      metastatic lesions, chemoembolization and anti-angiogenic therapy were considered
      to be the optimal therapeutic choice. This also suggested that 177Lu-labeled RGD
      has great potential for the targeted treatment of pPNETs with multiple
      metastases.

PMID- 28357096
TI  - Spontaneous splenic rupture in an acute leukemia patient with splenic
      tuberculosis: A case report.
AB  - Spontaneous splenic rupture, also referred to as atraumatic splenic rupture, is a
      rare but life-threatening emergency condition. Without timely diagnosis and
      treatment, the mortality rate of splenic rupture approaches 100%. The etiology of
      atraumatic splenic rupture varies; it is reportedly associated with neoplasms or
      splenic infection, but is rarely encountered in patients with both conditions. We
      herein report the case of a 58-year-old male patient with acute myeloid leukemia
      (AML) complicated by splenic tuberculosis (TB), who presented with spontaneous
      rupture of the spleen. Pathological examination of the resected spleen revealed
      multifocal granulomatosis with caseous necrosis. However, with timely diagnosis
      and surgical intervention, the patient recovered successfully and is currently on
      consolidation therapy. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first case of
      spontaneous splenic rupture in AML with splenic TB. The relevant literature on
      spontaneous splenic rupture was also reviewed and the potential etiology and
      treatment were discussed.

PMID- 28357095
TI  - Hepatectomy combined with microwave ablation of the spleen for treatment of
      hepatocellular carcinoma complicated with splenomegaly: A retrospective study.
AB  - The present retrospective study aimed to investigate the mid-term safety and
      efficacy of hepatectomy combined with microwave ablation of the partial spleen
      for treatment of liver cancer complicated with hypersplenism. A retrospective
      analysis was performed on 23 patients who underwent hepatectomy combined with
      microwave ablation of the partial spleen for liver cancer, complicated with
      hypersplenism that was secondary to cirrhosis. The splenic and ablated volumes
      were calculated according to a contrast-enhanced computed tomography scan prior
      to and 2 weeks after the operation. Complete blood count and liver function tests
      were examined prior to and following the surgery, and complications and changes
      in the blood tests were monitored for 6 months. Over this period of
      investigation, the splenic volume was reduced by a mean value of 34.0%. The
      levels of serum alanine aminotransferase and aspartate aminotransferase were
      increased on the first day after the operation (P<0.05), although they recovered
      to the normal level within 1 week (P<0.05). The total level of bilirubin
      increased slightly, along with moderately decreased levels of albumin and
      cholinesterase on the first day, although these changes were not significant
      compared with the baseline (P>0.05). The white blood cell count was persistently
      significantly higher compared with the baseline over the course of the 6 months
      (P>0.05). The platelet count did not increase significantly for the first week
      after the operation (P>0.05); however, it was revealed to be significantly
      increased 1 month after the surgery (P<0.05). No significant complications were
      occurred during the follow-up period. In conclusion, hepatectomy combined with
      microwave ablation of the spleen was demonstrated to be a safe and effective
      procedure for patients with liver cancer and hypersplenism in the mid-term.

PMID- 28357097
TI  - Surgical management and follow-up of lateral skull base tumors: An 8-year review.
AB  - The purpose of the present article was to describe the diagnostic evaluation of,
      and surgical approaches to, lateral skull base tumors (LSBTs). The study is a
      retrospective review of 21 patients diagnosed with tumors that involve lateral
      skull base (8 with malignant diseases and 13 with benign lesions) who were
      surgically treated during a 8-year period. The transparotid-transmandibular (38%)
      was the most commonly performed surgical procedure, followed by the
      transmandibular (24%), the transmaxillary (24%), the transcervical approach (10%)
      and the combined approach (4%). The surgical procedures were uneventful and there
      were no postoperative mortalities. Complications were encountered in 12 cases,
      and morbidity was not remarkable during the perioperative stages. After an
      average follow-up of 46 months, only 1 of 14 patients with benign diseases had a
      recurrence following the resection of a pleomorphic adenoma. Of 7 patients with
      malignant tumors, 5 are alive with no evidence of disease. The majority of the
      benign lateral skull base tumors can be removed surgically with a low rate of
      complications and recurrence. However, malignant neoplasms carry a poor prognosis
      and a low rate of disease-free survival.

PMID- 28357098
TI  - Pulmonary sclerosing hemangioma with a rare symptom: A case report and review of
      the literature.
AB  - Pulmonary sclerosing hemangioma (PSH) is a relatively rare benign tumor. However,
      as it occurs only rarely, the natural course of the tumor is not well understood.
      In the present study, a case is presented of a 35-year-old woman who underwent
      intermittent fevers for more than one year. This case highlighted fever as a rare
      symptom of PSH. Fever is possibly one of the symptoms of PSH, although it is less
      likely to occur. Another symptom of the patient was that the tumor grew quickly
      in two months. The lesion was diagnosed as multiple sclerosing hemangioma of the
      lung (i.e., PSH), in which papillary, solid and sclerotic patterns appeared.
      Immunohistochemical evaluation of the lesion revealed positive staining for
      thyroid transcription factor 1 (TTF1), epithelial membrane antigen (EMA),
      pancytokeratin (PCK) and cytoskeleton 7 (CK7). In the present case study, the
      biological activity of PSH was identified to be aggressive. A review of the
      literature was performed in order to comment further on the clinical and
      pathological features of this rare disease.

PMID- 28357099
TI  - Spontaneous regression of hepatocellular carcinoma in a Caucasian male patient: A
      case report and review of the literature.
AB  - Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the most common primary hepatic cancer. As it
      often presents at an advanced stage, it generally has a poor prognosis.
      Spontaneous regression is a rare finding in HCC, and is often associated with
      tumour ischemia or a systemic inflammatory response. We herein present the case
      of a Caucasian patient with spontaneous regression of advanced HCC, not
      associated with either mechanism. Our patient was a 74-year old Caucasian male
      who presented with advanced biopsy-proven HCC, with alpha-fetoprotein levels of
      >16,600 kU/l. On computed tomography examination, multiple metastases were
      identified. Due to the poor performance status and as the patient declined
      treatment, he was referred to a general practitioner for supportive palliative
      care. Six months later, the patient was alive and feeling well. He had suffered a
      cerebrovascular accident with ensuing partial hemiparesis, and had been initiated
      on enalapril, furosemide and curcumin. On re-evaluation, the lung lesions had
      disappeared, whereas both the liver and peritoneal lesions had decreased in size.
      Following a review of the literature, the conclusion was that this case of
      spontaneous regression of advanced HCC was not caused by ischemia, inflammation,
      or any other previously reported mechanism. Further research is required to
      elucidate the mechanisms underlying spontaneous regression of HCC.

PMID- 28357100
TI  - Interstitial lung disease associated with trastuzumab monotherapy: A report of 3
      cases.
AB  - We herein report 3 cases of female patients with breast cancer who developed
      interstitial lung disease (ILD) during trastuzumab monotherapy in an adjuvant
      setting. Prior chemotherapy included 4 cycles of epirubicin and cyclophosphamide
      in patients 1 and 2, and 4 cycles of docetaxel, cyclophosphamide and trastuzumab
      in patient 3. Patient 1 presented with a cough and fever after the fourth cycle
      of trastuzumab. Patient 2 experienced rapid deterioration of oxygen saturation
      without subjective symptoms within 3 h of the first administration of
      trastuzumab. Patient 3 was unexpectedly diagnosed with organizing pneumonia in a
      scheduled computed tomography (CT) scan after the first course of trastuzumab.
      Based on clinical data, such as decreased PaO2 level, increased serum levels of
      KL-6 and/or lactate dehydrogenase, and findings on chest CT, these patients were
      diagnosed with drug-induced ILD. Considering the clinical course, trastuzumab was
      incriminated as the cause of ILD, particularly in patients 1 and 2. All 3
      patients improved due to the timely diagnosis, discontinuation of trastuzumab and
      immediate administration of corticosteroid therapy. Although ILD is a rare
      adverse event associated with trastuzumab, it may cause rapid deterioration
      without preceding symptoms. Close observation and early diagnosis are required to
      avoid an unfavorable outcome.

PMID- 28357101
TI  - Laparoscopic hepatectomy in a morbidly obese patient with liver cirrhosis: A case
      report.
AB  - Cirrhotic patients constitute a high-risk population, and present a major
      challenge for the performance of minimally invasive laparoscopic resections due
      to difficulties in parenchymal transection. The present study describes the case
      of a 71-year-old morbidly obese male patient who was referred to our department
      with a hepatic mass identified on routine abdominal ultrasound. Abdominal
      computer tomography and magnetic resonance imaging confirmed a mass in segments V
      VI of the liver, highly suspicious for HCC. The patient's past medical history
      additionally included non-alcoholic steatohepatitis, diabetes mellitus and
      arterial hypertension and myocardial infarction. The patient's body mass index
      was 45 kg/m2, and the American Society of Anesthesiologists' classification of
      preoperative risk was 3. The patient underwent laparoscopic resection of segments
      V-VI and cholecystectomy. Two years postoperatively, the patient remains disease
      free and in excellent condition. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first
      report on laparoscopic liver resection for such a morbidly obese patient in the
      context of advanced liver cirrhosis.

PMID- 28357102
TI  - Prognostic value of circulating tumor cells in advanced gastric cancer patients
      receiving chemotherapy.
AB  - The identification of circulating tumor cells (CTCs) may provide important
      prognostic information in several types of solid tumors, including gastric
      cancer. The aim of this study was to investigate whether CTC count may be used to
      predict survival in patients with advanced gastric cancer treated with
      chemotherapy. The CELLectionTM Epithelial Enrich kit was used to isolate and
      purify CTCs from samples of peripheral blood. Immunofluorescent staining was used
      for CTC counting. High CTC counts were associated with poor tumor differentiation
      and high serum CEA levels (P=0.021 and 0.005, respectively). After 3 months, 16
      patients with decreasing CTC counts after the first cycle of chemotherapy
      obtained complete response, partial response or stable disease, while 13 patients
      with increasing CTC counts developed progressive disease. The patients with
      decreasing CTC counts also exhibited longer progression-free survival (PFS)
      (P<=0.001) and overall survival (OS) (P=0.002) compared with those with
      increasing CTC counts. Among all 59 patients, those with a CTC count of <=2
      cells/5 ml blood exhibited longer PFS (P<=0.001) and OS (P<=0.001) compared with
      those with a CTC count of >2 cells/5 ml blood. The multivariate analysis
      suggested that an increase of the CTC count after the first cycle of chemotherapy
      was only an independent prognostic marker of poor PFS (P=0.019). However, a
      baseline CTC count of >2 cells/5 ml blood was an independent poor prognostic
      marker for PFS (P=0.008) and OS (P=0.001) in all 59 patients. Our study suggested
      that patients with a low baseline CTC count or decrease of the CTC count after
      the first cycle of chemotherapy may benefit significantly from palliative
      chemotherapy. In conclusion, CTC count may be a good chemotherapy monitoring
      marker and an ideal prognostic marker for patients receiving palliative
      chemotherapy.

PMID- 28357103
TI  - VEGF, Flt-1, and microvessel density in primary tumors as predictive factors of
      colorectal cancer prognosis.
AB  - Angiogenesis in the primary tumor is known to be necessary for tumor progression
      in adenocarcinomas of the colon. However, whether angiogenesis in the primary
      tumors of patients with colorectal cancer affects their prognosis has yet to be
      fully elucidated. The aim of the present study was to assess the association
      between selected pathoclinical parameters and overall survival of resectable
      colorectal cancer patients with the expression of angiogenesis-promoting factors,
      including vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and Fms-like tyrosine kinase
      receptor (Flt-1), and microvessel density (MVD) in the primary tumor. VEGF and
      Flt-1 expression were assessed, as well as MVD (with anti-CD34) by
      immunohistochemistry in 139 archived primary colorectal cancer tissue samples.
      These results were compared with the overall survival of the patients and
      potential prognostic pathoclinical parameters. A higher MVD in the tumors
      expressing Flt-1 (P=0.04) was identified. However, there was no correlation
      between the pathoclinical parameters of colon cancer and Flt-1 expression, VEGF
      expression, or MVD in the tumor. Furthermore, the intensity of VEGF expression,
      Flt-1 expression and tumor MVD did not correlate with the overall survival of the
      patients. Therefore, although increased expression of VEGF and Flt-1 was
      correlated with an increased expression of MVD in the primary tumors of
      resectable colorectal cancer patients, these factors were not correlated with
      prognostic pathoclinical factors and overall survival.

PMID- 28357104
TI  - Clinical significance of the prostate-specific antigen doubling time prior to and
      following radical prostatectomy to predict the outcome of prostate cancer.
AB  - With the advent of serum prostate-specific antigen (PSA), a larger number of
      prostate cancers in the early phase have been successfully detected. Although
      decisions to perform prostate biopsies are routinely based on PSA levels, the PSA
      level is easily influenced by benign prostatic hyperplasia, with poor
      specificity. Therefore, the aim of the present study was to assess the clinical
      significance of prostate-specific antigen doubling time (PSADT) prior to and
      following radical prostatectomy. In total, 488 patients with T1c-3N0M0 prostate
      cancer who underwent radical prostatectomy were included. Preoperative and
      postoperative PSADT were retrospectively correlated with pathological and
      clinical outcomes. Preoperative PSADT was measured in 204 of the 488 patients. In
      total, 16 out of 20 patients with a preoperative PSADT of >24 months had a cancer
      confined to the prostate compared with 105 of 184 patients with a PSADT of <24
      months. The PSA non-recurrence rate at 5 years for patients with a preoperative
      PSADT of >24 months was significantly better compared with those with a
      preoperative PSADT of <24 months (P=0.011). Patients with a PSADT of >24 months
      and stable PSADT were associated with PSA recurrence following surgery, based on
      multivariate analysis. Postoperative PSADT was measured in 51 of 111 patients
      with PSA failure following surgery. Pathologically, 7 of 8 patients with a post
      PSADT of >24 months had a cancer confined to the prostate compared with 14 of 43
      patients with a post-PSADT of <24 months. These results suggest that patients
      with longer preoperative PSADTs appeared to have a favorable pathological result
      and a higher PSA non-recurrence rate compared with those with shorter
      preoperative PSADTs. A longer postoperative PSADT may facilitate the observation
      of patients with PSA recurrence without immediate secondary treatments.

PMID- 28357106
TI  - Persistent arthralgia, vomiting and hypercalcemia as the initial manifestations
      of hyperthyroidism: A case report.
AB  - A 53-year-old woman presented with persistent edema and pain of the
      metacarpophalangeal and proximal interphalangeal joints and the wrist, knee and
      ankle joints, with more recent intermittent nausea and vomiting. Treatment for
      rheumatoid arthritis and osteoarthritis was ineffective. No clinical
      manifestations typical of hyperthyroidism were observed. The results of the
      thyroid function tests were as follows: Thyroid-stimulating hormone, 0.003
      uIU/ml; triiodothyronine (T3), 4.44 ng/ml;, thyroxine (T4) >30 ug/dl; free T3,
      14.03 pg/ml; and free T4, 8.84 ng/dl. The laboratory tests revealed an elevated
      serum calcium level (2.96 mmol/l); moderate hypophosphatemia (0.84 mmol/l);
      significantly reduced serum intact parathyroid hormone (4.8 pg/ml); normal 25
      hydroxy vitamin D (52.13 nmol/l) and bone-specific alkaline phosphatase (22.1
      ng/ml); and elevated osteocalcin (128.8 ng/ml). X-ray and quantitative ultrasound
      examinations revealed extensive osteoporosis of the hands, skull, knees and
      pelvis, with a bone mineral density of 0.254 g/cm2 (T-score, -3.2). Anti-thyroid
      therapy (methimazole, 30 mg/day; salmon calcitonin, 50 IU/day; and alendronate,
      70 mg/week) was initiated. After 2 weeks, the serum calcium and phosphate levels
      were normalized (2.44 and 1.19 mmol/l, respectively) and calcitonin was
      discontinued. After 3 months, the patient had no nausea, vomiting or joint pain,
      and her appetite was normal, with a weight gain of ~10 kg. Euthyroidism was
      achieved and the serum calcium and phosphate levels were normalized (2.31 and
      1.12 mmol/l, respectively) and maintained for 6 months, by which time the
      osteocalcin level had diminished (80.40 ng/ml). This rare case of arthralgia,
      hypercalcemia and extensive osteoporosis as the first manifestations of
      hyperthyroidism suggests that, even without typical symptoms, hyperthyroidism
      should be considered in the differential diagnosis of patients with persistent
      arthralgia.

PMID- 28357105
TI  - Osteonecrosis of the jaw associated with everolimus: A case report.
AB  - Everolimus, a mammalian target of rapamycin inhibitor, has recently been approved
      for the treatment of metastatic estrogen receptor-positive breast cancer, at a
      daily dose of 10 mg in combination with exemestane. Osteonecrosis of the jaw
      (ONJ) is a rare but severe condition, characterized by exposed necrotic bone, and
      is associated with various drugs that are often used to treat advanced
      malignancies. We herein report the case of a patient with breast cancer who
      developed ONJ during treatment with everolimus, which improved after
      discontinuation of the drug. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first
      reported case of everolimus-associated ONJ in a patient receiving everolimus for
      metastatic breast cancer. In 2014, an 80-year-old woman was started on treatment
      with everolimus and exemestane for stage IIB estrogen receptor-positive breast
      cancer. Within 2 months, the left side of her face became edematous, with
      localized heat and tenderness of the left mandibular region and a 3-mm round area
      of exposed bone. There was purulent discharge and the surrounding gingiva was
      edematous and erythematous. The left mandible exhibited a low signal intensity
      area on T1-weighted magnetic resonance imaging. Treatment was discontinued and
      ONJ showed improvement after 2 months. Therefore, when prescribing everolimus for
      metastatic breast cancer, oncologists should be aware of the possibility of ONJ
      as a complication.

PMID- 28357107
TI  - Paclitaxel and platinum-based chemotherapy results in transient dyslipidemia in
      cancer patients.
AB  - Paclitaxel and cisplatin (TP) are common chemotherapeutic agents extensively used
      for treating lung and esophageal cancers. The present study reported three
      patients with transient hypertriglyceridemia (HTG) following TP chemotherapy.
      Serum triglyceride (TG) levels returned to baseline at chemotherapy intermission.
      No patient had any history of HTG or any evidence of pancreatitis or other
      complications of HTG. No regular elevation of any other serum lipids, including
      cholesterol, high-density lipoprotein and low-density lipoprotein, was observed.
      However, treatment of mice with TP decreased TG and slightly increased
      cholesterol. The findings of the present study suggested that TP chemotherapy
      results in transient dyslipidemia, and physicians must monitor TG levels during
      chemotherapy to avoid TG-associated complications.

PMID- 28357108
TI  - An increased neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio predicts poorer survival following
      recurrence for patients with breast cancer.
AB  - The aim of the present study was to evaluate the association between changes in
      the neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio and the survival rate, as well as tumor
      subtype, in recurrent breast cancer. Patients with recurrent breast cancer
      following surgery were included in this study. NLR was calculated and compared
      between two time points: Pre-treatment and recurrence. The associations between
      the longitudinal NLR change, the NLR at the time of recurrence and overall
      survival following recurrence (OSrec) were evaluated. A total of 89 patients were
      evaluated. NLR increased by 0.59 at recurrence, as compared with the initial
      treatment (P<0.05). The triple negative (TN) type demonstrated 4.59 in NLR, which
      was the highest among the four subtypes at the time of recurrence (P<0.05). The
      highest change (an increase of 2.0) was observed in TN type cancer (P<0.05).
      Patients with high NLR upon recurrence demonstrated significantly shorter OSrec
      rates (P<0.05). On the other hand, patients with an NLR increased by more than a
      third quartile demonstrated a shorter OSrec rate (P=0.06). When adjusted by
      covariates, the NLR and tumor subtype were determined to be associated with OSrec
      (P<0.05). Therefore, an increased NLR predicts survival, even in patients with
      recurrent breast cancer, and the NLR is potentially useful as an inflammation
      marker for TN breast cancer.

PMID- 28357109
TI  - Atypical breast adenosquamous carcinoma following acute myeloid leukemia in a
      middle-aged woman: A case report.
AB  - Adenosquamous carcinoma of the breast is a rare cancer that develops as glands
      and tubules admixed with solid nests of squamous cells in a spindle cell
      background. Furthermore, its occurrence following AML is also rare. To the best
      of our knowledge, based on a review of the relevant literature, thus far there
      have not been any welldocumented cases. In the present case report, we report on
      a middle-aged woman with a 2year history of acute myeloid leukemia (AML) who was
      admitted to hospital due to a mass in the right breast, with concurrent cutaneous
      lesions on the breast. The clinical and pathological investigations resulted in
      the diagnosis of adenosquamous carcinoma of the breast. The patient underwent a
      modified radical mastectomy (MRM). Subsequently, the patient received
      chemotherapy, involved-field radiation therapy and target therapy. At 9 months
      after the final cycle of chemotherapy, and while she was on targeted therapy with
      trastuzumab (6 mg administered every 3 weeks), the patient presented with
      extensive dermatomal skin lesions. A biopsy report revealed metastatic lesions of
      invasive ductal carcinoma in the abdomen, so chemotherapy resumed with a course
      lasting for 6 cycles, with the identical treatments, but lacking trastuzumab.

PMID- 28357110
TI  - Identical twins with mature cystic teratomas treated with laparoscopic surgery:
      Two case reports.
AB  - Mature cystic teratomas are the most common among all ovarian neoplasms,
      representing 30-40% of the cases. However, to the best of our knowledge, there
      have been only two reports of mature cystic teratomas occurring in identical
      twins to date. We herein report a case of identical twins with mature cystic
      teratomas who were treated with laparoscopic surgery. A 32-year-old woman was
      referred to our hospital due to a tumor in the right ovary. The patient underwent
      laparoscopic resection of the ovarian tumor and the pathological diagnosis was
      benign mature cystic teratoma. Two years later, the identical twin of the
      abovementioned patient was referred to our hospital also due to a right ovarian
      tumor. The patient underwent laparoscopic resection of the ovarian tumor and the
      pathological diagnosis was benign mature cystic teratoma. Therefore, for early
      diagnosis, it may be important to consider the possibility of mature cystic
      teratoma in the identical twin of a patient, even in the absence of symptoms.

PMID- 28357112
TI  - Immunoglobulin G4-related disease: a rare steroid-responsive disease.
AB  - A 70-year-old man presented with progressive dyspnoea and weight loss. Physical
      examination revealed only mild pale conjunctiva. The workup showed mild anaemia,
      mild impaired renal function, and high globulin level. Multiple myeloma was
      excluded by normal serum protein electrophoresis. The chest radiography and
      computed tomography (CT) revealed bilateral multifocal patchy infiltration with
      mediastinal adenopathy. Bronchoscopy was performed. Bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL)
      fluid examination was negative for infection and malignancy. Tissue pathology
      revealed diffuse lymphoplasmacytic cell infiltration. Immunohistochemistry
      revealed positive highlight for CD38, immunoglobulin G (IgG), and IgG4. Serum IgG
      subclass was requested and showed an IgG4 level of 7230 mg/dL. Examination of
      bone marrow and submental lymph node pathology were also positive for IgG4. IgG4
      related disease with pulmonary involvement was diagnosed. Treatment with
      prednisolone (30 mg/day) resulted in improvement in his dyspnoea and almost
      complete resolution of the pulmonary infiltration on repeated CT at 6 month. This
      case highlighted a rare occurrence of IgG4-related disease which was successfully
      treated with steroid.

PMID- 28357111
TI  - Typing of killer-cell immunoglobulin-like receptors and their cognate human
      leukocyte antigen class I ligands predicts survival of Chinese Han patients with
      metastatic non-small-cell lung cancer.
AB  - Non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) may establish an immunosuppressive tumor
      microenvironment that is conducive to tumor growth. Natural killer (NK) cells
      play a pivotal role in immunological surveillance. Activation of NK cells
      partially depends on the interactions between killer-cell immunoglobulin-like
      receptors (KIRs) and human leukocyte antigen (HLA) class I ligands. We herein
      investigated the association of KIRs and HLA ligands with survival in metastatic
      NSCLC (mNSCLC) patients treated with chemotherapy in a Chinese Han population.
      Polymerase chain reaction with sequence-specific primers was used to type 15 KIRs
      at the DNA and mRNA level and 6 HLA ligands in 70 mNSCLC patients. Survival
      curves were estimated using the Kaplan-Meier method and compared with the log
      rank test. Cox proportional hazard regression model was applied for multivariate
      survival analysis, with the stepwise selection, to determine independent
      predictors of survival. It was observed that patients with KIR2DS4del gene
      expression at the mRNA level or HLA-Bw4T80 exhibited poor overall survival (OS).
      The multivariate analysis revealed that HLA-Bw4T80 and KIR2DS4del expression were
      independent predictors of OS. This observation indicated that the KIR/HLA ligand
      is a promising predictor of survival in mNSCLC and may also provide a strategy
      for treatment stratification and patient management.

PMID- 28357113
TI  - Identification of animal movement patterns using tri-axial magnetometry.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Accelerometers are powerful sensors in many bio-logging devices, and
      are increasingly allowing researchers to investigate the performance, behaviour,
      energy expenditure and even state, of free-living animals. Another sensor
      commonly used in animal-attached loggers is the magnetometer, which has been
      primarily used in dead-reckoning or inertial measurement tags, but little outside
      that. We examine the potential of magnetometers for helping elucidate the
      behaviour of animals in a manner analogous to, but very different from,
      accelerometers. The particular responses of magnetometers to movement means that
      there are instances when they can resolve behaviours that are not easily
      perceived using accelerometers. METHODS: We calibrated the tri-axial magnetometer
      to rotations in each axis of movement and constructed 3-dimensional plots to
      inspect these stylised movements. Using the tri-axial data of Daily Diary tags,
      attached to individuals of number of animal species as they perform different
      behaviours, we used these 3-d plots to develop a framework with which tri-axial
      magnetometry data can be examined and introduce metrics that should help quantify
      movement and behaviour.  . RESULTS: Tri-axial magnetometry data reveal patterns
      in movement at various scales of rotation that are not always evident in
      acceleration data. Some of these patterns may be obscure until visualised in 3D
      space as tri-axial spherical plots (m-spheres). A tag-fitted animal that rotates
      in heading while adopting a constant body attitude produces a ring of data around
      the pole of the m-sphere that we define as its Normal Operational Plane (NOP).
      Data that do not lie on this ring are created by postural rotations of the animal
      as it pitches and/or rolls. Consequently, stereotyped behaviours appear as
      specific trajectories on the sphere (m-prints), reflecting conserved sequences of
      postural changes (and/or angular velocities), which result from the precise
      relationship between body attitude and heading. This novel approach shows promise
      for helping researchers to identify and quantify behaviours in terms of animal
      body posture, including heading. CONCLUSION: Magnetometer-based techniques and
      metrics can enhance our capacity to identify and examine animal behaviour, either
      as a technique used alone, or one that is complementary to tri-axial
      accelerometry.

PMID- 28357118
TI  - A phase 1 study comparing the proposed biosimilar BS-503a with bevacizumab in
      healthy male volunteers.
AB  - This is a randomized, double-blind, single-dose, parallel group phase 1 study to
      assess pharmacokinetic similarity, safety, and tolerability of BS-503a, a
      proposed bevacizumab biosimilar. A total of 114 male healthy subjects were
      randomized (1:1) to receive a single 3 mg/kg intravenous dose of either BS-503a
      or bevacizumab (Avastin(r)). Pharmacokinetic (PK) blood samples were collected up
      to Day 78, and serum drug concentrations were measured using a validated enzyme
      linked immunosorbent assay. Pharmacokinetic similarity was evaluated using area
      under the serum concentration-time curve from zero to infinity (AUC inf) as a
      primary PK parameter, and maximum serum concentration (Cmax) and area under the
      serum concentration-time curve from zero to the last measurable time (AUC last)
      as secondary PK parameters. The 90% confidence intervals (CIs) of geometric mean
      ratio of AUC inf ranged 0.980-1.105, which met the predefined criteria of 0.80
      1.25. The 90% CIs of geometric mean ratios for Cmax and AUC last were 1.009-1.125
      and 0.982-1.096, respectively, falling into the same criteria. At least one drug
      related treatment emergent adverse event occurred in 18 and 21 subjects treated
      with BS-503a and bevacizumab, respectively. The most common adverse events were
      headache, epistaxis, and rhinorrhea. Most adverse events were mild or moderate;
      however, one drug-related serious adverse event of duodenal ulcer perforation was
      reported by a subject 47 days after treatment of BS-503a. In conclusion, BS-503a
      was demonstrated to have highly similar PK to bevacizumab and adverse events
      observed were consistent with those observed for bevacizumab.

PMID- 28357114
TI  - Protein Corona-Induced Modification of Silver Nanoparticle Aggregation in
      Simulated Gastric Fluid.
AB  - Due to their widespread incorporation into a range of biomedical and consumer
      products, the ingestion of silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) is of considerable
      concern to human health. However, the extent to which AgNPs will be modified
      within the gastric compartment of the gastrointestinal tract is still poorly
      understood. Studies have yet to fully evaluate the extent of physicochemical
      changes to AgNPs in the presence of biological macromolecules, such as pepsin,
      the most abundant protein in the stomach, or the influence of AgNPs on protein
      structure and activity. Herein, AgNPs of two different sizes and surface coatings
      (20 and 110 nm, citrate or polyvinylpyrrolidone) were added to simulated gastric
      fluid (SGF) with or without porcine pepsin at three pHs (2.0, 3.5, and 5.0),
      representing a range of values between preprandial (fasted) and postprandial
      (fed) conditions. Rapid increases in diameter were observed for all AgNPs, with a
      greater increase in diameter in the presence of pepsin, indicating that pepsin
      facilitated AgNPs aggregation. AgNPs interaction with pepsin only minimally
      reduced the protein's proteolytic functioning capability, with the greatest
      inhibitory effect caused by smaller (20 nm) particles of both coatings. No
      changes in pepsin secondary structural elements were observed for the different
      AgNPs, even at high particle concentrations. This research highlights the size
      dependent kinetics of nanoparticle aggregation or dissolution from interaction
      with biological elements such as proteins in the gastrointestinal tract. Further,
      these results demonstrate that, in addition to mass, knowing the chemical form
      and aggregation state of nanoparticles is critical when evaluating toxicological
      effects from nanoparticle exposure in the body.

PMID- 28357119
TI  - Influence of age on intestinal bile acid transport in C57BL/6 mice.
AB  - Intestinal and hepatic bile acid transporters are important for enterohepatic
      bile acid circulation and pharmacokinetics. Based on previous literature, we
      hypothesized that the expression of bile acid transporters and intestinal bile
      acid absorption are lower in older individuals. Here, we measured active
      taurocholate absorption across the ileum of male C57BL/6 mice in two different
      age cohorts - young (age range of 89-224 days) and old (age range of 613-953
      days). Also examined in these mice were mRNA expression of the major bile acid
      transporters - Asbt and Ostalpha/beta in the ileum, and Ntcp, Oatp1b2 and Bsep in
      the liver. Mean intestinal taurocholate absorption was significantly lower (~50%)
      in mice in the older cohort compared to those in the younger cohort. In the
      ileum, the expression of Asbt was significantly lower in the older cohort, but
      expression of Ostalpha/beta was not affected by age. The lower capacity for
      intestinal bile acid absorption in the older animals is consistent with their
      lower expression level of Asbt. Of the hepatic bile acid transporters examined,
      expression of Ntcp and Oatp1b2 were significantly lower in the older mice. This
      is the first study to directly measure intestinal bile acid absorption as a
      function of age. The data suggest a lower capacity for intestinal bile acid
      absorption in older animals. Also, lower expression of Asbt, Ntcp, and Oatp1b2 in
      older individuals could influence pharmacokinetics of drug substrates.

PMID- 28357120
TI  - GABAB receptor allosteric modulators exhibit pathway-dependent and species
      selective activity.
AB  - Positive modulation of the GABAB receptor (GABABR) represents a potentially
      useful therapeutic approach for the treatment of nicotine addiction. The positive
      allosteric modulators (PAMs) of GABABR GS39783 and BHF177 enhance GABA-stimulated
      [35S]GTP gammaS-binding, and have shown efficacy in a rodent nicotine self
      administration procedure reflecting aspects of nicotine dependence.
      Interestingly, the structural related analog, NVP998, had no effect on nicotine
      self-administration in rats despite demonstrating similar pharmacokinetic
      properties. Extensive in vitro characterization of GS39783, BHF177, and NVP998
      activity on GABABR-regulated signaling events, including modulation of cAMP,
      intracellular calcium levels, and ERK activation, revealed that these
      structurally related molecules display distinct pathway-specific signaling
      activities that correlate with the dissimilarities observed in rodent models and
      may be predictive of in vivo efficacy. Furthermore, these GABABR allosteric
      modulators exhibit species-dependent activity. Collectively, these data will be
      useful in guiding the development of GABABR allosteric modulators that display
      optimal in vivo efficacy in a preclinical model of nicotine dependence, and will
      identify those that have the potential to lead to novel antismoking therapies.

PMID- 28357121
TI  - Uricosuric targets of tranilast.
AB  - Uric acid, generated from the metabolism of purines, has both proven and emerging
      roles in human disease. Serum uric acid in humans is determined by production and
      by the net balance of reabsorption and secretion in kidney and intestine. In the
      human kidney, epithelial reabsorption dominates over secretion, such that in
      normal subjects there is at least 90% net reabsorption of filtered urate
      resulting in a fractional excretion of <10%. Tranilast, an anti-inflammatory drug
      with pleiotropic effects, has a marked hypouricemic, uricosuric effect in humans.
      We report here that tranilast is a potent inhibitor of [14C]-urate transport
      mediated by the major reabsorptive urate transporters (URAT1, GLUT9, OAT4, and
      OAT10) in Xenopus oocytes; this provides an unequivocal molecular mechanism for
      the drug's uricosuric effect. Tranilast was found to inhibit urate transport
      mediated by URAT1 and GLUT9 in a fully reversible and noncompetitive (mixed)
      manner. In addition, tranilast inhibits the secretory urate transporters NPT1,
      OAT1, and OAT3 without affecting the secretory efflux pump ABCG2. Notably, while
      benzbromarone and probenecid inhibited urate as well as nicotinate transport,
      tranilast inhibited the urate transport function of URAT1, GLUT9, OAT4, OAT10,
      and NPT1, without significantly affecting nicotinate transport mediated by SMCT1
      (IC 50 ~1.1 mmol/L), SMCT2 (IC 50 ~1.0 mmol/L), and URAT1 (IC 50 ~178 MUmol/L).
      In summary, tranilast causes uricosuria by inhibiting all the major reabsorptive
      urate transporters, selectively affecting urate over nicotinate transport. These
      data have implications for the treatment of hyperuricemia and gout, the
      pharmacology of tranilast, and the structure-function analysis of urate
      transport.

PMID- 28357122
TI  - Therapeutically targeting guanylate cyclase-C: computational modeling of
      plecanatide, a uroguanylin analog.
AB  - Plecanatide is a recently developed guanylate cyclase-C (GC-C) agonist and the
      first uroguanylin analog designed to treat chronic idiopathic constipation (CIC)
      and irritable bowel syndrome with constipation (IBS-C). GC-C receptors are found
      across the length of the intestines and are thought to play a key role in fluid
      regulation and electrolyte balance. Ligands of the GC-C receptor include
      endogenous agonists, uroguanylin and guanylin, as well as diarrheagenic,
      Escherichia coli heat-stable enterotoxins (ST). Plecanatide mimics uroguanylin in
      its 2 disulfide-bond structure and in its ability to activate GC-Cs in a pH
      dependent manner, a feature associated with the presence of acid-sensing residues
      (Asp2 and Glu3). Linaclotide, a synthetic analog of STh (a 19 amino acid member
      of ST family), contains the enterotoxin's key structural elements, including the
      presence of three disulfide bonds. Linaclotide, like STh, activates GC-Cs in a pH
      independent manner due to the absence of pH-sensing residues. In this study,
      molecular dynamics simulations compared the stability of plecanatide and
      linaclotide to STh. Three-dimensional structures of plecanatide at various
      protonation states (pH 2.0, 5.0, and 7.0) were simulated with GROMACS software.
      Deviations from ideal binding conformations were quantified using root mean
      square deviation values. Simulations of linaclotide revealed a rigid conformer
      most similar to STh. Plecanatide simulations retained the flexible, pH-dependent
      structure of uroguanylin. The most active conformers of plecanatide were found at
      pH 5.0, which is the pH found in the proximal small intestine. GC-C receptor
      activation in this region would stimulate intraluminal fluid secretion,
      potentially relieving symptoms associated with CIC and IBS-C.

PMID- 28357124
TI  - Antibiotic-associated suspected adverse drug reactions among hospitalized
      patients in Uganda: a prospective cohort study.
AB  - We sought to determine the prevalence at admission and incidence during
      hospitalization of antibiotic-associated suspected adverse drug reactions (aa
      ADRs) among Ugandan inpatients; and to characterize these aa-ADRs. We conducted a
      prospective cohort study of 762 consented adults admitted on medical and
      gynecological wards of the 1790-bed Mulago National Referral Hospital. Thirty
      percent were known HIV-seropositive (232/762). Nineteen percent (148/762; 95% CI:
      17-22%) of inpatients experienced at least one aa-ADR. At hospital admission, 6%
      (45/762; 95% CI: 4-8%) of patients had at least one aa-ADR; and 15% (45/300; 11
      20%) of those who had received antibiotics in the 4-weeks preadmission. Twenty
      four (53%) of these 45 patients had serious aa-ADRs. The incidence of aa-ADRs was
      19% (117/629; 95% CI: 16-22%) of patients who received antibiotics [community
      acquired: 9% (27/300; 95% CI: 6-13%); hospital-acquired: 16% (94/603; 95% CI: 13
      19%)]: 39 (33%) of 117 patients had serious aa-ADRs. Of 269 aa-ADRs, 115 (43%)
      were community-acquired, 66 (25%) probable/definite, 171 (64%) preventable, 86
      (32%) serious, and 24 (9%) rare. Ceftriaxone was the most frequently implicated
      for serious hospital-acquired aa-ADRs. Cotrimoxazole, isoniazid, rifampicin,
      ethambutol, and pyrazinamide were the most frequently linked to serious community
      acquired aa-ADRs. Fatal jaundice (isoniazid), life-threatening difficulty in
      breathing with shortness of breath (rifampicin) and disabling itchy skin rash
      with numbness of lower swollen legs (ethambutol, isoniazid) were observed.
      Pharmaceutical quality testing of implicated antibiotics could be worthwhile.
      Periodic on-ward collection and analysis of antibiotic-safety-data standardized
      by consumption is an efficient method of tracking antibiotics with 1%-risk for
      serious aa-ADRs.

PMID- 28357123
TI  - Adverse reactions to fluoroquinolones in the Nigerian population: an audit of
      reports submitted to the National Pharmacovigilance Centre from 2004 to 2016.
AB  - Adverse drug reactions (ADRs) recorded in national pharmacovigilance databases in
      developed countries have been analyzed. However, adverse reactions to
      fluoroquinolones were observed globally despite their wide use and safety
      concerns. We provided information on the pattern of adverse reactions to
      fluoroquinolones reported spontaneously to the National Pharmacovigilance Centre
      (NPC), Nigeria. ADRs to fluoroquinolones reported to the NPC, over a period of 12
      years, were analyzed. Evaluation was done for annual reports, age and gender of
      patients, type of reporter, suspected fluoroquinolones and adverse reactions,
      onset and outcome of ADRs, and causality. A total of 18527 ADR reports were
      received by the NPC. Antibiotics accounted for 1371(7.4%) of the total reports
      and fluoroquinolones accounted for 256 (18.7%) cases. A total of 540 ADRs due to
      fluoroquinolones was experienced by the patients. Multiple ADRs were experienced
      by 165 (65%) patients. Norfloxacin (2; 0.8%), moxifloxacin (3; 1.2%), ofloxacin
      (10; 3.9%), ciprofloxacin (112; 43.8%), and levofloxacin (129; 50.4%) were
      responsible for the ADRs. Neurological disorders (121; 22.4%), gastrointestinal
      disorders (118; 21.9%), and skin-appendage disorders (116; 21.5%) were the most
      reported ADRs, while pruritus (41; 7.6%), abdominal pain (34; 6.3%), vomiting
      (34; 6.3%), and skin rash (27; 5.0%) were the most frequently reported specific
      ADRs. Thirty-four (6.4%) patients experienced serious ADRs. Fluoroquinolones
      accounted for a small but significant proportion of ADRs spontaneously reported
      to the NPC in Nigeria. Ciprofloxacin and levofloxacin were the two most culpable
      fluoroquinolones due to their inappropriate use or increased use in multi-drug
      resistant tuberculosis (MDR-TB) treatment.

PMID- 28357125
TI  - In vitro analysis of factors influencing CYP1A2 expression as potential
      determinants of interindividual variation.
AB  - Individual differences in drug metabolism contribute to interindividual variation
      that characterizes responses to drugs and risk in exposure to foreign chemicals.
      Large individual differences are found in expression levels of CYP1A2, a major
      drug-metabolizing enzyme. Underlying causes for this variation are not well
      understood. Several factors, including tobacco smoking, consumption of
      cruciferous vegetables, and sex, have been associated with modulating CYP1A2
      expression. To understand factors regulating expression of CYP1A2 in establishing
      a causal relationship, this study examined effects of cigarette smoke condensate
      (CSC), indole-3-carbinol (I3C), and 17beta-estradiol (estradiol) on CYP1A2
      expression in in vitro systems using human liver and lung cells. Treatment with
      CSC (2-25 MUg/mL) significantly increased levels of CYP1A2 in six cell lines
      examined, in a concentration- and time-dependent manner. Fold changes in
      expression levels relative to controls varied among cell lines. CYP1A2 enzymatic
      activity also increased with CSC exposure. Treatment of H1299 and HepB3 cells
      with dietary agent I3C (50 and 100 MUmol/L) increased CYP1A2 expression. In human
      cell lines H1299 and H1395, treatment with estradiol (10 and 100 nmol/L)
      significantly reduced expression of CYP1A2. Using ChIP assays, effects of CSC on
      histone modifications were analyzed. Increases in H3K4me3 and H4K16ac were
      observed at several segments in the CYP1A2 gene, whereas H3K27me3 decreased,
      following CSC treatment. These results suggest that CYP1A2 expression is affected
      epigenetically by CSC. Additional studies will be needed to further establish
      regulatory mechanisms underlying effects of various environmental, dietary, and
      endogenous factors on CYP1A2 expression in better predicting individual
      variation.

PMID- 28357126
TI  - The anti-inflammatory compound palmitoylethanolamide inhibits prostaglandin and
      hydroxyeicosatetraenoic acid production by a macrophage cell line.
AB  - The anti-inflammatory agent palmitoylethanolamide (PEA) reduces cyclooxygenase
      (COX) activity in vivo in a model of inflammatory pain. It is not known whether
      the compound reduces prostaglandin production in RAW264.7 cells, whether such an
      action is affected by compounds preventing the breakdown of endogenous PEA,
      whether other oxylipins are affected, or whether PEA produces direct effects upon
      the COX-2 enzyme. RAW264.7 cells were treated with lipopolysaccharide and
      interferon-gamma to induce COX-2. At the level of mRNA, COX-2 was induced >1000
      fold following 24 h of the treatment. Coincubation with PEA (10 MUmol/L) did not
      affect the levels of COX-2, but reduced the levels of prostaglandins D2 and E2 as
      well as 11- and 15-hydroxyeicosatetraenoic acid, which can also be synthesised by
      a COX-2 pathway in macrophages. These effects were retained when hydrolysis of
      PEA to palmitic acid was blocked. Linoleic acid-derived oxylipin levels were not
      affected by PEA. No direct effects of PEA upon the oxygenation of either
      arachidonic acid or 2-arachidonoylglycerol by COX-2 were found. It is concluded
      that in lipopolysaccharide and interferon-gamma-stimulated RAW264.7 cells, PEA
      reduces the production of COX-2-derived oxylipins in a manner that is retained
      when its metabolism to palmitic acid is inhibited.

PMID- 28357127
TI  - Metabolic effects of a mitochondrial-targeted coenzyme Q analog in high fat fed
      obese mice.
AB  - We recently reported that mitoquinone (mitoQ, 500 MUmol/L) added to drinking
      water of C57BL/6J mice attenuated weight gain, decreased food intake, increased
      hypothalamic orexigenic gene expression, and mitigated oxidative stress when
      administered from the onset of high-fat (HF) feeding. Here, we examined the
      effects of mitoQ on pre-existing obesity in C57BL/6J mice first made obese by 107
      days of HF feeding. In contrast to our preventative study, we found that already
      obese mice did not tolerate mitoQ at 500 MUmol/L. Within 4 days of
      administration, obese mice markedly decreased food and water intake and lost
      substantial weight necessitating a dose reduction to 250 MUmol/L. Food and water
      intake then improved. Over the next 4 weeks, body mass of the mitoQ-treated mice
      increased faster than vehicle-treated controls but did not catch up. Over the
      subsequent 10 weeks, weights of the mitoQ-treated group remained significantly
      less than vehicle control, but percent fat and food intake did not differ.
      Although the mitoQ-treated groups continued to drink less, there was no
      difference in percent body fluid and no laboratory evidence of dehydration at
      study end. At the time of killing, hypothalamic NPY gene expression was reduced
      in the mitoQ-treated mice . Liver fat was markedly increased by HF feeding but
      did not differ between mitoQ and vehicle groups and, in contrast to our previous
      preventative study, there was no improvement in plasma alanine amino transferase
      or liver hydroperoxides. In summary, administration of mitoQ to already obese
      mice attenuated weight gain, but showed limited overall benefit.

PMID- 28357128
TI  - Impact of comorbidity on adverse drug reaction profile in a cohort of patients
      treated with Artemisinin combination therapies for uncomplicated malaria in
      Nigeria.
AB  - Artemisinin-based combination antimalarial therapy (ACTs), is still highly
      effective in uncomplicated falciparum malaria, however, there remain some
      concerns in relation to its safety and tolerability. Comorbid disease conditions
      may influence susceptibility to adverse drug reactions (ADRs) as the presence of
      multiple disease conditions may predisposes patients to ADRs due to the use of
      many medicines. There is therefore need to assess the impact of comorbidities on
      the ADR profile of malaria patients treated with ACTs. The study was carried out
      in health care facilities spread across Nigeria. From the database of over 10,000
      patients recruited into an initial cohort, data for 1000 patients with
      comorbidities was extracted and matched with a control group of 1000 randomly
      selected patients with no comorbidity. There were 1105 adverse drug reactions in
      all, of which 66.2% were recorded in patients with comorbidity, and 34% are
      patients without comorbidity. The mean age of patients with comorbidities was
      38.3 +/- 17.5 years and 23.8 +/- 17.2 for those without comorbidity. Out of the
      979 patients with comorbidity, 36% were hypertensive, 2.2% hypertensive-diabetes,
      16.4% peptic ulcer disease, 10.4% HIV/AIDS, 4.4% diabetes and 4.3% were
      asthmatic. Patients with comorbidity were three times more likely to have adverse
      drug reaction than those without comorbidity (Odds ration = 2.96; 95% CI = 2.23
      3.93). HIV/AIDS and osteoarthritis were significantly associated with development
      of adverse drug reactions. Probability was <0.0001. Age, weight, and height of
      patients were also found to be risk factor for development of adverse drug
      reactions.

PMID- 28357129
TI  - Ultraviolet irradiation increases green fluorescence of dihydrorhodamine (DHR)
      123: false-positive results for reactive oxygen species generation.
AB  - Dihydrorhodamine (DHR) 123 is a fluorophore commonly used for measuring reactive
      oxygen species (ROS), often after exposing cells to ultraviolet (UV) irradiation
      or oxidative burst inducers such as Phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate (PMA).
      However, the negative effects of UV irradiation on oxidation of DHR123 itself to
      green fluorescence rhodamine (R) 123 under different experimental conditions
      (e.g., different buffers, media, cells, ROS detection techniques) have not been
      fully appreciated. We determined the effect of UV on DHR123 fluorescence, using a
      cell-free system, and A549 epithelial cells, NIH/3T3 fibroblast cells, Jurkat T
      cells, primary human T cells, HL-60 neutrophils and primary human neutrophils. We
      found that UV irradiation rapidly increases green fluorescence of DHR123 in cell
      free solutions. The intensity of green fluorescence increases with increasing
      amounts of DHR123 and UV exposure. The fluorescence increase was greater in
      Roswell Park Memorial Institute medium (RPMI) than DMEM media. The presence of
      DMSO (0-1.25%, v/v) in RPMI further increases the fluorescence signal. Phosphate
      buffered solution (PBS) and Hanks' Balanced Salt Solution (HBSS) generate
      considerable background signal with DHR123, and increasing DMSO concentration
      greatly increases the fluorescence signal in these buffers. However, after UV
      irradiation the amount of DHR123 that remains unoxidized generates sufficient
      fluorescence signal to measure the ROS produced by H2O2 and peroxidase in vitro
      or Nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate (NADPH) oxidase-mediated ROS
      production within HL-60 neutrophils or primary human neutrophils. We conclude
      that UV irradiation oxidizes DHR123 to generate Rhodamine 123 (R123) green
      fluorescence signal, and that the R123 present in the culture supernatant could
      give erroneous results in plate reader assays. However, flow cytometry and
      fluorescence microscopy reliably detect ROS in cells such as neutrophils.
      Overall, avoiding false-positive results when detecting ROS using DHR123 requires
      selection of, agonists, the correct buffers, media, cell types, and measurement
      techniques.

PMID- 28357130
TI  - Off-label drug use in hospitalized children: a prospective observational study at
      Gondar University Referral Hospital, Northwestern Ethiopia.
AB  - Most of the medications which are currently used for the treatment of childhood
      diseases are either not licensed or being prescribed outside the terms of the
      product license (off-label prescribing). This study aimed at determining the
      extent of unlicensed and off-label drug uses and associated factors in children
      hospitalized in Gondar University Referral Hospital, Northwest Ethiopia. An
      institution-based prospective cross-sectional study was employed from April 15 to
      July 15, 2016. A total of 243 pediatric patients admitted to Gondar university
      referral hospital were included in the study using simple random sampling method.
      Data were collected using structured questionnaire, and the data collected were
      entered and analyzed using Statistical Packages for Social Sciences (SPSS)
      version 20. From the total of 800 drugs prescribed, 607 (75.8%) were off-label.
      Off-label medicine use was frequently observed in antimicrobials (60.6%) followed
      by central nervous system drugs (14.3%). The extent off-label prescribing was
      highest in age group of 6-13 years (30%). Inappropriate dosing and frequency
      (42.3%) were the most common reason for off-label medicine use. Having other
      variables controlled, age group and undergoing surgical procedure remained to be
      significant predictors of off-label prescribing in the multivariate regression
      analysis. Implementing evidence-based approach in prescribing by generating more
      quality literatures on the safety profile and effectiveness of off-label would
      improve the injudicious use of drugs in pediatric population.

PMID- 28357133
TI  - The association between self-reported and clinically determined hypomanic
      symptoms and the onset of major mood disorders.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Hypomanic symptoms may be a useful predictor of mood disorder among
      young people at high risk for bipolar disorder. AIMS: To determine whether
      hypomanic symptoms differentiate offspring of parents with bipolar disorder (high
      risk) and offspring of well parents (control) and predict the development of mood
      episodes. METHOD: High-risk and control offspring were prospectively assessed
      using semi-structured clinical interviews annually and completed the Hypomania
      Checklist-32 Revised (HCL-32). Clinically significant sub-threshold hypomanic
      symptoms (CSHS) were coded. RESULTS: HCL-32 total and active or elated scores
      were higher in control compared with high-risk offspring, whereas 14% of high
      risk and 0% of control offspring had CSHS. High-risk offspring with CSHS had a
      fivefold increased risk of developing recurrent major depression (P=0.0002). The
      median onset of CSHS in high-risk offspring was 16.4 (6-31) years and was before
      the onset of major mood episodes. CONCLUSIONS: CSHS are precursors to major mood
      episodes in high-risk offspring and could identify individuals at ultra-high risk
      for developing bipolar disorder. DECLARATION OF INTEREST: None. COPYRIGHT AND
      USAGE: (c) The Royal College of Psychiatrists 2017. This is an open access
      article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Non-Commercial, No
      Derivatives (CC BY-NC-ND) license.

PMID- 28357132
TI  - Subclinical psychotic experiences and subsequent contact with mental health
      services.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Although psychotic experiences in people without diagnosed mental
      health problems are associated with mental health service use, few studies have
      assessed this prospectively or measured service use by real-world clinical data.
      AIMS: To describe and investigate the association between psychotic experiences
      and later mental health service use, and to assess the role of symptoms of common
      mental health disorders in this association. METHOD: We linked a representative
      survey of south-east London (SELCoH-1, n=1698) with health records from the local
      mental healthcare provider. Cox regression estimated the association of PEs with
      rate of mental health service use. RESULTS: After adjustments, psychotic
      experiences were associated with a 1.75-fold increase in the rate of subsequent
      mental health service use (hazard ratio (HR) 1.75, 95% CI 1.03-2.97) compared
      with those without PEs. Participants with PEs experienced longer care episodes
      compared with those without. CONCLUSIONS: Psychotic experiences in the general
      population are important predictors of public mental health need, aside from
      their relevance for psychoses. We found psychotic experiences to be associated
      with later mental health service use, after accounting for sociodemographic
      confounders and concurrent psychopathology. DECLARATION OF INTEREST: None.
      COPYRIGHT AND USAGE: (c) The Royal College of Psychiatrists 2017. This is an open
      access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution
      (CC BY) license.

PMID- 28357134
TI  - Mental health among young adults in prison: the importance of childhood-onset
      conduct disorder.
AB  - BACKGROUND: The psychiatric health burden of prisoners is substantial. However,
      there is a lack of high-quality studies of psychiatric disorders among young
      adults with a high risk of reoffending. AIMS: To investigate the lifetime
      prevalence of psychiatric disorders and use of mental health services among young
      male violent offenders and the impact of childhood-onset conduct disorder (COCD).
      METHOD: A nationally representative cohort (n = 270, age 18-25) of male offenders
      was followed back in medical records and clinically assessed by gold standard
      methods. Lifetime prevalences are presented together with odds ratios (ORs) as
      risk estimates in relation to COCD. RESULTS: Previous use of psychiatric services
      among the participants was high but their lifetime psychiatric morbidity was even
      higher, with 93% meeting criteria for at least one Axis I disorder. The COCD
      group was overrepresented in most clinical categories and carried five times
      higher odds (OR = 5.1, 95% CI 2.0-12.8) of a psychotic disorder, three times
      higher odds (OR = 3.2, 95% CI 1.2-8.5) of a substance use disorder and two times
      higher odds of a mood disorder (OR = 2.3, 95% CI 1.3-4.0) or anxiety disorder (OR
      = 2.0, 95% CI 1.1-3.5). CONCLUSIONS: The mental health burden is substantial
      among young violent offenders, and COCD is an important indicator of future
      mental health problems which must be a priority for public health efforts.
      DECLARATION OF INTEREST: None. COPYRIGHT AND USAGE: (c) The Royal College of
      Psychiatrists 2017. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of
      the Creative Commons Non-Commercial, No Derivatives (CC BY-NC-ND) license.

PMID- 28357131
TI  - Aquatic therapy for boys with Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD): an external
      pilot randomised controlled trial.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Standard treatment of Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) includes
      regular physiotherapy. There are no data to show whether adding aquatic therapy
      (AT) to land-based exercises helps maintain motor function. We assessed the
      feasibility of recruiting and collecting data from boys with DMD in a parallel
      group pilot randomised trial (primary objective), also assessing how intervention
      and trial procedures work. METHODS: Ambulant boys with DMD aged 7-16 years
      established on steroids, with North Star Ambulatory Assessment (NSAA) score >=8,
      who were able to complete a 10-m walk test without aids or assistance, were
      randomly allocated (1:1) to 6 months of either optimised land-based exercises 4
      to 6 days/week, defined by local community physiotherapists, or the same 4
      days/week plus AT 2 days/week. Those unable to commit to a programme, with >20%
      variation between NSAA scores 4 weeks apart, or contraindications to AT were
      excluded. The main outcome measures included feasibility of recruiting 40
      participants in 6 months from six UK centres, clinical outcomes including NSAA,
      independent assessment of treatment optimisation, participant/therapist views on
      acceptability of intervention and research protocols, value of information (VoI)
      analysis and cost-impact analysis. RESULTS: Over 6 months, 348 boys were
      screened: most lived too far from centres or were enrolled in other trials; 12
      (30% of the targets) were randomised to AT (n = 8) or control (n = 4). The mean
      change in NSAA at 6 months was -5.5 (SD 7.8) in the control arm and -2.8 (SD 4.1)
      in the AT arm. Harms included fatigue in two boys, pain in one. Physiotherapists
      and parents valued AT but believed it should be delivered in community settings.
      Randomisation was unattractive to families, who had already decided that AT was
      useful and who often preferred to enrol in drug studies. The AT prescription was
      considered to be optimised for three boys, with other boys given programmes that
      were too extensive and insufficiently focused. Recruitment was insufficient for
      VoI analysis. CONCLUSIONS: Neither a UK-based RCT of AT nor a twice weekly AT
      therapy delivered at tertiary centres is feasible. Our study will help in the
      optimisation of AT service provision and the design of future research. TRIAL
      REGISTRATION: ISRCTN41002956.

PMID- 28357135
TI  - Circumferential silicone sponge scleral buckling induced axial length changes:
      case series and comparison to literature.
AB  - BACKGROUND: This study compared axial length changes induced by circumferential
      scleral buckling using a silicone sponge with literature reports for solid
      silicone rubber. METHODS: Records of patients treated with scleral buckling in
      2009-2013 using a silicone sponge, with preoperative axial length biometry
      measurements were reviewed. Additional information included age, type of surgery,
      additional surgeries, phakic status and anatomical success of reattachment.
      Patients underwent repeat biometry. The medical literature was reviewed for
      articles describing axial length changes induced by circumferential buckling
      using solid silicone rubber. RESULTS: Twenty-eight patients (mean age 49.7 years,
      range 16-72) met the inclusion criteria. Mean axial length was 25.38 mm
      preoperatively and 26.12 mm at least 6 months postoperatively (SD 0.50 +/- 0.09,
      p < 0.001); a mean increase of 0.74 mm. Half the patients subsequently underwent
      cataract surgery. Post-operative changes were not significant compared to pre
      surgical refraction and corneal astigmatism. Axial length change was not
      significant between sexes (9 women and 19 men). CONCLUSIONS: Axial length changes
      induced by circumferential scleral buckling using silicone sponge exclusively are
      similar to those reported in the literature for solid silicone rubber buckles.
      Scleral buckling using a silicone sponge, which may offer several surgical
      advantages, induces an acceptable axial length change similar to that seen with
      widely-used solid silicone rubber buckles.

PMID- 28357136
TI  - Repeatability and Agreement of Central Corneal Thickness and Keratometry
      Measurements between Four Different Devices.
AB  - Background. To estimate repeatability and comparability of central corneal
      thickness (CCT) and keratometry measurements obtained by four different devices
      in healthy eyes. Methods. Fifty-five healthy eyes from 55 volunteers were
      enrolled in this study. CCT (IOLMaster 700, Pentacam HR, and Cirrus HD-OCT) and
      keratometry readings (IOLMaster 700, Pentacam HR, and iDesign) were measured. For
      statistical analysis, the corneal spherocylinder was converted into power vectors
      (J0, J45). Repeatability was assessed by intraclass correlation coefficient
      (ICC). Agreement of measurements between the devices was evaluated by the Bland
      Altman method. Results. The analysis of repeatability of CCT data of IOLMaster
      700, Pentacam HR, and Cirrus HD-OCT showed high ICCs (range 0.995 to 0.999). The
      comparison of CCT measurements revealed statistically significant differences
      between Pentacam HR versus IOLMaster 700 (p < 0.0001) and Pentacam HR versus
      Cirrus HD-OCT (p < 0.0001), respectively. There was no difference in CCT
      measurements between IOLMaster 700 and Cirrus HD-OCT (p = 0.519). The
      repeatability of keratometry readings (J0 and J45) of IOLMaster 700, Pentacam HR,
      and iDesign was also high with ICCs ranging from 0.974 to 0.999. The Pentacam HR
      revealed significantly higher J0 in comparison to IOLMaster 700 (p = 0.009) and
      iDesign (p = 0.041); however, no significant difference was between IOLMaster 700
      and iDesign (p = 0.426). Comparison of J45 showed no significant difference
      between IOLMaster 700, Pentacam HR, and iDesign. These results were in accordance
      with Bland-Altman plots. Conclusion. In clinical practice, the devices analyzed
      should not be used interchangeably due to low agreement regarding CCT as well as
      keratometry readings.

PMID- 28357138
TI  - Growth of Infants with Intestinal Failure or Feeding Intolerance Does Not Follow
      Standard Growth Curves.
AB  - Objective. Infants with intestinal failure or feeding intolerance are
      nutritionally compromised and are at risk for extrauterine growth restriction.
      The aim of the study was to evaluate growth velocities of infants with intestinal
      failure and feeding intolerance for the first three months of age and to
      determine growth percentiles at birth and at 40-week postmenstrual age (PMA).
      Methods. A chart review of infants followed by the Texas Children's Hospital
      Intestinal Rehabilitation Team was conducted from April 2012 to October 2014.
      Weekly weight, length, and head circumference growth velocities were calculated.
      Growth data were compared to Olsen growth curves to determine exact percentiles.
      Results. Data from infants (n = 164) revealed that average growth velocities of 3
      month-old infants (weight gain, 19.97 g/d; length, 0.81 cm/week; head
      circumference, 0.52 cm/week) fluctuated and all were below expected norms. At
      discharge or death, average growth velocities had further decreased (length, 0.69
      cm/week; head circumference, 0.45 cm/week) except for weight, which showed a
      slight increase (weight, 20.56 g/d). Weight, length, and head circumference
      percentiles significantly decreased from birth to 40-week PMA (P < 0.001).
      Conclusions. Growth of infants with intestinal failure or feeding intolerance did
      not follow standard growth curves.

PMID- 28357137
TI  - Diet-Induced Obesity Is Associated with an Impaired NK Cell Function and an
      Increased Colon Cancer Incidence.
AB  - Obesity is associated with an increased colon cancer incidence, but underlying
      mechanisms remained unclear. Previous studies showed altered Natural killer (NK)
      cell functions in obese individuals. Therefore, we studied the impact of an
      impaired NK cell functionality on the increased colon cancer risk in obesity. In
      vitro investigations demonstrated a decreased IFN-gamma secretion and
      cytotoxicity of human NK cells against colon tumor cells after NK cell
      preincubation with the adipokine leptin. In addition, leptin incubation decreased
      the expression of activating NK cell receptors. In animal studies, colon cancer
      growth was induced by injection of azoxymethane (AOM) in normal weight and diet
      induced obese rats. Body weight and visceral fat mass were increased in obese
      animals compared to normal weight rats. AOM-treated obese rats showed an
      increased quantity, size, and weight of colon tumors compared to the normal
      weight tumor group. Immunohistochemical analyses demonstrated a decreased number
      of NK cells in spleen and liver in obesity. Additionally, the expression levels
      of activating NK cell receptors were lower in spleen and liver of obese rats. The
      results show for the first time that the decreased number and impaired NK cell
      function may be one cause for the higher colon cancer risk in obesity.

PMID- 28357139
TI  - Effect of Focused Bedside Ultrasonography in Hypotensive Patients on the Clinical
      Decision of Emergency Physicians.
AB  - We assessed the effect of focused point of care ultrasound (POCUS) used for
      critical nontraumatic hypotensive patients presenting to the emergency department
      of our hospital on the clinical decisions of the physicians and whether it led to
      the modification of the treatment modality. This prospective clinical study was
      conducted at the Emergency Department of Antalya Training and Research Hospital.
      Nontraumatic patients aged 18 and older who presented to our emergency department
      and whose systolic blood pressure was <100 mmHg or shock index (heart
      rate/systolic blood pressure) was >1 were included in the study. While the most
      probable preliminary diagnosis established by the physician before POCUS was
      consistent with the definitive diagnosis in 60.6% (n = 109) of 180 patients
      included in the study, it was consistent with the definitive diagnosis in 85.0%
      (n = 153) of the patients after POCUS (p < 0.001). POCUS performed for critical
      hypotensive patients presenting to the emergency department is an appropriate
      diagnostic tool that can be used to enable the physicians to make the accurate
      preliminary diagnosis and start the appropriate treatment in a short time.

PMID- 28357140
TI  - The Noncell Autonomous Requirement of Proboscipedia for Growth and
      Differentiation of the Distal Maxillary Palp during Metamorphosis of Drosophila
      melanogaster.
AB  - The Drosophila maxillary palpus that develops during metamorphosis is composed of
      two elements: the proximal maxillary socket and distal maxillary palp. The HOX
      protein, Proboscipedia (PB), was required for development of the proximal
      maxillary socket and distal maxillary palp. For growth and differentiation of the
      distal maxillary palp, PB was required in the cells of, or close to, the
      maxillary socket, as well as the cells of the distal maxillary palp. Therefore,
      PB is required in cells outside the distal maxillary palp for the expression, by
      some mechanism, of a growth factor or factors that promote the growth of the
      distal maxillary palp. Both wingless (wg) and hedgehog (hh) genes were expressed
      in cells outside the distal maxillary palp in the lancinia and maxillary socket,
      respectively. Both wg and hh were required for distal maxillary palp growth, and
      hh was required noncell autonomously for distal maxillary palp growth. However,
      expression of wg-GAL4 and hh-GAL4 during maxillary palp differentiation did not
      require PB, ruling out a direct role for PB in the regulation of transcription of
      these growth factors.

PMID- 28357142
TI  - Aerobic Exercise Effects on Ocular Dominance Plasticity with a Phase Combination
      Task in Human Adults.
AB  - Several studies have shown that short-term monocular patching can induce ocular
      dominance plasticity in normal adults, in which the patched eye becomes stronger
      in binocular viewing. There is a recent study showing that exercise enhances this
      plasticity effect when assessed with binocular rivalry. We address one question,
      is this enhancement from exercise a general effect such that it is seen for
      measures of binocular processing other than that revealed using binocular
      rivalry? Using a binocular phase combination task in which we directly measure
      each eye's contribution to the binocularly fused percept, we show no additional
      effect of exercise after short-term monocular occlusion and argue that the
      enhancement of ocular dominance plasticity from exercise could not be
      demonstrated with our approach.

PMID- 28357141
TI  - Intrahemispheric Perfusion in Chronic Stroke-Induced Aphasia.
AB  - Stroke-induced alterations in cerebral blood flow (perfusion) may contribute to
      functional language impairments and recovery in chronic aphasia. Using MRI, we
      examined perfusion in the right and left hemispheres of 35 aphasic and 16 healthy
      control participants. Across 76 regions (38 per hemisphere), no significant
      between-subjects differences were found in the left, whereas blood flow in the
      right was increased in the aphasic compared to the control participants. Region
      of-interest (ROI) analyses showed a varied pattern of hypo- and hyperperfused
      regions across hemispheres in the aphasic participants; however, there were no
      significant correlations between perfusion values and language abilities in these
      regions. These patterns may reflect autoregulatory changes in blood flow
      following stroke and/or increases in general cognitive effort, rather than
      maladaptive language processing. We also examined blood flow in perilesional
      tissue, finding the greatest hypoperfusion close to the lesion (within 0-6 mm),
      with greater hypoperfusion in this region compared to more distal regions. In
      addition, hypoperfusion in this region was significantly correlated with language
      impairment. These findings underscore the need to consider cerebral perfusion as
      a factor contributing to language deficits in chronic aphasia as well as recovery
      of language function.

PMID- 28357144
TI  - "Black Esophagus" or Gurvits Syndrome: A Rare Complication of Diabetic
      Ketoacidosis.
AB  - Acute esophageal necrosis (AEN) also known as "black esophagus" or necrotizing
      esophagitis is a rare syndrome characterized by a striking diffuse patchy or
      circumferential black appearance of the esophageal mucosa that preferentially
      affects the distal esophagus and terminates at the gastroesophageal junction.
      Only 88 patients over a span of 40 years have received this diagnosis, and the
      prevalence of this disease ranges from 0.001 to 0.2% of cases in literature. It
      more commonly affects men (4 : 1 ratio) in the sixth decade of life. It is
      associated with a high mortality rate, approaching 32%. We report a case of AEN
      presenting in the setting of diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA), affecting both the
      proximal and distal esophagus.

PMID- 28357143
TI  - A Rapid Biochemical and Radiological Response to the Concomitant Therapy with
      Temozolomide and Radiotherapy in an Aggressive ACTH Pituitary Adenoma.
AB  - Background and Importance. In the last eight years temozolomide (TMZ) has been
      used as the last-line treatment modality for aggressive pituitary tumors to be
      applied after the failure of surgery, medical therapy, and radiotherapy. The
      objective was to achieve a rapid control of tumor growth and hormone
      normalization with concurrent chemoradiotherapy in a patient with very aggressive
      ACTH pituitary adenoma. Clinical Presentation. We describe a patient with an
      aggressive ACTH-producing adenoma treated with concurrent temozolomide and
      radiotherapy. The patient suffered from an aggressive ACTH adenoma resistant to
      surgical and medical treatment. After two months of concurrent temozolomide and
      radiotherapy, cortisol normalization and significant tumor shrinkage were
      observed. After 22 months of follow-up, there is still no evidence of tumor
      recurrence. Conclusion. Concurrent treatment with temozolomide and irradiation
      appears to be highly effective in the achievement of the tumor volume control as
      well as in the control of ACTH secretion in aggressive ACTH adenoma.

PMID- 28357145
TI  - Pneumoperitoneum Secondary to Spontaneously Perforated Pyometra.
AB  - Pyometra, by definition, is a collection of purulent fluid within the uterine
      cavity. Incidence has been estimated to range from 0.1% to 0.5%. Typically, this
      is linked to postmenopausal women; however, it has been linked to premenopausal
      women with concordant use of intrauterine devices. Based on our knowledge, there
      have been less than 50 recorded cases reported in the English literature
      regarding perforation of pyometra resulting in acute abdomen and fewer than 25
      resulting in pneumoperitoneum. We report a patient who was evaluated for diffuse
      peritonitis caused by perforated pyometra who was successfully treated with
      surgical intervention.

PMID- 28357146
TI  - Dysplastic L5-S1 Spondyloptosis in a 3-Year-Old Child: A Case Report and Review
      of the Literature.
AB  - A three-year-old girl presented with primary complaint of severe low back pain
      with radiation to both lower limbs below the knees since 2 months following
      history of fall and marked restriction of her daily routine activities. After
      clinicoradiological evaluation she was diagnosed of having dysplastic L5-S1
      spondyloptosis. A staged procedure was planned after thorough discussion with her
      parents. During initial stage she underwent posterior decompression along L5-S1
      segment including exposure of bilateral L5 and S1 nerve roots followed by
      instrumented reduction (L3-S2 5.5 mm pedicle screws) utilizing a rotational
      translational technique. No interbody fusion was done at L5-S1 level and inner
      nuts of bilateral L3, L4, and S2 screws were intentionally kept loose.
      Subsequently after about symptom-free three-year follow up, she presented with
      recurrence of symptoms and underwent revision surgery as per initial plan
      discussed with her parents. Removals of posterior implants were done followed by
      stabilization with larger diameter pedicle screws (6.5 mm) at L5 and S1 level.
      During the same stage through anterior transperitoneal approach L5-S1 interbody
      fusion was done. At one-year follow-up after second-stage definitive surgery,
      patient remains symptom-free and fully active without any radiological evidence
      of reduction loss or implant failure.

PMID- 28357147
TI  - Dual Fixation of Calcaneal Tuberosity Avulsion with Concomitant Achilles Tendon
      Rupture: A Novel Hybrid Technique.
AB  - Fracture of the calcaneal tuberosity with a concomitant Achilles tendon rupture
      presents a difficult challenge for the treating surgeon. The ultimate goal of
      treatment is to restore function of both the gastrocnemius-soleus complex and the
      Achilles tendon. This particular subset of fractures occurs often in diabetics
      and elderly patients with osteoporosis making fixation of the displaced fragment
      rather complex. If the Achilles tendon disruption is only discovered later once
      the fracture is healed, subsequent management is difficult with surgical
      treatment being more morbid. While this is a rare injury, the consequences of a
      missed chronic Achilles tendon disruption are severe with significant
      dysfunction. It is therefore important to have a high index of suspicion for
      concomitant injury and to be prepared for dual fixation. We present a novel
      hybrid surgical fixation technique, which may be used in this instance.

PMID- 28357148
TI  - Anti-K1 (Kell) Antibody Expressed in Maternal Breastmilk: A Case Report of a
      Neonate with Multiple Intrauterine Transfusions and Postnatal Exposure to Kell
      Antibody in Maternal Breastmilk.
AB  - Hemolytic disease of the fetus and newborn is a common consideration in newborn
      medicine, especially among the jaundiced. Maternal breastmilk provides numerous
      benefits to the infant, including nutrition and immunologic factors. Here, we
      present an infant who received three intrauterine transfusions for anemia
      secondary to anti-K1 (Kell), anti-C, and anti-e antibodies and whose maternal
      breastmilk tested positive for anti-Kell antibodies. The infant required another
      transfusion at 4 weeks of life for anemia. We review the pathophysiology of anti
      Kell antibodies, the immunology of breast milk, and the intersection of these two
      topics.

PMID- 28357149
TI  - Festination Correlates with SNCA Polymorphism in Chinese Patients with
      Parkinson's Disease.
AB  - The genetic basis of festination, a common motor symptom in Parkinson's disease
      (PD), remains unclear. Since polymorphism in the alpha-synuclein (SNCA) gene is
      associated with PD phenotype, we examined whether such polymorphism is also
      associated with festination. SNCA polymorphisms rs11931074 and rs894278 were
      genotyped in a consecutive series of 258 patients with PD, of whom 122 (47.3%)
      suffered festination. Univariate analysis revealed significant differences in
      genotype and minor allele frequencies at rs11931074 or rs894278 between patients
      with festination and those without it (all p < 0.05). Based on logistic
      regression, a GG or GT genotype at rs11931074 was associated with higher risk of
      festination among patients with PD (OR 2.077, 95% CI 1.111-3.883, p = 0.022), as
      was the TT genotype at rs894278 (OR 2.271, 95% CI 1.246-4.139, p = 0.007).
      Therefore, we conclude that festination is associated with polymorphism at
      rs11931074 or rs894278 among patients with PD.

PMID- 28357151
TI  - Caprine Endometrial Mesenchymal Stromal Stem Cell: Multilineage Potential,
      Characterization, and Growth Kinetics in Breeding and Anestrous Stages.
AB  - The endometrial layer of the uterus contains a population of cells with similar
      characteristics of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs). In the present study, caprine
      endometrial mesenchymal stromal stem cells (En-MSCs) characters and
      differentiation potential to chondrogenic, osteogenic, and adipogenic cell lines
      as well as their growth kinetics in breeding and anestrous stages were evaluated.
      En-MSCs were enzymatically isolated from endometrial layer of the uterus of adult
      goats and were cultured and subcultured until passage 4. The growth kinetics and
      population doubling time (PDT) of caprine En-MSCs in breeding and anestrous
      stages were determined. En-MSCs in passage 4 were used for the karyotyping and
      differentiation into chondrocytes, osteocytes, and adipocytes. The PDT in
      anestrus phase was 40.6 h and in cyclic goats was 53 h. En-MSCs were fibroblast
      like in all passages. The number of chromosomes was normal (2n = 60) with no
      chromosomal instability. Chondrogenic, osteogenic, and adipogenic differentiation
      of En-MSCs was confirmed by staining with Alcian blue, Alizarin red, and Oil Red
      O, respectively. Caprine En-MSCs demonstrated to be an alternative source of MSCs
      for cell therapy purposes in regenerative medicine.

PMID- 28357150
TI  - Systematic Review and Critical Analysis of Cost Studies Associated with
      Parkinson's Disease.
AB  - Parkinson's disease (PD) is the second most prevalent neurodegenerative disease
      worldwide, affecting more than four million people. Typically, it affects
      individuals above 45, when they are still productive, compromising both aging and
      quality of life. Therefore, the cost of the disease must be identified, so that
      the use of resources can be rational and efficient. Additionally, in Brazil,
      there is a lack of research on the costs of neurodegenerative diseases, such as
      PD, a gap addressed in this study. This systematic review critically addresses
      the various methodologies used in original research around the world in the last
      decade on the subject, showing that costs are hardly comparable. Nonetheless, the
      economic and social impacts are implicit, and important information for public
      health agents is provided.

PMID- 28357152
TI  - A Highly Sensitive Multicommuted Flow Analysis Procedure for Photometric
      Determination of Molybdenum in Plant Materials without a Solvent Extraction Step.
AB  - A highly sensitive analytical procedure for photometric determination of
      molybdenum in plant materials was developed and validated. This procedure is
      based on the reaction of Mo(V) with thiocyanate ions (SCN-) in acidic medium to
      form a compound that can be monitored at 474 nm and was implemented employing a
      multicommuted flow analysis setup. Photometric detection was performed using an
      LED-based photometer coupled to a flow cell with a long optical path length (200
      mm) to achieve high sensitivity, allowing Mo(V) determination at a level of MUg L
      1 without the use of an organic solvent extraction step. After optimization of
      operational conditions, samples of digested plant materials were analyzed
      employing the proposed procedure. The accuracy was assessed by comparing the
      obtained results with those of a reference method, with an agreement observed at
      95% confidence level. In addition, a detection limit of 9.1 MUg L-1, a linear
      response (r = 0.9969) over the concentration range of 50-500 MUg L-1, generation
      of only 3.75 mL of waste per determination, and a sampling rate of 51
      determinations per hour were achieved.

PMID- 28357153
TI  - The Demand for Disaster Microinsurance for Small Businesses in Urban Slums: The
      Results of Surveys in Three Indian Cities.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Small informal businesses make up the core markets for many poor
      urban communities, providing essential goods, services, and livelihoods. Many of
      these communities and businesses exist in hazardous locations. In most cases,
      these business owners do not have access to proper coping mechanisms including
      risk transfer and lack resilience to shocks. Access to risk-transfer in the form
      of insurance for these small businesses is extremely limited. This demand survey
      is the first phase of an intervention to test disaster microinsurance for these
      businesses. Previous research has examined the demand for and value of
      microinsurance to protect poor households but not micro- and medium-sized
      informal urban businesses. OBJECTIVE: This study investigates knowledge about and
      demand for microinsurance among small informal business owners in three different
      cities of India. METHODS: Survey of all informal business owners (n=4919)
      identified through purposive sampling of the most vulnerable in three proposed
      study sites: Guwahati in Assam (n=1622), Puri in Odisha (n=1551) and Cuddalore in
      Tamil Nadu (n=1746). RESULTS: Our findings reflect that while small business
      owners largely did not know about disaster microinsurance, after describing it, a
      vast majority wanted to subscribe to such a program. Without it, they often rely
      on personal savings, forgo basic necessities, or take out costly loans that trap
      them in debt to cope with disasters. DISCUSSION: This research supports the need
      for more experiments on actual adoption patterns, feasibility studies, and
      innovative trial programs by governments, non-governmental organizations, and
      insurance providers.

PMID- 28357154
TI  - Vaccine Hesitancy: In Search of the Risk Communication Comfort Zone.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: This paper reports the findings of a national online survey to
      parents of children aged 5 and younger. The objectives of the study were to
      assess parental understanding of childhood immunizations, identify sources of
      information that they trust for vaccine-related content, assess where parents
      with young children stand on the key issues in the public debate about
      vaccination, and identify which risk communication messages are most effective
      for influencing the behaviours of vaccine hesitant parents. METHODS: A total of
      1,000 surveys (closed and open-ended questions) were administered in November
      2015 using the Angus Reid Forum Panel, a key consumer panel consisting of
      approximately 150,000 Canadian adults aged 18 and older, spread across all
      geographic regions of Canada. RESULTS: Approximately 92% of the Canadian parents
      surveyed consider vaccines safe and effective, and trust doctors and public
      health officials to provide timely and credible vaccine-related information.
      However, a concerning number of them either believe or are uncertain whether
      there is a link between vaccines and autism (28%), worry that vaccines might
      seriously harm their children (27%), or believe the pharmaceutical industry is
      behind the push for mandatory immunization (33%). Moreover, despite the common
      assumption that social media are becoming the go-to source of health news and
      information, most parents still rely on traditional media and official government
      websites for timely and credible information about vaccines and vaccine
      preventable diseases, particularly during community-based disease outbreaks.
      Finally, parents reported high levels of support for pro-vaccine messaging that
      has been demonstrated in previous research to have little to no positive impact
      on behaviour change, and may even be counterproductive. DISCUSSION: The study's
      results are highly relevant in a context where public health officials are
      expending significant resources to increase rates of childhood immunization and
      combat vaccine hesitancy. The data offer insight into where parents stand on the
      political and public debate about mandatory vaccination, what aspects of vaccine
      science remain uncertain to them, which media and institutional sources they use
      and trust to navigate the health information environment, how they look for
      information and whom they trust during periods of health emergency or crisis, and
      which communication strategies are considered most effective in persuading
      vaccine hesitant parents to immunize their children.

PMID- 28357156
TI  - Does Zika Virus Cause Microcephaly - Applying the Bradford Hill Viewpoints.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: Zika virus has been documented since 1952, but been associated with
      mild, self-limiting disease. Zika virus is classified as an arbovirus from a
      family of Flaviviridae and primarily spread by Aedes Aegypti mosquitos. However,
      in a large outbreak in Brazil in 2015, Zika virus has been associated with
      microcephaly. METHODS: In this review we applied the Bradford-Hill viewpoints  to
      investigate the association between Zika virus and microcephaly. We examined
      historical studies, available data and also compared historical rates of
      microcephaly prior to the Zika virus outbreak. The available evidence was
      reviewed against the Bradford Hill viewpoints. RESULTS: All  the nine criteria
      were met to varying degrees: strength of association, consistency of the
      association, specificity, temporality, plausibility, coherence, experimental
      evidence, biological gradient and analogy. Conclusion: Using the Bradford Hill
      Viewpoints as an evaluation framework for causation is highly suggestive that the
      association between Zika virus and microcephaly is causal. Further studies using
      animal models on the viewpoints which were not as strongly fulfilled would be
      helpful.

PMID- 28357155
TI  - Analytical and Clinical Validity Study of FirstStepDx PLUS: A Chromosomal
      Microarray Optimized for Patients with Neurodevelopmental Conditions.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: Chromosomal microarray analysis (CMA) is recognized as the first
      tier test in the genetic evaluation of children with developmental delays,
      intellectual disabilities, congenital anomalies and autism spectrum disorders of
      unknown etiology. ARRAY DESIGN: To optimize detection of clinically relevant copy
      number variants associated with these conditions, we designed a whole-genome
      microarray, FirstStepDx PLUS (FSDX). A set of 88,435 custom probes was added to
      the Affymetrix CytoScanHD platform targeting genomic regions strongly associated
      with these conditions. This combination of 2,784,985 total probes results in the
      highest probe coverage and clinical yield for these disorders. RESULTS AND
      DISCUSSION: Clinical testing of this patient population is validated on DNA from
      either non-invasive buccal swabs or traditional blood samples. In this report we
      provide data demonstrating the analytic and clinical validity of FSDX and provide
      an overview of results from the first 7,570 consecutive patients tested
      clinically. We further demonstrate that buccal sampling is an effective method of
      obtaining DNA samples, which may provide improved results compared to traditional
      blood sampling for patients with neurodevelopmental disorders who exhibit somatic
      mosaicism.

PMID- 28357157
TI  - A New Paradigm for Uterine Fibroid Treatment: Transcervical, Intrauterine
      Sonography-Guided Radiofrequency Ablation of Uterine Fibroids with the Sonata
      System.
AB  - PURPOSE OF REVIEW: This article provides the current evidence related to
      transcervical radiofrequency ablation of uterine fibroids under integrated
      intrauterine sonography guidance (the Sonata System). RECENT FINDINGS: Published
      data on the treatment of fibroids with the Sonata System has demonstrated
      significant median reductions in total (73.3%) and perfused (73.3%) uterine
      fibroid volume, menstrual bleeding (72.3%), symptom severity (62.5%), and
      improvements in health-related quality of life (127%) at 12 months post-ablation.
      A clinical trial under an FDA Investigational Device Exemption is in progress.
      SUMMARY: The Sonata System is a promising treatment modality for uterine
      fibroids. As an incisionless, minimally invasive treatment that does not require
      general anesthesia or hospitalization, it has the potential for redefining the
      current paradigm for management of symptomatic fibroids.

PMID- 28357158
TI  - Binary Classifier Calibration Using an Ensemble of Linear Trend Estimation.
AB  - Learning accurate probabilistic models from data is crucial in many practical
      tasks in data mining. In this paper we present a new non-parametric calibration
      method called ensemble of linear trend estimation (ELiTE). ELiTE utilizes the
      recently proposed l1 trend ltering signal approximation method [22] to find the
      mapping from uncalibrated classification scores to the calibrated probability
      estimates. ELiTE is designed to address the key limitations of the histogram
      binning-based calibration methods which are (1) the use of a piecewise constant
      form of the calibration mapping using bins, and (2) the assumption of
      independence of predicted probabilities for the instances that are located in
      different bins. The method post-processes the output of a binary classifier to
      obtain calibrated probabilities. Thus, it can be applied with many existing
      classification models. We demonstrate the performance of ELiTE on real datasets
      for commonly used binary classification models. Experimental results show that
      the method outperforms several common binary-classifier calibration methods. In
      particular, ELiTE commonly performs statistically significantly better than the
      other methods, and never worse. Moreover, it is able to improve the calibration
      power of classifiers, while retaining their discrimination power. The method is
      also computationally tractable for large scale datasets, as it is practically O(N
      log N) time, where N is the number of samples.

PMID- 28357159
TI  - Correction: No population bias to left-hemisphere language in 4-year-olds with
      language impairment.
AB  - [This corrects the article DOI: 10.7717/peerj.507.].

PMID- 28357160
TI  - Mapping the Internal Anatomy of the Lateral Brainstem: Anatomical Study with
      Application to Far Lateral Approaches to Intrinsic Brainstem Tumors.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: Intramedullary brainstem tumors present a special challenge to the
      neurosurgeon. Unfortunately, there is no ideal part of the brainstem to incise
      for approaches to such pathology. Therefore, the present study was performed to
      identify what incisions on the lateral brainstem would result in the least amount
      of damage to eloquent tracts and nuclei. Case illustrations are also discussed.
      MATERIALS AND METHODS: Eight human brainstems were evaluated. Based on
      dissections and the use of standard atlases of brainstem anatomy, the most
      important deeper brainstem structures were mapped to the surface of the lateral
      brainstem. RESULTS: With these data, we defined superior acute and inferior
      obtuse corridors for surgical entrance into the lateral brainstem that would
      minimize injury to deeper tracts and nuclei, the damage to which would result in
      significant morbidity. CONCLUSIONS: To our knowledge, a superficial map of the
      lateral brainstem for identifying deeper lying and clinically significant nuclei
      and tracts has not previously been available. Such data might decrease patient
      morbidity following biopsy or tumor removal or aspiration of brainstem
      hemorrhage. Additionally, this information can be coupled with the previous
      literature on approaches into the fourth ventricular floor for more complex,
      multidimensional lesions.

PMID- 28357161
TI  - Defining Health Across the Cancer Continuum.
AB  - Health is not defined by the absence of disease or suffering, but by response to
      a series of life events that can markedly alter the quality and quantity of life.
      Patients with cancer experience significant but dynamic physical, psychosocial,
      and financial challenges. With the increasing number of patients with early stage
      cancers transitioning to survivorship, there is a critical need to address health
      promotion and overall well-being. For those with advanced cancer, discussion
      about prognosis and early integration of palliative care can have a profound
      impact on the quality of life. Effective communication between healthcare
      providers and patients is important in aligning treatment recommendations with
      patient goals and preferences throughout cancer therapy. This review provides a
      dynamic definition of health and proposes actionable guidelines for health
      promotion at any point along the cancer continuum: survivorship after early
      cancer or when goals of care transition to improve quality at the end of life.

PMID- 28357163
TI  - Radiographic Pearls in the Evaluation of an Extradural Thoracic Meningioma: A
      Case Report.
AB  - Spinal meningiomas are the most common of adult spinal tumors. Spinal meningiomas
      account for up to 45% of all intradural spinal tumors in adults and up to 25% of
      all spinal tumors. While spinal meningiomas are traditionally classified as
      intradural lesions, up to 14% may have an extradural component. Preoperative
      evaluation and directed use of imaging techniques are key in these rare but
      observed cases, to accurately diagnose and direct therapy. In this report, the
      authors present a case of a 61-year-old female with an incidentally found,
      exclusively extradural thoracic meningioma treated with surgical resection,
      highlighting key radiographic pearls in the evaluation of these uncommon lesions.

PMID- 28357165
TI  - Persistent Afebrile Abdominal Pain: An Unusual Case of Segmental Colitis in an
      Immunocompromised Host.
AB  - : In this report we describe a case of a 66-year-old woman who presented with
      right upper quadrant abdominal pain and bloody diarrhea. A workup revealed
      immunodeficiency, an immunologic profile with low complement levels resembling
      systemic lupus erythematosus, and a circumferential colonic wall lesion located
      in the ascending colon. After endoscopy and biopsy, the mass lesion was
      attributed to "double hit" diffuse large B-cell lymphoma, categorized as high
      grade large B-cell non-Hodgkin lymphoma according to the most recent revised 2016
      World Health Organisation classification and considered to be a rare and highly
      aggressive tumor. The diagnosis of colonic lymphoma can be challenging due to a
      diversity of clinical presentation and requires a high index of suspicion. As the
      literature of such documented reports is limited, this case suggests further
      investigations. ABBREVIATIONS: GI: gastrointestinal tract, DLBCL: diffuse large B
      cell lymphoma, DH: double hit lymphoma, SLE: systemic lupus erythematosus, ANA:
      antinuclear antibodies, anti-ssDNA: anti-single-stranded DNA, BCL: B-cell
      lymphoma protein, MUM-1/IRF4: multiple myeloma oncogene 1/interferon regulatory
      factor 4, HGBL: high grade B-cell lymphoma, anti-dsDNA: anti-double-stranded DNA.

PMID- 28357164
TI  - Subdural Thoracolumbar Spine Hematoma after Spinal Anesthesia: A Rare Occurrence
      and Literature Review of Spinal Hematomas after Spinal Anesthesia.
AB  - Spinal hematomas are a rare but serious complication of spinal epidural
      anesthesia and are typically seen in the epidural space; however, they have been
      documented in the subdural space. Spinal subdural hematomas likely exist within a
      traumatically induced space within the dural border cell layer, rather than an
      anatomical subdural space. Spinal subdural hematomas present a dangerous clinical
      situation as they have the potential to cause significant compression of neural
      elements and can be easily mistaken for spinal epidural hematomas. Ultrasound can
      be an effective modality to diagnose subdural hematoma when no epidural blood is
      visualized. We have reviewed the literature and present a full literature review
      and a case presentation of an 82-year-old male who developed a thoracolumbar
      spinal subdural hematoma after spinal epidural anesthesia. Anticoagulant therapy
      is an important predisposing risk factor for spinal epidural hematomas and likely
      also predispose to spinal subdural hematomas. It is important to consider spinal
      subdural hematomas in addition to spinal epidural hematomas in patients who
      develop weakness after spinal epidural anesthesia, especially in patients who
      have received anticoagulation.

PMID- 28357162
TI  - Health, Health Care, and Systems Science: Emerging Paradigm.
AB  - Health is a continuum of an optimized state of a biologic system, an outcome of
      positive relationships with the self and others. A healthy system follows the
      principles of systems science derived from observations of nature, highlighting
      the character of relationships as the key determinant. Relationships evolve from
      our decisions, which are consequential to the function of our own biologic system
      on all levels, including the genome, where epigenetics impact our morphology. In
      healthy systems, decisions emanate from the reciprocal collaboration of
      hippocampal memory and the executive prefrontal cortex. We can decide to change
      relationships through choices. What is selected, however, only represents the
      cognitive interpretation of our limited sensory perception; it strongly reflects
      inherent biases toward either optimizing state, making a biologic system healthy,
      or not. Health or its absence is then the outcome; there is no inconsequential
      choice. Public health effort should not focus on punitive steps (e.g. taxation of
      unhealthy products or behaviors) in order to achieve a higher level of public's
      health. It should teach people the process of making healthy decisions;
      otherwise, people will just migrate/shift from one unhealthy product/behavior to
      another, and well-intended punitive steps will not make much difference. Physical
      activity, accompanied by nutrition and stress management, have the greatest
      impact on fashioning health and simultaneously are the most cost-effective
      measures. Moderate-to-vigorous exercise not only improves aerobic fitness but
      also positively influences cognition, including memory and senses. Collective,
      rational societal decisions can then be anticipated. Health care is a business
      system principally governed by self-maximizing decisions of its components;
      uneven and contradictory outcomes are the consequences within such a non
      optimized system. Health is not health care. We are biologic systems subject to
      the laws of biology in spite of our incongruous decisions that are detrimental to
      health. A biologic system/a human body originates from structural, deterministic
      genes as well as shared epigenetic memory of our ancestors affecting our bodily
      function and structure. The political governing systems' vertical hierarchy has
      control over money and laws, neither of which materially affect individual
      lifestyle/behavioral choices toward health. Improved health comes from focusing
      on enhancing the biologic age and not the chronologic one, which simply
      represents a linear time from a birth certificate to a death certificate and is
      applicable only in its extremes. "Age-related diseases" are simply reflections of
      a given culture. Biologic age, reflecting the actual state of health, could be
      used in all health-related assessments including health-life insurance premiums,
      licensing of job categories, etc., all with a broader and healthy societal
      impact.

PMID- 28357167
TI  - A Case Series of Bee Sting Keratopathy With Different Outcomes in Malaysia.
AB  - We report three patients with corneal bee sting at our tertiary care center in a
      three-year period starting from 2014 to 2016. All patients sustained a bee sting
      injury to the cornea. All patients received early preoperative topical
      antibiotics, topical cycloplegic and intensive topical steroids. However, the
      timing of the initial presentation, the duration, and the location of the
      retained stinger differed in each case leading to different postsurgical
      outcomes.

PMID- 28357166
TI  - Spontaneous Intracranial Hypotension Presenting as a "Pseudo-Chiari 1.
AB  - Spontaneous intracranial hypotension (SIH) is classified as a decrease in
      cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) pressure secondary to a CSF leakage and consequent
      descent of the brain into the foramen magnum. Diagnosing SIH can be difficult due
      to its overlapping findings with Arnold-Chiari type 1 Malformation (CM1) where
      the cerebellar tonsils herniate into the foramen magnum. The similarity of both
      conditions calls for a more reliable imaging technique to localize the CSF leak
      which could narrow the differential diagnosis and aid in choosing the correct
      treatment. Here, we present a case of a 28-year-old female, ten weeks post-partum
      with symptoms similar to SIH. MRI of the brain was remarkable for tonsillar
      herniation below the foramen magnum. Literature was reviewed for additional
      neuroradiology techniques that would aid in narrowing our differential diagnosis.
      Interestingly, computed tomography-, digital subtraction-, and magnetic resonance
      myelography with intrathecal gadolinium are the preferred techniques for
      diagnosis of high flow and low flow CSF leaks, respectively. These modalities
      further aid in choosing the correct treatment while avoiding complications.
      Literature suggests that treatment for CM1 involves posterior fossa
      decompression, whereas the mainstay of treatment for SIH involves an epidural
      blood patch (EBP). Thus, our patient was treated with an EBP and recovered
      without complication.

PMID- 28357168
TI  - Giant Osteolipoma Fixed to the Greater Trochanter of the Femur in a Seventy-Year
      Old Elderly Woman.
AB  - A lipoma containing mature osseous elements is called osteolipoma. This article
      describes a giant osteolipoma fixed to the periosteum of the greater trochanter
      of the femur. A seventy-year-old woman presented with a large subcutaneous mass
      in the right buttock which had been present for six years. On local examination,
      a giant mass that was ovoid, firm, non-tender, well demarcated, subcutaneous, and
      relatively fixed to the greater trochanter was palpated in the right buttock. A
      medical imaging and fluoro-deoxy-glucose (FDG) bone scan revealed a large
      lipomatous and metabolically active lesion arising from the periosteum of the
      greater trochanter of femur. The excisional mass of 17 * 8 * 7 cm3 was well
      encapsulated and had an osseous basal portion. Cut sections of the mass revealed
      mainly yellow fatty tissue surrounded by a thin fibrous capsule with numerous
      interlacing thin lamellar bony structures. The definitive pathological diagnosis
      was osteolipoma without evidence of malignancy. No recurrence was observed at
      eight months follow-up. Osteolipoma with an osseous basal portion is rare.
      Surgical excision is the treatment of choice and the prognosis is good. To the
      best of our knowledge, this is the first report of an unusual giant osteolipoma
      fixed to the periosteum of the greater trochanter of the femur.

PMID- 28357169
TI  - Low-profile Visualized Intraluminal Support Junior Device for the Treatment of
      Intracranial Aneurysms.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: Early case series suggest that the recently introduced Low-profile
      Visualized Intraluminal Support Junior (LVIS Jr.) device (MicroVention-Terumo,
      Inc., Tustin, CA) may be used to treat wide-necked aneurysms that would otherwise
      require treatment with intrasaccular devices or open surgery. We report our
      single-center experience utilizing LVIS Jr. to treat intracranial aneurysms
      involving 1.8-2.5 mm parent arteries. METHODS: We retrospectively reviewed
      records of patients treated with the LVIS Jr. device for intracranial aneurysms
      at a single center. A total of 21 aneurysms were treated in 18 patients.
      Aneurysms were 2-25 mm in diameter; one was ruptured, while three had recurred
      after previous rupture and treatment. Lesions were distributed across the
      anterior (n=12) and posterior (n=9) circulations. Three were fusiform morphology.
      RESULTS: Stent deployment was successful in 100% of cases with no immediate
      complications. Seventeen aneurysms were treated with stent-assisted coil
      embolization resulting in immediate complete occlusion in 94% of cases. Two
      fusiform aneurysms arising from the posterior circulation were further treated
      with elective clip ligation after delayed expansion and recurrence; no lesions
      required further endovascular treatment. Four aneurysms were treated by flow
      diversion with stand-alone LVIS Jr. stent, and complete occlusion was achieved in
      three cases. Small foci of delayed ischemic injury were noted in two patients in
      the setting of antiplatelet medication noncompliance. No in-stent stenosis,
      migration, hemorrhage, or permanent deficits were observed. Good functional
      outcome based on the modified Rankin Scale score (mRS <= 2) was achieved in 100%
      of cases. CONCLUSION: Our midterm results suggest that the LVIS Jr. stent may be
      used for a variety of intracranial aneurysms involving small parent arteries (1.8
      2.5 mm) with complete angiographic occlusion, parent vessel preservation, and
      functional clinical outcomes. This off-label expansion would increase the number
      of aneurysms amenable to endovascular treatment. Future studies may build upon
      our experiences with flow diversion and treatment of complex or multiple lesions.

PMID- 28357170
TI  - Does Vitamin D Deficiency Lead to Hypertension?
AB  - Hypertension (HTN) or high blood pressure is one of the most chronic and
      deadliest disorders in the world. There are many risk factors responsible for HTN
      which include age, race, using tobacco, high salt intake, etc. One of the risk
      factors we would like to highlight is low vitamin D levels. While there is strong
      evidence that Vitamin D plays an important role in maintaining bone and muscle
      health, there has been recent debate regarding its role in hypertension. However,
      there are many studies that have shown an indirect relation between 25
      hydroxyvitamin D serum level and blood pressure. However, we suggest that more
      studies, especially randomised trials, should be conducted.

PMID- 28357171
TI  - Value-Based Care in the Worldwide Battle Against Cancer.
AB  - Globally, an increasing and aging population is contributing to the prevalence of
      cancer. To be effective, cancer care needs to involve the coordination of
      multidisciplinary specialties, and also needs to be affordable, accessible, and
      capable of producing optimal patient outcomes. Porter and Teisberg (2006) have
      postulated that shifting current healthcare strategies from volume-based to
      patient-centric care redirects economic competition to providing treatments which
      promote the best patient outcomes while driving down costs. Therefore, the value
      in value-based healthcare (VBH) is defined as patient outcome per currency spent
      on providing care. Based on the experiences of healthcare organizations currently
      transitioning to the value-based system, this review details actionable
      guidelines to transition current cancer care practices to the value-based system
      in four main steps: by defining universal clinical and patient-reported measures,
      creating cancer-specific units that provide the full care cycle, establishing a
      data capture model to routinely determine the value of the care delivered, and
      continually improving treatment strategies through research. As healthcare
      providers in more developed countries move to value-based care, those located in
      less developed countries should also be assisted in their transition to relieve
      the cancer burden globally.

PMID- 28357173
TI  - Status Epilepticus and Blindness in a Patient with Carfilzomib-Associated
      Posterior Reversible Encephalopathy Syndrome.
AB  - Posterior reversible encephalopathy syndrome (PRES) is a neurological condition
      characterized by headaches, visual disturbances, and seizures. A magnetic
      resonance imaging (MRI) scan of an affected brain typically shows symmetrical
      white matter edema in the posterior cerebral hemispheres. The onset of PRES can
      constitute a medical emergency, especially when accompanied by status
      epilepticus. If promptly recognized and treated, the clinical syndrome and
      associated radiological findings are usually resolved in a matter of weeks or
      months. Carfilzomib is a proteasome inhibitor that is newly approved for
      relapsing myeloma in a patient who has received one or more lines of therapy. In
      this paper, we report on a 52-year-old female on carfilzomib for multiple myeloma
      who developed PRES following her second dose of treatment. She was admitted for
      chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) exacerbation, and while she was in
      the hospital, she developed a severe headache, blindness, and status epilepticus.
      A brain MRI showed signs consistent with PRES. After carfilzomib was
      discontinued, her symptoms resolved within three days. Unfortunately, the patient
      passed away shortly after being discharged, so there was no opportunity to
      perform a repeat MRI.

PMID- 28357172
TI  - The Use of WhatsApp Smartphone Messaging Improves Communication Efficiency within
      an Orthopaedic Surgery Team.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: Effective and timely communication is important for any surgical
      specialty to function. The use of smartphones is prevalent amongst doctors.
      Numerous smartphone applications offer the potential for fast and cost-effective
      communication. WhatsApp is a commonly used application that is free, easy to use,
      and capable of text and multimedia messaging. We report on the use of WhatsApp
      over a six month period in our unit. MATERIALS AND METHODS: WhatsApp
      communication between non-consultant members of an orthopaedic team over a six
      month period was analysed. Both the phones and the WhatsApp application were
      password-protected, and patient details were anonymised. A series of 20
      communications using the hospital pager system and the telephone system were also
      analysed. RESULTS: A total of 5,492 messages were sent during the six-month
      period and were part of 1,916 separate communication events. The vast majority of
      messages, 5,090, were related to patient care. A total of 195 multimedia messages
      were sent and these included images of radiographs and wounds. When using the
      hospital telephones, the length of time spent on a communication averaged 5.78
      minutes and using the hospital pager system averaged 7.45 minutes. Using the
      WhatsApp messaging system has potentially saved up to 7,664 minutes over the
      study period. All participants found WhatsApp easy to use and found it to be more
      efficient than the traditional pager system Conclusion: Compared to the
      traditional pager systems, the use of WhatsApp is easy, inexpensive, and reliable
      and can help improve the efficiency of communication within a surgical team.

PMID- 28357174
TI  - Production mechanisms of leptons, photons, and hadrons and their possible
      feedback close to lightning leaders.
AB  - It has been discussed that lightning flashes emit high-energy electrons,
      positrons, photons, and neutrons with single energies of several tens of MeV. In
      the first part of this paper we study the absorption of neutron beams in the
      atmosphere. We initiate neutron beams of initial energies of 350 keV, 10 MeV, and
      20 MeV at source altitudes of 4 km and 16 km upward and downward and see that in
      all these cases neutrons reach ground altitudes and that the cross-section areas
      extend to several km2. We estimate that for terrestrial gamma-ray flashes
      approximately between 10 and 2000 neutrons per ms and m2 are possibly detectable
      at ground, at 6 km, or at 500 km altitude. In the second part of the paper we
      discuss a feedback model involving the generation and motion of electrons,
      positrons, neutrons, protons, and photons close to the vicinity of lightning
      leaders. In contrast to other feedback models, we do not consider large-scale
      thundercloud fields but enhanced fields of lightning leaders. We launch different
      photon and electron beams upward at 4 km altitude. We present the spatial and
      energy distribution of leptons, hadrons, and photons after different times and
      see that leptons, hadrons, and photons with energies of at least 40 MeV are
      produced. Because of their high rest mass hadrons are measurable on a longer time
      scale than leptons and photons. The feedback mechanism together with the field
      enhancement by lightning leaders yields particle energies even above 40 MeV
      measurable at satellite altitudes.

PMID- 28357175
TI  - Innovative measures to combat rare diseases in China: The national rare diseases
      registry system, larger-scale clinical cohort studies, and studies in combination
      with precision medicine research.
AB  - China is facing the great challenge of treating the world's largest rare disease
      population, an estimated 16 million patients with rare diseases. One effort
      offering promise has been a pilot national project that was launched in 2013 and
      that focused on 20 representative rare diseases. Another government-supported
      special research program on rare diseases - the "Rare Diseases Clinical Cohort
      Study" - was launched in December 2016. According to the plan for this research
      project, the unified National Rare Diseases Registry System of China will be
      established as of 2020, and a large-scale cohort study will be conducted from
      2016 to 2020. The project plans to develop 109 technical standards, to establish
      and improve 2 national databases of rare diseases - a multi-center clinical
      database and a biological sample library, and to conduct studies on more than
      50,000 registered cases of 50 different rare diseases. More importantly, this
      study will be combined with the concept of precision medicine. Chinese population
      specific basic information on rare diseases, clinical information, and genomic
      information will be integrated to create a comprehensive predictive model with a
      follow-up database system and a model to evaluate prognosis. This will provide
      the evidence for accurate classification, diagnosis, treatment, and estimation of
      prognosis for rare diseases in China. Numerous challenges including data
      standardization, protecting patient privacy, big data processing, and
      interpretation of genetic information still need to be overcome, but research
      prospects offer great promise.

PMID- 28357178
TI  - From promising molecules to orphan drugs: Early clinical drug development.
AB  - Phase-1 (also known as "First-in-Man") clinical trials initiate the early
      clinical development of possible new medicines. Patient participation in this
      early phase of clinical trials is rather limited. After successful phase 1
      trials, further phase 2 and phase 3 clinical trials in patients may lead to a
      marketing authorization. In the first 15 years of the European Union Orphan Drug
      Directive, 4.5% of the orphan drug applications were authorized. However, for
      many of these orphan drugs, no phase 1 studies were required, as these products
      were already well known pharmaceutical substances, with a clearly defined
      pharmacological profile. Furthermore, for 19 orphan drugs, already authorized by
      the European Medicines Agency (EMA), the original rare indication was extended to
      another rare disease and no phase 1 trials were needed. Phase 1 studies need to
      be performed in a sufficient number of volunteers even for medicinal products
      intended for a very limited number of patients.

PMID- 28357177
TI  - Pancreatic neuroendocrine tumors.
AB  - Pancreatic neuroendocrine neoplasms (pNENs) are a heterogeneous group of tumors
      including well differentiated pancreatic neuroendocrine tumors (pNETs) and
      neuroendocrine carcinomas (pNECs). The incidence of pNENs has increased over the
      past few decades. Although, the understanding and interest for this tumor have
      also increased significantly, the debate about classification and diagnosis
      continues. Although the primary treatment for pNENs is surgical resection, there
      is still a lack of effective therapeutic options for patients with advanced
      unresectable pNENs. Although many therapeutic methods have proven effective, the
      choice of treatment and specific programs are still unclear. Our article presents
      an overview of pNENs, with a focus on their diagnostic work-up, clinical
      presentation and treatment options.

PMID- 28357176
TI  - Novel and emerging therapies in the treatment of recessive dystrophic
      epidermolysis bullosa.
AB  - Epidermolysis bullosa (EB) is a clinically and genetically heterogeneous group of
      inherited blistering diseases that affects ~ 500,000 people worldwide.
      Clinically, individuals with EB have fragile skin and are susceptible to
      blistering following minimal trauma, with mucous membrane and other organ
      involvement in some subtypes. Within the spectrum of EB, ~ 5% of affected
      individuals have the clinically more severe recessive dystrophic (RDEB) variant
      with a prevalence of 8 per one million of the population. RDEB is caused by loss
      of-function mutations in the type VII collagen gene, COL7A1, which leads to
      reduced or absent type VII collagen (C7) and a paucity of structurally effective
      anchoring fibrils at the dermal-epidermal junction (DEJ). Currently, there is no
      cure for RDEB, although considerable progress has been made in testing novel
      treatments including gene therapy (lentiviral and gamma retroviral vectors for
      COL7A1 supplementation in keratinocytes and fibroblasts), as well as cell therapy
      (use of allogeneic fibroblasts, mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs), and bone marrow
      transplantation (BMT)). Here, we review current treatment modalities available as
      well as novel and emerging therapies in the treatment of RDEB. Clinical trials of
      new translational therapies in RDEB offer hope for improved clinical management
      of patients as well as generating broader lessons for regenerative medicine that
      could be applicable to other inherited or acquired abnormalities of wound healing
      or scarring.

PMID- 28357179
TI  - Interferon-stimulated gene 20-kDa protein (ISG20) in infection and disease:
      Review and outlook.
AB  - Interferon-stimulated exonuclease gene 20 (ISG20) is an RNA exonuclease in the
      yeast RNA exonuclease 4 homolog (REX4) subfamily and the DEDDh exonuclease
      family, and this gene codes for a 20-kDa protein. Those exonucleases are involved
      in cleaving single-stranded RNA and DNA. ISG20 is also referred to as HEM45 (HeLa
      estrogen-modulated, band 45). Expression of ISG20 can be induced or regulated by
      both type I and II interferons (IFNs) in various cell lines. ISG20 plays a role
      in mediating interferon's antiviral activities. In addition, ISG20 may be a
      potential susceptibility biomarker or pharmacological target in some inflammatory
      conditions. Exonucleases are useful components of many physiological processes.
      Despite recent advances in our understanding of the functions of ISG20, much work
      remains to be done with regard to uncovering the mechanism of action of ISG20 in
      specific diseases and adapting ISG20 for use as a biomarker of disease. This
      review describes current information on ISG20 and its potential use in marking
      disease. This review describes several research achievements thus far and it
      seeks to provide some new ideas for future related research.

PMID- 28357180
TI  - Diagnosis and treatment of Dent disease in 10 Chinese boys.
AB  - Dent disease is a rare X-linked recessive proximal tubular disorder that affects
      mostly male patients in childhood or early adult life. Dent disease is clinically
      characterized by the presence of low molecular weight proteinuria (LMWP),
      hypercalciuria, medullary nephrocalcinosis, nephrolithiasis, and progressive
      renal failure. The clinical features, diagnosis, and treatment of Dent disease
      were examined in 10 Chinese boys. All 10 childhood cases of Dent disease in China
      presented with tubular proteinuria in the nephrotic range and hypercalciuria. The
      ratio of alpha1-microglobulinuria to microalbuminuria, if close to or above 1,
      can be used as a diagnostic criterion for tubuloproteinuria. Lotensin was
      ineffective at treating proteinuria while dihydrochlorothiazide reduced urine
      calcium excretion.

PMID- 28357181
TI  - Prevalence of vestibular symptoms in individuals with auditory neuropathy
      spectrum disorder - A retrospective study.
AB  - The objective of the study was to retrospectively determine the prevalence of
      vestibular symptoms in individuals with auditory neuropathy spectrum disorder
      (ANSD). It was also attempted to determine the prevalence of vestibular symptoms
      and factors (gender and age of reported hearing loss) that could affect the
      prevalence in individuals with ANSD. The vestibular symptoms reported in the case
      history were analyzed in individuals diagnosed with ANSD. The symptoms reported
      by a total of 316 individuals (185 females and 131 males) with ANSD were
      analyzed. The result of the study showed that one in five individuals with ANSD
      reported at least one of the vestibular symptom. The vestibular symptoms were in
      more females and in individuals with earlier onset of hearing loss. The result of
      the study supports that there is a vestibular damage in individuals with ANSD.
      However, it is essential to carry out prospective studies validating these
      vestibular symptoms with objective vestibular tests before generalizing the
      results.

PMID- 28357182
TI  - Expression of GPR17, a regulator of oligodendrocyte differentiation and
      maturation, in Nasu-Hakola disease brains.
AB  - The G protein-coupled receptor 17 (GPR17), a Gi-coupled GPCR, acts as an
      intrinsic timer of oligodendrocyte differentiation and myelination. The
      expression of GPR17 is upregulated during differentiation of oligodendrocyte
      precursor cells (OPCs) into premyelinating oligodendrocytes
      (preoligodendrocytes), whereas it is markedly downregulated during terminal
      maturation of myelinating oligodendrocytes. Nasu-Hakola disease (NHD) is a rare
      autosomal recessive disorder caused by a loss-of-function mutation of either
      TYROBP (DAP12) or TREM2. Pathologically, the brains of NHD patients exhibit
      extensive demyelination designated leukoencephalopathy, astrogliosis,
      accumulation of axonal spheroids, and activation of microglia predominantly in
      the white matter of frontal and temporal lobes. Although GPR17 is a key regulator
      of oligodendrogenesis, a pathological role of GPR17 in NHD brains with relevance
      to development of leukoencephalopathy remains unknown. We studied the expression
      of GPR17 in five NHD brains and eight control brains by immunohistochemistry. We
      identified GPR17-immunoreactive preoligodendrocytes with a multipolar ramified
      morphology distributed in the white matter and the grey matter of all cases
      examined. However, we did not find statistically significant differences in the
      number of GPR17-expressing cells between NHD and control brains both in the white
      matter and the grey matter due to great variability from case to case. These
      observations do not support the view that GPR17-positive preoligodendrocytes play
      a central role in the development of leukoencephalopathy in NHD brains.

PMID- 28357183
TI  - Tuberculosis and Guillain-Barre syndrome: A chance association?
AB  - An 18-year-old boy presented with acute-onset quadriparesis that had developed 4
      weeks prior. He had an intermittent fever and significant weight loss during this
      period. After extensive investigations, the patient was diagnosed with an acute
      motor and sensory axonal neuropathy (AMSAN) variant of Guillain-Barre syndrome
      (GBS) and disseminated tuberculosis with mediastinal lymphadenopathy,
      pericarditis, and pleural effusion. Plasmapheresis was performed and first-line
      anti-tubercular therapy was administered. At the follow-up at 6 months, the
      patient was asymptomatic, he had no residual weakness and could walk without
      support, and tuberculosis had completely resolved on X-rays. Many infectious
      agents have been known to trigger GBS, but only a few cases of GBS and
      tuberculosis have been reported. This association needs to be evaluated further.

PMID- 28357184
TI  - Gomez-Lopez-Hernandez syndrome: First reported case from the Indian subcontinent.
AB  - Gomez-Lopez-Hernandez syndrome (GLHS) is a rare neurocutaneous syndrome
      characterized by a triad of findings: partial alopecia of the scalp, trigeminal
      anaesthesia, and rhombencephalosynapsis. GLHS is also known as cerebello
      trigeminal-dermal dysplasia. Besides this triad, a number of varying traits have
      been described in 35 previously reported cases. Reported here is a case of a four
      year-old boy, born out of consanguineous marriage, presenting with the classic
      triad of findings, i.e. partial alopecia of the scalp, trigeminal anaesthesia,
      and rhombencephalosynapsis. To the extent known, this is the first case of GLHS
      reported from India. If a child presents with alopecia and rhom
      bencephalosynapsis, GLHS should be considered in the differential diagnosis. A
      host of studies can be used to determine the exact pathogenesis, and confirming
      the diagnosis of GLHS is an important step in prenatal testing for at-risk
      pregnancies.

PMID- 28357185
TI  - Microdeletion of chromosome 1q21.3 in fraternal twins is associated with mental
      retardation, microcephaly, and epilepsy.
AB  - Reported here are twins, both of whom have a 1q21.3 microdeletion and who exhibit
      key features common to previously reported cases such as microcephaly and
      developmental delay. However, some clinical findings and deleted genes differed
      from those in previously reported cases. The karyotype was normal 46, XX for both
      of the twins. Array comparative genomic hybridization (CGH) identified a 2.6 Mb
      deletion on chromosome 1q21.3 (chr1: 153,514,121-156,171,335 bp) in case 1 and a
      1.6 Mb deletion on chromosome 1q21.3 (chr1: 154,748,365-156,358,923 bp) in case
      2. The deleted region includes DPM3, MUC1, GBA, PKLR, RIT1, and LAMTOR2 in both
      siblings. To the extent known, this is the second report of a 1q21.3
      microdeletion in a family with mental retardation, developmental delay, seizures,
      and some dysmorphic features, thus expanding the phenotypic spectrum.

PMID- 28357187
TI  - Thrombocytosis in a patient with upper gastrointestinal bleeding.
AB  - Reported here is a case of upper gastrointestinal bleeding secondary to a peptic
      ulcer involving an extremely high platelet count of 989 * 109/L.
      Myeloproliferative neoplasms were ruled out on the basis of gene mutation testing
      and a bone marrow biopsy. After the cessation of index bleeding, the platelet
      count decreased markedly. Thus, reactive thrombocytosis was considered as a
      possibility.

PMID- 28357186
TI  - Lesch-Nyhan syndrome: The saga of metabolic abnormalities and self-injurious
      behavior.
AB  - Lesch-Nyhan syndrome (LNS) is an X-linked recessive disorder of purine metabolism
      caused by a mutation in Xq26.2-q26.3 (OMIM 308000.0004). The presence of the
      diagnostic triad, i.e. signs of self-injurious behavior (SIB) and results of
      pedigree analysis and novel molecular biology & genetic testing, confirms the
      diagnosis of LNS. With a level of hypoxanthine guanine phosphoribosyl-transferase
      1 (HPRT1) enzyme activity < 2%, patients develop neurological, neurocognitive,
      and neuromotor symptoms along with SIB. Described here is a case of 4-year-old
      boy who was diagnosed with LNS. The boy displayed SIB, i.e. biting of the lips
      and fingers, and he had cerebral venous sinus thrombosis caused by LNS.

PMID- 28357188
TI  - Audiological findings from an adult with thin cochlear nerves.
AB  - Reported here are audiological findings from an adult with thin cochlear nerves.
      Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) revealed that he had a thinner cochlear nerve in
      the left ear than in the right ear. He had a higher degree of hearing loss in the
      left ear and poor speech recognition scores for both ears. He had normal middle
      ear and cochlear functioning. The auditory brainstem response and acoustic
      reflexes were absent, indicating a retrocochlear pathology. Long latency
      responses (LLR) revealed normal cortical functioning. Hence, implantation of an
      auditory brainstem implant might be an option, but the patient would need to be
      aware of its limitations. This case highlights the importance of MRI in
      evaluating congenital malformations of the cochlear nerve when audiological
      findings indicate a retrocochlear pathology.

PMID- 28357189
TI  - Griscelli syndrome subtype 2 with hemophagocytic lympho-histiocytosis: A case
      report and review of literature.
AB  - Griscelli syndrome (GS) is a rare autosomal recessive disorder resulting in
      pigmentary dilution of the skin and hair with variable phenotypes depending upon
      subtypes. Mutations in 3 distinct genes MYO5A, RAB27A, MLPH are responsible for 3
      subtypes (GS1, GS2, and GS3) of GS respectively. GS subtype 2 commonly develops
      hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis (HLH) and recurrent infections due to
      immunodeficiency. We hereby report a 20 month old male child presenting with
      silvery gray hair, hypomelanosis and features of hemophagocytosis. The diagnosis
      of a type 2 GS was made in response to a set of clinical features:
      hypopigmentation of skin and the silvered reflection of the hair, absence of
      psychomotor retardation, the occurrence of an accelerated phase
      (hemophagocytosis) and, above all, a pathognomonic appearance by microscopic
      examination of a hair. The absence of giant granules in the nucleated cells made
      it possible to eliminate Chediak-Higashi syndrome, which shares a close clinical
      spectrum with GS. This case promotes awareness about this rare case of GS as a
      high indicator of suspicion about this potentially fatal condition and aids in
      prompt diagnosis and foresees complications. Early bone marrow transplant is the
      only curative treatment for GS-2.

PMID- 28357190
TI  - Investigating country-specific music preferences and music recommendation
      algorithms with the LFM-1b dataset.
AB  - Recently, the LFM-1b dataset has been proposed to foster research and evaluation
      in music retrieval and music recommender systems, Schedl (Proceedings of the ACM
      International Conference on Multimedia Retrieval (ICMR). New York, 2016). It
      contains more than one billion music listening events created by more than
      120,000 users of Last.fm. Each listening event is characterized by artist, album,
      and track name, and further includes a timestamp. Basic demographic information
      and a selection of more elaborate listener-specific descriptors are included as
      well, for anonymized users. In this article, we reveal information about LFM-1b's
      acquisition and content and we compare it to existing datasets. We furthermore
      provide an extensive statistical analysis of the dataset, including basic
      properties of the item sets, demographic coverage, distribution of listening
      events (e.g., over artists and users), and aspects related to music preference
      and consumption behavior (e.g., temporal features and mainstreaminess of
      listeners). Exploiting country information of users and genre tags of artists, we
      also create taste profiles for populations and determine similar and dissimilar
      countries in terms of their populations' music preferences. Finally, we
      illustrate the dataset's usage in a simple artist recommendation task, whose
      results are intended to serve as baseline against which more elaborate techniques
      can be assessed.

PMID- 28357191
TI  - Psychiatric Co-Morbidities in Pregnant Women with Opioid Use Disorders:
      Prevalence, Impact, and Implications for Treatment.
AB  - PURPOSE OF REVIEW: This review seeks to investigate three questions: What is the
      prevalence of comorbid psychiatric diagnoses among pregnant women with opioid use
      disorder (OUD)? How do comorbid psychiatric illnesses impact pregnant women with
      OUD? And how do comorbid psychiatric illnesses affect the ability of pregnant
      women with OUD to adhere to and complete OUD treatment? RECENT FINDINGS: Based on
      this literature review, 25-33% of pregnant women with OUD have a psychiatric
      comorbidity, with depression and anxiety being especially common. However, of the
      17 studies reviewed only 5 have prevalence rates of dual diagnosis in pregnant
      women with OUD as their primary outcome measures, their N's were typically small,
      methods for determining psychiatric diagnosis were variable, and many of the
      studies were undertaken with women presenting for treatment which carries with
      its implicit selection bias. Of the women enrolled in treatment programs for SUD,
      those with psychiatric comorbidity were more likely to have impaired
      psychological and family/social functioning than those without psychiatric
      comorbidity. Greater severity of comorbid psychiatric illness appears to predict
      poorer adherence to treatment, but more research is needed to clarify this
      relationship with the psychiatric illness is less severe. SUMMARY: While
      cooccurrence of psychiatric disorders in pregnant women with opioid use disorder
      appears to be common, large population-based studies with validated diagnostic
      tools and longitudinal assessments are needed to obtain definitive rates and
      characteristics of cooccurring illnesses. Integrated prenatal, addiction, and
      psychiatric treatment in a setting that provides social support to pregnant
      patients with OUD is most effective in maintaining women in treatment. More
      research is still needed to identify optimal treatment settings, therapy
      modalities, and medication management for dually diagnosed pregnant women with
      OUD.

PMID- 28357194
TI  - Alcohol health warnings can influence the speed of consumption.
AB  - AIM: Recent research has shown that adopting strong (i.e. high fear) visual
      health-warning messages can increase the perceived health risks and intentions to
      reduce alcohol consumption. Separately, it is known that the speed at which
      alcohol is consumed has dramatic effects on the level of intoxication. In the
      present study we aimed to combine these two separate areas to understand whether
      the speed of alcohol consumption is influenced by the type of alcohol health
      warning contained on the beverage. SUBJECT AND METHODS: In the present study,
      female participants (N = 45) consumed an alcoholic beverage in a relaxed
      environment in one of three conditions: no health-warning label, a text-only
      health-warning label or a pictorial health-warning label with text. RESULTS: We
      found that compared with the control condition, the beverage was consumed at a
      slower rate in the two health-warning conditions, which surprisingly did not
      differ from each other. Despite these effects, product acceptability did not
      differ between the text-only and control conditions. CONCLUSION: These are the
      first set of results to demonstrate how the use of strong health warnings on
      alcoholic beverages can influence actual drinking rate and further suggest that
      the beneficial effects of slowed consumption are possible in the absence of any
      reduction in consumer acceptability.

PMID- 28357195
TI  - Causes of variability in prevalence rates of communicable diseases among
      secondary school Students in Kisumu County, Kenya.
AB  - PURPOSE: To determine causes of variability in communicable disease prevalence
      rates among students in secondary schools to inform policy formulation in the
      public health sector. METHODS: A representative cluster sample size for students
      was estimated using Fisher et al.'s formula while schools, sub-counties and
      education zones were clustered and sample size was calculated based on
      coefficient of variation by school type. Data were collected by questionnaire,
      medical examination using standard procedures, and focus group discussion, and
      descriptive analysis was performed on the completed questions. Comparisons
      between risk factors were made by chi-square and ANOVA analysis using SPSS for
      Windows (version 15.2; Chicago, IL) software. A p value of < 0.05 was considered
      statistically significant. RESULTS: There was significant variation between
      communicable disease prevalence rates and age (X24, 0.05 = 2.458), school size
      (X212, 0.05 = 18.636), gender (X24, 0.05 = 5.723) and class of students (X212,
      0.05 = 15.202), and bed and desk spacing (p < 0.05 at 95% CI). However, there was
      no significant association in prevalence rates between both locality and type of
      school. There was strong evidence that student age has an effect on prevalence
      rates. The prevalence rate of malaria was higher in male (14.02%) than female
      students (6.68%) compared to prevalence of diarrhea, which was higher in female
      (7.96%) than male students. CONCLUSION: This study has revealed that the
      prevalences of diarrhea, tuberculosis, pneumonia and other respiratory tract
      infections are lower among female secondary school students than males and that
      the prevalence of malaria is higher in males than females. Age of secondary
      school students is a significant vulnerability factor for malaria, diarrhea,
      tuberculosis and pneumonia, which were the important communicable diseases most
      prevalent among secondary school students in Kisumu County, Kenya.

PMID- 28357193
TI  - What Is Trained During Food Go/No-Go Training? A Review Focusing on Mechanisms
      and a Research Agenda.
AB  - PURPOSE OF REVIEW: During food go/no-go training, people consistently withhold
      responses toward no-go food items. We discuss how food go/no-go training may
      change people's behavior toward no-go food items by comparing three accounts: (a)
      the training strengthens 'top-down' inhibitory control over food-related
      responses, (b) the training creates automatic 'bottom-up' associations between no
      go food items and stopping responses, and (c) the training leads to devaluation
      of no-go food items. RECENT FINDINGS: Go/no-go training can reduce intake of food
      and choices for food and facilitate short-term weight loss. It appears unlikely
      that food go/no-go training strengthens top-down inhibitory control. There is
      some evidence suggesting the training could create automatic stop associations.
      There is strong evidence suggesting go/no-go training reduces evaluations of no
      go food items. SUMMARY: Food go/no-go training can change behavior toward food
      and evaluation of food items. To advance knowledge, more research is needed on
      the underlying mechanisms of the training, the role of attention during go/no-go
      training, and on when effects generalize to untrained food items.

PMID- 28357196
TI  - Health literacy of patients admitted for elective surgery.
AB  - AIM: Patients with limited health literacy have poorer surgical outcomes.
      However, current studies assessing the prevalence of limited health literacy in
      patients expecting surgery are small scale. We aimed to provide insight into the
      health literacy level of patients undergoing planned surgery. SUBJECT AND
      METHODS: Patients aged >=18 years visiting the preoperative screening department
      were approached in the waiting area and invited to participate in a brief
      interview including the Functional Communicative Critical Health Literacy
      (FCCHL). RESULTS: In total, 225 patients (84.9% response) were studied. Based on
      the FCCHL, 37.3% of the patients were classified as having limited health
      literacy. The mean score in the critical domain (2.7 +/- 0.9) was lower than
      scores in the functional (3.3 +/- 0.6) and communicative (3.3 +/- 0.6) domains.
      CONCLUSION: More than one third of the patients admitted to the hospital for
      surgery had limited health literacy. Healthcare professionals should be aware of
      the different health literacy levels and tailor their information provision
      strategies accordingly.

PMID- 28357192
TI  - Psychopharmacology of Tobacco and Alcohol Comorbidity: a Review of Current
      Evidence.
AB  - PURPOSE OF THE REVIEW: Comorbidity of alcohol and tobacco use is highly prevalent
      and may exacerbate the health effects of either substance alone. However, the
      mechanisms underlying this comorbidity are not well understood. This review will
      examine the evidence for shared neurobiological mechanisms of alcohol and
      nicotine comorbidity and experimental studies of the behavioural consequences of
      these interactions. RECENT FINDINGS: Studies examining the shared neurobiology of
      alcohol and nicotine have identified two main mechanisms of comorbidity: (1)
      cross-reinforcement via the mesolimbic dopamine pathway and (2) cross-tolerance
      via shared genetic and nAChR interaction. Animal and human psychopharmacological
      studies demonstrate support for these two mechanisms of comorbidity. SUMMARY:
      Human behavioural studies indicate that (1) alcohol and tobacco potentiate each
      other's rewarding effects and (2) nicotine reduces the sedative and intoxication
      effects of alcohol. Together, these findings provide a strong evidence base to
      support the role of the cross-reinforcement and cross-tolerance as mechanisms
      underlying the comorbidity of alcohol and tobacco use. Methodological concerns in
      the literature and recommendations for future studies are discussed alongside
      implications for treatment of comorbid alcohol and tobacco use.

PMID- 28357198
TI  - Cyclic AMP-Induced p53 Destabilization is Independent of CREB in Pre-B Acute
      Lymphoblastic Leukemia Cells.
AB  - Elevated cAMP levels in B-cell precursor acute lymphoblastic leukemia (BCP-ALL)
      cells attenuate the doxorubicin-induced p53 accumulation and protect cells
      against apoptosis. cAMP responsive element binding protein (CREB) is a cAMP
      stimulated transcription factor that regulates genes whose deregulated expression
      cooperate in oncogenesis. In the present study, we investigated the role of CREB
      on inhibitory effect of cAMP on apoptosis and p53 accumulation in BCP-ALL NALM-6
      cells. To determine whether targeting CREB can modulate the effect of cAMP on
      doxorubicin-induced apoptosis, we knocked down CREB in NALM-6 cells using
      lentiviral CREB shRNA. Knocked down cells were treated with doxorubicin in the
      presence or absence of cAMP-elevating agents. p53 protein level and apoptosis
      were assessed by western blot analysis and flow cytometry, respectively. p53
      protein expression was reduced in cells treated with combination of cAMP
      elevating agents and doxorubicin in contrast to cells treated with doxorubicin
      alone even in CREB-knocked down cells. Apoptosis assay showed that the cAMP
      elevating agents decreased doxorubicin-induced apoptosis in CREB-knocked down and
      control cells. Although, CREB plays a particularly important role in cAMP
      signaling pathway our data suggest that CREB does not mediate the inhibitory
      effect of cAMP on doxorubicin-induced apoptosis and p53 accumulation in BCP-ALL
      NALM-6 cells.

PMID- 28357199
TI  - A Comparison Between the Effect of Cuminum Cyminum and Vitamin E on the Level of
      Leptin, Paraoxonase 1, HbA1c and Oxidized LDL in Diabetic Patients.
AB  - Diabetes is one of the most common metabolic diseases in the world. Vitamin E
      reduces protein glycation and improves insulin sensitivity, while cumin is
      effective in remission of diabetes. Therefore this study was designed to evaluate
      the effects of vitamin E and cumin essential oil, on the blood level of
      leptin,glycosylated hemoglobin (HbA1C) and also on lipid profile in diabetic
      patients.In this double blind clinical trial, 95 diabetic patients were selected
      and randomly dividedinto three groups.The first group received cumin essential
      oil in capsule form. The second group received Vitamin E, and the third group was
      used ascontrol receiving oral gelatin capsules as placebo for three months
      period.Blood glucose, lipid profile, apolipoprotein A1 (ApoA1), apolipoprotein B
      (ApoB), leptin, HbA1c, oxidized LDL (oxLDL), and paraoxonase1 activity were
      measured. The results showed reduction in oxLDL and significant increase in
      paraoxonase 1 in Vitamin E group by the end of the third month period (P<0.05).
      Cumin group showed decrease in blood glucose, HbA1C, triglyceride, leptin and ox
      LDL. ApoA1 and paraoxonase1 were also increased by cumin treatment
      (P<0.05).Diabetic complications may have been reduced by intake of Vitamin E and
      cumin essential oil. Cumin in comparison with vitamin E has broader impact and it
      is more beneficial in terms of ability to reduce the diabetic index.

PMID- 28357197
TI  - Bioinformatics Analysis Reveals Genes Involved in the Pathogenesis of
      Ameloblastoma and Keratocystic Odontogenic Tumor.
AB  - Pathogenesis of odontogenic tumors is not well known. It is important to identify
      genetic deregulations and molecular alterations. This study aimed to investigate,
      through bioinformatic analysis, the possible genes involved in the pathogenesis
      of ameloblastoma (AM) and keratocystic odontogenic tumor (KCOT). Genes involved
      in the pathogenesis of AM and KCOT were identified in GeneCards. Gene list was
      expanded, and the gene interactions network was mapped using the STRING software.
      "Weighted number of links" (WNL) was calculated to identify "leader genes"
      (highest WNL). Genes were ranked by K-means method and Kruskal-Wallis test was
      used (P<0.001). Total interactions score (TIS) was also calculated using all
      interaction data generated by the STRING database, in order to achieve global
      connectivity for each gene. The topological and ontological analyses were
      performed using Cytoscape software and BinGO plugin. Literature review data was
      used to corroborate the bioinformatics data. CDK1 was identified as leader gene
      for AM. In KCOT group, results show PCNA and TP53. Both tumors exhibit a power
      law behavior. Our topological analysis suggested leader genes possibly important
      in the pathogenesis of AM and KCOT, by clustering coefficient calculated for both
      odontogenic tumors (0.028 for AM, zero for KCOT). The results obtained in the
      scatter diagram suggest an important relationship of these genes with the
      molecular processes involved in AM and KCOT. Ontological analysis for both AM and
      KCOT demonstrated different mechanisms. Bioinformatics analyzes were confirmed
      through literature review. These results may suggest the involvement of promising
      genes for a better understanding of the pathogenesis of AM and KCOT.

PMID- 28357201
TI  - Should We Perform Semen Analysis, DNA Fragmentation, and Hypo-osmotic Swelling
      Tests together?
AB  - Semen analysis, sperm DNA fragmentation (SDF) and hypo-osmotic swelling test
      (HOST) are usually performed for the evaluation of sperm fertilizing ability.
      There are some debates over the necessity of SDF and HOST incorporation in male
      infertility work-up.Semen of 77 men was evaluated by SDF and HOST through three
      semen analyses. Sperm parameters were arranged into different categories: <5%, 5
      15%, >15% for normal morphology; <50%, 50-70%, >70 % for motility; and <10, 10
      20, 21-34, 35-50, >50 million/ml for concentration. SDF analysis was performed
      and values under 30% were assumed to be normal. Normal range of HOST was
      considered to be >60%.Only normal sperm morphology had significant relationship
      with DF rate (P<0.001). Normal morphology, motility, and concentration of sperms
      had significant relationship with HOST (P<0.001, 0.05, and <0.003,respectively).
      There was a significant negative correlation between sperm morphology and DF
      rate. The correlations between sperm parameters and percentage of HOST were
      significantly positive (r: 0.44, 0.19, and 0.32 for morphology, motility, and
      concentration, respectively). Receiver operating characteristic curve (ROC)
      showed that sperm morphology is a strong predictor of the rate of DF and HOST
      (accuracy: 0.74' and 0.81, respectively). The best sperm morphology cut off point
      for DF and HOST rate prediction was 4.5% and 5.5%, respectively.Sperm morphology
      had significant correlation with DF rate and HOST and is supposed to be a
      predictor for these tests. Performing these three tests collectively for
      evaluation of semen samples would not be necessarily required in all cases.

PMID- 28357202
TI  - A Novel Nonsense Mutation in PANK2 Gene in Two Patients with Pantothenate Kinase
      Associated Neurodegeneration.
AB  - Pantothenate kinase- associated neurodegeneration (PKAN) syndrome is a rare
      autosomal recessive disorder characterized by progressive extrapyramidal
      dysfunction and iron accumulation in the brain and axonal spheroids in the
      central nervous system. It has been shown that the disorder is caused by
      mutations in PANK2 gene which codes for a mitochondrial enzyme participating in
      coenzyme A biosynthesis. Here we report two cases of classic PKAN syndrome with
      early onset of neurodegenerative disorder. Mutational analysis has revealed that
      both are homozygous for a novel nonsense mutation in PANK2 gene (c.T936A
      (p.C312X)). The high prevalence of consanguineous marriages in Iran raises the
      likelihood of occurrence of autosomal recessive disorders such as PKAN and
      necessitates proper premarital genetic counseling. Further research is needed to
      provide the data on the prevalence of PKAN and identification of common PANK2
      mutations in Iranian population.

PMID- 28357200
TI  - Analysis of Copy Number Variations in Patients with Autism Using Cytogenetic and
      MLPA Techniques: Report of 16p13.1p13.3 and 10q26.3 Duplications.
AB  - Autism is a common neuropsychiatric disorder affecting 1 in 68 children. Copy
      number variations (CNVs) are known to be major contributors of autism spectrum
      disorder (ASD). There are different whole genome or targeted techniques to
      identify CNVs in the patients including karyotyping, multiplex ligation-dependent
      probe amplification (MLPA) and array CGH. In this study, we used karyotyping and
      MLPA to detect CNVs in 50 Iranian patients with autism. GTG banding and 4
      different MLPA kits (2 subtelomeric and 2 autism kits) were utilized. To elevate
      our detection rate, we selected the sporadic patients who had additional clinical
      features including intellectual disability, seizure, attention deficit
      hyperactivity disorder, and abnormal head circumference. Two out of 50 patients
      (4%) showed microscopic chromosome abnormalities and 5 out of 50 (10%)
      demonstrated copy number gains or losses using MLPA kits. Including one
      overlapping result between karyotype and MLPA techniques, our overall detection
      rate was 6 out of 50 (12%). Three out of 6 CNVs were de novo and three others
      were paternally inherited. Two of CNVs detected by karyotyping and MLPA tests
      were 16p13.1q13.3 and 10q26.3 duplications, respectively. For these two CNVs
      genotype and phenotype of the patients were compared with other studies. Although
      the pathogenicity of cytogenetic results was certain, most of MLPA results needed
      to be better refined using other more accurate techniques such as array CGH. Our
      findings suggest that it might be possible to obtain some useful information
      using MLPA technique but it cannot be used as a single diagnostic tool for the
      autism.

PMID- 28357203
TI  - A Novel Splicesite Mutation in the EDAR Gene Causes Severe Autosomal Recessive
      Hypohydrotic (Anhidrotic) Ectodermal Dysplasia in an Iranian Family.
AB  - Hypohidrotic ectodermal dysplasia (HED) is a rare congenital disorder arising
      from deficient development of ectoderm-derived structures including skin, nails,
      glands and teeth. The phenotype of HED is associated with mutation in EDA, EDAR,
      EDARADD and NEMO genes, all of them disruptingNF-kappaB signaling cascade
      necessary for initiation, formation and differentiation in the embryo and adult.
      Here we describe a novel acceptor splice site mutation c.730-2 A>G(IVS 8-2 A>G)
      in EDAR gene in homozygous form in all affected members of a family,and in
      heterozygous form in carriers. Bioinformatics analysis showed that this mutation
      can create a new broken splicing site and lead to aberrant splicing.

PMID- 28357204
TI  - Eosinophilic cystitis with recurrent urinary retention: case report.
AB  - Eosinophilic cystitis is a rare inflammatory disease of the bladder whose origin,
      pathogenesis, and treatment are unknown. Frequency, dysuria, and hematuria are
      frequent symptoms. Here, we report a rare occurrence of recurrent urinary
      retention and repetitive catheterization. A 67-year-old male presented with acute
      urinary retention and intermittent gross hematuria of 2 weeks duration. Urethral
      catheterization followed by a trial without catheter, was successful. Complete
      blood count showed presence of eosinophils (eosinophilia) and computed tomography
      of kidneys, ureter and bladder with contrast showed thickened bladder wall and
      small prostate. Cystoscopy revealed an erythematous lesion over the anterior
      wall. The rest of the mucosa was normal. Transurethral biopsies of the lesion
      were performed and histologic examination showed features of eosinophilic
      cystitis. Despite multiple medication regimens containing corticosteroids and
      antihistamines, he presented with recurrent urinary retention, approximately once
      every month. After 6 months, he was started on bethanechol, which led to no
      catheterization for up to 2 years. To the best of our knowledge, this is the
      first report on the successful use of bethanechol as a treatment for eosinophilic
      cystitis with recurrent urinary retention.

PMID- 28357205
TI  - One cell, one love: a journal for microbial research.

PMID- 28357206
TI  - Tracking autophagy during proliferation and differentiation of Trypanosoma
      brucei.
AB  - Autophagy is a lysosome-dependent degradation mechanism that sequesters target
      cargo into autophagosomal vesicles. The Trypanosoma brucei genome contains
      apparent orthologues of several autophagy-related proteins including an ATG8
      family. These ubiquitin-like proteins are required for autophagosome membrane
      formation, but our studies show that ATG8.3 is atypical. To investigate the
      function of other ATG proteins, RNAi compatible T. brucei were modified to
      function as autophagy reporter lines by expressing only either YFP-ATG8.1 or YFP
      ATG8.2. In the insect procyclic lifecycle stage, independent RNAi down-regulation
      of ATG3 or ATG7 generated autophagy-defective mutants and confirmed a pro
      survival role for autophagy in the procyclic form nutrient starvation response.
      Similarly, RNAi depletion of ATG5 or ATG7 in the bloodstream form disrupted
      autophagy, but did not impede proliferation. Further characterisation showed
      bloodstream form autophagy mutants retain the capacity to undergo the complex
      cellular remodelling that occurs during differentiation to the procyclic form and
      are equally susceptible to dihydroxyacetone-induced cell death as wild type
      parasites, not supporting a role for autophagy in this cell death mechanism. The
      RNAi reporter system developed, which also identified TOR1 as a negative
      regulator controlling YFP-ATG8.2 but not YFP-ATG8.1 autophagosome formation, will
      enable further targeted analysis of the mechanisms and function of autophagy in
      the medically relevant bloodstream form of T. brucei.

PMID- 28357208
TI  - Early manifestations of replicative aging in the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae.
AB  - The yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae is successfully used as a model organism to
      find genes responsible for lifespan control of higher organisms. As functional
      decline of higher eukaryotes can start as early as one quarter of the average
      lifespan, we asked whether S. cerevisiae can be used to model this manifestation
      of aging. While the average replicative lifespan of S. cerevisiae mother cells
      ranges between 15 and 30 division cycles, we found that resistances to certain
      stresses start to decrease much earlier. Looking into the mechanism, we found
      that knockouts of genes responsible for mitochondria-to-nucleus (retrograde)
      signaling, RTG1 or RTG3, significantly decrease the resistance of cells that
      generated more than four daughters, but not of the younger ones. We also found
      that even young mother cells frequently contain mitochondria with heterogeneous
      transmembrane potential and that the percentage of such cells correlates with
      replicative age. Together, these facts suggest that retrograde signaling starts
      to malfunction in relatively young cells, leading to accumulation of
      heterogeneous mitochondria within one cell. The latter may further contribute to
      a decline in stress resistances.

PMID- 28357209
TI  - A novel mechanism involved in the coupling of mitochondrial biogenesis to
      oxidative phosphorylation.
AB  - Mitochondria are essential organelles that are central to a multitude of cellular
      processes, including oxidative phosphorylation (OXPHOS), which produces most of
      the ATP in animal cells. Thus it is important to understand not only the
      mechanisms and biogenesis of this energy production machinery but also how it is
      regulated in both physiological and pathological contexts. A recent study by
      Ostojic et al. [Cell Metabolism (2013) 18, 567-577] has uncovered a regulatory
      loop by which the biogenesis of a major enzyme of the OXPHOS pathway, the
      respiratory complex III, is coupled to the energy producing activity of the
      mitochondria.

PMID- 28357210
TI  - Stalling autophagy: a new function for Listeria phospholipases.
AB  - Listeria monocytogenes is a Gram-positive bacterial pathogen that induces its own
      uptake in non-phagocytic cells. Following invasion, Listeria escapes from the
      entry vacuole through the secretion of a pore-forming toxin, listeriolysin O
      (LLO) that acts to damage and disrupt the vacuole membrane. Listeria then
      replicates in the cytosol and is able to spread from cell-to-cell using actin
      based motility. In addition to LLO, Listeria produces two phospholipase toxins, a
      phosphatidylinositol-specific phospholipase C (PI-PLC, encoded by plcB) and a
      broad-range phospholipase C (PC-PLC, encoded by plcA), which contribute to
      bacterial virulence. It has long been recognized that secretion of PI- and PC-PLC
      enables the disruption of the double membrane vacuole during cell-to-cell spread,
      and those phospholipases have also been shown to augment LLO-dependent escape
      from the entry endosome. However, a specific role for Listeria phospholipases
      during the cytosolic stage of infection has not been previously reported. In a
      recent study, we demonstrated that Listeria PI-PLC and PC-PLC contribute to the
      bacterial escape from autophagy through a mechanism that involves direct
      inhibition of the autophagic flux in the infected cells [Tattoli et al. EMBO J
      (2013), 32, 3066-3078].

PMID- 28357207
TI  - Reduced TORC1 signaling abolishes mitochondrial dysfunctions and shortened
      chronological lifespan of Isc1p-deficient cells.
AB  - The target of rapamycin (TOR) is an important signaling pathway on a hierarchical
      network of interacting pathways regulating central biological processes, such as
      cell growth, stress response and aging. Several lines of evidence suggest a
      functional link between TOR signaling and sphingolipid metabolism. Here, we
      report that the TORC1-Sch9p pathway is activated in cells lacking Isc1p, the
      yeast orthologue of mammalian neutral sphingomyelinase 2. The deletion of TOR1 or
      SCH9 abolishes the premature aging, oxidative stress sensitivity and
      mitochondrial dysfunctions displayed by isc1Delta cells and this is correlated
      with the suppression of the autophagic flux defect exhibited by the mutant
      strain. The protective effect of TOR1 deletion, as opposed to that of SCH9
      deletion, is not associated with the attenuation of Hog1p hyperphosphorylation,
      which was previously implicated in isc1Delta phenotypes. Our data support a model
      in which Isc1p regulates mitochondrial function and chronological lifespan in
      yeast through the TORC1-Sch9p pathway although Isc1p and TORC1 also seem to act
      through independent pathways, as isc1Deltator1Delta phenotypes are intermediate
      to those displayed by isc1Delta and tor1Delta cells. We also provide evidence
      that TORC1 downstream effectors, the type 2A protein phosphatase Sit4p and the
      AGC protein kinase Sch9p, integrate nutrient and stress signals from TORC1 with
      ceramide signaling derived from Isc1p to regulate mitochondrial function and
      lifespan in yeast. Overall, our results show that TORC1-Sch9p axis is deregulated
      in Isc1p-deficient cells, contributing to mitochondrial dysfunction, enhanced
      oxidative stress sensitivity and premature aging of isc1Delta cells.

PMID- 28357212
TI  - On the link between cell cycle and infection of the Alphaproteobacterium Brucella
      abortus.
AB  - Bacteria of the Brucella genus are responsible for brucellosis, a worldwide
      zoonosis. These bacteria are known to have a peculiar intracellular trafficking,
      with a first long and non-proliferative endosomal stage and a second
      proliferation stage, often associated with its localization of the bacteria in
      the endoplasmic reticulum (ER). However, the status of the bacterial cell cycle
      during the non-proliferative phase was still unknown. In a recent study [Nat.
      Communic. 5:4366], we followed the cell cycle of B. abortus in culture and inside
      the host cells. In culture, B. abortus initiates the replication of its large
      chromosome before the small chromosome. The origin and terminator regions of
      these two chromosomes display distinct localization and dynamics within B.
      abortus. In HeLa cells and RAW264.7 macrophages, the bacteria in G1 (i.e. before
      the initiation of chromosomes replication) are preferentially found during the
      endosomal stage of the infection. During this period, growth is also arrested.
      The cell cycle arrest and resume during the B. abortus trafficking in host cell
      suggest that like the model Alphaproteobacterium Caulobacter crescentus, these
      bacteria are able to block their cell cycle at the G1 phase when starvation is
      sensed.

PMID- 28357211
TI  - The dual role of cyclin C connects stress regulated gene expression to
      mitochondrial dynamics.
AB  - Following exposure to cytotoxic agents, cellular damage is first recognized by a
      variety of sensor mechanisms. Thenceforth, the damage signal is transduced to the
      nucleus to install the correct gene expression program including the induction of
      genes whose products either detoxify destructive compounds or repair the damage
      they cause. Next, the stress signal is disseminated throughout the cell to effect
      the appropriate changes at organelles including the mitochondria. The
      mitochondria represent an important signaling platform for the stress response.
      An initial stress response of the mitochondria is extensive fragmentation. If the
      damage is prodigious, the mitochondria fragment (fission) and lose their outer
      membrane integrity leading to the release of pro-apoptotic factors necessary for
      programmed cell death (PCD) execution. As this complex biological process
      contains many moving parts, it must be exquisitely coordinated as the ultimate
      decision is life or death. The conserved C-type cyclin plays an important role in
      executing this molecular Rubicon by coupling changes in gene expression to
      mitochondrial fission and PCD. Cyclin C, along with its cyclin dependent kinase
      partner Cdk8, associates with the RNA polymerase holoenzyme to regulate
      transcription. In particular, cyclin C-Cdk8 repress many stress responsive genes.
      To relieve this repression, cyclin C is destroyed in cells exposed to pro
      oxidants and other stressors. However, prior to its destruction, cyclin C, but
      not Cdk8, is released from its nuclear anchor (Med13), translocates from the
      nucleus to the cytoplasm where it interacts with the fission machinery and is
      both necessary and sufficient to induce extensive mitochondria fragmentation.
      Furthermore, cytoplasmic cyclin C promotes PCD indicating that it mediates both
      mitochondrial fission and cell death pathways. This review will summarize the
      role cyclin C plays in regulating stress-responsive transcription. In addition,
      we will detail this new function mediating mitochondrial fission and PCD.
      Although both these roles of cyclin C are conserved, this review will concentrate
      on cyclin C's dual role in the budding yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae.

PMID- 28357213
TI  - Divide and conquer: processive transport enables multidrug transporters to tackle
      challenging drugs.
AB  - Multidrug transporters are membrane proteins that catalyze efflux of antibiotics
      and other toxic compounds from cells, thereby conferring drug resistance on
      various organisms. Unlike most solute transporters that transport a single type
      of compound or similar analogues, multidrug transporters are extremely
      promiscuous. They transport a broad spectrum of dissimilar drugs and represent a
      serious obstacle to antimicrobial or anticancer chemotherapy. Many challenging
      aspects of multidrug transporters, which are unique, have been studied in detail,
      including their ability to interact with chemically unrelated drugs, and how they
      utilize energy to drive efflux of compounds that are not only structurally but
      electrically different. A new and surprising dimension of the promiscuous nature
      of multidrug transporters has been described recently: they can move long
      molecules through the membrane in a processive manner.

PMID- 28357215
TI  - Functional analysis of lipid metabolism genes in wine yeasts during alcoholic
      fermentation at low temperature.
AB  - Wine produced by low-temperature fermentation is mostly considered to have
      improved sensory qualities. However few commercial wine strains available on the
      market are well-adapted to ferment at low temperature (10 - 15 degrees C). The
      lipid metabolism of Saccharomyces cerevisiae plays a central role in low
      temperature adaptation. One strategy to modify lipid composition is to alter
      transcriptional activity by deleting or overexpressing the key genes of lipid
      metabolism. In a previous study, we identified the genes of the phospholipid,
      sterol and sphingolipid pathways, which impacted on growth capacity at low
      temperature. In the present study, we aimed to determine the influence of these
      genes on fermentation performance and growth during low-temperature wine
      fermentations. We analyzed the phenotype during fermentation at the low and
      optimal temperature of the lipid mutant and overexpressing strains in the
      background of a derivative commercial wine strain. The increase in the gene
      dosage of some of these lipid genes, e.g., PSD1, LCB3, DPL1 and OLE1, improved
      fermentation activity during low-temperature fermentations, thus confirming their
      positive role during wine yeast adaptation to cold. Genes whose overexpression
      improved fermentation activity at 12 degrees C were overexpressed by chromosomal
      integration into commercial wine yeast QA23. Fermentations in synthetic and
      natural grape must were carried out by this new set of overexpressing strains.
      The strains overexpressing OLE1 and DPL1 were able to finish fermentation before
      commercial wine yeast QA23. Only the OLE1 gene overexpression produced a specific
      aroma profile in the wines produced with natural grape must.

PMID- 28357214
TI  - Angiotensin II type 1 receptor blockers increase tolerance of cells to copper and
      cisplatin.
AB  - The human pathology Wilson disease (WD) is characterized by toxic copper (Cu)
      accumulation in brain and liver, resulting in, among other indications,
      mitochondrial dysfunction and apoptosis of hepatocytes. In an effort to identify
      novel compounds that can alleviate Cu-induced toxicity, we screened the Pharmakon
      1600 repositioning library using a Cu-toxicity yeast screen. We identified 2
      members of the drug class of Angiotensin II Type 1 receptor blockers (ARBs) that
      could increase yeast tolerance to Cu, namely Candesartan and Losartan.
      Subsequently, we show that specific ARBs can increase yeast tolerance to Cu
      and/or the chemotherapeutic agent cisplatin (Cp). The latter also induces
      mitochondrial dysfunction and apoptosis in mammalian cells. We further
      demonstrate that specific ARBs can prevent the prevalence of Cu-induced apoptotic
      markers in yeast, with Candesartan Cilexetil being the ARB which demonstrated
      most pronounced reduction of apoptosis-related markers. Next, we tested the
      sensitivity of a selection of yeast knockout mutants affected in detoxification
      of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and Cu for Candesartan Cilexetil rescue in
      presence of Cu. These data indicate that Candesartan Cilexetil increases yeast
      tolerance to Cu irrespectively of major ROS-detoxifying proteins. Finally, we
      show that specific ARBs can increase mammalian cell tolerance to Cu, as well as
      decrease the prevalence of Cu-induced apoptotic markers. All the above point to
      the potential of ARBs in preventing Cu-induced toxicity in yeast and mammalian
      cells.

PMID- 28357217
TI  - Plasmodium spp. membrane glutathione S-transferases: detoxification units and
      drug targets.
AB  - Membrane glutathione S-transferases from the class of membrane-associated
      proteins in eicosanoid and glutathione metabolism (MAPEG) form a superfamily of
      detoxification enzymes that catalyze the conjugation of reduced glutathione (GSH)
      to a broad spectrum of xenobiotics and hydrophobic electrophiles. Evolutionarily
      unrelated to the cytosolic glutathione S-transferases, they are found across
      bacterial and eukaryotic domains, for example in mammals, plants, fungi and
      bacteria in which significant levels of glutathione are maintained. Species of
      genus Plasmodium, the unicellular protozoa that are commonly known as malaria
      parasites, do actively support glutathione homeostasis and maintain its
      metabolism throughout their complex parasitic life cycle. In humans and in other
      mammals, the asexual intraerythrocytic stage of malaria, when the parasite feeds
      on hemoglobin, grows and eventually asexually replicates inside infected red
      blood cells (RBCs), is directly associated with host disease symptoms and during
      this critical stage GSH protects the host RBC and the parasite against oxidative
      stress from parasite-induced hemoglobin catabolism. In line with these
      observations, several GSH-dependent Plasmodium enzymes have been characterized
      including glutathione reductases, thioredoxins, glyoxalases, glutaredoxins and
      glutathione S-transferases (GSTs); furthermore, GSH itself have been found to
      associate spontaneously and to degrade free heme and its hydroxide, hematin,
      which are the main cytotoxic byproducts of hemoglobin catabolism. However,
      despite the apparent importance of glutathione metabolism for the parasite, no
      membrane associated glutathione S-transferases of genus Plasmodium have been
      previously described. We recently reported the first examples of MAPEG members
      among Plasmodium spp.

PMID- 28357216
TI  - Overexpression of the transcription factor Yap1 modifies intracellular redox
      conditions and enhances recombinant protein secretion.
AB  - Oxidative folding of secretory proteins in the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) is a
      redox active process, which also impacts the redox conditions in the cytosol. As
      the transcription factor Yap1 is involved in the transcriptional response to
      oxidative stress, we investigate its role upon the production of secretory
      proteins, using the yeast Pichia pastoris as model, and report a novel important
      role of Yap1 during oxidative protein folding. Yap1 is needed for the
      detoxification of reactive oxygen species (ROS) caused by increased oxidative
      protein folding. Constitutive co-overexpression of PpYAP1 leads to increased
      levels of secreted recombinant protein, while a lowered Yap1 function leads to
      accumulation of ROS and strong flocculation. Transcriptional analysis revealed
      that more than 150 genes were affected by overexpression of YAP1, in particular
      genes coding for antioxidant enzymes or involved in oxidation-reduction
      processes. By monitoring intracellular redox conditions within the cytosol and
      the ER using redox-sensitive roGFP1 variants, we could show that overexpression
      of YAP1 restores cellular redox conditions of protein-secreting P. pastoris by
      reoxidizing the cytosolic redox state to the levels of the wild type. These
      alterations are also reflected by increased levels of oxidized intracellular
      glutathione (GSSG) in the YAP1 co-overexpressing strain. Taken together, these
      data indicate a strong impact of intracellular redox balance on the secretion of
      (recombinant) proteins without affecting protein folding per se. Re-establishing
      suitable redox conditions by tuning the antioxidant capacity of the cell reduces
      metabolic load and cell stress caused by high oxidative protein folding load,
      thereby increasing the secretion capacity.

PMID- 28357218
TI  - Proline cis-trans isomerization is influenced by local lysine acetylation
      deacetylation.
AB  - Acetylation of lysine residues has several characterised functions in chromatin.
      These include neutralization of the lysine's positive charge to directly
      influence histone tail-DNA/internucleosomal interactions or indirect effects via
      bromodomain-containing effector proteins. Recently, we described a novel function
      of lysine acetylation to influence proline isomerization and thus local protein
      conformation. We found that acetylation of lysine 14 in the histone H3 N-terminal
      tail (H3K14ac), an intrinsically disordered domain, increased the proportion of
      neighbouring proline 16 (H3P16) in the trans conformation. This conformation of
      the tail was associated with reduced tri-methylation on histone H3 lysine 4
      (H3K4me3) due to both decreased methylation by the Set1 methyltransferase (with
      the me3-specific subunit Spp1) and increased demethylation by the demethylase
      Jhd2. Interestingly, H3K4me3 on individual genes was differentially affected by
      substitution of H3K14 or H3P16, with ribosomal protein genes losing the least
      H3K4me3 and environmental stress-induced genes losing the most.

PMID- 28357220
TI  - Measurement of apoptosis by SCAN(c), a system for counting and analysis of
      fluorescently labelled nuclei.
AB  - Apoptosis-like programmed cell death (A-PCD) is a universal process common to all
      types of eukaryotic organisms. Because A-PCD-associated processes are conserved,
      it is possible to define A-PCD by a standard set of markers. Many of the popular
      methods to measure A-PCD make use of fluorescent ligands that change in intensity
      or cellular localization during A-PCD. In single cell organisms, it is possible
      to quantify levels of A-PCD by scoring the number of apoptotic cells using flow
      cytometry instruments. In a multicellular organism, quantification of A-PCD is
      more problematic due to the complex nature of the tissue. The situation is
      further complicated in filamentous fungi, in which nuclei are divided between
      compartments, each containing a number of nuclei, which can also migrate between
      the compartments. We developed SCAN(c), a System for Counting and Analysis of
      Nuclei, and used it to measure A-PCD according to two markers - chromatin
      condensation and DNA strand breaks. The package includes three modules designed
      for counting the number of nuclei in multi-nucleated domains, scoring the
      relative number of nuclei with condensed chromatin, and calculating the relative
      number of nuclei with DNA strand breaks. The method provides equal or better
      results compared with manual counting, the analysis is fast and can be applied on
      large data sets. While we demonstrated the utility of the software for
      measurement of A-PCD in fungi, the method is readily adopted for measurement of A
      PCD in other types of multicellular specimens.

PMID- 28357219
TI  - Rewiring yeast acetate metabolism through MPC1 loss of function leads to
      mitochondrial damage and decreases chronological lifespan.
AB  - During growth on fermentable substrates, such as glucose, pyruvate, which is the
      end-product of glycolysis, can be used to generate acetyl-CoA in the cytosol via
      acetaldehyde and acetate, or in mitochondria by direct oxidative decarboxylation.
      In the latter case, the mitochondrial pyruvate carrier (MPC) is responsible for
      pyruvate transport into mitochondrial matrix space. During chronological aging,
      yeast cells which lack the major structural subunit Mpc1 display a reduced
      lifespan accompanied by an age-dependent loss of autophagy. Here, we show that
      the impairment of pyruvate import into mitochondria linked to Mpc1 loss is
      compensated by a flux redirection of TCA cycle intermediates through the malic
      enzyme-dependent alternative route. In such a way, the TCA cycle operates in a
      "branched" fashion to generate pyruvate and is depleted of intermediates. Mutant
      cells cope with this depletion by increasing the activity of glyoxylate cycle and
      of the pathway which provides the nucleocytosolic acetyl-CoA. Moreover, cellular
      respiration decreases and ROS accumulate in the mitochondria which, in turn,
      undergo severe damage. These acquired traits in concert with the reduced
      autophagy restrict cell survival of the mpc1? mutant during chronological aging.
      Conversely, the activation of the carnitine shuttle by supplying acetyl-CoA to
      the mitochondria is sufficient to abrogate the short-lived phenotype of the
      mutant.

PMID- 28357221
TI  - Loss of wobble uridine modification in tRNA anticodons interferes with TOR
      pathway signaling.
AB  - Previous work in yeast has suggested that modification of tRNAs, in particular
      uridine bases in the anticodon wobble position (U34), is linked to TOR (target of
      rapamycin) signaling. Hence, U34 modification mutants were found to be
      hypersensitive to TOR inhibition by rapamycin. To study whether this involves
      inappropriate TOR signaling, we examined interaction between mutations in TOR
      pathway genes (tip41?, sap190?, ppm1?, rrd1?) and U34 modification defects
      (elp3?, kti12?, urm1?, ncs2?) and found the rapamycin hypersensitivity in the
      latter is epistatic to drug resistance of the former. Epistasis, however, is
      abolished in tandem with a gln3? deletion, which inactivates transcription factor
      Gln3 required for TOR-sensitive activation of NCR (nitrogen catabolite
      repression) genes. In line with nuclear import of Gln3 being under control of TOR
      and dephosphorylation by the Sit4 phosphatase, we identify novel TOR-sensitive
      sit4 mutations that confer rapamycin resistance and importantly, mislocalise Gln3
      when TOR is inhibited. This is similar to gln3? cells, which abolish the
      rapamycin hypersensitivity of U34 modification mutants, and suggests TOR
      deregulation due to tRNA undermodification operates through Gln3. In line with
      this, loss of U34 modifications (elp3?, urm1?) enhances nuclear import of and NCR
      gene activation (MEP2, GAP1) by Gln3 when TOR activity is low. Strikingly, this
      stimulatory effect onto Gln3 is suppressed by overexpression of tRNAs that
      usually carry the U34 modifications. Collectively, our data suggest that proper
      TOR signaling requires intact tRNA modifications and that loss of U34
      modifications impinges on the TOR-sensitive NCR branch via Gln3 misregulation.

PMID- 28357222
TI  - Mitochondrial protein import under kinase surveillance.
AB  - Despite the simplicity of the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae, its basic cellular
      machinery tremendously mirrors that of higher eukaryotic counterparts. Thus, this
      unicellular organism turned out to be an invaluable model system to study the
      countless mechanisms that govern life of the cell. Recently, it has also enabled
      the deciphering of signalling pathways that control flux of mitochondrial
      proteins to the organelle according to metabolic requirements. For decades
      mitochondria were considered autonomous organelles that are only partially
      incorporated into cellular signalling networks. Consequently, only little has
      been known about the role of reversible phosphorylation as a meaningful mechanism
      that orchestrates mitochondrial biology accordingly to cellular needs. Therefore,
      research in this direction has been vastly neglected. However, findings over the
      past few years have changed this view and new exciting fields in mitochondrial
      biology have emerged. Here, we summarize recent discoveries in the yeast model
      system that point towards a vital role of reversible phosphorylation in
      regulation of mitochondrial protein import.

PMID- 28357223
TI  - Deletion of AIF1 but not of YCA1/MCA1 protects Saccharomyces cerevisiae and
      Candida albicans cells from caspofungin-induced programmed cell death.
AB  - Caspofungin was the first member of a new class of antifungals called
      echinocandins to be approved by a drug regulatory authority. Like the other
      echinocandins, caspofungin blocks the synthesis of beta(1,3)-D-glucan of the
      fungal cell wall by inhibiting the enzyme, beta(1,3)-D-glucan synthase. Loss of
      beta(1,3)-D-glucan leads to osmotic instability and cell death. However, the
      precise mechanism of cell death associated with the cytotoxicity of caspofungin
      was unclear. We now provide evidence that Saccharomyces cerevisiae cells cultured
      in media containing caspofungin manifest the classical hallmarks of programmed
      cell death (PCD) in yeast, including the generation of reactive oxygen species
      (ROS), the fragmentation of mitochondria, and the production of DNA strand
      breaks. Our data also suggests that deleting AIF1 but not YCA1/MCA1 protects S.
      cerevisiae and Candida albicans from caspofungin-induced cell death. This is not
      only the first time that AIF1 has been specifically tied to cell death in Candida
      but also the first time that caspofungin resistance has been linked to the cell
      death machinery in yeast.

PMID- 28357224
TI  - Intersubunit communications within KaiC hexamers contribute the robust
      rhythmicity of the cyanobacterial circadian clock.
AB  - Circadian rhythms, endogenous oscillations with periods of ~24 h, are found in
      many organisms, and they enhance fitness in alternating day/night environments.
      In cyanobacteria, three clock proteins, KaiA, KaiB, and KaiC, control the
      timekeeping mechanism. KaiC, the central component of the system, is a hexameric
      ATPase that also has autokinase and autophosphatase activities. It has been
      assumed that KaiC's hexameric structure was critical for regulation of the
      circadian clock; however, the underlying molecular mechanism of such regulation
      has remained unclear. Recently, we elucidated the regulation of KaiC's activities
      by its phosphorylation state, in the context of its hexameric structure. We found
      that local interactions at subunit interfaces regulate KaiC's activities by
      coupling the nucleotide-binding states. We also discovered the mechanism of
      regulation by intersubunit communication in KaiC hexamers. Our observations
      suggest that intersubunit communication precisely synchronizes KaiC subunits to
      avoid dephasing, and contributes to the robustness of circadian rhythms in
      cyanobacteria [Kitayama, Y. et al. Nat. Commun. 4:2897 doi: 10.1038/ncomms3897
      (2013)].

PMID- 28357226
TI  - Protein oxidation in the intermembrane space of mitochondria is substrate
      specific rather than general.
AB  - In most cellular compartments cysteine residues are predominantly reduced.
      However, in the bacterial periplasm, the ER and the mitochondrial intermembrane
      space (IMS), sulfhydryl oxidases catalyze the formation of disulfide bonds.
      Nevertheless, many IMS proteins contain reduced cysteines that participate in
      binding metal- or heme-cofactors. In this study, we addressed the substrate
      specificity of the mitochondrial protein oxidation machinery. Dre2 is a cysteine
      rich protein that is located in the cytosol. A large fraction of Dre2 bound to
      the cytosolic side of the outer membrane of mitochondria. Even when Dre2 is
      artificially targeted to the IMS, its cysteine residues remain in the reduced
      state. This indicates that protein oxidation in the IMS of mitochondria is not a
      consequence of the apparent oxidizing environment in this compartment but rather
      is substrate-specific and determined by the presence of Mia40-binding sites.

PMID- 28357227
TI  - Salt stress causes cell wall damage in yeast cells lacking mitochondrial DNA.
AB  - The yeast cell wall plays an important role in maintaining cell morphology, cell
      integrity and response to environmental stresses. Here, we report that salt
      stress causes cell wall damage in yeast cells lacking mitochondrial DNA (rho0).
      Upon salt treatment, the cell wall is thickened, broken and becomes more
      sensitive to the cell wall-perturbing agent sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS). Also,
      SCW11 mRNA levels are elevated in rho0 cells. Deletion of SCW11 significantly
      decreases the sensitivity of rho0 cells to SDS after salt treatment, while
      overexpression of SCW11 results in higher sensitivity. In addition, salt stress
      in rho0 cells induces high levels of reactive oxygen species (ROS), which further
      damages the cell wall, causing cells to become more sensitive towards the cell
      wall-perturbing agent.

PMID- 28357228
TI  - Mnemons: encoding memory by protein super-assembly.
AB  - Memory is mainly understood as the recollection of past events. The human brain
      and its simplest unit, the synapse, belong to the places in which such memories
      are physically stored. From an experimental point of view, memory can be tested
      in humans by recall. However, in other organisms, memory is reflected in its use
      by individuals to learn about and adapt their behavior to their environment.
      Under this criterion, even unicellular organisms are able to learn from their
      environments and show the ability to adapt their responses to repeating stimuli.
      This indicates that they are able to keep track of their histories and use these
      traces to elaborate adapted responses, making these traces akin to memory
      encodings. Understanding these phenomena may even help us to dissect part of the
      rather complex molecular orchestration happening in our synapses. When exposed
      unsuccessfully to mating pheromone, i.e. when mating does not happen, budding
      yeast cells become refractory to the mating signal. This refractory state is
      restricted to the mother cell and not inherited by the daughter cells, even
      though it is stable for most if not the entire life span of the mother cell.
      Interestingly, both stability and asymmetric segregation of the acquired state
      are explained by the molecular mechanism underlying its establishment, which
      shows important analogies and distinctions to prions. Here we discuss these
      similarities and differences.

PMID- 28357225
TI  - Genome-wide studies of telomere biology in budding yeast.
AB  - Telomeres are specialized DNA-protein structures at the ends of eukaryotic
      chromosomes. Telomeres are essential for chromosomal stability and integrity, as
      they prevent chromosome ends from being recognized as double strand breaks. In
      rapidly proliferating cells, telomeric DNA is synthesized by the enzyme
      telomerase, which copies a short template sequence within its own RNA moiety,
      thus helping to solve the "end-replication problem", in which information is lost
      at the ends of chromosomes with each DNA replication cycle. The basic mechanisms
      of telomere length, structure and function maintenance are conserved among
      eukaryotes. Studies in the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae have been instrumental
      in deciphering the basic aspects of telomere biology. In the last decade,
      technical advances, such as the availability of mutant collections, have allowed
      carrying out systematic genome-wide screens for mutants affecting various aspects
      of telomere biology. In this review we summarize these efforts, and the insights
      that this Systems Biology approach has produced so far.

PMID- 28357229
TI  - Fatal attraction in glycolysis: how Saccharomyces cerevisiae manages sudden
      transitions to high glucose.
AB  - In the model eukaryote Saccharomyces cerevisiae, it has long been known that a
      functional trehalose pathway is indispensable for transitions to high glucose
      conditions. Upon addition of glucose, cells with a defect in trehalose 6
      phosphate synthase (Tps1), the first committed step in the trehalose pathway,
      display what we have termed an imbalanced glycolytic state; in this state the
      flux through the upper part of glycolysis outpaces that through the lower part of
      glycolysis. As a consequence, the intermediate fructose 1,6-bisphosphate (FBP)
      accumulates at low concentrations of ATP and inorganic phosphate (Pi). Despite
      significant research efforts, a satisfactory understanding of the regulatory role
      that trehalose metabolism plays during such transitions has remained infamously
      unresolved. In a recent study, we demonstrate that the startup of glycolysis
      exhibits two dynamic fates: a proper, functional, steady state or the imbalanced
      state described above. Both states are stable, attracting states, and the
      probability distribution of initial states determines the fate of a yeast cell
      exposed to glucose. Trehalose metabolism steers the dynamics of glycolysis
      towards the proper functional state through its ATP hydrolysis activity; a
      mechanism that ensures that the demand and supply of ATP is balanced with Pi
      availability under dynamic conditions. [van Heerden et al. Science (2014), DOI:
      10.1126/science.1245114.].

PMID- 28357230
TI  - Massive gene swamping among cheese-making Penicillium fungi.
AB  - Horizontal gene transfers (HGT), i.e., the transmission of genetic material
      between species not directly attributable to meiotic gene exchange, have long
      been acknowledged as a major driver of prokaryotic evolution and is increasingly
      recognized as an important source of adaptation in eukaryotes. In fungi in
      particular, many convincing examples of HGT have been reported to confer
      selective advantages on the recipient fungal host, either promoting fungal
      pathogenicity on plants or increasing their toxicity by the acquisition of
      secondary metabolic clusters, resulting in adaptation to new niches and in some
      cases eventually even in speciation. These horizontal gene transfers involve
      single genes, complete metabolic pathways or even entire chromosomes. A recent
      study has uncovered multiple recent horizontal transfers of a 575 kb genomic
      island in cheese Penicillium fungi, representing ca. 2% of the Penicillium
      roqueforti's genome, that may confer selective advantage in the competing cheese
      environment where bacteria and fungi occur. Novel phylogenomic methods are being
      developed, revealing massive HGT among fungi. Altogether, these recent studies
      indicate that HGT is a crucial mechanism of rapid adaptation, even among
      eukaryotes.

PMID- 28357231
TI  - Metabolites in aging and autophagy.

PMID- 28357233
TI  - De novo peroxisome biogenesis revisited.
AB  - We describe an alternative peroxisome formation pathway in yeast pex3 and pex19
      cells, which relies on the existence of small peroxisomal remnants that are
      present in these cells. This groundbreaking result challenges current models
      prescribing that peroxisomes derive de novo from the ER. Our data also has major
      implications for the sorting pathway of specific peroxisomal membrane proteins
      (PMPs). We propose a novel sorting pathway for the PMPs Pex13 and Pex14 that is
      independent of the known Pex3/Pex19 machinery.

PMID- 28357234
TI  - Transcriptional and genomic mayhem due to aging-induced nucleosome loss in
      budding yeast.
AB  - All eukaryotic genomes are assembled into a nucleoprotein structure termed
      chromatin, which is comprised of regular arrays of nucleosomes. Each nucleosome
      consists of eight core histone protein molecules around which the DNA is wrapped
      1.75 times. The ultimate consequence of packaging the genome into chromatin is
      that the DNA sequences are relatively inaccessible. This allows the cell to use a
      comprehensive toolbox of chromatin-altering machineries to reveal access to the
      DNA sequence at the right time and right place in order to allow genomic
      processes, such as DNA repair, transcription and replication, to occur in a
      tightly-regulated manner. In other words, chromatin provides the framework that
      allows the regulation of all genomic processes, because the machineries that
      mediate transcription, repair and DNA replication themselves are relatively non
      sequence specific and if the genome were naked, they would presumably perform
      their tasks in a random and unregulated manner. We recently provided support for
      this prediction in Zheng et al., [Genes and Development (2014) 28: 396-408] by
      investigating a physiologically relevant scenario in which we had found that
      cells lose half of the core histone proteins, that is, during the mitotic aging
      (also called replicative aging) of budding yeast. Using new spike-in
      normalization techniques, we found that the occupancy of nucleosomes at most DNA
      sequences is reduced by 50%, leading to transcriptional induction of every single
      gene. This loss of histones during aging was also accompanied by a significantly
      increased frequency of genomic instability including DNA breaks, chromosomal
      translocations, retrotransposition, and transfer of mitochondrial DNA into the
      nuclear genome (Figure 1).

PMID- 28357232
TI  - Longevity pathways and maintenance of the proteome: the role of autophagy and
      mitophagy during yeast ageing.
AB  - Ageing is a complex and multi-factorial process that results in the progressive
      accumulation of molecular alterations that disrupt different cellular functions.
      The budding yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae is an important model organism that
      has significantly contributed to the identification of conserved molecular and
      cellular determinants of ageing. The nutrient-sensing pathways are well
      recognized modulators of longevity from yeast to mammals, but their downstream
      effectors and outcomes on different features of ageing process are still poorly
      understood. A hypothesis that is attracting increased interest is that one of the
      major functions of these "longevity pathways" is to contribute to the maintenance
      of the proteome during ageing. In support of this hypothesis, evidence shows that
      TOR/Sch9 and Ras/PKA pathways are important regulators of autophagy that in turn
      are essential for healthy cellular ageing. It is also well known that
      mitochondria homeostasis and function regulate lifespan, but how mitochondrial
      dynamics, mitophagy and biogenesis are regulated during ageing remains to be
      elucidated. This review describes recent findings that shed light on how
      longevity pathways and metabolic status impact maintenance of the proteome in
      both yeast ageing paradigms. These findings demonstrate that yeast remain a
      powerful model system for elucidating these relationships and their influence on
      ageing regulation.

PMID- 28357235
TI  - Live longer on MARS: a yeast paradigm of mitochondrial adaptive ROS signaling in
      aging.
AB  - Adaptive responses to stress, including hormesis, have been implicated in
      longevity, but their mechanisms and outcomes are not fully understood. Here, I
      briefly summarize a longevity mechanism elucidated in the budding yeast
      chronological lifespan model by which Mitochondrial Adaptive ROS Signaling (MARS)
      promotes beneficial epigenetic and metabolic remodeling. The potential relevance
      of MARS to the human disease Ataxia-Telangiectasia and as a potential anti-aging
      target is discussed.

PMID- 28357236
TI  - Hormesis: a fundamental concept in biology.
AB  - This paper assesses the hormesis dose response concept, including its historical
      foundations, frequency, generality, quantitative features, mechanistic basis and
      biomedical, pharmaceutical and environmental health implications. The hormetic
      dose response is highly generalizable, being independent of biology model (i.e.
      common from plants to humans), level of biological organization (i.e. cell, organ
      and organism), endpoint, inducing agent and mechanism, providing the first
      general and quantitative description of plasticity. The hormetic dose response
      describes the limits to which integrative endpoints (e.g. cell proliferation,
      cell migration, growth patterns, tissue repair, aging processes, complex
      behaviors such as anxiety, learning, memory, and stress, preconditioning
      responses, and numerous adaptive responses) can be modulated (i.e., enhanced or
      diminished) by pharmaceutical, chemical and physical means. Thus, the hormesis
      concept is a fundamental concept in biology with a wide range of biological
      implications and biomedical applications.

PMID- 28357237
TI  - When less is more: hormesis against stress and disease.
AB  - All living organisms need to adapt to ever changing adverse conditions in order
      to survive. The phenomenon termed hormesis describes an evolutionarily conserved
      process by which a cell or an entire organism can be preconditioned, meaning that
      previous exposure to low doses of an insult protects against a higher, normally
      harmful or lethal dose of the same stressor. Growing evidence suggests that
      hormesis is directly linked to an organism's (or cell's) capability to cope with
      pathological conditions such as aging and age-related diseases. Here, we condense
      the conceptual and potentially therapeutic importance of hormesis by providing a
      short overview of current evidence in favor of the cytoprotective impact of
      hormesis, as well as of its underlying molecular mechanisms.

PMID- 28357239
TI  - Prokaryotic Argonautes - variations on the RNA interference theme.
AB  - The discovery of RNA interference (RNAi) has been a major scientific
      breakthrough. This RNA-guided RNA interference system plays a crucial role in a
      wide range of regulatory and defense mechanisms in eukaryotes. The key enzyme of
      the RNAi system is Argonaute (Ago), an endo-ribonuclease that uses a small RNA
      guide molecule to specifically target a complementary RNA transcript. Two
      functional classes of eukaryotic Ago have been described: catalytically active
      Ago that cleaves RNA targets complementary to its guide, and inactive Ago that
      uses its guide to bind target RNA to down-regulate translation efficiency. A
      recent comparative genomics study has revealed that Argonaute-like proteins are
      also encoded by prokaryotic genomes. Interestingly, there is a lot of variation
      among these prokaryotic Argonaute (pAgo) proteins with respect to domain
      architecture: some resemble the eukaryotic Ago (long pAgo) containing a complete
      or disrupted catalytic site, while others are truncated versions (short pAgo)
      that generally contain an incomplete catalytic site. Prokaryotic Agos with an
      incomplete catalytic site often co-occur with (predicted) nucleases. Based on
      this diversity, and on the fact that homologs of other RNAi-related protein
      components (such as Dicer nucleases) have never been identified in prokaryotes,
      it has been predicted that variations on the eukaryotic RNAi theme may occur in
      prokaryotes.

PMID- 28357238
TI  - Morphed and moving: TNFalpha-driven motility promotes cell dissemination through
      MAP4K4-induced cytoskeleton remodeling.
AB  - Cell dissemination from an initial site of growth is a highly coordinated and
      controlled process that depends on cell motility. The mechanistic principles that
      orchestrate cell motility, namely cell shape control, traction and force
      generation, are highly conserved between cells of different origins.
      Correspondingly, the molecular mechanisms that regulate these critical aspects of
      migrating cells are likely functionally conserved too. Thus, cell motility
      deregulation of unrelated pathogenesis could be caused and maintained by similar
      mechanistic principles. One such motility deregulation disorder is the
      leukoproliferative cattle disease Tropical Theileriosis, which is caused by the
      intracellular, protozoan parasite Theileria annulata. T. annulata transforms its
      host cell and promotes the dissemination of parasite-infected cells throughout
      the body of the host. An analogous condition with a fundamentally different
      pathogenesis is metastatic cancer, where oncogenically transformed cells
      disseminate from the primary tumor to form distant metastases. Common to both
      diseases is the dissemination of motile cells from the original site. However,
      unlike metastatic cancer, host cell transformation by Theileria parasites can be
      reverted by drug treatment and cell signaling be analyzed under transformed and
      non-transformed conditions. We have used this reversible transformation model and
      investigated parasite control of host cell motile properties in the context of
      inflammatory signaling in Ma M. et al. [PLoS Pathog (2014) 10: e1004003]. We
      found that parasite infection promotes the production of the inflammatory
      cytokine TNFalpha in the host macrophage. We demonstrated that increased TNFalpha
      triggers motile and invasive properties by enhancing actin cytoskeleton
      remodeling and cell motility through the ser/thr kinase MAP4K4. We concluded that
      inflammatory conditions resulting in increased TNFalpha could facilitate cell
      dissemination by activating the actin cytoskeleton regulatory kinase MAP4K4. We
      discuss here the relevance of TNFalpha-MAP4K4 signaling for pathogen-driven cell
      dissemination and its potential impact on the induction of metastasis in human
      cancer.

PMID- 28357240
TI  - Autophagy extends lifespan via vacuolar acidification.
AB  - Methionine restriction (MetR) is one of the rare regimes that prolongs lifespan
      across species barriers. Using a yeast model, we recently demonstrated that this
      lifespan extension is promoted by autophagy, which in turn requires vacuolar
      acidification. Our study is the first to place autophagy as one of the major
      players required for MetR-mediated longevity. In addition, our work identifies
      vacuolar acidification as a key downstream element of autophagy induction under
      MetR, and possibly after rapamycin treatment. Unlike other amino acids,
      methionine plays pleiotropic roles in many metabolism-relevant pathways. For
      instance, methionine (i) is the N-terminal amino acid of every newly translated
      protein; (ii) acts as the central donor of methyl groups through S-adenosyl
      methionine (SAM) during methylation reactions of proteins, DNA or RNA; and (iii)
      provides the sulfhydryl groups for FeS-cluster formation and redox detoxification
      via transsulfuration to cysteine. Intriguingly, MetR causes lifespan extension,
      both in yeast and in rodents. We could show that in Saccharomyces cerevisiae,
      chronological lifespan (CLS) is increased in two specific methionine-auxotrophic
      strains (namely Deltamet2 and Deltamet15).

PMID- 28357242
TI  - Heat shock protein 90 and calcineurin pathway inhibitors enhance the efficacy of
      triazoles against Scedosporium prolificans via induction of apoptosis.
AB  - Scedosporium prolificans is a pathogenic mold resistant to current antifungals,
      and infection results in high mortality. Simultaneous targeting of both
      ergosterol biosynthesis and heat shock protein 90 (Hsp90) or the calcineurin
      pathway in S. prolificans may be an important strategy for enhancing the potency
      of antifungal agents. We hypothesized that the inactive triazoles posaconazole
      (PCZ) and itraconazole (ICZ) acquire fungicidal activity when combined with the
      calcineurin inhibitor tacrolimus (TCR) or Hsp90 inhibitor 17-demethoxy-17-(2
      propenylamino) geldanamycin (17AAG). PCZ, ICZ, TCR and 17AAG alone were inactive
      in vitro against S. prolificans spores (MICs > 128 MUg/ml). In contrast, MICs for
      PCZ or ICZ in combination with TCR or 17AAG (0.125-0.50 MUg/ml) were much lower
      compared with drug alone. In addition PCZ and ICZ in combination with TCR or
      17AAG became fungicidal. Because apoptosis is regulated by the calcineurin
      pathway in fungi and is under the control of Hsp90, we hypothesized that this
      synergistic fungicidal effect is mediated via apoptosis. This observed fungicidal
      activity was mediated by increased apoptosis of S. prolificans germlings, as
      evidenced by reactive oxygen species accumulation, decreased mitochondrial
      membrane potential, phosphatidylserine externalization, and DNA fragmentation.
      Furthermore, induction of caspase-like activity was correlated with TCR or 17AAG
      + PCZ/ICZ-induced cell death. In conclusion, we report for the first time that
      PCZ or ICZ in combination with TCR or 17AAG renders S. prolificans exquisitely
      sensitive to PCZ or ICZ via apoptosis. This finding may stimulate the development
      of new therapeutic strategies for patients infected with this recalcitrant
      fungus.

PMID- 28357243
TI  - At neutral pH the chronological lifespan of Hansenula polymorpha increases upon
      enhancing the carbon source concentrations.
AB  - Dietary restriction is generally assumed to increase the lifespan in most
      eukaryotes, including the simple model organism Saccharomyces cerevisiae.
      However, recent data questioned whether this phenomenon is indeed true for yeast.
      We studied the effect of reduction of the carbon source concentration on the
      chronological lifespan of the yeast Hansenula polymorpha using four different
      carbon sources. Our data indicate that reduction of the carbon source
      concentration has a negative (glucose, ethanol, methanol) or positive (glycerol)
      effect on the chronological lifespan. We show that the actual effect of carbon
      source concentrations largely depends on extracellular factor(s). We provide
      evidence that H. polymorpha acidifies the medium and that a low pH of the medium
      alone is sufficient to significantly decrease the chronological lifespan.
      However, glucose-grown cells are less sensitive to low pH compared to glycerol
      grown cells, explaining why only the reduction of the glycerol-concentration
      (which leads to less medium acidification) has a positive effect on the
      chronological lifespan. Instead, the positive effect of enhancing the glucose
      concentrations is much larger than the negative effect of the medium
      acidification at these conditions, explaining the increased lifespan with
      increasing glucose concentrations. Importantly, at neutral pH, the chronological
      lifespan also decreases with a reduction in glycerol concentrations. We show that
      for glycerol cultures this effect is related to acidification independent changes
      in the composition of the spent medium. Altogether, our data indicate that in H.
      polymorpha at neutral pH the chronological lifespan invariably extends upon
      increasing the carbon source concentration.

PMID- 28357244
TI  - Decoding the biosynthesis and function of diphthamide, an enigmatic modification
      of translation elongation factor 2 (EF2)
AB  - Diphthamide is a highly conserved modification of archaeal and eukaryal
      translation elongation factor 2 (EF2) and yet why cells need EF2 to contain
      diphthamide is unclear. In yeast, the first steps of diphthamide synthesis and
      the genes (DPH1-DPH5) required to form the intermediate diphthine are well
      documented. However, the last step, amidation of diphthine to diphthamide, had
      largely been ill-defined. Remarkably, through mining genome-wide synthetic gene
      array (SGA) and chemical genomics databases, recent studies by Uthman et al.
      [PLoS Genetics (2013) 9, e1003334] and Su et al. [Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA
      (2012) 109, 19983-19987] have identified two more diphthamide players, DPH6 and
      DPH7. Consistent with roles in the amidation step, dph6 and dph7 deletion strains
      fail to complete diphthamide synthesis and accumulate diphthine-modified EF2. In
      contrast to Dph6, the catalytically relevant amidase, Dph7 appears to be
      regulatory. As shown by Uthman et al., it promotes dissociation of diphthine
      synthase (Dph5) from EF2, allowing diphthine amidation by Dph6 to occur and
      thereby coupling diphthine synthesis to the terminal step in the pathway.
      Remarkably, the study by Uthman et al. suggests that Dph5 has a novel role as an
      EF2 inhibitor that affects cell growth when diphthamide synthesis is blocked or
      incomplete and, importantly, shows that diphthamide promotes the accuracy of EF2
      performance during translation.

PMID- 28357241
TI  - Cell-autonomous mechanisms of chronological aging in the yeast Saccharomyces
      cerevisiae.
AB  - A body of evidence supports the view that the signaling pathways governing
      cellular aging - as well as mechanisms of their modulation by longevity-extending
      genetic, dietary and pharmacological interventions - are conserved across
      species. The scope of this review is to critically analyze recent advances in our
      understanding of cell-autonomous mechanisms of chronological aging in the budding
      yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Based on our analysis, we propose a concept of a
      biomolecular network underlying the chronology of cellular aging in yeast. The
      concept posits that such network progresses through a series of lifespan
      checkpoints. At each of these checkpoints, the intracellular concentrations of
      some key intermediates and products of certain metabolic pathways - as well as
      the rates of coordinated flow of such metabolites within an intricate network of
      intercompartmental communications - are monitored by some checkpoint-specific
      "master regulator" proteins. The concept envisions that a synergistic action of
      these master regulator proteins at certain early-life and late-life checkpoints
      modulates the rates and efficiencies of progression of such processes as cell
      metabolism, growth, proliferation, stress resistance, macromolecular homeostasis,
      survival and death. The concept predicts that, by modulating these vital cellular
      processes throughout lifespan (i.e., prior to an arrest of cell growth and
      division, and following such arrest), the checkpoint-specific master regulator
      proteins orchestrate the development and maintenance of a pro- or anti-aging
      cellular pattern and, thus, define longevity of chronologically aging yeast.

PMID- 28357245
TI  - Genome evolution in yeast reveals connections between rare mutations in human
      cancers.
AB  - Cancer cells are riddled with mutations. Less than one percent of these are
      thought to be mutations that drive cancer phenotypes. However, a recent study
      conducted on the yeast knockout collections by Teng et al. [Mol. Cell (2013) 52:
      485-494] provides hard evidence that single gene deletions/mutations in most non
      essential genes can drive the selection for cancer-like mutations.

PMID- 28357247
TI  - Effect of paraquat-induced oxidative stress on gene expression and aging of the
      filamentous ascomycete Podospora anserina
AB  - Aging of biological systems is influenced by various factors, conditions and
      processes. Among others, processes allowing organisms to deal with various types
      of stress are of key importance. In particular, oxidative stress as the result of
      the generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) at the mitochondrial respiratory
      chain and the accumulation of ROS-induced molecular damage has been strongly
      linked to aging. Here we view the impact of ROS from a different angle: their
      role in the control of gene expression. We report a genome-wide transcriptome
      analysis of the fungal aging model Podospora anserina grown on medium containing
      paraquat (PQ). This treatment leads to an increased cellular generation and
      release of H2O2, a reduced growth rate, and a decrease in lifespan. The combined
      challenge by PQ and copper has a synergistic negative effect on growth and
      lifespan. The data from the transcriptome analysis of the wild type cultivated
      under PQ-stress and their comparison to those of a longitudinal aging study as
      well as of a copper-uptake longevity mutant of P. anserina revealed that PQ
      stress leads to the up-regulation of transcripts coding for components involved
      in mitochondrial remodeling. PQ also affects the expression of copper-regulated
      genes suggesting an increase of cytoplasmic copper levels as it has been
      demonstrated earlier to occur during aging of P. anserina and during senescence
      of human fibroblasts. This effect may result from the induction of the
      mitochondrial permeability transition pore via PQ-induced ROS, leading to
      programmed cell death as part of an evolutionary conserved mechanism involved in
      biological aging and lifespan control.

PMID- 28357249
TI  - Mutagenesis by host antimicrobial peptides: insights into microbial evolution
      during chronic infections.
AB  - Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) are produced by the mammalian immune system to
      fight invading pathogens. The best understood function of AMPs is to integrate
      into the membranes of microbes, thereby disrupting and killing cells. However, a
      recent study [PLoS Pathogens (2014) 10, e1004083] provides evidence that at
      subinhibitory levels, AMPs promote mutations in bacterial DNA, which enhance
      bacterial survival. In particular, in the bacterium Pseudomonas aeruginosa, one
      AMP called LL-37 can promote mutations, which enable the bacteria to overproduce
      a protective sugar coating, a process called mucoid conversion. P. aeruginosa
      mucoid conversion is a major risk factor for those suffering from cystic fibrosis
      (CF), one of the most common lethal, heritable diseases in the US. LL-37 was
      found to produce mutations by penetrating the bacterial cell and binding to
      bacterial DNA. It was proposed that LL-37 binding DNA disrupts normal DNA
      replication and potentiates mutations. Importantly, LL-37 induced mutagenesis was
      also found to promote resistance to rifampicin in both P. aeruginosa and E. coli.
      This suggests that AMP-induced mutagenesis may be important for a broad range of
      chronic diseases and pathogens.

PMID- 28357248
TI  - Exogenous addition of histidine reduces copper availability in the yeast
      Saccharomyces cerevisiae.
AB  - The basic amino acid histidine inhibited yeast cell growth more severely than
      lysine and arginine. Overexpression of CTR1, which encodes a high-affinity copper
      transporter on the plasma membrane, or addition of copper to the medium
      alleviated this cytotoxicity. However, the intracellular level of copper ions was
      not decreased in the presence of excess histidine. These results indicate that
      histidine cytotoxicity is associated with low copper availability inside cells,
      not with impaired copper uptake. Furthermore, histidine did not affect cell
      growth under limited respiration conditions, suggesting that histidine
      cytotoxicity is involved in deficiency of mitochondrial copper.

PMID- 28357250
TI  - Where antibiotic resistance mutations meet quorum-sensing.
AB  - We do not need to rehearse the grim story of the global rise of antibiotic
      resistant microbes. But what if it were possible to control the rate with which
      antibiotic resistance evolves by de novo mutation? It seems that some bacteria
      may already do exactly that: they modify the rate at which they mutate to
      antibiotic resistance dependent on their biological environment. In our recent
      study [Krasovec, et al. Nat. Commun. (2014), 5, 3742] we find that this
      modification depends on the density of the bacterial population and cell-cell
      interactions (rather than, for instance, the level of stress). Specifically, the
      wild-type strains of Escherichia coli we used will, in minimal glucose media,
      modify their rate of mutation to rifampicin resistance according to the density
      of wild-type cells. Intriguingly, the higher the density, the lower the mutation
      rate (Figure 1). Why this novel density-dependent 'mutation rate plasticity' (DD
      MRP) occurs is a question at several levels. Answers are currently fragmentary,
      but involve the quorum-sensing gene luxS and its role in the activated methyl
      cycle.

PMID- 28357251
TI  - A non-proteolytic function of ubiquitin in transcription repression.
AB  - Regulation of transcription is vitally important for maintaining normal cellular
      homeostasis and is also the basis for cellular differentiation, morphogenesis and
      the adaptability of any organism. Transcription activators, which orchestrate
      time and locus-specific assembly of complex transcription machinery, act as key
      players in these processes. One way in which these activators are controlled is
      by the covalent attachment of the conserved protein, ubiquitin (Ub), which can
      serve as either a proteolytic or non-proteolytic signal. For a subset of the
      activators, polyubiquitination-dependent degradation of the activator controls
      its abundance. In these cases transcription activation can require protein
      synthesis as well as internal or external stimulus. In contrast, other activators
      have been reported to undergo mono- or oligoubiquitination that does not lead to
      protein degradation. The mechanisms by which monoubiquitination of transcription
      activators affect their activities have been poorly understood. In a recent
      study, we demonstrated that monoubiquitination of some transcription activators
      can inhibit transcription by recruiting the AAA+ ATPase Cdc48 (also known in
      metazoan organisms as p97 or valosin-contain protein, VCP), which then extracts
      the ubiquitinated activator from DNA.

PMID- 28357252
TI  - Multiple metabolic requirements for size homeostasis and initiation of division
      in Saccharomyces cerevisiae.
AB  - Most cells must grow before they can divide, but it is not known how cells
      determine when they have grown enough so they can commit to a new round of cell
      division. Several parameters affect the timing of initiation of division: cell
      size at birth, the size cells have to reach when they commit to division, and how
      fast they reach that size. We report that Saccharomyces cerevisiae mutants in
      metabolic and biosynthetic pathways differ in these variables, controlling the
      timing of initiation of cell division in various ways. Some mutants affect the
      size at birth, size at initiation of division, the rate of increase in size, or
      any combination of the above. Furthermore, we show that adenylate kinase, encoded
      by ADK1, is a significant determinant of the efficiency of size control
      mechanisms. Finally, our data argue strongly that the cell size at division is
      not necessarily a function of the rate cells increase in size in the G1 phase of
      the cell cycle. Taken together, these findings reveal an unexpected diversity in
      the G1 cell cycle phenotypes of metabolic and biosynthetic mutants, suggesting
      that growth requirements for cell division are multiple, distinct and imposed
      throughout the G1 phase of the cell cycle.

PMID- 28357253
TI  - The replication timing program in the hands of two HDACs.
AB  - In eukaryotes, duplication of genomic information depends on the sequential
      activation of multiple replication origins distributed along the chromosomes.
      Replication origins differ in initiation time, chromatin structure and three
      dimensional position in the nucleus. Recently, we have performed a systematic
      analysis of the role of histone deacetylases (HDACs) in the regulation of origin
      activity in budding yeast. We have found that the epigenetic regulation of
      repetitive sequences is a key determinant of the DNA replication program. Indeed,
      our study revealed that two histone deacetylases, Rpd3 and Sir2, have opposite
      effects on the replication timing program. Rpd3 delays initiation at late
      origins, whereas Sir2 promotes efficient activation of early origins. Remarkably,
      we also found that Rpd3 and Sir2 regulate initiation at ~200 replication origins
      located within the ribosomal DNA (rDNA) array. We propose that this epigenetic
      regulation of repetitive origins controls the replication timing program by
      modulating the availability of limiting initiation factors.

PMID- 28357246
TI  - Sphingolipids and mitochondrial function, lessons learned from yeast.
AB  - Mitochondrial dysfunction is a hallmark of several neurodegenerative diseases
      such as Alzheimer's disease and Parkinson's disease, but also of cancer, diabetes
      and rare diseases such as Wilson's disease (WD) and Niemann Pick type C1 (NPC).
      Mitochondrial dysfunction underlying human pathologies has often been associated
      with an aberrant cellular sphingolipid metabolism. Sphingolipids (SLs) are
      important membrane constituents that also act as signaling molecules. The yeast
      Saccharomyces cerevisiae has been pivotal in unraveling mammalian SL metabolism,
      mainly due to the high degree of conservation of SL metabolic pathways. In this
      review we will first provide a brief overview of the major differences in SL
      metabolism between yeast and mammalian cells and the use of SL biosynthetic
      inhibitors to elucidate the contribution of specific parts of the SL metabolic
      pathway in response to for instance stress. Next, we will discuss recent findings
      in yeast SL research concerning a crucial signaling role for SLs in orchestrating
      mitochondrial function, and translate these findings to relevant disease settings
      such as WD and NPC. In summary, recent research shows that S. cerevisiae is an
      invaluable model to investigate SLs as signaling molecules in modulating
      mitochondrial function, but can also be used as a tool to further enhance our
      current knowledge on SLs and mitochondria in mammalian cells.

PMID- 28357254
TI  - Time resolved DNA occupancy dynamics during the respiratory oscillation uncover a
      global reset point in the yeast growth program.
AB  - The structural dynamics of chromatin have been implicated in the regulation of
      fundamental eukaryotic processes, such as DNA transcription, replication and
      repair. Although previous studies have revealed that the chromatin landscape,
      nucleosome remodeling and histone modification events are intimately tied into
      cellular energetics and redox state, few studies undertake defined time-resolved
      measurements of these state variables. Here, we use metabolically synchronous,
      continuously-grown yeast cultures to measure DNA occupancy and track global
      patterns with respect to the metabolic state of the culture. Combined with
      transcriptome analyses and ChIP-qPCR experiments, these paint an intriguing
      picture where genome-wide nucleosome focusing occurs during the recovery of
      energy charge, followed by clearance of the promoter regions and global
      transcriptional slow-down, thus indicating a nucleosome-mediated "reset point"
      for the cycle. The reset begins at the end of the catabolic and stress-response
      transcriptional programs and ends prior to the start of the anabolic and cell
      growth transcriptional program, and the histones on genes from both the catabolic
      and anabolic superclusters are deacetylated.

PMID- 28357255
TI  - Extracellular calcium triggers unique transcriptional programs and modulates
      staurosporine-induced cell death in Neurospora crassa.
AB  - Alterations in the intracellular levels of calcium are a common response to cell
      death stimuli in animals and fungi and, particularly, in the Neurospora crassa
      response to staurosporine. We highlight the importance of the extracellular
      availability of Ca2+ for this response. Limitation of the ion in the culture
      medium further sensitizes cells to the drug and results in increased accumulation
      of reactive oxygen species (ROS). Conversely, an approximately 30-fold excess of
      external Ca2+ leads to increased drug tolerance and lower ROS generation. In line
      with this, distinct staurosporine-induced cytosolic Ca2+ signaling profiles were
      observed in the absence or presence of excessive external Ca2+. High-throughput
      RNA sequencing revealed that different concentrations of extracellular Ca2+
      define distinct transcriptional programs. Our transcriptional profiling also
      pointed to two putative novel Ca2+-binding proteins, encoded by the NCU08524 and
      NCU06607 genes, and provides a reference dataset for future investigations on the
      role of Ca2+ in fungal biology.

PMID- 28357257
TI  - Combinatorial stress responses: direct coupling of two major stress responses in
      Escherichia coli.
AB  - Nitrogen is an essential element for all life, and this is no different for the
      bacterial cell. Numerous cellular macromolecules contain nitrogen, including
      proteins, nucleic acids and cell wall components. In Escherichia coli and related
      bacteria, the nitrogen stress (Ntr) response allows cells to rapidly sense and
      adapt to nitrogen limitation by scavenging for alternative nitrogen sources
      through the transcriptional activation of transport systems and catabolic and
      biosynthetic operons by the global transcriptional regulator NtrC. Nitrogen
      starved bacterial cells also synthesize the (p)ppGpp effector molecules of a
      second global bacterial stress response - the stringent response. Recently, we
      showed that the transcription of relA, the gene which encodes the major (p)ppGpp
      synthetase in E. coli, is activated by NtrC during nitrogen starvation. Our
      results revealed that in E. coli and related bacteria, NtrC functions in
      combinatorial stress and serves to couple two major stress responses, the Ntr
      response and stringent response.

PMID- 28357256
TI  - Cell wall dynamics modulate acetic acid-induced apoptotic cell death of
      Saccharomyces cerevisiae.
AB  - Acetic acid triggers apoptotic cell death in Saccharomyces cerevisiae, similar to
      mammalian apoptosis. To uncover novel regulators of this process, we analyzed
      whether impairing MAPK signaling affected acetic acid-induced apoptosis and found
      the mating-pheromone response and, especially, the cell wall integrity pathways
      were the major mediators, especially the latter, which we characterized further.
      Screening downstream effectors of this pathway, namely targets of the
      transcription factor Rlm1p, highlighted decreased cell wall remodeling as
      particularly important for acetic acid resistance. Modulation of cell surface
      dynamics therefore emerges as a powerful strategy to increase acetic acid
      resistance, with potential application in industrial fermentations using yeast,
      and in biomedicine to exploit the higher sensitivity of colorectal carcinoma
      cells to apoptosis induced by acetate produced by intestinal propionibacteria.

PMID- 28357258
TI  - Prokaryotic ancestry and gene fusion of a dual localized peroxiredoxin in malaria
      parasites.
AB  - Horizontal gene transfer has emerged as a crucial driving force for the evolution
      of eukaryotes. This also includes Plasmodium falciparum and related economically
      and clinically relevant apicomplexan parasites, whose rather small genomes have
      been shaped not only by natural selection in different host populations but also
      by horizontal gene transfer following endosymbiosis. However, there is rather
      little reliable data on horizontal gene transfer between animal hosts or bacteria
      and apicomplexan parasites. Here we show that apicomplexan homologues of
      peroxiredoxin 5 (Prx5) have a prokaryotic ancestry and therefore represent a
      special subclass of Prx5 isoforms in eukaryotes. Using two different
      immunobiochemical approaches, we found that the P. falciparum Prx5 homologue is
      dually localized to the parasite plastid and cytosol. This dual localization is
      reflected by a modular Plasmodium-specific gene architecture consisting of two
      exons. Despite the plastid localization, our phylogenetic analyses contradict an
      acquisition by secondary endosymbiosis and support a gene fusion event following
      a horizontal prokaryote-to-eukaryote gene transfer in early apicomplexans. The
      results provide unexpected insights into the evolution of apicomplexan parasites
      as well as the molecular evolution of peroxiredoxins, an important family of
      ubiquitous, usually highly concentrated thiol-dependent hydroperoxidases that
      exert functions as detoxifying enzymes, redox sensors and chaperones.

PMID- 28357260
TI  - Targeting of chromatin readers: a novel strategy used by the Shigella flexneri
      virulence effector OspF to reprogram transcription.
AB  - Shigella flexneri, a gram-negative bacterium responsible of bacillary dysentery,
      uses multiple strategies to overcome host immune defense. We have decrypted how
      this bacterium manipulates host-cell chromatin binders to take control of immune
      gene expression. We found that OspF, an injected virulence factor previously
      identified as a repressor of immune gene expression, targets the chromatin reader
      HP1gamma. Heterochromatin Protein 1 family members specifically recognize and
      bind histone H3 methylated at Lys 9. Although initially identified as chromatin
      associated transcriptional silencers in heterochromatin, their location in
      euchromatin indicates an active role in gene expression. Notably, HP1gamma
      phosphorylation at Serine 83 defines a subpopulation exclusively located to
      euchromatin, targeted to the site of transcriptional elongation. We showed that
      OspF directly interacts with HP1gamma, and causes HP1 dephosphorylation,
      suggesting a model in which this virulence effector "uses" HP1 proteins as
      beacons to target and repress immune gene expression (Harouz, et al. EMBO J
      (2014)). OspF alters HP1gamma phosphorylation mainly by inactivating the Erk
      activated kinase MSK1, spotlighting it as a new HP1 kinase. In vivo, infectious
      stresses trigger HP1gamma phosphorylation in the colon, principally in the lamina
      propria and the intestinal crypts. Several lines of evidence suggest that HP1
      proteins are modified as extensively as histones, and decrypting the impact of
      these HP1 post-translational modifications on their transcriptional activities in
      vivo will be the next challenges to be taken up.

PMID- 28357261
TI  - A pseudokinase couples signaling pathways to enable asymmetric cell division in a
      bacterium.
AB  - Bacteria face complex decisions when initiating developmental events such as
      sporulation, nodulation, virulence, and asymmetric cell division. These
      developmental decisions require global changes in genomic readout, and bacteria
      typically employ intricate (yet poorly understood) signaling networks that enable
      changes in cell function. The bacterium Caulobacter crescentus divides
      asymmetrically to yield two functionally distinct cells: a motile, chemotactic
      swarmer cell, and a sessile stalked cell with replication and division
      capabilities. Work from several Caulobacter labs has revealed that
      differentiation requires concerted regulation by several two-component system
      (TCS) signaling pathways that are differentially positioned at the poles of the
      predivisional cell (Figure 1). The strict unidirectional flow from histidine
      kinase (HK) to the response regulator (RR), observed in most studied TCS, is
      difficult to reconcile with the notion that information can be transmitted
      between two or more TCS signaling pathways. In this study, we uncovered a
      mechanism by which daughter cell fate, which is specified by the DivJ-DivK-PleC
      system and effectively encoded in the phosphorylation state of the single-domain
      RR DivK, is communicated to the CckA-ChpT-CtrA signaling pathway that regulates
      more than 100 genes for polar differentiation, replication initiation and cell
      division. Using structural biology and biochemical findings we proposed a
      mechanistic basis for TCS pathway coupling in which the DivL pseudokinase is
      repurposed as a sensor rather than participant in phosphotransduction.

PMID- 28357259
TI  - Two distinct and competitive pathways confer the cellcidal actions of
      artemisinins.
AB  - The biological actions of artemisinin (ART), an antimalarial drug derived from
      Artemisia annua, remain poorly understood and controversial. Besides potent
      antimalarial activity, some of artemisinin derivatives (together with
      artemisinin, hereafter referred to as ARTs), in particular dihydroartemisinin
      (DHA), are also associated with anticancer and other antiparasitic activities. In
      this study, we used baker's yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae as cellular and
      genetic model to investigate the molecular and cellular properties of ARTs. Two
      clearly separable pathways exist. While all ARTs exhibit potent anti
      mitochondrial actions as shown before, DHA exerts an additional strong heme
      dependent, likely mitochondria-independent inhibitory action. More importantly,
      heme antagonizes the mitochondria-dependent cellcidal action. Indeed, when heme
      synthesis was inhibited, the mitochondria-dependent cellcidal action of ARTs
      could be dramatically strengthened, and significant yeast growth inhibition at as
      low as 100 nM ART, an increase of about 25 folds in sensitivity, was observed. We
      conclude that ARTs are endowed with two major and distinct types of properties: a
      potent and specific mitochondria-dependent reaction and a more general and less
      specific heme-mediated reaction. The competitive nature of these two actions
      could be explained by their shared source of the consumable ARTs, so that
      inhibition of the heme-mediated degradation pathway would enable more ARTs to be
      available for the mitochondrial action. These properties of ARTs can be used to
      interpret the divergent antimalarial and anticancer actions of ARTs.

PMID- 28357262
TI  - Starting with a degron: N-terminal formyl-methionine of nascent bacterial
      proteins contributes to their proteolytic control.

PMID- 28357263
TI  - Elongation factor-P at the crossroads of the host-endosymbiont interface.
AB  - Elongation factor P (EF-P) is an ancient bacterial translational factor that aids
      the ribosome in polymerizing oligo-prolines. EF-P structurally resembles tRNA and
      binds in-between the exit and peptidyl sites of the ribosome to accelerate the
      intrinsically slow reaction of peptidyl-prolyl bond formation. Recent studies
      have identified in separate organisms, two evolutionarily convergent EF-P post
      translational modification systems (EPMS), split predominantly between
      gammaproteobacteria, and betaproteobacteria. In both cases EF-P receives a post
      translational modification, critical for its function, on a highly conserved
      residue that protrudes into the peptidyl-transfer center of the ribosome. EPMSs
      are comprised of a gene(s) that synthesizes the precursor molecule used in
      modifying EF-P, and a gene(s) encoding an enzyme that reacts with the precursor
      molecule to catalyze covalent attachment to EF-P. However, not all organisms
      genetically encode a complete EPMS. For instance, some symbiotic bacteria harbor
      efp and the corresponding gene that enzymatically attaches the modification, but
      lack the ability to synthesize the substrate used in the modification reaction.
      Here we highlight the recent discoveries made regarding EPMSs, with a focus on
      how these incomplete modification pathways shape or have been shaped by the
      endosymbiont-host relationship.

PMID- 28357264
TI  - Per aspera ad astra: When harmful chromosomal translocations become a plus value
      in genetic evolution. Lessons from Saccharomyces cerevisiae.
AB  - In this review we will focus on chromosomal translocations (either spontaneous or
      induced) in budding yeast. Indeed, very few organisms tolerate so well aneuploidy
      like Saccharomyces, allowing in depth studies on chromosomal numerical
      aberrations. Many wild type strains naturally develop chromosomal rearrangements
      while adapting to different environmental conditions. Translocations, in
      particular, are valuable not only because they naturally drive species evolution,
      but because they might allow the artificial generation of new strains that can be
      optimized for industrial purposes. In this area, several methodologies to
      artificially trigger chromosomal translocations have been conceived in the past
      years, such as the chromosomal fragmentation vector (CFV) technique, the Cre-loxP
      procedure, the FLP/FRT recombination method and, recently, the bridge - induced
      translocation (BIT) system. An overview of the methodologies to generate
      chromosomal translocations in yeast will be presented and discussed considering
      advantages and drawbacks of each technology, focusing in particular on the recent
      BIT system. Translocants are important for clinical studies because translocated
      yeast cells resemble cancer cells from morphological and physiological points of
      view and because the translocation event ensues in a transcriptional de
      regulation with a subsequent multi-factorial genetic adaptation to new, selective
      environmental conditions. The phenomenon of post-translocational adaptation (PTA)
      is discussed, providing some new unpublished data and proposing the hypothesis
      that translocations may drive evolution through adaptive genetic selection.

PMID- 28357266
TI  - A bacterial volatile signal for biofilm formation.
AB  - Bacteria constantly monitor the environment they reside in and respond to
      potential changes in the environment through a variety of signal sensing and
      transduction mechanisms in a timely fashion. Those signaling mechanisms often
      involve application of small, diffusible chemical molecules. Volatiles are a
      group of small air-transmittable chemicals that are produced universally by all
      kingdoms of organisms. Past studies have shown that volatiles can function as
      cell-cell communication signals not only within species, but also cross-species.
      However, little is known about how the volatile-mediated signaling mechanism
      works. In our recent study (Chen, et al. mBio (2015), 6: e00392-15), we
      demonstrated that the soil bacterium Bacillus subtilis uses acetic acid as a
      volatile signal to coordinate the timing of biofilm formation within physically
      separated cells in the community. We also showed that the bacterium possesses an
      intertwined gene network to produce, secrete, sense, and respond to acetic acid,
      in stimulating biofilm formation. Interestingly, many of those genes are highly
      conserved in other bacterial species, raising the possibility that acetic acid
      may act as a volatile signal for cross-species communication.

PMID- 28357265
TI  - DNA damage checkpoint adaptation genes are required for division of cells
      harbouring eroded telomeres.
AB  - In budding yeast, telomerase and the Cdc13p protein are two key players acting to
      ensure telomere stability. In the absence of telomerase, cells eventually enter a
      growth arrest which only few can overcome via a conserved process; such cells are
      called survivors. Survivors rely on homologous recombination-dependent mechanisms
      for telomeric repeat addition. Previously, we showed that such survivor cells
      also manage to bypass the loss of the essential Cdc13p protein to give rise to
      Cdc13-independent (or cap-independent) strains. Here we show that Cdc13
      independent cells grow with persistently recognized DNA damage, which does not
      however result in a checkpoint activation; thus no defect in cell cycle
      progression is detectable. The absence of checkpoint signalling rather is due to
      the accumulation of mutations in checkpoint genes such as RAD24 or MEC1.
      Importantly, our results also show that cells that have lost the ability to adapt
      to persistent DNA damage, also are very much impaired in generating cap
      independent cells. Altogether, these results show that while the capping process
      can be flexible, it takes a very specific genetic setup to allow a change from
      canonical capping to alternative capping. We hypothesize that in the alternative
      capping mode, genome integrity mechanisms are abrogated, which could cause
      increased mutation frequencies. These results from yeast have clear parallels in
      transformed human cancer cells and offer deeper insights into processes operating
      in pre-cancerous human cells that harbour eroded telomeres.

PMID- 28357270
TI  - Groupthink: chromosomal clustering during transcriptional memory.

PMID- 28357269
TI  - Micafungin induced apoptosis in Candida parapsilosis independent of its
      susceptibility to micafungin.
AB  - We hypothesized that the cell wall inhibitor micafungin (MICA) induces apoptosis
      in both MICA-susceptible (MICA-S) and MICA-non-susceptible (MICA-NS) Candida
      parapsilosis. Antifungal activity and apoptosis were analyzed in MICA-S and MICA
      NS C. parapsilosis strains following exposure to micafungin for 3 h at 37 degrees
      C in RPMI 1640 medium. Apoptosis was characterized by detecting
      phosphatidylserine externalization (PS), plasma membrane integrity, reactive
      oxygen species (ROS) generation, mitochondrial membrane potential changes,
      adenosine triphosphate (ATP) release, and caspase-like activity. Apoptosis was
      detected in MICA exposed (0.25 to 1 mg/L) susceptible C. parapsilosis strains and
      was associated with apoptosis of 20-52% of analyzed cells versus only 5-30% of
      apoptosis in MICA-NS cells exposed to micafungin (0.5 to 2 mg/L; P = 0.001). The
      MICA antifungal activity was correlated with apoptotic cells showing increased
      dihydrorhodamine-123 staining (indicating ROS production), Rh-123 staining
      (decreased mitochondrial membrane potential), elevated ATP, and increased
      metacaspase activity. In conclusion, MICA is pro-apoptotic in MICA-S cells, but
      still exerts apoptotic effects in MICA -NS C. parapsilosis.

PMID- 28357267
TI  - Electron microscopy for ultrastructural analysis and protein localization in
      Saccharomyces cerevisiae.
AB  - The yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae is a key model system for studying of a
      multitude of cellular processes because of its amenability to genetics, molecular
      biology and biochemical procedures. Ultrastructural examinations of this
      organism, though, are traditionally difficult because of the presence of a thick
      cell wall and the high density of cytoplasmic proteins. A series of recent
      methodological and technical developments, however, has revived interest in
      morphological analyses of yeast (e.g. 123). Here we present a review of
      established and new methods, from sample preparation to imaging, for the
      ultrastructural analysis of S. cerevisiae. We include information for the use of
      different fixation methods, embedding procedures, approaches for contrast
      enhancement, and sample visualization techniques, with references to successful
      examples. The goal of this review is to guide researchers that want to
      investigate a particular process at the ultrastructural level in yeast by aiding
      in the selection of the most appropriate approach to visualize a specific
      structure or subcellular compartment.

PMID- 28357268
TI  - Oxygen availability strongly affects chronological lifespan and thermotolerance
      in batch cultures of Saccharomyces cerevisiae.
AB  - Stationary-phase (SP) batch cultures of Saccharomyces cerevisiae, in which growth
      has been arrested by carbon-source depletion, are widely applied to study
      chronological lifespan, quiescence and SP-associated robustness. Based on this
      type of experiments, typically performed under aerobic conditions, several roles
      of oxygen in aging have been proposed. However, SP in anaerobic yeast cultures
      has not been investigated in detail. Here, we use the unique capability of S.
      cerevisiae to grow in the complete absence of oxygen to directly compare SP in
      aerobic and anaerobic bioreactor cultures. This comparison revealed strong
      positive effects of oxygen availability on adenylate energy charge, longevity and
      thermotolerance during SP. A low thermotolerance of anaerobic batch cultures was
      already evident during the exponential growth phase and, in contrast to the
      situation in aerobic cultures, was not substantially increased during transition
      into SP. A combination of physiological and transcriptome analysis showed that
      the slow post-diauxic growth phase on ethanol, which precedes SP in aerobic, but
      not in anaerobic cultures, endowed cells with the time and resources needed for
      inducing longevity and thermotolerance. When combined with literature data on
      acquisition of longevity and thermotolerance in retentostat cultures, the present
      study indicates that the fast transition from glucose excess to SP in anaerobic
      cultures precludes acquisition of longevity and thermotolerance. Moreover, this
      study demonstrates the importance of a preceding, calorie-restricted conditioning
      phase in the acquisition of longevity and stress tolerance in SP yeast cultures,
      irrespective of oxygen availability.

PMID- 28357271
TI  - Yeast proteinopathy models: a robust tool for deciphering the basis of
      neurodegeneration.
AB  - Protein quality control or proteostasis is an essential determinant of basic cell
      health and aging. Eukaryotic cells have evolved a number of proteostatic
      mechanisms to ensure that proteins retain functional conformation, or are rapidly
      degraded when proteins misfold or self-aggregate. Disruption of proteostasis is
      now widely recognized as a key feature of aging related illness, specifically
      neurodegenerative disease. For example, Alzheimer's disease, Huntington's
      disease, Parkinson's disease and Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) each target
      and afflict distinct neuronal cell subtypes, yet this diverse array of human
      pathologies share the defining feature of aberrant protein aggregation within the
      affected cell population. Here, we review the use of budding yeast as a robust
      proxy to study the intersection between proteostasis and neurodegenerative
      disease. The humanized yeast model has proven to be an amenable platform to
      identify both, conserved proteostatic mechanisms across eukaryotic phyla and
      novel disease specific molecular dysfunction. Moreover, we discuss the intriguing
      concept that yeast specific proteins may be utilized as bona fide therapeutic
      agents, to correct proteostasis errors across various forms of neurodegeneration.

PMID- 28357273
TI  - Histone deacetylases: revealing the molecular base of dimorphism in pathogenic
      fungi.
AB  - Fungi, as every living organism, interact with the external world and have to
      adapt to its fluctuations. For pathogenic fungi, such interaction involves
      adapting to the hostile environment of their host. Survival depends on the
      capacity of fungi to detect and respond to external stimuli, which is achieved
      through a tight and efficient genetic control. Chromatin modifications represent
      a well-known layer of regulation that controls gene expression in response to
      environmental signals. However, less is known about the chromatin modifications
      that are involved in fungal virulence and the specific cues and signalling
      pathways that target chromatin modifications to specific genes. In a recently
      published study, our research group identified one such regulatory pathway. We
      demonstrated that the histone deacetylase (HDAC) Hos2 is involved in yeast-to
      hyphal transition (dimorphism) and it is associated with the virulence of the
      maize pathogen Ustilago maydis, the causative agent of smut disease in corn. Hos2
      activates mating-type genes by directly binding to their gene bodies.
      Furthermore, Hos2 acts downstream of the nutrient-sensing cyclic AMP-Protein
      Kinase A pathway. We also found that another HDAC, Clr3, contributes to this
      regulation, possibly in cooperation with Hos2. As a whole, our data suggest that
      there is a direct link between changes in the environment and acetylation of
      nucleosomes within certain genes. We propose that histone acetylation is critical
      to the proper timing and induction of transcription of the genes encoding factors
      that coordinate changes in morphology with pathogenesis.

PMID- 28357272
TI  - A central role for TOR signalling in a yeast model for juvenile CLN3 disease.
AB  - Yeasts provide an excellent genetically tractable eukaryotic system for
      investigating the function of genes in their biological context, and are
      especially relevant for those conserved genes that cause disease. We study the
      role of btn1, the orthologue of a human gene that underlies an early onset
      neurodegenerative disease (juvenile CLN3 disease, neuronal ceroid lipofuscinosis
      (NCLs) or Batten disease) in the fission yeast Schizosaccharomyces pombe. A
      global screen for genetic interactions with btn1 highlighted a conserved key
      signalling hub in which multiple components functionally relate to this conserved
      disease gene. This signalling hub includes two major mitogen-activated protein
      kinase (MAPK) cascades, and centers on the Tor kinase complexes TORC1 and TORC2.
      We confirmed that yeast cells modelling CLN3 disease exhibit features consistent
      with dysfunction in the TORC pathways, and showed that modulating TORC function
      leads to a comprehensive rescue of defects in this yeast disease model. The same
      pathways may be novel targets in the development of therapies for the NCLs and
      related diseases.

PMID- 28357274
TI  - Quorum protection, growth and survival.
AB  - For the growth of a cell culture, one inoculates not with one cell but with a
      quorum of cells. This most often a requirement, not just a convenience, and most
      of us take this for granted without question. Here this observation is re
      examined to understand why a quorum may be required to grow cells. The importance
      of quorums may be widespread in the aspects of microbiology they affect. It is
      very likely that quorums are connected with and have a large impact on the
      determination of Minimal Inhibitory Concentrations. It is also possible that low
      cell density may adversely affect cell survival, however, this is an area where
      even less is known. The need for a quorum might affect other aspects of microbial
      cell culture, cell isolation and cell preservation. Effects also extend to
      mammalian cell culture. Here I seek to review studies that have been documented
      and speculate on how the information might be utilized in the future.

PMID- 28357276
TI  - Microbial hara-kiri: Exploiting lysosomal cell death in malaria parasites.
AB  - The antimalarial drug chloroquine (CQ) has been sidelined in the fight against
      falciparum malaria due to wide-spread CQ resistance. Replacement drugs like
      sulfadoxine, pyrimethamine and mefloquine have also since been surpassed with the
      evolution of multi-drug resistant parasites. Even the currently recommended
      artemisinin-based combination therapies show signs of compromise due to the
      recent spread of artemisinin delayed-clearance parasites. Though there have been
      promising breakthroughs in the pursuit of new effective antimalarials, the
      development and strategic deployment of such novel chemical entities takes time.
      We therefore argue that there is a crucial need to re-examine the usefulness of
      'outdated' drugs like chloroquine, and explore if they might be effective
      alternative therapies in the interim. We suggest that a novel parasite cell death
      (pCD) pathway may be exploited through the reformulation of CQ to address this
      need.

PMID- 28357275
TI  - Arabidopsis Bax Inhibitor-1 inhibits cell death induced by pokeweed antiviral
      protein in Saccharomyces cerevisiae.
AB  - Apoptosis is an active form of programmed cell death (PCD) that plays critical
      roles in the development, differentiation and resistance to pathogens in
      multicellular organisms. Ribosome inactivating proteins (RIPs) are able to induce
      apoptotic cell death in mammalian cells. In this study, using yeast as a model
      system, we showed that yeast cells expressing pokeweed antiviral protein (PAP), a
      single-chain ribosome-inactivating protein, exhibit apoptotic-like features, such
      as nuclear fragmentation and ROS production. We studied the interaction between
      PAP and AtBI-1 (Arabidopsis thaliana Bax Inhibitor-1), a plant anti-apoptotic
      protein, which inhibits Bax induced cell death. Cells expressing PAP and AtBI-1
      were able to survive on galactose media compared to PAP alone, indicating a
      reduction in the cytotoxicity of PAP in yeast. However, PAP was able to
      depurinate the ribosomes and to inhibit total translation in the presence of AtBI
      1. A C-terminally deleted AtBI-1 was able to reduce the cytotoxicity of PAP.
      Since anti-apoptotic proteins form heterodimers to inhibit the biological
      activity of their partners, we used a co-immunoprecipitation assay to examine the
      binding of AtBI-1 to PAP. Both full length and C-terminal deleted AtBI-1 were
      capable of binding to PAP. These findings indicate that PAP induces cell death in
      yeast and AtBI-1 inhibits cell death induced by PAP without affecting ribosome
      depurination and translation inhibition.

PMID- 28357277
TI  - EzrA: a spectrin-like scaffold in the bacterial cell division machinery.
AB  - Much progress has been made in identifying the components of the divisome, the
      assembly of proteins that undertakes the vital process of cell division in
      bacteria. However, how the highly interdependent processes on either side of the
      membrane are coordinated during division is a major unresolved question. How is
      the degradation and synthesis of the cell wall on the outside of the cell
      coordinated with cytokinesis and membrane fission, which are driven from the
      inside of the cell by the tubulin homologue FtsZ? A possible key mediator of such
      coordination is the membrane protein EzrA, as it interacts both with FtsZ and the
      penicillin binding proteins (PBPs) that synthesize peptidoglycan. Cleverley et
      al. [Nature Communications (2014) 5, 5421] have recently solved the crystal
      structure of the cytoplasmic domain of B. subtilis EzrA, which points to an
      important scaffolding role for EzrA in the divisome. The structure resembles the
      eukaryotic, cytoskeletal spectrin proteins, which link actin filaments in the
      cytoskeleton and also connect the actin cytoskeleton to membrane-bound integrin
      proteins.

PMID- 28357278
TI  - Live fast, die soon: cell cycle progression and lifespan in yeast cells.
AB  - Our understanding of lifespan has benefited enormously from the study of a simple
      model, the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Although a unicellular organism,
      yeasts undergo many of the processes directly related with aging that to some
      extent are conserved in mammalian cells. Nutrient-limiting conditions have been
      involved in lifespan extension, especially in the case of caloric restriction,
      which also has a direct impact on cell cycle progression. In fact, other
      environmental stresses (osmotic, oxidative) that interfere with normal cell cycle
      progression also influence the lifespan of cells, indicating a relationship
      between lifespan and cell cycle control. In the present review we compile and
      discuss new findings related to how cell cycle progression is regulated by other
      nutrients. We centred this review on the analysis of phosphate, also give some
      attention to nitrogen, and the impact of these nutrients on lifespan.

PMID- 28357279
TI  - Mitochondrial type II NAD(P)H dehydrogenases in fungal cell death.
AB  - During aerobic respiration, cells produce energy through oxidative
      phosphorylation, which includes a specialized group of multi-subunit complexes in
      the inner mitochondrial membrane known as the electron transport chain. However,
      this canonical pathway is branched into single polypeptide alternative routes in
      some fungi, plants, protists and bacteria. They confer metabolic plasticity,
      allowing cells to adapt to different environmental conditions and stresses. Type
      II NAD(P)H dehydrogenases (also called alternative NAD(P)H dehydrogenases) are
      non-proton pumping enzymes that bypass complex I. Recent evidence points to the
      involvement of fungal alternative NAD(P)H dehydrogenases in the process of
      programmed cell death, in addition to their action as overflow systems upon
      oxidative stress. Consistent with this, alternative NAD(P)H dehydrogenases are
      phylogenetically related to cell death - promoting proteins of the apoptosis
      inducing factor (AIF)-family.

PMID- 28357281
TI  - Characterization of the Maf family of polymorphic toxins in pathogenic Neisseria
      species.
AB  - In addition to harmless commensal species, Neisseria genus encompasses two
      pathogenic species, N. meningitidis (the meningococcus) and N. gonorrhoeae (the
      gonococcus), which are responsible for meningitis and genital tract infections,
      respectively. Since the publication of the first Neisseria genome in 2000, the
      presence of several genomic islands (GI) comprising maf genes has been
      intriguing. These GIs account for approximately 2% of the genome of the
      pathogenic Neisseria species and the function of the proteins encoded by maf
      genes remained unknown. We showed that maf genes encode a functional toxin
      immunity system where MafB is a toxin neutralized by an immunity protein named
      MafI. A strain can harbor several MafB/MafI modules with distinct toxic
      activities. MafB toxins are polymorphic toxins with a conserved N-terminal region
      and a variable C-terminal region. MafB N-terminal regions consist of a signal
      peptide and a domain named DUF1020 that is only found in the genus Neisseria.
      MafB C-terminal regions are highly polymorphic and encode toxic activities. We
      evidenced the presence of MafB in the culture supernatant of meningococcal cells
      and we observed a competitive advantage for a strain overexpressing a MafB toxin.
      Therefore, we characterized a highly variable family of toxin-immunity modules
      found in multiple loci in pathogenic Neisseria species.

PMID- 28357282
TI  - New roles for autophagy and spermidine in T cells.
AB  - The conserved lysosomal degradation pathway autophagy is now recognised as an
      essential cog in immune function. While functionally widespread in the innate
      immune system, knowledge of its roles in adaptive immunity is more limited.
      Although autophagy has been implicated in naive T cell homeostasis, its
      requirement in antigen-specific T cells during infection was unknown. Using a
      murine model where the essential autophagy gene Atg7 is deleted in the T cell
      lineage, we have shown that autophagy is dispensable for effector CD8+ T cell
      responses, but crucial for the formation of memory CD8+ T cells. Here, we suggest
      reasons why autophagy might be important for the formation of long-lasting
      immunity. Like in the absence of autophagy, T cell memory formation during ageing
      is also defective. We observed diminished autophagy levels in T cells from aged
      mice, linking autophagy to immunosenescence. Importantly, T cell responses to
      influenza vaccination could be significantly improved using the autophagy
      inducing compound spermidine. These results suggest the autophagy pathway as a
      desirable target to improve aged immunity and modulate T cell function.

PMID- 28357280
TI  - Yeast as a tool for studying proteins of the Bcl-2 family.
AB  - Permeabilization of the outer mitochondrial membrane that leads to the release of
      cytochrome c and several other apoptogenic proteins from mitochondria into
      cytosol represents a commitment point of apoptotic pathway in mammalian cells.
      This crucial event is governed by proteins of the Bcl-2 family. Molecular
      mechanisms, by which Bcl-2 family proteins permeabilize mitochondrial membrane,
      remain under dispute. Although yeast does not have apparent homologues of these
      proteins, when mammalian members of Bcl-2 family are expressed in yeast, they
      retain their activity, making yeast an attractive model system, in which to study
      their action. This review focuses on using yeast expressing mammalian proteins of
      the Bcl-2 family as a tool to investigate mechanisms, by which these proteins
      permeabilize mitochondrial membranes, mechanisms, by which pro- and antiapoptotic
      members of this family interact, and involvement of other cellular components in
      the regulation of programmed cell death by Bcl-2 family proteins.

PMID- 28357283
TI  - Translate to divide: sontrol of the cell cycle by protein synthesis.
AB  - Protein synthesis underpins much of cell growth and, consequently, cell
      multiplication. Understanding how proliferating cells commit and progress into
      the cell cycle requires knowing not only which proteins need to be synthesized,
      but also what determines their rate of synthesis during cell division.

PMID- 28357284
TI  - Modeling human Coenzyme A synthase mutation in yeast reveals altered
      mitochondrial function, lipid content and iron metabolism.
AB  - Mutations in nuclear genes associated with defective coenzyme A biosynthesis have
      been identified as responsible for some forms of neurodegeneration with brain
      iron accumulation (NBIA), namely PKAN and CoPAN. PKAN are defined by mutations in
      PANK2, encoding the pantothenate kinase 2 enzyme, that account for about 50% of
      cases of NBIA, whereas mutations in CoA synthase COASY have been recently
      reported as the second inborn error of CoA synthesis leading to CoPAN. As
      reported previously, yeast cells expressing the pathogenic mutation exhibited a
      temperature-sensitive growth defect in the absence of pantothenate and a reduced
      CoA content. Additional characterization revealed decreased oxygen consumption,
      reduced activities of mitochondrial respiratory complexes, higher iron content,
      increased sensitivity to oxidative stress and reduced amount of lipid droplets,
      thus partially recapitulating the phenotypes found in patients and establishing
      yeast as a potential model to clarify the pathogenesis underlying PKAN and CoPAN
      diseases.

PMID- 28357285
TI  - Modeling non-hereditary mechanisms of Alzheimer disease during apoptosis in
      yeast.
AB  - Impaired protein degradation and mitochondrial dysfunction are believed to
      contribute to neurodegenerative disorders, including Alzheimer disease (AD). In
      patients suffering from non-hereditary AD, UBB+1, the frameshift variant of
      ubiquitin B, accumulated in neurons affected by neurofibrillary tangles, which is
      a pathological hallmark. We established a yeast model expressing high levels of
      UBB+1, and could demonstrate that UBB+1 interfered with both the ubiquitin
      proteasome system (UPS) and mitochondrial function. More precisely, UBB+1
      promoted the mitochondrion-localized production of the basic amino acids
      arginine, ornithine, and lysine, which we identified as the decisive toxic event
      culminating in apoptosis. Inducing the UPS activity at mitochondria prevented the
      lethal basic amino acid accumulation and avoided UBB+1-triggered cell loss. The
      arginine/ornithine metabolism is altered in brains of AD patients, and VMS1, the
      mitochondrion-specific UPS component, co-existed with UBB+1 in neurofibrillary
      tangles. Therefore, our data suggest that aberrant basic amino acid synthesis is
      a crucial link between UPS dysfunction and mitochondrial damage during AD
      progression.

PMID- 28357288
TI  - Exogenous folates stimulate growth and budding of Candida glabrata.
AB  - Folate, vitamin B9, is well recognized as being essential for cell growth. The
      utilization of folate is common to all cells, but the source of it may be quite
      different. For example, mammalian cells depend on exogenous uptake of folates,
      while plants and microbes can synthesize them. There has been little
      consideration of uptake of folate in microbial cells, and studies on the effects
      of folates in mammalian cells, where conditions are restricted. This study shows
      that exogenous folates (folic acid or folinic acid), causes Candida glabrata
      cells suspended in water alone to undergo two cycles of cell division and to form
      multiple buds. The effect was limited to cells in the stationary phase and more
      profound in quiescent cells. These data indicate a novel response of yeast to
      folates that may increase the utility of yeast as a model to study folate
      transport and signaling.

PMID- 28357289
TI  - Cytokinins beyond plants: synthesis by Mycobacterium tuberculosis.
AB  - Mycobacterium tuberculosis (M. tuberculosis) resides mainly inside macrophages,
      which produce nitric oxide (NO) to combat microbial infections. Earlier studies
      revealed that proteasome-associated genes are required for M. tuberculosis to
      resist NO via a previously uncharacterized mechanism. Twelve years later, we
      elucidated the link between proteasome function and NO resistance in M.
      tuberculosis in Molecular Cell, 57 (2015), pp. 984-994. In a proteasome
      degradation-defective mutant, Rv1205, a homologue of the plant enzyme LONELY GUY
      (LOG) that is involved in the synthesis of phytohormones called cytokinins,
      accumulates and as a consequence results in the overproduction of cytokinins.
      Cytokinins break down into aldehydes that kill mycobacteria in the presence of
      NO. Importantly, this new discovery reveals for the first time that a mammalian
      bacterial pathogen produces cytokinins and leaves us with the question: why is M.
      tuberculosis, an exclusively human pathogen, producing cytokinins?

PMID- 28357287
TI  - Toxoplasma gondii inhibits cytochrome c-induced caspase activation in its host
      cell by interference with holo-apoptosome assembly.
AB  - Inhibition of programmed cell death pathways of mammalian cells often facilitates
      the sustained survival of intracellular microorganisms. The apicomplexan parasite
      Toxoplasma gondii is a master regulator of host cell apoptotic pathways. Here, we
      have characterized a novel anti-apoptotic activity of T. gondii. Using a cell
      free cytosolic extract model, we show that T. gondii interferes with the
      activities of caspase 9 and caspase 3/7 which have been induced by exogenous
      cytochrome c and dATP. Proteolytic cleavage of caspases 9 and 3 is also
      diminished suggesting inhibition of holo-apoptosome function. Parasite infection
      of Jurkat T cells and subsequent triggering of apoptosome formation by exogenous
      cytochrome cin vitro and in vivo indicated that T. gondii also interferes with
      caspase activation in infected cells. Importantly, parasite inhibition of
      cytochrome c-induced caspase activation considerably contributes to the overall
      anti-apoptotic activity of T. gondii as observed in staurosporine-treated cells.
      Co-immunoprecipitation showed that T. gondii abolishes binding of caspase 9 to
      Apaf-1 whereas the interaction of cytochrome c with Apaf-1 remains unchanged.
      Finally, T. gondii lysate mimics the effect of viable parasites and prevents holo
      apoptosome functionality in a reconstituted in vitro system comprising
      recombinant Apaf-1 and caspase 9. Beside inhibition of cytochrome c release from
      host cell mitochondria, T. gondii thus also targets the holo-apoptosome assembly
      as a second mean to efficiently inhibit the caspase-dependent intrinsic cell
      death pathway.

PMID- 28357290
TI  - Understanding grapevine-microbiome interactions: implications for viticulture
      industry.
AB  - Until recently, the analysis of complex communities such as that of the grapevine
      microbe holobiont has been limited by the fact that most microbes are not
      culturable under laboratory conditions (less than 1%). However, metagenomics, the
      study of the genetic material recovered directly from environmental samples
      without the need for enrichment or of culturing, has led to open an unprecedented
      era in the field of microbiology. Importantly, this technological advance has now
      become so pervasive that it is being regularly applied to explore soils and
      plants of agricultural interest. Interestingly, many large companies are taking
      notice, with significant financial investment being used to exploring ways to
      manipulate the productivity, disease resistance and stress tolerance for crops by
      influencing the microbiome. To understand which microbes one needs to manipulate
      to influence this valuable characteristics, we need to sequence the microbiome
      and capture the genetic and hence functional metabolic information contained
      therein. For viticulture and other agricultural fields where the crop is also
      associated to particular flavor properties that may also be manipulated,
      understanding how the bacteria, fungi and viruses influence the development and
      hence chemical makeup of the crop is essential.

PMID- 28357286
TI  - Yeast as a model system to study metabolic impact of selenium compounds.
AB  - Inorganic Se forms such as selenate or selenite (the two more abundant forms in
      nature) can be toxic in Saccharomyces cerevisiae cells, which constitute an
      adequate model to study such toxicity at the molecular level and the functions
      participating in protection against Se compounds. Those Se forms enter the yeast
      cell through other oxyanion transporters. Once inside the cell, inorganic Se
      forms may be converted into selenide through a reductive pathway that in
      physiological conditions involves reduced glutathione with its consequent
      oxidation into diglutathione and alteration of the cellular redox buffering
      capacity. Selenide can subsequently be converted by molecular oxygen into
      elemental Se, with production of superoxide anions and other reactive oxygen
      species. Overall, these events result in DNA damage and dose-dependent reversible
      or irreversible protein oxidation, although additional oxidation of other
      cellular macromolecules cannot be discarded. Stress-adaptation pathways are
      essential for efficient Se detoxification, while activation of DNA damage
      checkpoint and repair pathways protects against Se-mediated genotoxicity. We
      propose that yeast may be used to improve our knowledge on the impact of Se on
      metal homeostasis, the identification of Se-targets at the DNA and protein
      levels, and to gain more insights into the mechanism of Se-mediated apoptosis.

PMID- 28357291
TI  - A safety catch for ornithine decarboxylase degradation.

PMID- 28357295
TI  - Handcuffs for bacteria - NDP52 orchestrates xenophagy of intracellular
      Salmonella.

PMID- 28357292
TI  - Coordinate responses to alkaline pH stress in budding yeast.
AB  - Alkalinization of the medium represents a stress condition for the budding yeast
      Saccharomyces cerevisiae to which this organism responds with profound remodeling
      of gene expression. This is the result of the modulation of a substantial number
      of signaling pathways whose participation in the alkaline response has been
      elucidated within the last ten years. These regulatory inputs involve not only
      the conserved Rim101/PacC pathway, but also the calcium-activated phosphatase
      calcineurin, the Wsc1-Pkc1-Slt2 MAP kinase, the Snf1 and PKA kinases and
      oxidative stress-response pathways. The uptake of many nutrients is perturbed by
      alkalinization of the environment and, consequently, an impact on phosphate,
      iron/copper and glucose homeostatic mechanisms can also be observed. The analysis
      of available data highlights cases in which diverse signaling pathways are
      integrated in the gene promoter to shape the appropriate response pattern. Thus,
      the expression of different genes sharing the same signaling network can be
      coordinated, allowing functional coupling of their gene products.

PMID- 28357294
TI  - Struggling for breath in Sherbrooke - 1st Symposium on "One mitochondrion, many
      diseases" in Sherbrooke, Quebec, Canada, March 11th, 2015.

PMID- 28357293
TI  - Polyamines directly promote antizyme-mediated degradation of ornithine
      decarboxylase by the proteasome.
AB  - Ornithine decarboxylase (ODC), a ubiquitin-independent substrate of the
      proteasome, is a homodimeric protein with a rate-limiting function in polyamine
      biosynthesis. Polyamines regulate ODC levels by a feedback mechanism mediated by
      ODC antizyme (OAZ). Higher cellular polyamine levels trigger the synthesis of OAZ
      and also inhibit its ubiquitin-dependent proteasomal degradation. OAZ binds ODC
      monomers and targets them to the proteasome. Here, we report that polyamines,
      aside from their role in the control of OAZ synthesis and stability, directly
      enhance OAZ-mediated ODC degradation by the proteasome. Using a stable mutant of
      OAZ, we show that polyamines promote ODC degradation in Saccharomyces cerevisiae
      cells even when OAZ levels are not changed. Furthermore, polyamines stimulated
      the in vitro degradation of ODC by the proteasome in a reconstituted system using
      purified components. In these assays, spermine shows a greater effect than
      spermidine. By contrast, polyamines do not have any stimulatory effect on the
      degradation of ubiquitin-dependent substrates.

PMID- 28357296
TI  - Entamoeba histolytica - tumor necrosis factor: a fatal attraction.

PMID- 28357297
TI  - Wanted Plasmodium falciparum, dead or alive.
AB  - Mechanisms of cell death in unicellular parasites have been subjects of debate
      for the last decade, with studies demonstrating evidence of apoptosis or non
      apoptosis like mechanisms, including necrosis, and autophagy. Recent
      clarifications on the definition of regulated or accidental cell death by The
      Nomenclature Committee on Cell Death provides an opportunity to reanalyze some
      data, re-evaluate conclusions in the light of parasite diversity, and to propose
      alternative arguments in the context of malaria drug resistance, considering lack
      of really new drugs in the pipeline. Deciphering the mechanisms of death may help
      in detection of new drug targets and the design of innovative drugs. However,
      classifications have been evolving rapidly since initial description of
      "programmed cell death", leading to some uncertainty as to whether Plasmodium
      cell death is accidental or regulated.

PMID- 28357299
TI  - In Entamoeba histolytica, a BspA family protein is required for chemotaxis toward
      tumour necrosis factor.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Entamoeba histolytica cell migration is essential for the development
      of human amoebiasis (an infectious disease characterized by tissue invasion and
      destruction). The tissue inflammation associated with tumour necrosis factor
      (TNF) secretion by host cells is a well-documented feature of amoebiasis. Tumour
      necrosis factor is a chemoattractant for E. histolytica, and the parasite may
      have a TNF receptor at its cell surface. METHODS: confocal microscopy, RNA
      Sequencing, bioinformatics, RNA antisense techniques and histological analysis of
      human colon explants were used to characterize the interplay between TNF and E.
      histolytica. RESULTS: an antibody against human TNF receptor 1 (TNFR1) stained
      the E. histolytica trophozoite surface and (on immunoblots) binds to a 150-kDa
      protein. Proteome screening with the TNFR1 sequence revealed a BspA family
      protein in E. histolytica that carries a TNFR signature domain and six leucine
      rich repeats (named here as "cell surface protein", CSP, in view of its cellular
      location). Cell surface protein shares structural homologies with Toll-Like
      receptors, colocalizes with TNF and is internalized in TNF-containing vesicles.
      Reduction of cellular CSP levels abolished chemotaxis toward TNF and blocked
      parasite invasion of human colon. CONCLUSIONS: there is a clear link between TNF
      chemotaxis, CSP and pathogenesis.

PMID- 28357298
TI  - Yeast as a tool to explore cathepsin D function.
AB  - Cathepsin D has garnered increased attention in recent years, mainly since it has
      been associated with several human pathologies. In particular, cathepsin D is
      often overexpressed and hypersecreted in cancer cells, implying it may constitute
      a therapeutic target. However, cathepsin D can have both anti- and pro-survival
      functions depending on its proteolytic activity, cellular context and stress
      stimulus. Therefore, a more detailed understanding of cathepsin D regulation and
      how to modulate its apoptotic functions is clearly needed. In this review, we
      provide an overview of the role of cathepsin D in physiological and pathological
      scenarios. We then focus on the opposing functions of cathepsin D in apoptosis,
      particularly relevant in cancer research. Emphasis is given to the role of the
      yeast protease Pep4p, the vacuolar counterpart of cathepsin D, in life and death.
      Finally, we discuss how insights from yeast cathepsin D and its role in regulated
      cell death can unveil novel functions of mammalian cathepsin D in apoptosis and
      cancer.

PMID- 28357301
TI  - Evolutionary rewiring of bacterial regulatory networks.
AB  - Bacteria have evolved complex regulatory networks that enable integration of
      multiple intracellular and extracellular signals to coordinate responses to
      environmental changes. However, our knowledge of how regulatory systems function
      and evolve is still relatively limited. There is often extensive homology between
      components of different networks, due to past cycles of gene duplication,
      divergence, and horizontal gene transfer, raising the possibility of cross-talk
      or redundancy. Consequently, evolutionary resilience is built into gene networks 
      homology between regulators can potentially allow rapid rescue of lost
      regulatory function across distant regions of the genome. In our recent study
      [Taylor, et al. Science (2015), 347(6225)] we find that mutations that facilitate
      cross-talk between pathways can contribute to gene network evolution, but that
      such mutations come with severe pleiotropic costs. Arising from this work are a
      number of questions surrounding how this phenomenon occurs.

PMID- 28357300
TI  - Human Thyroid Cancer-1 (TC-1) is a vertebrate specific oncogenic protein that
      protects against copper and pro-apoptotic genes in yeast.
AB  - The human Thyroid Cancer-1 (hTC-1) protein, also known as C8orf4 was initially
      identified as a gene that was up-regulated in human thyroid cancer. Here we show
      that hTC-1 is a peptide that prevents the effects of over-expressing Bax in
      yeast. Analysis of the 106 residues of hTC-1 in available protein databases
      revealed direct orthologues in jawed-vertebrates, including mammals, frogs, fish
      and sharks. No TC-1 orthologue was detected in lower organisms, including yeast.
      Here we show that TC-1 is a general pro-survival peptide since it prevents the
      growth- and cell death-inducing effects of copper in yeast. Human TC-1 also
      prevented the deleterious effects that occur due to the over-expression of a
      number of key pro-apoptotic peptides, including YCA1, YBH3, NUC1, and AIF1. Even
      though the protective effects were more pronounced with the over-expression of
      YBH3 and YCA1, hTC-1 could still protect yeast mutants lacking YBH3 and YCA1 from
      the effects of copper sulfate. This suggests that the protective effects of TC-1
      are not limited to specific pathways or processes. Taken together, our results
      indicate that hTC-1 is a pro-survival protein that retains its function when
      heterologously expressed in yeast. Thus yeast is a useful model to characterize
      the potential roles in cell death and survival of cancer related genes.

PMID- 28357303
TI  - Why are essential genes essential? - The essentiality of Saccharomyces genes.
AB  - Essential genes are defined as required for the survival of an organism or a
      cell. They are of particular interests, not only for their essential biological
      functions, but also in practical applications, such as identifying effective drug
      targets to pathogenic bacteria and fungi. The budding yeast Saccharomyces
      cerevisiae has approximately 6,000 open reading frames, 15 to 20% of which are
      deemed as essential. Some of the essential genes, however, appear to perform non
      essential functions, such as aging and cell death, while many of the non
      essential genes play critical roles in cell survival. In this paper, we reviewed
      and analyzed the levels of essentiality of the Saccharomyces cerevisiae genes and
      have grouped the genes into four categories: (1) Conditional essential: essential
      only under certain circumstances or growth conditions; (2) Essential: required
      for survival under optimal growth conditions; (3) Redundant essential: synthetic
      lethal due to redundant pathways or gene duplication; and (4) Absolute essential:
      the minimal genes required for maintaining a cellular life under a stress-free
      environment. The essential and non-essential functions of the essential genes
      were further analyzed.

PMID- 28357305
TI  - Membrane depolarization-triggered responsive diversification leads to antibiotic
      tolerance.
AB  - Bacterial populations are known to harbor a small fraction of so-called persister
      cells that have the remarkable ability to survive treatment with very high doses
      of antibiotics. Recent studies underscore the importance of persistence in
      chronic infections, yet the nature of persisters remains poorly understood. We
      recently showed that the universally conserved GTPase Obg modulates persistence
      via a (p)ppGpp-dependent mechanism that proceeds through expression of hokB. HokB
      is a membrane-bound toxin that causes the membrane potential to collapse. The
      resulting drop in cellular energy levels triggers a switch to the persistent
      state, yielding protection from antibiotic attack. Obg-mediated persistence is
      conserved in the human pathogen Pseudomonas aeruginosa, making Obg a promising
      target for therapies directed against bacterial persistence.

PMID- 28357304
TI  - The lysosomotropic drug LeuLeu-OMe induces lysosome disruption and autophagy
      independent cell death in Trypanosoma brucei.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Trypanosoma brucei is a blood-borne, protozoan parasite that causes
      African sleeping sickness in humans and nagana in animals. The current
      chemotherapy relies on only a handful of drugs that display undesirable toxicity,
      poor efficacy and drug-resistance. In this study, we explored the use of
      lysosomotropic drugs to induce bloodstream form T. brucei cell death via lysosome
      destabilization. METHODS: We measured drug concentrations that inhibit cell
      proliferation by 50% (IC<sub>50<sub>) for several compounds, chosen based on
      their lysosomotropic effects previously reported in Plasmodium falciparum. The
      lysosomal effects and cell death induced by L-leucyl-L-leucyl methyl ester
      (LeuLeu-OMe) were further analyzed by flow cytometry and immunofluorescence
      analyses of different lysosomal markers. The effect of autophagy in LeuLeu-OMe
      induced lysosome destabilization and cytotoxicity was also investigated in
      control and autophagy-deficient cells. RESULTS: LeuLeu-OMe was selected for
      detailed analyses due to its strong inhibitory profile against T. brucei with
      minimal toxicity to human cell lines in vitro. Time-dependent immunofluorescence
      studies confirmed an effect of LeuLeu-OMe on the lysosome. LeuLeu-OMe-induced
      cytotoxicity was also found to be dependent on the acidic pH of the lysosome.
      Although an increase in autophagosomes was observed upon LeuLeu-OMe treatment,
      autophagy was not required for the cell death induced by LeuLeu-OMe. Necrosis
      appeared to be the main cause of cell death upon LeuLeu-OMe treatment.
      CONCLUSIONS: LeuLeu-OMe is a lysosomotropic agent capable of destabilizing
      lysosomes and causing necrotic cell death in bloodstream form of T. brucei.

PMID- 28357306
TI  - The role of transcriptional 'futile cycles' in autophagy and microbial
      pathogenesis.
AB  - Eukaryotic cells utilize macroautophagy (hereafter autophagy) to recycle cellular
      materials during nutrient stress. Target of rapamycin (Tor) is a central
      regulator of this process, acting by post-translational mechanisms,
      phosphorylating preformed autophagy-related (Atg) proteins to repress autophagy
      during log-phase growth. We recently reported an additional role for post
      transcriptional regulation of autophagy, whereby the mRNA decapping protein,
      Dcp2, undergoes Tor-dependent phosphorylation, resulting in increased ATG mRNA
      decapping and degradation under nutrient-rich, repressing conditions.
      Dephosphorylation of Dcp2 during starvation is associated with dissociation of
      the decapping-ATG mRNA complex, with resultant stabilization of, and accumulation
      of, ATG transcripts, leading to induction of autophagy. Regulation of mRNA
      degradation occurs in concert with known mRNA synthetic inductive mechanisms to
      potentiate overall transcriptional regulation. This mRNA degradative pathway thus
      constitutes a type of transcriptional 'futile cycle' where under nutrient-rich
      conditions transcript is constantly being generated and degraded. As nutrient
      levels decline, steady state mRNA levels are increased by both inhibition of
      degradation as well as increased de novo synthesis. A role for this regulatory
      process in fungal virulence was further demonstrated by showing that
      overexpression of the Dcp2-associated mRNA-binding protein Vad1 in the AIDS
      associated pathogen Cryptococcus neoformans results in constitutive repression of
      autophagy even under starvation conditions as well as attenuated virulence in a
      mouse model. In summary, Tor-dependent post-transcriptional regulation of
      autophagy plays a key role in the facilitation of microbial pathogenesis.

PMID- 28357302
TI  - From the baker to the bedside: yeast models of Parkinson's disease.
AB  - The baker's yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae has been extensively explored for our
      understanding of fundamental cell biology processes highly conserved in the
      eukaryotic kingdom. In this context, they have proven invaluable in the study of
      complex mechanisms such as those involved in a variety of human disorders. Here,
      we first provide a brief historical perspective on the emergence of yeast as an
      experimental model and on how the field evolved to exploit the potential of the
      model for tackling the intricacies of various human diseases. In particular, we
      focus on existing yeast models of the molecular underpinnings of Parkinson's
      disease (PD), focusing primarily on the central role of protein quality control
      systems. Finally, we compile and discuss the major discoveries derived from these
      studies, highlighting their far-reaching impact on the elucidation of PD
      associated mechanisms as well as in the identification of candidate therapeutic
      targets and compounds with therapeutic potential.

PMID- 28357307
TI  - Feelin' it: Differential oxidative stress sensing mediated by Cyclin C.

PMID- 28357309
TI  - Peering into the 'black box' of pathogen recognition by cellular autophagy
      systems.
AB  - Autophagy is an intracellular process that plays an important role in protecting
      eukaryotic cells and maintaining intracellular homeostasis. Pathogens, including
      bacteria and viruses, that enter cells can signal induction of selective
      autophagy resulting in degradation of the pathogen in the autolysosome. Under
      such circumstances, the specific recognition and targeting of the invading
      pathogen becomes a crucial step for the subsequent initiation of selective
      autophagosome formation. However, the nature of the signal(s) on the pathogen
      surface and the identity of host molecule(s) that presumably bind the signal
      molecules remain relatively poorly characterized. In this review we summarise the
      available evidence regarding the specific recognition of invading pathogens by
      which they are targeted into host autophagy pathways.

PMID- 28357311
TI  - Intracellular phase for an extracellular bacterial pathogen: MgtC shows the way.
AB  - Pseudomonas aeruginosa is an extracellular pathogen known to impair host
      phagocytic functions. However, our recent results identify MgtC as a novel actor
      in P. aeruginosa virulence, which plays a role in an intramacrophage phase of
      this pathogen. In agreement with its intracellular function, P. aeruginosamgtC
      gene expression is strongly induced when the bacteria reside within macrophages.
      MgtC was previously known as a horizontally-acquired virulence factor important
      for multiplication inside macrophages in several intracellular bacterial
      pathogens. MgtC thus provides a singular example of a virulence determinant that
      subverts macrophages both in intracellular and extracellular pathogens. Moreover,
      we demonstrate that P. aeruginosa MgtC is required for optimal growth in Mg2+
      deprived medium, a property shared by MgtC factors from intracellular pathogens
      and, under Mg2+ limitation, P. aeruginosa MgtC prevents biofilm formation. We
      propose that MgtC has a similar function in intracellular and extracellular
      pathogens, which contributes to macrophage resistance and fine-tune adaptation to
      the host in relation to the different bacterial lifestyles. MgtC thus appears as
      an attractive target for antivirulence strategies and our work provides a natural
      peptide as MgtC antagonist, which paves the way for the development of MgtC
      inhibitors.

PMID- 28357310
TI  - A single mutation in the 15S rRNA gene confers non sense suppressor activity and
      interacts with mRF1 the release factor in yeast mitochondria.
AB  - We have determined the nucleotide sequence of the mim3-1 mitochondrial ribosomal
      suppressor, acting on ochre mitochondrial mutations and one frameshift mutation
      in Saccharomyces cerevisiae. The 15s rRNA suppressor gene contains a G633 to C
      transversion. Yeast mitochondrial G633 corresponds to G517 of the E.coli 15S
      rRNA, which is occupied by an invariant G in all known small rRNA sequences.
      Interestingly, this mutation has occurred at the same position as the known MSU1
      mitochondrial suppressor which changes G633 to A. The suppressor mutation lies in
      a highly conserved region of the rRNA, known in E.coli as the 530-loop,
      interacting with the S4, S5 and S12 ribosomal proteins. We also show an
      interesting interaction between the mitochondrial mim3-1 and the nuclear nam3-1
      suppressors, both of which have the same action spectrum on mitochondrial
      mutations: nam3-1 abolishes the suppressor effect when present with mim3-1 in the
      same haploid cell. We discuss these results in the light of the nature of Nam3,
      identified by 1 as the yeast mitochondrial translation release factor. A
      hypothetical mechanism of suppression by "ribosome shifting" is also discussed in
      view of the nature of mutations suppressed and not suppressed.

PMID- 28357308
TI  - The many facets of homologous recombination at telomeres.
AB  - The ends of linear chromosomes are capped by nucleoprotein structures called
      telomeres. A dysfunctional telomere may resemble a DNA double-strand break (DSB),
      which is a severe form of DNA damage. The presence of one DSB is sufficient to
      drive cell cycle arrest and cell death. Therefore cells have evolved mechanisms
      to repair DSBs such as homologous recombination (HR). HR-mediated repair of
      telomeres can lead to genome instability, a hallmark of cancer cells, which is
      why such repair is normally inhibited. However, some HR-mediated processes are
      required for proper telomere function. The need for some recombination activities
      at telomeres but not others necessitates careful and complex regulation, defects
      in which can lead to catastrophic consequences. Furthermore, some cell types can
      maintain telomeres via telomerase-independent, recombination-mediated mechanisms.
      In humans, these mechanisms are called alternative lengthening of telomeres (ALT)
      and are used in a subset of human cancer cells. In this review, we summarize the
      different recombination activities occurring at telomeres and discuss how they
      are regulated. Much of the current knowledge is derived from work using yeast
      models, which is the focus of this review, but relevant studies in mammals are
      also included.

PMID- 28357314
TI  - Spermidine cures yeast of prions.
AB  - Prions are self-perpetuating amyloid protein aggregates which underlie various
      neurodegenerative diseases in mammals. The molecular basis underlying their
      conversion from a normally soluble protein into the prion form remains largely
      unknown. Studies aimed at uncovering these mechanism(s) are therefore essential
      if we are to develop effective therapeutic strategies to counteract these disease
      causing entities. Autophagy is a cellular degradation system which has
      predominantly been considered as a non-selective bulk degradation process which
      recycles macromolecules in response to starvation conditions. We now know that
      autophagy also serves as a protein quality control mechanism which selectively
      degrades protein aggregates and damaged organelles. These are commonly
      accumulated in various neurodegenerative disorders including prion diseases. In
      our recent study [Speldewinde et al. Mol. Biol. Cell. (2015)] we used the well
      established yeast [PSI+]/Sup35 and [PIN!+ ]/Rnq1 prion models to show that
      autophagy prevents sporadic prion formation. Importantly, we found that
      spermidine, a polyamine that has been used to increase autophagic flux, acts as a
      protective agent which prevents spontaneous prion formation.

PMID- 28357315
TI  - Biofilm assembly becomes crystal clear - filamentous bacteriophage organize the
      Pseudomonas aeruginosa biofilm matrix into a liquid crystal.
AB  - Pseudomonas aeruginosa is an opportunistic bacterial pathogen associated with
      many types of chronic infection. At sites of chronic infection, such as the
      airways of people with cystic fibrosis (CF), P. aeruginosa forms biofilm-like
      aggregates. These are clusters of bacterial cells encased in a polymer-rich
      matrix that shields bacteria from environmental stresses and antibiotic
      treatment. When P. aeruginosa forms a biofilm, large amounts of filamentous Pf
      bacteriophage (phage) are produced. Unlike most phage that typically lyse and
      kill their bacterial hosts, filamentous phage of the genus Inovirus, which
      includes Pf phage, often do not, and instead are continuously extruded from the
      bacteria. Here, we discuss the implications of the accumulation of filamentous Pf
      phage in the biofilm matrix, where they interact with matrix polymers to organize
      the biofilm into a highly ordered liquid crystal. This structural configuration
      promotes bacterial adhesion, desiccation survival, and antibiotic tolerance - all
      features typically associated with biofilms. We propose that Pf phage make
      structural contributions to P. aeruginosa biofilms and that this constitutes a
      novel form of symbiosis between bacteria and bacteriophage.

PMID- 28357313
TI  - Ergosterone-coupled Triazol molecules trigger mitochondrial dysfunction,
      oxidative stress, and acidocalcisomal Ca2+ release in Leishmania mexicana
      promastigotes.
AB  - The protozoan parasite Leishmania causes a variety of sicknesses with different
      clinical manifestations known as leishmaniasis. The chemotherapy currently in use
      is not adequate because of their side effects, resistance occurrence, and
      recurrences. Investigations looking for new targets or new active molecules focus
      mainly on the disruption of parasite specific pathways. In this sense, ergosterol
      biosynthesis is one of the most attractive because it does not occur in mammals.
      Here, we report the synthesis of ergosterone coupled molecules and the
      characterization of their biological activity on Leishmania mexicana
      promastigotes. Molecule synthesis involved three steps: ergosterone formation
      using Jones oxidation, synthesis of Girard reagents, and coupling reaction. All
      compounds were obtained in good yield and high purity. Results show that
      ergosterone-triazol molecules (Erg-GTr and Erg-GTr2) exhibit an antiproliferative
      effect in low micromolar range with a selectivity index ~10 when compared to
      human dermic fibroblasts. Addition of Erg-GTr or Erg-GTr2 to parasites led to a
      rapid [Ca2+]cyt increase and acidocalcisomes alkalinization, indicating that Ca2+
      was released from this organelle. Evaluation of cell death markers revealed some
      apoptosis-like indicators, as phosphatidylserine exposure, DNA damage, and
      cytosolic vacuolization and autophagy exacerbation. Furthermore, mitochondrion
      hyperpolarization and superoxide production increase were detected already 6
      hours after drug addition, denoting that oxidative stress is implicated in
      triggering the observed phenotype. Taken together our results indicate that
      ergosterone-triazol coupled molecules induce a regulated cell death process in
      the parasite and may represent starting point molecules in the search of new
      chemotherapeutic agents to combat leishmaniasis.

PMID- 28357312
TI  - Histone modifications as regulators of life and death in Saccharomyces
      cerevisiae.
AB  - Apoptosis or programmed cell death is an integrated, genetically controlled
      suicide program that not only regulates tissue homeostasis of multicellular
      organisms, but also the fate of damaged and aged cells of lower eukaryotes, such
      as the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Recent years have revealed key apoptosis
      regulatory proteins in yeast that play similar roles in mammalian cells.
      Apoptosis is a process largely defined by characteristic structural
      rearrangements in the dying cell that include chromatin condensation and DNA
      fragmentation. The mechanism by which chromosomes restructure during apoptosis is
      still poorly understood, but it is becoming increasingly clear that altered
      epigenetic histone modifications are fundamental parameters that influence the
      chromatin state and the nuclear rearrangements within apoptotic cells. The
      present review will highlight recent work on the epigenetic regulation of
      programmed cell death in budding yeast.

PMID- 28357316
TI  - The curious case of vanishing mitochondria.
AB  - Due to their involvement in the energy metabolism, mitochondria are essential for
      most eukaryotic cells. Microbial eukaryotes living in low oxygen environments
      possess reduced forms of mitochondria, namely mitochondrion-related organelles
      (MROs). These do not produce ATP by oxidative phosphorylation on their membranes
      and some do not produce ATP at all. Still, they are indispensable because of
      other essential functions such as iron-sulphur (Fe-S) cluster assembly. Recently,
      the first microbial eukaryote with neither mitochondrion nor MRO was
      characterized - Monocercomonoides sp. Genome and transcriptome sequencing of
      Monocercomonoides revealed that it lacks all hallmark mitochondrial proteins.
      Crucially, the essential mitochondrial pathway for the Fe-S cluster assembly
      (ISC) was replaced by a bacterial sulphur mobilization (SUF) system. The
      discovery of such bona fide amitochondriate eukaryote broadens our knowledge
      about the diversity and plasticity of eukaryotic cells and provides a substantial
      contribution to our understanding of eukaryotic cell evolution.

PMID- 28357317
TI  - Accumulation of metabolic side products might favor the production of ethanol in
      Pho13 knockout strains.

PMID- 28357318
TI  - VDAC regulates AAC-mediated apoptosis and cytochrome c release in yeast.
AB  - Mitochondrial outer membrane permeabilization is a key event in apoptosis
      processes leading to the release of lethal factors. We have previously shown that
      absence of the ADP/ATP carrier (AAC) proteins (yeast orthologues of mammalian ANT
      proteins) increased the resistance of yeast cells to acetic acid, preventing MOMP
      and the release of cytochrome c from mitochondria during acetic acid - induced
      apoptosis. On the other hand, deletion of POR1 (yeast voltage-dependent anion
      channel - VDAC) increased the sensitivity of yeast cells to acetic acid. In the
      present work, we aimed to further characterize the role of yeast VDAC in acetic
      acid - induced apoptosis and assess if it functionally interacts with AAC
      proteins. We found that the sensitivity to acetic acid resulting from POR1
      deletion is completely abrogated by the absence of AAC proteins, and propose that
      Por1p acts as a negative regulator of acetic acid - induced cell death by a
      mechanism dependent of AAC proteins, by acting on AAC - dependent cytochrome c
      release. Moreover, we show that Por1p has a role in mitochondrial fusion that,
      contrary to its role in apoptosis, is not affected by the absence of AAC, and
      demonstrate that mitochondrial network fragmentation is not sufficient to induce
      release of cytochrome c or sensitivity to acetic acid - induced apoptosis. This
      work enhances our understanding on cytochrome c release during cell death, which
      may be relevant in pathological scenarios where MOMP is compromised.

PMID- 28357319
TI  - Phylogenetic profiles of all membrane transport proteins of the malaria parasite
      highlight new drug targets
AB  - In order to combat the on-going malaria epidemic, discovery of new drug targets
      remains vital. Proteins that are essential to survival and specific to malaria
      parasites are key candidates. To survive within host cells, the parasites need to
      acquire nutrients and dispose of waste products across multiple membranes.
      Additionally, like all eukaryotes, they must redistribute ions and organic
      molecules between their various internal membrane bound compartments. Membrane
      transport proteins mediate all of these processes and are considered important
      mediators of drug resistance as well as drug targets in their own right.
      Recently, using advanced experimental genetic approaches and streamlined life
      cycle profiling, we generated a large collection of Plasmodium berghei gene
      deletion mutants and assigned essential gene functions, highlighting potential
      targets for prophylactic, therapeutic, and transmission-blocking anti-malarial
      drugs. Here, we present a comprehensive orthology assignment of all Plasmodium
      falciparum putative membrane transport proteins and provide a detailed overview
      of the associated essential gene functions obtained through experimental genetics
      studies in human and murine model parasites. Furthermore, we discuss the
      phylogeny of selected potential drug targets identified in our functional screen.
      We extensively discuss the results in the context of the functional assignments
      obtained using gene targeting available to date.

PMID- 28357320
TI  - Putative mitochondrial alpha-ketoglutarate-dependent dioxygenase Fmp12 controls
      utilization of proline as an energy source in Saccharomyces cerevisiae.
AB  - The amino acid proline functions as a nitrogen source and as a stress protectant
      in the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae. However, utilization of proline as a
      carbon source in S. cerevisiae cells has not been studied yet. In the process of
      study on the physiological roles of the found-in-mitochondrial-proteome (FMP)
      genes in proline metabolism, we found that Deltafmp12 cells could grow better
      than wild-type cells on agar plate medium containing proline as the sole nitrogen
      and carbon sources. In contrast, overexpression of FMP12 negatively affected cell
      growth under the same condition. The Fmp12 protein was localized in the
      mitochondria and was constitutively expressed. Deletion of the genes that encode
      mitochondrial enzymes, such as proline dehydrogenase (PUT1), Delta1-pyrroline-5
      carboxylate dehydrogenase (PUT2), alanine transaminase (ALT1), and alpha
      ketoglutarate dehydrogenase subunit (KGD1), abolished the enhanced cell growth in
      Deltafmp12. These results provided the first evidence that proline can be
      utilized as a carbon source via the mitochondrial proline metabolic pathway and
      the subsequent tricarboxylic acid (TCA) cycle in S. cerevisiae. The function of
      Fmp12, which has a similarity with alpha-ketoglutarate-dependent dioxygenases of
      the yeast Candida species and human, might inhibit cell growth by skipping the
      ATP production step of the TCA cycle.

PMID- 28357321
TI  - B cell-helping functions of gut microbial metabolites.
AB  - Commensal microflora profoundly affects the host immune system. It has long been
      observed that commensal bacteria enhance antibody production in the host by
      producing antigens for B cell receptors (BCR) and ligands for Toll-like receptors
      (TLR). We recently reported that the microbial metabolites short-chain fatty
      acids (SCFAs) regulate the metabolism and gene expression in B cells to promote
      antibody production (Kim et al. Gut Microbial Metabolites Fuel Host Antibody
      Responses. Cell Host & Microbe. 2016; 20(2):202-14). The B-cell helping function
      of SCFAs and its implication in the host immune system are discussed in this
      article.

PMID- 28357323
TI  - The ubiquitin-conjugating enzyme, Ubc1, indirectly regulates SNF1 kinase activity
      via Forkhead-dependent transcription.
AB  - The SNF1 kinase in Saccharomyces cerevisiae is an excellent model to study the
      regulation and function of the AMP-dependent protein kinase (AMPK) family of
      serine-threonine protein kinases. Yeast discoveries regarding the regulation of
      this non-hormonal sensor of metabolic/environmental stress are conserved in
      higher eukaryotes, including poly-ubiquitination of the alpha-subunit of yeast
      (Snf1) and human (AMPKalpha) that ultimately effects subunit stability and enzyme
      activity. The ubiquitin-cascade enzymes responsible for targeting Snf1 remain
      unknown, leading us to screen for those that impact SNF1 kinase function. We
      identified the E2, Ubc1, as a regulator of SNF1 kinase function. The decreased
      Snf1 abundance found upon deletion of Ubc1 is not due to increased degradation,
      but instead is partly due to impaired SNF1 gene expression, arising from
      diminished abundance of the Forkhead 1/2 proteins, previously shown to contribute
      to SNF1 transcription. Ultimately, we report that the Fkh1/2 cognate
      transcription factor, Hcm1, fails to enter the nucleus in the absence of Ubc1.
      This implies that Ubc1 acts indirectly through transcriptional effects to
      modulate SNF1 kinase activity.

PMID- 28357322
TI  - How do yeast sense mitochondrial dysfunction?
AB  - Apart from energy transformation, mitochondria play important signaling roles. In
      yeast, mitochondrial signaling relies on several molecular cascades. However, it
      is not clear how a cell detects a particular mitochondrial malfunction. The
      problem is that there are many possible manifestations of mitochondrial
      dysfunction. For example, exposure to the specific antibiotics can either
      decrease (inhibitors of respiratory chain) or increase (inhibitors of ATP
      synthase) mitochondrial transmembrane potential. Moreover, even in the absence of
      the dysfunctions, a cell needs feedback from mitochondria to coordinate
      mitochondrial biogenesis and/or removal by mitophagy during the division cycle.
      To cope with the complexity, only a limited set of compounds is monitored by
      yeast cells to estimate mitochondrial functionality. The known examples of such
      compounds are ATP, reactive oxygen species, intermediates of amino acids
      synthesis, short peptides, Fe-S clusters and heme, and also the precursor
      proteins which fail to be imported by mitochondria. On one hand, the levels of
      these molecules depend not only on mitochondria. On the other hand, these
      substances are recognized by the cytosolic sensors which transmit the signals to
      the nucleus leading to general, as opposed to mitochondria-specific,
      transcriptional response. Therefore, we argue that both ways of mitochondria-to
      nucleus communication in yeast are mostly (if not completely) unspecific, are
      mediated by the cytosolic signaling machinery and strongly depend on cellular
      metabolic state.

PMID- 28357324
TI  - Sulfur transfer and activation by ubiquitin-like modifier system Uba4*Urm1 link
      protein urmylation and tRNA thiolation in yeast.
AB  - Urm1 is a unique dual-function member of the ubiquitin protein family and
      conserved from yeast to man. It acts both as a protein modifier in ubiquitin-like
      urmylation and as a sulfur donor for tRNA thiolation, which in concert with the
      Elongator pathway forms 5-methoxy-carbonyl-methyl-2-thio (mcm5s2) modified wobble
      uridines (U34) in anticodons. Using Saccharomyces cerevisiae as a model to study
      a relationship between these two functions, we examined whether cultivation
      temperature and sulfur supply previously implicated in the tRNA thiolation branch
      of the URM1 pathway also contribute to proper urmylation. Monitoring Urm1
      conjugation, we found urmylation of the peroxiredoxin Ahp1 is suppressed either
      at elevated cultivation temperatures or under sulfur starvation. In line with
      this, mutants with sulfur transfer defects that are linked to enzymes (Tum1,
      Uba4) required for Urm1 activation by thiocarboxylation (Urm1-COSH) were found to
      maintain drastically reduced levels of Ahp1 urmylation and mcm5s2U34
      modification. Moreover, as revealed by site specific mutagenesis, the S-transfer
      rhodanese domain (RHD) in the E1-like activator (Uba4) crucial for Urm1-COSH
      formation is critical but not essential for protein urmylation and tRNA
      thiolation. In sum, sulfur supply, transfer and activation chemically link
      protein urmylation and tRNA thiolation. These are features that distinguish the
      ubiquitin-like modifier system Uba4*Urm1 from canonical ubiquitin family members
      and will help elucidate whether, in addition to their mechanistic links, the
      protein and tRNA modification branches of the URM1 pathway may also relate in
      function to one another.

PMID- 28357325
TI  - Threading Granules in Freiburg. 2nd International Symposium on "One
      Mitochondrion, Many Diseases - Biological and Molecular Perspectives", a FRIAS
      Junior Researcher Conference, Freiburg im Breisgau, Germany, March 9th/10th,
      2016.
AB  - Altered mitochondrial activities play an important role in many different human
      disorders, including cancer and neurodegeneration. At the Freiburg Institute of
      Advanced Studies (FRIAS) Junior Researcher Conference "One Mitochondrion, Many
      Diseases - Biological and Molecular Perspectives" (University of Freiburg,
      Freiburg, Germany), junior and experienced researches discussed common and
      distinct mechanisms of mitochondrial contributions to various human disorders.

PMID- 28357326
TI  - The interaction between herpes simplex virus 1 genome and promyelocytic leukemia
      nuclear bodies (PML-NBs) as a hallmark of the entry in latency.
AB  - Herpes simplex virus 1 (HSV-1) is a human pathogen that establishes latency in
      the nucleus of infected neurons in the PNS and the CNS. At the transcriptional
      level latency is characterized by a quasi-complete silencing of the
      extrachromosomal viral genome that otherwise expresses more than 80 genes during
      the lytic cycle. In neurons, latency is anticipated to be the default
      transcriptional program; however, limited information exists on the molecular
      mechanisms that force the virus to enter the latent state. Our recent study
      demonstrates that the interaction of the viral genomes with the nuclear
      architecture and specifically the promyelocytic leukemia nuclear bodies (PML-NBs)
      is a major determinant for the entry of HSV-1 into latency (Maroui MA, Calle A et
      al. (2016). Latency entry of herpes simplex virus 1 is determined by the
      interaction of its genome with the nuclear environment. PLoS Pathogens 12(9):
      e1005834.).

PMID- 28357327
TI  - NprR, a moonlighting quorum sensor shifting from a phosphatase activity to a
      transcriptional activator.
AB  - Regulation of biological functions requires factors (proteins, peptides or
      chemicals) able to sense and translate environmental conditions or any
      circumstances in order to modulate the transcription of a gene, the stability of
      a transcript or the activity of a protein. Quorum sensing is a regulation
      mechanism connecting cell density to the physiological state of a single cell. In
      bacteria, quorum sensing coordinates virulence, cell fate and commitment to
      sporulation and other adaptation properties. The critical role of such regulatory
      systems was demonstrated in pathogenicity and adaptation of bacteria from the
      Bacillus cereus group (i.e. B. cereus and Bacillus thuringiensis). Furthermore,
      using insects as a model of infection, it was shown that sequential activation of
      several quorum sensing systems allowed bacteria to switch from a virulence state
      to a necrotrophic lifestyle, allowing their survival in the host cadaver, and
      ultimately to the commitment into sporulation. The chronological development of
      these physiological states is directed by quorum sensors forming the RNPP family.
      Among them, NprR combines two distinct functions connecting sporulation to
      necrotrophism in B. thuringiensis. In the absence of its cognate signaling
      peptide (NprX), NprR negatively controls sporulation by acting as a phosphatase.
      In the presence of NprX, it acts as a transcription factor regulating a set of
      genes involved in the survival of the bacteria in the insect cadaver.

PMID- 28357328
TI  - Francisella IglG protein and the DUF4280 proteins: PAAR-like proteins in non
      canonical Type VI secretion systems?
AB  - Type VI secretion systems (T6SS) are bacterial molecular machines translocating
      effector proteins into target cells. T6SS are widely present in Gram-negative
      bacteria where they predominantly act to kill neighboring bacteria. This
      secretion system is reminiscent of the tail of contractile bacteriophages and
      consists of a contractile sheath anchored in the bacterial envelope and an inner
      tube made of stacks of the Hcp protein. The Hcp tube is capped with a VgrG trimer
      and a spike protein termed PAAR, which acts as the membrane-puncturing device.
      Francisella tularensis, the agent of tularemia, is an intracellular bacterium
      replicating within the host cytosol. Upon entry into the host cell, F. tularensis
      rapidly lyses the host vacuolar membrane to reach the host cytosol. This escape
      is dependent on the Francisella Pathogenicity Island (FPI), which is encoding an
      atypical T6SS. Among the 17 proteins encoded by the FPI, most of them required
      for virulence, eight have some homology to canonical T6SS proteins. We recently
      identified the function of one protein of unknown function encoded within the
      FPI, IglG. By three-dimensional modelling and following validation by different
      techniques, we found that IglG adopts a fold resembling the one of PAAR proteins.
      Importantly, IglG features a domain of unknown function DUF4280, present in
      numerous bacterial species. We thus propose to rename this domain of unknown
      function, PAAR-like domain, and discuss here the characteristics of this domain
      and its distribution in both Gram-negative and Gram-positive bacteria.

PMID- 28357329
TI  - Autophagy: one more Nobel Prize for yeast.
AB  - The recent announcement of the 2016 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine,
      awarded to Yoshinori Ohsumi for the discoveries of mechanisms governing
      autophagy, underscores the importance of intracellular degradation and recycling.
      At the same time, it further cements yeast, in which this field decisively
      developed, as a prolific model organism. Here we provide a quick historical
      overview that mirrors both the importance of autophagy as a conserved and
      essential process for cellular life and death as well as the crucial role of
      yeast in its mechanistic characterization.

PMID- 28357330
TI  - Physiology, phylogeny, and LUCA.
AB  - Genomes record their own history. But if we want to look all the way back to
      life's beginnings some 4 billion years ago, the record of microbial evolution
      that is preserved in prokaryotic genomes is not easy to read. Microbiology has a
      lot in common with geology in that regard. Geologists know that plate tectonics
      and erosion have erased much of the geological record, with ancient rocks being
      truly rare. The same is true of microbes. Lateral gene transfer (LGT) and
      sequence divergence have erased much of the evolutionary record that was once
      written in genomes, and it is not obvious which genes among sequenced genomes are
      genuinely ancient. Which genes trace to the last universal ancestor, LUCA? The
      classical approach has been to look for genes that are universally distributed.
      Another approach is to make all trees for all genes, and sift out the trees where
      signals have been overwritten by LGT. What is left ought to be ancient. If we do
      that, what do we find?

PMID- 28357331
TI  - Autophagy: machinery and regulation.
AB  - Macroautophagy/autophagy is an evolutionarily conserved cellular degradation
      process that targets cytoplasmic materials including cytosol, macromolecules and
      unwanted organelles. The discovery and analysis of autophagy-related (Atg)
      proteins have unveiled much of the machinery of autophagosome formation. Although
      initially autophagy was regarded as a survival response to stress, recent studies
      have revealed its significance in cellular and organismal homeostasis,
      development and immunity. Autophagic dysfunction and dysregulation are implicated
      in various diseases. In this review, we briefly summarize the physiological
      roles, molecular mechanism, regulatory network, and pathophysiological roles of
      autophagy.

PMID- 28357332
TI  - Bax mitochondrial relocation is linked to its phosphorylation and its interaction
      with Bcl-xL.
AB  - The heterologous expression of Bax, and other Bcl-2 family members, in the yeast
      Saccharomyces cerevisiae, has proved to be a valuable reporter system to
      investigate the molecular mechanisms underlying their interaction with
      mitochondria. By combining the co-expression of Bax and Bcl-xL mutants with
      analyzes of their localization and interaction in mitochondria and post
      mitochondrial supernatants, we showed that the ability of Bax and Bcl-xL to
      interact is dependent both on Bax phosphorylation - mimicked by a substitution
      S184D - and by Bax and Bcl-xL localization. This, and previous data, provide the
      molecular basis for a model of dynamic equilibrium for Bax localization and
      activation, regulated both by phosphorylation and Bcl-xL.

PMID- 28357333
TI  - Impact of histone H4K16 acetylation on the meiotic recombination checkpoint in
      Saccharomyces cerevisiae.
AB  - In meiotic cells, the pachytene checkpoint or meiotic recombination checkpoint is
      a surveillance mechanism that monitors critical processes, such as recombination
      and chromosome synapsis, which are essential for proper distribution of
      chromosomes to the meiotic progeny. Failures in these processes lead to the
      formation of aneuploid gametes. Meiotic recombination occurs in the context of
      chromatin; in fact, the histone methyltransferase Dot1 and the histone
      deacetylase Sir2 are known regulators of the pachytene checkpoint in
      Saccharomyces cerevisiae. We report here that Sas2-mediated acetylation of
      histone H4 at lysine 16 (H4K16ac), one of the Sir2 targets, modulates meiotic
      checkpoint activity in response to synaptonemal complex defects. We show that,
      like sir2, the H4-K16Q mutation, mimicking constitutive acetylation of H4K16,
      eliminates the delay in meiotic cell cycle progression imposed by the checkpoint
      in the synapsis-defective zip1 mutant. We also demonstrate that, like in dot1,
      zip1-induced phosphorylation of the Hop1 checkpoint adaptor at threonine 318 and
      the ensuing Mek1 activation are impaired in H4-K16 mutants. However, in contrast
      to sir2 and dot1, the H4-K16R and H4-K16Q mutations have only a minor effect in
      checkpoint activation and localization of the nucleolar Pch2 checkpoint factor in
      ndt80-prophase-arrested cells. We also provide evidence for a cross-talk between
      Dot1-dependent H3K79 methylation and H4K16ac and show that Sir2 excludes H4K16ac
      from the rDNA region on meiotic chromosomes. Our results reveal that proper
      levels of H4K16ac orchestrate this meiotic quality control mechanism and that
      Sir2 impinges on additional targets to fully activate the checkpoint.

PMID- 28357334
TI  - The transcription factors ADR1 or CAT8 are required for RTG pathway activation
      and evasion from yeast acetic acid-induced programmed cell death in raffinose.
AB  - Yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae grown on glucose undergoes programmed cell death
      (PCD) induced by acetic acid (AA-PCD), but evades PCD when grown in raffinose.
      This is due to concomitant relief of carbon catabolite repression (CCR) and
      activation of mitochondrial retrograde signaling, a mitochondria-to-nucleus
      communication pathway causing up-regulation of various nuclear target genes, such
      as CIT2, encoding peroxisomal citrate synthase, dependent on the positive
      regulator RTG2 in response to mitochondrial dysfunction. CCR down-regulates genes
      mainly involved in mitochondrial respiratory metabolism. In this work, we
      investigated the relationships between the RTG and CCR pathways in the modulation
      of AA-PCD sensitivity under glucose repression or de-repression conditions. Yeast
      single and double mutants lacking RTG2 and/or certain factors regulating carbon
      source utilization, including MIG1, HXK2, ADR1, CAT8, and HAP4, have been
      analyzed for their survival and CIT2 expression after acetic acid treatment. ADR1
      and CAT8 were identified as positive regulators of RTG-dependent gene
      transcription. ADR1 and CAT8 interact with RTG2 and with each other in inducing
      cell resistance to AA-PCD in raffinose and controlling the nature of cell death.
      In the absence of ADR1 and CAT8, AA-PCD evasion is acquired through activation of
      an alternative factor/pathway repressed by RTG2, suggesting that RTG2 may play a
      function in promoting necrotic cell death in repressing conditions when RTG
      pathway is inactive. Moreover, our data show that simultaneous mitochondrial
      retrograde pathway activation and SNF1-dependent relief of CCR have a key role in
      central carbon metabolism reprogramming which modulates the yeast acetic acid
      stress response.

PMID- 28357335
TI  - Inhibition of Abeta42 oligomerization in yeast by a PICALM ortholog and certain
      FDA approved drugs.
AB  - The formation of small Abeta42 oligomers has been implicated as a toxic species
      in Alzheimer disease (AD). In strong support of this hypothesis we found that
      overexpression of Yap1802, the yeast ortholog of the human AD risk factor,
      phosphatidylinositol binding clathrin assembly protein (PICALM), reduced
      oligomerization of Abeta42 fused to a reporter in yeast. Thus we used the Abeta42
      reporter system to identify drugs that could be developed into therapies that
      prevent or arrest AD. From a screen of 1,200 FDA approved drugs and drug-like
      small compounds we identified 7 drugs that reduce Abeta42 oligomerization in
      yeast: 3 antipsychotics (bromperidol, haloperidol and azaperone), 2 anesthetics
      (pramoxine HCl and dyclonine HCl), tamoxifen citrate, and minocycline HCl. Also,
      all 7 drugs caused Abeta42 to be less toxic to PC12 cells and to relieve toxicity
      of another yeast AD model in which Abeta42 aggregates targeted to the secretory
      pathway are toxic. Our results identify drugs that inhibit Abeta42 oligomers from
      forming in yeast. It remains to be determined if these drugs inhibit Abeta42
      oligomerization in mammals and could be developed as a therapeutic treatment for
      AD.

PMID- 28357336
TI  - Mitochondrial proteomics of the acetic acid - induced programmed cell death
      response in a highly tolerant Zygosaccharomyces bailii - derived hybrid strain.
AB  - Very high concentrations of acetic acid at low pH induce programmed cell death
      (PCD) in both the experimental model Saccharomyces cerevisiae and in
      Zygosaccharomyces bailii, the latter being considered the most problematic acidic
      food spoilage yeast due to its remarkable intrinsic resistance to this food
      preservative. However, while the mechanisms underlying S. cerevisiae PCD induced
      by acetic acid have been previously examined, the corresponding molecular players
      remain largely unknown in Z. bailii. Also, the reason why acetic acid
      concentrations known to be necrotic for S. cerevisiae induce PCD with an
      apoptotic phenotype in Z. bailii remains to be elucidated. In this study, a 2-DE
      based expression mitochondrial proteomic analysis was explored to obtain new
      insights into the mechanisms involved in PCD in the Z. bailii derived hybrid
      strain ISA1307. This allowed the quantitative assessment of expression of protein
      species derived from each of the parental strains, with special emphasis on the
      processes taking place in the mitochondria known to play a key role in acetic
      acid - induced PCD. A marked decrease in the content of proteins involved in
      mitochondrial metabolism, in particular, in respiratory metabolism (Cor1, Rip1,
      Lpd1, Lat1 and Pdb1), with a concomitant increase in the abundance of proteins
      involved in fermentation (Pdc1, Ald4, Dld3) was registered. Other differentially
      expressed identified proteins also suggest the involvement of the oxidative
      stress response, protein translation, amino acid and nucleotide metabolism, among
      other processes, in the PCD response. Overall, the results strengthen the
      emerging concept of the importance of metabolic regulation of yeast PCD.

PMID- 28357337
TI  - The transcriptional repressor Sum1p counteracts Sir2p in regulation of the actin
      cytoskeleton, mitochondrial quality control and replicative lifespan in
      Saccharomyces cerevisiae.
AB  - Increasing the stability or dynamics of the actin cytoskeleton can extend
      lifespan in C. elegans and S. cerevisiae. Actin cables of budding yeast, bundles
      of actin filaments that mediate cargo transport, affect lifespan control through
      effects on mitochondrial quality control. Sir2p, the founding member of the
      Sirtuin family of lifespan regulators, also affects actin cable dynamics,
      assembly, and function in mitochondrial quality control. Here, we obtained
      evidence for novel interactions between Sir2p and Sum1p, a transcriptional
      repressor that was originally identified through mutations that genetically
      suppress sir2? phenotypes unrelated to lifespan. We find that deletion of SUM1 in
      wild-type cells results in increased mitochondrial function and actin cable
      abundance. Furthermore, deletion of SUM1 suppresses defects in actin cables and
      mitochondria of sir2? yeast, and extends the replicative lifespan and cellular
      health span of sir2? cells. Thus, Sum1p suppresses Sir2p function in control of
      specific aging determinants and lifespan in budding yeast.

PMID- 28357338
TI  - Location, location, location. Salmonella senses ethanolamine to gauge distinct
      host environments and coordinate gene expression.
AB  - Chemical and nutrient signaling mediate all cellular processes, ensuring survival
      in response to changing environmental conditions. Ethanolamine is a component of
      phosphatidylethanolamine, a major phospholipid of mammalian and bacterial cell
      membranes. Ethanolamine is abundant in the gastrointestinal (GI) tract from
      dietary sources as well as from the normal turnover of intestinal epithelial and
      bacterial cells in the gut. Additionally, mammalian cells maintain intracellular
      ethanolamine concentrations through low and high-affinity uptake systems and the
      internal recycling of phosphatidylethanolamine; therefore, ethanolamine is
      ubiquitous throughout the mammalian host. Although ethanolamine has profound
      signaling activity within mammalian cells by modulating inflammatory responses
      and intestinal physiology, ethanolamine is best appreciated as a nutrient for
      bacteria that supports growth. In our recent work (Anderson, et al. PLoS Pathog
      (2015), 11: e1005278), we demonstrated that Salmonella enterica serovar
      Typhimurium (Salmonella) exploits ethanolamine signaling to adapt to distinct
      host environments to precisely coordinate expression of genes encoding metabolism
      and virulence, which ultimately enhances disease progression.

PMID- 28357339
TI  - Learning epigenetic regulation from mycobacteria.
AB  - In a eukaryotic cell, the transcriptional fate of a gene is determined by the
      profile of the epigenetic modifications it is associated with and the
      conformation it adopts within the chromatin. Therefore, the function that a cell
      performs is dictated by the sum total of the chromatin organization and the
      associated epigenetic modifications of each individual gene in the genome
      (epigenome). As the function of a cell during development and differentiation is
      determined by its microenvironment, any factor that can alter this
      microenvironment should be able to alter the epigenome of a cell. In the study
      published in Nature Communications (Yaseen 2015 Nature Communications 6:8922 doi:
      10.1038/ncomms9922), we show that pathogenic Mycobacterium tuberculosis has
      evolved strategies to exploit this pliability of the host epigenome for its own
      survival. We describe the identification of a methyltransferase from M.
      tuberculosis that functions to modulate the host epigenome by methylating a
      novel, non-canonical arginine, H3R42 in histone H3. In another study, we showed
      that the mycobacterial protein Rv2966c methylates cytosines present in non-CpG
      context within host genomic DNA upon infection. Proteins with ability to directly
      methylate host histones H3 at a novel lysine residue (H3K14) has also been
      identified from Legionella pnemophilia (RomA). All these studies indicate the use
      of non-canonical epigenetic mechanisms by pathogenic bacteria to hijack the host
      transcriptional machinery.

PMID- 28357341
TI  - Differentiated cytoplasmic granule formation in quiescent and non-quiescent cells
      upon chronological aging.
AB  - Stationary phase cultures represent a complicated cell population comprising at
      least two different cell types, quiescent (Q) and non-quiescent (NQ) cells. Q and
      NQ cells have different lifespans and cell physiologies. However, less is known
      about the organization of cytosolic protein structures in these two cell types.
      In this study, we examined Q and NQ cells for the formation of several stationary
      phase-prevalent granule structures including actin bodies, proteasome storage
      granules, stress granules, P-bodies, the compartment for unconventional protein
      secretion (CUPS), and Hsp42-associated stationary phase granules (Hsp42-SPGs).
      Most of these structures preferentially form in NQ cells, except for Hsp42-SPGs,
      which are enriched in Q cells. When nutrients are provided, NQ cells enter
      mitosis less efficiently than Q cells, likely due to the time requirement for
      reorganizing some granule structures. We observed that heat shock-induced
      misfolded proteins often colocalize to Hsp42-SPGs, and Q cells clear these
      protein aggregates more efficiently, suggesting that Hsp42-SPGs may play an
      important role in the stress resistance of Q cells. Finally, we show that the
      cell fate of NQ cells is largely irreversible even if they are allowed to reenter
      mitosis. Our results reveal that the formation of different granule structures
      may represent the early stage of cell type differentiation in yeast stationary
      phase cultures.

PMID- 28357340
TI  - Mitochondrial regulation of cell death: a phylogenetically conserved control.
AB  - Mitochondria are fundamental for eukaryotic cells as they participate in critical
      catabolic and anabolic pathways. Moreover, mitochondria play a key role in the
      signal transduction cascades that precipitate many (but not all) regulated
      variants of cellular demise. In this short review, we discuss the differential
      implication of mitochondria in the major forms of regulated cell death.

PMID- 28357343
TI  - Shaping meiotic chromosomes with SUMO: a feedback loop controls the assembly of
      the synaptonemal complex in budding yeast.
AB  - The synaptonemal complex (SC) is a meiosis-specific chromosomal structure in
      which homologous chromosomes are intimately linked through arrays of specialized
      proteins called transverse filaments (TF). Widely conserved in eukaryote meiosis,
      the SC forms during prophase I and is essential for accurate segregation of
      homologous chromosomes at meiosis I. However, the basic mechanism overlooking
      formation and regulation of the SC has been poorly understood. By using the
      budding yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae, we recently showed that SC formation is
      controlled through the attachment of multiple molecules of small ubiquitin-like
      modifier (SUMO) to a regulator of TF assembly. Intriguingly, this SUMOylation is
      activated by TF, implicating the involvement of a positive feedback loop in the
      control of SC assembly. We discuss the implication of this finding and possible
      involvement of a similar mechanism in regulating other processes.

PMID- 28357342
TI  - Towards understanding the gliotoxin detoxification mechanism: in vivo
      thiomethylation protects yeast from gliotoxin cytotoxicity.
AB  - Gliotoxin (GT) is a mycotoxin produced by some species of ascomycete fungi
      including the opportunistic human pathogen Aspergillus fumigatus. In order to
      produce GT the host organism needs to have evolved a self-protection mechanism.
      GT contains a redox-cycling disulfide bridge that is important in mediating
      toxicity. Recently is has been demonstrated that A. fumigatus possesses a novel
      thiomethyltransferase protein called GtmA that has the ability to thiomethylate
      GT in vivo, which aids the organism in regulating GT biosynthesis. It has been
      suggested that thiomethylation of GT and similar sulfur-containing toxins may
      play a role in providing self-protection in host organisms. In this work we have
      engineered Saccharomyces cerevisiae, a GT-naive organism, to express A. fumigatus
      GtmA. We demonstrate that GtmA can readily thiomethylate GT in yeast, which
      results in protection of the organism from exogenous GT. Our work has
      implications for understanding the evolution of GT self-protection mechanisms in
      organisms that are GT producers and non-producers.

PMID- 28357344
TI  - Mek1/Mre4 is a master regulator of meiotic recombination in budding yeast.
AB  - Sexually reproducing organisms create gametes with half the somatic cell
      chromosome number so that fusion of gametes at fertilization does not change the
      ploidy of the cell. This reduction in chromosome number occurs by the specialized
      cell division of meiosis in which two rounds of chromosome segregation follow a
      single round of chromosome duplication. Meiotic crossovers formed between the non
      sister chromatids of homologous chromosomes, combined with sister chromatid
      cohesion, physically connect homologs, thereby allowing proper segregation at the
      first meiotic division. Meiotic recombination is initiated by programmed double
      strand breaks (DSBs) whose repair is highly regulated such that (1) there is a
      bias for recombination with homologs rather than sister chromatids, (2)
      crossovers are distributed throughout the genome by a process called
      interference, (3) crossover homeostasis regulates the balance between crossover
      and non-crossover repair to maintain a critical number of crossovers and (4) each
      pair of homologs receives at least one crossover. It was previously known that
      the imposition of interhomolog bias in budding yeast requires meiosis-specific
      modifications to the DNA damage response and the local activation of the meiosis
      specific Mek1/Mre4 (hereafter Mek1) kinase at DSBs. However, because inactivation
      of Mek1 results in intersister, rather than interhomolog DSB repair, whether Mek1
      had a role in interhomolog pathway choice was unknown. A recent study by Chen et
      al. (2015) reveals that Mek1 indirectly regulates the crossover/non-crossover
      decision between homologs as well as genetic interference. It does this by
      enabling phosphorylation of Zip1, the meiosis-specific transverse filament
      protein of the synaptonemal complex (SC), by the conserved cell cycle kinase,
      Cdc7-Dbf4 (DDK). These results suggest that Mek1 is a "master regulator" of
      meiotic recombination in budding yeast.

PMID- 28357345
TI  - What's old is new again: yeast mutant screens in the era of pooled segregant
      analysis by genome sequencing.
AB  - While once de-rigueur for identification of genes involved in biological
      processes, screening of chemically induced mutant populations is an approach that
      has largely been superseded for model organisms such as Saccharomyces cerevisiae.
      Availability of single gene deletion/overexpression libraries and combinatorial
      synthetic genetic arrays provide yeast researchers more structured ways to probe
      genetic networks. Furthermore, in the age of inexpensive DNA sequencing,
      methodologies such as mapping of quantitative trait loci (QTL) by pooled
      segregant analysis and genome-wide association enable the identification of
      multiple naturally occurring allelic variants that contribute to polygenic
      phenotypes of interest. This is, however, contingent on the capacity to screen
      large numbers of individuals and existence of sufficient natural phenotypic
      variation within the available population. The latter cannot be guaranteed and
      non-selectable, industrially relevant phenotypes, such as production of volatile
      aroma compounds, pose severe limitations on the use of modern genetic techniques
      due to expensive and time-consuming downstream analyses. An interesting approach
      to overcome these issues can be found in Den Abt et al. 1 (this issue of
      Microbial Cell), where a combination of repeated rounds of chemical mutagenesis
      and pooled segregant analysis by whole genome sequencing was applied to identify
      genes involved in ethyl acetate formation, demonstrating a new path for
      industrial yeast strain development and bringing classical mutant screens into
      the 21st century.

PMID- 28357347
TI  - Insights into dynamin-associated disorders through analysis of equivalent
      mutations in the yeast dynamin Vps1.
AB  - The dynamins represent a superfamily of proteins that have been shown to function
      in a wide range of membrane fusion and fission events. An increasing number of
      mutations in the human classical dynamins, Dyn-1 and Dyn-2 has been reported,
      with diseases caused by these changes ranging from Charcot-Marie-Tooth disorder
      to epileptic encephalopathies. The budding yeast, Saccharomyces cerevisiae
      expresses a single dynamin-related protein that functions in membrane
      trafficking, and is considered to play a similar role to Dyn-1 and Dyn-2 during
      scission of endocytic vesicles at the plasma membrane. Large parts of the dynamin
      protein are highly conserved across species and this has enabled us in this study
      to select a number of disease causing mutations and to generate equivalent
      mutations in Vps1. We have then studied these mutants using both cellular and
      biochemical assays to ascertain functions of the protein that have been affected
      by the changes. Specifically, we demonstrate that the Vps1-G397R mutation (Dyn-2
      G358R) disrupts protein oligomerization, Vps1-A447T (Dyn-1 A408T) affects the
      scission stage of endocytosis, while Vps1-R298L (Dyn-1 R256L) affects lipid
      binding specificity and possibly an early stage in endocytosis. Overall, we
      consider that the yeast model will potentially provide an avenue for rapid
      analysis of new dynamin mutations in order to understand the underlying
      mechanisms that they disrupt.

PMID- 28357346
TI  - Signaling pathways and posttranslational modifications of tau in Alzheimer's
      disease: the humanization of yeast cells.
AB  - In the past decade, yeast have been frequently employed to study the molecular
      mechanisms of human neurodegenerative diseases, generally by means of
      heterologous expression of genes encoding the relevant hallmark proteins.
      However, it has become evident that substantial posttranslational modifications
      of many of these proteins are required for the development and progression of
      potentially disease relevant changes. This is exemplified by the neuronal tau
      proteins, which are critically involved in a class of neuro-degenerative diseases
      collectively called tauopathies and which includes Alz-heimer's disease (AD) as
      its most common representative. In the course of the disease, tau changes its
      phosphorylation state and becomes hyperphosphory-lated, gets truncated by
      proteolytic cleavage, is subject to O-glycosylation, sumoylation,
      ubiquitinylation, acetylation and some other modifications. This poses the
      important question, which of these posttranslational modifications are naturally
      occurring in the yeast model or can be reconstituted by heterol-ogous gene
      expression. Here, we present an overview on common modifica-tions as they occur
      in tau during AD, summarize their potential relevance with respect to disease
      mechanisms and refer to the native yeast enzyme orthologs capable to perform
      these modifications. We will also discuss potential approaches to humanize yeast
      in order to create modification patterns resembling the situation in mammalian
      cells, which could enhance the value of Saccharomyces cerevisiae and
      Kluyveromyces lactis as disease models.

PMID- 28357349
TI  - Control of the gut microbiome by fecal microRNA.
AB  - Since their discovery in the early 90s, microRNAs (miRNAs), small non-coding
      RNAs, have mainly been associated with posttranscriptional regulation of gene
      expression on a cell-autonomous level. Recent evidence has extended this role by
      adding inter-species communication to the manifold functional range. In our
      latest study [Liu S, et al., 2016, Cell Host & Microbe], we identified miRNAs in
      gut lumen and feces of both mice and humans. We found that intestinal epithelial
      cells (IEC) and Hopx+ cells were the two main sources of fecal miRNA. Deficiency
      of IEC-miRNA resulted in gut dysbiosis and WT fecal miRNA transplantation
      restored the gut microbiota. We investigated potential mechanisms for this effect
      and found that miRNAs were able to regulate the gut microbiome. By culturing
      bacteria with miRNAs, we found that host miRNAs were able to enter bacteria,
      specifically regulate bacterial gene transcripts and affect bacterial growth.
      Oral administration of synthetic miRNA mimics affected specific bacteria in the
      gut. Our findings describe a previously unknown pathway by which the gut
      microbiome is regulated by the host and raises the possibility that miRNAs may be
      used therapeutically to manipulate the microbiome for the treatment of disease.

PMID- 28357348
TI  - Genomic saturation mutagenesis and polygenic analysis identify novel yeast genes
      affecting ethyl acetate production, a non-selectable polygenic trait.
AB  - Isolation of mutants in populations of microorganisms has been a valuable tool in
      experimental genetics for decades. The main disadvantage, however, is the
      inability of isolating mutants in non-selectable polygenic traits. Most traits of
      organisms, however, are non-selectable and polygenic, including industrially
      important properties of microorganisms. The advent of powerful technologies for
      polygenic analysis of complex traits has allowed simultaneous identification of
      multiple causative mutations among many thousands of irrelevant mutations. We now
      show that this also applies to haploid strains of which the genome has been
      loaded with induced mutations so as to affect as many non-selectable, polygenic
      traits as possible. We have introduced about 900 mutations into single haploid
      yeast strains using multiple rounds of EMS mutagenesis, while maintaining the
      mating capacity required for genetic mapping. We screened the strains for defects
      in flavor production, an important non-selectable, polygenic trait in yeast
      alcoholic beverage production. A haploid strain with multiple induced mutations
      showing reduced ethyl acetate production in semi-anaerobic fermentation, was
      selected and the underlying quantitative trait loci (QTLs) were mapped using
      pooled-segregant whole-genome sequence analysis after crossing with an unrelated
      haploid strain. Reciprocal hemizygosity analysis and allele exchange identified
      PMA1 and CEM1 as causative mutant alleles and TPS1 as a causative genetic
      background allele. The case of CEM1 revealed that relevant mutations without
      observable effect in the haploid strain with multiple induced mutations (in this
      case due to defective mitochondria) can be identified by polygenic analysis as
      long as the mutations have an effect in part of the segregants (in this case
      those that regained fully functional mitochondria). Our results show that genomic
      saturation mutagenesis combined with complex trait polygenic analysis could be
      used successfully to identify causative alleles underlying many non-selectable,
      polygenic traits in small collections of haploid strains with multiple induced
      mutations.

PMID- 28357350
TI  - Bactericidal antibiotics induce programmed metabolic toxicity.
AB  - The misuse of antibiotics has led to the development and spread of antibiotic
      resistance in clinically important pathogens. These resistant infections are
      having a significant impact on treatment outcomes and contribute to approximately
      25,000 deaths in the U.S. annually. If additional therapeutic options are not
      identified, the number of annual deaths is predicted to rise to 317,000 in North
      America and 10,000,000 worldwide by 2050. Identifying therapeutic methodologies
      that utilize our antibiotic arsenal more effectively is one potential way to
      extend the useful lifespan of our current antibiotics. Recent studies have
      indicated that modulating metabolic activity is one possible strategy that can
      impact the efficacy of antibiotic therapy. In this review, we will address recent
      advances in our knowledge about the impacts of bacterial metabolism on antibiotic
      effectiveness and the impacts of antibiotics on bacterial metabolism. We will
      particularly focus on two studies, Lobritz, et al. (PNAS, 112(27): 8173-8180) and
      Belenky et al. (Cell Reports, 13(5): 968-980) that together demonstrate that
      bactericidal antibiotics induce metabolic perturbations that are linked to and
      required for bactericidal antibiotic toxicity.

PMID- 28357351
TI  - When and where? Pathogenic Escherichia coli differentially sense host D-serine
      using a universal transporter system to monitor their environment.
AB  - Sensing environmental stimuli is critically important for bacteria when faced
      with the multitude of adversities presented within the host. Responding
      appropriately to these signals and in turn integrating these responses into the
      regulatory network of the cell allows bacteria to control precisely when and
      where they should establish colonization. D-serine is an abundant metabolite of
      the human urinary tract but is a toxic metabolite for Escherichia coli that lack
      a D-serine tolerance locus. Enterohaemorrhagic E. coli (EHEC) cannot catabolize D
      serine for this reason and colonize the large intestine specifically, an
      environment low in D-serine. EHEC can however use D-serine sensing to repress
      colonization thus signaling the presence of an unfavorable environment. In our
      recent work (Connolly, et al. PLoS Pathogens (2016) 12(1): e1005359), we describe
      the discovery of a functional and previously uncharacterized D-serine uptake
      system in E. coli. The genes identified are highly conserved in all E. coli
      lineages but are regulated differentially in unique pathogenic backgrounds. The
      study identified that EHEC, counter-intuitively, increase D-serine uptake in its
      presence but that this is a tolerated process and is used to increase the
      transcriptional response to this signal. It was also found that the system has
      been integrated into the transcriptional network of EHEC-specific virulence
      genes, demonstrating an important pathotype-specific adaptation of core genome
      components.

PMID- 28357352
TI  - Chromatin binding and silencing: Two roles of the same protein Lem2.
AB  - Transcriptionally repressed chromatin localizes to specific areas within the
      eukaryotic nucleus and is often found at the nuclear periphery, which is thought
      to provide a specialized compartment for gene silencing. However, the molecular
      mechanisms that establish this spatial chromatin organization are still poorly
      understood. In our recent work (Barrales et al. 2016), we identified the nuclear
      envelope protein Lem2, a homolog of metazoan lamin-associated proteins (LAPs), as
      a relevant factor for heterochromatin silencing and perinuclear localization in
      the fission yeast Schizosaccharomyces pombe. Several other LAPs have previously
      been reported to associate with heterochromatin, and it has been proposed that
      this interaction might directly contribute to gene repression, perhaps through
      tethering via chromatin-binding domains like the LEM domain. We demonstrated that
      the LEM domain of Lem2 is indeed essential for centromere binding and perinuclear
      tethering. However, we made the surprising finding that tethering via the LEM
      domain is functionally independent of Lem2's role in silencing, which instead is
      mediated by a different part of the protein, the MSC domain. Our study
      demonstrates that tethering and silencing, although mediated by the same
      molecule, Lem2, can be mechanistically separated. This further unveils a complex
      function of this protein at the interface between the nuclear periphery and
      silent chromatin, which might be preserved among the other members of this
      conserved family of LEM proteins.

PMID- 28357353
TI  - Phosphatidylthreonine: An exclusive phospholipid regulating calcium homeostasis
      and virulence in a parasitic protest.

PMID- 28357354
TI  - The complexities of bacterial-fungal interactions in the mammalian
      gastrointestinal tract.

PMID- 28357355
TI  - The molecular and cellular action properties of artemisinins: what has yeast told
      us?
AB  - Artemisinin (ART) or Qinghaosu is a natural compound possessing superior anti
      malarial activity. Although intensive studies have been done in the medicinal
      chemistry field to understand the structure-effect relationship, the biological
      actions of artemisinin are poorly understood and controversial. Due to the
      current lack of a genetic amiable model to address this question, and an
      accidental finding made more than a decade ago during our initial exploratory
      efforts that yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae can be inhibited by artemisinin, we
      have since been using the baker's yeast as a model to probe the molecular and
      cellular properties of artemisinin and its derivatives (ARTs) in living cells.
      ARTs were found to possess potent and specific anti-mitochondrial properties and,
      to a lesser extent, the ability to generate a relatively general oxidative
      damage. The anti-mitochondrial effects of artemisinin were later confirmed with
      purified mitochondria from malaria parasites. Inside some cells heme appears to
      be a primary reducing agent and reduction of ARTs by heme can induce a relatively
      nonspecific cellular damage. The molecular basis of the anti-mitochondrial
      properties of ARTs remains not well elucidated yet. We propose that the anti
      mitochondrial and heme-mediated ROS-generating properties constitute two
      cellcidal actions of ARTs. This review summarizes what we have learned from yeast
      about the basic biological properties of ARTs, as well as some key unanswered
      questions. We believe yeast could serve as a window through which to peek at some
      of the biological action secrets of ARTs that might be difficult for us to learn
      otherwise.

PMID- 28357357
TI  - Optogenetic monitoring identifies phosphatidylthreonine-regulated calcium
      homeostasis in Toxoplasma gondii.
AB  - Toxoplasma gondii is an obligate intracellular parasite, which inflicts acute as
      well as chronic infections in a wide range of warm-blooded vertebrates. Our
      recent work has demonstrated the natural occurrence and autonomous synthesis of
      an exclusive lipid phosphatidylthreonine in T. gondii. Targeted gene disruption
      of phosphatidylthreonine synthase impairs the parasite virulence due to
      unforeseen attenuation of the consecutive events of motility, egress and
      invasion. However, the underlying basis of such an intriguing phenotype in the
      parasite mutant remains unknown. Using an optogenetic sensor (gene-encoded
      calcium indicator, GCaMP6s), we show that loss of phosphatidylthreonine depletes
      calcium stores in intracellular tachyzoites, which leads to dysregulation of
      calcium release into the cytosol during the egress phase of the mutant.
      Consistently, the parasite motility and egress phenotypes in the mutant can be
      entirely restored by ionophore-induced mobilization of calcium. Collectively, our
      results suggest a novel regulatory function of phosphatidylthreonine in calcium
      signaling of a prevalent parasitic protist. Moreover, our application of an
      optogenetic sensor to monitor subcellular calcium in a model intracellular
      pathogen exemplifies its wider utility to other entwined systems.

PMID- 28357358
TI  - Translational Repression in Malaria Sporozoites.
AB  - Malaria is a mosquito-borne infectious disease of humans and other animals. It is
      caused by the parasitic protozoan, Plasmodium. Sporozoites, the infectious form
      of malaria parasites, are quiescent when they remain in the salivary glands of
      the Anopheles mosquito until transmission into a mammalian host. Metamorphosis of
      the dormant sporozoite to its active form in the liver stage requires
      transcriptional and translational regulations. Here, we summarize recent advances
      in the translational repression of gene expression in the malaria sporozoite. In
      sporozoites, many mRNAs that are required for liver stage development are
      translationally repressed. Phosphorylation of eukaryotic Initiation Factor 2alpha
      (eIF2alpha) leads to a global translational repression in sporozoites. The
      eIF2alpha kinase, known as Upregulated in Infectious Sporozoite 1 (UIS1), is
      dominant in the sporozoite. The eIF2alpha phosphatase, UIS2, is translationally
      repressed by the Pumilio protein Puf2. This translational repression is
      alleviated when sporozoites are delivered into the mammalian host.

PMID- 28357356
TI  - Formaldehyde fixation is detrimental to actin cables in glucose-depleted S.
      cerevisiae cells.
AB  - Actin filaments form cortical patches and emanating cables in fermenting cells of
      Saccharomyces cerevisiae. This pattern has been shown to be depolarized in
      glucose-depleted cells after formaldehyde fixation and staining with rhodamine
      tagged phalloidin. Loss of actin cables in mother cells was remarkable. Here we
      extend our knowledge on actin in live glucose-depleted cells co-expressing the
      marker of actin patches (Abp1-RFP) with the marker of actin cables (Abp140-GFP).
      Glucose depletion resulted in appearance of actin patches also in mother cells.
      However, even after 80 min of glucose deprivation these cells showed a clear
      network of actin cables labeled with Abp140-GFP in contrast to previously
      published data. In live cells with a mitochondrial dysfunction (rho0 cells),
      glucose depletion resulted in almost immediate appearance of Abp140-GFP foci
      partially overlapping with Abp1-RFP patches in mother cells. Residual actin
      cables were clustered in patch-associated bundles. A similar overlapping "patchy"
      pattern of both actin markers was observed upon treatment of glucose-deprived
      rho+ cells with FCCP (the inhibitor of oxidative phosphorylation) and upon
      treatment with formaldehyde. While the formaldehyde-targeted process stays
      unknown, our results indicate that published data on yeast actin cytoskeleton
      obtained from glucose-depleted cells after fixation should be considered with
      caution.

PMID- 28357359
TI  - Chemical proteomics approach reveals the direct targets and the heme-dependent
      activation mechanism of artemisinin in Plasmodium falciparum using an artemisinin
      based activity probe.
AB  - Artemisinin and its analogues are currently the most effective anti-malarial
      drugs. The activation of artemisinin requires the cleavage of the endoperoxide
      bridge in the presence of iron sources. Once activated, artemisinins attack
      macromolecules through alkylation and propagate a series of damages, leading to
      parasite death. Even though several parasite proteins have been reported as
      artemisinin targets, the exact mechanism of action (MOA) of artemisinin is still
      controversial and its high potency and specificity against the malaria parasite
      could not be fully accounted for. Recently, we have developed an unbiased
      chemical proteomics approach to directly probe the MOA of artemisinin in P.
      falciparum. We synthesized an artemisinin analogue with an alkyne tag, which can
      be coupled with biotin through click chemistry. This enabled selective
      purification and identification of 124 protein targets of artemisinin. Many of
      these targets are critical for the parasite survival. In vitro assays confirmed
      the specific artemisinin binding and inhibition of selected targets. We thus
      postulated that artemisinin kills the parasite through disrupting its biochemical
      landscape. In addition, we showed that artemisinin activation requires heme,
      rather than free ferrous iron, by monitoring the extent of protein binding using
      a fluorescent dye coupled with the alkyne-tagged artemisinin. The extremely high
      level of heme released from the hemoglobin digestion by the parasite makes
      artemisinin exceptionally potent against late-stage parasites (trophozoite and
      schizont stages) compared to parasites at early ring stage, which have low level
      of heme, mainly derived from endogenous synthesis. Such a unique activation
      mechanism also confers artemisinin with extremely high specificity against the
      parasites, while the healthy red blood cells are unaffected. Our results provide
      a sound explanation of the MOA of artemisinin and its specificity against malaria
      parasites, which may benefit the optimization of treatment strategies and the
      battle against the emerging drug resistance.

PMID- 28357360
TI  - Construction and evaluation of yeast expression networks by database-guided
      predictions.
AB  - DNA-Microarrays are powerful tools to obtain expression data on the genome-wide
      scale. We performed microarray experiments to elucidate the transcriptional
      networks, which are up- or down-regulated in response to the expression of toxic
      polyglutamine proteins in yeast. Such experiments initially generate hit lists
      containing differentially expressed genes. To look into transcriptional
      responses, we constructed networks from these genes. We therefore developed an
      algorithm, which is capable of dealing with very small numbers of microarrays by
      clustering the hits based on co-regulatory relationships obtained from the SPELL
      database. Here, we evaluate this algorithm according to several criteria and
      further develop its statistical capabilities. Initially, we define how the number
      of SPELL-derived co-regulated genes and the number of input hits influences the
      quality of the networks. We then show the ability of our networks to accurately
      predict further differentially expressed genes. Including these predicted genes
      into the networks improves the network quality and allows quantifying the
      predictive strength of the networks based on a newly implemented scoring method.
      We find that this approach is useful for our own experimental data sets and also
      for many other data sets which we tested from the SPELL microarray database.
      Furthermore, the clusters obtained by the described algorithm greatly improve the
      assignment to biological processes and transcription factors for the individual
      clusters. Thus, the described clustering approach, which will be available
      through the ClusterEx web interface, and the evaluation parameters derived from
      it represent valuable tools for the fast and informative analysis of yeast
      microarray data.

PMID- 28357361
TI  - The bacterial cell cycle checkpoint protein Obg and its role in programmed cell
      death.
AB  - The phenomenon of programmed cell death (PCD), in which cells initiate their own
      demise, is not restricted to multicellular organisms. Unicellular organisms, both
      eukaryotes and prokaryotes, also possess pathways that mediate PCD. We recently
      identified a PCD mechanism in Escherichia coli that is triggered by a mutant
      isoform of the essential GTPase ObgE (Obg of E. coli). Importantly, the PCD
      pathway mediated by mutant Obg (Obg*) differs fundamentally from other previously
      described bacterial PCD pathways and thus constitutes a new mode of PCD. ObgE was
      previously proposed to act as a cell cycle checkpoint protein able to halt cell
      division. The implication of ObgE in the regulation of PCD further increases the
      similarity between this protein and eukaryotic cell cycle regulators that are
      capable of doing both. Moreover, since Obg is conserved in eukaryotes, the
      elucidation of this cell death mechanism might contribute to the understanding of
      PCD in higher organisms. Additionally, if Obg*-mediated PCD is conserved among
      different bacterial species, it will be a prime target for the development of
      innovative antibacterials that artificially induce this pathway.

PMID- 28357362
TI  - Bacterial outer membrane vesicle biogenesis: a new mechanism and its
      implications.
AB  - Outer membrane vesicle (OMV) release by Gram-negative bacteria has been observed
      and studied for decades. First considered as a by-product of cell lysis, it soon
      became evident that OMVs are actively secreted from the outer membrane (OM) of
      Gram-negative bacteria. Accordingly, these small particles (~ 10-300 nm in
      diameter) consist mainly of OM components like phospholipids (PLs), OM proteins,
      and lipopolysaccharides or lipooligosaccharides. However, OMVs may also comprise
      periplasmic, inner membrane, or cytoplasmic components. Since the shedding of
      substantial amounts of OM material represents a significant energy cost to the
      bacterial cell, OMV production must have some vital biological functions for Gram
      negative bacteria. Indeed, intense research on that topic revealed that OMVs play
      important roles in bacterial physiology and pathogenesis, ranging from secretion
      and delivery of biomolecules (for example, toxins, DNA, or quorum sensing
      molecules) over stress response and biofilm formation to immunomodulation and
      adherence to host cells. Only recently researchers have begun to elucidate the
      mechanistic aspects of OMV formation, but a general mechanism for the biogenesis
      of these vesicles is still lacking. Here we review the findings and implications
      of our recent study published in Nature Communications (Roier S, et al. (2016)
      Nat. Commun. 7:10515), where we propose a novel and highly conserved bacterial
      OMV biogenesis mechanism based on PL accumulation in the outer leaflet of the OM.
      This mechanism might not only have important pathophysiological roles in vivo,
      but also represents the first general mechanism of OMV formation applicable to
      all Gram-negative bacteria.

PMID- 28357363
TI  - Metabolic network structure and function in bacteria goes beyond conserved enzyme
      components.
AB  - For decades, experimental work has laid the foundation for our understanding of
      the linear and branched pathways that are integrated to form the metabolic
      networks on which life is built. Genetic and biochemical approaches applied in
      model organisms generate empirical data that correlate genes, gene products and
      their biological activities. In the post-genomic era, these results have served
      as the basis for the genome annotation that is routinely used to infer the
      metabolic capabilities of an organism and mathematically model the presumed
      metabolic network structure. At large, genome annotation and metabolic network
      reconstructions have demystified genomic content of non-culturable microorganisms
      and allowed researchers to explore the breadth of metabolisms in silico. Mis
      annotation aside, it is unclear whether in silico reconstructions of metabolic
      structure from component parts accurately captures the higher levels of network
      organization and flux distribution. For this approach to provide accurate
      predictions, one must assume that the conservation of metabolic components leads
      to conservation of metabolic network architecture and function. This assumption
      has not been rigorously tested. Here we describe the implications of a recent
      study (MBio 5;7(1): e01840-15), which demonstrated that conservation of metabolic
      components was not sufficient to predict network structure and function.

PMID- 28357364
TI  - Evidence for the hallmarks of human aging in replicatively aging yeast.
AB  - Recently, efforts have been made to characterize the hallmarks that accompany and
      contribute to the phenomenon of aging, as most relevant for humans 1. Remarkably,
      studying the finite lifespan of the single cell eukaryote budding yeast (recently
      reviewed in 2 and 3) has been paramount for our understanding of aging. Here, we
      compile observations from literature over the past decades of research on
      replicatively aging yeast to highlight how the hallmarks of aging in humans are
      present in yeast. We find strong evidence for the majority of these, and
      summarize how yeast aging is especially characterized by the hallmarks of genomic
      instability, epigenetic alterations, loss of proteostasis, deregulated nutrient
      sensing, and mitochondrial dysfunction.

PMID- 28357366
TI  - Inhibition of Zika virus by Wolbachia in Aedes aegypti.
AB  - Through association with cases of microcephaly in 2015, Zika virus (ZIKV) has
      transitioned from a relatively unknown mosquito-transmitted pathogen to a global
      health emergency, emphasizing the need to improve existing mosquito control
      programs to prevent future disease outbreaks. The response to Zika must involve a
      paradigm shift from traditional to novel methods of mosquito control, and
      according to the World Health Organization should incorporate the release of
      mosquitoes infected with the bacterial endosymbiont Wolbachiapipientis. In our
      recent paper [Dutra, HLC et al., Cell Host & Microbe 2016] we investigated the
      potential of Wolbachia infections in Aedes aegypti to restrict infection and
      transmission of Zika virus recently isolated in Brazil. Wolbachia is now well
      known for its ability to block or reduce infection with a variety of pathogens in
      different mosquito species including the dengue (DENV), yellow fever, and
      chikungunya viruses, and malaria-causing Plasmodium, and consequently has great
      potential to control mosquito-transmitted diseases across the globe. Our results
      demonstrated that the wMel Wolbachia strain in Brazilian Ae. aegypti is a strong
      inhibitor of ZIKV infection, and furthermore appears to prevent transmission of
      infectious viral particles in mosquito saliva, which highlights the bacterium's
      suitability for more widespread use in Zika control.

PMID- 28357365
TI  - Cox1 mutation abrogates need for Cox23 in cytochrome c oxidase biogenesis.
AB  - Cox23 is a known conserved assembly factor for cytochrome c oxidase, although its
      role in cytochrome c oxidase (CcO) biogenesis remains unresolved. To gain
      additional insights into its role, we isolated spontaneous suppressors of the
      respiratory growth defect in cox23? yeast cells. We recovered independent
      colonies that propagated on glycerol/lactate medium for cox23? cells at 37
      degrees C. We mapped these mutations to the mitochondrial genome and specifically
      to COX1 yielding an I101F substitution. The I101F Cox1 allele is a gain-of
      function mutation enabling yeast to respire in the absence of Cox23. CcO subunit
      steady-state levels were restored with the I101F Cox1 suppressor mutation and
      oxygen consumption and CcO activity were likewise restored. Cells harboring the
      mitochondrial genome encoding I101F Cox1 were used to delete genes for other CcO
      assembly factors to test the specificity of the Cox1 mutation as a suppressor of
      cox23? cells. The Cox1 mutant allele fails to support respiratory growth in yeast
      lacking Cox17, Cox19, Coa1, Coa2, Cox14 or Shy1, demonstrating its specific
      suppressor activity for cox23? cells.

PMID- 28357367
TI  - Antibiotic use in childhood alters the gut microbiota and predisposes to
      overweight.
AB  - A correlation between the use of antibiotics in early life and the excessive
      weight gain in later childhood has been shown in several large cohort studies all
      over the world. One hypothesis explaining this association is the pervasive
      impact that antibiotics may have on the intestinal microbiota, and this has been
      supported by recent mouse studies. Studies have shown dramatic changes in the
      intestinal microbiota of adults in response to oral antibiotic treatments.
      However, little is known about the impact of antibiotics on the intestinal
      microbiota of children, although antibiotics account for the majority of the
      medication prescribed to children in Western countries.

PMID- 28357368
TI  - House of cellulose - a new hideout for drug tolerant Mycobacterium tuberculosis.
AB  - Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb) causes tuberculosis (TB). The treatment of TB
      requires administration of multiple drugs for long durations because of the
      unusual drug tolerance of Mtb. The phenotypic drug tolerance of genetically drug
      susceptible Mtb in humans can be explained by its ability to form biofilms.
      Recent studies from different laboratories suggest that Mtb forms biofilms that
      harbour drug-tolerant bacteria. These findings have created a new area of
      research in the field of mycobacterial physiology. Recently, my laboratory has
      reported that Mtb cells organise themselves into biofilms in response to
      intracellular thiol reductive stress (Trivedi et al. Nature communications.
      2016). Bacteria residing in these biofilms are tolerant towards antimycobacterial
      drugs. Cellulose is a key component of the extracellular polymeric substances
      that hold mycobacterial cells together in these biofilms. Here, I discuss the
      implications of these findings and new hypotheses arising from this study on the
      biology of Mtb biofilms.

PMID- 28357371
TI  - A novel component of the mitochondrial genome segregation machinery in
      trypanosomes.
AB  - We recently described a new component (TAC102) of the mitochondrial genome
      segregation machinery (mtGSM) in the protozoan parasite Trypanosoma brucei. T.
      brucei belongs to a group of organisms that contain a single mitochondrial
      organelle with a single mitochondrial genome (mt-genome) per cell. The mt-genome
      consists of 5000 minicircles (1 kb) and 25 maxicircles (23 kb) that are catenated
      into a large network. After replication of the network its segregation is driven
      by the separating basal bodies, which are homologous structures to the centrioles
      organizing the spindle apparatus in many eukaryotes. The structure connecting the
      basal body to the mt-genome was named the Tripartite Attachment Complex (TAC)
      owing its name to the distribution across three areas in the cell including the
      two mitochondrial membranes.

PMID- 28357369
TI  - Functions and regulation of the MRX complex at DNA double-strand breaks.
AB  - DNA double-strand breaks (DSBs) pose a serious threat to genome stability and
      cell survival. Cells possess mechanisms that recognize DSBs and promote their
      repair through either homologous recombination (HR) or non-homologous end joining
      (NHEJ). The evolutionarily conserved Mre11-Rad50-Xrs2 (MRX) complex plays a
      central role in the cellular response to DSBs, as it is implicated in controlling
      end resection and in maintaining the DSB ends tethered to each other.
      Furthermore, it is responsible for DSB signaling by activating the checkpoint
      kinase Tel1 that, in turn, supports MRX function in a positive feedback loop. The
      present review focuses mainly on recent works in the budding yeast Saccharomyces
      cerevisiae to highlight structure and regulation of MRX as well as its interplays
      with Tel1.

PMID- 28357370
TI  - Attenuation of polyglutamine-induced toxicity by enhancement of mitochondrial
      OXPHOS in yeast and fly models of aging.
AB  - Defects in mitochondrial biogenesis and function are common in many
      neurodegenerative disorders, including Huntington's disease (HD). We have
      previously shown that in yeast models of HD, enhancement of mitochondrial
      biogenesis through overexpression of Hap4, the catalytic subunit of the
      transcriptional complex that regulates mitochondrial gene expression, alleviates
      the growth arrest induced by expanded polyglutamine (polyQ) tract peptides in
      rapidly dividing cells. However, the mechanism through which HAP4 overexpression
      exerts this protection remains unclear. Furthermore, it remains unexplored
      whether HAP4 overexpression and increased respiratory function during growth can
      also protect against polyQ-induced toxicity during yeast chronological lifespan.
      Here, we show that in yeast, mitochondrial respiration and oxidative
      phosphorylation (OXPHOS) are essential for protection against the polyQ-induced
      growth defect by HAP4 overexpression. In addition, we show that not only
      increased HAP4 levels, but also alternative interventions, including calorie
      restriction, that result in enhanced mitochondrial biogenesis confer protection
      against polyQ toxicity during stationary phase. The data obtained in yeast models
      guided experiments in a fly model of HD, where we show that enhancement of
      mitochondrial biogenesis can also protect against neurodegeneration and
      behavioral deficits. Our results suggest that therapeutic interventions aiming at
      the enhancement of mitochondrial respiration and OXPHOS could reduce polyQ
      toxicity and delay disease onset.

PMID- 28357372
TI  - Bacterial genotoxin functions as immune-modulator and promotes host survival.
AB  - Bacterial genotoxins are effectors that cause DNA damage in target cells. Many
      aspects of the biology of these toxins have been characterised in vitro, such as
      structure, cellular internalisation pathways and effects on the target cells.
      However, little is known about their function in vivo. Salmonella enterica
      serovar Typhi (S. Typhi) is a Gram-negative, intracellular bacterium that causes
      typhoid fever, a debilitating disease infecting more than 20 million people every
      year. S. Typhiproduce a genotoxin named typhoid toxin (TT), but its role in the
      contest of host infection is poorly characterized. The major obstacle in
      addressing this issue is that S. Typhi is exclusively a human pathogen. To
      overcome this limitation, we have used as model bacterium S. Typhimurium, and
      engineered it to produce endogenous levels of an active and inactive typhoid
      toxin, hereby named as TT (or genotoxic) and cdtB (or control), respectively. To
      our surprise, infection with the genotoxin strain strongly suppressed intestinal
      inflammation, leading to a better survival of the host during the acute phase of
      infection, suggesting typhoid toxin may exert a protective role. The presence of
      a functional genotoxin was also associated with an increased frequency of
      asymptomatic carriers.

PMID- 28357373
TI  - Cryptococcus flips its lid - membrane phospholipid asymmetry modulates antifungal
      drug resistance and virulence.
AB  - Human fungal infections are increasing in prevalence and acquisition of
      antifungal drug resistance, while our antifungal drug armamentarium remains very
      limited, constituting a significant public health problem. Despite the fact that
      prominent antifungal drugs target the fungal cell membrane, very little is known
      about how fungal membrane biology regulates drug-target interactions.
      Asymmetrical phospholipid distribution is an essential property of biological
      membranes, which is maintained by a group of transporters that dynamically
      translocate specific phospholipid groups across the membrane bilayer. Lipid
      flippase is the enzyme responsible for translocation of certain phospholipids,
      including phosphatidylserine (PS), across the plasma membrane from the
      exocytoplasmic to the cytoplasmic leaflet. Loss of lipid flippase leads to
      abnormal phospholipid distribution and impaired intracellular vesicular
      trafficking. The recent research article by Huang et al. reported that in
      pathogenic fungus Cryptococcus neoformans loss of lipid flippase activity
      sensitized cryptococcal cells to multiple classes of antifungal drugs, including
      the cell wall active echinocandins, and abolished fungal virulence in murine
      models. This finding demonstrates that lipid flippase may promote fungal drug
      resistance and virulence and indicates that this enzyme may represent a novel
      antifungal drug target.

PMID- 28357374
TI  - Sexually transmitted infections: old foes on the rise.
AB  - Sexually transmitted infections (STIs) are commonly spread via sexual contact. It
      is estimated that one million STIs are acquired every day worldwide. Besides
      their impact on sexual, reproductive and neonatal health, they can cause
      disastrous and life-threatening complications if left untreated. In addition to
      this personal burden, STIs also represent a socioeconomic problem, deriving in
      treatment costs of tremendous proportions. Despite a substantial progress in
      diagnosis, treatment and prevention, the incidence of many common STIs is
      increasing, and STIs continue to represent a global public health problem and a
      major cause for morbidity and mortality. With this Special Issue, Microbial Cell
      provides an in-depth overview of the eight major STIs, covering all relevant
      features of each infection.

PMID- 28357375
TI  - Syphilis: Re-emergence of an old foe.
AB  - Syphilis is caused by infection with Treponema pallidum subsp. pallidum, a not
      yet-cultivable spiral-shaped bacterium that is usually transmitted by sexual
      contact with an infected partner or by an infected pregnant woman to her fetus.
      There is no vaccine to prevent syphilis. Diagnosis and treatment of infected
      individuals and their contacts is key to syphilis control programs that also
      include sex education and promotion of condom use to prevent infection. Untreated
      syphilis can progress through four stages: primary (chancre, regional
      lymphadenopathy), secondary (disseminated skin eruptions, generalized
      lymphadenopathy), latent (decreased re-occurrence of secondary stage
      manifestations, absence of symptoms), and tertiary (gummas, cardiovascular
      syphilis and late neurological symptoms). The primary and secondary stages are
      the most infectious. WHO estimates that each year 11 million new cases of
      syphilis occur globally among adults aged 15-49 years. Syphilis has re-emerged in
      several regions including North America, Western Europe, China and Australia.
      Host-associated factors that drive the re-emergence and spread of syphilis
      include high-risk sexual activity, migration and travel, and economic and social
      changes that limit access to health care. Early, uncomplicated syphilis is
      curable with a single intramuscular injection of benzathine penicillin G (BPG),
      the first line drug for all stages of syphilis. Emergence of macrolide-resistant
      T. pallidum has essentially precluded the empirical use of azithromycin as a
      second-line drug for treatment of syphilis. Virulence attributes of T. pallidum
      are poorly understood. Genomic and proteomic studies have provided some new
      information concerning how this spirochete may evade host defense mechanisms to
      persist for long periods in the host.

PMID- 28357376
TI  - Gonorrhea - an evolving disease of the new millennium.
AB  - Etiology, transmission and protection: Neisseria gonorrhoeae (the gonococcus) is
      the etiological agent for the strictly human sexually transmitted disease
      gonorrhea. Infections lead to limited immunity, therefore individuals can become
      repeatedly infected. Pathology/symptomatology: Gonorrhea is generally a non
      complicated mucosal infection with a pustular discharge. More severe sequellae
      include salpingitis and pelvic inflammatory disease which may lead to sterility
      and/or ectopic pregnancy. Occasionally, the organism can disseminate as a
      bloodstream infection. Epidemiology, incidence and prevalence: Gonorrhea is a
      global disease infecting approximately 60 million people annually. In the United
      States there are approximately 300, 000 cases each year, with an incidence of
      approximately 100 cases per 100,000 population. Treatment and curability:
      Gonorrhea is susceptible to an array of antibiotics. Antibiotic resistance is
      becoming a major problem and there are fears that the gonococcus will become the
      next "superbug" as the antibiotic arsenal diminishes. Currently, third generation
      extended-spectrum cephalosporins are being prescribed. Molecular mechanisms of
      infection: Gonococci elaborate numerous strategies to thwart the immune system.
      The organism engages in extensive phase (on/off switching) and antigenic
      variation of several surface antigens. The organism expresses IgA protease which
      cleaves mucosal antibody. The organism can become serum resistant due to its
      ability to sialylate lipooligosaccharide in conjunction with its ability to
      subvert complement activation. The gonococcus can survive within neutrophils as
      well as in several other lymphocytic cells. The organism manipulates the immune
      response such that no immune memory is generated which leads to a lack of
      protective immunity.

PMID- 28357377
TI  - Chlamydia trachomatis Genital Infections.
AB  - Etiology, transmission and protection: Chlamydia trachomatis is the leading cause
      of bacterial sexually transmitted infection (STI) globally. However, C.
      trachomatis also causes trachoma in endemic areas, mostly Africa and the Middle
      East, and is a leading cause of preventable blindness worldwide. Epidemiology,
      incidence and prevalence: The World Health Organization estimates 131 million new
      cases of C. trachomatis genital infection occur annually. Globally, infection is
      most prevalent in young women and men (14-25 years), likely driven by
      asymptomatic infection, inadequate partner treatment and delayed development of
      protective immunity. Pathology/Symptomatology: C. trachomatis infects susceptible
      squamocolumnar or transitional epithelial cells, leading to cervicitis in women
      and urethritis in men. Symptoms are often mild or absent but ascending infection
      in some women may lead to Pelvic Inflammatory Disease (PID), resulting in
      reproductive sequelae such as ectopic pregnancy, infertility and chronic pelvic
      pain. Complications of infection in men include epididymitis and reactive
      arthritis. Molecular mechanisms of infection: Chlamydiae manipulate an array of
      host processes to support their obligate intracellular developmental cycle. This
      leads to activation of signaling pathways resulting in disproportionate influx of
      innate cells and the release of tissue damaging proteins and pro-inflammatory
      cytokines. Treatment and curability: Uncomplicated urogenital infection is
      treated with azithromycin (1 g, single dose) or doxycycline (100 mg twice daily x
      7 days). However, antimicrobial treatment does not ameliorate established
      disease. Drug resistance is rare but treatment failures have been described.
      Development of an effective vaccine that protects against upper tract disease or
      that limits transmission remains an important goal.

PMID- 28357378
TI  - Trichomoniasis - are we giving the deserved attention to the most common non
      viral sexually transmitted disease worldwide?
AB  - ETIOLOGY: Trichomonas vaginalis is the etiologic agent of trichomoniasis, the
      most common non-viral sexually transmitted disease (STD) in the world.
      Transmission: Trichomoniasis is transmitted by sexual intercourse and
      transmission via fomites is rare. Epidemiology, incidence and prevalence: The WHO
      estimates an incidence of 276 million new cases each year and prevalence of 187
      million of infected individuals. However, the infection is not notifiable.
      Pathology/Symptomatology: The T. vaginalis infection results in a variety of
      clinical manifestations - in most cases the patients are asymptomatic, but some
      may develop signs typically associated to the disease. Importantly, the main
      issue concerning trichomoniasis is its relationship with serious health
      consequences such as cancer, adverse pregnancy outcomes, infertility, and HIV
      acquisition. Molecular mechanisms of infection: To achieve success in parasitism
      trichomonads develop a complex process against the host cells that includes
      dependent- and independent-contact mechanisms. This multifactorial pathogenesis
      includes molecules such as soluble factors, secreted proteinases, adhesins,
      lipophosphoglycan that culminate in cytoadherence and cytotoxicity against the
      host cells. Treatment and curability: The treatment with metronidazole or
      tinidazole is recommended; however, cure failures remain problematic due to
      noncompliance, reinfection and/or lack of treatment of sexual partners,
      inaccurate diagnosis, or drug resistance. Therefore, new therapeutic alternatives
      are urgently needed. Protection: Strategies for protection including sexual
      behavior, condom usage, and therapy have not contributed to the decrease on
      disease prevalence, pointing to the need for innovative approaches. Vaccine
      development has been hampered by the lack of long-lasting humoral immunity
      associated to the absence of good animal models.

PMID- 28357379
TI  - Hepatitis B virus and its sexually transmitted infection - an update.
AB  - EPIDEMIOLOGY: incidence and prevalence: About 5% of the world's population has
      chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection, and nearly 25% of carriers develop
      chronic hepatitis, cirrhosis, and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). The prevalence
      of chronic HBV infection in human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-infected
      individuals is 5%-15%; HIV/HBV coinfected individuals have a higher level of HBV
      replication, with higher rates of chronicity, reactivation, occult infection, and
      HCC than individuals with HBV only. The prevalence of HBV genotype A is
      significantly higher among men who have sex with men (MSM), compared with the
      rest of the population. Molecular mechanisms of infection, pathology, and
      symptomatology: HBV replication begins with entry into the hepatocyte. Sodium
      taurocholate cotransporting polypeptide was identified in 2012 as the entry
      receptor of HBV. Although chronic hepatitis B develops slowly, HIV/HBV coinfected
      individuals show more rapid progression to cirrhosis and HCC. Transmission and
      protection: The most common sources of HBV infection are body fluids. Hepatitis B
      (HB) vaccination is recommended for all children and adolescents, and all
      unvaccinated adults at risk for HBV infection (sexually active individuals such
      as MSM, individuals with occupational risk, and immunosuppressed individuals).
      Although HB vaccination can prevent clinical infections (hepatitis), it cannot
      prevent 100% of subclinical infections. Treatment and curability: The goal of
      treatment is reducing the risk of complications (cirrhosis and HCC). Pegylated
      interferon alfa and nucleos(t)ide analogues (NAs) are the current treatments for
      chronic HBV infection. NAs have improved the outcomes of patients with cirrhosis
      and HCC, and decreased the incidence of acute liver failure.

PMID- 28357380
TI  - Genital Herpes: Insights into Sexually Transmitted Infectious Disease.
AB  - Etiology, transmission and protection: Herpes simplex virus-2 (HSV-2) is a
      leading cause of sexually transmitted infections with recurring manifestations
      throughout the lifetime of infected hosts. Currently no effective vaccines or
      prophylactics exist that provide complete protection or immunity from the virus,
      which is endemic throughout the world. Pathology/Symptomatology: Primary and
      recurrent infections result in lesions and inflammation around the genital area
      and the latter accounts for majority of genital herpes instances.
      Immunocompromised patients including neonates are susceptible to additional
      systemic infections including debilitating consequences of nervous system
      inflammation. Epidemiology, incidence and prevalence: More than 500 million
      people are infected worldwide and most reported cases involve the age groups
      between 16-40 years, which coincides with an increase in sexual activity among
      this age group. While these numbers are an estimate, the actual numbers may be
      underestimated as many people are asymptomatic or do not report the symptoms.
      Treatment and curability: Currently prescribed medications, mostly nucleoside
      analogs, only reduce the symptoms caused by an active infection, but do not
      eliminate the virus or reduce latency. Therefore, no cure exists against genital
      herpes and infected patients suffer from periodic recurrences of disease symptoms
      for their entire lives. Molecular mechanisms of infection: The last few decades
      have generated many new advances in our understanding of the mechanisms that
      drive HSV infection. The viral entry receptors such as nectin-1 and HVEM have
      been identified, cytoskeletal signaling and membrane structures such as filopodia
      have been directly implicated in viral entry, host motor proteins and their viral
      ligands have been shown to facilitate capsid transport and many host and HSV
      proteins have been identified that help with viral replication and pathogenesis.
      New understanding has emerged on the role of autophagy and other innate immune
      mechanisms that are subverted to enhance HSV pathogenesis. This review summarizes
      our current understanding of HSV-2 and associated diseases and available or
      upcoming new treatments.

PMID- 28357383
TI  - Using microbes as a key tool to unravel the mechanism of autophagy and the
      functions of the ATG proteins.
AB  - The study of microbe infections has always been a very effective approach to
      unveil and dissect cellular pathways. Autophagy is not an exception. Although
      some of the breakthrough discoveries in the field were obtained using yeast,
      pathogens have been and still are a great tool to discover and characterize new
      molecular and functional aspects of autophagy. Research on pathogens has helped
      to acquire knowledge about selective types of autophagy and the assembly of the
      autophagy machinery, i.e the autophagy-related (ATG) proteins, but also about
      alternative cellular roles of this pathway, such as secretion. Finally, microbes
      have also served to discover and characterize unconventional functions of the ATG
      proteins, which are uncoupled from their role in autophagy. In our recent study,
      we have taken advantage of viruses as a screening tool to determine the extent of
      the unconventional functions of the ATG proteome and characterize one of them.

PMID- 28357385
TI  - Toxin-mediated gene regulatory mechanism in Staphylococcus aureus.
AB  - The dangerous human pathogen Staphylococcus aureus relies heavily on toxins to
      cause disease, but toxin production can put a strong burden on the bacteria's
      energy balance. Thus, controlling the synthesis of proteins solely needed in
      times of toxin production represents a way for the bacteria to avoid wasting
      energy. One hypothetical manner to accomplish this sort of regulation is by gene
      regulatory functions of the toxins themselves. There have been several reports
      about gene regulation by toxins in S. aureus, but these were never verified on
      the molecular level. In our study published in MBio [Joo et al., 7(5). pii:
      e01579-16], we show that phenol-soluble modulins (PSMs), important peptide toxins
      of S. aureus, release a repressor from the promoter of the operon encoding the
      toxin export system, thereby enabling toxin secretion. This study describes the
      first molecular regulatory mechanism exerted by an S. aureus toxin, setting a
      paradigmatic example of how S. aureus toxins may influence cell functions to
      adjust them to times of toxin production.

PMID- 28357384
TI  - Improvement of biochemical methods of polyP quantification.
AB  - Polyphosphate (polyP) is an abundant and physiologically important biomolecule
      for virtually any living cell. Therefore, determination of changes in cellular
      content of polyP is crucial for its functional characterization. Determination of
      cellular polyP has been performed by many different methods, and the lack of a
      standardized procedure is possibly responsible for the large dispersion of
      results found in the relevant literature. For a relatively simple organism, such
      as the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae, this variation can be up to 12-fold. polyP
      extraction and determination of free phosphate released by enzymatic degradation
      of the polymer is a method quite common and relatively straightforward for polyP
      determination. By using the yeast S. cerevisiae as model, we have experimentally
      evaluated the different steps in this procedure in order to identify critical
      issues that might explain the disparate reported results. As the main output of
      this evaluation we propose a straightforward and robust procedure that can be
      used as gold standard protocol for cellular polyP purification and determination
      from unicellular organisms, thus providing consistency to measurements and
      facilitating inter-laboratory comparisons and biological interpretation of the
      results.

PMID- 28357386
TI  - A new role for Holliday junction resolvase Yen1 in processing DNA replication
      intermediates exposes Dna2 as an accessory replicative helicase.
AB  - DNA replication is mediated by a multi-protein complex known as the replisome.
      With the hexameric MCM (minichromosome maintenance) replicative helicase at its
      core, the replisome splits the parental DNA strands, forming replication forks
      (RFs), where it catalyses coupled leading and lagging strand DNA synthesis. While
      replication is a highly effective process, intrinsic and oncogene-induced
      replication stress impedes the progression of replisomes along chromosomes. As a
      consequence, RFs stall, arrest, and collapse, jeopardizing genome stability. In
      these instances, accessory fork progression and repair factors, orchestrated by
      the replication checkpoint, promote RF recovery, ensuring the chromosomes are
      fully replicated and can be safely segregated at cell division. Homologous
      recombination (HR) proteins play key roles in negotiating replication stress,
      binding at stalled RFs and shielding them from inappropriate processing. In
      addition, HR-mediated strand exchange reactions restart stalled or collapsed RFs
      and mediate error-free post-replicative repair. DNA transactions at stalled RFs
      further involve various DNA editing factors, notably helicases and nucleases. A
      study by Olmezer et al. (2016) has recently identified a role for the structure
      specific nuclease Yen1 (GEN1 in human) in the resolution of dead-end DNA
      replication intermediates after RF arrest. This new function of Yen1 is distinct
      from its previously known role as a Holliday junction resolvase, mediating the
      removal of branched HR intermediates, and it becomes essential for viable
      chromosome segregation in cells with a defective Dna2 helicase. These findings
      have revealed greater complexity in the tasks mediated by Yen1 and expose a
      replicative role for the elusive helicase activity of the conserved Dna2 nuclease
      helicase.

PMID- 28357387
TI  - S. pombe placed on the prion map.
AB  - Schizosaccharomyces pombe has been used extensively as a model organism, however
      it is only recently that the first prion in this organism, a copper transporter
      protein encoded by ctr4, has been conclusively demonstrated. Prions are found in
      a wide range of organisms and have been implicated in a number of human
      neurodegenerative diseases. Research into the biology of prions has been carried
      out mainly in the budding yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae, however there are many
      questions still to be addressed. Now, with the identification of the Ctr4 prion
      in S. pombe, further work in the two yeasts and comparisons of prion biology in
      these organisms should lead to a greater understanding of prions and their role
      in disease.

PMID- 28357382
TI  - HPV disease transmission protection and control.
AB  - Human papillomaviruses (HPVs) represent a large collection of viral types
      associated with significant clinical disease of cutaneous and mucosal epithelium.
      HPV-associated cancers are found in anogenital and oral mucosa, and at various
      cutaneous sites. Papillomaviruses are highly species and tissue restricted, and
      these viruses display both mucosotropic, cutaneotropic or dual tropism for
      epithelial tissues. A subset of HPV types, predominantly mucosal, are also
      oncogenic and cancers with these HPV types account for more than 200,000 deaths
      world-wide. Host control of HPV infections requires both innate and adaptive
      immunity, but the viruses have developed strategies to escape immune detection.
      Viral proteins can disrupt both innate pathogen-sensing pathways and T-cell based
      recognition and subsequent destruction of infected tissues. Current treatments to
      manage HPV infections include mostly ablative strategies in which recurrences are
      common and only active disease is treated. Although much is known about the
      papillomavirus life cycle, viral protein functions, and immune responsiveness, we
      still lack knowledge in a number of key areas of PV biology including tissue
      tropism, site-specific cancer progression, codon usage profiles, and what are the
      best strategies to mount an effective immune response to the carcinogenic stages
      of PV disease. In this review, disease transmission, protection and control are
      discussed together with questions related to areas in PV biology that will
      continue to provide productive opportunities of discovery and to further our
      understanding of this diverse set of human viral pathogens.

PMID- 28357381
TI  - Recent Insights into the HIV/AIDS Pandemic.
AB  - Etiology, transmission and protection: Transmission of HIV, the causative agent
      of AIDS, occurs predominantly through bodily fluids. Factors that significantly
      alter the risk of HIV transmission include male circumcision, condom use, high
      viral load, and the presence of other sexually transmitted diseases.
      Pathology/Symptomatology: HIV infects preferentially CD4+ T lymphocytes, and
      Monocytes. Because of their central role in regulating the immune response,
      depletion of CD4+ T cells renders the infected individual incapable of adequately
      responding to microorganisms otherwise inconsequential. Epidemiology, incidence
      and prevalence: New HIV infections affect predominantly young heterosexual women
      and homosexual men. While the mortality rates of AIDS related causes have
      decreased globally in recent years due to the use of highly active antiretroviral
      therapy (HAART) treatment, a vaccine remains an elusive goal. Treatment and
      curability: For those afflicted HIV infection remains a serious illness.
      Nonetheless, the use of advanced therapeutics have transformed a dire scenario
      into a chronic condition with near average life spans. When to apply those
      remedies appears to be as important as the remedies themselves. The high rate of
      HIV replication and the ability to generate variants are central to the viral
      survival strategy and major barriers to be overcome. Molecular mechanisms of
      infection: In this review, we assemble new details on the molecular events from
      the attachment of the virus, to the assembly and release of the viral progeny.
      Yet, much remains to be learned as understanding of the molecular mechanisms used
      in viral replication and the measures engaged in the evasion of immune
      surveillance will be important to develop effective interventions to address the
      global HIV pandemic.

PMID- 28357389
TI  - Mutational analysis of fructose-1,6-bis-phosphatase FBP1 indicates partially
      independent functions in gluconeogenesis and sensitivity to genotoxic stress.
AB  - Fructose-1,6-bisphosphatase (FBP1) is a key enzyme in the evolutionary conserved
      pathway of gluconeogenesis. We had shown in an earlier study that FBP1 is
      involved in the response and sensitivity to methyl-methanesulfonate (MMS)-induced
      DNA damage in yeast. In the work presented here we performed an alanine screen
      mutational analysis of several evolutionary conserved amino acid residues of
      FBP1, which were selected based on conserved residues and structural studies of
      mammalian and yeast homologues of FBP1. Mutants were examined for enzymatic
      activity, and yeast cells expressing these mutants were tested for growth on non
      fermentable and MMS-containing media. The results obtained support predicted
      vital roles of several residues for enzymatic activity and led to the
      identification of residues indispensable for the MMS-sensitizing effect. Despite
      an overlap between these two properties, careful analysis revealed two mutations,
      Asn75 and His324, which decouple the enzymatic activity and the MMS-sensitizing
      effect, indicating two distinctive biological activities linked in this key
      gluconeogenesis enzyme.

PMID- 28357388
TI  - Balanced CoQ6 biosynthesis is required for lifespan and mitophagy in yeast.
AB  - Coenzyme Q is an essential lipid with redox capacity that is present in all
      organisms. In yeast its biosynthesis depends on a multiprotein complex in which
      Coq7 protein has both catalytic and regulatory functions. Coq7 modulates CoQ6
      levels through a phosphorylation cycle, where dephosphorylation of three amino
      acids (Ser/Thr) by the mitochondrial phosphatase Ptc7 increases the levels of
      CoQ6. Here we analyzed the role of Ptc7 and the phosphorylation state of Coq7 in
      yeast mitochondrial function. The conversion of the three Ser/Thr to alanine led
      to a permanently active form of Coq7 that caused a 2.5-fold increase of CoQ6
      levels, albeit decreased mitochondrial respiratory chain activity and oxidative
      stress resistance capacity. This resulted in an increase in endogenous ROS
      production and shortened the chronological life span (CLS) compared to wild type.
      The null PTC7 mutant (ptc7?) strain showed a lower biosynthesis rate of CoQ6 and
      a significant shortening of the CLS. The reduced CLS observed in ptc7Delta was
      restored by the overexpression of PTC7 but not by the addition of exogenous CoQ6.
      Overexpression of PTC7 increased mitophagy in a wild type strain. This finding
      suggests an additional Ptc7 function beyond the regulation of CoQ biosynthesis.
      Genetic disruption of PTC7 prevented mitophagy activation in conditions of
      nitrogen deprivation. In brief, we show that, in yeast, Ptc7 modulates the
      adaptation to respiratory metabolism by dephosphorylating Coq7 to supply newly
      synthesized CoQ6, and by activating mitophagy to remove defective mitochondria at
      stationary phase, guaranteeing a proper CLS in yeast.

PMID- 28357390
TI  - Breaking the bilayer: OMV formation during environmental transitions.
AB  - Gram-negative bacteria maintain the barrier properties of the outer membrane (OM)
      in a wide array of physiological conditions despite their inability to degrade
      lipopolysaccharide (LPS) and protein material present in the outer leaflet of the
      OM. Through characterization of the native dynamics of outer membrane LPS change
      we recently described a mechanism in which these diderm organisms overcome this
      design flaw. In response to different environmental stimuli Salmonellaenterica
      modulates the export of specific structural variants of lipid A via outer
      membrane vesicles (OMVs). We proposed that the polymorphic model for regulation
      of membrane lipid content could largely account for the structural differences
      between secreted and retained lipid A species. However, differences in OMV
      production levels and size observed between environmental conditions remain
      unexplained. Further exploration into the relationship between OMV production
      level and content specificity may shed light onto the enigmatic mechanisms of OMV
      formation.

PMID- 28357391
TI  - The tug-of-war over MTOR in Legionella infections.
AB  - A ruptured bacteria-containing organelle within the cytosol of an infected
      eukaryotic cell frequently initiates host defense responses that restrict
      pathogen replication. Therefore, source for lipids must be found to accommodate
      the organelle membrane expansion required to support bacterial replication. How
      host cells are manipulated to provide lipids for the expansion of pathogen
      occupied organelles is not well understood. By investigating the interaction
      between macrophages and the human pulmonary pathogen Legionella pneumophila we
      uncovered that the host metabolic checkpoint kinase Mechanistic target of
      rapamycin (MTOR) is a central regulator of the pathogen niche expansion program.

PMID- 28357392
TI  - Transceptors as a functional link of transporters and receptors.
AB  - Cells need to communicate with their environment in order to obtain nutrients,
      grow, divide and respond to signals related to adaptation in changing
      physiological conditions or stress. A very basic question in biology is how
      cells, especially of those organisms living in rapidly changing habitats, sense
      their environment. Apparently, this question is of particular importance to all
      free-living microorganisms. The critical role of receptors, transporters and
      channels, transmembrane proteins located in the plasma membrane of all types of
      cells, in signaling environmental changes is well established. A relative
      newcomer in environment sensing are the so called transceptors, membrane proteins
      that possess both solute transport and receptor-like signaling activities. Now,
      the transceptor concept is further enlarged to include micronutrient sensing via
      the iron and zinc high-affinity transporters of Saccharomyces cerevisiae.
      Interestingly, what seems to underline the transport and/or sensing function of
      receptors, transporters and transceptors is ligand-induced conformational
      alterations recognized by downstream intracellular effectors.

PMID- 28357395
TI  - New insights into the function of a versatile class of membrane molecular motors
      from studies of Myxococcus xanthus surface (gliding) motility.
AB  - Cell motility is a central function of living cells, as it empowers colonization
      of new environmental niches, cooperation, and development of multicellular
      organisms. This process is achieved by complex yet precise energy-consuming
      machineries in both eukaryotes and bacteria. Bacteria move on surfaces using
      extracellular appendages such as flagella and pili but also by a less-understood
      process called gliding motility. During this process, rod-shaped bacteria move
      smoothly along their long axis without any visible morphological changes besides
      occasional bending. For this reason, the molecular mechanism of gliding motility
      and its origin have long remained a complete mystery. An important breakthrough
      in the understanding of gliding motility came from single cell and genetic
      studies in the delta-proteobacterium Myxococcus xanthus. These early studies
      revealed, for the first time, the existence of bacterial Focal Adhesion complexes
      (FA). FAs are formed at the bacterial pole and rapidly move towards the opposite
      cell pole. Their attachment to the underlying surface is linked to cell
      propulsion, in a process similar to the rearward translocation of actomyosin
      complexes in Apicomplexans. The protein machinery that forms at FAs was shown to
      contain up to seventeen proteins predicted to localize in all layers of the
      bacterial cell envelope, the cytosolic face, the inner membrane (IM), the
      periplasmic space and the outer membrane (OM). Among these proteins, a proton
      gated channel at the inner membrane was identified as the molecular motor. Thus,
      thrust generation requires the transduction of traction forces generated at the
      inner membrane through the cell envelope beyond the rigid barrier of the
      bacterial peptidoglycan.

PMID- 28357394
TI  - A multigene family encoding surface glycoproteins in Trypanosoma congolense.
AB  - Trypanosoma congolense, the causative agent of the most important livestock
      disease in Africa, expresses specific surface proteins involved in its parasitic
      lifestyle. Unfortunately, the complete repertoire of such molecules is far from
      being deciphered. As these membrane components are exposed to the host
      environment, they could be used as therapeutic or diagnostic targets. By mining
      the T. congolense genome database, we identified a novel family of lectin-like
      glycoproteins (TcoClecs). These molecules are predicted to have a transmembrane
      domain, a tandem repeat amino acid motif, a signal peptide and a C-type lectin
      like domain (CTLD). This paper depicts several experimental arguments in favor of
      a surface localization in bloodstream forms of T. congolense. A TcoClec gene was
      heterologously expressed in U-2 OS cells and the product could be partially found
      at the plasma membrane. TcoClecs were also localized at the surface of T.
      congolense bloodstream forms. The signal was suppressed when the cells were
      treated with a detergent to remove the plasma membrane or with trypsin to " shave
      " the parasites and remove their external proteins. This suggests that TcoClecs
      could be potential diagnostic or therapeutic antigens of African animal
      trypanosomiasis. The potential role of these proteins in T. congolense as well as
      in other trypanosomatids is discussed.

PMID- 28357393
TI  - Identification of Ftr1 and Zrt1 as iron and zinc micronutrient transceptors for
      activation of the PKA pathway in Saccharomyces cerevisiae.
AB  - Multiple types of nutrient transceptors, membrane proteins that combine a
      transporter and receptor function, have now been established in a variety of
      organisms. However, so far all established transceptors utilize one of the
      macronutrients, glucose, amino acids, ammonium, nitrate, phosphate or sulfate, as
      substrate. This is also true for the Saccharomyces cerevisiae transceptors
      mediating activation of the PKA pathway upon re-addition of a macronutrient to
      glucose-repressed cells starved for that nutrient, re-establishing a fermentable
      growth medium. We now show that the yeast high-affinity iron transporter Ftr1 and
      high-affinity zinc transporter Zrt1 function as transceptors for the
      micronutrients iron and zinc. We show that replenishment of iron to iron-starved
      cells or zinc to zinc-starved cells triggers within 1-2 minutes a rapid surge in
      trehalase activity, a well-established PKA target. The activation with iron is
      dependent on Ftr1 and with zinc on Zrt1, and we show that it is independent of
      intracellular iron and zinc levels. Similar to the transceptors for
      macronutrients, Ftr1 and Zrt1 are strongly induced upon iron and zinc starvation,
      respectively, and they are rapidly downregulated by substrate-induced
      endocytosis. Our results suggest that transceptor-mediated signaling to the PKA
      pathway may occur in all cases where glucose-repressed yeast cells have been
      starved first for an essential nutrient, causing arrest of growth and low
      activity of the PKA pathway, and subsequently replenished with the lacking
      nutrient to re-establish a fermentable growth medium. The broadness of the
      phenomenon also makes it likely that nutrient transceptors use a common mechanism
      for signaling to the PKA pathway.

PMID- 28357397
TI  - Advancing host-directed therapy for tuberculosis.
AB  - Tuberculosis (TB) drug-development strategies, a wide range of candidate host
      directed therapies (HDT)s-including new and repurposed drugs, biologics, and
      cellular therapies-have been proposed to accelerate eradication of infection and
      overcome the problems associated with current treatment regimens. By
      investigating the interaction between macrophages and the intracellular parasite
      Toxoplasma gondii (T. gondii), we uncovered that infection-induced signaling
      pathways suggest possibilities for the development of novel therapeutic
      modalities for TB that target the intracellular signaling pathways permitting the
      replication of Mycobacterium tuberculosis (MTB).

PMID- 28357396
TI  - Chlamydia trachomatis' struggle to keep its host alive.
AB  - Bacteria of the phylum Chlamydiae infect a diverse range of eukaryotic host
      species, including vertebrate animals, invertebrates, and even protozoa.
      Characteristics shared by all Chlamydiae include their obligate intracellular
      lifestyle and a biphasic developmental cycle. The infectious form, the elementary
      body (EB), invades a host cell and differentiates into the replicative form, the
      reticulate body (RB), which proliferates within a membrane-bound compartment, the
      inclusion. After several rounds of division, RBs retro-differentiate into EBs
      that are then released to infect neighboring cells. The consequence of this
      obligatory transition between replicative and infectious forms inside cells is
      that Chlamydiae absolutely depend on the viability and functionality of their
      host cell throughout the entire infection cycle. We recently conducted a forward
      genetic screen in Chlamydia trachomatis, a common sexually transmitted human
      pathogen, and identified a mutant that caused premature death in the majority of
      infected host cells. We employed emerging genetic tools in Chlamydia to link this
      cytotoxicity to the loss of the protein CpoS (Chlamydia promoter of survival)
      that normally localizes to the membrane of the pathogen-containing vacuole. CpoS
      deficient bacteria also induced an exaggerated type-1 interferon response in
      infected cells, produced reduced numbers of infectious EBs in cell culture, and
      were cleared faster from the mouse genital tract in a transcervical infection
      model in vivo. The analysis of this CpoS-deficient mutant yielded unique insights
      into the nature of cell-autonomous defense responses against Chlamydia and
      highlighted the importance of Chlamydia-mediated control of host cell fate for
      the success of the pathogen.

PMID- 28357398
TI  - Machine Learning in Multimodal Medical Imaging.

PMID- 28357400
TI  - Intra-Abdominal Hypertension Causes Bacterial Growth in Lungs: An Animal Study.
AB  - To study the effect of intra-abdominal hypertension (IAH) on the frequency of
      pneumonia with an experimental study, thirteen Sprague-Dawley rats were included.
      Eight out of thirteen animals were randomly assigned to receive 10 ml of
      benzalkonium chloride 0.2% (megacolon group) and five animals received 10 ml NaCl
      0.9% (controls). Animals were anaesthetized by intramuscular delivery of
      ketamine. The incidence of positivity for bacteria lung tissue cultures and
      mesenteric lymph node cultures was assessed at the 21st day after animals'
      sacrification, or before in case of death. All megacolon group animals presented
      progressive increase of the abdomen and increased IAP (>=10 mmHg) whereas the
      frequency of their evacuations was almost eliminated. Controls presented normal
      evacuations, no sign of abdominal distention, and normal IAP. In megacolon group
      animals, there was evidence of significant amount of bacteria in lung cultures.
      In contrast, no bacteria were found in control animals.

PMID- 28357399
TI  - Loss of PI3K p110alpha in the Adipose Tissue Results in Infertility and Delayed
      Puberty Onset in Male Mice.
AB  - Deletion of PI3K catalytic subunit p110alpha in adipose tissue (aP2
      Cre/p110alphaflx/flx, alpha-/- hereafter) results in increased adiposity, glucose
      intolerance, and liver steatosis. Because this endocrine organ releases hormones
      like leptin, which are important in reproductive physiology, we investigated the
      reproductive phenotype of alpha-/- males. Compared to controls, alpha-/- males
      displayed delayed onset of puberty accompanied by a reduction in plasma LH levels
      and testicular weight. At postnatal day 30, alpha-/- mice exhibited normal body
      weight but elevated fasted plasma leptin levels. Testicular leptin gene
      expression was increased, whereas expression of the cholesterol transporter StAR
      and of P450 cholesterol side chain cleavage enzyme was decreased. Adult alpha-/-
      males were infertile and exhibited hyperandrogenemia with normal basal LH, FSH,
      and estradiol levels. However, neither sperm counts nor sperm motility was
      different between genotypes. The mRNA levels of leptin and of 17-beta
      dehydrogenase 3, and enzyme important for testosterone production, were
      significantly higher in the testis of adult alpha-/- males. The mRNA levels of
      ERalpha, an important regulator of intratesticular steroidogenesis, were lower in
      the testis of adult and peripubertal alpha-/- males. We propose that chronic
      hyperleptinemia contributes to the negative impact that disrupting PI3K signaling
      in adipocytes has on puberty onset, steroidogenesis, and fertility in males.

PMID- 28357401
TI  - Computational Analysis of Specific MicroRNA Biomarkers for Noninvasive Early
      Cancer Detection.
AB  - Cancer is a complex disease residing in various tissues of human body,
      accompanied with many abnormalities and mutations in genomes, transcriptome, and
      epigenome. Early detection plays a crucial role in extending survival time of all
      major cancer types. Recent advances in microarray and sequencing techniques have
      given more support to identifying effective biomarkers for early detection of
      cancer. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are more and more frequently used as candidates for
      biomarkers in cancer related studies due to their regulation of target gene
      expression. In this paper, the comparative analysis is used to discover miRNA
      expression patterns in cancer versus normal samples on early stage of eight
      prevalent cancer types. Our work focuses on the specific miRNAs biomarkers
      identification and function analysis. Several identified miRNA biomarkers in this
      paper are matched well with those reported in existing researches, and most of
      them could serve as potential candidate indicators for clinical early diagnosis
      applications.

PMID- 28357402
TI  - COPAR: A ChIP-Seq Optimal Peak Analyzer.
AB  - Sequencing data quality and peak alignment efficiency of ChIP-sequencing profiles
      are directly related to the reliability and reproducibility of NGS experiments.
      Till now, there is no tool specifically designed for optimal peak alignment
      estimation and quality-related genomic feature extraction for ChIP-sequencing
      profiles. We developed open-sourced COPAR, a user-friendly package, to
      statistically investigate, quantify, and visualize the optimal peak alignment and
      inherent genomic features using ChIP-seq data from NGS experiments. It provides a
      versatile perspective for biologists to perform quality-check for high-throughput
      experiments and optimize their experiment design. The package COPAR can process
      mapped ChIP-seq read file in BED format and output statistically sound results
      for multiple high-throughput experiments. Together with three public ChIP-seq
      data sets verified with the developed package, we have deposited COPAR on GitHub
      under a GNU GPL license.

PMID- 28357404
TI  - PainVision(r) Apparatus for Assessment of Efficacy of Pulsed Radiofrequency
      Combined with Pharmacological Therapy in the Treatment of Postherpetic Neuralgia
      and Correlations with Measurements.
AB  - Objective. PainVision device was a developed application for the evaluation of
      pain intensity. The objective was to assess the efficacy and safety of pulsed
      radiofrequency (PRF) combined with pharmacological therapy in the treatment of
      postherpetic neuralgia (PHN). We also discussed the correlation of the
      measurements. Method. Forty patients with PHN were randomized for treatment with
      PRF combined with pharmacological therapy (PRF group, n = 20) or pharmacological
      therapy (control group, n = 20) at postoperative 48 hours. The efficacy measure
      was pain degree (PD) that was assessed by PainVision and visual analog scale
      (VAS), short form Mcgill pain questionnaire (SF-Mcgill), and numeric rate scale
      sleep interference score (NRSSIS). Correlations between PD, VAS, SF-Mcgill, and
      NRSSIS were determined. Results. The PD for persistent pain (PP) and breakthrough
      pain (BTP) at postoperative 48 hours assessed by PainVision were significantly
      lower in PRF group than in control group (PD-PP, P < 0.01; PD-BTP, P < 0.01). PD
      and VAS were highly correlated for both persistent pain (r = 0.453, rho = 0.008)
      and breakthrough pain (r = 0.64, rho = 0.001). Conclusion. PRF was well tolerated
      and superior to isolated pharmacological therapy in the treatment of PHN.
      PainVision device showed great value in the evaluation of pain intensity and PD
      had an excellent correlation with VAS and SF-Mcgill.

PMID- 28357403
TI  - Effect of Prior Atorvastatin Treatment on the Frequency of Hospital Acquired
      Pneumonia and Evolution of Biomarkers in Patients with Acute Ischemic Stroke: A
      Multicenter Prospective Study.
AB  - Objective. To investigate whether prior treatment of atorvastatin reduces the
      frequency of hospital acquired pneumonia (HAP). Methods. Totally, 492 patients
      with acute ischemic stroke and Glasgow Coma Scale <= 8 were enrolled in this
      study. Subjects were assigned to prior atorvastatin treatment group (n = 268, PG)
      and no prior treatment group (n = 224, NG). All the patients were given 20 mg
      atorvastatin every night during their hospital stay. HAP frequency and 28-day
      mortality were measured. Levels of inflammatory biomarkers [white blood cell
      (WBC), procalcitonin (PCT), tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha), and
      interleukin-6 (IL-6)] were tested. Results. There was no significant difference
      in the incidence of HAP between PG and NG (25.74% versus. 24.55%, p > 0.05) and
      28-day mortality (50.72% versus 58.18%, p > 0.05). However, prior statin
      treatment did modify the mortality of ventilator associated pneumonia (VAP)
      (36.54% versus 58.14%, p = 0.041) and proved to be a protective factor (HR,
      0.564; 95% CI, 0.310~0.825, p = 0.038). Concentrations of TNF-alpha and IL-6 in
      PG VAP cases were lower than those in NG VAP cases (p < 0.01). Conclusions. Prior
      atorvastatin treatment in patients with ischemic stroke was associated with a
      lower concentration of IL-6 and TNF-alpha and improved the outcome of VAP. This
      clinical study has been registered with ChiCTR-ROC-17010633 in Chinese Clinical
      Trial Registry.

PMID- 28357405
TI  - Outdoor Growth Characterization of an Unknown Microalga Screened from
      Contaminated Chlorella Culture.
AB  - Outdoor microalgae cultivation process is threatened by many issues, such as pest
      pollution and complex, changeable weather. Therefore, it is difficult to have
      identical growth rate for the microalgae cells and to keep their continuous
      growth. Outdoor cultivation requires the algae strains not only to have a strong
      ability to accumulate oil, but also to adapt to the complicated external
      environment. Using 18S rRNA technology, one wild strain Scenedesmus sp. FS was
      isolated and identified from the culture of Chlorella zofingiensis. Upon
      contamination by Scenedesmus sp., the species could quickly replace Chlorella
      zofingiensis G1 and occupy ecological niche in the outdoor column
      photobioreactors. The results indicated that Scenedesmus sp. FS showed high
      alkali resistance. It also showed that even under the condition of a low inoculum
      rate (OD680, 0.08), Scenedesmus sp. FS could still grow in the outdoor raceway
      pond under a high alkaline environment. Even under unoptimized conditions, the
      oil content of Scenedesmus sp. FS could reach more than 22% and C16-C18 content
      could reach up to 79.68%, showing that this species has the potential for the
      biodiesel production in the near future.

PMID- 28357406
TI  - Comparison of Ramosetron with Palonosetron for Prevention of Postoperative Nausea
      and Vomiting in Patients Receiving Opioid-Based Intravenous Patient-Controlled
      Analgesia after Gynecological Laparoscopy.
AB  - We aimed to compare the effects of ramosetron and palonosetron in the prevention
      of postoperative nausea and vomiting (PONV) in patients that received opioid
      based intravenous patient-controlled analgesia (IV-PCA) after gynecological
      laparoscopy. We reviewed the electronic medical records of 755 adults. Patients
      were classified into two groups, ramosetron (group R, n = 589) versus
      palonosetron (group P, n = 166). Based on their confounding factors, 152 subjects
      in each group were selected after the implementation of propensity score
      matching. The overall incidence of PONV at postoperative day (POD) 0 was lower in
      group R compared to group P (26.9% versus 36.8%; P = 0.043). The severity of
      nausea was lower in group R than in group P on postoperative day (POD) 0 (P =
      0.012). Also, the complete responder proportion of patients was significantly
      higher in group R compared to that in group P on POD 0 (P = 0.043). In
      conclusion, ramosetron showed a greater efficacy in the prevention of
      postoperative nausea at POD 0 compared to palonosetron in patients after
      gynecological laparoscopy.

PMID- 28357409
TI  - Reduced pupillary reward sensitivity in Parkinson's disease.
AB  - Abnormalities in reward processing may be a critical part of understanding
      nonmotor manifestations of Parkinson's disease (PD). Dysfunction in dopaminergic
      pathways, which signal upcoming rewards, might result in altered motivation by
      incentives. To examine this proposal, we studied 16 patients with PD, both ON and
      OFF their normal dopaminergic medication, comparing them with healthy controls.
      Participants performed a speeded saccade task to obtain monetary rewards.
      Crucially, we manipulated the reward available from trial to trial, by presenting
      an auditory incentive precue before each saccade. The effects of incentives on
      pupil dilatation (an index of autonomic response) were measured. Individuals with
      PD showed diminished autonomic reward effects, compared with age-matched
      controls. When tested ON medication, pupil responses to reward increased,
      demonstrating that dopaminergic drugs can restore reward sensitivity. These
      findings reveal blunted autonomic responses to incentives in PD, which can be
      modulated by dopaminergic drugs.

PMID- 28357408
TI  - Patient-Reported Outcomes After Multiligament Knee Injury: MCL Repair Versus
      Reconstruction.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Management of the medial collateral ligament (MCL) in the setting of
      a multiligamentous knee injury (MLKI) represents an area of great controversy.
      PURPOSE: Our study was designed to compare long-term patient-reported outcomes
      (PROs) after MCL repair versus reconstruction in the setting of a
      multiligamentous injury of the knee. STUDY DESIGN: Cohort study; Level of
      evidence, 3. METHODS: At a single institution, 68 patients were identified over a
      10-year period as having MCL intervention in the setting of MLKI. Of these
      patients, 34 (50%) were successfully contacted via telephone to collect Lysholm
      and International Knee Documentation Committee (IKDC) scores. A retrospective
      chart review of these subjects was also conducted to identify patient and
      surgical factors affecting PROs. RESULTS: At a mean 6-year follow-up (range, 2-11
      years), the mean Lysholm score was 77.4 +/- 23.1 and mean IKDC score was 72.6 +/-
      23.6. Univariate analyses identified time to surgery (P = .005) and MCL
      reconstruction (P = .001) as risk factors for Lysholm score <=75. Univariate
      analyses identified patient age (P = .049), time to surgery (P = .018), and MCL
      reconstruction (P = .004) as risk factors for IKDC score <=75. On subsequent
      multivariate analysis, MCL reconstruction was found to be a predictor of Lysholm
      or IKDC score of <=75. CONCLUSION: Patients undergoing MCL repair in the setting
      of MLKI generally had higher PROs than those undergoing reconstructions at a mean
      6 years of follow-up. Further work is needed to elucidate patient and surgical
      factors that may influence subjective outcomes after multiligament knee injuries.

PMID- 28357407
TI  - Role of MicroRNA-103a Targeting ADAM10 in Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm.
AB  - MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are deregulated in various vascular ailments including
      abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA). MiR-103 is involved in vascular, metabolic, and
      malignant diseases, but whether it participates in the pathogenesis of AAA
      remains elusive. ADAM10 plays a vital role in the formation of aneurysm, but
      whether miRs modulate its activity during AAA formation is totally unknown. In
      this study, we detected the significantly increased protein expression of ADAM10
      in angiotensin II induced murine AAA specimens, while the mRNA expression of
      ADAM10 was similar between AAA and control, suggesting the posttranscriptional
      regulation. The ADAM10 specific inhibitor GI254023X dramatically reduced the
      macrophage infiltration of murine abdominal aorta. Bioinformatic predictions
      suggest that ADAM10 is the target of miR-103a/107 but the binding site is
      exclusive. At the cellular level, miR-103a-1 suppressed the protein expression of
      ADAM10, while antisense miR-103a-1 increased its expression. Particularly, with
      the progression of murine AAA, the mRNA expression of miR-103a/107 substantially
      decreased and the protein expression of ADAM10 greatly increased. Together, our
      data afford the new insight that miR-103a inhibited AAA growth via targeting
      ADAM10, which might be a promising therapeutic strategy to alleviate AAA.

PMID- 28357410
TI  - Phenotypes, genotypes, and prevalence of congenital myopathies older than 5 years
      in Denmark.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: Congenital myopathy as a nosologic entity has long been recognized,
      but knowledge of overall and subtype prevalence and phenotype-genotype
      relationship is scarce, especially in the adult population. METHODS: A national
      cohort of 107 patients >=5 years diagnosed with congenital myopathy were
      prospectively assessed clinically, histologically, and genetically. RESULTS:
      Twenty-five patients were excluded because of atypical features or alternative
      etiologies. The remaining 82 were on average 28 years old. Histologic examination
      revealed 14 (17%) with core disease, 15 (18%) centronuclear myopathy, 12 (15%)
      nemaline rods, 27 (33%) congenital fiber-type disproportion or type I
      predominance, and 14 (17%) nonspecific myopathic changes. Genetic etiology was
      identified in 46 patients (56.1%); 22.0% were heterozygous or compound
      heterozygous for mutations in RYR1, 7.3% had DNM2 mutations, and 7.3% NEB
      mutations. Less than 5% had mutations in ACTA1, TPM2/3, MTM1, TTN, SEPN1, or
      SC4NA. A genetic cause was established in 83% with specific histology
      (cores/rods/centronuclear myopathy) vs 29% with unspecific histology. The
      detailed clinical examination found gene-dependent discrepancies in the pattern
      of muscle affection and walking ability. Although walking ability was delayed in
      patients with ACTA1, TPM2/3, and RYR1 mutations, it was within normal limits in
      patients with NEB and DNM2 mutations. CONCLUSIONS: We found that overall, genetic
      and histologic prevalence of congenital myopathy in Denmark differs from previous
      retrospective reports. Less RYR1 and more DNM2 and NEB mutations and less core
      histology were present in our cohort. These differences may be explained by our
      prospective design, the older cohort of patients, and by differences in genetic
      background.

PMID- 28357412
TI  - Establishing prevalence in rare neuromuscular diseases: A lesson from congenital
      myopathies.

PMID- 28357411
TI  - GNAO1 encephalopathy: Broadening the phenotype and evaluating treatment and
      outcome.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: To describe better the motor phenotype, molecular genetic features,
      and clinical course of GNAO1-related disease. METHODS: We reviewed clinical
      information, video recordings, and neuroimaging of a newly identified cohort of 7
      patients with de novo missense and splice site GNAO1 mutations, detected by next
      generation sequencing techniques. RESULTS: Patients first presented in early
      childhood (median age of presentation 10 months, range 0-48 months), with a wide
      range of clinical symptoms ranging from severe motor and cognitive impairment
      with marked choreoathetosis, self-injurious behavior, and epileptic
      encephalopathy to a milder phenotype, featuring moderate developmental delay
      associated with complex stereotypies, mainly facial dyskinesia and mild epilepsy.
      Hyperkinetic movements were often exacerbated by specific triggers, such as
      voluntary movement, intercurrent illnesses, emotion, and high ambient
      temperature, leading to hospital admissions. Most patients were resistant to drug
      intervention, although tetrabenazine was effective in partially controlling
      dyskinesia for 2/7 patients. Emergency deep brain stimulation (DBS) was life
      saving in 1 patient, resulting in immediate clinical benefit with complete
      cessation of violent hyperkinetic movements. Five patients had well-controlled
      epilepsy and 1 had drug-resistant seizures. Structural brain abnormalities,
      including mild cerebral atrophy and corpus callosum dysgenesis, were evident in 5
      patients. One patient had a diffuse astrocytoma (WHO grade II), surgically
      removed at age 16. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings support the causative role of GNAO1
      mutations in an expanded spectrum of early-onset epilepsy and movement disorders,
      frequently exacerbated by specific triggers and at times associated with self
      injurious behavior. Tetrabenazine and DBS were the most useful treatments for
      dyskinesia.

PMID- 28357413
TI  - Next-Generation Sequencing Combined with Specific PCR Assays To Determine the
      Bacterial 16S rRNA Gene Profiles of Middle Ear Fluid Collected from Children with
      Acute Otitis Media.
AB  - The aim of the study was to analyze the bacteriome of acute otitis media with a
      novel modification of next-generation sequencing techniques. Outpatient children
      with acute otitis media were enrolled in the study, and middle ear fluids were
      collected during 90 episodes from 79 subjects aged 5 to 42 months (median age, 19
      months). The bacteriome profiles of middle ear fluid samples were determined by a
      nested-PCR amplification of the 16S rRNA gene (V4 region), followed by mass
      sequencing. The profiling results were compared to the results of specific PCR
      assays targeting selected prevalent pathogens. Bacteriome profiling using nested
      amplification of low-volume samples was aided by a bioinformatic subtraction of
      signal contaminants from the recombinant polymerase, achieving a sensitivity
      slightly lower than that of specific PCR detection. Streptococcus pneumoniae was
      detected in 28 (31%) samples, Haemophilus influenzae in 24 (27%), Moraxella
      catarrhalis in 18 (20%), Staphylococcus spp. in 21 (23%), Turicella otitidis in 5
      (5.6%), Alloiococcus otitidis in 3 (3.3%), and other bacteria in 14 (16%) using
      bacteriome profiling. S. pneumoniae was the dominant pathogen in 14 (16%)
      samples, H. influenzae in 15 (17%), M. catarrhalis in 5 (5.6%), T. otitidis in 2,
      and Staphylococcus auricularis in 2. Weaker signals of Prevotella melaninogenica,
      Veillonella dispar, and Veillonella montpellierensis were noted in several
      samples. Fourteen samples (16%) were not explainable by bacterial pathogens;
      novel causative agents were not detected. In conclusion, unbiased bacteriome
      profiling helped in depicting the true mutual quantitative ratios of ear
      bacteria, but at present, its complicated protocol impedes its routine clinical
      use. IMPORTANCE Although S. pneumoniae, H. influenzae, and M. catarrhalis have
      been long established as the most important pathogens in acute otitis media using
      culture and specific PCR assays, the knowledge of their mutual quantitative
      relations and possible roles of other bacteria is incomplete. The advent of
      unbiased bacteriome 16S rRNA gene profiling has allowed the detection of nearly
      all bacteria present in the sample, and it helps in depicting their mutual
      quantitative ratios. Due to the difficulties in performing mass sequencing in low
      volume samples, only a few bacteriome-profiling studies of otitis media have been
      published, all limited to cases of chronic otitis media. Here, we present a study
      on samples obtained from young children with acute otitis media, successfully
      using a strategy of nested PCR coupled with mass sequencing, and demonstrate that
      the method can confer quantitative information hardly obtainable by other
      methods.

PMID- 28357414
TI  - A Novel Staphylococcus Podophage Encodes a Unique Lysin with Unusual Modular
      Design.
AB  - Drug-resistant staphylococci, particularly Staphylococcus aureus and
      Staphylococcus epidermidis, are leading causes of hospital-acquired infections.
      Bacteriophages and their peptidoglycan hydrolytic enzymes (lysins) are currently
      being explored as alternatives to conventional antibiotics; however, only a
      limited diversity of staphylococcal phages and their lysins has yet been
      characterized. Here, we describe a novel staphylococcal phage and its lysins.
      Bacteriophage Andhra is the first reported S. epidermidis phage belonging to the
      family Podoviridae. Andhra possesses an 18,546-nucleotide genome with 20 open
      reading frames. BLASTp searches revealed that gene product 10 (gp10) and gp14
      harbor putative catalytic domains with predicted peptidase and amidase
      activities, characteristic functions of phage lysins. We purified these proteins
      and show that both Andhra_gp10 and Andhra_gp14 inhibit growth and degrade cell
      walls of diverse staphylococci, with Andhra_gp10 exhibiting more robust activity
      against the panel of cell wall substrates tested. Site-directed mutagenesis of
      its predicted catalytic residues abrogated the activity of Andhra_gp10,
      consistent with the presence of a catalytic CHAP domain on its C terminus. The
      active site location combined with the absence of an SH3b cell wall binding
      domain distinguishes Andhra_gp10 from the majority of staphylococcal lysins
      characterized to date. Importantly, close homologs of Andhra_gp10 are present in
      related staphylococcal podophages, and we propose that these constitute a new
      class of phage-encoded lysins. Altogether, our results reveal insights into the
      biology of a rare family of staphylococcal phages while adding to the arsenal of
      antimicrobials with potential for therapeutic use. IMPORTANCE The spread of
      antibiotic resistance among bacterial pathogens is inciting a global public
      health crisis. Drug-resistant Staphylococcus species, especially S. aureus and S.
      epidermidis, have emerged in both hospital and community settings, underscoring
      the urgent need for new strategies to combat staphylococcal infections. Bacterial
      viruses (phages) and the enzymes that they use to degrade bacterial cell walls
      (lysins) show promise as alternative antimicrobials; however, only a limited
      variety of staphylococcal phages and their lysins have yet been identified. Here,
      we report the discovery and characterization of a novel staphylococcal phage,
      Andhra. We show that Andhra encodes two lysins (Andhra_gp10 and Andhra_gp14) that
      inhibit growth and degrade the cell walls of diverse staphylococci, including S.
      aureus and S. epidermidis strains. Andhra and its unique lysins add to the
      arsenal of antimicrobials with potential for therapeutic use.

PMID- 28357415
TI  - Mindfulness-based Intervention for Perinatal Grief Education and Reduction among
      Poor Women in Chhattisgarh, India: a Pilot Study.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: Stillbirth is a significant public health problem in low-to-middle
      income countries and results in perinatal grief, often with negative psychosocial
      impact. In low-resource settings, such as Chhattisgarh, India, where needs are
      high, it is imperative to utilize low-cost, effective interventions. Mindfulness
      based stress reduction (MBSR) is an empirically sound intervention that has been
      utilized for a broad range of physical and mental health problems, and is
      adaptable to specific populations. The main objective of this pilot study was to
      explore the feasibility and effectiveness of a shortened, culturally adapted
      mindfulness-based intervention to address complex grief after stillbirth.
      METHODS: We used an observational, pre-post-6-week post study design. The study
      instrument was made up of descriptive demographic questions and validated scales
      and was administered as a structured interview due to low literacy rates. We used
      a community participatory approach to culturally adapt the five-week mindfulness
      based intervention and delivered it through two trained local nurses.
      Quantitative and qualitative data analyses explored study outcomes as well as
      acceptability and feasibility of the intervention. RESULTS: 29 women with a
      history of stillbirth enrolled, completed the pretest and began the intervention;
      26 completed the five-week intervention and post-test (89.7%), and 23 completed
      the six-week follow-up assessment (88.5%). Pretest results included elevated
      psychological symptoms and high levels of perinatal grief, including the active
      grief, difficulty coping, and despair subscales. General linear modeling repeated
      measures was used to explore posttest and six-week follow up changes from
      baseline, controlling for significantly correlated demographic variables. These
      longitudinal results included significant reduction in psychological symptoms;
      four of the five facets of mindfulness changed in the desired direction, two
      significantly; as well as significant reduction in overall perinatal grief and on
      each of the three subscales. DISCUSSION: The shortened, culturally adapted,
      mindfulness-based intervention pilot study was well received and had very low
      attrition. We also found significant reductions of perinatal grief and mental
      health symptoms over time, as well as a high degree of practice of mindfulness
      skills by participants. This study not only sheds light on the tremendous mental
      health needs among rural women of various castes who have experienced stillbirth
      in Chhattisgarh, it also points to a promising effective intervention with
      potential to be taken to scale for wider delivery.

PMID- 28357416
TI  - A System for Enzymatic Lysine Methylation in a Desired Sequence Context.
AB  - A number of lysine-specific methyltransferases (KMTs) are responsible for the
      post-translational modification of cellular proteins on lysine residues. Most
      KMTs typically recognize specific motifs in unstructured, short peptide
      sequences. However, we have recently discovered a novel KMT that appeared to have
      a more relaxed sequence specificity, namely, valosin-containing protein (VCP)
      KMT, which trimethylates Lys-315 in the molecular chaperone VCP. On the basis of
      this, here, we explored the possibility of using the VCP-KMT/VCP system to obtain
      specific lysine methylation of desired sequences grafted onto a VCP-derived
      scaffold. We generated VCP-derived proteins in which three amino acid residues on
      each side of Lys-315 had been replaced by various sequences representing lysine
      methylation sites in histone H3. We found that all of these chimeric proteins
      were subject to efficient VCP-KMT-mediated methylation in vitro, and methylation
      was also observed in mammalian cells. Thus, we here describe a versatile system
      for introducing lysine methylation into a desired peptide sequence, and the
      approach should be readily expandable for generating combinatorial libraries of
      methylated sequences.

PMID- 28357418
TI  - Distribution of dopant ions around poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) chains: a
      theoretical study.
AB  - The effect of counterions and multiple polymer chains on the properties and
      structure of poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) (PEDOT) doped with ClO4- has been
      examined using density functional theory (DFT) calculations with periodic
      boundary conditions (PBCs). Calculations on a one-dimensional periodic model with
      four explicit polymer repeat units and two ClO4- molecules indicate that the
      latter are separated as much as possible, with the salt structure and band gap
      obtained from such ClO4- distribution being in excellent agreement with those
      determined experimentally. On the other hand, DFT calculations on periodic models
      that include two chains indicate that neighboring PEDOT chains are shifted along
      the molecular axis by a half of the repeat unit length, with dopant ions
      intercalated between the polymer molecules acting as cement. In order to support
      these structural features, classical molecular dynamics (MD) simulations have
      been performed on a multiphasic system consisting of 69 explicit PEDOT chains
      anchored onto a steel surface, explicit ClO4- anions embedded in the polymer
      matrix, and an acetonitrile phase layer onto the polymer matrix. Analyses of the
      radial distribution functions indicate that the all-anti conformation, the
      relative disposition of adjacent PEDOT chains and the distribution of ClO4-
      dopant ions are fully consistent with periodic DFT predictions. The agreement
      between two such different methodologies allows reinforcing the microscopic
      understanding of the PEDOT film structure.

PMID- 28357419
TI  - Crystallization of supercooled fenofibrate studied at ambient and elevated
      pressures.
AB  - In this work, we have performed a detailed investigation on the crystallization
      tendency of the modeled glass-forming pharmaceutical compound, fenofibrate. To do
      this, we have employed four different experimental techniques allowing following
      of the crystallization process. This has included dielectric spectroscopy,
      optical microscopy, X-ray diffraction and differential scanning calorimetry. From
      the crystallization kinetic studies carried out at atmospheric pressure, we have
      determined the temperature dependence of the crystal growth rate and the overall
      crystallization rate. It was found that the time scale of the molecular motions
      responsible for alpha-relaxation correlates much better with the crystal growth
      rate than with the overall crystallization rate. Experiments carried out under
      varying thermodynamic conditions while remaining on the same timescale of alpha
      relaxation have demonstrated that the crystallization tendency of the supercooled
      fenofibrate significantly slows down with increasing pressure. Lastly, we have
      also shown that the thermodynamic history of reaching crystallization conditions
      has a substantial impact on its overall progress.

PMID- 28357420
TI  - SMI-Ribosome inactivating protein conjugates selectively inhibit tumor cell
      growth.
AB  - Cell-targeting conjugates of Saporin 6, a ribosome inactivating protein (RIP),
      were prepared using the Saporin Ala 157 Cys mutant, a small molecule inhibitor
      (SMI) of integrins alphavbeta3/alphavbeta5, and a potent cytotoxin, auristatin F
      (AF). The conjugates selectively and potently inhibited proliferation of tumor
      cells expressing the target integrins. We anticipate that the small molecule-RIP
      bioconjugate approach can be broadly applied using other small molecule drugs.

PMID- 28357417
TI  - Coordinated Action of Biological Processes during Embryogenesis Can Cause Genome
      Wide Linkage Disequilibrium in the Human Genome and Influence Age-Related
      Phenotypes.
AB  - A role of non-Mendelian inheritance in genetics of complex, age-related traits is
      becoming increasingly recognized. Recently, we reported on two inheritable
      clusters of SNPs in extensive genome-wide linkage disequilibrium (LD) in the
      Framingham Heart Study (FHS), which were associated with the phenotype of
      premature death. Here we address biologically-related properties of these two
      clusters. These clusters have been unlikely selected randomly because they are
      functionally and structurally different from matched sets of randomly selected
      SNPs. For example, SNPs in LD from each cluster are highly significantly enriched
      in genes (p=7.1*10-22 and p=5.8*10-18), in general, and in short genes (p=1.4*10
      47 and p=4.6*10-7), in particular. Mapping of SNPs in LD to genes resulted in
      two, partly overlapping, networks of 1764 and 4806 genes. Both these networks
      were gene enriched in developmental processes and in biological processes tightly
      linked with development including biological adhesion, cellular component
      organization, locomotion, localization, signaling, (p<10-4, q<10-4 for each
      category). Thorough analysis suggests connections of these genetic networks with
      different stages of embryogenesis and highlights biological interlink of specific
      processes enriched for genes from these networks. The results suggest that
      coordinated action of biological processes during embryogenesis may generate
      genome-wide networks of genetic variants, which may influence complex age-related
      phenotypes characterizing health span and lifespan.

PMID- 28357421
TI  - Toward steric control of guest binding modality: a cationic Co(ii) complex
      exhibiting cation binding and zero-field relaxation.
AB  - We present the syntheses and characterization of several salts of a trigonal
      prismatic cobalt(ii) complex with a 1,3,5-triaminocyclohexane (tach)-derived
      ditopic ligand. The air- and moisture-stable tetraphenylborate salt (2) shows
      slow magnetic relaxation under both zero and applied dc fields. This complex also
      exhibits an unexpected ability to interact with a cationic sodium guest ion,
      highlighting the ambifunctional binding nature of amide groups within an
      iminopyridine scaffold.

PMID- 28357422
TI  - Interlocked benzenes in triangular pi-architectures: anchoring groups dictate ion
      binding and transmission.
AB  - Macrocyclic compounds like crown ethers, calixarenes, etc. are well explored in
      the literature as receptors for alkali metal ions. In most of these studies, the
      size of the macrocyclic cavity has evolved as the prominent determining criterion
      for the selective binding of various ions. However, approaches to systematically
      tailor the ion transport properties via the interplay of topological as well as
      electronic properties of the hosts are rarely addressed. Herein, we investigate
      the performance of [2.2.2]PCPs ([2.2.2]paracyclophane and [2.2.2]paracyclophene)
      and cyclohexaphenylene (CHP) as receptors for the alkali ions, Li+, Na+ and K+.
      The three macrocycles differ in terms of the groups (ethylene, vinylene and
      phenylene) anchoring the three benzene rings into triangular three-dimensional
      architectures, thereby providing opportunities for controlling the topological
      and the electronic features of the cavities. Based on electronic structure
      calculations, we predict that PCPs and CHP could be used in conjunction with
      dehydrobenzoannulenes that possess similar triangular pi-architectures in two
      dimensions to achieve selective ion transmission. Furthermore, an extended
      network of CHP, graphenylene, is shown for the first time to be potentially
      useful in energy storage applications in lithium ion batteries akin to graphyne
      and graphdiyne. The ion binding properties of graphenylenes would be rather
      interesting to investigate experimentally for energy applications, particularly
      in the context of the recent successful synthesis of one of the members of the
      graphenylene family. Overall, we have attempted to provide a unified description
      of the cationic interactions with 2D and 3D triangular pi-architectures,
      describing the utility of materials like graphyne, graphdiyne and graphenylene
      for ion sensing and separation and energy storage applications.

PMID- 28357423
TI  - Polyfluoroarylation of oxazolones: access to non-natural fluorinated amino acids.
AB  - Herein, conditions are provided for the formation and use of the oxazolone
      enolate for the nucleophilic substitution of highly fluorinated (hetero)arenes,
      which after unmasking yield highly fluorinated non-natural amino acids and
      derivatives. In addition, the properties and chemical behavior of this new class
      of amino acids are explored. The utility is demonstrated in the one pot synthesis
      of medicinally relevant 2-aminohydantoins.

PMID- 28357424
TI  - Recognition-mediated particle detection under microfluidic flow with waveguide
      coupled 2D photonic crystals: towards integrated photonic virus detectors.
AB  - Label-free biodetection schemes compatible with standard CMOS fabrication methods
      constitute an important goal, as these are enabling tools for the mass production
      of high-sensitivity biosensors. Two-dimensional slab photonic crystal (2D slab
      PhC) sensors have been posited as ultrahigh-sensitivity detection components, but
      to date recognition-mediated detection of viruses or simulants under flow has not
      been demonstrated. We report the design and optimization of a new W1 waveguide
      coupled 2D slab-PhC sensor, with a geometry well suited to virus detection. Proof
      of concept experiments with fluorescent latex particles verified that the sensor
      could respond to infiltration of a single particle, both in air and under an
      aqueous cover layer. Subsequent experiments with antibody-functionalized sensors
      and virus simulants confirmed the ability of the device to detect virus-sized
      particles under flow via a recognition-mediated process. This work sets the stage
      for incorporation of 2D slab-PhC sensors into fully integrated photonic sensor
      systems.

PMID- 28357425
TI  - Time-dependent vibrational spectral analysis of first principles trajectory of
      methylamine with wavelet transform.
AB  - The fluctuation dynamics of amine stretching frequencies, hydrogen bonds,
      dangling N-D bonds, and the orientation profile of the amine group of methylamine
      (MA) were investigated under ambient conditions by means of dispersion-corrected
      density functional theory-based first principles molecular dynamics (FPMD)
      simulations. Along with the dynamical properties, various equilibrium properties
      such as radial distribution function, spatial distribution function, combined
      radial and angular distribution functions and hydrogen bonding were also
      calculated. The instantaneous stretching frequencies of amine groups were
      obtained by wavelet transform of the trajectory obtained from FPMD simulations.
      The frequency-structure correlation reveals that the amine stretching frequency
      is weakly correlated with the nearest nitrogen-deuterium distance. The frequency
      frequency correlation function has a short time scale of around 110 fs and a
      longer time scale of about 1.15 ps. It was found that the short time scale
      originates from the underdamped motion of intact hydrogen bonds of MA pairs.
      However, the long time scale of the vibrational spectral diffusion of N-D modes
      is determined by the overall dynamics of hydrogen bonds as well as the dangling
      ND groups and the inertial rotation of the amine group of the molecule.

PMID- 28357426
TI  - Specific and relative detection of urinary microRNA signatures in bladder cancer
      for point-of-care diagnostics.
AB  - We present a dual-isothermal cascade strategy assisted by a lateral flow peptide
      nucleic acid biosensor for point-of-care detection of urinary microRNAs without a
      temperature protocol and complex instruments. The proposed assay is expected to
      be of great promise for bladder cancer diagnosis and point-of-care diagnostics.

PMID- 28357427
TI  - Asymmetric hydrogenation of maleic anhydrides catalyzed by Rh/bisphosphine
      thiourea: efficient construction of chiral succinic anhydrides.
AB  - Asymmetric hydrogenation of various 3-substituted maleic anhydrides catalyzed by
      Rh/bisphosphine-thiourea (ZhaoPhos) under mild conditions was successfully
      developed. A wide range of 3-alkyl and 3-aryl maleic anhydrides were hydrogenated
      well to provide the desired products 3-substituted succinic anhydrides in one
      hour with excellent results (full conversions, up to 99% yield, 99% ee, 3000
      TON). Importantly, we developed a creative and efficient synthetic route to
      construct the key intermediate of the hypoglycemic drug mitiglinide through our
      catalytic system.

PMID- 28357432
TI  - A bidirectional synthesis of spiroacetals via Rh(ii)-catalysed C-H insertion.
AB  - Acyclic methylene acetals bearing two diazoester subunits have been converted to
      [5,5]-spiroacetals via bidirectional C-H insertion under Rh(ii) catalysis. Using
      a chiral Rh(ii) catalyst, the major diastereomer can be produced in high
      enantiomeric excess (89%).

PMID- 28357433
TI  - Bioinspired assembly of small molecules in cell milieu.
AB  - Self-assembly, the autonomous organization of components to form patterns or
      structures, is a prevalent process in nature at all scales. Particularly,
      biological systems offer remarkable examples of diverse structures (as well as
      building blocks) and processes resulting from self-assembly. The exploration of
      bioinspired assemblies not only allows for mimicking the structures of living
      systems, but it also leads to functions for applications in different fields that
      benefit humans. In the last several decades, efforts on understanding and
      controlling self-assembly of small molecules have produced a large library of
      candidates for developing the biomedical applications of assemblies of small
      molecules. Moreover, recent findings in biology have provided new insights on the
      assemblies of small molecules to modulate essential cellular processes (such as
      apoptosis). These observations indicate that the self-assembly of small
      molecules, as multifaceted entities and processes to interact with multiple
      proteins, can have profound biological impacts on cells. In this review, we
      illustrate that the generation of assemblies of small molecules in cell milieu
      with their interactions with multiple cellular proteins for regulating cellular
      processes can result in primary phenotypes, thus providing a fundamentally new
      molecular approach for controlling cell behavior. By discussing the correlation
      between molecular assemblies in nature and the assemblies of small molecules in
      cell milieu, illustrating the functions of the assemblies of small molecules, and
      summarizing some guiding principles, we hope this review will stimulate more
      molecular scientists to explore the bioinspired self-assembly of small molecules
      in cell milieu.

PMID- 28357435
TI  - Crinoids: ancient organisms, modern chemistry.
AB  - Covering: 1877 to 2017The ancestors of present-day crinoids are thought to be
      some of the earliest echinoderms, with fossil records dating back to the early
      Paleozoic Era (Ordovician Period, 505-440 million years ago). Their bright
      colours have been noted for over 100 years, and are attributed to a series of
      polyketide-derived pigments. Some crinoid metabolites display a range of
      biological activities, including cytotoxicity and fish anti-feedant activity.
      This review is divided into two parts. Part 1 is encyclopedic in scope, collating
      information on the >50 known metabolites isolated from crinoids, including their
      taxonomic source, collection location, chemical structure and biological
      activities. During the compilation of this data, two distinct themes emerged.
      Firstly, there is little variation in the class of metabolites produced by
      crinoids, irrespective of their species or geographic origin. Secondly, the
      complete and unambiguous assignment of crinoid metabolite structures has been, in
      many cases, a difficult task. This has been due to a lack of spectroscopic
      technology available in the past, the presence of proton-poor chemical
      structures, or both. Thus, Part 2 provides a critical discussion of crinoid
      chemistry, including the biosynthetic origin of crinoid pigments, as well as the
      pitfalls and solutions experienced by ourselves and other chemists when
      elucidating the chemical structures of crinoid metabolites.

PMID- 28357436
TI  - Effect of particle concentration on the microstructural and macromechanical
      properties of biocompatible magnetic hydrogels.
AB  - We analyze the effect of nanoparticle concentration on the physical properties of
      magnetic hydrogels consisting of polymer networks of the human fibrin biopolymer
      with embedded magnetic particles, swollen by a water-based solution. We prepared
      these magnetic hydrogels by polymerization of mixtures consisting mainly of human
      plasma and magnetic nanoparticles with OH- functionalization. Microscopic
      observations revealed that magnetic hydrogels presented some cluster-like knots
      that were connected by several fibrin threads. By contrast, nonmagnetic hydrogels
      presented a homogeneous net-like structure with only individual connections
      between pairs of fibers. The rheological analysis demonstrated that the rigidity
      modulus, as well as the viscoelastic moduli, increased quadratically with
      nanoparticle content following a square-like function. Furthermore, we found that
      time for gel point was shorter in the presence of magnetic nanoparticles. Thus,
      we can conclude that nanoparticles favor the cross-linking process, serving as
      nucleation sites for the attachment of the fibrin polymer. Attraction between the
      positive groups of the fibrinogen, from which the fibrin is polymerized, and the
      negative OH- groups of the magnetic particle surface qualitatively justifies the
      positive role of the nanoparticles in the enhancement of the mechanical
      properties of the magnetic hydrogels. Indeed, we developed a theoretical model
      that semiquantitatively explains the experimental results by assuming the
      indirect attraction of the fibrinogen through the attached nanoparticles. Due to
      this attraction the monomers condense into nuclei of the dense phase and by the
      end of the polymerization process the nuclei (knots) of the dense phase cross
      link the fibrin threads, which enhances their mechanical properties.

PMID- 28357437
TI  - DFT study on the interfacial properties of vertical and in-plane BiOI/BiOIO3
      hetero-structures.
AB  - Composite photocatalysts with hetero-structures usually favor the effective
      separation of photo-generated carriers. In this study, BiOIO3 was chosen to form
      a hetero-structure with BiOI, due to its internal polar field and good lattice
      matching with BiOI. The interfacial properties and band offsets were focused on
      and analyzed in detail by DFT calculations. The results show that the charge
      depletion and accumulation mainly occur in the region near the interface. This
      effect leads to an interfacial electric field and thus, the photo-generated
      electron-hole pairs can be easily separated and transferred along opposite
      directions at the interface, which is significant for the enhancement of the
      photocatalytic activity. Moreover, according to the analysis of band offsets, the
      vertical BiOI/BiOIO3 belongs to the type-II hetero-structure, while the in-plane
      BiOI/BiOIO3 belongs to the type-I hetero-structure. The former type of hetero
      structure has more favorable effects to enhance the photocatalytic activity of
      BiOI than that of the latter type of hetero-structure. In the case of the
      vertical BiOI/BiOIO3 hetero-structure, photo-generated electrons can move from
      the conduction band of BiOI to that of BiOIO3, while holes can move from the
      valence band of BiOIO3 to that of BiOI under solar radiation. In addition, the
      introduced internal electric field functions as a selector that can promote the
      separation of photo-generated carriers, resulting in the higher photocatalytic
      quantum efficiency. These findings illustrate the underlying mechanism for the
      reported experiments, and can be used as a basis for the design of novel highly
      efficient composite photocatalysts with hetero-structures.

PMID- 28357434
TI  - Quantitative proteomic characterization of redox-dependent post-translational
      modifications on protein cysteines.
AB  - Protein thiols play a crucial role in redox signaling, in the regulation of
      enzymatic activity and protein function, and in maintaining redox homeostasis in
      living systems. The unique chemical reactivity of the thiol group makes protein
      cysteines susceptible to reactions with reactive oxygen and nitrogen species that
      form various reversible and irreversible post-translational modifications (PTMs).
      The reversible PTMs in particular are major components of redox signaling and are
      involved in the regulation of various cellular processes under physiological and
      pathological conditions. The biological significance of these redox PTMs in both
      healthy and disease states has been increasingly recognized. Herein, we review
      recent advances in quantitative proteomic approaches for investigating redox PTMs
      in complex biological systems, including general considerations of sample
      processing, chemical or affinity enrichment strategies, and quantitative
      approaches. We also highlight a number of redox proteomic approaches that enable
      effective profiling of redox PTMs for specific biological applications. Although
      technical limitations remain, redox proteomics is paving the way to a better
      understanding of redox signaling and regulation in both healthy and disease
      states.

PMID- 28357438
TI  - Towards a correlative approach for characterising single virus particles by
      transmission electron microscopy and nanoscale Raman spectroscopy.
AB  - The morphology and structure of biological nanoparticles, such as viruses, can be
      efficiently analysed by transmission electron microscopy (TEM). To chemically
      characterise such nanoparticles in heterogeneous samples at the single particle
      level, we suggest tip-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (TERS) as a correlative method.
      Here we describe a TERS-compatible staining procedure for TEM which involves
      sample pre-scanning by TEM imaging, nanoparticle relocalisation by atomic force
      microscopy (AFM) followed by spectroscopic characterization of the virus
      nanoparticles using TERS. First successful correlative measurements are
      demonstrated on tobacco mosaic virus particles deposited on silicon-based TEM
      sample supports. In addition, the advantages and problems of this methodology are
      discussed.

PMID- 28357439
TI  - Hydrogen generation from glucose catalyzed by organoruthenium catalysts under
      mild conditions.
AB  - Concerns about the depletion of fossil fuel reserves and environmental pollution
      make hydrogen an attractive alternative energy source. Here, we first describe a
      catalytic reaction system that produces H2 from glucose using a homogeneous
      catalyst [(p-cymene)Ru(NH3)]Cl2 with the maximum TOF = 719 h-1 at 98  degrees C
      and an initial pH = 0.5.

PMID- 28357440
TI  - Buckling of elastomer sheets under non-uniform electro-actuation.
AB  - Dielectric elastomer sheets undergo in-plane expansion when stimulated by a
      transverse electric field. We study experimentally how dielectric plates
      subjected to a non-uniform voltage distribution undergo buckling instabilities.
      Two different configurations involving circular plates are investigated: plates
      freely floating on a bath of water, and plates clamped on a frame. We describe
      theoretically the out-of-plane deformation of the plates within the framework of
      weakly non-linear plate equations. This study constitutes a first step of a route
      to control the 3D activation of dielectric elastomers.

PMID- 28357441
TI  - Dynamic pattern of wrinkles in a dielectric elastomer.
AB  - A membrane of a dielectric elastomer may undergo electromechanical phase
      transition from the flat to wrinkled state, when the applied voltage reaches a
      critical value. The wrinkled region is observed to expand at the expense of the
      flat region during the phase transition. In this paper, we report on a dynamic
      pattern of wrinkles in a circular membrane of a dielectric elastomer. During
      phase transition, both the flat and wrinkled regions move interchangeably in the
      membrane. The radial prestretch is found to significantly affect
      electromechanical phase transition. For example, a membrane with a small
      prestretch can exhibit a dynamic pattern of wrinkles, which is essentially
      related to snap-through instability. However, a membrane with a large prestretch
      undergoes continuous phase transition, without exhibiting a dynamic pattern. An
      analytical model is developed to interpret these experimental phenomena. Finite
      element simulations are performed to predict the wrinkle morphology, especially
      the coexistence of flat and wrinkled regions. Both the theoretical calculations
      and finite element simulations are qualitatively consistent with the experiments.
      Additionally, we observe another type of electromechanical behavior involving a
      dynamic pattern of wrinkles with different wavelengths. The membrane first
      undergoes continuous transition from the flat to wrinkled state, followed by
      discontinuous transition from one wrinkled state to another. These results may
      inspire new applications for dielectric elastomers such as on-demand patterning
      of wrinkles for microfluidics and stretchable electronics.

PMID- 28357442
TI  - Mean platelet volume is associated with lower risk of overall and non-vascular
      mortality in a general population. Results from the Moli-sani study.
AB  - Larger mean platelet volume (MPV) has been associated with adverse health
      outcomes in high-risk populations or patients with cardiovascular disease (CVD).
      We tested the association of MPV with mortality in a prospective cohort study
      including 17,402 subjects randomly recruited from an adult general population
      within the Moli-sani study (2005-2010). Two distinct subgroups (with or without
      CVD at baseline) were subsequently analysed. Hazard ratios (HR) were calculated
      using multivariable Cox-proportional hazard models. Over a median follow up of
      eight years (137,547 person-years), 925 all-cause deaths occurred (330 vascular,
      351 cancer and 244 other deaths). In a multivariable model, the highest MPV
      quintile (mean MPV=10.0 fL), as compared to the lowest one, was associated with
      reduced risk of overall mortality (HR=0.79; 95 % confidence interval 0.64-0.98),
      cancer death (HR=0.70; 0.49-1.00) and death from other non- vascular/non cancer
      causes (HR=0.55; 0.36-0.84) but not with vascular mortality. The inverse
      association with overall death appeared even stronger in the subgroup without CVD
      at baseline (HR=0.64; 0.50-0.81). In contrast, within 920 subjects reporting a
      previous CVD event, larger MPV was associated with higher risk of total mortality
      (HR=1.69; 1.05-2.72; p for interaction=0.048) and with a trend of risk for other
      cause-specific deaths. In conclusion, larger MPV is associated with lower risk of
      overall and non-vascular death in subjects apparently free from CVD, but appears
      to be a predictive marker of death in patients with CVD history. The latter is a
      likely effect modifier of the association between MPV and death.

PMID- 28357443
TI  - High on treatment platelet reactivity as a risk factor for adverse left
      ventricular remodelling after STEMI.

PMID- 28357444
TI  - Tailoring treatment of haemophilia B: accounting for the distribution and
      clearance of standard and extended half-life FIX concentrates.
AB  - The prophylactic administration of factor IX (FIX) is considered the most
      effective treatment for haemophilia B. The inter-individual variability and
      complexity of the pharmacokinetics (PK) of FIX, and the rarity of the disease
      have hampered identification of an optimal treatment regimens. The recent
      introduction of extended half-life recombinant FIX molecules (EHL-rFIX), has
      prompted a thorough reassessment of the clinical efficacy, PK and
      pharmacodynamics of plasma-derived and recombinant FIX. First, using longer
      sampling times and multi-compartmental PK models has led to more precise (and
      favourable) PK for FIX than was appreciated in the past. Second, investigating
      the distribution of FIX in the body beyond the vascular space (which is implied
      by its complex kinetics) has opened a new research field on the role for
      extravascular FIX. Third, measuring plasma levels of EHL-rFIX has shown that
      different aPTT reagents have different accuracy in measuring different FIX
      molecules. How will this new knowledge reflect on clinical practice? Clinical
      decision making in haemophilia B requires some caution and expertise. First,
      comparisons between different FIX molecules must be assessed taking into
      consideration the comparability of the populations studied and the PK models
      used. Second, individual PK estimates must rely on multi-compartmental models,
      and would benefit from adopting a population PK approach. Optimal sampling times
      need to be adapted to the prolonged half-life of the new EHL FIX products.
      Finally, costs considerations may apply, which is beyond the scope of this
      manuscript but might be deeply connected with the PK considerations discussed in
      this communication.

PMID- 28357446
TI  - Impact of light rail transit on traffic-related pollution and stroke mortality.
AB  - OBJECTIVES: This paper evaluates the changes in vehicle exhaust and stroke
      mortality for the general public residing in the surrounding area of the light
      rail transit (LRT) in Houston, Texas, after its opening. METHODS: The number of
      daily deaths due to stroke for 2002-2005 from the surrounding area of the
      original LRT line (exposure group) and the control groups was analyzed using an
      interrupted time-series analysis. Ambient concentrations of acetylene before and
      after the opening of LRT were also compared. RESULTS: A statistically significant
      reduction in the average concentration of acetylene was observed for the exposure
      sites whereas the reduction was negligible at the control site. Poisson
      regression models applied to the stroke mortality data indicated a significant
      reduction in daily stroke mortality after the opening of LRT for the exposure
      group, while there was either an increase or a considerably smaller reduction for
      the control groups. CONCLUSIONS: The findings support the idea that LRT systems
      provide health benefits for the general public and that the reduction in motor
      vehicle-related air pollution may have contributed to these health benefits.

PMID- 28357445
TI  - The decade of Roma Inclusion: did it make a difference to health and use of
      health care services?
AB  - OBJECTIVES: We investigated whether the severely disadvantaged health of
      Hungarian Roma adults living in segregated settlements changed by the Decade of
      Roma Inclusion program. METHODS: We compared the results of two paired health
      interview surveys that we carried out using the same methodology before and after
      the Decade, on the general Hungarian and Roma populations. RESULTS: Self
      perceived health status of younger Roma worsened, while it improved among older
      Roma. Reported experience of discrimination reduced considerably and health care
      utilization improved in general. Positive changes in smoking and nutrition, and
      negative changes in alcohol consumption and overweight were observed. Many of
      observed changes can plausibly be linked to various government policies,
      including a quadrupling of public works expenditure, banning smoking in public
      places, restricting marketing of tobacco products, increasing cigarette prices,
      and a new tax on unhealthy foods. Liberalization of rules on alcohol distillation
      coincided with worsening alcohol consumption. CONCLUSIONS: We have shown that
      Roma remain severely disadvantaged and present an innovative sampling method
      which can be used to monitor changes in groups where identification is a
      challenge.

PMID- 28357447
TI  - Organic and Inorganic Pollutant Concentrations Suggest Anthropogenic
      Contamination of Soils Along the Manali-Leh Highway, Northwestern Himalaya,
      India.
AB  - Most studies on roadside soil pollution have been performed in areas where petrol
      is the main fuel. Very little work has been conducted in regions where diesel
      predominates. We collected soil samples from four sites that span a precipitation
      gradient along the Manali-Leh Highway in northwestern Himalaya, India. This road
      traverses rough terrain and most of the vehicles that travel along it are diesel
      driven. At each site, we collected samples at incremental distances from the
      highway (0, 2, 5, 10, 20, and 150 m), and at each distance we collected samples
      from three depths (3, 9, and 15 cm). We assessed the concentrations of 10 heavy
      metals (Al, Fe, Cr, Cu, Pb, Ni, Co, Zn, V, and Ba), total sulphur, and total
      organic carbon (TOC) at each distance, and we measured the concentration of 16
      polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) at 2 m from the highway. Overall, we
      found that metal concentrations are low and there is no relationship between
      concentrations and distance from the highway, or depth within the soil profile.
      Sulphur concentrations, on the other hand, are high in roadside soils and there
      is a negative relationship between concentration and distance from the highway.
      PAH concentrations are low, but the proportion of different ringed species
      suggests that their source is anthropogenic. Correlations between TOC and the
      various pollutants further suggest that diesel vehicles and potentially biomass
      combustion are starting to affect the roadside environment in remote northwestern
      India. We suggest that pollutant concentrations be regularly monitored.

PMID- 28357449
TI  - Myricetin protects cardiomyocytes from LPS - induced injury.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Sepsis-induced cardiomyopathy is a well-known cause of mortality.
      Recent evidence has highlighted the important role of myricetin in anti
      inflammation and anti-oxidative stress. However, little is known about its effect
      on endotoxin-induced cardiomyopathy. We examined the effect of myricetin on
      lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced cardiomyocyte injury and the underlying
      mechanisms in vitro. METHODS: mRNA expression of interleukin (IL)-1beta, IL-6,
      and tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-alpha was examined via reverse transcription
      quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR). Protein expression levels of NF
      kappaB/p65, IkappaB, IL-1beta, IL-6, and TNF-alpha were assesses via Western
      blotting. Immunofluorescence (IF) was used to determine the nuclear translocation
      of p65. Commercial kits were employed to detect the level of oxidative markers
      and to quantify NF-kappaB/p65 both in the cytoplasm and the nucleus. Finally,
      terminal deoxy-nucleotidyl transferase-mediated dUTP nick end labeling (TUNEL)
      was performed to evaluate the apoptosis of H9c2 cardiomyocytes. RESULTS: The
      results showed that myricetin blunted the overexpression of IL-1beta, IL-6, and
      TNF-alpha markedly by inhibiting the NF-kappaB/P65 signaling pathway.
      Furthermore, myricetin treatment led to the downregulation of reactive oxygen
      species (ROS) accompanied by increased expression of superoxide dismutase and
      glutathione peroxidase. TUNEL-positive nuclei were rarely detected following
      myricetin treatment. CONCLUSION: Our findings suggest that myricetin is a
      valuable protective agent against endotoxin-induced early inflammatory responses
      in H9c2 cardiomyocytes, which involves regulation of ROS and the IkappaB/NF
      kappab signaling pathway.

PMID- 28357448
TI  - [Electrical isolation of the left atrial appendage : Benefits and risks].
AB  - The left atrial appendage (LAA) is an extension originating from the body of the
      left atrium. The LAA is derived from the primary atrium and shows anatomical and
      physiological deviations from the left atrium. Different LAA morphologies exist.
      The LAA is not only the most frequent origin of intracardiac thrombi, it also
      frequently shows triggers responsible for the initiation or maintenance of atrial
      tachyarrhythmia and atrial fibrillation (AF). Isolation of the LAA using
      radiofrequency energy in addition to isolation of the pulmonary vein has recently
      gained importance due to the potential for increasing the clinical success rates,
      particularly in patients with persistent and long-standing persistent AF;
      however, after LAA isolation the incidence of LAA thrombi and systemic
      thromboembolisms might be increased even under treatment with oral
      anticoagulants, depending on the ablation strategy used. Thus, mechanical
      occlusion of the LAA should be discussed with patients after electrical isolation
      of the LAA.

PMID- 28357450
TI  - An Alternative Strategy for Bridge-to-Transplant/Recovery in Small Children with
      Dilated Cardiomyopathy.
AB  - Dilated cardiomyopathy in children still has a poor prognosis with high rates of
      mortality and cardiac transplantation (resp. around 20 and 25%). Awaiting
      transplantation or possible recovery, these pediatric patients are mechanically
      supported with extracorporeal membrane oxygenation or a paracorporeal ventricular
      assist device, both resulting in higher survival rates but also entailing
      considerable risks of infection, thrombosis, or bleeding. A new indication for an
      old technique, i.e., pulmonary artery banding, presents itself as an interesting
      alternative to mechanical circulatory support in selected infants and small
      children with dilated LV cardiomyopathy and preserved RV function. Here we
      present a brief review of literature and report on two patients in whom PAB has
      been successfully implemented as either bridge-to-recovery or bridge-to
      transplant.

PMID- 28357451
TI  - Comparison of supine and prone positions for percutaneous nephrolithotomy in
      treatment of staghorn stones.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: Percutaneous nephrolithotomy (PNL) is the primary treatment
      modality for management of staghorn stones. PNL in supine position has important
      advantages over prone positon. However, studies comparing prone and supine
      positions for PNL in staghorn stone patients have conflicting results, and the
      aim of the current study was to compare prone and supine positions for PNL in
      staghorn stone cases. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Data of patients underwent PNL for
      staghorn stones in supine or prone position by a single urologist were collected
      prospectively. The supine and prone position groups were compared for stone free
      rate (SFR) and complication rates. All patients were evaluated with NCCT for
      evaluation of SFR. Chi-square test was used to compare categorical variables and
      Student t test was applied for continuous variables of the treatment groups.
      RESULTS: The groups were similar for demographic and stone-related
      characteristics. Multi-caliceal and intercostal access was more common in prone
      position. Operation duration was significantly shorter and hemoglobin drop was
      significantly less in supine group. SFR was 64.1 and 60.4% in the supine and
      prone groups, respectively (p = 0.72). Complication rates were similar in the two
      groups but Clavien III complications were observed in two patients in the prone
      group. CONCLUSIONS: PNL in supine position is an effective treatment for
      management of staghorn stones. The need for multi-caliceal and intercostal
      puncture is less when combined with retrograde intrarenal surgery. PNL in supine
      position should be considered as primary treatment option in staghorn stone
      cases.

PMID- 28357453
TI  - ?

PMID- 28357452
TI  - Determinants of health-related quality of life for patients after urinary
      lithotripsy: ureteroscopic vs. shock wave lithotripsy.
AB  - PURPOSE: To compare the longitudinal health-related quality of life (HRQoL) after
      surgical intervention with ureteroscopic lithotripsy (URSL) and shock wave
      lithotripsy (SWL) and to evaluate the factors affecting HRQoL in urolithiasis
      patients. METHODS: A total of 262 patients who underwent lithotripsy (SWL, n =
      61; URSL, n = 201) for upper urinary tract calculi treatment between June 2012
      and January 2015 were evaluated. All patients were administered the Short-Form 36
      item survey (SF-36) to assess HRQoL at four timepoints: before surgery, on the
      day of discharge, and 1 and 6 months after lithotripsy. Stone-free rates,
      complications, and analgesic requirements were evaluated to compare the effects
      of the two procedures on HRQoL. RESULTS: At the day of discharge, patients in the
      URSL group had significantly lower mean scores on five different subscales of the
      SF-36 questionnaire, namely, physical functioning, role-physical, social
      functioning, role-emotional, and mental health. The stone-free rate at 3 months
      after lithotripsy was significantly lower in the SWL group (72.1% vs. URSL,
      93.0%; p < 0.001). The hospital stay was shorter in the SWL group (2.1 +/- 0.07
      vs. URSL, 4.1 +/- 0.13 days; p < 0.001), and the analgesia requirements were also
      lower in the SWL group (0.3 +/- 0.08 vs. URSL, 0.9 +/- 0.20; p < 0.001).
      CONCLUSIONS: The post-lithotripsy HRQoL was superior for SWL compared to URSL on
      the discharge date despite the lower stone-free rate of the former. The longer
      hospital stay and higher postoperative pain appeared to be the determinants of
      the lower HRQoL in the URSL group.

PMID- 28357454
TI  - [Surgery versus conservative treatment for persisting abdominal pain after
      diverticulitis].

PMID- 28357455
TI  - [Importance of the lymph node status in patients with hilar cholangiocarcinoma].

PMID- 28357456
TI  - [Are antibiotics neccessary in a first episode of uncomplicated diverticulitis?]

PMID- 28357457
TI  - [Unusual cause of recurrent gluteal abscess formation].

PMID- 28357458
TI  - [Necrosis with mummification of the foot in a 33-year-old man with anxiety
      disorder].

PMID- 28357459
TI  - Predictive validity of the qSOFA criteria for sepsis in non-ICU inpatients.

PMID- 28357460
TI  - Naltrexone moderates the relationship between cue-induced craving and subjective
      response to methamphetamine in individuals with methamphetamine use disorder.
AB  - RATIONALE: Reductions in cue-induced craving and subjective response to drugs of
      abuse are commonly used as initial outcome measures when testing novel
      medications for the treatment of addiction. Yet neither the relationship between
      these two measures at the individual level nor the moderating effects of
      pharmacotherapies on this relationship has been examined. OBJECTIVE: This
      secondary data analysis sought to examine (1) the predictive relationship between
      cue-induced craving and subsequent acute subjective response to methamphetamine
      (MA) and (2) whether the opioid-receptor antagonist naltrexone moderated this
      association in a sample of non-treatment-seeking individuals who met DSM-IV
      criteria for MA use disorder (abuse or dependence). METHODS: Participants (n =
      30) completed two 4-day medication regimens (oral naltrexone 50 mg or placebo, in
      a randomized, counterbalanced, and double-blind fashion). On day 4 of each
      medication regimen, participants completed a cue-reactivity paradigm followed by
      intravenous MA administration. Methamphetamine craving was assessed after the cue
      reactivity paradigm, and subjective response to MA was assessed during MA
      infusion. RESULTS: Cue-induced craving for MA was positively associated with post
      infusion subjective MA effects, including positive (i.e., stimulation, good
      effects, feel drug, high), negative (i.e., anxious and depressed), and craving
      related (i.e., want more, would like access to drug, crave) responses.
      Naltrexone, vs. placebo, significantly reduced the association between cue
      induced craving and positive subjective response to MA. CONCLUSIONS: The findings
      indicate that naltrexone moderates the predictive relationship between cue
      induced craving and positive subjective effects of MA, thereby suggesting a
      behavioral mechanism by which naltrexone may be efficacious in treating MA use
      disorder.

PMID- 28357461
TI  - Association between proximal internal carotid artery steno-occlusive disease and
      diffuse wall thickening in its petrous segment: a magnetic resonance vessel wall
      imaging study.
AB  - PURPOSE: Significant stenosis or occlusion in carotid arteries may lead to
      diffuse wall thickening (DWT) in the arterial wall of downstream. This study
      aimed to investigate the correlation between proximal internal carotid artery
      (ICA) steno-occlusive disease and DWT in ipsilateral petrous ICA. METHODS:
      Symptomatic patients with atherosclerotic stenosis (>0%) in proximal ICA were
      recruited and underwent carotid MR vessel wall imaging. The 3D motion sensitized
      driven equilibrium prepared rapid gradient-echo (3D-MERGE) was acquired for
      characterizing the wall thickness and longitudinal extent of the lesions in
      petrous ICA and the distance from proximal lesion to the petrous ICA. The
      stenosis degree in proximal ICA was measured on the time-of-flight (TOF) images.
      RESULTS: In total, 166 carotid arteries from 125 patients (mean age 61.0 +/- 10.5
      years, 99 males) were eligible for final analysis and 64 showed DWT in petrous
      ICAs. The prevalence of severe DWT in petrous ICA was 1.4%, 5.3%, 5.9%, and 80.4%
      in ipsilateral proximal ICAs with stenosis category of 1%-49%, 50%-69%, 70%-99%,
      and total occlusion, respectively. Proximal ICA stenosis was significantly
      correlated with the wall thickness in petrous ICA (r = 0.767, P < 0.001).
      Logistic regression analysis showed that proximal ICA stenosis was independently
      associated with DWT in ipsilateral petrous ICA (odds ratio (OR) = 2.459, 95%
      confidence interval (CI) 1.896-3.189, P < 0.001]. CONCLUSION: Proximal ICA steno
      occlusive disease is independently associated with DWT in ipsilateral petrous
      ICA.

PMID- 28357462
TI  - Effect of Cadmium Stress on Non-enzymatic Antioxidant and Nitric Oxide Levels in
      Two Varieties of Maize (Zea mays).
AB  - Cadmium (Cd) is one of the most toxic heavy metals that inhibit physiological
      processes of plants. Hence, the present study sought to investigate the effect of
      cadmium-contaminated seeds from two varieties of maize (Zea mays) on non
      enzymatic antioxidant and nitric oxide levels. Seeds of yellow and white maize
      were exposed to different concentrations of Cd (0, 1, 3 and 5 ppm) for two weeks.
      The results from this study revealed that both varieties of maize bio-accumulate
      Cd in leaves in a dose-dependent manner. In addition, Cd exposure caused a
      significant (p < 0.05) decrease in total phenolic, GSH and nitric oxide (NO)
      levels at the highest concentration tested when compared with control. Therefore,
      the observed decrease in NO and endogenous antioxidant status by Cd treatment in
      maize plants could suggest some possible mechanism of action for Cd-induced
      oxidative stress and counteracting effect of the plants against Cd toxicity.

PMID- 28357465
TI  - [Herpes zoster vaccination efficacy in adults 70 years of age or older : ZOE-70
      study].

PMID- 28357463
TI  - Age-specific neural strategies to maintain motor performance after an acute
      social stress bout.
AB  - Stress due to cognitive demands and fatigue have shown to impair motor
      performance in older adults; however, the effect of social stress and its
      influence on prefrontal cortex (PFC) functioning in older adults during upper
      extremity motor performance tasks is not known. The present study explored the
      after-effects of an acute social stress bout on neural strategies, measured using
      PFC and hand/arm muscle activation, and adopted by younger and older adults to
      maintain handgrip force control. Nine older [74.1 (6.5) years; three men, six
      women] and ten younger [24.2 (5.0) years, four men, six women] adults performed
      handgrip force control trials at 30% maximum voluntary contractions before and
      after the Trier Social Stress Test (TSST). PFC activity was measured using
      functional near infrared spectroscopy and muscle activity from the flexor and
      extensor carpi radialis (FCR/ECR) was measured using electromyography. In
      general, aging was associated with decreased force steadiness and force
      complexity with a concomitant increase in bilateral PFC activity. While motor
      performance remained comparable before and after the TSST stress session in both
      age groups, the associated neural strategies differed between groups. While the
      stress condition was associated with lower FCR and ECR activity in younger adults
      despite no change in the PFC activation, stress was associated with increases in
      FCR activity in older adults. This stress-related compensatory neural strategy of
      increasing hand/arm muscle activation, potentially via the additional recruitment
      of the stress-motor neural circuitry, may have played a role in maintaining motor
      performance in older adults.

PMID- 28357467
TI  - [Ulcers in obesity-associated chronic venous insufficiency].
AB  - BACKGROUND: Chronic venous insufficiency is a frequently occurring disease
      consisting of a characteristic symptom complex and ulcerations. Normally,
      varicose veins with reflux or obstruction can be found. However, these symptoms
      have also been described in obese people and are considered functional chronic
      venous insufficiency. The aim of this work was to present patients with
      ulceration in obesity-associated chronic venous insufficiency and to describe
      typical features of ulceration in obese people. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Seven
      patients with ulcerations of the lower limbs in obesity-associated chronic venous
      insufficiency were examined. Duplex sonography was performed; reflux or stenosis
      as well as a peripheral arterial occlusive disease could be excluded. RESULTS: In
      all, 7 patients presented with grade I-III obesity. The duplex sonographic
      examination showed no evidence of reflux or obstruction. However, multiple ulcers
      were found located on the proximal or ventrolateral lower limb. Most of them
      occurred posttraumatically or after insect bites with typical signs of chronic
      venous disease including hyperpigmentation and erythema. CONCLUSION: The cause of
      obesity-associated chronic venous insufficiency has been associated with an
      increased intraabdominal pressure due to abdominal fat masses. It leads to venous
      hypertension. Therapy consists of consequent compression therapy combined with
      suitable wound care, weight reduction, and regular exercise.

PMID- 28357466
TI  - [Fundamentals of the microbiome].
AB  - Until the middle of the 20th century, clinical microbiology was limited to
      bacterial cultures enabling the detection of pathogenic microorganisms. Knowledge
      about the mutual relationship between humans and microorganisms has increased
      slowly. With the introduction of culture-independent analysis methods,
      comprehensive cataloging of the human microbiome was possible for the first time.
      Since then, compositional changes in relation to diseases have been studied. The
      goals of the Human Microbiome Project and MetaHIT include comparative studies of
      healthy and diseased individuals. Numerous libraries on time- and location
      dependent changes of the microbiota composition in human diseases have been
      created. However, a mathematical correlation does not equal biological or medical
      relevance. Future research needs to validate the hypotheses generated in these
      studies in functional experiments and evaluate their true impact on clinical
      practice.

PMID- 28357464
TI  - Monosodium glutamate-associated alterations in open field, anxiety-related and
      conditioned place preference behaviours in mice.
AB  - The present study investigated changes in behaviour associated with oral
      monosodium glutamate (a flavouring agent), using the open field, elevated plus
      maze and conditioned place preference (CPP) paradigms, respectively. Mice were
      assigned to two groups for CPP [monosodium glutamate (MSG)-naive (n = 40) and MSG
      pretreated (n = 40)] and two groups for open field (OF) and elevated plus maze
      (EPM) tests [n = 40 each], respectively. Animals in respective groups were then
      divided into four subgroups (n = 10) (vehicle or MSG (80, 160 and 320 mg/kg)).
      MSG-naive mice were observed in the CPP box in three phases (pre-conditioning,
      conditioning and post-conditioning). Mice were conditioned to MSG or an
      equivalent volume of saline. The MSG pretreatment group received vehicle or
      respective doses of MSG daily for 21 days, prior to conditioning. Mice in the OF
      or EPM groups received vehicle or doses of MSG (orally) for 21 days, at 10 ml/kg.
      Open field or EPM behaviours were assessed on days 1 and 21. At the end of the
      experiments, mice in the OF groups were sacrificed and brain homogenates used to
      assay glutamate and glutamine. Results showed that administration of MSG was
      associated with a decrease in rearing, dose-related mixed horizontal locomotor,
      grooming and anxiety-related response and an increase in brain
      glutamate/glutamine levels. Following exposure to the CPP paradigm, MSG-naive and
      MSG-pretreated mice both showed 'drug-paired' chamber preference. The study
      concluded that MSG (at the administered doses) was associated with changes in
      open field activities, anxiety-related behaviours and brain glutamate/glutamine
      levels; its ingestion also probably leads to a stimulation of the brain reward
      system.

PMID- 28357468
TI  - Salvage radiotherapy with or without concurrent chemotherapy for pelvic
      recurrence after hysterectomy alone for early-stage uterine cervical cancer.
AB  - PURPOSE: Treatment outcomes of patients with pelvic recurrence after hysterectomy
      alone for uterine cervical cancer who received salvage radiotherapy (RT) with or
      without concurrent chemotherapy were investigated. METHODS: Salvage RT for
      recurrent cervical cancer confined to the pelvic cavity after hysterectomy alone
      was received by 33 patients. The median interval between initial hysterectomy and
      recurrence was 26 months. Whole-pelvic irradiation was delivered to median dose
      of 45 Gy, followed by a boost with a median dose of 16 Gy to the gross tumor
      volume. Cisplatin-based concurrent chemotherapy was administered to 29 patients.
      RESULTS: The median follow-up period was 53 months for surviving patients. Most
      patients (97.0%) completed salvage RT of >=45 Gy. Complete response (CR) was
      achieved in 23 patients (69.7%). Pelvic sidewall involvement and evaluation with
      positron-emission tomography-computed tomography were significantly associated
      with CR. The 5-year progression-free survival (PFS), local control (LC), distant
      metastasis-free survival (DMFS), and overall survival (OS) rates were 62.7, 79.5,
      72.5, and 60.1%, respectively. Initial International Federation of Gynecology and
      Obstetrics stage, pelvic sidewall involvement, and CR status were significant
      factors for PFS and OS rates in multivariate analysis. The incidence of severe
      acute and late toxicities (>=grade 3) was 12.1 and 3.0%, respectively.
      CONCLUSION: Aggressive salvage RT with or without concurrent chemotherapy for
      recurrent cervical cancer confined to the pelvic cavity was feasible, with
      promising treatment outcomes and acceptable toxicities. However, even more
      intensive novel treatment strategies should be investigated for patients with
      unfavorable prognostic factors.

PMID- 28357471
TI  - Mechanical load exerted by PET-G aligners during mesial and distal derotation of
      a mandibular canine : An in vitro study.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: The six force-moment (F/M) components exerted by aligners of
      different thickness during simulated mesiorotation and distorotation of a
      mandibular canine were studied. MATERIALS AND METHODS: An acrylic mandibular
      model with a separated right canine mounted on a hexapod via a 3D F/M sensor was
      used. Duran+(r) aligners (Scheu Dental, Germany) of thickness 0.5, 0.625, and
      0.75 mm were fabricated on plaster models with the measurement tooth in its
      neutral position. The F/M values were recorded during progressive mesiorotation
      or distorotation of tooth 43 in 1 degrees  steps up to +/-15 degrees ,
      corresponding to 0.5 mm displacements of the tooth's interdental contacts. Each
      rotation step included renewed seating of the aligner on the acrylic model. Three
      aligners were tested three times each for each thickness and direction of
      rotation. RESULTS: The median rotational moments for the 0.5 mm aligner and 15
      degrees  distorotation of tooth 43 was 27.49 Nmm (interquartile range, IQR 1.45
      Nmm). The corresponding values for the 0.625 and 0.75 mm aligners were 41.04 Nmm
      (IQR 5.62 Nmm) and 42.48 Nmm (IQR 2.17 Nmm), respectively. The average rotational
      moments for distorotation were 15% higher than for mesiorotation (p = 0.01).
      Relatively high collateral F/M components, specifically an intrusive force and
      labiolingual and mesiodistal tipping moments, were observed. CONCLUSION: To avoid
      overloading of periodontal structures, derotation of lower canines should be
      limited to 10 degrees  per setup step, leading to rotational moments of about 15
      Nmm. The mechanical behavior of the 0.625 and 0.75 mm aligners were similar;
      thus, it may be omitted from the aligner sequence. Further studies are required
      to investigate specific aligner modifications or attachments for minimizing
      collateral F/M components or unwanted movements, respectively, during canine
      derotation.

PMID- 28357470
TI  - Differential molecular regulation of processing and membrane expression of Type-I
      BMP receptors: implications for signaling.
AB  - The Type-I bone morphogenetic protein receptors (BMPRs), BMPR1A and BMPR1B,
      present the highest sequence homology among BMPRs, suggestive of functional
      similitude. However, sequence elements within their extracellular domain, such as
      signal sequence or N-glycosylation motifs, may result in differential regulation
      of biosynthetic processing and trafficking and in alterations to receptor
      function. We show that (i) BMPR1A and the ubiquitous isoform of BMPR1B differed
      in mode of translocation into the endoplasmic reticulum; and (ii) BMPR1A was N
      glycosylated while BMPR1B was not, resulting in greater efficiency of processing
      and plasma membrane expression of BMPR1A. We further demonstrated the importance
      of BMPR1A expression and glycosylation in ES-2 ovarian cancer cells, where (i)
      CRISPR/Cas9-mediated knockout of BMPR1A abrogated BMP2-induced Smad1/5/8
      phosphorylation and reduced proliferation of ES-2 cells and (ii) inhibition of N
      glycosylation by site-directed mutagenesis, or by tunicamycin or 2-deoxy-D
      glucose treatments, reduced biosynthetic processing and plasma membrane
      expression of BMPR1A and BMP2-induced Smad1/5/8 phosphorylation.

PMID- 28357472
TI  - L-Threonine and its analogue added to autoclaved solid medium suppress
      trichothecene production by Fusarium graminearum.
AB  - Fusarium graminearum produces trichothecene mycotoxins under certain nutritional
      conditions. When L-Thr and its analogue L-allo-threonine were added to brown rice
      flour solid medium before inoculation, trichothecene production after 4 days of
      incubation was suppressed. A time-course analysis of gene expression demonstrated
      that L-Thr suppressed transcription of Tri6, a trichothecene master regulator
      gene, and a terpene cyclase Tri5 gene. Regulation of trichothecene biosynthesis
      by altering major primary metabolic processes may open up the possibility to
      develop safe chemicals for the reduction of mycotoxin contamination might be
      developed.

PMID- 28357469
TI  - Mechanisms controlling diversification of olfactory sensory neuron classes.
AB  - Animals survive in harsh and fluctuating environments using sensory neurons to
      detect and respond to changes in their surroundings. Olfactory sensory neurons
      are essential for detecting food, identifying danger, and sensing pheromones. The
      ability to sense a large repertoire of different types of odors is crucial to
      distinguish between different situations, and is achieved through neuronal
      diversity within the olfactory system. Here, we review the developmental
      mechanisms used to establish diversity of olfactory sensory neurons in various
      model organisms, including Caenorhabditis elegans, Drosophila, and vertebrate
      models. Understanding and comparing how different olfactory neurons develop
      within the nervous system of different animals can provide insight into how the
      olfactory system is shaped in humans.

PMID- 28357473
TI  - Effect of Anaerobiasis or Hypoxia on Pseudomonas aeruginosa Inhibition of
      Aspergillus fumigatus Biofilm.
AB  - Pseudomonas aeruginosa (Pa) and Aspergillus fumigatus (Af) are the major
      bacterial and fungal pathogens in the airways of cystic fibrosis (CF) patients.
      This is likely related to their ability to form biofilms. Both microbes have been
      associated with CF disease progression. The interplay between these two pathogens
      has been studied under aerobic conditions, though accumulating data indicates
      that much of the CF airway is hypoxic or anaerobic. We studied the microbial
      interaction in these latter environments. Pa is an aggressor against Af forming
      biofilm or as established Af biofilm, whether Pa is cultivated in aerobic,
      hypoxic, or anaerobic conditions, or tested in aerobic or hypoxic conditions. Pa
      cells are generally more effective than planktonic or biofilm culture filtrates.
      Pa growth is less in anaerobic conditions, and filtrates less effective after
      anaerobic or hypoxic growth, or against hypoxic Af. These, and other comparisons
      shown, indicate that Pa would be less effective in such environments, as would be
      the case in a CF mucus plug. These observations would explain why Pa becomes
      established in CF airways before Af, and why Af may persist during disease
      progression.

PMID- 28357474
TI  - New advances in exopolysaccharides production of Streptococcus thermophilus.
AB  - Streptococcus thermophilus is the most important thermophilic dairy starter, and
      is widely used in the dairy industry. Streptococcus thermophilus
      exopolysaccharides received wide attention over recent decades, because they can
      improve the properties of the dairy product and confer beneficial health effects.
      The understanding of the regulatory and biosynthetic mechanisms of EPS will
      improve the EPS biosynthesis, increase the productivity of EPSs, and develop EPSs
      with desirable properties. The structure of EPSs is the focus of this study.
      Revealing the structure-function relationship can lead to increase the knowledge
      base and from there to increased research of EPS. The EPS yield is a key limiting
      factor in the research and utilization of EPS. In the present review,
      biosynthetic pathways and genetics of S. thermophilus EPSs were described and
      reviewed. At the same time, functional properties and applications of EPS, and
      strategies for enhancement of EPS production are discussed.

PMID- 28357475
TI  - ISCR2 is associated with the dissemination of multiple resistance genes among
      Vibrio spp. and Pseudoalteromonas spp. isolated from farmed fish.
AB  - 58 multiresistant strains representing diverse genera were isolated from farmed
      fish in an aquaculture facility. Resistant rates of strains harboring ISCR2, an
      insertion sequence type element, were higher than those in which this element was
      absent. Full genome sequencing of a Vibrio isolate containing ISCR2 confirmed
      that it is associated with multiple resistance genes, many of which are of
      clinical relevance. We describe the structural variation within ISCR2, and its
      distribution throughout multiple diverse aquatic genera, including Vibrio,
      Shewenalla, Pseudoalteromonas and Psychrobacter, suggesting the potential role of
      ISCR2 in disseminating antibiotic resistance. We also observe, and experimentally
      verify, a novel macrolide resistance gene that is also associated with ISCR2.

PMID- 28357478
TI  - Application of environmental DNA analysis to inform invasive fish eradication
      operations.
AB  - Environmental DNA (eDNA) detection of non-native species has considerable
      potential to inform management decisions, including identifying the need for
      population control and/or eradication. An invasive species of European concern is
      the Asian cyprinid fish, topmouth gudgeon (Pseudorasbora parva). Here, eDNA
      analyses were applied at a commercial angling venue in southern England to inform
      operations aiming to eradicate P. parva, which had only ever been observed in one
      of the venue's seven unconnected angling ponds. Eradication of P. parva was
      initially attempted by repeated depletion of the population using fish traps
      (crayfish traps fitted with 5 mm mesh netting) and the introduction of native
      predators over a 4-year period. The very low number of P. parva captured
      following these eradication efforts suggested a possible population crash.
      Conventional PCR analysis of water samples using species-specific primers was
      applied to all seven ponds to confirm that P. parva was present in only one pond,
      that the eradication attempt had indeed failed and that the species' distribution
      in the pond appeared to be restricted to three bankside locations. The continued
      presence of P. parva at these locations was confirmed by subsequent trapping.
      Water samples from an adjacent, unconnected stream were also analysed using the
      eDNA methodology, but no DNA of P. parva was detected. The results suggest that
      further management action to eradicate P. parva be focused on the pond shown to
      contain the isolated P. parva population and thereby eliminate the risk of
      further dispersal. This study is the first to apply eDNA analysis to assess the
      efficacy of an eradication attempt and to provide evidence that the species was
      unlikely to be present in the other ponds, thus reducing the resources needed to
      control the species.

PMID- 28357477
TI  - Wnt5a is elevated in heart failure and affects cardiac fibroblast function.
AB  - : Wnt signaling is dysregulated in heart failure (HF) and may promote cardiac
      hypertrophy, fibrosis, and inflammation. Blocking the Wnt ligand Wnt5a prevents
      HF in animal models. However, the role of Wnt5a in human HF and its functions in
      cardiac cells remain unclear. Here, we investigated Wnt5a regulation in HF
      patients and its effects on primary mouse and human cardiac fibroblasts. Serum
      Wnt5a was elevated in HF patients and associated with hemodynamic, neurohormonal,
      and clinical measures of disease severity. In failing human hearts, Wnt5a protein
      correlated with interleukin (IL)-6 and tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinase
      (TIMP)-1. Wnt5a messenger RNA (mRNA) levels were markedly upregulated in failing
      myocardium and both mRNA and protein levels declined following left ventricular
      assist device therapy. In primary mouse and human cardiac fibroblasts,
      recombinant Wnt5a dose-dependently upregulated mRNA and protein release of IL-6
      and TIMP-1. Wnt5a did not affect beta-catenin levels, but activated extracellular
      signal-regulated kinase 1/2 (ERK1/2) signaling. Importantly, inhibition of ERK1/2
      activation attenuated Wnt5a-induced release of IL-6 and TIMP-1. In conclusion,
      our results show that Wnt5a is elevated in the serum and myocardium of HF
      patients and is associated with measures of progressive HF. Wnt5a induces IL-6
      and TIMP-1 in cardiac fibroblasts, which might promote myocardial inflammation
      and fibrosis, and thereby contribute to HF progression. KEY MESSAGES: * Wnt5a is
      elevated in serum and myocardium of HF patients and is associated with measures
      of progressive HF. * In cardiac fibroblasts, Wnt5a upregulates interleukin (IL)-6
      and tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinase (TIMP)-1 through the ERK pathway. *
      Wnt5a-mediated effects might promote myocardial inflammation and fibrosis, and
      thereby contribute to HF progression.

PMID- 28357479
TI  - [Differences in the outcome of seriously injured children depending on treatment
      level].
AB  - INTRODUCTION: Many publications, mainly from other countries, suggest that the
      treatment of seriously injured children might be better in specialised paediatric
      trauma centres than in general trauma centres. Data from Germany are not
      available yet, but those from abroad were used for the recommendations made by
      the German Association for Trauma Surgery (DGU) on the topic of paediatric trauma
      in the "White Paper on Trauma Care". The goal of this study was to analyse
      whether the outcome of severely injured children is dependent on treatment level
      and on the availability of a paediatric surgeon based on the given data.
      MATERIALS AND METHODS: Data from the "TraumaRegister DGU" between 2002 and 2012
      were used. Children aged 1-15 years treated during the period 2002-2012 were
      included. Severity had to reach a minimum Injury Severity Score (ISS) of 9 and
      the treatment had to involve a stay at an Intensive Care Unit. Patients with an
      ISS >=9 who died were also included to take into consideration children with
      particularly severe injuries. RESULTS: Hospitals without a paediatric surgeon
      transferred the patients significantly more frequently (p < 0.001). Mean hospital
      stay was shorter in centres with a paediatric surgeon, with slightly longer
      median stays at an Intensive Care Unit. Hospitals without a paediatric surgeon
      performed slightly more frequent surgical interventions on injured children
      (barely significant at p = 0.045). The death rate and the calculated Revised
      Injury Severity Classification (RISC) II prognosis were the same with or without
      the presence of a paediatric surgeon. No difference was found in the Glasgow
      Outcome Score (GOS) between the group with and the group without involvement of a
      paediatric surgeon. DISCUSSION: Overall, the medical care of seriously injured
      and polytraumatised children in Germany is good at all levels of treatment
      whether a paediatric surgeon is involved or not.

PMID- 28357476
TI  - Type I interferon as a biomarker in autoimmunity and viral infection: a leukocyte
      subset-specific analysis unveils hidden diagnostic options.
AB  - : Interferon alpha and its surrogates, including IP-10 and SIGLEC1, paralleled
      changes of disease activity in systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). However, the
      whole blood interferon signature (WBIFNS)-the current standard for type I IFN
      assessment in SLE-does not correlate with SLE disease activity in individual
      patients over time. The underlying causes for this apparent contradiction have
      not been convincingly demonstrated. Using a multicenter dataset of gene
      expression data from leukocyte subsets in SLE, we identify distinctive subset
      specific contributions to the WBIFNS. In a subsequent analysis, the effects of
      type I interferon on cellular blood composition in patients with SLE and
      hepatitis B were also studied over time. We found that type I interferon mediates
      significant alterations in whole blood composition, including a neutropenia and
      relative lymphocytosis. Given different effects of type 1 interferon on different
      leukocyte subsets, these shifts confound measurement of a type 1 interferon
      signature in whole blood. To minimize and overcome these limitations of the
      WBIFNS, we suggest to measure IFN-induced transcripts or proteins in a specific
      leukocyte subset to improve clinical impact of interferon biomarkers. KEY
      MESSAGES: Myeloid cells contribute more to the WBIFNS in SLE than their
      lymphocytic counterpart. Very similar leukocyte subsets reveal distinctive IFN
      signatures. IFN alpha mixes up composition of blood and leads to a preferential
      neutropenia, yielding relative lymphocytosis.

PMID- 28357481
TI  - Disulfide-modified antigen for detection of celiac disease-associated anti-tissue
      transglutaminase autoantibodies.
AB  - A simple and rapid immunosensor for the determination of the celiac disease
      related antibody, anti-tissue transglutaminase, was investigated. The antigenic
      protein tissue transglutaminase was chemically modified, introducing disulfide
      groups through different moieties of the molecule (amine, carboxylic, and
      hydroxyl groups), self-assembled on gold surfaces, and used for the detection of
      IgA and IgG autoantibodies. The modified proteins were evaluated using enzyme
      linked immunosorbent assay and surface plasmon resonance, which showed that only
      introduction of the disulfide groups through amine moieties in the tissue
      transglutaminase preserved its antigenic properties. The disulfide-modified
      antigen was co-immobilized via chemisorption with a poly(ethylene glycol)
      alkanethiol on gold electrodes. The modified electrodes were then exposed to IgA
      anti-tissue transglutaminase antibodies and subsequently to horseradish
      peroxidase-labeled anti-idiotypic antibodies, achieving a detection limit of 260
      ng ml-1. Immunosensor performance in the presence of complex matrixes, including
      clinically relevant serum reference solutions and real patient samples, was
      evaluated. The introduction of disulfides in the antigenic protein enabled a
      simple and convenient one-step surface immobilization procedure involving only
      spontaneous gold-thiol covalent binding. Complete amperometric assay time was 30
      min.

PMID- 28357482
TI  - Immunoassay quantification of human insulin added to ternary parenteral nutrition
      containers: comparison of two methods.
AB  - Adding insulin directly into infusion bags seems to be a useful method for
      controlling hyperglycemia in patients under ternary parenteral nutrition (TPN).
      Its efficacy is assessed by glycemic monitoring but few data are available on
      insulin stability in this situation. Among the various methods for quantifying
      insulin levels in human serum, the immunoassay ones seemed potentially
      appropriate for a TPN admixture containing high lipid concentrations. We sought
      to identify and validate which of two immunoassay methods was the better to
      quantify human insulin and consequently be adapted to studying its stability in a
      TPN admixture. Two immunoassay methods to quantify recombinant human insulin were
      assessed in industrial TPN: an immunoradiometric assay (IRMA) and an
      immunoelectrochemiluminometric assay (IECMA). Validation trials for both methods
      were based on the accuracy profile method. Interference with immunometric assays
      due to the high lipidic content of TPN was eliminated through an improved
      preparation protocol using a bovine serum albumin (BSA) diluted in phosphate
      buffer saline (PBS). The relative total error of IECMA varied from 1.74 to 4.52%
      while it varied from -0.32 to 8.37% with IRMA. Only IECMA provided an accuracy
      profile with a 95% confidence interval of calculated-tolerance limits falling
      between the chosen acceptance limits (i.e., total error <=+/-10%). IECMA combined
      with a BSA dilution is a simple and semi-automatic method that provides an
      accurate quantification of human insulin in a TPN admixture without any
      interference from lipids.

PMID- 28357483
TI  - Tracing the fate and transport of secondary plant metabolites in a laboratory
      mesocosm experiment by employing mass spectrometric imaging.
AB  - Mass spectrometric imaging (MSI) has received considerable attention in recent
      years, since it allows the molecular mapping of various compound classes, such as
      proteins, peptides, glycans, secondary metabolites, lipids, and drugs in animal,
      human, or plant tissue sections. In the present study, the application of laser
      based MSI analysis of secondary plant metabolites to monitor their transport from
      the grass leaves of Dactylis glomerata, over the crop of the grasshopper
      Chorthippus dorsatus to its excrements, and finally in the soil solution is
      described. This plant-herbivore-soil pathway was investigated under controlled
      conditions by using laboratory mesocosms. From six targeted secondary plant
      metabolites (dehydroquinic acid, quinic acid, apigenin, luteolin, tricin, and
      rosmarinic acid), only quinic acid, and dehydroquinic acid, an in-source-decay
      (ISD) product of quinic acid, could be traced in nearly all compartments. The
      tentative identification of secondary plant metabolites was performed by MS/MS
      analysis of methanol extracts prepared from the investigated compartments, in
      both the positive and negative ion mode, and subsequently compared with the
      results generated from the reference standards. Except for tricin, all secondary
      metabolites could be tentatively identified by this approach. Additional liquid
      chromatography mass spectrometry (LC-MS) experiments were carried out to verify
      the MSI results and revealed the presence of quinic acid only in grass and chewed
      grass, whereas apigenin-hexoside-pentoside and luteolin-hexoisde-pentoside could
      be traced in the grasshopper body and excrement extracts. In summary, the MSI
      technique shows a trade-off between sensitivity and spatial resolution. Graphical
      abstract Monitoring quinic acid in a mesocosm experiment by mass spectrometric
      imaging (MSI).

PMID- 28357484
TI  - New approach for cystic fibrosis diagnosis based on chloride/potassium ratio
      analyzed in non-invasively obtained skin-wipe sweat samples by capillary
      electrophoresis with contactless conductometric detection.
AB  - A new approach for sweat analysis used in cystic fibrosis (CF) diagnosis is
      proposed. It consists of a noninvasive skin-wipe sampling followed by analysis of
      target ions using capillary electrophoresis with contactless conductometric
      detection (C4D). The skin-wipe sampling consists of wiping a defined skin area
      with precleaned cotton swab moistened with 100 MUL deionized water. The skin-wipe
      sample is then extracted for 3 min into 400 MUL deionized water, and the extract
      is analyzed directly. The developed sampling method is cheap, simple, fast, and
      painless, and can replace the conventional pilocarpine-induced sweat chloride
      test commonly applied in CF diagnosis. The aqueous extract of the skin-wipe
      sample content is analyzed simultaneously by capillary electrophoresis with
      contactless conductometric detection using a double opposite end injection. A 20
      mmol/L L-histidine/2-(N-morpholino)ethanesulfonic acid and 2 mmol/L 18-crown-6 at
      pH 6 electrolyte can separate all the major ions in less than 7 min. Skin-wipe
      sample extracts from 30 study participants-ten adult patients with CF (25-50
      years old), ten pediatric patients with CF (1-15 years old), and ten healthy
      control individuals (1-18 years old)-were obtained and analyzed. From the
      analyzed ions in all samples, a significant difference between chloride and
      potassium concentrations was found in the CF patients and healthy controls. We
      propose the use of the Cl-/K+ ratio rather than the absolute Cl- concentration
      and a cutoff value of 4 in skin-wipe sample extracts as an alternative to the
      conventional sweat chloride analysis. The proposed Cl-/K+ ion ratio proved to be
      a more reliable indicator, is independent of the patient's age, and allows better
      differentiation between non-CF individuals and CF patients having intermediate
      values on the Cl- sweat test. Figure New approach for cystic fibrosis diagnosis
      based on skin-wipe sampling of forearm and analysis of ionic content (Cl-/K+
      ratio) in skin-wipe extracts by capillary electrophoresis with contactless
      conductometric detection.

PMID- 28357486
TI  - The human microbiome, from Achilles armour to Nessus' shirt.

PMID- 28357487
TI  - Lesson of 15-year exposure to Bisphenol A: a critical discussion of biomonitoring
      studies.

PMID- 28357485
TI  - Non-protein thiol imaging and quantification in live cells with a novel
      benzofurazan sulfide triphenylphosphonium fluorogenic compound.
AB  - Thiols (-SH) play various roles in biological systems. They are divided into
      protein thiols (PSH) and non-protein thiols (NPSH). Due to the significant roles
      thiols play in various physiological/pathological functions, numerous analytical
      methods have been developed for thiol assays. Most of these methods are developed
      for glutathione, the major form of NPSH. Majority of these methods require
      tissue/cell homogenization before analysis. Due to a lack of effective thiol
      specific fluorescent/fluorogenic reagents, methods for imaging and quantifying
      thiols in live cells are limited. Determination of an analyte in live cells can
      reveal information that cannot be revealed by analysis of cell homogenates.
      Previously, we reported a thiol-specific thiol-sulfide exchange reaction. Based
      on this reaction, a benzofurazan sulfide thiol-specific fluorogenic reagent was
      developed. The reagent was able to effectively image and quantify total thiols
      (PSH+NPSH) in live cells through fluorescence microscopy. The reagent was later
      named as GUALY's reagent. Here we would like to report an extension of the work
      by synthesizing a novel benzofurazan sulfide triphenylphosphonium derivative
      [(((7,7'-thiobis(benzo[c][1,2,5]oxadiazole-4,4'
      sulfonyl))bis(methylazanediyl))bis(butane-4,1-diyl))bis(triphenylphosphonium)
      (TBOP)]. Like GUALY's reagent, TBOP is a thiol-specific fluorogenic agent that is
      non-fluorescent but forms fluorescent thiol adducts in a thiol-specific fashion.
      Different than GUALY's reagent, TBOP reacts only with NPSH but not with PSH. TBOP
      was effectively used to image and quantify NPSH in live cells using fluorescence
      microscopy. TBOP is a complementary reagent to GUALY's reagent in determining the
      roles of PSH, NPSH, and total thiols in thiol-related physiological/pathological
      functions in live cells through fluorescence microscopy. Graphical Abstract Live
      cell imaging and quantification of non-protein thiols by TBOP.

PMID- 28357488
TI  - Study on inter-ethnic human differences in bioactivation and detoxification of
      estragole using physiologically based kinetic modeling.
AB  - Considering the rapid developments in food safety in the past decade in China, it
      is of importance to obtain insight into what extent safety and risk assessments
      of chemicals performed for the Caucasian population apply to the Chinese
      population. The aim of the present study was to determine physiologically based
      kinetic (PBK) modeling-based predictions for differences between Chinese and
      Caucasians in terms of metabolic bioactivation and detoxification of the food
      borne genotoxic carcinogen estragole. The PBK models were defined based on
      kinetic constants for hepatic metabolism derived from in vitro incubations using
      liver fractions of the two ethnic groups, and used to evaluate the inter-ethnic
      differences in metabolic activation and detoxification of estragole. The models
      predicted that at realistic dietary intake levels, only 0.02% of the dose was
      converted to the ultimate carcinogenic metabolite 1'-sulfooxyestragole in Chinese
      subjects, whereas this amounted to 0.09% of the dose in Caucasian subjects.
      Detoxification of 1'-hydroxyestragole, mainly via conversion to 1'-oxoestragole,
      was similar within the two ethnic groups. The 4.5-fold variation in formation of
      the ultimate carcinogenic metabolite of estragole accompanied by similar rates of
      detoxification may indicate a lower risk of estragole for the Chinese population
      at similar levels of exposure. The study provides a proof of principle for how
      PBK modeling can identify differences in ethnic sensitivity and provide a more
      refined risk assessment for a specific ethnic group for a compound of concern.

PMID- 28357490
TI  - Annexin A10 optimally differentiates between intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma and
      hepatic metastases of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma: a comparative study of
      immunohistochemical markers and panels.
AB  - Discriminating intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma (ICC) from hepatic metastases of
      pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (mPDAC) can be challenging. While pathologists
      might depend on clinical information regarding a primary tumor, their diagnosis
      will lead the patient either to potentially curative surgery (for ICC) or to
      palliation (for mPDAC). Beyond the validation of recently published potential
      biomarkers for PDAC (primary or metastatic) in a large cohort, we assessed
      diagnostic performance of the most promising candidates in the challenging task
      of discriminating metastatic PDAC (mPDAC) from ICC. In a training set of 87 ICC
      and 88 pPDAC, our previously identified biomarkers Annexin A1 (ANXA1), ANXA10,
      and ANXA13 were tested and compared with 11 published biomarkers or panels (MUCIN
      1, Agrin, S100P, MUC5 AC, Laminin, VHL, CK 17, N-Cadherin, ELAC2, PODXL and
      HSPG2). Biomarkers with best results were further tested in an independent series
      of biopsies of 27 ICC and 36 mPDAC. Highest AUC values (between 0.72 and 0.84)
      for the discrimination between ICC and pPDAC were found in the training set for
      Annexin A1, Annexin A10, MUC5 AC, CK17, and N-Cadherin. These markers were
      further tested on an independent series of liver biopsies containing ICC or
      mPDAC. Diagnostic characteristics were evaluated for individual markers as well
      as for 3* panels. ANXA 10 showed the highest diagnostic potential of all single
      markers, correctly classifying 75% of mPDAC and 85% of ICC. Our results suggest
      that ANXA10 may be useful to differentiate between ICC and mPDAC, when only a
      tissue specimen is available.

PMID- 28357489
TI  - Molecular genetic and immunotherapeutic targets in metastatic melanoma.
AB  - In recent years, melanoma treatment has radically changed with the emergence of
      targeted therapies and immunotherapies. Both have led to improved survival for
      patients with advanced or unresectable melanoma. Targeted therapies with BRAF
      inhibitors in the lead use the presence of activating driver mutations to inhibit
      tumour growth. Forty to 60% of melanomas harbour BRAF mutations, which makes them
      susceptible to treatment with BRAF and/or MEK inhibitors. In parallel, the
      development of immunotherapeutic agents has also expanded. These agents stimulate
      the endogenous immune system of the patient to eradicate cancer cells. Immune
      checkpoint inhibitors targeting cytotoxic T-lymphocyte-associated antigen-4 (CTLA
      4) and programmed death 1 (PD-1) resulted in durable responses in a subset of
      patients. An important issue with immunotherapy lies in the identification of
      patients who will benefit from treatment. In this review, we will discuss these
      recent developments in melanoma therapy and highlight the role of the pathologist
      in both types of treatment.

PMID- 28357491
TI  - Acid sphingomyelinase/ceramide regulates carotid intima-media thickness in
      simulated weightless rats.
AB  - Structural adaptation of arteries to weightlessness might lower the working
      ability or even threaten the physical health of astronauts, but the underlying
      mechanism is unclear. Acid sphingomyelinase (ASM) catalyzes ceramide (Cer)
      generation controlling arterial remodeling through multiple signaling pathways.
      In the present study, we aimed to investigate the contribution of ASM/Cer to the
      changes of common carotid artery intima-media thickness (CIMT) induced by
      simulated weightlessness. Hindlimb-unloaded tail-suspended (HU) rats were used to
      simulate the effect of weightlessness. Morphology of the carotid artery (CA) was
      examined by hematoxylin-eosin staining. Protein content of ASM or proliferating
      cell nuclear antigen (PCNA) was detected by Western blot. Cer level was measured
      by immunohistochemistry analysis. Apoptosis events were observed by transferase
      mediated dUTP nick end labeling (TUNEL) staining. During 4 weeks of tail
      suspension, CIMT was increased gradually in HU but not in their synchronous
      control rats (P < 0.05). Correspondingly, the CA of HU rats had a lower apoptosis
      and higher proliferation of vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs). As compared to
      the control, both ASM protein expression and Cer content were reduced
      significantly in CA of HU rats (P < 0.05), incubation of which with permeable Cer
      reversed the changes in apoptosis and proliferation substantially. Furthermore,
      when the ASM protein content as well as Cer level in CA of control rats was
      diminished by using an ASM inhibitor, an increase of CIMT along with reduced
      apoptosis and enhanced proliferation of VSMCs was found. Our results suggest that
      by controlling the balance between apoptosis and proliferation, ASM/Cer plays an
      important role in the regulation of CIMT during simulated weightlessness.

PMID- 28357492
TI  - Patient-based outcomes after medial patellofemoral ligament reconstruction.
AB  - PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to evaluate subjective outcomes after
      medial patellofemoral ligament (MPFL) reconstructions. METHODS: Fifty-four knees
      of 46 patients who received MPFL reconstruction for recurrent patellar
      dislocations were examined with a minimum follow-up of two years. To assess
      patient-based outcomes, the Knee Injury and Osteoarthritis Outcome Score (KOOS)
      and the Kujala score were assessed. RESULTS: The mean Kujala score was
      significantly improved from 64.6 +/- 22.1 pre-operatively to 84.7 +/- 11.8 post
      operatively (P < 0.001). The mean KOOS was also significantly improved post
      operatively in all five subscales. Further, the mean scores of 41 out of the 42
      questions for the KOOS were significantly improved after surgery, except those of
      the question about "grinding and clicking". When the KOOS was assessed
      individually, the scores on one or more subscales out of the five were worsened
      post-operatively in eight patients, and seven of the eight patients had decreased
      post-operative pain subscale scores. Furthermore, those eight patients (worse
      group) were compared with patients without any worsened scores on any of the
      subscales (better group). The mean pre-operative pain and sports/recreation
      function subscale scores were significantly higher in the worse group whereas the
      mean post-operative pain and symptoms subscale scores were significantly lower in
      the worse group than in the better group. CONCLUSIONS: Overall, satisfactory
      patient-based outcomes were obtained after MPFL reconstruction in most of the
      patients. However, patients who only have mild pain pre-operatively tend to have
      worse subjective outcomes, and a caution may be needed when performing MPFL
      reconstruction on these patients.

PMID- 28357493
TI  - Intra-operative multi-dimensional fluoroscopy of guidepin placement prior to
      iliosacral screw fixation for posterior pelvic ring injuries and sacroiliac
      dislocation: an early case series.
AB  - PURPOSE: Traditional fluoroscopic techniques during percutaneous fixation of the
      posterior pelvic ring at times cannot adequately visualize errant or
      malpositioned iliosacral screws. Intra-operative fluoroscopic techniques have
      been advanced using multi-dimensional fluoroscopy to generate computed tomography
      like images. This provides the surgeon not only the ability to assess iliosacral
      screw placement, but also the opportunity to assess reduction. We present a case
      series of four patients in which the Ziehm RFD multi-dimensional fluoroscopy was
      used to assess reduction and guidepin placement prior to definitive iliosacral
      screw fixation. METHODS: Four patients at our university level 1 trauma center
      with posterior pelvic ring disruptions were treated with percutaneous iliosacral
      screw fixation. Traditional fluoroscopic techniques were used during guidepin
      placement. Multi-dimensional fluoroscopy was performed using the Ziehm RFD 3D to
      assess guidepin placement and reduction prior to definitive iliosacral screw
      fixation. RESULTS: Our case series highlights two patients in which multi
      dimensional fluoroscopy was utilized to ensure safe placement of iliosacral
      screws. In one of these two patients, a change was made after reviewing the
      imaging as a guidepin was found to be intruded into bilateral S2 neural tunnels.
      We also present two patient examples in which multidimensional fluoroscopy was
      used to assess reduction achieved by less invasive methods, precluding the need
      for direct visualization using more extensive open approaches. CONCLUSIONS: This
      retrospective case series demonstrates the direct impact that the Ziehm RFD 3D
      technology provides in surgical management of patients with complex posterior
      pelvic ring injuries.

PMID- 28357494
TI  - Recurrent chordoma with orbital and eyelid invasion.

PMID- 28357495
TI  - Signal intensity change on unenhanced T1-weighted images in dentate nucleus and
      globus pallidus after multiple administrations of gadoxetate disodium: an
      intraindividual comparative study.
AB  - PURPOSE: To investigate whether there is an increased signal intensity (SI) of
      dentate nucleus (DN) and globus pallidus (GP) on unenhanced T1-weighted magnetic
      resonance imaging (MRI), in patients who had undergone multiple administrations
      of gadoxetate disodium. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We retrospectevely included stage
      III melanoma patients, who had been previously enrolled in a trial of adjuvant
      therapy and who had undergone whole-body contrast-enhanced MRIs with gadoxetate
      disodium every three months for their follow-up. The SI ratios of DN-to-pons and
      GP-to-thalamus on unenhanced T1-weighted images were calculated. The difference
      in SI ratios between the first and the last MRI examinations was assessed and a
      linear mixed model was performed to detect how SI ratios varied with the number
      of administrations. RESULTS: Eighteen patients were included in our study. The
      number of gadoxetate disodium administrations ranged from 2 to 18. Paired t-test
      did not show any significant difference in DN-to-pons (p=0.21) and GP-to-thalamus
      (p=0.09) SI ratios by the end of the study. DN-to-pons SI ratio and GP-to
      thalamus SI ratio did not significantly increase with increasing the number of
      administrations (p=0.14 and p=0.06, respectively). CONCLUSION: Multiple
      administrations of gadoxetate disodium are not associated with increased SI in DN
      and GP in the brain. KEY POINTS: * Gadolinium may deposit in the human brain
      after multiple GBCA administrations. * Gadolinium deposition is associated with
      increased T1W signal intensity * Increase in signal intensity is most apparent
      within the DN and GP * Multiple administrations of gadoxetate disodium do not
      increase T1W signal.

PMID- 28357496
TI  - Diagnostic performance of a CT-based scoring system for diagnosis of anastomotic
      leakage after esophagectomy: comparison with subjective CT assessment.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: To develop a CT-based prediction score for anastomotic leakage after
      esophagectomy and compare it to subjective CT interpretation. METHODS:
      Consecutive patients who underwent a CT scan for a clinical suspicion of
      anastomotic leakage after esophagectomy with cervical anastomosis between 2003
      and 2014 were analyzed. The CT scans were systematically re-evaluated by two
      radiologists for the presence of specific CT findings and presence of an
      anastomotic leak. Also, the original CT interpretations were acquired. These
      results were compared to patients with and without a clinical confirmed leak.
      RESULTS: Out of 122 patients that underwent CT for a clinical suspicion of
      anastomotic leakage; 54 had a confirmed leak. In multivariable analysis,
      anastomotic leakage was associated with mediastinal fluid (OR = 3.4),
      esophagogastric wall discontinuity (OR = 4.9), mediastinal air (OR = 6.6), and a
      fistula (OR = 7.2). Based on these criteria, a prediction score was developed
      resulting in an area-under-the-curve (AUC) of 0.86, sensitivity of 80%, and
      specificity of 84%. The original interpretation and the systematic subjective CT
      assessment by two radiologists resulted in AUCs of 0.68 and 0.75 with
      sensitivities of 52% and 69%, and specificities of 84% and 82%, respectively.
      CONCLUSION: This CT-based score may provide improved diagnostic performance for
      diagnosis of anastomotic leakage after esophagectomy. KEY POINTS: * A CT-based
      score provides improved diagnostic performance for diagnosis of anastomotic
      leakage. * Leakage associations include mediastinal fluid, mediastinal air, wall
      discontinuity, and fistula. * A scoring system yields superior diagnostic
      accuracy compared to subjective CT assessment. * Radiologists may suggest
      presence of anastomotic leakage based on a prediction score.

PMID- 28357497
TI  - Reducing Operating Room Turnover Time for Robotic Surgery Using a Motor Racing
      Pit Stop Model.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Operating room (OR) turnover time, time taken between one patient
      leaving the OR and the next entering, is an important determinant of OR
      utilization, a key value metric for hospital administrators. Surgical robots have
      increased the complexity and number of tasks required during an OR turnover,
      resulting in highly variable OR turnover times. We sought to streamline the
      turnover process and decrease robotic OR turnover times and increase efficiency.
      METHODS: Direct observation of 45 pre-intervention robotic OR turnovers was
      performed. Following a previously successful model for handoffs, we employed
      concepts from motor racing pit stops, including briefings, leadership, role
      definition, task allocation and task sequencing. Turnover task cards for staff
      were developed, and card assignments were distributed for each turnover. Forty
      one cases were observed post-intervention. RESULTS: Average total OR turnover
      time was 99.2 min (95% CI 88.0-110.3) pre-intervention and 53.2 min (95% CI 48.0
      58.5) at 3 months post-intervention. Average room ready time from when the
      patient exited the OR until the surgical technician was ready to receive the next
      patient was 42.2 min (95% CI 36.7-47.7) before the intervention, which reduced to
      27.2 min at 3 months (95% CI 24.7-29.7) post-intervention (p < 0.0001).
      CONCLUSIONS: Role definition, task allocation and sequencing, combined with a
      visual cue for ease-of-use, create efficient, and sustainable approaches to
      decreasing robotic OR turnover times. Broader system changes are needed to
      capitalize on that result. Pit stop and other high-risk industry models may
      inform approaches to the management of tasks and teams.

PMID- 28357498
TI  - Computer-aided analysis for optimal screw insertion in lateral mass of C1: An
      anatomical study.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: Motion preserving techniques in C1 ring fractures are increasingly
      used especially in young patients. Therefore, lateral mass screws are inserted in
      the first vertebra and connected by a rod. The purpose of this study was to
      determine safe zones regarding the vertebral arteries and the medulla oblongata
      for optimal lateral mass screw positioning when fusing the C1-ring. MATERIALS AND
      METHODS: Images of the cervical spine of 50 patients (64-line CT scanner) were
      evaluated and virtual screws were positioned in both lateral masses of the first
      vertebra using 3D-reconstructions of CT scans. The length of the screws, the
      insertion angles in two planes, the distance to the vertebral artery, and the
      spinal canal was investigated. Descriptive statistics was used and gender
      dependent differences were calculated using student t-test. A diameter of 4 mm
      was chosen for the screws. RESULTS: The mean screw length was 30.0 +/- 2.3 mm on
      the right and 30.1 +/- 2.1 mm on the left side. The arithmetic mean for the
      transverse angle was 16.4 +/- 5.6 degrees  on the right and 15.6 +/- 6.3 degrees 
      on the left, the sagittal angle averaged 8.3 +/- 3.8 degrees  on the right, and
      11.0 +/- 4.9 degrees  on the left side. The mean distance between screw and
      spinal canal has been determined on the right with 2.4 +/- 0.7 mm and 2.2 +/- 0.6
      mm on the left side. The distance from the C1 lateral mass screw to the vertebral
      artery was on average 7.1 +/- 1.5 mm on the right side (significant correlation
      with gender, p value: 0.03) and 7.4 +/- 1.4 mm on the left side. CONCLUSIONS:
      Screws should be positioned with a slightly converging angle of 16 degrees  and a
      slightly ascending angle of 10 degrees . Due to the required high precision
      technique intraoperatively multiplanar 2 D or 3 D imaging is recommended to avoid
      harm to the vertebral artery or the spinal canal.

PMID- 28357499
TI  - Mrc1/Claspin: a new role for regulation of origin firing.
AB  - Mrc1 and its vertebrate homologue Claspin serve as a mediator for replication
      stress checkpoint signaling, receiving the signal from Mec1/Rad3/ATR sensor
      kinase and transmitting it to the effector Rad53/Cds1/Chk1 kinase. They are
      likely to be a part of the replisome and facilitate the S-phase progression by
      promoting replication fork progression. Recent reports on Mrc1/Claspin indicate
      their new role in regulating the replication initiation through interaction with
      Cdc7, a key conserved serine-threonine kinase that triggers firing at each
      replication origin. Mrc1/Claspin has a specific domain that specifically
      interacts with Cdc7, and this domain is involved also in intramolecular
      interaction with its N-terminal segment. Mechanisms for novel regulation of
      origin firing and its timing through recruitment of Cdc7 to Mrc1/Claspin will be
      discussed.

PMID- 28357500
TI  - Diversion colitis 25 years later: the phenomenon of the disease.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Diversion colitis (DC) seems to be common in stoma patients, and the
      restoration of the continuity of the digestive tract is crucial for relief from
      the inflammatory process. No prospective studies of the late effects of DC on the
      lower gastrointestinal (GI) tract mucosa and the clinical condition of patients
      have been reported. METHODS: Data from 23 patients who underwent stoma creation
      were analysed during the reversal period (A) and at an average of 3 months (B1)
      and 5.6 years (B2) after restoration of GI tract continuity. Every monitoring
      visit included endoscopy, histology and assessment of the clinical condition of
      patients. RESULTS: Shortly after GI tract restoration (B1), a significant
      decrease in inflammation was observed. The Ki67 positivity percentage increased,
      but this was not significant. At an average of 5.6 years after restoration (group
      B2), the clinical symptoms were mild. More patients presented with endoscopically
      detected inflammation of the mucosa, but its severity was not significantly
      higher than that at 3 months after reversal. Histological inflammation was more
      common, and its severity was significantly higher than that shortly after
      reversal but similar to that before reversal. The Ki67 positivity percentage
      decreased at the last examination (B2). CONCLUSIONS: The results of this study
      show a complex recurrence of histological inflammation several years after GI
      tract restoration but without clinical and endoscopic inflammation and with good
      clinical condition. DC can potentially have a late influence on the rectal
      mucosa, even after stoma closure.

PMID- 28357501
TI  - Robot-assisted intersphincteric resection facilitates an efficient sphincter
      saving in patients with low rectal cancer.
AB  - PURPOSE: Few investigations of robot-assisted intersphincteric resection (ISR)
      are presently available to support this procedure as a safe and efficient
      procedure. We aimed to evaluate the utility of robot-assisted ISR by comparison
      between ISR and abdominoperineal resection (APR) using both robot-assisted and
      open approaches. METHODS: The 558 patients with lower rectal cancer (LRC) who
      underwent curative operation was enrolled between July 2010 and June 2015 to
      perform either by robot-assisted (ISR vs. APR = 310 vs. 34) or open approaches
      (144 vs. 70). Perioperative and functional outcomes including urogenital and
      anorectal dysfunctions were measured. Recurrence and survival were examined in
      216 patients in which >3 years had elapsed after the operation. RESULTS: The
      robot-assisted approach was the most significant parameter to determine ISR
      achievement among potent parameters (OR = 3.467, 95% CI = 2.095-5.738, p <
      0.001). Early surgical complications occurred more frequently in the open ISR
      group (16 vs. 7.7%, p = 0.01). The voiding and male sexual dysfunctions were
      significantly more frequent in the open ISR (p < 0.05). The fecal incontinence
      and lifestyle alteration score was greater in the open ISR than in the robot
      assisted ISR at 12 and 24 months, respectively (p < 0.05). However, the 3-year
      cumulative rates of local recurrence and survival did not differ between the two
      groups. CONCLUSIONS: The current procedure of robot-assisted ISR replaced a
      significant portion of APR to achieve successful SSO via mostly transabdominal
      approach and double-stapled anastomosis. The robot-assisted ISR with minimal
      invasiveness might be a help to reduce anorectal and urogenital dysfunctions.

PMID- 28357502
TI  - Evidence for two distinct phenotypes of chronic kidney disease in individuals
      with type 1 diabetes mellitus.
AB  - AIMS/HYPOTHESIS: In a retrospective, observational, cross-sectional, single
      centre study, we assessed the prevalence and correlates of different CKD
      phenotypes (with and without albuminuria) in a large cohort of patients of white
      ethnicity with type 1 diabetes. METHODS: From 2001 to 2009, 408 men and 369 women
      with type 1 diabetes (age 40.2 +/- 11.7 years, diabetes duration 19.4 +/- 12.2
      years, HbA1c 7.83 +/- 1.17% [62.0 +/- 12.9 mmol/mol]) were recruited
      consecutively. Albumin-to-creatinine ratio (ACR) and eGFR (Modification of Diet
      in Renal Disease) were obtained for all individuals, together with CKD stage.
      Diabetic retinopathy and peripheral polyneuropathy were detected in 41.5% and
      8.1%, respectively, and cardiovascular disease (CVD) occurred in 8.5%.
      Adjudications of CKD phenotype were made by blinded investigators. RESULTS: Normo
      (ACR <3.4), micro- (ACR 3.4-34) or macroalbuminuria (ACR >=34 mg/mmol) were
      present in 91.6%, 6.4% and 1.9% of individuals, respectively. eGFR categories 1
      (>=90 ml min-1 [1.73 m]-2), 2 (60-89 ml min-1 [1.73 m]-2) and 3 (<60 ml min-1
      [1.73 m]-2) were present in 57.3%, 39.0% and 3.7%, respectively. The majority of
      participants had no CKD (89.4%), while stages 1-2 and >=3 CKD were detected in
      6.8% and 3.7%, respectively. The albuminuric (Alb+) and non-albuminuric (Alb-)
      phenotypes were present in 12 (41.4%) and 17 (58.6%) individuals with stage >=3
      CKD, respectively. Individuals with an ACR <3.4 mg/mmol were subdivided into
      those with normal albuminuria (<1.1 mg/mmol; 77.2%) and mildly increased
      albuminuria (1.1-3.4 mg/mmol; 14.4%), and individuals with stage 2 CKD were
      subdivided into those with eGFR 75-89 ml min-1 [1.73 m]-2 and 60-74 ml min-1
      [1.73 m]-2. ACR <3.4 mg/mmol (88.7%) and even <1.1 mg/mmol (70.4%) were common in
      individuals with eGFR 60-74 ml min-1 [1.73 m]-2. The prevalence of ACR <1.1
      mg/mmol was lower but still significant (34.5%) in those with stage >=3 CKD. In
      logistic regression analysis, stages 1-2 and >=3 CKD were independently
      associated with age, HbA1c, gamma-glutamyltransferase, fibrinogen, hypertension,
      but not with sex, BMI, smoking, HDL-cholesterol or triacylglycerol. Inclusion of
      advanced retinopathy removed HbA1c from the model. The CKD Alb+ phenotype
      correlated with diabetes duration, HbA1c, HDL-cholesterol, fibrinogen and
      hypertension, while the CKD Alb- phenotype was associated with age and
      hypertension, but not with diabetes duration, HbA1c and fibrinogen.
      CONCLUSIONS/INTERPRETATION: The Alb- CKD phenotype is present in a significant
      proportion of individuals with type 1 diabetes supporting the hypothesis of two
      distinct pathways (Alb+ and Alb-) of progression towards advanced kidney disease
      in type 1 diabetes. These are probably distinct pathways as suggested by
      different sets of covariates associated with the two CKD phenotypes.

PMID- 28357503
TI  - Small-fibre neuropathy in men with type 1 diabetes and erectile dysfunction: a
      cross-sectional study.
AB  - AIMS/HYPOTHESIS: The aim of this study was to identify the contribution of small-
      and large-fibre neuropathy to erectile dysfunction in men with type 1 diabetes
      mellitus. METHODS: A total of 70 participants (29 without and 41 with erectile
      dysfunction) with type 1 diabetes and 34 age-matched control participants
      underwent a comprehensive assessment of large- and small-fibre neuropathy.
      RESULTS: The prevalence of erectile dysfunction in participants with type 1
      diabetes was 58.6%. After adjusting for age, participants with type 1 diabetes
      and erectile dysfunction had a significantly higher score on the Neuropathy
      Symptom Profile (mean +/- SEM 5.3 +/- 0.9 vs 1.8 +/- 1.2, p = 0.03), a higher
      vibration perception threshold (18.3 +/- 1.9 vs 10.7 +/- 2.4 V, p = 0.02), and a
      lower sural nerve amplitude (5.0 +/- 1.1 vs 11.7 +/- 1.5 mV, p = 0.002), peroneal
      nerve amplitude (2.1 +/- 0.4 vs 4.7 +/- 0.5 mV, p < 0.001) and peroneal nerve
      conduction velocity (34.8 +/- 1.5 vs 41.9 +/- 2.0 m/s, p = 0.01) compared with
      those without erectile dysfunction. There was also evidence of a marked small
      fibre neuropathy with an impaired cold threshold (19.7 +/- 1.4 degrees C vs 27.3
      +/- 1.8 degrees C, p = 0.003), warm threshold (42.9 +/- 0.8 degrees C vs 39.0 +/-
      0.9 degrees C, p = 0.005) and heart rate variability (21.5 +/- 3.1 vs 30.0 +/-
      3.7 beats/min, p = 0.001) and reduced intraepidermal nerve fibre density (2.8 +/-
      0.7 vs 5.9 +/- 0.7/mm, p = 0.008), corneal nerve fibre density (12.6 +/- 1.5 vs
      23.9 +/- 2.0/mm2, p < 0.001), corneal nerve branch density (12.7 +/- 2.5 vs 31.6
      +/- 3.3/mm2, p < 0.001) and corneal nerve fibre length (8.3 +/- 0.7 vs 14.5 +/-
      1.0 mm/mm2, p < 0.001) in participants with type 1 diabetes and erectile
      dysfunction. Erectile dysfunction correlated significantly with measures of both
      large- and small-fibre neuropathy. CONCLUSIONS/INTERPRETATION: Small-fibre
      neuropathy is prominent in patients with type 1 diabetes, and is associated with
      erectile dysfunction and can be objectively quantified using corneal confocal
      microscopy. This may allow the identification of patients who are less likely to
      respond to conventional therapies such as phosphodiesterase type 5 inhibitors.

PMID- 28357504
TI  - Effect of simultaneous vaccination with H1N1 and GAD-alum on GAD65-induced immune
      response.
AB  - AIMS/HYPOTHESIS: A European Phase III trial of GAD formulated with aluminium
      hydroxide (GAD-alum) failed to reach its primary endpoint (preservation of
      stimulated C-peptide secretion from baseline to 15 months in type 1 diabetes
      patients), but subgroup analysis showed a clinical effect when participants from
      Nordic countries were excluded, raising concern as to whether the mass
      vaccination of the Swedish and Finnish populations with the Pandemrix influenza
      vaccine could have influenced the study outcomes. In the current study, we aimed
      to assess whether Pandemrix vaccination affects the specific immune responses
      induced by GAD-alum and the C-peptide response. METHODS: In this secondary
      analysis, we analysed data acquired from the Swedish participants in the Phase
      III GAD-alum trial who received subcutaneous GAD-alum vaccination (two doses, n =
      43; four doses, n = 46) or placebo (n = 48). GAD autoantibodies (GADA) and H1N1
      autoantibodies, GAD65-induced cytokine secretion and change in fasting and
      stimulated C-peptide levels from baseline to 15 months were analysed with respect
      to the relative time between H1N1 vaccination and the first injection of GAD
      alum. RESULTS: GADA levels at 15 months were associated with the relative time
      between GAD-alum and Pandemrix administration in participants who received two
      doses of the GAD-alum vaccine (p = 0.015, r = 0.4). Both in participants treated
      with two doses and four doses of GAD-alum, GADA levels were higher when the
      relative time between vaccines was >=210 days (p < 0.05). In the group that
      received two doses of GAD-alum, levels of several GAD65-induced cytokines were
      higher in participants who received the H1N1 vaccination and the first GAD-alum
      injection at least 150 days apart, and the change in fasting and stimulated C
      peptide at 15 months was associated with the relative time between vaccines.
      Neither of these effects were observed in individuals who received four doses of
      GAD-alum. CONCLUSIONS/INTERPRETATION: In individuals who received two doses of
      GAD-alum, receiving the Pandemrix vaccine closer to the first GAD-alum injection,
      i.e. <150 days, seemed to affect both GAD65-induced immune response and C-peptide
      preservation. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ClinicalTrials.gov NCT00723411.

PMID- 28357505
TI  - Identification of Left Ventricle Failure on Pulmonary Artery CTA: Diagnostic
      Significance of Decreased Aortic & Left Ventricle Enhancement.
AB  - PURPOSE: This study aimed to identify findings on non-ECG-gated CT pulmonary
      angiography (CTPA) indicating decreased left ventricle (LV) systolic function,
      later confirmed by echocardiogram. METHODS: After obtaining institutional review
      board approval, review was performed of emergency department (ED) patients who
      had CTPA and follow-up echocardiogram within 48 h, over 18 months. Patients with
      pulmonary embolus, suboptimal CTPA, arrhythmias or pericardial tamponade were
      excluded. One hundred thirty-seven patients were identified and divided into
      cases (LVEF <40%, n = 52) and controls (LVEF >50%, n = 85). Two reviewers
      performed these analyses: measurement of enhancement in main pulmonary artery
      (MPA), LV, and aorta; subjective enhancement of LV and aorta (Ao) relative to MPA
      using a four-point Likert scale; contrast transit time (TD) to trigger CTPA and
      LV short & long axis dimensions. When available, the most recent N-terminal pro-B
      type natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) level was recorded. RESULTS: Decreased
      aortic and LV subjective enhancement were the best predictors of LV systolic
      dysfunction. For Ao/MPA ratio, an optimal cutoff value of 0.20 resulted in a
      sensitivity of 0.54 and specificity of 0.93 (AUC = 0.83, 0.78-0.88 95% CI). A
      threshold of 86.7 HU for Ao enhancement resulted in a sensitivity of 0.68 and
      specificity of 0.90 (AUC = 0.82, 0.77-0.88 95% CI). A LV short axis diameter of
      more than 54.3 mm had a sensitivity of 0.62 and specificity of 0.98 (AUC = 0.88,
      0.83-0.92 95% CI). For the LV long axis diameter, a cutoff of 87.5 mm resulted in
      a sensitivity of 0.66 and specificity of 0.84 (AUC = 0.78, 0.72-0.84 95% CI).
      With bolus timing, cases had a longer TD (13.4 vs. 10.4 s, p < 0.0001).
      CONCLUSION: Unsuspected LV systolic dysfunction can be recognized on a CTPA by
      identification of decreased aortic enhancement, LV enlargement and increased TD.
      This has important diagnostic implications for the patient presenting with
      shortness of breath, chest pain, or dyspnea.

PMID- 28357507
TI  - Examination of climatological wind patterns and simulated pollen dispersion in a
      complex island environment.
AB  - Complex terrain creates small-scale circulations which affect pollen dispersion
      but may be missed by meteorological observing networks and coarse-grid
      meteorological models. On volcanic islands, these circulations result from
      differing rates of surface heating between land and sea as well as rugged
      terrain. We simulated the transport of bentgrass, ryegrass, and maize pollen from
      30 sources within the agricultural regions of the Hawaiian island Kaua'i during
      climatological conditions spanning season conditions and the La Nina, El Nino,
      and neutral phases of the El Nino-Southern Oscillation. Both pollen size and
      source location had major effects on predicted dispersion over and near the
      island. Three patterns of pollen dispersion were identified in response to
      prevailing wind conditions: southwest winds transported pollen inland, funneling
      pollen grains through valleys; east winds transported pollen over the ocean, with
      dispersive tails for the smallest pollen grains following the mean wind and
      extending as far as the island of Ni'ihau 35 km away; and northeast winds moved
      pollen inland counter to the prevailing flow due to a sea breeze circulation that
      formed over the source region. These results are the first to predict the
      interactions between complex island terrain and local climatology on grass pollen
      dispersion. They demonstrate how numerical modeling can provide guidance for
      field trials by illustrating the common flow regimes present in complex terrain,
      allowing field trials to focus on areas where successful sampling is more likely
      to occur.

PMID- 28357508
TI  - Influence of geomagnetic activity and atmospheric pressure in hypertensive
      adults.
AB  - We performed a study of the systolic and diastolic arterial blood pressure
      behavior under natural variables such as the atmospheric pressure and the
      horizontal geomagnetic field component. We worked with a group of eight adult
      hypertensive volunteers, four men and four women, with ages between 18 and 27
      years in Mexico City during a geomagnetic storm in 2014. The data was divided by
      gender, age, and day/night cycle. We studied the time series using three methods:
      correlations, bivariate analysis, and superposed epoch (within a window of 2 days
      around the day of occurrence of a geomagnetic storm) analysis, between the
      systolic and diastolic blood pressure and the natural variables. The correlation
      analysis indicated a correlation between the systolic and diastolic blood
      pressure and the atmospheric pressure and the horizontal geomagnetic field
      component, being the largest during the night. Furthermore, the correlation and
      bivariate analyses showed that the largest correlations are between the systolic
      and diastolic blood pressure and the horizontal geomagnetic field component.
      Finally, the superposed epoch analysis showed that the largest number of
      significant changes in the blood pressure under the influence of geomagnetic
      field occurred in the systolic blood pressure for men.

PMID- 28357506
TI  - The long-term outcomes of hepatitis C virus core antigen-positive Japanese renal
      allograft recipients.
AB  - BACKGROUND: The impact of hepatitis C virus (HCV) infections on patient long-term
      survival after renal transplants is unclear. METHOD: To clarify the long-term
      outcomes of Japanese renal allograft recipients with HCV infections, we studied
      the cases of 187 patients (118 males and 69 females; 155 living donor cases, and
      32 deceased donor cases; median follow-up period: 250 months) who underwent an
      initial renal transplant at Kanazawa Medical University from 1974 onwards.
      RESULT: In this cohort, 35 patients (18.7%) were HCV core antigen (Ag)-positive,
      and 13 of them (37.1%) died (due to liver cirrhosis (4 cases), hepatocellular
      carcinoma (1 case), fibrosing cholestatic hepatitis due to HCV (1 case), and
      infections complicated with chronic hepatitis (6 cases)). However, only 14 of the
      145 (9.7%) recipients died in the HCV-Ag/HCV antibody (Ab)-negative group. The
      Kaplan-Meier life table method indicated that the HCV-infected group exhibited
      significantly lower patient and death-censored allograft survival rates (log-rank
      test; patient survival: Chi-square: 11.2, p = 0.004; graft survival: Chi-square:
      25.7, p < 0.001). The survival rate of the HCV-Ag-positive recipients decreased
      rapidly at 240 months after the renal transplant procedure. In addition, a Cox
      proportional hazards model indicated that positivity for the HCV-Ag was the most
      important independent risk factor for post-renal transplant survival and
      allograft function [survival: hazard ratio (HR) 3.93 (1.54-10.03), p = 0.004;
      graft function: HR 2.09 (1.14-3.81), p = 0.016]. CONCLUSION: HCV infection is a
      harmful risk factor for patient survival (especially at >=20 years post-renal
      transplant) and renal allograft function in allograft recipients.

PMID- 28357510
TI  - Tracking unnecessary negative urinalyses to reduce healthcare costs: a
      transversal study.
AB  - About 7 million urinalyses are reimbursed yearly by the French public healthcare
      system, but the results of most of these tests are normal. The aim of this study
      was to estimate the prevalence of negative urinalyses in ambulatory care,
      identify the associated factors and assess the relevance of prescriptions by
      general practitioners (GPs) according to French guidelines. A cross-sectional
      study was conducted in patients over 18 coming for urinalyses in two French
      ambulatory laboratories. Patients received a questionnaire on their symptoms, the
      reason for performing urinalysis and the use of urinary dipsticks. GP who
      prescribed urinalyses received a questionnaire assessing their practice. A total
      of 510 patients were included, and 71% of urinalyses were negative. Urinalyses
      were prescribed to 283 patients by GPs. Compared to those of specialists, GP
      prescriptions were associated with fewer negative urinalyses (59 vs 86%; p <
      0.01). Among the negative urinalyses prescribed by GPs, the reasons of
      prescription were as follows: suspected urinary tract infection (UTI) (42.7%),
      control of bacteriological cure after UTI (24%), fever or abdominal pain (13%)
      and routine test (7%). About 35% of urinalyses were not indicated according to
      guidelines. Only 12% of patients used dipsticks before performing urinalysis
      although 87% of GPs were favourable to their use if they were provided by
      healthcare services. The annual cost of non-indicated urinalyses is estimated at
      13 million euro. A systematic use of dipsticks provided by healthcare services
      could help to reduce health costs and the unnecessary use of antibiotics.

PMID- 28357509
TI  - Downregulation of lizard immuno-genes in the regenerating tail and myogenes in
      the scarring limb suggests that tail regeneration occurs in an immuno-privileged
      organ.
AB  - Amputated tails of lizards regenerate while limbs form scars which histological
      structure is very different from the original organs. Lizards provide useful
      information for regenerative medicine and some hypotheses on the loss of
      regeneration in terrestrial vertebrates. Analysis of tail and limb transcriptomes
      shows strong downregulation in the tail blastema for immunoglobulins and surface
      B and T receptors, cell function, and metabolism. In contrast, in the limb
      blastema genes for myogenesis, muscle and cell function, and extracellular matrix
      deposition but not immunity are variably downregulated. The upregulated genes
      show that the regenerating tail is an embryonic organ driven by the Wnt pathway
      and non-coding RNAs. The strong inflammation following amputation, the non
      activation of the Wnt pathway, and the upregulation of inflammatory genes with no
      downregulation of immune genes indicate that the amputated limb does not activate
      an embryonic program. Intense inflammation in limbs influences in particular the
      activity of genes coding for muscle proteins, cell functions, and stimulates the
      deposition of dense extracellular matrix proteins resulting in scarring limb
      outgrowths devoid of muscles. The present study complements that on upregulated
      genes, and indicates that the regenerating tail requires immune suppression to
      maintain this embryonic organ connected to the rest of the tail without be
      rejected or turned into a scar. It is hypothesized that the evolution of the
      adaptive immune system determined scarring instead of organ regeneration in
      terrestrial vertebrates and that lizards evolved the process of tail regeneration
      through a mechanism of immuno-evasion.

PMID- 28357511
TI  - Structural basis of Zika virus methyltransferase inhibition by sinefungin.
AB  - Zika virus is considered a major global threat to human kind. Here, we present a
      crystal structure of one of its essential enzymes, the methyltransferase, with
      the inhibitor sinefungin. This structure, together with previously solved
      structures with bound substrates, will provide the information needed for
      rational inhibitor design. Based on the structural data we suggest the
      modification of the adenine moiety of sinefungin to increase selectivity and to
      covalently link it to a GTP analogue, to increase the affinity of the synthesized
      compounds.

PMID- 28357512
TI  - Characterization and genome comparisons of three Achromobacter phages of the
      family Siphoviridae.
AB  - In this study, we present the characterization and genomic data of three
      Achromobacter phages belonging to the family Siphoviridae. Phages 83-24, JWX and
      JWF were isolated from sewage samples in Paris and Braunschweig, respectively,
      and infect Achromobacter xylosoxidans, an emerging nosocomial pathogen in cystic
      fibrosis patients. Analysis of morphology and growth parameters revealed that
      phages 83-24 and JWX have similar properties, both have nearly the same head and
      tail measurements, and both have a burst size between 85 and 100 pfu/cell. In
      regard to morphological properties, JWF had a much longer and more flexible tail
      compared to other phages. The linear double-stranded DNAs of all three phages are
      terminally redundant and not circularly permutated. The complete nucleotide
      sequences consist of 81,541 bp for JWF, 49,714 bp for JWX and 48,216 bp for 83
      24. Analysis of the genome sequences showed again that phages JWX and 83-24 are
      quite similar. Comparison to the GenBank database via BLASTN revealed partial
      similarities to Roseobacter phage RDJL phi1 and Burkholderia phage BcepGomr. In
      contrast, BLASTN analysis of the genome sequence of phage JWF revealed only few
      similarities to non-annotated prophage regions in different strains of
      Burkholderia and Mesorhizobium.

PMID- 28357513
TI  - Not later, but longer: sleep, chronotype and light exposure in adolescents with
      remitted depression compared to healthy controls.
AB  - The relationship between sleep and adolescent depression is much discussed, but
      still not fully understood. One important sleep variable is self-selected sleep
      timing, which is also referred to as chronotype. Chronotype is mostly regulated
      by the circadian clock that synchronises the internal time of the body with the
      external light dark cycle. A late chronotype as well as a misalignment between
      internal time and external time such as social jetlag has been shown to be
      associated with depressive symptoms in adults. In this study, we investigated
      whether adolescents with remitted depression differ from healthy controls in
      terms of chronotype, social jetlag and other sleep-related variables. For this
      purpose, we assessed chronotype and social jetlag with the Munich ChronoType
      Questionnaire (MCTQ), subjective sleep quality with the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality
      Index (PSQI) and used continuous wrist-actimetry over 31 consecutive days to
      determine objective sleep timing. Given the potentially mediating effect of light
      on chronotype and depressive symptoms, we measured light exposure with a light
      sensor on the actimeter. In our sample, adolescents with remitted depression
      showed similar chronotypes and similar amounts of social jetlag compared to
      controls. However, patients with remitted depression slept significantly longer
      on work-free days and reported a worse subjective sleep quality than controls.
      Additionally, light exposure in remitted patients was significantly higher, but
      this finding was mediated by living in a rural environment. These findings
      indicate that chronotype might be modified during remission, which should be
      further investigated in longitudinal studies.

PMID- 28357514
TI  - Angiographic study of the clinical liaison of drug-eluting stent and paclitaxel
      eluting balloon in unifocal side branch ostium stenosis (ASCLEPIUS).
AB  - A reliable stenting strategy for treating isolated side branch (SB) ostium
      stenosis is not well established. The purpose of this study was to examine the 6
      month angiographic outcome of a novel technique, called the shoulder technique,
      on this lesion subtype. Symptomatic patients with isolated SB ostium stenosis,
      defined as >=75% diameter stenosis at SB ostium and <50% diameter stenosis in
      main vessel (MV), were treated with paclitaxel-eluting balloon in MV and drug
      eluting stent in SB using the shoulder technique. Angiographic restudy was
      performed at 5-9 months and clinical follow-up was scheduled regularly every 3
      months. There were 46 patients of age 66 +/- 12 years with male predominance
      (76%) recruited. Diagonal ostium (67%) was the most frequent target lesion site.
      The size and length of paclitaxel-eluting balloon and drug-eluting stent used in
      MV and SB were 3.01 +/- 0.25 and 20 +/- 4 mm, and 2.39 +/- 0.25 and 17 +/- 6 mm,
      respectively. Angiographic restudy was performed on 43 (93.5%) patients at 6.5 +/
      1.6 months. The late loss in MV and SB were 0.04 +/- 0.19 and 0.19 +/- 0.32 mm,
      respectively. Angiographic restensosis was seen in 2 (4.7%) patients at SB,
      whereas no stenosis was induced in MV. Improvement of symptom was reported in 36
      (78%) patients. At 1-year follow-up, no death, myocardial infarction, and stent
      thrombosis was observed; target vessel revascularization was performed on 3
      (6.5%) patients. Treatment of isolated SB ostium stenosis using the shoulder
      technique is associated with a favorable short-term angiographic outcome.

PMID- 28357516
TI  - [Transcutaneous osseointegration (part 1)].

PMID- 28357517
TI  - ?

PMID- 28357515
TI  - Clinical features and predictors of patients with critical limb ischemia who
      responded to autologous mononuclear cell transplantation for therapeutic
      angiogenesis.
AB  - The clinical features of patients with critical limb ischemia (CLI) who responded
      to angiogenesis using autologous peripheral blood mononuclear cell
      transplantation (PB-MNC) have not yet been fully characterized, and there are no
      useful predictors to judge the curative effect in the early period after PB-MNC.
      This study sought to clarify the clinical features and predictors in patients
      with CLI who were successfully treated using PB-MNC. 30 consecutive patients
      [arteriosclerosis obliterans: 24 patients, thromboangiitis obliterans: 6
      patients] who were diagnosed with major amputation despite maximal medical
      therapy were enrolled in this study. The study endpoint was major amputation
      within 3 months after PB-MNC. The collected data were evaluated for correlation
      between patients with and without major amputation within 3 months after PB-MNC.
      Six patients underwent major amputation and 1 patient underwent minor amputation.
      In the patients with major amputation, transcutaneous oxygen tension before PB
      MNC and transplanted CD34-positive cells were lower than those of patients
      without major amputation. In the patients with amputation, interleukin-6 (IL-6)
      continued to increase after the first PB-MNC, and basic fibroblast growth factor
      (bFGF) decreased within 3 days after the first PB-MNC. PB-MNC was useful for the
      patients who were managed for inflammation and who had revascularization of the
      upper-popliteal arteries and two of the infra-popliteal arteries by endovascular
      and/or surgical revascularization. Variation in IL-6 and bFGF in the early period
      after PB-MNC could be useful predictors for the requirement of amputation within
      3 months after PB-MNC.

PMID- 28357518
TI  - Longitudinal relaxation optimized amide 1H-CEST experiments for studying slow
      chemical exchange processes in fully protonated proteins.
AB  - Chemical Exchange Saturation Transfer (CEST) experiments are increasingly used to
      study slow timescale exchange processes in biomolecules. Although 15N- and 13C
      CEST have been the approaches of choice, the development of spin state selective
      1H-CEST pulse sequences that separate the effects of chemical and dipolar
      exchange [T. Yuwen, A. Sekhar and L. E. Kay, Angew Chem Int Ed Engl 2016 doi:
      10.1002/anie.201610759 (Yuwen et al. 2017)] significantly increases the utility
      of 1H-based experiments. Pulse schemes have been described previously for studies
      of highly deuterated proteins. We present here longitudinal-relaxation optimized
      amide 1H-CEST experiments for probing chemical exchange in protonated proteins.
      Applications involving a pair of proteins are presented establishing that
      accurate 1H chemical shifts of sparsely populated conformers can be obtained from
      simple analyses of 1H-CEST profiles. A discussion of the inherent differences
      between 15N-/13C- and 1H-CEST experiments is presented, leading to an optimal
      strategy for recording 1H-CEST experiments.

PMID- 28357520
TI  - Herbal medicinal products and phytotherapy-a thematic issue.

PMID- 28357521
TI  - Contact dermatitis: a historical perspective.
AB  - Contact dermatitis is a common skin condition that can have a considerable impact
      on patient quality of life and function. Historically, contact dermatitis has
      played a significant role in the evolution of dermatology as the understanding of
      a relationship between environmental exposure and specific skin disease became
      more widely accepted. Reports about this relationship can be found throughout the
      history of humanity, thousands of years ago. The Egyptians were perhaps the first
      to document this relationship in ancient history, and documentation has also been
      found in several other cultures and nations such as the Chinese, Indians,
      Europeans, and American colonizers. The patch test emerged over a century ago and
      has remained a powerful tool for diagnosing and directing patients. This paper
      provides historical and curious facts about contact dermatitis.

PMID- 28357519
TI  - Low Working Memory rather than ADHD Symptoms Predicts Poor Academic Achievement
      in School-Aged Children.
AB  - This study examined whether working memory (WM), inattentive symptoms, and/or
      hyperactive/impulsive symptoms significantly contributed to academic, behavioral,
      and global functioning in 8-year-old children. One-hundred-sixty 8-year-old
      children (75.6% male), who were originally recruited as preschoolers, completed
      subtests from the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children-Fourth Edition,
      Integrated and Wechsler Individual Achievement Test-Second Edition to assess WM
      and academic achievement, respectively. Teachers rated children's academic and
      behavioral functioning using the Vanderbilt Rating Scale. Global functioning, as
      rated by clinicians, was assessed by the Children's Global Assessment Scale.
      Multiple linear regressions were completed to determine the extent to which WM
      (auditory-verbal and visual-spatial) and/or inattentive and hyperactive/impulsive
      symptom severity significantly contributed to academic, behavioral, and/or global
      functioning. Both auditory-verbal and visual-spatial WM but not ADHD symptom
      severity, significantly and independently contributed to measures of academic
      achievement (all p < 0.01). In contrast, both WM and inattention symptoms (p <
      0.01), but not hyperactivity-impulsivity (p > 0.05) significantly contributed to
      teacher-ratings of academic functioning. Further, inattention and
      hyperactivity/impulsivity (p < 0.04), but not WM (p > 0.10) were significantly
      associated with teacher-ratings of behavioral functioning and clinician-ratings
      of global functioning. Taken together, it appears that WM in children may be
      uniquely related to academic skills, but not necessarily to overall behavioral
      functioning.

PMID- 28357522
TI  - More frequent requests for day-case cataract surgery : An impressive mind switch
      in the Austrian population within 7 years.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Cataract surgery is the most commonly performed elective surgical
      procedure worldwide. While the operation has been mainly conducted as day-case
      (outpatient) surgery throughout the world since the beginning of this millennium,
      this development has been much slower in Austria. The number of patients
      requesting day-case surgery has markedly increased in the last few years.
      METHODS: Prior to the introduction of a day clinic at our department in 2007, we
      evaluated the patients' acceptance of day-case surgery using a questionnaire. At
      the time, less than half of the patients wished to undergo day-case surgery.
      Another survey was performed 7 years later to determine if there were any
      changes. RESULTS: The desire for day-case surgery increased significantly from
      38.8 to 87.1%. The mean age of the patients and their visual impairment had
      decreased. Home care improved, but not to the same extent. The number of patients
      who had to travel more than an hour to reach the hospital had significantly
      increased. CONCLUSIONS: Improvements in perioperative limitations and most of all
      patients becoming accustomed to the idea have led to an impressive mind switch,
      culminating in a clear desire for day-case cataract surgery.

PMID- 28357524
TI  - Molecular connections of obesity and aging: a focus on adipose protein 53 and
      retinoblastoma protein.
AB  - Obesity is an induced health problem that human beings have been facing with non
      optimal treatment so far. Humans are on average getting fatter with age, and
      obesity and aging interact each other to shorten lifetime and decrease life
      quality. Obesity also causes several aging related-disorders such as cancer,
      strokes, cardiovascular disease, high blood pressure and type 2 diabetes. So, the
      molecular connections between aging and obesity are promising targets for bio
      medical researches and innovative therapies of many health problems. In this
      review, we discuss the findings of adipose p53 and Rb-two central molecular
      linkages between aging and obesity-on lipid metabolism and obesity.

PMID- 28357523
TI  - Early nutrition and ageing: can we intervene?
AB  - Ageing, a complex process that results in progressive decline in intrinsic
      physiological function leading to an increase in mortality rate, has been shown
      to be affected by early life nutrition. Accumulating data from animal and
      epidemiological studies indicate that exposure to a suboptimal nutritional
      environment during fetal life can have long-term effects on adult health. In this
      paper, we discuss the impact of early life nutrition on the development of age
      associated diseases and life span. Special emphasis is given to studies that have
      investigated the molecular mechanisms underlying these effects. These include
      permanent structural and cellular changes including epigenetics modifications,
      oxidative stress, DNA damage and telomere shortening. Potential strategies
      targeting these mechanisms, in order to prevent or alleviate the detrimental
      effects of suboptimal early nutrition on lifespan and age-related diseases, are
      also discussed. Although recent reports have already identified effective
      therapeutic interventions, such as antioxidant supplementation, further
      understanding of the extent and nature of how early nutrition influences the
      ageing process will enable the development of novel and more effective approaches
      to improve health and extend human lifespan in the future.

PMID- 28357525
TI  - Sexual Trajectories of Lesbian, Gay, and Bisexual Adults in the Netherlands.
AB  - Studies on sexual trajectories of lesbian, gay, and bisexual (LGB) people
      generally focus on the first same-sex attraction and sexual experience, and their
      relation to self-identification and coming out as LGB. Relational and opposite
      sex experiences are generally not taken into account. The aim of this study was
      to provide a more comprehensive overview of LGBs' sexual trajectories and to
      distinguish subsamples with different trajectories. A sample of same-sex
      attracted members of an online research panel (N = 3054) completed a sexual
      health questionnaire, including items about the timing of sexual and relational
      milestones. Results showed that the majority of gay men and lesbian women had
      same-sex sexual and relational experiences, whereas most bisexual men and women
      had had experiences with the opposite sex. Among gay men and lesbian women, two
      trajectories emerged, differing mainly on whether people had been sexually or
      romantically involved with opposite-sex partners, and on age of first same-sex
      attraction. Among those who were not exclusively attracted to the same sex, six
      patterns emerged, which differed especially with regard to the nature and
      comprehensiveness of their same-sex experiences. Within the exclusively same-sex
      attracted group, the trajectory with no heterosexual experiences related to
      higher levels of psychological adjustment. For non-exclusive sexually attracted
      people, trajectories including experience of same-sex relationships seem to be
      most beneficial. In conclusion, both relational and opposite-sex experiences
      proved to be important elements of LGB men and women's sexual trajectories.

PMID- 28357526
TI  - Religion and Sexual Identity Fluidity in a National Three-Wave Panel of U.S.
      Adults.
AB  - Research has shown that cross-sectional estimates of sexual identities overlook
      fluidity in those identities. Research has also shown that social factors, such
      as competing identities, can influence sexual identity fluidity. We contributed
      to this literature in two ways. First, we utilized a representative panel of US
      adults (N = 1034) surveyed in 2010, 2012, and 2014 by the General Social Survey.
      The addition of a third observation allowed us to examine more complexity in
      sexual identity fluidity. We found that 2.40% of US adults reported at least one
      change in sexual identity across the 4 years, with 1.59% reporting one change and
      0.81% reporting two changes. Our second contribution came from examining the role
      of religion, as past research has suggested that religion can destabilize and
      prolong sexual identity development. We found that lesbian or gay individuals (N
      = 17), bisexuals (N = 15), and females (N = 585) showed more sexual identity
      fluidity compared to heterosexuals (N = 1003) and males (N = 450), respectively.
      Marital status, age, race, and education did not have significant associations
      with sexual identity fluidity. Regarding the role of religion, we found that
      participants identifying as more religious in Wave 1 showed more fluidity in
      sexual identity across later observations. Further analysis showed that higher
      levels of religiosity make it more likely that lesbian or gay individuals will be
      fluid in sexual identity, but this is not the case for heterosexual individuals.
      This finding reinforces past qualitative research that has suggested that
      religion can extend or complicate sexual minorities' identity development.

PMID- 28357527
TI  - The impact of pre- and post-natal psycho-educational intervention on the
      construction of parenthood.
AB  - A pilot study was conducted to assess the merits and feasibility of a
      standardized postnatal psycho-educational interview on mothers' mental wellbeing,
      self-efficacy, and mother-child and couple relationships. A comparison of
      prenatal psycho-educational interview (n = 23) vs. pre- and post-natal psycho
      educational interviews (n = 26) was carried out. Parental self-efficacy and the
      mother-child relationship were significantly improved for the group who received
      a post-natal interview at 2 and 3 months postpartum in addition to a prenatal
      interview. Pre- and post-natal interviews improve the construction of parenthood.

PMID- 28357528
TI  - A prospective study of mitochondrial DNA copy number and the risk of prostate
      cancer.
AB  - PURPOSE: Evidence suggests that mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) copy number increases
      in response to DNA damage. Increased mtDNA copy number has been observed in
      prostate cancer (PCa) cells, suggesting a role in PCa development, but this
      association has not yet been investigated prospectively. METHODS: We conducted a
      nested case-control study (793 cases and 790 controls) of men randomized to the
      screening arm of the Prostate, Lung, Colorectal, and Ovarian Cancer Screening
      Trial (PLCO) to evaluate the association between pre-diagnosis mtDNA copy number,
      measured in peripheral blood leukocytes, and the risk of PCa. We used logistic
      regression to estimate odds ratios (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) and
      polytomous logistic regression to analyze differences in associations by non
      aggressive (Stage I/II AND Gleason grade < 8) or aggressive (Stage III/IV OR
      Gleason grade >= 8) PCa. RESULTS: Although mtDNA copy number was not
      significantly associated with PCa risk overall (OR 1.23, 95% CI 0.97-1.55, p =
      0.089), increasing mtDNA copy number was associated with an increased risk of non
      aggressive PCa (OR 1.29, 95% CI 1.01-1.65, p = 0.044) compared to controls. No
      association was observed with aggressive PCa (OR 1.02, 95% CI 0.64-1.63, p =
      0.933). Higher mtDNA copy number was also associated with increased PSA levels
      among controls (p = 0.014). CONCLUSIONS: These results suggest that alterations
      in mtDNA copy number may reflect disruption of the normal prostate glandular
      architecture seen in early-stage disease, as opposed to reflecting the large
      number of tumor cells seen with advanced PCa.

PMID- 28357530
TI  - Magnetic resonance imaging of first trimester pregnancy: expected intrauterine
      contents in relation to gestational age.
AB  - PURPOSE: To determine if and when fetal structures are identifiable during first
      trimester pregnancy on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in women with acute
      abdominopelvic pain. METHODS: Sixty-four first trimester MRI examinations
      performed for evaluation of abdominopelvic pain were reviewed retrospectively. T2
      weighted images were assessed independently by three radiologists for the
      presence of gestational sac, yolk sac, fetal pole, and limb buds. Mean sac
      diameter and sac volume were determined, and logistic regression analyses were
      performed. Criterion values for fetal structures and gestational sac size were
      calculated using receiver operating characteristic analysis. RESULTS: A
      gestational sac is present in all but two cases. The yolk sac is never
      identified. A fetal pole is identified at a gestational age (GA), mean sac
      diameter (MSD), and gestational sac volume (GSV) of greater than 6.4 weeks, 1.7
      cm, and 8.9 mL, respectively. Limb buds are identified at a GA, MSD, and GSV of
      greater than 8.1 weeks, 3.4 cm, and 27.1 mL, respectively. There is a significant
      correlation between GA and gestational sac size, including the MSD (r 2 = 0.85, P
      < 0.01) and GSV (r 2 = 0.86, P < 0.01). CONCLUSIONS: The gestational sac is
      readily demonstrated on T2-weighted images, but the yolk sac is not identified on
      routine MRI. The fetal pole and limb buds are seen on MRI at a similar GA and MSD
      as with published values using transvaginal sonography.

PMID- 28357529
TI  - Differentiating pheochromocytoma from lipid-poor adrenocortical adenoma by CT
      texture analysis: feasibility study.
AB  - OBJECTIVES: To investigate the feasibility of using CT texture analysis (CTTA) to
      differentiate pheochromocytoma from lipid-poor adrenocortical adenoma (lp-ACA).
      METHODS: Ninety-eight pheochromocytomas and 66 lp-ACAs were included in this
      retrospective study. CTTA was performed on unenhanced and enhanced images.
      Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis was performed, and the area
      under the ROC curve (AUC) was calculated for texture parameters that were
      significantly different for the objective. Diagnostic accuracies were evaluated
      using the cutoff values of texture parameters with the highest AUCs. RESULTS:
      Compared to lp-ACAs, pheochromocytomas had significantly higher mean gray-level
      intensity (Mean), entropy, and mean of positive pixels (MPP), but lower skewness
      and kurtosis on unenhanced images (P < 0.001). On enhanced images, these texture
      quantifiers followed a similar trend where Mean, entropy, and MPP were higher,
      but skewness and kurtosis were lower in pheochromocytomas. Standard deviation
      (SD) was also significantly higher in pheochromocytomas on enhanced images. Mean
      and MPP quantified from no filtration on unenhanced CT images yielded the highest
      AUC of 0.86 +/- 0.03 (95% CI 0.81-0.91) at a cutoff value of 34.0 for Mean and
      MPP, respectively (sensitivity = 79.6%, specificity = 83.3%, accuracy = 81.1%).
      CONCLUSIONS: It was feasible to use CTTA to differentiate pheochromocytoma from
      lp-ACA.

PMID- 28357531
TI  - Extensive lymph node dissection during pancreaticoduodenectomy: a risk factor for
      hepatic steatosis?
AB  - PURPOSE: The first reports of hepatic steatosis following pancreaticoduodenectomy
      (PD) were published several years ago; however, clear risk factors remain to be
      identified. Therefore, the aim of this study was to identify the risk factors for
      hepatic steatosis post-PD. METHODS: We studied 90 patients who had undergone PD
      between September 2005 and January 2015. The inclusion criteria were as follows:
      available unenhanced CT within one month before PD and at least one unenhanced CT
      acquisition between PD and chemotherapy initiation. Using scanners, we studied
      the liver and spleen density as well as the surface areas of visceral (VF) and
      subcutaneous fat (SCF). These variables were previously identified by univariate
      and multivariate analyses. RESULTS: Hepatic steatosis occurred in 25.6% of
      patients at 45.2 days, on average, post-PD. Among the patients with hepatic
      steatosis, the average liver density was 52 HU before PD and 15.1 HU post-PD (p <
      0.001). The Patients with hepatic steatosis lost more VF (mean, 28 vs. 11 cm2)
      and SCF (28.8 vs. 13.7 cm2) (p < 0.01 and p = 0.01, respectively). Portal vein
      resection and extensive lymph node dissection were independent risk factors in
      the multivariate analysis (odds ratio [OR] 5.29, p = 0.009; OR 3.38, p = 0.04,
      respectively). CONCLUSION: Portal vein resection and extensive lymph node
      dissection are independent risk factors for post-PD hepatic steatosis.

PMID- 28357532
TI  - CT detection of fat retention in the bladder after partial nephrectomy.
AB  - PURPOSE: This study aimed to investigate the frequency of fat retention in the
      bladder using postoperative computed tomography (CT) and the associated imaging
      or clinical findings in patients who underwent renal tumor surgery. METHODS: We
      retrospectively reviewed postoperative CT images from 123 patients who underwent
      surgery for renal tumors (92 patients after partial nephrectomy and 31 after
      total nephrectomy). Furthermore, we evaluated preoperative tumor characteristics
      per an established standardized nephrometry scoring system (the R.E.N.A.L
      Nephrometry Score) for patients with partial nephrectomy. We also investigated
      whether collecting system repair occurred during surgery. RESULTS: Fat retention
      in the bladder was found in 5 patients (5.4%) after partial nephrectomy, but was
      not observed in any patients after total nephrectomy. No fat retention was seen
      immediately after partial nephrectomy (4-8 days), but occurred 2-15 months after
      the surgery. Subsequently, intravesical fat retention disappeared in 3 patients
      (8, 24, and 16 months later), and it persisted from 19-22 months after surgery in
      the remaining 2 patients. Collecting system repair occurred in 25 patients (27%)
      with partial nephrectomy. There was no statistically significant association
      between fat retention in the bladder and intraoperative collecting system repair
      (p = 0.12). The association with intravesical fat retention was not significant
      for either tumor size, distance to the collecting system, or the R.E.N.A.L.
      Nephrometry Score. CONCLUSION: Fat retention in the bladder after partial
      nephrectomy can be observed using CT, although it is relatively rare. It is
      clinically asymptomatic and disappears spontaneously in most cases.

PMID- 28357533
TI  - Increased ceramide production sensitizes breast cancer cell response to
      chemotherapy.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Advanced breast cancer remains clinically challenging due to its
      resistance to chemotherapy. To understand the underlying mechanisms of resistance
      and identify drugable target, the involvement of ceramide metabolism is
      investigated. METHODS: Ceramide levels in breast cancer tissues derived from 30
      patients with stage IV breast cancer before and after chemotherapy were analyzed
      using liquid chromatography mass spectrometry. mRNA and protein levels of
      ceramide enzymes were examined using western blot and QRT-PCR. The effects of
      ceramide analog were investigated using cellular assays and xenograft tumor
      model. RESULTS: The results demonstrated that pro-apoptotic ceramide was
      significantly lower in all patients after chemotherapy, suggesting that
      downregulation of ceramide is a common feature of breast cancer patients in
      response to chemotherapy. Molecular characteristics analysis of ceramide
      indicated C16:0 as the predominant sphingolipid regulated by chemotherapy in
      breast cancer patients. Mechanistically, ceramide levels were suppressed by
      chemotherapy via increasing mRNA and protein levels of UDP-glucose ceramide
      glucosyltransferase (UGCG). Importantly, inhibition of UGCG using siRNA or
      upregulation of cellular ceramide levels using C2 ceramide alone inhibited
      proliferation and induced apoptosis of breast cancer cells, and enhanced the
      inhibitory effects of chemotherapeutic drugs in vitro and in vivo. CONCLUSIONS:
      This study clearly demonstrated that the decreased ceramide production via up
      regulating UGCG was involved in the resistance of breast cancer cells to
      chemotherapy. Stimulating ceramide or decreasing UGCG can potentially be useful
      for breast cancer treatment.

PMID- 28357534
TI  - The relationship between microstructural alterations of the brain and clinical
      measurements in children and adolescents with hair pulling disorder.
AB  - Several studies have evaluated gray matter abnormalities and white matter
      integrity in adults with hair pulling disorder (HPD). However, no prior studies
      have defined the relationship between neuroimaging parameters and clinical
      measurements in children and adolescents with HPD. The purposes of this study
      were to determine the correlation between magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)
      indices and clinical measurements in children and adolescents with HPD, and to
      compare HPD patients with age- and sex- matched healthy controls (HC). Pediatric
      HPD patients (n = 9) and HC subjects (n = 10), aged 9-17 years, were recruited.
      Three-dimensional T1-weighted structural MRI (3D T1W) and diffusion-tensor
      imaging (DTI) scans were obtained for each subject. Gray matter and white matter
      volumes were calculated from 3D T1W. Fractional anisotropy (FA) and average
      diffusion coefficients (Dav) were mapped from DTI. Voxel-based and region-of
      interest correlations between MRI indices and clinical measurements were
      analyzed. In addition, two-sample t-tests were used to compare voxel-based tissue
      volumes, FA, and Dav maps between the two groups. Alterations in both brain
      tissue volume and white matter integrity were associated with symptom severity,
      especially in the precuneus, anterior cingulate, temporal cortex, and frontal
      cortex regions. FA values in HPD patients were significantly higher than those
      observed in HC subjects, particularly in the cerebellum and cuneus regions.
      Alterations of brain tissue volumes and microstructural changes are associated
      with severity of clinical symptoms in children and adolescents with HPD.
      Fractional anisotropy is the most sensitive method to distinguish pediatric HPD
      patients from healthy children. The results of this study can facilitate use of
      MRI indices to follow the transition from pediatric HPD to adult HPD.

PMID- 28357535
TI  - Emotional intelligence moderates the relationship between regional gray matter
      volume in the bilateral temporal pole and critical thinking disposition.
AB  - Critical thinking enables people to form sound beliefs and provides a basis for
      emotional life. Research has indicated that individuals with better critical
      thinking disposition can better recognize and regulate their emotions, though the
      neuroanatomical mechanisms involved in this process remain to be elucidated.
      Further, the influence of emotional intelligence on the relationship between
      brain structure and critical thinking disposition has not been examined. The
      present study utilized voxel-based morphometry (VBM) to investigate the neural
      structures underlying critical thinking disposition in a large sample of college
      students (N = 296). Regional gray matter volume (rGMV) in the bilateral temporal
      pole, which reflects an individual's ability to process social and emotional
      information, was negatively correlated with critical thinking disposition. In
      addition, rGMV in bilateral para hippocampal regions -regions involved in
      contextual association/emotional regulation-exhibited negative correlation with
      critical thinking disposition. Further analysis revealed that emotional
      intelligence moderated the relationship between rGMV of the temporal pole and
      critical thinking disposition. Specifically, critical thinking disposition was
      associated with decreased GMV of the temporal pole for individuals who have
      relatively higher emotional intelligence rather than lower emotional
      intelligence. The results of the present study indicate that people who have
      higher emotional intelligence exhibit more effective and automatic processing of
      emotional information and tend to be strong critical thinkers.

PMID- 28357536
TI  - Pediatric high-grade glioma: current molecular landscape and therapeutic
      approaches.
AB  - High-grade pediatric central nervous system glial tumors are comprised primarily
      of anaplastic astrocytomas (AA, WHO grade III) and glioblastomas (GBM, WHO grade
      IV). High-grade gliomas are most commonly diagnosed in the primary setting in
      children, but as in adults, they can also arise as a result of transformation of
      a low-grade malignancy, though with limited frequency in the pediatric
      population. The molecular genetics of high-grade gliomas in the pediatric
      population are distinct from their adult counterparts. In contrast to the adult
      population, high-grade gliomas in children are relatively infrequent,
      representing less than 20% of cases.

PMID- 28357537
TI  - Influence of Cooking Conditions on Carotenoid Content and Stability in Porridges
      Prepared from High-Carotenoid Maize.
AB  - Maize is a staple food crop in many developing countries, hence becoming an
      attractive target for biofortification programs toward populations at risk of
      micronutrient deficiencies. A South African white endosperm maize inbred line was
      engineered with a carotenogenic mini-pathway to generate high-carotenoid maize,
      which accumulates beta-carotene, lutein and zeaxanthin. As maize porridge is a
      traditional meal for poor populations in sub-Saharan African countries, high
      carotenoid maize was used as raw material to prepare different maize meals. The
      objective of this work was to assess the impact of popular home-cooking
      techniques and different cooking parameters (temperature, time and pH) on the
      final carotenoid content in the cooked product, using a spectrophotometric
      technique based on the mean absorption of carotenoids at 450 nm. Carotenoid
      levels were not only preserved, but also enhanced in high-carotenoid maize
      porridges. The carotenoid content was increased when temperatures <=95  degrees C
      were combined with short cooking times (10-60 min). The most optimum thermal
      treatment was 75  degrees C/10 min. When treated under those conditions at pH 5,
      high-carotenoid maize porridges doubled the initial carotenoid content up to 88
      MUg/g dry weight. Regarding to cooking techniques, the highest carotenoid content
      was found when unfermented thin porridges were prepared (51 MUg/g dry weight of
      high-carotenoid maize porridge). We conclude that high-carotenoid maize may
      contribute to enhance the dietary status of rural populations who depend on maize
      as a staple food.

PMID- 28357538
TI  - Anatomical variants of sphenoid sinuses pneumatisation: a CT scan study on a
      Northern Italian population.
AB  - Sphenoid bone may be affected by different variants of pneumatisation, which have
      a relevant importance from a clinical and surgical point of view. The description
      of such variants in different populations may give useful information. However,
      few articles describe the variability of sphenoid pneumatised structures and none
      of them focuses on Northern Italian population. Variants of pneumatisation of
      sphenoid bone were described in a sample of 300 Northern Italian patients who
      underwent a CT scan. More than fifty-seven percent of patients showed a form of
      anatomical variant: the most common form was the pneumatised pterygoid processes
      (39.6%), followed by dorsum sellae (32.9%) and clinoid processes (20.3%), without
      statistically significant differences between males and females (p > 0.01). In
      26.3% of patients, a combined pneumatisation of these three structures was
      observed, being the combination pterygoid processes-dorsum sellae the most
      frequent (11.3%). In 9.3%, all the three sphenoid structures were affected. This
      article is the first description of the prevalence of different variants of
      pneumatisation in a Northern Italian population: the occurrence of such forms has
      to be acknowledged for their possible clinical and surgical consequences.

PMID- 28357541
TI  - Obituary: Hans-Jurgen Rehm 1927-2017.

PMID- 28357540
TI  - Vanillin biosynthetic pathways in plants.
AB  - MAIN CONCLUSION: The present review compiles the up-to-date knowledge on vanillin
      biosynthesis in plant systems to focus principally on the enzymatic reactions of
      in planta vanillin biosynthetic pathway and to find out its impact and prospect
      in future research in this field. Vanillin, a very popular flavouring compound,
      is widely used throughout the world. The principal natural resource of vanillin
      is the cured vanilla pods. Due to the high demand of vanillin as a flavouring
      agent, it is necessary to explore its biosynthetic enzymes and genes, so that
      improvement in its commercial production can be achieved through metabolic
      engineering. In spite of significant advancement in elucidating vanillin
      biosynthetic pathway in the last two decades, no conclusive demonstration had
      been reported yet for plant system. Several biosynthetic enzymes have been worked
      upon but divergences in published reports, particularly in characterizing the
      crucial biochemical steps of vanillin biosynthesis, such as side-chain
      shortening, methylation, and glucoside formation and have created a space for
      discussion. Recently, published reviews on vanillin biosynthesis have focused
      mainly on the biotechnological approaches and bioconversion in microbial systems.
      This review, however, aims to compile in brief the overall vanillin biosynthetic
      route and present a comparative as well as comprehensive description of enzymes
      involved in the pathway in Vanilla planifolia and other plants. Special emphasis
      has been given on the key enzymatic biochemical reactions that have been
      investigated extensively. Finally, the present standpoint and future prospects
      have been highlighted.

PMID- 28357539
TI  - Screening of rice mutants with improved saccharification efficiency results in
      the identification of CONSTITUTIVE PHOTOMORPHOGENIC 1 and GOLD HULL AND INTERNODE
      1.
AB  - MAIN CONCLUSION: The screening of rice mutants with improved cellulose to glucose
      saccharification efficiency (SE) identifies reduced xylan and/or ferulic acid,
      and a qualitative change of lignin to impact SE. To ensure the availability of
      sustainable energy, considerable effort is underway to utilize lignocellulosic
      plant biomass as feedstock for the production of biofuels. However, the high cost
      of degrading plant cell wall components to fermentable sugars (saccharification)
      has been problematic. One way to overcome this barrier is to develop plants
      possessing cell walls that are amenable to saccharification. In this study, we
      aimed to identify new molecular factors that influence saccharification
      efficiency (SE) in rice. By screening 22 rice mutants, we identified two lines,
      122 and 108, with improved SE. Reduced xylan and ferulic acid within the cell
      wall of line 122 were probable reasons of improved SE. Line 108 showed reduced
      levels of thioglycolic-released lignin; however, the amount of Klason lignin was
      comparable to the wild-type, indicating that structural changes had occurred in
      the 108 lignin polymer which resulted in improved SE. Positional cloning revealed
      that the genes responsible for improved SE in 122 and 108 were rice CONSTITUTIVE
      PHOTOMORPHOGENIC 1 (OsCOP1) and GOLD HULL AND INTERNODE 1 (GH1), respectively,
      which have not been previously reported to influence SE. The screening of mutants
      for improved SE is an efficient approach to identify novel genes that affect SE,
      which is relevant in the development of crops as biofuel sources.

PMID- 28357542
TI  - Novel thermostable amine transferases from hot spring metagenomes.
AB  - Hot spring metagenomes, prepared from samples collected at temperatures ranging
      from 55 to 95  degrees C, were submitted to an in silico screening aimed at the
      identification of novel amine transaminases (ATAs), valuable biocatalysts for the
      preparation of optically pure amines. Three novel (S)-selective ATAs, namely Is3
      TA, It6-TA, and B3-TA, were discovered in the metagenome of samples collected
      from hot springs in Iceland and in Italy, cloned from the corresponding
      metagenomic DNAs and overexpressed in recombinant form in E. coli. Functional
      characterization of the novel ATAs demonstrated that they all possess a
      thermophilic character and are capable of performing amine transfer reactions
      using a broad range of donor and acceptor substrates, thus suggesting a good
      potential for practical synthetic applications. In particular, the enzyme B3-TA
      revealed to be exceptionally thermostable, retaining 85% of activity after 5 days
      of incubation at 80  degrees C and more than 40% after 2 weeks under the same
      condition. These results, which were in agreement with the estimation of an
      apparent melting temperature around 88  degrees C, make B3-TA, to the best of our
      knowledge, the most thermostable natural ATA described to date. This biocatalyst
      showed also a good tolerance toward different water-miscible and water-immiscible
      organic solvents. A detailed inspection of the homology-based structural model of
      B3-TA showed that the overall active site architecture of mesophilic (S)
      selective ATAs was mainly conserved in this hyperthermophilic homolog.
      Additionally, a subfamily of B3-TA-like transaminases, mostly uncharacterized and
      all from thermophilic microorganisms, was identified and analyzed in terms of
      phylogenetic relationships and sequence conservation.

PMID- 28357544
TI  - A new source of resistance to 2-furaldehyde from Scheffersomyces (Pichia)
      stipitis for sustainable lignocellulose-to-biofuel conversion.
AB  - Aldehyde inhibitory compounds derived from lignocellulosic biomass pretreatment
      have been identified as a major class of toxic chemicals that interfere with
      microbial growth and subsequent fermentation for advanced biofuel production.
      Development of robust next-generation biocatalyst is a key for a low-cost biofuel
      production industry. Scheffersomyces (Pichia) stipitis is a naturally occurring C
      5 sugar utilization yeast; however, little is known about the genetic background
      underlying its potential tolerance to biomass conversion inhibitors. We
      investigated and identified five uncharacterized putative aryl-alcohol
      dehydrogenase genes (SsAADs) from this yeast as a new source of resistance
      against biomass fermentation inhibitor 2-furaldehyde (furfural) by gene
      expression, gene cloning, and direct enzyme assay analysis using partially
      purified proteins. All five proteins from S. stipitis showed furfural reduction
      using cofactor NADH. An optimum active temperature was observed at 40  degrees C
      for SsAad1p; 30  degrees C for SsAad3p, SsAad4p, and SsAad5p; and 20  degrees C
      for SsAad2p. SsAad2p, SsAad3p, and SsAad4p showed tolerance to a wide range of pH
      from 4.5 to 8, but SsAad1p and SsAad5p were sensitive to pH changes beyond 7.
      Genes SsAAD2, SsAAD3, and SsAAD4 displayed significantly enhanced higher levels
      of expression in response to the challenge of furfural. Their encoding proteins
      also showed higher levels of specific activity toward furfural and were suggested
      as core functional enzymes contributing aldehyde resistance in S. stipitis.

PMID- 28357543
TI  - Comparison of internal process control viruses for detection of food and
      waterborne viruses.
AB  - Enteric viruses are pathogens associated with food- and waterborne outbreaks. The
      recovery of viruses from food or water samples is affected by the procedures
      applied to detect and concentrate them. The incorporation of an internal process
      control virus to the analyses allows monitoring the performance of the
      methodology. The aim of this study was to produce a recombinant adenovirus (rAdV)
      and apply it together with bacteriophage PP7 as process controls. The rAdV
      carries a DNA construction in its genome to differentiate it from wild-type
      adenovirus by qPCR. The stability of both control viruses was evaluated at
      different pH conditions. The rAdV was stable at pH 3, 7, and 10 for 18 h. PP7
      infectious particles were stable at pH 7 and showed a 2.14 log reduction at pH 10
      and total decay at pH 3 after 18 h. Three virus concentration methods were
      evaluated: hollow-fiber tap water ultrafiltration, wastewater
      ultracentrifugation, and elution-PEG precipitation from lettuce. Total and
      infectious viruses were quantified and their recoveries were calculated. Virus
      recovery for rAdV and PP7 by ultrafiltration showed a wide range (2.10-84.42 and
      13.54-84.62%, respectively), whereas that by ultracentrifugation was 5.05-13.71
      and 6.98-13.27%, respectively. The performance of ultracentrifugation to
      concentrate norovirus and enteroviruses present in sewage was not significantly
      different to the recovery of control viruses. For detection of viruses from
      lettuce, genomic copies of PP7 were significantly more highly recovered than
      adenovirus (14.74-18.82 and 0.00-3.44%, respectively). The recovery of infectious
      virus particles was significantly affected during sewage ultracentrifugation and
      concentration from lettuce. The simultaneous use of virus controls with
      dissimilar characteristics and behaviors might resemble different enteric
      viruses.

PMID- 28357545
TI  - Growth kinetics and scale-up of Agrobacterium tumefaciens.
AB  - Production of recombinant proteins in plants through Agrobacterium-mediated
      transient expression is a promising method of producing human therapeutic
      proteins, vaccines, and commercial enzymes. This process has been shown to be
      viable at a large scale and involves growing large quantities of wild-type plants
      and infiltrating the leaf tissue with a suspension of Agrobacterium tumefaciens
      bearing the genes of interest. This study examined one of the steps in this
      process that had not yet been optimized: the scale-up of Agrobacterium production
      to sufficient volumes for large-scale plant infiltration. Production of
      Agrobacterium strain C58C1 pTFS40 was scaled up from shake flasks (50-100 mL) to
      benchtop (5 L) scale with three types of media: Lysogeny broth (LB), yeast
      extract peptone (YEP) media, and a sucrose-based defined media. The maximum
      specific growth rate (MU max) of the strain in the three types of media was 0.46
      +/- 0.04 h-1 in LB media, 0.43 +/- 0.03 h-1 in YEP media, and 0.27 +/- 0.01 h-1
      in defined media. The maximum biomass concentration reached at this scale was 2.0
      +/- 0.1, 2.8 +/- 0.1, and 2.6 +/- 0.1 g dry cell weight (DCW)/L for the three
      media types. Production was successfully scaled up to a 100-L working volume
      reactor with YEP media, using k L a as the scale-up parameter.

PMID- 28357547
TI  - XLV Neuroradiology Congress : Valencia, Spain (October 27-29, 2016).

PMID- 28357546
TI  - A metabolic engineering strategy for producing conjugated linoleic acids using
      the oleaginous yeast Yarrowia lipolytica.
AB  - Conjugated linoleic acids (CLAs) have been found to have beneficial effects on
      human health when used as dietary supplements. However, their availability is
      limited because pure, chemistry-based production is expensive, and biology-based
      fermentation methods can only create small quantities. In an effort to enhance
      microbial production of CLAs, four genetically modified strains of the oleaginous
      yeast Yarrowia lipolytica were generated. These mutants presented various genetic
      modifications, including the elimination of beta-oxidation (pox1-6?), the
      inability to store lipids as triglycerides (dga1? dga2? are1? lro1?), and the
      overexpression of the Y. lipolytica ?12-desaturase gene (YlFAD2) under the
      control of the constitutive pTEF promoter. All strains received two copies of the
      pTEF-oPAI or pPOX-oPAI expression cassettes; PAI encodes linoleic acid isomerase
      in Propionibacterium acnes. The strains were cultured in neosynthesis or
      bioconversion medium in flasks or a bioreactor. The strain combining the three
      modifications mentioned above showed the best results: when it was grown in
      neosynthesis medium in a flask, CLAs represented 6.5% of total fatty acids and in
      bioconversion medium in a bioreactor, and CLA content reached 302 mg/L. In a
      previous study, a CLA degradation rate of 117 mg/L/h was observed in
      bioconversion medium. Here, by eliminating beta-oxidation, we achieved a much
      lower rate of 1.8 mg/L/h.

PMID- 28357549
TI  - FDG uptake in cervical lymph nodes in children without head and neck cancer.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Reactive cervical lymphadenopathy is common in children and may
      demonstrate increased 18F-fluoro-deoxyglucose (18F-FDG) uptake on positron
      emission tomography/computed tomography (PET/CT). OBJECTIVE: We sought to
      evaluate the frequency and significance of 18F-FDG uptake by neck lymph nodes in
      children with no history of head and neck cancer. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The
      charts of 244 patients (114 female, mean age: 10.4 years) with a variety of
      tumors such as lymphoma and post-transplant lymphoproliferative diseases (PTLD),
      but no head and neck cancers, who had undergone 18F-FDG PET/CT were reviewed
      retrospectively. Using the maximum standardized uptake value (SUVmax), increased
      18F-FDG uptake by neck lymph nodes was recorded and compared with the final
      diagnosis based on follow-up studies or biopsy results. RESULTS: Neck lymph node
      uptake was identified in 70/244 (28.6%) of the patients. In 38 patients, the
      lymph nodes were benign. In eight patients, the lymph nodes were malignant (seven
      PTLD and one lymphoma). In 24 patients, we were not able to confirm the final
      diagnosis. Seven out of the eight malignant lymph nodes were positive for PTLD.
      The mean SUVmax was significantly higher in malignant lesions (4.2) compared with
      benign lesions (2.1) (P = 0.00049). CONCLUSION: 18F-FDG uptake in neck lymph
      nodes is common in children and is frequently due to reactive lymph nodes,
      especially when the SUVmax is <3.2. The frequency of malignant cervical lymph
      nodes is higher in PTLD patients compared with other groups.

PMID- 28357550
TI  - Attendance Trajectory Classes Among Divorced and Separated Mothers and Fathers in
      the New Beginnings Program.
AB  - We examined attendance trajectories among mothers and fathers in the
      effectiveness trial of the New Beginnings Program, a parenting-focused prevention
      program for divorced and separated parents. We also investigated attendance
      trajectory class differences on two sets of pretest covariates: one set
      previously linked to participation in programs not specifically targeting
      divorced parents (i.e., sociodemographics, perceived parenting skills, child
      problem behaviors, parent psychological distress) and another that might be
      particularly salient to participation in the context of divorce (i.e.,
      interparental conflict, level of parent-child contact, previous marital status to
      the ex-spouse). For mothers and fathers, results supported four attendance
      trajectory classes: (1) non-attenders (NA), (2) early dropouts (ED), (3)
      declining attenders (DA), and (4) sustained attenders (SA). In the final model
      testing multiple covariates simultaneously, mothers who were EDs and DAs were
      more likely to be Latina than SAs, and EDs reported more interparental conflict
      than SAs. Mother trajectory groups did not differ on parenting skills, child
      problem behavior, or mother-child contact in the final or preliminary models. In
      the final model for fathers, EDs rated their children higher on externalizing
      than DAs, had less contact with their children than DAs and NAs, and reported
      less distress than SAs. Father trajectory groups did not differ on fathers' age,
      ethnicity, income, perceived parenting skills, or interparental conflict in the
      final or preliminary models. Results highlight qualitatively distinct latent
      classes of mothers and fathers who disengage from a parenting intervention at
      various points. We discuss implications for intervention engagement strategies
      and translational science.

PMID- 28357551
TI  - Changes in the microbial community during repeated anaerobic microbial
      dechlorination of pentachlorophenol.
AB  - Pentachlorophenol (PCP) has been widely used as a pesticide in paddy fields and
      has imposed negative ecological effect on agricultural soil systems, which are in
      typically anaerobic conditions. In this study, we investigated the effect of
      repeated additions of PCP to paddy soil on the microbial communities under anoxic
      conditions. Acetate was added as the carbon source to induce and accelerate
      cycles of the PCP degradation. A maximum degradation rate occurred at the 11th
      cycle, which completely transformed 32.3 MUM (8.6 mg L-1) PCP in 5 days. Illumina
      high throughput sequencing of 16S rRNA gene was used to profile the diversity and
      abundance of microbial communities at each interval and the results showed that
      the phyla of Bacteroidates, Firmicutes, Proteobacteria, and Euryarchaeota had a
      dominant presence in the PCP-dechlorinating cultures. Methanosarcina,
      Syntrophobotulus, Anaeromusa, Zoogloea, Treponema, W22 (family of
      Cloacamonaceae), and unclassified Cloacamonales were found to be the dominant
      genera during PCP dechlorination with acetate. The microbial community structure
      became relatively stable as cycles increased. Treponema, W22, and unclassified
      Cloacamonales were firstly observed to be associated with PCP dechlorination in
      the present study. Methanosarcina that have been isolated or identified in PCP
      dechlorination cultures previously was apparently enriched in the PCP
      dechlorination cultures. Additionally, the iron-cycling bacteria
      Syntrophobotulus, Anaeromusa, and Zoogloea were enriched in the PCP
      dechlorination cultures indicated they were likely to play an important role in
      PCP dechlorination. These findings increase our understanding for the microbial
      and geochemical interactions inherent in the transformation of organic
      contaminants from iron rich soil, and further extend our knowledge of the PCP
      transforming microbial communities in anaerobic soil conditions.

PMID- 28357552
TI  - XII Brazilian Congress of Pediatric Neurosurgery : April 19-22th, 2017 -
      Florianopolis, Brazil.

PMID- 28357553
TI  - Misdiagnosed syrinx in a patient with neuroschisis and Klippel-Feil syndrome:
      case report.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: Patients with Klippel-Feil syndrome can present with a myriad of
      symptoms and imaging findings. Herein, we present a case of Klippel-Feil syndrome
      that was initially misdiagnosed with syringomyelia. We review this case and
      discuss the imaging findings. CONCLUSIONS: Neuoroschisis should be suspected in
      patients with Klippel-Feil syndrome and differentiated from syringomyelia.

PMID- 28357554
TI  - Outcome of treatment after failed endoscopic third ventriculostomy (ETV) in
      infants with aqueductal stenosis: results from the International Infant
      Hydrocephalus Study (IIHS).
AB  - INTRODUCTION: After an endoscopic third ventriculostomy (ETV) fails, it is
      unclear how well subsequent treatment fares, especially in comparison to shunts
      inserted as primary treatment. In this study, we present a further analysis of
      the infants enrolled a prospective multicentre study who failed ETV and describe
      the outcome of their subsequent treatment, comparing this to those who received
      shunt as their primary treatment. METHODS: This was a post hoc analysis of data
      from the International Infant Hydrocephalus Study (IIHS)-a prospective,
      multicentre study of infants with hydrocephalus from aqueductal stenosis who
      received either an ETV or shunt. In the current analysis, we compared the results
      of the 38 infants who failed ETV and the 43 infants who received primary shunt.
      Patients were followed prospectively for time to treatment failure, defined as
      the need for repeat CSF diversion procedure (shunt or ETV) or death due to
      hydrocephalus. RESULTS: There were a total of 81 patients: 43 primary shunts, 34
      shunt post-ETV, and 4 repeat ETV. The median time between the primary ETV and the
      second intervention was 29 days (IQR 14-69), with no significant difference
      between repeat ETV and shunt post-ETV. Median length of available follow-up was
      800 days (IQR 266-1651), during which time, failure was noted in 3 (75.0%) repeat
      ETV patients, 10 (29.4%) shunt post-ETV patients, and 9 (20.9%) primary shunt
      patients. In an adjusted Cox regression model, the risk of failure was higher for
      repeat ETV compared to primary shunt, but there was no significant difference
      between primary shunt and shunt post-ETV. No other variable showed statistical
      significance. CONCLUSIONS: In our prospective study of infants with aqueductal
      stenosis, there was no significant difference in failure outcome of shunts
      inserted after a failed ETV and primary shunts. Therefore, our data do not
      support the notion that previous ETV confers either a protective or negative
      effect on subsequently-placed shunts. Larger studies, in a wider ranging
      population, are required to establish how widely these data apply. TRIAL
      REGISTRATION: NCT00652470.

PMID- 28357555
TI  - Morphological study and relations of the fascia vasto-adductoria.
AB  - The precise description of the fascia vasto-adductoria (FVA) has become an issue
      of great surgical and clinical importance. Neurovascular entrapment within the
      adductor canal (AC) may simulate many clinical conditions for cases presented
      with medial knee or leg pain and ischemic manifestations of the leg. The aim of
      the present work is to describe the morphological features of the FVA and to
      elucidate its neurovascular relations. Forty thigh specimens, pertaining to 15
      embalmed and five fresh adult human cadavers, were dissected in pursuit of this
      aim. The FVA was a continuous subsartorial fascia, roofing the whole length of AC
      and extended between two points lying at a mean distance of 25.6 and 7 cm
      proximal to the base of patella. It was subdivided into two parts; proximal thin
      quadrangular (proximal part of FVA) and distal thick pentagonal (vastoadductor
      membrane; VAM) and the subsartorial space was observed superficial to it. The
      mean length of its proximal and distal parts was 7.8 and 7.9 cm, respectively.
      The proximal part of FVA, while stretched across the vastus medialis (VM) and the
      adductor longus (AL) muscles, became attached to the wall of the femoral artery
      and overlaid the femoral vessels, the saphenous nerve (SN), and an arterial
      pedicle for VM muscle. It was constantly pierced by two arterial pedicles arising
      from the femoral artery to the sartorius muscle and occasionally (50%) by a
      communicating nerve branch arising from the SN to join the medial femoral
      cutaneous nerve. The VAM stretched across the VM muscle and both the AL and
      adductor magnus (AM) muscles and overlaid the SN, its subsartorial and lower
      medial femoral cutaneous branches, femoral vessels, 1-3 arterial pedicles for the
      sartorius and descending genicular vessels. The VAM originated from the tendinous
      fibres of the AM tendon and constantly spread anterolaterally. It was constantly
      pierced by 1-3 arterial pedicles to sartorius muscle and both the lower medial
      femoral cutaneous branch and the subsartorial branches of the SN. An arterial
      pedicle to the VM muscle and perforating veins between the superficial veins and
      the femoral vein proved to pierce it in 8/40 specimens. Entrapment of the SN at
      the distal narrow aperture of the AC, or one of its cutaneous branches at the
      piercing sites of the FVA, should be remembered when diagnosing cases presented
      with medial knee or leg pain. The attachment of the proximal part of the FVA to
      the wall of the femoral artery could add to the mechanism of its potential
      compression. True AC block should be done deep to the FVA to ensure effective SN
      analgesia. Its site is recommended to be at the distal one cm of the proximal
      part of the AC which is at a distance of 16-17 cm proximal to the base of
      patella. The VAM, being an anatomical connection between the VM and AM muscles,
      is theorized to increase the mechanical efficiency of the VM oblique muscle to
      maintain the knee extensor mechanism.

PMID- 28357556
TI  - Ossification center of the humeral shaft in the human fetus: a CT, digital, and
      statistical study.
AB  - PURPOSE: The knowledge of the development of the humeral shaft ossification
      center may be useful both in determining the fetal stage and maturity and for
      detecting congenital disorders, as well. This study was performed to
      quantitatively examine the humeral shaft ossification center with respect to its
      linear, planar, and volumetric parameters. MATERIALS AND METHOD: Using methods of
      CT, digital image analysis, and statistics, the size of the humeral shaft
      ossification center in 48 spontaneously aborted human fetuses aged 17-30 weeks
      was studied. RESULTS: With no sex differences, the best-fit growth dynamics for
      the humeral shaft ossification center was modeled by the following functions: y =
      -78.568 + 34.114 * ln (age) +/- 2.160 for its length, y = -12.733 + 5.654 *
      ln(age) +/- 0.515 for its proximal transverse diameter, y = -4.750 + 2.609 * ln
      (age) +/- 0.294 for its middle transverse diameter, y = -10.037 + 4.648 * ln
      (age) +/- 0.560 for its distal transverse diameter, y = -146.601 + 11.237 * age
      +/- 19.907 for its projection surface area, and y = 121.159 + 0.001 * (age)4 +/-
      102.944 for its volume. CONCLUSIONS: With no sex differences, the ossification
      center of the humeral shaft grows logarithmically with respect to its length and
      transverse diameters, linearly with respect to its projection surface area, and
      fourth-degree polynomially with respect to its volume. The obtained morphometric
      data of the humeral shaft ossification center are considered normative for
      respective prenatal weeks and may be of relevance in both the estimation of fetal
      ages and the ultrasonic diagnostics of congenital defects.

PMID- 28357557
TI  - Single bolus low-dose of ketamine does not prevent postpartum depression: a
      randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, prospective clinical trial.
AB  - PURPOSE: Postpartum depression is a common complication of childbirth. In the
      last decade, it has been suggested that subdissociative-dose ketamine is a fast
      acting antidepressant. We aimed to investigate the efficacy of low-dose ketamine
      administered during caesarean section in preventing postpartum depression.
      METHODS: Using a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled design, 330
      parturients who were scheduled to undergo caesarean section were enrolled in this
      trial. The parturients were randomly assigned to receive intravenous ketamine
      (0.25 mg/kg diluted to 10 mL with 0.9% saline) or placebo (10 mL of 0.9% saline)
      within 5 min following clamping of the neonatal umbilical cord. The primary
      outcome was the degree of depression, which was evaluated using the Edinburgh
      Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS) (a threshold of 9/10 was used) at 3 days and 6
      weeks after delivery. The secondary outcome was the numeric rating scale score of
      pain at 3 day and 6 week postpartum. RESULTS: No significant differences were
      found in the prevalence of postpartum depression between the two groups at 3 days
      and 6 weeks after delivery. The pain scores measured at 3 days postoperatively
      were not significantly different between the groups, whereas the scores measured
      at 6 week postpartum were significantly reduced in the treatment group compared
      with the saline group (P = 0.014). CONCLUSIONS: Intra-operative low-dose ketamine
      (0.25 mg/kg) does not have a preventive effect on postpartum depression.

PMID- 28357558
TI  - Effects and safety of GnRH-a as a luteal support in women undertaking assisted
      reproductive technology procedures: follow-up results for pregnancy, delivery,
      and neonates.
AB  - PURPOSE: To investigate the effects and safety of gonadotropin releasing hormone
      analogue (GnRH-a) as an addition to progesterone luteal support in women who
      underwent in vitro fertilization/intracytoplasmic sperm injection-embryo transfer
      (IVF/ICSI-ET) and achieved a clinical pregnancy. METHODS: A retrospective
      analysis was conducted on 214 patients who underwent IVF/ICSI-ET procedures with
      standard long mid-luteal protocol, of which 123 received GnRH-a-free protocol and
      91 received GnRH-a-added protocol. The patients' pregnancy and delivery course,
      and their neonates' status at birth and growth/development after birth were
      statistically compared. RESULTS: There was no significant difference between both
      study groups regarding embryo risks and maternal complications during early
      pregnancy. as well as fetal risks during the middle and late stages and neonate
      risks during birth, except that the twin pregnancies of the GnRH-a-added group
      had a considerably greater male/female ratio, and a significantly higher rate of
      premature delivery and low birth weight than those of the GnRH-a-free group. In
      addition, there was no significant difference in neonate risks within 2 years
      after birth between both cohorts. CONCLUSION: With precautions taken to control
      the number of implanted embryos and reduce the incidence of twinning pregnancy,
      the addition of GnRH-a to luteal support is relatively safe and effective.

PMID- 28357559
TI  - The role of transvaginal ultrasonography for detecting ovarian cancer in an
      asymptomatic screening population: a systematic review.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: The purpose of this study was to systematically analyze the effect
      of transvaginal ultrasonography in an asymptomatic female population as an annual
      screening procedure with regard to mortality data. Studies were evaluated
      descriptively on their strengths and weaknesses considering the methods and
      results. METHODS: We evaluated 632 international studies by selecting only
      randomized controlled trials (RCTs). Three RCTs concerning transvaginal
      ultrasonography were found, performed in Japan, the USA, and Great Britain.
      DISCUSSION: Currently, no clear recommendation for the screening for ovarian
      cancer in an asymptomatic population can be given based on these three studies.
      The authors could not show a change in mortality using transvaginal
      ultrasonography for annual screening. CONCLUSION: An annual palpation does not
      offer a beneficial effect. The development of new ultrasound machines with higher
      image resolution in combination with a well-standardized algorithm for ovarian
      cancer in upcoming years might provide an improvement regarding mortality. The
      current studies do not show a benefit in screening an asymptomatic population
      annually with transvaginal ultrasonography, but the most recent publication
      showed a trend toward lower mortality in patients who underwent screening after 7
      14 years of follow-up. Nevertheless, all three heterogeneous RCTs had weaknesses
      in their methods and therefore they neither contradict the general recommendation
      for screening in an asymptomatic population nor do they support it.

PMID- 28357560
TI  - Maternal and neonatal outcomes after induction of labor: a population-based
      study.
AB  - PURPOSE: To evaluate maternal and neonatal outcomes at and beyond term associated
      with induction of labor compared to spontaneous onset of labor stratified by week
      of gestational age. METHODS: In this retrospective cohort study, data form
      402,960 singleton pregnancies from the Austria Perinatal Registry were used to
      estimate odds ratios of secondary cesarean delivery, operative vaginal delivery,
      epidural analgesia, fetal scalp blood testing, episiotomy, 3rd/4th-degree
      lacerations, retained placenta, 5-min APGAR <7, umbilical artery pH <7.1, and
      admission to neonatal intensive care unit. Multivariate logistic regression
      models based on deliveries with gestational age >=37 + 0 were applied for
      adjustment for possible confounders. RESULTS: Induction of labor was associated
      with increased odds for cesarean delivery (adjusted OR; 99% confidence interval:
      1.53; 1.45-1.60), operative vaginal delivery (1.21; 1.15-1.27), epidural
      analgesia (2.12; 2.03-2.22), fetal scalp blood testing (1.40; 1.28-1.52),
      retained placenta (1.32; 1.22-1.41), 5-min APGAR <7 (1.55; 1.27-1.89), umbilical
      artery pH <7.1 (1.26; 1.15-1.38), and admission to neonatal intensive care unit
      (1.41; 1.31-1.51). In a subgroup of induction of labor with the indication, "post
      term pregnancy" induction was similarly associated with adverse outcomes.
      CONCLUSIONS: In Austria, induction of labor is associated with increased odds of
      adverse maternal and neonatal outcomes. However, due to residual confounding,
      currently, no recommendations for treatment can be derived.

PMID- 28357561
TI  - Laparoendoscopic single-site surgery versus conventional laparoscopy for
      hysterectomy: a systematic review and meta-analysis.
AB  - PURPOSE: To assess the safety and effectiveness of LESS compared to conventional
      hysterectomy. METHODS: The systematic review and meta-analysis was performed
      according to the MOOSE guideline, and quality of evidence was assessed using
      GRADE. Different databases were searched up to 4th of August 2016. Randomized
      controlled trials and cohort studies comparing LESS to the conventional
      laparoscopic hysterectomy were considered for inclusion. RESULTS: Of the 668
      unique articles, 23 were found relevant. We investigated safety by analyzing the
      complication rate and found no significant differences between both groups [OR
      0.94 (0.61, 1.44), I 2 = 19%]. We assessed effectiveness by analyzing conversion
      risk, postoperative pain, and patient satisfaction. For conversion rates to
      laparotomy, no differences were identified [OR 1.60 (0.40, 6.38), I 2 = 45%]. In
      3.5% of the cases in the LESS group, an additional port was needed during LESS.
      For postoperative pain scores and patient satisfaction, some of the included
      studies reported favorable results for LESS, but the clinical relevance was non
      significant. Concerning secondary outcomes, only a difference in operative time
      was found in favor of the conventional group [MD 11.3 min (5.45-17.17), I 2 =
      89%]. The quality of evidence for our primary outcomes was low or very low due to
      the study designs and lack of power for the specified outcomes. Therefore,
      caution is urged when interpreting the results. CONCLUSION: The single-port
      technique for benign hysterectomy is feasible, safe, and equally effective
      compared to the conventional technique. No clinically relevant advantages were
      identified, and as no data on cost effectiveness are available, there are
      currently not enough valid arguments to broadly implement LESS for hysterectomy.

PMID- 28357563
TI  - The association of psychopathology with concurrent level of functioning and
      subjective well-being in persons with schizophrenia spectrum disorders.
AB  - The objective is to investigate the relationship between psychopathology measured
      by the positive and negative syndrome scale (PANSS) and concurrent global
      assessment of functioning (GAF) and subjective well-being under neuroleptics
      (SWN) in patients with schizophrenia spectrum disorder (SSD) regarding severity
      of illness and disease phase. We analyzed a sample of 202 SSD patients consisting
      of first episode psychosis (FEP) and multiple episode psychosis (MEP) patients
      followed up to 12 months using linear mixed models. All PANSS syndromes except
      excitement were associated with GAF scores (positive syndrome: p < 0.001, d =
      1.21; negative syndrome: p = 0.029, d = 0.015; disorganized syndrome: p < 0.001,
      d = 0.37; anxiety/depression syndrome: p < 0.001, d = 0.49), and positive
      symptoms had an increasing impact on global functioning with higher severity of
      illness (mildly ill: p = 0.039, d = 0.22; moderately ill: p < 0.001, d = 0.28;
      severely ill: p < 0.001, d = 0.69). SWN was associated with positive (p = 0.002,
      d = 0.22) and anxiety/depression (p < 0.001, d = 0.38) syndromes. Subgroup
      analyses showed differing patterns depending on illness severity and phase. Over
      all our results show different patterns of associations of psychopathology and
      concurrent functioning and subjective well-being. These findings contribute
      knowledge on the possible role of specific psychopathological syndromes for the
      functioning and well-being of our patients and may enable tailored treatments
      depending on severity and phase of illness.

PMID- 28357562
TI  - In vivo imaging of oxidative stress and fronto-limbic white matter integrity in
      young adults with mood disorders.
AB  - Fronto-limbic connectivity is compromised in mood disorders, as reflected by
      impairments in white matter (WM) integrity revealed by diffusion tensor imaging.
      Although the underlying mechanisms remain unclear, disruption to normal
      myelination due to oxidative stress is thought to play a key role. We aimed to
      determine whether fronto-limbic WM integrity is compromised, and associated with
      in vivo antioxidant levels (indexed by glutathione; GSH), in young adults with
      unipolar depression (DEP) and bipolar (BD) disorders. Ninety-four patients with
      DEP, 76 with BD and 59 healthy controls (18-30 years) underwent diffusion tensor
      and proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy imaging. Fractional anisotropy (FA)
      was calculated from the cingulum bundle (cingulate, hippocampus), fornix, stria
      terminalis (ST) and uncinate fasciculus tracts. GSH concentration was measured in
      anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) and hippocampus (HIPP). Compared to controls, DEP
      showed significantly reduced FA in ST, whereas BD did not significantly differ in
      FA across the five tracts. There were significant positive correlations between
      ST-FA and HIPP-GSH across groups. Regression analysis revealed that having DEP or
      BD and reduced HIPP-GSH were significantly associated with reduced ST-FA.
      Similarly, decreased ST-FA was associated with poorer neuropsychological
      performance in conjunction with having DEP. Our findings suggest a structural
      disconnectivity specific to the limbic region of young adults with DEP. Decreased
      WM integrity was associated with depleted levels of hippocampal GSH suggesting
      that this particular disruption may be linked to oxidative stress at early stages
      of illness. Young adults with BD do not have the same degree of impairment.

PMID- 28357565
TI  - Anti-glomerular basement membrane glomerulonephritis with thrombotic
      microangiopathy: a case report.

PMID- 28357564
TI  - The use of nonhuman primate models to understand processes in Parkinson's
      disease.
AB  - Research with animal models has led to critical health advances that have saved
      or improved the lives of millions of human beings. Specifically, nonhuman
      primate's genetic and anatomo-physiological similarities to humans are especially
      important for understanding processes like Parkinson's disease, which only occur
      in humans. Unambiguously, the unique contribution made by nonhuman primate
      research to our understanding of Parkinson's disease is widely recognized. For
      example, monkeys with 1-methyl-4-phenyl-1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine (MPTP)
      parkinsonisms are responsive to dopamine replacement therapies, mimicking what is
      seen in PD patients. Moreover, groundbreaking neuroanatomical and
      electrophysiological studies using this monkey model in the 1980s and 1990s
      enabled researchers to identify the neuronal circuits responsible for the
      cardinal motor features of PD. This led to the development of subthalamic
      surgical ablation and deep brain stimulation, the current therapeutic gold
      standard for neurosurgical treatment. More recently, the mechanisms of alpha
      synuclein spreading testing the prion hypothesis for PD have yielded exciting
      results. In this review, we discuss and highlight how the findings from nonhuman
      primate research contribute to our understanding of idiopathic Parkinson's
      disease.

PMID- 28357567
TI  - Emetine induces estrogen receptor alpha degradation and prevents 17beta-estradiol
      induced breast cancer cell proliferation.

PMID- 28357566
TI  - Mutant TDP-43 within motor neurons drives disease onset but not progression in
      amyotrophic lateral sclerosis.
AB  - Mutations in TDP-43 cause amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), a fatal paralytic
      disease characterized by degeneration and premature death of motor neurons. The
      contribution of mutant TDP-43-mediated damage within motor neurons was evaluated
      using mice expressing a conditional allele of an ALS-causing TDP-43 mutant
      (Q331K) whose broad expression throughout the central nervous system mimics
      endogenous TDP-43. TDP-43Q331K mice develop age- and mutant-dependent motor
      deficits from degeneration and death of motor neurons. Cre-recombinase-mediated
      excision of the TDP-43Q331K gene from motor neurons is shown to delay onset of
      motor symptoms and appearance of TDP-43-mediated aberrant nuclear morphology, and
      abrogate subsequent death of motor neurons. However, reduction of mutant TDP-43
      selectively in motor neurons did not prevent age-dependent degeneration of axons
      and neuromuscular junction loss, nor did it attenuate astrogliosis or
      microgliosis. Thus, disease mechanism is non-cell autonomous with mutant TDP-43
      expressed in motor neurons determining disease onset but progression defined by
      mutant acting within other cell types.

PMID- 28357568
TI  - High-resolution metal artifact reduction MR imaging of the lumbosacral plexus in
      patients with metallic implants.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: To assess the quality and accuracy of metal artifact reduction
      sequence (MARS) magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) for the diagnosis of lumbosacral
      neuropathies in patients with metallic implants in the pelvis. MATERIALS AND
      METHODS: Twenty-two subjects with lumbosacral neuropathy following pelvic
      instrumentation underwent 1.5-T MARS MRI including optimized axial intermediate
      weighted and STIR turbo spin echo sequences extending from L5 to the ischial
      tuberosity. Two readers graded the visibility of the lumbosacral trunk, sciatic,
      femoral, lateral femoral cutaneous, and obturator nerves and the nerve signal
      intensity of nerve, architecture, caliber, course, continuity, and skeletal
      muscle denervation. Clinical examination and electrodiagnostic studies were used
      as the standard of reference. Descriptive, agreement, and diagnostic performance
      statistics were applied. RESULTS: Lumbosacral plexus visibility on MARS MRI was
      good (4) or very good (3) in 92% of cases with 81% exact agreement and a
      Kendall's W coefficient of 0.811. The obturator nerve at the obturator foramen
      and the sciatic nerve posterior to the acetabulum had the lowest visibility, with
      good or very good ratings in only 61% and 77% of cases respectively. The reader
      agreement for nerve abnormalities on MARS MRI was excellent, ranging from 95.5 to
      100%. MARS MRI achieved a sensitivity of 86%, specificity of 67%, positive
      predictive value of 95%, and negative predictive value of 40%, and accuracy of
      83% for the detection of neuropathy. CONCLUSION: MARS MRI yields high image
      quality and diagnostic accuracy for the assessment of lumbosacral neuropathies in
      patients with metallic implants of the pelvis and hips.

PMID- 28357570
TI  - Sodium Tetradecyl Sulfate-Induced Acute Allergic Interstitial Nephritis.

PMID- 28357569
TI  - Leukemic stem cells: identification and clinical application.
AB  - Leukemic stem cells (LSCs) in acute myeloid leukemia (AML) represent a low
      frequency subpopulation of leukemia cells that possess stem cell properties
      distinct from the bulk leukemia cells, including self-renewal capacity and drug
      resistance. Due to these properties, LSCs are supposed to facilitate the
      development of relapse. The existence of LSCs is demonstrated by the ability to
      engraft and initiate human AML in immune-compromised mouse models. Although
      several lines of evidence suggest the complex heterogeneity of phenotypes
      displayed by LSC, many studies consider the CD34+/CD38- compartment as the most
      relevant. To increase the understanding of the true LSC, techniques such as
      multicolor flow cytometry, side-population assay and ALDH assay are utilized in
      many laboratories and could aid in this. A better understanding of different LSC
      phenotypes is necessary to enhance risk group classification, guide clinical
      decision-making and to identify new therapeutic targets. These efforts to
      eliminate LSC should ultimately improve the dismal AML outcome by preventing
      relapse development.

PMID- 28357571
TI  - Predicting Treatment Response of Colorectal Cancer Liver Metastases to
      Conventional Lipiodol-Based Transarterial Chemoembolization Using Diffusion
      Weighted MR Imaging: Value of Pretreatment Apparent Diffusion Coefficients (ADC)
      and ADC Changes Under Therapy.
AB  - PURPOSE: To use absolute pretreatment apparent diffusion coefficients (ADC)
      derived from diffusion-weighted MR imaging (DWI) to predict response to
      repetitive cTACE for unresectable liver metastases of colorectal carcinoma (CRLM)
      at 1 and 3 months after start of treatment. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Fifty-five
      metastases in 34 patients were examined with DWI prior to treatment and 1 month
      after initial cTACE. Treatment was performed in 4-week intervals. Response was
      evaluated at 1 and 3 months after start of therapy. Metastases showing a decrease
      of >=30% in axial diameter were classified as responding lesions. RESULTS: One
      month after initial cTACE, seven lesions showed early response. There was no
      significant difference in absolute pretreatment ADC values between responding and
      non-responding lesions (p = 0.94). Three months after initial cTACE, 17
      metastases showed response. There was a significant difference (p = 0.021)
      between absolute pretreatment ADC values of lesions showing response (median 1.08
      * 10-3 mm2/s) and no response (median 1.30 * 10-3 mm2/s). Pretreatment ADC showed
      fair diagnostic value to predict response (AUC 0.7). Lesions showing response at
      3 months also revealed a significant increase in ADC between measurements before
      treatment and at one month after initial cTACE (p < 0.001). Applying an increase
      in ADC of 12.17%, response at 3 months after initial cTACE could be predicted
      with a sensitivity and specificity of 77 and 74%, respectively (AUC 0.817).
      Furthermore, there was a strong and significant correlation (r = 0.651, p <
      0.001) between percentage change in size after third cTACE and percentage change
      in ADC. CONCLUSION: In patients with CRLM, ADC measurements are potential
      biomarkers for assessing response to cTACE.

PMID- 28357572
TI  - Safety and Efficacy of Y-90 Radioembolization After Prior Major Hepatic
      Resection.
AB  - PURPOSE: To evaluate the safety and efficacy of yttrium-90 radioembolization (RE)
      following left or right hepatic lobectomy. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Between 2011
      and 2016, 15 patients underwent RE with Y90-resin microspheres following right
      (8/15) or left (7/15) hepatic lobectomy. In eight patients, the whole liver
      remnant was treated during a single session, whereas the remaining seven patients
      received up to 3 selective RE at 1- to 2-month intervals. The administered
      patient activity was calculated based on the body surface area (BSA) method in
      all cases. In addition, CT-based volumetry of the liver remnant was performed and
      used to calculate the absorbed liver dose. Patient follow-up data were
      retrospectively analyzed regarding signs of radioembolization-induced liver
      disease (REILD), defined as occurrence of bilirubin >3.0 mg/dl and ascites within
      1-2 months after treatment without tumor progression or bile duct occlusion.
      RESULTS: The mean volume of the liver remnant was 1.471 +/- 341 ml, the mean
      administered amount of activity amounted to 1.31 +/- 0.74 GBq, and the calculated
      mean absorbed dose was 42.8 +/- 20.6 Gy. The early response to treatment was
      generally positive, with only one patient showing signs of progressive disease of
      the treated area on follow-up examinations within the first 2 months post-RE.
      None of the 15 patients developed a REILD. CONCLUSION: Y-90 radioembolization
      following extended hepatic lobectomy appears to be safe and effective. Although
      the standard BSA-based dosing seems to suffice to avoid REILD, it results in
      quite variable liver doses due to variable hypertrophy of the liver remnant post
      hepatectomy. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Level IV, Case series.

PMID- 28357574
TI  - Percutaneous Imaging-Guided Screw Fixation of Osteoporotic Transverse Fractures
      of the Lower Sacrum with Cement Augmentation: Report of 2 Cases.
AB  - Osteoporotic fractures of the sacrum usually involve the sacral ala and can be
      managed with percutaneous cementoplasty if conservative therapy failed to achieve
      bone consolidation. On the other hand, isolated transverse fractures of the
      lowest sacrum are more rare, with little literature focusing on their management
      in the osteoporotic population. If pseudoarthrosis occurs in this location,
      sacroplasty is not an optimal therapeutic option because of the poor
      biomechanical resistance of cement to multi-directional stresses. Hence, we
      report two cases of chronic unhealed transverse fractures of the lowest sacrum
      successfully managed with percutaneous image-guided screw fixation augmented with
      cement injection. At last follow-up available, both patients experienced complete
      pain relief, without evidences of failure of the osteosynthesis on CT-scan
      controls.

PMID- 28357573
TI  - Retrospective Evaluation of Safety, Efficacy and Risk Factors for Pneumothorax in
      Simultaneous Localizations of Multiple Pulmonary Nodules Using Hook Wire System.
AB  - PURPOSE: To evaluate the safety and efficacy of the hook wire system in the
      simultaneous localizations for multiple pulmonary nodules (PNs) before video
      assisted thoracoscopic surgery (VATS), and to clarify the risk factors for
      pneumothorax associated with the localization procedure. METHODS: Between January
      2010 and February 2016, 67 patients (147 nodules, Group A) underwent simultaneous
      localizations for multiple PNs using a hook wire system. The demographic,
      localization procedure-related information and the occurrence rate of
      pneumothorax were assessed and compared with a control group (349 patients, 349
      nodules, Group B). Multivariate logistic regression analyses were used to
      determine the risk factors for pneumothorax during the localization procedure.
      RESULTS: All the 147 nodules were successfully localized. Four (2.7%) hook wires
      dislodged before VATS procedure, but all these four lesions were successfully
      resected according to the insertion route of hook wire. Pathological diagnoses
      were acquired for all 147 nodules. Compared with Group B, Group A demonstrated
      significantly longer procedure time (p < 0.001) and higher occurrence rate of
      pneumothorax (p = 0.019). Multivariate logistic regression analysis indicated
      that position change during localization procedure (OR 2.675, p = 0.021) and the
      nodules located in the ipsilateral lung (OR 9.404, p < 0.001) were independent
      risk factors for pneumothorax. CONCLUSION: Simultaneous localizations for
      multiple PNs using a hook wire system before VATS procedure were safe and
      effective. Compared with localization for single PN, simultaneous localizations
      for multiple PNs were prone to the occurrence of pneumothorax. Position change
      during localization procedure and the nodules located in the ipsilateral lung
      were independent risk factors for pneumothorax.

PMID- 28357575
TI  - Ultrasound-Guided Biopsies of Bone Lesions Without Cortical Disruption Using
      Fusion Imaging and Needle Tracking: Proof of Concept.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: To assess the technical feasibility and safety of combined fusion
      imaging and needle tracking under ultrasound guidance to target bone lesions
      without cortical disruption. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Between January 2016 and
      March 2016, seven patients underwent US-guided biopsy of bone lesions without
      cortical disruption. Targeted bone lesions were measuring more than 1.5 cm with a
      thin cortex, a trans-osseous pathway not exceeding 2 cm and without any adjacent
      vulnerable structures. First three procedures were performed in the CT suite to
      aid the needle tracking where necessary (group 1), the remaining four procedures
      were performed in the US suite (group 2). In group 1, deviation from the real
      position of the bone trocar (estimated on CT) was compared to the virtual
      position (estimated on the fusion CT-US images). In both group, procedure data
      and histopathological results were collected, and compared to the suspected
      diagnosis and follow-up. RESULTS: Mean procedure duration was 44 min. Total
      number of synchronisation points for combined fusion imaging were 3.3 on average.
      In group 1, mean deviation between the virtual and real CT coordinates was 5.3 mm
      on average. All biopsies yielded adequate quality analysable bone sample.
      Histopathological analysis revealed malignancy in three cases, non-specific
      inflammation in two cases, and normal bone in two cases. The four benign results
      were confirmed as true negative results. There were no immediate or post
      procedural complications. CONCLUSION: The use of combined fusion imaging and
      needle tracking ultrasound guidance to target bone lesions without cortical
      disruption seems technically feasible, provided the patient and lesion selection
      is appropriate.

PMID- 28357576
TI  - A Novel External Carotid Arterial Sheath System for Intra-arterial Infusion
      Chemotherapy of Head and Neck Cancer.
AB  - PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to describe a novel system for treating
      advanced head and neck cancer consisting of an external carotid arterial sheath
      (ECAS) and a microcatheter to inject drugs retrogradely into multiple feeding
      arteries through the superficial temporal artery (STA). MATERIALS AND METHODS:
      Four consecutive patients with head and neck cancer that had more than one
      feeding artery were enrolled in this study. The ECAS was made of polyurethane and
      surface-coated with heparin resin to prevent thrombus formation, allowing it to
      remain in place for a prolonged period of time. The ECAS was inserted through the
      STA, and its tip was placed between the maxillary artery and facial artery. The
      tumor-feeding arteries were selected using a hooked-shaped microcatheter through
      the ECAS. RESULTS: A total of 13 target arteries were selected in the four
      patients. The microcatheter inserted via the ECAS was used to catheterize ten
      arteries (five lingual arteries and five facial arteries). The remaining three
      lingual arteries were directly selected by the catheter without ECAS. All of the
      target arteries were able to be catheterized superselectively. The technical
      success rate was 100%. Vascular occlusion, which might have been caused by the
      ECAS, was observed in one patient. No neurologic toxicities occurred. CONCLUSION:
      This ECAS system is a new approach for retrograde superselective intra-arterial
      chemotherapy that covers the entire tumor with anticancer drugs. It has the
      potential to increase the effectiveness of therapy for advanced head and neck
      cancer. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Level 4, Case Series.

PMID- 28357577
TI  - A comparison of two methods for quantifying parasitic nematode fecundity.
AB  - Accurate measures of nematode fecundity can provide important information for
      investigating parasite life history evolution, transmission potential, and
      effects on host health. Understanding differences among fecundity assessment
      protocols and standardizing methods, where possible, will enable comparisons
      across different studies and host and parasite species and systems. Using the
      trichostrongyle nematode Cooperia fuelleborni isolated from wild African buffalo
      (Syncerus caffer), we compared egg recovery and enumeration between two methods
      for measuring the fecundity of female worms. The first method, in utero egg
      count, involves visual enumeration of the eggs via microscopic inspection of the
      uterine system. The second method, ex utero egg count, involves dissolving the
      same specimens from above in a sodium chloride solution to release the eggs from
      the female's uterus, then enumeration under an inverted microscope. On average,
      the ex utero method resulted in 34% more eggs than the in utero method. However,
      results indicate that the two methods used to quantify parasitic nematode
      fecundity are highly correlated. Thus, while both methods are viable options for
      estimating relative nematode fecundity, we recommend caution in undertaking
      comparative studies that utilize egg count data collected using different
      methods.

PMID- 28357578
TI  - Effect of fatty acid interaction on myoglobin oxygen affinity and triglyceride
      metabolism.
AB  - Recent studies have suggested myoglobin (Mb) may have other cellular functions in
      addition to storing and transporting O2. Indeed, NMR experiments have shown that
      the saturated fatty acid (FA) palmitate (PA) can interact with myoglobin (Mb) in
      its ligated state (MbCO and MbCN) but does not interact with Mb in its
      deoxygenated state. The observation has led to the hypothesis that Mb can also
      serve as a fatty acid transporter. The present study further investigates fatty
      acid interaction with the physiological states of Mb using the more soluble but
      unsaturated fatty acid, oleic acid (OA). OA binds to MbCO but does not bind to
      deoxy Mb. OA binding to Mb, however, does not alter its O2 affinity. Without any
      Mb, muscle has a significantly lower level of triglyceride (TG). In Mb knock-out
      (MbKO) mice, both heart and skeletal muscles have lower level of TG relative to
      the control mice. Training further decreases the relative TG in the MbKO skeletal
      muscle. Nevertheless, the absence of Mb and lower TG level in muscle does not
      impair the MbKO mouse performance as evidenced by voluntary wheel running
      measurements. The results support the hypothesis of a complex physiological role
      for Mb, especially with respect to fatty acid metabolism.

PMID- 28357579
TI  - Epithelial cell types and their proposed roles in maintaining the mucosal barrier
      in human chagasic-megacolonic mucosa.
AB  - Patients suffering from chagasic megacolon must have an intact mucosal barrier as
      they survive this chronic disease for decades. A key structure of the mucosal
      barrier are epithelial cells. Vasoactive-intestinal-peptide (VIP)-positive nerve
      fibres are involved in influencing, e.g., epithelial cell proliferation, mucus
      secretion (e.g., mucin 2 and trefoil factor 3 of goblet cells) and inflammation
      or autoimmunity, all putative and/or known factors altered in chagasic megacolon.
      We analyzed qualitatively and quantitatively goblet cells, their specific
      markers, such as mucin 2 (MUC2) and trefoil factor 3 (TFF3) and enterocytes, the
      relation of VIP-immunoreactive nerve fibres to the epithelia, the distribution of
      gelsolin, a protein involved in chronic inflammation processes in the epithelia,
      and the proliferation rate of epithelial cells by combined 4',6-diamidino-2
      phenylindole (DAPI) and phosphohistone-H3 (PHH3) staining. Goblet cells were the
      dominating epithelial cell type. They accounted for 38.4% of all epithelial cells
      in controls and changed to 58.9% in the megacolonic parts. In contrast to the
      overall expression in goblet cells of control epithelia, TFF3 was confined to
      goblet cells at the base of the crypts whereas MUC2 was found only in luminal
      goblet cells. Gelsolin-positive goblet cells were predominantly recognized within
      the controls. Finally, the mean value of mitosis increased from 1.5% within the
      controls up to 2.6% in the anal parts of the chagasic sepcimens. Taken together,
      increased cell proliferation, preponderance of goblet cells, differential MUC 2,
      and TFF 3 expression might all be factors maintaining an intact mucosal barrier
      within chagasic megacolon.

PMID- 28357580
TI  - The relationship between oxygen uptake kinetics and neuromuscular fatigue in high
      intensity cycling exercise.
AB  - PURPOSE: In theory, a slow oxygen uptake ([Formula: see text]) kinetics leads to
      a greater accumulation of anaerobic by-products, which can, in turn, induce more
      neuromuscular fatigue. However, the existence of this relationship has never been
      tested. METHODS: After two sessions to measure peak [Formula: see text], peak
      power output (POpeak), and [Formula: see text] kinetics responses in the
      unfatigued state (tau [Formula: see text] MOD), 10 healthy young adults performed
      a 6-min cycling bout at 80% POpeak (INT6-min). [Formula: see text] kinetics
      responses were also measured during INT6-min. Neuromuscular fatigue was measured
      isometrically pre- and post-INT6-min (immediately post- and 15-s post-INT6-min)
      with an innovative cycle ergometer. RESULTS: Maximal voluntary contraction (MVC)
      force, high-frequency doublet amplitude, and the ratio of low- to high-frequency
      doublet amplitudes decreased by 34 +/- 7, 43 +/- 11, and 31 +/- 13%, respectively
      (all P < 0.01). A significant Spearman's rank correlation was observed between
      the change in low-frequency doublet force (DeltaDb10) immediately after INT6-min
      and both tau [Formula: see text] MOD and tau [Formula: see text] INT6-min (rho = 
      0.68 and rho = -0.67, both P < 0.05). When considering the largest responses from
      the two neuromuscular evaluations post-INT6-min, significant correlations were
      also found between tau [Formula: see text] MOD and DeltaDb10 (rho = -0.74; P <
      0.05) and between tau[Formula: see text] INT6-min and both DeltaDb10 and low
      frequency fatigue (rho = -0.70 and rho = -0.66; both P < 0.05). CONCLUSION: The
      present results suggest that subjects with slow [Formula: see text] kinetics
      experience more peripheral fatigue, in particular more excitation-contraction
      coupling failure, likely due to a greater accumulation of protons and/or
      inorganic phosphates.

PMID- 28357581
TI  - Malaria: An Update.
AB  - India is endemic for malaria with unstable transmission inhibiting the
      development of immunity and predisposing all age groups to the disease. Children
      under five are the greatest sufferers with maximum mortality. P. falciparum and
      P. vivax cause majority of cases. Fever is the cardinal symptom, though no set of
      signs and symptoms reliably distinguishes malaria from other causes of fever. In
      all suspected cases parasitological diagnosis should be confirmed before starting
      the treatment. Microscopy of blood smears is the gold standard for diagnosis.
      Rapid diagnostic tests are to be used where microscopy results are not available
      within 24 h. In complicated malaria and high risk patients like HIV, treatment
      can be commenced before confirmation, though all efforts to establish the
      diagnosis should be made. Chloroquine is used for uncomplicated vivax malaria
      while artemisinin based combination therapy (ACTs) is used for uncomplicated
      falciparum malaria. For complicated malaria, IV artesunate is the drug of choice
      irrespective of the Plasmodium species. It is important to follow recommendations
      diligently to decrease morbidity and mortality due to malaria and to avoid the
      problem of drug resistance. The gains of the past decade should be scaled up to
      make malaria elimination and eradication a reality.

PMID- 28357582
TI  - Management of Hodgkins Lymphoma: ICMR Consensus Document.
AB  - Pediatric Hodgkins lymphoma is a highly curable disease even in the developing
      world. Current treatment paradigms follow a risk and response based approach. The
      goal is to minimise treatment related short and long-term toxicity while
      maintaining excellent survival. A confirmed histopathological diagnosis and full
      staging work-up are essential prior to embarking on treatment and guidelines for
      these are provided in the text. All patients require combination chemotherapy
      while radiotherapy is usually reserved for a select subgroup depending on the
      protocol used. It is important to follow these patients for relapse in the first
      five years and life-long for late effects as most of them will be cured.

PMID- 28357583
TI  - Motor exam of patients with spinal cord injury: a terminological imbroglio.
AB  - The description of the motor deficit of patients with spinal cord injury (SCI)
      varies significantly, leading to confusion within the neurological terminology.
      This paper proposes a concise and easy to use terminology to describe the motor
      deficit of patients with SCI. A broad review of the origin of the nomenclature
      used to describe the motor deficit of patients with SCI was performed and
      discussed. The prefix: "hemi" should be used to describe paralysis of one half of
      the body; "mono" for one limb; "para" for lower limbs, di" for two symmetrical
      segments and/or parts in both sides of the body; "tri" for three limbs, or two
      limbs and one side of the face; and "tetra" for four limbs. The suffix: "plegia"
      should be used for total paralysis of a limb or part of the body, and "paresis"
      for partial paralysis. The term "brachial" refers to the upper limbs; and "podal"
      to the lower limbs. According to the spinal cord origin of the main key muscles
      for the limbs, patients with complete injury affecting spinal cord segments C1-5
      usually presents with "tetraplegia"; C6-T1 presents with "paraplegia and brachial
      diparesis"; T2-L2 with "paraplegia"; and L3-S1 with "paraparesis".

PMID- 28357585
TI  - Uneven cerebral hemodynamic change as a cause of neurological deterioration in
      the acute stage after direct revascularization for moyamoya disease: cerebral
      hyperperfusion and remote ischemia caused by the 'watershed shift'.
AB  - Superficial temporal artery-middle cerebral artery (STA-MCA) anastomosis is the
      standard surgical treatment for moyamoya disease (MMD). The main potential
      complications of this treatment are cerebral hyperperfusion (CHP) syndrome and
      ischemia, and their managements are contradictory to each other. We
      retrospectively investigated the incidence of the simultaneous manifestation of
      CHP and infarction after surgery for MMD. Of the 162 consecutive direct
      revascularization surgeries performed for MMD, we encountered two adult cases
      (1.2%) manifesting the simultaneous occurrence of symptomatic CHP and remote
      infarction in the acute stage. A 47-year-old man initially presenting with
      infarction developed CHP syndrome (aphasia) 2 days after left STA-MCA
      anastomosis, as assessed by quantitative single-photon emission computed
      tomography (SPECT). Although lowering blood pressure ameliorated his symptoms, he
      developed cerebral infarction at a remote area in the acute stage. Another 63
      year-old man, who initially had progressing stroke, presented with aphasia due to
      focal CHP in the left temporal lobe associated with acute infarction at the tip
      of the left frontal lobe 1 day after left STA-MCA anastomosis, when SPECT showed
      a paradoxical decrease in cerebral blood flow (CBF) in the left frontal lobe
      despite a marked increase in CBF at the site of anastomosis. Symptoms were
      ameliorated in both patients with the normalization of CBF, and there were no
      further cerebrovascular events during the follow-up period. CHP and cerebral
      infarction may occur simultaneously not only due to blood pressure lowering
      against CHP, but also to the 'watershed shift' phenomenon, which needs to be
      elucidated in future studies.

PMID- 28357586
TI  - Behavioral inhibition system sensitivity enhances motor cortex suppression when
      watching fearful body expressions.
AB  - Influential theories suggest that a defensive behavioral inhibition system (BIS)
      supports the inhibition of action tendencies when facing potential threats.
      However, little is known about threat-related inhibitory mechanisms in humans and
      their relations to inter-individual differences in BIS sensitivity. To address
      this issue, we used paired-pulse TMS to investigate early human motor cortex (M1)
      responses to social signals of potential threats, like another's fearful body
      posture. In two experiments, participants observed pictures of fearful and happy
      postures, and neutral postures that were either dynamic (in Exp1) or static (in
      Exp2). To test suppression of M1 excitatory activity, we assessed intracortical
      facilitation (ICF) in an early phase of threat monitoring by administering TMS
      pulses at 100-125 ms from picture onset. We investigated the motor representation
      of hand and arm muscles that are differentially involved in flexion, extension,
      and abduction. As a control, we also assessed corticospinal excitability and
      short intracortical inhibition. In both experiments, and independently of the
      muscle, watching fearful bodies suppressed ICF relative to watching happy and non
      emotional (dynamic or static) body expressions. Remarkably, greater fear-related
      ICF suppression was found in participants who scored higher on a self-report
      questionnaire assessing BIS sensitivity. These findings suggest that observing
      fearful body language activates a defensive suppression of M1 excitatory activity
      that is influenced by the personality disposition to experience fear and anxiety
      when facing potential threats. This BIS-related motor suppression may have the
      functional role of transiently suppressing action tendencies to promote threat
      monitoring and, ultimately, survival.

PMID- 28357584
TI  - Association of cytochrome P4502E1 and NAD(P)H:quinone oxidoreductase 1 genetic
      polymorphisms with susceptibility to large artery atherosclerotic ischemic
      stroke: a case-control study in the Turkish population.
AB  - Stroke, a major cause of death and disability, is described as interruption or
      severe reduction of blood flow in cerebral arteries. Oxidative stress plays an
      important role in the pathogenesis of atherosclerosis and carotid atherosclerosis
      is a risk factor for stroke. Combination of multiple environmental and genetic
      risk factors is thought to increase stroke. Therefore, investigation of the
      polymorphisms of enzymes is of crucial importance to determine the molecular
      etiology of the disease. To test this hypothesis, we performed a case-control
      study in which we compared the distribution of CYP2E1 and NQO1 genotypes between
      245 large artery atherosclerotic ischemic stroke patients and 145 controls, using
      PCR-RFLP. A significant difference was observed between stroke patients and
      controls with respect to the CYP2E1*5B genotype (odds ratio; OR 8.069, P = 0.011)
      and allele (OR 7.876, P = 0.011) distribution. However, this polymorphism was not
      a significant predictor of disease status in logistic regression analysis. NQO1*2
      polymorphism genotype distribution was significantly different between patients
      and controls (P = 0.027) and heterozygote *1*2 genotype was found to be a
      protective factor against large artery atherosclerotic ischemic stroke in
      logistic regression analysis (OR 0.562, P = 0.018). This is the first study
      conducted regarding the association of CYP2E1 and NQO1 genetic polymorphisms and
      large artery atherosclerotic ischemic stroke risk in Turkish population.

PMID- 28357587
TI  - Three cases of L4-5 Baastrup's disease due to L5-S1 spondylolytic
      spondylolisthesis.
AB  - PURPOSE: Baastrup's disease is characterized by degeneration of spinous processes
      and interspinous soft tissue, which may cause spinal stenosis. Purpose of this
      article is to report the possible new cause of Baastrup's disease and result of
      surgical treatments. METHODS: Authors treated three cases of Baastrup's disease
      on L4-L5 with L5-S1 spondylolytic listhesis. Conservative treatment did not
      relieve the pain; therefore, surgical treatments were planned according to each
      specific disease condition. RESULTS: In one case, anterior lumbar interbody
      fusion of L5-S1 was performed, and after surgery, the size of epidural cyst on L4
      L5 was decreased. L4-L5 bilateral laminectomy was performed to directly
      decompress posterior epidural cyst in a case with stable L5-S1 spondylolytic
      listhesis. In last case, facet joints and spinous process were removed by L5-S1
      posterior lumbar interbody fusion (PLIF) surgery. After the surgery, patients'
      back and leg pain was improved and postoperative MRI revealed successful
      decompression of the spinal canal. Improvement in back and leg symptoms was noted
      at 12-month follow-up. CONCLUSIONS: Baastrup's disease at the L4-L5 level may
      have developed from the instability caused by L5-S1 spondylolytic
      spondylolisthesis. Viable treatment options include the fusion of L5-S1 or a
      laminectomy at the L4-L5 level.

PMID- 28357589
TI  - Use of a Web-Based Calculator and a Structured Report Generator to Improve
      Efficiency, Accuracy, and Consistency of Radiology Reporting.
AB  - While medical calculators are common, they are infrequently used in the day-to
      day radiology practice. We hypothesized that a calculator coupled with a
      structured report generator would decrease the time required to interpret and
      dictate a study in addition to decreasing the number of errors in interpretation.
      A web-based application was created to help radiologists calculate leg-length
      discrepancies. A time motion study was performed to evaluate if the calculator
      helped to decrease the time for interpretation and dictation of leg-length
      radiographs. Two radiologists each evaluated two sets of ten radiographs, one set
      using the traditional pen and paper method and the other set using the
      calculator. The time to interpret each study and the time to dictate each study
      were recorded. In addition, each calculation was checked for errors. When
      comparing the two methods of calculating the leg lengths, the manual method was
      significantly slower than the calculator for all time points measured: the mean
      time to calculate the leg-length discrepancy (131.8 vs. 59.7 s; p < 0.001), the
      mean time to dictate the report (31.8 vs. 11 s; p < 0.001), and the mean total
      time (163.7 vs. 70.7 s; p < 0.001). Reports created by the calculator were more
      accurate than reports created via the manual method (100 vs. 90%), although this
      result was not significant (p = 0.16). A calculator with a structured report
      generator significantly improved the time required to calculate and dictate leg
      length discrepancy studies.

PMID- 28357590
TI  - Non-machinery dialysis that achieves blood purification therapy without using
      full-scale dialysis machines.
AB  - An electrical or water supply and a blood purification machine are required for
      renal replacement therapy. There is a possibility that acute kidney injury can
      occur in large numbers and on a wide scale in the case of a massive earthquake,
      and there is the potential risk that the current supply will be unable to cope
      with acute kidney injury cases. However, non-machinery dialysis requires
      exclusive circuits and has the characteristic of not requiring the full-scale
      dialysis machines. We performed perfusion experiments that used non-machinery
      dialysis and recent blood purification machines in 30-min intervals, and the
      effectiveness of non-machinery dialysis was evaluated by the assessing the
      removal efficiency of potassium, which causes lethal arrhythmia during acute
      kidney injury. The non-machinery dialysis potassium removal rate was at the same
      level as continuous blood purification machines with a dialysate flow rate of 5
      L/h after 15 min and continuous blood purification machines with a dialysate flow
      rate of 3 L/h after 30 min. Non-machinery dialysis required an exclusive
      dialysate circuit, the frequent need to replace bags, and new dialysate exchanged
      once every 30 min. However, it can be seen as an effective renal replacement
      therapy for crush-related acute kidney injury patients, even in locations or
      facilities not having the full-scale dialysis machines.

PMID- 28357591
TI  - Development and Pretesting of a Questionnaire to Assess Patient Experiences and
      Satisfaction with Medications (PESaM Questionnaire).
AB  - BACKGROUND: The aim of this study was to develop, together with the Lung
      Foundation Netherlands and Dutch Kidney Patients Association, patients and
      clinicians, a measure to evaluate patient experiences with the orphan drugs
      pirfenidone (for idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis [IPF]) and eculizumab (for
      atypical haemolytic uraemic syndrome [aHUS]), as well as a generic measure of
      patient experiences and satisfaction with medications. METHODS: Development of
      the Patient Experiences and Satisfaction with Medications (PESaM) questionnaire
      consisted of four phases: literature review (phase I); focus groups and
      individual patient interviews (phase II); item generation (phase III); and face
      and content validity testing (phase IV). Literature review aimed to identify
      existing disease-specific and generic patient experience measures to provide
      guidance on the domains of medication use relevant to patients, the number of
      items and type of response categories, and to generate an initial pool of items.
      Subsequent focus groups and patient interviews were conducted to gain insight
      into the perceived effectiveness of the therapies, the burden of side effects,
      and how the medication impacted on a patient's daily life. Focus groups and
      interviews were recorded and transcribed verbatim. Coding was carried out by
      highlighting passages in the text and assigning each passage a code representing
      the following predefined categories: (1) perceived effectiveness; (2) side
      effects; (3) ease of use; and (4) impact of medication. Using data from phase I
      and II, a panel of experts selected items relevant for inclusion in the
      questionnaire. Individual patient interviews with IPF and aHUS patients (n = 18),
      using a retrospective verbal probing technique, were conducted to assess face
      validity, time needed to fill out the questionnaire, and content validity.
      RESULTS: The PESaM questionnaire that was developed consisted of two disease
      specific modules that assessed patient experiences with pirfenidone for the
      treatment of IPF, and eculizumab for the treatment of aHUS, a generic module,
      applicable to any medication, and a module to assess patient expectations. Review
      of the literature identified multiple disease- or medication-specific
      questionnaires and two generic patient satisfaction questionnaires. Common
      domains across most questionnaires were effectiveness, side effects, ease of use
      and overall satisfaction. Patient interviews revealed the social impact (e.g.
      unable to go outside) of side effects such as photosensitivity associated with
      pirfenidone and the risk of infection associated with eculizumab. Each PESaM
      module focuses on patients' perceived effectiveness of the medication, side
      effects, and ease of use, and the impact these aspects have on physical and
      emotional health and daily life. The generic module additionally includes items
      related to satisfaction with the medication. Individual interviews with patients
      in phase IV confirmed, in general, that questions and response options of the
      modules were clear and content validity was good. The mean time to complete the
      modules ranged from 6 min for the disease-specific (aHUS) module to 9 min for the
      generic module. CONCLUSIONS: We developed the PESaM questionnaire to
      quantitatively assess patient experiences and satisfaction with medications. A
      validation study is currently underway to examine the psychometric properties of
      the PESaM questionnaire.

PMID- 28357592
TI  - Awareness and knowledge of cardiovascular disease risk factors among medical
      students.
AB  - BACKGROUND: The aim of this study was to assess the knowledge and attitude of
      medical students in relation to cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk factors as well
      as to assess the impact of medical education on their knowledge and recognition
      of the importance of implementation of preventive measures. METHODS: This cross
      sectional study included 514 students in the second year of studying at the
      Faculty of Medicine in Belgrade, Serbia (younger students response rate 79.57%)
      and 511 students in the last year of education (older students response rate
      90.21%). For data collection, an anonymous self-administered questionnaire was
      used, which included two types of questions about CVD risk factors and questions
      about the student's attitude. RESULTS: Older students knew significantly more
      about CVD risk factors than students who were at the beginning of their medical
      studies; however, more than half of the older students did not know the correct
      answers about CVD risk factors. The only exceptions were questions about "bad"
      and "good" cholesterol, metabolic syndrome (MSy) and lipid lowering therapy in
      high risk subjects. Physical inactivity, obesity, type 2 diabetes, smoking and
      hypertension were not ranked highly enough as important CVD risk factors.
      Compared groups of students did not significantly differ in attitude scores. The
      majority of them recognized CVD as the leading cause of death, had normal weight
      and knew their own blood pressure. CONCLUSION: Knowledge of medical students from
      Belgrade about CVD risk factors should be improved.

PMID- 28357593
TI  - The relationship between subclinical thyroid dysfunction and the risk of fracture
      or low bone mineral density: a systematic review and meta-analysis of cohort
      studies.
AB  - Our aim was to assess the risk of fractures or low bone mineral density (BMD)
      associated with subclinical thyroid dysfunction among cohorts. We systematically
      searched Medline (via PubMed), EMBASE, Cochrane Library, Web of Science, CENTRAL
      and SinoMed up to 31 July 2016 to identify cohort studies which have analyzed
      associations between subclinical thyroid dysfunction and fracture or BMD. A total
      of 19 population-based cohorts including 79,368 participants with relationships
      between subclinical thyroid dysfunction and fractures or BMD were identified as
      eligible for this meta-analysis. Subclinical hypothyroidism was associated with
      relative risks (RRs) of 1.34 (95% confidence interval [CI] 1.14, 1.58; I 2 = 32%)
      for hip fracture, 1.27 (95% CI 1.02, 1.58; I 2 = 51.9%) for any location of
      fracture, and 1.25 (95% CI 1.04, 1.50) for forearm fracture. Subclinical
      hyperthyroidism was associated with RRs of 1.71 (95% CI 1.06, 2.76; I 2 = 0.0%)
      for spine fracture, 1.20 (95% CI 1.03, 1.39; I 2 = 0.0%) for non-spine fracture,
      1.44 (95% CI 1.21, 1.71; I 2 = 0.0%) for hip fracture, and 1.38 (95% CI 1.21,
      1.58; I 2 = 0.0%) for any location of fracture. Subgroup analysis was conducted
      according to whether thyroid/anti-thyroid drug users were excluded or not and the
      results were similar. The change in BMD at the hip (weighted mean difference
      [WMD] = -0.060, 95% CI -0.116, -0.004; I 2 = 0.0%) and femoral neck (WMD = 
      0.046, 95% CI -0.077, -0.015; I 2 = 0.0%) was significantly decreased in the
      subclinical hyperthyroidism group compared with the euthyroidism groups in
      females. We failed to find any associations between the change in BMD and
      subclinical hypothyroidism. The overall quality of evidence was low in all
      outcomes. Subclinical hyperthyroidism and subclinical hypothyroidism were
      associated with an increased risk of fractures. Although subclinical
      hyperthyroidism was related to reduced BMD, no evidence could prove a definite
      association between subclinical hypothyroidism and the risk of low BMD.

PMID- 28357594
TI  - Knockdown of Ggps1 in chondrocyte expedites fracture healing by accelerating the
      progression of endochondral ossification in mice.
AB  - Bone fracture healing is achieved through the proliferation and differentiation
      of stem cells, while bone marrow stem cells (BMSCs) contribute to endochondral
      ossification. During fracture healing, mesenchymal progenitor cells first form a
      cartilaginous blastema that becomes vascularized to recruit precursor cells of
      osteoblasts through the bone morphogenetic protein 2 (Bmp2)/Smad-dependent Runx2
      pathway. Statins deplete geranylgeranyl diphosphate (GGPP), which participates in
      the regulation of BMSCs differentiation, through the inhibition of 3-hydroxy-3
      methylglutaryl (HMG)-CoA reductase, leading to impaired protein
      geranylgeranylation, which strongly impacts the bone synthesis induced by Bmp2.
      Accordingly, we would like to investigate the role of geranylgeranyl diphosphate
      synthase 1 (Ggps1) in bone fracture via endochondral ossification in mice. We
      used a Cre-loxP system, namely the tamoxifen-inducible Collagen 2-CreERT2 Ggps1
      fl/fl, to eliminate specifically the Ggps1 activity in chondrocytes of 8-10-week
      old mice. We found that the endochondral bone formation, calcification and
      vasculogenesis of the bony callus were accelerated in fractures in Ggps1-/-mice.
      Together, the results of this study confirm that the specific deletion of Ggps1,
      using the Collagen 2-CreERT2 mice, will accelerate the fracture healing process
      by activating the Bmp2/Smad-dependent Runx2 pathway. In addition, we managed to
      improve the fracture healing process by inhibiting the Ggps1 activity and its
      related products with statin drugs.

PMID- 28357595
TI  - Increasing the yield of middle silk gland expression system through transgenic
      knock-down of endogenous sericin-1.
AB  - Various genetically modified bioreactor systems have been developed to meet the
      increasing demands of recombinant proteins. Silk gland of Bombyx mori holds great
      potential to be a cost-effective bioreactor for commercial-scale production of
      recombinant proteins. However, the actual yields of proteins obtained from the
      current silk gland expression systems are too low for the proteins to be
      dissolved and purified in a large scale. Here, we proposed a strategy that
      reducing endogenous sericin proteins would increase the expression yield of
      foreign proteins. Using transgenic RNA interference, we successfully reduced the
      expression of BmSer1 to 50%. A total 26 transgenic lines expressing Discosoma sp.
      red fluorescent protein (DsRed) in the middle silk gland (MSG) under the control
      of BmSer1 promoter were established to analyze the expression of recombinant. qRT
      PCR and western blotting showed that in BmSer1 knock-down lines, the expression
      of DsRed had significantly increased both at mRNA and protein levels. We did an
      additional analysis of DsRed/BmSer1 distribution in cocoon and effect of DsRed
      protein accumulation on the silk fiber formation process. This study describes
      not only a novel method to enhance recombinant protein expression in MSG
      bioreactor, but also a strategy to optimize other bioreactor systems.

PMID- 28357597
TI  - Erratum to: Effects of Mental Stress Induction on Heart Rate Variability in
      Patients with Panic Disorder.

PMID- 28357596
TI  - Combined sense-antisense Alu elements activate the EGFP reporter gene when stable
      transfection.
AB  - Alu elements in the human genome are present in more than one million copies,
      accounting for 10% of the genome. However, the biological functions of most Alu
      repeats are unknown. In this present study, we detected the effects of Alu
      elements on EGFP gene expression using a plasmid system to find the roles of Alu
      elements in human genome. We inserted 5'-4TMI-Alus-CMV promoter-4TMI-Alus (or
      antisense Alus)-3' sequences into the pEGFP-C1 vector to construct expression
      vectors. We altered the copy number of Alus, the orientation of the Alus, and the
      presence of an enhancer (4TMI) in the inserted 5'-4TMI-Alus-CMV promoter-4TMI
      Alus (or antisense Alus)-3' sequences. These expression vectors were stably
      transfected into HeLa cells, and EGFP reporter gene expression was determined.
      Our results showed that combined sense-antisense Alu elements activated the EGFP
      reporter gene in the presence of enhancers and stable transfection. The combined
      sense-antisense Alu vectors carrying four copies of Alus downstream of inserted
      CMV induced much stronger EGFP gene expression than two copies. Alus downstream
      of inserted CMV were replaced to AluJBs (having 76% homology with Alu) to
      construct expression vectors. We found that combined sense-antisense Alu (or
      antisense AluJB) vectors induced strong EGFP gene expression after stable
      transfection and heat shock. To further explore combined sense-antisense Alus
      activating EGFP gene expression, we constructed Tet-on system vectors, mini-C1
      Alu-sense-sense and mini-C1-Alu-sense-antisense (EGFP gene was driven by mini
      CMV). We found that combined sense-antisense Alus activated EGFP gene in the
      presence of reverse tetracycline repressor (rTetR) and doxycycline (Dox). Clone
      experiments showed that Mini-C1-Alu-sense-antisense vector had more positive
      cells than that of Mini-C1-Alu-sense-sense vector. The results in this paper
      proved that Alu repetitive sequences inhibited gene expression and combined sense
      antisense Alus activated EGFP reporter gene when Alu transcribes, which suggests
      that Alus play roles in maintaining gene expression (silencing genes or
      activating genes) in human genome.

PMID- 28357598
TI  - The effect of Er:YAG laser irradiation on the bond stability of self-etch
      adhesives at different dentin depths.
AB  - The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of Er:YAG laser irradiation on
      the micro-shear bond strength of self-etch adhesives to the superficial dentin
      and the deep dentin before and after thermocycling. Superficial dentin and deep
      dentin surfaces were prepared by flattening of the occlusal surfaces of extracted
      human third molars. The deep or superficial dentin specimens were randomized into
      three groups according to the following surface treatments: group I (control
      group), group II (Er:YAG laser; 1.2 W), and group III (Er:YAG laser; 0.5 W).
      Clearfil SE Bond or Clearfil S3 Bond was applied to each group's dentin surfaces.
      After construction of the composite blocks on the dentin surface, the micro-shear
      bond testing of each adhesive was performed at 24 h or after 15,000 thermal
      cycles. The data were analyzed using a univariate analysis of variance and
      Tukey's test (p < 0.05). Laser irradiation in superficial dentin did not
      significantly affect bond strength after thermocycling (p > 0.05). However, deep
      dentin specimens irradiated with laser showed significantly higher bond strengths
      than did control specimens after thermocycling (p < 0.05). Thermocycling led to
      significant deterioration in the bond strengths of all deep-dentin groups. The
      stable bond strength after thermocycling was measured for all of the superficial
      dentin groups. No significant difference was found between the 0.5 and 1.2 W
      output power settings. In conclusion, the effect of laser irradiation on the bond
      strength of self-etch adhesives may be altered by the dentin depth. Regardless of
      the applied surface treatment, deep dentin showed significant bond degradation.

PMID- 28357599
TI  - Medical Expulsive Therapy: Is It Time to SUSPEND Judgement?
AB  - Medical expulsive therapy (MET) has been a matter of debate for many years. A
      number of randomised controlled trials (RCTs) and meta-analyses have been
      conducted, but outcomes have been varied. This makes it challenging to determine
      the benefit of using MET as an adjunct in patients with expectantly managed
      ureteric stones. This article aimed to summarize both the historic and the more
      contemporary literature in this area by focusing on published meta-analyses and
      recent RCTs. Studies of interest were those comparing either an alpha-blocker or
      a calcium channel blocker with a control. Outcome measures of interest were
      expulsion rates, expulsion times, and medication-related side effects. All
      systematic reviews included are in favour of MET versus controls. However, many
      of the component RCTs had limitations such as a high risk of bias, incomplete
      blinding and heterogeneous inclusion criteria. A recent well-powered RCT found no
      benefit of MET for the purpose of conservatively managed ureteric stones. This
      study had some limitations that stimulated further research in the area, adding
      to the uncertainty. The most recent RCT and meta-analysis indicates MET is more
      beneficial in both larger (>5 mm) and distal stones. Uncertainty remains in this
      arena, and there is a need for a robust multi-institution study to assess MET in
      a cohort of patients who are expectantly managed with ureteric stones. This
      should serve to counter the marked heterogeneity and limitations of existing
      trials and meta-analyses.

PMID- 28357600
TI  - Erratum to: The Natural Course of Atopic Dermatitis and the Association with
      Asthma.

PMID- 28357601
TI  - A Review of Microinvasive Combined Phaco-Vitrectomy: Recent Technical Advances.
AB  - Combined cataract and vitreoretinal surgery results in better compliance in
      patients with posterior segment pathology and should be the preferred approach to
      reduce the high rate of cataract development after vitreoretinal surgery and to
      improve earlier visual acuity. Technological advances in both anterior and
      posterior segment surgery are leading to the development of instruments with a
      smaller diameter and more efficient tools, resulting in a minimizing of the
      tissue trauma related to the surgery, acceleration of functional recovery and
      increasing patient comfort. In this review we report on recent advances that
      allow this miniaturization process while maintaining the efficacy and safety of
      microinvasive combined surgical procedures, with a focus on pumps, illumination,
      phaco tip and the vitrectomy probe.

PMID- 28357602
TI  - The clinical importance of the thyroid nodules during anti-tumor necrosis factor
      therapy in patients with axial spondyloarthritis.
AB  - The clinical importance of the thyroid nodules in patients with axial
      spondyloarthritis (ax-SpA) rests with the need to exclude thyroid malignancy. The
      aim of this study is to assess the risk of thyroid malignancy in ax-SpA patients
      receiving anti-TNF therapy. From September 2015 until December 2015, 70 patients
      diagnosed with ax-SpA were included in the research. Forty of the patients had
      received anti-TNF therapy, and 30 of the patients were anti-TNF naive. All cases
      were screened for the presence of nodules in the thyroid gland with ultrasound.
      Of the patients that received anti-TNF therapy, 15 (37.5%); and of the anti-TNF
      naive patients, 11 (36.7%) had thyroid nodule(s). Four patients from the anti-TNF
      group underwent fine needle aspiration biopsy of the nodules, and two of them
      were diagnosed with papillary thyroid carcinoma. None of the nodules in anti-TNF
      naive patients required biopsy. When compared to the normal population, the
      standardized incidence ratio (SIR) was found to be increased in both male (SIR
      2.03, 95% CI 1.9 to 18) and female (SIR 2.7, 95% CI 2.6 to 24) cases. It is not
      yet established whether the development of cancer during the treatment process is
      the effect of the treatment or if it is a part of the natural course of the
      disease or if it is coincidental. We saw a mild increase in thyroid malignancies
      in ax-SpA patients who received anti-TNF therapy. Therefore, we believe that the
      thyroid gland should also be taken into consideration while screening for
      malignancy before anti-TNF therapy.

PMID- 28357603
TI  - Volatile-Mediated Interactions between Cabbage Plants in the Field and the Impact
      of Ozone Pollution.
AB  - Plants constitutively release volatile organic compounds (VOCs), but
      qualitatively and quantitatively alter their emission of VOCs in response to
      biotic and abiotic stresses. The blend of VOCs emitted reflects the physiological
      status of the plant. Plants may be exposed to the VOC blend emitted by their near
      neighbors and gain information that allows them to adjust their own defenses.
      These plant-plant interactions may potentially be exploited to protect crops from
      pests, but they can be disturbed by abiotic factors making the process sensitive
      to environmental perturbation. Despite numerous studies describing plant-plant
      interactions, relatively few have been conducted with agriculturally significant
      cultivated plant varieties under field conditions. Here we studied plant-plant
      interactions in a conspecific association of Brassica oleracea var. capitata
      (cabbage) and show that undamaged plants exposed to neighbors damaged by the
      herbivore Pieris brassicae are primed for stronger volatile emissions upon
      subsequent herbivore attack. We conducted a field study in an ozone free-air
      concentration enrichment (FACE) facility with ambient and elevated ozone levels
      and found that elevated tropospheric ozone significantly alters the priming of
      VOCs in receiver plants. We conclude that plant-plant interactions may prime
      defensive attributes of receiver plants under field conditions, but are impaired
      by ozone pollution. Therefore, when planning the manipulation of plant-plant
      interactions for agricultural purposes, the potential effects of atmospheric
      pollutants should be considered.

PMID- 28357604
TI  - Affine kinematics in planar fibrous connective tissues: an experimental
      investigation.
AB  - The affine transformation hypothesis is usually adopted in order to link the
      tissue scale with the fibers scale in structural constitutive models of fibrous
      tissues. Thanks to the recent advances in imaging techniques, such as multiphoton
      microscopy, the microstructural behavior and kinematics of fibrous tissues can
      now be monitored at different stretching within the same sample. Therefore, the
      validity of the affine hypothesis can be investigated. In this paper, the fiber
      reorientation predicted by the affine assumption is compared to experimental data
      obtained during mechanical tests on skin and liver capsule coupled with
      microstructural imaging using multiphoton microscopy. The values of local strains
      and the collagen fibers orientation measured at increasing loading levels are
      used to compute a theoretical estimation of the affine reorientation of collagen
      fibers. The experimentally measured reorientation of collagen fibers during
      loading could not be successfully reproduced with this simple affine model. It
      suggests that other phenomena occur in the stretching process of planar fibrous
      connective tissues, which should be included in structural constitutive modeling
      approaches.

PMID- 28357605
TI  - Erratum to: Coevolution of foraging behavior with intrinsic growth rate: risk
      taking in naturally and artificially selected growth genotypes of Menidia
      menidia.

PMID- 28357606
TI  - Genetic variations in the alanine-glyoxylate aminotransferase 2 (AGXT2) gene and
      dimethylarginines levels in rheumatoid arthritis.
AB  - Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is associated with high rates of cardiovascular events
      mainly due to coronary and cerebrovascular atherosclerotic disease. Asymmetric
      (ADMA) and symmetric (SDMA) dimethylarginines are endogenous inhibitors of nitric
      oxide synthase and have been repeatedly linked with adverse cardiovascular
      outcomes in the general population and various disease settings. Alanine
      glyoxylate aminotransferase 2 (AGTX2) is considered an alternative metabolic
      pathway contributing to the clearance of dimethylarginines in humans. The aim of
      the current study was to investigate the effect of specific AGXT-2 gene
      polymorphisms on circulating levels of ADMA or SDMA in patients with RA. Serum
      ADMA and SDMA levels were measured in 201 individuals with RA [median age: 67
      years (IQR: 59-73), 155 females]. Two single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in
      the AGXT-2 gene-rs37369 and rs28305-were genotyped. Distributions of SDMA and
      ADMA were skewed, hence comparisons across the gene polymorphisms were performed
      using Kruskal-Wallis tests, and summarized using medians and interquartile
      ranges. Univariable analysis did not demonstrate a significant difference in the
      levels of SDMA or ADMA amongst the different genotypic groups of either
      rs37369AGXT2 (p = 0.800, 0.977) or rs28305AGXT2 (p = 0.463, 0.634). In
      multivariable analyses, ADMA levels were found to be significantly associated
      with erythrocyte sedimentation rate and estimated glomerular filtration rate,
      whilst SDMA levels were significantly associated with estimated glomerular
      filtration rate and quantitative insulin sensitivity check index. After
      adjustments for these factors, the relationship between the AGXT2 gene variants
      and both ADMA and SDMA remained non-significant. Our study in a well
      characterized RA population did not show an association between serum
      concentrations of dimethylarginines and genetic variants of the AGXT2 gene.

PMID- 28357608
TI  - About HER2 monitoring using liquid biopsies in patients with gastric cancer.

PMID- 28357607
TI  - Social support and its interrelationships with demand-control model factors on
      presenteeism and absenteeism in Japanese civil servants.
AB  - OBJECTIVES: To elucidate the impact of social support and its interrelations with
      other demand-control-support (DCS) model factors on presenteeism and absenteeism,
      and to determine which DCS factors were most influential. METHODS: Questionnaires
      from 2535 local government employees were analyzed. The Brief Job Stress
      Questionnaire (BJSQ) was used to assess DCS factors including job demand, job
      control, and social support from supervisors and coworkers. The Stanford
      Presenteeism Scale 13-item version (SPS-13) was used to evaluate both absenteeism
      (absent days) and presenteeism. For the latter, the Work Impairment Score (WIS)
      and the Work Output Score (WOS) were also used. Possible confounder-adjusted
      logistic and negative binomial regression analyses were performed to obtain odds
      ratios (ORs) for WIS and WOS and relative risks (RRs) for absenteeism according
      to DCS factors. RESULTS: Higher job control had a significantly protective effect
      on higher WIS in both males and females and a lower WOS in males. Based on a
      point estimate of an OR per 1 standard deviation change of each DCS factor, job
      control had the strongest effect on higher WIS in both males and females and a
      lower WOS in males. Higher job demand resulted in significantly higher ORs for
      both male and female WIS, and a lower WOS in females. Support from supervisors
      had a significantly protective effect on higher WIS in females and a lower WOS in
      males. Support from coworkers had a significantly protective effect on higher WIS
      in males. Higher support from coworkers had a significantly protective effect on
      absenteeism among both males and females, and higher job control had a
      significantly protective effect in females. The combination of high job strain
      and low support from supervisors had a significantly worsening effect, except for
      absenteeism in females. High job strain and low support from coworkers had a
      significantly worsening effect except for WOS in males. CONCLUSIONS: The results
      suggest job control was the DCS factor most related to presenteeism. Higher
      support from supervisors and coworkers had a protective effect on presenteeism,
      and higher job demand had a worsening effect. Higher support from coworkers had a
      protective effect on absenteeism among both males and females. Interventions
      should focus on improving job control as a possible countermeasure to
      presenteeism, and encouraging support from coworkers as a possible countermeasure
      to absenteeism.

PMID- 28357609
TI  - The Inhibitory Effect of C-phycocyanin Containing Protein Extract (C-PC Extract)
      on Human Matrix Metalloproteinases (MMP-2 and MMP-9) in Hepatocellular Cancer
      Cell Line (HepG2).
AB  - Spirulina platensis :have been studied for several biological activities. In the
      current study C-phycocyanin containing protein extract (C-PC extract) of
      Spirulina platensis have been studied for its effect on human matrix
      metalloproteinases (MMP-1, MMP-2 and MMP-9) and tissue inhibitors of MMPs (TIMP-1
      and TIMP-2). In the present study, breast cancer cell line (MDA-MB 231) and
      hepatocellular cancer cell line (HepG2) were examined for inhibition of MMPs at
      different levels of expression after C-PC extract treatment. Herein, we have
      demonstrated that C-PC extract significantly reduced activity of MMP-2 by 55.13%
      and MMP-9 by 57.9% in HepG2 cells at 15 MUg concentration. Additionally, the
      treatment has reduced mRNA expression of MMP-2 and MMP-9 at 20 MUg concentration
      by 1.65-folds and 1.66-folds respectively. The C-PC extract treatment have also
      downregulated a mRNA expression of TIMP-2 by 1.12 folds at 20 MUg concentration
      in HepG2 cells. Together, these results indicate that C-PC, extract successfully
      inhibited MMP-2 and -9 at different levels of expression and TIMP-2 at a mRNA
      expression level; however, extract did not have any effect on MMP-1 expressed in
      MDA-MB231 and TIMP-1 expressed in HepG2 cells as well as the exact mechanism of
      inhibition of MMP-2, MMP-9 and TIMP-2 remained unclear.

PMID- 28357610
TI  - Unusual Cause of Dysphagia in a Post-Stroke Patient.
AB  - Vallecular cysts are formed when the duct of a mucous gland or lingual tonsillar
      crypt is dilated owing to obstruction from inflammation, irritation, or trauma.
      Small cysts are usually asymptomatic; however, cyst growth results in dysphagia,
      odynophagia, and acute airway complications. As complete transoral laser excision
      of a vallecular cyst often results in cyst resolution and improved symptoms,
      proper diagnosis and management of vallecular lesions are important. We describe
      the evaluation and treatment of a 53-year-old man with a history of intracerebral
      hemorrhage in the left basal ganglia who presented with dysphagia caused by a
      vallecular cyst.

PMID- 28357611
TI  - Development of visual field defect after first-detected optic disc hemorrhage in
      preperimetric open-angle glaucoma.
AB  - PURPOSE: To evaluate functional progression in preperimetric glaucoma (PPG) with
      disc hemorrhage (DH) and to determine the time interval between the first
      detected DH and development of glaucomatous visual field (VF) defect. METHODS: A
      total of 87 patients who had been first diagnosed with PPG were enrolled. The
      medical records of PPG patients without DH (Group 1) and with DH (Group 2) were
      reviewed. When glaucomatous VF defect appeared, the time interval from the
      diagnosis of PPG to the development of VF defect was calculated and compared
      between the two groups. In group 2, the time intervals from the first-detected DH
      to VF defect of the single- and recurrent-DH were compared. RESULTS: Of the
      enrolled patients, 45 had DH in the preperimetric stage. The median time interval
      from the diagnosis of PPG to the development of VF defect was 73.3 months in
      Group 1, versus 45.4 months in Group 2 (P = 0.042). The cumulative probability of
      development of VF defect after diagnosis of PPG was significantly greater in
      Group 2 than in Group 1. The median time interval from first-detected DH to the
      development of VF defect was 37.8 months. The median time interval from DH to VF
      defect and cumulative probability of VF defect after DH did not show a
      statistical difference between single and recurrent-DH patients. CONCLUSIONS: The
      median time interval between the diagnosis of PPG and the development of VF
      defect was significantly shorter in PPG with DH. The VF defect appeared 37.8
      months after the first-detected DH in PPG.

PMID- 28357613
TI  - Analysis of a broad range of perfluoroalkyl acids in accipiter feathers: method
      optimization and their occurrence in Nam Co Basin, Tibetan Plateau.
AB  - Perfluoroalkyl acids (PFAAs) are ubiquitous in the environment. They are prone to
      accumulate in organisms and have raised public attention in recent decades.
      Feather samples have been successfully applied as nondestructive indicators for
      several contaminants. However, a sophisticated analytical method for determining
      PFAAs in feathers is still lacking. In the present study, a series of conditions,
      such as the use of the solid-phase extraction cartridge type and
      extraction/digestion methods, were optimized for the analysis of 13 PFAAs in
      feathers. According to the spiked recoveries, a weak-anion exchange cartridge was
      chosen and the methanol was selected as the extraction solvent. In the present
      study, an optimized pretreatment procedure combined with high-performance liquid
      chromatography-electrospray ionization-tandem mass spectrometric (HPLC-ESI-MS/MS)
      method was established for the determination of PFAAs in feathers. The recoveries
      and method detection limits of the PFAAs ranged from 71 to 120% and 0.16 to 0.54
      ng/g, respectively. Finally, 13 PFAAs in four accipiter feather samples from Nam
      Co Basin, Tibetan Plateau, were analyzed, indicating that PFOS was the
      predominant PFAA in accipiter feathers, with an average of 4.67 ng/g, followed by
      the short-chain PFAAs, PFBS and PFBA, with averages of 1.91 and 1.39 ng/g,
      respectively. These results partly indicated the current situation of PFAA
      pollution in the Nam Co Basin, especially the existence of short-chain PFAAs in
      this region.

PMID- 28357614
TI  - A Mathematical Study to Control Visceral Leishmaniasis: An Application to South
      Sudan.
AB  - In this manuscript, we propose and analyze a compartmental model of visceral
      leishmaniasis (VL). We model the human population with six compartments including
      asymptomatic, symptomatic and PKDL-infected, animal population as second host and
      sandfly population as the vector. Furthermore, the non-adult stage of the sandfly
      population is introduced in the system, which was not considered before in the
      literature. We show that the increase in the number of host of sandfly population
      generates a backward bifurcation. Thus, multiple hosts will cause disease
      persistence even if the basic reproduction number ([Formula: see text]) is below
      unity. We perform a sensitivity analysis of important model parameters with
      respect to some epidemiologically significant responses. We validate our model by
      calibrating it to weekly VL incidence data from South Sudan for the year 2013. We
      perform cost-effectiveness analysis on different interventions: treatment, non
      adult control, adult control and their different layered combinations based on
      their implementation cost (in USD) and case reduction. We also use a global
      sensitivity analysis technique to understand the effect of important parameters
      of our model on the implementation cost of different controls. This cost
      effectiveness study and cost-sensitivity analysis are relatively new in existing
      literature of this disease.

PMID- 28357612
TI  - The tailored sperm cell.
AB  - Sperm are ubiquitous and yet unique. Genes involved in sexual reproduction are
      more divergent than most genes expressed in non-reproductive tissues. It has been
      argued that sperm have been altered during evolution more than any somatic cell.
      Profound variations are found at the level of morphology, motility, search
      strategy for the egg, and the underlying signalling mechanisms. Sperm
      evolutionary adaptation may have arisen from sperm competition (sperm from rival
      males compete within the female's body to fertilize eggs), cryptic female choice
      (the female's ability to choose among different stored sperm), social cues tuning
      sperm quality or from the site of fertilization (internal vs. external
      fertilization), to name a few. Unquestionably, sperm represent an invaluable
      source for the exploration of biological diversity at the level of signalling,
      motility, and evolution. Despite the richness in sperm variations, only a few
      model systems for signalling and motility have been studied in detail. Using fast
      kinetic techniques, electrophysiological recordings, and optogenetics, the
      molecular players and the sequence of signalling events of sperm from a few
      marine invertebrates, mammals, and fish are being elucidated. Furthermore, recent
      technological advances allow studying sperm motility with unprecedented
      precision; these studies provide new insights into flagellar motility and
      navigation in three dimensions (3D). The scope of this review is to highlight
      variations in motile sperm across species, and discuss the great promise that 3D
      imaging techniques offer into unravelling sperm mysteries.

PMID- 28357615
TI  - Dimorphism by Singularity Theory in a Model for River Ecology.
AB  - Geritz, Gyllenberg, Jacobs, and Parvinen show that two similar species can
      coexist only if their strategies are in a sector of parameter space near a
      nondegenerate evolutionarily singular strategy. We show that the dimorphism
      region can be more general by using the unfolding theory of Wang and Golubitsky
      near a degenerate evolutionarily singular strategy. Specifically, we use a PDE
      model of river species as an example of this approach. Our finding shows that the
      dimorphism region can exhibit various different forms that are strikingly
      different from previously known results in adaptive dynamics.

PMID- 28357616
TI  - Prenatal screening for chromosomal abnormalities in IVF patients that opted for
      preimplantation genetic screening/diagnosis (PGS/D): a need for revised
      algorithms in the era of personalized medicine.
AB  - Obstetricians offer prenatal screening for most common chromosomal abnormalities
      to all pregnant women including those that had in vitro fertilization (IVF) and
      preimplantation genetic screening/diagnosis (PGS/D). We propose that free fetal
      DNA in maternal circulation together with the second trimester maternal serum
      alfa feto protein (MSAFP) and ultrasound imaging is the best prenatal screening
      test for chromosomal abnormalities and congenital anomalies in IVF-PGD/S patients
      because risk estimations from all other prenatal screening algorithms for
      chromosomal abnormalities depend heavily on maternal age which is irrelevant in
      PGS/D patients.

PMID- 28357617
TI  - Interaction of various types of photosystem I complexes with exogenous electron
      acceptors.
AB  - Interaction of photosystem I (PS I) complexes from cyanobacteria Synechocystis
      sp. PCC 6803 containing various quinones in the A1-site (phylloquinone PhQ in the
      wild-type strain (WT), and plastoquinone PQ or 2,3-dichloronaphthoquinone Cl 2 NQ
      in the menB deletion strain) and different numbers of Fe4S4 clusters (intact WT
      and FX-core complexes depleted of FA/FB centers) with external acceptors has been
      studied. The efficiency of interaction was estimated by measuring the light
      induced absorption changes at 820 nm due to the reduction of the special pair of
      chlorophylls (P700+) by an external acceptor(s). It was shown that externally
      added Cl 2 NQ is able to effectively accept electrons from the terminal iron
      sulfur clusters of PS I. Moreover, the efficiency of Cl 2 NQ as external acceptor
      was higher than the efficiency of the commonly used artificial electron acceptor,
      methylviologen (MV) for both the intact WT PS I and for the FX-core complexes.
      The comparison of the efficiency of MV interaction with different types of PS I
      complexes revealed gradual decrease in the following order: intact WT > menB > FX
      core. The effect of MV on the recombination kinetics in menB complexes of PS I
      with Cl 2 NQ in the A1-site differed significantly from all other PS I samples.
      The obtained effects are considered in terms of kinetic efficiency of electron
      acceptors in relation to thermodynamic and structural characteristics of PS I
      complexes.

PMID- 28357618
TI  - Long-Term Results of Laparoscopic Sleeve Gastrectomy for Morbid Obesity: 5 to 8
      Year Results.

PMID- 28357619
TI  - Milk Fermented by Lactic Acid Bacteria Enhances the Absorption of Dietary
      Sphingomyelin in Rats.
AB  - Supplementation with sphingomyelin has been reported to prevent disease and
      maintain good health. However, intact sphingomyelin and ceramides are poorly
      absorbed compared with glycerolipids. Therefore, if the bioavailability of
      dietary sphingomyelin can be increased, supplementation would be more effective
      at lower doses. The aim of this study in rats was to evaluate the effect of
      fermented milk on the bioavailability of dietary sphingomyelin in rats. After the
      rats had fasted for 15 h, test solutions were administrated orally. Blood samples
      were collected from the tail vein before and 90, 180, 270, and 360 min after
      administration. Compared with sphingomyelin/milk phospholipids concentrate (MPL)
      alone, co-ingestion of sphingomyelin/MPL with fermented milk caused an
      approximate twofold significant increase in serum ceramides containing d16:1
      sphingosine with 16:0, 22:0, 23:0 and 24:0 fatty acids, which was derived from
      the ingested sphingomyelin. While nonfat milk also increased the serum levels of
      these ceramides, fermented milk was more effective. Co-ingestion of the upper
      layer of fermented milk or exopolysaccharide concentrate prepared from fermented
      milk significantly increased serum ceramide levels. X-ray diffraction analysis
      also showed addition of fermented milk or EPS concentrate to sphingomyelin
      eliminated the characteristic peak of sphingomyelin. This study demonstrated for
      the first time that co-ingestion of dietary sphingomyelin and fermented milk,
      compared with ingestion of dietary sphingomyelin alone, caused a significant
      increase in the absorption of sphingomyelin. Our results indicate
      exopolysaccharides in fermented milk may contribute to inhibition of
      sphingomyelin crystallization, resulting in enhanced absorption of dietary
      sphingomyelin in rats.

PMID- 28357620
TI  - Toxicity of three aphicides to the generalist predators Chrysoperla carnea
      (Neuroptera: Chrysopidae) and Orius insidiosus (Hemiptera: Anthocoridae).
AB  - Recent widespread infestations of the invasive sugarcane aphid, Melanaphis
      sacchari (Zehntner) (Hemiptera: Aphididae), in sorghum fields in the southern USA
      have created demand for insecticides that will provide effective control of
      sugarcane aphid, while conserving those beneficial species that contribute to
      biological control of the pest. We tested the susceptibility of both adult and
      immature stages of two aphid predators, the green lacewing, Chrysoperla carnea
      (Stephens) (Neuroptera: Chrysopidae), and the insidious flower bug, Orius
      insidiosus (Say) (Hemiptera: Anthocoridae), to three aphicides, flonicamid,
      sulfoxaflor and flupyradifurone. Flonicamid was innocuous to both species
      regardless of life stage or route of exposure. Lacewing adults were more
      susceptible to sulfoxaflor and flupyradifurone than were larvae, and had higher
      mortality when fed contaminated honey solution than when contacting residues on
      an inert surface. When laid in sunflower stems treated with these two materials,
      eggs of O. insidiosus hatched successfully, but nymphs experienced significant
      mortality when exposed to treated stems, likely due to phytophagous behavior that
      resulted in some insecticide ingestion. Despite these impacts, we conclude that
      both sulfoxaflor and flupyradifurone are likely to be relatively innocuous in
      comparison to more broad-spectrum insecticides and are thus potentially
      compatible with biological control and overall management of M. sacchari in grain
      sorghum.

PMID- 28357621
TI  - Improved campesterol production in engineered Yarrowia lipolytica strains.
AB  - OBJECTIVES: To engineer Yarrowia lipolytica for improving the heterologous
      production of campesterol (a key precursor to manufacture pharmaceutical
      steroids). RESULTS: By screening 7-dehydrocholesterol reductase (DHCR7) from
      diverse species, DHCR7 from Danio rerio was the best candidate for campesterol
      synthesis. Overexpression of ACL (ATP: citrate lyase) or POX2 (peroxisome acyl
      CoA oxidase 2) were key to improving campesterol production. The highest yield of
      campesterol was 942 mg/l was with the strain overexpressing POX2 in a 5 l
      bioreactor via high cell density fermentation process with a restricted supply of
      carbon sourc, sunflower seed oil. CONCLUSIONS: A promising platform to synthesize
      downstream steroid drugs was established. Efficient approaches were provided to
      improve the production of desired molecules in Y. lipolytica with high oil
      utilization efficiency.

PMID- 28357622
TI  - The attribution of intentionality: the role of skill and morality.
AB  - The present study contributes to the discussion on the different components which
      constitute the intentionality concept about an undesired side effect, focusing on
      the morality and the skill. Two hundred and forty participants were asked to read
      a brief story about a car accident, in which it was explained the motivation of
      the high speed and objective and subjective skill of the agent to drive the car,
      and to fill in six questions about intentionality, objective risk, mental
      representation of risk, risk acceptance and blameworthiness for the outcome. The
      principal results showed that when the motivation is morally negative, people
      judge the side effect more intentional, also because they make more severe
      judgments about risk and blameworthiness. Moreover, when people are objectively
      proficient to perform the action (objective skill) the side effect is considered
      less risky and intentional and, in the case of a negative outcome, they are
      judged less severely than if they have a poor ability. Finally, a self-assessment
      of low skill to make the action (subjective skill) leads people to assess higher
      risks and, consequently, more intentionality for the side effect. The results are
      discussed on the basis of the literature about some specific components that make
      up the intentionality concept.

PMID- 28357623
TI  - Impact of pharmaceutical care on pain and agitation in a medical intensive care
      unit in Thailand.
AB  - Background Currently, a lack of pharmaceutical care exists concerning pain and
      agitation in medical intensive care units (MICU) in Thailand. Pharmaceutical care
      focusing on analgesics/sedatives would improve clinical outcomes. Objective To
      investigate the impact of pharmaceutical care of pain and agitation on ICU length
      of stay (LOS), hospital LOS, ventilator days and mortality. Setting The MICU of a
      university hospital. Method A before/after study was conducted on mechanically
      ventilated patients receiving analgesics/sedatives. Medical chart reviews and
      data collection were conducted in the retrospective group (no pharmacists
      involved). In the prospective group, pharmacists involved with the critical care
      team helped select analgesics/sedatives for individual patients. Main outcome
      measure ICU LOS Results In total, 90 and 66 patients were enrolled in
      retrospective and prospective groups, respectively. The median duration of ICU
      LOS was reduced from 10.00 (2.00-72.00) in the retrospective group to 6.50 days
      (2.00-30.00) in the prospective group (p = 0.002). The median hospital stay was
      reduced from 30.50 days (2.00-119.00) in the retrospective group to 17.50 days
      (2.00-110.00) in the prospective group (p < 0.001). Also, the median ventilator
      days was reduced from 14.00 days (2.00-90.00) to 8.50 days (1.00-45.00), p =
      0.008. Mortality was 53.03% in the prospective group and 46.67% in the
      retrospective group (p = 0.432). Conclusion Pharmacist participation in a
      critical care team resulted in a significant reduction in the duration of ICU
      LOS, hospital LOS and ventilator days, but not mortality.

PMID- 28357624
TI  - A simple method to reconstruct the molar mass signal of respiratory gas to assess
      small airways with a double-tracer gas single-breath washout.
AB  - For the assessment of small airway diseases, a noninvasive double-tracer gas
      single-breath washout (DTG-SBW) with sulfur hexafluoride (SF6) and helium (He) as
      tracer components has been proposed. It is assumed that small airway diseases may
      produce typical ventilation inhomogeneities which can be detected within one
      single tidal breath, when using two tracer components. Characteristic parameters
      calculated from a relative molar mass (MM) signal of the airflow during the
      washout expiration phase are analyzed. The DTG-SBW signal is acquired by
      subtracting a reconstructed MM signal without tracer gas from the signal measured
      with an ultrasonic sensor during in- and exhalation of the double-tracer gas for
      one tidal breath. In this paper, a simple method to determine the reconstructed
      MM signal is presented. Measurements on subjects with and without obstructive
      lung diseases including the small airways have shown high reliability and
      reproducibility of this method.

PMID- 28357625
TI  - A case of double stent implantation for left main coronary artery occlusion in
      transcatheter aortic valve implantation using SAPIEN XT device.
AB  - Transcatheter aortic valve implantation is an established alternative and less
      invasive procedure to replace heart valves in symptomatic aortic stenosis
      patients; however, severe, life-threatening complications still exist. Coronary
      artery occlusion is a primary complication. We report a case of left main
      coronary artery occlusion after transcatheter aortic valve replacement, which was
      ameliorated using a double stent implantation technique.

PMID- 28357626
TI  - Reasoning strategies with rational numbers revealed by eye tracking.
AB  - Recent research has begun to investigate the impact of different formats for
      rational numbers on the processes by which people make relational judgments about
      quantitative relations. DeWolf, Bassok, and Holyoak (Journal of Experimental
      Psychology: General, 144(1), 127-150, 2015) found that accuracy on a relation
      identification task was highest when fractions were presented with countable
      sets, whereas accuracy was relatively low for all conditions where decimals were
      presented. However, it is unclear what processing strategies underlie these
      disparities in accuracy. We report an experiment that used eye-tracking methods
      to externalize the strategies that are evoked by different types of rational
      numbers for different types of quantities (discrete vs. continuous). Results
      showed that eye-movement behavior during the task was jointly determined by image
      and number format. Discrete images elicited a counting strategy for both
      fractions and decimals, but this strategy led to higher accuracy only for
      fractions. Continuous images encouraged magnitude estimation and comparison, but
      to a greater degree for decimals than fractions. This strategy led to decreased
      accuracy for both number formats. By analyzing participants' eye movements when
      they viewed a relational context and made decisions, we were able to obtain an
      externalized representation of the strategic choices evoked by different
      ontological types of entities and different types of rational numbers. Our
      findings using eye-tracking measures enable us to go beyond previous studies
      based on accuracy data alone, demonstrating that quantitative properties of
      images and the different formats for rational numbers jointly influence
      strategies that generate eye-movement behavior.

PMID- 28357627
TI  - Anser EMT: the first open-source electromagnetic tracking platform for image
      guided interventions.
AB  - PURPOSE: Electromagnetic tracking is the gold standard for instrument tracking
      and navigation in the clinical setting without line of sight. Whilst clinical
      platforms exist for interventional bronchoscopy and neurosurgical navigation, the
      limited flexibility and high costs of electromagnetic tracking (EMT) systems for
      research investigations mitigate against a better understanding of the
      technology's characterisation and limitations. The Anser project provides an open
      source implementation for EMT with particular application to image-guided
      interventions. METHODS: This work provides implementation schematics for our
      previously reported EMT system which relies on low-cost acquisition and
      demodulation techniques using both National Instruments and Arduino hardware
      alongside MATLAB support code. The system performance is objectively compared to
      other commercial tracking platforms using the Hummel assessment protocol.
      RESULTS: Positional accuracy of 1.14 mm and angular rotation accuracy of
      [Formula: see text] are reported. Like other EMT platforms, Anser is susceptible
      to tracking errors due to eddy current and ferromagnetic distortion. The system
      is compatible with commercially available EMT sensors as well as the Open Network
      Interface for image-guided therapy (OpenIGTLink) for easy communication with
      visualisation and medical imaging toolkits such as MITK and 3D Slicer.
      CONCLUSIONS: By providing an open-source platform for research investigations, we
      believe that novel and collaborative approaches can overcome the limitations of
      current EMT technology.

PMID- 28357628
TI  - Addressing multi-label imbalance problem of surgical tool detection using CNN.
AB  - PURPOSE: A fully automated surgical tool detection framework is proposed for
      endoscopic video streams. State-of-the-art surgical tool detection methods rely
      on supervised one-vs-all or multi-class classification techniques, completely
      ignoring the co-occurrence relationship of the tools and the associated class
      imbalance. METHODS: In this paper, we formulate tool detection as a multi-label
      classification task where tool co-occurrences are treated as separate classes. In
      addition, imbalance on tool co-occurrences is analyzed and stratification
      techniques are employed to address the imbalance during convolutional neural
      network (CNN) training. Moreover, temporal smoothing is introduced as an online
      post-processing step to enhance runtime prediction. RESULTS: Quantitative
      analysis is performed on the M2CAI16 tool detection dataset to highlight the
      importance of stratification, temporal smoothing and the overall framework for
      tool detection. CONCLUSION: The analysis on tool imbalance, backed by the
      empirical results, indicates the need and superiority of the proposed framework
      over state-of-the-art techniques.

PMID- 28357629
TI  - Testing the validity of conflict drift-diffusion models for use in estimating
      cognitive processes: A parameter-recovery study.
AB  - Researchers and clinicians are interested in estimating individual differences in
      the ability to process conflicting information. Conflict processing is typically
      assessed by comparing behavioral measures like RTs or error rates from conflict
      tasks. However, these measures are hard to interpret because they can be
      influenced by additional processes like response caution or bias. This limitation
      can be circumvented by employing cognitive models to decompose behavioral data
      into components of underlying decision processes, providing better specificity
      for investigating individual differences. A new class of drift-diffusion models
      has been developed for conflict tasks, presenting a potential tool to improve
      analysis of individual differences in conflict processing. However, measures from
      these models have not been validated for use in experiments with limited data
      collection. The present study assessed the validity of these models with a
      parameter-recovery study to determine whether and under what circumstances the
      models provide valid measures of cognitive processing. Three models were tested:
      the dual-stage two-phase model (Hubner, Steinhauser, & Lehle, Psychological
      Review, 117(3), 759-784, 2010), the shrinking spotlight model (White, Ratcliff, &
      Starns, Cognitive Psychology, 63(4), 210-238, 2011), and the diffusion model for
      conflict tasks (Ulrich, Schroter, Leuthold, & Birngruber, Cogntive Psychology,
      78, 148-174, 2015). The validity of the model parameters was assessed using
      different methods of fitting the data and different numbers of trials. The
      results show that each model has limitations in recovering valid parameters, but
      they can be mitigated by adding constraints to the model. Practical
      recommendations are provided for when and how each model can be used to analyze
      data and provide measures of processing in conflict tasks.

PMID- 28357630
TI  - Age-structured population model of cell survival.
AB  - Age-structured cell population model was introduced to describe cell survival.
      The impact of the environment on the cell population is represented by drug
      plasma concentration. A key model variable is the hazard of cell removal that is
      a subject to the environment effect. The model is capable of describing cohort
      and random labeling cell survival data. In addition, it accounts for cell loss
      due to labeling of cell sample, but it lacks ability to describe the effect of
      label elution on the survival data. The model was applied to red blood cell (RBC)
      survival data in two groups of Wistar rats obtained by two techniques: cohort
      labeling using 14C-glycine (N = 4) and random labeling using biotin (N = 8). The
      Weibull probability density function was selected for the RBC lifespan
      distribution. The data were simultaneously fitted by the mixed effects model
      implemented in Monolix 4.3.3. The estimated typical values of RBC lifespan and
      age were 53.7 and 27.8 days, respectively. A noticeable effect of biotinylation
      on RBC survival was observed that resulted in a significant difference between
      the means of individual RBC lifespan for two groups. The model provides a
      mechanistic framework flexible enough to account for various experimental designs
      to generate the cell survival data. Despite model qualification using animal
      data, the model has the same potential to be applied to cell survival data
      analysis in humans.

PMID- 28357631
TI  - Role of TIM-3 in ovarian cancer.
AB  - Evidences have suggested that immunotherapy for ovarian cancer is effective.
      Immune checkpoints have emerged in the field of cancer immunotherapy. Multiple
      studies have shown negative regulation of TIM-3 expression on CD4+ and CD8+ T
      cells and other immunocytes. Overexpression of TIM-3 in innate immune cells has
      been found in certain types of tumor. The blockade of TIM-3 leads to sustained
      anti-tumor reactions. TIM-3 plays an inhibitive role for immunity in ovarian
      cancer. TIM-3 is involved in the development of various subtypes of ovarian
      cancer and thus has the potential to be a therapeutic target for treatment of
      ovarian cancer.

PMID- 28357632
TI  - Radiotherapy for adrenal gland metastases from hepatocellular carcinoma.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Several studies have found benefits of radiotherapy for adrenal
      metastasis from hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). However, the efficacy, safety and
      outcome issues have not yet been fully addressed. Therefore, we performed this
      study to further elucidate the feasibility and outcome of radiotherapy in
      treating adrenal metastasis from HCC. METHODS: We retrospectively analyzed 81
      patients with adrenal metastasis from HCC between 2001 and 2015. Eighteen
      patients received helical tomotherapy and 63 patients received conventional
      radiotherapy, including two-dimensional (2-D) or three-dimensional conformal
      radiotherapy (3-D CRT). The median radiation dose was 50 Gy (range 26-64 Gy) with
      median fraction size of 2.0 Gy (range 2.0-5.0 Gy). Tumor responses, adverse
      effects, patient outcomes and prognostic factors were analyzed. RESULTS: An
      objective response (complete and partial response) was achieved in 55.6%
      patients. The helical tomotherapy group showed higher objective response rate
      than the conventional radiotherapy group (P = 0.031). The major adverse effects
      were anorexia (51.8%), nausea (41.9%), and fatigue (35.8%). Similar toxicity
      profile occurred in the 2-D, 3-D CRT and helical tomotherapy groups. The overall
      survival (OS) rate at 1, 2 and 5 years was 59.9, 35.0, and 12.9%, respectively,
      with a median survival of 15 months. Patients who received helical tomotherapy
      achieved a better OS compared to the conventional radiotherapy group (P = 0.047).
      However, multivariate analysis indicated that radiotherapy technique was not an
      independent prognostic factor for patient outcome. CONCLUSION: These results
      suggest that radiotherapy offers a noninvasive approach in controlling adrenal
      metastasis from HCC with promising local control and acceptable tolerability.

PMID- 28357633
TI  - The TNM 8 M1b and M1c classification for non-small cell lung cancer in a cohort
      of patients with brain metastases.
AB  - BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: According to the recent TNM 8 classification, patients
      with metastatic non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) and single extrathoracic
      metastasis should be classified as stage M1b, while those with 2 or more
      metastases comprise stage M1c. The purpose of this study was to analyze the
      impact of this classification in patients with brain metastases. MATERIALS AND
      METHODS: This retrospective study included 172 patients treated with
      individualized approaches. Actuarial survival was calculated. Uni- and
      multivariate analyses were performed. RESULTS: Thirty patients (17%) were staged
      as M1b. Those with squamous cell cancer were more likely to harbor M1b disease
      (29%, adenocarcinoma 14%, other histology 17%, p = 0.16). Median survival was 5.4
      months (8.0 months in case of M1b disease and 4.5 months in case of M1c disease,
      p = 0.001). Multivariate analysis confirmed the role of M1b stage. M1b patients
      managed with upfront surgery or radiosurgery had significantly longer median
      survival than those who received whole-brain irradiation (21.0 vs. 3.5 months, p
      = 0.0001) and the potential to survive beyond 5 years. CONCLUSIONS: We found the
      M1b classification to provide clinically relevant information. The multivariate
      analysis suggested that patients with M1b disease, better performance status and
      younger age have better survival.

PMID- 28357634
TI  - Bioactive flavonoids from Flos Sophorae.
AB  - Three new flavonoid glycosides-soyaflavonosides A (1), B (2), and C (3)-together
      with 23 known ones were obtained from the 70% EtOH extract of Flos Sophorae
      (Sophora japonica, Leguminosae). Their structures were elucidated by chemical and
      spectroscopic methods. Among the known isolates, 14, 18, 20, 22, and 26 were
      isolated from the Sophora genus for the first time; 12, 19, 24, and 25 were
      obtained from the species firstly. Moreover, NMR data for compounds 18 and 26 are
      reported for the first time here. Meanwhile, compounds 4, 8-13, 15, 16, 19, 21,
      and 22 presented obvious inhibitory effects on TG accumulation in HepG2 cells.
      Analysis of the structure-activity relationship indicated that all of the
      quercetin glycosides examined in this study possess significant activity that is
      not significantly influenced by the amount of glycosyl present, whereas
      increasing the amount of glycosyl reduced the activities of isorhamnetin
      glycosides and orobol. In addition, a high dose (30 MUmol/l) of kaempferol was
      found to inhibit HepG2 cell growth, while a low dose (10 MUmol/l) was observed to
      decrease TG accumulation.

PMID- 28357635
TI  - Two new polyhydroxyl polyacetylenes from fruits of Herpetospermum caudigerum.
AB  - Two new polyhydroxy polyacetylenes, herpecaudenes A and B (1 and 2), were
      isolated from the ethanol extract of fruits of Herpetospermum caudigerum, an
      important Tibetan medicine. The structures of them were elucidated on the basis
      of extensive spectroscopic methods including UV, IR, HRESIMS, 1H and 13C NMR,
      HMBC, HSQC, and 1H-1H COSY. Compound 2 showed significant inhibitory effects on
      NO production in LPS-activated RAW 264.7 macrophages with IC50 values of 7.05 +/-
      1.59 uM.

PMID- 28357636
TI  - Probable Catastrophic Antiphospholipid Syndrome with Intracerebral Hemorrhage
      Secondary to Epstein-Barr Viral Infection.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Catastrophic antiphospholipid syndrome (CAPS) is a rare, severe
      variant of antiphospholipid syndrome with a high mortality rate. We report a
      unique case of CAPS secondary to Epstein-Barr viral (EBV) infection complicated
      by pulmonary and intracerebral hemorrhage. A review of the CAPS literature
      relevant to intensive care practice is used to outline a rational approach to
      diagnosis and management. METHODS: All data are from a single patient admitted to
      the Neurosciences Critical Care Unit in Addenbrooke's Hospital, Cambridge, in
      March 2016. Medline, Web of Science, PubMed, and the Cochrane Library were
      searched through September 2016 without restrictions for cases of CAPS,
      management of CAPS in the intensive care unit, and hemorrhage complicating CAPS.
      The patient gave express written consent to access and publish these data.
      RESULTS: This is only the second reported case of probable CAPS secondary to EBV
      infection. Furthermore, pulmonary and intracerebral hemorrhage is rare
      manifestations of this multisystem prothrombotic state which provided unique
      challenges to the management. CONCLUSIONS: While rare, CAPS should be considered
      in any patient presenting with rapidly progressive multiorgan failure, evidence
      of thrombotic microangiopathy, and antiphospholipid antibodies. A high index of
      suspicion is required as early, aggressive, multimodal treatment with
      anticoagulation, and immunosuppression improves outcomes.

PMID- 28357637
TI  - Acute Resective Surgery for the Treatment of Refractory Status Epilepticus.
AB  - BACKGROUND: To identify the role of acute surgical intervention in the treatment
      of refractory status epilepticus (RSE). METHODS: Retrospective review of
      consecutive patients who underwent epilepsy surgery from 2006 to 2015 was done to
      identify cases where acute surgical intervention was employed for the treatment
      of RSE. In addition, the adult and pediatric RSE literature was reviewed for
      reports of surgical treatment of RSE. RESULTS: Nine patients, aged 20-68 years,
      with various etiologies were identified to have undergone acute surgical
      resection for the treatment of RSE, aided by electrocorticography. Patients
      required aggressive medical therapy with antiepileptic drugs and intravenous
      anesthetic drugs for 10-54 days and underwent extensive neurodiagnostic testing
      prior to resective surgery. Eight out of nine patients survived and five patients
      were seizure-free at the last follow-up. The literature revealed 13 adult and 48
      pediatric cases where adequate historical detail was available for review and
      comparison. CONCLUSIONS: We present the largest cohort of consecutive adult
      patients who underwent resective surgery in the setting of RSE. We also reveal
      that surgery can be efficacious in aborting status and in some can lead to long
      term seizure freedom. Acute surgical intervention is a viable option in prolonged
      RSE and proper evaluation for such intervention should be conducted, although the
      timing and type of surgical intervention remain poorly defined.

PMID- 28357640
TI  - Azospirillum spp. from native forage grasses in Brazilian Pantanal floodplain:
      biodiversity and plant growth promotion potential.
AB  - A sustainable alternative to improve yield and the nutritive value of forage is
      the use of plant growth-promoting bacteria (PGPB) that release nutrients,
      synthesize plant hormones and protect against phytopathogens (among other
      mechanisms). Azospirillum genus is considered an important PGPB, due to the
      beneficial effects observed when inoculated in several plants. The aim of this
      study was to evaluate the diversity of new Azospirillum isolates and select
      bacteria according to the plant growth promotion ability in three forage species
      from the Brazilian Pantanal floodplain: Axonopus purpusii, Hymenachne
      amplexicaulis and Mesosetum chaseae. The identification of bacterial isolates was
      performed using specific primers for Azospirillum in PCR reactions and partial
      sequencing of the 16S rRNA and nifH genes. The isolates were evaluated in vitro
      considering biological nitrogen fixation (BNF) and indole-3-acetic acid (IAA)
      production. Based on the results of BNF and IAA, selected isolates and two
      reference strains were tested by inoculation. At 31 days after planting the plant
      height, shoot dry matter, shoot protein content and root volume were evaluated.
      All isolates were able to fix nitrogen and produce IAA, with values ranging from
      25.86 to 51.26 mg N mL-1 and 107-1038 umol L-1, respectively. The inoculation of
      H. amplexicaulis and A. purpusii increased root volume and shoot dry matter.
      There were positive effects of Azospirillum inoculation on Mesosetum chaseae
      regarding plant height, shoot dry matter and root volume. Isolates MAY1, MAY3 and
      MAY12 were considered promising for subsequent inoculation studies in field
      conditions.

PMID- 28357639
TI  - Ghrelin ameliorates nerve growth factor Dysmetabolism and inflammation in STZ
      induced diabetic rats.
AB  - Diabetic encephalopathy is characterized by cognitive impairment and
      neuroinflammation, deficient neurotrophic support, and neuronal and synaptic
      loss. Ghrelin, a 28 amino acid peptide, is associated with neuromodulation and
      cognitive improvement, which has been considered as a potential protective agent
      for several neurodegenerative diseases. Here we sought to investigate the role of
      ghrelin in preventing diabetic-related neuropathology. We found that ghrelin
      attenuated astrocytic activation and reduced levels of interleukin-6 and tumor
      necrosis factor-alpha in streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats. In addition,
      ghrelin inhibited p38 mitogen-associated protein kinase activation. The
      upregulation of nerve growth factor (NGF) precursor and matrix metalloproteinase
      (MMP)-9 and downregulation of mature NGF and MMP-7 in the diabetic brain were
      reversed by ghrelin. Treatment with ghrelin elevated synaptophysin expression and
      synaptic density in diabetic rats. Taken together, our results demonstrate that
      ghrelin ameliorates diabetes-related neurodegeneration by preventing NGF
      dysmetabolism and synaptic degeneration through regulating MMP levels as well as
      inhibiting neuroinflammation.

PMID- 28357641
TI  - [Distribution of species and kdr gene frequency among Anopheles gambiae s.s. and
      Anopheles coluzzii populations in five agricultural sites in Cote d'Ivoire].
AB  - The resistance of Anopheles gambiae s.l. to insecticides constitutes a concern
      for the programs of malaria control because it can be an obstacle to effective
      control of the vectors. The follow-up of this resistance is a priority to work
      out strategies of management and to preserve the means of that major malaria
      vector control activities. The general objective of this study is to identify the
      species within An. gambiae s.l., and to determine the frequency of the Kdr gene
      in An. gambiae s.s. and An. coluzzii in five agricultural sites in Ivory Coast:
      an urban site, two semirural sites (coffee-trees/cacao-trees, orchard) and two
      rural sites (rice site and a traditional village without agricultural
      insecticide). During this study, 2285 specimens of An. gambiae s.l. were analyzed
      for this purpose. An. gambiae s.s. (in the past called molecular form S) and An.
      coluzzii (in the past called molecular form M) were the only species of the
      complex An. gambiae identified in all the sites. The frequency of the Kdr
      mutation varied from 0.37 in the site without agricultural insecticide to 0.95 in
      the urban site where there is an intense use of insecticides. Three areas of
      these species distribution were observed: an area where the species An. gambiae
      s.s. is dominant (sites located in savanna), an area with predominance of An.
      coluzzii (in the southern forested area) and an intermediate area where the two
      species were in a same proportion (pre-forested site).The Kdr mutation was
      identified in the two species in all the sites in savanna and forest, except in
      the site without agricultural insecticide where only An. gambiae was resistant.
      It shows the increase of the receptive potential of An. gambiae s.l. with respect
      to the Kdr gene and the extension of the resistance to insecticide of this
      species in Ivory Coast.

PMID- 28357642
TI  - Genome-wide gene expression profiling of tongue squamous cell carcinoma by RNA
      seq.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: Tongue squamous cell carcinoma (TSCC) is significantly more malignant
      than other type of oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC). In this study, we aimed
      to identify specific global gene expression signatures of TSCC to investigate the
      more invasive behavior of the deeply infiltrating cancer. METHODS: Using RNA-seq
      technology, we detected gene expression of 20 TSCCs, 20 matched paratumor
      tissues, and 10 healthy normal mucosa tissues. Enrichment analysis of gene
      ontology (GO) and pathway was conducted using online tools DAVID for the
      dysregulated genes. Additionally, we performed the quantitative real-time RT-PCR
      (qRT-PCR) to validate the findings of RNA-Seq in 10 samples of TSCC, matched
      paratumor, and normal mucosa, respectively. RESULTS: We detected 252
      differentially expressed genes (DEGs) between TSCC and matched paratumor tissue,
      including 117 up-regulated and 135 down-regulated genes. For comparison between
      TSCC and normal mucosa, 234 DEGS were identified, consisting of 67 up-regulated
      and 167 down-regulated genes. For both two comparisons, GO categories of muscle
      contraction (GO: 0006936), epidermis development (GO: 0008544), epithelial cell
      differentiation (GO: 0030855), and keratinization (GO: 0031424) were commonly
      enriched. Altered gene expression affected some cancer-related pathways, such as
      tight junction. The qRT-PCR validation showed that gene expression patterns of
      FOLR1, NKX3-1, TFF3, PIGR, NEFL, MMP13, and HMGA2 were fully in concordance with
      RNA-Seq results. CONCLUSION: Findings in this study demonstrated the genetic and
      molecular alterations associated with TSCC, providing new clues for understanding
      the molecular mechanisms of TSCC pathogenesis.

PMID- 28357644
TI  - Effects of feeding practices on milk yield and composition in peri-urban and
      rural smallholder dairy cow and pastoral camel herds in Kenya.
AB  - Associations between feeding practices, milk yield, and composition were assessed
      in smallholder rural and peri-urban dairy cow (n = 97) and pastoral camel (n =
      15) herds. A cross-sectional survey supplemented by follow-up collection of feed
      and milk samples for laboratory analyses was conducted. Data was analyzed using
      descriptive, correlation, and analysis of variance statistics. Feeding practices
      in rural smallholder dairy cows' herds were pastured based (87.7%) with napier
      grass (89.4%) and concentrates (93.9%) as forage and concentrate supplements. In
      smallholder peri-urban dairy cows' herds, it was napier grass based (68.4%) with
      concentrates (100%), oat forages (42.9%), and crop residues (28.6%). Pastoral
      camel herds were shrub browsing (53%), rangeland pasture grazing (20%), or
      Euphorbia tirucalli feeding (27%). Smallholder rural farmers offered more feeds
      (16.1 vs 15.3 kg/day) than peri-urban farmers, hence net energy for lactation
      (1.4 vs 1.3 Mcal/kg), crude protein (CP) (10 vs 12%), and milk yields (12 vs 9
      kg/herd/day) was higher. Milk fat was higher in smallholder peri-urban (4.3%)
      than that of rural (3.9%). In pastoral camels, E. tirucalli feeding had higher
      daily milk yield/herd, fat, and CP (63 kg, 4.5 and 3.6%) than shrub browsing (35
      kg, 4.2 and 3.0%) and grazing (23 kg yield, 2.6 and 2.7%). Five feeding practices
      out of 14 in smallholder dairy cattle herds resulted in more than 10 kg
      milk/cow/day because of low forage-to-concentrate ratio (2.5), inclusion of
      legume crop residue, or processing forages. They present opportunities for
      improved production in smallholder herds. In pastoral camel, E. tirucalli feeding
      showed the highest potential.

PMID- 28357643
TI  - Raloxifene but not alendronate can compensate the impaired osseointegration in
      osteoporotic rats.
AB  - OBJECTIVES: Alendronate and raloxifene, a bisphosphonate and a selective estrogen
      modulator, respectively, are established osteoporosis therapies. Current evidence
      suggests that simultaneous application of osteoporosis therapies modulates
      osseointegration. However, alendronate shows inconsistent findings and raloxifene
      has not been studied comprehensively. This study aimed to evaluate the bone
      dynamics and molecular and microstructural features at the peri-implant bone
      interface in osteoporotic rats. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Thirty female rats
      underwent ovariectomy and were fed a diet low in calcium and phosphate and
      treated with alendronate or raloxifene for 30 days or underwent fictional
      ovariectomy surgery (SHAM) prior to implant insertion in the tibia; osteoporosis
      therapies continued thereafter. After 42 days, peri-implant bone was evaluated by
      histometric and micro-CT analysis. Fluorochrome incorporation and gene expression
      was determined to evaluate bone turnover. RESULTS: We report here that
      alendronate had no impact on bone-to-implant contacts and the mineral apposition
      rate. The RANKL/OPG ratio and local bone volume, however, were increased compared
      to the untreated osteoporotic rats. Even though signaling to bone resorption
      activity through RANKL production was observed in the alendronate group, the
      blockade of bone resorption activity that occurs in decorrence to alendronate
      activity took place and resulted in an increase in bone volume. Raloxifene
      significantly increased osseointegration in osteoporotic rats, as indicated by
      bone-to-implant contacts, mineral apposition, and local bone volume. Raloxifene,
      however, had no considerable impact on the RANKL/OPG ratio compared to untreated
      osteoporotic rats. As expected, the SH group showed higher bone-to-implant
      contacts and mineral apposition rates than the untreated osteoporotic rats.
      CONCLUSIONS: These findings suggest that raloxifene but not alendronate can
      compensate for the impaired osseointegration in osteoporotic rats. CLINICAL
      RELEVANCE: Regarding the superiority of raloxifene observed in the improvement of
      bone dynamics response, this statement suggests that raloxifene could be a good
      option for osteoporosis patients in oral rehabilitation procedures.

PMID- 28357645
TI  - Seroprevalence and risk factors for leptospirosis in cattle, sheep, and goats at
      consorted rearing from the State of Piaui, northeastern Brazil.
AB  - Leptospirosis is an endemic disease in Latin America, caused by pathogenic
      bacteria of the genus Leptospira. It is considered one of the main causes
      responsible for the negative economic impact on global livestock by causing
      reproductive problems. The research aimed to determine the prevalence of
      leptospirosis in cattle, sheep, and goats at consorted rearing in the micro
      region of Teresina, Piaui state, northeastern Brazil, as well as to identify
      prevalent serovars and risk factors associated with seroprevalence. Serum samples
      were analyzed in 336 sheep, 292 goats, and 253 cattle using microscopic
      agglutination test (MAT). Overall, 378 samples were positive to MAT, with
      seroprevalence of 42.9%. The prevalences in cattle, sheep, and goats were 50.5,
      40.5, and 34.6%, respectively. All herds presented at least one seropositive
      animal; the Hardjo/Wolffi serovar association was the most common in cattle and
      Icterohaemorrhagiae in goats and sheep. Beef production (OR = 4.9), cattle herd
      over 35 animals (OR = 4.0), feeding on pasture (OR = 6.4), weir and/or stream as
      water source (OR = 2.1), and no veterinary services (OR = 2.9) were risk factors
      for cattle infection. For sheep, intensive management system (OR = 5.3),
      suspended slatted facilities (OR = 2.2), more than 20 sheep in reproductive age
      (OR = 1.9), and absence of deworming (OR = 3.5) were the risk factors, while for
      goats, the identified risk factors were sheep herd over 52 animals (OR = 1.9) and
      no veterinary services (OR = 1.8). We conclude that the infection was spreading
      in consorted herds in this region. Thus, it would be interesting and important to
      conduct educative activities to farmers on the economic impacts of this disease
      and the need of preventive and control strategies mainly focused on sanitary
      measures and animal handling.

PMID- 28357646
TI  - The Usefulness of Non-Toxic Plant Metabolites in the Control of Bacterial
      Proliferation.
AB  - The effect of generally recognised as safe (GRAS) plant metabolites in regulating
      the growth of human pathogenic and probiotic bacteria and in the formation of
      biofilm was investigated. Thymol, carvacrol and eugenol showed the strongest
      antibacterial action against both pathogenic and probiotic microorganisms, at a
      subinhibitory concentration (SIC) of <=50 MUg ml-1. Genistein, hydroquinone, p
      hydroxybenzoic acid and resveratrol also showed antibacterial effects but at a
      wide concentration range (SIC = 50-1000 MUg ml-1). Catechin, gallic acid,
      protocatechuic acid and cranberry extracts were the most biologically compatible
      molecules (SIC >= 1000 MUg ml-1). Regarding the effect on biofilm, it was
      observed that thymol, carvacrol and eugenol showed antibiofilm activity against
      all potential pathogenic bacteria tested whilst specifically enhancing probiotic
      aggregation. Catechin, genistein and cranberry extracts did not inhibit the
      pathogenic aggregation but they stimulated probiotic biofilm formation, whilst
      gallic acid, protocateuchic acid, hydroquinone, p-hydroxybenzoic acid and
      resveratrol did not show opposite effect on biofilm formation between pathogenic
      and probiotic microorganisms. These results indicate that an appropriate
      combination of GRAS plant metabolites, which have traditionally been used as
      dietary constituents due to their health-promoting characteristics, can also be
      extremely useful in the regulation of bacterial proliferation in the intestinal
      microbiota. Hence, it is suggested to apply these natural GRAS molecules as
      dietary supplements in the food industry in order to promote probiotic viability
      and to prevent or reduce colonisation or proliferation of intestinal pathogens.

PMID- 28357647
TI  - [Impact of natural lithium ressources on suicide mortality in Chile 2000-2009: a
      geographical analysis].
AB  - BACKGROUND: There is increasing evidence for the hypothesis that lithium salts at
      naturally occurring levels in drinking water may have a moderating effect on
      suicide rates of the exposed population. The aim of this study was to examine
      whether the lithium rich Atacama region in Chile is associated with lower suicide
      mortality in comparison to other regions. METHODS: Suicide data was acquired from
      the Chilean Ministry of Health. Socio-economic variables (rate of unemployment,
      urbanity, median household income, percentage of indeginous population) were
      obtained for all regions of Chile from the national statistical institute. We
      calculated annual suicide rates per 100,000 for each group for the years 2000
      2009 and tested the hypothesis that suicide rates are lower in lithium rich
      regions in comparison to other regions of Chile. RESULTS: The lithium rich
      Atacama Desert shows a significantly lower suicide rate (9.99 per 100,000) in
      comparison to other parts of Chile (12.50 per 100,000) (t = 4.75, df = 18, p <
      0.001). CONCLUSIONS: Chilean regions rich in naturally occurring lithium salts
      show lower suicide mortality rates in comparison to other regions. Although
      causality cannot be proven by this design, these findings add to previous
      findings and warrant further research on the effects of naturally occurring low
      dose lithium on health.

PMID- 28357648
TI  - Ameliorated Effects of (-)-Epigallocatechin Gallate Against Toxicity Induced by
      Vanadium in the Kidneys of Wistar Rats.
AB  - The aim of the study was to assess the protective effect of (-)-epigallocatechin
      gallate (EGCG), a flavonoid abundant in green tea, against ammonium metavanadate
      (AMV)-induced oxidative stress in male Wistar rats. Four groups of animals have
      been used, a control group and three test groups. In the first test group, AMV
      was intra-peritoneally (i.p) injected daily (5 mg/kg body weight for five
      consecutive days). The second test group of animals was also injected daily with
      EGCG (5 mg/kg body weight) during the same period. However, the third test group
      was i.p. injected with both AMV and EGCG (5 mg/kg body weight for five
      consecutive days). When given alone, AMV induced an oxidative stress evidenced by
      an increase of lipid peroxidation levels (expressed as TBARS concentration) in
      kidney. In these animals, activities of superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase
      (CAT), and glutathione peroxidase (GPX) were significantly decreased, suggesting
      significant reduction of the antioxidant defense system at the cell level. Kidney
      histological sections, showed glomerular hypertrophy and tubular dilatation. In
      AMV-treated animals receiving EGCG, the oxidative stress was much less pronounced
      and activities of antioxidant enzymes were kept close to control values.
      Histopathological changes were less prominent. Our results confirm that green tea
      and other sources of flavonoids might confer a strong protection against ammonium
      metavanadate-induced oxidative stress.

PMID- 28357649
TI  - Content of Minerals and Fatty Acids and Their Correlation with Phytochemical
      Compounds and Antioxidant Activity of Leguminous Seeds.
AB  - The aim of the study was to determine the mineral composition and fatty acid
      profile in the seeds of selected Fabaceae species and cultivars and to assess
      their correlations with phytochemicals and antioxidant activity. The Andean
      lupine was characterised by a particularly high level of Mg and K as well as Cu,
      Zn, and Fe (P < 0.05). There were various correlations (P < 0.05) between the
      total phenols and tannins and these elements. The highest contribution of alpha
      linolenic acid (ALA, 18:3, n-3) in total fatty acids was noted in the lentil
      (13.8 in 100 g-1 fat), common bean (11.9 in 100 g-1 fat), and pea seeds (10.4 in
      100 g-1 fat) (P = 0.028). In turn, the white lupine contained the highest content
      of ALA-0.67 g 100 g-1 seeds; its lowest level was determined in the broad bean
      0.03 g 100 g-1 seeds. The seeds exhibited a high proportion of
      hypocholesterolemic fatty acids (on average 86%). The 2,2-diphenyl-1
      picrylhydrazyl antiradical activity was positively correlated with UFA and PUFA
      (P < 0.05). This indicates great protective potential of legume seeds for
      prevention and treatment of diet-dependent diseases.

PMID- 28357650
TI  - Screening for symptom burden and supportive needs of patients with glioblastoma
      and brain metastases and their caregivers in relation to their use of specialized
      palliative care.
AB  - PURPOSE: Patients with brain tumors have a high symptom burden and multiple
      supportive needs. Needs of caregivers are often unattended. This study aims to
      determine screening-based symptom burden and supportive needs of patients and
      caregivers with regard to the use of specialized palliative care (SPC). METHODS:
      Seventy-nine patients with glioblastoma and brain metastases and 46 caregivers
      were screened with standardized questionnaires following diagnosis and 2 months
      later. The screening assessed symptom burden, quality of life (QoL), distress,
      and supportive needs. RESULTS: The most relevant symptoms were drowsiness,
      tiredness, and low well-being (53-58%). The most prevalent patient supportive
      needs were the need for information about available resources, the illness, and
      possible lifestyle changes (50-56%). The most prevalent caregiver needs were
      information about the illness, lifestyle changes, and about available resources
      (56-74%). Patients who received SCP and their caregivers had higher symptom
      burden and supportive needs than those without SPC. They reported moderate
      improvement in pain, distress, and QoL, while patients without SPC also improved
      their QoL, but had small to moderate deteriorations in pain, drowsiness, nauseas,
      well-being, and other problems. Distress of caregivers with SPC improved with
      moderate to large effect sizes but still was on a high level and remained stable
      for those without SPC. CONCLUSIONS: Symptom burden and supportive needs were
      high, but even more caregivers than patients expressed high distress and
      supportive needs. SPC appears to reach the target group, both patients and
      caregivers with elevated symptom burden. Targeted interventions are needed to
      improve tiredness and drowsiness.

PMID- 28357652
TI  - Optimized acoustic biochip integrated with microfluidics for biomarkers detection
      in molecular diagnostics.
AB  - The development of integrated platforms incorporating an acoustic device as the
      detection element requires addressing simultaneously several challenges of
      technological and scientific nature. The present work was focused on the design
      of a microfluidic module, which, combined with a dual or array type Love wave
      acoustic chip could be applied to biomedical applications and molecular
      diagnostics. Based on a systematic study we optimized the mechanics of the flow
      cell attachment and the sealing material so that fluidic
      interfacing/encapsulation would impose minimal losses to the acoustic wave. We
      have also investigated combinations of operating frequencies with waveguide
      materials and thicknesses for maximum sensitivity during the detection of protein
      and DNA biomarkers. Within our investigations neutravidin was used as a model
      protein biomarker and unpurified PCR amplified Salmonella DNA as the model
      genetic target. Our results clearly indicate the need for experimental
      verification of the optimum engineering and analytical parameters, in order to
      develop commercially viable systems for integrated analysis. The good
      reproducibility of the signal together with the ability of the array biochip to
      detect multiple samples hold promise for the future use of the integrated system
      in a Lab-on-a-Chip platform for application to molecular diagnostics.

PMID- 28357651
TI  - Cancer patients' control preferences in decision making and associations with
      patient-reported outcomes: a prospective study in an outpatient cancer center.
AB  - PURPOSE: "Shared decision making" has been proposed as a prerequisite of patient
      centered care. However, little is known on factors, which may influence cancer
      patients' decision control preferences (DCP) in routine care. This study
      investigated possible determinants of the patients' DCP with respect to patient
      characteristics and patient-reported outcomes (PROs). METHODS: Consecutive
      patients presenting at a comprehensive cancer center between May 2014 and October
      2014 were offered a self-administered electronic questionnaire including
      standardized PRO measures and patients' DCP. Results were linked with patient
      characteristics from the hospital information system and analyzed using cross
      sectional methods. RESULTS: Out of 126 patients participating, 102 (81%; 65%
      male; mean age 62 years) completed the DCP-item. Overall, 49% (n = 50) preferred
      shared treatment decision responsibility, 29% (n = 30) preferred to leave the
      control to his/her physician, whereas 22% (n = 22) preferred to be in control of
      his/her treatment decision. Higher age (p = 0.035) and elevated distress levels
      (p = 0.038) were significantly associated with an increased willingness to leave
      the decision control to the physician. Further sociodemographic and PRO measures
      were not associated with patients' DCP. CONCLUSION: Our findings demonstrate that
      DCP assessment in routine cancer care is possible and provides important
      information to the treating oncologist. Information on DCP combined with PRO may
      contribute to more individualized decision making in cancer care.

PMID- 28357653
TI  - Identifying drug resistant cancer cells using microbubble well arrays.
AB  - Drug resistance is a characteristic of tumor initiating cells that can give rise
      to metastatic disease. In this work we demonstrate the use of microbubble well
      arrays as a cell culture platform to enumerate and characterize drug resistant
      cells in a human derived tumorigenic squamous cell carcinoma cell line. The
      spherical architecture and compliant hydrophobic composition of the microbubble
      well favors single cell survival, clonal proliferation and formation of spheres
      that do not grow on standard tissue culture plastic and are resistant to
      cisplatin. Spheres form in isolation and in microbubble wells containing
      proliferating cells and to some degree they stain positive for common stem cell
      markers CD44 and CD133. Spheres are also observed in cellularized primary human
      tumors cultured in microbubble arrays. This proof-of-concept study illustrates
      the potential for microbubble array technology to enumerate cancer cells
      resistant to standard care drugs with the ability to test alternative drug
      combinations. This capability can be developed for designing patient specific
      treatment strategies. Recovery of drug-resistant cells will allow a more full
      characterization of their gene expression profile thereby expanding our
      fundamental knowledge and ability to develop new targets to fight metastatic
      disease.

PMID- 28357654
TI  - Human adipocyte differentiation and characterization in a perfusion-based cell
      culture device.
AB  - Adipocytes have gained significant attention recently, because they are not only
      functioning as energy storage but also as endocrine cells. Adipocytes secret
      various signaling molecules, including adiponectin, MCP-1, and IL-6, termed
      collectively as "adipokines". Adipokines regulate glucose metabolism, thereby
      play an important role in obesity, diabetes type 2, and other metabolic
      disorders. Conventionally, to study the secretory function, adipocytes are
      cultured in vitro in static conditions. However, static culturing condition falls
      short of mimicking the interstitial fluid flows in living systems. Here, we
      developed a perfusion device which allows dynamic culture of adipocytes under
      constant and mild flow using a double-layered fluidic structure. Adipocytes were
      cultured in the bottom layer while the culture media were constantly flown in the
      upper layer and perfused through a porous membrane that separate the two
      chambers. The porous membrane between the two chambers physically separates the
      cells from the flow stream while maintain a fluidic connection by diffusion. This
      setting not only provides continuous nutrient supply to adipocytes but also
      maintains a steady and mild shear stress on the cell membrane. It was found the
      perfusion-based culture conditions promoted faster growth of primary
      preadipocytes and stimulated greater adipogenesis compared to static culture
      condition. Adipocytes cultured under perfusion systems produced more MCP-1 and IL
      6, but less adiponectin. When stimulated with TNF-alpha, adipocytes expressed
      higher level of MCP-1 and IL-6, but lower level of adiponectin. No significant
      glucose uptake regulation was observed after treating the adipocytes with insulin
      in both static and perfusion-based culture. Our results demonstrate that
      perfusion-base culture has played a role in the adipocyte function particularly
      the secretion of adipokines. More future studies are required to unveil the
      mechanisms behind perfusion's impact on adipocytes.

PMID- 28357655
TI  - Is breast compression associated with breast cancer detection and other early
      performance measures in a population-based breast cancer screening program?
AB  - PURPOSE: We aimed to investigate early performance measures in a population-based
      breast cancer screening program stratified by compression force and pressure at
      the time of mammographic screening examination. Early performance measures
      included recall rate, rates of screen-detected and interval breast cancers,
      positive predictive value of recall (PPV), sensitivity, specificity, and
      histopathologic characteristics of screen-detected and interval breast cancers.
      METHODS: Information on 261,641 mammographic examinations from 93,444
      subsequently screened women was used for analyses. The study period was 2007
      2015. Compression force and pressure were categorized using tertiles as low,
      medium, or high. chi 2 test, t tests, and test for trend were used to examine
      differences between early performance measures across categories of compression
      force and pressure. We applied generalized estimating equations to identify the
      odds ratios (OR) of screen-detected or interval breast cancer associated with
      compression force and pressure, adjusting for fibroglandular and/or breast volume
      and age. RESULTS: The recall rate decreased, while PPV and specificity increased
      with increasing compression force (p for trend <0.05 for all). The recall rate
      increased, while rate of screen-detected cancer, PPV, sensitivity, and
      specificity decreased with increasing compression pressure (p for trend <0.05 for
      all). High compression pressure was associated with higher odds of interval
      breast cancer compared with low compression pressure (1.89; 95% CI 1.43-2.48).
      CONCLUSIONS: High compression force and low compression pressure were associated
      with more favorable early performance measures in the screening program.

PMID- 28357656
TI  - Physiologically Based Pharmacokinetic and Absorption Modeling for Osmotic Pump
      Products.
AB  - Physiologically based pharmacokinetic (PBPK) and absorption modeling approaches
      were employed for oral extended-release (ER) drug products based on an osmotic
      drug delivery system (osmotic pumps). The purpose was to systemically evaluate
      the in vivo relevance of in vitro dissolution for this type of formulation. As
      expected, in vitro dissolution appeared to be generally predictive of in vivo PK
      profiles, because of the unique feature of this delivery system that the in vitro
      and in vivo release of osmotic pump drug products is less susceptible to
      surrounding environment in the gastrointestinal (GI) tract such as pH,
      hydrodynamic, and food effects. The present study considered BCS
      (Biopharmaceutics Classification System) class 1, 2, and 3 drug products with
      half-lives ranging from 2 to greater than 24 h. In some cases, the colonic
      absorption models needed to be adjusted to account for absorption in the colon. C
      max (maximum plasma concentration) and AUCt (area under the concentration curve)
      of the studied drug products were sensitive to changes in colon permeability and
      segmental GI transit times in a drug product-dependent manner. While improvement
      of the methodology is still warranted for more precise prediction (e.g., colonic
      absorption and dynamic movement in the GI tract), the results from the present
      study further emphasized the advantage of using PBPK modeling in addressing
      product-specific questions arising from regulatory review and drug development.

PMID- 28357657
TI  - Development and Validation of a Health and Work Survey Based on the Rasch Model
      among Portuguese Workers.
AB  - The purpose of this study was to develop the Health and Work Survey (INSAT) and
      examine the validity of the discomfort rating scale. Data were collected from 706
      Portuguese workers from six economic sectors with the support of the Health and
      Work Survey (INSAT - Inquerito Saude e Trabalho). The INSAT is a self
      administered questionnaire to assessing working conditions, health and wellbeing,
      and to provide information to the occupational health systems in the
      organisations. For the survey instrument validation, the Rasch Partial Credit
      Model (PCM) was used to analyse item fit statistics. From the application of PCM,
      Person Separation Reliability was obtained (0.8761) and the value can be
      considered very good (>0.8). From the statistical analysis, the Overall Model fit
      information, given by Outfit Mean square/Infit Mean square, is between 0.5 and
      1.5, meaning "Productive for measurement" and "acceptable fit overall". The INSAT
      items can generate predictable response patterns. We recommend that the INSAT
      discomfort rating scale and some other items should be reviewed in future works.
      In any event, this tool proves to be useful in assessing the relationship between
      work and health and in evaluating key main risk factors, helping to prevent
      problems and improving occupational health systems.

PMID- 28357658
TI  - Serological and Molecular Methods to Study Epidemiological Aspects of Human T
      Cell Lymphotropic Virus Type 1 Infection.
AB  - We estimated that at least 5-10 million individuals are infected with HTLV-1.
      Importantly, this number is based on the study of nearly 1.5 billion people
      living in known human T-cell lymphotropic virus type 1 (HTLV-1) endemic areas,
      for which reliable epidemiological data are available. However, for some highly
      populated regions including India, the Maghreb, East Africa, and some regions of
      China, no consistent data are yet available which prevents a more accurate
      estimation. Thus, the number of HTLV-1 infected people in the world is probably
      much higher. The prevalence of HTLV-1 prevalence varies depending on age, sex,
      and economic level in most HTLV-1 endemic areas. HTLV-1 seroprevalence gradually
      increases with age, especially in women. HTLV-1 has a simian origin and was
      originally acquired by humans through interspecies transmission from STLV-1
      infected monkeys in the Old World. Three main modes of HTLV-1 transmission have
      been described; (1) from mother-to-child after prolonged breast-feeding lasting
      more than six months, (2) through sexual intercourse, which mainly, but not
      exclusively, occurs from male to female and lastly, (3) from contaminated blood
      products, which contain HTLV-1 infected lymphocytes. In specific areas, such as
      Central Africa, zoonotic transmission from STLV-1 infected monkeys to humans is
      still ongoing.The diagnostic methods used to study the epidemiological aspects of
      HTLV-1 infection mainly consist of serological assays for the detection of
      antibodies specifically directed against different HTLV-1 antigens. Screening
      tests are usually based on enzyme-linked immunoabsorbent assay (ELISA),
      chemiluminescence enzyme-linked immunoassay (CLEIA) or particle agglutination
      (PA). Confirmatory tests include mostly Western blots (WB)s or innogenetics line
      immunoassay (INNO-LIATM) and to a lesser extent immunofluorescence assay (IFA).
      The search for integrated provirus in the DNA from peripheral blood cells can be
      performed by qualitative and/or quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR).
      qPCR is widely used in most diagnostic laboratories and quantification of
      proviral DNA is useful for the diagnosis and follow-up of HTLV-1 associated
      diseases such as adult T-cell leukemia (ATL) and tropical spastic
      paraparesis/HTLV-1 associated myelopathy (TSP/HAM). PCR also provides amplicons
      for further sequence analysis to determine the HTLV-1 genotype present in the
      infected person. The use of new generation sequencing methodologies to
      molecularly characterize full and/or partial HTLV-1 genomic regions is
      increasing. HTLV-1 genotyping generates valuable molecular epidemiological data
      to better understand the evolutionary history of this virus.

PMID- 28357659
TI  - Molecular Epidemiology Database for Sequence Management and Data Mining.
AB  - A central database to aggregate sequence information from a range of
      epidemiological aspects including HTLV-1 pathogenesis, origin, and evolutionary
      dynamic would be useful to scientists and physicians worldwide. This Chapter
      describes two online tools for studies related to HTLV-1, the HTLV-1 Molecular
      Epidemiology Database and the HTLV-1 Subtyping Tool. The HTLV-1 Molecular
      Epidemiology Database is a tool for sequence management and data mining which
      allows researchers to download sequences with clinical and demographic
      information. The HTLV-1 Subtyping Tool is an online software used for HTLV-1
      genotyping, the algorithm consists in the alignment of a query sequence with a
      carefully selected set of predefined reference strains, followed by phylogenetic
      analysis.

PMID- 28357660
TI  - Reporter Systems to Study HTLV-1 Transmission.
AB  - The retrovirus Human T-lymphotropic virus type 1 (HTLV-1) preferentially infects
      CD4+ T-cells via cell-to-cell transmission, while cell-free infection of T-cells
      is inefficient. Substantial insights into the different routes of transmission
      have largely been obtained by imaging techniques or by flow cytometry. Recently,
      strategies to quantify infection events with HTLV-1 improved. In this chapter, we
      present two different methods to quantitate virus transmission. Both methods are
      based on measuring gene activity of luciferase with a cost-saving in-house
      luciferase assay. First, we established a reporter Jurkat T-cell line carrying a
      luciferase gene under the control of the HTLV-1 core promoter U3R. Upon co
      culture with chronically HTLV-1-infected T-cell lines, reporter cells are
      infected, and upon expression of the viral transactivator Tax, the viral promoter
      is activated resulting in enhanced luciferase activity. However, this assay as
      presented here does not exclude cell fusion as the mechanism allowing
      intracellular Tax-dependent activation of luciferase gene expression. Therefore,
      we describe a second method, the single-cycle replication-dependent reporter
      system developed by Mazurov et al. (PLoS Pathog 6:e1000788, 2010) that allows
      quantitation of HTLV-1 infection in co-cultured cells. Taken together, both
      methods facilitate quantitation of HTLV-1 transmission and will help to unravel
      pathways required for cell-to-cell transmission on a quantitative basis.

PMID- 28357661
TI  - Quantitative Analysis of Human T-Lymphotropic Virus Type 1 (HTLV-1) Infection
      Using Co-Culture with Jurkat LTR-Luciferase or Jurkat LTR-GFP Reporter Cells.
AB  - Unlike HIV-1, HTLV-1 viral transmission requires cell-to-cell contacts, while
      cell-free virions are poorly infectious and almost absent from body fluids.
      Though the virus uses three nonexclusive mechanisms to infect new target cells:
      (1) MTOC polarization followed by formation of a virological synapse and viral
      transfer into a synaptic cleft, (2) genesis of a viral biofilm and its transfer
      of embedded viruses, or (3) HTLV-1 transmission using conduits. The Tax
      transactivator and the p8 viral proteins are involved in virological synapse and
      nanotube formation respectively.HTLV-1 transcription from the viral promoter
      (i.e., LTR) requires the Tax protein that is absent from the viral particle and
      is expressed after productive infection. The present chapter focuses on a series
      of protocols used to quantify HTLV-1 de novo infection of target cells. These
      techniques do not discriminate between the different modes of transmission, but
      allow an accurate measure of productive infection. We used cell lines that are
      stably transfected with LTR-GFP or LTR-luciferase plasmids and quantified Green
      Fluorescent Protein expression or luciferase activity, since both of them reflect
      Tax expression.

PMID- 28357662
TI  - Isolation of Exosomes from HTLV-Infected Cells.
AB  - Exosomes are small vesicles, approximately 30-100 nm in diameter, that transport
      various cargos, such as proteins and nucleic acids, between cells. It has been
      previously shown that exosomes can also transport viral proteins, such as the
      HTLV protein Tax, and viral RNAs, potentially contributing to disease
      pathogenesis. Therefore, it is important to understand their impact on recipient
      cells. Here, we describe methods of isolating and purifying exosomes from cell
      culture or tissue through ultracentrifugation, characterizing exosomes by surface
      biomarkers, and assays that evaluate the effect of exosomes on cells.

PMID- 28357663
TI  - A Luciferase Functional Quantitative Assay for Measuring NF-KB Promoter
      Transactivation Mediated by HTLV-1 and HTLV-2 Tax Proteins.
AB  - HTLV-1 and HTLV-2 viruses express Tax transactivator proteins required for viral
      genome transcription and capable of transforming cells in vivo and in vitro.
      Although Tax oncogenic potential needs to be further elucidated, it is well
      established that Tax proteins activate, among others, transcription factors of
      the NF-KB family, which are involved in immune and inflammatory responses, cell
      growth, apoptosis, stress responses and oncogenesis. Here, we describe a reporter
      gene assay applied for quantitative analysis of Tax-dependent NF-KB activation.
      The procedure is based on co-transfection of two individual vectors containing
      the cDNA for firefly and Renilla luciferase enzymes and vectors expressing Tax
      proteins. The luciferase expression is driven by cis-NF-KB promoter regulatory
      elements responsive to Tax transactivating factor. This assay is particularly
      useful to investigate Tax influence on NF-KB activation mediated by viral or host
      factors.

PMID- 28357664
TI  - Generation of a Tet-On Expression System to Study Transactivation Ability of Tax
      2.
AB  - HTLV Tax proteins (Tax-1 and Tax-2) are known to be able to transactivate several
      host cellular genes involved in complex molecular pathways. Here, we describe a
      stable and regulated high-level expression model based on Tet-On system, to study
      the capacity of Tax-2 to transactivate host genes. In particular, the Jurkat Tet
      On cell line suitable for evaluating the ability of Tax-2 to stimulate
      transactivation of a specific host gene, CCL3L1 (C-C motif chemokine ligand 3
      like 1 gene), was selected. Then, a plasmid expressing tax-2 gene under control
      of a tetracycline-response element was constructed. To avoid the production of a
      fusion protein between the report gene and the inserted gene, a bidirectional
      plasmid was designed. Maximum expression and fast response time were achieved by
      using nucleofection technology as transfection method. After developing an
      optimized protocol for efficiently transferring tax-2 gene in Jurkat Tet-On
      cellular model and exposing transfected cells to Dox (doxycycline, a tetracycline
      derivate), a kinetics of tax-2 expression through TaqMan Real-time PCR assay was
      determined.

PMID- 28357665
TI  - EGF Uptake and Degradation Assay to Determine the Effect of HTLV Regulatory
      Proteins on the ESCRT-Dependent MVB Pathway.
AB  - The endosomal sorting complex required for transport (ESCRT) pathway plays key
      roles in multivesicular bodies (MVBs) formation and lysosomal degradation of
      membrane receptors, viral budding, and midbody abscission during cytokinesis. The
      epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) is regarded as a prototypical cargo of
      the MVB/ESCRT pathway and following stimulation by epidermal growth factor (EGF)
      EGFR/EGF complexes are internalized, sorted into MVBs, and degraded by lysosomes
      or recycled back to the cell membrane. Here, we describe an assay to analyze the
      effect of human T-cell leukemia (HTLV) regulatory proteins on the functionality
      of ESCRT-dependent MVB/lysosomal trafficking of EGFR/EGF complexes. This is
      performed by direct visualization and quantification of the rate of EGF
      Alexa595/EGFR internalization and degradation in HeLa cells expressing HTLV
      regulatory proteins by immunofluorescence and western blot.

PMID- 28357666
TI  - Methods for Identifying and Examining HTLV-1 HBZ Post-translational
      Modifications.
AB  - Post-translational modifications (PTMs) are chemical alterations to individual
      amino acids that alter a protein's conformation, stability, and/or function.
      Several pathogenic viruses have been shown to encode proteins with PTMs,
      including human T-cell leukemia virus type 1 (HTLV-1) Tax and Rex regulatory
      proteins. HTLV-1 basic leucine zipper protein (HBZ) was hypothesized to feature
      PTMs due to its functional activities and interactions with cellular
      transcription factors and acetyltransferases. Here, we describe the approach used
      to identify, via mass spectrometry, the PTMs of HBZ. In addition, we describe
      methods to determine the functional relevance of the identified PTMs.

PMID- 28357667
TI  - High-Throughput Mapping and Clonal Quantification of Retroviral Integration
      Sites.
AB  - We describe here a method to identify the position of retroviral insertion sites
      and simultaneously to quantify the absolute abundance of each clone, i.e., the
      number of cells having the provirus inserted at a given place in the host genome.
      The method is based on random shearing of the host cell DNA, followed by a linker
      mediated PCR to amplify the genomic regions flanking the proviruses, and high
      throughput sequencing of the amplicons. The quantification of the abundance of
      each infected clone allowed us to develop two new metrics: i. the oligoclonality
      index, which quantifies the nonuniformity of the distribution of clone abundance,
      and ii. an estimator of the total number of clones in the body of the host. These
      new tools are valuable for the study of retroviral infections and can also be
      adapted for the tracking of gene-edited cells.

PMID- 28357668
TI  - STR Profiling of HTLV-1-Infected Cell Lines.
AB  - Many investigations of the replication and pathogenesis of human T-cell leukemia
      virus type 1 (HTLV-1) employ chronically infected cell lines, cell lines
      stabilized from primary adult T-cell leukemia cells, and noninfected T-cell
      lines. The validity of data obtained from such studies depends on the unambiguous
      identification of each cell line, which can be performed by short-tandem-repeat
      (STR) profiling (DNA fingerprinting). While kit-based profiling represents the
      standard method for cell line authentication, not all labs have ready access to
      the required capillary electrophoresis equipment, and the costs of such tests can
      become substantial, especially if the cell lines are to be tested frequently. We
      analyzed DNA from a panel of HTLV-1-infected cell lines and noninfected T-cell
      lines using a commercial STR kit and then analyzed the same DNA for individual
      STR markers followed by nondenaturing polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. This
      simplified method should facilitate routine confirmation of cell line identity in
      diverse laboratory settings.

PMID- 28357669
TI  - Expression of HTLV-1 Genes in T-Cells Using RNA Electroporation.
AB  - Human T-cell leukemia virus type 1 (HTLV-1) infects about 20 million people world
      wide. Around 5% of the infected individuals develop adult T-cell leukemia (ATL)
      or a neurological disease termed tropical spastic paraparesis (TSP) after a
      clinical latency of years to decades. Through the use of two promoters and
      alternative splicing HTLV-1 expresses at least 12 different proteins. HTLV-1
      establishes a life-long persistent infection by inducing the clonal expansion of
      infected cells, a property largely ascribed to the viral genes Tax and HBZ.
      However, the fact that ATL arises in a minority of infected individuals after a
      long clinical latency suggests the existence of factors counterbalancing the
      oncogenic potential of HTLV-1 in the context of natural infection.To study the
      role of the different HTLV-1 gene products in the HTLV-1 life cycle, we optimized
      a transfection protocol for primary T-cells using an approach based on the
      electroporation of in vitro-transcribed RNA. Results showed that the RNA
      transfection technique combines a high transfection efficiency with low toxicity,
      not only in Jurkat T-cells but also in primary T-cells. These findings suggest
      that RNA electroporation is preferable for experiments aimed at investigating the
      role of HTLV-1 gene products in the context of primary T-cells, which represent
      the main target of HTLV-1 in vivo.

PMID- 28357670
TI  - Quantification of Cell Turnover in the Bovine Leukemia Virus Model.
AB  - In a perspective of a comparative virology approach, characterization of the
      bovine leukemia virus (BLV) model may be helpful to better understand infection
      by the related human T-lymphotropic virus type 1 (HTLV-1). In this paper, we
      first provide detailed protocols to inoculate cloned BLV proviruses into sheep or
      cattle. We also describe methods to quantify apoptosis ex vivo and cell turnover
      in vivo.

PMID- 28357671
TI  - Analysis of NK Cell Function and Receptor Expression During HTLV-1 and HTLV-2
      Infection.
AB  - Cytofluorimetric analysis is a typical method in immunology to evaluate phenotype
      and function of Natural Killer (NK) cells derived from HTLV-1/2 infected patients
      and healthy donors. Here, we described protocols to NK cells phenotypical and
      cytotoxicity assay, performed by flow cytometry on fresh and immune-magnetically
      or flow cytometry sorted NK cells. A new developed protocol able to evaluate
      IFNgamma production has been included.

PMID- 28357672
TI  - Overview of Targeted Therapies for Adult T-Cell Leukemia/Lymphoma.
AB  - Adult T-Cell Leukemia/lymphoma (ATL) is the first human malignancy associated
      with a chronic infection by a retrovirus, the human T-cell lymphotropic virus
      type I (HTLV-I). ATL occurs, after a long latency period, only in about 5% of 10
      20 millions infected individuals. ATL has a dismal prognosis with a median
      survival of less than 1 year, mainly due to its resistance to chemotherapy and to
      a profound immunosuppression. The viral oncoprotein, Tax, plays a major role in
      ATL oncogenic transformation by interfering with cell proliferation, cell cycle,
      apoptosis, and DNA repair. The diversity in ATL clinical features and prognosis
      led to Shimoyama classification of ATL into four clinical subtypes (acute,
      lymphoma, chronic, and smoldering) requiring different therapeutic strategies.
      Clinical trials, mainly conducted in Japan, demonstrated that combination of
      chemotherapy could induce acceptable response rate in the lymphoma subtype but
      not in acute ATL. However, long-term prognosis remains poor for both subtypes,
      due to a high relapse rate. Similarly, whether managed by a watchful waiting or
      treated with chemotherapy, the indolent forms (smoldering and chronic) have a
      poor long-term outcome. An international meta-analysis showed improved survival
      in the leukemic subtypes of ATL (chronic, smoldering as well as a subset of the
      acute subtype) with the use of two antiviral agents, zidovudine and interferon
      alpha, and accordingly, this combination should be considered the standard first
      line treatment in this context. ATL patients with lymphoma subtype benefit from
      induction chemotherapy, given simultaneously or sequentially with an antiviral
      combination of zidovudine and interferon-alpha. Allogeneic hematopoietic stem
      cells transplantation remains a promising and potentially curative approach but
      is limited to a small number of patients. Novel drugs such as arsenic trioxide in
      combination with interferon-alpha or monoclonal antibodies such as anti-CXCR4
      have shown promising results and warrant further investigation.

PMID- 28357673
TI  - The Granulocyte-to-Lymphocyte Ratio as a Marker of Surgical Stress and a
      Predictor of Postoperative Infectious Complications After Gastric Cancer Surgery:
      An Analysis of Patients Enrolled in a Prospective Randomized Trial.
AB  - BACKGROUND: The granulocyte-to-lymphocyte ratio (GLR) in the blood may be a
      useful marker of surgical stress (SS) following surgery for cancer. The aim of
      the present study was to compare the SS by measuring the GLR, and further study
      the value of the GLR in predicting postoperative infectious complications (ICs).
      METHODS: Data from 201 gastric cancer patients at Fujian Medical University Union
      Hospital who were enrolled in our prospective randomized controlled trial were
      extracted for this study. Blood samples to perioperatively measure the GLR were
      routinely taken. Additional external validation was performed using the dataset
      (n = 135) from Nanfang Hospital who were enrolled in the same trial. RESULTS:
      Patients undergoing either laparoscopic or open resection showed a similar
      preoperative GLR, as well as similar GLRs, on postoperative days (PODs) 1 and 3.
      The GLR on POD 5 was lower in the laparoscopic group compared with the open group
      (p = 0.014), and the optimal predictive GLR thresholds of postoperative ICs in
      both the laparoscopic and open groups were the same on POD 5, i.e. 6.5 and 7.4,
      respectively. The GLR on POD 5 was identified as an independent factor for
      postoperative ICs in both the laparoscopic and open groups. Similar results were
      found in the validation dataset. CONCLUSION: The GLR status not only correlates
      with SS but may also be a reliable predictor of ICs for gastric cancer patients
      after gastrectomy. The ideal GLR thresholds on POD 5 for ICs following
      laparoscopic and open gastrectomy are 6.5 and 7.4, respectively.

PMID- 28357674
TI  - Surgical Outcomes After Open, Laparoscopic, and Robotic Gastrectomy for Gastric
      Cancer.
AB  - BACKGROUND: In contrast to the significant advantages of laparoscopic versus open
      gastrectomy, robotic gastrectomy has shown little benefit over laparoscopic
      gastrectomy. This study aimed to compare multi-dimensional aspects of surgical
      outcomes after open, laparoscopic, and robotic gastrectomy. METHODS: Data from
      915 gastric cancer patients who underwent gastrectomy by one surgeon between
      March 2009 and May 2015 were retrospectively reviewed. Perioperative parameters
      were analyzed for short-term outcomes. Surgical success was defined as the
      absence of conversion to open surgery, major complications, readmission, positive
      resection margin, or fewer than 16 retrieved lymph nodes. RESULTS: This study
      investigated 241 patients undergoing open gastrectomy, 511 patients undergoing
      laparoscopic gastrectomy, and 173 patients undergoing robotic gastrectomy. For
      each approach, the respective incidences were as follows: conversion to open
      surgery (not applicable, 0.4%, and 0%; p = 0.444), in-hospital major
      complications (5.8, 2.7, and 1.2%; p = 0.020), delayed complications requiring
      readmission (2.9, 2.0, and 1.2%; p = 0.453), positive resection margin (1.7, 0,
      and 0%; p = 0.003), and inadequate number of retrieved lymph nodes (0.4, 4.1, and
      1.7%; p = 0.010). Compared with open and laparoscopic surgery, robotic
      gastrectomy had the highest surgical success rate (90, 90.8, and 96.0%). Learning
      curve analysis of success using cumulative sum plots showed success with the
      robotic approach from the start. Multivariate analyses identified age, sex, and
      gastrectomy extent as significant independent parameters affecting surgical
      success. Surgical approach was not a contributing factor. CONCLUSIONS: Open,
      laparoscopic, and robotic gastrectomy exhibited different incidences and causes
      of surgical failure. Robotic gastrectomy produced the best surgical outcomes,
      although the approach method itself was not an independent factor for success.

PMID- 28357675
TI  - What is the role of nephrologists and nurses of the dialysis department in
      providing fertility care to CKD patients? A questionnaire study among care
      providers.
AB  - PURPOSE: This study evaluated current fertility care for CKD patients by
      assessing the perspectives of nephrologists and nurses in the dialysis
      department. METHODS: Two different surveys were distributed for this cross
      sectional study among Dutch nephrologists (N = 312) and dialysis nurses (N =
      1211). RESULTS: Response rates were 50.9% (nephrologists) and 45.4% (nurses).
      Guidelines on fertility care were present in the departments of 9.0% of the
      nephrologists and 15.6% of the nurses. 61.7% of the nephrologists and 23.6% of
      the nurses informed >=50% of their patients on potential changes in fertility due
      to a decline in renal function. Fertility subjects discussed by nephrologists
      included "wish to have children" (91.2%), "risk of pregnancy for patients'
      health" (85.8%), and "inheritance of the disease" (81.4%). Barriers withholding
      nurses from discussing FD were based on "the age of the patient" (62.6%),
      "insufficient training" (55.2%), and "language and ethnicity" (51.6%). 29.2% of
      the nurses felt competent in discussing fertility, 8.3% had sufficient knowledge
      about fertility, and 75.7% needed to expand their knowledge. More knowledge and
      competence were associated with providing fertility health care (p < 0.01).
      CONCLUSIONS: In most nephrology departments, the guidelines to appoint which care
      provider should provide fertility care to CKD patients are absent. Fertility
      counseling is routinely provided by most nephrologists, nurses often skip this
      part of care mainly due to insufficiencies in self-imposed competence and
      knowledge and barriers based on cultural diversity. The outcomes identified a
      need for fertility guidelines in the nephrology department and training and
      education for nurses on providing fertility care.

PMID- 28357677
TI  - Identification of a Novel Somatic Mutation Leading to Allele Dropout for EGFR
      L858R Genotyping in Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: While PCR-based genotyping methods abound in molecular testing for
      lung cancer therapy, these approaches may not provide the robust sensitivity to
      detect accurate genotypes in a variable cancer genomic background. METHODS: Here,
      we describe a study of a clinical tumor specimen containing a novel somatic
      single nucleotide variant that caused allele drop-out in EGFR L858R genotyping,
      resulting in a false-negative interpretation and impacting patient clinical
      management. RESULTS: We demonstrate that a subsequent unbiased next-generation
      sequencing approach correctly identified the driver mutation, and therefore may
      be more reliable for somatic variant detection. CONCLUSIONS: These findings
      magnify the potential pitfalls of PCR amplification-based approaches and stress
      the importance of unbiased and sensitive molecular testing strategies for
      therapeutic marker detection as molecular testing becomes the standard for
      determining clinical management of cancer patients.

PMID- 28357678
TI  - Reconsidering Parenting in Chinese Culture: Subtypes, Stability, and Change of
      Maternal Parenting Style During Early Adolescence.
AB  - Parenting in Chinese culture has been a central topic and there have been debate
      on whether western-derived parenting style is applicable to Chinese cultures in
      terms of both behavioral profiles and their relationships with child and
      adolescent adjustment. This study identified the subtypes of Chinese maternal
      parenting style and examined their stability and changes over the transition to
      early adolescence. In an urban Chinese sample (N = 2173, 48% girls), four waves
      of longitudinal data were collected when the adolescents were in the fifth (M =
      11.27 years), sixth, seventh, and eighth grades. Latent profile analysis
      identified four subtypes of parenting style: authoritative, authoritarian,
      average-level undifferentiated, and strict-affectionate. Adolescents of
      authoritative mothers exhibited the best overall adjustment, while adolescents of
      authoritarian mothers showed the worst adjustment. Adolescents of strict
      affectionate mothers generally adjusted as well as those of authoritative
      mothers, except they showed lower academic achievement. The strict-affectionate
      parenting represented a culture-specific subtype of parenting style in Chinese
      culture. Latent transition analysis revealed high stability of parenting styles
      during early adolescence, but transitions between subtypes were also evident.
      These findings highlight the importance of revisiting Chinese parenting and
      examining the developmental course of parenting style.

PMID- 28357676
TI  - Porcine epidemic diarrhea virus virus-like particles produced in insect cells
      induce specific immune responses in mice.
AB  - Porcine epidemic diarrhea virus (PEDV), which causes 80-100% mortality in
      neonatal piglets, is one of the most devastating viral diseases affecting swine
      worldwide. To date, the lack of effective vaccines and drugs is the main problem
      preventing control of the global spread of PEDV. In this study, we produced PEDV
      virus-like particles (VLPs) composed of S, M, and E proteins with a baculovirus
      expression system and tested them via indirect immunofluorescence assay (IFA)and
      Western blot analysis. Electron microscopy showed that the morphological
      structure of the PEDV VLPs was similar to that of the protovirus.
      Microneutralization assays and ELISpot analysis demonstrated that PEDV VLPs
      induced highly specific antibody responses and Th2-mediated humoral immunity. As
      a result, the PEDV VLPs displayed excellent immunogenicity in mice. Therefore, a
      VLP-based vaccine has the potential to prevent PEDV infection.

PMID- 28357679
TI  - Changes in quality of life after elective surgery: an observational study
      comparing two measures.
AB  - PURPOSE: Our main objective was to compare the change in a validated quality of
      life measure to a global assessment measure. The secondary objectives were to
      estimate the minimum clinically important difference (MCID) and to describe the
      change in quality of life by surgical specialty. METHODS: This prospective cohort
      study included 7902 adult patients undergoing elective surgery. Changes in the
      Veterans RAND 12-Item Health Survey (VR-12), composed of a physical component
      summary (PCS) and a mental component summary (MCS), were calculated using
      preoperative and postoperative questionnaires. The latter also contained a global
      assessment question for quality of life. We compared PCS and MCS to the global
      assessment using descriptive statistics and weighted kappa. MCID was calculated
      using an anchor-based approach. Analyses were pre-specified and registered
      (NCT02771964). RESULTS: By the change in VR-12 scores, an equal proportion of
      patients experienced improvement and deterioration in quality of life (28% for
      PCS, 25% for MCS). In contrast, by the global assessment measure, 61% reported
      improvement, while only 10% reported deterioration. Agreement with the global
      assessment was slight for both PCS (kappa = 0.20, 57% matched) and MCS (kappa =
      0.10, 54% matched). The MCID for the overall VR-12 score was approximately 2.5
      points. Patients undergoing orthopedic surgery showed the most improvement in
      quality of life measures, while patients undergoing
      gastrointestinal/hepatobiliary or urologic surgery showed the most deterioration.
      CONCLUSIONS: Subjective global quality of life report does not agree well with a
      validated quality of life instrument, perhaps due to patient over-optimism.

PMID- 28357680
TI  - Visual function quality of life measure changes upon conversion to neovascular
      age-related macular degeneration in second eyes.
AB  - PURPOSE: To determine changes in quality of life measures when choroidal
      neovascularization (CNV) developed in the second eye of patients with initially
      unilateral neovascular age-related macular degeneration (AMD). METHODS: We
      analyzed responses to the 39-item National Eye Institute Visual Function
      Questionnaire (NEI-VFQ), 36-item Short Form Health Survey (SF-36), and Hospital
      Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS) at baseline, and prior to and following
      second eye CNV diagnosis in 92 participants enrolled in two Submacular Surgery
      Trials. Paired t-tests for sample sizes over 30 and Wilcoxon signed-rank tests
      for sample sizes <30 were performed to compare scores. RESULTS: CNV development
      resulted in statistically and clinically significant changes in responses to 20
      of 39 NEI-VFQ items, indicating visual function decline during a mean interval of
      25 months. Little difference was noted between baseline scores and prior to CNV
      diagnosis, which averaged 8.9 months duration. Subscales demonstrated a
      statistically significant decline in general vision, near activities, distance
      activities, social functioning, role difficulties, dependency, and driving. There
      were minimal changes in the HADS and SF-36 scales. CONCLUSION: CNV development in
      the second eye had a dramatic effect on visual functioning based on patient
      responses to the NEI-VFQ questionnaire. Our investigation is believed to be the
      first study using data collected prospectively to demonstrate vision-related
      quality of life changes that resulted from development of CNV in AMD patients.

PMID- 28357681
TI  - What contributes to long-term quality of life in breast cancer patients who are
      undergoing surgery? Results of a multidimensional study.
AB  - PURPOSE: This study aims to examine the key determinants of long-term quality of
      life in breast cancer patients who are undergoing surgery using a
      multidimensional approach and taking into account preoperative and post-operative
      psychological characteristics such as anxiety, depression, posttraumatic growth,
      body image, and physical activity as well as medical parameters. METHODS: The
      study involved 63 breast cancer patients from the Department of Surgery at the
      University of Szeged. Assessments occurred 1 day before surgery as well as 3 days
      and 18 months after surgery using the Spielberger State and Trait Anxiety
      Inventory (STAI), Beck's Depression Inventory (BDI), Functional Assessment of
      Cancer Therapy-Breast Cancer Scale (FACT-B), Posttraumatic Growth Inventory
      (PTGI) and Breast Impact of Treatment Scale (BITS). Data relating to physical
      activity, medical parameters and sociodemographic characteristics were also
      collected. RESULTS: The level of depression did not change over time. State
      anxiety decreased 18 months after the surgery compared to before the surgery;
      however, there was a greater decrease immediately after the surgery and then
      anxiety increased again 18 months later. Trait anxiety was associated with
      quality of life, posttraumatic growth and body image. Posttraumatic growth and
      the level of depression were found to be possible contributing factors to the
      increase in long-term quality of life. CONCLUSIONS: The results show that the
      timely detection and proper management of psychological distress and the
      enhancement of posttraumatic growth are of great value, as they might be
      important contributing factors to long-term quality of life in breast cancer
      patients.

PMID- 28357683
TI  - Targeting Frailty in Heart Failure.
AB  - OPINION STATEMENT: Frailty is a systemic syndrome characterized by impaired
      physiologic reserve, slowness, weakness, and wasting. It is associated with, but
      distinct from, aging, disability, and multimorbidity. Frailty is extremely common
      in patients with heart failure and portends a worse prognosis. The two syndromes
      worsen one another via complex molecular and cellular mechanisms which are not
      fully understood but include increased levels of stress hormones and cytokines.
      In this article, we discuss the mechanisms of frailty and review common frailty
      metrics. We review and summarize the literature on the impact of frailty in heart
      failure and discuss treatment and management options.

PMID- 28357684
TI  - Setting Ideal Lubricant Mixing Time for Manufacturing Tablets by Evaluating
      Powder Flowability.
AB  - We investigated the effectiveness of using Carr's flowability index (FI) and
      practical angle of internal friction (Phi) as indexes for setting the target Mg
      St mixing time needed for preparing tablets with the target physical properties.
      We used FI as a measure of flowability under non-loaded conditions, and Phi as a
      measure of flowability under loaded conditions for pharmaceutical powders
      undergoing direct compression with varying concentrations of Mg-St and mixing
      times. We evaluated the relationship between Mg-St mixing conditions and
      pharmaceutical powder flowability, analyzed the correlation between the physical
      properties of the tablets (i.e., tablet weight variation, drug content
      uniformity, hardness, friability, and disintegration time of tablets prepared
      using the pharmaceutical powder), and studied the effect of Mg-St mixing
      conditions and pharmaceutical powder flowability on tablet properties. Mg-St
      mixing time highly correlated with pharmaceutical powder FI (R 2 = 0.883) while
      Mg-St concentration has low correlation with FI, and FI highly correlated with
      the physical properties of the tablet (R 2 values: weight variation 0.509, drug
      content variation 0.314, hardness 0.525, friability 0.477, and disintegration
      time 0.346). Therefore, using pharmaceutical powder FI as an index could enable
      prediction of the physical properties of a tablet without the need for tableting,
      and setting the Mg-St mixing time by using pharmaceutical powder FI could enable
      preparation of tablets with the target physical properties. Thus, the FI of the
      intermediate product (i.e., pharmaceutical powder) is an effective index for
      controlling the physical properties of the finished tablet.

PMID- 28357682
TI  - Quality of life independently predicts long-term mortality but not vascular
      events: the Northern Manhattan Study.
AB  - PURPOSE: Cardiovascular disease is a major contributor to morbidity and
      mortality, and prevention relies on accurate identification of those at risk.
      Studies of the association between quality of life (QOL) and mortality and
      vascular events incompletely accounted for depression, cognitive status, social
      support, and functional status, all of which have an impact on vascular outcomes.
      We hypothesized that baseline QOL is independently associated with long-term
      mortality in a large, multi-ethnic urban cohort. METHODS: In the prospective,
      population-based Northern Manhattan Study, Spitzer QOL index (SQI, range 0-10,
      with ten signifying the highest QOL) was assessed at baseline. Participants were
      followed over a median 11 years for stroke, myocardial infarction (MI), and
      vascular and non-vascular death. Multivariable Cox proportional hazards
      regression estimated hazard ratio and 95% confidence interval (HR, 95% CI) for
      each outcome, with SQI as the main predictor, dichotomized at 10, adjusting for
      baseline demographics, vascular risk factors, history of cancer, social support,
      cognitive status, depression, and functional status. RESULTS: Among 3298
      participants, mean age was 69.7 + 10.3 years; 1795 (54.5%) had SQI of 10. In
      fully adjusted models, SQI of 10 (compared to SQI <10) was associated with
      reduced risk of all-cause mortality (HR 0.80, 95% CI 0.72-0.90), vascular death
      (0.81, 0.69-0.97), non-vascular death (0.78, 0.67-0.91), and stroke or MI or
      death (0.82, 0.74-0.91). In fully adjusted competing risk models, there was no
      association with stroke (0.93, 0.74-1.17), MI (0.98, 0.75-1.28), and stroke or MI
      (1.03, 0.86-1.24). Results were consistent when SQI was analyzed continuously.
      CONCLUSION: In this large population-based cohort, highest QOL was inversely
      associated with long-term mortality, vascular and non-vascular, independently of
      baseline primary vascular risk factors, social support, cognition, depression,
      and functional status. QOL was not associated with non-fatal vascular events.

PMID- 28357685
TI  - Familial Acute Myeloid Leukemia and Myelodysplasia in Hungary.
AB  - Although genetic predisposition to haematological malignancies has long been
      known, genetic testing is not yet the part of the routine diagnostics. In the
      last ten years, next generation sequencing based studies identified novel
      germline mutations in the background of familial aggregation of certain
      haematologic disorders including myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS) and acute
      myeloid leukaemia (AML). This is supported by the fact that the myeloid neoplasms
      with genetic predisposition represent a new category in the revised 2016 World
      Health Organization classification. According to the new classification, these
      disorders are subdivided based on the clinical and genetic features, including
      myeloid neoplasms with germline predisposition alone, or with pre-existing
      platelet disorder, cytopaenias or other organ failures. The predisposing genetic
      factors include mutations in the RUNX1, CEBPA, GATA2, ANKRD26, ETV6, DDX41, TERC
      or TERT and SRP72 genes. The genes affected in these syndromes are important
      regulators of haemopoiesis and are frequently implicated in leukaemogenesis,
      providing deeper insight into the understanding of normal and malignant
      haemopoiesis. Despite the growing knowledge of germline predisposing events in
      the background of familial myeloid malignancies, the germline genetic component
      is still unknown in a subset of these pedigrees. Here, we present the first study
      of inherited myeloid malignancies in Hungary. We identified three families with
      apparent clustering of myeloid malignancies with nine affected individuals across
      these pedigrees. All tested individuals were negative for CEBPA, GATA2, RUNX1,
      ANKRD26, ETV6, DDX41, TERC or TERT and SRP72 mutations, suggesting the presence
      of so far unidentified predisposing mutations.

PMID- 28357686
TI  - Evaluation of cell interaction with polymeric biomaterials based on hyaluronic
      acid and chitosan.
AB  - Tissue engineering involves the development of new materials or devices capable
      of specific interactions with biological tissues, searching the use of
      biocompatible materials as scaffolds for in vitro cell growth, and functional
      tissue development, that is subsequently implanted into patient. The aim of the
      current study was to evaluate the initial aspects of cell interaction with the
      polymeric biomaterials blends based on hyaluronic acid with chitosan. The
      hypothesis approach involves synthesis and analysis of swelling and thermal
      degradation (thermal gravimetric analysis) of the polymer blend; and Vero cell
      interaction with the biomaterial, through analysis of cytotoxicity, adhesion and
      cell morphology. The blend resulted in a biomaterial with a high swelling ratio
      that can allow nutrient distribution and absorption. The thermal gravimetric
      analysis results showed that the blend had two stages of degradation at
      temperatures very close to those observed for pure polymers, confirming that the
      physical mixing of hydrogels occurred, resulting in the presence of both
      hyaluronic acid and chitosan in the blend. The evaluation of indirect
      cytotoxicity showed that the blend was non cytotoxic for Vero cells, and the
      quantitative analysis performed with the MTT could verify a cell viability of
      98%. The cells cultured on the blend showed adhesion, spreading and proliferation
      on this biomaterial, distinguished from the pattern of the control cells. These
      results showed that the blends produced from hyaluronic acid and chitosan
      hydrogels are promising for applications in tissue engineering, aiming at future
      cartilaginous tissue.

PMID- 28357687
TI  - Efficacy and safety of non-suture dural closure using a novel dural substitute
      consisting of polyglycolic acid felt and fibrin glue to prevent cerebrospinal
      fluid leakage-A non-controlled, open-label, multicenter clinical trial.
AB  - The objective of this study is to evaluate the efficacy and safety of non-suture
      dural closure using a novel dural substitute (GM111) consisting of polyglycolic
      acid felt with a fibrin-glue-coated area commensurate in size with the dural
      defect. This was a non-controlled, open-label, multicenter clinical trial. The
      efficacy evaluation endpoints were (1) GM111's intra-operative capability to
      close dural defects and (2) prevention of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) leakage and
      subcutaneous CSF retention throughout the postoperative period (evaluated by
      diagnostic imaging). Patients meeting the following three preoperative and two
      intra-operative selection criteria were enrolled: (1) between 12 and <75 years of
      age; (2) the dura is surmised to be defective and in need of reconstruction; (3)
      informed written consent was obtained from the patient; (4) the surgical wound is
      class 1; and (5) the size of duraplasty is >=0.2 cm2 to <100 cm2. Sixty patients
      were enrolled. The craniotomy site was supratentorial in 77.2%, infratentorial in
      12.3% and sellar in 10.5%. The GM111 prosthesis size ranged from 0.24 to 42 cm2.
      To evaluate the efficacy, intra-operative closure was confirmed by Valsalva's
      maneuver, water infusion, etc., in all patients. CSF leakage and subcutaneous CSF
      retention throughout the postoperative period were found in four patients.
      Adverse events for which a causal relationship with GM111 could not be ruled out
      occurred in 8.8% of the patients. There were no instances of postoperative
      infection due to GM111. GM111 showed good closure capability and safety when used
      for non-suture dural closure.

PMID- 28357688
TI  - Uterus transplantation and beyond.
AB  - Uterus transplantation is today the only available treatment for absolute uterine
      factor infertility which is caused by either congenital/surgical uterine absence
      or that a present uterus is non-functioning. Structured animal-based research,
      from rodents to nonhuman primates, was the scientific basis for a successful
      introduction of uterus transplantation as a clinical procedure. The patient
      groups for uterus transplantation, the preclinical research and data from the
      published human cases will be covered herein. During recent years the concept of
      bioengineering of organs and tissues has emerged. Creation of a bioengineered
      uterus is in the initial research state, with experiments performed in rodents.
      The research that has been performed to create a bioengineered uterus will be
      summarized. In conclusion, uterus transplantation is now a clinical experimental
      procedure for treatment of uterine factor infertility. In parallel to the
      establishment of this combined assisted reproduction technique and
      transplantation procedure as a routine clinical procedure, we predict that uterus
      bioengineering will develop further towards introduction within the human
      setting, but that this process will take several years.

PMID- 28357690
TI  - Reaction mechanisms of DNT with hydroxyl radicals for advanced oxidation
      processes-a DFT study.
AB  - In advanced oxidation processes (AOPs), the detailed degradation mechanisms of a
      typical explosive of 2,4-dinitrotoluene (DNT) can be investigated by the density
      function theory (DFT) method at the SMD/M062X/6-311+G(d) level. Several possible
      degradation routes for DNT were explored in the current study. The results show
      that, for oxidation of the methyl group, the dominant degradation mechanism of
      DNT by hydroxyl radicals (*OH) is a series of sequential H-abstraction reactions,
      and the intermediates obtained are in good agreement with experimental findings.
      The highest activation energy barrier is less than 20 kcal mol-1. Other routes
      are dominated by an addition-elimination mechanism, which is also found in 2,4,6
      trinitrotoluene, although the experiment did not find the corresponding products.
      In addition, we also eliminate several impossible mechanisms, such as
      dehydration, HNO3 elimination, the simultaneous addition of two *OH radials, and
      so on. The information gained about these degradation pathways is helpful in
      elucidating the detailed reaction mechanism between nitroaromatic explosives and
      hydroxyl radicals for AOPs. Graphical Abstract The degradation mechanism of an
      important explosive, 2,6-dinitrotoluene (DNT), by the hydroxyl radical for
      advanced oxidation progresses.

PMID- 28357691
TI  - Selective detection of cyanogen halides by BN nanocluster: a DFT study.
AB  - The electronic sensitivity and adsorption behavior toward cyanogen halides (X-CN;
      X = F, Cl, and Br) of a B12N12 nanocluster were investigated by means of density
      functional theory calculations. The X-head of these molecules was predicted to
      interact weakly with the BN cluster because of the positive sigma-hole on the
      electronic potential surface of halogens. The X-CN molecules interact somewhat
      strongly with the boron atoms of the cluster via the N-head, which is accompanied
      by a large charge transfer from the X-CN to the cluster. The change in enthalpy
      upon the adsorption process (at room temperature and 1 atm) is about -19.2, 
      23.4, and -30.5 kJ mol-1 for X = F, Cl, and Br, respectively. The LUMO level of
      the BN cluster is largely stabilized after the adsorption process, and the HOMO
      LUMO gap is significantly decreased. Thus, the electrical conductivity of the
      cluster is increased, and an electrical signal is generated that can help to
      detect these molecules. By increasing the atomic number of X, the signal will
      increase, which makes the sensor selective for cyanogen halides. Also, it was
      indicated that the B12N12 nanocluster benefits from a short recovery time as a
      sensor.

PMID- 28357689
TI  - Porotic paradox: distribution of cortical bone pore sizes at nano- and micro
      levels in healthy vs. fragile human bone.
AB  - Bone is a remarkable biological nanocomposite material showing peculiar
      hierarchical organization from smaller (nano, micro) to larger (macro) length
      scales. Increased material porosity is considered as the main feature of fragile
      bone at larger length-scales. However, there is a shortage of quantitative
      information on bone porosity at smaller length-scales, as well as on the
      distribution of pore sizes in healthy vs. fragile bone. Therefore, here we
      investigated how healthy and fragile bones differ in pore volume and pore size
      distribution patterns, considering a wide range of mostly neglected pore sizes
      from nano to micron-length scales (7.5 to 15000 nm). Cortical bone specimens from
      four young healthy women (age: 35 +/- 6 years) and five women with bone fracture
      (age: 82 +/- 5 years) were analyzed by mercury porosimetry. Our findings showed
      that, surprisingly, fragile bone demonstrated lower pore volume at the measured
      scales. Furtnermore, pore size distribution showed differential patterns between
      healthy and fragile bones, where healthy bone showed especially high proportion
      of pores between 200 and 15000 nm. Therefore, although fragile bones are known
      for increased porosity at macroscopic level and level of tens or hundreds of
      microns as firmly established in the literature, our study with a unique
      assessment range of nano-to micron-sized pores reveal that osteoporosis does not
      imply increased porosity at all length scales. Our thorough assessment of bone
      porosity reveals a specific distribution of porosities at smaller length-scales
      and contributes to proper understanding of bone structure which is important for
      designing new biomimetic bone substitute materials.

PMID- 28357692
TI  - Performance of a recent light fluorescence device for detection of occlusal
      carious lesions in children and adolescents.
AB  - AIM: To assess the validity and reliability of a recent light fluorescence
      device, Soprolife(r) (Sopro-Acteon group) in detecting occlusal caries in
      children and adolescents and to compare its diagnostic performance with
      DIAGNOPen(r) (Kavo). METHODS: A multi-centre study was carried out to validate
      Soprolife(r) in 103 children, aged from 5-15 years, on 310 primary and 433
      permanent posterior teeth. The sensitivity (SE), specificity (SP) and the area
      under the Receiver Operating Characteristic (ROC) curve (AUC) were evaluated
      using visual International Caries Detection and Assessment System (ICDAS) and
      radiographic examinations as the gold standards. The performance of the
      Soprolife(r) was compared with that of the DIAGNOPen(r) on the same teeth. The
      reproducibility was assessed using weighted Kappa coefficient. RESULTS: When all
      carious lesions using ICDAS 1-6 were considered, SE, SP and AUC for the
      Soprolife(r) were 88.50, 70.73 and 0.84 respectively. The validity was
      significantly higher for primary teeth (AUC = 0.90) than for permanent teeth
      (0.80); the validity of the Soprolife(r) (0.84) was significantly higher than
      that of DIAGNOPen(r) (0.80). The inter- and intra-examiner kappa coefficients
      were 0.87 and 0.85 respectively. CONCLUSION: The Soprolife(r) was a valid
      instrument providing reproducible results, particularly for primary teeth.

PMID- 28357693
TI  - Arachis hypogaea L. produces mimic and inhibitory quorum sensing like molecules.
AB  - A wide variety of plant-associated soil bacteria (rhizobacteria) communicate with
      each other by quorum sensing (QS). Plants are able to detect and produce mimics
      and inhibitor molecules of the QS bacterial communicative process. Arachis
      hypogaea L. (peanut) establishes a nitrogen-fixing symbiosis with rhizobia
      belonging to the genus Bradyrhizobium. These bacteria use a QS mechanism
      dependent on the synthesis of N-acyl homoserine lactones (AHLs). Given the
      relevance that plant-rhizobacteria interactions have at the ecological level,
      this work addresses the involvement of peanut in taking part in the QS mechanism.
      By using biosensor bacterial strains capable of detecting AHLs, a series of
      standard and original bioassays were performed in order to determine both (i) the
      production of QS-like molecules in vegetal materials and (ii) the expression of
      the QS mechanism throughout plant-bacteria interaction. Mimic QS-like molecules
      (mQS) linked to AHLs with long acyl chains (lac-AHL), and inhibitor QS-like
      molecules (iQS) linked to AHLs with short acyl chains (sac-AHL) were detected in
      seed and root exudates. The results revealed that synthesis of specific signaling
      molecules by the plant (such as mQS and iQS) probably modulates the function and
      composition of the bacterial community established in its rhizosphere. Novel
      bioassays of QS detection during peanut-Bradyrhizobium interaction showed an
      intense production of QS signals in the contact zone between root and bacteria.
      It is demonstrated that root exudates stimulate the root colonization and
      synthesis of lac-AHL by Bradyrhizobium strains in the plant rhizosphere, which
      leads to the early stages of the development of beneficial plant-bacteria
      interactions.

PMID- 28357694
TI  - Erratum to: Who Should Be Considered for Islet Transplantation Alone?

PMID- 28357696
TI  - Increased Prevalence of NAFLD in IBD Patients.

PMID- 28357695
TI  - Impaired Interoception in a Preclinical Model of Functional Dyspepsia.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: The etiologies of functional dyspepsia symptoms, including
      postprandial distress syndrome, remain unknown. We tested the hypothesis that
      neonatal colon inflammation induces postprandial distress syndrome-like symptoms
      in adult life that associate with increased activation of vagal afferent pathways
      and forebrain limbic regions. RESULTS: These rats showed a significant decrease
      in nutrient meal consumption to satiety after an overnight fast, decrease in
      gastric emptying, decrease in total distance traveled, and decrease in percent
      distance traveled in midfield versus control rats in open field test, indicating
      postprandial anxiety- and depression-like behaviors. Adult naive rats treated
      with oral iodoacetamide to induce H. pylori-like mild gastritis demonstrated
      similar postprandial effects as the above rats. CONCLUSIONS: We concluded that
      neonatal colon inflammation is a risk factor for the development of postprandial
      distress syndrome-like symptoms. While mild gastritis can induce symptoms similar
      to those of neonatal colon inflammation, gastritis in these rats does not worsen
      the symptoms.

PMID- 28357697
TI  - Predictors of Clinical Response and Remission at 1 Year Among a Multicenter
      Cohort of Patients with Inflammatory Bowel Disease Treated with Vedolizumab.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Vedolizumab (VDZ) has demonstrated long-term efficacy in Crohn's
      disease (CD) and ulcerative colitis (UC) in phase III trials. AIMS: Our aim was
      to evaluate the efficacy of VDZ at week 54 in inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) in
      a multicenter cohort of patients. METHODS: Adult patients completing induction
      therapy with VDZ were eligible for this study. Clinical response and remission
      was assessed using the Harvey-Bradshaw Index (HBI) for CD, the Simple Clinical
      Colitis Activity Index for UC and physician assessment. RESULTS: Among 136 total
      patients (96 CD and 40 UC), 76 (56%) demonstrated clinical response or remission
      at week 54. In univariate analysis, for patients with CD concomitant initiation
      of immunomodulator therapy (2.71, 95% CI 1.11-6.57), the addition of an
      immunomodulator (OR 11.49, 3.16-41.75) and CRP < 3 (4.92, 95% CI 1.99-12.15) was
      associated with increased odds of clinical response or remission at week 54. For
      UC patients, hospitalization after VDZ induction was associated with decreased
      odds of response or remission at week 54 (OR 0.22, 95% CI 0.05-0.88). On
      multivariate analysis in CD, addition of an immunomodulator (OR 8.33, 95% CI 2.15
      32.26) remained significant predictors of clinical response or remission at week
      54. CONCLUSIONS: Among a multicenter cohort of patients with IBD demonstrating
      primary response to VDZ, the addition of combination therapy with an
      immunomodulator is a significant predictor of clinical response or remission at
      week 54 in patients with CD.

PMID- 28357702
TI  - Lower inhibitory control interacts with greater pain catastrophizing to predict
      greater pain intensity in women with migraine and overweight/obesity.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Pain catastrophizing (PC) is associated with more severe and
      disabling migraine attacks. However, factors that moderate this relationship are
      unknown. Failure of inhibitory control (IC), or the ability to suppress automatic
      or inappropriate responses, may be one such factor given previous research
      showing a relationship between higher PC and lower IC in non-migraine samples,
      and research showing reduced IC in migraine. Therefore, we examined whether lower
      IC interacts with increased PC to predict greater migraine severity as measured
      by pain intensity, attack frequency, and duration. METHODS: Women (n = 105) aged
      18-50 years old (M = 38.0 +/- 1.2) with overweight/obesity and migraine who were
      seeking behavioral treatment for weight loss and migraine reduction completed a
      28-day smartphone-based headache diary assessing migraine headache severity.
      Participants then completed a modified computerized Stroop task as a measure of
      IC and self-report measures of PC (Pain Catastrophizing Scale [PCS]), anxiety,
      and depression. Linear regression was used to examine independent and joint
      associations of PC and IC with indices of migraine severity after controlling for
      age, body mass index (BMI) depression, and anxiety. RESULTS: Participants on
      average had BMI of 35.1 +/- 6.5 kg/m2and reported 5.3 +/- 2.6 migraine attacks
      (8.3 +/- 4.4 migraine days) over 28 days that produced moderate pain intensity
      (5.9 +/- 1.4 out of 10) with duration of 20.0 +/- 14.2 h. After adjusting for
      covariates, higher PCS total (beta = .241, SE = .14, p = .03) and magnification
      subscale (beta = .311, SE = .51, p < .01) scores were significant independent
      correlates of longer attack duration. IC interacted with total PCS (beta = 1.106,
      SE = .001, p = .03) rumination (beta = 1.098, SE = .001, p = .04), and
      helplessness (beta = 1.026, SE = .001, p = .04) subscale scores to predict
      headache pain intensity, such that the association between PC and pain intensity
      became more positive at lower levels of IC. CONCLUSIONS: Results showed that
      lower IC interacted with higher PC, both overall and specific subcomponents, to
      predict higher pain intensity during migraine attacks. Future studies are needed
      to determine whether interventions to improve IC could lead to less painful
      migraine attacks via improvements in PC.

PMID- 28357703
TI  - Refractory burning mouth syndrome: clinical and paraclinical evaluation,
      comorbiities, treatment and outcome.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Burning Mouth Syndrome (BMS) is a chronic pain condition
      characterized by persistent intraoral burning without related objective findings
      and unknown etiology that affects elderly females mostly. There is no
      satisfactory treatment for BMS. We aimed to observe the long-term efficacy of
      high velanfaxine doses combined with systemic and topical administered clonazepam
      in a particular subgroup of BMS patients who do not respond to current clinical
      management. RESULTS: Eight (66.1 +/- 6.2 years old females) out of 14 BMS
      patients fulfilled the inclusion criteria and were treated with venlafaxine (300
      mg/d) and clonazepam (5 mg/d) for 35.4 +/- 12.1 (mean +/- SD) months. The average
      duration of the symptoms at baseline was 4.3 +/- 1.4 years and the overall mean
      daily pain intensity score was 8.6 +/- 1.3 (VAS); pain was in tongue and within
      the oral mucosa, accompanying by oral and facial dysesthesia. In five patients
      tasting was abnormal. All patients had positive history of concomitant primary
      headache. The average score of Hamilton Rating scale for Anxiety and Depression
      was 21 +/- 4.2, and 26.1 +/- 2.9, respectively. Previous ineffective treatments
      include anticonvulsants and anti-depressants. All patients responded (more than
      50% decrease in VAS) after three months treatment (mean VAS 3.2 +/- 2.2) with no
      remarkable adverse events. CONCLUSION: BMS deserves bottomless psychiatric
      evaluation and management when current available treatments fail. Treatment with
      venlafaxine combined with topical and systemic clonazepam may be effective in
      refractory BMS cases but further investigation in a large-scale controlled study
      is needed to confirm these results.

PMID- 28357704
TI  - Hazardous Drug Diversion of Valproate from a General Practitioner to his
      Patient's Dog.
AB  - General practitioners are key stakeholders in good prescribing practices. More
      than half of patients have at least one unintended medication discrepancy upon
      hospital admission, some of which have the potential to cause severe discomfort
      or clinical deterioration. We report a case of a drug mistakenly administered to
      a 66-year-old man with cirrhosis and chronic alcoholism. Based on his regular
      prescription, he received 1 g/day of valproate during a hospitalization for
      cardiac valve surgery. This anticonvulsant was initially prescribed by his
      general practitioner for his epileptic dog and has been added to his own
      prescription to be covered by the French national health insurance. The aim of
      this article is to emphasize that general practitioners, physicians, and
      pharmacists have a major role to play in preventing the diversion of prescription
      drugs and limiting the risk of adverse drug events.

PMID- 28357705
TI  - Minocycline for the Treatment of Multidrug and Extensively Drug-Resistant A.
      baumannii: A Review.
AB  - Acinetobacter baumannii can cause life-threatening nosocomial infections
      associated with high rates of morbidity and mortality. In recent years, the
      increasing number of infections due to extensively drug-resistant Acinetobacter
      with limited treatment options has resulted in a need for additional therapeutic
      agents, and a renaissance of older, neglected antimicrobials. This has led to an
      increased interest in the use of minocycline to treat these infections.
      Minocycline has been shown to overcome many resistance mechanisms affecting other
      tetracyclines in A. baumannii, including tigecycline. Additionally, it has
      favorable pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic properties, as well as excellent in
      vitro activity against drug-resistant A. baumannii. Available data support
      therapeutic success with minocycline, while ease of dosing with no need for renal
      or hepatic dose adjustments and improved safety have made it an appealing
      therapy. This review will focus on the mechanisms of action and resistance to
      tetracyclines in A. baumannii, the in vitro activity, pharmacokinetic and
      pharmacodynamic properties of minocycline against A. baumannii, and finally the
      clinical experience with minocycline for the treatment of invasive infections due
      to this pathogen.

PMID- 28357707
TI  - Comment on Nuno Solinis R, et al. "Value of Treating All Stages of Chronic
      Hepatitis C: A Comprehensive Review of Clinical and Economic Evidence".

PMID- 28357706
TI  - The Burden and Long-term Respiratory Morbidity Associated with Respiratory
      Syncytial Virus Infection in Early Childhood.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: The REGAL (RSV Evidence-a Geographical Archive of the Literature)
      series provide a comprehensive review of the published evidence in the field of
      respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) in Western countries over the last 20 years.
      The objective of this fifth publication was to determine the long-term
      respiratory morbidity associated with RSV lower respiratory tract infection (RSV
      LRTI) in early life. METHODS: A systematic review was undertaken for articles
      published between January 1, 1995 and December 31, 2015. This was supplemented by
      inclusion of papers published whilst drafting the manuscript. Studies reporting
      data on the incidence and long-term wheezing and asthma following RSV LRTI in
      early life were included. Study quality and strength of evidence (SOE) were
      graded using recognized criteria. RESULTS: A total of 2337 studies were
      identified of which 74 were included. Prospective, epidemiologic studies
      consistently demonstrated that RSV LRTI is a significant risk factor for on-going
      respiratory morbidity characterized by transient early wheezing and recurrent
      wheezing and asthma within the first decade of life and possibly into adolescence
      and adulthood (high SOE). RSV LRTI was also associated with impaired lung
      function in these children (high SOE). Respiratory morbidity has been shown to
      result in reduced quality of life and increased healthcare resource use (moderate
      SOE). The mechanisms through which RSV contributes to wheezing/asthma development
      are not fully understood, but appear to relate to the viral injury, preexisting
      abnormal lung function and/or other factors that predispose to wheezing/asthma,
      including genetic susceptibility, altered immunology, eosinophilia, and
      associated risk factors such as exposure to environmental tobacco smoke (high
      SOE). CONCLUSION: There is growing evidence that RSV LRTI in early childhood is
      associated with long-term wheezing and asthma and impaired lung function. Future
      research should aim to fully elucidate the pathophysiological mechanisms through
      which RSV causes recurrent wheezing/asthma.

PMID- 28357709
TI  - Erratum to: The Use of Lectin Histochemistry for Detecting Apoptotic Cells in the
      Seminiferous Epithelium.

PMID- 28357708
TI  - A Review of Diagnostic Methods for Invasive Fungal Diseases: Challenges and
      Perspectives.
AB  - Invasive fungal diseases are associated with a high morbidity and mortality,
      particularly in the context of immunosuppression. Diagnosis of invasive fungal
      diseases is usually complicated by factors such as poor clinical suspicion and
      unspecific clinical findings. Access to modern diagnostic tools is frequently
      limited in developing countries. Here, we describe five real-life clinical cases
      from a Brazilian tertiary hospital, in order to illustrate how to best select
      diagnostic tests in patients with different fungal infections.

PMID- 28357711
TI  - Polymer-Nucleic Acid Interactions.
AB  - Gene therapy is an important therapeutic strategy in the treatment of a wide
      range of genetic disorders. Polymers forming stable complexes with nucleic acids
      (NAs) are non-viral gene carriers. The self-assembly of polymers and nucleic
      acids is typically a complex process that involves many types of interaction at
      different scales. Electrostatic interaction, hydrophobic interaction, and
      hydrogen bonds are three important and prevalent interactions in the
      polymer/nucleic acid system. Electrostatic interactions and hydrogen bonds are
      the main driving forces for the condensation of nucleic acids, while hydrophobic
      interactions play a significant role in the cellular uptake and endosomal escape
      of polymer-nucleic acid complexes. To design high-efficiency polymer candidates
      for the DNA and siRNA delivery, it is necessary to have a detailed understanding
      of the interactions between them in solution. In this chapter, we survey the
      roles of the three important interactions between polymers and nucleic acids
      during the formation of polyplexes and summarize recent understandings of the
      linear polyelectrolyte-NA interactions and dendrimer-NA interactions. We also
      review recent progress optimizing the gene delivery system by tuning these
      interactions.

PMID- 28357710
TI  - EGFR signaling pathways are wired differently in normal 184A1L5 human mammary
      epithelial and MDA-MB-231 breast cancer cells.
AB  - Because of differences in the downstream signaling patterns of its pathways, the
      role of the human epidermal growth factor family of receptors (HER) in promoting
      cell growth and survival is cell line and context dependent. Using two model cell
      lines, we have studied how the regulatory interaction network among the key
      proteins of HER signaling pathways may be rewired upon normal to cancerous
      transformation. We in particular investigated how the transcription factor STAT3
      and several key kinases' involvement in cancer-related signaling processes differ
      between normal 184A1L5 human mammary epithelial (HME) and MDA-MB-231 breast
      cancer epithelial cells. Comparison of the responses in these cells showed that
      normal-to-cancerous cellular transformation causes a major re-wiring of the
      growth factor initiated signaling. In particular, we found that: i) regulatory
      interactions between Erk, p38, JNK and STAT3 are triangulated and tightly coupled
      in 184A1L5 HME cells, and ii) STAT3 is only weakly associated with the Erk-p38
      JNK pathway in MDA-MB-231 cells. Utilizing the concept of pathway substitution,
      we predicted how the observed differences in the regulatory interactions may
      affect the proliferation/survival and motility responses of the 184A1L5 and MDA
      MB-231 cells when exposed to various inhibitors. We then validated our
      predictions experimentally to complete the experiment-computation-experiment
      iteration loop. Validated differences in the regulatory interactions of the
      184A1L5 and MDA-MB-231 cells indicated that instead of inhibiting STAT3, which
      has severe toxic side effects, simultaneous inhibition of JNK together with Erk
      or p38 could be a more effective strategy to impose cell death selectively to MDA
      MB-231 cancer cells while considerably lowering the side effects to normal
      epithelial cells. Presented analysis establishes a framework with examples that
      would enable cell signaling researchers to identify the signaling network
      structures which can be used to predict the phenotypic responses in particular
      cell lines of interest.

PMID- 28357712
TI  - Determination of Relative Counterion Binding Constant to Cationic Micelles.
AB  - The efficiency of counterion affinity towards ionic micelles is often described
      in terms of the degree of counterion binding (beta X ) to ionic micelles or the
      conventional ion-exchange constant ([Formula: see text]) or relative binding
      constant ([Formula: see text]) of X - and Br- counterions. This review describes
      the use of ionized phenyl salicylate ions, PSa-, as a new probe to determine
      [Formula: see text] values using a semiempirical spectrophotometric method. The
      value of [Formula: see text] is found to be comparable to reported values
      obtained using different probes by the semiempirical kinetic method as well as
      different physical methods. Application of semiempirical methods for calculation
      of [Formula: see text] or [Formula: see text] values involves an inherent
      assumption that these values are independent of the physicochemical
      characteristics of the probe molecule.

PMID- 28357713
TI  - Relationship of the lungs to the left atrium of particular relevance for ablation
      of atrial fibrillation.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Symptoms of possible lung and pleural injury such as chest pain and
      hemoptysis occur during and after radiofrequency ablation (RFA) and cryoablation
      (CA) of the left atrium (LA) for treatment of atrial fibrillation (AF). We
      determined the anatomical relationship of the lungs to the LA with particular
      reference to areas commonly targeted during AF ablation. METHODS: Distances from
      the LA endocardium to the lungs were measured from pre-procedure CT angiograms of
      100 consecutive patients (71 males, age 60 +/- 8 years) who underwent AF
      ablation. RESULTS: In 97% of the patients, the posterior right pulmonary vein
      antrum was <5 mm from the lower lobe of the right lung (RLL) over a supero
      inferior distance of 3.6 +/- 1.5 cm (minimum distance 1.2 +/- 0.7 mm). The right
      inferior pulmonary vein (RIPV) ostium was <5 mm from the RLL in 94% (mean 2.7 +/-
      1.9 mm). The right superior pulmonary vein ostium was <5 mm from the RLL in 29%
      (mean 7.1 +/- 3.8 mm). The medial segment of the right middle lobe was <5 mm from
      the carina between right pulmonary veins in 83% (mean 3.6 +/- 1.9 mm). The mitral
      isthmus was <5 mm from the lingula in 5% (mean 9.4 +/- 3.6 mm). The inferior lobe
      of the left lung was <5 mm from the posterior aspect of the ostia of the left
      inferior and superior pulmonary veins in 9 and 0%, respectively. The bronchi were
      <5 mm from the LA in 5%. CONCLUSIONS: The lungs are intimately related to sites
      of the LA commonly targeted during AF RFA. Whether this anatomical proximity
      translates into clinically significant potential for collateral lung damage
      during RFA merits further study.

PMID- 28357714
TI  - The Role for Cardiovascular Remodeling in Cardiovascular Outcomes.
AB  - PURPOSE OF REVIEW: Ischemic and non-ischemic injury to the heart causes
      deleterious changes in ventricular size, shape, and function. This adverse
      remodeling is mediated by neurohormonal and hemodynamic alterations and is
      reflected in non-invasive measures of left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF),
      left ventricular end-systolic volume (LVESV), and left ventricular end-diastolic
      volume (LVEDV). These measures are closely linked to cardiovascular outcomes and
      have become key surrogate endpoints for evaluating the therapeutic efficacy of
      contemporary treatments for heart failure with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF).
      In this review, we critically evaluate recent published data (2015-2016) from
      randomized clinical trials (RCTs) and observational studies of HFrEF therapies to
      assess the role of ventricular remodeling on outcomes. RECENT FINDINGS: These
      data highlight the benefits of certain guideline-directed medical therapies
      (GDMT) such as cardiac resynchronization therapy, surgical revascularization, and
      mechanical circulatory support on remodeling, while revealing the limitations of
      other therapies-routine mitral valve repair for patients with moderate ischemic
      mitral regurgitation and adjuncts to percutaneous coronary intervention in
      patients with ST elevation myocardial infarction (cyclosporine A and
      bioabsorbable cardiac matrix). The new angiotensin receptor blocker/neprilysn
      inhibitor, sacubitril/valsartan, demonstrates convincing improvements in clinical
      outcomes with a study of remodeling parameters to follow; the new cardiac myosin
      activator, omecamtiv mecarbil, demonstrates improvement in remodeling parameters
      without a clear early clinical benefit. The concepts and contemporary trials
      reviewed in this paper reinforce the value of non-invasive measures of
      ventricular remodeling (LVEF, LVESV, and LVEDV) as important metrics across a
      range of cardiovascular therapies. Global non-invasive measures of cardiovascular
      remodeling have roughly paralleled or preceded hard clinical outcomes.
      Additionally, the capacity for reverse remodeling in HFrEF with GDMT motivates
      continued research in the fields of implementation science, diagnostic imaging,
      and gene-based therapeutics.

PMID- 28357716
TI  - In vitro cytotoxicity assessment of a West Virginia chemical spill mixture
      involving 4-methylcyclohexanemethanol and propylene glycol phenyl ether.
AB  - Thousands of gallons of industrial chemicals, crude 4-methylcyclohexanemethanol
      (MCHM) and propylene glycol phenyl ether (PPh), leaked from industrial tanks into
      the Elk River in Charleston, West Virginia, USA, on January 9, 2014. A
      considerable number of people were reported to exhibit symptoms of chemical
      exposure and an estimated 300,000 residents were advised not to use or drink tap
      water. At the time of the spill, the existing toxicological data of the chemicals
      were limited for a full evaluation of the health risks, resulting in concern
      among those in the impacted regions. In this preliminary study, we assessed cell
      viability and plasma membrane degradation following a 24-h exposure to varying
      concentrations (0-1000 MUM) of the two compounds, alone and in combination.
      Evaluation of different cell lines, HEK-293 (kidney), HepG2 (liver), H9c2
      (heart), and GT1-7 (brain), provided insight regarding altered cellular responses
      in varying organ systems. Single exposure to MCHM or PPh did not affect cell
      viability, except at doses much higher than the estimated exposure levels.
      Certain co-exposures significantly reduced metabolic activity and increased
      plasma membrane degradation in GT1-7, HepG2, and H9c2 cells. These findings
      highlight the importance of examining co-exposures to fully understand the
      potential toxic effects.

PMID- 28357715
TI  - No Dose Adjustment is Recommended for Digoxin, Warfarin, Atorvastatin or a
      Combination Oral Contraceptive When Coadministered with Dulaglutide.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists (GLP-1 RAs) for the
      treatment of type 2 diabetes mellitus are known to delay gastric emptying (GE).
      The potential effect of the GLP-1 RA dulaglutide on the pharmacokinetics (PK) of
      four orally administered drugs and on the pharmacodynamic (PD) effect of warfarin
      was investigated. METHODS: In four separate clinical pharmacology studies,
      digoxin, warfarin, atorvastatin and Ortho-Cyclen(r) were orally administered to
      healthy subjects with and without a subcutaneous dose of dulaglutide 1.5 mg. The
      effect of dulaglutide coadministration was assessed based on the PK parameters of
      key analytes. For warfarin PD, the effect of dulaglutide on the international
      normalized ratio (INR) was evaluated. RESULTS: Areas under the concentration-time
      curves (AUCs) with and without dulaglutide were similar for all analytes except
      atorvastatin, where it was reduced by 21%. Maximum concentrations (C max) were
      generally lower following coadministration with dulaglutide, with statistically
      significant reductions (90% confidence intervals of geometric least squares means
      ratios outside 0.80-1.25) for all analytes except R-warfarin. For all analytes,
      there was a general trend for the time to C max (t max) to increase following
      coadministration with dulaglutide. For warfarin, dulaglutide coadministration had
      no statistically significant effect on the maximum INR (INRmax); however, a 2%
      increase in area under the INR curve (AUCINR) was observed. CONCLUSIONS:
      Dulaglutide did not affect the absorption of the tested medications to a
      clinically relevant degree. Based on the PK and PD evaluations, no dose
      adjustments for digoxin, warfarin, atorvastatin and Ortho-Cyclen(r) are
      recommended when coadministered with dulaglutide. CLINICAL TRIAL REGISTRATION
      NUMBERS: NCT01458210, NCT01436201, NCT01432938, and NCT01250834.

PMID- 28357718
TI  - Land use impacts on river health of Uma Oya, Sri Lanka: implications of spatial
      scales.
AB  - Human actions on landscapes are a principal threat to the ecological integrity of
      river ecosystems worldwide. Tropical landscapes have been poorly investigated in
      terms of the impact of catchment land cover alteration on water quality and
      biotic indices in comparison to temperate landscapes. Effects of land cover in
      the catchment at two spatial scales (catchment and site) on stream physical
      habitat quality, water quality, macroinvertebrate indices and community
      composition were evaluated for Uma Oya catchment in the upper Mahaweli watershed,
      Sri Lanka. The relationship between spatial arrangement of land cover in the
      catchment and water quality, macroinvertebrate indices and community composition
      was examined using univariate and multivariate approaches. Results indicate that
      chemical water quality variables such as conductivity and total dissolved solids
      are mostly governed by the land cover at broader spatial scales such as catchment
      scale. Shannon diversity index was also affected by catchment scale forest cover.
      In stream habitat features, nutrients such as N-NO3-, macroinvertebrate family
      richness, %shredders and macroinvertebrate community assemblages were
      predominantly influenced by the extent of land cover at 200 m site scale
      suggesting that local riparian forest cover is important in structuring
      macroinvertebrate communities. Thus, this study emphasizes the importance of
      services provided by forest cover at catchment and site scale in enhancing
      resilience of stream ecosystems to natural forces and human actions. Findings
      suggest that land cover disturbance effects on stream ecosystem health could be
      predicted when appropriate spatial arrangement of land cover is considered and
      has widespread application in the management of tropical river catchments.

PMID- 28357717
TI  - Assessment of urban sustainability efficiency based on general data envelopment
      analysis: a case study of two cities in western and eastern China.
AB  - Sustainable urban development focuses on enhancing urban well-being, while also
      balancing the demands of urban social and economic development, natural resource
      consumption, and environmental pollution. This work used general data envelopment
      analysis to assess the urban sustainability efficiency (USE) and sustainability
      potential (SP) in Lanzhou and Xiamen, two cities that are characteristic of urban
      areas in western and eastern China. The assessment indicator system included
      important natural and urban welfare factors as input and output indices,
      respectively. The results showed that overall urban sustainability efficiency
      increased in Lanzhou and Xiamen from 1985 to 2010, but that the sustainability of
      natural resources clearly decreased. The urban sustainability efficiency of
      Xiamen was higher than that of Lanzhou, and the sustainability potential of
      Xiamen was lower than that of Lanzhou; this indicates that Xiamen performed
      better in terms of urban sustainable development. The urban sustainability
      efficiency in Xiamen has increased with increasing urban population, and the rate
      and scale of economic development have been higher than in Lanzhou. The
      assessment and analysis performed in this study show that cities with different
      natural resources and development characteristics have different forms, patterns,
      and trajectories of sustainable development.

PMID- 28357719
TI  - Bubble size distribution in a laboratory-scale electroflotation study.
AB  - The performance of electroflotation (EF) is strongly influenced by the size of O2
      and H2 bubbles. Therefore, in this study, the bubble sizes are measured in a lab
      scale EF cell using a high-speed camera. The mean bubble size is found to vary in
      the range of 32.7-68.6 MUm under different operating conditions. This study shows
      that the electrode material, current density, water pH, ionic strength, and
      frother (Tennafroth 250) concentration are important factors in controlling the
      bubble size. Furthermore, four mathematical distributions (normal, log-normal,
      Weibull, and gamma distributions) are fitted to the experimental data, among
      which the log-normal distribution is found to be the best fit based on the lower
      Anderson-Darling (AD) value.

PMID- 28357720
TI  - Assessment of tap water quality and corrosion scales from the selected
      distribution systems in northern Pakistan.
AB  - Corrosion deposits formed within drinking water distribution systems deteriorate
      drinking water quality and resultantly cause public health consequences. In the
      present study, an attempt was made to investigate the concurrent conditions of
      corrosion scales and the drinking water quality in selected water supply schemes
      (WSS) in districts Chitral, Peshawar, and Abbottabad, northern Pakistan.
      Characterization analyses of the corrosion by-products revealed the presence of
      alpha-FeOOH, gamma-FeOOH, Fe3O4, and SiO2 as major constituents with different
      proportions. The constituents of all the representative XRD peaks of Peshawar WSS
      were found insignificant as compared to other WSS, and the reason could be the
      variation of source water quality. Well-crystallized particles in SEM images
      indicated the formation of dense oxide layer on corrosion by-products. A wider
      asymmetric vibration peak of SiO2 appeared only in Chitral and Abbottabad WSS,
      which demonstrated higher siltation in the water source. One-way ANOVA analysis
      showed significant variations in pH, turbidity, TDS, K, Mg, PO4, Cl, and SO4
      values, which revealed that these parameters differently contributed to the
      source water quality. Findings from this study suggested the implementation of
      proper corrosion prevention measures and the establishment of international
      collaboration for best corrosion practices, expertise, and developing standards.

PMID- 28357721
TI  - Heavy metal accumulation and ecosystem engineering by two common mine site
      nesting ant species: implications for pollution-level assessment and
      bioremediation of coal mine soil.
AB  - The present study focuses on the abundance, heavy metal content, and the impact
      of ecosystem engineering activities of two coal mine site-inhabiting ant species,
      Cataglyphis longipedem and Camponotus compressus. The abundance of Ct. longipedem
      increased while that of C. compressus decreased, with increasing soil pollution.
      Correspondence analysis reveals a close association between soil heavy metal
      concentrations and Ct. longipedem abundance, but this association is lacking in
      the case of C. compressus. Cataglyphis ants which occupy stress-characterized
      niches appear to be pre-adapted to tolerate heavy metal pollution. Higher
      concentrations of Zn and Mn in Ct. longipedem may contribute to the strengthening
      of the cuticular structures, necessary for nest excavation in the hard, arid soil
      and for single load carrying. C. compressus ants appear to be pollution
      sensitive. Their higher Fe content may be related to metal uptake via plant
      derived liquids and species-specific regulatory mechanisms. The metal pollution
      index and biota-to-soil accumulation factors, calculated by using the ant body
      metal content of the two species, indicate an overall decrease of soil heavy
      metal concentrations with increase of the site age, which reflects the degree of
      pollution related to the mine site age. The concentrations of total and available
      heavy metals (Fe, Zn, Mn, Pb, and Cu) were significantly lower in the ant nest
      debris soil as compared to the reference soil. The results of the present study
      highlight the role of ants as bioindicators and in bioremediation of contaminated
      soil.

PMID- 28357722
TI  - Health among disaster survivors and health professionals after the Haiyan
      Typhoon: a self-selected Internet-based web survey.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Natural disasters affected millions of people worldwide every year.
      Evaluation of disaster health and health response interventions is faced with
      several methodological challenges. This study aimed (1) to describe survivors'
      and health professionals' health, 30 months after a natural disaster using a web
      based self-selected Internet sample survey designed and (2) to evaluate the
      health effects of disaster response interventions, in the present study with a
      focus on disaster radio. METHODS: A web-based survey was used to conduct a cross
      sectional study approximately 30 months after typhoon Haiyan. The GHQ-12, EQ-5D
      3L, and EQ-VAS instruments were used in addition to study-specific questions. A
      self-selected Internet sample was recruited via Facebook. RESULTS: In total, 443
      survivors, from what 73 were health professionals, participated in the study. The
      Haiyan typhoon caused both physical and mental health problems as well as social
      consequences for the survivors. Mental health problems were more frequently
      reported than physical injuries. Health professionals reported worse overall
      health and a higher frequency of mental health problems compared to other
      survivors. CONCLUSIONS: There were short-term and long-term physical,
      psychological, and social consequences for the survivors as a result of the
      Haiyan typhoon. Mental health problems were more frequently reported and lasted
      longer than physical problems. Health professionals deployed during the disaster
      reported worse health, especially concerning mental health problems. The survey
      used was found useful to describe health after disasters.

PMID- 28357723
TI  - Role of curative treatment in patients with intermediate-stage hepatocellular
      carcinoma.
AB  - PURPOSE: To retrospectively evaluate the role of curative treatment in patients
      with intermediate-stage hepatocellular carcinomas (HCCs), and to identify the
      subgroup having benefit from curative treatment. METHODS: From April 2000 to
      December 2014, 100 patients with intermediate-stage HCCs underwent either
      curative treatment (hepatectomy: n = 23, radiofrequency ablation (RFA); n = 29,
      both: n = 4) or transarterial chemoembolization (TACE): n = 44) as initial
      treatments for HCCs. Overall survival, influence of treatment allocation on
      prognosis, and factors affecting treatment allocation were evaluated. RESULTS:
      The 5-year survival rate was 59.2% [95% confidence interval (CI) 51.6-66.8%] in
      the curative group, and 25.1% (95% CI 11.5-38.7%) in the TACE group. Treatment
      allocation was the only significant prognostic factor (p = 0.014, hazard ratio:
      0.382, 95% CI 0.177-0.821). The curative group consisted of more patients with
      Child-Pugh A (p = 0.0016) than the TACE group, a tumor number of 3 or fewer (p <
      0.0001), a unilobar tumor location (p = 0.02), within 4 of 7 cm criterion (p =
      0.001), and within up-to-7 criterion (p = 0.04). Child-Pugh A, within the 4 of 7
      cm criterion, and a unilobar tumor location were significantly linked with
      treatment allocation in multivariate analysis. CONCLUSIONS: Curative treatment
      can prolong survival in selected patients with intermediate-stage HCCs.

PMID- 28357724
TI  - Correlation between right ventricular T1 mapping and right ventricular
      dysfunction in non-ischemic cardiomyopathy.
AB  - Right ventricular (RV) fibrosis is increasingly recognized as the underlying
      pathological substrate in a variety of clinical conditions. We sought to employ
      cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) techniques of strain imaging and longitudinal
      relaxation time (T1) mapping to better examine the relationship between RV
      function and structure. Our aim was to initially evaluate the feasibility of
      these techniques to evaluate the right ventricle. We then sought to explore the
      relationship between RV function and underlying fibrosis, along with examining
      the evolution of RV remodeling according to the amount of baseline fibrosis.
      Echocardiography was performed in 102 subjects with non-ischemic cardiomyopathy.
      Right ventricular parameters were assessed including: fractional area change
      (FAC) and longitudinal strain. The same cohort underwent CMR. Post-contrast T1
      mapping was performed as a marker of fibrosis with a Look-Locker technique using
      inversion recovery imaging. Mid-ventricular post-contrast T1 values of the RV
      free wall, RV septum and lateral LV were calculated using prototype analysis
      software. Biventricular volumetric data including ejection fraction was measured
      by CMR using a cine short axis stack. CMR strain analysis was also performed to
      assess 2D RV longitudinal and radial strain. Simultaneous biochemical and
      anthropometric data were recorded. Subjects were followed over a median time of
      29 months (IQR 20-37 months) with echocardiography to evaluate temporal change in
      RV FAC according to baseline post-contrast T1 values. Longitudinal data analysis
      was performed to adjust for patient loss during follow-up. Subjects (62% men, 51
      +/- 15 years) had mild to moderately impaired global RV systolic function (RVEF =
      39 +/- 15%; RVEDV = 187 +/- 69 ml; RVESV = 119 +/- 68 ml) and moderate left
      ventricular dysfunction at baseline (LVEF 30 +/- 17%). Good correlation was
      observed between mean LV and RV post-contrast T1 values (r = 0.652, p < 0.001),
      with similar post-contrast T1 values maintained in both the RV free wall and
      septum (r = 0.761, p < 0.001). CMR RVEF demonstrated a proportional correlation
      with echocardiographic measures of RV longitudinal function and CMR RV strain
      (longitudinal r = -0.449, p = 0.001; radial r = -0.549, p < 0.001). RVEF was
      related to RV post-contrast T1 values, particularly in those with RV dysfunction
      (free wall T1 r = 0.259 p = 0.027; septal T1 r = 0.421 p < 0.001). RV strain was
      also related to RV post-contrast T1 values (r = -0.417, p = 0.002). Linear
      regression analysis demonstrated strain and post-contrast T1 values to be
      independently associated with RVEF. Subjects with severe RV dysfunction (CMR RVEF
      <25%) demonstrated lower RV CMR strain (longitudinal p = 0.018; radial p <
      0.001), RV T1 values (free wall p = 0.013; septum <0.001) and RV longitudinal
      echocardiography parameters despite no difference in afterload. During follow-up,
      those with RV free wall post-contrast T1 values >= 350 ms demonstrated ongoing
      improvement in FAC (Delta6%), whilst values <350 ms were associated with
      deterioration in RV function (DeltaFAC = -5%) (p = 0.026). CMR provides a
      comprehensive method by which to evaluate right ventricular function. Post
      contrast T1 mapping and CMR strain imaging are technically feasible and provide
      incremental information regarding global RV function and structure. The
      proportional relationship between RV function and post-contrast T1 values
      supports that myocardial fibrosis is a causative factor of RV dysfunction in
      NICM, irrespective of RV afterload. This same structural milieu also appears
      integral to the propensity for both positive and negative RV remodeling long
      term, suggestive that this is also determined by the degree of underlying RV
      fibrosis.

PMID- 28357726
TI  - Validation of the "smart" minimum FFR Algorithm in an unselected all comer
      population of patients with intermediate coronary stenoses.
AB  - Using data from a commercial pressure wire system (St. Jude Medical) we
      previously developed an automated "smart" algorithm to determine a reproducible
      value for minimum FFR (smFFR) and confirmed that it correlated very closely with
      measurements made off-line by experienced coronary physiology core laboratories.
      In this study we used the same "smart" minimum algorithm to analyze data derived
      from a different, commercial pressure wire system (Philips Volcano) and compared
      the values obtained to both operator-defined steady state FFR and the online
      automated minimum FFR reported by the pressure wire analyser. For this analysis,
      we used the data collected during the VERIFY 2 study (Hennigan et al. in Circ
      Cardiovasc Interv, doi: 10.1161/CIRCINTERVENTIONS.116.004016 ) in which we
      measured FFR in 257 intermediate coronary stenoses (mean DS 48%) in 197 patients.
      Maximal hyperaemia was induced using intravenous adenosine (140 mcg/kg/min). We
      recorded both the online minimum FFR generated by the analyser and the operator
      reported steady state FFR. Subsequently, the raw pressure tracings were coded,
      anonymised and 256/257 were subjected to further off-line analysis using the
      smart minimum FFR (smFFR) algorithm. The operator-defined steady state FFR
      correlated well with smFFR: r = 0.988 (p < 0.001), average bias 0.008 (SD 0.014),
      95% limits of agreement -0.020 to 0.036. The online automated minimum FFR also
      correlated well with the smFFR: r = 0.998 (p < 0.001), average bias 0.004 (SD
      0.006), 95% limits of agreement -0.016 to 0.008. Finally, the online automated
      minimum FFR correlated well the operator-reported steady state FFR: r = 0.988 (p
      < 0.001), average bias 0.012 (SD 0.014), 95% limits of agreement -0.039 to 0.015.
      In 95% of lesions studied (244/256), the operator reported steady-state FFR,
      smFFR, and online automated minimum FFR agreed with each other to within 0.04,
      which is within the previously reported test/retest limits of agreement of FFR
      reported by an experienced core lab. Disagreements >0.05 among methods were rare
      but in these cases the two automated algorithms almost always agreed with each
      other rather than with the operator-reported value. Within the VERIFY 2 dataset,
      experienced operators reported a similar FFR value to both an online automated
      minimum (Philips Volcano) and off-line "smart" minimum computer algorithm. Thus,
      treatment decisions and clinical studies using either method will produce nearly
      identical results.

PMID- 28357728
TI  - ?

PMID- 28357725
TI  - Ventricular pacing site separation by cardiac computed tomography: validation for
      the prediction of clinical response to cardiac resynchronization therapy.
AB  - Cardiac Resynchronization Therapy (CRT) fails to provide benefit in up to one
      third of patients. Maximizing the geographic separation of right and left
      ventricular pacing lead sites has been suggested as one way to improve response.
      Cardiac CT provides an opportunity to explore 3-dimensional inter-lead distance
      (ILD) measures for the prediction of CRT response. The objective of this study
      was to investigate associations between standardized measures of ILD by cardiac
      CT and echocardiographic response to CRT. Forty-two consecutive patients
      undergoing CRT had serial clinical and echocardiographic evaluations performed in
      addition to a post-procedural cardiac-gated CT with blinded measurement of direct
      and circumferential (via the myocardium) ILD measures. Clinical response to CRT,
      the primary clinical outcome, was defined as a >=15% reduction in LVESV using
      echocardiography at 6-months. The mean age and ejection fraction was 63.6 +/- 8.9
      years and 25.2 +/- 7.8%, respectively. The primary outcome occurred in 35 of 42
      patients (83%). Both direct and circumferential CT-based ILD measures were
      associated with the primary outcome by univariate analysis. Receiver Operator
      Characteristic analysis identified Circumferential ILD to have the strongest
      predictive accuracy (AUC 0.78). Inter- and intra-observer reproducibility of CT
      derived ILD measures was excellent. Circumferential ILD measures on cardiac CT
      are predictive of clinical response to CRT. Incorporation of these measures into
      the selection of optimal pacing targets, particularly from pre-procedural CT
      coronary vein imaging may be of therapeutic benefit and warrants further
      investigation.

PMID- 28357727
TI  - A Phase Ib Study of the Dual PI3K/mTOR Inhibitor Dactolisib (BEZ235) Combined
      with Everolimus in Patients with Advanced Solid Malignancies.
AB  - BACKGROUND: The combination of everolimus and the imidazoquinoline derivative,
      BEZ235 (dactolisib), a dual PI3K/mTOR inhibitor, demonstrated synergy in a
      preclinical model. OBJECTIVE: To establish clinical feasibility, a phase Ib dose
      escalation trial investigating safety and pharmacokinetics of this combination in
      patients with advanced tumors was performed. PATIENTS AND METHODS: BEZ235 was
      orally administered daily in escalating doses of 200, 400, and 800 mg along with
      everolimus at 2.5 mg daily in 28-day cycles. Nineteen patients were enrolled.
      Adverse events and tumor responses were evaluated using CTCAE v4.0 and RECIST
      1.1, respectively. Pharmacokinetic analyses were performed. RESULTS: Common
      toxicities observed included fatigue, diarrhea, nausea, mucositis, and elevated
      liver enzymes. No confirmed responses were observed. BEZ235 pharmacokinetics
      exhibited dose-proportional increases in Cmax and AUC0-24 over the three doses,
      with high inter-individual variability. Non-compartmental and population
      pharmacokinetic-based simulations indicated significant increases in everolimus
      Cmax and AUC0-24 on day 28 and decreased clearance to 13.41 L/hr. CONCLUSIONS:
      The combination of BEZ235 and everolimus demonstrated limited efficacy and
      tolerance. BEZ235 systemic exposure increased in a dose-proportional manner while
      oral bioavailability was quite low, which may be related to gastrointestinal
      specific toxicity. The changes in steady-state pharmacokinetics of everolimus
      with BEZ235 highlight potential drug-drug interactions when these two drugs are
      administered together. Clinicaltrials.gov: NCT01508104.

PMID- 28357729
TI  - ?

PMID- 28357730
TI  - ?

PMID- 28357731
TI  - [Mechanisms of chronification in tumor pain?]

PMID- 28357732
TI  - ?

PMID- 28357733
TI  - ?

PMID- 28357734
TI  - ?

PMID- 28357735
TI  - ?

PMID- 28357736
TI  - ?

PMID- 28357737
TI  - ?

PMID- 28357738
TI  - ?

PMID- 28357739
TI  - ?

PMID- 28357740
TI  - ?

PMID- 28357741
TI  - ?

PMID- 28357742
TI  - ?

PMID- 28357743
TI  - ?

PMID- 28357745
TI  - ?

PMID- 28357744
TI  - ?

PMID- 28357746
TI  - ?

PMID- 28357747
TI  - ?

PMID- 28357749
TI  - ?

PMID- 28357750
TI  - ?

PMID- 28357748
TI  - ?

PMID- 28357751
TI  - ?

PMID- 28357752
TI  - ?

PMID- 28357753
TI  - ?

PMID- 28357754
TI  - ?

PMID- 28357755
TI  - ?

PMID- 28357756
TI  - ?

PMID- 28357757
TI  - ?

PMID- 28357758
TI  - ?

PMID- 28357759
TI  - ?

PMID- 28357762
TI  - ?

PMID- 28357760
TI  - ?

PMID- 28357763
TI  - ?

PMID- 28357764
TI  - ?

PMID- 28357765
TI  - ?

PMID- 28357766
TI  - [Early detection of actinic keratoses].

PMID- 28357767
TI  - [Early detection and early treatment of depressive disorder].

PMID- 28357768
TI  - [Diagnosis and treatment of Parkinson's disease].

PMID- 28357769
TI  - [Hip pain].

PMID- 28357770
TI  - [Less is more - cough and acute upper respiratory tract infections].

PMID- 28357771
TI  - [Medical care for refugees in Germany].

PMID- 28357772
TI  - Switch to Combined GLP1 Receptor Agonist Lixisenatide with Basal Insulin Glargine
      in Poorly Controlled T2DM Patients with Premixed Insulin Therapy: A Clinical
      Observation and Pilot Study in Nine Patients.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: To prove the feasibility and safety of a conversion to once-daily
      injected GLP1 agonist (lixisenatide) and long-acting basal insulin analogue
      (glargine) in patients with T2DM and poorly controlled glycemia previously
      treated with multiple injections of premixed insulins (iPremix) in an outpatient
      setting. METHODS: Nine patients with T2DM currently receiving iPremix
      formulations and poor glycemic control were switched to once-daily injected
      lixisenatide (Lixi) and basal insulin analogue glargine (iGlar) for a 12-week
      period. Efficacy was defined as A1c reduction of at least 0.4% and weight loss of
      0.5 kg or higher. RESULTS: Five of nine patients achieved A1c reductions of 0.4%
      (4 mmol/mol) or higher and six of nine patients a weight loss of 0.5 kg or
      higher. A mean A1C reduction of 0.5% +/- 0.5% (6 mmol/mol) and mean weight loss
      of -1.4 +/- 3.6 kg were observed in all patients. Total daily insulin dose after
      12 weeks declined from 56 +/- 26 IU with iPremix formulations to 47 +/- 17 IU in
      patients taking combined iGlar and Lixi. Corrections with fast acting insulin
      glulisine (iGlu) were necessary in two patients on a regular basis and in four
      patients on an irregular basis (2.3 IU mean total daily dose). Two patients did
      not need additional iGlu. Postprandial glucose profiles were lower in the
      combined group compared with iPremix throughout the day, which resolved in the
      afternoon. No metabolic derangements occurred. Mild hypoglycemia and
      gastrointestinal symptoms were the most often reported adverse events affecting
      three patients. CONCLUSION: The conversion to once-daily injected GLP1 agonist
      Lixi and basal iGlar could safely be performed in an outpatient setting and was
      associated with better postprandial glycemic control throughout the day, except
      dinner, compared to iPremix. CLINICAL TRIAL REGISTRATION: EU clinical trials
      register EudraCT number 2013-005334-37 and ClinicalTrials.gov NCT02168491.
      FUNDING: Sponsored by the Medical University of Vienna and in part supported by
      Sanofi-Aventis.

PMID- 28357773
TI  - Centralized Pan-Middle East Survey on the Under-Treatment of
      Hypercholesterolemia: Results from the CEPHEUS II Study in Egypt.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: As part of the CEPHEUS study, CEPHEUS I was conducted in 2010 and
      2011 in Cairo and then the CEPHEUS II study was carried out in Alexandria and
      Delta Regions in Egypt between April 2014 and August 2015 to determine the
      proportion of dyslipidemic patients on lipid-lowering treatment reaching LDL-C
      treatment goals. METHODS: We conducted an open-label, observational, multicenter,
      cross-sectional survey where 90 investigators enrolled 1127 patients receiving
      lipid-lowering drugs for at least 3 months. After signing informed consent forms,
      the study questionnaires were completed by patients and investigators. Blood
      samples were taken for laboratory investigations. Patients with missing LDL-C
      data were excluded from the analysis and results from 896 patients were analyzed
      according to European Atherosclerosis Society and EAS/ESC 2011 guidelines.
      RESULTS: Out of 896 patients enrolled based on the risk stratification of EAS/ESC
      2011 guidelines, 12.4% were classified as low risk, 20.0% as moderate risk, 2.5%
      as high risk, and 65.2% as very high risk. Achievement goals were 84.7, 44.7,
      18.2, and 22.3% for low-risk, moderate-risk, high-risk, and very high risk
      patients, respectively, with an overall achievement goal of 34.4%. The study
      population included 50.2% diabetes, 64.4% hypertension, 54.9% metabolic syndrome,
      32.2% family history of cardiovascular disease, 23.1% smokers, and 33.8%
      secondary prevention. Lipid-lowering agents were prescribed as a monotherapy to
      90.1% and in combination in 9.9% with goal achievements of 34 and 38%,
      respectively (p > 0.05). Statins were prescribed to 86.9% of patients. The most
      frequent prescribed statins were rosuvastatin (47.1%) and atorvastatin (36.0%),
      followed by simvastatin (9.2%). Treatment goal was achieved in 34.2, 36.0, and
      31.7% for rosuvastatin, atorvastatin, and simvastatin, respectively, with no
      significant difference in achievement goals (p > 0.05). CONCLUSIONS:
      Hypercholesterolemia is still not being effectively managed in many at-risk
      patients in Egypt. The majority of patients enrolled in the study were being
      actively treated with lipid-lowering medications yet the percentage goal
      achievement was less when compared to CEPHEUS results.

PMID- 28357774
TI  - Inappropriate inferences from registry data: Pitfalls of inaccurate data
      handling?

PMID- 28357775
TI  - Alpha Wavelet Power as a Biomarker of Antidepressant Treatment Response in
      Bipolar Depression.
AB  - There is mounting evidence of a link between the properties of
      electroencephalograms (EEGs) of depressive patients and the outcome of
      pharmacotherapy. The goal of this study was to develop an EEG biomarker of
      antidepressant treatment response which would require only a single EEG
      measurement. We recorded resting 21-channel EEG in 17 in-patients suffering from
      bipolar depression in eyes-closed and eyes-open conditions. The EEG measurement
      was performed at the end of a short washout period which followed previous
      unsuccessful pharmacotherapy. We calculated the normalized wavelet power of alpha
      rhythm using two referential montages and an average reference montage. The
      difference in the normalized alpha wavelet power between 10 responders and 7 non
      responders was most strongly pronounced in link mastoid montage in the eyes
      closed condition. In particular, in the occipital (O1, O2, Oz) channels the
      wavelet power of responders was up to 84 % higher than that of non-responders.
      Using a novel classification algorithm we were able to correctly predict the
      outcome of treatment with 90 % sensitivity and 100 % specificity. The proposed
      biomarker requires only a single EEG measurement and consequently is
      intrinsically different from biomarkers which exploit the changes in prefrontal
      EEG induced by pharmacotherapy over a given time.

PMID- 28357776
TI  - Awareness of resuscitation guidelines in pregnant women.

PMID- 28357777
TI  - Public's Views toward Return of Secondary Results in Genomic Sequencing: It's
      (Almost) All about the Choice.
AB  - The therapeutic use of genomic sequencing creates novel and unresolved questions
      about cost, clinical efficacy, access, and the disclosure of sequencing results.
      The disclosure of the secondary results of sequencing poses a particularly
      challenging ethical problem. Experts disagree about which results should be
      shared and public input - especially important for the creation of disclosure
      policies - is complicated by the complex nature of genetics. Recognizing the
      value of deliberative democratic methods for soliciting informed public opinion
      on matters like these, we recruited participants from a clinical research site
      for an all-day deliberative democracy (DD) session. Participants were introduced
      to the clinical and ethical issues associated with genomic sequencing, after
      which they discussed the tradeoffs and offered their opinions about policies for
      the return of secondary results. Participants (n = 66; mean age = 57 (SD = 15);
      70% female; 76% white) were divided into 10 small groups (5 to 8 participants
      each) allowing interactive deliberation on policy options for the return of three
      categories of secondary results: 1) medically actionable results; 2) risks for
      adult-onset disorders identified in children; and 3) carrier status for autosomal
      recessive disorders. In our qualitative analysis of the session transcripts, we
      found that while participants favored choice and had a preference for making
      information available, they also acknowledged the risks (and benefits) of
      learning such information. Our research reveals the nuanced reasoning used by
      members of the public when weighing the pros and cons of receiving genomic
      information, enriching our understanding of the findings of surveys of attitudes
      regarding access to secondary results.

PMID- 28357778
TI  - Impact of Panel Gene Testing for Hereditary Breast and Ovarian Cancer on
      Patients.
AB  - Recent advances in next generation sequencing have enabled panel gene testing, or
      simultaneous testing for mutations in multiple genes for a clinical condition.
      With more extensive and widespread genetic testing, there will be increased
      detection of genes with moderate penetrance without established clinical
      guidelines and of variants of uncertain significance (VUS), or genetic variants
      unknown to either be disease-causing or benign. This study surveyed 232 patients
      who underwent genetic counseling for hereditary breast and ovarian cancer to
      examine the impact of panel gene testing on psychological outcomes, patient
      understanding, and utilization of genetic information. The survey used
      standardized instruments including the Impact of Event Scale (IES),
      Multidimensional Impact of Cancer Risk Assessment (MICRA), Satisfaction with
      Decision Instrument (SWD), Ambiguity Tolerance Scale (AT-20), genetics knowledge,
      and utilization of genetic test results. Study results suggested that unaffected
      individuals with a family history of breast or ovarian cancer who received
      positive results were most significantly impacted by intrusive thoughts,
      avoidance, and distress. However, scores were also modestly elevated among
      unaffected patients with a family history of breast and ovarian cancer who
      received VUS, highlighting the impact of ambiguous results that are frequent
      among patients undergoing genetic testing with large panels of genes. Potential
      risk factors for increased genetic testing-specific distress in this study
      included younger age, black or African American race, Hispanic origin, lower
      education level, and lower genetic knowledge and highlight the need for
      developing strategies to provide effective counseling and education to these
      communities, particularly when genetic testing utilizes gene panels that more
      commonly return VUS. More detailed pre-test education and counseling may help
      patients appreciate the probability of various types of test results and how
      results would be used clinically, and allow them to make more informed decisions
      about the type of genetic testing to select.

PMID- 28357779
TI  - A Comprehensive Review of Pediatric Tumors and Associated Cancer Predisposition
      Syndromes.
AB  - An understanding of the role of inherited cancer predisposition syndromes in
      pediatric tumor diagnoses continues to develop as more information is learned
      through the application of genomic technology. Identifying patients and their
      relatives at an increased risk for developing cancer is an important step in the
      care of this patient population. The purpose of this review is to highlight
      various tumor types that arise in the pediatric population and the cancer
      predisposition syndromes associated with those tumors. The review serves as a
      guide for recognizing genes and conditions to consider when a pediatric cancer
      referral presents to the genetics clinic.

PMID- 28357781
TI  - Utility of baseline serum phosphorus levels for predicting remission in
      acromegaly patients.
AB  - PURPOSE: High GH and IGF I levels increase tubular phosphate reabsorption in
      patients with acromegaly. We aimed to investigate the utility of serum phosphorus
      levels as an indicator for predicting chance of remission in acromegaly patients.
      DESIGN: Fifty-one patients (n: 51; F: 24, M: 27) with diagnosis of acromegaly
      were included in the study. Plasma IGF-1, Phosphorus (P) and nadir GH levels on
      oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT) at the time of diagnosis were analysed
      retrospectively. Patients were classified into two groups according to their
      plasma P levels; P <= 4.5 mg/dl (Group-1, n: 23, 45.1%), P > 4.5 mg/dl (Group-2,
      n: 28, 54.9%). Two groups were compared according to remission status; remission
      (n: 27) and non-remission (n: 24). Remission was defined with absence of clinical
      symptoms, normal plasma IGF-1 (adjusted for age and gender) and GH levels (<1
      mcg/dl) at least 3 months after initial treatment. RESULTS: Serum P levels
      decreased significantly after treatment in both groups (p < 0.001). There was a
      significant correlation between baseline phosphorus levels and remission rates,
      nadir GH in OGTT, pituitary adenoma size and Ki-67 scores (p = 0.001, r: -0.51; p
      = 0.01, r: 0.44; p = 0.001, r: 0.52; p = 0.02, r: 0.71, respectively). Mean
      baseline P levels were significantly higher in patients with non-remission (4.8
      vs 4.2, P < 0.001). Logistic regression analysis did not reveal an independent
      effect on remission with any of these risk factors. CONCLUSION: High serum P
      levels may be an indicator for a low likelihood of onset of remission in
      acromegaly patients. Further studies with wider spectrum are needed to make
      specific suggestions.

PMID- 28357780
TI  - Targeting TDO in cancer immunotherapy.
AB  - Tryptophan-2,3-dioxygenase (TDO) is a homotetrameric heme-containing protein
      catalyzing the initial step in the kynurenine pathway, which oxidates the 2,3
      double bond of the indole ring in L-tryptophan and catalyzes it into kynurenine
      (KYN). The upregulation of TDO results in a decrease in tryptophan and the
      accumulation of KYN and its metabolites. These metabolites can affect the
      proliferation of T cells. Increasing evidence demonstrates that TDO is a
      promising therapeutic target in the anti-tumor process. Despite its growing
      popularity, there are only a few reviews focusing on TDO in tumors. Hence, we
      herein review the biological features and regulatory mechanisms of TDO.
      Additionally, we focus on the role of TDO in the anti-tumor immune response in
      different tumors. Finally, we also provide our viewpoint regarding the future
      developmental directions of TDO in cancer research, especially in relation to the
      development and application of TDO inhibitors as novel cancer treatments.

PMID- 28357782
TI  - Psychological characteristics of Italian gender dysphoric adolescents: a case
      control study.
AB  - PURPOSE: Gender dysphoria (GD) is associated with clinically significant distress
      and impairment in social, scholastic, and other important areas of functioning,
      especially when early onset is reported. The aim of the present study is to
      assess the psychopathological features associated with GD in adolescence,
      comparing a group of gender dysphoric adolescents (GDs) with a group of non
      referred adolescents (NRs), in terms of body uneasiness, suicide risk,
      psychological functioning, and intensity of GD. METHODS: A sample of 46
      adolescents with GD and 46 age-matched NRs was evaluated (mean +/- SD age = 16.00
      +/- 1.49 and 16.59 +/- 1.11 respectively, p > 0.05). Subjects were asked to
      complete the Body Uneasiness Test (BUT) to explore body uneasiness, the Youth
      Self Report (YSR) to measure psychological functioning, the Multi-Attitude
      Suicide Tendency Scale (MAST) for suicide risk, and the Gender Identity/Gender
      Dysphoria Questionnaire for Adolescents and Adults (GIDYQ-AA) for GD assessment.
      RESULTS: Adolescents with GD reported significantly higher levels of body
      uneasiness (BUT-GSI, F = 380.13, p < 0.0001), as well as a worse psychological
      functioning (YSR, F = 13.06 and p < 0.0001 for "total problem scale" and F =
      12.53, p = 0.001 for "internalizing" scale) as compared to NRs. When YSR
      subscales were considered, GDs showed significantly higher scores in the
      "withdrawal/depression", "anxiety/depression", and "social problems" (all p <
      0.0001). In addition, GDs showed significantly higher levels in the "attraction
      to death" and "repulsion by life" scales and lower scores in the "attraction to
      life" scale (all p < 0.0001). Finally, GIDYQ-AA score was significantly lower
      (meaning a higher level of gender dysphoria symptoms) in GDs vs. NRs (p <
      0.0001). CONCLUSIONS: GD adolescents reported significantly higher body
      dissatisfaction and suicidal risk compared to NRs. In addition, results confirmed
      a significant impairment in social psychological functioning in adolescents with
      GD.

PMID- 28357783
TI  - Diabetic retinopathy: new therapeutic perspectives based on pathogenic
      mechanisms.
AB  - Diabetic retinopathy (DR) is the leading cause of visual impairment and
      preventable blindness and represents a significant socioeconomic cost for
      healthcare systems worldwide. In early stages of DR the only therapeutic strategy
      that physicians can offer is a tight control of the risk factors for DR (mainly
      blood glucose and blood pressure). The currently available treatments for DR are
      applicable only at advanced stages of the disease and are associated with
      significant adverse effects. Therefore, new treatments for the early stages of DR
      are needed. However, in early stages of DR invasive treatments such as
      intravitreal injections are too aggressive, and topical treatment seems to be an
      emerging route. In the present review, therapeutic strategies based on the main
      pathogenic mechanisms involved in the development of DR are reviewed. The main
      gap in the clinical setting is the treatment of early stages of DR and,
      therefore, this review emphasizes in this issue by giving an overview of
      potential druggable targets. By understanding of disease-specific pathogenic
      mechanisms, biological heterogeneity and progression patterns in early and
      advanced DR a more personalised approach to patient treatment will be
      implemented.

PMID- 28357784
TI  - Expression of a new laccase from Moniliophthora roreri at high levels in Pichia
      pastoris and its potential application in micropollutant degradation.
AB  - Laccases have gained significant attention due to their emerging applications
      including bioremediation, biomass degradation and biofuel cells. One of the
      prerequisites for the industrial application of laccases is their sufficient
      availability. However, expression levels of recombinantly expressed laccases are
      often low. In this study Mrl2, a new laccase from the basidiomycete
      Moniliophthora roreri, was cloned in Pichia pastoris and produced in an optimized
      fed-batch process at an exceptionally high yield of 1.05 g l-1. With a redox
      potential of 0.58 V, Mrl2 belongs to mid-redox potential laccases. However, Mrl2
      demonstrated high kcat values of 316, 20, 74, and 36 s-1 towards 2,2'-azino-bis(3
      ethylbenzthiazoline-6-sulfonic acid) (ABTS), syringaldazine (SGZ), 2,6
      dimethoxyphenol (2,6-DMP) and guaiacol, respectively. Mrl2 remained stable above
      pH 6 and in the presence of many metal ions, which is important for application
      in bioremediation. Mrl2 was investigated for the ability to degrade endocrine
      disrupting chemicals (EDCs) and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSDAIs) at
      neutral pH value. The enzyme accepted and converted estrone, 17beta-estradiol,
      estriol, the synthetic contraceptive 17alpha-ethinyl estradiol and bisphenol A at
      pH 7 faster than high-potential laccases from Trametes versicolor. For example,
      within 30 min Mrl2 removed more than 90% bisphenol A, 17beta-estradiol, 17alpha
      ethinyl estradiol and estriol, respectively. The concentration of the
      recalcitrant drug diclofenac dropped by 56% after 20 h incubation with Mrl2.

PMID- 28357785
TI  - Patterns of unmet needs in adolescent and young adult (AYA) cancer survivors: in
      their own words.
AB  - PURPOSE: Categorization of the needs of AYA cancer survivors is primarily based
      on quantitative analyses of epidemiological and observational research. The
      present study classified the phenomenological experiences of AYA survivors based
      on their own language. METHODS: A systematic approach for selecting qualitative
      studies of unmet needs in AYA cancer survivors was used. Following selection
      based on quality, survivor statements were entered verbatim and thematic analysis
      was conducted using NVivo qualitative research software. RESULTS: A total of 1993
      AYA cancer survivors (post-treatment) were included in 58 studies (78% individual
      interviews). Mean age was 27.6 with an average of 8.6 years post-primary
      treatment. The organizational framework reported in this study was based on a
      heterogeneous group of cancer types. Thirteen themes including symptoms,
      function, reproductive health, emotional well-being, health management, health
      care system, social interaction, romantic relationships, cancer disclosure,
      normalcy, career development and employment, and school and fiscal concerns were
      identified. Forty-eight subthemes were also identified covering such areas as
      fertility, integrative health services, advice for cancer disclosure, family
      interaction, and insurance challenges. CONCLUSION: Direct analysis of text
      identified many common unmet needs similarly reported in the quantitative
      literature. The phenomenological data also provided a breakdown of unmet needs
      into subthemes or elements of unmet needs. IMPLICATIONS FOR CANCER SURVIVORS:
      This information can help form the basis for a personalized, valid, and reliable
      evaluation tool of the range of unmet needs in AYA survivors.

PMID- 28357787
TI  - Visual evaluation and differentiation of renal oncocytomas from renal cell
      carcinomas by means of 99mTc-sestamibi SPECT/CT.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Despite the progress in the quality of multiphasic CT and MRI scans,
      it is still difficult to fully characterize a solid kidney lesion. Approximately
      10% of all solid renal tumours turn out to be oncocytomas. In actual clinical
      practice, this is verified only following unnecessary surgery or a renal
      biopsy/ablation. The objective of our pilot study examines whether 99mTc
      sestamibi SPECT/CT can play a crucial role in the characterization of solid renal
      neoplasms and the differentiation of oncocytomas from renal cell carcinomas. The
      study included 27 patients identified with 31 solid renal lesions. All patients
      were discussed in a multidisciplinary conference, and a decision for surgery or
      biopsy was taken. Prior to invasive procedures, patients underwent a SPECT/CT
      with 99mTc-sestamibi. Visual evaluation was performed, and any focal 99mTc
      sestamibi uptake detected on SPECT in the localisation of tumour was considered
      as positive. RESULTS: Eleven out of 12 oncocytomas (91.6%) displayed positive
      uptake of 99mTc-sestamibi. Three hybrid tumours (mixed-type oncocytoma and
      chromophobe renal cancer) were positive on SPECT/CT. One papillary renal cell
      carcinoma had a slight uptake of 99mTc-sestamibi. The remaining 11 renal cell
      carcinomas were sestamibi negative. CONCLUSIONS: Differentiation of benign renal
      oncocytomas from renal cell carcinomas seems very promising on 99mTc-sestamibi
      SPECT/CT examination. Additional supplement to visual evaluation, i.e.
      quantitative tools, should be sought for an accurate estimate of biological
      behaviour and hence a secure diagnosis.

PMID- 28357786
TI  - The Real Role of beta-Blockers in Daily Cardiovascular Therapy.
AB  - The role of beta-adrenoceptor antagonists (beta-blockers) in cardiovascular
      therapy has been subject to diverse trends and changes over the decades. With the
      advent of a wide variety of excellent drugs for the treatment of
      antihypertension, beta-blockers have been relegated from the first-line treatment
      of essential hypertension. However, they remain the drugs of first choice in
      recommendations from the respective medical societies for heart failure, coronary
      artery disease, and atrial fibrillation as well as in hypertension complicated
      with heart failure, angina pectoris, or prior myocardial infarction. When
      indicated, cardioselective beta-blockers should be prescribed in patients with
      diabetes mellitus or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. We review the
      available evidence for the use of beta-blockers in clinical conditions in which
      recommendations can be made for everyday practice.

PMID- 28357788
TI  - Distribution, sources, and potential risk of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in
      soils from an industrial district in Shanxi, China.
AB  - Concentration, composition profile, orientation distribution, sources, and
      potential risks of 16 polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) were analyzed in 76
      surface (0-25 cm) soil samples collected from the Changzhi industrial district in
      July 2014 using a gas chromatography mass spectrometer (GC-MS QP2010 Ultra)
      system. The composition patterns of the PAHs were dominated by the presence of
      four-ring PAHs (average 42.9%), followed by three-ring (average 25.9%), five-ring
      PAHs (average 25.6%), two-ring PAHs (average 5.03%), and lastly, six-ring PAHs
      (average 0.641%). Source apportionment of the soil PAHs was also performed by the
      diagnostic ratios, principal component analysis (PCA), and coefficient of
      divergence (CD) analysis indicated signatures of PAHs sources (including
      incineration, coal/wood combustion, and vehicular exhaust emission). The total
      concentration of 16 PAHs (?16PAHs) found in the roadsides soils (RS) ranged from
      2197 to 25,041 MUg kg-1, with an arithmetic mean value of 12,245 MUg kg-1;
      followed by the village soils (VS), which ranged from 2059 to 21,240 MUg kg-1,
      with a mean of 8976 MUg kg-1; and lastly, the agricultural soils (AS), which
      ranged from 794 to 16,858 MUg kg-1, with a mean of 3456 MUg kg-1. According to
      the numerical effect-based soils quality guidelines of Maliszewska-Kordybach, the
      levels of PAHs in the sampled industrial areas range from high to heavy
      contamination. The values of total benzo[a]pyrene toxicity equivalent values
      (?Bapeq16PAHs) in the sample areas ranged from 0.087 to 3611 MUg kg-1 with an
      average of 969 MUg kg-1. According to the soil quality guidelines of Canada,
      values found in the highest range (100 MUg kg-1), which are equal to those of
      ?Bapeq16PAHs found in the industrial area samples, will exert adverse biological
      effects. The results of this research could potentially be useful for local
      governments to control toxicity exposure, promote actions to alleviate PAHs
      contamination, and to manage human health at both work and industrial areas.

PMID- 28357789
TI  - Cadmium and copper induced changes in growth, oxidative metabolism and terpenoids
      of Tanacetum parthenium.
AB  - Morphological and biochemical responses of feverfew plants exposed to low (5 MUM)
      and high (35 and 70 MUM) levels of Cd or Cu were investigated. Increasing metal
      supply notably reduced the plant biomass. Elevated Cd and Cu levels also resulted
      in an increase in the leaf proline content. Besides, decrease in ascorbic acid
      (AsA) and glutathione (GSH) contents was similar in the leaves of Cd- and Cu
      treated plants, indicating altered biosynthesis of AsA and GSH under metal
      excess. High metal doses stimulated increase in antioxidative enzyme activities
      that could be related to elevated hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) content and subsequent
      lipid peroxidation. Cd was typically more accumulated in shoots and roots than
      Cu, leading to higher translocation factor at high Cd doses. In terms of
      essential oil content, it seems that Cd had an inhibitory effect during the
      experiment, whereas Cu was found to stimulate it only at 5 MUM. Furthermore, high
      Cd supply enhanced the relative proportion of monoterpene hydrocarbons, while Cu
      increased the proportion of sesquiterpenes, especially at 5 MUM. This result
      provides the first evidence of the response of feverfew plants to Cd or Cu by
      associating stress-related responses with changes in terpenoids.

PMID- 28357790
TI  - Association between dietary lead intake and 10-year mortality among Chinese
      adults.
AB  - Blood lead level is associated with increased risk of mortality, but dietary lead
      exposure and mortality, particularly with cancer, has not been studied in the
      general population. The objective of the study was to assess the association
      between lead intake and 10-year mortality among 2832 Chinese adults. Food intake
      was measured by 3-day weighed food record in 2002. We documented 184 deaths (63
      cancer deaths and 70 cardiovascular disease (CVD) deaths) during 27,742 person
      years of follow-up. Dietary lead intake was positively associated with cancer and
      all-cause mortality. Across quartiles of lead intake, hazard ratios (HRs) for
      cancer mortality were 1.00, 0.80 (0.33-1.92), 1.52 (0.65-3.56), and 3.00 (1.06
      8.44) (p for trend 0.028). HRs for all-cause mortality were 1.00, 1.28 (0.83
      1.98), 1.24 (0.78-1.97), and 2.24 (1.28-3.94) (p for trend 0.011). Each 30
      MUg/day increase of lead intake was associated with 25% (95% CI 3-52%) increase
      of all-cause mortality. There was an interaction between lead intake and
      hypertension in relation to CVD mortality (p for interaction 0.003): HRs
      conferred by every 30 MUg/day of lead intake were 1.57 (0.98-2.52) and 1.06 (0.81
      1.39) among those with or without hypertension. Dietary lead intake was
      positively related to cancer and all-cause mortality.

PMID- 28357791
TI  - Role of brassinosteroids in alleviating toxin-induced stress of Verticillium
      dahliae on cotton callus growth.
AB  - Brassinosteroids are well known to mitigate biotic stresses; however, their role
      to induce tolerance against Verticillium dahliae is unknown. The current study
      employed V. dahliae (Vd) toxin as pathogen-free model system to induce stress on
      cotton callus growth, and its amelioration was investigated using 24
      epibrassinolide (EBR). Results revealed that EBR has ameliorative effects against
      Vd toxin with greater seen effect when callus was treated with EBR prior to its
      exposure to Vd toxin (pre-EBR treatment) than EBR applied along with Vd toxin
      simultaneously (co-EBR treatment). Pre-EBR-treated calli remained green, while 65
      and 90% callus browning was observed in co-EBR- and Vd toxin-alone-treated
      callus, respectively. Likewise, the fresh weight of the pre-EBR-treated callus
      was 52% higher than Vd toxin-alone treatment, whereas this increase was only 23%
      in co-EBR-treated callus. Meanwhile, EBR treatment of the cotton callus has also
      increased the contents of chlorophylls a and b, carotenoids, total phenols,
      flavonoids, soluble sugars, and proteins and increased the activity of enzymes
      involved in secondary metabolism like polyphenol oxidase (PPO), phenylalanine
      ammonialyase (PAL), cinnamyl alchol dehydrogenase (CAD), and shikimate
      dehydrogenase (SKDH) over Vd toxin-alone treatment with higher increments being
      observed in pre-EBR-treated callus. Furthermore, EBR treatment mimicked the DNA
      damage and improved the structure of mitochondria, granum, stroma thylakoids, and
      the attachment of ribosomes with the endoplasmic reticulum. This EBR-mediated
      mitigation was primarily associated with substantially increased contents of
      photosynthetic pigments and regulation of secondary metabolism.

PMID- 28357793
TI  - Ecological risk assessment of toxic organic pollutant and heavy metals in water
      and sediment from a landscape lake in Tianjin City, China.
AB  - To estimate the ecological risk of toxic organic pollutant (formaldehyde) and
      heavy metals (mercury (Hg), arsenic (As), cadmium (Cd), and chromium (Cr)) in
      water and sediment from a landscape Lake in Tianjin City, an ecological risk
      assessment was performed. The risk quotient (RQ) method and the AQUATOX model
      were used to assess the ecological risk of formaldehyde in landscape water.
      Meanwhile, the RQ method and the potential ecological risk index method were used
      to assess the ecological risk of four heavy metals in water and sediment from the
      studied landscape lake, respectively. The results revealed that the maximum
      concentration of formaldehyde in landscape water was lower than the environmental
      quality standards of surface water in China. The maximum simulated concentrations
      of formaldehyde in phytoplankton and invertebrates were 3.15 and 22.91 MUg/L,
      respectively, which were far less than its toxicity data values (1000 and 510
      MUg/L, respectively), suggesting that formaldehyde in landscape water was at a
      safe level for aquatic organisms. The RQ model indicated that the risks of
      phytoplankton and invertebrates were higher than that of fish posed by Hg and Cd
      in landscape water, and the risks from As and Cr were acceptable for all test
      organisms. Cd is the most important pollution factor among all heavy metals in
      sediment from studied landscape lake, and the pollution factor sequence of heavy
      metals was Hg > As > Cr > Cd. The values of risk index (RI) for four heavy metals
      in samples a and b were 43.48 and 72.66, which were much lower than the threshold
      value (150), suggesting that the ecological risk posed by heavy metals in
      sediment was negligible.

PMID- 28357792
TI  - Preliminary recovery study of a commercial molecularly imprinted polymer for the
      extraction of glyphosate and AMPA in different environmental waters using MS.
AB  - A commercial molecularly imprinted polymer (MIP) dedicated to glyphosate (GLY)
      and its main metabolite, aminomethylphosphonic acid (AMPA), was lately assessed
      as "POCIS-like" sampler on mineral water. The obtained results were encouraging
      with 111 and 122 mL day-1 as sampling rates for GLY and AMPA, respectively.
      Therefore, before applying this passive sampler to environmental waters, the
      commercial phase was tested on different water matrices as a solid-phase
      extraction (SPE) device. The SPE protocol was carried on 250 mg of MIP with the
      following three steps: conditioning by Milli-Q water, loading of the sample (15
      mL), and elution of the analytes by 4 mL 0.1 M HCl that were evaporated to
      dryness and recovered in 15 mL of the suitable solvent for analysis. This
      protocol was first applied to mineral water spiked by GLY and AMPA at
      environmental concentration levels (25-750 ng L-1). Analyses were carried out by
      ultra-performance liquid chromatography hyphenated to tandem mass after
      derivatization of GLY and AMPA by 9-fluorenylmethylchloroformate. The linear
      correlation between concentrations measured with and without SPE on MIP was
      proved.Furthermore, other extractions showed that high concentrations of metal
      ion interferents (lead(II), cadmium(II), and zinc(II)) in groundwaters did not
      reduce SPE performance of the MIP.Then, concentration assays were undertaken and
      brought noteworthy results, such as the recovery of 80% GLY and AMPA from
      groundwater spiked at 10 ng L-1 and concentrated 100 times. For this purpose, ion
      exclusion chromatography hyphenated to mass was applied without previous
      derivatization of the analytes. The same concentration factor and analytical
      method were applied to 100 ng L-1 spiked sea water with recoveries of 96% for GLY
      and 121% for AMPA.

PMID- 28357794
TI  - Chemical investigation and quality of urban dew collections with dust
      precipitates.
AB  - The quality and chemical composition of urban dew collections with dust
      precipitates without pre-cleaning of the collecting surface WSF (white standard
      foil) were investigated for 16 out of 20 collected samples with collected volumes
      ranging from 22 to 230 ml. The collection period was from March to July 2015 at
      an urban area, Jubaiha, which is located in the northern part of the capital city
      Amman, Jordan. The obtained results indicated the predominance of Ca2+ and SO42-
      ions (ratio 2.2:1) that originated from Saharan soil dust; where the collected
      samples were alkaline (mean pH = 7.35) with high mineralization (429.22 mg/L)
      exceeding the previously reported dew values in Amman-Jordan. A relocation of
      NaCl and to a less extent Mg2+ from sea to land by Saharan wind is indicated by
      the percent sea-salt fraction calculations (over 100 and 52, respectively). The
      collected samples exhibited high total organic carbon (TOC) values ranging from
      11.86 to 74.60 mg/L, presence of particulate settled material with turbidity
      ranging from 20.10 to 520.00 NTU, and presence of undesired elements like boron
      (mean = 1.48 mg/L) that made it different in properties from other dew water
      collections at clean surfaces, and exceeding the standard limits for drinking
      water for these parameters set by Jordanian Drinking Water standards
      (JS286/2015)/WHO standard. The quality of this water is more close to that for
      raw or agricultural water but if it is meant to be used as potable source of
      water, at least sand and activated charcoal filters are needed to purify it.

PMID- 28357795
TI  - The effectiveness of dietary sunflower meal and exogenous enzyme on growth,
      digestive enzymes, carcass traits, and blood chemistry of broilers.
AB  - High costs of conventional protein feed sources including soybean meal (SBM)
      generated the need for finding other alternatives. Thus, the present study was
      designed to evaluate the impact of graded replacements of SBM by sunflower seed
      meal (SFM) with or without enzyme supplementation on growth performance,
      digestive enzymes, carcass traits, and blood profile of broiler chickens. A total
      of 240 unsexed 1-week-old broiler chicks (Hubbard) were randomly divided into
      eight treatment groups of 30 chicks each in five replicates each of six chicks in
      a factorial design (4 * 2) arrangement, including four levels of SFM (0, 25, 50,
      and 75% replacing SBM) and two levels of enzyme (0- or 0.1-g/kg diet)
      supplementation. Performance traits including feed conversion ratio, body weight,
      and weight gain were significantly (P < 0.01) improved with increasing SFM up to
      50% substitution for SBM or with enzyme supplementation in broiler diet during
      the experiment. However, feed intake of broiler chicks was decreased with enzyme
      supplementation (P < 0.05). The activities of digestive enzymes (protease and
      amylase) were significantly (P < 0.05) influenced and enhanced by SFM and enzyme
      inclusion in diets, respectively. The activities of protease and amylase were
      improved with SFM diet supplemented with 0.1 g/kg enzyme in comparison with those
      with the un-supplemented diet. The evaluated carcass traits were not
      statistically (P > 0.05) influenced by feeding SFM meal or enzyme addition.
      Biochemical blood parameters were significantly (P < 0.01) affected by SFM,
      enzyme, or their interaction in broiler diets, except for globulin that was not
      affected by dietary enzyme. It is concluded that increasing SFM level in the diet
      up to 50% replacing SBM with the supplementation of enzyme improved the growth
      performance and enhanced positively carcass traits as well as the activity of
      digestive enzymes in broiler chickens.

PMID- 28357796
TI  - Effect of microscale ZVI/magnetite on methane production and bioavailability of
      heavy metals during anaerobic digestion of diluted pig manure.
AB  - Low methane production and high levels of heavy metal in pig slurries limit the
      feasibility of anaerobic digestion of pig manure. In this study, changes in the
      methane production and bioavailability of heavy metals in the anaerobic digestion
      of diluted pig manure were evaluated using single and combined action of
      microscale zero-valence iron (ZVI) and magnetite. After 30 days of anaerobic
      digestion, the methane yield ranged from 246.9 to 334.5 mL/g VS added, which
      increased by 20-26% in the group added with microscale ZVI and/or magnetite
      relative to that in the control group. Results of the first-order kinetic model
      revealed that addition of microscale ZVI and/or magnetite increased the biogas
      production potential, rather than the biogas production rate constant. These
      treatments also changed the distribution of chemical fractions for heavy metal.
      The addition of ZVI decreased the bioavailability of Cu and Zn in the solid
      digested residues. Moreover, a better performance was observed in the combined
      action of microscale ZVI and magnetite, and the ZVI anaerobic corrosion end
      product, magnetite, might help enhance methane production through direct
      interspecies electron transfer in ZVI-anaerobic digestion process.

PMID- 28357797
TI  - Modeling technical change in climate analysis: evidence from agricultural crop
      damages.
AB  - This study accounts for the Hicks neutral technical change in a calibrated model
      of climate analysis, to identify the optimum level of technical change for
      addressing climate changes. It demonstrates the reduction to crop damages, the
      costs to technical change, and the net gains for the adoption of technical change
      for a climate-sensitive Pakistan economy. The calibrated model assesses the net
      gains of technical change for the overall economy and at the agriculture-specific
      level. The study finds that the gains of technical change are overwhelmingly
      higher than the costs across the agriculture subsectors. The gains and costs
      following technical change differ substantially for different crops. More
      importantly, the study finds a cost-effective optimal level of technical change
      that potentially reduces crop damages to a minimum possible level. The study
      therefore contends that the climate policy for Pakistan should consider the role
      of technical change in addressing climate impacts on the agriculture sector.

PMID- 28357798
TI  - The longevity of para-aminopropiophenone (PAPP) wild dog baits and the
      implications for effective and safe baiting campaigns.
AB  - Considerable effort goes into mitigating the impacts caused by invasive animals
      and prohibiting their establishment or expansion. In Australia, management of
      wild dogs (Canis lupus dingo and their hybrids) and their devastating impacts is
      reliant upon poison baiting. The recent release of baits containing the humane
      toxin para-aminopropiophenone (PAPP) offers potential improvements for control of
      wild dogs, but little is known about the environmental persistence of PAPP in
      manufactured baits that could be used to inform best practice guidelines. We
      investigated the degradation rate of PAPP wild dog baits (DOGABAITTM) under
      typical field usage and storage conditions in north-eastern Australia and
      calculated optimal deployment and withholding periods. The PAPP content of buried
      baits declines faster than surface-laid baits, but both presentations retained
      lethal doses to wild and domestic dogs for considerable periods (6-16 weeks).
      Domestic or working dogs should be suitably restrained or excluded from baited
      areas for extended periods, particularly under dry conditions, to minimise
      poisoning risk. The period of persistence of PAPP baits may provide opportunities
      to improve the duration or longer term efficacy of baiting campaigns, but care is
      needed to protect domestic and working dogs to ensure responsible and safe use.

PMID- 28357799
TI  - What about the detoxification mechanisms underlying ozone sensitivity in
      Liriodendron tulipifera?
AB  - Liriodendron tulipifera (known as the tulip tree) is a woody species that has
      been previously classified as sensitive to ozone (O3) in terms of visible leaf
      injuries and photosynthetic primary reactions. The objective of this work is to
      give a thorough description of the detoxification mechanisms that are at the
      basis of O3 sensitivity. Biochemical and molecular markers were used to
      characterize the response of 1-year-old saplings exposed to O3 (120 ppb, 5 h day
      1, for 45 consecutive days) under controlled conditions. O3 effects resulted in a
      less efficient metabolism of Halliwell-Asada cycle as confirmed by the diminished
      capacity to convert the oxidized forms of ascorbate and glutathione in the
      reduced ones (AsA and GSH, respectively). The reduced activity of AsA and GSH
      regenerating enzymes indicates that de novo AsA biosynthesis occurred. This
      compound could be a cofactor of several plant-specific enzymes that are involved
      in the early part of the phenylpropanoid and flavonoid biosynthesis pathway, as
      confirmed by the significant rise of PAL activity (+75%). The induction of the
      defence-related secondary metabolites (in particular, rutin and caffeic acid were
      about threefold higher) and the concomitant increase in transcript levels of PAL
      and CHS genes (+120 and 30%, respectively) suggest that L. tulipifera utilized
      this route in order to partially counteract the O3-induced oxidative damage.

PMID- 28357800
TI  - Comparison of normal and dusty day impacts on fractional exhaled nitric oxide and
      lung function in healthy children in Ahvaz, Iran.
AB  - Children are the vulnerable group at risk of adverse health effects related to
      air pollution due to dust storm in Ahvaz. The purpose of this study was to
      compare the values of fractional exhaled nitric oxide (FENO) and lung functions
      as parameters of adverse health effects of particulate matter (PM) in dusty and
      normal (non-dusty) days in elementary schoolchildren. The study was conducted
      among elementary school students in Ahvaz. The healthy elementary schoolchildren
      (N = 105) were selected from different districts for FENO and lung function
      sampling during the dusty and normal days. The values of PM10 and PM2.5 during
      dusty days were higher than during normal days. Mean values of FENO during the
      normal and dusty days were 14.23 and 20.3 ppb, respectively, and the difference
      between these values was statistically significant (p < 0.05). Lung function
      results showed a statistically significant difference between the mean values of
      forced vital capacity during the dusty and normal days (p < 0.05). The results
      revealed a significant difference both in the values of inflammatory biomarker
      and in the lung function tests in dusty and normal days. Based on our results,
      fractional exhaled nitric oxide could be a useful short-term biomarker of
      particulate pollution effect coupled with spirometry.

PMID- 28357801
TI  - Nitrogen contamination in groundwater in an agricultural region along the New
      Silk Road, northwest China: distribution and factors controlling its fate.
AB  - Nitrogen contamination is a global concern and has been a serious problem in
      agricultural areas. The present study was carried out in an intensively irrigated
      region of northwest China along the New Silk Road, Yinchuan Plain, where the
      residents depend on the groundwater as the primary source for drinking. To
      understand the nitrogen contamination in the aquifer system, the distribution of
      nitrate and ammonium and its controlling factors were studied based on
      hydrochemical, hydrogeological, and isotopic analyses. 11.37 and 40% of phreatic
      water samples are categorized as NO3-N and NH4-N pollution in accordance with the
      WHO standards. A total of 59.52% of confined water samples has high NH4-N values,
      exceeding the permissible limit for drinking purpose. The results indicate NO3-N
      predominates in the shallow water and NH4-N predominates in the deep water for
      the single phreatic aquifer. For the multilayer structure area, NO3-N
      predominates in the phreatic aquifer of the western and the southern parts of the
      plain; NH4-N predominates in the phreatic aquifer of the middle and the northern
      parts of the plain, and in the confined aquifers where groundwater pumping had
      been performed. The mixture of synthetic fertilizer and manure/sewage is
      primarily responsible for the phreatic water based on isotopic analysis. In the
      confined aquifers, higher NH4-N concentrations are mainly attributed to intensive
      pumping under higher pumping rates. The results of this study can be used as a
      scientific basis for the future research on nitrogen in the plain. They can also
      be used by scholars and decision makers who are interested in groundwater
      protection and sustainable development.

PMID- 28357802
TI  - Studies on the protective effect of the artichoke (Cynara scolymus) leaf extract
      against cadmium toxicity-induced oxidative stress, hepatorenal damage, and
      immunosuppressive and hematological disorders in rats.
AB  - Our objective was to explore the protective effect of artichoke leaf extract
      (ALE) against cadmium (Cd) toxicity-induced oxidative organ damage in rats. Male
      albino Wistar rats were divided into four equal groups of eight animals each. The
      first group was assigned as a control. Groups 2-4 were orally administered with
      ALE (300 mg/kg bw), Cd (CdCl2, 100 mg/L drinking water), and ALE plus Cd,
      respectively, daily for 4 weeks. After treatment with Cd, the liver and kidney
      malondialdehyde (MDA) increased significantly compared with the control rats. The
      sera interleukin (IL)-1beta, tumor necrosis factor (TNF-alpha), and IL-10, liver
      transaminase, urea, creatinine, and peripheral neutrophil count were
      significantly increased in Cd-exposed rats compared to the control group. The
      reduced glutathione (GSH), glutathione peroxidase (GPX), superoxide dismutase
      (SOD), and catalase (CAT) decreased in the liver and kidney in Cd-exposed group.
      In combination treatment, Cd and ALE significantly improved immune response, an
      antioxidant system, and hepatorenal function with a significant decline in MDA.
      In conclusion, ALE ameliorates the immunosuppressive and hepatorenal oxidative
      injury stimulated by Cd in rats. These results suggest that artichoke has shown
      promising effects against adverse effects of Cd toxicity.

PMID- 28357803
TI  - Rainwater harvesting in American Samoa: current practices and indicative health
      risks.
AB  - Roof-harvested rainwater (RHRW) is an important alternative source of water that
      many island communities can use for drinking and other domestic purposes when
      groundwater and/or surface water sources are contaminated, limited, or simply not
      available. The aim of this pilot-scale study was to investigate current RHRW
      practices in American Samoa (AS) and to evaluate and compare the quality of water
      from common potable water sources including RHRW stored in tanks, untreated
      stream water, untreated municipal well water, and treated municipal tap water
      samples. Samples were analyzed using culture-based methods, quantitative
      polymerase chain reaction (qPCR), and 16S amplicon sequencing-based methods.
      Based on indicator bacteria (total coliform and Escherichia coli) concentrations,
      the quality of RHRW was slightly lower than well and chlorinated tap water but
      exceeded that of untreated stream water. Although no Giardia or Leptospira spp.
      were detected in any of the RHRW samples, 86% of the samples were positive for
      Cryptosporidium spp. All stream water samples tested positive for Cryptosporidium
      spp. Opportunistic pathogens (Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Mycobacterium
      intracellulare) were also detected in the RHRW samples (71 and 21% positive
      samples, respectively). Several potentially pathogenic genera of bacteria were
      also detected in RHRW by amplicon sequencing. Each RHRW system was characterized
      by distinct microbial communities, 77% of operational taxonomic units (OTUs) were
      detected only in a single tank, and no OTU was shared by all the tanks. Risk of
      water-borne illness increased in the following order: chlorinated tap water/well
      water < RHRW < stream water. Frequent detection of opportunistic pathogens
      indicates that RHRW should be treated before use. Stakeholder education on RHRW
      system design options as well as on importance of regular cleaning and proper
      management techniques could improve the quality of the RHRW in AS.

PMID- 28357804
TI  - Airborne trace elements near a petrochemical industrial complex in Thailand
      assessed by the lichen Parmotrema tinctorum (Despr. ex Nyl.) Hale.
AB  - Several trace elements discharged by the petrochemical industry are toxic to
      humans and the ecosystem. In this study, we assessed airborne trace elements in
      the vicinity of the Map Ta Phut petrochemical industrial complex in Thailand by
      transplanting the lichen Parmotrema tinctorum to eight industrial, two rural, and
      one clean air sites between October 2013 and June 2014. After 242 days, the
      concentrations of As, Cd, Co, Cr, Cu, Hg, Mo, Ni, Pb, Sb, Ti, V, and Zn in
      lichens at most industrial sites were higher than those at the rural and the
      control sites; in particular, As, Cu, Mo, Sb, V, and Zn were significantly higher
      than at the control site (p < 0.05). Contamination factors (CFs) indicated that
      Cd, Cu, Mo, and Sb, which have severe health impacts, heavily contaminated at
      most industrial sites. Principal component analysis (PCA) showed that most
      elements were associated with industry, with lesser contributions from traffic
      and agriculture. Based on the pollution load indexes (PLIs), two industrial sites
      were highly polluted, five were moderately polluted, and one had a low pollution
      level, whereas the pollution load at the rural sites was comparable to background
      levels. This study reinforces the utility of lichens as cost-effective
      biomonitors of airborne elements, suitable for use in developing countries, where
      adequate numbers of air monitoring instruments are unavailable due to financial,
      technical, and policy constraints.

PMID- 28357805
TI  - Peroxynitrite Activates the NLRP3 Inflammasome Cascade in SOD1(G93A) Mouse Model
      of Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis.
AB  - Neuroinflammation, characterized by the appearance of reactive microglial and
      astroglial cells, is one of the several pathogenic mechanisms of amyotrophic
      lateral sclerosis (ALS), a fast-progressing and fatal neurodegenerative disease.
      Cerebrospinal fluid and spinal cord of ALS patients and SOD1 mutant mice show
      high concentrations of IL-1beta. This interleukin, expressed as an inactive
      precursor, undergoes a proteolytic maturation by caspase1, whose activation, in
      turn, depends on inflammasomes. Whether and how inflammasome is activated in ALS
      models is still to be clarified. The mechanism of inflammasome activation was
      studied in murine microglial cells overexpressing hSOD1(G93A) and verified in the
      spinal cord of hSOD1(G93A) mice. Murine microglial hSOD1(G93A) cells express all
      the inflammasome components and LPS activates caspase1 leading to an increase in
      the secretion of IL-1beta. By activating NF-kappaB, LPS increases ROS and NO
      levels that spontaneously react to form peroxynitrite, thus leading to protein
      nitration. Reduction in peroxynitrite levels results in a decrease in caspase1
      activity. Protein nitration and caspase1 activity are concomitantly increased in
      the spinal cord of pre-symptomatic SOD1(G93A) mice. Oxidative/nitrosative stress
      induces peroxynitrite formation that may be a key trigger of
      caspase1/inflammasome activation. Peroxynitrite formation may play a critical
      role in inflammasome activation and might be exploited as potential therapeutic
      target for ALS.

PMID- 28357806
TI  - Apoptosis Induced by the UV Filter Benzophenone-3 in Mouse Neuronal Cells Is
      Mediated via Attenuation of Eralpha/Ppargamma and Stimulation of Erbeta/Gpr30
      Signaling.
AB  - Although benzophenone-3 (BP-3) has frequently been reported to play a role in
      endocrine disruption, there is insufficient data regarding the impact of BP-3 on
      the nervous system, including its possible adverse effects on the developing
      brain. Our study demonstrated that BP-3 caused neurotoxicity and activated
      apoptosis via an intrinsic pathway involving the loss of mitochondrial membrane
      potential and the activation of caspases-9 and -3 and kinases p38/MAPK and
      Gsk3beta. These biochemical alterations were accompanied by ROS production,
      increased apoptotic body formation and impaired cell survival, and by an
      upregulation of the genes involved in apoptosis. The BP-3-induced effects were
      tissue-specific and age-dependent with the most pronounced effects observed in
      neocortical cells at 7 days in vitro. BP-3 changed the messenger RNA (mRNA)
      expression levels of Eralpha, Erbeta, Gpr30, and Ppargamma in a time-dependent
      manner. At 3 h of exposure, BP-3 downregulated estrogen receptor mRNAs but
      upregulated Ppargamma mRNA. After prolonged exposures, BP-3 downregulated the
      receptor mRNAs except for Erbeta mRNA that was upregulated. The BP-3-induced
      patterns of mRNA expression measured at 6 and 24 h of exposure reflected
      alterations in the protein levels of the receptors and paralleled their
      immunofluorescent labeling. Eralpha and Ppargamma agonists diminished, but Erbeta
      and Gpr30 agonists stimulated the BP-3-induced apoptotic and neurotoxic effects.
      Receptor antagonists caused the opposite effects, except for ICI 182,780. This is
      in line with a substantial reduction in the effects of BP-3 in cells with siRNA
      silenced Erbeta/Gpr30 and the maintenance of BP-3 effects in Eralpha- and
      Ppargamma siRNA-transfected cells. We showed for the first time that BP-3
      affected mRNA and protein expression levels of Eralpha, Erbeta, Gpr30, and
      Ppargamma, paralleled BP-3-induced apoptosis and neurotoxicity. Therefore, we
      suggest that BP-3-evoked apoptosis of neuronal cells is mediated via attenuation
      of Eralpha/Ppargamma and stimulation of Erbeta/Gpr30 signaling.

PMID- 28357807
TI  - Dual MicroRNA to Cellular Prion Protein Inhibits Propagation of Pathogenic Prion
      Protein in Cultured Cells.
AB  - Prion diseases are fatal transmissible neurodegenerative disorders affecting
      humans and various mammals. In spite of intensive efforts, there is no effective
      cure or treatment for prion diseases. Cellular forms of prion protein (PrPC) is
      essential for propagation of abnormal isoforms of prion protein (PrPSc) and
      pathogenesis. The effect of an artificial dual microRNA (DmiR) on PrPC
      suppression and resultant inhibition of prion replication was determined using
      prion-infectible cell cultures: differentiated C2C12 culture and primary mixed
      neuronal and glial cells culture (MNGC). Processing of DmiR by prion-susceptible
      myotubes, but not by reserve cells, in differentiated C2C12 culture slowed prion
      replication, implying an importance of cell type-specific PrPC targeting. In
      MNGC, reduction of PrPC with DmiR was effective for suppressing prion
      replication. MNGC lentivirally transduced with non-targeting control miRNAs
      (scrambled) reduced prion replication at a level similar to that with a synthetic
      analogue of viral RNA, poly I:C. The results suggest that a synergistic
      combination of the immunostimulatory RNA duplexes (miRNA) and PrPC silencing with
      DmiR might augment a therapeutic potential of RNA interference.

PMID- 28357808
TI  - PKMzeta Is Not Required for Development of Postsurgical Pain.
AB  - Previous studies have shown that protein kinase M zeta (PKMzeta), a brain
      specific isoform of protein kinase C, is involved in the central processing of
      nociception in several pain models by using a synthetic zeta inhibitory peptide.
      In the present study, we investigated whether PKMzeta contributes to the
      pathogenesis of postsurgical pain using both conditional and conventional PKMzeta
      knockout mice. Our results showed that the expression of PKMzeta in anterior
      cingulate cortex, but not spinal cord, of the conditional PKMzeta knockout mice
      was inhibited following tamoxifen injection. And the conditional PKMzeta knockout
      mice displayed similar plantar incision-produced postsurgical pain responses as
      those in wild-type mice. Moreover, the expression of PKMzeta was inhibited in
      both anterior cingulate cortex and spinal cord of the conventional PKMzeta
      knockout mice. And there were no significant differences in the development of
      postsurgical pain among wild-type, heterozygous, and homozygous conventional
      PKMzeta knockout mice. These data suggest that PKMzeta is not required for the
      development of postsurgical pain after plantar incision.

PMID- 28357810
TI  - Erratum to: Scintigraphic outlook of patients and regions with myocardial
      necrosis at myocardial perfusion scintigraphy.

PMID- 28357811
TI  - Use of fluorine-18 sodium fluoride for the diagnosis of transthyretin cardiac
      amyloidosis: The birth of a new technique.

PMID- 28357809
TI  - Neuroprotective Effects of Temsirolimus in Animal Models of Parkinson's Disease.
AB  - Parkinson's disease (PD) is a disorder caused by degeneration of dopaminergic
      neurons. At the moment, there is no cure. Recent studies have shown that
      autophagy may have a protective function against the advance of a number of
      neurodegenerative diseases. Temsirolimus is an analogue of rapamycin that induces
      autophagy by inhibiting mammalian target of rapamycin complex 1. For this
      purpose, in the present study we investigated the neuroprotective effects of
      temsirolimus (5 mg/kg intraperitoneal) on 1-methyl-4-phenyl-1,2,3,6
      tetrahydropyridine-induced (MPTP) neurotoxicity in in vivo model of PD. At the
      end of the experiment, brain tissues were processed for histological,
      immunohistochemical, Western blot, and immunofluorescent analysis. Treatment with
      temsirolimus significantly ameliorated behavioral deficits, increased the
      expression of specific markers of PD such as tyrosine hydroxylase, dopamine
      transporter, as well as decreased the upregulation of alpha-synuclein in the
      substantia nigra after MPTP induction. Furthermore, Western blot and
      immunohistochemistry analysis showed that temsirolimus administration
      significantly increased autophagy process. In fact, treatment with temsirolimus
      maintained high Beclin-1, p62, and microtubule-associated protein 1A/1B-light
      chain 3 expression and inhibited the p70S6K expression. In addition, we showed
      that temsirolimus has also anti-inflammatory properties as assessed by the
      significant inhibition of the expression of mitogen-activated protein kinases
      such as p-JNK, p-p38, and p-ERK, and the restored levels of neurotrophic factor
      expression such as BDNF and NT-3. On the basis of this evidence, we clearly
      demonstrate that temsirolimus is able to modulate both the autophagic process and
      the neuroinflammatory pathway involved in PD, actions which may underlie its
      neuroprotective effect.

PMID- 28357812
TI  - Clinical performance of Rb-82 myocardial perfusion PET and Tc-99m-based SPECT in
      patients with extreme obesity.
AB  - BACKGROUND: We evaluated the performance of stress imaging with technetium-99m
      labeled tetrofosmin single-photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) and
      rubidium-82 positron emission tomography (PET) in patients with extreme obesity,
      defined as body mass index >=40 kg/m2. METHODS: We identified patients with
      extreme obesity who underwent angiography in our center and either stress SPECT
      or PET within the previous six months. Cohorts of patients with extreme obesity
      and a <5% pretest likelihood of CAD who underwent SPECT (N = 25) or PET (N = 25)
      were also included. RESULTS: In total, 108 patients who underwent SPECT (N = 57)
      or PET (N = 51) were identified. Scan interpretation was classified as definitely
      normal or abnormal in 83.3% of PET and 60.5% of SPECT scans, respectively (P <
      .01). PET demonstrated higher diagnostic accuracy and normalcy rate. PET was
      found to have higher specificity for the pooled cohort. Similar findings were
      observed using stenosis cut-offs of >=50% and >=70%. CONCLUSIONS: In patients
      with extreme obesity, PET enabled more definitive scan interpretation with less
      artifact compared to SPECT. PET provided higher diagnostic accuracy and
      specificity in the detection of obstructive coronary artery disease.

PMID- 28357814
TI  - Before hierarchy: the rise and fall of Stephen Jay Gould's first
      macroevolutionary synthesis.
AB  - Few of Stephen Jay Gould's accomplishments in evolutionary biology have received
      more attention than his hierarchical theory of evolution, which postulates a
      causal discontinuity between micro- and macroevolutionary events. But Gould's
      hierarchical theory was his second attempt to supply a theoretical framework for
      macroevolutionary studies-and one he did not inaugurate until the mid-1970s. In
      this paper, I examine Gould's first attempt: a proposed fusion of theoretical
      morphology, multivariate biometry and the experimental study of adaptation in
      fossils. This early "macroevolutionary synthesis" was predicated on the notion
      that parallelism and convergence dominate the history of higher taxa, and
      moreover, that they can be explained in terms of adaptation leading to mechanical
      improvement. In this paper, I explore the origins and contents of Gould's first
      macroevolutionary synthesis, as well as the reasons for its downfall. In
      addition, I consider how various developments during the mid-1970s led Gould to
      identify hierarchy and constraint as the leading themes of macroevolutionary
      studies-and adaptation as a macroevolutionary red herring.

PMID- 28357813
TI  - Rate of Adverse Effects of Medium- to High-Dose Glucocorticoid Therapy in
      Systemic Lupus Erythematosus: A Systematic Review of Randomized Control Trials.
AB  - BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: The efficacy of glucocorticoids (GCs) in treating
      systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is beyond doubt. However, GCs-related adverse
      effects (AEs) are multiple and serious. Despite the current available evidence
      suggesting to reduce daily doses of prednisone <7.5 mg/day, or even to withdraw
      it, in the real-life practice, it is not uncommon to see patients receiving
      medium doses (up to 30 mg/day prednisone or equivalent) or high doses (>=30
      mg/day). METHODS: We systematically reviewed the literature with a priori
      strategy, to assess the rate of AEs related to medium or high doses of GCs in
      patients with SLE, analyzing randomized control trials with at least one of the
      treatment groups including GCs alone at medium or high doses. RESULTS: We found a
      rate of 9/100 patients/year for hyperglycemias/diabetes, 25/100 patients/year for
      infections, and 12/100 patients/year for avascular necrosis of the hip.
      Interestingly, when adjusting for GC dose and treatment duration, we observed no
      difference in terms of AEs comparing patients receiving medium versus high doses.
      CONCLUSIONS: In the era when treat-to-target strategies have been proposed in
      order to control SLE disease activity, improved health-related quality of life,
      and reduced morbidity and mortality, using GCs in a more restrictive way should
      be a goal to prevent major complications in patients with SLE.

PMID- 28357815
TI  - Agenesis of the left hepatic lobe undergoing laparoscopic hepatectomy for
      hepatocellular carcinoma: a case report.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Agenesis of the left hepatic lobe is a rare anomaly. It is defined as
      the absence of liver tissue to the left of the gallbladder fossa. Additionally,
      agenesis of the left hepatic lobe accompanied by hepatocellular carcinoma is
      quite rare. We experienced the case of a patient with agenesis of the left
      hepatic lobe, undergoing laparoscopic hepatectomy for HCC. CASE PRESENTATION: A
      79-year-old man was referred to our department with epigastralgia. Abdominal
      computed tomography revealed agenesis of the left hepatic lobe, accompanied by
      hepatocellular carcinoma in segments 7 and 8. He underwent laparoscopic partial
      hepatectomy of segments 7 and 8. The operative findings revealed complete
      agenesis of the liver to the left of the falciform ligament. The patient had a
      favorable clinical course without liver dysfunction or any complications.
      CONCLUSIONS: We experienced a case with agenesis of the left hepatic lobe
      undergoing laparoscopic hepatectomy for HCC. Awareness of such anomaly is
      important for surgeons to avoid postoperative complications.

PMID- 28357816
TI  - Metastatic mixed acinar-endocrine carcinoma of the pancreas treated with a
      multidisciplinary approach: a case report.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Pancreatic neoplasms are usually characterized by ductal, acinar, or
      endocrine differentiation. Mixed exocrine and endocrine pancreatic tumours are
      extremely rare. Here, we report a case of pancreatic mixed acinar-endocrine
      carcinoma (MAEC) with multiple synchronous liver metastases that were treated
      with surgery and transcatheter arterial chemoembolization (TACE) that later
      recurred in the stomach. CASE PRESENTATION: A 45-year-old female with severe
      anaemia was referred to our hospital. Computed tomography (CT) demonstrated a
      hypervascular tumour, 17 cm in diameter, that was in the tail of the pancreas. In
      addition, there were multiple hypervascular tumours in the liver. She underwent a
      distal pancreatectomy with splenectomy after the liver metastases were treated
      with TACE. Pathology confirmed that the pancreatic tumour was MAEC. After 4.5
      years, a follow-up CT showed a hypervascular tumour at the upper part of the
      stomach. Gastric endoscopy showed a big tumefactive lesion with surface
      irregularities, gastric erosion, and multiple dilated vessels in the fornix and
      greater curvature of the stomach. She underwent a proximal gastrectomy and
      survived 7 years and 2 months after the start of the treatment. CONCLUSIONS: This
      is the first report of a metastatic stomach tumour from pancreatic MAEC, which
      was successfully treated with a multidisciplinary approach. Additionally, we
      review the literature and discuss the treatment of MAEC.

PMID- 28357817
TI  - A Database of Transition-Metal-Coordinated Peptide Cross-Sections: Selective
      Interaction with Specific Amino Acid Residues.
AB  - Ion mobility mass spectrometry (IMS-MS) techniques were used to generate a
      database of 2288 collision cross sections of transition-metal-coordinated tryptic
      peptide ions. This database consists of cross sections for 1253 [Pep + X]2+ and
      1035 [Pep + X + H]3+, where X2+ corresponds to Mn2+, Co2+, Ni2+, Cu2+, or Zn2+.
      This number of measurements enables the extraction of structural trends for
      transition-metal-coordinated peptide ions. The range of structures and changes in
      collision cross sections for X2+-coordinated species (compared with protonated
      species of the same charge state) is similar to Mg2+-coordinated species. This
      suggests that the structures are largely determined by similarities in cation
      size with differences among the cross section distributions presumably caused by
      X2+ interactions with specific functional groups offered by the residue R-groups
      or the peptide backbone. Cross section contributions for individual residues upon
      X2+ solvation are assessed with the derivation of intrinsic size parameters
      (ISPs). The comparison of the [Pep + X]2+ ISPs with those previously reported for
      [Pep + Mg]2+ ions displays a lower contribution to the cross section for His,
      carboxyamidomethylated Cys, and Met, and is consistent with specific metal
      residue interactions identified within protein X-ray crystallography databases.
      Graphical Abstract ?.

PMID- 28357818
TI  - Otitis externa in military divers: more frequent and less harmful than reported.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: Although otitis externa (OE) is a common disease, data related to
      (military) divers are limited. This study aimed to determine the incidence of OE
      in military divers during their initial training. We also wished to consider
      seasonal influences on incidence and whether early detection increases completion
      of the diving course. METHODS: From January 2011 to October 2016 the Royal
      Netherlands Navy Diving School trained 189 divers. Up to December 2015 we used
      the training records for the analyses. From January 2016 onward all divers were
      prospectively screened. Pearson's chi-squared 2 and Fisher's exact tests were
      used to analyse the data. RESULTS: In the 162 included divers, 30 cases of OE
      were identified. The incidence in 2016 was significantly higher than in 2011-2015
      (17/35 (49%) versus 13/127 (10%), P < 0.001). Almost all cases developed after
      three weeks of diving. No influence of season was found (P = 0.354). Early
      diagnosis and treatment of OE does not seem to affect completion of diving
      courses (P = 0.28). Only in three cases did a diver have to discontinue the
      course due to OE. DISCUSSION: This study suggests that OE is more frequent among
      military divers than earlier reported, most likely caused by prolonged water
      exposure. Diving activities can often be continued with standard topical
      treatment.

PMID- 28357819
TI  - A comparative evaluation of two decompression procedures for technical diving
      using inflammatory responses: compartmental versus ratio deco.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: The aim of this study was to compare two decompression procedures
      commonly adopted by technical divers: the ZH-L16 algorithm modified by 30/85
      gradient factors (compartmental decompression model, CDM) versus the 'ratio
      decompression strategy' (RDS). The comparison was based on an analysis of changes
      in diver circulating inflammatory profiles caused by decompression from a single
      dive. METHODS: Fifty-one technical divers performed a single trimix dive to 50
      metres' sea water (msw) for 25 minutes followed by enriched air (EAN50) and
      oxygen decompression. Twenty-three divers decompressed according to a CDM
      schedule and 28 divers decompressed according to a RDS schedule. Peripheral blood
      for detection of inflammatory markers was collected before and 90 min after
      diving. Venous gas emboli were measured 30 min after diving using 2D
      echocardiography. Matched groups of 23 recreational divers (dive to 30 msw; 25
      min) and 25 swimmers were also enrolled as control groups to assess the effects
      of decompression from a standard air dive or of exercise alone on the
      inflammatory profile. RESULTS: Echocardiography at the single 30 min observation
      post dive showed no significant differences between the two decompression
      procedures. Divers adopting the RDS showed a worsening of post-dive inflammatory
      profile compared to the CDM group, with significant increases in circulating
      chemokines CCL2 (P = 0.001) and CCL5 (P = 0.006) levels. There was no increase in
      chemokines following the CDM decompression. The air scuba group also showed a
      statistically significant increase in CCL2 (P < 0.001) and CCL5 (P = 0.003)
      levels post dive. No cases of decompression sickness occurred. CONCLUSION: The
      ratio deco strategy did not confer any benefit in terms of bubbles but showed the
      disadvantage of increased decompression-associated secretion of inflammatory
      chemokines involved in the development of vascular damage.

PMID- 28357820
TI  - Preventive effect of rosiglitazone on liver injury in a mouse model of
      decompression sickness.
AB  - BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Severe decompression sickness (DCS) is a multi-organ injury.
      This study investigated the preventive effects of rosiglitazone on liver injury
      following rapid decompression in mice and examined the underlying mechanisms.
      METHODS: Mice were randomly divided into four groups: a control group, vehicle
      group, and rosiglitazone (5 and 10 mg.kg-1) groups, the latter three being
      exposed to a pressure of 911 kPa. Haematoxylin and eosin staining, plasma levels
      of alanine transaminase (ALT), aspartate transaminase (AST) and lactate
      dehydrogenase and blood cell counts were used to evaluate liver injury at 30 min
      after rapid decompression. The expression of endothelial and inducible nitric
      oxide synthase (iNOS) and its phosphorylation were measured to uncover the
      underlying molecular mechanisms. RESULTS: A significant increase in plasma ALT,
      red blood cells and platelets, and a decrease in neutrophils were observed in the
      vehicle group. Furthermore, the expression of iNOS, E-selectin and the total
      level of NO in hepatic tissue, and soluble E-selectin in the plasma were
      significantly elevated in the vehicle group. Rosiglitazone pre-treatment
      prevented the increases in ALT (and AST), soluble E-selectin concentration, red
      blood cells and platelet counts. Moreover, rosiglitazone reduced over-expression
      of iNOS and the NO level, prevented the fall in neutrophil count and promoted the
      phosphorylation of iNOS in the liver. CONCLUSIONS: Pre-treatment with
      rosiglitazone ameliorated liver injury from severe DCS. This preventive effect
      may be partly mediated by stimulating endothelial NO production, improving
      endothelial function and limiting inflammatory processes.

PMID- 28357821
TI  - Tenth European Consensus Conference on Hyperbaric Medicine: recommendations for
      accepted and non-accepted clinical indications and practice of hyperbaric oxygen
      treatment.
AB  - The tenth European Consensus Conference on Hyperbaric Medicine took place in
      April 2016, attended by a large delegation of experts from Europe and elsewhere.
      The focus of the meeting was the revision of the European Committee on Hyperbaric
      Medicine (ECHM) list of accepted indications for hyperbaric oxygen treatment
      (HBOT), based on a thorough review of the best available research and evidence
      based medicine (EBM). For this scope, the modified GRADE system for evidence
      analysis, together with the DELPHI system for consensus evaluation, were adopted.
      The indications for HBOT, including those promulgated by the ECHM previously,
      were analysed by selected experts, based on an extensive review of the literature
      and of the available EBM studies. The indications were divided as follows: Type
      1, where HBOT is strongly indicated as a primary treatment method, as it is
      supported by sufficiently strong evidence; Type 2, where HBOT is suggested as it
      is supported by acceptable levels of evidence; Type 3, where HBOT can be
      considered as a possible/optional measure, but it is not yet supported by
      sufficiently strong evidence. For each type, three levels of evidence were
      considered: A, when the number of randomised controlled trials (RCTs) is
      considered sufficient; B, when there are some RCTs in favour of the indication
      and there is ample expert consensus; C, when the conditions do not allow for
      proper RCTs but there is ample and international expert consensus. For the first
      time, the conference also issued 'negative' recommendations for those conditions
      where there is Type 1 evidence that HBOT is not indicated. The conference also
      gave consensus-agreed recommendations for the standard of practice of HBOT.

PMID- 28357822
TI  - An assessment of the performance of the Baxter elastomeric (LV10) InfusorTM pump
      under hyperbaric conditions.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: There are limited data on the use of elastomeric infusion pumps
      during hyperbaric oxygen treatment. AIM: This study evaluated the flow rate of
      the Baxter elastomeric LV10 InfusorTM pump under normobaric (101.3 kPa) and three
      hyperbaric conditions of 203 kPa, 243 kPa and 284 kPa. METHODS: Elastomeric pumps
      were secured to participants in the same manner as for a typical patient, except
      that a container collected the delivered antibiotic solution. Pumps and tubing
      were weighed before and after the test period to determine volume delivered and
      to calculate flow rates at sea level and the three commonly used hyperbaric
      treatment pressures at two different time periods, 0-2 hours (h) and 19-21 h into
      the infusion. RESULTS: The mean flow rates in ml.h-1 (SD) were: 9.5 (0.4), 10.3
      (0.6), 10.4 (0.6), 10.4 (0.5) at 0-2 h and 10.5 (1.0), 12.2 (0.6), 9.4 (0.5),
      10.3 (0.9) at 19-21 h for the normobaric, 203 kPa, 243 kPa and 284 kPa conditions
      respectively. There was no significant association between flow rate and time
      period (P = 0.166) but the 203 kPa flow rates were significantly faster than the
      other flow rates (P = 0.008). In retrospect, the 203 kPa experiments had all been
      conducted with the same antibiotic solution (ceftazidime 6 g). Repeating that
      experimental arm using flucloxacillin 8 g produced flow rates of 10.4 (0.8) ml.h
      1, with no significant associations between flow rate and time period (P = 0.652)
      or pressure (P = 0.705). CONCLUSION: In this study, the flow rate of the Baxter
      LV10 InfusorTM device was not significantly affected by increases in ambient
      pressure across the pressure range of 101.3 kPa to 284 kPa, and flow rates were
      generally within a clinically acceptable range of 9-12 ml.h-1. However, there was
      evidence that the specific antibiotic solution might affect flow rates and this
      requires further study.

PMID- 28357824
TI  - Identifying and acting on inappropriate metadata: a critique of the Grattan
      Institute Report on questionable care in Australian hospitals.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: In an era of ever-increasing medical costs, the identification and
      prohibition of ineffective medical therapies is of considerable economic interest
      to healthcare funding bodies. Likewise, the avoidance of interventions with an
      unduly elevated clinical risk/benefit ratio would be similarly advantageous for
      patients. Regrettably, the identification of such therapies has proven
      problematic. A recent paper from the Grattan Institute in Australia (identifying
      five hospital procedures as having the potential for disinvestment on these
      grounds) serves as a timely illustration of the difficulties inherent in non
      clinicians attempting to accurately recognize such interventions using non
      clinical, indirect or poorly validated datasets. AIM: To evaluate the Grattan
      Institute report and associated publications, and determine the validity of their
      assertions regarding hyperbaric oxygen treatment (HBOT) utilisation in Australia.
      METHODS: Critical analysis of the HBOT metadata included in the Grattan Institute
      study was undertaken and compared against other publicly available Australian
      Government and independent data sources. The consistency, accuracy and
      reproducibility of data definitions and terminology across the various
      publications were appraised and the authors' methodology was reviewed. Reference
      sources were examined for relevance and temporal eligibility. RESULTS: Review of
      the Grattan publications demonstrated multiple problems, including (but not
      limited to): confusing patient-treatments with total patient numbers; incorrect
      identification of 'appropriate' vs. 'inappropriate' indications for HBOT;
      reliance upon a compromised primary dataset; lack of appropriate clinical input,
      muddled methodology and use of inapplicable references. These errors resulted in
      a more than seventy-fold over-estimation of the number of patients potentially
      treated inappropriately with HBOT in Australia that year. CONCLUSION: Numerous
      methodological flaws and factual errors have been identified in this Grattan
      Institute study. Its conclusions are not valid and a formal retraction is
      required.

PMID- 28357823
TI  - Performance of the BBraun perfusor space syringe driver under hyperbaric
      conditions.
AB  - BACKGROUND: The BBraun Perfusor SpaceTM syringe driver is already in use by
      ambulance services and retrieval teams but has not previously been assessed for
      hyperbaric chamber use. METHODS: Pump flow accuracy was tested at rates between 1
      and 40 ml. h-1 using three different brands of 50 ml syringe. Function of the
      occlusion alarms was assessed using the same syringes. The hyperbaric profile
      involved pressurisation to 284 kPa at 30 kPa. min-1, 30 min at 284 kPa and
      decompression at 30 kPa. min-1. Output was recorded from differences in weight of
      collection containers. A single device was tested. RESULTS: Performance was
      highly dependent on the syringe type used, with two of the three 50 ml syringes
      used demonstrating 'stiction' at both low and high occlusion pressure alarm
      settings, most marked during pressurisation. On decompression from 284 kPa all
      syringes alarmed at significantly lower pressures. Because of the stiction
      problems only the flow measurements for the BBrown Omni! x 50 ml syringes are
      reported. At a pressure of 284 kPa, the difference between programmed and
      delivered rates was within the manufacturer's specification of 10%: at 40 ml. h-1
      (median variation 1.25%, IQR 0.5-1.7%), 10 ml. h-1 (8.6%, IQR 8-9.2%), 5 ml. h-1
      (-8.8%, IQR - 1.6-8.8%) and 1 ml. h-1 (-4%, IQR 4-12%). Pressurisation was
      associated with significantly lower flow rates whilst decompression was
      associated with significantly increased rates. Limited testing at 405 kPa was
      also within the manufacturer's specifications. CONCLUSION: A BBraun Infusor Space
      syringe driver performed within acceptable performance criteria but is highly
      dependent on syringe type and flow rates. The potential for the device to under
      deliver on pressurisation and over deliver on depressurisation, however, suggests
      vigilance and appropriate rate adjustments may be necessary during these phases.

PMID- 28357826
TI  - Anton's syndrome as a presentation of decompression illness.
AB  - We present a case of a patient with Anton's syndrome due to decompression illness
      (DCI) after recreational scuba diving. Visual anosognosia, or denial of loss of
      vision, which is associated with lack of awareness regarding visual loss in the
      setting of cortical blindness, is known as Anton's syndrome (also termed Anton
      Babinski syndrome). Our patient presented with progressive neurological DCI
      treated with repeated recompression. The anosogosia resolved after 48 h.
      Subsequent echocardiography revealed a persistent (patent) foramen ovale.

PMID- 28357825
TI  - The prevalence of electrocardiogram abnormalities in professional divers.
AB  - BACKGROUND: The underwater environment presents physiological challenges for the
      cardiovascular, renal and pulmonary systems. Increases in external hydrostatic
      pressure reduce the capacity of the venous compartment and cause blood to move
      toward the lung. The aim of this study was to evaluate retrospectively
      electrocardiographic (ECG) changes in a cohort of professional divers. METHODS:
      Between January 2009 and January 2012, 225 randomly selected professional divers,
      204 male (91%) and 21 female (9%) attended our clinic for their biannual diving
      medical assessment. Their ECG records were evaluated retrospectively. RESULTS:
      The most common ECG abnormality observed was incomplete right bundle branch block
      (IRBBB) in 30 divers (13.3%). Eleven divers (4.9%) showed right QRS axis
      deviation (seven with IRBBB). Six divers had a sinus tachycardia; in four divers
      there was early repolarization; three divers had ventricular extrasystoles; one
      diver had ST elevation in lead V3; there was one with sinus arrhythmia and
      another with T-wave inversion in leads V2, V3 and aVF. These ECG changes were
      evaluated retrospectively by a cardiologist who made various recommendations for
      further review including bubble contrast echocardiography for IRBBB. CONCLUSIONS:
      No serious ECG abnormalities were identified, but IRBBB should be further
      investigated because of its association with persistent (patent) foramen ovale.
      Rapid cardiological review of ECGs could be achieved using modern communications
      technology, such as telecardiography, and further clinical investigations
      directed by specialist recommendation arranged promptly if indicated.

PMID- 28357827
TI  - USN Treatment Table 9.
AB  - The United States Navy (USN) introduced Treatment Table 9 (USN TT9) in 1999. Its
      purpose is to provide a dosing protocol for cases of incomplete resolution of
      decompression sickness (DCS) and arterial gas embolism following initial
      provision of USN Treatment Table 6 (USN TT6). It also can be used for several non
      diving-related acute toxicities. Prior to USN TT9, it was and remains common to
      use USN Treatment Table 5 (USN TT5) for 'follow-up' therapy. An exception might
      be cases of severe residual neurologic injury, where some prefer to repeat USN
      TT6. The primary role of USN TT5, however, is for treatment of 'pain only' (Type
      1) DCS that has fully resolved within 10 minutes of the first oxygen breathing
      period at 60 feet of seawater (fsw) (284 kPa). It is thought helpful here to
      point out that USN TT9 offers certain safety and operational advantages over USN
      TT5. As USN TT9 employs a maximum pressure of 243 kPa, a marked risk reduction
      exists for the injured diver in terms of CNS oxygen toxicity. Seizures are
      reported during treatment of divers using US Navy protocols, some as early as the
      second and in one case during the first oxygen breathing period at 284 kPa
      (Mitchell SJ, personal communication, 2016). The inside attendant likewise enjoys
      an iatrogenic DCS risk reduction. While air breathing exposure time at 60 fsw on
      USN TT5 appears modest at first blush, the table can be extended at 30 fsw (203
      kPa) for two additional oxygen/air cycles. Such extensions result in a not
      inconsiderable total exposure time of three hours. DCS risk is also increased if
      the treatment represents a repetitive dive for the attendant, a not uncommon
      event. Given the ongoing occurrence of inside attendant DCS, in some cases career
      ending and twice with fatal outcome, its mitigation should be aggressively
      pursued (author's personal files). From an operational perspective, both
      treatment pressure and sequencing of oxygen/air breathing cycles during delivery
      of USN TT9 are essentially identical to that commonly employed during multiplace
      chamber delivery of hyperbaric oxygen treatment. Accordingly, it is
      straightforward enough to incorporate follow-up decompression illness cases into
      daily clinical practice. Not having this dosing 'match', i.e., using USN TT5,
      might otherwise disrupt regularly scheduled cases. In my capacity as a medical
      claims adjudicator and clinical resource, I am involved, to varying degrees, in
      more than 300 cases of decompression illness each year. In those involving more
      than a single treatment, it is very much the exception, even after 17 years since
      its introduction, that USN TT9 is employed. The primary purpose of this
      correspondence, then, is to make mention of the advantages of USN TT9 and remind
      providers that it is indeed a standard of care in cases of incomplete relief for
      those who choose to base decompression injury management decisions on USN
      treatment procedures.

PMID- 28357828
TI  - Cerebral arterial gas embolism, ingestion of hydrogen peroxide and flight.
AB  - We read with interest the recent report by Smedley et al. on an interesting case
      of cerebral arterial gas embolism (CAGE) after pre-flight ingestion of hydrogen
      peroxide (H2O2). The authors discuss the safety of aero-medical transfer
      following H2O2 ingestion. We agree with the possible problems but the concern on
      the other side of the coin needs to be mentioned; can transfer be delayed is the
      big question? Indeed, as reported by others, ingestion of even a small amount of
      concentrated H2O2 can result in CAGE. Hence, whether aero-medical transfer
      proceeds or not, severe, life-threatening embolism can occur. Since it was
      reported that "complete neurologic recovery occurred quickly with hyperbaric
      therapy", this supports the contention that the fastest transfer of the patient
      for hyperbaric treatment should be the primary focus.

PMID- 28357829
TI  - Factors affecting health-promoting lifestyle profile in Iranian male seafarers
      working on tankers.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Seafaring is a risky occupation that is associated with a high
      incidence of lifestyle-related diseases. The present study was carried out to
      examine health promotion behaviour and its associated factors in seafarers of the
      National Iranian Tanker Company. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A cross-sectional study
      was performed on 200 Iranian male seafarers in 2015. A self-administered socio
      demographic and Health Promotion Lifestyle Profile II (HPLP-II) questionnaire was
      completed. One-way analysis of variance was used to identify significant
      differences among the various departments. The t-test was utilised to compare the
      HPLP-II scores according to the demographic variables. Multiple linear regression
      analysis was performed to assess the association between demographic variables
      and the overall HPLP-II score, in addition to the six health-promoting lifestyle
      subscale scores. RESULTS: The mean age of the participants was 35.93 +/- 9.51
      years. Most of the seafarers were categorised as having a moderate (32%) or good
      lifestyle (61.5%). The mean lifestyle score was 136.14 +/- 19.90, with the
      subscale spiritual growth showing the highest score (26.16 +/- 5.03) and the
      subscale exercise behaviour showing the lowest score (19.95 +/- 4.23). The lowest
      score for nutrition was found among the seafarers working in the engine
      department (engine: 20.41 +/- 4.50, deck: 23.52 +/- 4.97, and galley: 24.83 +/-
      4.64) (p < 0.05). Working in the engine department was found to have a
      significant negative effect on the nutrition score (B = -3.57, p < 0.05).
      Moreover, educational level was found to have a significant positive effect on
      spiritual growth (B = 2.97, p < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: The findings suggest that
      health-related issues in this occupation, especially workers in the engine room,
      are a matter of concern.

PMID- 28357830
TI  - Preparation and medical follow-up for a single-handed transatlantic rowing race.
AB  - BACKGROUND: A single-handed transatlantic rowing race was organised between
      Senegal and French Guyana (2600 nautical miles). During the race, rowers adjust
      their lifestyle to maintain an optimal level of performance. Nutrition, circadian
      rhythm disturbance, psychological state, pain and other medical problems impact
      on physical abilities and increase the occurrence of accidents. We surveyed the
      prevalence of medical complications during this race and the preparation that we
      could suggest for this kind of activity. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This is a
      descriptive, retrospective case series study. Follow-up consisted of sending out
      a questionnaire and performing individual interviews. RESULTS: A total of 23
      participants including 1 woman and 22 men; mean age of 46.5 years (range: 35-59)
      entered the race. The race lasted for 39 to 52 days with participants rowing
      between 10 and 12 h/day. Nine participants dropped out. Energy intake was 4500 to
      6000 kcal/day and fluid intake was 4 to 5.5 L/day. Mean weight loss was 13.3 kg.
      The resting period was 6 +/- 1 h/24 h divided into 1.5 to 2 h periods essentially
      during darkness. A total of 92% of the racers required medical care for
      dermatological problems; other conditions requiring medical care were: tendinitis
      in 10 cases, diarrhoea in 4, moderate to severe seasickness in 4, hallucinations
      in 3, panic attacks in 2, burns in 2, and disembarkation syndrome ("land
      sickness") lasting from 45 min to 6 h in 13. CONCLUSIONS: Physiological and
      psychological impact of this type of event is still unclear. The most common
      medical problems are dermatological, rheumatological complications and minor
      trauma. Medical and psychological preparation should be offered to candidates for
      these competitions.

PMID- 28357831
TI  - Mermaid health - identifying health issues related to mermaiding.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Mermaiding - swimming with a leg-covering monofin mimicking the tail
      of a mermaid - is an emerging aquatic activity, which has gained a marked
      popularity over the last few years. However, no study so far has documented the
      potential health issues or risks of injuries related to this practice. MATERIALS
      AND METHODS: This study surveyed professional mermaids cumulating an estimated
      total of 19,147 h of in-water mermaiding, regarding their health issues and
      injuries. While mermaiding bears some risks, the occurrence of problematic
      conditions appears limited. Interestingly, the profile of health issues
      experienced by professional mermaids is unique and specific, and clearly
      different from both professional swimmers and surfers. RESULTS: Self-reported
      health issues related to mermaiding could be divided into issues specifically
      related to mermaiding activities (ear issues, reported by 87.5% of the
      respondents; sea life encounters, 50%; cold-related issues, 37.5%; compromised
      access to air, 25%), issues related to the tail and fins (back pain, 50%; lower
      limbs issues, 37.5%), and issues related to water quality (eye issues, 25%;
      waterborne diseases, 12.5%). Clear differences appear between professional and
      recreational mermaiding activities. CONCLUSIONS: The results presented here will
      help to build safer conditions for mermaiding activities and to develop adapted
      responses from health specialists to help this unique yet growing population of
      aquatic performers and athletes.

PMID- 28357832
TI  - Prevalence of consumption of addictive substances amongst Moroccan fishermen.
AB  - BACKGROUND: The prevalence of toxic habits is constantly increasing in developing
      countries and all professional sectors are concerned. Seafarers are a particular
      target because of the dangerousness and complexity of their work. However, few
      studies have investigated toxic habits in this population. The aim of the study
      was to determine the prevalence of the use and misuse of addictive substances in
      seafarers and to appreciate poly-consumptions according to socio-demographic and
      occupational characteristics. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This cross-sectional study
      was conducted amongst 1,219 fishermen. Subjects filled a questionnaire during
      their medical examination. The questionnaire covered socio-demographic and
      occupational characteristics, toxic habits (tobacco, alcohol, cannabis and others
      psychotropic substances). The misuse was assessed by specific tests: dependence
      on smoking tobacco (Fagerstrom), Cannabis Abuse Screening Test (CAST) and Alcohol
      Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT). RESULTS: The prevalence of consumption
      was 58.5% for smoking tobacco, 36.2% for cannabis, and 36.5% for alcohol. Amongst
      consumers, the prevalence of dependence or misuse was 49% for smoking tobacco,
      61.2% for cannabis and 86% for alcohol. Only 115 (9.4%) people had no toxic
      habit. 56.4% had one toxic habit, 20.4% had two toxic habits, 11.9% had three
      toxic habits and 1.9% had four toxic habits. The most frequent associations were
      tobacco-cannabis (10.5%) and tobacco-alcohol (6.1%). CONCLUSIONS: In this sector,
      occupational health physicians have to play a key role in raising awareness and
      fighting against toxic habits.

PMID- 28357834
TI  - Analysis of occupational injuries in the sea fishing industry according to the
      type of fishery and the fishing activity.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Sea fishing is one of the most dangerous occupations. Numerous
      studies have already sought to evaluate the risk level of this occupation through
      the analysis of the frequency and seriousness of occupational injuries. The
      purpose of the present study is to analyse these accidents in terms of two main
      characteristics of the vessels involved: the fishery type (high seas, offshore,
      coastal, or inshore fishery) and the fishing activity (use of passive or active
      gears). MATERIALS AND METHODS: Injury rates were calculated for the Brittany
      region and for the year 2012. A second analysis was carried out on 8,286 reported
      injuries that occurred in France from 2002 to 2012, while vessels were in the
      process of fishing. RESULTS: This first analysis shows that the incidence rate is
      very high (103 per 1,000 full-time equivalent fishermen) and that it depends more
      on the fishery type than on the fishing activity; the highest rates concern the
      offshore and the coastal fleets. Results of the second analysis show that the
      nature of accidents depends more on the fishing activity than on the type of
      fishery. CONCLUSIONS: These findings lead to a discussion of the causes of the
      highest incidence rate values and the causes of the observed variations. The
      discussion also involves the methodological difficulties related to the incidence
      rate calculations.

PMID- 28357833
TI  - The assessment of seafarers' knowledge, attitudes and practices related to
      STI/HIV/AIDS in northern Morocco.
AB  - BACKGROUND: The purpose of this study was to assess the knowledge, attitudes and
      practices of seafarers in relation to sexually transmitted infections (STI) and
      human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)/acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS).
      MATERIALS AND METHODS: This transversal, descriptive and behavioural study was
      conducted in 2014 on a representative sample of 1447 seafarers. RESULTS: The rate
      of participation was 95%. The mean age was 36.1 +/- 8.2 years. Knowledge about
      transmission and prevention mode was satisfactory on HIV/AIDS; however, some
      misconceptions still persist. The level of stigmatisation and discrimination
      towards people living with the virus was considered high. The prevalence of
      sexual high-risk behaviour was significant: 32% had at least two sexual partners
      and 26.3% have had sex with sex workers, 60% of them were not protected; 42.8%
      have never used the condom and only 15.1% used it systematically. The sailors who
      had sexual intercourse under the influence of alcohol or drugs are less
      protected. As too HIV testing, only 10.2% did it. CONCLUSIONS: This study showed
      a gap in knowledge about transmission and prevention of HIV infection/AIDS and
      sexual risk behaviour. Increasing awareness and information among seafarers is of
      prime importance.

PMID- 28357835
TI  - Identification of World Health Organisation ship's medicine chest contents by
      Anatomical Therapeutic Chemical (ATC) classification codes.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Ships should carry mandatory given amounts of medicinal products and
      basic first aid items, collectively known as the ship's medicine chest. Type and
      quantities of these products/items are suggested by the World Health Organisation
      (WHO) and regulated by individual flag states. In countries that lack national
      legislation, it is assumed that ships should follow WHO indications. An objective
      difficulty mainly involving vessels of international long-haul routes could be to
      recognise medicinal compounds obtained in other countries for replacing products
      used or expired. Language barrier may complicate, if not make it impossible to
      interpret the name of the medicinal product and/or of the active principle as
      indicated in a box printed in a completely different language. Handling of the
      ship's pharmacy may be difficult in case of purchasing of drugs abroad due to
      language barriers. Medicinal products are identified by the international non
      proprietary name of the active principle and/or by their chemical or invented
      (branded) names. This may make the identification of a medicinal product
      difficult, primarily if it is purchased abroad and the box and instructions are
      written in the language of the country where it is marketed. Therefore, there is
      a simpler classification system of the medicinal compounds the ATC (ATC: Anatomy,
      Therapeutic properties, Chemical, pharmacological properties). This paper has
      reviewed the list of medicinal products recommended by WHO and assigned to each
      one the ATC code as a solution to the problem of medicinal compounds
      organisation. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Two researchers independently examined the
      list of medicinal compounds indicated in the third edition of the International
      Medical Guide for Ships and attributed to each compound the ATC code according to
      the 2013 Guidelines for ATC classification and Defined Daily Dose (DDD)
      assignment. RESULTS: The ATC code was attributed to the medicinal compounds
      indicated in the third edition of the International Medical Guide for Ships.
      CONCLUSIONS: The availability of an objective system to identify medicinal
      products is required for ships, which will contribute in making the
      identification of items purchased simpler, making it easier to understand which
      drug seafarers need to be administer, and consequently reduce possible
      therapeutic mistakes.

PMID- 28357836
TI  - Safety of hyperbaric oxygen therapy in mechanically ventilated patients.
AB  - BACKGROUND: To evaluate the epidemiology of patients who require mechanical
      ventilation during hyperbaric oxygen therapy. MATERIALS AND METHODS: One-hundred
      fifty patients who required mechanical ventilation during hyperbaric oxygen
      therapy were prospectively studied during a 6-year period in a French university
      hyperbaric centre. We analysed the indication of hyperbaric oxygen therapy, agent
      used for sedation, presence of a chest tube, need for vasopressor agents and
      tolerance and appearance of side effects. Finally, we compared the outcomes of
      patients according to the presence or absence of acute respiratory distress
      syndrome (ARDS). RESULTS: Eleven children and 139 adult patients were included (n
      = 150) in the study. In both populations, carbon monoxide poisoning (51%) and
      iatrogenic gas embolism (33%) were the two main causes of intubation and
      mechanical ventilation. The combination of midazolam and sufentanil was used in
      85 (67%) patients. All of the patients were given a bolus of a neuromuscular
      blocker during the hyperbaric session, despite the presence of ARDS in 35
      patients. Patient-ventilator asynchrony was the most frequent side effect in 6
      (5%) patients and was often the consequence of suboptimal sedation. Mortality was
      higher in the group with ARDS (23%). CONCLUSIONS: Carbon monoxide poisoning and
      iatrogenic gas embolism are the two main diseases of the patients who required
      mechanical ventilation during hyperbaric oxygen therapy in this study. Mechanical
      ventilation is a safe method for patients during hyperbaric oxygen therapy.
      Sedation needs to be perfected to avoid patient-ventilator asynchrony.

PMID- 28357838
TI  - Female professional divers. Similarities and differences between male and female
      professional divers.
AB  - BACKGROUND: The aim of the present study was to explore the potential differences
      between female and male professional divers with regards to demographics, diving
      certificates, areas of diving, diving activity and health effects. MATERIALS AND
      METHODS: The Norwegian Labour Inspection Authority's Diving certificate register
      contains data on all professional inshore divers who have held a certificate at
      any time since 1980. Forty nine per cent of these divers responded to the
      "Norwegian diver 2011" questionnaire. RESULTS: Of these divers 64 female and 1327
      male divers completed the questionnaire about their professional diving career,
      certificate, year of onset and the year they stopped diving professionally if
      they were not still active in the diving industry. The level of general education
      was higher among female divers. More males than females were fully certified in
      diving. The mean age was lower among female than male fully certified divers.
      Fully certified female divers reported a lower total number of dives, shallower
      dives and diving for a shorter period of time than the male divers. They also had
      a lower percentage of work within the quay/construction sector and more often
      worked as teachers/instructors. A lower percentage of fully certified females
      than males had experienced decompression sickness (16.7% vs. 26.9%). Life
      threatening events and psychologically challenging events were less common among
      females, as were adverse health effects. No such gender differences were seen for
      divers with a restricted certificate. CONCLUSIONS: The fully certified, female
      professional divers in our study had a very short diving career, reported fewer
      and shallower dives, and chose less physically demanding jobs than their male
      counterparts. They also had a higher level of education, reported less health
      problems and a better quality of life. The health effects seem to be related to
      the type of work rather than to gender.

PMID- 28357837
TI  - Diving under the influence: issues in researching personality and inert gas
      narcosis.
AB  - BACKGROUND: This paper considers the relationship between measures of personality
      and mood states, and susceptibility to inert gas narcosis. It briefly reviews the
      topics of inert gas narcosis affecting personality, and personality affecting the
      susceptibility to inert gas narcosis. There appears to be is a theoretical
      argument for a possible relationship between measures of personality, mood
      states, and susceptibility to narcosis. Practically, such a relationship may
      speak to issues in selection, training and preparation, risk assessments, and
      even accident investigation in the diving and/or hyperbaric environment.
      MATERIALS AND METHODS: Twenty one divers completed measures of personality and
      mood states, and were then compressed to 709 kPa (equivalent to 60 msw) in a dry
      compression chamber, where they completed a task measuring speed of information
      processing, and a scale measuring subjective narcosis. RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONS:
      The main finding was the absence of any significant correlations between measures
      of personality traits and mood, and susceptibility to inert gas narcosis.
      Although the study found no evidence of any major relationship, it is presented
      as a case study to highlight some of the issues and pitfalls involved in such
      research. The lessons learned - including the careful defining and describing of
      concepts, and choosing of samples and measurements - are used to discuss some of
      the methodological and conceptual issues and future directions for researchers to
      consider.

PMID- 28357839
TI  - Should we be worried about sexual transmission of Zika and other arboviruses?

PMID- 28357840
TI  - Possible outbreak of skin infections due to Panton-Valentine leukocidin-positive
      methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus on a commercial ship in 2012-2014.

PMID- 28357841
TI  - The Maritime Labour Convention, 2006, as an ally for International Maritime
      Health Association.

PMID- 28357842
TI  - Acute Kidney Injury in Critically Ill Children and Young Adults.

PMID- 28357843
TI  - Shortened Antimicrobial Treatment for Acute Otitis Media.

PMID- 28357844
TI  - Shortened Antimicrobial Treatment for Acute Otitis Media.

PMID- 28357845
TI  - Shortened Antimicrobial Treatment for Acute Otitis Media.

PMID- 28357846
TI  - Myasthenia Gravis.

PMID- 28357847
TI  - Myasthenia Gravis.

PMID- 28357848
TI  - Myasthenia Gravis.

PMID- 28357849
TI  - Rhodium-Catalyzed Cycloadditions between 3-Diazoindolin-2-imines and 1,3-Dienes.
AB  - Azepino[2,3-b]indoles were regioselectively prepared through rhodium-catalyzed
      formal aza-[4 + 3] cycloaddition between 3-diazoindolin-2-imines and 1,3-dienes
      in moderate to good yields. Using 2-[(trimethylsilyl)oxy]-1,3-butadiene as the
      diene component, azepino[2,3-b]indol-4(1H)-ones were constructed. Furthermore,
      the reactions of cyclic dienes, such as 1,3-cyclohexadiene and 1,3
      cyclopentadiene, furnished the corresponding [3 + 2] cycloaddition products.

PMID- 28357851
TI  - Synthesis and Characterization of Functionalized [12]Cycloparaphenylenes
      Containing Four Alternating Biphenyl and Naphthyl Units.
AB  - Functionalized [12]cycloparaphenylenes ([12]CPPs) containing four alternating
      biphenyl and naphthyl units were synthesized. A macrocyclic furan-containing CPP
      precursor was used for the Diels-Alder reaction with the parent benzyne or 3,6
      dimethoxybenzyne to form the corresponding macrocyclic carbon frameworks. The
      subsequent reductive deoxygenation of the Diels-Alder adducts with Fe2(CO)9
      followed by oxidative aromatization with 2,3-dichloro-5,6-dicyano-1,4
      benzoquinone produced the functionalized [12]CPPs. The effect of macrocyclic ring
      size on the reaction rate of oxidative aromatization was investigated.

PMID- 28357850
TI  - The Influence of Intrinsic Framework Flexibility on Adsorption in Nanoporous
      Materials.
AB  - For applications of metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) such as gas storage and
      separation, flexibility is often seen as a parameter that can tune material
      performance. In this work we aim to determine the optimal flexibility for the
      shape selective separation of similarly sized molecules (e.g., Xe/Kr mixtures).
      To obtain systematic insight into how the flexibility impacts this type of
      separation, we develop a simple analytical model that predicts a material's Henry
      regime adsorption and selectivity as a function of flexibility. We elucidate the
      complex dependence of selectivity on a framework's intrinsic flexibility whereby
      performance is either improved or reduced with increasing flexibility, depending
      on the material's pore size characteristics. However, the selectivity of a
      material with the pore size and chemistry that already maximizes selectivity in
      the rigid approximation is continuously diminished with increasing flexibility,
      demonstrating that the globally optimal separation exists within an entirely
      rigid pore. Molecular simulations show that our simple model predicts performance
      trends that are observed when screening the adsorption behavior of flexible MOFs.
      These flexible simulations provide better agreement with experimental adsorption
      data in a high-performance material that is not captured when modeling this
      framework as rigid, an approximation typically made in high-throughput screening
      studies. We conclude that, for shape selective adsorption applications, the
      globally optimal material will have the optimal pore size/chemistry and minimal
      intrinsic flexibility even though other nonoptimal materials' selectivity can
      actually be improved by flexibility. Equally important, we find that flexible
      simulations can be critical for correctly modeling adsorption in these types of
      systems.

PMID- 28357852
TI  - Enhancement of Surface Wettability by Incorporating Polar Initiator Fragments at
      Chain Ends of Low-Molecular-Weight Polymers.
AB  - Simple methods for enhancing hydrophilicity of hydrocarbon polymers are of broad
      scientific and technological interest. Polystyrene was synthesized via free
      radical polymerization with initiator fragments incorporated at chain ends.
      Compared with high molecular weight polystyrene or chains with nonpolar ends, the
      dynamic receding water contact angle is reduced by as much as ~30 degrees  in ~4
      kg/mol polystyrene with -COOH and nitrile chain ends. This remarkable enhancement
      results in surface hydrophilicity that is higher than that of poly(methyl
      methacrylate). This effective methodology incorporating polar moieties at chain
      ends of nonpolar polymers can be adapted to existing formulations for enhanced
      surface properties.

PMID- 28357853
TI  - Total Synthesis and Structural Determination of the Dimeric Tetrahydroxanthone
      Ascherxanthone A.
AB  - The first total synthesis of the dimeric tetrahydroxanthone ascherxanthone A has
      been accomplished. This synthetic strategy features (1) enantioselective
      intramolecular allylic C-H oxidation to construct a core chiral chromane, (2)
      intramolecular aldol reaction/dehydration to form the enone group, and (3)
      intermolecular Suzuki-Miyaura coupling to connect two monomeric
      tetrahydroxanthones. This synthetic work allowed us to determine the axial
      chirality of the 2,2'-biaryl C-C bond and the absolute configuration of the
      ascherxanthone A. This approach should facilitate the preparation of derivatives
      and structurally related natural products for medicinal studies.

PMID- 28357854
TI  - DBU-Mediated Diastereoselective Aldol-Type Cyanomethylation of Isatins.
AB  - An efficient, metal-free approach to 3-substituted 3-hydroxyoxindole by DBU
      mediated highly diastereoselective addition of aryl acetonitrile to N-protected
      isatin under mild conditions has been developed. The reaction proceeds smoothly
      to produce respective cyanomethylated adducts in good yield and excellent
      diastereoselectivity. Further transformation of the cyanide group allowed the
      synthesis of an advance intermediate of corresponding (+/-) CPC analogue. The
      mechanistic insight toward the aldol-type cyanomethylation of N-tritylisatin with
      benzyl cyanide was obtained by DFT calculations.

PMID- 28357855
TI  - Single-Mode Lasing from "Giant" CdSe/CdS Core-Shell Quantum Dots in Distributed
      Feedback Structures.
AB  - "Giant" semiconductor quantum dots (GQDs) have tremendous potential for
      applications in laser devices. Here, CdSe/CdS core-shell GQDs (11 monolayers)
      have been synthesized as lasing gain material. The photoluminescence decay of the
      GQD ensemble is single-exponential, and the two-photon absorption cross-section
      is above 105 GM. This article presents a versatile method for fabrication of
      CdSe/CdS GQD distributed feedback (DFB) lasers by laser interference ablation. A
      high-quality surface-relief grating structure can be readily created on the GQD
      thin films, and the relationship between laser beam intensity and surface
      modulation depth is studied. With appropriate periods, single-mode lasing
      emission has been detected from these devices under excitation wavelengths of 400
      and 800 nm. The laser thresholds are as low as 0.028 and 1.03 mJ cm-2, with the
      lasing Q-factors of 709 and 586, respectively. Lasing operation is realized from
      the direct laser interference-ablated QD DFB structures for the first time.

PMID- 28357856
TI  - Synthesis of Nickel Phosphide Electrocatalysts from Hybrid Metal Phosphonates.
AB  - Transition-metal phosphides (TMPs) have recently emerged as efficient and
      inexpensive electrocatalysts for electrochemical water splitting. The synthesis
      of nanostructured phosphides often involves highly reactive and hazardous
      phosphorous-containing compounds. Herein, we report the synthesis of nickel
      phosphides through thermal treatment under H2(5%)/Ar of layered nickel
      phenylphosphonate (NiPh) or methylphosphonate (NiMe) that act as single-source
      precursors. Ni12P5, Ni12P5-Ni2P, and Ni2P nanoparticles (NPs) with sizes of ca.
      15-45 nm coated with a thin shell of carbonaceous material were produced.
      Thermogravimetric analysis coupled with mass spectrometry (TG-MS) showed that H2,
      H2O, P2, and -C6H5 are the main compounds formed during the transformation of the
      precursor under argon and no hazard phosphorous-containing compounds are created,
      making this a simple and relatively safe route for fabricating nanostructured
      TMPs. The H2 most likely reacts with the -PO3 groups of the precursor to form H2O
      and P2, and the latter subsequently reacts with the metal to produce the
      phosphide. The Ni12P5-Ni2P and Ni2P NPs efficiently catalyze the hydrogen
      evolution reaction (HER), with Ni2P showing the best performance and generating a
      current density of 10 mA cm-2 at an overpotential of 87 mV and exhibiting long
      term stability. Co2P and CoP NPs were also synthesized following this method.
      This approach may be utilized to explore the rich metal phosphonate chemistry for
      fabricating phosphide-based materials for electrochemical energy conversion and
      storage applications.

PMID- 28357857
TI  - Coupling Radical Homoallylic Expansions with C-C Fragmentations for the Synthesis
      of Heteroaromatics: Quinolines from Reactions of o-Alkenylarylisonitriles with
      Aryl, Alkyl, and Perfluoroalkyl Radicals.
AB  - Selective addition of radicals to isonitriles can be harnessed for initiating
      reaction cascades designed to overcome the stereoelectronic restrictions on
      homoallylic ring expansion in alkyne reactions and to develop a new general route
      for the preparation of N-heteroaromatics. This method utilizes alkenes as
      synthetic equivalents of alkynes by coupling homoallylic ring expansion to yield
      the formal "6-endo" products with aromatization via stereoelectronically assisted
      C-C bond scission. Computational analysis of the homoallyic expansion potential
      energy surface reveals that the indirect 5-exo/3-exo/retro-3-exo path is faster
      than the direct 6-endo-trig closure, revealing the general exo-preference for the
      cyclization processes.

PMID- 28357859
TI  - Electrostatic Repulsion between Unique Arginine Residues Is Essential for the
      Efficient in Vitro Assembly of the Transmembrane Domain of a Trimeric
      Autotransporter.
AB  - Haemophilus influenzae adhesin (Hia) belongs to the trimeric autotransporter
      family and mediates the adherence of these bacteria to the epithelial cells of
      host organisms. Hia contains a passenger and a transmembrane domain. The
      transmembrane domain forms a 12-stranded beta-barrel in which four strands are
      provided by each subunit. The beta-barrel has a pore that is traversed by three
      alpha-helices. This domain has a unique arginine cluster, in which the side
      chains of the three arginine residues located at position 1077 (Arg1077) protrude
      into the pore of the beta-barrel. This arrangement seems to be unfavorable for
      assembly, because of repulsion between the positive charges. In this study, we
      investigated the in vitro assembly of the Hia transmembrane minimum domain
      (mHiaTD) and found that the dissociated mHiaTD reassembled in detergent solution.
      To investigate the role of Arg1077 in trimer assembly, we generated mutant
      proteins in which Arg1077 was replaced with methionine or lysine. The reassembly
      kinetics of the mutants was compared with that of the wild-type protein. The
      methionine mutant showed misassembly, whereas the lysine mutant showed reversible
      assembly, similar to that observed for the wild-type protein. These results show
      that electrostatic repulsion between the positive charges of Arg1077 is important
      for preventing the formation of misassembled oligomers by the mHiaTD in vitro.

PMID- 28357858
TI  - Phosphoproteomic Analysis of Paper Mulberry Reveals Phosphorylation Functions in
      Chilling Tolerance.
AB  - Paper mulberry is a valuable woody species with a good chilling tolerance. In
      this study, phosphoproteomic analysis, physiological measurement, and mRNA
      quantification were employed to explore the molecular mechanism of chilling (4 
      degrees C) tolerance in paper mulberry. After chilling for 6 h, 427 significantly
      changed phosphoproteins were detected in paper mulberry seedlings without obvious
      physiological injury. When obvious physiological injury occurred after chilling
      for 48 h, a total of 611 phosphoproteins were found to be significantly changed
      at the phosphorylation level. Several protein kinases, especially CKII, were
      possibly responsible for these changes according to conserved sequence analysis.
      The results of Gene Ontology analysis showed that phosphoproteins were mainly
      responsible for signal transduction, protein modification, and translation during
      chilling. Additionally, transport and cellular component organization were
      enriched after chilling for 6 and 48 h, respectively. On the basis of the protein
      protein interaction network analysis, a protein kinase and phosphatases hub
      protein (P1959) were found to be involved in cross-talk between Ca2+, BR, ABA,
      and ethylene-mediated signaling pathways. We also highlighted the phosphorylation
      of BpSIZ1 and BpICE1 possibly impacted on the CBF/DREB-responsive pathway. From
      these results, we developed a schematic for the chilling tolerance mechanism at
      phosphorylation level.

PMID- 28357860
TI  - A G-Quadruplex Hydrogel via Multicomponent Self-Assembly: Formation and Zero
      Order Controlled Release.
AB  - Stimuli-sensitive hydrogels are ideal candidates for biomedical and
      bioengineering purposes, although applications of hydrogels may be limited, due
      in part to the limited choice of suitable materials for constructing hydrogels,
      the complexity in the synthesis of the source materials, and the undesired fast
      then-slow drug-release behaviors of usual hydrogels. Herein, we describe the
      fabrication of a new supramolecular guanosine (G)-quadruplex hydrogel by
      multicomponent self-assembly of endogenous guanosine (G), 2-formylboronic acid (2
      FPBA), and tris(2-aminoethyl)amine (TAEA) in the presence of KCl in an easy and
      convenient way. The features of the G-quadruplex hydrogel include (1) versatility
      and commercial availability of building blocks with different functions, (2)
      dynamic iminoboronate bonds with pH and glucose responsiveness, and (3) zero
      order drug-release behavior because of the superficial peel-off of the hydrogel
      in response to stimuli. The structure, morphology, and properties of the G
      quadruplex hydrogel were well-characterized, and satisfactory zero-order drug
      release was successfully achieved. This kind of supramolecular G-quadruplex
      hydrogels may find applications in biological fields.

PMID- 28357861
TI  - Influence of the Hole Transporting Layer on the Thermal Stability of Inverted
      Organic Photovoltaics Using Accelerated-Heat Lifetime Protocols.
AB  - High power conversion efficiency (PCE) inverted organic photovoltaics (OPVs)
      usually use thermally evaporated MoO3 as a hole transporting layer (HTL). Despite
      the high PCE values reported, stability investigations are still limited and the
      exact degradation mechanisms of inverted OPVs using thermally evaporated MoO3 HTL
      remain unclear under different environmental stress factors. In this study, we
      monitor the accelerated lifetime performance under the ISOS-D-2 protocol (heat
      conditions 65  degrees C) of nonencapsulated inverted OPVs based on the thiophene
      based active layer materials poly(3-hexylthiophene) (P3HT), poly[[4,8-bis[(2
      ethylhexyl)oxy]benzo[1,2-b:4,5-b']dithiophene-2,6-diyl][3-fluoro-2-[(2
      ethylhexyl)carbonyl]thieno[3,4-b]thiophenediyl]] (PTB7), and thieno[3,2
      b]thiophene-diketopyrrolopyrrole (DPPTTT) blended with [6,6]-phenyl C71-butyric
      acid methyl ester (PC[70]BM). The presented investigation of degradation
      mechanisms focus on optimized P3HT:PC[70]BM-based inverted OPVs. Specifically, we
      present a systematic study on the thermal stability of inverted P3HT:PC[70]BM
      OPVs using solution-processed poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene):polystyrene
      sulfonate (PEDOT:PSS) and evaporated MoO3 HTL. Using a series of measurements and
      reverse engineering methods, we report that the P3HT:PC[70]BM/MoO3 interface is
      the main origin of failure of the P3HT:PC[70]BM-based inverted OPVs under intense
      heat conditions, a trend that is also observed for the other two thiophene-based
      polymers used in this study.

PMID- 28357862
TI  - Bio-inspired Herringbone Foldamers: Strategy for Changing the Structure of
      Helices.
AB  - Cyclic oligomers of azole peptides were isolated from a multitude of marine
      organisms and were used for a large number of molecular machines. As shown
      previously, oligomers derived from achiral imidazole amino acids fold into
      canonical helices. Here we show that a minor change, the introduction of a methyl
      group in the delta position, results in a significant change in the secondary
      structure of the corresponding oligomers. Instead of a canonical helix, a
      noncanonical herringbone helix is formed. In the latter, the slope along the
      helix changes its sign at least twice per turn. This strategy allows a remarkable
      change of the secondary structure via a small modification. By means of
      enantiomerically pure amino acids, we were able to control, for the first time,
      both the helicity of the helix and the form of the herringbone. The investigation
      of the underlying herringbone basic element and its folding to a noncanonical
      helix were conducted by NMR and CD spectroscopy, as well as by X-ray
      crystallography and quantum chemical calculations.

PMID- 28357863
TI  - Functional Cryogel Microstructures Prepared by Light-Induced Cross-Linking of a
      Photoreactive Copolymer.
AB  - A novel, highly efficient method for the preparation of functional,
      microstructured and surface-attached cryogels is described. Photoinduced C,H
      insertion reactions are used to generate cryogels in a single, rapid photo-cross
      linking process. To this end, solutions containing both a photoreactive copolymer
      and the (bio)molecules to be immobilized are placed on a polymeric substrate
      followed by freezing and a short UV exposure. This strategy combines
      photolithography and cryogel formation allowing for a simultaneous generation and
      (bio)functionalization of cryogels in a single reaction step. To demonstrate the
      potential of the generated materials for bioanalytical applications, we
      successfully prepared DNA and protein cryogel microarrays.

PMID- 28357864
TI  - Synthesis of Isothiocyanates and Unsymmetrical Thioureas with the Bench-Stable
      Solid Reagent (Me4N)SCF3.
AB  - A highly efficient, selective, and rapid transformation of primary amines and
      diamines to isothiocyanates and cyclic thioureas is disclosed. As opposed to
      established approaches that employ toxic or volatile electrophilic liquids and
      require reaction control (i.e., slow addition, cooling), this protocol utilizes
      the bench-stable, solid reagent (Me4N)SCF3 at room temperature. The method is
      characterized by operational simplicity, high speed, efficiency, high functional
      group tolerance, and late-stage applicability. The byproducts are solids,
      allowing isolation of the target compounds by filtration.

PMID- 28357865
TI  - Phosphorus-Containing Bis-allenes: Synthesis and Heterocyclization Reactions
      Mediated by Iodine or Copper Dibromide.
AB  - Bisphosphorylallenes were easily obtained in multigram scale from the Wittig-type
      rearrangement of bispropargyl alcohols. Unlike other conjugated bis-allenes,
      these reagents underwent a double cyclization mediated by iodine or copper
      dibromide leading to the formation of bis-1,2-oxaphospholenes.

PMID- 28357866
TI  - Enantioselective Construction of the ABCDE Pentacyclic Core of the Strychnos
      Alkaloids.
AB  - An efficient enantioselective 12-step synthesis of the ABCDE pentacyclic core of
      the Strychnos alkaloids is described. A key feature of this approach is an
      organocatalyzed enantioselective desymmetrization to generate the morphan core in
      high ee and dr. After palladium-catalyzed installation of the indole moiety, a
      subsequent 5-exo-trig dearomatizing atom transfer radical cyclization was
      developed to construct the C-ring. Following a series of functional group
      interconversions, the pentacyclic amine core was obtained with all the relevant
      architecture including five stereocenters pertaining to the Strychnos alkaloids.

PMID- 28357867
TI  - Differentially Substituted Phosphines via Decarbonylation of Acylphosphines.
AB  - A new route to phosphines was developed by a method that features a "pre-join and
      transform" process that proceeds via acylphosphine intermediates that may be
      readily prepared from carboxylic acids and disubstituted phosphines. The
      efficient decarbonylations of these acylphosphines using a nickel catalyst
      delivered the corresponding phosphines. This method shows that the carboxyl group
      can play a role similar to halides or triflates for introducing a substituted
      phosphorus atom on an aromatic ring.

PMID- 28357868
TI  - Design and Applications of N-tert-Butyl Sulfinyl Squaramide Catalysts.
AB  - A new chiral HBD system, N-tert-butyl sulfinyl squaramide, was designed and
      synthesized. The core N-tert-butyl sulfinyl squaramide with an 1-aminoindan-2-ol
      skeleton was found to be an efficient catalyst in the enantioselective Friedel
      Crafts alkylation of indoles and acyl phosphonates.

PMID- 28357869
TI  - Role of Nanostructuring and Microstructuring in Silver Antimony Telluride
      Compounds for Thermoelectric Applications.
AB  - Thermoelectric (TE) materials are of utmost significance for conversion of heat
      flux into electrical power in the low-power regime. Their conversion efficiency
      depends strongly on the microstructure. AgSbTe2-based compounds are high
      efficiency TE materials suitable for the mid-temperature range. Herein, we
      explore an Ag16.7Sb30Te53.3 alloy (at %) subjected to heat treatments at 380 
      degrees C for different durations aimed at nucleation and coarsening of Sb2Te3
      precipitates. To characterize the Sb2Te3-precipitation, we use a set of methods
      combining thermal and electrical measurements in concert with transmission
      electron microscopy and atom probe tomography. We find correlations between the
      measured TE transport coefficients and the applied heat treatments. Specifically,
      the lowest electrical and thermal conductivity values are obtained for the as
      quenched state, whereas the highest values are observed for alloys aged for 8 h.
      In turn, long-term heat treatments result in intermediate values of transport
      coefficients. We explain these findings in terms of interplay between precipitate
      formation and variations in the matrix composition, highlighting the importance
      of thermal stability of the material under service conditions.

PMID- 28357871
TI  - A Novel PPh3 Mediated One-Pot Method for Synthesis of 3-Aryl or Alkyl 1,2
      Benzisoxazoles.
AB  - A novel, efficient, and facile protocol has been developed for transforming 2
      hydroxybenzonitriles and bromides into a range of 3-aryl or alkyl substituted 1,2
      benzisoxazoles in good to excellent yields mediated by PPh3. The electronic and
      steric effects of bromides on the reaction are discussed. This is the first
      example to construct a C-C bond and heterocycle in a Barbier-Grignard-type
      reaction featuring easier recovery of PPh3 than a metallic catalyst in one step.

PMID- 28357872
TI  - Enantioselective Total Synthesis of (+)-Lysergol: A Formal anti
      Carbopalladation/Heck Cascade as the Key Step.
AB  - The enantioselective synthesis of (+)-lysergol was completed in 12 steps and an
      overall yield of 13% starting from a known literature precursor. The key step
      relies on a domino reaction containing a formal anti-carbopalladation, which is
      terminated by a beta-silyl-directed Heck reaction. During this transformation,
      the two six-membered rings of the ergot scaffold are formed in a completely
      stereospecific manner.

PMID- 28357870
TI  - Multicomponent Condensation Reactions via ortho-Quinone Methides.
AB  - Iron(III) salts promote the condensation of aldehydes or acetals with electron
      rich phenols to generate ortho-quinone methides that undergo Diels-Alder
      condensations with alkenes. The reaction sequence occurs in a single vessel to
      afford benzopyrans in up to 95% yield. The reaction was discovered while
      investigating a two-component strategy using 2-(hydroxy(phenyl)methyl)phenols to
      access the desired ortho-quinone methide in a Diels-Alder condensation. The two
      component condensation also afforded the corresponding benzopyran products in
      yields up to 97%. Taken together, the two- and three-component strategies using
      ortho-quinone methide intermediates provide efficient access to benzopyrans in
      good yields and selectivities.

PMID- 28357873
TI  - Optimal Hotspots of Dynamic Surfaced-Enhanced Raman Spectroscopy for Drugs
      Quantitative Detection.
AB  - Surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) as a powerful qualitative analysis
      method has been widely applied in many fields. However, SERS for quantitative
      analysis still suffers from several challenges partially because of the absence
      of stable and credible analytical strategy. Here, we demonstrate that the optimal
      hotspots created from dynamic surfaced-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (D-SERS) can
      be used for quantitative SERS measurements. In situ small-angle X-ray scattering
      was carried out to in situ real-time monitor the formation of the optimal
      hotspots, where the optimal hotspots with the most efficient hotspots were
      generated during the monodisperse Au-sol evaporating process. Importantly, the
      natural evaporation of Au-sol avoids the nanoparticles instability of salt
      induced, and formation of ordered three-dimensional hotspots allows SERS
      detection with excellent reproducibility. Considering SERS signal variability in
      the D-SERS process, 4-mercaptopyridine (4-mpy) acted as internal standard to
      validly correct and improve stability as well as reduce fluctuation of signals.
      The strongest SERS spectra at the optimal hotspots of D-SERS have been extracted
      to statistics analysis. By using the SERS signal of 4-mpy as a stable internal
      calibration standard, the relative SERS intensity of target molecules
      demonstrated a linear response versus the negative logarithm of concentrations at
      the point of strongest SERS signals, which illustrates the great potential for
      quantitative analysis. The public drugs 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine and
      alpha-methyltryptamine hydrochloride obtained precise analysis with internal
      standard D-SERS strategy. As a consequence, one has reason to believe our
      approach is promising to challenge quantitative problems in conventional SERS
      analysis.

PMID- 28357875
TI  - A Study of the Effect of Surfactants on the Aggregation Behavior of Crude Oil
      Aqueous Dispersions through Steady-State Fluorescence Spectrometry.
AB  - Unconventional crude oil as heavy, extra heavy, bitumen, tight, and shale oils
      will meet 10% of worldwide needs for 2035, perhaps earlier. Petroleum companies
      will face problems concerning crude oil extraction, production, transport, and
      refining, and some of these are addressed by the use of surfactants and other
      chemicals. For example, water-in-crude oil emulsions are frequently found during
      the production of mature wells where enhanced recovery techniques have been
      deployed. Nevertheless, the selection of adequate surfactant, dosage, type of
      water (sea, tap or oilfield), kind of crude oil (light, heavy, extra heavy,
      tight, shale, bitumen) affect the effectivity of treatment and usual bottle tests
      give limited information. We developed a fluorescence technique to study the
      effect of surfactants on medium, heavy, and extra heavy crude oil employing the
      natural fluorophore molecules from petroleum. We first carried out the
      characterization of commercial and synthetic surfactants, then dispersions of
      petroleum in water were studied by steady-state fluorometry and the size of
      petroleum aggregates were measured. The aggregation of petroleum incremented from
      medium to extra heavy crude oil and we discussed the effect of different
      surfactants on such aggregation.

PMID- 28357874
TI  - Gender's Effects to the Early Symptoms of Alzheimer's Disease in 5 Asian
      Countries.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Asia has the greatest population and more patients with dementia in
      the world. Early recognition of clinical symptoms of Alzheimer's disease (AD) is
      crucial for dementia care. In order to foster collaboration in AD care, a
      uniformed manner to report the early clinical symptoms of AD is necessary.
      METHODS: We have recruited clinically diagnosed patients with AD at their very
      mild stage with Clinical Dementia Rating (CDR) 0.5 in Taiwan, Japan, China,
      Philippines, and Singapore. Demographic characteristics and psychometrics
      including Ascertain of Dementia-8 (AD8) questionnaire were administrated to
      collect and report the clinical presentation in these countries. RESULTS: In
      total, 713 clinically diagnosed patients with AD at very mild stage, CDR 0.5,
      have been recruited from these 5 countries. "Repeats questions, stories, or
      statements" were consistently the frequently reported symptom across these
      countries. Taiwan, China, and Singapore have the higher AD8 total score compared
      to that in Japan and Philippines. Japan and Philippines have the gender-related
      differences in clinical presentation of early AD. CONCLUSION: Difficulties in
      using small trouble appliance and in handling complicated financial affairs were
      frequently reported in Japan female, compared to male, patients with AD.
      Identifying the clinical symptom of AD and the gender-related issues would be
      crucial in the dementia care in Asia.

PMID- 28357877
TI  - Stimulated Raman Scattering Interferometer for Molecular-Selective Tomographic
      Imaging.
AB  - Development of a stimulated Raman scattering (SRS) interferometer is presented.
      In the apparatus, a SRS signal generated in a sample is collinearly overlapped
      with a reference beam, and the interference pattern between the signal and
      reference beams is obtained. From the interference pattern, the phase of the SRS
      signal can be measured. From the phase of the signal, the spatial distribution of
      the target molecule can be obtained with high positioning precision. In the
      present article, the SRS interferometer was developed and the first SRS
      interference signal was obtained from a polyethylene film. The phase change of
      the SRS interference pattern caused by scanning the sample position along the
      direction of the incident light propagation was measured. From the result, the
      sample position difference for a sub-micron was detected with uncertainties of
      15%. The tomographic images of a triple-layered polymer film were successfully
      obtained. The SRS interferometer would become a core optical technique of a novel
      molecular-selective tomographic imaging method.

PMID- 28357878
TI  - Variation in the Inpatient Management of Pediatric Anaphylaxis.

PMID- 28357876
TI  - Noninvasive prenatal screening for fetal common sex chromosome aneuploidies from
      maternal blood.
AB  - Objective To explore the feasibility of high-throughput massively parallel
      genomic DNA sequencing technology for the noninvasive prenatal detection of fetal
      sex chromosome aneuploidies (SCAs). Methods The study enrolled pregnant women who
      were prepared to undergo noninvasive prenatal testing (NIPT) in the second
      trimester. Cell-free fetal DNA (cffDNA) was extracted from the mother's
      peripheral venous blood and a high-throughput sequencing procedure was
      undertaken. Patients identified as having pregnancies associated with SCAs were
      offered prenatal fetal chromosomal karyotyping. Results The study enrolled 10 275
      pregnant women who were prepared to undergo NIPT. Of these, 57 pregnant women
      (0.55%) showed fetal SCA, including 27 with Turner syndrome (45,X), eight with
      Triple X syndrome (47,XXX), 12 with Klinefelter syndrome (47,XXY) and three with
      47,XYY. Thirty-three pregnant women agreed to undergo fetal karyotyping and 18
      had results consistent with NIPT, while 15 patients received a normal karyotype
      result. The overall positive predictive value of NIPT for detecting SCAs was
      54.54% (18/33) and for detecting Turner syndrome (45,X) was 29.41% (5/17).
      Conclusion NIPT can be used to identify fetal SCAs by analysing cffDNA using
      massively parallel genomic sequencing, although the accuracy needs to be improved
      particularly for Turner syndrome (45,X).

PMID- 28357879
TI  - A Comparative Investigation of the Combined Effects of Pre-Processing, Wavelength
      Selection, and Regression Methods on Near-Infrared Calibration Model Performance.
AB  - Near-infrared (NIR) spectroscopy is being widely used in various fields ranging
      from pharmaceutics to the food industry for analyzing chemical and physical
      properties of the substances concerned. Its advantages over other analytical
      techniques include available physical interpretation of spectral data,
      nondestructive nature and high speed of measurements, and little or no need for
      sample preparation. The successful application of NIR spectroscopy relies on
      three main aspects: pre-processing of spectral data to eliminate nonlinear
      variations due to temperature, light scattering effects and many others,
      selection of those wavelengths that contribute useful information, and
      identification of suitable calibration models using linear/nonlinear regression .
      Several methods have been developed for each of these three aspects and many
      comparative studies of different methods exist for an individual aspect or some
      combinations. However, there is still a lack of comparative studies for the
      interactions among these three aspects, which can shed light on what role each
      aspect plays in the calibration and how to combine various methods of each aspect
      together to obtain the best calibration model. This paper aims to provide such a
      comparative study based on four benchmark data sets using three typical pre
      processing methods, namely, orthogonal signal correction (OSC), extended
      multiplicative signal correction (EMSC) and optical path-length estimation and
      correction (OPLEC); two existing wavelength selection methods, namely, stepwise
      forward selection (SFS) and genetic algorithm optimization combined with partial
      least squares regression for spectral data (GAPLSSP); four popular regression
      methods, namely, partial least squares (PLS), least absolute shrinkage and
      selection operator (LASSO), least squares support vector machine (LS-SVM), and
      Gaussian process regression (GPR). The comparative study indicates that, in
      general, pre-processing of spectral data can play a significant role in the
      calibration while wavelength selection plays a marginal role and the combination
      of certain pre-processing, wavelength selection, and nonlinear regression methods
      can achieve superior performance over traditional linear regression-based
      calibration.

PMID- 28357880
TI  - Diffuse Reflectance Spectroscopy of Hidden Objects, Part I: Interpretation of the
      Reflection-Absorption-Scattering Fractions in Near-Infrared (NIR) Spectra of
      Polyethylene Films.
AB  - Investigation of a sample covered by an interfering layer is required in many
      fields, e.g., for process control, biochemical analysis, and many other
      applications. This study is based on the analysis of spectra collected by near
      infrared (NIR) diffuse reflectance spectroscopy. Each spectrum is a composition
      of a useful, target spectrum and a spectrum of an interfering layer. To recover
      the target spectrum, we suggest using a new phenomenological approach, which
      employs the multivariate curve resolution (MCR) method. In general terms, the
      problem is very complex. We start with a specific problem of analyzing a system,
      which consists of several layers of polyethylene (PE) film and underlayer samples
      with known spectral properties. To separate information originating from PE
      layers and the target, we modify the system versus both the number of the PE
      layers as well as the reflectance properties of the target sample. We consider
      that the interfering spectrum of the layer can be modeled using three components,
      which can be tentatively called transmission, absorption, and scattering
      contributions. The novelty of our approach is that we do not remove the
      reflectance and scattering effects from the spectra, but study them in detail
      aiming to use this information to recover the target spectrum.

PMID- 28357881
TI  - A new anthraquinone and a new naphthoquinone from the whole plant of Spermacoce
      latifolia.
AB  - A phytochemical study on the whole plant of Spermacoce latifolia led to the
      isolation of a new anthraquinone, 1,2,6-trihydroxy-5-methoxy-9,10-anthraquinone
      (1), and a new naphthoquinone, (2R)-6-hydroxy-7-methoxy-dehydroiso-alpha
      lapachone (2), together with three known anthraquinones (3-5). Their structures
      were established on the basis of detailed spectroscopic analysis, including one-
      and two-dimensional NMR, ESI-MS, and HR-ESI-MS techniques. All the compounds were
      isolated from S. latifolia for the first time. Compounds 1, 2, 4, and 5 showed
      significant antibacterial activity toward Bacillus subtilis with MIC values
      ranging from 0.9 to 31.2 MUg/ml, and compound 4 aslo exhibited antibacterial
      activity against Bacillus cereus with a MIC value 62.5 MUg/ml. Compound 1 was
      further revealed to show significant in vitro alpha-glucosidase inhibitory
      activity with IC50 value of 0.653 mM.

PMID- 28357883
TI  - Positive mood on negative self-statements: paradoxical intervention in geriatric
      patients with major depressive disorder.
AB  - OBJECTIVES: Mood regulation is said to be age-specific. Negative self-statements
      (NST) are used to induce negative mood. However, little is known about NST in
      older persons and geriatric patients with major depressive disorder. METHOD: We
      investigated healthy young (YC) and older (OC) control subjects and older
      patients with major depressive disorder (OP). Subjects were exposed to NST
      subsequent to baseline assessment comprising psychological and psychometric
      tests. Preferences for emotionally salient stimuli were measured with an eye
      tracking task. RESULTS: Mood in YC shifted towards depressive mood or remained
      stable on NST. In OC and more so in OP some subjects responded paradoxically
      subsequent to NST with mood being more positive than at baseline. Extent and
      direction of mood change correlated with prevailing mood at baseline and total
      score in the Hamilton Depression Anxiety Scale. At baseline, YC had a preference
      for 'happy' stimuli. Subsequent to NST view preference shifted towards 'sad.' In
      contrast, OC had no preference at baseline but shifted towards 'happy' on NST.
      CONCLUSIONS: Mood change on NST is age-specific. In geriatric patients with
      depressive disorder, however, NST may induce a shift towards more positive mood
      and thus may be used in future as a therapeutic intervention.

PMID- 28357882
TI  - Pulse pressure in acute coronary syndromes: Comparative prognostic significance
      with systolic blood pressure.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Pulse pressure is a readily available vital sign that has been shown
      to independently predict outcomes in several cardiovascular disease states. We
      investigated the prognostic significance of pulse pressure (PP) and systolic
      blood pressure (SBP) among patients with acute coronary syndromes (ACS). METHODS:
      A total of 14,514 patients with ACS in the prospective, multicentre Global
      Registry of Acute Coronary Events (GRACE), expanded GRACE (GRACE-2) and Canadian
      Registry of Acute Coronary Events (CANRACE) were stratified by initial PP on
      presentation. Patient characteristics and in-hospital outcomes were compared by
      PP quartiles and the independent prognostic significance of PP for in-hospital
      mortality was quantified. We compared the discriminative ability (c-statistic) of
      models incorporating either PP or SBP. RESULTS: Patients with higher PPs were
      older, more frequently female and had higher prevalence rates of conventional
      cardiovascular risk factors (all p < 0.01). Lower PP was associated with ST
      segment elevation myocardial infarction presentation, higher GRACE risk scores
      and higher rates of adverse in-hospital outcomes ( p < 0.001). PP was strongly
      correlated with SBP (Pearson's correlation coefficient = 0.79, p < 0.001). After
      adjustment for other GRACE risk model predictors, lower PP was independently
      associated with in-hospital mortality (first vs. fourth quartile [reference]:
      adjusted odds ratio 2.57, 95% confidence interval 1.80-3.67). The c-statistic was
      slightly higher for the multivariable model incorporating SBP as compared to the
      model with PP (0.868 vs. 0.864, respectively, p = 0.028) for in-hospital
      mortality. CONCLUSION: Higher presenting PP is associated with increased age and
      more prevalent cardiovascular risk factors, whereas patients with lower PP
      present with worse clinical characteristics and in-hospital outcomes. Lower PP is
      an independent adverse prognosticator in ACS. However, PP did not improve the
      discriminatory performance of the GRACE risk score compared with SBP.

PMID- 28357884
TI  - An intriguing case of acute myocardial ischaemia in a patient with severe
      respiratory failure with veno-venous extracorporeal support.
AB  - We describe a case of a young woman requiring veno-venous extracorporeal support
      for severe secondary respiratory failure who developed a myocardial ischaemia due
      to an intermittent obstruction of the right coronary sinus by a fluttering
      thrombus. She was medically treated with full anticoagulation regimen, needed for
      the veno-venous extracorporeal membrane oxygenation support, without any other
      ischaemic or embolic event.

PMID- 28357885
TI  - Community-based misoprostol for the prevention of post-partum haemorrhage: A
      narrative review of the evidence base, challenges and scale-up.
AB  - Achieving Sustainable Development Goal targets for 2030 will require persistent
      investment and creativity in improving access to quality health services,
      including skilled attendance at birth and access to emergency obstetric care.
      Community-based misoprostol has been extensively studied and recently endorsed by
      the WHO for the prevention of post-partum haemorrhage. There remains little
      consolidated information about experience with implementation and scale-up to
      date. This narrative review of the literature aimed to identify the political
      processes leading to WHO endorsement of misoprostol for the prevention of post
      partum haemorrhage and describe ongoing challenges to the uptake and scale-up at
      both policy and community levels. We review the peer-reviewed and grey literature
      on expansion and scale-up and present the issues central to moving forward.

PMID- 28357886
TI  - CLINICAL APPRAISAL AND RETINAL IMAGING IN POSTERIOR MICROPHTHALMOS.
AB  - PURPOSE: To report a critical case series of five patients with posterior
      microphthalmos and the review of their clinical findings with the analyses of
      retinal imaging. METHOD: Case series. Complete ophthalmological examinations
      including optical coherence tomography (OCT) were evaluated. RESULTS: All
      patients had decreased visual acuity with high hyperopic refraction. Dilated
      fundus examination demonstrated that elevated papillomacular retinal folds with
      anterior segment were unremarkable. Total axial lengths measurements showed
      reduced axial lengths and B-scan ultrasonography revealed sclerochoroidal
      thickening. Moreover, papillomacular folds were confirmed by OCT. CONCLUSION:
      Dilated fundus examination, fundus fluorescein angiography, orbital
      ultrasonography, and proper OCT evaluation will be helpful to reach a diagnosis.

PMID- 28357887
TI  - Infant disorganized attachment: Clarifying levels of analysis.
AB  - Lack of clarity regarding the infant disorganized attachment classification has
      caused confusion in the clinical, forensic, and research contexts in which it is
      used. This article offers distinctions to clarify the concept with the goal of
      increasing understanding and identifying potential misapplications. In
      particular, attention is drawn to the fact that there are many indices used to
      code "disorganized attachment," and that so far they have been validated as a set
      rather than individually; and it is noted that the construct validation of
      disorganization in naturalistic settings is partially finished. Clinicians and
      social workers should be cautious in their interpretations of such behavior.

PMID- 28357888
TI  - Evaluation of initial cell adhesion on poly (2-methoxyethyl acrylate) (PMEA)
      analogous polymers.
AB  - Cell adhesion is a major concern in biomaterial development. Generally, cells
      adhere to polymeric substrates via the interaction between integrins and proteins
      adsorbed on the substrates. Previously, it was reported that poly (2-methoxyethyl
      acrylate) (PMEA) and its analogous polymers can alter the integrin dependency for
      cell adhesion. In particular, integrin-independent adhesion was observed on PMEA.
      However, initial adhesion mechanisms, including integrin-independent adhesion
      mechanisms, on PMEA are not well characterized. In this study, initial cell
      adhesion within 10 min was characterized on PMEA analogous polymers. Protein
      adsorption was suppressed on PMEA compared with tissue culture polystyrene, but
      the cell adhesion site in adsorbed fibronectin was exposed to the cells
      similarly. HT-1080 cells adhered on PMEA in a serum medium even in the presence
      of EDTA, suggesting that the cells adhered via both integrin-dependent and
      integrin-independent mechanisms. Finally, the cell adhesion force was measured by
      single-cell force spectroscopy. The cell adhesion force was not changed on PMEA
      in serum and serum-free media, suggesting that the cells adhered on PMEA
      directly. In conclusion, the control of protein adsorption is useful for
      regulating integrin dependency for cell adhesion and following the expression of
      cell functions regulated by integrins.

PMID- 28357889
TI  - Applications of Lawesson's reagent in the synthesis of naturally occurring
      steroids and terpenoids.
AB  - Steroids and terpenoids are among the most biologically significant classes of
      natural products possessing a variety of biological activities. The replacement
      of one or more oxygen atoms in a steroid or terpenoid molecule by a heteroatom
      affects the chemical properties of that particular steroid or terpenoid, and that
      replacement often results in alterations of its biological properties, which is
      sometimes valuable. One possible modification is the thionation that could have
      some influence on such activity. Among the various thionating reagents,
      Lawesson's reagent was found to be most suitable and showed versatile properties,
      including chemoselectivity and functional group tolerance. In this review, we
      present the role of Lawesson's reagent in the synthesis of thioanalogues of
      natural steroids and terpenoids.

PMID- 28357890
TI  - Pneumonia and inflammation in acute decompensated heart failure: a registry-based
      analysis of 1939 patients.
AB  - BACKGROUND: The prognostic impact of pneumonia and signs of systemic inflammation
      in patients with acute decompensated heart failure (ADHF) has not been fully
      elucidated yet. The aim of the present study was thus to investigate the
      association of pneumonia and the inflammation surrogate C-reactive protein with
      all-cause mortality in patients admitted for ADHF. METHODS: We analysed data of
      1939 patients admitted for ADHF. Patients were dichotomised according to the
      presence or absence of pneumonia. The primary endpoint of all-cause mortality was
      determined by death registry linkage. RESULTS: In total, 412 (21.2%) patients had
      concomitant pneumonia. Median C-reactive protein levels were higher in patients
      with compared to patients without pneumonia (24.9 versus 9.8 mg/l, respectively;
      P<0.001). All-cause mortality was significantly higher in patients with pneumonia
      ( P<0.001). In adjusted Cox regression models, pneumonia as well as C-reactive
      protein were independently associated with in-hospital mortality. Only C-reactive
      protein remained as independent predictor for long-term mortality. CONCLUSION:
      Pneumonia is relatively common in ADHF and a predictor for in-hospital mortality.
      However, inflammation in general seems to be more important than pneumonia itself
      for long-term prognosis. Compared to community-acquired pneumonia studies, C
      reactive protein levels were rather low and therefore pneumonia might be over
      diagnosed in ADHF patients.

PMID- 28357891
TI  - Earliest memories in Israeli kibbutz upbringing: it is parental engagement that
      makes a difference.
AB  - Culture and parenting shape the ability to recall early childhood experiences.
      This research focused on the unique context of upbringing in the Israeli kibbutz
      and examined how cultural orientation and experiences of parental engagement in
      Kibbutz and non-Kibbutz settings shaped adults' earliest memories. Participants
      were 108 women (study 1) and 75 women and men (study 2) who were raised in
      traditional kibbutz upbringing or in a non-kibbutz family setting. In addition to
      reporting their earliest memory and age at earliest memory, participants
      estimated retrospectively the amount of daily time spent in interaction with
      parents, caregivers, and other children during the time of earliest memory.
      Overall, upbringing-related variations in cultural orientation were evident in
      the content of memories. A prediction of later age at earliest memory due to
      limited opportunities for parent-child interaction characteristic of traditional
      kibbutz upbringing was not supported. Rather, in both studies, age at earliest
      memory was linked to retrospective estimation of parental engagement, after
      controlling for childhood ecology. Study 2 revealed also a link of age at
      earliest memory to retrospective estimation of involvement with non-parental
      caregivers. These findings are congruent with the social-interaction model's
      claims about the importance of interaction with caregiving adults to
      autobiographical memory's development.

PMID- 28357892
TI  - Suspected Synthetic Cannabinomimetic Intoxication: Case Series and Review.
AB  - PURPOSE: The purpose of this work was to retrospectively review patient cases
      presenting to the University of Kentucky Chandler Medical Center (UKCMC)
      emergency department (ED) with symptoms of suspected synthetic cannabinomimetic
      (SC) intoxication. These drugs, currently undetected by standard urine drug
      screen tests, comprise a structurally diverse group of compounds designed to
      mimic the psychoactive effects of Delta9-tetrahydrocannabinol (Delta9-THC), the
      primary psychoactive cannabinoid in marijuana. SUMMARY: Fourteen cases of
      suspected SC intoxication were identified between July 1, 2015, through September
      30, 2015. The median patient age was 25.5 years (range: 13-45 years), and most
      (64%) patients were males. The most common psychoactive symptom was agitation (n
      = 6, 42.9%), while the most common physical symptoms were altered level of
      consciousness (n = 9, 64.3%) and mydriasis (n = 3, 21.4%). Most cases resolved
      without complication in 24 hours; 2 patients required hospitalization.
      CONCLUSION: Recent legislation has failed to curb the public health concerns
      emanating from SC misuse. Education about the risks of SC use along with
      additional regulation may be required to remove the false sense of safety that
      some individuals, especially adolescents and young adults, may associate with
      these compounds, which are often misconstrued as "herbal marijuana." Clinicians
      need to be prepared to identify and treat symptoms of SC intoxication as
      incidents of toxicity continue to rise.

PMID- 28357895
TI  - Two routes toward optimism: how agentic and communal themes in autobiographical
      memories guide optimism for the future.
AB  - Autobiographical memories are particularly adaptive because they function not
      only to preserve the past, but also to direct our future thoughts and behaviours.
      Two studies were conducted to examine how communal and agentic themes of positive
      autobiographical memories differentially predicted the route from
      autobiographical memories to optimism for the future. Across two studies, results
      revealed that the degree to which participants focused on communal themes in
      their autobiographical memories predicted their experience of nostalgia. In turn,
      the experience of nostalgia increased participants' levels of self-esteem and in
      turn, optimism for the future. By contrast, the degree to which participants
      focused on agentic themes in their memories predicted self-esteem and optimism,
      operating outside the experience of nostalgia. These effects remained even after
      controlling for self-focused attention. Together, these studies provide greater
      understanding of the interrelations among autobiographical memory, self-concept,
      and time, and demonstrate how agency and communion operate to influence
      perceptions of one's future when thinking about the past.

PMID- 28357894
TI  - Poly(malic acid) bearing Doxorubicin and N-Acetyl Galactosamine as a site
      specific prodrug for targeting hepatocellular carcinoma.
AB  - In the past, several systems of drug delivery carriers have been designed with a
      high capacity to target specific cells and/or tissues and a reduced non-specific
      toxicity. In this context, we synthesized and characterized novel poly(malic
      acid) derivatives bearing Doxorubicin (Dox), Poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) and/or N
      Acetyl Galactosamine (NAcGal) for drug delivery. These poly(malic acid)
      derivatives were obtained by chemical modification of the carboxylic acid lateral
      groups of poly(malic acid) (PMLA). The resulting nanoplatforms were evaluated for
      their in vitro cytotoxicity using the human HepaRG hepatoma cell line. Results
      reveal that the PMLA nanoplatform modified with PEG and Dox has an IC50 of 936 nM
      corresponding to a Dox concentration of 47 nM, while the grafting of NAcGal onto
      the nanoplatform reduced the IC50 to 527 nM corresponding to a Dox concentration
      of 26 nM. The presence of the targeting moiety, NAcGal, thus improves the
      cellular toxicity of the Dox.

PMID- 28357896
TI  - A novel thermally stable heteropolysaccharide-based bioflocculant from
      hydrocarbonoclastic strain Kocuria rosea BU22S and its application in dye
      removal.
AB  - A new bioflocculant named pKr produced by hydrocarbonoclastic strain Kocuria
      rosea BU22S (KC152976) was investigated. Gas chromatography-flame ionization
      detector (GC-FID) analysis confirmed the high potential of the strain BU22S in
      the degradation of n-alkanes. Plackett-Burman experimental design and response
      surface methodology were carried out to optimize pKr production. Glucose, peptone
      and incubation time were found to be the most significant factors affecting
      bioflocculant production. Maximum pKr production was about 4.72 +/- 0.02 g/L
      achieved with 15.61 g/L glucose, 6.45 g/L peptone and 3 days incubation time.
      Chemical analysis of pKr indicated that it contained 71.62% polysaccharides,
      16.36% uronic acid and 2.83% proteins. Thin layer chromatography analysis showed
      that polysaccharides fraction consisted of galactose and xylose. Fourier
      transform infrared analysis revealed the presence of many functional groups,
      hydroxyl, carboxyl, methoxyl, acetyl and amide that likely contribute to
      flocculation. K. rosea pKr showed high flocculant potential using kaolin clay at
      different pH (2-11), temperature (0-100 degrees C) and cation concentrations. The
      bioflocculant was particularly effective in flocculating soluble anionic dyes,
      Reactive Blue 4 and Acid Yellow, with a decolorization efficiency of 76.4% and
      72.6%, respectively. The outstanding flocculating performances suggest that pKr
      could be useful for bioremediation applications.

PMID- 28357897
TI  - Mindfulness training attenuates the increase in salivary cortisol concentration
      associated with competition in highly trained wheelchair-basketball players.
AB  - This study determined the effect of 8 wk of mindfulness training (MT) on salivary
      cortisol (sCort) and rate of salivary Immunoglobulin-A (sIgA) secretion in
      wheelchair-basketball players during a competition period. The mindful group
      completed 8 weeks of MT in addition to training and competition. sCort and rate
      of sIgA secretion were measured at baseline, at 2-week intervals, the end and 2
      weeks following the intervention. A significant time and group interaction was
      observed for sCort (F = 3.297, P = 0.040, ES = 0.191); sCort increased in the
      control group from MT-BL to MT-2wk (P = 0.001) and remained significantly
      elevated at MT-4wk (P = 0.013) and MT-6wk (P = 0.002). sCort decreased from MT
      6wk to MT-8wk (P < 0.001) and concentrations were not different at MT-8wk and
      Post-2wk to MT-BL (P > 0.05). Mindful group sCort increased from MT-BL to MT-2wk
      (P = 0.042) but decreased to concentrations no different to MT-BL for the rest of
      the intervention period (P > 0.05). There were no group differences in rate of
      sIgA secretion during the intervention (P = 0.810). It was concluded that 8 weeks
      of MT attenuated the increase in sCort associated with the competition period.

PMID- 28357898
TI  - The Patient Enrolled in a Managed Care Insurance Plan or the Physician Being Part
      of a Network: What Drives the Efficiency Gain?

PMID- 28357899
TI  - ?

PMID- 28357900
TI  - Optimizing Comparisons of PHC Systems: An Example Comparing Switzerland and
      France with a Standard Monitoring Tool.

PMID- 28357901
TI  - Routine Data in Health Services Research: an Underused Resource.

PMID- 28357902
TI  - ?

PMID- 28357903
TI  - ?

PMID- 28357904
TI  - ?

PMID- 28357905
TI  - ?

PMID- 28357906
TI  - Medical Overuse in Switzerland: How Frequent is Preoperative Chest Radiography?

PMID- 28357907
TI  - ?

PMID- 28357908
TI  - Gaps in Hepatitis C Care of People Who Use Drugs.

PMID- 28357909
TI  - Nitrite enhances liver graft protection against cold ischemia reperfusion injury
      through a NOS independent pathway.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: Nitrite has been found to protect liver graft from cold
      preservation injury. However, the cell signaling pathway involved in this
      protection remains unclear. Here, we attempt to clarify if the NOS pathway by
      using the NOS inhibitor, L-NAME (L-NG-Nitroarginine methyl ester). ANIMALS AND
      METHODS: Rat livers were conserved for 24 h at 4 degrees C in (IGL-1) solution
      enriched or not with nitrite at 50 nM. In a third group, rats were pretreated
      with 50 mg/kg of L-NAME before their liver procurement and preservation in IGL-1
      supplemented with nitrite (50 nM) and L-NAME (1 mM). After 24 h of cold storage,
      rat livers were ex-vivo perfused at 37 degrees C during 2 h. Control livers were
      perfused without cold storage. RESULTS: Nitrite effectively protected the rat
      liver grafts from the onset of cold I/R injury. L-NAME treatment did not abolish
      the beneficial effects of nitrite. Liver damage, protein oxidation and lipid
      peroxidation remained at low levels in both nitrite-treated groups when compared
      to IGL-1 group. Antioxidant enzyme activities and functional parameters were
      unchanged after NOS inhibition. CONCLUSION: Despite NOS inhibition by L-NAME,
      nitrite can still provide hepatic protection during cold I/R preservation. This
      suggests that nitrite acts through a NOS-independent pathway.

PMID- 28357910
TI  - Reverse Intensity Correction for Raman Spectral Library Search.
AB  - A reverse intensity correction method was developed for spectral library searches
      to correct for instrument response without the side effect of magnifying the
      noise in the low responsivity region of test spectra. Instead of applying
      relative intensity correction to the sample test spectra to match the
      standardized library spectra, a reverse intensity correction is applied to the
      standardized library spectra to match the uncorrected sample spectrum. This
      simple procedural change improves library search performance, especially for
      dispersive charge-coupled device Raman analyzers using near-infrared excitations,
      where the instrument response often varies greatly across the spectral range, and
      signal-to-noise ratio in the low responsivity regions is typically poor.

PMID- 28357911
TI  - Advances in urothelial bladder cancer immunotherapy, dawn of a new age of
      treatment.
AB  - Urothelial bladder cancer displays a high number of somatic mutations that render
      these tumors more responsive to immunotherapy. Several immunotherapeutic agents
      were examined in patients with advanced stage urothelial bladder cancer and
      recently atezolizumab - an (PDL-1) immune checkpoint inhibitor antibody - was
      approved for the treatment of patients with metastatic disease progressing after
      platinum combination therapy. Despite the great success, there are still some
      unanswered questions and ongoing trials that are in progress to define the role
      of combination therapy and sequencing strategies. The objective of our manuscript
      is to summarize the most recent data on immunotherapy in advanced urothelial
      cancer. Current challenges and future perspectives of immunotherapy as a
      monotherapy or in combination strategies will also be analyzed.

PMID- 28357912
TI  - Bioinformatic prediction and experimental validation of a PE38-based recombinant
      immunotoxin targeting the Fn14 receptor in cancer cells.
AB  - AIM: AFn14R can serve as an ideal target for cancer immunotherapy. Here, a
      combined bioinformatic and experimental approach was applied to characterize an
      immunotoxin consisting of single-chain variable fragment antibody that targets
      Fn14 and a toxin fragment (PE38). METHODS & RESULTS: Flow cytometry results
      showed that the rate of PE38-P4A8 binding to Fn14 was approximately 60 and 40% in
      HT-29 and A549 cells, respectively. Moreover, 1 ng/ul of immunotoxin was able to
      lyse approximately 53 and 41% of HT-29 and A549, respectively. PE38-P4A8 showed
      stability in mouse serum (~90%) after 3-h incubation. Most importantly, using
      bioinformatics for determining the structure and function of fusion proteins can
      be very helpful in designing of experiments. CONCLUSION: Coupled with
      bioinformatics, experimental approaches revealed that PE38-P4A8 could be used as
      a promising therapeutic agent for cancer cells expressing Fn14.

PMID- 28357913
TI  - Current update of adoptive immunotherapy using cytokine-induced killer cells to
      eliminate malignant gliomas.
AB  - The therapeutic outcome for those with malignant glioma is poor, even though
      diverse therapeutic modalities have been developed. Immunotherapy has emerged as
      a therapeutic approach for malignant gliomas, making it possible to selectively
      treat tumors while sparing normal tissue. Here, we review clinical trials of
      adoptive immunotherapy approaches for malignant gliomas. We also describe a
      clinical trial that examined the efficacy and safety of autologous cytokine
      induced killer (CIK) cells along with concomitant chemoradiotherapy for newly
      diagnosed glioblastoma. These CIK cells identify and kill autologous tumor cells.
      This review focuses on the use of adoptive immunotherapy for malignant gliomas
      and reviews the current literature on the concept of antitumor activity mediated
      by CIK cells.

PMID- 28357914
TI  - Short review of potential synergies of immune checkpoint inhibition and
      radiotherapy with a focus on Hodgkin lymphoma: radio-immunotherapy opens new
      doors.
AB  - Radiotherapy is an established local treatment in patients with various
      malignancies. Systemic responses following local irradiation have been described
      as abscopal effects. Modern cancer immunotherapy with immune checkpoint
      inhibitors has shown impressive response rates and prolongation of survival even
      in heavily pretreated patients with advanced solid malignancies and lymphomas.
      Radiotherapy has been shown to modulate immune response, and its application in
      the context of immune checkpoint inhibition has recently evolved into an active
      field of research. Prospective studies investigating combination treatment are
      currently ongoing and will answer questions as to the optimal schedule and
      radiation dosing. This short review focuses on the immunomodulatory role of
      radiotherapy and the use of immune checkpoint inhibition with a special focus on
      Hodgkin lymphoma.

PMID- 28357915
TI  - Early relapse in a case of primary bone marrow diffuse large B-cell lymphoma
      treated with rituximab-CHOP.
AB  - As an uncommon disease, primary bone marrow diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (PBM
      DLBCL) is rarely reported in recent years. In this paper, we discuss a case of a
      58-year-old man who presented with fever and fatigue, and was diagnosed with PBM
      DLBCL. Although the initial diagnosis reflected a positive expression of CD20 by
      lymphoma cells, the course of disease appeared as a rapid remission but a quick
      recurrence, after eight cycles of rituximab-based immunochemotherapy (R-CHOP).
      With the positive expression of CD20 in recurrent lesions, he received another
      four cycles of rituximab-based immunochemotherapy (R-GDP). However, an earlier
      relapse still occurred, and he died of CNS involvement. PBM DLBCL has been
      classified as an aggressive type of DLBCL, which should be heavily treated since
      the initial diagnosis. MYC-BCL2 gene rearrangement and P53 gene mutation cannot
      be ignored. Of note, rituximab resistance has become a severe and urgent problem
      in the rituximab era.

PMID- 28357917
TI  - The ongoing evolution of antibody-based treatments for Ebola virus infection.
AB  - The 2014-2016 Ebola virus outbreak in West Africa was the deadliest in history,
      prompting the evaluation of various drug candidates, including antibody-based
      therapeutics for the treatment of Ebola hemorrhagic fever (EHF). Prior to 2014,
      only convalescent blood products from EHF survivors had been administered to
      newly infected individuals as a form of treatment. However, during the recent
      outbreak, monoclonal antibody cocktails such as ZMapp, ZMAb and MB-003 were
      either tested in a human clinical safety and efficacy trial or provided to some
      based on compassionate grounds. This review aims to discuss the evolution of
      antibody-based treatments for EHF, their clinical trial efficacy and the
      development of new antibody-based therapies currently advancing in preclinical
      testing.

PMID- 28357916
TI  - Chimeric antigen receptor engineered stem cells: a novel HIV therapy.
AB  - Despite the success of combination antiretroviral therapy (cART) for suppressing
      HIV and improving patients' quality of life, HIV persists in cART-treated
      patients and remains an incurable disease. Financial burdens and health
      consequences of lifelong cART treatment call for novel HIV therapies that result
      in a permanent cure. Cellular immunity is central in controlling HIV replication.
      However, HIV adopts numerous strategies to evade immune surveillance. Engineered
      immunity via genetic manipulation could offer a functional cure by generating
      cells that have enhanced antiviral activity and are resistant to HIV infection.
      Recently, encouraging reports from several human clinical trials using an anti
      CD19 chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) modified T-cell therapy for treating B-cell
      malignancies have provided valuable insights and generated remarkable enthusiasm
      in engineered T-cell therapy. In this review, we discuss the development of HIV
      specific chimeric antigen receptors and the use of stem cell based therapies to
      generate lifelong anti-HIV immunity.

PMID- 28357918
TI  - Systemic therapy for previously untreated advanced BRAF-mutated melanoma:
      navigating a shifting landscape.

PMID- 28357919
TI  - Simple Silica Column-Based Method to Quantify Inorganic Polyphosphates in
      Cartilage and Other Tissues.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: Inorganic polyphosphates (polyP) play a multitude of roles in
      mammalian biology. PolyP research is hindered by the lack of a simple and
      sensitive quantification method. The aim of this study was to develop a robust
      method for quantifying the low levels of polyP in mammalian tissue such as
      cartilage, which is rich in macromolecules that interfere with its determination.
      DESIGN: Native and in vitro formed tissues were digested with proteinase K to
      release sequestrated polyP. The tissue digest was loaded on to silica spin
      columns, followed by elution of bound polyP and various treatments were assessed
      to minimize non-polyP fluorescence. The eluent was then quantified for polyP
      content using fluorometry based on DAPI (4',6-diamidino-2-phenylindole)
      fluorescence shift occurring with polyP. RESULTS: Proteinase K pretreatment
      reduced the inhibitory effect of proteins on polyP recovery. The eluent was
      contaminated with nucleic acids and glycosaminoglycans, which cause extraneous
      fluorescence signals. These were then effectively eliminated by nucleases
      treatment and addition of concentrated Tris buffer. PolyP levels were quantified
      and recovery ratio determined using samples spiked with a known amount of polyP.
      This silica spin column method was able to recover at least 80% of initially
      loaded polyP, and detect as little as 10-10 mol. CONCLUSIONS: This sensitive,
      reproducible, easy to do method of quantifying polyP will be a useful tool for
      investigation of polyP biology in mammalian cells and tissues. Although the
      protocol was developed for mammalian tissues, this method should be able to
      quantify polyP in most biological sources, including fluid samples such as blood
      and serum.

PMID- 28357920
TI  - Investigation of the Sensitivity of Transmission Raman Spectroscopy for Polymorph
      Detection in Pharmaceutical Tablets.
AB  - Polymorph detection is critical for ensuring pharmaceutical product quality in
      drug substances exhibiting polymorphism. Conventional analytical techniques such
      as X-ray powder diffraction and solid-state nuclear magnetic resonance are
      utilized primarily for characterizing the presence and identity of specific
      polymorphs in a sample. These techniques have encountered challenges in analyzing
      the constitution of polymorphs in the presence of other components commonly found
      in pharmaceutical dosage forms. Laborious sample preparation procedures are
      usually required to achieve satisfactory data interpretability. There is a need
      for alternative techniques capable of probing pharmaceutical dosage forms rapidly
      and nondestructively, which is dictated by the practical requirements of
      applications such as quality monitoring on production lines or when quantifying
      product shelf lifetime. The sensitivity of transmission Raman spectroscopy for
      detecting polymorphs in final tablet cores was investigated in this work.
      Carbamazepine was chosen as a model drug, polymorph form III is the commercial
      form, whereas form I is an undesired polymorph that requires effective detection.
      The concentration of form I in a direct compression tablet formulation containing
      20% w/w of carbamazepine, 74.00% w/w of fillers (mannitol and microcrystalline
      cellulose), and 6% w/w of croscarmellose sodium, silicon dioxide, and magnesium
      stearate was estimated using transmission Raman spectroscopy. Quantitative models
      were generated and optimized using multivariate regression and data
      preprocessing. Prediction uncertainty was estimated for each validation sample by
      accounting for all the main variables contributing to the prediction.
      Multivariate detection limits were calculated based on statistical hypothesis
      testing. The transmission Raman spectroscopic model had an absolute prediction
      error of 0.241% w/w for the independent validation set. The method detection
      limit was estimated at 1.31% w/w. The results demonstrated that transmission
      Raman spectroscopy is a sensitive tool for polymorphs detection in pharmaceutical
      tablets.

PMID- 28357921
TI  - Potential Adverse Consequences of Early Discharge for Newborns Who Meet American
      Academy of Pediatrics Criteria.

PMID- 28357922
TI  - Reliability assessment and correlation analysis of 3 protocols to measure trunk
      muscle strength and endurance.
AB  - Different methods have been developed to quantify trunk muscle strength and
      endurance. However, some important protocol characteristics are still unclear,
      hindering the selection of the most suitable tests in each specific situation.
      The aim of this study was to examine the reliability and the relationship between
      3 representative tests of the most common type of protocols used to assess trunk
      muscle strength and endurance. Twenty-seven healthy men performed each test twice
      spaced 1 month apart.Trunk strength and endurance were evaluated with an
      isokinetic dynamometer and 2 field tests including Biering-Sorensen test and
      Flexion-rotation trunk test. All tests showed a good relative consistency
      (intraclass correlation coefficient [ICC]> 0.75), except for the isokinetic
      endurance variables which had low-moderate reliability (0.37 < ICC > 0.65).
      Absolute reliability seemed slightly better in the isokinetic protocol than in
      the field tests, which showed about 12% of test-retest score increase. No
      significant correlations were found between test scores. After a familiarisation
      period for the field tests, the 3 protocols can be used to obtain reliable
      measures of trunk muscle strength and endurance. Based on the correlation
      analysis, these measures are not related, which highlights the importance of
      selecting the most suitable trunk test for each situation.

PMID- 28357923
TI  - Performance of CarbaNP and CIM tests in OXA-48 carbapenemase-producing
      Enterobacteriaceae.
AB  - This study applied two phenotypic tests, namely "Carbapenemase Nordmann-Poirel"
      (CarbaNP) test and "Carbapenem Inactivation Method" (CIM), against the isolates
      carrying the carbapenem resistance genes. The study included 83 carbapenem
      resistant Enterobacteriaceae isolates producing oxacillinase-48 (OXA-48) and 30
      carbapenem-sensitive Enterobacteriaceae isolates. Out of the total isolates
      studied, 77 isolates (92.77%) were identified as Klebsiella pneumoniae and six
      isolates (7.23%) were identified as Escherichia coli by Matrix Assisted Laser
      Desorption Ionization-Time of Flight Mass Spectrometry. Polymerase chain reaction
      (PCR) method used to detect resistance genes found that 74 isolates (89.16%)
      produced OXA-48 carbapenemase, whereas nine isolates (10.84%) produced both OXA
      48 and New Delhi metallo-beta-lactamase-1 (NDM-1). The isolates producing both
      OXA-48 and NDM-1 were found to be positive by both phenotypic tests. Among
      isolates carrying only blaOXA-48 gene alone, nine isolates (13.04%) for CarbaNP
      test and two isolates for CIM test (2.90%) displayed false negative results,
      respectively. The sensitivity of CarbaNP and CIM tests was found to be 89.16% and
      97.59%, respectively, whereas the specificity was determined to be 100% for both
      tests. These findings suggest that CarbaNP and CIM tests are useful tools to
      identify the carbapenemase producers. Molecular methods like PCR are recommended
      to verify false negative tests predicted to have OXA-48 activity.

PMID- 28357925
TI  - Evaluation of e-beam irradiation effects on the toxicity of slaughterhouse
      wastewaters.
AB  - Slaughterhouse industry produces large volumes of polluted wastewater, which
      cause negative impacts on the environment. The objective of this study was to
      assess the effect of electron-beam irradiation on the ecotoxicity of
      slaughterhouse effluents with absorbed doses up to 35 kGy. Two acute toxicity
      assays were applied to evaluate the efficiency of irradiation onto toxicity of
      wastewater. The exposed living-organisms were a luminescent bacteria Vibrio
      fischeri, and a freshwater microcrustacean Daphnia similis. Also, the total
      organic carbon was analysed in order to determine any possible organic carbon
      removal after irradiation. The ecotoxicological results evidenced that both
      living-organisms were suitable for the measurements. Therefore, the results
      demonstrated the toxicity of the effluent and its similarity for both organisms
      as well as the potential of radiation to reduce these effects. The 35 kGy dose
      was very effective for reducing toxic effects of slaughterhouse wastewater for
      daphnids suggesting that ionizing radiation could be used as a tool for removing
      toxic charge of such effluents. The type of contamination presented by the
      effluent justify the needs for alternatives of treatment.

PMID- 28357924
TI  - Association study of the FTO gene polymorphisms with the risk of pulmonary
      tuberculosis in a sample of Iranian population.
AB  - AIM: The aim of the present study was to find out the impact of fat mass and
      obesity-associated (FTO) gene on risk of pulmonary tuberculosis (PTB) in a sample
      of Iranian population. METHODS: This case-control study was carried out on a
      total of 354 subjects including 185 PTB patients and 169 healthy subjects.
      Genotyping of FTO rs9939609 and rs8050136 variants was done using polymerase
      chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism method. RESULTS: FTO
      rs9939609 variant showed no statistically significant difference in allele and
      genotype frequencies between PTB patients and controls. The rs8050136
      polymorphism marginally increased the risk of PTB in dominant (OR = 1.53, 95% CI
      = 1.00-2.33, p = 0.055, CA+AA vs. CC) inheritance model tested, where rs8050136 A
      allele significantly increased the risk of PTB (OR = 1.42, 95% CI = 1.02-1.97, p
      = 0.045) compared with C allele. CONCLUSION: The finding of the present study
      showed an association between FTO rs9939609 variant and risk of PTB. Further
      studies with larger sample sizes and different ethnicities are necessary to
      confirm the findings.

PMID- 28357926
TI  - Primary and secondary progressive MS have a similar age at onset of progression -
      YES.

PMID- 28357927
TI  - Primary and secondary progressive MS have a similar age at onset of progression -
      NO.

PMID- 28357928
TI  - Primary and secondary progressive MS have a similar age at onset of progression -
      Commentary.

PMID- 28357929
TI  - Effects of touchscreen gesture's type and direction on finger-touch input
      performance and subjective ratings.
AB  - This study examined how finger-touch input performance (i.e. task completion
      time, failure status, and error rate) and subjective ratings (i.e. performance
      and physical demand) are influenced by touchscreen gestures' type and direction.
      Twenty participants performed one-touch (i.e. drag and swipe) and two-touch (i.e.
      pinch and spread) gesture tasks on a tablet, using several major directions (i.e.
      eight directions for one-touch and four directions for two-touch gestures). The
      results showed that swipe was approximately 4.5 times faster than drag, but pinch
      and spread showed no significant difference in task completion time. Dragging and
      pinching showed more failures or higher error rates compared to swiping and
      spreading, respectively. One-touch gestures in the horizontal directions were
      rated to have higher performance and lower physical demand than those in the
      vertical and diagonal directions. Two-touch gestures in the horizontal directions
      took the shortest time but caused more failures and higher error rates.
      Practitioner Summary: This study provides evidence for the effects of touchscreen
      gestures' type and direction on human performance and subjective ratings, which
      varied depending on the number of fingers used. Designers should arrange related
      touchscreen components accordingly, to improve touch-finger input performance and
      reduce user workload.

PMID- 28357930
TI  - Quality reporting of carotid intima-media thickness methodology; Current state of
      the science in the field of spinal cord injury.
AB  - OBJECTIVES: Carotid intima-media thickness (cIMT) may be used increasingly as a
      cardiovascular disease (CVD) screening tool in individuals with spinal cord
      injury (SCI) as other routine invasive diagnostic tests are often unfeasible.
      However, variation in cIMT acquisition and analysis methods is an issue in the
      current published literature. The growth of the field is dependent on cIMT
      quality acquisition and analysis to ensure accurate reporting of CVD risk. The
      purpose of this study is to evaluate the quality of the reported methodology used
      to collect cIMT values in SCI. METHODS: Data from 12 studies, which measured cIMT
      in individuals with SCI, were identified from the Medline, Embase and CINAHL
      databases. The quality of the reported methodologies was scored based on
      adherence to cIMT methodological guidelines abstracted from two consensus papers.
      RESULTS: Five studies were scored as 'moderate quality' in methodological
      reporting, having specified 9 to 11 of 15 quality reporting criterion. The
      remaining seven studies were scored as 'low quality', having reported less than 9
      of 15 quality reporting criterion. No study had methodological reporting that was
      scored as 'high quality'. The overall reporting of quality methodology was poor
      in the published SCI literature. CONCLUSIONS: A greater adherence to current
      methodological guidelines is needed to advance the field of cIMT in SCI. Further
      research is necessary to refine cIMT acquisition and analysis guidelines to aid
      authors designing research and journals in screening manuscripts for publication.

PMID- 28357931
TI  - Monitoring, exposure and risk assessment of sulfur dioxide residues in fresh or
      dried fruits and vegetables in China.
AB  - Sulfur dioxide residues in 20 kinds of products collected from 23 provinces of
      China (Jilin, Beijing, Shanxi, Shandong, Henan, Hebei, Jiangsu, Anhui, Shanghai,
      Zhejiang, Fujian, Guangdong, Guangxi, Yunnan, Guizhou, Hunan, Hubei, Chongqing,
      Sichuan, Gansu, Neimenggu, Xinjiang and Hainan) were analysed, and a health risk
      assessment was performed. The detection rates of sulfur dioxide residues in fresh
      vegetables, fresh fruits, dried vegetables and dried fruits were 11.1-95.9%, 12.6
      92.3%, 70.3-80.0% and 26.0-100.0%, respectively; the mean concentrations of
      residues were 2.7-120.8, 3.8-35.7, 26.9-99.1 and 12.0-1120.4 mg kg-1,
      respectively. The results indicated that fresh vegetables and dried products are
      critical products; the daily intakes (EDIs) for children were higher than others;
      the hazard indexes (HI) for four groups were 0.019-0.033, 0.001-0.005, 0.007
      0.016 and 0.002-0.005 at P50, respectively. But the HI was more than 1 at P99 by
      intake dried fruits and vegetables. Although the risk for consumers was
      acceptable on the whole, children were the most vulnerable group. Uncertainty and
      sensitivity analyses indicated that the level of sulfur dioxide residues was the
      most influential variable in this model. Thus, continuous monitoring and stricter
      regulation of sulfites using are recommended in China.

PMID- 28357932
TI  - The physical education predisposition scale: Preliminary tests of reliability and
      validity in Australian students.
AB  - The main aim of this study was to psychometrically test the Physical Education
      Predisposition Scale (PEPS) with a cohort of Australian students, to assess
      secondary school students' perceived PE ability and PE worth. Secondary aims were
      to explore how the two variables were related and to investigate age and gender
      differences. Altogether, 266 Year 7, 8, 9 and 10 students (aged 12-16 years),
      from four schools within the South Eastern region of Melbourne, completed the
      PEPS at both time points. Principal components analysis revealed the presence of
      a simple two-factor structure explaining 66.9% of the variance. Factor 1
      (labelled perceived PE worth) reflected enjoyment and attitude (alpha = .91), and
      factor 2 (labelled perceived PE ability) represented perceptions of competence
      and self-efficacy (alpha = .92). Significant positive correlations were observed
      between the two factors (r = .50-.82, P < .001). Boys scored significantly higher
      than girls on perceived PE ability (P = .01), and year 7 students scored
      significantly higher compared to Year 9 students (P = .002). Our results support
      the potential of the PEPS as a concise measurement tool for use in the PE
      setting, for both teachers and researchers.

PMID- 28357935
TI  - Live Wait Times.
AB  - People in North Wales who need treatment for injuries can now obtain up-to-the
      minute information on waiting times at the region's minor injuries units and
      emergency departments.

PMID- 28357933
TI  - Tensions within management roles in healthcare organisations.
AB  - Aim This article reports the results of a study that gives an insight into ward
      leaders' perspectives of their leadership role and explores how they deliver
      leadership at ward level within organisational constraints and processes.
      Previous studies have been evaluations of clinical leadership in general, or
      literature reviews of the ward leader role. The aim of this study was to examine
      the leadership role of ward sisters and to understand how they lead improvements
      in quality of care on their wards. Methods A qualitative methodology was used,
      incorporating 19 in-depth interviews with ward leaders and modern matrons.
      Results Three main themes were identified: empty conformity, authority and
      autonomy, and visibility and leading by example. Participants aimed to be role
      models in leading and maintaining standards of care for patients, but this was
      sometimes constrained by organisational processes, lack of authority and
      autonomy, and lack of support and preparation. Conclusion Perceived differences
      between nursing and health service management mean that ward leaders' efforts to
      lead improvements in quality care are often undermined. Ward leaders must strike
      a balance between leading high-quality nursing care, in the context of
      organisational and political performance requirements, and the demands of
      administrative work, while often lacking autonomy and authority.

PMID- 28357936
TI  - Does leadership style of modern matrons contribute to safer and more effective
      clinical services?
AB  - At the time of writing, the author was a modern matron in a surgical division of
      an NHS teaching hospital in London. This article considers the differences
      between leadership and management, and discusses the skills required by modern
      matrons to lead safe and successful clinical services. It also examines three
      leadership styles - transactional, transformational and situational - and their
      relevance to the role of modern matron.

PMID- 28357937
TI  - Organisational development.
AB  - The aim of the NHS Improvement national leadership and improvement strategy is to
      encourage leaders at all levels to develop leadership skills in their staff and
      themselves. It focuses on fostering compassionate, collaborative and inclusive
      leadership.

PMID- 28357938
TI  - Local health plans.
AB  - Health services and local councils in England have joined together to develop
      proposals to improve health and care. The proposals, known as sustainability and
      transformation plans, cater to the needs of local populations.

PMID- 28357939
TI  - Blogshot webinar.
AB  - Blogshots are a way of giving information in a concise form through an image
      shared on social media.

PMID- 28357940
TI  - Approved apprenticeship pathways offer new routes into nursing.
AB  - The government has given the go-ahead to a new set of learning standards for
      healthcare apprentices.

PMID- 28357941
TI  - Opening the door to your nursing potential.
AB  - It was only when I started teaching an undergraduate community health course that
      I became aware of the general lack in knowledge about nursing career options.

PMID- 28357942
TI  - Half of nurses say they want to quit the profession.
AB  - More than half of nurses are considering quitting the NHS as work pressures
      continue to ratchet up, an exclusive survey by RCNi's Nursing Standard and the
      Sunday Mirror has revealed.

PMID- 28357943
TI  - Chancellor allocates extra funds for STPs.
AB  - Additional funds for sustainability and transformation plans (STPs) were
      announced in the spring budget.

PMID- 28357945
TI  - 'Always put patients first'.
AB  - What is your job? I am an integrated pathway manager in the combined community
      and acute care group at Sheffield Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust. My
      role involves managing one of the city's four community nursing teams, which will
      soon have therapy services integrated with them. I also manage our community
      nursing flexible workforce department and the community assistive technology
      team.

PMID- 28357944
TI  - New way to recognise advanced skills.
AB  - The RCN is introducing a credential that will recognise the level of expertise
      and skill of advanced-level nurses.

PMID- 28357948
TI  - Steps towards an advanced clinical practice standard.
AB  - Advanced clinical practice is increasingly heralded as one of the solutions to
      the workforce and financial challenges in healthcare systems. Expectations are
      high and policy directives explicitly or implicitly call for healthcare
      professionals to apply advanced-level knowledge and skills to the delivery of
      timely, individualised, safe and effective care for patients with complex needs.

PMID- 28357949
TI  - Jeremy Hunt outlines his four priorities.
AB  - Senior nurses can help make improvements in four priority areas, the health
      secretary told the chief nursing officer for England's summit last month.

PMID- 28357951
TI  - Ten-point plan for practice nursing.
AB  - A new plan for practice nursing is to be published by NHS England, Jane Cummings
      revealed at her chief nursing officer summit.

PMID- 28357950
TI  - NHS England chief calls for more nurses.
AB  - Nursing associates should not replace registered nurses, the chief executive of
      NHS England said.

PMID- 28357952
TI  - How to talk about cancer.
AB  - While 50% of people born after 1960 in the UK will develop cancer at some point,
      many find talking about it difficult. Cancer Research UK has therefore developed
      a free, online cancer awareness course, Talking About Cancer, as part of its Talk
      Cancer programme.

PMID- 28357953
TI  - Mary Seacole awards.
AB  - This year's Mary Seacole awards have been launched by NHS Employers.

PMID- 28357954
TI  - EU nurses need our support, says CNO.
AB  - Nurses from the European Union (EU) face an 'uncertain future' and need our
      support, Jane Cummings said, as she opened her fifth chief nursing officer (CNO)
      for England's summit in Birmingham.

PMID- 28357956
TI  - Conflicts of interest guidance.
AB  - NHS England has published guidelines on how to manage conflicts of interest to
      ensure transparent and accountable healthcare.

PMID- 28357955
TI  - Social media toolkit.
AB  - Skills for Health has launched a free, online social media toolkit to offer
      healthcare organisations information and advice about using social media.

PMID- 28357957
TI  - NM welcomes Barry Quinn as consultant editor.
AB  - Assistant director of nursing at Chelsea and Westminster NHS Foundation Trust,
      London, Barry Quinn has been appointed consultant editor of Nursing Management
      journal.

PMID- 28357959
TI  - Let's work together to spread good practice.
AB  - Hundreds of the country's most senior nurses and midwives met in Birmingham last
      month at the annual summit of England's chief nursing officer (CNO). It proved to
      be a great opportunity to hear some of the most influential thinkers and speakers
      in healthcare, including the chief nurse herself, Jane Cummings.

PMID- 28357960
TI  - Deep nursing: a thoughtful, co-created nursing process.
AB  - This article examines some of the challenges in nursing practice experienced by
      patients and nurses in the UK and Ireland, and considers some of the associated
      stressors in the system. Nurses must respond to these challenges by crafting
      their own practice, and the article offers a blueprint for developing personal
      nursing practice through acceptance, paying detailed attention to patients,
      taking time with patients and personal reflection. It draws on innovations in
      learning disability practice to suggest that care should be jointly thought
      through and co-created by patients and nurses, and that this process of
      thoughtful engagement constitutes 'deep nursing'.

PMID- 28357961
TI  - Implications of Brexit for nurses.
AB  - This time last year, the UK was engaged in the EU referendum campaign. There were
      arguments and assertions on both sides about the risks and benefits, including to
      the NHS, of staying or leaving.

PMID- 28357963
TI  - Nursing expertise is guaranteed.
AB  - Many of us entering the later years of our nursing careers will consider
      ourselves to be leaders in our clinical fields.

PMID- 28357964
TI  - Physical restraint in healthcare settings.
AB  - Essential facts In January, new guidance was drawn up for police and healthcare
      professionals, outlining for the first time how and when police officers should
      be involved in physically restraining people in healthcare settings in England
      and Wales.

PMID- 28357965
TI  - Racial differences in seroprevalence of HAV and HEV in blood donors in the
      Western Cape, South Africa: a clue to the predominant HEV genotype?
AB  - Hepatitis E virus (HEV) infection is a major cause of acute hepatitis worldwide.
      This infection causes major water-borne outbreaks in low- and middle-income
      countries, whilst in industrialised countries this infection is zoonotic. These
      differences in epidemiology are related to different HEV genotypes. HEV genotype
      3 is a zoonotic infection, whilst genotype 2 causes large outbreaks. This study
      determined the seroprevalence of HEV in blood donors from the Western Cape. Anti
      hepatitis A virus (anti-HAV) antibody was detected in 184/300 (61%) donors.
      Antibody to HEV (anti-HEV) was detected in 78 of 300 donors (26%). It was highest
      in mixed race donors (62/100), followed by white donors (23/100) and lowest in
      black donors (19/100) P = 0.019. Since it is thought that genotypes 1 and 2
      predominate both viruses would be acquired by the oro-faecal route, it is
      surprising that HEV seroprevalence does not mirror that of HAV. We postulate that
      this may reflect differences in socio-economic status and consumption of dietary
      meat. So the marked divergence between HEV and HAV seroprevalence may be the
      result of different routes of transmission. Further data are needed to explore
      the risk factors associated with HEV infection.

PMID- 28357967
TI  - In-patient suicide in psychiatry - an Indian experience.

PMID- 28357966
TI  - A randomised controlled study of mindfulness meditation versus relaxation therapy
      in the management of tinnitus.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: Psychotherapeutic interventions have been adopted effectively in the
      management of tinnitus for a long time. This study compared mindfulness
      meditation and relaxation therapy for management of tinnitus. METHODS: In this
      randomised controlled trial, patients were recruited for five sessions of
      mindfulness meditation or five sessions of relaxation therapy. Patients'
      responses were evaluated using the Tinnitus Reaction Questionnaire as a primary
      outcome measure, and the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale, visual analogue
      scale and a health status indicator as secondary outcome measures. RESULTS: A
      total of 86 patients were recruited. Thirty-four patients completed mindfulness
      meditation and 27 patients completed relaxation therapy. Statistically
      significant improvement was seen in all outcome measures except the health status
      indicator in both treatment groups. The change in treatment scores was greater in
      the mindfulness meditation group than in the relaxation therapy group.
      CONCLUSION: This study suggests that although both mindfulness meditation and
      relaxation therapy are effective in the management of tinnitus, mindfulness
      meditation is superior to relaxation therapy.

PMID- 28357968
TI  - Echocardiographic right ventricular function correlations with cardiac
      catheterisation data in biventricular congenital heart patients.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Newer echocardiographic techniques may allow for more accurate
      assessment of right ventricular function. Adult studies have correlated these
      echocardiographic measurements with invasive data, but minimal data exist in the
      paediatric congenital heart population. The purpose of this study was to evaluate
      echocardiographic measurements that correlate best with right ventricular
      systolic and diastolic catheterisation parameters. METHODS: Patients with two
      ventricle physiology who underwent simultaneous echocardiogram and cardiac
      catheterisation were included in this study. Right ventricular systolic
      echocardiographic data included fractional area change, displacement, tissue
      Doppler imaging s' wave, global longitudinal strain, and strain rate s' wave.
      Diastolic echocardiographic data included tricuspid E and A waves, tissue Doppler
      imaging e' and a' waves, and strain rate e' and a' waves. E/tissue Doppler
      imaging e', tissue Doppler imaging e'/tissue Doppler imaging a', E/strain rate
      e', and strain rate e'/strain rate a' ratios were also calculated.
      Catheterisation dP/dt was used as a marker for systolic function and right
      ventricular end-diastolic pressure for diastolic function. RESULTS: A total of 32
      patients were included in this study. The median age at catheterisation was 3.1
      years (0.3-17.6 years). The DP/dt was 493+/-327 mmHg/second, and the right
      ventricular end-diastolic pressure was 7.7+/-2.4 mmHg. There were no significant
      correlations between catheterisation dP/dt and systolic echocardiographic
      parameters. Right ventricular end-diastolic pressure correlated significantly
      with strain rate e' (r=-0.4, p=0.02), strain rate a' (r=-0.5, p=0.03), and
      E/tissue Doppler imaging e' (r=0.4, p=0.04). CONCLUSION: Catheterisation dP/dt
      did not correlate with echocardiographic measurements of right ventricular
      systolic function. Strain rate and tissue Doppler imaging analysis significantly
      correlated with right ventricular end-diastolic pressure. These values should be
      further studied to determine whether they may be used as an alternative method to
      estimate right ventricular end-diastolic pressure in this patient population.

PMID- 28357969
TI  - Lurasidone for major depressive disorder with mixed features and anxiety: a post
      hoc analysis of a randomized, placebo-controlled study.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: The aim of this post-hoc analysis was to evaluate the efficacy of
      lurasidone in treating patients with major depressive disorder (MDD) with mixed
      features who present with mild and moderate-to-severe levels of anxiety. METHODS:
      The data in this analysis were derived from a study of patients meeting the DSM
      IV-TR criteria for unipolar MDD, with a Montgomery-Asberg Depression Rating Scale
      (MADRS) total score >=26, presenting with two or three protocol-defined manic
      symptoms, who were randomized to 6 weeks of double-blind treatment with either
      lurasidone 20-60 mg/day (n=109) or placebo (n=100). Anxiety severity was
      evaluated using the Hamilton Anxiety Rating Scale (HAM-A). To evaluate the effect
      of baseline anxiety on response to lurasidone, the following two anxiety groups
      were defined: mild anxiety (HAM-A<=14) and moderate-to-severe anxiety (HAM
      A>=15). Change from baseline in MADRS total score was analyzed for each group
      using a mixed model for repeated measures. RESULTS: Treatment with lurasidone was
      associated with a significant week 6 change versus placebo in MADRS total score
      for patients with both mild anxiety (-18.4 vs. -12.8, p<0.01, effect size
      [ES]=0.59) and moderate-to-severe anxiety (-22.0 vs. -13.0, p<0.001, ES=0.95).
      Treatment with lurasidone was associated with a significant week 6 change versus
      placebo in HAM-A total score for patients with both mild anxiety (-7.6 vs. -4.0,
      p<0.01, ES=0.62), and moderate-to-severe anxiety (-11.4 vs. -6.1, p<0.0001,
      ES=0.91). CONCLUSIONS: In this post-hoc analysis of an MDD with mixed features
      and anxiety population, treatment with lurasidone was associated with significant
      improvement in both depressive and anxiety symptoms in subgroups with mild and
      moderate-to-severe levels of anxiety at baseline.

PMID- 28357970
TI  - Situational and Dispositional Factors that Predict Motivation: a Multilevel
      Study.
AB  - This study aimed to test a multilevel mediation model which examined the
      relationship between the perceived motivational climate created by coaches at
      team level and motivational regulations towards sport at individual level, as
      mediated by individual goal orientations. 211 university athletes from 20 teams
      training in different types of sport completed a battery of instruments that
      measured the variables included in the model. The statistics significance level
      was .05. Results of the multilevel mediation model revealed that the task
      involving climate at team level positively predicted individual task orientation
      (gamma01 = .77, p .05). The results are in line with previous research that have
      focused in the study of motivational climate at individual level, but the present
      study make a novel contribution by providing the perspective of a multilevel
      mediation model and thereby clarifying the phenomenon at team level.

PMID- 28357971
TI  - Palliative and end-of-life care in the masters of social work curriculum.
AB  - : ABSTRACTObjective:There is a shortage of social workers who have palliative
      care expertise. The aging U.S. population and advances in extending life for
      seriously ill persons require social workers in a wide range of health care and
      other settings with specialized palliative care expertise, as well as those with
      basic competence in palliative care. The objective of the present study was to
      document course content on palliative care in MSW programs in the United States
      and Canada. METHOD: A cross-sectional design with an online questionnaire was
      used. All 248 accredited MSW programs in the United States and 32 programs in
      Canada were invited to participate. The measures included the characteristics of
      the courses on palliative care. RESULTS: Of the 105 participating programs, only
      10 had courses dedicated to palliative care, 9 of which were part of a
      specialization/certificate program. Few programs had plans to develop a dedicated
      course. There were 106 courses in 63 MSW programs with some content on palliative
      care. The majority of these had <25%, and few had at least 50%, of palliative
      care content. SIGNIFICANCE OF RESULTS: Curricula are needed for preparing MSW
      graduates for specialty hospice and palliative care practice and non-specialty
      practice. While there are practice competencies for specialty practitioners,
      consensus on a core curriculum for all MSW students would be beneficial.
      Consensus on basic palliative care knowledge and skills for non-specialty social
      workers in health care and other settings and subsequent curriculum development
      are also needed. Innovative ways in which to introduce basic and more specialized
      content on palliative care into the already-crowded MSW curricula will be needed.

PMID- 28357972
TI  - Dyadic psychological intervention for patients with cancer and caregivers in home
      based specialized palliative care: The Domus model.
AB  - : ABSTRACTObjective:Patients with incurable cancer and their informal caregivers
      have numerous psychological and psychosocial needs. Many of these patients wish
      to receive their care and die at home. Few home-based specialized palliative care
      (SPC) interventions systematically integrate psychological support. We present a
      psychological intervention for patient-caregiver dyads developed for an ongoing
      randomized controlled trial (RCT) of home-based SPC, known as Domus, as well as
      the results of an assessment of its acceptability and feasibility. METHOD: The
      Domus model of SPC for patients with incurable cancer and their caregivers
      offered systematic psychological assessment and dyadic intervention as part of
      interdisciplinary care. Through accelerated transition to SPC, the aim of the
      model was to enhance patients' chances of receiving care and dying at home.
      Integration of psychological support sought to facilitate this goal by
      alleviating distress in patients and caregivers. Psychologists provided needs
      based sessions based on existential-phenomenological therapy. Feasibility and
      acceptability were investigated by examining enrollment, nonparticipation, and
      completion of psychological sessions. RESULTS: Enrollment in the RCT and uptake
      of the psychological intervention indicated that it was feasible and acceptable
      to patients and caregivers. The strengths of the intervention included its focus
      on dyads, psychological distress, and existential concerns, as well as
      interdisciplinary collaboration and psychological interventions offered according
      to need. Its main limitation was a lack of an intervention for other family
      members. SIGNIFICANCE OF RESULTS: Our results show that psychological
      intervention can be systematically integrated into SPC and that it appears
      feasible to provide dyadic needs-based sessions with an existential therapeutic
      approach. The Domus RCT will provide evidence of the efficacy of a novel model of
      multidisciplinary SPC.

PMID- 28357973
TI  - Perceptions of the care received from Australian palliative care services: A
      caregiver perspective.
AB  - : ABSTRACTBackground:Caregiver satisfaction and experience surveys help health
      professionals to understand, measure, and improve the quality of care provided
      for patients and their families. OBJECTIVE: Our aim was to explore caregiver
      perceptions of the care received from Australian specialist palliative care
      services. METHOD: Caregivers of patients receiving palliative care in services
      registered with Australia's Palliative Care Outcomes Collaboration were invited
      to participate in a caregiver survey. The survey included the FAMCARE-2 and four
      items from the Ongoing Needs Identification: Caregiver Profile questionnaire.
      RESULTS: Surveys were completed by 1,592 caregivers from 49 services. Most
      respondents reported high satisfaction and positive experiences. Caregivers
      receiving care from community-based palliative care teams were less satisfied
      with the management of physical symptoms and comfort (odds ratio [OR] = 0.29; 95%
      confidence interval [CI95%] = 0.14, 0.59), with patient psychological care (OR =
      0.56; CI95% = 0.32, 0.98), and with family support (OR = 0.52; CI95% = 0.35,
      0.77) than caregivers of patients in an inpatient setting. If aged over 60 years,
      caregivers were less likely to have their information needs met regarding
      available support services (OR = 0.98; CI95% = 0.97, 0.98) and carer payments (OR
      = 0.99; CI95% = 0.98, 1.00). Also, caregivers were less likely to receive
      adequate information about carer payments if located in an outer regional area
      (OR = 0.41; CI95% = 0.25, 0.64). With practical training, caregivers receiving
      care from community services reported inadequate information provision to support
      them in caring for patients (OR = 0.60; CI95% = 0.45, 0.81). SIGNIFICANCE OF
      RESULTS: While our study identified caregivers as having positive and
      satisfactory experiences across all domains of care, there is room for
      improvement in the delivery of palliative care across symptom management, as well
      as patient and caregiver support, especially in community settings. Caregiver
      surveys can facilitate the identification and evaluation of both patients' and
      caregivers' experiences, satisfaction, distress, and unmet needs.

PMID- 28357974
TI  - Immunisation status and determinants of left-behind children aged 12-72 months in
      central China.
AB  - Many parents move from rural China to urban areas in search of job opportunities,
      and leave their children behind to be raised by relatives. We aimed to assess the
      immunisation coverage, including the 1:3:3:3:1 vaccine series (one dose of
      Bacilli Chalmette-Guerin vaccine; three doses of live attenuated oral
      poliomyelitis vaccine; three doses of diphtheria, tetanus and pertussis combined;
      three doses of hepatitis B vaccine; and one dose of measles-containing vaccine),
      in children aged 12-72 months and identify the determinants of immunisation
      uptake among left-behind children in Hubei Province, Central China, in 2014. In
      this cross-sectional study using the World Health Organization's cluster sampling
      technique, we surveyed 1368 children from 44 villages in 11 districts of Hubei
      Province. The socio-demographic and vaccination status data were collected by
      interviewing primary caregivers using a semi-structured questionnaire and
      reviewing the immunisation cards of the children. Univariate and multivariate
      analyses were used to identify the determinants of complete vaccination and age
      appropriate vaccination. For each dose of the five vaccines, the vaccination
      coverage in the left-behind and non-left-behind children was >90%; however, the
      age-appropriate vaccination coverage for each vaccine was lower in left-behind
      than in non-left-behind children. For the five vaccines, the fully vaccinated
      rate of left-behind children were lower than those of non-left-behind children
      (89.1%, 92.7%; P = 0.013) and age-appropriate immunisation rate of left-behind
      children were lower than those of non-left-behind children (65.7%, 79.9%; P <
      0.001). After controlling for potential confounders, we found that the parenting
      pattern, annual household income and attitude of the primary caregiver towards
      vaccination significantly influenced the vaccination status of children.
      Moreover, we noted a relatively high prevalence of delayed vaccination among left
      behind children. Hence, we believe that the age-appropriate immunisation coverage
      rate among left-behind children in rural areas should be further improved by
      delivering and sustaining primary care services.

PMID- 28357976
TI  - Household dietary diversity, vitamin A consumption and food security in rural
      Tigray, Ethiopia.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: To describe: household dietary diversity across four zones in
      Ethiopia; the relationship between household dietary diversity and consumption of
      vitamin A-rich foods; and the relationship between household dietary diversity
      and food security status. DESIGN: This was a cross-sectional survey. Data were
      collected using structured questionnaires in the local language. Household
      dietary diversity scores measured types of foods households consumed, and
      households were classified by food security status using a modified version of
      the Household Food Insecurity Access Scale. An ordinal logistics regression model
      was created to assess the relationship between three tiers of dietary diversity
      (low, medium and high) and food security while controlling for agricultural zone,
      educational variables and household characteristics. SETTING: Rural households in
      Tigray, Ethiopia. SUBJECTS: Three hundred households in Tigray, Ethiopia, were
      interviewed. RESULTS: Of the households, 23, 47 and 30 % had low, medium and high
      dietary diversity, respectively. Among households with high dietary diversity,
      eggs and fruit were the most common foods added to the diet. In the fully
      adjusted model, participants who reported being food secure had 1.8 increased
      odds of greater dietary diversity (95 % CI 1.0, 3.2) compared with participants
      who were food insecure. CONCLUSIONS: Food security was positively associated with
      dietary diversity. In order to enhance health, interventions that improve dietary
      diversity and vitamin A consumption should remain important areas of focus for
      health leaders in the region.

PMID- 28357975
TI  - Feasibility and Efficacy of Brief Computerized Training to Improve Emotion
      Recognition in Premanifest and Early-Symptomatic Huntington's Disease.
AB  - OBJECTIVES: Deficits in the recognition of negative emotions emerge before
      clinical diagnosis in Huntington's disease (HD). To address emotion recognition
      deficits, which have been shown in schizophrenia to be improved by computerized
      training, we conducted a study of the feasibility and efficacy of computerized
      training of emotion recognition in HD. METHODS: We randomly assigned 22
      individuals with premanifest or early symptomatic HD to the training or control
      group. The training group used a self-guided online training program,
      MicroExpression Training Tool (METT), twice weekly for 4 weeks. All participants
      completed measures of emotion recognition at baseline and post-training time
      points. Participants in the training group also completed training adherence
      measures. RESULTS: Participants in the training group completed seven of the
      eight sessions on average. Results showed a significant group by time
      interaction, indicating that METT training was associated with improved accuracy
      in emotion recognition. CONCLUSIONS: Although sample size was small, our study
      demonstrates that emotion recognition remediation using the METT is feasible in
      terms of training adherence. The evidence also suggests METT may be effective in
      premanifest or early-symptomatic HD, opening up a potential new avenue for
      intervention. Further study with a larger sample size is needed to replicate
      these findings, and to characterize the durability and generalizability of these
      improvements, and their impact on functional outcomes in HD. (JINS, 2017, 23, 314
      321).

PMID- 28357977
TI  - Food-based dietary guidelines: a comparative analysis between the Dietary
      Guidelines for the Brazilian Population 2006 and 2014.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: In 2014, the Brazilian Ministry of Health launched the second edition
      of the Dietary Guidelines for the Brazilian Population (DGBP), which deploys the
      new food classification NOVA. It esteems that the second DGBP overcomes the
      limitations in the previous food guide, reformulating the diet concepts, food
      pattern, culture and system. The present paper analyses the advances and limits
      established in the second edition, contrasting with its first edition. DESIGN:
      The study employs a discourse analysis. The corpus was established through four
      stages: (i) floating reading of the empirical materials; (ii) deepening readings;
      (iii) selected discursive sequences; and (iv) organization of the discursive
      sequences into a matrix for analysis. The data analysis used three steps: (i)
      identification of similar texts in external materials; (ii) elucidation of
      linguistic effect through deepening readings of the external materials; and (iii)
      systematic analysis to identify sequences that expressed equivalence or
      disparities. SETTING: Brazil. SUBJECTS: DGBP 2006 and 2014. RESULTS: Adoption of
      the NOVA food classification, based on food processing level, enabled the
      development of dietary guidelines that consider the limitations of the
      nutritional discourse and may incorporate the sociocultural and social
      environmental discourses, evoking pleasure in food, diversity of feeding habits
      and stimulating culinary practices as promoters of healthy eating practices.
      CONCLUSIONS: The second DGBP enables a new way of thinking about meals and foods,
      on the strengthening of socio-cultural dimensions of feeding, and on addressing
      food and nutritional guidelines on culinary practices, eating and edibility.

PMID- 28357978
TI  - Monochloramine Loss Mechanisms in Tap Water.
AB  - Chloramination has been widely applied for drinking water disinfection, with
      monochloramine (NH2Cl) the dominant chloramine species. However, under neutral
      pH, NH2Cl can autodecompose and react with chemical components in drinking water,
      thus decreasing disinfection efficiency. In tap water, the NH2Cl loss rate can be
      influenced by temperature, pH, Cl/N molar ratio, the initial NH2Cl concentration,
      and the natural organic matter (NOM) concentration. A good prediction of NH2Cl
      loss can assist in the operation of drinking water treatment plants. In this
      research, a kinetic rate constant <inline-graphic
      xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink" xlink:href="01999-ilm01.gif"/>)and a
      reactive site fraction (S = 0.43 +/- 0.06) for the reaction between free chlorine
      released from NH2Cl autodecoposition and tap water NOM were derived from a
      kinetic model to predict the NH2Cl loss under various conditions. A temperature
      dependent model was also developed. The model predictions match well with the
      experimental results, which demonstrates the validity of the model and provides a
      convenient and accurate method for NH2Cl loss calculations.

PMID- 28357979
TI  - Adsorption of As(V), Cd(II) and Pb(II), in Multicomponent Aqueous Systems using
      Activated Carbons.
AB  - This paper studies the use of two activated carbon samples made of cocoa pod
      husk (CPH-AC) and one commercial activated carbon sample in the adsorption of
      As(V), Cd(II) and Pb(II) from multicomponent synthetic solutions and from the
      Puyango-Tumbes River water, a river located in northwest Peru. The
      characterization of the activated carbon samples was conducted. The CPH-AC
      samples exhibited a specific surface area (SBET) between 709 and 1117 m2/g and a
      pH point of zero charge (pHPZC) between 4.4 +/- 0.2 and 5 +/- 0.2, while the
      commercial material gave an SBET value of 775 m2/g and a pHPZC value of 7.6 +/-
      0.1. All the evaluated samples displayed the capacity to adsorb As(V), Cd(II) and
      Pb(II) from both aqueous systems. The adsorption efficiency for Pb was
      outstanding reaching the value of 89%. A pseudo-second order kinetic model was
      satisfactorily applied for most of the activated carbon samples.

PMID- 28357980
TI  - Manual curation and reannotation of the genomes of Clostridium difficile
      630Deltaerm and C. difficile 630.
AB  - PURPOSE: We resequenced the genome of Clostridium difficile 630Deltaerm (DSM
      28645), a model strain commonly used for the generation of insertion mutants.
      METHODOLOGY: The genome sequence was obtained by a combination of single-molecule
      real-timeand Illumina sequencing technology. RESULTS: Detailed manual curation
      and comparison to the previously published genomic sequence revealed sequence
      differences including inverted regions and the presence of plasmid pCD630. Manual
      curation of our previously deposited genome sequence of the parental strain 630
      (DSM 27543) led to an improved genome sequence. In addition, the sequence of the
      transposon Tn5397 was completely identified. We manually revised the current
      manual annotation of the initial sequence of strain 630 and modified either gene
      names, gene product names or assigned EC numbers of 57 % of genes. The number of
      hypothetical and conserved hypothetical proteins was reduced by 152. This
      annotation was used as a template to annotate the most recent genome sequences of
      the strains 630Deltaerm and 630. CONCLUSION: Based on the genomic analysis,
      several new metabolic features of C. difficile are proposed and could be
      supported by literature and subsequent experiments.

PMID- 28357981
TI  - Surveillance for nervous necrosis virus-specific antibodies in barramundi Lates
      calcarifer in Australian hatcheries.
AB  - We conducted single point-in-time and repeated cross-sectional studies of the
      prevalence of antibodies against nervous necrosis virus (NNV) in populations of
      adult barramundi Lates calcarifer in Australia. Serum samples collected between
      2002 and 2012 were analyzed with indirect ELISA (n = 468). Most of the samples
      were sourced from broodstock with unknown exposure history, and these were
      compared with reference populations with confirmed history of exposure to NNV.
      Non-lethally collected gonad fluid samples from economically valuable barramundi
      broodstock (n = 164) were tested for the presence of NNV using RT-quantitative
      PCR at the time of blood sampling to compare infectivity with serostatus, but no
      virus was detected. NNV-specific immunoreactivity in broodstock was significantly
      lower than that for immunized and persistently infected populations.
      Seroprevalence increased over time in broodstock sampled longitudinally, probably
      reflecting repeated exposure to NNV in a region where the virus was endemic. The
      seroprevalence for the broodstock was 23.8% over the entire sample period while a
      cross-sectional survey conducted in 2012 found a seroprevalence of 34.5% with no
      significant difference between populations based on the geographic region or the
      history of occurrence of viral nervous necrosis (VNN) disease in the progeny in
      the respective hatcheries. Although serological surveillance was useful for
      studying the history of exposure of barramundi to NNV, the lack of association
      between serostatus in broodstock and the subsequent occurrence of VNN disease in
      their progeny indicates that ELISA tests for anti-NNV antibodies are not suitable
      for the purpose of preventing vertical transmission of NNV in barramundi.

PMID- 28357982
TI  - Co-infection of Acipenserid herpesvirus 2 (AciHV-2) and Streptococcus iniae in
      cultured white sturgeon Acipenser transmontanus.
AB  - A mortality event in cultured white sturgeon Acipenser transmontanus (Richardson,
      1836) sub-adults was investigated. After transfer between farms, high mortality
      was observed in fish, associated with back arching, abnormal swimming, and
      ulcerative skin lesions. Necropsy of moribund individuals revealed hemorrhagic
      ascites and petechial hemorrhages in the coelomic peritoneum and serosa of
      internal organs. Acipenserid herpesvirus 2 (AciHV-2) was isolated from external
      tissue samples, then identified and genotyped by sequencing of the terminase and
      polymerase genes. In addition, Streptococcus iniae was recovered from internal
      organs of affected fish. Histologic changes were limited to interstitial
      hematopoietic areas of the kidney and consisted of small foci of necrosis
      accompanied by fibrin deposition, minimal inflammatory response, and small
      numbers of bacterial cocci compatible with streptococci. Identity was confirmed
      by partial sequencing of the 16S rRNA, rpoB, and gyrB genes. Genetic
      fingerprinting demonstrated a genetic profile distinct from S. iniae isolates
      recovered from previous outbreaks in wild and cultured fish in North America,
      South America, and the Caribbean. Although the isolates were resistant to white
      sturgeon complement in serum killing assays, in vivo challenges failed to fulfill
      Koch's postulates. However, the clinical presentation, coupled with consistent
      recovery of S. iniae and AciHV-2 from moribund fish, suggests viral and bacterial
      co-infection were the proximate cause of death. To our knowledge, this represents
      the first report of AciHV-2 and S. iniae co-infection in cultured white sturgeon.

PMID- 28357983
TI  - Experimental challenges with Renibacterium salmoninarum in Arctic charr
      Salvelinus alpinus.
AB  - Arctic charr Salvelinus alpinus L. is an important species in Icelandic
      aquaculture and the most common wild salmonid in Iceland. A study on the course
      of infection with the bacterium Renibacterium salmoninarum was conducted using 3
      different challenge methods in brackish and fresh water. Bacterial isolation,
      ELISA and PCR tests were used for detection of the bacterium in multiple organ
      samples. In an experiment, run for 34 wk in brackish water, infection was
      established by intraperitoneal injection with 5 * 106 colony forming units (CFU)
      fish-1. There were external and internal symptoms of bacterial kidney disease
      (BKD) and mortalities between 6 and 13 wk after injection. A cohabitation trial
      was run simultaneously and infection was well established after 4 wk, as
      demonstrated by the detection methods applied. Symptoms of BKD were not seen and
      all but 1 cohabitant survived. In a separate experiment, infection was
      established by pumping a fixed amount of water from a tank with fingerlings
      infected by intraperitoneal injection into tanks with naive fish, in fresh or
      brackish water, for 6 wk. Fish in the inflow tanks were reared for an additional
      3 wk. There were neither macroscopic symptoms nor mortalities. ELISA and PCR
      tests showed that infection started to take hold after 3 wk. The challenge trials
      demonstrated that Arctic charr is susceptible to R. salmoninarum. Cohabitation
      and inflow of water from tanks with infected fish provide useful models for
      further studies on R. salmoninarum infection acquired in a natural way in Arctic
      charr.

PMID- 28357984
TI  - Development of a multiplex PCR method for the simultaneous detection of four
      myxosporeans infecting gibel carp Carassius auratus gibelio.
AB  - Gibel carp Carassius auratus gibelio (Bloch), a commercially important freshwater
      cultured fish in China, is threatened by myxosporeans, particularly Thelohanellus
      wuhanensis, Myxobolus honghuensis, M. wulii and M. turpisrotundus. Here, we
      developed a multiplex PCR assay for simultaneous detection of these 4
      myxosporeans. The specific primers for each species were designed based on the
      28S rDNA gene of T. wuhanensis, the ITS-5.8S rDNA of M. honghuensis and M. wulii,
      and the 18S rDNA gene of M. turpisrotundus. Specificity testing confirmed that
      the 4 primer sets have no cross-reactivity with other related myxosporean species
      tested. Detection limits of the multiplex PCR assay were 0.2, 0.3, 3.1 and 3.8
      spores for T. wuhanensis, M. honghuensis, M. wulii and M. turpisrotundus,
      respectively. Following screening of 104 field samples, the analytical
      sensitivity of the present multiplex PCR assay was found to be similar to the
      sensitivity obtained by the singleplex PCR assays and was higher than that of
      microscopic examination. Moreover, Kappa analysis showed a strong agreement
      between the results of the singleplex and multiplex PCR assays, indicating that
      the developed multiplex PCR assay was an efficient approach for the diagnosis of
      the 4 myxosporeans infecting gibel carp.

PMID- 28357985
TI  - Fine-scale transition to lower bacterial diversity and altered community
      composition precedes shell disease in laboratory-reared juvenile American
      lobster.
AB  - The American lobster Homarus americanus supports a valuable commercial fishery in
      the Northeastern USA and Maritime Canada; however, stocks in the southern portion
      of the lobster's range have shown declines, in part due to the emergence of shell
      disease. Epizootic shell disease is a bacterially induced cuticular erosion that
      renders even mildly affected lobsters unmarketable because of their appearance,
      and in more severe cases can cause mortality. Despite the importance of this
      disease, the associated bacterial communities have not yet been fully
      characterized. We sampled 2 yr old, laboratory-reared lobsters that displayed
      signs of shell disease at the site of disease as well as at 0.5, 1, and 1.5 cm
      away from the site of disease to determine how the bacterial community changed
      over this fine spatial scale. Illumina sequencing of the 16S rRNA gene revealed a
      distinct bacterial community at the site of disease, with significant reductions
      in bacterial diversity and richness compared to more distant sampling locations.
      The bacterial community composition 0.5 cm from the site of disease was also
      altered, and there was an observable decrease in bacterial diversity and
      richness, even though there were no signs of disease at that location. Given the
      distinctiveness of the bacterial community at the site of disease and 0.5 cm from
      the site of disease, we refer to these communities as affected and transitionary,
      and suggest that these bacteria, including the previously proposed causative
      agent, Aquimarina 'homaria', are important for the initiation and progression of
      this laboratory model of shell disease.

PMID- 28357986
TI  - Seasonal variation in chaetognath and parasite species assemblages along the
      northeastern coast of the Yucatan Peninsula.
AB  - Chaetognaths are abundant carnivores with broad distributions that are
      intermediate hosts of trophically transmitted parasites. Monthly variations in
      chaetognath and parasite species distributions, abundance, prevalence, and
      intensity related to seasonal environmental changes were recorded in 2004 and
      2005 in Laguna Nichupte, a coral reef, and the adjoining continental shelf of
      Quintana Roo, Mexico. Of 12 chaetognath species plus Sagitta spp., only 5
      (Ferosagitta hispida, Flaccisagitta enflata, Sagitta spp., Serratosagitta
      serratodentata, and Pterosagitta draco) were parasitized. These species were
      parasitized with 33 types of flatworms and unidentified cysts (likely protozoan
      ciliates), having an overall mean prevalence of 6%. Digenean metacercaria larvae
      numerically dominated the parasite assemblages. Cluster analysis defined 2
      chaetognath species assemblages. One included 7 species inside Laguna Nichupte,
      where F. hispida was numerically dominant (98.9%); the other contained 13
      chaetognath species in the continental shelf-coral reef region, where F. enflata
      was abundant (53%). Canonical correspondence analysis showed that Laguna Nichupte
      had highly variable and hostile conditions (relatively low salinity and high
      temperature) for chaetognath species except for F. hispida. The higher density of
      F. hispida promoted greater parasite diversity (23 types), dominated by
      Brachyphallus sp. metacercariae. F. enflata prevailed in the continental shelf
      coral reef area, which had stable high salinity and relatively low temperature.
      Monilicaecum and unidentified digenean 'type g' infected 5 chaetognath species on
      the continental shelf. Distinct primary hosts (mollusks and copepods) and
      contrasting environmental conditions (salinity, dissolved oxygen concentration,
      and temperature) between Laguna Nichupte and the continental shelf promoted
      distinct chaetognath species assemblages, resulting in distinct parasite
      diversity and prevalence patterns.

PMID- 28357987
TI  - Health status of corals surrounding Kish Island, Persian Gulf.
AB  - Corals in the Persian Gulf exist in a harsh environment with extreme temperature
      and salinity fluctuations. Understanding the health of these hardy corals may
      prove useful for predicting the survival of other marine organisms facing the
      impacts of global climate change. In this study, the health state of corals was
      surveyed along belt transects at 4 sites on the east side of Kish Island, Iran.
      Corals had a patchy distribution, low colony densities and species diversity, and
      were dominated by Acropora, Porites, and Dipsastrea. We found chronic
      sedimentation on corals, a high prevalence of old partial mortality, abundant
      bioeroders, and overgrowth of corals by sponges and bryozoans. These are all
      signs indicating suboptimal environmental conditions for coral reefs. Four types
      of tissue loss lesions consistent with disease were found: Porites multi-focal
      chronic tissue loss, Porites peeling tissue loss, Porites focal chronic tissue
      loss, and Dipsastrea focal sub-acute tissue loss. Overall disease prevalence was
      3.6% and there were significant differences in prevalence among the 3 most
      abundant coral genera. Acropora was numerically dominant within transects yet
      showed no signs of disease, whereas Porites had a 14% disease prevalence,
      indicating differential susceptibility to disease among genera. Other coral
      lesions included pigmentation response in Porites associated with algae invasion
      or boring organisms, sponge overgrowth, and mucus sheathing in Dipsastrea. The
      Persian Gulf region is understudied, and this represents one of the first
      quantitative surveys of coral health and disease on these reefs.

PMID- 28357989
TI  - Impact of new data for neutron-rich heavy nuclei on theoretical models for r
      process nucleosynthesis.
AB  - Current models for the r process are summarized with an emphasis on the key
      constraints from both nuclear physics measurements and astronomical observations.
      In particular, we analyze the importance of nuclear physics input such as beta
      decay rates; nuclear masses; neutron-capture cross sections; beta-delayed neutron
      emission; probability of spontaneous fission, beta- and neutron-induced fission,
      fission fragment mass distributions; neutrino-induced reaction cross sections,
      etc. We highlight the effects on models for r-process nucleosynthesis of newly
      measured beta-decay half-lives, masses, and spectroscopy of neutron-rich nuclei
      near the r-process path. We overview r-process nucleosynthesis in the neutrino
      driven wind above the proto-neutron star in core collapse supernovae along with
      the possibility of magneto-hydrodynamic jets from rotating supernova explosion
      models. We also consider the possibility of neutron star mergers as an r-process
      environment. A key outcome of newly measured nuclear properties far from
      stability is the degree of shell quenching for neutron rich isotopes near the
      closed neutron shells. This leads to important constraints on the sites for r
      process nucleosynthesis in which freezeout occurs on a rapid timescale.

PMID- 28357988
TI  - Isolation of Lacinutrix venerupis strains associated with disease outbreaks in
      sea bream Sparus aurata and European sea bass Dicentrarchus labrax.
AB  - Four Gram-negative bacterial isolates were recovered from 2 disease outbreaks
      that occurred in 2013 affecting European sea bass Dicentrarchus labrax fry and
      sea bream Sparus aurata adults. Main symptoms were erratic swimming, eroded fins
      and, in the sea bream outbreak, haemorrhages on the body surface; bacteria were
      always recovered from internal organs, almost in pure culture. On the basis of
      phenotypic characterization and 16S rRNA gene sequence analysis, the isolates
      were identified as Lacinutrix venerupis, a bacterium not previously reported as a
      fish pathogen. The highest 16S rDNA sequence similarities were recorded with the
      type strain of this species (99.9-100% similarity), while other species showed
      similarities below 97%, the closest relative being L. mariniflava (96.3%
      similarity). Phenotypic characterization showed some discrepancies with the L.
      venerupis type strain (mainly in BIOLOG GN profile); however, DNA-DNA
      hybridization assays with L. venerupis and L. mariniflava type strains confirmed
      that these isolates belong to the former species (levels of DNA relatedness were
      98-100% and 38-50%, respectively). Finally, a virulence evaluation of the
      isolates using Senegalese sole Solea senegalensis fry was also performed;
      significant mortalities (80-100% mortality within 4 d) were recorded after
      intraperitoneal injection, but only with high doses of bacteria (107colony
      forming units fish-1). Further studies will be necessary to determine the
      importance of this species as a fish pathogen.

PMID- 28357990
TI  - Determination of intrinsic mobility of a bilayer oxide thin-film transistor by
      pulsed I-V method.
AB  - Amorphous oxide semiconductor thin-film transistors (TFT) have been considered as
      outstanding switch devices owing to their high mobility. However, because of
      their amorphous channel material with a certain level of density of states, a
      fast transient charging effect in an oxide TFT occurs, leading to an
      underestimation of the mobility value. In this paper, the effects of the fast
      charging of high-performance bilayer oxide semiconductor TFTs on mobility are
      examined in order to determine an accurate mobility extraction method. In
      addition, an approach based on a pulse I D -V G measurement method is proposed to
      determine the intrinsic mobility value. Even with the short pulse I D -V G
      measurement, a certain level of fast transient charge trapping cannot be avoided
      as long as the charge-trap start time is shorter than the pulse rising time.
      Using a pulse-amplitude-dependent threshold voltage characterization method, we
      estimated a correction factor for the apparent mobility, thus allowing us to
      determine the intrinsic mobility.

PMID- 28357992
TI  - Adsorption and diffusion of mono, di, and trivalent ions on two-dimensional TiS2.
AB  - A comparative study of the monovalent (Li, Na, and K) and multivalent (Be, Mg,
      Ca, and Al) metal ion adsorption and diffusion on an electronically semi-metallic
      two-dimensional nanosheet of 1T structured TiS2 is presented here to contribute
      to the search for abundant, cheap, and nontoxic ingredients for efficient
      rechargeable metal ion batteries. The total formation energy of the metal ion
      adsorption and the Bader charge analysis show that the divalent Mg and Ca ions
      can have a charge storage density double that of the monovalent Li, Na, and K
      ions, while the Be and Al ions form metallic clusters even at a low adsorption
      density because of their high bulk energies. The adsorption of Mg ions shows the
      lowest averaged open circuit voltage (0.13 V). The activation energy barriers for
      the diffusion of metal ions on the surface of the monolayer successively decrease
      from Li to K and Be to Ca. Mg and Ca, being divalent, are capable of storing a
      higher power density than Li while K and Na have a higher rate capability than
      the Li ions. Therefore, rechargeable Li ion batteries can be totally or partially
      replaceable by Mg ion batteries, where high power density and high cell voltage
      are required, while the abundant, cheap, and fast Na ions can be used for green
      grid applications.

PMID- 28357991
TI  - A new multivariate empirical mode decomposition method for improving the
      performance of SSVEP-based brain-computer interface.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: Accurate and efficient detection of steady-state visual evoked
      potentials (SSVEP) in electroencephalogram (EEG) is essential for the related
      brain-computer interface (BCI) applications. APPROACH: Although the canonical
      correlation analysis (CCA) has been applied extensively and successfully to SSVEP
      recognition, the spontaneous EEG activities and artifacts that often occur during
      data recording can deteriorate the recognition performance. Therefore, it is
      meaningful to extract a few frequency sub-bands of interest to avoid or reduce
      the influence of unrelated brain activity and artifacts. This paper presents an
      improved method to detect the frequency component associated with SSVEP using
      multivariate empirical mode decomposition (MEMD) and CCA (MEMD-CCA). EEG signals
      from nine healthy volunteers were recorded to evaluate the performance of the
      proposed method for SSVEP recognition. MAIN RESULTS: We compared our method with
      CCA and temporally local multivariate synchronization index (TMSI). The results
      suggest that the MEMD-CCA achieved significantly higher accuracy in contrast to
      standard CCA and TMSI. It gave the improvements of 1.34%, 3.11%, 3.33%, 10.45%,
      15.78%, 18.45%, 15.00% and 14.22% on average over CCA at time windows from 0.5 s
      to 5 s and 0.55%, 1.56%, 7.78%, 14.67%, 13.67%, 7.33% and 7.78% over TMSI from
      0.75 s to 5 s. The method outperformed the filter-based decomposition (FB),
      empirical mode decomposition (EMD) and wavelet decomposition (WT) based CCA for
      SSVEP recognition. SIGNIFICANCE: The results demonstrate the ability of our
      proposed MEMD-CCA to improve the performance of SSVEP-based BCI.

PMID- 28357993
TI  - Fabrication of fluorescent composite hydrogel using in situ synthesis of
      upconversion nanoparticles.
AB  - Fluorescent composite hydrogels have found widespread applications, especially in
      spatial and temporal monitoring of in vivo hydrogel behaviors via the emitting
      optical signal. However, most existing fluorescent composite hydrogels suffer
      from limited capability of deep tissue imaging and complicated fabrication
      routes. We herein report a facile method for fabricating fluorescent composite
      hydrogels based on the in situ synthesis of NaYF4:Yb, Er upconversion
      nanoparticles (UCNPs). This approach employs polyacrylamide (PAAm) hydrogels as a
      template, where the interconnected pores within the hydrogel act as nanoreactors
      to confine the growth of nanocrystals. We then obtained a fluorescent composite
      hydrogel exhibiting upconversion fluorescence and enhanced mechanical properties.
      The fluorescence spectra show that the fluorescence intensity decreases with
      decreasing size of the UCNPs. We investigated the relationship between the
      optical properties of the fluorescent composite hydrogel and the incorporated
      UCNPs based on the morphology, size, and distribution of the UCNPs by using
      scanning electron microscopy and transmission electron microscopy. In addition,
      we demonstrated the applicability of the synthesized hydrogel for deep tissue
      imaging through an in vitro tissue penetration experiment. Compressive and
      dynamic rheological testing reveal enhanced mechanical properties with increasing
      UCNP concentration. The fabricated upconversion fluorescent composite hydrogel
      may pave the way for monitoring the in vivo behavior of biomimetic materials via
      deep tissue imaging.

PMID- 28357994
TI  - Rapid quantification of live/dead lactic acid bacteria in probiotic products
      using high-sensitivity flow cytometry.
AB  - A laboratory-built high-sensitivity flow cytometer (HSFCM) was employed for the
      rapid and accurate detection of lactic acid bacteria (LAB) and their viability in
      probiotic products. LAB were stained with both the cell membrane-permeable SYTO 9
      green-fluorescent nucleic acid stain and the red-fluorescent nucleic acid stain,
      propidium iodide, which penetrates only bacteria with compromised membranes. The
      side scatter and dual-color fluorescence signals of single bacteria were detected
      simultaneously by the HSFCM. Ultra-high temperature processing milk and skim milk
      spiked with Lactobacillus casei were used as the model systems for the
      optimization of sample pretreatment and staining. The viable LAB counts measured
      by the HSFCM were in good agreement with those of the plate count method, and the
      measured ratios between the live and dead LAB matched well with the theoretical
      ratios. The established method was successfully applied to the rapid
      quantification of live/dead LAB in yogurts and fermented milk beverages of
      different brands. Moreover, the concentration and viability status of LAB in
      ambient yogurt, a relatively new yet popular milk product in China, are also
      reported.

PMID- 28357995
TI  - Recent advances in the spin Hall effect of light.
AB  - The spin Hall effect (SHE) of light, as an analogue of the SHE in electronic
      systems, is a promising candidate for investigating the SHE in semiconductor
      spintronics/valleytronics, high-energy physics and condensed matter physics,
      owing to their similar topological nature in the spin-orbit interaction. The SHE
      of light exhibits unique potential for exploring the physical properties of
      nanostructures, such as determining the optical thickness, and the material
      properties of metallic and magnetic thin films and even atomically thin two
      dimensional materials. More importantly, it opens a possible pathway for
      controlling the spin states of photons and developing next-generation photonic
      spin Hall devices as a fundamental constituent of the emerging spinoptics. In
      this review, based on the viewpoint of the geometric phase gradient, we give a
      detailed presentation of the recent advances in the SHE of light and its
      applications in precision metrology and future spin-based photonics.

PMID- 28357996
TI  - Doxycycline-loaded coaxial nanofiber coating of titanium implants enhances
      osseointegration and inhibits Staphylococcus aureus infection.
AB  - Few studies have been reported that focus on developing implant surface nanofiber
      (NF) coating to prevent infection and enhance osseointegration by local drug
      release. In this study, coaxial doxycycline (Doxy)-doped
      polycaprolactone/polyvinyl alcohol (PCL/PVA) NFs were directly deposited on a
      titanium (Ti) implant surface during electrospinning. The interaction of loaded
      Doxy with both PVA and PCL NFs was characterized by Raman spectroscopy. The
      bonding strength of Doxy-doped NF coating on Ti implants was confirmed by a stand
      single-pass scratch test. The improved implant osseointegration by PCL/PVA NF
      coatings in vivo was confirmed by scanning electron microscopy, histomorphometry
      and micro computed tomography (MUCT) at 2, 4 and 8 weeks after implantation. The
      bone contact surface (%) changes of the NF coating group (80%) is significantly
      higher than that of the no NF group (<5%, p < 0.05). Finally, we demonstrated
      that a Doxy-doped NF coating effectively inhibited bacterial infection and
      enhanced osseointegration in an infected (Staphylococcus aureus) tibia
      implantation rat model. Doxy released from NF coating inhibited bacterial growth
      up to 8 weeks in vivo. The maximal push-in force of the Doxy-NF coating (38 N) is
      much higher than that of the NF coating group (6.5 N) 8 weeks after implantation
      (p < 0.05), which was further confirmed by quantitative histological analysis and
      MUCT. These findings indicate that coaxial PCL/PVA NF coating doped with Doxy
      and/or other drugs have great potential in enhancing implant osseointegration and
      preventing infection.

PMID- 28357997
TI  - Effects of Acupuncture on mRNA Levels of Apoptotic Factors in Perihematomal Brain
      Tissue During the Acute Phase of Cerebral Hemorrhage.
AB  - BACKGROUND To explore the time-dependent effects of acupuncture on mRNA levels of
      the apoptotic factors BCL-2 and BAX in a rat cerebral hemorrhage model, slow
      injection of autologous blood to the caudate nucleus was used to generate the
      cerebral hemorrhage model. MATERIAL AND METHODS A sham surgery control group,
      groups with acupuncture applied 3, 9, 24, and 48 hours after model induction, and
      time-matched model-only control groups were used. In situ hybridization was used
      to detect BCL-2 and BAX mRNA expression, and semi-quantitative RT-PCR was used to
      measure the expression. RESULTS The number of BCL-2 and BAX mRNA-positive cells
      significantly increased during the acute phase of cerebral hemorrhage. BCL-2 mRNA
      was significantly upregulated in acupuncture groups compared to other groups,
      whereas BAX mRNA levels in the acupuncture groups were lower in the other groups,
      except for the sham surgery group. Additionally, earlier acupuncture intervention
      was associated with a lower ratio of expression between the two genes. Changes in
      BCL-2 and BAX mRNA expression were consistent with changes in the number of cells
      positive for BCL-2 and BAX mRNA; however, the change in the expression ratio was
      consistent with the change in the number of cells positive for BCL-2 mRNA, but
      opposite to the change in the number of cells positive for BAX mRNA. CONCLUSIONS
      Acupuncture ameliorated changes in expression of apoptotic factors in the brain
      induced by acute cerebral hemorrhage and may thus protect the brain, with greater
      efficacy when the delay before acupuncture was minimized.

PMID- 28357998
TI  - Incidence of atrial fibrillation and its risk prediction model based on a
      prospective urban Han Chinese cohort.
AB  - Prediction models of atrial fibrillation (AF) have been developed; however, there
      was no AF prediction model validated in Chinese population. Therefore, we aimed
      to investigate the incidence of AF in urban Han Chinese health check-up
      population, as well as to develop AF prediction models using behavioral,
      anthropometric, biochemical, electrocardiogram (ECG) markers, as well as visit-to
      visit variability (VVV) in blood pressures available in the routine health check
      up. A total of 33 186 participants aged 45-85 years and free of AF at baseline
      were included in this cohort, to follow up for incident AF with an annually
      routine health check-up. Cox regression models were used to develop AF prediction
      model and 10-fold cross-validation was used to test the discriminatory accuracy
      of prediction model. We developed three prediction models, with age, sex, history
      of coronary heart disease (CHD), hypertension as predictors for simple model,
      with left high-amplitude waves, premature beats added for ECG model, and with
      age, sex, history of CHD and VVV in systolic and diabolic blood pressures as
      predictors for VVV model, to estimate risk of incident AF. The calibration of our
      models ranged from 1.001 to 1.004 (P for Hosmer Lemeshow test >0.05). The area
      under receiver operator characteristics curve were 78%, 80% and 82%,
      respectively, for predicting risk of AF. In conclusion, we have identified
      predictors of incident AF and developed prediction models for AF with variables
      readily available in routine health check-up.

PMID- 28357999
TI  - Epithelial tension in the second heart field promotes mouse heart tube
      elongation.
AB  - Extension of the vertebrate heart tube is driven by progressive addition of
      second heart field (SHF) progenitor cells to the poles of the heart. Defects in
      this process cause a spectrum of congenital anomalies. SHF cells form an
      epithelial layer in splanchnic mesoderm in the dorsal wall of the pericardial
      cavity. Here we report oriented cell elongation, polarized actomyosin
      distribution and nuclear YAP/TAZ in a proliferative centre in the posterior
      dorsal pericardial wall during heart tube extension. These parameters are
      indicative of mechanical stress, further supported by analysis of cell shape
      changes in wound assays. Time course and mutant analysis identifies SHF
      deployment as a source of epithelial tension. Moreover, cell division and
      oriented growth in the dorsal pericardial wall align with the axis of cell
      elongation, suggesting that epithelial tension in turn contributes to heart tube
      extension. Our results implicate tissue-level forces in the regulation of heart
      tube extension.

PMID- 28358000
TI  - The Par3 polarity protein is an exocyst receptor essential for mammary cell
      survival.
AB  - The exocyst is an essential component of the secretory pathway required for
      delivery of basolateral proteins to the plasma membranes of epithelial cells.
      Delivery occurs adjacent to tight junctions (TJ), suggesting that it recognizes a
      receptor at this location. However, no such receptor has been identified. The
      Par3 polarity protein associates with TJs but has no known function in membrane
      traffic. We now show that, unexpectedly, Par3 is essential for mammary cell
      survival. Par3 silencing causes apoptosis, triggered by phosphoinositide
      trisphosphate depletion and decreased Akt phosphorylation, resulting from failure
      of the exocyst to deliver basolateral proteins to the cortex. A small region of
      PAR3 binds directly to Exo70 and is sufficient for exocyst docking, membrane
      protein delivery and cell survival. PAR3 lacking this domain can associate with
      the cortex but cannot support exocyst function. We conclude that Par3 is the long
      sought exocyst receptor required for targeted membrane-protein delivery.

PMID- 28358003
TI  - Loss of anti-contractile effect of perivascular adipose tissue in offspring of
      obese rats.
AB  - This corrects the article DOI: 10.1038/ijo.2016.62.

PMID- 28358001
TI  - SGK1 affects RAN/RANBP1/RANGAP1 via SP1 to play a critical role in pre-miRNA
      nuclear export: a new route of epigenomic regulation.
AB  - The serum- and glucocorticoid-regulated kinase (SGK1) controls cell
      transformation and tumor progression. SGK1 affects mitotic stability by
      regulating the expression of RANBP1/RAN. Here, we demonstrate that SGK1
      fluctuations indirectly modify the maturation of pre-miRNAs, by modulating the
      equilibrium of the RAN/RANBP1/RANGAP1 axis, the main regulator of nucleo
      cytoplasmic transport. The levels of pre-miRNAs and mature miRNAs were assessed
      by qRT-PCR, in total extracts and after differential nuclear/cytoplasmic
      extraction. RANBP1 expression is the limiting step in the regulation of SGK1-SP1
      dependent nuclear export. These results were validated in unrelated tumor models
      and primary human fibroblasts and corroborated in tumor-engrafted nude mice. The
      levels of pri-miRNAs, DROSHA, DICER and the compartmental distribution of XPO5
      were documented. Experiments using RANGTP conformational antibodies confirmed
      that SGK1, through RANBP1, decreases the level of the GTP-bound state of RAN.
      This novel mechanism may play a role in the epigenomic regulation of cell
      physiology and fate.

PMID- 28358002
TI  - Pressure modulates the self-cleavage step of the hairpin ribozyme.
AB  - The ability of certain RNAs, denoted as ribozymes, to not only store genetic
      information but also catalyse chemical reactions gave support to the RNA world
      hypothesis as a putative step in the development of early life on Earth. This,
      however, might have evolved under extreme environmental conditions, including the
      deep sea with pressures in the kbar regime. Here we study pressure-induced
      effects on the self-cleavage of hairpin ribozyme by following structural changes
      in real-time. Our results suggest that compression of the ribozyme leads to an
      accelerated transesterification reaction, being the self-cleavage step, although
      the overall process is retarded in the high-pressure regime. The results reveal
      that favourable interactions between the reaction site and neighbouring
      nucleobases are strengthened under pressure, resulting therefore in an
      accelerated self-cleavage step upon compression. These results suggest that
      properly engineered ribozymes may also act as piezophilic biocatalysts in
      addition to their hitherto known properties.

PMID- 28358004
TI  - Epidemic trend of periodontal disease in elderly Chinese population, 1987-2015: a
      systematic review and meta-analysis.
AB  - Periodontal disease is a common oral health problem in the elderly population.
      The prevalence varied substantially due to absence of a universal diagnostic
      criteria. We conducted a systematic review to identify the epidemiological
      characteristics of periodontal diseases among Chinese elderly people. A total of
      19 articles were included. The pooled detection rates for three indicators,
      including bleeding on probing (BOP), pocket depth (PD) and clinical attachment
      loss (CAL), were 53.9% (95% CI: 43.8-63.9%), 57.0% (50.8-63.2%), and 70.1% (65.4
      74.8%), respectively. No significant differences in these indicators between
      urban and rural population. When stratified by gender, BOP (+) detection rates
      did not show any differences, but the detection rates of PD >= 4 mm and CAL >= 4
      mm were significantly higher in males than in females (59.3% [53.4-65.2%] versus
      50.8% [43.5-58.0%], RRPD = 1.13 [1.01-1.26]; 73.8% [70.0-77.7%] versus 65.2%
      [60.2-70.2%], RRCAL = 1.21 [1.11-1.32]). No statistically significant differences
      were observed between CAL >= 4 mm and PD >= 4 mm (RR = 1.12, [0.83-1.50]). A
      geographical map based on available data during 1987-2015 showed wide variations
      of periodontal disease across the mainland China. Some factors such as
      heterogeneity of case definitions, no specific diagnosis of periodontitis, and
      variable quality of the included studies could affect the final results. Hence,
      further high-quality epidemiological studies with standardized diagnostic
      criteria are needed.

PMID- 28358005
TI  - Structural intermediates and directionality of the swiveling motion of Pyruvate
      Phosphate Dikinase.
AB  - Pyruvate phosphate dikinase (PPDK) is a vital enzyme in cellular energy
      metabolism catalyzing the ATP- and Pi-dependent formation of phosphoenolpyruvate
      from pyruvate in C4 -plants, but the reverse reaction forming ATP in bacteria and
      protozoa. The multi-domain enzyme is considered an efficient molecular machine
      that performs one of the largest single domain movements in proteins. However, a
      comprehensive understanding of the proposed swiveling domain motion has been
      limited by not knowing structural intermediates or molecular dynamics of the
      catalytic process. Here, we present crystal structures of PPDKs from Flaveria, a
      model genus for studying the evolution of C4 -enzymes from phylogenetic
      ancestors. These structures resolve yet unknown conformational intermediates and
      provide the first detailed view on the large conformational transitions of the
      protein in the catalytic cycle. Independently performed unrestrained MD
      simulations and configurational free energy calculations also identified these
      intermediates. In all, our experimental and computational data reveal strict
      coupling of the CD swiveling motion to the conformational state of the NBD.
      Moreover, structural asymmetries and nucleotide binding states in the PPDK dimer
      support an alternate binding change mechanism for this intriguing bioenergetic
      enzyme.

PMID- 28358006
TI  - Specialist nectar-yeasts decline with urbanization in Berlin.
AB  - Nectar yeasts are common inhabitants of insect-pollinated flowers but factors
      determining their distribution are not well understood. We studied the influence
      of host identity, environmental factors related to pollution/urbanization, and
      the distance to a target beehive on local distribution of nectar yeasts within
      Robinia pseudoacacia L. and Tilia tomentosa Moench in Berlin, Germany. Nectar
      samples of six individuals per species were collected at seven sites in a 2 km
      radius from each target beehive and plated on YM-Agar to visualise the different
      morphotypes, which were then identified by sequencing a section of the 26S rDNA
      gene. Multivariate linear models were used to analyze the effects of all
      investigated factors on yeast occurrence per tree. Yeast distribution was mainly
      driven by host identity. The influence of the environmental factors (NO2, height
      of construction, soil sealing) strongly depended on the radius around the tree,
      similar to the distance of the sampled beehive. Incidence of specialist nectar
      borne yeast species decreased with increasing pollution/urbanization index. Given
      that specialist yeast species gave way to generalist yeasts that have a reduced
      dependency on pollinators for between-flower dispersal, our results indicate that
      increased urbanization may restrict the movement of nectar-specialized yeasts,
      via limitations of pollinator foraging behavior.

PMID- 28358007
TI  - Cholesterol-mediated allosteric regulation of the mitochondrial translocator
      protein structure.
AB  - Cholesterol is an important regulator of membrane protein function. However, the
      exact mechanisms involved in this process are still not fully understood. Here we
      study how the tertiary and quaternary structure of the mitochondrial translocator
      protein TSPO, which binds cholesterol with nanomolar affinity, is affected by
      this sterol. Residue-specific analysis of TSPO by solid-state NMR spectroscopy
      reveals a dynamic monomer-dimer equilibrium of TSPO in the membrane. Binding of
      cholesterol to TSPO's cholesterol-recognition motif leads to structural changes
      across the protein that shifts the dynamic equilibrium towards the translocator
      monomer. Consistent with an allosteric mechanism, a mutation within the
      oligomerization interface perturbs transmembrane regions located up to 35 A away
      from the interface, reaching TSPO's cholesterol-binding motif. The lower
      structural stability of the intervening transmembrane regions provides a
      mechanistic basis for signal transmission. Our study thus reveals an allosteric
      signal pathway that connects membrane protein tertiary and quaternary structure
      with cholesterol binding.

PMID- 28358010
TI  - High Speed Computational Ghost Imaging via Spatial Sweeping.
AB  - Computational ghost imaging (CGI) achieves single-pixel imaging by using a
      Spatial Light Modulator (SLM) to generate structured illuminations for spatially
      resolved information encoding. The imaging speed of CGI is limited by the
      modulation frequency of available SLMs, and sets back its practical applications.
      This paper proposes to bypass this limitation by trading off SLM's redundant
      spatial resolution for multiplication of the modulation frequency. Specifically,
      a pair of galvanic mirrors sweeping across the high resolution SLM multiply the
      modulation frequency within the spatial resolution gap between SLM and the final
      reconstruction. A proof-of-principle setup with two middle end galvanic mirrors
      achieves ghost imaging as fast as 42 Hz at 80 * 80-pixel resolution, 5 times
      faster than state-of-the-arts, and holds potential for one magnitude further
      multiplication by hardware upgrading. Our approach brings a significant
      improvement in the imaging speed of ghost imaging and pushes ghost imaging
      towards practical applications.

PMID- 28358009
TI  - An Improved Racetrack Structure for Transporting a Skyrmion.
AB  - Magnetic skyrmions are promising building blocks for next generation data storage
      due to their stability, small size and extremely low currents to drive them,
      which can be used instead of traditional magnetic domain walls to store
      information as data bits in metalic racetrack memories. However, skyrmions can
      drift from the direction of electron flow due to the Magnus force and thus may
      annihilate at the racetrack edges, resulting in the loss of information. Here we
      propose a new skyrmion-based racetrack structure by adding high-K materials
      (materials with high magnetic crystalline anisotropy) at the edges, which
      confines the skyrmions in the center region of the metalic racetrack efficiently.
      This design can overcome both the clogging and annihilation of skyrmions
      according to our micromagnetic simulation, which occur normally for skyrmions
      moving on a racetrack under small and large driving currents, respectively. Phase
      diagrams for skyrmion motion on the proposed racetrack with various values of
      current density and racetrack edge width have been calculated and given, showing
      that skyrmions can be driven at a high speed (about 300 m/s) in the racetrack
      under relatively smaller driving currents. This design offers the possiblity of
      building an ultrafast and energy-efficient skyrmion transport device.

PMID- 28358008
TI  - Modified SJH alleviates FFAs-induced hepatic steatosis through leptin signaling
      pathways.
AB  - Samjunghwan (SJH) is an herbal formula used in traditional Korean medicine. This
      prescription has long been used in treatment of aging and lifestyle diseases. The
      current study showed the effect and mechanisms of anti-hepatic steatosis action
      of modified SJH (mSJH) in vitro and in vivo. Treatment with mSJH resulted in
      significantly decreased intracellular lipid accumulation in steatosis-induced
      cells. Furthermore, mSJH triggered the phosphorylation of AMP-activated protein
      kinase and acetyl-CoA carboxylase as well as increased the expression of leptin
      at both protein and gene levels. In addition, C57BL6 mice fed high-fat diet (HFD)
      showed significant improvements in body, liver weights and fat weights; and
      serum, hepatic and fecal lipid parameters in response to the treatment with mSJH.
      Furthermore, mSJH showed favorable effects on the hepatic expression of several
      genes related to lipid metabolism. Betaine, one of constituents of mSJH exerted
      fundamental beneficial impact on FFAs-induced cells. However, the beneficial
      effects of mSJH were diminished upon blocking of leptin signaling by
      dexamethasone, suggesting the leptin signaling as a key component in mSJH
      mediated modulation of lipid homeostasis. Our results suggest that mSJH exerts an
      anti-hepatic steatosis effect via activation of leptin and associated signaling
      cascades related to lipid metabolism.

PMID- 28358011
TI  - STITCHER 2.0: primer design for overlapping PCR applications.
AB  - Overlapping polymerase chain reaction (PCR) is a common technique used by
      researchers in very diverse fields that enables the user to 'stitch' individual
      pieces of DNA together. Previously, we have reported a web based tool called
      STITCHER that provides a platform for researchers to automate the design of
      primers for overlapping PCR applications. Here we present STITCHER 2.0, which
      represents a substantial update to STITCHER. STITCHER 2.0 is a newly designed web
      tool that automates the design of primers for overlapping PCR. Unlike STITCHER,
      STITCHER 2.0 considers diverse algorithmic parameters, and returns multiple
      result files that include a facility for the user to draw their own primers as
      well as comprehensive visual guides to the user's input, output, and designed
      primers. These result files provide greater control and insight during
      experimental design and troubleshooting. STITCHER 2.0 is freely available to all
      users without signup or login requirements and can be accessed at the following
      webpage: www.ohalloranlab.net/STITCHER2.html.

PMID- 28358012
TI  - Suppression of FOXM1 Transcriptional Activities via a Single-Stranded DNA Aptamer
      Generated by SELEX.
AB  - The transcription factor FOXM1 binds to its consensus sequence at promoters
      through its DNA binding domain (DBD) and activates proliferation-associated
      genes. The aberrant overexpression of FOXM1 correlates with tumorigenesis and
      progression of many cancers. Inhibiting FOXM1 transcriptional activities is
      proposed as a potential therapeutic strategy for cancer treatment. In this study,
      we obtained a FOXM1-specific single stranded DNA aptamer (FOXM1 Apt) by SELEX
      with a recombinant FOXM1 DBD protein as the target of selection. The binding of
      FOXM1 Apt to FOXM1 proteins were confirmed with electrophoretic mobility shift
      assays (EMSAs) and fluorescence polarization (FP) assays. Phosphorthioate
      modified FOXM1 Apt (M-FOXM1 Apt) bound to FOXM1 as wild type FOXM1 Apt, and co
      localized with FOXM1 in nucleus. M-FOXM1-Apt abolished the binding of FOXM1 on
      its consensus binding sites and suppressed FOXM1 transcriptional activities.
      Compared with the RNA interference of FOXM1 in cancer cells, M-FOXM1 Apt
      repressed cell proliferation and the expression of FOXM1 target genes without
      changing FOXM1 levels. Our results suggest that the obtained FOXM1 Apt could be
      used as a probe for FOXM1 detection and an inhibitor of FOXM1 transcriptional
      functions in cancer cells at the same time, providing a potential reagent for
      cancer diagnosis and treatment in the future.

PMID- 28358013
TI  - Characterization of three-dimensional field distribution of bowtie aperture using
      quasi-spherical waves and surface plasmon polaritons.
AB  - We present an analytical formula to predict the three-dimensional field
      distribution of a nanoscale bowtie aperture using quasi-spherical waves (QSWs)
      and surface plasmon polaritons, which are excited by the fundamental waveguide
      mode and local plasmons of the aperture, respectively. Assuming two separate
      bowtie apertures in a metal film, we analysed the decay characteristics of QSWs
      using a finite difference time-domain method. To verify the formula, we recorded
      the spot patterns of the bowtie aperture on a photoresist film using various
      exposure times, and fit the patterns to the analytical formula in terms of the
      width and depth of the patterns. In addition, it was found that the formula
      successfully represented the dipole characteristics of the spot patterns, which
      were in agreement with the surface geometry, with a root-mean-square error of
      9.4%. We expect that our theoretical formula will extend the potential
      applications of nanoscale bowtie apertures to plasmonic device fabrication, three
      dimensional plasmonic lithography, and other technologies.

PMID- 28358015
TI  - Prevalence, Awareness, Treatment, and Control of Hypertension among Kazakhs with
      high Salt Intake in Xinjiang, China: A Community-based Cross-sectional Study.
AB  - Hypertension is a leading cause of death worldwide; data on hypertension among
      ethnic minorities in China are sparse. This study aimed to estimate hypertension
      prevalence, awareness, treatment, and control in a Kazakh population, and to
      assess the association between salt intake and the above measures. A cross
      sectional survey was conducted among Kazakh adults (>=30 years old) in the town
      of Hongdun, Altay, Xinjiang. Survey procedures included a questionnaire, physical
      measurement, and laboratory tests. Of 1805 eligible individuals, 1668 (92.4%)
      were included in the analysis. After adjustment for gender, age, and occupation,
      prevalence of hypertension was 45.5%. The proportions with awareness, treatment,
      control, or medication-control were 61.0%, 28.8%, 2.9% and 10.1%, respectively.
      Higher prevalence was seen among nomads and farmers (50.7% and 44.6%,
      respectively). However, the proportions with treatment or control were lower than
      seen among urban citizens. Hypertension prevalence was higher in those with
      higher salt intake (p = 0.0008). In contrast, the proportions with awareness (p =
      0.0389), treatment (p = 0.0010), control (p = 0.0503), and medication-control (p
      = 0.2012) reduced as salt intake increased. In conclusion, hypertension
      prevalence is high in this population, but the proportions with awareness,
      treatment, or control are sub-optimal. Public health interventions that improve
      hypertension prevention and control, particularly among nomads, is needed.

PMID- 28358014
TI  - Untargeted metabolomics analysis reveals key pathways responsible for the
      synergistic killing of colistin and doripenem combination against Acinetobacter
      baumannii.
AB  - Combination therapy is deployed for the treatment of multidrug-resistant
      Acinetobacter baumannii, as it can rapidly develop resistance to current
      antibiotics. This is the first study to investigate the synergistic effect of
      colistin/doripenem combination on the metabolome of A. baumannii. The metabolite
      levels were measured using LC-MS following treatment with colistin (2 mg/L) or
      doripenem (25 mg/L) alone, and their combination at 15 min, 1 hr and 4 hr (n =
      4). Colistin caused early (15 min and 1 hr) disruption of the bacterial outer
      membrane and cell wall, as demonstrated by perturbation of glycerophospholipids
      and fatty acids. Concentrations of peptidoglycan biosynthesis metabolites
      decreased at 4 hr by doripenem alone, reflecting its mechanism of action. The
      combination induced significant changes to more key metabolic pathways relative
      to either monotherapy. Down-regulation of cell wall biosynthesis (via D
      sedoheptulose 7-phosphate) and nucleotide metabolism (via D-ribose 5-phosphate)
      was associated with perturbations in the pentose phosphate pathway induced
      initially by colistin (15 min and 1 hr) and later by doripenem (4 hr). We
      discovered that the combination synergistically killed A. baumannii via time
      dependent inhibition of different key metabolic pathways. Our study highlights
      the significant potential of systems pharmacology in elucidating the mechanism of
      synergy and optimizing antibiotic pharmacokinetics/pharmacodynamics.

PMID- 28358016
TI  - Plasma Apolipoprotein A-V Predicts Long-term Survival in Chronic Hepatitis B
      Patients with Acute-on-Chronic Liver Failure.
AB  - Hepatitis B virus-related acute-on-chronic liver failure (HBV-ACLF) is a life
      threatening condition, and the lipid metabolism disorder is common in the
      development of this disease. This prospective observational study aimed to define
      the characteristics of plasma apolipoprotein A-V (apoA-V) in long-term outcome
      prediction of HBV-ACLF, and a total of 330 HBV-ACLF patients were included and
      followed for more than 12 months. In this cohort, the 4-week, 12-week, 24-week
      and 48-week cumulative mortality of HBV-ACLF was 18.2%(60/330), 50.9%(168/330),
      59.7%(197/330) and 63.3%(209/330), respectively. As compared to survivors, the
      non-survivors had significantly lower concentrations of plasma apoA-V on
      admission. Plasma apoA-V concentrations were positively correlated with
      prothrombin time activity (PTA), and negatively correlated with interleukin-10,
      tumor necrosis factor-alpha, and iMELD scores. Though plasma apoA-V, PTA, total
      bilirubin(TBil) and blood urea nitrogen(BUN) were all independent factors to
      predict one-year outcomes of HBV-ACLF, plasma apoA-V had the highest prediction
      accuracy. And its optimal cutoff value for one-year survival prediction was
      480.00 ng/mL, which had a positive predictive value of 84.68% and a negative
      predictive value of 92.23%. In summary, plasma apoA-V decreases significantly in
      non-survivors of HBV-ACLF, and it may be regarded as a new predictive marker for
      the prognosis of patients with HBV-ACLF.

PMID- 28358018
TI  - Irreversibility transition of colloidal polycrystals under cyclic deformation.
AB  - Cyclically loaded disordered particle systems, such as granular packings and
      amorphous media, display a non-equilibrium phase transition towards
      irreversibility. Here, we investigate numerically the cyclic deformation of a
      colloidal polycrystal with impurities and reveal a transition to irreversible
      behavior driven by the displacement of dislocations. At the phase transition we
      observe enhanced particle diffusion, system size effects and broadly distributed
      strain bursts. In addition to provide an analogy between the deformation of
      amorphous and polycrystalline materials, our results allow to reinterpret Zener
      pinning of grain boundaries as a way to prevent the onset of irreversible crystal
      ordering.

PMID- 28358017
TI  - Electron tomographic analysis reveals ultrastructural features of mitochondrial
      cristae architecture which reflect energetic state and aging.
AB  - Within mitochondria, the ability to produce energy relies upon the architectural
      hallmarks of double membranes and cristae invaginations. Herein, we describe
      novel features of mitochondrial cristae structure, which correspond to the
      energetic state of the organelle. In concordance with high-energy demand,
      mitochondria of Drosophila indirect flight muscle exhibited extensive intra
      mitochondrial membrane switches between densely packed lamellar cristae that
      resulted in a spiral-like cristae network and allowed for bidirectional matrix
      confluency. This highly interconnected architecture is expected to allow rapid
      equilibration of membrane potential and biomolecules across integrated regions.
      In addition, mutant flies with mtDNA replication defect and an accelerated aging
      phenotype accumulated mitochondria that contained subsections of swirling
      membrane alongside normal cristae. The swirling membrane had impaired energy
      production capacity as measured by protein composition and function. Furthermore,
      mitochondrial fusion and fission dynamics were affected in the prematurely aged
      flies. Interestingly, the normal cristae that remained in the mitochondria with
      swirling membranes maintained acceptable function that camouflaged them from
      quality control elimination. Overall, structural features of mitochondrial
      cristae were described in three-dimension from serial section electron
      tomographic analysis which reflect energetic state and mtDNA-mediated aging.

PMID- 28358019
TI  - Scaling trends and performance evaluation of 2-dimensional polarity-controllable
      FETs.
AB  - Two-dimensional semiconducting materials of the transition-metal-dichalcogenide
      family, such as MoS2 and WSe2, have been intensively investigated in the past few
      years, and are considered as viable candidates for next-generation electronic
      devices. In this paper, for the first time, we study scaling trends and evaluate
      the performances of polarity-controllable devices realized with undoped mono- and
      bi-layer 2D materials. Using ballistic self-consistent quantum simulations, it is
      shown that, with the suitable channel material, such polarity-controllable
      technology can scale down to 5 nm gate lengths, while showing performances
      comparable to the ones of unipolar, physically-doped 2D electronic devices.

PMID- 28358020
TI  - NMR-based metabolomics Reveals Alterations of Electro-acupuncture Stimulations on
      Chronic Atrophic Gastritis Rats.
AB  - Chronic atrophic gastritis (CAG) is a common gastrointestinal disease which has
      been considered as precancerous lesions of gastric carcinoma. Previously, electro
      acupuncture stimulation has been shown to be effective in ameliorating symptoms
      of CAG. However the underlying mechanism of this beneficial treatment is yet to
      be established. In the present study, an integrated histopathological examination
      along with molecular biological assay, as well as 1H NMR analysis of multiple
      biological samples (urine, serum, stomach, cortex and medulla) were employed to
      systematically assess the pathology of CAG and therapeutic effect of electro
      acupuncture stimulation at Sibai (ST 2), Liangmen (ST 21), and Zusanli (ST 36)
      acupoints located in the stomach meridian using a rat model of CAG. The current
      results showed that CAG caused comprehensive metabolic alterations including the
      TCA cycle, glycolysis, membrane metabolism and catabolism, gut microbiota-related
      metabolism. On the other hand, electro-acupuncture treatment was found able to
      normalize a number of CAG-induced metabolomics changes by alleviating membrane
      catabolism, restoring function of neurotransmitter in brain and partially reverse
      the CAG-induced perturbation in gut microbiota metabolism. These findings
      provided new insights into the biochemistry of CAG and mechanism of the
      therapeutic effect of electro-acupuncture stimulations.

PMID- 28358021
TI  - Degradation of topological surface state by nonmagnetic S doping in SrxBi2Se3.
AB  - Research on possible topological superconductivity has grown rapidly over the
      past several years, from fundamental studies to the development of next
      generation technologies. Recently, it has been reported that the SrxBi2Se3
      exhibits superconductivity with topological surface state, making this compound a
      promising candidate for investigating possible topological superconductivity.
      However, whether or not the topological surface state is robust against
      impurities is not clear in this system. Here we report a detailed investigation
      on the lattice structure, electronic and magnetic properties, as well as the
      topological superconducting properties of SrxBi2Se3-ySy samples. It is found that
      the superconducting transition temperature keeps nearly unchanged in all samples,
      despite of a gradual decrease of the superconducting shielding volume fraction
      with increasing S doping content. Meanwhile, the Shubnikov-de Hass oscillation
      results of the SrxBi2Se3-ySy samples reveal that the topological surface states
      are destroyed in S doped samples, suggesting the topological character is
      degraded by nonmagnetic dopants.

PMID- 28358022
TI  - Hot-Volumes as Uniform and Reproducible SERS-Detection Enhancers in Weakly
      Coupled Metallic Nanohelices.
AB  - Reproducible and enhanced optical detection of molecules in low concentrations
      demands simultaneously intense and homogeneous electric fields acting as robust
      signal amplifiers. To generate such sophisticated optical near-fields, different
      plasmonic nanostructures were investigated in recent years. These, however,
      exhibit either high enhancement factor (EF) or spatial homogeneity but not both.
      Small interparticle gaps or sharp nanostructures show enormous EFs but no near
      field homogeneity. Meanwhile, approaches using rounded and separated monomers
      create uniform near-fields with moderate EFs. Here, guided by numerical
      simulations, we show how arrays of weakly-coupled Ag nanohelices achieve both
      homogeneous and strong near-field enhancements, reaching even the limit
      forreproducible detection of individual molecules. The unique near-field
      distribution of a single nanohelix consists of broad hot-spots, merging with
      those from neighbouring nanohelices in specific array configurations and
      generating a wide and uniform detection zone ("hot-volume"). We experimentally
      assessed these nanostructures via surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy, obtaining
      a corresponding EF of ~107 and a relative standard deviation <10%. These values
      demonstrate arrays of nanohelices as state-of-the-art substrates for reproducible
      optical detection as well as compelling nanostructures for related fields such as
      near-field imaging.

PMID- 28358023
TI  - Relevance of secretor status genotype and microbiota composition in
      susceptibility to rotavirus and norovirus infections in humans.
AB  - Host genetic factors, such as histo-blood group antigens (HBGAs), are associated
      with susceptibility to norovirus (NoV) and rotavirus (RV) infections. Recent
      advances point to the gut microbiome as a key player necessary for a viral
      pathogen to cause infection. In vitro NoV attachment to host cells and resulting
      infections have been linked to interactions with certain bacterial types in the
      gut microbiota. We investigated the relationship between host genotype, gut
      microbiota, and viral infections. Saliva and fecal samples from 35 adult
      volunteers were analysed for secretor status genotype, the gut microbiota
      composition by 16S rRNA gene sequencing, and salivary IgA titers to NoV and RV.
      Higher levels of IgA against NoV and RV were related to secretor-positive status.
      No significant differences were found between the FUT2 genotype groups, although
      the multivariate analysis showed a significant impact of host genotype on
      specific viral susceptibilities in the microbiome composition. A specific link
      was found between the abundance of certain bacterial groups, such as
      Faecalibacterium and Ruminococcus spp., and lower IgA titers against NoV and RV.
      As a conclusion, we can state that there is a link between host genetics, gut
      microbiota, and susceptibility to viral infections in humans.

PMID- 28358024
TI  - Downregulation of LIMK1-ADF/cofilin by DADS inhibits the migration and invasion
      of colon cancer.
AB  - This study aimed to explore whether the downregulation of LIM kinase 1 (LIMK1)
      actin depolymerization factor (ADF, also known as destrin)/cofilin by diallyl
      disulfide (DADS) inhibited the migration and invasion of colon cancer. Previous
      studies have shown that silencing LIMK1 could significantly enhance the
      inhibitory effect of DADS on colon cancer cell migration and invasion, suggesting
      that LIMK1 was a target molecule of DADS, which needed further confirmation. This
      study reported that LIMK1 and destrin were highly expressed in colon cancer and
      associated with poor prognosis of patients with colon cancer. Also, the
      expression of LIMK1 was positively correlated with the expression of destrin. The
      overexpression of LIMK1 significantly promoted colon cancer cell migration and
      invasion. DADS obviously inhibited migration and invasion by suppressing the
      phosphorylation of ADF/cofilin via downregulation of LIMK1 in colon cancer cells.
      Furthermore, DADS-induced suppression of cell proliferation was enhanced and
      antagonized by the knockdown and overexpression of LIMK1 in vitro and in vivo,
      respectively. Similar results were observed for DADS-induced changes in the
      expression of vimentin, CD34, Ki-67, and E-cadherin in xenografted tumors. These
      results indicated that LIMK1 was a potential target molecule for the inhibitory
      effect of DADS on colon cancer cell migration and invasion.

PMID- 28358025
TI  - Qubit-flip-induced cavity mode squeezing in the strong dispersive regime of the
      quantum Rabi model.
AB  - Squeezed states of light are a set of nonclassical states in which the quantum
      fluctuations of one quadrature component are reduced below the standard quantum
      limit. With less noise than the best stabilised laser sources, squeezed light is
      a key resource in the field of quantum technologies and has already improved
      sensing capabilities in areas ranging from gravitational wave detection to
      biomedical applications. In this work we propose a novel technique for generating
      squeezed states of a confined light field strongly coupled to a two-level system,
      or qubit, in the dispersive regime. Utilising the dispersive energy shift caused
      by the interaction, control of the qubit state produces a time-dependent change
      in the frequency of the light field. An appropriately timed sequence of sudden
      frequency changes reduces the quantum noise fluctuations in one quadrature of the
      field well below the standard quantum limit. The degree of squeezing and the time
      of generation are directly controlled by the number of frequency shifts applied.
      Even in the presence of realistic noise and imperfections, our protocol promises
      to be capable of generating a useful degree of squeezing with present
      experimental capabilities.

PMID- 28358027
TI  - Temperature-tunable Fano resonance induced by strong coupling between Weyl
      fermions and phonons in TaAs.
AB  - Strong coupling between discrete phonon and continuous electron-hole pair
      excitations can induce a pronounced asymmetry in the phonon line shape, known as
      the Fano resonance. This effect has been observed in various systems. Here we
      reveal explicit evidence for strong coupling between an infrared-active phonon
      and electronic transitions near the Weyl points through the observation of a Fano
      resonance in the Weyl semimetal TaAs. The resulting asymmetry in the phonon line
      shape, conspicuous at low temperatures, diminishes continuously with increasing
      temperature. This behaviour originates from the suppression of electronic
      transitions near the Weyl points due to the decreasing occupation of electronic
      states below the Fermi level (EF) with increasing temperature, as well as Pauli
      blocking caused by thermally excited electrons above EF. Our findings not only
      elucidate the mechanism governing the tunable Fano resonance but also open a
      route for exploring exotic physical phenomena through phonon properties in Weyl
      semimetals.

PMID- 28358026
TI  - Molecular characterization reveals the complexity of previously overlooked coral
      exosymbiont interactions and the implications for coral-guild ecology.
AB  - Several obligate associate crabs and shrimps species may co-occur and interact
      within a single coral host, leading to patterns of associations that can provide
      essential ecological services. However, knowledge of the dynamics of interactions
      in this system is limited, partly because identifying species involved in the
      network remains challenging. In this study, we assessed the diversity of the
      decapods involved in exosymbiotic assemblages for juvenile and adult Pocillopora
      damicornis types alpha and beta on reefs of New Caledonia and Reunion Island.
      This approach revealed complex patterns of association at regional and local
      scales with a prevalence of assemblages involving crab-shrimp partnerships.
      Furthermore, the distinction of two lineages in the snapping shrimp Alpheus
      lottini complex, rarely recognized in ecological studies, reveals a key role for
      cryptic diversity in structuring communities of mutualists. The existence of
      partnerships between species that occurred more commonly than expected by chance
      suggests an increased advantage for the host or a better adaptation of associated
      species to local environmental conditions. The consideration of cryptic diversity
      helps to accurately describe the complexity of interaction webs for diverse
      systems such as coral reefs, as well as the functional roles of dominant
      associated species for the persistence of coral populations.

PMID- 28358028
TI  - Sequence-selective encapsulation and protection of long peptides by a self
      assembled FeII8L6 cubic cage.
AB  - Self-assembly offers a general strategy for the preparation of large, hollow high
      symmetry structures. Although biological capsules, such as virus capsids, are
      capable of selectively recognizing complex cargoes, synthetic encapsulants have
      lacked the capability to specifically bind large and complex biomolecules. Here
      we describe a cubic host obtained from the self-assembly of FeII and a zinc
      porphyrin-containing ligand. This cubic cage is flexible and compatible with
      aqueous media. Its selectivity of encapsulation is driven by the coordination of
      guest functional groups to the zinc porphyrins. This new host thus specifically
      encapsulates guests incorporating imidazole and thiazole moieties, including
      drugs and peptides. Once encapsulated, the reactivity of a peptide is
      dramatically altered: encapsulated peptides are protected from trypsin
      hydrolysis, whereas physicochemically similar peptides that do not bind are
      cleaved.

PMID- 28358029
TI  - Genome-wide association study identifies three novel loci in Fuchs endothelial
      corneal dystrophy.
AB  - The structure of the cornea is vital to its transparency, and dystrophies that
      disrupt corneal organization are highly heritable. To understand the genetic
      aetiology of Fuchs endothelial corneal dystrophy (FECD), the most prevalent
      corneal disorder requiring transplantation, we conducted a genome-wide
      association study (GWAS) on 1,404 FECD cases and 2,564 controls of European
      ancestry, followed by replication and meta-analysis, for a total of 2,075 cases
      and 3,342 controls. We identify three novel loci meeting genome-wide significance
      (P<5 * 10-8): KANK4 rs79742895, LAMC1 rs3768617 and LINC00970/ATP1B1 rs1200114.
      We also observe an overwhelming effect of the established TCF4 locus.
      Interestingly, we detect differential sex-specific association at LAMC1, with
      greater risk in women, and TCF4, with greater risk in men. Combining GWAS results
      with biological evidence we expand the knowledge of common FECD loci from one to
      four, and provide a deeper understanding of the underlying pathogenic basis of
      FECD.

PMID- 28358030
TI  - Allosteric cross-talk in chromatin can mediate drug-drug synergy.
AB  - Exploitation of drug-drug synergism and allostery could yield superior therapies
      by capitalizing on the immensely diverse, but highly specific, potential
      associated with the biological macromolecular landscape. Here we describe a drug
      drug synergy mediated by allosteric cross-talk in chromatin, whereby the binding
      of one drug alters the activity of the second. We found two unrelated drugs,
      RAPTA-T and auranofin, that yield a synergistic activity in killing cancer cells,
      which coincides with a substantially greater number of chromatin adducts formed
      by one of the compounds when adducts from the other agent are also present. We
      show that this occurs through an allosteric mechanism within the nucleosome,
      whereby defined histone adducts of one drug promote reaction of the other drug at
      a distant, specific histone site. This opens up possibilities for epigenetic
      targeting and suggests that allosteric modulation in nucleosomes may have
      biological relevance and potential for therapeutic interventions.

PMID- 28358031
TI  - Serine protease SP105 activates prophenoloxidase in Asian corn borer
      melanization, and is regulated by serpin-3.
AB  - Melanization reaction, resulting from the activation of prophenoloxidase, is a
      vital immune response in insects for encapsulating and killing the invasive
      organisms. Prophenoloxidase needs to be proteolytically activated by its upstream
      prophenoloxidase-activating protease (PAP) in melanization. Identification and
      characterization of PAPs facilitates the understanding of the molecular
      mechanisms involved in insect immunity. We here cloned a full-length cDNA for a
      serine protease, named as SP105, from Asian corn borer, Ostrinia furnacalis
      (Guenee). The open reading frame of SP105 encodes 424-amino acid residue protein
      with a 19-residue signal peptide. Sequence comparison indicates that SP105 is
      most similar to Manduca sexta PAP3, a defined prophenoloxidase-activating
      protease. qRT-PCR analysis showed that SP105 mRNA levels increased significantly
      after a bacterial injection. Recombinant SP105 directly cleaved and activated
      Asian corn borer prophenoloxidase and therefore acted as the prophenoloxidase
      activating protease. Additionally, SP105 formed SDS-stable complexes with a
      serine protease inhibitor, serpin-3, and its activity in activating
      prophenoloxidase was efficiently inhibited by serpin-3. Our work thus illustrated
      a prophenoloxidase-activating protease and revealed its regulation by serpin-3.
      The results would allow further advances in the understanding of the melanization
      in Asian corn borer and other insects.

PMID- 28358032
TI  - A Hierarchical Feature and Sample Selection Framework and Its Application for
      Alzheimer's Disease Diagnosis.
AB  - Classification is one of the most important tasks in machine learning. Due to
      feature redundancy or outliers in samples, using all available data for training
      a classifier may be suboptimal. For example, the Alzheimer's disease (AD) is
      correlated with certain brain regions or single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs),
      and identification of relevant features is critical for computer-aided diagnosis.
      Many existing methods first select features from structural magnetic resonance
      imaging (MRI) or SNPs and then use those features to build the classifier.
      However, with the presence of many redundant features, the most discriminative
      features are difficult to be identified in a single step. Thus, we formulate a
      hierarchical feature and sample selection framework to gradually select
      informative features and discard ambiguous samples in multiple steps for improved
      classifier learning. To positively guide the data manifold preservation process,
      we utilize both labeled and unlabeled data during training, making our method
      semi-supervised. For validation, we conduct experiments on AD diagnosis by
      selecting mutually informative features from both MRI and SNP, and using the most
      discriminative samples for training. The superior classification results
      demonstrate the effectiveness of our approach, as compared with the rivals.

PMID- 28358033
TI  - Disparities in correlating microstructural to nanostructural preservation of
      dinosaur femoral bones.
AB  - Osteohistological researches on dinosaurs are well documented, but descriptions
      of direct correlations between the bone microstructure and corresponding
      nanostructure are currently lacking. By applying correlative microscopy, we aimed
      to verify that well-preserved osteohistological features correlate with pristine
      fossil bone nanostructures from the femoral bones of Koreanosaurus boseongensis.
      The quality of nanostructural preservation was evaluated based on the preferred
      orientation level of apatite crystals obtained from selected area electron
      diffraction (SAED) patterns and by measuring the "arcs" from the {100} and {002}
      diffraction rings. Unlike our expectations, our results revealed that well
      preserved microstructures do not guarantee pristine nanostructures and vice
      versa. Structural preservation of bone from macro- to nanoscale primarily depends
      on original bioapatite density, and subsequent taphonomical factors such as
      effects from burial, pressure, influx of external elements and the rate of
      diagenetic alteration of apatite crystals. Our findings suggest that the
      efficient application of SAED analysis opens the opportunity for comprehensive
      nanostructural investigations of bone.

PMID- 28358035
TI  - Oral health status in Sichuan Province: findings from the oral health survey of
      Sichuan, 2015-2016.
AB  - To investigate oral health status in the residents of Sichuan Province, southwest
      China, a cross-sectional study was performed using the latest Oral Health Survey
      Basic Methods recommended by the World Health Organization. A multistage
      stratified random cluster-sampling method was used to enroll participants from
      the following three groups: children aged 3-5 years, adolescents aged 12 years,
      and people aged 65-74 years. In these three groups, the mean numbers of teeth
      that were affected by caries were 3.28, 0.86 and 5.13, respectively, resulting in
      a prevalence of 63.47%, 37.20% and 83.20%, respectively. Relative to the high
      rate of decayed teeth, the prevalence of fillings was very low in all age groups
      (0.97%, 7.24% and 5.43%, respectively). In the 12-year-old adolescent group, only
      3.61% had good pit and fissure sealing. In addition, the rate of dental fluorosis
      was 24.80%, and the Community Fluorosis Index value was 0.39. In the elder group,
      the community periodontal index was 2.92. The prevalence in the elderly of having
      lost at least one tooth was 75.54%. Additionally, 4.44% of these participants
      were edentulous. The incidence of dental prosthesis was 51.75%, the proportion
      with a removable partial denture, a fixed denture, full dentures, dental implants
      and an informal fixed bridge was 21.59%, 11.45%, 4.64%, 0 and 16.67%,
      respectively. In this study, 8.2% of the elderly participants were affected by
      different types of oral mucosal lesions. Among such lesions, recurrent aphthous
      ulcers were most prevalent (2.69%) and oral lichen planuses were second (1.6%).
      The conclusion presented in this survey is that oral diseases, especially dental
      caries and periodontal disease, are frequent and common in Sichuan province,
      China. Moreover, the treatment rate is very low, and primary prevention and
      treatment options are therefore urgently needed in this population.

PMID- 28358034
TI  - In silico identification of potential inhibitors targeting Streptococcus mutans
      sortase A.
AB  - Dental caries is one of the most common chronic diseases and is caused by acid
      fermentation of bacteria adhered to the teeth. Streptococcus mutans (S. mutans)
      utilizes sortase A (SrtA) to anchor surface proteins to the cell wall and forms a
      biofilm to facilitate its adhesion to the tooth surface. Some plant natural
      products, especially several flavonoids, are effective inhibitors of SrtA.
      However, given the limited number of inhibitors and the development of drug
      resistance, the discovery of new inhibitors is urgent. Here, the high-throughput
      virtual screening approach was performed to identify new potential inhibitors of
      S. mutans SrtA. Two libraries were used for screening, and nine compounds that
      had the lowest scores were chosen for further molecular dynamics simulation,
      binding free energy analysis and absorption, distribution, metabolism, excretion
      and toxicity (ADMET) properties analysis. The results revealed that several
      similar compounds composed of benzofuran, thiadiazole and pyrrole, which
      exhibited good affinities and appropriate pharmacokinetic parameters, were
      potential inhibitors to impede the catalysis of SrtA. In addition, the carbonyl
      of these compounds can have a key role in the inhibition mechanism. These
      findings can provide a new strategy for microbial infection disease therapy.

PMID- 28358036
TI  - Interleukin-1 and estrogen protect against disseminating dentoalveolar
      infections.
AB  - Dentoalveolar bacterial infections cause localized tissue and bone destruction,
      but usually remain well-localized within teeth in immunocompetent hosts. However,
      in certain cases these infections may invade head and neck tissues, resulting in
      orofacial abscesses, cellulitis and sepsis, with resultant high morbidity and
      even mortality. In the present studies, we developed a novel model of spreading
      dentoalveolar infections in mice by treatment with neutralizing antibodies
      against both interleukin-1alpha (IL-1alpha) and IL-1beta. Surprisingly male but
      not female mice given anti-IL-1 antibodies developed orofacial abscesses, weight
      loss, splenomegaly and sepsis. Female mice developed abscesses and sepsis
      comparable to males following ovariectomy (OVX), which was reversed by estrogen
      supplementation. Anti-IL-1 blockade inhibited IL-12, interferon gamma (IFNgamma)
      and IL-6 but not IL-10 expression in infrabony lesions, suggestive of a local
      anti-inflammatory response. There was greater infiltration of neutrophils and
      other inflammatory cells into lesions in anti-IL-1-treated animals; however,
      blood leukocytes had reduced bacterial phagocytic and killing activity ex vivo.
      Estrogen directly stimulated IL-1 production by macrophages, suggesting that the
      resistance of females to disseminating dentoalveolar infections may be due to
      their heightened pro-inflammatory responses following bacterial challenge,
      leading to enhanced localization of these infections.

PMID- 28358037
TI  - Type 1 diabetes mellitus.
AB  - Type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM), also known as autoimmune diabetes, is a chronic
      disease characterized by insulin deficiency due to pancreatic beta-cell loss and
      leads to hyperglycaemia. Although the age of symptomatic onset is usually during
      childhood or adolescence, symptoms can sometimes develop much later. Although the
      aetiology of T1DM is not completely understood, the pathogenesis of the disease
      is thought to involve T cell-mediated destruction of beta-cells. Islet-targeting
      autoantibodies that target insulin, 65 kDa glutamic acid decarboxylase,
      insulinoma-associated protein 2 and zinc transporter 8 - all of which are
      proteins associated with secretory granules in beta-cells - are biomarkers of
      T1DM-associated autoimmunity that are found months to years before symptom onset,
      and can be used to identify and study individuals who are at risk of developing
      T1DM. The type of autoantibody that appears first depends on the environmental
      trigger and on genetic factors. The pathogenesis of T1DM can be divided into
      three stages depending on the absence or presence of hyperglycaemia and
      hyperglycaemia-associated symptoms (such as polyuria and thirst). A cure is not
      available, and patients depend on lifelong insulin injections; novel approaches
      to insulin treatment, such as insulin pumps, continuous glucose monitoring and
      hybrid closed-loop systems, are in development. Although intensive glycaemic
      control has reduced the incidence of microvascular and macrovascular
      complications, the majority of patients with T1DM are still developing these
      complications. Major research efforts are needed to achieve early diagnosis,
      prevent beta-cell loss and develop better treatment options to improve the
      quality of life and prognosis of those affected.

PMID- 28358038
TI  - Candidate Genes for Inherited Autism Susceptibility in the Lebanese Population.
AB  - Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is characterized by ritualistic-repetitive
      behaviors and impaired verbal/non-verbal communication. Many ASD susceptibility
      genes implicated in neuronal pathways/brain development have been identified. The
      Lebanese population is ideal for uncovering recessive genes because of shared
      ancestry and a high rate of consanguineous marriages. Aims here are to analyze
      for published ASD genes and uncover novel inherited ASD susceptibility genes
      specific to the Lebanese. We recruited 36 ASD families (ASD: 37, unaffected
      parents: 36, unaffected siblings: 33) and 100 unaffected Lebanese controls.
      Cytogenetics 2.7 M Microarrays/CytoScanTM HD arrays allowed mapping of homozygous
      regions of the genome. The CNTNAP2 gene was screened by Sanger sequencing.
      Homozygosity mapping uncovered DPP4, TRHR, and MLF1 as novel candidate
      susceptibility genes for ASD in the Lebanese. Sequencing of hot spot exons in
      CNTNAP2 led to discovery of a 5 bp insertion in 23/37 ASD patients. This mutation
      was present in unaffected family members and unaffected Lebanese controls.
      Although a slight increase in number was observed in ASD patients and family
      members compared to controls, there were no significant differences in allele
      frequencies between affecteds and controls (C/TTCTG: gamma2 value = 0.014; p =
      0.904). The CNTNAP2 polymorphism identified in this population, hence, is not
      linked to the ASD phenotype.

PMID- 28358039
TI  - Structure and vacancy distribution in copper telluride nanoparticles influence
      plasmonic activity in the near-infrared.
AB  - Copper chalcogenides find applications in different domains including photonics,
      photothermal therapy and photovoltaics. CuTe nanocrystals have been proposed as
      an alternative to noble metal particles for plasmonics. Although it is known that
      deviations from stoichiometry are a prerequisite for plasmonic activity in the
      near-infrared, an accurate description of the material and its (optical)
      properties is hindered by an insufficient understanding of the atomic structure
      and the influence of defects, especially for materials in their nanocrystalline
      form. We demonstrate that the structure of Cu1.5+/-xTe nanocrystals can be
      determined using electron diffraction tomography. Real-space high-resolution
      electron tomography directly reveals the three-dimensional distribution of
      vacancies in the structure. Through first-principles density functional theory,
      we furthermore demonstrate that the influence of these vacancies on the optical
      properties of the nanocrystals is determined. Since our methodology is applicable
      to a variety of crystalline nanostructured materials, it is expected to provide
      unique insights concerning structure-property correlations.

PMID- 28358041
TI  - High-performance nanotube-enhanced perovskite photodetectors.
AB  - Organic-inorganic perovskites have already shown a tremendous potential for low
      cost light-harvesting devices. Yet, the relatively low carrier mobilities in bulk
      perovskites still prevent large-area devices with performances competing with
      state-of-the-art technologies. Here, we tackle this fundamental challenge by
      incorporating single-wall carbon nanotubes within a perovskite matrix by means of
      a simple two-step method in ambient air. Using this nano-engineered hybrid film,
      we demonstrate large-area photodetectors with responsivities up-to 13.8 A.W-1 and
      a broad spectral response from 300 to 800 nm, indicating that photocurrent
      generation arises from the charge transfer from the perovskite matrix to the
      embedded nanotube network. As the nanotubes facilitate the carrier extraction,
      these photodetectors also show a fast response time of 10 ms. This is
      significantly faster than most of previous reports on perovskite-based
      photodetectors, including devices with much smaller photosensitive areas. This
      approach is also well-suited for large-scale production of other perovskite-based
      light-harvesting devices.

PMID- 28358040
TI  - ATHB17 enhances stress tolerance by coordinating photosynthesis associated
      nuclear gene and ATSIG5 expression in response to abiotic stress.
AB  - Photosynthesis is sensitive to environmental stress and must be efficiently
      modulated in response to abiotic stress. However, the underlying mechanisms are
      not well understood. Here we report that ARABIDOPSIS THALIANA HOMEOBOX 17
      (ATHB17), an Arabidopsis HD-Zip transcription factor, regulated the expression of
      a number of photosynthesis associated nuclear genes (PhANGs) involved in the
      light reaction and ATSIG5 in response to abiotic stress. ATHB17 was responsive to
      ABA and multiple stress treatments. ATHB17-overexpressing plants displayed
      enhanced stress tolerance, whereas its knockout mutant was more sensitive
      compared to the wild type. Through RNA-seq and quantitative real-time reverse
      transcription PCR (qRT-PCR) analysis, we found that ATHB17 did not affect the
      expression of many known stress-responsive marker genes. Interestingly, we found
      that ATHB17 down-regulated many PhANGs and could directly modulate the expression
      of several PhANGs by binding to their promoters. Moreover, we identified ATSIG5,
      encoding a plastid sigma factor, as one of the target genes of ATHB17. Loss of
      ATSIG5 reduced salt tolerance while overexpression of ATSIG5 enhanced salt
      tolerance, similar to that of ATHB17. ATHB17 can positively modulate the
      expression of many plastid encoded genes (PEGs) through regulation of ATSIG5.
      Taken together, our results suggest that ATHB17 may play an important role in
      protecting plants by adjusting expression of PhANGs and PEGs in response to
      abiotic stresses.

PMID- 28358042
TI  - Spatial and molecular resolution of diffuse malignant mesothelioma heterogeneity
      by integrating label-free FTIR imaging, laser capture microdissection and
      proteomics.
AB  - Diffuse malignant mesothelioma (DMM) is a heterogeneous malignant neoplasia
      manifesting with three subtypes: epithelioid, sarcomatoid and biphasic. DMM
      exhibit a high degree of spatial heterogeneity that complicates a thorough
      understanding of the underlying different molecular processes in each subtype. We
      present a novel approach to spatially resolve the heterogeneity of a tumour in a
      label-free manner by integrating FTIR imaging and laser capture microdissection
      (LCM). Subsequent proteome analysis of the dissected homogenous samples provides
      in addition molecular resolution. FTIR imaging resolves tumour subtypes within
      tissue thin-sections in an automated and label-free manner with accuracy of about
      85% for DMM subtypes. Even in highly heterogeneous tissue structures, our label
      free approach can identify small regions of interest, which can be dissected as
      homogeneous samples using LCM. Subsequent proteome analysis provides a location
      specific molecular characterization. Applied to DMM subtypes, we identify 142
      differentially expressed proteins, including five protein biomarkers commonly
      used in DMM immunohistochemistry panels. Thus, FTIR imaging resolves not only
      morphological alteration within tissue but it resolves even alterations at the
      level of single proteins in tumour subtypes. Our fully automated workflow FTIR
      guided LCM opens new avenues collecting homogeneous samples for precise and
      predictive biomarkers from omics studies.

PMID- 28358044
TI  - Evaluation and use of disaccharides as energy source in protein-free mammalian
      cell cultures.
AB  - Mammalian cells are generally considered to be unable to utilize polysaccharides
      for cell growth because the phospholipid bilayer in the cell membrane has very
      low permeability to sugars. With the recent discovery of the only known animal
      disaccharide transporter, a sucrose transporter, we considered the potential use
      of polysaccharides as energy source, because that can impact biopharmaceutical
      manufacturing by potentially increasing carbohydrate loading in the culture
      medium and decreasing lactate accumulation. In this study, we found that
      mammalian cells can utilize maltose for growth in the absence of glucose and
      successfully adapted CHO-K1, CHO-DG44 and HEK293 cells to grow in glucose-free,
      maltose-containing serum-free protein-free media. We then cultivated a non
      adapted CHO-K1 producer cell line in media containing both glucose and maltose to
      show that the cells can utilize maltose in a biphasic manner, that maltose enters
      the cells, and that maltose utilization only took place in the presence of the
      cells. This is the first report of a protein-free mammalian cell culture using a
      disaccharide as energy source.

PMID- 28358045
TI  - Glass-ceramic optical fiber containing Ba2TiSi2O8 nanocrystals for frequency
      conversion of lasers.
AB  - A glass-ceramic optical fiber containing Ba2TiSi2O8 nanocrystals fabricated using
      a novel combination of the melt-in-tube method and successive heat treatment is
      reported for the first time. For the melt-in-tube method, fibers act as a
      precursor at the drawing temperature for which the cladding glass is softened
      while the core glass is melted. It is demonstrated experimentally that following
      heat treatment, Ba2TiSi2O8 nanocrystals with diameters below 10 nm are evenly
      distributed throughout the fiber core. Comparing to the conventional rod-in-tube
      method, the melt-in-tube method is superior in terms of controllability of
      crystallization to allow for the fabrication of low loss glass-ceramic fibers.
      When irradiated using a 1030 nm femtosecond laser, an enhanced green emission at
      a wavelength of 515 nm is observed in the glass-ceramic fiber, which demonstrates
      second harmonic generation of a laser action in the fabricated glass-ceramic
      fibers. Therefore, this new glass-ceramic fiber not only provides a highly
      promising development for frequency conversion of lasers in all optical fiber
      based networks, but the melt-in-tube fabrication method also offers excellent
      opportunities for fabricating a wide range of novel glass-ceramic optical fibers
      for multiple future applications including fiber telecommunications and lasers.

PMID- 28358043
TI  - Phylogenomic evolutionary surveys of subtilase superfamily genes in fungi.
AB  - Subtilases belong to a superfamily of serine proteases which are ubiquitous in
      fungi and are suspected to have developed distinct functional properties to help
      fungi adapt to different ecological niches. In this study, we conducted a large
      scale phylogenomic survey of subtilase protease genes in 83 whole genome
      sequenced fungal species in order to identify the evolutionary patterns and
      subsequent functional divergences of different subtilase families among the main
      lineages of the fungal kingdom. Our comparative genomic analyses of the subtilase
      superfamily indicated that extensive gene duplications, losses and functional
      diversifications have occurred in fungi, and that the four families of subtilase
      enzymes in fungi, including proteinase K-like, Pyrolisin, kexin and S53, have
      distinct evolutionary histories which may have facilitated the adaptation of
      fungi to a broad array of life strategies. Our study provides new insights into
      the evolution of the subtilase superfamily in fungi and expands our understanding
      of the evolution of fungi with different lifestyles.

PMID- 28358046
TI  - Phosphatidylinositol (4,5)-bisphosphate dynamically regulates the K2P background
      K+ channel TASK-2.
AB  - Two-pore domain K2P K+ channels responsible for the background K+ conductance and
      the resting membrane potential, are also finely regulated by a variety of
      chemical, physical and physiological stimuli. Hormones and transmitters acting
      through Gq protein-coupled receptors (GqPCRs) modulate the activity of various
      K2P channels but the signalling involved has remained elusive, in particular
      whether dynamic regulation by membrane PI(4,5)P2, common among other classes of
      K+ channels, affects K2P channels is controversial. Here we show that K2P K+
      channel TASK-2 requires PI(4,5)P2 for activity, a dependence that accounts for
      its run down in the absence of intracellular ATP and its full recovery by
      addition of exogenous PI(4,5)P2, its inhibition by low concentrations of
      polycation PI scavengers, and inhibition by PI(4,5)P2 depletion from the
      membrane. Comprehensive mutagenesis suggests that PI(4,5)P2 interaction with TASK
      2 takes place at C-terminus where three basic aminoacids are identified as being
      part of a putative binding site.

PMID- 28358047
TI  - NMDA receptor antagonism with novel indolyl, 2-(1,1-Dimethyl-1,3-dihydro
      benzo[e]indol-2-ylidene)-malonaldehyde, reduces seizures duration in a rat model
      of epilepsy.
AB  - N-methyl-D-aspartate receptors (NMDAR) play a central role in epileptogensis and
      NMDAR antagonists have been shown to have antiepileptic effects in animals and
      humans. Despite significant progress in the development of antiepileptic
      therapies over the previous 3 decades, a need still exists for novel therapies.
      We screened an in-house library of small molecules targeting the NMDA receptor. A
      novel indolyl compound, 2-(1,1-Dimethyl-1,3-dihydro-benzo[e]indol-2-ylidene)
      malonaldehyde, (DDBM) showed the best binding with the NMDA receptor and
      computational docking data showed that DDBM antagonised the binding sites of the
      NMDA receptor at lower docking energies compared to other molecules. Using a rat
      electroconvulsive shock (ECS) model of epilepsy we showed that DDBM decreased
      seizure duration and improved the histological outcomes. Our data show for the
      first time that indolyls like DDBM have robust anticonvulsive activity and have
      the potential to be developed as novel anticonvulsants.

PMID- 28358049
TI  - CXCR3+ monocytes/macrophages are required for establishment of pulmonary
      metastases.
AB  - We present a new foundational role for CXCR3+ monocytes/macrophages in the
      process of tumor engraftment in the lung. CXCR3 is associated with monocytic and
      lymphocytic infiltration of inflamed or tumor-bearing lung. Although the
      requirement for tumor-expressed CXCR3 in metastatic engraftment has been
      demonstrated, the role of monocyte-expressed CXCR3 had not been appreciated. In a
      murine model of metastatic-like melanoma, engraftment was coordinate with CXCR3+
      monocyte/macrophage accumulation in the lungs and was sensitive to pharmacologic
      inhibition of CXCR3 signaling. Tumor engraftment to lung was impaired in CXCR3-/-
      mice, and transient reconstitution with circulating CXCR3-replete monocytes was
      sufficient to restore engraftment. These data illustrate the paradoxical pro
      tumor role for CXCR3 in lung immunobiology wherein the CXCR3 axis drives both the
      anti-tumor effector cell chemoattraction and pro-tumor infiltration of the lungs
      and suggests a potential therapeutic target for lung-tropic metastasizing
      cancers.

PMID- 28358048
TI  - Microbial reduction of Fe(III)-bearing clay minerals in the presence of humic
      acids.
AB  - Both Fe(III)-bearing clay minerals and humic acids (HAs) are abundant in the
      soils and sediments. Previous studies have shown that bioreduction of structural
      Fe(III) in clay minerals could be accelerated by adding anthraquinone compound as
      a redox-active surrogate of HAs. However, a quinoid analogue could not reflect
      the adsorption and complexation properties of HA, and little is known about the
      effects of real HAs at environmental concentration on bioreduction of clay
      minerals. Here, it was shown that 10-200 mg l-1 of natural or artificially
      synthesized HAs could effectively stimulate the bioreduction rate and extent of
      Fe(III) in both iron-rich nontronite NAu-2 and iron-deficient montmorillonite SWy
      2. After adsorption to NAu-2, electron-transfer activities of different HA
      fractions were compared. Additionally, Fe(II) complexation by HAs also
      contributed to improvement of clay-Fe(III) bioreduction. Spectrosopic and
      morphological analyses suggested that HA addition accelerated the transformation
      of NAu-2 to illite, silica and siderite after reductive dissolution.

PMID- 28358050
TI  - Antibody-dependent-cellular-cytotoxicity-inducing antibodies significantly affect
      the post-exposure treatment of Ebola virus infection.
AB  - Passive immunotherapy with monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) is an efficacious
      treatment for Ebola virus (EBOV) infections in animal models and humans.
      Understanding what constitutes a protective response is critical for the
      development of novel therapeutic strategies. We generated an EBOV-glycoprotein
      pseudotyped Human immunodeficiency virus to develop sensitive neutralizing and
      antibody-dependent cellular cytotoxicity (ADCC) assays as well as a
      bioluminescent-imaging-based mouse infection model that does not require
      biosafety level 4 containment. The in vivo treatment efficiencies of three novel
      anti-EBOV mAbs at 12 h post-infection correlated with their in vitro anti-EBOV
      ADCC activities, without neutralizing activity. When they were treated with these
      mAbs, natural killer cell (NK)-deficient mice had lower viral clearance than WT
      mice, indicating that the anti-EBOV mechanism of the ADCC activity of these mAbs
      is predominantly mediated by NK cells. One potent anti-EBOV mAb (M318) displayed
      unprecedented neutralizing and ADCC activities (neutralization IC50, 0.018
      MUg/ml; ADCC EC50, 0.095 MUg/ml). These results have important implications for
      the efficacy of antiviral drugs and vaccines as well as for pathogenicity studies
      of EBOV.

PMID- 28358051
TI  - Single crystalline superstructured stable single domain magnetite nanoparticles.
AB  - Magnetite nanoparticles exhibit magnetic properties that are size and
      organization dependent and, for applications that rely on their magnetic state,
      they usually have to be monodisperse. Forming such particles, however, has
      remained a challenge. Here, we synthesize 40 nm particles of magnetite in the
      presence of polyarginine and show that they are composed of 10 nm building
      blocks, yet diffract like single crystals. We use both bulk magnetic measurements
      and magnetic induction maps recorded from individual particles using off-axis
      electron holography to show that each 40 nm particle typically contains a single
      magnetic domain. The magnetic state is therefore determined primarily by the size
      of the superstructure and not by the sizes of the constituent sub-units. Our
      results fundamentally demonstrate the structure - property relationship in a
      magnetic mesoparticle.

PMID- 28358052
TI  - HIVed, a knowledgebase for differentially expressed human genes and proteins
      during HIV infection, replication and latency.
AB  - Measuring the altered gene expression level and identifying differentially
      expressed genes/proteins during HIV infection, replication and latency is
      fundamental for broadening our understanding of the mechanisms of HIV infection
      and T-cell dysfunction. Such studies are crucial for developing effective
      strategies for virus eradication from the body. Inspired by the availability and
      enrichment of gene expression data during HIV infection, replication and latency,
      in this study, we proposed a novel compendium termed HIVed (HIV expression
      database; http://hivlatency.erc.monash.edu/) that harbours comprehensive
      functional annotations of proteins, whose genes have been shown to be
      dysregulated during HIV infection, replication and latency using different
      experimental designs and measurements. We manually curated a variety of third
      party databases for structural and functional annotations of the protein entries
      in HIVed. With the goal of benefiting HIV related research, we collected a number
      of biological annotations for all the entries in HIVed besides their expression
      profile, including basic protein information, Gene Ontology terms, secondary
      structure, HIV-1 interaction and pathway information. We hope this comprehensive
      protein-centric knowledgebase can bridge the gap between the understanding of
      differentially expressed genes and the functions of their protein products,
      facilitating the generation of novel hypotheses and treatment strategies to fight
      against the HIV pandemic.

PMID- 28358053
TI  - A Raf-like protein kinase BHP mediates blue light-dependent stomatal opening.
AB  - Stomata in the plant epidermis open in response to blue light and affect
      photosynthesis and plant growth by regulating CO2 uptake and transpiration. In
      stomatal guard cells under blue light, plasma membrane H+-ATPase is
      phosphorylated and activated via blue light-receptor phototropins and a signaling
      mediator BLUS1, and H+-ATPase activation drives stomatal opening. However,
      details of the signaling between phototropins and H+-ATPase remain largely
      unknown. In this study, through a screening of specific inhibitors for the blue
      light-dependent H+-ATPase phosphorylation in guard cells, we identified a Raf
      like protein kinase, BLUE LIGHT-DEPENDENT H+-ATPASE PHOSPHORYLATION (BHP). Guard
      cells in the bhp mutant showed impairments of stomatal opening and H+-ATPase
      phosphorylation in response to blue light. BHP is abundantly expressed in the
      cytosol of guard cells and interacts with BLUS1 both in vitro and in vivo. Based
      on these results, BHP is a novel signaling mediator in blue light-dependent
      stomatal opening, likely downstream of BLUS1.

PMID- 28358054
TI  - Argininosuccinate Synthase 1-Deficiency Enhances the Cell Sensitivity to Arginine
      through Decreased DEPTOR Expression in Endometrial Cancer.
AB  - Argininosuccinate synthetase 1 (ASS1) is a rate-limiting enzyme in arginine
      biosynthesis. Although ASS1 expression levels are often reduced in several tumors
      and low ASS1 expression can be a poor prognostic factor, the underlying mechanism
      has not been elucidated. In this study, we reveal a novel association between
      ASS1 and migration/invasion of endometrial tumors via regulation of mechanistic
      target of rapamycin complex (mTORC) 1 signaling. ASS1-knockout cells showed
      enhanced migration and invasion in response to arginine following arginine
      starvation. In ASS1-knockout cells, DEPTOR, an inhibitor of mTORC1 signal, was
      downregulated and mTORC1 signaling was more activated in response to arginine.
      ASS1 epigenetically enhanced DEPTOR expression by altering the histone
      methylation. Consistent with these findings, tumor cells at the invasive front of
      endometrioid carcinoma cases showed lower ASS1 and DEPTOR expression. Our
      findings suggest that ASS1 levels in each tumor cell are associated with invasion
      capability in response to arginine within the tumor microenvironment through
      mTORC1 signal regulation.

PMID- 28358056
TI  - Rheotaxis in the Ediacaran epibenthic organism Parvancorina from South Australia.
AB  - Diverse interpretations of Ediacaran organisms arise not only from their
      enigmatic body plans, but also from confusion surrounding the sedimentary
      environments they inhabited and the processes responsible for their preservation.
      Excavation of Ediacaran bedding surfaces of the Rawnsley Quartzite in South
      Australia has provided the opportunity to study the community structure of the
      Ediacara biota, as well as the autecology of individual organisms. Analysis of
      two bedding surfaces preserving large numbers of Parvancorina illustrates that
      individuals display a preferred, unidirectional orientation aligned with current,
      as indicated by the identified current proxies: tool marks, overfolded edges of
      Dickinsonia, felled fronds and drag structures generated by uprooted frond
      holdfasts. Taphonomic and morphological evidence suggests that the preferred
      orientations of Parvancorina individuals are not the result of passive current
      alignment, but represent a rheotactic response at some stage during their life
      cycle. These results illustrate a previously unrecognized life mode for an
      Ediacaran organism and arguably the oldest known example of rheotaxis in the
      fossil record. The morphology and previously suggested phylogenetic affinities of
      Parvancorina are also re-evaluated. Apart from possessing a bilaterally
      symmetrical body, there are no unequivocal morphological characters to support
      placement of Parvancorina within the Euarthropoda or even the Bilateria.

PMID- 28358057
TI  - Synthesis and biological evaluation of novel ursolic acid analogues as potential
      alpha-glucosidase inhibitors.
AB  - Ursolic acid (UA) is a major pentacyclic triterpenoid in plants, vegetables and
      fruits, which has been reported to have a potential anti-diabetic activity.
      Despite various semi-synthetic ursolic acid derivatives already described, new
      derivatives still need to be designed and synthesized to further improve the anti
      diabetic activity. In the present study, two series of novel UA derivatives, were
      synthesized and their structures were confirmed. The enzyme inhibition activities
      of semi-synthesized analogues against alpha-glucosidase were screened in vitro.
      The results indicated that most of UA derivatives showed a significant inhibitory
      activity, especially analogues UA-O-i with the IC50 values of 0.71 +/- 0.27 MUM,
      which was more potential than other analogues and the positive control.
      Furthermore, molecular docking studies were also investigated to verify the in
      vitro study. Structure modification at the C-3 and C-2 positions of UA was an
      effective approach to obtain the desired ligand from UA, whose structure was in
      accordance with the active pocket. Besides, suitable hydrophobic group at the
      position of C-2 might play an important role for the docking selectivity and
      binding affinity between the ligand and the homology modelling protein. These
      results could be helpful for designing more potential alpha-glucosidase
      inhibitors from UA in the future.

PMID- 28358055
TI  - FUS affects circular RNA expression in murine embryonic stem cell-derived motor
      neurons.
AB  - The RNA-binding protein FUS participates in several RNA biosynthetic processes
      and has been linked to the pathogenesis of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS)
      and frontotemporal dementia. Here we report that FUS controls back-splicing
      reactions leading to circular RNA (circRNA) production. We identified circRNAs
      expressed in in vitro-derived mouse motor neurons (MNs) and determined that the
      production of a considerable number of these circRNAs is regulated by FUS. Using
      RNAi and overexpression of wild-type and ALS-associated FUS mutants, we directly
      correlate the modulation of circRNA biogenesis with alteration of FUS nuclear
      levels and with putative toxic gain of function activities. We also demonstrate
      that FUS regulates circRNA biogenesis by binding the introns flanking the back
      splicing junctions and that this control can be reproduced with artificial
      constructs. Most circRNAs are conserved in humans and specific ones are
      deregulated in human-induced pluripotent stem cell-derived MNs carrying the
      FUSP525L mutation associated with ALS.

PMID- 28358059
TI  - Science communication: Take rural road trips to promote science.

PMID- 28358061
TI  - Kenneth J. Arrow (1921-2017).

PMID- 28358058
TI  - MiR-126 and miR-126* regulate shear-resistant firm leukocyte adhesion to human
      brain endothelium.
AB  - Leukocyte adhesion to brain endothelial cells, the blood-brain barrier main
      component, is a critical step in the pathogenesis of neuroinflammatory diseases
      such as multiple sclerosis (MS). Leukocyte adhesion is mediated mainly by
      selectins, cell adhesion molecules and chemokines induced by pro-inflammatory
      cytokines such as TNFalpha and IFNgamma, but the regulation of this process is
      not fully clear. This study investigated the regulation of firm leukocyte
      adhesion to human brain endothelium by two different brain endothelial microRNAs
      (miRs), miR-126 and miR-126*, that are downregulated by TNFalpha and IFNgamma in
      a human brain endothelial cell line, hCMEC/D3. Using a leukocyte adhesion in
      vitro assay under shear forces mimicking blood flow, we observed that reduction
      of endothelial miR-126 and miR-126* enhanced firm monocyte and T cell adhesion to
      hCMEC/D3 cells, whereas their increased expression partially prevented THP1,
      Jurkat and primary MS patient-derived PBMC firm adhesion. Furthermore, we
      observed that miR-126* and miR-126 downregulation increased E-selectin and VCAM1,
      respectively, while miR-126 overexpression reduced VCAM1 and CCL2 expression by
      hCMEC/D3 cells, suggesting that these miRs regulate leukocyte adhesion by
      modulating the expression of adhesion-associated endothelial mRNA targets. Hence,
      human brain endothelial miR-126 and miR-126* could be used as a therapeutic tool
      to reduce leukocyte adhesion and thus reduce neuroinflammation.

PMID- 28358064
TI  - A low-spin Fe(iii) complex with 100-ps ligand-to-metal charge transfer
      photoluminescence.
AB  - Transition-metal complexes are used as photosensitizers, in light-emitting
      diodes, for biosensing and in photocatalysis. A key feature in these applications
      is excitation from the ground state to a charge-transfer state; the long charge
      transfer-state lifetimes typical for complexes of ruthenium and other precious
      metals are often essential to ensure high performance. There is much interest in
      replacing these scarce elements with Earth-abundant metals, with iron and copper
      being particularly attractive owing to their low cost and non-toxicity. But
      despite the exploration of innovative molecular designs, it remains a formidable
      scientific challenge to access Earth-abundant transition-metal complexes with
      long-lived charge-transfer excited states. No known iron complexes are considered
      photoluminescent at room temperature, and their rapid excited-state deactivation
      precludes their use as photosensitizers. Here we present the iron complex
      [Fe(btz)3]3+ (where btz is 3,3'-dimethyl-1,1'-bis(p-tolyl)-4,4'-bis(1,2,3-triazol
      5-ylidene)), and show that the superior sigma-donor and pi-acceptor electron
      properties of the ligand stabilize the excited state sufficiently to realize a
      long charge-transfer lifetime of 100 picoseconds (ps) and room-temperature
      photoluminescence. This species is a low-spin Fe(iii) d5 complex, and emission
      occurs from a long-lived doublet ligand-to-metal charge-transfer (2LMCT) state
      that is rarely seen for transition-metal complexes. The absence of intersystem
      crossing, which often gives rise to large excited-state energy losses in
      transition-metal complexes, enables the observation of spin-allowed emission
      directly to the ground state and could be exploited as an increased driving force
      in photochemical reactions on surfaces. These findings suggest that appropriate
      design strategies can deliver new iron-based materials for use as light emitters
      and photosensitizers.

PMID- 28358066
TI  - Neuroscience: Auditory landscape on the cognitive map.

PMID- 28358065
TI  - Using coherence to enhance function in chemical and biophysical systems.
AB  - Coherence phenomena arise from interference, or the addition, of wave-like
      amplitudes with fixed phase differences. Although coherence has been shown to
      yield transformative ways for improving function, advances have been confined to
      pristine matter and coherence was considered fragile. However, recent evidence of
      coherence in chemical and biological systems suggests that the phenomena are
      robust and can survive in the face of disorder and noise. Here we survey the
      state of recent discoveries, present viewpoints that suggest that coherence can
      be used in complex chemical systems, and discuss the role of coherence as a
      design element in realizing function.

PMID- 28358068
TI  - Evolution: Diet drives primate brain size.

PMID- 28358067
TI  - Animal welfare: Make animal models more meaningful.

PMID- 28358069
TI  - Seismology: Quake shows rare complexity.

PMID- 28358070
TI  - Cancer therapy: The leukaemia epigenome targeted.

PMID- 28358071
TI  - Environmental science: Eating ourselves dry.

PMID- 28358072
TI  - Inorganic chemistry: Making iron glow.

PMID- 28358074
TI  - Groundwater depletion embedded in international food trade.
AB  - Recent hydrological modelling and Earth observations have located and quantified
      alarming rates of groundwater depletion worldwide. This depletion is primarily
      due to water withdrawals for irrigation, but its connection with the main driver
      of irrigation, global food consumption, has not yet been explored. Here we show
      that approximately eleven per cent of non-renewable groundwater use for
      irrigation is embedded in international food trade, of which two-thirds are
      exported by Pakistan, the USA and India alone. Our quantification of groundwater
      depletion embedded in the world's food trade is based on a combination of global,
      crop-specific estimates of non-renewable groundwater abstraction and
      international food trade data. A vast majority of the world's population lives in
      countries sourcing nearly all their staple crop imports from partners who deplete
      groundwater to produce these crops, highlighting risks for global food and water
      security. Some countries, such as the USA, Mexico, Iran and China, are
      particularly exposed to these risks because they both produce and import food
      irrigated from rapidly depleting aquifers. Our results could help to improve the
      sustainability of global food production and groundwater resource management by
      identifying priority regions and agricultural products at risk as well as the end
      consumers of these products.

PMID- 28358075
TI  - Cancer: Imaging with antibodies.

PMID- 28358078
TI  - Astronomy: Landslides cause comet eruptions.

PMID- 28358079
TI  - Ageing: Senescent cells cleared out.

PMID- 28358077
TI  - Mapping of a non-spatial dimension by the hippocampal-entorhinal circuit.
AB  - During spatial navigation, neural activity in the hippocampus and the medial
      entorhinal cortex (MEC) is correlated to navigational variables such as location,
      head direction, speed, and proximity to boundaries. These activity patterns are
      thought to provide a map-like representation of physical space. However, the
      hippocampal-entorhinal circuit is involved not only in spatial navigation, but
      also in a variety of memory-guided behaviours. The relationship between this
      general function and the specialized spatial activity patterns is unclear. A
      conceptual framework reconciling these views is that spatial representation is
      just one example of a more general mechanism for encoding continuous, task
      relevant variables. Here we tested this idea by recording from hippocampal and
      entorhinal neurons during a task that required rats to use a joystick to
      manipulate sound along a continuous frequency axis. We found neural
      representation of the entire behavioural task, including activity that formed
      discrete firing fields at particular sound frequencies. Neurons involved in this
      representation overlapped with the known spatial cell types in the circuit, such
      as place cells and grid cells. These results suggest that common circuit
      mechanisms in the hippocampal-entorhinal system are used to represent diverse
      behavioural tasks, possibly supporting cognitive processes beyond spatial
      navigation.

PMID- 28358081
TI  - Molecular biology: Drug stalls protein translation.

PMID- 28358080
TI  - Diversity: Boost diversity in biomedical research.

PMID- 28358082
TI  - Planetary science: Titan's electrified dunes.

PMID- 28358083
TI  - A retrograde co-orbital asteroid of Jupiter.
AB  - Recent theoretical work in celestial mechanics has revealed that an asteroid may
      orbit stably in the same region as a planet, despite revolving around the Sun in
      the sense opposite to that of the planet itself. Asteroid 2015 BZ509 was
      discovered in 2015, but with too much uncertainty in its measured orbit to
      establish whether it was such a retrograde co-orbital body. Here we report
      observations and analysis that demonstrates that asteroid 2015 BZ509 is indeed a
      retrograde co-orbital asteroid of the planet Jupiter. We find that 2015 BZ509 has
      long-term stability, having been in its current, resonant state for around a
      million years. This is long enough to preclude precise calculation of the time or
      mechanism of its injection to its present state, but it may be a Halley-family
      comet that entered the resonance through an interaction with Saturn. Retrograde
      co-orbital asteroids of Jupiter and other planets may be more common than
      previously expected.

PMID- 28358084
TI  - Cancer: Tumour stem-cell surprises.

PMID- 28358085
TI  - Virology: What makes bird flu jump species?

PMID- 28358087
TI  - Animal behaviour: Playful call makes parrots merry.

PMID- 28358086
TI  - Biosafety: National biosafety standards differ.

PMID- 28358088
TI  - Planetary science: Reckless orbiting in the Solar System.

PMID- 28358090
TI  - Cancer: How fat boosts breast cancer.

PMID- 28358091
TI  - Humanities: Blind spot in the March for Science.

PMID- 28358089
TI  - Exploiting non-covalent pi interactions for catalyst design.
AB  - Molecular recognition, binding and catalysis are often mediated by non-covalent
      interactions involving aromatic functional groups. Although the relative
      complexity of these so-called pi interactions has made them challenging to study,
      theory and modelling have now reached the stage at which we can explain their
      physical origins and obtain reliable insight into their effects on molecular
      binding and chemical transformations. This offers opportunities for the rational
      manipulation of these complex non-covalent interactions and their direct
      incorporation into the design of small-molecule catalysts and enzymes.

PMID- 28358092
TI  - In Retrospect: Forty years of cellular clues from worms.

PMID- 28358093
TI  - A distinct role for Lgr5+ stem cells in primary and metastatic colon cancer.
AB  - Cancer stem cells (CSCs) have been hypothesized to represent the driving force
      behind tumour progression and metastasis, making them attractive cancer targets.
      However, conclusive experimental evidence for their functional relevance is still
      lacking for most malignancies. Here we show that the leucine-rich repeat
      containing G-protein-coupled receptor 5 (Lgr5) identifies intestinal CSCs in
      mouse tumours engineered to recapitulate the clinical progression of human
      colorectal cancer. We demonstrate that selective Lgr5+ cell ablation restricts
      primary tumour growth, but does not result in tumour regression. Instead, tumours
      are maintained by proliferative Lgr5- cells that continuously attempt to
      replenish the Lgr5+ CSC pool, leading to rapid re-initiation of tumour growth
      upon treatment cessation. Notably, CSCs are critical for the formation and
      maintenance of liver metastasis derived from colorectal cancers. Together, our
      data highlight distinct CSC dependencies for primary versus metastasic tumour
      growth, and suggest that targeting CSCs may represent a therapeutic opportunity
      for managing metastatic disease.

PMID- 28358095
TI  - Brexit triggered, preprint push and a stem-cell first.

PMID- 28358094
TI  - Transboundary health impacts of transported global air pollution and
      international trade.
AB  - Millions of people die every year from diseases caused by exposure to outdoor air
      pollution. Some studies have estimated premature mortality related to local
      sources of air pollution, but local air quality can also be affected by
      atmospheric transport of pollution from distant sources. International trade is
      contributing to the globalization of emission and pollution as a result of the
      production of goods (and their associated emissions) in one region for
      consumption in another region. The effects of international trade on air
      pollutant emissions, air quality and health have been investigated regionally,
      but a combined, global assessment of the health impacts related to international
      trade and the transport of atmospheric air pollution is lacking. Here we combine
      four global models to estimate premature mortality caused by fine particulate
      matter (PM2.5) pollution as a result of atmospheric transport and the production
      and consumption of goods and services in different world regions. We find that,
      of the 3.45 million premature deaths related to PM2.5 pollution in 2007
      worldwide, about 12 per cent (411,100 deaths) were related to air pollutants
      emitted in a region of the world other than that in which the death occurred, and
      about 22 per cent (762,400 deaths) were associated with goods and services
      produced in one region for consumption in another. For example, PM2.5 pollution
      produced in China in 2007 is linked to more than 64,800 premature deaths in
      regions other than China, including more than 3,100 premature deaths in western
      Europe and the USA; on the other hand, consumption in western Europe and the USA
      is linked to more than 108,600 premature deaths in China. Our results reveal that
      the transboundary health impacts of PM2.5 pollution associated with international
      trade are greater than those associated with long-distance atmospheric pollutant
      transport.

PMID- 28358096
TI  - Trump's pipeline permit is bad for both the US economy and the environment.

PMID- 28358097
TI  - How Brexit is changing the lives of eight researchers.

PMID- 28358098
TI  - Five ways consortia can catalyse open science.

PMID- 28358099
TI  - Biological underpinnings of chronic fatigue syndrome begin to emerge.

PMID- 28358100
TI  - An early start on tackling childhood cancers.

PMID- 28358101
TI  - Battle between quantum and thermodynamic laws heats up.

PMID- 28358102
TI  - Cruel fusion: What a young man's death means for childhood cancer.

PMID- 28358103
TI  - Remember why we work on cancer.

PMID- 28358104
TI  - Election chaos over Russian science president.

PMID- 28358105
TI  - How giant marine reptiles terrorized the ancient seas.

PMID- 28358106
TI  - Canada budget falls flat with scientists.

PMID- 28358107
TI  - Brexit must preserve advisory networks.

PMID- 28358108
TI  - Forensics: Germany considers wider use of DNA evidence in criminal cases.

PMID- 28358109
TI  - Gates Foundation announces open-access publishing venture.

PMID- 28358110
TI  - Integrating Sequence-based GWAS and RNA-Seq Provides Novel Insights into the
      Genetic Basis of Mastitis and Milk Production in Dairy Cattle.
AB  - Connecting genome-wide association study (GWAS) to biological mechanisms
      underlying complex traits is a major challenge. Mastitis resistance and milk
      production are complex traits of economic importance in the dairy sector and are
      associated with intra-mammary infection (IMI). Here, we integrated IMI-relevant
      RNA-Seq data from Holstein cattle and sequence-based GWAS data from three dairy
      cattle breeds (i.e., Holstein, Nordic red cattle, and Jersey) to explore the
      genetic basis of mastitis resistance and milk production using post-GWAS analyses
      and a genomic feature linear mixed model. At 24 h post-IMI, genes responsive to
      IMI in the mammary gland were preferentially enriched for genetic variants
      associated with mastitis resistance rather than milk production. Response genes
      in the liver were mainly enriched for variants associated with mastitis
      resistance at an early time point (3 h) post-IMI, whereas responsive genes at
      later stages were enriched for associated variants with milk production. The up-
      and down-regulated genes were enriched for associated variants with mastitis
      resistance and milk production, respectively. The patterns were consistent across
      breeds, indicating that different breeds shared similarities in the genetic basis
      of these traits. Our approaches provide a framework for integrating multiple
      layers of data to understand the genetic architecture underlying complex traits.

PMID- 28358111
TI  - Fluorescent nanodiamonds enable quantitative tracking of human mesenchymal stem
      cells in miniature pigs.
AB  - Cell therapy is a promising strategy for the treatment of human diseases. While
      the first use of cells for therapeutic purposes can be traced to the 19th
      century, there has been a lack of general and reliable methods to study the
      biodistribution and associated pharmacokinetics of transplanted cells in various
      animal models for preclinical evaluation. Here, we present a new platform using
      albumin-conjugated fluorescent nanodiamonds (FNDs) as biocompatible and
      photostable labels for quantitative tracking of human placenta choriodecidual
      membrane-derived mesenchymal stem cells (pcMSCs) in miniature pigs by magnetic
      modulation. With this background-free detection technique and time-gated
      fluorescence imaging, we have been able to precisely determine the numbers as
      well as positions of the transplanted FND-labeled pcMSCs in organs and tissues of
      the miniature pigs after intravenous administration. The method is applicable to
      single-cell imaging and quantitative tracking of human stem/progenitor cells in
      rodents and other animal models as well.

PMID- 28358112
TI  - Low phonon energies and wideband optical windows of La2O3-Ga2O3 glasses prepared
      using an aerodynamic levitation technique.
AB  - xLa2O3-(100 - x)Ga2O3 binary glasses were synthesized by an aerodynamic
      levitation technique. The glass-forming region was found to be 20 <= x <= 57. The
      refractive indices were greater than 1.92 and increased linearly with increasing
      x. The polarizabilities of oxide ions were estimated to be 2.16-2.41 A3,
      indicating that the glasses were highly ionic. The glasses were transparent over
      a very wide range from the ultraviolet to the mid-infrared region. The widest
      transparent window among the oxide glasses was from 270 nm to 10 MUm at x = 55.
      From the Raman scattering spectra, a decrease in bridging oxide ions and an
      increase in non-bridging oxide ions were confirmed to occur with increasing La2O3
      content. The maximum phonon energy was found to be approximately 650 cm-1, being
      one of the lowest among oxide glasses. These results show that La2O3-Ga2O3 binary
      glasses should be promising host materials for optical applications such as
      lenses, windows, and filters over a very wide wavelength range.

PMID- 28358113
TI  - A novel pathway for amyloids self-assembly in aggregates at nanomolar
      concentration mediated by the interaction with surfaces.
AB  - A limitation of the amyloid hypothesis in explaining the development of
      neurodegenerative diseases is that the level of amyloidogenic polypeptide in vivo
      is below the critical concentration required to form the aggregates observed in
      post-mortem brains. We discovered a novel, on-surface aggregation pathway of
      amyloidogenic polypeptide that eliminates this long-standing controversy. We
      applied atomic force microscope (AFM) to demonstrate directly that on-surface
      aggregation takes place at a concentration at which no aggregation in solution is
      observed. The experiments were performed with the full-size Abeta protein
      (Abeta42), a decapeptide Abeta(14-23) and alpha-synuclein; all three systems
      demonstrate a dramatic preference of the on-surface aggregation pathway compared
      to the aggregation in the bulk solution. Time-lapse AFM imaging, in solution,
      show that over time, oligomers increase in size and number and release in
      solution, suggesting that assembled aggregates can serve as nuclei for
      aggregation in bulk solution. Computational modeling performed with the all-atom
      MD simulations for Abeta(14-23) peptide shows that surface interactions induce
      conformational transitions of the monomer, which facilitate interactions with
      another monomer that undergoes conformational changes stabilizing the dimer
      assembly. Our findings suggest that interactions of amyloidogenic polypeptides
      with cellular surfaces play a major role in determining disease onset.

PMID- 28358114
TI  - Decorating unoxidized-carbon nanotubes with homogeneous Ni-Co spinel nanocrystals
      show superior performance for oxygen evolution/reduction reactions.
AB  - We present a new concept for homogeneous spinel nanocrystal-coating on high
      crystalline pristine-carbon nanotubes (CNTs) for efficient and durable oxygen
      evolution reaction (OER) and oxygen reduction reaction (ORR). Oxidized CNTs have
      widely been used to functionalize with metal or metal oxides since the defect
      sites act as anchoring for metal oxide binding. However, such defects on the
      tubes cause the decrease in electrical conductivity and stability, leading to
      lower catalyst performance. In the present study, at first, pristine multi-walled
      carbon nanotubes (MWNTs) were wrapped by pyridine-based polybenzimidazole (PyPBI)
      to which uniform NixCo3-xO4 nanocrystals were homogeneously deposited by the
      solvothermal method without damaging the MWNTs, in which PyPBI acted as efficient
      anchoring sites for the deposition of spinel oxide nanocrystals with ~5 nm size.
      The obtained catalyst (MWNT-PyPBI-NixCo3-xO4) outperformed most state-of-the-art
      non-precious metal-based bifunctional catalysts; namely, for OER, the potential
      at 10 mA cm-2 and Tafel slope in 1 M KOH solution were 1.54 V vs. RHE and 42 mV
      dec-1, respectively. For ORR, the onset and half-wave potentials are 0.918 V and
      0.811 V vs. RHE, respectively. Moreover, the MWNT-PyPBI-NixCo3-xO4 demonstrates
      an excellent durability for both ORR and OER.

PMID- 28358115
TI  - Azole-resistant Aspergillus fumigatus harboring TR34/L98H, TR46/Y121F/T289A and
      TR53 mutations related to flower fields in Colombia.
AB  - Resistance to triazoles in Aspergillus fumigatus has been reported in azole-naive
      patients in Europe, Asia, Australia and North America. This resistance has been
      linked to fungicide-driven mutations in the cyp51A gene and its promoter region.
      We investigated the presence of environmental azole-resistant A. fumigatus
      strains related to the use of azole fungicides in Colombia. Soil samples were
      collected from flower beds, flower fields and public gardens from the outskirts,
      suburbs and city centre of Bogota. Out of the 86 soil samples taken, 17 (19.8%)
      grew A. fumigatus of whom eight (9.3%) contained 40 strains able to grow on azole
      containing itraconazole and/or voriconazole supplemented media. All but one
      triazole-resistant strains were isolated from soil samples collected from flower
      fields and flower beds (39/40). Importantly, the majority had the
      TR46/Y121F/T289A, TR34/L98H, and TR53 molecular resistance mechanisms and one
      azole resistant strain had a wild-type cyp51A gene. Soil samples from flower
      fields and beds contained 4 azole fungicides (penconazole, difenoconazole,
      tetraconazole and tebuconazole) above the limit of detection. Our findings
      underline the need for extensive investigations to determine azole-resistant A.
      fumigatus prevalence in both clinical and environmental samples in other regions
      of Latin America.

PMID- 28358116
TI  - Work Function Tuning in Two-Dimensional MoS2 Field-Effect-Transistors with
      Graphene and Titanium Source-Drain Contacts.
AB  - Based on the first principles calculation, we investigate the electronic band
      structures of graphene-MoS2 and Ti-MoS2 heterojunctions under gate-voltages. By
      simultaneous control of external electric fields and carrier charging
      concentrations, we show that the graphene's Dirac point position inside the MoS2
      bandgap is easily modulated with respect to the co-varying Fermi level, while
      keeping the graphene's linear band structure around the Dirac point. The easy
      modulation of graphene bands is not confined to the special cases where the
      conduction-band-minimum point of MoS2 and the Dirac point of graphene are matched
      up in reciprocal space, but is generalized to their dislocated cases. This
      flexibility caused by the strong decoupling between graphene and MoS2 bands
      enhances the gate-controlled switching performance in MoS2-graphene hybrid
      stacking-device.

PMID- 28358117
TI  - Altered (neo-) lacto series glycolipid biosynthesis impairs alpha2-6 sialylation
      on N-glycoproteins in ovarian cancer cells.
AB  - The (neo-) lacto series glycosphingolipids (nsGSLs) comprise of glycan epitopes
      that are present as blood group antigens, act as primary receptors for human
      pathogens and are also increasingly associated with malignant diseases. Beta-1, 3
      N-acetyl-glucosaminyl-transferase 5 (B3GNT5) is suggested as the key
      glycosyltransferase for the biosynthesis of nsGSLs. In this study, we
      investigated the impact of CRISPR-Cas9 -mediated gene disruption of B3GNT5
      (?B3GNT5) on the expression of glycosphingolipids and N-glycoproteins by
      utilizing immunostaining and glycomics-based PGC-UHPLC-ESI-QTOF-MS/MS profiling.
      ?B3GNT5 cells lost nsGSL expression coinciding with reduction of alpha2-6
      sialylation on N-glycoproteins. In contrast, disruption of B4GALNT1, a
      glycosyltransferase for ganglio series GSLs did not affect alpha2-6 sialylation
      on N-glycoproteins. We further profiled all known alpha2-6 sialyltransferase
      encoding genes and showed that the loss of alpha2-6 sialylation is due to
      silencing of ST6GAL1 expression in ?B3GNT5 cells. These results demonstrate that
      nsGSLs are part of a complex network affecting N-glycosylation in ovarian cancer
      cells.

PMID- 28358120
TI  - Excitonic structure and pumping power dependent emission blue-shift of type-II
      quantum dots.
AB  - In this work we study theoretically and experimentally the multi-particle
      structure of the so-called type-II quantum dots with spatially separated
      electrons and holes. Our calculations based on customarily developed full
      configuration interaction ap- proach reveal that exciton complexes containing
      holes interacting with two or more electrons exhibit fairly large antibinding
      energies. This effect is found to be the hallmark of the type-II confinement. In
      addition, an approximate self-consistent solution of the multi-exciton problem
      allows us to explain two pronounced phenomena: the blue-shift of the emission
      with pumping and the large inhomogeneous spectral broadening, both of those
      eluding explanation so far. The results are confirmed by detailed intensity and
      polarization resolved photoluminescence measurements on a number of type-II
      samples.

PMID- 28358118
TI  - CombiROC: an interactive web tool for selecting accurate marker combinations of
      omics data.
AB  - Diagnostic accuracy can be improved considerably by combining multiple markers,
      whose performance in identifying diseased subjects is usually assessed via
      receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves. The selection of multimarker
      signatures is a complicated process that requires integration of data signatures
      with sophisticated statistical methods. We developed a user-friendly tool, called
      CombiROC, to help researchers accurately determine optimal markers combinations
      from diverse omics methods. With CombiROC data from different domains, such as
      proteomics and transcriptomics, can be analyzed using sensitivity/specificity
      filters: the number of candidate marker panels rising from combinatorial analysis
      is easily optimized bypassing limitations imposed by the nature of different
      experimental approaches. Leaving to the user full control on initial selection
      stringency, CombiROC computes sensitivity and specificity for all markers
      combinations, performances of best combinations and ROC curves for automatic
      comparisons, all visualized in a graphic interface. CombiROC was designed without
      hard-coded thresholds, allowing a custom fit to each specific data: this
      dramatically reduces the computational burden and lowers the false negative rates
      given by fixed thresholds. The application was validated with published data,
      confirming the marker combination already originally described or even finding
      new ones. CombiROC is a novel tool for the scientific community freely available
      at http://CombiROC.eu.

PMID- 28358119
TI  - Three dimensional characterization of GaN-based light emitting diode grown on
      patterned sapphire substrate by confocal Raman and photoluminescence
      spectromicroscopy.
AB  - We performed depth-resolved PL and Raman spectral mappings of a GaN-based LED
      structure grown on a patterned sapphire substrate (PSS). Our results showed that
      the Raman mapping in the PSS-GaN heterointerface and the PL mapping in the InxGa1
      xN/GaN MQWs active layer are spatially correlated. Based on the 3D construction
      of E2(high) Raman peak intensity and frequency shift, V-shaped pits in the MQWs
      can be traced down to the dislocations originated in the cone tip area of PSS.
      Detail analysis of the PL peak distribution further revealed that the indium
      composition in the MQWs is related to the residual strain propagating from the
      PSS-GaN heterointerface toward the LED surface. Numerical simulation based on the
      indium composition distribution also led to a radiative recombination rate
      distribution that shows agreement with the experimental PL intensity distribution
      in the InxGa1-xN/GaN MQWs active layer.

PMID- 28358121
TI  - Chemical interaction mechanism of 10-MDP with zirconia.
AB  - Currently, the functional monomer 10-methacryloyloxy-decyl-dihydrogen-phosphate
      (10-MDP) was documented to chemically bond to zirconia ceramics. However, little
      research has been conducted to unravel the underlying mechanisms. This study
      aimed to assess the chemical interaction and to demonstrate the mechanisms of
      coordination between 10-MDP and zirconium oxide using 1H and 31P magic angle
      spinning (MAS) nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) and two dimensional (2D) 1H ->
      31P heteronuclear correlation (HETCOR) NMR. In addition, shear bond-strength
      (SBS) tests were conducted to determine the effect of 10-MDP concentration on the
      bonding effectiveness to zirconia. These SBS tests revealed a 10-MDP
      concentration-dependent SBS with a minimum of 1-ppb 10-MDP needed. 31P-NMR
      revealed that one P-OH non-deprotonated of the PO3H2 group from 10-MDP chemically
      bonded strongly to zirconia. 1H-31P HETCOR NMR indicated that the 10-MDP monomer
      can be adsorbed onto the zirconia particles by hydrogen bonding between the P=O
      and Zr-OH groups or via ionic interactions between partially positive Zr and
      deprotonated 10-MDP (P-O-). The combination of 1H NMR and 2D 1H-31P HETCOR NMR
      enabled to describe the different chemical states of the 10-MDP bonds with
      zirconia; they not only revealed ionic but also hydrogen bonding between 10-MDP
      and zirconia.

PMID- 28358122
TI  - Differentiation of Pancreatic Cyst Types by Analysis of Rheological Behavior of
      Pancreatic Cyst Fluid.
AB  - Differentiation between mucinous and non-mucinous pancreatic cysts is exceedingly
      important and challenging, particularly as the former bears malignant
      transformation potential. Pancreatic cyst fluid (PCF)-based diagnostics,
      including analyses of biochemical markers, as well as cytology, has shown
      inadequate accuracy. Herein, a preliminary single-center study of 22 PCF samples,
      collected by endoscopic ultrasound-guided fine needle aspiration (EUS-FNA),
      assessed the rheological behavior of PCF and its correlation with lesion type.
      The dependence of PCF shear viscosity on shear rate was found to follow a power
      law and could be fitted using Ostwald-de Waele model. Three types of flow curves
      were identified, where two types correlated with non-mucinous cysts, differing by
      their power law exponent, and the third type corresponding to mucinous cysts.
      Viscosity measured at a high shear rate was shown to serve as an accurate and
      independent marker distinguishing between mucinous and non-mucinous cysts, with
      an optimal cutoff value of etac = 1.3 cP The accuracy of this novel technique
      proved superior to string-sign, cytology, carcinoembryonic antigen, and amylase
      assessments. Moreover, the combined predictive value of etac and patient age
      provided for sensitivity and specificity of 100% and 95.5%, respectively. This
      simple and rapid diagnostic tool can be immediately implemented after EUS-FNA
      sampling.

PMID- 28358123
TI  - Molecular Therapy for Degenerative Disc Disease: Clues from Secretome Analysis of
      the Notochordal Cell-Rich Nucleus Pulposus.
AB  - Degenerative disc disease (DDD) is associated with spinal pain often leading to
      long-term disability. However, the non-chondrodystrophic canine intervertebral
      disc is protected from the development of DDD, ostensibly due to its retention of
      notochordal cells (NC) in the nucleus pulposus (NP). In this study, we
      hypothesized that secretome analysis of the NC-rich NP will lead to the
      identification of key proteins that delay the onset of DDD. Using mass
      spectrometry, we identified 303 proteins including components of TGFbeta- and Wnt
      signaling, anti-angiogeneic factors and proteins that inhibit axonal ingrowth in
      the bioactive fractions of serum free, notochordal cell derived conditioned
      medium (NCCM). Ingenuity Pathway Analysis revealed TGFbeta1 and CTGF as major
      hubs in protein interaction networks. In vitro treatment with TGFbeta1 and CTGF
      promoted the synthesis of healthy extra-cellular matrix proteins, increased cell
      proliferation and reduced cell death in human degenerative disc NP cells. A
      single intra-discal injection of recombinant TGFbeta1 and CTGF proteins in a pre
      clinical rat-tail disc injury model restored the NC and stem cell rich NP. In
      conclusion, we demonstrate the potential of TGFbeta1 and CTGF to mitigate the
      progression of disc degeneration and the potential use of these molecules in a
      molecular therapy to treat the degenerative disc.

PMID- 28358124
TI  - Domain-specific interactions between MLN8237 and human serum albumin estimated by
      STD and WaterLOGSY NMR, ITC, spectroscopic, and docking techniques.
AB  - Alisertib (MLN8237) is an orally administered inhibitor of Aurora A kinase. This
      small-molecule inhibitor is under clinical or pre-clinical phase for the
      treatment of advanced malignancies. The present study provides a detailed
      characterization of the interaction of MLN8237 with a drug transport protein
      called human serum albumin (HSA). STD and WaterLOGSY nuclear magnetic resonance
      (NMR)-binding studies were conducted first to confirm the binding of MLN8237 to
      HSA. In the ligand orientation assay, the binding sites of MLN8237 were validated
      through two site-specific spy molecules (warfarin sodium and ibuprofen, which are
      two known site-selective probes) by using STD and WaterLOGSY NMR competition
      techniques. These competition experiments demonstrate that both spy molecules do
      not compete with MLN8237 for the specific binding site. The AutoDock-based blind
      docking study recognizes the hydrophobic subdomain IB of the protein as the
      probable binding site for MLN8237. Thermodynamic investigations by isothermal
      titration calorimetry (ITC) reveal that the non-covalent interaction between
      MLN8237 and HSA (binding constant was approximately 105 M-1) is driven mainly by
      favorable entropy and unfavorable enthalpy. In addition, synchronous
      fluorescence, circular dichroism (CD), and 3D fluorescence spectroscopy suggest
      that MLN8237 may induce conformational changes in HSA.

PMID- 28358125
TI  - A golden goat genome.
AB  - The newly described de novo goat genome sequence is the most contiguous diploid
      vertebrate assembly generated thus far using whole-genome assembly and
      scaffolding methods. The contiguity of this assembly is approaching that of the
      finished human and mouse genomes and suggests an affordable roadmap to high
      quality references for thousands of species.

PMID- 28358126
TI  - Corrigendum: Uncovering Listeria monocytogenes hypervirulence by harnessing its
      biodiversity.

PMID- 28358127
TI  - Erratum: Distinct Salmonella Enteritidis lineages associated with enterocolitis
      in high-income settings and invasive disease in low-income settings.

PMID- 28358129
TI  - 25 more years.
AB  - This month, to celebrate a quarter century of excellence in genetics, we are
      highlighting selections from the past work we have published. We will then
      publish a number of forward-looking Perspectives in the coming months to examine
      and chart the future directions of our field. In parallel, we will also consult
      researchers for their answers to current questions of interest to the genetics
      and genomics community for discussion throughout the year.

PMID- 28358130
TI  - Genetic interactions improve models of quantitative traits.
AB  - A study of genetic variation in yeast has identified key quantitative trait loci
      (QTLs) that suppress the effects of variation at multiple other loci. These loci
      prove essential to accurately modeling yeast growth in response to different
      environments.

PMID- 28358131
TI  - Erratum: Contribution of copy number variants to schizophrenia from a genome-wide
      study of 41,321 subjects.

PMID- 28358128
TI  - Corrigendum: Rare variants of large effect in BRCA2 and CHEK2 affect risk of lung
      cancer.

PMID- 28358132
TI  - Ultrasensitive detection of TCR hypervariable-region sequences in solid-tissue
      RNA-seq data.

PMID- 28358133
TI  - Resequencing at scale in neurodevelopmental disorders.
AB  - An international collaboration has assembled DNA samples and detailed phenotypic
      information from >13,000 individuals with a clinical diagnosis of either autism
      spectrum disorder (ASD) or intellectual disability/developmental delay (ID/DD).
      The application of molecular inversion probe technologies to sequence 208
      candidate genes at scale in this impressive resource has identified a large set
      of plausibly causative mutations for these disorders.

PMID- 28358134
TI  - Celebrating parasites.

PMID- 28358135
TI  - Monolithic integration of a lithium niobate microresonator with a free-standing
      waveguide using femtosecond laser assisted ion beam writing.
AB  - We demonstrated integrating a high quality factor lithium niobate microdisk
      resonator with a free-standing membrane waveguide. Our technique is based on
      femtosecond laser direct writing which produces the pre-structure, followed by
      focused ion beam milling which reduces the surface roughness of sidewall of the
      fabricated structure to nanometer scale. Efficient light coupling between the
      integrated waveguide and microdisk was achieved, and the quality factor of the
      microresonator was measured as high as 1.67 * 105.

PMID- 28358136
TI  - Tubular Cardiac Tissues Derived from Human Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells
      Generate Pulse Pressure In Vivo.
AB  - Human induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cell-derived cardiac cells provide the
      possibility to fabricate cardiac tissues for transplantation. However, it remains
      unclear human bioengineered cardiac tissues function as a functional pump in
      vivo. Human iPS cells induced to cardiomyocytes in suspension were cultured on
      temperature-responsive dishes to fabricate cardiac cell sheets. Two pairs of
      triple-layered sheets were transplanted to wrap around the inferior vena cava
      (IVC) of nude rats. At 4 weeks after transplantation, inner pressure changes in
      the IVC were synchronized with electrical activations of the graft. Under 80
      pulses per minute electrical stimulation, the inner pressure changes at 8 weeks
      increased to 9.1 +/- 3.2 mmHg, which were accompanied by increases in the
      baseline inner pressure of the IVC. Immunohistochemical analysis revealed that
      0.5-mm-thick cardiac troponin T-positive cardiac tissues, which contained
      abundant human mitochondria, were clearly engrafted lamellar around the IVC and
      surrounded by von Willebrand factor-positive capillary vessels. The mRNA
      expression of several contractile proteins in cardiac tissues at 8 weeks in vivo
      was significantly upregulated compared with those at 4 weeks. We succeeded in
      generating pulse pressure by tubular human cardiac tissues in vivo. This
      technology might lead to the development of a bioengineered heart assist pump.

PMID- 28358138
TI  - Photostability of plasma polymerized gamma-terpinene thin films for encapsulation
      of OPV.
AB  - Optically transparent, smooth, defect-free, chemically inert and with good
      adhesion to a variety of substrates, plasma polymers from plant-derived secondary
      metabolites have been identified as promising encapsulating materials for organic
      electronics and photovoltaics. Here, we demonstrate that an encapsulating layer
      of plasma polymerized gamma-terpinene reduces degradation-related loss in
      conversion efficiency in PCPDTBT:PC70BM solar cells under ambient operating
      conditions. The stability of gamma-terpinene films was then investigated under
      extreme UV irradiation conditions as a function of deposition power. When exposed
      to ambient air, prolonged exposure to UV-A and UV-B light led to notable ageing
      of the polymer. Photooxidation was identified as the main mechanism of
      degradation, confirmed by significantly slower ageing when oxygen was restricted
      through the use of a quartz cover. Under unnatural high-energy UV-C irradiation,
      significant photochemical degradation and oxidation occurred even in an oxygen
      poor environment.

PMID- 28358139
TI  - HLA-B*15:21 and carbamazepine-induced Stevens-Johnson syndrome: pooled-data and
      in silico analysis.
AB  - HLA-B*15:02 screening before carbamazepine (CBZ) prescription in Asian
      populations is the recommended practice to prevent CBZ-induced Stevens-Johnson
      syndrome (CBZ-SJS). However, a number of patients have developed CBZ-SJS even
      having no HLA-B*15:02. Herein, we present the case of a Thai patient who had a
      negative HLA-B*15:02 screening result but later developed CBZ-SJS. Further HLA
      typing revealed HLA-B*15:21/B*13:01. HLA-B*15:21 is a member of the HLA-B75
      serotype and is commonly found in Southeast Asian populations. Based on this
      case, we hypothesised that if all HLA-B*15:02 carriers were prevented from CBZ
      prescription, another common HLA-B75 serotype marker would show its association
      with CBZ-SJS. To test this hypothesis, we pooled data from previous association
      studies in Asian populations, excluded all cases with HLA-B*15:02, and analysed
      the association significance of HLA-B75 serotype markers. A significant
      association was found between CBZ-SJS and HLA-B*15:21 and HLA-B*15:11. We also
      applied an in silico analysis and found that all HLA-B75 serotype molecules
      shared similar capability in binding the CBZ molecule. In summary, this report
      provides the first evidence of a positive association between HLA-B*15:21 and CBZ
      SJS and the first in silico analysis of CBZ binding sites and details of the
      molecular behaviour of HLA-B75 molecule to explain its molecular action.

PMID- 28358137
TI  - Identification and evolution of a plant cell wall specific glycoprotein glycosyl
      transferase, ExAD.
AB  - Extensins are plant cell wall glycoproteins that act as scaffolds for the
      deposition of the main wall carbohydrate polymers, which are interlocked into the
      supramolecular wall structure through intra- and inter-molecular iso-di-tyrosine
      crosslinks within the extensin backbone. In the conserved canonical extensin
      repeat, Ser-Hyp4, serine and the consecutive C4-hydroxyprolines (Hyps) are
      substituted with an alpha-galactose and 1-5 beta- or alpha-linked
      arabinofuranoses (Arafs), respectively. These modifications are required for
      correct extended structure and function of the extensin network. Here, we
      identified a single Arabidopsis thaliana gene, At3g57630, in clade E of the
      inverting Glycosyltransferase family GT47 as a candidate for the transfer of Araf
      to Hyp-arabinofuranotriose (Hyp-beta1,4Araf-beta1,2Araf-beta1,2Araf) side chains
      in an alpha-linkage, to yield Hyp-Araf4 which is exclusively found in extensins.
      T-DNA knock-out mutants of At3g57630 showed a truncated root hair phenotype, as
      seen for mutants of all hitherto characterized extensin glycosylation enzymes;
      both root hair and glycan phenotypes were restored upon reintroduction of
      At3g57630. At3g57630 was named Extensin Arabinose Deficient transferase, ExAD,
      accordingly. The occurrence of ExAD orthologs within the Viridiplantae along with
      its' product, Hyp-Araf4, point to ExAD being an evolutionary hallmark of
      terrestrial plants and charophyte green algae.

PMID- 28358141
TI  - Spin filtering effect generated by the inter-subband spin-orbit coupling in the
      bilayer nanowire with the quantum point contact.
AB  - The spin filtering effect in the bilayer nanowire with quantum point contact is
      investigated theoretically. We demonstrate the new mechanism of the spin
      filtering based on the lateral inter-subband spin-orbit coupling, which for the
      bilayer nanowires has been reported to be strong. The proposed spin filtering
      effect is explained as the joint effect of the Landau-Zener intersubband
      transitions caused by the hybridization of states with opposite spin (due to the
      lateral Rashba SO interaction) and the confinement of carriers in the quantum
      point contact region.

PMID- 28358142
TI  - Thermochromic Luminescent Materials and Multi-Emission Bands in d10 Clusters.
AB  - Thermochromic luminescent compounds with d10 metal ions are interesting materials
      for applications such as sensors or display devices. However, these properties
      are difficult to predict prior to their synthesis. In this communication, we
      investigated materials with structural assemblies known to be responsible of
      distinct luminescence mechanisms and show that they can be interesting potential
      thermometers. Thus, we compared the synthesis of a zinc halide and a copper
      halide based compounds which only differ in their ability to create clusters with
      metallophilic interactions. The compounds synthesized by hydrothermal method have
      been structurally characterized by Single-crystal X-ray diffraction, Solid-State
      NMR, FTIR, UV-Visible spectroscopy, thermal analysis and EPR. The
      photoluminescence properties of the two materials have been characterized at
      different temperatures. The copper bromide compound shows luminescence
      thermochromism in a wide spectrum of colors owing to the formation of clusters
      generating multi-emission bands while the zinc bromide exhibits a single emission
      band and no thermochromism.

PMID- 28358140
TI  - A pilot study on transient ischemic stroke induced with endothelin-1 in the
      rhesus monkeys.
AB  - Endothelin-1 (ET-1), a vasoconstrictor, has recently been used to induce focal
      ischemia in rodents and marmoset monkeys. The rhesus monkey, however, has
      numerous advantages to the rodent and marmoset that make it a superior and
      irreplaceable animal model for studying stroke in the brain. In the present
      study, after mapping the preferred hand representation in two healthy male
      monkeys with intracortical micro-stimulation, ET-1 was microinjected into the
      contralateral motor cortex (M1) to its preferred hand. The monkeys had been
      trained in three manual dexterity tasks before the microinjection and were tested
      for these tasks following the ET-1 injection. Brain Magnetic Resonance Imaging
      scans were performed 1, 7, 14 and 28 days post ischemia. It was found that ET-1
      impaired the manual dexterity of the monkeys in the vertical slot and rotating
      Brinkman board tasks 3-8 days after the injection. Brain imaging found that
      severe edema was present 7 days after the focal ischemia. This data suggest that
      ET-1 can induce transient ischemic stroke in rhesus monkey and that ET-1 induced
      focal ischemia in non-human primates is a potential model to study the mechanism
      of stroke and brain repair after stroke.

PMID- 28358143
TI  - Facile Fabrication of Platinum-Cobalt Alloy Nanoparticles with Enhanced
      Electrocatalytic Activity for a Methanol Oxidation Reaction.
AB  - Decreasing the cost associated with platinum-based catalysts along with improving
      their catalytic properties is a major challenge for commercial direct methanol
      fuel cells. In this work, a simple and facile strategy was developed for the more
      efficient preparation of multi-walled carbon nanotube (MWCNT) -supported Pt/CoPt
      composite nanoparticles (NPs) via solution plasma sputtering with subsequent
      thermal annealing. Quite different from general wet synthesis methods, Pt/CoPt
      composite NPs were directly derived from metal wire electrodes without any
      additions. The obtained Pt/CoPt/MWCNTs composite catalysts exhibited tremendous
      improvement in the electro-oxidation of methanol in acidic media with mass
      activities of 1719 mA mg-1Pt. This value is much higher than that of previous
      reports of Pt-Co alloy and commercial Pt/C (3.16 times) because of the many
      active sites and clean surface of the catalysts. The catalysts showed good
      stability due to the special synergistic effects of the CoPt alloy.
      Pt/CoPt/MWCNTs can be used as a promising catalyst for direct methanol fuel
      cells. In addition, this solution plasma sputtering-assisted synthesis method
      introduces a general and feasible route for the synthesis of binary alloys.

PMID- 28358145
TI  - Retraction of: application of food-specific IgG antibody detection in allergy
      dermatosis.
AB  - [This retracts the article DOI: 10.1515/med-2015-0067.].

PMID- 28358146
TI  - Structural modelling and phylogenetic analyses of PgeIF4A2 (Eukaryotic
      translation initiation factor) from Pennisetum glaucum reveal signature motifs
      with a role in stress tolerance and development.
AB  - Eukaryotic translation initiation factor 4A (eIF4A) is an indispensable component
      of the translation machinery and also play a role in developmental processes and
      stress alleviation in plants and animals. Different eIF4A isoforms are present in
      the cytosol of the cell, namely, eIF4A1, eIF4A2, and eIF4A3 and their expression
      is tightly regulated in cap-dependent translation. We revealed the structural
      model of PgeIF4A2 protein using the crystal structure of Homo sapiens eIF4A3 (PDB
      ID: 2J0S) as template by Modeller 9.12. The resultant PgeIF4A2 model structure
      was refined by PROCHECK, ProSA, Verify3D and RMSD that showed the model structure
      is reliable with 77 % amino acid sequence identity with template. Investigation
      revealed two conserved signatures for ATP-dependent RNA Helicase DEAD-box
      conserved site (VLDEADEML) and RNA helicase DEAD-box type, Q-motif in sheet-turn
      helix and alpha-helical region respectively. All these conserved motifs are
      responsible for response during developmental stages and stress tolerance in
      plants.

PMID- 28358144
TI  - Novel conjugates of aminoadamantanes with carbazole derivatives as potential
      multitarget agents for AD treatment.
AB  - A new group of compounds, promising for the design of original multitarget
      therapeutic agents for treating neurodegenerative diseases, based on conjugates
      of aminoadamantane and carbazole derivatives was synthesized and investigated.
      Compounds of these series were found to interact with a group of targets that
      play an important role in the development of this type of diseases. First of all,
      these compounds selectively inhibit butyrylcholinesterase, block NMDA receptors
      containing NR2B subunits while maintaining the properties of MK-801 binding site
      blockers, exert microtubules stabilizing properties, and possess the ability to
      protect nerve cells from death at the calcium overload conditions. The leading
      compound C-2h has been shown the most promising effects on all analyzed
      parameters. Thus, these compounds can be regarded as promising candidates for the
      design of multi-target disease-modifying drugs for treatment of AD and/or similar
      neuropathologies.

PMID- 28358147
TI  - A plant Bcl-2-associated athanogene is proteolytically activated to confer fungal
      resistance.
AB  - The Bcl-2-associated athanogene (BAG) family is a multifunctional group of
      proteins involved in numerous cellular functions ranging from apoptosis to
      tumorigenesis. These proteins are evolutionarily conserved and encode a
      characteristic region known as the BAG domain. BAGs function as adapter proteins
      forming complexes with signaling molecules and molecular chaperones. In humans, a
      role for BAG proteins has been suggested in tumor growth, HIV infection, and
      neurodegenerative diseases; as a result, the BAGs are attractive targets for
      therapeutic interventions, and their expression in cells may serve as a
      predictive tool for disease development. The Arabidopsis genome contains seven
      homologs of BAG family proteins (Figure 1), including four with a domain
      organization similar to animal BAGs (BAG1-4). The remaining three members (BAG5
      7) contain a predicted calmodulin-binding motif near the BAG domain, a feature
      unique to plant BAG proteins that possibly reflects divergent mechanisms
      associated with plant-specific functions. As reported for animal BAGs, plant BAGs
      also regulate several stress and developmental processes (Figure 2). The recent
      article by Li et al. focuses on the role of BAG6 in plant innate immunity. This
      study shows that BAG6 plays a key role in basal plant defense against fungal
      pathogens. Importantly, this work further shows that BAG6 is proteolytically
      activated to induce autophagic cell death and resistance in plants. This finding
      underscores the importance of proteases in the execution of plant cell death, yet
      little is known about proteases and their substrates in plants.

PMID- 28358148
TI  - Enantioselective Diels-Alder-lactamization organocascades employing a furan-based
      diene.
AB  - alpha,beta-Unsaturated acylammonium salts are useful dienophiles enabling highly
      enantioselective and stereodivergent Diels-Alder-initiated organocascades with
      furan-based dienes. Complex polycyclic systems can thus be obtained from readily
      prepared dienes, commodity acid chlorides, and a chiral isothiourea
      organocatalyst under mild conditions. We describe the use of furan-based dienes
      bearing pendant sulfonamides leading to the generation of oxa-bridged, trans
      fused tricyclic gamma-lactams. This process constitutes the first highly enantio-
      and diastereoselective, organocatalytic Diels-Alder cycloadditions with these
      typically problematic dienes due to their reversibility. Computational studies
      suggest that the high diastereoselectivity with these furan dienes may be due to
      a reversible Diels-Alder cycloaddition for the endo adducts. In addition, the
      utility of this methodology is demonstrated through a concise approach to a core
      structure with similarity to the natural product isatisine A and a nonpeptidyl
      ghrelin-receptor inverse agonist.

PMID- 28358149
TI  - Syntheses and kinetic studies of cyclisation-based self-immolative spacers.
AB  - Kinetic analysis of the disassembly of self-immolative spacers based on
      cyclisation processes was performed. Five compounds were synthesized belonging to
      two different series, and their kinetic constants were determined. Electron
      donating substituents gave a slight acceleration but the main effect was steric,
      and the Thorpe-Ingold effect was indeed particularly effective. Comparison with
      the self-immolative spacers based on elimination processes showed that
      cyclisations gave comparable or lower rate, but the corresponding spacers are
      more difficult to modulate.

PMID- 28358151
TI  - Swelling-induced structural changes and microparticle uptake of gelatin gels
      probed by NMR and CLSM.
AB  - Gelatin gels are increasingly involved in many industrial applications due to
      several advantages including cost efficiency and biocompatibility. Generally,
      their production requires the use of aqueous solvents, which cause significant
      swelling, due to the ability of solvent molecules to penetrate through the gel
      microstructure and increase its volume. Since swelling mechanisms and their
      effect on the gel structure are not fully understood, further investigations are
      required. In this work, we combine macroscopic measurements of the swelling ratio
      (SR) with Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) and Confocal Laser Scanning Microscopy
      (CLSM) to investigate changes in the gelatin structure as a function of both
      polymer concentration and swelling time. SR values increase as a function of time
      until a maximum is reached and then show a slight drop for all the gelatin
      concentrations after 24 h swelling time, probably due to a network relaxation
      process. NMR allows determination of mass transport and molecular dynamics of
      water inside the gelatin pores, while CLSM is used to visualize the penetration
      of tracers (polystyrene microbeads) with a diameter much larger than the gel
      pores. Structural parameters, such as average pore size and tortuosity, are
      estimated. In particular, the pore size decreases for higher polymer
      concentration and increases during swelling, until reaching a maximum, and then
      dropping at longer times. The penetration of tracers provides evidence of the
      heterogeneity of the gel structure and shows that single microcarriers can be
      loaded in gelatin gels upon swelling.

PMID- 28358152
TI  - Inhibition of the MurA enzyme in Fusobacterium nucleatum by potential inhibitors
      identified through computational and in vitro approaches.
AB  - Fusobacterium nucleatum plays a key role in several diseases such as
      periodontitis, gingivitis, appendicitis, and inflammatory bowel disease (IBD).
      The development of antibiotic resistance by this bacterium demands novel
      therapeutic intervention. Our recent study has reported UDP-N-acetylglucosamine 1
      carboxyvinyltransferase (MurA) as one of the potential target proteins in F.
      nucleatum. In this study, we proposed two novel MurA inhibitors through in silico
      screening and evaluated their mode of inhibition by in vitro experiments. It was
      found that MurA structural arrangement (inside-out alpha/beta barrel) was
      stabilized by L/FXXXG(A) motif-based interactions. The protein was maintained in
      an open or substrate-free conformation due to repulsive forces between two
      parallelly arranged positively charged residues of domain I and II. In this
      conformation, we identified six best compounds that held key interactions with
      the substrate-binding pocket via a structure-based virtual screening of natural
      and chemical compound libraries. However, among these, only orientin and
      quercetin-3-O-d-glucuronide (Q3G) showed better interaction capability through
      consistent H-bond occupancy and lowest binding free energy during molecular
      dynamic simulations. In vitro inhibition studies evidenced the mixed and
      uncompetitive mode of inhibition by orientin and Q3G, respectively, with purified
      MurA protein. This explains the binding of orientin in both open and closed
      (substrate-bound) conformations of MurA, and Q3G binding in only closed
      conformation. Therefore, the Q3G binding mode was predicted on a MurA-substrate
      complex, which highlighted its constant H-bond with Cys118, a phosphoenolpyruvate
      (PEP) interacting residue. This suggests that Q3G may interrupt the PEP binding,
      thereby inhibiting the MurA activity. Thus, the current study discusses the
      structure of MurA and demonstrates the inhibitory action of two novel compounds.

PMID- 28358153
TI  - Domino reaction of cyclic sulfamidate imines with Morita-Baylis-Hillman acetates
      promoted by DABCO: a metal-free approach to functionalized nicotinic acid
      derivatives.
AB  - A facile, green, metal-free new one-pot synthetic strategy has been developed for
      easy access to a wide array of medicinally promising functionalized pyridines
      having an ester, a nitrile or an acetyl group at the C-3 position in good to
      excellent yields via a domino SN2/elimination/6pi-aza
      electrocyclization/aromatization reaction of several 4-aryl/hetero-aryl
      substituted 5-membered cyclic sulfamidate imines with a broad range of MBH
      acetates of acrylate/acrylonitrile/MVK in 2-MeTHF promoted by DABCO as an
      organobase under an O2 atmosphere. Moreover, a biologically interesting
      triazolopyridine derivative was achieved through a unique procedure.

PMID- 28358155
TI  - A tunable copper-catalyzed multicomponent reaction towards alkaloid-inspired
      indole/lactam polycycles.
AB  - A versatile copper(i)-catalyzed cascade multicomponent reaction strategy between
      readily available (Z)-3-iodoacrylic acids, terminal alkynes, and primary amines
      is reported, leading to a great diversity of complex heterocyclic backbones based
      on biorelevant indole/lactam scaffolds.

PMID- 28358156
TI  - Selective synthesis of mono- and bis-butenolide alpha-aminomethyl adducts.
AB  - The selective installation of alpha-methylamine residues at the butenolide core
      is described using alpha-bromomethylene-gamma-butenolide and primary as well as
      secondary amines in methanol at 0  degrees C. The preparation of mono- and bis
      butenolide alpha-adducts is described. Bis-gamma-butenolide adducts as well as
      mono alpha-aminomethyl-gamma-butenolides can be selectively obtained depending on
      the nature of the reacting primary amine. In contrast, the use of secondary
      amines allows two different pathways leading either to the expected amino
      derivatives or to the formation of a C-O bond.

PMID- 28358157
TI  - Optical diagnosis - highlighting the clinical applications of vibrational
      spectroscopy.

PMID- 28358158
TI  - Direct monitoring of pulmonary disease treatment biomarkers using plasmonic gold
      nanorods with diffusion-sensitive OCT.
AB  - The solid concentration of pulmonary mucus (wt%) is critical to respiratory
      health. In patients with respiratory disease, such as Cystic Fibrosis (CF) and
      Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disorder (COPD), mucus hydration is impaired,
      resulting in high wt%. Mucus with high wt% is a hallmark of pulmonary disease
      that leads to obstructed airways, inflammation, and infection. Methods to measure
      mucus hydration in situ and in real-time are needed for drug development and
      personalized therapy. We employed plasmonic gold nanorod (GNR) biosensors that
      intermittently collide with macromolecules comprising the mucus mesh as they self
      diffuse, such that GNR translational diffusion (DT) is sensitive to wt%. GNRs are
      attractive candidates for bioprobes due to their anisotropic optical scattering
      that makes them easily distinguishable from native tissue using polarization
      sensitive OCT. Using principles of heterodyne dynamic light scattering, we
      developed diffusion-sensitive optical coherence tomography (DS-OCT) to spatially
      resolve changing DT in real-time. DS-OCT enables, for the first time, direct
      monitoring of changes in nanoparticle diffusion rates that are sensitive to
      nanoporosity with spatial and temporal resolutions of 4.7 MUm and 0.2 s. DS-OCT
      therefore enables us to measure spatially-resolved changes in mucus wt% over
      time. In this study, we demonstrate the applicability of DS-OCT on well
      differentiated primary human bronchial epithelial cells during a clinical mucus
      hydrating therapy, hypertonic saline treatment (HST), to reveal, for the first
      time, mucus mixing, cellular secretions, and mucus hydration on the micrometer
      scale that translate to long-term therapeutic effects.

PMID- 28358160
TI  - Highly stiff yet elastic microcapsules incorporating cellulose nanofibrils.
AB  - Microcapsules with high mechanical stability and elasticity are desirable in a
      variety of contexts. We report a single-step method to fabricate such
      microcapsules by microfluidic interfacial complexation between high stiffness
      cellulose nanofibrils (CNF) and an oil-soluble cationic random copolymer. Single
      capsule compression measurements reveal an elastic modulus of 53 MPa for the CNF
      based capsule shell with complete recovery of deformation from strains as large
      as 19%. We demonstrate the ability to manipulate the shell modulus by the use of
      polyacrylic acid (PAA) as a binder material, and observe a direct relationship
      between the shell modulus and the PAA concentration, with moduli as large as 0.5
      GPa attained. These results demonstrate that CNF incorporation provides a facile
      route for producing strong yet flexible microcapsule shells.

PMID- 28358161
TI  - Post-translational modifications involved in the biosynthesis of thiopeptide
      antibiotics.
AB  - Thiopeptide antibiotics are a class of typical ribosomally synthesized and post
      translationally modified peptides (RiPPs) with complex chemical structures that
      are difficult to construct via chemical synthesis. To date, more than 100
      thiopeptides have been discovered, and most of these compounds exhibit remarkable
      biological activities, such as antibacterial, antitumor and immunosuppressive
      activities. Therefore, studies of the biosynthesis of thiopeptides can contribute
      to the development of new drug leads and facilitate the understanding of the
      complex post-translational modifications (PTMs) of peptides and/or proteins.
      Since the biosynthetic gene clusters of thiopeptides were first discovered in
      2009, several research studies regarding the biochemistry and enzymology of
      thiopeptide biosyntheses have been reported, indicating that their characteristic
      framework is constructed via a cascade of common PTMs and that additional
      specific PTMs diversify the molecules. In this review, we primarily summarize
      recent advances in understanding the biosynthesis of thiopeptide antibiotics and
      propose some potential applications based on our insights into the biosynthetic
      logic and machinery.

PMID- 28358162
TI  - Ligands and complexes based on piperidine and their exploitation of the ring
      opening polymerisation of rac-lactide.
AB  - A range of ligands based upon 2-(aminomethyl)piperidine have been successfully
      complexed to Mg(ii), Zn(ii) and group IV metal centres. These complexes have been
      characterised both in solution and solid state with different coordination
      geometries realised dependant on the nature of the ligand. For the Mg(ii) and
      Zn(ii) complexes, M(1-2)2, were isolated and analysed by DOSY NMR spectroscopy.
      These ligands also furnished diastereomeric group IV complexes, M(1-2)2(OiPr)2.
      Group IV salalen and salan complexes, M(4-5)(OR)2 were also found to be
      diastereomeric in nature, with either beta-cis or alpha-cis
      geometriesrespectively. The tridentate ligand, 6H2, yielded five coordinate
      complexes with both Ti(iv) and Zr(iv). All complexes were screened for the ring
      opening polymerisation of rac-lactide under both solvent and melt conditions. For
      the Mg(ii) and Zn(ii) complexes, good activity was observed with Zn(1-2)2
      demonstrating immortal polymerisation characteristics.

PMID- 28358164
TI  - Thiolysis of NBD-based dyes for colorimetric and fluorescence detection of H2S
      and biothiols: design and biological applications.
AB  - Hydrogen sulfide (H2S) is an important endogenous signaling molecule with
      multiple biological functions. The development of colorimetric and fluorescent
      probes for the visualization of H2S is useful for studying H2S biology. This
      review details up-to-date research on H2S probes based on thiolysis reactions of
      NBD (7-nitro-1,2,3-benzoxadiazole) amines or ethers (thioethers). The reactivity
      and selectivity of NBD-based dyes are discussed. The design principles of NBD
      based probes are highlighted. The advantages and disadvantages of NBD-based
      probes are compared, and their biological applications are discussed.

PMID- 28358165
TI  - Palladium-catalyzed tandem addition/cyclization in aqueous medium: synthesis of 2
      arylindoles.
AB  - An efficient protocol to construct 2-arylindoles was developed through palladium
      catalyzed tandem addition/cyclization of potassium aryltrifluoroborates with
      aliphatic nitriles in aqueous medium. The use of water as the reaction medium
      makes the synthesis process environmentally benign. A plausible mechanism for the
      formation of 2-arylindoles involving sequential nucleophilic addition followed by
      an intramolecular cyclization is proposed. Moreover, the utility of this
      catalytic tandem transformation was also demonstrated in an efficient gram-scale
      synthesis. This method provides an alternative synthetic tool for accessing a
      more diverse array of 2-arylindoles.

PMID- 28358166
TI  - Repeated peptide receptor radiotherapy in multiple recurrences of a metastasized
      neuroendocrine tumor.

PMID- 28358167
TI  - Digital Dermoscopy Monitoring: Is it Time to Define a Quality Standard?

PMID- 28358168
TI  - Efficacy of Botulinum Toxin B Injection for Raynaud's Phenomenon and Digital
      Ulcers in Patients with Systemic Sclerosis.
AB  - The efficacy and safety of botulinum toxin B (BTX-B) for treatment of Raynaud's
      phenomenon and digital ulcers in patients with systemic sclerosis was assessed. A
      total of 45 patients with systemic sclerosis who had Raynaud's phenomenon were
      blinded and divided randomly into 4 groups: a no-treatment control group, and 3
      treatment groups, using 250, 1,000 or 2,000 international units (U) of BTX-B
      injections in the hand with more severe symptoms. Four weeks after injection,
      pain/numbness visual analogue scale scores and Raynaud's score in the groups
      treated with 1,000 and 2,000 U BTX-B were significantly lower than in the control
      group and the group treated with 250 U BTX-B. These beneficial effects were
      sustained until 16 weeks after the single injection. At 4 weeks after injection
      skin temperature recovery in the group treated with 2,000 U BTX-B was
      significantly improved. The numbers of digital ulcers in the groups treated with
      1,000 and 2,000 U BTX-B were significantly lower than in the control group. In
      conclusion, 1,000 and 2,000 U BTX-B injections significantly suppressed the
      activity of Raynaud's phenomenon and digital ulcers in patients with SSc without
      serious adverse events.

PMID- 28358169
TI  - Is This Melanoma? A Quiz.

PMID- 28358170
TI  - Shift in Occupational Risk for Basal Cell Carcinoma from Outdoor to Indoor
      Workers: A Large Population-based Case-control Register Study from Sweden.
AB  - Basal cell carcinoma (BCC) is the most common form of cancer worldwide. Exposure
      of the skin to ultraviolet (UV) radiation, from sunlight and other sources, is
      the most important risk factor. The aim of this large-scale case-control study
      was to determine which occupations are associated with increased risk of BCC in
      Sweden. The case cohort comprised 74,247 patients with BCC and the control cohort
      comprised 574,055 subjects linked to population-based registers. Compared with
      the occupational category of farmers, foresters and gardeners we observed
      elevated risks of BCC for almost all occupational categories studied. Legal
      workers with odds ratio (OR) 2.69 (95% confidence interval (CI) 2.36-3.06),
      dentists OR 2.69 (95% CI 2.35-3.08) and physicians OR 2.47 (95% CI 2.24-2.74) had
      the highest risk for both sexes taken together. In conclusion, there appears to
      have been a change in the risk of BCC from outdoor to indoor occupations in
      Sweden, possibly related to exposure to UV radiation during leisure activities
      exceeding occupational sun exposure as the main cause of BCC in Sweden.

PMID- 28358171
TI  - Secondary Comedones in a Case of Acne Conglobata Correlate with Double-ended
      Pseudocomedones in Hidradenitis Suppurativa.

PMID- 28358172
TI  - Expression of Filaggrin and its Degradation Products in Human Skin Following
      Erythemal Doses of Ultraviolet B Irradiation.
AB  - Epidermal filaggrin level is affected by ultraviolet B irradiation in animal and
      experimental models. This study examined the effect of ultraviolet B irradiation
      on epidermal filaggrin and natural moisturizing factors in vivo in healthy adults
      (n = 22). Participants were irradiated with 2 minimal erythema doses of
      ultraviolet B on the skin. Biopsies and tape strips were collected from skin
      irradiated 24 and 72 h earlier and from non-irradiated skin (control). Real-time
      quantitative PCR on skin biopsies showed significantly reduced profilaggrin mRNA
      expression 24 h after irradiation (mean relative mRNA expression +/- standard
      deviation: control, 3.86 +/- 2.06 vs. 24 h, 1.52 +/- 0.640; p = 0.02; n = 8).
      Immunohistochemistry showed aberrant spatial distribution of filaggrin protein 72
      h after irradiation (n = 3). High-pressure liquid chromatography of tape extracts
      showed no change in mean total natural moisturizing factor levels after
      irradiation, but mean trans-urocanic acid was significantly reduced, as expected
      (n = 8). In conclusion, erythemal doses of ultraviolet B exert acute effects on
      profilaggrin mRNA and filaggrin protein in human skin in vivo.

PMID- 28358173
TI  - Return-to-work coordination programmes for improving return to work in workers on
      sick leave.
AB  - BACKGROUND: To limit long-term sick leave and associated consequences, insurers,
      healthcare providers and employers provide programmes to facilitate disabled
      people's return to work. These programmes include a variety of coordinated and
      individualised interventions. Despite the increasing popularity of such
      programmes, their benefits remain uncertain. We conducted a systematic review to
      determine the long-term effectiveness of return-to-work coordination programmes
      compared to usual practice in workers at risk for long-term disability.
      OBJECTIVES: To assess the effects of return-to-work coordination programmes
      versus usual practice for workers on sick leave or disability. SEARCH METHODS: We
      searched the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL; 2016, Issue
      11), MEDLINE, Embase, CINAHL and PsycINFO up to 1 November 2016. SELECTION
      CRITERIA: We included randomised controlled trials (RCTs) that enrolled workers
      absent from work for at least four weeks and randomly assigned them to return-to
      work coordination programmes or usual practice. DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS: Two
      review authors independently screened titles, abstracts and full-text articles
      for study eligibility; extracted data; and assessed risk of bias from eligible
      trials. We contacted authors for additional data where required. We conducted
      random-effects meta-analyses and used the GRADE approach to rate the quality of
      the evidence. MAIN RESULTS: We identified 14 studies from nine countries that
      enrolled 12,568 workers. Eleven studies focused on musculoskeletal problems, two
      on mental health and one on both. Most studies (11 of 14) followed workers 12
      months or longer. Risk of bias was low in 10 and high in 4 studies, but findings
      were not sensitive to their exclusion.We found no benefits for return-to-work
      coordination programmes on return-to-work outcomes.For short-term follow-up of
      six months, we found no effect on time to return to work (hazard ratio (HR) 1.32,
      95% confidence interval (CI) 0.93 to 1.88, low-quality evidence), cumulative
      sickness absence (mean difference (MD) -16.18 work days per year, 95% CI -32.42
      to 0.06, moderate-quality evidence), the proportion of participants at work at
      end of the follow-up (risk ratio (RR) 1.06, 95% CI 0.86 to 1.30, low-quality
      evidence) or on the proportion of participants who had ever returned to work,
      that is, regardless of whether they had remained at work until last follow-up (RR
      0.87, 95% CI 0.63 to 1.19, very low-quality evidence).For long-term follow-up of
      12 months, we found no effect on time to return to work (HR 1.25, 95% CI 0.95 to
      1.66, low-quality evidence), cumulative sickness absence (MD -14.84 work days per
      year, 95% CI -38.56 to 8.88, low-quality evidence), the proportion of
      participants at work at end of the follow-up (RR 1.06, 95% CI 0.99 to 1.15, low
      quality evidence) or on the proportion of participants who had ever returned to
      work (RR 1.03, 95% CI 0.97 to 1.09, moderate-quality evidence).For very long-term
      follow-up of longer than 12 months, we found no effect on time to return to work
      (HR 0.93, 95% CI 0.74 to 1.17, low-quality evidence), cumulative sickness absence
      (MD 7.00 work days per year, 95% CI -15.17 to 29.17, moderate-quality evidence),
      the proportion of participants at work at end of the follow-up (RR 0.94, 95% CI
      0.82 to 1.07, low-quality evidence) or on the proportion of participants who had
      ever returned to work (RR 0.95, 95% CI 0.88 to 1.02, low-quality evidence).We
      found only small benefits for return-to-work coordination programmes on patient
      reported outcomes. All differences were below the minimal clinically important
      difference (MID). AUTHORS' CONCLUSIONS: Offering return-to-work coordination
      programmes for workers on sick leave for at least four weeks results in no
      benefits when compared to usual practice. We found no significant differences for
      the outcomes time to return to work, cumulative sickness absence, the proportion
      of participants at work at end of the follow-up or the proportion of participants
      who had ever returned to work at short-term, long-term or very long-term follow
      up. For patient-reported outcomes, we found only marginal effects below the MID.
      The quality of the evidence ranged from very low to moderate across all outcomes.

PMID- 28358175
TI  - The safety and efficacy of the use of the flexible laryngeal mask airway with
      positive pressure ventilation in elective ENT surgery: a 15-year retrospective
      single-center study.
AB  - BACKGROUND: The use of flexible laryngeal mask airway (FLMA) in elective ear,
      nose and throat (ENT) surgery offers significant advantages, but is frequently
      considered inferior to tracheal intubation (TI) for ventilation and airway
      protection. We investigated the safety and success rate of intraoperative FLMA
      use with positive pressure ventilation (PPV), and the factors responsible for
      FLMA failure. METHODS: A 15-year single center retrospective study. FLMA failure
      was defined as the need for FLMA removal and TI, either during induction (primary
      failure), or after turning the patient over to the surgeon (secondary failure).
      Strict failure criteria included the inability to achieve and/or maintain all 3
      essential FLMA functions, such as ventilation (tidal volume >=6 mL/kg), airway
      protection from above the cuff (airway sealing pressure [ASP] >12 cm H2O), and
      separation of the respiratory and gastrointestinal tracts (absent gastric
      insufflation during PPV). RESULTS: In 685 patients, FLMA was successfully
      inserted in 94%. Secondary failure rate was 1.5%, with half of failures observed
      intraoperatively. The inability to seat FLMA during induction or FLMA dislodgment
      were the most common reasons for failures. The number of FLMA insertion attempts
      and low ASP were associated with FLMA primary failure and the need for TI. There
      were no complications. CONCLUSIONS: The results suggest an acceptably low failure
      rate of use of FLMA with PPV in selected ENT surgical procedures. True
      intraoperative FLMA failure is uncommon. We advocate observing strict criteria
      for adequacy of FLMA placement, and close monitoring of FLMA function
      intraoperatively at all times.

PMID- 28358174
TI  - The role of minimally invasive surgery in neuroendocrine pancreatic tumors.
AB  - Minimally invasive surgery has an established role in the treatment of patients
      with pancreatic neuroendocrine tumors (pNETs). Enucleation is an established
      treatment option for insulinomas. The necessity of organ sparing surgery is well
      established in the case of multiple pNETs. A number of studies have demonstrated
      the efficacy and safety of laparoscopic surgery for the treatment of pNETs.
      However, pNETs are rare, and large studies focusing on pNET patients are
      difficult to be designed unless multicenter experience is collected. Authors
      investigating the role of minimally invasive pancreatic surgery should be
      encouraged to report separately the results that involve patients presenting with
      pNETs. A European registry of patients with pNETs treated with minimally invasive
      surgery would allow further investigation of the optimal treatment of these
      patients. Especially in the case of syndromic pNETs, that are rare entities, co
      operation and exchange of information is needed among different centers for
      sharing experience and transferring knowledge. Existing data come from small
      cohort studies, case series and case reports. Given that, pancreatic surgery is
      especially demanding advanced surgery with training that is not yet standardized,
      further research is needed for defining its role in the treatment of pancreatic
      neuroendocrine tumors. Regarding the role of robot-assisted surgery in the
      treatment of pNETS, data are quite scarce.

PMID- 28358176
TI  - Early versus late tracheostomy in pediatric intensive care unit: does it matter?
      A 6-year experience.
AB  - BACKGROUND: The aim of this study is to examine the clinical data of children who
      underwent tracheostomy during their stay in Pediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU),
      in order to describe the relationship between the timing of tracheostomy, the
      length of PICU stay and the occurrence of ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP).
      METHODS: This is a retrospective cohort study that collects all patients
      undergoing tracheostomy during their PICU stay over a six-year period. Data
      collection included PICU length of stay, days of intubation, days of mechanical
      ventilation, primary indication for tracheostomy, information about VAP and
      decannulations. The early tracheostomy group was defined as patients who had ten
      or fewer days of continuous ventilation, whereas the late tracheostomy group had
      more than ten days of continuous ventilation. RESULTS: A significant decrease in
      the rate of VAP incidence was noticed in the early tracheostomy group vs. late
      group (P=0.004, OR=0.39, 95% CI: 0.18-0.85). No differences were observed about
      decannulation, need of long-term ventilation and death rate. Significant
      decreases of days of mechanical ventilation and PICU stay were found in subgroup
      of patients who underwent early tracheostomy and were decannulated within 18
      months. CONCLUSIONS: No standard timing for tracheostomy placement has been
      established in the pediatric population. Early tracheostomy can shorten the days
      of ventilation and hospitalization in PICU and reduce the incidence of VAP, but
      further studies are needed to identify patient categories in which it can be of
      benefit.

PMID- 28358177
TI  - Survey on monitoring analgesia and sedation in the Italian Pediatric Intensive
      Care Units.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Admission in Pediatric Intensive Care Unit requires management and
      monitoring of analgesia and sedation, in order to reduce their adverse effects,
      and to prevent withdrawal syndrome and delirium. The aim of this study was to
      evaluate the management of analgesia and sedation in critically ill children
      admitted in the Italian Pediatric Intensive Care Units. METHODS: For this survey
      we have submitted a telematics questionnaire to 24 nursing coordinators of the
      Pediatric Intensive Care Units or Neonatal Intensive Care Units admitting
      critically ill children. RESULTS: Twenty Intensive Care Units (ICUs) replied to
      the questionnaire. The association of benzodiazepines and opioids was the first
      choice in 92.8% of analgesic and sedative strategies. Seventy percent of ICUs
      adopted a protocol for analgesic and sedative drugs used before performing
      invasive and/or painful procedures in critically ill children. Ninety percent of
      them followed a protocol for the assessment of pain, 75% adopting the Face, Legs,
      Activity, Cry, Consolability Scale. Sixty percent of ICUs followed a protocol for
      sedation, 58% used the Comfort Scale to monitor the level of it. Forty percent
      adopted a protocol for the withdrawal syndrome, 75% of them monitored the
      patients with the WAT-1 Scale. Ten percent of Pediatric Intensive Care Units
      followed a protocol for management of delirium; seventy-five percent did not
      monitor it. CONCLUSIONS: Despite an increasing sensitivity in pain and sedation
      management over the last five years, knowledge and monitoring of abstinence
      syndrome and delirium need to be improved.

PMID- 28358178
TI  - Time-to-intubation in obese patients. A randomized study comparing direct
      laryngoscopy and videolaryngoscopy in experienced anesthetists.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Airway management may be difficult in obese patients. Moreover,
      during prolonged intubation, oxygen desaturation develops rapidly.
      Videolaryngoscopy improves the view of the larynx, and the Storz(r) C-MACTM has
      been shown to be superior to other videolaryngoscopes in terms of intubation time
      in obese patients. However, no effort has been made to compare the Storz(r) C
      MACTM with direct laryngoscopy. The aim of the study was to evaluate if the use
      of Storz(r) C-MACTM may reduce intubation time when compared to direct
      laryngoscopy (classic Macintosh(r) blade). METHODS: Eighty patients with Body
      Mass Index >35 kg/m2 were randomized to orotracheal intubation using either
      Macintosh(r) laryngoscope, or the Storz(r) C-MACTM with the standard Macintosh
      blade. Patients had no previous history of a difficult airway. Time-to-intubation
      (TTI) was defined as the time from the moment anesthetist took the laryngoscope
      until end-tidal carbon dioxide was detected. RESULTS: No significant difference
      in TTI could be demonstrated between the two devices tested (mean difference -1.7
      s (95% CI:-6.9 to 3.5 s). All patients in the videolaryngoscopy group were
      successfully intubated with the allocated device, whereas five patients in the
      direct laryngoscopy group required an alternative device for successful
      intubation. No significant difference regarding the subjective difficulty of
      intubation and postoperative sore throat between groups was demonstrated.
      CONCLUSIONS: In obese patients the airway may be secured equally fast using
      direct laryngoscopy (Macintosh(r)) and with videolaryngoscopy using the Stortz(r)
      C-MACTM. The risk for failed intubation, however, appears to be greater with
      direct laryngoscopy, especially in male obese patients.

PMID- 28358179
TI  - Perioperative cardiac arrest in the operating room environment: a review of the
      literature.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: Cardiac arrest in the operating room (OR) environment is a rare but
      potentially catastrophic event with mortality rates of more than 50%.
      Contributing factors are known, and the event is generally rapidly recognized, as
      patients are usually under full monitoring. The nature of the cardiac arrest in
      the OR is different to other environments as it is not only related to the
      patient's conditions but likewise to the anaesthetic and the surgical procedure.
      The aim of this article is to review recent literature on cardiac arrest in the
      immediate perioperative environment with a focus on incidence, causes and
      treatment. EVIDENCE ACQUISITION: Retrospective analysis of literature published
      in PubMed. EVIDENCE SYNTHESIS: Several recent retrospective registry studies have
      investigated the incidence of perioperative cardiac arrest; in non-cardiac
      surgery patients, the incidence is reported to range from 0.2 to 1.1 per 10,000
      adults and from 1.4 to 4.6 per 10,000 children. CONCLUSIONS: Successful
      management of cardiac arrest during surgery and beyond requires not only
      individual technical skills and a well-organized team response, but also an
      institutional safety culture embedded in everyday practice through continuous
      education, training and multidisciplinary cooperation. Evidence based guidelines
      and standardized treatment algorithms addressing the particularities of peri
      operative cardiac arrest would be helpful to facilitate training. Existing
      guidelines are not comprehensive enough to cover specific aspects in depth; for
      the future, more detailed and more explicit guidelines are required.

PMID- 28358180
TI  - An unusual cause of pseudo-desaturation.

PMID- 28358181
TI  - Hypoglossal paralysis after septum correction: surgery or anesthesia consequence?

PMID- 28358182
TI  - Intensive care in the very old: how gently should we go into that good night?

PMID- 28358183
TI  - Point-of-care coagulation tests and medication-induced hypertriglyceridemia in
      extracorporeal membrane oxygenation patients.

PMID- 28358184
TI  - The role of drug-coated balloons in in-stent restenosis.
AB  - Despite a constantly expanding spectrum of therapeutic options for lower limb
      artery disease, there is not yet a well-defined consensus on the specific type of
      endovascular treatment that is best suited. Clinical data on patients with
      femoropopliteal disease treated with drug-coated balloons have not been
      elaborated sufficiently, especially in the case of in-stent restenosis. For this
      review a systematic research of the medical databases (Pubmed) has been
      conducted. Keywords such as "drug-coated balloons" (DCB), "drug-eluting
      balloons," "in-stent restenosis", "de novo stenosis", "angioplasty", "superficial
      femoral artery," "popliteal artery," "above the knee," "below the knee,"
      "peripheral artery disease" (PAD) have been used. Furthermore, data from reviews,
      original contributions regarding randomized controlled studies, observational
      studies, registries and single center experiences have been included. Many trials
      have shown superiority for DCB- over percutaneous transluminal angioplasty
      treatment alone in TASC IIA and TASC IIB femoropopliteal lesions. However, the
      currently available DCB systems are different in terms of efficacy and long-term
      outcomes depending on their mechanical and pharmacological features. Moreover,
      angiographic characteristics of femoropopliteal lesions classified by Tosaka seem
      to influence subsequent outcomes of DCB treatment. Lastly, there is still lack of
      reliable prospective long-term data regarding DCB technology.

PMID- 28358186
TI  - Evaluation of 2 diuretic 18Fluorine-Fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission
      tomography/computed tomography imaging protocols for intra-pelvic cancer.
AB  - BACKGROUND: 18F-Fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) PET/CT plays an important part in the
      oncological evaluation of the abdomen and pelvis, but the interpretation and
      quantification is often hampered by intense physiological urinary activity. We
      evaluate 2 different diuretic imaging protocols by comparing intensity of urinary
      activity and we look at the impact of multiple variables on the final urinary
      activity. METHODS: Comparative analysis of 102 patients (median age: 64) having
      intra-pelvic carcinoma. After full body acquisition, 58 patients were
      administered 20 mg of furosemide 90 min post injection of FDG (P90). For 44
      patients, 20 mg of furosemide was administered 30 min post injection of FDG
      (P30). Comparisons between groups were performed using the Mann- Whitney test and
      Chi-square. The BMI, creatinine, clearance, age, injected activity, diuretic
      protocol, gender and glycaemia were evaluated with multivariate analysis for
      their impact on the final urinary activity. RESULTS: Concerning the comparison of
      the urinary activity we observe a significant difference (p 0.0029) between P90
      and P30 for the SUVmax (median 4.3 (range 1.6: 17.7) vs. 6.0 (range 2.9: 15.1)),
      and for the SUVmean (p<0.001) (median 2.4 (range 1.1; 9.9) vs. 3.8 (range 2.0;
      10.1)). For 2 patients of P30, the acquisition was interrupted because the
      patient needed to void. Multivariate analysis shows that creatinine and
      creatinine clearance do not have a significant independent impact on the final
      bladder activity. CONCLUSIONS: By comparing the 2 diuretic imaging protocols, we
      found a significant lower urinary activity for the P90 protocol and the
      regression decision tree shows that the P90 protocol is mostly superior. The P30
      protocol, which seems to be less well tolerated, is adequate in the group of
      patients with an injected activity of less than 240 MBq and older than 65 years,
      if P90 is not feasible. For most patients with injected activity >= 240 MBq or
      BMI of >=25 and a glycaemia > 120 mg/dl, a significant amount of residual urinary
      activity remains for both protocols.

PMID- 28358185
TI  - Lasers in the treatment of acne.
AB  - Acne is a chronic disease of the pilosebaceous units, presenting as inflammatory
      or noninflammatory lesions, affecting primarily the face but also the back and
      chest. The mainstay of treatment remains topical retinoids, benzoyl peroxide,
      azelaic acid, antibiotics, and isotretinoin, many of which result in poor
      compliance, lack of durable remission, and incur adverse effects. The use of
      lasers to treat acne is continuously increasing because of their minimal
      complications, limited number of office-based treatments required, potential
      benefits of simultaneously treating acne scarring, and the rapid onset of
      results. The 1450 nm diode laser, 585- and 595-nm pulsed dye lasers (PDLs), near
      infrared diode lasers, 1320 nm Nd:YAG laser, 532 nm potassium titanyl phosphate
      laser, 1064 nm long-pulsed Nd:YAG laser, 1540 nm Erbium (Er):Glass Laser, and the
      1550 nm Er:Glass fractional laser are among the most common lasers used to treat
      acne and acne scarring. These lasers target the underlying causes of acne
      including the colonization of Priopionibacterium acnes, high levels of sebum
      production, altered keratinization, inflammation, and bacterial colonization of
      hair follicles on the face, neck, and back. We review the efficacy and side
      effect profiles of various lasers used to treat acne.

PMID- 28358187
TI  - Discovery of Novel Succinate Dehydrogenase Inhibitors by the Integration of in
      Silico Library Design and Pharmacophore Mapping.
AB  - Succinate dehydrogenase (SDH) has been demonstrated as a promising target for
      fungicide discovery. Crystal structure data have indicated that the carboxyl
      "core" of current SDH inhibitors contributed largely to their binding affinity.
      Thus, identifying novel carboxyl "core" SDH inhibitors would remarkably improve
      the biological potency of current SDHI fungicides. Herein, we report the
      discovery and optimization of novel carboxyl scaffold SDH inhibitor via the
      integration of in silico library design and a highly specific amide feature-based
      pharmacophore model. To our delight, a promising SDH inhibitor, A16c (IC50 = 1.07
      MUM), with a novel pyrazol-benzoic scaffold was identified, which displayed
      excellent activity against Rhizoctonia solani (EC50 = 11.0 MUM) and improved
      potency against Sclerotinia sclerotiorum (EC50 = 5.5 MUM) and Phyricularia grisea
      (EC50 = 12.0 MUM) in comparison with the positive control thifluzamide, with EC50
      values of 0.09, 33.2, and 33.4 MUM, respectively. The results showed that our
      virtual screening strategy could serve as a powerful tool to accelerate the
      discovery of novel SDH inhibitors.

PMID- 28358188
TI  - Effective Integration of Targeted Tumor Imaging and Therapy Using Functionalized
      InP QDs with VEGFR2 Monoclonal Antibody and miR-92a Inhibitor.
AB  - Rapid diagnosis and targeted drug treatment require agents that possess multiple
      functions. Nanomaterials that facilitate optical imaging and direct drug delivery
      have shown great promise for effective cancer treatment. In this study, we first
      modified near-infrared fluorescent indium phosphide quantum dots (InP QDs) with a
      vascular endothelial growth factor receptor 2 (VEGFR2) monoclonal antibody to
      afford targeted drug delivery function. Then, a miR-92a inhibitor, an antisense
      microRNA that enhances the expression of tumor suppressor p63, was attached to
      the VEGFR2-InP QDs via electrostatic interactions. The functionalized InP
      nanocomposite (IMAN) selectively targets tumor sites and allows for infrared
      imaging in vivo. We further explored the mechanism of this active targeting. The
      IMAN was endocytosed and delivered in the form of microvesicles via VEGFR2-CD63
      signaling. Moreover, the IMAN induced apoptosis of human myelogenous leukemia
      cells through the p63 pathway in vitro and in vivo. These results indicate that
      the IMAN may provide a new and promising chemotherapy strategy against cancer
      cells, particularly by its active targeting function and utility in noninvasive
      three-dimensional tumor imaging.

PMID- 28358189
TI  - Effect of Annealing on Exciton Diffusion in a High Performance Small Molecule
      Organic Photovoltaic Material.
AB  - Singlet exciton diffusion was studied in the efficient organic photovoltaic
      electron donor material DTS(FBTTh2)2. Three complementary time-resolved
      fluorescence measurements were performed: quenching in planar heterojunctions
      with an electron acceptor, exciton-exciton annihilation, and fluorescence
      depolarization. The average exciton diffusivity increases upon annealing from 1.6
      * 10-3 to 3.6 * 10-3 cm2 s-1, resulting in an enhancement of the mean two
      dimensional exciton diffusion length (LD = (4Dtau)1/2) from 15 to 27 nm. About
      30% of the excitons get trapped very quickly in as-cast films. The high exciton
      diffusion coefficient of the material leads to it being able to harvest excitons
      efficiently from large donor domains in bulk heterojunctions.

PMID- 28358190
TI  - A Novel "Prebinding" Strategy Dramatically Enhances Sortase-Mediated Coupling of
      Proteins to Liposomes.
AB  - We have examined quantitatively the efficiency and the kinetics of sortase A
      mediated coupling of model substrate proteins (derived from green fluorescent
      protein and the SNAP variant of O-alkylguanine-DNA alkyltransferase) to large
      unilamellar liposomes incorporating low levels of oligopeptide-modified acceptor
      lipids. Under normal reaction conditions, even using high concentrations of S.
      aureus or S. pyogenes sortase A and optimal protein coupling substrates and
      acceptor lipids, protein-liposome coupling is slow, gives at best modest coupling
      yields, and is markedly limited by the hydrolytic activity of sortase. We
      demonstrate, however, that these limitations can be overcome under "prebinding"
      conditions that promote initial reversible association of sortase and the
      substrate protein with the liposome surface. Using oligohistidine-tagged sortase
      and substrate proteins and liposomes incorporating an acceptor lipid together
      with a Ni(II)-chelating lipid derivative, high coupling rates and yields can be
      obtained at low sortase concentrations, while virtually eliminating adverse
      effects of sortase hydrolytic activity on protein coupling. The prebinding
      approach described here can readily be adapted, and if necessary rendered
      virtually "traceless", to accommodate diverse protein coupling substrates and end
      uses of the protein-modified liposomes.

PMID- 28358191
TI  - Ligand Mediated Transformation of Cesium Lead Bromide Perovskite Nanocrystals to
      Lead Depleted Cs4PbBr6 Nanocrystals.
AB  - Lead halide perovskite nanocrystals (NCs) have emerged as attractive
      nanomaterials owing to their excellent optical and optoelectronic properties.
      Their intrinsic instability and soft nature enable a post-synthetic controlled
      chemical transformation. We studied a ligand mediated transformation of
      presynthesized CsPbBr3 NCs to a new type of lead-halide depleted perovskite
      derivative nanocrystal, namely Cs4PbBr6. The transformation is initiated by amine
      addition, and the use of alkyl-thiol ligands greatly improves the size uniformity
      and chemical stability of the derived NCs. The thermodynamically driven
      transformation is governed by a two-step dissolution-recrystallization mechanism,
      which is monitored optically. Our results not only shed light on a decomposition
      pathway of CsPbBr3 NCs but also present a method to synthesize uniform colloidal
      Cs4PbBr6 NCs, which may actually be a common product of perovskite NCs
      degradation.

PMID- 28358192
TI  - Iron Binding Properties of Recombinant Class A Protein Disulfide Isomerase from
      Arabidopsis thaliana.
AB  - The protein disulfide isomerase (PDI) family comprises a wide set of enzymes
      mainly involved in thiol-disulfide exchange reactions in the endoplasmic
      reticulum. Class A PDIs (PDI-A) constitute the smallest members of the family,
      consisting of a single thioredoxin (TRX) module without any additional domains.
      To date, their catalytic activity and cellular function are still poorly
      understood. To gain insight into the role of higher-plant class A PDIs, the
      biochemical properties of rAtPDI-A, the recombinant form of Arabidopsis thaliana
      PDI-A, have been investigated. As expressed, rAtPDI-A has only little
      oxidoreductase activity, but it appears to be capable of binding an iron-sulfur
      (Fe-S) cluster, most likely a [2Fe-2S] center, at the interface between two
      protein monomers. A mutational survey of all cysteine residues of rAtPDI-A
      indicates that only the second and third cysteines of the CXXXCKHC stretch,
      containing the putative catalytic site CKHC, are primarily involved in cluster
      coordination. A key role is also played by the lysine residue. Its substitution
      with glycine, which restores the canonical PDI active site CGHC, does not
      influence the oxidoreductase activity of the protein, which remains marginal, but
      strongly affects the binding of the cluster. It is therefore proposed that the
      unexpected ability of rAtPDI-A to accommodate an Fe-S cluster is due to its very
      unique CKHC motif, which is conserved in all higher-plant class A PDIs,
      differentiating them from all other members of the PDI family.

PMID- 28358193
TI  - Single Enzyme Direct Biomineralization of CdSe and CdSe-CdS Core-Shell Quantum
      Dots.
AB  - Biomineralization is the process by which biological systems synthesize inorganic
      materials. Herein, we demonstrate an engineered cystathionine gamma-lyase enzyme,
      smCSE that is active for the direct aqueous phase biomineralization of CdSe and
      CdSe-CdS core-shell nanocrystals. The nanocrystals are formed in an otherwise
      unreactive buffered solution of Cd acetate and selenocystine through enzymatic
      turnover of the selenocystine to form a reactive precursor, likely H2Se. The
      particle size of the CdSe core nanocrystals can be tuned by varying the
      incubation time to generated particle sizes between 2.74 +/- 0.63 nm and 4.78 +/-
      1.16 nm formed after 20 min and 24 h of incubation, respectively. Subsequent
      purification and introduction of l-cysteine as a sulfur source facilitates the
      biomineralization of a CdS shell onto the CdSe cores. The quantum yield of the
      resulting CdSe-CdS core-shell particles is up to 12% in the aqueous phase;
      comparable to that reported for more traditional chemical synthesis routes for
      core-shell particles of similar size with similar shell coverage. This single
      enzyme route to functional nanocrystals synthesis reveals the powerful potential
      of biomineralization processes.

PMID- 28358195
TI  - Correction to "Monte Carlo Simulation on Complex Formation of Proteins and
      Polysaccharides".

PMID- 28358194
TI  - New Scalable Approach toward Shape Memory Polymer Composites via "Spring-Buckle"
      Microstructure Design.
AB  - Shape memory polymers (SMPs) have attracted tremendous research interest since
      their discovery. However, most advances in research of SMPs are based on
      molecular designs, i.e., "bottom-up" strategies. Due to the viscoelasticity of
      polymers, slow and incomplete shape variations are inevitable for most existing
      SMPs. Here, we propose a simple and scalable approach to design and fabricate SMP
      composites (SMPCs) based on a "spring-buckle" microstructure design.
      Specifically, a highly elastic "spring" is employed as a basic skeleton for the
      SMPCs, onto which self-adhesive and stimuli-responsive "buckles" are installed as
      reversible switch units. The resultant SMPCs with such "spring-buckle"
      microstructure enable quick programming at ambient temperature and ultrafast (2-3
      s) and nearly complete (~100%) shape recovery triggered by organic solvents,
      benefiting from a unique capillary effect. This structural approach provides a
      novel design philosophy for shape memory materials and opens up new opportunities
      for their applications in sensor, actuator, aerospace, and other applications.

PMID- 28358197
TI  - Surface Propensity of Atmospherically Relevant Amino Acids Studied by XPS.
AB  - Amino acids constitute an important fraction of the water-soluble organic
      nitrogen (WSON) compounds in aerosols and are involved in many processes in the
      atmosphere. In this work, we applied X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) to
      study aqueous solutions of four amino acids, glycine, alanine, valine, and
      methionine, in their zwitterionic forms. We found that amino acids with
      hydrophilic side chains and smaller size, GLY and ALA, tend to stay in the bulk
      of the liquid, while the hydrophobic and bigger amino acids, VAL and MET, are
      found to concentrate more on the surface. We found experimental evidence that the
      amino acids have preferential orientation relative to the surface, with the
      hydrophobic side chain being closer to the surface than the hydrophilic
      carboxylate group. The observed amino acid surface propensity has implications in
      atmospheric science as the surface interactions play a central role in cloud
      droplet formation, and they should be considered in climate models.

PMID- 28358196
TI  - Clerodane Diterpenoid Glucosides from the Stems of Tinospora sinensis.
AB  - Ten new clerodane diterpenoid glucosides (1-10) and three known analogues (11-13)
      were isolated from an EtOAc extract of the stems of Tinospora sinensis.
      Spectroscopic analyses and chemical methods were used to elucidate the structures
      of these isolates. The absolute configurations of tinosinenosides A-C (1-3) were
      established by using experimental and calculated ECD data. Their cytotoxicity
      against the human epithelioid cervical carcinoma (HeLa) cell line and the nitric
      oxide production inhibitory activity of lipopolysaccharide-activated N9
      microglial cells were tested. 1-Deacetyltinosposide A (12) exhibited mild
      cytotoxicity against HeLa cells, with an IC50 value of 8.35 +/- 0.60 MUM.

PMID- 28358198
TI  - A Domino Palladium-Catalyzed Cyclization: One-Pot Synthesis of 4b-Alkyl-10-phenyl
      4b,5-dihydroindeno[2,1-a]indenes via Carbopalladation Followed by C-H Activation.
AB  - An effective domino one-pot [Pd]-catalysis for the construction of novel
      tetracyclic compounds was described. This process involved in the construction of
      three C-C bonds from simple and readily available 1-bromo-2-isopropenylbenzenes
      and internal alkynes. A variety of fused tetracyclic dihydroindeno-indenes were
      accomplished.

PMID- 28358199
TI  - Controlled Modification of Superconductivity in Epitaxial Atomic Layer-Organic
      Molecule Heterostructures.
AB  - Self-assembled organic molecules can potentially be an excellent source of charge
      and spin for two-dimensional (2D) atomic-layer superconductors. Here we
      investigate 2D heterostructures based on In atomic layers epitaxially grown on Si
      and highly ordered metal-phthalocyanine (MPc, M = Mn, Cu) through a variety of
      techniques: scanning tunneling microscopy, electron transport measurements, angle
      resolved photoemission spectroscopy, X-ray magnetic circular dichroism, and ab
      initio calculations. We demonstrate that the superconducting transition
      temperature (Tc) of the heterostructures can be modified in a controllable
      manner. Particularly, the substitution of the coordinated metal atoms from Mn to
      Cu is found to reverse the Tc shift from negative to positive directions. This
      distinctive behavior is attributed to a competition of charge and spin effects,
      the latter of which is governed by the directionality of the relevant d-orbitals.
      The present study shows the effectiveness of molecule-induced surface doping and
      the significance of microscopic understanding of the molecular states in these 2D
      heterostructures.

PMID- 28358200
TI  - Functional Silver-Coated Colloidosomes as Targeted Carriers for Small Molecules.
AB  - Colloidosomes have attracted great interest in recent years because of their
      capability for storage and delivery of small molecules for medical and
      pharmaceutical applications. However, traditional polymer shell colloidosomes
      leak low molecular weight drugs due to their intrinsic shell permeability. Here,
      we report aqueous core colloidosomes with a silver shell, which seals the core
      and makes the shell impermeable. The silver-coated colloidosomes were prepared by
      reacting l-ascorbic acid in the microcapsule core with silver nitrate in the wash
      solution. The silver shell colloidosomes were then modified by using 4,4'
      dithiodibutyric acid and cross-linked with rabbit Immunoglobulin G (IgG). Label
      free surface plasmon resonance was used to test the specific targeting of the
      functional silver shell with rabbit antigen. To break the shells, ultrasound
      treatment was used. The results demonstrate that a new type of functional silver
      coated colloidosome with immunoassay targeting, nonpermeability, and ultrasound
      sensitivity could be applied to many medical applications.

PMID- 28358201
TI  - Access to Fully Alkylated Germanes by B(C6F5)3-Catalyzed Transfer
      Hydrogermylation of Alkenes.
AB  - Various cyclohexa-2,5-dien-1-yl-substituted germanes are shown to serve as easy
      to-handle surrogates of hydrogermanes, including gaseous MeGeH3 and Me2GeH2. The
      Ge-H functional group is liberated by treatment with catalytic amounts of
      B(C6F5)3 and participates in situ in the B(C6F5)3-catalyzed hydrogermylation of
      alkenes. The range of suitable alkenes is broad, and the overall procedure
      provides a convenient access to tetraalkyl-substituted germanes at room
      temperature. Transfer hydrogermylation of internal alkynes works equally well and
      selectively forms the trans or cis diastereomer depending on the electronic bias
      of the C=C bond.

PMID- 28358202
TI  - Cobalt(III)- and Rhodium(III)-Catalyzed C-H Amidation and Synthesis of 4
      Quinolones: C-H Activation Assisted by Weakly Coordinating and Functionalizable
      Enaminone.
AB  - Cobalt(III) and rhodium(III) catalysts exhibited complementary scope in C-H
      amidation of aryl enaminones. The amidation reactions proceeded with broad scope
      under the assistance of a weakly coordinating and bifunctional enaminone
      directing group. The electrophilicity of the enaminone group can be further
      utilized in subsequent hydrolysis-cyclization reactions to afford NH 4-quinolones
      in telescoping reactions.

PMID- 28358203
TI  - Ru(II)-Catalyzed C-H Functionalization on Maleimides with Electrophiles: A
      Demonstration of Umpolung Strategy.
AB  - The unconventional nucleophilic reactivity of maleimides, innate electrophiles,
      has been realized under Ru(II)-catalysis such that exposure to electrophiles
      delivered products of C-H chalcogenation and amidation in good yields (up to
      94%). This protocol features mild conditions and operational simplicity with
      broad substrate scope, uses an inexpensive and air-stable catalyst, and also
      represents the first example of Ru(II) catalyzed C-H selenylation of alkenes.

PMID- 28358205
TI  - Annulative pi-Extension (APEX) of Heteroarenes with Dibenzosiloles and
      Dibenzogermoles by Palladium/o-Chloranil Catalysis.
AB  - Annulative pi-extension (APEX) reactions of heteroarenes are described herein. A
      catalytic system comprising a cationic palladium species and o-chloranil using
      dimethyldibenzosiloles as pi-extending agents enabled the extension of the pi
      system of benzo[b]thiophenes. pi-Extended dibenzofurans and carbazoles could also
      be obtained from benzofuran and N-tosylindole, respectively, with
      dimethyldibenzogermole as a germanium-based pi-extending agent. Mechanistic
      investigations indicated two possible reaction pathways involving
      carbopalladation-based double C-H arylation of benzothiophene or formal
      cycloaddition/oxidation cascades.

PMID- 28358204
TI  - Scope of the Reactions of Indolyl- and Pyrrolyl-Tethered N-Sulfonyl-1,2,3
      triazoles: Rhodium(II)-Catalyzed Synthesis of Indole- and Pyrrole-Fused
      Polycyclic Compounds.
AB  - An efficient synthesis of tetrahydrocarboline-type products and polycyclic
      spiroindolines has been achieved. The transformation proceeds via rhodium(II)
      catalyzed intramolecular annulations of indolyl- and pyrrolyl-tethered N-sulfonyl
      1,2,3-triazoles. The reaction could be tuned toward either the formal [3 + 2]
      cycloaddition or the C-H functionalization reaction depending on the electronic
      and structural features of the substrates, leading to the production of a variety
      of structurally related heterocyclic compounds.

PMID- 28358206
TI  - Metal-Free [2 + 1 + 2]-Cycloaddition of Tosylhydrazones with Hexahydro-1,3,5
      triazines To Form Imidazolidines.
AB  - A novel protocol toward imidazolidines has been accomplished using
      tosylhydrazones and hexahydro-1,3,5-triazines as the substrates under metal-free
      reaction conditions. Importantly, the role of LiOtBu has been confirmed not only
      to release the diazo but also to promote the cycloaddition. Further mechanistic
      investigations reveal that the reaction proceeds through a stepwise [2 + 1 + 2]
      process.

PMID- 28358207
TI  - Control over the Emission Properties of [5]Helicenes Based on the Symmetry and
      Energy Levels of Their Molecular Orbitals.
AB  - The effect of different substituents on the fluorescence properties of
      [5]helicene derivatives was investigated in terms of molecular orbital symmetry.
      Unsubstituted [5]helicene is nonemissive due to the symmetry-forbidden S1 -> S0
      transition. However, the fluorescence emission rate constant (kf) of [5]helicenes
      is efficiently increased by removing the orbital degeneracy involved in the S1 ->
      S0 transition. As a result, we achieved a [5]helicene derivative exhibiting a
      high fluorescence quantum yield (Phif = 0.23) and short emission lifetime (?tauf?
      = 1.5 ns), which is in marked contrast to unsubstituted [5]helicene (Phif = 0.04
      and ?tauf? = 26 ns).

PMID- 28358208
TI  - Imidazole-Appended Macrocyclic Complexes of Fe(II), Co(II), and Ni(II) as
      ParaCEST Agents.
AB  - The solution chemistry and solid state structures of the Co(II), Fe(II), and
      Ni(II) complexes of N,N'-bis(imidazole-2-ylmethyl)-4,10-diaza-15-crown-5 (HINO)
      are reported. The Co(II) and Ni(II) complexes of HINO are the first examples of
      paraCEST agents (paramagnetic chemical exchange saturation transfer) that feature
      exchangeable imidazole NH protons. The crystal structures of [Co(HINO)]CoCl4.H2O
      and [Fe(HINO)](CF3SO3)2 have the metal ions coordinated to four nitrogen and
      three oxygen donor atoms of the macrocyclic ligand in a distorted pentagonal
      bipyramidal geometry. In [Ni(HINO)](CF3SO3)2, the nickel ion is bound to only two
      of the three ether oxygens and three nitrogens to produce a complex with a
      distorted octahedral geometry. The 1H NMR spectra of the three paramagnetic
      complexes show resonances characteristic of effective C2 symmetry in solution.
      CEST peaks attributed to the imidazole NH proton of the pendent group are
      observed at 32 and 55 ppm away from bulk water for [Co(HINO)]2+ and [Ni(HINO)]2+,
      respectively, on a 11.7 or 9.4 T NMR spectrometer. For both complexes, an optimal
      CEST effect was observed at pH 7.2, and the rate constant for proton exchange
      under these conditions was 1.0 * 103 s-1. [Fe(HINO)]2+ did not produce a CEST
      peak due to oxidation of the complex in water at neutral pH. The CEST peak of
      [Co(HINO)]2+ or [Ni(HINO)]2+ is observed in the presence of human serum albumin
      (HSA). These complexes show enhanced kinetic inertness toward dissociation in
      acid or in the presence of HSA in comparison to analogous complexes with amide
      pendent groups.

PMID- 28358209
TI  - Quantifying the Electrostatics of Polycation-Lipid Bilayer Interactions.
AB  - Mechanistic insight into how polycations disrupt and cross cell membranes is
      needed for understanding and controlling polycation-membrane interactions, yet
      such information is surprisingly difficult to obtain at the molecular level. We
      use second harmonic and vibrational sum frequency generation spectroscopies along
      with quartz crystal microbalance with dissipation monitoring and computer
      simulations to quantify the interaction of poly(allylamine) hydrochloride (PAH)
      and its monomeric precursor allylamine hydrochloride (AH) with lipid bilayers. We
      find PAH adsorption to be reversible and nondisruptive to the bilayer under the
      conditions of our experiments. With an observed free adsorption energy of -52.7
      +/- 0.6 kJ/mol, PAH adsorption was found to be surprisingly less favorable
      relative to AH (-14.6 +/- 0.4 kJ/mol) when considering a simple additive model.
      By experimentally quantifying the number of adsorbates and the average amount of
      charge carried by each adsorbate, we find that the PAH is associated with only
      70% of the positive charges it could hold while the AH remains mostly charged
      while attached to the membrane. Simulations indicate that PAH pulls in condensed
      counterions from solution to avoid charge-repulsion along its backbone and with
      other PAH molecules to attach to, and completely cover, the bilayer surface. In
      addition, computations indicate that the amine groups shift their pKa values due
      to the confined environment upon adsorption to the surface. Our results provide
      experimental constraints for theoretical calculations, which yield atomistic
      views of the structures that are formed when polycations interact with lipid
      membranes that will be important for predicting polycation-membrane interactions.

PMID- 28358210
TI  - Structural and Sequence Similarity Makes a Significant Impact on Machine-Learning
      Based Scoring Functions for Protein-Ligand Interactions.
AB  - The prediction of protein-ligand binding affinity has recently been improved
      remarkably by machine-learning-based scoring functions. For example, using a set
      of simple descriptors representing the atomic distance counts, the RF-Score
      improves the Pearson correlation coefficient to about 0.8 on the core set of the
      PDBbind 2007 database, which is significantly higher than the performance of any
      conventional scoring function on the same benchmark. A few studies have been made
      to discuss the performance of machine-learning-based methods, but the reason for
      this improvement remains unclear. In this study, by systemically controlling the
      structural and sequence similarity between the training and test proteins of the
      PDBbind benchmark, we demonstrate that protein structural and sequence similarity
      makes a significant impact on machine-learning-based methods. After removal of
      training proteins that are highly similar to the test proteins identified by
      structure alignment and sequence alignment, machine-learning-based methods
      trained on the new training sets do not outperform the conventional scoring
      functions any more. On the contrary, the performance of conventional functions
      like X-Score is relatively stable no matter what training data are used to fit
      the weights of its energy terms.

PMID- 28358211
TI  - P(O)R2-Directed Enantioselective C-H Olefination toward Chiral Atropoisomeric
      Phosphine-Olefin Compounds.
AB  - An effective synthesis of chiral atropoisomeric biaryl phosphine-olefin compounds
      via palladium-catalyzed enantioselective C-H olefination has been developed for
      the first time. The reactions are operationally simple, tolerate wide functional
      groups, and have a good ee value. Notably, P(O)R2 not only acts as the directing
      group to direct C-H activation in order to make a useful ligand but also serves
      to facilitate composition of the product in a useful manner in this
      transformation.

PMID- 28358213
TI  - Effect of Nanoparticle Surfactants on the Breakup of Free-Falling Water Jets
      during Continuous Processing of Reconfigurable Structured Liquid Droplets.
AB  - Structured liquids, whose 3-D morphology can adapt and respond to external
      stimuli, represent a revolutionary materials platform for next-generation energy
      technologies, such as batteries, photovoltaics, and thermoelectrics. Structured
      liquids can be crafted by the jamming of interfacial assemblies of nanoparticle
      (NP) surfactants. Due to the interactions between functional groups on
      nanoparticles dispersed in one liquid and polymers having complementary end
      functionality dissolved in a second immiscible fluid, the anchoring of a well
      defined number of polymer chains onto the NPs leads to the formation of NP
      surfactants that assemble at the interface and reduce the interfacial energy.
      Microfluidic techniques provide a simple and versatile route to produce one
      liquid phase in a second where the shape of the dispersed liquid phase can range
      from droplets to tubules depending on the flow conditions and the interfacial
      energies. In this study, the effect of NP surfactants on Plateau-Rayleigh (PR)
      instabilities of a free-falling jet of an aqueous dispersion of carboxylic acid
      functionalized silica NPs into a toluene phase containing amine-terminated
      polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS-NH2) is investigated. NP surfactants were found to
      significantly affect the breakup of laminar liquid jets, resulting in longer jet
      breakup lengths and dripping to jetting flow transitions.

PMID- 28358212
TI  - Bi- and Tetracyclic Spirotetronates from the Coal Mine Fire Isolate Streptomyces
      sp. LC-6-2.
AB  - The structures of 12 new "enantiomeric"-like abyssomicin metabolites
      (abyssomicins M-X) from Streptomyces sp. LC-6-2 are reported. Of this set, the
      abyssomicin W (11) contains an unprecedented 8/6/6/6 tetracyclic core, while the
      bicyclic abyssomicin X (12) represents the first reported naturally occurring
      linear spirotetronate. Metabolite structures were determined based on
      spectroscopic data and X-ray crystallography, and Streptomyces sp. LC-6-2 genome
      sequencing also revealed the corresponding putative biosynthetic gene cluster.

PMID- 28358214
TI  - Making Graphene Nanoribbons Photoluminescent.
AB  - We demonstrate the alignment-preserving transfer of parallel graphene nanoribbons
      (GNRs) onto insulating substrates. The photophysics of such samples is
      characterized by polarized Raman and photoluminescence (PL) spectroscopies. The
      Raman scattered light and the PL are polarized along the GNR axis. The Raman
      cross section as a function of excitation energy has distinct excitonic peaks
      associated with transitions between the one-dimensional parabolic subbands. We
      find that the PL of GNRs is intrinsically low but can be strongly enhanced by
      blue laser irradiation in ambient conditions or hydrogenation in ultrahigh
      vacuum. These functionalization routes cause the formation of sp3 defects in
      GNRs. We demonstrate the laser writing of luminescent patterns in GNR films for
      maskless lithography by the controlled generation of defects. Our findings set
      the stage for further exploration of the optical properties of GNRs on insulating
      substrates and in device geometries.

PMID- 28358215
TI  - Estimation of pi-pi Electronic Couplings from Current Measurements.
AB  - The pi-pi interactions between organic molecules are among the most important
      parameters for optimizing the transport and optical properties of organic
      transistors, light-emitting diodes, and (bio-) molecular devices. Despite
      substantial theoretical progress, direct experimental measurement of the pi-pi
      electronic coupling energy parameter t has remained an old challenge due to
      molecular structural variability and the large number of parameters that affect
      the charge transport. Here, we propose a study of pi-pi interactions from
      electrochemical and current measurements on a large array of ferrocene-thiolated
      gold nanocrystals. We confirm the theoretical prediction that t can be assessed
      from a statistical analysis of current histograms. The extracted value of t ~35
      meV is in the expected range based on our density functional theory analysis.
      Furthermore, the t distribution is not necessarily Gaussian and could be used as
      an ultrasensitive technique to assess intermolecular distance fluctuation at the
      subangstrom level. The present work establishes a direct bridge between quantum
      chemistry, electrochemistry, organic electronics, and mesoscopic physics, all of
      which were used to discuss results and perspectives in a quantitative manner.

PMID- 28358216
TI  - Evaluation of the Safety and Tolerability of Conjunctival Ring for Posterior
      Segment of the Eye.
AB  - PURPOSE: To evaluate the safety and tolerability of conjunctival rings (CRs), a
      novel device for drug delivery to the posterior segment of the eye. METHODS: In
      animal studies, CRs containing 5% dexamethasone sodium phosphate (DSP) or vehicle
      solution were placed on the right and left eyes of C57BL/6J mice, respectively.
      Contact lenses (CLs) containing vehicle solution were used as a control. Twenty
      four hours after placement of the CRs, corneal fluorescein staining was graded
      based on the McDonald-Shadduck scoring system, ranging from 0 to 4. In humans,
      CRs containing vehicle solution were placed on the right eye of healthy
      volunteers for 9 hours. The corneal curvature, corneal thickness, intraocular
      pressure, visual acuity, tear production (Schirmer I test), tear film break-up
      time and fluorescein staining scores of the cornea (scores ranging from 0 to 3)
      and conjunctiva (scores ranging from 0 to 6) were assessed before and after
      wearing the CRs. The release characteristics of DSP from CRs were also evaluated.
      RESULTS: In animal experiments, corneal fluorescein staining scores were 1 or
      less in all the groups, and there was no significant difference between the CR
      group and the CL group. In the preclinical safety evaluation of CR for humans,
      ophthalmic examination revealed that CR caused no significant changes in all the
      parameters investigated including corneal curvature (p = 0.77), corneal thickness
      (p = 0.96), intraocular pressure (p = 0.59), visual acuity (p = 0.14), Schirmer I
      test results (p = 0.76), tear film break-up time (p = 0.68), corneal fluorescein
      staining scores (p = 0.64), and conjunctival fluorescein staining scores (p =
      0.52). The DSP release from CRs occurs within a few hours, which is similar to
      the drug-release property of medicated CL, as reported previously. CONCLUSIONS:
      The current data showed the safety and tolerability of CR as a drug delivery
      device for the treatment of posterior segment diseases.

PMID- 28358217
TI  - Influence of route of administration/drug formulation and other factors on
      adherence to treatment in rheumatoid arthritis (pain related) and dyslipidemia
      (non-pain related).
AB  - OBJECTIVES: A comprehensive review was performed to investigate the effect of
      route of administration on medication adherence and persistence in rheumatoid
      arthritis (RA) and to compare adherence/persistence with oral medications between
      RA and a non-painful disease (dyslipidemia). RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS:
      Comprehensive database searches were performed to identify studies investigating
      medication adherence and/or persistence in adults with RA receiving conventional
      synthetic or biologic agents. Similar searches were performed for studies of
      patients with dyslipidemia receiving statins. Studies had to be published after
      1998 in English and involve >=6 months' follow up. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES:
      Adherence and persistence were compared between the different routes of drug
      administration in RA, and between the two diseases for oral medications. RESULTS:
      A total of 35 and 28 papers underwent data extraction for RA and dyslipidemia,
      respectively. Within the constraints of the analysis, adherence and persistence
      rates appeared broadly similar for the different routes of drug administration in
      RA. Adherence to oral medications was also broadly similar across the two
      diseases, but persistence was lower in dyslipidemia. Poor adherence has clinical
      consequences in both diseases: greater disease activity and risk of flare in RA,
      and increased serum cholesterol levels and risk of heart and cerebrovascular
      disease in dyslipidemia. Over 1-3 years, poor adherence to biologic RA
      medications led to increased resource use and medical costs but lower total
      direct costs due to reduced biologic drug costs. Conversely, poor adherence to
      dyslipidemia medications resulted in increased total direct costs. In both
      diseases, adherence improved with patient education/support. CONCLUSIONS: The
      route of drug administration and the symptomatic (pain) nature of the disease do
      not appear to be dominant factors for drug adherence or persistence in RA.
      LIMITATION: The wide range of adherence and persistence values and definitions
      across studies made comparisons between drug formulations and diseases difficult.

PMID- 28358218
TI  - Do Associations Between Pleasure Ratings and Condom Use During Penile-Vaginal
      Intercourse Vary by Relationship Type?: A Study of Canadian University Students.
AB  - Research suggests the relationship between pleasure and condom use during penile
      vaginal intercourse (PVI) is associated with relationship status. This online
      study examined pleasure ratings and condom use at last PVI, stratifying by
      partner type, among a national sample of Canadian university students.
      Participants were 715 undergraduates (60.7% women, 39.3% men) who reported on
      their most recent sexual experience. Condom use decreased with level of
      relationship commitment, whereas ratings of pleasure increased. Overall,
      participants were more likely to rate their most recent PVI as Very pleasurable
      when condoms were not used compared to when condoms were used. However, when
      stratified by partner type, these differences largely disappeared. For women,
      with one exception, there were no differences in pleasure between PVI with and
      without condoms across most partner-type categories. Women in committed dating
      relationships were more likely to report their last PVI as very pleasurable if
      condoms were not used than women in these same relationships who had used
      condoms. Across relationship categories, men who did and did not use condoms did
      not differ in terms of their pleasure ratings. The results of this study suggest
      relationship context should be taken into account when assessing condom use
      experiences.

PMID- 28358219
TI  - Supporting Evidence-Informed Teaching in Biomedical and Health Professions
      Education Through Knowledge Translation: An Interdisciplinary Literature Review.
AB  - : Phenomenon: The purpose of "systematic" reviews/reviewers of medical and health
      professions educational research is to identify best practices. This qualitative
      article explores the question of whether systematic reviews can support "evidence
      informed" teaching and contrasts traditional systematic reviewing with a
      knowledge translation (KT) approach to this objective. APPROACH: Degrees of
      freedom analysis (DOFA) is used to examine the alignment of systematic review
      methods with educational research and the pedagogical strategies and approaches
      that might be considered with a decision-making framework developed to support
      valid assessment. This method is also used to explore how KT can be used to
      inform teaching and learning. FINDINGS: The nature of educational research is not
      compatible with most (11/14) methods for systematic review. The inconsistency of
      systematic reviewing with the nature of educational research impedes both the
      identification and implementation of "best-evidence" pedagogy and teaching. This
      is primarily because research questions that do support the purposes of review do
      not support educational decision making. By contrast to systematic reviews of the
      literature, both a DOFA and KT are fully compatible with informing teaching using
      evidence. A DOFA supports the translation of theory to a specific teaching or
      learning case, so could be considered a type of KT. The DOFA results in a test of
      alignment of decision options with relevant educational theory, and KT leads to
      interventions in teaching or learning that can be evaluated. Examples of how to
      structure evaluable interventions are derived from a KT approach that are simply
      not available from a systematic review. Insights: Systematic reviewing of current
      empirical educational research is not suitable for deriving or supporting best
      practices in education. However, both "evidence-informed" and scholarly
      approaches to teaching can be supported as KT projects, which are inherently
      evaluable and can generate actionable evidence about whether the decision or
      intervention worked for students, instructors, and the institution. A DOFA can
      also support evidence- and theory-informed teaching to develop an understanding
      of what works, why, and for whom. Thus KT, but not systematic reviewing, can
      support decision making around pedagogy (and pedagogical innovation) that can
      also inform new teaching and learning initiatives; it can also point to new
      avenues of empirical research in education that are informed by, and can inform,
      theory.

PMID- 28358220
TI  - Vitreous Hyper-Reflective Dots in Optical Coherence Tomography and Retinal Tear
      in Patients with Acute Posterior Vitreous Detachment.
AB  - PURPOSE: To report the presence of hyper-reflective dots in the vitreous cavity
      using spectral-domain optical coherence tomography (SD-OCT) in patients with
      acute symptomatic posterior vitreous detachment (PVD) and investigate their
      association with the presence of retinal tear. METHODS: The medical records of 77
      patients with acute symptomatic PVD, who were examined between March 2013 and
      February 2015, were reviewed. The severity of vitreous hyper-reflective dots
      (VHDs) was graded using SD-OCT images, and the presence of retinal tear was
      assessed. RESULTS: Forty-one (53.2%) eyes had mild VHDs, 13 (16.9%) eyes had
      moderate VHDs, and 14 (18.2%) eyes had severe VHDs. Retinal tear was found in 21
      (27.3%) eyes. The presence of severe VHDs was associated with an increased
      likelihood of retinal tear (positive likelihood ratio, 9.78; 95% confidence
      interval, 3.02-31.63). In 14 (66.7%) eyes with retinal tear, the mean number of
      VHDs significantly decreased from 23.2 +/- 20.27 to 2.3 +/- 2.66 at a mean follow
      up interval of 2.8 +/- 1.48 weeks (P = 0.002). CONCLUSIONS: The presence of
      severe VHDs is suggestive of retinal tear in patients with acute symptomatic PVD.
      However, this SD-OCT finding should be limited to the acute phase of PVD.

PMID- 28358221
TI  - Descriptive Epidemiology of Non-Time-Loss Injuries in Collegiate and High School
      Student-Athletes.
AB  - CONTEXT:   Research on non-time-loss (NTL) injuries, which result in less than 24
      hours of restriction from participation, is limited. OBJECTIVE:   To describe the
      epidemiology of NTL injuries among collegiate and high school student-athletes.
      DESIGN:   Descriptive epidemiology study. SETTING:   Aggregate injury and
      exposure data collected from a convenience sample of National College Athletic
      Association varsity teams and 147 high schools in 26 states. PATIENTS OR OTHER
      PARTICIPANTS:   Collegiate and high school student-athletes participating in
      men's and boys' baseball, basketball, football, lacrosse, soccer, and wrestling
      and women's and girls' basketball, field hockey, lacrosse, soccer, softball, and
      volleyball during the 2009-2010 through 2013-2014 and the 2011-2012 through 2013
      2014 academic years, respectively, participated. Collegiate student-athletes
      participating in men's and women's ice hockey were also included. MAIN OUTCOME
      MEASURE(S):   Injury data from the National Collegiate Athletic Association
      Injury Surveillance Program and the National Athletic Treatment, Injury and
      Outcomes Network were analyzed. Injury counts, rates per 1000 athlete-exposures
      (AEs), and rate ratios were reported with 95% confidence intervals (CIs).
      RESULTS:   A total of 11 899 and 30 122 NTL injuries were reported in collegiate
      and high school student-athletes, respectively. The proportion of NTL injuries in
      high school student-athletes (80.3%) was 1.61 times greater than that of
      collegiate student-athletes (49.9%; 95% CI = 1.59, 1.63). The NTL injury rate in
      high school student-athletes (8.75/1000 athlete-exposures [AEs]) was 2.18 times
      greater than that of collegiate student-athletes (4.02/1000 AEs; 95% CI = 2.13,
      2.22). Men's ice hockey (5.27/1000 AEs) and boys' football (11.94/1000 AEs) had
      the highest NTL injury rates among collegiate and high school athletes,
      respectively. Commonly injured body parts in collegiate and high school student
      athletes were the hip/thigh/upper leg (17.5%) and hand/wrist (18.2%),
      respectively. At both levels, contusions, sprains, and strains were the most
      frequent diagnoses. Contact with another player was the most cited injury
      mechanism (college = 38.0%, high school = 46.3%). CONCLUSIONS:   Non-time-loss
      injuries compose large proportions of collegiate and high school sports injuries.
      However, the NTL injury rate was higher in high school than in collegiate student
      athletes. Tracking NTL injuries will help to better describe the breadth of
      injuries sustained by athletes and managed by athletic trainers.

PMID- 28358222
TI  - Valacyclovir as Initial Treatment for Acute Retinal Necrosis: A Pharmacokinetic
      Modeling and Simulation Study.
AB  - PURPOSE: Acute retinal necrosis (ARN) is a feared complication of infectious
      retinitis most commonly caused by varicella zoster virus (VZV). We performed a
      pharmacokinetic modeling and simulation study by integrating the existing
      understanding of physiology with previously published data to evaluate the
      vitreal penetration of oral valacyclovir for the treatment of ARN, under various
      dosing scenarios. METHOD: We compared different oral valacyclovir dosing regimens
      with intravenous acyclovir. The vitreous compartment was modeled as a peripheral
      compartment, and paired serum and vitreal acyclovir concentrations were obtained
      from previously published data of adult patients with ARN undergoing vitrectomy.
      The efficacy threshold for vitreal acyclovir concentrations was based on the
      previously reported IC50 values for VZV. RESULTS: Based on the minimum vitreal
      acyclovir concentrations (Cmin) relative to the mean IC50 for VZV, valacyclovir
      1.5 g every 8 hours performed similarly to intravenous acyclovir 700 mg every 8
      hours, with the minimum concentration (Cmin) exceeding the mean IC50 after the
      second dose. In contrast, the standard dosing regimen for herpes zoster,
      valacyclovir 1 g every 8 hours, performed inferiorly to the intravenous acyclovir
      regimen throughout the dosing interval. CONCLUSIONS: Modeling and simulation data
      support oral valacyclovir for the treatment of ARN, although the required dosing
      exceeds the recommended FDA dose size for herpes zoster.

PMID- 28358224
TI  - Erratum.

PMID- 28358223
TI  - Ameliorative effects of pyrazinoic acid against oxidative and metabolic stress
      manifested in rats with dimethylhydrazine induced colonic carcinoma.
AB  - Pyrazinoic acid (PA) is structurally similar to nicotinic acid which acts on G
      protein-coupled receptor (GPR109A). GPR109A expresses in colonic and intestinal
      epithelial sites, and involves in DNA methylation and cellular apoptosis.
      Therefore, it may be assumed that PA has similar action like nicotinic acid and
      may be effective against colorectal carcinoma (CRC). CRC was produced via
      subcutaneous injection of dimethylhydrazine (DMH) at 40 mg/kg body weight once in
      a week for 4 weeks. After that, PA was administered orally at 2 doses of 10 and
      25 mg/kg daily for 15 d to observe the antiproliferative effect. Various
      physiologic, oxidative stress, molecular parameters, histopathology, RT-PCR and
      NMR based metabolomics were performed to evaluate the antiproliferative potential
      of PA. Our results collectively suggested that PA reduced body weight, tumor
      volume and incidence no. to normal. It restored various oxidative stress
      parameters and normalized IL-2, IL-6, and COX-2 as compared with carcinogen
      control. In molecular level, overexpressed IL-6 and COX-2 genes became normal
      after PA administration. Again, normal tissue architecture was prominent after PA
      administration. Score plots of PLS-DA models exhibited that PA treated groups
      were significantly different from CRC group. We found that CRC rat sera have
      increased levels of acetate, glutamine, o-acetyl-glycoprotein, succinate,
      citrulline, choline, o-acetyl choline, tryptophan, glycerol, creatinine, lactate,
      citrate and decreased levels of 3-hydroxy butyrate, dimethyl amine, glucose,
      maltose, myoinositol. Further the PA therapy has ameliorated the CRC-induced
      metabolic alterations, signifying its antiproliferative properties. In
      conclusion, our study provided the evidence that PA demonstrated good
      antiproliferative effect on DMH induced CRC and thus demonstrated the potential
      of PA as a useful drug for future anticancer therapy.

PMID- 28358225
TI  - Improved solubility and oral bioavailability of apigenin via Soluplus/Pluronic
      F127 binary mixed micelles system.
AB  - The aim of this study was to develop a novel mix micelles system composing of two
      biocompatible copolymers of Soluplus(r) and Pluronic F127 to improve the
      solubility, oral bioavailability of insoluble drug apigenin (AP) as model drug.
      The AP-loaded mixed micelles (AP-M) were prepared by ethanol thin-film hydration
      method. The formed optimal formulation of AP-M were provided with small size
      (178.5 nm) and spherical shape at ratio of 4:1 (Soluplus(r):Pluronic F127), as
      well as increasing solubility of to 5.61 mg/mL in water which was about 3442-fold
      compared to that of free AP. The entrapment efficiency and drug loading of AP-M
      were 95.72 and 5.32%, respectively, and a sustained release of AP-M was obtained
      as in vitro release study indicated. Transcellular transport study showed that
      the cell uptake of AP was increased in Caco-2 cell transport models. The oral
      bioavailability of AP-M was 4.03-fold of free AP in SD rats, indicating the mixed
      micelles of Soluplus(r) and Pluronic F127 is an industrially feasible drug
      delivery system to promote insoluble drug oral absorption in the gastrointestinal
      tract.

PMID- 28358226
TI  - Excess maternal and postnatal thyroxine alters chondrocyte numbers and the
      composition of the extracellular matrix of growth cartilage in rats.
AB  - : Purpose/Aim: The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of excess
      maternal and postnatal thyroxine on chondrocytes and the extracellular matrix
      (ECM) of growth cartilage. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We used 16 adult female Wistar
      rats divided into two groups: thyroxine treatment and control. From weaning to 40
      days of age, offspring of the treated group (n = 8) received L-thyroxine. Plasma
      free T4 was measured. Histomorphometric analysis was performed on thyroids and
      femurs of all offspring. Alcian blue histochemical staining and real-time reverse
      transcription polymerase chain reaction measurements of gene expression levels of
      Sox9, Runx2, Aggrecan, Col I, Col II, Alkaline phosphatase, Mmp2, Mmp9, and Bmp2
      were performed. Data were analyzed for statistical significance by student's t
      test. RESULTS: Excess maternal and postnatal thyroxine reduced the intensity of
      Alcian blue staining, altered the number of chondrocytes in proliferative and
      hypertrophic zones in growth cartilage, and reduced the gene expression of Sox9,
      Mmp2, Mmp9, Col II, and Bmp2 in the growth cartilage of all offspring.
      Additionally, excess thyroxine altered the gene expression of Runx2, Aggrecan and
      Col I, and this effect was dependent on age. CONCLUSIONS: Excess thyroxine in
      neonates suppresses chondrocyte proliferation, stimulates chondrocyte hypertrophy
      and changes the ECM composition by reducing the amount of proteoglycans and
      glycosaminoglycans (GAGs). Prolonged exposure to excess thyroxine suppresses
      chondrocyte activity in general, with a severe reduction in the proteoglycan
      content of cartilage and the expression of gene transcripts essential for
      endochondral growth and characteristics of the chondrocyte phenotype.

PMID- 28358228
TI  - Current and emerging pharmacologic options for the management of patients with
      chronic and acute decompensated heart failure.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: For many years heart failure (HF) was known as a fatal disease with
      an ominous prognosis. In the last decades better understanding of the
      pathophysiological mechanisms underlying HF has resulted in major breakthrough in
      the management and improvement in the natural history of this clinical syndrome.
      Areas covered: The review is focused on current and upcoming pharmacological
      therapies in patients with chronic and acute HF, starting with brief overview of
      drugs which improve the outcomes in patients with chronic HF with reduced
      ejection fraction (EF) including neurohormonal antagonists, angiotensin receptor
      neprilysin inhibitor and If- channel inhibitor, then presenting the summary of
      symptomatic treatment, the pharmacotherapy in chronic HF with preserved and mid
      range EF and in acute HF. Finally, we report the emerging pharmacologic options
      and ongoing clinical trials and future directions in pharmacotherapy. Expert
      commentary: The guidelines-recommended therapies in HF with reduced EF need to be
      widely implemented into the everyday clinical practice. Better clinical
      characterization of HF with preserved, mid-range EF and acute HF, with better
      understanding of the underlying pathophysiological mechanisms may ultimately
      result in a development of effective strategies improving ominous outcomes in
      these patients.

PMID- 28358227
TI  - The Effect of Surgical Stress on Postoperative Talphabeta and Tgammadelta Cell
      Distribution.
AB  - BACKGROUND: It was previously shown that appropriate distribution of immune cells
      between different tissues and organs of the body is required for proper function
      of the immune system. Our previous experiments demonstrated that surgical trauma
      in mice induces Tgammadelta lymphocyte migration from peripheral blood to
      peritoneal lymphoid organs. Tgammadelta cells have regulatory activity as they
      suppress the cell-mediated immune response in vitro via TGF-beta. In the current
      study, we aim to evaluate the influence of surgery on both Tabeta and Tgammadelta
      lymphocyte distribution in patients that underwent operation. MATERIALS AND
      METHODS: We investigated the percentage of Talphabeta and Tgammadelta cells in
      peripheral blood of patients undergoing standard surgical procedures (gastric
      resection, colorectal resection, cholecystectomy, and strumectomy) before and 3
      days after operation. The percentage of Talphabeta and Tgammadelta cells was
      evaluated by FACS Canto II cytofluorimeter. RESULTS: We showed that only major
      surgery located in the peritoneal cavity (gastric and colorectal surgery)
      decreases the percentage of Tgammadelta cells in peripheral blood as opposed to
      less traumatic surgery (strumectomy and cholecystectomy) which does not have such
      effect. However, significant reduction of Tgammadelta cells after operation was
      only observed in a group of patients that underwent gastrectomy. Additionally, we
      found that gastrectomy results in significant reduction of cumulative Tgammadelta
      CD4 and Tgammadelta CD25 lymphocyte counts. CONCLUSION: Surgery results in
      decreased percentage of Tgammadelta lymphocytes in peripheral human blood, and
      this correlates with the severity and location of the surgical trauma. This
      observation may help to predict postoperative recovery after gastroabdominal
      surgery.

PMID- 28358229
TI  - Intractable Acute Pain Related to Fluoroquinolone-Induced Peripheral Neuropathy.
AB  - Fluoroquinolones are widely prescribed antibiotics, used for various infectious
      etiologies. These antibiotics carry the possibility of the serious adverse effect
      of peripheral neuropathy, with a true incidence not known owing to its rare
      existence. Recently, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has required
      alterations to drug labels to highlight this adverse effect of fluoroquinolones.
      This is a case report of a single patient at an inpatient neurology service at an
      urban academic medical center in the United States. The patient is a 20-year-old
      male, with well-controlled type 1 diabetes mellitus, presenting with a short
      duration of bilateral lower extremity pain following a 10-day course of
      levofloxacin for suspected epididymitis. The patient was initially diagnosed with
      complex regional pain syndrome and treated with a variety of pain medications,
      including lidocaine infusions, hydromorphone, methadone, and ketamine infusions.
      After review of the patient's history and limited response to medical management,
      the patient's condition was reclassified as an adverse effect from
      fluoroquinolone treatment. Pain of unknown etiology can be perplexing, both for
      the physician and the patient. Reporting of similar incidents attributed to
      medication adverse effects will increase the awareness of this type of
      neuropathy, avoid future cases of misdiagnosis, and enable early detection and
      treatment.

PMID- 28358230
TI  - Exploring HIV Risk and Ex-Offender Status Among African American Church
      Populations: Considerations for Faith-Based Settings.
AB  - Studies with the general population indicate that involvement in the correctional
      system is strongly associated with the risk of contracting HIV and other sexually
      transmitted infections. However, limited studies have examined ex-offender status
      and HIV risk among African Americans-a population disproportionately impacted by
      incarceration and HIV-and even fewer have examined these risks among African
      American church-affiliated populations. This study examined ex-offender status,
      HIV risks, and perceptions of church involvement in HIV prevention strategies
      among 484 participants affiliated with African American churches. Findings
      indicate ex-offender participants were more likely to have been tested for HIV
      and believed the church should be involved in HIV prevention strategies. Future
      research, practice, and recommendations on the design of culturally and
      religiously tailored interventions for ex-offender HIV prevention, screening, and
      linkage to care in African American church settings are discussed.

PMID- 28358231
TI  - Primary Care Program in Prison: A Review of the Literature.
AB  - Nurses take on the role of primary caregiver in the prison setting, as they are
      usually the first to approach the prisoner, and they govern access to all aspects
      of the health care system. The aim of this review was to assess the effects of
      the use of the primary care model in a correctional setting. Major literature
      databases relevant to the specified areas were searched for studies published
      from 2004 to 2013. Three studies reported some implications for prisoners,
      nursing practice, and the correctional facility, as generated by using the
      primary care model in the prison setting. The primary care model can improve
      relevant outcomes for health management in the prison setting.

PMID- 28358232
TI  - Medical Parole and Aging Prisoners: A Qualitative Study.
AB  - The population of geriatric prisoners in the United States will reach
      unprecedented levels in the coming decades. Geriatric prisoners are at increased
      risk for deteriorating health and experience the onset of disease earlier than
      the aging population at large. Medical parole is an underutilized program that
      allows aging prisoners to transition to community-based health care. This article
      presents original key informant interview data and analysis of the perceptions of
      medical parole. Three dominant themes emerged: (1) drugs and nonviolent crimes;
      (2) politics, costs, and consequences; and (3) quality of health care and sense
      of security in prison. Participants rejected the possibility that medical care
      provided is below the clinical standard or is the cause of geriatric prisoners'
      deteriorating health and consistently implied that medical care at this prison is
      better than most Americans receive. Participants perceived their careers more as
      contributions to public health than criminal justice.

PMID- 28358233
TI  - Measurement of Health-Related Quality of Life in Primary Antibody-Deficient
      Patients.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Primary immunodeficiency diseases are a group of disorders that
      result from a variety of defects of the immune system. Primary antibody
      deficiencies (PADs) are the most common forms of these disorders. Occurrence of
      recurrent infections, autoimmune diseases, cancers, and lymphoproliferative
      disorders is higher in PAD patients. Chronicity of these diseases, delayed
      diagnosis, inadequate treatment, and treatment side effects may affect the
      quality of life (QoL) of PAD patients. Evaluating QoL is important for patient
      care, understanding the burden of these diseases, and finding the patients' major
      health problems. We investigated the QoL in a group of PAD patients undergoing
      regular follow-up and treatment at the Children's Medical Center Hospital in
      Tehran, Iran. METHODS: Seventy patients with a diagnosis of PAD in two age groups
      (younger and older than 18 years) were included. QoL was measured using PedsQL
      and SF-36 questionnaires. Correlation of demographic, clinical, and immunological
      parameters with QoL scores was assessed and patients' scores were compared with
      the normal population, using nonparametric tests of SPSS software. RESULTS:
      Patients expressed significantly reduced scores in some mental and physical
      components. Patients with longer follow-up periods had higher scores in mental
      components but physical component scores were still low. There was no significant
      correlation between sex, age, and disease types with scores. CONCLUSIONS: PAD
      patients had significantly lower scores in mental and physical components
      compared to normal population. By early diagnosis and long-term follow-up
      periods, we may be able to prevent complications and help patients to have a
      better QoL.

PMID- 28358234
TI  - Iodine Storage and Metabolism of Mild to Moderate Iodine-Deficient Pregnant Rats.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Severe iodine deficiency during pregnancy results in
      neurodevelopmental disorders in children, while the consequences of mild to
      moderate iodine deficiency (MMID) are uncertain. The concentration of iodine in
      the thyroid is the most accurate indicator of iodine nutrition. This study aimed
      to evaluate whether the iodine stores in the thyroid cover the needs of the
      mother and the fetus in iodine-sufficient and MMID conditions by inductively
      coupled plasma-mass spectrometry. METHODS: One hundred four-week-old female
      Wistar rats were randomly divided into MMID (low iodine intake [L]) and normal
      (normal iodine intake [N]) groups. The rats were fed for the next three months,
      and after pregnancy they were further divided into two subgroups, respectively:
      low iodine pregnancy (LP) and low iodine pregnancy with iodine supplement (LP+),
      and normal iodine intake pregnancy (NP) and normal iodine intake pregnancy with
      iodine supplement (NP+). The iodine intake of pregnant rats in the NP+ and LP+
      groups was twice as much as in the NP and LP groups. The rats were sacrificed on
      gestational day 15 and postnatal day 7. The iodine concentration in the thyroid
      of the maternal and newborn rats, maternal serum, placenta, and amniotic fluid
      were determined by inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry. RESULTS: The
      concentration of iodine in the thyroid of the N group was significantly higher
      than that in the L group before pregnancy. The concentration of iodine in the
      maternal thyroids of the LP group decreased during pregnancy, whereas that of the
      NP group did not change significantly. There was no significant difference in the
      iodine concentration in the thyroid of mothers and offspring between the NP and
      NP+ groups, but it was significant between LP and LP+ groups. The concentration
      of iodine in amniotic fluid was significantly different between the four groups.
      CONCLUSION: There is sufficient iodine storage in the thyroid of maternal rats
      with normal iodine intake during pregnancy, and there is no need for iodine
      supplementation. However, iodine stores are insufficient in rats with MMID.
      Iodine supplementation can increase the iodine concentration in the thyroid of
      maternal rats with MMID and their offspring, as well as in the amniotic fluid
      during pregnancy.

PMID- 28358235
TI  - The Aging Semantic Differential in Mandarin Chinese: Measuring Attitudes toward
      Older Adults in China.
AB  - The Aging Semantic Differential (ASD) is the most widely used instrument to
      measure young people's attitudes towards older adults. This study translated the
      ASD to Mandarin and examined its psychometric properties. The Mandarin-ASD
      contains three latent factors (Personality and Mental Health, Societal
      Participation, and Physical) that have high internal reliability and reasonable
      discriminate validity. Social work researchers, practitioners and allied
      professionals may utilize the ASD-Mandarin instrument to measure young people's
      attitudes towards older adults in China. We issue a call for a universal-ASD that
      can be applied across different cultural contexts.

PMID- 28358236
TI  - Experiential avoidance, distress tolerance, and substance use cravings among
      adults in residential treatment for substance use disorders.
AB  - Substance use cravings are a known predictor of relapse to substance use
      following treatment for a substance use disorder. Thus, research on factors that
      may be correlated with cravings, and could then be targeted in substance use
      treatment, is needed. Both distress tolerance and experiential avoidance, similar
      but distinct constructs, are independently associated with substance use
      cravings. However, no known research has examined these constructs as
      simultaneous predictors of substance use cravings, which may have important
      implications for treatment. The current study examined this in a sample of men
      and women in residential substance use treatment (n = 117). The authors used pre
      existing data from a larger study where men and women were recruited for
      participation from a residential substance use treatment facility. The majority
      of the sample was male (n = 87; 74.3%) and Caucasian (92.2%). The mean age was
      41.27 (standard deviation = 10.68). Better distress tolerance and lower
      experiential avoidance were negatively and significantly associated with alcohol
      and drug cravings, but only experiential avoidance remained significantly and
      negatively associated with cravings when both predictors were examined
      simultaneously. The current findings provide preliminary support for the
      importance of decreasing experiential avoidance in substance use treatment, which
      may result in reduced substance use cravings.

PMID- 28358237
TI  - Combined Treatment with Demecolcine and 6-Dimethylaminopurine during
      Postactivation Improves Developmental Competence of Somatic Cell Nuclear Transfer
      Embryos in Pigs.
AB  - This study determined the effects of postactivation treatment with demecolcine
      and/or 6-dimethylaminopurine (6-DMAP) on in vivo and in vitro developmental
      competence of somatic cell nuclear transfer (SCNT) embryos in pigs. SCNT embryos
      were treated for 4 hours with 0.4 ug/mL demecolcine, 2 mM 6-DMAP, or both after
      electric activation, then transferred to surrogate pigs or cultured for 7 days.
      The formation rate of SCNT embryos with a single pronucleus was higher in
      combined treatment with demecolcine and 6-DMAP (95.2%) than treatment with
      demecolcine alone (87.1%). Blastocyst formation of SCNT embryos was significantly
      increased in combined treatment with demecolcine and 6-DMAP (48.7%) compared with
      demecolcine (22.2%) or 6-DMAP alone (37.3%). Fluctuation of maturation promoting
      factor activity showed different patterns among various postactivation
      treatments. Pregnancy was established in 1 of 5 surrogates after transfer of SCNT
      embryos that were treated with demecolcine and 6-DMAP. The pregnant surrogate
      delivered one healthy live piglet. The results of our study demonstrated that
      postactivation treatment with demecolcine and 6-DMAP together improved
      preimplantation development and supported normal in vivo development of SCNT pig
      embryos, probably influencing MPF activity and nuclear remodeling, including
      induction of single pronucleus formation after electric activation.

PMID- 28358238
TI  - Expression Profiling and Identification of Novel SNPs in CatSper2 Gene and Their
      Influence on Sperm Motility Parameters in Bovines.
AB  - 122 randomly selected Vrindavani cattle were studied to detect polymorphism in
      four fragments of the CatSper2 gene that were comprised of exon 2, 4, 5, and 6
      with flanking regions. Using PCR-SSCP and sequencing analysis, three SNPs (T157C,
      C273A, and A274C) in the first fragment, one SNP (C30G) in the second fragment,
      and two SNPs (T86G and T292C) in the fourth fragment were identified. The third
      fragment did not reveal any polymorphism. The SNPs were used for construction of
      haplotypes and three haplotypes were found. The least square analysis of variance
      revealed a significant (P < 0.01) effect of haplotype on all three motility
      parameters. The haplotype II and III were nonsignificantly different from each
      other while being significantly (P < 0.01) different from haplotype I. The
      nonsignificant difference of haplotype II with III can lead to a hypothesis that
      T>G or C>T SNPs may not play a role in sperm motility. However, when the
      comparison was made between haplotype I and II, it can be inferred that C>T SNP
      may have a role in sperm motility, as haplotype II has better motility
      parameters. Expression profiling of Catper2 gene revealed nonsignificant down
      regulation of CatSper2 gene in poor motility sperm compared to good motility
      sperm.

PMID- 28358239
TI  - Training on the DSM-5 Cultural Formulation Interview improves cultural competence
      in general psychiatry residents: A pilot study.
AB  - The objective of this study was to assess whether a 1-hour didactic session on
      the DSM-5 Cultural Formulation Interview (CFI) improves the cultural competence
      of general psychiatry residents. The main hypothesis was that teaching adult
      psychiatry residents a 1-hour session on the CFI would improve cultural
      competence. The exploratory hypothesis was that trainees with more experience in
      cultural diversity would have a greater increase in cultural competency scores.
      Psychiatry residents at a metropolitan, county hospital completed demographics
      and preintervention questionnaires, were exposed to a 1-hour session on the CFI,
      and were given a postintervention questionnaire. The questionnaire was an adapted
      version of the validated Cultural Competence Assessment Tool . Paired samples t
      tests compared pre- to posttest change. Hierarchical linear regression assessed
      whether pretraining characteristics predicted posttest scores. The mean change of
      total pre- and posttest scores was significant ( p = .002), as was the mean
      change in subscales Nonverbal Communications ( p < .001) and Cultural Knowledge (
      p = .002). Demographic characteristics did not predict higher posttest scores
      (when covarying for pretest scores). Psychiatry residents' cultural competence
      scores improved irrespective of previous experience in cultural diversity. More
      research is needed to further explore the implications of the improved scores in
      clinical practice.

PMID- 28358240
TI  - Molecular MR Imaging of Myeloperoxidase Distinguishes Steatosis from
      Steatohepatitis in Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease.
AB  - Purpose To test whether MPO-Gd, an activatable molecular magnetic resonance (MR)
      imaging agent specific for myeloperoxidase (MPO) activity, could detect MPO
      activity in nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) mouse models and human liver
      biopsy samples. Materials and Methods In this study, 20 leptin receptor-deficient
      and three MPO knockout mice were injected with endotoxin (lipopolysaccharide) or
      fed a methionine and choline-deficient (MCD) diet to induce experimental NASH and
      underwent MR imaging with MPO-Gd. Saline-injected and control diet-fed leptin
      receptor-deficient mice were used as respective controls. MPO protein and
      activity measurements and histologic analyses were performed. Eleven human liver
      biopsy samples underwent MPO-Gd-enhanced MR imaging ex vivo and subsequent
      histologic evaluation. Results were compared with Student t test or Mann-Whitney
      U test. Results With endotoxin, a significantly increased contrast-to-noise ratio
      (CNR) was found compared with sham (mean CNR, 1.81 [95% confidence interval {CI}:
      1.53, 2.10] vs 1.02 [95% CI: 0.89, 1.14]; P = .03) at MPO-Gd MR imaging. In the
      diet-induced NASH model, an increased CNR was also found compared with sham mice
      (mean CNR, 1.33 [95% CI: 1.27, 1.40] vs 0.98 [95% CI: 0.83, 1.12]; P = .008).
      Conversely, CNR remained at baseline in NASH mice imaged with gadopentetate
      dimeglumine and in MPO knockout NASH mice with MPO-Gd, which proves specificity
      of MPO-Gd. Ex vivo molecular MR imaging of liver biopsy samples from NASH and
      control patients confirmed results from animal studies (mean CNR for NASH vs
      control patients, 2.61 [95% CI: 1.48, 3.74] vs 1.29 [95% CI: 1.06, 1.52]; P =
      .004). Conclusion MPO-Gd showed elevated MPO activity in NAFLD mouse models and
      human liver biopsy samples. (c) RSNA, 2017 Online supplemental material is
      available for this article. An earlier incorrect version of this article appeared
      online. This article was corrected on April 6, 2017.

PMID- 28358242
TI  - A 12-year retrospective review of bullous systemic lupus erythematosus in
      cutaneous and systemic lupus erythematosus patients.
AB  - Objective The aim of this study was to investigate the clinical features,
      laboratory findings, systemic manifestations, treatment and outcome of patients
      with bullous systemic lupus erythematosus in a tertiary care center in Thailand.
      Methods We performed a retrospective review from 2002 to 2014 of all patients who
      fulfilled the diagnostic criteria for bullous systemic lupus erythematosus to
      evaluate for the clinical characteristics, extracutaneous involvement,
      histopathologic features, immunofluorescence pattern, serological abnormalities,
      internal organ involvement, treatments and outcome. Results Among 5149 patients
      with cutaneous lupus erythematosus and/or systemic lupus erythematosus, 15
      developed vesiculobullous lesions. Ten patients had validation of the diagnosis
      of bullous systemic lupus erythematosus, accounting for 0.19%. Bullous systemic
      lupus erythematosus occurred after the diagnosis of systemic lupus erythematosus
      in six patients with a median onset of 2.5 months (0-89). Four out of 10 patients
      developed bullous systemic lupus erythematosus simultaneously with systemic lupus
      erythematosus. Hematologic abnormalities and renal involvement were found in 100%
      and 90%, respectively. Polyarthritis (40%) and serositis (40%) were less
      frequently seen. Systemic corticosteroids, immunosuppressants, antimalarials and
      dapsone offered resolution of cutaneous lesions. Conclusion Bullous systemic
      lupus erythematosus is an uncommon presentation of systemic lupus erythematosus.
      Blistering can occur following or simultaneously with established systemic lupus
      erythematosus. We propose that clinicians should carefully search for systemic
      involvement, especially hematologic and renal impairment, in patients presenting
      with bullous systemic lupus erythematosus.

PMID- 28358241
TI  - Communication between oncologists and lymphoma survivors during follow-up
      consultations: A qualitative analysis.
AB  - Cancer survivors often experience both short- and long-term challenges as a
      result of their cancer treatment. Many patients report feeling "lost in
      transition" following cancer treatment. The oncologist plays a key role in
      helping the patient to transition to survivorship. The purpose of this paper is
      to provide a descriptive understanding of the clinical care delivered during
      follow-up visits for lymphoma patients transitioning from active therapy into
      survivorship. We used thematic text analysis to identify themes in transcripts of
      audio recordings of 21 physicians and their patients in follow-up visits within 3
      years of completing lymphoma treatment. Conversations between oncologists and
      patients during follow-up visits addressed a variety of themes, including
      specific health concerns, follow-up care, health promotion, prior treatment and
      test results, overall health status, emotional communication and affective tone,
      post-treatment rehabilitation, discussions occurring in the patient's physical
      examination, and social issues. However, the frequency with which these themes
      were discussed varied. In addition, there did not appear to be a consistent
      framework for these visits. The varied nature of the follow-up visits analyzed in
      this study suggests the need for increased structure in survivorship-care
      consultations.

PMID- 28358243
TI  - Professional Quality of Life and Changes in Spirituality Among VHA Chaplains: A
      Mixed Methods Investigation.
AB  - A mixed method design was implemented to examine the spirituality and emotional
      well-being of Veterans Health Administration (VHA) chaplains and how potential
      changes in spirituality and emotional well-being may affect their professional
      quality of life. Four distinct categories of changes emerged from the narrative
      statements of a nationally representative sample of 267 VHA chaplains: (1)
      positive changes (e.g., increased empathy), (2) negative changes (e.g., dysthymic
      mood, questioning religious beliefs), (3) combination of positive and negative
      changes, and (4) no change (e.g., sustenance through spirituality or self-care).
      Most chaplains reported positive (37%) or no change (30%) in their spirituality
      and/or emotional well-being. However, quantitative analyses revealed that
      chaplains who reported negative changes endorsed greater burnout and secondary
      traumatic stress. Overall, these findings suggest VHA chaplains are predominantly
      spiritually resilient, but negative changes in the spiritual domain can occur,
      potentially increasing the risk of adverse changes in professional quality of
      life.

PMID- 28358245
TI  - Changes in the demographics of intravenous drug users with mycotic common femoral
      artery pseudoaneurysm as a consequence of self-injection does not influence
      outcome following emergency ligation.
AB  - Objectives The reported annual incidence of mycotic pseudoaneurysm of the common
      femoral artery in intravenous drug users has been estimated at 0.03%. Over the
      past 5 years in Scotland, the proportion of people receiving specialist attention
      for heroin use over the age of 40 years has increased from 15 to 22%. Although
      routinely managed with arterial ligation (without reconstruction), some series
      have reported rates of major limb amputation of up to 10%. We sought to define
      whether this management strategy was still acceptable in an older population.
      Methods Retrospective review of patients presenting to a tertiary vascular
      service with mycotic pseudoaneurysm of the common femoral artery due to arterial
      injection by intravenous drug users between October 2010 and March 2016.
      Variables of interest included patient demographics and requirement for major
      amputation. Results There were 55 patients identified. The annual incidence of
      mycotic pseudoaneurysm of the common femoral artery in intravenous drug users was
      2.1%. It was more common in men (3:1) and the mean age at presentation was 41
      years (standard deviation +/- 8 years). Three patients underwent major limb
      amputation during the index admission for severe limb ischaemia (two transfemoral
      amputations; one hip-disarticulation). Following discharge two patients were
      readmitted (134 and 200 days, respectively, following primary ligation) for major
      limb amputation due to of critical limb ischaemia. Conclusions Despite the
      increasing age of intravenous drug users presenting with mycotic pseudoaneurysm
      of the common femoral artery primary ligation of pseudoaneurysm would seem to
      remain an appropriate therapeutic intervention.

PMID- 28358244
TI  - Clonal outbreaks of [ Pasteurella] pneumotropica biovar Heyl in two mouse
      colonies.
AB  - The aim of this study was to document the pathogenic role of biovar Heyl of [
      Pasteurella] pneumotropica in mouse colonies. Fifty-three isolates associated
      with mastitis and orbital, cutaneous and vaginal abscesses as well as isolates
      from the nose and vagina of healthy mice were investigated. According to
      phenotypic characteristics and rpoB sequencing, the isolates were identified as [
      P.] pneumotropica biovar Heyl. Pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) revealed
      five closely related profiles separated by only one to four fragments. The
      outbreak strains diverged from epidemiologically unrelated strains with the same
      rpoB sequence type, as shown by the PFGE profiles. The investigation documented
      that members of biovar Heyl of [ P.] pneumotropica caused disease outbreaks in
      mouse colonies since the clonality indicated a primary role of [ P.]
      pneumotropica biovar Heyl in the infections observed.

PMID- 28358247
TI  - Negative Effects of Acid Violet-17 and MBB Dual In Vitro on Different Ocular Cell
      Lines.
AB  - PURPOSE: Vital dyes have become a clinical standard during vitrectomy to
      visualize anatomical structures. It was the aim of this study to test the effect
      of two vital dyes (AV 17-M with 5% mannitol and MBB Dual) on different
      intraocular cells, to see whether in vitro test can be used as reliable
      preclinical testing tool. METHODS: Cell morphology was assessed via phase
      contrast pictures, cell viability via MTS assay and total cell amount via crystal
      violet staining. ARPE19 and 661W cells were chosen for toxicology testing at
      different exposure times (60 seconds, 15 minutes and 30 minutes). Vital dyes were
      completely removed after the staining period. RESULTS: Treatment with AV 17-M
      changed the morphology and the cell number at every time point investigated on
      ARPE19 and 661 W cells. ARPE19 cells treated with AV 17-M or MBB Dual displayed
      only a slight or no decrease in cell viability after the three different exposure
      times. AV-17 without medium to simulate a possible intraoperative use after fluid
      air exchange showed a decrease in viability of 6%, 24% and 14%. A difference in
      cell density of 21%, 46% and 34% was noted after CV staining for AV 17-M, MBB
      Dual led to a decrease of 2%, 16% and 3% after 30 minutes compared to BSS. AV 17
      M directly applied on 661W decreased viability significantly by 18% after 60
      seconds, 33% after 15 minutes and 40% after 30 minutes. Cell density of 661W
      cells exposed relevant negative effects; after incubation of 60 seconds with AV
      17-M, the cell amount was significantly lowered by 41% and MBB Dual by 12%. After
      15 minutes, a loss of 48% cell amount was detected with AV 17-M and after 30 min
      51%. MBB Dual led to 37% loss after 15 minutes and to 28% loss after 30 minutes.
      CONCLUSION: AV 17-M with 5% mannitol has a negative effect on different ocular
      cells.

PMID- 28358246
TI  - Effects of direct renin inhibition versus angiotensin II receptor blockade on
      angiotensin profiles in non-diabetic chronic kidney disease.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Direct renin inhibition (DRI) is clinically inferior to other
      blockers of the renin-angiotensin system (RAS). Thus far, the underlying
      molecular causes of this finding remain unknown. METHODS: Twenty four patients
      with non-diabetic chronic kidney disease (CKD) stages III-IV and albuminuria were
      randomized to DRI or angiotensin receptor blocker (ARB). Employing a novel mass
      spectrometry method, the concentrations of renin, aldosterone and plasma
      angiotensin peptides [Ang I, Ang II, Ang-(1-7), Ang-(1-5), Ang-(2-8), Ang-(3-8)]
      were quantified before and after an 8-week treatment. RESULTS: While blood
      pressure, renal function and albuminuria decreased comparably in both groups,
      profound RAS component differences were observed: DRI led to a massive renin
      increase, while suppressing both vasoconstrictive (Ang I and Ang II) and
      vasodilatory RAS metabolites (Ang-(1-7) and Ang-(1-5)). In contrast, ARB led to a
      four-fold increase of Ang I and Ang II, while Ang-(1-7) and Ang-(1-5) increased
      moderately but significantly. With ARB treatment, a decreased aldosterone-to-Ang
      II ratio suggested efficacy in blocking AT1 receptor. CONCLUSIONS: DRI therapy
      abolishes all RAS effector peptides. ARB increases both vasoconstrictive and
      vasodilative angiotensins, while this is accompanied by efficient blockade of
      vasoconstrictive effects. These differential molecular regulations should be
      considered when selecting optimal antihypertensive and disease-modifying therapy
      in CKD patients. Key messages Direct renin inhibition leads to a complete and
      lasting abolition of both classical and alternative RAS components. Angiotensin
      receptor blockade leads to effective receptor blockade and up-regulation of
      alternative RAS components. Differential molecular regulations of the RAS should
      be considered when selecting optimal antihypertensive and disease-modifying
      therapy in CKD patients.

PMID- 28358249
TI  - Development of an internet version of the Lidcombe Program of early stuttering
      intervention: A trial of Part 1.

PMID- 28358248
TI  - Atypical choroid plexus papilloma: clinicopathological and neuroradiological
      features.
AB  - Background Atypical choroid plexus papilloma (APP) is a rare, newly introduced
      entity with intermediate characteristics. To date, few reports have revealed the
      magnetic resonance (MR) findings. Purpose To analyze the clinicopathological and
      MR features of APP. Material and Methods The clinicopathological data and
      preoperative MR images of six patients with pathologically proven APP were
      retrospectively reviewed. The MR features including tumor location, contour,
      signal intensity, degree of enhancement, intratumoral cysts, and necrosis; and
      flow voids, borders, peritumoral edema, and associated hydrocephalus were
      analyzed. Results The APP were located in the ventricle (n = 4) and
      cerebellopontine angle (CPA, n = 2). Tumor dissemination along the spinal
      subarachnoid space was found in one patient. The tumors appeared as milt
      lobulated (n = 5) or round mass (n = 1), with slightly heterogeneous signals (n =
      5) or mixed signals (n = 1) on T1-weighted and T2-weighted images. Heterogeneous
      and strong enhancement were found in five cases on contrast-enhanced images.
      Three of four intraventricular tumors had a partly blurred border with ventricle
      wall. Four tumors had mild to moderate extent of surrounding edema signals. A
      slight hydrocephalus was seen in four patients. Incomplete capsule was seen in
      four tumors at surgery. Histopathologically, mild nuclear atypia was seen in all
      tumors with a mitotic rate of 2-5 per 10 high-power fields. Conclusion APP should
      be included in the differential diagnosis when an intraventricular or CPA tumor
      appearing as a multi-lobulated solid mass with slight heterogeneity,
      heterogeneous strong enhancement, partly blurred borders, mild to moderate
      peritumoral edema, or slight hydrocephalus are present.

PMID- 28358250
TI  - Ten Questions With ....

PMID- 28358251
TI  - Boundary-Pushing Healthcare Tech.

PMID- 28358253
TI  - Comparison of Accelerated Corneal Collagen Cross-linking Types for Treating
      Keratoconus.
AB  - PURPOSE: To compare the results of different protocols for accelerated corneal
      collagen cross-linking (CXL) in patients with progressive keratoconus. MATERIALS
      AND METHOD: This prospective comparative study involved 40 patients treated with
      intended UV-A radiance of 5.4 J/cm2 in 74 eyes (Group 1) and 42 patients treated
      with radiance of 7.2 J/cm2 in 72 eyes (Group 2). Visual acuity, subjective
      manifest refraction and corneal topography were analyzed before and 12 months
      after surgery in both groups. Postoperative complications were also noted. The
      results of the two protocols were statistically compared. RESULTS: There were no
      statistically significant differences between the groups in uncorrected distance
      visual acuity, corrected distance visual acuity or corneal topography pre- or
      postoperatively. The differences in keratometric readings (K apex, SimK1 and
      SimK2) and refractive results were not significant. CONCLUSION: The application
      of total intended UV-A radiance of 5.4 J/cm2 or 7.2 J/cm2 for accelerated CXL in
      patients with progressive keratoconus resulted in similar refractive and
      topographic outcomes.

PMID- 28358254
TI  - Risk Factors Related with Retroperitoneal Laparoscopic Converted to Open
      Nephrectomy for Nonfunctioning Renal Tuberculosis.
AB  - PURPOSE: The present study was designed to investigate the risk factors affecting
      the conversion to open surgery in retroperitoneal laparoscopic nephrectomy of
      nonfunctioning renal tuberculosis (TB). PATIENTS AND METHODS: The records of 144
      patients who underwent a retroperitoneal laparoscopic nephrectomy procedure by a
      single surgeon were retrospectively reviewed. The following factors, including
      age, sex, body mass index (BMI), diabetes status, hypertension status, side of
      kidney, size of kidney, degree of calcification, mild perirenal extravasation,
      contralateral hydronephrosis, the time of anti-TB, and surgeon experience were
      analyzed. Univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses were used for
      statistical assessment. RESULTS: Twenty-three patients were converted to open
      surgery and the conversion rate was 15.97%. In univariate analysis, BMI >=35
      kg/m2 (p = 0.023), hypertension (p = 0.011), diabetes (p = 0.003), and kidney
      size (p = 0.032) were the main factors of conversion to open surgery. Sex, age,
      side, anti-TB time, calcification, mild extravasation, and surgeon experience
      were not significantly related. In multivariate regression analysis, BMI >=35
      kg/m2, hypertension, diabetes, and enlargement of kidney were the most important
      factors for conversion to open surgery. CONCLUSIONS: Depending on the results
      achieved by a single surgeon, BMI >=30 kg/m2, diabetes, hypertension, and
      enlargement of kidney significantly increased the conversion risk in
      retroperitoneal laparoscopic nephrectomy for nonfunctioning renal TB.

PMID- 28358255
TI  - The IFN-1 > BID > ROS pathway: Linking DNA damage with HSPC malfunction.

PMID- 28358257
TI  - Effectiveness of Corticosteroid Monotherapy for Dyspnea Relief in Patients with
      Terminal Cancer.
AB  - Dyspnea is a common symptom in patients with cancer, particularly those with late
      stage terminal disease. It markedly affects terminal cancer patients, reducing
      their quality of life. Reduced quality of life also affects survival; therefore,
      dyspnea is a prognostic factor. However, the role of corticosteroids, which often
      are used to alleviate dyspnea, has not been sufficiently validated. In this
      study, we retrospectively investigated whether corticosteroid monotherapy was
      effective for dyspnea palliation. The effectiveness rate of corticosteroid
      therapy was 45% in nine male and two female study subjects (mean age: 74.5 years;
      range: 64-86 years). No significant differences were found between responders and
      nonresponders in the first-day corticosteroid doses (25.5 +/- 10.86 vs. 36.1 +/-
      16.39 mg, P = .29) or doses administered on 2 days (47.7 +/- 25.99 vs. 72.2 +/-
      32.78 mg, P = .25). The mean +/- standard error assessment score changed
      significantly from 2.7 +/- 0.14 at the beginning of corticosteroid administration
      to 1.5 +/- 0.37 at the time of maximum effect (P = .028); however, the decrease
      to 2.1 +/- 0.25 at the final administration was not significant (P = .068). This
      indicates that corticosteroid therapy relieved dyspnea and could provide an early
      stage treatment option.

PMID- 28358256
TI  - Fluorescent multi-responsive cross-linked P(N-isopropylacrylamide)-based
      nanocomposites for cisplatin delivery.
AB  - Magnetic, pH and temperature-sensitive, poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) (PNIPAM)
      based nanocomposites with fluorescent properties were synthesized by free radical
      copolymerization-cross linking of NIPAM, N,N-dimethylaminoethyl methacrylate
      (DMAEMA) and 4-acrylamidofluorescein (AFA). The model anti-cancer drug, cisplatin
      (CDDP), was loaded into the resulted nanogel. For the production of CDDP-loaded
      nanocomposite, Fe3O4 magnetic nanoparticles (MNPs) and CDDP were loaded into the
      nanogel. Field-emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM) indicated that the
      size of nanogel and CDDP-loaded nanocomposite were about 90 and 160 nm,
      respectively. The encapsulation efficiency of CCDP was found up to 65%. The
      loaded CCDP showed sustained thermal and pH-responsive drug release. A high level
      of drug release was observed under the conditions of low pH and high temperature.
      The lower critical solution temperature (LCST) of synthesized nanogel was about
      40  degrees C. CDDP-loaded nanocomposite showed a volume phase transition from
      282 to 128 nm at its LCST. Accordingly, in this study, the synthesized
      nanocomposite can be employed as a stimuli-responsive anti-cancer drug delivery
      system and the pH and temperature of solution have the potential to monitor the
      drug release.

PMID- 28358258
TI  - Prevalence and Antimicrobial Resistance of Salmonella in Market Raw Oysters in
      Taiwan.
AB  - We tested 137 samples of domestic shucked oysters and 114 samples of imported
      oysters collected from traditional retail markets and supermarkets during 2010
      and 2011 in Taiwan for the presence of Salmonella . We obtained a total of 91
      Salmonella isolates, representing nine serotypes, from 80 of the domestic
      samples. We did not find any Salmonella in the imported oysters. The presence of
      Salmonella contamination tended to be specific to the area from which the oysters
      were harvested: the Dongshih area had a significantly higher contamination rate
      (68.8%) than the Budai (20.0%) and Wanggong (9.1%) areas. In addition, the rate
      of Salmonella contamination was higher in oysters that were packed or sold with
      water (P < 0.05). The most commonly identified Salmonella serotypes were
      Saintpaul (26.4%), Newport (22.0%), and Infantis (13.2%). We screened the
      isolates for susceptibility to nine antimicrobials and compared them genetically
      by using PCR for the class 1 integron (int1), tetA, tetB, and blaPSE-1 genes.
      Eighteen isolates (19.8%) were resistant to at least one antimicrobial agent, and
      the most frequent resistances were those to tetracycline and oxytetracycline (n =
      12, 14.3%).We detected the antimicrobial resistance genes int1, tetA, tetB, and
      blaPSE-1 in 16.5, 26.4, 6.6, and 22.0% of the isolates, respectively. Eleven of
      the 18 antimicrobial-resistant isolates contained one or two int1 cassettes,
      suggesting that the presence of int1 is highly correlated with antimicrobial
      resistance in Salmonella isolates from oysters. The consumption of oysters is
      increasing in Taiwan, and information related to Salmonella contamination in
      oysters is rather limited. Our results indicate that raw oyster consumption from
      retail markets in Taiwan is associated with a human health hazard owing to
      Salmonella , including multidrug-resistant Salmonella strains.

PMID- 28358259
TI  - Transfer of Campylobacter and Salmonella from Poultry Meat onto Poultry
      Preparation Surfaces.
AB  - Thermophilic Campylobacter and Salmonella enterica are major causes of
      gastrointestinal foodborne infection. Survival of these pathogens on food
      associated surfaces is a risk contributing to their spread through the food
      system. This study examined the transfer of two strains each of C. jejuni , C.
      coli , Salmonella Enteritidis, and Salmonella Typhimurium from chicken meat to a
      knife or scissors used on either a plastic or wooden cutting board. Each strain
      of Campylobacter and Salmonella at ~108 CFU mL-1 was inoculated (5 mL) onto 25 g
      of chicken meat with skin and allowed to attach (for 10 min). The meat was then
      cut (20 times per implement) into 1-cm2 pieces with either a knife or scissors on
      either a plastic or wooden cutting board. The numbers of pathogens transferred
      from meat onto cutting implements and cutting board surfaces were enumerated. The
      surfaces were subsequently either rinsed with water or rinsed with water and
      wiped with a kitchen towel to mimic commonly used superficial cleaning practices
      for these implements, and the numbers of pathogens were enumerated again. The
      bacterial numbers for both pathogens were determined on thin-layer agar. The
      attachment of the Salmonella strains to chicken meat (~7.0 to 7.8 log CFU cm-2)
      was higher than the attachment of the Campylobacter strains (~4.6 to 6.6 log CFU
      cm-2). All four Salmonella strains transferred in higher numbers (~1.9 to 6.3 log
      CFU cm-2) to all surfaces than did the Campylobacter strains (~1.1 to 3.9 log CFU
      cm-2). The transfer rates of both pathogens from the chicken meat to all the
      surfaces examined varied substantially between ~0 and 21.1%. The highest rate of
      transfer (~21.1%) observed was for C. coli 2875 when transferred from the chicken
      meat to the scissors. Most cleaning treatments reduced the numbers of both
      pathogens (~0.3 to 4.1 log CFU cm-2) transferred to all the surfaces. Our study
      gives insights into the risks associated with the transfer of Campylobacter and
      Salmonella from poultry to the surfaces used in poultry preparation.

PMID- 28358260
TI  - Study of Biofilm Formation Ability of Foodborne Arcobacter butzleri under
      Different Conditions.
AB  - The transmission of Arcobacter butzleri , an emerging food- and waterborne
      pathogen, is possibly favored by its ability to adhere to abiotic surfaces. In
      this study, we assessed the biofilm formation ability of 42 A. butzleri isolates
      recovered from different food products. Overall, nine isolates (21.4%) were able
      to adhere to polystyrene. Among them, a chicken-derived isolate was classified as
      strongly adherent. Based on the chi-square test, no relation was found between
      the adhesive abilities of the isolates and their source (P > 0.05). An aerobic
      atmosphere enhanced the adhesion ability of the majority of the adherent isolates
      (66.7%), because when tested in microaerobic conditions, a t test indicated that
      only three isolates increased their biofilm formation ability significantly (P <
      0.05). In addition, seven (77.8%) of these nine isolates were able to adhere to
      glass surfaces, and viable cells were recovered from all the stainless steel
      coupons tested. Therefore, our results confirm the biofilm formation ability of
      A. butzleri , which may be influenced by the incubation atmosphere and the
      abiotic surface.

PMID- 28358261
TI  - A Meta-Analysis of the Global Prevalence Rates of Staphylococcus aureus and
      Methicillin-Resistant S. aureus Contamination of Different Raw Meat Products.
AB  - Previous research has indicated that raw meats are frequently contaminated with
      Staphylococcus aureus , but data regarding the pooled prevalence rates of S.
      aureus and methicillin-resistant S. aureus (MRSA) contamination in different
      types of raw meat products (beef, chicken, and pork) and across different
      periods, regions, and purchase locations remain inconsistent. We systematically
      searched the PubMed, EMBASE, Ovid, Web of Science, and HighWire databases to
      identify studies published up to June 2016. The STROBE guidelines were used to
      assess the quality of the 39 studies included in this meta-analysis. We observed
      no significant differences in the pooled prevalence rates of S. aureus and MRSA
      contamination identified in various raw meat products, with overall pooled
      prevalence rates of 29.2% (95% confidence interval [CI], 22.8 to 35.9%) and 3.2%
      (95% CI, 1.8 to 4.9%) identified for the two contaminants, respectively. In the
      subgroup analyses, the prevalence of S. aureus contamination in chicken products
      was highest in Asian studies and significantly decreased over time worldwide. In
      European studies, the prevalence rates of S. aureus contamination in chicken and
      pork products were lower than those reported on other continents. The pooled
      prevalence rates of S. aureus contamination in chicken and pork products and MRSA
      contamination in beef and pork products were significantly higher in samples
      collected from retail sources than in samples collected from slaughterhouses and
      processing plants. These results highlight the need for good hygiene during
      transportation to and manipulation at retail outlets to reduce the risk of
      transmission of S. aureus and MRSA from meat products to humans.

PMID- 28358262
TI  - Microbiological and Sensory Quality of Fresh Ready-to-Eat Artichoke Hearts
      Packaged under Modified Atmosphere.
AB  - In recent years the sales of minimally processed vegetables have grown
      exponentially as a result of changes in consumer habits. The availability of
      artichoke buds as a ready-to-eat product would be, therefore, highly
      advantageous. However, minimally processed artichoke hearts are difficult to
      preserve because of their rapid browning and the proliferation of naturally
      occurring microorganisms. We developed artichoke hearts prepared as ready-to-eat
      products that maintain the characteristics of the fresh product. The
      microbiological stability, sensory qualities, and shelf life of the processed
      artichoke hearts were determined. During the shelf life, Salmonella, Listeria
      monocytogenes , and Escherichia coli counts were below the limits legally
      established by European regulations for minimally processed vegetables. The pH
      played an important role in microbial growth. Artichoke hearts had lower
      microbial counts in experiments conducted at pH 4.1 than in experiments conducted
      at pH 4.4, although the recommended threshold value for total plate count (7 log
      CFU/g) was not exceeded in either case. Sensory parameters were affected by the
      microorganisms, and artichoke products at lower pH had better sensory qualities.
      Vacuum impregnation techniques, modified atmosphere packaging, and low storage
      temperature were very effective for increasing the shelf life of minimally
      processed artichokes. The average shelf life was approximately 12 to 15 days.

PMID- 28358263
TI  - LncRNA CCAT1 modulates the sensitivity of paclitaxel in nasopharynx cancers cells
      via miR-181a/CPEB2 axis.
AB  - Recent studies reported that long non-coding RNA (lncRNA) might play critical
      roles in regulating chemo-resistant of multiple types of cancer. This study aimed
      to investigate whether long non-coding RNA CCAT1 was involved in Paclitaxel
      resistance in nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC). qRT-PCR was used for testing the
      expression of CCAT1, miR-181a and CPEB2 in tumor tissues and NPC cancers. NPC
      cells were transfected with siRNAs to suppress the mRNA level of CCAT1 in NPC
      cells. MTT assays and flow cytometry analysis were used to assess the sensitivity
      of paclitaxel in NPC cells. Luciferase reporter assays were used to examine the
      interaction of CCAT1 or CPEB2 to miR-181a. Our findings revealed that the
      upregulated CCAT1 results in significantly enhancing paclitaxel resistance in
      nasopharyngeal cancer cells. Bioinformatics analysis and luciferase reporter
      assay indicated that the upregulated CCAT1 sponges miR-181a in NPC cells.
      Furthermore, RNA immuno-precipitation assays showed that miR-181a could directly
      bind to CCAT1 mRNA in NPC cells. We restored miR-181a in NPC cells, and found
      restoration of miR-181a re-sensitized the NPC cells to paclitaxel in vitro. In
      addition, our results also showed that miR-181a was a modulator of paclitaxel
      sensitivity due to its regulative effect on cell apoptosis via targeting CPEB2 in
      NPC cells. Taken together, lncRNA CCAT1 regulates the sensitivity of paclitaxel
      in NPC cells via miR-181a/CPEB2 axis.

PMID- 28358264
TI  - The absence of the CD163 receptor has distinct temporal influences on
      intracerebral hemorrhage outcomes.
AB  - Hemoglobin (Hb) toxicity precipitates secondary brain damage following
      intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH). CD163 is an anti-inflammatory Hb scavenger
      receptor and CD163-positive macrophages/microglia locally accumulate post-bleed,
      yet no studies have investigated the role of CD163 after ICH. ICH was induced in
      wildtype and CD163-/- mice and various anatomical and functional outcomes were
      assessed. At 3 d, CD163-/- mice have 43.4 +/- 5.0% (p = 0.0002) and 34.8 +/- 3.4%
      (p = 0.0003) less hematoma volume and tissue injury, respectively. Whereas, at 10
      d, CD163-/- mice have 49.2 +/- 15.0% larger lesions (p = 0.0385). An inflection
      point was identified, where CD163-/- mice perform better on neurobehavioral
      testing and have less mortality before 4 d, but increased mortality and worse
      function after 4 d (p = 0.0389). At 3 d, CD163-/- mice have less Hb, iron, and
      blood-brain barrier dysfunction, increased astrogliosis and neovascularization,
      and no change in heme oxygenase 1 (HO1) expression. At 10 d, CD163-/- mice have
      increased iron and VEGF immunoreactivity, but no significant change in HO1 or
      astrogliosis. These novel findings reveal that CD163 deficiency has distinct
      temporal influences following ICH, with early beneficial properties but delayed
      injurious effects. While it is unclear why CD163 deficiency is initially
      beneficial, the late injurious effects are consistent with the key anti
      inflammatory role of CD163 in the recovery phase of tissue damage.

PMID- 28358265
TI  - What survivors want: Understanding the needs of sexual assault survivors.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: Sexual assault is a pervasive crime on our college campuses and many
      survivors do not seek post-assault resources. This study will explore components
      of alternative interventions to consider in the development of campus-based
      interventions for sexual assault survivors. PARTICIPANTS: Three stakeholder
      groups including survivors (n = 8), healthcare providers (n = 6), and advocates
      (n = 19) were recruited from May 2014 to December 2014 from two university campus
      communities using flyers and purposive sampling. METHODS: A qualitative study
      design utilized semi-structured interviews and semi-structured focus groups with
      survivors, healthcare providers, and advocates. RESULTS: Five themes emerged to
      consider for future campus-based sexual assault interventions: (a) culture of
      caring, (b) one-stop shop, (c) validation, (d) survivor control and agency, and
      (e) confidentiality. CONCLUSIONS: Although accessible and effective options for
      post-assault care do currently exist, participants described alternative future
      interventions that were either (a) print materials or (b) technology-based.

PMID- 28358267
TI  - Dementia discourse - A rethink?

PMID- 28358266
TI  - Natural history of patients with tuberous sclerosis complex related renal
      angiomyolipoma.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: To examine temporal relationships between tuberous sclerosis complex
      (TSC) and renal angiomyolipoma diagnosis and outcomes, treatment, and healthcare
      utilization. METHODS: Administrative data from the MarketScan Commercial Database
      was used to select TSC-related renal angiomyolipoma patients during 1 January
      2000-31 March 2013. Patients were followed until the earliest of inpatient death
      or end of enrollment or study. Occurrence of kidney-related outcomes, kidney
      related procedures, and all-cause healthcare utilization and time to occurrence
      were reported. Kaplan-Meier curves were used to display the unadjusted
      distribution of time to outcome. RESULTS: A total of 605 patients were selected
      (<18 years N = 225; >=18 years N = 380). Mean time from TSC to renal
      angiomyolipoma diagnosis was 25.7 months in younger and 16.9 months in older
      patients. Patients >=18 years had higher rates of chronic kidney disease (CKD),
      hematuria, kidney failure, embolization (EMB), and partial and complete
      nephrectomy compared to patients <18 years (all p < .05). Mean time from TSC
      related renal angiomyolipoma diagnosis to CKD, hematuria, kidney failure, EMB,
      first emergency room and inpatient visits was shorter in older compared to
      younger patients (all p < .05). Probability of developing CKD was approximately
      0.8 and 0.95 within 3 years in younger and older patients, respectively.
      CONCLUSIONS: Patients with TSC-related renal angiomyolipoma had high rates of
      kidney-related outcomes and procedures. These events sometimes preceded the
      angiomyolipoma diagnosis. A key study limitation was that due to the small sample
      size, results may have been biased by outliers. Research is needed to determine
      whether earlier angiomyolipoma diagnosis can impact occurrence of events and
      reduce healthcare utilization.

PMID- 28358268
TI  - Exploring the potential for secondary uses of Dementia Care Mapping (DCM) data
      for improving the quality of dementia care.
AB  - The reuse of existing datasets to identify mechanisms for improving healthcare
      quality has been widely encouraged. There has been limited application within
      dementia care. Dementia Care Mapping is an observational tool in widespread use,
      predominantly to assess and improve quality of care in single organisations.
      Dementia Care Mapping data have the potential to be used for secondary purposes
      to improve quality of care. However, its suitability for such use requires
      careful evaluation. This study conducted in-depth interviews with 29 Dementia
      Care Mapping users to identify issues, concerns and challenges regarding the
      secondary use of Dementia Care Mapping data. Data were analysed using modified
      Grounded Theory. Major themes identified included the need to collect
      complimentary contextual data in addition to Dementia Care Mapping data, to
      reassure users regarding ethical issues associated with storage and reuse of care
      related data and the need to assess and specify data quality for any data that
      might be available for secondary analysis.

PMID- 28358269
TI  - Gaps in understanding the experiences of homecare workers providing care for
      people with dementia up to the end of life: A systematic review.
AB  - This systematic review of the literature explores the perspectives and
      experiences of homecare workers providing care for people with dementia living at
      home up to the end of life. A search of major English language databases in 2016
      identified 378 studies on the topic, of which 12 met the inclusion criteria. No
      empirical research was identified that specifically addressed the research
      question. However, synthesis of the findings from the broader literature revealed
      three overarching themes: value of job role, emotional labour and poor
      information and communication. The role of homecare workers supporting a person
      with dementia up to the end of life remains under-researched, with unmet needs
      for informational, technical and emotional support reported. The effective
      components of training and support are yet to be identified.

PMID- 28358270
TI  - Quality of life on the views of older family carers of people with dementia.
AB  - Older family carers of people with dementia represent an increasing but
      overlooked population of family carers. This research aimed to explore how these
      individuals make sense of their own quality of life and to identify the factors
      that enhance or compromise this. Four focus groups were conducted in 2014 with 19
      older family carers in community-based support groups in Nottinghamshire, United
      Kingdom. Data were transcribed verbatim and analysed using Interpretative
      Phenomenological Analysis. Thirty-three subthemes emerged and were collated into
      three superordinate themes: 1) aspects of care and caregiving, 2) feelings and
      concerns, and 3) satisfaction with life and caregiving. This study identified a
      broad range of aspects that are of particular importance to the quality of life
      of older family carers of people with dementia. These findings are expected to
      inform future research as well as health and social care providers with the aim
      of improving life quality for this population.

PMID- 28358271
TI  - To dialyse or not to dialyse - Is that the question? A psychosocial perspective
      on dilemmas concerning dialysis for people with dementia.
AB  - There is increasing recognition that the organisation of health care into
      specialist areas of practice can be counterproductive for older people with
      multiple morbidities and that dementia can raise particular challenges in health
      care. In the context of treatment for chronic kidney disease, these challenges
      concern complex decisions about the suitability and efficacy of dialysis and
      other treatments. This article draws on a literature review to present a
      psychosocial perspective on these decisions. It considers the value of the
      concept of 'dementia friendliness' for nephrology practice and suggests how this
      could provide a valuable frame of reference for the multidisciplinary nephrology
      team to ensure they are best equipped to work with people living with dementia
      and their carers and to ensure that the individual patient is truly at the centre
      of their treatment regime.

PMID- 28358272
TI  - Evaluation of rapid post-mortem test kits for bovine spongiform encephalopathy
      (BSE) screening in Japan: Their analytical sensitivity to atypical BSE prions.
AB  - A classical type of bovine spongiform encephalopathy (C-BSE), recognized in 1987,
      had a large impact on public health due to its zoonotic link to variant
      Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease by the human consumption of dietary products
      contaminated with the C-BSE prion. Thus, a number of countries implemented BSE
      surveillance using rapid post-mortem test kits that were approved for detection
      of the C-BSE prion in the cattle brain. However, as atypical BSE (L- and H-BSE)
      cases emerged in subsequent years, the efficacy of the kits for the detection of
      atypical BSE prions became a matter of concern. In response to this, laboratories
      in the European Union and Canada evaluated the kits used in their countries.
      Here, we carried out an evaluation study of NippiBL(r), a kit currently used for
      BSE screening in Japan. By applying the kit to cattle brains of field cases of C
      BSE and L-BSE, and an experimental case of H-BSE, we showed its comparable
      sensitivities to C, L-, and H-BSE prions, and satisfactory performance required
      by the European Food Safety Authority. In addition to NippiBL(r), two kits
      (TeSeE(r) and FRELISA(r)) formerly used in Japan were effective for detection of
      the L-BSE prion, although the two kits were unable to be tested for the H-BSE
      prion due to the discontinuation of domestic sales during this study. These
      results indicate that BSE screening in Japan is as effective as those in other
      countries, and it is unlikely that cases of atypical BSE have been overlooked.

PMID- 28358274
TI  - Comparison of two approaches to prevention of mental health problems in college
      students: Enhancing coping and executive function skills.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: College students face a significant number of stressors, increasing
      risk for internalizing and externalizing psychopathology. The current study
      examines two promising avenues of intervention aimed to reduce stress and prevent
      psychopathology in this population: a coping skills group and a cognitive
      training program. PARTICIPANTS: 62 undergraduate students from two universities
      were recruited from 2013 to 2015. METHODS: Students were randomized to a 6-week
      coping skills group or cognitive training program and completed measures of
      stress, coping, executive function, and symptoms of anxiety, depression and
      Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) at pre- and post-intervention.
      RESULTS: Participants in both conditions reported significant decreases in social
      stress, executive function difficulties, and anxiety symptoms post-intervention.
      Students in the cognitive program improved significantly more on measures of
      behavior regulation and ADHD symptoms compared to the coping group at post
      intervention. CONCLUSIONS: Brief stress management interventions targeting coping
      and executive function may benefit college students at risk for psychopathology.

PMID- 28358276
TI  - Corrigendum.

PMID- 28358275
TI  - Demographic and clinical profiles of type 2 diabetes mellitus patients initiating
      sitagliptin in the real-world setting.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: Dipeptidyl peptidase-4 (DPP-4) inhibitors have been used for the
      management of type 2 diabetes (T2D) for over a decade; however, there is a
      limited understanding of the evolution of their use in the real-world setting
      over this time period. This study evaluated the demographics and clinical
      characteristics of patients initiating sitagliptin over a 10 year period in the
      United States. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS: Quintiles electronic medical records
      database was used to identify adults with a new prescription of sitagliptin over
      two 5 year time periods: 2006-2010 (n = 57,604), and 2011-2015 (n = 147,326). In
      addition, we also evaluated how the most recent (year 2015) profile of
      sitagliptin initiators (n = 29,295) compares to the treated T2D patients (N =
      474,877) in 2015. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: No outcomes were assessed. Descriptive
      statistics were used to summarize baseline patient characteristics. RESULTS: The
      overall demographics and clinical characteristics of patients initiating
      sitagliptin were generally similar over the two time periods; however, baseline
      HbA1c (median) was higher in the later time period: 7.6% vs. 7.9% respectively.
      Sitagliptin was initiated in patients across a broad range of age (18-79) years,
      body mass index (BMI) (10-70) kg/m2 and HbA1c (3-20) %. The most prevalent
      comorbidities observed in these patients were hypertension (93%), hyperlipidemia
      (81%), obesity (55%), chronic kidney disease (22%) and cardiovascular disease
      (21%). Additionally, when we assessed the treated T2D patients and patients
      initiating sitagliptin in 2015, several characteristics were comparable such as
      age (median) (64 vs. 63) years and BMI (33 vs. 33) kg/m2, and the most prevalent
      comorbidities were hypertension (97 vs. 95) %, and hyperlipidemia (86 vs. 81) %
      respectively. CONCLUSION: The overall demographic and comorbidity profile of
      patients initiating sitagliptin did not substantially change over the last decade
      and is similar to the treated T2D population.

PMID- 28358277
TI  - Evaluation of Head and Brain Injury Risk Functions Using Sub-Injurious Human
      Volunteer Data.
AB  - Risk assessment models are developed to estimate the probability of brain injury
      during head impact using mechanical response variables such as head kinematics
      and brain tissue deformation. Existing injury risk functions have been developed
      using different datasets based on human volunteer and scaled animal injury
      responses to impact. However, many of these functions have not been independently
      evaluated with respect to laboratory-controlled human response data. In this
      study, the specificity of 14 existing brain injury risk functions was assessed by
      evaluating their ability to correctly predict non-injurious response using
      previously conducted sled tests with well-instrumented human research volunteers.
      Six degrees-of-freedom head kinematics data were obtained for 335 sled tests
      involving subjects in frontal, lateral, and oblique sled conditions up to 16 Gs
      peak sled acceleration. A review of the medical reports associated with each
      individual test indicated no clinical diagnosis of mild or moderate brain injury
      in any of the cases evaluated. Kinematic-based head and brain injury risk
      probabilities were calculated directly from the kinematic data, while strain
      based risks were determined through finite element model simulation of the 335
      tests. Several injury risk functions substantially over predict the likelihood of
      concussion and diffuse axonal injury; proposed maximum principal strain-based
      injury risk functions predicted nearly 80 concussions and 14 cases of severe
      diffuse axonal injury out of the 335 non-injurious cases. This work is an
      important first step in assessing the efficacy of existing brain risk functions
      and highlights the need for more predictive injury assessment models.

PMID- 28358278
TI  - Sleep Disorders and Therapeutic Management: A Survey in a French Population of
      Prisoners.
AB  - In a French prison, most inmates reported not being satisfied with their sleep.
      Life habits between good and bad sleepers were not significantly different except
      for television and smoking. The most frequently reported symptom of insomnia was
      several awakenings at night, and the most frequently cited etiologies were
      rumination of thoughts and noise. Most patients reported that their sleeping
      problems began or worsened after incarceration. A quarter of the inmates were
      following a hypnotic treatment, and most of these treatments began in prison.
      Only 42% of patients were satisfied with its effectiveness. These observations
      enabled us to make recommendations for healthy sleep patterns such as respecting
      normal night-and-day cycles, encouraging to stop smoking, and promoting
      appropriate use of hypnotic treatments.

PMID- 28358279
TI  - Incidence of late onset neutropenia associated with rituximab use in B cell
      lymphoma patients undergoing autologous stem cell transplantation.
AB  - Reversible late onset neutropenia associated with rituximab has been reported
      with incidence rates varying from 15 to 70% in B cell lymphoma patients receiving
      autologous stem cell transplantation. We conducted a retrospective descriptive
      study at one tertiary care center in adult B cell lymphoma patients treated with
      rituximab and autologous stem cell transplantation between 1 January 2004 and 30
      June 2014. Late onset neutropenia was defined as an absolute neutrophil count
      <1.0 * 109 cells/L after neutrophil engraftment and less than six months post
      autologous stem cell transplantation. The primary objective was to determine the
      incidence of late onset neutropenia. The secondary objectives were to examine
      whether the use of rituximab with re-induction therapy, mobilization or high dose
      chemotherapy regimens increased the risk for late onset neutropenia, and to
      evaluate infectious complications. Of 315 subjects, 92 (29.2%) developed late
      onset neutropenia. Mobilization regimens containing rituximab (OR 2.90 95% CI:
      1.31-6.40), high dose chemotherapy containing rituximab (OR 1.87 95% CI: 1.14
      3.05), and exposure to rituximab in either or both regimens (OR 3.05 95% CI: 1.36
      6.88) significantly increased the risk of late onset neutropenia. While
      neutropenic, 17.4% experienced an infection, 7.6% experienced febrile
      neutropenia, and 5.4% were hospitalized. In conclusion, rituximab with
      mobilization or high dose chemotherapy may increase the risk of late onset
      neutropenia post autologous stem cell transplantation.

PMID- 28358280
TI  - * Comparison of Autologous, Allogeneic, and Cell-Free Scaffold Approaches for
      Engineered Tendon Repair in a Rabbit Model-A Pilot Study.
AB  - Tendons are subjected to high strength dynamic mechanical forces in vivo.
      Mechanical strength is an essential requirement for tendon scaffold materials. A
      composite scaffold was used in this study to provide mechanical strength, which
      was composed of an inter part of nonwoven polyglycolic acid (PGA) fibers and an
      outer part of the net knitted with PGA and polylactic acid (PLA) fibers in a
      ratio of 4:2. This study compared three different approaches for in vivo tendon
      engineering, that is, cell-free scaffold and allogeneic and autologous cell
      seeded scaffolds, using a rabbit Achilles tendon repair model. Dermal fibroblasts
      were, respectively, isolated from the dermis of regular rabbits or green
      fluorescence protein transgenic rabbits as the autologous and the allogeneic cell
      sources, respectively. The cell scaffolds and cell-free scaffolds were implanted
      to bridge a partial segmental defect of rabbit Achilles tendon. The engineered
      tendons were harvested at 7 and 13 months postsurgery for various examinations.
      The results showed that all three groups could achieve in vivo tendon
      regeneration similarly with slightly better tissue formation in autologous group
      than in other two groups, including better scaffold degradation and relatively
      thicker collagen fibrils. There were no statistically significant differences in
      mechanical parameters among three groups. This work demonstrated that allogeneic
      fibroblasts and scaffold alone are likely to be used for tendon tissue
      engineering.

PMID- 28358283
TI  - Characterization of a thermo-alkali-stable laccase from Bacillus subtilis cjp3
      and its application in dyes decolorization.
AB  - In this work, a novel bacterial strain exhibiting laccase activity was isolated
      from black liquor and identified as Bacillus subtilis cjp3. The CotA-laccase gene
      was cloned from strain cjp3 and expressed in Escherichia coli. The purified
      recombinant laccase has a maximum activity of 7320 U/L, maintaining high
      stabilities under a wide pH range and high temperature conditions. Nearly no loss
      of laccase activity was observed even at pH 9.0 after 10 h of incubation.
      Reactive blue 19, reactive black 5 and indigo carmine could be efficiently
      decolorized by the purified laccase in the presence of a mediator ABTS. More than
      86% of tested dyes were removed in 4 h at pH = 9.0. The recombinant laccase can
      work well in a broad range of temperatures of 20-80 degrees C(>80% relative
      activity). These special properties indicated the potential use of the CotA
      laccase in treating wastewater containing synthetic dyes.

PMID- 28358282
TI  - Efficacy of a film-forming medical device containing sunscreen (50+) and
      piroxicam 0.8% in actinic keratosis and field cancerization: a multicenter,
      assessor-blinded, 3 month trial.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: Sunscreen protection in subjects with actinic keratosis (AK) is
      highly recommended to prevent clinical evolution of this in situ skin cancer
      condition. Use of topical anti-cyclooxygenase drugs such as diclofenac and
      piroxicam reduces the number of lesions and improves the cancerization field. A
      film-forming medical device in a cream formulation containing organic and
      inorganic sun-filters (50+ SPF) and piroxicam 0.8% (ACTX) has shown in a pilot,
      single-center, open trial to reduce AK lesions improving the cancerization field.
      AIM: We evaluated in a multicenter, assessor-blinded, 3 month trial the efficacy
      of ACTX in AK. METHODS: A total of 70 subjects with at least three AK lesions on
      the scalp or face were enrolled after written informed consent. Primary outcomes
      of the study were the clinical evolution of number of AK lesions on a target zone
      area and the evolution of dermoscopy features of the target lesion, assessing
      erythema, scaling, pigmentation, and follicular plug, using a 5 point score (from
      0 to 4; maximum score: 16). Lesion count and dermoscopy score were evaluated in a
      blind fashion assessing digital color high definition coded images. A secondary
      outcome was the Investigator Global Score (IGS) of clinical evolution of the
      target area using a 7 point scale from -2 (significantly worse) to +4 (completely
      cured). IGS was evaluated in an open fashion. Subjects were instructed to apply
      the cream twice daily on the target area, using one finger-tip unit for the
      treatment of a 35 cm2 area. RESULTS: All but one subject (40 men and 30 women,
      mean age 73 years) concluded the study period. At baseline the mean (+/-SD)
      number of AK lesions in the target area were 7.0 (5.9) with a median value of 5
      and the dermoscopy score of the target lesion was 7.0 (2.3) with a median value
      of 7.0. ACTX treatment reduced AK lesions to 3.2 (2.9), (p = .0001; Wilcoxon
      Test), representing a 55% relative reduction. Dermoscopy score was reduced to 3.3
      (2.6) (p = .0001) (a reduction of 53%). The IGS after ACTX treatment was +1.9
      (1.1), with a median of 2.0. A total of 86% of subjects showed a clinical
      improvement of IGS (>=1) with a very significant/complete clearance (score +3 or
      +4) in 42% subjects. No change or a worsening of AK lesions was observed in 14%
      of the subjects. The product was well tolerated. No serious adverse events were
      reported during the duration of the trial. CONCLUSION: In this multicenter,
      assessor-blinded trial, the use of a film-forming medical device with sun
      protection and anti-inflammatory actions was effective in reducing AK lesions and
      improving the dermoscopy aspect of the target lesion in 86% of treated subjects.
      A head-to-head trial evaluating the efficacy of this medical device in comparison
      with diclofenac is warranted to establish whether this therapeutic approach could
      offer additional advantages in term of AK lesion reduction compared to an
      established topical treatment. (Trial ID: ISRCTN72020277).

PMID- 28358284
TI  - Molecular Cloning of Porcine SUN5 Gene and Association between a SNP with Litter
      Size Trait.
AB  - SUN domain-containing protein 5 (SUN5) is an important reproduction related gene.
      In this study, we cloned the full-length coding sequence of porcine SUN5 gene
      through RT-PCR. Sequence analysis of this gene revealed that the pig SUN5 gene
      encodes a protein of 383 amino acids that has high homology with the SUN5 protein
      of eight species: wild Bactrian camel (95%), alpaca (95%), Yangtze River dolphin
      (94%), sperm whale (94%), sheep (93%), black flying fox (93%), goat (92%), and
      horse (91%). This gene is structured into 13 exons and 12 introns as revealed by
      computer-assisted analysis. The prediction of transmembrane helices showed that
      pig SUN5 protein might be a transmembrane protein. PCR-Taq I-RFLP was established
      to detect the GU475008:c.138 G>A substitution of porcine SUN5 gene coding
      sequence and eight pig breeds displayed obvious genotype and allele frequency
      differences at this mutation locus. Association of this SNP with litter size
      traits was assessed in Large White (n = 200) and Landrace (n = 200) pig
      populations, and the results demonstrated that this polymorphic locus was
      significantly associated with the litter size of all parities in Large White and
      Landrace sows (P < 0.05). Therefore, the SUN5 gene could be a useful candidate
      gene for increasing the litter size in pigs.

PMID- 28358285
TI  - External apical root resorption concurrent with orthodontic forces: the genetic
      influence.
AB  - Root resorption is a pathological process of multifactorial origin related to the
      permanent loss of dental root structure in response to a mechanical,
      inflammatory, autoimmune or infectious stimulus. External apical root resorption
      (EARR) is a frequent clinical complication secondary to orthodontic tooth
      movement; apart from variables related to treatment, environmental factors and/or
      interindividual genetic variations can confer susceptibility or resistance to its
      occurrence. In this context, genetic predisposition has been described as an
      etiological factor, together with mechanical factors derived from orthodontic
      treatment. In recent years, international research groups have determined the
      degree of influence of some genetic biomarkers in defining increased/reduced
      susceptibility to postorthodontic EARR. The influences of the IL1 gene cluster
      (IL1B, IL1A, IL1RN, IL6), P2RX7, CASP1, OPG (TNFRSF11B), RANK (TNFRSF11A),
      Osteopontin (OPN), TNFalpha, the vitamin D receptor (TaqI), TNSALP and IRAK1 have
      been analyzed. The objective of the present review study was to compile and
      analyze the latest information about the genetic background predisposing to EARR
      during orthodontic treatment. Genetics-based studies along with other basic
      science research in the field might help to clarify the exact nature of EARR, the
      influence of genetic inheritance and possibly lead to the prevention or even
      eradication of this phenomenon during orthodontic treatment.

PMID- 28358273
TI  - New frontiers in the treatment of colorectal cancer: Autophagy and the unfolded
      protein response as promising targets.
AB  - Colorectal cancer (CRC), despite numerous therapeutic and screening attempts,
      still remains a major life-threatening malignancy. CRC etiology entails both
      genetic and environmental factors. Macroautophagy/autophagy and the unfolded
      protein response (UPR) are fundamental mechanisms involved in the regulation of
      cellular responses to environmental and genetic stresses. Both pathways are
      interconnected and regulate cellular responses to apoptotic stimuli. In this
      review, we address the epidemiology and risk factors of CRC, including genetic
      mutations leading to the occurrence of the disease. Next, we discuss mutations of
      genes related to autophagy and the UPR in CRC. Then, we discuss how autophagy and
      the UPR are involved in the regulation of CRC and how they associate with obesity
      and inflammatory responses in CRC. Finally, we provide perspectives for the
      modulation of autophagy and the UPR as new therapeutic options for CRC treatment.

PMID- 28358281
TI  - DNA methylation aberrancies as a guide for surveillance and treatment of human
      cancers.
AB  - DNA methylation aberrancies are hallmarks of human cancers and are characterized
      by global DNA hypomethylation of repetitive elements and non-CpG rich regions
      concomitant with locus-specific DNA hypermethylation. DNA methylation changes may
      result in altered gene expression profiles, most notably the silencing of tumor
      suppressors, microRNAs, endogenous retorviruses and tumor antigens due to
      promoter DNA hypermethylation, as well as oncogene upregulation due to gene-body
      DNA hypermethylation. Here, we review DNA methylation aberrancies in human
      cancers, their use in cancer surveillance and the interplay between DNA
      methylation and histone modifications in gene regulation. We also summarize DNA
      methylation inhibitors and their therapeutic effects in cancer treatment. In this
      context, we describe the integration of DNA methylation inhibitors with
      conventional chemotherapies, DNA repair inhibitors and immune-based therapies, to
      bring the epigenome closer to its normal state and increase sensitivity to other
      therapeutic agents to improve patient outcome and survival.

PMID- 28358286
TI  - Association of cytokines polymorphisms with chronic peridontitis and rheumatoid
      arthritis in a Mexican population.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: Historically, it has been shown that rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and
      periodontitis (PE) share pathophysiological similarities and possibly a genetic
      background. In order to elucidate the genetic background between both diseases,
      we evaluated the distributions of five SNPs genotypes and all the possible
      haplotypes composed in subjects with isolated RA, PE, combined diseases and
      healthy controls. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The study population consisted of 280
      Mexican subjects. Genomic DNA was isolated from buccal epithelial cells collected
      by cheek scrapings and analyzed for the determination of the following SNPs: IL
      1alpha + 4845 (rs17561), IL-1alpha -889 (rs1800587), IL-1beta + 3954 (rs1143634),
      IL-1beta -511(rs16944) and TNF-alpha -308 (rs1800629). RESULTS: After adjustment
      for age, sex and smoking status, multiple logistic regression analysis revealed a
      no significant association in the genotype frequencies of TNF-alpha -308 and IL
      1alpha + 4845 SNPs. Otherwise a significant association was observed in IL-1beta
      + 3954 and IL-1beta -511 (p < 0.05) while IL-1alpha -889 was of borderline
      statistical significance (p = 0.054). Also, we found three negative associated
      haplotypes with PE: IL-1alpha + 4845 G/IL-1beta -511 A, IL-1beta + 3954 C/IL
      1beta -511 A and interestingly IL-1alpha -889 C/IL-1beta -511 A also with a
      positive association with RA. CONCLUSIONS: Some genotypes and haplotypes are
      associated with the diseases. But it seems that the genetic background of the
      association between RA and PE needs to be explored deeper.

PMID- 28358287
TI  - Follow-up of children's oral health-related quality of life after dental general
      anaesthesia treatment.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: Our aim was to analyze longitudinally the impact of young children's
      dental general anaesthesia (DGA) treatment on their OHRQoL and to determine their
      post-operative oral health status at the six-month follow-up together with
      parental ratings of their children's oral health. MATERIAL AND METHODS: We
      conducted a prospective follow-up study of OHRQoL among Lithuanian child patients
      treated under general anaesthesia (n = 144). The study consisted of clinical
      dental examinations performed by two examiners at the time of DGA and at the six
      month recall, along with OHRQoL surveys and data collected from the patients'
      files. The dmft index and Silness-Loe plaque index served as clinical measures.
      The survey tool for assessing the children's OHRQoL was the previously tested
      Lithuanian version of the ECOHIS. The Wilcoxon signed-rank test served for the
      statistical analysis (p < 0.05). RESULTS: The ECOHIS scores clearly decreased
      post-operatively, indicating a significant (p < 0.001) improvement in the
      children's OHRQoL after the DGA treatment. The ECOHIS scores were lower
      immediately after the DGA treatment and remained low at the six-month recall.
      Parents rated their child's oral health as higher after the DGA treatment (p <
      0.001). The majority (75%) of the patients had poor or satisfactory oral hygiene
      at follow-up. CONCLUSIONS: This longitudinal study showed a sustained improvement
      in the children's OHRQoL six months after their DGA treatment. Post-operative
      parental ratings of their child's oral health were higher after the DGA
      treatment, but the children exhibited insufficient oral hygiene and new caries
      lesions. An appropriate follow-up system for children receiving DGA treatment
      with special focus on preventive care is needed.

PMID- 28358289
TI  - Effect of local hIL-10 gene therapy on experimental periodontitis in
      ovariectomized rats.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: To investigate the effect of local hIL-10 gene therapy on experimental
      periodontitis in rats and to elucidate the mechanism underlying this effect.
      MATERIAL AND METHODS: Experimental periodontitis was induced in ovariectomized
      (OVX) rats using a silk ligature. We then injected 5 MUg of hIL-10 plasmid with 5
      MUl of liposomes or 5 MUg of vector plasmid with 5 MUl of liposomes into the
      palatal side of the gingival mucosa of the upper left second molar once every two
      days. The rats were killed 48 hours after the seventh injection. The body weight;
      bone mineral density of the whole body, pelvis and spine; resorption of the
      alveolar bone; and number of cytokine-positive cells were measured to determine
      the effects of hIL-10 on the periodontal tissue. RESULTS: hIL-10 was expressed in
      periodontal tissues after local gene delivery. The expressed hIL-10 protein
      inhibited alveolar bone resorption and downregulated IL-1beta, IL-6, TNF-alpha,
      RANKL and MMP-8 in the periodontal ligament in the root furcation region.
      CONCLUSIONS: Local hIL-10 gene transfer suppressed alveolar bone resorption in
      OVX rats, and this effect was probably associated with the decline in the
      expression of pro-inflammatory cytokines in the periodontal tissues.

PMID- 28358288
TI  - Profile of orofacial dysfunction in Brazilian children using the Nordic Orofacial
      Test-Screening.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: The parameters of orofacial dysfunction (OFD) in children can guide
      clinicians and researchers in the monitoring of deviations from normality. The
      aim for this study was to evaluate manifestation patterns and the prevalence of
      OFD in children. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A population-based cross-sectional study
      was conducted involving 531 schoolchildren (8-10 years old) in a small city in
      southern Brazil. OFD was evaluated using the Nordic Orofacial Test-Screening (NOT
      S). Poisson multiple regression analysis with robust variance was used to
      estimate adjusted NOT-S rate ratios (ratio of arithmetic means) among the
      different categories of covariables and their respective 95% confidence interval
      (RR: 95%CI). RESULTS: The mean NOT-S score was 2.1 (SD 1.4, median: 2.0; range: 0
      8). The majority of children (87.6%) had at least one domain of the scale
      affected. The most affected were Chewing and Swallowing (50.5%), Habits (41.4%)
      and Breathing (26.4%). NOT-S scores were lower among children from higher income
      families (RR = 0.73; 95% CI: 0.61-0.87) and higher among those with difficulty
      regarding access to dental services (RR = 1.14; 95% CI: 1.01-1.28), those with
      sleep bruxism (RR = 1.18; 95% CI: 1.04-1.32) and those with open bite (RR = 1.65;
      95% CI: 1.42-1.93). CONCLUSIONS: The prevalence of OFD was high and both
      socioeconomic and clinical factors exerted an influence on NOT-S scores.

PMID- 28358290
TI  - Adsorption of selected emerging contaminants onto PAC and GAC: Equilibrium
      isotherms, kinetics, and effect of the water matrix.
AB  - The removal of three emerging contaminants (ECs) (amitriptyline hydrochloride
      (AH), methyl salicylate (MS) and 2-phenoxyethanol (PE)) dissolved in several
      water matrices by means of their adsorption onto powdered activated carbon (PAC)
      and granular activated carbon (GAC) has been investigated. When dissolved in
      ultrapure water, adsorption of the ECs followed the trend of AH > MS > PE, with a
      positive effect of the adsorbent dose. According to the analysis of the
      adsorption isotherms and adsorption kinetics, PAC showed strongly higher
      adsorption efficiency in both capacity and velocity of the adsorption, in
      agreement with its higher mesoporosity. Equilibrium isotherm data were fitted by
      Langmuir and Freundlich models. Pseudo-second order kinetics modeled very
      successfully the adsorption process. Finally, the effect of the presence of
      dissolved organic matter (DOM) in the water matrices (ultrapure water, surface
      water and two effluents from wastewater treatment plants) on the adsorption of
      the selected ECs onto PAC was established, as well as its performance on the
      removal of water quality parameters. Results show a negative effect of the DOM
      content on the adsorption efficiency. Over 50% of organic matter was removed with
      high PAC doses, revealing that adsorption onto PAC is an effective technology to
      remove both micro-pollutants and DOM from water matrices.

PMID- 28358291
TI  - Feasibility and utility of an integrated medical imaging and informatics
      smartphone system for management of acute stroke.
AB  - Background Rapid dissemination and coordination of clinical and imaging data
      among multidisciplinary team members are essential for optimal acute stroke care.
      Aim To characterize the feasibility and utility of the Synapse Emergency Room
      mobile (Synapse ERm) informatics system. Methods We implemented the Synapse ERm
      system for integration of clinical data, computerized tomography, magnetic
      resonance, and catheter angiographic imaging, and real-time stroke team
      communications, in consecutive acute neurovascular patients at a Comprehensive
      Stroke Center. Results From May 2014 to October 2014, the Synapse ERm application
      was used by 33 stroke team members in 84 Code Stroke alerts. Patient age was 69.6
      (+/-17.1), with 41.5% female. Final diagnosis was: ischemic stroke 64.6%,
      transient ischemic attack 7.3%, intracerebral hemorrhage 6.1%, and
      cerebrovascular-mimic 22.0%. Each patient Synapse ERm record was viewed by a
      median of 10 (interquartile range 6-18) times by a median of 3 (interquartile
      range 2-4) team members. The most used feature was computerized tomography,
      magnetic resonance, and catheter angiography image display. In-app tweet team,
      communications were sent by median 1 (interquartile range 0-1, range 0-13) users
      per case and viewed by median 1 (interquartile range 0-3, range 0-44) team
      members. Use of the system was associated with rapid treatment times, faster than
      national guidelines, including median door-to-needle 51.0 min (interquartile
      range 40.5-69.5) and median door-to-groin 94.5 min (interquartile range 85.5
      121.3). In user surveys, the mobile information platform was judged easy to
      employ in 91% (95% confidence interval 65%-99%) of uses and of added help in
      stroke management in 50% (95% confidence interval 22%-78%). Conclusion The
      Synapse ERm mobile platform for stroke team distribution and integration of
      clinical and imaging data was feasible to implement, showed high ease of use, and
      moderate perceived added utility in therapeutic management.

PMID- 28358292
TI  - Pulmonary exposure to metallic nanomaterials during pregnancy irreversibly
      impairs lung development of the offspring.
AB  - Due to the growing commercial applications of manufactured nanoparticles (NPs),
      toxicological studies on NPs, especially during the critical window of
      development, are of major importance. The aim of the study was to assess the
      impact of respiratory exposure to metallic and metal oxide NPs during pregnancy
      on lung development of the offspring and to determine the key parameters involved
      in lung alterations. Pregnant mice were exposed to weekly doses of 100 MUg (total
      dose 300 MUg) of titanium dioxide (TiO2), cerium oxide (CeO2), silver (Ag) NPs or
      saline solution by nonsurgical intratracheal instillation. The offspring lungs
      were analyzed at different stages of lung development: fetal stage (gestational
      day 17.5), pulmonary alveolarization (post-delivery day 14.5) and lung maturity
      (post-delivery day 49.5). Regardless of the type of NP, maternal exposure during
      gestation induced long-lasting impairment of lung development of the offspring.
      This effect was accompanied by: i) decreased placental efficiency together with
      the presence of NPs in placenta, ii) no increase of inflammatory mediators
      present in amniotic fluid, placenta or offspring lungs and iii) decreased
      pulmonary expression of vascular endothelial growth factor-alpha (VEGF-alpha) and
      matrix metalloproteinase 9 (MMP-9) at the fetal stage, and fibroblast growth
      factor-18 (FGF-18) at the alveolarization stage. Respiratory exposure to metallic
      NPs during pregnancy induces stereotyped impairment of lung development with a
      lasting effect in adult mice, independently of the chemical nature of the NP.

PMID- 28358293
TI  - OLDER AND YOUNGER ADULTS' STRATEGIC CONTROL OF METACOGNITIVE MONITORING: THE ROLE
      OF CONSEQUENCES, TASK EXPERIENCE, AND PRIOR KNOWLEDGE.
AB  - : Background/Study Context: Although explicit memory abilities decline during
      older adulthood, there is evidence that suggests that metacognitive capabilities
      are relatively well preserved. However, it is unclear what effect aging,
      consequences of forgetting, prior knowledge, and task experience have on the
      strategic control and use of one's metacognitive capabilities. METHODS: In the
      current study, older and younger adults were presented with six unique lists of
      words (Experiment 1), related and unrelated word pairs (Experiment 2), or items
      within specific scenarios (e.g., items to bring on a picnic; Experiment 3). For
      each item, participants assigned it a point value (from 0 to 10) that was akin to
      "betting" on the likelihood the item would be remembered. If the item was
      recalled (free recall in Experiments 1 and 3, cued recall in Experiment 2),
      participants received the points they had assigned to it, but if the item was
      forgotten they lost those points. Participants were told to maximize their point
      score and were told their score at the end of each list. RESULTS: Although
      younger adults remembered more words in Experiment 1, older and younger adults
      were equally able to remember items assigned higher values, and accuracy of
      predictions and point scores increased with task experience. In Experiments 2 and
      3, when participants were able to rely on semantic knowledge, age-related
      differences in memory performance were eliminated. CONCLUSION: The results
      suggest that both younger and older adults achieve accurate metacognitive insight
      and are able to use this knowledge strategically in order to maximize goal
      related memory outcomes and performance.

PMID- 28358294
TI  - Online Modulation of Selective Attention is not Impaired in Healthy Aging.
AB  - : Background/Study Context: Reduced processing speed pervades a great many
      aspects of human aging and cognition. However, little is known about one aspect
      of cognitive aging in which speed is of the essence, namely, the speed with which
      older adults can deploy attention in response to a cue. METHODS: The authors
      compared rapid temporal modulation of cued visual attention in younger (Mage =
      22.3 years) and older (Mage = 68.9 years) adults. On each trial of a short-term
      memory task, a cue identified which of two briefly presented stimuli was task
      relevant and which one should be ignored. After a short delay, subjects
      demonstrated recall by reproducing from memory the task-relevant stimulus. This
      produced estimates of (i) accuracy with which the task-relevant stimulus was
      recalled, (ii) the influence of stimuli encountered on previous trials (a
      prototype effect), and (iii) the influence of the trial's task-irrelevant
      stimulus. RESULTS: For both groups, errors in recall were considerably smaller
      when selective attention was cued before rather than after presentation of the
      stimuli. Both groups showed serial position effects to the same degree, and both
      seemed equally adept at exploiting the stimuli encountered on previous trials as
      a means of supplementing recall accuracy on the current trial. CONCLUSION:
      Younger and older subjects may not differ reliably in capacity for cue-directed
      temporal modulation of selective attention, or in ability to draw on previously
      seen stimuli as memory support.

PMID- 28358295
TI  - Body Adiposity Index, but not Visceral Adiposity Index, Correlates with
      Inflammatory Markers in Sarcopenic Obese Elderly Women.
AB  - : Background/Study Context: The association of body adiposity index (BAI) and
      visceral adiposity index (VAI) with inflammatory markers has yet to be
      understood. The aim of this work was to investigate the association of BAI and
      VAI with inflammatory markers in elderly women with sarcopenic obesity (SO).
      METHODS: A total of 130 women (age: 66.7 +/- 5.2 years) underwent body
      composition analysis by dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry (DEXA). Volunteers were
      classified according to SO definition. BAI, VAI, and waist-to-hip ratio (WHR)
      were calculated. Blood samples were collected for C-reactive protein (CRP), tumor
      necrosis factor, and interleukin-6 (IL-6) measurements. RESULTS: SO prevalence
      was 20.8%. BAI correlated with the DEXA-derived body fat content (rS = .90), CRP
      (rS = .55), and IL-6 (rS = .53), whereas WHR correlated with CRP (rS = .60) only
      (all p < .01). VAI did not correlate with any of the inflammatory variables.
      CONCLUSION: Simple and cheap anthropometric indices such as BAI and WHR may be
      better predictors of low-grade inflammation than VAI in elderly women with SO.

PMID- 28358296
TI  - Identifying Frailty and its Outcomes in Older People in Rural Tanzania.
AB  - : Background/Study Context: Interest in frailty is growing in low- and middle
      income countries, due to demographic aging and resource limitations. However,
      there is a paucity of data on the nature of frailty in Africa. METHODS: The study
      collected frailty data from people aged 70 years and over living in six villages
      in the rural Hai District of northern Tanzania. At baseline, a limited data set
      was collected for 1198 people and a more comprehensive data set for a stratified
      sample of 296 people. A 40-item frailty index was constructed. Data regarding
      mortality and dependency were collected at 3-year follow-up. RESULTS: A higher
      frailty index score was significantly correlated with greater age, never having
      attended school, falls, mortality, and dependency in activities of daily living.
      Logistic regression modeling revealed functional disability and cognitive
      function to be significant independent predictors of the outcome "mortality or
      dependency." CONCLUSIONS: In resource-poor settings, brief frailty screening
      assessments may be a useful way of identifying those most in need of support.

PMID- 28358297
TI  - SPATIAL UPDATING OF HAPTIC ARRAYS ACROSS THE LIFE SPAN.
AB  - : Background/Study Context: Aging research addressing spatial learning,
      representation, and action is almost exclusively based on vision as the input
      source. Much less is known about how spatial abilities from nonvisual inputs,
      particularly from haptic information, may change during life-span spatial
      development. This research studied whether learning and updating of haptic target
      configurations differs as a function of age. METHODS: Three groups of
      participants, ranging from 20 to 80 years old, felt four-target table-top
      circular arrays and then performed several tasks to assess life-span haptic
      spatial cognition. Measures evaluated included egocentric pointing, allocentric
      pointing, and array reconstruction after physical or imagined spatial updating.
      RESULTS: All measures revealed reliable differences between the oldest and
      youngest participant groups. The age effect for egocentric pointing contrasts
      with previous findings showing preserved egocentric spatial abilities. Error
      performance on allocentric pointing and map reconstruction tasks showing a clear
      age effect, with the oldest participants exhibiting the greatest error, is in
      line with other studies in the visual domain. Postupdating performance sharply
      declined with age but did not reliably differ between physical and imagined
      updating. CONCLUSION: Results suggest that there is a general trend for age
      related degradation of spatial abilities after haptic learning, with the greatest
      declines manifesting in all measures in people over 60 years of age. Results are
      interpreted in terms of a spatial aging effect on mental transformations of three
      dimensional representations of space in working memory.

PMID- 28358298
TI  - Confidence Moderates the Role of Control Beliefs in the Context of Age-Related
      Changes in Misinformation Susceptibility.
AB  - : Background/Study Context: The present experiment investigated the role of
      confidence and control beliefs in susceptibility to the misinformation effect in
      young and older adults. Control beliefs are perceptions about one's abilities or
      competence and the extent to which one can influence performance outcomes. It was
      predicted that level of control beliefs would influence misinformation
      susceptibility and overall memory confidence. METHODS: Fifty university students
      (ages 18-26) and 37 community-dwelling older adults (ages 62-86) were tested.
      Participants viewed a video, answered questions containing misinformation, and
      then completed a source-recognition test to determine whether the information
      presented was seen in the video, the questionnaire only, both, or neither. For
      each response, participants indicated their level of confidence. RESULTS: The
      relationship between control beliefs and memory performance was moderated by
      confidence. That is, individuals with lower control beliefs made more errors as
      confidence decreased. Additionally, the relationship between confidence and
      memory performance differed by age, with greater confidence related to more
      errors for young adults. CONCLUSION: Confidence is an important factor in how
      control beliefs and age are related to memory errors in the misinformation
      effect. This may have implications for the legal system, particularly with
      eyewitness testimony. The confidence of an individual should be considered if the
      eyewitness is a younger adult.

PMID- 28358299
TI  - Feeding schemes and C/N ratio of a laboratory-scale step-fed sequencing batch
      reactor for liquid swine manure treatment.
AB  - This study was undertaken to investigate the effect of two split feeding schemes
      (600 mL/200 mL and 400 mL/400 mL, designated as FS1 and FS2, respectively) on the
      performance of a step-fed sequencing batch reactor (SBR) in treating liquid swine
      manure for nutrient removal. The SBR was run on an 8-h cycle with a repeated
      pattern of anaerobic/anoxic/aerobic phases in each cycle and the two feedings
      always occurred at the beginning of each anaerobic phase. A low-level aeration
      was used (1.0 L/m3.sec) for the anoxic/aerobic phase to facilitate nitrification
      and phosphorus uptake while reducing the energy consumption. The results showed
      that FS1 reduced NH4+-N by 98.7% and FS2 by 98.3%. FS1 had 12.3 mg/L NO3-N left
      in the effluent, while FS2 had 4.51 mg/L. For soluble phosphorus removal, FS1
      achieved 95.2%, while FS2 reached only 68.5%. Both feeding schemes achieved >=
      95% removal of COD. A good power regression was observed between total nitrogen
      (sum of all three nitrogen species) and the carbon to nitrogen (C/N) ratio, with
      the correlation coefficients of 0.9729 and 0.9542 for FS1 and FS2, respectively,
      based on which it was concluded that higher C/N ratios were required to achieve
      higher nitrogen removal efficiencies.

PMID- 28358300
TI  - Localizing order to boost signaling.
AB  - B-cell receptors form ordered clusters to recruit kinases and exclude
      phosphatases.

PMID- 28358302
TI  - Dual-channel extraordinary ultraviolet transmission through an aluminum nanohole
      array.
AB  - Ultraviolet (UV) surface plasmon (SP) has distinct applications in UV filters,
      high-density optical storage, spectral enhancement, optical detectors, and
      nanolithography, which are closely related to plasmon-induced extraordinary
      optical transmission (EOT). However, such EOT in the UV region has not been the
      subject of detailed research. We report UV transmission based on theoretical
      research using the finite-difference time-domain method, by modulating the Al
      thickness, hole size, array periodicity, and SiO2 overlayer thickness. It is
      notable that we can obtain dual-channel UV transmission peaks with excellent
      qualities such as high transmissivity, zero cross-talk, narrow bandwidth, and
      perfect symmetry, by optimizing the parameters. The UV transmission peaks have
      been discovered to non-monotonously shift with increasing hole size. Although
      array periodicity has great influence on the transmission peak position, the peak
      energy in the UV region is much less than the value predicted by the well-known
      periodicity-related surface plasmon polariton (SPP) wavelength equation; the
      energy discrepancy in the UV region can reach above 20%, which is much larger
      than the value (typically 4%) in the visible-infrared region. Furthermore, the
      SiO2 overlayer may significantly modify the transmission properties. The Al
      nanohole arrays have also been found to exhibit distinct multi-band UV electric
      field enhancement properties with special interface effect and size effect. Such
      extraordinary dual-channel UV transmission with zero cross-talk, based on a very
      simple Al nanohole array, has promising application in dual-channel UV filters,
      high-density optical storage, and plasmon-enhanced fluorescence/Raman
      spectroscopy, which generally involves two wavebands (writing/reading storage or
      exciting/emission wavelengths). This study is expected to broaden our fundamental
      understanding of the UV EOT phenomenon, and provide references for experimental
      research and application of deep-UV and near-UV-related dual-band plasmonic
      devices.

PMID- 28358301
TI  - The impact of pseudophakia on vision-related quality of life in the general
      population - The Gutenberg Health Study.
AB  - Cataract surgery is the most frequently performed surgical procedure worldwide.
      We aim to determine the prevalence of having implanted an artificial lens
      (pseudophakia) and of no lens (aphakia) and to compare visual function.As part of
      the Gutenberg Health study, a population-based cross-sectional study was
      conducted in Germany. An ophthalmological examination including slit-lamp
      examination was conducted. Prevalence including 95% confidential intervals were
      calculated and analyses were conducted for systemic and ocular associated factors
      with pseudophakia using multivariable logistic regression models. Vision-related
      quality of life was assessed using a standardized questionnaire and Rasch
      transformation.14,696 people were included. Of these, 1.55% [1.36%-1.77%] had
      unilateral pseudophakia and 3.08% [2.81%-3.37%] had bilateral pseudophakia.
      Unilateral aphakia was present in 21 people and bilateral aphakia in 2 people.
      Pseudophakia was independently associated with age, higher body weight and lower
      body height, diabetes and smoking. Vision-related quality of life values were
      similar for those with bilateral phakia and pseudophakia but were lower for those
      with unilateral pseudophakia.The pseudophakia status is related to several
      cardiovascular risk factors, indicating a relationship to an aging effect that
      causes premature lens opacification. Bilateral pseudophakia can almost imitate
      the physiological condition of phakia except for the need to use glasses.

PMID- 28358305
TI  - Electrochemical Field-Effect Transistor Utilization to Study the Coupling Success
      Rate of Photosynthetic Protein Complexes to Cytochrome c.
AB  - Due to the high internal quantum efficiency, reaction center (RC) proteins from
      photosynthetic organisms have been studied in various bio-photoelectrochemical
      devices for solar energy harvesting. In vivo, RC and cytochrome c (cyt c; a
      component of the biological electron transport chain) can form a cocomplex via
      interprotein docking. This mechanism can be used in vitro for efficient electron
      transfer from an electrode to the RC in a bio-photoelectrochemical device. Hence,
      the success rate in coupling RCs to cyt c is of great importance for practical
      applications in the future. In this work, we use an electrochemical transistor to
      study the binding of the RC to cytochrome. The shift in the transistor threshold
      voltage was measured in the dark and under illumination to estimate the density
      of cytochrome and coupled RCs on the gate of the transistor. The results show
      that ~33% of the cyt cs on the transistor gate were able to effectively couple
      with RCs. Due to the high sensitivity of the transistor, the approach can be used
      to make photosensors for detecting low light intensities.

PMID- 28358303
TI  - A Novel Bio-Psychosocial-Behavioral Treatment Model in Schizophrenia.
AB  - Despite the substantial burden of illness in schizophrenia, there has been a
      discrepancy between the beneficial effects of an increased use of antipsychotic
      medications and achieving limited recovery or remission. Because the focus of the
      most common antipsychotic medications is on dopamine, which is associated with
      positive symptoms, there is an unmet need for patients with negative symptoms.
      Since cognitive and negative symptoms rather than positive symptoms are more
      closely associated with psychosocial impairments in patients with schizophrenia,
      the non-dopaminergic systems including glutamate and gamma-aminobutyric acid
      (GABA) of the prefrontal cortex should be of concern as well. The balance of
      excitation and inhibition has been associated with epigenetic modifications and
      thus can be analyzed in terms of a neurodevelopmental and neural circuitry
      perspective. Hence, a novel bio-psychosocial-behavioral model for the treatment
      of schizophrenia is needed to account for the non-dopaminergic systems involved
      in schizophrenia, rather than dopaminergic mechanisms. This model can be
      understood from the viewpoint of neurodevelopment and neural circuitry and should
      include the staging care, personalized care, preventive care, reducing the
      cognitive deficits, and reducing stigma. Thomas R. Insel proposed this as a goal
      for schizophrenia treatment to be achieved by 2030.

PMID- 28358304
TI  - Characteristic Variations and Similarities in Biochemical, Molecular, and
      Functional Properties of Glyoxalases across Prokaryotes and Eukaryotes.
AB  - The glyoxalase system is the ubiquitous pathway for the detoxification of
      methylglyoxal (MG) in the biological systems. It comprises two enzymes,
      glyoxalase I (GLYI) and glyoxalase II (GLYII), which act sequentially to convert
      MG into d-lactate, thereby helping living systems get rid of this otherwise
      cytotoxic byproduct of metabolism. In addition, a glutathione-independent GLYIII
      enzyme activity also exists in the biological systems that can directly convert
      MG to d-lactate. Humans and Escherichia coli possess a single copy of GLYI
      (encoding either the Ni- or Zn-dependent form) and GLYII genes, which through MG
      detoxification provide protection against various pathological and disease
      conditions. By contrast, the plant genome possesses multiple GLYI and GLYII genes
      with a role in abiotic stress tolerance. Plants possess both Ni2+- and Zn2+
      dependent forms of GLYI, and studies on plant glyoxalases reveal the various
      unique features of these enzymes distinguishing them from prokaryotic and other
      eukaryotic glyoxalases. Through this review, we provide an overview of the plant
      glyoxalase family along with a comparative analysis of glyoxalases across various
      species, highlighting similarities as well as differences in the biochemical,
      molecular, and physiological properties of these enzymes. We believe that the
      evolution of multiple glyoxalases isoforms in plants is an important component of
      their robust defense strategies.

PMID- 28358306
TI  - Effect of the Biofilm Age and Starvation on Acid Tolerance of Biofilm Formed by
      Streptococcus mutans Isolated from Caries-Active and Caries-Free Adults.
AB  - Streptococcus mutans (S. mutans) is considered a leading cause of dental caries.
      The capability of S. mutans to tolerate low pH is essential for its
      cariogenicity. Aciduricity of S. mutans is linked to its adaptation to
      environmental stress in oral cavity. This study aimed to investigate the effect
      of biofilm age and starvation condition on acid tolerance of biofilm formed by S.
      mutans clinical isolates. S. mutans clinical strains isolated from caries-active
      (SM593) and caries-free (SM18) adults and a reference strain (ATCC25175) were
      used for biofilm formation. (1) Both young and mature biofilms were formed and
      then exposed to pH 3.0 for 30 min with (acid-adapted group) or without (non
      adapted group) pre-exposure to pH 5.5 for three hours. (2) The mature biofilms
      were cultured with phosphate-buffered saline (PBS) (starved group) or TPY
      (polypeptone-yeast extract) medium (non-starved group) at pH 7.0 for 24 h and
      then immersed in medium of pH 3.0 for 30 min. Biofilms were analyzed through
      viability staining and confocal laser scanning microscopy. In all three strains,
      mature, acid-adapted and starved biofilms showed significantly less destructive
      structure and more viable bacteria after acid shock than young, non-adapted and
      non-starved biofilms, respectively (all p < 0.05). Furthermore, in each
      condition, SM593 biofilm was denser, with a significantly larger number of viable
      bacteria than that of SM18 and ATCC25175 (all p < 0.05). Findings demonstrated
      that mature, acid-adapted and starvation might protect biofilms of all three S.
      mutans strains against acid shock. Additionally, SM593 exhibited greater
      aciduricity compared to SM18 and ATCC25175, which indicated that the colonization
      of high cariogenicity of clinical strains may lead to high caries risk in
      individuals.

PMID- 28358308
TI  - The Role of Molecular Modeling in TiO2 Photocatalysis.
AB  - Molecular Modeling methods play a very important role in TiO2 photocatalysis.
      Recent advances in TiO2 photocatalysis have produced a number of interesting
      surface phenomena, reaction products, and various novel visible light active
      photocatalysts with improved properties. Quantum mechanical calculations appear
      promising as a means of describing the mechanisms and the product distributions
      of the photocatalytic degradation reactions of organic pollutants in both gas and
      aqueous phases. Since quantum mechanical methods utilize the principles of
      particle physics, their use may be extended to the design of new photocatalysts.
      This review introduces molecular modeling methods briefly and emphasizes the use
      of these methods in TiO2 photocatalysis. The methods used for obtaining
      information about the degradabilities of the pollutant molecules, predicting
      reaction mechanisms, and evaluating the roles of the dopants and surface
      modifiers are explained.

PMID- 28358307
TI  - Marine Collagen Peptides from the Skin of Nile Tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus):
      Characterization and Wound Healing Evaluation.
AB  - Burns can cause tremendous economic problems associated with irreparable harm to
      patients and their families. To characterize marine collagen peptides (MCPs) from
      the skin of Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus), molecular weight distribution
      and amino acid composition of MCPs were determined, and Fourier transform
      infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) was used to analyze the chemical structure.
      Meanwhile, to evaluate the wound healing activity, in vitro and in vivo
      experiments were carried out. The results showed that MCPs prepared from the skin
      of Nile tilapia by composite enzymatic hydrolysis were composed of polypeptides
      with different molecular weights and the contents of polypeptides with molecular
      weights of less than 5 kDa accounted for 99.14%. From the amino acid composition,
      the majority of residues, accounting for over 58% of the total residues in MCPs,
      were hydrophilic. FTIR indicated that the main molecular conformations inside
      MCPs were random coil. In vitro scratch assay showed that there were significant
      effects on the scratch closure by the treatment of MCPs with the concentration of
      50.0 MUg/mL. In the experiments of deep partial-thickness scald wound in rabbits,
      MCPs could enhance the process of wound healing. Therefore, MCPs from the skin of
      Nile tilapia (O. niloticus) have promising applications in wound care.

PMID- 28358310
TI  - Intestinal Transport Characteristics and Metabolism of C-Glucosyl
      Dihydrochalcone, Aspalathin.
AB  - Insight into the mechanisms of intestinal transport and metabolism of aspalathin
      will provide important information for dose optimisation, in particular for
      studies using mouse models. Aspalathin transportation across the intestinal
      barrier (Caco-2 monolayer) tested at 1-150 uM had an apparent rate of
      permeability (Papp) typical of poorly absorbed compounds (1.73 * 10-6 cm/s).
      Major glucose transporters, sodium glucose linked transporter 1 (SGLT1) and
      glucose transporter 2 (GLUT2), and efflux protein (P-glycoprotein, PgP) (1.84 *
      10-6 cm/s; efflux ratio: 1.1) were excluded as primary transporters, since the
      Papp of aspalathin was not affected by the presence of specific inhibitors. The
      Papp of aspalathin was also not affected by constituents of aspalathin-enriched
      rooibos extracts, but was affected by high glucose concentration (20.5 mM), which
      decreased the Papp value to 2.9 * 10-7 cm/s. Aspalathin metabolites (sulphated,
      glucuronidated and methylated) were found in mouse urine, but not in blood,
      following an oral dose of 50 mg/kg body weight of the pure compound. Sulphates
      were the predominant metabolites. These findings suggest that aspalathin is
      absorbed and metabolised in mice to mostly sulphate conjugates detected in urine.
      Mechanistically, we showed that aspalathin is not actively transported by the
      glucose transporters, but presumably passes the monolayer paracellularly.

PMID- 28358309
TI  - Zerumbone Alleviates Neuropathic Pain through the Involvement of l-Arginine
      Nitric Oxide-cGMP-K+ ATP Channel Pathways in Chronic Constriction Injury in Mice
      Model.
AB  - The present study investigates the involvement of the l-arginine-Nitric Oxide
      cGMP-K+ ATP pathways responsible for the action of anti-allodynic and
      antihyperalgesic activities of zerumbone in chronic constriction injury (CCI)
      induced neuropathic pain in mice. The role of l-arginine-NO-cGMP-K+ was assessed
      by the von Frey and the Randall-Selitto tests. Both allodynia and hyperalgesia
      assessments were carried out on the 14th day post CCI, 30 min after treatments
      were given for each respective pathway. Anti-allodynic and antihyperalgesic
      effects of zerumbone (10 mg/kg, i.p) were significantly reversed by the pre
      treatment of l-arginine (10 mg/kg), 1H [1,2,4]Oxadiazole[4,3a]quinoxalin-1-one
      (ODQ), a soluble guanosyl cyclase blocker (2 mg/kg i.p.) and glibenclamide (ATP
      sensitive potassium channel blocker) (10 mg/kg i.p.) (p < 0.05). Taken together,
      these results indicate that systemic administration of zerumbone produces
      significant anti-allodynic and antihyperalgesic activities in neuropathic pain in
      mice possibly due to involvement of the l-arginine-NO-cGMP-PKG-K+ ATP channel
      pathways in CCI model.

PMID- 28358312
TI  - Chemical Synthesis and Characterization of an Equinatoxin II(1-85) Analogue.
AB  - The chemical synthesis of an 85 residue analogue of the pore-forming protein,
      Equinatoxin II (EqtII), was achieved. Peptide precursors with over 40 residues
      were assembled by solid phase synthesis. The EqtII(1-46) fragment was modified to
      the reactive C-terminal thioester and native chemical ligation was performed with
      the A47C mutated EqtII(47-85) peptide to form the EqtII(1-85) analogue. Circular
      dichroism spectroscopy indicated that the N-terminal domain of EqtII(1-46) and
      EqtII(1-85) maintains predominantly an alpha-helical structure in solution and
      also in the presence of lipid micelles. This demonstrates the feasibility of
      assembling the full 179 residue protein EqtII via chemical means. Site-specific
      isotopic labels could be incorporated for structural studies in membranes by
      solid-state NMR spectroscopy.

PMID- 28358311
TI  - Targeting TNF and TNF Receptor Pathway in HIV-1 Infection: from Immune Activation
      to Viral Reservoirs.
AB  - Several cellular functions such as apoptosis, cellular proliferation,
      inflammation, and immune regulation involve the tumor necrosis factor-alpha
      (TNF)/TNF receptor (TNFR) pathway. Human immunodeficiency virus 1 (HIV-1)
      interacts with the TNF/TNFR pathway. The activation of the TNF/TNFR pathway
      impacts HIV-1 replication, and the TNF/TNFR pathway is the target of HIV-1
      proteins. A hallmark of HIV-1 infection is immune activation and inflammation
      with increased levels of TNF in the plasma and the tissues. Therefore, the
      control of the TNF/TNFR pathway by new therapeutic approaches could participate
      in the control of immune activation and impact both viral replication and viral
      persistence. In this review, we will describe the intricate interplay between HIV
      1 proteins and TNF/TNFR signaling and how TNF/TNFR activation modulates HIV-1
      replication and discuss new therapeutic approaches, especially anti-TNF therapy,
      that could control this pathway and ultimately favor the clearance of infected
      cells to cure HIV-infected patients.

PMID- 28358313
TI  - Identification of Novel A2/C2 Inter-Genotype Recombinants of Hepatitis B Virus
      from a Korean Chronic Patient Co-Infected with Both Genotype A2 and C2.
AB  - Nearly all cases of Hepatitis B virus (HBV) infections in South Korea have the C2
      genotype. Here, we have identified a chronically infected patient who was co
      infected with HBV of both the A2 and C2 genotypes by screening 135 Korean
      chronically infected patients using direct sequencing protocols targeting the
      1032-bp polymerase reverse transcriptase (RT) region. Further polymerase chain
      reaction (PCR)-cloning analysis (22 clones) of the RT showed that this patient
      had genotype C2 (12 clones), genotype A2 (six clones) and A2/C2 inter-genotype
      HBV recombinants (four clones). BootScan analysis showed that three of the four
      recombinants have different types of recombination breakpoints in both the RT and
      overlapping hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) region. Given the significance of
      HBsAg as a diagnostic or vaccination target against HBV infection, clinical
      implications of these identified recombinants should be studied in the future. To
      our knowledge, this is the first report on A2/C2 inter-genotype HBV recombinants.

PMID- 28358314
TI  - Oxidative Stress-Induced Afterdepolarizations and Protein Kinase C Signaling.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Hydrogen peroxide (H2O2)-induced oxidative stress has been
      demonstrated to induce afterdepolarizations and triggered activities in isolated
      myocytes, but the underlying mechanisms remain not fully understood. We aimed to
      explore whether protein kinase C (PKC) activation plays an important role in
      oxidative stress-induced afterdepolarizations. METHODS: Action potentials and ion
      currents of isolated rabbit cardiomyocytes were recorded using the patch clamp
      technique. H2O2 (1 mM) was perfused to induce oxidative stress and the specific
      classical PKC inhibitor, Go 6983 (1 MUM), was applied to test the involvement of
      PKC. RESULTS: H2O2 perfusion prolonged the action potential duration and induced
      afterdepolarizations. Pretreatment with Go 6983 prevented the emergence of H2O2
      induced afterdepolarizations. Additional application of Go 6983 with H2O2
      effectively suppressed H2O2-induced afterdepolarizations. H2O2 increased the late
      sodium current (INa,L) (n = 7, p < 0.01) and the L-type calcium current (ICa,L)
      (n = 5, p < 0.01), which were significantly reversed by Go 6983 (p < 0.01). H2O2
      also increased the transient outward potassium current (Ito) (n = 6, p < 0.05).
      However, Go 6983 showed little effect on H2O2-induced enhancement of Ito.
      CONCLUSIONS: H2O2 induced afterdepolarizations via the activation of PKC and the
      enhancement of ICa,L and INa,L. These results provide evidence of a link between
      oxidative stress, PKC activation and afterdepolarizations.

PMID- 28358315
TI  - Sample Preparation Strategies for the Effective Quantitation of Hydrophilic
      Metabolites in Serum by Multi-Targeted HILIC-MS/MS.
AB  - The effect of endogenous interferences of serum in multi-targeted metabolite
      profiling HILIC-MS/MS analysis was investigated by studying different sample
      preparation procedures. A modified QuEChERS dispersive SPE protocol, a HybridSPE
      protocol, and a combination of liquid extraction with protein precipitation were
      compared to a simple protein precipitation. Evaluation of extraction efficiency
      and sample clean-up was performed for all methods. SPE sorbent materials tested
      were found to retain hydrophilic analytes together with endogenous interferences,
      thus additional elution steps were needed. Liquid extraction was not shown to
      minimise matrix effects. In general, it was observed that a balance should be
      reached in terms of recovery, efficient clean-up, and sample treatment time when
      a wide range of metabolites are analysed. A quick step for removing phospholipids
      prior to the determination of hydrophilic endogenous metabolites is required,
      however, based on the results from the applied methods, further studies are
      needed to achieve high recoveries for all metabolites.

PMID- 28358319
TI  - Effective Subcritical Butane Extraction of Bifenthrin Residue in Black Tea.
AB  - As a natural and healthy beverage, tea is widely enjoyed; however, the pesticide
      residues in tea leaves affect the quality and food safety. To develop a highly
      selective and efficient method for the facile removal of pesticide residues, the
      subcritical butane extraction (SBE) technique was employed, and three variables
      involving temperature, time and extraction cycles were studied. The optimum SBE
      conditions were found to be as follows: extraction temperature 45  degrees C,
      extraction time 30 min, number of extraction cycles 1, and in such a condition
      that the extraction efficiency reached as high as 92%. Further, the catechins,
      theanine, caffeine and aroma components, which determine the quality of the tea,
      fluctuated after SBE treatment. Compared with the uncrushed leaves, pesticide
      residues can more easily be removed from crushed leaves, and the practical
      extraction efficiency was 97%. These results indicate that SBE is a useful method
      to efficiently remove the bifenthrin, and as appearance is not relevant in the
      production process, tea leaves should first be crushed and then extracted in
      order that residual pesticides are thoroughly removed.

PMID- 28358318
TI  - Simultaneous Detection of Both RNA and DNA Viruses Infecting Dry Bean and
      Occurrence of Mixed Infections by BGYMV, BCMV and BCMNV in the Central-West
      Region of Mexico.
AB  - A multiplex reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) assay was
      developed to simultaneously detect bean common mosaic virus (BCMV), bean common
      mosaic necrotic virus (BCMNV), and bean golden yellow mosaic virus (BGYMV) from
      common bean leaves dried with silica gel using a single total nucleic acid
      extraction cetyl trimethyl ammonium bromide (CTAB) method. A mixture of five
      specific primers was used to amplify three distinct fragments corresponding to
      272 bp from the AC1 gene of BGYMV as well as 469 bp and 746 bp from the CP gene
      of BCMV and BCMNV, respectively. The three viruses were detected in a single
      plant or in a bulk of five plants. The multiplex RT-PCR was successfully applied
      to detect these three viruses from 187 field samples collected from 23
      municipalities from the states of Guanajuato, Nayarit and Jalisco, Mexico. Rates
      of single infections were 14/187 (7.5%), 41/187 (21.9%), and 35/187 (18.7%), for
      BGYMV, BCMV, and BCMNV, respectively; 29/187 (15.5%) samples were co-infected
      with two of these viruses and 10/187 (5.3%) with the three viruses. This
      multiplex RT-PCR assay is a simple, rapid, sensitive, and cost-effective method
      for detecting these viruses in the common bean and can be used for routine
      molecular diagnosis and epidemiological studies.

PMID- 28358320
TI  - From Marine Venoms to Drugs: Efficiently Supported by a Combination of
      Transcriptomics and Proteomics.
AB  - The potential of marine natural products to become new drugs is vast; however,
      research is still in its infancy. The chemical and biological diversity of marine
      toxins is immeasurable and as such an extraordinary resource for the discovery of
      new drugs. With the rapid development of next-generation sequencing (NGS) and
      liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS), it has been much
      easier and faster to identify more toxins and predict their functions with
      bioinformatics pipelines, which pave the way for novel drug developments. Here we
      provide an overview of related bioinformatics pipelines that have been supported
      by a combination of transcriptomics and proteomics for identification and
      function prediction of novel marine toxins.

PMID- 28358317
TI  - The MYCN Protein in Health and Disease.
AB  - MYCN is a member of the MYC family of proto-oncogenes. It encodes a transcription
      factor, MYCN, involved in the control of fundamental processes during embryonal
      development. The MYCN protein is situated downstream of several signaling
      pathways promoting cell growth, proliferation and metabolism of progenitor cells
      in different developing organs and tissues. Conversely, deregulated MYCN
      signaling supports the development of several different tumors, mainly with a
      childhood onset, including neuroblastoma, medulloblastoma, rhabdomyosarcoma and
      Wilms' tumor, but it is also associated with some cancers occurring during
      adulthood such as prostate and lung cancer. In neuroblastoma, MYCN-amplification
      is the most consistent genetic aberration associated with poor prognosis and
      treatment failure. Targeting MYCN has been proposed as a therapeutic strategy for
      the treatment of these tumors and great efforts have allowed the development of
      direct and indirect MYCN inhibitors with potential clinical use.

PMID- 28358321
TI  - The Influence of Tetrodotoxin (TTX) on the Distribution and Chemical Coding of
      Caudal Mesenteric Ganglion (CaMG) Neurons Supplying the Porcine Urinary Bladder.
AB  - The treatment of micturition disorders creates a serious problem for urologists.
      Recently, new therapeutic agents, such as neurotoxins, are being considered for
      the therapy of urological patients. The present study investigated the chemical
      coding of caudal mesenteric ganglion (CaMG) neurons supplying the porcine urinary
      bladder after intravesical instillation of tetrodotoxin (TTX). The CaMG neurons
      were visualized with retrograde tracer Fast blue (FB) and their chemical profile
      was disclosed with double-labeling immunohistochemistry using antibodies against
      tyrosine hydroxylase (TH), neuropeptide Y (NPY), vasoactive intestinal
      polypeptide (VIP), somatostatin (SOM), calbindin (CB), galanin (GAL) and neuronal
      nitric oxide synthase (nNOS). It was found that in both the control (n = 6) and
      TTX-treated pigs (n = 6), the vast majority (92.6% +/- 3.4% and 88.8% +/- 2%,
      respectively) of FB-positive (FB+) nerve cells were TH+. TTX instillation caused
      a decrease in the number of FB+/TH+ neurons immunopositive to NPY (88.9% +/- 5.3%
      in the control animals vs. 10.6% +/- 5.3% in TTX-treated pigs) or VIP (1.7% +/-
      0.6% vs. 0%), and an increase in the number of FB+/TH+ neurons immunoreactive to
      SOM (8.8% +/- 1.6% vs. 39% +/- 12.8%), CB (1.8% +/- 0.7% vs. 12.6% +/- 2.7%), GAL
      (1.7% +/- 0.8% vs. 10.9% +/- 2.6%) or nNOS (0% vs. 1.1% +/- 0.3%). The present
      study is the first to suggest that TTX modifies the chemical coding of CaMG
      neurons supplying the porcine urinary bladder.

PMID- 28358322
TI  - Development of TRPM8 Antagonists to Treat Chronic Pain and Migraine.
AB  - A review. Development of pharmaceutical antagonists of transient receptor
      potential melastatin 8 (TRPM8) have been pursued for the treatment of chronic
      pain and migraine. This review focuses on the current state of this progress.

PMID- 28358323
TI  - Identification of a Ribose-Phosphate Pyrophosphokinase that Can Interact In Vivo
      with the Anaphase Promoting Complex/Cyclosome.
AB  - 5-Phospho-d-ribosyl-1-diphosphate (PRPP) synthase (PRS) catalyzes the
      biosynthesis of PRPP, which is an important compound of metabolism in most
      organisms. However, no PRS genes have been cloned, let alone studied for their
      biological function in rubber tree. In this study, we identify a novel protein
      (PRS4) that interacts in vivo with rubber tree anaphase promoting
      complex/cyclosome (APC/C) subunit 10 (HbAPC10) by yeast two-hybrid assays. PRS4
      has been cloned from rubber tree and named as HbPRS4. Blastp search in the genome
      of Arabidopsis thaliana showed that HbPRS4 shared the highest similarity with
      AtPRS4, with 80.71% identity. qRT-PCR was used to determine the expression of
      HbPRS4 in different tissues and under various treatments. HbPRS4 was
      preferentially expressed in the bark. Moreover, the expression level of HbPRS4
      was significantly induced by the proteasome inhibitor MG132 treatment, suggesting
      it might be regulated by the ubiquitin/26S proteasome pathway. The amount of
      HbPRS4 transcript was obviously decreased after mechanical wounding and abscisic
      acid (ABA) treatments, while a slight increase was observed at 24 h after ABA
      treatment. HbPRS4 transcript in the latex was significantly upregulated by
      ethephon (ET) and methyl jasmonate (MeJA) treatments. These results suggested
      that HbPRS4 may be a specific substrate of HbAPC10 indirectly regulating natural
      rubber biosynthesis in rubber tree.

PMID- 28358316
TI  - Theranostic Biomarkers for Schizophrenia.
AB  - Schizophrenia is a highly heritable, chronic, severe, disabling
      neurodevelopmental brain disorder with a heterogeneous genetic and
      neurobiological background, which is still poorly understood. To allow better
      diagnostic procedures and therapeutic strategies in schizophrenia patients, use
      of easy accessible biomarkers is suggested. The most frequently used biomarkers
      in schizophrenia are those associated with the neuroimmune and neuroendocrine
      system, metabolism, different neurotransmitter systems and neurotrophic factors.
      However, there are still no validated and reliable biomarkers in clinical use for
      schizophrenia. This review will address potential biomarkers in schizophrenia. It
      will discuss biomarkers in schizophrenia and propose the use of specific blood
      based panels that will include a set of markers associated with immune processes,
      metabolic disorders, and neuroendocrine/neurotrophin/neurotransmitter
      alterations. The combination of different markers, or complex multi-marker
      panels, might help in the discrimination of patients with different underlying
      pathologies and in the better classification of the more homogenous groups.
      Therefore, the development of the diagnostic, prognostic and theranostic
      biomarkers is an urgent and an unmet need in psychiatry, with the aim of
      improving diagnosis, therapy monitoring, prediction of treatment outcome and
      focus on the personal medicine approach in order to improve the quality of life
      in patients with schizophrenia and decrease health costs worldwide.

PMID- 28358324
TI  - Anti-Inflammatory Effect of Titrated Extract of Centella asiatica in Phthalic
      Anhydride-Induced Allergic Dermatitis Animal Model.
AB  - Centella asiatica has potent antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties.
      However, its anti-dermatitic effect has not yet been reported. In this study, we
      investigated the anti-dermatitic effects of titrated extract of Centella asiatica
      (TECA) in a phthalic anhydride (PA)-induced atopic dermatitis (AD) animal model
      as well as in vitro model. An AD-like lesion was induced by the topical
      application of five percent PA to the dorsal skin or ear of Hos:HR-1 mouse. After
      AD induction, 100 MUL of 0.2% and 0.4% of TECA (40 MUg or 80 MUg/cm2) was spread
      on the dorsum of the ear or back skin three times a week for four weeks. We
      evaluated dermatitis severity, histopathological changes and changes in protein
      expression by Western blotting for inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS),
      cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2), and NF-kappaB activity, which were determined by
      electromobility shift assay (EMSA). We also measured TNF-alpha, IL-1beta, IL-6,
      and IgE concentration in the blood of AD mice by enzyme-linked immunosorbent
      assay (ELISA). TECA treatment attenuated the development of PA-induced atopic
      dermatitis. Histological analysis showed that TECA inhibited hyperkeratosis, mast
      cells and infiltration of inflammatory cells. TECA treatment inhibited expression
      of iNOS and COX-2, and NF-kappaB activity as well as the release of TNF-alpha, IL
      1beta, IL-6, and IgE. In addition, TECA (1, 2, 5 MUg/mL) potently inhibited
      Lipopolysaccharide (LPS) (1 MUg/mL)-induced NO production, expression of iNOS and
      COX-2, and NF-kappaB DNA binding activities in RAW264.7 macrophage cells. Our
      data demonstrated that TECA could be a promising agent for AD by inhibition of NF
      kappaB signaling.

PMID- 28358326
TI  - An Exact Model-Based Method for Near-Field Sources Localization with Bistatic
      MIMO System.
AB  - In this paper, we propose an exact model-based method for near-field sources
      localization with a bistatic multiple input, multiple output (MIMO) radar system,
      and compare it with an approximated model-based method. The aim of this paper is
      to propose an efficient way to use the exact model of the received signals of
      near-field sources in order to eliminate the systematic error introduced by the
      use of approximated model in most existing near-field sources localization
      techniques. The proposed method uses parallel factor (PARAFAC) decomposition to
      deal with the exact model. Thanks to the exact model, the proposed method has
      better precision and resolution than the compared approximated model-based
      method. The simulation results show the performance of the proposed method.

PMID- 28358325
TI  - Sensing Attribute Weights: A Novel Basic Belief Assignment Method.
AB  - Dempster-Shafer evidence theory is widely used in many soft sensors data fusion
      systems on account of its good performance for handling the uncertainty
      information of soft sensors. However, how to determine basic belief assignment
      (BBA) is still an open issue. The existing methods to determine BBA do not
      consider the reliability of each attribute; at the same time, they cannot
      effectively determine BBA in the open world. In this paper, based on attribute
      weights, a novel method to determine BBA is proposed not only in the closed
      world, but also in the open world. The Gaussian model of each attribute is built
      using the training samples firstly. Second, the similarity between the test
      sample and the attribute model is measured based on the Gaussian membership
      functions. Then, the attribute weights are generated using the overlap degree
      among the classes. Finally, BBA is determined according to the sensed attribute
      weights. Several examples with small datasets show the validity of the proposed
      method.

PMID- 28358328
TI  - Gelidium elegans Regulates the AMPK-PRDM16-UCP-1 Pathway and Has a Synergistic
      Effect with Orlistat on Obesity-Associated Features in Mice Fed a High-Fat Diet.
AB  - The incidence of obesity is rising at an alarming rate throughout the world and
      is becoming a major public health concern with incalculable social and economic
      costs. Gelidium elegans (GENS), also previously known as Gelidium amansii, has
      been shown to exhibit anti-obesity effects. Nevertheless, the mechanism by which
      GENS is able to do this remains unclear. In the present study, our results showed
      that GENS prevents high-fat diet (HFD)-induced weight gain through modulation of
      the adenosine monophosphate-activated protein kinase (AMPK)-PR domain
      containing16 (PRDM16)-uncoupling protein-1 (UCP-1) pathway in a mice model. We
      also found that GENS decreased hyperglycemia in mice that had been fed a HFD
      compared to corresponding controls. We also assessed the beneficial effect of the
      combined treatment with GENS and orlistat (a Food and Drug Administration
      approved obesity drug) on obesity characteristics in HFD-fed mice. We found that
      in HFD-fed mice, the combination of GENS and orlistat is associated with more
      significant weight loss than orlistat treatment alone. Moreover, our results
      demonstrated a positive synergistic effect of GENS and orlistat on hyperglycemia
      and plasma triglyceride level in these animals. Thus, we suggest that a
      combination therapy of GENS and orlistat may positively influence obesity-related
      health outcomes in a diet-induced obese population.

PMID- 28358327
TI  - Coenzyme-A-Independent Transacylation System; Possible Involvement of
      Phospholipase A2 in Transacylation.
AB  - The coenzyme A (CoA)-independent transacylation system catalyzes fatty acid
      transfer from phospholipids to lysophospholipids in the absence of cofactors such
      as CoA. It prefers to use C20 and C22 polyunsaturated fatty acids such as
      arachidonic acid, which are esterified in the glycerophospholipid at the sn-2
      position. This system can also acylate alkyl ether-linked lysophospholipids, is
      involved in the enrichment of arachidonic acid in alkyl ether-linked
      glycerophospholipids, and is critical for the metabolism of eicosanoids and
      platelet-activating factor. Despite their importance, the enzymes responsible for
      these reactions have yet to be identified. In this review, we describe the
      features of the Ca2+-independent, membrane-bound CoA-independent transacylation
      system and its selectivity for arachidonic acid. We also speculate on the
      involvement of phospholipase A2 in the CoA-independent transacylation reaction.

PMID- 28358330
TI  - Analysis of DNA Methylation Status in Bodily Fluids for Early Detection of
      Cancer.
AB  - Epigenetic alterations by promoter DNA hypermethylation and gene silencing in
      cancer have been reported over the past few decades. DNA hypermethylation has
      great potential to serve as a screening marker, a prognostic marker, and a
      therapeutic surveillance marker in cancer clinics. Some bodily fluids, such as
      stool or urine, were obtainable without any invasion to the body. Thus, such
      bodily fluids were suitable samples for high throughput cancer surveillance.
      Analyzing the methylation status of bodily fluids around the cancer tissue may,
      additionally, lead to the early detection of cancer, because several genes in
      cancer tissues are reported to be cancer-specifically hypermethylated. Recently,
      several studies that analyzed the methylation status of DNA in bodily fluids were
      conducted, and some of the results have potential for future development and
      further clinical use. In fact, a stool DNA test was approved by the U.S. Food and
      Drug Administration (FDA) for the screening of colorectal cancer. Another
      promising methylation marker has been identified in various bodily fluids for
      several cancers. We reviewed studies that analyzed DNA methylation in bodily
      fluids as a less-invasive cancer screening.

PMID- 28358329
TI  - The Changing Landscape of Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension in the Adult with
      Congenital Heart Disease.
AB  - Pulmonary arterial hypertension associated with congenital heart disease (PAH
      CHD) is a common type of pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) and a frequent
      complication of congenital heart disease (CHD). PAH-CHD represents a
      heterogeneous patient population and it is important to distinguish between the
      underlying cardiac defects considering the prognostic and therapeutic
      implications. Improved interventional techniques have enabled repair or
      palliation of most cardiac defects, though a substantial number of patients
      remain at high risk for PAH after closure. Traditionally, the treatment and
      management of PAH-CHD patients has been limited to palliative and supportive
      care, and based on expert opinion rather than clinical trials. Recently, however,
      the availability of advanced PAH-specific treatment has opened up a new field for
      the clinical management of this condition. Nevertheless, there is limited
      evidence on the optimal therapeutic approach for PAH-CHD. Herein, we discuss the
      current and novel therapeutic options for PAH-CHD as well as highlight several
      challenges in the clinical management at present.

PMID- 28358331
TI  - Absorption, Metabolic Stability, and Pharmacokinetics of Ginger Phytochemicals.
AB  - We have previously demonstrated promising anticancer efficacy of orally-fed whole
      ginger extract (GE) in preclinical prostate models emphasizing the importance of
      preservation of the natural "milieu". Essentially, GE primarily includes active
      ginger phenolics viz., 6-gingerol (6G), 8-gingerol (8G), 10-gingerol (10G), and 6
      shogaol (6S). However, the druglikeness properties of active GE phenolics like
      solubility, stability, and metabolic characteristics are poorly understood.
      Herein, we determined the physicochemical and biochemical properties of GE
      phenolics by conducting in vitro assays and mouse pharmacokinetic studies with
      and without co-administration of ketoconazole (KTZ). GE phenolics showed low to
      moderate solubility in various pH buffers but were stable in simulated gastric
      and intestinal fluids, indicating their suitability for oral administration. All
      GE phenolics were metabolically unstable and showed high intrinsic clearance in
      mouse, rat, dog, and human liver microsomes. Upon oral administration of 250
      mg/kg GE, sub-therapeutic concentrations of GE phenolics were observed. Treatment
      of plasma samples with beta-glucuronidase (betagd) increased the exposure of all
      GE phenolics by 10 to 700-fold. Co-administration of KTZ with GE increased the
      exposure of free GE phenolics by 3 to 60-fold. Interestingly, when the same
      samples were treated with betagd, the exposure of GE phenolics increased by 11 to
      60-fold, suggesting inhibition of phase I metabolism by KTZ but little effect on
      glucuronide conjugation. Correlating the in vitro and in vivo results, it is
      reasonable to conclude that phase II metabolism seems to be the predominant
      clearance pathway for GE phenolics. We present evidence that the first-pass
      metabolism, particularly glucuronide conjugation of GE phenolics, underlies low
      systemic exposure.

PMID- 28358333
TI  - RAGE Plays a Role in LPS-Induced NF-kappaB Activation and Endothelial
      Hyperpermeability.
AB  - Endothelial functional dysregulation and barrier disruption contribute to the
      initiation and development of sepsis. The receptor for advanced glycation end
      products (RAGE) has been demonstrated to be involved in the pathogenesis of
      sepsis. The present study aimed to investigate the role of RAGE in
      lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced nuclear factor-kappaB (NF-kappaB) activation in
      endothelial cells and the consequent endothelial hyperpermeability. LPS-induced
      upregulation of RAGE protein expression in human umbilical vein endothelial cells
      (HUVECs) was detected by western blotting. Activation of NF-kappaB was revealed
      using western blotting and immunofluorescent staining. LPS-elicited endothelial
      hyperpermeability was explored by transendothelial electrical resistance (TER)
      assay and endothelial monolayer permeability assay. The blocking antibody
      specific to RAGE was used to confirm the role of RAGE in LPS-mediated NF-kappaB
      activation and endothelial barrier disruption. We found that LPS upregulated the
      protein expression of RAGE in a dose- and time-dependent manner in HUVECs.
      Moreover, LPS triggered a significant phosphorylation and degradation of
      IkappaBalpha, as well as NF-kappaB p65 nuclear translocation. Moreover, we
      observed a significant increase in endothelial permeability after LPS treatment.
      However, the RAGE blocking antibody attenuated LPS-evoked NF-kappaB activation
      and endothelial hyperpermeability. Our results suggest that RAGE plays an
      important role in LPS-induced NF-kappaB activation and endothelial barrier
      dysfunction.

PMID- 28358332
TI  - Selenium and Sulfur to Produce Allium Functional Crops.
AB  - Selenium is an element that must be considered in the nutrition of certain crops
      since its use allows the obtaining of biofortified crops with a positive impact
      on human health. The objective of this review is to present the information on
      the use of Se and S in the cultivation of plants of the genus Allium. The main
      proposal is to use Allium as specialist plants for biofortification with Se and
      S, considering the natural ability to accumulate both elements in different
      phytochemicals, which promotes the functional value of Allium. In spite of this,
      in the agricultural production of these species, the addition of sulfur is not
      realized to obtain functional foods and plants more resistant; it is only sought
      to cover the necessary requirements for growth. On the other hand, selenium does
      not appear in the agronomic management plans of most of the producers. Including
      S and Se fertilization as part of agronomic management can substantially improve
      Allium crop production. Allium species may be suitable to carry out
      biofortification with Se; this practice can be combined with the intensive use of
      S to obtain crops with higher production and sensory, nutritional, and functional
      quality.

PMID- 28358335
TI  - Copper to Zinc Ratio as Disease Biomarker in Neonates with Early-Onset Congenital
      Infections.
AB  - Copper (Cu) and zinc (Zn) are essential trace elements for regular development.
      Acute infections alter their metabolism, while deficiencies increase infection
      risks. A prospective observational case-control study was conducted with infected
      (n = 21) and control (n = 23) term and preterm newborns. We analyzed trace
      element concentrations by X-ray fluorescence, and ceruloplasmin (CP) by Western
      blot. Median concentration of Cu at birth (day 1) was 522.8 [387.1-679.7] MUg/L,
      and Zn was 1642.4 +/- 438.1 MUg/L. Cu and Zn correlated positively with
      gestational age in control newborns. Cu increased in infected newborns from day 1
      to day 3. CP correlated positively to Cu levels at birth in both groups and on
      day 3 in the group of infected neonates. The Cu/Zn ratio was relatively high in
      infected newborns. Interleukin (IL)-6 concentrations on day 1 were unrelated to
      Cu, Zn, or the Cu/Zn ratio, whereas C-reactive protein (CRP) levels on day 3
      correlated positively to the Cu/Zn -ratio at both day 1 and day 3. We conclude
      that infections affect the trace element homeostasis in newborns: serum Zn is
      reduced, while Cu and CP are increased. The Cu/Zn ratio combines both
      alterations, independent of gestational age. It may, thus, constitute a
      meaningful diagnostic biomarker for early-onset infections.

PMID- 28358334
TI  - Glucose Plus Fructose Ingestion for Post-Exercise Recovery-Greater than the Sum
      of Its Parts?
AB  - Carbohydrate availability in the form of muscle and liver glycogen is an
      important determinant of performance during prolonged bouts of moderate- to high
      intensity exercise. Therefore, when effective endurance performance is an
      objective on multiple occasions within a 24-h period, the restoration of
      endogenous glycogen stores is the principal factor determining recovery. This
      review considers the role of glucose-fructose co-ingestion on liver and muscle
      glycogen repletion following prolonged exercise. Glucose and fructose are
      primarily absorbed by different intestinal transport proteins; by combining the
      ingestion of glucose with fructose, both transport pathways are utilised, which
      increases the total capacity for carbohydrate absorption. Moreover, the addition
      of glucose to fructose ingestion facilitates intestinal fructose absorption via a
      currently unidentified mechanism. The co-ingestion of glucose and fructose
      therefore provides faster rates of carbohydrate absorption than the sum of
      glucose and fructose absorption rates alone. Similar metabolic effects can be
      achieved via the ingestion of sucrose (a disaccharide of glucose and fructose)
      because intestinal absorption is unlikely to be limited by sucrose hydrolysis.
      Carbohydrate ingestion at a rate of >=1.2 g carbohydrate per kg body mass per
      hour appears to maximise post-exercise muscle glycogen repletion rates. Providing
      these carbohydrates in the form of glucose-fructose (sucrose) mixtures does not
      further enhance muscle glycogen repletion rates over glucose (polymer) ingestion
      alone. In contrast, liver glycogen repletion rates are approximately doubled with
      ingestion of glucose-fructose (sucrose) mixtures over isocaloric ingestion of
      glucose (polymers) alone. Furthermore, glucose plus fructose (sucrose) ingestion
      alleviates gastrointestinal distress when the ingestion rate approaches or
      exceeds the capacity for intestinal glucose absorption (~1.2 g/min). Accordingly,
      when rapid recovery of endogenous glycogen stores is a priority, ingesting
      glucose-fructose mixtures (or sucrose) at a rate of >=1.2 g.kg body mass-1.h-1
      can enhance glycogen repletion rates whilst also minimising gastrointestinal
      distress.

PMID- 28358336
TI  - Patterns of Gene Expression in Western Corn Rootworm (Diabrotica virgifera
      virgifera) Neonates, Challenged with Cry34Ab1, Cry35Ab1 and Cry34/35Ab1, Based on
      Next-Generation Sequencing.
AB  - With Next Generation Sequencing technologies, high-throughput RNA sequencing
      (RNAseq) was conducted to examine gene expression in neonates of Diabrotica
      virgifera virgifera (LeConte) (Western Corn Rootworm, WCR) challenged with
      individual proteins of the binary Bacillus thuringiensis insecticidal proteins,
      Cry34Ab1 and Cry35Ab1, and the combination of Cry34/Cry35Ab1, which together are
      active against rootworm larvae. Integrated results of three different statistical
      comparisons identified 114 and 1300 differentially expressed transcripts (DETs)
      in the Cry34Ab1 and Cry34/35Ab1 treatment, respectively, as compared to the
      control. No DETs were identified in the Cry35Ab1 treatment. Putative Bt binding
      receptors previously identified in other insect species were not identified in
      DETs in this study. The majority of DETs (75% with Cry34Ab1 and 68.3% with
      Cry34/35Ab1 treatments) had no significant hits in the NCBI nr database. In
      addition, 92 DETs were shared between Cry34Ab1 and Cry34/35Ab1 treatments.
      Further analysis revealed that the most abundant DETs in both Cry34Ab1 and
      Cry34/35Ab1 treatments were associated with binding and catalytic activity.
      Results from this study confirmed the nature of these binary toxins against WCR
      larvae and provide a fundamental profile of expression pattern of genes in
      response to challenge of the Cry34/35Ab1 toxin, which may provide insight into
      potential resistance mechanisms.

PMID- 28358337
TI  - Neoantimycins A and B, Two Unusual Benzamido Nine-Membered Dilactones from Marine
      Derived Streptomyces antibioticus H12-15.
AB  - An actinomycete strain (H12-15) isolated from a sea sediment in a mangrove
      district was identified as Streptomycesantibioticus on the basis of 16S rDNA gene
      sequence analysis as well as the investigation of its morphological,
      physiological, and biochemical characteristics. Two novel benzamido nonacyclic
      dilactones, namely neoantimycins A (1) and B (2), together with the known
      antimycins A1ab (3a,b), A2a (4), and A9 (5), were isolated from the culture broth
      of this strain. Compounds 1 and 2 are the first natural modified ATNs with an
      unusual benzamide unit. The structures of these new compounds, including their
      absolute configuration, were established on the basis of HRMS, NMR spectroscopic
      data, and quantum chemical ECD calculations. Their cytotoxicities against human
      breast adenocarcinoma cell line MCF-7, the human glioblastoma cell line SF-268,
      and the human lung cancer cell line NCI-H460 were also tested. All compounds
      exhibited mild cytotoxic activity. However, Compounds 1 and 2 showed no activity
      against C. albicans at the test concentration of 1 mg/mL via paper disc
      diffusion, while the known antimycins showed obvious antifungal activity.

PMID- 28358338
TI  - Heat Wave Vulnerability Mapping for India.
AB  - Assessing geographic variability in heat wave vulnerability forms the basis for
      planning appropriate targeted adaptation strategies. Given several recent deadly
      heatwaves in India, heat is increasingly being recognized as a public health
      problem. However, to date there has not been a country-wide assessment of heat
      vulnerability in India. We evaluated demographic, socioeconomic, and
      environmental vulnerability factors and combined district level data from several
      sources including the most recent census, health reports, and satellite remote
      sensing data. We then applied principal component analysis (PCA) on 17 normalized
      variables for each of the 640 districts to create a composite Heat Vulnerability
      Index (HVI) for India. Of the total 640 districts, our analysis identified 10 and
      97 districts in the very high and high risk categories (> 2SD and 2-1SD HVI)
      respectively. Mapping showed that the districts with higher heat vulnerability
      are located in the central parts of the country. On examination, these are less
      urbanized and have low rates of literacy, access to water and sanitation, and
      presence of household amenities. Therefore, we concluded that creating and
      mapping a heat vulnerability index is a useful first step in protecting the
      public from the health burden of heat. Future work should incorporate heat
      exposure and health outcome data to validate the index, as well as examine sub
      district levels of vulnerability.

PMID- 28358339
TI  - Novel Palladium(II) Complexes that Influence Prominin-1/CD133 Expression and Stem
      Cell Factor Release in Tumor Cells.
AB  - New Pd(II) complexes of 1,7-bis(2-methoxyphenyl)hepta-1,6-diene-3,5-dione were
      synthesized and structurally characterized. The complexes were tested in vitro on
      human colon and hepatic carcinoma cell lines, normal hepatic cells and
      hematopoietic progenitor cells. Biological tests proved that Pd(II) complexes 1
      and 2 (containing a curcumin derivative) exhibit a strong in vitro antitumor
      effect against the cells derived from human colorectal carcinoma and the hepatic
      metastasis of a colorectal carcinoma. Complex 1 has an outstanding inhibitory
      effect against BRAF-mutant colon carcinoma and hepatocarcinoma cell growth; 1 and
      2 are both more active than the free ligand and have the capacity to trigger
      early apoptotic processes. By flow cytometric measurements, an important decrease
      of prominin-1 (CD133) molecule expression on tumor cells membrane was identified
      in cell populations subjected to 1 and 2. Quantitative immune enzymatic assay
      proved restrictions in stem cell factor (SCF) release by treated tumor cells.
      Although less cytotoxic, the free ligand inhibits the surface marker CD133
      expression in hepatocarcinoma cells, and in HT-29 colon carcinoma. The new
      synthesized Pd(II) complexes 1 and 2 exhibit an important potential through their
      selective cytotoxic activity and by targeting the stem-like tumor cell
      populations, which leads to the tumor growth arrest and prevention of metastasis.

PMID- 28358341
TI  - Preserving Source Location Privacy for Energy Harvesting WSNs.
AB  - Fog (From cOre to edGe) computing employs a huge number of wireless embedded
      devices to enable end users with anywhere-anytime-to-anything connectivity. Due
      to their operating nature, wireless sensor nodes often work unattended, and hence
      are exposed to a variety of attacks. Preserving source-location privacy plays a
      key role in some wireless sensor network (WSN) applications. In this paper, a
      redundancy branch convergence-based preserved source location privacy scheme
      (RBCPSLP) is proposed for energy harvesting sensor networks, with the following
      advantages: numerous routing branches are created in non-hotspot areas with
      abundant energy, and those routing branches can merge into a few routing paths
      before they reach the hotspot areas. The generation time, the duration of
      routing, and the number of routing branches are then decided independently based
      on the amount of energy obtained, so as to maximize network energy utilization,
      greatly enhance privacy protection, and provide long network lifetimes.
      Theoretical analysis and experimental results show that the RBCPSLP scheme allows
      a several-fold improvement of the network energy utilization as well as the
      source location privacy preservation, while maximizing network lifetimes.

PMID- 28358342
TI  - A Two-Phase Time Synchronization-Free Localization Algorithm for Underwater
      Sensor Networks.
AB  - Underwater Sensor Networks (UWSNs) can enable a broad range of applications such
      as resource monitoring, disaster prevention, and navigation-assistance. Sensor
      nodes location in UWSNs is an especially relevant topic. Global Positioning
      System (GPS) information is not suitable for use in UWSNs because of the
      underwater propagation problems. Hence, some localization algorithms based on the
      precise time synchronization between sensor nodes that have been proposed for
      UWSNs are not feasible. In this paper, we propose a localization algorithm called
      Two-Phase Time Synchronization-Free Localization Algorithm (TP-TSFLA). TP-TSFLA
      contains two phases, namely, range-based estimation phase and range-free
      evaluation phase. In the first phase, we address a time synchronization-free
      localization scheme based on the Particle Swarm Optimization (PSO) algorithm to
      obtain the coordinates of the unknown sensor nodes. In the second phase, we
      propose a Circle-based Range-Free Localization Algorithm (CRFLA) to locate the
      unlocalized sensor nodes which cannot obtain the location information through the
      first phase. In the second phase, sensor nodes which are localized in the first
      phase act as the new anchor nodes to help realize localization. Hence, in this
      algorithm, we use a small number of mobile beacons to help obtain the location
      information without any other anchor nodes. Besides, to improve the precision of
      the range-free method, an extension of CRFLA achieved by designing a coordinate
      adjustment scheme is updated. The simulation results show that TP-TSFLA can
      achieve a relative high localization ratio without time synchronization.

PMID- 28358340
TI  - Research Progress on 18F-Labeled Agents for Imaging of Myocardial Perfusion with
      Positron Emission Tomography.
AB  - Coronary artery disease (CAD) is the leading cause of death in the world.
      Myocardial perfusion imaging (MPI) plays a significant role in non-invasive
      diagnosis and prognosis of CAD. However, neither single-photon emission computed
      tomography nor positron emission tomography clinical MPI agents can absolutely
      satisfy the demands of clinical practice. In the past decades, tremendous
      developments happened in the field of 18F-labeled MPI tracers. This review
      summarizes the current state of 18F-labeled MPI tracers, basic research data of
      those tracers, and the future direction of MPI tracer research.

PMID- 28358343
TI  - Acoustic NLOS Identification Using Acoustic Channel Characteristics for
      Smartphone Indoor Localization.
AB  - As the demand for indoor localization is increasing to support our daily life in
      large and complex indoor environments, sound-based localization technologies have
      attracted researchers' attention because they have the advantages of being fully
      compatible with commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) smartphones, they have high
      positioning accuracy and low-cost infrastructure. However, the non-line-of-sight
      (NLOS) phenomenon poses a great challenge and has become the technology
      bottleneck for practical applications of acoustic smartphone indoor localization.
      Through identifying and discarding the NLOS measurements, the positioning
      performance can be improved by incorporating only the LOS measurements. In this
      paper, we focus on identifying NLOS components by characterizing the acoustic
      channels. Firstly, by analyzing indoor acoustic propagations, the changes of
      acoustic channel from the line-of-sight (LOS) condition to the NLOS condition are
      characterized as the difference of channel gain and channel delay between the two
      propagation scenarios. Then, an efficient approach to estimate relative channel
      gain and delay based on the cross-correlation method is proposed, which considers
      the mitigation of the Doppler Effect and reduction of the computational
      complexity. Nine novel features have been extracted, and a support vector machine
      (SVM) classifier with a radial-based function (RBF) kernel is used to realize
      NLOS identification. The experimental result with an overall 98.9% classification
      accuracy based on a data set with more than 10 thousand measurements shows that
      the proposed identification approach and features are effective in acoustic NLOS
      identification for acoustic indoor localization via a smartphone. In order to
      further evaluate the performance of the proposed SVM classifier, the performance
      of an SVM classifier is compared with that of traditional classifiers based on
      logistic regression (LR) and linear discriminant analysis (LDA). The results also
      show that a SVM with the RBF kernel function method outperforms others in
      acoustic NLOS identification.

PMID- 28358344
TI  - The Electrochemical Behavior of Carbon Fiber Microelectrodes Modified with Carbon
      Nanotubes Using a Two-Step Electroless Plating/Chemical Vapor Deposition Process.
AB  - Carbon fiber microelectrode (CFME) has been extensively applied in the biosensor
      and chemical sensor domains. In order to improve the electrochemical activity and
      sensitivity of the CFME, a new CFME modified with carbon nanotubes (CNTs),
      denoted as CNTs/CFME, was fabricated and investigated. First, carbon fiber (CF)
      monofilaments grafted with CNTs (simplified as CNTs/CFs) were fabricated in two
      key steps: (i) nickel electroless plating, followed by (ii) chemical vapor
      deposition (CVD). Second, a single CNTs/CF monofilament was selected and
      encapsulated into a CNTs/CFME with a simple packaging method. The morphologies of
      as-prepared CNTs/CFs were characterized by scanning electron microscopy. The
      electrochemical properties of CNTs/CFMEs were measured in potassium ferrocyanide
      solution (K4Fe(CN)6), by using a cyclic voltammetry (CV) and a chronoamperometry
      method. Compared with a bare CFME, a CNTs/CFME showed better CV curves with a
      higher distinguishable redox peak and response current; the higher the CNT
      content was, the better the CV curves were. Because the as-grown CNTs
      significantly enhanced the effective electrode area of CNTs/CFME, the contact
      area between the electrode and reactant was enlarged, further increasing the
      electrocatalytic active site density. Furthermore, the modified microelectrode
      displayed almost the same electrochemical behavior after 104 days, exhibiting
      remarkable stability and outstanding reproducibility.

PMID- 28358346
TI  - A Data-Driven Diagnostic Framework for Wind Turbine Structures: A Holistic
      Approach.
AB  - The complex dynamics of operational wind turbine (WT) structures challenges the
      applicability of existing structural health monitoring (SHM) strategies for
      condition assessment. At the center of Europe's renewable energy strategic
      planning, WT systems call for implementation of strategies that may describe the
      WT behavior in its complete operational spectrum. The framework proposed in this
      paper relies on the symbiotic treatment of acting environmental/operational
      variables and the monitored vibration response of the structure. The approach
      aims at accurate simulation of the temporal variability characterizing the WT
      dynamics, and subsequently at the tracking of the evolution of this variability
      in a longer-term horizon. The bi-component analysis tool is applied on long-term
      data, collected as part of continuous monitoring campaigns on two actual
      operating WT structures located in different sites in Germany. The obtained data
      driven structural models verify the potential of the proposed strategy for
      development of an automated SHM diagnostic tool.

PMID- 28358345
TI  - Multiphysics and Thermal Response Models to Improve Accuracy of Local Temperature
      Estimation in Rat Cortex under Microwave Exposure.
AB  - The rapid development of wireless technology has led to widespread concerns
      regarding adverse human health effects caused by exposure to electromagnetic
      fields. Temperature elevation in biological bodies is an important factor that
      can adversely affect health. A thermophysiological model is desired to quantify
      microwave (MW) induced temperature elevations. In this study, parameters related
      to thermophysiological responses for MW exposures were estimated using an
      electromagnetic-thermodynamics simulation technique. To the authors' knowledge,
      this is the first study in which parameters related to regional cerebral blood
      flow in a rat model were extracted at a high degree of accuracy through
      experimental measurements for localized MW exposure at frequencies exceeding 6
      GHz. The findings indicate that the improved modeling parameters yield computed
      results that match well with the measured quantities during and after exposure in
      rats. It is expected that the computational model will be helpful in estimating
      the temperature elevation in the rat brain at multiple observation points (that
      are difficult to measure simultaneously) and in explaining the physiological
      changes in the local cortex region.

PMID- 28358349
TI  - Fluorescence based real time monitoring of fouling in process chromatography.
AB  - A real time monitoring of fouling in liquid chromatography has been presented.
      The versatility of the approach has been proven by successful implementation in
      three case studies with an error <1%. The first application demonstrates the
      monitoring of protein A ligand density and foulant concentration for assessing
      performance of protein A chromatography resin during purification of monoclonal
      antibodies. The observations have been supported from LC-MS/MS studies that were
      independently performed. The second application involves monitoring of foulant
      deposition during multimode cation exchange chromatography based purification of
      human serum albumin. Finally, in the third application, monitoring of foulants
      during multimodal hydrophobic interaction chromatography of recombinant human
      granulocyte colony stimulating factor is demonstrated. In all three cases, it is
      observed that the fluorescence intensity consistently increases with resin reuse
      as more foulants are deposited over time. The proposed approach can be readily
      used for real time monitoring of fouling and process control.

PMID- 28358347
TI  - The Enzymology of 2-Hydroxyglutarate, 2-Hydroxyglutaramate and 2
      Hydroxysuccinamate and Their Relationship to Oncometabolites.
AB  - Many enzymes make "mistakes". Consequently, repair enzymes have evolved to
      correct these mistakes. For example, lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) and
      mitochondrial malate dehydrogenase (mMDH) slowly catalyze the reduction of 2
      oxoglutarate (2-OG) to the oncometabolite l-2-hydroxyglutarate (l-2-HG). l-2-HG
      dehydrogenase corrects this error by converting l-2-HG to 2-OG. LDH also
      catalyzes the reduction of the oxo group of 2-oxoglutaramate (2-OGM;
      transamination product of l-glutamine). We show here that human glutamine
      synthetase (GS) catalyzes the amidation of the terminal carboxyl of both the l-
      and d- isomers of 2-HG. The reaction of 2-OGM with LDH and the reaction of l-2-HG
      with GS generate l-2-hydroxyglutaramate (l-2-HGM). We also show that l-2-HGM is a
      substrate of human omega-amidase. The product (l-2-HG) can then be converted to 2
      OG by l-2-HG dehydrogenase. Previous work showed that 2-oxosuccinamate (2-OSM;
      transamination product of l-asparagine) is an excellent substrate of LDH.
      Finally, we also show that human omega-amidase converts the product of this
      reaction (i.e., l-2-hydroxysuccinamate; l-2-HSM) to l-malate. Thus, omega-amidase
      may act together with hydroxyglutarate dehydrogenases to repair certain
      "mistakes" of GS and LDH. The present findings suggest that non-productive
      pathways for nitrogen metabolism occur in mammalian tissues in vivo.
      Perturbations of these pathways may contribute to symptoms associated with
      hydroxyglutaric acidurias and to tumor progression. Finally, methods for the
      synthesis of l-2-HGM and l-2-HSM are described that should be useful in
      determining the roles of omega-amidase/4- and 5-C compounds in photorespiration
      in plants.

PMID- 28358350
TI  - Corrigendum: Defective Acetylcholine Receptor Subunit Switch Precedes Atrophy of
      Slow-Twitch Skeletal Muscle Fibers Lacking ERK1/2 Kinases in Soleus Muscle.

PMID- 28358348
TI  - The Associations between Types of Ambient PM2.5 and Under-Five and Maternal
      Mortality in Africa.
AB  - Exploring the effects of different types of PM2.5 is necessary to reduce
      associated deaths, especially in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). Hence
      we determined types of ambient PM2.5 before exploring their effects on under-five
      and maternal mortality in Africa. The spectral derivate of aerosol optical depth
      (AOD) from Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) products from
      2000 to 2015 were employed to determine the aerosol types before using
      Generalized Linear and Additive Mixed-Effect models with Poisson link function to
      explore the associations and penalized spline for dose-response relationships.
      Four types of PM2.5 were identified in terms of mineral dust, anthropogenic
      pollutant, biomass burning and mixture aerosols. The results demonstrate that
      biomass PM2.5 increased the rate of under-five mortality in Western and Central
      Africa, each by 2%, and maternal mortality in Central Africa by 19%.
      Anthropogenic PM2.5 increased under-five and maternal deaths in Northern Africa
      by 5% and 10%, respectively, and maternal deaths by 4% in Eastern Africa. Dust
      PM2.5 increased under-five deaths in Northern, Western, and Central Africa by 3%,
      1%, and 10%, respectively. Mixture PM2.5 only increased under-five deaths and
      maternal deaths in Western (incidence rate ratio = 1.01, p < 0.10) and Eastern
      Africa (incidence rate ratio = 1.06, p < 0.01), respectively. The findings
      indicate the types of ambient PM2.5 are significantly associated with under-five
      and maternal mortality in Africa where the exposure level usually exceeds the
      World Health Organization's (WHO) standards. Appropriate policy actions on
      protective and control measures are therefore suggested and should be developed
      and implemented accordingly.

PMID- 28358351
TI  - Corrigendum: Effects of Nitrogen and Shading on Root Morphologies, Nutrient
      Accumulation, and Photosynthetic Parameters in Different Rice Genotypes.

PMID- 28358352
TI  - Corrigendum: Host-ant specificity of endangered large blue butterflies (Phengaris
      spp., Lepidoptera: Lycaenidae) in Japan.

PMID- 28358353
TI  - A new tyrannosaur with evidence for anagenesis and crocodile-like facial sensory
      system.
AB  - A new species of tyrannosaurid from the upper Two Medicine Formation of Montana
      supports the presence of a Laramidian anagenetic (ancestor-descendant) lineage of
      Late Cretaceous tyrannosaurids. In concert with other anagenetic lineages of
      dinosaurs from the same time and place, this suggests that anagenesis could have
      been a widespread mechanism generating species diversity amongst dinosaurs, and
      perhaps beyond. We studied the excellent fossil record of the tyrannosaurid to
      test that hypothesis. Phylogenetic analysis places this new taxon as the sister
      species to Daspletosaurus torosus. However, given their close phylogenetic
      relationship, geographic proximity, and temporal succession, where D. torosus
      (~76.7-75.2 Ma) precedes the younger new species (~75.1-74.4 Ma), we argue that
      the two forms most likely represent a single anagenetic lineage. Daspletosaurus
      was an important apex predator in the late Campanian dinosaur faunas of
      Laramidia; its absence from later units indicates it was extinct before
      Tyrannosaurus rex dispersed into Laramidia from Asia. In addition to its
      evolutionary implications, the texture of the facial bones of the new taxon, and
      other derived tyrannosauroids, indicates a scaly integument with high tactile
      sensitivity. Most significantly, the lower jaw shows evidence for
      neurovasculature that is also seen in birds.

PMID- 28358355
TI  - Identifying large-scale patterns of unpredictability and response to insolation
      in atmospheric data.
AB  - Understanding the complex dynamics of the atmosphere is of paramount interest due
      to its impact in the entire climate system and in human society. Here we focus on
      identifying, from data, the geographical regions which have similar atmospheric
      properties. We study surface air temperature (SAT) time series with monthly
      resolution, recorded at a regular grid covering the Earth surface. We consider
      two datasets: NCEP CDAS1 and ERA Interim reanalysis. We show that two
      surprisingly simple measures are able to extract meaningful information: i) the
      distance between the lagged SAT and the incoming solar radiation and ii) the
      Shannon entropy of SAT and SAT anomalies. The distance uncovers well-defined
      spatial patterns formed by regions with similar SAT response to solar forcing
      while the entropy uncovers regions with similar degree of SAT unpredictability.
      The entropy analysis also allows identifying regions in which SAT has extreme
      values. Importantly, we uncover differences between the two datasets which are
      due to the presence of extreme values in one dataset but not in the other. Our
      results indicate that the distance and entropy measures can be valuable tools for
      the study of other climatological variables, for anomaly detection and for
      performing model inter-comparisons.

PMID- 28358354
TI  - Cultivar-specific gene modulation in Vitis vinifera: analysis of the promoters
      regulating the expression of WOX transcription factors.
AB  - The family of Wuschel-related Homeobox (WOX) genes is a class of transcription
      factors involved in the early stages of embryogenesis and organ development in
      plants. Some of these genes have shown different transcription levels in
      embryogenic tissues and mature organs in two different cultivars of Vitis
      vinifera: 'Chardonnay' (CH) and 'Cabernet Sauvignon' (CS). Therefore, we
      investigated the genetic basis responsible for these differences by cloning and
      sequencing in both the cultivars the promoter regions (~2000 bp) proximal to the
      transcription start site of five VvWOX genes. We then introduced these promoters
      into Arabidopsis thaliana for expression pattern characterisation using the GUS
      reporter gene. In the transgenic Arabidopsis, two promoters isolated from CS
      (pVvWOX13C_CS and pVvWOX6_CS) induced increased expression compared to the
      sequence isolated in CH, confirming the data obtained in grapevine tissues. These
      results were corroborated by transient expression assays using the
      agroinfiltration approach in grapevine somatic embryos. Truncated versions of
      pVvWOX13C demonstrated that few nucleotide differences between the sequences
      isolated from CH and CS are pivotal for the transcriptional regulation of
      VvWOX13C. Analysis of promoters using heterologous and homologous systems appear
      to be effective for exploring gene modulation linked with intervarietal sequence
      variation in grapevine.

PMID- 28358356
TI  - Method for detection of hydrogen peroxide in HT22 cells.
AB  - We have proposed a new method which can be applied in assessing the intracellular
      production of hydrogen peroxide. Using this assay we have examined the hydrogen
      peroxide generation during the L-glutamate induced oxidative stress in the HT22
      hippocampal cells. The detection of hydrogen peroxide is based on two crucial
      reagents cis-[Cr(C2O4)(pm)(OH2)2]+ (pm denotes pyridoxamine) and 2-ketobutyrate.
      The results obtained indicate that the presented method can be a promising tool
      to detect hydrogen peroxide in biological samples, particularly in cellular
      experimental models.

PMID- 28358357
TI  - Hybrid three-dimensional dual- and broadband optically tunable terahertz
      metamaterials.
AB  - The optically tunable properties of the hybrid three-dimensional (3D)
      metamaterials with dual- and broadband response frequencies are theoretically
      investigated in the terahertz spectrum. The planar double-split-ring resonators
      (DSRRs) and the standup double-split-ring resonators are fabricated on a sapphire
      substrate, forming a 3D array structures. The bi-anisotropy of the hybrid 3D
      metamaterials is considered because the stand-up DSRRs are not symmetrical with
      respect to the electric field vector. Due to the electric and magnetic response
      realized by the planar and the standup double-split-ring resonators respectively,
      the dual-band resonance response and the negative refractive index can be
      achieved. The potential of the phase modulation under photoexcitation is also
      demonstrated. Further analysis indicates that, photoexcitation of free carriers
      in the silicon within the capacitive region of the standup DSRRs results in a
      broad resonance response bandwidth (about 0.47 THz), and also functions as a
      broadband negative refractive index that roughly lies between 0.80 and 2.01 THz.
      This tunable metamaterials is proposed for the potential application of
      electromagnetic wave propagation in terahertz area.

PMID- 28358359
TI  - Corrigendum: Direct coupling: a possible strategy to control fruit production in
      alternate bearing.

PMID- 28358360
TI  - Erratum: Insights into functional and evolutionary analysis of carbaryl metabolic
      pathway from Pseudomonas sp. strain C5pp.

PMID- 28358358
TI  - The cerebellum in dual-task performance in Parkinson's disease.
AB  - Parkinson's disease (PD) patients have difficulty in performing a dual-task. It
      has been suggested that the cerebellum is important in dual-tasking. We used
      functional MRI to investigate the role of the cerebellum in performing a dual
      motor and cognitive task in PD patients. We have examined whether there are any
      areas additionally activated for dual-task performance, and compared the neural
      activity and functional connectivity pattern in the cerebellum between PD
      patients and healthy controls. We found that the right cerebellar vermis and left
      lobule V of cerebellar anterior lobe were additionally activated for dual-task
      performance in healthy controls and for motor task in PD patients. We didn't find
      any cerebellar regions additionally activated while performing dual-task in PD
      patients. In addition, the right cerebellar vermis had enhanced connectivity with
      motor and cognitive associated networks in PD patients. PD patients have limited
      cerebellar resources that are already utilized for single tasks and, for dual
      tasks, cannot augment as necessary in order to integrate motor and cognitive
      networks.

PMID- 28358361
TI  - Tumor-treating fields elicit a conditional vulnerability to ionizing radiation
      via the downregulation of BRCA1 signaling and reduced DNA double-strand break
      repair capacity in non-small cell lung cancer cell lines.
AB  - The use of tumor-treating fields (TTFields) has revolutionized the treatment of
      recurrent and newly diagnosed glioblastoma (GBM). TTFields are low-intensity,
      intermediate frequency, alternating electric fields that are applied to tumor
      regions and cells using non-invasive arrays. The predominant mechanism by which
      TTFields are thought to kill tumor cells is the disruption of mitosis. Using five
      non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) cell lines we found that there is a variable
      response in cell proliferation and cell killing between these NSCLC cell lines
      that was independent of p53 status. TTFields treatment increased the G2/M
      population, with a concomitant reduction in S-phase cells followed by the
      appearance of a sub-G1 population indicative of apoptosis. Temporal changes in
      gene expression during TTFields exposure was evaluated to identify molecular
      signaling changes underlying the differential TTFields response. The most
      differentially expressed genes were associated with the cell cycle and cell
      proliferation pathways. However, the expression of genes found within the BRCA1
      DNA-damage response were significantly downregulated (P<0.05) during TTFields
      treatment. DNA double-strand break (DSB) repair foci increased when cells were
      exposed to TTFields as did the appearance of chromatid-type aberrations,
      suggesting an interphase mechanism responsible for cell death involving DNA
      repair. Exposing cells to TTFields immediately following ionizing radiation
      resulted in increased chromatid aberrations and a reduced capacity to repair DNA
      DSBs, which were likely responsible for at least a portion of the enhanced cell
      killing seen with the combination. These findings suggest that TTFields induce a
      state of 'BRCAness' leading to a conditional susceptibility resulting in enhanced
      sensitivity to ionizing radiation and provides a strong rationale for the use of
      TTFields as a combined modality therapy with radiation or other DNA-damaging
      agents.

PMID- 28358362
TI  - Deletion of Stk40 impairs definitive erythropoiesis in the mouse fetal liver.
AB  - The serine threonine kinase Stk40 has been shown to involve in mouse embryonic
      stem cell differentiation, pulmonary maturation and adipocyte differentiation.
      Here we report that targeted deletion of Stk40 leads to fetal liver hypoplasia
      and anemia in the mouse embryo. The reduction of erythrocytes in the fetal liver
      is accompanied by increased apoptosis and compromised erythroid maturation. Stk40
      /- fetal liver cells have significantly reduced colony-forming units (CFUs)
      capable of erythroid differentiation, including burst forming unit-erythroid, CFU
      erythroid (CFU-E), and CFU-granulocyte, erythrocyte, megakaryocyte and
      macrophage, but not CFU-granulocyte/macrophages. Purified Stk40-/- megakaryocyte
      erythrocyte progenitors produce substantially fewer CFU-E colonies compared to
      control cells. Moreover, Stk40-/- fetal liver erythroblasts fail to form normal
      erythroblastic islands in association with wild type or Stk40-/- macrophages,
      indicating an intrinsic defect of Stk40-/- erythroblasts. Furthermore, the
      hematopoietic stem and progenitor cell pool is reduced in Stk40-/- fetal livers
      but still retains the multi-lineage reconstitution capacity. Finally, comparison
      of microarray data between wild type and Stk40-/- E14.5 fetal liver cells reveals
      a potential role of aberrantly activated TNF-alpha signaling in Stk40 depletion
      induced dyserythropoiesis with a concomitant increase in cleaved caspase-3 and
      decrease in Gata1 proteins. Altogether, the identification of Stk40 as a
      regulator for fetal erythroid maturation and survival provides new clues to the
      molecular regulation of erythropoiesis and related diseases.

PMID- 28358363
TI  - miR-127 enhances myogenic cell differentiation by targeting S1PR3.
AB  - MicroRNAs (miRNAs) have recently been implicated in muscle stem cell function.
      miR-127 is known to be predominantly expressed in skeletal muscle, but its roles
      in myogenic differentiation and muscle regeneration are unknown. Here, we show
      that miR-127 is upregulated during C2C12 and satellite cell (SC) differentiation
      and, by establishing C2C12 cells stably expressing miR-127, demonstrate that
      overexpression of miR-127 in C2C12 cells enhances myogenic cell differentiation.
      To investigate the function of miR-127 during muscle development and regeneration
      in vivo, we generated miR-127 transgenic mice. These mice exhibited remarkably
      accelerated muscle regeneration compared with wild-type mice by promoting SC
      differentiation. Mechanistically, we demonstrated that the gene encoding
      sphingosine-1-phosphate receptor 3 (S1PR3), a G-protein-coupled receptor for
      sphingosine-1-phosphate, is a target of miR-127 required for its function in
      promoting myogenic cell differentiation. Importantly, overexpression of miR-127
      in muscular dystrophy model mdx mice considerably ameliorated the disease
      phenotype. Thus, our findings suggest that miR-127 may serve as a potential
      therapeutic target for the treatment of skeletal muscle disease in humans.

PMID- 28358364
TI  - Functional inhibition of acid sphingomyelinase by Fluphenazine triggers hypoxia
      specific tumor cell death.
AB  - Owing to lagging or insufficient neo-angiogenesis, hypoxia is a feature of most
      solid tumors. Hypoxic tumor regions contribute to resistance against
      antiproliferative chemotherapeutics, radiotherapy and immunotherapy. Targeting
      cells in hypoxic tumor areas is therefore an important strategy for cancer
      treatment. Most approaches for targeting hypoxic cells focus on the inhibition of
      hypoxia adaption pathways but only a limited number of compounds with the
      potential to specifically target hypoxic tumor regions have been identified. By
      using tumor spheroids in hypoxic conditions as screening system, we identified a
      set of compounds, including the phenothiazine antipsychotic Fluphenazine, as hits
      with novel mode of action. Fluphenazine functionally inhibits acid
      sphingomyelinase and causes cellular sphingomyelin accumulation, which induces
      cancer cell death specifically in hypoxic tumor spheroids. Moreover, we found
      that functional inhibition of acid sphingomyelinase leads to overactivation of
      hypoxia stress-response pathways and that hypoxia-specific cell death is mediated
      by the stress-responsive transcription factor ATF4. Taken together, the here
      presented data suggest a novel, yet unexplored mechanism in which induction of
      sphingolipid stress leads to the overactivation of hypoxia stress-response
      pathways and thereby promotes their pro-apoptotic tumor-suppressor functions to
      specifically kill cells in hypoxic tumor areas.

PMID- 28358365
TI  - Madecassic acid, the contributor to the anti-colitis effect of madecassoside,
      enhances the shift of Th17 toward Treg cells via the PPARgamma/AMPK/ACC1 pathway.
AB  - The imbalance between Th17 and Treg cells substantially contributes to the
      intestinal immune disturbance and subsequent tissue injury in ulcerative colitis.
      The triterpenoid-rich fraction of Centella asiatica was able to ameliorate
      dextran sulfate sodium-induced colitis in mice. Here we explored its active
      ingredient and underlying mechanism with a focus on restoring the Th17/Treg
      balance. The four main triterpenoids occurring in C. asiatica were shown to
      attenuate colitis in mice by oral administration. The most effective ingredient
      madecassoside lost anti-colitis effect when applied topically in the colon, and
      madecassic acid was recognized to be the active form of madecassoside. Oral
      administration of madecassic acid decreased the percentage of Th17 cells and
      downregulated the expression of RORgammat, IL-17A, IL-17F, IL-21 and IL-22 and
      increased the percentage of Treg cells and the expression of Foxp3 and IL-10 in
      the colons of mice with colitis, but it did not affect Th1 and Th2 cells. Under
      Th17-polarizing conditions, madecassic acid downregulated ACC1 expression and
      enhanced the shift of Th17 cells toward Treg cells, but it did not affect the
      differentiation of Treg cells under Treg-polarizing conditions. Both compound C
      and AMPK siRNA inhibited the madecassic acid-mediated downregulation of ACC1
      expression and shift of Th17 cells to Treg cells under Th17-polarizing
      conditions. GW9662, T0070907 and PPARgamma siRNA blocked the effect of madecassic
      acid on AMPK activation, ACC1 expression and shift of Th17 cells to Treg cells.
      Furthermore, madecassic acid was identified as a PPARgamma agonist, as it
      promoted PPARgamma transactivation. The correlation between activation of
      PPARgamma and AMPK, downregulation of ACC1 expression, restoration of Th17/Treg
      balance and attenuation of colitis by madecassic acid was validated in mice with
      DSS-induced colitis. In conclusion, madecassic acid was the active form of
      madecassoside in ameliorating colitis by restoring the Th17/Treg balance via
      regulating the PPARgamma/AMPK/ACC1 pathway.

PMID- 28358366
TI  - Forkhead box A3 attenuated the progression of fibrosis in a rat model of biliary
      atresia.
AB  - Biliary atresia is a rare, devastating disease of infants where a
      fibroinflammatory process destroys the bile ducts, leading to fibrosis and
      biliary cirrhosis, and death if untreated. The cause and pathogenesis remain
      largely unknown. We tried to investigate factors involved in biliary atresia,
      especially forkhead box A3 (Foxa3), which might exert a role in the treatment of
      liver disease. We used RNA sequencing to sequence the whole transcriptomes of
      livers from six biliary atresia and six choledochal cysts patients. Then, we
      employed a rat disease model by bile duct ligation (BDL) and adenovirus
      transduction to address the function of Foxa3 in biliary atresia. We found that
      tight junction, adherence junction, cell cycle, apoptosis, chemokine singling,
      VEGF and MAPK signaling pathways were enriched in biliary atresia livers. We
      showed that Foxa3 expression was notably decreased in liver samples from biliary
      atresia patients. More importantly, we found that its lower expression predicted
      a poorer overall survival of biliary atresia patients. Rats that received BDL
      surgery and Foxa3 expression adenovirus resulted in a significant decrease in the
      deposition of collagen, and expression of profibrotic cytokines (transforming
      growth factor-beta and connective tissue growth factor) and fibrosis markers
      (alpha-smooth muscle actin, collagen I and collagen III), as compared with rats
      that received BDL surgery and control adenovirus. Our data suggested a protection
      role for Foxa3 during the progression of liver fibrosis in biliary atresia, and
      thereby supported increasing Foxa3 as a targeted treatment strategy.

PMID- 28358367
TI  - Overexpression of EphB2 in hippocampus rescues impaired NMDA receptors
      trafficking and cognitive dysfunction in Alzheimer model.
AB  - Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a progressive neurodegenerative disease, which
      affects more and more people. But there is still no effective treatment for
      preventing or reversing the progression of the disease. Soluble amyloid-beta
      (Abeta) oligomers, also known as Abeta-derived diffusible ligands (ADDLs) play an
      important role in AD. Synaptic activity and cognition critically depend on the
      function of glutamate receptors. Targeting N-methyl-D-aspartic acid (NMDA)
      receptors trafficking and its regulation is a new strategy for AD early
      treatment. EphB2 is a key regulator of synaptic localization of NMDA receptors.
      Abeta oligomers could bind to the fibronectin repeats domain of EphB2 and trigger
      EphB2 degradation in the proteasome. Here we identified that overexpression of
      EphB2 with lentiviral vectors in dorsal hippocampus improved impaired memory
      deficits and anxiety or depression-like behaviors in APPswe/PS1-dE9 (APP/PS1)
      transgenic mice. Phosphorylation and surface expression of GluN2B-containing NMDA
      receptors were also improved. Overexpression of EphB2 also rescued the ADDLs
      induced depletion of the expression of EphB2 and GluN2B-containing NMDA receptors
      trafficking in cultured hippocampal neurons. These results suggest that improving
      the decreased expression of EphB2 and subsequent GluN2B-containing NMDA receptors
      trafficking in hippocampus may be a promising strategy for AD treatment.

PMID- 28358368
TI  - A novel and promising therapeutic approach for NSCLC: recombinant human arginase
      alone or combined with autophagy inhibitor.
AB  - Recombinant human arginase (rhArg), an enzyme capable of depleting arginine, has
      been shown to be an effective therapeutic approach for various cancers. Non-small
      cell lung cancer (NSCLC), a histological subtype of pulmonary carcinoma, has a
      high rate of morbidity and mortality in the world. Thus, the need for novel and
      more effective treatment is urgent. In this study, it is the first time to report
      that rhArg could induce significant cytotoxicity and caspase-dependent apoptosis
      in NSCLC cells. Subsequently, our research revealed that rhArg dramatically
      stimulated autophagic response in NSCLC cells, which was proved by the formation
      and accumulation of autophagosomes and the conversion of microtubule-associated
      protein light chain 3 (LC3) from LC3-I to LC3-II. Furthermore, blocking autophagy
      by chloroquine or LY294002 remarkably enhanced rhArg-induced cytotoxicity and
      caspase-dependent apoptosis, suggesting that autophagy acted a cytoprotective
      role in rhArg-treated NSCLC cells. Further experiments showed that two signaling
      pathways including the Akt/mTOR and extracellular signal-regulated kinase
      pathway, and mitochondrial-derived reactive oxygen species (ROS) production were
      involved in rhArg-induced autophagy and apoptosis. Meanwhile, N-acetyl-L
      cysteine, a common antioxidant, was employed to scavenge ROS, and we detected
      that it could significantly block rhArg-induced autophagy and cytotoxicity,
      indicating that ROS played a vital role in arginine degradation therapy. Besides,
      xenograft experiment showed that combination with autophagy inhibitor potentiated
      the anti-tumor efficacy of rhArg in vivo. Therefore, these results provided a
      novel prospect and viewpoint that autophagy acted a cytoprotective role in rhArg
      treated NSCLC cells, and treatment with rhArg alone or combined with autophagy
      inhibitor could be a novel and promising therapeutic approach for NSCLC in vivo
      and in vitro.

PMID- 28358369
TI  - MiRNA199a-3p suppresses tumor growth, migration, invasion and angiogenesis in
      hepatocellular carcinoma by targeting VEGFA, VEGFR1, VEGFR2, HGF and MMP2.
AB  - Increasing significance of tumor-stromal interaction in development and
      progression of cancer implies that signaling molecules in the tumor
      microenvironment (TME) might be the effective therapeutic targets for
      hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Here, the role of microRNA miR-199a-3p in the
      regulation of TME and development of HCC has been investigated by several in
      vitro and in vivo assays. Expression of miR-199a-3p was observed significantly
      low in HCC tissues and its overexpression remarkably inhibited in vivo tumor
      growth and metastasis to lung in NOD-SCID mice. In vitro restoration of miR-199a
      3p expression either in endothelial cells (ECs) or in cancer cells (CACs)
      significantly diminished migration of ECs in co-culture assay. Again incubation
      of miR-199a-3p transfected ECs with either conditioned media (CM) of CACs or
      recombinant VEGF has reduced tube formation, in ECs and it was also dropped upon
      growth in CM of either anti-VEGF antibody-treated or miR-199a-3p-transfected
      CACs. In addition, bioinformatics and luciferase-reporter assays revealed that
      miR-199a-3p inhibited VEGF secretion from CACs and VEGFR1 and VEGFR2 expression
      on ECs and thus restricted cross talk between CACs and ECs. Again, restoration of
      miR-199a-3p in hepatic stellate cells (HSCs) reduced migration and invasion of
      CACs in co-culture assay, while it was enhanced by the overexpression of HGF
      suggesting miR-199a-3p has hindered HSC-CACs cross talk probably by inhibiting
      HGF and regulating matrix metalloproteinase MMP2, which were found as targets of
      miR-199a-3p subsequently by luciferase-reporter assay and gelatin zymography,
      respectively. Thus, these findings collectively highlight that miR-199a-3p
      restricts metastasis, invasion and angiogenesis in HCC and hence it may be
      considered as one of the powerful effective therapeutics for management of HCC
      patients.

PMID- 28358370
TI  - The role of autophagy in asparaginase-induced immune suppression of macrophages.
AB  - Erwinia asparaginase, a bacteria-derived enzyme drug, has been used in the
      treatment of various cancers, especially acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL). One
      of the most significant side effects associated with asparaginase administration
      is immune suppression, which limits its application in clinic. Macrophages are
      phagocytic immune cells and have a central role in inflammation and host defense.
      We reported here that asparaginase disturbed the function of macrophages
      including phagocytosis, proliferation, ROS and nitric oxide secretion,
      interleukin 6 (IL-6) and tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-alpha) secretion, and
      major histocompatibility complex II (MHC-II) molecule expression, thus induced
      immune suppression in interferon-gamma and lipopolysaccharide-stimulated
      macrophages. We also observed that asparaginase inhibited autophagy in
      macrophages via activating Akt/mTOR and suppressing Erk1/2 signaling pathway as
      evidenced by less formation of autophagosomes, downregulation of autophagy
      related protein LC3-II, and decreased number of autophagy-like vacuoles. Further
      study discovered that treatment with autophagy inhibitor 3-MA in place of
      asparaginase on activated macrophages could also downregulate phagocytosis,
      cytokine secretion, and MHC-II expression. Moreover, incubation with autophagy
      inducer trehalose restored the capacity of phagocytosis, IL-6 and TNF-alpha
      secretion, and MHC-II expression in macrophages. These results prove the
      important role of autophagy in the function of macrophages, and activation of
      autophagy can overcome asparaginase-induced immune suppression in macrophages.

PMID- 28358371
TI  - Cell-based therapy using miR-302-367 expressing cells represses glioblastoma
      growth.
AB  - Glioblastomas are incurable primary brain tumors that affect patients of all
      ages. The aggressiveness of this cancer has been attributed in part to the
      persistence of treatment-resistant glioblastoma stem-like cells. We have
      previously discovered the tumor-suppressor properties of the microRNA cluster miR
      302-367, representing a potential treatment for glioblastoma. Here, we attempted
      to develop a cell-based therapy by taking advantage of the capability of glioma
      cells to secrete exosomes that enclose small RNA molecules. We engineered primary
      glioma cells to stably express the miR-302-367. Remarkably, these cells altered,
      in a paracrine-dependent manner, the expression of stemness markers, the
      proliferation and the tumorigenicity of neighboring glioblastoma cells. Further
      characterization of the secretome derived from miR-302-367 expressing cells
      showed that a large amount of miR-302-367 was enclosed in exosomes, which were
      internalized by the neighboring glioblastoma cells. This miR-302-367 cell-to-cell
      transfer resulted in the inhibition of its targets such as CXCR4/SDF1, SHH,
      cyclin D, cyclin A and E2F1. Orthotopic xenograft of miR-302-367-expressing cells
      together with glioblastoma stem-like cells efficiently altered the tumor
      development in mice brain.

PMID- 28358372
TI  - TNF-alpha-induced LRG1 promotes angiogenesis and mesenchymal stem cell migration
      in the subchondral bone during osteoarthritis.
AB  - The incomplete understanding of aberrant neovascularization, which contributes to
      osteoarthritis suggests that additional modulators have yet to be identified. Our
      objective was to identify the role of Leucine-rich-alpha-2-glycoprotein1 (LRG1),
      a new regulator of pathogenic angiogenesis, in osteoarthritis progression and to
      develop effective treatment strategies. In this study, immunohistochemistry
      showed that LRG1 was increased in the subchondral bone and articular cartilage in
      anterior cruciate ligament transection (ACLT) mice. Further studies were focused
      on the role of LRG1 in osteoarthritis. Results showed that LRG1 promoted
      angiogenesis and mesenchymal stem cells (MSC) migration, which contribute to
      aberrant bone formation in the subchondral bone. Moreover, tumor necrosis factor
      alpha (TNF-alpha), not interleukin-1beta (IL-1beta), IL-6 or IL-17, induced the
      LRG1 expression in human umbilical vein endothelial cells and this effect was
      inhibited by p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase or NF-kappaB inhibitor.
      Notably, inhibition of TNF-alpha and LRG1 activity by Lenalidomide, an inhibitor
      of TNF-alpha production, in ACLT mice attenuated degeneration of osteoarthritis
      articular cartilage. This study shows that TNF-alpha is the predominant
      proinflammatory cytokine that induces the secretion of LRG1. LRG1 contributes to
      angiogenesis-coupled de novo bone formation by increasing angiogenesis and
      recruiting MSCs in the subchondral bone of osteoarthritis joints. Inhibition of
      TNF-alpha and LRG1 by Lenalidomide could be a potential therapeutic approach.

PMID- 28358373
TI  - Myogenic differentiation triggers PML nuclear body loss and DAXX relocalization
      to chromocentres.
AB  - The promyelocytic leukemia protein (PML) is expressed in most normal human
      tissues and forms nuclear bodies (NBs) that have roles in gene regulation and
      cellular processes such as DNA repair, cell cycle control, and cell fate
      decisions. Using murine C2C12 myoblasts, we demonstrate that activation of
      skeletal muscle differentiation results in loss of PML and PML NBs prior to
      myotube fusion. Myotube formation was associated with marked chromatin
      reorganization and the relocalization of DAXX from PML NBs to chromocentres. MyoD
      expression was sufficient to cause PML NB loss, and silencing of PML induced DAXX
      relocalization. Fusion of C2C12 cells using the reptilian reovirus p14 fusogenic
      protein failed to disrupt PML NBs yet still promoted DAXX redistribution and
      loss; whereas ectopic expression of PML in differentiated cells only partially
      restored PML NB formation and DAXX localization at NBs. Finally, we determined
      that the C-terminal SUMO-interacting motif of DAXX is required for its
      colocalization with ATRX in heterochromatin domains during myotube formation.
      These data support a model in which activation of myogenic differentiation
      results in PML NB loss, chromatin reorganization and DAXX relocalization, and
      provides a paradigm for understanding the consequence of PML loss in other
      cellular contexts, such as during cancer development and progression.

PMID- 28358374
TI  - miR-491-5p, mediated by Foxi1, functions as a tumor suppressor by targeting
      Wnt3a/beta-catenin signaling in the development of gastric cancer.
AB  - Accumulated evidence has suggested that microRNAs (miRNAs) have an important role
      in tumor development and progression by regulating diverse signaling pathways.
      However, the precise role of miRNAs in gastric cancer (GC) has not been
      elucidated. In this study, we describe the function and regulation network of miR
      491-5p in GC. miR-491-5p is frequently downregulated in GC tissues compared with
      adjacent non-cancerous tissues. Forced expression of miR-491-5p significantly
      inhibits proliferation and colony formation, and promotes apoptosis in GC cells.
      Through bioinformatic analysis and luciferase assays, we confirm that miR-491-5p
      targets Wnt3a. Silencing Wnt3a inhibits cell proliferation and induces apoptosis.
      Similarly, restoration of Wnt3a counteracts the effects of miR-491-5p expression.
      Moreover, bioinformatic and luciferase assays indicate that the expression of miR
      491-5p is regulated by Foxi1, which binds to its promoter and activates miR-491
      5p expression. In conclusion, to the best of our knowledge, our findings are the
      first to demonstrate that Foxi1 is a key player in the transcriptional control of
      miR-491-5p and that miR-491-5p acts as an anti-oncogene by targeting Wnt3a/beta
      catenin signaling in GC. Our study reveals that Foxi1/miR-491-5p/Wnt3a/beta
      catenin signaling is critical in the progression of GC. Targeting the pathway
      described in this study may open up new prospects to restrict the progression of
      GC.

PMID- 28358375
TI  - Novel prosurvival function of Yip1A in human cervical cancer cells: constitutive
      activation of the IRE1 and PERK pathways of the unfolded protein response.
AB  - Cancer cells are under chronic endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress due to hypoxia,
      low levels of nutrients, and a high metabolic demand for proliferation. To
      survive, they constitutively activate the unfolded protein response (UPR). The
      inositol-requiring protein 1 (IRE1) and protein kinase RNA-like ER kinase (PERK)
      signaling branches of the UPR have been shown to have cytoprotective roles in
      cancer cells. UPR-induced autophagy is another prosurvival strategy of cancer
      cells, possibly to remove misfolded proteins and supply nutrients. However, the
      mechanisms by which cancer cells exploit the UPR and autophagy machinery to
      promote survival and the molecules that are essential for these processes remain
      to be elucidated. Recently, a multipass membrane protein, Yip1A, was shown to
      function in the activation of IRE1 and in UPR-induced autophagy. In the present
      study, we explored the possible role of Yip1A in activation of the UPR by cancer
      cells for their survival, and found that depletion of Yip1A by RNA interference
      (RNAi) induced apoptotic cell death in HeLa and CaSki cervical cancer cells.
      Intriguingly, Yip1A was found to activate the IRE1 and PERK pathways of the UPR
      constitutively in HeLa and CaSki cells. Yip1A mediated the phosphorylation of
      IRE1 and also engaged in the transcription of PERK. The activation of these
      signaling pathways upregulated the expression of anti-apoptotic proteins and
      autophagy-related proteins. These events might enhance resistance to apoptosis
      and promote cytoprotective autophagy in HeLa and CaSki cells. The present study
      is the first to uncover a key prosurvival modulator, Yip1A, which coordinates
      IRE1 signaling with PERK signaling to support the survival of HeLa and CaSki
      cervical cancer cells.

PMID- 28358376
TI  - RelA/p65 inhibition prevents tendon adhesion by modulating inflammation, cell
      proliferation, and apoptosis.
AB  - Peritendinous tissue fibrosis which leads to poor tendon function is a worldwide
      clinical problem; however, its mechanism remains unclear. Transcription factor
      RelA/p65, an important subunit in the NF-kappaB complex, is known to have a
      critical role in many fibrotic diseases. Here, we show that RelA/p65 functions as
      a core fibrogenic regulator in tendon adhesion and that its inhibition exerts an
      anti-fibrogenic effect on peritendinous adhesion. We detected the upregulation of
      the NF-kappaB pathway in human tendon adhesion using a gene chip microarray assay
      and revealed the overexpression of p65 and extracellular matrix (ECM) proteins
      Collagen I, Collagen III, and alpha-smooth muscle actin (alpha-SMA) in human
      fibrotic tissues by immunohistochemistry and western blotting. We also found that
      in a rat model of tendon injury, p65 expression correlated with tendon adhesion,
      whereas its inhibition by small interfering (si)RNA prevented fibrous tissue
      formation and inflammatory reaction as evidenced by macroscopic, biomechanical,
      histological, immunohistochemical, and western blotting analyses. Furthermore, in
      cultured fibroblasts, p65-siRNA, p65-specific inhibitor, Helenalin and JSH23
      suppressed cell proliferation and promoted apoptosis, whereas inhibiting the mRNA
      and protein expression of ECM components and cyclo-oxygenase-2, an inflammatory
      factor involved in tendon adhesion. Our findings indicate that p65 has a critical
      role in peritendinous tissue fibrosis and suggest that p65 knockdown may be a
      promising therapeutic approach to prevent tendon adhesion.

PMID- 28358378
TI  - The lure of the lipids: how defensins exploit membrane phospholipids to induce
      cytolysis in target cells.

PMID- 28358379
TI  - Children's outcomes at 2-year follow-up after 4 years of structured multi
      professional medical-ethical decision-making in a neonatal intensive care unit.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: We reviewed our decisions about continuation/withdrawal of life
      sustaining treatments in a group of critically ill newborns who were discussed in
      structured medical ethical decision-making meetings, and provide the surviving
      children's outcomes at 2-year follow-up. STUDY DESIGN: In an explorative
      observational study, 61 cases were evaluated. The children involved had been
      discussed in such a structured way from 2009 to 2012 in a level III-D neonatal
      intensive care unit. RESULTS: Decisions made were: full treatment (n=6), earlier
      restriction cancelled (n=3), treatment restriction (n=30) and palliative care
      (n=22). Parents of six children disagreed with the decision proposed. Thirteen
      (54%) of the 24 children who survived (39%) had moderate to severe neurological
      problems; 8 (33%) had additional sequelae; only one 2-year-old child was healthy.
      CONCLUSIONS: Decisions made varied to a large extent. The poor outcomes should be
      disseminated among decision makers. Future studies must explore new ways to
      improve outcome prediction, extend follow-up periods and consider what living
      with severe handicaps really means for both child and family.

PMID- 28358380
TI  - Permission form synopses to improve parents' understanding of research: a
      randomized trial.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: We hypothesized that, among parents of potential neonatal research
      subjects, an accompanying cover sheet added to the permission form (intervention)
      would increase understanding of the research, when compared to a standard form
      (control). STUDY DESIGN: This pilot study enrolled parents approached for one of
      two index studies: one randomized trial and one observational study. A one-page
      cover sheet described critical study information. Families were randomized 1:1 to
      receive the cover sheet or not. Objective and subjective understanding and
      satisfaction were measured. RESULTS: Thirty-two parents completed all measures
      (17 control, 15 intervention). There were no differences in comprehension score
      (16.8+/-5.7 vs 16.3+/-3.5), subjective understanding (median 6 vs 6.5), or
      overall satisfaction with consent (median 7 vs 6.5) between control and
      intervention groups (all P>0.50). CONCLUSION: A simplified permission form cover
      sheet had no effect on parents' understanding of studies for which their newborns
      were being recruited.

PMID- 28358381
TI  - Success of labor induction for pre-eclampsia at preterm and term gestational
      ages.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: Determine the impact of gestational age (GA) on vaginal delivery
      following induction of labor (IOL) for pre-eclampsia, and evaluate factors that
      influence successful induction. STUDY DESIGN: Population-based retrospective
      cohort of 1 034 552 live births in Ohio (2006-2012). The rate of vaginal delivery
      in women with pre-eclampsia who underwent induction was calculated with 95%
      confidence intervals, stratified by week of GA at birth. Factors associated with
      the decision to undergo IOL, and success of IOL were evaluated, and multivariable
      logistic regression estimated the strength of association. RESULTS: 18 296
      (71.3%) of the patients who underwent IOL had a vaginal delivery. The majority
      achieved vaginal delivery at both preterm (66% at 23-36 weeks) and term GAs
      (72%). Factors most strongly associated with vaginal delivery following IOL for
      pre-eclampsia included prior vaginal delivery and young maternal age. CONCLUSION:
      The majority of women with pre-eclampsia who undergo IOL achieve vaginal birth,
      even at early GAs.

PMID- 28358377
TI  - Mitochondrial complex I inhibition triggers a mitophagy-dependent ROS increase
      leading to necroptosis and ferroptosis in melanoma cells.
AB  - Inhibition of complex I (CI) of the mitochondrial respiratory chain by BAY 87
      2243 ('BAY') triggers death of BRAFV600E melanoma cell lines and inhibits in vivo
      tumor growth. Here we studied the mechanism by which this inhibition induces
      melanoma cell death. BAY treatment depolarized the mitochondrial membrane
      potential (Deltapsi), increased cellular ROS levels, stimulated lipid
      peroxidation and reduced glutathione levels. These effects were paralleled by
      increased opening of the mitochondrial permeability transition pore (mPTP) and
      stimulation of autophagosome formation and mitophagy. BAY-induced cell death was
      not due to glucose shortage and inhibited by the antioxidant alpha-tocopherol and
      the mPTP inhibitor cyclosporin A. Tumor necrosis factor receptor-associated
      protein 1 (TRAP1) overexpression in BAY-treated cells lowered ROS levels and
      inhibited mPTP opening and cell death, whereas the latter was potentiated by
      TRAP1 knockdown. Knockdown of autophagy-related 5 (ATG5) inhibited the BAY
      stimulated autophagosome formation, cellular ROS increase and cell death.
      Knockdown of phosphatase and tensin homolog-induced putative kinase 1 (PINK1)
      inhibited the BAY-induced Deltapsi depolarization, mitophagy stimulation, ROS
      increase and cell death. Dynamin-related protein 1 (Drp1) knockdown induced
      mitochondrial filamentation and inhibited BAY-induced cell death. The latter was
      insensitive to the pancaspase inhibitor z-VAD-FMK, but reduced by necroptosis
      inhibitors (necrostatin-1, necrostatin-1s)) and knockdown of key necroptosis
      proteins (receptor-interacting serine/threonine-protein kinase 1 (RIPK1) and
      mixed lineage kinase domain-like (MLKL)). BAY-induced cell death was also reduced
      by the ferroptosis inhibitor ferrostatin-1 and overexpression of the ferroptosis
      inhibiting protein glutathione peroxidase 4 (GPX4). This overexpression also
      inhibited the BAY-induced ROS increase and lipid peroxidation. Conversely, GPX4
      knockdown potentiated BAY-induced cell death. We propose a chain of events in
      which: (i) CI inhibition induces mPTP opening and Deltapsi depolarization, that
      (ii) stimulate autophagosome formation, mitophagy and an associated ROS increase,
      leading to (iii) activation of combined necroptotic/ferroptotic cell death.

PMID- 28358382
TI  - Standardized feeding regimen for reducing necrotizing enterocolitis in preterm
      infants: an updated systematic review.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: A systematic review (2005) of observational studies has reported 87%
      reduction in the incidence of necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC) after introducing
      standardized feeding regimen (SFR) in preterm infants. Considering the many new
      studies in this field since 2005 and the continued health burden of NEC, we aimed
      to systematically review the incidence of NEC in preterm infants 'before' vs
      'after' implementing a SFR. STUDY DESIGN: PubMed, EMBASE, CINAHL and E-abstracts
      from the Pediatric Academic Society meetings and other pediatric and neonatal
      conference proceedings were searched in May 2016. Observational studies reporting
      incidence of NEC before and after implementing a SFR were included. Relevant data
      were extracted independently by two reviewers. Meta-analysis was conducted using
      random effects model (REM) and results rechecked with fixed effects model.
      RESULTS: Pooled results from 15 observational studies (N=18 160) using REM showed
      that SFR significantly reduced the incidence of NEC (risk ratio 0.22; 95%
      confidence interval 0.13 to 0.36; P<0.00001; I2=74%). The results remained
      significant after comparing studies in two epochs (1978 to 2003 vs 2004 to 2016).
      CONCLUSION: SFR continues to be an important tool in prevention of NEC in preterm
      infants.

PMID- 28358383
TI  - The effect of maternal age on fetal and neonatal mortality.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: Determine the gestational age at which the risk of fetal or neonatal
      death associated with delaying delivery by 1 week exceeds the risk of neonatal
      death associated with immediate delivery, stratified by maternal age intervals.
      STUDY DESIGN: We conducted a retrospective cohort study of live births,
      stillbirths and neonatal deaths that occurred in the United States between 2010
      and 2013 using birth data. Women were classified into six age categories.
      Singleton, non-anomalous pregnancies without hypertensive disease or diabetes
      were included. Relative risks were obtained using a generalized linear model
      comparing the rate of death associated with immediate delivery to those of
      expectant management. RESULTS: For all age groups with the exception of women 44
      years and older, immediate delivery was associated with lower relative risk of
      death by 39 weeks. For <25, 25 to 29, 30 to 34, 35 to 39, 40 to 44, odds ratios
      (OR) and confidence intervals (CI) were 1.0 (0.32 to 3.10), 0.67 (0.19 to 2.37),
      0.80 (0.21 to 2.98), 0.67 (0.19 to 2.36) and 0.45 (0.16 to 1.31), respectively.
      In women 44 years and older, immediate delivery was associated with a lower
      relative risk of death by 38 weeks (OR: 0.35, CI: 0.14 to 0.90). CONCLUSION:
      Women greater than 44 years old may benefit from delivery by 38 weeks gestational
      age to reduce the risk of stillbirth.

PMID- 28358384
TI  - Field testing of decision coaching with a decision aid for parents facing extreme
      prematurity.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study is to assess and modify an existing
      decision aid and field-test decision coaching with the modified aid during
      consultations with parents facing potential delivery at 23 to 24 weeks gestation.
      STUDY DESIGN: International Patient Decision Aid Standards instrument (IPDASi)
      scoring deficits, multi-stakeholder group feedback and alpha-testing guided
      modifications. Feasibility/acceptability were assessed. The Decisional Conflict
      Scale was used to measure participants' decisional conflict before (T1) and
      immediately after (T2) the consultation. RESULTS: IPDASi assessment of the
      existing aid (score 11/35) indicated it required updated data, more information
      and a palliative care description. Following modification, IPDASi score increased
      to 26/35. Twenty subjects (12 pregnancies) participated in field-testing; 15
      completed all questionnaires. Most participants (89%) would definitely recommend
      this form of consultation. Decisional conflict scores decreased (P<0.001) between
      T1 (52+/-25) and T2 (10+/-16). CONCLUSION: Field testing demonstrated that
      consultations using the aid with decision coaching were feasible, reduced
      decisional conflict and may facilitate shared decision-making.

PMID- 28358385
TI  - Group versus traditional prenatal care in low-risk women delivering at term: a
      retrospective cohort study.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: Group prenatal care (GC) models are receiving increasing attention as
      a means of preventing preterm birth; yet, there are limited data on whether group
      care improves perinatal outcomes in women who deliver at term. The purpose of
      this study was to evaluate our institutional experience with GC over the past
      decade and test the hypothesis that GC, compared with traditional individual care
      (TC), improves perinatal outcomes in women who deliver at term. STUDY DESIGN: We
      performed a retrospective cohort study of women delivering at term who
      participated in GC compared with TC. A group of 207 GC patients who delivered at
      term from 2004 to 2014 were matched in a 1:2 ratio to 414 patients with term
      singleton pregnancies who delivered at our institution during the same period by
      delivery year, maternal age, race and insurance status. The primary outcome was
      low birth weight (<2500 g). Secondary outcomes included early term birth (37.0 to
      38 6/7 weeks), 5 min APGAR score <7, special care nursery admission, neonatal
      intensive care unit (NICU) admission, neonatal demise, cesarean section and
      number of prenatal visits. Outcomes were compared between the two groups using
      univariable statistics. RESULTS: Baseline characteristics were similar between
      the two matched groups. GC was associated with a significant reduction in low
      birth weight infants compared with TC (11.1% vs 19.6%; relative risk (RR) 0.57;
      95% confidence interval (CI) 0.37 to 0.87). Patients in GC were significantly
      less likely than controls to require cesarean delivery, have low 5 min APGAR
      scores and need higher-level neonatal care (NICU: 1.5% vs 6.5%; RR 0.22; 95% CI
      0.07 to 0.72). There were no significant differences in rates of early term birth
      and neonatal demise. CONCLUSIONS: Low-risk women participating in GC and
      delivering at term had a lower risk of low birth weight and other adverse
      perinatal outcomes compared with women in TC. This suggests GC is a promising
      alternative to individual prenatal care to improve perinatal outcomes in addition
      to preterm birth.

PMID- 28358386
TI  - Lack of pregnancy warnings on over-the-counter dermatologic products containing
      potentially harmful hydroquinone.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: To determine the presence of pregnancy warnings on over-the-counter
      (OTC) dermatologic products with hydroquinone, a potentially harmful ingredient.
      STUDY DESIGN: Data were obtained from the Food and Drug Administration National
      Drug Code Directory and Label Repository to identify OTC dermatologic products
      containing hydroquinone. Products were stratified based on pregnancy or general
      warning presence (WP) or absence (WA). Product characteristics were compared
      between groups: hydroquinone concentration, presence of external packaging,
      indication and warning statements. RESULTS: Of the 112 products studied, 21 had a
      pregnancy warning and 3 included a general warning against use: WP (n=24) and WA
      (n=88) group. External packaging was more prevalent in the WP group compared to
      WA (62.5% vs 29.5%, P=0.004). CONCLUSIONS: Majority of OTC dermatologic products
      containing hydroquinone did not have a pregnancy warning. This highlights the
      need for improved labeling and informs providers caring for pregnant women of OTC
      labeling limitations.

PMID- 28358387
TI  - Bacterial kinesin light chain (Bklc) links the Btub cytoskeleton to membranes.
AB  - Bacterial kinesin light chain is a TPR domain-containing protein encoded by the
      bklc gene, which co-localizes with the bacterial tubulin (btub) genes in a
      conserved operon in Prosthecobacter. Btub heterodimers show high structural
      homology with eukaryotic tubulin and assemble into head-to-tail protofilaments.
      Intriguingly, Bklc is homologous to the light chain of the microtubule motor
      kinesin and could thus represent an additional eukaryotic-like cytoskeletal
      element in bacteria. Using biochemical characterization as well as cryo-electron
      tomography we show here that Bklc interacts specifically with Btub
      protofilaments, as well as lipid vesicles and could thus play a role in anchoring
      the Btub filaments to the membrane protrusions in Prosthecobacter where they
      specifically localize in vivo. This work sheds new light into possible ways in
      which the microtubule cytoskeleton may have evolved linking precursors of
      microtubules to the membrane via the kinesin moiety that in today's eukaryotic
      cytoskeleton links vesicle-packaged cargo to microtubules.

PMID- 28358388
TI  - Reactive Hyperemia Index in Patients on Maintenance Hemodialysis: Cross-sectional
      Data from a Cohort Study.
AB  - Previous studies suggested that the reactive hyperemia index (RHI) is a promising
      cardiovascular risk predictor. We aimed to evaluate clinical determinants of RHI
      and its association with circulating endothelial injury and cardiac markers in
      hemodialysis patients. Among 368 patients recruited, RHI was evaluated by
      peripheral arterial tonometry (PAT) on a midweek nondialysis day. Clinical
      determinants of RHI were explored by multiple stepwise regression analysis and
      associations between RHI and circulating markers were evaluated by general linear
      models. The major cause of a failed PAT test was poor signal (82.1%). Intraclass
      correlation coefficient for reproducibility evaluation was 0.74. Multiple
      regression analysis showed traditional clinical factors only explained 7% of the
      variance of natural logarithm RHI (LnRHI) in the patients. In association
      analyses, LnRHI showed significant positive associations with Von Willebrand
      factor (vWF) (p = 0.04) and tissue factor (p = 0.047). It also associated
      positively with troponins (p <= 0.02 for both). In conclusion, performance of the
      PAT test was acceptable in dialysis patients and traditional clinical variables
      had very limited influence on RHI in these subjects. Among a panel of
      conventional endothelial injury markers, RHI showed very modest associations with
      only vWF and tissue factor. RHI associated positively with troponins in the
      patients.

PMID- 28358389
TI  - Quantitative analysis of molecular partition towards lipid membranes using
      surface plasmon resonance.
AB  - Understanding the interplay between molecules and lipid membranes is fundamental
      when studying cellular and biotechnological phenomena. Partition between aqueous
      media and lipid membranes is key to the mechanism of action of many biomolecules
      and drugs. Quantifying membrane partition, through adequate and robust
      parameters, is thus essential. Surface Plasmon Resonance (SPR) is a powerful
      technique for studying 1:1 stoichiometric interactions but has limited
      application to lipid membrane partition data. We have developed and applied a
      novel mathematical model for SPR data treatment that enables determination of
      kinetic and equilibrium partition constants. The method uses two complementary
      fitting models for association and dissociation sensorgram data. The SPR
      partition data obtained for the antibody fragment F63, the HIV fusion inhibitor
      enfuvirtide, and the endogenous drug kyotorphin towards POPC membranes were
      compared against data from independent techniques. The comprehensive kinetic and
      partition models were applied to the membrane interaction data of HRC4, a measles
      virus entry inhibitor peptide, revealing its increased affinity for, and
      retention in, cholesterol-rich membranes. Overall, our work extends the
      application of SPR beyond the realm of 1:1 stoichiometric ligand-receptor binding
      into a new and immense field of applications: the interaction of solutes such as
      biomolecules and drugs with lipids.

PMID- 28358390
TI  - MicroRNA exocytosis by large dense-core vesicle fusion.
AB  - Neurotransmitters and peptide hormones are secreted into outside the cell by a
      vesicle fusion process. Although non-coding RNA (ncRNA) that include microRNA
      (miRNA) regulates gene expression inside the cell where they are transcribed,
      extracellular miRNA has been recently discovered outside the cells, proposing
      that miRNA might be released to participate in cell-to-cell communication.
      Despite its importance of extracellular miRNA, the molecular mechanisms by which
      miRNA can be stored in vesicles and released by vesicle fusion remain enigmatic.
      Using next-generation sequencing, vesicle purification techniques, and synthetic
      neurotransmission, we observe that large dense-core vesicles (LDCVs) contain a
      variety of miRNAs including miR-375. Furthermore, miRNA exocytosis is mediated by
      the SNARE complex and accelerated by Ca2+. Our results suggest that miRNA can be
      a novel neuromodulator that can be stored in vesicles and released by vesicle
      fusion together with classical neurotransmitters.

PMID- 28358391
TI  - Visual deprivation selectively reshapes the intrinsic functional architecture of
      the anterior insula subregions.
AB  - The anterior insula (AI) is the core hub of salience network that serves to
      identify the most relevant stimuli among vast sensory inputs and forward them to
      higher cognitive regions to guide behaviour. As blind subjects were usually
      reported with changed perceptive abilities for salient non-visual stimuli, we
      hypothesized that the resting-state functional network of the AI is selectively
      reorganized after visual deprivation. The resting-state functional connectivity
      (FC) of the bilateral dorsal and ventral AI was calculated for twenty
      congenitally blind (CB), 27 early blind (EB), 44 late blind (LB) individuals and
      50 sighted controls (SCs). The FCs of the dorsal AI were strengthened with the
      dorsal visual stream, while weakened with the ventral visual stream in the blind
      than the SCs; in contrast, the FCs of the ventral AI of the blind was
      strengthened with the ventral visual stream. Furthermore, these strengthened FCs
      of both the dorsal and ventral AI were partially negatively associated with the
      onset age of blindness. Our result indicates two parallel pathways that
      selectively transfer non-visual salient information between the deprived "visual"
      cortex and salience network in blind subjects.

PMID- 28358393
TI  - On-chip human microvasculature assay for visualization and quantification of
      tumor cell extravasation dynamics.
AB  - Distant metastasis, which results in >90% of cancer-related deaths, is enabled by
      hematogenous dissemination of tumor cells via the circulation. This requires the
      completion of a sequence of complex steps including transit, initial arrest,
      extravasation, survival and proliferation. Increased understanding of the
      cellular and molecular players enabling each of these steps is key to uncovering
      new opportunities for therapeutic intervention during early metastatic
      dissemination. As a protocol extension, this article describes an adaptation to
      our existing protocol describing a microfluidic platform that offers additional
      applications. This protocol describes an in vitro model of the human
      microcirculation with the potential to recapitulate discrete steps of early
      metastatic seeding, including arrest, transendothelial migration and early
      micrometastases formation. The microdevice features self-organized human
      microvascular networks formed over 4-5 d, after which the tumor can be perfused
      and extravasation events are easily tracked over 72 h via standard confocal
      microscopy. Contrary to most in vivo and in vitro extravasation assays, robust
      and rapid scoring of extravascular cells, combined with high-resolution imaging,
      can be easily achieved because of the confinement of the vascular network to one
      plane close to the surface of the device. This renders extravascular cells
      clearly distinct and allows tumor cells of interest to be identified quickly as
      compared with those in thick tissues. The ability to generate large numbers of
      devices (~36) per experiment further allows for highly parametric studies, which
      are required when testing multiple genetic or pharmacological perturbations. This
      is coupled with the capability for live tracking of single-cell extravasation
      events, allowing both tumor and endothelial morphological dynamics to be observed
      in high detail with a moderate number of data points.

PMID- 28358392
TI  - Analyzing trapped protein complexes by Virotrap and SFINX.
AB  - The analysis of protein interaction networks is one of the key challenges in the
      study of biology. It connects genotypes to phenotypes, and disruption of such
      networks is associated with many pathologies. Virtually all the approaches to the
      study of protein complexes require cell lysis, a dramatic step that obliterates
      cellular integrity and profoundly affects protein interactions. This protocol
      starts with Virotrap, a novel approach that avoids the need for cell
      homogenization by fusing the protein of interest to the HIV-1 Gag protein,
      trapping protein complexes in virus-like particles. By using the straightforward
      filtering index (SFINX), which is a powerful and intuitive online tool
      (http://sfinx.ugent.be) that enables contaminant removal from candidate lists
      resulting from mass-spectrometry-based analysis, we provide a complete workflow
      for researchers interested in mammalian protein complexes. Given direct access to
      mass spectrometers, researchers can process up to 24 samples in 7 d.

PMID- 28358394
TI  - Long-read ChIA-PET for base-pair-resolution mapping of haplotype-specific
      chromatin interactions.
AB  - Chromatin interaction analysis by paired-end tag sequencing (ChIA-PET) is a
      robust method for capturing genome-wide chromatin interactions. Unlike other 3C
      based methods, it includes a chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP) step that
      enriches for interactions mediated by specific target proteins. This unique
      feature allows ChIA-PET to provide the functional specificity and higher
      resolution needed to detect chromatin interactions, which chromosome conformation
      capture (3C)/Hi-C approaches have not achieved. The original ChIA-PET protocol
      generates short paired-end tags (2 * 20 base pairs (bp)) to detect two genomic
      loci that are far apart on linear chromosomes but are in spatial proximity in the
      folded genome. We have improved the original approach by developing long-read
      ChIA-PET, in which the length of the paired-end tags is increased (up to 2 * 250
      bp). The longer PET reads not only improve the tag-mapping efficiency but also
      increase the probability of covering phased single-nucleotide polymorphisms
      (SNPs), which allows haplotype-specific chromatin interactions to be identified.
      Here, we provide the detailed protocol for long-read ChIA-PET that includes cell
      fixation and lysis, chromatin fragmentation by sonication, ChIP, proximity
      ligation with a bridge linker, Tn5 tagmentation, PCR amplification and high
      throughput sequencing. For a well-trained molecular biologist, it typically takes
      6 d from cell harvesting to the completion of library construction, up to a
      further 36 h for DNA sequencing and <20 h for processing of raw sequencing reads.

PMID- 28358395
TI  - Carbon nanotube filled with magnetic iron oxide and modified with polyamidoamine
      dendrimers for immobilizing lipase toward application in biodiesel production.
AB  - Superparamagnetic multi-walled carbon nanotubes (mMWCNTs) were prepared by
      filling multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) with iron oxide, and further
      modified by linking polyamidoamine (PAMAM) dendrimers (mMWCNTs-PAMAM) on the
      surface. Then, mMWCNTs-PAMAM was employed as the carrier and successfully
      immobilized Burkholderia cepacia lipase (BCL) via a covalent method (BCL-mMWCNTs
      G3). The maximum activity recovery of the immobilized lipase was 1,716% and the
      specific activity increased to 77,460 U/g-protein, 17-fold higher than that of
      the free enzyme. The immobilized lipase displayed significantly enhanced
      thermostability and pH-resistance, and could efficiently catalyze
      transesterification to produce biodiesel at a conversion rate of 92.8%. Moreover,
      it possessed better recycling performance. After 20 cycles of repeated used, it
      still retained ca. 90% of its original activity, since the carbon nanotube-enzyme
      conjugates could be easily separated from the reaction mixture by using a magnet.
      This study provides a new perspective for biotechnological applications by adding
      a magnetic property to the unique intrinsic properties of nanotubes.

PMID- 28358396
TI  - Combined effects of temperature and the herbicide diuron on Photosystem II
      activity of the tropical seagrass Halophila ovalis.
AB  - Tropical seagrasses are at their highest risk of exposure to photosystem II
      (PSII) herbicides when elevated rainfall and runoff from farms transports these
      toxicants into coastal habitats during summer, coinciding with periods of
      elevated temperature. PSII herbicides, such as diuron, can increase the
      sensitivity of corals to thermal stress, but little is known of the potential for
      herbicides to impact the thermal optima of tropical seagrass. Here we employed a
      well-plate approach to experimentally assess the effects of diuron on the
      photosynthetic performance of Halophila ovalis leaves across a 25  degrees C
      temperature range (36 combinations of these stressors across 15-40  degrees C).
      The thermal optimum for photosynthetic efficiency (?) in H. ovalis was 31 
      degrees C while lower and higher temperatures reduced ? as did all elevated
      concentrations of diuron. There were significant interactions between the effects
      of temperature and diuron, with a majority of the combined stresses causing sub
      additive (antagonistic) effects. However, both stressors caused negative
      responses and the sum of the responses was greater than that caused by
      temperature or diuron alone. These results indicate that improving water quality
      (reducing herbicide in runoff) is likely to maximise seagrass health during
      extreme temperature events that will become more common as the climate changes.

PMID- 28358397
TI  - Cilia distribution and polarity in the epithelial lining of the mouse middle ear
      cavity.
AB  - The middle ear conducts sound to the cochlea for hearing. Otitis media (OM) is
      the most common illness in childhood. Moreover, chronic OM with effusion (COME)
      is the leading cause of conductive hearing loss. Clinically, COME is highly
      associated with Primary Ciliary Dyskinesia, implicating significant contributions
      of cilia dysfunction to COME. The understanding of middle ear cilia properties
      that are critical to OM susceptibility, however, is limited. Here, we confirmed
      the presence of a ciliated region near the Eustachian tube orifice at the ventral
      region of the middle ear cavity, consisting mostly of a lumen layer of multi
      ciliated and a layer of Keratin-5-positive basal cells. We also found that the
      motile cilia are polarized coordinately and display a planar cell polarity.
      Surprisingly, we also found a region of multi-ciliated cells that line the
      posterior dorsal pole of the middle ear cavity which was previously thought to
      contain only non-ciliated cells. Our study provided a more complete understanding
      of cilia distribution and revealed for the first time coordinated polarity of
      cilia in the epithelium of the mammalian middle ear, thus illustrating novel
      structural features that are likely critical for middle ear functions and related
      to OM susceptibility.

PMID- 28358398
TI  - Changes in initial COPD treatment choice over time and factors influencing
      prescribing decisions in UK primary care: in UK primary care: a real-world,
      retrospective, observational.
AB  - Prescribing patterns in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) are often
      inconsistent with published guidelines. This retrospective, observational study
      utilised data from the Optimum Patient Care Research Database to examine the
      changes in COPD prescribing patterns over time and to identify predictors of
      physician treatment choice for patients newly diagnosed with COPD. Initial
      therapy was defined as the treatment(s) prescribed at or within 1 year before
      COPD diagnosis. Changes over time were assessed in three cohorts based on the
      date of diagnosis: (1) 1997-2001; (2) 2002-2006; and (3) 2007-2010. Factors
      affecting the odds of being prescribed any initial therapy or any initial
      maintenance therapy were identified by univariable and multivariable logistic
      regression. The analysis included 20,154 patients, 45% of whom were prescribed an
      initial regimen containing an inhaled corticosteroid (ICS), whereas 28% received
      no initial pharmacological treatment. Prescribing of ICS monotherapy decreased
      over time, as did the proportion of patients receiving no therapy at or within 1
      year before diagnosis. Comorbid asthma, a high exacerbation rate, increased
      symptoms and poor lung function each increased the likelihood of being prescribed
      any initial therapy or initial maintenance therapy; comorbid asthma and an annual
      rate of ?3 exacerbations were the strongest predictors. In conclusion, our
      analyses revealed major differences between actual prescribing behaviour and
      guideline recommendations for patients with newly diagnosed COPD, with many
      patients receiving no treatment and large numbers of patients receiving ICS
      containing regimens. Predictors of initial therapy were identified.

PMID- 28358400
TI  - Ionothermal synthesis of novel Pb-OH-Cu-X (X = Cl, Br and I) quaternary
      heterometallic frameworks with tunable optical properties.
AB  - Reported herein is the new application of ionothermal synthesis for inorganic
      optical materials. Under ionothermal conditions with different imidazolium ionic
      liquids, novel quaternary heterometallic frameworks based on [Pb4(OH)4] cubane
      and [CuCl4] or [CuBr4] chains and [Cu2I6] binuclear clusters have been
      successfully produced. Simple chlorine, bromine and iodine replacement leads to
      not only the space group change (tetragonal I41/acd for 1 and 2, and orthorhombic
      Fddd for 3) but also the topological net transformation (8,12-net for 1 and 2,
      and 6,6-net for 3). Notably, compounds 1, 2 and 3 all show tunable solid-state
      semiconducting and luminescence properties.

PMID- 28358399
TI  - Influence of human population movements on urban climate of Beijing during the
      Chinese New Year holiday.
AB  - The population movements for the Chinese New Year (CNY) celebrations, known as
      the world's largest yearly migration of human beings, have grown rapidly in the
      past several decades. The massive population outflows from urban areas largely
      reduce anthropogenic heat release and modify some other processes, and may thus
      have noticeable impacts on urban climate of large cities in China. Here, we use
      Beijing as an example to present observational evidence for such impacts over the
      period of 1990-2014. Our results show a significant cooling trend of up to 0.55 
      degrees C per decade, particularly at the nighttime during the CNY holiday
      relative to the background period. The average nighttime cooling effect during
      2005-2014 reaches 0.94  degrees C relative to the 1990s, significant at the 99%
      confidence level. The further analysis supports that the cooling during the CNY
      holiday is attributable primarily to the population outflow of Beijing. These
      findings illustrate the importance of population movements in influencing urban
      climate despite certain limitations. As the world is becoming more mobile and
      increasingly urban, more efforts are called for to understand the role of human
      mobility at various spatial and temporal scales.

PMID- 28358401
TI  - Nanomaterial-based bone regeneration.
AB  - Bone diseases/injuries have been driving an urgent quest for bone substitutes for
      bone regeneration. Nanoscaled materials with bone-mimicking characteristics may
      create suitable microenvironments to guide effective bone regeneration. In this
      review, the natural hierarchical architecture of bone and its regeneration
      mechanisms are elucidated. Recent progress in the development of nanomaterials
      which can promote bone regeneration through bone-healing mimicry (e.g.,
      compositional, nanocrystal formation, structural, and growth factor-related
      mimicking) is summarized. The nanoeffects of nanomaterials on the regulation of
      bone-related biological functions are highlighted. How to prepare nanomaterials
      with combinative bone-biomimicry features according to the bone healing process
      is prospected in order to achieve rapid bone regeneration in situ.

PMID- 28358404
TI  - Assumption-free morphological quantification of single anisotropic nanoparticles
      and aggregates.
AB  - Characterizing the morphometric parameters of noble metal nanoparticles for
      sensing and catalysis is a persistent challenge due to their small size and
      complex shape. Herein, we present an approach to determine the volume, surface
      area, and curvature of non-symmetric anisotropic nanoparticles using electron
      tomography and design-based stereology without the use of segmentation tools or
      modeling of the particles. Finally, we apply these tools to aggregates to
      estimate their fractal dimension.

PMID- 28358407
TI  - Structural, electronic and mechanical properties of sp3-hybridized BN phases.
AB  - Motivated by the discovery of new phases of carbon under cold high-pressure
      compression, we performed a global structure search of high-pressure phases of
      boron nitride (BN). Ten new bulk phases were identified, each energetically more
      stable than the graphite-like hexagonal BN (h-BN) under high pressures. All ten
      high-pressure phases could be viewed as involving a stacking of buckled h-BN
      layers. Some of these solid structures can be fabricated through the cold high
      pressure compression of h-BN films. According to the buckling of the h-BN layers,
      the new BN phases could be classified into three groups. The atomic structures,
      relative stabilities, electronic structures, and mechanical properties were
      studied in detail. A strong dependence of the relative stability, band structure,
      and mechanical properties on the buckling of h-BN was observed. The computed
      electronic band structures suggested that most of the high-pressure BN phases
      were insulators with wide and indirect band gaps. The calculated elastic
      constants and hardness suggested that several of the BN structures were superhard
      materials with potential applications in materials science and engineering. The
      computed transition paths indicated that the direct transition from h-BN to four
      of the new sp3-hybridized BN structures, or specifically to w-BN or bct-BN, were
      likely to occur through cold compression. For the other five of the new BN
      structures, although deeper local minima existed in the transition path, their
      formation through cold compression of h-BN was still plausible due to the low
      transition barrier from the deeper local minima to the targeted structure.

PMID- 28358402
TI  - Mesoporous iron-carboxylate metal-organic frameworks synthesized by the double
      template method as a nanocarrier platform for intratumoral drug delivery.
AB  - Metal-organic frameworks as a powerful platform for drug delivery have attracted
      significant attention in recent years. In this study, mesoporous iron-metal
      organic framework nanoparticles (mesoMOFs) were synthesized via the double
      template method. Cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB) and citric acid (CA) were
      chosen as the double-template agent. The mesoMOFs were characterized by EDX,
      elemental analysis, TG, BET, SEM, TEM, and DLS. The anticancer drug doxorubicin
      hydrochloride (DOX) was encapsulated in the mesoMOFs, and the DOX loading content
      was up to 55 wt%. The mesoMOFs are non-toxic to both 4T1 breast cancer cells and
      3T3 fibroblasts. The DOX-loaded mesoMOFs exhibit a better anti-tumor effect than
      free doxorubicin in vitro. The in vivo anticancer activities of the DOX-loaded
      mesoMOFs were investigated in 4T1 breast cancer-bearing mice. The intratumoral
      injection of DOX-loaded mesoMOFs revealed that the mesoMOFs could significantly
      reduce the systemic toxicity of DOX, sustainably release DOX, and maintain an
      effective DOX concentration for chemotherapy. The DOX-loaded mesoMOFs exhibit
      excellent therapeutic efficacy and low side effects in local chemotherapy.

PMID- 28358410
TI  - Operando chemistry of catalyst surfaces during catalysis.
AB  - Chemistry of a catalyst surface during catalysis is crucial for a fundamental
      understanding of mechanism of a catalytic reaction performed on the catalyst in
      the gas or liquid phase. Due to the pressure- or molecular density-dependent
      entropy contribution of gas or liquid phase of the reactants and the potential
      formation of a catalyst surface during catalysis different from that observed in
      an ex situ condition, the characterization of the surface of a catalyst under
      reaction conditions and during catalysis can be significant and even necessary
      for understanding the catalytic mechanism at a molecular level. Electron-based
      analytical techniques are challenging for studying catalyst nanoparticles in the
      gas or liquid phase although they are necessary techniques to employ.
      Instrumentation and further development of these electron-based techniques have
      now made in situ/operando studies of catalysts possible. New insights into the
      chemistry and structure of catalyst nanoparticles have been uncovered over the
      last decades. Herein, the origin of the differences between ex situ and in
      situ/operando studies of catalysts, and the technical challenges faced as well as
      the corresponding instrumentation and innovations utilized for characterizing
      catalysts under reaction conditions and during catalysis, are discussed. The
      restructuring of catalyst surfaces driven by the pressure of reactant(s) around a
      catalyst, restructuring in reactant(s) driven by reaction temperature and
      restructuring during catalysis are also reviewed herein. The remaining challenges
      and possible solutions are briefly discussed.

PMID- 28358411
TI  - Advanced Glycation End Products are Increased in the Skin and Blood of Patients
      with Severe Psoriasis.
AB  - Psoriasis is frequently associated with metabolic comorbidities. Advanced
      glycation end products (AGEs) are highly oxidant, biologically active compounds
      that accumulate in tissues in association with hyperglycaemia, hyperlipidaemia
      and oxidative stress. This is a cross-sectional case-control study involving 80
      patients with mild/severe psoriasis and 80 controls matched for age, sex and body
      mass index (40 with severe eczema, 40 healthy individuals). Patients and healthy
      individuals with a smoking habit, diabetes, dyslipidaemia, hypercholesterolaemia,
      hypertension or who were under systemic treatment were excluded from the study.
      Skin AGEs were measured in normal-appearing skin by a standard fluorescence
      technique, and blood AGEs (total AGEs, pentosidine and AGEs receptor) by enzyme
      linked immunosorbent assay. Levels of cutaneous AGEs (p < 0.04), serum AGEs (p <
      0.03) and pentosidine (p <0.05) were higher in patients with severe psoriasis.
      Cutaneous AGEs correlated well with serum AGEs (r = 0.93, p < 0.0001) and with
      Psoriasis Area and Severity Index score (r = 0.91, p < 0.0001). Receptor levels
      were lower (p < 0.001) in severe psoriasis, and inversely correlated with disease
      severity (r = -0.71, p < 0.0002). Patients with severe psoriasis have
      accumulation of skin and serum AGEs, independent of associated metabolic
      disorders.

PMID- 28358412
TI  - Anticarcinogenic effects of water extract of sporoderm-broken spores of Ganoderma
      lucidum on colorectal cancer in vitro and in vivo.
AB  - Ganoderma lucidum (G. lucidum) polysaccharides (GLPs) have been used as
      traditional Chinese medicine for cancer prevention for many years. However, the
      mechanism by which GLP exerts its chemopreventive activities remains elusive. In
      addition, it is unclear whether sporoderm-broken spores of G. lucidum water
      extract (BSGLWE), which contains mainly GLPs, has anticancer effects on
      colorectal cancer. The present study investigated the anticancer effects and
      potential mechanisms of BSGLWE on colorectal cancer in vivo and in vitro. Our
      results showed that BSGLWE significantly inhibited colorectal cancer HCT116 cell
      viability in a time- and dose-dependent manner. Flow cytometry analysis indicated
      that BSGLWE disrupted cell cycle progression at G2/M phase via downregulation of
      cyclin B1 and cyclin A2, and upregulation of P21 at mRNA levels. Moreover, BSGLWE
      induced apoptosis by decreasing Bcl-2 and survivin at mRNA levels, and reduced
      Bcl-2, PARP, pro-caspase-3 and pro-caspase-9 at protein levels. Furthermore,
      BSGLWE suppressed tumor growth in vivo by regulating the expression of genes and
      proteins associated with cell cycle and apoptosis, which was further confirmed by
      a reduction of Ki67, PCNA, and Bcl-2 expression as determined by
      immunohistochemistry staining. NSAID activated gene-1 (NAG-1), a pro-apoptotic
      gene, was significantly upregulated in vivo and in vitro upon BSGLWE treatment at
      both mRNA and protein levels. In addition, the relative amounts of secreted NAG-1
      in cell culture medium or serum of nude mice were all upregulated upon BSGLWE
      treatments, suggesting a role of NAG-1 in BSGLWE-induced anticolorectal cancer
      activity. This is the first study to show that BSGLWE inhibits colorectal cancer
      carcinogenesis through regulating genes responsible for cell proliferation, cell
      cycle and apoptosis cascades. These findings indicate that BSGLWE possesses
      chemopreventive potential in colorectal cancer which may serve as a promising
      anticancer agent for clinical applications.

PMID- 28358413
TI  - Nationwide survey of Baller-Gerold syndrome in Japanese population.
AB  - Baller-Gerold syndrome (BGS) is a rare autosomal genetic disorder characterized
      by radial aplasia/hypoplasia and craniosynostosis. The causative gene for BGS
      encodes RECQL4, which belongs to the RecQ helicase family. To understand BGS
      patients in Japan, a nationwide survey was conducted, which identified 2 families
      and 3 patients affected by the syndrome. All the three patients showed radial
      defects and craniosynostosis. In one patient who showed a dislocated joint of the
      hip and flexion contracture of both the elbow joints and wrists at birth, a
      homozygous large deletion in the RECQL4 gene was identified. This is the first
      reported case of BGS in Japan caused by RECQL4 gene mutation.

PMID- 28358414
TI  - Salinomycin exhibits anti-angiogenic activity against human glioma in vitro and
      in vivo by suppressing the VEGF-VEGFR2-AKT/FAK signaling axis.
AB  - Tumor angiogenesis plays a crucial role in tumor growth, progression and
      metastasis, and suppression of tumor angiogenesis has been considered as a
      promising anticancer strategy. Salinomycin (SAL), an antibiotic, displays novel
      anticancer potential against several human cancer cells in vitro and in vivo.
      However, little information concerning its anti-angiogenic properties is
      available. Therefore, the anti-angiogenic effect of SAL and the underlying
      mechanism in human glioma were evaluated in the present study. The results
      indicated that SAL treatment significantly inhibited human umbilical vein
      endothelial cell (HUVEC) proliferation, migration, invasion and capillary-like
      tube formation. Further investigation on intracellular mechanisms showed that SAL
      markedly suppressed FAK and AKT phosphorylation, and downregulated vascular
      endothelial growth factor (VEGF) expression in HUVECs. Pretreatment of cells with
      a PI3K inhibitor (LY294002) and FAK inhibitor (PF562271) markedly enhanced SAL
      induced inhibition of HUVEC proliferation and migration, respectively. Moreover,
      U251 human glioma xenograft growth was also effectively blocked by SAL treatment
      in vivo via inhibition of angiogenesis involving FAK and AKT depho-sphorylation.
      Taken together, our findings validated that SAL inhibits angiogenesis and human
      glioma growth through suppression of the VEGF-VEGFR2-AKT/FAK signaling axis,
      indicating the potential application of SAL for the treatment of human glioma.

PMID- 28358415
TI  - Expression levels of transcription factors c-Fos and c-Jun and transmembrane
      protein HAb18G/CD147 in urothelial carcinoma of the bladder.
AB  - The aim of the present study was to investigate the prognostic significance of
      the expression of transcription factors, c-Fos, c-Jun and transmembrane protein
      CD147, in urothelial carcinoma of the bladder (UCB). The current study
      investigated the clinical significance of these factors in the development,
      progression and survival analysis of UCB. Immunohistochemistry was employed to
      analyze c-Fos, c-Jun and CD147 expression in 41 UCB cases and 34 non-cancerous
      human bladder tissues. These results were scored in a semi-quantitative manner
      based on the intensity and percentage of tumor cells that presented
      immunoreactivity. Protein levels of CD147, c-Fos and c-Jun expression were
      upregulated in 22 (53.7%), 10 (24.4%) and 9 (22.0%) UCB cases, respectively. High
      levels of c-Jun correlated with the AJCC cancer staging manual (7th edition;
      P=0.038). Univariate analysis revealed that upregulated CD147 (P=0.038) or c-Jun
      (P=0.008) was associated with poor overall survival (OS), respectively. Further
      analysis revealed that either CD147-c-Fos-c-Jun co-expression (P=0.004), or CD147
      c-Jun co-expression (P=0.037) and c-Fos-c-Jun co-expression (P<0.001) were
      associated with poor OS. Multivariate analysis suggested that either upregulation
      of CD147, c-Jun or c-Fos were independent risk indicators for death in UCB
      patients. Increased expression of c-Jun or CD147, as well as co-expression of
      CD147-c-Jun, c-Jun-c-Fos or CD147-c-Jun-c-Fos has prognostic significance for UCB
      patients. Therefore, high CD147 and c-Jun expression may serve roles in tumor
      progression and may be diagnostic and therapeutic targets in UCB whether alone or
      in combination.

PMID- 28358417
TI  - [Editorial] Environmental and occupational risk factors associated with different
      pathological conditions.
AB  - A wide body of evidence indicates that environmental and occupational risk
      factors are associated with the development of pathological disorders. The
      pathogenic role of many environmental pollutants or occupational contaminants is
      already known and has been extensively investigated. However, the molecular
      mechanisms of action and the pathogenic effects of many substances remain
      unknown. Therefore, there is a need to better investigate the role of new
      environmental and occupational risk factors that may cause the development of
      several diseases.

PMID- 28358418
TI  - With no interaction, knockdown of Apollon and MDR1 reverse the multidrug
      resistance of human chronic myelogenous leukemia K562/ADM cells.
AB  - Chemotherapy is the main treatment method for patients with chronic myeloid
      leukemia (CML) and has achieved marked results. However, the acquisition of
      multidrug resistance (MDR) has seriously affected the quality of life and
      survival rate of patients. The overexpression of the inhibitors of apoptosis
      proteins (IAPs) and the adenosine triphosphate (ATP)-dependent binding cassette
      (ABC) transporters are the two main causes of MDR. Apollon and MDR1 are the most
      important and representative members, respectively, among the IAPs and ABC
      transporters. In the present study, we investigated the role of Apollon and MDR1
      in chemotherapy resistance and their mechanism of interaction. We respectively
      knocked down the expression of Apollon and MDR1 using short hairpin RNA (shRNA)
      in adriamycin (ADM) resistant human CML K562 cells and examined the drug
      sensitivity, the consequences with regard to ADM accumulation and the alterations
      in the expression of Apollon and MDR1. The expression levels of Apollon and MDR1
      mRNA were higher in the K562/ADM cells compared with the parental K562 cells as
      determined by reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). The
      plasmids of Apollon and MDR1 shRNA were respectively stably transfected into
      K562/ADM cells using Lipofectamine 2000. The transfection efficiency was detected
      by fluorescence microscopy. Cell Counting Kit-8 (CCK-8) assay revealed that
      Apollon or MDR1 knockdown significantly increased the chemosensitivity of the
      K562/ADM cells to ADM. Flow cytometric assay revealed that K562/ADM/shMDR1 cells
      exhibited a significantly increased intracellular accumulation of ADM, and that
      changes were not found in the K562/ADM/shApollon cells. Compared with the
      parental K562/ADM cells, a significantly decreased expression of Apollon mRNA and
      protein was determined in the K562/ADM/shApollon cells without affecting the
      expression of MDR1 as determined by RT-PCR and western blotting. Likewise, the
      expression levels of MDR1 mRNA and protein also markedly downregulated in the
      K562/ADM/shMDR1 cells had no effect on Apollon expression. Collectively, our
      findings demonstrated, for the first time, that downregulation of Apollon or MDR1
      through stable transfection with the Apollon- or MDR1-targeting shRNA induced MDR
      reversal through respective inhibition of Apollon or MDR1 expression and
      function. However, the reversal mechanism of Apollon and MDR1 revealed no direct
      interaction with each other.

PMID- 28358416
TI  - Cibotium barometz polysaccharides stimulate chondrocyte proliferation in vitro by
      promoting G1/S cell cycle transition.
AB  - Cibotium barometz polysaccharides (CBPS) are one of the most important bioactive
      components extracted from the Cibotium barometz plant, which belongs to the
      Dicksoniaceae family. It has been widely used for the treatment of orthopedic
      diseases in traditional Chinese medicine. However, the molecular mechanisms
      behind the therapeutic effects of CBPS remain to be clarified. In the present
      study, the concentration of CBPS was detected by phenol-vitriol colorimetry.
      Furthermore, the effects stimulated by CBPS on the viability and G1/S cell cycle
      transition in primary chondrocytes from Sprague-Dawley rats were investigated. A
      cell viability assay demonstrated that chondrocyte proliferation may be enhanced
      by CBPS in a dose- and time-dependent manner. The mechanism underlying the
      promotion of chondrocyte cell cycle was suggested to involve the stimulation of
      G1 to S phase transition. To further confirm the results, reverse transcription
      quantitative polymerase chain reaction and western blot analyses were used to
      detect the expression of mRNA and protein levels of cyclin D1, cyclin-dependent
      kinase 4 and retinoblastoma protein. The results suggested that CBPS may
      stimulate chondrocyte proliferation via promoting G1/S cell cycle transition.
      Since osteoarthritis is characterized by deficient proliferation in chondrocytes,
      the present study indicates that CBPS may potentially serve as a novel method for
      the treatment of osteoarthritis.

PMID- 28358419
TI  - Oncostatin M in William's E medium is suitable for initiation of hepatocyte
      differentiation in human induced pluripotent stem cells.
AB  - William's E (WE) is a suitable medium for the differentiation of human induced
      pluripotent stem (iPS) cells to the hepatocyte lineage. The aim of the present
      study was to investigate various growth factors in their ability to promote
      hepatocyte differentiation of iPS cells in WE medium. Human iPS 201B7 cells were
      cultured in WE medium supplemented with growth factors, and mRNA expression
      levels and promoter activities of alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) and albumin were
      examined by reverse transcription-quantitative polymerase chain reaction and
      luciferase assay, respectively. In addition, time course analysis of AFP mRNA
      expression was performed in 201B7 cells cultured in WE medium supplemented with
      oncostatin M. The results demonstrated that mRNA expression levels of AFP were
      significantly elevated by most growth factors tested as supplements in WE medium,
      except all-trans retinoic acid, compared with cells cultured in ReproFF (a medium
      that maintains pluripotency). The highest increase in AFP mRNA expression levels
      was observed by oncostatin M stimulation. Albumin mRNA expression levels were
      increased by all-trans retinoic acid and insulin-transferrin-selenium
      supplementation in WE medium compared with cells cultured in ReproFF. Oncostatin
      M supplementation significantly stimulated the promoter activity of the AFP gene,
      but no growth factor tested significantly stimulated the promoter activity of the
      albumin gene. By time course analysis, significant increase of AFP mRNA
      expression was observed on the sixth day post-stimulation, compared with cells
      cultured in WE medium alone. In conclusion, the present study demonstrated that
      oncostatin M supplementation in WE medium was sufficient to initiate hepatocyte
      differentiation in iPS cells.

PMID- 28358420
TI  - Attenuation of UV-B exposure-induced inflammation by abalone hypobranchial gland
      and gill extracts.
AB  - Exposure to solar ultraviolet B (UV-B) is a known causative factor for many skin
      complications such as wrinkles, black spots, shedding and inflammation. Within
      the wavelengths 280-320 nm, UV-B can penetrate to the epidermal level. This
      investigation aimed to test whether extracts from the tropical abalone [Haliotis
      asinina (H. asinina)] mucus-secreting tissues, the hypobranchial gland (HBG) and
      gills, were able to attenuate the inflammatory process, using the human
      keratinocyte HaCaT cell line. Cytotoxicity of abalone tissue extracts was
      determined using an AlamarBlue viability assay. Results showed that HaCaT cells
      could survive when incubated in crude HBG and gill extracts at concentrations
      between <11.8 and <16.9 ug/ml, respectively. Subsequently, cell viability was
      compared between cultured HaCaT cells exposed to serial doses of UV-B from 1 to
      11 (x10) mJ/cm2 and containing 4 different concentrations of abalone extract from
      both the HBG and gill (0, 0.1, 2.5, 5 ug/ml). A significant increase in cell
      viability was observed (P<0.001) following treatment with 2.5 and 5 ug/ml
      extract. Without extract, cell viability was significantly reduced upon exposure
      to UV-B at 4 mJ/cm2. Three morphological changes were observed in HaCaT cells
      following UV-B exposure, including i) condensation of cytoplasm; ii) shrunken
      cells and plasma membrane bubbling; and iii) condensation of chromatin material.
      A calcein AM-propidium iodide live-dead assay showed that cells could survive
      cytoplasmic condensation, yet cell death occurred when damage also included
      membrane bubbling and chromatin changes. Western blot analysis of HaCaT cell COX
      2, p38, phospho-p38, SPK/JNK and phospho-SPK/JNK following exposure to >2.5 ug/ml
      extract showed a significant decrease in intensity for COX-2, phospho-p38 and
      phospho-SPK/JNK. The present study demonstrated that abalone extracts from the
      HGB and gill can attenuate inflammatory proteins triggered by UV-B. Hence, the
      contents of abalone extract, including cellmetabolites and peptides, may provide
      new agents for skin anti-inflammation, preventing damage due to UV-B.

PMID- 28358421
TI  - Extravasated platelet aggregation in the livers of rats with drug-induced hepatic
      sinusoidal obstruction syndrome.
AB  - Oxaliplatin-based chemotherapy plays an important role in the treatment of
      colorectal liver metastases. Oxaliplatin, however, causes sinusoidal obstruction
      syndrome (SOS), which is characterized by portal hypertension, splenomegaly,
      thrombocytopenia, and liver dysfunction. SOS is diagnosed histopathologically by
      disruption of the sinusoidal endothelium, collagen deposition, fibrosis
      especially around zone 3, dilatation of the sinusoidal space and congestion. This
      study assessed the characteristics of a rat model of SOS. SOS was induced in rats
      by administration of monocrotaline (MCT). Blood chemistries and macroscopic and
      microscopic findings were compared in rats administered MCT and vehicle (control
      group). Levels of expression in the liver of CD41, P-selectin, rat endothelial
      cell antigen-1, CD34, and cleaved caspase-3 were analyzed immunohistochemically.
      Moreover, livers of these rats were analyzed by electron microscopy.
      Macroscopically, MCT-treated rats showed accumulation of bloody ascites and blue
      liver and were diagnosed with SOS histologically. Serum concentrations of
      aspartate aminotransferase (P=0.003), alanine aminotransferase (P=0.008), total
      bilirubin (P=0.012), direct-bilirubin (P=0.007), indirect-bilirubin (P=0.003),
      lactate dehydrogenase (P<0.001) and hyaluronic acid (P=0.016) were significantly
      higher, and platelet counts significantly lower (P=0.004), in MCT-treated than in
      control rats. The livers of MCT-treated rats were immunohistochemically positive
      for CD41 and P-selectin, suggesting platelet aggregates; for rat endothelial cell
      antigen-1 and CD34, suggesting sinusoidal endothelial disorder; and for cleaved
      caspase-3, suggesting hepatocyte apoptosis. Electron microscopic findings
      revealed platelet aggregation in the space of Disse in the MCT group.
      Extravasated platelet aggregation in Disse's space may be involved in the
      development of SOS.

PMID- 28358422
TI  - Lentivirus-mediated overexpression of CD97/ADGRE5 reverses dysregulated high
      glucose-induced endothelial cell migration.
AB  - Elevated blood glucose levels contribute to a series of complications in patients
      with diabetes mellitus, including chronic ulcers and accelerated atherosclerosis.
      Dysregulated endothelial migration induced by high glucose is important in
      vascular-associated complications. In the present study, cluster of
      differentiation (CD)97/adhesion G protein-coupled receptor 5 (ADGRE5), a member
      of the G protein-coupled receptor protein family, stimulated angiogenesis was
      investigated to determine its role in cell models of diabetes mellitus using
      lentivirus-mediated overexpression and siRNA transfection. The results revealed
      reduced expression in high glucose-treated human umbilical vein endothelial cells
      and in the endothelium of diabetic mice. Among the three CD97 isoforms, the
      majority of the expression of CD97 (EGF1,2,5) in the endothelial cells was
      regulated by high levels of glucose. Using stable lentivirus-mediated
      transfection and clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats
      (CRISPR)/CRISPR-associated protein 9 (Cas9) technology, the present study
      constructed CD97-overexpression and CD97-knockout endothelial cell lines.
      Migration assays showed that the lentivirus-mediated overexpression of
      CD97/ADGRE5 improved the inhibition of high glucose-induced endothelial cell
      migration. In addition, using cytoskeleton staining, it was found that CD97
      promoted membrane ruffling and lamellipodia formation. Cell division cycle 42, a
      small GTP-binding protein, and its downstream factor, actin-related protein 2,
      were involved in CD97-induced actin reorganization in endothelial cells.
      Additionally, the use of transcription factor filter plate assays revealed that
      the nuclear translocation of signal transducer and activator of transcription 1
      stimulated by high glucose contributed to the inhibited transcription of CD97. In
      conclusion, the present study established that the overexpression of CD97
      improved high glucose-induced dysfunction of endothelial cell migration. These
      findings provide insight to assist in identifying therapeutic targets with
      potential to ameliorate certain vascular complications of diabetes.

PMID- 28358424
TI  - Exome sequencing reveals novel IRXI mutation in congenital heart disease.
AB  - Genetic variation in specific transcription factors during heart formation may
      lead to congenital heart disease (CHD) or even miscarriage. The aim of the
      present study was to identify CHD-associated genes using next generation
      sequencing (NGS). The whole exome DNA sequence was obtained from a stillborn
      fetus diagnosed with tricuspid atresia and complete transposition of the great
      arteries using high-throughput sequencing methods. Subsequently, genetic variants
      of CHD-associated genes were selected and verified in 215 non-syndromic CHD
      patients and 249 healthy control subjects using polymerase chain reaction
      combined with Sanger sequencing. Genetic variants of previously reported CHD
      inducing genes, such as cysteine rich with EGF like domains 1 and cbp/p300
      interacting transactivator with Glu/Asp rich carboxy-terminal domain 2, were
      discovered through the NGS analysis. In addition, a novel non-synonymous mutation
      of the iroquois homeobox 1 (IRX1) gene (p.Gln240Glu) was identified. A total of
      three non-synonymous mutations (p.Gln240Glu, p.Ser298Asn and p.Ala381Glu) of the
      IRX1 gene were verified in 215 non-syndromic CHD patients, but not in 249 healthy
      volunteers. The results demonstrated that NGS is a powerful tool to study the
      etiology of CHD. In addition, the results suggest that genetic variants of the
      IRX1 gene may contribute to the pathogenesis of CHD.

PMID- 28358423
TI  - Circulating microRNA-194 regulates human melanoma cells via PI3K/AKT/FoxO3a and
      p53/p21 signaling pathway.
AB  - In the present study, we analyzed the role of microRNA-194 circulating regulated
      human melanoma cell growth. We found that microRNA-194 expression was markedly
      suppressed in human melanoma patients, compared with negative control group.
      Next, disease-free survival (DFS) and overall survival (OS) of high expression in
      human melanoma patients was higher than those of low expression in human melanoma
      patients. MicroRNA-194 overexpression inhibited cell proliferation, induced
      apoptosis, increased caspase-3/-9 activities and promoted Bax/Bcl-2 of human
      melanoma cells. Furthermore, microRNA-194 overexpression also suppressed
      PI3K/AKT/FoxO3a signaling pathway and induced p53/p21 signaling pathway. PI3K
      inhibitor, suppressed PI3K, phosphorylation-AKT, FoxO3a protein expression and
      increased the effects of microRNA-194 overexpression on cell growth, apoptosis,
      caspase-3/-9 activities and Bax/Bcl-2 protein expression of human melanoma cells
      through the induction of p53/p21 signaling pathway. Taken together, these data
      indicate that circulating microRNA-194 regulated human melanoma cells via
      PI3K/AKT/FoxO3a and p53/p21 signaling pathway.

PMID- 28358426
TI  - 2-Deoxy-D-glucose initiates hepatocyte differentiation in human induced
      pluripotent stem cells.
AB  - To initiate hepatocyte differentiation in human induced pluripotent stem (iPS)
      cells, cells are cultured in a medium lacking glucose but supplemented with
      galactose (hepatocyte selection medium, HSM) or in medium supplemented with
      oncostatin M and small molecules (hepatocyte differentiation inducer, HDI). In
      the present study, 2-Deoxy-D-glucose (2DG), an analogue of glucose, was utilized
      instead of glucose deprivation and the effect of 2DG supplementation on iPS
      differentiation was examined. First, 201B7 cells, an iPS cell line, were cultured
      in HSM or HDI media for 2 days and then subjected to reverse transcription
      quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR) in order to analyze expression
      levels of established hepatocyte markers, including cytosolic aspartate
      aminotransferase (AST), mitochondrial AST, alanine aminotransferase (ALT), and
      glycerol kinase. mRNA expression levels of mitochondrial AST, ALT, and glycogen
      synthase significantly increased following culture in HSM and HDI compared with
      ReproFF media. Cytosolic AST mRNA expression levels significantly increased
      following culture in HDI compared with ReproFF media, but not in HSM. To test the
      effect of 2DG on iPS differentiation, 201B7 cells were cultured in ReproFF, a
      feeder-free medium that retains pluripotency, supplemented with 2DG. Following 7
      days of culture, the cells were subjected to RT-qPCR to analyze expression levels
      of alpha-fetoprotein (AFP), a marker of immature hepatocytes. AFP mRNA expression
      levels significantly increased with the addition of 0.1 uM 2DG in the media, and
      galactose addition acted synergistically with 2DG to further upregulate AFP
      expression. In conclusion, the present study demonstrated that hepatocyte
      differentiation was initiated in iPS cells cultured in HSM and HDI media and that
      2DG could be used as a supplement instead of glucose deprivation to initiate
      hepatocyte differentiation in iPS cells.

PMID- 28358425
TI  - ORMDL3 is associated with airway remodeling in asthma via the ERK/MMP-9 pathway.
AB  - ORMDL sphingolipid biosynthesis regulator 3 (ORMDL3) has been previously
      implicated in asthma pathogenesis, its effect on airway remodeling remains to be
      elucidated. The present study examined the expression levels of ORMDL3 in a mouse
      model of asthma. Mice were divided into three groups: Asthmatic model (n=10),
      budesonide-treated (n=10) and a control group (n=8). Asthma was induced by
      sensitization with ovalbumin (OVA) and aluminum hydroxide on day 1, 7 and 14.
      Subsequently mice were exposed to OVA three times per week from day 28. In order
      to investigate the mechanism of airway remodeling 100 ug/kg aerosol budesonide
      was administered to 6 animals prior to exposure to OVA. The condition of lung
      tissues was assessed through histology, and the expression levels of ORMDL3,
      phosphorylated-extracellular-signal regulated kinase (p-ERK) and matrix
      metallopeptidase-9 (MMP-9) were quantified using immunohistochemistry, reverse
      transcription-quantitative polymerase chain reaction and western blotting. A
      severe inflammatory response and airway remodeling were pretreatment with
      budesonide. Expression levels of ORMDL3, phosphorylated (p)-ERK and MMP-9 were
      significantly greater in the asthma-model group; however, in the group pretreated
      with budesonide their expression was reduced. Expression levels of ORMDL3, p-ERK
      and MMP-9 were significantly positively correlated with bronchial wall thickness.
      ORMDL3 expression was significantly positively correlated with p-ERK and MMP-9.
      Therefore, increased ORMDL3 expression may induce the p-ERK/MMP-9 pathway to
      promote pathological airway remodeling in patients with asthma.

PMID- 28358427
TI  - H19 promotes the migration and invasion of colon cancer by sponging miR-138 to
      upregulate the expression of HMGA1.
AB  - Colon cancer is the most common digestive system malignancy, along with high
      mortality rate, familial transmissibility and hepatic metastasis. Our study
      investigated the role of long non-coding RNA H19 in colon cancer. We found that
      H19 was overexpressed in colon cancer tissues and cell lines, the interference of
      H19 by short hairpin RNA (shRNA) effectively decreased the migration and invasion
      of colon cancer cells (HT-29 and RKO). Besides, miR-138 was predicted a target of
      H19, and low expression of miR-138 was found in colon cancer tissues and cells.
      The silence of H19 strongly increased the expression of miR-138. The decreased
      level of miR-138 was elevated adding miR-138 mimic in RKO cells transfected with
      lncRNA-H19. Similarly, the upregulated level of miR-138 was downregulated adding
      miR-138 inhibitor in RKO cells transfected with H19 shRNA. The luciferase
      reporter confirmed the targeting reaction between H19 and miR-138. Moreover, the
      high-mobility group A (HMGA1) protein was predicted as a target of miR-138. HMGA1
      was suppressed by H19 shRNA and could be up-regulated by miR-138 inhibitor. The
      migration and invasion ability of colon cancer was restrained by H19 shRNA and
      promoted by miR-138 inhibitor. Finally, the in vivo experiment revealed that H19
      shRNA strongly reduced the tumor growth and tumor volume. H19 shRNA also
      inhibited metastasis via suppressing hepatic metastases and the expression of
      metastasis-related proteins. Taken together, our research indicated an H19-miR138
      HMGA1 pathway in regulating the migration and invasion of colon cancer, providing
      new insight for treatment of colon cancer.

PMID- 28358428
TI  - Novel therapeutic effects of sesamin on diabetes-induced cardiac dysfunction.
AB  - Diabetes is a risk factor that increases the occurrence and severity of
      cardiovascular events. Cardiovascular complications are the leading cause of
      mortality of 75% of patients with diabetes >40 years old. Sesamin, the bioactive
      compound extracted from Sesamum indicum, is a natural compound that has diverse
      beneficial effects on hypoglycemia and reducing cholesterol. The aim of this
      study is to investigate sesamin effects to diabetes-inducing cardiac hypertrophy.
      In the present study bioinformatics analysis demonstrated cardiac hypertrophy
      signaling may be the most important pathway for upregulating genes in sesamin
      treated groups. To verify the bioinformatics prediction, sesamin was used as the
      main bioactive compound to attenuate the impact of diabetes induced by
      streptozotocin (STZ) on cardiac function in a rat model. The results revealed
      that oral administration of sesamin for 4 weeks (100 and 200 mg/kg body weight)
      marginally improved blood glucose levels, body weight and significantly
      ameliorated the effects on heart rate and blood pressure in rats with type 1
      diabetes relative to control rats. The QT interval of sesamin was also reduced
      relative to the control group. The findings indicated that sesamin has potential
      cardioprotective effects in the STZ-induced diabetes model. This suggested that
      this can be used as a novel treatment for patients with diabetes with cardiac
      dysfunction complication.

PMID- 28358429
TI  - Heat shock exerts anticancer effects on liver cancer via autophagic degradation
      of aquaporin 5.
AB  - Previous studies described that the expression of aquaporin 5 (AQP5) was altered
      in tumors of various organs. AQP5 is attracting attention as a new cancer
      therapeutic target. In the present study, heat shock-induced changes in AQP5
      expression were evaluated by immunofluorescent staining (IF) and western blotting
      (WB) of liver cancer cells. AQP5 knockdown experiments or a heat shock treatment
      were conducted, and their effects on cell volume, proliferation, cell cycle, the
      activity of apoptosis and migration/invasion were compared. Cycloheximide (CHX)
      chase experiments and double IF of AQP5 and light chain 3B (LC3B) were performed
      to investigate the mechanisms underlying changes in AQP5 expression. The results
      showed that IF and WB revealed decrease in AQP5 expression on cellular membranes
      and in the cytoplasm of heated cells. AQP5 knockdown and heat shock similarly
      decreased cell volume, suppressed migration/invasion and proliferation, and
      induced early apoptosis and partial G0/G1 arrest. CHX chase experiments revealed
      that heat shock accelerated the degradation of AQP5, which was rescued under CHX
      and the autophagy inhibitor, bafilomycin A1 (BafA1). Double IF showed the co
      localization of AQP5 and LC3B on BafA1-treated heated cells. In conclusion, we
      demonstrated that heat shock decreased AQP5 on cellular membranes and in the
      cytoplasm by activating autophagic degradation, and heat shock and AQP5 knockdown
      exerted similar anticancer effects, suggesting that heat shock exerts anticancer
      effects via the autophagic degradation of AQP5.

PMID- 28358431
TI  - Erythromycin attenuates metalloprotease/anti-metalloprotease imbalance in
      cigarette smoke-induced emphysema in rats via the mitogen-activated protein
      kinase/nuclear factor-kappaB activation pathway.
AB  - The present study investigated whether erythromycin (ERY) reduces cigarette smoke
      (CS)-induced emphysema in rats and aimed to determine the anti-inflammatory
      effect of ERY, which may identify potential treatments for chronic obstructive
      pulmonary disease. Furthermore, the current study focused on the potential
      effects on the imbalance between matrix metalloprotease (MMP) and anti-MMP
      activity, the phosphorylation of mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPKs) and
      the nuclear factor-kappaB (NF-kappaB) signaling pathway. Wistar rats were divided
      into the following three groups (n=12 each): control (ERY vehicle only, without
      any CS exposure), CS (animals were exposed to CS for 12 weeks) and CS + ERY
      (animals were exposed to CS for 12 weeks and received 100 mg/kg/day ERY). The
      recruitment of inflammatory cells into the bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF)
      and the histopathology of lung tissue from all groups was evaluated to grade the
      severity of the emphysema. The expression of MMP-2, MMP-9 and tissue inhibitor of
      metalloproteinase-1 was evaluated by immunohistochemistry and western blotting.
      The activation of MAPKs, NF-kappaB and inhibitor of NF-kappaB (IkappaBalpha), in
      lung tissues was examined by western blotting. Treatment with ERY resulted in
      fewer inflammatory cells and cytokines in the BALF, and fewer emphysema
      associated changes in the lungs compared with control. The stimulus of CS
      promoted the phosphorylation of extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK)1/2
      and p38, but not c-Jun NH2-terminal kinase, thereby inducing the activation of
      the ERK/MAPK signaling pathway in rats. Furthermore, CS exposure increased the
      expression of NF-kappaB and decreased the expression of IkappaBalpha. The levels
      of phosphorylated ERK1/2 and p38 were significantly reduced in rats with CS
      induced emphysema when treated with ERY compared with the CS group. The results
      of the present study therefore indicate that oral administration of ERY may
      suppress CS-induced emphysema by regulating inflammatory cytokines and the
      MMP/anti-MMP imbalance via the MAPK/NF-kappaB pathway.

PMID- 28358432
TI  - iRGD as a tumor-penetrating peptide for cancer therapy (Review).
AB  - As a tumor-targeting and -penetrating peptide, iRGD binds to alphav integrins and
      neuropilin-1 receptors, which are expressed at high levels on tumor cells and the
      surfaces of vasculature. Subsequently, iRGD penetrates deep into the tumor
      parenchyma with antitumor drugs, imaging agents, immune modulators and biological
      products. These substances are either chemically linked to the peptide or co
      injected with the peptide. The iRGD peptide can be readily synthesized, exhibits
      significantly improved penetration, compared with traditional peptides, and can
      effectively inhibit tumor metastasis. Therefore, the peptide is now used widely
      for the diagnosis and treatment of cancer. However, whether the peptide is able
      to promote the entry of drugs into non-targeted cells remains to be fully
      elucidated. In this review, an overview of iRGD is presented, focusing on its
      identification, mechanism of action and previous studies on its roles in various
      types of cancer. Studies in previous years have demonstrated the potential of the
      iRGD protein for tumors diagnosis and targeted treatment, which warrants further
      investigation.

PMID- 28358430
TI  - Comparison of the PI3KCA pathway in circulating tumor cells and corresponding
      tumor tissue of patients with metastatic breast cancer.
AB  - The aim of the present study was to compare the phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase
      (PI3KCA)-AKT serine/threonine kinase (AKT) pathway in circulating tumor cells
      (CTCs) and corresponding cancerous tissues. Stemness-like circulating tumor cells
      (slCTCs) and CTCs in epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) have been implicated
      as the active source of metastatic spread in breast cancer (BC). In this regard,
      the PI3KCA-AKT signaling pathway was demonstrated to be implicated in and to be
      frequently mutated in BC. The present study compared this pathway in slCTCs/CTCs
      in EMT and the corresponding tumor tissues of 90 metastatic BC patients (pts).
      slCTCs and CTCs in EMT were isolated using the AdnaTest EMT-1/StemCell for the
      detection of aldehyde dehydrogenase 1 family member A1 (ALDH1) (singleplex PCR)
      and PI3KCA, AKT2 and twist family bHLH transcription factor 1 (multiplex PCR).
      Tumor tissue was investigated for PI3KCA hotspot mutations using Sanger
      sequencing of genomic DNA from micro-dissected formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded
      tissue, and for the expression of ALDH1 and phosphorylated AKT (pAKT), and
      phosphatase and tensin homolog (PTEN) loss, by immunohistochemistry. slCTCs were
      identified in 23% of pts (21/90 pts) and CTCs in EMT in 56% (50/90 pts) of pts.
      pAKT and ALDH1 positivity in tumor tissue was identified in 47 and 9% of cases,
      respectively, and a PTEN loss was observed in 18% of pts. A significant
      association was detected between pAKT expression in cancerous tissue and AKT2
      expression in CTCs (P=0.037). PI3KCA mutations were detected in 32% of pts, most
      frequently on exons 21 (55%) and 10 (45%). Pts with PI3KCA mutations in tumor
      tissue had a significantly longer overall survival than pts with wild-type PI3KCA
      expression (P=0.007). Similar results were obtained for pts with aberrant PI3KCA
      signaling in CTCs and/or aberrant signaling in cancerous tissue (P=0.009).
      Therapy-resistant CTCs, potentially derived from the primary tumor or metastatic
      tissue, may be eliminated with specific PI3K pathway inhibitors, alone or in
      combination, to improve the prognosis of metastatic BC pts.

PMID- 28358433
TI  - TGFBI gene mutations analysis in Chinese families with corneal dystrophies.
AB  - The aim of the present study was to examine the clinical features of three
      Chinese families with autosomal dominant corneal dystrophy (CD) and examine
      transforming growth factor-beta-induced (TGFBI) gene mutations in these families.
      The TGFBI gene mutations were detected using direct sequencing of the whole
      coding regions and exon-intron boundaries of the TGFBI gene in the affected
      members from the three families with CD. The phenotypes of all affected
      individuals in the three families were observed via slit lamp examination.
      Sections of the cornea were used for biopsy following keratoplasty. Three types
      of TGFBI gene mutations, R124C, H626R and R124H, were detected in the patients
      from these three families. One family, with the R124C mutation, was diagnosed
      with lattice corneal dystrophy type 1, and the family with the H626R mutation was
      diagnosed with lattice corneal dystrophy type IIIB. The family with the R124H
      mutation was diagnosed with granular corneal dystrophy type 2. The TGFBI gene
      mutations were considered underlying factors in the molecular mechanism
      underlying the pathogenesis of cornea dystrophy. Therefore, the detection of
      TGFBI gene mutations may be useful in the differential diagnosis of CD.

PMID- 28358434
TI  - Effects of GSK2606414 on cell proliferation and endoplasmic reticulum stress
      associated gene expression in retinal pigment epithelial cells.
AB  - GSK2606414 is a novel, highly selective inhibitor of protein kinase R-like
      endoplasmic reticulum kinase (PERK). GSK2606414 and its analogues have recently
      been demonstrated to delay tumor growth and prevent neurodegeneration. The
      present study investigated the effects of GSK2606414 on proliferation, apoptosis,
      and the expression of activating transcription factor 4 (ATF4), CCAAT/enhancer
      binding protein homologous protein (CHOP) and vascular endothelial growth factor
      (VEGF) in human retinal pigment epithelial (RPE) cells under endoplasmic
      reticulum (ER) stress. ARPE-19 human RPE cells were treated with 0.01-50 uM
      GSK2606414, and ER stress was induced by thapsigargin (TG) treatment. Cell
      proliferation was assessed using the Cell Counting kit-8 cell viability assay.
      Apoptosis was detected by Annexin-V/propidium iodide double staining using flow
      cytometry. Western blot analysis was used to measure eukaryotic initiation factor
      2alpha (eIF2alpha) phosphorylation levels. ATF4, CHOP and VEGF mRNA expression
      levels were assessed using reverse transcription-quantitative polymerase chain
      reaction. GSK2606414 treatment inhibited RPE cell proliferation in a dose
      dependent manner, however it did not induce apoptosis. In addition, GSK2606414
      treatment inhibited eIF2alpha phosphorylation and reduced CHOP and VEGF mRNA
      expression levels in RPE cells under TG-induced ER stress. To the best of our
      knowledge, the present study is the first to demonstrate that GSK2606414 has a
      potential antiproliferative effect in RPE cells in vitro. This effect appeared to
      be achieved via inhibition of the PERK/ATF4/CHOP signaling pathway and
      suppression of VEGF expression levels.

PMID- 28358436
TI  - Rare Case of Giant Pulmonary Hydatid Cyst in a Female Patient Living in Taiz
      Governorate.
AB  - Pulmonary hydatid cyst is a common disorder in many areas of the world. In Yemen,
      echinococcosis is an endemic disease, however, hydatid disease of the lung is
      uncommon and usually caused by Echinococcus granulosus. We present a case of a 23
      year old female who complained of shortness of breath, dry cough and left-sided
      dull aching pain for the past few weeks. Chest X-ray revealed a large, well
      demarcated mass involving the left mid and lower lung zones with mediastinal
      shift to the right. Computed tomographic scan revealed a giant, low attenuation
      fluid density mass with enhancing wall. The diagnosis of giant hydatid cyst was
      confirmed by surgery and histopathological examination. Pulmonary hydatid cyst
      can assume a very large size without causing any symptoms and can be discovered
      incidentally while performing chest X-ray for another reason.

PMID- 28358437
TI  - Super-resolution for Medical Image via Sparse Representation and Adaptive M
      estimator.
AB  - Objective: The goal of super-resolution is to generate high-resolution images
      from low-resolution input images. Methods: In this paper, a combined method based
      on sparse signal representation and adaptive M-estimator is proposed for single
      image super-resolution. With the sparse signal representation, the correlation
      between the sparse representation of high-resolution patches and that of low
      resolution patches for the identical image is learned as a set of joint
      dictionaries and a set of high-resolution patches is obtained for high- and low
      resolution patches. Then the dictionaries and high-resolution patches are used to
      produce the high-resolution image for a low-resolution single image. Results: At
      the post-processing phase, the adaptive M-estimator, combining the advantages of
      traditional L1 and L2 norms, is used to give further processing for the resultant
      high-resolution image, to reduce the artefact by learning and reconstitution, and
      improve the performance. Conclusion: Three experimental results show the
      performance improvement of the proposed algorithm over other methods.

PMID- 28358435
TI  - Clinical significance of T cell clonality and expression levels of immune-related
      genes in endometrial cancer.
AB  - Immune microenvironment characterized by T cell clonality as well as expression
      signatures of immune-related genes in endometrial cancer tissues may play
      significant roles in clinical outcome of patients. We aimed to investigate the
      clinical significance of immune-related gene expression and TCR repertoire in
      endometrial cancer. Using total RNAs extracted from 32 endometrioid endometrial
      cancer cases, we performed quantitative real-time PCR to measure mRNA expression
      levels of immune-related genes including TRB, CD8, GZMA, HLA-A, CD11c and PD-L1.
      Higher mRNA expression levels of CD8 (P=0.039) and CD11c (P=0.046) in the 32
      tissue samples were significantly associated with longer progression-free
      survival (PFS). Expression levels of CD8 (P<0.001) and CD11c (P=0.048) were also
      significantly associated with longer PFS in 540 cases in TCGA database. We also
      performed T cell receptor beta (TCRbeta) sequencing of tumor-infiltrating
      lymphocytes (TILs) on an Illumina MiSeq platform. To evaluate clonal expansion of
      TCRbeta clonotypes, we adjusted the number of abundant TCRbeta clonotypes by TRB
      mRNA expression levels and examined TCR clonality with the expression levels of
      immune-related genes and clinicopathological factors. The cases with high clonal
      T cell expansion along with high PD-L1 expression in cancer tissues was related
      to higher mRNA expression levels of CD8 (P<0.001), GZMA (P<0.001) and HLA-A
      (P=0.027), showed a significantly longer PFS (P=0.015), indicating a possibility
      that these parameters may serve as faborable prognostic factors. Considering
      clinical stage, mRNA expression of CD8 (P=0.037), GZMA (P=0.027) and HLA-A
      (P=0.022) was significantly higher in tumors at an early stage. Thus, we
      identified clinical and prognostic significance of immune microenvironment
      including the T cell clonality of TILs as well as PD-L1 and CD11c mRNA expression
      levels in endometrial cancer tissues.

PMID- 28358438
TI  - Penetrating Ocular Trauma with Retained Intraocular Foreign Body: Management,
      Follow-up and Medico-legal Evaluation.
AB  - Ocular trauma is the leading cause of acquired monocular blindness, accounting
      for 1.97-6% of such cases. Particularly, penetrating ocular injuries are among
      the most common eye injuries with this kind of outcome. Early diagnosis and
      prompt management are crucial to avoid complications, and the especially dreaded
      enucleation. In this article, the authors describe the clinical management, and
      evaluate the visual and anatomical results obtained in a case of ocular injury
      with retained intraocular foreign body (IOFB) in a 20-year old female patient.
      The course of treatment involved a combination of penetrating keratoplasty with a
      temporary keratoprosthesis, phacoemulsification with intraocular lens
      implantation and pars plana vitrectomy. At three years from the initial injury,
      the patient was able to count fingers at 30 centimetres and anatomical restitutio
      ad integrum of the globe had been achieved.

PMID- 28358439
TI  - Cleidotrapezius: An Unusual Variant Slip from the Sternocleidomastoid.

PMID- 28358440
TI  - Montelukast for Postinfectious Cough: A Systematic Review of Randomized
      Controlled Trials.
AB  - Objectives: To systematically assess the efficacy and safety of montelukast for
      postinfectious cough (PIC) and to propose a recommendation via a systematic
      review of all available randomized controlled trials (RCTs). Methods: Electronic
      databases and relevant journals were searched for RCTs from inception to July
      2014. In addition, some unpublished literature was also searched. All studies
      included in the systematic review met the same inclusion criteria. Methodological
      quality and evidence quality were examined according to Cochrane handbook. The
      data were extracted and trial quality was assessed independently by two
      reviewers. Results: Fourteen RCTs involving 1372 patients were included in our
      review. The methodological quality of the included trials was poor because one or
      more biases were observed in these studies. The quality of evidence was low to
      moderate levels. All trials reported better effect favouring montelukast
      treatment. Findings suggested that compared with other Western medication and
      Chinese medicine, montelukast showed significant effects in shortening cough
      relief time, increasing the clinic obvious effective rate, decreasing coughing
      frequency and severity, and improving quality of life. Adverse events were
      mentioned in six studies, but no serious adverse effects were reported in any of
      them. Conclusions: Montelukast demonstrated potential positive efficacy and
      safety for PIC; however, we could not come to a firm conclusion on the efficacy
      and safety of montelukast for PIC. More high quality randomized controlled trials
      are required to confirm the efficacy and safety of montelukast for PIC.

PMID- 28358441
TI  - Pharmacology and Anti-infective Role of Raxibacumab: A Novel Monoclonal Antibody
      for the Treatment of Anthrax.
AB  - Anthrax, caused by Bacillus anthracis (B anthracis), poses a potential threat as
      a bioterror agent because after inhalation, the spores rapidly cause bacteraemia
      and toxaemia. It produces a toxin consisting of three proteins ie protective
      antigen (PA), oedema factor (EF) and lethal factor (LF). Protective antigen plays
      a central role in the pathophysiology of anthrax and offers an excellent
      therapeutic target for treatment of anthrax. Raxibacumab is a recombinant, fully
      human, IgG1lambda monoclonal antibody directed against PA of B anthracis. It
      inhibits PA binding to the anthrax toxin receptor and inhibits toxin-mediated
      cell death. It has been approved under animal rule or animal efficacy rule by the
      United States Food and Drug Administration which comes into play when it is not
      feasible or ethical to perform controlled clinical trials in humans. It has shown
      promising results in various animal studies which includes significantly improved
      survival rates in the raxibacumab group than non-raxibacumab group.

PMID- 28358442
TI  - Variations of Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor and Pigment Epithelial-derived
      Factor Are Related to Retinopathy of Prematurity in Human Babies.
AB  - Background: To examine the role of variations in vascular endothelial growth
      factor (VEGF) and pigment epithelial-derived factor (PEDF) levels and VEGF/PEDF
      ratio in predicting the occurrence of retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) in
      extremely premature human babies. Methods: This is a retrospective hospital based
      case-control study of 54 preterm neonates born at or before 32 weeks of gestation
      between 2006 and 2007 at the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit of the First People's
      Hospital affiliated to Fudan University. Birthweight was less than 1250 g. Eleven
      diagnosed with ROP were identified as cases. A control group of 43 infants,
      closely matched for birthweight and gestational age, was selected. The levels of
      VEGF and PEDF were measured at different time points of postnatal ages. Two-way
      repeated measure analysis of variance (ANOVA) was performed to examine the time
      trend. Results: Vascular endothelial growth factor level in ROP cases showed an
      increasing trend during the postnatal 35 day age (p < 0.01), while it was
      persistently decreasing in the control group (p = 0.025). In contrast, PEDF level
      in the control group was steadily increasing with postnatal day ages, while it
      remained approximately at the same level in the study group. On the other hand,
      the PEDF/ VEGF ratio in cases was found to be extremely high at the beginning,
      then continuously declined during the entire study period, while it remained
      steady in the control group during the same period. Conclusion: Increased
      expression of VEGF levels was found to be associated with older postnatal day age
      in our study. Monitoring of variations in VEGF level and PEDF/VEGF ratio might be
      helpful in predicting the occurrence of ROP in premature human babies.

PMID- 28358443
TI  - Metastatic Melanoma of the Parotid Glands Bilaterally.
AB  - Melanoma is the most serious form of skin cancers and life-time risk of melanoma
      is increasing rapidly both in men and women. Melanoma in the parotid gland is
      seen rarely and it is more likely to be metastatic disease. We present here a
      rare case of metastatic malignant melanoma from the forehead skin to the parotid
      glands bilaterally.

PMID- 28358444
TI  - Micronutrients and Their Role in Oral Cancer: A Review.
AB  - Cancer is one of the leading causes of death across the world. Oral cancer is the
      sixth most common type of cancer in the world. The incidence of oral cancer
      increases with the increase in the consumption of carcinogens such as tobacco and
      alcohol as seen in south and southeast Asia. Oral cancer is seen to arise from
      pre-existing leukoplakia and oral submucous fibrosis. Antioxidants have been
      hypothesized to be chemopreventive agents for several cancers. Micronutrients
      such as zinc, copper and selenium, along with antioxidants are required for the
      production of various enzymes that help prevent DNA damage caused by free
      radicals.

PMID- 28358445
TI  - Paediatric Medulloblastoma: An Updated Review.
AB  - Medulloblastoma is one of the most common malignant tumours of the central
      nervous system in children. It affects two persons per million per year worldwide
      and is increasing. More than 70% of patients diagnosed with medulloblastoma are
      predominantly below age 10 years. Histological variants of medulloblastoma are
      recognized as classic, nodular-desmoplastic, large cell/anaplastic and
      medulloblastoma with extensive nodularity. Symptoms include headache, general
      malaise, failure to feed, vomiting, clumsiness and other presentations that mimic
      common and benign childhood pathologies seen in primary care. Study data
      suggested an inverse correlation between high-stage disease and duration of
      symptoms. Currently, medulloblastoma is classified clinically into high risk and
      standard (average) risk depending upon factors solely clinical - age, metastases
      and resection. The treatment strategies for medulloblastoma are maximal safe
      resection (plus/minus cerebrospinal fluid diversion), neuraxis radiotherapy and
      chemotherapy. Medulloblastoma is the first brain tumour to show efficacy of
      chemotherapy in large prospective trials. Effective chemotherapy regimens remain
      elusive for almost all patients with high-grade cortical or brainstem gliomas and
      for most young patients with residual or metastatic disease of any histology.
      Conventional chemotherapeutic agents continue to be developed to reduce toxicity
      and/or improve efficacy. Recent advances in tumour biology have changed the
      emphasis to novel agents that target molecular changes crucial for tumour
      proliferation or survival. The toxicity and efficacy of several of these novel
      agents are currently being assessed in children with brain tumours.

PMID- 28358447
TI  - Cytomegalovirus Identification in Blood and Urine of Newborns by Nested
      Polymerase Chain Reaction.
AB  - Aim: To study the frequency of congenital cytomegalovirus (CMV) infection in
      newborns admitted to the Division of Neonatology, using nested polymerase chain
      reaction (PCR) and DNA to detect differences in blood and urine specimens.
      Methods: The study was carried out for eight months. Newborns (n = 520)
      hospitalized in five hospitals in Campo Grande, Mato Grosso do Sul, Brazil, were
      checked for CMV by analysing blood and urine samples. Results: Cytomegalovirus
      was PCR positive in 13 urine and 10 blood samples. Of the 13 positive urine
      patients, three (23%) had no clinical signs suggestive of CMV, and another three
      (23%) patients admitted to the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) had no
      definite findings of bacterial infection, with negative blood culture and some
      clinical signs consistent with CMV as cholestasis, hepatomegaly and eosinophilia.
      Three patients were on mechanical ventilation and showed improvement after
      prescription of ganciclovir. One CMV positive child progressed to death.
      Conclusion: Cytomegalovirus detection in urine was slightly more efficient than
      in blood, and showed better sensitivity than in serological analysis (p < 0.01)
      therefore, boiled urine may be a better and easier specimen tool for CMV
      diagnosis in neonatal infection. The findings of the present research suggest
      that patients admitted to the NICU, especially premature infants, whose
      laboratory results are not compatible with bacterial infection, and exhibiting
      signs suggestive of CMV infection should have PCR done on urine for confirmation.

PMID- 28358446
TI  - Evaluation of Health-related Quality of Life in Paediatric Patients with Acute
      Lymphoblastic Leukaemia.
AB  - Objective: Health-related quality of life (HRQOL) measurement is used for
      assessing the impact of diseases and medical treatments on physical,
      psychological and social aspects of an individual's health and life. The
      Paediatric Quality of Life InventoryTM (PedsQLTM) is a widely used instrument to
      measure paediatric HRQOL in children. The aim of this study is to investigate the
      HRQOL in paediatric patients with acute lymphoblastic leukaemia and determine the
      precautions for improving the quality of their life. Methods: Paediatric Quality
      of Life InventoryTM 4.0 was administered to 75 paediatric patients with acute
      lymphoblastic leukaemia, and 50 healthy age- and gender-matched children.
      Results: Health-related quality of life scores were significantly lower in
      patients with acute lymphoblastic leukaemia than in healthy controls in this
      study. Conclusions: It is thought that determination of the psychosocial, as well
      as the physical impacts of the disease on the child, will positively influence
      the treatment given by improving the quality of life of both the child and the
      family.

PMID- 28358448
TI  - The Place of Atopy in the Aetiology of Acute Appendicitis in Children.
AB  - Objective: Appendicitis, the most common cause of abdominal pain requiring
      surgery in children, refers to inflammation of the vermiform appendix. The
      aetiology of appendicitis is multifactorial, although it is affected by several
      precursor factors. The purpose of this study was to investigate whether allergic
      diseases cause a predisposition to appendicitis. Subjects and Methods: One
      hundred and sixteen patients who underwent surgery for acute appendicitis and who
      had a diagnosis of acute appendicitis confirmed pathologically, and a control
      group of 124 individuals of similar ages and genders, were enrolled. The level of
      inflammation of appendiceal material in cases diagnosed with acute appendicitis
      was classified pathologically. The skin prick test (SPT) was used to determine
      allergic sensitization. Results: A significant difference was determined between
      the patient and control groups in terms of skin prick positivity (p < 0.05).
      Conclusions: While there are several known factors implicated in the causation of
      acute appendicitis, the cause cannot be identified in some cases. We think that
      atopy may also be a risk factor in the development of acute appendicitis.

PMID- 28358449
TI  - Clinical and Therapeutic Implications of Histone Acetylation in Breast Cancer.
AB  - The contribution of epigenetic changes in triggering breast cancer initiation,
      promotion, progression and metastasis is an established fact. Altered expression
      profiling of several genes on DNA is also influenced by histone modifications. In
      this review, the role of those enzymes regulating histone modifications is
      discussed. These enzymes are termed as histone acetyltransferases (HATs) and his
      tone deacetylases (HDACs). Understanding of the mode of action of these enzymes
      will be helpful in exploring their antagonistic role on histone DNA complex. In
      addition to this, the significance of potential histone deacetylases inhibitors
      (HDIs) as potential cancer therapeutic marker is also discussed.

PMID- 28358450
TI  - Prevalence of Oral Lesions in the Elderly.
AB  - Objective: Geriatric dentistry refers to dealing with oral diseases including
      prevention and treatment in old individuals. The aim of this investigation was to
      examine the types and frequency of oral lesions in the elderly. Subjects and
      Methods: The study involved 75 elderly persons. The clinical diagnosis was
      established by correlating the aetiological factor associated with the lesion and
      by systematic examination of the oral mucosa and classifying those alterations
      according to the epidemiological guidelines for the diagnosis of oral mucosal
      diseases. During the clinical examination, the following elements were analysed:
      features of the lesion, anatomical location, extension, aetiological factors or
      related factors, dental status, alcohol, tobacco, trauma, use of prosthesis and
      if such were well adapted. Results: Sixty lesions were diagnosed in 75 patients.
      These were classified according to clinical, histopathological and
      microbiological diagnosis and were distributed into 15 different clinical
      entities. The more prevalent pathologies were inflammatory, reactive and
      associated with long-term use of prostheses or ill-adapted prostheses, since 67%
      of the patients with lesions were using prostheses. Of the lesions related to
      prosthesis use, denture stomatitis was the most common one, representing 20 cases
      (33.3%). The second most frequent lesion was erythematous candidiasis (10%). The
      other most frequent lesions in this study were lingua plicata, xerostomia and
      pseudomembranous candidiasis. Conclusion: Oral and perioral tissues undergo
      different functional and structural changes with ageing. The role of the dentist
      and stomatologist includes the management of systemic, nutritional and
      pharmacological oral manifestations in order to establish an early diagnosis and
      subsequent accurate treatment.

PMID- 28358451
TI  - Thyroid Hormone Levels in Chronic Schizophrenic Patients: Association with
      Psychopathology.
AB  - Objectives: Thyroid disorders are highly prevalent in patients with
      schizophrenia. Changes in the levels of thyroid hormones cause the occurrence of
      psychiatric disorders and affect the response to treatment. The aim of this study
      was to investigate the changes in thyroid hormone levels in patients with chronic
      schizophrenia, and to demonstrate any association between psychiatric symptoms
      and hormones. Methods: Sixty-three patients with schizophrenia and 53 controls
      were included in this study. The serum levels of free triiodothyronine (FT3),
      free thyroxine (FT4) and thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) in patients and
      controls were tested by using the chemiluminescence immunoassay. Symptoms were
      assessed via the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS). Results: The level
      of FT4 in the schizophrenia group was statistically significantly lower than the
      control group (p = 0.045). There was no significant difference between the
      clinical subtypes of schizophrenia and thyroid hormone levels. There was a mild
      negative correlation between PANSS negative subscale scores and levels of TSH (p
      = 0.023). Conclusion: These findings suggest that the subclinical hypothyroidism
      observed in the chronic schizophrenic patients may be associated with the
      treatment of neuroleptics. The possible alterations of thyroid hormones should be
      considered in chronic schizophrenic patients for treatment with neuroleptics.

PMID- 28358452
TI  - Effects of Different Local Anaesthetics on Oto-acoustic Emission Tests after
      Spinal Anaesthesia.
AB  - Purpose: To evaluate whether there is any effect of different local anaesthetic
      agents on hearing loss after spinal anaesthesia. Methods: Thirty American Society
      of Anesthesiologists (ASA) I patients without a hearing problem were included in
      the study. Transient evoked oto-acoustic emissions (TEOAE) were examined.
      Patients were randomly separated into two groups: Group L, 15 mg isobaric
      levobupivacaine application and Group B, 15 mg isobaric bupivacaine application,
      for spinal anaesthesia. Oto-acoustic emission measurements were repeated on
      patients at the 24th hour after spinal anaesthesia application. Results: No
      significant difference was found in the output values of the right and left ears
      according to the input values in group L at no kHz (p > 0.05). No significant
      difference was found in the output values of the right and left ears according to
      the input values in any kHz of Group B (p > 0.05). Conclusion: Fifteen
      milligrammes of isobaric bupivacaine and levobupivacaine had no significant
      difference on the effect of hearing loss after spinal anaesthesia. Hearing loss
      after spinal anaesthesia has many unknown issues, and deserves to be explored by
      performing many studies.

PMID- 28358453
TI  - Giant Cell Arteritis - Who to Refer to?
AB  - Giant cell arteritis is a systemic immune-mediated vasculitis affecting the
      medium and large arteries. Typical symptoms include new headache, jaw
      claudication, tender temporal artery, polymyalgia rheumatica, fever and anorexia.
      Visual loss resulting from giant cell arteritis is an ophthalmic emergency and
      requires immediate assessment and referral to the ophthalmologist for prompt
      treatment with steroids. This article provides a systematic approach to the
      diagnosis and management of giant cell arteritis.

PMID- 28358454
TI  - Treatment of One Case with Cryoglobulinaemia Secondary to Connective Tissue
      Disease with Small Doses of Rituximab.
AB  - Objective: This study aims to observe the clinical efficacy of low-dose rituximab
      in patients with cryoglobulinaemia secondary to connective tissue diseases.
      Methods: Rituximab (100 mg) was infused in patients once a week for four weeks,
      combined with prednisone (20 mg) once a day, and reduced regularly. Treatment
      effect was observed regularly. Results: Joint pain, fever, rash and fatigue
      symptoms in patients eased. The serology (globulin, erythrocyte sedimentation
      rate, C-reactive protein, lactate dehydrogenase and others) parameters returned
      to normal. Conclusion: Low-dose rituximab therapy for cryoglobulinaemia secondary
      to connective tissue diseases was safe and effective, and can be used as a
      treatment option in this condition.

PMID- 28358455
TI  - Cushing Syndrome Caused by a Pancreatic Neuroendocrine Tumour and Its Pelvic
      Metastases.
AB  - Cushing's syndrome caused by an ectopic tumour secreting adrenocorticotropic
      hormone (ACTH) is not common. Furthermore, an ACTH-secreting panreatic neoplasm
      is extremely rare. We present a 27-year old female patient suffering from a
      pancreatic neuroendocrine tumour (p-NET) with extensive pelvic metastases, which
      could secrete ACTH and cause Cushing's syndrome. The postoperative pathologic
      examinations of this patient prompted pancreatic poorly differentiated
      neuroendocrine tumour with extensive metastases of bilateral ovarian, uterus and
      pelvic peritoneum. The immunohistochemical staining of her tumour tissues was
      positive for Chromogranin A, Synaptophysin and ACTH. The main aim of this article
      is to share the experience of her diagnosis and treatment and to review the
      relevant literature, with an emphasis on discussing the possible transfer modes.
      Moreover, we strongly suggest that a careful examination of pelvic cavity during
      the follow-up of patients diagnosed as ACTH-secreting p-NET should also be
      carried out.

PMID- 28358456
TI  - Cutaneous Chylous Bubbles and Lymphatic Pilar Reflux in a Patient with Juxta
      articular Dercum's Disease: A Very Rare Case.

PMID- 28358457
TI  - Polypharmacy and the Risk of Malnutrition among Independently-living Elderly
      Persons in Trinidad.
AB  - Objective: In this study, we evaluated the association of polypharmacy and
      nutritional status among independently-living elderly persons attending the
      outpatient clinics at the Eric Williams Medical Sciences Complex (EWMSC). Method:
      Participants were recruited at the outpatient pharmacy at EWMSC. Face-to-face
      interviews were conducted using a questionnaire consisting of sociodemographic,
      health and nutritional status items. Anthropometry was taken using standard
      procedures. Participants gave oral and written consent prior to enrolment in the
      study. Participation was voluntary. The study wasapproved by the Ethics
      Committee, EWMSC. Results: One hundred and three persons - polypharmacy (>= 6
      medications) = 57; non-polypharmacy (< 6 medications) = 46 persons) -
      participated in the study. There was no significant difference in the age,
      gender, weight, height, body mass index (BMI), mid-arm circumference, calf
      circumference, highest educational level achieved and marital status between the
      groups. The number of medications prescribed was significantly positively
      associated with the number of ailments (r = 0.56; p < 0.001) and the risk of
      malnutrition (r = 0.30; p = 0.006). Persons with polypharmacy were significantly
      more likely than their non-polypharmacy counterparts to be at increased risk for
      malnutrition (OR = 3.94, 95% CI: 1.52, 10.13; p = 0.004). This finding remained
      highly significant after simultaneous adjustment for age, gender, ethnicity,
      highest educational level achieved, marital status and number of diseases (p =
      0.03). Conclusion: Among participants, polypharmacy and number of ailments were
      positively associated with an increased risk of malnutrition. Nonetheless, the
      mechanisms underlying these associations remain unclear.

PMID- 28358475
TI  - Intelligent Textiles with Comfort Regulation and Inhibition of Bacterial Adhesion
      Realized by Cross-Linking Poly(n-isopropylacrylamide-co-ethylene glycol
      methacrylate) to Cotton Fabrics.
AB  - Comfort regulation and inhibition of bacterial adhesion to textiles is realized
      by cross-linking thermoresponsive random copolymer to the cotton fabrics. By
      introduction of ethylene glycol methacrylate (EGMA) monomers into n
      isopropylacrylamide (NIPAM) with a molar ratio of 2:18, the obtained random
      copolymer poly(n-isopropylacrylamide-co-ethylene glycol methacrylate),
      abbreviated as P(NIPAM-co-EGMA), presents a transition temperature (TT) of 40 
      degrees C in an aqueous solution with a concentration of 1 mg/mL. Because of the
      additional EGMA in the copolymer, the obtained P(NIPAM-co-EGMA) shows a glass
      transition temperature (Tg) of 0  degrees C, which is much lower than that of
      pure PNIPAM (Tg = 140  degrees C). Therefore, the introduction of P(NIPAM-co
      EGMA) into the cotton fabrics will have little influence on the softness of the
      fabrics. Due to the cross-linked P(NIPAM-co-EGMA) layer on the cotton fabrics,
      the porosity of the polymer layer can be adjusted by varying the external
      temperature below or above TT, showing that regulation of the air and moisture
      permeability as well as the body comfort are feasible in the cotton fabrics cross
      linked with P(NIPAM-co-EGMA). In addition, the cross-linked P(NIPAM-co-EGMA)
      layer is capable of absorbing moisture in the ambient atmosphere to form a
      hydrated layer on top, which can inhibit bacterial adhesion to the textiles.

PMID- 28358476
TI  - Ultrafine TiO2 Confined in Porous-Nitrogen-Doped Carbon from Metal-Organic
      Frameworks for High-Performance Lithium Sulfur Batteries.
AB  - Ultrafine TiO2 confined in porous-nitrogen-doped carbon is synthesized from a
      single metal-organic framework precursor. As a novel interlayer for lithium
      sulfur batteries, the TiO2@NC composite can act as both a high efficiency lithium
      polysulfide barrier to suppress the side reactions and an additional current
      collector to enhance the polysulfide redox reactions. The lithium-sulfur battery
      with a TiO2@NC interlayer delivers a high reversible capacity of 1460 mAh g-1 at
      0.2 C and capacity retention of 71% even after 500 cycles with high rate
      capability.

PMID- 28358477
TI  - Structural Study on the Reaction Mechanism of a Free Serine Kinase Involved in
      Cysteine Biosynthesis.
AB  - A free serine kinase (SerK) is involved in l-cysteine biosynthesis in the
      hyperthermophilic archaeon Thermococcus kodakarensis. The enzyme converts ADP and
      l-serine (Ser) into AMP and O-phospho-l-serine (Sep), which is a precursor of l
      cysteine. SerK is the first identified enzyme that phosphorylates free serine,
      while serine/threonine protein kinases have been well studied. SerK displays low
      sequence similarities to known kinases, suggesting that its reaction mechanism is
      different from those of known kinases. Here, we determined the crystal structures
      of SerK from T. kodakarensis (Tk-SerK). The overall structure is divided into two
      domains. A large cleft is found between the two domains in the AMP complex and in
      the ADP complex. The cleft is closed in the ternary product complex (Sep, AMP,
      and Tk-SerK) and may also be in the ternary substrate complex (Ser, ADP, and Tk
      SerK). The closure may reorient the carboxyl group of E30 near to the Ogamma atom
      of Ser. The Ogamma atom is considered to be deprotonated by E30 and to attack the
      beta-phosphate of ADP to form Sep. The substantial decrease in the activity of
      the E30A mutant is consistent with this mechanism. Our structures also revealed
      the residues that contribute to the ligand binding. The conservation of these
      residues in uncharacterized proteins from bacteria may raise the possibility of
      the presence of free Ser kinases not only in archaea but also in bacteria.

PMID- 28358478
TI  - Free-Standing Atomically Thin ZnO Layers via Oxidation of Zinc Chalcogenide
      Nanosheets.
AB  - Monolayer ZnO represents a class of new two-dimensional (2D) materials that are
      expected to exhibit unique optoelectronic properties and applications. Here we
      report a novel strategy to synthesize free-standing atomically thin ZnO layers
      via the oxidation of hydrothermally grown ultrathin zinc chalcogenide nanosheets.
      With micrometer-scaled lateral size, the obtained ultrathin ZnO layer has a
      thickness of ~2 nm, and the layered structure still maintained well after high
      temperature oxidation. The thermal treatment strongly improves the crystal
      quality as well without inducing cracks or pinholes in the ultrathin layers. The
      atomically thin ZnO layers are highly luminescent with dominant green emission.
      High quality white light is obtained from the mixed phosphors containing the ZnO
      layers, exhibiting their potential as compelling ultraviolet-excited phosphors.

PMID- 28358479
TI  - Cyclometalated Platinum(II) Cyanometallates: Luminescent Blocks for Coordination
      Self-Assembly.
AB  - A family of cyanide-bridged heterometallic aggregates has been constructed of the
      chromophoric cycloplatinated metalloligands and coordinatively unsaturated d10
      fragments {M(PPh3)n}. The tetranuclear complexes of general composition
      [Pt(C^N)(CN)2M(PPh3)2]2 [C^N = ppy, M = Cu (1), Ag (2); C^N = tolpy (Htolpy = 2
      (4-tolyl)-pyridine), M = Cu (4), Ag (5); C^N = F2ppy (HF2ppy = 2-(4, 6
      difluorophenyl)-pyridine), M = Cu (7), Ag (8)] demonstrate a squarelike
      arrangement of the molecular frameworks, which is achieved due to favorable
      coordination geometries of the bridging ligands and the metal ions. Variation of
      the amount of the ancillary phosphine (for M = Ag) afforded compounds
      [Pt(C^N)(CN)2Ag(PPh3)]2 (C^N = ppy, 3; C^N = tolpy, 6); for the latter one an
      alternative cluster topology, stabilized by the Pt-Ag metallophilic and eta1
      Cipso(C^N)-Ag bonding, was observed. The solid-state structures of all of the
      title species 1-8 were determined crystallographically. The complexes exhibit
      moderately strong room-temperature phosphorescence as crystalline powders (Phiem
      = 16-34%, lambdaem = 470-511 nm). The luminescence studies and time-dependent
      density functional theory computational analysis indicate that the photophysical
      behavior is dominated by the 3pi-pi* electronic transitions localized on the
      cyclometalated fragment and mixed with MPtLCT contribution, while the d10
      phosphine motifs have a negligible contribution into the frontier orbitals and
      therefore show a little influence on the emission performance of the described
      compounds.

PMID- 28358480
TI  - Hydroxylamine Promoted Goethite Surface Fenton Degradation of Organic Pollutants.
AB  - In this study, we construct a surface Fenton system with hydroxylamine (NH2OH),
      goethite (alpha-FeOOH), and H2O2 (alpha-FeOOH-HA/H2O2) to degrade various organic
      pollutants including dyes (methyl orange, methylene blue, and rhodamine B),
      pesticides (pentachlorophenol, alachlor, and atrazine), and antibiotics
      (tetracycline, chloramphenicol, and lincomycin) at pH 5.0. In this surface Fenton
      system, the presence of NH2OH could greatly promote the H2O2 decomposition on the
      alpha-FeOOH surface to produce .OH without releasing any detectable iron ions
      during the alachlor degradation, which was different from some previously
      reported heterogeneous Fenton counterparts. Moreover, the .OH generation rate
      constant of this surface Fenton system was 102-104 times those of previous
      heterogeneous Fenton processes. The interaction between alpha-FeOOH and NH2OH was
      investigated with using attenuated total reflectance Fourier transform infrared
      spectroscopy and density functional theory calculations. The effective
      degradation of organic pollutants in this surface Fenton system was ascribed to
      the efficient Fe(III)/Fe(II) cycle on the alpha-FeOOH surface promoted by NH2OH,
      which was confirmed by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy analysis. The degradation
      intermediates and mineralization of alachlor in this surface Fenton system were
      then systematically investigated using total organic carbon and ion
      chromatography, liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry, and gas chromatography
      mass spectrometry. This study offers a new strategy to degrade organic pollutants
      and also sheds light on the environmental effects of goethite.

PMID- 28358481
TI  - Fluorescence and SERS Imaging for the Simultaneous Absolute Quantification of
      Multiple miRNAs in Living Cells.
AB  - The simultaneous imaging and quantification of multiple intracellular microRNAs
      (miRNAs) are particularly desirable for the early diagnosis of cancers. However,
      simultaneous direct imaging with absolute quantification of multiple
      intracellular RNAs remains a great challenge, particularly for miRNAs, which have
      significantly different expression levels in living cells. We designed dual
      signal switchable (DSS) nanoprobes using the fluorescence-Raman signal switch.
      The intracellular uptake and dynamic behaviors of the probe are monitored by its
      fluorescence signal. Meanwhile, real-time quantitative detection of multiple
      miRNAs is made possible by measurements of the surface-enhanced Raman
      spectroscopy (SERS) ratios. Moreover, the signal 1:n ratio amplification mode
      only responds to low-abundance miRNA (asymmetric signal amplification mode) for
      simultaneous visualization and quantitative detection of significantly different
      levels of miRNAs in living cells. miR-21 and miR-203 were successfully detected
      in living MCF-7 cells, in agreement with in vitro results from the same batch of
      cell lysates. The reported dual-spectrum imaging method promises to offer a new
      strategy for the intracellular imaging and detection of various types of
      biomolecules.

PMID- 28358482
TI  - Surface-Enhanced Infrared Spectroscopy Using Resonant Nanoantennas.
AB  - Infrared spectroscopy is a powerful tool widely used in research and industry for
      a label-free and unambiguous identification of molecular species. Inconveniently,
      its application to spectroscopic analysis of minute amounts of materials, for
      example, in sensing applications, is hampered by the low infrared absorption
      cross-sections. Surface-enhanced infrared spectroscopy using resonant metal
      nanoantennas, or short "resonant SEIRA", overcomes this limitation. Resonantly
      excited, such metal nanostructures feature collective oscillations of electrons
      (plasmons), providing huge electromagnetic fields on the nanometer scale.
      Infrared vibrations of molecules located in these fields are enhanced by orders
      of magnitude enabling a spectroscopic characterization with unprecedented
      sensitivity. In this Review, we introduce the concept of resonant SEIRA and
      discuss the underlying physics, particularly, the resonant coupling between
      molecular and antenna excitations as well as the spatial extent of the
      enhancement and its scaling with frequency. On the basis of these fundamentals,
      different routes to maximize the SEIRA enhancement are reviewed including the
      choice of nanostructures geometries, arrangements, and materials. Furthermore,
      first applications such as the detection of proteins, the monitoring of dynamic
      processes, and hyperspectral infrared chemical imaging are discussed,
      demonstrating the sensitivity and broad applicability of resonant SEIRA.

PMID- 28358483
TI  - Mechanistic Aspects of the Formation of Adsorbable Organic Bromine during
      Chlorination of Bromide-containing Synthetic Waters.
AB  - During chlorination of bromide-containing waters, a significant formation of
      brominated disinfection byproducts is expected. This is of concern because Br
      DBPs are generally more toxic than their chlorinated analogues. In this study,
      synthetic water samples containing dissolved organic matter (DOM) extracts and
      bromide were treated under various disinfection scenarios to elucidate the
      mechanisms of Br-DBP formation. The total concentration of Br-DBPs was measured
      as adsorbable organic bromine (AOBr). A portion of the bromine (HOBr) was found
      to react with DOM via electrophilic substitution (<=40%), forming AOBr, and the
      remaining HOBr reacted with DOM via electron transfer with a reduction of HOBr to
      bromide (>=60%). During chlorination, the released bromide is reoxidized
      (recycled) by chlorine to HOBr, leading to further electrophilic substitution of
      unaltered DOM sites and chlorinated DOM moieties. This leads to an almost
      complete bromine incorporation to DOM (>=87%). The type of DOM (3.06 <= SUVA254
      <= 4.85) is not affecting this process, as long as the bromine-reactive DOM sites
      are in excess and a sufficient chlorine exposure is achieved. When most reactive
      sites were consumed by chlorine, Cl-substituted functional groups (Cl-DOM) are
      reacting with HOBr by direct bromination leading to Br-Cl-DOM and by bromine
      substitution of chlorine leading to Br-DOM. The latter finding was supported by
      hexachlorobenzene as a model compound from which bromoform was formed during HOBr
      treatment. To better understand the experimental findings, a conceptual kinetic
      model allowing to assess the contribution of each AOBr pathway was developed. A
      simulation of distribution system conditions with a disinfectant residual of 1
      mgC2 L-1 showed complete conversion of Br- to AOBr, with about 10% of the AOBr
      formed through chlorine substitution by bromine.

PMID- 28358484
TI  - Structure Determination and Mechanism of Formation of a seco-Moreliane Derivative
      Supported by Computational Analysis.
AB  - Basic hydrolysis of a dichloromethane extract of Stevia lucida yielded
      (4R,5S,7R,9R,10R,11R)-7,9-dihydroxylongipin-2-en-1-one (1), which was oxidized
      and subjected to acidic conditions to generate the new seco-moreliane derivative
      3. The structure of 3 was established based on NMR data interpretation and
      confirmed computationally. A plausible mechanism for the carbocationic
      rearrangement of the trione 2 to the seco-moreliane 3 was supported by DFT
      computations.

PMID- 28358485
TI  - The Primary Photochemistry of Vision Occurs at the Molecular Speed Limit.
AB  - Ultrafast photochemical reactions are initiated by vibronic transitions from the
      reactant ground state to the excited potential energy surface, directly
      populating excited-state vibrational modes. The primary photochemical reaction of
      vision, the isomerization of retinal in the protein rhodopsin, is known to be a
      vibrationally coherent reaction, but the Franck-Condon factors responsible for
      initiating the process have been difficult to resolve with conventional time
      resolved spectroscopies. Here we employ experimental and theoretical 2D photon
      echo spectroscopy to directly resolve for the first time the Franck-Condon
      factors that initiate isomerization on the excited potential energy surface and
      track the reaction dynamics. The spectral dynamics reveal vibrationally coherent
      isomerization occurring on the fastest possible time scale, that of a single
      period of the local torsional reaction coordinate. We successfully model this
      process as coherent wavepacket motion through a conical intersection on a ~30 fs
      time scale, confirming the reaction coordinate as a local torsional coordinate
      with a frequency of ~570 cm-1. As a result of spectral features being spread out
      along two frequency coordinates, we unambiguously assign reactant and product
      states following passage through the conical intersection, which reveal the key
      vibronic transitions that initiate the vibrationally coherent photochemistry of
      vision.

PMID- 28358486
TI  - Separation of Semiconducting Carbon Nanotubes for Flexible and Stretchable
      Electronics Using Polymer Removable Method.
AB  - Electronics that are soft, conformal, and stretchable are highly desirable for
      wearable electronics, prosthetics, and robotics. Among the various available
      electronic materials, single walled carbon nanotubes (SWNTs) and their network
      have exhibited high mechanical flexibility and stretchability, along with
      comparable electrical performance to traditional rigid materials, e.g.
      polysilicon and metal oxides. Unfortunately, SWNTs produced en masse contain a
      mixture of semiconducting (s-) and metallic (m-) SWNTs, rendering them unsuitable
      for electronic applications. Moreover, the poor solubility of SWNTs requires the
      introduction of insulating surfactants to properly disperse them into individual
      tubes for device fabrication. Compared to other SWNT dispersion and separation
      methods, e.g., DNA wrapping, density gradient ultracentrifugation, and gel
      chromatography, polymer wrapping can selectively disperse s-SWNTs with high
      selectivity (>99.7%), high concentration (>0.1 mg/mL), and high yield (>20%). In
      addition, this method only requires simple sonication and centrifuge equipment
      with short processing time down to 1 h. Despite these advantages, the polymer
      wrapping method still faces two major issues: (i) The purified s-SWNTs usually
      retain a substantial amount of polymers on their surface even after thorough
      rinsing. The low conductivity of the residual polymers impedes the charge
      transport in SWNT networks. (ii) Conjugated polymers used for SWNT wrapping are
      expensive. Their prices ($100-1000/g) are comparable or even higher than those of
      SWNTs ($10-300/g). These utilized conjugated polymers represent a large portion
      of the overall separation cost. In this Account, we summarize recent progresses
      in polymer design for selective dispersion and separation of SWNTs. We focus
      particularly on removable and/or recyclable polymers that enable low-cost and
      scalable separation methods. First, different separation methods are compared to
      show the advantages of the polymer wrapping methods. In specific, we compare
      different characterization methods used for purity evaluation. For s-SWNTs with
      high purity, i.e., >99%, short-channel (smaller than SWNT length) electrical
      measurement is more reliable than optical methods. Second, possible sorting
      mechanism and molecular design strategies are discussed. Polymer parameters such
      as backbone design and side chain engineering affect the polymer-SWNT
      interactions, leading to different dispersion concentration and selectivity. To
      address the above-mentioned limiting factors in both polymer contamination and
      cost issues, we describe two important polymer removal and cycling approaches:
      (i) changing polymer wrapping conformation to release SWNTs; (ii)
      depolymerization of conjugated polymer into small molecular units that have less
      affinity toward SWNTs. These methods allow the removal and recycling of the
      wrapping polymers, thus providing low-cost and clean s-SWNTs. Third, we discuss
      various applications of polymer-sorted s-SWNTs, including flexible/stretchable
      thin-film transistors, thermoelectric devices, and solar cells. In these
      applications, polymer-sorted s-SWNTs and their networks have exhibited good
      processability, attractive mechanical properties, and high electrical
      performance. An increasing number of studies have shown that the removable
      polymer approaches can completely remove polymer residues in SWNT networks and
      lead to enhanced charge carrier mobility, higher conductivity, and better
      heterojunction interface.

PMID- 28358487
TI  - Large-Scale Silicon Nanophotonic Metasurfaces with Polarization Independent Near
      Perfect Absorption.
AB  - Optically thin perfect light absorbers could find many uses in science and
      technology. However, most physical realizations of perfect absorption for the
      optical range rely on plasmonic excitations in nanostructured metallic
      metasurfaces, for which the absorbed light energy is quickly lost as heat due to
      rapid plasmon decay. Here we show that a silicon metasurface excited in a total
      internal reflection configuration can absorb at least 97% of incident near
      infrared light due to interferences between coherent electric and magnetic dipole
      scattering from the silicon nanopillars that build up the metasurface and the
      reflected wave from the supporting glass substrate. This "near-perfect"
      absorption phenomenon loads more than 50 times more light energy into the
      semiconductor than what would be the case for a uniform silicon sheet of equal
      surface density, irrespective of incident polarization. We envisage that the
      concept could be used for the development of novel light harvesting and optical
      sensor devices.

PMID- 28358488
TI  - Extension to the Silyl-Tethered Radical Cyclization: Cyclohex-2-en-1-oxy Vinyl
      Silanes in Stereoselective Radical Addition/Cyclization Cascades.
AB  - A novel radical cascade reaction of xanthates with 1
      [(vinyldimethylsilyl)oxy]cyclohex-2-enes is developed. Due to the steric and
      electronic differentiation of the two olefinic functions, exclusive
      regioselectivity and high stereoselectivity of the addition-cyclization are
      observed. Several methods for modification of both the silicon tether and the
      xanthate function are reported.

PMID- 28358489
TI  - Facet-Specific Adsorption of Tripeptides at Aqueous Au Interfaces: Open Questions
      in Reconciling Experiment and Simulation.
AB  - The adsorption of three homo-tripeptides, HHH, YYY, and SSS, at the aqueous Au
      interface is investigated, using molecular dynamics simulations. We find that
      consideration of surface facet effects, relevant to experimental conditions,
      opens up new questions regarding interpretations of current experimental
      findings. Our well-tempered metadynamics simulations predict the rank ordering of
      the tripeptide binding affinities at aqueous Au(111) to be YYY > HHH > SSS. This
      ranking differs with that obtained from existing experimental data which used
      surface-immobilized Au nanoparticles as the target substrate. The influence of Au
      facet on these experimental findings is then considered, via our binding strength
      predictions of the relevant amino acids at aqueous Au(111) and Au(100)(1 * 1).
      The Au(111) interface supports an amino acid ranking of Tyr > HisA ? HisH > Ser,
      matching that of the tripeptides on Au(111), while the ranking on Au(100) is HisA
      > Ser ? Tyr ? HisH, with only HisA showing non-negligible binding. The
      substantial reduction in Tyr amino acid affinity for Au(100) vs Au(111) offers
      one possible explanation for the experimentally observed weaker adsorption of YYY
      on the nanoparticle-immobilized substrate compared with HHH. In a separate set of
      simulations, we predict the structures of the adsorbed tripeptides at the two
      aqueous Au facets, revealing facet-dependent differences in the adsorbed
      conformations. Our findings suggest that Au facet effects, where relevant, may
      influence the adsorption structures and energetics of biomolecules, highlighting
      the possible influence of the structural model used to interpret experimental
      binding data.

PMID- 28358491
TI  - Race Differentiation Based on Raman Spectroscopy of Semen Traces for Forensic
      Purposes.
AB  - Several novel methods to determine externally visible characteristics of body
      fluid donors have been developed in recent years. These tests can help forensic
      investigators make predictions about the appearance of a suspect or victim, such
      as their sex, race, hair color, or age. While their potential benefit is
      undeniable, these methods destroy the physical evidence in the process. Raman
      spectroscopy has recently been used as a nondestructive technique to test for
      many of these characteristics. Here, we present the results from a study to
      determine the race of semen donors. Using Raman spectroscopy and multivariate
      data analysis, we were able to build a statistical model that accurately
      identified the race of all 18 semen donors in the calibration data set, as well
      as seven additional external validation donors. These results demonstrate Raman
      spectroscopy's potential to differentiate Caucasian and Black semen donors using
      chemometrics.

PMID- 28358490
TI  - GoldHelix: Gold Nanoparticles Forming 3D Helical Superstructures with Controlled
      Morphology and Strong Chiroptical Property.
AB  - Plasmonic nanoparticles, particularly gold nanoparticles (GNPs) hold a great
      potential as structural and functional building blocks for three-dimensional (3D)
      nanoarchitectures with specific optical applications. However, a rational control
      of their assembly into nanoscale superstructures with defined positioning and
      overall arrangement still remains challenging. Herein, we propose a solution to
      this challenge by using as building blocks: (1) nanometric silica helices with
      tunable handedness and sizes as a matrix and (2) GNPs with diameter varying from
      4 to 10 nm to prepare a collection of helical GNPs superstructures (called
      Goldhelices hereafter). These nanomaterials exhibit well-defined arrangement of
      GNPs following the helicity of the silica template. Strong chiroptical activity
      is evidenced by circular dichroism (CD) spectroscopy at the wavelength of the
      surface plasmon resonance (SPR) of the GNPs with a anisotropy factor (g-factor)
      of the order of 1 * 10-4, i.e., 10-fold larger than what is typically reported in
      the literature. Such CD signals were simulated using a coupled dipole method
      which fit very well the experimental data. The measured signals are 1-2 orders of
      magnitude lower than the simulated signals, which is explained by the disordered
      GNPs grafting, the polydispersity of the GNPs, and the dimension of the
      nanohelices. These Goldhelices based on inorganic templates are much more robust
      than previously reported organic-based chiroptical nanostructures, making them
      good candidates for complex hierarchical organization, providing a promising
      approach for light management and benefits in applications such as circular
      polarizers, chiral metamaterials, or chiral sensing in the visible range.

PMID- 28358492
TI  - beta-FeOOH Nanorods/Carbon Foam-Based Hierarchically Porous Monolith for Highly
      Effective Arsenic Removal.
AB  - Arsenic pollution in waters has become a worldwide issue, constituting a severe
      hazard to whole ecosystems and public health worldwide. Accordingly, it is highly
      desirable to design high-performance adsorbents for arsenic decontamination.
      Herein, a feasible strategy is developed for in situ growth of beta-FeOOH
      nanorods (NRs) on a three-dimensional (3D) carbon foam (CF) skeleton via a simple
      calcination process and subsequent hydrothermal treatment. The as-fabricated 3D
      beta-FeOOH NRs/CF monolith can be innovatively utilized for arsenic remediation
      from contaminated aqueous systems, accompanied by remarkably high uptake capacity
      of 103.4 mg/g for arsenite and 172.9 mg/g for arsenate. The superior arsenic
      uptake performance can be ascribed to abundant active sites and hydroxyl
      functional groups available as well as efficient mass transfer associated with
      interconnected hierarchical porous networks. In addition, the as-obtained
      material exhibits exceptional sorption selectivity toward arsenic over other
      coexisting anions at high levels, which can be ascribed to strong affinity
      between active sites and arsenic. More importantly, the free-standing 3D porous
      monolith not only makes it easy for separation and collection after treatment but
      also efficiently prevents the undesirable potential release of nanoparticles into
      aquatic environments while maintaining the outstanding properties of nanometer
      scale building blocks. Furthermore, the monolith absorbent is able to be
      effectively regenerated and reused for five cycles with negligible decrease in
      arsenic removal. In view of extremely high adsorption capacities, preferable
      sorption selectivity, satisfactory recyclability, as well as facile separation
      nature, the obtained 3D beta-FeOOH NRs/CF monolith holds a great potential for
      arsenic decontamination in practical applications.

PMID- 28358493
TI  - Rapid and Efficient Method for the Detection of Microplastic in the
      Gastrointestinal Tract of Fishes.
AB  - The rising evidence of microplastic pollution impacts on aquatic organisms in
      both marine and freshwater ecosystems highlights a pressing need for adequate and
      comparable detection methods. Available tissue digestion protocols are time
      consuming (>10 h) and/or require several procedural steps, during which materials
      can be lost and contaminants introduced. This novel approach comprises an
      accelerated digestion step using sodium hydroxide and nitric acid in combination
      to digest all organic material within 1 h plus an additional separation step
      using sodium iodide which can be used to reduce mineral residues in samples where
      necessary. This method yielded a microplastic recovery rate of >=95%, and all
      tested polymer types were recovered with only minor changes in weight, size, and
      color with the exception of polyamide. The method was also shown to be effective
      on field samples from two benthic freshwater fish species, revealing a
      microplastic burden comparable to that indicated in the literature. As a
      consequence, the present method saves time, minimizes the loss of material and
      the risk of contamination, and facilitates the identification of plastic
      particles and fibers, thus providing an efficient method to detect and quantify
      microplastics in the gastrointestinal tract of fishes.

PMID- 28358495
TI  - Tripodal S-Ligand Complexes of Copper(I) as Catalysts for Alkene Aziridination,
      Sulfide Sulfimidation, and C-H Amination.
AB  - Copper(I) complexes of tris(thioimidazolyl)borates (R'TmR), including
      [Cu(TmPh)(PR"3)] (R" = Ph, Cu1; Cy, Cu2) and [Cu(R'TmPh)(PR"3)]+ (R' = N
      methylimidazole; R" = Ph, Cy) were prepared and characterized by spectroscopic
      methods. The X-ray crystal structures of Cu1 and Cu2 feature a tripodal TmPh
      ligand coordinated in kappa3-S,S,S mode. Using Cu2 as a catalyst (loading: 1 mol
      %), the aziridination of styrenes and sulfimidation of thioanisoles with PhI?NTs
      at RT for 3 and 0.5 h, respectively, both resulted in product yields of up to
      99%. Cu2 also catalyzed intramolecular amination of the aryl C-H bond of vinyl
      azides with up to 98% yield. DFT calculations were performed to gain insight into
      the mechanism of the Cu2-catalyzed aziridination reaction.

PMID- 28358494
TI  - Phosphonate MOFs Composite as Off-On Fluorescent Sensor for Detecting Purine
      Metabolite Uric Acid and Diagnosing Hyperuricuria.
AB  - The recent discovery of lanthanide organic frameworks (Ln-MOFs) offers the
      potential for biomarkers or metabolites sensing. This is another field that is
      closely connected with life science and medicine. In this work, a stable and
      luminescent phosphonate Ln-MOFs MIL-91(Al:Eu) and its derivatives composite
      Cu2+@MIL-91(Al:Eu) were synthesized. The rebound of luminescence of Cu2+@MIL
      91(Al:Eu) that origin of Eu3+ is observed in the presence of uric acid. This On
      Off-On pattern is utilized for detecting uric acid, which is the final metabolite
      of purine. The composite reveals excellent selectivity and sensitivity for
      sensing uric acid. The detection of uric acid in real urine is also investigated.
      The effective detection of uric acid and tentative diagnosis of hyperuricuria on
      the basis of test paper is demonstrated.

PMID- 28358496
TI  - Ultraviolet Patterned Calixarene-Derived Supramolecular Gels and Films with
      Spatially Resolved Mechanical and Fluorescent Properties.
AB  - Supramolecular assemblies have in the past been considered mechanically weak and
      in most cases unable to withstand their own weight. Calixarene-derived networks
      can, however, provide robust supramolecular gels. Incorporating a photoreactive
      stilbene moiety, we show that the aggregation state of the material can be tuned
      by heating and UV exposure in order to control the mechanical as well as the
      fluorescent properties. Regulating the extent of heating to control the
      proportion of H-aggregates and J-aggregates and further cross-linking of H
      aggregates by control over UV exposure allows for adjustable photopatterning of
      the fluorescence as well as the material stiffness in the range from ~100 to 450
      kPa. We expect this straightforward supramolecular system will be suitable for
      advanced prototyping in applications where modulus and shape are important design
      criteria.

PMID- 28358497
TI  - beta-Selective Reductive Coupling of Alkenylpyridines with Aldehydes and Imines
      via Synergistic Lewis Acid/Photoredox Catalysis.
AB  - Umpolung (polarity reversal) strategies of aldehydes and imines have dramatically
      expanded the scope of carbonyl and iminyl chemistry by facilitating reactions
      with non-nucleophilic reagents. Herein, we report the first visible light
      photoredox-catalyzed beta-selective reductive coupling of alkenylpyridines with
      carbonyl or iminyl derivatives with the aid of a Lewis acid co-catalyst. Our
      process tolerates complex molecular scaffolds (e.g., sugar, natural product, and
      peptide derivatives) and is applicable to the preparation of compounds containing
      a broad range of heterocyclic moieties. Mechanistic investigations indicate that
      the key step involves single-electron-transfer reduction of aldehydes or imines
      followed by the addition of resulting ketyl or alpha-aminoalkyl radicals to Lewis
      acid-activated alkenylpyridines.

PMID- 28358498
TI  - Can Coinage Metal Atoms Be Capable of Serving as an Excess Electron Source of
      Alkalides with Considerable Nonlinear Optical Responses?
AB  - Alkalides, as a representative kind of excess electron compounds, have been
      demonstrated to be potential nonlinear optical (NLO) materials with large static
      first hyperpolarizabilities (beta0). The possibility of utilizing coinage metal
      atoms as a novel excess electron source to design a series of alkalides, i.e.,
      (M@36adz)M' (M = Cu, Ag, and Au; M' = Li, Na, and K), was examined by density
      functional theory calculations. The alkalide characteristics of these compounds
      are guaranteed by their HOMOs and VIE values as well as NBO analysis. In
      particular, all proposed alkalides exhibit considerable first
      hyperpolarizabilities (beta0) up to 61 590 au, indicating that they can be
      considered as novel NLO molecules of high performance. Moreover, a larger cage
      complexant has been considered, and the resulting (Ag+@TriPip222)K- alkalide
      possesses a remarkably large beta0 value of 180 068 au. We hope that this work
      will provide a new recipe for designing excess electron compounds and, on the
      other hand, attract more research interest and efforts in exploring new,
      unconventional alkalides.

PMID- 28358499
TI  - Investigation of a Quantum Monte Carlo Protocol To Achieve High Accuracy and High
      Throughput Materials Formation Energies.
AB  - High-throughput calculations based on density functional theory (DFT) methods
      have been widely implemented in the scientific community. However, depending on
      both the properties of interest as well as particular chemical/structural phase
      space, accuracy even for correct trends remains a key challenge for DFT. In this
      work, we evaluate the use of quantum Monte Carlo (QMC) to calculate material
      formation energies in a high-throughput environment. We test the performance of
      automated QMC calculations on 21 compounds with high quality reference data from
      the Committee on Data for Science and Technology (CODATA) thermodynamic database.
      We compare our approach to different DFT methods as well as different
      pseudopotentials, showing that errors in QMC calculations can be progressively
      improved especially when correct pseudopotentials are used. We determine a set of
      accurate pseudopotentials in QMC via a systematic investigation of multiple
      available pseudopotential libraries. We show that using this simple automated
      recipe, QMC calculations can outperform DFT calculations over a wide set of
      materials. Out of 21 compounds tested, chemical accuracy has been obtained in
      formation energies of 11 structures using our QMC recipe, compared to none using
      DFT calculations.

PMID- 28358500
TI  - Molecular Mechanism of Dioxin Formation from Chlorophenol based on Electron
      Paramagnetic Resonance Spectroscopy.
AB  - Few studies have investigated the free radical intermediates involved in the
      formation of polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins and dibenzofurans (PCDD/Fs) from
      chlorophenol. This study clarified the reaction pathways during thermochemical
      formation of PCDDs from 2,3,6-trichlorophenol (TCP) over a Cu(II)O/silica matrix,
      which was used to simulate fly ash, at 298-523 K. The reaction was studied using
      electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) spectroscopy and theoretical calculations.
      In situ EPR indicated the TCP radical (TCPR) formed by hydrogen abstraction of
      TCP. Five elementary processes including dimerization of TCPR, ortho-chloride
      abstraction, Smiles rearrangement, ring closure, and intra-annular elimination of
      Cl were proposed to occur during formation of PCDDs. The proposed mechanism was
      further confirmed by the detection of PCDD products from thermochemical
      experiments in a tube furnace. Several dominant congeners, including 1,2,6,9
      tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (TeCDD), 1,2,6,7-TeCDD, 1,2,8,9-TeCDD, and 1,4,6,9
      TeCDD were detected by gas chromatography/quadrupole time-of-flight mass
      spectrometry, and further confirmed by gas chromatography/high resolution mass
      spectrometry. The detected PCDD products agree with the proposed PCDD formation
      mechanism. Relatively high temperatures were found to lead to dechlorination of
      TCPR to form phenoxy radicals in addition to PCDD/Fs. These radicals will be
      attached to particles, which will increase their lifetimes. These reactions were
      further verified by molecular orbital theory calculations. The discovery of
      persistent phenoxy radicals is of environmental significance because of their
      potential toxicity. The details of this mechanism could be used for controlling
      PCDD/F formation during industrial thermal processes.

PMID- 28358501
TI  - Markers, Reactions, and Interactions during the Aging of Pinus Resin Assessed by
      Raman Spectroscopy.
AB  - The resin extracted from the species of the Pinus genus (Pinaceae family) is a
      widely used material. Primarily, resins are made up of two types of diterpenoids:
      abietanes and pimaranes. Their composition changes with aging, affecting their
      chemical and physical properties; however, the chemical changes that occur during
      aging are not yet fully known. Understanding the evolution of pimaranes and
      abietanes and the chemical composition of the aged resins is essential to make
      the most of this substance and of its derivatives. A systematic study of the
      aging of Pinus resin with Raman complemented with infrared (IR) spectroscopy was
      carried out. This study provided new information about the interactions among the
      constituting molecules in resins aged over many years. In particular the
      formation of intermolecular hydrogen bonds in aged samples was detected for the
      first time, and the formation of acid anhydrides from the reaction between
      pimaranes was demonstrated. Furthermore, Raman and IR spectra band assignments
      are proposed, and the specific markers of the main compounds of the resin are
      tagged. This will facilitate the qualitative analysis of resin compounds.

PMID- 28358502
TI  - Bioactive Triterpenoids from the Twigs of Chaenomeles sinensis.
AB  - Chaenomeles sinensis has been consumed traditionally for the treatment of throat
      diseases, diarrhea, inflammatory diseases, and dry beriberi. Repeated
      chromatography of the CHCl3-soluble fraction from the 80% MeOH extract of C.
      sinensis twigs led to the isolation of three new triterpenoids, sinenic acid A
      (1), 3beta-O-cis-feruloyl-2alpha,19alpha-dihydroxyurs-12-en-28-oic acid (2), and
      3beta-O-cis-caffeoylbetulin (3), together with 20 analogues. The chemical
      structures of 1-3 were determined using diverse NMR techniques and HRMS data
      analysis, chemical methods, and computational approaches supported by advanced
      statistics (CP3). All the purified compounds were evaluated not only for their
      cytotoxicity against four human tumor cell lines (A549, SK-OV-3, SK-MEL-2, and
      HCT-15) but for their potential neuroprotective effects through induction of
      nerve growth factor in C6 glioma cells. Their anti-inflammatory effects were also
      assessed by measuring nitric oxide levels in lipopolysaccharide-insulted murine
      microglia BV2 cells.

PMID- 28358504
TI  - Oxidation-State-Dependent Vibrational Dynamics Probed with 2D-IR.
AB  - In an effort to examine the role of electronic structure and oxidation states in
      potentially modifying intramolecular vibrational dynamics and intermolecular
      solvation, we have used 2D-IR to study two distinct oxidation states of an
      organometallic complex. The complex, [1,1'
      bis(diphenylphosphino)ferrocene]tetracarbonyl chromium (DPPFCr), consists of a
      catalytic diphenylphosphino ferrocene redox-active component as well as a Cr that
      can be switched from a Cr(0) to a Cr(I) oxidation state using a chemical oxidant
      in dichloromethane (DCM) solution. The DPPFCr(I) radical cation is sufficiently
      stable to investigate with 2D-IR spectroscopy, which provides dynamical
      information such as vibrational relaxation, intramolecular vibrational
      redistribution, as well as solvation dynamics manifested as spectral diffusion.
      Our measurements show that the primarily intramolecular dynamical processes
      vibrational relaxation and redistribution-differ significantly between the two
      oxidation states, with faster relaxation in the oxidized DPPFCr(I) radical
      cation. The primarily intermolecular spectral diffusion dynamics, however,
      exhibit insignificant oxidation state dependence. We speculate that the low
      nucleophilicity (i.e., donicity) of the DCM solvent, which is chosen to
      facilitate the chemical oxidation, masks any potential changes in solvation
      dynamics accompanying the substantial decrease in the 2.5 D molecular dipole
      moment of DPPFCr(I) relative to DPPFCr(0) (7.5 D).

PMID- 28358503
TI  - Coupled Effect of Ferrous Ion and Oxygen on the Electron Selectivity of
      Zerovalent Iron for Selenate Sequestration.
AB  - Although the electron selectivity (ES) of zerovalent iron (ZVI) for target
      contaminant and its utilization ratio (UR) decide the removal capacity of ZVI,
      little effort has been made to improve them. Taking selenate [Se(VI)] as a target
      contaminant, this study investigated the coupled influence of aeration gas and
      Fe(II) on the ES and UR of ZVI. Oxygen was necessary for effective removal of
      Se(VI) by ZVI without Fe(II) addition. Due to the application of 1.0 mM Fe(II),
      the ES of ZVI was increased from 3.2-3.6% to 6.2-6.8% and the UR of ZVI was
      improved by 5.0-19.4% under aerobic conditions, which resulted in a 100-180%
      increase in the Se(VI) removal capacity by ZVI. Se(VI) reduction by Fe0 was a
      heterogeneous redox reaction, and the enrichment of Se(VI) on ZVI surface was the
      first step of electron transfer from Fe0 core to Se(VI). Oxygen promoted the
      generation of iron (hydr)oxides, which facilitated the enrichment of Se(VI) on
      the ZVI particle surface. Therefore, the high oxygen fraction (25-50%) in the
      purging gas resulted in only a slight decrease in the ES of ZVI. Fe(II) addition
      resulted in a pH drop and promoted the generation of lepidocrocite and magnetite,
      which benefited Se(VI) adsorption and the following electron transfer from
      underlying Fe0 to surface-located Se(VI).

PMID- 28358505
TI  - Temperature-Responsive Ionic Liquids: Fundamental Behaviors and Catalytic
      Applications.
AB  - Temperature-responsive ionic liquids (ILs), their fundanmental behaviors, and
      catalytic applications were introduced, especially the concepts of upper critical
      solution temperature (UCST) and lower critical solution temperature (LCST). It is
      described that, during a catalytic reaction, they form a homogeneous mixture with
      the reactants and products at reaction temperature but separate from them
      afterward at ambient conditions. It is shown that this behavior offers an
      effective alternative approach to overcome gas/liquid-solid interface mass
      transfer limitations in many catalytic transformations. It should be noted that
      IL-based thermomorphic systems are rarely elaborated until now, especially in the
      field of catalytic applications. The aim of this article is to provide a
      comprehensive review about thermomorphic mixtures of an IL with H2O and/or
      organic compounds. Special focus is laid on their temperature dependence
      concerning UCST and LCST behavior, including systems with conventional ILs, metal
      containing ILs, polymerized ILs, as well as the thermomorphic behavior induced
      via host-guest complexation. A wide range of applications using thermoregulated
      IL systems in chemical catalytic reactions as well as enzymatic catalysis were
      also demonstrated in detail. The conclusion is drawn that, due to their highly
      attractive behavior, thermoregulated ILs have already and will find more
      applications, not only in catalysis but also in other areas.

PMID- 28358506
TI  - Disaggregation is a Mechanism for Emission Turn-On of ortho
      Aminomethylphenylboronic Acid-Based Saccharide Sensors.
AB  - ortho-Aminomethylphenylboronic acid-based receptors with appended fluorophores
      are commonly used as molecular sensors for saccharides in aqueous media. The
      mechanism for fluorescence modulation in these sensors has been attributed to
      some form of photoinduced electron transfer (PET) quenching, which is diminished
      in the presence of saccharides. Using a well-known boronic acid-based saccharide
      sensor (3), this work reveals a new mechanism for fluorescence turn-on in these
      types of sensors. Compound 3 exhibits an excimer, and the associated ground-state
      aggregation is responsible for fluorescence modulation under certain conditions.
      When fructose was titrated into a solution of 3 in 2:1 water/methanol with NaCl,
      the fluorescence intensity increased. Yet, when the same titration was repeated
      in pure methanol, a solvent in which the sensor does not aggregate, no
      fluorescence response to fructose was observed. This reveals that the
      fluorescence increase is not fully associated with fructose binding, but instead
      disaggregation of the sensor in the presence of fructose. Further, an analogue of
      the sensor that does not contain a boronic acid (4) responded nearly identically
      to 3 in the presence of fructose, despite having no functional group with which
      to bind the saccharide. This further supports the claim that fluorescence
      modulation is not primarily a result of binding, but of disaggregation. Using an
      indicator displacement assay and isothermal titration calorimetry, it was
      confirmed that fructose does indeed bind to the sensor. Thus, our evidence
      reveals that while binding occurs with fructose in the aqueous solvent system
      used, it is not related to the majority of the fluorescence modulation. Instead,
      disaggregation dominates the signal turn-on, and is thus a mechanism that should
      be investigated in other ortho-aminomethylphenylboronic acid-based sensors.

PMID- 28358507
TI  - Protein Degradation via CRL4CRBN Ubiquitin Ligase: Discovery and Structure
      Activity Relationships of Novel Glutarimide Analogs That Promote Degradation of
      Aiolos and/or GSPT1.
AB  - We previously disclosed the identification of cereblon modulator 3 (CC-885), with
      potent antitumor activity mediated through the degradation of GSPT1. We describe
      herein the structure-activity relationships for analogs of 3 with exploration of
      the structurally related dioxoisoindoline class. The observed activity of protein
      degradation could in part be rationalized through docking into the previously
      disclosed 3-CRBN-GSPT1 cocrystal ternary complex. For SAR that could not be
      rationalized through the cocrystal complex, we sought to predict SAR through a
      QSAR model developed in house. Through these analyses, selective protein
      degradation could be achieved between the two proteins of interest, GSPT1 and
      Aiolos.

PMID- 28358508
TI  - Cr0.5Nb24.5O62 Nanowires with High Electronic Conductivity for High-Rate and Long
      Life Lithium-Ion Storage.
AB  - Intercalation-type TiNbxO2+2.5x (x = 2, 5, and 24) anode materials have recently
      become more interesting for lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) due to their large
      theoretical capacities of 388-402 mAh g-1. However, the Ti4+/Nb5+ ions in
      TiNbxO2+2.5x with empty 3d/4d orbitals usually lead to extremely low electronic
      conductivity of <10-9 S cm-1, greatly restricting their practical capacity and
      rate capability. Herein, we report a class of highly conductive Cr0.5Nb24.5O62
      nanowires as an intercalation-type anode material for high-performance LIBs. The
      as-made Cr0.5Nb24.5O62 nanowires show an open shear ReO3 crystal structure (C2
      space group) with 4% tetrahedra and a conducting characteristic with ultrahigh
      electronic conductivity of 3.6 * 10-2 S cm-1 and a large Li+-ion diffusion
      coefficient of 2.19 * 10-13 cm2 s-1. These important characteristics make them
      deliver outstanding electrochemical properties in term of the largest reversible
      capacity (344 mAh g-1 at 0.1 C) in all the known niobium- and titanium-based
      anode materials, safe working potential (~1.65 V vs Li/Li+), high first-cycle
      Coulombic efficiency (90.8%), superior rate capability (209 mAh g-1 at 30 C), and
      excellent cycling stability, making them among the best for LIBs in niobium- and
      titanium-based anode materials.

PMID- 28358509
TI  - How Solvent Dynamics Controls the Schlenk Equilibrium of Grignard Reagents: A
      Computational Study of CH3MgCl in Tetrahydrofuran.
AB  - The Schlenk equilibrium is a complex reaction governing the presence of multiple
      chemical species in solution of Grignard reagents. The full characterization at
      the molecular level of the transformation of CH3MgCl into MgCl2 and Mg(CH3)2 in
      tetrahydrofuran (THF) by means of ab initio molecular dynamics simulations with
      enhanced-sampling metadynamics is presented. The reaction occurs via formation of
      dinuclear species bridged by chlorine atoms. At room temperature, the different
      chemical species involved in the reaction accept multiple solvation structures,
      with two to four THF molecules that can coordinate the Mg atoms. The energy
      difference between all dinuclear solvated structures is lower than 5 kcal mol-1.
      The solvent is shown to be a direct key player driving the Schlenk mechanism. In
      particular, this study illustrates how the most stable symmetrically solvated
      dinuclear species, (THF)CH3Mg(MU-Cl)2MgCH3(THF) and (THF)CH3Mg(MU-Cl)(MU
      CH3)MgCl(THF), need to evolve to less stable asymmetrically solvated species,
      (THF)CH3Mg(MU-Cl)2MgCH3(THF)2 and (THF)CH3Mg(MU-Cl)(MU-CH3)MgCl(THF)2, in order
      to yield ligand exchange or product dissociation. In addition, the transferred
      ligands are always departing from an axial position of a pentacoordinated Mg
      atom. Thus, solvent dynamics is key to successive Mg-Cl and Mg-CH3 bond cleavages
      because bond breaking occurs at the most solvated Mg atom and the formation of
      bonds takes place at the least solvated one. The dynamics of the solvent also
      contributes to keep relatively flat the free energy profile of the Schlenk
      equilibrium. These results shed light on one of the most used organometallic
      reagents whose structure in solvent remains experimentally unresolved. These
      results may also help to develop a more efficient catalyst for reactions
      involving these species.

PMID- 28358510
TI  - Reentrant Variation of Single-Chain Elasticity of Polyelectrolyte Induced by
      Monovalent Salt.
AB  - The interactions between monovalent counterions and polyelectrolyte are important
      in chemical and biological systems. The condensation and screening effect of
      counterions complicate the polyelectrolyte solutions. By means of single-molecule
      AFM, the single-chain mechanics of a strong polyelectrolyte, poly(sodium
      styrenesulfonate) (PSSNa), in KCl aqueous solutions over almost whole
      concentration range have been studied. The M-FJC model has been used to describe
      the single-chain elasticity of PSSNa in KCl solutions with a parameter of single
      chain modulus (K0). Along with the increase of the concentration of KCl from zero
      to almost the saturation concentration, a reentrant variation of K0 of single
      PSSNa chain can be observed. When [K+] is between 0.01 to 3 M, the charges on the
      PSSNa backbone are almost completely screened, i.e., the PSSNa chain is virtually
      neutral in this case. Because K0 has a positive correlation with the net charge
      of the polymer chain, the increased K0 at very high KCl concentrations (>=3.5 M)
      indicates that the chain is charged again. Due to the negative charges on the
      backbone of PSSNa, only the positively charged counterions (K+) can be adsorbed
      on the chain. Thus, the PSSNa chain should be positively charged when KCl
      concentrations >=3.5 M. That is, the charge inversion occurs in this case, which
      is induced by a monovalent salt. This finding may lay the foundation for the
      future applications of drug delivery and gene therapy.

PMID- 28358511
TI  - Energetic Effect of the Carboxylic Acid Functional Group in Indole Derivatives.
AB  - The standard molar enthalpy of formation, in the gaseous phase, at T = 298.15 K,
      was calculated by combining, for each compound, the standard molar enthalpy of
      formation, in the crystalline phase, and the standard molar enthalpy of
      sublimation, yielding -(222.2 +/- 3.5) kJ.mol-1 and -(234.1 +/- 2.1) kJ.mol-1 for
      indole-3-carboxylic acid and 1-methylindole-3-carboxylic acid, respectively.
      Computational studies, at the G3(MP2) composite level, were conducted for indole
      3-carboxylic acid and 1-methylindole-3-carboxylic acid as a complement of the
      experimental work, and they were also extended to the remaining isomers, indole-2
      carboxylic acid, 1-methylindole-2-carboxylic acid, 3-methylindole-2-carboxylic
      acid, and 2-methylindole-3-carboxylic acid, to provide reliable estimates of the
      corresponding thermochemical parameters. The agreement of the estimates of the
      standard gas-phase enthalpy of formation so obtained, indole-2-carboxylic acid 
      (223.6 +/- 0.8) kJ.mol-1, 1-methylindole-2-carboxylic acid -(223.7 +/- 0.8)
      kJ.mol-1, 3-methylindole-2-carboxylic acid -(251.6 +/- 1.0) kJ.mol-1, indole-3
      carboxylic acid -(227.1 +/- 1.1) kJ.mol-1, 1-methylindole-3-carboxylic acid 
      (238.0 +/- 1.0) kJ.mol-1, and 2-methylindole-3-carboxylic acid -(267.2 +/- 1.0)
      kJ.mol-1, with the available experimental data gives us additional confidence for
      the situations not studied experimentally. The enthalpic effect resulting from
      the entrance of the carboxyl group into the indole ring was discussed, and an
      enthalpic stabilization was found for indole and pyrrole derivatives when
      compared with other similar systems.

PMID- 28358512
TI  - Lead-Based Metal-Organic Framework with Stable Lithium Anodic Performance.
AB  - A microporous Pb-based metal-organic framework (MOF) [Pb(4,4'-ocppy)2].7H2O (Pb
      MOF) has been constructed from 4-(4-carboxyphenyl)pyridine N-oxide and Pb(NO3)2.
      Structural analysis reveals that the Pb-MOF possesses three-dimensional framework
      with a one-dimensional rhombic channel. When tested as a lithium-ion battery
      anode, a reversible lithium storage capacity of 489 mAh g-1 was maintained after
      500 cycles at 100 mA g-1 as well as excellent cycling stability. The superior
      electrochemical performance may be derived from the sustenance of the Pb-MOF
      framework and compositional features of the organic moiety.

PMID- 28358513
TI  - Discovery of Novel 1,4-Diacylpiperazines as Selective and Cell-Active eIF4A3
      Inhibitors.
AB  - Eukaryotic initiation factor 4A3 (eIF4A3), a member of the DEAD-box RNA helicase
      family, is one of the core components of the exon junction complex (EJC). The EJC
      is known to be involved in a variety of RNA metabolic processes typified by
      nonsense-mediated RNA decay (NMD). In order to identify molecular probes to
      investigate the functions and therapeutic relevance of eIF4A3, a search for
      selective eIF4A3 inhibitors was conducted. Through the chemical optimization of
      1,4-diacylpiperazine derivatives identified via high-throughput screening (HTS),
      we discovered the first reported selective eIF4A3 inhibitor 53a exhibiting
      cellular NMD inhibitory activity. A surface plasmon resonance (SPR) biosensing
      assay ascertained the direct binding of 53a and its analog 52a to eIF4A3 and
      revealed that the binding occurs at a non-ATP binding site. Compounds 52a and 53a
      represent novel molecular probes for further study of eIF4A3, the EJC, and NMD.

PMID- 28358515
TI  - Targeting to the Bone: Alendronate-Directed Combretastatin A-4 Bearing
      Antiangiogenic Polymer-Drug Conjugates.
AB  - Selective targeting of tumor site with chemotherapeutic agents appears to be one
      of the most effective methods to address many of the problems encountered with
      conventional chemotherapy. In this work, poly(oligoethylene glycol)methacrylate
      (POEGMA) based bone-targeting polymers bearing an antiangiogenic drug
      combretastatin A4 (CA4) were synthesized using free radical polymerization.
      Targeted and nontargeting copolymers were evaluated for their bone targeting
      efficiency, cytotoxicities against endothelial cells, namely, HUVECs and U2-OS
      and Saos-2 cancerous cell lines, as well as their antiangiogenic activity against
      endothelial cell tube formation by HUVECs. It is observed that the drug
      conjugated polymers conjugated with the bisphosphonate groups containing drug
      alendronate (ALN) have remarkably high affinity for bone mineral when compared to
      the polymer-drug conjugates devoid of the bisphosphonate groups. Both targeted
      and nontargeted polymer-drug conjugates show a sustained drug release in rat
      plasma with an overall release of 80-93% over 5 days. In vitro studies revealed
      high levels of cytotoxicity of the polymer-drug conjugates against HUVECs and U2
      OS, and moderate cytotoxicity toward Saos-2. Importantly, the CA4 conjugated
      copolymers displayed excellent level of antiangiogenic activity as deduced from
      in vitro endothelial cell tube formation assay using HUVECs. Overall, a novel
      bone-targeting antiangiogenic polymer-drug conjugate that can be further
      elaborated to carry additional anticancer drugs is disclosed.

PMID- 28358516
TI  - Highly Efficient Green-Emitting Phosphors Ba2Y5B5O17 with Low Thermal Quenching
      Due to Fast Energy Transfer from Ce3+ to Tb3.
AB  - This paper demonstrates a highly thermally stable and efficient green-emitting
      Ba2Y5B5O17:Ce3+, Tb3+ phosphor prepared by high-temperature solid-state reaction.
      The phosphor exhibits a blue emission band of Ce3+ and green emission lines of
      Tb3+ upon Ce3+ excitation in the near-UV spectral region. The effect of Ce3+ to
      Tb3+ energy transfer on blue to green emission color tuning and on luminescence
      thermal stability is studied in the samples codoped with 1% Ce3+ and various
      concentrations (0-40%) of Tb3+. The green emission of Tb3+ upon Ce3+ excitation
      at 150  degrees C can keep, on average, 92% of its intensity at room temperature,
      with the best one showing no intensity decreasing up to 210  degrees C for 30%
      Tb3+. Meanwhile, Ce3+ emission intensity only keeps 42% on average at 150 
      degrees C. The high thermal stability of the green emission is attributed to
      suppression of Ce3+ thermal de-excitation through fast energy transfer to Tb3+,
      which in the green-emitting excited states is highly thermally stable such that
      no lifetime shortening is observed with raising temperature to 210  degrees C.
      The predominant green emission is observed for Tb3+ concentration of at least 10%
      due to efficient energy transfer with the transfer efficiency approaching 100%
      for 40% Tb3+. The internal and external quantum yield of the sample with Tb3+
      concentration of 20% can be as high as 76% and 55%, respectively. The green
      phosphor, thus, shows attractive performance for near-UV-based white-light
      emitting diodes applications.

PMID- 28358514
TI  - Interdependence of Inhibitor Recognition in HIV-1 Protease.
AB  - Molecular recognition is a highly interdependent process. Subsite couplings
      within the active site of proteases are most often revealed through conditional
      amino acid preferences in substrate recognition. However, the potential effect of
      these couplings on inhibition and thus inhibitor design is largely unexplored.
      The present study examines the interdependency of subsites in HIV-1 protease
      using a focused library of protease inhibitors, to aid in future inhibitor
      design. Previously a series of darunavir (DRV) analogs was designed to
      systematically probe the S1' and S2' subsites. Co-crystal structures of these
      analogs with HIV-1 protease provide the ideal opportunity to probe subsite
      interdependency. All-atom molecular dynamics simulations starting from these
      structures were performed and systematically analyzed in terms of atomic
      fluctuations, intermolecular interactions, and water structure. These analyses
      reveal that the S1' subsite highly influences other subsites: the extension of
      the hydrophobic P1' moiety results in 1) reduced van der Waals contacts in the
      P2' subsite, 2) more variability in the hydrogen bond frequencies with catalytic
      residues and the flap water, and 3) changes in the occupancy of conserved water
      sites both proximal and distal to the active site. In addition, one of the
      monomers in this homodimeric enzyme has atomic fluctuations more highly
      correlated with DRV than the other monomer. These relationships intricately link
      the HIV-1 protease subsites and are critical to understanding molecular
      recognition and inhibitor binding. More broadly, the interdependency of subsite
      recognition within an active site requires consideration in the selection of
      chemical moieties in drug design; this strategy is in contrast to what is
      traditionally done with independent optimization of chemical moieties of an
      inhibitor.

PMID- 28358517
TI  - Total Synthesis of Scholarisine K and Alstolactine A.
AB  - The first asymmetric total syntheses of scholarisine K and alstolactine A have
      been accomplished. Our syntheses feature (1) ring closure metathesis and an
      intramolecular Heck reaction to construct the 1,3-bridged [3,3,1] bicycle (C-D
      ring), (2) intramolecular alkylation followed by Fischer indolization to form the
      basic skeleton of akuammilines, and (3) bioinspired, acid-promoted epoxide
      opening/lactonization to generate the second lactone ring of alstolactine A.
      These results provide evidence of a biogenetic relationship between scholarisine
      K and alstolactine A, which should facilitate the preparation of other
      akuammiline-type natural products and their derivatives for functional studies.

PMID- 28358519
TI  - Diagnoses of traumatic brain injury not clearly associated with deployment,
      active component, U.S. Armed Forces, 2001-2016.
AB  - From 2001 through 2016, a total of 276,858 active component service members
      received first-time diagnoses of traumatic brain injury (TBI). Person-time and
      incident cases of TBI were assigned to one of three groups. Group 1 included only
      service members' person-time before their first-ever deployments. Group 2
      included service members' person-time during their overseas deployments and the
      30 days after their return from deployment. Group 3 included only service
      members' person-time more than 30 days after return from deployment. The crude
      overall incidence rate of TBI among deployed service members (1,690.5 cases per
      100,000 person-years [p-yrs]) was 1.5 times that of service members in group 1
      (1,141.3 cases per 100,000 p-yrs), and 1.2 times that of service members in group
      3 (1,451.2 cases per 100,000 p-yrs). The portion of the surveillance period
      during which the annual incidence rates of TBI in groups 3 and 2 exceeded the
      rates in group 1 likely represents, at least in part, the increased risk of
      service in an active combat zone. For group 2, this period extended from 2007
      through 2013. For group 3, this period lasted from 2007 through 2016. Examination
      of the TBI case-defining encounters with recorded injury causes yielded leading
      causes similar to those of TBIs in same-aged civilians (land transport and slips,
      trips, and falls). Factors that may explain why the TBI incidence rates among the
      previously deployed were higher than those of the never-deployed group are
      discussed.

PMID- 28358518
TI  - Polarization-Dependent Optical Response in Anisotropic Nanoparticle-DNA
      Superlattices.
AB  - DNA-programmable assembly has been used to prepare superlattices composed of
      octahedral and spherical nanoparticles, respectively. These superlattices have
      the same body-centered cubic lattice symmetry and macroscopic rhombic
      dodecahedron crystal habit but tunable lattice parameters by virtue of the DNA
      length, allowing one to study and determine the effect of nanoscale structure and
      lattice parameter on the light-matter interactions in the superlattices.
      Backscattering measurements and finite-difference time-domain simulations have
      been used to characterize these two classes of superlattices. Superlattices
      composed of octahedral nanoparticles exhibit polarization-dependent
      backscattering but via a trend that is opposite to that observed in the
      polarization dependence for analogous superlattices composed of spherical
      nanoparticles. Electrodynamics simulations show that this polarization dependence
      is mainly due to the anisotropy of the nanoparticles and is observed only if the
      octahedral nanoparticles are well-aligned within the superlattices. Both
      plasmonic and photonic modes are identified in such structures, both of which can
      be tuned by controlling the size and shape of the nanoparticle building blocks,
      the lattice parameters, and the overall size of the three-dimensional
      superlattices (without changing habit).

PMID- 28358520
TI  - Update: Heat illness, active component, U.S. Armed Forces, 2016.
AB  - In 2016, there were 2,536 incident diagnoses of heat illness among active
      component service members (incidence rate: 1.96 cases per 1,000 person-years [p
      yrs]). The overall crude incidence rates of heat stroke and "other heat illness"
      were 0.31 and 1.65 per 1,000 p-yrs, respectively. In 2016, subgroup-specific
      incidence rates of heat stroke were highest among males and service members aged
      19 years or younger, Asian/Pacific Islanders, Marine Corps and Army members,
      recruit trainees, and those in combat-specific and "other" occupations. Subgroup
      specific incidence rates of "other heat illnesses" in 2016 were highest among
      females, service members aged 19 years or younger, Marine Corps and Army members,
      recruit trainees, and service members in combat-specific occupations. During 2012
      2016, a total of 572 diagnoses of heat injuries were documented among service
      members serving in Iraq/Afghanistan; 7.9% (n=45) of those diagnoses were for heat
      stroke. Commanders, small unit leaders, training cadre, and supporting medical
      personnel must ensure that military members whom they supervise and support are
      informed regarding risks, preventive countermeasures, early signs and symptoms,
      and first-responder actions related to heat illnesses.

PMID- 28358521
TI  - Update: Exertional rhabdomyolysis, active component, U.S. Armed Forces, 2012
      2016.
AB  - Among active component service members in 2016, there were 525 incident diagnoses
      of rhabdomyolysis likely due to physical exertion and/or heat stress ("exertional
      rhabdomyolysis"). The crude incidence rate in 2016 was 40.7 cases per 100,000
      person-years. Annual rates of incident diagnoses of exertional rhabdomyolysis
      increased 46.2% between 2013 and 2016, with the greatest percentage change
      occurring between 2014 and 2015. In 2016, relative to their respective
      counterparts, the highest incidence rates of exertional rhabdomyolysis affected
      service members who were male; younger than 20 years of age; and black, non
      Hispanic. During the surveillance period, annual incidence rates were highest
      among service members of the Marine Corps, intermediate among those in the Army,
      and lowest among those in the Air Force and Navy. Most cases of exertional
      rhabdomyolysis were diagnosed at installations that support basic combat/recruit
      training or major ground combat units of the Army or the Marine Corps. Medical
      care providers should consider exertional rhabdomyolysis in the differential
      diagnosis when service members (particularly recruits) present with muscular pain
      or swelling, limited range of motion, or the excretion of dark urine (possibly
      due to myoglobinuria) after strenuous physical activity, particularly in hot,
      humid weather.

PMID- 28358522
TI  - Update: Exertional hyponatremia, active component, U.S. Armed Forces, 2001-2016.
AB  - From 2001 through 2016, there were 1,519 incident diagnoses of exertional
      hyponatremia among active component service members (incidence rate: 6.9 cases
      per 100,000 person-years [p-yrs]). The incidence rate in 2016 (6.6 cases per
      100,000 p-yrs) represented a decrease of 23.3% from 2015. Compared to their
      respective counterparts, overall incidence rates of exertional hyponatremia were
      higher among females, those aged 19 years or younger, and recruit trainees. The
      overall incidence rate during the surveillance period was highest in the Marine
      Corps, intermediate in the Army and Air Force, and lowest in the Navy. Overall
      incidence rates were lowest among black, non-Hispanic service members and highest
      among white, non-Hispanic and Asian/Pacific Islander service members. Service
      members (particularly recruit trainees) and their supervisors must be vigilant
      for early signs of heat-related illnesses and must be knowledgeable of the
      dangers of excessive water consumption and the prescribed limits for water intake
      during prolonged physical activity (e.g., field training exercises, personal
      fitness training, recreational activities) in hot, humid weather.

PMID- 28358523
TI  - Two is more valid than one: Examining the factor structure of the Self-Compassion
      Scale (SCS).
AB  - The Self-Compassion Scale (SCS; Neff, 2003a) is the most widely used measure of
      self-compassion. Self-compassion, as measured by the SCS, is robustly linked to
      psychological health (Macbeth & Gumley, 2012; Zessin, Dickhauser, & Garbade,
      2015). The SCS is currently understood as exhibiting a higher-order structure
      comprised of 6 first-order factors and 1 second-order general self-compassion
      factor. Recently, some researchers have questioned the internal validity of this
      1-factor conceptualization, and posit that the SCS may instead be comprised of 2
      general factors-self-compassion and self-coldness. The current paper provides an
      in-depth examination of the internal structure of the SCS using oblique, higher
      order, and bifactor structural models in a sample of 1,115 college students. The
      bifactor model comprised of 2 general factors-self-compassion and self-coldness
      and 6 specific factors demonstrated the best fit to the data. Results also
      indicated the Self-Coldness factor accounted for unique variance in depression,
      anxiety, and stress, whereas the Self-Compassion factor only accounted for unique
      variance in its association with depression, providing further evidence for the
      presence of 2 distinct factors. Results did not provide support for the 1-factor
      composition of self-compassion currently used in research. Implications for
      using, scoring, and interpreting the SCS are discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record

PMID- 28358525
TI  - Veterans individual placement and support towards advancing recovery: Methods and
      baseline clinical characteristics of a multisite study.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: This article describes the methodology and the baseline
      characteristics of veterans with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) enrolled in
      a multisite trial comparing supported employment individual placement and support
      (IPS) to a stepwise vocational transitional work program (TWP). METHOD: The
      Veterans Affairs Cooperative Studies Program randomized 541 veterans with PTSD
      across 12 Veterans Affairs Medical Centers to either IPS or TWP. Demographic and
      clinical characteristics were evaluated at baseline. RESULTS: Participants
      averaged 42 (SD +/- 11) years of age and had PTSD for 13 (SD +/- 11) years. The
      group was comprised of 18% female, 42% African Americans, and 16% Latino
      participants. Approximately 60% of participants served in the military since
      2001, 89% were receiving or applying for service-connected disability, 60% had
      PTSD from nonsexual combat-related trauma, and 17% had PTSD from military sexual
      trauma. One third had not held a competitive job in the past 3 years; the average
      length of unemployment was 2.8 (SD +/- 4) years. Unique study features included
      the focus on veterans with PTSD, a comparison of a promising practice with a
      usual-care practice, and the outcome criterion of achieving steady competitive
      employment. Conclusions and Implication for Practice: This study is the first
      large-scale randomized trial of IPS in a PTSD population. These baseline findings
      illustrate the characteristics of the study sample, which are representative of a
      veteran population in need of vocational rehabilitation services and can be used
      to help guide the implementation of tailored veteran-centered programs. (PsycINFO
      Database Record

PMID- 28358524
TI  - Loneliness predicts self-reported cold symptoms after a viral challenge.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: Loneliness is a well-established risk factor for poor physical health.
      Much less is known about how loneliness affects patient-reported outcomes (PROs),
      such as somatic symptoms, which are increasingly important for guiding symptom
      management and assessing quality of patient care. The current study investigates
      whether (a) loneliness and social isolation predict cold symptoms independent of
      each other, and (b) whether loneliness is a more robust risk factor than
      objective social isolation for experiencing cold symptoms. METHOD: As part of a
      larger parent study, 213 healthy participants completed the Short Loneliness
      Scale (LON) and the Social Network Index (SNI) at baseline. They were given nasal
      drops containing rhinovirus 39 (RV39; i.e., a common cold virus), then
      quarantined for 5 days during which they reported on subjective cold symptoms in
      addition to being monitored for objective indicators of infection. Data from 160
      of the participants (who were infected with the virus) were used in the present
      analyses. RESULTS: A hierarchical multiple regression revealed that baseline
      loneliness predicted self-reported cold symptoms over time (assessed via area
      under the curve), over and above demographic variables, season of participation,
      and depressive affect. Interestingly, social network size and diversity did not
      predict cold symptoms. CONCLUSIONS: These findings suggest that the perception of
      loneliness is more closely linked to self-reported illness symptoms than
      objectively measured social isolation. Assessing psychosocial factors such as
      loneliness when treating and evaluating the common cold could contribute to
      health care practitioners' understanding of their patients' experiences with
      acute illness. (PsycINFO Database Record

PMID- 28358527
TI  - "Going out" of the box: Close intercultural friendships and romantic
      relationships spark creativity, workplace innovation, and entrepreneurship.
AB  - The present research investigates whether close intercultural relationships
      promote creativity, workplace innovation, and entrepreneurship-outcomes vital to
      individual and organizational success. We triangulate on these questions with
      multiple methods (longitudinal, experimental, and field studies), diverse
      population samples (MBA students, employees, and professional repatriates), and
      both laboratory and real-world measures. Using a longitudinal design over a 10
      month MBA program, Study 1 found that intercultural dating predicted improved
      creative performance on both divergent and convergent thinking tasks. Using an
      experimental design, Study 2 established the causal connection between
      intercultural dating and creativity: Among participants who had previously had
      both intercultural and intracultural dating experiences, those who reflected on
      an intercultural dating experience displayed higher creativity compared to those
      who reflected on an intracultural dating experience. Importantly, cultural
      learning mediated this effect. Extending the first 2 studies, Study 3 revealed
      that the duration of past intercultural romantic relationships positively
      predicted the ability of current employees to generate creative names for
      marketing products, but the number of past intercultural romantic partners did
      not. In Study 4, we analyzed an original dataset of 2,226 professional
      repatriates from 96 countries who had previously worked in the U.S. under J-1
      visas: Participants' frequency of contact with American friends since returning
      to their home countries positively predicted their workplace innovation and
      likelihood of becoming entrepreneurs. Going out with a close friend or romantic
      partner from a foreign culture can help people "go out" of the box and into a
      creative frame of mind. (PsycINFO Database Record

PMID- 28358528
TI  - "Using recruitment source timing and diagnosticity to enhance applicants'
      occupation-specific human capital": Correction to Campion, Ployhart, and Campion
      (2017).
AB  - Reports an error in "Using Recruitment Source Timing and Diagnosticity to Enhance
      Applicants' Occupation-Specific Human Capital" by Michael C. Campion, Robert E.
      Ployhart and Michael A. Campion (Journal of Applied Psychology, Advanced Online
      Publication, Feb 02, 2017, np). In the article, the following headings were
      inadvertently set at the wrong level: Method, Participants and Procedure,
      Measures, Occupation specific human capital, Symbolic jobs, Relevant majors,
      Occupation-specific capital hotspots, Source timing, Source diagnosticity,
      Results, and Discussion. All versions of this article have been corrected. (The
      following abstract of the original article appeared in record 2017-04566-001.)
      This study proposes that reaching applicants through more diagnostic recruitment
      sources earlier in their educational development (e.g., in high school) can lead
      them to invest more in their occupation-specific human capital (OSHC), thereby
      making them higher quality candidates. Using a sample of 78,157 applicants
      applying for jobs within a desirable professional occupation in the public
      sector, results indicate that applicants who report hearing about the occupation
      earlier, and applicants who report hearing about the occupation through more
      diagnostic sources, have higher levels of OSHC upon application. Additionally,
      source timing and diagnosticity affect the likelihood of candidates applying for
      jobs symbolic of the occupation, selecting relevant majors, and attending
      educational institutions with top programs related to the occupation. These
      findings suggest a firm's recruiting efforts may influence applicants' OSHC
      investment strategies. (PsycINFO Database Record

PMID- 28358529
TI  - Can super smart leaders suffer from too much of a good thing? The curvilinear
      effect of intelligence on perceived leadership behavior.
AB  - Although researchers predominately test for linear relationships between
      variables, at times there may be theoretical and even empirical reasons for
      expecting nonlinear functions. We examined if the relation between intelligence
      (IQ) and perceived leadership might be more accurately described by a curvilinear
      single-peaked function. Following Simonton's (1985) theory, we tested a specific
      model, indicating that the optimal IQ for perceived leadership will appear at
      about 1.2 standard deviations above the mean IQ of the group membership. The
      sample consisted of midlevel leaders from multinational private-sector companies.
      We used the leaders' scores on the Wonderlic Personnel Test (WPT)-a measure of IQ
      to predict how they would be perceived on prototypically effective leadership
      (i.e., transformational and instrumental leadership). Accounting for the effects
      of leader personality, gender, age, as well as company, country, and time fixed
      effects, analyses indicated that perceptions of leadership followed a curvilinear
      inverted-U function of intelligence. The peak of this function was at an IQ score
      of about 120, which did not depart significantly from the value predicted by the
      theory. As the first direct empirical test of a precise curvilinear model of the
      intelligence-leadership relation, the results have important implications for
      future research on how leaders are perceived in the workplace. (PsycINFO Database
      Record

PMID- 28358526
TI  - Default mode functional connectivity is associated with social functioning in
      schizophrenia.
AB  - Individuals with schizophrenia display notable deficits in social functioning.
      Research indicates that neural connectivity within the default mode network (DMN)
      is related to social cognition and social functioning in healthy and clinical
      populations. However, the association between DMN connectivity, social cognition,
      and social functioning has not been studied in schizophrenia. For the present
      study, the authors used resting-state neuroimaging data to evaluate connectivity
      between the main DMN hubs (i.e., the medial prefrontal cortex [mPFC] and the
      posterior cingulate cortex-anterior precuneus [PPC]) in individuals with
      schizophrenia (n = 28) and controls (n = 32). The authors also examined whether
      DMN connectivity was associated with social functioning via social attainment
      (measured by the Specific Levels of Functioning Scale) and social competence
      (measured by the Social Skills Performance Assessment), and if social cognition
      mediates the association between DMN connectivity and these measures of social
      functioning. Results revealed that DMN connectivity did not differ between
      individuals with schizophrenia and controls. However, connectivity between the
      mPFC and PCC hubs was significantly associated with social competence and social
      attainment in individuals with schizophrenia but not in controls as reflected by
      a significant group-by-connectivity interaction. Social cognition did not mediate
      the association between DMN connectivity and social functioning in individuals
      with schizophrenia. The findings suggest that fronto-parietal DMN connectivity in
      particular may be differentially associated with social functioning in
      schizophrenia and controls. As a result, DMN connectivity may be used as a
      neuroimaging marker to monitor treatment response or as a potential target for
      interventions that aim to enhance social functioning in schizophrenia. (PsycINFO
      Database Record

PMID- 28358530
TI  - Hispanic and Asian performance on selection procedures: A narrative and meta
      analytic review of 12 common predictors.
AB  - Hispanics are both the largest and fastest growing minority group in the U.S.
      workforce. Asians also make up a substantial and increasing portion of the
      workforce. Unfortunately, empirical research on how these groups perform
      selection procedures appears to be lacking. To address this critical gap, we
      identified and reviewed research from a variety of literatures relevant to
      Hispanic and/or Asian performance on 12 commonly used staffing procedures. We
      also contacted authors of studies that included members of these subgroups and
      requested the relevant data. On the basis of our review, we provide updated
      estimates of Hispanic-White and Asian-White differences for the predictors, which
      often differ from existing estimates of these differences. Further, we provide
      the first known meta-analytic estimates for Hispanics and Asians on many
      predictors, such as vocational interests and physical ability. We discuss the
      implications of the findings for staffing research and practice. We also identify
      critical next steps for future research regarding these 2 important, yet largely
      neglected, groups. (PsycINFO Database Record

PMID- 28358531
TI  - What happens during annual appraisal interviews? How leader-follower interactions
      unfold and impact interview outcomes.
AB  - Despite a wealth of research on antecedents and outcomes of annual appraisal
      interviews, the ingredients that make for a successful communication process
      within the interview itself remain unclear. This study takes a communication
      approach to highlight leader-follower dynamics in annual appraisal interviews. We
      integrate relational leadership theory and recent findings on leader-follower
      interactions to argue (a) how supervisors' task- and relation-oriented statements
      can elicit employee involvement during the interview process and (b) how these
      communication patterns affect both supervisors' and employees' perceptions of the
      interview. Moreover, we explore (c) how supervisor behavior is contingent upon
      employee contributions to the appraisal interview. We audiotaped 48 actual annual
      appraisal interviews between supervisors and their employees. Adopting a
      multimethod approach, we used quantitative interaction coding (N = 32,791
      behavioral events) as well as qualitative open-axial coding to explore
      communication patterns among supervisors and their employees. Lag sequential
      analysis revealed that supervisors' relation-oriented statements triggered active
      employee contributions and vice versa. These relation-activation patterns were
      linked to higher interview success ratings by both supervisors and employees.
      Moreover, our qualitative findings highlight employee disagreement as a crucial
      form of active employee contributions during appraisal interviews. We distinguish
      what employees disagreed about, how the disagreement was enacted, and how
      supervisors responded to it. Overall employee disagreement was negatively related
      to ratings of supervisor support. We discuss theoretical implications for
      performance appraisal and leadership theory and derive practical recommendations
      for promoting employee involvement during appraisal interviews. (PsycINFO
      Database Record

PMID- 28358532
TI  - The content of the message matters: The differential effects of promotive and
      prohibitive team voice on team productivity and safety performance gains.
AB  - We propose that it is important to take the content of team voice into account
      when examining its impact on team processes and outcomes. Drawing on regulatory
      focus theory (Higgins, 1997), we argue that promotive team voice and prohibitive
      team voice help teams achieve distinct collective outcomes-that is, team
      productivity performance gains and team safety performance gains, respectively.
      Further, we identify mechanisms through which promotive and prohibitive team
      voices uniquely influence team outcomes as well as boundary conditions for such
      influences. In data collected from 88 production teams, we found that promotive
      team voice had a positive association with team productivity performance gains.
      By contrast, prohibitive team voice had a positive association with team safety
      performance gains. The relationship between promotive team voice and team
      productivity performance gains was mediated by team innovation, and the
      relationship between prohibitive team voice and team safety performance gains was
      mediated by team monitoring. In addition, the indirect effect of prohibitive team
      voice on team safety performance gains via team monitoring was stronger when
      prior team safety performance was lower. We discuss the theoretical and practical
      implications of these findings. (PsycINFO Database Record

PMID- 28358533
TI  - What I don't know won't hurt you: The relation between professed ignorance and
      later knowledge claims.
AB  - Testimony is a valuable source of information for young learners, in particular
      if children maintain vigilance against errors while still being open to learning
      from imperfectly knowledgeable sources. We find support for this idea by
      examining how children evaluate individual speakers who present very different
      epistemic risks by being previously ignorant or inaccurate. Results across 2
      experiments show that children attribute knowledge to (Experiment 1) and endorse
      new claims made by speakers (Experiment 2) who previously professed ignorance
      about familiar object labels, but not to speakers whose labels were previously
      inaccurate. Study 2 further clarifies that children are not simply relying on
      links between informational access and knowledge; children rejected testimony
      from a previously inaccurate speaker even when she had perceptual access to
      support her claim. These results show that children actively monitor the
      reliability of a speaker's knowledge claims, distinguish unreliable speakers from
      those who sometimes admit ignorance, raising new questions about how such
      admissions factor in to children's appraisal of the scope and limits of a
      person's knowledge. (PsycINFO Database Record

PMID- 28358534
TI  - Adolescent support seeking as a path to adult functional independence.
AB  - The potential importance of depending on others during adolescence to establish
      independence in young adulthood was examined across adolescence to emerging
      adulthood. Participants included 184 teens (46% male; 42% non-White), their
      mothers, best friends, and romantic partners, assessed at ages 13-14, 18, 21-22,
      and 25. Path analyses showed that associations were both partner and age
      specific: markers of independence were predicted by participants' efforts to seek
      support from mothers at age 13, best friends at 18, and romantic partners at 21.
      More important, analyses controlled for support seeking from these partners at
      other ages, as well as for other potentially confounding variables including
      attachment security, scholastic/job competence, and physical attractiveness over
      time. Moreover, analyses suggested the transfer of support seeking behavior from
      mothers to best friends to romantic partners over time based on support given by
      the previous partner at an earlier age. (PsycINFO Database Record

PMID- 28358535
TI  - A longitudinal twin study of general cognitive ability over four decades.
AB  - In this longitudinal study we examined the stability of general cognitive ability
      (GCA), as well as heterogeneity and genetic and environmental influences
      underlying individual differences in change. We investigated GCA from young
      adulthood through late midlife in 1,288 Vietnam Era Twin Study of Aging
      participants at ages ~20, ~56, and ~62 years. The correlations among the 3
      occasions ranged from .73 to .85, reflecting substantial stability. The
      heritability was significant on each of the 3 occasions and ranged from .59 to
      .66. The influence of the shared environment was not significant at any of the
      ages. The genetic correlations across the 3 occasions ranged from .95 to .99 and
      did not differ significantly from 1.0. The nonshared environmental correlations
      ranged from .21 to .47. Latent growth curve analysis was applied to characterize
      trajectories over the 42-year period. Slope was significantly different from 0
      and indicated that there was modest change over time. There was a significant
      genetic influence on initial level of GCA (h2 = .67), but not change (h2 = .23).
      Genetic factors primarily contribute to stability, while change reflects the
      influence of nonshared environmental influences. There was a significant negative
      correlation between initial level of GCA and change (r = -.31). Latent class
      growth analysis identified 4 trajectories. In general, the 4 groups followed
      parallel trajectories and were differentiated mainly by differences in AFQT
      performance level at the time of military induction. (PsycINFO Database Record

PMID- 28358536
TI  - Negative emotionality and discipline as long-term predictors of behavioral
      outcomes in African American and European American children.
AB  - The present study examined the early parenting and temperament determinants of
      children's antisocial and positive behaviors in a low-income, diverse ethno
      racial sample. Participants were from the Early Head Start Research and
      Evaluation Project, which included 960 European American (initial M age = 15.00
      months; 51.2% female) and 880 African American mothers and their children
      (initial M age = 15.10 months; 49.2% female) followed from 15 months of age to
      5th grade. For European American children, findings showed direct and indirect
      effects (via self-regulation) of early negative emotionality on later behaviors.
      For African American children, discipline practices in infancy had direct long
      term implications for behaviors in 5th grade. Discussion highlights the interplay
      of parenting, temperament, and culture from infancy to late childhood. (PsycINFO
      Database Record

PMID- 28358537
TI  - Eliminating age differences in children's and adults' suggestibility and memory
      conformity effects.
AB  - We examined whether typical developmental trends in suggestion-induced false
      memories (i.e., age-related decrease) could be changed. Using theoretical
      principles from the spontaneous false memory field, we adapted 2 often-used false
      memory procedures: misinformation (Experiment 1) and memory conformity
      (Experiment 2). In Experiment 1, 7- to 9-year-old children (n = 33) and adults (n
      = 39) received stories containing associatively related details. They then
      listened to misinformation in the form of short narratives preserving the meaning
      of the story. Children and adults were equally susceptible to the misinformation
      effect. In Experiment 2, younger (7- to 8-year-olds, n = 30) and older (11- to 12
      year-olds, n = 30) children and adults (n = 30) viewed pictures containing
      associatively related details. They viewed these pictures in pairs. Although the
      pictures differed, participants believed they had viewed the same pictures.
      Participants had to report what they could recollect during collaborative and
      individual recall tests. Children and adults were equally susceptible to memory
      conformity effects. When correcting for response bias, adults' false memory
      scores were even higher than children's. Our results show that age trends in
      suggestion-induced false memories are not developmentally invariant. (PsycINFO
      Database Record

PMID- 28358538
TI  - Political efficacy in adolescence: Development, gender differences, and outcome
      relations.
AB  - The present study focuses on political efficacy in terms of students' competence
      self-perceptions related to the domain of politics. The investigation addresses
      the mean level development and longitudinal relations to outcome variables
      including gender differences. Drawing on a sample of N = 2,504 German students,
      political efficacy, along with meaningful outcome variables (i.e., political
      information behavior, political knowledge, and interest in politics), was
      measured at 2 measurement points, once in Grade 7 and once in Grade 10. Students'
      mean levels of political efficacy increased from the first to the second
      measurement point, and boys consistently displayed higher levels. Political
      efficacy demonstrated reciprocal relations to political information behavior and
      political knowledge, and showed a unidirectional relation to interest in politics
      across time. The pattern of outcome relations was invariant across gender. This
      study contributes to research and theory on political socialization in
      adolescence as it outlines temporal relations among, and gender differences in,
      facets of political socialization. Therefore, this study also offers new
      practical insights into effectively facilitating political education in
      adolescent students. (PsycINFO Database Record

PMID- 28358539
TI  - Analogical processes in children's understanding of spatial representations.
AB  - We propose that map reading can be construed as a form of analogical mapping. We
      tested 2 predictions that follow from this claim: First, young children's
      patterns of performance in map reading tasks should parallel those found in
      analogical mapping tasks; and, second, children will benefit from guided
      alignment instructions that help them see the relational correspondences between
      the map and the space. In 4 experiments, 3-year-olds completed a map reading task
      in which they were asked to find hidden objects in a miniature room, using a
      corresponding map. We manipulated the availability of guided alignment (showing
      children the analogical mapping between maps and spaces; Experiments 1, 2, and
      3a), the format of guided alignment (gesture or relational language; Experiment
      2), and the iconicity of maps (Experiments 3a and 3b). We found that (a) young
      children's difficulties in map reading follow from known patterns of analogical
      development-for example, focusing on object similarity over relational
      similarity; and (b) guided alignment based on analogical reasoning led to
      substantially better performance. Results also indicated that children's map
      reading performance was affected by the format of guided alignment, the iconicity
      of the maps, and the order of tasks. The results bear on the developmental
      mechanisms underlying young children's learning of spatial representations and
      also suggest ways to support this learning. (PsycINFO Database Record

PMID- 28358541
TI  - Cultural context shapes essentialist beliefs about religion.
AB  - The present study investigates the processes by which essentialist beliefs about
      religious categories develop. Children (ages 5 and 10) and adults (n = 350) from
      2 religious groups (Jewish and Christian), with a range of levels of religiosity,
      completed switched-at-birth tasks in which they were told that a baby had been
      born to parents of 1 religion but raised by parents of another religion. Results
      indicated that younger children saw religion-based categories as possible
      essential kinds, regardless of the child's own religious background, but that
      culture-specific patterns emerged across development. This work shows that
      cultural context plays a powerful role in guiding the development of essentialist
      beliefs about religious categories. (PsycINFO Database Record

PMID- 28358540
TI  - Executive control goes to school: Implications of preschool executive performance
      for observed elementary classroom learning engagement.
AB  - The transition to elementary school is accompanied by increasing demands for
      children to regulate their attention and behavior within the classroom setting.
      Executive control (EC) may be critical for meeting these demands; however, few
      studies have rigorously examined the association between EC and observed
      classroom behavior. This study examined EC in preschool (age 5 years 3 months) as
      a predictor of classroom learning engagement behaviors in first grade, using a
      battery of performance-based EC tasks and live classroom observations in a
      longitudinal sample of 313 children. Multilevel modeling results indicated that
      stronger EC predicted more focused engagement and fewer task management and
      competing responses, controlling for socioeconomic status, child sex, and age at
      observations. Results suggest that early EC may support subsequent classroom
      engagement behaviors that are critical for successful transition to elementary
      school and long-term learning trajectories. (PsycINFO Database Record

PMID- 28358543
TI  - Dispositional pathways to trust: Self-esteem and agreeableness interact to
      predict trust and negative emotional disclosure.
AB  - Expressing our innermost thoughts and feelings is critical to the development of
      intimacy (Reis & Shaver, 1988), but also risks negative evaluation and rejection.
      Past research suggests that people with high self-esteem are more expressive and
      self-disclosing because they trust that others care for them and will not reject
      them (Gaucher et al., 2012). However, feeling good about oneself may not always
      be enough; disclosure may also depend on how we feel about other people. Drawing
      on the principles of risk regulation theory (Murray et al., 2006), we propose
      that agreeableness-a trait that refers to the positivity of interpersonal
      motivations and behaviors-is a key determinant of trust in a partner's caring and
      responsiveness, and may work in conjunction with self-esteem to predict
      disclosure. We examined this possibility by exploring how both self-esteem and
      agreeableness predict a particularly risky and intimate form of self-disclosure,
      the disclosure of emotional distress. In 6 studies using correlational, partner
      report, and experimental methods, we demonstrate that self-esteem and
      agreeableness interact to predict disclosure: People who are high in both self
      esteem and agreeableness show higher emotional disclosure. We also found evidence
      that trust mediates this effect. People high in self-esteem and agreeableness are
      most self-revealing, it seems, because they are especially trusting of their
      partners' caring. Self-esteem and agreeableness were particularly important for
      the disclosure of vulnerable emotions (i.e., sadness; Study 5) and disclosures
      that were especially risky (Study 6). These findings illustrate how dispositional
      variables can work together to explain behavior in close relationships. (PsycINFO
      Database Record

PMID- 28358542
TI  - Multilevel modeling of single-case data: A comparison of maximum likelihood and
      Bayesian estimation.
AB  - The focus of this article is to describe Bayesian estimation, including
      construction of prior distributions, and to compare parameter recovery under the
      Bayesian framework (using weakly informative priors) and the maximum likelihood
      (ML) framework in the context of multilevel modeling of single-case experimental
      data. Bayesian estimation results were found similar to ML estimation results in
      terms of the treatment effect estimates, regardless of the functional form and
      degree of information included in the prior specification in the Bayesian
      framework. In terms of the variance component estimates, both the ML and Bayesian
      estimation procedures result in biased and less precise variance estimates when
      the number of participants is small (i.e., 3). By increasing the number of
      participants to 5 or 7, the relative bias is close to 5% and more precise
      estimates are obtained for all approaches, except for the inverse-Wishart prior
      using the identity matrix. When a more informative prior was added, more precise
      estimates for the fixed effects and random effects were obtained, even when only
      3 participants were included. (PsycINFO Database Record

PMID- 28358544
TI  - Developmental pathways linking childhood temperament with antisocial behavior and
      substance use in adolescence: Explanatory mechanisms in the peer environment.
AB  - This study investigated 3 developmental pathways involving the peer environment
      that may explain how certain temperamental dispositions in childhood may become
      manifested in later antisocial behavior and substance use. A total of 411 (52%
      boys) Canadian children were followed annually from ages 6 to 15 years. The study
      tested whether the temperamental traits approach, negative reactivity and
      attention (assessed at ages 6-7 years), were associated with overt antisocial
      behavior, covert antisocial behavior and illicit substance use (assessed at ages
      14-15 years), via poor social preference among peers, inflated social self
      perception and antisocial behavior of peer-group affiliates (assessed throughout
      ages 8-13 years). Results indicated that negative reactivity was indirectly
      associated with overt antisocial behavior and substance use via poor social
      preference. Specifically, negative reactivity in earlier childhood predicted poor
      social preference in later childhood and early adolescence. This poor social
      standing among peers, in turn, predicted more engagement in overt antisocial
      behavior but less substance use in later adolescence. Over and above the
      influence of social preference, negative reactivity predicted engagement in all 3
      outcomes via children's antisocial behavior in childhood and early adolescence.
      Inflated social self-perception and antisocial behavior of peer-group affiliates
      did not mediate the link between temperament and the outcomes under scrutiny. No
      sex differences in developmental pathways from temperament to the outcomes were
      found. To further our understanding of the developmental link between childhood
      temperament and later antisocial behavior and substance use, we need to recognize
      the role of peer environmental factors, specifically poor preference among peers.
      (PsycINFO Database Record

PMID- 28358545
TI  - Multidimensional assessment of self-regulated learning with middle school math
      students.
AB  - This study examined the convergent and predictive validity of self-regulated
      learning (SRL) measures situated in mathematics. The sample included 100 eighth
      graders from a diverse, urban school district. Four measurement formats were
      examined including, 2 broad-based (i.e., self-report questionnaire and teacher
      ratings) and 2 task-specific measures (i.e., SRL microanalysis and behavioral
      traces). Convergent validity was examined across task-difficulty, and the
      predictive validity was examined across 3 mathematics outcomes: 2 measures of
      mathematical problem solving skill (i.e., practice session math problems,
      posttest math problems) and a global measure of mathematical skill (i.e.,
      standardized math test). Correlation analyses were used to examine convergent
      validity and revealed medium correlations between measures within the same
      category (i.e., broad-based or task-specific). Relations between measurement
      classes were not statistically significant. Separate regressions examined the
      predictive validity of the SRL measures. While controlling all other predictors,
      a SRL microanalysis metacognitive-monitoring measure emerged as a significant
      predictor of all 3 outcomes and teacher ratings accounted for unique variance on
      2 of the outcomes (i.e., posttest math problems and standardized math test).
      Results suggest that a multidimensional assessment approach should be considered
      by school psychologists interested in measuring SRL. (PsycINFO Database Record

PMID- 28358546
TI  - Assessing children's perceptions of academic interventions: The Kids Intervention
      Profile.
AB  - The psychometric properties of the Kids Intervention Profile (KIP), a rating
      scale designed to measure academic intervention acceptability from the
      perspective of students, were examined as well as the influence of background
      factors on students' acceptability ratings. Data were extracted from 4 randomized
      controlled trials investigating the effects of a performance feedback
      intervention on third-grade students' writing fluency (n = 228). Results
      indicated that the KIP contains 2 factors (General Intervention Acceptability,
      Skill Improvement) and has adequate internal consistency and stability across a 3
      week period. There were gender differences in students' acceptability ratings,
      with female students rating the intervention as significantly more acceptable
      than males. In addition, results suggested a modest, positive relationship
      between students' intervention acceptability ratings and their intervention
      outcomes. Considerations regarding the use of the KIP, as well as limitations of
      the study, are discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record

PMID- 28358547
TI  - Schedule of human-controlled periods structures bottlenose dolphin (Tursiops
      truncatus) behavior in their free-time.
AB  - Behavioral patterns are established in response to predictable environmental
      cues. Animals under human care frequently experience predictable, human
      controlled events each day, but very few studies have questioned exactly how
      behavioral patterns are affected by such activities. Bottlenose dolphins
      (Tursiops truncatus) maintained for public display are good models to study such
      patterns since they experience multiple daily human-controlled periods (e.g.,
      shows, training for shows, medical training). Thus, we investigated the effect of
      training session schedule on their "free-time" behavior, studying 29 individuals
      within 4 groups from 3 European facilities. Our initial time budget analyses
      revealed that among the behaviors studied, dolphins spent the most time engaged
      in synchronous swimming, and within this category swam most at slow speeds and in
      close proximity to each other. "Slow-close" synchronous swimming peaked shortly
      after training sessions and was low shortly before the next session. Play
      behavior had significantly higher frequencies in juveniles than in adults, but
      the effect was only seen during the in-between session period (interval neither
      shortly before nor after sessions). Anticipatory behavior toward sessions was
      significantly higher shortly before sessions and lower afterward. We conclude
      that dolphin behaviors unconnected to the human-controlled periods were modulated
      by them: slow-close synchronous swimming and age-dependent play, which have
      important social dimensions and links to welfare. We discuss potential parallels
      to human-controlled periods in other species, including humans themselves. Our
      findings could be taken into account when designing welfare assessments, and aid
      in the provision of enrichment and maintaining effective schedules beneficial to
      animals themselves. (PsycINFO Database Record

PMID- 28358548
TI  - Does retrieval practice enhance learning and transfer relative to restudy for
      term-definition facts?
AB  - In many pedagogical contexts, term-definition facts that link a concept term
      (e.g., "vision") with its corresponding definition (e.g., "the ability to see")
      are learned. Does retrieval practice involving retrieval of the term (given the
      definition) or the definition (given the term) enhance subsequent recall,
      relative to restudy of the entire fact? Moreover, does any benefit of retrieval
      practice for the term transfer to later recall of the definition, or vice versa?
      We addressed those questions in 4 experiments. In each, subjects first studied
      term-definition facts and then trained on two thirds of the facts using multiple
      choice tests with feedback. Half of the test questions involved recalling terms;
      the other half involved recalling definitions. The remaining facts were either
      not trained (Experiment 1) or restudied (Experiments 2-4). A 48-hr delayed
      multiple-choice (Experiments 1-2) or short answer (Experiments 3a-4) final test
      assessed recall of all terms or all definitions. Replicating and extending prior
      research, retrieval practice yielded improved recall and positive transfer
      relative to no training. Relative to restudy, however, retrieval practice
      consistently enhanced subsequent term retrieval, enhanced subsequent definition
      retrieval only after repeated practice, and consistently yielded at best minimal
      positive transfer in either direction. Theoretical and practical implications are
      discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record

PMID- 28358549
TI  - Bayesian models of cognition revisited: Setting optimality aside and letting data
      drive psychological theory.
AB  - Recent debates in the psychological literature have raised questions about the
      assumptions that underpin Bayesian models of cognition and what inferences they
      license about human cognition. In this paper we revisit this topic, arguing that
      there are 2 qualitatively different ways in which a Bayesian model could be
      constructed. The most common approach uses a Bayesian model as a normative
      standard upon which to license a claim about optimality. In the alternative
      approach, a descriptive Bayesian model need not correspond to any claim that the
      underlying cognition is optimal or rational, and is used solely as a tool for
      instantiating a substantive psychological theory. We present 3 case studies in
      which these 2 perspectives lead to different computational models and license
      different conclusions about human cognition. We demonstrate how the descriptive
      Bayesian approach can be used to answer different sorts of questions than the
      optimal approach, especially when combined with principled tools for model
      evaluation and model selection. More generally we argue for the importance of
      making a clear distinction between the 2 perspectives. Considerable confusion
      results when descriptive models and optimal models are conflated, and if
      Bayesians are to avoid contributing to this confusion it is important to avoid
      making normative claims when none are intended. (PsycINFO Database Record

PMID- 28358550
TI  - The correlation between exposure to neighborhood violence and perpetration of
      moderate physical violence among Arab-Palestinian youth: Can it be moderated by
      parent-child support and gender?
AB  - In the current study, we examined the role of parent-child support as a
      protective factor that moderates the correlation between exposure to neighborhood
      violence and perpetration of moderate physical violence among 3,187 Arab
      Palestinian adolescents who live in Israel (aged 12 to 18), from 21 different
      schools who were selected randomly. The probability sampling method was a
      nonproportional multistage stratified cluster sample. We also examined gender
      differences across this protective process. Participants completed a structured,
      anonymous self-report questionnaire. The findings of the study reveal that 47.3%
      of the adolescents had perpetrated moderate physical violence against others at
      least once during the month preceding the study. Moreover, exposure of
      adolescents to violence in their neighborhood correlated significantly and
      positively with perpetration of moderate physical violence. A moderation analysis
      was tested and found that this correlation was stronger among adolescents who had
      poor parent-child support than among those who had strong parent-child support.
      Furthermore, the findings reveal that the correlation of exposure to neighborhood
      violence with perpetration of moderate physical violence was not moderated by
      gender. However, parent-child support correlated strongly with lower levels of
      perpetration of moderate physical violence among males than females. The findings
      of the study highlight the critical role of parental factors in decreasing
      violent behaviors among adolescents (especially boys) as well as among
      adolescents who are at risk for exposure to violence in their neighborhoods. In
      light of the findings, we recommend that practitioners working with these
      adolescents include parents in intervention programs. (PsycINFO Database Record

PMID- 28358551
TI  - Normal-range verbal-declarative memory in schizophrenia.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: Cognitive impairment is prevalent and related to functional outcome in
      schizophrenia, but a significant minority of the patient population overlaps with
      healthy controls on many performance measures, including declarative-verbal
      memory tasks. In this study, we assessed the validity, clinical, and functional
      implications of normal-range (NR), verbal-declarative memory in schizophrenia.
      METHOD: Performance normality was defined using normative data for 8 basic
      California Verbal Learning Test (CVLT-II; Delis, Kramer, Kaplan, & Ober, 2000)
      recall and recognition trials. Schizophrenia patients (n = 155) and healthy
      control participants (n = 74) were assessed for performance normality, defined as
      scores within 1 SD of the normative mean on all 8 trials, and assigned to normal-
      and below-NR memory groups. RESULTS: NR schizophrenia patients (n = 26) and
      control participants (n = 51) did not differ in general verbal ability, on a
      reading-based estimate of premorbid ability, across all 8 CVLT-II-score
      comparisons or in terms of intrusion and false-positive errors and auditory
      working memory. NR memory patients did not differ from memory-impaired patients
      (n = 129) in symptom severity, and both patient groups were significantly and
      similarly disabled in terms of functional status in the community. CONCLUSION:
      These results confirm a subpopulation of schizophrenia patients with normal,
      verbal-declarative-memory performance and no evidence of decline from higher
      premorbid ability levels. However, NR patients did not experience less severe
      psychopathology, nor did they show advantage in community adjustment relative to
      impaired patients. (PsycINFO Database Record

PMID- 28358552
TI  - Determinants of risk-taking in HIV-associated neurocognitive disorders.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: Decision-making involves fronto-striatal brain areas that are
      particularly vulnerable to the effects of HIV infection. Some studies report
      impaired decision-making in people with HIV/AIDS with past or present addictions
      and/or accompanying HIV-associated neurocognitive disorders (HAND). The authors
      investigated risk-based decision-making in HIV/AIDS, separating individuals with
      or without accompanying HAND. METHOD: A total of 288 HIV-infected persons
      underwent standardized neuropsychological testing. Participants were profiled
      based on neuropsychological and clinical assessments into 2 groups,
      neurocognitively normal (NN, n = 205) and HAND (n = 83). Risk-based decision
      making was assessed via the Game of Dice Task (GDT). Sample characteristics were
      summarized by principal component analysis (PCA) prior to regression analyses
      predicting GDT performance. RESULTS: The NN group performed within the normative
      range of the GDT, but the HAND group was impaired in all GDT measures. Across all
      participants, GDT performance was predicted by a combination of psychiatric
      comorbidities, alcohol abuse, education/premorbid IQ, and neuropsychological
      performance. Further analyses revealed marijuana use as an important additional
      predictor of impaired GDT performance. Within the GDT-impaired HAND group only,
      past or present immunosuppression emerged as the most robust predictor of GDT
      performance. Metabolic disorders and antiretroviral toxicity were also predictors
      of GDT performance in the HAND group. CONCLUSION: The majority of HIV-infected
      individuals were unimpaired in the GDT. Some influence of psychiatric and
      substance use comorbidities on GDT performance emerged in the entire cohort.
      However, GDT deficits were restricted to individuals with HAND, related to
      immunosuppression, metabolic disorders and antiretroviral toxicity in this group
      only. (PsycINFO Database Record

PMID- 28358553
TI  - Shifts of spatial attention underlie numerical comparison and mental arithmetic:
      Evidence from a patient with right unilateral neglect.
AB  - OBJECTIVES: Recent findings suggest that mental arithmetic involves shifting
      attention on a mental continuum in which numbers would be ordered from left to
      right, from small to large numbers, with addition and subtraction causing
      rightward or leftward shifts, respectively. Neuropsychological data showing that
      brain-damaged patients with left neglect experience difficulties in solving
      subtraction but not addition problems support this hypothesis. However, the
      reverse dissociation is needed to establish the causal role of spatial attention
      in mental arithmetic. METHOD: R.H., a 65-year-old left-brain-damaged patient
      exhibiting right unilateral visuospatial and representational neglect, was tested
      with various numerical tasks including numerical comparison, arithmetic problem
      solving, and numerical interval bisection. RESULTS: In numerical comparison, R.H.
      showed a selective response latency increase when judging numbers larger than the
      references whereas his performance was normal for numbers smaller than the
      references. In the arithmetic task, R.H. was impaired in solving addition but not
      subtraction problems. In contrast, performance in number bisection shows a
      deviation toward larger numbers. CONCLUSION: These results establish a double
      dissociation between subtraction and addition solving in patients with left
      versus right neglect and demonstrate clear evidence that attentional mechanisms
      are crucial for mental arithmetic. We suggest that attention shifts are involved
      whenever a number is represented relative to another on a mental continuum, be it
      during numerical comparison or arithmetic problem-solving. R.H.'s performance in
      numerical interval bisection indicates that this task involves processes that are
      distinct from those involved in number comparison and mental arithmetic.
      (PsycINFO Database Record

PMID- 28358554
TI  - Attenuated hemispheric asymmetry in metaphor processing among adults with ADHD.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: To characterize the hemispheric processing of metaphors in adults with
      ADHD compared to controls. METHOD: We investigated the hemispheric processing of
      metaphors in 24 adult participants diagnosed with ADHD and 24 control
      participants. The hemispheric processing was examined using a divided visual
      field paradigm, in which different kinds of metaphors as well as literal word
      pairs and unrelated word pairs were presented either to the right visual
      field/left hemisphere (RVF/LH) or to the left visual field/right hemisphere
      (LVF/RH). RESULTS: Control participants processed metaphors more efficiently when
      presented in the LVF/RH than when presented in the RVF/LH, whereas participants
      with ADHD demonstrated attenuated asymmetry of hemispheric processing.
      Furthermore, asymmetry of hemispheric processing, together with sustained
      attention, contributed significantly to the prediction of self-report of ADHD
      symptoms. CONCLUSION: Our results suggest that the hemispheric processing of
      adults with ADHD is less lateralized than the hemispheric processing of control
      participants. Moreover, the diminished lateralization of metaphor processing
      along with deficient sustained attention may reflect distinct cognitive
      mechanisms underlying ADHD and as such our results support multiple pathway
      models of ADHD. (PsycINFO Database Record

PMID- 28358555
TI  - Dynamically tracking anxious individuals' affective response to valenced
      information.
AB  - Past research has shown that an individual's feelings at any given moment reflect
      currently experienced stimuli as well as internal representations of similar past
      experiences. However, anxious individuals' affective reactions to streams of
      interrelated valenced information (vs. reactions to static stimuli that are
      arguably less ecologically valid) are rarely tracked. The present study provided
      a first examination of the newly developed Tracking Affect Ratings Over Time
      (TAROT) task to continuously assess anxious individuals' affective reactions to
      streams of information that systematically change valence. Undergraduate
      participants (N = 141) completed the TAROT task in which they listened to
      narratives containing positive, negative, and neutral physically- or socially
      relevant events, and indicated how positive or negative they felt about the
      information they heard as each narrative unfolded. The present study provided
      preliminary evidence for the validity and reliability of the task. Within
      scenarios, participants higher (vs. lower) in anxiety showed many expected
      negative biases, reporting more negative mean ratings and overall summary
      ratings, changing their pattern of responding more quickly to negative events,
      and responding more negatively to neutral events. Furthermore, individuals higher
      (vs. lower) in anxiety tended to report more negative minimums during and after
      positive events, and less positive maximums after negative events. Together,
      findings indicate that positive events were less impactful for anxious
      individuals, whereas negative experiences had a particularly lasting impact on
      future affective responses. The TAROT task is able to efficiently capture a
      number of different cognitive biases, and may help clarify the mechanisms that
      underlie anxious individuals' biased negative processing. (PsycINFO Database
      Record

PMID- 28358556
TI  - Measuring emotional and cognitive empathy using dynamic, naturalistic, and
      spontaneous emotion displays.
AB  - Most measures of nonverbal receiving ability use posed expressions as stimuli. As
      empathy measures, such stimuli lack ecological validity, as the participant is
      not actually experiencing emotion. An alternative approach uses natural and
      dynamic displays of spontaneous expressions. The Communication of Affect
      Receiving Ability Test (CARAT) uses as stimuli spontaneous facial expressions and
      gestures filmed by an unobtrusive camera of solitary participants responding to
      emotional images. This article reports the development and initial validation of
      the CARAT-Spontaneous, Posed, Regulated (CARAT-SPR), which measures both
      abilities to detect emotion from spontaneous displays (emotion communication
      accuracy) and to differentiate spontaneous, posed, and regulated displays
      (expression categorization ability). Although spontaneous displays are natural
      responses to emotional images, posed displays involve asking the sender to
      display "as if" responding to a particular sort of image when no image is in fact
      present (simulation), while Regulated displays involve asking the sender to
      display "as if" responding to a particular sort of image when an image of
      opposite valence is in fact present (masking). Expression categorization ability
      involves judging deception-simulation and masking-and conceptually involves a
      kind of perspective-taking or cognitive empathy. Emotion communication using
      spontaneous clips achieved a high level of accuracy and was strongly correlated
      with ratings of sender expressivity. Expression categorization ability was not
      significantly correlated with expressivity ratings and was modestly negatively
      correlated with emotion communication accuracy. In a brief version of the CARAT
      SPR, women showed evidence of greater emotion signal detection, whereas men
      reported greater confidence in expression categorization. (PsycINFO Database
      Record

PMID- 28358558
TI  - Infant differential behavioral responding to discrete emotions.
AB  - Emotional communication regulates the behaviors of social partners. Research on
      individuals' responding to others' emotions typically compares responses to a
      single negative emotion compared with responses to a neutral or positive emotion.
      Furthermore, coding of such responses routinely measure surface level features of
      the behavior (e.g., approach vs. avoidance) rather than its underlying function
      (e.g., the goal of the approach or avoidant behavior). This investigation
      examined infants' responding to others' emotional displays across 5 discrete
      emotions: joy, sadness, fear, anger, and disgust. Specifically, 16-, 19-, and 24
      month-old infants observed an adult communicate a discrete emotion toward a
      stimulus during a naturalistic interaction. Infants' responses were coded to
      capture the function of their behaviors (e.g., exploration, prosocial behavior,
      and security seeking). The results revealed a number of instances indicating that
      infants use different functional behaviors in response to discrete emotions.
      Differences in behaviors across emotions were clearest in the 24-month-old
      infants, though younger infants also demonstrated some differential use of
      behaviors in response to discrete emotions. This is the first comprehensive study
      to identify differences in how infants respond with goal-directed behaviors to
      discrete emotions. Additionally, the inclusion of a function-based coding scheme
      and interpersonal paradigms may be informative for future emotion research with
      children and adults. Possible developmental accounts for the observed behaviors
      and the benefits of coding techniques emphasizing the function of social behavior
      over their form are discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record

PMID- 28358557
TI  - Social anxiety is characterized by biased learning about performance and the
      self.
AB  - People learn about their self from social information, and recent work suggests
      that healthy adults show a positive bias for learning self-related information.
      In contrast, social anxiety disorder (SAD) is characterized by a negative view of
      the self, yet what causes and maintains this negative self-view is not well
      understood. Here the authors use a novel experimental paradigm and computational
      model to test the hypothesis that biased social learning regarding self
      evaluation and self-feelings represents a core feature that distinguishes adults
      with SAD from healthy controls. Twenty-one adults with SAD and 35 healthy
      controls (HCs) performed a speech in front of 3 judges. They subsequently
      evaluated themselves and received performance feedback from the judges and then
      rated how they felt about themselves and the judges. Affective updating (i.e.,
      change in feelings about the self over time, in response to feedback from the
      judges) was modeled using an adapted Rescorla-Wagner learning model. HCs
      demonstrated a positivity bias in affective updating, which was absent in SAD.
      Further, self-performance ratings revealed group differences in learning from
      positive feedback-a difference that endured at an average of 1 year follow up.
      These findings demonstrate the presence and long-term endurance of positively
      biased social learning about the self among healthy adults, a bias that is absent
      or reversed among socially anxious adults. (PsycINFO Database Record

PMID- 28358559
TI  - Understanding reappraisal as a multicomponent process: The psychological health
      benefits of attempting to use reappraisal depend on reappraisal success.
AB  - When is reappraisal-reframing a situation's meaning to alter its emotional impact
      associated with psychological health? To answer this question, we should consider
      that reappraisal is a multicomponent process that includes, first, deciding to
      attempt to use reappraisal and, second, implementing reappraisal with varying
      degrees of success. Although theories of emotion regulation suggest that both
      attempting reappraisal more frequently and implementing reappraisal more
      successfully are necessary to achieve greater psychological health, no research
      has directly tested this assumption. We propose that daily diaries are
      particularly well suited to assess these 2 components because diaries can capture
      repeated attempts and success in daily life and with relative precision. In a
      sample of community adults (N = 219), we found that among participants
      experiencing elevated life stress (but not among those experiencing lower life
      stress), attempting reappraisal more frequently was associated with fewer
      depressive symptoms for those who used reappraisal more successfully, but was
      associated with somewhat more depressive symptoms for those who used reappraisal
      less successfully. These findings suggest that attempting reappraisal is
      associated with benefits only when individuals can implement it successfully.
      Thus, to fully understand the health implications of emotion regulation, we must
      consider it as a multicomponent process. (PsycINFO Database Record

PMID- 28358560
TI  - Clustering by well-being in workplace social networks: Homophily and social
      contagion.
AB  - Social interaction among employees is crucial at both an organizational and
      individual level. Demonstrating the value of recent methodological advances, 2
      studies conducted in 2 workplaces and 2 countries sought to answer the following
      questions: (a) Do coworkers interact more with coworkers who have similar well
      being? and, if yes, (b) what are the processes by which such affiliation occurs?
      Affiliation was assessed via 2 methodologies: a commonly used self-report measure
      (i.e., mutual nominations by coworkers) complemented by a behavioral measure
      (i.e., sociometric badges that track physical proximity and social interaction).
      We found that individuals who share similar levels of well-being (e.g., positive
      affect, life satisfaction, need satisfaction, and job satisfaction) were more
      likely to socialize with one another. Furthermore, time-lagged analyses suggested
      that clustering in need satisfaction arises from mutual attraction (homophily),
      whereas clustering in job satisfaction and organizational prosocial behavior
      results from emotional contagion. These results suggest ways in which
      organizations can physically and socially improve their workplace. (PsycINFO
      Database Record

PMID- 28358563
TI  - Emotion perception and empathy: An individual differences test of relations.
AB  - Numerous theories posit a positive relation between perceiving emotion expressed
      in the face of a stranger (emotion perception) and feeling or cognitively
      understanding the emotion of that person (affective and cognitive empathy,
      respectively). However, when relating individual differences in emotion
      perception with individual differences in affective or cognitive empathy, effect
      sizes are contradictory, but often not significantly different from zero. Based
      on 4 studies (study ns range from 97 to 486 persons; ntotal = 958) that differ
      from one another on many design and sample characteristics, applying advanced
      modeling techniques to control for measurement error, we estimate relations
      between affective empathy, cognitive empathy, and emotion perception. Relations
      are tested separately for each of the 6 basic emotions (an emotion-specific
      model) as well as across all emotions (an emotion-general model). Reflecting the
      literature, effect sizes and statistical significance with an emotion-general
      model vary across the individual studies (rs range from -.001 to .24 for emotion
      perception with affective empathy and -.01 to .39 for emotion perception with
      cognitive empathy), with a meta-analysis of these results indicating emotion
      perception is weakly related with affective (r = .13, p = .003) and cognitive
      empathy (r = .13, p = .05). Relations are not strengthened in an emotion-specific
      model. We argue that the weak effect sizes and inconsistency across studies
      reflects a neglected distinction of measurement approach-specifically, empathy is
      assessed as typical behavior and emotion perception is assessed as maximal effort
      and conclude with considerations regarding the measurement of each construct.
      (PsycINFO Database Record

PMID- 28358561
TI  - Influences of oxytocin and respiratory sinus arrhythmia on emotions and social
      behavior in daily life.
AB  - The literature concerning biological influences on positive social behavior shows
      that, in nonthreatening contexts, tonic oxytocin (OT) and respiratory sinus
      arrhythmia (RSA) each predict positive, affiliative behaviors toward certain
      others and are associated with positive health outcomes. The purpose of this
      investigation was to determine the degree to which the positive affiliative
      correlates of OT and RSA can be distinguished when observed at the level of
      everyday life events. A sample of midlife adults (N = 73) provided tonic indices
      of these biological characteristics, as well as perceptions of a variety of
      common life events alongside reports of their emotions during those events. OT
      and RSA each independently moderated the link between perceived event sociality
      and positive emotions, whereas only RSA predicted the probability of being with
      other people during an event. These findings suggest that OT and RSA may each be
      linked to positive social experiences in complementary yet distinct ways.
      (PsycINFO Database Record

PMID- 28358562
TI  - Partner-expected affect: How you feel now is predicted by how your partner
      thought you felt before.
AB  - Romantic partners can modulate each other's emotions in many ways, resulting in
      interwoven emotional lives. Here, building on findings from basic psychological
      research, we propose a novel way of such interconnectedness, termed partner
      expected affect, in which perceptions of a partner's feelings may positively
      predict how this partner will actually feel at a later moment in time. We
      evaluated this hypothesis by means of an experience sampling study in which 100
      romantic partners (50 couples) reported on the level of valence and arousal of
      their own feelings and of the perceived feelings of their partners 10 times a day
      throughout a week. In line with expectations, we found that how individuals were
      feeling at a particular moment was positively predicted by how their partner
      thought they felt at the previous moment (on top of how they felt at the previous
      moment and how their partner felt at the previous moment), at least when they had
      interacted with each other in between. This finding identifies a novel potential
      way in which people may shape each other's feelings and paves the way to further
      examine the nature and boundary conditions of such partner-expected affect.
      (PsycINFO Database Record

PMID- 28358564
TI  - LATEST: A model of saccadic decisions in space and time.
AB  - Many of our actions require visual information, and for this it is important to
      direct the eyes to the right place at the right time. Two or three times every
      second, we must decide both when and where to direct our gaze. Understanding
      these decisions can reveal the moment-to-moment information priorities of the
      visual system and the strategies for information sampling employed by the brain
      to serve ongoing behavior. Most theoretical frameworks and models of gaze control
      assume that the spatial and temporal aspects of fixation point selection depend
      on different mechanisms. We present a single model that can simultaneously
      account for both when and where we look. Underpinning this model is the
      theoretical assertion that each decision to move the eyes is an evaluation of the
      relative benefit expected from moving the eyes to a new location compared with
      that expected by continuing to fixate the current target. The eyes move when the
      evidence that favors moving to a new location outweighs that favoring staying at
      the present location. Our model provides not only an account of when the eyes
      move, but also what will be fixated. That is, an analysis of saccade timing alone
      enables us to predict where people look in a scene. Indeed our model accounts for
      fixation selection as well as (and often better than) current computational
      models of fixation selection in scene viewing. (PsycINFO Database Record

PMID- 28358566
TI  - Use of tools and misuse of embodied cognition: Reply to Buxbaum (2017).
AB  - Osiurak and Badets (2016) examined the validity of the manipulation-based versus
      the reasoning-based approaches to tool use in light of studies in experimental
      psychology and neuropsychology. They concluded that the reasoning-based approach
      seems to be more promising than the manipulation-based approach for understanding
      the current literature. Buxbaum (2017) questioned this conclusion and raised
      certain theoretical limitations with regard to the reasoning-based approach. She
      also suggested that this approach is not well-equipped to integrate the existing
      psychological and neuroanatomical data in the tool use domain. In this context,
      she presented a neurocognitive model-the "Two Action Systems Plus" (2AS+)
      framework-deeply anchored in the embodied cognition approach. In this reply, we
      address the key points raised by Buxbaum, leading us to draw 2 new conclusions.
      The first is that the reasoning-based approach integrates the existing
      psychological and neuroanatomical data not only in the tool use domain, but also
      in the motor control domain. As a matter of fact, it is even better equipped than
      the 2AS+ to account for recent neuroscience data. The second is that the 2AS+
      suffers from epistemological and theoretical limitations, generating confusion as
      to what manipulation knowledge-a core concept in this model-precisely is. To sum
      up, 2AS+ illustrates potential misuse of embodied cognition, viewing tool use
      mainly as a matter of manipulation and not of understanding mechanical actions
      between tools and objects. (PsycINFO Database Record

PMID- 28358567
TI  - The cost of work-related stress to society: A systematic review.
AB  - A systematic review of the available evidence examining the cost of work-related
      stress (WRS) would yield important insights into the magnitude of this social
      phenomenon. The objective of this review was to collate, extract, and synthesize
      economic evaluations of the cost of WRS to society. A research protocol was
      developed. Included cost-of-illness (COI) studies estimated the cost of WRS at a
      societal level, and were published in English, French or German. Searches were
      carried out in ingentaconnect, EBSCO, JSTOR, Science Direct, Web of Knowledge,
      Google, and Google scholar. Included studies were assessed against 10 COI quality
      assessment criteria. Fifteen studies met the inclusion criteria and were
      reviewed. These originated from Australia, Canada, Denmark, France, Sweden,
      Switzerland, the United Kingdom, and the EU-15. The total estimated cost of WRS
      was observed to be considerable and ranged substantially from US$221.13 million
      to $187 billion. Productivity related losses were observed to proportionally
      contribute the majority of the total cost of WRS (between 70 to 90%), with health
      care and medical costs constituting the remaining 10 to 30%. The evidence
      reviewed here suggests a sizable financial burden imposed by WRS on society. The
      observed range of cost estimates was understood to be attributable to variations
      in definitions of WRS; the number and type of costs estimated; and, in how
      production loss was estimated. It is postulated that the cost estimates
      identified by this review are likely conservative because of narrow definitions
      of WRS and the exclusion of diverse range of cost components. (PsycINFO Database
      Record

PMID- 28358565
TI  - Learning, remembering, and predicting how to use tools: Distributed
      neurocognitive mechanisms: Comment on Osiurak and Badets (2016).
AB  - The reasoning-based approach championed by Francois Osiurak and Arnaud Badets
      (Osiurak & Badets, 2016) denies the existence of sensory-motor memories of tool
      use except in limited circumstances, and suggests instead that most tool use is
      subserved solely by online technical reasoning about tool properties. In this
      commentary, I highlight the strengths and limitations of the reasoning-based
      approach and review a number of lines of evidence that manipulation knowledge is
      in fact used in tool action tasks. In addition, I present a "two route"
      neurocognitive model of tool use called the "Two Action Systems Plus (2AS+)"
      framework that posits a complementary role for online and stored information and
      specifies the neurocognitive substrates of task-relevant action selection. This
      framework, unlike the reasoning based approach, has the potential to integrate
      the existing psychological and functional neuroanatomic data in the tool use
      domain. (PsycINFO Database Record

PMID- 28358569
TI  - Daily job demands and employee work engagement: The role of daily
      transformational leadership behavior.
AB  - Using job demands-resources (JD-R) theory, the present study integrates the
      challenge stressor-hindrance stressor framework and leadership theory to
      investigate the relationship between daily transformational leadership behavior
      and employee work engagement. We hypothesized that daily transformational
      leadership behavior (a) sustains employee work engagement on days characterized
      by high challenge job demands, and (b) protects work engagement on days
      characterized by high hindrance job demands. Teachers filled out a short online
      questionnaire at the end of each workday during a 2-week period (N = 271 * 5.68
      days = 1539). Results of latent moderated structural equation modeling showed
      that teachers' daily challenge demands (workload and cognitive demands) had a
      positive relationship with work engagement on the days transformational
      leadership was high (vs. low). In addition, teachers' daily hindrance demands
      (role-conflict, but not family to work conflict) had a negative relationship with
      work engagement on the days transformational leadership was low (vs. high). These
      findings show that the function of transformational leadership behavior changes
      from day to day, and depends on the type of job demand. We discuss the practical
      and theoretical implications of these findings. (PsycINFO Database Record

PMID- 28358568
TI  - Cognitive functioning, aging, and work: A review and recommendations for research
      and practice.
AB  - There is a larger proportion and number of older adults in the labor force than
      ever before. Furthermore, older adults in the workforce are working until later
      ages. Although a great deal of research has examined physical health and well
      being of working older adults, less research has focused on cognitive
      functioning. The purpose of this article is to provide a broad contemporary and
      multidisciplinary review of the intersection between cognitive functioning,
      aging, and work as a follow-up to a paper previously written by Fisher et al.
      (2014). We begin by providing definitions and background about cognitive
      functioning and how it changes over the life span. Next we discuss theories
      relevant to the intersection of cognitive functioning and work, including the use
      it-or-lose-it hypothesis, the cognitive reserve hypothesis, hypotheses regarding
      environmental influences on intellectual functioning, and the job-demands
      resources model. Then we summarize recent research about the effects of work on
      cognitive functioning, as well as ways that cognitive functioning may influence
      work motivation, learning, development, training, and safety. We conclude by
      emphasizing the importance of person-environment fit, suggesting avenues for
      future research, and discussing practical implications for the field of
      occupational health psychology. (PsycINFO Database Record

PMID- 28358570
TI  - Enhancing daily well-being at work through lunchtime park walks and relaxation
      exercises: Recovery experiences as mediators.
AB  - Only few studies so far have examined recovery from work during workday breaks.
      In this intervention study, based on the effort-recovery model and the
      conservation of resources theory, we examined how to enhance recovery during
      lunch breaks. More specifically, we examined the within-person effects of
      lunchtime park walks and relaxation exercises on employees' levels of
      concentration, strain, and fatigue experienced at the end of a working day. We
      moreover tested whether detachment from work and enjoyment experienced during
      lunch breaks transmitted the effects of these activities to well-being outcomes.
      Participants in the park walk (n = 51) and relaxation (n = 46) groups were asked
      to complete a 15-min exercise during their lunch break on 10 consecutive working
      days. Afternoon well-being, lunchtime detachment, and lunchtime enjoyment were
      assessed twice a week before, during, and after the intervention, altogether for
      5 weeks. Multilevel analysis results showed that park walks at lunchtime were
      related to better concentration and less fatigue in the afternoon through
      enjoyment. Relaxation exercises were related to better concentration in the
      afternoon via detachment. In addition, relaxation exercises were directly linked
      to lower levels of strain and fatigue in the afternoon. Our study suggests that
      on days on which employees engage in recovering activities during lunch breaks,
      they experience higher levels of well-being at the end of a working day. These
      results add to the theory-based knowledge on recovery during workday breaks and
      highlight the importance of breaks for organizational practices. (PsycINFO
      Database Record

PMID- 28358571
TI  - Psychosocial working conditions among high-skilled workers: A latent transition
      analysis.
AB  - Theories of psychosocial working conditions assume an interaction of different
      work environment characteristics. Most studies detail various aspects of such
      interactions, while fewer investigate the comprehensive patterns of interrelated
      variables. This exploratory study distinguishes patterns of psychosocial working
      conditions, describes their characteristics, and investigates their change over 6
      years. The working conditions of 1,744 high-skilled workers in Sweden, of a
      representative sample of the working population, were empirically classified into
      4 distinct patterns: (a) the Supporting pattern with a very low workload, very
      low time pressure, medium learning opportunities, high creativity requirements,
      and very high autonomy; (b) the Constraining pattern with a very low workload,
      very low time pressure, low learning opportunities, medium creativity
      requirements, and very low autonomy; (c) the Demanding pattern with a high
      workload, high time pressure, medium learning opportunities, high creativity
      requirements, and very low autonomy; and (d) the Challenging pattern with a high
      workload, high time pressure, very high learning opportunities, very high
      creativity requirements, and very high autonomy. Importantly, these patterns were
      associated with significant differences in worker well-being. From an individual
      perspective, working conditions most often changed from patterns with a high
      workload and time pressure to patterns with lower levels of these demands. Over
      time, the prevalence of the Constraining pattern increased while that of the
      Challenging pattern decreased. To conclude, a person-centered approach broadens
      the understanding of the complex interplay between psychosocial working
      conditions and their longitudinal change, which can improve the tailoring of
      occupational health interventions. (PsycINFO Database Record

PMID- 28358572
TI  - Advances in recovery research: What have we learned? What should be done next?
AB  - Job-stress recovery during nonwork time is an important factor for employee well
      being. This article reviews the recovery literature, starting with a brief
      historical overview. It provides a definition of recovery that differentiates
      between recovery as a process and recovery as an outcome. Empirical studies have
      shown that recovery activities (e.g., physical exercise) and recovery experiences
      (e.g., psychological detachment from work) are negatively associated with strain
      symptoms (e.g., exhaustion) and positively associated with positive well-being
      indicators (e.g., vigor). Recovery activities and recovery experiences suffer
      when employees face a high level of job stressors. Psychological mechanisms
      underlying recovery seem to be similar across different temporal recovery
      settings (e.g., work breaks, free evenings, vacations) and seem to be enhanced in
      natural environments. Intervention studies have pointed to a diverse set of
      strategies for how everyday job-stress recovery can be supported. This article
      discusses 5 avenues for future research, with a particular focus on individual
      and contextual factors that may influence recovery as well as highlighting more
      complex temporal patterns than those uncovered in previous research. (PsycINFO
      Database Record

PMID- 28358573
TI  - Investigating the longitudinal effects of surface acting on managers' functioning
      through psychological needs.
AB  - This study is based on the premise that managers are expected to regulate their
      emotions in the form of surface acting. More specifically, drawing on self
      determination theory, we explored the role of psychological needs for autonomy,
      competence, and relatedness in explaining the influence of surface acting on
      supervisors' job satisfaction and work engagement over time. Data were collected
      at 2 time points, over a 3-month period, from a sample of 435 French managers
      working in the health care industry. Results revealed that surface acting
      negatively predicted managers' job satisfaction and work engagement over time,
      through the satisfaction of their psychological needs. However, managers' need
      thwarting did not explain these positive outcomes. Overall, these findings
      provide insight into the longitudinal adverse effects of managers' surface acting
      on their functioning and corroborate the distinct role of psychological need
      satisfaction and thwarting. Theoretical contributions and perspectives, as well
      as implications for practice are discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record

PMID- 28358574
TI  - The decade-long effect of work insecurity on husbands' and wives' midlife health
      mediated by anxiety: A dyadic analysis.
AB  - Although the detrimental physical health effects of work insecurity have been
      noted in previous research, less is known about the mediating processes, such as
      anxiety symptoms, that link work insecurity to physical health. Even less
      research has explored these effects at specific life stages and how these effects
      may impact significant others, even though the impact of this stress may vary
      across the life course and the mutual influences between married partners may
      cause dyadic effects stemming from partners' work insecurity. To fill these gaps,
      the current study incorporates theories that emphasize the stress-work
      connection, such as stress appraisal theory (Lazarus, 1999) and resource
      conservation theory (Hobfoll, 1989), into a neurobiological stress-health
      perspective. This study uses a sample of 330 consistently married, dual-earner
      husbands and wives who provided data at multiple time points over a 10-year
      period from 1991 to 2001. Results from a model including growth curves of work
      insecurity and anxiety symptoms when respondents were in their early middle years
      and reports of physical illness in their later middle years generally supported
      the hypothesized model. Both the level and rate of change in work insecurity were
      related to the change in anxiety symptoms over time. Similarly, the level and
      rate of change in anxiety symptoms from 1991 to 1994 were linked to subsequent
      illness years later in 2001. There was only partial support for the existence of
      partner effects. Findings are discussed as they relate to previous research as
      well as policy and clinical implications. (PsycINFO Database Record

PMID- 28358575
TI  - PDTRT Special Section: Methodological issues in personality disorder research.
AB  - Introduces Personality Disorders: Theory, Research, and Treatment ongoing Special
      Section concerned with methodological issues in personality disorder research.
      This second edition includes two papers, one which discusses the value and
      advantages of sampling the views, opinions, and perceptions of clinicians in
      personality disorder research, and the other which takes a critical look at the
      ways in which structural equation modeling techniques have been used in the study
      of personality disorders, symptoms, and traits. (PsycINFO Database Record

PMID- 28358576
TI  - Assessing the assessors: The feasibility and validity of clinicians as a source
      for personality disorder research.
AB  - The use of knowledgeable informants is a particularly valuable tool for the
      diagnosis and assessment of personality disorder (PD). This review details the
      use of one particular type of informant-practicing clinicians-in PD research. We
      detail a wide variety of studies that have employed clinicians as an assessment
      source, including those focused on interrater agreement, comparative validity
      with other methods, cognitive factors of diagnosis, and opinion surveys. We
      demonstrate limitations, such as potential biases and limited convergent
      validity, which caution against the assumption that clinicians' ratings should be
      considered a gold-standard. Nonetheless, we also highlight the potential value of
      research that focuses on clinicians due to its external validity to real-world
      practice settings. Finally, we outline several issues to consider when sampling
      clinicians, such as participation rate and sample size, and call for future
      research that collects ratings from clinicians using systematic, well-validated
      measures. (PsycINFO Database Record

PMID- 28358577
TI  - Structural equation modeling of personality disorders and pathological
      personality traits.
AB  - Structural equation modeling (SEM) is a family of related statistical techniques
      that lend themselves to understanding the complex relationships among variables
      that differ among individuals in the population. SEM techniques have become
      increasingly popular in the study of personality disorders (PDs) and maladaptive
      personality traits. The current article takes a critical look at the ways in
      which SEM techniques have been used in the study of PDs, PD symptoms, and
      pathological personality traits. By far the most common use of SEM in the study
      of PDs has been to examine the latent structure of these constructs, with an
      overwhelming bulk of the evidence in favor of a dimensional, as opposed to
      categorical, conceptualization. Other common uses of SEM in this area are factor
      models that examine the joint multivariate space of PDs, maladaptive personality
      traits, and psychopathology. Relatively underused, however, are observed or
      latent variable path models. We review the strengths and weaknesses of the work
      done to date, focusing on ways that these SEM studies have been either
      theoretically and/or statistically sound. Finally, we offer suggestions for
      future research examining PDs with SEM techniques. (PsycINFO Database Record

PMID- 28358578
TI  - Breastfeeding Initiation in Mothers with Repeat Cesarean Section: The Impact of
      Marital Status.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Approximately 90% of mothers with a primary C-section have a
      subsequent C-section. To date, research has demonstrated that primary C-sections
      are associated with breastfeeding noninitiation. However, it is unknown if this
      association persists after the primary C-section. Furthermore, literature has
      shown a differing relationship between breastfeeding initiations by marital
      status. Due to the high proportion of women who give birth while unmarried,
      investigating differences by marital status will add a significant contribution
      to breastfeeding literature. This study investigates the association between
      repeat C-section and breastfeeding initiation within marital status groups using
      a nationally representative cross-sectional survey. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Data
      from the 2004 to 2011 Pregnancy Risk Assessment Monitoring System were analyzed.
      The sample was restricted to women with a previous singleton live birth who had C
      section and whose infant was alive at the time of interview (N = 34,854).
      Multiple logistic regression analyses were conducted to obtain crude and adjusted
      odds ratio (AOR) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs). RESULTS: After adjusting for
      potential confounders, married women who had a repeat C-section were 2.2 times
      (AOR = 2.16, 95% CI = 1.69-2.77) more likely to never breastfeed compared to
      women with vaginal birth after caesarean section (VBAC). Similarly, the odds of
      breastfeeding noninitiation were 76% (AOR = 1.76, 95% CI = 1.47-2.12) higher
      among women with a repeat C-section compared to women with VBAC. No significant
      associations were exhibited among nonmarried women. CONCLUSIONS: Enhanced
      educational programs and counseling support may be needed to help families cope
      with delivery challenges and resulting stressors that may reduce their desire to
      initiate breastfeeding in the postpartum period.

PMID- 28358579
TI  - Correction to: Breastfeed Med 2016;11:413-415.

PMID- 28358580
TI  - Peroxiredoxin 5 Decreases Beta-Amyloid-Mediated Cyclin-Dependent Kinase 5
      Activation Through Regulation of Ca2+-Mediated Calpain Activation.
AB  - AIMS: Aberrant Cdk5 (cyclin-dependent kinase 5) and oxidative stress are crucial
      components of diverse neurodegenerative disorders, including Alzheimer's disease
      (AD). We previously reported that a change in peroxiredoxin (Prx) expression is
      associated with protection from neuronal death. The aim of the current study was
      to analyze the role of Prx in regulating Cdk5 activation in AD. RESULTS: We found
      that of the six Prx subtypes, Prx5 was increased the most in cellular (N2a-APPswe
      cells) model of AD. Prx5 in the brain of APP (amyloid precursor protein)
      transgenic mouse (Tg2576) was more increased than a nontransgenic mouse. We
      evaluated Prx5 function by using overexpression (Prx5-WT), a mutation in the
      catalytic residue (Prx5-C48S), and knockdown. Increased neuronal death and Cdk5
      activation by amyloid beta oligomer (AbetaO) were rescued by Prx5-WT expression,
      but not by Prx5-C48S or Prx5 knockdown. Prx5 plays a role in Cdk5 regulation by
      inhibiting the conversion of p35 to p25, which is increased by AbetaO
      accumulation. Prx5 is also upregulated in both the cytosol and mitochondria and
      it protects cells from AbetaO-mediated oxidative stress by eliminating
      intracellular and mitochondrial reactive oxygen species. Moreover, Prx5 regulates
      Ca2+ and Ca2+-mediated calpain activation, which are key regulators of p35
      cleavage to p25. Innovation and Conclusion: Our study represents the first
      demonstration that Prx5 induction is a key factor in the suppression of Cdk5
      related neuronal death in AD and we show that it functions via regulation of Ca2+
      mediated calpain activation. Antioxid. Redox Signal. 27, 715-726.

PMID- 28358582
TI  - Acupuncture Meridian Energies in Patients Who Are Mentally Disturbed.
AB  - BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: Acupuncture medicine states that different pathologies
      exhibit different patterns of excitation in the 24 main acupuncture meridians.
      Previous exploratory work has shown that groups of patients with the same
      pathology exhibit such characteristic patterns when limited numbers of
      acupuncture points are measured with the AcuGraph meridian energy measuring
      device. This study reports patterns of meridian energies observed in an
      exploratory assessment of different classes of patient with mental disturbance.
      METHODS: This study was a three-group cross-sectional design. Participants were
      patients who had been diagnosed by their GP with anxiety (n = 21) and depression
      (n = 26) and who were entering a treatment program, along with age- and sex
      matched controls (n = 44). Patients diagnosed with mild mental disturbance who
      were aged 20-50 years were eligible to take part. Patients with any cut, wart, or
      mole on their fingertips or with excess sweating, which would interfere with
      conductance measurements, were excluded. The assessment comprised conductance
      values at Jing-Well acupuncture points by AcuGraph4 on entry into the treatment
      program. RESULTS: Patients with anxiety had higher meridian energy levels (81.84
      +/- 38.63) and significant Upper-Lower imbalances (p < 0.05) favoring the upper
      meridians. Patients with depression had lower energy levels and lower standard
      deviations (53.36 +/- 33.48) as a group. Controls exhibited intermediate energy
      levels but recorded the lowest scoring variances (62.61 +/- 27.05) of the three
      groups. Kidney meridians had the lowest energy for both of the pathology groups.
      For the group suffering with anxiety, bladder meridians were also low.
      CONCLUSION: Higher variances in AcuGraph4 measurements were observed in patients
      with either anxiety or depression compared with controls whose variances were the
      lowest. These results are in accordance with previous observations of greater
      variance in conductance values in pathology groups. With regard to meridian
      energies, the lowest were in those with depression, while those with anxiety were
      the highest. Controls exhibited intermediate energy levels.

PMID- 28358581
TI  - Mechanism of the Antitumor and Radiosensitizing Effects of a Manganese Porphyrin,
      MnHex-2-PyP.
AB  - AIMS: Cationic manganese (Mn)-substituted N-pyridylporphyrin-based potent mimics
      of the family of superoxide dismutases (SODs) protect normal tissues from injury
      related to ionizing radiation (IR) by reducing levels of reactive oxygen and
      nitrogen species (ROS/RNS). Furthermore, Mn-porphyrins have demonstrated
      antitumor and radiosensitizing effects on cancer cells by promoting IR-induced
      tumor vasculature damage and apoptotic processes. In this study, we explored the
      underlying mechanisms of Mn-porphyrin-mediated tumor radiosensitization using
      murine mammary carcinoma 4T1 and melanoma B16 cells in vitro and in vivo.
      RESULTS: Combination treatment with MnTnHex-2-PyP and IR substantially reduced
      cell viability, clonogenic cell survival, and DNA damage repair and
      synergistically increased IR-induced apoptosis of 4T1 and B16 cells. MnTnHex-2
      PyP in combination with IR caused a significant delay in growth of 4T1 and B16
      xenograft tumors. MnTnHex-2-PyP dose-dependently enhanced IR-mediated production
      of H2O2-derived species, but not superoxide. Catalase overexpression reversed
      MnTnHex-2-PyP-enhanced ROS production and apoptosis. Demonstrated suppression of
      phosphorylation of several mitogen-activated protein (MAP) kinases and activation
      of NF-kappaB by MnTnHex-2-PyP/IR, which presumably inhibited activation of the
      antiapoptotic pathway, are in agreement with our other data on the apoptosis of
      cancer cells. Innovation and Conclusions: MnTnHex-2-PyP exerted a
      radiosensitizing effect on 4T1 and B16 tumor models in vitro and in vivo via pro
      oxidative actions and therefore bears a large therapeutic potential. When
      combined with IR, it attenuated DNA damage repair and triggered a shift from
      prosurvival pathways to apoptotic cell death, likely due to increased ROS
      production and disturbed cellular redox balance, acting at the level of nuclear
      factor kappaB (NF-kappaB). Antioxid. Redox Signal. 27, 1067-1082.

PMID- 28358583
TI  - Genetic Relatedness Among Shiga Toxin-Producing Escherichia coli Isolated Along
      the Animal Food Supply Chain and in Gastroenteritis Cases in Qatar Using
      Multilocus Sequence Typing.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: Pathogenic Escherichia coli has been listed among the most
      important bacteria associated with foodborne illnesses around the world. We
      investigated the genetic relatedness among Shiga toxin-producing E. coli (STEC)
      isolated along the animal food supply chain and from humans diagnosed with
      gastroenteritis in Qatar. METHODS: Samples were collected from different sources
      along the food supply chain and from patients admitted to the hospital with
      complaints of gastroenteritis. All samples were screened for the presence of E.
      coli O157:H7 and non-O157 STEC using a combination of bacterial enrichment and
      molecular detection techniques. A proportional sampling approach was used to
      select positive samples from each source for further multilocus sequence typing
      (MLST) analysis. Seven housekeeping genes described for STEC were amplified by
      polymerase chain reaction, sequenced, and analyzed by MLST. Isolates were
      characterized by allele composition, sequence type (ST) and assessed for
      epidemiologic relationship within and among different sources. Nei's genetic
      distance was calculated at the allele level between sample pools in each site
      downstream. RESULTS: E. coli O157:H7 occurred at a higher rate in slaughterhouse
      and retail samples than at the farm or in humans in our sampling. The ST171, an
      ST common to enterotoxigenic E. coli and atypical enteropathogenic E. coli, was
      the most common ST (15%) in the food supply chain. None of the genetic distances
      among the different sources was statistically significant. CONCLUSION:
      Enterohemorrhagic E. coli pathogenic strains are present along the supply chain
      at different levels and with varying relatedness. Clinical isolates were the most
      diverse, as expected, considering the polyclonal diversity in the human
      microbiota. The high occurrence of these food adulterants among the farm products
      suggests that implementation of sanitary measures at that level might reduce the
      risk of human exposure.

PMID- 28358585
TI  - Etiology of bacterial vaginosis and polymicrobial biofilm formation.
AB  - Microorganisms in nature rarely exist in a planktonic form, but in the form of
      biofilms. Biofilms have been identified as the cause of many chronic and
      persistent infections and have been implicated in the etiology of bacterial
      vaginosis (BV). Bacterial vaginosis is the most common form of vaginal infection
      in women of reproductive age. Similar to other biofilm infections, BV biofilms
      protect the BV-related bacteria against antibiotics and cause recurrent BV. In
      this review, an overview of BV-related bacteria, conceptual models and the stages
      involved in the polymicrobial BV biofilm formation will be discussed.

PMID- 28358584
TI  - Assessing the Usefulness and Validity of Frailty Markers in Critically Ill
      Adults.
AB  - RATIONALE: Identifying frailty by the presence of a critical number of frailty
      markers has been difficult to operationalize in the intensive care unit (ICU),
      where patients often cannot complete performance measures or answer complex
      questions. OBJECTIVES: To assess the construct and predictive validity of a
      questionnaire-based approach to identifying frailty in adult ICU patients.
      METHODS: We conducted an observational cohort study of adults admitted to a
      medical or surgical ICU at one of two hospitals in New York. We asked patients or
      surrogates about demographic information, frailty markers, and prehospital
      disability status. ICU physicians completed the Clinical Frailty Scale (CFS), a
      judgment-based frailty assessment tool. We examined the relationship between
      individual frailty markers, CFS, and demographic correlates of frailty such as
      age, prehospital living arrangement, and prehospital disability. We assessed the
      predictive validity of possible frailty phenotypes, using hospital and 6-month
      outcomes. RESULTS: Among 95 study participants (mean age [SD], 57.1 [17.5] yr),
      80% reported one or more of seven frailty markers (median [interquartile range],
      3 [1-4]). The most common frailty markers were impaired mobility (60%), impaired
      physical activity (60%), and decreased strength (44.2%). Patients with more
      frailty markers were older (mean age [SD] of those with at least three frailty
      markers: 62.3 [17.7] vs. 51.6 [15.8] yr; P < 0.001) compared with those with
      fewer than three markers, and were more likely to be judged frail by CFS (57.0
      vs. 19.6%; P = 0.001), although of the 49 patients with three or more frailty
      markers, CFS identified 36.7% as not frail. Malnutrition and fatigue or low
      energy were not significantly associated with other frailty correlates. Survivors
      with more frailty markers were more likely to die or report increased disability
      at follow-up. In multivariate models, a frailty phenotype defined as at least
      three of the seven frailty markers performed similarly to CFS in predicting death
      or increased disability at 6 months (adjusted odds ratio [95% confidence
      interval], 3.3 [1.2-9.0] vs. 3.8 [1.2-11.7]) for CFS. CONCLUSIONS: Asking
      patients or surrogates about frailty markers may be a valid approach to
      identifying critically ill adults with a frailty phenotype associated with
      increased risk of adverse outcomes. Larger studies measuring frailty markers may
      provide insight into factors that impact short- and long-term outcomes after ICU
      admission.

PMID- 28358587
TI  - A Novel Curative Treatment Strategy for Patients with Lower Grade Rectal
      Gastrointestinal Stromal Tumor: Chemoreduction Combined with Transanal Endoscopic
      Microsurgery.
AB  - BACKGROUND: A multimodal treatment has been applied for patients with rectal
      gastrointestinal stromal tumor (GIST) that represents 5% of the total
      localization. Meanwhile, transanal endoscopic microsurgery (TEM) offers a
      minimally invasive method for full-thickness tumor excision with negative margins
      and low morbidity. We report the single most extensive analysis of data from
      China to evaluate the feasibility and safety of the procedure combined with
      neoadjuvant imatinib therapy to treat patients with rectal GISTs. MATERIALS AND
      METHODS: All the clinical data were obtained for patients who underwent the
      procedure in our hospital from February 2008 to May 2015, and the data were
      retrospectively analyzed. RESULTS: Full-thickness excision by TEM was performed
      on 25 patients with rectal GIST by using primary surgical excision, 8 of whom had
      received perioperative chemotherapy after histopathological confirmation under
      the care of medical oncologists. No obvious postoperative complications were
      observed. The average tumor downsizing ratio was 14.5%, which apparently enabled
      oversized tumors to be resected by TEM. The comparative risk did not increase
      during or after the procedure. We did not observe recurrence or metastasis in any
      of the 25 patients during the median 3-year follow-up period after the
      procedures. CONCLUSIONS: The perioperative imatinib treatment effectively allowed
      oversized rectal GIST tumors to be resected by TEM, and the procedures did not
      exhibit an increased risk. Exclusively, the TEM procedure with alternative
      neoadjuvant imatinib therapy is a feasible and safe modality for treating
      patients with rectal GISTs.

PMID- 28358589
TI  - Evaluation of Genetic Diversity, Population Structure, and Relationship Between
      Legendary Vechur Cattle and Crossbred Cattle of Kerala State, India.
AB  - The legendary Vechur cattle of Kerala, described as a very short breed, and the
      crossbred (CB) Sunandini cattle population exhibited great phenotypic variation;
      hence, the present study attempted to analyze the genetic diversity existing
      between them. A set of 14 polymorphic microsatellites were chosen from FAO-ISAG
      panel and amplified from genomic DNA isolated from blood samples of 30 Vechur and
      64 unrelated crossbred cattle, using fluorescent labeled primers. Both
      populations revealed high genetic diversity as evidenced from high observed
      number of alleles, Polymorphic Information Content and expected heterozygosity.
      Observed heterozygosity was lesser (0.699) than expected (0.752) in Vechur
      population which was further supported by positive FIS value of 0.1149,
      indicating slight level of inbreeding in Vechur population. Overall, FST value
      was 0.065, which means genetic differentiation between crossbred and Vechur
      population was 6.5%, indicating that the crossbred cattle must have
      differentiated into a definite population that is different from the indigenous
      Vechur cows. Structure analysis indicated that the two populations showed
      distinct differences, with two underlying clusters. The present study supports
      the separation between Taurine and Zebu cattle and throws light onto the genetic
      diversity and relationship between native Vechur and crossbred cattle populations
      in Kerala state.

PMID- 28358588
TI  - The Burnia: Laparoscopic Sutureless Inguinal Hernia Repair in Girls.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: Laparoscopic inguinal hernia repair in children is in evolution.
      Multiple methods of passing the suture around the peritoneum at the level of the
      internal inguinal ring exist. Cauterization of the peritoneum at the internal
      ring is thought to increase scarring and decrease recurrence. We have employed a
      sutureless, cautery only, laparoscopic single port repair of inguinal hernias and
      patent processus vaginalis (PPV) in girls. METHODS: After institutional ethical
      review was obtained, a retrospective review of sutureless laparoscopic inguinal
      hernia repairs in girls by 4 surgeons at separate institutions was performed.
      Patient demographics, intraoperative findings, and postoperative outcomes were
      recorded and analyzed. The technique involves an umbilical 30 degrees  camera and
      either a separate 3 mm stab incision in the midclavicular line or a 3 mm Maryland
      grasper placed next to the camera, and the distal most portion of the hernia sac
      is grasped and pulled into the abdomen and cauterized obliterating the sac.
      RESULTS: Eighty inguinal hernias were repaired using this technique in 67 girls
      between July 2009 and September 2015. The ages and weights ranged from 1 month to
      16 years and from 2 to 69 kg, respectively. There was one conversion to open
      approach because an incarcerated ovary was too close to the ring. A single
      umbilical incision was utilized in 85%. Fifty-seven percent patients had hernias
      on the right whereas 42% had hernias on the left. Of the patients with presumed
      unilateral hernias, 22 patients were found to have PPV and were treated through
      the same incisions, 17/22 were found during a contralateral hernia surgery and
      5/22 were found incidentally during appendectomy. Average operative time for
      unilateral and bilateral hernias was 22 minutes (5-38 minutes) and 31 minutes (11
      65 minutes), respectively. No patient required a hospital stay because of the
      hernia repair. At an average of 25 months follow-up (1.6-75 months), there were
      no recurrences. The only complication was a single lateral port site hernia on a
      2 kg, former 24 week postmenstrual age girl before adapting the technique to
      single-site surgery for all. CONCLUSIONS: Laparoscopic sutureless inguinal hernia
      repair is safe and effective in girls of all ages. The single-site modification
      allows for superior cosmetic result and lower complication profile. The Burnia
      allows for adequate treatment of unilateral and bilateral inguinal hernias with a
      single incision in the umbilicus.

PMID- 28358590
TI  - Cellulitis Secondary to Liquid Nitrogen Cryotherapy: Case Report and Literature
      Review.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Liquid nitrogen cryotherapy is a commonly used technique to treat a
      wide variety of dermatologic conditions including actinic keratoses, non-melanoma
      skin cancers, verrucae, and seborrheic keratoses. The risks associated with
      liquid nitrogen cryotherapy are important to know and discuss with patients prior
      to treatment. OBJECTIVE: We report a case of cellulitis secondary to liquid
      nitrogen cryotherapy for actinic keratosis. We sought to review the literature
      for an estimate of secondary infection rates following cryotherapy treatment.
      METHODS: We searched Pubmed using the terms cryotherapy and infection or
      cellulitis. We then looked at articles classified as clinical trials where
      cryotherapy was used to treat skin conditions. We then selected clinical trials
      that listed cellulitis or infection as an adverse event. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:
      There were no case reports, case series, or review articles detailing the risk of
      infection from liquid nitrogen cryotherapy. We found 8 articles classified as
      clinical trials on Pubmed that did list infection as an adverse event. The risk
      of infection from these studies varied from approximately 2% to 30%. There was a
      great degree of heterogeneity in treatment sites, length of treatment, and
      treatment targets. While it is difficult to determine the true incidence of
      infection from liquid nitrogen cryotherapy, clinicians should endeavor to inform
      patients of this potential risk.

PMID- 28358591
TI  - Central Sleep Apnea and Stiff Person Syndrome: A Case Report.

PMID- 28358586
TI  - Utility of microfluidic devices to study the platelet-endothelium interface.
AB  - The integration of biomaterials and understanding of vascular biology has led to
      the development of perfusable endothelialized flow models, which have been used
      as valuable tools to study the platelet-endothelium interface under shear. In
      these models, the parameters of geometry, compliance, biorheology, and cellular
      complexity are varied to recapitulate the physical biology of platelet
      recruitment and activation under physiologically relevant conditions of blood
      flow. In this review, we summarize the mechanistic insights learned from
      perfusable microvessel models and discuss the potential utility as well as
      challenges of endothelialized microfluidic devices to study platelet function in
      the bloodstream in vitro.

PMID- 28358592
TI  - Increased circulating oxidised low-density lipoprotein and antibodies to oxidised
      low-density lipoprotein in preeclampsia.
AB  - Enhanced oxidative stress is involved in the pathogenesis of endothelial
      dysfunction in preeclampsia (PE). Circulating oxidised LDL (oxLDL) and antibodies
      to oxLDL (Ab-oxLDL) have been found to be associated with atherosclerosis. The
      objectives of this study were to investigate the association of oxLDL and Ab
      oxLDL with PE and to assess the association between oxLDL and Ab-oxLDL. The
      levels of oxLDL and Ab-oxLDL were measured by enzyme-linked immunoassay in 78
      women with preeclampsia (PE group) and 78 women with normal pregnancy (control
      group). The PE group had higher oxLDL and Ab-oxLDL levels than the control group
      (485.1vs.145.9 ng/ml, p < .001) and (578.7 vs 216.2 mU/ml, p < .001),
      respectively. However, Ab-oxLDL levels were not associated with the levels of
      oxLDL, age, BMI, gestational age, systolic blood pressure (SBP) and diastolic
      blood pressure (DBP) in both the groups. In conclusion, our study showed that PE
      was associated with increased oxLDL and Ab-oxLDL, which may reflect the enhanced
      oxidative stress in PE. Impact Statement Preeclampsia (PE) is a potentially life
      threatening condition and both maternal and foetal complications can develop if
      it is not monitored appropriately. The pathogenesis of endothelial dysfunction in
      PE is related to the enhanced oxidative stress and oxidation of LDL. However,
      more studies were required as previous studies had not shown a consistent
      association of oxLDL and Ab-oxLDL with PE. Our study showed significant
      association of oxLDL and Ab-oxLDL with PE, indicating that their levels may be
      reliable indicators of oxidation stress and of the risk of PE. Levels of
      oxidative stress markers may have implications for clinical practice, such as
      their association with intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR), HELLP syndrome or
      eclampsia, foetal birth weight and premature delivery. Further research is still
      needed, ideally as a prospective cohort study to investigate the association of
      oxLDL and Ab-oxLDL with such outcome parameters.

PMID- 28358593
TI  - A Case of Amoxicillin-Induced Acute Generalized Exanthematous Pustulosis
      Presenting as Septic Shock.
AB  - This case report demonstrates the challenges of diagnosing and managing acute
      generalized exanthematous pustulosis (AGEP) presenting as septic shock. The
      disseminated, erythematous, pustular rash is a common feature. However, extensive
      organ involvement and life-threatening hypotension are unusual. The constellation
      of signs has not previously been documented following amoxicillin therapy. Toxic
      epidermal necrolysis (TEN) and toxic shock syndrome (TSS) were considered in
      addition to AGEP because of the systemic presentation. AGEP was diagnosed
      following histopathology (TEN was ruled out based on limited necrotic
      keratinocytes and lack of epidermal necrosis) and a negative antistreptolysin O
      titer (eliminated TSS). Antibiotic therapy for septic shock was provided before
      the diagnosis was confirmed as AGEP. Upon confirmation of the AGEP diagnosis,
      antibiotics were discontinued and a 5-day course of oral prednisone (40 mg/d) was
      initiated in addition to topical half-strength (0.05%) betamethasone valerate.
      The patient rapidly improved and was discharged. Outpatient patch testing
      confirmed amoxicillin as the culprit drug. In conclusion, it is critical to
      realize that AGEP cannot be ruled out with a septic shock presentation. Recent
      drug history is critical in recognizing an adverse drug reaction, and patch
      testing is useful for determining the culpable drug when the diagnosis is AGEP.

PMID- 28358594
TI  - Psychiatric Symptoms in Survivors of Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome. Effects
      of Age, Sex, and Immune Modulation.
AB  - RATIONALE: Psychiatric morbidity after acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS)
      is common, and our current ability to predict psychiatric symptoms based on
      patient- and illness-specific factors is limited. OBJECTIVES: We assessed
      symptoms of anxiety, depression, and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in long
      term survivors of ARDS, as well as the associated changes in cortisol levels.
      METHODS: The participants were enrolled in a randomized, double-blind, placebo
      controlled trial of granulocyte macrophage-colony stimulating factor (GM-CSF) or
      placebo conducted at three academic medical centers. There were 132 patients
      enrolled, and 44 patients completed 6-month follow-up questionnaires (45% of
      survivors). RESULTS: Six months after enrollment, survivors completed the Post
      Traumatic Stress Syndrome 10 Questions Inventory, Impact of Event Scale, and
      Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale to assess psychiatric symptoms. Plasma
      cortisol levels during treatment were measured by immunoassay. Thirty-six percent
      of patients reported significant psychiatric symptoms on at least one scale. GM
      CSF-treated patients reported more severe posttraumatic stress and depression
      symptoms than patients in the placebo group. In multiple regression analyses,
      younger age, female sex, higher severity of illness, fewer steroid treatment
      days, and GM-CSF treatment were all independently associated with more severe
      psychiatric symptoms on at least one scale. CONCLUSIONS: 6 months after ARDS,
      age, sex, illness severity, steroids, and GM-CSF treatment were associated with
      psychiatric symptom scores. These associations should be confirmed in a larger
      population. Clinical Trial registered with clinicaltrials.gov (NCT00201409).

PMID- 28358595
TI  - Treatment of Enterocutaneous Fistulas, Then and Now.
AB  - BACKGROUND: An enterocutaneous fistula (ECF) is an aberrant connection between
      the gastrointestinal tract and the skin or atmosphere (enteroatmospheric fistula
      [EAF]). Multimodal treatment includes surgical procedures, nutrition support, and
      wound care. We evaluated our practice and compared our outcomes with previous
      results published from our institution. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We performed a
      retrospective analysis of hospitalized ECF/EAF patients admitted between January
      2011 and November 2015. Patients with internal fistulas; active inflammatory
      bowel disease; malignancy; radiation treatment; end-stage renal, hepatic, or
      cardiac disease; and active alcoholism were excluded. Data collected included
      demographics, fistula characteristics, nutrition therapy, treatment, operative
      success, and hospital mortality. Parametric and nonparametric tests for
      independent and paired groups were performed. RESULTS: Thirty-one patients were
      included in the analysis. The median (interquartile range) age was 60 (53-76)
      years, and 81% were female. Parenteral nutrition was initially prescribed in 80%
      of patients, but 61% received enteral nutrition (EN) at some point during their
      hospitalization. Two patients were fed by fistuloclysis. Eighty percent of the
      patients underwent surgical repair a median of 12 months after diagnosis with 92%
      operative success. Surgical repair had a modest correlation with home discharge
      (rho = 0.517, P = .003). A large proportion of patients (77%) were discharged
      home. The in-hospital mortality at our institution decreased from 44% in 1960 to
      21% in 1970 to 3% in the current study. CONCLUSIONS: Modern treatment of ECF/EAF,
      including EN and advanced local wound care, is associated with improvements in
      clinical outcomes such as hospital mortality.

PMID- 28358596
TI  - Endophytic actinobacteria: Diversity, secondary metabolism and mechanisms to
      unsilence biosynthetic gene clusters.
AB  - Endophytic actinobacteria, which reside in the inner tissues of host plants, are
      gaining serious attention due to their capacity to produce a plethora of
      secondary metabolites (e.g. antibiotics) possessing a wide variety of biological
      activity with diverse functions. This review encompasses the recent reports on
      endophytic actinobacterial species diversity, in planta habitats and mechanisms
      underlying their mode of entry into plants. Besides, their metabolic potential,
      novel bioactive compounds they produce and mechanisms to unravel their hidden
      metabolic repertoire by activation of cryptic or silent biosynthetic gene
      clusters (BGCs) for eliciting novel secondary metabolite production are
      discussed. The study also reviews the classical conservative techniques
      (chemical/biological/physical elicitation, co-culturing) as well as modern
      microbiology tools (e.g. next generation sequencing) that are being gainfully
      employed to uncover the vast hidden scaffolds for novel secondary metabolites
      produced by these endophytes, which would subsequently herald a revolution in
      drug engineering. The potential role of these endophytes in the agro-environment
      as promising biological candidates for inhibition of phytopathogens and the way
      forward to thoroughly exploit this unique microbial community by inducing
      expression of cryptic BGCs for encoding unseen products with novel therapeutic
      properties are also discussed.

PMID- 28358598
TI  - Abstract of Papers Presented at the Seventy-Fifth Annual Meeting of the IAMFES.
AB  - Abstracts of most papers submitted for presentation at the 75th Annual Meeting of
      the IAMFES appear on this and the following pages. The complete text of some of
      the papers will appear in future issues of the Journal of Food Protection or
      Dairy and Food Sanitation.

PMID- 28358597
TI  - Common genetic polymorphisms of adenosine A2A receptor do not influence response
      to regadenoson.
AB  - AIM: Hemodynamic response to regadenoson varies greatly, and underlying
      mechanisms for variability are poorly understood. We hypothesized that five
      common variants of adenosine A2A receptor (ADORA2A) are associated with altered
      response to regadenoson. METHODS: Consecutive subjects (n = 357) undergoing
      resting regadenoson nuclear stress imaging were enrolled. Genotyping was
      performed using Taqman-based assays for rs5751862, rs2298383, rs3761422,
      rs2267076 and rs5751876. RESULTS: There was no significant difference in heart
      rate or blood pressure between different genotypes following regadenoson
      administration. There was also no significant difference in myocardial ischemia
      detected by nuclear perfusion imaging as defined by summed difference score, or
      in self-reported side effects among the genotypes tested. CONCLUSION: The common
      A2A variants studied are not associated with variability in hemodynamic response
      to regadenoson or variability in detection of ischemia with nuclear perfusion
      stress imaging.

PMID- 28358599
TI  - A Double-Blind Randomized Placebo-Controlled Pilot Study of Azithromycin in Youth
      with Acute-Onset Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder.
AB  - OBJECTIVES: Sudden and severe onset of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) may
      present secondary to infectious and/or immune-mediated triggers. We assessed the
      preliminary efficacy, tolerability, and safety of azithromycin compared with
      placebo in the treatment of OCD and associated symptoms in children with
      pediatric acute-onset neuropsychiatric syndrome (PANS). METHODS: Thirty-one youth
      aged 4-14 years (M = 8.26 +/- 2.78 years, 62.5% male) were randomized to receive
      either placebo or azithromycin for 4 weeks (10 mg/kg up to 500 mg per day). Both
      groups were administered twice daily probiotics. The primary outcome, obsessive
      compulsive symptom severity, was assessed using the OCD Clinical Global
      Impressions Severity (CGI-S OCD) and Children's Yale-Brown Obsessive Compulsive
      Scale (CY-BOCS). RESULTS: Participants in the azithromycin group (n = 17) showed
      significantly greater reductions in OCD severity on the CGI-S OCD than the
      placebo group (n = 14) posttreatment (p = 0.003), although there were no
      significant differences on the CY-BOCS. Significantly more participants in the
      azithromycin condition met treatment responder criteria on the CGI-I OCD at the
      end of week 4 (41.2%, n = 7) in comparison to the placebo group (7.1%, n = 1; p =
      0.045). Tic severity moderated treatment response, with greater tic severity
      being associated with enhanced treatment response on the CGI-S OCD. Azithromycin
      was well tolerated with minimal adverse effects and no study dropouts due to side
      effects. However, the azithromycin group showed a trend toward significantly
      greater electrocardiography QTc (p = 0.060) at the end of week 4, and
      significantly more reports of loose or abnormal stools (p = 0.009). CONCLUSION:
      This double blind pilot study suggests that azithromycin may be helpful in
      treating youth meeting the PANS diagnosis, especially those with elevated levels
      of both OCD and tic symptoms. Azithromycin was well tolerated, but the potential
      for cardiac risks suggests that additional monitoring may be needed to ensure
      safety.

PMID- 28358600
TI  - Pallidal Stimulation in an 11-Year-Old Boy with Treatment-Resistant Tourette
      Syndrome.

PMID- 28358601
TI  - Pharmacogenetics in the treatment of pre-eclampsia: current findings, challenges
      and perspectives.
AB  - Pre-eclampsia (PE) is defined as pregnancy-induced hypertension and proteinuria,
      and is a major cause of maternal and perinatal morbidity and mortality. A large
      subgroup of pregnant women with PE is nonresponsive to antihypertensive drugs,
      including methyldopa, nifedipine and hydralazine. Pharmacogenomics may help to
      guide the individualized therapy for this nonresponsive subgroup. However, just a
      few pharmacogenetic studies examined the effects of genetic polymorphisms on
      response to antihypertensive drugs in PE, and the criteria of responsiveness used
      to define responsive or nonresponsive subgroups to antihypertensive therapy
      should be replicated by others. We review these gene-drugs interactions, novel
      approaches to pharmacogenomics research and potential novel drugs for PE therapy.
      Finally, we discuss the challenges and perspectives of pharmacogenetics in the
      treatment of PE.

PMID- 28358602
TI  - In Vitro Incorporation of Radioiodinated Eugenol on Adenocarcinoma Cell Lines
      (Caco2, MCF7, and PC3).
AB  - Recently, the synthesis of radiolabeled plant origin compounds has been increased
      due to their high uptake on some cancer cell lines. Eugenol (EUG), a phenolic
      natural compound in the essential oils of different spices such as Syzygium
      aromaticum (clove), Pimenta racemosa (bay leaves), and Cinnamomum verum (cinnamon
      leaf), has been exploited for various medicinal applications. EUG has antiviral,
      antioxidant, and anti-inflammatory functions and several anticancer properties.
      The objective of this article is to synthesize radioiodinated (131I) EUG and
      investigate its effect on Caco2, MCF7, and PC3 adenocarcinoma cell lines. It is
      observed that radioiodinated EUG would have potential on therapy and imaging due
      to its notable uptakes in studied cells.

PMID- 28358603
TI  - Metastatic Thymoma in a Scarlet Macaw ( Ara macao ).
AB  - A 49-year-old female scarlet macaw ( Ara macao ) was presented with a mass in the
      cervical region. The bird showed no evidence of pain or discomfort, it swallowed
      food normally, and its breathing pattern was unremarkable. Results of contrast
      radiographic imaging revealed a well-demarcated mass in the right cervical region
      not related to the crop. After surgical resection and histopathologic evaluation,
      a malignant nodular stage of an epithelioid cortical-type thymoma was diagnosed.
      One year later, metastasis of the thymoma to the lung was diagnosed and confirmed
      at postmortem examination. The final diagnosis was corrected to malignant nodular
      stage of an epithelioid cortical-type thymoma with metastasis to the lung. This
      is the first report in an avian species of a malignant thymoma with metastasis to
      the lung after complete resection of the initial cervical thymoma and a survival
      time of 1 year.

PMID- 28358604
TI  - Infundibular Pulmonic Stenosis in a Moluccan Cockatoo (Cacatua moluccensis).
AB  - A 31-year-old female Moluccan cockatoo (Cacatua moluccensis) was examined for
      intermittent foot clenching of 4 months' duration. Physical examination revealed
      feather-destructive behavior and clinical findings compatible with
      hypovitaminosis A. Neurologic examination was unremarkable. Results of
      radiographs, hematologic testing, plasma biochemical analyses, and measurement of
      lead and trace element blood concentrations were unremarkable, except for
      degenerative joint disease of several thoracic intervertebral joints and a low
      blood copper concentration. Increased dietary copper was recommended. After a 6
      month period without clinical signs, the bird presented again for episodes of
      foot weakness. Radiographic review was suggestive of mild pulmonary trunk
      enlargement. Echocardiography revealed mild mitral and aortic regurgitation,
      dilation of the ascending aorta, and a dilated right ventricle with turbulent
      right ventricular outflow. An electrocardiogram revealed a sinus rhythm and
      normal-appearing complexes. Nonselective fluoroscopic angiography was performed 3
      weeks later because of persistent episodes of foot clenching and weakness.
      Infundibular pulmonic stenosis, poststenotic dilation of the pulmonic trunk, and
      proximal main pulmonary arteries were identified, as well as a mild narrowing of
      the descending aorta compatible with aortic stenosis. The bird was discharged
      without medication but with dietary recommendations and experienced 2 clenching
      episodes in the days after the last visit. No recurrence of clinical signs has
      been reported over the 18-month follow-up period. To our knowledge, this is the
      first report of infundibular pulmonic stenosis in a bird. This case illustrates
      the application of basic and advanced diagnostic imaging modalities in evaluating
      cardiac disease in birds.

PMID- 28358605
TI  - Therapeutic Use of Regional Limb Perfusion in a Chicken.
AB  - A 2-year-old, 3.8-kg male Rhode Island red rooster was examined for lameness and
      progressive swelling of the right foot of several month's duration. Radiographs
      of the right foot demonstrated soft tissue swelling and a smoothly marginated
      periosteal reaction evident of inflammation affecting the bones. Results of a
      complete blood count showed a moderate leukocytosis and an elevated total protein
      concentration. Systemic antibiotic and anti-inflammatory therapy was started, but
      the bird had not improved at recheck examination. After intravenous
      catheterization of the medial metatarsal vein and placing a tourniquet at the
      femoral-tibiotarsal joint of the right leg, regional limb perfusion with amikacin
      and flunixin meglumine was performed. Dimensions of both feet were measured with
      digital calipers, and surface temperatures of the feet were measured with an
      infrared thermometer. The rooster had improved activity level with decrease in
      lameness and measurable decrease in swelling of the right foot. Regional limb
      perfusion with intravenous antibiotics and nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs
      is a viable treatment modality in avian species for suspected distal limb
      infection and cellulitis. This technique has potential valuable implications for
      a variety of avian species. Fluid support should be provided if using nephrotoxic
      drugs.

PMID- 28358606
TI  - Stifle Disarticulation as a Pelvic Limb Amputation Technique in a Cockatiel (
      Nymphicus hollandicus ) and a Northern Cardinal ( Cardinalis cardinalis ).
AB  - This clinical report describes the use of stifle disarticulation in 2 avian
      patients as an alternative to transfemoral limb amputation. A northern cardinal (
      Cardinalis cardinalis ) was presented for soft tissue swelling and a traumatic
      fracture of the third digit of the left limb, with secondary bacterial infection
      and necrosis. A 25-year-old cockatiel ( Nymphicus hollandicus ) was diagnosed
      with distal extremity necrosis after a nonunion of a closed tibiotarsal fracture.
      In both cases amputation was recommended due to the poor prognosis for healing
      and because both birds were poor surgical candidates for traditional methods of
      amputation due to patient size or age. Therefore, stifle disarticulation surgery
      for amputation of the pelvic limb was performed successfully in both cases and
      recovery was unremarkable. The outcomes of these 2 cases suggest that stifle
      disarticulation may be used as an alternative to transfemoral amputation in birds
      where prolonged surgery, anesthesia, or patient size precludes traditional
      amputation techniques.

PMID- 28358607
TI  - Radiation Therapy of Periorbital Lymphoma in a Blue-and-Gold Macaw (Ara
      ararauna).
AB  - An adult male blue and gold macaw (Ara ararauna) was presented for evaluation of
      a right periorbital mass. Results of diagnostic tests, including periorbital
      ultrasound, fine-needle aspirate, and cytologic examination, confirmed a
      diagnosis of periocular lymphoma. Radiographs were suggestive of disseminated
      disease but because of concerns about the patient's quality of life, localized
      radiation therapy to address the periorbital disease was pursued. Coarse
      fractionated radiation therapy was initiated, and the mass regressed rapidly
      during the 3-week course of treatment. The macaw tolerated the treatments well,
      maintained vision in the affected eye, and activity level and appetite improved.
      Three months after treatment was completed, the bird died. Necropsy revealed T
      cell-rich B-cell-infiltrative lymphoma of the spleen, liver, and kidneys, with
      some residual neoplastic cells found in the right periorbital region. This case
      demonstrates a radiation therapy protocol that reduced a tumor mass in a
      localized treatment of periorbital lymphoma in a macaw.

PMID- 28358609
TI  - What Is Your Diagnosis?

PMID- 28358610
TI  - Scientific Data: How Do You Manage It Without Losing It?

PMID- 28358611
TI  - The Effect of Manual Restraint on Physiological Parameters in Barred Owls ( Strix
      varia ).
AB  - Manual restraint is commonly necessary when working with avian species in
      medical, laboratory, and field settings. Despite their prevalence, little is
      known about the stress response in raptorial bird species. To further understand
      the effect of restraint on the stress response in birds of prey, 12 barred owls (
      Strix varia ) were manually restrained for 15 minutes. Physiological parameters
      (cloacal temperature, respiratory rate, heart rate) were followed over time and
      recorded at defined points during the restraint period. Heart rate decreased
      significantly over the restraint period by a mean +/- SD of -73 +/- 46 beats/min.
      Respiratory rate also decreased significantly (median: -11 breaths/min,
      interquartile range: -8 to -18). Cloacal temperature increased significantly over
      time in manually restrained owls (median: +1.5 degrees C [+2.7 degrees F],
      interquartile range: 1.3 degrees C-2.1 degrees C [2.3 degrees F-3.8 degrees F]).
      This study is the first to document stress hyperthermia in an owl species.
      Similar to another raptorial bird, the red-tailed hawk ( Buteo jamaicensis ),
      both heart rate and respiratory rate decreased and cloacal temperature increased
      over time in restrained barred owls. Barred owls appear to cope differently to
      restraint stress when compared to psittacine species.

PMID- 28358612
TI  - Management and Case Outcome of Gastric Impaction in Four Raptors: A Case Series.
AB  - Four captive raptors, an American kestrel ( Falco sparverius ), peregrine falcon
      ( Falco peregrinus ), golden eagle ( Aquila chrysaetos ), and barn owl ( Tyto
      alba ), were diagnosed with ventricular and/or proventricular foreign material
      impactions consisting of artificial turf substrate, paper and plastic substrate,
      grass, and newspaper. Partial or total anorexia was reported in all birds and
      decreased casting in 2 birds. Survey radiographs confirmed presence of gastric
      enlargement in all 4 birds. The kestrel and eagle were treated unsuccessfully
      with gastroscopy and gastric lavage, respectively, followed by surgical
      intervention to remove the ventricular impactions. Both birds died of
      undetermined causes after surgery. The peregrine falcon died before medical or
      surgical intervention was started, and the owl was managed successfully with oral
      mineral oil and liquid diet to facilitate egestion of the foreign material as a
      pellet. Lead poisoning was suspected as the predisposing cause for foreign body
      ingestion in the eagle, but underlying causes for pica in the other birds were
      not determined. Radiographs can provide useful diagnostic information in sick
      raptors that exhibit vomiting or changes in appetite or casting frequency, and
      may help guide treatment decisions of impacted birds. Careful consideration of
      substrate, enrichment items, and access to potential foreign material that could
      be ingested may be the best pre-emptive management strategy in captive raptors.

PMID- 28358613
TI  - Determination of Tear Production and Intraocular Pressure With Rebound Tonometry
      in Wild Humboldt Penguins ( Spheniscus humboldti ).
AB  - Tear production and intraocular pressures (IOPs) were determined in 38 and 102
      wild Humboldt penguins (Spheniscus humboldti), respectively, from the Punta San
      Juan Marine Protected Area in Ica, Peru. Tear production was measured by Schirmer
      tear test, and IOP was measured with a TonoVet rebound tonometer. Adult (n = 90)
      and chick (n = 12) penguins were sampled from 2 different beaches (north and
      south facing) during 2 sampling years (2010 and 2011). Results showed a mean +/-
      SD (range) of 9 +/- 4 (2-20) mm/min for tear production and 28 +/- 9 (3-49) mm Hg
      for IOP. Tear production in penguins differed between beach and sex, whereas IOP
      differed between age, year, and beach. The IOPs were negatively correlated with
      packed cell volume. Tear production and IOP values had greater variation in this
      population than it has in other avian species. Previous investigations of IOP and
      tear production in Spheniscus species were conducted with birds housed under
      professional care in artificial marine and freshwater environments. This is the
      first study, to our knowledge, investigating tear production and IOP in wild
      penguins and establishes valuable reference intervals for this species.

PMID- 28358614
TI  - Plasma Concentrations of Fentanyl Achieved With Transdermal Application in
      Chickens.
AB  - Providing appropriate analgesia is an important concern in any species. Fentanyl,
      a MU-receptor specific opioid, use is common in mammalian species but has been
      incompletely evaluated for this purpose in avian species. Transdermal fentanyl
      patches were applied to domestic chickens (n = 10) of varying breeds for 72
      hours. Repeated blood samples were collected from the birds to assess time
      concentration of fentanyl and norfentanyl in plasma, as assayed by liquid
      chromatography-mass spectrometry, throughout patch application and for 48 hours
      after patch removal. Compartmental modeling was used to characterize the
      elimination profiles. Evaluation as a large bolus, followed by slower elimination
      rates over the remaining time, best fit the data as a one-compartment open model.
      Although maximum plasma fentanyl concentrations varied substantially by
      individual birds, chickens trended into 2 general groups of maximum plasma
      concentration, clearance, and volume of distribution, which was attributed to
      absorption variability. For all birds, harmonic mean of elimination half-life was
      7.2 +/- 3.7 hours and showed less individual variation than the other
      pharmacokinetic parameters. Because the application of transdermal fentanyl
      patches in the chickens achieved plasma fentanyl concentrations considered
      therapeutic in people, this approach could provide an additional analgesic option
      for avian patients.

PMID- 28358615
TI  - Semen Collection and Spermatozoa Characteristics in the Kea Parrot (Nestor
      notabilis).
AB  - We describe the seminal characteristics of the kea parrot (Nestor notabilis), an
      endangered species endemic to the South Island of New Zealand. Semen was
      collected in the full breeding season from 6 birds in the collection of an
      amateur aviculturist. The manual massage technique was used. A total of 25
      ejaculates was collected and evaluated for volume, degree of contamination, and
      spermatozoa concentration; motility and kinetic parameters were assessed on
      diluted samples (modified Tyrode's Albumin Lactate Pyruvate, pH 8.2, temperature
      37.5 degrees C) with a computer-aided sperm analyzer. Four ejaculates were not
      analyzed because of an excessively high degree of contamination. Semen color
      ranged from transparent or turbid yellow to whitish. The geometric mean of
      spermatozoa number/ejaculate was 765.9 +/- 2084.7 * 106. Total and progressive
      motility were 71.7% +/- 20.0% and 59.8% +/- 22.0%, respectively. Great
      variability was observed both among birds and among different ejaculates of the
      same subject. The seminal characteristics of kea are worth further investigation,
      with the aim of relating semen quality to fertility and defining a minimum
      inseminating dose for breeding purposes. A deeper knowledge of male reproductive
      biology also can increase the success of breeding programs and enable the use of
      the kea as a model species for other more threatened species, such as the kaka (
      Nestor meridionalis ) and the kakapo (Strigops habroptila).

PMID- 28358616
TI  - Nucleotide Sequence Variations in Autolysis Genes of ST59 Methicillin-Resistant
      Staphylococcus aureus Isolates.
AB  - Biofilm formation is a virulence factor of bacteria. The goal of this study was
      to understand the mechanisms of biofilm formation by methicillin-resistant
      Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA). Whole-genome sequencing of eight MRSA strains was
      performed to identify sequence variations in genes related to biofilm formation.
      Thirty-one genes involved in MRSA biofilm formation were analyzed and 11 amino
      acid sequence variations in four genes related to autolysis were found. These
      variations include E121D and H387 N in ArlS; Q117K, T424S, K428T, A509S, V752E,
      A754V, and T771A in Atl; T184K in CidC; and D251N in CidR. Among the 26 clinical
      MRSA isolates studied, 13 isolates were nonbiofilm producers and were found to
      harbor these mutations. Furthermore, all of these 13 isolates belonged to ST59.
      Ten of these 13 ST59 isolates became able to produce biofilms when they were
      incubated with extracellular DNA from MRSA N315. Results of this study suggest
      that sequence variations in arlS, atl, cidC, and cidR genes may render MRSA
      unable to produce biofilms. Further investigations are needed to correlate these
      sequence variations with the biofilm-forming ability of MRSA isolates.

PMID- 28358617
TI  - Bioactivity of Variant Molecular Weight Chitosan Against Drug-Resistant Bacteria
      Isolated from Human Wounds.
AB  - Chitosan available from crab shells is usually of high molecular weight which may
      result in reduced efficiency for its antibacterial activity. One of the
      techniques for improving chitosan antibacterial efficiency is reducing its
      molecular weight. The irradiation of chitosan by gamma radiations is considered
      to be one of the most effective and widely used methods for improving its
      antibacterial activity. Chitosan obtained from crab shells was irradiated with
      gamma radiations at different doses, and effects on chitosan were analyzed by
      molecular weight determination and Fourier Transform Infrared spectroscopy.
      Unirradiated and irradiated chitosans were studied for their antibacterial
      properties against bacterial pathogens, that is, Pseudomonas aeruginosa (SS29),
      Escherichia coli (SS2, SS9), Proteus mirabilis (SS77), and Staphylococcus aureus
      (LM15). Studies have shown that irradiation has significantly developed and
      improved the antibacterial activity of crab shell chitosan. A correlation was
      found between bacterial metabolites and antibacterial activity by the analysis
      for 4-hydroxy-2-alkylquinolines and related metabolites of P. aeruginosa (SS29)
      in the absence and presence of chitosan by liquid chromatography mass
      spectrometer, exhibiting the suppression of these virulence factors due to
      chitosan. Antibacterial efficiency of chitosan was found to be molecular weight
      dependent and applied concentration of the chitosan. The findings suggest on the
      use of low-molecular weight chitosan as antibacterial agent in pharmaceutical
      preparations.

PMID- 28358618
TI  - Lullaby of a Palliative Care Doctor.

PMID- 28358619
TI  - Estimating Demand for and Supply of Pediatric Preventive Dental Care for Children
      and Identifying Dental Care Shortage Areas, Georgia, 2015.
AB  - OBJECTIVES: Demand for dental care is expected to outpace supply through 2025.
      The objectives of this study were to determine the extent of pediatric dental
      care shortages in Georgia and to develop a general method for estimation that can
      be applied to other states. METHODS: We estimated supply and demand for pediatric
      preventive dental care for the 159 counties in Georgia in 2015. We compared
      pediatric preventive dental care shortage areas (where demand exceeded twice the
      supply) designated by our methods with dental health professional shortage areas
      designated by the Health Resources & Services Administration. We estimated caries
      risk from a multivariate analysis of National Health and Nutrition Examination
      Survey data and national census data. We estimated county-level demand based on
      the time needed to perform preventive dental care services and the proportion of
      time that dentists spend on pediatric preventive dental care services from the
      Medical Expenditure Panel Survey. RESULTS: Pediatric preventive dental care
      supply exceeded demand in Georgia in 75 counties: the average annual county-level
      pediatric preventive dental care demand was 16 866 hours, and the supply was 32
      969 hours. We identified 41 counties as pediatric dental care shortage areas, 14
      of which had not been designated by the Health Resources & Services
      Administration. CONCLUSIONS: Age- and service-specific information on dental care
      shortage areas could result in more efficient provider staffing and geographic
      targeting.

PMID- 28358620
TI  - Daily Coffee Intake Inhibits Pancreatic Beta Cell Damage and Nonalcoholic
      Steatohepatitis in a Mouse Model of Spontaneous Metabolic Syndrome, Tsumura
      Suzuki Obese Diabetic Mice.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Metabolic syndrome is one of the most important health issues
      worldwide. Obesity causes insulin resistance, hyperlipidemia, diabetes, and
      various diseases throughout the body. The liver phenotype, which is called
      nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH), frequently progresses to hepatocellular
      carcinoma. We recently established a new animal model, Tsumura-Suzuki obese
      diabetic (TSOD) mice, which spontaneously exhibit obesity, diabetes,
      hyperlipidemia, and NASH with liver nodules. METHODS: We examined the effects of
      coffee intake on various conditions of the metabolic syndrome using TSOD mice.
      The daily volume of coffee administered was limited so that it reflected the
      appropriate quantities consumed in humans. To clarify the effects of the specific
      components, animals were divided into two coffee-intake groups that included with
      and without caffeine. RESULTS: Coffee intake did not significantly affect obesity
      and hyperlipidemia in TSOD mice. In contrast, coffee intake caused various
      degrees of improvement in the pancreatic beta cell damage and steatohepatitis
      with liver carcinogenesis. Most of the effects were believed to be caused by a
      synergistic effect of caffeine with other components such as polyphenols.
      However, the antifibrotic effects of coffee appeared to be due to the polyphenols
      rather than the caffeine. CONCLUSIONS: A daily habit of drinking coffee could
      possibly play a role in the prevention of metabolic syndrome.

PMID- 28358621
TI  - Time-Dependent Differences in the Influence of Perivascular Adipose Tissue on
      Vasomotor Functions in Metabolic Syndrome.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Metabolic syndrome (MetS) facilitates the development of
      cardiovascular disease due to atherosclerosis, which is accelerated by defects of
      the vascular endothelium. Vascular dysfunction in response to nitric oxide (NO)
      occurs in the mesenteric arteries of an animal model of MetS, SHRSP.Z
      Leprfa/IzmDmcr (SHRSP.ZF) rats. Vascular responses to vasodilators are affected
      by perivascular adipose tissue (PVAT) that surrounds the outsides of arteries. In
      this study, we assessed the role of PVAT in vascular dysfunction observed in
      SHRSP.ZF. METHODS: To determine the effects of PVAT on vasodilators in SHRSP.ZF
      and control Wistar-Kyoto (WKY) rats, we used organ bath bioassay techniques to
      assay acetylcholine and nitroprusside-induced relaxations of isolated mesenteric
      arterial ring preparations with PVAT intact or removed. RESULTS: A PVAT-mediated
      enhancement of relaxations induced by acetylcholine and nitroprusside occurred in
      SHRSP.ZF at 20 weeks of age, but not at 10 and 30 weeks, and did not occur in
      WKY. Furthermore, the enhancing effects of PVAT from SHRSP.ZF at 20 weeks could
      not be substituted by replacement with PVAT from either WKY or 30-week-old
      SHRSP.ZF, was inhibited by NO synthase inhibitor, and abolished by removal of the
      arteries' endothelium. Cyclic guanosine monophosphate (cGMP) accumulation
      elicited by nitroprusside was higher in SHRSP.ZF arteries with PVAT than arteries
      without PVAT at 20 weeks, but the enhancement of cGMP accumulation did not occur
      at 30 weeks. CONCLUSIONS: PVAT may regulate arterial tone by releasing diffusible
      vasorelaxing factor(s), which, through endothelium-derived NO production,
      compensates for impaired vasodilations at early stages of MetS.

PMID- 28358622
TI  - Cytological and Molecular Characterization of ZmWAK-Mediated Head-Smut Resistance
      in Maize.
AB  - Head smut, caused by the fungal pathogen Sporisorium reilianum, poses a threat to
      maize production worldwide. ZmWAK, a cell wall-associated receptor kinase,
      confers quantitative resistance to head smut disease. Here, two near-isogenic
      lines (NILs), susceptible line Huangzao4 and its ZmWAK-converted resistant line
      Huangzao4R, were used to decipher the role of ZmWAK in head smut resistance.
      Cytological and molecular characterization in response to S. reilianum infection
      was compared between two NILs. Upon S. reilianum infection, the growth of
      pathogen hyphae was severely arrested in the ZmWAK-converted resistant line
      Huangzao4R, relative to its susceptible parental line Huangzao4. Infected cells
      exhibited apoptosis-like features in Huangzao4R and hyphae were sequestered
      within dead cells, whereas pathogen invasion caused autophagy in Huangzao4, which
      failed to prevent hyphal spreading. Integrated transcriptomic and metabolomic
      analysis indicated that ZmWAK functions as a hub in the trade-off between growth
      and defense, whereby ZmWAK promotes cell growth in the absence of the pathogen
      and switches to a defense response upon S. reilianum attack. These findings shed
      light on an elegant regulatory mechanism governed by ZmWAK in the trade-off
      between growth and head smut defense.

PMID- 28358623
TI  - One Target, Two Mechanisms: The Impact of 'Candidatus Liberibacter asiaticus' and
      Its Vector, Diaphorina citri, on Citrus Leaf Pigments.
AB  - Huanglongbing (HLB) is currently the largest threat to global citrus production.
      We examined the effect of HLB pathogen 'Candidatus Liberibacter asiaticus'
      infection or infestation by its vector, Diaphorina citri, on 'Valencia' sweet
      orange leaf pigments using high-performance liquid chromatography, followed by
      gene expression analysis for 46 involved genes in carotenoid and chlorophyll
      biosynthesis pathways. Both 'Ca. L. asiaticus' and D. citri alter the total
      citrus leaf pigment balance with a greater impact by 'Ca. L. asiaticus'. Although
      zeaxanthin was accumulated in 'Ca. L. asiaticus'-infected leaves, chlorophyllide
      a was increased in D. citri-infested plants. Our findings support the idea that
      both 'Ca. L. asiaticus' and D. citri affect the citrus pigments and promote
      symptom development but using two different mechanisms. 'Ca. L. asiaticus'
      promotes chlorophyll degradation but accelerates the biosynthesis of carotenoid
      pigments, resulting in accumulation of abscisic acid and its precursor,
      zeaxanthin. Zeaxanthin also has a photoprotective role. By contrast, D. citri
      induced the degradation of most carotenoids and accelerated chlorophyll
      biosynthesis, leading to chlorophyllide a accumulation. Chlorophyllide a might
      have an antiherbivory role. Accordingly, we suggest that citrus plants try to
      defend themselves against 'Ca. L. asiaticus' or D. citri using multifaceted
      defense systems, based on the stressor type. These findings will help in better
      understanding the tritrophic interactions among plant, pathogen, and vector.

PMID- 28358624
TI  - Understanding Antiretroviral Treatment Adherence Among HIV-Positive Women at Four
      Postpartum Time Intervals: Qualitative Results from the Kabeho Study in Rwanda.
AB  - As lifelong antiretroviral therapy (ART) for pregnant women is implemented, it is
      important to understand the attitudes and norms affecting women's postpartum ART
      adherence. This is a qualitative cross-sectional study of HIV-positive postpartum
      women (n = 112) enrolled in a 2-year observational prospective cohort in Rwanda.
      Informed by the Theory of Reasoned Action (TRA), we conducted in-depth interviews
      with women whose children were 0-6, 7-12, 13-18, or 21-24 months of age to
      describe factors contributing to adherence and changes over time. Positive ART
      attitudes reported by women included mothers' health promotion, prevention of
      infant HIV infection, higher CD4 count, and improved physical appearance.
      Negative attitudes were few, but included side effects and the lifelong nature of
      treatment. Learning from people living with HIV (PLHIV) was identified as a norm
      facilitating adherence; ART adherence was inhibited by fear of disclosure or
      stigmatization in communities and clinics. Poor adherence behaviors were common
      immediately after HIV diagnosis, not necessarily during prevention of mother-to
      child transmission (PMTCT). Women with older children, most of whom stopped
      breastfeeding by 13-18 months, reported more barriers and missed doses than women
      with younger children. The TRA was useful in identifying the collective influence
      of attitudes, norms, and intentions on behavior. Findings suggest that HIV
      positive women are vulnerable to poor adherence following HIV diagnosis and
      around the time of breastfeeding cessation. Lifelong treatment adherence can be
      supported through PLHIV exemplifying long-term ART use, fewer and less
      stigmatizing clinic visits, and counseling messages highlighting the benefits of
      drugs on appearance and illness prevention and incorporating biological feedback.

PMID- 28358626
TI  - Correction: What Is Your Diagnosis?

PMID- 28358628
TI  - Pathology in Practice.

PMID- 28358625
TI  - Sexual Orientation Differences in Satisfaction with Healthcare: Findings from the
      Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System, 2014.
AB  - PURPOSE: In the United States, the Affordable Care Act and marriage equality may
      have eased sexual orientation-based differences in access to healthcare coverage,
      but limited research has investigated sexual orientation-based differences in
      healthcare satisfaction. The purpose of this study was to examine whether
      satisfaction with healthcare varied by sexual orientation in a large population
      based sample of adults. METHODS: Data are from the 2014 Behavioral Risk Factor
      Surveillance System, including items about sexual orientation and healthcare (n =
      113,317). Healthcare coverage included employer-based insurance; individually
      purchased insurance; Medicare; Medicaid; or TRICARE, VA, or military care.
      Respondents indicated whether they were "very satisfied, somewhat satisfied, or
      not at all satisfied" with healthcare. RESULTS: After adjusting for several
      sociodemographic covariates, lesbian, gay, and bisexual status was associated
      with lower satisfaction with healthcare with individually purchased insurance
      (adjusted odds ratio = 1.49, 95% confidence interval = 1.24-1.80). CONCLUSION:
      Efforts are needed to examine and reduce sexual orientation differences in
      satisfaction with healthcare.

PMID- 28358629
TI  - Reconstruction of a mandibular segmental defect with a customized 3-dimensional
      printed titanium prosthesis in a cat with a mandibular osteosarcoma.
AB  - CASE DESCRIPTION A 12-year-old neutered male domestic shorthair cat had been
      treated for a mass arising from the lingual aspect of the caudal right mandibular
      body. Cytoreductive surgery of the mass had been performed twice over a 2-year
      period, but the mass recurred following both surgeries. The mass was diagnosed as
      an osteosarcoma, and the cat was referred for further evaluation and treatment.
      CLINICAL FINDINGS Clinical findings were unremarkable, except for a 2-cm-diameter
      mass arising from the lingual aspect of the right mandible and mild anemia and
      lymphopenia. Pre- and postcontrast CT scans of the head, neck, and thorax were
      performed, revealing that the osteosarcoma was confined to the caudal right
      mandibular body, with no evidence of lymph node or pulmonary metastasis.
      TREATMENT AND OUTCOME The stereolithographic files of the CT scan of the head
      were sent for computer-aided design and manufacture of a customized 3-D-printed
      titanium prosthesis. Segmental mandibulectomy was performed, and the mandibular
      defect was reconstructed in a single stage with the 3-D-printed titanium
      prosthesis. The cat had 1 minor postoperative complication but had no signs of
      eating difficulties at any point after surgery. The cat was alive and disease
      free 14 months postoperatively. CLINICAL RELEVANCE Reconstruction of the mandible
      of a cat following mandibulectomy was possible with computer-aided design and
      manufacture of a customized 3-D-printed titanium prosthesis. Cats have a high
      rate of complications following mandibulectomy, and these initial findings
      suggested that mandibular reconstruction may reduce the risk of these
      complications and result in a better functional outcome.

PMID- 28358631
TI  - Survival analysis of hypotensive cats admitted to an intensive care unit with or
      without hyperlactatemia: 39 cases (2005-2011).
AB  - OBJECTIVE To examine the association between blood lactate concentration and
      survival to hospital discharge in critically ill hypotensive cats. DESIGN
      Retrospective case series. ANIMALS 39 cats admitted to an intensive care unit of
      a university veterinary hospital between January 2005 and December 2011 for which
      blood lactate concentration was recorded <= 1 hour before or after a Doppler
      derived arterial blood pressure measurement <= 90 mm Hg (ie, hypotension) was
      obtained. PROCEDURES Medical records of each cat were reviewed to assess survival
      to hospital discharge, illness severity, duration of hospitalization, age, body
      weight, and PCV. Results were compared between hypotensive cats with and without
      hyperlactatemia (blood lactate concentration >= 2.5 mmol/L). RESULTS 6 of 39
      (15%) hypotensive cats survived to hospital discharge. Twelve (31%) cats were
      normolactatemic (blood lactate concentration < 2.5 mmol/L), and 27 (69%) were
      hyperlactatemic. Hypotensive cats with normolactatemia had a higher blood
      pressure and higher survival rate than hypotensive cats with hyperlactatemia.
      Five-day Kaplan-Meier survival rates were 57% for normolactatemic cats and 17%
      for hyperlactatemic cats. Age, body weight, duration of hospitalization, PCV, and
      illness severity did not differ significantly between hypotensive cats with and
      without hyperlactatemia. CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE Hypotensive,
      normolactatemic cats in an intensive care unit had a significantly greater chance
      of survival to hospital discharge than their hyperlactatemic counterparts. Blood
      lactate concentration may be a useful prognostic indicator for this patient
      population when used in conjunction with other clinical and laboratory findings.

PMID- 28358632
TI  - Pathology in Practice.

PMID- 28358633
TI  - Diagnostic Imaging in Veterinary Dental Practice.

PMID- 28358634
TI  - Effects of alfaxalone administered intravenously to healthy yearling loggerhead
      sea turtles (Caretta caretta) at three different doses.
AB  - OBJECTIVE To compare physiologic and anesthetic effects of alfaxalone
      administered IV to yearling loggerhead sea turtles (Caretta caretta) at 3
      different doses. DESIGN Randomized crossover study. ANIMALS 9 healthy yearling
      loggerhead sea turtles. PROCEDURES Animals received each of 3 doses of alfaxalone
      (3 mg/kg [1.4 mg/lb], 5 mg/kg [2.3 mg/lb], or 10 mg/kg [4.5 mg/lb]) administered
      IV in randomly assigned order, with a minimum 7-day washout period between doses.
      Endotracheal intubation was attempted following anesthetic induction, and heart
      rate, sedation depth, cloacal temperature, and respirations were monitored. Times
      to first effect, induction, first voluntary muscle movement, first respiration,
      and recovery were recorded. Venous blood gas analysis was performed at 0 and 30
      minutes. Assisted ventilation was performed if apnea persisted 30 minutes
      following induction. RESULTS Median anesthetic induction time for all 3 doses was
      2 minutes. Endotracheal intubation was accomplished in all turtles following
      induction. Heart rate significantly increased after the 3- and 5-mg/kg doses were
      administered. Median intervals from alfaxalone administration to first
      spontaneous respiration were 16, 22, and 54 minutes for the 3-, 5-, and 10-mg/kg
      doses, respectively, and median intervals to recovery were 28, 46, and 90
      minutes, respectively. Assisted ventilation was required for 1 turtle after
      receiving the 5-mg/kg dose and for 5 turtles after receiving the 10-mg/kg dose.
      The 10-mg/kg dose resulted in respiratory acidosis and marked hypoxemia at 30
      minutes. CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE IV alfaxalone administration to
      loggerhead sea turtles resulted in a rapid anesthetic induction and dose
      dependent duration of sedation. Assisted ventilation is recommended if the 10
      mg/kg dose is administered.

PMID- 28358635
TI  - Prevalence of Alaria infection in companion animals in north central Oklahoma
      from 2006 through 2015 and detection in wildlife.
AB  - OBJECTIVE To determine the prevalence of Alaria infection in cats and dogs in
      north central Oklahoma over various periods and investigate whether wild animal
      species in this region were also infected. DESIGN Combined cross-sectional study
      and case series. SAMPLE Results of parasitological testing of fecal samples from
      5,417 client-owned dogs and 1,246 client-owned cats (2006 through 2014); fecal
      samples from 837 shelter or rescue dogs and 331 shelter or rescue cats (2013 and
      2014) and 268 feral cats (2015); tongue or jowl samples from cadavers of 43 wild
      pigs, 3 opossums, and 1 raccoon; and intestinal tract segments from cadavers of
      48 cats and 5 coyotes. PROCEDURES Various parasite recovery techniques were
      performed to detect various Alaria stages in samples. Recovered adult trematodes
      and mesocercariae were used for PCR assay and sequencing of the 28S rRNA gene.
      RESULTS Prevalence of Alaria infection was significantly higher in feral cats
      (9.0%) than in shelter or rescue cats (0.6%) and client-owned cats (1.4%) and in
      shelter or rescue dogs (1.8%) than in client-owned dogs (0.2%). Mesocercariae
      were recovered from tissue samples from 11 (26%) wild pigs and 1 opossum.
      Amplicon sequences from adult trematodes and mesocercariae were 100% identical to
      each other and 99% homologous to GenBank sequences of Alaria alata and Alaria
      mustelae. CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE Prevalence of Alaria infection in
      the study area has increased in dogs and cats since 1990, when infections were
      rare. Prevalence in wild pigs was similar to that in Eurasia, where A alata is
      considered an emerging zoonotic parasite.

PMID- 28358636
TI  - Seroprevalence of heartworm infection, risk factors for seropositivity, and
      frequency of prescribing heartworm preventives for cats in the United States and
      Canada.
AB  - OBJECTIVE To determine the seroprevalence of heartworm infection, risk factors
      for seropositivity, and frequency of prescribing heartworm preventives for cats.
      DESIGN Prospective cross-sectional study. ANIMALS 34,975 cats from 1,353
      veterinary clinics (n = 26,707) and 125 animal shelters (8,268) in the United
      States and Canada. PROCEDURES Blood samples were collected from all cats and
      tested with a point-of-care ELISA for Dirofilaria immitis antigen, FeLV antigen,
      and FIV antibody. Results were compared among geographic regions and various cat
      groupings. RESULTS Seropositivity for heartworm antigen in cats was identified in
      35 states but not in Canada; overall seroprevalence in the United States was
      0.4%. Seroprevalence of heartworm infection was highest in the southern United
      States. A 3-fold increase in the proportion of seropositive cats was identified
      for those with (vs without) outdoor access, and a 2.5-fold increase was
      identified for cats that were unhealthy (vs healthy) when tested. Seroprevalence
      was 0.3% in healthy cats, 0.7% in cats with oral disease, 0.9% in cats with
      abscesses or bite wounds, and 1.0% in cats with respiratory disease. Coinfection
      with a retrovirus increased the risk of heartworm infection. Heartworm
      preventives were prescribed for only 12.6% of cats at testing, and prescribing
      was more common in regions with a higher seroprevalence. CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL
      RELEVANCE At an estimated prevalence of 0.4%, hundreds of thousands of cats in
      the United States are likely infected with heartworms. Given the difficulty in
      diagnosing infection at all clinically relevant parasite stages and lack of
      curative treatment options, efforts should be increased to ensure all cats
      receive heartworm preventives.

PMID- 28358638
TI  - Letters to the Editor.

PMID- 28358637
TI  - ECG of the Month.

PMID- 28358640
TI  - What Is Your Diagnosis?

PMID- 28358639
TI  - Review of hazards to female reproductive health in veterinary practice.
AB  - OBJECTIVE To review publications that address female reproductive health hazards
      in veterinary practice, summarize best practices to mitigate reproductive risks,
      and identify current knowledge gaps. DESIGN Systematized review. SAMPLE English
      language articles describing chemical, biological, and physical hazards present
      in the veterinary workplace and associations with adverse reproductive outcomes
      or recommendations for minimizing risks to female reproductive health. PROCEDURES
      Searches of the CAB abstracts database were performed in July 2012 and in May
      2015 with the following search terms: veterinarians AND occupational hazards and
      vets.id AND occupational hazards.sh. Searches of the PubMed database were
      conducted in November 2012 and in May 2015 with the following medical subject
      heading terms: occupational exposure AND veterinarians; anesthetics,
      inhalation/adverse effects AND veterinarians; risk factors AND pregnancy AND
      veterinarians; pregnancy outcome AND veterinarians; and animal technicians AND
      occupational exposure. Two additional PubMed searches were completed in January
      2016 with the terms disinfectants/toxicity AND female AND fertility/drug effects
      and veterinarians/psychology AND stress, psychological. No date limits were
      applied to searches. RESULTS 4 sources supporting demographic trends in
      veterinary medicine and 118 resources reporting potential hazards to female
      reproductive health were identified. Reported hazards included exposure to
      anesthetic gases, radiation, antineoplastic drugs, and reproductive hormones;
      physically demanding work; prolonged standing; and zoonoses. CONCLUSIONS AND
      CLINICAL RELEVANCE Demographic information suggested that an increasing number of
      women of reproductive age will be exposed to chemical, biological, and physical
      hazards in veterinary practice. Information on reproductive health hazards and
      minimizing risk, with emphasis on developing a safety-focused work culture for
      all personnel, should be discussed starting in veterinary and veterinary
      technical schools and integrated into employee training.

PMID- 28358641
TI  - Intrapericardial cystic hematoma in a dog treated by thoracoscopic subtotal
      pericardectomy.
AB  - CASE DESCRIPTION A 2-year-old castrated male mixed-breed dog was evaluated
      because of a 1-week history of respiratory distress and abdominal distension.
      Thoracic radiography and echocardiography at that time revealed an enlarged
      cardiac silhouette and pericardial effusion; abdominal radiography and
      ultrasonography revealed ascites. CLINICAL FINDINGS At the initial referral
      examination 5 weeks later, the dog weighed 37.5 kg (82.5 lb) and appeared
      clinically normal. The only abnormality detected was a grade I/VI systolic murmur
      on the left side of the thorax. Echocardiography revealed a large fat- and fluid
      filled cystic structure located next to the right ventricle with scant
      pericardial effusion. Computed tomography revealed a bilobed peripherally
      contrast-enhancing structure within the right ventral aspect of the pericardium;
      the right ventricle appeared compressed by the cyst. TREATMENT AND OUTCOME
      Initial treatment consisted of pericardiocentesis and abdominocentesis to
      alleviate clinical signs. Thoracoscopic subtotal pericardectomy was performed 6
      weeks after the initial treatment. The cyst was completely excised, and multiple
      adhesions between the visceral and parietal pericardium were transected, without
      surgical or anesthetic complications. Histologic examination of the cyst revealed
      chronic inflammation with histiocytic infiltration, suggesting possible foreign
      body reaction or chronic inflammation and hemorrhage. These findings supported a
      diagnosis of cystic hematoma of the pericardium. The dog remained clinically
      normal for at least 16 months after surgery. CLINICAL RELEVANCE This report
      represents a rare case of intrapericardial cystic hematoma in a dog. Minimally
      invasive surgery was performed without complications, suggesting that
      thoracoscopic subtotal pericardectomy is a feasible treatment option for affected
      dogs.

PMID- 28358642
TI  - Combined modality therapy improves overall survival for angiosarcoma.

PMID- 28358643
TI  - Polymorphisms, differentiation, and phylogeny of 10 Tibetan goat populations
      inferred from mitochondrial D-loop sequences.
AB  - China has abundant population of Tibetan goats, but available information
      regarding genetic structure and phylogenetic status remains limited. Here, 130
      mitochondrial D-loop sequences of individuals from 10 Tibetan goat populations
      located in distinct plateau areas were analyzed. Eighty-six haplotypes were
      defined, among which 97.7% were group-specific haplotypes. Haplotype and
      nucleotide diversity indices were 0.990 +/- 0.003 and 0.0145 +/- 0.0013,
      respectively. The pairwise Wright's F-statistics ranged from -0.028 to 0.385, and
      over half of them were greater than 0.05, indicating apparent genetic
      differentiation among the populations. AMOVA analysis (FST = 0.0858) manifested
      that the genetic structure has become weak. Phylogenetic trees revealed four
      haplogroups (A, B, C, and D), suggesting that Tibetan goats had four origins.
      Mismatch distribution analyses and neutrality tests indicated that at least one
      population expansion event occurred during the demographic history of Tibetan
      goat. These results will provide a more complete understanding of Tibetan goat
      genetic resources.

PMID- 28358644
TI  - Exercise addiction risk and health in male and female amateur endurance cyclists.
AB  - Background and aims To determine the relationship between the risk of exercise
      addiction (REA) and health status in amateur endurance cyclists. Methods In 859
      (751 men and 108 women) cyclists and 718 inactive subjects (307 men and 411
      women), we examined the REA (Exercise Addiction Inventory), training status
      (volume, frequency, experience, and performance), socioeconomic status, quality
      of life (QoL) (SF-12), quality of sleep (Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index), anxiety
      and depression (Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale), and cardiometabolic risk:
      body mass index, physical activity (International Physical Activity
      Questionnaire), physical condition (International Fitness Scale), adherence to
      the Mediterranean diet (Mediterranean Diet Adherence Screener), alcohol and
      tobacco consumption. Results In total, 17% of the cyclists showed evidence of REA
      and 83% showed low REA. REA occurred independent of age, sex, training, and
      socioeconomic status (all ps > .05). Regardless of REA, the cyclists displayed a
      better physical QoL and a lower cardiometabolic risk than the inactive subjects
      (all ps < .05). The cyclists with REA displayed worse values of mental QoL,
      quality of sleep, and anxiety than cyclists with low REA (all ps < .05). The REA
      group had better values of mental QoL and anxiety and similar values of quality
      of sleep than the inactive subjects. The differences in mental QoL between the
      REA and low REA groups were significantly greater in women (p = .013). There was
      no Addiction * Sex interaction in the other analyzed variables. Conclusion Our
      results suggest that an increased prevalence of REA limits the benefits that
      amateur endurance cycling has on mental health and quality of sleep.

PMID- 28358646
TI  - Short-hairpin Mediated Myostatin Knockdown Resulted in Altered Expression of
      Myogenic Regulatory Factors with Enhanced Myoblast Proliferation in Fetal
      Myoblast Cells of Goats.
AB  - Myostatin (MSTN) is a well-known negative regulator of skeletal muscle
      development. Reduced expression due to natural mutations in the coding region and
      knockout as well as knockdown of MSTN results in an increase in the muscle mass.
      In the present study, we demonstrated as high as 60 and 52% downregulation (p <
      0.01) of MSTN mRNA and protein in the primary fetal myoblast cells of goats using
      synthetic shRNAs (n = 3), without any interferon response. We, for the first
      time, evaluated the effect of MSTN knockdown on the expression of MRFs (namely,
      MyoD, Myf5), follistatin (FST), and IGFs (IGF-1 & IGF-2) in goat myoblast cells.
      MSTN knockdown caused an upregulation (p < 0.05) of MyoD and downregulation (p <
      0.01) of MYf5 and FST expression. Moreover, we report up to ~four fold (p <
      0.001) enhanced proliferation in myoblasts after four days of culture. The anti
      MSTN shRNA demonstrated in the present study could be used for the production of
      transgenic goats to increase the muscle mass.

PMID- 28358647
TI  - Co-Optimization Free Lunches: Tractability of Optimal Black-Box Algorithms for
      Maximizing Expected Utility.
AB  - Co-optimization problems often involve settings in which the quality ( utility)
      of a potential solution is dependent on the scenario within which it is
      evaluated, and many such scenarios exist. Maximizing expected utility is simply
      the goal of finding the potential solution whose expected utility value over all
      possible scenarios is best. Such problems are often approached using
      coevolutionary algorithms. We are interested in the design of generally well
      performing black-box algorithms for this problem, that is, algorithms which have
      access to the utility function only via input-output queries. We research this
      matter by focusing on three main questions: 1) are some algorithms strictly
      better than others when judged in aggregation over all possible instances of the
      problem? that is, is there "free lunch"? 2) do optimal algorithms exist? and 3)
      if so, do they have a tractable implementation? For a specific expected-utility
      maximization context, involving several assumptions and performance choices, we
      answer all three questions affirmatively and concretely: we provide examples of
      free lunch; we describe the general operation of optimal algorithms; we
      characterize situations when this operation has a very simple and efficient
      implementation, situations when the computational cost can be significantly
      reduced, and situations when tractability of optimal algorithms might be out of
      reach.

PMID- 28358645
TI  - The relationship between second-to-fourth digit (2D:4D) ratios and problematic
      and pathological Internet use among Turkish university students.
AB  - Background and aims The ratio of the second and fourth fingers (2D:4D ratio) is a
      sexually dimorphic trait, with men tending to have lower values than women. This
      ratio has been related to prenatal testosterone concentrations and addictive
      behaviors including problematic video-gaming. We aimed to investigate the
      possible association between 2D:4D ratios and Internet addiction and whether such
      a relationship would be independent of impulsivity. Methods A total of 652
      university students (369 women, 283 men), aged 17-27 years, were enrolled in the
      study. Problematic and pathological Internet use (PPIU) was assessed using the
      Internet Addiction Test (IAT). The participants also completed the Barratt
      Impulsiveness Scale (version 11; BIS-11) and had their 2D:4D ratios measured.
      Results 2D:4D ratios were not significantly different in women with PPIU and in
      those with adaptive Internet use (AIU). Men with PPIU exhibited lower 2D:4D
      ratios on both hands when compared with those with AIU. Correlation analysis
      revealed that 2D:4D ratios on both hands were negatively correlated with IAT
      scores among men, but not among women. The multiple linear regression analysis
      revealed that age, duration of weekly Internet use, impulsiveness, and 2D:4D
      ratios on the right hand were independently associated with IAT scores among men,
      and impulsivity did not mediate the relationship between 2D:4D ratios and PPIU.
      Conclusions For men, 2D:4D ratios on the right hand were inversely correlated
      with Internet addiction severity even after controlling for individual
      differences in impulsivity. These findings suggest that high prenatal
      testosterone levels may contribute to the occurrence of PPIU among men.

PMID- 28358648
TI  - The Psychology of Yoga Practitioners: A Cluster Analysis.
AB  - Yoga practitioners (N = 261) completed the revised Expression of Spirituality
      Inventory (ESI) and the Multidimensional Body-Self Relations Questionnaire.
      Cluster analysis revealed three clusters: Cluster A scored high on all four
      spiritual constructs. They had high positive evaluations of their appearance, but
      a lower orientation towards their appearance. They tended to have a high
      evaluation of their fitness and health, and higher body satisfaction. Cluster B
      showed lower scores on the spiritual constructs. Like Cluster A, members of
      Cluster B tended to show high positive evaluations of appearance and fitness.
      They also had higher body satisfaction. Members of Cluster B had a higher fitness
      orientation and a higher appearance orientation than members of Cluster A.
      Members of Cluster C had low scores for all spiritual constructs. They had a low
      evaluation of, and unhappiness with, their appearance. They were unhappy with the
      size and appearance of their bodies. They tended to see themselves as overweight.
      There was a significant difference in years of practice between the three groups
      (Kruskall-Wallis, p = .0041). Members of Cluster A have the most years of yoga
      experience and members of Cluster B have more yoga experience than members of
      Cluster C. These results suggest the possible existence of a developmental
      trajectory for yoga practitioners. Such a developmental sequence may have
      important implications for yoga practice and instruction.

PMID- 28358652
TI  - Decipher Postprostatectomy: Is It Ready for Clinical Use?

PMID- 28358653
TI  - Untapped Potential of Observational Research to Inform Clinical Decision Making:
      American Society of Clinical Oncology Research Statement.
AB  - ASCO believes that high-quality observational studies can advance evidence-based
      practice for cancer care and are complementary to randomized controlled trials
      (RCTs). Observational studies can generate hypotheses by evaluating novel
      exposures or biomarkers and by revealing patterns of care and relationships that
      might not otherwise be discovered. Researchers can then test these hypotheses in
      RCTs. Observational studies can also answer or inform questions that either have
      not been or cannot be answered by RCTs. In addition, observational studies can be
      used for postmarketing surveillance of new cancer treatments, particularly in
      vulnerable populations. The incorporation of observational research as part of
      clinical decision making is consistent with the position of many leading
      institutions. ASCO identified five overarching recommendations to enhance the
      role of observational research in clinical decision making: (1) improve the
      quality of electronic health data available for research, (2) improve
      interoperability and the exchange of electronic health information, (3) ensure
      the use of rigorous observational research methodologies, (4) promote transparent
      reporting of observational research studies, and (5) protect patient privacy.

PMID- 28358649
TI  - Organizational Context and Female Faculty's Perception of the Climate for Women
      in Academic Medicine.
AB  - PURPOSE: Gender inequalities in the careers of faculty in academic medicine could
      partially be attributed to an organizational climate that can exclude or be
      nonsupportive of women faculty. This study explores the climate for women faculty
      from a systems perspective at the organizational and individual levels based on
      the perceptions of women faculty. Race differences were also investigated.
      MATERIALS AND METHODS: Cross-sectional survey data from women faculty (N = 3127)
      at 13 purposively sampled medical schools and an institutional assessment of
      organizational characteristics were used. Organizational factors related to the
      climate for women were identified using bivariate statistics. The association
      between perceived climate for women and organizational characteristics,
      individual perceptions of the work environment and individual career, and
      personal characteristics with control variables were investigated using
      hierarchical linear regression models. Organizational effects by race/ethnicity
      were estimated using interaction terms. RESULTS: The climate for women faculty
      varied across institutions and by classification as minority-serving institutions
      (MSIs). Respondent's report of existence of an office for women's affairs, trust
      in leadership, and satisfaction with mentoring were positively associated with
      the climate for women. Perceived workplace discrimination and work-family
      conflict were inversely associated with a positive climate. No race/ethnicity
      differences were observed in the multivariable analysis. CONCLUSIONS: The climate
      for women faculty in academic medicine should not be regarded constant across
      organizations, specifically between MSIs and non-MSIs. Efforts to advance a
      positive climate for women could focus on improving trust in leadership,
      increasing support for structures/offices for women, and mitigating perceived
      discrimination and work-family conflict.

PMID- 28358654
TI  - Cigarette Smoking and Pancreatic Cancer Survival.
AB  - Purpose Cigarette smoking is associated with increased incidence of pancreatic
      cancer. However, few studies have prospectively evaluated the association of
      smoking with patient survival. Patients and Methods We analyzed survival by
      smoking status among 1,037 patients from two large US prospective cohort studies
      diagnosed from 1986 to 2013. Among 485 patients from four prospective US cohorts,
      we also evaluated survival by prediagnostic circulating levels of cotinine, a
      metabolite of nicotine that is proportional to tobacco smoke exposure. On the
      basis of prediagnosis cotinine levels, we classified patients as nonsmokers (<
      3.1 ng/mL), light smokers (3.1-20.9 ng/mL), or heavy smokers (>= 21.0 ng/mL). We
      estimated hazard ratios (HRs) for death by using Cox proportional hazards models,
      with adjustment for age, sex, race/ethnicity, body mass index, diabetes status,
      diagnosis year, and cancer stage. Results The multivariable-adjusted HR for death
      was 1.37 (95% CI, 1.11 to 1.69) comparing current smokers with never smokers ( P
      = .003). A statistically significant negative trend in survival was observed for
      increasing pack-years of smoking ( Ptrend = .008), with HR for death of 1.49 (95%
      CI, 1.05 to 2.10) for > 60 pack-years of smoking versus never smoking. Survival
      among former smokers was similar to that for never smokers, regardless of time
      since quitting. Heavy smokers defined by prediagnostic circulating cotinine
      levels had a multivariable-adjusted HR for death of 1.76 (95% CI, 1.23 to 2.51)
      compared with nonsmokers. Among patients with circulating cotinine levels
      measured within 5 years before diagnosis, heavy smokers had a multivariable
      adjusted HR for death of 2.47 (95% CI, 1.24 to 4.92) compared with nonsmokers.
      Conclusion Cigarette smoking was associated with a reduction in survival among
      patients with pancreatic cancer.

PMID- 28358655
TI  - Individual Patient-Level Meta-Analysis of the Performance of the Decipher Genomic
      Classifier in High-Risk Men After Prostatectomy to Predict Development of
      Metastatic Disease.
AB  - Purpose To perform the first meta-analysis of the performance of the genomic
      classifier test, Decipher, in men with prostate cancer postprostatectomy. Methods
      MEDLINE, EMBASE, and the Decipher genomic resource information database were
      searched for published reports between 2011 and 2016 of men treated by
      prostatectomy that assessed the benefit of the Decipher test. Multivariable Cox
      proportional hazards models fit to individual patient data were performed; meta
      analyses were conducted by pooling the study-specific hazard ratios (HRs) using
      random-effects modeling. Extent of heterogeneity between studies was determined
      with the I2 test. Results Five studies (975 total patients, and 855 patients with
      individual patient-level data) were eligible for analysis, with a median follow
      up of 8 years. Of the total cohort, 60.9%, 22.6%, and 16.5% of patients were
      classified by Decipher as low, intermediate, and high risk, respectively. The 10
      year cumulative incidence metastases rates were 5.5%, 15.0%, and 26.7% ( P <
      .001), respectively, for the three risk classifications. Pooling the study
      specific Decipher HRs across the five studies resulted in an HR of 1.52 (95% CI,
      1.39 to 1.67; I2 = 0%) per 0.1 unit. In multivariable analysis of individual
      patient data, adjusting for clinicopathologic variables, Decipher remained a
      statistically significant predictor of metastasis (HR, 1.30; 95% CI, 1.14 to
      1.47; P < .001) per 0.1 unit. The C-index for 10-year distant metastasis of the
      clinical model alone was 0.76; this increased to 0.81 with inclusion of Decipher.
      Conclusion The genomic classifier test, Decipher, can independently improve
      prognostication of patients postprostatectomy, as well as within nearly all
      clinicopathologic, demographic, and treatment subgroups. Future study of how to
      best incorporate genomic testing in clinical decision-making and subsequent
      treatment recommendations is warranted.

PMID- 28358657
TI  - The Cost of Structure Learning.
AB  - Human learning is highly efficient and flexible. A key contributor to this
      learning flexibility is our ability to generalize new information across contexts
      that we know require the same behavior and to transfer rules to new contexts we
      encounter. To do this, we structure the information we learn and represent it
      hierarchically as abstract, context-dependent rules that constrain lower-level
      stimulus-action-outcome contingencies. Previous research showed that humans
      create such structure even when it is not needed, presumably because it usually
      affords long-term generalization benefits. However, computational models predict
      that creating structure is costly, with slower learning and slower RTs. We tested
      this prediction in a new behavioral experiment. Participants learned to select
      correct actions for four visual patterns, in a setting that either afforded (but
      did not promote) structure learning or enforced nonhierarchical learning, while
      controlling for the difficulty of the learning problem. Results replicated our
      previous finding that healthy young adults create structure even when unneeded
      and that this structure affords later generalization. Furthermore, they supported
      our prediction that structure learning incurred a major learning cost and that
      this cost was specifically tied to the effort in selecting abstract rules,
      leading to more errors when applying those rules. These findings confirm our
      theory that humans pay a high short-term cost in learning structure to enable
      longer-term benefits in learning flexibility.

PMID- 28358656
TI  - Dynamics of White Matter Plasticity Underlying Working Memory Training:
      Multimodal Evidence from Diffusion MRI and Relaxometry.
AB  - Adaptive working memory (WM) training may lead to cognitive benefits that are
      associated with white matter plasticity in parietofrontal networks, but the
      underlying mechanisms remain poorly understood. We investigated white matter
      microstructural changes after adaptive WM training relative to a nonadaptive
      comparison group. Microstructural changes were studied in the superior
      longitudinal fasciculus, the main parietofrontal connection, and the cingulum
      bundle as a comparison pathway. MRI-based metrics were the myelin water fraction
      and longitudinal relaxation rate R1 from multicomponent relaxometry (captured
      with the mcDESPOT approach) as proxy metrics of myelin, the restricted volume
      fraction from the composite hindered and restricted model of diffusion as an
      estimate of axon morphology, and fractional anisotropy and radial diffusivity
      from diffusion tensor imaging. PCA was used for dimensionality reduction.
      Adaptive training was associated with benefits in a "WM capacity" component and
      increases in a microstructural component (increases in R1, restricted volume
      fraction, fractional anisotropy, and reduced radial diffusivity) that
      predominantly loaded on changes in the right dorsolateral superior longitudinal
      fasciculus and the left parahippocampal cingulum. In contrast, nonadaptive
      comparison activities were associated with the opposite pattern of reductions in
      WM capacity and microstructure. No group differences were observed for the myelin
      water fraction metric suggesting that R1 was a more sensitive "myelin" index.
      These results demonstrate task complexity and location-specific white matter
      microstructural changes that are consistent with tissue alterations underlying
      myelination in response to training.

PMID- 28358658
TI  - Supramodal Theta, Gamma, and Sustained Fields Predict Modality-specific
      Modulations of Alpha and Beta Oscillations during Visual and Tactile Working
      Memory.
AB  - Flexible control over currently relevant sensory representations is an essential
      feature of primate cognition. We investigated the neurophysiological bases of
      such flexible control in humans during an intermodal working memory task in which
      participants retained visual or tactile sequences. Using magnetoencephalography,
      we first show that working memory retention engages early visual and
      somatosensory areas, as reflected in the sustained load-dependent suppression of
      alpha and beta oscillations. Next, we identify three components that are also
      load dependent but modality independent: medial prefrontal theta synchronization,
      frontoparietal gamma synchronization, and sustained parietal event-related
      fields. Critically, these domain-general components predict (across trials and
      within load conditions) the modality-specific suppression of alpha and beta
      oscillations, with largely unique contributions per component. Thus, working
      memory engages multiple complementary frontoparietal components that have
      discernible neuronal dynamics and that flexibly modulate retention-related
      activity in sensory areas in a manner that tracks the current contents of working
      memory.

PMID- 28358659
TI  - When to Take a Gesture Seriously: On How We Use and Prioritize Communicative
      Cues.
AB  - When people talk, their speech is often accompanied by gestures. Although it is
      known that co-speech gestures can influence face-to-face communication, it is
      currently unclear to what extent they are actively used and under which premises
      they are prioritized to facilitate communication. We investigated these open
      questions in two experiments that varied how pointing gestures disambiguate the
      utterances of an interlocutor. Participants, whose event-related brain responses
      were measured, watched a video, where an actress was interviewed about, for
      instance, classical literature (e.g., Goethe and Shakespeare). While responding,
      the actress pointed systematically to the left side to refer to, for example,
      Goethe, or to the right to refer to Shakespeare. Her final statement was
      ambiguous and combined with a pointing gesture. The P600 pattern found in
      Experiment 1 revealed that, when pointing was unreliable, gestures were only
      monitored for their cue validity and not used for reference tracking related to
      the ambiguity. However, when pointing was a valid cue (Experiment 2), it was used
      for reference tracking, as indicated by a reduced N400 for pointing. In summary,
      these findings suggest that a general prioritization mechanism is in use that
      constantly monitors and evaluates the use of communicative cues against
      communicative priors on the basis of accumulated error information.

PMID- 28358660
TI  - Individual Differences in Face Identity Processing with Fast Periodic Visual
      Stimulation.
AB  - A growing body of literature suggests that human individuals differ in their
      ability to process face identity. These findings mainly stem from explicit
      behavioral tasks, such as the Cambridge Face Memory Test (CFMT). However, it
      remains an open question whether such individual differences can be found in the
      absence of an explicit face identity task and when faces have to be
      individualized at a single glance. In the current study, we tested 49
      participants with a recently developed fast periodic visual stimulation (FPVS)
      paradigm [Liu-Shuang, J., Norcia, A. M., & Rossion, B. An objective index of
      individual face discrimination in the right occipitotemporal cortex by means of
      fast periodic oddball stimulation. Neuropsychologia, 52, 57-72, 2014] in EEG to
      rapidly, objectively, and implicitly quantify face identity processing. In the
      FPVS paradigm, one face identity (A) was presented at the frequency of 6 Hz,
      allowing only one gaze fixation, with different face identities (B, C, D)
      presented every fifth face (1.2 Hz; i.e., AAAABAAAACAAAAD...). Results showed a
      face individuation response at 1.2 Hz and its harmonics, peaking over
      occipitotemporal locations. The magnitude of this response showed high
      reliability across different recording sequences and was significant in all but
      two participants, with the magnitude and lateralization differing widely across
      participants. There was a modest but significant correlation between the
      individuation response amplitude and the performance of the behavioral CFMT task,
      despite the fact that CFMT and FPVS measured different aspects of face identity
      processing. Taken together, the current study highlights the FPVS approach as a
      promising means for studying individual differences in face identity processing.

PMID- 28358661
TI  - Evaluation of the Effects of Photobiomodulation on Bone Healing in Healthy and
      Streptozotocin-Induced Diabetes in Rats.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to assess the effects of Photobiomodulation (PBM)
      with pulsed wave laser on Hounsfield unit (HU) and bone strength at a catabolic
      response (bone resorption) of a callus bone defect in healthy and streptozotocin
      (STZ)- induced type I diabetes mellitus (TI DM) in rats. BACKGROUND DATA:
      Conflicting results exist regarding the effect of PBM on bone healing in healthy
      and diabetic animals. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We randomly divided 20 adult female
      rats into the following groups: (1) control, no TI DM, and no PBM; (2) no TI DM
      and PBM; (3) TI DM and no PBM; and (4) TI DM and PBM. TI DM was induced by STZ.
      All rats underwent partial transversal standardized osteotomies in their right
      tibias. The rats received PBM (890 nm, 80 Hz, 1.5 J/cm2) thrice per week during
      30 days. At 4 weeks after the surgery, the rats were sacrificed and their tibias
      submitted to computed tomography scanning to measure HU. The samples underwent a
      three-point bending test to evaluate bone strength. RESULTS: Analysis of variance
      (ANOVA) (p = 0.013) results showed that treatment by PBM significantly increased
      the biomechanical property (stress high load) of the callus defect from the
      partial tibia osteotomy in healthy rats compared to the control groups. However,
      we observed no significant increase in the biomechanical properties of the laser
      treated diabetic bone defect compared to the control diabetic group. The ANOVA
      for the HU of callus density produced a p value of 0.000. A significant increase
      existed in the mean callus density in the healthy groups compared to the diabetic
      groups. CONCLUSIONS: The 80-Hz laser did not significantly enhance bone repair
      from an osteotomy of the tibia in an experimental model of TI DM rats.

PMID- 28358662
TI  - Effect of Laser Photobiomodulation with Gradual or Constant Doses in the
      Regeneration of Rats' Mental Nerve After Lesion by Compression.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: Assess morphologically the efficacy of constant dose (CD) or gradual
      dose (GD) in photobiomodulation therapy (PBMT) during the regeneration process of
      rats' mental nerve after compression lesion. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Forty-eight
      male Wistar rats were used and divided into four groups (n = 12): negative
      control (NC): lesion by compression; positive control (PC): no lesion; GD: lesion
      by compression and PBMT with GD; and CD: lesion by compression and PBMT with CD.
      One day after the surgery, the groups GD and CD underwent PBMT daily in three
      equidistant points around the incision area. The parameters were wavelength of
      808 nm, 100 mW, CD received treatment with 120 J/cm2, while GD underwent the
      protocol of application: 1st and 4th sessions: 80 J/cm2; 5th to 8th sessions: 90
      J/cm2; 9th to 12th sessions: 100 J/cm2; 13th to 16th sessions: 110 J/cm2; and
      17th to 20th sessions: 120 J/cm2. Euthanasias were performed at 3, 7, 14, and 21
      days. Qualitative and quantitative analysis of the mental nerves were performed
      with ANOVA (analysis of variance) and Tukey tests (p <= 0.05). RESULTS: It was
      observed that PBMT was able to accelerate the process of nerve regeneration
      presenting an increase in the number of myelinated fibers starting at 14 days of
      treatment for groups CD and GD, and at 21 days they were similar to PC. It was
      observed a better lamellar organization of myelin sheath at 7 days for GD and at
      14 days for CD, similar to PC. Both GD and CD presented significant differences
      compared to NC and PC for thickness of the myelin sheath, outer perimeter,
      internal area, and number of myelin fibers. CONCLUSIONS: PBMT presented positive
      effect on the regeneration of nerve starting at 14 days, and after 21 days there
      was no difference between GD and CD.

PMID- 28358663
TI  - A Retrospective Evaluation of Partial Glossectomy for Early Tongue Cancer Using a
      Carbon Dioxide Laser.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to retrospectively evaluate the
      postoperative results of partial glossectomy for early tongue cancer using a
      carbon dioxide laser (CO2 laser). BACKGROUND DATA: CO2 lasers are frequently used
      for the excision or treatment of soft tissue in a range of diseases, including
      oral cancer, leukoplakia, mucocele, anomalies of the labial and lingual frenum,
      and peri-implantitis. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We retrospectively reviewed 31
      primary cases of early superficial tongue cancer that were treated using CO2
      lasers. In this study, early superficial cancer of the tongue is defined as a T1
      or T2 tumor (TNM classification, NOMO; type, superficial spread, or exophytic;
      depth, <5 mm). The lesions were stained with 10% Lugol's solution and excised
      with a 5- or 10-mm safety margin from the nonstained area or induration using a
      CO2 laser. The raw surface was covered with a polyglycolic acid sheet using
      fibrin glue spray (n = 23), sutures (n = 6), or both (n = 2). Five of the
      patients showed a bleeding tendency: 1 was taking warfarin 100 mg per day, 1 was
      taking 350 mg per day, 2 were taking aspirin 100 mg per day, and 1 was taking
      aspirin 200 mg per day. RESULTS: There were no cases of postoperative bleeding.
      Regarding postoperative pain, all patients could stop taking analgesic drugs by 1
      month after undergoing the operation. In regards to postoperative difficulty to
      swallow, all could start swallowing rice gruel 2 days after the operation. The
      surgical margin was unclear in two cases due to the thermal denaturation of the
      excisional margin. The 2-year local control rate was 100% and subsequent cervical
      lymph node metastasis rate was 6.5%. CONCLUSIONS: In terms of recurrence,
      metastasis, postoperative bleeding, postoperative pain, and swallowing, partial
      glossectomy for early tongue cancer using a CO2 laser might therefore help
      improve the postoperative course.

PMID- 28358664
TI  - HIF-1 in cancer therapy: two decade long story of a transcription factor.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Oxygen (O2) homeostasis is an indispensable requirement of
      eukaryotes. O2 concentration in cellular milieu is defined as normoxia (~21% O2),
      physoxia (~1-13% O2) or hypoxia (~0.1-1% O2). Hypoxia, a striking micro
      environmental feature in tumorigenesis, is countered by tumor cells via induction
      of O2 governed transcription factor, hypoxia inducible factor-1 (HIF-1). Post
      discovery, HIF-1 has emerged as a promising anticancer therapeutic target during
      the last two decades. Recent reports have highlighted that enhanced levels of HIF
      1 correlate with tumor metastasis leading to poor patient prognosis. MATERIAL AND
      METHODS: A systematic search in PubMed and SciFinder for the literature on HIF-1
      biology and therapeutic importance in cancer was carried out. RESULTS: This
      review highlights the initial description as well as the recent insights into HIF
      1 biology and regulation. We have focused on emerging data regarding varied
      classes of HIF-1 target genes affecting various levels of crosstalk among
      tumorigenic pathways. We have emphasized on the fact that HIF-1 acts as a
      networking hub coordinating activities of multiple signaling molecules
      influencing tumorigenesis. Emerging evidences indicate role of many HIF-induced
      proteomic and genomic alterations in malignant progression by mediating a myriad
      of genes stimulating angiogenesis, anaerobic metabolism and survival of cancer
      cells in O2-deficient microenvironment. CONCLUSIONS: Better understanding of the
      crucial role of HIF-1 in carcinogenesis could offer promising new avenues to
      researchers and aid in elucidating various open issues regarding the use of HIF-1
      as an anticancer therapeutic target. In spite of large efforts in this field,
      many questions still remain unanswered. Hence, future investigations are
      necessary to devise, assess and refine methods for translating previous research
      efforts into novel clinical practices in cancer treatment.

PMID- 28358666
TI  - A study of the beam-specific interplay effect in proton pencil beam scanning
      delivery in lung cancer.
AB  - BACKGROUND: For lung tumors with large motion amplitudes, the use of proton
      pencil beam scanning (PBS) can produce large dose errors. In this study, we
      assess under what circumstances PBS can be used to treat lung cancer patients who
      exhibit large tumor motion, based on the quantification of tumor motion and the
      dose interplay. MATERIAL AND METHODS: PBS plans were optimized on average 4DCT
      datasets using a beam-specific PTV method for 10 consecutive patients with
      locally advanced non-small-cell-lung-cancer (NSCLC) treated with proton therapy
      to 6660/180 cGy. End inhalation (CT0) and end exhalation (CT50) were selected as
      the two extreme scenarios to acquire the relative stopping power ratio difference
      (Deltarsp) for a respiration cycle. The water equivalent difference (DeltaWET)
      per radiological path was calculated from the surface of patient to the iCTV by
      integrating the Deltarsp of each voxel. The magnitude of motion of voxels within
      the target follows a quasi-Gaussian distribution. A motion index (MI (>5mm WET)),
      defined as the percentage of target voxels with an absolute integral DeltaWET
      larger than 5 mm, was adopted as a metric to characterize interplay. To simulate
      the treatment process, 4D dose was calculated by accumulating the spot dose on
      the corresponding respiration phase to the reference phase CT50 by deformable
      image registration based on spot timing and patient breathing phase. RESULTS: The
      study indicated that the magnitude of target underdose in a single fraction plan
      is proportional to the MI (p < .001), with larger motion equating to greater dose
      degradation and standard deviations. The target homogeneity, minimum, maximum and
      mean dose in the 4D dose accumulations of 37 fractions varied as a function of
      MI. CONCLUSIONS: This study demonstrated that MI can predict the level of dose
      degradation, which potentially serves as a clinical decision tool to assess
      whether lung cancer patients are potentially suitable to receive PBS treatment.

PMID- 28358665
TI  - Is there a different dose-effect relation between the primary tumor and involved
      lymph nodes in locally advanced non-small-cell lung cancer? A hypothesis
      generating study.
AB  - PURPOSE: It is unknown whether the dose-response relation of the primary tumor in
      NSCLC is different from that of the involved lymph nodes (LN). As the recurrence
      rate is much lower in LN, we hypothesized that LN need a lower radiation dose.
      MATERIAL AND METHODS: A retrospective analysis of prospective data was performed
      on patients with locally advanced NSCLC treated with (chemo)radiotherapy. The
      impact of EQD2,T prescription dose on relapse was analyzed using Cox regression
      modeling correcting for baseline diameter. RESULTS: From 2006 to 2010, 75
      consecutive patients were included, resulting in 142 lymph nodes in the analysis.
      Any relapse (locoregional/distant) occurred in 58 patients (77%), while involved
      nodal relapse (INR) was observed in 13% of patients. No dose-response
      relationship was observed for INR (p = .22). Primary tumor progression was seen
      in 40% of patients together with a significant dose-response relationship (p =
      .033). Baseline nodal diameter was not associated with INR (p = .76), while
      primary tumor diameter was a highly significant predictor for relapse (p =
      .0031). CONCLUSIONS: These results suggest that LN control may be achieved at
      lower radiation doses than needed for the primary tumor. Prospective dose de
      escalation studies on LN are warranted to decrease the incidence of severe
      esophagitis without compromising local tumor control.

PMID- 28358667
TI  - Optimizing SABR delivery for synchronous multiple lung tumors using volumetric
      modulated arc therapy.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Volumetric-modulated arc therapy (VMAT) delivery for stereotactic
      ablative radiotherapy (SABR) of multiple lung tumors allows for faster
      treatments. We report on clinical outcomes and describe a general approach for
      treatment planning. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Patients undergoing multi iso-center
      VMAT-based SABR for >=2 lung lesions between 2009 and 2014 were identified from
      the VU University Medical Center and London Health Sciences Centre. Patients were
      eligible if the start date of the SABR treatment for the different lesions was
      within a time range of 30 days. SABR was delivered using separate iso-centers for
      lesions at a substantial distance from each other. Tumors were either treated
      with a single fraction of 34 Gy, or using three risk-adapted dose-fractionation
      schemes, namely three fractions of 18 Gy, five fractions of 11 Gy, or eight
      fractions of 7.5 Gy, depending on the tumor size and the location. Multivariable
      analysis was performed to assess factors predictive of clinical outcomes.
      RESULTS: Of 84 patients (188 lesions) identified, 46% were treated for multiple
      metastases and 54% for multiple primary NSCLC. About 97% were treated for two or
      three lesions, and 56% had bilateral disease. After a median follow-up of 28
      months, median overall survival (OS) for primary tumors was 27.6 months, and not
      reached for metastatic lesions (p = .028). Grade >=3 toxicity was observed in 2%
      of patients. Multivariable analysis showed that grade 2 or higher radiation
      pneumonitis (n = 9) was best predicted by a total lung V35Gy of >=6.5% (in
      2Gy/fraction equivalent) (p = .007). CONCLUSION: Severe toxicity was uncommon
      following SABR using VMAT for up to three lung tumors. Further investigations of
      planning parameters are needed in patients presenting with more lesions.

PMID- 28358668
TI  - Evolution of [18F]fluorodeoxyglucose and [18F]fluoroazomycin arabinoside PET
      uptake distributions in lung tumours during radiation therapy.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Dose painting (DP) aims to improve radiation therapy (RT) outcome by
      targeting radioresistant tumour regions identified through functional imaging,
      e.g., positron emission tomography (PET). Importantly, the expected benefit of DP
      relies on the ability of PET imaging to identify tumour areas which could be
      consistently targeted throughout the treatment. In this study, we analysed the
      spatial stability of two potential DP targets in lung cancer patients undergoing
      RT: the tumour burden surrogate [18F]fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) and the hypoxia
      surrogate [18F]fluoroazomycin arabinoside (FAZA). MATERIALS AND METHODS: Thirteen
      patients with unresectable lung tumours underwent FDG and FAZA 4D-PET/CT before
      (pre), and during the second (w2) and third (w3) weeks of RT. All PET/CT were
      reconstructed in their time-averaged midposition (MidP) for further analysis. The
      metabolic tumour volume (MTV: FDG standardised uptake value (SUV) > 50% SUVmax)
      and the hypoxic volume (HV: FAZA SUV >1.4) were delineated within the gross
      tumour volume (GTVCT). The stability of FDG and FAZA PET uptake distributions
      during RT was subsequently assessed through volume-overlap analysis and voxel
      based correlation analysis. RESULTS: The volume-overlap analysis yielded median
      overlapping fraction (OF) of 0.86 between MTVpre and MTVw2 and 0.82 between
      MTVpre and MTVw3. In patients with a detectable HV, median OF was 0.82 between
      HVpre and HVw2 and 0.90 between HVpre and HVw3. The voxel-based correlation
      analysis yielded median Spearman's correlation coefficient (rS) of 0.87 between
      FDGpre and FDGw2 and 0.83 between FDGpre and FDGw3. Median rS was 0.78 between
      FAZApre and FAZAw2 and 0.79 between FAZApre and FAZAw3. CONCLUSIONS: FDG and FAZA
      PET uptake distributions were spatially stable during the 3 first weeks of RT in
      patients with unresectable lung cancer, both based on volume- and voxel-based
      indicators. This might allow for a consistent targeting of high FDG or FAZA PET
      uptake regions as part of a DP strategy.

PMID- 28358670
TI  - Correction: Constitutive scaffolding of multiple Wnt enhanceosome components by
      Legless/BCL9.

PMID- 28358669
TI  - Factors in Placement and Enrollment of Primary Care Patients in YMCA's Diabetes
      Prevention Program, Bronx, New York, 2010-2015.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: The reach of the New York State YMCA's Diabetes Prevention Program
      (DPP) to at-risk populations may be increased through integration with primary
      care settings. Although considerable effort has been made in the referral and
      retention of patients, little is known about the factors associated with the
      placement of potential participants into YMCA's DPP. METHODS: Among Montefiore
      Health System (MHS) patients referred to YMCA's DPP (n = 1,249) from July 10,
      2010, through November 11, 2015, we identified demographic factors (eg, age,
      preferred language) and primary care practice-level factors (eg, time between
      referral and start of session, session season) associated with placement into a
      session and subsequent drop-out. We also evaluated factors associated with weight
      loss. RESULTS: Patients were predominantly female (71%) and aged 45 years or
      older (71%). Patients preferring sessions in Spanish were less often placed in
      sessions. Patients aged 18 to 44 years were less often placed (P = .01) and
      enrolled (P = .001) than patients aged 60 years or older. Sessions conducted in
      the summer and spring had higher enrollment than fall and winter months. Patients
      who started the YMCA's DPP within 2 months of their referral date were more often
      enrolled (54.4%) than patients who waited 4 or more months (21.6%) to start their
      sessions. Patients aged 45 to 59 years lost marginally less weight than those
      aged 60 years or older (-3.1% vs -3.8%; P = .07). CONCLUSION: Although this
      evaluation gives some insight into the barriers to placement and enrollment in
      YMCA's DPP, challenges remain. Efforts are under way to increase referral of
      patients to community-based DPPs.

PMID- 28358671
TI  - Gland Instance Segmentation Using Deep Multichannel Neural Networks.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: A new image instance segmentation method is proposed to segment
      individual glands (instances) in colon histology images. This process is
      challenging since the glands not only need to be segmented from a complex
      background, they must also be individually identified. METHODS: We leverage the
      idea of image-to-image prediction in recent deep learning by designing an
      algorithm that automatically exploits and fuses complex multichannel information
      regional, location, and boundary cues-in gland histology images. Our proposed
      algorithm, a deep multichannel framework, alleviates heavy feature design due to
      the use of convolutional neural networks and is able to meet multifarious
      requirements by altering channels. RESULTS: Compared with methods reported in the
      2015 MICCAI Gland Segmentation Challenge and other currently prevalent instance
      segmentation methods, we observe state-of-the-art results based on the evaluation
      metrics. CONCLUSION: The proposed deep multichannel algorithm is an effective
      method for gland instance segmentation. SIGNIFICANCE: The generalization ability
      of our model not only enable the algorithm to solve gland instance segmentation
      problems, but the channel is also alternative that can be replaced for a specific
      task.

PMID- 28358673
TI  - Intrinsic Manifold SLIC: A Simple and Efficient Method for Computing Content
      Sensitive Superpixels.
AB  - Superpixels are perceptually meaningful atomic regions that can effectively
      capture image features. Among various methods for computing uniform superpixels,
      simple linear iterative clustering (SLIC) is popular due to its simplicity and
      high performance. In this paper, we extend SLIC to compute content-sensitive
      superpixels, i.e., small superpixels in content-dense regions with high intensity
      or colour variation and large superpixels in content-sparse regions. Rather than
      using the conventional SLIC method that clusters pixels in , we map the input
      image to a 2-dimensional manifold , whose area elements are a good measure of the
      content density in . We propose a simple method, called intrinsic manifold SLIC
      (IMSLIC), for computing a geodesic centroidal Voronoi tessellation (GCVT)-a
      uniform tessellation-on , which induces the content-sensitive superpixels in . In
      contrast to the existing algorithms, IMSLIC characterizes the content sensitivity
      by measuring areas of Voronoi cells on . Using a simple and fast approximation to
      a closed-form solution, the method can compute the GCVT at a very low cost and
      guarantees that all Voronoi cells are simply connected. We thoroughly evaluate
      IMSLIC and compare it with eleven representative methods on the BSDS500 dataset
      and seven representative methods on the NYUV2 dataset. Computational results show
      that IMSLIC outperforms existing methods in terms of commonly used quality
      measures pertaining to superpixels such as compactness, adherence to boundaries,
      and achievable segmentation accuracy. We also evaluate IMSLIC and seven
      representative methods in an image contour closure application, and the results
      on two datasets, WHD and WSD, show that IMSLIC achieves the best foreground
      segmentation performance.

PMID- 28358672
TI  - Generalisability of a Virtual Trials Method for Glycaemic Control in Intensive
      Care.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Elevated blood glucose (BG) concentrations (Hyperglycaemia) are a
      common complication in critically ill patients. Insulin therapy is commonly used
      to treat hyperglycaemia, but metabolic variability often results in poor BG
      control and low BG (hypoglycaemia). OBJECTIVE: This paper presents a model-based
      virtual trial method for glycaemic control protocol design, and evaluates its
      generalisability across different populations. METHODS: Model-based insulin
      sensitivity (SI) was used to create virtual patients from clinical data from
      three different ICUs in New Zealand, Hungary, and Belgium. Glycaemic results from
      simulation of virtual patients under their original protocol (self-simulation)
      and protocols from other units (cross simulation) were compared. RESULTS:
      Differences were found between the three cohorts in median SI and inter-patient
      variability in SI. However, hour-to-hour intra-patient variability in SI was
      found to be consistent between cohorts. Self and cross-simulation results were
      found to have overall similarity and consistency, though results may differ in
      the first 24-48 h due to different cohort starting BG and underlying SI.
      CONCLUSIONS AND SIGNIFICANCE: Virtual patients and the virtual trial method were
      found to be generalisable across different ICUs. This virtual trial method is
      useful for in silico protocol design and testing, given an understanding of the
      underlying assumptions and limitations of this method.

PMID- 28358674
TI  - Embedding Based on Function Approximation for Large Scale Image Search.
AB  - The objective of this paper is to design an embedding method that maps local
      features describing an image (e.g., SIFT) to a higher dimensional representation
      useful for the image retrieval problem. First, motivated by the relationship
      between the linear approximation of a nonlinear function in high dimensional
      space and the state-of-the-art feature representation used in image retrieval,
      i.e., VLAD, we propose a new approach for the approximation. The embedded vectors
      resulted by the function approximation process are then aggregated to form a
      single representation for image retrieval. Second, in order to make the proposed
      embedding method applicable to large scale problem, we further derive its fast
      version in which the embedded vectors can be efficiently computed, i.e., in the
      closed-form. We compare the proposed embedding methods with the state of the art
      in the context of image search under various settings: when the images are
      represented by medium length vectors, short vectors, or binary vectors. The
      experimental results show that the proposed embedding methods outperform existing
      the state of the art on the standard public image retrieval benchmarks.

PMID- 28358675
TI  - Binary Quadratic Programing for Online Tracking of Hundreds of People in
      Extremely Crowded Scenes.
AB  - Multi-object tracking has been studied for decades. However, when it comes to
      tracking pedestrians in extremely crowded scenes, we are limited to only few
      works. This is an important problem which gives rise to several challenges. Pre
      trained object detectors fail to localize targets in crowded sequences. This
      consequently limits the use of data-association based multi-target tracking
      methods which rely on the outcome of an object detector. Additionally, the small
      apparent target size makes it challenging to extract features to discriminate
      targets from their surroundings. Finally, the large number of targets greatly
      increases computational complexity which in turn makes it hard to extend existing
      multi-target tracking approaches to high-density crowd scenarios. In this paper,
      we propose a tracker that addresses the aforementioned problems and is capable of
      tracking hundreds of people efficiently. We formulate online crowd tracking as
      Binary Quadratic Programing. Our formulation employs target's individual
      information in the form of appearance and motion as well as contextual cues in
      the form of neighborhood motion, spatial proximity and grouping, and solves
      detection and data association simultaneously. In order to solve the proposed
      quadratic optimization efficiently, where state-of art commercial quadratic
      programing solvers fail to find the solution in a reasonable amount of time, we
      propose to use the most recent version of the Modified Frank Wolfe algorithm,
      which takes advantage of SWAP-steps to speed up the optimization. We show that
      the proposed formulation can track hundreds of targets efficiently and improves
      state-of-art results by significant margins on eleven challenging high density
      crowd sequences.

PMID- 28358676
TI  - Multi-Grained Random Fields for Mitosis Identification in Time-Lapse Phase
      Contrast Microscopy Image Sequences.
AB  - This paper proposes a multi-grained random fields (MGRFs) model for mitosis
      identification. To deal with the difficulty in hidden state discovery and
      sequential structure modeling in mitosis sequences only containing gradual visual
      pattern changes, we design the graphical structure to transform individual
      sequence into a set of coarse-to-fine grained sequencesconveying diverse temporal
      dynamics. Furthermore, we propose the corresponding probabilistic model for joint
      temporal learning and feature learning. To deal with the non-convex formulation
      of MGRF, we decomposemodel training into two sub-tasks, layer-wise sequential
      learning of both temporal dynamics and visual feature and new layer generation by
      graph-based sequential grouping, and optimize the model by alternating between
      them iteratively. The proposed method is validated on very challenging mitosis
      data set of C3H10T1/2 and C2C12 stem cells. Extensive comparison experiments
      demonstrate its superiority to the state of the arts.

PMID- 28358677
TI  - Ultrafast Synthetic Transmit Aperture Imaging Using Hadamard-Encoded Virtual
      Sources With Overlapping Sub-Apertures.
AB  - The development of ultrafast ultrasound imaging offers great opportunities to
      improve imaging technologies, such as shear wave elastography and ultrafast
      Doppler imaging. In ultrafast imaging, there are tradeoffs among image signal-to
      noise ratio (SNR), resolution, and post-compounded frame rate. Various approaches
      have been proposed to solve this tradeoff, such as multiplane wave imaging or the
      attempts of implementing synthetic transmit aperture imaging. In this paper, we
      propose an ultrafast synthetic transmit aperture (USTA) imaging technique using
      Hadamard-encoded virtual sources with overlapping sub-apertures to enhance both
      image SNR and resolution without sacrificing frame rate. This method includes
      three steps: 1) create virtual sources using sub-apertures; 2) encode virtual
      sources using Hadamard matrix; and 3) add short time intervals (a few
      microseconds) between transmissions of different virtual sources to allow
      overlapping sub-apertures. The USTA was tested experimentally with a point
      target, a B-mode phantom, and in vivo human kidney micro-vessel imaging. Compared
      with standard coherent diverging wave compounding with the same frame rate,
      improvements on image SNR, lateral resolution (+33%, with B-mode phantom
      imaging), and contrast ratio (+3.8 dB, with in vivo human kidney micro-vessel
      imaging) have been achieved. The f-number of virtual sources, the number of
      virtual sources used, and the number of elements used in each sub-aperture can be
      flexibly adjusted to enhance resolution and SNR. This allows very flexible
      optimization of USTA for different applications.

PMID- 28358678
TI  - Low Dimensional Representation of Fisher Vectors for Microscopy Image
      Classification.
AB  - Microscopy image classification is important in various biomedical applications,
      such as cancer subtype identification, and protein localization for high content
      screening. To achieve automated and effective microscopy image classification,
      the representative and discriminative capability of image feature descriptors is
      essential. To this end, in this paper, we propose a new feature representation
      algorithm to facilitate automated microscopy image classification. In particular,
      we incorporate Fisher vector (FV) encoding with multiple types of local features
      that are handcrafted or learned, and we design a separation-guided dimension
      reduction method to reduce the descriptor dimension while increasing its
      discriminative capability. Our method is evaluated on four publicly available
      microscopy image data sets of different imaging types and applications, including
      the UCSB breast cancer data set, MICCAI 2015 CBTC challenge data set, and IICBU
      malignant lymphoma, and RNAi data sets. Our experimental results demonstrate the
      advantage of the proposed low-dimensional FV representation, showing consistent
      performance improvement over the existing state of the art and the commonly used
      dimension reduction techniques.

PMID- 28358679
TI  - Ultrasound Pixel-Based Beamforming With Phase Alignments of Focused Beams.
AB  - We previously developed unified pixel-based (PB) beamforming to generate high
      resolution sonograms, based on field pattern analysis. In this framework, we
      found that the transmit waveshape away from the focus could be characterized by
      two spherical pulses. These correspond to the maximal and minimal distances from
      the imaging point to the active aperture. The beamformer uses this model to
      select the highest energy signals from backscattered data. A spatiotemporal
      interpolation formula is used to provide a smooth transition in regions near the
      focal depth where there is no dominant reflected pulse. In this paper, we show
      that the unified PB approach is less robust at lower center frequencies. The
      interpolated data is suboptimal for a longer transmit waveshape. As a result, the
      spatial resolution at the focal depth is lower than that in other regions. By
      further exploring the field pattern, we propose a beamformer that is more robust
      to variations in beamwidth. The new method, named coherent PB beamforming, aligns
      and compounds the pulse data directly in the transition regions. In simulation
      and phantom studies, the coherent PB approach is shown to outperform the unified
      PB approach in spatial resolution. It helps regain optimal resolution at the
      focal depth while still maintaining good image quality in other regions. We also
      demonstrate the new method on in vivo data where its improvements over the
      unified PB method are demonstrated on scanned objects with a more complicated
      structure.

PMID- 28358680
TI  - Fast Orthogonal Row-Column Electronic Scanning With Top-Orthogonal-to-Bottom
      Electrode Arrays.
AB  - Recently, top-orthogonal-to-bottom electrode 2-D arrays were introduced as a
      practical design for 3-D ultrasound imaging without requiring the wiring of a 2-D
      grid of elements. However, previously proposed imaging schemes suffered from
      speed or image-quality limitations. Here, we propose a new imaging scheme which
      we call Fast Orthogonal Row-Column Electronic Scanning (FORCES). This new
      approach takes advantage of bias sensitivity to enable high-quality and fast B
      scan imaging. We compare this imaging scheme with an equivalent linear array, a
      previously proposed row-column imaging scheme, as well as with the Explososcan
      imaging scheme for 2-D arrays through simulations. In a point phantom simulation,
      the lateral (azimuthal) resolution of a 64 *64 element 6.67-MHz lambda /2-pitch
      array using the FORCES imaging scheme with an f-number of 1.7 was 0.52 mm with
      similar in-plane image quality to an equivalent linear array but with improved
      and electronically steerable elevational resolution. When compared with other 3-D
      imaging schemes in point phantom simulations, the FORCES imaging scheme showed an
      azimuthal resolution improvement of 54% compared with Explososcan. Compared with
      a previously introduced row-column method, the FORCES imaging scheme had similar
      resolution but a 25-dB decrease in sidelobe amplitude, significantly impacting
      contrast to noise in scattering phantoms.

PMID- 28358681
TI  - Fast Nonlinear Ultrasound Propagation Simulation Using a Slowly Varying Envelope
      Approximation.
AB  - Medical systems usually consider linear propagation of ultrasound, an
      approximation of reality. However, numerous studies have attempted to accurately
      simulate the nonlinear pressure wave distortion and to evaluate the contribution
      of harmonic frequencies. In such simulations, the computation time is very large,
      except for the method based on the angular spectrum scheme where the derivative
      order is reduced using the Fourier transform. However, the harmonic computation
      is usually limited to the second harmonic because of quasi-linear approximation.
      In this paper, a slowly varying envelope approximation (SVEA) is used in the
      Fourier domain to compute the entire nonlinear distortion induced, including high
      harmonics and nonlinear mixing frequencies. The simulation by SVEA is evaluated
      by comparison with other simulation tools. The obtained deviation and difference
      remain low enough to fully validate such an approximation. Moreover, the
      simulator is implemented on a GPU to obtain a very fast tool, where the full
      nonlinear distorted [Formula: see text] field is computed in less than 10 s.

PMID- 28358682
TI  - Curvilinear 3-D Imaging Using Row-Column-Addressed 2-D Arrays With a Diverging
      Lens: Feasibility Study.
AB  - Constructing a double-curved row-column-addressed (RCA) 2-D array or applying a
      diverging lens over the flat RCA 2-D array can extend the imaging field-of-view
      (FOV) to a curvilinear volume without increasing the aperture size, which is
      necessary for applications, such as abdominal and cardiac imaging. Extended FOV
      and low channel count of double-curved RCA 2-D arrays make 3-D imaging possible
      with equipment in the price range of conventional 2-D imaging. This paper
      proposes a delay-and-sum beamformation scheme specific to double-curved RCA 2-D
      arrays and validates its focusing ability based on simulations. A synthetic
      aperture imaging sequence with single element transmissions is designed for
      imaging down to 14 cm at a volume rate of 88 Hz. Using a diverging lens with an f
      number of -1 circumscribing the underlying RCA array, the imaging quality of a
      double-curved lambda/2 -pitch 3-MHz 62 + 62 RCA 2-D array is investigated as a
      function of depth within a curvilinear FOV of 60  degrees *60 degrees  . The
      simulated double-curved 2-D array exhibits the same full-width-at-half-maximum
      values for a point scatterer within its curvilinear FOV at a fixed radial
      distance compared with a flat 2-D array within its rectilinear FOV. The results
      of this paper demonstrate that the proposed beamforming approach is accurate for
      achieving correct time-of-flight calculations, and hence avoids geometrical
      distortions.

PMID- 28358683
TI  - Robust Object Tracking With Discrete Graph-Based Multiple Experts.
AB  - Variations of target appearances due to illumination changes, heavy occlusions,
      and target deformations are the major factors for tracking drift. In this paper,
      we show that the tracking drift can be effectively corrected by exploiting the
      relationship between the current tracker and its historical tracker snapshots.
      Here, a multi-expert framework is established by the current tracker and its
      historical trained tracker snapshots. The proposed scheme is formulated into a
      unified discrete graph optimization framework, whose nodes are modeled by the
      hypotheses of the multiple experts. Furthermore, an exact solution of the
      discrete graph exists giving the object state estimation at each time step. With
      the unary and binary compatibility graph scores defined properly, the proposed
      framework corrects the tracker drift via selecting the best expert hypothesis,
      which implicitly analyzes the recent performance of the multi-expert by only
      evaluating graph scores at the current frame. Three base trackers are integrated
      into the proposed framework to validate its effectiveness. We first integrate the
      online SVM on a budget algorithm into the framework with significant improvement.
      Then, the regression correlation filters with hand-crafted features and deep
      convolutional neural network features are introduced, respectively, to further
      boost the tracking performance. The proposed three trackers are extensively
      evaluated on three data sets: TB-50, TB-100, and VOT2015. The experimental
      results demonstrate the excellent performance of the proposed approaches against
      the state-of-the-art methods.

PMID- 28358684
TI  - GRASS: A Gradient-Based Random Sampling Scheme for Milano Retinex.
AB  - Retinex is an early and famous theory attempting to estimate the human color
      sensation derived from an observed scene. When applied to a digital image, the
      original implementation of retinex estimates the color sensation by modifying the
      pixels channel intensities with respect to a local reference white, selected from
      a set of random paths. The spatial search of the local reference white influences
      the final estimation. The recent algorithm energy-driven termite retinex (ETR),
      as well as its predecessor termite retinex, has introduced a new path-based image
      aware sampling scheme, where the paths depend on local visual properties of the
      input image. Precisely, the ETR paths transit over pixels with high gradient
      magnitude that have been proved to be important for the formation of color
      sensation. Such a sampling method enables the visit of image portions effectively
      relevant to the estimation of the color sensation, while it reduces the analysis
      of pixels with less essential and/or redundant data, i.e., the flat image
      regions. While the ETR sampling scheme is very efficacious in detecting image
      pixels salient for the color sensation, its computational complexity can be a
      limit. In this paper, we present a novel Gradient-based RAndom Sampling Scheme
      that inherits from ETR the image aware sampling principles, but has a lower
      computational complexity, while similar performance. Moreover, the new sampling
      scheme can be interpreted both as a path-based scanning and a 2D sampling.

PMID- 28358685
TI  - Robust, Efficient Depth Reconstruction With Hierarchical Confidence-Based
      Matching.
AB  - In recent years, taking photos and capturing videos with mobile devices have
      become increasingly popular. Emerging applications based on the depth
      reconstruction technique have been developed, such as Google lens blur. However,
      depth reconstruction is difficult due to occlusions, non-diffuse surfaces,
      repetitive patterns, and textureless surfaces, and it has become more difficult
      due to the unstable image quality and uncontrolled scene condition in the mobile
      setting. In this paper, we present a novel hierarchical framework with multi-view
      confidence-based matching for robust, efficient depth reconstruction in
      uncontrolled scenes. Particularly, the proposed framework combines local cost
      aggregation with global cost optimization in a complementary manner that
      increases efficiency and accuracy. A depth map is efficiently obtained in a
      coarse-to-fine manner by using an image pyramid. Moreover, confidence maps are
      computed to robustly fuse multi-view matching cues, and to constrain the stereo
      matching on a finer scale. The proposed framework has been evaluated with
      challenging indoor and outdoor scenes, and has achieved robust and efficient
      depth reconstruction.

PMID- 28358686
TI  - Scale Invariant and Noise Robust Interest Points With Shearlets.
AB  - Shearlets are a relatively new directional multi-scale framework for signal
      analysis, which have been shown effective to enhance signal discontinuities, such
      as edges and corners at multiple scales even in the presence of a large quantity
      of noise. In this paper, we consider blob-like features in the shearlets
      framework. We derive a measure, which is very effective for blob detection, and,
      based on this measure, we propose a blob detector and a keypoint description,
      whose combination outperforms the state-of-the-art algorithms with noisy and
      compressed images. We also demonstrate that the measure satisfies the perfect
      scale invariance property in the continuous case. We evaluate the robustness of
      our algorithm to different types of noise, including blur, compression artifacts,
      and Gaussian noise. Furthermore, we carry on a comparative analysis on benchmark
      data, referring, in particular, to tolerance to noise and image compression.

PMID- 28358687
TI  - Color Fringe Correction by the Color Difference Prediction Using the Logistic
      Function.
AB  - This paper proposes a new color fringe correction method that preserves the
      object color well by the color difference prediction using the logistic function.
      We observe two characteristics between normal edge (NE) and degraded edge (DE)
      due to color fringe: 1) the DE has relatively smaller R-G and B-G correlations
      than the NE and 2) the color difference in the NE can be fitted by the logistic
      function. The proposed method adjusts the color difference of the DE to the
      logistic function by maximizing the R-G and B-G correlations in the corrected
      color fringe image. The generalized logistic function with four parameters
      requires a high computational load to select the optimal parameters. In
      experiments, a one-parameter optimization can correct color fringe gracefully
      with a reduced computational load. Experimental results show that the proposed
      method restores well the original object color in the DE, whereas existing
      methods give monochromatic or distorted color.

PMID- 28358688
TI  - Feature Selection Based on High Dimensional Model Representation for
      Hyperspectral Images.
AB  - In hyperspectral image analysis, the classification task has generally been
      addressed jointly with dimensionality reduction due to both the high correlation
      between the spectral features and the noise present in spectral bands, which
      might significantly degrade classification performance. In supervised
      classification, limited training instances in proportion with the number of
      spectral features have negative impacts on the classification accuracy, which is
      known as Hughes effects or curse of dimensionality in the literature. In this
      paper, we focus on dimensionality reduction problem, and propose a novel feature
      selection algorithm, which is based on the method called high dimensional model
      representation. The proposed algorithm is tested on some toy examples and
      hyperspectral datasets in comparison with conventional feature-selection
      algorithms in terms of classification accuracy, stability of the selected
      features and computational time. The results show that the proposed approach
      provides both high classification accuracy and robust features with a
      satisfactory computational time.

PMID- 28358689
TI  - Prospective Fall-Risk Prediction Models for Older Adults Based on Wearable
      Sensors.
AB  - Wearable sensors can provide quantitative, gait-based assessments that can
      translate to point-of-care environments. This investigation generated elderly
      fall-risk predictive models based on wearable-sensor-derived gait data and
      prospective fall occurrence, and identified the optimal sensor type, location,
      and combination for single and dual-task walking. 75 individuals who reported six
      month prospective fall occurrence (75.2 +/- 6.6 years; 47 non-fallers and 28
      fallers) walked 7.62 m under single-task and dual-task conditions while wearing
      pressure-sensinginsoles and tri-axial accelerometers at the head, pelvis, and
      left and right shanks. Fall-risk classificationmodels were assessed for all
      sensor combinations and three model types: neural network, naive Bayesian, and
      support vector machine. The best performing model used a neural network, dual
      task gait data, and input parameters from head, pelvis, and left shank
      accelerometers (accuracy = 57%, sensitivity = 43%, and specificity = 65%). The
      best single-sensor model used a neural network, dual-task gait data, and pelvis
      accelerometer parameters (accuracy = 54%, sensitivity = 35%, and specificity =
      67%). Single-task and dual-task gait assessments provided similar fall-risk model
      performance. Fall-risk predictive models developed for point-of-care environments
      should use multi-sensor dual-task gait assessment with the pelvis location
      considered if assessment is limited to a single sensor.

PMID- 28358690
TI  - A Framework of Temporal-Spatial Descriptors-Based Feature Extraction for Improved
      Myoelectric Pattern Recognition.
AB  - The extraction of the accurate and efficient descriptors of muscular activity
      plays an important role in tackling the challenging problem of myoelectric
      control of powered prostheses. In this paper, we present a new feature extraction
      framework that aims to give an enhanced representation of muscular activities
      through increasing the amount of information that can be extracted from
      individual and combined electromyogram (EMG) channels. We propose to use time
      domain descriptors (TDDs) in estimating the EMG signal power spectrum
      characteristics; a step that preserves the computational power required for the
      construction of spectral features. Subsequently, TDD is used in a process that
      involves: 1) representing the temporal evolution of the EMG signals by
      progressively tracking the correlation between the TDD extracted from each
      analysis time window and a nonlinearly mapped version of it across the same EMG
      channel and 2) representing the spatial coherence between the different EMG
      channels, which is achieved by calculating the correlation between the TDD
      extracted from the differences of all possible combinations of pairs of channels
      and their nonlinearly mapped versions. The proposed temporal-spatial descriptors
      (TSDs) are validated on multiple sparse and high-density (HD) EMG data sets
      collected from a number of intact-limbed and amputees performing a large number
      of hand and finger movements. Classification results showed significant
      reductions in the achieved error rates in comparison to other methods, with the
      improvement of at least 8% on average across all subjects. Additionally, the
      proposed TSDs achieved significantly well in problems with HD-EMG with average
      classification errors of <5% across all subjects using windows lengths of 50 ms
      only.

PMID- 28358691
TI  - Identification and Functional Inference for Tumor-associated Long Non-coding RNA.
AB  - Gastric cancer is one of the top leading causes of cancer mortality worldwide
      especially in China. In recent years, some lncRNAs are discovered to be
      dysregulated in many cancers. The study on long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs)
      relationship with cancers has attracted increasing attention. The molecular
      mechanism of gastric cancer remains largely unclear factors, especially for
      lncRNAs. Experiments are feasible to obtain related information, however,
      experimental identification of cancer-related lncRNAs usually possesses high time
      complexity and high cost. In this paper, a computational method is proposed to
      determine the relationship between lncRNA and gastric cancer by reusing the exon
      based array of gastric cancer. One specific lncRNAs LINC00365 and its target
      differentially expressed genes whose products are predicted as blood, urine or
      salvia-excretory are identified to be candidates for a combined biomarker for
      gastric cancer. Further biological function and molecular mechanism of the
      gastric cancer related lncRNAs and coding gene biomarkers are inferred in terms
      of multi-source biological knowledge.

PMID- 28358692
TI  - Hyperbolic Gradient Operator and Hyperbolic Back-Propagation Learning Algorithms.
AB  - In this paper, we first extend the Wirtinger derivative which is defined for
      complex functions to hyperbolic functions, and derive the hyperbolic gradient
      operator yielding the steepest descent direction by using it. Next, we derive the
      hyperbolic backpropagation learning algorithms for some multilayered hyperbolic
      neural networks (NNs) using the hyperbolic gradient operator. It is shown that
      the use of the Wirtinger derivative reduces the effort necessary for the
      derivation of the learning algorithms by half, simplifies the representation of
      the learning algorithms, and makes their computer programs easier to code. In
      addition, we discuss the differences between the derived Hyperbolic-BP rules and
      the complex-valued backpropagation learning rule (Complex-BP). Finally, we make
      some experiments with the derived learning algorithms. As a result, we find that
      the convergence rates of the Hyperbolic-BP learning algorithms are high even if
      the fully activation functions are used, and discover that the Hyperbolic-BP
      learning algorithm for the hyperbolic NN with the split-type hyperbolic
      activation function has an ability to learn hyperbolic rotation as its inherent
      property.

PMID- 28358693
TI  - A Scalable and Pragmatic Method for the Safe Sharing of High-Quality Health Data.
AB  - The sharing of sensitive personal health data is an important aspect of
      biomedical research. Methods of data de-identification are often used in this
      process to trade the granularity of data off against privacy risks. However,
      traditional approaches, such as HIPAA safe harbor or -anonymization, often fail
      to provide data with sufficient quality. Alternatively, data can be de-identified
      only to a degree which still allows us to use it as required, e.g., to carry out
      specific analyses. Controlled environments, which restrict the ways recipients
      can interact with the data, can then be used to cope with residual risks. The
      contributions of this article are twofold. First, we present a method for
      implementing controlled data sharing environments and analyze its privacy
      properties. Second, we present a de-identification method which is specifically
      suited for sanitizing health data which is to be shared in such environments.
      Traditional de-identification methods control the uniqueness of records in a
      dataset. The basic idea of our approach is to reduce the probability that a
      record in a dataset has characteristics which are unique within the underlying
      population. As the characteristics of the population are typically not known, we
      have implemented a pragmatic solution in which properties of the population are
      modeled with statistical methods. We have further developed an accompanying
      process for evaluating and validating the degree of protection provided. The
      results of an extensive experimental evaluation show that our approach enables
      the safe sharing of high-quality data and that it is highly scalable.

PMID- 28358694
TI  - Active Learning of Regular Expressions for Entity Extraction.
AB  - We consider the automatic synthesis of an entity extractor, in the form of a
      regular expression, from examples of the desired extractions in an unstructured
      text stream. This is a long-standing problem for which many different approaches
      have been proposed, which all require the preliminary construction of a large
      dataset fully annotated by the user. In this paper, we propose an active learning
      approach aimed at minimizing the user annotation effort: the user annotates only
      one desired extraction and then merely answers extraction queries generated by
      the system. During the learning process, the system digs into the input text for
      selecting the most appropriate extraction query to be submitted to the user in
      order to improve the current extractor. We construct candidate solutions with
      genetic programming (GP) and select queries with a form of querying-by-committee,
      i.e., based on a measure of disagreement within the best candidate solutions. All
      the components of our system are carefully tailored to the peculiarities of
      active learning with GP and of entity extraction from unstructured text. We
      evaluate our proposal in depth, on a number of challenging datasets and based on
      a realistic estimate of the user effort involved in answering each single query.
      The results demonstrate high accuracy with significant savings in terms of
      computational effort, annotated characters, and execution time over a state-of
      the-art baseline.

PMID- 28358696
TI  - A Modified Method for Purifying Gallbladder Epithelial Cells Using Fluorescence
      activated Cell Sorting.
AB  - BACKGROUND: We have previously reported a procedure for isolating and culturing
      biliary epithelial cells (BECs). The aim of this study was to reconsider the
      method for obtaining pure BECs using the mouse gallbladder. MATERIALS AND
      METHODS: Cells that were obtained from the gallbladder alone were sorted by
      fluorescence-activated cell sorting (FACS) for purifying based on the expression
      of the epithelial cell adhesion molecule (EpCAM). The viability rate was measured
      based on the negative expression of 7-aminoactinomycin D (7-AAD). RESULTS: More
      than 75% of cells from the gallbladder were determined to be pure BECs. An
      analysis of the EpCAM revealed that 73.3% of the cells were 7-AAD-negative.
      Finally, the 0.82*106 pure BECs that survived were obtained and seeded on a
      collagen gel plate. However, these pure BECs showed almost no proliferation.
      CONCLUSION: Pure BECs could be accumulated using FACS. However, the number of
      BECs was insufficient for the culturing process.

PMID- 28358697
TI  - Assessment of Radiobiological alpha/beta Ratio in Lung Cancer and Fibroblast Cell
      Lines Using Viability Assays.
AB  - BACKGROUND/AIM: Altered fractionation is an area of intense clinical research in
      radiation oncology. Estimation of the alpha/beta ratio of individual carcinomas
      after establishment of primary cell cultures from tumor biopsies may prove of
      importance in the individualization of radiotherapy schemes. MATERIALS AND
      METHODS: Here we proposed a simple method to estimate the alpha/beta ratio in
      cultured cell lines (two lung carcinomas: A549 and H1299; one lung fibroblast
      cell line: MRC5), using viability assays. RESULTS: For the A549 cell line, the
      alpha/beta ratio ranged from 14-25 Gy, for H1299 from 11-43 Gy and for the MRC5
      fibroblast cell line this was far lower, ranging from 0.69 to 6 Gy. The
      alpha/beta ratio decreased when extracted from comparisons of lower dose per
      fraction schemes. CONCLUSION: The alpha/beta ratio of a cell line can be easily
      defined after simple viability/dose fractionation experiments.

PMID- 28358695
TI  - Induction of TGF-beta by Irradiation or Chemotherapy in Fanconi Anemia (FA) Mouse
      Bone Marrow Is Modulated by Small Molecule Radiation Mitigators JP4-039 and
      MMS350.
AB  - BACKGROUND/AIM: Total-body irradiation and/or administration of chemotherapy
      drugs in bone marrow transplantation induce cytokines that can suppress
      engraftment. Fanconi Anemia (FA) patients have a hyperactive responsiveness to
      the inhibitory cytokine, transforming growth factor-beta (TGF-beta). Small
      molecule radiation mitigator drugs, JP4-039 and MMS350, were evaluated for
      suppression of irradiation or drug-induced TGF-beta. MATERIALS AND METHODS: In
      vivo induction of TGF-beta by total-body ionizing irradiation (TBI), L
      phenylalanine mustard (L-PAM), busulfan or fludarabine, was quantified. In
      parallel, mitigator drug amelioration of TGF-beta induction in FA D2-/- (FANCD2-/
      ) mouse bone marrow, was studied in vitro. Tissue culture medium, cell lysates,
      and mouse plasma were analyzed for TGF-beta levels. RESULTS: Induction of TGF
      beta levels in FANCD2-/- and FANCD2+/+ mice and in mouse bone marrow were
      modulated by both JP4-039 and MMS350. CONCLUSION: Bone marrow transplantation in
      FA recipients may benefit from administration of small molecule agents that
      suppress TGF-beta induction.

PMID- 28358698
TI  - Increased Numbers of CD4+CD25+ and CD8+CD25+ T-Cells in Peripheral Blood of
      Patients with Rheumatoid Arthritis with Parvovirus B19 Infection.
AB  - AIM: To investigate T-cell subpopulations in peripheral blood of human parvovirus
      B19 DNA-positive (B19+) and -negative (B19-) patients with rheumatoid arthritis
      (RA) and healthy persons. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Blood samples were collected from
      115 patients with RA and 47 healthy volunteers; 27 patients with RA and nine
      controls were B19+ Cluster of differentiation (CD) 4, 8, 25 and 45RA were
      analyzed on blood cells. CD25 expression on CD4+CD45RA+, CD4+CD45RA-,
      CD8+CD45RA+, CD8+CD45RA- subsets were analyzed by flow cytometry. RESULTS: The
      percentage of CD25low and CD25hi cells was increased on CD4+CD45RA+, CD4+CD45RA-
      T-cells and the percentage of CD25+ cells was increased on CD8+CD45RA+,
      CD8+CD45RA- T-cells of B19+ patients with RA in comparison with B19- patients and
      controls. CONCLUSION: Raised levels of CD4 and CD8 regulatory T-cells in B19+ RA
      patients could cause down-regulation of antiviral clearance mechanisms and lead
      to activation of persistent human parvovirus B19 infection in patients with RA.

PMID- 28358699
TI  - Chemopreventive Action by Ethanol-extracted Brazilian Green Propolis on Post
      initiation Phase of Inflammation-associated Rat Colon Tumorigenesis.
AB  - BACKGROUND/AIM: Propolis has since long been utilized in numerous folk medicines
      with a variety of medicinal properties. In this study, the effects of ethanol
      extracted (EEP) and water-extracted (WEP) Brazilian green propolis on the post
      initiation phase of inflammation-associated rat colon tumorigenesis were directly
      compared. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Male F344 rats at 6 weeks of age were
      subcutaneously injected with 1,2-dimethylhydrazine (DMH) at 40 mg/kg body weight
      twice during the first week, followed by 1% dextran sodium sulfate (DSS) in
      drinking water for one week. After a 1-week no-treatment period, animals were
      administered either basal Oriental MF powdered diet, or 1% EEP or 1% WEP in the
      basal diet until week 32. RESULTS: Post-initiation treatment with EEP
      significantly reduced the multiplicity of colorectal carcinomas compared to the
      control (0.40+/-0.13/rat vs. 2.29+/-0.84/rat, respectively, p<0.05), and EEP also
      reduced the tumor volume. Immunohistochemically, expression of inflammation
      associated proteins inducible nitric oxide synthase, tumor necrotic factor alpha,
      nuclear factor kappa B and glutathione peroxidase-2 were significantly diminished
      in colorectal tumors from EEP-treated rats. CONCLUSION: Suppression of
      inflammation and oxidative stress, which had been triggered by DMH and promoted
      by DSS, was a primary mechanism by which EEP suppressed carcinogenesis.

PMID- 28358700
TI  - Bevacizumab Modulation of the Interaction Between the MCF-7 Cell Line and the
      Chick Embryo Chorioallantoic Membrane.
AB  - AIM: To evaluate the interaction between MCF-7 breast cancer cells and the chick
      embryo chorioallantoic membrane (CAM) and the ability of bevacizumab to modulate
      this process. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We implanted MCF-7 cells onto CAM and
      repeatedly added bevacizumab to a subset of eggs. We then evaluated the
      morphological and immunohistochemical profiles of CAM and MCF-7. RESULTS: MCF-7
      cells entered the mesoderm and stimulated the mesenchymal cells to acquire
      vasculogenic and myofibroblastoid features. MCF-7 cells developed an estrogen
      receptor-, progesterone receptor-, p53- and Ki67-negative status and entered the
      epithelial-mesenchymal transition. Bevacizumab down-regulated the expression of B
      cell lymphoma 2 protein (BCL-2), vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and E
      cadherin in MCF-7 and inhibited vasculogenesis. CONCLUSION: MCF-7 cells turn the
      mesoderm of CAM into a surrogate tumor stroma. CAM induces a triple-negative, non
      proliferative but still anti-apoptotic status in MCF-7 cells. Although
      antivasculogenic, bevacizumab stimulates MCF-7 cells to acquire a more aggressive
      status.

PMID- 28358701
TI  - Effects of Caspase 9 Gene Polymorphism in Patients with Prostate Cancer.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Prostate cancer is one of the most common solid tumors and the second
      leading cause of the death due to malignancy in men. Caspase 9 (CASP9) is a
      member of the intrinsic pathway and plays a central role in the apoptosis.
      PATIENTS AND METHODS: Genotyping of the CASP9 (rs1052576) polymorphism were
      performed using real-time polymerase chain reaction for blood samples of prostate
      cancer patients (n=69) and controls (n=76). RESULTS: There were no significant
      differences between the groups in the frequency of CASP9 genotypes (chi2=1.363;
      p=0.506). Patients with CASP9 (rs1052576) CT genotype were 12.8 fold higher in
      pathological stage of pT2a compared to any other stages of cancer (OR=0.078, 95%
      CI= 0.009-0.062; p=0.004). Also TT genotype carriers were 11.3 times lower in
      pathological stage of pT2a (OR=11.33, 95% CI=2.39-53.748; p=0.000). C allele
      carriers were 11.36 fold higher in pathological stage of pT2a compared to any
      other stages of cancer (OR=0.088, 95% CI=0.019-0.418; p=0.002). CONCLUSION: CASP9
      (rs1052576) C allele was decreasing the risk for pathological stage of patients
      with prostate cancer and also CT genotype had positive impact on pathological
      stage of patients with prostate cancer. CASP9 (rs1052576) TT genotype was seemed
      to be associated with higher risk of pathological stage. Those results implicated
      that CASP9 variations could be associated with severity of prostate cancer.

PMID- 28358702
TI  - The Effect of Geraniol on Liver Regeneration After Hepatectomy in Rats.
AB  - Geraniol is a monoterpenoid alcohol that has a hepatoprotective effect. We
      investigated the regenerative effects of geraniol in rats after a 70% partial
      hepatectomy (PH). Using Wistar albino rats, nine groups were created: Group I was
      the control group, while the remaining groups received a single intraperitoneal
      dose of saline, Silymarin, or geraniol after PH. A 70% PH was performed on all
      groups except for groups II and III. Blood serum samples were obtained for
      alanine amino transferase (ALT) analysis. Then liver tissues were harvested for
      histological and real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) analyses. Tumor
      necrosis factor-alpha (TNFalpha) and interleukin 6 (IL6) gene expression were
      examined 24 and 48 h after PH. ALT levels were found to be statistically
      significantly increased in all PH-treated groups. TNFalpha and IL6 gene
      expression levels were elevated in geraniol-treated groups. Histological
      evaluation revealed a hepatoprotective effect for geraniol-treated groups. Our
      results suggest that geraniol plays a significant role during liver regeneration,
      which involves the elevated expression of TNFalpha and IL6 48 h after PH.

PMID- 28358703
TI  - Centrosome Aberration Frequency and Disease Association in B-Acute Lymphoblastic
      Leukemia.
AB  - Recent developments in genome-wide genetic analysis in B-acute lymphoblastic
      leukemia (B-ALL) have provided insight into disease pathogenesis and prognosis. B
      ALL cases usually carry a primary genetic event, often a chromosome
      translocation, and a constellation of secondary genetic alterations that are
      acquired and selected dynamically in a nonlinear fashion. As far as we are aware
      of, for the first time, we studied centrosome aberration in patients with B-ALL
      to understand the progression of the disease. A cytogenetic study was carried out
      by GTG-banded karyotyping and fluorescence in situ hybridization. DNA index study
      was carried out with flow cytometry. Indirect immunostaining of centrosomes was
      performed on mononuclear cells using primary and corresponding secondary
      antibodies for centrosome-specific protein gamma-tubulin. Three primary and
      corresponding secondary antibodies to three different centrosome-specific
      proteins, namely alpha-tubulin, gamma-tubulin and pericentrin, were used for
      indirect immunostaining. The study was carried out on 50 patients with B-ALL.
      Centrosomal abnormalities were detected in 36 (72%) patients and the remainder
      (28%) had normal centrosome structure and numbers. Out of these 36 patients with
      abnormal centrosome, structural abnormalities were detected in 12 (33.3%) and
      numerical abnormalities in six (16.6%). Both structural and numerical aberrations
      were detected in 18 (50%) patients. When correlated with the cytogenetic and DNA
      index findings, 26/27 (96.2%) patients had centrosome defects concomitant with
      both abnormal karyotype and aneuploidy. Out of 50 patients with B-ALL, 17 (34%)
      had normal karyotype detected by both karyotype and DNA index, among these, seven
      (41.17%) patients had centrosome aberration. The morphological and structural
      abnormalities of the centrosome present in B-ALL cells have a role in disease
      development and can be considered as prognostic markers.

PMID- 28358704
TI  - Prevalence of Neurotropic Viruses in Malignant Glioma and Their Onco-Modulatory
      Potential.
AB  - BACKGROUND: the association between infectious agents and tumour aetiology is
      relevant in about 20% of cases. PATIENTS AND METHODS: We tested high-grade glioma
      tissues from 45 patients for the presence of viral nucleic acids of six herpes
      viruses, human adenoviruses (A-G), and two neurotropic human viruses
      (enteroviruses, tick-borne encephalitis virus). Real-time polymerase chain
      reaction was used with immunolabelling. RESULTS: Three species of herpes viruses
      were detected: HSV-2, Epstein-Barr virus (EBV), HHV-6, and one human enterovirus.
      Plasma of these patients was not infected with viruses. In sera of patients, low
      HSV-1 and HSV-2 immunoreactivity were found in five cases, although these were
      not detected in their tumour tissue. CONCLUSION: Certain common viruses (HSV-1,
      HSV-2, EBV, human cytomegalovirus) are chronically present in the sera of
      patients with glioblastoma, but not necessarily in their tissues. Possibly both
      are associated with glioma progression, as we only found viruses in glioblastoma
      multiforme, but not in lower stages of glioma. Low titres of viruses in the blood
      indicate chronic viral virulence.

PMID- 28358705
TI  - Mild Versus Conventional Ovarian Stimulation for Poor Responders Undergoing
      IVF/ICSI.
AB  - BACKGROUND/AIM: Mild stimulation protocols have been implemented to be offered to
      subfertile patients who respond poorly to ovarian stimulation. We aimed to
      compare the efficacy of mild versus conventional gonadotropin-releasing hormone
      (GnRH)-agonist and antagonist protocols in poor responders undergoing in vitro
      fertilization/intra-cytoplasmic sperm injection (IVF/ICSI) cycles. PATIENTS AND
      METHODS: A total of 58 poorly-responding patients were divided into two groups:
      mild group (n=33), receiving clomiphene citrate 100 mg and 0.25 mg of cetrorelix
      with 150 IU of gonadotrophins daily; conventional group (n=25), undergoing the
      long GnRH-agonist or -antagonist protocols. The primary outcome was the number of
      cumulus oocyte complexes (COCs) retrieved. RESULTS: A lower number of COCs
      [median (range)=1 (0-4) vs. 3 (0-8.4), p<0.001] was retrieved in the mild
      stimulation compared to the conventional group. Secondary outcomes favored the
      conventional group, whereas live birth (9.1% vs. 12%), clinical pregnancy (12.1%
      vs. 20%) and miscarriage rate (40% vs. 40%) were similar in the two groups.
      CONCLUSION: Mild ovarian stimulation is inferior to conventional regimes when
      applied to poor responders undergoing IVF/ICSI, in terms of the numbers of
      retrieved COCs.

PMID- 28358706
TI  - Chemoradiation Including Paclitaxel for Locally Recurrent Muscle-invasive Bladder
      Cancer in Elderly Patients.
AB  - BACKGROUND/AIM: To evaluate outcomes and toxicities of chemoradiation with a less
      intensive paclitaxel regimen for locally recurrent bladder cancer. PATIENTS AND
      METHODS: Three elderly patients received simultaneous chemoradiation for
      recurrent muscle-invasive bladder cancer. Chemotherapy included two courses
      (three times 25 mg/m2 over 1.5 weeks) of paclitaxel. Radiotherapy doses were 59.4
      Gy to the bladder and 50.4 Gy to regional lymph nodes. Survival, local control
      and toxicities were retrospectively evaluated. RESULTS: One patient died after 71
      months, two were alive after 69 and 98 months, respectively. No local recurrence
      was not observed. Five-year survival and local control rates were 100%. Two
      patients experienced grade 1 acute dysuria, one patient grade 1 diarrhea. Late
      toxicities were also mild; two patients had grade 1 dysuria. CONCLUSION:
      Chemoradiation with a less intensive paclitaxel regimen resulted in excellent 5
      year results and was very well tolerated. It may be a reasonable option for
      elderly patients who cannot tolerate more intensive approaches.

PMID- 28358707
TI  - Polymorphisms of Platelet Glycoprotein Receptors and Cell Adhesion Molecules in
      Fetuses with Fetal Growth Restriction and Their Mothers As Detected with
      Pyrosequencing.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Vascular thrombotic tendency may lead to fetal growth restriction
      (FGR). Altered platelet function and genetic heterogeneity may play a role in
      this procedure. We investigated whether maternal or fetal genotypic frequencies
      of genes polymorphisms for certain platelet receptor and cell adhesion molecules
      are altered in FGR. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We compared the maternal and fetal
      genotypic frequencies of single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in four genes
      coding for platelet receptors and cell adhesion molecules [integrin alpha subunit
      2 (ITGA2)C807T, integrin subunit beta 3(ITGB3) T1565C, platelet cell adhesion
      protein 1 (PECAM1) CTG-GTG and selectin P(SELP)A/C]. A total of 32 fetuses with
      fetal growth restriction and their mothers were matched with 18 normal controls.
      Using maternal venous blood and umbilical cord blood samples, nucleotide
      sequences were determined from pyrograms. Genotypic frequencies were calculated
      and analyzed using appropriate tests and logistic regression. RESULTS: There was
      no statistical difference in the proportion of heterozygotes or homozygotes for
      any of the genotypic frequencies between FGR and control groups in mothers or
      fetuses. CONCLUSION: Our study demonstrated no association of maternal or fetal
      ITGA2 C807T SNP, ITGB3 T1565C SNP, PECAM1 CTG - GTG and SELP A/C polymorphisms
      with FGR.

PMID- 28358709
TI  - Lack of Definite Association of Vitamin D Deficiency with Diabetic Neuropathy.
      Investigation in Greek and in Bangladeshi Patients.
AB  - AIM: Determination of the 25(OH) vitamin D levels in Greek-born and in
      Bangladeshi immigrant patients in Greece with diabetes with and without
      polyneuropathy. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The method for the detection and staging
      of polyneuropathy proposed by Dyck, 1988 was used. RESULTS: A total of 111
      Bangladeshi immigrants and 101 Greek diabetic patients took part in the study.
      Vitamin D levels were significantly lower in Bangladeshi than in Greek diabetic
      patients, and were significantly lower in Greek patients with small-fiber
      neuropathy. In Bangladeshi patients, there was no statistically significant
      difference in the subgroup of patients with polyneuropathy in comparison to those
      without polyneuropathy. CONCLUSION: The association of vitamin D deficiency only
      with a small number of Greek patients with exclusively small-fiber neuropathy
      does not allow us to draw a definite conclusion on the role of vitamin D in the
      pathogenesis of diabetic neuropathy.

PMID- 28358708
TI  - Improvement of Perioperative Outcomes in Major Gynecological and Gynecologic
      Oncological Surgery with Hemostatic Gelatin-Thrombin Matrix.
AB  - AIM: To assess the impact of the use of intraoperative hemostatic gelatin
      thrombin matrix (HM) (Floseal(r), Baxter Healthcare) on transfusion rates and
      short-term perioperative outcomes in gynecological surgery. PATIENTS AND METHODS:
      In this retrospective, single-center study, we evaluated data of 215 patients (83
      cases and 132 controls) undergoing extensive gynecological surgery (e.g.
      oncological procedures) with and without intraoperative HM application. RESULTS:
      Cases and controls did not differ according to age, preoperative hemoglobin (Hb)
      concentration, and Hb or C-reactive protein (CRP) levels at discharge. Patients
      receiving HM had significantly reduced operative (168 vs. 199 min, p=0.02) and
      hospitalization (9 vs. 14 days, p<0.001) times. The mean postoperative Hb drop
      (3.33 vs. 4.51 g/dl, p<0.001), and the mean postoperative increase in CRP (94.9
      vs. 149.1 mg/l, p<0.001) were significantly less pronounced within the HM group.
      Despite more prevalent coagulopathy (48 vs. 31%, p=0.02), e.g. due to
      anticoagulant use (15.7 vs. 3%, p<0.001), patients treated using HM needed less
      frequent transfusions of packed red blood cells [odds ratio (OR)= 0.13, 95%
      confidence interval (CI)=0.07-0.24) and fresh frozen plasma (OR=0.51, 95% CI=0.24
      1.05). In comparison to controls, the need for surgical revisions (OR 0.1, CI 95%
      0.02-0.42) and intensive-care unit admissions (OR 0.15, 95% CI=0.08-0.30) was
      lower in patients treated with HM. CONCLUSION: To our knowledge, our study is the
      largest case-control study focusing on Floseal(r) use in gynecology. The use of
      HM was associated with significantly better short-term perioperative outcomes.
      Due to its local action, HM seems to be particularly useful in patients in which
      anticoagulant medication cannot be paused.

PMID- 28358710
TI  - Sclerotherapy for Orbital Lymphangioma - Case Series and Literature Review.
AB  - Orbital lymphangioma is a lymphatic system lesion that commonly presents in
      childhood. Management of these lesions is complex. Sclerotherapy is a therapy
      used to treat and shrink lesions prior to or as an alternative to surgery. We
      present three cases of orbital lymphangioma that were treated with sclerotherapy.
      Case 1: A 6-month-old boy was presented in 2010 with right ptosis and proptosis.
      Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) identified a lesion involving the right orbit
      and face. Case 2: A 3-year-old girl was presented in 2011 with intermittent right
      periorbital swelling and medial canthal bleeding. MRI identified a soft-tissue
      lesion in the right orbit, extending into the face. Case 3: A 3-year-old girl was
      presented in 2012 with vomiting, and painful right proptosis. MRI identified an
      intra-conal lesion in the right orbit with fluid filled levels. All three
      patients were treated with sclerotherapy (sodium tetradecylsulfate).
      Sclerotherapy is a promising treatment for orbital lymphangioma. Its use may
      prevent the need for, or minimise the amount of surgical management. Several
      sclerosants are now commonly used to treat these lesions.

PMID- 28358711
TI  - The influence of implant body and thread design of mini dental implants on the
      loading of surrounding bone: a finite element analysis.
AB  - Mini dental implants (MDI) were once thought of as transitional implants for
      treatment in selected clinical situations. Their reduced diameter makes them a
      very attractive option for patients with poor tolerance to maxillary and
      mandibular prostheses. Using the method of finite element analysis, a series of
      different designed MDI prototypes have been investigated. The prototypes differed
      in the geometry of implant body and/or design of implant head. The load transfer
      of the implant prototypes to the idealised alveolar bone has been regarded and
      the prototypes have been compared to each other and to a number of standard
      commercial implants. The prototype models have been virtually placed in the
      idealised bone with a cortical thickness of 1.5 mm and loaded laterally 30
      degrees  from the implant's long axis. The condition of immediate loading was
      assumed for the numerical analyses through defining a contact interface between
      the implant and bone bed. The numerical analysis in this study showed that the
      design of the investigated prototype MDI of group 3 (mini-ball head) is the most
      advantageous design.

PMID- 28358712
TI  - Anti-inflammatory activity of Elaeagnus angustifolia fruit extract on rat paw
      edema.
AB  - BACKGROUND: The Elaeagnus angustifolia fruit has been traditionally used in
      Iranian herbal medicine to treat diarrhea and rheumatoid arthritis. In the
      present study, the effects of E. angustifolia fruit extract on the acute and
      chronic phases of formalin-induced rat paw edema were examined. METHODS: The
      acute and chronic anti-inflammatory effects of E. angustifolia fruit extract were
      investigated through the subcutaneous injection of 100 MUL of formalin (2.5%)
      into a rat's hind paw. Thirty minutes before the procedure, the experimental
      groups were treated intraperitoneally with hydroalcoholic fruit extracts of E.
      angustifolia (concentrations of 100, 300, 700, and 1000 mg/kg); sodium salicylate
      (SS, 400 mg/kg) and distilled water were used as positive and negative control
      groups, respectively. Treatment with SS and the fruit extracts were performed
      daily for 8 days, and the degree of edema was measured by using mercury
      plethysmometer and digital caliper. RESULTS: In the acute anti-inflammatory
      study, the extract showed a significant anti-inflammatory effect in a dose
      dependent manner. The results of 1000 mg/kg of the extract was significantly
      different compared with the negative control group (p<0.05) and was comparable to
      sodium salicylate (p<0.05). Results from the chronic study suggested that E.
      angustifolia extract significantly reduced paw edema and inflammation in a dose
      dependent manner. The results also showed that the measurement by digital caliper
      and mercury plethysmometer were both reliable and might be applied
      interchangeably (p<0.01). Phytochemical tests indicated that the hydroalcoholic
      fruit extract of E. angustifolia was positive for cardiac glycosides, flavonoids,
      terpenoids, and saponins. CONCLUSIONS: Based on our findings, the E. angustifolia
      fruit extract probably has acute and chronic anti-inflammatory activities to
      support its applications in folk medicine.

PMID- 28358714
TI  - Effects of L-thyroxine treatment on heart functions in infants with congenital
      hypothyroidism.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Impaired heart functions in newborns with hypothyroidism should be
      reversed by levothyroxine substitution therapy. The aim of the study was to
      investigate heart functions with congenital hypothroidism (CH) in newborns and
      changes after levothyroxine substitution therapy, measured with tissue Doppler
      echocardiography and conventional echocardiography. METHODS: The study included
      30 neonates with CH and 34 healthy controls. Echocardiography were performed at
      baseline, 2nd week and 6th month of therapy. RESULTS: Heart systolic function was
      normal. Mitral E velocities and mitral E/A ratios were significantly lower in
      patients at baseline. Tei indices were significantly higher in patients and a
      significant negative correlation was detected between free thyroxine levels and
      Tei indices.When early and late post-treatment echocardiography findings are
      compared, a non-significant difference was detected. CONCLUSIONS: Neonates with
      CH may exhibit systolic and diastolic heart dysfunction, which can be reversed by
      early L-T4 substitution treatment. The Tei index index should be measured in
      addition to conventional echocardiography.

PMID- 28358713
TI  - The effect of extracellular ATP on rat uterine contraction from different
      gestational stages and its possible mechanisms of action.
AB  - BACKGROUND: The mechanisms underlying the onset of labor are not fully
      understood. Extracellular adenosine 5'-triphosphate (ATP) is known to cause
      uterine contractions in different species but the exact underlying mechanisms are
      poorly investigated to date. The aims of this study were to investigate the
      effect of extracellular ATP on spontaneous uterine contractions from different
      gestational stages and to elucidate its possible underlying mechanisms. METHODS:
      Longitudinal uterine strips were obtained from rats in different gestational
      stages (nonpregnant, late-pregnant, and term-pregnant). The effects of 1 mM ATP
      were examined on uterine contractions generated spontaneously, depolarized by
      high-KCl (60 mM), induced by oxytocin (5 nM), in the presence of high external
      Ca2+, or in the absence of external Ca2+. RESULTS: Application of 1 mM
      extracellular ATP significantly increased the force of spontaneous contraction in
      uterine strips obtained from all gestational stages with prominent increase in
      term-pregnant rats compared to other gestations. ATP significantly increased the
      force induced by depolarization (122%, p=0.010, n=6), oxytocin (129%, p=0.001,
      n=7), high-Ca2+ (145%, p=0.005, n=6) and it was able to cause transient
      contraction in the absence of external Ca2+ (33%, p<0.01). CONCLUSIONS:
      Extracellular ATP is able to increase the force and frequency of uterine
      contractions and its effect increases with the progression of pregnancy and it
      involves Ca2+ influx and release. These findings open a new window for clinicians
      to consider ATP as a therapeutic target to control the uterine activity during
      difficult labors.

PMID- 28358715
TI  - Pediatric endocrinology is pediatrics is public health.

PMID- 28358716
TI  - Teaching community health assessment through a global health elective in rural
      Haiti.

PMID- 28358717
TI  - Structural and vibrational properties of corundum-type In2O3 nanocrystals under
      compression.
AB  - This work reports the structural and vibrational properties of nanocrystals of
      corundum-type In2O3 (rh-In2O3) at high pressures by using angle-dispersive x-ray
      diffraction and Raman scattering measurements up to 30 GPa. The equation of state
      and the pressure dependence of the Raman-active modes of the corundum phase in
      nanocrystals are in good agreement with previous studies on bulk material and
      theoretical simulations on bulk rh-In2O3. Nanocrystalline rh-In2O3 showed
      stability under compression at least up to 20 GPa, unlike bulk rh-In2O3 which
      gradually transforms to the orthorhombic Pbca (Rh2O3-III-type) structure above 12
      14 GPa. The different stability range found in nanocrystalline and bulk corundum
      type In2O3 is discussed.

PMID- 28358719
TI  - Properties of quasiperiodic functions.
AB  - Today, quasiperiodic tilings are well known and have been studied in great detail
      since they are very useful to describe the properties of metallic and soft matter
      quasicrystals. A closely related topic are quasiperiodic functions which have
      also gained large interest recently. Different types of such functions and there
      interrelation will be presented here. The main topic will be quasiperiodic
      potentials generated by laser beams and their variability. The distribution of
      extremal points and local isomorphisms of quasiperiodic functions will also be
      addressed.

PMID- 28358718
TI  - Imaging three-dimensional innervation zone distribution in muscles from M-wave
      recordings.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: To localize neuromuscular junctions in skeletal muscles in vivo which
      is of great importance in understanding, diagnosing and managing of neuromuscular
      disorders. APPROACH: A three-dimensional global innervation zone imaging
      technique was developed to characterize the global distribution of innervation
      zones, as an indication of the location and features of neuromuscular junctions,
      using electrically evoked high-density surface electromyogram recordings. MAIN
      RESULTS: The performance of the technique was evaluated in the biceps brachii of
      six intact human subjects. The geometric centers of the distributions of the
      reconstructed innervation zones were determined with a mean distance of 9.4  +/- 
      1.4 cm from the reference plane, situated at the medial epicondyle of the
      humerus. A mean depth was calculated as 1.5  +/-  0.3 cm from the geometric
      centers to the closed points over the skin. The results are consistent with those
      reported in previous histology studies. It was also found that the volumes and
      distributions of the reconstructed innervation zones changed as the stimulation
      intensities increased until the supramaximal muscle response was achieved.
      SIGNIFICANCE: Results have demonstrated the high performance of the proposed
      imaging technique in noninvasively imaging global distributions of the
      innervation zones in the three-dimensional muscle space in vivo, and the
      feasibility of its clinical applications, such as guiding botulinum toxin
      injections in spasticity management, or in early diagnosis of neurodegenerative
      progression of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis.

PMID- 28358720
TI  - Synthesis, characterization, and photoluminescence of Er2O3-Er2SO2 nanoparticles
      on reduced graphene oxide.
AB  - Thermal reduction of erbium nitrate and S-doped reduced graphene oxide (rGO)
      mixture resulted in the formation of small (~3-18 nm sized) Er2O3-Er2SO2
      nanoparticles with a high degree of surface coverage on the reduced GO support.
      The morphology, structure, and the chemical composition of the synthesized
      nanoparticles have been studied by scanning and transmission electron microscopy,
      x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, x-ray diffraction, and by optical
      spectroscopies. The rGO-supported Er2O3-Er2SO2 nanoparticles (Er2O3-Er2SO2/rGO)
      demonstrate sufficiently strong light emission (luminescence and upconversion) in
      the visible and near-infrared range via intra-4f Er3+ optical transitions. The
      reported synthetic approach demonstrates a novel method for synthesizing Er
      containing nanoparticles for sensor applications.

PMID- 28358721
TI  - Cavity theory applications for kilovoltage cellular dosimetry.
AB  - Relationships between macroscopic (bulk tissue) and microscopic (cellular) dose
      descriptors are investigated using cavity theory and Monte Carlo (MC)
      simulations. Small, large, and multiple intermediate cavity theory (SCT, LCT, and
      ICT, respectively) approaches are considered for 20 to 370 keV incident photons;
      ICT is a sum of SCT and LCT contributions weighted by parameter d. Considering
      MUm-sized cavities of water in bulk tissue phantoms, different cavity theory
      approaches are evaluated via comparison of [Formula: see text] (where D w,m is
      dose-to-water-in-medium and D m,m is dose-to-medium-in-medium) with MC results.
      The best overall agreement is achieved with an ICT approach in which [Formula:
      see text], where L is the mean chord length of the cavity and beta is given by
      [Formula: see text] (R CSDA is the continuous slowing down approximation range of
      an electron of energy equal to that of incident photons). Cell nucleus doses, D
      nuc, computed with this ICT approach are compared with those from MC simulations
      involving multicellular soft tissue models considering a representative range of
      cell/nucleus sizes and elemental compositions. In [Formula: see text] of cases,
      ICT and MC predictions agree within [Formula: see text]; disagreement is at most
      8.8%. These results suggest that cavity theory may be useful for linking doses
      from model-based dose calculation algorithms (MBDCAs) with energy deposition in
      cellular targets. Finally, based on the suggestion that clusters of water
      molecules associated with DNA are important radiobiological targets, two
      approaches for estimating dose-to-water by application of SCT to MC results for D
      m,m or D nuc are compared. Results for these two estimates differ by up to
      [Formula: see text], demonstrating the sensitivity of energy deposition within a
      small volume of water in nucleus to the geometry and composition of its
      surroundings. In terms of the debate over the dose specification medium for
      MBDCAs, these results do not support conversion of D m,m to D w,m using SCT.

PMID- 28358723
TI  - Synthesis of MoS2/graphene hybrid supported Au and Ag nanoparticles with multi
      functional catalytic properties.
AB  - The detection and removal of nitroaromatic compounds is an important issue for
      environmental protection. In this study, a hybrid of molybdenum disulfide (MoS2)
      and graphene (GR) was first synthesized using a facile hydrothermal method. Au
      and Ag nanoparticles were then deposited onto the surface of the MoS2/GR hybrid
      with sodium citrate as the stabilizer and reductant. Compared to using pure MoS2
      as the support, the obtained Au (Ag)-MoS2/GR composites showed improved activity
      for electrochemical detection and chemical reduction of 4-nitrophenol. The
      activity enhancement appears to be due to the addition of GR, which could improve
      the conductivity as well as provide more active sites. The successful synthesis
      of Au (Ag)-MoS2/GR composites could provide new multi-function catalysts for
      environmental protection.

PMID- 28358722
TI  - BGO as a hybrid scintillator / Cherenkov radiator for cost-effective time-of
      flight PET.
AB  - Due to detector developments in the last decade, the time-of-flight (TOF) method
      is now commonly used to improve the quality of positron emission tomography (PET)
      images. Clinical TOF-PET systems based on L(Y)SO:Ce crystals and silicon
      photomultipliers (SiPMs) with coincidence resolving times (CRT) between 325 ps
      and 400 ps FWHM have recently been developed. Before the introduction of
      L(Y)SO:Ce, BGO was used in many PET systems. In addition to a lower price, BGO
      offers a superior attenuation coefficient and a higher photoelectric fraction
      than L(Y)SO:Ce. However, BGO is generally considered an inferior TOF-PET
      scintillator. In recent years, TOF-PET detectors based on the Cherenkov effect
      have been proposed. However, the low Cherenkov photon yield in the order of  ~10
      photons per event complicates energy discrimination-a severe disadvantage in
      clinical PET. The optical characteristics of BGO, in particular its high
      transparency down to 310 nm and its high refractive index of  ~2.15, are expected
      to make it a good Cherenkov radiator. Here, we study the feasibility of combining
      event timing based on Cherenkov emission with energy discrimination based on
      scintillation in BGO, as a potential approach towards a cost-effective TOF-PET
      detector. Rise time measurements were performed using a time-correlated single
      photon counting (TCSPC) setup implemented on a digital photon counter (DPC)
      array, revealing a prompt luminescent component likely to be due to Cherenkov
      emission. Coincidence timing measurements were performed using BGO crystals with
      a cross-section of 3 mm  *  3 mm and five different lengths between 3 mm and 20
      mm, coupled to DPC arrays. Non-Gaussian coincidence spectra with a FWHM of 200 ps
      were obtained with the 27 mm3 BGO cubes, while FWHM values as good as 330 ps were
      achieved with the 20 mm long crystals. The FWHM value was found to improve with
      decreasing temperature, while the FWTM value showed the opposite trend.

PMID- 28358724
TI  - Nanoselective area growth of defect-free thick indium-rich InGaN nanostructures
      on sacrificial ZnO templates.
AB  - Nanoselective area growth (NSAG) by metal organic vapor phase epitaxy of high
      quality InGaN nanopyramids on GaN-coated ZnO/c-sapphire is reported. Nanopyramids
      grown on epitaxial low-temperature GaN-on-ZnO are uniform and appear to be single
      crystalline, as well as free of dislocations and V-pits. They are also indium
      rich (with homogeneous 22% indium incorporation) and relatively thick (100 nm).
      These properties make them comparable to nanostructures grown on GaN and AlN/Si
      templates, in terms of crystallinity, quality, morphology, chemical composition
      and thickness. Moreover, the ability to selectively etch away the ZnO allows for
      the potential lift-off and transfer of the InGaN/GaN nanopyramids onto
      alternative substrates, e.g. cheaper and/or flexible. This technology offers an
      attractive alternative to NSAG on AlN/Si as a platform for the fabrication of
      high quality, thick and indium-rich InGaN monocrystals suitable for cheap,
      flexible and tunable light-emitting diodes.

PMID- 28358725
TI  - Electron beam induced etching of carbon nanotubes enhanced by secondary electrons
      in oxygen.
AB  - Multi-walled carbon nanotubes (CNTs) are subjected to electron-beam-induced
      etching (EBIE) in oxygen. The EBIE process is observed in situ by environmental
      transmission electron microscopy. The partial pressure of oxygen (10 and 100 Pa),
      energy of the primary electrons (80 and 200 keV), and environment of the CNTs
      (suspended or supported on a silicon nitride membrane) are investigated as
      factors affecting the etching rate. The EBIE rate of CNTs was markedly promoted
      by the effects of secondary electrons that were emitted from a silicon nitride
      membrane under irradiation by primary electrons. Membrane supported CNTs can be
      cut by EBIE with a spatial accuracy better than 3 nm, and a nanogap of 2 nm can
      be successfully achieved between the ends of two suspended CNTs.

PMID- 28358726
TI  - Local delivery of thyroid hormone enhances oligodendrogenesis and myelination
      after spinal cord injury.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: Traumatic spinal cord injury (SCI) causes apoptosis of myelin-forming
      oligodendrocytes (OLs) and demyelination of surviving axons, resulting in
      conduction failure. Remyelination of surviving denuded axons provides a promising
      therapeutic target for spinal cord repair. While cell transplantation has
      demonstrated efficacy in promoting remyelination and functional recovery, the
      lack of ideal cell sources presents a major obstacle to clinical application. The
      adult spinal cord contains oligodendrocyte precursor cells and multipotent neural
      stem/progenitor cells that have the capacity to differentiate into mature,
      myelinating OLs. However, endogenous oligodendrogenesis and remyelination
      processes are limited by the upregulation of remyelination-inhibitory molecules
      in the post-injury microenvironment. Multiple growth factors/molecules have been
      shown to promote OL differentiation and myelination. APPROACH: In this study we
      screened these therapeutics and found that 3, 3', 5-triiodothyronine (T3) is the
      most effective in promoting oligodendrogenesis and OL maturation in vitro.
      However, systemic administration of T3 to achieve therapeutic doses in the
      injured spinal cord is likely to induce hyperthyroidism, resulting in serious
      side effects. MAIN RESULTS: In this study we developed a novel hydrogel-based
      drug delivery system for local delivery of T3 to the injury site without
      eliciting systemic toxicity. SIGNIFICANCE: Using a clinically relevant cervical
      contusion injury model, we demonstrate that local delivery of T3 at doses
      comparable to safe human doses promoted new mature OL formation and myelination
      after SCI.

PMID- 28358727
TI  - Salvage Islet Auto Transplantation After Relaparatomy.
AB  - BACKGROUND: To assess feasibility, safety, and metabolic outcome of islet auto
      transplantation (IAT) in patients undergoing completion pancreatectomy because of
      sepsis or bleeding after pancreatic surgery. METHODS: From November 2008 to
      October 2016, approximately 22 patients were candidates to salvage IAT during
      emergency relaparotomy because of postpancreatectomy sepsis (n = 11) or bleeding
      (n = 11). Feasibility, efficacy, and safety of salvage IAT were compared with
      those documented in a cohort of 36 patients who were candidate to simultaneous
      IAT during nonemergency preemptive completion pancreatectomy through the
      pancreaticoduodenectomy. RESULTS: The percentage of candidates that received the
      infusion of islets was significantly lower in salvage IAT than simultaneous IAT
      (59.1% vs 88.9%, P = 0.008), mainly because of a higher rate of inadequate islet
      preparations. Even if microbial contamination of islet preparation was
      significantly higher in candidates to salvage IAT than in those to simultaneous
      IAT (78.9% vs 20%, P < 0.001), there was no evidence of a higher rate of
      complications related to the procedure. Median follow-up was 5.45 +/- 0.52 years.
      Four (36%) of 11 patients reached insulin independence, 6 patients (56%) had
      partial graft function, and 1 patient (9%) had primary graft nonfunction. At the
      last follow-up visit, median fasting C-peptide was 0.43 (0.19-0.93) ng/mL; median
      insulin requirement was 0.38 (0.04-0.5) U/kg per day, and median HbA1c was 6.6%
      (5.9%-8.1%). Overall mortality, in-hospital mortality, metabolic outcome, graft
      survival, and insulin-free survival after salvage IAT were not different from
      those documented after simultaneous IAT. CONCLUSIONS: Our data demonstrate the
      feasibility, efficacy, and safety of salvage IAT after relaparotomy.

PMID- 28358730
TI  - Individualized antiretroviral therapeutic approaches: less can be more.

PMID- 28358729
TI  - Detection of HIV RNA in dried blood spots and oral fluids.
AB  - : We evaluated detection of HIV-1 RNA from dried blood spots (DBS) and oral fluid
      specimens. Between February 2010 and August 2014, HIV-1 was newly diagnosed in
      eight (2.6%) study participants who had median blood HIV-1 RNA of 61 500
      copies/ml (interquartile range 7500-146 000). RNA was detected in seven (87.5%)
      DBS and three (37.5%) oral fluid swabs but was not detected in either specimen
      from one participant. DBS may be a reasonable specimen collection method to
      detect acute infection.

PMID- 28358731
TI  - Major health impact of accelerated aging in young HIV-infected individuals on
      antiretroviral therapy.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Aging among HIV-infected individuals on antiretroviral therapy (ART)
      is a significant clinical challenge; however, studies assessing multidimensional
      aspects of aging are lacking. We characterized 10 geriatric conditions
      encompassing multiple functional domains, its health impact and associated risk
      factors in HIV-infected and age-matched uninfected controls. METHODS: HIV
      infected individuals were recruited from the outpatient clinic in University
      Malaya Medical Centre, Malaysia and controls from the community. All participants
      were aged at least 25 years of age with no acute illness, and HIV-infected
      individuals were on stable ART. Geriatric conditions were assessed and the burden
      scored as a composite of geriatric conditions present in an individual (total
      score = 10). Multivariate regression analysis was performed to determine the risk
      factors and health impact associated with the burden of geriatric conditions.
      RESULTS: We analyzed data from 336 HIV-infected individuals (total HIV+), of whom
      172 were matched for age, sex, and ethnicity with 172 HIV-uninfected controls
      (matched subset). In the total HIV-positive cohort, median (interquartile range)
      age was 44 (38-51) years and CD4 T-cell count was 562 (398-737) cells/MUl. The
      burden of geriatric conditions was significantly higher in the HIV-infected group
      compared with controls (P < 0.001). With an increasing geriatric condition
      burden, quality-of-life scores were 2.2-times poorer, healthcare use five times
      greater, and mortality risk scores four times higher in the HIV-infected group
      compared with matched controls. Both sociobehavioural and HIV-related clinical
      factors were independently associated with an increasing burden of geriatric
      condition in HIV. CONCLUSIONS: A high burden of geriatric conditions with
      significant impact on health outcomes, including mortality risk scores are
      observed among HIV-infected individuals on ART in a resource-limited setting.

PMID- 28358733
TI  - Plasma dickkopf-related protein 1, an antagonist of the Wnt pathway, is
      associated with HIV-associated neurocognitive impairment.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: Dickkopf-related protein 1 (DKK1) is a soluble antagonist of the
      Wningless (Wnt) pathway. It binds to and sequesters low-density lipoprotein
      receptor-related proteins 5/6 away from Wnts. Because the Wnt pathway regulates
      synaptic transmission and plasticity, we hypothesized that increased DKK1 would
      increase the risk for neurocognitive impairment (NCI) in HIV-positive (HIV)
      individuals. We evaluated, here, the relationship between plasma DKK1 and global
      NCI. METHODS: Plasma samples and data from 41 HIV to 42 HIV adults were obtained
      from the University of California, San Diego, California, USA. Concentrations of
      DKK1 and a comparator protein, monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 (MCP-1), were
      quantified in plasma by immunoassay. All study participants completed a
      standardized comprehensive neuropsychological test battery and their performance
      was summarized using the global deficit score method. RESULTS: A higher DKK1
      level was associated with NCI among HIV participants (d = 0.63, P = 0.05),
      particularly among the 26 participants whose plasma HIV RNA level was suppressed
      (d = 0.74, P = 0.08). DKK1 level was not associated with NCI among HIV
      participants (P = 0.98). was not associated with NCI in either group. In HIV
      adults with suppressed plasma HIV RNA, a receiver operator characteristic curve
      identified that a DKK1 level of at least 735 pg/ml had a positive predictive
      value of 83.3% for a diagnosis of NCI. This association did not weaken after
      accounting for the effect of AIDS, nadir CD4 T-cell count, addictive drug use, or
      demographic characteristics. CONCLUSION: DKK1 is a specific biomarker for NCI in
      HIV adults, implicating the Wnt pathway in HIV neuropathogenesis.

PMID- 28358736
TI  - HIV type 2 epidemic in Spain: challenges and missing opportunities.
AB  - : HIV type 2 (HIV-2) is a neglected virus despite estimates of 1-2 million people
      infected worldwide. HIV-2 is less efficiently transmitted than HIV-1 by sex and
      from mother to child. Although AIDS may develop in HIV-2 carriers, it takes
      longer than in HIV-1-infected patients. In contrast with HIV-1 infection, there
      is no global pandemic caused by HIV-2, as the virus is largely confined to West
      Africa. In a less extent and due to socioeconomic ties and wars, HIV-2 is
      prevalent in Portugal and its former colonies in Brazil, India, Mozambique and
      Angola. Globally, HIV-2 infections are steadily declining over time. A total of
      338 cases of HIV-2 infection had been reported at the Spanish HIV-2 registry
      until December 2016, of whom 63% were men. Overall 72% were sub-Saharan Africans,
      whereas 16% were native Spaniards. Dual HIV-1 and HIV-2 coinfection was found in
      9% of patients. Heterosexual contact was the most likely route of HIV-2
      acquisition in more than 90% of cases. Roughly one-third presented with CD4 cell
      counts less than 200 cells/MUl and/or AIDS clinical events. Plasma HIV-2 RNA was
      undetectable at baseline in 40% of patients. To date, one-third of HIV-2 carriers
      have received antiretroviral therapy, using integrase inhibitors 32 individuals.
      New diagnoses of HIV-2 in Spain have remained stable since 2010 with an average
      of 15 cases yearly. Illegal immigration from Northwestern African borders
      accounts for over 75% of new HIV-2 diagnoses. Given the relatively large
      community of West Africans already living in Spain and the continuous flux of
      immigration from endemic regions, HIV-2 infection either alone or as coinfection
      with HIV-1 should be excluded once in all HIV-seroreactive persons, especially
      when showing atypical HIV serological profiles, immunovirological disconnect (CD4
      cell count loss despite undetectable HIV-1 viremia) and/or high epidemiological
      risks (birth in or sex partners from endemic regions).

PMID- 28358734
TI  - Intracellular HIV-1 RNA and CD4+ T-cell activation in patients starting
      antiretrovirals.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: To assess if the reduction in HIV-1 RNA in CD4 T cells is correlated
      with the persistence of immune activation following early antiretroviral therapy
      (ART). DESIGN: Clinical trial (NCT01285050). METHODS: Next-generation sequencing
      was used to study total RNA from activated CD4 T cells (CD38 and human leukocyte
      antigen - antigen D related (HLA-DR) expressing) collected from 19 treatment
      naive HIV-1/hepatitis C virus-infected patients before and early after ART
      initiation (>=12 weeks after plasma HIV-1 RNA <50 copies/ml). To validate
      comparisons, pre and post-ART measures were adjusted for input RNA and overall
      read number. RESULTS: As expected, ART use was associated with a median
      [interquartile range (IQR)] 4.3% (2.2-8.3) reduction in the proportion of
      activated CD4 T cells (P = 0.0008). Whereas in those activated CD4 T cells no
      consistent differences in overall gene expression were detected, interferon
      stimulated gene expression declined (P < 2 * 10). Pre-ART, sorted activated CD4 T
      cells contained a median (IQR) of 959 (252-1614) HIV-1 reads/10 reads compared
      with 72 (55-152) HIV-1 reads/10 reads after at least 12 weeks of suppressive ART
      (P = 8 * 10). The decrease in HIV-1 reads in activated CD4 T cells was associated
      with the change in plasma HIV-1 RNA levels (r = 0.77, P = 2 * 10) and the change
      in the proportion of activated CD4 T cells (r = 0.70, P = 0.0016). CONCLUSION:
      Months of ART led to a marked decrease in cell-associated HIV-1 RNA and
      interferon-stimulated genes expression in activated CD4 T cells that were
      strongly associated with the reduction in the proportion of activated CD4 T
      cells.

PMID- 28358738
TI  - alpha7-Nicotinic acetylcholine receptor inhibition by indinavir: implications for
      cognitive dysfunction in treated HIV disease.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: The study set out to determine if the HIV protease inhibitor,
      indinavir, alters responsiveness of alpha7-nicotinic acetylcholine receptors to
      acetylcholine. DESIGN: Treatment with HAART has dramatically reduced development
      of HIV-associated dementia and more severe forms of cognitive impairment.
      However, many individuals continue to experience cognitive decline of uncertain
      cause. Previous studies have failed to demonstrate significant alterations of
      functional brain connectivity, structural brain changes, or changes in cerebral
      blood flow sufficient to explain cognitive decline in virally suppressed
      individuals. This suggests that the mechanisms underlying development and
      progression of cognitive problems likely occurs at a micro rather than macro
      level, such as disruptions in neurotransmitter system signaling. MATERIALS AND
      METHODS: Indinavir's effects on alpha7-nicotinic acetylcholine receptor activity
      was tested using a ScreenPatch IonWorks Barracuda-based assay in a mammalian cell
      model. RESULTS: At low concentrations (0.0003-10 MUmol/l) indinavir acts as a
      positive allosteric modulator (EC50 = 0.021 MUmol/l), whereas at concentrations
      greater than 10 MUmol/l (30-100 MUmol/l) indinavir acts as an inhibitor of the
      alpha7-nicotinic acetylcholine receptor. CONCLUSION: At concentrations greater
      than 10 MUmol/l indinavir reduces synaptic transmission in the acetylcholine
      neurotransmitter system, which could possibly contribute to cognitive
      dysfunction. These results suggest that further experiments should be considered
      to assess whether patients might benefit from treatment with cholinesterase
      inhibitors that counteract the effects of indinavir.

PMID- 28358737
TI  - Delay in sexual maturation in perinatally HIV-infected youths is mediated by poor
      growth.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the association between HIV infection and sexual
      maturation, and mediation of this association by HIV effects on growth. DESIGN:
      Pooled data were analyzed from two longitudinal cohort studies, the International
      Maternal Pediatric Adolescent AIDS Clinical Trials P219/219C Study (1993-2007)
      and the Pediatric HIV/AIDS Cohort Study Adolescent Master Protocol (2007-2015),
      including perinatally HIV-infected (PHIV) and HIV-exposed uninfected (PHEU)
      youths. METHODS: We evaluated age at sexual maturity among 2539 PHIV and PHEU
      adolescents based on annual physician-assessed pubertal staging measures.
      Interval-censored regression models were used to evaluate associations of HIV
      infection with age at maturity. Mediation analyses accounting for height and BMI
      Z-scores at specific ages were used to estimate direct and indirect effects of
      HIV infection on age at sexual maturity. RESULTS: Mean ages at sexual maturity
      for PHIV girls (n = 1032) were 15.5 years for both female breast and pubic hair
      and 15.9 and 15.8 years for PHIV boys (n = 1054) for genitalia and pubic hair,
      respectively. PHIV youths matured approximately 6 months later on average than
      PHEU (n = 221 girls and 232 boys), and this difference persisted after adjustment
      for race/ethnicity and birth cohort. BMI and height Z-scores mediated the
      association between HIV infection and later maturation in girls, accounting for
      up to 74% of the total HIV effect. Only height Z-scores mediated the effect of
      HIV on male age at maturity, accounting for up to 98% of the HIV effect.
      CONCLUSION: PHIV youths attain sexual maturity later on average than PHEU youths.
      Much of this difference may be attributable to deficient growth, suggesting
      directions for future interventions.

PMID- 28358741
TI  - Novel genetic associations and gene-gene interactions of chemokine receptor and
      chemokine genetic polymorphisms in HIV/AIDS.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: To investigate the influence of candidate polymorphisms on chemokine
      receptor/ligand genes on HIV infection and AIDS progression (HIV/AIDS). DESIGN:
      Fifteen polymorphisms of the CCR3, CCR4, CCR5, CCR6, CCR8, CXCR3, CXCR6, CCL20,
      CCL22 and CXCL10 genes were analysed in 206 HIV-positive patients classified as
      rapid progressors (n = 40), or nonrapid progressors (n = 166), and in 294 HIV
      seronegative patients. METHODS: The polymorphisms were genotyped using
      minisequencing. Genetic models were tested using binomial logistic regression;
      nonparametric multifactor dimensionality reduction (MDR) was used to detect gene
      gene interactions. RESULTS: The CCR3 rs3091250 [TT, adjusted odds ratio (AOR):
      2.147, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.076-4.287, P = 0.030], CCR8 rs2853699
      (GC/CC, AOR: 1.577, 95% CI 1.049-2.371, P = 0.029), CXCL10 rs56061981 (CT/TT,
      AOR: 1.819, 95% CI 1.074-3.081, P = 0.026) and CCL22 rs4359426 (CA/AA, AOR:
      1.887, 95% CI 1.021-3.487, P = 0.043) polymorphisms were associated with
      susceptibility to HIV infection. The CCL20 rs13034664 (CC, OR: 0.214, 95% CI
      0.063-0.730, P = 0.014) and CCL22 rs4359426 (CA/AA, OR: 2.685, 95% CI 1.128
      6.392, P = 0.026) variants were associated with rapid progression to AIDS. In MDR
      analyses revealed that the CXCL10 rs56061981 and CCL22 rs4359426 combination was
      the best model, with 57% accuracy (P = 0.008) for predicting susceptibility to
      HIV infection. CONCLUSION: Our results provide new insights into the influence of
      candidate chemokine receptor/ligand polymorphisms and significant evidence for
      gene-gene interactions on HIV/AIDS susceptibility.

PMID- 28358744
TI  - SHORT-TERM OUTCOMES OF HYBRID 23-, 25-, AND 27-GAUGE VITRECTOMY FOR COMPLEX
      DIABETIC TRACTIONAL RETINAL DETACHMENT REPAIR.
AB  - PURPOSE: To describe the short-term outcomes of complex diabetic retinal
      detachment repair using hybrid 23-gauge or 25-gauge vitrectomy instruments with a
      27-gauge vitrectomy system. METHODS: Retrospective, interventional, consecutive
      case series. Ten eyes of 10 patients undergoing hybrid pars plana vitrectomy for
      diabetic tractional retinal detachment were reviewed. RESULTS: Combined use of 25
      gauge and 27-gauge instrumentation was used in 8 of 10 eyes and combined use of
      23-gauge and 27-gauge instrumentation in 2 of 10 eyes. In all cases, a 27-gauge
      vitreous cutter was used for membrane dissection and delamination. All eyes had
      successful anatomical reattachment at a mean follow-up of 207 +/- 55 days.
      Snellen visual acuity improved from a mean of 20/822 preoperatively to 20/566 at
      the final follow-up (P = 0.55). Mean intraocular pressure remained stable at 13
      +/- 3.4 mmHg preoperatively to 13.6 +/- 5.4 mmHg at the final follow-up (P =
      0.76). No intraoperative or postoperative complications were encountered.
      CONCLUSION: Concurrent use of the 27-gauge vitreous cutter with 23-gauge or 25
      gauge instrumentation was effective during diabetic tractional retinal detachment
      repair. This hybrid technique was not associated with any significant
      intraoperative or short-term postoperative complications.

PMID- 28358742
TI  - Similar effectiveness of direct-acting antiviral against hepatitis C virus in
      patients with and without HIV infection.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: We compared the baseline characteristics, effectiveness, and tolerance
      of direct-acting antiviral drug (DAA)-based regimens taken by hepatitis C virus
      (HCV)-monoinfected and HCV/HIV-coinfected individuals in clinical practice.
      DESIGN: We performed a prospective observational study in two tertiary centres in
      Madrid, Spain, which included all HCV-monoinfected and HCV/HIV-coinfected
      patients undergoing HCV treatment with all-oral DAA regimens in a routine
      clinical setting, from April 2015 to November 2015. We evaluated sustained
      virological response 12 weeks after the end of therapy (SVR12), adverse events,
      and baseline and treatment characteristics. RESULTS: The study population
      comprised 1634 patients: 1152 HCV-monoinfected patients (70%) and 482 HCV/HIV
      coinfected patients (30%). Fifty percent had cirrhosis, and 47% were
      peginterferon/ribavirin-experienced. HCV/HIV-coinfected patients were younger
      [median age (interquartile range) 51 (48-54) years vs. 59 (50-68) years; P <
      0.001), more frequently male (76 vs. 54%; P < 0.001), and infected with genotypes
      1a (37 vs. 17%; P < 0.001), 3 (15 vs. 7%; P < 0.001), and 4 (23 vs. 4%; P <
      0.001). One of every three patients took ribavirin. SVR12 was 94% (95% confidence
      interval 91.7-96%) and 97% (95% confidence interval 95.7-99.4%) in coinfected and
      monoinfected patients, respectively, with no significant differences between the
      groups after adjustment for cirrhosis, genotype, and DAA combination. DAA-based
      regimens were well tolerated, and only 1% of patients had severe adverse events,
      with no differences between the populations. CONCLUSIONS: HCV/HIV-infected
      patients treated with all-oral DAA combinations achieved high rates of SVR12 that
      were similar to those of HCV-monoinfected patients under real-life conditions.
      Safety and tolerance were excellent, even in patients with end-stage liver
      disease.

PMID- 28358743
TI  - MASSIVE SUBRETINAL GAS AFTER VITRECTOMY SURGERY: MECHANISM AND MANAGEMENT.
AB  - PURPOSE: To describe the complication of subretinal gas after pars plana
      vitrectomy for rhegmatogenous retinal detachment, as well as its management.
      METHODS: The presence of subretinal gas was noted on postoperative Day 1 after
      pars plana vitrectomy for a chronic rhegmatogenous retinal detachment. Resolution
      of subretinal gas was facilitated by an infusion line and external sclerotomy to
      expand the vitreous cavity. Residual subretinal gas was removed through a
      posterior retinotomy after fluid-air exchange. RESULTS: This technique resulted
      in the successful evacuation of subretinal gas, allowing for chorioretinal
      adhesion and reattachment of the retina. CONCLUSION: Subretinal gas can rarely
      occur after pars plana vitrectomy for rhegmatogenous retinal detachment. This
      complication can be successfully managed by way of external drainage, followed by
      evacuation of residual gas through fluid-air exchange and posterior retinotomy.

PMID- 28358745
TI  - STENOTROPHOMONAS MALTOPHILIA ENDOPHTHALMITIS 1 MONTH AFTER INTRAVITREAL
      AFLIBERCEPT.
AB  - PURPOSE: Endophthalmitis caused by Stenotrophomonas maltophilia is rare and has
      been described after cataract surgery and open globe injuries. We report a
      patient with endophthalmitis caused by this organism after uncomplicated
      intravitreal aflibercept injection. METHODS: A 70-year-old man with a history of
      anti-vascular endothelial growth factor therapy for diabetic macular edema
      presented 23 days after aflibercept injection with clinical diagnosis of
      endophthalmitis. The patient initially had mild pain, conjunctival congestion,
      and anterior chamber cell; 2 days later, the patient returned with hand motion
      visual acuity, hypopyon, and dense vitritis. RESULTS: A tap and inject procedure
      was performed. The aqueous sample confirmed the presence of S. maltophilia.
      Antimicrobial testing showed susceptibility to ceftazidime which was used during
      the initial treatment. After resolution of the vitritis and hypopyon, the visual
      acuity returned to 20/70 at his 3-month follow-up examination. CONCLUSION:
      Stenotrophomonas maltophilia is a rare infectious agent associated with
      intravitreal injection and may present 1 month after treatment.

PMID- 28358746
TI  - SOLITARY RETINAL CAPILLARY HEMANGIOMA IN A PATIENT WITH BILATERAL CHORIORETINAL
      COLOBOMA.
AB  - PURPOSE: To report a case showing a very rare association of chorioretinal
      coloboma and retinal capillary hemangioma in a previously healthy patient.
      METHODS: Observational case report. RESULTS: A 21-year-old woman presented at our
      clinic for vision screening. She had a history of bilateral chorioretinal
      coloboma with amblyopia in her left eye. Her best-corrected visual acuity was
      20/25 in her right eye and 20/200 in her left eye. On slit-lamp examination, iris
      coloboma was observed in the left eye. Fundus evaluation showed inferior
      chorioretinal coloboma in both eyes, and an elevated, round, and orange-red
      retinal lesion with feeder vessels localized in the midperipheral region of the
      right eye. The patient was diagnosed as having solitary retinal capillary
      hemangioma and underwent argon laser therapy for treating the tumoral lesion.
      Diagnostic studies were negative for von Hippel-Lindau disease. This is the first
      reported case of solitary retinal capillary hemangioma associated with bilateral
      chorioretinal coloboma. CONCLUSION: Chorioretinal coloboma is a congenital defect
      of the eye caused by improper closure of the embryonic fissure. Retinal capillary
      hemangioma is a vascular retinal tumor that may occur sporadically or as part of
      the von Hippel-Lindau syndrome. We report a rare association of chorioretinal
      coloboma and retinal capillary hemangioma in a previously healthy patient.This is
      an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons
      Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives License 4.0 (CC BY-NC-ND), which permits
      downloading and sharing the work provided it is properly cited. The work cannot
      be changed in any way or used commercially.

PMID- 28358747
TI  - Binaural Interaction Effects of 30-50 Hz Auditory Steady State Responses.
AB  - OBJECTIVES: Auditory stimuli modulated by modulation frequencies within the 30 to
      50 Hz region evoke auditory steady state responses (ASSRs) with high signal to
      noise ratios in adults, and can be used to determine the frequency-specific
      hearing thresholds of adults who are unable to give behavioral feedback reliably.
      To measure ASSRs as efficiently as possible a multiple stimulus paradigm can be
      used, stimulating both ears simultaneously. The response strength of 30 to 50Hz
      ASSRs is, however, affected when both ears are stimulated simultaneously. The aim
      of the present study is to gain insight in the measurement efficiency of 30 to 50
      Hz ASSRs evoked with a 2-ear stimulation paradigm, by systematically
      investigating the binaural interaction effects of 30 to 50 Hz ASSRs in normal
      hearing adults. DESIGN: ASSRs were obtained with a 64-channel EEG system in 23
      normal-hearing adults. All participants participated in one diotic, multiple
      dichotic, and multiple monaural conditions. Stimuli consisted of a modulated one
      octave noise band, centered at 1 kHz, and presented at 70 dB SPL. The diotic
      condition contained 40 Hz modulated stimuli presented to both ears. In the
      dichotic conditions, the modulation frequency of the left ear stimulus was kept
      constant at 40 Hz, while the stimulus at the right ear was either the unmodulated
      or modulated carrier. In case of the modulated carrier, the modulation frequency
      varied between 30 and 50 Hz in steps of 2 Hz across conditions. The monaural
      conditions consisted of all stimuli included in the diotic and dichotic
      conditions. RESULTS: Modulation frequencies >=36 Hz resulted in prominent ASSRs
      in all participants for the monaural conditions. A significant enhancement effect
      was observed (average: ~3 dB) in the diotic condition, whereas a significant
      reduction effect was observed in the dichotic conditions. There was no distinct
      effect of the temporal characteristics of the stimuli on the amount of reduction.
      The attenuation was in 33% of the cases >3 dB for ASSRs evoked with modulation
      frequencies >=40 Hz and 50% for ASSRs evoked with modulation frequencies <=36 Hz.
      CONCLUSIONS: Binaural interaction effects as observed in the diotic condition are
      similar to the binaural interaction effects of middle latency responses as
      reported in the literature, suggesting that these responses share a same
      underlying mechanism. Our data also indicated that 30 to 50 Hz ASSRs are
      attenuated when presented dichotically and that this attenuation is independent
      of the stimulus characteristics as used in the present study. These findings are
      important as they give insight in how binaural interaction affects the
      measurement efficiency. The 2-ear stimulation paradigm of the present study was,
      for the most optimal modulation frequencies (i.e., >=40 Hz), more efficient than
      a 1-ear sequential stimulation paradigm in 66% of the cases.

PMID- 28358748
TI  - Effect of Thoracic Epidural Anesthesia on Ventricular Excitability in a Porcine
      Model.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Imbalances in the autonomic nervous system, namely, excessive
      sympathoexcitation, contribute to ventricular tachyarrhythmias. While thoracic
      epidural anesthesia clinically suppresses ventricular tachyarrhythmias, its
      effects on global and regional ventricular electrophysiology and electrical wave
      stability have not been fully characterized. The authors hypothesized that
      thoracic epidural anesthesia attenuates myocardial excitability and the
      proarrhythmic effects of sympathetic hyperactivity. METHODS: Yorkshire pigs (n =
      15) had an epidural catheter inserted (T1 to T4) and a 56-electrode sock placed
      on the heart. Myocardial excitability was measured by activation recovery
      interval, dispersion of repolarization, and action potential duration restitution
      at baseline and during programed ventricular extrastimulation or left stellate
      ganglion stimulation, before and 30 min after thoracic epidural anesthesia (0.25%
      bupivacaine). RESULTS: After thoracic epidural anesthesia infusion, there was no
      change in baseline activation recovery interval or dispersion of repolarization.
      During programmed ventricular extrastimulation, thoracic epidural anesthesia
      decreased the maximum slope of ventricular electrical restitution (0.70 +/- 0.24
      vs. 0.89 +/- 0.24; P = 0.021) reflecting improved electrical wave stability.
      Thoracic epidural anesthesia also reduced myocardial excitability during left
      stellate ganglion stimulation-induced sympathoexcitation through attenuated
      shortening of activation recovery interval (-7 +/- 4% vs. -4 +/- 3%; P = 0.001),
      suppression of the increase in dispersion of repolarization (313 +/- 293% vs. 185
      +/- 234%; P = 0.029), and reduction in sympathovagal imbalance as measured by
      heart rate variability. CONCLUSIONS: Our study describes the electrophysiologic
      mechanisms underlying antiarrhythmic effects of thoracic epidural anesthesia
      during sympathetic hyperactivity. Thoracic epidural anesthesia attenuates
      ventricular myocardial excitability and induces electrical wave stability through
      its effects on activation recovery interval, dispersion of repolarization, and
      the action potential duration restitution slope.

PMID- 28358749
TI  - Lost in Translation: The 2016 John W. Severinghaus Lecture on Translational
      Research.

PMID- 28358750
TI  - BIRD ATTACK OCULAR INJURIES.
AB  - BACKGROUND/PURPOSE: To report 30 patients with bird attack-related eye injuries.
      METHODS: This study was performed among patients coming to Farabi Eye Hospital,
      Tehran, Iran, from 2010 to 2015 with a history of bird attack causing eye injury.
      The inclusion criteria were a history of bird attack by pecking causing eye
      injury and having treatment and follow-up record for at least 6 months after
      treatment. The primary eye examinations included a full ophthalmic examination
      including evaluation of uncorrected visual acuity and best-corrected visual
      acuity (BCVA), anterior segment slit lamp biomicroscopy, and photography. For all
      patients with penetrating injury, primary repair was undertaken. RESULTS: Thirty
      patients (10 females and 20 males) with a mean age of 23.3 +/- 18.5 years entered
      the study. The most common zone of injury was zone 1 (P < 0.001), and lensectomy
      was not needed in majority of patients (P < 0.001). The most common bird causing
      the injury was mynah (P < 0.001). Those patients with baseline BCVA of less than
      20/200 or those with endophthalmitis had statistically worse final BCVA after
      treatment. Patients attacked by mynah bird had significantly better pretreatment
      uncorrected visual acuity and BCVA. CONCLUSION: The most common bird causing the
      eye injury among the sample of patients from Iran was mynah, which differs with
      previous studies indicating the rooster attack as the most common cause of eye
      injury. The authors also found that the most common zone of injury was zone 1,
      and the presence of endophthalmitis and lower baseline BCVA were significant risk
      factors for worse visual outcomes.

PMID- 28358751
TI  - 27-GAUGE VITRECTOMY WOUND INTEGRITY: A Randomized Pilot Study Comparing Angled
      Versus Straight Entry in Fluid-Filled Vitrectomized Eyes.
AB  - PURPOSE: To compare clinical outcomes using angled versus straight trocar
      insertion during 27-gauge pars plana vitrectomy for epiretinal membrane. METHODS:
      Pilot randomized controlled trial. Thirty eyes of 30 patients undergoing 27-gauge
      pars plana vitrectomy with membrane peeling for epiretinal membrane were
      randomized 1:1 to receive angled or straight trocar insertion. Intraocular
      pressure (IOP) and postoperative wound-related complications were compared.
      RESULTS: Fifteen eyes were randomized to each the angled and straight incision
      groups. No significant difference in phakic status (P = 0.71) or preoperative IOP
      (15.1 +/- 3.4 vs. 14.6 +/- 3.0 mmHg, P = 0.67) existed between groups. On
      postoperative Day 1, eyes in the straight group had lower IOP compared with the
      angled group (11.8 +/- 3.9 vs. 15.3 +/- 5.2 mmHg, P = 0.04) and a relative
      decrease in IOP compared with preoperative values (11.8 +/- 3.9 vs. 15.1 +/- 3.4
      mmHg, P < 0.01). No IOP difference between groups was present at Day 7 (P = 0.43)
      or Day 30 (P = 0.42). Postoperative complications included transient hypotony (1
      eye, straight group) and serous choroidal detachment (1 eye, angled group).
      CONCLUSION: Eyes with straight incisions had transiently lower IOP on
      postoperative Day 1, possibly suggestive of subclinical wound leak in the very
      early postoperative period. Overall, rates of hypotony and sclerotomy-related
      complications were similarly low between wound construction strategies.

PMID- 28358753
TI  - Reply.

PMID- 28358752
TI  - Correspondence.

PMID- 28358756
TI  - Goddess of Imagination.

PMID- 28358755
TI  - Patients' Knowledge and Attitudes Towards Regular Alcohol Urine Screening: A
      Survey Study.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Despite its wide implementation, there is a paucity of data
      supporting the effectiveness of regular alcohol urine screening (RAUS) in
      maintaining abstinence. This study aims at investigating if RAUS serves other
      purposes, what attitudes patients display towards it, and patients' technical
      knowledge about basic screening notions. METHOD: We conducted a cross-sectional
      survey among adults with alcohol dependence, attending outpatient alcohol
      dependence treatment. It aimed at investigating patients' attitudes and beliefs
      towards RAUS, and technical notions of alcohol urine screening. For attitude
      assessment, we adapted the Drug Attitude Inventory (DAI-10) to the field of
      alcohol urine screening. Internal consistency, test-retest reliability, and
      concurrent validity were evaluated for the adapted questionnaire. RESULTS: In
      all, 128 patients completed the questionnaire. Patients rated RAUS as high. The
      DAI-10 mean score was 7.2 (SD = 3.6). Internal consistency analysis revealed a
      Cronbach alpha of 0.718. Test-retest reliability evaluation yielded an intraclass
      correlation coefficient of 0.932. The score of a single Likert-type question
      about overall perceived value was 8.5 (SD = 2). Their correlation with mean DAI
      10 score was of r = 0.254, with P = 0.009. Apart from relapse prevention,
      patients frequently reported other functions such as showing professionals and
      family members that they do not drink, or having a closer contact with
      professionals. A majority of patients believed alcohol use goes undetected after
      48 hours from last ingestion. CONCLUSION: Regular alcohol screening is highly
      valued by alcohol outpatients. It seems that apart from relapse prevention, other
      functions related to therapeutic alliance building, social desirability, and
      impression management also play a key role.

PMID- 28358754
TI  - Open-label Study of Injectable Extended-release Naltrexone (XR-NTX) in Healthcare
      Professionals With Opioid Dependence.
AB  - OBJECTIVES: Healthcare professionals (HCPs) with opioid dependence are at risk
      for relapse and death, particularly in the first year of recovery; however,
      maintenance treatment with opioid agonists is controversial in this safety
      sensitive group. We evaluated long-term safety, tolerability, and treatment
      outcomes of injectable, intramuscular, extended-release naltrexone (XR-NTX) in
      opioid-dependent HCPs. METHODS: This single-arm, multisite, open-label study was
      conducted in opioid-dependent HCPs who had been detoxified from opioids for at
      least 2 weeks. Subjects received monthly XR-NTX injections for up to 24 months,
      combined with counseling via intensive outpatient substance abuse treatment
      programs. Assessments included monthly urine opioid drug tests and routine safety
      assessments, along with a trimonthly short form (36) Health Survey, opioid
      craving questionnaire, and Treatment Satisfaction Questionnaire for Medication.
      RESULTS: Of 49 opioid-dependent HCPs screened, 38 enrolled and received at least
      1 XR-NTX injection. Most were female (n = 31) and nurses or nursing assistants (n
      = 30). More than half (n = 21; 55.3%) received at least 12 injections. Seven
      discontinued due to adverse events (3 anxiety, 2 headache, 1 injection-site mass,
      1 derealization). None experienced relapses to opioid dependence necessitating
      detoxification, overdose, or death during treatment. At 24 months, mean opioid
      craving fell by 45.2%, and short form (36) mental component scores improved by
      31.1% from baseline and approached normal levels. Of 22 unemployed subjects at
      baseline, 45.5% improved employment status at 24 months. CONCLUSIONS: Long-term
      (2 years) XR-NTX was associated with no new safety concerns, and, compared with
      shorter-term studies in the general population, similar or better rates of
      retention, opioid-negative urines, opioid craving reduction, mental health
      functional quality of life improvement, and re-employment.

PMID- 28358758
TI  - Idiopathic Sialolithiasis: Scalpel Versus Current Trends in Management.
AB  - Idiopathic sialolithiasis is one of the most common affliction of the salivary
      glands with the submandibular gland most frequently involved. The article
      discusses the occurrence and incidence of this condition with a review of
      different diagnostic and treatment modalities. In light of several advances to
      diagnose and treat sialolithiasis, a simple sialolithotomy for idiopathic
      submandibular gland sialolithiasis may prove to be a preferred treatment for
      selected patients as it remains a cost-effective and simple out-patient
      department procedure with minimal/no complications and a highly satisfactory
      outcome. For stones slightly proximal in the Wharton duct, a "dual" approach of
      milking the gland to bring the stone more distally followed by a sialolithotomy
      with a scalpel proves to be a quick and effective procedure.

PMID- 28358759
TI  - Salvage of a Necrotic Flap.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: To report the case of a 68-year-old woman with a skin basal cell
      carcinoma on the nasal dorsum. After excision, the soft tissue defect was
      reconstructed using a rectangular advancement flap. However, 2 days later skin
      necrosis was observed. This report was issued to advise how to avoid and manage
      skin necrosis after regional flap placement. METHODS: This is a retrospective
      study. RESULTS: Superficial skin necrosis recovered completely after proper
      medical management. CONCLUSIONS: When planning an advancement flap, care should
      be taken to design the flap properly and not to injure flap blood supply to avoid
      skin necrosis. In addition, surgeons should be aware of the difference between
      superficial and total flap necrosis.

PMID- 28358760
TI  - The Degree of Surgical Frontal Volume Correction in Metopic Synostosis Determines
      Long-Term Outcomes.
AB  - Metopic synostosis results in a keel-shaped forehead, reduced frontal
      intracranial volume (ICV), and lower frontal to total volume ratio. The ratio
      improves with cranioplasty, but at 3 years of age, the ratio is still not
      normalized when compared to that in normal children. The aim of the present study
      was to investigate whether a low frontal to total ICV ratio at 3 years of age was
      due to relapse or insufficient correction.All children surgically treated for
      metopic synostosis in combination with a spring at Sahlgrenska University
      Hospital with subsequent spring extraction between 2002 and 2008 (n = 20) were
      included. A MATLAB program was used to measure frontal and total
      ICV.Preoperatively, the frontal to total ICV ratio was 9.8 +/- 1.3% (mean +/-
      standard deviation). At spring removal, 6 months after cranioplasty, the ratio
      had increased to 11.8 +/- 2.4%. At 3 years of age, the ratio was 11.6 +/- 1.9%.
      In age-matched normal children, the ratio was 14.4 +/- 1.9% preoperatively, 15.3
      +/- 2.2% at time of spring extraction, and 13.4 +/- 1.4% at 3 years of
      age.Cranioplasty thus improved the frontal to total ICV ratio, but did not
      normalize it. The ratio did not change from 6 months after the cranioplasty to 3
      years of age. These results indicate that a more pronounced frontal volume
      correction during cranioplasty is necessary to achieve a normalized distribution
      of ICV in metopic synostosis.

PMID- 28358762
TI  - Craniosynostosis and Guanine Nucleotide-binding Protein Alpha Stimulating
      Mutation: Risk of Bleeding Diathesis and Circulatory Collapse in Patients
      Undergoing Cranial Vault Reconstruction.
AB  - Reconstruction of the craniosynostosis deformity is a relatively safe operation
      with low overall complication risks. Despite expected risk of significant blood
      loss, life-threatening bleeding is relatively rare, and there is a low incidence
      of reported deaths in the literature. Several modalities have been described for
      perioperative mitigation of blood loss and transfusion requirements. Due to the
      low overall risk of life-threatening bleeding and circulatory collapse, it is
      judicious that any potential causes of such unusual but potentially significant
      fatal bleeding complication be evaluated and reported to increase awareness for
      craniofacial surgeons treating these conditions. In this report and literature
      review, the authors present a highly unusual patient with significant bone
      bleeding and circulatory collapse in a metopic craniosynostosis patient with
      guanine nucleotide-binding protein alpha stimulating (GNAS) mutation; perform a
      literature review regarding bleeding diathesis in craniosynostosis patients with
      GNAS mutations; and suggest guidelines to potentially prevent mortality in such
      patients.

PMID- 28358761
TI  - Histomorphometric Comparison of Bone Regeneration in Critical-Sized Bone Defects
      Using Demineralized Bone Matrix, Platelet-Rich Fibrin, and Hyaluronic Acid as
      Bone Substitutes.
AB  - AIM: To compare bone regeneration in the critical-sized bone defects grafted with
      demineralized bone matrix, platelet-rich fibrin, and hyaluronic acid in rats.
      MATERIALS AND METHODS: Forty Wistar Albino rats allocated into 4 experimental
      groups: platelet-rich fibrin (PRF) group, noncross-linked hyaluronic acid gel
      (HA) group, demineralized bone matrix in putty form (DBM) group, and control
      group. A critical-sized defect of 8 mm was formed involving the sagittal suture
      for each rat under anesthetic induction. All animals were sacrificed at 21st day
      after surgery and histomorphometric parameters of total horizontal length (THL)
      and total vertical length (TVL) of newly produced bone and longest bone trabecula
      (LBT) were measured in the histologic slides. The difference between experimental
      groups for these parameters was analyzed. RESULTS: There was statistically
      significant difference in THL and LBT but not in TVL. Total horizontal length was
      significantly increased in DBM group compared with control and HA groups (P <
      0.05). There was also statistically significant increase in THL in PRF group
      compared with control group (P < 0.05). Longest bone trabecula significantly
      increased in DBM group compared with HA group (P < 0.05). There was also
      statistically significant increase in HA group compared with control group (P <
      0.05) and LBT significantly increased in PRF group compared with HA group (P <
      0.05). CONCLUSION: The sole usage of HA does not effectively increase bone
      regeneration when compared with DBM and PRF. The DBM and PRF do not have
      superiority to each other in the bone regeneration while they are superior to HA.

PMID- 28358763
TI  - Whole Blood in Pediatric Craniofacial Reconstruction Surgery.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Pediatric complex cranial vault reconstruction (CCVR) surgery is
      often associated with significant blood loss and transfusion. The authors
      recently changed our transfusion practice during CCVR to using whole blood (WB)
      instead of reconstituted blood (RB). The aim of this study was to assess the
      impact of this practice change. Our hypothesis was that replacement with WB would
      be as effective as RB for the outcomes of total perioperative blood donor
      exposures (BDEs) and the incidence of laboratory evidence of postoperative
      coagulopathy. METHODS: The authors queried the Pediatric Craniofacial Surgery
      Perioperative Registry for children ages <=48 months from our institution who
      underwent CCVR and received either RB or WB. The primary outcomes of total
      perioperative BDEs and the incidence of laboratory evidence of postoperative
      coagulopathy were compared between the 2 cohorts. RESULTS: The query returned 59
      subjects in the RB cohort and 52 subjects in the WB cohort. There were no
      significant differences in demographic variables between the 2 groups. Patients
      in the WB cohort were more likely to have <=1 BDEs when compared to the RB cohort
      (62% versus 39%, respectively, P = 0.02). There was no significant difference in
      the incidence of postoperative coagulation laboratory test abnormalities between
      the WB and RB cohorts (0% versus 3.4%, respectively, P = 0.50). CONCLUSION: There
      was no postoperative coagulopathy in the WB cohort. Whole blood was also
      associated with significantly fewer perioperative BDEs. Whole blood appears to be
      as effective as RB for replacement of blood loss in craniofacial surgery.

PMID- 28358764
TI  - A Thirty-Year Experience With Head and Neck Flap Reconstruction.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Head and neck (HN) defects after tumor extirpation can be challenging
      to repair. Historically, pedicled flaps were the mainstay for reconstruction, but
      recently, free tissue transfer has been preferred. This study compares patient
      characteristics and flap outcomes for HN defects over a 30-year period at the
      authors' institution. METHODS: Head and neck cancer patients receiving flap
      reconstruction from 1983 to 2013 were included. Records were reviewed for
      demographic and perioperative data. Flap complications were compared and
      statistical tests were 2-tailed with a significance level of 0.05. RESULTS: Eight
      hundred sixty-one patients fulfilled inclusion and exclusion criteria. Pedicled
      reconstruction predominated during early time-points (96.3% pedicled), compared
      with later years (69.5% free-tissue). Free flaps were associated with
      significantly longer operative times (643.5 versus 429.7 minutes, P<0.0001) and
      postoperative stays (16.89 versus 14.01 nights, P = 0.0005) and had higher rates
      of emergent reoperation, total flap loss, hematoma, and donor site morbidity.
      Previous irradiation did not affect major complication rate for either flap type.
      CONCLUSIONS: A shift from pedicled to free flaps for HN reconstruction occurred
      over the last 30 years. Free flaps had a higher complication profile in this
      cohort, which was largely accounted for by a higher return rate to the operating
      room compared with pedicled flaps (17.31% versus 5.46%, P<0.0001). Additionally,
      this complication profile may reflect the increasingly common use of free tissue
      flaps for more complex reconstructions. Several of these differences in
      complication rates between flap types were no longer significant in the last 5
      years of this study.

PMID- 28358765
TI  - Introduction of the American Academy of Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery
      FACE TO FACE Database.
AB  - The American Academy of Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery FACE TO FACE
      database was created to gather and organize patient data primarily from
      international humanitarian surgical mission trips, as well as local humanitarian
      initiatives. Similar to cloud-based Electronic Medical Records, this web-based
      user-generated database allows for more accurate tracking of provider and patient
      information and outcomes, regardless of site, and is useful when coordinating
      follow-up care for patients. The database is particularly useful on international
      mission trips as there are often different surgeons who may provide care to
      patients on subsequent missions, and patients who may visit more than 1 mission
      site. Ultimately, by pooling data across multiples sites and over time, the
      database has the potential to be a useful resource for population-based studies
      and outcome data analysis. The objective of this paper is to delineate the
      process involved in creating the AAFPRS FACE TO FACE database, to assess its
      functional utility, to draw comparisons to electronic medical records systems
      that are now widely implemented, and to explain the specific benefits and
      disadvantages of the use of the database as it was implemented on recent
      international surgical mission trips.

PMID- 28358766
TI  - Early Complications and Associated Perioperative Factors in Nonsyndromic
      Craniosynostosis.
AB  - This is the first Eastern center-based retrospective report on early
      complications and associated perioperative factors of nonsyndromic
      craniosynostosis (NSC). The authors' purpose is to tailor preoperative
      counseling, convey objective perioperative data, and determinants for early
      complications in NSC so as to enhance exchanges with international center.
      Inclusion criteria required a diagnosis of NSC confirmed by 3-dimentional
      computed tomography scans and complete medical record. Genetic evidence of
      syndromic craniosynostosis was excluded. Study population was divided into 4
      groups based on the suture involvement, which were compared with respect to
      demographics, perioperative factors, and the occurrence of complications.
      Demographic data were analyzed using descriptive statistics. Categorical
      variables were analyzed using the Fisher exact test. Continuous variables were
      analyzed using the Kruskal-Wallis test. To better study key determinants for
      early complications, regression analysis was performed. It revealed a
      predominance of sagittal (n = 36) throughout the time period studied. Eastern
      China (n = 33) and Southwest China (n = 13) were the top 2 districts where
      patients came. The authors also reported an overall rate of early complication of
      80% (n = 52). The most common were pyrexia (n = 50). Blood loss was a risk (P =
      0.041; OR, 1.102); meanwhile, transfusion of concentrated red blood cells was a
      higher risk (P = 0.035; OR, 2.033). This study represents the authors' initial 4
      years practice in NSC. The authors are endeavoring to enhance exchanges with
      Western centers.

PMID- 28358767
TI  - Academic Productivity of Faculty Associated With Craniofacial Surgery Fellowship
      Programs.
AB  - BACKGROUND: The H-index is increasingly being used as a measure of academic
      productivity and has been applied to various surgical disciplines. Here the
      authors calculate the H-index of craniofacial surgery fellowship faculty in North
      America in order to determine its utility for academic productivity among
      craniofacial surgeons. METHODS: A list of fellowship programs was obtained from
      the website of the American Society of Craniofacial Surgery. Faculty demographics
      and institution characteristics were obtained from official program websites and
      the H-index was calculated using Scopus (Elsevier, USA). Data were assessed using
      bivariate analysis tools (Kruskal-Wallis and Mann-Whitney tests) to determine the
      relationship between independent variables and career publications, H-index and 5
      year H-index (H5-index) of faculty. Dunn test for multiple comparisons was also
      calculated. RESULTS: A total of 102 faculty members from 29 craniofacial surgery
      fellowship programs were identified and included. Faculty demographics reflected
      a median age of 48 (interquartile range [IQR] 13), a predominantly male sample
      (88/102, 89.7%), and the rank of assistant professor being the most common among
      faculty members (41/102, 40.2%). Median of career publications per faculty was 37
      (IQR 52.5) and medians of H-index and H5-index were 10.0 (IQR 13.75) and 3.5 (IQR
      3.25), respectively. Greater age, male gender, Fellow of the American College of
      Surgeons membership, higher academic rank, and program affiliation with ranked
      research medical schools were significantly associated with higher H-indices.
      CONCLUSIONS: Variables associated with seniority were positively associated with
      the H-index. These results suggest that the H-index may be used as an adjunct in
      determining academic productivity for promotions among craniofacial surgeons.

PMID- 28358769
TI  - Reflecting on the Past and Looking Forward.

PMID- 28358770
TI  - Editorial.

PMID- 28358768
TI  - Impact of Ophthalmic Surgeon Experience on Early Postoperative Central Corneal
      Thickness After Cataract Surgery.
AB  - PURPOSE: To assess the impact of surgeon experience on early postoperative
      central corneal thickness (CCT) in eyes that have undergone phacoemulsification
      based cataract surgery. METHODS: One hundred sixty eyes underwent
      phacoemulsification-based cataract surgery performed by an experienced surgeon (n
      = 110; senior group) or a surgically less experienced ophthalmic assistant (n =
      50; junior group), using the divide-and-conquer or tilt-and-tumble technique for
      cataractous lens extraction. The primary endpoint was postoperative corneal edema
      2 hours after surgery, determined by pachymetry-based CCT. RESULTS: Mean age of
      patients was 71.5 +/- 9.1 years. Mean CCT at postoperative hour 2 was 622.8 +/-
      69.3 MUm: an increase of 14.3% +/- 10.8 from 545.3 +/- 33.7 MUm preoperatively (P
      = 0.0028). Mean CCT at postoperative hour 2 and postoperative corneal edema were
      significantly higher for the junior group than the senior group, with mean
      respective increases of 105.8 +/- 81.4 MUm (19.3% +/- 14.2%) and 66.4 +/- 3.7 MUm
      (12.3% +/- 8.3%), P = 0.0001. After adjustment for confounding factors, surgical
      experience was the only factor significantly associated with corneal edema: beta
      = 39.58; SD = 11.05; P = 0.0005. Other intergroup differences observed included
      significantly longer mean operating and mean ultrasound times in the junior group
      than in the senior group. A final corneal suture was used more frequently in the
      senior than in the junior group, at rates of 32.7% and 2.0%, respectively, P <
      0.0001. CONCLUSIONS: Greater surgical experience was found to be associated with
      reduced early postoperative corneal edema, shorter operative time, and shorter
      ultrasound time. This suggests that beyond mastering the initial learning curve
      of phacoemulsification, surgical experience enables faster and safer surgery.

PMID- 28358772
TI  - Orthopaedic Snafus: When Adverse Events Happen in Orthopaedics.

PMID- 28358771
TI  - Orthopaedic Snafus: When Adverse Events Happen in Orthopaedics.
AB  - The potential for adverse events exists when treating and managing orthopaedic
      patients in the intraoperative or postoperative environments, especially when it
      comes to falls, surgical site infections, venous thromboembolism, and injuries to
      nerves and blood vessels. Orthopaedic nurses play a vital role in the promotion
      and use of evidence-based interventions to decrease the incidence of these
      adverse events, improve quality of care, and minimize the financial burden
      related to these adverse events.

PMID- 28358774
TI  - The Effect of a Rapid Rehabilitation Program on Patients Undergoing Unilateral
      Total Knee Arthroplasty.

PMID- 28358773
TI  - The Effect of a Rapid Rehabilitation Program on Patients Undergoing Unilateral
      Total Knee Arthroplasty.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Few studies have looked at longer term functional outcomes of rapid
      rehabilitation (physical therapy in the postanesthesia care unit on the day of
      surgery) for patients undergoing total knee arthroplasty. PURPOSE: The purpose of
      this interdisciplinary study (physical therapy and nursing) was to assess the
      effect of a rapid rehabilitation program on inpatient length of stay (LOS) and
      functional recovery. METHODS: Functional outcomes were measured by the Knee
      Injury Osteoarthritis Outcome Score presurgically and at 4 and 12 weeks
      postoperatively and by progression along a physical therapy rehabilitation
      pathway. RESULTS: Experimental group LOS was significantly shorter than the
      control group (p = .0261). Multilevel regression modeling showed that KOOS and
      physical therapy clinical pathway score trajectories did not differ significantly
      between groups. Patients receiving rapid rehabilitation were 2.5 (95% CI [0.958,
      6.53]) times more likely to have a positive physical therapy rehabilitation
      trajectory than patients in the control group. CONCLUSION: Findings validated
      earlier study results in terms of LOS; however, further research is needed to
      assess the effect of rapid rehabilitation on longer term functional outcomes.

PMID- 28358775
TI  - Nursing Care of the Patient Undergoing an Anterior Approach to Total Hip
      Arthroplasty.
AB  - The anterior, anterolateral, direct lateral, transtrochanteric, and posterior
      techniques have historically been the surgical approach to a total hip
      arthroplasty; however, a forthcoming technique called the direct anterior
      approach has been demonstrated to produce many patient and physician quality
      outcomes. These favorable outcomes can include shorter hospital stay, earlier
      mobility and functionality, decreased medical costs, and increased patient
      satisfaction scores. Appropriate nursing care during the preoperative,
      intraoperative, and postoperative phases is essential. The purpose of this
      article is to describe the nursing care for a patient undergoing a direct
      anterior approach to hip arthroplasty.

PMID- 28358776
TI  - Nursing Care of the Patient Undergoing an Anterior Approach to Total Hip
      Arthroplasty.

PMID- 28358777
TI  - Improving Patient Education at a Large Midwest Urban Orthopaedic Center.
AB  - A large Midwest urban orthopaedic center sought to improve dissemination and
      documentation of its education information given to its patients. A new
      electronic, partially automated patient education delivery system was implemented
      that disseminates and documents targeted patient education modules. The program
      triggers automatic dissemination of general education based on patient
      demographics. Surgical education modules are disseminated manually. The
      semiautomated electronic education program successfully placed the center in
      compliance with Stage 2 Meaningful Use and showed improved dissemination of
      educational materials. The orthopaedic center and patients would benefit from
      further review and intervention to increase patient compliance with education
      materials.

PMID- 28358779
TI  - Early Identification and Treatment of Osteoporosis in a Rural Internal Medicine
      Clinic: A Quasi-Experimental Approach toQuality Improvement.
AB  - Osteoporosis affects more than 44 million individuals in the United States
      annually while disease management continues to fall short of the recommended
      guidelines. This study institutes a practice change for osteoporosis/osteopenia
      screening and treatment founded on current evidence-based guidelines. A
      retrospective chart review was evaluated for current trends in the identification
      and treatment of osteoporosis/osteopenia in female patients older than 65 years.
      Data were then compared with identical data collected after implementing an
      evidence-based osteoporosis guideline tool. Quantitative analysis indicated poor
      adherence of established osteoporosis guidelines by providers. In comparison,
      after implementation of the osteoporosis treatment guideline tool, there was an
      improvement of more than 40% in the identification and treatment of
      osteoporosis/osteopenia. Utilization of the evidence-based osteoporosis guideline
      tool resulted in quality improvement in identifying and treating those with or at
      risk for osteoporosis/osteopenia.

PMID- 28358778
TI  - Presurgical Concerns of Primary Family Caregivers of Children With Cerebral
      Palsy.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Primary family caregivers (PFCs) of children with cerebral palsy have
      many worries and concerns when their children face orthopedic surgery. Levels of
      PFC stress about the upcoming surgery is related to the child's level of gross
      motor function as well as the support they receive from medical professionals.
      PURPOSE: The purposes of the present study were to (1) explore the levels of
      concern about orthopedic surgery; and (2) explore the predictive factors
      associated with concerns about orthopedic surgery among PFCs of children with
      cerebral palsy during the preoperative period. METHODS: A cross-sectional,
      correlational study was conducted. Primary family caregivers were assessed
      preoperatively using the Single-event Multilevel Surgery Scale, Social Support
      Scale, Gross Motor Function Classification System-Expanded and Revised, and
      background information form. Primary family caregivers were recruited from the
      outpatient department of orthopedic surgery and pediatric rehabilitation of a
      medical center in northern Taiwan. Data were analyzed by descriptive analysis,
      Pearson product-moment correlation, and multiple regression analysis. RESULTS: A
      total of 63 eligible subjects were enrolled in this study. Primary family
      caregivers had moderate levels of concern and mild-to-moderate levels of social
      support. The higher severity of motor function impairment in children with
      cerebral palsy, prior caregiving by PFCs for another family member, and PFCs'
      lower level of social support from healthcare providers were associated with
      higher levels of PFC concern. CONCLUSIONS: Concerns about orthopedic surgery is
      an overlooked issue that needs more attention from healthcare providers. This
      study determined that PFCs who perceived a lack of social support from their
      healthcare providers and those with children who had limited gross motor function
      were more concerned and anxious about their children's upcoming orthopedic
      surgery. Health professionals should provide adequate health education and
      counseling to help PFCs of children with cerebral palsy in the decision-making
      process prior to orthopedic surgery.

PMID- 28358780
TI  - The Cure That Lies Within: The Mind-Body Connection in Orthopaedics.
AB  - The mind and the body are clearly intertwined in ways that are only now being
      discovered. In the orthopaedic world, injuries and diseases are often classified
      and described in a very organized, discrete fashion-The radius is fractured, the
      ACL or meniscus or rotator cuff is torn, the ankle is sprained, and/or the lumbar
      spine has a disc herniation. Although it is, in many ways, almost comforting to
      think about injuries or orthopaedic issues in this manner, what about the many
      patients who fail to fall into this classification? What about the thousands of
      patients with severe unexplained chronic pain or patients who just are not
      improving with the typical treatment algorithm. What about patients who present
      with multiple overlapping symptoms that do not fall into any of the classic
      diagnosis patterns? The mismatch between the actual health needs of typical
      patients and the standard acute medical response produces an immense waste of
      medical resources and incredible frustration for both the patient and the
      provider and creates a real risk that acute conditions will go untreated and
      become chronic. After more than a decade of traditional orthopaedic and
      musculoskeletal practice, its tremendous benefits as well as its limitations have
      become apparent. These limitations have sparked a search for integration of mind
      body considerations to fill some of these gaps. Although this can prove to be
      quite challenging in today's healthcare world of maximizing volume and decreasing
      costs, it has proven to be an invaluable resource for both personal growth and
      patient and family satisfaction. The goals of this 2-part article are to dissect
      the relatively new concept of the mind-body connection in orthopaedics. The
      article aims to provide a framework that illustrates how the mind will
      predictably create objective observable phenomena in the body. The central focus
      of this framework is the role of the sympathetic nervous system and its effect on
      the chemistry, biomechanics, and appearance of various tissues in the body.
      Further identified are factors contributing to the aberrant emotional response as
      a means to empower practitioners and patients in recognizing the link between
      negative perception and observable symptoms. Our hope is to ultimately introduce
      a model of empowerment that when presented to a patient/family can produce a
      proactive response and, in turn, enhance current orthopaedic and pain management
      practices.

PMID- 28358781
TI  - The Cure That Lies Within: The Mind-Body Connection in Orthopaedics.

PMID- 28358782
TI  - Topical Nonsteroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drugs for Chronic Musculoskeletal Pain in
      Adults.

PMID- 28358785
TI  - Avulsion Fracture of the Medial Collateral Ligament.

PMID- 28358783
TI  - Avulsion Fracture of the Medial Collateral Ligament.

PMID- 28358786
TI  - ONCB Orthopaedic Nurses Certification Board, New Certificants.

PMID- 28358787
TI  - ONCB Orthopaedic Nurses Certification Board, Recertificants.

PMID- 28358788
TI  - An Application of Business Process Management to Health Care Facilities.
AB  - The purpose of this article is to help health care facility managers and
      personnel identify significant elements of their facilities to address, and steps
      and actions to follow, when applying business process management to them. The
      ABPMP (Association of Business Process Management Professionals) life-cycle model
      of business process management is adopted, and steps from Lean, business process
      reengineering, and Six Sigma, and actions from operations management are
      presented to implement it. Managers of health care facilities can find in
      business process management a more comprehensive approach to improving their
      facilities than Lean, Six Sigma, business process reengineering, and ad hoc
      approaches that does not conflict with them because many of their elements can be
      included under its umbrella. Furthermore, the suggested application of business
      process management can guide and relieve them from selecting among these
      approaches, as well as provide them with specific steps and actions that they can
      follow. This article fills a gap in the literature by presenting a much needed
      comprehensive application of business process management to health care
      facilities that has specific steps and actions for implementation.

PMID- 28358791
TI  - Methadone Prescribing and Overdose and the Association with Medicaid Preferred
      Drug List Policies - United States, 2007-2014.
AB  - Drug overdose is a leading cause of injury death in the United States; 47,055
      fatal drug overdoses were reported in 2014, a 6.5% increase from the previous
      year (1), driven by opioid use disorder (2,3). Methadone is an opioid prescribed
      for pain management and is also provided through opioid treatment programs to
      treat opioid use disorders. Because methadone might remain in a person's system
      long after the pain-relieving benefits have been exhausted, it can cause slow or
      shallow breathing and dangerous changes in heartbeat that might not be perceived
      by the patient (4,5). In December 2006, the Food and Drug Administration issued a
      Public Health Advisory that alerted health care professionals to reports of death
      and life-threatening adverse events, such as respiratory depression and cardiac
      arrhythmias, in patients receiving methadone (4); in January 2008, a voluntary
      manufacturer restriction limited distribution of the 40 mg formulation of
      methadone.* CDC analyzed state mortality and health care data and preferred drug
      list (PDL) policies to 1) compare the percentage of deaths involving methadone
      with the rate of prescribing methadone for pain, 2) characterize variation in
      methadone prescribing among payers and states, and 3) assess whether an
      association existed between state Medicaid reimbursement PDL policies and
      methadone overdose rates. The analyses found that, from 2007 to 2014, large
      declines in methadone-related overdose deaths occurred. Prescriptions for
      methadone accounted for 0.85% of all opioid prescriptions for pain in the
      commercially insured population and 1.1% in the Medicaid population. In addition,
      an association was observed between Medicaid PDLs requiring prior authorization
      for methadone and lower rates of methadone overdose among Medicaid enrollees. PDL
      policies requiring prior authorization might help to reduce the number of
      methadone overdoses.

PMID- 28358790
TI  - Prognostic Value of High-Sensitivity C-Reactive Protein, Procalcitonin and
      Pancreatic Stone Protein in Pediatric Sepsis.
AB  - BACKGROUND To investigate the prognostic value of procalcitonin (PCT), high
      sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP), and pancreatic stone protein (PSP) in
      children with sepsis. MATERIAL AND METHODS A total of 214 patients with sepsis
      during hospitalization were enrolled. Serum levels of PCT, hs-CRP, and PSP were
      measured on day 1 of hospitalization and the survival rates of children were
      recorded after a follow-up of 28 days. Pearson's correlation analysis was
      conducted to test the association of PCT, hs-CRP, and PSP with pediatric critical
      illness score (PCIS). Logistic regression models were used to analyze the risk
      factors contributing to patients' death. The AUC was used to determine the value
      of PCT, hs-CRP, and PSP in the prognosis of patients with sepsis. RESULTS The
      expression of PCT, hs-CRP, and PSP in the dying patients was higher than in the
      surviving patients (p<0.001). Pearson's correlation analysis showed that serum
      PCT, hs-CRP, and PSP levels were negatively correlated with PCIS (p<0.001).
      Multivariate logistic regression revealed that PCT, hs-CRP, and PSP were
      independent risk factors for the prognosis of patients with sepsis (p<0.001). ROC
      analysis showed the AUC values of PCT, hs-CRP, and PSP were 0.83 (95% CI, 0.77
      0.88), 0.76 (95% CI, 0.70-0.82), and 0.73 (95% CI, 0.67-0.79), respectively. The
      combined AUC value of PCT, hs-CRP, and PSP, was 0.92 (95% CI, 0.87-0.95), which
      was significantly increased compared with PCT, hs-CRP, or PSP (p<0.001).
      CONCLUSIONS The combination of serum PCT, hs-CRP, and PSP represents a promising
      biomarker of risk, and is a useful clinical tool for risk stratification of
      children with sepsis.

PMID- 28358793
TI  - Announcement: National Public Health Week - April 3-9, 2017.
AB  - CDC joins the American Public Health Association (APHA) in celebration of
      National Public Health Week, April 3-9, 2017. Since 1995, APHA has led the
      observance of National Public Health Week during the first full week of April.
      The week recognizes the impact of public health on the health of the nation. The
      2017 observance focuses on making the United States the Healthiest Nation in One
      Generation by 2030 by spotlighting the importance of prevention, employing
      successful strategies for collaboration, and promoting the critical role of a
      strong public health system.

PMID- 28358792
TI  - Notes from the Field: Adverse Events Following a Mass Yellow Fever Immunization
      Campaign - Kongo Central Province, Democratic Republic of the Congo, September
      2016.

PMID- 28358794
TI  - QuickStats: Percentage of U.S. Women Aged 21-65 Years Who Never Had a
      Papanicolaou Test (Pap Test),* by Place of Birth and Length of Residence in the
      United States? - National Health Interview Survey, 2013 and 2015S.
AB  - In 2013 and 2015 combined, 6.8% of U.S. women aged 21-65 years had never received
      a Pap test in their lifetime. Foreign-born women were more than twice as likely
      as U.S. born women to have never received a Pap test (13.4% versus 5.2%). Foreign
      born women who lived in the United States for <25% of their lifetime were almost
      twice as likely as those who resided in the United States for >=25% of their
      lifetime (21.5% versus 10.9%) to have never received a Pap test.

PMID- 28358795
TI  - Zika Virus Transmission - Region of the Americas, May 15, 2015-December 15, 2016.
AB  - Zika virus, a mosquito-borne flavivirus that can cause rash with fever, emerged
      in the Region of the Americas on Easter Island, Chile, in 2014 and in northeast
      Brazil in 2015 (1). In response, in May 2015, the Pan American Health
      Organization (PAHO), which serves as the Regional Office of the Americas for the
      World Health Organization (WHO), issued recommendations to enhance surveillance
      for Zika virus. Subsequently, Brazilian investigators reported Guillain-Barre
      syndrome (GBS), which had been previously recognized among some patients with
      Zika virus disease, and identified an association between Zika virus infection
      during pregnancy and congenital microcephaly (2). On February 1, 2016, WHO
      declared Zika virus-related microcephaly clusters and other neurologic disorders
      a Public Health Emergency of International Concern.* In March 2016, PAHO
      developed case definitions and surveillance guidance for Zika virus disease and
      associated complications (3). Analysis of reports submitted to PAHO by countries
      in the region or published in national epidemiologic bulletins revealed that Zika
      virus transmission had extended to 48 countries and territories in the Region of
      the Americas by late 2016. Reported Zika virus disease cases peaked at different
      times in different areas during 2016. Because of ongoing transmission and the
      risk for recurrence of large outbreaks, response efforts, including surveillance
      for Zika virus disease and its complications, and vector control and other
      prevention activities, need to be maintained.

PMID- 28358796
TI  - Yellow Fever Outbreak - Kongo Central Province, Democratic Republic of the Congo,
      August 2016.
AB  - On April 23, 2016, the Democratic Republic of the Congo's (DRC's) Ministry of
      Health declared a yellow fever outbreak. As of May 24, 2016, approximately 90% of
      suspected yellow fever cases (n = 459) and deaths (45) were reported in a single
      province, Kongo Central Province, that borders Angola, where a large yellow fever
      outbreak had begun in December 2015. Two yellow fever mass vaccination campaigns
      were conducted in Kongo Central Province during May 25-June 7, 2016 and August 17
      28, 2016. In June 2016, the DRC Ministry of Health requested assistance from CDC
      to control the outbreak. As of August 18, 2016, a total of 410 suspected yellow
      fever cases and 42 deaths were reported in Kongo Central Province. Thirty seven
      of the 393 specimens tested in the laboratory were confirmed as positive for
      yellow fever virus (local outbreak threshold is one laboratory-confirmed case of
      yellow fever). Although not well-documented for this outbreak, malaria, viral
      hepatitis, and typhoid fever are common differential diagnoses among suspected
      yellow fever cases in this region. Other possible diagnoses include Zika, West
      Nile, or dengue viruses; however, no laboratory-confirmed cases of these viruses
      were reported. Thirty five of the 37 cases of yellow fever were imported from
      Angola. Two-thirds of confirmed cases occurred in persons who crossed the DRC
      Angola border at one market city on the DRC side, where <=40,000 travelers cross
      the border each week on market day. Strategies to improve coordination between
      health surveillance and cross-border trade activities at land borders and to
      enhance laboratory and case-based surveillance and health border screening
      capacity are needed to prevent and control future yellow fever outbreaks.

PMID- 28358798
TI  - Screening for Excessive Alcohol Use and Brief Counseling of Adults - 17 States
      and the District of Columbia, 2014.
AB  - Excessive and/or risky alcohol use* resulted in $249 billion in economic costs in
      2010 (1) and >88,000 deaths in the United States every year from 2006 to 2010
      (2). It is associated with birth defects and disabilities (e.g., fetal alcohol
      spectrum disorders [FASDs]), increases in chronic diseases (e.g., heart disease
      and breast cancer), and injuries and violence (e.g., motor vehicle crashes,
      suicide, and homicide).? Since 2004, the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force
      (USPSTF) has recommended alcohol misuse screening and brief counseling (also
      known as alcohol screening and brief intervention or ASBI) for adults aged >=18
      years (3).S Among adults, ASBI reduces episodes of binge-level consumption,
      reduces weekly alcohol consumption, and increases compliance with recommended
      drinking limits in those who have an intervention in comparison to those who do
      not (3). A recent study suggested that health care providers rarely talk with
      patients about alcohol use (4). To estimate the prevalence of U.S. adults who
      reported receiving elements of ASBI, CDC analyzed 2014 Behavioral Risk Factor
      Surveillance System (BRFSS) data from 17 states  and the District of Columbia
      (DC). Weighted crude and age-standardized overall and state-level prevalence
      estimates were calculated by selected drinking patterns and demographic
      characteristics. Overall, 77.7% of adults (age-standardized estimate) reported
      being asked about alcohol use by a health professional in person or on a form
      during a checkup, but only 32.9% reported being asked about binge-level alcohol
      consumption (3). Among binge drinkers, only 37.2% reported being asked about
      alcohol use and advised about the harms of drinking too much, and only 18.1%
      reported being asked about alcohol use and advised to reduce or quit drinking.
      Widespread implementation of ASBI and other evidence-based interventions could
      help reduce excessive alcohol use in adults and related harms.

PMID- 28358797
TI  - Evaluation of Automated Molecular Testing Rollout for Tuberculosis Diagnosis
      Using Routinely Collected Surveillance Data - Uganda, 2012-2015.
AB  - In 2012, Uganda introduced the use of GeneXpert MTB/RIF (Cepheid, Sunnyvale CA),
      a sensitive, automated, real-time polymerase chain reaction-based platform for
      tuberculosis (TB) diagnosis, for programmatic use among children, adults with
      presumptive human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-associated TB, and symptomatic
      persons at risk for rifampicin (RIF)-resistant TB. The effect of using the
      platform's Xpert MTB/RIF assay on TB care and control was assessed using
      routinely collected programmatic data; in addition, a retrospective review of
      district quarterly summaries using abstracted TB register data from purposively
      selected facilities in the capital city of Kampala was conducted. Case
      notification rates were calculated and nonparametric statistical methods were
      used for analysis. No statistically significant differences were observed in case
      notification rates before and after the Xpert MTB/RIF assay became available,
      although four of 10 districts demonstrated a statistically significant difference
      in bacteriologically confirmed TB. Once the GeneXpert MTB/RIF platform is
      established and refined, a more comprehensive evaluation should be conducted.

PMID- 28358800
TI  - Mitochondria-A billion years of cohabitation.

PMID- 28358799
TI  - Sodium Intake Among Persons Aged >=2 Years - United States, 2013-2014.
AB  - High sodium consumption can increase hypertension, a major risk factor for
      cardiovascular diseases (1). Reducing sodium intake can lower blood pressure, and
      sodium reduction in the U.S. population of 40% over 10 years might save at least
      280,000 lives (2). Average sodium intake in the United States remains in excess
      of Healthy People 2020 objectives,* and monitoring sources of sodium in the U.S.
      population can help focus sodium reduction measures (3,4). Data from 2013-2014
      What We Eat in America (WWEIA), the dietary intake portion of the National Health
      and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES),? were analyzed to determine the ranked
      percentage sodium contribution of selected food categories and sources of sodium
      intake from all reported foods and beverages, both overall and by demographic
      subgroups. These latest data include updated food codes and separate estimates
      for intake among non-Hispanic Asians.S In 2013-2014, 70% of dietary sodium
      consumed by persons in the United States came from 25 food categories; breads
      were the top contributor, accounting for 6% of sodium consumed. A majority of
      sodium consumed was from food obtained at stores; however, sodium density
      (mg/1,000 kcal) was highest in food obtained at restaurants. A variety of
      commonly consumed foods contributes to U.S. sodium intake, emphasizing the
      importance of sodium reduction across the food supply (4).

PMID- 28358802
TI  - Knowledge, practices and perceptions of geo-helminthes infection among parents of
      pre-school age children of coastal region, Kenya.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Soil-transmitted helminthes (STHs) are common human parasitic
      diseases in most of the developing world particularly in Kenya. The ongoing
      National School-Based Deworming Programme (NSBDP) was launched in 2012 and is
      currently targeting 28 of the 47 endemic Counties. In an effort to improve
      treatment intervention strategies among Pre-School Age Children (PSAC) attending
      Early Childhood Development Centres (ECDC), we sought to assess parents'
      knowledge, perceptions and practices on worm infection. METHODOLOGY: We conducted
      a qualitative cross-sectional study in four endemic sub-counties of two counties
      of coastal region of Kenya. A total of 20 focus group discussions (FGDs)
      categorized by gender were conducted among parents of pre-school age children.
      Participants were purposively selected based on homogenous characteristics with
      the saturation model determining the number of focus group discussions conducted.
      The data collected was analyzed manually by study themes. FINDINGS: The majority
      of the parents had knowledge on worms and modes of transmission of the parasitic
      infections among the pre-school children. Also, most of the participants knew the
      causes of worm infection and the pre- disposing factors mentioned included poor
      hygiene and sanitation practices. Due to poor knowledge of signs and symptoms,
      misconceptions about the drugs administered during the NSBDP were common with a
      large majority of the parents indicating that the drugs were ineffective in worm
      control. The findings also indicated that most of the participants sought medical
      care on the onset of the signs and symptoms of worm infestation and preferred
      services provided at public health facilities as opposed to private health
      facilities or buying drugs from the local market citing mistrust of such
      services. Cultural beliefs, high cost of building and availability of vast pieces
      of land for human waste disposal were factors that contributed to low or lack of
      latrine ownership and usage by a large majority of the respondents. CONCLUSIONS:
      Our results show that to a large extent the parents of the pre-school age
      children have information on worm infections. However, some cultural beliefs and
      practices on the pathology and mode of transmission mentioned could be a
      hindrance to prevention and control efforts. There is need to implement health
      promotion campaigns to strengthen the impact of control strategies and reduce
      infection.

PMID- 28358801
TI  - ECG-derived spatial QRS-T angle is associated with ICD implantation, mortality
      and heart failure admissions in patients with LV systolic dysfunction.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Increased spatial QRS-T angle has been shown to predict appropriate
      implantable cardioverter defibrilIator (ICD) therapy in patients with left
      ventricular systolic dysfunction (LVSD). We performed a retrospective cohort
      study in patients with left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) 31-40% to assess
      the relationship between the spatial QRS-T angle and other advanced ECG (A-ECG)
      as well as echocardiographic metadata, with all-cause mortality or ICD
      implantation for secondary prevention. METHODS: 534 patients <=75 years of age
      with LVEF 31-40% were identified through an echocardiography reporting database.
      Digital 12-lead ECGs were retrospectively matched to 295 of these patients, for
      whom echocardiographic and A-ECG metadata were then generated. Data mining was
      applied to discover novel ECG and echocardiographic markers of risk. Machine
      learning was used to develop a model to predict possible outcomes. RESULTS: 49
      patients (17%) had events, defined as either mortality (n = 16) or ICD
      implantation for secondary prevention (n = 33). 72 parameters (58 A-ECG, 14
      echocardiographic) were univariately different (p<0.05) in those with vs. without
      events. After adjustment for multiplicity, 24 A-ECG parameters and 3
      echocardiographic parameters remained different (p<2x10-3). These included the
      posterior-to-leftward QRS loop ratio from the derived vectorcardiographic
      horizontal plane (previously associated with pulmonary artery pressure, p = 2x10
      6); spatial mean QRS-T angle (134 vs. 112 degrees , p = 1.6x10-4); various
      repolarisation vectors; and a previously described 5-parameter A-ECG score for
      LVSD (p = 4x10-6) that also correlated with echocardiographic global longitudinal
      strain (R2 = - 0.51, P < 0.0001). A spatial QRS-T angle >110 degrees  had an
      adjusted HR of 3.4 (95% CI 1.6 to 7.4) for secondary ICD implantation or all
      cause death and adjusted HR of 4.1 (95% CI 1.2 to 13.9) for future heart failure
      admission. There was a loss of complexity between A-ECG and echocardiographic
      variables with an increasing degree of disease. CONCLUSION: Spatial QRS-T angle
      >110 degrees  was strongly associated with arrhythmic events and all-cause death.
      Deep analysis of global ECG and echocardiographic metadata revealed underlying
      relationships, which otherwise would not have been appreciated. Delivered at
      scale such techniques may prove useful in clinical decision making in the future.

PMID- 28358803
TI  - Efficacy of polymyxin B-immobilized fiber hemoperfusion for patients with septic
      shock caused by Gram-negative bacillus infection.
AB  - : Septic shock-associated mortality in intensive care units (ICUs) remains high,
      with reported rates ranging 30-50%. In particular, Gram-negative bacilli (GNB),
      which induce significant inflammation and consequent multiple organ failure, are
      the etiological bacterial agent in 40% of severe sepsis cases. Hemoperfusion
      using polymyxin B-immobilized fiber (PMX), which adsorbs endotoxin, is expected
      to reduce the inflammatory sepsis cascade due to GNB. However, the clinical
      efficacy of this treatment has not yet been demonstrated. Here, we aimed to
      verify the efficacy of endotoxin adsorption therapy using PMX through a
      retrospective analysis of 413 patients who received broad spectrum antimicrobial
      treatment for GNB-related septic shock between January 2009 and December 2012 in
      11 ICUs of Japanese tertiary hospitals. After aligning the patients' treatment
      time phases, we classified patients in two groups depending on whether PMX
      hemoperfusion (PMXHP) therapy was administered or not within 24 hours after ICU
      admission (PMXHP group: n = 134, conventional group: n = 279). The primary study
      endpoint was the mortality rate at 28 days after ICU admission. The mean age was
      72.4 (standard deviation: 12.6) years, and the mean Sequential Organ Failure
      Assessment score at ICU admission was 9.9 (3.4). The infection sites included
      intra-abdominal (38.0%), pulmonary (18.9%), and urinary tract (32.2%), and two
      thirds of all patients had GNB-related bacteremia. Notably, the mortality at 28
      days after ICU admission did not differ between the groups (PMXHP: 29.1% vs.
      conventional: 29.0%, P = 0.98), and PMXHP therapy was not found to improve this
      outcome in a Cox regression analysis (hazard ratio = 1.16; 95% confidence
      interval, 0.81-1.64, P = 0.407). We conclude that PMX-based endotoxin adsorption
      within 24 hours from ICU admission was not associated with mortality among
      patients with septic shock due to GNB. TRIAL REGISTRATION: University Hospital
      Medical Information Network Clinical Trial Registry (UMIN-CTR ID: UMIN000012748).

PMID- 28358804
TI  - A critical analysis of computational protein design with sparse residue
      interaction graphs.
AB  - Protein design algorithms enumerate a combinatorial number of candidate
      structures to compute the Global Minimum Energy Conformation (GMEC). To
      efficiently find the GMEC, protein design algorithms must methodically reduce the
      conformational search space. By applying distance and energy cutoffs, the protein
      system to be designed can thus be represented using a sparse residue interaction
      graph, where the number of interacting residue pairs is less than all pairs of
      mutable residues, and the corresponding GMEC is called the sparse GMEC. However,
      ignoring some pairwise residue interactions can lead to a change in the energy,
      conformation, or sequence of the sparse GMEC vs. the original or the full GMEC.
      Despite the widespread use of sparse residue interaction graphs in protein
      design, the above mentioned effects of their use have not been previously
      analyzed. To analyze the costs and benefits of designing with sparse residue
      interaction graphs, we computed the GMECs for 136 different protein design
      problems both with and without distance and energy cutoffs, and compared their
      energies, conformations, and sequences. Our analysis shows that the differences
      between the GMECs depend critically on whether or not the design includes core,
      boundary, or surface residues. Moreover, neglecting long-range interactions can
      alter local interactions and introduce large sequence differences, both of which
      can result in significant structural and functional changes. Designs on proteins
      with experimentally measured thermostability show it is beneficial to compute
      both the full and the sparse GMEC accurately and efficiently. To this end, we
      show that a provable, ensemble-based algorithm can efficiently compute both GMECs
      by enumerating a small number of conformations, usually fewer than 1000. This
      provides a novel way to combine sparse residue interaction graphs with provable,
      ensemble-based algorithms to reap the benefits of sparse residue interaction
      graphs while avoiding their potential inaccuracies.

PMID- 28358805
TI  - Fasting regulates EGR1 and protects from glucose- and dexamethasone-dependent
      sensitization to chemotherapy.
AB  - Fasting reduces glucose levels and protects mice against chemotoxicity, yet drugs
      that promote hyperglycemia are widely used in cancer treatment. Here, we show
      that dexamethasone (Dexa) and rapamycin (Rapa), commonly administered to cancer
      patients, elevate glucose and sensitize cardiomyocytes and mice to the cancer
      drug doxorubicin (DXR). Such toxicity can be reversed by reducing circulating
      glucose levels by fasting or insulin. Furthermore, glucose injections alone
      reversed the fasting-dependent protection against DXR in mice, indicating that
      elevated glucose mediates, at least in part, the sensitizing effects of rapamycin
      and dexamethasone. In yeast, glucose activates protein kinase A (PKA) to
      accelerate aging by inhibiting transcription factors Msn2/4. Here, we show that
      fasting or glucose restriction (GR) regulate PKA and AMP-activated protein kinase
      (AMPK) to protect against DXR in part by activating the mammalian Msn2/4 ortholog
      early growth response protein 1 (EGR1). Increased expression of the EGR1
      regulated cardioprotective peptides atrial natriuretic peptide (ANP) and B-type
      natriuretic peptide (BNP) in heart tissue may also contribute to DXR resistance.
      Our findings suggest the existence of a glucose-PKA pathway that inactivates
      conserved zinc finger stress-resistance transcription factors to sensitize cells
      to toxins conserved from yeast to mammals. Our findings also describe a toxic
      role for drugs widely used in cancer treatment that promote hyperglycemia and
      identify dietary interventions that reverse these effects.

PMID- 28358806
TI  - Antioxidant, antimicrobial, antiparasitic, and cytotoxic properties of various
      Brazilian propolis extracts.
AB  - Propolis is known for its biological properties and its preparations have been
      continuously investigated in an attempt to solve the problem of their
      standardization, an issue that limits the use of propolis in food and
      pharmaceutical industries. The aim of this study was to evaluate in vitro
      antioxidant, antimicrobial, antiparasitic, and cytotoxic effects of extracts of
      red, green, and brown propolis from different regions of Brazil, obtained by
      ethanolic and supercritical extraction methods. We found that propolis extracts
      obtained by both these methods showed concentration-dependent antioxidant
      activity. The extracts obtained by ethanolic extraction showed higher antioxidant
      activity than that shown by the extracts obtained by supercritical extraction.
      Ethanolic extracts of red propolis exhibited up to 98% of the maximum antioxidant
      activity at the highest extract concentration. Red propolis extracts obtained by
      ethanolic and supercritical methods showed the highest levels of antimicrobial
      activity against several bacteria. Most extracts demonstrated antimicrobial
      activity against Staphylococcus aureus. None of the extracts analyzed showed
      activity against Escherichia coli or Candida albicans. An inhibitory effect of
      all tested ethanolic extracts on the growth of Trypanosoma cruzi Y strain
      epimastigotes was observed in the first 24 h. However, after 96 h, a persistent
      inhibitory effect was detected only for red propolis samples. Only ethanolic
      extracts of red propolis samples R01Et.B2 and R02Et.B2 showed a cytotoxic effect
      against all four cancer cell lines tested (HL-60, HCT-116, OVCAR-8, and SF-295),
      indicating that red propolis extracts have great cytotoxic potential. The
      biological effects of ethanolic extracts of red propolis revealed in the present
      study suggest that red propolis can be a potential alternative therapeutic
      treatment against Chagas disease and some types of cancer, although high activity
      of red propolis in vitro needs to be confirmed by future in vivo investigations.

PMID- 28358807
TI  - Color adaptation induced from linguistic description of color.
AB  - Recent theories propose that language comprehension can influence perception at
      the low level of perceptual system. Here, we used an adaptation paradigm to test
      whether processing language caused color adaptation in the visual system. After
      prolonged exposure to a color linguistic context, which depicted red, green, or
      non-specific color scenes, participants immediately performed a color detection
      task, indicating whether they saw a green color square in the middle of a white
      screen or not. We found that participants were more likely to perceive the green
      color square after listening to discourses denoting red compared to discourses
      denoting green or conveying non-specific color information, revealing that
      language comprehension caused an adaptation aftereffect at the perceptual level.
      Therefore, semantic representation of color may have a common neural substrate
      with color perception. These results are in line with the simulation view of
      embodied language comprehension theory, which predicts that processing language
      reactivates the sensorimotor systems that are engaged during real experience.

PMID- 28358808
TI  - Interventions to treat mental disorders during pregnancy: A systematic review and
      multiple treatment meta-analysis.
AB  - BACKGROUND: For women suffering from an antepartum mental disorder (AMD), there
      is lack of evidence-based treatment algorithms due to the complicated risk
      benefit analysis for both mother and unborn child. We aimed to provide a
      comprehensive overview of pharmacological and non-pharmacological interventions
      to treat AMD and performed a meta-analysis of the estimated treatment effect on
      the psychiatric symptoms during pregnancy. METHODS: MedLine, PsycINFO and Embase
      databases were searched by two independent reviewers for clinical trials with a
      control condition on treatment of women with AMD, i.e. major depressive (MDD),
      anxiety, psychotic, eating, somatoform and personality disorders. We inventoried
      the effect of the treatment, i.e. decrease of psychiatric symptoms at the end of
      the treatment or postpartum. We adhered to the PRISMA-protocol. FINDINGS: Twenty
      nine trials were found involving 2779 patients. Trials studied patients with
      depressive disorders (k = 28), and anxiety disorders (k = 1). No pharmacological
      trials were detected. A form of psychotherapy, like Cognitive Behavioural Therapy
      (g = -0.61; 95%CI:-0.73 to -0.49, I2 = 0%; k = 7) or Interpersonal Psychotherapy
      (g = -0.67; 95%CI:-1.27 to -0.07; I2 = 79%; k = 4), holds robust benefit for
      pregnant women with MDD. Body-oriented interventions (g = -0.43; 95%CI:-0.61 to 
      0.25; I2 = 17%; k = 7) and acupuncture (g = -0.43; 95%CI:-0.80 to -0.06; I2 = 0%;
      k = 2) showed medium sized reduction of depressive symptoms. Bright light therapy
      (g = -0.59; 95%CI:-1.25 to 0.06; I2 = 0%; k = 2), and food supplements (g = 
      0.51; 95%CI:-1.02 to 0.01; I2 = 20%; k = 3) did not show significant treatment
      effects. One study was found on Integrative Collaborative Care. CONCLUSIONS: This
      meta-analysis found a robust moderate treatment effect of CBT for MDD during
      pregnancy, and to a lesser extent for IPT. As an alternative, positive results
      were found for body-oriented interventions and acupuncture. No evidence was found
      for bright light therapy and food supplements. Only non-pharmacological trials on
      women with MDD were found. Research on a wider range of AMD is needed.

PMID- 28358809
TI  - Oxidative modification and electrochemical inactivation of Escherichia coli upon
      cold atmospheric pressure plasma exposure.
AB  - Cold atmospheric pressure plasmas (CAPPs) are known to have bactericidal effects
      but the mechanism of their interaction with microorganisms remains poorly
      understood. In this study the bacteria Escherichia coli were used as a model and
      were exposed to CAPPs. Different gas compositions, helium with or without
      adjunctions of nitrogen or oxygen, were used. Our results indicated that CAPP
      induced bacterial death at decontamination levels depend on the duration, post
      treatment storage and the gas mixture composition used for the treatment. The
      plasma containing O2 in the feeding gas was the most aggressive and showed faster
      bactericidal effects. Structural modifications of treated bacteria were observed,
      especially significant was membrane leakage and morphological changes. Oxidative
      stress caused by plasma treatment led to significant damage of E. coli.
      Biochemical analyses of bacterial macromolecules indicated massive intracellular
      protein oxidation. However, reactive oxygen and nitrogen species (RONS) are not
      the only actors involved in E. coli's death, electrical field and charged
      particles could play a significant role especially for He-O2 CAPP.

PMID- 28358810
TI  - Prognostic significance of nestin expression in patients with resected non-small
      cell lung cancer treated with platinum-based adjuvant chemotherapy; relationship
      between nestin expression and epithelial to mesenchymal transition related
      markers.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: Although adjuvant platinum-based chemotherapy (AC) has been shown
      to improve survival of patients with completely resected stage II and stage IIIA
      non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), its effect is limited. Nestin is a class VI
      intermediate filament protein expressed in neural stem cells and several cancer
      cells including NSCLC. In the present study, we aimed to determine its prognostic
      significance concerning survival in NSCLC patients receiving AC. METHODS: Nestin
      expression in cancer cells was immunohistochemically studied in 90 patients with
      completely resected stage II and stage IIIA NSCLC treated with AC and its
      association with clinicopathologic parameters, including ABCG2, E-cadherin, and
      vimentin expression, was evaluated. Kaplan-Meier survival analysis and Cox
      proportional hazards models were used to estimate the effect of nestin expression
      on survival. RESULTS: Nestin expression was observed in 28 of the 90 (31.1%)
      NSCLCs. Clinicopathologically, nestin expression was associated with loss of E
      cadherin expression (P = 0.006) and vimentin positive expression (P < 0.001). In
      survival analysis, nestin expression was significantly associated with a poorer
      prognosis (P = 0.028). Multivariable analysis confirmed that nestin expression is
      an independent prognostic indicator in NSCLC patients receiving AC (HR = 2.56;
      95% CI, 1.23-5.30, P = 0.01). CONCLUSION: The present study reveals that nestin
      expression is a prognostic indicator of a poorer survival probability in NSCLC
      patients receiving AC, although its prognostic significance still requires
      confirmation with larger patient populations.

PMID- 28358811
TI  - Alterations in airway microbiota in patients with PaO2/FiO2 ratio <= 300 after
      burn and inhalation injury.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Injury to the airways after smoke inhalation is a major mortality
      risk factor in victims of burn injuries, resulting in a 15-45% increase in
      patient deaths. Damage to the airways by smoke may induce acute respiratory
      distress syndrome (ARDS), which is partly characterized by hypoxemia in the
      airways. While ARDS has been associated with bacterial infection, the impact of
      hypoxemia on airway microbiota is unknown. Our objective was to identify
      differences in microbiota within the airways of burn patients who develop
      hypoxemia early after inhalation injury and those that do not using next
      generation sequencing of bacterial 16S rRNA genes. RESULTS: DNA was extracted
      from therapeutic bronchial washings of 48 patients performed within 72 hours of
      hospitalization for burn and inhalation injury at the North Carolina Jaycee Burn
      Center. DNA was prepared for sequencing using a novel molecule tagging method and
      sequenced on the Illumina MiSeq platform. Bacterial species were identified using
      the MTToolbox pipeline. Patients with hypoxemia, as indicated by a PaO2/FiO2
      ratio <= 300, had a 30% increase in abundance of Streptococcaceae and
      Enterobacteriaceae and 84% increase in Staphylococcaceae as compared to patients
      with a PaO2/FiO2 ratio > 300. Wilcoxon rank-sum test identified significant
      enrichment in abundance of OTUs identified as Prevotella melaninogenica (p =
      0.042), Corynebacterium (p = 0.037) and Mogibacterium (p = 0.048). Linear
      discriminant effect size analysis (LefSe) confirmed significant enrichment of
      Prevotella melaninognica among patients with a PaO2/FiO2 ratio <= 300 (p<0.05).
      These results could not be explained by differences in antibiotic treatment.
      CONCLUSIONS: The airway microbiota following burn and inhalation injury is
      altered in patients with a PaO2/FiO2 ratio <= 300 early after injury. Enrichment
      of specific taxa in patients with a PaO2/FiO2 ratio <= 300 may indicate airway
      environment and patient changes that favor these microbes. Longitudinal studies
      are necessary to identify stably colonizing taxa that play roles in hypoxemia and
      ARDS pathogenesis.

PMID- 28358812
TI  - Periodontitis increases rheumatic factor serum levels and citrullinated proteins
      in gingival tissues and alter cytokine balance in arthritic rats.
AB  - This study investigated some immunological features by experimental periodontitis
      (EP) and rheumatoid arthritis (RA) disease interact in destructive processes in
      arthritic rats. Rats were assigned to the following groups: EP +RA; RA; EP; and
      Negative Control. RA was induced by immunizations with type-II collagen and a
      local immunization with Complete Freund's adjuvant in the paw. Periodontitis was
      induced by ligating the right first molars. The serum level of rheumatoid factor
      (RF) and anti-citrullinated protein antibody (ACCPA) were measured before the
      induction of EP (T1) and at 28 days after (T2) by ELISA assay. ACCPA levels were
      also measured in the gingival tissue at T2. The specimens were processed for
      morphometric analysis of bone loss, and the gingival tissue surrounding the first
      molar was collected for the quantification of interleukin IL-1beta, IL-4, IL-6,
      IL-17 and TNF-alpha using a Luminex/MAGpix assay. Paw edema was analyzed using a
      plethysmometer. Periodontitis increased the RF and ACCPA levels in the serum and
      in the gingival tissue, respectively. Besides, the level of paw swelling was
      increased by EP and remained in progress until the end of the experiment, when EP
      was associated with RA. Greater values of IL-17 were observed only when RA was
      present, in spite of PE. It can be concluded that periodontitis increases
      rheumatic factor serum levels and citrullinated proteins level in gingival
      tissues and alter cytokine balance in arthritic rats; at the same time, arthritis
      increases periodontal destruction, confirming the bidirectional interaction
      between diseases.

PMID- 28358813
TI  - Prevalence and associated factors of pterygium among adults living in Gondar
      city, Northwest Ethiopia.
AB  - PURPOSE: The aim of this study was to assess the prevalence and associated
      factors of pterygium among adults living in Gondar city, Northwest Ethiopia.
      METHODS: A cross sectional design study was carried out in 390 participants in
      Gondar city from April 15 to May 7, 2016. Basic ophthalmic examination was
      performed using portable slit lamb, 3.5x magnifying loop with torch light and a
      pretested and structured questionnaire was completed. The raw data has been
      entered into EPI INFO 3.5.1 and analyzed by SPPSS version 20. Descriptive
      statistics was summarized descriptive data. Logistic regression was used to
      summarize the predictors of pterygium. The variables with p-value less than 0.05
      were considered as significant risks of pterygium. RESULT: The prevalence of
      pterygium among study participants was 151(38.7% (95%CI; 33.8-43.8)). Among those
      who have pterygium, 149(98.7%) were developed pterygium on the nasal side and
      15(9.9%) on temporal side of the either eye and 13(8.6%) have both. Age between
      41-60(AOR = 2.20(95%CI: 1.22, 3.39)), age between 61-86(AOR = 7.97(95%CI: 2.74,
      23.17)), male sex (AOR = 2.20(95%CI: 1.28, 3.82)), outdoor working area(AOR =
      3.75(95%CI: 2.18, 6.46)), the use of traditional eye medication (AOR = 2.55
      (95%CI: 1.04, 5.90)) and family history of pterygium (AOR = 6.68(95% CI: 2.53,
      17.60)) were positively associated with pterygium whereas use of sunglass/hat
      (AOR = 0.40(95%CI:0.20, 0.78)) was negatively associated. CONCLUSION: There is a
      high prevalence of pterygium in Gondar city northwest Ethiopia. Old age, male
      sex, outdoor working area, utilization of traditional eye medication and family
      history of pterygium were statistically significant predictors of pterygium. The
      use of sunglass/hat was protective against pterygium.

PMID- 28358814
TI  - Dysfunctions of the basal ganglia-cerebellar-thalamo-cortical system produce
      motor tics in Tourette syndrome.
AB  - Motor tics are a cardinal feature of Tourette syndrome and are traditionally
      associated with an excess of striatal dopamine in the basal ganglia. Recent
      evidence increasingly supports a more articulated view where cerebellum and
      cortex, working closely in concert with basal ganglia, are also involved in tic
      production. Building on such evidence, this article proposes a computational
      model of the basal ganglia-cerebellar-thalamo-cortical system to study how motor
      tics are generated in Tourette syndrome. In particular, the model: (i) reproduces
      the main results of recent experiments about the involvement of the basal ganglia
      cerebellar-thalamo-cortical system in tic generation; (ii) suggests an
      explanation of the system-level mechanisms underlying motor tic production: in
      this respect, the model predicts that the interplay between dopaminergic signal
      and cortical activity contributes to triggering the tic event and that the
      recently discovered basal ganglia-cerebellar anatomical pathway may support the
      involvement of the cerebellum in tic production; (iii) furnishes predictions on
      the amount of tics generated when striatal dopamine increases and when the cortex
      is externally stimulated. These predictions could be important in identifying new
      brain target areas for future therapies. Finally, the model represents the first
      computational attempt to study the role of the recently discovered basal ganglia
      cerebellar anatomical links. Studying this non-cortex-mediated basal ganglia
      cerebellar interaction could radically change our perspective about how these
      areas interact with each other and with the cortex. Overall, the model also shows
      the utility of casting Tourette syndrome within a system-level perspective rather
      than viewing it as related to the dysfunction of a single brain area.

PMID- 28358815
TI  - AZALEP a randomized controlled trial of azathioprine to treat leprosy nerve
      damage and Type 1 reactions in India: Main findings.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Leprosy Type 1 reactions are difficult to treat and only 70% of
      patients respond to steroid treatment. Azathioprine has been used as an immune
      suppressant and we tested its efficacy in treating leprosy T1R. METHODOLOGY:
      Randomised controlled trial adding azathioprine to steroid treatment for leprosy
      reactions. This trial was conducted in four leprosy hospitals in India. Patients
      with a new leprosy Type 1 reaction affecting either skin or nerve were recruited.
      They were given a 20 week course of oral prednisolone either with placebo or
      azathioprine 50mg for 24, 36 or 48 weeks. Outcomes were measured using a verified
      combined clinical reaction severity score (CCS) and the score difference between
      baseline and end of study calculated. An intention to treat analysis was done on
      the 279 patients who had an outcome. PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: 345 patients were
      recruited, 145 were lost due to adverse events, loss to follow up or death. 36%
      needed extra steroids due to a recurrence of their skin and/or nerve reaction.
      76% of patients had improvements in their CCS the end of the study, 22% had no
      change and 1.1% deteriorated. Adding azathioprine to steroid treatment did not
      improve CCS. So the improvements were attributable to treatment with steroids. We
      analysed the skin, sensory and motor scores separately and found that skin
      improvement contributed most with 78.9% of patients having skin improvement,
      azathioprine treatment for 48 weeks improved sensory scores it also improved
      motor scores but so did treatment with prednisolone alone. We identified
      significant adverse effects attributable to steroid treatment. When azathioprine
      and Dapsone were given together significant numbers of patients developed
      significant anaemia. CONCLUSIONS: Azathioprine is not recommended for the
      treatment of leprosy reactions and does not improve steroid treatment. Recurrent
      reactions are a major challenge. We have also identified that 65% of patients
      with sensory and 50% with motor nerve damage do not improve. Future studies
      should test giving azathioprine in the treatment of nerve damage and giving a
      higher dose for 48 weeks to patients. These findings highlight the difficulty in
      switching off leprosy inflammation and the need for better treatments for
      reactions and nerve damage. There is also a research need to identify patients
      who have recurrences and optimize treatments for them. Patients with recurrences
      may benefit from combined treatment with steroids and azathioprine. We have also
      shown that significant numbers of patients treated with steroids develop adverse
      effects and this needs to be highlighted in leprosy programmes. Research is
      needed to identify patients who do not respond to steroid treatment and develop
      alternative treatments for them. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ClinicalTrials.gov This
      trial was registered with the Indian Council of Medical research clinical Trial
      register as a clinical trial Number-REFCTRI/2016/12/007558.

PMID- 28358816
TI  - Comparison of O-polysaccharide and hemolysin co-regulated protein as target
      antigens for serodiagnosis of melioidosis.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Melioidosis is a severe disease caused by Burkholderia pseudomallei.
      Clinical manifestations are diverse and acute infections require immediate
      treatment with effective antibiotics. While culture is the current diagnostic
      standard, it is time-consuming and has low sensitivity. In endemic areas,
      inaccessibility to biosafety level 3 facilities and a lack of good serodiagnostic
      tools can impede diagnosis and disease surveillance. Recent studies have
      suggested that O-polysaccharide (OPS) and hemolysin co-regulated protein 1 (Hcp1)
      are promising target antigens for serodiagnosis of melioidosis.
      METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPLE FINDINGS: We evaluated rapid ELISAs using crude antigens,
      purified OPS and Hcp1 to measure antibody levels in three sets of sera: (i) 419
      serum samples from melioidosis patients, Thai and U.S. healthy donors, (ii) 120
      serum samples from patients with other bacterial infections, and (iii) 423 serum
      samples from 200 melioidosis patients obtained upon admission and at 12 and 52
      weeks post-recovery. We observed significantly higher antibody levels using the
      crude antigen prepared from wild type B. pseudomallei K96243 compared to that of
      an OPS-mutant. The areas under receiver operator characteristics (AUROCCs) for
      diagnosis were compared for individual Hcp1-ELISA or OPS-ELISA or combined
      Hcp1/OPS-ELISA. For Thai donors, AUROCCs were highest and comparable between the
      Hcp1-ELISA and the combined Hcp1/OPS-ELISA (0.95 versus 0.94). For U.S. donors,
      the AUROCC was highest for the combined Hcp1/OPS-ELISA (0.96). Significantly
      higher seropositivity was observed in diabetic patients compared to those without
      diabetes for both the Hcp1-ELISA (87.3% versus 69.7%) and OPS-ELISA (88.1% versus
      60.6%). Although antibody levels for Hcp1 were highest upon admission, the titers
      declined by week 52 post-recovery. CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE: Hcp1 and OPS are
      promising candidates for serodiagnosis of melioidosis in different groups of
      patients. The Hcp1-ELISA performed better than the OPS-ELISA in endemic areas,
      thus, Hcp1 represents a promising target antigen for the development of POC tests
      for acute melioidosis.

PMID- 28358817
TI  - Downregulation of UBC9 promotes apoptosis of activated human LX-2 hepatic
      stellate cells by suppressing the canonical NF-kappaB signaling pathway.
AB  - UBC9, the only known E2-conjugating enzyme involved in SUMOylation, is a key
      regulator in fibrosis. However, the roles of UBC9 in liver fibrosis remain
      unclear. Therefore, in this study, we investigated the roles of UBC9 in HSC
      apoptosis and liver fibrogenesis. Our results showed that the UBC9 levels in
      activated LX-2 cells, HepG2 and SMMC-7721 were increased compared with LO2, and
      the expression of UBC9 in activated LX-2 cells, HepG2 and SMMC-7721 were no
      significant differences. The expression of UBC9 was effectively down-regulated by
      the UBC9-shRNA plasmid, and this effect was accompanied by the attenuated
      expression of the myofibroblast markers smooth muscle actin (alpha-SMA) and
      Collagen I. Downregulation of UBC9 also promotes activated HSCs apoptosis by up
      regulating cell apoptosis-related proteins. Further, knockdown of UBC9 in
      activated HSCs inhibited cell viability and caused cell cycle arrest in the G2
      phase. Moreover, knockdown of UBC9 suppressed the activation of NF-kappaB
      signaling pathways. In conclusion, these results demonstrated that down
      regulation of UBC9 expression induced activated LX-2 cell apoptosis and promoted
      cells to return to a quiescent state by inhibiting the NF-kappaB signaling
      pathway. These results provide novel mechanistic insights for the anti-fibrotic
      effect of UBC9.

PMID- 28358820
TI  - Epidemiological evaluation of cat health at a first-response animal shelter in
      Fukushima, following the Great East Japan Earthquakes of 2011.
AB  - The Great East Japan Earthquakes of March 11, 2011 caused immense harm to the
      community and subsequent nuclear accident in Fukushima Prefecture extended the
      damage. Local residents were forced to evacuated without pets and the left behind
      animals were rescued from the restricted zone one month later. Unplanned animal
      rescue and unregulated sheltering caused secondary damage to animals such as
      disease epidemics at impounded animal shelter. The purpose of this study was to
      retrospectively evaluate the incidence of upper respiratory infection (URI) and
      diarrhea in cats at the first response animal shelter in Fukushima, and
      investigate factors affecting the duration of disease and determinants of
      treatments performed. Eighty percent and 59% of impounded cats developed URI, 71%
      and 54% of cats developed diarrhea, and 91% and 83% of cats had at least one
      disease in 2011 and 2012, respectively. Uses of multiple drug administration
      (more than five drugs) was associated with prolonged URI and diarrhea. Multiple
      antibiotics, antihistamines, interferon, and steroids were associated with
      relapse of and prolonged URI. Developing a standardized treatment protocol for
      commonly observed diseases at Japanese animal shelters to prevent and control
      diseases, to promote animal welfare, and protect public health in the face of
      future disasters is overdue.

PMID- 28358818
TI  - The antimicrobial volatile power of the rhizospheric isolate Pseudomonas
      donghuensis P482.
AB  - Soil and rhizosphere bacteria produce an array of secondary metabolites including
      a wide range of volatile organic compounds (VOCs). These compounds play an
      important role in the long-distance interactions and communication between
      (micro)organisms. Furthermore, bacterial VOCs are involved in plant pathogens
      inhibition and induction of soil fungistasis and suppressivenes. In the present
      study, we analysed the volatile blend emitted by the rhizospheric isolate
      Pseudomonas donghuensis P482 and evaluated the volatile effect on the plant
      pathogenic fungi and bacteria as well as one oomycete. Moreover, we investigated
      the role of the GacS/GacA system on VOCs production in P. donghuensis P482. The
      results obtained demonstrated that VOCs emitted by P. donghuensis P482 have
      strong antifungal and antioomycete, but not antibacterial activity. The
      production of certain volatiles such as dimethyl sulfide, S-methyl thioacetate,
      methyl thiocyanate, dimethyl trisulfide, 1-undecan and HCN is depended on the
      GacS/GacA two-component regulatory system. Apparently, these compounds play an
      important role in the pathogens suppression as the gacA mutant entirely lost the
      ability to inhibit via volatiles the growth of tested plant pathogens.

PMID- 28358819
TI  - Quantifying the foodscape: A systematic review and meta-analysis of the validity
      of commercially available business data.
AB  - This paper reviews studies of the validity of commercially available business
      (CAB) data on food establishments ("the foodscape"), offering a meta-analysis of
      characteristics associated with CAB quality and a case study evaluating the
      performance of commonly-used validity indicators describing the foodscape.
      Existing validation studies report a broad range in CAB data quality, although
      most studies conclude that CAB quality is "moderate" to "substantial". We
      conclude that current studies may underestimate the quality of CAB data. We
      recommend that future validation studies use density-adjusted and exposure
      measures to offer a more meaningful characterization of the relationship of data
      error with spatial exposure.

PMID- 28358821
TI  - The role of intervention mapping in designing disease prevention interventions: A
      systematic review of the literature.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: To assess the role of Intervention Mapping (IM) in designing disease
      prevention interventions worldwide. METHODS: Systematic search and review of the
      relevant literature-peer-reviewed and grey-was conducted using the Preferred
      Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-analysis (PRISMA) guidelines.
      FINDINGS: Only five of the twenty two included studies reviewed were RCTs that
      compared intervention using IM protocol with placebo intervention, and provided
      the outcomes in terms of percentage increase in the uptake of disease-prevention
      programmes, and only one of the five studies provided an effect measure in the
      form of relative risk (RR = 1.59, 95% CI = 1.08-2.34, p = 0.02). Of the five
      RCTs, three were rated as strong evidences, one as a medium evidence and one as a
      weak evidence, and they all reported statistically significant difference between
      the two study groups, with disease prevention interventions that have used the
      intervention mapping approach generally reported significant increases in the
      uptake of disease-prevention interventions, ranging from 9% to 28.5% (0.0001 <= p
      <= 0.02), On the other hand, all the 22 studies have successfully identified the
      determinants of the uptake of disease prevention interventions that is essential
      to the success of disease prevention programmes. CONCLUSION: Intervention Mapping
      has been successfully used to plan, implement and evaluate interventions that
      showed significant increase in uptake of disease prevention programmes. This
      study has provided a good understanding of the role of intervention mapping in
      designing disease prevention interventions, and a good foundation upon which
      subsequent reviews can be guided.

PMID- 28358822
TI  - Dry season limnological conditions and basin geology exhibit complex
      relationships with delta13C and delta15N of carbon sources in four Neotropical
      floodplains.
AB  - Studies in freshwater ecosystems are seeking to improve understanding of carbon
      flow in food webs and stable isotopes have been influential in this work.
      However, variation in isotopic values of basal production sources could either be
      an asset or a hindrance depending on study objectives. We assessed the potential
      for basin geology and local limnological conditions to predict stable carbon and
      nitrogen isotope values of six carbon sources at multiple locations in four
      Neotropical floodplain ecosystems (Parana, Pantanal, Araguaia, and Amazon).
      Limnological conditions exhibited greater variation within than among systems.
      delta15N differed among basins for most carbon sources, but delta13C did not
      (though high within-basin variability for periphyton, phytoplankton and
      particulate organic carbon was observed). Although delta13C and delta15N values
      exhibited significant correlations with some limnological factors within and
      among basins, those relationships differed among carbon sources. Regression trees
      for both carbon and nitrogen isotopes for all sources depicted complex and in
      some cases nested relationships, and only very limited similarity was observed
      among trees for different carbon sources. Although limnological conditions
      predicted variation in isotope values of carbon sources, we suggest the resulting
      models were too complex to enable mathematical corrections of source isotope
      values among sites based on these parameters. The importance of local conditions
      in determining variation in source isotope values suggest that isotopes may be
      useful for examining habitat use, dispersal and patch dynamics within
      heterogeneous floodplain ecosystems, but spatial variability in isotope values
      needs to be explicitly considered when testing ecosystem models of carbon flow in
      these systems.

PMID- 28358824
TI  - Levy noise improves the electrical activity in a neuron under electromagnetic
      radiation.
AB  - As the fluctuations of the internal bioelectricity of nervous system is various
      and complex, the external electromagnetic radiation induced by magnet flux on
      membrane can be described by the non-Gaussian type distribution of Levy noise.
      Thus, the electrical activities in an improved Hindmarsh-Rose model excited by
      the external electromagnetic radiation of Levy noise are investigated and some
      interesting modes of the electrical activities are exhibited. The external
      electromagnetic radiation of Levy noise leads to the mode transition of the
      electrical activities and spatial phase, such as from the rest state to the
      firing state, from the spiking state to the spiking state with more spikes, and
      from the spiking state to the bursting state. Then the time points of the firing
      state versus Levy noise intensity are depicted. The increasing of Levy noise
      intensity heightens the neuron firing. Also the stationary probability
      distribution functions of the membrane potential of the neuron induced by the
      external electromagnetic radiation of Levy noise with different intensity,
      stability index and skewness papremeters are analyzed. Moreover, through the
      positive largest Lyapunov exponent, the parameter regions of chaotic electrical
      mode of the neuron induced by the external electromagnetic radiation of Levy
      noise distribution are detected.

PMID- 28358823
TI  - Genome-wide association screens for Achilles tendon and ACL tears and
      tendinopathy.
AB  - Achilles tendinopathy or rupture and anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) rupture are
      substantial injuries affecting athletes, associated with delayed recovery or
      inability to return to competition. To identify genetic markers that might be
      used to predict risk for these injuries, we performed genome-wide association
      screens for these injuries using data from the Genetic Epidemiology Research on
      Adult Health and Aging (GERA) cohort consisting of 102,979 individuals. We did
      not find any single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) associated with either of
      these injuries with a p-value that was genome-wide significant (p<5x10-8). We
      found, however, four and three polymorphisms with p-values that were borderline
      significant (p<10-6) for Achilles tendon injury and ACL rupture, respectively. We
      then tested SNPs previously reported to be associated with either Achilles tendon
      injury or ACL rupture. None showed an association in our cohort with a false
      discovery rate of less than 5%. We obtained, however, moderate to weak evidence
      for replication in one case; specifically, rs4919510 in MIR608 had a p-value of
      5.1x10-3 for association with Achilles tendon injury, corresponding to a 7%
      chance of false replication. Finally, we tested 2855 SNPs in 90 candidate genes
      for musculoskeletal injury, but did not find any that showed a significant
      association below a false discovery rate of 5%. We provide data containing
      summary statistics for the entire genome, which will be useful for future genetic
      studies on these injuries.

PMID- 28358825
TI  - Nature's patchwork: How water sources and soil salinity determine the
      distribution and structure of halophytic plant communities in arid environments
      of the Eastern Pamir.
AB  - The eastern part of the Pamir Mountains, located in Central Asia, is
      characterized by great climatic continentality and aridity. Wetlands developed in
      this hostile region are restricted to spring areas, terraces of shallow lakes or
      floodplains along rivers, and provide diversified ecosystem services e.g. as
      water reservoirs, refugia for rare species and pastures for domestic cattle.
      These ecosystems are particularly susceptible to climate changes, that in the
      Pamir Mountains result in increased temperatures, intense permafrost/glacial melt
      and alterations of precipitation patterns. Climatic changes affect pasture
      management in the mountains, causing overutilization of sites located at lower
      elevations. Thus, both climate and man-induced disturbances may violate the
      existing ecological equilibrium in high-mountain wetlands of the Eastern Pamir,
      posing a serious risk to their biodiversity and to food security of the local
      population. In this context, we sought to assess how environmental drivers (with
      special focus on soil features and potential water sources) shape the
      distribution and diversity of halophytic plant communities developed in valleys
      in the Eastern Pamir. This task was completed by means of a vegetation survey and
      comprehensive analyses of habitat conditions. The lake terraces and floodplains
      studied were covered by a repetitive mosaic of plant communities determined by
      differences in soil moisture and salinity. On lower, wetter sites, this patchwork
      was formed by Blysmus rufus dominated salt marshes, saline small sedge meadows
      and saline meadows with Kobresia royleana and Primula pamirica; and on drier,
      elevated sites, by endemic grasslands with Hordeum brevisubulatum and Puccinellia
      species and patches of xerohalophytic vegetation. Continuous instability of water
      sources and summer droughts occurring in the Pamir Mountains may lead to
      significant structural and functional transformations of described wetland
      ecosystems. Species more tolerant to decreased soil moisture and/or increased
      soil salinity will expand, leading to alterations of ecosystem services provided
      by the Pamirs' wetlands. The described research will help to assess the current
      state of the wetlands and to predict directions of their future changes.

PMID- 28358827
TI  - Vitamin D and hypertension: Prospective study and meta-analysis.
AB  - OBJECTIVES: The study sought to determine the link between vitamin D
      concentrations and incident hypertension in prospective study and meta-analysis.
      METHODS: The study was embedded in the Kailuan Study, a population-based cohort
      of adults that contains underground miners. In 2012, we studied 2,456 men and
      women free of prevalent hypertension, age 21 to 67 at baseline. Serum 25
      hydroxyvitamin D was measured from previously frozen baseline samples using ELISA
      (Enzyme-Linked ImmunoadSorbent Assay). We use the logistic regression analysis to
      estimate the odd radio (ORs) 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for 25-hydroxyvitamin
      D [25(OH)D] concentrations with incident hypertension. To help place our new data
      in context, we conducted a systemic review and meta-analysis of previous
      prospective reports of vitamin D and hypertension. RESULTS: During a median
      follow-up of 2 years, 42.6% of the cohort (n = 1047) developed hypertension.
      Compared with the 25-hydroxyvitamin D >30ng/ml, 25-hydroxyvitamin D <20 ng/ml was
      associated with a greater hypertension risk (OR: 1.225 [95% CI: 1.010 to 1.485] p
      = 0.04), although the association was attenuated and not statistically
      significant after adjusting for potential confounders (OR: 1.092 [95% CI: 0.866
      to 1.377] p = 0.456). This meta-analysis included seven prospective studies for
      53,375 participants using adjusted HR founded a significant association between
      vitamin D deficiencies and incident hypertension (HRs = 1.235 (95% CI: 1.083 to
      1.409, p = 0.002)). CONCLUSION: Lower serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D concentrations
      were not associated with a greater risk of incident hypertension. More research
      is needed to further determine the role of 25-hydroxyvitamin D in hypertension
      prevention and therapy.

PMID- 28358826
TI  - A growing animal model for neonatal repair of large diaphragmatic defects to
      evaluate patch function and outcome.
AB  - OBJECTIVES: We aimed to develop a more representative model for neonatal
      congenital diaphragmatic hernia repair in a large animal model, by creating a
      large defect in a fast-growing pup, using functional pulmonary and diaphragmatic
      read outs. BACKGROUND: Grafts are increasingly used to repair congenital
      diaphragmatic hernia with the risk of local complications. Growing animal models
      have been used to test novel materials. METHODS: 6-week-old rabbits underwent
      fiberoptic intubation, left subcostal laparotomy and hemi-diaphragmatic excision
      (either nearly complete (n = 13) or 3*3cm (n = 9)) and primary closure (Gore-Tex
      patch). Survival was further increased by moving to laryngeal mask airway
      ventilation (n = 15). Sham operated animals were used as controls (n = 6).
      Survivors (90 days) underwent chest X-Ray (scoliosis), measurements of maximum
      transdiaphragmatic pressure and breathing pattern (tidal volume, Pdi). Rates of
      herniation, lung histology and right hemi-diaphragmatic fiber cross-sectional
      area was measured. RESULTS: Rabbits surviving 90 days doubled their weight. Only
      one (8%) with a complete defect survived to 90 days. In the 3*3cm defect group
      all survived to 48 hours, however seven (78%) died later (16-49 days) from
      respiratory failure secondary to tracheal stricture formation. Use of a laryngeal
      mask airway doubled 90-day survival, one pup displaying herniation (17%). Cobb
      angel measurements, breathing pattern, and lung histology were comparable to
      sham. Under exertion, sham animals increased their maximum transdiaphragmatic
      pressure 134% compared to a 71% increase in patched animals (p<0.05). Patched
      animals had a compensatory increase in their right hemi-diaphragmatic fiber cross
      sectional area (p<0.0001). CONCLUSIONS: A primarily patched 3*3cm defect in
      growing rabbits, under laryngeal mask airway ventilation, enables adequate
      survival with normal lung function and reduced maximum transdiaphragmatic
      pressure compared to controls.

PMID- 28358828
TI  - Significant association between perceived HIV related stigma and late
      presentation for HIV/AIDS care in low and middle-income countries: A systematic
      review and meta-analysis.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Late presentation for human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) care is a
      major impediment for the success of antiretroviral therapy (ART) outcomes. The
      role that stigma plays as a potential barrier to timely diagnosis and treatment
      of HIV among people living with HIV/AIDS (acquired immunodeficiency syndrome) is
      ambivalent. This review aimed to assess the best available evidence regarding the
      association between perceived HIV related stigma and time to present for HIV/AIDS
      care. METHODS: Quantitative studies conducted in English language between 2002
      and 2016 that evaluated the association between HIV related stigma and late
      presentation for HIV care were sought across four major databases. This review
      considered studies that included the following outcome: 'late HIV testing', 'late
      HIV diagnosis' and 'late presentation for HIV care after testing'. Data were
      extracted using a standardized Joanna Briggs Institute (JBI) data extraction
      tool. Meta- analysis was undertaken using Revman-5 software. I2 and chi-square
      test were used to assess heterogeneity. Summary statistics were expressed as
      pooled odds ratio with 95% confidence intervals and corresponding p-value.
      RESULTS: Ten studies from low- and middle- income countries met the search
      criteria, including six (6) and four (4) case control studies and cross-sectional
      studies respectively. The total sample size in the included studies was 3,788
      participants. Half (5) of the studies reported a significant association between
      stigma and late presentation for HIV care. The meta-analytical association showed
      that people who perceived high HIV related stigma had two times more probability
      of late presentation for HIV care than who perceived low stigma (pooled odds
      ratio = 2.4; 95%CI: 1.6-3.6, I2 = 79%). CONCLUSIONS: High perceptions of HIV
      related stigma influenced timely presentation for HIV care. In order to avoid
      late HIV care presentation due the fear of stigma among patients, health
      professionals should play a key role in informing and counselling patients on the
      benefits of early HIV testing or early entry to HIV care. Additionally, linking
      the systems and positive case tracing after HIV testing should be strengthened.

PMID- 28358829
TI  - Lower levels of uric acid and striatal dopamine in non-tremor dominant
      Parkinson's disease subtype.
AB  - Parkinson's disease (PD) patients who present with tremor and maintain a
      predominance of tremor have a better prognosis. Similarly, PD patients with high
      levels of uric acid (UA), a natural neuroprotectant, have also a better disease
      course. Our aim was to investigate whether PD motor subtypes differ in their
      levels of UA, and if these differences correlate with the degree of dopamine
      transporter (DAT) availability. We included 75 PD patients from whom we collected
      information about their motor symptoms, DAT imaging and UA concentration levels.
      Based on the predominance of their motor symptoms, patients were classified into
      postural instability and gait disorder (PIGD, n = 36), intermediate (I, n = 22),
      and tremor-dominant (TD, n = 17) subtypes. The levels of UA and striatal DAT were
      compared across subtypes and the correlation between these two measures was also
      explored. We found that PIGD patients had lower levels of UA (3.7 vs 4.5 vs 5.3
      mg/dL; P<0.001) and striatal DAT than patients with an intermediate or TD
      phenotype. Furthermore, UA levels significantly correlated with the levels of
      striatal DAT. We also observed that some PIGD (25%) and I (45%) patients had a
      predominance of tremor at disease onset. We speculate that UA might be involved
      in the maintenance of the less damaging TD phenotype and thus also in the
      conversion from TD to PIGD. Low levels of this natural antioxidant could lead to
      a major neuronal damage and therefore influence the conversion to a more severe
      motor phenotype.

PMID- 28358830
TI  - Migration of small ligands in globins: Xe diffusion in truncated hemoglobin N.
AB  - In heme proteins, the efficient transport of ligands such as NO or O2 to the
      binding site is achieved via ligand migration networks. A quantitative assessment
      of ligand diffusion in these networks is thus essential for a better
      understanding of the function of these proteins. For this, Xe migration in
      truncated hemoglobin N (trHbN) of Mycobacterium Tuberculosis was studied using
      molecular dynamics simulations. Transitions between pockets of the migration
      network and intra-pocket relaxation occur on similar time scales (10 ps and 20
      ps), consistent with low free energy barriers (1-2 kcal/mol). Depending on the
      pocket from where Xe enters a particular transition, the conformation of the side
      chains lining the transition region differs which highlights the coupling between
      ligand and protein degrees of freedom. Furthermore, comparison of transition
      probabilities shows that Xe migration in trHbN is a non-Markovian process. Memory
      effects arise due to protein rearrangements and coupled dynamics as Xe moves
      through it.

PMID- 28358831
TI  - Ten simple rules for responsible big data research.

PMID- 28358832
TI  - Ten simple rules for short and swift presentations.

PMID- 28358833
TI  - Differentiation of malignant and benign breast lesions: Added value of the
      qualitative analysis of breast lesions on diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI) using
      readout-segmented echo-planar imaging at 3.0 T.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: To determine the added value of qualitative analysis as an adjunct to
      quantitative analysis for the discrimination of benign and malignant lesions in
      patients with breast cancer using diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI) with readout
      segmented echo-planar imaging (rs-EPI). METHODS: A total of 99 patients with 144
      lesions were reviewed from our prospectively collected database. DWI data were
      obtained using rs-EPI acquired at 3.0 T. The diagnostic performances of DWI in
      the qualitative, quantitative, and combination analyses were compared with that
      of dynamic contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging (DCE-MRI). Additionally,
      the effect of lesion size on the diagnostic performance of the DWI combination
      analysis was evaluated. RESULTS: The strongest indicators of malignancy on DWI
      were a heterogeneous pattern (P = 0.005) and an apparent diffusion coefficient
      (ADC) value <1.0 * 10-3 mm2/sec (P = 0.002). The area under the curve (AUC)
      values for the qualitative analysis, quantitative analysis, and combination
      analysis on DWI were 0.732 (95% CI, 0.651-0.803), 0.780 (95% CI, 0.703-0.846),
      and 0.826 (95% CI, 0.754-0.885), respectively (P<0.0001). The AUC for the
      combination analysis on DWI was superior to that for DCE-MRI alone (0.651, P =
      0.003) but inferior to that for DCE-MRI plus the ADC value (0.883, P = 0.03). For
      the DWI combination analysis, the sensitivity was significantly lower in the size
      <=1 cm group than in the size >1 cm group (80% vs. 95.6%, P = 0.034).
      CONCLUSIONS: Qualitative analysis of tumor morphology was diagnostically
      applicable on DWI using rs-EPI. This qualitative analysis adds value to
      quantitative analyses for lesion characterization in patients with breast cancer.

PMID- 28358834
TI  - A pair-conformation-dependent scoring function for evaluating 3D RNA-protein
      complex structures.
AB  - Computational prediction of RNA-protein complex 3D structures includes two basic
      steps: one is sampling possible structures and another is scoring the sampled
      structures to pick out the correct one. At present, constructing accurate scoring
      functions is still not well solved and the performances of the scoring functions
      usually depend on used benchmarks. Here we propose a pair-conformation-dependent
      scoring function, 3dRPC-Score, for 3D RNA-protein complex structure prediction by
      considering the nucleotide-residue pairs having the same energy if their
      conformations are similar, instead of the distance-only dependence of the most
      existing scoring functions. Benchmarking shows that 3dRPC-Score has a consistent
      performance in three test sets.

PMID- 28358836
TI  - Selection of key sequence-based features for prediction of essential genes in 31
      diverse bacterial species.
AB  - Genes that are indispensable for survival are essential genes. Many features have
      been proposed for computational prediction of essential genes. In this paper, the
      least absolute shrinkage and selection operator method was used to screen key
      sequence-based features related to gene essentiality. To assess the effects, the
      selected features were used to predict the essential genes from 31 bacterial
      species based on a support vector machine classifier. For all 31 bacterial
      objects (21 Gram-negative objects and ten Gram-positive objects), the features in
      the three datasets were reduced from 57, 59, and 58, to 40, 37, and 38,
      respectively, without loss of prediction accuracy. Results showed that some
      features were redundant for gene essentiality, so could be eliminated from future
      analyses. The selected features contained more complex (or key) biological
      information for gene essentiality, and could be of use in related research
      projects, such as gene prediction, synthetic biology, and drug design.

PMID- 28358835
TI  - Fast growth conditions uncouple the final stages of chromosome segregation and
      cell division in Escherichia coli.
AB  - Homologous recombination between the circular chromosomes of bacteria can
      generate chromosome dimers. They are resolved by a recombination event at a
      specific site in the replication terminus of chromosomes, dif, by dedicated
      tyrosine recombinases. The reaction is under the control of a cell division
      protein, FtsK, which assembles into active DNA pumps at mid-cell during septum
      formation. Previous studies suggested that activation of Xer recombination at dif
      was restricted to chromosome dimers in Escherichia coli but not in Vibrio
      cholerae, suggesting that FtsK mainly acted on chromosome dimers in E. coli but
      frequently processed monomeric chromosomes in V. cholerae. However, recent
      microscopic studies suggested that E. coli FtsK served to release the MatP
      mediated cohesion and/or cell division apparatus-interaction of sister copies of
      the dif region independently of chromosome dimer formation. Here, we show that
      these apparently paradoxical observations are not linked to any difference in the
      dimer resolution machineries of E. coli and V. cholerae but to differences in the
      timing of segregation of their chromosomes. V. cholerae harbours two circular
      chromosomes, chr1 and chr2. We found that whatever the growth conditions, sister
      copies of the V. cholerae chr1 dif region remain together at mid-cell until the
      onset of constriction, which permits their processing by FtsK and the activation
      of dif-recombination. Likewise, sister copies of the dif region of the E. coli
      chromosome only separate after the onset of constriction in slow growth
      conditions. However, under fast growth conditions the dif sites separate before
      constriction, which restricts XerCD-dif activity to resolving chromosome dimers.

PMID- 28358837
TI  - Dietary changes needed to reach nutritional adequacy without increasing diet cost
      according to income: An analysis among French adults.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: To explore the dietary changes needed to achieve nutritional adequacy
      across income levels at constant energy and diet cost. MATERIALS AND METHODS:
      Individual diet modelling was used to design iso-caloric, nutritionally adequate
      optimised diets for each observed diet in a sample of adult normo-reporters aged
      >=20 years (n = 1,719) from the Individual and National Dietary Survey (INCA2),
      2006-2007. Diet cost was estimated from mean national food prices (2006-2007). A
      first set of free-cost models explored the impact of optimisation on the
      variation of diet cost. A second set of iso-cost models explored the dietary
      changes induced by the optimisation with cost set equal to the observed one.
      Analyses of dietary changes were conducted by income quintiles, adjusting for
      energy intake, sociodemographic and socioeconomic variables, and smoking status.
      RESULTS: The cost of observed diets increased with increasing income quintiles.
      In free-cost models, the optimisation increased diet cost on average (+0.22 +/-
      1.03 euros/d) and within each income quintile, with no significant difference
      between quintiles, but with systematic increases for observed costs lower than
      3.85 euros/d. In iso-cost models, it was possible to design nutritionally
      adequate diets whatever the initial observed cost. On average, the optimisation
      at iso-cost increased fruits and vegetables (+171 g/day), starchy foods (+121
      g/d), water and beverages (+91 g/d), and dairy products (+20 g/d), and decreased
      the other food groups (e.g. mixed dishes and salted snacks), leading to increased
      total diet weight (+300 g/d). Those changes were mostly similar across income
      quintiles, but lower-income individuals needed to introduce significantly more
      fruit and vegetables than higher-income ones. CONCLUSIONS: In France, the dietary
      changes needed to reach nutritional adequacy without increasing cost are similar
      regardless of income, but may be more difficult to implement when the budget for
      food is lower than 3.85 euros/d.

PMID- 28358839
TI  - Frequency and clinical significance of short cervix in patients with preterm
      premature rupture of membranes.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: Cervical length measurement has been uggested as a useful tool for
      predicting intra-amniotic infection/inflammation in preterm labor, but little
      information is available in the setting of preterm premature rupture of membranes
      (pPROM). We aimed to determine whether a short cervical length is independently
      associated with an increased risk of intra-amniotic infection or inflammation and
      impending preterm delivery in women with pPROM. METHODS: This was a retrospective
      cohort study involving 171 consecutive singleton pregnant women with pPROM (21+0
      33+6 weeks' gestation), who underwent amniocentesis. Amniotic fluid (AF) was
      cultured, and assayed for interleukin (IL)-6 and IL-8. Cervical length was
      measured at the time of amniocentesis by transvaginal ultrasonography with an
      aseptic technique. Short cervical length was defined as a cervical length of <=15
      mm. Intra-amniotic infection was defined as a positive AF culture for
      microorganisms and intra-amniotic inflammation was defined as elevated AF
      concentrations of IL-6 or IL-8 (IL-6 >=1.5 ng/mL and/or IL-8 >=1.3 ng/mL).
      RESULTS: Fifty (29.2%) women had a sonographic cervical length of <=15mm. On
      univariate analysis, short cervical length was associated with an increased risk
      for intra-amniotic infection and/or inflammation; no other parameters studied
      showed a significant association. Multivariable analyses indicated that short
      cervical length was significantly associated with a higher risk of impending
      preterm delivery (within 2 days of measurement, within 7 days of measurement, and
      before 34 weeks), and remained significant after adjustment for potential
      confounders. CONCLUSION: In women with pPROM, short cervical length is associated
      with an increased risk for intra-amniotic infection/inflammation and associated
      with impending preterm delivery, independent of the presence of intra-amniotic
      infection/inflammation.

PMID- 28358838
TI  - Metal-dependent SpoIIE oligomerization stabilizes FtsZ during asymmetric division
      in Bacillus subtilis.
AB  - SpoIIE is a bifunctional protein involved in asymmetric septum formation and in
      activation of the forespore compartment-specific transcription factor sigmaF
      through dephosphorylation of SpoIIAA-P. The phosphatase activity of SpoIIE
      requires Mn2+ as a metal cofactor. Here, we show that the presence of a metal
      cofactor also influences SpoIIE oligomerization and asymmetric septum formation.
      Absence of Mn2+ from sporulation medium results in a delay of the formation of
      polar FtsZ-rings, similar to a spoIIE null mutant. We purified the entire
      cytoplasmic part of the SpoIIE protein, and show that the protein copurifies with
      bound metals. Metal binding both stimulates SpoIIE oligomerization, and results
      in the formation of larger oligomeric structures. The presence of SpoIIE
      oligomers reduces FtsZ GTP hydrolysis activity and stabilizes FtsZ polymers in a
      light scattering assay. Combined, these results indicate that metal binding is
      not just required for SpoIIE phosphatase activity but also is important for
      SpoIIE's role in asymmetric septum formation.

PMID- 28358840
TI  - A tetrameric peptide derived from bovine lactoferricin as a potential therapeutic
      tool for oral squamous cell carcinoma: A preclinical model.
AB  - Oral squamous cell carcinoma is the fifth most common epithelial cancer in the
      world, and its current clinical treatment has both low efficiency and poor
      selectivity. Cationic amphipathic peptides have been proposed as new drugs for
      the treatment of different types of cancer. The main goal of the present work was
      to determine the potential of LfcinB(20-25)4, a tetrameric peptide based on the
      core sequence RRWQWR of bovine lactoferricin LfcinB(20-25), for the treatment of
      OSCC. In brief, OSCC was induced in the buccal pouch of hamsters by applying 7,12
      Dimethylbenz(a)anthracene, and tumors were treated with one of the following
      peptides: LfcinB(20-25)4, LfcinB(20-25), or vehicle (control). Lesions were
      macroscopically evaluated every two days and both histological and serum IgG
      assessments were conducted after 5 weeks. The size of the tumors treated with
      LfcinB(20-25)4 and LfcinB(20-25) was smaller than that of the control group
      (46.16+/-4.41 and 33.92+/-2.74 mm3 versus 88.77+/-10.61 mm3, respectively). Also,
      LfcinB(20-25)4 caused acellularity in the parenchymal tumor compared with
      LfcinB(20-25) and vehicle treatments. Furthermore, our results demonstrated that
      both LfcinB(20-25)4 and LfcinB(20-25) induced higher degree of apoptosis relative
      to the untreated tumors (75-86% vs 8%, respectively). Moreover, although the
      lowest inflammatory response was achieved when LfcinB(20-25)4 was used, this
      peptide appeared to induce higher levels of IgG antibodies relative to the
      vehicle and LfcinB(20-25). In addition the cellular damage and selectivity of the
      LfcinB(20-25)4 peptide was evaluated in vitro. These assays showed that LfcinB(20
      25)4 triggers a selective necrotic effect in the carcinoma cell line.
      Cumulatively, these data indicate that LfcinB(20-25)4 could be considered as a
      new therapeutic agent for the treatment of OSCC.

PMID- 28358841
TI  - Is task-shifting a solution to the health workers' shortage in Northern Ghana?
AB  - OBJECTIVE: To explore the experiences and perceptions of health workers and
      implementers of task-shifting in rural health facilities in Upper East Region,
      Ghana. METHODS: Data was collected through field interviews. A total of sixty
      eight (68) in-depth interviews were conducted with health workers' in primary
      health care facilities (health centres); Four in-depth interviews with key
      persons involved in staff management was conducted to understand how task
      shifting is organised including its strengths and challenges. The health workers
      interview guide was designed with the aim of getting data on official tasks of
      health workers, additional tasks assigned to them, how they perceive these tasks,
      and the challenges associated with the practice of task-shifting. FINDINGS: Task
      shifting is a practice being used across the health facilities in the study area
      to help reduce the impact of insufficient health workers. Generally, health
      workers had a comprehensive training that supported the organisation of task
      shifting. However, staff members' are sometimes engaged in tasks above their
      level of training and beyond their actual job descriptions. Adequate training is
      usually not provided before additional tasks are assigned to staff members.
      Whilst some health workers perceived the additional tasks they performed as an
      opportunity to learn new skills, others described these as stressful and
      overburdening. CONCLUSION: Task-shifting has the potential to contribute to
      addressing the insufficient health workforce, and thereby improving health
      delivery system where the procedures are well defined and staff members work in a
      coordinated and organised manner. The provision of adequate training and
      supervision for health workers is important in order to improve their expertise
      before additional tasks are assigned to them so that the quality of care would
      not be compromised.

PMID- 28358843
TI  - Phase diagrams and dynamics of a computationally efficient map-based neuron
      model.
AB  - We introduce a new map-based neuron model derived from the dynamical perceptron
      family that has the best compromise between computational efficiency, analytical
      tractability, reduced parameter space and many dynamical behaviors. We calculate
      bifurcation and phase diagrams analytically and computationally that underpins a
      rich repertoire of autonomous and excitable dynamical behaviors. We report the
      existence of a new regime of cardiac spikes corresponding to nonchaotic aperiodic
      behavior. We compare the features of our model to standard neuron models
      currently available in the literature.

PMID- 28358842
TI  - The risk of clopidogrel resistance is associated with ABCB1 polymorphisms but not
      promoter methylation in a Chinese Han population.
AB  - The goal of our study was to investigate the contribution of ABCB1 expression to
      the risk of clopidogrel resistance (CR). Platelets functions were measured using
      the Verify-Now P2Y12 assay. Applying Polymerase Chain Reaction-Restriction
      Fragment Length Polymorphism (PCR-RFLP), the single-nucleotide polymorphisms
      (SNPs) was tested. Using bisulphite pyrosequencing assay, we investigated the
      association of the ABCB1 DNA methylation levels and CR. It was shown that female,
      hypertension, and lower albumin levels increased the risk of CR (P<0.05). If
      patients did not have hypoproteinaemia or had hypertension, the SNP in rs1045642
      was associated with CR (CC vs. TT: albumin >=35, P = 0.042; hypertension, P =
      0.045; C vs. T: albumin >=35, P = 0.033; hypertension, P = 0.040). Additionally,
      the platelet inhibition of the CT+TT genotype in rs1128503 was larger than that
      of the CC genotype (P = 0.021). Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed
      that male, higher albumin and hsCRP decreased the risk of CR, and the stent size
      maybe positively correlated with CR. The SNP in rs1045642 was related to all
      cause mortality (P = 0.024). We did not find any relationship between the
      methylation levels of the ABCB1 promoter and CR. In conclusions, our study
      indicated that ABCB1 polymorphisms might be useful in further evaluating the
      pathogenesis of CR.

PMID- 28358844
TI  - Olfactory effects of a hypervariable multicomponent pheromone in the red-legged
      salamander, Plethodon shermani.
AB  - Chemical communication via chemosensory signaling is an essential process for
      promoting and modifying reproductive behavior in many species. During courtship
      in plethodontid salamanders, males deliver a mixture of non-volatile
      proteinaceous pheromones that activate chemosensory neurons in the vomeronasal
      epithelium (VNE) and increase female receptivity. One component of this mixture,
      Plethodontid Modulating Factor (PMF), is a hypervariable pheromone expressed as
      more than 30 unique isoforms that differ between individual males-likely driven
      by co-evolution with female receptors to promote gene duplication and positive
      selection of the PMF gene complex. Courtship trials with females receiving
      different PMF isoform mixtures had variable effects on female mating receptivity,
      with only the most complex mixtures increasing receptivity, such that we believe
      that sufficient isoform diversity allows males to improve their reproductive
      success with any female in the mating population. The aim of this study was to
      test the effects of isoform variability on VNE neuron activation using the
      agmatine uptake assay. All isoform mixtures activated a similar number of neurons
      (>200% over background) except for a single purified PMF isoform (+17%). These
      data further support the hypothesis that PMF isoforms act synergistically in
      order to regulate female receptivity, and different putative mechanisms are
      discussed.

PMID- 28358846
TI  - Risk factors associated with Tuberculosis (TB) among people living with HIV/AIDS:
      A pair-matched case-control study in Guangxi, China.
AB  - BACKGROUND: As one of the poorest provinces in China, Guangxi has a high HIV and
      TB prevalence, with the annual number of TB/HIV cases reported by health
      department among the highest in the country. However, studies on the burden of TB
      HIV co-infection and risk factors for active TB among HIV-infected persons in
      Guangxi have rarely been reported. OBJECTIVE: To investigate the risk factors for
      active TB among people living with HIV/AIDS in Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region,
      China. METHODS: A surveillance survey was conducted of 1 019 HIV-infected
      patients receiving care at three AIDS prevention and control departments between
      2013 and 2015. We investigated the cumulative prevalence of TB during 2 years. To
      analyze risk factors associated with active TB, we conducted a 1:1 pair-matched
      case-control study of newly reported active TB/HIV co-infected patients. Controls
      were patients with HIV without active TB, latent TB infection or other lung
      disease, who were matched with the case group based on sex and age (+/- 3 years).
      RESULTS: A total of 1 019 subjects were evaluated. 160 subjects (15.70%) were
      diagnosed with active TB, including 85 clinically diagnosed cases and 75
      confirmed cases. We performed a 1:1 matched case-control study, with 82 TB/HIV
      patients and 82 people living with HIV/AIDS based on surveillance site, sex and
      age (+/-3) years. According to multivariate analysis, smoking (OR = 2.996, 0.992
      9.053), lower CD 4+ T-cell count (OR = 3.288, 1.161-9.311), long duration of HIV
      infection (OR = 5.946, 2.221-15.915) and non-use of ART (OR = 7.775, 2.618
      23.094) were independent risk factors for TB in people living with HIV/AIDS.
      CONCLUSION: The prevalence of active TB among people living with HIV/AIDS in
      Guangxi was 173 times higher than general population in Guangxi. It is necessary
      for government to integrate control planning and resources for the two diseases.
      Medical and public health workers should strengthen health education for TB/HIV
      prevention and treatment and promote smoking cessation. Active TB case finding
      and early initiation of ART is necessary to minimize the burden of disease among
      patients with HIV, as is IPT and infection control in healthcare facilities.

PMID- 28358845
TI  - The association between sleep duration and physical performance in Chinese
      community-dwelling elderly.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Physical performance is an important healthy factor in elder people.
      Good living habits, which include sleep, can maintain physical strength and
      physical performance. The aim of the present study was to conduct a cross
      sectional study to determine the association between total sleep duration and
      physical performance. METHODS: Our study population comprised residents of the
      township central hospital in the suburban of Tianjin, China. We measured muscle
      strength, walk speed and balance function by grip, 4-m walk test and timed up and
      go test (TUGT). We divided sleep duration into four groups <7h, 7-8h, >8-9h, >9h.
      RESULTS: A total 898 participants had completed data (392 men and 506 women, mean
      age 67.71 years). In man, adjusted sleep duration was associated with lower grip
      in > 9 h group, the mean value (95% CI) was 0.429 (0.409, 0.448), and longer TUGT
      time was also associated with long sleep duration, 10.46s (9.97 s, 10.95 s). In
      women, adjusted slower 4-m walk speed present an inverse U-shaped relation with
      sleep duration, by 0.93 m/s (0.86 m/s, 0.98 m/s), 0.97 m/s (0.96 m/s, 1.00 m/s),
      0.97 m/s (0.95 m/s, 0.99 m/s) and 0.92 m/s (0.89 m/s, 0.96 m/s); longer TUGT time
      were associated with long sleep duration (> 9 h), by 11.23 s (10.70 s, 11.77 s).
      CONCLUSION: In Chinese community-dwelling elderly, lower muscle strength and
      lower balance function were associated with long sleep duration in men. Slower
      walk speed and lower balance function were associated with long sleep duration in
      women.

PMID- 28358847
TI  - Alpha-1-antitrypsin suppresses oxidative stress in preeclampsia by inhibiting the
      p38MAPK signaling pathway: An in vivo and in vitro study.
AB  - This present study was designed to investigate the effects of alpha-1-antitrypsin
      (AAT) on oxidative stress in preeclampsia (PE) by regulating p38 mitogen
      activated protein kinase (p38MAPK) signaling pathway. HTR8/SVneo cells were
      randomly assigned into normal, hypoxia/reoxygenation (H/R), HR + AAT and HR +
      siRNA-AAT groups. Quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) and
      Western blotting were used to detect the mRNA and protein expressions of p
      p38MAPK, AAT, signal transducer and activator of transcription 1 (STAT1) and
      activating transcription factor2 (ATF2). Flow cytometry, scratch test, cell
      counting kit-8 (CCK-8) assay and the 3-(4,5)-dimethylthiazol (-z-y1)-3,5-di-
      phenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay were conducted to detect reactive oxygen
      species (ROS) and cell apoptosis, cell migration, proliferation and cytotoxicity,
      respectively. Mouse models in PE were established, which were divided into normal
      pregnancy (NP), PE and PE + AAT groups with blood pressure and urine protein
      measured. Chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP) and enzyme-linked immunosorbent
      assay (ELISA) were conducted to detect the activity of oxidative stress-related
      kinases and expressions of inflammatory cytokines and coagulation-related factors
      in cells and mice placenta. Immunohistochemistry, Western blotting and terminal
      deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated dUTP nick end labeling (TUNEL) assay were
      performed to detect AAT and p38MAPK expressions, apoptosis-related protein
      expressions, and apoptosis rate in mice placenta. Compared with the normal group,
      the H/R group had decreased expression of AAT, activity of superoxide dismutase
      (SOD) and GSH-Px, cell proliferation and migration, but increased p38MAPK, STAT1,
      ATF2, MDA, H2O2, inflammatory cytokines, coagulation-related factors, cell
      cytotoxicity, ROS, apoptotic factors and apoptosis rate. Compared with the H/R
      group, the HR + ATT group had increased expressions of AAT, activity of SOD and
      GSH-Px, cell proliferation and migration but decreased p38MAPK, STAT1, ATF2,
      malonyldialdehyde (MDA), H2O2, inflammatory cytokines and coagulation-related
      factors, cell cytotoxicity, ROS, apoptotic factors and apoptosis rate, while
      opposite results were observed in the HR + siRNA-ATT group. Compared with the NP
      group, the PE group had decreased activity of SOD and GSH-Px but increased MDA,
      H2O2, AAT, p38MAPK, inflammatory cytokines, coagulation-related factors and
      apoptosis rate. The indexes in the PE + AAT group were between the NP and PE
      groups. Thus, we concluded that AAT suppressed oxidative stress in PE by
      inhibiting p38MAPK signaling pathway.

PMID- 28358850
TI  - Adaptive feature selection using v-shaped binary particle swarm optimization.
AB  - Feature selection is an important preprocessing method in machine learning and
      data mining. This process can be used not only to reduce the amount of data to be
      analyzed but also to build models with stronger interpretability based on fewer
      features. Traditional feature selection methods evaluate the dependency and
      redundancy of features separately, which leads to a lack of measurement of their
      combined effect. Moreover, a greedy search considers only the optimization of the
      current round and thus cannot be a global search. To evaluate the combined effect
      of different subsets in the entire feature space, an adaptive feature selection
      method based on V-shaped binary particle swarm optimization is proposed. In this
      method, the fitness function is constructed using the correlation information
      entropy. Feature subsets are regarded as individuals in a population, and the
      feature space is searched using V-shaped binary particle swarm optimization. The
      above procedure overcomes the hard constraint on the number of features, enables
      the combined evaluation of each subset as a whole, and improves the search
      ability of conventional binary particle swarm optimization. The proposed
      algorithm is an adaptive method with respect to the number of feature subsets.
      The experimental results show the advantages of optimizing the feature subsets
      using the V-shaped transfer function and confirm the effectiveness and efficiency
      of the feature subsets obtained under different classifiers.

PMID- 28358848
TI  - Comprehensive species set revealing the phylogeny and biogeography of Feliformia
      (Mammalia, Carnivora) based on mitochondrial DNA.
AB  - Extant Feliformia species are one of the most diverse radiations of Carnivora
      (~123 species). Despite substantial recent interest in their conservation,
      diversification, and systematic study, no previous phylogeny contains a
      comprehensive species set, and no biogeography of this group is available. Here,
      we present a phylogenetic estimate for Feliformia with a comprehensive species
      set and establish a historical biogeography based on mitochondrial DNA. Both the
      Bayesian and maximum likelihood phylogeny for Feliformia are elucidated in our
      analyses and are strongly consistent with many groups recognized in previous
      studies. The mitochondrial phylogenetic relationships of Felidae were for the
      first time successfully reconstructed in our analyses with strong supported. When
      divergence times and dispersal/vicariance histories were compared with historical
      sea level changes, four dispersal and six vicariance events were identified.
      These vicariance events were closely related with global sea level changes. The
      transgression of sea into the lowland plains between Eurasia and Africa may have
      caused the vicariance in these regions. A fall in the sea level during late
      Miocene to Pliocene produced the Bering strait land bridge, which assisted the
      migration of American Feliformia ancestors from Asia to North America. In
      contrast with the 'sweepstakes hypothesis', our results suggest that the climate
      cooling during 30-27 Ma assisted Feliformia migration from the African mainland
      to Madagascar by creating a short-lived ice bridge across the Mozambique Channel.
      Lineages-through-time plots revealed a large increase in lineages since the Mid
      Miocene. During the Mid-Miocene Climatic Optimum, the ecosystems and population
      of Feliformia rapidly expanded. Subsequent climate cooling catalyzed immigration,
      speciation, and the extinction of Feliformia.

PMID- 28358849
TI  - Extracorporeal life support prior to left ventricular assist device implantation
      leads to improvement of the patients INTERMACS levels and outcome.
AB  - BACKGROUND: The objective of this study was to evaluate the outcome of left
      ventricular assist device (LVAD) implantation after initial extracorporeal life
      support (ECLS) in patients with cardiogenic shock and the incidence of post
      implantation right ventricular failure. METHODS & RESULTS: All patients on ECLS
      therapy for cardiogenic shock prior to LVAD implantation (n = 15) between October
      2011 and January 2014 were analyzed. Baseline patient characteristics, as well as
      detailed pre-operative treatment and postoperative outcome data were collected
      retrospectively. At time of admission to our unit all patients were classified
      INTERMACS II or higher (12 [80%] INTERMACS I). Improvement to INTERMACS III
      temporary cardiac support (TCS) at time of LVAD implantation was successful in 14
      patients (93.3%). End-organ function recovered during ECLS support. No patient
      needed ongoing ECLS or additional right ventricular support after LVAD
      implantation. Both in-hospital and 30-day mortality was 6.7% (n = 1). The median
      duration of LVAD support was 687.9 +/- 374.5 days. At the end of the study
      (follow-up 810.7 +/- 338.9 days), 13 (86.7%) patients were alive. The majority of
      patients (10 [66.7%]) remained on LVAD support. Transplantation could be
      performed in 1 (6.7%) patient, 2 (13.3%) patients could be successfully weaned.
      CONCLUSION: LVAD implantation in ECLS patients leads to improvement of INTERMACS
      level to INTERMACS III TCS status. Excellent mid-term survival comparable to true
      INTERMACS III-IV patients could be shown. ECLS prior to LVAD as a bridge-to
      bridge therapy may help to lower mortality in primarily unstable patients.

PMID- 28358851
TI  - 5-aminolevulinic acid-mediated photodynamic therapy and its strain-dependent
      combined effect with antibiotics on Staphylococcus aureus biofilm.
AB  - Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus) is hard to be eradicated, not only due to the
      emergence of antibiotic resistant strains but also because of its ability to form
      biofilm. Antibiotics are the major approach to treating biofilm infections, but
      their effects are unsatisfactory. One of the potential alternative treatments for
      controlling biofilm infections is photodynamic therapy (PDT), which requires the
      administration of photosensitizer, followed by light activation. 5-aminolevulinic
      acid (ALA), a natural photosensitizer prodrug, presents favorable
      characteristics, such as easy penetration and rapid clearance. These advantages
      enable ALA-based PDT (ALA-PDT) to be well-tolerated by patients and it can be
      repeatedly applied without cumulative toxicity or serious side effects. ALA-PDT
      has been proven to be an effective treatment for multidrug resistant pathogens;
      however, the study of its effect on S. aureus biofilm is limited. Here, we
      established our PDT system based on the utilization of ALA and a light-emitting
      diode, and we tested the effect of ALA-PDT on S. aureus biofilm as well as the
      combined effect of ALA-PDT and antibiotics on S. aureus biofilm. Our results
      showed that ALA-PDT has a strong antibacterial effect on S. aureus biofilm, which
      was confirmed by the confocal laser scanning microscope. We also found that
      lethal photosensitization occurred predominantly in the upper layer of the
      biofilm, while the residual live bacteria were located in the lower layer of the
      biofilm. In addition, the improved bactericidal effect was observed in the
      combined treatment group but in a strain-dependent manner. Our results suggest
      that ALA-PDT is a potential alternative approach for future clinical use to treat
      S. aureus biofilm-associated infections, and some patients may benefit from the
      combined treatment of ALA-PDT and antibiotics, but drug sensitivity testing
      should be performed in advance.

PMID- 28358852
TI  - Music training is associated with cortical synchronization reflected in EEG
      coherence during verbal memory encoding.
AB  - Music training can improve cognitive functions. Previous studies have shown that
      children and adults with music training demonstrate better verbal learning and
      memory performance than those without such training. Although prior studies have
      shown an association between music training and changes in the structural and
      functional organization of the brain, there is no concrete evidence of the
      underlying neural correlates of the verbal memory encoding phase involved in such
      enhanced memory performance. Therefore, we carried out an electroencephalography
      (EEG) study to investigate how music training was associated with brain activity
      during the verbal memory encoding phase. Sixty participants were recruited, 30 of
      whom had received music training for at least one year (the MT group) and 30 of
      whom had never received music training (the NMT group). The participants in the
      two groups were matched for age, education, gender distribution, and cognitive
      capability. Their verbal and visual memory functions were assessed using
      standardized neuropsychological tests and EEG was used to record their brain
      activity during the verbal memory encoding phase. Consistent with previous
      studies, the MT group demonstrated better verbal memory than the NMT group during
      both the learning and the delayed recall trials in the paper-and-pencil tests.
      The MT group also exhibited greater learning capacity during the learning trials.
      Compared with the NMT group, the MT group showed an increase in long-range left
      and right intrahemispheric EEG coherence in the theta frequency band during the
      verbal memory encoding phase. In addition, their event-related left
      intrahemispheric theta coherence was positively associated with subsequent verbal
      memory performance as measured by discrimination scores. These results suggest
      that music training may modulate the cortical synchronization of the neural
      networks involved in verbal memory formation.

PMID- 28358853
TI  - A peptide-based approach to evaluate the adaptability of influenza A virus to
      humans based on its hemagglutinin proteolytic cleavage site.
AB  - Cleavage activation of the hemagglutinin (HA) protein by host proteases is a
      crucial step in the infection process of influenza A viruses (IAV). However, IAV
      exists in eighteen different HA subtypes in nature and their cleavage sites vary
      considerably. There is uncertainty regarding which specific proteases activate a
      given HA in the human respiratory tract. Understanding the relationship between
      different HA subtypes and human-specific proteases will be valuable in assessing
      the pandemic potential of circulating viruses. Here we utilized fluorogenic
      peptides mimicking the HA cleavage motif of representative IAV strains causing
      disease in humans or of zoonotic/pandemic potential and tested them with a range
      of proteases known to be present in the human respiratory tract. Our results show
      that peptides from the H1, H2 and H3 subtypes are cleaved efficiently by a wide
      range of proteases including trypsin, matriptase, human airway tryptase (HAT),
      kallikrein-related peptidases 5 (KLK5) and 12 (KLK12) and plasmin. Regarding IAVs
      currently of concern for human adaptation, cleavage site peptides from H10
      viruses showed very limited cleavage by respiratory tract proteases. Peptide
      mimics from H6 viruses showed broader cleavage by respiratory tract proteases,
      while H5, H7 and H9 subtypes showed variable cleavage; particularly matriptase
      appeared to be a key protease capable of activating IAVs. We also tested HA
      substrate specificity of Factor Xa, a protease required for HA cleavage in
      chicken embryos and relevant for influenza virus production in eggs. Overall our
      data provide novel tool allowing the assessment of human adaptation of IAV HA
      subtypes.

PMID- 28358855
TI  - Correction: Spectrum of Cerebrovascular Disease in Patients with Multiple Myeloma
      Undergoing Chemotherapy-Results of a Case Control Study.
AB  - [This corrects the article DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0166627.].

PMID- 28358854
TI  - Validation of a hairy roots system to study soybean-soybean aphid interactions.
AB  - The soybean aphid (Aphis glycines) is one of the main insect pests of soybean
      (Glycine max) worldwide. Genomics approaches have provided important data on
      transcriptome changes, both in the insect and in the plant, in response to the
      plant-aphid interaction. However, the difficulties to transform soybean and to
      rear soybean aphid on artificial media have hindered our ability to
      systematically test the function of genes identified by those analyses as
      mediators of plant resistance to the insect. An efficient approach to produce
      transgenic soybean material is the production of transformed hairy roots using
      Agrobacterium rhizogenes; however, soybean aphids colonize leaves or stems and
      thus this approach has not been utilized. Here, we developed a hairy root system
      that allowed effective aphid feeding. We show that this system supports aphid
      performance similar to that observed in leaves. The use of hairy roots to study
      plant resistance is validated by experiments showing that roots generated from
      cotyledons of resistant lines carrying the Rag1 or Rag2 resistance genes are also
      resistant to aphid feeding, while related susceptible lines are not. Our results
      demonstrate that hairy roots are a good system to study soybean aphid-soybean
      interactions, providing a quick and effective method that could be used for
      functional analysis of the resistance response to this insect.

PMID- 28358856
TI  - Dexmedetomidine ameliorates muscle wasting and attenuates the alteration of
      hypothalamic neuropeptides and inflammation in endotoxemic rats.
AB  - Dexmedetomidine is generally used for sedaton in critically ill, it could shorten
      duration of mechanical ventilation, ICU stay and lower basic metabolism. However,
      the exact mechanism of these positive effects remains unkown. Here we
      investigated the hypothesis that dexmedetomidine could ameliorate muscle wasting
      in endotoxemic rats and whether it was related to hypothalamic neuropeptides
      alteration and inflammation. Fourty-eight adult male Sprague-Dawley rats were
      intraperitoneally injected with lipopolysaccharide (LPS) (5 mg/kg) or saline,
      followed by 50 MUg/kg dexmedetomidine or saline administration via the femoral
      vein catheter (infusion at 5 MUg.kg-1.hr-1). Twenty-four hours after injection,
      hypothalamus tissues and skeletal muscle were obtained. Muscle wasting was
      measured by the mRNA expression of two E3 ubiquitin ligases, muscle atrophy F-box
      (MAFbx) and muscle ring finger 1 (MuRF-1) as well as 3-methylhistidine (3-MH) and
      tyrosine release. Hypothalamic inflammatory markers and neuropeptides expression
      were also detected in all four groups. Results showed that LPS administration led
      to significant increase in hypothalamic inflammation together with muscle
      wasting. Increased hypothalamic neuropeptides, proopiomelanocortin (POMC),
      cocaine and amphetamine-related transcript (CART) and neuropeptides Y (NPY) and
      decreased agouti-related protein (AgRP) were also observed. Meanwhile
      dexmedetomidine administration ameliorated muscle wasting, hypothalamic
      inflammation and modulated the alteration of neuropeptides, POMC, CART and AgRP,
      in endotoxemic rats. In conclusion, dexmedetomidine could alleviate muscle
      wasting in endotoxemic rats, and it could also attenuate the alteration of
      hypothalamic neuropeptides and reduce hypothalamic inflammation.

PMID- 28358857
TI  - Differential autophagic effects of vital dyes in retinal pigment epithelial ARPE
      19 and photoreceptor 661W cells.
AB  - Indocyanine green (ICG) and brilliant blue G (BBG) are commonly used vital dyes
      to remove internal limiting membrane (ILM) in vitreoretinal surgery. The vital
      dyes have shown cytotoxic effects in ocular cells. Autophagy is a stress
      responsive pathway for either protecting cells or promoting cell death. However,
      the role of autophagy in ocular cells in response to the vital dyes remains
      unknown. In this study, we found that ICG and BBG reduced cell viability in both
      human retinal pigment epithelial ARPE-19 and mouse photoreceptor 661W cells. ICG
      and BBG induced lipidated GFP-LC3-II and LC3-II in ARPE-19 and 661W cells.
      Combination treatment with the autophagy inhibitor chloroquine indicated that ICG
      and BBG reduced autophagic flux in ARPE-19 cells, whereas the vital dyes induced
      autophagic flux in 661W cells. Moreover, genetic and pharmacological ablation of
      autophagy enhanced vital dyes-induced cytotoxicity in ocular cells. Dietary
      supplements, including resveratrol, lutein, and CoQ10, induced autophagy and
      diminished the cytotoxic effects of ICG and BBG in ocular cells. These results
      suggest that autophagy may protect ARPE-19 and 661W cells from vital dyes-induced
      damage.

PMID- 28358858
TI  - A preclinical evaluation of alternative site for islet allotransplantation.
AB  - The bone marrow cavity (BMC) has recently been identified as an alternative site
      to the liver for islet transplantation. This study aimed to compare the BMC with
      the liver as an islet allotransplantation site in diabetic monkeys. Diabetes was
      induced in Rhesus monkeys using streptozocin, and the monkeys were then divided
      into the following three groups: Group1 (islets transplanted in the liver with
      immunosuppressant), Group 2 (islets transplanted in the tibial BMC), and Group 3
      (islets transplanted in the tibial BMC with immunosuppressant). The C-peptide and
      blood glucose levels were preoperatively measured. An intravenous glucose
      tolerance test (IVGTT) was conducted to assess graft function, and complete blood
      cell counts were performed to assess cell population changes. Cytokine expression
      was measured using an enzyme-linked immune sorbent assay (ELISA) and MILLIPLEX.
      Five monkeys in Group 3 exhibited a significantly increased insulin-independent
      time compared with the other groups (Group 1: 78.2 +/- 19.0 days; Group 2: 58.8
      +/- 17.0 days; Group 3: 189.6 +/- 26.2 days) and demonstrated increases in plasma
      C-peptide 4 months after transplantation. The infusion procedure was not
      associated with adverse effects. Functional islets in the BMC were observed 225
      days after transplantation using the dithizone (DTZ) and insulin/glucagon stains.
      Our results showed that allogeneic islets transplanted in the BMC of diabetic
      Rhesus monkeys remained alive and functional for a longer time than those
      transplanted in the liver. This study was the first successful demonstration of
      allogeneic islet engraftment in the BMC of non-human primates (NHPs).

PMID- 28358859
TI  - Vocalizations of female frogs contain nonlinear characteristics and individual
      signatures.
AB  - Anuran vocalization is sexually dimorphic, with males doing the bulk of
      vocalizing. Female vocalization is rare and has been observed in a handful of
      species, including the concave-eared torrent frog (Odorrana tormota). Females O.
      tormota have been reported to emit moderate-level calls to attract males. In
      contrast to males, female's vocal signals show no evidence of nonlinear phenomena
      (NLP). However, with females emitting calls so infrequently that this conclusion
      must be considered tentative in light of the limited supporting data. The present
      study was undertaken to test the hypotheses that their vocalizations: 1. may not
      be purely linear, 2. may contain individual signatures, similar to their male
      counterparts. We recorded 671 calls from six captive gravid females and found
      that their vocalizations are as complex as male calls, with numerous calls
      exhibiting complex upward/downward frequency modulations, and 39% of female calls
      containing at least one component of the NLP, i.e., subharmonics, deterministic
      chaos, frequency jump, or biphonation. Furthermore, females in captivity tend to
      call in bouts throughout the day and night, and the call rate varies hourly with
      a maximum of >10 calls per minute matching the maximum call rate in males.
      Similar to males, female vocalizations carry individual signatures, and all sound
      parameters analyzed differ significantly between individuals. This represents the
      first report ever showing that vocalizations of female anurans: 1. contain NLP,
      2. carry individual signatures. Presence of signatures in both the male and
      female vocalizations opens up the possibility for males (and females) to
      distinguish individual frogs in both sexes acoustically, and thus their sound
      communication ability may be more advanced than previously thought.

PMID- 28358860
TI  - Discover cervical disc arthroplasty versus anterior cervical discectomy and
      fusion in symptomatic cervical disc diseases: A meta-analysis.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: Symptomatic cervical disc disease (SCDD) is a common degenerative
      disease, and Discover artificial cervical disc, a new-generation nonconstrained
      artificial disk, has been developed and performed gradually to treat it. We
      performed this meta-analysis to compare the efficacy and safety between Discover
      cervical disc arthroplasty (DCDA) and anterior cervical discectomy and fusion
      (ACDF) for SCDD. METHODS: An exhaustive literature search of PubMed, EMBASE, and
      the Cochrane Library was conducted to identify randomized controlled trials that
      compared DCDA with ACDF for patients suffering SCDD. A random-effect model was
      used. Results were reported as standardized mean difference or risk ratio with
      95% confidence interval. RESULTS: Of 33 articles identified, six studies were
      included. Compared with ACDF, DCDA demonstrated shorter operation time (P <
      0.0001), and better range of motion (ROM) at the operative level (P < 0.00001).
      But no significant differences were observed in blood loss, neck disability index
      (NDI) scores, neck and arm pain scores, Japanese orthopaedic association (JOA)
      scores, secondary surgery procedures and adverse events (P > 0.05). Subgroup
      analyses did not demonstrated significant differences. CONCLUSION: In conclusion,
      DCDA presented shorter operation time, and better ROM at the operative level.
      However, no significant differences were observed in blood loss, NDI scores, neck
      and arm pain scores, JOA scores, secondary surgery procedures and adverse events
      between the two groups. Additionally, more studies of high quality with mid- to
      long-term follow-up are required in future.

PMID- 28358862
TI  - Comprehensive framework for visualizing and analyzing spatio-temporal dynamics of
      racial diversity in the entire United States.
AB  - The United States is increasingly becoming a multi-racial society. To understand
      multiple consequences of this overall trend to our neighborhoods we need a
      methodology capable of spatio-temporal analysis of racial diversity at the local
      level but also across the entire U.S. Furthermore, such methodology should be
      accessible to stakeholders ranging from analysts to decision makers. In this
      paper we present a comprehensive framework for visualizing and analyzing
      diversity data that fulfills such requirements. The first component of our
      framework is a U.S.-wide, multi-year database of race sub-population grids which
      is freely available for download. These 30 m resolution grids have being
      developed using dasymetric modeling and are available for 1990-2000-2010. We
      summarize numerous advantages of gridded population data over commonly used
      Census tract-aggregated data. Using these grids frees analysts from constructing
      their own and allows them to focus on diversity analysis. The second component of
      our framework is a set of U.S.-wide, multi-year diversity maps at 30 m
      resolution. A diversity map is our product that classifies the gridded population
      into 39 communities based on their degrees of diversity, dominant race, and
      population density. It provides spatial information on diversity in a single,
      easy-to-understand map that can be utilized by analysts and end users alike. Maps
      based on subsequent Censuses provide information about spatio-temporal dynamics
      of diversity. Diversity maps are accessible through the GeoWeb application
      SocScape (http://sil.uc.edu/webapps/socscape_usa/) for an immediate online
      exploration. The third component of our framework is a proposal to quantitatively
      analyze diversity maps using a set of landscape metrics. Because of its form, a
      grid-based diversity map could be thought of as a diversity "landscape" and
      analyzed quantitatively using landscape metrics. We give a brief summary of most
      pertinent metrics and demonstrate how they can be applied to diversity maps.

PMID- 28358861
TI  - PCR diagnosis of tick-borne pathogens in Maharashtra state, India indicates
      fitness cost associated with carrier infections is greater for crossbreed than
      native cattle breeds.
AB  - Tick-borne pathogens (TBP) are responsible for significant economic losses to
      cattle production, globally. This is particularly true in countries like India
      where TBP constrain rearing of high yielding Bos taurus, as they show
      susceptibility to acute tick borne disease (TBD), most notably tropical
      theileriosis caused by Theileria annulata. This has led to a programme of cross
      breeding Bos taurus (Holstein-Friesian or Jersey) with native Bos indicus
      (numerous) breeds to generate cattle that are more resistant to disease. However,
      the cost to fitness of subclinical carrier infection in crossbreeds relative to
      native breeds is unknown, but could represent a significant hidden economic cost.
      In this study, a total of 1052 bovine blood samples, together with associated
      data on host type, sex and body score, were collected from apparently healthy
      animals in four different agro-climatic zones of Maharashtra state. Samples were
      screened by PCR for detection of five major TBPs: T. annulata, T. orientalis, B.
      bigemina, B. bovis and Anaplasma spp.. The results demonstrated that single and
      co-infection with TBP are common, and although differences in pathogen spp.
      prevalence across the climatic zones were detected, simplistic regression models
      predicted that host type, sex and location are all likely to impact on prevalence
      of TBP. In order to remove issues with autocorrelation between variables, a
      subset of the dataset was modelled to assess any impact of TBP infection on body
      score of crossbreed versus native breed cattle (breed type). The model showed
      significant association between infection with TBP (particularly apicomplexan
      parasites) and poorer body condition for crossbreed animals. These findings
      indicate potential cost of TBP carrier infection on crossbreed productivity.
      Thus, there is a case for development of strategies for targeted breeding to
      combine productivity traits with disease resistance, or to prevent transmission
      of TBP in India for economic benefit.

PMID- 28358863
TI  - Opening the treasure chest: A DNA-barcoding primer set for most higher taxa of
      Central European birds and mammals from museum collections.
AB  - DNA-barcoding is a rapidly developing method for efficiently identifying samples
      to species level by means of short standard DNA sequences. However, reliable
      species assignment requires the availability of a comprehensive DNA barcode
      reference library, and hence numerous initiatives aim at generating such barcode
      databases for particular taxa or geographic regions. Historical museum
      collections represent a potentially invaluable source for the DNA-barcoding of
      many taxa. This is particularly true for birds and mammals, for which collecting
      fresh (voucher) material is often very difficult to (nearly) impossible due to
      the special animal welfare and conservation regulations that apply to vertebrates
      in general, and birds and mammals in particular. Moreover, even great efforts
      might not guarantee sufficiently complete sampling of fresh material in a short
      period of time. DNA extracted from historical samples is usually degraded, such
      that only short fragments can be amplified, rendering the recovery of the
      barcoding region as a single fragment impossible. Here, we present a new set of
      primers that allows the efficient amplification and sequencing of the entire
      barcoding region in most higher taxa of Central European birds and mammals in six
      overlapping fragments, thus greatly increasing the value of historical museum
      collections for generating DNA barcode reference libraries. Applying our new
      primer set in recently established NGS protocols promises to further increase the
      efficiency of barcoding old bird and mammal specimens.

PMID- 28358865
TI  - Ultrastructure and morphology of antennal sensilla of the adult diving beetle
      Cybister japonicus Sharp.
AB  - The morphology and distribution of the antennal sensilla of adult diving beetle
      Cybister japonicus Sharp (Dytiscidae, Coleoptera), have been examined. Five types
      of sensilla on the antennae were identified by scanning electron microscope (SEM)
      and transmission electron microscope (TEM). Sensilla placodea and elongated s.
      placodea are the most abundant types of sensilla, distributing only on the
      flagellum. Both these types of sensilla carry multiple pore systems with a
      typical function as chemoreceptors. Three types of s. coeloconica (Type I-III)
      were also identified, with the characterization of the pit-in-pit style, and
      carrying pegs externally different from each other. Our data indicated that both
      type I and type II of s. coleconica contain two bipolar neurons, while the type
      III of s. coleconica contains three dendrites in the peg. Two sensory dendrites
      in the former two sensilla are tightly embedded inside the dendrite sheath, with
      no space left for sensilla lymph. There are no specific morphological differences
      in the antennal sensilla observed between males and females, except that the
      males have longer antennae and more sensilla than the females.

PMID- 28358864
TI  - Use of the 9-item Shared Decision Making Questionnaire (SDM-Q-9 and SDM-Q-Doc) in
      intervention studies-A systematic review.
AB  - BACKGROUND: The Shared Decision Making Questionnaire (SDM-Q-9 and SDM-Q-Doc) is a
      9-item measure of the decisional process in medical encounters from both
      patients' and physicians' perspectives. It has good acceptance, feasibility, and
      reliability. This systematic review aimed to 1) evaluate the use of the SDM-Q-9
      and SDM-Q-Doc in intervention studies on shared decision making (SDM) in clinical
      settings, 2) describe how the SDM-Q-9 and SDM-Q-Doc performed regarding
      sensitivity to change, and 3) assess the methodological quality of studies and
      study protocols that use the measure. METHODS: We conducted a systematic review
      of studies published between 2010 and October 2015 that evaluated interventions
      to facilitate SDM. The search strategy comprised three databases (EMBASE,
      PsycINFO, and Medline), reference tracking, citation tracking, and personal
      knowledge. Two independent reviewers screened titles and abstracts as well as
      full texts of potentially relevant records. We extracted the data using a pilot
      tested sheet, and we assessed the methodological quality of included studies
      using the Quality Assessment Tools from the U.S. National Institute of Health
      (NIH). RESULTS: Five completed studies and six study protocols fulfilled the
      inclusion criteria. The measure was used in a variety of health care settings,
      mainly in Europe, to evaluate several types of interventions. The reported mean
      sum scores ranged from 42 to 75 on a scale from 0 to 100. In four studies no
      significant change was detected in the mean-differences between main groups. In
      the fifth study the difference was small. Quality assessment revealed a high risk
      of bias in four of the five completed studies, while the study protocols received
      moderate quality ratings. CONCLUSIONS: We found a wide range of areas in which
      the SDM-Q-9 and SDM-Q-Doc were applied. In the future this review may help
      researchers decide whether the measure fits their purposes. Furthermore, the
      review revealed risk of bias in previous trials that used the measure, and may
      help future trials decrease this risk. More research on the measure's sensitivity
      to change is strongly suggested.

PMID- 28358867
TI  - Location, location, location: Use of CRISPR-Cas9 for genome editing in human
      pathogenic fungi.

PMID- 28358866
TI  - Phenotypically silent Cre recombination within the postnatal ventricular
      conduction system.
AB  - The cardiac conduction system (CCS) is composed of specialized cardiomyocytes
      that initiate and maintain cardiac rhythm. Any perturbation to the normal
      sequence of electrical events within the heart can result in cardiac arrhythmias.
      To understand how cardiac rhythm is established at the molecular level, several
      genetically modified mouse lines expressing Cre recombinase within specific CCS
      compartments have been created. In general, Cre driver lines have been generated
      either by homologous recombination of Cre into an endogenous locus or Cre
      expression driven by a randomly inserted transgene. However, haploinsufficiency
      of the endogenous gene compromises the former approach, while position effects
      negatively impact the latter. To address these limitations, we generated a Cre
      driver line for the ventricular conduction system (VCS) that preserves endogenous
      gene expression by targeting the Contactin2 (Cntn2) 3' untranslated region
      (3'UTR). Here we show that Cntn23'UTR-IRES-Cre-EGFP/+ mice recombine floxed
      alleles within the VCS and that Cre expression faithfully recapitulates the
      spatial distribution of Cntn2 within the heart. We further demonstrate that Cre
      expression initiates after birth with preservation of native Cntn2 protein.
      Finally, we show that Cntn23'UTR-IRES-Cre-EGFP/+ mice maintain normal cardiac
      mechanical and electrical function. Taken together, our results establish a novel
      VCS-specific Cre driver line without the adverse consequences of
      haploinsufficiency or position effects. We expect that our new mouse line will
      add to the accumulating toolkit of CCS-specific mouse reagents and aid
      characterization of the cell-autonomous molecular circuitry that drives VCS
      maintenance and function.

PMID- 28358868
TI  - Precocious obesity predisposes the development of more severe cisplatin-induced
      acute kidney injury in young adult mice.
AB  - Obesity and its consequences can damage the kidney over time. However, less is
      known about the impact of developing overweight/obesity during childhood on the
      kidney in adulthood and the renal impact of a superimposed acute kidney injury
      (AKI). This study evaluated the effect of obesity induced by a high-fat diet
      initiated soon after weaning on the adult life of mice and their response to
      superimposed nephrotoxic effects of cisplatin. C57BL/6 post-weaning mice (3 weeks
      old) were divided into a control group (CT, n = 12) and a high-fat diet group
      (HF, n = 12). After 9 weeks, animals were further divided into the following
      groups: CT, CT treated with a single dose of cisplatin (CTCis, 20 mg/kg, i.p.),
      HF and HF treated with cisplatin (HFCis). The HF group exhibited higher body
      weight gain compatible with a moderate obesity. Obese mice presented increased
      visceral adiposity, hyperkalemia, sodium retention, glomerular hyperfiltration
      and proteinuria, without any significant changes in blood pressure and glycemia.
      AKI induced by cisplatin was exacerbated in obese animals with a 92% reduction in
      the GFR versus a 31% decrease in the CTCis group; this sharp decline resulted in
      severely elevated serum creatinine and urea levels. Acute tubular necrosis
      induced by cisplatin was worsened in obese mice. The HFCis group exhibited robust
      systemic and intrarenal inflammation that was significantly higher than that in
      the CTCis group; the HFCis group also showed a higher degree of renal oxidative
      stress. In conclusion, the moderate degree of obesity induced shortly after
      weaning resulted in mild early renal alterations, however, obese young animals
      were prone to develop a much more severe AKI induced by cisplatin.

PMID- 28358869
TI  - Learning about and from others' prudence, impatience or laziness: The
      computational bases of attitude alignment.
AB  - Peoples' subjective attitude towards costs such as, e.g., risk, delay or effort
      are key determinants of inter-individual differences in goal-directed behaviour.
      Thus, the ability to learn about others' prudent, impatient or lazy attitudes is
      likely to be critical for social interactions. Conversely, how adaptive such
      attitudes are in a given environment is highly uncertain. Thus, the brain may be
      tuned to garner information about how such costs ought to be arbitrated. In
      particular, observing others' attitude may change one's uncertain belief about
      how to best behave in related difficult decision contexts. In turn, learning from
      others' attitudes is determined by one's ability to learn about others'
      attitudes. We first derive, from basic optimality principles, the computational
      properties of such a learning mechanism. In particular, we predict two apparent
      cognitive biases that would arise when individuals are learning about others'
      attitudes: (i) people should overestimate the degree to which they resemble
      others (false-consensus bias), and (ii) they should align their own attitudes
      with others' (social influence bias). We show how these two biases non-trivially
      interact with each other. We then validate these predictions experimentally by
      profiling people's attitudes both before and after guessing a series of cost
      benefit arbitrages performed by calibrated artificial agents (which are
      impersonating human individuals).

PMID- 28358870
TI  - Guideline appraisal with AGREE II: Systematic review of the current evidence on
      how users handle the 2 overall assessments.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: The Appraisal of Guidelines for Research & Evaluation (AGREE) II
      instrument is the most commonly used guideline appraisal tool. It includes 23
      appraisal criteria (items) organized within 6 domains and 2 overall assessments
      (1. overall guideline quality; 2. recommendation for use). The aim of this
      systematic review was twofold. Firstly, to investigate how often AGREE II users
      conduct the 2 overall assessments. Secondly, to investigate the influence of the
      6 domain scores on each of the 2 overall assessments. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A
      systematic bibliographic search was conducted for publications reporting
      guideline appraisals with AGREE II. The impact of the 6 domain scores on the
      overall assessment of guideline quality was examined using a multiple linear
      regression model. Their impact on the recommendation for use (possible answers:
      "yes", "yes, with modifications", "no") was examined using a multinomial
      regression model. RESULTS: 118 relevant publications including 1453 guidelines
      were identified. 77.1% of the publications reported results for at least one
      overall assessment, but only 32.2% reported results for both overall assessments.
      The results of the regression analyses showed a statistically significant
      influence of all domains on overall guideline quality, with Domain 3 (rigour of
      development) having the strongest influence. For the recommendation for use, the
      results showed a significant influence of Domains 3 to 5 ("yes" vs. "no") and
      Domains 3 and 5 ("yes, with modifications" vs. "no"). CONCLUSIONS: The 2 overall
      assessments of AGREE II are underreported by guideline assessors. Domains 3 and 5
      have the strongest influence on the results of the 2 overall assessments, while
      the other domains have a varying influence. Within a normative approach, our
      findings could be used as guidance for weighting individual domains in AGREE II
      to make the overall assessments more objective. Alternatively, a stronger content
      analysis of the individual domains could clarify their importance in terms of
      guideline quality. Moreover, AGREE II should require users to transparently
      present how they conducted the assessments.

PMID- 28358871
TI  - Post-licensure safety evaluation of dihydroartemisinin piperaquine in the three
      major ecological zones across Ghana.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Uncommon and rare adverse events (AEs), with delayed onset may not be
      detected before new drugs are licensed and deployed. The present study examined
      the post licensure safety of dihydroartemisinin-piperaquine (DHP) as an
      additional treatment for malaria in Ghana. The relationship between the incidence
      of AEs, treatment completion rate, participant characteristics and concomitant
      medications are reported. METHODS: A study conducted from September 2013 to June
      2014 in Navrongo, Kintampo and Dodowa health research centres in Ghana is
      presented. Participants had confirmed malaria and no known allergy to study drug.
      Patients provided informed consent and had their symptoms and results of their
      clinical examinations documented. Treatment with Eurartesim(r) (20/160mg
      dihydroartemisinin and 40/320mg piperaquine by Sigma-Tau Incorporated) was given,
      according to the body weight of patients. First treatment doses were under
      observation but the second and third doses were taken at home except in a sub
      study involving a nested cohort. Patients were contacted at Day 5 (+/- 2 days)
      either on telephone or by a home visit to document any AEs experienced. Patients
      were asked to report to the study team any other AEs that occurred within 28 days
      post-treatment. All patients in the nested cohort had electrocardiogram (ECG).
      FINDINGS: A total of 4563 patients, 52.1% females and 48.2% <6 years completed
      the study. A total of 444 patients were enrolled into the nested cohort. About
      33% had temperature >= 37.5 degrees C at enrolment. Approximately 3.4% reported
      taking prior antimalarials, 19.4% other medications and 86% took at least one
      concomitant medication. Incidence of AEs was 7.6% including infections (4.6%),
      gastrointestinal disorders (1.0%) and local reactions at the site of venesection
      (0.5%). Others were respiratory disorders (0.4%) and nervous system disorders
      (0.3%). There were nine adverse events of special interest (AESI);
      itching/pruritus (7), dizziness (1), and skin lesions (1). Patients who took
      medications prior to enrolment had higher incidence of AEs compared with those
      without (9.3% vs. 6.1%; P<0.001). Statistically significant associations were
      found between the reported AEs and age of patients (P<0.001), their body mass
      index (BMI) (P< 0.001) and parasite densities (P< 0.001). CONCLUSION:
      Dihydroartemisinin-Piperaquine was well tolerated with no serious safety concerns
      identified. Obesity and prior enrolment medication were among significant factors
      associated with increased AEs reporting.

PMID- 28358872
TI  - Potential sources of bacteria colonizing the cryoconite of an Alpine glacier.
AB  - We investigated the potential contribution of ice-marginal environments to the
      microbial communities of cryoconite holes, small depressions filled with
      meltwater that form on the surface of Forni Glacier (Italian Alps). Cryoconite
      holes are considered the most biologically active environments on glaciers.
      Bacteria can colonize these environments by short-range transport from ice
      marginal environments or by long-range transport from distant areas. We used high
      throughput DNA sequencing to identify Operational Taxonomic Units (OTUs) present
      in cryoconite holes and three ice-marginal environments, the moraines, the
      glacier forefield, and a large (> 3 m high) ice-cored dirt cone occurring on the
      glacier surface. Bacterial communities of cryoconite holes were different from
      those of ice-marginal environments and hosted fewer OTUs. However, a network
      analysis revealed that the cryoconite holes shared more OTUs with the moraines
      and the dirt cone than with the glacier forefield. Ice-marginal environments may
      therefore act as sources of bacteria for cryoconite holes, but differences in
      environmental conditions limit the number of bacterial strains that may survive
      in them. At the same time, cryoconite holes host a few OTUs that were not found
      in any ice-marginal environment we sampled, thus suggesting that some bacterial
      populations are positively selected by the specific environmental conditions of
      the cryoconite holes.

PMID- 28358873
TI  - Whole-genome analysis of papillary kidney cancer finds significant noncoding
      alterations.
AB  - To date, studies on papillary renal-cell carcinoma (pRCC) have largely focused on
      coding alterations in traditional drivers, particularly the tyrosine-kinase, Met.
      However, for a significant fraction of tumors, researchers have been unable to
      determine a clear molecular etiology. To address this, we perform the first whole
      genome analysis of pRCC. Elaborating on previous results on MET, we find a
      germline SNP (rs11762213) in this gene predicting prognosis. Surprisingly, we
      detect no enrichment for small structural variants disrupting MET. Next, we
      scrutinize noncoding mutations, discovering potentially impactful ones associated
      with MET. Many of these are in an intron connected to a known, oncogenic
      alternative-splicing event; moreover, we find methylation dysregulation nearby,
      leading to a cryptic promoter activation. We also notice an elevation of
      mutations in the long noncoding RNA NEAT1, and these mutations are associated
      with increased expression and unfavorable outcome. Finally, to address the origin
      of pRCC heterogeneity, we carry out whole-genome analyses of mutational
      processes. First, we investigate genome-wide mutational patterns, finding they
      are governed mostly by methylation-associated C-to-T transitions. We also observe
      significantly more mutations in open chromatin and early-replicating regions in
      tumors with chromatin-modifier alterations. Finally, we reconstruct cancer
      evolutionary trees, which have markedly different topologies and suggested
      evolutionary trajectories for the different subtypes of pRCC.

PMID- 28358874
TI  - Prognostic implication of histological features associated with EHD2 expression
      in papillary thyroid carcinoma.
AB  - Papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC) is a heterogeneous tumor with various
      histological and molecular subtypes. EHD2 is involved in endocytosis and
      endosomal recycling. This study aimed to investigate the prognostic significance
      of EHD2 expression in PTC and develop a new model for predicting
      persistent/recurrent disease after thyroidectomy. Pathologic slides of 512
      consecutive patients with PTC >= 1 cm were retrospectively reviewed. BRAF
      mutation analysis and immunohistochemistry for EHD2 were performed. Clinical
      significance of EHD2 mRNA expression was analyzed in 388 PTC patients using The
      Cancer Genome Atlas dataset. The presence of dyscohesive cells and psammoma
      bodies were found have significant association with persistent/recurrent disease
      (p = 0.049 and p = 0.038, respectively). The best discrimination of disease-free
      survival was found by dividing patients into three prognostic groups based on the
      following two risk factors according to the size category: psammoma bodies >= 4
      and dyscohesive cells (>= 1% and >= 20% in PTCs of < 2.0 cm and >= 2.0 cm,
      respectively). In PTCs of >= 2.0 cm, patients with the two risk factors had a
      hazard ratio of 13.303 (p = 0.005) compared to those without risk factors. High
      expression level of EHD2 was associated with BRAF V600E (p < 0.001), presence of
      dyscohesive cells (p = 0.010), and absence of psammoma bodies (p = 0.001).
      Increased EHD2 mRNA expression level was associated with extrathyroidal extension
      (p < 0.001), pT3-4 (p < 0.001), lymph node metastasis (p < 0.001), higher risk of
      recurrence (p < 0.001), and BRAF V600E (p < 0.001). Our prognostic model is
      useful for predicting persistent/recurrent disease after surgery of PTC. EHD2
      mRNA expression could be a novel prognostic marker for PTC patients.

PMID- 28358875
TI  - Protein aggregation with poly(vinyl) alcohol surfactant reduces double emulsion
      encapsulated mammalian cell-free expression.
AB  - Development of artificial cell models requires encapsulation of biomolecules
      within membrane-bound compartments. There have been limited studies of using
      mammalian cell-free expression (CFE) system as the 'cytosol' of artificial cells.
      We exploit glass capillary droplet microfluidics for the encapsulation of
      mammalian CFE within double emulsion templated vesicles. The complexity of the
      physicochemical properties of HeLa cell-free lysate poses a challenge compared
      with encapsulating simple buffer solutions. In particular, we discovered the
      formation of aggregates in double emulsion templated vesicles encapsulating
      mammalian HeLa CFE, but not with bacterial CFE. The aggregates did not arise from
      insolubility of the proteins made from CFE nor due to the interaction of
      mammalian CFE with the organic solvents in the middle phase of the double
      emulsions. We found that aggregation is dependent on the concentration of
      poly(vinyl) alcohol (PVA) surfactant, a critical double emulsion-stabilizing
      surfactant, and the lysate concentration in mammalian CFE. Despite vesicle
      instability and reduced protein expression, we demonstrate protein expression by
      encapsulating mammalian CFE system. Using mass spectrometry and Western blot, we
      identified and verified that actin is one of the proteins inside the mammalian
      CFE that aggregated with PVA surfactant. Our work establishes a baseline
      description of mammalian CFE system encapsulated in double emulsion templated
      vesicles as a platform for building artificial cells.

PMID- 28358876
TI  - Human African Trypanosomiasis in a Spanish traveler returning from Tanzania.

PMID- 28358878
TI  - Correction: Alternatively Activated (M2) Macrophage Phenotype Is Inducible by
      Endothelin-1 in Cultured Human Macrophages.
AB  - [This corrects the article DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0166433.].

PMID- 28358877
TI  - Tuberculosis knowledge, attitudes, and practices among northern Ethiopian
      prisoners: Implications for TB control efforts.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: Although awareness is an important component in tuberculosis (TB)
      control, we do not know how much Ethiopian prisoners know about TB. This study
      assessed the level of knowledge, attitudes, and practices (KAP) of prisoners
      about TB in eight northern Ethiopian prisons. METHODS: Data were collected cross
      sectionally from 615 prisoners using a standardized questionnaire between March
      and May 2016. The outcome variables were defined considering the basic elements
      about TB. RESULTS: Out of 615 prisoners, only 37.7% mentioned bacteria as a cause
      of TB while 21.7% related TB to exposure to cold wind. Eighty-eight per cent
      correctly mentioned the aerial route of TB transmission and 27.3% had perceived
      stigma towards TB. The majority (63.7%) was not aware of the possibility of
      getting multi-drug-resistant strains when they would not adhere to treatment.
      Overall, only 24% knew the basic elements about TB, 41% had favorable attitudes,
      and 55% had a good practice. Prisoners who were urban residents were generally
      more knowledgeable than rural residents (adjusted OR = 2.16; 95% CI = 1.15-4.06).
      Illiterates were found to be less knowledgeable (adjusted OR = 0.17; 95% CI =
      0.06-0.46), less likely to have a favorable attitude (adjusted OR = 0.31; 95% CI
      = 0.15-0.64), and less good practice (adjusted OR = 0.35; 95% CI = 0.18-0.69).
      Significant differences were also observed between the different study prisons.
      CONCLUSIONS: Knowledge of prisoners regarding the cause of TB and consequences of
      non-adherence to TB treatment was low. Knowledge on the transmission, symptoms,
      and prevention was fairly high. Health education interventions, focused on the
      cause and the translation of the knowledge to appropriate practices, are needed
      in all the study prisons. Special attention should be given to less educated
      prisoners, and to prisons with a high number of prisoners and those in remote
      areas.

PMID- 28358879
TI  - Genetic variation for resistance to high temperature stress of mature sperm - a
      study in Drosophila.
AB  - Genetic variation for resistance to heat stress has been found for a number of
      life-history components in Drosophila species. For male and female fertility (or
      sterility), stress resistance of the parents is confounded with stress resistance
      of the haploid gametes. Many genes are known to influence male fertility in
      Drosophila melanogaster. Some may carry temperature sensitive alleles that reduce
      fertility through effects on mature sperm when exposed to heat stress. In this
      study, sperm from each of 320 males were either not heat shocked (control) or
      exposed to a heat shock (36.9 degrees C for 2 hours) either in the male testes or
      in the female reproductive tract. We did not detect any temperature sensitive
      sterility alleles. These results are relevant in relation to haploid gene
      expression and the findings of considerable amounts of mRNA in mature sperm,
      potentially important for sperm function and fertilization.

PMID- 28358880
TI  - Defining Brugia malayi and Wolbachia symbiosis by stage-specific dual RNA-seq.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Filarial nematodes currently infect up to 54 million people
      worldwide, with millions more at risk for infection, representing the leading
      cause of disability in the developing world. Brugia malayi is one of the
      causative agents of lymphatic filariasis and remains the only human filarial
      parasite that can be maintained in small laboratory animals. Many filarial
      nematode species, including B. malayi, carry an obligate endosymbiont, the alpha
      proteobacteria Wolbachia, which can be eliminated through antibiotic treatment.
      Elimination of the endosymbiont interferes with development, reproduction, and
      survival of the worms within the mamalian host, a clear indicator that the
      Wolbachia are crucial for survival of the parasite. Little is understood about
      the mechanism underlying this symbiosis. METHODOLOGY/ PRINCIPLE FINDINGS: To
      better understand the molecular interplay between these two organisms we profiled
      the transcriptomes of B. malayi and Wolbachia by dual RNA-seq across the life
      cycle of the parasite. This helped identify functional pathways involved in this
      essential symbiotic relationship provided by the co-expression of nematode and
      bacterial genes. We have identified significant stage-specific and gender
      specific differential expression in Wolbachia during the nematode's development.
      For example, during female worm development we find that Wolbachia upregulate
      genes involved in ATP production and purine biosynthesis, as well as genes
      involved in the oxidative stress response. CONCLUSIONS/ SIGNIFICANCE: This global
      transcriptional analysis has highlighted specific pathways to which both
      Wolbachia and B. malayi contribute concurrently over the life cycle of the
      parasite, paving the way for the development of novel intervention strategies.

PMID- 28358881
TI  - Dual kinetic curves in reversible electrochemical systems.
AB  - We introduce dual kinetic chronoamperometry, in which reciprocal relations are
      established between the kinetic curves of electrochemical reactions that start
      from symmetrical initial conditions. We have performed numerical and experimental
      studies in which the kinetic curves of the electron-transfer processes are
      analyzed for a reversible first order reaction. Experimental tests were done with
      the ferrocyanide/ferricyanide system in which the concentrations of each
      component could be measured separately using the platinum disk/gold ring
      electrode. It is shown that the proper ratio of the transient kinetic curves
      obtained from cathodic and anodic mass transfer limited regions give
      thermodynamic time invariances related to the reaction quotient of the bulk
      concentrations. Therefore, thermodynamic time invariances can be observed at any
      time using the dual kinetic curves for reversible reactions. The technique
      provides a unique possibility to extract the non-steady state trajectory starting
      from one initial condition based only on the equilibrium constant and the
      trajectory which starts from the symmetrical initial condition. The results could
      impact battery technology by predicting the concentrations and currents of the
      underlying non-steady state processes in a wide domain from thermodynamic
      principles and limited kinetic information.

PMID- 28358883
TI  - "ReaNet", the Internet utilization among surrogates of critically ill patients
      with sepsis.
AB  - CONTEXT: Health-related Internet utilization is common but its use by proxies of
      critically ill patients is unknown. Our objective was to describe the prevalence
      and the Internet utilization characteristics among surrogates of critically ill
      septic patients. We conducted a prospective observational study in French ICUs.
      Three survey instruments were used to describe ICU organization regarding
      information delivery, patients and surrogates characteristics. RESULTS: 169
      surrogates of 146 septic patients hospitalized in 19 ICUs were included. One
      sixth of ICUs (n = 3, 16%) had their own website. Majority of patients were males
      (n = 100, 68%), aged 64+/-1 years old, with a SAPS2 score at 53+/-17 and required
      vasopressors (n = 117, 83%), mechanical ventilation (n = 116, 82%). More than one
      quarter required renal replacement therapy (n = 36, 26%). Majority of surrogates
      were female, in their fifties. Only one in five knew the word sepsis (n = 27,
      16%). Majority of proxies internet users (n = 77; 55%) search on the internet
      about sepsis. The main motivation was curiosity. Majority of surrogates found the
      information online reliable, suitable for request and concordant. Prior use of
      health-related Internet (OR = 20.7 [4.30-100.1]), the presence of a nursing staff
      during family-physician meetings (OR = 3.33 [1.17-9.53]), a younger patient age
      (OR = 1.32 [1.01-1.72]) and renal replacement therapy requirement (OR = 2.58
      [1.06-6.26]) were associated with health-related Internet use. Neither
      satisfaction with medical care or information provision, neither presence of
      anxiety-depression symptoms, were associated with health-related Internet use.
      Majority of surrogates (N = 76 (52%)) would have like receiving a list of
      selected websites on sepsis. CONCLUSIONS: Majority of proxies of critically ill
      patients with sepsis use Internet to learn more about sepsis. Internet
      utilization is independent of satisfaction with global ICU care, perceived
      quality of information delivery by doctors or the existence of anxiety-depression
      symptoms during ICU stay. The delivery of a list of recommended web sites on
      sepsis would have been appreciated.

PMID- 28358884
TI  - Nitrogen balance along a northern boreal forest fire chronosequence.
AB  - Fire is a major natural disturbance factor in boreal forests, and the frequency
      of forest fires is predicted to increase due to climate change. Nitrogen (N) is a
      key determinant of carbon sequestration in boreal forests because the shortage of
      N limits tree growth. We studied changes in N pools and fluxes, and the overall N
      balance across a 155-year non stand-replacing fire chronosequence in sub-arctic
      Pinus sylvestris forests in Finland. Two years after the fire, total ecosystem N
      pool was 622 kg ha-1 of which 16% was in the vegetation, 8% in the dead biomass
      and 76% in the soil. 155 years after the fire, total N pool was 960 kg ha-1, with
      27% in the vegetation, 3% in the dead biomass and 69% in the soil. This implies
      an annual accumulation rate of 2.28 kg ha-1 which was distributed equally between
      soil and biomass. The observed changes in N pools were consistent with the
      computed N balance +2.11 kg ha-1 yr-1 over the 155-year post-fire period.
      Nitrogen deposition was an important component of the N balance. The biological N
      fixation increased with succession and constituted 9% of the total N input during
      the 155 post-fire years. N2O fluxes were negligible (<= 0.01 kg ha-1 yr-1) and
      did not differ among post-fire age classes. The number and intensity of microbial
      genes involved in N cycling were lower at the site 60 years after fire compared
      to the youngest and the oldest sites indicating potential differences in soil N
      cycling processes. The results suggest that in sub-arctic pine forests, the non
      stand-replacing, intermediate-severity fires decrease considerably N pools in
      biomass but changes in soil and total ecosystem N pools are slight. Current fire
      return interval does not seem to pose a great threat to ecosystem productivity
      and N status in these sub-arctic forests.

PMID- 28358882
TI  - Proteomic analysis of organic sulfur compound utilisation in Advenella
      mimigardefordensis strain DPN7T.
AB  - 2-Mercaptosuccinate (MS) and 3,3'-ditiodipropionate (DTDP) were discussed as
      precursor substance for production of polythioesters (PTE). Therefore,
      degradation of MS and DTDP was investigated in Advenella mimigardefordensis
      strain DPN7T, applying differential proteomic analysis, gene deletion and enzyme
      assays. Protein extracts of cells cultivated with MS, DTDP or 3-sulfinopropionic
      acid (SP) were compared with those cultivated with propionate (P) and/or
      succinate (S). The chaperone DnaK (ratio DTDP/P 9.2, 3SP/P 4.0, MS/S 6.1, DTDP/S
      6.2) and a Do-like serine protease (DegP) were increased during utilization of
      all organic sulfur compounds. Furthermore, a putative bacterioferritin (locus tag
      MIM_c12960) showed high abundance (ratio DTDP/P 5.3, 3SP/P 3.2, MS/S 4.8, DTDP/S
      3.9) and is probably involved in a thiol-specific stress response. The deletion
      of two genes encoding transcriptional regulators (LysR (MIM_c31370) and Xre
      (MIM_c31360)) in the close proximity of the relevant genes of DTDP catabolism
      (acdA, mdo and the genes encoding the enzymes of the methylcitric acid cycle;
      prpC,acnD, prpF and prpB) showed that these two regulators are essential for
      growth of A. mimigardefordensis strain DPN7T with DTDP and that they most
      probably regulate transcription of genes mandatory for this catabolic pathway.
      Furthermore, proteome analysis revealed a high abundance (ratio MS/S 10.9) of a
      hypothetical cupin-2-domain containing protein (MIM_c37420). This protein shows
      an amino acid sequence similarity of 60% to a newly identified MS dioxygenase
      from Variovorax paradoxus strain B4. Deletion of the gene and the adjacently
      located transcriptional regulator LysR, as well as heterologous expression of
      MIM_c37420, the putative mercaptosuccinate dioxygenase (Msdo) from A.
      mimigardefordensis, showed that this protein is the key enzyme of MS degradation
      in A. mimigardefordensis strain DPN7T (KM 0.2 mM, specific activity 17.1 MUmol mg
      1 min-1) and is controlled by LysR (MIM_c37410).

PMID- 28358885
TI  - Exogenous lactobacilli mitigate microbial changes associated with grain
      fermentation (corn, oats, and wheat) by equine fecal microflora ex vivo.
AB  - Cereal grains are often included in equine diets. When starch intake exceeds
      foregut digestion starch will reach the hindgut, impacting microbial ecology.
      Probiotics (e.g., lactobacilli) are reported to mitigate GI dysbioses in other
      species. This study was conducted to determine the effect of exogenous
      lactobacilli on pH and the growth of amylolytic and lactate-utilizing bacteria.
      Feces were collected from 3 mature geldings fed grass hay with access to pasture.
      Fecal microbes were harvested by differential centrifugation, washed, and re
      suspended in anaerobic media containing ground corn, wheat, or oats at 1.6% (w/v)
      starch and one of five treatments: Control (substrate only), L. acidophilus, L.
      buchneri, L. reuteri, or an equal mixture of all three (107 cells/mL, final
      concentration). After 24 h of incubation (37 degrees C, 160 rpm), samples were
      collected for pH and enumerations of total amylolytics, Group D Gram-positive
      cocci (GPC; Enterococci, Streptococci), lactobacilli, and lactate-utilizing
      bacteria. Enumeration data were log transformed prior to ANOVA (SAS, v. 9.3).
      Lactobacilli inhibited pH decline in corn and wheat fermentations (P < 0.0001).
      Specifically, addition of either L. reuteri or L. acidophilus was most effective
      at mitigating pH decline with both corn and wheat fermentation, in which the
      greatest acidification occurred (P < 0.05). Exogenous lactobacilli decreased
      amylolytics, while increasing lactate-utilizers in corn and wheat fermentations
      (P < 0.0001). In oat fermentations, L. acidophilus and L. reuteri inhibited pH
      decline and increased lactate-utilizers while decreasing amylolytics (P <
      0.0001). For all substrates, L. reuteri additions (regardless of viability) had
      the lowest number of GPC and the highest number of lactobacilli and lactate
      utilizers (P < 0.05). There were no additive effects when lactobacilli were
      mixed. Exogenous lactobacilli decreased the initial (first 8 h) rate of starch
      catalysis when wheat was the substrate, but did not decrease total (24 h) starch
      utilization in any case. These results indicate that exogenous lactobacilli can
      impact the microbial community and pH of cereal grain fermentations by equine
      fecal microflora ex vivo. Additionally, dead (autoclaved) exogenous lactobacilli
      had similar effects as live lactobacilli on fermentation. This latter result
      indicates that the mechanism by which lactobacilli impact other amylolytic
      bacteria is not simple resource competition.

PMID- 28358886
TI  - "We can't get along without each other": Qualitative interviews with physicians
      about device industry representatives, conflict of interest and patient safety.
AB  - OBJECTIVES: Physician relationships with device industry representatives have not
      been previously assessed. This study explored interactions with device industry
      representatives among physicians who use implantable cardiovascular and
      orthopedic devices to identify whether conflict of interest (COI) is a concern
      and how it is managed. DESIGN: A descriptive qualitative approach was used.
      Physicians who implant orthopedic and cardiovascular devices were identified in
      publicly available directories and web sites, and interviewed about their
      relationships with device industry representatives. Sampling was concurrent with
      data collection and analysis. Data were analyzed and discussed using constant
      comparative technique by all members of the research team. RESULTS: Twenty-two
      physicians (10 cardiovascular, 12 orthopedic) were interviewed. Ten distinct
      representative roles were identified: purchasing, training, trouble-shooting,
      supplying devices, assisting with device assembly and insertion, supporting
      operating room staff, mitigating liability, conveying information about recalls,
      and providing direct and indirect financial support. Participants recognized the
      potential for COI but representatives were present for the majority of
      implantations. Participants revealed a tension between physicians and
      representatives that was characterized as "symbiotic", but required physicians to
      be vigilant about COI and patient safety, particularly because representatives
      varied regarding disclosure of device defects. They described a concurrent
      tension between hospitals, whose policies and business practices were focused on
      cost-control, and physicians who were required to comply with those policies and
      use particular devices despite concerns about their safety and effectiveness.
      CONCLUSIONS: Given the potential for COI and threats to patient safety, further
      research is needed to establish the clinical implications of the role of, and
      relationship with device industry representatives; and whether and how hospitals
      do and should govern interaction with representatives, or support their staff in
      this regard.

PMID- 28358888
TI  - Effectiveness of betahistine (48 mg/day) in patients with vestibular vertigo
      during routine practice: The VIRTUOSO study.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Vestibular vertigo is associated with substantially reduced quality
      of life. Betahistine is effective in improving vertigo-associated symptoms, with
      longer treatment periods leading to greater improvements; however, it is not
      known whether these effects persist after treatment cessation. METHODS: VIRTUOSO
      was a prospective, multinational, non-comparative, post-marketing observational
      programme investigating the effectiveness of betahistine (48 mg/day) and the
      course of vertigo after the discontinuation of treatment. Patients with
      vestibular vertigo who were prescribed 48 mg/day betahistine were enrolled in
      Russia and Ukraine. Treatment duration was up to 2 months, and patients were
      followed up for 2 months after discontinuation of betahistine. Efficacy endpoints
      included clinical response (assessed by change in vertigo severity), monthly
      attack frequency, and physician and patient grading of overall clinical response
      and improvement of vertigo-associated symptoms. RESULTS: Overall, 309 patients
      were enrolled and 305 completed the study. Clinical response was rated as good,
      very good or excellent in 74.1% of patients at end of treatment, with vertigo
      severity significantly decreased from baseline (p < 0.001). Monthly vertigo
      attack frequency decreased significantly during the 2 months of treatment (p <
      0.001 from baseline) and further decreased during the 2-month follow-up (p <
      0.001 from end of treatment). Overall, clinical response was graded as good or
      excellent by 94.4% of physicians and 95.4% of patients. Clinical improvement was
      considered either good or excellent by 82.6-90.5% of physicians and patients for
      nausea, vomiting and faintness. Only one adverse event was reported, with no
      serious adverse events. CONCLUSION: Our findings suggest that betahistine (48
      mg/day) therapy is effective in treating vertigo in routine clinical settings.
      The observed effects persisted for 2 months after treatment cessation, suggesting
      that betahistine may facilitate lasting vestibular compensation.

PMID- 28358887
TI  - Dynasore blocks evoked release while augmenting spontaneous synaptic transmission
      from primary visceral afferents.
AB  - The recycling of vesicle membrane fused during exocytosis is essential to
      maintaining neurotransmission. The GTPase dynamin is involved in pinching off
      membrane to complete endocytosis and can be inhibited by dynasore resulting in
      activity-dependent depletion of release-competent synaptic vesicles. In rat
      brainstem slices, we examined the effects of dynasore on three different modes of
      glutamate release-spontaneous, evoked, and asynchronous release-at solitary tract
      (ST) inputs to neurons in the nucleus of the solitary tract (NTS). Intermittent
      bursts of stimuli to the ST interspersed with pauses in stimulation allowed
      examination of these three modes in each neuron continuously. Application of 100
      MUM dynasore rapidly increased the spontaneous EPSC (sEPSC) frequency which was
      followed by inhibition of both ST-evoked EPSCs (ST-EPSC) as well as asynchronous
      EPSCs. The onset of ST-EPSC failures was not accompanied by amplitude reduction-a
      pattern more consistent with conduction block than reduced probability of vesicle
      release. Neither result suggested that dynasore interrupted endocytosis. The
      dynasore response profile resembled intense presynaptic TRPV1 activation. The
      TRPV1 antagonist capsazepine failed to prevent dynasore increases in sEPSC
      frequency but did prevent the block of the ST-EPSC. In contrast, the TRPV1
      antagonist JNJ 17203212 prevented both actions of dynasore in neurons with TRPV1
      expressing ST inputs. In a neuron lacking TRPV1-expressing ST inputs, however,
      dynasore promptly increased sEPSC rate followed by block of ST-evoked EPSCs.
      Together our results suggest that dynasore actions on ST-NTS transmission are
      TRPV1-independent and changes in glutamatergic transmission are not consistent
      with changes in vesicle recycling and endocytosis.

PMID- 28358890
TI  - A multifunctional bioactive material that stimulates osteogenesis and promotes
      the vascularization bone marrow stem cells and their resistance to bacterial
      infection.
AB  - The main limitation of tissue engineering lies in the inability to stimulate
      osteogenesis, angiogenesis of stem cells and broad-spectrum antimicrobial
      activity. However, the development of multifunctional bioactive materials with
      these capabilities remains a great challenge. In this study, we prepared
      mesoporous silica nanoparticles encapsulated with silver nanocrystals (AG-MSN)
      with uniform sphere size and mesopores. Platelet-derived growth factor BB (PDGF
      BB) was effectively loaded in the AG-MSN mesopores (P-AG-MSN). The silicon ions
      (Si) released by P-AG-MSN stimulate osteogenic differentiation of bone marrow
      stromal cells (BMSC) by activating the alkaline phosphatase (ALP) activity of
      bone-related genes and increasing protein (OCN, RUNX2 and OPN) expression. Ag+
      ions could be slowly released from the interior of the shell, highlighting their
      durable antibacterial activity. The sustained release of PDGF-BB from P-AG-MSN
      stimulated the angiogenic differentiation of BMSC, as indicated by the enhanced
      secretion of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), HIF-1alpha, HGF and ANG-1
      and protein expression. Our results show that P-AG-MSN can clearly promote BMSC
      osteostimulation and vascularization. This research serves as a preliminary study
      of the utilization of this multifunctional mixture to fabricate a new active
      biological scaffold that integrates BMSC osteostimulation, vascularization and
      bactericidal effects by 3D printing technology.

PMID- 28358889
TI  - Transient microbiota exposures activate dormant Escherichia coli infection in the
      bladder and drive severe outcomes of recurrent disease.
AB  - Pathogens often inhabit the body asymptomatically, emerging to cause disease in
      response to unknown triggers. In the bladder, latent intracellular Escherichia
      coli reservoirs are regarded as likely origins of recurrent urinary tract
      infection (rUTI), a problem affecting millions of women worldwide. However,
      clinically plausible triggers that activate these reservoirs are unknown.
      Clinical studies suggest that the composition of a woman's vaginal microbiota
      influences her susceptibility to rUTI, but the mechanisms behind these
      associations are unclear. Several lines of evidence suggest that the urinary
      tract is routinely exposed to vaginal bacteria, including Gardnerella vaginalis,
      a dominant member of the vaginal microbiota in some women. Using a mouse model,
      we show that bladder exposure to G. vaginalis triggers E. coli egress from latent
      bladder reservoirs and enhances the potential for life-threatening outcomes of
      the resulting E. coli rUTI. Transient G. vaginalis exposures were sufficient to
      cause bladder epithelial apoptosis and exfoliation and interleukin-1-receptor
      mediated kidney injury, which persisted after G. vaginalis clearance from the
      urinary tract. These results support a broader view of UTI pathogenesis in which
      disease can be driven by short-lived but powerful urinary tract exposures to
      vaginal bacteria that are themselves not "uropathogenic" in the classic sense.
      This "covert pathogenesis" paradigm may apply to other latent infections, (e.g.,
      tuberculosis), or for diseases currently defined as noninfectious because routine
      culture fails to detect microbes of recognized significance.

PMID- 28358892
TI  - Effects of pre-conditioning on behavior and physiology of horses during a
      standardised learning task.
AB  - Rein tension is used to apply pressure to control both ridden and unridden
      horses. The pressure is delivered by equipment such as the bit, which may
      restrict voluntary movement and cause changes in behavior and physiology.
      Managing the effects of such pressure on arousal level and behavioral indicators
      will optimise horse learning outcomes. This study examined the effect of training
      horses to turn away from bit pressure on cardiac outcomes and behavior (including
      responsiveness) over the course of eight trials in a standardised learning task.
      The experimental procedure consisted of a resting phase, treatment/control phase,
      standardised learning trials requiring the horses (n = 68) to step backwards in
      response to bit pressure and a recovery phase. As expected, heart rate increased
      (P = 0.028) when the handler applied rein tension during the treatment phase. The
      amount of rein tension required to elicit a response during treatment was higher
      on the left than the right rein (P = 0.009). Total rein tension required for
      trials reduced (P < 0.001) as they progressed, as did time taken (P < 0.001) and
      steps taken (P < 0.001). The incidence of head tossing decreased (P = 0.015) with
      the progression of the trials and was higher (P = 0.018) for the control horses
      than the treated horses. These results suggest that preparing the horses for the
      lesson and slightly raising their arousal levels, improved learning outcomes.

PMID- 28358893
TI  - Halvade-RNA: Parallel variant calling from transcriptomic data using MapReduce.
AB  - Given the current cost-effectiveness of next-generation sequencing, the amount of
      DNA-seq and RNA-seq data generated is ever increasing. One of the primary
      objectives of NGS experiments is calling genetic variants. While highly accurate,
      most variant calling pipelines are not optimized to run efficiently on large data
      sets. However, as variant calling in genomic data has become common practice,
      several methods have been proposed to reduce runtime for DNA-seq analysis through
      the use of parallel computing. Determining the effectively expressed variants
      from transcriptomics (RNA-seq) data has only recently become possible, and as
      such does not yet benefit from efficiently parallelized workflows. We introduce
      Halvade-RNA, a parallel, multi-node RNA-seq variant calling pipeline based on the
      GATK Best Practices recommendations. Halvade-RNA makes use of the MapReduce
      programming model to create and manage parallel data streams on which multiple
      instances of existing tools such as STAR and GATK operate concurrently. Whereas
      the single-threaded processing of a typical RNA-seq sample requires ~28h, Halvade
      RNA reduces this runtime to ~2h using a small cluster with two 20-core machines.
      Even on a single, multi-core workstation, Halvade-RNA can significantly reduce
      runtime compared to using multi-threading, thus providing for a more cost
      effective processing of RNA-seq data. Halvade-RNA is written in Java and uses the
      Hadoop MapReduce 2.0 API. It supports a wide range of distributions of Hadoop,
      including Cloudera and Amazon EMR.

PMID- 28358891
TI  - Plantar fascia enthesopathy is highly prevalent in diabetic patients without
      peripheral neuropathy and correlates with retinopathy and impaired kidney
      function.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Aim of this study was to evaluate the prevalence of plantar fascia
      (PF) enthesopathy in Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) patients without distal
      peripheral neuropathy (DPN). METHODS: We recruited 50 T2DM patients without DPN
      and 50 healthy controls. DPN was excluded using the Michigan Neuropathy Screening
      Instrument (MNSI). All patients underwent a bilateral sonographicevaluation of
      the enthesealportion of the PF. RESULTS: PF thickness was significantly higher in
      T2DM patients (p<0.0001). T2DM patients presented a higher prevalence of
      entheseal thickening (p = 0.002), enthesophyte (p = 0.02) and cortical
      irregularity (p = 0.02). The overall sum of abnormalities was higher in T2DM
      patients (p<0.0001), as was the percentage of bilateral involvement (p = 0.005).
      In a logistic regression analysis, retinopathy predicted entheseal thickening (OR
      3.5, p = 0.05) and enthesophytes (OR 5.13, p = 0.001); reduced eGFR predicted
      enthesophytes (OR 2.93, p = 0.04); body mass index (BMI) predicted cortical
      irregularity (OR 0.87, p = 0.05); mean glucose predicted enthesophyte (OR 1.01, p
      = 0.03); LDL cholesterol predicted cortical irregularity (OR 0.98, p = 0.02).
      CONCLUSIONS: Our data suggest that T2DM is associated with PF
      enthesopathyindependently of DPN.

PMID- 28358894
TI  - Phylogenetic conservation of substrate use specialization in leaf litter
      bacteria.
AB  - Environmental change will influence the ecosystem processes regulated by
      microbial communities, including leaf litter decomposition. To assess how
      microbial communities and their functioning might respond to increases in
      temperature, we quantified the distribution of traits related to carbon substrate
      utilization and temperature sensitivity in leaf litter bacteria isolated from a
      natural grassland ecosystem in Southern California. The isolates varied
      substantially in their carbon substrate use, as well as their response to
      temperature change. To better predict the functioning and responses in natural
      communities, we also examined if the functional and response traits were
      phylogenetically patterned or correlated with one another. We found that the
      distribution of functional traits displayed a phylogenetic pattern, but the
      sensitivity of the traits to changes in temperature did not. We also did not
      detect any correlations between carbon substrate use and sensitivity to changes
      in temperature. Together, these results suggest that information about microbial
      composition may provide insights to predicting ecosystem function under one
      temperature, but that these relationships may not hold under new temperature
      conditions.

PMID- 28358896
TI  - Detecting disease-associated genomic outcomes using constrained mixture of
      Bayesian hierarchical models for paired data.
AB  - Detecting disease-associated genomic outcomes is one of the key steps in
      precision medicine research. Cutting-edge high-throughput technologies enable
      researchers to unbiasedly test if genomic outcomes are associated with disease of
      interest. However, these technologies also include the challenges associated with
      the analysis of genome-wide data. Two big challenges are (1) how to reduce the
      effects of technical noise; and (2) how to handle the curse of dimensionality
      (i.e., number of variables are way larger than the number of samples). To tackle
      these challenges, we propose a constrained mixture of Bayesian hierarchical
      models (MBHM) for detecting disease-associated genomic outcomes for data obtained
      from paired/matched designs. Paired/matched designs can effectively reduce
      effects of confounding factors. MBHM does not involve multiple testing, hence
      does not have the problem of the curse of dimensionality. It also could borrow
      information across genes so that it can be used for whole genome data with small
      sample sizes.

PMID- 28358895
TI  - Filter based phase distortions in extracellular spikes.
AB  - Extracellular recordings are the primary tool for extracting neuronal spike
      trains in-vivo. One of the crucial pre-processing stages of this signal is the
      high-pass filtration used to isolate neuronal spiking activity. Filters are
      characterized by changes in the magnitude and phase of different frequencies.
      While filters are typically chosen for their effect on magnitudes, little
      attention has been paid to the impact of these filters on the phase of each
      frequency. In this study we show that in the case of nonlinear phase shifts
      generated by most online and offline filters, the signal is severely distorted,
      resulting in an alteration of the spike waveform. This distortion leads to a
      shape that deviates from the original waveform as a function of its constituent
      frequencies, and a dramatic reduction in the SNR of the waveform that disrupts
      spike detectability. Currently, the vast majority of articles utilizing
      extracellular data are subject to these distortions since most commercial and
      academic hardware and software utilize nonlinear phase filters. We show that this
      severe problem can be avoided by recording wide-band signals followed by zero
      phase filtering, or alternatively corrected by reversed filtering of a narrow
      band filtered, and in some cases even segmented signals. Implementation of either
      zero phase filtering or phase correction of the nonlinear phase filtering
      reproduces the original spike waveforms and increases the spike detection rates
      while reducing the number of false negative and positive errors. This process, in
      turn, helps eliminate subsequent errors in downstream analyses and
      misinterpretations of the results.

PMID- 28358897
TI  - Don't make cache too complex: A simple probability-based cache management scheme
      for SSDs.
AB  - Solid-state drives (SSDs) have recently become a common storage component in
      computer systems, and they are fueled by continued bit cost reductions achieved
      with smaller feature sizes and multiple-level cell technologies. However, as the
      flash memory stores more bits per cell, the performance and reliability of the
      flash memory degrade substantially. To solve this problem, a fast non-volatile
      memory (NVM-)based cache has been employed within SSDs to reduce the long latency
      required to write data. Absorbing small writes in a fast NVM cache can also
      reduce the number of flash memory erase operations. To maximize the benefits of
      an NVM cache, it is important to increase the NVM cache utilization. In this
      paper, we propose and study ProCache, a simple NVM cache management scheme, that
      makes cache-entrance decisions based on random probability testing. Our scheme is
      motivated by the observation that frequently written hot data will eventually
      enter the cache with a high probability, and that infrequently accessed cold data
      will not enter the cache easily. Owing to its simplicity, ProCache is easy to
      implement at a substantially smaller cost than similar previously studied
      techniques. We evaluate ProCache and conclude that it achieves comparable
      performance compared to a more complex reference counter-based cache-management
      scheme.

PMID- 28358898
TI  - Correction: Different Effects of Metarhizium anisopliae Strains IMI330189 and
      IBC200614 on Enzymes Activities and Hemocytes of Locusta migratoria L.
AB  - [This corrects the article DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0155257.].

PMID- 28358899
TI  - A systematic review of rodent pest research in Afro-Malagasy small-holder farming
      systems: Are we asking the right questions?
AB  - Rodent pests are especially problematic in terms of agriculture and public health
      since they can inflict considerable economic damage associated with their
      abundance, diversity, generalist feeding habits and high reproductive rates. To
      quantify rodent pest impacts and identify trends in rodent pest research
      impacting on small-holder agriculture in the Afro-Malagasy region we did a
      systematic review of research outputs from 1910 to 2015, by developing an a
      priori defined set of criteria to allow for replication of the review process. We
      followed the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses
      guidelines. We reviewed 162 publications, and while rodent pest research was
      spatially distributed across Africa (32 countries, including Madagascar), there
      was a disparity in number of studies per country with research biased towards
      four countries (Tanzania [25%], Nigeria [9%], Ethiopia [9%], Kenya [8%])
      accounting for 51% of all rodent pest research in the Afro-Malagasy region. There
      was a disparity in the research themes addressed by Tanzanian publications
      compared to publications from the rest of the Afro-Malagasy region where research
      in Tanzania had a much more applied focus (50%) compared to a more basic research
      approach (92%) in the rest of the Afro-Malagasy region. We found that pest
      rodents have a significant negative effect on the Afro-Malagasy small-holder
      farming communities. Crop losses varied between cropping stages, storage and
      crops and the highest losses occurred during early cropping stages (46% median
      loss during seedling stage) and the mature stage (15% median loss). There was a
      scarcity of studies investigating the effectiveness of various management actions
      on rodent pest damage and population abundance. Our analysis highlights that
      there are inadequate empirical studies focused on developing sustainable control
      methods for rodent pests and rodent pests in the Africa-Malagasy context is
      generally ignored as a research topic.

PMID- 28358900
TI  - Detection of Pneumocystis jirovecii in oral wash from immunosuppressed patients
      as a diagnostic tool.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Diagnosis of Pneumocystis jirovecii (PJ) pneumonia ordinarily
      requires invasive procedures that could be avoided by PCR methodologies, if these
      could be designed with adequate cut-off values for confounding background
      carriage. METHODS: We designed a novel quantitative real-time PCR assay to detect
      the mitochondrial large subunit rRNA gene of PJ in oral washes. To benchmark
      levels of PJ carriage versus infection, we tested asymptomatic immunosuppressed
      patients including Danish (n = 88) and West African HIV-infected (n = 142)
      patients, renal transplant recipients (n = 51), rheumatologic patients (n = 102),
      patients with inflammatory bowel diseases (n = 98), and healthy blood donors
      (controls, n = 50). The fungal burden in patients with PJ pneumonia (PCP, n = 7)
      was also investigated. RESULTS: Danish HIV-infected patients (with viremia/low
      CD4) and recent transplant recipients were at most risk of being carriers
      (prevalence of 23% and 16.7% respectively), whereas PJ was rarely detected among
      rheumatologic patients, patients with inflammatory bowel diseases, and untreated
      West African HIV patients. PJ was not detected among healthy controls. The fungal
      burden in patients with PCP fell rapidly on treatment. CONCLUSIONS: The
      quantitative PCR method described could conceivably discriminate between carriage
      and disease, given suitable threshold values for the former, and predict
      treatment efficacy by measures of the fungal burden in daily oral washes.

PMID- 28358901
TI  - Custom RT-qPCR-array for glaucoma filtering surgery prognosis.
AB  - Excessive subconjunctival scarring is the main reason of failure of glaucoma
      filtration surgery. We analyzed conjunctival and systemic gene expression
      patterns after non penetrating deep sclerectomy (NPDS). To find expression
      patterns related to surgical failure and their correlation with the clinical
      outcomes. This study consisted of two consecutive stages. The first was a
      prospective analysis of wound-healing gene expression profile of six patients
      after NPDS. Conjunctival samples and peripheral blood samples were collected
      before and 15, 90,180, and 360 days after surgery. In the second stage, we
      conducted a retrospective analysis correlating the late conjunctival gene
      expression and the outcome of the NPDS for 11 patients. We developed a RT-qPCR
      Array for 88 key genes associated to wound healing. RT-qPCR Array analysis of
      conjunctiva samples showed statistically significant differences in 29/88 genes
      in the early stages after surgery, 20/88 genes between 90 and 180 days after
      surgery, and only 2/88 genes one year after surgery. In the blood samples, the
      most important changes occurred in 12/88 genes in the first 15 days after
      surgery. Correspondence analyses (COA) revealed significant differences between
      the expression of 20/88 genes in patients with surgical success and failure one
      year after surgery. Different expression patterns of mediators of the bleb wound
      healing were identified. Examination of such patterns might be used in surgery
      prognosis. RT-qPCR Array provides a powerful tool for investigation of
      differential gene expression wound healing after glaucoma surgery.

PMID- 28358902
TI  - Screening for AMPA receptor auxiliary subunit specific modulators.
AB  - AMPA receptors (AMPAR) are ligand gated ion channels critical for synaptic
      transmission and plasticity. Their dysfunction is implicated in a variety of
      psychiatric and neurological diseases ranging from major depressive disorder to
      amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. Attempting to potentiate or depress AMPAR activity
      is an inherently difficult balancing act between effective treatments and
      debilitating side effects. A newly explored strategy to target subsets of AMPARs
      in the central nervous system is to identify compounds that affect specific AMPAR
      auxiliary subunit complexes. This exploits diverse spatio-temporal expression
      patterns of known AMPAR auxiliary subunits, providing means for designing brain
      region-selective compounds. Here we report a high-throughput screening-based
      pipeline that can identify compounds that are selective for GluA2-CNIH3 and GluA2
      stargazin complexes. These compounds will help us build upon the growing library
      of AMPAR-auxiliary subunit specific inhibitors, which have thus far all been
      targeted to TARP gamma-8. We used a cell-based assay combined with a voltage
      sensitive dye (VSD) to identify changes in glutamate-gated cation flow across the
      membranes of HEK cells co-expressing GluA2 and an auxiliary subunit. We then used
      a calcium flux assay to further validate hits picked from the VSD assay.
      VU0612951 and VU0627849 are candidate compounds from the initial screen that were
      identified as negative and positive allosteric modulators (NAM and PAM),
      respectively. They both have lower IC50/EC50s on complexes containing stargazin
      and CNIH3 than GSG1L or the AMPAR alone. We have also identified a candidate
      compound, VU0539491, that has NAM activity in GluA2(R)-CNIH3 and GluA2(Q)
      complexes and PAM activity in GluA2(Q)-GSG1L complexes.

PMID- 28358904
TI  - Neurotrophic effects of progranulin in vivo in reversing motor neuron defects
      caused by over or under expression of TDP-43 or FUS.
AB  - Progranulin (PGRN) is a glycoprotein with multiple roles in normal and disease
      states. Mutations within the GRN gene cause frontotemporal lobar degeneration
      (FTLD). The affected neurons display distinctive TAR DNA binding protein 43 (TDP
      43) inclusions. How partial loss of PGRN causes TDP-43 neuropathology is poorly
      understood. TDP-43 inclusions are also found in affected neurons of patients with
      other neurodegenerative diseases including amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS)
      and Alzheimer's disease. In ALS, TDP-43 inclusions are typically also
      immunoreactive for fused in sarcoma (FUS). Mutations within TDP-43 or FUS are
      themselves neuropathogenic in ALS and some cases of FTLD. We used the outgrowth
      of caudal primary motor neurons (MNs) in zebrafish embryos to investigate the
      interaction of PGRN with TDP-43 and FUS in vivo. As reported previously,
      depletion of zebrafish PGRN-A (zfPGRN-A) is associated with truncated primary MNs
      and impaired motor function. Here we found that depletion of zfPGRN-A results in
      primary MNs outgrowth stalling at the horizontal myoseptum, a line of demarcation
      separating the myotome into dorsal and ventral compartments that is where the
      final destination of primary motor is assigned. Successful axonal outgrowth
      beyond the horizontal myoseptum depends in part upon formation of acetylcholine
      receptor clusters and this was found to be disorganized upon depletion of zfPGRN
      A. PGRN reversed the effects of zfPGRN-A knockdown, but a related gene, zfPGRN-1,
      was without effect. Both knockdown of TDP-43 or FUS, as well as expression of
      humanTDP-43 and FUS mutants results in MN abnormalities that are reversed by co
      expression of hPGRN mRNA. Neither TDP-43 nor FUS reversed MN phenotypes caused by
      the depletion of PGRN. Thus TDP-43 and FUS lie upstream of PGRN in a gene
      complementation pathway. The ability of PGRN to override TDP-43 and FUS
      neurotoxicity due to partial loss of function or mutation in the corresponding
      genes may have therapeutic relevance.

PMID- 28358905
TI  - Violent relationships at the social-ecological level: A multi-mediation model to
      predict adolescent victimization by peers, bullying and depression in early and
      late adolescence.
AB  - BACKGROUND: From the social-ecological perspective, exposure to violence at the
      different developmental levels is fundamental to explain the dynamics of violence
      and victimization in educational centers. The following study aims at analyzing
      how these relationships are produced in the Peruvian context, where structural
      violence situations exist. METHODS: A multi-mediation structural model with
      21,416 Peruvian adolescents (M = 13.69; SD = 0.71) was conducted to determine the
      influence of violence in the school environment on violence perceived within
      school and violence exercised by teachers. In addition, it was also intended to
      determine whether these violent relationships predict depression through
      loneliness, and bullying through peer victimization. The existence of differences
      between early and late adolescence was also verified. RESULTS: Results confirm
      that violence in the school setting has high influence on violence exercised by
      adolescents and teachers within the school. Teacher violence is the most
      important predictor of depression through loneliness, and encourages peer
      victimization and the emergence of aggressive behavior. Exposure to violence
      exercised by support sources-teachers and classmates-explains more than 90% of
      the total variance explained in bullying behavior. Differences were found between
      early and late adolescence models. CONCLUSION: The high prevalence of structural
      violence in school settings facilitates the bullying/victimization dynamics
      within school. From a social-ecological perspective, this result suggests the
      importance of network cooperation at a mesosystem level, with teachers from
      educational centers playing a crucial role in the prevention of
      bullying/victimization.

PMID- 28358903
TI  - Clusters of amniotic fluid cells and their associated early neuroepithelial
      markers in experimental myelomeningocele: Correlation with astrogliosis.
AB  - Myelomeningocele (MMC) is the most common and severe disabling type of spina
      bifida resulting in the exposure of vulnerable spinal cord to the hostile
      intrauterine environment. In this study, we sought to examine the cellular
      content of fetal amniotic fluid (AF) in MMC and explore a correlation between
      these cells and pathological development of MMC. MMC was induced in fetal rats by
      exposing pregnant mothers to all-trans retinoic acid and AF samples were
      collected before term. Cells were isolated from AF samples and morphologically
      and phenotypically characterized in short-term cultures. In addition, the spinal
      cord injury in MMC fetuses was assessed by immunohistochemical examination of
      astrogliosis. We identified a population of cells from the AF of MMC fetuses (MMC
      AF) that formed adherent clusters of tightly packed cells, which were absent from
      the AF of normal control fetuses (norm-AF). MMC-AF clusters contained cells co
      expressing adherens junction associated proteins (ZO-1), N-cadherin and F-actin
      at sites of cell-cell contacts. In addition, they expressed markers of early
      neuroepithelial cells such as SOX-1 and Pax-6 along with other stem/progenitor
      cell markers such as SOX-2 and nestin. Subpopulations of cells in MMC-AF clusters
      also expressed more advanced differentiation markers such as doublecortin and
      GFAP. We found that the appearance of cluster forming cells in cultures from MMC
      AF correlated with activation of astrogliosis associated with the spinal cord
      injury in MMC fetuses. In summary, we identified a neuroepithelial cell
      population in the AF of MMC fetuses that formed adherent clusters in culture and
      we characterized cellular markers of these cells. Our data suggests that the
      phase of the disease is a crucial factor in the emergence of these cells into the
      AF and that these cells may provide a new and important platform for studying the
      progression of MMC and development of improved strategies for the repair and
      diagnosis of MMC prenatally.

PMID- 28358906
TI  - Methodological concerns with laser speckle contrast imaging in clinical
      evaluation of microcirculation.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Laser Speckle Contrast Imaging (LSCI) is a non-invasive and fast
      technique for measuring microvascular blood flow that recently has found clinical
      use for burn assessment and evaluation of flaps. Tissue motion caused by for
      example breathing or patient movements may however affect the measurements in
      these clinical applications, as may distance between the camera and the skin and
      tissue curvature. Therefore, the aims of this study were to investigate the
      effect of frame rate, number of frames/image, movement of the tissue, measuring
      distance and tissue curvature on the measured perfusion. METHODS: Methyl
      nicotinate-induced vasodilation in the forearm skin was measured using LSCI
      during controlled motion at different speeds, using different combinations of
      frame rate and number of frames/image, and at varying camera angles and
      distances. Experiments were made on healthy volunteers and on a cloth soaked in a
      colloidal suspension of polystyrene microspheres. RESULTS: Measured perfusion
      increased with tissue motion speed. The relation was independent of the absolute
      perfusion in the skin and of frame rate and number of frames/image. The measured
      perfusion decreased with increasing angles (16% at 60 degrees , p = 0.01).
      Measured perfusion did not vary significantly between measurement distances from
      15 to 40 cm (p = 0.77, %CV 0.9%). CONCLUSION: Tissue motion increases and
      measurement angles beyond 45 degrees  decrease the measured perfusion in LSCI.
      These findings have to be taken into account when LSCI is used to assess moving
      or curved tissue surfaces, which is common in clinical applications.

PMID- 28358907
TI  - The gut microbiota of insecticide-resistant insects houses insecticide-degrading
      bacteria: A potential source for biotechnological exploitation.
AB  - The exploration of new niches for microorganisms capable of degrading
      recalcitrant molecules is still required. We hypothesized the gut microbiota
      associated with insect-resistant lines carry pesticide degrading bacteria, and
      predicted they carry bacteria selected to degrade pesticides they were resistant
      to. We isolated and accessed the pesticide-degrading capacity of gut bacteria
      from the gut of fifth instars of Spodoptera frugiperda strains resistant to
      lambda-cyhalothrin, deltamethrin, chlorpyrifos ethyl, spinosad and lufenuron,
      using insecticide-selective media. Sixteen isolates belonging to 10 phylotypes
      were obtained, from which four were also associated with the susceptible strain.
      However, growth of gut bacteria associated with larvae from the susceptible
      strain was not obtained in any of the insecticide-based selective media tested.
      Growth of isolates was affected by the concentration of insecticides in the
      media, and all grew well up to 40 MUg/ml. The insecticide-degrading capacity of
      selected isolates was assessed by GC or LC-MS/MS analyses. In conclusion,
      resistant strains of S. frugiperda are an excellent reservoir of insecticide
      degrading bacteria with bioremediation potential. Moreover, gut-associated
      bacteria are subjected to the selection pressure imposed by insecticides on their
      hosts and may influence the metabolization of pesticides in insects.

PMID- 28358908
TI  - Pharmacogenomics study on cadherin 2 network with regard to HIV infection and
      methadone treatment outcome.
AB  - Heroin dependent patients have a high incidence of HIV infection. In contrast to
      the gene expression method, we developed a systemic correlation analysis method
      built upon the results of pharmacogenomics study in a methadone maintenance
      treatment (MMT) cohort consisting of 344 Taiwanese heroin dependent patients. We
      identified genetic variants and their encoding proteins that may be involved with
      HIV infection and MMT treatment outcome. Cadherin 2 (CDH2) genetic determinants
      were identified through the genome-wide pharmacogenomic study. We found
      significant correlations among HIV infection status, plasma levels of CDH2,
      cytokine IL-7, ADAM10, and the treatment responses to methadone. Two single
      nucleotide polymorphisms located within CDH2 gene showed associations with blood
      pressure and plasma CDH2 concentration. Plasma concentration of CDH2 showed
      correlations with the level of cytokine IL-7, status of HIV infection, and urine
      morphine test result. Plasma level of IL-7 was correlated with corrected QT
      interval (QTc) and gooseflesh skin withdrawal symptom score, while level of
      ADAM10 was correlated with plasma concentrations of vitamin D metabolite,
      nicotine metabolite, and R-methadone. The results suggest a novel network
      involving HIV infection and methadone treatment outcome.

PMID- 28358910
TI  - Size, age, and habitat determine effectiveness of Palau's Marine Protected Areas.
AB  - Palau has a rich heritage of conservation that has evolved from the traditional
      moratoria on fishing, or "bul", to more western Marine Protected Areas (MPAs),
      while still retaining elements of customary management and tenure. In 2003, the
      Palau Protected Areas Network (PAN) was created to conserve Palau's unique
      biodiversity and culture, and is the country's mechanism for achieving the goals
      of the Micronesia Challenge (MC), an initiative to conserve >=30% of near-shore
      marine resources within the region by 2020. The PAN comprises a network of
      numerous MPAs within Palau that vary in age, size, level of management, and
      habitat, which provide an excellent opportunity to test hypotheses concerning MPA
      design and function using multiple discreet sampling units. Our sampling design
      provided a robust space for time comparison to evaluate the relative influence of
      potential drivers of MPA efficacy. Our results showed that no-take MPAs had, on
      average, nearly twice the biomass of resource fishes (i.e. those important
      commercially, culturally, or for subsistence) compared to nearby unprotected
      areas. Biomass of non-resource fishes showed no differences between no-take areas
      and areas open to fishing. The most striking difference between no-take MPAs and
      unprotected areas was the more than 5-fold greater biomass of piscivorous fishes
      in the MPAs compared to fished areas. The most important determinates of no-take
      MPA success in conserving resource fish biomass were MPA size and years of
      protection. Habitat and distance from shore had little effect on resource fish
      biomass. The extensive network of MPAs in Palau likely provides important
      conservation and tourism benefits to the Republic, and may also provide fisheries
      benefits by protecting spawning aggregation sites, and potentially through adult
      spillover.

PMID- 28358909
TI  - Amelioration of cognitive impairments in APPswe/PS1dE9 mice is associated with
      metabolites alteration induced by total salvianolic acid.
AB  - PURPOSE: Total salvianolic acid (TSA) is extracted from salvia miltiorrhiza;
      however, to date, there has been limited characterization of its effects on
      metabolites in Alzheimer's disease model-APPswe/PS1dE9 mice. The main objective
      of this study was to investigate the metabolic changes in 7-month-old
      APPswe/PS1dE9 mice treated with TSA, which protects against learning and memory
      impairment. METHODS: APPswe/PS1dE9 mice were treated with TSA (30 mg/kg.d and 60
      mg/kg.d, i.p.) and saline (i.p.) daily from 3.5 months old for 14 weeks; saline
      treated (i.p.) WT mice were included as the controls. The effects of TSA on
      learning and memory were assessed by a series of behavioral tests, including the
      NOR, MWM and step-through tasks. The FBG and plasma lipid levels were
      subsequently assessed using the GOPOD and enzymatic color methods, respectively.
      Finally, the concentrations of Abeta42, Abeta40 and metabolites in the
      hippocampus of the mice were detected via ELISA and GC-TOF-MS, respectively.
      RESULTS: At 7 months of age, the APPswe/PS1dE9 mice treated with TSA exhibited an
      improvement in the preference index (PI) one hour after the acquisition phase in
      the NOR and the preservation of spatial learning and memory in the MWM. Treatment
      with TSA substantially decreased the LDL-C level, and 60 mg/kg TSA decreased the
      CHOL level compared with the plasma level of the APPswe/PS1dE9 group. The Abeta42
      and Abeta40 levels in the hippocampus were decreased in the TSA-treated group
      compared with the saline-treated APPswe/PS1dE9 group. The regulation of metabolic
      pathways relevant to TSA predominantly included carbohydrate metabolism, such as
      sorbitol, glucose-6-phosphate, sucrose-6-phosphate and galactose, vitamin
      metabolism involved in cholecalciferol and ascorbate in the hippocampus.
      CONCLUSIONS: TSA induced a remarkable amelioration of learning and memory
      impairments in APPswe/PS1dE9 mice through the regulation of Abeta42, Abeta40,
      carbohydrate and vitamin metabolites in the hippocampus and LDL-C and CHOL in the
      plasma.

PMID- 28358911
TI  - Assessment of the retinal posterior pole in dominant optic atrophy by spectral
      domain optical coherence tomography and microperimetry.
AB  - BACKGROUND: To assess posterior pole (PP) retinal structure in patients with
      genetically confirmed autosomal dominant optic atrophy (ADOA) using new spectral
      domain optical coherence tomography (SD-OCT) segmentation technology. To analyze
      retinal PP thickness in relation to retinal sensitivity data from microperimetry
      (MP) in ADOA patients. METHODS AND FINDINGS: This prospective cross-sectional
      study included 11 patients with ADOA and 11 age-matched healthy subjects. All
      participants underwent both a "Posterior Pole" and "peripapillary RNFL (pRNFL)"
      scanning protocol using SD-OCT. Functional mapping of the PP was also performed
      using MP. A customized program was implemented in order to achieve accurate
      superimposition of MP sensitivity map onto SD-OCT map. The thickness of the PP
      different retinal layers and pRNFL was obtained and measured for each eye. Mean
      retinal sensitivity values and fixation stability were obtained and compared
      between ADOA patients and healthy subjects. Correlation analysis was performed on
      a point-to-point basis to evaluate the association between mean thickness and
      retinal sensitivity of each retinal layer. Total retinal thickness (TRT), Retinal
      Nerve Fiber Layer (RNFL), Ganglion Cell Layer (GCL), Inner Plexiform Layer (IPL),
      Inner Nuclear Layer (INL) and Inner Retinal Layers (IRL) at the posterior pole as
      well as pRNFL were significantly thinner in ADOA patients (P < 0.0001). On the
      contrary, the Outer Plexiform Layer (OPL) and the Outer Nuclear Layer (ONL) were
      significantly thicker in the ADOA group (P < 0.001). No significant differences
      were found in Retinal Pigment Epithelium (RPE) and Outer Retinal Layers (ORL)
      thickness between ADOA and controls. The average PP retinal sensitivity was
      significantly reduced in ADOA patients compared with controls (P < 0.001), as
      measured by microperimeter Nidek MP-1 (MP1). Fixation stability was significantly
      worse in the ADOA group (P = 0.01). The most severe sensitivity defects in ADOA
      patients were found at the level of the papillo-macular bundle (PMB).
      CONCLUSIONS: Inner retinal layers showed pathological changes in ADOA patients.
      In addition, the whole retinal PP (not only the PMB) was significantly altered in
      ADOA, both in terms of retinal thickness and sensitivity.

PMID- 28358912
TI  - Phthalate release in leachate from municipal landfills of central Poland.
AB  - Phthalate diesters (PAEs) are used as plasticizer additives to polymer chains to
      make the material more flexible and malleable. PAEs are bonded physically, not
      chemically, to the polymeric matrix and can migrate to and leach from the product
      surface, posing a serious danger to the environment and human health. There have
      been a number of studies on PAE concentrations in landfill leachate conducted in
      the EU and around the world, though few in Poland. In the present study, the
      leachate of five municipal landfills was analyzed for the presence of PAEs. Raw
      leachate was sampled four times over the period of one year in 2015/16. It was
      the first large study on this subject in Poland. PAEs were detected in the
      leachate samples on all of the landfills, thereby indicating that PAEs are
      ubiquitous environmental contaminants. The following PAEs were detected in at
      least one sample: Di(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP), Diethyl phthalate (DEP),
      Dimethyl phthalate (DMP), Di-n-butyl phthalate (DBP), Di-isobutylphthalate
      (DIBP). Out of all ten PAEs, DEHP was the most predominant, with concentrations
      up to 73.9 MUg/L. DEHP was present in 65% of analyzed samples (in 100% of samples
      in spring, 80% in winter, and 40% in summer and autumn). In only 25% of all
      samples DEHP was below the acceptable UE limit for surface water (1.3 MUg/L),
      while 75% was from 1.7 to 56 times higher than that value. On the two largest
      landfills DEHP concentrations were observed during samples from all four seasons,
      including on a landfill which has been remediated and closed for the last 5
      years.

PMID- 28358913
TI  - Looking for ugly ducklings: The role of the stability of BrdU-antibody complex
      and the improved method of the detection of DNA replication.
AB  - 5-Bromo-2'-deoxyuridine (BrdU) labelling and immunostaining is commonly used for
      the detection of DNA replication using specific antibodies. Previously, we found
      that these antibodies significantly differ in their affinity to BrdU. Our present
      data showed that one of the reasons for the differences in the replication signal
      is the speed of antibody dissociation. Whereas highly efficient antibodies
      created stable complexes with BrdU, the low efficiency antibodies were unstable.
      A substantial loss of the signal occurred within several minutes. The increase of
      the complex stability can be achieved by i) formaldehyde fixation or ii) a quick
      reaction with a secondary antibody. These steps allowed the same or even higher
      signal/background ratio to be reached as in the highly efficient antibodies.
      Based on our findings, we optimised an approach for the fully enzymatic detection
      of BrdU enabling the fast detection of replicational activity without a
      significant effect on the tested proteins or the fluorescence of the fluorescent
      proteins. The method was successfully applied for image and flow cytometry. The
      speed of the method is comparable to the approach based on 5-ethynyl-2'
      deoxyuridine. Moreover, in the case of short labelling pulses, the optimised
      method is even more sensitive. The approach is also applicable for the detection
      of 5-trifluoromethyl-2'-deoxyuridine.

PMID- 28358914
TI  - Analysis of single nucleotide variants of HFE gene and association to survival in
      The Cancer Genome Atlas GBM data.
AB  - Human hemochromatosis protein (HFE) is involved in iron metabolism. Two major HFE
      polymorphisms, H63D and C282Y, have been associated with an increased risk of
      cancers. Previously, we reported decreased gender effects in overall survival
      based on H63D or C282Y HFE polymorphisms patients with glioblastoma multiforme
      (GBM). However, the effect of other single nucleotide variation (SNV) in the HFE
      gene on the cancer development and progression has not been systematically
      studied. To expand our finding in a larger sample, and to identify other HFE SNV,
      we analyzed the frequency of somatic SNV in HFE gene and its relationship to
      survival in GBM patients using The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) GBM (Caucasian
      only) database. We found 9 SNVs with increased frequency in blood normal of TCGA
      GBM patients compared to the 1000Genome. Among 9 SNVs, 7 SNVs were located in the
      intron and 2 SNVs (i.e., H63D, C282Y) in the exon of HFE gene. The statistical
      analysis demonstrated that blood normal samples of TCGA GBM have more H63D (p =
      0.0002, 95% Confidence interval (CI): 0.2119-0.3223) or C282Y (p = 0.0129, 95%
      CI: 0.0474-0.1159) HFE polymorphisms than 1000Genome. The Kaplan-Meier survival
      curve for the 264 GBM samples revealed no difference between wild type (WT) HFE
      and H63D, and WT HFE and C282Y GBM patients. In addition, there was no difference
      in the survival of male/female GBM patients based on HFE genotype. There was no
      correlation between HFE expression and survival. In conclusion, the current
      results suggest that somatic HFE polymorphisms do not impact GBM patients'
      survival in the TCGA data set of GBM.

PMID- 28358915
TI  - Enhancement of Arabidopsis growth characteristics using genome interrogation with
      artificial transcription factors.
AB  - The rapidly growing world population has a greatly increasing demand for plant
      biomass, thus creating a great interest in the development of methods to enhance
      the growth and biomass accumulation of crop species. In this study, we used zinc
      finger artificial transcription factor (ZF-ATF)-mediated genome interrogation to
      manipulate the growth characteristics and biomass of Arabidopsis plants. We
      describe the construction of two collections of Arabidopsis lines expressing
      fusions of three zinc fingers (3F) to the transcriptional repressor motif EAR (3F
      EAR) or the transcriptional activator VP16 (3F-VP16), and the characterization of
      their growth characteristics. In total, six different 3F-ATF lines with a
      consistent increase in rosette surface area (RSA) of up to 55% were isolated. For
      two lines we demonstrated that 3F-ATF constructs function as dominant in trans
      acting causative agents for an increase in RSA and biomass, and for five larger
      plant lines we have investigated 3F-ATF induced transcriptomic changes. Our
      results indicate that genome interrogation can be used as a powerful tool for the
      manipulation of plant growth and biomass and that it might supply novel cues for
      the discovery of genes and pathways involved in these properties.

PMID- 28358916
TI  - Classifying three imaginary states of the same upper extremity using time-domain
      features.
AB  - Brain-computer interface (BCI) allows collaboration between humans and machines.
      It translates the electrical activity of the brain to understandable commands to
      operate a machine or a device. In this study, we propose a method to improve the
      accuracy of a 3-class BCI using electroencephalographic (EEG) signals. This BCI
      discriminates rest against imaginary grasps and elbow movements of the same limb.
      This classification task is challenging because imaginary movements within the
      same limb have close spatial representations on the motor cortex area. The
      proposed method extracts time-domain features and classifies them using a support
      vector machine (SVM) with a radial basis kernel function (RBF). An average
      accuracy of 74.2% was obtained when using the proposed method on a dataset
      collected, prior to this study, from 12 healthy individuals. This accuracy was
      higher than that obtained when other widely used methods, such as common spatial
      patterns (CSP), filter bank CSP (FBCSP), and band power methods, were used on the
      same dataset. These results are encouraging and the proposed method could
      potentially be used in future applications including BCI-driven robotic devices,
      such as a portable exoskeleton for the arm, to assist individuals with impaired
      upper extremity functions in performing daily tasks.

PMID- 28358918
TI  - Spatial disparity dynamics of ecosystem service values and GDP in Shaanxi
      Province, China in the last 30 years.
AB  - The regional policy in China is shifting from solely gross domestic product (GDP)
      orientation to development that is more balanced between economic growth and
      ecological protection, as well as achieving equality among regions. Using land
      use maps and the adjusted value coefficients to assess ecosystem service values
      (ESV) for the 1980s, 1995, 2000, and 2010, we estimated the ESV in Shaanxi
      Province for different years, and characterized the spatial and temporal
      distribution of ESV and GDP. The results demonstrated that the total value of
      ecosystem services in Shaanxi Province increased from 208.95 billion Yuan in the
      1980s to 309.76 billion Yuan in 2010. Variation Coefficient (Cv) and Theil index
      (T) were used to reflect the disparities of GDP or ESV within the study area. The
      values of Cv in descending order are GDP, ESV per capita, ESV, and GDP per
      capita. The Theil indexes of GDP were much greater than the ones of ESV.
      Variations of Cv and T showed that disparity in GDP kept increasing from the
      1980s to 2000, then decreased; while no significant change in regional disparity
      of ESV were detected in parallel. The cities with higher GDP usually contributed
      little to ESV, and vice versa. The variation in GDP and ESV, in terms of the
      prefectural totals and per capita values, increased from the 1980s to 2010. This
      study provides an accessible way for local decision makers to evaluate the
      regional balance between economic growth and ecosystem services.

PMID- 28358917
TI  - Proteomic characterization of epicardial-myocardial signaling reveals novel
      regulatory networks including a role for NF-kappaB in epicardial EMT.
AB  - Signaling between the epicardium and underlying myocardium is crucial for proper
      heart development. The complex molecular interactions and regulatory networks
      involved in this communication are not well understood. In this study, we
      integrated mass spectrometry with bioinformatics to systematically characterize
      the secretome of embryonic chicken EPDC-heart explant (EHE) co-cultures. The 150
      protein secretome dataset established greatly expands the knowledge base of the
      molecular players involved in epicardial-myocardial signaling. We identified
      proteins and pathways that are implicated in epicardial-myocardial signaling for
      the first time, as well as new components of pathways that are known to regulate
      the crosstalk between epicardium and myocardium. The large size of the dataset
      enabled bioinformatics analysis to deduce networks for the regulation of specific
      biological processes and predicted signal transduction nodes within the networks.
      We performed functional analysis on one of the predicted nodes, NF-kappaB, and
      demonstrate that NF-kappaB activation is an essential step in TGFbeta2/PDGFBB
      induced cardiac epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition. In summary, we have
      generated a global perspective of epicardial-myocardial signaling for the first
      time, and our findings open exciting new avenues for investigating the molecular
      basis of heart development and regeneration.

PMID- 28358919
TI  - Beware batch culture: Seasonality and niche construction predicted to favor
      bacterial adaptive diversification.
AB  - Metabolic cross-feeding interactions between microbial strains are common in
      nature, and emerge during evolution experiments in the laboratory, even in
      homogeneous environments providing a single carbon source. In sympatry, when the
      environment is well-mixed, the reasons why emerging cross-feeding interactions
      may sometimes become stable and lead to monophyletic genotypic clusters occupying
      specific niches, named ecotypes, remain unclear. As an alternative to evolution
      experiments in the laboratory, we developed Evo2Sim, a multi-scale model of in
      silico experimental evolution, equipped with the whole tool case of experimental
      setups, competition assays, phylogenetic analysis, and, most importantly,
      allowing for evolvable ecological interactions. Digital organisms with an
      evolvable genome structure encoding an evolvable metabolic network evolved for
      tens of thousands of generations in environments mimicking the dynamics of real
      controlled environments, including chemostat or batch culture providing a single
      limiting resource. We show here that the evolution of stable cross-feeding
      interactions requires seasonal batch conditions. In this case, adaptive
      diversification events result in two stably co-existing ecotypes, with one
      feeding on the primary resource and the other on by-products. We show that the
      regularity of serial transfers is essential for the maintenance of the
      polymorphism, as it allows for at least two stable seasons and thus two temporal
      niches. A first season is externally generated by the transfer into fresh medium,
      while a second one is internally generated by niche construction as the provided
      nutrient is replaced by secreted by-products derived from bacterial growth. In
      chemostat conditions, even if cross-feeding interactions emerge, they are not
      stable on the long-term because fitter mutants eventually invade the whole
      population. We also show that the long-term evolution of the two stable ecotypes
      leads to character displacement, at the level of the metabolic network but also
      of the genome structure. This difference of genome structure between both
      ecotypes impacts the stability of the cross-feeding interaction, when the
      population is propagated in chemostat conditions. This study shows the crucial
      role played by seasonality in temporal niche partitioning and in promoting cross
      feeding subgroups into stable ecotypes, a premise to sympatric speciation.

PMID- 28358920
TI  - In conditions of over-expression, WblI, a WhiB-like transcriptional regulator,
      has a positive impact on the weak antibiotic production of Streptomyces lividans
      TK24.
AB  - Regulators of the WhiB-like (wbl) family are playing important role in the
      complex regulation of metabolic and morphological differentiation in
      Streptomyces. In this study, we investigated the role of wblI, a member of this
      family, in the regulation of secondary metabolite production in Streptomyces
      lividans. The over-expression of wblI was correlated with an enhanced
      biosynthesis of undecylprodigiosin and actinorhodin and with a reduction of the
      biosynthesis of yCPK and of the grey spore pigment encoded by the whiE locus.
      Five regulatory targets of WblI were identified using in vitro formaldehyde
      crosslinking and confirmed by EMSA and qRT-PCR. These included the promoter
      regions of wblI itself, two genes of the ACT cluster (actVA3 and the intergenic
      region between the divergently orientated genes actII-1 and actII-2) and that of
      wblA, another member of the Wbl family. Quantitative RT-PCR analysis indicated
      that the expression of actVA3 encoding a protein of unknown function as well as
      that of actII-1, a TetR regulator repressing the expression of actII-2, encoding
      the ACT transporter, were down regulated in the WblI over-expressing strain.
      Consistently the expression of the transporter actII-2 was up-regulated. The
      expression of WblA, that is known to have a negative impact on ACT biosynthesis,
      was strongly down regulated in the WblI over-expressing strain. These data are
      consistent with the positive impact that WblI over-expression has on ACT
      biosynthesis. The latter might result from direct activation of ACT biosynthesis
      and export and from repression of the expression of WblA, a likely indirect,
      repressor of ACT biosynthesis.

PMID- 28358921
TI  - Vector-free intracellular delivery by reversible permeabilization.
AB  - Despite advances in intracellular delivery technologies, efficient methods are
      still required that are vector-free, can address a wide range of cargo types and
      can be applied to cells that are difficult to transfect whilst maintaining cell
      viability. We have developed a novel vector-free method that uses reversible
      permeabilization to achieve rapid intracellular delivery of cargos with varying
      composition, properties and size. A permeabilizing delivery solution was
      developed that contains a low level of ethanol as the permeabilizing agent.
      Reversal of cell permeabilization is achieved by temporally and volumetrically
      controlling the contact of the target cells with this solution. Cells are seeded
      in conventional multi-well plates. Following removal of the supernatant, the
      cargo is mixed with the delivery solution and applied directly to the cells using
      an atomizer. After a short incubation period, permeabilization is halted by
      incubating the cells in a phosphate buffer saline solution that dilutes the
      ethanol and is non-toxic to the permeabilized cells. Normal culture medium is
      then added. The procedure lasts less than 5 min. With this method, proteins,
      mRNA, plasmid DNA and other molecules have been delivered to a variety of cell
      types, including primary cells, with low toxicity and cargo functionality has
      been confirmed in proof-of-principle studies. Co-delivery of different cargo
      types has also been demonstrated. Importantly, delivery occurs by diffusion
      directly into the cytoplasm in an endocytic-independent manner. Unlike some other
      vector-free methods, adherent cells are addressed in situ without the need for
      detachment from their substratum. The method has also been adapted to address
      suspension cells. This delivery method is gentle yet highly reproducible,
      compatible with high throughput and automated cell-based assays and has the
      potential to enable a broad range of research, drug discovery and clinical
      applications.

PMID- 28358922
TI  - The microRNA repertoire of Tibetan naked carp Gymnocypris przewalskii: A case
      study in Schizothoracinae fish on the Tibetan Plateau.
AB  - Tibetan naked carp Gymnocypris przewalskii is an ideal model system to study
      highland adaptation of fish, because it evolved specific genetic and phenotypic
      characteristics to adapt to chronic cold and alkaline environments in Lake
      Qinghai. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are small noncoding RNAs that regulating gene
      expression post-transcriptionally in a wide range of biological processes. In
      this study, we focus on the role of miRNAs in adaptation of G. przewalskii to
      extreme conditions in Lake Qinghai. We generate the first miRNAome of G.
      przewalskii in Schizothoracinae fish. Using several genomic resources, we
      inferred 341 conserved miRNAs belonged to 152 miRNA families and 43 novel miRNAs
      in G. przewalskii, and also identified 15 teleost-specific miRNAs. Using a large
      scale of conserved miRNAs, we constructed a high-confidence phylogenetic tree
      between teleost and mammals than mitochondria and nuclear genes. In addition, we
      found that several miRNA family (e.g. miR-10 and let-7) members highly expressed
      in G. przewalskii, which may function in multiple biological processes. Finally,
      we predicted a total of 34,258 miRNA targets genes. Conserved miRNAs target genes
      participating in signal transduction, cell differentiation and biosynthetic
      process, and showed signature of functional constraint. While novel miRNAs in a
      species displayed species-specific targets and involved in ion binding, transport
      and oxidoreductase activity, may affect the expression patterns of targets with
      signature of gene family expansion or positive selection under extreme
      environment. Taken together, this study demonstrated that miRNAs may involve into
      roles of adaptation of G. przewalskii to highland aquatic environment, and also
      provide insights into miRNA regulatory network in Schizothoracinae fish as a case
      study.

PMID- 28358923
TI  - Impact of systemic inflammation on gastric cancer outcomes.
AB  - BACKGROUND: The prognostic value of neutrophil-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) and Glasgow
      Prognostic Score (GPS) has been extensively validated in various cancers. We
      aimed to examine the usefulness of a combination of NLR and GPS (named CNG) for
      predicting survival outcomes in patients after curative resection for gastric
      cancer (GC). METHODS: We retrospectively analyzed the records of 1056 patients
      who underwent curative resection as initial treatment for GC from October 2000 to
      September 2012. The preoperative CNG was calculated as follows: patients with
      hypoalbuminemia (< 35 g/L), elevated C-reactive protein (> 10 mg/L), and elevated
      NLR (>= 2) were allocated a score of 3; patients with two, one, or no abnormal
      values were allocated a score of 2, 1, or 0, respectively. RESULTS: The NLR and
      GPS were the only inflammatory variables independently associated with overall
      survival (OS) in multivariate analysis. When they were replaced by CNG in
      multivariate analysis, CNG was independently associated with OS (hazard ratio
      [HR] for CNG 1 [1.367, 95% CI: 1.065-1.755; P = 0.014], CNG 2 [1.887, 95% CI:
      1.182-3.011; P = 0.008], and CNG 3 [2.224, 95% CI: 1.238-3.997; P = 0.008]; P =
      0.020). In stage-matched analysis, the prognostic significance was still
      maintained in stage I-III (P = 0.002, P = 0.042, and P < 0.001, respectively). In
      addition, 5-year survival rates ranged from 92% (stage I) to 35% (stage III) and
      from 65%(CNG 0) to 18%(CNG 3) with tumor-nodes-metastasis (TNM) stage or CNG
      alone. However, the combination of TNM and CNG stratified 5-year survival rates
      from 98% (TNM I, CNG 0) to 12% (TNM III, CNG 3). CONCLUSION: The preoperative CNG
      is a novel predictor of postoperative survival, and the combination of CNG and
      TNM effectively stratifies outcomes in patients after curative resection for GC.

PMID- 28358924
TI  - Processing and targeting of proteins derived from polyprotein with 2A and LP4/2A
      as peptide linkers in a maize expression system.
AB  - In the transformation of multiple genes, gene fusion is an attractive alternative
      to other methods, including sexual crossing, re-transformation, and co
      transformation, among others. The 2A peptide from the foot-and-mouth disease
      virus (FMDV) causes the co-translational "cleavage" of polyprotein and operates
      in a wide variety of eukaryotic cells. LP4, a linker peptide that originates from
      a natural polyprotein occurring in the seed of Impatiens balsamina, can be split
      between the first and second amino acids in post-translational processing. LP4/2A
      is a hybrid linker peptide that contains the first nine amino acids of LP4 and 20
      amino acids of 2A. The three linkers have been used as a suitable technique to
      link the expression of genes in some transgenic plants, but to date the cleavage
      efficiency of three linkers have not been comprehensively demonstrated in the
      same transformation system, especially in the staple crop. To verify the
      functions of 2A, LP4, and LP4/2A linker peptides in transgenic maize, six fusion
      protein vectors that each encoded a single open reading frame (ORF) incorporating
      two report genes, Green Fluorescent Protein (GFP) and beta-glucuronidase (GUS),
      separated by 2A (or modified 2A), LP4 or LP4/2A were assembled to compare the
      cleavage efficiency of the three linkers in a maize transient expression system.
      The results demonstrated the more protein production and higher cleavage splicing
      efficiency with the polyprotein construct linked by the LP4/2A peptide than those
      of the polyprotein constructs linked by 2A or LP4 alone. Seven other fusion
      proteins that each encoded a single ORF incorporating two different genes GFP and
      Red Fluorecent Protein (RFP) with different signal peptides were assembled to
      study the subcellular localization of genes linked by LP4/2A. The subcellular
      localization experiments suggested that both types of signal peptide, co
      translational and post-translational, could lead their proteins to the target
      localization in maize protoplast transformed by LP4/2A polyprotein construct and
      it implied the LP4/2A linker peptide could alleviate the inhibition of 2A
      processing by the carboxy-terminal region of upstream protein of 2A when
      translocated into the ER.

PMID- 28358925
TI  - Serum S100B: A proxy marker for grey and white matter status in the absence and
      presence of (increased risk of) psychotic disorder?
AB  - S100B is a protein with dose-dependent neurotrophic and neurotoxic effects.
      Whether S100B in psychotic disorder mirrors pathophysiological mechanisms (which
      elicit exacerbation of disease) or compensatory action is unclear, as is its
      validity as a proxy marker for brain status. Insight may be gained by examining
      associations between serum S100B and indices of grey (cortical thickness (CT))
      and white matter (fractional anisotropy (FA)), in relation to the absence or
      presence of (increased risk of) psychotic disorder. Blood samples and cerebral
      magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans were acquired in 32 patients with
      psychotic disorder, 44 non-psychotic siblings of patients with psychotic disorder
      and 26 controls. Interactions between S100B and group were examined in separate
      models of CT and FA measures with multilevel regression analyses weighted for
      number of vertices and voxels (i.e. units of volume) respectively. All analyses
      were adjusted for sex, age, body mass index (BMI), scan sequence, handedness and
      highest level of education. Neither CT nor FA was associated with S100B. There
      were no significant S100B * group interactions (CT: chi2 = 0.044, p = 0.978; FA:
      chi2 = 3.672, p = 0.159). No evidence was present for S100B as a proxy marker of
      grey or white matter status. The association between S100B and brain measures was
      not moderated by psychosis risk.

PMID- 28358926
TI  - Genetically engineered rat gliomas: PDGF-driven tumor initiation and progression
      in tv-a transgenic rats recreate key features of human brain cancer.
AB  - Previously rodent preclinical research in gliomas frequently involved
      implantation of cell lines such as C6 and 9L into the rat brain. More recently,
      mouse models have taken over, the genetic manipulability of the mouse allowing
      the creation of genetically accurate models outweighed the disadvantage of its
      smaller brain size that limited time allowed for tumor progression. Here we
      illustrate a method that allows glioma formation in the rat using the replication
      competent avian-like sarcoma (RCAS) virus / tumor virus receptor-A (tv-a)
      transgenic system of post-natal cell type-specific gene transfer. The RCAS/tv-a
      model has emerged as a particularly versatile and accurate modeling technology by
      enabling spatial, temporal, and cell type-specific control of individual gene
      transformations and providing de novo formed glial tumors with distinct molecular
      subtypes mirroring human GBM. Nestin promoter-driven tv-a (Ntv-a) transgenic
      Sprague-Dawley rat founder lines were created and RCAS PDGFA and p53 shRNA
      constructs were used to initiate intracranial brain tumor formation. Tumor
      formation and progression were confirmed and visualized by magnetic resonance
      imaging (MRI) and spectroscopy. The tumors were analyzed using histopathological
      and immunofluorescent techniques. All experimental animals developed large,
      heterogeneous brain tumors that closely resembled human GBM. Median survival was
      92 days from tumor initiation and 62 days from the first point of tumor
      visualization on MRI. Each tumor-bearing animal showed time dependent evidence of
      malignant progression to high-grade glioma by MRI and neurological examination.
      Post-mortem tumor analysis demonstrated the presence of several key
      characteristics of human GBM, including high levels of tumor cell proliferation,
      pseudopalisading necrosis, microvascular proliferation, invasion of tumor cells
      into surrounding tissues, peri-tumoral reactive astrogliosis, lymphocyte
      infiltration, presence of numerous tumor-associated microglia- and bone marrow
      derived macrophages, and the formation of stem-like cell niches within the tumor.
      This transgenic rat model may enable detailed interspecies comparisons of
      fundamental cancer pathways and clinically relevant experimental imaging
      procedures and interventions that are limited by the smaller size of the mouse
      brain.

PMID- 28358927
TI  - Aquaglyceroporin-null trypanosomes display glycerol transport defects and
      respiratory-inhibitor sensitivity.
AB  - Aquaglyceroporins (AQPs) transport water and glycerol and play important roles in
      drug-uptake in pathogenic trypanosomatids. For example, AQP2 in the human
      infectious African trypanosome, Trypanosoma brucei gambiense, is responsible for
      melarsoprol and pentamidine-uptake, and melarsoprol treatment-failure has been
      found to be due to AQP2-defects in these parasites. To further probe the roles of
      these transporters, we assembled a T. b. brucei strain lacking all three AQP
      genes. Triple-null aqp1-2-3 T. b. brucei displayed only a very moderate growth
      defect in vitro, established infections in mice and recovered effectively from
      hypotonic-shock. The aqp1-2-3 trypanosomes did, however, display glycerol uptake
      and efflux defects. They failed to accumulate glycerol or to utilise glycerol as
      a carbon-source and displayed increased sensitivity to salicylhydroxamic acid
      (SHAM), octyl gallate or propyl gallate; these inhibitors of trypanosome
      alternative oxidase (TAO) can increase intracellular glycerol to toxic levels.
      Notably, disruption of AQP2 alone generated cells with glycerol transport
      defects. Consistent with these findings, AQP2-defective, melarsoprol-resistant
      clinical isolates were sensitive to the TAO inhibitors, SHAM, propyl gallate and
      ascofuranone, relative to melarsoprol-sensitive reference strains. We conclude
      that African trypanosome AQPs are dispensable for viability and osmoregulation
      but they make important contributions to drug-uptake, glycerol-transport and
      respiratory-inhibitor sensitivity. We also discuss how the AQP-dependent inverse
      sensitivity to melarsoprol and respiratory inhibitors described here might be
      exploited.

PMID- 28358929
TI  - Update in Critical Care Medicine: Evidence Published in 2016.

PMID- 28358931
TI  - Cancer-Related Anxiety.

PMID- 28358932
TI  - Update in Hematology and Oncology: Evidence Published in 2016.

PMID- 28358928
TI  - Regulation of white and brown adipocyte differentiation by RhoGAP DLC1.
AB  - Adipose tissues constitute an important component of metabolism, the dysfunction
      of which can cause obesity and type II diabetes. Here we show that
      differentiation of white and brown adipocytes requires Deleted in Liver Cancer 1
      (DLC1), a Rho GTPase Activating Protein (RhoGAP) previously studied for its
      function in liver cancer. We identified Dlc1 as a super-enhancer associated gene
      in both white and brown adipocytes through analyzing the genome-wide binding
      profiles of PPARgamma, the master regulator of adipogenesis. We further observed
      that Dlc1 expression increases during differentiation, and knockdown of Dlc1 by
      siRNA in white adipocytes reduces the formation of lipid droplets and the
      expression of fat marker genes. Moreover, knockdown of Dlc1 in brown adipocytes
      reduces expression of brown fat-specific genes and diminishes mitochondrial
      respiration. Dlc1-/- knockout mouse embryonic fibroblasts show a complete
      inability to differentiate into adipocytes, but this phenotype can be rescued by
      inhibitors of Rho-associated kinase (ROCK) and filamentous actin (F-actin),
      suggesting the involvement of Rho pathway in DLC1-regulated adipocyte
      differentiation. Furthermore, PPARgamma binds to the promoter of Dlc1 gene to
      regulate its expression during both white and brown adipocyte differentiation.
      These results identify DLC1 as an activator of white and brown adipocyte
      differentiation, and provide a molecular link between PPARgamma and Rho pathways.

PMID- 28358933
TI  - Update in General Internal Medicine: Evidence Published in 2016.

PMID- 28358930
TI  - Association of Transoral Robotic Surgery With Short-term and Long-term Outcomes
      and Costs of Care in Oropharyngeal Cancer Surgery.
AB  - Importance: The treatment of oropharyngeal cancer has undergone a paradigm shift
      in the past 2 decades, with an increase in the use of nonoperative treatment
      owing to poor functional outcomes associated with traditional surgical
      approaches. Transoral robotic surgery (TORS) allows surgical resection of
      oropharyngeal cancer (OPC) with less morbidity through a minimally invasive
      approach. Objective: To investigate the relationship among TORS and short- and
      long-term outcomes and costs in surgically treated patients with OPC. Design,
      Setting, and Participants: Retrospective cross-sectional analysis of 3573
      patients who underwent an ablative procedure for OPC in 2010 to 2012 using the
      MarketScan Commercial Claim and Encounters database. Main Outcomes and Measures:
      The association between TORS and short- and long-term outcomes, length of
      hospitalization, and treatment-related costs was analyzed using descriptive
      statistics and multivariate regression modeling. Results: Transoral robotic
      surgery was performed in 304 surgical cases (8.5%); 94.7% of patients were 40 to
      64 years old, and 70.7% were male. The use of TORS increased from 4.1% of
      surgical cases in 2010 to 13.2% of surgical cases in 2012. Patients who underwent
      TORS had a lower rate of tracheotomy during treatment (3.9% vs 11.4%), and
      posttreatment gastrostomy tube use (21.9% vs 34.2%), compared with patients
      undergoing non-TORS procedures. On multivariate analysis, TORS was not associated
      with significant differences in postoperative complications or length of
      hospitalization. There was no significant difference in the odds of receiving
      postoperative radiation therapy between patients who underwent TORS and those who
      did not; however, among patients receiving radiation therapy, chemoradiation was
      significantly less likely following TORS (odds ratio [OR], 0.52; 95% CI, 0.29
      0.90). TORS was associated with significantly decreased odds of posttreatment
      gastrostomy (OR, 0.54; 95% CI. 0.30-0.95) and tracheostomy during treatment (OR,
      0.17; 95% CI, 0.06-0.55) at 1 year, and was associated with significantly
      decreased overall treatment-related costs of care (mean incremental cost, -$22
      724). Conclusions and Relevance: The use of TORS for surgical resection of OPC is
      increasing in the United States and is associated with significantly lower use of
      adjuvant chemoradiation, late gastrostomy and tracheostomy dependence, and lower
      overall treatment-related costs of care. These data have implications for
      discussions of value in OPC care at a time of health care reform.

PMID- 28358934
TI  - Update in Rheumatology: Evidence Published in 2016.

PMID- 28358935
TI  - Comparison of Neurovascular Characteristics of Facial Skin in Patients After
      Primary and Revision Rhytidectomies.
AB  - Importance: Wound healing influences both the cosmetic and functional outcomes of
      facial surgery. Study of cutaneous innervation may afford insight into patients'
      preoperative wound healing potential and aid in their selection of appropriate
      surgical procedures. Objective: To present the quantitative and qualitative
      differences of epidermal nerve fibers (ENFs), neurotransmitters, vasculature, and
      mast cells in facial skin among patients after primary and revision
      rhytidectomies. Design, Setting, and Participants: This pilot study collected
      cutaneous specimens from 8 female patients aged 42 to 66 years who underwent
      primary rhytidectomy (n = 5) and revision rhytidectomy (n = 3) at Centennial
      Lakes Surgery Center, Edina, Minnesota, from July 2010 to March 2014. Tissue was
      processed for confocal/epifluorescence microscopy and indirect immunofluorescent
      localization of several neural and tissue antigens as well as basement membrane
      and mast cell markers. Intervention: Primary rhytidectomy vs revision
      rhytidectomy with selection of a small area of redundant, otherwise disposed of
      tissue anterior to the tragus for ENF study. Main Outcomes and Measures:
      Demographic characteristics included smoking status; 10-point rating scales for
      facial sensation, pain, and paresthesias; and confocal/epifluorescence microscopy
      to quantify ENFs, neurotransmitters, vasculature, and mast cells. Results:
      Patients in the primary rhytidectomy group had a mean (SD) of 54.4 (31.6) ENFs/mm
      (range, 14.2-99.2 ENFs/mm), and those in the revision rhytidectomy group had a
      mean (SD) of 18.6 (5.8) ENFs/mm (range, 13.8-25.0 ENFs/mm). A patient in the
      primary rhytidectomy group was a 25-pack-year smoker and had 14.2 ENFs/mm, the
      lowest in both groups. In addition to these structural neural changes, functional
      neural changes in revision rhytidectomy samples included qualitative changes in
      normal neural antigen prevalence (substance P, calcitonin gene-related peptide,
      and vasoactive intestinal peptide). Capillary loops appeared less robust and were
      less common in dermal papilla among samples from both the primary and revision
      groups, and mast cells were more degranulated. No differences were found in
      subjective, self-reported postoperative facial sensation. Conclusions and
      Relevance: Previous skin elevation was associated with decreased epidermal nerve
      fiber density and qualitative changes in dermal nerves, capillaries, and mast
      cells in a clinical sample of patients undergoing rhytidectomy. Future research
      is needed to determine whether histological findings predict wound healing and to
      better understand the effects of surgery on regenerative capacity of epidermal
      nerve fibers. Level of Evidence: NA.

PMID- 28358936
TI  - Association of Radiotherapy Boost for Ductal Carcinoma In Situ With Local Control
      After Whole-Breast Radiotherapy.
AB  - Importance: The use of a radiotherapy (RT) boost to the tumor bed after whole
      breast RT (WBRT) for ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS) is largely extrapolated from
      invasive cancer data, but robust evidence specific to DCIS is lacking. Objective:
      To compare ipsilateral breast tumor recurrence (IBTR) in women with DCIS treated
      with vs without the RT boost after breast-conserving surgery and WBRT. Design,
      Setting, and Participants: This retrospective analysis pooled deidentified
      patient-level data from 10 academic institutions in the United States, Canada,
      and France from January 1, 1980, through December 31, 2010. All patients had
      newly diagnosed pure DCIS (no microinvasion), underwent breast-conserving
      surgery, and received WBRT with or without the boost with a minimum of 5 years of
      follow-up required for inclusion in the analysis. Given the limited events after
      WBRT, an a priori power analysis was conducted to estimate the DCIS sample size
      needed to detect the anticipated benefit of the boost. Data were uniformly
      recoded at the host institution and underwent primary and secondary reviews
      before analysis. Sample size calculations (ratio of patients who received the
      boost dose to those who did not, 2:1; alpha = .05; power = 80%) estimated that
      2982 cases were needed to detect a difference of at least 3%. The final analysis
      included 4131 patients (2661 in the boost group and 1470 in the no-boost group)
      with a median follow-up of 9 years and media boost dose of 14 Gy. Data were
      collected from July 2011 through February 2014 and analyzed from March 2014
      through August 2015. Interventions: Radiotherapy boost vs no boost. Main Outcomes
      and Measures: Ipsilateral breast tumor recurrence. Results: The analysis included
      4131 patients (median [SD] age, 56.1 [10.9] years; range, 24-88 years). Patients
      with positive margins, unknown estrogen receptor status, and comedo necrosis were
      more likely to have received an RT boost. For the entire cohort, the boost was
      significantly associated with lower IBTR (hazard ratio [HR], 0.73; 95% CI, 0.57
      0.94; P = .01) and with IBTR-free survival (boost vs no-boost groups) of 97.1%
      (95% CI, 0.96-0.98) vs 96.3% (95% CI, 0.95-0.97) at 5 years, 94.1% (95% CI, 0.93
      0.95) vs 92.5% (95% CI, 0.91-0.94) at 10 years, and 91.6% (95% CI, 0.90-0.93) vs
      88.0% (95% CI, 0.85-0.91) at 15 years. On multivariable analysis accounting for
      confounding factors, the boost remained significantly associated with reduced
      IBTR (HR compared with no boost, 0.68; 95% CI, 0.50-0.91; P = .01) independent of
      age and tamoxifen citrate use. Conclusions and Relevance: This patient-level
      analysis suggests that the RT boost confers a statistically significant benefit
      in decreasing IBTR across all DCIS age groups, similar to that seen in patients
      with invasive breast cancer. These findings suggest that a DCIS RT boost to the
      tumor bed could be considered to provide an added incremental benefit in
      decreasing IBTR after a shared discussion between the patient and her radiation
      oncologist.

PMID- 28358938
TI  - Update in Cardiology: Evidence Published in 2016.

PMID- 28358940
TI  - Slowly Enlarging Neck Mass.

PMID- 28358937
TI  - Abiraterone Acetate for Metastatic Prostate Cancer in Patients With Suboptimal
      Biochemical Response to Hormone Induction.
AB  - Importance: Men with metastatic prostate cancer who have a poor response to
      initial androgen-deprivation therapy (ADT), as reflected by a prostate-specific
      antigen (PSA) level higher than 4.0 ng/mL after 7 months of ADT, have a poor
      prognosis, based on historical controls. Objective: To determine the efficacy of
      abiraterone acetate with prednisone in these high-risk patients with a suboptimal
      response to hormonal induction. Design, Setting, and Participants: A phase 2
      single-arm study was conducted through the National Clinical Trials Network
      Southwest Oncology Group. Eligible patients had metastatic prostate cancer and a
      PSA level higher than 4.0 ng/mL between 6 and 12 months after starting ADT. The
      PSA level could be rising or falling at the time of enrollment, but had to be
      higher than 4.0 ng/mL. No previous chemotherapy or secondary hormonal therapies
      were allowed, except in patients receiving a standard, first-generation
      antiandrogen agent with a falling PSA level at the time of enrollment; this
      therapy was continued in this cohort. Abiraterone acetate, 1000 mg, once daily
      with prednisone, 5 mg, twice daily was administered to all participants. A total
      of 41 men were enrolled between the trial's activation on August 9, 2011, and
      closure on August 1, 2013. Data analysis was conducted from March 21 to November
      29, 2016. Interventions: Abiraterone acetate, 1000 mg, once daily by mouth with
      prednisone, 5 mg, by mouth twice daily. Main Outcomes and Measures: The primary
      end point was a PSA level of 0.2 ng/mL or lower within 12 months of starting
      abiraterone acetate plus prednisone. A partial response (PR) was a secondary end
      point, defined as a PSA level reduction to lower than 4.0 ng/mL but higher than
      0.2 ng/mL. Results: Of the 41 men enrolled, 1 did not receive any protocol
      treatment and was excluded from analysis. The median (range) age of the 40
      participants was 66 (39-85) years. Five (13%) patients achieved a PSA level of
      0.2 ng/mL or lower (95% CI, 4%-27%). Thirteen (33%) additional patients achieved
      a partial response, with a reduction in the PSA level to lower than 4.0 ng/mL but
      higher than 0.2 ng/mL. Sixteen (40%) patients had no PSA response and 6 (15%)
      were not assessable and assumed to be nonresponders. The median progression-free
      survival was 17.5 months (95% CI, 8.6-25.0 months) and the median overall
      survival was 25.8 months (95% CI, 15.7-25.8 months). There was 1 incident each of
      grade 4 adverse events of alanine aminotransferase level elevation and rectal
      hemorrhage. Eleven patients reported grade 3 adverse events. Conclusions and
      Relevance: This study did not reach its prescribed level of 6 PSA responses of
      0.2 ng/mL or lower, although 5 responses were observed. The overall survival and
      progression-free survival rates observed in this trial are encouraging compared
      with historical controls. The therapy was generally well tolerated, without any
      clear signal of any unexpected adverse effects.

PMID- 28358939
TI  - Peripapillary Retinal Nerve Fiber Layer Vascular Microcirculation in Eyes With
      Glaucoma and Single-Hemifield Visual Field Loss.
AB  - Importance: Understanding the differences in vascular microcirculation of the
      peripapillary retinal nerve fiber layer (RNFL) between the hemispheres in eyes
      with glaucoma with single-hemifield visual field (VF) defects may provide insight
      into the pathophysiology of glaucoma. Objective: To investigate the changes in
      the microcirculation of the peripapillary RNFL of eyes with glaucoma by using
      optical microangiography. Design, Setting, and Participants: Eyes with glaucoma
      and single-hemifield VF defect and normal eyes underwent scanning using an
      optical microangiography system covering a 6.7 * 6.7-mm2 area centered at the
      optic nerve head. The RNFL microcirculation was measured within an annulus region
      centered at the optic nerve head divided into superior and inferior hemispheres.
      Blood flux index (the mean flow signal intensity in the vessels) and vessel area
      density (the percentage of the detected vessels in the annulus) were measured.
      Main Outcomes and Measures: Differences in microcirculation between the
      hemispheres in eyes with glaucoma and normal eyes and correlations among blood
      flow metrics, VF thresholds, and clinical optical coherence tomography structural
      measurements were assessed. Results: Twenty-one eyes from 21 patients with
      glaucoma (7 men and 14 women; mean [SD] age, 63.7 [9.9] years) and 20 eyes from
      20 healthy control individuals (9 men and 11 women; mean [SD] age, 68.3 [10.7]
      years) were studied. In eyes with glaucoma, the abnormal hemisphere showed a
      thinner RNFL (mean [SE] difference, 23.5 [4.5] MUm; 95% CI, 15.1-32.0 um; P <
      .001), lower RNFL blood flux index (mean [SE] difference, 0.04 [0.01]; 95% CI,
      0.02-0.05; P < .001), and less vessel area density (mean [SE] difference, 0.08%
      [0.02%]; 95% CI, 0.05%-0.10%; P < .001) than did the normal hemisphere. Compared
      with normal eyes, reduced RNFL microcirculation was found in the normal
      hemisphere of eyes with glaucoma, measured by mean [SE] differences in blood flux
      index (0.06 [0.01]; 95% CI, 0.04-0.09; P < .001) and vessel area density (0.04%
      [0.02%]; 95% CI, 0.02%-0.08%; P = .003) but not in RNFL thickness (3.4 [4.7] MUm;
      95% CI, -6.2 to 12.9 um; P = .48). Strong correlations were found between the
      blood flux index and VF mean deviation (Spearman rho = 0.44; P = .045) and RNFL
      thickness (Spearman rho = 0.65; P = .001) in the normal hemisphere of the eye
      with glaucoma. Conclusions and Relevance: Reduced RNFL microcirculation was
      detected in the normal hemisphere of eyes with glaucoma, with strong
      correspondence with VF loss and RNFL thinning. Although the results suggest that
      vascular dysfunction precedes structural changes seen in glaucoma, longitudinal
      studies would be needed to confirm this finding.

PMID- 28358941
TI  - Automatic Gleason grading of prostate cancer using quantitative phase imaging and
      machine learning.
AB  - We present an approach for automatic diagnosis of tissue biopsies. Our
      methodology consists of a quantitative phase imaging tissue scanner and machine
      learning algorithms to process these data. We illustrate the performance by
      automatic Gleason grading of prostate specimens. The imaging system operates on
      the principle of interferometry and, as a result, reports on the nanoscale
      architecture of the unlabeled specimen. We use these data to train a random
      forest classifier to learn textural behaviors of prostate samples and classify
      each pixel in the image into different classes. Automatic diagnosis results were
      computed from the segmented regions. By combining morphological features with
      quantitative information from the glands and stroma, logistic regression was used
      to discriminate regions with Gleason grade 3 versus grade 4 cancer in
      prostatectomy tissue. The overall accuracy of this classification derived from a
      receiver operating curve was 82%, which is in the range of human error when
      interobserver variability is considered. We anticipate that our approach will
      provide a clinically objective and quantitative metric for Gleason grading,
      allowing us to corroborate results across instruments and laboratories and feed
      the computer algorithms for improved accuracy.

PMID- 28358942
TI  - Negative dielectrophoresis spectroscopy for rare analyte quantification in
      biological samples.
AB  - We propose the use of negative dielectrophoresis (DEP) spectroscopy as a
      technique to improve the detection limit of rare analytes in biological samples.
      We observe a significant dependence of the negative DEP force on functionalized
      polystyrene beads at the edges of interdigitated electrodes with respect to the
      frequency of the electric field. We measured this velocity of repulsion for 0%
      and 0.8% conjugation of avidin with biotin functionalized polystyrene beads with
      our automated software through real-time image processing that monitors the
      Rayleigh scattering from the beads. A significant difference in the velocity of
      the beads was observed in the presence of as little as 80 molecules of avidin per
      biotin functionalized bead. This technology can be applied in the detection and
      quantification of rare analytes that can be useful in the diagnosis and the
      treatment of diseases, such as cancer and myocardial infarction, with the use of
      polystyrene beads functionalized with antibodies for the target biomarkers.

PMID- 28358943
TI  - Comparative study of shear wave-based elastography techniques in optical
      coherence tomography.
AB  - We compare five optical coherence elastography techniques able to estimate the
      shear speed of waves generated by one and two sources of excitation. The first
      two techniques make use of one piezoelectric actuator in order to produce a
      continuous shear wave propagation or a tone-burst propagation (TBP) of 400 Hz
      over a gelatin tissue-mimicking phantom. The remaining techniques utilize a
      second actuator located on the opposite side of the region of interest in order
      to create three types of interference patterns: crawling waves, swept crawling
      waves, and standing waves, depending on the selection of the frequency difference
      between the two actuators. We evaluated accuracy, contrast to noise ratio,
      resolution, and acquisition time for each technique during experiments. Numerical
      simulations were also performed in order to support the experimental findings.
      Results suggest that in the presence of strong internal reflections, single
      source methods are more accurate and less variable when compared to the two
      actuator methods. In particular, TBP reports the best performance with an
      accuracy error < 4.1 % . Finally, the TBP was tested in a fresh chicken tibialis
      anterior muscle with a localized thermally ablated lesion in order to evaluate
      its performance in biological tissue.

PMID- 28358944
TI  - Update in Pulmonary Medicine: Evidence Published in 2016.

PMID- 28358945
TI  - Update in Women's Health: Evidence Published in 2016.

PMID- 28358946
TI  - Policing and Public Health-Strategies for Collaboration.

PMID- 28358947
TI  - MEKanisms of a Serous Complication.

PMID- 28358948
TI  - Economic Evaluation of a Home-Based Age-Related Macular Degeneration Monitoring
      System.
AB  - Background: Medicare recently approved coverage of home telemonitoring for early
      detection of incident choroidal neovascularization (CNV) among patients with age
      related macular degeneration (AMD), but no economic evaluation has yet assessed
      its cost-effectiveness and budgetary impact. Objectives: To evaluate a home-based
      daily visual-field monitoring system using simulation methods and to apply the
      findings of the Home Monitoring of the Eye study to the US population at high
      risk for wet-form AMD. Design, Setting, and Participants: In this economic
      analysis, an evaluation of the potential cost, cost-effectiveness, and government
      budgetary impact of adoption of a home-based daily visual-field monitoring system
      among eligible Medicare patients was performed. Effectiveness and visual outcomes
      data from the Age-Related Eye Disease Study 2 Home Monitoring of the Eye study,
      treatment data from the Wills Eye Hospital Treat & Extend study, and AMD
      progression data from the Age-Related Eye Disease Study 1 were used to simulate
      the long-term effects of telemonitoring patients with CNV in one eye or large
      drusen and/or pigment abnormalities in both eyes. Univariate and probabilistic
      sensitivity analysis and an alternative scenario using the Treat & Extend study
      control group outcomes were used to examine uncertainty in these data and
      assumptions. Interventions: Home telemonitoring of patients with AMD for early
      detection of CNV vs usual care. Main Outcomes and Measures: Incremental cost
      effectiveness ratio, net present value of lifetime societal costs, and 10-year
      nominal government expenditures. Result: Telemonitoring of patients with existing
      unilateral CNV or multiple bilateral risk factors for CNV (large drusen and
      retinal pigment abnormalities) incurs $907 (95% CI, -$6302 to $2809) in net
      lifetime societal costs, costs $1312 (95% CI, $222-$2848) per patient during 10
      years from the federal government's perspective, and results in an incremental
      cost-effectiveness ratio of $35 663 (95% CI, cost savings to $235 613) per
      quality-adjusted life-year gained. Conclusions and Relevance: Home telemonitoring
      of patients with AMD who are at risk for CNV was cost-effective compared with
      scheduled examinations alone. Monitoring patients with existing CNV in one eye is
      cost saving, but monitoring is generally not cost-effective among patients with
      low risk of CNV, including those with no or few risk factors. With Medicare
      coverage, monitoring incurs budgetary expenditures for the government but is cost
      saving for patients at high risk of AMD. Monitoring could be cost saving to
      society if monitoring reduced the frequency of scheduled examinations or led to a
      reduction of one or more injections of ranibizumab.

PMID- 28358949
TI  - Myopia and Late-Onset Progressive Cone Dystrophy Associate to LVAVA/MVAVA Exon 3
      Interchange Haplotypes of Opsin Genes on Chromosome X.
AB  - Purpose: Rare interchange haplotypes in exon 3 of the OPN1LW and OPN1MW opsin
      genes cause X-linked myopia, color vision defect, and cone dysfunction. The
      severity of the disease varies on a broad scale from nonsyndromic high myopia to
      blue cone monochromatism. Here, we describe a new genotype-phenotype correlation
      attributed to rare exon 3 interchange haplotypes simultaneously present in the
      long- and middle-wavelength sensitive opsin genes (L- and M-opsin genes).
      Methods: A multigenerational family with X-linked high myopia and cone dystrophy
      was investigated. Results: Affected male patients had infantile onset myopia with
      normal visual acuity and color vision until their forties. Visual acuity
      decreased thereafter, along with the development of severe protan and deutan
      color vision defects. A mild decrease in electroretinography response of cone
      photoreceptors was detected in childhood, which further deteriorated in middle
      aged patients. Rods were also affected, however, to a lesser extent than cones.
      Clinical exome sequencing identified the LVAVA and MVAVA toxic haplotypes in the
      OPN1LW and OPN1MW opsin genes, respectively. Conclusion: Here, we show that LVAVA
      haplotype of the OPN1LW gene and MVAVA haplotype of the OPN1MW gene cause
      apparently nonsyndromic high myopia in young patients but lead to progressive
      cone-rod dystrophy with deuteranopia and protanopia in middle-aged patients
      corresponding to a previously unknown disease course. To the best of our
      knowledge, this is the first report on the joint effect of these toxic haplotypes
      in the two opsin genes on chromosome X.

PMID- 28358951
TI  - Functional and Anatomic Outcomes in Patients With Serous Retinal Detachment in
      Diabetic Macular Edema Treated With Ranibizumab.

PMID- 28358950
TI  - Quantifying Fundus Autofluorescence in Patients With Retinitis Pigmentosa.
AB  - Purpose: Using quantitative fundus autofluorescence (qAF), we analyzed short
      wavelength autofluorescent (SW-AF) rings in RP. Methods: Short-wavelength
      autofluorescent images (486 nm excitation) of 40 patients with RP (69 eyes) were
      acquired with a confocal scanning laser ophthalmoscope equipped with an internal
      fluorescent reference. Mean qAF was measured in eight preset segments (qAF8) and
      in region of interest (ROI)-qAF (200-700 MUm) within and external to the borders
      of the rings at superior, temporal, and inferior sites relative to the ring. For
      both groups, qAF in patients with RP was compared to age-similar and
      race/ethnicity-matched healthy eyes at equivalent retinal locations. Results: In
      71% of eyes of RP patients, qAF8 acquired internal to the inner border of the
      ring, was within the 95% confidence interval (CI) for healthy eyes, while in the
      remaining RP eyes qAF8 was either higher or lower than the CI. Measured external
      to the ring, qAF8 values were within the CI in 47% of RP eyes with the other eyes
      being higher or lower. In 28% of sites measured by ROI-qAF within the SW-AF ring,
      values were above the 95% CI of healthy controls. Region of interest-qAF measured
      just external to the ring was within the CI of healthy eyes in 74% of locations.
      The average local elevation in qAF within the ring was approximately 15%. In SD
      OCT scans, photoreceptor-attributable reflectivity bands were thinned within and
      external to the ring. Conclusions: Increased fluorophore production may be a
      factor in the formation of the SW-AF rings in RP.

PMID- 28358952
TI  - Author Response: Functional and Anatomic Outcomes in Patients With Serous Retinal
      Detachment in Diabetic Macular Edema Treated With Ranibizumab.

PMID- 28358953
TI  - A New Method of Magnification Correction for Accurately Measuring Retinal Vessel
      Calibers From Fundus Photographs.
AB  - Purpose: To report a semiautomated retinal vessel caliber measurement system that
      measures central retinal artery (vein) equivalent (CRAE [CRVE]) with individual
      correction for magnification errors under conditions assuming optimal focus.
      Methods: The focusing condition of the subject eye fundus camera optical system
      was individually determined by constructing an optical model of each eye applying
      its refractive error, corneal curvature, and axial length (AL) to Gullstrand's
      schematic eye, and by adjusting the position of the camera's focusing lenses
      using each eye's refractive error. Once the focusing condition of the entire
      optical system was fulfilled, magnification of the fundus images was calculated
      using paraxial ray tracing. Measurements of CRAE (CRVE) were performed in an
      annular area centered on the optic disc with magnification-corrected diameter
      from 1.8 to 2.7 mm. Reproducibility of the measurements of the results using the
      new method and comparison with those using interactive vessel analysis (IVAN)
      were performed in normal Japanese eyes. Results: Intra- and interexaminer
      intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) for CRAE (CRVE) measurements was greater
      than 0.978. CRAE (CRVE) using the new method averaged 148.9 +/- 10.9 MUm (225.0
      +/- 13.9 MUm; mean +/- SD, N = 99). Differences between the new method and IVAN
      were greater with increasing AL (P < 0.001). The new method yielded CRAE (CRVE)
      in good agreement with IVAN in eyes with AL of approximately 24 mm. However, the
      new method yielded smaller values in eyes with shorter AL and vice versa.
      Conclusions: A new accurate and reproducible method to measure CRAE (CRVE) from
      fundus photographs was reported.

PMID- 28358954
TI  - Modulation of Circadian Rhythms Affects Corneal Epithelium Renewal and Repair in
      Mice.
AB  - Purpose: In mammalian corneal epithelium, mitosis shows a distinct circadian
      pattern. However, how this circadian pattern is maintained, and how it or its
      disruption influence renewal and regeneration remain unclear. Methods: C57BL/6
      mice were maintained under 12-hour light/12-hour dark (LD), 12-hour light/12-hour
      light (LL), 12-hour dark/12-hour dark (DD), or reversed LD (DL, 12-hour dark/12
      hour light; jet-lag defined as a shift of 12 hours) conditions. Mitotic cells in
      corneal epithelium were enumerated and analyzed via immunofluorescence at
      different zeitgeber times (ZTs). Expression of core clock genes (Clock, Bmal1,
      Period2, Cry1, and Rev-erbalpha) was qualified via quantitative RT-PCR. The rate
      and quality of healing at different ZT times and after administration of two
      small-molecule modifiers of the circadian clock, KL001 and SR8278, was evaluated.
      Results: In this study, photic cues were found to influence the 24-hour rhythm of
      corneal clock gene expression and epithelial cell mitosis in mice. Disruption of
      the circadian clock by exposure to constant light, constant dark, or jet-lag
      conditions modified the normal 24-hour patterns of corneal epithelial mitosis and
      corneal clock gene expression. The time of day of wound occurrence affected the
      rate and quality of corneal healing, with both of these parameters peaking during
      the more mitotically active hours of the morning. The two small-molecule
      modifiers of the circadian clock, KL001 and SR8278, had negative and positive
      effects on corneal wound healing, respectively. Conclusions: Circadian rhythms
      significantly influence corneal epithelium renewal and repair in mice. Our
      findings reveal possible opportunities for biological rhythm-based interventional
      strategies to control corneal healing and restore corneal homeostasis.

PMID- 28358955
TI  - Bilateral Ocular Pain and Hyperemia in a Patient With Paget Disease of the Bone.

PMID- 28358957
TI  - Update in Hospital Medicine: Evidence Published in 2016.

PMID- 28358956
TI  - Ethnic Differences in the Association Between Age-Related Macular Degeneration
      and Vision-Specific Functioning.
AB  - Importance: Understanding the link between ethnicity and health is critical to
      making appropriate public policy decisions. Few population-level data are
      available about this connection, however, including the influence of ethnicity on
      the association between age-related macular degeneration (AMD) and vision
      specific functioning (VSF). Objective: To identify the influence of ethnicity on
      VSF among Chinese, Malay, and Indian patients with AMD. Design, Setting, and
      Participants: This cross-sectional, population-based study relied on patients and
      their data from 3 population-based studies in 3 ethnic groups: Chinese, Malay and
      Indian. Of 10 033 Chinese, Malay, and Indian adults who participated in the
      study, 9962 (99.3%) who had gradable fundus images and Visual Function Index (VF
      11) data available were included in the analyses for the present study. Uniocular
      presenting distance visual acuity was measured using the logMAR chart. Separate
      multiple linear regression models examined the association between AMD and VSF in
      the 3 ethnic groups, adjusting for age, sex, presenting visual acuity in the
      better-seeing eye, educational level, income, smoking status, hypertension,
      diabetes, cardiovascular disease, total cholesterol level, and other eye
      conditions. Data were collected between January 20, 2004, and December 19, 2011;
      data analysis was conducted between November 12, 2015, and December 28, 2016.
      Exposures: Age-related macular degeneration according to fundus photographs
      graded using a modified Wisconsin Age-Related Maculopathy Grading System. Main
      Outcomes and Measures: Rasch analysis was used to convert VF-11 questionnaire
      scores to estimated interval measures of VSF. Results: Of the 9962 participants,
      the mean (SD) age was 58.8 (10.4) years; 4909 (49.3%) were male; 590 (5.9%) had
      early AMD (241 Chinese, 161 Malays, and 188 Indians) and 60 (0.6%) had late AMD
      (25 Chinese, 21 Malays, and 14 Indians). In the adjusted models, compared with no
      AMD, early AMD was associated with a small reduction in VSF (2.9%; beta = -0.12;
      95% CI, -0.23 to -0.00; P = .046) in the Chinese group but not in the Indian and
      Malay groups. Moreover, Chinese participants with late AMD had a clinically
      significant 19.1% loss of VSF (beta = -0.78; 95% CI, -1.13 to -0.43, P < .001).
      In the Malay group, those with late AMD had a 13.5% drop in VSF (beta = -0.49;
      95% CI, -1.01 to 0.04; P = .07) compared with their counterparts without AMD.
      Similarly, late AMD was not associated with VSF in the Indian group. Conclusions
      and Relevance: Early and late AMD negatively affected VSF in Chinese but not in
      Indian and Malay participants. This finding suggests that there is an independent
      ethnic influence in the association of the disease with VSF in multiethnic Asian
      populations, thus warranting ethnicity-based strategies to delay the onset or
      progression of AMD.

PMID- 28358958
TI  - Association of Parathyroid Gland Biopsy Excision Technique With Ex Vivo Radiation
      Counts During Radioguided Parathyroid Surgery.
AB  - Importance: Parathyroid biopsy represents a means for normal and hyperfunctional
      glands to be distinguished intraoperatively. However, no data exist to guide
      surgeons regarding how much of a parathyroid gland must be biopsied to satisfy
      the 20% rule. Objective: To quantify the relative proportion of a hyperfunctional
      parathyroid gland that must be evaluated with the gamma probe to satisfy the 20%
      rule. Design, Setting, and Participants: A retrospective review of surgical data
      for 24 consecutive patients (16 women, 18 men; mean [SD] age, 66.6 [10] years;
      range, 51-83 years) who underwent surgery for primary hyperparathyroidism between
      May and October, 2015, in a tertieary academic medical center. Main Outcomes and
      Measures: Extirpated parathyroid glands were sectioned into parallel or pie
      shaped biopsies and evaluated ex vivo with a gamma probe to determine what
      percentage of a hyperfunctional gland must be sampled to meet the Norman 20%
      rule. The hypothesis was formulated during data collection. Results: In total,
      253 ex vivo biopsy specimens were obtained from 33 surgically removed parathyroid
      glands. Parathyroid biopsies satisfied the 20% rule with an accuracy that
      depended on the relative proportion of the parent gland represented: half or more
      (96.6%; 95% CI, 91.7%-100.0%), a quarter to one-half (87.0%; 95% CI, 79.3%
      94.7%), less than a quarter (63.6%; 95% CI, 54.5%-72.8%). When less than a
      quarter of the gland was removed, pie-shaped biopsies were more likely to satisfy
      the 20% rule compared with parallel biopsies of the same weight (78.4% vs 56.2%;
      absolute difference, 22.2%; 95% CI, 4.7%-39.7%). Conclusions and Relevance:
      Unless half of a parathyroid gland is biopsied during radioguided
      parathyroidectomy, the 20% rule cannot reliably rule out the presence of a
      hyperfunctional parathyroid lesion. Pie-shaped biopsies originating from the
      center of the gland are associated with a lower rate of false-negative results
      compared with peripheral biopsies of similar size. Pie-shaped biopsies and biopsy
      of half or more of each nonexcised parathyroid gland for ex vivo counts may
      increase the risk of remnant devascularization and resultant hypoparathyroidism.

PMID- 28358960
TI  - Searching for Objects in Everyday Scenes: Measuring Performance in People With
      Dry Age-Related Macular Degeneration.
AB  - Purpose: Treatment success in clinical trials for AMD would ideally be aligned to
      measurable performance in visual tasks rather than imperceptible changes on
      clinical charts. We test the hypothesis that patients with dry AMD perform worse
      than visually healthy peers on computer-based surrogates of "real-world" visual
      search tasks. Methods: A prospective case-control study was conducted in which
      patients with dry AMD performed a computer-based "real-world" visual search task.
      Participants searched for targets within images of everyday scenes while eye
      movements were recorded. Average search times across the images were recorded as
      a primary outcome measure. Comparisons were made against a 90% normative limit
      established in peers with healthy vision (controls). Eye movement parameters were
      examined as a secondary outcome measure. Results: Thirty-one patients and 33
      controls with median (interquartile range) age of 75 (70-79) and 71 (66-75) years
      and logMAR binocular visual acuity 0.2 (0.18-0.31) and -0.06 (-0.12 to 0),
      respectively, were examined. Four, 18, and 9 patients were categorized as having
      early, intermediate, and late AMD, respectively. Nineteen (61%) patients exceeded
      the 90% normative limits for average search time; this was statistically
      significant (Fisher's exact test, P < 0.0001). On average, patients made smaller
      saccades than controls (P < 0.001). Conclusions: People with dry AMD, certainly
      those with advanced disease, are likely to have measurable difficulties beyond
      those observed in visually healthy peers on "real-world" search tasks. Further
      work might establish this type of task as a useful outcome measure for clinical
      trials.

PMID- 28358959
TI  - A Bioengineering Approach to Myopia Control Tested in a Guinea Pig Model.
AB  - Purpose: To investigate the biocompatibility of an injectable hydrogel and its
      ability to control myopia progression in guinea pigs. Methods: The study used a
      hydrogel synthesized from acrylated hyaluronic acid with a conjugated cell
      binding peptide and enzymatically degradable crosslinker. Seven-day-old guinea
      pigs were first form deprived (FD) with diffusers for 1 week. One group was kept
      as an FD-only control; two groups received a sub-Tenon's capsule injection of
      either hydrogel or buffer (sham surgery) at the posterior pole of the eye. Form
      deprivation treatments were then continued for 3 additional weeks. Treatment
      effects were evaluated in terms of ocular axial length and refractive error.
      Safety was evaluated via intraocular pressure (IOP), visual acuity, flash
      electroretinograms (ERG), and histology. Results: Both hydrogel and sham surgery
      groups showed significantly reduced axial elongation and myopia progression
      compared to the FD-only group. For axial lengths, net changes in interocular
      difference (treated minus control) were 0.04 +/- 0.06, 0.02 +/- 0.09, and 0.24 +/
      0.08 mm for hydrogel, sham, and FD-only groups, respectively (P = 0.0006).
      Intraocular pressures, visual acuities, and ERGs of treated eyes were not
      significantly different from contralateral controls. Extensive cell migration
      into the implants was evident. Both surgery groups showed noticeable Tenon's
      capsule thickening. Conclusions: Sub-Tenon's capsule injections of both hydrogel
      and buffer inhibited myopia progression, with no adverse effects on ocular
      health. The latter unexpected effect warrants further investigation as a
      potential novel myopia control therapy. That the hydrogel implant supported
      significant cell infiltration offers further proof of its biocompatibility, with
      potential application as a tool for drug and cell delivery.

PMID- 28358961
TI  - Intravitreal Anti-VEGF Injections Reduce Aqueous Outflow Facility in Patients
      With Neovascular Age-Related Macular Degeneration.
AB  - Purpose: We assess the effect of intravitreal anti-VEGF injections on tonographic
      outflow facility. Methods: Patients with age-related macular degeneration who had
      received unilateral intravitreal anti-VEGF injections were recruited into two
      groups, those with <=10 and those with >=20 total anti-VEGF injections.
      Intraocular pressure and tonographic outflow facility of injected and uninjected
      fellow eyes were measured and compared between groups. Risk factors for
      development of reduced outflow facility also were assessed. Results: Outflow
      facility was 12% lower in the injected eyes of patients who received >=20 anti
      VEGF injections, compared to contralateral uninjected eyes (P = 0.02). In
      contrast, there was no facility reduction for patients with <=10 anti-VEGF
      injections (P = 0.4). In patients with ocular hypertension in the uninjected eye
      (IOP > 21 mm Hg, n = 5), the outflow facility of injected eyes was on average 46%
      lower (P = 0.01) than in the uninjected fellow eyes. This was significantly
      greater than the difference observed in patients with IOP <= 21 mm Hg in the
      uninjected eye (P = 2 * 10-4). In patients with ocular hypertension in the
      injected eye (n = 6) the differences in facility and IOP between contralateral
      eyes were significantly greater than in patients with IOP <= 21 mm Hg in the
      injected eye (P = 2 * 10-4 and P = 7 * 10-4, respectively). Conclusions: Chronic
      anti-VEGF injections significantly reduce outflow facility in patients with AMD.
      The greatest facility reduction is observed in patients with baseline ocular
      hypertension. Ophthalmologists who administer anti-VEGF injections should be
      aware of these findings and monitor patients closely for changes in IOP or
      evidence of glaucoma, especially in those with pre-existing ocular hypertension.

PMID- 28358963
TI  - Determining the Value of Home Monitoring of Patients With Age-Related Macular
      Degeneration.

PMID- 28358964
TI  - Treatment of Previously Refractory Ocular Surface Squamous Neoplasia With Topical
      Cidofovir.

PMID- 28358965
TI  - Ethnic Differences in Self-reported Visual Function Among Patients With Age
      Related Macular Degeneration: Implications for Care.

PMID- 28358966
TI  - FLT3 Mutation Testing in Acute Myeloid Leukemia.

PMID- 28358962
TI  - VEGF as a Paracrine Regulator of Conventional Outflow Facility.
AB  - Purpose: Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) regulates microvascular
      endothelial permeability, and the permeability of Schlemm's canal (SC)
      endothelium influences conventional aqueous humor outflow. We hypothesize that
      VEGF signaling regulates outflow facility. Methods: We measured outflow facility
      (C) in enucleated mouse eyes perfused with VEGF-A164a, VEGF-A165b, VEGF-D, or
      inhibitors to VEGF receptor 2 (VEGFR-2). We monitored VEGF-A secretion from human
      trabecular meshwork (TM) cells by ELISA after 24 hours of static culture or
      cyclic stretch. We used immunofluorescence microscopy to localize VEGF-A protein
      within the TM of mice. Results: VEGF-A164a increased C in enucleated mouse eyes.
      Cyclic stretch increased VEGF-A secretion by human TM cells, which corresponded
      to VEGF-A localization in the TM of mice. Blockade of VEGFR-2 decreased C, using
      either of the inhibitors SU5416 or Ki8751 or the inactive splice variant VEGF
      A165b. VEGF-D increased C, which could be blocked by Ki8751. Conclusions: VEGF is
      a paracrine regulator of conventional outflow facility that is secreted by TM
      cells in response to mechanical stress. VEGF affects facility via VEGFR-2 likely
      at the level of SC endothelium. Disruption of VEGF signaling in the TM may
      explain why anti-VEGF therapy is associated with decreased outflow facility and
      sustained ocular hypertension.

PMID- 28358968
TI  - Person-Centered Technology for Older Adults.

PMID- 28358967
TI  - Acute Bilateral Photoreceptor Degeneration in an Infant After Vaccination Against
      Measles and Rubella.
AB  - Importance: Ocular inflammation is occasionally observed after vaccinations, and
      most of them resolve without permanent visual disturbances. However, there are
      some rare cases of severe ocular complications following vaccinations. Objective:
      To report the findings in an infant boy who developed an acute loss of vision
      bilaterally after Haemophilus influenzae type b, Pneumococcal conjugate
      vaccination, and measles and rubella vaccination. His vision did not recover.
      Design, Setting, and Participant: A retrospective review of the medical records
      of a 13-month-old Japanese boy. Main Outcomes and Measures: Fundus and
      fluorescein angiographic findings, ultrasonographic and optical coherence
      tomographic images, and electroretinographic findings. Results: A healthy 13
      month-old boy had an acute loss of vision in both eyes 31 days after Haemophilus
      influenzae type b and Pneumococcal conjugate vaccinations and 24 days after a
      measles and rubella vaccination. He also developed a common cold 10 days before
      the vision loss. Ultrasonography showed an exudative retinal detachment 1 day
      after the onset of the visual reduction; however, his fundi appeared normal 4
      days later. His eyes did not pursue objects, and pupillary light reflexes were
      not present. No signs of anterior uveitis were noted. He was treated with
      corticosteroids, but his vision did not improve. The retinal vessels gradually
      attenuated, and diffuse small white punctate lesions appeared in the deep retina.
      Optical coherence tomography showed a thinner outer nuclear layer and an absent
      ellipsoid zone. The electroretinograms were nonrecordable. These findings
      suggested a severe impairment of the photoreceptors, especially their outer
      segments. Western blot analysis of the patient's sera detected an antibody
      against recoverin, a calcium-binding protein of photoreceptors. Conclusions and
      Relevance: We hypothesize that an infection induced severe chorioretinitis with
      an exudative retinal detachment, which then produced an autoantibody against
      recoverin. The autoantibody then altered the function of the photoreceptors very
      rapidly. The initial infection may have been caused by the measles and rubella
      vaccination. However, because to our knowledge this has not been reported
      previously, the visual loss after the vaccinations may have been an extremely
      rare event that was coincidental or may have been related to the vaccination.

PMID- 28358971
TI  - Nursing Home Medication Reconciliation: A Quality Improvement Initiative.
AB  - The current quality improvement initiative evaluated the medication
      reconciliation process within select nursing homes in Washington, DC. The
      identification of common types of medication discrepancies through monthly
      retrospective chart reviews of newly admitted patients in two different nursing
      homes were described. The use of high-risk medications, namely antidiabetic,
      anticoagulant, and opioid agents, was also recorded. A standardized spreadsheet
      tool based on multiple medication reconciliation implementation tool kits was
      created to record the information. The five most common medication discrepancies
      were incorrect indication (21%), no monitoring parameters (17%), medication name
      omitted (11%), incorrect dose (10%), and incorrect frequency (8%). Antidiabetic
      agents in both sites were the most used high-risk medication. This initiative
      highlights that medication discrepancies on admission are common in nursing homes
      and may be clinically impactful. More attention needs to be given to work flow
      processes to improve medication reconciliation considering the increased risk for
      adverse drug events and hospitalizations. [Journal of Gerontological Nursing and
      Mental Health Services, 43(4), 9-14.].

PMID- 28358972
TI  - Nurse, Patient, and Care Partner Perceptions of a Personalized Safety Plan
      Screensaver.
AB  - A patient safety plan dashboard was developed that captures disparate data from
      the electronic health record that is then displayed as a personalized bedside
      screensaver. The dashboard aligns all care team members, including patients and
      families, in the safety plan. The screensaver content includes icons that pertain
      to common geriatric syndromes. In two phases, interviews were conducted with
      nurses, nursing assistants, patients, and informal caregivers in a large,
      tertiary care center. End user perceptions of the content and interface of the
      personalized safety plan screensavers were identified and strategies to overcome
      the barriers to use for future iterations were defined. Many themes were
      identified, ranging from appreciation of the clinical decision support provided
      by the screensavers to the value of the safety-centric content. Differences
      emerged stemming from each group of end users' role on the care team. All
      feedback will inform requirements for improvements to the personalized safety
      plan screensaver. [Journal of Gerontological Nursing, 43(4), 15-22.].

PMID- 28358974
TI  - The Impact of Lumbar Spine Disease and Deformity on Total Hip Arthroplasty
      Outcomes.
AB  - Concomitant spine and hip disease in patients undergoing total hip arthroplasty
      (THA) presents a management challenge. Degenerative lumbar spine conditions are
      known to decrease lumbar lordosis and limit lumbar flexion and extension, leading
      to altered pelvic mechanics and increased demand for hip motion. In this study,
      the effect of lumbar spine disease on complications after primary THA was
      assessed. The Medicare database was searched from 2005 to 2012 using
      International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision, procedure codes for
      primary THA and diagnosis codes for preoperative diagnoses of lumbosacral
      spondylosis, lumbar disk herniation, acquired spondylolisthesis, and degenerative
      disk disease. The control group consisted of all patients without a lumbar spine
      diagnosis who underwent THA. The risk ratios for prosthetic hip dislocation,
      revision THA, periprosthetic fracture, and infection were significantly higher
      for all 4 lumbar diseases at all time points relative to controls. The average
      complication risk ratios at 90 days were 1.59 for lumbosacral spondylosis, 1.62
      for disk herniation, 1.65 for spondylolisthesis, and 1.53 for degenerative disk
      disease. The average complication risk ratios at 2 years were 1.66 for
      lumbosacral spondylosis, 1.73 for disk herniation, 1.65 for spondylolisthesis,
      and 1.59 for degenerative disk disease. Prosthetic hip dislocation was the most
      common complication at 2 years in all 4 spinal disease cohorts, with risk ratios
      ranging from 1.76 to 2.00. This study shows a significant increase in the risk of
      complications following THA in patients with lumbar spine disease. [Orthopedics.
      2017; 40(3):e520-e525.].

PMID- 28358975
TI  - Age-Related Outcome of Mobile-Bearing Total Ankle Replacement.
AB  - The aim of this study was to investigate clinical and radiographic outcomes in
      patients 50 years and younger vs patients older than 50 years undergoing total
      ankle replacement. Seventy consecutive patients who underwent primary total ankle
      replacement were included in this retrospective study. Patients were assessed
      clinically and radiographically. There was a statistically significant difference
      between the 2 groups for the American Orthopaedic Foot & Ankle Society score at
      final follow-up. The younger group had significantly greater improvement compared
      with the older group. Total ankle arthroplasty is an effective treatment for
      young, active patients with symptomatic end-stage ankle arthritis. [Orthopedics.
      2017; 40(3):e567-e573.].

PMID- 28358976
TI  - Analysis of Bony and Internal Organ Injuries Associated With 26,357 Adult Femoral
      Shaft Fractures and Their Impact on Mortality.
AB  - The spectrum of injuries associated with femoral shaft fractures and those
      injuries' association with mortality have not been well delineated previously.
      Patients in the National Trauma Data Bank who presented with femoral shaft
      fractures from 2011 to 2012 were analyzed in 3 age groups (18-39, 40-64, and 65+
      years). For each group, modified Charlson Comorbidity Index (CCI), mechanism of
      injury (MOI), injury severity score (ISS), and associated injuries were reported.
      Multivariate logistic regression was used to identify predictors of mortality.
      Among the 26,357 patients with femoral shaft fractures, modified CCIs gradually
      increased with increasing age category and ISS decreased. Motor vehicle accidents
      were the most common MOI in the younger 2 age groups, whereas falls were the most
      common MOI in the 65 years and older age group. The top 3 associated bony
      injuries for the study cohort as a whole were tibia/fibula (20.5%), ribs/sternum
      (19.1%), and non-shaft femur (18.9%, of which 5.8% of the total cohort were
      femoral neck) fractures. The top 3 associated internal organ injuries were lung
      (18.9%), intracranial (13.5%), and liver (6.2%), injuries. A multivariate
      mortality analysis showed that increasing age, increasing comorbidity burden, and
      associated injuries all had independent associations with mortality. The injuries
      most associated with mortality were thoracic organ injuries (adjusted odds ratio
      [AOR]=3.53), head injuries (AOR=2.93), abdominal organ injuries (AOR=2.78), and
      pelvic fractures (AOR=1.80). This study used a large, nationwide sample of trauma
      patients to profile injuries associated with femoral shaft fractures.
      Associations between injuries and mortality underscore the importance of these
      findings. [Orthopedics. 2017; 40(3):e506-e512.].

PMID- 28358977
TI  - Plantar Plating for the Treatment of Proximal Fifth Metatarsal Fractures in Elite
      Athletes.
AB  - Proximal fifth metatarsal fractures, zones II and III, are commonly treated
      surgically, especially in elite athletes. Intramedullary screw fixation remains
      the most used construct despite nonunion and refracture. High tensile forces on
      the plantar-lateral aspect of the fifth metatarsal are difficult to control, and
      intramedullary screw fixation depends on ideal screw position, length, and width.
      The authors present a plantar plating technique with cancellous bone autograft
      for zones II and III proximal fifth metatarsal fractures. Rotational instability
      and plantar-lateral gapping are resisted by applying a compression plate to the
      tension side of the fracture, eliminating causes for failure. [Orthopedics. 2017;
      40(3):e563-e566.].

PMID- 28358978
TI  - Responsiveness and Internal Validity of Common Patient-Reported Outcome Measures
      Following Total Shoulder Arthroplasty.
AB  - The Constant-Murley (Constant) score, Western Ontario Osteoarthritis of the
      Shoulder (WOOS) index, American Shoulder and Elbow Surgeons (ASES) score, and
      Single Assessment Numeric Evaluation (SANE) score are commonly used to assess
      patient-reported function following shoulder surgery. However, psychometric
      properties for these tools are mostly unknown for patients with primary
      glenohumeral arthritis who have undergone anatomic total shoulder arthroplasty
      (TSA). The purposes of this study were to (1) compare the responsiveness and
      internal validity between the 4 patient-reported outcomes (PROs) and (2) identify
      PRO score values associated with patient satisfaction after TSA. A total of 234
      primary TSAs were performed for primary glenohumeral osteoarthritis with a 2-year
      or greater follow-up. The Constant score, WOOS index, ASES score, SANE score, and
      patient satisfaction were assessed preoperatively and 2 to 5 years
      postoperatively. Effect sizes, standardized response means, and relative
      efficiency were calculated to determine responsiveness, and internal validity was
      determined via the presence of floor and/or ceiling effects. Receiver operator
      characteristic (ROC) curves were constructed to identify the minimum outcome
      score that could correctly identify a satisfied patient. At final follow-up, 88%
      of patients were satisfied. The PROs had large effect sizes and standardized
      response means (>=0.83). The minimum score that most correctly identified a
      patient as satisfied was 78 for ASES score, 18 for WOOS index, 73 for Constant
      score, and 58 for SANE score. However, the ASES score, WOOS index, and SANE score
      had marked postoperative ceiling effects, whereas the Constant score was the most
      responsive and internally valid tool. These results suggest that the Constant
      score should serve as the primary PRO for patients with primary glenohumeral
      arthritis, whereas the WOOS index, ASES score, and SANE score could be
      supplementary assessments. [Orthopedics. 2017; 40(3):e513-e519.].

PMID- 28358979
TI  - Pelvimetry for fetal cephalic presentations at or near term for deciding on mode
      of delivery.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Pelvimetry assesses the size of a woman's pelvis aiming to predict
      whether she will be able to give birth vaginally or not. This can be done by
      clinical examination, or by conventional X-rays, computerised tomography (CT)
      scanning, or magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). OBJECTIVES: To assess the effects
      of pelvimetry (performed antenatally or intrapartum) on the method of birth, on
      perinatal mortality and morbidity, and on maternal morbidity. This review
      concentrates exclusively on women whose fetuses have a cephalic presentation.
      SEARCH METHODS: We searched Cochrane Pregnancy and Childbirth Group's Trials
      Register (31 January 2017) and reference lists of retrieved studies. SELECTION
      CRITERIA: Randomised controlled trials (including quasi-randomised) assessing the
      use of pelvimetry versus no pelvimetry or assessing different types of pelvimetry
      in women with a cephalic presentation at or near term were included. Cluster
      trials were eligible for inclusion, but none were identified. DATA COLLECTION AND
      ANALYSIS: Two review authors independently assessed trials for inclusion and risk
      of bias, extracted data and checked them for accuracy. We assessed the quality of
      the evidence using the GRADE approach. MAIN RESULTS: Five trials with a total of
      1159 women were included. All used X-ray pelvimetry to assess the pelvis. X-ray
      pelvimetry versus no pelvimetry or clinical pelvimetry is the only comparison
      included in this review due to the lack of trials identified that examined other
      types of radiological pelvimetry or that compared clinical pelvimetry versus no
      pelvimetry.The included trials were generally at high risk of bias. There is an
      overall high risk of performance bias due to lack of blinding of women and staff.
      Two studies were also at high risk of selection bias. We used GRADEpro software
      to grade evidence for our selected outcomes; for caesarean section we rated the
      evidence low quality and all the other outcomes (perinatal mortality, wound
      sepsis, blood transfusion, scar dehiscence and admission to special care baby
      unit) as very low quality. Downgrading was due to risk of bias relating to lack
      of allocation concealment and blinding, and imprecision of effect estimates.Women
      undergoing X-ray pelvimetry were more likely to have a caesarean section (risk
      ratio (RR) 1.34, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.19 to 1.52; 1159 women; 5
      studies; low-quality evidence). There were no clear differences between groups
      for perinatal outcomes: perinatal mortality (RR 0.53, 95% CI 0.19 to 1.45; 1159
      infants; 5 studies; very low-quality evidence), perinatal asphyxia (RR 0.66, 95%
      CI 0.39 to 1.10; 305 infants; 1 study), and admission to special care baby unit
      (RR 0.20, 95% CI 0.01 to 4.13; 288 infants; 1 study; very low-quality evidence).
      Other outcomes assessed were wound sepsis (RR 0.83, 95% CI 0.26 to 2.67; 288
      women; 1 study; very low-quality evidence), blood transfusion (RR 1.00, 95% CI
      0.39 to 2.59; 288 women; 1 study; very low-quality evidence), and scar dehiscence
      (RR 0.59, 95% CI 0.14 to 2.46; 390 women; 2 studies; very low-quality evidence).
      Again, no clear differences were found for these outcomes between the women who
      received X-ray pelvimetry and those who did not. Apgar score less than seven at
      five minutes was not reported in any study. AUTHORS' CONCLUSIONS: X-ray
      pelvimetry versus no pelvimetry or clinical pelvimetry is the only comparison
      included in this review due to the lack of trials identified that used other
      types or pelvimetry (other radiological examination or clinical pelvimetry versus
      no pelvimetry). There is not enough evidence to support the use of X-ray
      pelvimetry for deciding on mode of delivery in women whose fetuses have a
      cephalic presentation. Women who undergo an X-ray pelvimetry may be more likely
      to have a caesarean section.Further research should be directed towards defining
      whether there are specific clinical situations in which pelvimetry can be shown
      to be of value. Newer methods of pelvimetry (CT, MRI) should be subjected to
      randomised trials to assess their value. Further trials of X-ray pelvimetry in
      cephalic presentations would be of value if large enough to assess the effect on
      perinatal mortality.

PMID- 28358980
TI  - Pharmacological interventions for non-alcohol related fatty liver disease
      (NAFLD): an attempted network meta-analysis.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Non-alcohol related fatty liver disease (commonly called non
      alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD)) is liver steatosis in the absence of
      significant alcohol consumption, use of hepatotoxic medication, or other
      disorders affecting the liver such as hepatitis C virus infection, Wilson's
      disease, and starvation. NAFLD embraces the full spectrum of disease from pure
      steatosis (i.e. uncomplicated fatty liver) to non-alcoholic steatohepatitis
      (NASH), via NASH-cirrhosis to cirrhosis. The optimal pharmacological treatment
      for people with NAFLD remains uncertain. OBJECTIVES: To assess the comparative
      benefits and harms of different pharmacological interventions in the treatment of
      NAFLD through a network meta-analysis and to generate rankings of the available
      pharmacological treatments according to their safety and efficacy. However, it
      was not possible to assess whether the potential effect modifiers were similar
      across different comparisons. Therefore, we did not perform the network meta
      analysis, and instead, assessed the comparative benefits and harms of different
      interventions using standard Cochrane methodology. SEARCH METHODS: We searched
      the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL), MEDLINE, Embase,
      Science Citation Index Expanded, the World Health Organization International
      Clinical Trials Registry Platform, and ClinicalTrials.com to August 2016.
      SELECTION CRITERIA: We included only randomised clinical trials (irrespective of
      language, blinding, or publication status) in participants with NAFLD. We
      excluded trials which included participants who had previously undergone liver
      transplantation. We considered any of the various pharmacological interventions
      compared with each other or with placebo or no intervention. DATA COLLECTION AND
      ANALYSIS: We calculated the odds ratio (OR) and rate ratio with 95% confidence
      intervals (CI) using both fixed-effect and random-effects models based on an
      available participant analysis with Review Manager. We assessed risk of bias
      according to the Cochrane risk of bias tool, controlled risk of random errors
      with Trial Sequential Analysis, and assessed the quality of the evidence using
      GRADE. MAIN RESULTS: We identified 77 trials including 6287 participants that met
      the inclusion criteria of this review. Forty-one trials (3829 participants)
      provided information for one or more outcomes. Only one trial was at low risk of
      bias in all domains. All other trials were at high risk of bias in one or more
      domains. Overall, all the evidence was very low quality. Thirty-five trials
      included only participants with non-alcohol related steatohepatitis (NASH) (based
      on biopsy confirmation). Five trials included only participants with diabetes
      mellitus; 14 trials included only participants without diabetes mellitus. The
      follow-up in the trials ranged from one month to 24 months.We present here only
      the comparisons of active intervention versus no intervention in which two or
      more trials reported at least one of the following outcomes: mortality at maximal
      follow-up, serious adverse events, and health-related quality of life, the
      outcomes that determine whether a treatment should be used. Antioxidants versus
      no interventionThere was no mortality in either group (87 participants; 1 trial;
      very low quality evidence). None of the participants developed serious adverse
      events in the trial which reported the proportion of people with serious adverse
      events (87 participants; 1 trial; very low quality evidence). There was no
      evidence of difference in the number of serious adverse events between
      antioxidants and no intervention (rate ratio 0.89, 95% CI 0.36 to 2.19; 254
      participants; 2 trials; very low quality evidence). None of the trials reported
      health-related quality of life. Bile acids versus no interventionThere was no
      evidence of difference in mortality at maximal follow-up (OR 5.11, 95% CI 0.24 to
      107.34; 659 participants; 4 trials; very low quality evidence), proportion of
      people with serious adverse events (OR 1.56, 95% CI 0.84 to 2.88; 404
      participants; 3 trials; very low quality evidence), or the number of serious
      adverse events (rate ratio 1.01, 95% CI 0.66 to 1.54; 404 participants; 3 trials;
      very low quality evidence) between bile acids and no intervention. None of the
      trials reported health-related quality of life. Thiazolidinediones versus no
      interventionThere was no mortality in either group (74 participants; 1 trial;
      very low quality evidence). None of the participants developed serious adverse
      events in the two trials which reported the proportion of people with serious
      adverse events (194 participants; 2 trials; very low quality evidence). There was
      no evidence of difference in the number of serious adverse events between
      thiazolidinediones and no intervention (rate ratio 0.25, 95% CI 0.06 to 1.05; 357
      participants; 3 trials; very low quality evidence). None of the trials reported
      health-related quality of life. Source of fundingTwenty-six trials were partially
      or fully-funded by pharmaceutical companies that would benefit, based on the
      results of the trial. Twelve trials did not receive any additional funding or
      were funded by parties with no vested interest in the results. The source of
      funding was not provided in 39 trials. AUTHORS' CONCLUSIONS: Due to the very low
      quality evidence, we are very uncertain about the effectiveness of
      pharmacological treatments for people with NAFLD including those with
      steatohepatitis. Further well-designed randomised clinical trials with
      sufficiently large sample sizes are necessary.

PMID- 28358981
TI  - A Case of Recurrent Antenatal-Onset Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder With Complete
      Postpartum Remission.

PMID- 28358982
TI  - Nitrate Stimulates Anaerobic Microbial Arsenite Oxidation in Paddy Soils.
AB  - Arsenic (As) bioavailability to rice plants is elevated in flooded paddy soils
      due to reductive mobilization of arsenite [As(III)]. However, some microorganisms
      are able to mediate anaerobic As(III) oxidation by coupling to nitrate reduction,
      thus attenuating As mobility. In this study, we investigated the impact of
      nitrate additions on As species dynamics in the porewater of four As-contaminated
      paddy soils. The effects of nitrate on microbial community structure and the
      abundance and diversity of the As(III) oxidase (aioA) genes were quantified using
      16S rRNA sequencing, quantitative PCR, and aioA gene clone libraries. Nitrate
      additions greatly stimulated anaerobic oxidation of As(III) to As(V) and
      decreased total soluble As in the porewater in flooded paddy soils. Nitrate
      additions significantly enhanced the abundance of aioA genes and changed the
      microbial community structure by increasing the relative abundance of the
      operational taxonomic units (OTUs) from the genera Acidovorax and Azoarcus. The
      aioA gene sequences from the Acidovorax related OTU were also stimulated by
      nitrate. A bacterial strain (ST3) belonging to Acidovorax was isolated from
      nitrate-amended paddy soil. The strain was able to oxidize As(III) and Fe(II)
      under anoxic conditions using nitrate as the electron acceptor. Abiotic
      experiments showed that Fe(II), but not As(III), could be oxidized by nitrite.
      These results show that nitrate additions can stimulate As(III) oxidation in
      flooded paddy soils by enhancing the population of anaerobic As(III) oxidizers,
      offering a potential strategy to decrease As mobility in As-contaminated paddy
      soils.

PMID- 28358984
TI  - Room-Temperature Current-Induced Generation and Motion of sub-100 nm Skyrmions.
AB  - Magnetic skyrmions are nanoscale windings of the spin configuration that hold
      great promise for technology due to their topology-related properties and
      extremely reduced sizes. After the recent observation at room temperature of sub
      100 nm skyrmions stabilized by interfacial chiral interaction in magnetic
      multilayers, several pending questions remain to be solved, notably about the
      means to nucleate individual compact skyrmions or the exact nature of their
      motion. In this study, a method leading to the formation of magnetic skyrmions in
      a micrometer-sized track using homogeneous current injection is evidenced. Spin
      transfer-induced motion of these small electrical-current-generated skyrmions is
      then demonstrated and the role of the out-of-plane magnetic field in the
      stabilization of the moving skyrmions is also analyzed. The results of these
      experimental observations of spin torque induced motion are compared to
      micromagnetic simulations reproducing a granular type, nonuniform magnetic
      multilayer in order to address the particularly important role of the magnetic
      inhomogeneities on the current-induced motion of sub-100 nm skyrmions for which
      the material grains size is comparable to the skyrmion diameter.

PMID- 28358983
TI  - Differences in Viscosity of Superior and Inferior Spikelets of Japonica Rice with
      Various Percentages of Apparent Amylose Content.
AB  - Viscosity, a crucial characteristic for rice palatability, is affected by
      endosperm characters. We compared correlations between differences in viscosity
      of japonica rice with various palatability and endosperm characters. Changes in
      apparent amylose and protein contents (AAC% and PC%, respectively) and
      amylopectin side-chain distribution and the relationship of these traits with
      palatability were investigated in superior and inferior spikelets of good
      cultivars with low amylose content from Hokkaido and common cultivars from
      northeastern Japan, using rapid visco analyzer characteristics and rice-grain
      microstructures. Significant differences occurred in PC%, AAC%, breakdown,
      setback, peak time, and pasting temperature of different cultivars and grain
      positions. Amylopectin components showed remarkable differences in grain
      surfaces, surface layers, and section structure between the grain varieties.
      Hokkaido cultivars showed better viscosity than northeastern cultivars,
      particularly initial stage grains. Correlation analysis indicated viscosity was
      mainly AAC%-dependent, whereas differences in endosperm characteristics between
      spikelet positions were mainly due to grain-filling temperature.

PMID- 28358985
TI  - Substitution of a Fluorine Atom in Perfluorobenzonitrile by a Lithiated Nitronyl
      Nitroxide.
AB  - A 4,4,5,5-tetramethyl-4,5-dihydro-1H-imidazole-3-oxide-1-oxyl (1) lithium
      derivative was found to react with perfluorobenzonitrile (2) substituting its
      para-fluorine atom to form 2-(4-cyanotetrafluorophenyl)-4,4,5,5-tetramethyl-4,5
      dihydro-1H-imidazol-3-oxide-1-oxyl (3), a new nitronyl nitroxide containing a
      multifunctional framework of strong electron-withdrawing nature. This result
      shows the possibility of obtaining multifunctional nitronyl nitroxides via the
      interaction of paramagnetic lithium derivatives as C-nucleophiles with
      polyfluoroarenes activated for nucleophilic substitution. The reaction
      regioselectivity is supported by the data of quantum-chemical calculations, which
      also show that the reaction follows a concerted pathway without formation of an
      intermediate. Reduction of nitronyl nitroxide 3 in system NaNO2-AcOH yielded
      corresponding iminonitroxide 4. Characterization of persistent radicals 3 and 4
      obtained by the SNF synthetic strategy includes X-ray crystal structures,
      electron spin resonance data, and static magnetic-susceptibility measurements. X
      ray diffraction analysis of both nitronyl nitroxide and iminonitroxide revealed a
      complete match of the parameters of their crystal lattices.

PMID- 28358986
TI  - Quantitative Effects of Biochar Oxidation and Pyrolysis Temperature on the
      Transport of Pathogenic and Nonpathogenic Escherichia coli in Biochar-Amended
      Sand Columns.
AB  - The present study quantifies the transport of Escherichia coli pathogenic O157:H7
      and nonpathogenic K12 strains in water-saturated Quincy sand (QS) columns amended
      with oxidized (OX) or unoxidized (UO) pine wood (PW) or pine bark (PB) biochar
      produced at either 350 or 600  degrees C. Our results showed that (1) the
      addition of oxidized biochar into QS columns enhanced the transport of E. coli
      O157:H7 by 3.1 fold compared to the unoxidized counterparts, likely because of an
      increase in the repulsive forces due to their higher negative charge densities.
      (2) The retention of E. coli O157:H7 was 3.3 fold higher than that of E. coli K12
      in all biochar-amended sand columns. (3) Increased application rates of
      unoxidized PW600 biochar from 0 to 20 wt % led to a reduction in the transport of
      E. coli O157:H7 and K12 from 98 to 10% and from 95 to 70%, respectively. Our data
      showed that mixing sand with PW350-UO at a 20 wt % application rate almost
      completely retained the pathogenic E. coli in the subsurface, suggesting that
      utilizing sand mixed with biochar can act as a promising biofilter capable of
      protecting natural aquafers from pathogens.

PMID- 28358987
TI  - Highly Selective Targeting of Hepatic Stellate Cells for Liver Fibrosis Treatment
      Using a d-Enantiomeric Peptide Ligand of Fn14 Identified by Mirror-Image mRNA
      Display.
AB  - Although liver fibrosis is a major public health issue, there is still no
      effective drug therapy in the clinic. Fibroblast growth factor-inducible 14
      (Fn14), a membrane receptor highly specifically expressed in activated hepatic
      stellate cells (HSCs), is the key driver of liver fibrosis, and thus, it has a
      great potential as a novel target for the development of effective treatment.
      Here, we identified a d-enantiomeric peptide ligand of Fn14 through mirror-image
      mRNA display. This included the chemical synthesis of a d-enantiomer of the
      target protein (extracellular domain of Fn14), identification of an l-peptide
      ligand of d-Fn14 using a constructed mRNA peptide library, and identification of
      a d-enantiomer of the l-peptide, which is a ligand of the natural Fn14 for
      reasons of symmetry. The obtained d-peptide ligand showed strong binding to Fn14
      while maintaining high proteolytic resistance. As a targeting moiety, this d
      peptide successfully mediated high selectivity of activated HSCs for liposomal
      vehicles compared to that of other major cell types in the liver and
      significantly enhanced the accumulation of liposomes in the liver fibrosis region
      of a carbon tetrachloride-induced mouse model. Moreover, in combination with
      curcumin as an encapsulated load, a liposomal formulation conjugated with this d
      peptide showed powerful inhibition of the proliferation of activated HSCs and
      reduced the liver fibrosis to a significant extent in vivo. This Fn14-targeting
      strategy may represent a promising approach to targeted drug delivery for liver
      fibrosis treatment. Meanwhile, the mirror-image mRNA display can provide a new
      arsenal for the development of d-peptide-based therapeutics against a variety of
      human diseases.

PMID- 28358989
TI  - Safety and Histological Effect of Liquid Nitrogen Metered Spray Cryotherapy in
      the Lung.

PMID- 28358988
TI  - Trends in the incidence of chronic fatigue syndrome and fibromyalgia in the UK,
      2001-2013: a Clinical Practice Research Datalink study.
AB  - Objective Trends in recorded diagnoses of chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS, also
      known as 'myalgic encephalomyelitis' (ME)) and fibromyalgia (FM) in the UK were
      last reported more than ten years ago, for the period 1990-2001. Our aim was to
      analyse trends in incident diagnoses of CFS/ME and FM for the period 2001-2013,
      and to investigate whether incidence might vary by index of multiple deprivation
      (IMD) score. Design Electronic health records cohort study. Setting NHS primary
      care practices in the UK. Participants Participants: Patients registered with
      general practices linked to the Clinical Practice Research Datalink (CPRD)
      primary care database from January 2001 to December 2013. Main outcome measure
      Incidence of CFS/ME, FM, post-viral fatigue syndrome (PVFS), and
      asthenia/debility. Results The overall annual incidence of recorded cases of
      CFS/ME was 14.8 (95% CI 14.5, 15.1) per 100,000 people. Overall annual incidence
      per 100,000 people for FM was 33.3 (32.8-33.8), for PVFS 12.2 (11.9, 12.5), and
      for asthenia/debility 7.0 (6.8, 7.2). Annual incidence rates for CFS/ME diagnoses
      decreased from 17.5 (16.1, 18.9) in 2001 to 12.6 (11.5, 13.8) in 2013 (annual
      percent change -2.8% (-3.6%, -2.0%)). Annual incidence rates for FM diagnoses
      decreased from 32.3 (30.4, 34.3) to 27.1 (25.5, 28.6) in 2007, then increased to
      38.2 (36.3, 40.1) per 100,000 people in 2013. Overall annual incidence of
      recorded fatigue symptoms was 2246 (2242, 2250) per 100,000 people. Compared with
      the least deprived IMD quintile, incidence of CFS/ME in the most deprived
      quintile was 39% lower (incidence rate ratio (IRR) 0.61 (0.50, 0.75)), whereas
      rates of FM were 40% higher (IRR 1.40 (0.95, 2.06)). Conclusion These analyses
      suggest a gradual decline in recorded diagnoses of CFS/ME since 2001, and an
      increase in diagnoses of fibromyalgia, with opposing socioeconomic patterns of
      lower rates of CFS/ME diagnoses in the poorest areas compared with higher rates
      of FM diagnoses.

PMID- 28358990
TI  - A Feasibility Study on Using an Internet-Panel Survey to Measure Perceptions of E
      cigarettes in 3 Metropolitan Areas, 2015.
AB  - OBJECTIVES: Internet-panel surveys are emerging as a means to quickly and cost
      effectively collect health data, and because of their large memberships, they
      could be used for community-level surveys. To determine the feasibility of using
      an internet-panel survey to quickly provide community-level data, we conducted a
      pilot test of a health survey in 3 US metropolitan areas. METHODS: We conducted
      internet-panel surveys in Cleveland, Ohio; New York, New York; and Seattle,
      Washington, in 2015. Slightly more than 500 people responded to the survey in
      each city. We compared weighted unadjusted prevalence estimates from the internet
      panel data with estimates from the 2014 Health Information National Trends Survey
      (HINTS) for the following question in each survey: "Compared to smoking
      cigarettes, would you say that electronic cigarettes are...much less harmful,
      less harmful, just as harmful, more harmful, much more harmful, or I've never
      heard of electronic cigarettes." We used multivariable logistic regression to
      compare associations of respondents' demographic and health characteristics with
      perceived harm from e-cigarettes. RESULTS: The prevalence of the perception that
      e-cigarettes are less harmful than smoking cigarettes ranged from 35.9% to 39.9%
      in the internet-panel sites and was 43.0% in HINTS. Most patterns of beliefs and
      respondent characteristics in the internet-panel data were consistent with
      patterns in HINTS. We found inconsistent patterns between internet-panel sites
      and HINTS by race/ethnicity and education. CONCLUSIONS: This feasibility study
      found that internet-panel surveys could quickly produce community-level data for
      targeted public health interventions and evaluation, but they may be limited in
      producing estimates among subgroups.

PMID- 28358991
TI  - Ground Turmeric as a Source of Lead Exposure in the United States.

PMID- 28358993
TI  - Multimodal Management of Canine Osteoarthritis, Second Edition.

PMID- 28358994
TI  - Questioning the Effectiveness of Baricitinib for Pulmonary Manifestations of
      Rheumatoid Arthritis.

PMID- 28358995
TI  - Use of microfluidics to assess the platelet-based control of coagulation.
AB  - This paper provides an overview of the various types of microfluidic devices that
      are employed to study the complex processes of platelet activation and blood
      coagulation in whole blood under flow conditions. We elaborate on how these
      devices are used to detect impaired platelet-dependent fibrin formation in blood
      from mice or patients with specific bleeding disorders. We provide a practical
      guide on how to assess formation of a platelet-fibrin thrombus under flow, using
      equipment that is present in most laboratories. In addition, we describe current
      insights on how blood flow and shear rate alter the location of platelet
      populations, von Willebrand factor, coagulation factors, and fibrin in a growing
      thrombus. Finally, we discuss possibilities and limitations for the clinical use
      of microfluidic devices to evaluate a hemostatic or prothrombotic tendency in
      patient blood samples.

PMID- 28358992
TI  - Autophagy Primes Neutrophils for Neutrophil Extracellular Trap Formation during
      Sepsis.
AB  - RATIONALE: Neutrophils are key effectors in the host's immune response to sepsis.
      Excessive stimulation or dysregulated neutrophil functions are believed to be
      responsible for sepsis pathogenesis. However, the mechanisms regulating
      functional plasticity of neutrophils during sepsis have not been fully
      determined. OBJECTIVES: We investigated the role of autophagy in neutrophil
      functions during sepsis in patients with community-acquired pneumonia. METHODS:
      Neutrophils were isolated from patients with sepsis and stimulated with phorbol
      12-myristate 13-acetate (PMA). The levels of reactive oxygen species generation,
      neutrophil extracellular trap (NET) formation, and granule release, and the
      autophagic status were evaluated. The effect of neutrophil autophagy augmentation
      was further evaluated in a mouse model of sepsis. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS:
      Neutrophils isolated from patients who survived sepsis showed an increase in
      autophagy induction, and were primed for NET formation in response to subsequent
      PMA stimulation. In contrast, neutrophils isolated from patients who did not
      survive sepsis showed dysregulated autophagy and a decreased response to PMA
      stimulation. The induction of autophagy primed healthy neutrophils for NET
      formation and vice versa. In a mouse model of sepsis, the augmentation of
      autophagy improved survival via a NET-dependent mechanism. CONCLUSIONS: These
      results indicate that neutrophil autophagy primes neutrophils for increased NET
      formation, which is important for proper neutrophil effector functions during
      sepsis. Our study provides important insights into the role of autophagy in
      neutrophils during sepsis.

PMID- 28358996
TI  - Multiple viral plaques with sebaceous differentiation associated with an
      unclassified papillomavirus type in a cat.
AB  - CASE HISTORY AND CLINICAL FINDINGS A 15-year-old neutered male domestic short
      haired cat was presented due to multiple 0.5-2 cm-diameter crusting plaques in
      the left preauricular region, over the bridge of nose, and in the right
      periocular region. The plaques did not appear to cause discomfort.
      HISTOPATHOLOGICAL FINDINGS Biopsy samples of four plaques were examined
      histologically. Three plaques consisted of well-demarcated foci of mild epidermal
      hyperplasia overlying markedly hyperplastic sebaceous glands. Approximately 60%
      of the hyperplastic cells contained a large cytoplasmic vacuole that ranged from
      being clear to containing prominent grey-blue fibrillar material. The fourth
      plaque was composed solely of epidermal hyperplasia, consistent with previous
      descriptions of feline viral plaques. MOLECULAR BIOLOGY Papillomavirus DNA was
      amplified from all four plaques using PCR. A single DNA sequence was amplified
      from the plaques with sebaceous differentiation. This sequence was identical to
      the FdPV-MY sequence previously suggested to be from a putative unclassified
      papillomavirus type. Felis catus papillomavirus type 2 sequences were amplified
      from the plaque typical of feline viral plaques. Immunohistochemistry to detect
      p16CDKN2A protein (p16) showed marked immunostaining throughout the hyperplastic
      epidermis and adnexal structures within the plaques with sebaceous
      differentiation. DIAGNOSIS Multiple feline viral plaques with variable sebaceous
      differentiation. CLINICAL RELEVANCE Feline viral plaques with sebaceous
      differentiation have not been previously reported in cats. The presence of unique
      cell changes within these lesions, the detection of an unclassified
      papillomavirus type, and the p16 immunostaining within these plaques suggest that
      they may have been caused by the papillomavirus that contains the FdPV-MY
      sequence.

PMID- 28358997
TI  - Association Between Parental Barriers to Accessing a Usual Source of Care and
      Children's Receipt of Preventive Services.
AB  - OBJECTIVES: Preventive health services are important for child development, and
      parents play a key role in facilitating access to services. This study examined
      how parents' reasons for not having a usual source of care were associated with
      their children's receipt of preventive services. METHODS: We used pooled data
      from the 2011-2014 National Health Interview Survey (n = 34 843 participants).
      Parents' reasons for not having a usual source of care were framed within the
      Penchansky and Thomas model of access and measured through 3 dichotomous
      indicators: financial barriers (affordability), attitudes and beliefs about
      health care (acceptability), and all other nonfinancial barriers (accessibility,
      accommodation, and availability). We used multivariable logistic regression
      models to test associations between parental barriers and children's receipt of
      past-year well-child care visits and influenza vaccinations, controlling for
      other child, family, and contextual factors. RESULTS: In 2014, 14.3% (weighted
      percentage) of children had at least 1 parent without a usual source of care.
      Children of parents without a usual source of care because they "don't need a
      doctor and/or haven't had any problems" or they "don't like, trust, or believe in
      doctors" had 35% lower odds of receiving well-child care (adjusted odds ratio =
      0.65; 95% CI, 0.56-0.74) and 23% lower odds of receiving influenza vaccination
      (adjusted odds ratio = 0.77; 95% CI, 0.69-0.86) than children of parents without
      those attitudes and beliefs about health care. Financial and other nonfinancial
      parental barriers were not associated with children's receipt of preventive
      services. Results were independent of several factors relevant to children's
      access to preventive health care, including whether the child had a usual source
      of care. CONCLUSIONS: Parents' attitudes and beliefs about having a usual source
      of care were strongly associated with their children's receipt of recommended
      preventive health services. Rates of receipt of child preventive services may be
      improved by addressing parents' attitudes and beliefs about having a usual source
      of care. Future studies should assess causes of these associations.

PMID- 28359000
TI  - Financing patient-centred health care homes through value capture.

PMID- 28358998
TI  - Vaccine myopia: adult vaccination also needs attention.

PMID- 28359001
TI  - Using aggregated general practice data to evaluate primary care interventions.

PMID- 28359002
TI  - Deconfounding confounding part 1: traditional explanations.

PMID- 28359004
TI  - Instructions for a sick day.

PMID- 28359003
TI  - Clozapine-induced maculopathy.

PMID- 28359005
TI  - Post-traumatic stress disorder is a systemic illness, not a mental disorder: is
      Cartesian dualism dead?

PMID- 28359006
TI  - Are we using the correct first aid for jellyfish?

PMID- 28359007
TI  - Physical comorbidities of post-traumatic stress disorder in Australian Vietnam
      War veterans.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: To determine whether the prevalence of physical comorbidities in
      Australian Vietnam War veterans with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is
      higher than in trauma-exposed veterans without PTSD. DESIGN, SETTING AND
      PARTICIPANTS: Cross-sectional analysis of the health status (based on self
      reported and objective clinical assessments) of 298 Australian Vietnam War
      veterans enrolled by the Gallipoli Medical Research Institute (Brisbane) during
      February 2014 - July 2015, of whom 108 were confirmed as having had PTSD and 106
      served as trauma-exposed control participants.Main outcomes and measures:
      Diagnostic psychiatric interview and psychological assessments determined PTSD
      status, trauma exposure, and comorbid psychological symptoms. Demographic data,
      and medical and sleep history were collected; comprehensive clinical examination,
      electrocardiography, spirometry, liver transient elastography, and selected
      pathology assessments and diagnostic imaging were performed. Outcomes associated
      with PTSD were identified; regression analysis excluded the effects of
      potentially confounding demographic and risk factors and comorbid symptoms of
      depression and anxiety. RESULTS: The mean total number of comorbidities was
      higher among those with PTSD (17.7; SD, 6.1) than in trauma-exposed controls
      (14.1; SD, 5.2; P < 0.001). For 24 of 171 assessed clinical outcomes, morbidity
      was greater in the PTSD group, including for conditions of the gastrointestinal,
      hepatic, cardiovascular, and respiratory systems, sleep disorders, and laboratory
      pathology measures. In regression analyses including demographic factors, PTSD
      remained positively associated with 17 adverse outcomes; after adjusting for the
      severity of depressive symptoms, it remained significantly associated with ten.
      CONCLUSION: PTSD in Australian Vietnam veterans is associated with comorbidities
      in several organ systems, independent of trauma exposure. A comprehensive
      approach to the health care of veterans with PTSD is needed.

PMID- 28359008
TI  - Hot water immersion v icepacks for treating the pain of Chironex fleckeri stings:
      a randomised controlled trial.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: To investigate the effectiveness of hot water immersion for relieving
      the pain of major box jellyfish (Chironex fleckeri) stings.Design, interventions:
      Open label, randomised controlled trial comparing the effects of hot water
      immersion (45 degrees C) and icepacks.Setting, participants: 42 patients with
      suspected C. fleckeri stings treated in the emergency department of the Royal
      Darwin Hospital during September 2005 - October 2008. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: The
      primary outcome was pain severity, assessed with a visual analogue scale (VAS).
      Secondary outcomes included crossover to the alternative treatment, use of opioid
      analgesia, emergency department length of stay (LOS), and delayed urticaria.
      RESULTS: Of 42 patients (26 males; median age, 19 years; IQR, 13-27 years), 25
      were allocated to icepack treatment and 17 to hot water immersion. The
      demographic and baseline VAS data for the two groups were similar. After 30
      minutes of treatment, 11 patients (65%) treated with hot water and 14 (56%)
      treated with icepacks had clinically improved pain scores (absolute difference,
      9%; 95% CI, -22% to 39%; P = 0.75). One patient treated with icepacks crossed
      over to heat immersion. Two patients in each arm received intravenous opioid
      analgesia. Median emergency department LOS was 1.6 h (IQR, 1.0-1.8 h) for icepack
      patients and 2.1 h (IQR, 1.6-2.8 h) for heat immersion patients (P = 0.07). Five
      of seven patients who were followed up developed delayed urticaria. CONCLUSION:
      Hot water immersion was no more effective than icepacks for reducing the acute
      pain of box jellyfish stings, but increased emergency department LOS by about 30
      minutes. TRIAL REGISTRATION: Australian New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry,
      ACTRN12605000007639.

PMID- 28359009
TI  - HPV vaccine coverage is increasing in Australia.

PMID- 28359010
TI  - A systematic review and meta-analysis of treatments for acrophobia.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: To review the literature on the comparative efficacy of psychological,
      behavioural and medical therapies for acrophobia (fear of heights). DATA SOURCES:
      Multiple databases were searched through the Cochrane Common Mental Disorders
      review group on 1 December 2015. DATA SYNTHESIS: The data were extracted
      independently and were pooled using RevMan version 5.3.5. The main outcome
      measures were changes from baseline on questionnaires for measurement of fear of
      heights, such as the Acrophobia Questionnaire (AQ), Attitude Towards Height
      Questionnaire (ATHQ), and behavioural avoidance tests. Individual and pooled
      analyses were conducted. Sixteen studies were included. Analysis of pooled
      outcomes showed that desensitisation (DS) measured by the post-test AQ anxiety
      score (standardised mean difference [SMD], -1.24; 95% CI, -1.88 to -0.60) and in
      vivo exposure (IVE) were effective in the short term compared with control (SMD, 
      0.74; 95% CI, -1.22 to -0.25). IVE was not effective in the long term (SMD, 
      0.34; 95%CI -0.76 to 0.08) and there were no follow-up data for DS. Virtual
      reality exposure (VRE) therapy was effective when assessed with the ATHQ but not
      the AQ. Augmentation of VRE with medication was promising. The number needed to
      treat (NNT) ranged from 1.4 (95% CI, 1.0 to 2.2) for IVE therapy with
      oppositional actions (a psychological process) versus waitlist control to an NNT
      of 6.0 (95% CI, 2.8 to 35.5) for the rapid phobia cure (a neurolinguistic
      programming technique) versus a mindfulness exercise as the control activity. It
      was often unclear if there were biases in the included studies. CONCLUSIONS AND
      RELEVANCE: A range of therapies are effective for acrophobia in the short term
      but not in the long term. Many of the comparative studies showed equivalence
      between therapies, but this finding may be due to a type II statistical error.
      The quality of reporting was poor in most studies.

PMID- 28359011
TI  - Diagnostic triage for low back pain: a practical approach for primary care.
AB  - Diagnostic triage is an essential guideline recommendation for low back pain
      (LBP), which is the most frequent musculoskeletal condition that general
      practitioners encounter in Australia. Clinical diagnosis of LBP - informed by a
      focused history and clinical examination - is the key initial step for GPs, and
      determines subsequent diagnostic workup and allied health and medical specialist
      referral. The goal of diagnostic triage of LBP is to exclude non-spinal causes
      and to allocate patients to one of three broad categories: specific spinal
      pathology (< 1% of cases), radicular syndrome (~ 5-10% of cases) or non-specific
      LBP (NSLBP), which represents 90-95% of cases and is diagnosed by exclusion of
      the first two categories. For specific spinal pathologies (eg, vertebral
      fracture, malignancy, infection, axial spondyloarthritis or cauda equina
      syndrome), a clinical assessment may reveal the key alerting features. For
      radicular syndrome, clinical features distinguish three subsets of nerve root
      involvement: radicular pain, radiculopathy and spinal stenosis. Differential
      diagnosis of back-related leg pain is complex and clinical manifestations are
      highly variable. However, distinctive clusters of characteristic history cues and
      positive clinical examination signs, particularly from neurological examination,
      guide differential diagnosis within this triage category. A diagnosis of NSLBP
      presumes exclusion of specific pathologies and nerve root involvement. A
      biopsychosocial model of care underpins NSLBP; this includes managing pain
      intensity and considering risk for disability, which directs matched pathways of
      care. Back pain is a symptom and not a diagnosis. Careful diagnostic
      differentiation is required and, in primary care, diagnostic triage of LBP is the
      anchor for a diagnosis.

PMID- 28359012
TI  - The renewal of the National Cervical Screening Program.

PMID- 28359013
TI  - The renewal of the National Cervical Screening Program.

PMID- 28359014
TI  - Sperm motility activation in the critically endangered booroolong frog: the
      effect of medium osmolality and phosphodiesterase inhibitors.
AB  - Effective activation of sperm motility is fundamental to successful artificial
      fertilisation; however, studies investigating optimal procedures in amphibians
      are lacking. This study found the optimal osmolality of activation media for
      sperm motility activation and evaluated the effect of phosphodiesterase (PDE)
      inhibitors on sperm activation and longevity in the critically endangered
      booroolong frog, Litoria booroolongensis. To assess the effect of medium
      osmolality (10, 25, 50, 75, 100 and 200mOsmolkg-1) and PDE inhibitors (control,
      2.5mM caffeine, 5mM caffeine, 2.5mM pentoxifylline, 5mM pentoxifylline, 2.5mM
      theophylline and 5mM theophylline) on initial activation, percentage sperm
      motility and sperm velocity were quantified using computer-assisted sperm
      analysis. To assess the effect of PDE inhibitors (control, 2.5mM caffeine and
      2.5mM theophylline) on sperm longevity, percentage motility and velocity were
      assessed hourly until 10h after activation. High (>60%) percentage motility was
      achieved in a broad range of activation-medium osmolalities (10-75mOsmolkg-1).
      PDE inhibitors did not have an effect on initial sperm motility or velocity, but
      caffeine and theophylline improved sperm longevity, significantly increasing
      motility and velocity at 8, 9 and 10h after activation. Data also show that sperm
      longevity in L. booroolongensis is extreme, with spermatozoa remaining motile
      more than twice as long as those of any other anuran amphibian.

PMID- 28359015
TI  - Brain-focused care in the neonatal intensive care unit: the time has come.

PMID- 28359016
TI  - Reconstruction of Mandible: A Fully Digital Workflow From Visualized Iliac Bone
      Grafting to Implant Restoration.
AB  - PURPOSE: Although digital aids can help surgeons compensate for the shortcomings
      of traditional mandibular reconstruction techniques to perform surgery more
      precisely and effectively, the use of these digital techniques has often been
      fragmented, divided, and incomplete. This article describes the workflow of a
      fully digital mandibular reconstruction to explore the proper indications and
      discusses innovations based on the accuracy and effectiveness of digital
      techniques. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A restoration-oriented mandibular
      reconstruction was performed by applying different digital techniques.
      Preoperative virtual surgery and rapid prototyping were used to aid the
      vascularized iliac bone graft surgery, which offered a solid basis for the
      ensuing treatment. Subsequently, implant rehabilitation was accomplished with the
      assistance of computer-assisted design and manufacture, laser treatment, and
      selective laser melting techniques. RESULT: The workflow of the fully digital
      mandibular reconstruction successfully achieved a restoration-oriented treatment.
      These predictable, accurate, and effective digital techniques improved the
      consistency of pretreatment design and follow-up treatment. The treatment
      sequence achieved high predictability and reproducibility owing to the use of
      digital techniques. CONCLUSION: This study shows that a digital workflow can be
      predictable, accurate, and effective, which suggests that it could be a valid
      digital protocol for developing a treatment sequence for patients with jaw
      defects caused by trauma, congenital anomalies, or mandibular tumor resection.

PMID- 28359019
TI  - Editorial Comment.

PMID- 28359018
TI  - Scalable fabrication of size-controlled chitosan nanoparticles for oral delivery
      of insulin.
AB  - Controlled delivery of protein would find diverse therapeutic applications.
      Formulation of protein nanoparticles by polyelectrolyte complexation between the
      protein and a natural polymer such as chitosan (CS) is a popular approach.
      However, the current method of batch-mode mixing faces significant challenges in
      scaling up while maintaining size control, high uniformity, and high
      encapsulation efficiency. Here we report a new method, termed flash
      nanocomplexation (FNC), to fabricate insulin nanoparticles by infusing aqueous
      solutions of CS, tripolyphosphate (TPP), and insulin under rapid mixing condition
      (Re > 1600) in a multi-inlet vortex mixer. In comparison with the bulk-mixing
      method, the optimized FNC process produces CS/TPP/insulin nanoparticles with a
      smaller size (down to 45 nm) and narrower size distribution, higher encapsulation
      efficiency (up to 90%), and pH-dependent nanoparticle dissolution and insulin
      release. The CS/TPP/insulin nanoparticles can be lyophilized and reconstituted
      without loss of activity, and produced at a throughput of 5.1 g h-1 when a flow
      rate of 50 mL min-1 is used. Evaluated in a Type I diabetes rat model, the
      smaller nanoparticles (45 nm and 115 nm) control the blood glucose level through
      oral administration more effectively than the larger particles (240 nm). This
      efficient, reproducible and continuous FNC technique is amenable to scale-up in
      order to address the critical barrier of manufacturing for the translation of
      protein nanoparticles.

PMID- 28359020
TI  - Editorial Comment.

PMID- 28359022
TI  - Reply by Authors.

PMID- 28359021
TI  - Editorial Comment.

PMID- 28359017
TI  - An investigation of doubt in obsessive-compulsive disorder.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Clinicians have long considered doubt to be a fundamental
      characteristic of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). However, the clinical
      relevance of doubt in OCD has not been addressed. METHODS: Participants included
      1182 adults with OCD who had participated in family and genetic studies of OCD.
      We used a clinical measure of the severity of doubt, categorized as none, mild,
      moderate, severe, or extreme. We evaluated the relationship between doubt and OCD
      clinical features, Axis I disorders, personality and personality disorder
      dimensions, impairment, and treatment response. RESULTS: The severity of doubt
      was inversely related to the age at onset of OCD symptoms. Doubt was strongly
      related to the number of checking symptoms and, to a lesser extent, to the
      numbers of contamination/cleaning and hoarding symptoms. Doubt also was related
      to the lifetime prevalence of recurrent major depression and generalized anxiety
      disorder; to the numbers of avoidant, dependent, and obsessive-compulsive
      personality disorder traits; and to neuroticism and introversion. Moreover, doubt
      was strongly associated with global impairment and poor response to cognitive
      behavioral treatment (CBT), even adjusting for OCD severity and other correlates
      of doubt. CONCLUSIONS: Doubt is associated with important clinical features of
      OCD, including impairment and cognitive-behavioral treatment response.

PMID- 28359023
TI  - Editorial Comment.

PMID- 28359024
TI  - Editorial Comment.

PMID- 28359025
TI  - Reply by Authors.

PMID- 28359026
TI  - Editorial Comment.

PMID- 28359027
TI  - Predictors of postoperative bleeding in children undergoing cardiopulmonary
      bypass: A preliminary Italian study.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Several characteristics such as demographics, pre-existing
      conditions, surgical procedure, perioperative coagulopathy may predispose
      children undergoing cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) to bleeding complications. As
      yet, studies on risk factors for postoperative bleeding have brought mixed
      results. The purpose of our study was therefore to retrospectively evaluate the
      parameters able to predict postoperative bleeding in a group of consecutive
      children undergoing cardiac surgery involving CPB. METHODS: We collected
      demographic and perioperative laboratory data, as well as intraoperative
      transfusion requirements and blood loss during the first 24h after surgery in a
      group of consecutive children (aged >=1month) scheduled for cardiac surgery with
      CPB at Padua University Hospital between June 2014 and April 2015. Cases were
      patients who experienced a 24-h postoperative blood loss >=80th percentile.
      Univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses were performed to
      determine the independent parameters associated with a high 24-h postoperative
      chest tube drainage volume. RESULTS: Eighty-three children (M:F 38:45; age range
      1-168months) were enrolled. Age<7.7months (p 0.015), postoperative platelets
      <109*109/L (p 0.003) and postoperative D-dimer >=2350MUg/L (p 0.007) were the
      variables most significantly and independently associated with excessive 24-h
      postoperative blood loss. CONCLUSIONS: Although preliminary, our study identified
      younger age, lower postoperative platelet count and higher D-dimer plasma levels
      as possible risk factors for postoperative bleeding. As for coagulation
      parameters, our results suggested consumptive coagulopathy might cause a strong
      predisposition to postoperative bleeding in children. Large-scale prospective
      studies would provide insight into the early diagnosis and treatment of CPB
      related coagulopathies.

PMID- 28359028
TI  - Poetry as an engagement strategy: A novice teacher experience of its use within
      lectures.
AB  - It has been acknowledged the traditional lecture format is a familiar teaching
      methodology and that there is still much to be learnt from using this in class
      room based lectures. Whilst the first author was a postgraduate student
      undertaking a programme in Nurse Education at a University in the Republic of
      Ireland, poetry was used to challenge undergraduate nursing students' attitudes
      towards older persons in a large group format. The students were in Year 3 of a
      Bachelor of Nursing Science General and Intellectual Disability Programmes.
      Feedback was obtained from the students that comprised of three main themes; Aids
      Recall of Information; Enriched Learning Experiences, Challenges Attitudes to
      Person Centred Care. Thus, the paper aims to evaluate using poetry as an engaging
      teaching strategy within a lecture format for the first time as a novice teacher
      when drawing out nursing students' attitudes towards older persons with a focus
      on supporting them in embracing key care skills in the clinical setting. This
      paper should provide other student educationalists the opportunity to see the
      value of poetry as a teaching strategy and provide practical tips on its use
      within the classroom.

PMID- 28359029
TI  - Is there immune surveillance against chronic myeloid leukaemia? Possibly, but not
      much.

PMID- 28359030
TI  - Increase of DNA damage and alteration of the DNA damage response in
      myelodysplastic syndromes and acute myeloid leukemias.
AB  - Increased DNA damage and alteration of the DNA damage response (DDR) are critical
      features of genetic instability presumably implicated in pathogenesis of
      myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS) and acute myeloid leukemias (AML). We used
      immunofluorescence staining of gammaH2AX and 53BP1 for analyzing DNA double
      strand breaks (DSB) in MDS and AML cell lines, in CD34+ selected cells of normal
      and MDS bone marrow (including three cases of chronic myelomonocytic leukemias)
      and in blasts of AML bone marrow. In addition, we screened for activation of the
      DDR by immunoblotting of p-ATM, p-ATR, p-CHK1, p-CHK2 and p-TP53. As compared to
      gammaH2AX foci levels in normal bone marrow samples (0.2 focus per CD34+ cell+/
      0.0; mean+/-standard error of mean), increased levels of gammaH2AX foci were
      detected in 16/16 MDS bone marrow samples (2.8 foci per CD34+ cell+/-0.5), 18/18
      AML bone marrow samples (5.5 foci per blast+/-0.5), 1/1 MDS cell line (6.4 foci
      per cell) and 6/6 AML cell lines (12.0 foci per cell+/-0.6). gammaH2AX and 53BP1
      co-localized in all tested samples forming diffuse, clustered and marginal
      patterns. Further, DDR proteins were expressed heterogeneously suggesting
      impairment of the DDR. In summary, our results provide evidence for a continuous
      increase of DSB across the spectrum from MDS to AML in conjunction with an
      impaired DDR. Co-localization of gammaH2AX and 53BP1 indicates promotion of
      (in)effective nonhomologous end-joining repair mechanisms at sites of DSB.
      Moreover, gammaH2AX/53BP1 foci distribution presumably reveals a non-random
      spatial organization of the genome in MDS and AML.

PMID- 28359031
TI  - Emergence of depression following job loss prospectively predicts lower rates of
      reemployment.
AB  - Job loss has been associated with the emergence of depression and subsequent long
      term diminished labor market participation. In a sample of 500 adults who lost
      their jobs, trajectories of depression severity from four years before to four
      years after job loss were identified using Latent Growth Mixture Modeling. Rates
      of unemployment by trajectory were compared at two and four years following job
      loss. Four trajectories demonstrated optimal model fit including resilience
      (72%), chronic pre-to-post job loss depression (9%), emergent depression (10%),
      and remitting depression (9%). Logistic regression comparing reemployment status
      by class while controlling for age, gender, and education at two-years post job
      loss revealed no significant differences by class. An identical logistic
      regression on four-year reemployment revealed significant differences by class
      with post-hoc analyses revealing emergent depression resulting in a 33.3%
      reemployment rate compared to resilient individuals (60.4%) together indicating
      that depression affects reemployment rather than lack of reemployment causing the
      emergence of depression. The emergence of depression following job loss
      significantly increases the risk of continued unemployment. However, observed
      high rates of resilience with resulting downstream benefits in reemployment
      mitigates significant concern about the effects of wide spread unemployment on
      ongoing global economic recovery following the Great Recession.

PMID- 28359033
TI  - Regulation of memory B and plasma cell differentiation.
AB  - Memory B cell generation and antibody production result from a differentiation
      process that begins when the surface BCR on naive B cells binds an antigen. How
      the choice between these fates is tempo-spatially regulated is still obscure, but
      recent advances have reinforced the concept that the combination of B cell
      intrinsic heterogeneity and -extrinsic heterogeneity provided by cells such as T
      cells is a key determinant. As molecular regulators, the transcription factors
      IRF4 and Bach2, which participate in these fate choices, have been emerging.

PMID- 28359032
TI  - Psychometrics of the screen for adult anxiety related disorders (SCAARED)- A new
      scale for the assessment of DSM-5 anxiety disorders.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: To examine the psychometrics of the Screen for Adult Anxiety Related
      Disorders (SCAARED). METHODS: The SCAARED was adapted from the Screen for Child
      Anxiety Related Emotional Disorders. Participants (N=336) ages 18-27 years old
      were evaluated using the Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-IV Disorders
      (SCID). The SCAARED was completed at or within two-weeks before the SCID. The
      psychometrics of the SCAARED were analyzed using standard statistical analyses
      including principal components, and Receiver Operant Curve analyses. A
      replication was performed in an age/sex matched independent sample (N=158).
      RESULTS: The SCAARED showed four factors: somatic/panic/agoraphobia, generalized
      anxiety, separation anxiety, and social anxiety. The total and each factor scores
      demonstrated good internal consistency (alpha=0.86-0.97) and good discriminant
      validity between anxiety and other disorders and within anxiety disorders for
      generalized and social anxiety. Area Under the Curve for the total and each of
      the factor scores ranged between 0.72 and 0.84 (p<0.0001). These results were
      replicated in the independent sample. CONCLUSIONS: The SCAARED showed excellent
      psychometric properties supporting its use to screen adults for anxiety
      disorders, longitudinal studies following youth into adulthood and studies
      comparing child and adult populations. Further replication studies in larger
      community and clinical samples are indicated.

PMID- 28359034
TI  - Effect of androgen supplementation on 24-hour activity-rest patterns of aged male
      rhesus macaques.
AB  - Like elderly men, old male rhesus macaques show attenuated circulating levels of
      testosterone and dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate, and many of them also show
      reduced levels of daytime activity. It is unclear, however, if this age
      associated behavioral change is causally related to the underlying decrease in
      circulating androgen levels. To test this possibility, old male rhesus macaques
      were given daily supplements of testosterone and DHEA for 6 months, designed to
      mimic the mean 24-hour circulating hormone patterns of young adults. Compared
      with the young adults, the old controls showed attenuated daytime activity
      levels. However, there was no difference between the androgen-supplemented old
      animals and the aged-matched controls, even after 6 months of treatment. The data
      suggest that age-associated decreases in circulating androgen levels are unlikely
      to be a primary reason for altered activity-rest patterns in elderly men, and
      that androgen supplementation paradigms might not provide any obvious therapeutic
      benefit.

PMID- 28359035
TI  - Design of MnO2/CeO2-MnO2 hierarchical binary oxides for elemental mercury removal
      from coal-fired flue gas.
AB  - MnO2/CeO2-MnO2 hierarchical binary oxide was synthesized for elemental mercury
      (Hg0) removal from coal-fired flue gas. CeO2 in-situ grow on the surface of
      carbon spheres, and that CeO2@CSs acted as precursor for porous MnO2/CeO2-MnO2.
      XRD, Raman, XPS, FT-IR, and H2-TPR were selected for the physical structural and
      chemical surface analysis. The results indicated that the composite has
      sufficient surface oxygen and hierarchical porous structure. The Hg0 removal
      experiments results indicated that MnO2/CeO2-MnO2 exhibited excellent Hg0 removal
      performance, with an 89% removal efficiency of total 300min at 150 degrees C
      under 4% O2. MnO2 was the primary active site for Hg0 catalytic oxidation. The
      porous structure was beneficial for gaseous mercury physically adsorption. In
      addition, CeO2 enhanced the oxygen capture performance of the composite and the
      oxidation performance for MnO2. Moreover, the effects of O2, SO2 and H2O were
      also tested in this study. O2 promoted the Hg0 removal reaction. While SO2 and
      H2O can poison the MnO2 active site, resulted in a low Hg0 removal efficiency.

PMID- 28359036
TI  - Treatment technologies used for the removal of As, Cr, Cu, PCP and/or PCDD/F from
      contaminated soil: A review.
AB  - The contamination of soils by metals such as arsenic, chromium, copper and
      organic compounds such as pentachlorophenol (PCP) and dioxins and furans (PCDD/F)
      is a major problem in industrialized countries. Excavation followed by disposal
      in an appropriate landfilling is usually used site to manage these contaminated
      soils. Many researches have been conducted to develop physical, biological,
      thermal and chemical methods to allow the rehabilitation of contaminated sites.
      Thermal treatments including thermal desorption seemed to be the most appropriate
      methods, allowing the removal of more than 99.99% of organic contaminants but,
      they are ineffective for inorganic compounds. Biological treatments have been
      developed to remove inorganic and hydrophobic organic contaminants but their
      applications are limited to soils contaminated by easily biodegradable organic
      compounds. Among the physical technologies available, attrition is the most
      commonly used technique for the rehabilitation of soils contaminated by both
      organic and inorganic contaminants. Chemical processes using acids, bases, redox
      agents and surfactants seemed to be an interesting option to simultaneously
      extract organic and inorganic contaminants from soils. This paper will provide an
      overview of the recent developments in the field of decontamination technologies
      applicable for the removal of As, Cr, Cu, PCP and/or PCDD/F from contaminated
      soils.

PMID- 28359037
TI  - Effects of CO2/N2 dilution on laminar burning velocity of stoichiometric DME-air
      mixture at elevated temperatures.
AB  - The laminar burning velocity of CO2/N2 diluted stoichiometric dimethyl ether
      (DME) air mixtures is determined experimentally at atmospheric pressure and
      elevated mixture temperatures using a mesoscale high aspect-ratio diverging
      channel with inlet dimensions of 25mm*2mm. In this method, planar flames at
      different initial temperatures (Tu) were stabilized inside the channel using an
      external electric heater. The magnitude of burning velocities was acquired by
      measuring the flame position and initial temperature. The mass conservation of
      the mixture entering the inlet and the stationary planar flame front is applied
      to obtain the laminar burning velocity. Laminar burning velocity at different
      initial mixture temperatures is plotted with temperature ratio (Tu/Tu,o), where a
      reference temperature (Tu,o) of 300K is used. Enhancement in the laminar burning
      velocity is observed with mixture temperature for DME-air mixtures with CO2 and
      N2 dilutions. A significant decrease in the burning velocity and slight increase
      in temperature exponent of the stoichiometric DME-air mixture was observed with
      dilution at same temperatures. The addition of CO2 has profound influence when
      compared to N2 addition on both burning velocity and temperature exponent.

PMID- 28359038
TI  - Dual-porosity Mn2O3 cubes for highly efficient dye adsorption.
AB  - Dual-porosity materials containing both macropores and mesopores are highly
      desired in many fields. In this work, we prepared dual-porosity Mn2O3 cube
      materials with large-pore mesopores, in which, macropores are made by using
      carbon spheres as the hard templates, while the mesopores are produced via a
      template-free route. The attained dual-porosity Mn2O3 materials have 24nm of
      large-pore mesopores and 700nm of macropores. Besides, the achieved materials own
      cubic morphologies with particle sizes as large as 6.0MUm, making them separable
      in the solution by a facile natural sedimentation. Dye adsorption measurements
      reveal that the dual-porosity materials possess a very high maximum adsorption
      capacity of 125.6mg/g, much larger than many reported materials. Particularly,
      the adsorbents can be recycled and the dye removal efficiency can be well
      maintained at 98% after four cycles. Adsorption isotherm and kinetics show that
      the Langmuir model and the pseudo-second-order kinetics model can well describe
      the adsorption process of Congo Red on the dual-porosity Mn2O3 cube materials. In
      brief, the reported dual-porosity Mn2O3 demonstrates a good example for
      controlled preparation of dual-porosity materials with large-pore mesopores, and
      the macropore-mesopore dual-porosity distribution is good for mass transfer in
      dye adsorption application.

PMID- 28359039
TI  - Spatiotemporal patterns of paralytic shellfish toxins and their relationships
      with environmental variables in British Columbia, Canada from 2002 to 2012.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Harmful algal blooms produce paralytic shellfish toxins that
      accumulate in the tissues of filter feeding shellfish. Ingestion of these toxic
      shellfish can cause a serious and potentially fatal condition known as paralytic
      shellfish poisoning (PSP). The coast of British Columbia is routinely monitored
      for shellfish toxicity, and this study uses data from the monitoring program to
      identify spatiotemporal patterns in shellfish toxicity events and their
      relationships with environmental variables. METHODS: The dinoflagellate genus
      Alexandrium produces the most potent paralytic shellfish toxin, saxitoxin (STX).
      Data on all STX measurements were obtained from 49 different shellfish monitoring
      sites along the coast of British Columbia for 2002-2012, and monthly toxicity
      events were identified. We performed hierarchical cluster analysis to group sites
      that had events in similar areas with similar timing. Machine learning techniques
      were used to model the complex relationships between toxicity events and
      environmental variables in each group. RESULTS: The Strait of Georgia and the
      west coast of Vancouver Island had unique toxicity regimes. Out of the seven
      environmental variables used, toxicity in each cluster could be described by
      multivariable models including monthly sea surface temperature, air temperature,
      sea surface salinity, freshwater discharge, upwelling, and photosynthetically
      active radiation. The sea surface salinity and freshwater discharge variables
      produced the strongest univariate models for both geographic areas. CONCLUSIONS:
      Applying these methods in coastal regions could allow for the prediction of
      shellfish toxicity events by environmental conditions. This has the potential to
      optimize biotoxin monitoring, improve public health surveillance, and engage the
      shellfish industry in helping to reduce the risk of PSP.

PMID- 28359040
TI  - Comparison of spatiotemporal prediction models of daily exposure of individuals
      to ambient nitrogen dioxide and ozone in Montreal, Canada.
AB  - BACKGROUND: In previous studies investigating the short-term health effects of
      ambient air pollution the exposure metric that is often used is the daily average
      across monitors, thus assuming that all individuals have the same daily exposure.
      Studies that incorporate space-time exposures of individuals are essential to
      further our understanding of the short-term health effects of ambient air
      pollution. OBJECTIVES: As part of a longitudinal cohort study of the acute
      effects of air pollution that incorporated subject-specific information and
      medical histories of subjects throughout the follow-up, the purpose of this study
      was to develop and compare different prediction models using data from fixed-site
      monitors and other monitoring campaigns to estimate daily, spatially-resolved
      concentrations of ozone (O3) and nitrogen dioxide (NO2) of participants'
      residences in Montreal, 1991-2002. METHODS: We used the following methods to
      predict spatially-resolved daily concentrations of O3 and NO2 for each geographic
      region in Montreal (defined by three-character postal code areas): (1) assigning
      concentrations from the nearest monitor; (2) spatial interpolation using inverse
      distance weighting; (3) back-extrapolation from a land-use regression model from
      a dense monitoring survey, and; (4) a combination of a land-use and Bayesian
      maximum entropy model. We used a variety of indices of agreement to compare
      estimates of exposure assigned from the different methods, notably scatterplots
      of pairwise predictions, distribution of differences and computation of the
      absolute agreement intraclass correlation (ICC). For each pairwise prediction, we
      also produced maps of the ICCs by these regions indicating the spatial
      variability in the degree of agreement. RESULTS: We found some substantial
      differences in agreement across pairs of methods in daily mean predicted
      concentrations of O3 and NO2. On a given day and postal code area the difference
      in the concentration assigned could be as high as 131ppb for O3 and 108ppb for
      NO2. For both pollutants, better agreement was found between predictions from the
      nearest monitor and the inverse-distance weighting interpolation methods, with
      ICCs of 0.89 (95% confidence interval (CI): 0.89, 0.89) for O3 and 0.81 (95%CI:
      0.80, 0.81) for NO2, respectively. For this pair of methods the maximum
      difference on a given day and postal code area was 36ppb for O3 and 74ppb for
      NO2. The back-extrapolation method showed a higher degree of disagreement with
      the nearest monitor approach, inverse-distance weighting interpolation, and the
      Bayesian maximum entropy model, which were strongly constrained by the sparse
      monitoring network. The maps showed that the patterns of agreement differed
      across the postal code areas and the variability depended on the pair of methods
      compared and the pollutants. For O3, but not NO2, postal areas showing greater
      disagreement were mostly located near the city centre and along highways,
      especially in maps involving the back-extrapolation method. CONCLUSIONS: In view
      of the substantial differences in daily concentrations of O3 and NO2 predicted by
      the different methods, we suggest that analyses of the health effects from air
      pollution should make use of multiple exposure assessment methods. Although we
      cannot make any recommendations as to which is the most valid method, models that
      make use of higher spatially resolved data, such as from dense exposure surveys
      or from high spatial resolution satellite data, likely provide the most valid
      estimates.

PMID- 28359041
TI  - Ambient temperature and cardiovascular biomarkers in a repeated-measure study in
      healthy adults: A novel biomarker index approach.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Associations of ambient temperature with cardiovascular morbidity and
      mortality have been well documented in numerous epidemiological studies, but the
      underlying pathways remain unclear. We investigated whether systemic
      inflammation, coagulation, systemic oxidative stress, antioxidant activity and
      endothelial function may be the mechanistic pathways associated with ambient
      temperature. METHODS: Forty study participants underwent repeated blood
      collections for 12 times in Beijing, China in 2010-2011. Ambient temperature and
      air pollution data were measured in central monitors close to student residences.
      We created five indices as the sum of weighted biomarker percentiles to represent
      the overall levels of 15 cardiovascular biomarkers in five pathways (systemic
      inflammation: hs-CRP, TNF-alpha and fibrinogen; coagulation: fibrinogen, PAI-1,
      tPA, vWF and sP-selectin; systemic oxidative stress: Ox-LDL and sCD36:
      antioxidant activity: EC-SOD and GPX1; and endothelial function: ET-1, E
      selectin, ICAM-1 and VCAM-1). We used generalized mixed-effects models to
      estimate temperature effects controlling for air pollution and other covariates.
      RESULTS: There were significant decreasing trends in the adjusted means of
      biomarker indices over the lowest to the highest quartiles of daily temperatures
      before blood collection. A 10 degrees C decrease at 2-d average daily temperature
      were associated with increases of 2.5% [95% confidence interval (CI): 0.7, 4.2],
      1.6% (95% CI: 0.1, 3.1), 2.7% (95% CI: 0.5, 4.8), 5.5% (95% CI: 3.8, 7.3) and
      2.0% (95% CI: 0.3, 3.8) in the indices for systemic inflammation, coagulation,
      systemic oxidative stress, antioxidant activity and endothelial function,
      respectively. In contrast, the associations between ambient temperature and
      individual biomarkers had substantial variation in magnitude and strength.
      CONCLUSIONS: The altered cardiovascular biomarker profiles in healthy adults
      associated with ambient temperature changes may help explain the temperature
      related cardiovascular morbidity and mortality. The biomarker index approach may
      serve as a novel tool to capture ambient temperature effects.

PMID- 28359042
TI  - Mass extinction efficiency and extinction hygroscopicity of ambient PM2.5 in
      urban China.
AB  - The ambient PM2.5 pollution problem in China has drawn substantial international
      attentions. The mass extinction efficiency (MEE) and hygroscopicity factor
      (f(RH)) of PM2.5 can be readily applied to study the impacts on atmospheric
      visibility and climate. The few previous investigations in China only reported
      results from pilot studies and are lack of spatial representativeness. In this
      study, hourly average ambient PM2.5 mass concentration, relative humidity, and
      atmospheric visibility data from China national air quality and meteorological
      monitoring networks were retrieved and analyzed. It includes 24 major Chinese
      cities from nine city-clusters with the period of October 2013 to September 2014.
      Annual average extinction coefficient in urban China was 759.3+/-258.3Mm-1,
      mainly caused by dry PM2.5 (305.8.2+/-131.0Mm-1) and its hygroscopicity (414.6+/
      188.1Mm-1). High extinction coefficient values were resulted from both high
      ambient PM2.5 concentration (68.5+/-21.7ug/m3) and high relative humidity (69.7+/
      8.6%). The PM2.5 mass extinction efficiency varied from 2.87 to 6.64m2/g with an
      average of 4.40+/-0.84m2/g. The average extinction hygroscopic factor f(RH=80%)
      was 2.63+/-0.45. The levels of PM2.5 mass extinction efficiency and hygroscopic
      factor in China were in comparable range with those found in developed countries
      in spite of the significant diversities among all 24 cities. Our findings help to
      establish quantitative relationship between ambient extinction coefficient
      (visual range) and PM2.5 & relative humidity. It will reduce the uncertainty of
      extinction coefficient estimation of ambient PM2.5 in urban China which is
      essential for the research of haze pollution and climate radiative forcing.

PMID- 28359043
TI  - How representative are dissolved organic matter (DOM) extracts? A comprehensive
      study of sorbent selectivity for DOM isolation.
AB  - Solid phase extraction (SPE) has become a widespread method for isolating
      dissolved organic matter (DOM) of diverse origin such as fresh and marine waters.
      This study investigated the DOM extraction selectivity of 24 commercially
      available SPE sorbents under identical conditions (pH = 2, methanol elution) on
      the example of Suwannee River (SR) water and North Sea (NS) water by using DOC
      analysis and Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance mass spectrometry (FT-ICR
      MS). Proton nuclear magnetic resonance (1H NMR) spectroscopy was employed to
      assess leaching behavior, and HLB sorbent was found to leach substantially, among
      others. Variable DOC recoveries observed for SR DOM and NS DOM were primarily
      caused by the respective molecular composition, with subordinated and
      heterogeneous contributions of relative salinity. Scatter of average H/C and O/C
      elemental ratios and gross alignment in mass-edited H/C ratios according to five
      established coarse SPE characteristics was near identical for SR DOM and NS DOM.
      FTMS-based principal component analysis (PCA) provided essentially analogous
      alignment of SR DOM and NS DOM molecular compositions according to the five
      established groups of SPE classification, and corroborated the sorption-mechanism
      based selectivity of DOM extraction in both cases. Evaluation of structural
      blanks and leaching of SPE cartridges requires NMR spectroscopy because FT-ICR
      mass spectrometry alone will not reveal inconspicuous displacements of continual
      bulk signatures caused by leaching of SPE resin constituents.

PMID- 28359044
TI  - Bicarbonate-activated persulfate oxidation of acetaminophen.
AB  - Persulfate (PS) is widely used as an oxidant for in situ chemical remediation of
      contaminated groundwater. In this study we demonstrated for the first time that
      PS could be activated by bicarbonate. Acetaminophen was used as the probe
      compound to examine the reactivity of PS/bicarbonate system. It was found that
      acetaminophen could be effectively transformed and the reaction rate appeared
      pseudo-first-order to the concentrations of both acetaminophen and PS. Radical
      scavenger tests indicated that neither free radicals (SO4- and HO) nor superoxide
      (O2-) was responsible for acetaminophen transformation. Generation of singlet
      oxygen (1O2) was verified using furfuryl alcohol (FFA) as a probe. Formation of
      1O2 was further quantified in D2O fortified solution based on kinetic solvent
      isotopic effect (KSIE) but it was found that 1O2 contributed only 51.4% of the
      total FFA transformation. The other 48.6% was presumed to be ascribed to the
      reaction with peroxymonocarbonate (HCO4-). However, the transformation of
      acetaminophen was mostly due to the reaction with HCO4- but not 1O2. Instead of
      degradation, HCO4- oxidized acetaminophen via a one-electron abstraction
      mechanism resulting in the generation of acetaminophen radicals which coupled to
      each other to form dimers and trimers. HCO4- also hydrolyzed rapidly to form
      hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) which led to the formation of 1O2, during which O2- was
      a key intermediates. Because bicarbonate is ubiquitously presented in
      groundwater, the findings of this research provide important insights into the
      fundamental processes involved in PS oxidation in subsurface.

PMID- 28359046
TI  - Evaluating 130 microhaplotypes across a global set of 83 populations.
AB  - Today the primary DNA markers used in forensics are short tandem repeat (STR)
      polymorphisms (STRPs), initially selected because they are highly polymorphic.
      However, the increasingly common need to deal with samples with a mixture of DNA
      from two or more individuals sometimes is complicated by the inherent stutter
      involved with PCR amplification, especially in strongly unbalanced mixtures when
      the minor component coincides with the stutter range of the major component.
      Also, the STRPs in use provide little evidence of ancestry of a single source
      sample beyond broad "continental" resolution. Methodologies for analyzing DNA
      have become much more powerful in recent years. Massively parallel sequencing
      (MPS) is a new method being considered for routine use in forensics. Primarily to
      aid in mixture deconvolution and avoid the issue of stutter, we have begun to
      investigate a new type of forensic marker, microhaplotype loci, that will provide
      useful information on mixtures of DNA and on ancestry when typed using massively
      parallel sequencing (MPS). We have identified 130 loci and estimated their
      haplotype (allele) frequencies in 83 different population samples. Many of these
      loci are shown to be highly informative for individual identification and for
      mixture identification and deconvolution.

PMID- 28359045
TI  - Design, synthesis and biological evaluation of novel nitric oxide-donating
      protoberberine derivatives as antitumor agents.
AB  - A novel class of NO-donating protoberberine derivatives were synthesized and
      initially evaluated for their anti-hepatocellular carcinoma activities. Most of
      the compounds exhibited more potent activity against HepG2 cells than parent
      compounds berberine and palmatine. In particular, compound 15a exerted the
      strongest activity with an IC50 value of 1.36 MUM. Moreover, most compounds
      released moderate levels of NO in vitro, and the antitumor activity of 15a in
      HepG2 cells was remarkably diminished by an NO scavenger. Interestingly, compound
      15a displayed a broad-spectrum antitumor efficacy and possessed good selectivity
      between tumor cells (HepG2, SMMC-7721, HCT-116, HL-60) and normal liver LO-2
      cells. The mechanism studies revealed that 15a blocked the G2 phase of the cell
      cycle and induced apoptosis of HepG2 cells by mitochondrial depolarization.
      Furthermore, 15a inhibited tumor growth in H22 liver cancer xenograft mouse model
      by 62.5% (w/w), which was significantly superior to parent compound palmatine
      (41.6%, w/w). Overall, the current study may provide a new approach for the
      discovery of novel antitumor agents.

PMID- 28359047
TI  - Medical Infrared Thermography assistance in the surgical treatment of axillary
      Hidradenitis Suppurativa: A case report.
AB  - BACKGROUND: The purpose of this case report is to highlight for the first time
      the way Medical Infrared Thermography can be a helpful tool to assist the surgeon
      in the surgical treatment of Hidradenitis Suppurativa inflammatory disease.
      METHODS: A 36-year-old man with a 7-year history of Hidradenitis Suppurativa
      presented inflammatory nodules in the left axilla area corresponding to Hurley
      stage II. Choice is made to surgically treat this patient using a wide excision
      protocol combined with a postoperative second intention healing. For the study
      purpose, an IR FLIR SC620 camera (FLIR Systems, Wilsonville, OR), having a high
      resolution pixel detector of 640*480 pixels for greater accuracy and higher
      resolution, has been used. RESULTS: For the first time in the literature, this
      case report on HS disease supports the idea that real-time medical infrared
      thermography may be helpful in establishing the true extent of disease
      preoperatively in the surgical room and in a similar manner, that this technique
      allows the surgeon to ensure all diseased lesions are removed during surgery.
      CONCLUSIONS: At least, medical infrared thermography seems to be a powerful tool
      to control the final wide surgical wound, in order to minimize recurrence risk of
      such a disease.

PMID- 28359049
TI  - Improved Neural Regeneration with Olfactory Ensheathing Cell Inoculated PLGA
      Scaffolds in Spinal Cord Injury Adult Rats.
AB  - BACKGROUND/AIMS: Every year, around the world, between 250000 and 500000 people
      suffer from spinal cord injury (SCI). This study investigated the potential for
      poly (lactic-co-glycolic acid) (PLGA) complex inoculated with olfactory
      ensheathing cells (OECs) to treat spinal cord injury in a rat model. METHODS:
      OECs were identified by immunofluorescence based on the nerve growth factor
      receptor (NGFR) p75. The Basso, Beattie, and Bresnahan (BBB) score, together with
      an inclined plane (IP) test were used to detect functional recovery. Nissl
      staining along with the luxol fast blue (LFB) staining were independently
      employed to illustrate morphological alterations. More so, immunofluorescence
      labeling of the glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) and the microtubule
      associated protein-2 (MAP-2), representing astrocytes and neurons respectively,
      were investigated at time points of weeks 2 and 8 post-operation. RESULTS: The
      findings showed enhanced locomotor recovery, axon myelination and better
      protected neurons post SCI when compared with either PLGA or untreated groups (P
      < 0.05). CONCLUSION: PLGA complexes inoculated with OECs improve locomotor
      functional recovery in transected spinal cord injured rat models, which is most
      likely due to the fact it is conducive to a relatively benevolent
      microenvironment, has nerve protective effects, as well as the ability to enhance
      remyelination, via a promotion of cell differentiation and inhibition of
      astrocyte formation.

PMID- 28359048
TI  - Inhibition of herpes simplex-1 virus replication by 25-hydroxycholesterol and 27
      hydroxycholesterol.
AB  - Oxysterols are known pleiotropic molecules whose antiviral action has been
      recently discovered. Here reported is the activity of a panel of oxysterols
      against HSV-1 with the identification of a new mechanism of action. A marked
      antiviral activity not only of 25HC but also of 27HC against HSV-1 was observed
      either if the oxysterols were added before or after infection, suggesting an
      activity unrelated to the viral entry inhibition as proposed by previous
      literature. Therefore, the relation between the pro-inflammatory activity of
      oxysterols and the activation of NF-kB and IL-6 induced by HSV-1 in the host cell
      was investigated. Indeed, cell pre-incubation with oxysterols further potentiated
      IL-6 production as induced by HSV-1 infection with a consequent boost of the
      interleukin's total cell secretion. Further, a direct antiviral effect of IL-6
      administration to HSV-1 infected cells was demonstrated, disclosing an additional
      mechanism of antiviral action by both 25HC and 27HC.

PMID- 28359050
TI  - TAK-242 Protects Against Apoptosis in Coronary Microembolization-Induced
      Myocardial Injury in Rats by Suppressing TLR4/NF-kappaB Signaling Pathway.
AB  - BACKGROUND/AIMS: Myocardial apoptosis is heavily implicated in the myocardial
      injury caused by coronary microembolization (CME), and toll-like receptor 4
      (TLR4) is considered to be involved in this apoptotic cascade. Therefore, the
      present study was designed to investigate the role of TLR4/NF-kappaB signaling
      pathway regulated by TAK-242, a selective TLR4 signal transduction inhibitor, in
      the myocardial apoptosis after CME in rats. METHODS: Forty-five rats were
      randomized (random number) into three groups: sham, CME and CME + TAK-242 (n = 15
      per group).CME was induced by injecting polyethylene microspheres (42um) into the
      left ventricular except the sham group. CME + TAK-242 group was treated with TAK
      242 (2mg/kg) via the tail vein 30 minutes before CME modeling. Cardiac function
      was evaluated 6 hours after operation. Tissue biopsy was stained with HBFP to
      measure the size of micro-infarction area. TUNEL staining was used to detect
      myocardial apoptosis. Western blot and qPCR were used to evaluate the expression
      of TLR4, MyD88, NF-kappaB p65, p-IkappaBalpha and Cleaved caspase-3. RESULTS:
      Cardiac function in the CME group and CME + TAK-242 group were significantly
      decreased compared with the sham group (P < 0.05) and the micro-infarction area,
      the apoptotic index, the expression of TLR4, NF-kappaB p65, p-IkappaBalpha and
      Cleaved caspase-3 were increased significantly (P < 0.05). Cardiac function in
      the CME + TAK-242 group was significantly improved compared with the CME group (P
      < 0.05) and the micro-infarction area, the apoptotic index, the expression of
      TLR4, MyD88, NF-kappaB p65, p-IkappaBalpha and Cleaved caspase-3 were decreased
      significantly (P < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: TAK-242 can effectively improve CME
      induced cardiac dysfunction by regulating TLR4/NF-kappaB signaling pathway and
      then reducing the myocardial apoptosis.

PMID- 28359052
TI  - Association of Interleukin-10 Polymorphisms (rs1800872, rs1800871, and rs1800896)
      with Predisposition to IgA Nephropathy in a Chinese Han Population: A Case
      Control Study.
AB  - BACKGROUND/AIMS: IgA nephropathy (IgAN) is a common form of primary
      glomerulonephritis worldwide. Previous studies indicated that IL-10 single
      nucleotide polymorphisms (SNP) play an important role in IgAN pathogenesis, but
      the results were controversy. This study aimed to investigate the association
      between IL-10 SNPs (rs1800872, rs1800871, and rs1800896) with IgAN in a Chinese
      Han population. METHODS: We conducted a case-control study that included 351
      patients with IgAN and 310 age-, gender- and ethnicity-matched healthy controls.
      Three promoter SNPs (rs1800872, rs1800871, and rs1800896) of IL-10 were genotyped
      by Sequenom MassARRAY. Odds ratios (ORs) with 95% confidence intervals (CI) were
      used to assess the relationship with IgAN. RESULTS: We found that the rs1800896
      did not correlate with IgAN risk, whereas rs1800872 and rs1800871 were
      significantly associated with increased IgAN risk in all genetic models. The
      haplotype analysis indicated that the CCA haplotype was associated with increased
      IgAN risk (OR = 1.36; 95% CI = 1.05-1.75). Moreover, there were no associations
      between these SNPs and blood pressure or gender, whereas the rs1800896 variant
      was correlated with higher 24-hour urine protein in patients with IgAN.
      CONCLUSION: Taken together, these results suggest that IL-10 is a susceptibility
      gene in patients with IgAN.

PMID- 28359051
TI  - Postradiation Matrix Metalloproteinase-20 Expression and Its Impact on Dental
      Micromorphology and Radiation-Related Caries.
AB  - Recent evidence suggests that head-and-neck radiotherapy (HNRT) increases active
      forms of matrix metalloproteinase-20 (MMP-20) in human tooth crowns, degrading
      the dentin-enamel junction (DEJ) and leading to enamel delamination, which is a
      pivotal step in the formation of radiation-related caries (RRC). Additional
      participation of enzymatic degradation of organic matrix components in caries
      progression was attributed to MMP-20 in dentin. Therefore, the current study
      tested the hypothesis that MMP-20 is overexpressed in the DEJ, dentin-pulp
      complex components, and carious dentin of post-HNRT patients, leading to
      detectable micromorphological changes to the enamel and dentin. Thirty-six teeth
      were studied, including 19 post-HNRT specimens and 17 nonirradiated controls.
      Optical light microscopy was used to investigate the micromorphological
      components of the DEJ, dentin-pulp complex components, and carious dentin. The
      samples were divided into 2 subgroups: nondemineralized ground sections (n = 20)
      and demineralized histological sections (n = 16). In addition,
      immunohistochemical analysis using the immunoperoxidase technique was conducted
      to semiquantitatively assess MMP-20 expression in the DEJ, dentin-pulp complex
      components, and carious dentin. No apparent damage to the DEJ microstructure or
      other dentin-pulp complex components was observed and no statistically
      significant differences were detected in MMP-20 expression (p > 0.05) between the
      irradiated and control groups. This study rejected the hypothesis that MMP-20 is
      overexpressed in the DEJ, dentin-pulp complex components, and carious dentin of
      post-HNRT patients, leading to detectable micromorphological changes. Hence,
      direct effects of radiation may not be regarded as an independent factor to
      explain aggressive clinical patterns of RRC.

PMID- 28359053
TI  - Platelets as a Novel Source of Pro-Inflammatory Chemokine CXCL14.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: Platelets are a major source of chemokines. Here, we demonstrate for
      the first time that platelets express significant amounts of CXCL14 and disclose
      powerful effects of platelet-derived CXCL14 on monocyte and endothelial
      migration. METHODS: The expression of CXCL14 in platelets and in the supernatant
      of activated platelets was analysed by immunoblotting, ELISA, and flow cytometry.
      The effect of platelet-derived CXCL14 on monocyte migration was evaluated using a
      modified Boyden chamber. The effect of CXCL14 on monocyte phagocytosis was tested
      by using fluorochrome-labelled E.coli particles. The effect of platelet-derived
      CXCL14 on endothelial migration was explored by the use of an endothelial scratch
      assay. RESULTS: Hitherto unrecognized expression of CXCL14 in human and murine
      platelets was uncovered by immunoblotting. Activation with platelet agonists such
      as adenosine-di-phosphate (ADP), collagen-related peptide (CRP), or thrombin
      receptor activating peptide (TRAP), increased CXCL14 surface expression (flow
      cytometry) and release into the supernatant (immunoblotting, ELISA). Since CXCL14
      is known to be chemotactic for CD14+ monocytes, we investigated the chemotactic
      potential of platelet-derived CXCL14 on human monocytes. Activated platelet
      supernatant induced monocyte migration, which was counteracted upon
      neutralization of platelet-derived CXCL14 as compared to IgG control. Blocking of
      the chemokine receptor CXCR4, but not CXCR7, reduced the number of migratory
      monocytes towards recombinant CXCL14, suggesting the involvement of CXCR4 in the
      CXCL14-directed monocyte chemotaxis. Recombinant CXCL14 enhanced the phagocytic
      uptake of E.coli particles by monocytes. In scratch assays with cultured
      endothelial cells (HUVECs), platelet-derived CXCL14 counteracted the pro
      angiogenic effects of VEGF, supporting its previously recognized angiostatic
      potential. CONCLUSIONS: Platelets are a relevant source of CXCL14. Platelet
      derived CXCL14 at the site of vascular lesions might play an important role in
      vascular repair/regeneration.

PMID- 28359054
TI  - Cepharanthine Induces Autophagy, Apoptosis and Cell Cycle Arrest in Breast Cancer
      Cells.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Cepharanthine (CEP) is a biscoclaurine alkaloid extracted from
      Stephania cepharantha and has been shown to have an anti-tumour effect on
      different types of cancers. However, the anti-cancer effect of CEP on human
      breast cancer cells is still unclear. METHODS: We used MTT, clone formation, in
      vitro scratch, invasion and migration assays to confirm the inhibitory role of
      CEP on the proliferation of breast cancer cells. Flow cytometry, plasmid
      construction and western blot analysis were used to study the detailed
      mechanisms. RESULTS: Our study showed that CEP could inhibit cell proliferation
      by inducing autophagy, apoptosis, and G0/G1 cell cycle arrest of breast cancer
      cells. Furthermore, we found that CEP induced autophagy and apoptosis by
      inhibiting the AKT/mTOR signalling pathway. CONCLUSION: We found that CEP could
      inhibit growth and motility of MCF-7 and MDA-MB-231 breast cancer cell. Our study
      revealed an anti-tumour effect of CEP on breast cancer cells and suggests that
      CEP could be a potential new clinical therapy for breast cancer.

PMID- 28359055
TI  - Lack of Prenylated Proteins, Autophagy Impairment and Apoptosis in SH-SY5Y
      Neuronal Cell Model of Mevalonate Kinase Deficiency.
AB  - BACKGROUND/AIMS: Mevalonate Kinase Deficiency (MKD), is a hereditary disease due
      to mutations in mevalonate kinase gene (MVK). MKD has heterogeneous clinical
      phenotypes: the correlation between MVK mutations and MKD clinical phenotype is
      still to be fully elucidated. Deficiency of prenylated proteins has been
      hypothesized as possible MKD pathogenic mechanism. Based on this hypothesis and
      considering that neurologic impairment characterizes Mevalonic Aciduria (MA), the
      most severe form of MKD, we studied the effects of I268T and N301T MVK mutations
      on protein prenylation, autophagy and programmed cell death in SH-SY5Y
      neuroblastoma cell lines. METHODS: SH-SY5Y cells were transiently transfected,
      with the pCMV-6 plasmid containing MVK wild type and the two mutated sequences.
      Protein prenylation levels were evaluated using GFP-RhoA-F to assess
      farnesylation, and GFP-RhoA to evaluate geranylgeranylation; autophagy was
      measured by evaluating LC3 and p62 protein levels, while Annexin V-FITC and
      Propidium Iodide staining allowed apoptosis detection. RESULTS: MVK mutants' over
      expression causes decreased levels of farnesylation and geranylgeranylation, and
      also increased LC3 lipidation in SH-SY5Y, with concomitant p62 accumulation.
      Treatment with bafilomycin A1 (an inhibitor of vacuolar H+-ATPase, a late
      autophagy inhibitor) further increase LC3-II and p62 levels, suggesting that
      degradation of autophagolysosome could be impaired. SH-SY5Y, with both MVK
      mutants, showed apoptosis increase; the presence of N301T associated with
      augmented cell death. CONCLUSIONS: We hypothesize that mevalonate pathway
      impairment causes alteration of farnesylation and geranylgeranylation proteins
      and alteration of the autophagic flux; these changes can induce apoptosis,
      possibly more relevant in the presence of N301T mutation.

PMID- 28359057
TI  - The Versatile Role of microRNA-30a in Human Cancer.
AB  - MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are a group of noncoding RNA molecules of 20-23 nucleotides
      length that negatively regulate gene expressions in numerous cellular processes.
      Through complementary paring with target mRNAs, miRNAs have frequently emerged as
      dual regulators of cancer development by acting on multiple signaling pathways,
      thereby act as novel biomarkers for cancer diagnosis, prognosis, and prediction
      of response to treatment. As one of them, miR-30a has been found to act as an
      onco-suppressor of tumorigenesis pathways through inhibition of cellular
      proliferation, migration and invasion. Simultaneously, miR-30a plays a
      progressing role in several types of cancer, determined by relevant target genes
      as well. In the present review, we summarize recent research regarding miR-30a,
      including its biological function, expression and regulation, especially focusing
      on its role in cancer development and progression. Clinically, miR-30a may serve
      as a potential target in the diagnosis and therapy of human cancer.

PMID- 28359056
TI  - The Construction and Identification of Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells Derived
      from Acute Myelogenous Leukemia Cells.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: The present study aimed to establish an induced pluripotent stem cell
      (iPSC) line from acute myelogenous leukemia (AML) cells in vitro and identify
      their biological characteristics. METHODS: Cells from the AML-infiltrated skin
      from an M6 patient were infected with a lentivirus carrying OCT4, SOX2, KLF4 and
      C-MYC to induce iPSCs. The characteristics of the iPSCs were confirmed by
      alkaline phosphatase (ALP) staining. The proliferation ability of iPSCs was
      detected with a CCK-8 assay. The expression of pluripotency markers was measured
      by immunostaining, and the expression of stem cell-related genes was detected by
      qRT-PCR; distortion during the induction process was detected by karyotype
      analysis; the differentiation potential of iPSCs was determined by embryoid body
      formation and teratoma-formation assays. ALP staining confirmed that these cells
      exhibited positive staining and had the characteristics of iPSCs. RESULTS: The
      CCK-8 assay showed that the iPSCs had the ability to proliferate. Immunostaining
      demonstrated that iPSC clones showed positive expression of NANOG, SSEA-3, SSEA
      4, TRA-1-60 and TRA-1-81. qRT-PCR results revealed that the mRNA expression of
      Nanog, Lin28, Cripto, FOX3, DNMT3b, DPPA2, and DPPA4 significantly increased in
      iPSCs. Karyotype analysis found no chromosome aberration in the iPSCs. The
      results of the embryoid body-formation and teratoma-formation assays indicated
      that the iPSCs had the potential to differentiate into all three germ layers.
      CONCLUSION: Our study provided evidence that an iPSC line derived from AML cells
      was successfully established.

PMID- 28359058
TI  - Sleep Disorder as a Triggering Factor for Relapse in Multiple Sclerosis.
AB  - BACKGROUND/AIMS: To determine the effect of sleep disturbances on predisposing
      multiple sclerosis (MS) patients for acute relapse. METHODS: This case-control
      study was conducted on 80 MS patients including 40 patients in the remission
      phase and 40 in the relapse phase. Patients were asked to fill in the Pittsburgh
      Sleep Quality Index to determine their sleep quality during the previous month.
      Individuals with scores of 5 or less were considered having normal sleep quality.
      RESULTS: Mean +/- SD ages were 32.5 +/- 7.7 and 30.2 +/- 7.2 years among patients
      with and without acute relapses, respectively (p > 0.05). The mean disease
      duration and disease severity (according to Expanded Disability Status Scale
      [EDSS]) were comparable across the groups (p > 0.05). Among those with and
      without acute exacerbations, 87.5 and 50% had poor sleep quality, respectively (p
      = 0.0001), with OR of 1.75 (95% CI 1.25-2.43). The age, gender, EDSS, and disease
      duration did not associate with sleep quality in either groups (p > 0.05).
      CONCLUSIONS: This study showed that sleep disturbance might be a trigger for an
      acute MS exacerbation. Increasing the awareness of specialists and routine
      screening of sleep disorders in MS patients are warranted, as treatment of these
      disorders might decrease the likelihood of acute relapses.

PMID- 28359059
TI  - Toll-Like Receptor-2 and -4 Expression by Maternal Neutrophils in Preterm Labor.
AB  - BACKGROUND AND AIMS: The inflammatory response in preterm parturition is
      regulated by the innate immune system. Toll-like receptors (TLR)-2 and TLR-4 are
      innate immune receptors that recognize the microorganisms most frequently
      involved in amniotic cavity infections, which are associated with activating the
      inflammatory response at the maternal-fetal interface during preterm labor. This
      study aimed to evaluate the expression of TLR-2 and TLR-4 in maternal neutrophils
      in preterm labor. METHODS: A cross-sectional study was conducted in the
      Obstetrics Care Unit of Botucatu Medical School, UNESP, Brazil. The preterm group
      was composed of 20 pregnant women who presented preterm labor and preterm
      delivery. The control group was composed of 20 nonlaboring pregnant women matched
      to the preterm group by gestational age. Neutrophils were isolated from
      peripheral blood and TLR expressions were performed by real-time polymerase chain
      reaction and flow cytometry. RESULTS: Gene expressions of TLR-2 and TLR-4 in
      neutrophils from the preterm group were statistically higher than expressions in
      neutrophils from the matched control group. The percentage of TLR-4+ neutrophils
      was higher in the preterm group than the matched control group, while the
      percentage of TLR-2+ neutrophils did not differ between groups. CONCLUSION: TLR-4
      expression in maternal neutrophils is associated with spontaneous preterm labor.

PMID- 28359060
TI  - Growth of Children with Food Allergy?.
AB  - BACKGROUND: The prevalence of food allergy in children is increasing worldwide.
      Strict avoidance of identified allergens from the diet is still the cornerstone
      of the management of food allergies. There are widespread concerns that food
      allergy and elimination diet may predispose children to nutrient deficiencies and
      growth failure. AIM: The aim of this paper was to review the current evidence on
      growth of children suffering from food allergy. Summarised is literature on the
      effects of the number and type of offending allergens, the child's age and
      affected organ system, as well as the importance of supervision by a
      dietician/nutritionist. CONCLUSION: Children suffering from food allergy are
      stunted at the time of diagnosis and during the elimination diets, irrespective
      whether or not their nutritional requirements were fulfilled, and/or were under
      the control of a dietician. This underscores the need for further studies to
      obtain more precise insight into and better understanding of the mechanisms
      contributing to growth failure in children suffering from food allergy.?.

PMID- 28359061
TI  - Intrafamilial Phenotypic Variability and Consequences of Non-Compliance with
      Treatment in Congenital Adrenal Hyperplasia and Congenital Hypothyroidism within
      a Single Family?.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Coexistence of congenital adrenal hyperplasia (CAH) and congenital
      hypothyroidism (CH) due to TG mutation in the same non-consanguineous family is
      rare. CASE SERIES: We report 4 siblings born to unrelated parents, the father
      being an asymptomatic carrier of homozygous p.V281L and heterozygous p.I172N
      CYP21A2 mutations. Sibling 1 had salt-wasting CAH (CYP21A2 genotype Intron 2
      splice/p.I172N and p.V281L). She also had CH (TG genotype p.R296/ p.T1416Rfs*30)
      and learning difficulties. Poor compliance and morbid obesity resulted in short
      stature, precocious puberty, hirsutism, amenorrhoea, insulin insensitivity and a
      possible adrenal adenoma. Sibling 3 (CYP21A2 and TG genotype similar to sibling
      1) is a boy presenting with salt-wasting CAH, CH, and developmental delay. He was
      overweight and underwent precocious puberty. Although siblings 2 and 4 (both
      females) share the same CYP21A2 genotype (Intron 2 splice/p.V281L), the former
      only had biochemical evidence of CAH, while the latter presented at 9.8 years of
      age with a history of pubarche at 7 years and advanced bone age. CONCLUSIONS: We
      report the unusual occurrence of 2 rare autosomal recessive diseases, CAH and CH.
      Our cases highlight the phenotypic variability of CAH and CH due to TG mutations,
      even within a single family, and illustrate the importance of optimal disease
      control.?.

PMID- 28359063
TI  - Reimbursed Price of Orphan Drugs: Current Strategies and Potential Improvements.
AB  - The pricing and reimbursement policies for pharmaceuticals are relevant to
      balance timely and equitable access for all patients, financial sustainability,
      and reward for valuable innovation. The proliferation of high-cost specialty
      medicines is particularly true in rare diseases (RDs) where the pricing mechanism
      is characterised by a lack of transparency. This work provides an overall picture
      of current strategies for the definition of the reimbursed prices of orphan drugs
      (ODs) and highlights some potential improvements. Current strategies and
      suggestions are presented along 4 dimensions: (1) comprehensive value assessment,
      (2) early dialogs among relevant stakeholders, (3) innovative reimbursement
      approaches, and (4) societal participation in producing ODs. Comprehensive value
      assessment could be achieved by clarifying the approach of distributive justice
      to adopt, ensuring a representative participation of stakeholders, and with a
      broad consideration of value-bearing factors. With respect to early dialogs,
      cross-border cooperation can be determinant to companies and agencies. The cost
      benefit ratio of early dialogs needs to be demonstrated and the "regulatory
      capture" effect should be monitored. Innovative reimbursement approaches were
      developed to balance the need for evidence-based decisions with the timely access
      to innovative drugs. The societal participation in producing ODs needs to be
      recognised in a collaborating framework where adaptive agreements can be
      developed with mutual satisfaction. Such agreements could also impact on coverage
      and reimbursement decisions as additional elements for the determination of a
      comprehensive societal value of ODs. Further research is needed to investigate
      the highlighted open challenges so that RDs will not remain, in practical terms,
      orphan diseases.

PMID- 28359062
TI  - A Regional Evaluation of Survival of Infants with End-Stage Renal Disease.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Information regarding morbidity and mortality of infants born with
      end-stage renal disease (ESRD) requiring dialysis early in life is critical to
      optimize patient care and better counsel families. OBJECTIVE: We evaluated
      outcomes of infants born regionally with ESRD, and those within our broader
      catchment area referred for dialysis. STUDY DESIGN: We screened deaths at 5
      regional referral hospitals, identifying infants with ESRD who did not survive to
      transfer for dialysis. We also screened all infants <8 weeks old seen at our
      institution over a 7-year period with ESRD referred for dialysis. We evaluated
      factors associated with survival to dialysis and transplant. RESULTS: We
      identified 14 infants from regional hospitals who died prior to transfer and 12
      infants at our institution who were dialyzed. Because of the large burden of
      lethal comorbidities in our regional referral centers, overall survival was low,
      with 73% dying at birth hospitals. Amongst dialyzed infants, 42% survived to
      transplant. CONCLUSION: This study is unusual in reporting survival of infants
      with ESRD including those not referred for dialysis, which yields an expectedly
      lower survival rate than reported by dialysis registries.

PMID- 28359064
TI  - Interleukin 17A and Toll-like Receptor 4 in Patients with Arterial Hypertension.
AB  - BACKGROUND/AIMS: Immune responses are involved in arterial hypertension. An
      observational cross-sectional case control study was conducted to estimate the
      association between Toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4) expression and interleukin (IL)
      17A serum levels in patients with controlled and non-controlled hypertension.
      METHODS: We have enrolled 105 non-complicated otherwise healthy hypertensive
      patients: 53 with well-controlled blood pressure and 52 non-controlled. TLR4
      peripheral monocytes expression and serum IL-17A levels were determined by flow
      cytometry and ELISA, respectively. RESULTS: Non-controlled patients exhibited
      higher TLR4 expression than well-controlled (25.60 vs. 21.99, P=0.011). TLR4
      expression was lower in well-controlled patients who were prescribed beta
      blockers (18.9 vs. 22.6, P=0.005) and IL-17A concentration was higher in patients
      using diuretics in either group (1.41 vs. 2.01 pg/ml, P<0.001; well-controlled
      1.3 vs. 1.8 pg/ml, P= 0.023; non-controlled 1.6 vs. 2.3 pg/ml, P=0.001).
      Correlation between IL-17A concentration and hypertension duration was observed
      in non-controlled patients (Spearman correlation coefficient . rho=0.566,
      P<0.001) whereas in well-controlled patients a correlation was found between
      hypertension duration and TLR4 expression (rho=0.322, P=0.020). CONCLUSIONS:
      Arterial hypertension stimulates the immune response regardless of blood pressure
      regulation status. Prolonged hypertension influences peripheral monocyte TLR4
      expression and IL-17A serum levels. Anti-hypertensive drugs have different
      immunomodulatory effects: diuretics are associated with higher IL-17A
      concentration and beta-blockers with lower TLR4 expression.

PMID- 28359066
TI  - Chromosomal Mapping of Repetitive DNAs in Myiopsitta monachus and Amazona aestiva
      (Psittaciformes, Psittacidae) with Emphasis on the Sex Chromosomes.
AB  - Here, for the first time, we describe the karyotype of Myiopsitta monachus
      (Psittacidae, Arini). We found 2n = 48, corresponding to the lowest diploid
      number observed in Neotropical Psittaciformes so far, with an uncommonly large W
      chromosome homomorphic to the Z. In order to better understand the evolution of
      the sex chromosomes in this species, we applied several molecular cytogenetic
      approaches, including C-banding, FISH mapping of repetitive DNAs (several
      microsatellite repeats), and whole-chromosome painting on metaphases of M.
      monachus. For comparison, another species belonging to the same tribe but with a
      smaller W chromosome (A. aestiva) was also analyzed. The results show that the
      constitutive heterochromatin has a very diverse distribution pattern in these
      species revealing heterochromatic blocks in the centromeric region of all
      chromosomes and in most of the length of the W chromosome in A. aestiva, while in
      M. monachus they were found in interstitial and telomeric regions. Concerning the
      microsatellites, only the sequence (CG)n produced signals on the W chromosome of
      A. aestiva, in the distal region of both arms. However, in M. monachus, (CAA)n,
      (CAG)n, and (CG)n probes were accumulated on the W chromosome, and, in addition,
      the sequence (CAG)n also hybridized to heterochromatic regions in
      macrochromosomes, as well as in microchromosomes. Based on these results, we
      suggest that the increase in length of the W chromosome in M. monachus is due to
      the amplification of repetitive elements, which highlights their significant role
      in the evolutionary process of sex chromosome differentiation.

PMID- 28359065
TI  - Evaluating Weight Status and Sex as Moderators of the Association of Serum Leptin
      with Bone Mineral Density in Children and Adolescents?.
AB  - BACKGROUND/AIMS: Animal studies suggest that leptin may adversely affect bone
      mineral density (BMD). Clinical studies have yielded conflicting results. We
      therefore investigated associations between leptin and bone parameters in
      children. METHODS: 830 healthy children (age = 11.4 +/- 3.1 years; 75% female;
      BMI standard deviation score [BMIz] = 1.5 +/- 1.1) had fasting serum leptin
      measured with ELISA and body composition by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry. The
      main effects for leptin and BMIz plus leptin's interactions with sex and BMIz
      were examined using hierarchical linear regressions for appendicular, pelvis, and
      lumbar spine BMD as well as bone mineral content (BMC), and bone area (BA).
      RESULTS: Accounting for demographic, pubertal development, and anthropometric
      variables, leptin was negatively and independently associated with lumbar spine
      BMC and BA, pelvis BA, and leg BA (p < 0.05 for all). Sex, but not BMIz,
      moderated the associations of leptin with bone parameters. In boys, leptin was
      negatively correlated with leg and arm BMD, BMC at all bone sites, and BA at the
      subtotal and lumbar spine (p < 0.01 for all). In girls, leptin was positively
      correlated with leg and arm BMD (p < 0.05 for both). CONCLUSION: Independent of
      body size, leptin is negatively associated with bone measures; however, these
      associations are moderated by sex: boys, but not girls, have a negative
      independent association between leptin and BMD.?.

PMID- 28359067
TI  - Triggering of Suicidal Erythrocyte Death by Gefitinib.
AB  - BACKGROUND/AIMS: The epidermal growth factor receptor-tyrosine kinase inhibitor
      gefitinib is effective against several malignancies and is mainly utilized in the
      treatment of epidermal growth factor receptor mutation positive non-small cell
      lung cancer. The anti-cancer effect of the drug involves stimulation of
      apoptosis. Side effects of gefitinib include anemia. At least in theory, the
      development of anemia during gefitinib treatment could result from triggering of
      eryptosis, the suicidal erythrocyte death characterized by cell shrinkage and by
      cell membrane scrambling with phosphatidylserine translocation to the erythrocyte
      surface. Signaling potentially stimulating eryptosis include increase of
      cytosolic Ca2+ activity ([Ca2+]i) and generation of oxidative stress. The present
      study explored, whether gefitinib stimulates eryptosis and, if so, whether its
      effect involves Ca2+ entry and/or oxidative stress. METHODS: Flow cytometry was
      employed to quantify cell volume from forward scatter, phosphatidylserine
      exposure at the cell surface from annexin-V-binding, [Ca2+]i from Fluo3
      fluorescence, and reactive oxygen species (ROS) abundance from 2',7'
      dichlorodihydrofluorescein diacetate (DCFDA) dependent fluorescence. RESULTS: A
      48 hours exposure of human erythrocytes to gefitinib (>= 2 ug/ml) significantly
      decreased forward scatter and significantly increased the percentage of annexin-V
      binding cells. Gefitinib did not significantly increase Fluo3-fluorescence but
      the effect of gefitinib on annexin-V-binding was significantly blunted by removal
      of extracellular Ca2+. Gefitinib further significantly increased DCFDA
      fluorescence. CONCLUSIONS: Gefitinib triggers erythrocyte shrinkage and
      phospholipid scrambling of the erythrocyte cell membrane, an effect at least in
      part dependent on extracellular Ca2+ and paralleled by oxidative stress.

PMID- 28359068
TI  - The Effect of Combined Treatment with the (Pro)Renin Receptor Blocker HRP and
      Quinapril in Type 1 Diabetic Rats.
AB  - BACKGROUND/AIMS: Diabetic nephropathy remains a major clinical problem. The
      effects of prorenin might be adverse, but the literature data are controversial.
      We compared the renal effects of the (pro)renin receptor ((P)RR) blockade and
      angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE) inhibition on the progression of diabetic
      nephropathy in rats. METHODS: Diabetes (DM) was induced by ip. streptozotocin
      administration in adult male Sprague-Dawley rats, followed by eight weeks of
      treatment with the (P)RR blocker "handle region" decoy peptide (HRP, 0,1
      mg/kg/day) or with the ACE inhibitor Quinapril (Q, 50 mg/kg/day) and grouped as
      follows: 1. Control (n=10); 2. DM (n=8); 3. DM+HRP (n=6); 4. DM+Q (n=10); 5.
      DM+Q+HRP (n=10). Renal functional parameters, histology and gene expressions were
      evaluated. RESULTS: HRP reduced glomerulosclerosis and podocyte desmin
      expression, but did not affect proteinuria and tubular ERK(1/2) phosphorylation.
      Both Q and Q+HRP treatment reduced proteinuria, glomerular and tubular damage,
      tubular TGF-beta1 expression and ERK(1/2) phosphorylation to the same extent.
      CONCLUSION: The effects of HRP were partially beneficial on diabetic kidney
      lesions as HRP reduced damage but did not improve tubular damage and failed to
      reduce ERK(1/2) phosphorylation in rats. The combination of HRP with Quinapril
      had no additive effects over Quinapril monotherapy on the progression of diabetic
      nephropathy.

PMID- 28359070
TI  - Treatment of Osteochondral Lesions of the Talus: A Critical Analysis Review.

PMID- 28359071
TI  - Tribocorrosion in Total Hip Arthroplasty.

PMID- 28359069
TI  - High Risk of Seizures and Epilepsy after Decompressive Hemicraniectomy for
      Malignant Middle Cerebral Artery Stroke?.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Decompressive hemicraniectomy (DHC) is a life-saving procedure for
      treatment of large malignant middle cerebral artery (MCA) strokes. Post-stroke
      epilepsy is an additional burden for these patients, but its incidence and the
      risk factors for its development have been poorly investigated. OBJECTIVE: To
      report the prevalence and risk factors for post-stroke seizures and post-stroke
      epilepsy after DHC for treatment of large malignant MCA strokes in a cohort of 36
      patients. METHODS: In a retrospective cohort study of 36 patients we report the
      timing and incidence of post-stroke epilepsy. We analyzed if age, sex, vascular
      risk factors, side of ischemia, reperfusion therapy, stroke etiology, extension
      of stroke, hemorrhagic transformation, ECASS scores, National Institutes of
      Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS) scores, or modified Rankin scores were risk factors
      for seizure or epilepsy after DHC for treatment of large MCA strokes. RESULTS:
      The mean patient follow-up time was 1,086 days (SD = 1,172). Out of 36 patients,
      9 (25.0%) died before being discharged. After 1 year, a total of 11 patients
      (30.6%) had died, but 22 (61.1%) of them had a modified Rankin score <=4.
      Thirteen patients (36.1%) developed seizures within the first week after stroke.
      Seizures occurred in 22 (61.1%) of 36 patients (95% CI = 45.17-77.03%). Out of 34
      patients who survived the acute period, 19 (55.9%) developed epilepsy after MCA
      infarcts and DHC (95% CI = 39.21-72.59%). In this study, no significant
      differences were observed between the patients who developed seizures or epilepsy
      and those who remained free of seizures or epilepsy regarding age, sex, side of
      stroke, presence of the clinical risk factors studied, hemorrhagic
      transformation, time of craniectomy, and Rankin score after 1 year of stroke.
      CONCLUSION: The incidence of seizures and epilepsy after malignant MCA infarcts
      submitted to DHC might be very high. Seizure might occur precociously in patients
      who are not submitted to anticonvulsant prophylaxis. The large stroke volume and
      the large cortical ischemic area seem to be the main risk factors for seizure or
      epilepsy development in this subtype of stroke.?.

PMID- 28359072
TI  - Tears of the Subscapularis Tendon: A Critical Analysis Review.

PMID- 28359073
TI  - Fragility Fractures of the Pelvis.

PMID- 28359074
TI  - Navigation and Robotics in Total Hip Arthroplasty.

PMID- 28359075
TI  - A Holistic Approach to Antiaging as an Adjunct to Antiaging Procedures: A Review
      of the Literature.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Aging is a multifactorial process and depends on both intrinsic and
      extrinsic factors. Procedural options for diminishing signs of intrinsic aging
      and cosmetic rejuvenation have expanded dramatically. However, less attention is
      paid to counseling patients on options for mitigating extrinsic factors related
      to aging. OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study was to review changes that occur
      with intrinsic and extrinsic aging, and provide evidence-based holistic
      counseling recommendations that can be used synergistically with aesthetic
      procedures to maximize antiaging interventions. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A PubMed
      search was conducted for articles on intrinsic and extrinsic aging as it relates
      to skin, fat, muscle, and bone. Key clinical trials and studies on the effect of
      diet, hormones, exercise, sleep, stress, dental hygiene, smoking, pollution, and
      oxidative stress on the aging process are reviewed, and treatment recommendations
      are summarized based on available evidence. RESULTS: Conventional cosmetic
      procedures and cosmeceuticals work together with nutritious diet, exercise,
      dental hygiene, hormonal balance, stress reduction, smoking and pollution
      avoidance, and healthy sleep patterns for a better effect on antiaging.
      CONCLUSION: A combination approach of multiple nonsurgical modalities along with
      healthy lifestyle recommendations to minimize intrinsic and extrinsic aging
      factors allows cosmetic practitioners to target multiple facets of aging
      concurrently and maximize the aesthetic interventions cosmetic
      dermatologists/practitioners provide.

PMID- 28359076
TI  - General Guidelines for Quality Assurance of Immunohistochemistry in a Mohs Lab.
AB  - BACKGROUND: The adoption of recently created protocols introduces Mohs
      laboratories to the principles of immunohistochemistry (IHC) performance
      validation and clinical laboratory regulations that are unique to these evolving
      technologies. OBJECTIVE: To review Food and Drug Administration (FDA) IHC reagent
      classifications, IHC validation protocols, and quality assurance (QA) procedures
      and documentation needed in conjunction with IHC test guidelines. METHODS: A
      focused review of IHC reagent classifications and guidelines in clinical testing
      laboratories was conducted using PubMed and FDA source documents. RESULTS: The
      IHC regulation requirements are determined by the 3 FDA classifications of
      reagents: in vitro diagnostic reagents, analyte-specific reagents, and research
      use only reagents. To account for performance variability, IHC reagents benefit
      from routine validation and QA programs. We present our IHC adoption procedures
      for QA and documentation of IHC tests in a Mohs laboratory. CONCLUSION:
      Incorporating a well-organized IHC validation and QA program into Mohs
      laboratories can increase regulatory compliance and reagent performance.

PMID- 28359077
TI  - Sleep and survival among women with breast cancer: 30 years of follow-up within
      the Nurses' Health Study.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Breast cancer is a leading cause of cancer death in women. Sleep has
      been linked with mortality among cancer-free population; however, its association
      with survival among women with breast cancer is understudied. METHODS: Breast
      cancer patients (N=3682) reported their average sleep duration post diagnosis.
      Subsamples also provided their pre-diagnosis sleep duration (n=1949) and post
      diagnosis sleep difficulties (n=1353). Multivariate Cox models estimated hazard
      ratios (HR) and confidence intervals (CI) of all-cause, breast cancer, and non
      breast cancer mortality. RESULTS: At diagnosis, the mean age was 64.9 years and
      91.7% were stage I or II. Women sleeping ?9 h per night post diagnosis had a
      strong higher risk of all-cause (multivariate HRs: MV-HR=1.37, CI=1.10-1.71),
      breast cancer (MV-HR=1.46, CI=1.02-2.07), and non-breast cancer mortality (MV
      HR=1.34, CI=1.01-1.79), compared to women sleeping 8 h per night. Increased sleep
      duration post diagnosis (vs unchanged) and regular sleep difficulties (vs
      rare/none) were associated with a strong elevated risk of all-cause mortality (MV
      HRincreased duration=1.35, CI=1.04-1.74; MV-HRregular difficulties=1.49, CI=1.02
      2.19) and a moderate greater risk of breast cancer and non-breast cancer
      mortality. CONCLUSIONS: Various facets of sleep were associated with higher all
      cause mortality risk. If replicated, these findings support evaluation of breast
      cancer patients' sleep duration and difficulties to identify those at risk for
      poorer outcomes.

PMID- 28359079
TI  - Evaluating wait times from screening to breast cancer diagnosis among women
      undergoing organised assessment vs usual care.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Timely coordinated diagnostic assessment following an abnormal
      screening mammogram reduces patient anxiety and may optimise breast cancer
      prognosis. Since 1998, the Ontario Breast Screening Program (OBSP) has offered
      organised assessment through Breast Assessment Centres (BACs). For OBSP women
      seen at a BAC, an abnormal mammogram is followed by coordinated referrals through
      the use of navigators for further imaging, biopsy, and surgical consultation as
      indicated. For OBSP women seen through usual care (UC), further diagnostic
      imaging is arranged directly from the screening centre and/or through their
      physician; results must be communicated to the physician who is then responsible
      for arranging any necessary biopsy and/or surgical consultation. This study aims
      to evaluate factors associated with diagnostic wait times for women undergoing
      assessment through BAC and UC. METHODS: Of the 2 147 257 women aged 50-69 years
      screened in the OBSP between 1 January 2002 and 31 December 2009, 155 866 (7.3%)
      had an abnormal mammogram. A retrospective design identified two concurrent
      cohorts of women diagnosed with screen-detected breast cancer at a BAC (n=4217;
      47%) and UC (n=4827; 53%). Multivariable logistic regression analyses examined
      associations between wait times and assessment and prognostic characteristics by
      pathway. A two-sided 5% significance level was used. RESULTS: Screened women with
      breast cancer were two times more likely to be diagnosed within 7 weeks when
      assessed through a BAC vs UC (OR=1.91, 95% CI=1.73-2.10). In addition, compared
      with UC, women assessed through a BAC were significantly more likely to have
      their first assessment procedure within 3 weeks of their abnormal mammogram
      (OR=1.25, 95% CI=1.12-1.39), ?3 assessment procedures (OR=1.54, 95% CI=1.41
      1.69), ?2 assessment visits (OR=1.86, 95% CI=1.70-2.05), and ?2 procedures per
      visit (OR=1.41, 95% CI=1.28-1.55). Women diagnosed through a BAC were also more
      likely than those in UC to have imaging (OR=1.99, 95% CI=1.44-2.75) or a biopsy
      (OR=3.69, 95% CI=2.64-5.15) vs consultation only at their first assessment visit,
      and two times more likely to have a core or FNA biopsy than a surgical biopsy
      (OR=2.08, 95% CI=1.81-2.40). Having ?2 assessment visits was more likely to
      reduce time to diagnosis for women assessed through a BAC compared with UC (BAC
      OR=10.58, 95% CI=8.96-12.50; UC OR=4.47, 95% CI=3.94-5.07), as was having ?3
      assessment procedures (BAC OR=4.97, 95% CI=4.26-5.79; UC OR=2.95, 95% CI=2.61
      3.33). Income quintile affected wait times only in women diagnosed in UC, with
      those in the two highest quintiles more likely to receive a diagnosis in 7 weeks.
      CONCLUSIONS: Women with screen-detected breast cancer in OBSP were more likely to
      have shorter wait times if they were diagnosed through organised assessment. This
      might be as a result of women diagnosed through a BAC having more procedures per
      visit, procedures scheduled in shorter intervals, and imaging or biopsy on their
      first visit. Given the significant improvement in timeliness to diagnosis, women
      with abnormal mammograms should be managed through organised assessment.

PMID- 28359081
TI  - Temperament and Early Stuttering Development: Cross-Sectional Findings From a
      Community Cohort.
AB  - Purpose: The purpose of this study was to ascertain if there is an association
      between stuttering severity and behaviors and the expression of temperament
      characteristics, including precursors of anxiety. Method: We studied temperament
      characteristics of a prospectively recruited community cohort of children who
      stutter (N = 173) at ages 3, 4, and 6 years using the Short Temperament Scale STS
      (Prior, Sanson, Smart & Oberklaid, 2000). Results: Six of 131 statistical tests
      of association between stuttering severity and behaviors and temperament traits
      were statistically significant at the 5% level, which was no more than expected
      by chance alone. Conclusions: On the basis of parent responses to the STS,
      preschoolers who exhibited different levels of stuttering severity and behaviors
      did not generally express temperament traits differently from one another.
      Stuttering severity and stuttering behaviors were not associated with the
      precursors of anxiety. Overall, taking multiple tests into consideration, results
      show little evidence of association between stuttering severity and temperament
      up to 4 years of age or between stuttering behaviors and temperament up to 6
      years of age.

PMID- 28359078
TI  - Safety and utility of image-guided research biopsies in relapsed high-grade
      serous ovarian carcinoma-experience of the BriTROC consortium.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Investigating tumour evolution and acquired chemotherapy resistance
      requires analysis of sequential tumour material. We describe the feasibility of
      obtaining research biopsies in women with relapsed ovarian high-grade serous
      carcinoma (HGSC). METHODS: Women with relapsed ovarian HGSC underwent either
      image-guided biopsy or intra-operative biopsy during secondary debulking, and
      samples were fixed in methanol-based fixative. Tagged-amplicon sequencing was
      performed on biopsy DNA. RESULTS: We screened 519 patients in order to enrol 220.
      Two hundred and two patients underwent successful biopsy, 118 of which were image
      guided. There were 22 study-related adverse events (AE) in the image-guided
      biopsies, all grades 1 and 2; pain was the commonest AE. There were pre-specified
      significant AE in 3/118 biopsies (2.5%). 87% biopsies were fit-for-purpose for
      genomic analyses. Median DNA yield was 2.87 MUg, and was higher in biopsies
      utilising 14 G or 16 G needles compared to 18 G. TP53 mutations were identified
      in 94.4% patients. CONCLUSIONS: Obtaining tumour biopsies for research in
      relapsed HGSC is safe and feasible. Adverse events are rare. The large majority
      of biopsies yield sufficient DNA for genomic analyses-we recommend use of larger
      gauge needles and methanol fixation for such biopsies, as DNA yields are higher
      but with no increase in AEs.

PMID- 28359080
TI  - Lithium enhances the antitumour effect of temozolomide against TP53 wild-type
      glioblastoma cells via NFAT1/FasL signalling.
AB  - BACKGROUND: We previously showed that activation of the nuclear factor of
      activated T cells (NFAT)1/Fas ligand (FasL) pathway induces glioma cell death.
      Lithium (Li) is an inhibitor of glycogen synthase kinase (GSK)-3 that activates
      NFAT1/FasL signalling. Temozolomide (TMZ) inhibits GSK-3 and activates Fas in
      tumour protein (TP)53 wild-type (TP53wt) glioma cells. The present study
      investigated the combinational effects of TMZ and low-dose Li on TP53wt glioma
      cells. METHODS: The combined effect of TMZ and Li was examined in TP53wt U87 and
      primary glioma cells and a mouse xenograft model. RESULTS: Combination with 1.2
      mM Li potentiated TMZ-induced cell death in TP53wt glioma cells, as determined by
      neurosphere formation and apoptosis assays. Temozolomide combined with Li
      treatment inhibited GSK-3 activation, promoted NFAT1 nuclear translocation and
      upregulated Fas/FasL expression. Targeted knockdown of NFAT1 expression blocked
      the induction of cell death by TMZ and Li via FasL inhibition. In vivo, combined
      treatment with TMZ and Li suppressed tumour growth and prolonged the survival of
      tumour-bearing mice. However, the combination of TMZ and Li did not produce a
      statistically significant effect in TP53mut glioma cells. CONCLUSIONS:
      Temozolomide combined with low-dose Li induces TP53wt glioma cell death via
      NFAT1/FasL signalling. This represents a potential therapeutic strategy for
      TP53wt glioma treatment.

PMID- 28359083
TI  - Patient Perception of Speech Outcomes: The Relationship Between Clinical Measures
      and Self-Perception of Speech Function Following Surgical Treatment for Oral
      Cancer.
AB  - Purpose: Treatment for oral cancer can result in speech impairments that can have
      varying impacts on patient quality of life. This study explored the relationship
      between clinical measures of speech impairment and the perception that patients
      had of this change in the early stage of recovery. Method: This was a quasi
      experimental 1-group pre-post study design carried out on 10 patients with
      surgical intervention for oral cancer. Two clinical measures (word
      intelligibility and consonant phoneme error) and 2 patient-perception measures
      (Speech Handicap Index total score and Speech Handicap Index patient criteria
      score) were collected at preoperative and 1-month postoperative appointments.
      Results: Qualitative analysis revealed discordance between clinical and patient
      perceived measures in 4 of 10 patients. Change in consonant phoneme error and
      change in word intelligibility were significantly correlated (r = .827).
      Furthermore, on average, statistically significant relationships were not found
      between clinical and patient-perceived measures or between the 2 patient
      perception measures. Conclusions: Discordance between clinical and patient
      perceived measures was observed in almost half of the sample, indicating that
      clinical tests did not fully explain the extent of impairment perceived by
      patients. Speech outcomes should focus on both types of measures, and patient
      perception outcomes should be carefully considered when recommending speech
      therapy.

PMID- 28359082
TI  - Gesture Production in Language Impairment: It's Quality, Not Quantity, That
      Matters.
AB  - Purpose: The aim of this study was to determine whether children with language
      impairment (LI) use gesture to compensate for their language difficulties.
      Method: The present study investigated gesture accuracy and frequency in children
      with LI (n = 21) across gesture imitation, gesture elicitation, spontaneous
      narrative, and interactive problem-solving tasks, relative to typically
      developing (TD) peers (n = 18) and peers with low language and educational
      concerns (n = 21). Results: Children with LI showed weaknesses in gesture
      accuracy (imitation and gesture elicitation) in comparison to TD peers, but no
      differences in gesture rate. Children with low language only showed weaknesses in
      gesture imitation and used significantly more gestures than TD peers during
      parent-child interaction. Across the whole sample, motor abilities were
      significantly related to gesture accuracy but not gesture rate. In addition,
      children with LI produced proportionately more extending gestures, suggesting
      that they may use gesture to replace words that they are unable to articulate
      verbally. Conclusion: The results support the notion that gesture and language
      form a tightly linked communication system in which gesture deficits are seen
      alongside difficulties with spoken communication. Furthermore, it is the quality,
      not quantity of gestures that distinguish children with LI from typical peers.

PMID- 28359084
TI  - Genetic Evidence for Multifactorial Control of the Reproductive Axis in
      Zebrafish.
AB  - It is generally believed that kisspeptin and gonadotropin-releasing hormone
      (GnRH) are required for reproduction in vertebrates. In this study, we generated
      gnrh3-null zebrafish and found that gnrh3 mutation did not impair gonad
      development and reproductive capacity. Moreover, zebrafish triple knockout mutant
      lacking gnrh3 and the 2 kiss1s genes undergo normal puberty and gonad maturation.
      The expression of follicle-stimulating hormone beta (fshbeta) and luteinizing
      hormone beta (lhbeta) was not significantly altered whereas the expression of
      neuropeptide Y (npy), tachykinin 3 (tac3), and secretogranin-II (sgII) was
      significantly increased in the triple knockout mutant, suggesting that
      compensation mechanisms exist to stimulate the reproductive axis in the absence
      of kiss and gnrh. Our results challenge the prevailing view that GnRH is
      indispensable for reproduction across species. These data provide genetic
      evidence that different mechanisms have evolved for the neuroendocrine control of
      reproduction between mammals and fish: pulsatile release of GnRH to the portal
      system is the final gateway to stimulate the reproductive axis in mammals,
      whereas multiple factors act in parallel with GnRH to stimulate the reproductive
      axis in certain fish species.

PMID- 28359085
TI  - Osteonecrosis of the Femoral Head: Lipotoxicity Exacerbation in MSC and
      Modifications of the Bone Marrow Fluid.
AB  - Osteonecrosis of the femoral head (ON) is a multifactorial bone disease that can
      evolve to a progressive destruction of the hip joint. Different pathogenic
      processes have been proposed, among them, an increase of bone marrow (BM) fat
      resulting from adipocyte accumulation. Marrow adipocytes are active BM residents
      that influence the microenvironment by releasing cytokines, adipokines, and free
      fatty acids (FA). We explored the impact of palmitate (Palm) and oleate on
      function and survival of BM-derived mesenchymal stromal cells (MSC) of
      osteonecrotic patients (ONMSC) and healthy volunteers. Moreover, we analyzed the
      FA profile of the serum and the BM supernatant fluid (BMSF). We demonstrated that
      exposure to the saturated FA Palm favored MSC differentiation through the
      adipogenic lineage at the expense of the osteoblastic phenotype. Moreover,
      adipogenesis was intensified in ONMSC. The susceptibility to Palm toxicity was
      aggravated in ONMSC concomitantly with a greater activation of the proapoptotic
      extracellular signal-regulated kinase pathway. Moreover, cellular mechanisms
      implicated in the protection against lipotoxicity, such as stearoyl-coenzyme A
      desaturase 1 and carnitine palmitoyl transferase 1 expression, were dysregulated
      in ONMSC. Palm-induced interleukin (IL)-6 and IL-8 secretion was also exacerbated
      in ONMSC. Our results established that, in the serum, the FA profiles were
      comparable in ON and healthy subjects. However, both the concentrations and the
      FA composition were modified in the BMSF of ON patients, highlighting a drastic
      change of the BM microenvironment in ON patients. Altogether, our work suggests
      that marrow adipocyte enlargement could affect the process of bone remodeling
      and, therefore, play a role in the pathogenesis of ON.

PMID- 28359086
TI  - The Arcuate Estrogen-Regulated Transcriptome: Estrogen Response Element-Dependent
      and -Independent Signaling of ERalpha in Female Mice.
AB  - To influence energy homeostasis and reproduction, 17beta-estradiol (E2) controls
      the arcuate nucleus (ARC) through multiple receptor-mediated mechanisms, but
      primarily via estrogen receptor (ER) alpha, which signals through both estrogen
      response element (ERE)-dependent and -independent mechanisms. To determine
      ERalpha-mediated, ERE-dependent, and ERE-independent E2 signaling in the ARC, we
      examined the differential regulation of the mouse arcuate transcriptome by E2
      using three mice genotypes: (1) wild-type, (2) ERalpha knock-in/knockout (ERE
      independent mechanisms), and (3) total ERalpha knockout (ERalpha-independent
      mechanisms). Females were ovariectomized and injected with oil or E2, and RNA
      sequencing on the ARC was used to identify E2-regulated genes in each genotype.
      Our results show that E2 regulates numerous genes involved in cell signaling,
      cytoskeleton structure, inflammation, neurotransmission, neuropeptide production,
      and transcription. Furthermore, ERE-independent signaling regulates ARC genes
      expressed in kisspeptin neurons and transcription factors that control the
      hypothalamic/pituitary/gonadal axis. Interestingly, a few genes involved in
      mitochondrial oxidative respiration were regulated by E2 through ERalpha
      independent signaling. A comparison within oil- and E2-treated females across the
      three genotypes suggests that genes involved in cell growth and proliferation,
      extracellular matrices, neuropeptides, receptors, and transcription are
      differentially expressed across the genotypes. Comparing with previously
      published chromatin immunoprecipitation sequencing analysis, we found that ERE
      independent regulation in the ARC is mainly mediated by tethering of ERalpha,
      which is consistent with previous findings. We conclude that the mouse arcuate
      estrogen-regulated transcriptome is regulated by multiple receptor-mediated
      mechanisms to modulate the central control of energy homeostasis and
      reproduction, including novel E2-responsive pathways.

PMID- 28359088
TI  - Sex Hormone-Binding Globulin Reduction in Metabolic Disorders May Play a Role in
      NAFLD Development.
AB  - Low plasma sex hormone-binding globulin (SHBG) levels are a hallmark in chronic
      metabolic diseases, including nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), which
      represents a spectrum of disease ranging from hepatocellular steatosis through
      steatohepatitis to fibrosis and irreversible cirrhosis. The functional link
      between altered SHBG production and NAFLD development and progression remains
      unclear. We investigated the effects of overexpressing human SHBG in 2 mouse
      models of NAFLD: a genetically induced double transgenic mouse and a diet-induced
      model. Remarkably, SHBG overexpression in both NAFLD models significantly reduced
      liver fat accumulation by reducing key lipogenic enzymes. These findings were
      corroborated by modulating SHBG expression and by adding exogenous SHBG in HepG2
      cells, suggesting the cell autonomous nature of the mechanism. Mechanistically,
      exogenous SHBG treatment downregulated key lipogenic enzymes by reducing
      PPARgamma messenger RNA and protein levels through activation of extracellular
      signal-regulated kinase-1/2 mitogen-activated protein kinase pathway. Taking
      together, we found that SHBG modulates hepatic lipogenesis. This is of importance
      because reduction of SHBG plasma levels in obese and type 2 diabetic subjects
      could be directly associated with NAFLD development through an increase in
      hepatic lipogenesis. Our results point to SHBG as a therapeutic target for
      preventing or arresting NAFLD development.

PMID- 28359087
TI  - Glucocorticoids Induce Bone and Muscle Atrophy by Tissue-Specific Mechanisms
      Upstream of E3 Ubiquitin Ligases.
AB  - Glucocorticoid excess, either endogenous with diseases of the adrenal gland,
      stress, or aging or when administered for immunosuppression, induces bone and
      muscle loss, leading to osteopenia and sarcopenia. Muscle weakness increases the
      propensity for falling, which, combined with the lower bone mass, increases the
      fracture risk. The mechanisms underlying glucocorticoid-induced bone and muscle
      atrophy are not completely understood. We have demonstrated that the loss of bone
      and muscle mass, decreased bone formation, and reduced muscle strength, hallmarks
      of glucocorticoid excess, are accompanied by upregulation in both tissues in vivo
      of the atrophy-related genes atrogin1, MuRF1, and MUSA1. These are E3 ubiquitin
      ligases traditionally considered muscle-specific. Glucocorticoids also
      upregulated atrophy genes in cultured osteoblastic/osteocytic cells, in ex vivo
      bone organ cultures, and in muscle organ cultures and C2C12 myoblasts/myotubes.
      Furthermore, glucocorticoids markedly increased the expression of components of
      the Notch signaling pathway in muscle in vivo, ex vivo, and in vitro. In
      contrast, glucocorticoids did not increase Notch signaling in bone or bone cells.
      Moreover, the increased expression of atrophy-related genes in muscle, but not in
      bone, and the decreased myotube diameter induced by glucocorticoids were
      prevented by inhibiting Notch signaling. Thus, glucocorticoids activate different
      mechanisms in bone and muscle that upregulate atrophy-related genes. However, the
      role of these genes in the effects of glucocorticoids in bone is unknown.
      Nevertheless, these findings advance our knowledge of the mechanism of action of
      glucocorticoids in the musculoskeletal system and provide the basis for novel
      therapies to prevent glucocorticoid-induced atrophy of bone and muscle.

PMID- 28359089
TI  - Dual Role of Insulin in Spexin Regulation: Functional Link Between Food Intake
      and Spexin Expression in a Fish Model.
AB  - Spexin (SPX), a neuropeptide discovered by the bioinformatics approach, has been
      recently identified as a satiety factor in a fish model. However, the functional
      link between feeding and SPX expression as well as the signal transduction for
      SPX regulation are totally unknown. In this study, we used goldfish as a model to
      examine the functional role of insulin as a postprandial signal for SPX
      regulation in bony fish. In goldfish, feeding could elevate plasma levels of
      glucose, insulin, and SPX with concurrent rises in insulin and SPX messenger RNA
      (mRNA) expression in the liver. Similar elevation in SPX mRNA level was also
      observed in the liver and brain areas involved in appetite control in goldfish
      after intraperitoneal injection of glucose and insulin, respectively. In parallel
      experiments with goldfish hepatocytes and brain cell culture, insulin signal
      induced by glucose was shown to exert a dual role in SPX regulation, namely (1)
      acting as an autocrine/paracrine signal to trigger SPX mRNA expression in the
      liver and (2) serving as an endocrine signal to induce SPX gene expression in the
      brain. Apparently, the peripheral (in the liver) and central actions of insulin
      (in the brain) on SPX gene expression were mediated by insulin receptor (to a
      lesser extent by insulin-like growth factor I receptor) coupled to mitogen
      activated protein kinase kinase 3/6/p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase and
      phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase/Akt/mammalian target of rapamycin but not mitogen
      activated protein kinase kinase 1/2/extracellular signal-regulated kinase 1/2
      cascades. Our findings indicate that an insulin component inducible by glucose is
      present in the liver of the fish model and may serve as the postprandial signal
      linking food intake with SPX expression both in the central as well as at the
      hepatic level.

PMID- 28359090
TI  - Corrigendum.

PMID- 28359091
TI  - BMP15 Mutations Associated With Primary Ovarian Insufficiency Reduce Expression,
      Activity, or Synergy With GDF9.
AB  - Context: Bone morphogenetic protein (BMP)15 is an oocyte-specific growth factor,
      which, together with growth differentiation factor (GDF) 9, regulates
      folliculogenesis and ovulation rate. Multiple mutations in BMP15 have been
      identified in women with primary ovarian insufficiency (POI), supporting a
      pathogenic role; however, the underlying biological mechanism of many of these
      mutants remains unresolved. Objectives: To determine how mutations associated
      with ovarian dysfunction alter the biological activity of human BMP15. Design:
      The effects of 10 mutations in BMP15 on protein production, activation of
      granulosa cells, and synergy with GDF9 were assessed. Results: Sequencing of 35
      patients with POI identified both an unrecognized BMP15 variant (c.986G>A, R329H)
      and a variant (c.581T>C, F194S) previously associated with the condition.
      Assessing expression and activity of these and 8 other BMP15 mutants identified:
      (1) multiple variants, including L148P, F194S, and Y235C, with reduced mature
      protein production; (2) three variants (R138H, A180T, and R329H) with ~fourfold
      lower activity than wild-type BMP15; and (3) 3 variants (R68W, F194S, and N196K)
      with a significantly reduced ability to synergize with GDF9. Conclusions:
      Mutations in BMP15 associated with POI reduce mature protein production,
      activity, or synergy with GDF9. The latter effect is perhaps most interesting
      given that interactions with GDF9 most likely underlie the physiology of BMP15 in
      the human ovary.

PMID- 28359092
TI  - The Association of Weight Loss and Cardiometabolic Outcomes in Obese Children:
      Systematic Review and Meta-regression.
AB  - Background: Excess body weight in children is associated with multiple immediate
      and long-term medical comorbidities. We aimed to identify the degree of reduction
      in excess body weight associated with cardiometabolic changes (lipid panel, liver
      function tests, systolic blood pressure (SBP), diastolic blood pressure,
      glycosylated hemoglobin, and fasting blood glucose) in overweight and obese
      children. Methods: We conducted a comprehensive search of MEDLINE, EMBASE,
      Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, and Scopus through February 12, 2015. We
      included randomized controlled trials and cohort studies that evaluated
      interventions to treat pediatric obesity (medication, surgery, lifestyle, and
      community-based interventions) with >= a 6-month follow-up. We used a random
      effects meta-regression approach to assess the association between body mass
      index (BMI)/weight and cardiometabolic changes. Results: We included 42 studies
      (37 randomized controlled trials and five cohorts) enrolling 3807 children (mean
      age, 12.2 years; weight, 74.7 kg; and BMI, 31.7 kg/m2). Studies had overall
      moderate to low risk of bias. A 1-mm Hg decrease in SBP was significantly
      associated with a decrease of 0.16 kg/m2 (P = .04) in BMI. A 1-mg/dL increase in
      HDL was significantly associated with a 0.74-kg decrease in weight (P = .02). A 1
      mg/dL decrease in triglycerides was significantly associated with a 0.1-kg
      decrease in weight (P = .03). The remaining associations were not statistically
      significant. Conclusions: Weight reduction in children is associated with
      significant changes in several cardiometabolic outcomes, particularly HDL, SBP,
      and triglycerides. The magnitude of improvement may help in setting expectations
      and may inform shared decision-making and counseling.

PMID- 28359094
TI  - Birth Weight in Different Etiologies of Disorders of Sex Development.
AB  - Context: It is well established that boys are heavier than girls at birth.
      Although the cause of birth weight (BW) difference is unknown, it has been
      proposed that it could be generated from prenatal androgen action. Objective: The
      aim of the current study was to determine the BW of children with disorders of
      sex development (DSD) of different etiologies and to evaluate the effects of
      androgen action on BW. Methods: Data regarding diagnosis, BW, gestational age,
      karyotype, and concomitant conditions were collected from the International
      Disorders of Sex Development (I-DSD) Registry (www.i-dsd). BW standard deviation
      score was calculated according to gestational age. Cases were evaluated according
      to disorder classification in I-DSD (i.e., disorders of gonadal development,
      androgen excess, androgen synthesis, androgen action, nonspecific disorder of
      undermasculinization groups, and Leydig cell defect). Results: A total of 533
      cases were available; 400 (75%) cases were 46,XY, and 133 (25%) cases were 46,XX.
      Eighty cases (15%) were born small for gestational age (SGA). Frequency of SGA
      was higher in the 46,XY group (17.8%) than in the 46,XX (6.7%) group (P = 0.001).
      Mean BW standard deviation scores of cases with androgen excess and androgen
      deficiency [in disorders of gonadal development, androgen synthesis, and Leydig
      cell defect groups and androgen receptor gene (AR) mutation-positive cases in
      disorders of androgen action groups] were similar to normal children with the
      same karyotype. SGA birth frequency was higher in the AR mutation-negative cases
      in disorders of androgen action group and in the nonspecific disorders of the
      undermasculinization group. Conclusions: BW dimorphism is unlikely to be
      explained by fetal androgen action per se. 46,XY DSDs due to nonspecific
      disorders of undermasculinization are more frequently associated with fetal
      growth restriction, SGA, and concomitant conditions.

PMID- 28359093
TI  - Diabetes-Specific Regulation of Adipocyte Metabolism by the Adipose Tissue
      Extracellular Matrix.
AB  - Context: The role of the extracellular matrix (ECM) in regulating adipocyte
      metabolism in the context of metabolic disease is poorly defined. Objective: The
      objective of this study was to define the metabolic phenotype of adipocytes
      associated with human diabetes (DM) and the role of the ECM in regulating
      adipocyte metabolism. Design: Adipose tissues from obese patients were studied in
      standard 2-dimensional (2D) cell culture and an in vitro model of decellularized
      adipose tissue ECM repopulated with human adipocytes, and results were correlated
      with DM status. Setting: This study was conducted at the Academic University
      Medical Center and Veteran's Administration Hospital. Patients: Seventy patients
      with morbid obesity undergoing bariatric surgery were included in the study.
      Interventions: Visceral and subcutaneous adipose tissues were collected at the
      time of bariatric surgery. Outcome measures: This study used metabolic assays for
      glucose uptake, lipolysis, and lipogenesis in adipocytes in 2D cell culture and 3
      dimensional ECM culture. Results: Adipocytes from subjects with DM manifest
      decreased glucose uptake and decreased lipolysis in 2D culture. ECM supports
      differentiation of mature adipocytes and recapitulates DM-specific differences in
      adipocyte metabolism observed in 2D culture. ECM from subjects without DM
      partially rescues glucose uptake and lipolytic defects in adipocytes from
      subjects with DM, whereas ECM from subjects with DM impairs glucose uptake in
      adipocytes from subjects without DM. Conclusions: DM is associated with adipocyte
      metabolic dysfunction. The ECM regulates adipocyte metabolism. Nondiabetic ECM
      rescues metabolic dysfunction in DM adipocytes, whereas DM ECM imparts features
      of metabolic dysfunction to nondiabetic adipocytes. These findings suggest the
      ECM as a target for manipulating adipose tissue metabolism.

PMID- 28359095
TI  - Radiotherapy, Especially at Young Age, Increases the Risk for De Novo Brain
      Tumors in Patients Treated for Pituitary/Sellar Lesions.
AB  - Context: De novo brain tumors developing after treatment of pituitary/sellar
      lesions have been reported, but it is unknown whether this is linked to any of
      the treatment modalities. Objective: To study the occurrence of malignant brain
      tumors and meningiomas in a large cohort of patients treated for pituitary/sellar
      lesions, with special emphasis on the role of radiotherapy (RT). Patients and
      Methods: Patients (n = 8917) who were hypopituitary due to pituitary adenomas,
      craniopharyngiomas, and other sellar tumors followed in KIMS (Pfizer
      International Metabolic Database) from 1994 to 2012 were included. Treatment
      consisted of surgery and/or medical therapy in 4927 patients, RT alone, or with
      surgery in 3236 patients; data were missing in 754. Incidence rate ratios (RRs)
      were analyzed through Poisson regression methods with internal comparisons.
      Results: During 53,786 patient-years, 17 cases of malignant brain tumors (13
      exposed to RT) and 27 meningiomas (22 exposed to RT) were reported. RR for RT vs
      no RT was 3.34 [95% confidence interval (CI), 1.06 to 10.6] for malignant brain
      tumors, and 4.06 (95% CI, 1.51 to 10.9) for meningiomas. The risk of developing a
      malignant brain tumor increased by 2.4-fold (P = 0.005) and meningioma by 1.6
      fold with every 10 years of younger age at RT (P = 0.05). Incidence rates were
      similar in patients treated with conventional RT compared with stereotactic RT.
      Conclusion: RT of pituitary tumors is associated with increased risk of
      developing malignant brain tumors and meningiomas, especially when given at
      younger ages. In balancing risks and benefits of RT, our findings emphasize that
      special consideration should be given to the age of the patient.

PMID- 28359096
TI  - Early Maternal Thyroid Function During Gestation Is Associated With Fetal Growth,
      Particularly in Male Newborns.
AB  - Background: Intrauterine growth patterns are influenced by maternal thyroid
      function during gestation and by fetal sex. It is unknown, however, whether the
      relationships between maternal thyrotropin (TSH) and free thyroxine (fT4) levels
      in early pregnancy and fetal growth outcomes are modified by fetal sex. Design:
      Data were obtained from a community-based cohort study of pregnant women living
      in Amsterdam (Amsterdam Born Children and Their Development study). TSH and fT4
      levels were determined during the first prenatal screening at median 13 weeks
      (interquartile range, 12 to 14). Women with live-born singletons and no overt
      thyroid dysfunction were included (N = 3988). Associations between these maternal
      hormones and birth weight, small for gestational age (SGA), and large for
      gestational age (LGA) were analyzed separately for each sex. Results: After
      adjustments, 1 pmol/L increase in maternal fT4 levels was associated with a
      reduction in birth weight of 33.7 g (P < 0.001) in male newborns and 16.1 g (P <
      0.05) in female newborns. Increased maternal fT4 was not associated with
      increased odds for SGA, but was associated with a decreased odds for LGA in boys
      [per 1 pmol/L; odds ratio (OR), 0.79; 95% confidence interval (CI), 0.69 to
      0.90]. Maternal subclinical hypothyroidism in early pregnancy (TSH > 2.5 mU/L,
      7.3%) was associated with increased odds for LGA in male newborns (OR, 1.95; 95%
      CI, 1.22 to 3.11). Conclusion: Maternal fT4 in early pregnancy was observed to be
      inversely associated with birth weight, with a stronger relationship in males.
      Male infants also had increased odds for LGA in mothers with subclinical
      hypothyroidism. Sexual dimorphism appears to be present in the relationship
      between maternal thyroid metabolism and fetal intrauterine growth, with stronger
      associations in male infants.

PMID- 28359098
TI  - Attenuation of Resting but Not Load-Mediated Protein Synthesis in Prostate Cancer
      Patients on Androgen Deprivation.
AB  - Context: Androgen deprivation therapy (ADT) is a common prostate cancer (PCa)
      treatment but results in muscular atrophy. Periodic increases in muscle protein
      synthesis (MPS) that occur after resistance exercise or protein intake may
      ameliorate this muscle loss, but the impact of these anabolic stimuli during ADT
      is unclear. Objective: To determine the acute MPS response to whey protein
      supplementation with and without resistance exercise during ADT. Design: Acute
      response in PCa patients vs age-matched controls (CON). Setting: Academic
      laboratory setting. Participants: PCa patients on ADT (N = 8) and CON (N = 10).
      Intervention: A standardized diet was consumed for 2 days prior to performing
      unilateral knee extension resistance exercise followed by ingestion of 40 g of
      whey protein. Main Outcome Measures: Bilateral biopsies and stable isotope
      infusions were used to determine MPS rates at rest after protein ingestion with
      and without resistance exercise. Results: Baseline MPS during ADT was suppressed
      relative to CON (P = 0.01). Protein consumption stimulated MPS in both groups
      (approximate twofold increase, both P < 0.001), but to a greater extent in CON (P
      = 0.003). Protein plus resistance exercise increased MPS (~3.4-fold increase,
      both P < 0.001) to a greater extent than did protein alone (P < 0.001), but with
      no difference between groups (P = 0.380). Conclusions: ADT reduces basal and
      protein feeding-induced rises in MPS; however, combined protein ingestion with
      resistance exercise stimulated MPS to a similar degree as CON. Testosterone
      appears to play a role in maintaining muscle mass but is not necessary to
      initiate a robust response in MPS following resistance exercise when combined
      with protein ingestion.

PMID- 28359097
TI  - A Perspective on Middle-Aged and Older Men With Functional Hypogonadism: Focus on
      Holistic Management.
AB  - Context: Middle-aged and older men (>=50 years), especially those who are obese
      and suffer from comorbidities, not uncommonly present with clinical features
      consistent with androgen deficiency and modestly reduced testosterone levels.
      Commonly, such men do not demonstrate anatomical hypothalamic-pituitary
      testicular axis pathology but have functional hypogonadism that is potentially
      reversible. Evidence Acquisition: Literature review from 1970 to October 2016.
      Evidence Synthesis: Although definitive randomized controlled trials are lacking,
      evidence suggests that in such men, lifestyle measures to achieve weight loss and
      optimization of comorbidities, including discontinuation of offending
      medications, lead to clinical improvement and a modest increase in testosterone.
      Also, androgen deficiency-like symptoms and end-organ deficits respond to
      targeted treatments (such as phosphodiesterase-5 inhibitors for erectile
      dysfunction) without evidence that hypogonadal men are refractory. Unfortunately,
      lifestyle interventions remain difficult and may be insufficient even if
      successful. Testosterone therapy should be considered primarily for men who have
      significant clinical features of androgen deficiency and unequivocally low
      testosterone levels. Testosterone should be initiated either concomitantly with a
      trial of lifestyle measures, or after such a trial fails, after a tailored
      diagnostic work-up, exclusion of contraindications, and appropriate counseling.
      Conclusions: There is modest evidence that functional hypogonadism responds to
      lifestyle measures and optimization of comorbidities. If achievable, these
      interventions may have demonstrable health benefits beyond the potential for
      increasing testosterone levels. Therefore, treatment of underlying causes of
      functional hypogonadism and of symptoms should be used either as an initial or
      adjunctive approach to testosterone therapy.

PMID- 28359099
TI  - Pediatric Obesity-Assessment, Treatment, and Prevention: An Endocrine Society
      Clinical Practice Guideline.
AB  - Cosponsoring Associations: The European Society of Endocrinology and the
      Pediatric Endocrine Society. This guideline was funded by the Endocrine Society.
      Objective: To formulate clinical practice guidelines for the assessment,
      treatment, and prevention of pediatric obesity. Participants: The participants
      include an Endocrine Society-appointed Task Force of 6 experts, a methodologist,
      and a medical writer. Evidence: This evidence-based guideline was developed using
      the Grading of Recommendations, Assessment, Development, and Evaluation approach
      to describe the strength of recommendations and the quality of evidence. The Task
      Force commissioned 2 systematic reviews and used the best available evidence from
      other published systematic reviews and individual studies. Consensus Process: One
      group meeting, several conference calls, and e-mail communications enabled
      consensus. Endocrine Society committees and members and co-sponsoring
      organizations reviewed and commented on preliminary drafts of this guideline.
      Conclusion: Pediatric obesity remains an ongoing serious international health
      concern affecting ~17% of US children and adolescents, threatening their adult
      health and longevity. Pediatric obesity has its basis in genetic susceptibilities
      influenced by a permissive environment starting in utero and extending through
      childhood and adolescence. Endocrine etiologies for obesity are rare and usually
      are accompanied by attenuated growth patterns. Pediatric comorbidities are common
      and long-term health complications often result; screening for comorbidities of
      obesity should be applied in a hierarchal, logical manner for early
      identification before more serious complications result. Genetic screening for
      rare syndromes is indicated only in the presence of specific historical or
      physical features. The psychological toll of pediatric obesity on the individual
      and family necessitates screening for mental health issues and counseling as
      indicated. The prevention of pediatric obesity by promoting healthful diet,
      activity, and environment should be a primary goal, as achieving effective, long
      lasting results with lifestyle modification once obesity occurs is difficult.
      Although some behavioral and pharmacotherapy studies report modest success,
      additional research into accessible and effective methods for preventing and
      treating pediatric obesity is needed. The use of weight loss medications during
      childhood and adolescence should be restricted to clinical trials. Increasing
      evidence demonstrates the effectiveness of bariatric surgery in the most
      seriously affected mature teenagers who have failed lifestyle modification, but
      the use of surgery requires experienced teams with resources for long-term follow
      up. Adolescents undergoing lifestyle therapy, medication regimens, or bariatric
      surgery for obesity will need cohesive planning to help them effectively
      transition to adult care, with continued necessary monitoring, support, and
      intervention. Transition programs for obesity are an uncharted area requiring
      further research for efficacy. Despite a significant increase in research on
      pediatric obesity since the initial publication of these guidelines 8 years ago,
      further study is needed of the genetic and biological factors that increase the
      risk of weight gain and influence the response to therapeutic interventions. Also
      needed are more studies to better understand the genetic and biological factors
      that cause an obese individual to manifest one comorbidity vs another or to be
      free of comorbidities. Furthermore, continued investigation into the most
      effective methods of preventing and treating obesity and into methods for
      changing environmental and economic factors that will lead to worldwide cultural
      changes in diet and activity should be priorities. Particular attention to
      determining ways to effect systemic changes in food environments and total daily
      mobility, as well as methods for sustaining healthy body mass index changes, is
      of importance.

PMID- 28359100
TI  - Response to PD Miller, Underdiagnosis and Undertreatment of Osteoporosis: The
      Battle To Be Won.

PMID- 28359101
TI  - Treatment of Pediatric Obesity: An Umbrella Systematic Review.
AB  - Objective: Multiple interventions are available to reduce excess body weight in
      children. We appraised the quality of evidence supporting each intervention and
      assessed the effectiveness on different obesity-related outcomes. Methods: We
      conducted a systematic search for systematic reviews of randomized controlled
      trials evaluating pediatric obesity interventions applied for >=6 months. We
      assessed the quality of evidence for each intervention using GRADE (Grading of
      Recommendation, Assessment, Development, and Evaluation) approach. Results: From
      16 systematic reviews, we identified 133 eligible randomized controlled trials.
      Physical activity interventions reduced systolic blood pressure and fasting
      glucose (low to moderate quality of evidence). Dietary interventions with low
      carbohydrate diets had a similar effect to low-fat diets in terms of body mass
      index (BMI) reduction (moderate quality of evidence). Educational interventions
      reduced waist circumference, BMI, and diastolic blood pressure (low quality of
      evidence). Pharmacological interventions reduced BMI (metformin, sibutramine,
      orlistat) and waist circumference (sibutramine, orlistat) and increased high
      density lipoprotein cholesterol (sibutramine) but also raised systolic and
      diastolic blood pressure (sibutramine). Surgical interventions (laparoscopic
      adjustable gastric banding, Roux-en-Y gastric bypass, sleeve gastrectomy)
      resulted in the largest BMI reduction (moderate quality of evidence). Combined
      interventions consisting of dietary modification, physical activity, behavioral
      therapy, and education significantly reduced systolic and diastolic blood
      pressure, BMI, and triglycerides. Combined parent-child interventions and parent
      only interventions had similar effects on BMI (low quality of evidence).
      Conclusions: Several childhood obesity interventions are effective in improving
      metabolic and anthropometric measures. A comprehensive multicomponent
      intervention, however, appears to have the best overall outcomes.

PMID- 28359102
TI  - Surgery for Neck Recurrence of Differentiated Thyroid Cancer: Outcomes and Risk
      Factors.
AB  - Background: Persistent/recurrent disease in the neck is frequent in patients with
      differentiated thyroid cancer (DTC). Objective: Assess efficacy, safety, and
      prognostic factors of first neck reoperation in DTC. Methods: Retrospective study
      of consecutive patients undergoing neck reoperation for recurrent/persistent DTC
      in a referral cancer center. Response after reoperation was defined according to
      the 2015 American Thyroid Association guidelines. Findings: One hundred sixty-one
      DTC patients were enrolled (64% females, median age 35 years, 96% papillary DTC).
      Initial stage was pT3 in 43% and pT4 in 10%, pN1 in 74%. Aggressive histology was
      present in 25% of the patients, in both primary and persistent/recurrent tumor.
      Four patients had no malignancy in the reoperative specimen, and 1 patient died
      due to postoperative hematoma and was excluded from further analysis. Following
      reoperation, 15 patients (10%) had persistent structural disease, 16 (10%) had
      biochemical incomplete response, 26 (17%) had indeterminate response, and 99
      (63%) had complete response (CR), among whom 24 relapsed later. After a median
      follow-up of 5 years, only 83 patients (53%) had CR without the need for further
      treatments. The rate of permanent complications was: hypoparathyroidism 2%,
      laryngeal nerve palsy 0.6%, other 6%. Age >=45 years, aggressive histology, and
      lymph node ratio >=0.6 at initial surgery were independent risk factors for
      incomplete response after reoperation. Male sex, aggressive histology, and >=10
      metastases at reoperation were independent risk factors of secondary relapse
      following CR achieved with reoperation. Conclusion: A careful risk-benefit
      analysis should guide surgical decision, particularly in patients with risk
      factors for incomplete response.

PMID- 28359103
TI  - Letter to the Editor: Metabolically Healthy (and Fit?) Obesity.

PMID- 28359104
TI  - Letter to the Editor: Severe Rebound-Associated Vertebral Fractures After
      Denosumab Discontinuation: Nine Clinical Cases Report.

PMID- 28359106
TI  - Erratum.

PMID- 28359105
TI  - Response to the Letter by Trovas.

PMID- 28359107
TI  - Corrigendem.

PMID- 28359109
TI  - Biomarkers of Pelvic Endometriosis.

PMID- 28359108
TI  - Worldwide Dissatisfaction With the Diagnostic Process and Initial Treatment of
      PCOS.

PMID- 28359110
TI  - Influence of Body Image in Women Undergoing Treatment for Breast Cancer.
AB  - Objective The objective of this study was to investigate the self-esteem of women
      with and without breast cancer regarding their body image. Methods A
      quantitative, case-control study in which 90 women with breast cancer were
      evaluated in the case group, and 77 women without breast cancer in the control
      group. For data collection, the body satisfaction scale (BSS), a scale adapted
      and validated in Brazil, and the Rosenberg self-esteem questionnaire were used.
      For the statistical analysis of the data, the Statistical Package for the Social
      Sciences software (IBM-SPSS, Chicago, Il, US), version 16.0 was used. Results
      Compared with the women without breast cancer, those with breast cancer were more
      dissatisfied with body image related to appearance. Women undergoing neoadjuvant
      chemotherapy were more dissatisfied with their appearance compared with those
      with cancer who were not undergoing this treatment. Mastectomy also accounted for
      more dissatisfaction concerning appearance among women who underwent the
      procedure compared with the women who were submitted to breast-conserving
      therapy. Conclusion Women with breast cancer were more dissatisfied with their
      body image compared with those without breast cancer, particularly following
      mastectomy or during chemotherapy. The self-esteem was found to be negatively
      affected in patients who were dissatisfied with their body image.

PMID- 28359111
TI  - [Medical Rehabilitation as an Attractive Field of Work for Medical Doctors? - A
      Qualitative Survey].
AB  - In the German Health system there is an increasing competition in the recruitment
      of specialised staff, especially for rehabilitation centres, which are deemed
      less attractive. Therefore, this study examines the attractiveness of the field
      of medical rehabilitation from the point of view of medical professionals. We
      conducted 16 semi-structured interviews with doctors from 7 rehabilitation
      centres with different medical specialisations. The interviews were digitized and
      transcribed. A structured content analysis was carried out using the software
      MAXQDA 11. 745 codes were identified and assigned to the categories
      "attractiveness", "unfavourable aspects" and "special features" of
      rehabilitation. Regarding medical rehabilitation, the interviewees appreciated
      especially the predictable, flexible working environment with little time
      pressure. Other than working with rehabilitative patients working as part of an
      interdisciplinary team was of high importance for the interviewees. Among the
      special features of rehabilitation in comparison with acute care were the higher
      relevance of the bio-psycho-social model of health and illness as well as the
      higher proportion of communication and organisation. Medical rehabilitation in
      Germany is an attractive field of work for medical doctors. This fact should be
      considered more with regards to rehabilitation's public image.

PMID- 28359112
TI  - [Rehabilitation Processes in Out- and Inpatient Rehabilitation after Radical
      Prostatectomy].
AB  - We evaluated processes in in- and outpatient rehabilitation after radical
      prostatectomy. Overall, we analyzed motivation and expectations of 119 in- and
      719 outpatients (aged<=64) at the beginning of rehabilitation as well as
      satisfaction and the amount of interventions at the end. Compared to inpatients
      outpatients had a higher socio-economic status and better physical condition.
      Both groups reported similar outcomes regarding motivation, expectation and
      satisfaction. Furthermore in- and outpatients got a comparable amount of
      interventions, but both groups differed to some extent in regard to the kind of
      interventions. In- and outpatients are comparable in regard to their received
      amount of interventions. Discrepancies concerning the kind of interventions are
      due to differences between in- and outpatients. The results indicate specific
      patients' characteristics in both settings, but more research is needed to verify
      these findings.

PMID- 28359113
TI  - [Development and Current Status of the Health Education Curriculum of the German
      Pension Insurance].
AB  - The health education curriculum of the German pension insurance comprises 27
      patient education programs that are mostly indication-based. The curriculum aims
      to support the implementation of patient-oriented patient education in German
      rehabilitation centers. The effectiveness of several of the educational programs
      was evaluated in controlled trials with heterogeneous results. Overall, the
      dissemination of the evaluated programs in rehabilitation practice can be
      recommended. They constitute an essential part of the overall treatment concept,
      but are often modified in clinical practice. In particular, the physician led
      modules are frequently conducted in larger group settings. It is currently
      considered how these routine working conditions might be reflected in the quality
      assurance system of the German pension insurance and a cross-organizational
      conceptual framework.

PMID- 28359114
TI  - ?

PMID- 28359115
TI  - ?

PMID- 28359117
TI  - ?

PMID- 28359116
TI  - ?

PMID- 28359118
TI  - ?

PMID- 28359119
TI  - ?

PMID- 28359120
TI  - ?

PMID- 28359121
TI  - ?

PMID- 28359122
TI  - ?

PMID- 28359123
TI  - ?

PMID- 28359124
TI  - ?

PMID- 28359126
TI  - ?

PMID- 28359125
TI  - ?

PMID- 28359127
TI  - ?

PMID- 28359128
TI  - ?

PMID- 28359129
TI  - ?

PMID- 28359130
TI  - ?

PMID- 28359131
TI  - [Sports Injuries and Illnesses of the German National Team during the 2016
      Olympic Summer Games in Rio de Janeiro].
AB  - : Background This article aims to survey and describe the injuries and illnesses
      of the German Team during the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro. Methods
      Through an electronic documentation system, injuries and illnesses requiring
      treatment were recorded and evaluated. An injury or illness was defined as any
      physical symptom that required medical attention and impaired participation in
      training and/or competition. The classification distinguished between type of
      injury (acute or overload), region and type of illness (infections, skin,
      allergy, etc.). Results A total of 808 treatments were performed on the German
      team during Rio 2016. Out of 283 musculoskeletal-related treatments, 160 were
      performed on the lower limb. 70 treatments addressed back problems. 164
      treatments were performed due to upper respiratory tract infections. When
      extrapolated to 1000 athletes, 617 treatments were required due to illness while
      672 treatments addressed musculoskeletal problems. The number of treatments for
      injuries and illness is almost identical. In addition to less severe problems,
      the following serious injuries occurred: lethal traumatic brain injury, acute
      thigh compartment syndrome, ACL tear with a medial meniscal lesion and antero
      lateral instability, isolated ACL tear, stress fracture of the base of the third
      metatarsal bone, acute lateral ankle instability, AC joint dislocation, and
      infected bursa prepatellaris. CONCLUSIONS: The documentation system is reliable
      for "injury and illness surveillance" at multi-sport events. Treatment numbers
      are consistent with the 2012 Summer Games in London, so a reliable strategy can
      be assumed. In addition to illnesses predominantly affecting the upper
      respiratory tract, the system also recorded serious musculoskeletal injuries,
      which implicates the need for an interdisciplinary setup of the medical team. The
      methods used for data collection currently do not allow for the identification of
      risk factors for injuries and illness and should therefore be extended in the
      future.

PMID- 28359132
TI  - Point-of-Care Testing in Liver Disease and Liver Surgery.
AB  - The alterations in coagulation and hemostasis that accompany liver disease are
      complex, and while patients with this disease have traditionally been perceived
      as having a bleeding diathesis, it is now understood that in stable patients
      hemostasis is "re-balanced." Hepatic surgery, and particularly liver
      transplantation, can be associated with large fluid shifts, massive bleeding, and
      coagulopathy, as well as postoperative thrombosis. Point-of-care tests (POCTs) of
      coagulation facilitate goal-directed treatments and hemostatic monitoring in
      dynamic environments where the coagulation status can alter rapidly and often
      unpredictably. POCTs reflect more accurately the re-balanced hemostatic system
      than do conventional coagulation tests (CCTs). Viscoelastic POCT-guided
      transfusion algorithms permit a reduction in blood product administration and are
      a key component of patient blood management programs. Moreover, viscoelastic
      POCTs are better able to identify patients with hypercoagulability than CCTs.
      With thrombosis increasingly recognized to be a problem in patients with liver
      disease, POCTs hold promise for both individualized bleeding and thrombosis
      management.

PMID- 28359133
TI  - Point-of-Care Coagulation Testing in Cardiac Surgery.
AB  - Bleeding complications after cardiac surgery are common and are associated with
      increased morbidity and mortality. Their etiology is multifactorial, and
      treatment decisions are time sensitive. Point-of-care (POC) testing has an
      advantage over standard laboratory tests for faster turn-around times, and timely
      decision on coagulation intervention(s). The most common POC coagulation testing
      is the activated clotting time (ACT), used to monitor heparin therapy while on
      cardiopulmonary bypass. Viscoelastic coagulation tests including
      thromboelastometry (ROTEM) and thromboelastography (TEG) have been recommended
      for the treatment of postoperative bleeding after cardiac surgery because the
      ROTEM/TEG-guided treatment algorithms reduced the use of blood products. Other
      POC tests are commercially available, but there is sparse evidence for their
      routine use in cardiac surgery. These devices include heparin management systems,
      POC prothrombin time and activated partial thromboplastin time, POC fibrinogen
      assay, and whole blood platelet function tests. There are multiple confounding
      elements and conditions associated with cardiac surgery, which can significantly
      alter test results. Anemia and thrombocytopenia are regularly associated with
      deviations in many POC devices. In summary, POC coagulation testing allows for
      rapid clinical decisions in hematological interventions, and, when used in
      conjunction with a proper transfusion algorithm, may reduce blood product usage,
      and potentially complications associated with blood transfusion.

PMID- 28359134
TI  - Circulating Extracellular DNA: Cause or Consequence of Thrombosis?
AB  - Thrombosis leads to ischemic organ damage in cardiovascular and thromboembolic
      diseases. Neutrophils promote thrombosis in vitro and in vivo by releasing
      neutrophil extracellular traps (NETs). NETs are composed of DNA filaments coated
      with histones and neutrophil enzymes such as myeloperoxidase (MPO). Circulating
      extracellular DNA (ceDNA) is widely used as a surrogate marker to monitor NET
      formation in thrombosis. This narrative review summarizes the association of
      ceDNA with human thrombosis. Levels of ceDNA indicate the extent and outcome of
      several cardiovascular and thromboembolic diseases, including myocardial
      infarction, stroke, and venous thromboembolism. ceDNA correlates with markers of
      coagulation and platelet consumption, thus supporting the hypothesis that ceDNA
      may be a surrogate marker of thrombus formation. In addition, ceDNA levels
      correlate with markers of cell injury and size of ischemic lesions, suggesting
      that ceDNA does not derive from NETs but is probably released from damaged
      organs. Few studies identified NET-specific biomarkers such as DNA-MPO complexes
      in the blood of patients with thrombosis. In conclusion, it remains to be
      established whether ceDNA in patients derives from NETs and is a cause or
      consequence of thrombosis.

PMID- 28359135
TI  - Scoring Systems for Estimating the Risk of Anticoagulant-Associated Bleeding.
AB  - Anticoagulant medications are frequently used to prevent and treat thromboembolic
      disease. However, the benefits of anticoagulants must be balanced with a careful
      assessment of the risk of bleeding complications that can ensue from their use.
      Several bleeding risk scores are available, including the Outpatient Bleeding
      Risk Index, HAS-BLED, ATRIA, and HEMORR2HAGES risk assessment tools, and can be
      used to help estimate patients' risk for bleeding on anticoagulants. These tools
      vary by their individual risk components and in how they define and weigh
      clinical factors. However, it is not yet clear how best to integrate bleeding
      risk tools into clinical practice. Current bleeding risk scores generally have
      modest predictive ability and limited ability to predict the most devastating
      complication of anticoagulation, intracranial hemorrhage. In clinical practice,
      bleeding risk tools should be paired with a formal determination of thrombosis
      risk, as their results may be most influential for patients at the lower end of
      thrombosis risk, as well as for highlighting potentially modifiable risk factors
      for bleeding. Use of bleeding risk scores may assist clinicians and patients in
      making informed and individualized anticoagulation decisions.

PMID- 28359136
TI  - Point-of-Care Testing in Burn Patients.
AB  - Severe burn injury has an impact on the coagulation system, but a unique
      definition regarding these changes is still missing. The results of conventional
      coagulation assays (CCAs) measured in daily clinical practice are often
      interpreted as coagulopathic, which implies a bleeding tendency. However,
      viscoelastic coagulation assays (VCA) like Rotational Thromboelastometry (ROTEM)
      and Thromboelastography (TEG) depict a hypercoagulable state. Therefore,
      hemostatic interventions should not be indicated according to deranged CCA
      results, but only in case of clinically relevant bleeding plus indicative VCA
      results. Massive blood loss mainly results from surgical excision of burn wounds.
      VCAs seem to be capable of guiding target-oriented coagulation management in this
      context. Owing to the increased thromboembolic risk, it appears rational to
      individualize pharmacologic venous thromboembolism prophylaxis by using sensitive
      laboratory tests and drug monitoring. Studies evaluating the use of new VCA test
      modifications are highly warranted and may substantially improve outcome in this
      difficult-to-treat patient population.

PMID- 28359137
TI  - An Ultrasensitive Gold Nanoparticle-based Lateral Flow Test for the Detection of
      Active Botulinum Neurotoxin Type A.
AB  - Botulism is a severe and potentially lethal paralytic disease caused by several
      botulinum neurotoxin-producing Clostridia spp. In China, the majority of the
      cases caused by botulism were from less-developed rural areas. Here, we designed
      specific substrate peptides and reconfigured gold nanoparticle-based lateral flow
      test strip (LFTS) to develop an endopeptidase-based lateral flow assay for the
      diagnosis of botulism. We performed this lateral flow assay on botulinum
      neurotoxin-spiked human serum samples. The as-prepared LFTS had excellent
      performance in the detection of botulinum neurotoxin using only 1 MUL of
      simulated serum, and its sensitivity and specificity were comparable to that of
      mouse lethality assay. Moreover, the assay takes only half a day and does not
      require highly trained laboratory staff, specialized facility, or equipment.
      Finally, our LFTS can be potentially extended to other serotypes of BoNTs by
      designing specific substrate peptides against the different types of BoNTs.
      Overall, we demonstrate a strategy by which LFTS and endopeptidase activity
      assays can be integrated to achieve facile and economic diagnosis of botulism in
      resource-limited settings.

PMID- 28359138
TI  - Mechanical Deformation Mechanisms and Properties of Prion Fibrils Probed by
      Atomistic Simulations.
AB  - Prion fibrils, which are a hallmark for neurodegenerative diseases, have recently
      been found to exhibit the structural diversity that governs disease pathology.
      Despite our recent finding concerning the role of the disease-specific structure
      of prion fibrils in determining their elastic properties, the mechanical
      deformation mechanisms and fracture properties of prion fibrils depending on
      their structures have not been fully characterized. In this work, we have studied
      the tensile deformation mechanisms of prion and non-prion amyloid fibrils by
      using steered molecular dynamics simulations. Our simulation results show that
      the elastic modulus of prion fibril, which is formed based on left-handed beta
      helical structure, is larger than that of non-prion fibril constructed based on
      right-handed beta-helix. However, the mechanical toughness of prion fibril is
      found to be less than that of non-prion fibril, which indicates that infectious
      prion fibril is more fragile than non-infectious (non-prion) fibril. Our study
      sheds light on the role of the helical structure of amyloid fibrils, which is
      related to prion infectivity, in determining their mechanical deformation
      mechanisms and properties.

PMID- 28359139
TI  - Photoluminescence Study of the Interface Fluctuation Effect for InGaAs/InAlAs/InP
      Single Quantum Well with Different Thickness.
AB  - Photoluminescence (PL) is investigated as a function of the excitation intensity
      and temperature for lattice-matched InGaAs/InAlAs quantum well (QW) structures
      with well thicknesses of 7 and 15 nm, respectively. At low temperature, interface
      fluctuations result in the 7-nm QW PL exhibiting a blueshift of 15 meV, a
      narrowing of the linewidth (full width at half maximum, FWHM) from 20.3 to 10
      meV, and a clear transition of the spectral profile with the laser excitation
      intensity increasing four orders in magnitude. The 7-nm QW PL also has a larger
      blueshift and FWHM variation than the 15-nm QW as the temperature increases from
      10 to ~50 K. Finally, simulations of this system which correlate with the
      experimental observations indicate that a thin QW must be more affected by
      interface fluctuations and their resulting potential fluctuations than a thick
      QW. This work provides useful information on guiding the growth to achieve
      optimized InGaAs/InAlAs QWs for applications with different QW thicknesses.

PMID- 28359140
TI  - Gold Nanoparticles as a Direct and Rapid Sensor for Sensitive Analytical
      Detection of Biogenic Amines.
AB  - A new optical sensor was developed for rapid screening with high sensitivity for
      the existence of biogenic amines (BAs) in poultry meat samples. Gold
      nanoparticles (GNPs) with particle size 11-19 nm function as a fast and sensitive
      biosensor for detection of histamine resulting from bacterial decarboxylation of
      histidine as a spoilage marker for stored poultry meat. Upon reaction with
      histamine, the red color of the GNPs converted into deep blue. The appearance of
      blue color favorably coincides with the concentration of BAs that can induce
      symptoms of poisoning. This biosensor enables a semi-quantitative detection of
      analyte in real samples by eye-vision. Quality evaluation is carried out by
      measuring histamine and histidine using different analytical techniques such as
      UV-vis, FTIR, and fluorescence spectroscopy as well as TEM. A rapid quantitative
      readout of samples by UV-vis and fluorescence methods with standard
      instrumentation were proposed in a short time unlike chromatographic and
      electrophoretic methods. Sensitivity and limit of detection (LOD) of 6.59 * 10-4
      and 0.6 MUM, respectively, are determined for histamine as a spoilage marker with
      a correlation coefficient (R 2) of 0.993.

PMID- 28359141
TI  - The Study of Electrical Properties for Multilayer La2O3/Al2O3 Dielectric Stacks
      and LaAlO3 Dielectric Film Deposited by ALD.
AB  - The capacitance and leakage current properties of multilayer La2O3/Al2O3
      dielectric stacks and LaAlO3 dielectric film are investigated in this paper. A
      clear promotion of capacitance properties is observed for multilayer La2O3/Al2O3
      stacks after post-deposition annealing (PDA) at 800  degrees C compared with PDA
      at 600  degrees C, which indicated the recombination of defects and dangling
      bonds performs better at the high-k/Si substrate interface for a higher annealing
      temperature. For LaAlO3 dielectric film, compared with multilayer La2O3/Al2O3
      dielectric stacks, a clear promotion of trapped charges density (N ot) and a
      degradation of interface trap density (D it) can be obtained simultaneously. In
      addition, a significant improvement about leakage current property is observed
      for LaAlO3 dielectric film compared with multilayer La2O3/Al2O3 stacks at the
      same annealing condition. We also noticed that a better breakdown behavior for
      multilayer La2O3/Al2O3 stack is achieved after annealing at a higher temperature
      for its less defects.

PMID- 28359142
TI  - Structural Properties Characterized by the Film Thickness and Annealing
      Temperature for La2O3 Films Grown by Atomic Layer Deposition.
AB  - La2O3 films were grown on Si substrates by atomic layer deposition technique with
      different thickness. Crystallization characteristics of the La2O3 films were
      analyzed by grazing incidence X-ray diffraction after post-deposition rapid
      thermal annealing treatments at several annealing temperatures. It was found that
      the crystallization behaviors of the La2O3 films are affected by the film
      thickness and annealing temperatures as a relationship with the diffusion of Si
      substrate. Compared with the amorphous La2O3 films, the crystallized films were
      observed to be more unstable due to the hygroscopicity of La2O3. Besides, the
      impacts of crystallization characteristics on the bandgap and refractive index of
      the La2O3 films were also investigated by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and
      spectroscopic ellipsometry, respectively.

PMID- 28359143
TI  - Electronic Properties of a New All-Inorganic Perovskite TlPbI3 Simulated by the
      First Principles.
AB  - All-inorganic perovskites have been recognized as promising photovoltaic
      materials. We simulated the perovskite material of TlPbI3 using ab initio
      electronic structure calculations. The band gap of 1.33 eV is extremely close to
      the theoretical optimum value. Compared TlPbI3 with CsPbI3, the total energy (
      3980 eV) of the former is much lower than the latter. The partial density of
      states (PDOS) of TlPbI3 shows that a strong bond exists between Tl and I,
      resulting in the lower total energy and more stable existence than CsPbI3.

PMID- 28359144
TI  - Mind Bomb-Binding Partner RanBP9 Plays a Contributory Role in Retinal
      Development.
AB  - Ran-binding protein family member, RanBP9 has been reported in various basic
      cellular mechanisms and neuropathological conditions including schizophrenia.
      Previous studies have reported that RanBP9 is highly expressed in the mammalian
      brain and retina; however, the role of RanBP9 in retinal development is largely
      unknown. Here, we present the novel and regulatory roles of RanBP9 in retinal
      development of a vertebrate animal model, zebrafish. Zebrafish embryos exhibited
      abundant expression of ranbp9 in developing brain tissues as well as in the
      developing retina. Yeast two-hybrid screening demonstrated the interaction of
      RanBP9 with Mind bomb, a component of Notch signaling involved in both
      neurogenesis and neural disease autism. The interaction is further substantiated
      by co-localization studies in cultured cells. Knockdown of ranbp9 resulted in
      retinal dysplasia with defective proliferation of retinal cells, downregulation
      of neuronal differentiation marker huC, elevation of neural proliferation marker
      her4, and alteration of cell cycle marker p57kip2. Expression of the Muller glial
      cell marker glutamine synthase was also affected in knockdown morphants. Our
      results suggest that Mind bomb-binding partner RanBP9 plays a role during retinal
      cell development of zebrafish embryogenesis.

PMID- 28359146
TI  - Transforming Growth Factor beta1/Smad4 Signaling Affects Osteoclast
      Differentiation via Regulation of miR-155 Expression.
AB  - Transforming growth factor beta1 (TGFbeta1)/Smad4 signaling plays a pivotal role
      in maintenance of the dynamic balance between bone formation and resorption. The
      microRNA miR-155 has been reported to exert a significant role in the
      differentiation of macrophage and dendritic cells. The goal of this study was to
      determine whether miR-155 regulates osteoclast differentiation through
      TGFbeta1/Smad4 signaling. Here, we present that TGFbeta1 elevated miR-155 levels
      during osteoclast differentiation through the stimulation of M-CSF and RANKL.
      Additionally, we found that silencing Smad4 attenuated the upregulation of miR
      155 induced by TGFbeta1. The results of luciferase reporter experiments and ChIP
      assays demonstrated that TGFbeta1 promoted the binding of Smad4 to the miR-155
      promoter at a site located in 454 bp from the transcription start site in vivo,
      further verifying that miR-155 is a transcriptional target of the TGFbeta1/Smad4
      pathway. Subsequently, TRAP staining and qRT-PCR analysis revealed that silencing
      Smad4 impaired the TGFbeta1-mediated inhibition on osteoclast differentiation.
      Finally, we found that miR-155 may target SOCS1 and MITF to suppress osteoclast
      differentiation. Taken together, we provide the first evidence that
      TGFbeta1/Smad4 signaling affects osteoclast differentiation by regulation of miR
      155 expression and the use of miR-155 as a potential therapeutic target for
      osteoclast-related diseases shows great promise.

PMID- 28359145
TI  - Neuroprotective Effects of Protein Tyrosine Phosphatase 1B Inhibition against ER
      Stress-Induced Toxicity.
AB  - Several lines of evidence suggest that endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress plays a
      critical role in the pathogenesis of many neurodegenerative diseases such as
      Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis.
      Protein tyrosine phosphatase 1B (PTP1B) is known to regulate the ER stress
      signaling pathway, but its role in neuronal systems in terms of ER stress remains
      largely unknown. Here, we showed that rotenone-induced toxicity in human
      neuroblastoma cell lines and mouse primary cortical neurons was ameliorated by
      PTP1B inhibition. Moreover, the increase in the level of ER stress markers
      (eIF2alpha phosphorylation and PERK phosphorylation) induced by rotenone
      treatment was obviously suppressed by concomitant PTP1B inhibition. However, the
      rotenone-induced production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) was not affected by
      PTP1B inhibition, suggesting that the neuroprotective effect of the PTP1B
      inhibitor is not associated with ROS production. Moreover, we found that MG132
      induced toxicity involving proteasome inhibition was also ameliorated by PTP1B
      inhibition in a human neuroblastoma cell line and mouse primary cortical neurons.
      Consistently, downregulation of the PTP1B homologue gene in Drosophila mitigated
      rotenone- and MG132-induced toxicity. Taken together, these findings indicate
      that PTP1B inhibition may represent a novel therapeutic approach for ER stress
      mediated neurodegenerative diseases.

PMID- 28359148
TI  - Dirac Nodal Lines and Tilted Semi-Dirac Cones Coexisting in a Striped Boron
      Sheet.
AB  - The enchanting Dirac fermions in graphene stimulated us to seek other 2D Dirac
      materials, and boron monolayers may be a good candidate. So far, a number of
      monolayer boron sheets have been theoretically predicted, and three have been
      experimentally prepared. However, none of intrinsic sheets possess Dirac
      electrons near the Fermi level. Herein, by means of density functional theory
      computations, we identified a new boron monolayer, namely, hr-sB, with two types
      of Dirac fermions coexisting in the sheet: One type is related to Dirac nodal
      lines traversing Brillouin zone (BZ) with velocities approaching 106 m/s, and the
      other is related to tilted semi-Dirac cones with strong anisotropy. This newly
      predicted boron monolayer consists of hexagon and rhombus stripes. With an
      exceptional stability comparable to the experimentally achieved boron sheets, it
      is rather optimistic to grow hr-sB on some suitable substrates such as the Ag
      (111) surface.

PMID- 28359149
TI  - Hydroheteroarylation of Unactivated Alkenes Using N-Methoxyheteroarenium Salts.
AB  - We report the first reductive coupling of unactivated alkenes with N-methoxy
      pyridazinium, imidazolium, quinolinium, and isoquinolinium salts under hydrogen
      atom transfer (HAT) conditions, and an expanded scope for the coupling of alkenes
      with N-methoxy pyridinium salts. N-Methoxy pyridazinium, imidazolium,
      quinolinium, and isoquinolinium salts are accessible in 1-2 steps from the
      commercial arenes or arene N-oxides (25-99%). N-Methoxy imidazolium salts are
      accessible in three steps from commercial amines (50-85%). In total 36 discrete
      methoxyheteroarenium salts bearing electron-donating, electron-withdrawing,
      alkyl, aryl, halogen, and haloalkyl substituents were prepared (several in
      multigram quantities) and coupled with 38 different alkenes. The transformations
      proceed under neutral conditions at ambient temperature, provide monoalkylation
      products exclusively, and form a single alkene addition regioisomer.
      Preparatively useful and complementary site selectivities in the addition of
      secondary and tertiary radicals to pyidinium salts are documented: harder
      secondary radicals favor C-2 addition (2->10:1), while softer tertiary radicals
      favor bond formation to C-4 (4.7->29:1). A diene possessing a 1,2-disubstituted
      and 2,2-disubstituted alkene undergoes hydropyridylation at the latter
      exclusively (61%) suggesting useful site selectivities can be obtained in polyene
      substrates. The methoxypyridinium salts can also be employed in dehydrogenative
      arylation, borono-Minisci, and tandem arylation processes. Mechanistic studies
      support the involvement of a radical process.

PMID- 28359147
TI  - Functional Enhancers As Master Regulators of Tissue-Specific Gene Regulation and
      Cancer Development.
AB  - Tissue-specific transcription is critical for normal development, and
      abnormalities causing undesirable gene expression may lead to diseases such as
      cancer. Such highly organized transcription is controlled by enhancers with
      specific DNA sequences recognized by transcription factors. Enhancers are
      associated with chromatin modifications that are distinct epigenetic features in
      a tissue-specific manner. Recently, super-enhancers comprising enhancer clusters
      co-occupied by lineage-specific factors have been identified in diverse cell
      types such as adipocytes, hair follicle stem cells, and mammary epithelial cells.
      In addition, noncoding RNAs, named eRNAs, are synthesized at super-enhancer
      regions before their target genes are transcribed. Many functional studies
      revealed that super-enhancers and eRNAs are essential for the regulation of
      tissue-specific gene expression. In this review, we summarize recent findings
      concerning enhancer function in tissue-specific gene regulation and cancer
      development.

PMID- 28359151
TI  - Glutamic Acids Bearing Calix[4]arene Micelles: pH-Controllable Aggregation Number
      Corresponding to Regular Polyhedra.
AB  - We have prepared a new calix[4]arene-based lipid containing glutamic acid as the
      hydrophilic group. The alpha-amine and the gamma-carboxylic acid groups of the
      glutamic acid moiety allowed a continuous change in the state of the headgroup
      from cationic to zwitterionic and then to anionic with increasing pH.
      Accompanying this headgroup change, micelles of the lipid underwent a
      morphological transformation from spherical to cylindrical and again to
      spherical. The morphological transition was ascribed to the change in the lipid
      conformation corresponding to the pH conditions. Interestingly, at acidic and
      basic pH, the spherical micelles demonstrated monodispersity in terms of the
      aggregation number, which agreed with the vertex numbers of Platonic solids,
      indicating the formation of Platonic micelles. At acidic and basic pH, the lipid
      conformations were almost identical, but there was a slight difference in the
      hydrophilic volume, which might affect the packing behavior of the lipid in
      micelles and account for the difference in the aggregation number. This study
      clearly demonstrates the precise pH-controllable aggregation number of micelles,
      which belong to the Platonic micelle systems.

PMID- 28359150
TI  - Role of Surface Stress on the Reactivity of Anatase TiO2(001).
AB  - In contrast with theoretical predictions in which anatase TiO2(001) and its (1 *
      4) reconstructed surfaces are highly reactive, recent experimental results show
      this surface to be inert except for the defect sites. In this report, based on a
      systematic study of anatase TiO2(001)-(1 * 4) surface using first-principles
      calculations, the tensile stress is shown to play a crucial role on the surface
      reactivity. The predicted high reactivity based on add-molecule model is due to
      the large surface tensile stress, which can be easily suppressed by a stress
      release mechanism. We show that various surface defects can induce stress release
      concomitantly with surface passivation. Thus the synthesis of anatase(001)
      surface with few defects is essential to improve the reactivity, which can be
      achieved, for example, via H2O adsorption. Our study provides a uniform
      interpretation of controversial experimental observations and theoretical
      predictions on anatase TiO2(001) surface and further proposes new insights into
      the origin of surface reactivity.

PMID- 28359152
TI  - Enhancement of the Hydrogen-Bonding Network of Water Confined in a
      Polyelectrolyte Brush.
AB  - Water existing in the vicinity of polyelectrolytes exhibits unique structural
      properties, which demonstrate key roles in chemistry, biology, and geoscience. In
      this study, X-ray absorption and emission spectroscopy was employed to observe
      the local hydrogen-bonding structure of water confined in a charged
      polyelectrolyte brush. Even at room temperature, a majority of the water
      molecules confined in the polyelectrolyte brush exhibited one type of hydrogen
      bonding configuration: a slightly distorted, albeit ordered, configuration. The
      findings from this study provide new insight in terms of the correlation between
      the function and local structure of water at the interface of biological
      materials under physiological conditions.

PMID- 28359154
TI  - Eucheuma cottonii Sulfated Oligosaccharides Decrease Food Allergic Responses in
      Animal Models by Up-regulating Regulatory T (Treg) Cells.
AB  - In the present study, the anti-food allergy activity of Eucheuma cottonii
      sulfated oligosaccharide (ESO) was investigated. ESO was obtained by enzymatic
      degradation and purified by column chromatography. RBL-2H3 cells and BALB/c mouse
      model were used to test the anti-food allergy activity of ESO. The effects of ESO
      on the regulatory T (Treg) cells and bone marrow-derived mast cells (BMMCs) were
      investigated by flow cytometry. The results of in vivo assay showed that ESO
      decreased the levels of mast cell protease-1 and histamine and inhibited the
      levels of specific IgE by 77.7%. In addition, the production of interleukin (IL)
      4 and IL-13 was diminished in the ESO groups compared to the non-ESO-treated
      group. Furthermore, ESO could up-regulate Treg cells by 22.2-97.1%. In
      conclusion, ESO decreased the allergy response in mice by reducing basophil
      degranulation, up-regulating Treg cells via Forkhead box protein 3 (Foxp3), and
      releasing IL-10. ESO may have preventive and therapeutic potential in allergic
      disease.

PMID- 28359155
TI  - Visualization and Inhibition of Mitochondria-Nuclear Translocation of Apoptosis
      Inducing Factor by a Graphene Oxide-DNA Nanosensor.
AB  - High concentrations of oxidized low density lipoprotein (oxLDL) induce aberrant
      apoptosis of vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs) in atherosclerotic plaques.
      This apoptosis cannot be blocked completely by the inhibition of caspase, and it
      eventually potentiates plaque disruption and risk for cardiovascular disease.
      Given the important role of apoptosis inducing factor (AIF) in caspase
      independent apoptosis, here we develop an AIF-targeting nanosensor by the
      assembly of graphene oxide (GO) nanosheets and dye-labeled DNA hybrid structures.
      This nanosensor selectively localizes in the cytosol of VSMCs, where it exhibits
      a "turn-off" fluorescence signal. Under oxLDL stimuli, the release of AIF from
      mitochondria into cytosol liberates the DNA hybrid structures from the surface of
      GO and results in a "turn-on" fluorescence signal. This nanosensor is shown to
      possess rapid response, high sensitivity, and selectivity for AIF that enables
      real-time imaging of AIF translocation in VSMCs. Using this novel nanosensor, a
      better assessment of the apoptotic level of VSMCs and a more accurate evaluation
      of the extent of atherosclerotic lesions can be obtained. More importantly, the
      abundant binding between DNA hybrid structures and AIF inhibits the translocation
      of AIF into the nucleus and subsequent apoptosis in VSMCs. This inhibition may
      help stabilize plaque and reduce the risk of heart attack and stroke.

PMID- 28359153
TI  - Harnessing Alkyl Amines as Electrophiles for Nickel-Catalyzed Cross Couplings via
      C-N Bond Activation.
AB  - We developed a strategy to harness alkyl amines as alkylating agents via C-N bond
      activation. This Suzuki-Miyaura cross coupling of alkylpyridinium salts, readily
      formed from primary amines, is the first example of a metal-catalyzed cross
      coupling via C-N bond activation of an amine with an unactivated alkyl group.
      This reaction enjoys broad scope and functional group tolerance. Primary and
      secondary alkyl groups can be installed. Preliminary studies suggest a NiI/NiIII
      catalytic cycle.

PMID- 28359156
TI  - Solvent- and Pressure-Induced Phase Changes in Two 3D Copper Glutarate-Based
      Metal-Organic Frameworks via Glutarate (+gauche ? -gauche) Conformational
      Isomerism.
AB  - Two isoreticular three-dimensional copper(II) glutarate-based pillared-layered
      metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) with flexible pillars, [Cu2(glu)2(bpa)] and
      [Cu2(glu)2(bpp)] (bpa = 1,2-bis(4-pyridyl)ethane; bpp = 1,3-bis(4
      pyridyl)propane), undergo spontaneous phase changes upon solvent loss at room
      temperature. Using single-crystal X-ray diffraction analysis (SCXRD), we show
      that the phase changes result in new narrow-channel forms that experience a large
      reduction in solvent-accessible volume. Moreover, the [Cu2(glu)2(bpa)] MOF
      displays a stepped sorption isotherm for the uptake of CO2 at room temperature.
      This is indicative of reversion of the framework to the wide-channel form under
      CO2 pressure. Supercritical CO2 was used to isolate the gas-included structures,
      and by means of SCXRD we were able to determine the positions of the CO2
      molecules in the channels of the frameworks. Finally, we report the use of
      molecular modeling simulations to elucidate the phase-change mechanism, including
      the energetic changes involved. Structural limitations in both MOFs allow for
      only direct gauche-gauche enantiomeric interconversion of the glutarate moieties.

PMID- 28359157
TI  - Inflammation Effects on Stent Restenosis.

PMID- 28359158
TI  - Relevant Insertion Site Anatomy of the Conventus Distal Radius System.
AB  - BACKGROUND: The Conventus Distal Radius System (DRS) is an intramedullary
      fixation scaffold inserted into the lateral aspect of the distal radius. The
      purpose of this study was to identify insertion site anatomy to illustrate risks
      associated with the minimally invasive nature of radial-sided implant
      application. METHODS: Ten cadavers were utilized. Using fluoroscopy, the 1.1-mm
      Kirschner wire and template was introduced per manufacturer's guidelines, access
      guide assembled, and dissection carried out to the superficial radial nerve (SRN)
      with preservation of the native location. The access guide marked the insertion
      location for the side-cut drill. This point was measured in relationship to
      structures nearby, including the SRN, brachioradialis (BR), lateral antebrachial
      cutaneous nerve (LABCN), and radial styloid (RS). RESULTS: The large guide
      contacted the SRN in 4 of 10 cadavers and was volar to it in 6 of 10. When volar,
      the mean distance was 1.7 mm. The tip of the RS to the large access guide
      averaged 44.5 mm. The small guide contacted the SRN in 2 of 10, was volar to it
      in 4 of 10, and between the bifurcation in 4 of 10. When volar, the distance
      averaged 3.25 mm. When bifurcated, the distance from the small guide to both the
      dorsal and volar branches was 3.5 mm. The distance from the RS to the small guide
      averaged 37.8 mm. The LABCN was found in the field of dissection in 4 of 10
      cadavers. CONCLUSIONS: Several structures are at risk during insertion of the
      Conventus DRS; thus, knowledge of the relevant anatomy of this minimally invasive
      approach is crucial to optimize outcomes and patient satisfaction, and to avoid
      nerve injury.

PMID- 28359160
TI  - The association between insomnia symptoms and risk of cardio-cerebral vascular
      events: A meta-analysis of prospective cohort studies.
AB  - Background Insomnia symptoms have been suggested to be associated with the risk
      of cardio-cerebral events. However, the results of previous studies have been
      inconsistent. Therefore, we conducted a meta-analysis to examine whether there
      were associations between cardio-cerebral vascular events and insomnia symptoms,
      including difficulty initiating sleep, difficulty maintaining sleep, early
      morning awakening or non-restorative sleep. Design A meta-analysis of prospective
      cohort studies. Methods PubMed, Web of science and the Cochrane Library were
      searched without language restriction. Prospective cohort studies of adults with
      at least a 2-year follow-up duration were included. Random effect models were
      used in order to pool the results for each insomnia symptom. Subgroup and
      sensitivity analyses were conducted in order to assess potential heterogeneity,
      and funnel plots and Egger's tests were used in order to assess publication bias.
      Results Fifteen studies (23 cohorts) were included. Positive associations were
      observed between difficulty initiating sleep, difficulty maintaining sleep and
      non-restorative sleep with risk of cardio-cerebral vascular events. The pooled
      relative risks and 95% confidence intervals were 1.27 (1.15-1.40), 1.11 (1.04
      1.19) and 1.18 (1.05-1.33), respectively. However, less evidence existed to
      support the conclusions about the association between early-morning awakening and
      cardio-cerebral vascular events. Conclusion Our meta-analysis demonstrated that
      insomnia symptoms of difficulty initiating sleep, difficulty maintaining sleep
      and non-restorative sleep were associated with an increased risk of future cardio
      cerebral vascular events.

PMID- 28359162
TI  - Shifting Landscapes: The Impact of Centralized and Decentralized Nursing Station
      Models on the Efficiency of Care.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: The focus of this research was to analyze the impact of decentralized
      and centralized hospital design layouts on the delivery of efficient care and the
      resultant level of caregiver satisfaction. BACKGROUND: An interdisciplinary team
      conducted a multiphased pre- and postoccupancy evaluation of a cardiovascular
      service line in an academic hospital that moved from a centralized to
      decentralized model. This study examined the impact of walkability, room usage,
      allocation of time, and visibility to better understand efficiency in the care
      environment. METHOD: A mixed-methods data collection approach was utilized, which
      included pedometer measurements of staff walking distances, room usage data, time
      studies in patient rooms and nurses' stations, visibility counts, and staff
      questionnaires yielding qualitative and quantitative results. RESULTS: Overall,
      the data comparing the centralized and decentralized models yielded mixed
      results. This study's centralized design was rated significantly higher in its
      ability to support teamwork and efficient patient care with decreased staff
      walking distances. The decentralized unit design was found to positively
      influence proximity to patients in a larger design footprint and contribute to
      increased visits to and time spent in patient rooms. CONCLUSION: Among the
      factors contributing to caregiver efficiency and satisfaction are nursing station
      design, an integrated team approach, and the overall physical layout of the space
      on walkability, allocation of caregiver time, and visibility. However, unit
      design alone does not solely impact efficiency, suggesting that designers must
      consider the broader implications of a culture of care and processes.

PMID- 28359161
TI  - Effective Medicinal Plant in Cancer Treatment, Part 2: Review Study.
AB  - Cancer is the second cause of death after cardiovascular diseases. With due
      attention to rapid progress in the phytochemical study of plants, they are
      becoming popular because of their anticancer effects. The aim of this study was
      to investigate the effective medicinal plants in the treatment of cancer and
      study their mechanism of action. In order to gather information the keywords
      "traditional medicine," "plant compounds," "medicinal plant," "medicinal herb,"
      "toxicity," "anticancer effect," "cell line," and "treatment" were searched in
      international databases such as ScienceDirect, PubMed, and Scopus and national
      databases such as Magiran, Sid, and Iranmedex, and a total of 228 articles were
      collected. In this phase, 49 nonrelevant articles were excluded. Enhancement P53
      protein expression, reducing the expression of proteins P27, P21, NFkappaB
      expression and induction of apoptosis, inhibition of the PI3K/Akt pathway, and
      reduction of the level of acid phosphatase and lipid peroxidation are the most
      effective mechanisms of herbal plants that can inhibit cell cycle and
      proliferation. Common treatments such as radiotherapy and chemotherapy can cause
      some complications. According to results of this study, herbal extracts have
      antioxidant compounds that can induce apoptosis and inhibit cell proliferation by
      the investigated mechanisms.

PMID- 28359163
TI  - Pityriasis rosea-like eruption induced by isotretinoin.
AB  - Pityriasis rosea is a common, self-limited and inflammatory skin disease. The
      etiology is not clearly known. Viral agents, autoimmunity, psychogenic factors
      and drugs have all been suggested as risk factors. Isotretinoin is usually used
      in the treatment of resistant, nodulocytic acne. We present a case of pityriasis
      rosea-like eruption induced by isotretinoin. To our knowledge, this is the second
      clinical case of pityriasis rosea-like eruption induced by isotretinoin.

PMID- 28359164
TI  - [Validation of the French Version of Parental Multidimensional Neglectful
      Behavior Scale].

PMID- 28359165
TI  - Testing a Resilience Training Program in Police Recruits: A Pilot Study.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Stress from multiple sources is inherent in law enforcement. However,
      it is possible to modify responses to stress with resilience training that
      includes teaching techniques to modify emotional and physical responses to
      stress, interface with mental health professionals, and practice sessions to
      improve self-regulation of responses to stress including coherence, a measure of
      heart rate variability. A gap exists in the research, however, regarding
      evaluation of the duration of effects after the initial resilience training.
      METHOD: Subjects included ( N = 34) recruits enrolled in summer 2015 at the
      Milwaukee Police Academy. An experimental design was used to compare recruits who
      received resilience training to recruits in the control group. RESULTS: No
      statistically significant differences between the groups were found for self
      reported measures of stress and resilience. For the treatment group ( n = 17),
      change in coherence was significant ( p < .001) and improvement in the Personal
      Organizational Quality Assessment Emotional Buoyancy subscale correlated
      significantly with the number of practice sessions ( r = .63, p = .01) and
      marginally with change in coherence ( r = .47, p = .07). CONCLUSION: Results
      confirm several significant effects of resilience training with recruits.

PMID- 28359166
TI  - Leisure-Time Physical Activity and Characteristics of Social Network Support for
      Exercise Among Latinas.
AB  - PURPOSE: To examine the association between characteristics of social support for
      exercise and moderate-to-vigorous leisure-time physical activity (LTPA) among
      Latinas. DESIGN: This cross-sectional study used baseline data from a cluster
      randomized controlled trial. SETTING: The study was conducted in 16 churches
      located in San Diego County. PARTICIPANTS: Participants (N = 436) were Latinas
      between 18 and 65 years old who did not self-report >150 minutes or did not
      exceed 250 minutes of moderate-to-vigorous PA per week measured by accelerometer.
      MEASURES: Latinas listed up to 6 individuals who had provided support for
      exercise within the past 6 months, including their gender, relationship with the
      respondent, types of support provided, and respondent's satisfaction with
      support. Self-reported LTPA was dichotomized (none vs any). ANALYSES: We
      generated dyads between Latinas who named >=1 supporter (n = 323) and each
      supporter they named (n = 569 dyads). Logistic regression analyses were conducted
      using generalized estimating equations to adjust for multiple observations per
      participant. RESULTS: Having an exercise partner (odds ratio [OR]: 2.16; 95%
      confidence interval [CI]: 1.01-4.62), help with household duties (OR: 2.70; 95%
      CI: 1.35-3.38), being "very much" satisfied with support (OR: 2.33; 95% CI: 1.26
      4.30), and naming >2 supporters (OR: 2.57; 95% CI: 1.06-6.25) was positively
      associated with LTPA. CONCLUSIONS: Findings suggest specific aspects of support
      for exercise that should be targeted in future interventions to promote LTPA.

PMID- 28359167
TI  - Biological aspects of human migration and mobility.
AB  - This paper reviews how migration, both geographical and social, impacts on
      variation in some human biological traits. Migration and mobility are considered
      in relation to anthropometric traits and indices, psychometric traits, health,
      disease and nutrition, temperature regulation and metabolism, mental health and
      gene flow. It is well known that migration is important in disease transmission
      but, as this paper demonstrates, migration can have both positive and negative
      impacts on both donor and recipient populations for a wide range of human traits.

PMID- 28359168
TI  - Building the evidence for lipid resuscitation therapy.

PMID- 28359169
TI  - The management of patients with chronic heart failure: the growing role of e
      Health.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: The increasing pandemic of heart failure is becoming a serious
      challenge for the health care system. The medical world is searching for
      solutions which could decrease its scale and improve patients' quality of life
      and prognosis. Telemanagement of heart failure patients is a new promising
      option. Technical and technological platforms to perform e-Health management in
      heart failure patients' homes have become available. This paper's aims are to
      present different forms of e-Health including telecare, home monitoring of
      cardiovascular implantable electronic devices, remote monitoring of hemodynamic
      implantable devices and telerehabilitation in providing optimal long term
      management for heart failure patients. Areas covered: E-education and self
      monitoring, structured telephone support and telemonitoring, remote monitoring of
      cardiovascular implantable electronics devices and hemodynamic implantable
      electronic devices and telerehabilitation. Expert commentary: The data analyzed
      in the paper suggests that remote monitoring is capable of identifying life
      threatening deterioration and helps heart failure patients avoid seeking medical
      assistance in hospitals and that home-based telerehabilitation is well accepted,
      safe, effective and has high adherence among HF patients.

PMID- 28359170
TI  - Immunotherapy for the treatment of Hodgkin lymphoma.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: Most patients with Hodgkin lymphoma (HL) enjoy durable remissions
      following front-line treatment but 30% of patients are refractory or relapse
      after first line therapy. Salvage chemotherapy followed by autologous stem cell
      transplantation (ASCT) can cure an additional 50-55% of relapsing patients but
      new treatments are needed for patients with HL who are refractory or relapse
      after ASCT. Immunotherapy has emerged as a promising treatment for the management
      of these patients. The availability of the anti-CD30 antibody brentuximab vedotin
      and new targeted drugs such as immune checkpoint inhibitors, show promising
      clinical activity in patients with HL and are important milestones for the
      management of patients with HL particularly for those who have progressed after
      standard initial therapy and ASCT. Areas covered: Overview of the results from
      the most relevant clinical trials including monoclonal antibody-based therapy in
      HL. Phase 2 and phase 3 trials including brentuximab vedotin and immune
      checkpoints inhibitors in patients with Hodgkin lymphoma have been reviewed. In
      addition, the potential impact of these new therapies in the management of
      patients with newly diagnosed HL has also been addressed. Expert commentary: Anti
      CD30 antibody brentuximab vedotin and immune checkpoint inhibitors have shown
      promising results in patients with relapsed and refractory HL. Administration of
      these therapies earlier in the course of the disease might reduce the proportion
      of relapsed or refractory patients and, subsequently, minimize the number of
      patients undergoing high-dose therapy and autologous stem cell transplantation.
      We have little doubt that this will have substantial effects on the outcome for
      future generations of HL patients.

PMID- 28359171
TI  - A novel pen-based Bluetooth-enabled insulin delivery system with insulin dose
      tracking and advice.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: Diabetes is growing in prevalence internationally. As more
      individuals require insulin as part of their treatment, technology evolves to
      optimize delivery, improve adherence, and reduce dosing errors. Insulin pens
      outperform vial and syringe in simplicity, dosing accuracy, and user preference.
      Bolus advisors improve dosing confidence and treatment adherence. The InPen
      System offers a novel approach to treatment via a wireless pen that syncs to a
      mobile application featuring a bolus advisor, enabling convenient insulin dose
      tracking and more accurate bolus advice among other features. Areas covered:
      Existing technology for insulin delivery and bolus advice are reviewed. The
      mechanics and functionality of the InPen device are delineated. Findings from
      formative testing and usability studies of the InPen system are reported. Future
      directions for the InPen system in the treatment of diabetes are discussed.
      Expert opinion: Diabetes management is complex and largely data-driven. The InPen
      System offers a promising new opportunity to avail insulin pen-users of features
      known to improve treatment efficacy, which have otherwise primarily been
      available to those using pumps. Given that the majority of insulin users do not
      use insulin pumps, the InPen System is poised to improve glucose control in a
      significant portion of the diabetes population.

PMID- 28359173
TI  - Recommendation or refusal but why not quality of surgery?

PMID- 28359172
TI  - Efficacy of a new device to optimize positive pressure ventilation via face mask
      in edentulous patients: a randomized trial.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Mask ventilation is routinely performed during anesthesia. Under some
      circumstances, it might be difficult to perform, such as in edentulous patients,
      due to inadequate mask seal. We developed a new device called NIPARA and studied
      its use For ventilation optimization in edentulous patients. METHODS: This
      randomized controlled trial included edentulous adults who had no other
      predictors of difficult airway, scheduled to undergo general anesthesia. Patients
      were assigned either to the NIPARA device group or to the control group (oral
      airway only). The primary outcomes were peak inspiratory pressure and tidal
      volume values of the first 14 breaths. The secondary outcome was the incidence of
      complications. RESULTS: Data from 37 patients were collected during a one-year
      period (twenty in the NIPARA device group and 17 in the control group). The
      difference in mean PIP was not statistically significant. The tidal volume was
      1.5 times greater in the NIPARA group than in the control group. One patient from
      the intervention group had minimal oral trauma. CONCLUSION: In the administration
      of face mask ventilation, NIPARA is an effective device that significantly
      improves the tidal volume administered in edentulous patients.

PMID- 28359174
TI  - Chemotherapy preparation processes: Methodological issues on reliability and
      validity.

PMID- 28359175
TI  - Precipitation, Climate Change, and Parasitism of Prairie Dogs by Fleas that
      Transmit Plague.
AB  - Fleas (Insecta: Siphonaptera) are hematophagous ectoparasites that can reduce the
      fitness of vertebrate hosts. Laboratory populations of fleas decline under dry
      conditions, implying that populations of fleas will also decline when
      precipitation is scarce under natural conditions. If precipitation and hence
      vegetative production are reduced, however, then herbivorous hosts might suffer
      declines in body condition and have weakened defenses against fleas, so that
      fleas will increase in abundance. We tested these competing hypotheses using
      information from 23 yr of research on 3 species of colonial prairie dogs in the
      western United States: Gunnison's prairie dog (Cynomys gunnisoni, 1989-1994),
      Utah prairie dog (Cynomys parvidens, 1996-2005), and white-tailed prairie dog
      (Cynomys leucurus, 2006-2012). For all 3 species, flea-counts per individual
      varied inversely with the number of days in the prior growing season with >10 mm
      of precipitation, an index of the number of precipitation events that might have
      caused a substantial, prolonged increase in soil moisture and vegetative
      production. Flea-counts per Utah prairie dog also varied inversely with
      cumulative precipitation of the prior growing season. Furthermore, flea-counts
      per Gunnison's and white-tailed prairie dog varied inversely with cumulative
      precipitation of the just-completed January and February. These results
      complement research on black-tailed prairie dog (Cynomys ludovicianus) and might
      have important ramifications for plague, a bacterial disease transmitted by fleas
      that devastates populations of prairie dogs. In particular, our results might
      help to explain why, at some colonies, epizootics of plague, which can kill >95%
      of prairie dogs, are more likely to occur during or shortly after periods of
      reduced precipitation. Climate change is projected to increase the frequency of
      droughts in the grasslands of western North America. If so, then climate change
      might affect the occurrence of plague epizootics among prairie dogs and other
      mammalian species that associate with them.

PMID- 28359176
TI  - Old World cutaneous leishmaniasis challenges in Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia and
      Iran (MATI): a collaborative attempt to combat the disease.
AB  - Cutaneous leishmaniasis (CL) is a main public health problem in Morocco, Algeria,
      Tunisia and Iran, known as the MATI region. During the biennial meeting of
      Pasteur Institutes of the MATI region in November 2016 in Tehran, a Leishmania
      panel formed of scientists with different expertise in CL research from the MATI
      and Institut Pasteur in Paris, proposed a new consortium to develop an
      integrative research approach to better understand this disease. The proposed
      consortium synergizes three complementary thematics on Leishmania genetics, host
      immune response, and vector transmission. Moreover, assessing the social impact
      of CL with the aim to raise awareness at both the national and international
      levels will be a major focus of this consortium.

PMID- 28359177
TI  - Response to the letter regarding the article: Association Between Perinatal
      Hypoxic-Ischemic Conditions and Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD):
      A Meta-analysis.

PMID- 28359178
TI  - The impact of multiple sclerosis on the identity of mothers in Italy.
AB  - PURPOSE: This paper reports on one of the themes that emerged from the analysis
      of the study, regarding the perceived influence of multiple sclerosis (MS) on the
      identity of mothers in the socio-cultural context of Italy. METHOD: In-depth
      interviews were conducted with 16 women at various stages of MS, with follow up
      interviews with seven of the women. Phenomenology guided the methodology and the
      analysis was conducted using interpretative phenomenological analysis. RESULTS:
      Through the research the value of motherhood to the women who participated
      emerged. The findings illustrated how many strove to maintain control of their
      MS, which led to some making comparisons of themselves and other mothers and
      feeling different. Some women described how they adjusted their roles and found
      strength in being mothers but others spoke of their feelings of loss. Most women
      described living in the moment, appreciating the present and living each day as
      it came. Another significant experience was fear of stigma, both realized in the
      form of "pity" from others, and the perceived and actual associated stigma for
      their families. This contributed to why some women were reluctant to disclose
      their condition. The mothers who took part in this study differed in how they
      perceived their disabled identity. CONCLUSION: Although this study was conducted
      in the socio-cultural setting of Italy, the findings have implications for
      professionals working with disabled mothers and women with MS in Italy and
      beyond; including recognizing the value associated with fully identifying oneself
      as a mother, rather than solely focusing on doing mothering tasks. Implications
      for Rehabilitation Professionals need to be mindful of the value of motherhood
      for women with multiple sclerosis. Professionals should support women who feel
      like they are battling with maintaining control of their multiple sclerosis, who
      may be adjusting their identity as mothers; recognizing that they may be
      influenced by the stage of their multiple sclerosis and whether they were
      diagnosed before or after having their children. Women can have feelings of loss
      related to their ability to fully participate in their children's lives and
      professionals should work with women to help them identify the value of their
      mothering role not only in physically participating in activities but also in
      being emotionally and physically present as a mother.

PMID- 28359179
TI  - Tackling non-muscle invasive bladder cancer in the clinic.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: Non-muscle invasive bladder cancer (NMIBC) is a common disease
      process with a high propensity for recurrence and risk of progression to muscle
      invasive or systemic disease. Optimal management of NMIBC depends on appropriate
      resection and staging, risk-based use of intravesical therapy and tailored
      surveillance. Current challenges include compliance with guideline
      recommendations and cancers which are refractory to standard therapies. Areas
      covered: This review summarizes the conventional management of NMIBC - which
      relies on strict cystoscopic surveillance and intravesical therapies with
      chemotherapy and/or immunotherapy in the form of bacillus Calmette-Guerin (BCG).
      As many patients will be resistant to conventional treatment, investigational
      therapies and novel prognostic models will also be discussed. Expert commentary:
      For decades, the management of NMIBC has been predicated on intravesical
      therapies, most often through the instillation of BCG which has proven clinical
      efficacy over transurethral resection alone. Despite this, many patients will
      recur or progress after BCG therapy. While radical cystectomy remains the
      standard for such patients, suitable alternatives are being actively
      investigated. An increased interest in immunotherapy for malignancy has
      reinvigorated this field and on-going advances in disease prognostication are
      likely to improve upon the existing treatment paradigms for NMIBC.

PMID- 28359180
TI  - Influence of grapefruit juice on pharmacokinetics of triptolide in rats
      grapefruit juice on the effects of triptolide.
AB  - 1. Triptolide, a major pharmacological component isolated from Tripterygium
      wilfordii Hook F (TWHF), is a substrate of both CYP3A4 and P-glycoprotein (P-gp).
      2. This study investigates the effects of GFJ on the pharmacokinetics of
      triptolide in rats. 3. The pharmacokinetics of orally administered triptolide
      with or without GFJ pretreatment were investigated. A mechanistic study was also
      undertaken using the Caco-2 cell transwell model and rat liver microsomes
      incubation systems to support the in vivo pharmacokinetic data. 4. The results
      indicated that coadministration of GFJ could increase the systemic exposure of
      triptolide significantly, including area under the curve (828.58 +/- 79.72 versus
      541.53 +/- 45.23 ng.h/mL) and maximum plasma concentration (273.58 +/- 27.98
      versus 193.67 +/- 10.08 ng/mL). The apparent permeability of triptolide across
      the Caco-2 cell transwell model increased significantly with the pretreatment of
      GFJ (from 1.62 +/- 0.25 * 10-6 to 2.51 +/- 0.41 * 10-6 cm/s), and the metabolic
      stability of triptolide was also increased from 32.6 +/- 5.1 to 52.5 +/- 7.8 min
      with the pretreatment of GFJ, and the difference was significant (p < 0.05). 5.
      In conclusion, GFJ could increase the systemic exposure of triptolide in rats,
      when GFJ and triptolide was coadministered, and it might work mainly through
      increasing the absorption of triptolide by inhibiting P-gp, or through slowing
      down the metabolism of triptolide in rat liver by inhibiting the activity of
      CYP3A4.

PMID- 28359181
TI  - Serious games for upper limb rehabilitation: a systematic review.
AB  - The aim of this research is to carry out a systematic review of the use of
      technological gaming platforms with serious games in the upper limb
      rehabilitation of patients with neuromotor disorders. Through a systematic
      review, the first two authors defined the inclusion criteria and extracted the
      data, resulting in 38 studies collected from B-On, PubMed and Medline. Ninety-two
      per cent of the selected articles were published since 2010. This review
      documents 35 different gaming platforms types. Twenty-one of the 38 articles
      included in this review conducted a clinical trial and of those only eight report
      improvements in the target population following the use of the games and
      platforms. This review concludes that a new paradigm is emerging in the
      rehabilitation field, characterized by the systematic use of technological gaming
      platforms with serious games in/for rehabilitation. The use of this approach
      seems to be beneficial. However, to facilitate the full integration of these
      platforms, it is necessary to conduct more research in this area, explore new
      approaches and carry out in-depth clinical studies into the benefits of these
      platforms. Implications for rehabilitation This review states that the use
      serious games and gaming platforms for upper limb rehabilitation are starting a
      new paradigm in the rehabilitation. For a full integration of this technologies
      in the rehabilitation field more studies are needed.

PMID- 28359182
TI  - Sex after amputation: the relationships between sexual functioning, body image,
      mood and anxiety in persons with a lower limb amputation.
AB  - AIM: The study examined the relationships between psychological variables and
      sexual functioning in persons with lower limb amputations. METHOD: Sixty-five
      participants (n = 49 males, n = 16 females) with lower limb amputations completed
      a battery of self-report questionnaires regarding their current psychological
      well-being and their current sexual activity. Measures included the anxiety items
      on the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale, the Beck Depression Inventory -
      Second Edition, Body Image Quality of Life Inventory, Body Exposure Self
      Consciousness during Intimate Situations and the Golombok-Rust Inventory of
      Sexual Satisfaction. RESULTS: Half of all participants with lower limb
      amputations were not currently sexually active. Approximately 60% of those who
      were sexually active scored within the clinical range for overall sexual
      dysfunction. Overall levels of sexual dysfunction were associated with
      significantly higher levels of anxiety (r = 0.40, p < 0.005), depression (r =
      0.41, p < 0.015) and body exposure self-consciousness during sexual activities (r
      = 0.56, p < 0.005). Body image self-consciousness during sexual activities was
      the strongest predictor of sexual dysfunction. CONCLUSIONS: Psychological
      challenges following limb loss are strongly associated with levels of sexual
      dysfunction. The study highlights the need for psychological and psychosexual
      assessment and intervention following limb loss to enhance sexual functioning and
      overall quality of life. Implications for Rehabilitation Only half of the
      participants with a lower limb amputation were sexually active. Over 60% of those
      who were sexually active reported clinical levels of sexual dysfunction. One
      third of the entire sample scored within the clinical range for depression and
      for anxiety. Depression, anxiety and body image issues were significantly
      associated with sexual dysfunction in the current sample of individuals with
      lower limb amputation. There is a need for psychosexual assessment following limb
      loss to ensure that appropriate and timely interventions are made available.
      Interventions that target the psychological factors related to sexual dysfunction
      are likely to improve overall quality of life for these individuals.

PMID- 28359183
TI  - Changes in drug transport and metabolism and their clinical implications in non
      alcoholic fatty liver disease.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: The incidence of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is
      rising, especially in Western countries. Drug treatment in patients with NAFLD is
      common since it is linked to other conditions like diabetes, obesity, and
      cardiovascular disease. Consequently, changes in drug metabolism may have serious
      clinical implications. Areas covered: A literature search for studies in animal
      models or patients with obesity, fatty liver, non-alcoholic steatohepatitis
      (NASH) or NASH cirrhosis published before November 2016 was performed. After
      discussing epidemiology and animal models for NAFLD, we summarized both basic as
      well as clinical studies investigating changes in drug transport and metabolism
      in NAFLD. Important drug groups were assessed separately with emphasis on
      clinical implications for drug treatment in patients with NAFLD. Expert opinion:
      Given the frequency of NAFLD even today, a high degree of drug treatment in NAFLD
      patients appears safe and well-tolerated despite considerable changes in hepatic
      uptake, distribution, metabolism and transport of drugs in these patients. NASH
      causes changes in biliary excretion, systemic concentrations, and renal handling
      of drugs leading to alterations in drug efficacy or toxicity under specific
      circumstances. Future clinical drug studies should focus on this special patient
      population in order to avoid serious adverse events in NAFLD patients.

PMID- 28359184
TI  - Combined behavioural markers of cognitive biases are associated with anhedonia.
AB  - Biases towards negative information, as well as away from positive information,
      are associated with psychopathology. Examining biases in multiple processes has
      been theorised to be more predictive than examining bias in any process alone.
      Anhedonia is a core symptom of psychopathology and predictive of future
      psychopathological symptoms. Finding that combined biases are associated with
      anhedonia would advance knowledge of the nature of emotional processing biases
      and the value of objective performance-based measures for identifying early risk
      markers. Participants (N = 139) completed tasks that assess latency bias (dot
      probe) and biased recognition (two-alternative forced-choice) of emotional
      information, as well as an anhedonia measure. An index was computed for each
      task's performance reflecting biased processing of positive and negative words.
      Only combined biases on both tasks were associated with anhedonia. Attentional
      bias was positively associated with anhedonia, but only when recognition bias for
      emotional words was high. Thus, assessing biases in multiple domains increased
      sensitivity to uncover relationships between emotional processing biases and
      anhedonic symptoms.

PMID- 28359185
TI  - Rat's Polycystic Ovary Due to Intraventromedial Hypothalamus Morphine Injection.
AB  - BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: The most important alkaloid of opium family, morphine,
      may show unfavorable effect on the reproductive organs. This research
      investigated the effect of microinjection of morphine into the rat's ventromedial
      hypothalamus (VMH) on cystic genesis in the ovary and the health of neurons of
      VMH. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Female rats (Wistar, weighing 200-250 g) kept under
      standard conditions were cannulated under anesthesia by Stoelting stereotaxic
      instrument at the coordinates anterior-posterior: -1.92, ventral: 9, lateral:
      0.5. After being recovered, they were microinjected single morphine (0.1-0.4
      ug/rat, once intra-VMH) and/or naloxone hydrochloride (0.1-0.4 ug/rat, once intra
      VMH) using a 5-uL Hamilton syringe with the polyethylene tubing. The control
      group solely given physiological saline (1 uL/rat, intra-VMH). Three days after
      the experiment, both ovary and brain samples were collected from the control and
      the experimental groups, and they were studied histopathologically. The brain
      samples were checked out with the aid of the cresyl violet, and the ovaries were
      stained by the hematoxylin and eosin. The samples were also biometrically
      examined to compare the ovaries' cystic formations. Also, the number of healthy
      or injured neurons in the nuclei was compared. RESULTS: The ovaries of morphine
      treated rats showed polycystic characteristics in comparison with the control
      samples. In addition, the brain slices of the morphine-treated rats illustrated a
      significant decrease in intact neurons. Both mal effects were resolved in the
      presence of naloxone. CONCLUSION: These results may show that the morphine
      induces anovulatory infertility probably by hypothalamus-pituitary-ovary axis
      dysfunction.

PMID- 28359186
TI  - Impact of Lactational Exposure to Polychlorinated Biphenyl Causes Epigenetic
      Modification and Impairs Sertoli Cells Functional Regulators in F1 Progeny.
AB  - Polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB) is an endocrine-disrupting chemical. Sertoli cells
      (SCs) provide physical and nutritional support for developing germ cells.
      Dysfunction in SCs has adverse effects on spermatogenesis. Previously, we found
      that the lactational exposure of PCBs (1, 2, and 5 mg/kg birth weight/day, orally
      from postnatal days 1 to 20) decreased the follicle-stimulating hormone receptor
      (FSHR) and androgen receptor (AR) expression in SCs of F1 progeny. Transcription
      factors initiate and regulate the transcription of genes. DNA methylation plays
      an important role in epigenetic gene regulation. Hence, this study was aimed to
      identify the level of transcription factors regulating FSHR, AR gene expression,
      and DNA methylation in the promoter of these genes in SCs of both F1 prepuberal
      and puberal offspring. DNA methylation in the promoter of FSHR and AR genes was
      examined by sodium bisulfite conversion technique. The protein levels of
      transcription factors (steroidogenic factor 1 [SF1], upstream stimulatory factors
      1 and 2, c-fos, c-jun, and CREB-binding protein) and enzymes DNA
      methyltransferases (Dnmt1, Dnmt3ab, Dnmt3l, and histone deacetylase 1 [HDAC1])
      were analyzed by Western blotting. The transcription factors that regulate the
      FSHR and AR gene in SCs were decreased in both the PCB-exposed F1 progeny.
      Methylation was observed in the promoter of FSHR, AR, and SF1. The protein levels
      of Dnmt1, Dnmt3ab, Dnmt3l, and HDAC1 were increased in the PCBs-treated groups.
      Subsequently, it leads to transcriptional repression of the genes in SCs. Our
      finding suggests that PCBs caused epigenetic change in SCs, thereby it impaired
      SCs function in F1 progeny.

PMID- 28359187
TI  - Prediction of Future Epilepsy in Neonates With Hypoxic-Ischemic Encephalopathy
      Who Received Selective Head Cooling.
AB  - Epilepsy outcomes after therapeutic hypothermia for neonates with hypoxic
      ischemic encephalopathy are understudied. The authors used multivariable logistic
      regression to predict epilepsy in neonates after selective head cooling.
      Sensitivity analyses used magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and
      electroencephalogram (EEG) interpretations by different clinicians. Fifty
      neonates had 2-year follow-up. Nine developed epilepsy. Predictors included pH
      <=6.8 on day of birth (adjusted odds ratio [OR] 19 [95% confidence interval (CI)
      1-371]), burst suppression on EEG on day 4 (8.2 [1.3-59]), and MRI deep gray
      matter injury (OR 33 [2.4-460]). These factors stratify neonates into low (0-1
      factors; 3% [0%-14%] risk), medium (2 factors; 56% [21%-86%] risk), and high-risk
      groups (3 factors; 100% [29%-100%] risk) for epilepsy. The stratification was
      robust to varying clinical interpretations of the MRI and EEG. Neonates with
      hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy who undergo selective head cooling appear at risk
      of epilepsy if they have 2 to 3 identified factors. If validated, this rule may
      help counsel families and identify children for close clinical follow-up.

PMID- 28359188
TI  - The Effectiveness of Simulation on Recognizing and Managing Clinical
      Deterioration: Meta-Analyses.
AB  - The purpose of these meta-analyses was to quantitatively synthesize the
      effectiveness of simulation on student nurses' and registered nurses' ability to
      recognize and manage clinical deterioration in the acute care setting. A search
      of the literature resulted in 22 reports and 19 studies meeting inclusion
      criteria. Four random-effects analyses were conducted to examine two-group
      posttest and single-group pre-posttest intervention effect sizes for knowledge
      and performance. A total of 41 effect sizes were calculated from the data
      extracted. The standardized mean difference ( d) for two-group posttest knowledge
      was d = 0.964 ( p = .001) and for performance was d = 1.382 ( p <= .001). The
      standardized mean difference for single-group pre-posttest knowledge was d =
      1.231 ( p <= .001) and performance was d = 1.610 ( p <= .001). Findings indicate
      that simulation-based interventions have a positive effect on knowledge and
      performance. As simulation is increasingly used as a teaching modality in
      nursing, further research should aim to test standardized simulation-based
      education programs.

PMID- 28359189
TI  - Outlook in the application of Chlamydomonas reinhardtii chloroplast as a platform
      for recombinant protein production.
AB  - Microalgae, also called microphytes, are a vast group of microscopic
      photosynthetic organisms living in aquatic ecosystems. Microalgae have attracted
      the attention of biotechnology industry as a platform for extracting natural
      products with high commercial value. During last decades, microalgae have been
      also used as cost-effective and easily scalable platform for the production of
      recombinant proteins with medical and industrial applications. Most progress in
      this field has been made with Chlamydomonas reinhardtii as a model organism
      mainly because of its simple life cycle, well-established genetics and ease of
      cultivation. However, due to the scarcity of existing infrastructure for
      commercial production and processing together with relatively low product yields,
      no recombinant products from C. reinhardtii have gained approval for commercial
      production and most of them are still in research and development. In this
      review, we focus on the chloroplast of C. reinhardtii as an algal recombinant
      expression platform and compare its advantages and disadvantages to other
      currently used expression systems. We then discuss the strategies for engineering
      the chloroplast of C. reinhardtii to produce recombinant cells and present a
      comprehensive overview of works that have used this platform for the expression
      of high-value products.

PMID- 28359190
TI  - Availability and need of home adaptations for personal mobility among individuals
      with spinal cord injury.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: To identify the availability and unmet need of home adaptations (HAs)
      among the Swiss population with spinal cord injury (SCI). DESIGN: Cross-sectional
      study. SETTING: Swiss Spinal Cord Injury Community Survey 2012. PARTICIPANTS:
      Individuals aged 16 or older with chronic SCI living in Switzerland.
      INTERVENTIONS: Not applicable. OUTCOME MEASURES: The availability of ten HAs
      (self-report) was analyzed by sex, age, living situation, indoor mobility, SCI
      severity, SCI etiology and time since SCI. The unmet need (self-report of not
      having a HA but needing it) of HAs was analyzed by financial hardship. RESULTS:
      Among the 482 study participants (mean age 55.2 years, standard deviation 15.0
      years, 71.6% males), 85.1% had at least one HA. The most frequent HA was a
      wheelchair accessible shower (62.7%). Availability of HAs markedly varied with
      indoor mobility (e.g. 38.4% of participants using a wheelchair had a stair lift
      compared to 17.4% of those walking) and with SCI severity (e.g. 54.8% of those
      with complete paraplegia had a wheelchair accessible kitchen worktop compared to
      26.0% of those with incomplete paraplegia). Unmet need was highest for adjustable
      kitchen worktops (78.7% of those with a need) and adjustable kitchen cabinets
      (75.7%) and lowest for wheelchair accessible showers (9.4%) and grab bars next to
      the toilet (8.5%). No significant differences in unmet need were found when
      stratifying for financial hardship. CONCLUSION: Availability of HAs is dependent
      on indoor mobility and SCI severity. There is a considerable degree of unmet need
      for selected HAs, which couldn't be explained by financial hardship.

PMID- 28359191
TI  - The (in)stability of 21st century orthopedic patient contact information and its
      implications on clinical research: A cross-sectional study.
AB  - BACKGROUND: In clinical research, minimizing patients lost to follow-up is
      essential for data validity. Researchers can employ better methodology to prevent
      patient loss. We examined how orthopedic surgery patients' contact information
      changes over time to optimize data collection for long-term outcomes research.
      METHODS: Patients presenting to orthopedic outpatient clinics completed
      questionnaires regarding methods of contact: home phone, cell phone, mailing
      address, and e-mail address. They reported currently available methods of
      contact, if they changed in the past 5 and 10 years, and when they changed.
      Differences in the rates of change among methods were assessed via Fisher's exact
      tests. Whether participants changed any of their contact information in the past
      5 and 10 years was determined via multivariate modeling, controlling for
      demographic variables. RESULTS: Among 152 patients, 51% changed at least one form
      of contact information within 5 years, and 66% changed at least one form within
      10 years. The rate of change for each contact method was similar over 5 (15%-28%)
      and 10 years (26%-41%). One patient changed all four methods of contact within
      the past 5 years and seven within the past 10 years. Females and younger patients
      were more likely to change some type of contact information. CONCLUSION: The type
      of contact information least likely to change over 5-10 years is influenced by
      demographic factors such as sex and age, with females and younger participants
      more likely to change some aspect of their contact information. Collecting all
      contact methods appears necessary to minimize patients lost to follow-up,
      especially as technological norms evolve.

PMID- 28359193
TI  - Corrigendum.

PMID- 28359192
TI  - Impact of individual clinical outcomes on trial participants' perspectives on
      enrollment in emergency research without consent.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Evidence suggests that patients are generally accepting of their
      enrollment in trials for emergency care conducted under exception from informed
      consent. It is unknown whether individuals with more severe initial injuries or
      worse clinical outcomes have different perspectives. Determining whether these
      differences exist may help to structure post-enrollment interactions. METHODS:
      Primary clinical data from the Progesterone for the Treatment of Traumatic Brain
      Injury trial were matched to interview data from the Patients' Experiences in
      Emergency Research-Progesterone for the Treatment of Traumatic Brain Injury
      study. Answers to three key questions from Patients' Experiences in Emergency
      Research-Progesterone for the Treatment of Traumatic Brain Injury study were
      analyzed in the context of enrolled patients' initial injury severity (initial
      Glasgow Coma Scale and Injury Severity Score) and principal clinical outcomes
      (Extended Glasgow Outcome Scale and Extended Glasgow Outcome Scale relative to
      initial injury severity). The three key questions from Patients' Experiences in
      Emergency Research-Progesterone for the Treatment of Traumatic Brain Injury study
      addressed participants' general attitude toward inclusion in the Progesterone for
      the Treatment of Traumatic Brain Injury trial (general trial inclusion), their
      specific attitude toward being included in Progesterone for the Treatment of
      Traumatic Brain Injury trial under the exception from informed consent (personal
      exception from informed consent enrollment), and their attitude toward the use of
      exception from informed consent in the Progesterone for the Treatment of
      Traumatic Brain Injury trial in general (general exception from informed consent
      enrollment). Qualitative analysis of interview transcripts was performed to
      provide contextualization and to determine the extent to which respondents framed
      their attitudes in terms of clinical experience. RESULTS: Clinical data from
      Progesterone for the Treatment of Traumatic Brain Injury trial were available for
      all 74 patients represented in the Patients' Experiences in Emergency Research
      Progesterone for the Treatment of Traumatic Brain Injury study (including 46
      patients for whom the surrogate was interviewed due to the patient's cognitive
      status or death). No significant difference was observed regarding acceptance of
      general trial inclusion or acceptance of general exception from informed consent
      enrollment between participants with favorable neurological outcomes and those
      with unfavorable outcomes relative to initial injury. Agreement with personal
      enrollment in Progesterone for the Treatment of Traumatic Brain Injury trial
      under exception from informed consent, however, was significantly higher among
      participants with favorable outcomes compared to those with unfavorable outcomes
      (89% vs 59%, p = 0.003). There was also a statistically significant relationship
      between more severe initial injury and increased acceptance of personal exception
      from informed consent enrollment ( p = 0.040) or general exception from informed
      consent use ( p = 0.034) in Progesterone for the Treatment of Traumatic Brain
      Injury trial. Many individuals referenced personal experience as a basis for
      their attitudes, but these references were not used to support negative views.
      CONCLUSION: Patients and surrogates of patients with unfavorable clinical
      outcomes were somewhat less accepting of their own inclusion in the Progesterone
      for the Treatment of Traumatic Brain Injury trial under exception from informed
      consent than were patients or surrogates of patients with favorable clinical
      outcomes. These findings suggest a need to identify optimal strategies for
      communicating with patients and their surrogates regarding exception from
      informed consent enrollment when clinical outcomes are poor.

PMID- 28359195
TI  - Chinese Herbal Medicine for the Optimal Management of Polycystic Ovary Syndrome.
AB  - Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is a complex heterogeneous disorder
      characterized by androgen excess and ovulatory dysfunction; it is now known to be
      closely linked to metabolic syndrome. Recent research suggests that insulin
      resistance plays an important role in the pathogenesis of PCOS which may lead to
      the excessive production of androgens by ovarian theca cells. Currently there is
      no single drug that can treat both the reproductive and metabolic complications
      of the disorder. Existing pharmaceutical agents such as hormonal therapies have
      been associated with side effects and are not appropriate for PCOS women with
      infertility. Additionally, insulin sensitizing agents useful for treating the
      metabolic abnormalities in PCOS have limited efficacy for treating reproductive
      aspects of the disorder. Chinese herbal medicines have a long history of treating
      gynaecological problems and infertility and therefore may be a novel approach to
      the treatment of PCOS. Current research demonstrates that the compounds isolated
      from herbs have shown beneficial effects for PCOS and when combined in an herbal
      formula can target both reproductive and metabolic defects simultaneously.
      Therefore, further investigation into Chinese herbal medicine in the treatment of
      PCOS is warranted.

PMID- 28359194
TI  - Data monitoring committees: Promoting best practices to address emerging
      challenges.
AB  - BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Data monitoring committees are responsible for
      safeguarding the interests of study participants and assuring the integrity and
      credibility of clinical trials. The independence of data monitoring committees
      from sponsors and investigators is essential in achieving this mission. Creative
      approaches are needed to address ongoing and emerging challenges that potentially
      threaten data monitoring committees' independence and effectiveness. METHODS: An
      expert panel of representatives from academia, industry and government sponsors,
      and regulatory agencies discussed these challenges and proposed best practices
      and operating principles for effective functioning of contemporary data
      monitoring committees. RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONS: Prospective data monitoring
      committee members need better training. Options could include didactic
      instruction as well as apprenticeships to provide real-world experience. Data
      monitoring committee members should be protected against legal liability arising
      from their service. While avoiding breaches in confidentiality of interim data
      remains a high priority, data monitoring committees should have access to
      unblinded efficacy and safety data throughout the trial to enable informed
      judgments about risks and benefits. Because overly rigid procedures can
      compromise their independence, data monitoring committees should have the
      flexibility necessary to best fulfill their responsibilities. Data monitoring
      committee charters should articulate principles that guide the data monitoring
      committee process rather than list a rigid set of requirements. Data monitoring
      committees should develop their recommendations by consensus rather than through
      voting processes. The format for the meetings of the data monitoring committee
      should maintain the committee's independence and clearly establish the leadership
      of the data monitoring committee chair. The independent statistical group at the
      Statistical Data Analysis Center should have sufficient depth of knowledge about
      the study at hand and experience with trials in general to ensure that the data
      monitoring committee has access to timely, reliable, and readily interpretable
      insights about emerging evidence in the clinical trial. Contracts engaging data
      monitoring committee members for industry-sponsored trials should have language
      customized to the unique responsibilities of data monitoring committee members
      rather than use language appropriate to consultants for product development.
      Regulatory scientists would benefit from experiencing data monitoring committee
      service that does not conflict with their regulatory responsibilities.

PMID- 28359196
TI  - Prunella vulgaris Attenuates Diabetic Renal Injury by Suppressing Glomerular
      Fibrosis and Inflammation.
AB  - Diabetic nephropathy is both the most common complication and the leading cause
      of mortality associated with diabetes. Prunella vulgaris, a well-known
      traditional medicinal plant, is used for the cure of abscess, scrofula,
      hypertension and urinary diseases. This study confirmed whether an aqueous
      extract of Prunella vulgaris (APV) suppresses renal inflammation and fibrosis. In
      human mesangial cell (HMC), pretreatment of APV attenuated 25[Formula: see
      text]mM HG-induced suppressed TGF-[Formula: see text] and Smad-2/4 expression; it
      increased the expression level of Smad-7. Connective tissue growth factor (CTGF)
      and collagen IV, fibrosis biomarkers, were significantly decreased by APV. APV
      suppressed inflammatory factors such as intracellular cell adhesion molecule-1
      (ICAM-1) and monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 (MCP-1). APV inhibited activation
      and translocation of nuclear factor kappa-B (NF-[Formula: see text]B) in HG
      stimulated HMCs. Moreover, APV significantly improved HG-induced ROS in a dose
      dependent manner. In diabetic rat models, APV significantly decreased blood
      glucose, blood urea nitrogen (BUN) and ameliorated plasma creatinine (PCr). APV
      reduced the PAS positivity staining intensity and basement membrane thickening in
      glomeruli of diabetic rats. Fibrosis related proteins such as collagen IV and TGF
      [Formula: see text]1 were also inhibited by APV. These results suggest that APV
      has a significant protective effect against diabetic renal dysfunction including
      inflammation and fibrosis through disruption of the TGF-[Formula: see text]/Smad
      signaling. Therefore, APV may be useful in potential therapies that target
      glomerulonephritis and glomerulosclerosis, which lead to diabetic nephropathy.

PMID- 28359197
TI  - Mechanisms of Traditional Chinese Medicine in the Treatment of Mammary Gland
      Hyperplasia.
AB  - Mammary gland hyperplasia (MGH) occurs with high frequency among middle-aged
      women and is closely related to breast cancer. The treatment of this disease has
      become a research hotspot. Many patients with MGH are worried about the potential
      side effects of the synthetic drugs they are on. Thus, they seek alternative
      therapy, such as traditional Chinese medicine (TCM). In recent years, along with
      the Chinese herbs and its active ingredients, TCM compounds have been widely
      accepted and implemented in the treatment of MGH, whose mechanism hitherto is not
      completely clear. In this paper, we elaborate the mechanism of TCM in the
      treatment of MGH from the perspectives of sexual hormone levels, the expression
      of ER and PR, hemorheology, free radical activity and lipid peroxidation, VEGF
      and BFGF, cell proliferation activities, anti-apoptosis gene BcL-2, promoting
      apoptosis gene Bax, ERK, and tumor suppressor gene. In conclusion, TCM appears to
      be promising for MGH treatment. This paper will provide an overview of the
      mechanism of TCM in the treatment of MGH. In the near term, a better
      understanding of TCM will be achieved through comprehensive studies of its
      molecular mechanism.

PMID- 28359198
TI  - Anticancer Properties and Pharmaceutical Applications of Plumbagin: A Review.
AB  - It has been shown that plumbagin, a bioactive naphthoquinone isolated from three
      major plant families viz. Plumbaginaceae, Ebenceae and Droseraceae, definitively
      exhibits anticancer potential in diverse cancer cells both in vitro and in vivo.
      Plumbagin shows antineoplastic effects via multi-channel molecular mechanisms,
      including the induction of apoptosis and autophagy, the disruption of the cell
      cycle, the inhibition of invasion and metastasis, and anti-angiogenesis.
      Plumbagin inhibits the growth of cancer cells mainly through the modulation of
      the signals of PI3K/Akt/mTOR, AMPK, Ras, and so on. The pharmaceutical
      applications of plumbagin combined with nanocarriers to achieve better
      therapeutic efficiency are discussed in this review Among them, liposomes,
      nanoparticles, microspheres, micelles, and nisosomes are used in cancer
      treatment. The anticancer study of plumbagin in vivo is also summarized in this
      review. On the whole, we aim to review the research progress of plumbagin both in
      pharmacological and pharmaceutical filed, which may provide some reference for
      further research of plumbagin.

PMID- 28359199
TI  - Protective Effect of Cymbopogon citratus Essential Oil in Experimental Model of
      Acetaminophen-Induced Liver Injury.
AB  - To investigate the hepatoprotective effect of Cymbopogon citratus or lemongrass
      essential oil (LGO), it was used in an animal model of acute liver injury induced
      by acetaminophen (APAP). Swiss mice were pretreated with LGO (125, 250 and
      500[Formula: see text]mg/kg) and SLM (standard drug, 200[Formula: see text]mg/kg)
      for a duration of seven days, followed by the induction of hepatotoxicity of APAP
      (single dose, 250[Formula: see text]mg/kg). The liver function markers alanine
      aminotransferase (ALT), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), alkaline phosphatase
      (ALP) and gamma-glutamyl transferase were determined to evaluate the
      hepatoprotective effects of the LGO. The livers were used to determine
      myeloperoxidase (MPO) activity, nitric oxide (NO) production and histological
      analysis. The effect of LGO on leukocyte migration was evaluated in vitro. Anti
      oxidant activity was performed by assessing the free radical 2,2-diphenyl-1
      picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) in vitro. LGO pretreatment decreased significantly the
      levels of ALT, AST and ALP compared with APAP group. MPO activity and NO
      production were decreased. The histopathological analysis showed an improved of
      hepatic lesions in mice after LGO pretreatment. LGO inhibited neutrophil
      migration and exhibited anti-oxidant activity. Our results suggest that LGO has
      protective activity against liver toxicity induced by paracetamol.

PMID- 28359200
TI  - Selective Loss of Smaller Spines in Schizophrenia.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: Decreased density of dendritic spines in adult schizophrenia subjects
      has been hypothesized to result from increased pruning of excess synapses in
      adolescence. In vivo imaging studies have confirmed that synaptic pruning is
      largely driven by the loss of large or mature synapses. Thus, increased pruning
      throughout adolescence would likely result in a deficit of large spines in
      adulthood. Here, the authors examined the density and volume of dendritic spines
      in deep layer 3 of the auditory cortex of 20 schizophrenia and 20 matched
      comparison subjects as well as aberrant voltage-gated calcium channel subunit
      protein expression linked to spine loss. METHOD: Primary auditory cortex deep
      layer 3 spine density and volume was assessed in 20 pairs of schizophrenia and
      matched comparison subjects in an initial and replication cohort (12 and eight
      pairs) by immunohistochemistry-confocal microscopy. Targeted mass spectrometry
      was used to quantify postsynaptic density and voltage-gated calcium channel
      protein expression. The effect of increased voltage-gated calcium channel subunit
      protein expression on spine density and volume was assessed in primary rat
      neuronal culture. RESULTS: Only the smallest spines are lost in deep layer 3 of
      the primary auditory cortex in subjects with schizophrenia, while larger spines
      are retained. Levels of the tryptic peptide ALFDFLK, found in the schizophrenia
      risk gene CACNB4, are inversely correlated with the density of smaller, but not
      larger, spines in schizophrenia subjects. Consistent with this observation,
      CACNB4 overexpression resulted in a lower density of smaller spines in primary
      neuronal cultures. CONCLUSIONS: These findings require a rethinking of the
      overpruning hypothesis, demonstrate a link between small spine loss and a
      schizophrenia risk gene, and should spur more in-depth investigations of the
      mechanisms that govern new or small spine generation and stabilization under
      normal conditions as well as how this process is impaired in schizophrenia.

PMID- 28359202
TI  - Response to: 'Birth control in epilepsy: we need to know more'.

PMID- 28359201
TI  - A 5-Year Observational Study of Patients With Treatment-Resistant Depression
      Treated With Vagus Nerve Stimulation or Treatment as Usual: Comparison of
      Response, Remission, and Suicidality.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: The Treatment-Resistant Depression Registry investigated whether
      adjunctive vagus nerve stimulation (VNS) with treatment as usual in depression
      has superior long-term outcomes compared with treatment as usual only. METHOD:
      This 5-year, prospective, open-label, nonrandomized, observational registry study
      was conducted at 61 U.S. sites and included 795 patients who were experiencing a
      major depressive episode (unipolar or bipolar depression) of at least 2 years'
      duration or had three or more depressive episodes (including the current
      episode), and who had failed four or more depression treatments (including ECT).
      Patients with a history of psychosis or rapid-cycling bipolar disorder were
      excluded. The primary efficacy measure was response rate, defined as a decrease
      of >=50% in baseline Montgomery-Asberg Depression Rating Scale (MADRS) score at
      any postbaseline visit during the 5-year study. Secondary efficacy measures
      included remission. RESULTS: Patients had chronic moderate to severe depression
      at baseline (the mean MADRS score was 29.3 [SD=6.9] for the treatment-as-usual
      group and 33.1 [SD=7.0] for the adjunctive VNS group). The registry results
      indicate that the adjunctive VNS group had better clinical outcomes than the
      treatment-as-usual group, including a significantly higher 5-year cumulative
      response rate (67.6% compared with 40.9%) and a significantly higher remission
      rate (cumulative first-time remitters, 43.3% compared with 25.7%). A subanalysis
      demonstrated that among patients with a history of response to ECT, those in the
      adjunctive VNS group had a significantly higher 5-year cumulative response rate
      than those in the treatment-as-usual group (71.3% compared with 56.9%). A similar
      significant response differential was observed among ECT nonresponders (59.6%
      compared with 34.1%). CONCLUSIONS: This registry represents the longest and
      largest naturalistic study of efficacy outcomes in treatment-resistant
      depression, and it provides additional evidence that adjunctive VNS has enhanced
      antidepressant effects compared with treatment as usual in this severely ill
      patient population.

PMID- 28359203
TI  - Distinct fatty acid composition of some edible by-products from bovines fed high
      or low silage diets.
AB  - In the present study, it was hypothesized that the incorporation of fatty acids
      is distinct among ruminant tissues and that it could be modulated by diet
      composition. To test this hypothesis, fatty acid composition, including
      conjugated linoleic acid isomers, of the most relevant beef by-products (brain,
      heart, kidney, liver, pancreas and tongue) from young bulls those fed distinct
      silage levels was assessed. Data indicated a large variation in fatty acid
      profile and conjugated linoleic acid composition among edible by-products. The
      most abundant fatty acids were C16:0 (kidney), C18:0 (heart and liver) and C18:1
      c9 (brain, pancreas and tongue) followed by C20:4 n-6, except in brain (C22:6 n-3
      predominates). Brain, as shown by principal component analysis, presents a
      distinct fatty acid composition compared to the other beef by-products analysed.
      In addition, high silage diet relative to low silage diet promoted an increase of
      n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acid, t11, t13 and t11, c13 conjugated linoleic acid in
      heart, kidney, liver and pancreas. Overall, the data suggested that beef by
      products had, in general, high contents of cholesterol, saturated fatty acid and
      trans fatty acid, as well as high levels of conjugated linoleic acid. Therefore,
      from a nutritional point of view they are recommended only in small amounts as
      part of a balanced diet.

PMID- 28359205
TI  - Quality stability and sensory attributes of apple juice processed by
      thermosonication, pulsed electric field and thermal processing.
AB  - Worldwide, apple juice is the second most popular juice, after orange juice. It
      is susceptible to enzymatic browning spoilage by polyphenoloxidase, an endogenous
      enzyme. In this study, Royal Gala apple juice was treated by thermosonication
      (TS: 1.3 W/mL, 58 C, 10 min), pulsed electric field (PEF: 24.8 kV/cm, 60 pulses,
      169 us treatment time, 53.8 C) and heat (75 C, 20 min) and stored at 3.0 C and
      20.0 C for 30 days. A sensory analysis was carried out after processing. The
      polyphenoloxidase activity, antioxidant activity and total color difference of
      the apple juice were determined before and after processing and during storage.
      The sensory analysis revealed that thermosonication and pulsed electric field
      juices tasted differently from the thermally treated juice. Apart from the pulsed
      electric field apple juice stored at room temperature, the processed juice was
      stable during storage, since the pH and soluble solids remained constant and
      fermentation was not observed. Polyphenoloxidase did not reactivate during
      storage. Along storage, the juices' antioxidant activity decreased and total
      color difference increased (up to 6.8). While the antioxidant activity increased
      from 86 to 103% with thermosonication and was retained after pulsed electric
      field, thermal processing reduced it to 67%. The processing increased the total
      color difference slightly. No differences in the total color difference of the
      juices processed by the three methods were registered after storage.
      Thermosonication and pulsed electric field could possibly be a better alternative
      to thermal preservation of apple juice, but refrigerated storage is recommended
      for pulsed electric field apple juice.

PMID- 28359206
TI  - Influence of vegetable coagulant and ripening time on the lipolytic and sensory
      profile of cheeses made with raw goat milk from Canary breeds.
AB  - Free fatty acids and sensory profiles were obtained for cheeses made with raw
      goat milk and vegetable coagulant, derived from the cardoon flower ( Cynara
      cardunculus), at different ripening times (7 and 20 days). A solid-liquid phase
      extraction method followed by solid-phase extraction and gas chromatography was
      used. Profiles were also obtained with cheeses made with commercial coagulant,
      traditional kid rennet paste, and mixture coagulant (vegetable coagulant-kid
      rennet). The use of vegetable coagulant and vegetable coagulant-kid rennet is
      common in traditional Protected Designation of Origin cheeses such as " Queso
      Flor de Guia" and " Queso Media Flor de Guia" (Spain). Contents of short-chain
      free fatty acids (7.5-22.5 mmol.kg-1), medium-chain free fatty acids (0.4-3.7
      mmol.kg-1), and long-chain free fatty acids (0.2-2.1 mmol.kg-1) varied depending
      on the coagulant type and the ripening time. Vegetable coagulant cheeses present
      odour intensity and flavour intensity much higher than commercial coagulant
      cheeses in the sensory analysis for cheeses obtained with seven days of ripening,
      but the values decrease when increasing the ripening time. Multivariate analysis
      allowed us to differentiate cheese samples according to the ripening time when
      using lipolytic profile and according to the coagulant type using the sensory
      profile.

PMID- 28359207
TI  - Asthma prevalence disparities and differences in sociodemographic associations
      with asthma, between Native Hawaiian/Other Pacific Islander, Asian, and White
      adults in Hawaii - Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS), 2001-2010.
AB  - OBJECTIVES: Despite high asthma prevalence, relatively little is known about the
      epidemiology of asthma in Hawaii or among Native Hawaiian/Other Pacific Islanders
      (NHOPI). We sought to better characterize racial/ethnic differences in asthma
      prevalence and in sociodemographic factors associated with asthma among Hawaii
      adults. DESIGN: We conducted multivariable logistic regression using 2001-2010
      Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System data from Hawaii, and computed
      adjusted prevalence and ratios. RESULTS: Asthma prevalence markedly varied
      between self-identified census categories of race in Hawaii, with NHOPI having
      the highest estimates of both lifetime (20.9%, 95% confidence interval [CI]:
      19.5%-22.4%) and current (12.2%, CI: 11.2%-13.3%) asthma. Highest asthma
      prevalence among NHOPI persisted after controlling for potential confounders and
      within most sociodemographic categories. Among females Asians reported the lowest
      asthma prevalence, whereas among males point estimates of asthma prevalence were
      often lowest for Whites. Females often had greater asthma prevalence than males
      of the same race, but the degree to which gender modified asthma prevalence
      differed by both race and sociodemographic strata. Gender disparities in asthma
      prevalence were greatest and most frequent among Whites, and for current asthma
      among all races. Sociodemographic factors potentially predictive of adult asthma
      prevalence in Hawaii varied by race and gender. CONCLUSION: Asthma
      disproportionately affects or is recognized more often among women and NHOPI
      adults in Hawaii, and occurs less or is under-reported among Asian women. The
      sociodemographic characteristics included in this study's model did not explain
      asthma disparities between races and/or gender. This investigation provides a
      baseline with which to plan additionally needed prevention programs,
      epidemiological investigations, and surveillance for asthma in Hawaii.

PMID- 28359208
TI  - Omega-3-Fortified Lipid-Based Nutrient Supplement: Development, Characterization,
      and Consumer Acceptability.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Incorporation of omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFA) sources to
      lipid-based nutrition supplement (LNS) formulations for undernourished
      populations presents a challenge due to reduced shelf life and poor consumer
      acceptability. OBJECTIVE: To systematically develop an omega-3-fortified LNS
      formulation, using flaxseed oil (FO), by optimizing its processing stability and
      evaluating its sensory acceptance. METHODS: LNS formulations were formulated to
      yield approximately 452 kcal, 13.2 g of protein, 30 g of fat, and 53 g of
      carbohydrates per 100 g. Response surface methodology (RSM) with 4-factor-3
      level: omega-3 fatty acid source (FO; 0%-10%), antioxidant (ascorbyl palmitate:
      0.0%-0.03%), emulsifier (soy lecithin: 0.5%-1.5%), and storage time (0-6 months
      at 40 degrees C) was used to optimize LNS's functionality and storage stability.
      Factor effects were evaluated for peroxide value, oil separation, water activity,
      moisture content, hardness, and vitamin C content of the samples. Consumer
      acceptability was assessed using a 9-point hedonic scale. RESULTS: After 6 months
      of accelerated storage, the addition of FO to LNS formula resulted in increased
      peroxide values (7.75 mEq/kg fat) and lipid separation and a reduction in vitamin
      C and water activity. Optimal levels to maximize storage time and FO and minimize
      oxidation were 0.02% antioxidant, 1.5% emulsifier, and 4.9% FO. Indian women and
      students accepted LNS formulations with or without FO similar to other commercial
      supplements. CONCLUSION: An LNS containing FO with improved omega-6/omega-3 PUFA
      ratio was successfully formulated with staple Indian ingredients and optimized
      for storage stability using RSM.

PMID- 28359209
TI  - Trained Cohorts of University Students are a Useful Resource for Conducting
      Dietary Surveys in Mongolia.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Population-based dietary assessment is important for informing
      national nutrition policy. The developing country setting presents challenges for
      robust implementation of dietary surveys, yet effective nutrition interventions
      are often urgently required. OBJECTIVE: To develop and evaluate a low-cost
      approach to epidemiologic dietary assessment in Mongolia, involving the use of
      large cohorts of local public health and medical students as research assistants
      for collecting diet records. METHODS: From 2011 to 2016, over 200 Mongolian
      medical and public health university students were trained to collect paired
      summer and winter 3-day weighed diet records from urban and rural study
      populations across the geographic expanse of Mongolia. Students were supervised
      during data collection, and their performance and experience during training and
      data collection were qualitatively evaluated from their own perspectives as well
      as those of the investigators. RESULTS: Students collected detailed and thorough
      diet records and generally reported positive feedback regarding training and data
      collection. Frequent supervision of students during data collection proved to be
      extremely worthwhile. While rural participants were amenable to having students
      follow them, students faced several challenges in assessing the diets of urban
      participants. These challenges may best be addressed by separately training these
      participants beforehand. CONCLUSIONS: With adequate training and supervision,
      university students may be a useful and cost-effective resource for large-scale
      dietary surveys in regions where their use would be practical and culturally
      appropriate. Further research is warranted to study how well this approach may be
      adapted outside Mongolia and to other dietary assessment methods and
      technologies.

PMID- 28359210
TI  - Trends in Iron, Zinc, and Vitamin A Status Biomarkers Among Colombian Children:
      Results From 2 Nationally Representative Surveys.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Micronutrient deficiencies are still highly prevalent in countries
      undergoing the nutrition transition, but nationally representative data
      documenting their burden in children are exceedingly rare. OBJECTIVE: To examine
      the distribution and recent trends in micronutrient status biomarkers of
      Colombian children. METHODS: We compared the distributions of plasma ferritin,
      serum zinc, and vitamin A in Colombian children between 2005 and 2010 using 2
      cross-sectional, nationally representative surveys overall and by categories of
      sociodemographic variables. Analysis for ferritin included boys and nonpregnant
      girls aged 1 to 17 years. Analyses for zinc and vitamin A included children aged
      1 to 4 years. RESULTS: The mean 2010 to 2005 differences in ferritin, zinc, and
      vitamin A were 2.5 ug/L (95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.3 to 3.7), -34.9 ug/dL
      (95% CI: -39.6 to -30.2), and -11.5 ug/dL (95% CI: -12.3 to -10.7), respectively,
      after adjusting for sociodemographic characteristics. These differences varied
      significantly by region of residence. In 2010, region of residence was a
      significant correlate for all 3 micronutrients. Other important correlates
      included age and maternal education for ferritin and body mass index-for-age Z
      score, maternal education, wealth index, food insecurity, and urbanicity for
      vitamin A. CONCLUSIONS: Plasma ferritin was slightly higher in 2010 than in 2005,
      whereas serum zinc and vitamin A were substantially lower in 2010. In the absence
      of obvious causal explanations, it is uncertain whether this decline represents a
      worsening of micronutrient status in Colombian children or an artifact due to
      systematic laboratory or data management errors incurred in the surveys.

PMID- 28359211
TI  - Emergency Food Assistance in Northern Syria: An Evaluation of Transfer Programs
      in Idleb Governorate.
AB  - BACKGROUND: The war in Syria has left millions struggling to survive amidst
      violent conflict, pervasive unemployment, and food insecurity. Although
      international assistance funding is also at an all-time high, it is insufficient
      to meet the needs of conflict-affected populations, and there is increasing
      pressure on humanitarian stakeholders to find more efficient, effective ways to
      provide assistance. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate 3 different assistance programs (in
      kind food commodities, food vouchers, and unrestricted vouchers) in Idleb
      Governorate of Syria from December 2014 and March 2015. METHODS: The evaluation
      used repeated survey data from beneficiary households to determine whether
      assistance was successful in maintaining food security at the household level.
      Shopkeeper surveys and program monitoring data were used to assess the impact on
      markets at the district/governorate levels and compare the cost-efficiency and
      cost-effectiveness of transfer modalities. RESULTS: Both in-kind food assistance
      and voucher programs showed positive effects on household food security and
      economic measures in Idleb; however, no intervention was successful in improving
      all outcomes measured. Food transfers were more likely to improve food access and
      food security than vouchers and unrestricted vouchers. Voucher programs were
      found to be more cost-efficient than in-kind food assistance, and more cost
      effective for increasing household food consumption. CONCLUSION: Continuation of
      multiple types of transfer programs, including both in-kind assistance and
      vouchers, will allow humanitarian actors to remain responsive to evolving access
      and security considerations, local needs, and market dynamics.

PMID- 28359213
TI  - Caring for perinatally HIV-infected children: call for mental care for the
      children and the caregivers.
AB  - Antiretroviral therapy has dramatically improved the survival rate of perinatally
      HIV-infected children. For them to thrive, it is necessary to understand better
      their mental health issues. Caregivers play an important role in children's daily
      care and caregiver mental health may relate to children's mental health. However,
      this association has rarely been studied. Accordingly, the present study examined
      the associations between depression of caregivers and that of perinatally HIV
      infected children in Kigali, Rwanda. We conducted a cross-sectional study of 475
      perinatally HIV-infected children aged 7-14 years and their caregivers. We
      collected children's depression score data via face-to-face interviews with
      children using the Beck Depression Inventory for Youth. We also collected
      sociodemographic data using a semi-structured questionnaire with caregivers. In
      addition, we measured children's weight, height, and collected their clinical
      records. Data were analyzed via linear and logistic regression analyses. Of all
      children, 22% had symptoms of depression. Among those who had depressive symptoms
      (n= 105), 49% had never received psychological support. In both the linear and
      logistic regression analysis, caregiver's high depression scores were positively
      associated with children's higher depression scores (AOR: 3.064, 95% CI: 1.723,
      4.855, and AOR: 1.759, 95% CI: 1.129, 2.740, respectively). Taking Efavirenz and
      low height-for-age were also positively associated with higher depression scores
      among HIV-infected children. Mental health needs to be addressed to improve
      quality of life of perinatally HIV-infected children. Caregiver's depression was
      positively associated with children's depressive symptoms. Caring for both
      children and the caregivers' mental health may prevent the mutual fostering of
      depression.

PMID- 28359212
TI  - A randomized clinical trial of adolescents with HIV/AIDS: pediatric advance care
      planning.
AB  - The objective of this study is to determine if pediatric advance care planning
      (pACP) increases adolescent/family congruence in end-of-life (EOL) treatment
      preferences longitudinally. Adolescents aged 14-21 years with HIV/AIDS and their
      families were randomized (N = 105 dyads) to three-60-minute sessions scheduled
      one week apart: either the pACP intervention (survey administered independently,
      facilitated conversation with adolescent and family present, completion of legal
      advance directive document with adolescent and family present) or an active
      control (developmental history, safety tips, nutrition and exercise education).
      This longitudinal, single-blinded, multi-site, randomized controlled trial was
      conducted in six pediatric hospital-based HIV-clinics, located in high HIV
      mortality cities. The Statement of Treatment Preferences measured
      adolescent/family congruence in EOL treatment preferences at immediately
      following the facilitated pACP conversation (Session 2), and at 3-month post
      intervention. The mean age of adolescent participants was 18 years (range 14-21
      years); 54% were male; and 93% were African-American. One-third had an AIDS
      diagnosis. Immediately post-intervention the Prevalence Adjusted Bias Adjusted
      Kappa showed substantial treatment preference agreement for pACP dyads compared
      to controls (High burden/low chance of survival, PABAK = 0.688 vs. 0.335;
      Functional impairment, PABAK = 0.687 vs. PABAK= 0.34; Mental impairment, PABKA =
      0.717 vs. 0.341). Agreement to limit treatments was greater among intervention
      dyads than controls (High burden: 14.6% vs. 0%; Functional impairment = 22.9% vs.
      4.4%; and Mental impairment: 12.5% vs. 4.4%). Overall treatment preference
      agreement among pACP dyads was high immediately post-intervention, but decreased
      over time. In contrast, treatment agreement among control dyads was low and
      remained low over time. As goals of care change over time with real experiences,
      additional pACP conversations are needed.

PMID- 28359214
TI  - Highly bioavailable nanocalcium from oyster shell for preventing osteoporosis in
      rats.
AB  - Oyster shell is one of the foremost natural sources of calcium and is used as an
      alternative treatment for osteoporosis. In this study, we demonstrated that zinc
      activated nanopowdered oyster shell (Zn-NPOS) effectively reduced bone loss
      compared with powdered oyster shell (POS) in an ovariectomized rat (OVX) model.
      As a result of nanosizing, the solubility and bioavailability of the oyster shell
      were greatly improved, and its effectiveness was further enhanced by zinc
      activation. Bone analysis indicated greater recovery from ovariectomy-induced
      bone loss following Zn-NPOS treatment. Moreover, Zn-NPOS treatment resulted in
      higher bone strength and superior trabecular architecture compared with NPOS and
      POS treatments. Furthermore, Zn-NPOS showed greater efficiency in increasing bone
      formation and reducing bone resorption markers. Therefore, nanosizing with zinc
      activation could be a viable strategy for improving the efficiency of oyster
      shells used for osteoporosis prevention.

PMID- 28359215
TI  - Comorbidities Might Condition the Recovery of Quality of Life in Survivors of
      Sepsis.
AB  - PURPOSE: To assess how preexisting disabling comorbidities (DC) affect the
      recovery rate of quality of life (QOL) over time in sepsis survivors. METHODS: A
      prospective study was conducted on sepsis survivors who answered the 36-Item
      Short Form Health Survey (SF-36) 7 days after discharge from the intensive care
      unit. Subsequent interviews were held at 3, 6, and 12 months. The results of the
      physical component score (PCS) and mental component score (MCS) of the SF-36 were
      evaluated. Patients were divided into 2 groups to compare patients with DC (DC
      group) and without DC (no-DC group). Quantile regression was used to model
      changes in PCS and MCS between different time points. RESULTS: Seventy-nine
      sepsis survivors were enrolled. After controlling for baseline age and QOL, the
      QOL scores were lower among patients with DC than in no-DC patients. The QOL of
      DC group got worse when compared to no-DC group. Recovery rate of PCS and MCS was
      higher in the DC group than in the no-DC group (PCS: 20.51 vs 16.96, P < .01;
      MCS: 19.24 vs 9.66, P < .01). Their baseline QOL was recovered only by 6 months
      after the sepsis episode. CONCLUSION: Quality-of-life impairment and its recovery
      rhythm in patients with sepsis appear to be conditioned by coexisting DC.

PMID- 28359216
TI  - Revisiting Ultrasound-Guided Subclavian/Axillary Vein Cannulations: Importance of
      Pleural Avoidance With Rib Trajectory.
AB  - The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidelines for the prevention of
      catheter-related bloodstream infections suggest using "a subclavian site, rather
      than an internal jugular or a femoral site, in adult patients." This
      recommendation is based on evidence of lower rates of thrombosis and catheter
      related bloodstream infections in patients with subclavian central venous
      catheters (CVCs) compared to femoral or internal jugular sites. However,
      preference toward a subclavian approach to CVC insertion is hindered by increased
      risk of mechanical complications, especially pneumothorax, when compared to other
      sites. This is largely related to the proximity of the subclavian vein to the
      pleural space and the traditional "blind" or anatomic landmark approach used in
      subclavian vein cannulation. We revisit a method that may provide increased
      safety and avoidance of pneumothorax during ultrasound-guided subclavian/axillary
      vein cannulation. This is achieved by directing the needle toward the subclavian
      vein at a point where it traverses over the second rib, providing a protective
      rib shield between the vessel and pleura as a safety net for operators. The
      technique also allows for increased compressibility of the subclavian/axillary
      vein in the event of bleeding complication.

PMID- 28359217
TI  - Efferocytosis-induced prostaglandin E2 production impairs alveolar macrophage
      effector functions during Streptococcus pneumoniae infection.
AB  - Alveolar macrophages (AMs) are multitasking cells that maintain lung homeostasis
      by clearing apoptotic cells (efferocytosis) and performing antimicrobial effector
      functions. Different PRRs have been described to be involved in the binding and
      capture of non-opsonized Streptococcus pneumoniae, such as TLR-2, mannose
      receptor (MR) and scavenger receptors (SRs). However, the mechanism by which the
      ingestion of apoptotic cells negatively influences the clearance of non-opsonized
      S. pneumoniae remains to be determined. In this study, we evaluated whether the
      prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) produced during efferocytosis by AMs inhibits the
      ingestion and killing of non-opsonized S. pneumoniae. Resident AMs were pre
      treated with an E prostanoid (EP) receptor antagonist, inhibitors of
      cyclooxygenase and protein kinase A (PKA), incubated with apoptotic Jurkat T
      cells, and then challenged with S. pneumoniae. Efferocytosis slightly decreased
      the phagocytosis of S. pneumoniae but greatly inhibited bacterial killing by AMs
      in a manner dependent on PGE2 production, activation of the EP2-EP4/cAMP/PKA
      pathway and inhibition of H2O2 production. Our data suggest that the PGE2
      produced by AMs during efferocytosis inhibits H2O2 production and impairs the
      efficient clearance non-opsonized S. pneumoniae by EP2-EP4/cAMP/PKA pathway.

PMID- 28359218
TI  - The critical role of myeloperoxidase in Streptococcus pneumoniae clearance and
      tissue damage during mouse acute otitis media.
AB  - We have recently reported that neutrophils play a pivotal role in innate defense
      against Streptococcus pneumoniae ( Spn) during mouse acute otitis media (AOM).
      However, the underlying mechanism remains unclear. By constructing models of
      pneumococcal AOM in C57BL/6 mice and using a specific inhibitor in vivo, we
      investigated the role of myeloperoxidase (MPO), one of the most important protein
      components of neutrophils. Experiment results showed a significant increase in
      MPO production of the recruited neutrophils in Spn-infected mice. Neutrophils
      killed Spn in a MPO-dependent manner. MPO facilitated the generation of reactive
      oxygen species (ROS), and consequently promoted Spn clearance at an early stage
      and exacerbated tissue damage. Moreover, MPO induced neutrophil apoptosis and
      necrosis, which, in turn, worsened tissue damage. In summary, our study
      demonstrates that neutrophil MPO plays a paradoxical role in bacterial clearance
      and tissue damage in pneumococcal AOM.

PMID- 28359221
TI  - Structured Pyramidal Neural Networks.
AB  - The Pyramidal Neural Networks (PNN) are an example of a successful recently
      proposed model inspired by the human visual system and deep learning theory. PNNs
      are applied to computer vision and based on the concept of receptive fields. This
      paper proposes a variation of PNN, named here as Structured Pyramidal Neural
      Network (SPNN). SPNN has self-adaptive variable receptive fields, while the
      original PNNs rely on the same size for the fields of all neurons, which limits
      the model since it is not possible to put more computing resources in a
      particular region of the image. Another limitation of the original approach is
      the need to define values for a reasonable number of parameters, which can turn
      difficult the application of PNNs in contexts in which the user does not have
      experience. On the other hand, SPNN has a fewer number of parameters. Its
      structure is determined using a novel method with Delaunay Triangulation and k
      means clustering. SPNN achieved better results than PNNs and similar performance
      when compared to Convolutional Neural Network (CNN) and Support Vector Machine
      (SVM), but using lower memory capacity and processing time.

PMID- 28359220
TI  - The effect of initial treatment on hearing prognosis in idiopathic sudden
      sensorineural hearing loss: a nationwide survey in Japan.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: To investigate the hearing prognosis of idiopathic sudden
      sensorineural hearing loss (SSNHL) treated with different initial therapies.
      METHODS: Subjects consisted of patients diagnosed with idiopathic SSNHL within 7
      days from onset and showing severe hearing loss (>=60 dB), who were registered in
      a Japanese multicenter database between April 2014 and March 2016. Subjects were
      divided into four groups according to initial therapy: (1) steroids, (2) steroids
      + Prostaglandins (PGs), (3) intratympanic steroids (ITS), and (4) no steroids.
      Hearing outcomes were compared among the groups. RESULTS: In total, 1305 patients
      were enrolled. The final hearing level and hearing gain of patients treated with
      steroids + PGs were significantly higher than those of patients treated with
      steroids alone or no steroids. The ratio of good prognosis (complete recovery or
      marked improvement) in patients treated with steroids + PGs was higher than that
      in patients treated with steroids alone or no steroids. There was no difference
      in the prognosis of patients treated with steroids alone or no steroids.
      CONCLUSION: A large number of patients with idiopathic SSNHL were registered in a
      multicenter database. PG use in combination with steroid administration was
      associated with a good hearing prognosis in patients with severe hearing loss.

PMID- 28359219
TI  - Modification of sample processing for the Limulus amebocyte lysate assay enhances
      detection of inflammogenic endotoxin in intact bacteria and organic dust.
AB  - The pro-inflammatory potency and causal relationship with asthma of inhaled
      endotoxins have underscored the importance of accurately assessing the endotoxin
      content of organic dusts. The Limulus amebocyte lysate (LAL) assay has emerged as
      the preferred assay, but its ability to measure endotoxin in intact bacteria and
      organic dusts with similar sensitivity as purified endotoxin is unknown. We used
      metabolically radiolabeled Neisseria meningitidis and both rough and smooth
      Escherichia coli to compare dose-dependent activation in the LAL with purified
      endotoxin from these bacteria and shed outer membrane (OM) blebs. Labeled [14C]-3
      OH-fatty acids were used to quantify the endotoxin content of the samples.
      Purified meningococcal and E. coli endotoxins and OM blebs displayed similar
      specific activity in the LAL assay to the purified LPS standard. In contrast,
      intact bacteria exhibited fivefold lower specific activity in the LAL assay but
      showed similar MD-2-dependent potency as purified endotoxin in inducing acute
      airway inflammation in mice. Pre-treatment of intact bacteria and organic dusts
      with 0.1 M Tris-HCl/10 mM EDTA increased by fivefold the release of endotoxin.
      These findings demonstrate that house dust and other organic dusts should be
      extracted with Tris/EDTA to more accurately assess the endotoxin content and pro
      inflammatory potential of these environmental samples.

PMID- 28359222
TI  - Online Automated Seizure Detection in Temporal Lobe Epilepsy Patients Using
      Single-lead ECG.
AB  - Automated seizure detection in a home environment has been of increased interest
      the last couple of decades. The electrocardiogram is one of the signals that is
      suited for this application. In this paper, a new method is described that
      classifies different heart rate characteristics in order to detect seizures from
      temporal lobe epilepsy patients. The used support vector machine classifier is
      trained on data from other patients, so that the algorithm can be used directly
      from the start of each new recording. The algorithm was tested on a dataset of
      more than 918[Formula: see text]h of data coming from 17 patients containing 127
      complex partial and generalized partial seizures. The algorithm was able to
      detect 81.89% of the seizures, with on average 1.97 false alarms per hour. These
      results show a strong drop in the number of false alarms of more than 50%
      compared to other heart rate-based patient-independent algorithms from the
      literature, at the expense of a slightly higher detection delay of 17.8s on
      average.

PMID- 28359223
TI  - Epileptic Discharge Related Functional Connectivity Within and Between Networks
      in Benign Epilepsy with Centrotemporal Spikes.
AB  - Benign epilepsy with centrotemporal spikes (BECTS) is a common childhood epilepsy
      syndrome associated with abnormalities in neurocognitive domains, particularly
      during interictal epileptiform discharges (IEDs). Here, we investigated the
      effects of IEDs on brain's intrinsic connectivity networks in 43 BECTS patients
      and 28 matched healthy controls (HCs). Patients were further divided into IED and
      non-IED subgroups based on simultaneous EEG-fMRI recordings. Functional
      connectivity within and between five networks, corresponding to seizure
      origination and cognitive processes, were analyzed to measure IED effects. We
      found that patients exhibited increased connectivity within the auditory network
      (AN) and the somato-motor network (SMN), and decreased connectivity within the
      basal ganglia network and the dorsal attention network, suggesting that both
      transient and chronic seizure activity may disturb normal network organization.
      The IED group showed decreased functional connectivity within the default mode
      network (DMN) compared with the non-IED group and HCs, implying that the DMN was
      selectively impaired during epileptiform discharges associated with altered self
      referential cognitive functions. Moreover, the IED group exhibited increased
      positive correlations between the AN and the SMN, which suggests a possible
      excessive influence of centrotemporal spiking on information processing in the
      auditory system. The association between epileptic activity and network
      dysfunctions highlights their importance in investigating the pathological
      mechanism underlying BECTS.

PMID- 28359224
TI  - Evaluation of porphyrin loaded dry alginate foams containing poloxamer 407 and
      beta-cyclodextrin-derivatives intended for wound treatment.
AB  - Dry alginate foams intended for antibacterial photodynamic therapy (aPDT) of
      infected wounds were prepared. aPDT is a treatment modality involving light of
      appropriate wavelength, oxygen and a photosensitizer (PS) to produce radicals
      that attack biological targets (e.g. bacteria). The hydrophobic 5,10,15,20
      tetrakis(4-hydroxyphenyl)porphyrin (THPP) was chosen as a model PS and loaded
      into the foams. The foams contained a poloxamer (Pluronic F127) and/or beta
      cyclodextrin (betaCD)-derivatives, i.e. methylbetaCD (MbetaCD), heptakis(2,6-di-O
      methyl)-betaCD (HkbetaCD) or hydroxypropylbetaCD (HPbetaCD).The physical
      characteristics of the various foams prepared and the THPP load, release and
      photostability were evaluated. All the foams were thin and flexible and could
      easily be handled and cut to fit a potential wound. Fast disintegration were
      observed for dry foams in water or phosphate buffered saline, while in Hanks'
      balanced salt solution the foams absorbed liquid without losing their integrity.
      All the foams had a similar THPP load of 0.12-0.13% w/w. The presence of betaCD
      derivatives improved THPP release, however, no differences were observed between
      the different types of betaCD-derivatives evaluated. THPP loaded into the foams
      was photolabile, which induced a color change combined with fading. Alginate
      foams formulated with PF127, betaCD-derivatives and THPP demonstrated
      applicability as delivery vehicles for PSs in aPDT of wounds.

PMID- 28359229
TI  - The Good Enough Doctor.

PMID- 28359226
TI  - Prevention of fetal infection in heifers challenged with bovine viral diarrhoea
      virus type 1a by vaccination with a type 1c or type 1a vaccine.
AB  - AIMS: To evaluate a vaccine containing type 1c bovine viral diarrhoea (BVD) virus
      for prevention of fetal infection in pregnant heifers when challenged with New
      Zealand BVD virus type 1a 6 months after vaccination, compared to unvaccinated
      heifers and heifers vaccinated with a vaccine containing type 1a BVD virus.
      METHODS: Fifty five crossbred Friesian heifers, free from BVD virus and antibody,
      were randomly allocated to three groups. Twenty five heifers were vaccinated
      twice with a vaccine containing type 1c BVD virus (T1c group), and 10 heifers
      with a vaccine containing type 1a BVD virus (T1a group), and 20 heifers were
      unvaccinated (NC group). After oestrus synchronisation the heifers were bred by
      artificial insemination followed by natural bull mating. Six months after booster
      vaccination 15 heifers from the T1c group, eight from the T1a group, and 15 from
      the NC group, were exposed to four calves that were persistently infected with
      type 1a BVD virus, for 4 weeks. At the beginning of the challenge phase 36/38
      heifers were 72-74 days pregnant and 2/38 heifers were approximately 53 days
      pregnant. Approximately 52 days after the start of the challenge the heifers were
      subjected to euthanasia and fetal tissues were collected for the detection of BVD
      virus by ELISA in fetal heart blood and PCR in fetal tissues. RESULTS: Based on
      PCR results, BVD virus was detected in 15/15 fetuses in the NC group, compared to
      4/14 fetuses in the T1c group and 3/8 fetuses in the T1a group. The proportion of
      BVD virus-positive fetuses was lower in both vaccinated groups compared to the NC
      group (p<0.002), but there was no difference in proportions between the
      vaccinated groups (p=1.00). Fetal protection, expressed as the prevented
      fraction, was 71.4 (95% CI=41.9-91.6)% and 62.5 (95% CI=24.5-91.5)% for the T1c
      and T1a groups, respectively. CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE: The vaccines
      containing killed type 1c and type 1a BVD viruses significantly reduced fetal
      infection following challenge with a New Zealand type 1a BVD virus. Prevention of
      fetal infection by vaccination may not be 100%, and the risk of persistently
      infected calves being born to some vaccinated cattle should be acknowledged and
      managed as part of a BVD control programme.

PMID- 28359230
TI  - Hydroxypyridinone Derivatives: A Fascinating Class of Chelators with Therapeutic
      Applications - An Update.
AB  - Hydroxypyridinones (HPs) are a family of N-heterocyclic metal chelators, which
      have been an attractive target in the development of a variety of new
      pharmaceutical drugs, due to their high metal chelating efficacy/specificity and
      easy derivatization to tune the desired biological properties. In fact, along the
      last decades, hydroxypyridinone derivatives, but mostly 3-hydroxy-4-pyridinone
      (3,4-HP), have been intensively used in drug design, following either a
      multitarget approach, in which one chelating unity is extrafunctionalized
      (hybridized) to enable the interaction with other important specific biological
      sites, or a polydenticity approach, in which more than one chelating moiety is
      conveniently attached to one scaffold, to increase the metal chelating efficacy.
      This review represents an update of the most recent publications (2014-2016) in
      mono-HP hybrids, namely as potential anti-Alzheimer's drugs, inhibitors of
      metalloenzymes and anti-microbials, and also polychelating compounds (poly- HP),
      in view of potential application, such as anti-microbial/biostatic agents,
      luminescent biosensors or diagnostic agents.

PMID- 28359231
TI  - Gold - Old Drug with New Potentials.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Research into gold-based drugs for a range of human diseases has seen
      a revival in recent years. This article reviews the most important applications
      of gold products in different fields of human pathology. Au(I) and Au(III)
      compounds have been re-introduced in clinical practice for targeting the cellular
      components involved in the onset and progression of viral and parasitic diseases,
      rheumatoid arthritis and cancer. RESULTS: After some brief historical notes, this
      article takes into account the applications of gold compounds against
      Mycobacterium tuberculosis, and also in tuberculosis and in rheumatoid arthritis
      treatment. The use of gold containing drugs in the cure of cancer are then
      considered, with special emphasis to the use of nanoparticles and to the photo
      thermal cancer therapy. The use of colloidal gold in diagnostics, introduced in
      the last decade is widely discussed. As a last point a survey on the adverse
      effects and on the toxicity of the various gold derivatives in use in medicine is
      presented. CONCLUSION: In this review, we described the surprisingly broad
      spectrum of possible uses of gold in diagnostics and in therapeutic approaches to
      multiple human diseases, ranging from degenerative to infectious diseases, and to
      cancer. In particular, gold nanoparticles appear as attractive elements in modern
      clinical medicine, combining high therapeutic properties, high selectivity in
      targeting cancer cells and low toxicity.

PMID- 28359232
TI  - Identification and Characterization of a Chemical Compound that Inhibits
      Methionyl-tRNA Synthetase from Pseudomonas aeruginosa.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Pseudomonas aeruginosa is an opportunistic pathogen problematic in
      causing nosocomial infections and is highly susceptible to development of
      resistance to multiple antibiotics. The gene encoding methionyl-tRNA synthetase
      (MetRS) from P. aeruginosa was cloned and the resulting protein characterized.
      METHODS: MetRS was kinetically evaluated and the KM for its three substrates,
      methionine, ATP and tRNAMet were determined to be 35, 515, and 29 MUM,
      respectively. P. aeruginosaMetRS was used to screen two chemical compound
      libraries containing 1690 individual compounds. RESULTS: A natural product
      compound (BM01C11) was identified that inhibited the aminoacylation function. The
      compound inhibited P. aeruginosa MetRS with an IC50 of 70 MUM. The minimum
      inhibitory concentration (MIC) of BM01C11 was determined against nine clinically
      relevant bacterial strains, including efflux pump mutants and hypersensitive
      strains of P. aeruginosa and E. coli. The MIC against the hypersensitive strain
      of P. aeruginosa was 16 MUg/ml. However, the compound was not effective against
      the wild-type and efflux pump mutant strains, indicating that efflux may not be
      responsible for the lack of activity against the wild-type strains. When tested
      in human cell cultures, the cytotoxicity concentration (CC50) was observed to be
      30 MUg/ml. The compound did not compete with methionine or ATP for binding MetRS,
      indicating that the mechanism of action of the compound likely occurs outside the
      active site of aminoacylation. CONCLUSION: An inhibitor of P. aeruginosa MetRS,
      BM01C11, was identified as a flavonoid compound named isopomiferin. Isopomiferin
      inhibited the enzymatic activity of MetRS and displayed broad spectrum
      antibacterial activity. These studies indicate that isopomiferin may be amenable
      to development as a therapeutic for bacterial infections.

PMID- 28359233
TI  - In Vivo Hypoglycemic Studies of Polyherbal Phytoceuticals, Their Pharmacokinetic
      Studies and Dose Extrapolation by Allometric Scaling.
AB  - BACKGROUND: This work reports the safety profiling, in vivo hypoglycemic and
      pharmacokinetic studies of three phytoceuticals viz. conventional and sustained
      release tablets and microspheres each containing a polyherbal product
      phytocomposite (PHC) as the active ingredient. PHC is prepared from the leaf
      extracts of Ficus benghalensis: Syzigium cumini: Ocimum sanctum mixed in the
      weight ratio of 1:1:2. Further no observed adverse effect level (NOAEL), maximum
      recommended starting dose (MRSD) in human and prediction of human pharmacokinetic
      parameters have been accomplished by allometric equations. METHODS: Acute and sub
      chronic studies of the phytoceuticals were done as per OECD and in vivo
      hypoglycemic studies in STZ induced diabetic rats. Plasma concentrations of the
      active constituent rutin (pharmacologically active compound of PHC) were
      determined by HPLC and other pharmacokinetic parameters using PK Solver. Repeated
      dose toxicity was carried out to determine the NOAEL value, MRSD estimated using
      allometric formulas of body surface area and clearance (CL) and volume of
      distribution (Vd) predicted by allometric equations of single species scaling.
      RESULTS: Phytoceuticals showed a wide range of safety profile with a significant
      lowering of blood gluco-lipid level. The values of the pharmacokinetic parameters
      for different doses of phytoceuticals showed that the active concentration was
      maintained in plasma level and each formulation complied with their relevant
      quality criteria. NOAEL value was 5000 mg/kg/body weight and MRSD was 4864.86 mg.
      CONCLUSION: Phytoceuticals prepared are safe and effectively controlled blood
      gluco lipid level. Animal to human dose extrapolation and prediction of human
      pharmacokinetic parameters by allometry was convenient.

PMID- 28359234
TI  - Identification of Novel 5,6-Dimethoxyindan-1-one Derivatives as Antiviral Agents.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Discovery of novel antiviral agents is essential because viral
      infection continues to threaten human life globally. Various heterocyclic small
      molecules have been developed as antiviral agents. The 5,6-dimethoxyindan-1-on
      nucleus is of considerable interest as this ring is the key constituent in a
      range of bioactive compounds, both naturally occurring and synthetic, and often
      of considerable complexity. OBJECTIVE: The main purpose of this research was to
      discover and develop small molecule heterocycles as broad-spectrum of antiviral
      agents. METHOD: A focused small set of 5,6-dimethoxyindan-1-one analogs (6-8)
      along with a thiopene derivative (9) was screened for selected viruses (Vaccinia
      virus - VACA, Human papillomavirus - HPV, Zika virus - ZIKV, Dengue virus - DENV,
      Measles virus - MV, Poliovirus 3 - PV, Rift Valley fever virus - RVFV, Tacaribe
      virus - TCRV, Venezuelan equine encephalitis virus - VEEV, Herpes simplex virus 1
      -HSV-1 and Human cytomegalovirus - HCMV) using the National Institute of Allergy
      and Infectious Diseases (NIAID)'s Division of Microbiology and Infectious
      Diseases (DMID) antiviral screening program. RESULTS: These molecules
      demonstrated moderate to excellent antiviral activity towards variety of viruses.
      The 5,6-dimethoxyindan-1-one analog (7) demonstrated high efficacy towards
      vaccinia virus (EC50: <0.05 uM) and was nearly 232 times more potent than the
      standard drug Cidofovir (EC50: 11.59 uM) in primary assay whereas it demonstrated
      moderate activity (EC50: >30.00 uM) in secondary plaque reduction assay. The
      thiophene analog (9) has shown very good viral inhibition towards several viruses
      such as Human papillomavirus, Measles virus, Rift Valley fever virus, Tacaribe
      virus and Herpes simplex virus 1. CONCLUSION: Our research identified a novel 5,6
      dimethoxyindan-1-one analog (compound 7), as a potent antiviral agent for
      vaccinia virus, and heterocyclic chalcone analog (compound 9) as a broad spectrum
      antiviral agent.

PMID- 28359235
TI  - Halving Your Cake and Eating it, Too: A Case-based Discussion and Review of
      Metabolic Rehabilitation for Obese Adults with Diabetes.
AB  - BACKGROUND: The global epidemic of obesity will see normal weight adults
      constituting a mere one-third of the global population by 2025. Although appetite
      and weight are regulated by a complex integration of neurological, endocrine and
      gastrointestinal feedback mechanisms, there is a constant interaction between
      psychological state, physical impairment, presence of comorbid chronic disease
      and medications. METHODS: We discuss two cases and reveal a practical approach to
      investigating and managing patients with obesity and diabetes in the 'real
      world'. Within this scope, the aetiology, associated disease burden, and
      pharmacological therapies for the treatment of the obese patient with type 2
      diabetes are reviewed. An insight into non-surgical metabolic rehabilitation is
      also provided. SUMMARY: Lifestyle, including diet, exercise, medications, as well
      as genetic predisposition, and rarely, endocrinopathies should be considered in
      the assessment of the obese patient. Investigations are not complex and include
      cardiometabolic and nutritional screens and an assessment for institution of
      graded, safe levels of exercise. In more complicated patients, referral to a
      multidisciplinary outpatient program may be necessary and it is not uncommon for
      patients to lose between 10-20% of their initial weight. Despite this, metabolic
      surgery may be necessary as further weight loss with long-term weight maintenance
      may be medically indicated. The type of surgery is tailored to the patient's
      medical risk and co-morbidities as well as likelihood of compliance with the
      required follow-up. CONCLUSION: It is the opinion of the authors that metabolic
      rehabilitation should be intensive, multidisciplinary, and have a supervised
      exercise program, as the gold standard of care. These suggestions are based on
      the clinical pearls gained over two decades of clinical experience working in one
      of Australia's most innovative multidisciplinary metabolic rehabilitation
      programs caring for patients with severe obesity.

PMID- 28359236
TI  - Effects of PHA-665752 and Cetuximab Combination Treatment on In Vitro and Murine
      Xenograft Growth of Human Colorectal Cancer Cells with KRAS or BRAF Mutations.
AB  - BACKGROUND: It remains unknown whether blockade of c-Met signaling and epidermal
      growth factor receptor signaling is effective in suppressing the growth of human
      colorectal cancer (CRC) cells. In this study, we investigated the effects of the
      c-Met inhibitor PHA-665752 alone and in combination with cetuximab on the growth
      of human CRC cells in vitro and in mouse xenografts. METHODS: Human CRC cell
      lines (Caco2, HCT-116, and HT-29) and mice bearing HCT-116 xenografts were
      treated with cetuximab in the absence or presence of PHA-665752. Cell viability
      and apoptosis were examined using the MTT and TUNEL assays, respectively.
      Vimentin was measured by immunohistochemistry as a marker for epithelial-to
      mesenchymal transition. Western blotting was used to determine signaling protein
      expression levels. RESULTS: The MTT assay showed that the growth of Caco2, HCT
      116, and HT-29 cells was inhibited by PHA-665752 in a dose-dependent manner, but
      only Caco2 cell growth was suppressed by cetuximab. Combination treatment with
      PHA-665752 and cetuximab inhibited the proliferation of Caco2 cells and RAS
      mutant CRC cell lines. However, relative to the PHA-665752-alone treatment group,
      HT-29 cells with a BRAF mutation showed no noticeable effect. The mean tumor
      volume in mice treated with cetuximab in combination with PHA-665752 was
      significantly smaller than that in the mice treated with only cetuximab (P =
      0.033) or PHA-665752 (P < 0.01). Similarly, the expression of vimentin in the
      mice treated with PHA-665752 in combination with cetuximab was significantly
      lower than that in the mice treated with cetuximab or PHA-665752 alone (P < 0.05
      in each case). TUNEL assays revealed that treatment with PHA-665752 in
      combination with cetuximab markedly increased CRC cell apoptosis. Western
      blotting analysis of signaling protein expression showed that PHA- 665752
      inhibited Met phosphorylation (P < 0.05). In addition, treatment with cetuximab
      alone or in combination with PHA-665752 effectively inhibited EGFR
      phosphorylation (P < 0.05). CONCLUSION: Combination treatment with PHA-665752 and
      cetuximab suppressed in vitro and in vivo CRC cell growth more than treatment
      with either agent alone did.

PMID- 28359237
TI  - Influence of Aldo-keto Reductase 1C3 in Prostate Cancer - A Mini Review.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Aldo-keto reductase 1C3 (AKR1C3) is an important oxidoreductase with
      multiple substrates, that are involved in producing extra-testicular androgens.
      Its activity is influenced by environmental exposures, as well as by genetic
      variants. These genetic variants could therefore produce variable testosterone
      levels and subsequent androgen receptor (AR) activation. This could lead to
      differential downstream production of the prostate-specific antigen (PSA). As PSA
      level is used for clinical evaluation of the prostate, these variations could
      impact prostate cancer (PC) diagnosis, as well as PC management outcomes. This
      review brings together information with regards to key functions of this enzyme,
      its relevance in PC, its transcriptional regulation, clinical aspects associated
      with genetics, differential regulation in cancer and cancer progression, and the
      types of AKR1C3 inhibitors with future therapeutic value. CONCLUSION: Based on
      these discussions, hypotheses are forwarded for future applicability of this
      enzyme and its genetic variants in transformational medical practices in PC.
      Options for the use of personalised AKR1C3 inhibitor drugs for late stage PC are
      also discussed.

PMID- 28359239
TI  - Oncolytic Virotherapy and Gene Therapy Strategies for Hepatobiliary Cancers.
AB  - Advanced liver cancers and biliary cancers represent diseases with dismal
      prognosis because of frequent local invasion and metastasis. Effective
      therapeutic agents for these cancers have not been established. Oncolytic viruses
      (OVs) constitute a novel class of promising, selective anticancer agents and
      recent studies have elucidated their unique features. Moreover, clinical trials
      are demonstrating promising results. Numerous OVs are being tested in preclinical
      models of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). The lead agent Pexa-Vec (pexastimogene
      devacirepvec, JX-594), a recombinant Wyeth strain vaccinia virus, has
      demonstrated preliminary evidence of safety and efficacy for HCC in clinical
      trials. Few other OVs have entered clinical testing. Relatively few preclinical
      studies and clinical trials exist for biliary cancers. In this review, we
      introduce various approaches using OVs to treat the intractable hepatobiliary
      cancers.

PMID- 28359240
TI  - Elaborating the Role of Natural Products on the Regulation of Autophagy and their
      Potentials in Breast Cancer Therapy.
AB  - Autophagy is an intracellular lysosomal/vacuolar degradation system, in which the
      inner cytoplasmic cell membrane is degraded by the lysosomal hydrolases, followed
      by the resulting products released back into the cytosol. It is involved in many
      physiological processes which are crucial for cell growth and survival. However,
      disturbance in the autophagic process is often associated with a variety of human
      diseases, such as cancer. Breast cancer is one of the most malignant tumors
      characterized by the imbalanced cell proliferation, apoptosis as well as
      disordered autophagy regulation. The alterations of autophagy related genes or
      protein levels in breast cancer cells also suggested a potential implication of
      autophagy in breast cancer development and progression. Many natural products had
      been reported as potential anti-cancer agents or being considered as direct or
      indirect sources of new chemotherapy adjuvants to enhance the efficacy or to
      ameliorate the side effects through the modulation of autophagy. Investigation of
      the underlying mechanism of these compounds could be crucial for the development
      of new therapeutic or chemopreventive options for breast cancer treatment. In
      this review, a summary of those natural products that can regulate autophagy in
      breast cancer is presented and the potential value of such autophagy modulators
      on the development of anti-cancer drugs is also discussed.

PMID- 28359241
TI  - Obesity and Cancer: Biological Links and Treatment Implications.
AB  - Obesity is an epidemic disease and correlates with cardiovascular diseases
      increasing the overall mortality. However, it has been recently demonstrated that
      cancer is an unexpected consequence of obesity. In most of the studies, it is
      evaluated with body mass index (BMI): high BMI increases cancer risk and reduces
      survival of many solid tumors. The main biologic and clinic topics regarding
      obese cancer patients are here presented and discussed. Hyperinsulinemia and
      Insulin-like Growth Factors (IGFs) are among the most important links between
      cancer and obesity. However, adipose tissue (AT) also produces sex hormones, pro
      inflammatory cytokines and hypoxia which in turn promote initiation and
      progression of tumors. One of the major clinic concern about obese cancer
      patients is the risk of chemotherapy-related toxicity. Previous studies showed
      that obese patients do not experience significant increased toxicity compared to
      non-obese patients. Thus, the increasing incidence and scientific knowledge of
      obesity should prompt the researchers to study for personalization of therapy in
      obese patients with cancer rather than for the simple chemotherapy
      "depotentiation". It has been demonstrated that weight loss reduces cancer risk
      and can ameliorate compliance to therapy. Thus, social politics as well as
      therapies against obesity may impact on cancer risk, treatment and survival.

PMID- 28359238
TI  - HR+, HER2- Advanced Breast Cancer and CDK4/6 Inhibitors: Mode of Action, Clinical
      Activity, and Safety Profiles.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Cyclin-dependent kinase (CDK) 4/6 inhibitor-based therapies have
      shown great promise in improving clinical outcomes for patients with hormone
      receptor-positive (HR+), human epidermal growth factor receptor 2-negative (HER2
      ) advanced breast cancer. OBJECTIVES: 1. Discuss the mode of action of the three
      CDK4/6 inhibitors in late clinical development: palbociclib (PD-0332991; Pfizer),
      ribociclib (LEE011; Novartis), and abemaciclib (LY2835219; Lilly). 2. Describe
      the efficacy and safety data relating to their use in HR+, HER2- advanced breast
      cancer. 3. Discuss the key side effects associated with CDK4/6 inhibitors along
      with considerations for adverse event management and patient monitoring. METHOD:
      Relevant information and data were assimilated from manuscripts, congress
      publications, and online sources. RESULTS: CDK4/6 inhibitors have demonstrated
      improved progression-free survival in combination with endocrine therapy compared
      with endocrine therapy alone. The side-effect profile of each agent is described,
      along with implications for patient monitoring, and considerations for patient
      care providers and pharmacists. CONCLUSION: Addition of a CDK4/6 inhibitor to
      endocrine therapy increases efficacy and delays disease progression. Insight into
      the unique side-effect profiles of this class of agents and effective patient
      monitoring will facilitate the successful use of CDK4/6 inhibitor-based therapies
      in the clinic.

PMID- 28359243
TI  - Redox Biotransformation and Delivery of Anthracycline Anticancer Antibiotics: How
      Interpretable Structure-activity Relationships of Lethality Using
      Electrophilicity and the London Formula for Dispersion Interaction Work.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Quantum chemical methods and molecular mechanics approaches face a
      lot of challenges in drug metabolism study because of either insufficient
      accuracy, huge computational cost, or lack of clear molecular level pictures for
      building computational models. Low-cost QSAR methods can often be carried out,
      even though molecular level pictures are not well defined; however, they show
      difficulty in identifying the mechanisms of drug metabolism and delineating the
      effects of chemical structures on drug toxicity because a certain amount of
      molecular descriptors are difficult to be interpreted. OBJECTIVE: In order to
      make a breakthrough of QSAR, mechanistically interpretable molecular descriptors
      were used to correlate with biological activity to establish structure-activity
      plots. The biological activity is the lethality of anthracycline anticancer
      antibiotics denoted as log LD50. The mechanistically interpretable molecular
      descriptors include electrophilicity and the mathematical function in the London
      formula for dispersion interaction. METHOD: The descriptors were calculated using
      quantum chemical methods. RESULTS: The plots for electrophilicity, which is
      interpreted as redox reactivity of anthracyclines, can describe oxidative
      degradation for detoxification and reductive bioactivation for toxicity
      induction. The plots for the dispersion interaction function, which represents
      the attraction between anthracyclines and biomolecules, can describe efflux from
      and influx into the target cells of toxicity. The plots can also identify three
      structural scaffolds of anthracyclines that have different metabolic pathways,
      resulting in their different toxicity behavior. CONCLUSION: This structure
      dependent toxicity behavior revealed in the plots can provide perspectives on
      drug design and drug metabolism study.

PMID- 28359242
TI  - Small-molecule Inhibitors of Epigenetic Mutations as Compelling Drugtargets for
      Myelodysplastic Syndromes.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Involvement of mutations in epigenetic mechanism in the development
      of heterogeneous MDS and its evolution to AML has been understood with at least
      one mutation and median of 2-3 mutations of the landscapes of driver mutations in
      ~40 genes described in >90% MDS patients. Exclusivity and cooperating effects of
      mutations have directed therapeutic implementation with hypomethylating agents
      and identified a number of first-in-class small molecules as inhibitors of
      mutational expression. Preclinical and clinical trials have already been
      initiated for some synthetic and natural products and established proof-of
      concept for mitigation of mutagenic effects. OBJECTIVE: The present review
      article entails the mutational signatures in DNA-methylation and
      hydroxymethylation, histone acetylation and Deacetylation, polycomb repressor
      complex (PRC2), and small molecule inhibitors of these mutational expressions.
      METHOD: Information has been collected from the recently published literature
      available mainly through Google search in Medline and PubMed database. Special
      emphasis was paid on the literature available during 2009-2016. RESULT: The up-to
      date information accumulated on signature-mutations and their inhibitors has to
      integrate the function of clonal hematopoiesis of indeterminate potential (CHIP)
      and mutational complexities for re-defining MDS-genesis. Nevertheless, molecular
      understanding of MDS heterogeneity and its transformation to AML is expanding at
      fast pace with expanding knowledge on abundant non-coding RNAs (ncRNAs), which
      forms the basis of targeted drug-tailoring, and will further develop personalized
      medicines based on individual genetic blue-prints. CONCLUSION: Mutation-specific
      targeted epigenetic drugs, which have already sensitized drug-makers and
      regulators, may promise attestation of 'del5q and lenalidomide'-like specific
      drugs for every mutational signature independently or in combination with
      standard therapeutic elements used for MDS-management, and that will add to
      understand their antagonistic/synergistic effects.

PMID- 28359244
TI  - Potential Therapeutic Targets in Energy Metabolism Pathways of Breast Cancer.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Mutations in proto-oncogenes and tumor suppressor genes make cancer
      cells proliferate indefinitely. As they possess almost all mechanisms for cell
      proliferation and survival like healthy cells, it is difficult to specifically
      target cancer cells in the body. Current treatments in most of the cases are
      harmful to healthy cells as well. Thus, it would be of great prudence to target
      specific characters of cancer cells. Since cancer cells avidly use glucose and
      glutamine to survive and proliferate by upregulating the relevant enzymes and
      their specific isoforms having important regulatory roles, it has been of great
      interest recently to target the energy-related metabolic pathways as part of the
      therapeutic interventions. OBJECTIVE: This paper summarizes the isozymes
      overexpressed in breast cancer, their roles of energy metabolism and cross-talks
      with other important signaling pathways in regulating proliferation, invasion and
      metastasis in breast cancer. METHOD: Information has been collected from recently
      published literature available on Google Scholar and PubMed. Where available, in
      vivo results were given more importance over in vitro works. RESULT: Like many
      other cancers, breast cancer shows increased dependence on glycolysis rather than
      mitochondrial respiration, the main energy source in healthy cells. Cancer cells
      alter the cellular energy system in a way that helps minimize level of reactive
      oxygen species and simultaneously produce enough macromolecules- proteins, lipids
      and nucleotides for cellular proliferation. The altered system enables the cells
      to grow, proliferate, metastasize and to develop drug resistance. Certain
      isozymes of metabolic enzymes are overexpressed in breast cancer and the degree
      of expression of these enzymes vary among subtypes. CONCLUSION: A clear
      understanding of the variations of energy metabolism in different molecular
      subtypes of breast cancer would help in treating each type with a very
      customized, safer and efficient treatment regimen. Anti-cancer drugs or RNAi or
      combination of both targeting cancer cell specific isozymes of metabolic enzymes
      mentioned in this article could offer a great treatment modality for breast
      cancer.

PMID- 28359245
TI  - The beta 2-Adrenergic Agonist Salbutamol Inhibits Migration, Invasion and
      Metastasis of the Human Breast Cancer MDA-MB- 231 Cell Line.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Breast cancer is the most diagnosed and the major cause of cancer
      death in women worldwide. Metastasis is the main cause of these deaths. The
      metastatic cascade involves multiple steps and it has been described that
      adrenergic receptors can modulate this process at multiple levels. However, beta 
      adrenergic action in breast cancer is controversial. We have previously shown
      that beta-adrenergic agonists inhibit cell proliferation and tumor growth of
      numerous breast cancer models. OBJECTIVE: The purpose of the present
      investigation was to evaluate adrenergic effect in parameters related to tumor
      progression (migration, invasion and metastases) in two human breast cancer cell
      lines. METHODS: Migration was assessed in IBH-6 and MDA-MB-231 cells by time
      lapse videomicroscopy and modified Boyden chambers. Invasion was evaluated by
      Transwells coated with Matrigel and expression of pro-metastatic genes was
      determined by RT-qPCR. Experimental metastases studies were performed by
      injection of the cells in the tail vein of NSG immuno-deficient mice. RESULTS: In
      both cell lines, salbutamol (beta2-agonist) and propranolol (beta-blocker)
      significantly diminished cell migration while epinephrine exerted opposite
      effects. Moreover, salbutamol inhibited invasion of both breast cancer cell lines
      and enhanced adhesion to extracellular matrix. Salbutamol treatment was also able
      to decrease the expression of pro-metastatic genes in MDA-MB-231 cells. Finally,
      this compound decreased the number and size of MDA-MB-231 lung experimental
      metastases in NSG immuno- deficient mice. No effect on the establishment of IBH-6
      metastases was observed. CONCLUSION: Our results suggest that salbutamol could be
      an effective adjuvant drug for the treatment of metastatic breast cancer.

PMID- 28359246
TI  - In-silico & In-vitro Identification of Structure-Activity Relationship Pattern of
      Serpentine & Gallic Acid Targeting PI3Kgamma as Potential Anticancer Target.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Natural products showed anticancer activity and often induce
      apoptosis or autophagy in cancer cells through the PI3K/Akt/mTOR signaling
      pathways. The potential of natural products as PI3Ks inhibitors has been
      reported, which suggest PI3Ks a promising anticancer target. Phosphoinositide 3
      kinase is a family of related intracellular signal transducer enzymes or lipid
      kinases that regulate different cellular processes involved in cancer. OBJECTIVE:
      To identify the molecular reason behind the similar target based activity of
      selected shikimate pathway metabolites on PI3Kgamma, a detail structure-activity
      relationship study was performed. METHOD: In the studied work, anticancer
      potential of plant molecules gallic acid and serpentine was evaluated against
      PI3Kgamma isoform and compared with wortmannin, a steroid metabolite of the fungi
      and a non-specific covalent known inhibitor of PI3Ks by using in-silico QSAR,
      docking, ADMET, chemical isolation from plant, NMR and in-vitro activity.
      RESULTS: A predictive QSAR model was developed by applying multiple linear
      regression which revealed identification of key structural properties regulating
      the inhibitory activity of serpentine and gallic acid on PI3Kgamma. The model
      exhibited acceptable statistical parameters such as r2 0.76, r2CV 0.72, and q2
      0.55. Structural elucidation was done through NMR studies. Predicted activities
      were further evaluated through in-vitro testing of gallic acid and serpentine
      targeting PI3Kgamma. CONCLUSION: The identified chemical features modulating the
      activity were amide, amine, and secondary amine groups counts, highest occupied
      molecule orbital (HOMO) energy and valence connectivity index (order 2). In
      silico ADME and toxicity risk assessment was done for pharmacokinetic and
      bioavailability compliance evaluation.

PMID- 28359247
TI  - Method to Assess Interactivity of Drugs with Nonparallel Concentration Effect
      Relationships.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Commonly used methods for analyzing interactivity between drugs (e.g.
      synergy, antagonism) such as isobologram, combination index, and curve shift are
      based on the Loewe Additivity principle of dose equivalence and the inherent
      assumption of similar concentration- effect (C-E) including parallel curves and
      equal maximum effects (Emax), and therefore are not suitable for drugs with
      dissimilar C-E. This study describes a new method that is without this limitation
      and has the additional advantage of enabling statistical analysis. METHODS AND
      RESULTS: The method comprises two steps. First, based on the dose equivalence
      principle, the experimentally obtained C-E of one drug was used to calculate the
      equally effective C-E of the other drug at no interactivity; the resulting two
      zero-interactivity C-E formed the upper and lower boundaries of Additivity
      Envelope. Next, 95% confidence intervals calculated from experimental data were
      added to Additivity Envelope to obtain Uncertainty Envelope (UE). Experimentally
      observed effects of drug combinations (C-Ecomb,observed) located within UE
      indicate additivity whereas C-Ecomb,observed located above or below UE indicate
      statistically significant (p<0.05) synergy or antagonism, respectively.
      Additional in silico studies demonstrated the shape and size of Additivity
      Envelope, which determines the ability to detect drug interactivity, depended on
      the Drug A-to-B concentration ratios and the ratios of their C-E curve shape
      parameter. Analyses of experimental results of combinations of drugs with
      nonparallel C-E and/or unequal Emax indicated UE as more versatile and provided
      more information, compared to earlier methods. CONCLUSION: UE is a broadly
      applicable method for analysis, including statistical significance assessment, of
      drug interactivity.

PMID- 28359248
TI  - Immunomodulatory Activity of MicroRNAs: Potential Implications for Multiple
      Myeloma Treatment.
AB  - Multiple myeloma (MM) is an incurable plasma cell neoplasm accounting for about
      10% of all hematologic malignancies. Recently, emerging evidence is disclosing
      the complexity of bone marrow interactions between MM cells and infiltrating
      immune cells, which have been reported to promote proliferation, survival and
      drug resistance of tumor cells. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are small non-coding RNA
      molecules with regulatory functions in the cell, whose expression has predictive
      and prognostic value in different malignancies. MiRNAs are gaining increasing
      interest due to their capability to polarize the immune-response through
      different mechanisms, which include the molecular reprogramming of immune cells.
      This characteristic, together with the antitumor activity of miRNA mimics or
      inhibitors, make the miRNA network an attractive area of investigation for novel
      anti-MM therapeutic approaches. In this review, we will discuss the recent
      advances in the understanding of the interplay between MM cells and bone marrow
      resident immune cells, with special focus on the molecular and functional changes
      induced by miRNA network modulation. We will finally indicate potential targets
      for therapeutic intervention.

PMID- 28359249
TI  - Autophagy Inhibition in Childhood Nephroblastoma and the Therapeutic
      Significance.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Autophagy is a physiological pathway characterized by
      lysosomedependent self-digestion to recycle damaged or superfluous cellular
      content. Deregulation of autophagy hampers the maintenance of cellular
      homeostasis and contributes to tumorigenesis. However, during anticancer therapy,
      autophagy activation contributes to development of resistance. Thus autophagy has
      been recognized as an important pathway and a therapeutic target in cancer.
      Nephroblastoma (Wilm's tumor) is a common childhood malignancy. The role of
      autophagy in nephroblastoma is largely uninvestigated. OBJECTIVE: This study is
      to investigate the change of autophagy level in nephroblastoma, and whether
      autophagy could be a therapeutic target in anaplastic nephroblastoma. METHOD: In
      clinical samples of childhood nephroblastoma, autophagy activity was evaluated by
      the expressions of selected autophagy markers as well as the presence of
      autophagosome ultrastructure. Use of autophagy inhibitors alone and in
      combination with conventional chemotherapeutics, was studied both in vivo and in
      vitro. RESULTS: In nephroblastoma, there was decrease in the Beclin 1 level and
      the number of autophagosomes, suggesting autophagy inhibition. Furthermore, in
      two anaplastic nephroblastoma cell lines, G401 and SK-NEP1, autophagy inhibitors
      further enhanced the efficacy of conventional chemotherapeutics including
      vincristine and cisplatin. In G401 tumor model established in nude mice,
      combinational use of chloroquine, an inhibitor of autophagy degradation, further
      decreased the tumor mass compared with single use of the chemotherapeutics
      vindesine, although no statistical significance was achieved. CONCLUSION: Our
      results suggest that autophagy deregulation is involved in nephroblastoma, and
      targeting autophagy can serve as a potential adjuvant strategy for the highly
      malignant cases.

PMID- 28359250
TI  - Insight into Discovery of Next Generation Reversible TMLR Inhibitors Targeting
      EGFR Activating and Drug Resistant T790M Mutants.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) is a well-recognised drug
      target exploited for treating non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Gefitinib and
      erlotinib are first generation clinically employed inhibitors used against EGFR
      activating mutants. However, during course of treatment these inhibitors become
      ineffective due to the emergence of an acquired secondary mutation. Subsequently,
      in order to overcome non-responsiveness second and third generation inhibitors
      were designed having covalent bond and irreversible mode of action. However,
      these inhibitors were shown to be toxic. This led to the discovery of lead
      candidates with completely different mode of action and therapeutic efficacy.
      OBJECTIVE: We have reviewed the recent efforts undertaken by researchers in
      discovering newer noncovalent reversible next generation inhibitors for treating
      NSCLC. METHODS: We first studied the optimization steps and pharmacokinetic
      variables of the synthesised molecules. We also analysed bonds and interactions
      using PDB X-ray crystal structures as well as scaffold and selectivity analysis
      was undertaken. RESULTS: We identified that ligand lipophilic efficiency driven
      potency is a preferable optimisation parameter for maintaining drug likeliness of
      the molecule. Also, few h-bonds were recognised as major players in affecting the
      binding of compound. The scaffold analysis revealed that ligand molecules with
      pyrimidine core exhibit higher inhibitory activity against TMLR, as well as
      higher selectivity with respect to other kinases. CONCLUSION: Next generation
      reversible inhibitors exhibited unique binding mode and were found to occupy
      three major pockets (ribose pocket, back pocket and hinge region), which is
      critical for increasing the selectivity of the compound against TMLR mutants.

PMID- 28359251
TI  - Applying Knowledge of Enzyme Biochemistry to the Prediction of Functional Sites
      for Aiding Drug Discovery.
AB  - Enzymes are biological catalysts that play an important role in determining the
      patterns of chemical transformations pertaining to life. Many milestones have
      been achieved in unraveling the mechanisms in which the enzymes orchestrate
      various cellular processes using experimental and computational approaches.
      Experimental studies generating nearly all possible mutations of target enzymes
      have been aided by rapid computational approaches aiming at enzyme functional
      classification, understanding domain organization, functional site
      identification. The functional architecture, essentially, is involved in binding
      or interaction with ligands including substrates, products, cofactors,
      inhibitors, providing for their function, such as in catalysis, ligand mediated
      cell signaling, allosteric regulation and post-translational modifications. With
      the increasing availability of enzyme information and advances in algorithm
      development, computational approaches have now become more capable of providing
      precise inputs for enzyme engineering, and in the process also making it more
      efficient. This has led to interesting findings, especially in aberrant enzyme
      interactions, such as hostpathogen interactions in infection, neurodegenerative
      diseases, cancer and diabetes. This review aims to summarize in retrospection -
      the mined knowledge, vivid perspectives and challenging strides in using
      available experimentally validated enzyme information for characterization. An
      analytical outlook is presented on the scope of exploring future directions.

PMID- 28359252
TI  - Early urinary biomarkers of diabetic nephropathy in type 1 diabetes mellitus show
      involvement of kallikrein-kinin system.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Additional urinary biomarkers for diabetic nephropathy (DN) are
      needed, providing early and reliable diagnosis and new insights into its
      mechanisms. Rigorous selection criteria and homogeneous study population may
      improve reproducibility of the proteomic approach. METHODS: Long-term type 1
      diabetes patients without metabolic comorbidities were included, 11 with
      sustained microalbuminuria (MA) and 14 without MA (nMA). Morning urine proteins
      were precipitated and resolved by 2D electrophoresis. Principal component
      analysis (PCA) and Projection to latent structures discriminatory analysis (PLS
      DA) were adopted to assess general data validity, to pick protein fractions for
      identification with mass spectrometry (MS), and to test predictive value of the
      resulting model. RESULTS: Proteins (n = 113) detected in more than 90% patients
      were considered representative. Unsupervised PCA showed excellent natural data
      clustering without outliers. Protein spots reaching Variable Importance in
      Projection score above 1 in PLS (n = 42) were subjected to MS, yielding 33
      positive identifications. The PLS model rebuilt with these proteins achieved
      accurate classification of all patients (R2X = 0.553, R2Y = 0.953, Q2 = 0.947).
      Thus, multiple earlier recognized biomarkers of DN were confirmed and several
      putative new biomarkers suggested. Among them, the highest significance was met
      in kininogen-1. Its activation products detected in nMA patients exceeded by an
      order of magnitude the amount found in MA patients. CONCLUSIONS: Reducing
      metabolic complexity of the diseased and control groups by meticulous patients'
      selection allows to focus the biomarker search in DN. Suggested new biomarkers,
      particularly kininogen fragments, exhibit the highest degree of correlation with
      MA and substantiate validation in larger and more varied cohorts.

PMID- 28359253
TI  - Association of IL1 beta gene polymorphism and allograft functions in renal
      transplant recipients :a case control study from Kashmir Valley.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Cytokines have been found to be the important mediators during renal
      graft outcome. Therefore, we designed this study to investigate the role of
      recipients' IL-1 beta promoter (-511) and IL-1 beta exon-5 (+3954) polymorphisms
      with the risk of graft outcome. METHODOLOGY: We enrolled one hundred recipients
      of living-related renal transplants together with the age and sex matched
      controls from the healthy population not having any renal abnormality for this
      study. Genotype frequencies of the IL-1 beta promoter (-511) and IL-1 beta exon-5
      (+3954) were analyzed using PCR-RFLP technique. RESULTS: Our results revealed
      significant differences in the healthy control group and patient group in IL
      1beta +3954 (p < 0.001). The frequency of variant type TT genotype was higher in
      RE group as compared to SGF and showed 4 fold risk of rejection (OR = 4.54, p <
      0.069) although p value was not significant. The frequency of wild type CC
      genotype and CT was not significant (p value 0.89 and 0.74 respectively).
      CONCLUSION: Our findings suggest that there is a prevalence of mutated allele of
      IL-1 gene cluster in our population, which may be responsible for renal
      dysfunction.

PMID- 28359255
TI  - A neural joint model for entity and relation extraction from biomedical text.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Extracting biomedical entities and their relations from text has
      important applications on biomedical research. Previous work primarily utilized
      feature-based pipeline models to process this task. Many efforts need to be made
      on feature engineering when feature-based models are employed. Moreover, pipeline
      models may suffer error propagation and are not able to utilize the interactions
      between subtasks. Therefore, we propose a neural joint model to extract
      biomedical entities as well as their relations simultaneously, and it can
      alleviate the problems above. RESULTS: Our model was evaluated on two tasks,
      i.e., the task of extracting adverse drug events between drug and disease
      entities, and the task of extracting resident relations between bacteria and
      location entities. Compared with the state-of-the-art systems in these tasks, our
      model improved the F1 scores of the first task by 5.1% in entity recognition and
      8.0% in relation extraction, and that of the second task by 9.2% in relation
      extraction. CONCLUSIONS: The proposed model achieves competitive performances
      with less work on feature engineering. We demonstrate that the model based on
      neural networks is effective for biomedical entity and relation extraction. In
      addition, parameter sharing is an alternative method for neural models to jointly
      process this task. Our work can facilitate the research on biomedical text
      mining.

PMID- 28359254
TI  - Development of a genus-specific next generation sequencing approach for sensitive
      and quantitative determination of the Legionella microbiome in freshwater
      systems.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Next Generation Sequencing (NGS) has revolutionized the analysis of
      natural and man-made microbial communities by using universal primers for
      bacteria in a PCR based approach targeting the 16S rRNA gene. In our study we
      narrowed primer specificity to a single, monophyletic genus because for many
      questions in microbiology only a specific part of the whole microbiome is of
      interest. We have chosen the genus Legionella, comprising more than 20 pathogenic
      species, due to its high relevance for water-based respiratory infections.
      METHODS: A new NGS-based approach was designed by sequencing 16S rRNA gene
      amplicons specific for the genus Legionella using the Illumina MiSeq technology.
      This approach was validated and applied to a set of representative freshwater
      samples. RESULTS: Our results revealed that the generated libraries presented a
      low average raw error rate per base (<0.5%); and substantiated the use of high
      fidelity enzymes, such as KAPA HiFi, for increased sequence accuracy and quality.
      The approach also showed high in situ specificity (>95%) and very good
      repeatability. Only in samples in which the gammabacterial clade SAR86 was
      present more than 1% non-Legionella sequences were observed. Next-generation
      sequencing read counts did not reveal considerable amplification/sequencing
      biases and showed a sensitive as well as precise quantification of L. pneumophila
      along a dilution range using a spiked-in, certified genome standard. The genome
      standard and a mock community consisting of six different Legionella species
      demonstrated that the developed NGS approach was quantitative and specific at the
      level of individual species, including L. pneumophila. The sensitivity of our
      genus-specific approach was at least one order of magnitude higher compared to
      the universal NGS approach. Comparison of quantification by real-time PCR showed
      consistency with the NGS data. Overall, our NGS approach can determine the
      quantitative abundances of Legionella species, i. e. the complete Legionella
      microbiome, without the need for species-specific primers. CONCLUSIONS: The
      developed NGS approach provides a new molecular surveillance tool to monitor all
      Legionella species in qualitative and quantitative terms if a spiked-in genome
      standard is used to calibrate the method. Overall, the genus-specific NGS
      approach opens up a new avenue to massive parallel diagnostics in a quantitative,
      specific and sensitive way.

PMID- 28359256
TI  - Morintides: cargo-free chitin-binding peptides from Moringa oleifera.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Hevein-like peptides are a family of cysteine-rich and chitin-binding
      peptides consisting of 29-45 amino acids. Their chitin-binding property is
      essential for plant defense against fungi. Based on the number of cysteine
      residues in their sequences, they are divided into three sub-families: 6C-, 8C-
      and 10C-hevein-like peptides. All three subfamilies contain a three-domain
      precursor comprising a signal peptide, a mature hevein-like peptide and a C
      terminal domain comprising a hinge region with protein cargo in 8C- and 10C
      hevein-like peptides. RESULTS: Here we report the isolation and characterization
      of two novel 8C-hevein-like peptides, designated morintides (mO1 and mO2), from
      the drumstick tree Moringa oleifera, a drought-resistant tree belonging to the
      Moringaceae family. Proteomic analysis revealed that morintides comprise 44 amino
      acid residues and are rich in cysteine, glycine and hydrophilic amino acid
      residues such as asparagine and glutamine. Morintides are resistant to thermal
      and enzymatic degradation, able to bind to chitin and inhibit the growth of phyto
      pathogenic fungi. Transcriptomic analysis showed that they contain a three-domain
      precursor comprising an endoplasmic reticulum (ER) signal sequence, a mature
      peptide domain and a C-terminal domain. A striking feature distinguishing
      morintides from other 8C-hevein-like peptides is a short and protein-cargo-free C
      terminal domain. Previously, a similar protein-cargo-free C-terminal domain has
      been observed only in ginkgotides, the 8C-hevein-like peptides from a gymnosperm
      Ginkgo biloba. Thus, morintides, with a cargo-free C-terminal domain, are a stand
      alone class of 8C-hevein-like peptides from angiosperms. CONCLUSIONS: Our results
      expand the existing library of hevein-like peptides and shed light on molecular
      diversity within the hevein-like peptide family. Our work also sheds light on the
      anti-fungal activity and stability of 8C-hevein-like peptides.

PMID- 28359257
TI  - Plasma Urotensin II levels in children and adolescents with chronic kidney
      disease: a single-centre study.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Increased plasma Urotensin II (UII) levels have been found in adults
      with renal diseases. Studies in children are scarce. The objective of the study
      is to estimate plasma UII levels in subjects with chronic kidney disease (CKD)
      stages 3 to 5 and renal transplant recipients (RTR). In addition, the correlation
      of UII with anthropometric features and biochemical parameters was assessed.
      METHODS: Fifty-four subjects, aged 3 to 20 years old, 23 with CKD, 13 with end
      stage kidney disease (ESKD) undergoing hemodialysis (HD) and 18 RTR were
      enrolled. A detailed clinical evaluation was performed. Biochemical parameters of
      renal and liver function were measured. Plasma UII levels were measured in all
      patients and in 117 healthy controls, using a high sensitive enzyme immunoassay
      (EIA) kit. All data were analyzed using STATATM (Version 10.1). RESULTS: Median
      UII and mean log-transformed UII levels were significantly higher in CKD and RTR
      patients compared to healthy subjects (p < 0.001). HD patients had higher but not
      statistically significant UII and log-UII levels than controls. UII levels
      increased significantly at the end of the HD session and were higher than
      controls and in line to those of other patients. The geometric scores of UII in
      HD (before dialysis), CKD and RTR patients increased respectively by 42, 136 and
      164% in comparison with controls. Metabolic acidosis was associated with
      statistical significant change in log-UII levels (p = 0.001). Patients with
      metabolic acidosis had an increase in UII concentration by 76% compared to those
      without acidosis. CONCLUSIONS: Children and adolescents with CKD, particularly
      those who are not on HD and RTR, have significantly higher levels of UII than
      healthy subjects. UII levels increase significantly at the end of the HD session.
      The presence of metabolic acidosis affects significantly plasma UII levels.

PMID- 28359258
TI  - What influences birth place preferences, choices and decision-making amongst
      healthy women with straightforward pregnancies in the UK? A qualitative evidence
      synthesis using a 'best fit' framework approach.
AB  - BACKGROUND: English maternity care policy has supported offering women choice of
      birth setting for over twenty years, but only 13% of women in England currently
      give birth in settings other than obstetric units (OUs). It is unclear why uptake
      of non-OU settings for birth remains relatively low. This paper presents a
      synthesis of qualitative evidence which explores influences on women's
      experiences of birth place choice, preference and decision-making from the
      perspectives of women using maternity services. METHODS: Qualitative evidence
      synthesis of UK research published January 1992-March 2015, using a 'best-fit'
      framework approach. Searches were run in seven electronic data bases applying a
      comprehensive search strategy. Thematic framework analysis was used to synthesise
      extracted data from included studies. RESULTS: Twenty-four papers drawing on
      twenty studies met the inclusion criteria. The synthesis identified support for
      the key framework themes. Women's experiences of choosing or deciding where to
      give birth were influenced by whether they received information about available
      options and about the right to choose, women's preferences for different services
      and their attributes, previous birth experiences, views of family, friends and
      health care professionals and women's beliefs about risk and safety. The
      synthesis additionally identified that women's access to choice of place of birth
      during the antenatal period varied. Planning to give birth in OU was
      straightforward, but although women considering birth in a setting other than
      hospital OU were sometimes well-supported, they also encountered obstacles and
      described needing to 'counter the negativity' surrounding home birth or birth in
      midwife-led settings. CONCLUSIONS: Over the period covered by the review, it was
      straightforward for low risk women to opt for hospital birth in the UK. Accessing
      home birth was more complex and contested. The evidence on freestanding midwifery
      units (FMUs) is more limited, but suggests that women wanting to opt for an FMU
      birth experienced similar barriers. The extent to which women experienced similar
      problems accessing alongside midwifery units (AMUs) is unclear. Women's
      preferences for different birth options, particularly for 'hospital' vs non
      hospital settings, are shaped by their pre-existing values, beliefs and
      experience, and not all women are open to all birth settings.

PMID- 28359259
TI  - Propofol and sufentanil may affect the patients' sleep quality independently of
      the surgical stress response: a prospective nonrandomized controlled trial in
      1033 patients' undergone diagnostic upper gastrointestinal endoscopy.
AB  - BACKGROUND: It is unknown whether sedative per se contributes to the
      postoperative sleep disturbance. Diagnostic upper gastrointestinal endoscopy
      (UGE) is a minimally invasive procedure which is not likely to cause tissue
      trauma and pain. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the sleep quality of
      patients undergoing routine (without sedative) diagnostic UGE or UGE with
      sedative, before, 1 week, and 1 month after the procedure. METHODS: One thousand
      and thirty-three patients undergoing UGE were enrolled. Patients chose sedative
      or without sedative. Propofol and sufentanil were administered to the sedative
      group, not allowed for the routine group. The Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index
      (PSQI) was measured before, 1 week and 1 month after the procedure. RESULTS: Five
      hundred and ten patients were enrolled in the sedative group and 523 in the
      routine group. One week after the procedure, patients in the sedative group
      showed significantly higher PSQI scores (worse sleep quality) than the baseline
      PSQI scores (p < 0.001), but there was no significant change for the routine
      group in the same period (p = 0.096). One month after the procedure, there was no
      significant difference in PSQI scores between the two groups compared with the
      baseline values (p = 0.358 for sedative group, p = 0.161 for routine group).
      There were also no significant difference in the PSQI scores between the two
      groups in the entire 1 month follow-up period (p = 0.885). CONCLUSIONS: The
      sedative group showed impaired sleep quality 1 week after diagnostic UGE.
      Propofol and sufentanil may independently affect the sleep quality of patients
      after sedative of diagnostic UGE for only one week. TRIAL REGISTRATION: This
      study is registered on Chinese Clinical Trial Registry ( IDChiCTR-OCH-13003128 ).
      Registered 2 April 2013.

PMID- 28359260
TI  - Developmental features of cotton fibre middle lamellae in relation to cell
      adhesion and cell detachment in cultivars with distinct fibre qualities.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Cotton fibre quality traits such as fibre length, strength, and
      degree of maturation are determined by genotype and environment during the
      sequential phases of cotton fibre development (cell elongation, transition to
      secondary cell wall construction and cellulose deposition). The cotton fibre
      middle lamella (CFML) is crucial for both cell adhesion and detachment processes
      occurring during fibre development. To explore the relationship between fibre
      quality and the pace at which cotton fibres develop, a structural and
      compositional analysis of the CFML was carried out in several cultivars with
      different fibre properties belonging to four commercial species: Gossypium
      hirsutum, G. barbadense, G. herbaceum and G. arboreum. RESULTS: Cotton fibre cell
      adhesion, through the cotton fibre middle lamella (CFML), is a developmentally
      regulated process determined by genotype. The CFML is composed of de-esterified
      homogalacturonan, xyloglucan and arabinan in all four fibre-producing cotton
      species: G. hirsutum, G. barbadense, G. herbaceum and G. arboreum. Conspicuous
      paired cell wall bulges are a feature of the CFML of two G. hirsutum cultivars
      from the onset of fibre cell wall detachment to the start of secondary cell wall
      deposition. Xyloglucan is abundant in the cell wall bulges and in later stages
      pectic arabinan is absent from these regions. CONCLUSIONS: The CFML of cotton
      fibres is re-structured during the transition phase. Paired cell wall bulges,
      rich in xyloglucan, are significantly more evident in the G. hirsutum cultivars
      than in other cotton species.

PMID- 28359261
TI  - Single-step SNP-BLUP with on-the-fly imputed genotypes and residual polygenic
      effects.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Single-step genomic best linear unbiased prediction (BLUP) evaluation
      combines relationship information from pedigree and genomic marker data. The
      inclusion of the genomic information into mixed model equations requires the
      inverse of the combined relationship matrix [Formula: see text], which has a
      dense matrix block for genotyped animals. METHODS: To avoid inversion of dense
      matrices, single-step genomic BLUP can be transformed to single-step single
      nucleotide polymorphism BLUP (SNP-BLUP) which have observed and imputed marker
      coefficients. Simple block LDL type decompositions of the single-step
      relationship matrix [Formula: see text] were derived to obtain different types of
      linearly equivalent single-step genomic mixed model equations with different sets
      of reparametrized random effects. For non-genotyped animals, the imputed marker
      coefficient terms in the single-step SNP-BLUP were calculated on-the-fly during
      the iterative solution using sparse matrix decompositions without storing the
      imputed genotypes. Residual polygenic effects were added to genotyped animals and
      transmitted to non-genotyped animals using relationship coefficients that are
      similar to imputed genotypes. The relationships were further orthogonalized to
      improve convergence of iterative methods. RESULTS: All presented single-step SNP
      BLUP models can be solved efficiently using iterative methods that rely on
      iteration on data and sparse matrix approaches. The efficiency, accuracy and
      iteration convergence of the derived mixed model equations were tested with a
      small dataset that included 73,579 animals of which 2885 were genotyped with
      37,526 SNPs. CONCLUSIONS: Inversion of the large and dense genomic relationship
      matrix was avoided in single-step evaluation by using fully orthogonalized single
      step SNP-BLUP formulations. The number of iterations until convergence was
      smaller in single-step SNP-BLUP formulations than in the original single-step
      GBLUP when heritability was low, but increased above that of the original single
      step when heritability was high.

PMID- 28359262
TI  - Increased breast cancer mortality only in the lower education group: age-period
      cohort effect in breast cancer mortality by educational level in South Korea,
      1983-2012.
AB  - BACKGROUND: A steadily increasing pattern of breast cancer mortality has been
      reported in South Korea since the late 1980s. This paper explored the trends of
      educational inequalities of female breast cancer mortality between 1983 and 2012
      in Korea, and conducted age-period-cohort (APC) analysis by educational level.
      METHODS: Age-standardized mortality rates of breast cancer per 100,000 person
      years were calculated. Relative index of inequality (RII) for breast cancer
      mortality was used as an inequality measure. APC analyses were conducted using
      the Web tool for APC analysis provided by the Division of Cancer Epidemiology and
      Genetics at the U.S. National Cancer Institute. RESULTS: An increasing trend in
      breast cancer mortality among Korean women between 1983 and 2012 was due to the
      increased mortality of the lower education groups (i.e., no formal education or
      primary education and secondary education groups), not the highest education
      group. The breast cancer mortality was higher in women with a tertiary education
      than in women with no education or a primary education during 1983-1992, and the
      reverse was true in 1993-2012. Consequently, RII was changed from positive to
      negative associations in the early 2000s. The lower education groups had the
      increased breast cancer mortality and significant cohort and period effects
      between 1983 and 2012, whereas the highest group did not. CONCLUSIONS: APC
      analysis by socioeconomic position used in this study could provide an important
      clue for the causes on breast cancer mortality. The long-term monitoring of
      socioeconomic patterning in breast cancer risk factors is urgently needed.

PMID- 28359263
TI  - Parental exposures to occupational asthmagens and risk of autism spectrum
      disorder in a Danish population-based case-control study.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Environmental exposures and immune conditions during pregnancy could
      influence development of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) in offspring. However,
      few studies have examined immune-triggering exposures in relation to ASD. We
      evaluated the association between parental workplace exposures to risk factors
      for asthma ("asthmagens") and ASD. METHODS: We conducted a population-based case
      control study in the Danish population using register linkage. Our study
      population consisted of 11,869 ASD cases and 48,046 controls born from 1993
      through 2007. Cases were identified by ICD-10 codes in the Danish Psychiatric
      Central Register. ASD cases and controls were linked to parental Danish
      International Standard Classification of Occupations (DISCO-88) job codes.
      Parental occupational asthmagen exposure was estimated by linking DISCO-88 codes
      to an asthma-specific job-exposure matrix. RESULTS: Our maternal analyses
      included 6706 case mothers and 29,359 control mothers employed during the
      pregnancy period. We found a weak inverse association between ASD and any
      maternal occupational asthmagen exposure, adjusting for sociodemographic
      covariates (adjusted OR: 0.92, 95% CI: 0.86-0.99). In adjusted analyses,
      including 7647 cases and 31,947 controls with employed fathers, paternal
      occupational asthmagen exposure was not associated with ASD (adjusted OR: 0.98,
      95% CI: 0.92-1.05). CONCLUSIONS: We found a weak inverse association between
      maternal occupational asthmagen exposure and ASD, and a null association between
      paternal occupational exposure and ASD. We suggest that unmeasured confounding
      negatively biased the estimate, but that this unmeasured confounding is likely
      not strong enough to bring the effect above the null. Overall, our results were
      consistent with no positive association between parental asthmagen exposure and
      ASD in the children.

PMID- 28359264
TI  - Congenic rats with higher arylamine N-acetyltransferase 2 activity exhibit
      greater carcinogen-induced mammary tumor susceptibility independent of carcinogen
      metabolism.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Recent investigations suggest role(s) of human arylamine N
      acetyltransferase 1 (NAT1) in breast cancer. Rat NAT2 is orthologous to human
      NAT1 and the gene products are functional homologs. We conducted in vivo studies
      using F344.WKY-Nat2 rapid/slow rats, congenic at rat Nat2 for high (rapid) and
      low (slow) arylamine N-acetyltransferase activity, to assess a possible role for
      rat NAT2 in mammary tumor susceptibility. METHODS: Mammary carcinogens,
      methylnitrosourea (MNU) and 7,12-dimethylbenzanthracene (DMBA) neither of which
      is metabolized by N-acetyltransferase, were administered to assess mammary
      tumors. MNU was administered at 3 or 8 weeks of age. DMBA was administered at 8
      weeks of age. NAT2 enzymatic activity and endogenous acetyl-coenzyme A (AcCoA)
      levels were measured in tissue samples and embryonic fibroblasts isolated from
      the congenic rats. RESULTS: Tumor latency was shorter in rapid NAT2 rats compared
      to slow NAT2 rats, with statistical significance for MNU administered at 3 and 8
      weeks of age (p = 0.009 and 0.050, respectively). Tumor multiplicity and
      incidence were higher in rapid NAT2 rats compared to slow NAT2 rats administered
      MNU or DMBA at 8 weeks of age (MNU, p = 0.050 and 0.035; DMBA, p = 0.004 and
      0.027, respectively). Recombinant rat rapid-NAT2, as well as tissue samples and
      embryonic fibroblasts derived from rapid NAT2 rats, catalyzed p-aminobenzoic acid
      N-acetyl transfer and folate-dependent acetyl-coenzyme A (AcCoA) hydrolysis at
      higher rates than those derived from rat slow-NAT2. Embryonic fibroblasts
      isolated from rapid NAT2 rats displayed lower levels of cellular AcCoA than slow
      NAT2 rats (p < 0.01). CONCLUSIONS: A novel role for rat NAT2 in mammary cancer
      was discovered unrelated to carcinogen metabolism, suggesting a role for human
      NAT1 in breast cancer.

PMID- 28359265
TI  - Tonggyu-tang, a traditional Korean medicine, suppresses pro-inflammatory cytokine
      production through inhibition of MAPK and NF-kappaB activation in human mast
      cells and keratinocytes.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Allergic diseases including allergic rhinitis, asthma, and atopic
      dermatitis are increasing worldwide. Common medications used to treat these
      inflammatory disorders are anti-histamines and corticosteroids, but they have
      their own limitations such as short duration and severe side effects. Thus,
      interest in complementary and alternative medicine is continually growing. Here,
      we investigate the anti-inflammatory mechanisms of Tonggyu-tang (TGT), a
      traditional Korean medicine that has been used to treat patients with allergic
      nasal disorders. METHODS: We measured mRNA expressions and production of pro
      inflammatory cytokines such as interleukin (IL)-4, IL-6, IL-8 and tumor necrosis
      factor alpha (TNF-alpha) by RT-PCR and ELISA assays in HMC-1 (human mast cell
      line-1) and HaCaT cells, immortalized human keratinocytes. Moreover, we evaluated
      the effect of TGT on two major inflammation-related pathways, mitogen activated
      protein kinase (MAPK) and NF-kappaB signaling pathway in these two cells.
      RESULTS: Our results revealed that that TGT significantly reduced the expression
      and production of inflammatory cytokines such as IL-4, IL-6, IL-8, and TNF-alpha
      in the agonist-treated HMC-1 and HaCaT cells. We also found that TGT suppressed
      MAPK signaling pathway including extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK), p38
      mitogen-activated protein kinase (p38), and c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK) as well
      as NF-kappaB pathway, which are known to regulate inflammatory cytokine
      expression. CONCLUSION: Taken together, our results demonstrate that TGT inhibits
      expression of pro-inflammatory cytokines by suppressing MAPK and NF-kB pathway in
      both mast cells and keratinocytes, suggesting the potential use of TGT in
      treating allergic inflammatory diseases.

PMID- 28359266
TI  - Identification of Novel Class of Triazolo-Thiadiazoles as Potent Inhibitors of
      Human Heparanase and their Anticancer Activity.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Expression and activity of heparanase, an endoglycosidase that
      cleaves heparan sulfate (HS) side chains of proteoglycans, is associated with
      progression and poor prognosis of many cancers which makes it an attractive drug
      target in cancer therapeutics. METHODS: In the present work, we report the in
      vitro screening of a library of 150 small molecules with the scaffold bearing
      quinolones, oxazines, benzoxazines, isoxazoli(di)nes, pyrimidinones, quinolines,
      benzoxazines, and 4-thiazolidinones, thiadiazolo[3,2-a]pyrimidin-5-one, 1,2,4
      triazolo-1,3,4-thiadiazoles, and azaspiranes against the enzymatic activity of
      human heparanase. The identified lead compounds were evaluated for their
      heparanase-inhibiting activity using sulfate [35S] labeled extracellular matrix
      (ECM) deposited by cultured endothelial cells. Further, anti-invasive efficacy of
      lead compound was evaluated against hepatocellular carcinoma (HepG2) and Lewis
      lung carcinoma (LLC) cells. RESULTS: Among the 150 compounds screened, we
      identified 1,2,4-triazolo-1,3,4-thiadiazoles bearing compounds to possess human
      heparanase inhibitory activity. Further analysis revealed 2,4-Diiodo-6-(3-phenyl
      [1, 2, 4]triazolo[3,4-b][1, 3, 4]thiadiazol-6yl)phenol (DTP) as the most potent
      inhibitor of heparanase enzymatic activity among the tested compounds. The
      inhibitory efficacy was demonstrated by a colorimetric assay and further
      validated by measuring the release of radioactive heparan sulfate degradation
      fragments from [35S] labeled extracellular matrix. Additionally, lead compound
      significantly suppressed migration and invasion of LLC and HepG2 cells with IC50
      value of ~5 MUM. Furthermore, molecular docking analysis revealed a favourable
      interaction of triazolo-thiadiazole backbone with Asn-224 and Asp-62 of the
      enzyme. CONCLUSIONS: Overall, we identified biologically active heparanase
      inhibitor which could serve as a lead structure in developing compounds that
      target heparanase in cancer.

PMID- 28359267
TI  - Aberrant expression of ALK and EZH2 in Merkel cell carcinoma.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Distinct characteristic features categorize Merkel cell carcinoma
      (MCC) into two subgroups according to the Merkel cell polyomavirus infection.
      Many mutational studies on MCC have been carried out in recent years without
      identifying a prominent driver mutation. However, there is paucity reporting the
      expression of cancer genes at the RNA level in MCC tumors. In this study, we
      studied the RNA expression profiles of 26 MCC tumors, with a goal to identify
      prospective molecular targets that could improve the treatment strategies of MCC.
      METHODS: RNA expression of 50 cancer-related genes in 26 MCC tumors was analyzed
      by targeted amplicon based next-generation sequencing using the Ion Torrent
      technology and the expression compared with that of normal, non-cancerous skin
      samples. Sequencing data were processed using Torrent SuiteTM Software.
      Expression profiles of MCV-negative and MCV-positive tumors were compared.
      Fluorescence in situ hybridization was performed to study ALK rearrangements and
      immunohistochemistry to study ALK expression in tumor tissue. RESULTS: ALK,
      CDKN2A, EZH2 and ERBB4 were overexpressed, and EGFR, ERBB2, PDGFRA and FGFR1 were
      underexpressed in MCC tumors compared to normal skin. In the MCV-negative tumors,
      MET, NOTCH1, FGFR3, and SMO were overexpressed and JAK3 and NPM1 were under
      expressed compared to the MCV-positive tumors. CONCLUSIONS: High expression of
      ALK, CDKN2A and EZH2 was recorded in MCC tumors. No ALK fusion was seen by FISH
      analysis. Overexpression of EZH2 suggests its potential as a drug target in MCC.

PMID- 28359268
TI  - Antibiotic consumption in laboratory confirmed vs. non-confirmed bloodstream
      infections among very low birth weight neonates in Poland.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Newborns are a population in which antibiotic consumption is
      extremely high. Targeted antibiotic therapy should help to reduce antibiotics
      consumption. The aim of this study was an assessment of antibiotic usage in
      bloodstream infections treatment in the Polish Neonatology Surveillance Network
      (PNSN) and determining the possibility of applying this kind of data in infection
      control, especially for the evaluation of standard methods of microbiological
      diagnostics. METHODS: Data were collected between 01.01.2009 and 31.12.2013 in
      five teaching NICUs from the PNSN. The duration of treatment in days (DOT) and
      the defined daily doses (DDD) were used for the assessment of antibiotics
      consumption. RESULTS: The median DOT for a single case of BSI amounted to 8.0
      days; whereas the median consumption expressed in DDD was 0.130. In the case of
      laboratory confirmed BSI, median DOT was 8 days, and consumption-0.120 DDD.
      Median length of therapy was shorter for unconfirmed cases: 7 days, while the
      consumption of antibiotics was higher-0.140 DDD (p < 0.0001). High consumption of
      glycopeptides expressed in DOTs was observed in studied population, taking into
      account etiology of infection. CONCLUSIONS: Even application of classical methods
      of microbiological diagnostics significantly reduces the consumption of
      antibiotics expressed by DDD. However, the high consumption of glycopeptides
      indicates the necessity of applying rapid diagnostic assays. Nevertheless, the
      assessment of antibiotic consumption in neonatal units represents a
      methodological challenge and requires the use of different measurement tools.

PMID- 28359269
TI  - The role of the built environment in explaining educational inequalities in
      walking and cycling among adults in the Netherlands.
AB  - BACKGROUND: This study examined whether characteristics of the residential built
      environment (i.e. population density, level of mixed land use, connectivity,
      accessibility of facilities, accessibility of green) contributed to educational
      inequalities in walking and cycling among adults. METHODS: Data from participants
      (32-82 years) of the 2011 survey of the Dutch population-based GLOBE study were
      used (N = 2375). Highest attained educational level (independent variable) and
      walking for transport, cycling for transport, walking in leisure time and cycling
      in leisure time (dependent variables) were self-reported in the survey. GIS
      systems were used to obtain spatial data on residential built environment
      characteristics. A four-step mediation-based analysis with log-linear regression
      models was used to examine to contribution of the residential built environment
      to educational inequalities in walking and cycling. RESULTS: As compared to the
      lowest educational group, the highest educational group was more likely to cycle
      for transport (RR 1.13, 95% CI 1.04-1.23), walk in leisure time (RR 1.12, 95% CI
      1.04-1.21), and cycle in leisure time (RR 1.12, 95% CI 1.03-1.22). Objective
      built environment characteristics were related to these outcomes, but contributed
      minimally to educational inequalities in walking and cycling. On the other hand,
      compared to the lowest educational group, the highest educational group was less
      likely to walk for transport (RR 0.91, 95% CI 0.82-1.01), which could partly be
      attributed to differences in the built environment. CONCLUSION: This study found
      that objective built environment characteristics contributed minimally to
      educational inequalities in walking and cycling in the Netherlands.

PMID- 28359270
TI  - Preliminary experience with laparoscopic common bile duct exploration.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Herein we present our experience with laparoscopic common bile duct
      exploration (LCBDE) in managing common bile duct stones. METHODS: Data of 129
      consecutive patients who underwent laparoscopic cholecystectomy (LC) and LCBDE
      done at our institutes from April 2011 through June 2016 were prospectively
      recorded and retrospectively reviewed. RESULTS: Since 2011, 3012 laparoscopic
      cholecystectomy were performed at our institutes, intraoperative cholangiogram
      (IOC) was done in 295 (9.8%) patients which detected choledocholithiasis in 129
      (4.3%) of them. LCBDE was successful to clear the common bile duct (CBD) in
      123/129 (95.4%). Six patients underwent postoperative endoscopic retrograde
      cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) because of incomplete CBD clearance (4 cases),
      symptomatic stenosed papilla (2 cases). LCBDE was performed in 103 patients via
      trans-cystic approach and choledochotomy one in 26 patients. In the
      choledochotomy group, seven patients had primary closure of the CBD, CBD was
      closed over T-tube in nine patients whereas the remaining 10 patients the CBD was
      closed over antegrade inserted stent. The median time of hospital stay was 4
      (range; 1-15) days. No patients showed retained CBD stones with mean follow up
      was 9 +/- 3.4 months. CONCLUSION: LCBDE is a safe and cost effective option for
      CBD stones in short-term outcome and can be performed provided proper
      laparoscopic expertise and facilities are available.

PMID- 28359271
TI  - The 2016 classification criteria for primary Sjogren's syndrome: what's new?
AB  - New 2016 ACR/EULAR classification criteria for primary Sjogren's syndrome (SS)
      have been developed and endorsed by the ACR. The newly proposed criteria include
      simple-to-perform items.Two important points of the new criteria should be
      considered. Firstly, they indicate that either salivary gland biopsy or anti-Ro
      must be positive in order to corroborate the inflammatory and autoimmune nature
      of the disease. Secondly, the criteria recognize the systemic nature of SS,
      namely that patients without salivary or ocular glandular symptoms, but with
      extraglandular manifestations and B cell activation markers were also included in
      the SS classification. Additionally, the new criteria modified some technical
      points. The ocular staining score threshold was increased to 5 due to the higher
      specificity. The immunological profile includes only anti-Ro antibodies, while
      positivity for antinuclear antibodies and rheumatoid factor or isolated anti-La
      was excluded due to a lack of specificity.The 2016 ACR/EULAR criteria are
      suitable for early identification of SS, providing patients with the opportunity
      of enrollment in clinical trials for new specific treatment. Although validation
      has been successful, the real life application of these criteria will test their
      performance.

PMID- 28359272
TI  - Effects of chalazia on corneal astigmatism : Large-sized chalazia in middle upper
      eyelids compress the cornea and induce the corneal astigmatism.
AB  - BACKGROUND: A chalazion is a common eyelid disease that causes eye morbidity due
      to inflammation and cosmetic disfigurement. Corneal topographic changes are
      important factors in corneal refractive surgery, intraocular lens power
      calculations for cataract surgery, and visual acuity assessments. However, the
      effects of chalazia on corneal astigmatism have not been thoroughly investigated.
      The changes in corneal astigmatism according to chalazion size and location is
      necessary for better outcome of ocular surgery. The aim of this study is to
      evaluate changes in corneal astigmatism according to chalazion size and location.
      METHODS: In this cross-sectional study, a total of 44 eyes from 33 patients were
      included in the chalazion group and 70 eyes from 46 patients comprised the
      control group. Chalazia were classified according to location and size. An
      autokeratorefractometer (KR8100, Topcon; Japan) and a GalileiTM dual-Scheimpflug
      analyzer (Ziemer Group; Port, Switzerland) were utilized to evaluate corneal
      changes. RESULT: Oblique astigmatism was greater in the chalazion group compared
      with the control group (p < 0.05). Astigmatism by simulated keratometry (simK),
      steep K by simK, total root mean square, second order aberration, oblique
      astigmatism, and vertical astigmatism were significantly greater in the upper
      eyelid group (p < 0.05). Astigmatism by simK, second order aberration, oblique
      astigmatism, and vertical astigmatism were significantly greater in the large
      sized chalazion group (p < 0.05). Corneal wavefront aberration was the greatest
      in the upper eyelid chalazion group, whole area group, and large-sized chalazion
      group (p < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Large-sized chalazia in the whole upper eyelid
      should be treated in the early phase because they induced the greatest change in
      corneal topography. Chalazion should be treated before corneal topography is
      performed preoperatively and before the diagnosis of corneal diseases.

PMID- 28359273
TI  - A comparison of generic drug prices in seven European countries: a methodological
      analysis.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Policymakers and researchers frequently compare the prices of
      medicines between countries. Such comparisons often serve as barometers of how
      pricing and reimbursement policies are performing. The aim of this study was to
      examine methodological challenges to comparing generic drug prices. METHODS: We
      calculated all commonly used price indices based on 2013 IMS Health data on sales
      of 3156 generic drugs in seven European countries. RESULTS: There were large
      differences in generic drug prices between countries. However, the results varied
      depending on the choice of index, base country, unit of volume, method of
      currency conversion, and therapeutic category. The results also differed
      depending on whether one looked at the prices charged by manufacturers or those
      charged by pharmacists. CONCLUSIONS: Price indices are a useful statistical
      approach for comparing drug prices across countries, but researchers and
      policymakers should interpret price indices with caution given their limitations.
      Price-index results are highly sensitive to the choice of method and sample. More
      research is needed to determine the drivers of price differences between
      countries. The data suggest that some governments should aim to reduce
      distribution costs for generic drugs.

PMID- 28359274
TI  - Allergic diseases in children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder: a
      systematic review and meta-analysis.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Reports of frequent manifestation of allergic diseases in children
      with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) have been the subject of
      mounting clinical interest. However, evidence supporting the association between
      ADHD and allergies is inconsistent and has yet to be systematically reviewed. The
      objective of this study was to compile and assess available studies on the
      association between ADHD and allergic diseases in children. METHODS: A
      comprehensive search using MEDLINE, EMBASE, the Cochrane library, and CINAHL
      databases was completed in 23 November 2015. The inclusion criteria for studies
      were that the research assessed allergic diseases in children, 18 years of age
      and younger, with a diagnosis of ADHD and that a distinct comparison group was
      incorporated. Any comparative studies, encompassing both randomized controlled
      trials and observational studies, were considered for inclusion. Two review
      authors independently assessed the quality of the selected studies by the use of
      validated assessment tools, performed data extraction and conducted meta-analysis
      according to Cochrane Collaboration guidelines. RESULTS: Five eligible studies
      were included in this systematic review. Of these studies, three were case
      control and two were cross sectional studies. A majority of information from the
      five studies was classified as having low or unclear risk of bias. The meta
      analysis showed an association between children with ADHD and asthma compared
      with the control groups (OR: 1.80, 95% CI: 1.57 - 2.07; five studies, low quality
      of evidence), but did not indicate an association between food allergy and ADHD
      (OR: 1.13, 95% CI: 0.88 - 1.47; three studies very low quality of evidence). The
      odds of experiencing allergic rhinitis, atopic dermatitis, and allergic
      conjunctivitis were slightly higher in children with ADHD compared with control
      groups, though a substantial statistical heterogeneity was notable in the overall
      effect estimates. CONCLUSIONS: The findings from this review and meta-analysis
      show that children with ADHD are more likely to have asthma, allergic rhinitis,
      atopic dermatitis, and allergic conjunctivitis than their counterparts.
      Interventions including strategies for managing allergies in children with ADHD
      would be beneficial.

PMID- 28359276
TI  - Perceived stress among 20-21 year-olds and their future labour market
      participation - an eight-year follow-up study.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Labour market participation among young adults is essential for their
      future socioeconomic status and health. The aim of this study was to investigate
      the association between perceived stress among 20-21 year-olds and their labour
      market participation 8 years later as well as investigate any potential gender
      differences. METHODS: A cohort of 1640 young adults born in 1983 completed a
      questionnaire in 2004 in which perceived stress was measured. The cohort was
      followed in a register of social benefits for 12 months in 2011-2012 and was
      categorized into active and passive labour market participation. Logistic
      regression was used to analyse the association between perceived stress and
      future labour market participation, taking into account effects of potential
      confounders. The analyses were stratified by gender. RESULTS: The effects of
      perceived stress on future labour market participation differed significantly
      among young women and young men (p = 0.029). For young men, higher levels of
      perceived stress reduced the risk of future passive labour market participation,
      when adjusting for socioeconomic factors, self-rated health and copings
      strategies (p = 0.045). For young women, higher levels of perceived stress
      increased the risk of future passive labour market participation, when adjusting
      for the same potential confounding factors, although unlike the men, this
      association was not statistically significant (p = 0.335). CONCLUSION: The
      observed gender difference has important implications from a public health point
      of view. Healthcare professionals might need to differentiate between the genders
      in terms of health communication, research and when developing preventive
      strategies.

PMID- 28359275
TI  - Leg pain location and neurological signs relate to outcomes in primary care
      patients with low back pain.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Low back pain (LBP) patients with related leg pain and signs of nerve
      root involvement are considered to have a worse prognosis than patients with LBP
      alone. However, it is unclear whether leg pain location above or below the knee
      and the presence of neurological signs are important in primary care patients.
      The objectives of this study were to explore whether the four Quebec Task Force
      categories (QTFC) based on the location of pain and on neurological signs have
      different characteristics at the time of care seeking, whether these QTFC are
      associated with outcome, and if so whether there is an obvious ranking of the
      four QTFC on the severity of outcomes. METHOD: Adult patients seeking care for
      LBP in chiropractic or general practice were classified into the four QTFC based
      on self-reported information and clinical findings. Analyses were performed to
      test the associations between the QTFC and baseline characteristics as well as
      the outcomes global perceived effect and activity limitation after 2 weeks, 3
      months, and 1 year and also 1-year trajectories of LBP intensity. RESULTS: The
      study comprised 1271 patients; 947 from chiropractic practice and 324 from
      general practice. The QTFC at presentation were statistically significantly
      associated with most of the baseline characteristics, with activity limitation at
      all follow-up time points, with global perceived effect at 2 weeks but not 3
      months and 1 year, and with trajectories of LBP. Severity of outcomes in the QTFC
      increased from LBP alone, across LBP with leg pain above the knee and below the
      knee to LBP with nerve root involvement. However, the variation within the
      categories was considerable. CONCLUSION: The QTFC identify different LBP
      subgroups at baseline and there is a consistent ranking of the four categories
      with respect to outcomes. The differences between outcomes appear to be large
      enough for the QTFC to be useful for clinicians in the communication with
      patients. However, due to variation of outcomes within each category individuals'
      outcome cannot be precisely predicted from the QTFC alone. It warrants further
      investigation to find out if the QTFC can improve existing prediction tools and
      guide treatment decisions.

PMID- 28359277
TI  - Do healthier lifestyles lead to less utilization of healthcare resources?
AB  - BACKGROUND: Governments are urged to determine methods to control the use of
      medical resources and curb the rise of healthcare costs. The question is, do
      health behaviors have an impact on the use of medical resources? This study aims
      to identify and understand the difference in the number of outpatient visits and
      health examinations based on various health behaviors and to determine whether
      patients seek medical care for illness from the same physicians. METHODS: This
      study used the dataset derived from the Department of Budget, Accounting and
      Statistics of Kaohsiung, Taiwan in 2005. Persons older than 15 years were
      surveyed using an on-site questionnaire. A total of 2911 persons were enrolled in
      this study. Independent t-tests, chi-square tests, one-way ANOVA, multiple linear
      regression and binominal logistic regression were used in the data analysis.
      RESULTS: The regression model for the frequency of doctor visits, health
      examinations, and whether the same physician is sought for medical care has
      demonstrated significant correlations with gender, age and education-level
      variables. Four health behaviors (i.e., exercise habits, dietary habits, regular
      blood pressure measurement, drinking habits) exhibited a significant correlation
      with healthcare utilization (P <0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Healthy lifestyles lead to an
      increase in the utilization of preventive health services. However, there is not
      much significantly reducing the number of outpatient visits in people with health
      behaviors. Specifically, people with regular exercise habits and who take their
      blood pressure measurement regularly have an increased number of outpatient
      visits. It is suggested that more available and accessible health consultation
      services be provided to inculcate in the general public the importance of
      maintaining a healthy lifestyle.

PMID- 28359278
TI  - Review of 11 national policies for rare diseases in the context of key patient
      needs.
AB  - Rare diseases collectively exert a global public health burden in the severity of
      their manifestations and the total number of people they afflict. For many
      patients, considerable barriers exist in terms of access to appropriate care,
      delayed diagnosis and limited or non-existing treatment options. Motivated by
      these challenges, the rare disease patient community has played a critical role,
      elevating the patient voice and mobilizing legislation to support the development
      of programs that address the needs of patients with rare diseases.The US Orphan
      Drug Act of 1983 served as a key milestone in this journey, providing a roadmap
      for other countries to introduce and implement similar orphan drug legislation;
      more recently, the European Union (EU) has gone further to encourage the
      widespread adoption and implementation of rare disease plans or strategies
      designed to more adequately address the comprehensive needs of patients with rare
      diseases. Despite these legislative efforts and the growing contributions of
      patient advocacy groups in moving forward implementation and adoption of rare
      disease programs, gaps still exist across the policy landscape for several
      countries. To gain deeper insights into the challenges and opportunities to
      address key needs of rare disease patients, it is critical to define the current
      status of rare disease legislation and policy across a geographically and
      economically diverse selection of countries. We analyzed the rare disease policy
      landscape across 11 countries: Germany, France, the United Kingdom, Canada,
      Bulgaria, Turkey, Argentina, Mexico, Brazil, China, and Taiwan. The status and
      implementation of policy was evaluated for each country in the context of key
      patient needs across 5 dimensions: improving coordination of care, diagnostic
      resources, access to treatments, patient awareness and support, and promoting
      innovative research. Our findings highlight the continuing role of the patient
      community in driving the establishment and adoption of legislation and programs
      to improve rare disease care. Further, we found that while national rare disease
      plans provide important guidance for improving care, implementation of plans is
      uneven across countries. More research is needed to demonstrate the effect of
      specific elements of rare disease plans on patient outcomes.

PMID- 28359279
TI  - Low-volume versus high-volume initiated trans-anal irrigation therapy in adults
      with chronic constipation: study protocol for a randomised controlled trial.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Constipation is common in adults and up to 20% of the population
      report this symptom. Chronic constipation (CC), usually defined as more than 6
      months of symptoms, is less common but results in 0.5 million UK GP consultations
      per annum. The effect of symptoms on measured quality of life (QOL) is
      significant, and CC consumes significant health care resources. In the UK, it is
      estimated that 10% of district nursing time is spent on constipation. Trans-anal
      irrigation therapy has become a widely used treatment despite a lack of robust
      efficacy data to support its use. The long-term outcome of treatment is also
      unclear. A randomised comparison of two different methods of irrigation (high-
      and low-volume) will provide valuable evidence of superiority of one system over
      the other, as well as providing efficacy data for the treatment as a whole.
      METHODS: Participants will be recruited based on predetermined eligibility
      criteria. Following informed consent, they will be randomised to either high
      volume (HV) or low-volume (LV) irrigation and undergo standardised radiological
      and physiological investigations. Following training, they will commence home
      irrigation with the allocated device. Data will be collected at 1, 3, 6 and 12
      months according to a standardised outcomes framework. The primary outcome is PAC
      QOL, measured at 3 months. The study is powered to detect a 10% difference in
      outcome between systems at 3 months; this means that 300 patients will need to be
      recruited. DISCUSSION: This study will be the first randomised comparison of two
      different methods of trans-anal irrigation. It will also be the largest
      prospective study of CC patients treated with irrigation. It will provide
      evidence for the effectiveness of irrigation in the treatment of CC, as well as
      the comparative effectiveness of the two methods. This will enable more cost
      effective and evidence-based use of irrigation. Also, the results will be
      combined with the other studies in the CapaCiTY programme to generate an evidence
      based treatment algorithm for CC in adults. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ISRCTN,
      identifier: ISRCTN11093872 . Registered on 11 November 2015. Trial not
      retrospectively registered. Protocol version 3 (22 January 2016).

PMID- 28359281
TI  - 17beta-estradiol regulates the expression of apolipoprotein M through estrogen
      receptor alpha-specific binding motif in its promoter.
AB  - BACKGROUND: We have previously demonstrated that estrogen could significantly
      enhance expression of apolipoprotein M (apoM), whereas the molecular basis of its
      mechanism is not fully elucidated yet. To further investigate the mechanism
      behind the estrogen induced up-regulation of apoM expression. RESULTS: Our
      results demonstrated either free 17beta-estradiol (E2) or membrane-impermeable
      bovine serum albumin-conjugated E2 (E2-BSA) could modulate human apoM gene
      expression via the estrogen receptor alpha (ER-alpha) pathway in the HepG2 cells.
      Moreover, experiments with the luciferase activity analysis of truncated apoM
      promoters could demonstrate that a regulatory region (from-1580 to -1575 bp (
      GGTCA-)) upstream of the transcriptional start site of apoM gene was essential
      for the basal transcriptional activity that regulated by the ER-alpha. With the
      applications of an electrophoresis mobility shift assay and a chromatin
      immunoprecipitation assay, we could successfully identify a specific ER-alpha
      binding element in the apoM promoter region. CONCULSION: In summary, the present
      study indicates that 17beta-estradiol induced up-regulation of apoM in HepG2
      cells is through an ER-alpha-dependent pathway involving ER-alpha binding element
      in the promoter of the apoM gene.

PMID- 28359280
TI  - Alcohol-free essential oils containing mouthrinse efficacy on three-day
      supragingival plaque regrowth: a randomized crossover clinical trial.
AB  - BACKGROUND: To evaluate the antiplaque effects of an alcohol-free mouthrinse
      containing essential oils-Listerine Zero (LZ)-and an alcohol-based essential oils
      mouthrinse (EO+) compared with a positive control of 0.20% chlorhexidine
      mouthrinse (CHX) and a negative control of a placebo solution (saline), using an
      in vivo plaque regrowth model of three days. METHODS: The study was designed as a
      double-masked, randomized, crossover clinical trial, involving 21 volunteers to
      compare four different mouthrinses, using a three-day plaque regrowth model.
      After receiving thorough professional prophylaxis at baseline, over the next
      three days each volunteer refrained from all oral hygiene measures and performed
      two daily rinses with 15 mL of the test mouthrinses. EO+ was compared with LZ.
      CHX rinse served as a positive control and a placebo solution as a negative
      control. At the end of each experimental period, the Plaque Index (PI) was
      assessed and a panelist completed through a visual analogue scale (VAS)
      questionnaire evaluating the organoleptic properties of each product. Each
      participant underwent a 14-day washout period and then there was another
      allocation. RESULTS: LZ showed the same inhibitory activity on plaque regrowth
      compared with EO+ in the whole mouth (PI = 1.72 versus 1.65, respectively), but
      there was less of an effect compared to the CHX (overall PI of 1.07) and a more
      efficient activity than the saline solution negative control (PI = 2.31). The
      difference of 0.07 between LZ and EO+ was not statistically significant.
      CONCLUSIONS: LZ seems to have the same inhibiting effect on plaque regrowth as
      EO+ and a less inhibiting effect than the CHX control. Both LZ and EO+, as well
      as the CHX control, show a better inhibiting effect on plaque regrowth than the
      placebo solution. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT02894593 .
      Registered on 4 September 2016.

PMID- 28359282
TI  - A modification to geographically weighted regression.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Geographically weighted regression (GWR) is a modelling technique
      designed to deal with spatial non-stationarity, e.g., the mean values vary by
      locations. It has been widely used as a visualization tool to explore the
      patterns of spatial data. However, the GWR tends to produce unsmooth surfaces
      when the mean parameters have considerable variations, partly due to that all
      parameter estimates are derived from a fixed- range (bandwidth) of observations.
      In order to deal with the varying bandwidth problem, this paper proposes an
      alternative approach, namely Conditional geographically weighted regression
      (CGWR). METHODS: The estimation of CGWR is based on an iterative procedure,
      analogy to the numerical optimization problem. Computer simulation, under
      realistic settings, is used to compare the performance between the traditional
      GWR, CGWR, and a local linear modification of GWR. Furthermore, this study also
      applies the CGWR to two empirical datasets for evaluating the model performance.
      The first dataset consists of disability status of Taiwan's elderly, along with
      some social-economic variables and the other is Ohio's crime dataset. RESULTS:
      Under the positively correlated scenario, we found that the CGWR produces a
      better fit for the response surface. Both the computer simulation and empirical
      analysis support the proposed approach since it significantly reduces the bias
      and variance of data fitting. In addition, the response surface from the CGWR
      reviews local spatial characteristics according to the corresponded variables.
      CONCLUSIONS: As an explanatory tool for spatial data, producing accurate surface
      is essential in order to provide a first look at the data. Any distorted outcomes
      would likely mislead the following analysis. Since the CGWR can generate more
      accurate surface, it is more appropriate to use it exploring data that contain
      suspicious variables with varying characteristics.

PMID- 28359283
TI  - Differentiated resistance training of the paravertebral muscles in patients with
      unstable spinal bone metastasis under concomitant radiotherapy: study protocol
      for a randomized pilot trial.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Metastatic bone disease is a common and severe complication in
      patients with advanced cancer. Radiotherapy (RT) has long been established as an
      effective local treatment for metastatic bone disorder. This study assesses the
      effects of RT combined with muscle-training exercises in patients with unstable
      bone metastases of the spinal column from solid tumors. The primary goal of this
      study is to evaluate the feasibility of muscle-training exercises concomitant to
      RT. Secondly, quality of life, fatigue, overall and bone survival, and local
      control will be assessed. METHODS/DESIGN: This study is a single-center,
      prospective, randomized, controlled, explorative intervention study with a
      parallel-group design to determine multidimensional effects of a course of
      exercises concomitant to RT on patients who have unstable metastases of the
      vertebral column, first under therapeutic instruction and subsequently performed
      by the patients themselves independently for strengthening the paravertebral
      muscles. On the days of radiation treatment the patients will be given four
      different types of exercises to ensure even isometric muscle training of all the
      spinal muscles. In the control group progressive muscle relaxation will be
      carried out parallel to RT. The patients will be randomized into two groups:
      differentiated muscle training or progressive muscle relaxation with 30 patients
      in each group. DISCUSSION: Despite the clinical experience that RT is an
      effective treatment for bone metastases, there is insufficient evidence for a
      positive effect of the combination with muscle-training exercises in patients
      with unstable bone metastases. Our previous DISPO-1 trial showed that adding
      muscle-training exercises to RT is feasible, whereas this was not proven in
      patients with an unstable spinal column. Although associated with several
      methodological and practical challenges, this randomized controlled trial is
      needed. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ClinicalTrials.gov, identifier: NCT02847754 .
      Registered on 27 July 2016.

PMID- 28359284
TI  - Development of nanoparticle-based optical sensors for pathogenic bacterial
      detection.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Pathogenic bacteria contribute to various globally important
      diseases, killing millions of people each year. Various fields of medicine
      currently benefit from or may potentially benefit from the use of nanotechnology
      applications, in which there is growing interest. Disease-related biomarkers can
      be rapidly and directly detected by nanostructures, such as nanowires, nanotubes,
      nanoparticles, cantilevers, microarrays, and nanoarrays, as part of an accurate
      process characterized by lower sample consumption and considerably higher
      sensitivity. There is a need for accurate techniques for pathogenic bacteria
      identification and detection to allow the prevention and management of pathogenic
      diseases and to assure food safety. CONCLUSION: The focus of this review is on
      the current nanoparticle-based techniques for pathogenic bacterial identification
      and detection using these applications.

PMID- 28359285
TI  - Atypical periodic alternating nystagmus responding to high-dose intravenous
      immunoglobulins: a case report.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Acquired periodic alternating nystagmus (PAN) is a rare but well
      defined syndrome that consists of a horizontal nystagmus that cyclically reverses
      its direction. PAN can be caused by degenerative, neoplastic, or toxic diseases
      of the cerebellum and, in a few cases, by subacute cerebellar ataxia of immune
      origin. CASE PRESENTATION: A 44-year-old man came to our attention because of
      rapidly progressive gait instability and blurred vision. Clinical examination
      showed PAN and a mild pancerebellar syndrome. Eye movement recordings disclosed a
      short cycle PAN with significant slow-phase velocity only in darkness. Under the
      effect of a gamma-aminobutyric acid type B (GABAB) agonist, PAN was not modified.
      Right after treatment with intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIg) was started, PAN was
      essentially eliminated. Three months after last dose of IVIg, this nystagmus
      reappeared. CONCLUSIONS: IVIg resolved PAN in this patient. This finding may
      point to an autoimmune mechanism underlying this patient's nystagmus. This case
      suggests that the usefulness of IVIg at treating PAN might be worth a
      consideration in similar clinical settings.

PMID- 28359288
TI  - Termination of prehospital resuscitative efforts: a study of documentation on
      ethical considerations at the scene.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Discussions on ethical aspects of life-and-death decisions within the
      hospital are often made in plenary. The prehospital physician, however, may be
      faced with ethical dilemmas in life-and-death decisions when time-critical
      decisions to initiate or refrain from resuscitative efforts need to be taken
      without the possibility to discuss matters with colleagues. Little is known
      whether these considerations regarding ethical issues in crucial life-and-death
      decisions are documented prehospitally. This is a review of the ethical
      considerations documented in the prehospital medical records of patients in a
      Danish prehospital setting for whom the decision to resuscitate or not was made
      at the scene. METHODS: The study is based on discharge summaries of all patients
      subjected to crucial life-and-death decisions by the Mobile Emergency Care Unit
      in Odense in the years 2010 to 2014. The medical records with possible
      documentation of ethical issues were independently reviewed by two philosophers
      in order to identify explicit ethical or philosophical considerations pertaining
      to the decision to resuscitate or not. RESULTS: In total, 1275 patients were
      either declared dead at the scene without exhibiting layman's reliable signs of
      death or admitted to hospital following resuscitation. In a total of 62 patients,
      85 specific ethical issues related to resuscitation were documented. The
      expressions of the ethical considerations were generally vague or unclear and
      almost exclusively concerned the interests of the patient and not the relatives.
      In the vast majority of cases where an ethical content was identified, the
      ethical considerations led to a decision to terminate treatment. CONCLUSIONS: A
      strengthened practice of documenting ethical considerations in prehospital life
      and-death decision-making in the patient's medical records is required. We
      suggest that a template be implemented in the prehospital medical records
      describing the basis for any ethical decisions. This template should contain
      information regarding the persons involved in the deliberations and notes on
      ethical considerations. The documentation should include considerations
      concerning the patient's end-of-life wishes, the estimations of the quality of
      life before and after the incident, and a summary of other ethical concerns taken
      into account, such as the integrity of the patient and frame of mind of
      relatives.

PMID- 28359287
TI  - Activity of the novel BCR kinase inhibitor IQS019 in preclinical models of B-cell
      non-Hodgkin lymphoma.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Pharmacological inhibition of B cell receptor (BCR) signaling has
      recently emerged as an effective approach in a wide range of B lymphoid
      neoplasms. However, despite promising clinical activity of the first Bruton's
      kinase (Btk) and spleen tyrosine kinase (Syk) inhibitors, a small fraction of
      patients tend to develop progressive disease after initial response to these
      agents. METHODS: We evaluated the antitumor activity of IQS019, a new BCR kinase
      inhibitor with increased affinity for Btk, Syk, and Lck/Yes novel tyrosine kinase
      (Lyn), in a set of 34 B lymphoid cell lines and primary cultures, including
      samples with acquired resistance to the first-in-class Btk inhibitor ibrutinib.
      Safety and efficacy of the compound were then evaluated in two xenograft mouse
      models of B cell lymphoma. RESULTS: IQS019 simultaneously engaged a rapid and
      dose-dependent de-phosphorylation of both constitutive and IgM-activated Syk,
      Lyn, and Btk, leading to impaired cell proliferation, reduced CXCL12-dependent
      cell migration, and induction of caspase-dependent apoptosis. Accordingly, B cell
      lymphoma-bearing mice receiving IQS019 presented a reduced tumor outgrowth
      characterized by a decreased mitotic index and a lower infiltration of malignant
      cells in the spleen, in tight correlation with downregulation of phospho-Syk,
      phospho-Lyn, and phospho-Btk. More interestingly, IQS019 showed improved efficacy
      in vitro and in vivo when compared to the first-in-class Btk inhibitor ibrutinib,
      and was active in cells with acquired resistance to this latest. CONCLUSIONS:
      These results define IQS019 as a potential drug candidate for a variety of B
      lymphoid neoplasms, including cases with acquired resistance to current BCR
      targeting therapies.

PMID- 28359286
TI  - The double-edged sword of (re)expression of genes by hypomethylating agents: from
      viral mimicry to exploitation as priming agents for targeted immune checkpoint
      modulation.
AB  - Hypomethylating agents (HMAs) have been widely used over the last decade,
      approved for use in myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS), chronic myelomonocytic
      leukemia (CMML) and acute myeloid leukemia (AML). The proposed central mechanism
      of action of HMAs, is the reversal of aberrant methylation in tumor cells, thus
      reactivating CpG-island promoters and leading to (re)expression of tumor
      suppressor genes. Recent investigations into the mode of action of azacitidine
      (AZA) and decitabine (DAC) have revealed new molecular mechanisms that impinge on
      tumor immunity via induction of an interferon response, through activation of
      endogenous retroviral elements (ERVs) that are normally epigenetically silenced.
      Although the global demethylation of DNA by HMAs can induce anti-tumor effects,
      it can also upregulate the expression of inhibitory immune checkpoint receptors
      and their ligands, resulting in secondary resistance to HMAs. Recent studies
      have, however, suggested that this could be exploited to prime or (re)sensitize
      tumors to immune checkpoint inhibitor therapies. In recent years, immune
      checkpoints have been targeted by novel therapies, with the aim of (re)activating
      the host immune system to specifically eliminate malignant cells. Antibodies
      blocking checkpoint receptors have been FDA-approved for some solid tumors and a
      plethora of clinical trials testing these and other checkpoint inhibitors are
      under way. This review will discuss AZA and DAC novel mechanisms of action
      resulting from the re-expression of pathologically hypermethylated promoters of
      gene sets that are related to interferon signaling, antigen presentation and
      inflammation. We also review new insights into the molecular mechanisms of action
      of transient, low-dose HMAs on various tumor types and discuss the potential of
      new treatment options and combinations.

PMID- 28359290
TI  - Suppression of MyD88-dependent signaling alleviates neuropathic pain induced by
      peripheral nerve injury in the rat.
AB  - BACKGROUND: MyD88 is the adaptor protein of MyD88-dependent signaling pathway of
      TLRs and IL-1 receptor and regulates innate immune response. However, it was not
      clear whether and how MyD88 and related signaling pathways in the dorsal root
      ganglion (DRG) and spinal dorsal horn (SDH) are involved in neuropathic pain.
      METHODS: Chronic constriction injury (CCI) was used to induce neuropathic pain in
      the rat. The expression of MyD88, TRIF, IBA1, and GFAP was detected with
      immunofluorescent staining and Western blot. The expression of interleukin-1 beta
      (IL-1beta), high mobility group box 1 (HMGB1), NF-kappaB-p65, phosphorylated NF
      kappaB-p65, ERK, phosphorylated ERK, and tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha)
      was detected with Western blot. Pain-related behavioral effects of MyD88
      homodimerization inhibitory peptide (MIP) were accessed up to 3 weeks after
      intrathecal administration. RESULTS: Peripheral nerve injury significantly
      increased the protein level of MyD88 in the DRG and SDH, but had no effect on
      TRIF. MyD88 was found partly distributed in the nociceptive neurons in the DRGs
      and the astrocytes and microglia in the SDH. HMGB1 and IL-1beta were also found
      upregulated in nociceptive pathways of CCI rats. Intrathecal application of MIP
      significantly alleviated mechanical and thermal hyperalgesia in the CCI rats and
      also reversed CCI-induced upregulation of MyD88 in both DRG and SDH. Further
      investigation revealed that suppression of MyD88 protein reduced the release of
      TNF-alpha and glial activation in the SDH in the CCI rats. CONCLUSIONS: MyD88
      dependent TIR pathway in the DRG and SDH may play a role in CCI-induced
      neuropathic pain. MyD88 might serve as a potential therapeutic target for
      neuropathic pain.

PMID- 28359289
TI  - Insecticide resistance in malaria vectors along the Thailand-Myanmar border.
AB  - BACKGROUND: There is a paucity of data about the susceptibility status of malaria
      vectors to Public Health insecticides along the Thailand-Myanmar border. This
      lack of data is a limitation to guide malaria vector-control in this region. The
      aim of this study was to assess the susceptibility status of malaria vectors to
      deltamethrin, permethrin and DDT and to validate a simple molecular assay for the
      detection of knock-down resistance (kdr) mutations in the study area. METHODS:
      Anopheles mosquitoes were collected in four sentinel villages during August and
      November 2014 and July 2015 using human landing catch and cow bait collection
      methods. WHO susceptibility tests were carried out to measure the mortality and
      knock-down rates of female mosquitoes to deltamethrin (0.05%), permethrin (0.75%)
      and DDT (4%). DNA sequencing of a fragment of the voltage-gated sodium channel
      gene was carried out to identify knock-down resistance (kdr) mutations at
      position 1014 in mosquitoes surviving exposure to insecticides. RESULTS: A total
      of 6295 Anopheles belonging to ten different species were bioassayed. Resistance
      or suspected resistance to pyrethroids was detected in An. barbirostris (s.l.)
      (72 and 84% mortality to deltamethrin (n = 504) and permethrin (n = 493)
      respectively), An. hyrcanus (s.l.) (33 and 48% mortality to deltamethrin (n =
      172) and permethrin (n = 154), respectively), An. jamesii (87% mortality to
      deltamethrin, n = 111), An. maculatus (s.l.) (85 and 97% mortality to
      deltamethrin (n = 280) and permethrin (n = 264), respectively), An. minimus
      (s.l.) (92% mortality, n = 370) and An. vagus (75 and 95% mortality to
      deltamethrin (n =148) and permethrin (n = 178), respectively). Resistance or
      suspected resistance to DDT was detected in An. barbirostris (s.l.) (74%
      mortality, n = 435), An. hyrcanus (s.l.) (57% mortality, n = 91) and An. vagus
      (97% mortality, n = 133). The L1014S kdr mutation at both heterozygous and
      homozygous state was detected only in An. peditaeniatus (Hyrcanus Group).
      CONCLUSION: Resistance to pyrethroids is present along the Thailand-Myanmar
      border, and it represents a threat for malaria vector control. Further
      investigations are needed to better understand the molecular basis of insecticide
      resistance in malaria vectors in this area.

PMID- 28359291
TI  - Curcumin suppresses gastric tumor cell growth via ROS-mediated DNA polymerase
      gamma depletion disrupting cellular bioenergetics.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Curcumin, as a pro-apoptotic agent, is extensively studied to inhibit
      tumor cell growth of various tumor types. Previous work has demonstrated that
      curcumin inhibits cancer cell growth by targeting multiple signaling transduction
      and cellular processes. However, the role of curcumin in regulating cellular
      bioenergetic processes remains largely unknown. METHODS: Western blotting and qRT
      PCR were performed to analyze the protein and mRNA level of indicated molecules,
      respectively. RTCA, CCK-8 assay, nude mice xenograft assay, and in vivo
      bioluminescence imaging were used to visualize the effects of curcmin on gastric
      cancer cell growth in vitro and in vivo. Seahorse bioenergetics analyzer was used
      to investigate the alteration of oxygen consumption and aerobic glycolysis rate.
      RESULTS: Curcumin significantly inhibited gastric tumor cell growth,
      proliferation and colony formation. We further investigated the role of curcumin
      in regulating cellular redox homeostasis and demonstrated that curcumin initiated
      severe cellular apoptosis via disrupting mitochondrial homeostasis, thereby
      enhancing cellular oxidative stress in gastric cancer cells. Furthermore,
      curcumin dramatically decreased mtDNA content and DNA polymerase gamma (POLG)
      which contributed to reduced mitochondrial oxygen consumption and aerobic
      glycolysis. We found that curcumin induced POLG depletion via ROS generation, and
      POLG knockdown also reduced oxidative phosphorylation (OXPHOS) activity and
      cellular glycolytic rate which was partially rescued by ROS scavenger NAC,
      indiating POLG plays an important role in the treatment of gastric cancer. Data
      in the nude mice model verified that curcumin treatment significantly attenuated
      tumor growth in vivo. Finally, POLG was up-regulated in human gastric cancer
      tissues and primary gastric cancer cell growth was notably suppressed due to POLG
      deficiency. CONCLUSIONS: Together, our data suggest a novel mechanism by which
      curcumin inhibited gastric tumor growth through excessive ROS generation,
      resulting in depletion of POLG and mtDNA, and the subsequent disruption of
      cellular bioenergetics.

PMID- 28359292
TI  - Cardiac 4D phase-contrast CMR at 9.4 T using self-gated ultra-short echo time
      (UTE) imaging.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Time resolved 4D phase contrast (PC) cardiovascular magnetic
      resonance (CMR) in mice is challenging due to long scan times, small animal ECG
      gating and the rapid blood flow and cardiac motion of small rodents. To overcome
      several of these technical challenges we implemented a retrospectively self-gated
      4D PC radial ultra-short echo-time (UTE) acquisition scheme and assessed its
      performance in healthy mice by comparing the results with those obtained with an
      ECG-triggered 4D PC fast low angle shot (FLASH) sequence. METHODS: Cardiac 4D PC
      CMR images were acquired at 9.4 T in healthy mice using the proposed self-gated
      radial center-out UTE acquisition scheme (TE/TR of 0.5 ms/3.1 ms) and a standard
      Cartesian 4D PC imaging sequence (TE/TR of 2.1 ms/5.0 ms) with a four-point
      Hadamard flow encoding scheme. To validate the proposed UTE flow imaging
      technique, experiments on a flow phantom with variable pump rates were performed.
      RESULTS: The anatomical images and flow velocity maps of the proposed 4D PC UTE
      technique showed reduced artifacts and an improved SNR (left ventricular cavity
      (LV): 8.9 +/- 2.5, myocardium (MC): 15.7 +/- 1.9) compared to those obtained
      using a typical Cartesian FLASH sequence (LV: 5.6 +/- 1.2, MC: 10.1 +/- 1.4) that
      was used as a reference. With both sequences comparable flow velocities were
      obtained in the flow phantom as well as in the ascending aorta (UTE: 132.8 +/-
      18.3 cm/s, FLASH: 134.7 +/- 13.4 cm/s) and pulmonary artery (UTE: 78.5 +/- 15.4
      cm/s, FLASH: 86.6 +/- 6.2 cm/s) of the animals. Self-gated navigator signals
      derived from information of the oversampled k-space center were successfully
      extracted for all animals with a higher gating efficiency of time spent on
      acquiring gated data versus total measurement time (UTE: 61.8 +/- 11.5%, FLASH:
      48.5 +/- 4.9%). CONCLUSIONS: The proposed self-gated 4D PC UTE sequence enables
      robust and accurate flow velocity mapping of the mouse heart in vivo at high
      magnetic fields. At the same time SNR, gating efficiency, flow artifacts and
      image quality all improved compared to the images obtained using the well
      established, ECG-triggered, 4D PC FLASH sequence.

PMID- 28359295
TI  - Rad51 inhibition sensitizes breast cancer stem cells to PARP inhibitor in triple
      negative breast cancer.

PMID- 28359294
TI  - Temporal dynamics of the tick Ixodes ricinus in northern Europe: epidemiological
      implications.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Tick-borne pathogens pose an increasing threat to human and
      veterinary health across the northern hemisphere. While the seasonal activity of
      ticks is largely determined by climatic conditions, host-population dynamics are
      also likely to affect tick abundance. Consequently, abundance fluctuations of
      rodents in northern Europe are expected to be translated into tick dynamics, and
      can hence potentially affect the circulation of tick-borne pathogens. We
      quantified and explained the temporal dynamics of the tick Ixodes ricinus in the
      northernmost part of its European geographical range, by estimating (i) abundance
      in vegetation and (ii) infestation load in the most common rodent species in the
      study area, the bank vole Myodes glareolus. RESULTS: Ixodes ricinus nymphs and
      adult females, the life stages responsible for the most of tick bites in humans,
      peaked in May-June and August-September. Larvae and nymphs were simultaneously
      active in June and abundance of questing larvae and nymphs in the vegetation
      showed a positive association with bank vole abundance. Moreover, infesting
      larvae and nymphs were aggregated on bank voles, and the infestation of bank
      voles with I. ricinus larvae and nymphs was positively associated with bank vole
      abundance. CONCLUSION: Our results indicate early summer and early autumn as
      periods of increased risk for humans to encounter I. ricinus ticks in boreal
      urban forests and suggest a 2 years life-cycle for I. ricinus with two cohorts of
      ticks during the same year. Moreover, we identified a simultaneous activity of
      larvae and nymphs which allows co-feeding on the rodent host, which in turn
      supports the transmission of several important zoonotic tick-borne pathogens.
      Finally, we showed that a high density of the rodent host may enhance the risk
      that ticks and, potentially, tick-borne pathogens pose to human health.

PMID- 28359296
TI  - Motorbike-handlebar hernia - a rare traumatic abdominal wall hernia: a case
      report and review of the literature.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Handlebar hernias are very rare and arise following a sudden force
      from a handle-like object impacting a focal area of the abdomen, which results in
      a disruption of the underlying abdominal muscle and fascia without necessarily
      disrupting the overlying skin. Other than a reducible swelling on the abdominal
      wall, the physical examination of such patients is usually unremarkable and the
      diagnosis could easily be missed. CASE PRESENTATION: An 8-year-old Cameroonian
      boy with no significant past history presented to our emergency service with a
      tender left flank swelling following a road traffic accident. He was knocked down
      by a motorbike with resulting impact of the handlebar on his abdomen. A handlebar
      hernia was diagnosed on the basis of a reducible abdominal swelling with a
      positive cough impulse. A herniorrhaphy was done the following day after
      resuscitation and his postoperative period was uneventful. CONCLUSIONS: Handlebar
      hernias, although rare, should be suspected when patients present with an
      abdominal swelling following blunt abdominal trauma involving a handlebar-like
      object. A good history and physical examination are usually enough to pose an
      early diagnosis of handlebar hernia. Management typically involves surgical
      intervention to prevent complications. The timing and surgical approach should be
      decided on a case-by-case basis.

PMID- 28359293
TI  - Memory performance-related dynamic brain connectivity indicates pathological
      burden and genetic risk for Alzheimer's disease.
AB  - BACKGROUND: The incidence of Alzheimer's disease (AD) strongly relates to
      advanced age and progressive deposition of cerebral amyloid-beta (Abeta),
      hyperphosphorylated tau, and iron. The purpose of this study was to investigate
      the relationship between cerebral dynamic functional connectivity and variability
      of long-term cognitive performance in healthy, elderly subjects, allowing for
      local pathology and genetic risk. METHODS: Thirty seven participants (mean (SD)
      age 74 (6.0) years, Mini-Mental State Examination 29.0 (1.2)) were dichotomized
      based on repeated neuropsychological test performance within 2 years. Cerebral
      Abeta was measured by 11C Pittsburgh Compound-B positron emission tomography, and
      iron by quantitative susceptibility mapping magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) at
      an ultra-high field strength of 7 Tesla (7T). Dynamic functional connectivity
      patterns were investigated by resting-state functional MRI at 7T and tested for
      interactive effects with genetic AD risk (apolipoprotein E (ApoE)-epsilon4
      carrier status). RESULTS: A relationship between low episodic memory and a lower
      expression of anterior-posterior connectivity was seen (F(9,27) = 3.23, p <
      0.008), moderated by ApoE-epsilon4 (F(9,27) = 2.22, p < 0.005). Inherent node
      strength was related to local iron (F(5,30) = 13.2; p < 0.022). CONCLUSION: Our
      data indicate that altered dynamic anterior-posterior brain connectivity is a
      characteristic of low memory performance in the subclinical range and genetic
      risk for AD in the elderly. As the observed altered brain network properties are
      associated with increased local iron, our findings may reflect secondary neuronal
      changes due to pathologic processes including oxidative stress.

PMID- 28359297
TI  - Significance evaluation in factor graphs.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Factor graphs provide a flexible and general framework for specifying
      probability distributions. They can capture a range of popular and recent models
      for analysis of both genomics data as well as data from other scientific fields.
      Owing to the ever larger data sets encountered in genomics and the multiple
      testing issues accompanying them, accurate significance evaluation is of great
      importance. We here address the problem of evaluating statistical significance of
      observations from factor graph models. RESULTS: Two novel numerical
      approximations for evaluation of statistical significance are presented. First a
      method using importance sampling. Second a saddlepoint approximation based
      method. We develop algorithms to efficiently compute the approximations and
      compare them to naive sampling and the normal approximation. The individual
      merits of the methods are analysed both from a theoretical viewpoint and with
      simulations. A guideline for choosing between the normal approximation, saddle
      point approximation and importance sampling is also provided. Finally, the
      applicability of the methods is demonstrated with examples from cancer genomics,
      motif-analysis and phylogenetics. CONCLUSIONS: The applicability of saddlepoint
      approximation and importance sampling is demonstrated on known models in the
      factor graph framework. Using the two methods we can substantially improve
      computational cost without compromising accuracy. This contribution allows
      analyses of large datasets in the general factor graph framework.

PMID- 28359298
TI  - Monocyte/lymphocyte ratio predicts the severity of coronary artery disease: a
      syntax score assessment.
AB  - BACKGROUND: We aimed to explore whether monocyte to lymphocyte ratio (MLR)
      provides predictive value of the lesion severity in patients with coronary artery
      disease (CAD). METHODS: Five hundred forty-three patients undergoing coronary
      angiography were analyzed in this retrospective study. Patients with coronary
      stenosis were divided into three groups on the basis of Syntax score. The control
      group consisted of patients with normal coronary arteries. MLR was calculated by
      dividing monocytes count by lymphocytes count obtained from routine blood
      examination. Multivariate logistic analysis was used to assess risk factors of
      CAD. Ordinal logistic regression analysis was used to assess the relationship
      between MLR and the lesion severity of coronary arteries. RESULTS: MLR was found
      to be an independent risk factor of the presence of CAD (OR: 3.94, 95% CI: 1.20
      12.95) and a predictor of the lesion severity (OR: 2.05, 95% CI: 1.15-3.66).
      Besides, MLR was positively correlated with Syntax score(r = 0.437, p < 0.001).
      In the receiver-operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis, MLR, with an
      optimal cut-off value of 0.25, predicted the severe coronary lesion with a
      sensitivity of 60.26% and specificity of 78.49%. CONCLUSIONS: MLR was an
      independent risk factor of the presence of CAD, and a predictor of the lesion
      severity. Compared to neutrophil to lymphocyte ratio (NLR), MLR has better
      performance to reflect the severity of coronary lesion.

PMID- 28359299
TI  - Adaptive differentiation coincides with local bioclimatic conditions along an
      elevational cline in populations of a lichen-forming fungus.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Many fungal species occur across a variety of habitats. Particularly
      lichens, fungi forming symbioses with photosynthetic partners, have evolved
      remarkable tolerances for environmental extremes. Despite their ecological
      importance and ubiquity, little is known about the genetic basis of adaption in
      lichen populations. Here we studied patterns of genome-wide differentiation in
      the lichen-forming fungus Lasallia pustulata along an altitudinal gradient in the
      Mediterranean region. We resequenced six populations as pools and identified
      highly differentiated genomic regions. We then detected gene-environment
      correlations while controlling for shared population history and pooled
      sequencing bias, and performed ecophysiological experiments to assess fitness
      differences of individuals from different environments. RESULTS: We detected two
      strongly differentiated genetic clusters linked to Mediterranean and temperate
      oceanic climate, and an admixture zone, which coincided with the transition
      between the two bioclimates. High altitude individuals showed ecophysiological
      adaptations to wetter and more shaded conditions. Highly differentiated genome
      regions contained a number of genes associated with stress response, local
      environmental adaptation, and sexual reproduction. CONCLUSIONS: Taken together
      our results provide evidence for a complex interplay between demographic history
      and spatially varying selection acting on a number of key biological processes,
      suggesting a scenario of ecological speciation.

PMID- 28359300
TI  - Highly localized divergence within supergenes in Atlantic cod (Gadus morhua)
      within the Gulf of Maine.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Atlantic cod (Gadus morhua), is known to vary genetically across the
      North Atlantic, Greenland, and Newfoundland. This genetic variation occurs both
      spatially and temporally through decades of heavy fishing, and is concentrated in
      three linkage disequilibrium blocks, previously defined by pedigreed linkage
      mapping analysis. Variation within these genomic regions is correlated with both
      seawater temperature and behavioral ecotype. The full extent and nature of these
      linkage groups is important information for interpreting cod genetic structure as
      a tool for future fisheries management. RESULTS: We conducted whole genome
      sequencing for 31 individual cod from three sub-populations in the Gulf of Maine.
      Across the genome, we found 3,390,654 intermediate to high frequency Single
      Nucleotide Polymorphisms (SNPs). We show that pairwise linkage analysis among
      these SNPs is a powerful tool to detect linkage disequilibrium clusters by
      recovering the three previously detected linkage groups and identifying the 1031
      genes contained therein. Across these genes, we found significant population
      differentiation among spawning groups in the Gulf of Maine and between Georges
      Bank and Gulf of Maine. Coordinated divergence among these genes and their
      differentiation at both short and long spatial scales suggests that they are
      acting as linked supergenes in local adaptation of cod populations. CONCLUSIONS:
      Differentiation between SNPs in linkage disequilibrium blocks is the major signal
      of genetic differentiation between all groups tested within the Gulf of Maine.
      Our data provide a map of genes contained in these blocks, allowing an enhanced
      search for neutral genetic structure for demographic inference and fisheries
      modeling. Patterns of selection and the history of populations may be possible to
      identify in cod using this description of linkage disequilibrium blocks and
      future data sets to robustly separate neutral and selected genetic markers.

PMID- 28359301
TI  - Bromodomain protein 4 discriminates tissue-specific super-enhancers containing
      disease-specific susceptibility loci in prostate and breast cancer.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Epigenetic information can be used to identify clinically relevant
      genomic variants single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) of functional importance
      in cancer development. Super-enhancers are cell-specific DNA elements, acting to
      determine tissue or cell identity and driving tumor progression. Although
      previous approaches have been tried to explain risk associated with SNPs in
      regulatory DNA elements, so far epigenetic readers such as bromodomain containing
      protein 4 (BRD4) and super-enhancers have not been used to annotate SNPs. In
      prostate cancer (PC), androgen receptor (AR) binding sites to chromatin have been
      used to inform functional annotations of SNPs. RESULTS: Here we establish
      criteria for enhancer mapping which are applicable to other diseases and traits
      to achieve the optimal tissue-specific enrichment of PC risk SNPs. We used
      stratified Q-Q plots and Fisher test to assess the differential enrichment of
      SNPs mapping to specific categories of enhancers. We find that BRD4 is the key
      discriminant of tissue-specific enhancers, showing that it is more powerful than
      AR binding information to capture PC specific risk loci, and can be used with
      similar effect in breast cancer (BC) and applied to other diseases such as
      schizophrenia. CONCLUSIONS: This is the first study to evaluate the enrichment of
      epigenetic readers in genome-wide associations studies for SNPs within enhancers,
      and provides a powerful tool for enriching and prioritizing PC and BC genetic
      risk loci. Our study represents a proof of principle applicable to other diseases
      and traits that can be used to redefine molecular mechanisms of human phenotypic
      variation.

PMID- 28359303
TI  - The IGCA staging system is more accurate than AJCC7 system in stratifying
      survival of patients with gastric cancer in stage III.
AB  - BACKGROUND: A new staging system recently proposed by the IGCA has demonstrated a
      better capacity of stratifying different prognoses for gastric cancer than the
      7th edition AJCC staging system (AJCC7). The aim of this study was to evaluate
      the efficacy of the IGCA system in Chinese patients. METHODS: Medical records of
      patients with gastric cancer who received curative surgery in our center from
      January 2003 to December 2011 were reviewed retrospectively. All the lesions were
      staged according to both AJCC7 and IGCA staging systems. Overall survival (OS) of
      the patients was used as the observation endpoint. RESULTS: One thousand five
      hundred twenty-six cases were included in this study. By comparing the AJCC7
      system with the IGCA systems, 395 cases were stratified into different stages,
      most of which were in stage III. The IGCA system could better stratify stage IIIB
      and IIIC patients (5-year OS, 38.1% vs. 29.0%; P = 0.005) than the AJCC7 system
      (5-year OS, 38.2% vs. 35.9%; P = 0.148). T3N3bM0, T4aN2M0 and T4aN3bM0 made up
      97.5% (385/395) of the stage shift. T3N3bM0, which was stratified to stage IIIB
      in the AJCC7 system, showed a significant poorer prognosis than T4aN2M0 and
      T4aN3aM0, which were staged to IIIB and IIIC in the same system. The improper
      staging was revised in the IGCA staging system. CONCLUSIONS: The IGCA staging
      system can stratify stage III gastric cancer patients more properly than the
      AJCC7 system.

PMID- 28359302
TI  - Transcriptome analysis of the two unrelated fungal beta-lactam producers
      Acremonium chrysogenum and Penicillium chrysogenum: Velvet-regulated genes are
      major targets during conventional strain improvement programs.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Cephalosporins and penicillins are the most frequently used beta
      lactam antibiotics for the treatment of human infections worldwide. The main
      industrial producers of these antibiotics are Acremonium chrysogenum and
      Penicillium chrysogenum, two taxonomically unrelated fungi. Both were subjects of
      long-term strain development programs to reach economically relevant antibiotic
      titers. It is so far unknown, whether equivalent changes in gene expression lead
      to elevated antibiotic titers in production strains. RESULTS: Using the sequence
      of PcbC, a key enzyme of beta-lactam antibiotic biosynthesis, from eighteen
      different pro- and eukaryotic microorganisms, we have constructed a phylogenetic
      tree to demonstrate the distant relationship of both fungal producers. To address
      the question whether both fungi have undergone similar genetic adaptions, we have
      performed a comparative gene expression analysis of wild-type and production
      strains. We found that strain improvement is associated with the remodeling of
      the transcriptional landscape in both fungi. In P. chrysogenum, 748 genes showed
      differential expression, while 1572 genes from A. chrysogenum are differentially
      expressed in the industrial strain. Common in both fungi is the upregulation of
      genes belonging to primary and secondary metabolism, notably those involved in
      precursor supply for beta-lactam production. Other genes not essential for beta
      lactam production are downregulated with a preference for those responsible for
      transport processes or biosynthesis of other secondary metabolites.
      Transcriptional regulation was shown to be an important parameter during strain
      improvement in different organisms. We therefore investigated deletion strains of
      the major transcriptional regulator velvet from both production strains. We
      identified 567 P. chrysogenum and 412 A. chrysogenum Velvet target genes. In both
      deletion strains, approximately 50% of all secondary metabolite cluster genes are
      differentially regulated, including beta-lactam biosynthesis genes. Most
      importantly, 35-57% of Velvet target genes are among those that showed
      differential expression in both improved industrial strains. CONCLUSIONS: The
      major finding of our comparative transcriptome analysis is that strain
      improvement programs in two unrelated fungal beta-lactam antibiotic producers
      alter the expression of target genes of Velvet, a global regulator of secondary
      metabolism. From these results, we conclude that regulatory alterations are
      crucial contributing factors for improved beta-lactam antibiotic titers during
      strain improvement in both fungi.

PMID- 28359304
TI  - Determination of the Cell Permissiveness Spectrum, Mode of RNA Replication, and
      RNA-Protein Interaction of Zika Virus.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Two lineages of Zika virus (ZIKV) have been classified according to
      the phylogenetic analysis: African and Asian lineages. It is unclear whether
      differences exist between the two strains in host cell permissiveness, this
      information is important for understanding viral pathogenesis and designing anti
      viral strategies. METHODS: In the present study, we comparatively studied the
      permissive spectrum of human cells for both the African (MR766) and Asian strains
      (PRVABC59) using an RNA in situ hybridization (RISH) to visualize RNA
      replication, an immunofluorescence technology, and a western blot assay to
      determine viral protein production, and a real-time RT-PCR to examine viral RNA
      multiplication level. The experiments were undertaken in the condition of cell
      culture. RESULTS: We identified several human cell lines, including fibroblast,
      epithelial cells, brain cells, stem cells, and blood cells that are susceptible
      for the infection of both Asian and African strains. We did not find any
      differences between the MR766 and the PRVABC59 in the permissiveness, infection
      rate, and replication modes. Inconsistent to a previous report (Hamel et al. JVI
      89:8880-8896, 2015), using RISH or real-time RT-PCR, we found that human foreskin
      fibroblast cells were not permissive for ZIKV infection. Instead, human lung
      fibroblast cells (MRC-5) were fully permissive for ZIKV infection. Surprisingly,
      a direct interaction of ZIKV RNA with envelop (E) protein (a structure protein)
      was demonstrated by an RNA chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP) assay. Three
      binding sites were identified in the ZIKV RNA genome for the interaction with the
      E protein. CONCLUSION: Our results imply that the E protein may be important for
      viral RNA replication, and provide not only the information of ZIKV
      permissiveness that guides the usage of human cells for the ZIKV studies, but
      also the insight into the viral RNA-E protein interaction that may be targeted
      for intervention by designing small molecule drugs.

PMID- 28359305
TI  - Antenatal nephromegaly and propionic acidemia: a case report.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Propionic acidemia (PA) is a rare but severe recessive autosomal
      disease, presenting with non specific signs in the first years of life. Prenatal
      diagnosis is invasive (amniocentesis) and limited to suspect cases. No screening
      test has been described, in particular no correlations between prenatal
      sonography and PA have been documented so far. CASE PRESENTATION: We report the
      case of a boy with fetal bilateral nephromegaly and hyperechogenic kidneys, along
      with neonatal acute kidney injury; no etiology could be found in the first months
      of life. At 3 months of life, he presented with tachypnea and altered mental
      status, which lead to the diagnosis of PA. The renal ultrasound at 8 months of
      life, after a symptomatic treatment of PA had been initiated, showed a regression
      of the renal abnormalities. CONCLUSION: This case describes PA as a novel cause
      of large and hyperechogenic kidneys in the antenatal period. It suggests that,
      when confronted to fetal nephromegaly, hyperechogenic kidneys and risk factors of
      metabolic disease such as consanguineous parents, PA should be considered, and a
      prenatal test should be proposed.

PMID- 28359306
TI  - Clinicians' adherence to clinical practice guidelines for cardiac function
      monitoring during antipsychotic treatment: a retrospective report on 434 patients
      with severe mental illness.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Severe mental illness (SMI) has considerable excess morbidity and
      mortality, a proportion of which is explained by cardiovascular diseases, caused
      in part by antipsychotic (AP) induced QT-related arrhythmias and sudden death by
      Torsade de Point (TdP). The implementation of evidence-based recommendations for
      cardiac function monitoring might reduce the incidence of these AP-related
      adverse events. To investigate clinicians' adherence to cardiac function
      monitoring before and after starting AP, we performed a retrospective assessment
      of 434 AP-treated SMI patients longitudinally followed-up for 5 years at an
      academic community mental health center. METHODS: We classified antipsychotics
      according to their risk of inducing QT-related arrhythmias and TdP (Center for
      Research on Therapeutics, University of Arizona). We used univariate tests and
      multinomial or binary logistic regression model for data analysis. RESULTS:
      Univariate and multinomial regression analysis showed that psychiatrists were
      more likely to perform pre-treatment electrocardiogram (ECG) and electrolyte
      testing with AP carrying higher cardiovascular risk, but not on the basis of AP
      pharmacological class. Univariate and binomial regression analysis showed that
      cardiac function parameters (ECG and electrolyte balance) were more frequently
      monitored during treatment with second generation AP than with first generation
      AP. CONCLUSIONS: Our data show the presence of weaknesses in the cardiac function
      monitoring of AP-treated SMI patients, and might guide future interventions to
      tackle them.

PMID- 28359307
TI  - Clinical impact of postoperative loss in psoas major muscle and nutrition index
      after radical cystectomy for patients with urothelial carcinoma of the bladder.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Although the significance of preoperative nutritional status has been
      investigated, there is no report regarding the relationship of their
      postoperative changes on outcomes in patients who underwent radical cystectomy
      for bladder cancer. Here, we report the clinical impact of the change, from
      baseline, in nutritional status and volume of abdominal skeletal muscle mass and
      adipose tissue after radical cystetomy. METHODS: A retrospective analysis of 89
      patients with bladder cancer, who underwent curative radical cystectomy, was
      conducted to assess the time course of change, from baseline, in body composition
      and nutritional status at 1, 3, 6, 12, and 24 months, after surgery. Skeletal
      muscle mass and abdominal adipose tissue mass were quantified by unenhanced
      computed tomography images. Two different nutritional indices, the Prognostic
      Nutritional Index and the Controlling Nutritional Status score were calculated
      from laboratory blood tests. We evaluated the prognostic value of the rate of
      change in the body composition and nutritional status after radical cystectomy.
      RESULTS: The cross-sectional area at the level of the third lumbar vertebra of
      the psoas major muscle and nutritional indices showed a transient deterioration
      at 1 and 3 months after radical cystectomy, with a return to baseline values from
      6 to 24 months. A <= -10% loss in the area of the psoas muscle was associated
      with a shorter overall survival, compared to those with a > -10 change [hazard
      ratio (HR) 2.2, P = 0.02]. Multivariate analyzes identified sarcopenia status at
      baseline (HR 2.2, P = 0.03) and a <= -10% loss in the psoas muscle (HR 2.4, P =
      0.02) were identified as independent prognostic factors for overall survival. A
      subanalysis of patients without sarcopenia identified a worse survival outcome
      for patients with a <= -10% loss in the psoas muscle (HR 2.6, P = 0.03) and <= -
      5 change in the Prognostic Nutritional Index (HR 3.6, P = 0.01). CONCLUSION:
      Further research is required to establish appropriate rehabilitation protocols
      and nutritional interventions after radical cystectomy for maintaining skeletal
      muscle mass and nutrition status which could counteract physical deterioration
      and improve outcomes.

PMID- 28359308
TI  - Revealing cancer subtypes with higher-order correlations applied to imaging and
      omics data.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Patient stratification to identify subtypes with different disease
      manifestations, severity, and expected survival time is a critical task in cancer
      diagnosis and treatment. While stratification approaches using various biomarkers
      (including high-throughput gene expression measurements) for patient-to-patient
      comparisons have been successful in elucidating previously unseen subtypes, there
      remains an untapped potential of incorporating various genotypic and phenotypic
      data to discover novel or improved groupings. METHODS: Here, we present HOCUS, a
      unified analytical framework for patient stratification that uses a community
      detection technique to extract subtypes out of sparse patient measurements. HOCUS
      constructs a patient-to-patient network from similarities in the data and
      iteratively groups and reconstructs the network into higher order clusters. We
      investigate the merits of using higher-order correlations to cluster samples of
      cancer patients in terms of their associations with survival outcomes. RESULTS:
      In an initial test of the method, the approach identifies cancer subtypes in
      mutation data of glioblastoma, ovarian, breast, prostate, and bladder cancers. In
      several cases, HOCUS provides an improvement over using the molecular features
      directly to compare samples. Application of HOCUS to glioblastoma images reveals
      a size and location classification of tumors that improves over human expert
      based stratification. CONCLUSIONS: Subtypes based on higher order features can
      reveal comparable or distinct groupings. The distinct solutions can provide
      biologically- and treatment-relevant solutions that are just as significant as
      solutions based on the original data.

PMID- 28359309
TI  - Electroacupuncture for tapering off long-term benzodiazepine use: study protocol
      of randomized controlled trial.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Conventional approaches for benzodiazepine tapering have their
      limitations. Anecdotal studies have shown that acupuncture is a potential
      treatment for facilitating successful benzodiazepine tapering. As of today, there
      was no randomized controlled trial examining its efficacy and safety. The purpose
      of the study is to evaluate the efficacy of using electroacupuncture as an
      adjunct treatment to gradual tapering of benzodiazepine doses in complete
      benzodiazepine cessation in long-term benzodiazepine users. METHODS/DESIGN: The
      study protocol of a randomized, assessor- and subject-blinded, controlled trial
      is presented. One hundred and forty-four patients with histories of using
      benzodiazepines in >=50% of days for more than 3 months will be randomly assigned
      in a 1:1 ratio to receive either electroacupuncture or placebo electroacupuncture
      combined with gradual benzodiazepine tapering schedule. Both experimental and
      placebo treatments will be delivered twice per week for 4 weeks. Major
      assessments will be conducted at baseline, week 6 and week 16 post-randomization.
      Primary outcome is the cessation rate of benzodiazepine use. Secondary outcomes
      include the percentage change in the doses of benzodiazepine usage and the
      severity of withdrawal symptoms experienced based on the Benzodiazepine
      Withdrawal Symptom Questionnaire, insomnia as measured by the Insomnia Severity
      Index, and anxiety and depressive symptoms as evaluated by the Hospital Anxiety
      and Depression Scale. Adverse events will also be measured at each study visit.
      DISCUSSION: Results of this study will provide high quality evidence of the
      efficacy and safety of electroacupuncture as an adjunct treatment for
      benzodiazepine tapering in long-term users. TRIAL REGISTRATION:
      ClinicalTrials.gov NCT02475538 .

PMID- 28359310
TI  - Increased Kruppel-like factor 12 in recurrent implantation failure impairs
      endometrial decidualization by repressing Nur77 expression.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Decidualization is a prerequisite for successful implantation and the
      establishment of pregnancy. A critical role of impaired decidualization in
      subfertility has been established. In human endometrial stromal cells (hESCs),
      Kruppel-like factor 12 (KLF12) and Nur77 are novel regulators of decidualization.
      We investigated whether KLF12 impaired the decidualization of hESCs in recurrent
      implantation failure (RIF) patients. METHODS: Endometrial tissues and hESCs were
      collected from RIF patients (n = 34) and fertile controls (n = 30) for in vitro
      analysis. Primary hESCs isolated from RIF endometrial tissues were used to
      evaluate the biological functions of KLF12 and Nur77. In addition, their
      molecular mechanisms were investigated by adenovirus-mediated overexpression.
      Gene expression regulation was examined by real-time-quantitative PCR (qRT-PCR),
      immunostaining and luciferase reporter assay. Further, blastocyst-like spheroid
      (BLS) and blastocyst implantation models were performed to examine the roles of
      KLF12 and Nur77 during embryo expansion on hESCs. RESULTS: hESCs from the RIF
      patients showed a poor decidual response, mainly characterized by decreased
      decidual prolactin (dPRL) secretion, impaired transformation and limited BLS
      expansion. In addition, KLF12 expression was increased in endometrial tissues
      from the RIF patients compared with those from the fertile controls, especially
      in stromal compartments. The opposite results were observed for Nur77 expression
      in these tissues. KLF12 repressed hESC decidualization by decreasing Nur77
      expression. Mechanistically, KLF12 bound to a conserved site in the Nur77
      promoter region. Nur77 overexpression significantly reversed the KLF12-mediated
      repression of dPRL expression, decidual transformation and BLS/blastocyst
      expansion. CONCLUSIONS: KLF12 impairs endometrial decidualization by
      transcriptionally repressing Nur77, and Nur77 overexpression reverses the poor
      decidual response of hESCs in RIF patients.

PMID- 28359311
TI  - Effect of vulcanization temperature and dental stone colour on colour degradation
      of maxillofacial silicone elastomers.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Colour degradation is a major problem in maxillofacial silicone
      elastomers. Recent studies have focused on colour stability and the mechanical
      properties of the silicone elastomers. A colour match is also essential for the
      acceptance of the prosthesis by the patient. The aim of this study is to assess
      the colour degradation of the silicone elastomer after being moulded in different
      colours of dental stones at two different vulcanization temperatures. METHODS:
      Five different colours of dental stones were used to fabricate a total of 120
      silicone blocks using a Cosmesil M511 maxillofacial silicone elastomer.
      Vulcanization was completed at two different temperatures (25 and 100 degrees 
      Celsius). Colour measurements were obtained with a Conica Minolta
      spectrophotometer. The CIEDE2000 formula was used to calculate the colour
      differences (?E00). Two-way ANOVA, one-way ANOVA with Bonferroni corrected post
      hoc p values and independent samples t-test were used for the statistical
      analyses. RESULTS: High temperature vulcanization causes lightening of the
      maxillofacial silicone elastomers without regard to the dental stone colour (p =
      0.001). Specimens moulded in green stone lightened least at room temperature (p =
      0.999). Compared to the control group, at high temperature, all specimens moulded
      in coloured dental stones darkened significantly (p < 0.001 for white, blue and
      yellow; p = 0.006 for green; p = 0.045 for reddish-brown). In the high
      temperature group, the shift to a green chroma was significant in the white,
      yellow and green dental stones groups (p = 0.001, p = 0.002, p < 0.001,
      respectively). The mean b* of the high temperature control group was higher than
      that of the room temperature control group (p < 0.001). The only ?E00 score lower
      than the perceptibility threshold for dental materials (?E00 = 1.30) was between
      the room temperature control group and the room temperature green dental stone
      group (?E00 = 0.96). CONCLUSIONS: Green and blue dental stones cause less colour
      degradation in silicone elastomers. Reddish-brown dental stones cause the most
      colour degradation in silicone elastomers. At 100  degrees C, the colour of the
      silicone elastomer lightens and yellows even if the elastomer is vulcanized in a
      stainless steel mould. White, yellow and reddish-brown dental stones make the
      silicone elastomer appear more yellow even if the elastomer is vulcanized at room
      temperature.

PMID- 28359312
TI  - Extended-spectrum beta-lactamase-producing Pseudomonas aeruginosa in camel in
      Egypt: potential human hazard.
AB  - BACKGROUND: The rapid increase of extended-spectrum beta-lactamase (ESBL)
      producing bacteria are a potential health hazard. Development of antimicrobial
      resistance in animal pathogens has serious implications for human health,
      especially when such strains could be transmitted to human. In this study, the
      antimicrobial resistance due to ESBL producing Pseudomonas aeruginosa in the
      camel meat was investigated. METHODS: In this study meat samples from 200 healthy
      camels at two major abattoirs in Egypt (Cairo and Giza) were collected. Following
      culture on cetrimide agar, suspected P. aeruginosa colonies were confirmed with a
      Vitek 2 system (bioMe'rieux). P. aeruginosa isolates were phenotypically
      identified as ESBL by double disk synergy test. Additionally antimicrobial
      susceptibility testing of ESBL producing P. aeruginosa isolates were done against
      11 antimicrobial drugs and carried out by disk diffusion method. The ESBL
      genotypes were determined by polymerase chain reaction according to the presence
      of the bla PER-1, bla CTX-M, bla SHV, and bla TEM. RESULTS: Pseudomonas
      aeruginosa was isolated from 45 camel meat sample (22.5%). The total percentage
      of ESBL producing P. aeruginosa was 45% (21/45) from camel meat isolates.
      Antibiogram results revealed the highest resistance was for c, ceftriaxone and
      rifampicin followed by cefepime and aztreonam. The prevalence rates of beta
      lactamase genes were recorded (bla PER-1 28.5%, bla CTX-M 38%, bla SHV 33.3% and
      bla TEM 23.8%). CONCLUSIONS: This study illustrates the presence of high rates of
      ESBL-P. aeruginosa in camels that represents an increasing alarming for the risk
      of transmission to human and opens the door for current and future antibiotics
      therapy failure. Livestock associated ESBL-P. aeruginosa is a growing disaster,
      therefore, attention has to be fully given to livestock associated ESBL-bacteria
      which try to find its way to human beings.

PMID- 28359313
TI  - An examination of the causes, consequences, and policy responses to the migration
      of highly trained health personnel from the Philippines: the high cost of
      living/leaving-a mixed method study.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Dramatic increases in the migration of human resources for health
      (HRH) from developing countries like the Philippines can have consequences on the
      sustainability of health systems. In this paper, we trace the outflows of HRH
      from the Philippines, map out its key causes and consequences, and identify
      relevant policy responses. METHODS: This mixed method study employed a
      decentered, comparative approach that involved three phases: (a) a scoping review
      on health workers' migration of relevant policy documents and academic literature
      on health workers' migration from the Philippines; and primary data collection
      with (b) 37 key stakeholders and (c) household surveys with seven doctors, 329
      nurses, 66 midwives, and 18 physical therapists. RESULTS: Filipino health worker
      migration is best understood within the context of macro-, meso-, and micro-level
      factors that are situated within the political, economic, and historical/colonial
      legacy of the country. Underfunding of the health system and un- or
      underemployment were push factors for migration, as were concerns for security in
      the Philippines, the ability to practice to full scope or to have opportunities
      for career advancement. The migration of health workers has both negative and
      positive consequences for the Philippine health system and its health workers.
      Stakeholders focused on issues such as on brain drain, gain, and circulation, and
      on opportunities for knowledge and technology transfer. Concomitantly, migration
      has resulted in the loss of investment in human capital. The gap in the supply of
      health workers has affected the quality of care delivered, especially in rural
      areas. The opening of overseas opportunities has commercialized health education,
      compromised its quality, and stripped the country of skilled learning
      facilitators. The social cost of migration has affected emigres and their
      families. At the household level, migration has engendered increased consumerism
      and materialism and fostered dependency on overseas remittances. Addressing these
      gaps requires time and resources. At the same time, migration is, however, seen
      by some as an opportunity for professional growth and enhancement, and as a
      window for drafting more effective national and inter-country policy responses to
      HRH mobility. CONCLUSIONS: Unless socioeconomic conditions are improved and
      health professionals are provided with better incentives, staying in the
      Philippines will not be a viable option. The massive expansion in education and
      training designed specifically for outmigration creates a domestic supply of
      health workers who cannot be absorbed by a system that is underfunded. This
      results in a paradox of underservice, especially in rural and remote areas, at
      the same time as underemployment and outmigration. Policy responses to this
      paradox have not yet been appropriately aligned to capture the multilayered and
      complex nature of these intersecting phenomena.

PMID- 28359314
TI  - Alpinia oxyphylla Miq. fruit extract activates IGFR-PI3K/Akt signaling to induce
      Schwann cell proliferation and sciatic nerve regeneration.
AB  - BACKGROUND: It is known that the medicinal herb Alpinia oxyphylla Miq. is widely
      used as a remedy for diarrhea as well as the symptoms accompanying hypertension
      and cerebrovascular disorders. Moreover, it has also been reported that Alpinia
      oxyphylla Miq. has beneficial effects on anti-senescence and neuro-protection.
      This study focuses on the molecular mechanisms by which the Alpinia oxyphylla
      Miq. fruits promote neuron regeneration. METHODS: A piece of silicone rubber was
      guided across a 15 mm gap in the sciatic nerve of a rat. This nerve gap was then
      filled with various doses of Alpinia oxyphylla Miq. fruits to assess their
      regenerative effect on damaged nerves. Further, we investigated the role of
      Alpinia oxyphylla Miq. fruits in RSC96 Schwann cell proliferation. RESULTS: Our
      current results showed that treatment with the extract of Alpinia oxyphylla Miq.
      fruits triggers the phosphorylated insulin-like growth factor-1 receptor-
      phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase/serine-threonine kinase pathway, and up-regulated
      the proliferating cell nuclear antigen in a dose-dependent manner. Cell cycle
      analysis on RSC96 Schwann cells showed that, after exposure to Alpinia oxyphylla
      Miq. fruit extract, the transition from the first gap phase to the synthesis
      phase occurs in 12-18 h. The expression of the cell cycle regulatory proteins
      cyclin D1, cyclin E and cyclin A increased in a dose-dependent manner.
      Transfection with a small interfering RNA blocked the expression of
      phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase and induced down-regulation both on the mRNA and
      protein levels, which resulted in a reduction of the expression of the survival
      factor B-cell lymphoma 2. CONCLUSION: We provide positive results that
      demonstrate that Alpinia oxyphylla Miq. fruits facilitate the survival and
      proliferation of RSC96 cells via insulin-like growth factor-1 signaling.

PMID- 28359315
TI  - Perceptions of malaria control and prevention in an era of climate change: a
      cross-sectional survey among CDC staff in China.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Though there was the significant decrease in the incidence of malaria
      in central and southwest China during the 1980s and 1990s, there has been a re
      emergence of malaria since 2000. METHODS: A cross-sectional survey was conducted
      amongst the staff of eleven Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in
      China to gauge their perceptions regarding the impacts of climate change on
      malaria transmission and its control and prevention. Descriptive analysis was
      performed to study CDC staff's knowledge, attitudes, perceptions and suggestions
      for malaria control in the face of climate change. RESULTS: A majority (79.8%) of
      CDC staff were concerned about climate change and 79.7% believed the weather was
      becoming warmer. Most participants (90.3%) indicated climate change had a
      negative effect on population health, 92.6 and 86.8% considered that increasing
      temperatures and precipitation would influence the transmission of vector-borne
      diseases including malaria. About half (50.9%) of the surveyed staff indicated
      malaria had re-emerged in recent years, and some outbreaks were occurring in new
      geographic areas. The main reasons for such re-emergence were perceived to be:
      mosquitoes in high-density, numerous imported cases, climate change, poor
      environmental conditions, internal migrant populations, and lack of health
      awareness. CONCLUSIONS: This study found most CDC staff endorsed the statement
      that climate change had a negative impact on infectious disease transmission.
      Malaria had re-emerged in some areas of China, and most of the staff believed
      that this can be managed. However, high densities of mosquitoes and the
      continuous increase in imported cases of malaria in local areas, together with
      environmental changes are bringing about critical challenges to malaria control
      in China. This study contributes to an understanding of climate change related
      perceptions of malaria control and prevention amongst CDC staff. It may help to
      formulate in-house training guidelines, community health promotion programmes and
      policies to improve the capacity of malaria control and prevention in the face of
      climate change in China.

PMID- 28359316
TI  - Evaluation of pancreatic cancer cell migration with multiple parameters in vitro
      by using an optical real-time cell mobility assay device.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Migration of cancer cell correlates with distant metastasis and local
      invasion, which are good targets for cancer treatment. An optically accessible
      device "TAXIScan" was developed, which provides considerably more information
      regarding the cellular dynamics and less quantity of samples than do the existing
      methods. Here, we report the establishment of a system to analyze the nature of
      pancreatic cancer cells using TAXIScan and we evaluated lysophosphatidic acid
      (LPA)-elicited pancreatic cell migration. METHODS: Pancreatic cancer cell lines,
      BxPC3, PANC-1, AsPC1, and MIAPaCa-2, were analyzed for adhesion as well as
      migration towards LPA by TAXIScan using parameters such as velocity and
      directionality or for the number of migrated cells by the Boyden chamber methods.
      To confirm that the migration was initiated by LPA, the expression of LPA
      receptors and activation of intracellular signal transductions were examined by
      quantitative reverse transcriptase polymerase reaction and western blotting.
      RESULTS: Scaffold coating was necessary for the adhesion of pancreatic cancer
      cells, and collagen I and Matrigel were found to be good scaffolds. BxPC3 and
      PANC-1 cells clearly migrated towards the concentration gradient formed by
      injecting 1 MUL LPA, which was abrogated by pre-treatment with LPA inhibitor,
      Ki16425 (IC50 for the directionality ~ 1.86 MUM). The LPA dependent migration was
      further confirmed by mRNA and protein expression of LPA receptors as well as
      phosphorylation of signaling molecules. LPA1 mRNA was highest among the 6
      receptors, and LPA1, LPA2 and LPA3 proteins were detected in BxPC3 and PANC-1
      cells. Phosphorylation of Akt (Thr308 and Ser473) and p42/44MAPK in BxPC3 and
      PANC-1 cells was observed after LPA stimulation, which was clearly inhibited by
      pre-treatment with a compound Ki16425. CONCLUSIONS: We established a novel
      pancreatic cancer cell migration assay system using TAXIScan. This assay device
      provides multiple information on migrating cells simultaneously, such as their
      morphology, directionality, and velocity, with a small volume of sample and can
      be a powerful tool for analyzing the nature of cancer cells and for identifying
      new factors that affect cell functions.

PMID- 28359317
TI  - A Single Nucleotide Polymorphism in the FADS1 Gene is Associated with Plasma
      Fatty Acid and Lipid Profiles and Might Explain Gender Difference in Body Fat
      Distribution.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Genotyping of the rs174547 polymorphism in the fatty acid desaturase
      1 gene (FADS1) shows that it is associated with the FA composition of plasma
      phospholipids and lipid metabolic indices among several ethnic groups. However,
      this association requires further confirmation in the Chinese population, and
      little is known about the effect of polymorphisms in fatty acid-related genes on
      body fat distribution. METHODS: Anthropometric measurements of 951 Chinese adults
      aged 18-79 were obtained and body fat distribution was estimated using dual
      energy X-ray absorptiometry. The FA composition of plasma phospholipids was
      measured by gas chromatography. Multiple linear regression assessed whether the
      rs174547 genotype was associated with FA composition, body fat distribution, and
      metabolic traits in additive, dominant, and recessive models. RESULTS: The
      rs174547 C minor allele was associated with a higher proportion of linoleic acid,
      lower arachidonic acid and docosahexaenoic acid, as well as lower delta-6
      desaturase and delta-5-desaturase activity. Female C allele carriers had lower
      android fat percentages and lower levels of low-density lipoprotein-cholesterol,
      while male C allele carriers had lower gynoid fat percentages and higher
      triglyceride after adjusting for age, income, BMI, behavioral risk factors, and
      regional fat percentages. CONCLUSION: An association of FADS1 rs174547 with the
      FA composition of plasma phospholipids was identified among this Chinese adult
      population. The association with body fat distribution and lipid metabolic
      indices differed between men and women, which might explain sexual differences in
      body fat distribution and lipid metabolism.

PMID- 28359318
TI  - 24h-gene variation effect of combined bevacizumab/erlotinib in advanced non
      squamous non-small cell lung cancer using exon array blood profiling.
AB  - BACKGROUND: The SAKK 19/05 trial investigated the safety and efficacy of the
      combined targeted therapy bevacizumab and erlotinib (BE) in unselected patients
      with advanced non-squamous non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Although
      activating EGFR mutations were the strongest predictors of the response to BE,
      some patients not harboring driver mutations could benefit from the combined
      therapy. The identification of predictive biomarkers before or short after
      initiation of therapy is therefore paramount for proper patient selection,
      especially among EGFR wild-types. The first aim of this study was to investigate
      the early change in blood gene expression in unselected patients with advanced
      non-squamous NSCLC treated by BE. The second aim was to assess the predictive
      value of blood gene expression levels at baseline and 24h after BE therapy.
      METHODS: Blood samples from 43 advanced non-squamous NSCLC patients taken at
      baseline and 24h after initiation of therapy were profiled using Affymetrix' exon
      arrays. The 24h gene dysregulation was investigated in the light of gene
      functional annotations using gene set enrichment analysis. The predictive value
      of blood gene expression levels was assessed and validated using an independent
      dataset. RESULTS: Significant gene dysregulations associated with the 24h-effect
      of BE were detected from blood-based whole-genome profiling. BE had a direct
      effect on "Pathways in cancer", by significantly down-regulating genes involved
      in cytokine-cytokine receptor interaction, MAPK signaling pathway and mTOR
      signaling pathway. These pathways contribute to phenomena of evasion of
      apoptosis, proliferation and sustained angiogenesis. Other signaling pathways
      specifically reflecting the mechanisms of action of erlotinib and the anti
      angiogenesis effect of bevacizumab were activated. The magnitude of change of the
      most dysregulated genes at 24h did not have a predictive value regarding the
      patients' response to BE. However, predictive markers were identified from the
      gene expression levels at 24h regarding time to progression under BE.
      CONCLUSIONS: The 24h-effect of the combined targeted therapy BE could be
      accurately monitored in advanced non-squamous NSCLC blood samples using whole
      genome exon arrays. Putative predictive markers at 24h could reflect patients'
      response to BE after adjusting for their mutational status. Trial registration
      ClinicalTrials.gov: NCT00354549.

PMID- 28359320
TI  - Novel intramedullary device for lengthening transfemoral residual limbs.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Lower limb loss is a highly disabling medical condition that can
      severely impact a person's quality of life. Recovery becomes especially
      challenging if an amputee has a short residual limb, which can complicate proper
      prosthetic fitting, causing discomfort, difficulties in suspension, and reduced
      mobility. Current limb lengthening techniques such as the Ilizarov apparatus and
      external fixators are cumbersome, uncomfortable, and have high complication
      rates. In this study, we investigated the effectiveness of a novel limb
      lengthening device that uses intramedullary bone lengthening and requires only
      one percutaneous rod at the end of the limb during the distraction phase. Only
      the intramedullary nail remains after the distraction phase, and no external
      components are required during the consolidation phase. We hypothesize that this
      system would create a much easier experience for the patient. METHODS: The system
      was first tested in a mock surgical implantation using plastic femur bones. The
      device was then tested in a series of cadaveric experiments using pelvis-to-knee
      specimens by a group of surgeons. Surgeons evaluated the surgical insertion
      technique, soft tissue considerations, hardware fixation strategies, and the
      effectiveness of the distraction mechanism. Revisions and improvements to the
      device and surgical procedure were made based on the results from the cadaveric
      experiments. RESULTS: A questionnaire was given to two visiting surgeons
      following the final iteration of the device. The surgeons reported that the
      system effectively lengthened the limb, was sturdy, and could be installed
      efficiently. However, there remains a risk of infection and soft tissue
      imbalances, similar to that introduced by an external fixator device. Suggestions
      on how to improve the design of the device and mitigate infection through
      postoperative management and surgical standard of care will be considered for
      future clinical trials. CONCLUSIONS: The described intramedullary residual limb
      lengthening device has evolved from a prototype to a mature model tested in six
      cadaveric experiments to date. Further mechanical and functional testing is
      needed to finalize the device before testing in patients.

PMID- 28359319
TI  - Endocrine therapy initiation, discontinuation and adherence and breast imaging
      among 21-gene recurrence score assay-eligible women under age 65.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Aside from chemotherapy utilization, limited data are available on
      the relationship between gene expression profiling (GEP) testing and breast
      cancer care. We assessed the relationship between GEP testing and additional
      variables and the outcomes of endocrine therapy initiation, discontinuation and
      adherence, and breast imaging exams in women under age 65 years. METHODS: Data
      from five state cancer registries were linked with claims data and GEP results.
      We assessed variables associated with survivorship care outcomes in an incident
      cohort of 5014 commercially insured women under age 65 years, newly diagnosed
      with stage I or II hormone-receptor-positive, human epidermal growth factor
      receptor 2 (HER2) non-positive breast cancer from 2006 to 2010. RESULTS: Among
      tested women, those with high Oncotype DX(r) Breast Recurrence Score(r) (RS) were
      significantly less likely to initiate endocrine therapy than women with low RS
      tumors (OR 0.40 (95% CI 0.20 to 0.81); P = 0.01). Among all test-eligible women,
      receipt of Oncotype DX testing was associated with a greater likelihood of
      endocrine therapy initiation (OR 2.48 (95% CI 2.03 to 3.04); P <0.0001). The odds
      of initiation were also significantly higher for tested vs. untested women among
      women who did not initiate chemotherapy within six months of diagnosis (OR 3.25
      (95% CI 2.53 to 4.16)), with no effect in women who received chemotherapy.
      Discontinuation and adherence and breast imaging exams were unrelated to tested
      status or RS. CONCLUSIONS: Lower endocrine therapy initiation rates among women
      with high RS tumors and among untested women not receiving chemotherapy are
      concerning, given its established efficacy. Additional research is needed to
      suggest mechanisms to close this gap.

PMID- 28359321
TI  - The origin of Rosenthal fibers and their contributions to astrocyte pathology in
      Alexander disease.
AB  - Rosenthal fibers (RFs) are cytoplasmic, proteinaceous aggregates. They are the
      pathognomonic feature of the astrocyte pathology in Alexander Disease (AxD), a
      neurodegenerative disorder caused by heterozygous mutations in the GFAP gene,
      encoding glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP). Although RFs have been known for
      many years their origin and significance remain elusive issues. We have used
      mouse models of AxD based on the overexpression of human GFAP (transgenic, TG)
      and a point mutation in mouse GFAP (knock-in, KI) to examine the formation of RFs
      and to find astrocyte changes that correlate with the appearance of RFs. We found
      RFs of various sizes and shapes. The smallest ones appear as granular depositions
      on intermediate filaments. These contain GFAP and the small heat shock protein,
      alphaB-crystallin. Their aggregation appears to give rise to large RFs. The
      appearance of new RFs and the growth of previously formed RFs occur over time. We
      determined that DAPI is a reliable marker of RFs and in parallel with Fluoro-Jade
      B (FJB) staining defined a high variability in the appearance of RFs, even in
      neighboring astrocytes. Although many astrocytes in AxD with increased levels of
      GFAP and with or without RFs change their phenotype, only some cells with large
      numbers of RFs show a profound reconstruction of cellular processes, with a loss
      of fine distal processes and the appearance of large, lobulated nuclei, likely
      due to arrested mitosis. We conclude that 1) RFs appear to originate as small,
      osmiophilic masses containing both GFAP and alphaB-crystallin deposited on
      bundles of intermediate filaments. 2) RFs continue to form within AxD astrocytes
      over time. 3) DAPI is a reliable marker for RFs and can be used with
      immunolabeling. 4) RFs appear to interfere with the successful completion of
      astrocyte mitosis and cell division.

PMID- 28359322
TI  - Mutation of Kinesin-6 Kif20b causes defects in cortical neuron polarization and
      morphogenesis.
AB  - BACKGROUND: How neurons change their cytoskeleton to adopt their complex
      polarized morphology is still not understood. Growing evidence suggests that
      proteins that help build microtubule structures during cell division are also
      involved in building and remodeling the complex cytoskeletons of neurons. Kif20b
      (previously called MPP1 or Mphosph1) is the most divergent member of the Kinesin
      6 family of "mitotic" kinesins that also includes Kif23/MKLP1 and Kif20a/MKLP2.
      We previously isolated a loss-of-function mouse mutant of Kif20b and showed that
      it had a thalamocortical axon guidance defect and microcephaly. METHODS: We
      demonstrate here, using the mouse mutant, that Kif20b is required for neuron
      morphogenesis in the embryonic neocortex. In vivo and in vitro cortical neurons
      were labeled and imaged to analyze various aspects of morphogenesis. RESULTS:
      Loss of Kif20b disrupts polarization as well as neurite outgrowth, branching and
      caliber. In vivo, mutant cortical neurons show defects in orientation, and have
      shorter thinner apical dendrites that branch closer to the cell body. In vitro,
      without external polarity cues, Kif20b mutant neurons show a strong polarization
      defect. This may be due in part to loss of the polarity protein Shootin1 from the
      axonal growth cone. Those mutant neurons that do succeed in polarizing have
      shorter axons with more branches, and longer minor neurites. These changes in
      shape are not due to alterations in cell fate or neuron layer type. Surprisingly,
      both axons and minor neurites of mutant neurons have increased widths and longer
      growth cone filopodia, which correlate with abnormal microtubule organization.
      Live analysis of axon extension shows that Kif20b mutant axons display more
      variable growth with increased retraction. CONCLUSIONS: These results demonstrate
      that Kif20b is required cell-autonomously for proper morphogenesis of cortical
      pyramidal neurons. Kif20b regulates neuron polarization, and axon and dendrite
      branching, outgrowth, and caliber. Kif20b protein may act by bundling
      microtubules into tight arrays and by localizing effectors such as Shootin1. Thus
      it may help shape neurites, sustain consistent axon growth, and inhibit
      branching. This work advances our understanding of how neurons regulate their
      cytoskeleton to build their elaborate shapes. Finally, it suggests that neuronal
      connectivity defects may be present in some types of microcephaly.

PMID- 28359323
TI  - Posterior wedge osteotomy and debridement for Andersson lesion with severe
      kyphosis in ankylosing spondylitis.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Andersson lesion is a well-known complication in ankylosing
      spondylitis. Recently, owing to the worry about the healing of fracture, some
      scholars advocated additional anterior surgery or other procedures were
      necessary, which increase the risk of the nerve injury. The purpose of this study
      is to introduce our experience and to explore the efficacy and feasibility of
      posterior wedge osteotomy and debridement through Andersson Lesion for surgical
      treatment of severe kyphosis in ankylosing spondylitis. METHODS: From January
      2012 to January 2014, a retrospective study of 14 Andersson lesion patients with
      severe kyphosis in ankylosing spondylitis treated with surgery was completed with
      an at least 2-year follow-up. The debridement procedure, before posterior wedge
      osteotomy in posterior approach, must scrape all sclerosis bone until healthy
      cancellous bone appears. Radiographic and clinical results and complications were
      assessed with an average follow-up of 24 months. The CT scan was obtained
      preoperatively and at the final follow-up to assess the displacement of the
      fracture preoperatively, the safety of screw insertion, the healing of the
      fracture at the final follow-up. The Bridwell interbody fusion grading system was
      used to assess the healing of the fracture. RESULTS: Local kyphosis was
      substantially corrected from 51.7 +/- 15.6 to 7.1 +/- 19.5, with a mean
      correction of 44 degrees . The global kyphosis (GK) changed from 60.6 +/- 28.3 to
      20.3 +/- 10.3 (P = 0.000). The mean VAS back pain scores decreased from 6.7 +/-
      0.8 preoperatively to 0.75 +/- 0.6 after a 2-year follow-up (P = 0.000). The ODI
      score improved from 60.56 +/- 15.1% preoperatively to 23.46 +/- 8.2% after a 2
      year follow-up (P = 0.000). The CT scan showed solid fusion at the level of the
      AL, and no internal fixation loose. All patients achieved grade 1 fusion. No
      major complication occurred. CONCLUSIONS: The posterior wedge osteotomy and
      debridement through AL can be used to correct the severe kyphosis in ankylosing
      spondylitis, achieving favorable clinical outcomes, good fusion, and satisfactory
      deformity correction.

PMID- 28359324
TI  - Cerebrospinal fluid cell-free mitochondrial DNA is associated with HIV
      replication, iron transport, and mild HIV-associated neurocognitive impairment.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Mitochondria are abundant organelles critical for energy metabolism
      and brain function. Mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA), released during cellular injury
      and as part of the innate immune response to viral pathogens, contains CpG motifs
      that act as TLR-9 ligands. We investigated relationships between cerebrospinal
      fluid (CSF) cell-free mtDNA levels and HIV viral load (VL), biomarkers of
      inflammation and iron transport, and neurocognitive (NC) function in the CNS HIV
      Antiretroviral Therapy Effects Research (CHARTER) cohort. METHODS: We quantified
      cell-free mtDNA in CSF by droplet digital PCR in 332 CHARTER participants who
      underwent comprehensive neuropsychiatric evaluation. NC performance was assessed
      using the global deficit score (GDS) as either a continuous or a binary measure
      (GDS >= 0.5, impaired vs. GDS < 0.5, unimpaired). CSF, clinical, and biomarker
      data from the earliest available time point were analyzed. Cell-free mtDNA
      associations with CSF inflammation and iron-related biomarkers [CXCL10, IL-6, IL
      8, TNF-a, transferrin (TF), ceruloplasmin (CP), and vascular endothelial growth
      factor (VEGF)], VL, and GDS were evaluated by multivariable regression. RESULTS:
      CSF cell-free mtDNA levels were significantly lower in participants with
      undetectable (vs. detectable) VL in either plasma (p < 0.001) or CSF (p < 0.001)
      and in those on antiretroviral therapy (ART; p < 0.001). Participants on ART with
      undetectable VL in both CSF and plasma had lower mtDNA levels than those with
      detectable VL in both compartments (p = 0.001). Higher mtDNA levels were observed
      in participants in the highest vs. lowest tertile (T3 vs. T1) of CSF CXCL10 (T3
      vs. T1, p < 0.001) and TNF-a (T3 vs. T1, p < 0.05) in unadjusted analyses. MtDNA
      levels also correlated with CSF leukocyte count. After adjusting for CSF
      leukocyte count and VL, mtDNA levels were also associated with other inflammation
      and iron-related biomarkers in CSF, including TF (T3 vs. T1, p < 0.05) and CP
      (T3 vs. T1, p < 0.05). With additional correction for ART use, mtDNA was also
      negatively associated with CSF VEGF (p < 0.05) and IL-6 (p = 0.05). We observed
      no associations of CSF mtDNA levels with age or GDS-defined NC impairment.
      CONCLUSIONS: CSF cell-free mtDNA levels were associated with HIV RNA and ART
      status, as well as with biomarkers of iron transport and VEGF, a growth factor
      with known effects on mitochondrial integrity and autophagy. CSF mtDNA may be a
      biomarker of iron dysregulation and/or neuroinflammation during HIV infection.

PMID- 28359325
TI  - Early versus late BCG vaccination in HIV-1-exposed infants in Uganda: study
      protocol for a randomized controlled trial.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Bacillus Calmette-Guerin (BCG) vaccination may have nonspecific
      effects, i.e., effects on childhood morbidity and mortality that go beyond its
      effect on the risk of childhood tuberculosis (TB). Though the available
      scientific literature is mostly from observational studies, and is fraught with
      controversy, BCG vaccination at birth may protect infants in high-mortality
      populations against serious infections other than TB. Yet, other studies indicate
      that giving BCG later in infancy may modify immune responses to non-TB antigens
      and potentially enhance immunity, potentially also against tuberculosis (TB). It
      is unclear whether BCG vaccination very early in life offers adequate protection
      against TB and other infections among HIV-1-exposed children because even those
      who remain uninfected with HIV-1 show signs of impaired immunocompetence early in
      infancy. This study will compare BCG vaccination at birth with BCG vaccination at
      14 weeks of age in HIV-1-exposed infants. METHODS: This is an individually
      randomized controlled trial in 2200 HIV-1-exposed infants. The intervention is
      BCG vaccination within 24 h of birth while the comparator is BCG given at 14
      weeks of age. The study co-primary outcomes are severe illness in the first 14
      weeks of life, and production of tumor necrosis factor, interleukin (IL)-1beta,
      IL-6 and interferon-gamma in response to mycobacterial and nonmycobacterial
      antigens. The study is being conducted in three health centers in Uganda.
      DISCUSSION: A well-timed BCG vaccination could have important nonspecific effects
      in HIV-1-exposed infants. This trial could inform the development of appropriate
      timing of BCG vaccination for HIV-1-exposed infants. TRIAL REGISTRATION:
      ClinicalTrials.gov, identifier: NCT02606526 . Registered on 12 November 2015.

PMID- 28359326
TI  - Hsp90beta promoted endothelial cell-dependent tumor angiogenesis in
      hepatocellular carcinoma.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Vascular endothelial growth factor receptors (VEGFRs) are the major
      receptors involved in endothelial cell-dependent tumor angiogenesis. There are
      studies account for the effects of Hsp90 on angiogenesis, but the role and
      mechanism of Hsp90beta isoforms and NVP-BEP800, a specific inhibitor of
      Hsp90beta, in tumor angiogenesis is rarely mentioned. METHODS:
      Immunohistochemistry and statistical analysis was used to evaluate the
      correlation between Hsp90beta expression, CD31 endothelial cell-dependent vessel
      density, and VEGFRs expression in tissue samples of 96 HCCs. Kaplan-Meier
      survival analysis and COX proportional hazards analysis the relation of Hsp90beta
      and prognosis. HUVEC cells were transfected with Hsp90beta or treated with NVP
      BEP800, and then cell proliferation, migration, invasion and tube formation were
      investigated. The VEGFR1 and VEGFR2 expression was determined by Western blot and
      immunofluorescence. The VEGFR1 and VEGFR2 promoter activities were detected by
      dual luciferase report system. In vivo, the angiogenesis promotion of Hsp90beta
      and anti-angiogenesis efficacy of NVP-BEP800 was tested in HCC xenograft models.
      Histological analysis was performed on tumor samples to evaluate Hsp90beta,
      VEGFRs expression and MVD. RESULTS: This study investigated the correlation
      between Hsp90beta expression and CD31+ endothelial cell-dependent vessel density.
      Hsp90beta promoted VEGFRs expression by increasing their promoter activities. The
      proliferation, migration, invasion, and tube formation activities of human
      endothelial cells significantly increased when Hsp90beta was overexpressed. NVP
      BEP800 down-regulated VEGFRs expression to significantly reduce tubular
      differentiation, as well as endothelial cell proliferation, migration, and
      invasion. Furthermore, NVP-BEP800 decreased VEGFR1 and VEGFR2 promoter
      activities. In vivo, Hsp90beta promoted VEGFRs and CD31 expression in human
      hepatocellular carcinoma tumor xenografts and was associated with increased tumor
      microvessel density. After 18 days of treatment with 30 mg/kg/day NVP-BEP800,
      VEGFRs and CD31 expression significantly decreased. CONCLUSION: Hsp90beta induced
      endothelial cell-dependent tumor angiogenesis by activating VEGFRs transcription.
      NVP-BEP800 has potential as a therapeutic strategy for inhibiting tumor
      angiogenesis by decreasing endothelial cell progression and metastasis. It can
      help develop a therapeutic strategy for tumor treatment through the inhibition of
      endothelial cell progression and metastasis.

PMID- 28359327
TI  - Monoamine oxidase B inhibitor, selegiline, reduces 18F-THK5351 uptake in the
      human brain.
AB  - BACKGROUND: 18F-THK5351 is a quinoline-derived tau imaging agent with high
      affinity to paired helical filaments (PHF). However, high levels of 18F-THK5351
      retention in brain regions thought to contain negligible concentrations of PHF
      raise questions about the interpretation of the positron emission tomography
      (PET) signals, particularly given previously described interactions between
      quinolone derivatives and monoamine oxidase B (MAO-B). Here, we tested the
      effects of MAO-B inhibition on 18F-THK5351 brain uptake using PET and
      autoradiography. METHODS: Eight participants (five mild cognitive impairment, two
      Alzheimer's disease, and one progressive supranuclear palsy) had baseline 18F
      AZD4694 and 18F-THK5351 scans in order to quantify brain amyloid and PHF load,
      respectively. A second 18F-THK5351 scan was conducted 1 week later, 1 h after a
      10-mg oral dose of selegiline. Three out of eight patients also had a third 18F
      THK5351 scan 9-28 days after the selegiline administration. The primary outcome
      measure was standardized uptake value (SUV), calculated using tissue
      radioactivity concentration from 50 to 70 min after 18F-THK5351 injection,
      normalizing for body weight and injected radioactivity. The SUV ratio (SUVR) was
      determined using the cerebellar cortex as the reference region. 18F-THK5351
      competition autoradiography studies in postmortem tissue were conducted using 150
      and 500 nM selegiline. RESULTS: At baseline, 18F-THK5351 SUVs were highest in the
      basal ganglia (0.64 +/- 0.11) and thalamus (0.62 +/- 0.14). In the post
      selegiline scans, the regional SUVs were reduced on average by 36.7% to 51.8%,
      with the greatest reduction noted in the thalamus (51.8%) and basal ganglia
      (51.4%). MAO-B inhibition also reduced 18F-THK5351 SUVs in the cerebellar cortex
      (41.6%). The SUVs remained reduced in the three patients imaged at 9-28 days.
      Tissue autoradiography confirmed the effects of MAO-B inhibition on 18F-THK5351
      uptake. CONCLUSIONS: These results indicate that the interpretation of 18F
      THK5351 PET images, with respect to tau, is confounded by the high MAO-B
      availability across the entire brain. In addition, the heterogeneous MAO-B
      availability across the cortex may limit the interpretation of 18F-THK5351 scans
      using reference region methods.

PMID- 28359328
TI  - Stem loop-mediated isothermal amplification test: comparative analysis with
      classical LAMP and PCR in detection of Entamoeba histolytica in Kenya.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Entamoeba histolytica, the causative agent for amoebiasis is a
      considerable burden to population in the developing countries where it accounts
      for over 50 million infections. The tools for detection of amoebiasis are
      inadequate and diagnosis relies on microscopy which means a significant percent
      of cases remain undiagnosed. Moreover, tests formats that can be rapidly applied
      in rural endemic areas are not available. METHODS: In this study, a loop-mediated
      isothermal test (LAMP) based on 18S small subunit ribosomal RNA gene was designed
      with extra reaction accelerating primers (stem primers) and compared with the
      published LAMP and PCR tests in detection of E. histolytica DNA in clinical
      samples. RESULTS: The stem LAMP test indicated shorter time to results by an
      average 11 min and analytical sensitivity of 10-7 (~30 pg/ml) compared to the
      standard LAMP and PCR which showed sensitivities levels of 10-5 (~3 ng/ml) and 10
      4 (~30 ng/ml) respectively using tenfold serial dilution of DNA. In the analysis
      of clinical specimens positive for Entamoeba spp. trophozoites and cysts using
      microscopy, the stem LAMP test detected E. histolytica DNA in 36/126, standard
      LAMP test 20/126 and PCR 17/126 cases respectively. There was 100% agreement in
      detection of the stem LAMP test product using fluorescence of SYTO-9 dye in real
      time machine, through addition of 1/10 dilution of SYBR(r) Green I and
      electrophoresis in 2% agarose gel stained with ethidium bromide. CONCLUSION: The
      stem LAMP test developed in this study indicates potential towards detection of
      E. histolytica.

PMID- 28359329
TI  - Comparison of stool versus rectal swab samples and storage conditions on
      bacterial community profiles.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Sample collection for gut microbiota analysis from in-patients can be
      challenging. Collection method and storage conditions are potential sources of
      variability. In this study, we compared the bacterial microbiota from stool
      stored under different conditions, as well as stool and swab samples, to assess
      differences due to sample storage conditions and collection method. METHODS:
      Using bacterial 16S rRNA gene sequence analysis, we compared the microbiota
      profiles of stool samples stored and collected under various conditions. Stool
      samples (2 liquid, 1 formed) from three different patients at two hospitals were
      each evaluated under the following conditions: immediately frozen at -80 degrees
      C, stored at 4 degrees C for 12-48 hours before freezing at -80 degrees C and
      stored at -20 degrees C with 1-2 thaw cycles before storage at -80 degrees C.
      Additionally, 8 stool and 30 rectal swab samples were collected from 8 in
      patients at one hospital. Microbiota differences were assessed using the Yue and
      Clayton dissimilarity index (thetaYC distance) and analysis of molecular variance
      (AMOVA). RESULTS: Regardless of the storage conditions, the bacterial communities
      of aliquots from the same stool samples were very similar based on thetaYC
      distances (median intra-sample thetaYC distance: 0.035, IQR: 0.015-0.061)
      compared to aliquots from different stool samples (median inter-sample thetaYC
      distance: 0.93, IQR: 0.85-0.97) (Wilcoxon test p-value: <0.0001). For the stool
      and rectal swab comparison, samples from different patients, regardless of sample
      collection method, were significantly different (AMOVA p-values: <0.001-0.029)
      compared to no significant difference between all stool and swab samples (AMOVA p
      value: 0.976). The thetaYC dissimilarity index between swab and stool samples was
      significantly lower within individuals (median 0.17, IQR: 0.10-0.27) than between
      individuals (median 0.93, IQR: 0.85-0.97) (Wilcoxon test p-value: <0.0001),
      indicating minimal differences between stool and swab samples collected from the
      same individual over the sampling period. CONCLUSION: For gastrointestinal
      microbiota studies based on bacterial 16S rRNA gene sequence analysis, interim
      stool sample storage at 4  degrees C or -20  degrees C, rather than immediate
      storage at -80  degrees C, does not significantly alter results. Additionally,
      stool and rectal swab microbiotas from the same subject were highly similar,
      indicating that these sampling methods could be used interchangeably to assess
      the community structure of the distal GI tract.

PMID- 28359330
TI  - Evolutionarily recent, insertional fission of mitochondrial cox2 into
      complementary genes in bilaterian Metazoa.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Mitochondrial genomes (mtDNA) of multicellular animals (Metazoa) with
      bilateral symmetry (Bilateria) are compact and usually carry 13 protein-coding
      genes for subunits of three respiratory complexes and ATP synthase. However,
      occasionally reported exceptions to this typical mtDNA organization prompted
      speculation that, as in protists and plants, some bilaterian mitogenomes may
      continue to lose their canonical genes, or may even acquire new genes. To shed
      more light on this phenomenon, a PCR-based screen was conducted to assess fast
      evolving mtDNAs of apocritan Hymenoptera (Arthropoda, Insecta) for genomic
      rearrangements that might be associated with the modification of mitochondrial
      gene content. RESULTS: Sequencing of segmental inversions, identified in the
      screen, revealed that the cytochrome oxidase subunit II gene (cox2) of
      Campsomeris (Dielis) (Scoliidae) was split into two genes coding for COXIIA and
      COXIIB. The COXII-derived complementary polypeptides apparently form a
      heterodimer, have reduced hydrophobicity compared with the majority of mitogenome
      encoded COX subunits, and one of them, COXIIB, features increased content of Cys
      residues. Analogous cox2 fragmentation is known only in two clades of protists
      (chlorophycean algae and alveolates), where it has been associated with piecewise
      relocation of this gene into the nucleus. In Campsomeris mtDNA, cox2a and cox2b
      loci are separated by a 3-kb large cluster of several antiparallel overlapping
      ORFs, one of which, qnu, seems to encode a nuclease that may have played a role
      in cox2 fission. CONCLUSIONS: Although discontinuous mitochondrial protein genes
      encoding fragmented, complementary polypeptides are known in protists and some
      plants, split cox2 of Campsomeris is the first case of such a gene arrangement
      found in animals. The reported data also indicate that bilaterian animal
      mitogenomes may be carrying lineage-specific genes more often than previously
      thought, and suggest a homing endonuclease-based mechanism for insertional
      mitochondrial gene fission.

PMID- 28359331
TI  - In vitro antioxidant and, alpha-glucosidase inhibitory activities and
      comprehensive metabolite profiling of methanol extract and its fractions from
      Clinacanthus nutans.
AB  - BACKGROUND: This study was aimed to evaluate antioxidant and alpha-glucosidase
      inhibitory activity, with a subsequent analysis of total phenolic and total
      flavonoid content of methanol extract and its derived fractions from Clinacanthus
      nutans accompanied by comprehensive phytochemical profiling. METHODS: Liquid
      liquid partition chromatography was used to separate methanolic extract to get
      hexane, ethyl acetate, butanol and residual aqueous fractions. The total
      antioxidant activity was determined by 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazy (DPPH)
      radical scavenging and ferric reducing antioxidant power assay (FRAP). The
      antidiabetic activity of methanol extract and its consequent fractions were
      examined by alpha-glucosidase inhibitory bioassay. The chemical profiling was
      carried out by gas chromatography coupled with quadrupole time-of-flight mass
      spectrometry (GC Q-TOF MS). RESULTS: The total yield for methanol extraction was
      (12.63 +/- 0.98) % (w/w) and highest fractionated value found for residual
      aqueous (52.25 +/- 1.01) % (w/w) as compared to the other fractions. Significant
      DPPH free radical scavenging activity was found for methanolic extract (63.07 +/-
      0.11) % and (79.98 +/- 0.31) % for ethyl acetate fraction among all the fractions
      evaluated. Methanol extract was the most prominent in case of FRAP (141.89 +/-
      0.87 MUg AAE/g) whereas most effective reducing power observed in ethyl acetate
      fraction (133.6 +/- 0.2987 MUg AAE/g). The results also indicated a substantial
      alpha-glucosidase inhibitory activity for butanol fraction (72.16 +/- 1.0) % and
      ethyl acetate fraction (70.76 +/- 0.49) %. The statistical analysis revealed that
      total phenolic and total flavonoid content of the samples had the significant (p
      < 0.05) impact on DPPH free radical scavenging and alpha-glucosidase inhibitory
      activity. CONCLUSION: Current results proposed the therapeutic potential of
      Clinacanthus nutans, especially ethyl acetate and butanol fraction as
      chemotherapeutic agent against oxidative related cellular damages and control the
      postprandial hyperglycemia. The phytochemical investigation showed the existence
      of active constituents in Clinacanthus nutans extract and fractions.

PMID- 28359332
TI  - The quality of health services provided to remote dwelling aboriginal infants in
      the top end of northern Australia following health system changes: a qualitative
      analysis.
AB  - BACKGROUND: In Australia the health outcomes of remote dwelling Aboriginal
      infants are comparable to infants in developing countries. This research
      investigates service quality, from the clinicians' perspective and as observed
      and recorded by the researcher, in two large Aboriginal communities in the Top
      End of northern Australia following health system changes. METHODS: Data were
      collected from semi-structured interviews with 25 clinicians providing or
      managing child health services in the two study sites. Thirty hours of
      participant observation was undertaken in the 'baby-rooms' at the two remote
      health centres between June and December 2012. The interview and observational
      data, as well as field notes were integrated and analysed thematically to explore
      clinicians' perspectives of service delivery to infants in the remote health
      centres. RESULTS: A range of factors affecting the quality of care, mostly
      identified before health system changes were instigated, persisted. These factors
      included ineffective service delivery, inadequate staffing and culturally unsafe
      practices. The six themes identified in the data: 'very adhoc', 'swallowed by
      acute', 'going under', 'a flux', 'a huge barrier' and 'them and us' illustrate
      how these factors continue, and when combined portray a 'very chaotic system'.
      CONCLUSION: Service providers perceived service provision and quality to be
      inadequate, despite health system changes. Further work is urgently needed to
      improve the quality, cultural responsiveness and effectiveness of services to
      this population.

PMID- 28359333
TI  - The immune-regulating effect of Xiao'er Qixingcha in constipated mice induced by
      high-heat and high-protein diet.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Xiao'er Qixingcha (EXQ) has been extensively applied to relieve
      dyspepsia and constipation in children for hundreds of years in China. However,
      the therapeutic mechanism underlying its efficacy remained to be defined. The
      present study aimed to clarify the possible laxative and immune-regulating
      effects of EXQ on two models of experimental constipation in mice, which mimicked
      the pediatric constipation caused by high-heat and high-protein diet (HHPD).
      METHODS: The two models of constipated mice were induced by HHPD or HHPD +
      atropine respectively. To investigate the laxative and immune-regulating
      activities of EXQ, animals were treated with three doses of EXQ (0.75, 1.5 and 3
      g/kg) for 7 consecutive days. The fecal output parameters (number and weight),
      weight of intestinal content and, the thymus and spleen indexes were measured.
      The levels of sIgA, IL-10, TNF-alpha and LPS in colon and serum were determined
      by ELISA. Furthermore, the pathological changes of colon tissue were examined
      after routine H&E staining. RESULTS: Both HHPD and HHPD + atropine treatments
      obviously inhibited the fecal output and reduced the colonic sIgA, prominently
      increased the levels of IL-10 and TNF-alpha in colonic tissue and elevated the
      contents of LPS in serum and colonic tissues. In contrast, oral administration of
      EXQ significantly improved the feces characters and dose-dependently decreased
      the intestinal changes in both models. In HHPD model test, EXQ efficaciously
      boosted the sIgA level in a dose-dependent manner, significantly elicited
      decreases in TNF-alpha and IL-10 levels, and evidently decreased the spleen and
      thymus indexes. In HHPD + atropine model test, EXQ treatment reversed the
      pathological changes by not only dramatically decreasing the spleen index and the
      levels of LPS and IL-10, but also markedly elevating the thymus index.
      Furthermore, microscopic observation revealed that EXQ treatment maintained the
      integrity of colonic mucosa, and protected the colonic tissues from inflammation
      in the both models. CONCLUSIONS: EXQ exhibited prominent laxative activity and
      effectively protected the colonic mucosal barrier in two models of constipated
      mice, of which the mechanism might be closely associated with its propulsive and
      immune-regulating properties. The current results not only validated the
      rationale for the clinical application of EXQ in pediatric constipation related
      symptoms, but also threw new light on the immune-inflammatory responses
      accompanied with chronic constipation pathology.

PMID- 28359335
TI  - Disease severity determines health-seeking behaviour amongst individuals with
      influenza-like illness in an internet-based cohort.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Seasonal influenza epidemics place considerable strain on health
      services. Robust systems of surveillance are therefore required to ensure
      preparedness. Sentinel surveillance does not accurately capture the community
      burden of epidemics as it misses cases that do not present to health services. In
      this study, Flusurvey (an internet-based community surveillance tool) was used to
      examine how severity of disease influences health-seeking behaviour in the UK.
      METHODS: Logistic regression with random effects was used to investigate the
      association between health-seeking and symptom severity, duration of illness and
      reduction in self-reported health-score over four flu seasons between 2011 and
      2015. RESULTS: The majority of individuals did not seek care. In general, there
      was very strong evidence for an association between all severity indicators and
      visiting a health service (p < 0.0001). Being female (OR 1.62, 95% CI 1.23-2.14,
      p = 0.0003) and a self-diagnosis of the flu (OR 3.39, 95% CI 2.38-4.83, p <
      0.0001) were also associated with increased likelihood of visiting a health
      service. During the 2012-13 and 2014-15 flu seasons, there was a significantly
      larger proportion of individuals with more severe sets of symptoms and a longer
      duration of illness. Despite this, the proportion of individuals with particular
      sets of symptoms visiting a health service showed only very slight variation
      across years. CONCLUSIONS: Traditional surveillance systems capture only the more
      severe episodes of illness. However, in spite of variation in flu activity, the
      proportion of individuals visiting a health service remains relatively stable
      within specific sets of symptoms across years. These data could be used in
      combination with data on consultation rates to provide better estimates of
      community burden.

PMID- 28359334
TI  - Cytokine cascades induced by mechanical trauma injury alter voltage-gated sodium
      channel activity in intact cortical neurons.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Traumatic brain injury (TBI) triggers both immediate (primary) and
      long-term (secondary) tissue damages. Secondary damages can last from hours to
      days or even a lifetime. Secondary damages implicate several mechanisms,
      including influence of inflammatory mediators, mainly cytokines, on excitability
      of ion channels. However, studies should further explore the effects of
      inflammatory cytokines on voltage-gated sodium channels (VGSCs) and excitability
      in distal intact neurons. METHODS: Mixed cultures of mouse cortical astrocytes
      and neurons were subjected to mechanical injury (trauma) to mimic TBI in vitro.
      Expression of various cytokines in these cultures were measured by real-time
      polymerase chain reaction and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. A trauma
      conditioned medium with or without brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) was
      added to mouse primary cortical neurons for 6 and 24 h to mimic combined effects
      of multiple inflammatory cytokines on VGSCs. Spike behaviors of distal intact
      neurons were examined by whole-cell patch-clamp recordings. RESULTS: Mechanical
      injury in mixed cortical neuron-astrocyte cultures significantly increased
      expression levels of multiple cytokines, including interleukin (IL)-1beta, IL-6,
      tumor necrosis factor-alpha, monocyte chemoattractant protein-1, chemokine (C-C
      motif) ligand-5, IL-10, and transforming growth factor-beta1, at 6 and 24 h after
      injury. Incubation in trauma-conditioned medium increased functional VGSCs in
      neuronal membranes and Na+ currents. Enhanced VGSCs were almost completely
      abolished by BDNF, and reinforcement of Na+ currents was also reduced in a dose
      dependent manner. BDNF (30 ng/mL) also significantly reversed reduced neuronal
      cell viability, which was induced by medium conditioned at 6 h. At 6 and 24 h,
      trauma-conditioned medium significantly increased spike frequency but not spike
      threshold. CONCLUSIONS: In TBI, the combined effect of inflammatory cytokines is
      directly involved in VGSC, Na+ current, and excitability dysfunction in distal
      intact neurons. BDNF may partly exert neuroprotective effects by maintaining
      balance of VGSC function in distal intact neurons.

PMID- 28359337
TI  - Supply kits for antenatal and childbirth care during antenatal care and delivery:
      a mixed-methods systematic review, the qualitative approach.
AB  - Antenatal care reduces maternal and perinatal mortality and morbidity through the
      detection and treatment of some conditions, but its coverage is less than optimal
      within certain populations. Supply kits for maternal health were designed to
      overcome barriers present when providing care during pregnancy and childbirth
      particularly to women from underserved population.We conducted a mixed-methods
      systematic review on the use of supply kits. This manuscript presents the
      findings from qualitative studies that reported barriers, facilitators, and
      user's recommendation in the adoption and implementation of any type of kit
      designed to be used during pregnancy or childbirth.This review included eight
      studies, and seven were implemented in developing countries. Most studies
      assessed the implementation of clean delivery kits to be used during labour and
      delivery, and contributed to gain insights into factors that may hinder or foster
      the use of kits.Clean delivery kits were conceived to cope with barriers related
      mainly to access. The most important barrier identified were those related to the
      socio-cultural and the lack of knowledge dimension such as who held the decision
      making authority in the household, as well as popular beliefs behind the idea
      that birth preparation could bring bad luck, may prevent clients from adhering to
      their use. In addition, financial constraints and limited understanding of the
      instructions of use were accessibility barriers found. On the other hand, once
      used, clean delivery kits for maternal health were accepted by women and health
      workers. Convenience, hygienic components, and avoidance of delays in receiving
      care were viewed as satisfactory features.Supply kits are mostly affordable and
      easily deployable. Increasing awareness among the population about the offered
      kits and providing information on their benefits emerges as a critical step to
      foster use in settings where kits are available. Implementation of this strategy
      requires low complexity resources and could make the use of kits an accepted
      alternative to increase the use of evidence-based interventions and thus improve
      quality of care during pregnancy, childbirth and neonatal period mainly at the
      community level in low income countries and remote areas with low access.

PMID- 28359336
TI  - Effect of Electroacupuncture on the NTS is modulated primarily by acupuncture
      point selection and stimulation frequency in normal rats.
AB  - BACKGROUND: The effect of electroacupuncture (EA) is affected by both the
      acupuncture point selection and the frequency of stimulation. However, little is
      known regarding acupuncture point and simulation frequency selection. Neuronal
      activation of the nucleus of the solitary tract (NTS) is one of the important
      targets of EA for modulating gastrointestinal function. This study investigated
      the effects of various combinations of EA frequencies and acupuncture points on
      NTS neurons. METHODS: Rats were randomly divided into normal, 2 Hz EA, 100 Hz EA
      and the alternate 2/100 Hz EA groups. Then rats in each group were randomly
      divided into the following two subgroups according to the acupuncture point: ST
      36 group and ST 25 group. All the rats underwent electrode implantation surgery.
      Rats in all EA groups received one treatment with EA (a constant square wave at,
      2 Hz,100 Hz or 2/100 Hz frequencies with intensities ranging from 1 to 2 mA), and
      NTS neuronal activation was recorded before and after EA treatment. Finally, to
      confirm the effect of EA on the NTS, minimal acupuncture was administered and its
      effect on NTS was detected. RESULTS: ST 36 stimulated with 2 Hz EA significantly
      increased the population of excited NTS neurons and spike frequency. However, ST
      36 stimulated with 100 Hz or 2/100 Hz EA produced only a transient effect on the
      activity of NTS neurons and did not induce any effect on the spike frequency.
      Furthermore, the excitatory effect of 100 Hz or 2/100 Hz EA on NTS neurons in the
      ST 36 group was lower than 2 Hz EA at the same point. When applied to ST 25, 2 Hz
      EA had no significant excitatory effect on NTS neurons or spike frequency.
      However, 100 Hz EA or 2/100 Hz EA at ST 25 decreased both NTS neuronal
      excitability and spike frequency. By comparing the effects of different EA
      combinations, it was shown 2 Hz EA applied to ST 36 had the strongest excitatory
      effect on NTS neurons, while 100 Hz EA applied to ST 25 had the greatest
      inhibitory effect. Minimal acupuncture stimulation produced no effect on NTS
      neurons. CONCLUSION: EA's effects on NTS were mainly affected by the acupuncture
      point selection, but the frequency of EA also played a role. Different
      combinations of acupuncture points and frequency selection may lead to different
      EA effects on NTS neuronal excitability.

PMID- 28359338
TI  - Development of the Good Health Research Practice course: ensuring quality across
      all health research in humans.
AB  - Quality and ethics need to be embedded into all areas of research with human
      participants. Good Clinical Practice (GCP) guidelines are international ethical
      and scientific quality standards for designing, conducting, recording and
      reporting trials involving human participants. Compliance with GCP is expected to
      provide public assurance that the rights, safety and wellbeing of participants
      are protected and that the clinical research data are credible. However, whilst
      GCP guidelines, particularly their principles, are recommended across all
      research types, it is difficult for non-clinical trial research to fit in with
      the exacting requirements of GCP. There is therefore a need for guidance that
      allows health researchers to adhere to the principles of GCP, which will improve
      the quality and ethical conduct of all research involving human participants.
      These concerns have led to the development of the Good Health Research Practice
      (GHRP) course. Its goal is to ensure that research is conducted to the highest
      possible standards, similar to the conduct of trials to GCP. The GHRP course
      provides training and guidance to ensure quality and ethical conduct across all
      health-related research. The GHRP course has been run so far on eight occasions.
      Feedback from delegates has been overwhelmingly positive, with most delegates
      stating that the course was useful in developing their research protocols and
      documents. Whilst most training in research starts with a guideline, GHRP has
      started with a course and the experience gained over running the courses will be
      used to write a standardised guideline for the conduct of health-related research
      outside the realm of clinical trials, so that researchers, funders and ethics
      committees do not try to fit non-trials into clinical trials standards.

PMID- 28359339
TI  - High dose statin prophylaxis in cardiopulmonary bypass related surgery: clinical
      utility.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Previous studies from our group demonstrated the anti-inflammatory
      properties of statins on cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB), through inhibition of
      neutrophil transendothelial migration. We sought to determine the utility of
      preoperative statin on patients undergoing cardiac surgery, to investigate any
      moderating effects on the systemic inflammatory response (SIRS) with CPB, and to
      evaluate any clinical impact on our patients. METHODS: This is a prospective,
      randomised controlled trial with national regulatory body approval. Eligible
      patients were already on oral statin therapy. They were then randomly assigned to
      either investigation arm (n = 15, atorvastatin 80 mg for 2 weeks before surgery)
      or control arm (n = 15, no change to current statin therapy). Blood and urine
      samples were collected at 3 timepoints. Postoperative clinical measures were
      documented. RESULTS: Patients in the investigation arm have significantly lower
      troponin level (p = 0.016), and lower level of urine neutrophil gelatinase
      associated lipocalin (NGAL; p = 0.002); thus demonstrating a lesser degree of
      cardiac and renal injury in these patients. Higher level of Interleukin-8 (IL-8)
      at baseline (p = 0.036) and 4 h post cross-clamp removal (p = 0.035) in the
      investiation arm. A similar trend is also observed in Matrix Metalloproteinase-9
      (MMP-9; p > 0.05). There were however no differences in clinical outcomes.
      CONCLUSIONS: Maximizing the dose of statin in patients waiting for cardiac
      surgery has measurable biological effects. There is evidence of less cardiac and
      renal damage. The use of preoperative statins and in particular, high dose
      preoperative statin therapy, may prove a useful new tool for optimal preparation
      of patients for cardiac surgery. TRIAL REGISTRATION: EudraCT no. 2012-003396-20 .
      Registered 05 November 2012.

PMID- 28359340
TI  - World Malaria Report: time to acknowledge Plasmodium knowlesi malaria.
AB  - BACKGROUND: The 2016 World Health Organization (WHO) World Malaria Report
      documents substantial progress towards control and elimination of malaria.
      However, major challenges remain. In some regions of Southeast Asia, the simian
      parasite Plasmodium knowlesi has emerged as an important cause of human malaria,
      and the authors believe this species warrants regular inclusion in the World
      Malaria Report. MAIN TEXT: Plasmodium knowlesi is the most common cause of
      malaria in Malaysia, and cases have also been reported in nearly all countries of
      Southeast Asia. Outside of Malaysia, P. knowlesi is frequently misdiagnosed by
      microscopy as Plasmodium falciparum or Plasmodium vivax. Thus, P. knowlesi may be
      underdiagnosed in affected regions and its true incidence underestimated.
      Acknowledgement in the World Malaria Report of the regional importance of P.
      knowlesi will facilitate efforts to improve surveillance of this emerging
      parasite. Furthermore, increased recognition will likely lead to improved
      delivery of effective treatment for this potentially fatal infection, as has
      occurred in Malaysia where P. knowlesi case-fatality rates have fallen despite
      rising incidence. In a number of knowlesi-endemic countries, substantial progress
      has been made towards the elimination of P. vivax and P. falciparum. However,
      efforts to eliminate these human-only species should not preclude efforts to
      reduce human malaria from P. knowlesi. The regional importance of knowlesi
      malaria was recognized by the WHO with its recent Evidence Review Group meeting
      on knowlesi malaria to address strategies for prevention and mitigation.
      CONCLUSION: The WHO World Malaria Report has an appropriate focus on falciparum
      and vivax malaria, the major causes of global mortality and morbidity. However,
      the authors hope that in future years this important publication will also
      incorporate data on the progress and challenges in reducing knowlesi malaria in
      regions where transmission occurs.

PMID- 28359341
TI  - Monitoring of breathing motion in image-guided PBS proton therapy: comparative
      analysis of optical and electromagnetic technologies.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Motion monitoring is essential when treating non-static tumours with
      pencil beam scanned protons. 4D medical imaging typically relies on the detected
      body surface displacement, considered as a surrogate of the patient's anatomical
      changes, a concept similarly applied by most motion mitigation techniques. In
      this study, we investigate benefits and pitfalls of optical and electromagnetic
      tracking, key technologies for non-invasive surface motion monitoring, in the
      specific environment of image-guided, gantry-based proton therapy. METHODS:
      Polaris SPECTRA optical tracking system and the Aurora V3 electromagnetic
      tracking system from Northern Digital Inc. (NDI, Waterloo, CA) have been compared
      both technically, by measuring tracking errors and system latencies under
      laboratory conditions, and clinically, by assessing their practicalities and
      sensitivities when used with imaging devices and PBS treatment gantries.
      Additionally, we investigated the impact of using different surrogate signals,
      from different systems, on the reconstructed 4D CT images. RESULTS: Even though
      in controlled laboratory conditions both technologies allow for the localization
      of static fiducials with sub-millimetre jitter and low latency (31.6 +/- 1 msec
      worst case), significant dynamic and environmental distortions limit the
      potential of the electromagnetic approach in a clinical setting. The measurement
      error in case of close proximity to a CT scanner is up to 10.5 mm and precludes
      its use for the monitoring of respiratory motion during 4DCT acquisitions.
      Similarly, the motion of the treatment gantry distorts up to 22 mm the tracking
      result. CONCLUSIONS: Despite the line of sight requirement, the optical solution
      offers the best potential, being the most robust against environmental factors
      and providing the highest spatial accuracy. The significant difference in the
      temporal location of the reconstructed phase points is used to speculate on the
      need to apply the same monitoring system for imaging and treatment to ensure the
      consistency of detected phases.

PMID- 28359343
TI  - Socioeconomic Status and Non-Fatal Adult Injuries in Selected Atlanta (Georgia
      USA) Hospitals.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Injury mortality data for adults in the United States and other
      countries consistently show higher mortality for those with lower socioeconomic
      status (SES). Data are sparse regarding the role of SES among adult, non-fatal US
      injuries. The current study estimated non-fatal injury risk by household income
      using hospital emergency department (ED) visits. METHODS: A total of 1,308,892 ED
      visits at 10 Atlanta (Georgia USA) hospitals from 2001-2004 (347,866 injuries)
      were studied. The SES was based on US census-block group income, with subjects
      assigned to census blocks based on reported residence. Logistic regression was
      used to determine risk by SES for injuries versus all other ED visits, adjusting
      for demographics, hospital, and weather. Supplemental analyses using hospital
      data from 2010-2013, without data on SES, were conducted to determine whether
      earlier patterns by race, age, and gender persisted. RESULTS: Risk for many
      injury categories increased with higher income. Odds ratio by quartiles of
      increasing income (lowest quartile as referent, 95% confidence interval [CI]
      given for upper most quartile) were 1.00, 1.23, 1.34, 1.40 (95% CI 1.36-1.45) for
      motor vehicle accidents; 1.00, 1.03, 1.11, 1.24 (95% CI 1.20-1.29) for being
      struck by objects; 1.00. 0.99, 1.04, 1.12 (95% CI 1.00-1.25) for suicide; and
      1.00, 1.03, 1.05, 1.12 (95% CI 1.09-1.15) for falls. In contrast, decreased
      injury risk with increased household income was seen for assaults (1.00, 0.83,
      0.73, 0.67 [95% CI 0.63-0.72], by increasing quartiles). These trends by income
      did not differ markedly by race and gender. Whites generally had less risk of
      injuries, with the exception of assaults and motor vehicle accidents. Males had
      higher risk of injury than females, with the exception of falls and suicide
      attempts. Patterns of risk for race, age, and gender were consistent between 2001
      2004 and 2010-2013. CONCLUSION: For most non-fatal injuries, those with higher
      income had more risk of ED visits, although the opposite was true for assault.
      Hulland E , Chowdhury R , Sarnat S , Chang HH , Steenland K . Socioeconomic
      status and non-fatal adult injuries in selected Atlanta (Georgia USA) hospitals.
      Prehosp Disaster Med. 2017;32(4):403-413.

PMID- 28359342
TI  - Measuring the impact of ambulatory red blood cell transfusion on home functional
      status: study protocol for a pilot randomized controlled trial.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Red blood cell (RBC) transfusion is frequently employed in both
      ambulatory and hospital environments with the aim of improving patient functional
      status. In the ambulatory setting, this practice is particularly common in
      patients with malignancy due to anemia associated with their cancer therapy.
      Increasingly, the efficacy of this US$10.5 billion per year practice has been
      called into question. While it is often standard of care for patients with
      chemotherapy-induced anemia to receive ambulatory RBC transfusions, it is unclear
      to what extent such transfusions affect home functional status. It is also
      unclear whether or not changes in functional status in this population can be
      objectively quantified using wearable activity monitors. We propose to directly
      measure the impact of outpatient RBC transfusions on at-home functional status by
      recording several physiological parameters and quantifiable physical activity
      metrics, e.g., daily energy expenditure and daily total step count, using the
      ActiGraph wGT3X-BT. This device is an accelerometer-based wearable activity
      monitor similar in size to a small watch and is worn at the waist. Study
      participants will wear the device during the course of their daily activities
      giving us quantifiable insight into activity levels in the home environment.
      METHODS/DESIGN: This will be a randomized crossover pilot clinical trial with a
      participant study duration of 28 days. The crossover nature allows each patient
      to serve as their own control. Briefly, patients presenting at a tertiary medical
      center's Ambulatory Infusion Center (AIC) will be randomized to either: (1)
      receive an RBC transfusion as scheduled (transfusion) or (2) abstain from the
      scheduled transfusion (no transfusion). After an appropriate washout period,
      participants will crossover from the transfusion arm to the no-transfusion arm or
      vice versa. Activity levels will be recorded continuously throughout the study
      using an accelerometry monitor. In addition to device data, functional status and
      health outcomes will be collected via a weekly telephone interview. The primary
      outcome measure will be daily energy expenditure. Performance metrics, such as
      step count changes, will also be evaluated. Additional secondary outcome measures
      will include daily sedentary time and Patient-reported Outcomes Measurement
      Information System (PROMIS) Global 10 Survey scores. DISCUSSION: This trial will
      provide important information on the feasibility and utility of using
      accelerometry monitors to directly assess the impact of RBC transfusion on
      patients' functional status. The results of the study will inform the merit and
      methods of a more definitive future trial evaluating the impact of ambulatory RBC
      transfusions in the target population. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ClinicalTrials.gov,
      identifier: NCT02835937 . Registered on 15 July 2016.

PMID- 28359345
TI  - The risk of use small matrices to measure specialization in host-parasite
      interaction networks: a comment to Rivera-Garcia et al. (2016).
AB  - In the last years, there were a growing number of studies using the metric H 2'
      to calculate complementary specialization in host-parasite interaction networks.
      However, only a few studies have explored the sensitivity of H 2' to network
      dimensions (i.e. species richness and number of interactions), which consequently
      could generate studies that are not comparable among them or lead to biased
      conclusions. In this study, we used the recent published study conducted by
      Rivera-Garcia et al. in 2016 involving host-bat fly networks as an example to
      call attention to the risk of using H 2' to calculate specialization for small
      matrices. After conducting analyses based on both empirical and simulated data,
      we show that H 2' values are strongly affected by randomly allocation of species
      interactions to another cell in the matrix for small networks and that therefore
      the results and conclusions presented in Rivera-Garcia et al. in 2016 are only an
      artefact of the dataset used. Therefore, we fully recommended taking into account
      the careful use of small networks to measuring specialization in host-parasite
      interactions.

PMID- 28359344
TI  - The retina visual cycle is driven by cis retinol oxidation in the outer segments
      of cones.
AB  - Vertebrate rod and cone photoreceptors require continuous supply of chromophore
      for regenerating their visual pigments after photoactivation. Cones, which
      mediate our daytime vision, demand a particularly rapid supply of 11-cis retinal
      chromophore in order to maintain their function in bright light. An important
      contribution to this process is thought to be the chromophore precursor 11-cis
      retinol, which is supplied to cones from Muller cells in the retina and
      subsequently oxidized to 11-cis retinal as part of the retina visual cycle.
      However, the molecular identity of the cis retinol oxidase in cones remains
      unclear. Here, as a first step in characterizing this enzymatic reaction, we
      sought to determine the subcellular localization of this activity in salamander
      red cones. We found that the onset of dark adaptation of isolated salamander red
      cones was substantially faster when exposing directly their outer vs. their inner
      segment to 9-cis retinol, an analogue of 11-cis retinol. In contrast, this
      difference was not observed when treating the outer vs. inner segment with 9-cis
      retinal, a chromophore analogue which can directly support pigment regeneration.
      These results suggest, surprisingly, that the cis-retinol oxidation occurs in the
      outer segments of cone photoreceptors. Confirming this notion, pigment
      regeneration with exogenously added 9-cis retinol was directly observed in the
      truncated outer segments of cones, but not in rods. We conclude that the
      enzymatic machinery required for the oxidation of recycled cis retinol as part of
      the retina visual cycle is present in the outer segments of cones.

PMID- 28359346
TI  - Deletion of p75NTR enhances the cholinergic innervation pattern of the visual
      cortex.
AB  - The cholinergic system is involved in cortical plasticity, attention, and
      learning. Within the visual cortex the cholinergic system seems to play a role in
      visual perception. The cholinergic neurons which project into the visual cortex
      are located in the basal forebrain. It has been shown that mice deficient for the
      low-affinity neurotrophin receptor p75NTR display increased numbers of
      cholinergic neurons in the basal forebrain and a denser cholinergic innervation
      of the hippocampus. This prompted us to analyze whether the cholinergic system is
      altered in adult p75NTR deficient mice. By analyzing the densities of cholinergic
      fibers within layer IV as well as within layer V of the visual cortex, we found
      that adult p75NTR deficient mice display increased cholinergic fiber densities.
      However, this increase was not accompanied by an increase in the density of local
      cholinergic neurons within the visual cortex. This indicates that the enhanced
      cholinergic innervation of the visual cortex is due to alteration of the
      cholinergic neurons located in the basal forebrain, projecting to the visual
      cortex. The increased cholinergic innervation of the visual cortex makes the
      p75NTR deficient mice an attractive model to study the necessity of the
      cholinergic system for the visual cortex.

PMID- 28359347
TI  - Characteristics of Muller glial cells in MNU-induced retinal degeneration.
AB  - Retinal Muller glial cells have been shown to undergo reactive gliosis in a
      variety of retinal diseases. Upregulation of glial fibrillary acidic protein
      (GFAP) is a hallmark of Muller cell activation. Reactive gliosis after retinal
      detachment or ischemia/reperfusion is characterized by hypertrophy and
      downregulation of inwardly rectifying K+ (Kir) currents. However, this kind of
      physiological alteration could not be detected in slowly progressing retinal
      degenerations. The photoreceptor toxin N-methyl-N-nitrosourea (MNU) leads to the
      rapid loss of cells in the outer nuclear layer and subsequent Muller cell
      activation. Here, we investigated whether Muller cells from MNU-treated mice
      exhibit reactive gliosis. We found that Muller cells showed increased GFAP
      expression and increased membrane capacitance, indicating hypertrophy. Membrane
      potential and Kir channel-mediated K+ currents were not significantly altered
      whereas Kir4.1 mRNA expression and Kir-mediated inward current densities were
      markedly decreased. This suggests that MNU-induced Muller cell gliosis is
      characterized by plasma membrane increase without alteration in the membrane
      content of Kir channels. Taken together, our findings show that Muller cells of
      MNU-treated mice are reactive and respond with a form of gliosis which is
      characterized by cellular hypertrophy but no changes in Kir current amplitudes.

PMID- 28359348
TI  - Eye movement patterns and visual attention during scene viewing in 3- to 12-month
      olds.
AB  - Recently, two attentional modes have been associated with specific eye movement
      patterns during scene processing. Ambient mode, characterized by short fixations
      and long saccades during early scene inspection, is associated with localization
      of objects. Focal mode, characterized by longer fixations, is associated with
      more detailed object feature processing during later inspection phase. The aim of
      the present study was to investigate the development of these attentional modes.
      More specifically, we examined whether indications of ambient and focal attention
      modes are similar in infants and adults. Therefore, we measured eye movements in
      3- to 12-months-old infants while exploring visual scenes. Our results show that
      both adults and 12-month-olds had shorter fixation durations within the first 1.5
      s of scene viewing compared with later time phases (>2.5 s); indicating that
      there was a transition from ambient to focal processing during image inspection.
      In younger infants, fixation durations between two viewing phases did not differ.
      Our results suggest that at the end of the first year of life, infants have
      developed an adult-like scene viewing behavior. The evidence for the existence of
      distinct attentional processing mechanisms during early infancy furthermore
      underlines the importance of the concept of the two modes.

PMID- 28359349
TI  - A tale of two neurotransmitters.
AB  - Amacrine cells are a diverse set of local circuit neurons of the inner retina,
      and they all release either GABA or glycine, amino acid neurotransmitters that
      are generally inhibitory. But some types of amacrine cells have another function
      besides inhibiting other neurons. One glycinergic amacrine cell, the Aii type,
      excites a subset of bipolar cells via extensive gap junctions while inhibiting
      others at chemical synapses. Many types of GABAergic amacrine cells also release
      monoamines, acetylcholine, or neuropeptides. There is now good evidence that
      another type of amacrine cell releases glycine at some of its synapses and
      releases the excitatory amino acid glutamate at others. The glutamatergic
      synapses are made onto a subset of retinal ganglion cells and amacrine cells and
      have the asymmetric postsynaptic densities characteristic of central excitatory
      synapses. The glycinergic synapses are made onto other types of ganglion cells
      and have the symmetric postsynaptic densities characteristic of central
      inhibitory synapses. These amacrine cells, which contain vesicular glutamate
      transporter 3, will be the focus of this brief review.

PMID- 28359350
TI  - Dissociating early and late visual processing via the Ebbinghaus illusion.
AB  - Visual perception is not instantaneous; the perceptual representation of our
      environment builds up over time. This can strongly affect our responses to visual
      stimuli. Here, we study the temporal dynamics of visual processing by analyzing
      the time course of priming effects induced by the well-known Ebbinghaus illusion.
      In slower responses, Ebbinghaus primes produce effects in accordance with their
      perceptual appearance. However, in fast responses, these effects are reversed. We
      argue that this dissociation originates from the difference between early
      feedforward-mediated gist of the scene processing and later feedback-mediated
      more elaborate processing. Indeed, our findings are well explained by the
      differences between low-frequency representations mediated by the fast
      magnocellular pathway and high-frequency representations mediated by the slower
      parvocellular pathway. Our results demonstrate the potentially dramatic effect of
      response speed on the perception of visual illusions specifically and on our
      actions in response to objects in our visual environment generally.

PMID- 28359352
TI  - Collective and negotiated design for a clinical trial addressing smoking
      cessation supports for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander mothers in NSW, SA
      and Qld - developing a pilot study.
AB  - Tobacco smoking leads to one in five deaths of Aboriginal Australians and
      accounts for 17% of the reversible health gap. One in two Aboriginal women are
      reported to smoke during pregnancy, with no effective strategies currently
      available for health practitioners to utilise for supporting Aboriginal women.
      Aboriginal community participation in primary health research is crucial to
      implementing ethical research, with a clear benefit to the people and communities
      involved. However, currently there is little evidence on how Aboriginal programs
      and interventions are being developed in partnership with Aboriginal people and
      communities. 'Indigenous Counselling and Nicotine (ICAN) QUIT in Pregnancy' aims
      to address the prevalence of smoking during pregnancy by enhancing health
      providers' training in offering evidence-based smoking cessation care to
      Aboriginal mothers during pregnancy. This paper outlines the participatory
      research approach adopted for the developmental phase of the 'ICAN QUIT in
      Pregnancy' project developed in partnership with two Aboriginal Community
      Controlled Health Services in NSW, and negotiation processes undertaken to
      implement a pilot intervention across NSW, SA and Qld.

PMID- 28359351
TI  - Differential gene expression of BMP2 and BMP receptors in chick retina & choroid
      induced by imposed optical defocus.
AB  - Recent studies have demonstrated the defocus sign-dependent, bidirectional gene
      expression regulation of bone morphogenetic proteins, BMP2, 4 and 7 in chick RPE.
      In this study, we examined the effects of imposed positive (+10 D) and negative (
      10 D) lenses on the gene expression of these BMPs and BMP receptors (BMPR1A,
      BMPR1B, BMPR2) in chick retina and choroid after monocular lens treatment for 2
      or 48 h, as indicators of the roles of retinal and choroidal BMPs and receptors
      in postnatal eye growth regulation. In retina, although all genes were expressed,
      neither +10 nor -10 D lenses, worn for either 2 or 48 h, significantly altered
      gene expression. In contrast, treatment-related differential gene expression was
      detected in the choroid for both BMPs and their receptors, although
      interestingly, with the +10 D lens, BMP2 was up-regulated by 156.7 +/- 19.7%
      after 2 h, while BMPR1A was down-regulated to 82.3 +/- 12.5% only after 48 h.
      With the -10 D lens, only the gene expression of BMPR1B was significantly
      altered, being up-regulated by 162.3 +/- 21.2% after 48 h. Untreated birds showed
      no difference in expression between their two eyes, for any of the genes
      examined. The finding that retinal gene expression for BMP2, 4, 7 and their
      receptors are not affected by short-term optical defocus contrasts with previous
      observations of sign-dependent expression changes for the same genes in the RPE.
      The latter changes were also larger and more consistent in direction than the
      choroidal gene expression changes reported here. The interrelationship between
      these various changes and their biological significance for eye growth regulation
      are yet to be elucidated.

PMID- 28359353
TI  - Guitar-String Suture to Facilitate Closure of a Finger-like Flap for
      Reconstruction of the Nose.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: The basic principle of a lobed or finger-like transposition flap is
      that, after covering the defect with the transposed tissue, the donor site is
      closed primarily. With large defects, a second lobe may be added to the flap if
      primary closure of the area left by the first lobe is not possible. The flap can
      often be made to adapt to the defect, but this maneuver, in combination with
      primary closure of the adjacent tissue, can sometimes produce excessive tension
      and compromise the blood supply. MATERIAL AND METHODS: We present a series of 4
      patients with epithelial tumors of the lateral wall of the nose. The defects left
      by surgical excision were covered by finger-like transposition flaps.
      Subcutaneous sutures called guitar-string sutures were used to reduce the size of
      the defect and facilitate tension-free closure. CONCLUSIONS: We propose use of
      the guitar-string subcutaneous suture in those cases in which the defect is
      larger than the area that can be covered by the flap. This will make it easier to
      adapt the flap to the defect and will reduce the risk of excessive tension
      causing necrosis of the transposed tissue.

PMID- 28359354
TI  - Supplementation with concentrated milk protein in patients undergoing
      hematopoietic stem cell transplantation.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to analyze the influence of dietary
      supplementation with whey protein concentrate (WPC) in the incidence of oral
      mucositis (OM) in patients undergoing hematopoietic stem cell transplantation
      (HSCT). METHODS: Patients were supplemented with a daily intake of WPC delivering
      50% of the daily protein requirements (DPR) according to the Dietary Reference
      Intakes and classified later based on the amount of ingested supplement until OM
      median onset. RESULTS: We evaluated 73 patients. Forty-three were part of the
      historical control and 30 were supplemented with WPC. The OM had a mean duration
      of 5.3 d (SD 4.5), ranging from the day of the infusion of stem cells until the
      17th day after infusion and a median of 5 d after infusion. OM duration was
      influenced by the conditioning protocol (P < 0.01) and WPC (P = 0.01). Patients
      who consumed the WPC in an amount >=40% of DPR had a 35% reduction in duration of
      OM, and the incidence of OM grades 3 and 4 was 11 times smaller. Body mass index,
      serum albumin, and adverse reactions, such as diarrhea, nausea and vomiting,
      dysphagia, dry mouth and drooling, showed no statistically significant
      differences. CONCLUSION: WPC intake >=40% of DPR helped to reduce the severity
      and duration of OM. The use of WPC in patients undergoing HSCT was shown to be
      safe, encouraging new studies in this population to assess its action mechanism.

PMID- 28359356
TI  - Nutritional approach to preterm infants on noninvasive ventilation: An update.
AB  - Nutrition and pulmonary function in very-low-birth-weight infants (VLBWIs) are
      strictly related. Preterm infants on noninvasive ventilation may have respiratory
      instability that can interfere with feeding tolerance. Moreover, feeding may
      impair pulmonary function. These infants have nutritional requirements different
      from nonventilated infants. The main challenge of the nutritional support in such
      patients is to guarantee adequate caloric intake while avoiding episodes of
      feeding intolerance. The aim of this study was to review the issues and
      strategies of enteral feeding of preterm infants on noninvasive ventilation.

PMID- 28359355
TI  - Is the presence of a validated malnutrition screening tool associated with better
      nutritional care in hospitalized patients?
AB  - OBJECTIVE: The aims of this study were to evaluate the association between the
      use of clinical guidelines and the use of validated screening tools, evaluate the
      nutritional screening policy in hospitals, and examine the association between
      the use of validated screening tools and the prevalence of malnutrition and
      nutritional interventions in hospitalized patients. METHODS: This was a cross
      sectional, multicenter study. Data were collected using a standardized
      questionnaire on three levels: institution (presence of a guideline for
      malnutrition), department (use of a validated screening tool), and patient (e.g.,
      malnutrition prevalence). RESULTS: In all, 53 hospitals with 5255 patients
      participated. About 45% of the hospitals indicated that they have guidelines for
      malnutrition. Of the departments surveyed, 38.6% used validated screening tools
      as part of a standard procedure. The nutritional status of 74.5% of the patients
      was screened during admission, mostly on the basis of clinical observation and
      patient weight. A validated screening tool was used for 21.2% of the patients.
      Significant differences between wards with and without validated screening tools
      were found with regard to malnutrition prevalence (P = 0.002) and the following
      interventions: referral to a dietitian (P < 0.001), provision of energy-enriched
      snacks (P = 0.038), adjustment of consistency (food/drinks; P = 0.004),
      monitoring of the nutritional intake (P = 0.001), and adjustment of the meal
      ambiance (P < 0.001). CONCLUSION: Nutritional screening with validated tools in
      hospitalized patients remains poor. Generally, the nutritional status of patients
      is screened with unreliable parameters such as clinical observation and body mass
      index. The results of the present study suggest that the use of validated
      malnutrition screening tools is associated with better nutritional care and lower
      malnutrition prevalence rates in hospitalized patients.

PMID- 28359357
TI  - HMGB1 as a new biomarker of celiac disease in children: A multicenter study.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: Despite the availability of specific sierology and point-of-care
      tests, the phenotypic heterogeneity and the symptoms fluctuation as well as the
      "open-window" existing among the late and silent forms cause often a delayed
      celiac disease (CD) diagnosis. Recently, it has been reported that high mobility
      group box 1 (HMGB1) mediates inflammation and gastrointestinal barrier failure.
      The aim of this study was to detect serum HMGB1 levels at CD diagnosis and to
      evaluate the relationship between serum HMGB1 levels and clinical and histologic
      phenotypes. METHODS: 49 CD children and 44 healthy children were enrolled.
      Specific antitissue transglutaminase type 2, antideaminated form of gliadin
      antibodies, serum HMGB1 levels, and typical histopathological changes in duodenal
      mucosa were performed in all patients. Mucosal lesions were classified according
      to Marsh classification. In relation to clinical presentation, we classified
      patients into: typical, atypical and silent forms. RESULTS: Serum HMGB1 levels
      were significantly higher in those with CD than those in the healthy control
      group (P < 0.001). Significant differences in serum HMGB1 levels were detected in
      children with typical CD form compared to both children with atypical CD form (P
      < 0.001) and children with silent CD form (P < 0.001). By using the Marsh
      classification, significant differences were found between subjects with grade 3
      B-B1 and 3 C-B2 and villous atrophy, respectively (P < 0.05). On the contrary, no
      significant differences in serum HMGB1 levels in subgroups of children with grade
      3 A compared to grade 3 B-B1 were detected. CONCLUSIONS: HMGB1 is upregulated at
      diagnosis in all CD children, especially in typical form, and reflecting the
      histologic severity of disease.

PMID- 28359358
TI  - Rice bran enzymatic extract reduces atherosclerotic plaque development and
      steatosis in high-fat fed ApoE-/- mice.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: Rice bran is a by-product of rice milling and is rich in bioactive
      molecules such as gamma-oryzanol, phytosterols, and tocotrienols. The rice bran
      enzymatic extract (RBEE) previously showed vessel remodeling prevention and lipid
      lowering, antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and antiapoptotic activities. The aim
      of this study was to identify RBEE hypolipidemic mechanisms and to study the
      effects of RBEE on the progression of atherosclerosis disease and linked vascular
      dysfunction and liver steatosis in apolipoprotein E-knockout (ApoE-/-) mice fed
      low- or high-fat (LFD, HFD, respectively) and cholesterol diets. METHODS: ApoE-/-
      mice were fed LFD (13% kcal) or HFD (42% kcal) supplemented or not supplemented
      with 1 or 5% RBEE (w/w) for 23 wk. Then, serum, aorta, liver, and feces were
      collected and flash frozen for further analysis. RESULTS: RBEE supplementation of
      HFD improved serum values by augmenting high-density lipoprotein cholesterol and
      preventing total cholesterol and aspartate aminotransferase increase. 3-hydroxy-3
      methylglutaryl-coenzyme A (HMG-CoA) reductase activity was attenuated (1 and 5%
      RBEE) and cholesterol excretion increased (5% RBEE). Diet supplementation with 5%
      RBEE reduced plaque development regardless of the diet. In HFD-fed mice, both
      doses of RBEE reduced lipid deposition and macrophage infiltration in the aortic
      sinus and downregulated intercellular adhesion molecule-1 and vascular cell
      adhesion molecule-1 expression. None of these effects was observed in mice fed
      LFD. Liver steatosis was reduced by RBEE supplementation of LFD (1% RBEE) and HFD
      (1 and 5% RBEE) and nuclear peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-alpha
      expression upregulated in the HDF 5% RBEE group. CONCLUSION: Regular consumption
      of RBEE-supplemented HFD reduced plaque development and liver steatosis by
      decreasing inflammation and hyperlipidemia through an HMG-CoA reductase activity
      and lipid excretion-related mechanism.

PMID- 28359359
TI  - Association between polyunsaturated fatty acids and inflammatory markers in
      patients in secondary prevention of cardiovascular disease.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to assess the association between
      polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) and inflammatory biomarkers among patients in
      secondary prevention of cardiovascular disease (CVD). METHODS: In this cross
      sectional substudy from BALANCE Program Trial, we have collected data from 364
      patients with established CVD. Twenty-four-hour dietary recalls and plasma FA
      concentrations were analyzed to estimate the FA intake. Inflammatory biomarkers
      measurement consisted of interleukin (IL)-1beta, IL-6, IL-8, IL-10, IL-12, C
      reactive protein, adiponectin, and tumor necrosis factor-alpha. After log
      transformation of inflammatory biomarkers, multivariate-adjusted general linear
      model was used to examine the effect of FA intake. The association was adjusted
      for body mass index, waist circumference, energy, smoking status, age, total
      cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, physical activity, and calcium
      channel blockers. RESULTS: PUFAs were inversely associated with C-reactive
      protein levels (P = 0.006) and with IL-1 beta. The increase of 1 g/1000 kcal in
      PUFAs, omega-3, and omega-6 reduces, on average, 6%, 48%, and 8% respectively,
      the mean concentration of IL-1 beta. CONCLUSION: Omega-3 and omega-6 FA intakes
      are inversely associated with inflammatory biomarkers among CVD patients.
      Additional studies on omega-3 and omega-6 intake in relation to inflammatory
      biomarkers in patients in secondary prevention of CVD are needed, particularly
      regarding dietary patterns that are rich in some sources of PUFA.

PMID- 28359360
TI  - Postprandial changes in glucose oxidation and insulin sensitivity in metabolic
      syndrome: Influence of fibroblast growth factor 21 and vitamin D status.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: Metabolic inflexibility due to insulin resistance has been reported in
      metabolic syndrome (MetS). Fibroblast growth factor 21 (FGF21) and vitamin D
      status may improve insulin sensitivity. The aim of this study was to investigate
      glucose-induced thermogenesis and oxidation in MetS, and to examine whether
      changes in FGF21 or prevailing vitamin D status modulated defined metabolic
      parameters. METHODS: Forty-eight overweight and obese older adults (14 men, 34
      women; ages 51 +/- 15 y) were studied. Resting metabolic rate (RMR) and
      respiratory quotient (RQ) were measured before and intermittently for 2 h after
      an oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT). The total area under the curve (TAUC) was
      calculated. Insulin sensitivity index (ISI) was determined as 104/(insulin *
      glucose) for fasting and 2 h venous blood. Fat mass (FM) and fat free mass (FFM)
      were measured by dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry. Participants were grouped by
      metabolic syndrome (MetS+ for disease presence; MetS- when no disease was
      present) and by median 25 hydroxyvitamin D (OHD) concentration as VD_low and
      VD_high. 25 OHD was also tested as a continuous variable. A parsimonious 2 * 2
      analysis of variance included age, FM, FFM and MetS * sex interaction. RESULTS:
      Adjusted RMR was similar between groups but an interactive effect of MetS and sex
      was noted. Fasting RQ was significantly different between vitamin groups (VD_low:
      0.835 +/- 0.008 versus VD_high: 0.810 +/- 0.008; P = 0.024) and fasting ISI was
      significantly greater in MetS- compared with MetS+ (P = 0.037). Postglucose
      increases in thermogenesis, RQ, and FGF21 were significant, but ISI decreased.
      Adjusted postprandial TAUC_RQ (VD_low: 1.71 +/- 0.01; VD_high: 1.74 +/- 0.001; P
      = 0.041) and ISI_2 h (VD_low: 35.41 +/- 0.21; VD_high: 101.90 +/- 0.21; P =
      0.001) were significantly different. Adjusted FGF21 was similar across all
      comparisons before and after OGTT. CONCLUSIONS: Higher vitamin D status, but not
      FGF21, was associated with greater postprandial glucose oxidation and improved
      insulin sensitivity.

PMID- 28359361
TI  - Association between serum zinc and later development of metabolic syndrome in
      middle aged and older men: The Kuopio Ischaemic Heart Disease Risk Factor Study.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to investigate associations of serum zinc
      with incident metabolic syndrome and its components in middle-aged and older
      Finnish men. METHODS: An 11-y prospective follow-up study conducted among 683 men
      from the Kuopio Ischaemic Heart Disease Risk Factor Study who were 42 to 60 y old
      at baseline in 1984 to 1989. The main outcome was incident metabolic syndrome,
      defined by the National Cholesterol Education Program (NCEP) criteria. Other
      outcomes were the individual components of the NCEP metabolic syndrome: Fasting
      blood glucose, serum triacylglycerols, serum high-density lipoprotein (HDL)
      cholesterol, hypertension, and waist circumference. RESULTS: During the average
      follow-up of 11 y, 139 men (20.4%) developed metabolic syndrome. Those in the
      highest tertile of serum zinc had 84% higher risk (95% confidence interval 12 to
      201%, P trend across tertiles = 0.015) to develop metabolic syndrome compared
      with those in the lowest tertile, after adjustment for several potential
      confounders. The association between serum zinc and incident metabolic syndrome
      was attenuated by adjustment for waist circumference, serum HDL cholesterol, or
      hypertension. Serum zinc was also directly associated with higher waist
      circumference and hypertension and inversely associated with HDL cholesterol at
      the 11 y examinations. CONCLUSIONS: We found a direct association between serum
      zinc and incidence of metabolic syndrome in middle-aged and older eastern Finnish
      men. Further studies are warranted to explore the mechanisms.

PMID- 28359362
TI  - Real-time image-guided nasogastric feeding tube placement: A case series using
      Kangaroo with IRIS Technology in an ICU.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: Pulmonary misplacement during the blind insertion of enteral feeding
      tubes is frequent, particularly in ventilated and neurologically impaired
      patients. This is probably the first clinical study using the Kangaroo Feeding
      Tube with IRIS technology (IRIS) which incorporates a camera designed to provide
      anatomic landmark visualization during insertion. The study aim was to evaluate
      IRIS performance during bedside gastric placement. METHODS: This is the first
      prospective study to collect data on the use of IRIS. Twenty consecutive
      unconscious patients requiring enteral nutrition were recruited at a single
      center. IRIS placement was considered complete when a clear image of the gastric
      mucosa appeared. Correct placement was confirmed using a contrast-enhanced
      abdominal X-ray. To evaluate the device performance over time, the camera was
      activated every other day up to 17 d postplacement. RESULTS: In 7 (35%) patients,
      the trachea was initially visualized, requiring a second placement attempt with
      the same tube. The IRIS camera allowed recognition of the gastric mucosa in 18
      (90%) patients. The esophagogastric junction was identified in one patient, while
      in a second patient the quality of visualization was poor. Contrast-enhanced X
      ray confirmed the gastric placement of IRIS in all patients. IRIS allowed
      identification of gastric mucosa in 14 (70%) patients 3 d after placement.
      Performance progressively declined with time (P = 0.006, chi-square for trend).
      CONCLUSION: IRIS placement could have spared X-ray confirmation in almost all
      patients and prevented misplacement into the airway in about one third.
      Visualization quality needs to be improved, particularly after the first week.

PMID- 28359363
TI  - Impact of nutrition support on clinical outcome and cost-effectiveness analysis
      in patients at nutritional risk: A prospective cohort study with propensity score
      matching.
AB  - OBJECTIVES: There is a lack of evidence regarding the economic effects of
      nutrition support in patients at nutritional risk. The aim of this study was to
      perform a cost-effectiveness analysis by comparing an adequate nutrition support
      cohort with a no-support cohort. METHOD: A prospective observational study was
      performed in the surgical and medical gastroenterology wards. We identified
      patients at nutritional risk and the provision of nutrition support by the staff,
      unaware of the risk status, was recorded. Cost data were obtained from each
      patient's statement of accounts, and effectiveness was measured by the rate of
      infectious complication. To control for potential confounding variables, the
      propensity score method with matching was carried out. The incremental cost
      effectiveness ratio was calculated based on the matched population. RESULTS: We
      screened 3791 patients, and 440 were recruited for the analysis. Patients in the
      nutrition support cohort had a lower incidence of infectious complications than
      those in the no-support cohort (9.1 versus 18.1%; P = 0.007). This result was
      similar in the 149 propensity matched pairs (9.4 versus 24.2%; P < 0.001). The
      median hospital length of stay was significantly reduced among the matched
      nutrition support patients (13 versus 15 d; P < 0.001). The total costs were
      similar among the matched pairs (US $6219 versus $6161). The incremental cost
      effectiveness analysis suggested that nutrition support cost US $392 per patient
      prevented from having infectious complications. CONCLUSION: Nutrition support was
      associated with fewer infectious complications and shorter length of stay in
      patients at nutritional risk. The incremental cost-effectiveness ratio indicated
      that nutrition support had not increased costs significantly.

PMID- 28359364
TI  - Age-dependent risk factors for malnutrition in traumatology and orthopedic
      patients.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to investigate the prevalence of risk of
      malnutrition (RoM) in an orthopedic and traumatology patient cohort with a broad
      range of ages. In addition to the classical indicators for risk assessment (low
      body mass index, weight loss, and comorbidity), this study aimed to analyze the
      effects of lifestyle factors (eating pattern, smoking, physical activity) on RoM.
      METHODS: The prospective cohort study included 1053 patients in a level 1 trauma
      center in Germany. RoM was assessed by Nutritional Risk Screening (NRS) 2002 and
      for the elderly additionally by Mini Nutritional Assessment (MNA). Age-dependent
      risk factors identified in univariate statistical analysis were used for
      multivariate logistic regression models. RESULTS: The prevalence of patients at
      RoM (NRS >=3) was 22%. In the three age categories (<50 y, 50-69 y, and >=70 y),
      loss of appetite, weight loss, number of comorbidities, drugs and
      gastrointestinal symptoms significantly increased RoM in univariate statistical
      analysis. In patients ages >=70 y, several disease- and lifestyle-related factors
      (not living at home, less frequent consumption of vegetables and whole meal
      bread, low physical activity, and smoking) were associated with RoM. Multivariate
      logistic regression model for the total study population identified weight loss
      (odds ratio [OR], 6.09; 95% confidence interval [CI], 4.14-8.83), loss of
      appetite (OR, 3.81; 95% CI, 2.52-5.78), age-specific low BMI (OR, 1.87; 95% CI,
      1.18-2.97), number of drugs taken (OR, 1.19; 95% CI, 1.12-1.26), age (OR, 1.03;
      95% CI, 1.02-1.04), and days per week with vegetable consumption (OR, 0.938; 95%
      CI, 0.89-0.99) as risk factors. CONCLUSION: Malnutrition in trauma and orthopedic
      patients is not only a problem related to age. Lifestyle-related factors also
      contribute significantly to malnutrition in geriatric patients.

PMID- 28359365
TI  - Soy isoflavone supplementation improves longitudinal bone growth and bone quality
      in growing female rats.
AB  - OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of soy
      isoflavone on tibia length, bone mineral density (BMD), and structural parameters
      in growing female rats. METHODS: Three-week-old female Sprague-Dawley rats were
      randomly assigned to four experimental groups: control (CON: distilled water
      gavage); low-dose isoflavone (low-IF: 10 mg/kg body weight [BW]/d gavage); high
      dose isoflavone (high-IF: 50 mg/kg BW/d gavage); and 17 beta-estradiol (E2:
      subcutaneous injection of 10 MUg). All animals received a soy-free diet and
      vaginal opening was monitored daily. After an 8-wk treatment period, bone-related
      parameters (alkaline phosphatase [ALP], osteocalcin [OC], N-terminal telopeptide
      [NTx], bone length, failure load, stiffness, BMD, and structural parameters) were
      analyzed. RESULTS: Serum ALP levels of the high-IF group were higher than those
      of the CON group (P < 0.05); however, serum OC levels of the high-IF group were
      lower than those of the CON, low-IF, and E2 groups (P < 0.05). The tibias and
      femurs of the low-IF group were longer than those of the CON and high-IF groups
      (P < 0.05). Bone volume, trabecular number, and BMD of trabecular bone of the
      high-IF and E2 groups were higher than those of the CON and low-IF groups (P <
      0.05). The trabecular thickness of the high-IF group was higher than that of the
      CON and low-IF groups (P < 0.05). The failure load of the high-IF group was
      higher than those of the CON group (P < 0.05). Age and body weight at vaginal
      opening of the E2 group were significantly lower than those of the CON, low-IF,
      and high-IF groups (P < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: This study suggests that 8 wk of low
      dose supplementation with soy isoflavone stimulates longitudinal bone growth.
      Additionally, high-dose supplementation with soy isoflavone may improve bone
      quality (BMD and structural parameters) in growing female rats.

PMID- 28359366
TI  - University students' on-campus food purchasing behaviors, preferences, and
      opinions on food availability.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: Emerging adulthood (18-24 y) where >50% of young adults attend
      tertiary education, is a transitional period that may provide an opportunity to
      influence future eating behaviors. The aim of this study was to identify possible
      strategies for encouraging healthy eating in university food environments.
      METHOD: Over 4 wk, students from a large university completed an anonymous
      researcher-designed survey with both closed (n = 41) and open-ended (n = 3)
      questions assessing food purchasing, food choice behaviors, and opinions of the
      campus food environment. Results were reported as proportions (%) or mean +/- SD.
      Chi-square analysis was used to determine differences between sex and campuses.
      The study took place at an Australian urban university with seven campuses. We
      recruited 653 currently enrolled students by convenience sampling. RESULTS:
      Respondents were mostly women (77%), aged <25 y (83%), and enrolled full time
      (96%). Almost all participants purchased food or beverages on campus (93%), with
      the most frequently purchased items being hot beverages and sandwiches. The
      greatest determinants of food choice were taste, value, convenience, and cost.
      Female students placed more importance on health-related factors and followed
      more special dietary behaviors than male students. The most common improvements
      suggested were lowering the cost and increasing the variety of food. CONCLUSION:
      As most students purchase food on campus, there are opportunities to intervene to
      improve diet quality. Our results indicate demand for healthy food and that price
      manipulation is an important lever for change. This information will be used for
      changing the local university food environment but may be useful for planning
      interventions at other universities.

PMID- 28359367
TI  - Nutritional regulation of coupling factor 6, a novel vasoactive and
      proatherogenic peptide.
AB  - High sodium, high glucose, and obesity are important risk factors for age-related
      diseases such as cardiovascular disease (CVDs), stroke, and cancer. Coupling
      factor 6 (CF6) is released from vascular endothelial cells and functions as a
      circulating peptide that inhibits prostacyclin and nitric oxide generation by
      intracellular acidosis. High glucose elevates CF6 by activation of protein kinase
      C and p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase, whereas CF6 causes type 2 diabetes
      mellitus, resulting in a high glucose vicious cycle. Low glucose increases
      inhibitory factor peptide 1, an endogenous inhibitor of CF6. High salt intake
      increases CF6 through nuclear factor kappaB signaling, whereas CF6 induces salt
      sensitive hypertension and salt-induced congestive heart failure. Oral
      administration of vitamin C cancels salt-induced increase in CF6, and estrogen
      replacement leads to the delayed onset of CF6-induced salt-sensitive hypertension
      and the rescue from cardiac systolic dysfunction. Because CF6 contributes to the
      onset of CVDs, nutritional regulation of CF6 will shed light on the understanding
      of preventive strategy and mechanisms for CVDs and a target for therapy.

PMID- 28359368
TI  - Egg consumption and heart health: A review.
AB  - Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death in the United States. Until
      recently, reducing dietary cholesterol has been a part of the American Heart
      Association (AHA) and American College of Cardiology (ACC) guidelines on
      lifestyle management, despite inconclusive evidence to support the
      recommendation. Considering eggs are a rich source of dietary cholesterol
      (typically containing 141-234 mg per egg), individuals with increased risk for
      CVD are advised not to consume eggs. Furthermore, based on the 2012 AHA/ACC
      guidelines, individuals with lower risk for CVD have previously been advised to
      avoid consuming eggs due to the high content of dietary cholesterol. Rather than
      strictly limiting cholesterol intake, the AHA and ACC guidelines now recommend
      dietary patterns that emphasize fruits, vegetables, whole grains, low-fat dairy
      products, poultry, fish, and nuts as an approach to favorably alter blood lipid
      levels. Of note, the 2015-2020 Dietary Guidelines for Americans have removed the
      recommendation of limiting cholesterol intake to no more than 300 mg per day;
      however, the guidelines advise that individuals should eat as little dietary
      cholesterol as possible while consuming a healthy eating pattern. The purpose of
      this review is to summarize the documented health risks of egg consumption in
      individuals with low and high risk for CVD and determine whether current
      recommendations are warranted based on the available literature. We also aim to
      provide guidance for future studies that will help further elucidate the health
      modulating effect of eggs.

PMID- 28359371
TI  - Apples, orange, and pears. Transcatheter aortic valve implantation in
      intermediate risk patients has borne fruit.

PMID- 28359370
TI  - Ramadan model of intermittent fasting for 28 d had no major effect on body
      composition, glucose metabolism, or cognitive functions in healthy lean men.
AB  - OBJECTIVES: There has been a parallel increase in the incidence of obesity and
      diabetes as well as the number of daily meals. However, evidence is lacking
      regarding the role of intermittent fasting. The aim of this study was to
      determine the effects of a Ramadan model of intermittent fasting (RIF; 14 h of
      daytime abstinence from food and drinking) for 28 d on body composition, glucose
      metabolism, and cognitive function. METHODS: Ten healthy, lean men were included
      in a nonrandomized, crossover, intervention study. Testing was performed before a
      control period of 28 d, as well as before and after 28 d of RIF. Whole-body dual
      energy x-ray absorptiometry, magnetic resonance imaging of the abdomen, fitness
      test, oral glucose tolerance test, and cognitive function tests were performed.
      As secondary outcome, the participants' physical activity and 72-h glycemic
      responses were monitored 6 d within each of the periods. Dietary intake,
      appetite, and mood questionnaires also were assessed. RESULTS: Comparing Delta
      differences from testing days; body mass index changes from the control period
      (Delta mean: 0.2 kg/m2, 95% confidence interval [CI], -2 to 0.5) and the RIF
      period (Delta mean: -0.3 kg/m2, 95% CI, -0.6 to -0.1) were significantly
      different (P < 0.05). Secondary outcomes within the RIF period showed an
      increased area under curve (AUC) for hunger accompanied by a reduced AUC for
      satiety (both, P < 0.05), less mean steps per day (P < 0.05), and less positive
      feelings in the afternoon (P < 0.01) compared with the control period. No changes
      were observed in any of the other evaluated parameters. CONCLUSIONS: Free-living
      participants were able to comply with 14 h of daily daytime abstinence from food
      and drinking for 28 d with only a minor effect on body mass index and without any
      effects on body composition, glucose metabolism, and cognitive function.

PMID- 28359369
TI  - Apolipoprotein A2 -265 T>C polymorphism interacts with dietary fatty acids intake
      to modulate inflammation in type 2 diabetes mellitus patients.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: Several investigations have been conducted regarding the interaction
      between Apolipoprotein A2 (APOA2) -265 T>C polymorphism and dietary intake of
      saturated fatty acids (SFAs) on obesity in healthy individuals or type 2 diabetes
      mellitus (T2 DM) patients. The aim of the present study is to examine the effect
      of this interaction on inflammatory markers in T2 DM patients. METHODS: This is a
      comparative cross-sectional study on 180 T2 DM patients with known APOA2
      genotype. Dietary intake was assessed by food-frequency questionnaire and serum
      levels of inflammatory markers (interleukin [IL]-18, pentraxin 3, and high
      sensitivity C-reactive protein [hs-CRP]) were measured. The subjects were
      dichotomized into "high" and "low" categories, based on the median dietary intake
      of polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs), monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFAs), and
      SFAs. The data were analyzed by analysis of covariance multivariate interaction
      model. RESULTS: In CC genotype, higher median intake of omega-3 PUFAs and MUFAs
      was associated with decreased serum levels of IL-18 and hs-CRP (P = 0.014 and
      0.008, respectively). In T-allele carriers, higher median intake of SFAs was
      associated with increased serum hs-CRP level (P < 0.001). There was a significant
      relationship between APOA2 polymorphism and omega-3 PUFA intake on serum IL-18
      level (P interaction = 0.03). Moreover, the relationship between this
      polymorphism and SFA and MUFA intake on serum hs-CRP level was statistically
      significant (P interaction = 0.03 and 0.024, respectively). CONCLUSIONS: In T2 DM
      patients, the dietary intake of antiinflammatory fatty acids, such as omega-3
      PUFAs and MUFAs, could reduce the inflammatory effects associated with the CC
      genotype. In addition, proinflammatory fatty acids, such as SFAs, could overcome
      the antiinflammatory effect of the T-allele. Further studies are needed to
      confirm these findings.

PMID- 28359372
TI  - Transcatheter aortic valve replacement in intermediate-risk patients.

PMID- 28359373
TI  - Are there negative consequences of public reporting? The hype and the reality.

PMID- 28359374
TI  - The American Association for Thoracic Surgery/Society of Thoracic Surgeons
      position statement on developing clinical practice documents.

PMID- 28359375
TI  - The regurgitant bicuspid aortic valve: Recalibrating our surgical strategies.

PMID- 28359376
TI  - Living without lungs? Bilateral pneumonectomy and dual circulatory support: A
      step forward in the search for a total artificial lung.

PMID- 28359377
TI  - University vaccine campaign increases meningococcal ACWY vaccine coverage.

PMID- 28359378
TI  - 'Mendelian randomization': an approach for exploring causal relations in
      epidemiology.
AB  - OBJECTIVES: To assess the current status of Mendelian randomization (MR) approach
      in effectively influencing the observational epidemiology for examining causal
      relationships. METHODS: Narrative review on studies related to principle,
      strengths, limitations, and achievements of MR approach. RESULTS: Observational
      epidemiological studies have repeatedly produced several beneficiary associations
      which were discarded when tested by standard randomized controlled trials (RCTs).
      The technique which is more feasible, highly similar to RCTs, and has the
      potential to establish a causal relationship between modifiable exposures and
      disease outcomes is known as MR. The technique uses genetic variants related to
      modifiable traits/exposures as instruments for detecting causal and directional
      associations with outcomes. CONCLUSIONS: In the last decade, the approach of MR
      has methodologically developed and progressed to a stage of high acceptance among
      the epidemiologists and is gradually expanding the landscape of causal
      relationships in non-communicable chronic diseases.

PMID- 28359379
TI  - Eating breakfast regularly is related to higher school connectedness and academic
      performance in Canadian middle- and high-school students.

PMID- 28359381
TI  - Gender differences in the association of smartphone addiction with food group
      consumption among Korean adolescents.

PMID- 28359380
TI  - Validation of an Arabic version of an instrument to measure waterpipe smoking
      behavior.
AB  - OBJECTIVES: Reliable and valid measures of waterpipe smoking are essential to
      study its health effects. The purpose of this study was to examine the
      reliability and validity of an Arabic translation of Maziak questionnaire that
      assesses various aspects of waterpipe smoking in epidemiological studies. STUDY
      DESIGN: A cross-sectional study. METHODS: This questionnaire was translated, back
      translated, and culturally adapted to the local Arabic dialect. Construct and
      convergent validity were assessed in a sample of 119 daily waterpipe smokers
      (WPS) and 30 occasional WPS, defined as smoking at least one waterpipe per week
      but less than daily from Beirut and Doha (mean age = 52.4 years, males = 61.7%).
      Construct validity was assessed by comparing the smoking behavior of daily and
      occasional WPS. Convergent validity was assessed by correlating daily smoking
      intensity ('number of waterpipe smoked per day') with 'number of waterpipe smoked
      yesterday' and by correlating lifetime smoking exposure (waterpipe-year)
      calculated by multiplying number of waterpipe smoked per day * duration of
      waterpipe smoking with alternate measures obtained graphically (graphical
      waterpipe-year) or adjusted (adjusted waterpipe-year). Criterion validity was
      assessed by correlating daily smoking intensity and lifetime smoking exposure
      with serum cotinine level. Test-retest reliability was analyzed by re
      administering the questionnaire to 30 daily and 30 occasional WPS after 2 weeks.
      RESULTS: Smoking intensity, patterns of use, and willingness to quit differed
      significantly between daily and occasional WPS. Daily smoking intensity
      correlated strongly with the number of waterpipe smoked yesterday (rs = 0.68, P <
      0.001), but not in the occasional WPS (rs = 0.13, P = 0.70). Waterpipe-year
      correlated very strongly with adjusted waterpipe-year and graphical waterpipe
      year (rs = 0.98, P < 0.001 and rs = 0.92, P < 0.001, respectively). Waterpipe
      year, daily smoking intensity, and number of waterpipe smoked yesterday,
      correlated weakly but significantly with serum cotinine levels (rs = 0.243, P =
      0.01; rs = 0.359, P < 0.01 and rs = 0.387, P < 0.01, respectively). The type and
      pattern of waterpipe use items showed high test-retest reliability with near
      perfect agreement (k > 0.9), the sharing and intention to quit waterpipe items
      had substantial agreement (k > 0.6), and the intent to quit item showed moderate
      agreement (k > 0.4). CONCLUSION: The questionnaire showed strong reliability,
      face validity, construct and convergent validity, and a weak but statistically
      significant criterion validity. Maziak questionnaire is valid and reliable for
      assessing waterpipe smoking patterns, intensity, and willingness to quit.

PMID- 28359383
TI  - Sex-specific associations with youth obesity in Queensland, Australia.

PMID- 28359382
TI  - Critical assessment of the research outcomes of European birth cohorts: linking
      environmental factors with non-communicable diseases.
AB  - OBJECTIVES: The objective of this review paper was to stimulate collaborative
      discussions toward the development of a general concept of an open source
      protocol for a feasible and efficient longitudinal birth cohort study exploring
      non-communicable diseases (NCDs), their multifactorial etiology and relations
      between various risk factors. STUDY DESIGN: The present paper systematically
      reviews the design of existing birth cohorts in Europe containing environmental
      exposure data, and assesses a quantity and quality of their research outcomes as
      their potential to be an effective tool for studying non-communicable diseases
      and their risk factors. METHODS: European birth cohorts with more than 3000
      participants have been included in the study. A total number of scientific papers
      published in the internationally recognized journals and their impact factors and
      citation records were evaluated for all cohorts as surrogates for their
      efficiency to contribute to NCDs understanding and thus their prevention.
      RESULTS: The birth cohorts contributing most significantly to the NCD
      understanding shared common features: (i) study size between 10,000 and 15,000
      mother-child pairs; (ii) repeated assessment of children from prenatal into
      adulthood; and (iii) availability of biological samples. Smaller cohorts and
      cohorts with a specific focus generated a lower number of publications; however,
      these often received considerably a higher number of citations. CONCLUSIONS:
      General cohort studies with 10,000-15,000 mother-child pairs allow a broader
      context interpretation, publish a higher number of articles, and often lead to
      the formation of infrastructures for 'spin-off (nested) studies'.

PMID- 28359384
TI  - Associations between singing to babies and symptoms of postnatal depression,
      wellbeing, self-esteem and mother-infant bond.

PMID- 28359385
TI  - Alcohol misuse-a national pandemic: an investigation to identify whether
      implementing an alcohol brief intervention service would benefit patients
      attending an oral and maxillofacial (OMFS) department.

PMID- 28359386
TI  - Delhi's health system exceptionalism: inadequate progress for a global capital
      city.
AB  - OBJECTIVES: India has proclaimed commitment to the goal of Universal Health
      Coverage and Delhi, the National Capital Territory, has increased investment in
      public health and other health services over the past decade. The research
      investigates whether Delhi's increased investment in health over this period is
      associated with a reduction in premature deaths, after the age of 1 year, which
      could have been avoided with better access to effective health care interventions
      (amenable mortality). STUDY DESIGN: A population-based study of changes in
      amenable mortality (AM) in Delhi over the 2003-2013 period. METHODS: To calculate
      AM, a list of International Classification of Disease (ICD) codes from the
      published literature was relied upon. In defining AM in India, an upper age limit
      of 69 years was adopted, rather than the more common limit of 74 years.
      Population estimates and vital statistics were downloaded from the Delhi
      Statistical Handbook. Deaths by cause and age, including medical certification,
      are from the Vital Statistics site of the Delhi Government. To age-adjust these
      data, the direct method was employed, using weights derived from the 2010 United
      Nations world standard population. RESULTS: The research found that, between 2004
      and 2013, the age-adjusted rate of AM rose from 0.87 to 1.09. The leading causes
      of death in both years were septicemia and tuberculosis. Maternal mortality is
      well above the global level for middle-income countries. CONCLUSION: Recent
      investments in public health and health care and the capacity to leverage them to
      improve access to effective care have not been sufficient to overcome the
      crushing poverty and inequalities within Delhi. Large and growing numbers of
      residents die prematurely each year due to causes that are amenable to public
      health and health care interventions.

PMID- 28359387
TI  - How to improve opportunistic screening by using EMRs and other data. The
      prevalence of undetected diabetes mellitus in target population in Croatia.
AB  - OBJECTIVES: Opportunistic screening for type 2 diabetes (T2D) has not been
      adopted as part of routine practice. The aim of the study was to investigate the
      yield of opportunistic target screening for T2D in Croatia and to evaluate the
      process of screening by using data from electronic medical record. STUDY DESIGN:
      We conducted opportunistic screening in 23 general practitioners (GPs) in a
      population of 13,344 patients aged 45-70 years. METHODS: First, after excluding
      patients with T2D, patients with risk factors for T2D were derived from the
      electronic medical record and GP's assessment during the preconsultation phase.
      Second, those with data about normoglycemia in past three years were excluded.
      Remaining patients started the consultation phase during their usual visit, when
      they were offered capillary fasting plasma glucose testing in the next
      consultation. RESULTS: Prevalence of T2D was 10.9% (new 1.4%). A total of 5568
      (46.1%) patients had risks and 2849 (51.2%) had data about normoglycemia in the
      last three years. Using those data, number needed to invite to screening (NNI)
      was reduced to half: from 46.1% to 22.5%. One hundred eighty-four patients were
      screened positive for T2D in two capillary fasting plasma glucose tests (yield
      9.8%). Number needed to screen (NNS) in order to detect one T2D was 10.3
      patients. Among risks for T2D, overweight was the best predictive factor for
      undiagnosed T2D (odds ratio [OR]: 2.11, confidence interval [CI]:1.41-3.15, P <
      .001). Logistic regression showed that in targeted population, overweight
      patients with a family history in fold were 2.5 times more likely to have T2D
      (OR: 2.54, CI 1.78-.61, P < .001). CONCLUSIONS: Total yield in targeted
      population was 1,4%. By using data about normoglycemia from EMRs, NNI was reduced
      by half and NNS was 10.3 patients. Our findings suggest the model for improvement
      in opportunistic screening.

PMID- 28359388
TI  - The 2015 Nepal earthquake disaster: lessons learned one year on.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: The 2015 earthquake in Nepal killed over 8000 people, injured more
      than 21,000 and displaced a further 2 million. One year later, a national
      workshop was organized with various Nepali stakeholders involved in the response
      to the earthquake. The workshop provided participants an opportunity to reflect
      on their experiences and sought to learn lessons from the disaster. METHODS: One
      hundred and thirty-five participants took part and most had been directly
      involved in the earthquake response. They included representatives from the
      Ministry of Health, local and national government, the armed forces, non
      governmental organizations, health practitioners, academics, and community
      representatives. Participants were divided into seven focus groups based around
      the following topics: water, sanitation and hygiene, hospital services, health
      and nutrition, education, shelter, policy and community. Facilitated group
      discussions were conducted in Nepalese and the key emerging themes are presented.
      RESULTS: Participants described a range of issues encountered, some specific to
      their area of expertize but also more general issues. These included logistics
      and supply chain challenges, leadership and coordination difficulties, impacts of
      the media as well as cultural beliefs on population behaviour post-disaster.
      Lessons identified included the need for community involvement at all stages of
      disaster response and preparedness, as well as the development of local
      leadership capabilities and community resilience. A 'disconnect' between disaster
      management policy and responses was observed, which may result in ineffective,
      poorly planned disaster response. CONCLUSION: Finding time and opportunity to
      reflect on and identify lessons from disaster response can be difficult but are
      fundamental to improving future disaster preparedness. The Nepal Earthquake
      National Workshop offered participants the space to do this. It garnered an
      overwhelming sense of wanting to do things better, of the need for a Nepal
      centric approach and the need to learn the lessons of the past to improve
      disaster management for the future.

PMID- 28359389
TI  - Severe obesity among American Indian tribal youth in the Southwest.

PMID- 28359390
TI  - A disease called stigma: the experience of stigma among African men with TB
      diagnosis in London.
AB  - OBJECTIVES: Tuberculosis (TB) is a highly stigmatised disease. This paper sought
      to explore the experiences and meanings of stigma among African men with a
      previous TB diagnosis. STUDY DESIGN: Qualitative approach with ten men recruited
      from a community based organisation offering health support to the men. METHODS:
      In-depth semi-structured interviews. RESULTS: Men were unable to recognise TB
      symptoms and subsequently made late clinical presentation when they were also
      diagnosed with HIV. A few were diagnosed when in immigration detention centres.
      The experience of late diagnosis informed their understanding of the word stigma.
      The link between HIV and TB compounded experiences of stigma which led to
      depression and compromised HIV confidentiality. CONCLUSION: TB late diagnosis
      among the men has implications for population health. Multidisciplinary teams
      supporting ongoing TB education programmes should include African men's
      organisations, due to the close supportive links such organisations have with
      African men.

PMID- 28359391
TI  - Study types and reliability of Real World Evidence compared with experimental
      evidence used in Polish reimbursement decision-making processes.
AB  - OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study was to identify the relationship and impact
      between Real World Evidence (RWE) and experimental evidence (EE) in Polish
      decision-making processes for the drugs from selected Anatomical Therapeutic
      Chemical (ATC) groups. STUDY DESIGN: Descriptive study. METHODS: A detailed
      analysis was performed for 58 processes from five ATC code groups in which RWE
      for effectiveness, or effectiveness and safety were cited in Agency for Health
      Technology Assessment and Tariff System's (AOTMiT) documents published between
      January 2012 and September 2015: Verification Analysis of AOTMiT, Statement of
      the Transparency Council of AOTMiT, and Recommendation of the President of
      AOTMiT. RESULTS: In 62% of the cases, RWE supported the EE and confirmed its main
      conclusions. The majority of studies in the EE group showed to be RCTs (97%), and
      the RWE group included mainly cohort studies (89%). There were more studies
      without a control group within RWE compared with the EE group (10% vs 1%). Our
      results showed that EE are more often assessed using Jadad, NICE or NOS scale by
      AOTMiT compared with RWE (93% vs 48%). When the best evidence within a given
      decision-making process is analysed, half of RWE and two-thirds of EE are
      considered high quality evidence. CONCLUSIONS: RWE plays an important role in the
      decision-making processes on public funding of drugs in Poland, contributing to
      nearly half (45%) of all the evidence considered. There exist such processes in
      which the proportion of RWE is dominant, with one process showing RWE as the only
      evidence presented.

PMID- 28359392
TI  - Large variation in predictors of mortality by levels of self-rated health:
      Results from an 18-year follow-up study.
AB  - OBJECTIVES: To analyze the variation in factors associated with mortality risk at
      different levels of self-rated health (SRH). STUDY DESIGN: Retrospective cohort
      study. METHODS: Cox regression analysis was used to examine the association
      between mortality and demographic, socioeconomic and health-related predictors
      for respondents with good, average, and poor SRH in a longitudinal data set from
      Estonia with up to 18 years of follow-up time. RESULTS: In respondents with good
      SRH, male sex, older age, lower income, manual occupation, ever smoking, and
      heavy alcohol consumption predicted higher mortality. These covariates, together
      with marital status, illness-related limitations, and underweight predicted
      mortality in respondents with average SRH. For poor SRH, only being never married
      and having illness-related limitations predicted mortality risk in addition to
      older age and male sex. CONCLUSIONS: The predictors of all-cause mortality are
      not universal but depend on the level of SRH. The higher mortality of respondents
      with poor SRH could to a large extent be attributed to health problems, whereas
      in the case of average or good SRH, factors other than the presence of illness
      explained outcome mortality.

PMID- 28359393
TI  - Did the weight loss in the Prevention of Diabetes and Obesity in South Asians
      (PODOSA) trial differ by sex? An exploratory analysis.

PMID- 28359395
TI  - INSPiRE: an integrated approach to tackling household air pollution and improving
      health in rural Cambodia.

PMID- 28359394
TI  - Preferences for oral fluid rapid HIV self-testing among social media-using young
      black, Hispanic, and white men-who-have-sex-with-men (YMSM): implications for
      future interventions.
AB  - OBJECTIVES: We assessed preferences of social media-using young black, Hispanic
      and white men-who-have-sex-with-men (YMSM) for oral fluid rapid HIV self-testing,
      as compared to other currently available HIV testing options. We also identified
      aspects of the oral fluid rapid HIV self-test that might influence preferences
      for using this test instead of other HIV testing options and determined if
      consideration of HIV testing costs and the potential future availability of
      fingerstick rapid HIV self-testing change HIV testing preferences. STUDY DESIGN:
      Anonymous online survey. METHODS: HIV-uninfected YMSM across the United States
      recruited from multiple social media platforms completed an online survey about
      willingness to use, opinions about and their preferences for using oral fluid
      rapid HIV self-testing and five other currently available HIV testing options. In
      a pre/post questionnaire format design, participants first indicated their
      preferences for using the six HIV testing options (pre) before answering
      questions that asked their experience with and opinions about HIV testing.
      Although not revealed to participants and not apparent in the phrasing of the
      questions or responses, the opinion questions concerned aspects of oral fluid
      rapid HIV self-testing (e.g. its possible advantages/disadvantages,
      merits/demerits, and barriers/facilitators). Afterward, participants were queried
      again about their HIV testing preferences (post). After completing these
      questions, participants were asked to re-indicate their HIV testing preferences
      when considering they had to pay for HIV testing and if fingerstick blood sample
      rapid HIV self-testing were an additional testing option. Aspects about the oral
      fluid rapid HIV self-test associated with increased preference for using the test
      (post-assessment vs pre-assessment of opinion topics) were identified through
      multivariable regression models that adjusted for participant characteristics.
      RESULTS: Of the 1975 YMSM participants, the median age was 22 years (IQR 20-23);
      19% were black, 36% Hispanic, and 45% white; and 18% previously used an oral
      fluid rapid HIV self-test. Although views about oral fluid rapid HIV self-testing
      test were favorable, few intended to use the test. Aspects about the oral fluid
      rapid HIV self-test associated with an increased preference for using the test
      were its privacy features, that it motivated getting tested more often or as soon
      as possible, and that it conferred feelings of more control over one's sexual
      health. Preferences for the oral fluid rapid HIV self-test were lower when costs
      were considered, yet these YMSM were much more interested in fingerstick blood
      sampling than oral fluid sampling rapid HIV self-testing. CONCLUSIONS: Despite
      the perceived advantages of the oral fluid rapid HIV self-test and favorable
      views about it by this population, prior use as well as future intention in using
      the test were low. Aspects about oral fluid rapid HIV self-testing identified as
      influential in this study might assist in interventions aimed to increase its use
      among this high HIV risk population as a means of encouraging regular HIV
      testing, identifying HIV-infected persons, and linking them to care. Although not
      yet commercially available in the United States, fingerstick rapid HIV self
      testing might help motivate YMSM to be tested more than oral fluid rapid HIV self
      testing.

PMID- 28359396
TI  - Patterns and correlates of physical activity in adolescents in Dhaka city,
      Bangladesh.
AB  - OBJECTIVES: Despite the widely acknowledged public health importance of physical
      activity (PA), few studies have examined levels of PA in Bangladesh. The purpose
      of this study was to investigate the patterns and correlates of PA in adolescents
      in Bangladesh. STUDY DESIGN: Cross-sectional survey. METHODS: A total of 798
      students, aged 13-17 years; 48% girls, from eight purposively selected secondary
      schools in Dhaka city, Bangladesh completed a self-administered questionnaire
      including the 3-Day PA Recall. Parents completed a separate questionnaire to
      provide household/family-level data. Multilevel generalized linear modelling was
      used to identify the correlates of PA for boys and girls. RESULTS: Two-thirds
      (66%) of the adolescents met the recommendations of 60 min/day of moderate to
      vigorous PA (MVPA) daily, with more boys than girls (76% and 55%, respectively).
      The most common activities reported were walking for travel (42%), cricket (33%)
      and household chores (30%). Multivariable modelling showed that girls' PA was
      positively associated with mother's education level, walking to school,
      involvement in school sports and having home sports equipment. Boys' PA was
      positively associated with mother's employment, having home sports equipment,
      having a playground at school and walking to school. CONCLUSIONS: One third of
      adolescents in Bangladesh were insufficiently active with girls less active than
      boys. Walking to school and access to sports facilities including playgrounds and
      home equipment may be important to promote activity among Bangladeshi
      adolescents, with special attention to the girls.

PMID- 28359397
TI  - Health impact assessment as an instrument to examine the health implications of
      education policies.
AB  - OBJECTIVES: Health impact assessment (HIA) is a systematic process that can be
      used by public health professionals to examine the potential health effects of a
      policy, plan, program, or project that originates outside of the health sector.
      This article presents a case study of how an interdisciplinary team utilized an
      HIA to analyze the potential health impact of full-day kindergarten (FDK) on
      communities in Nevada. STUDY DESIGN: Case study. METHODS: With stakeholder and
      community engagement, we conducted a multistage HIA that included qualitative and
      quantitative data collection and analysis, a review of existing literature, and
      projections. The team considered several pathways through which FDK could impact
      health in Nevada: (1) school performance; (2) physical development (physical
      activity and nutrition education); and (3) access to school-based meals and
      health screenings. RESULTS: Findings indicated that access to FDK could enhance
      opportunities for Nevada's children to harness school-based services, increase
      physical activity, and promote nutrition education. In addition, based on
      existing research that suggests relationships between (1) FDK attendance and 3rd
      and 5th grade math and reading standardized test scores and (2) 3rd and 5th grade
      test scores and high school graduation, as well as available state and national
      data, we estimated that access to FDK could increase high school graduation in
      Nevada by 499-820 students per year. CONCLUSIONS: This HIA demonstrated that
      access to FDK could impact both student and adult health in Nevada. Our
      engagement of public health professionals along with stakeholders and the
      community in the HIA process demonstrated that HIAs can be an important tool for
      public health professionals to examine the effects on community health of
      policies, programs, plans or projects that arise outside of the health sector.

PMID- 28359398
TI  - Causes of deafness in the Punjab region of Pakistan and the role of
      consanguinity.

PMID- 28359400
TI  - Let's talk.

PMID- 28359399
TI  - Falls amongst older people in Southeast Asia: a scoping review.
AB  - OBJECTIVES: The older population in the Southeast Asian region is accelerating
      and is expected to surpass the proportion of the ageing population in North
      America and Europe in the future. This study aims to identify the research
      literature related to falls among older people in Southeast Asia, to examine
      current practice and discuss the future direction on falls prevention and
      interventions in the region. STUDY DESIGN: A scoping review design was used.
      METHODS: A systematic literature search was conducted using the Medline, CINAHL,
      AMED, Ageline, PsycINFO, Web of Sciences, Scopus, Thai-Journal Citation Index,
      MyCite and trial registries databases. RESULTS: Thirty-seven studies and six
      study protocols were included, from Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore, Vietnam,
      Indonesia and the Philippines. One-sixth of the studies involved interventions,
      while the remainder were observational studies. The observational studies mainly
      determined the falls risk factors. The intervention studies comprised
      multifactorial interventions and single interventions such as exercises,
      educational materials and visual correction. Many of the studies replicated
      international studies and may not have taken into account features unique to
      Southeast Asia. CONCLUSION: Our review has revealed studies evaluating falls and
      management of falls in the Southeast Asian context. More research is required
      from all Southeast Asian countries to prepare for the future challenges of
      managing falls as the population ages.

PMID- 28359402
TI  - In this issue....

PMID- 28359401
TI  - Japanese guidelines for allergic diseases 2017.

PMID- 28359403
TI  - Transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulator of 5000 Hz frequency provides better
      analgesia than that of 100 Hz frequency in mice muscle pain model.
AB  - Transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulators (TENSs) have been proved to be
      effective in muscle pain management for several decades. However, there is no
      consensus for the optimal TENS program. Previous research demonstrated that a 100
      Hz TENS (L-TENS) provided better analgesia than a conventional TENS (< 5 Hz).
      However, no research compared a higher-frequency (> 100 Hz) TENS with a 100 Hz
      TENS. We used a 5000 Hz (5 kHz) frequency TENS (M-TENS) and an L-TENS to compare
      analgesic effect on a mice skin/muscle incision retraction model. Three groups of
      mice were used (sham, L-TENS, and M-TENS) and applied with different TENS
      programs on Day 4 after the mice skin/muscle incision retraction model; TENS
      therapy was continued as 20 min/d for 3 days. Mice analgesic effects were
      measured via Von Frey microfilaments with the up-down method. After therapy, mice
      spinal cord dorsal horn and dorsal root ganglion (DRG) were harvested for
      cytokine evaluation (tumor necrosis factor-alpha and interleukin-1beta) with the
      Western blotting method. Our data demonstrated that the M-TENS produced better
      analgesia than the L-TENS. Cytokine in the spinal cord or DRG all expressed lower
      than that of the sham group. However, there is no difference in both cytokine
      levels between TENSs of different frequencies in the spinal cord and DRG. We
      concluded that the M-TENS produced faster and better mechanical analgesia than
      the L-TENS in the mice skin/muscle incision retraction model. Those behavior
      differences were not in accordance with cytokine changes in the spinal cord or
      DRG.

PMID- 28359404
TI  - Relationship of mast cell density with lymphangiogenesis and prognostic
      parameters in breast carcinoma.
AB  - In many cancers, mast cell density (MCD) in the tumor microenvironment is
      associated with tumor progression and, to a greater extent, angiogenesis. Our
      study was designed to investigate the correlation between MCD, tumor
      lymphangiogenesis, and several well-established prognostic parameters in breast
      cancer. One hundred and four cases of invasive breast carcinoma diagnosed in our
      clinic between 2007 and 2011 were included. Mast cells and lymphatic vessels were
      stained with toluidine blue and D2-40, respectively, and their densities were
      calculated in various areas of tumors and lymph nodes. The variables of MCD and
      lymphatic vessel density (LVD) were compared using prognostic parameters as well
      as with each other. As tumor size and volume increased, MCD increased comparably
      in metastatic lymph nodes; intratumoral and peritumoral LVD also increased.
      Lymphovascular invasion, lymphatic invasion, perineural invasion, and estrogen
      receptor positivity were positively related to intratumoral MCD. The relationship
      between peritumoral MCD and nontumoral breast tissue MCD was statistically
      significant. Stage was correlated with MCD in metastatic lymph nodes. Metastatic
      lymph node MCD and intratumoral MCD were also significantly related. Stage,
      lymphatic invasion, perineural invasion, lymphovascular invasion, and metastatic
      lymph node MCD were all correlated with intratumoral and/or peritumoral LVD. As
      nuclear grade increased, intratumoral LVD became higher. In breast carcinoma,
      MCD, depending on its location, was related to several prognostic parameters.
      Notably, mast cells may have at least some effect on lymphangiogenesis, which
      appears to be a predictor of tumor progression.

PMID- 28359405
TI  - Distribution and number of Cajal-like cells in testis tissue with azoospermia.
AB  - We investigated the number and distribution of Cajal-like cells in patients with
      azoospermia. A total of 99 patients with non-obstructive azoospermia were divided
      into subgroups [19 patientsin hypospermatogenesis group (S1), 40 patients in
      maturation arrest group (S2), 20 patients in a Sertoli cell-only syndrome (S3),
      and 20 patients in a testicular atrophy and fibrosis group (S4)], and 20 patients
      with obstructive azoospermia group (S0). Sections stained with a c-kit antibody
      were studied by light microscopy to determine the number and distribution of
      Cajal-like cells in peritubular and perivascular areas of testis. The number of
      Cajal-like cells were higher in all the non-obstructive groups than in the
      obstructive group (S0: 2.43 cells/mm2, S1: 3.14 cells/mm2, S2: 4.00 cells/mm2,
      S3: 4.57 cells/mm2, S4: 3.86 cells/mm2) but statistically significantly different
      (p<0.05) in the S2 and S3 subgroups only. Distribution of Cajal-like cells were
      similar in all groups. The number and distribution of Cajal-like cells in non
      obstructive groups suggest that these cells may affect spermatogenesis. This
      cellular type can be responsible for the regulation of cellular motility or
      spermatogenesis. Electrophysiological and electron microscopic studies are needed
      to better define morphology and function of Cajal-like cells in the testis,
      especially totally the normal testis tissue.

PMID- 28359406
TI  - The eIF3a Arg803Lys genetic polymorphism is associated with susceptibility to and
      chemoradiotherapy efficacy in cervical carcinoma.
AB  - We aimed to explore the correlations between eukaryotic translation initiation
      factor 3, subunit A (eIF3a) polymorphisms and susceptibility to and
      chemoradiotherapy efficacy in cervical carcinoma. Between August 2007 and August
      2011, 176 patients with cervical carcinoma were enrolled as the case group, and
      180 healthy individuals were selected as the control group. eIF3a Arg803Lys C>T
      genotypes were detected by hemi-nested polymerase chain reaction restriction
      fragment length polymorphism. All patients received chemoradiotherapy and were
      evaluated for efficacy. Compared with carriers of the CC genotype, carriers of
      the T genotype of the eIF3a Arg803Lys C>T polymorphism had a higher risk of
      cervical carcinoma. The eIF3a Arg803Lys C>T polymorphism was associated with
      tumor size, differentiation degree, Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics
      (FIGO) stage, and lymph node metastasis (LNM). The overall response rate of the
      case group was 69.32% (122/176). The response rate of CC genotype carriers was
      higher compared to patients with the CT+TT genotypes. Binary-logistic regression
      analysis showed that tumor size, FIGO stage, LNM, and the eIF3a Arg803Lys C>T
      polymorphism were influencing factors for chemoradiotherapy efficacy. Univariate
      analysis revealed that age, eIF3a Arg803Lys C>T polymorphism, differentiation
      degree, FIGO stage, and LNM were prognostic factors of cervical carcinoma, and
      multivariate analysis showed that age >= 60 years, higher FIGO stage, and LNM, as
      well as the CT and TT genotypes of the eIF3a Arg803Lys C>T polymorphism, were
      risk factors related to the prognosis of cervical carcinoma. The eIF3a Arg803Lys
      C>T polymorphism is connected with a higher susceptibility to cervical carcinoma
      and may affect chemoradiotherapy efficacy in and prognosis of cervical carcinoma.

PMID- 28359407
TI  - Role of interleukin-6 and pentraxin 3 as an early marker in Peyronie's disease.
AB  - Inflammation is mechanistically involved in the development of Peyronie's disease
      (PD). The aim of this study is to assess the relevance of serum pentraxin 3
      (PTX3) and interleukin-6 (IL-6) concentrations in PD. The study enrolled 40
      patients with PD in the acute phase and 40 healthy controls. Plasma PTX3 and IL-6
      concentrations were evaluated in 40 patients in the acute phase of PD and 40
      healthy controls by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Serum concentrations of
      both PTX3 and IL-6 were significantly higher in the PD patients than in the
      control group (p=0.001 and p=0.001, respectively). There was a significant
      correlation between concentration of PTX3 and painful erections. IL-6
      concentrations were significantly higher in patients with erectile dysfunction.
      IL-6 and PTX3 levels showed no correlation with age, serum C-reactive protein,
      degree of curvature, and disease duration. IL-6 trans-signaling and PTX3
      amplification at the site of inflammation could have a role in pathophysiological
      mechanisms of PD. Biological drugs may be used for treatment during the acute
      phase of the disease based on this mechanism.

PMID- 28359408
TI  - Robotic versus conventional laparoscopic cholecystectomy: A comparative study of
      medical resource utilization and clinical outcomes.
AB  - Conventional laparoscopic cholecystectomy (CLC) is currently the standard of
      surgical procedure for gallstone disease. Robotic cholecystectomy (RC) has
      revolutionized the field of minimally invasive surgery; it is safe and ergonomic,
      but expensive. The aim of this study is to compare the medical resource
      utilization and clinical outcomes between the two procedures. This study was
      conducted retrospectively by assessing data of the clinical outcomes and medical
      resource of 78 patients receiving RC and 367 patients receiving CLC. We reviewed
      the data of operation times, length of hospital stay, hospital charges,
      outpatient department visits, outpatient department service charges, and
      postoperative complications, which were retrieved from the health information
      system (HIS) database in this hospital. Patients in both groups had similar
      demographic and clinical features. The RC group had longer length of hospital
      stay (p=0.056), significantly longer operation time (p=0.035), and much more
      hospital charges (p=0.001). The RC group, however, experienced less postoperative
      complication rates (average 3.8% vs. 20.4%, p=0.001). Conversion rate was 1.9% in
      the CLC group versus 0% in the RC group (p=0.611). Most complications were mild,
      and following the Clavien-Dindo classification, there were two cases (2.5%) Grade
      I for the RC group; 50 cases (13.6%) Grade I and 14 cases (3.81%) Grade II for
      the CLC group (p<0.001 and 0.001, respectively). Procedure-related complications
      of Grade IIIa status were encountered in nine patients (2.45%) in the CLC group
      and none in the RC group (p=0.002).The RC group consumed more medical resources
      in the index hospitalization; however, they experienced significantly less
      postoperative complications.

PMID- 28359409
TI  - Surgical management of urinary stones with abnormal kidney anatomy.
AB  - In spite of the fact that urologic surgical techniques used by urologists are
      becoming more and more minimally invasive and easier because of developing
      technologies, surgical approaches for the urinary stones in kidneys with abnormal
      anatomy are still confusing. The objective of this article is to determine the
      treatment options in these kidneys. For this purpose, between 2005 and 2015, we
      retrospectively evaluated patients operated for urolithiasis with various
      congenital renal anomalies in five referral urology clinics in our country. Of
      the 178 patients (110 male, 60 female), 96 had horseshoe kidneys, 42 had pelvic
      ectopic kidneys (PEKs), and 40 had isolated rotation anomalies (IRAs) of the
      kidney. We evaluated the patients for stone-free rate (SFR), mean operation time,
      mean hospitalization time, and complication rate. In horseshoe kidney, SFRs for
      retrograde intrarenal surgery (RIRS) and percutaneous nephrolithotomy (PNL)
      groups were 72.2% and 90%, respectively. In PEKs, these rates were 83.6% and 100%
      for RIRS and laparoscopic pyelolithotomy, respectively. SFRs in kidneys with IRA
      were 75% for RIRS and 83.3% for PNL. The mean operation time for RIRS and PNL
      groups in horseshoe kidney was 40.5+/-11.2 minutes and 74.5+/-19.3 minutes,
      respectively. In PEKs, these times were 52.1+/-19.3 minutes and 53.1+/-24.3
      minutes for RIRS and laparoscopic pyelolithotomy, respectively. Mean operation
      time in kidneys with IRA was 48.7+/-14.4 minutes for RIRS and 53.2+/-11.3 minutes
      for PNL. Mean hospitalization times for RIRS and PNL groups in horseshoe kidneys
      were 1.4+/-0.7 days and 2.2+/-1.4 days, respectively. In PEKs, these times were
      2.7+/-1.8 days and 1.9+/-0.4 days for RIRS and laparoscopic pyelolithotomy,
      respectively. Mean operation time in kidneys with IRA was 1.5+/-0.9 days for RIRS
      and 1.8+/-0.6 days for PNL. The results of our study showed that RIRS could be
      used in all of types of abnormal kidneys with small- and medium-sized renal
      calculi safely and satisfactorily.

PMID- 28359410
TI  - An uncommon cause of anterior elbow pain: Diagnosis and injection for
      bicipitoradial bursitis using ultrasonography.

PMID- 28359411
TI  - Interaction Between Spironolactone and Natriuretic Peptides in Patients With
      Heart Failure and Preserved Ejection Fraction: From the TOPCAT Trial.
AB  - OBJECTIVES: The aims of this study were to explore the relationship of baseline
      levels of natriuretic peptides (NPs) with outcomes and to test for an interaction
      between baseline levels of NPs and the effects spironolactone. BACKGROUND: Plasma
      NPs are considered to be helpful in the diagnosis of heart failure (HF) with
      preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF), and elevated levels are associated with
      adverse outcomes. Levels of NPs higher than certain cutoffs are often used as
      inclusion criteria in clinical trials of HFpEF to increase the likelihood that
      patients have HF and to select patients at higher risk for events. Whether
      treatments have a differential effect on outcomes across the spectrum of NP
      levels is unclear. METHODS: The TOPCAT (Treatment of Preserved Cardiac Function
      Heart Failure With an Aldosterone Antagonist Trial) trial randomized patients
      with HFpEF and either prior hospitalization for HF or elevated natriuretic
      peptide levels (B-type NP [BNP] >=100 pg/ml or N-terminal proBNP >=360 pg/ml) to
      spironolactone or placebo. Baseline BNP (n = 430) or N-terminal proBNP (n = 257)
      levels were available in 687 patients enrolled from the Americas in the elevated
      NP stratum of TOPCAT. RESULTS: Higher levels of NPs were independently associated
      with an increased risk for TOPCAT's primary endpoint of cardiovascular mortality,
      aborted cardiac arrest, or hospitalization for HF when analyzed either
      continuously or grouped by terciles, adjusting for region of enrollment, age,
      sex, atrial fibrillation, diabetes, renal function, body mass index, and heart
      rate. There was a significant interaction between the effect of spironolactone
      and baseline NP terciles for the primary outcome (p = 0.017), with greater
      benefit of the drug in the lower compared with higher NP terciles. CONCLUSIONS:
      Similar to the effects of irbesartan in the I-PRESERVE (Irbesartan in Heart
      Failure With Preserved Ejection Fraction) trial, a greater benefit of
      spironolactone was observed in the group with lower levels of NPs and overall
      risk in TOPCAT. Elevated NPs in HFpEF identify patients at higher risk for events
      but who may be less responsive to treatment. The mechanism of this apparent
      interaction between disease severity and response to therapy requires further
      exploration. (Aldosterone Antagonist Therapy for Adults With Heart Failure and
      Preserved Systolic Function [TOPCAT]; NCT00094302).

PMID- 28359412
TI  - Natriuretic Peptide Levels and Interaction With Treatment in HFpEF: Intriguing
      Findings in a "House of Cards"?

PMID- 28359413
TI  - Limited Added Value of Circulating Inflammatory Biomarkers in Chronic Heart
      Failure.
AB  - OBJECTIVES: This study sought to evaluate whether a panel of biomarkers improved
      prognostication in patients with heart failure (HF) and reduced ejection fraction
      of ischemic origin using a systematized approach according to suggested
      requirements for validation of new biomarkers. BACKGROUND: Modeling combinations
      of multiple circulating markers could potentially identify patients with HF at
      particularly high risk and aid in the selection of individualized therapy.
      METHODS: From a panel of 20 inflammatory and extracellular matrix biomarkers, 2
      different biomarker panels were created and added to the Seattle HF score and the
      prognostic model from the CORONA (Controlled Rosuvastatin Multinational Trial in
      Heart Failure) study (n = 1,497), which included conventional clinical
      characteristics and C-reactive protein and N-terminal pro-B-type natriuretic
      peptide. Interactions with statin treatment were also assessed. RESULTS: The two
      models-model 1 (endostatin, interleukin 8, soluble ST2, troponin T, galectin 3,
      and chemokine [C-C motif] ligand 21) and model 2 (troponin T, soluble ST2,
      galectin 3, pentraxin 3, and soluble tumor necrosis factor receptor 2)
      significantly improved the CORONA and Seattle HF models but added only modestly
      to their Harrell's C statistic and net reclassification index. In addition,
      rosuvastatin had no effect on the levels of a wide range of inflammatory and
      extracellular matrix markers, but there was a tendency for patients with a lower
      level of biomarkers in the 2 panels to have a positive effect from statin
      treatment. CONCLUSIONS: In the specific HF patient population studied, a
      multimarker approach using the particular panel of biomarkers measured was of
      limited clinical value for identifying future risk of adverse outcomes.

PMID- 28359414
TI  - A Multibiomarker Approach to Heart Failure Prognostication: A Work in Progress.

PMID- 28359415
TI  - Soluble Urokinase-Type Plasminogen Activator Receptor Improves Risk Prediction in
      Patients With Chronic Heart Failure.
AB  - OBJECTIVES: This study investigated the predictive value of soluble urokinase
      type plasminogen activator receptor (suPAR) in patients with chronic heart
      failure (CHF). BACKGROUND: SuPAR originates from proteolytic cleavage of the
      membrane-bound receptor from activated immune and endothelial cells and reflects
      the level of immune activation. As inflammation plays a crucial role in the
      complex pathophysiology of CHF, we hypothesized that suPAR might be a suitable
      prognostic biomarker in patients with CHF. METHODS: SuPAR levels were determined
      in 319 patients with CHF admitted to our outpatient department for heart failure
      and in a second cohort consisting of 346 patients with CHF, for validation.
      RESULTS: During a median follow-up time of 3.2 years, 119 patients (37.3%) died.
      SuPAR was a strong predictor of mortality with a crude hazard ratio (HR) per
      increase of 1 SD (HR per 1 SD) of 1.96 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.63 to
      2.35; p < 0.001) in univariate analysis and remained significant after
      comprehensive multivariate adjustment with an adjusted HR per 1 SD of 1.38 (95%
      CI: 1.04 to 1.83; p = 0.026). SuPAR added prognostic value beyond the
      multivariate model indicated by improvements in C-statistics (area under the
      curve: 0.72 vs 0.74, respectively; p = 0.02), the category-free net
      reclassification index (24.9%; p = 0.032), and the integrated discrimination
      improvement (0.011; p = 0.05). Validation in the second cohort yielded consistent
      results. CONCLUSIONS: SuPAR is a strong and independent predictor of mortality in
      patients with CHF, potentially suitable to refine risk assessment in this
      vulnerable group of patients. Our results emphasize the impact of immune
      activation on survival in patients with CHF.

PMID- 28359416
TI  - Prognostic Outcomes in Patients With Heart Failure: A New SuPAR Biomarker for
      Risk Prediction?

PMID- 28359418
TI  - Partnering With Patients to Develop Better Heart Failure Trials.

PMID- 28359417
TI  - Early Adoption of Sacubitril/Valsartan for Patients With Heart Failure With
      Reduced Ejection Fraction: Insights From Get With the Guidelines-Heart Failure
      (GWTG-HF).
AB  - OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study was to assess the prevalence and variation in
      angiotensin receptor/neprilysin inhibitor (ARNI) prescription among a real-world
      population with heart failure with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF). BACKGROUND:
      The U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved sacubitril/valsartan for patients
      with HFrEF in July 2015. Little is known about the early patterns of use of this
      novel therapy. METHODS: The study included patients discharged alive from
      hospitals in Get With the Guidelines-Heart Failure (GWTG-HF), a registry of
      hospitalized patients with heart failure, between July 2015 and June 2016 who had
      documentation of whether ARNIs were prescribed at discharge. Patient and hospital
      characteristics were compared among patients with HFrEF (ejection fraction <=40%)
      with and without ARNI prescription at discharge, excluding those with documented
      contraindications to ARNIs. To evaluate hospital variation, hospitals with at
      least 10 eligible hospitalizations during the study period were assessed.
      RESULTS: Of 21,078 patients hospitalized with HFrEF during the study period, 495
      (2.3%) were prescribed ARNIs at discharge. Patients prescribed ARNIs were younger
      (median age 65 years vs. 70 years; p < 0.001), had lower ejection fractions
      (median 23% vs. 25%; p < 0.001), and had higher use of aldosterone antagonists
      (45% vs. 31%; p < 0.001) at discharge. At the 241 participating hospitals with 10
      or more eligible admissions, 125 (52%) reported no discharge prescriptions of
      ARNIs. CONCLUSIONS: Approximately 2.3% of patients hospitalized for HFrEF in a
      national registry were prescribed ARNI therapy in the first 12 months following
      Food and Drug Administration approval. Further study is needed to identify and
      overcome barriers to implementing new evidence into practice, such as ARNI use
      among eligible patients with HFrEF.

PMID- 28359419
TI  - Factors That May Affect Body Change During and After Hospitalization for Acute
      Heart Failure.

PMID- 28359420
TI  - Reply: Factors That May Affect Body Change During and After Hospitalization for
      Acute Heart Failure.

PMID- 28359421
TI  - Amiodarone and Beta-Blockers in Patients With Heart Failure and Atrial
      Fibrillation.

PMID- 28359422
TI  - Data Sharing From the Editors' Perspective: Our Hope With Limitations.

PMID- 28359423
TI  - Correction.

PMID- 28359424
TI  - The Opioid Epidemic: Searching for Answers.

PMID- 28359425
TI  - Contribution of Group Therapeutic Factors to the Outcome of Cognitive-Behavioral
      Therapy for Patients with Panic Disorder.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Investigating the contribution of therapeutic factors arising from
      the collective nature or group therapy to treat mental disorders may help
      therapists maximize the outcome of therapy. Studies about the role of therapeutic
      factors in cognitive-behavioral group therapy (CBGT) for panic disorder (PD)
      patients are still scarce. OBJECTIVES: To identify the therapeutic factors rated
      as the most useful by patients during CBGT. Also, we aimed to investigate the
      relationship between patient rating of therapeutic factors and specific stages of
      CBGT. DESIGN: Non-controlled clinical trial. METHODS: A 12-session CBGT protocol
      was set up, covering psychoeducation, techniques for anxiety coping, cognitive
      restructuring, interoceptive and naturalistic exposure, and live exposure to
      avoidant behavior. PD symptom severity was assessed before and after the CBGT
      protocol. Yalom's Curative Factors Questionnaire was self-administered at the end
      of each session to evaluate the 12 therapeutic factors. RESULTS: The sample
      consisted of 16 patients, who produced 192 assessments of therapeutic factors.
      Severity of symptoms improved at the end of CBGT, with a large effect size
      (>1.0). Different ratings were attributed to therapeutic factors at different
      phases of CBGT. Seven factors were rated as significantly helpful: altruism,
      interpersonal learning/input, guidance, identification, family reenactment, self
      understanding, and existential factors. CONCLUSIONS: Therapeutic factors are
      dynamic and interdependent. Therefore, recognizing the impact of these factors
      during CBGT may potentially contribute to a better understanding of the
      therapeutic process.

PMID- 28359426
TI  - Content Validity of a Psychotherapeutic Intervention Model in Nursing: A Modified
      e-Delphi Study.
AB  - AIM: To estimate the content validity of a psychotherapeutic intervention model
      in nursing. BACKGROUND: Mental health nurses encounter great extrinsic
      difficulties when it comes to providing psychotherapeutic interventions due to
      the fact that they are not allowed to perform such practice in some countries. In
      this light, the pursuit of a psychotherapeutic intervention model in nursing
      seems germane to guide the professionals' psychotherapeutic practice,
      contributing hereof to increase mental health nurses' professional autonomy.
      DESIGN: Modified e-Delphi. METHODS: Data were collected from October 2015 to
      January 2016 by means of three rounds of online questionnaires. The initial
      questionnaire was structured into five sections: general structure of the model,
      patients' exclusion criteria, assessment framework, nursing diagnoses, and
      nursing psychotherapeutic interventions. From the 42 experts invited, at least
      twenty (20) participated in each round. RESULTS: The experts achieved consensus
      with regard to the conclusion that nursing psychotherapeutic interventions should
      always seek to address a nursing diagnosis. These defined furthermore that a
      psychotherapeutic intervention model in nursing should be exercised by means of 3
      to 12 sessions using Nursing Interventions Classification (NIC) as a resource.
      Finally, experts deemed that the model should follow the principles of
      integrative psychotherapy, so that techniques from different schools of
      psychotherapy could therefore be used in conjunction to promote the resolution of
      a nursing diagnosis. CONCLUSION: Achieving consensus about the structure of a
      psychotherapeutic intervention model in nursing is imperative to guide nurses in
      the provision of nursing psychotherapeutic interventions and to enable an
      effective evaluation of the health gains associated with its implementation.

PMID- 28359427
TI  - The Relationship Between Treatment Adherence and Social Support in Psychiatric
      Patients in the East of Turkey.
AB  - This study was conducted to determine the relationship between the adherence to
      treatment and social support in psychiatric patients. The study was completed
      with a total of 324 psychiatric patients. The data gathering tools used were
      Demographics Questionnaire, Morisky Medication Adherence Scale and Multi
      Dimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support. The study sample consisted of
      psychiatric patients who were selected from the population by using the simple
      random sampling method. Among the patients, 50.9% adhered to the treatment, and
      14.5% did not. Patients living in city and country-town, with high income and
      living with family were found to have more social support. A positive,
      significant relationship was found among scales (p<0.05). As the mean scores of
      social support increased, patients' adherence to treatment increased.

PMID- 28359428
TI  - Demographics and Health Profiles of Depressive Symptoms in Korean Older Adults.
AB  - This study examined the demographics and health characteristics of depressive
      symptoms of Korean older adults. Data were from the 2014 survey of the Korean
      Longitudinal Study of Aging (KLoSA). Hierarchical logistic regression was
      conducted to identify risk factors of depressive symptoms. Model 2 including
      socio-demographics and health characteristics explained 19.2% of depressive
      symptoms. Significant risk factors of depressive symptoms were men, age of 53-60
      years, mid-sized city and rural area residents, less than high-school education,
      adults without spouse, 1st (lowest) quintile of annual household income, body
      shape as underweight, ex-smokers, non-drinkers, no regular exercise, perceived
      health status as poor, limited activities of daily living, and the number of
      comorbidities. Interventions to reduce depressive symptoms in these populations
      should include strategies to change some of these modifiable risk factors.

PMID- 28359429
TI  - Don't Just Survive, Thrive: Understanding How Acute Psychiatric Nurses Develop
      Resilience.
AB  - With one in five Canadians estimated to experience mental illness, retention of
      registered nurses in the acute psychiatric hospital setting becomes a pressing
      issue. The key for these nurses to survive and potentially even thrive in
      practice has been identified as resilience. From interviews with four registered
      nurses, maintaining a "vast" perspective, becoming an "expert" of self,
      clarifying "belief systems", and being "present" through "staying awake" were
      identified as key in developing resilience. Although participants expressed that
      the development of resilience is an individual process, the concept of
      development was similar. Developing personal resilience may be a matter of self
      development.

PMID- 28359430
TI  - Reciprocal Abuse: Elder Neglect and Abuse by Primary Caregivers and Caregiver
      Burden and Abuse in Turkey.
AB  - The aim of the study was to determine the relationship between the neglect and
      abuse that older people were exposed to by their primary caregivers and the
      experiences of caregivers' burden and abuse by their charges. This descriptive,
      cross-sectional and correlational study was conducted with 186 individuals over
      the age of 65 and 136 caregivers. The data were collected using questionnaires to
      determine neglect and abuse experienced by both older people and caregivers, and
      the Zarit Burden Scale. Abuse rate of the older people and their caregivers is
      both high and similar. This study is to make psychiatric nursing professionals
      aware of the problem of elder abuse and neglect. For researchers, educators,
      practitioners, and policymakers in the fields of aging, health, and mental health
      this study provides important data about elder abuse and neglect.

PMID- 28359431
TI  - The Effectiveness of Psychoeducational Interventions in Reducing the Care Burden
      of Family Members Caring for the Elderly in Turkey: A Randomized Controlled
      Study.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: To examine the effectiveness of psychoeducational intervention that is
      based on the McGill Model of Nursing in reducing the burden of caregivers and
      improving self-efficacy and adaptive coping in people who provide care for the
      older person. METHODS: This study was conducted using a pre- and post-test
      control group and repeated measures experimental design in a family health center
      service area located in Istanbul. This study was conducted with 33 caregivers in
      each group. The data were collected using the questionnaire form, the Zarit
      Burden Interview, the General Self-Efficacy Scale and the Cognitive Emotion
      Regulation Questionnaire. RESULTS: According to the findings of the study, the
      post-test Zarit Burden Interview points of the intervention group trained for
      according to McGill Model of Nursing will decrease compared with the control
      group after the intervention hypothesis was accepted; the post-test General Self
      Efficacy Scale and adaptive subscales of the Cognitive Emotion Regulation
      Questionnaire scores will increase after the intervention hypothesis was also
      accepted. CONCLUSION: It was found that the psychoeducational intervention based
      on the McGill Nursing Model was efficient.

PMID- 28359432
TI  - Diabetes Knowledge Among Adults with Serious Mental Illness and Comorbid Diabetes
      Mellitus.
AB  - This study examined the association between psychiatric symptoms and diabetes
      knowledge (DK) among 90 adults with serious mental illness (SMI) and type 2
      diabetes. The relationship between DK and glucose control (i.e., A1C) was also
      examined. In a hierarchical linear regression, greater negative symptom severity
      and lower cognitive functioning both predicted lower DK, though cognitive
      functioning superseded negative symptom severity when analyzed simultaneously. A
      Pearson correlation showed no significant relationship between DK and A1C.
      Although symptom severity and cognitive functioning are both related to DK among
      this population, cognitive functioning maybe particularly important.

PMID- 28359433
TI  - Social Support Moderates the Effects of Self-esteem and Depression on Quality of
      Life Among Chinese Rural Elderly in Nursing Homes.

PMID- 28359434
TI  - Anxiety Management in Primary Care: Implementing the National Institute of
      Clinical Excellence Guidelines.
AB  - More than 40 million Americans suffer from anxiety disorders, ranking them as one
      of the most common mental health disorders in America. The purpose of this pilot
      study was to educate providers on the National Institute Clinical Excellence
      (NICE) anxiety guidelines and monitor providers' perceived competence in managing
      anxiety. Results showed perceived competence increased significantly pre
      intervention to immediately post-intervention (p=0.001), and data revealed the
      scores did not change significantly immediately post-to six-weeks post (p=0.170).
      Providers who implemented the guidelines into practice had significantly higher
      scores (p=0.026) than those who did not implement the guidelines.

PMID- 28359435
TI  - The Trauma of Birth or Parenting a Child: Effect on Parents' Negative Emotion in
      China.
AB  - The present study assessed negative emotions associated with the traumas of
      infertility and child rearing (child's disability or death) and the correlates of
      duration of trauma. The widely used Chinese Mental Health Scale was used to
      assess negative emotions in 294 individuals who experienced the aforementioned
      traumas and 124 who did not (control group). Results showed that individuals with
      infertility exhibited greater anxiety, depression, and solitude than the control
      group; bereaved parents and had greater solitude and fear than control group; and
      parents of children with disabilities had greater solitude than the control
      group. Parents who experienced the death of a child had more fear and
      physiological maladjustment than parents of a child with disabilities. In
      addition, individuals without parenting experience had higher scores on solitude,
      fear, and physiological disease than those with parenting experience. After
      controlling for demographic variables, the duration of trauma significantly
      negatively predicted depression in the infertile group and for bereaved parents.
      The results suggest that in order to prevent psychological and physiological
      health problems among infertile couples, parents of a disabled child, and parents
      who experience the death of child, family and community-based strategies should
      be developed and implemented.

PMID- 28359436
TI  - The Mentally Ill in Jail: Contemporary Clinical and Practice Perspectives for
      Psychiatric-Mental Health Nursing.
AB  - Individuals with serious mental illnesses (SMI) who are incarcerated pose major
      treatment challenges for both correctional personnel and healthcare providers,
      yet deserve the same high standards of care as those in traditional mental health
      facilities. The literature references these challenges as types of mental health
      treatment disparities, and calls for improvement measures from clinicians,
      researchers, policy-makers, and advocates. From the standpoint of psychiatric
      mental health (PMH) nursing, this paper explores, examines, and offers some
      contemporary clinical and practice perspectives for providing best-practice
      psychiatric care for SMI individuals who are in jails. The diverse roles of PMH
      nursing can contribute meaningfully to tackling quality improvement initiatives
      on mental health treatment agendas for SMI inmates.

PMID- 28359437
TI  - Theoretical Approaches to Enhancing Motivation for Adherence to Antidepressant
      Medications.
AB  - PROBLEM: Adherence to antidepressants is a major challenge in our health care
      system, with a high percentage of patients discontinuing their medications within
      six months. AIMS: The purpose of this position paper is to discuss theoretical
      frameworks that address the psychological beliefs, benefits and barriers and
      feelings of autonomy that affect a person's willingness and motivation to take
      anti-depressant medications within a therapeutic relationship with a nurse
      practitioner. METHODS: Three theoretical frameworks were selected to highlight
      particular perspectives relevant to enhancing patient motivation for medication
      adherence. The Self-Regulation Model, Health Belief Model, and Self-Determination
      Theory combined with motivational interviewing all offer guidance on strategies
      for improving adherence to antidepressants. CONCLUSIONS: The Self-Regulation
      Model underscores the importance of illness representations that prompt
      considering patient perceptions of depression that affect adherence. The Health
      Belief Model focuses on cost-benefit considerations that affect patient's
      adherence, along with perceived control. Finally, Self-Determination Theory
      combined with motivational interviewing offers strategies that enhance autonomy
      and optimize collaboration and motivation for adherence. RELEVANCE FOR CLINICAL
      PRACTICE: These three theoretical models are applied to a vignette for a patient
      who is having difficulty with adherence to antidepressant medication.

PMID- 28359438
TI  - Patterns of Bedtime Preparation for In-patients with Schizophrenia: A Pilot
      Study.

PMID- 28359439
TI  - Management of the Diseases of Mesenteric Arteries and Veins: Clinical Practice
      Guidelines of the European Society of Vascular Surgery (ESVS).

PMID- 28359440
TI  - Editor's Choice - Management of the Diseases of Mesenteric Arteries and Veins:
      Clinical Practice Guidelines of the European Society of Vascular Surgery (ESVS).

PMID- 28359441
TI  - Genetics and Evolution of Leishmania parasites.

PMID- 28359442
TI  - The other C word.

PMID- 28359443
TI  - Access to medicines: lessons from the HIV response.

PMID- 28359444
TI  - Preconception ART and preterm birth: real effect or selection bias?

PMID- 28359445
TI  - Preconception ART and preterm birth: real effect or selection bias? - Authors'
      reply.

PMID- 28359446
TI  - Neglected risk factors for HIV and Toxoplasma gondii co-infection.

PMID- 28359447
TI  - Neglected risk factors for HIV and Toxoplasma gondii co-infection.

PMID- 28359448
TI  - Neglected risk factors for HIV and Toxoplasma gondii co-infection - Authors'
      reply.

PMID- 28359449
TI  - Not just PrEP: other reasons for London's HIV decline.

PMID- 28359450
TI  - Continuing education: Caveat emptor.

PMID- 28359451
TI  - Time to talk about the gender gap in dentist earnings.

PMID- 28359452
TI  - Human dignity.

PMID- 28359454
TI  - Correction.

PMID- 28359453
TI  - Author's response.

PMID- 28359455
TI  - Meeting commentary: Santa Fe Group Salon Expanding Oral Healthcare for America's
      Seniors, September 28-30, 2016.
AB  - BACKGROUND AND OVERVIEW: A meeting to explore ways to expand access to oral
      health care for seniors-possibly by expanding a dental benefit in Medicare-was
      convened in Arlington, VA, by the Santa Fe Group. Four factors motivated the
      meeting: PRACTICAL IMPLICATIONS: The model Medicare dental benefit presented
      generated much discussion. There was agreement that any dental benefit must
      attract participating dentists. Agreement was also reached on the importance of
      public demonstration projects to further establish cost savings from dental care
      for patients with comorbid diseases, the need to collaborate with nondental
      advocacy and policy groups to establish that overall health benefits for seniors
      are gained by adding oral health care, and the necessity of oral health literacy
      campaigns working directly at the community level with the general public and
      others, including educators and the media, as well as with policy makers and
      providers from all health fields and at all levels of professional training.

PMID- 28359456
TI  - Is it time to change how you make changes?

PMID- 28359457
TI  - The ethics of presenting a fair and honest treatment plan.

PMID- 28359458
TI  - Erratum to "Genetic identification of Rickettsia sp. strain Atlantic rainforest
      in an endemic area of a mild spotted fever in Rio Grande do Sul state, Southern
      Brazil" [Acta Trop. 162 (2016) 142-145].

PMID- 28359459
TI  - Tracheal Resection and Reconstruction: How I Teach It.

PMID- 28359460
TI  - Teamwork and Communication Skills in Cardiothoracic Surgery.
AB  - Teamwork and communication skills are essential for the safe practice of
      cardiothoracic surgery. In this article, we will summarize the literature on
      teamwork and the culture of safety, and discuss how surgeons may directly improve
      the outcomes of their patients by addressing these factors.

PMID- 28359461
TI  - Invited Commentary.

PMID- 28359462
TI  - Invited Commentary.

PMID- 28359463
TI  - Invited Commentary.

PMID- 28359464
TI  - Invited Commentary.

PMID- 28359465
TI  - Invited Commentary.

PMID- 28359466
TI  - Invited Commentary.

PMID- 28359467
TI  - Invited Commentary.

PMID- 28359468
TI  - Invited Commentary.

PMID- 28359469
TI  - Invited Commentary.

PMID- 28359470
TI  - Alternatives to Lobectomy for High-Risk Patients With Early-Stage Non-Small Cell
      Lung Cancer.
AB  - The standard of care for the surgical management of non-small cell lung cancer
      remains a lobectomy. For patients with limited pulmonary reserve, lesser
      resections or nonoperative therapies may be indicated. The purpose of this review
      is to evaluate the outcomes from more limited resections as well as the evidence
      for the efficacy of photon-based and proton-based stereotactic body radiotherapy,
      radiofrequency ablation, and microwave thermal ablation. In doing so, the goal of
      this review is to provide surgeons with an evidence-based treatment menu for
      treating patients who are not candidates for lobectomy.

PMID- 28359471
TI  - Targeting Immune Checkpoints in Esophageal Cancer: A High Mutational Load Tumor.
AB  - Checkpoint inhibitors (eg, programmed cell death protein 1 [PD-1], programmed
      cell death ligand 1 [PD-L1], cytotoxic T-lymphocyte associated protein 4 [CTLA-4]
      antibodies) are changing how we understand cancer and provide a means to develop
      modern immunotherapies. An emergent notion relates success with checkpoint
      inhibitors with high mutational load tumors. There are few studies that examine
      checkpoint protein expression and relate these to clinical outcomes after the
      conventional treatment of patients with esophageal cancer, which has a high
      mutational load. The objective of this review is to summarize the literature that
      examines checkpoint expression and clinical outcomes, as well as propose an
      accelerated approach to introducing these therapies into the clinic to treat
      patients with esophageal cancer.

PMID- 28359472
TI  - The American Association for Thoracic Surgery/Society of Thoracic Surgeons
      Position Statement on Developing Clinical Practice Documents.

PMID- 28359473
TI  - Fifty-Third Annual Meeting, The Society of Thoracic Surgeons.

PMID- 28359474
TI  - Reply.

PMID- 28359475
TI  - Contemporary Thoracic Aortic and Abdominal Injuries: An Emergency Strategy.

PMID- 28359476
TI  - Reply.

PMID- 28359477
TI  - Pain Control With Bupivacaine After Lung Resections.

PMID- 28359478
TI  - Reply.

PMID- 28359479
TI  - Prosthesis Size Selection for Patients With Severe Mitral Stenosis.

PMID- 28359480
TI  - Rebuilding the Physiological Ellipse: Are All Left Ventricles the Same?

PMID- 28359481
TI  - Corrigendum.

PMID- 28359482
TI  - Editor's Commentary.

PMID- 28359483
TI  - Use of the Lotus Transcatheter Valve to Treat Severe Native Aortic Regurgitation.
AB  - Transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) has become the standard treatment
      for aortic stenosis in high-risk patients. TAVI for native valve aortic
      regurgitation is technically more demanding because of a lack of anchoring
      calcification, a lower index incidence, heterogeneous causes, and larger anatomy.
      We present 3 cases in which the Lotus TAV was used to treat severe native aortic
      regurgitation (AR) successfully.

PMID- 28359484
TI  - Occult Internal Mammary Artery Neurofibromatosis: A Case for Caution in Coronary
      Revascularization.
AB  - Intrathoracic neurofibromas are relatively uncommon in patients with
      neurofibromatosis. They are usually asymptomatic and may be discovered
      incidentally. We present the case of a 51-year-old, African American man with
      neurofibromatosis type 1 who underwent coronary revascularization.
      Intraoperatively, numerous neurofibromas were discovered, one of which was
      attached to the left internal mammary artery. The procedure was uncomplicated
      despite the challenging intraoperative findings. Special considerations in the
      management of patients with neurofibromatosis undergoing cardiac surgery are
      discussed, including risks, preoperative imaging and the importance of excision
      of suspicious tumors.

PMID- 28359485
TI  - Giant Coronary Artery Aneurysm in a Middle-Aged Woman.
AB  - Giant coronary artery aneurysm (CAA) is a rare clinicopathologic entity, and
      there is a dearth of information regarding presentation, diagnosis, and
      subsequent management. We present a case of a giant aneurysm of the proximal
      right coronary artery (RCA) that was 1.5 * 1.5 cm with direct communication
      between the aneurysmal cavity and the aortic sinus. The deficit in the RCA ostium
      was closed with a patch of bovine pericardium. The distal communication of the
      aneurysm to the mid-RCA was clearly delineated and tied off. The distal RCA was
      grafted under bypass with a long saphenous vein. Although our case is not unique,
      it does represent an uncommon presentation of a rare disease process.

PMID- 28359486
TI  - Intraoperative Bioprosthetic Valve Dysfunction Causing Severe Mitral
      Regurgitation.
AB  - Structural degeneration of bioprosthetic valves usually occurs gradually over
      time. Failure of a bioprosthetic valve immediately after implantation is
      extremely rare. Possible causes include obstruction of valve leaflets from
      preserved subvalvular tissue during chordal-sparing mitral valve replacement
      (MVR) or strut entrapment by suture loops. We report 2 cases of acute
      bioprosthetic mitral valve (MV) dysfunction involving newly implanted Perimount
      Theon (Edwards Lifesciences, Irvine, CA) bioprostheses, causing severe
      transvalvular mitral regurgitation (MR). Rapid diagnosis was achieved with the
      use of intraoperative transesophageal echocardiography (TEE). Operative
      assessment and examination of the explanted valves could not determine a definite
      cause of failure in either case.

PMID- 28359487
TI  - New Presentation of Hemolysis After Papillary Muscles Approximation for Mitral
      Valve Repair.
AB  - Hemolysis is a well-recognized complication after prosthetic valve replacement,
      especially with perivalvular leaks. Hemolytic anemia associated with mitral valve
      (MV) repair is less common. We report the case of a young man with severe
      hemolytic anemia caused by turbulence of blood flow through a very small
      quadrangle orifice due to early failure of MV repair. The patient underwent redo
      MV biologic prosthesis replacement and tricuspid valve annuloplasty. The
      hemolysis completely disappeared few months later. In this case, we describe a
      new presentation of mechanical hemolysis due to early failure of MV repair that
      has not been described in the literature.

PMID- 28359488
TI  - Left Atrial and Carotid Body Paraganglioma.
AB  - We report a rare case of left atrial paraganglioma with a synchronous carotid
      body paraganglioma in a 30-year-old man with succinate dehydrogenase B gene
      mutation. The patient initially presented with a neck mass and palpitations.
      Laboratory test results showed elevated catecholamine levels. A cardiac
      paraganglioma was identified by computed tomography, meta-iodobenzylguanidine
      scintigraphy, and magnetic resonance imaging. Surgical resection of both
      paragangliomas were performed on two separate occasions. Serum and urine
      catecholamine levels returned to normal range. On follow-up, there was no
      recurrence of the cardiac paraganglioma. Radiotherapy was subsequently initiated
      for recurrence in the carotid body paraganglioma.

PMID- 28359489
TI  - Palpitations and a Left Ventricular Mass: An Odd Presentation of Left Dominant
      Arrhythmogenic Cardiomyopathy.
AB  - A 20-year-old woman presented with palpitations. Echocardiography demonstrated a
      left ventricular mass involving the posterolateral apical wall and protruding
      into the ventricular cavity. Evaluation with magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)
      suggested fatty consistency with all edges well defined except the medial, which
      was ill defined, raising concern for an invasive liposarcoma. Open core needle
      biopsy demonstrated mature adipocytes infiltrating the myocardium with extensive
      interstitial fibrosis. The diagnosis was left-dominant arrhythmogenic
      cardiomyopathy. Two-year MRI follow-up demonstrates no change in size. This case
      illustrates the use and limits of cardiac MRI and the value of open cardiac
      biopsy in diagnosis.

PMID- 28359490
TI  - How Could These Mini Saccular Aneurysms of Ascending Aorta Be Classified?
AB  - The wall of a true aneurysm is composed of all histologic layers of the aorta. A
      false aneurysm represents a small, contained rupture of aorta followed by bulging
      of the corresponding area that is usually sustained by a fibrous peel. Aortic
      dissection is defined as a separation of the lamellae of the aortic wall. Herein,
      we describe an unusual clinical presentation of aortic dissection in a 37-year
      old male patient that presented severe aortic regurgitation and unusual bulges
      with linear intimal fissures in ascending aorta underwent mechanical aortic valve
      replacement and interposition of tubular vascular graft in ascending aorta.

PMID- 28359491
TI  - Tricuspid Valve Repair With Artificial Chorda After Previous Ventricular Septal
      Defect Repair.
AB  - We evaluated a 49-year-old man with severe tricuspid valve regurgitation and
      coronary artery disease who had undergone congenital ventricular septal defect
      repair four decades previously. We found an enlarged, prolapsed commissure
      between the anterior and septal leaflets and a ruptured septal leaflet chorda.
      Two mattress sutures closed the commissure, with the leaflets' height matched by
      inverting the prolapsed site ventricularly. After implanting the annuloplasty
      band, we undertook chordal replacement using expanded polytetrafluoroethylene
      sutures. Artificial chorda length was determined using a small tourniquet and the
      saline test. Two coronary artery bypass grafts were also implanted. Postoperative
      echocardiography demonstrated no tricuspid regurgitation.

PMID- 28359492
TI  - The First Cardiac Operation Using Cardiopulmonary Bypass.
AB  - The first open heart operation ever performed was by Clarence Dennis on April 5,
      1951, at the University of Minnesota. For several years he had worked developing
      a heart-lung machine. The operation was on a young girl considered to have an
      ostium secundum atrial septal defect, but at the procedure a large ostium primum
      was identified instead. It could not be repaired, and the child died. The
      anatomic details of this heart have not been previously presented. For historical
      purposes, the clinical history, intraoperative course, and pathologic details
      will be discussed and shown.

PMID- 28359493
TI  - Twin-to-Twin Heart Transplantation: A Unique Event With a 25-Year Follow-Up.
AB  - Solid organ transplantation in pediatric patients has been a reality since 1954,
      when the first kidney transplantation was successfully performed between
      identical twins. We report the long-term outcomes, with more than 25 years of
      follow-up, in a patient born with hypoplastic left heart syndrome (HLHS) who
      received a heart transplant from a dizygotic twin. While we would not wish for
      this situation to reoccur, we hope that in reporting it, we can add to the
      discussion surrounding pediatric heart transplantation and the management of
      HLHS.

PMID- 28359494
TI  - Migration of an Atrial Septal Occluder Device With Formation of Abdominal Aortic
      Dissection.
AB  - Atrial septal defects can be closed surgically or percutaneously. However,
      percutaneous closure of atrial septal defects carries some risks. Embolization of
      the atrial septal occluder is the major adverse event. Embolization of the device
      into the main pulmonary artery, left atrium, right ventricle, aortic arch,
      descending aorta, abdominal aorta, iliac bifurcation, and iliac arteries can be
      seen. We report the case of a 19-year-old man with migration of an Amplatzer (St
      Jude Medical, St Paul, MN) atrial septal occluder into the iliac bifurcation with
      the development of abdominal aortic dissection 1 month after successful
      percutaneous closure.

PMID- 28359495
TI  - Pediatric Heart Transplantation With Lecompte Maneuver Owing to Extremely
      Oversized Donor Allograft.
AB  - The techniques and outcomes of heart transplantation in the pediatric population
      continue to improve over the years, although the supply of organs remains
      limited. Donor-to-recipient size matching is critical, especially in neonates and
      small infants. We present a novel strategy for heart transplantation that
      includes the Lecompte maneuver because of the features of the donor allograft
      available in a 8-month-old patient with a cardiac fibroma. We discuss the basis
      principles for extending the indication of this procedure to exceptional
      transplantation scenarios and describe the results at long-term follow-up.

PMID- 28359496
TI  - Transposition of the Great Arteries With Total Anomalous Pulmonary Venous
      Connection.
AB  - Transposition of the great arteries (TGA) with total anomalous pulmonary venous
      connection (TAPVC) is a rare association. Very few such cases have been reported.
      Among them 1 patient underwent anatomic repair. The rest received repair at the
      atrial level with either a modified Senning technique or a Mustard technique. We
      report a rare combination of TGA, TAPVC draining to the coronary sinus, and left
      juxtaposition of the atrial appendages with a diminutive right atrium. The
      anomalies were successfully repaired by anatomic correction.

PMID- 28359497
TI  - Repair of Atrioventricular Septal Defect and Transposition in Left Isomerism.
AB  - We report the successful primary anatomic correction of an atrioventricular
      septal defect with transposition of the great arteries and pulmonary stenosis in
      a 4-year-old girl with left isomerism by common atrioventricular valve division,
      Mustard-type atrial septation, and a Rastelli operation with ventricular septal
      defect enlargement. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report of
      total correction for this combination of cardiac anomalies.

PMID- 28359498
TI  - Stenting of Complex Malignant Central-Airway Obstruction Guided by a Three
      Dimensional Printed Model Of The Airways.
AB  - Conversion of anatomic images into physical objects using three-dimensional
      printing (3DP) is changing the way surgeons anticipate selected technical
      challenges. We report herein a case of malignant central airway obstruction in
      the right main bronchus. Because stenting of the primary right carina is
      difficult, as it depends on many diameters and distance measurements, we used 3DP
      to plan and guide the procedure. After virtual resolution of the extrinsic
      compression, a three-dimensional printed model of the airways helped us choose
      the model and dimensions of the stent, and allowed us to modify its accuracy
      before insertion.

PMID- 28359499
TI  - Surgical Treatment of Squamous Carcinoma in an Antethoracic Skin Tube Used for
      Esophageal Replacement.
AB  - Occasionally, enteric conduits are unavailable or impractical for esophageal
      replacement. Cutaneous tubes are rarely employed alternatives that remain useful
      in specific circumstances. We present the case of a patient with a long standing
      skin tube complicated by malignancy that was replaced with a new skin tube.

PMID- 28359500
TI  - Uniportal Video-Assisted Thoracoscopic Surgery Resection of a Giant Midesophageal
      Diverticulum.
AB  - We describe a new video-assisted technique for the management of a giant
      midesophageal diverticulum using a single 5-cm port. It maintained the same
      principles of the traditional open technique as diverticulectomy, myotomy, and
      fundoplication. The better visualization of the main esophageal body,
      diverticulum, and esophagogastric junction and the better alignment of the
      stapler cartridge to the longitudinal axis of the esophagus are all technical
      factors supporting our procedure. Heavily calcified mediastinal lymph nodes and
      diffuse pleural adhesions are the main contraindications. However, future
      experiences are needed before this technique can be recommended as acceptable
      treatment.

PMID- 28359501
TI  - Completely Thrombosed Tricuspid Pouch Mimicking a Cardiac Tumor.

PMID- 28359502
TI  - Late Left Coronary Artery Compromise After Corevalve Implantation: Insights From
      Instant Free Ratio Analysis.

PMID- 28359503
TI  - Huge Cardiac Myxoma.

PMID- 28359504
TI  - Late Consequences of a Much Earlier Decision.

PMID- 28359505
TI  - Management of Retrograde False Lumen Perfusion After Hybrid Arch Repair in Acute
      Aortic Dissection.
AB  - Patients with acute aortic dissections involving the arch and descending aorta
      can effectively be treated using the frozen elephant trunk technique. We describe
      here the novel technique of temporary banding of the descending aorta onto the
      stent of the hybrid graft in 3 patients who developed unmanageable bleeding from
      the distal suture line due to retrograde false lumen perfusion and disintegration
      of the adventitia. Retrograde false lumen perfusion was stopped and therefore
      bleeding controlled in all patients. Temporal aortic banding represents a novel,
      feasible, and effective bailout technique for otherwise unmanageable bleeding
      with fatal outcome in hybrid arch surgery.

PMID- 28359506
TI  - Single-Stage Hybrid Repair of Right Aortic Arch With Kommerell's Diverticulum.
AB  - Kommerell diverticulum is uncommon, and it carries risks of dissection or
      rupture. Hybrid aortic arch repair is being used increasingly for this pathology.
      We report the hybrid arch repair of Kommerell diverticulum in a 72-year-old woman
      known for muscular dystrophy and right aortic arch with aberrant left subclavian
      artery. Head-vessel debranching was performed through median sternotomy using a
      handmade, bifurcated, Dacron graft. Stent-grafting was performed from the
      ascending aorta to the proximal descending aorta. To our knowledge, this report
      is the first description of debranching using a custom-made graft for hybrid
      repair of Kommerell diverticulum.

PMID- 28359507
TI  - A Novel Arterial Cannulation Technique for Selective Regional Cerebral Perfusion.
AB  - A selective regional cerebral perfusion has been widely adopted for brain
      protection in neonatal or infant aortic arch surgeries. The anastomosis of the
      small polytetrafluoroethylene tube graft to the innominate artery has been used
      for the selective regional cerebral perfusion in many institutions. We have
      developed a specially designed cannula tip that allows bidirectional blood flow
      and provides secure positioning of the polytetrafluoroethylene tube graft at the
      innominate artery. Innominate artery cannulation using this device reduces
      arterial clamping time and permits us to perform the arterial cannulation in a
      much easier and secure manner.

PMID- 28359508
TI  - Functional Chest Wall Reconstruction With a Biomechanical Three-Dimensionally
      Printed Implant.
AB  - Chest wall resection and reconstruction for neoplastic diseases has unique
      oncologic, structural, and functional challenges. In a young and fit patient with
      a mediastinal mass and extensive anterior chest wall invasion, purely structural
      solutions were deemed insufficient. We hereby present a novel three-dimensionally
      printed patient-specific titanium implant of sternum and ribs. This
      osteointegrable implant was designed with biomechanical capabilities using a
      unique "Greek wave" folding pattern. Postoperative dynamic computed tomography
      showed that the implant allowed for controlled flexing during the respiratory
      cycle. Three-dimensional printing with biocompatible materials could enable a new
      generation of chest wall implants strongly focused on functional reconstruction.

PMID- 28359510
TI  - Myocarditis: An Intersection Between Genetic and Acquired Causes of Human
      Cardiomyopathy.

PMID- 28359509
TI  - Autosomal Recessive Cardiomyopathy Presenting as Acute Myocarditis.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Myocarditis is inflammation of the heart muscle that can follow
      various viral infections. Why children only rarely develop life-threatening acute
      viral myocarditis (AVM), given that the causal viral infections are common, is
      unknown. Genetic lesions might underlie such susceptibilities. Mouse genetic
      studies demonstrated that interferon (IFN)-alpha/beta immunity defects increased
      susceptibility to virus-induced myocarditis. Moreover, variations in human TLR3,
      a potent inducer of IFNs, were proposed to underlie AVM. OBJECTIVES: This study
      sought to evaluate the hypothesis that human genetic factors may underlie AVM in
      previously healthy children. METHODS: We tested the role of TLR3-IFN immunity
      using human induced pluripotent stem cell-derived cardiomyocytes. We then
      performed whole-exome sequencing of 42 unrelated children with acute myocarditis
      (AM), some with proven viral causes. RESULTS: We found that TLR3- and STAT1
      deficient cardiomyocytes were not more susceptible to Coxsackie virus B3 (CVB3)
      infection than control cells. Moreover, CVB3 did not induce IFN-alpha/beta and
      IFN-alpha/beta-stimulated genes in control cardiomyocytes. Finally, exogenous IFN
      alpha did not substantially protect cardiomyocytes against CVB3. We did not
      observe a significant enrichment of rare variations in TLR3- or IFN-alpha/beta
      related genes. Surprisingly, we found that homozygous but not heterozygous rare
      variants in genes associated with inherited cardiomyopathies were significantly
      enriched in AM-AVM patients compared with healthy individuals (p = 2.22E-03) or
      patients with other diseases (p = 1.08E-04). Seven of 42 patients (16.7%) carried
      rare biallelic (homozygous or compound heterozygous) nonsynonymous or splice-site
      variations in 6 cardiomyopathy-associated genes (BAG3, DSP, PKP2, RYR2, SCN5A, or
      TNNI3). CONCLUSIONS: Previously silent recessive defects of the myocardium may
      predispose to acute heart failure presenting as AM, notably after common viral
      infections in children.

PMID- 28359511
TI  - Adding Defibrillation Therapy to Cardiac Resynchronization on the Basis of the
      Myocardial Substrate.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Patients with nonischemic dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) may be at
      lower risk for ventricular arrhythmias compared with those with ischemic
      cardiomyopathy (ICM). In addition, DCM has been identified as a predictor of
      positive response to cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT). OBJECTIVES: The aim
      of this study was to investigate the impact of an additional implantable
      cardioverter-defibrillator over CRT, according to underlying heart disease, in a
      large study group of primary prevention patients with heart failure. METHODS:
      This was an observational, multicenter, European cohort study of 5,307
      consecutive patients with DCM or ICM, no history of sustained ventricular
      arrhythmias, who underwent CRT implantation with (n = 4,037) or without (n =
      1,270) a defibrillator. Propensity-score and cause-of-death analyses were used to
      compare outcomes. RESULTS: After a mean follow-up period of 41.4 +/- 29.0 months,
      patients with ICM had better survival when receiving CRT with a defibrillator
      compared with those who received CRT without a defibrillator (hazard ratio for
      mortality adjusted on propensity score and all mortality predictors: 0.76; 95%
      confidence interval [CI]: 0.62 to 0.92; p = 0.005), whereas in patients with DCM,
      no such difference was observed (hazard ratio: 0.92; 95% CI: 0.73 to 1.16; p =
      0.49). Compared with recipients of defibrillators, the excess mortality in
      patients who did not receive defibrillators was related to sudden cardiac death
      in 8.0% among those with ICM but in only 0.4% of those with DCM. CONCLUSIONS:
      Among patients with heart failure with indications for CRT, those with DCM may
      not benefit from additional primary prevention implantable cardioverter
      defibrillator therapy, as opposed to those with ICM.

PMID- 28359512
TI  - Should Nonischemic CRT Candidates Receive CRT-P or CRT-D?

PMID- 28359514
TI  - Atrial Fibrillation: A Threat to the Failing Heart?

PMID- 28359513
TI  - Exercise Training in Patients With Chronic Heart Failure and Atrial Fibrillation.
AB  - BACKGROUND: The safety and efficacy of aerobic exercise in heart failure (HF)
      patients with atrial fibrillation (AF) has not been well evaluated. OBJECTIVES:
      This study examined whether outcomes with exercise training in HF vary according
      to AF status. METHODS: HF-ACTION (Heart Failure: A Controlled Trial Investigating
      Outcomes of Exercise Training) randomized 2,331 ambulatory HF patients with
      ejection fraction <=35% to exercise training or usual care. We examined clinical
      characteristics and outcomes (mortality/hospitalization) by baseline AF status
      (past history of AF or AF on baseline electrocardiogram vs. no AF) using adjusted
      Cox models and explored an interaction with exercise training. We assessed post
      randomization AF events diagnosed via hospitalizations for AF and reports of
      serious arrhythmia caused by AF. RESULTS: Of 2,292 patients with baseline rhythm
      data, 382 (17%) had AF, 1,602 (70%) had sinus rhythm, and 308 (13%) had "other"
      rhythm. Patients with AF were older and had lower peak Vo2. Over a median follow
      up of 2.6 years, AF was associated with a 24% per year higher rate of
      mortality/hospitalization (hazard ratio [HR]: 1.53; 95% confidence interval [CI]:
      1.34 to 1.74; p < 0.001) in unadjusted analysis; this did not remain significant
      after adjustment (HR: 1.15; 95% CI: 0.98 to 1.35; p = 0.09). There was no
      significant difference in AF event rates by randomized treatment assignment in
      the overall population or by baseline AF status (all p > 0.10). There was no
      interaction between AF and exercise training on measures of functional status or
      clinical outcomes (all p > 0.10). CONCLUSIONS: AF in patients with chronic HF was
      associated with older age, reduced exercise capacity at baseline, and a higher
      overall rate of clinical events, but not a differential response to exercise
      training for clinical outcomes or changes in exercise capacity. (Heart Failure: A
      Controlled Trial Investigating Outcomes of Exercise Training [HF-ACTION];
      NCT00047437).

PMID- 28359515
TI  - Electrocardiographic Criteria for the Diagnosis of Left Ventricular Hypertrophy.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Current electrocardiographic (ECG) criteria for the diagnosis of left
      ventricular hypertrophy (LVH) have low sensitivity. OBJECTIVES: The goal of this
      study was to test a new method to improve the diagnostic performance of the
      electrocardiogram. METHODS: The study was divided into 2 groups, a test and a
      validation cohort. In the test cohort, 94 patients were analyzed, including 47
      with the diagnosis of hypertensive crisis and 47 with normal blood pressure at
      admission. Echocardiography was used to estimate the left ventricular mass index.
      Area under the curve (AUC) analysis was used for comparison of single and
      combined leads. The McNemar test was used to assess agreement among the ECG
      criteria against the left ventricular mass index. The proposed ECG criteria
      involved measuring the amplitude of the deepest S wave (SD) in any single lead
      and adding it to the S wave amplitude of lead V4 (SV4). Currently accepted LVH
      ECG criteria such as Cornell voltage and Sokolow-Lyon were used for comparison.
      The validation cohort consisted of 122 consecutive patients referred for an
      echocardiogram regardless of the admitting diagnosis. RESULTS: The SD was the
      most accurate single lead measurement for the diagnosis of LVH (AUC: 0.80; p <
      0.001). When both cohorts were analyzed, the SD + SV4 criteria outperformed
      Cornell voltage with a significantly higher sensitivity (62% [95% confidence
      interval [CI]: 50% to 72%] vs. 35% [95% CI: 24% to 46%]). The specificities of
      all the criteria were >=90%, with no significant difference among them.
      CONCLUSIONS: The proposed criteria for the ECG diagnosis of LVH improved the
      sensitivity and overall accuracy of the test.

PMID- 28359516
TI  - The Enduring Role of the Electrocardiogram as a Diagnostic Tool in Cardiology.

PMID- 28359517
TI  - The Benefit of Donor-Recipient Matching for Patients Undergoing Heart
      Transplantation.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Heart transplant volumes are not matching growing demand, and donor
      heart use may be decreasing. OBJECTIVES: This study sought to investigate the
      benefit of heart transplantation compared with waiting while accounting for the
      estimated risk of a given donor-recipient match. METHODS: This study identified
      28,548 heart transplant candidates in the Organ Procurement and Transplant
      Network between July 2006 and December 2015. Donor-recipient match quality was
      estimated from the donor risk index. A time-dependent covariate Cox model was
      used to determine the effect of donor-recipient match quality on the likelihood
      of a composite outcome while waiting for a transplant or after transplantation.
      The composite outcome was death or delisting as too ill. RESULTS: Donor and
      recipient risk estimates were inversely related to the candidate urgency. Net
      benefit from heart transplantation was evident across all estimates of donor
      recipient status 1A and 1B candidates: status 1A (lowest-risk quartile hazard
      ratio [HR]: 0.37; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.31 to 0.43; highest-risk
      quartile HR: 0.52; 95% CI: 0.44 to 0.61) and status 1B candidates (lowest-risk
      quartile HR: 0.41; 95% CI: 0.36 to 0.47; highest-risk quartile HR: 0.66; 95% CI:
      0.58 to 0.74). Status 2 candidates showed a benefit from heart transplantation;
      however, survival benefit was delayed. For the highest-risk donor-recipient
      matches, a net benefit of transplantation occurred immediately for status 1A
      candidates, after 12 months for status 1B candidates, and after 3 years for
      status 2 candidates. CONCLUSIONS: This study demonstrated a survival benefit of
      heart transplantation across all ranges of estimated donor-recipient match risk
      for status 1A and status 1B candidates. Donor heart acceptance should be the
      favored strategy for these candidates. The benefit of transplantation for status
      2 candidates was less apparent and dependent on estimated donor-recipient match
      risk, suggesting that a measure of donor-recipient match quality may be useful
      when considering the immediate benefit of heart transplantation for status 2
      candidates in stable condition.

PMID- 28359518
TI  - Addressing the Growing U.S. Donor Heart Shortage: Waiting for Godot or a
      Transplant?

PMID- 28359519
TI  - Pulmonary Hypertension in Heart Failure: Pathophysiology, Pathobiology, and
      Emerging Clinical Perspectives.
AB  - Pulmonary hypertension is a common hemodynamic complication of heart failure.
      Interest in left-sided pulmonary hypertension has increased remarkably in recent
      years because its development and consequences for the right heart are now seen
      as mainstay abnormalities that begin in the early stages of the disease and bear
      unfavorable prognostic insights. However, some knowledge gaps limit our ability
      to influence this complex condition. Accordingly, attention is now focused on: 1)
      establishing a definitive consensus for a hemodynamic definition, perhaps
      incorporating exercise and fluid challenge; 2) implementing the limited data
      available on the pathobiology of lung capillaries and small arteries; 3)
      developing standard methods for assessing right ventricular function and,
      hopefully, its coupling to pulmonary circulation; and 4) searching for effective
      therapies that may benefit lung vessels and the remodeled right ventricle. The
      authors review the pathophysiology, pathobiology, and emerging clinical
      perspectives on pulmonary hypertension across the broad spectrum of heart failure
      stages.

PMID- 28359521
TI  - Leadership in Cardiology: Development of Cardiologists as Leaders to Improve Our
      Health Care System.

PMID- 28359520
TI  - State Requirements for Automated External Defibrillators in American Schools:
      Framing the Debate About Legislative Action.
AB  - Installation of automated external defibrillators (AEDs) in schools has been
      associated with increased survival after sudden cardiac arrest. An authoritative
      academic research database was interrogated to identify all current state
      statutes pertaining to AEDs in schools. As of February 2016, 17 of 50 U.S. states
      (34%) require AED installation in at least some of their schools; the remaining
      states have no legislation. However, requirements are far from comprehensive in
      these 17 states. Only 5 states offer unequivocal funding to schools for
      purchasing AEDs. A minority of U.S. states have legislation requiring AED
      placement in schools, and even fewer provide funding. State legislatures that
      have not yet enacted legislation requiring AEDs in schools may look to
      neighboring states for examples of child and adult lifesaving law. Placement of
      an AED in schools should be implemented with an emergency response plan that
      trains staff in the recognition and response to cardiac arrest.

PMID- 28359522
TI  - Deficiencies in Global Health Training for Cardiovascular Fellows.

PMID- 28359523
TI  - Electrophysiologically Guided Thoracoscopic Surgery for Advanced Atrial
      Fibrillation: 5-Year Follow-up.

PMID- 28359524
TI  - Midwall Fibrosis and 5-Year Outcome in Moderate and Severe Aortic Stenosis.

PMID- 28359525
TI  - Comment on the EXPLORE Trial.

PMID- 28359526
TI  - Percutaneous Intervention for Concurrent Chronic Total Occlusions in Patients
      With STEMI: We Should EXPLORE More!

PMID- 28359527
TI  - Reply: Comments on PCI for Concurrent CTOs in Patients With STEMI: We Should
      EXPLORE More!

PMID- 28359528
TI  - Reply: HDL-C and Mortality.

PMID- 28359529
TI  - HDL-C and Mortality.

PMID- 28359530
TI  - Analysis of the optimal sampling rate for state estimation in sensor networks
      with delays.
AB  - When addressing the problem of state estimation in sensor networks, the effects
      of communications on estimator performance are often neglected. High accuracy
      requires a high sampling rate, but this leads to higher channel load and longer
      delays, which in turn worsens estimation performance. This paper studies the
      problem of determining the optimal sampling rate for state estimation in sensor
      networks from a theoretical perspective that takes into account traffic
      generation, a model of network behaviour and the effect of delays. Some
      theoretical results about Riccati and Lyapunov equations applied to sampled
      systems are derived, and a solution was obtained for the ideal case of perfect
      sensor information. This result is also interesting for non-ideal sensors, as in
      some cases it works as an upper bound of the optimisation solution.

PMID- 28359531
TI  - An imbalance fault detection method based on data normalization and EMD for
      marine current turbines.
AB  - This paper proposes an imbalance fault detection method based on data
      normalization and Empirical Mode Decomposition (EMD) for variable speed direct
      drive Marine Current Turbine (MCT) system. The method is based on the MCT stator
      current under the condition of wave and turbulence. The goal of this method is to
      extract blade imbalance fault feature, which is concealed by the supply frequency
      and the environment noise. First, a Generalized Likelihood Ratio Test (GLRT)
      detector is developed and the monitoring variable is selected by analyzing the
      relationship between the variables. Then, the selected monitoring variable is
      converted into a time series through data normalization, which makes the
      imbalance fault characteristic frequency into a constant. At the end, the
      monitoring variable is filtered out by EMD method to eliminate the effect of
      turbulence. The experiments show that the proposed method is robust against
      turbulence through comparing the different fault severities and the different
      turbulence intensities. Comparison with other methods, the experimental results
      indicate the feasibility and efficacy of the proposed method.

PMID- 28359532
TI  - Editorial Comment.

PMID- 28359533
TI  - Editorial Comment.

PMID- 28359534
TI  - Author Reply.

PMID- 28359535
TI  - Fetal Vascular Origins of Bronchopulmonary Dysplasia.

PMID- 28359536
TI  - Use of multiple functional traits of protozoa for bioassessment of marine
      pollution.
AB  - Ecological parameters based on multiply functional traits have many advantages
      for monitoring programs by reducing "signal to noise" ratios of observed species
      data. To identify potential indicators for bioassessment of marine pollution in
      function space, the functional patterns of protozoan communities and
      relationships with environmental changes were studied in coastal waters of the
      Yellow Sea during a 1-year period. The results showed that: (1) the spatial
      variability in functional trait distributions of the protozoa was significantly
      associated with changes in environmental variables, especially chemical oxygen
      demand (COD) and nutrients on spatial scale; (2) the functional traits,
      especially food resources and feeding type, were significantly correlated with
      COD and nutrients; and (3) the functional diversity indices were generally
      related to nutrients or COD. Based on the results, we suggest that the functional
      traits and diversity indices of protozoan communities may be used as more
      effective indicators for bioassessment of marine pollution.

PMID- 28359537
TI  - Macrophage density in early surveillance biopsies predicts future renal
      transplant function.
AB  - Inflammation impairs renal allograft survival but is difficult to quantify by eye
      at low densities. Here we measured leukocyte abundance in early surveillance
      biopsies by digital image analysis to test for a role of chemokine receptor
      genotypes and analyze the predictive value of leukocyte subsets to allograft
      function. In six-week surveillance biopsies, T-cell (CD3), B-cell (CD20),
      macrophage (CD68), and dendritic cell (CD209) densities were assessed in whole
      slide scans. Renal cortical CD3, CD20, and CD68 were significantly higher in
      histologic rejection. The CCR2 V64I genotype was associated with lower CD3 and
      CD209 densities. Above-median CD68 density was significantly associated with
      lower combined patient and graft survival with a hazard ratio of 3.5 (95%
      confidence interval 1.1-11.0). Both CD20 and CD68 densities inversely correlated
      with estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) four years after
      transplantation. Additionally, CD68 correlated with eGFR loss. Among histological
      measurements including a complete Banff classification, only CD68 density was a
      significant predictor of an eGFR under 30ml/min after four years (odds ratio 7.4,
      1.8-31.0) and part of the best eGFR prediction set in a multivariable linear
      regression analysis of multiple clinical and pathologic parameters. In a second
      independent cohort, the original CD68 median maintained its discriminative power
      for survival and eGFR. Thus, digital high-resolution assessment of CD68+
      leukocyte infiltration significantly improves prognostic value of early renal
      transplant biopsies.

PMID- 28359538
TI  - Radiation-induced rib fractures after stereotactic body radiation therapy:
      Predict to prevent?

PMID- 28359539
TI  - It is the function of regenerating liver parenchyma that explains the small for
      size syndrome.

PMID- 28359540
TI  - Five-year-olds do not show ambiguity aversion in a risk and ambiguity task with
      physical objects.
AB  - Ambiguity aversion arises when a decision maker prefers risky gambles with known
      probabilities over equivalent ambiguous gambles with unknown probabilities. This
      phenomenon has been consistently observed in adults across a large body of
      empirical work. Evaluating ambiguity aversion in young children, however, has
      posed methodological challenges because probabilistic representations appropriate
      for adults might not be understood by young children. Here, we established a
      novel method for representing risk and ambiguity with physical objects that
      overcomes previous methodological limitations and allows us to measure ambiguity
      aversion in young children. We found that individual 5-year-olds exhibited
      consistent choice preferences and, as a group, exhibited no ambiguity aversion in
      a task that evokes ambiguity aversion in adults. Across individuals, 5-year-olds
      exhibited greater variance in ambiguity preferences compared with adults tested
      under similar conditions. This suggests that ambiguity aversion is absent during
      early childhood and emerges over the course of development.

PMID- 28359541
TI  - Ischaemic stroke and liver fibrosis.

PMID- 28359542
TI  - Food avoidance in patients with inflammatory bowel disease: What, when and who?
AB  - BACKGROUND & AIMS: Patients with inflammatory bowel diseases avoid a variety of
      foods. However, it remains unclear how this behavior varies across patients. This
      cross-sectional study investigated how the food avoidance pattern in inflammatory
      bowel disease varies according to disease's activity, disease's subtype, Crohn's
      location, and prior history of bowel resection, strictures, and fistulae.
      METHODS: Outpatients with Crohn's disease (n = 173) and ulcerative colitis (n =
      72) reported which food they avoid when they perceive they are in remission or in
      active disease using a list of 82 food items classified in 10 categories. Medical
      charts were reviewed for patients' characteristics. Linear regression analyses
      were used to compare food exclusion rates between patients' subgroups and food
      categories. RESULTS: During remission, food exclusion rates varied from 1 to 39%.
      Most avoided foods were those with capsaicin, meat alternatives, and raw
      vegetables. Overall, food exclusion rates were 38% higher in Crohn's disease than
      ulcerative colitis (P < 0.001), and 50% higher in stricturing than non
      stricturing Crohn's disease (P < 0.001). During active disease, food exclusion
      rates were 69% higher than in remission (P < 0.001). Similar differences between
      subgroups were again observed during active disease though less noticeable than
      in remission. No association was found with other disease characteristics.
      Avoided foods were very similar across patients except for alcoholic beverages
      and foods rich in dietary fibers/residue, which were avoided more specifically
      during active disease and in Crohn's disease, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: Food
      avoidance is common among patients with inflammatory bowel diseases, and most
      particularly in those with stricturing Crohn's disease. Specificities in
      avoidance pattern suggest that the clinical response to dietary restrictions may
      differ according to the disease's characteristics.

PMID- 28359543
TI  - Monitoring in vivo function of cortical microglia.
AB  - Microglia, the innate immune cells of the brain, are becoming increasingly
      recognized as an important player both in the context of physiological brain
      function and brain pathology. To fulfill their executive functions microglia can
      modify their morphology, migrate or move their processes in a directed fashion,
      and modify the intracellular Ca2+ dynamics leading to modifications in gene
      expression, phagocytosis, release of cytokines and other inflammation markers,
      etc. Here we describe the recently developed tools enabling in vivo monitoring of
      morphology and Ca2+ signaling of microglia and show how these techniques may be
      used for examining microglial function in healthy and diseased brain.

PMID- 28359544
TI  - Corrigendum to <Effect of platelet-rich plasma in alveolar distraction
      osteogenesis: a controlled clinical trial>: [British Journal of Oral and
      Maxillofacial Surgery 54/1 (2016) 83-87].

PMID- 28359545
TI  - Automated Identification of Diabetic Retinopathy Using Deep Learning.
AB  - PURPOSE: Diabetic retinopathy (DR) is one of the leading causes of preventable
      blindness globally. Performing retinal screening examinations on all diabetic
      patients is an unmet need, and there are many undiagnosed and untreated cases of
      DR. The objective of this study was to develop robust diagnostic technology to
      automate DR screening. Referral of eyes with DR to an ophthalmologist for further
      evaluation and treatment would aid in reducing the rate of vision loss, enabling
      timely and accurate diagnoses. DESIGN: We developed and evaluated a data-driven
      deep learning algorithm as a novel diagnostic tool for automated DR detection.
      The algorithm processed color fundus images and classified them as healthy (no
      retinopathy) or having DR, identifying relevant cases for medical referral.
      METHODS: A total of 75 137 publicly available fundus images from diabetic
      patients were used to train and test an artificial intelligence model to
      differentiate healthy fundi from those with DR. A panel of retinal specialists
      determined the ground truth for our data set before experimentation. We also
      tested our model using the public MESSIDOR 2 and E-Ophtha databases for external
      validation. Information learned in our automated method was visualized readily
      through an automatically generated abnormality heatmap, highlighting subregions
      within each input fundus image for further clinical review. MAIN OUTCOME
      MEASURES: We used area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC) as
      a metric to measure the precision-recall trade-off of our algorithm, reporting
      associated sensitivity and specificity metrics on the receiver operating
      characteristic curve. RESULTS: Our model achieved a 0.97 AUC with a 94% and 98%
      sensitivity and specificity, respectively, on 5-fold cross-validation using our
      local data set. Testing against the independent MESSIDOR 2 and E-Ophtha databases
      achieved a 0.94 and 0.95 AUC score, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: A fully data
      driven artificial intelligence-based grading algorithm can be used to screen
      fundus photographs obtained from diabetic patients and to identify, with high
      reliability, which cases should be referred to an ophthalmologist for further
      evaluation and treatment. The implementation of such an algorithm on a global
      basis could reduce drastically the rate of vision loss attributed to DR.

PMID- 28359546
TI  - Attributable mortality of hospital-acquired bloodstream infections in Ireland.
AB  - AIM: To estimate the attributable mortality of hospital-acquired bloodstream
      infections (HA-BSI) in Ireland. METHODS: A retrospective case-cohort study was
      conducted, based on notifications from Irish microbiology laboratories and
      administrative patient records from six Irish hospitals from January 2007 to
      December 2013. Probabilistic linkage was used to link 1252 cases of bloodstream
      infection from a cohort of 343,189 hospitalized patients. Independent predictors
      of mortality were determined using a multi-variable logistic regression model,
      and included: patient age, emergency or re-admission to hospital, length of stay
      in an intensive care unit, number of procedures, number of diagnoses, major
      diagnostic category and presence of HA-BSI. RESULTS: Attributable mortality was
      calculated from the crude mortality of case subjects after adjusting for other
      predictors of mortality, and was found to be 15.3% (95% confidence interval 14.8
      15.8%). The study was further stratified according to the causative organism,
      including: Escherichia coli, Enterococcus faecium, Enterococcus faecalis,
      Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Staphylococcus aureus and
      Streptococcus pneumoniae, and, where available, their antimicrobial resistance
      patterns. The highest attributable mortality among these organisms was reported
      for E. faecium at 18.1% and the lowest attributable mortality was reported for E.
      coli at 13.6%. A significantly higher attributable mortality was found for
      antimicrobial resistance patterns of some organisms, most notably for meticillin
      resistant S. aureus at 19.5%, vs meticillin-susceptible S. aureus at 13.3%.
      CONCLUSIONS: HA-BSI is an important cause of mortality, and attributable
      mortality differs significantly among causative organisms and antimicrobial
      resistance patterns.

PMID- 28359547
TI  - Reply from the authors and part of the investigation team.

PMID- 28359548
TI  - Serum cytokeratin-18 fragment levels as noninvasive marker of nonalcoholic
      steatohepatitis in the chilean population.
AB  - : Nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) is the most aggressive form of nonalcoholic
      fatty liver disease (NAFLD) and involves the risk of progression to more advanced
      stages of liver disease. Non-invasive methods are needed to identify patients
      with NASH. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the diagnostic performance of the determination
      of serum levels of cytokeratin-18 (CK-18) as a non-invasive marker of NASH in the
      Chilean population. METHODS: Serum CK-18 levels were determined in a group of 41
      patients with biopsy-proven NAFLD. NASH diagnosis was based on Brunt's criteria
      (histological parameters and ballooning), and the NAFLD activity score (NAS) and
      the presence of fibrosis were determined. The correlation between the NAFLD
      activity score (NAS) and CK-18 was evaluated with Spearman's rank correlation
      coefficient. A ROC curve was produced to assess the diagnostic value of CK-18 for
      NASH. The NAFLD fibrosis score (NFS) (to predict fibrosis and NASH) was compared
      to CK-18 with simple linear regression. Data were expressed in median [25th-75th
      percentile] and evaluated with the Wilcoxon rank test. RESULTS: The mean age of
      the study group (23% male) was 50.4+/-11.1 years. 34.2% were diagnosed with NASH
      (NAS>=5). CK-18 levels were significantly higher in patients with NASH versus
      those without NASH (183.6 IU/l [97.4 to 734.4] vs. 117.2 IU/l [83.8 to 954.8], p=
      0.016). CK-18 levels were a good predictor of NASH on biopsy with an area under
      the curve (AUC) of 0.732 (95% CI, 0.572 to 0.897). A CK-18 cut-off of 130.5 IU/l
      had a sensitivity of 92.9%, specificity of 63%, positive predictive value of
      56.5% and negative predictive value of 94.4%, and was able to correctly classify
      73.2% of patients with NASH. NFS identified advanced liver fibrosis (AUC 0.739,
      95% CI, 0.56-0.91), but was of limited value to identify NASH (AUC 0.413, 95% CI,
      0.21-0.61). CONCLUSION: CK-18 is a good non-invasive marker for NASH. Although
      NFS was found to be an accurate marker of advanced liver fibrosis, it was not of
      value to identify NASH. In patients with NAFLD, CK-18 and NFS could be useful in
      predicting NASH and liver fibrosis, respectively.

PMID- 28359549
TI  - Tailgut cysts: Presentation of four cases.

PMID- 28359550
TI  - Out-of-pocket expenditure and financial protection in the Chilean health care
      system-A systematic review.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Protection against financial risk due to medical spending is an
      explicit health guarantee within Chile's AUGE health reform. This paper seeks to
      analyze the degree to which out-of-pocket expenditure still expose Chilean
      households to financial catastrophe and impoverishment, and to explore
      inequalities in financial protection. METHODS: A systematic literature review was
      conducted to identify empirical studies analyzing financial protection in Chile.
      The search included databases as well as grey literature, i.e. governmental and
      institutional webpages. The indicators are based on the conceptual framework of
      financial protection, as portrayed in the World Health Report 2013. RESULTS: We
      identify n=16 studies that fulfill the inclusion criteria. Empirical studies
      indicate that 4% of Chilean households faced catastrophic health expenditure
      defined as out-of-pocket expenditure exceeding 30% of household's capacity to
      pay, while less than 1% were pushed into poverty in 2012. In contrast to prior
      studies, recent data report that even publicly insured who should be fully
      protected from co-payments were affected by catastrophic health expenditure. Also
      in the private insurance system financial catastrophe is a common risk.
      CONCLUSION: Despite health reform efforts, financial protection is insufficient
      and varies to the disadvantage of the poor and vulnerable groups. More research
      is required to understand why current mechanisms are not as effective as expected
      and to enable according reforms of the insurance system.

PMID- 28359551
TI  - Physician payment schemes and physician productivity: Analysis of Turkish
      healthcare reforms.
AB  - Following healthcare reforms in Turkey, inpatient and outpatient care provided in
      public hospitals more than doubled from 2003 to 2006. An important component of
      the reforms has been a shift from a salary based physician compensation scheme to
      one where fee-for-service component is dominant. The change did not only
      incentivize physicians to provide a higher volume of services but also encouraged
      them to practice full-time, rather than dual-time, in public hospitals. Lacking
      figures on full-time equivalent figures at hospital level, earlier research used
      head-counts for physician workforce and found technological change and scale
      economies to be important determinants. We employ data envelopment analysis and
      find that, under plausible scenarios regarding the number of dual vs full-time
      physician numbers, most of the change in hospital services may be explained only
      by the shift to full-time practice. Our estimations find the change in technology
      and scale economies to play a relatively minor role.

PMID- 28359552
TI  - Development of aqueous mobile phase using chaotrope for the chromatographic
      determination of melamine in infant formula.
AB  - Direct analysis of melamine using reverse phase chromatography is a challenge
      because this compound's small size and strong polar nature leads to abnormal peak
      symmetry as well as poor retention. Here, we introduce a simple and reliable
      reverse phase liquid chromatographic method using sodium hexafluorophosphate to
      modify an acidic aqueous eluent, resulting in improved chromatographic behaviors
      of melamine in complex food matrices. Variables affecting the retention
      mechanism, including chaotrope type, concentration and stationary phase, were
      investigated. Under optimum conditions, melamine retention, separation
      efficiency, peak shape and reproducibility were significantly improved as
      compared to other methods that use ionic liquids or a micellar mobile phase. No
      interference affected melamine detection when infant formula was applied as the
      food matrix. Analytical reliability was demonstrated through estimation of
      validation parameters such as specificity, linearity, precision, accuracy and
      recovery. This method is suitable for routine analysis of melamine in infant
      formula. More noteworthy, this is the first time that an organic solvent-free
      mobile phase using chaotropic salt, meeting the concept of green chemistry, has
      been proposed.

PMID- 28359553
TI  - Planar yeast estrogen screen with resorufin-beta-d-galactopyranoside as
      substrate.
AB  - For the planar yeast estrogen screen (pYES), 4-methylumbelliferyl-beta-d
      galactopyranoside was generally employed as substrate, delivering blue
      fluorescing 4-methylumbelliferone after enzymatic cleavage by the YES reporter
      beta-d-galactosidase as the positive signal for the presence of estrogen active
      compounds (EAC). As environmental samples like waste water also contain blue
      fluorescent components, it is difficult to differentiate them from pYES signals.
      Therefore, resorufin-beta-d-galactopyranoside (RGP), providing the orange
      fluorescing resorufin after enzymatic cleavage, was introduced as pYES substrate
      to determine EAC. With 17beta-estradiol (E2) and 17alpha-ethinylestradiol (EE2),
      mean limits of detection and quantitation of 3.5 and 6.5pg/zone, respectively,
      were determined. Obtained recoveries for both E2 and EE2 from spiked water
      samples in a concentration range of 2-20ng/L were close to 100%. The application
      of the RGP-pYES on waste water influent and effluent samples showed the clear
      detection of EAC without interferences. Estrone (E1), Estriol, E2, and an unknown
      EAC were found in the influent sample (E2 with a mean of 16.9 ng/L and a
      precision of 11% RSD; n=4), while another unknown EAC was observed in the
      effluent sample. In addition, the presence of conjugated EAC in the influent was
      demonstrated by hydrolysis with beta-glucuronidase, when the signals of E1 and
      the unknown increased by about 25% and 100%, respectively.

PMID- 28359554
TI  - Solvent bar microextraction using a reverse micelle containing extraction phase
      for the determination of warfarin from human plasma by high-performance liquid
      chromatography.
AB  - For the first time, solvent bar microextraction using a reverse micelle RMM-SBME
      as extraction phase was developed for extraction of warfarin in human plasma
      sample. The reverse micelle of a cationic surfactant (hexadecyltrimethylammonium
      bromide) in 1-octanol was applied as supported and acceptor phase in SBME. In
      this process, the analyte was extracted from aqueous samples into a reverse
      micelle impregnated and also filled in the wall pores and lumen the polypropylene
      hollow fiber membrane by the electrostatic interactions between the analyte and
      the surfactant head groups. The influences of fundamental parameters affecting
      extraction efficiency of warfarin including sample solution pH, surfactant
      concentration and extraction time were studied using central composite design
      optimization method. The analysis of extracted analyte was performed by high
      performance liquid chromatography with ultra violet detector. Under the optimum
      condition, the sample containing 40ngmL-1 of warfarin was extracted with
      extraction recovery of 97.8% that pertained to enrichment factor of 260. A good
      linearity over a concentration range 1-600ngmL-1 with correlation coefficient
      value of 0.9989 was provided by the current method. Limits of detection and inner
      and inter-day relative standard deviation were 0.3ngmL-1 and less than 4.4%,
      respectively. This method was compared to conventional SBME, and illustrated
      higher extraction efficiency. The method needs minimal sample preparation time
      since the porous hollow fiber membrane prevents from being extracted potential
      interfering materials, acts as a filter, and any extra cleanup was not required.
      The method with bar of 3cm and acceptor phase volume of 8.5MUL is environmentally
      green/friendly method. The proposed method was successfully applied for the
      preconcentration and determination of warfarin in plasma sample.

PMID- 28359555
TI  - Simple four column classification can dictate treatment for intra articular
      tibial plateau fractures much better than ten segment classification.

PMID- 28359556
TI  - Valve replacement surgery in severe chronic kidney disease.
AB  - BACKGROUND: The impact of prosthetic choices in patients with severe chronic
      kidney disease (CKD) on long-term outcomes has not been well established.
      METHODS: The study involved 152 adult patients (61.6+/-14.1yrs.; 64 females)
      undergoing heart valve surgery who had stage 4 (n=87) or 5 CKD (end-stage; n=65)
      based on Kidney Disease Outcomes Quality Initiative Guidelines. To reduce the
      impact of selection bias between mechanical (n=92) and bio-prostheses groups
      (n=60), propensity score analyses were conducted. RESULTS: Patients undergoing
      bioprosthetic replacement were significantly older and had poorer left
      ventricular function compared with those undergoing mechanical valve
      replacements. Early mortality rates were 10.0% in the Bio-prostheses group and
      9.8% in the Mechanical group (P>0.99). During a median duration of 22.1months
      (Quartile 1-3, 4.7-68.1months; 87.5% complete), 56 patients died and 12 patients
      experienced valve-related complications. The unadjusted outcomes showed no
      significant differences in survival (P=0.23) and freedom from valve-related
      events (P=0.17). After adjustment, there was no significant difference in
      survival (Hazard ratio [HR], 1.03; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.62-1.71;
      P=0.91), however the bio-prostheses group showed significant superior outcomes of
      freedom from valve-related event (HR, 4.49; 95% CI, 1.04-19.45; P=0.045).
      CONCLUSIONS: Valve replacement in CKD patients showed very high mortality risks
      and limited life expectancy even in younger individuals. When compared with
      bioprosthetic replacement, mechanical valve replacement showed similar survival
      rate but with greater risks of developing major valve-related complications in
      these patients. Therefore, bioprosthetic replacement may be a more reasonable
      option over mechanical replacement in these high-risk patients.

PMID- 28359557
TI  - Chemocauterization of second branchial cleft fistula using trichloroacetic acid:
      A preliminary report.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: Although second branchial cleft fistula (BCF) can be well treated with
      surgical excision, neck scarring is unavoidable. We previously reported
      chemocauterization with trichloroacetic acid (TCA) to close various fistulas.
      Here, we report chemocauterization of a second BCF without a consequent incision
      scar. METHODS: This procedure was applied in four pediatric patients whose
      parents were reluctant to undergo surgical excision for a second BCF. Under
      general anesthesia, a thin metal suction tip or cut down tube was inserted
      through the skin opening. Normal saline with or without dye was injected to
      identify the pharyngeal opening around the palatine tonsil, and 75% TCA solution
      mixed with dye was injected. Leaked TCA at the pharynx was sucked out
      meticulously to avoid extensive and unexpected injury to the mucosa, and the
      external opening was sealed with a thin adhesive film. RESULTS: There were no
      immediate complications and recurrence of a second BCF in all patients during the
      median follow-up of 23 months (range, 18-88 months) with minimal neck scarring.
      CONCLUSION: TCA chemocauterization of second BCF could be a simple, less
      invasive, and feasible treatment option in pediatric patients.

PMID- 28359558
TI  - Sialendoscopic removal of fish bone-induced sialoliths in the duct of the
      submandibular gland.
AB  - Obstructive sialadenitis of the submandibular gland is commonly caused by
      sialoliths, but more rarely by foreign body-induced sialoliths. Here, we report
      minimally invasive sialendoscopic removal of fish bone-induced sialoliths in the
      duct of the submandibular gland. A 43-year-old woman presented with recurrent
      swelling of the right submandibular gland at other hospital. Computed tomography
      (CT) showed an 8-mm linear calcification in the posterior part of Wharton's duct.
      The lesion was deemed difficult to remove and she was followed up. However,
      because the lesion did not resolve spontaneously within 9 months and chronic
      sialadenitis symptoms persisted, she was referred to our department for
      endoscopic removal. CT showed a linear calcification (5.6*1.2*0.8mm) connecting 2
      spherical calcifications (2.3*2.1*1.9mm; 1.8*1.4*1.1mm) in the anterior part of
      Wharton's duct. The patient underwent endoscopic removal of the lesion using a
      1.6-mm-diameter sialendoscope under local anesthesia. The specimen contained a
      fish bone connecting 2 sialoliths. The patient was unaware of the fish-bone
      injury. After removal, there was no recurrence of submandibular gland swelling
      during 6 months follow-up.

PMID- 28359559
TI  - Preoperative anemia and outcomes in patients undergoing surgery for inflammatory
      bowel disease.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Anemia is the most common extraintestinal manifestation in patients
      with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), and has been linked to severity of the
      disease. The aim of the study was to assess the impact of anemia on postoperative
      outcomes in patients with IBD. METHODS: We retrospectively reviewed patients with
      IBD from the NSQIP database over an 8-year period. Patients were grouped based on
      the presence of anemia. The impact of anemia on postoperative morbidity,
      mortality and length of stay was assessed. RESULTS: A total of 15,761 patients
      met our criteria. Half of the patients were anemic upon presentation. Anemic
      patients were more likely to have a history of steroid use, present with sepsis
      and require an emergency operation. In multivariate analysis, anemia was a
      significant predictor of overall morbidity, serious morbidity and increased
      length of stay. CONCLUSIONS: Anemic patients with IBD present more often with
      sepsis and require emergency surgery compared to their peers. In addition, anemia
      serves as an independent predictor of overall complications, serious morbidity
      and increased length of stay following abdominal operations.

PMID- 28359561
TI  - [One more contribution to Geriatric intervention in older people hospitalised due
      to hip fracture].

PMID- 28359560
TI  - Distal scar-to-midline distance in pilonidal Limberg flap surgery is a recurrence
      promoting factor: A multicenter, case-control study.
AB  - BACKGROUND: The Limberg flap (LF) procedure is widely performed for the treatment
      of sacrococcygeal pilonidal sinus (SPS); however, recurrences continues to be
      observed. The aim of this study was to assess the relationship between LF designs
      and the risk of SPS recurrence. METHODS: Sixty-one cases with recurrent disease
      (study group) and 194 controls, with a minimum of 5 recurrence-free years
      following surgery (control group), were included in the study. LF reconstructions
      performed in each group were classified as off-midline closure (OMC) and non-OMC
      types. Subsequently, the 2 groups were analyzed. RESULTS: After adjustment for
      all variables, non-OMC types showed the most prominent correlation with
      recurrence, followed by interrupted suturing type, family history of SPS,
      smoking, prolonged healing time, and younger age. The best cut-off value for the
      critical distance from the midline was found to be 11 mm (with 72% sensitivity
      and 95% specificity for recurrence). CONCLUSIONS: We recommend OMC modifications,
      with the flap tailored to create a safe margin of at least 2 cm between the flap
      borders and the midline.

PMID- 28359562
TI  - [The importance of body mass index in the strength].

PMID- 28359563
TI  - Management of pancreatic trauma: a literature review.
AB  - The European Union of Medical Specialists, founded in 1958, is the largest and
      oldest european medical organization. It includes 39 member states (of the
      European Union and others), and represents a total of 1.600.000 medical
      specialists. The main objective of the UEMS is to influence european healthcare
      politics by promoting the interests of the european medical specialists,
      establishing high standards in practice and training, as well as continuing
      medical education and professional development, and guaranteeing quality in
      specialist practice. The UEMS is developing several projects to face current and
      future challenges related to surgical training, education, acreditation,
      revalidation and professional development: i.- First, the UEMS is developing
      homogeneous requisites for European Training (ETRs), ii.- To manage the quality
      control process of the ETRs and evaluation of the organization, the UEMS has
      created the Council of european specialized medial evaluations (CESMA), iii.- The
      UEMS has been greatly involved in the acreditation process of training centres in
      all of Europe, iv.- in relation to continuing medical education, the European
      Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (EACCME) is the main
      project of the UEMS for the accreditation of educational events and v.- the UEMS
      has established the Network of Accredited Clinical Skills Centres of Europe (UEMS
      NASCE), that facilitates the accreditation and cooperation of training centres in
      Europe. In conclusion, with the great support of National Surgical Societies of
      the UEMS and the Surgery Section a series of solid projects have been established
      to support the professional development of the collective in Europe. This process
      constitutes a continuous effort that is very gratifying, with the aim to set the
      standards for a brilliant future for surgery students and specialized surgeons.

PMID- 28359564
TI  - Cingulate Overexpression of Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase Phosphatase-1 as a
      Key Factor for Depression.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Depression is frequently associated with chronic pain or chronic
      stress. Among cortical areas, the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC, areas 24a and
      24b) appears to be important for mood disorders and constitutes a neuroanatomical
      substrate for investigating the underlying molecular mechanisms. The current work
      aimed at identifying ACC molecular factors subserving depression. METHODS:
      Anxiodepressive-like behaviors in C57BL/6J male mice were induced by neuropathic
      pain, unpredictable chronic mild stress, and optogenetic ACC stimulation and were
      evaluated using novelty suppressed feeding, splash, and forced swim tests. ACC
      molecular changes in chronic pain-induced depression were uncovered through whole
      genome expression analysis. Further mechanistic insights were provided by
      chromatin immunoprecipitation, Western blot, and immunostaining. The causal link
      between molecular changes and depression was studied using knockout,
      pharmacological antagonism, and local viral-mediated gene knockdown. RESULTS:
      Under chronic pain-induced depression, gene expression changes in the ACC
      highlighted the overexpression of a regulator of the mitogen-activated protein
      kinase pathway, mitogen-activated protein kinase phosphatase-1 (MKP-1). This
      upregulation is associated with the presence of transcriptionally active
      chromatin marks (acetylation) at its proximal promoter region as well as
      increased cyclic adenosine monophosphate response element-mediated
      transcriptional activity and phosphorylation of cyclic adenosine monophosphate
      response element binding protein and activating transcription factor. MKP-1
      overexpression is also observed with unpredictable chronic mild stress and
      repeated ACC optogenetic stimulation and is reversed by fluoxetine. A knockout,
      an antagonist, or a local silencing of MKP-1 attenuates depressive-like
      behaviors, pointing to an important role of this phosphatase in depression.
      CONCLUSIONS: These data point to ACC MKP-1 as a key factor in the pathophysiology
      of depression and a potential target for treatment development.

PMID- 28359565
TI  - Deficits in Neurite Density Underlie White Matter Structure Abnormalities in
      First-Episode Psychosis.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Structural abnormalities across multiple white matter tracts are
      recognized in people with early psychosis, consistent with dysconnectivity as a
      neuropathological account of symptom expression. We applied advanced neuroimaging
      techniques to characterize microstructural white matter abnormalities for a
      deeper understanding of the developmental etiology of psychosis. METHODS: Thirty
      five first-episode psychosis patients, and 19 healthy controls, participated in a
      quantitative neuroimaging study using neurite orientation dispersion and density
      imaging, a multishell diffusion-weighted magnetic resonance imaging technique
      that distinguishes white matter fiber arrangement and geometry from changes in
      neurite density. Fractional anisotropy (FA) and mean diffusivity images were also
      derived. Tract-based spatial statistics compared white matter structure between
      patients and control subjects and tested associations with age, symptom severity,
      and medication. RESULTS: Patients with first-episode psychosis had lower regional
      FA in multiple commissural, corticospinal, and association tracts. These
      abnormalities predominantly colocalized with regions of reduced neurite density,
      rather than aberrant fiber bundle arrangement (orientation dispersion index).
      There was no direct relationship with active symptoms. FA decreased and
      orientation dispersion index increased with age in patients, but not control
      subjects, suggesting accelerated effects of white matter geometry change.
      CONCLUSIONS: Deficits in neurite density appear fundamental to abnormalities in
      white matter integrity in early psychosis. In the first application of neurite
      orientation dispersion and density imaging in psychosis, we found that processes
      compromising axonal fiber number, density, and myelination, rather than processes
      leading to spatial disruption of fiber organization, are implicated in the
      etiology of psychosis. This accords with a neurodevelopmental origin of aberrant
      brain-wide structural connectivity predisposing individuals to psychosis.

PMID- 28359567
TI  - A geospatial analysis of land use and stormwater management on fecal coliform
      contamination in North Carolina streams.
AB  - Although non-point source (NPS) pathogen pollution is a leading cause of stream
      impairment in the United States, the sources of NPS pollution are often difficult
      to ascertain. While previous studies have employed land use regression methods to
      develop a greater understanding of the sources and dynamics of microbial NPS
      pollution, little work has explicitly considered the effects of local, state, and
      federal stormwater management policies on water quality across multiple
      watersheds or at larger spatial scales. How do land use and stormwater management
      efforts collectively influence fecal coliform (FC) levels at a regional or
      multiple-watershed scale? We construct a unique spatial regression model of
      stream FC pollution (n=327 monitoring stations) throughout the state of North
      Carolina (USA), incorporating both land cover and urban development variables. We
      then use a subset of our data (nbmp=80 monitoring stations) to incorporate local
      stormwater control measures and stormwater management policies. Results
      demonstrate that the inclusion of policy and management variables improves the
      explanatory capacity for FC levels (R2=0.4412 versus R2=0.5323). Locally, this
      model can be used to better target stream restoration and water quality
      mitigation actions and investments, as well as help to predict FC levels at
      unmonitored locations throughout North Carolina's stream network. More generally,
      the novel structure of this model can also help examine the large-scale effects
      of stormwater regulations on surface water pathogen levels, helping researchers
      and planners better predict water quality in the absence of extensive monitoring
      station data.

PMID- 28359566
TI  - Increased Plasma Beta-Secretase 1 May Predict Conversion to Alzheimer's Disease
      Dementia in Individuals With Mild Cognitive Impairment.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Increased beta-secretase 1 (BACE1) activity has consistently been
      detected in brain tissue and cerebrospinal fluid of subjects with mild cognitive
      impairment (MCI) and probable Alzheimer's disease (AD) compared with control
      subjects. The collection of cerebrospinal fluid by lumbar puncture is invasive.
      We sought to identify the presence of plasma BACE1 activity and determine
      potential alterations in subjects with MCI with clinical follow-up examinations
      for 3 years using patients with diagnosed probable AD dementia compared with
      healthy control subjects. METHODS: Seventy-five patients with probable AD, 96
      individuals with MCI, and 53 age-matched and sex-matched healthy control subjects
      were recruited from three independent international academic memory clinics and
      AD research expert centers. Plasma BACE1 activity was measured by a synthetic
      fluorescence substrate enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. BACE1 protein
      expression was assessed by Western blotting using three different antibodies that
      recognize the epitopes of the N-terminus, C-terminus, and full-length BACE1.
      RESULTS: Compared with healthy control subjects, plasma BACE1 activity (Vmax)
      significantly increased by 53.2% in subjects with MCI and by 68.9% in patients
      with probable AD. Subjects with MCI who converted to probable AD dementia at
      follow-up examinations exhibited significantly higher BACE1 activity compared
      with cognitively stable MCI nonconverters and showed higher levels of BACE1
      activity than patients with AD. CONCLUSIONS: Plasma BACE1 activity is
      significantly increased in MCI converters and patients with probable AD. The
      sensitivities and specificities of BACE1 activity for the patients were 84% and
      88%, respectively. Our results indicate that plasma BACE1 activity may be a
      biomarker for AD risk and could predict progression from prodromal to probable AD
      dementia.

PMID- 28359568
TI  - Characterization of urban CO2 column abundance with a portable low resolution
      spectrometer (PLRS): Comparisons with GOSAT and GEOS-Chem model data.
AB  - We presented the characterization of urban CO2 column abundance (XCO2) in Hefei,
      China using a portable low resolution spectrometer (PLRS). An optimized
      correction spectrum was introduced in the spectral fitting to improve CO2
      retrieval. A pronounced seasonal cycle and diurnal variation were observed with a
      precision of ~0.12%. The CO2 concentrations in winter are about 5-10ppm higher
      than those in summer. Most diurnal variations exhibited downward trends. The
      measurement in the early morning is about 2-5ppm higher than the late afternoon
      observation. The causes of the seasonal and diurnal trends were systematic
      analyzed. The coincident CO2 time series were compared with the Greenhouse Gases
      Observing SATellite (GOSAT) data and the GEOS-Chem global 3-D tropospheric
      chemistry model data. We found the ground based (g-b) PLRS data are
      systematically higher than the GOSAT and the GEOS-Chem data. Compared to the
      GOSAT data, the g-b PLRS data are 0.26ppm (0.07%) higher with a standard
      deviation of 1.70ppm (0.43%). Compared to the smoothed GEOS-Chem model data, the
      g-b PLRS data shows a 1.31ppm (0.33%) higher with a standard deviation of 5.30ppm
      (0.87%). The g-b PLRS generally reproduced the seasonal cycle observed by GOSAT
      and GEOS-Chem model with correlation coefficients (r) of 0.82 and 0.64,
      respectively.

PMID- 28359569
TI  - Understanding controls on redox processes in floodplain sediments of the Upper
      Colorado River Basin.
AB  - Floodplains, heavily used for water supplies, housing, agriculture, mining, and
      industry, are important repositories of organic carbon, nutrients, and metal
      contaminants. The accumulation and release of these species is often mediated by
      redox processes. Understanding the physicochemical, hydrological, and
      biogeochemical controls on the distribution and variability of sediment redox
      conditions is therefore critical to developing conceptual and numerical models of
      contaminant transport within floodplains. The Upper Colorado River Basin (UCRB)
      is impacted by former uranium and vanadium ore processing, resulting in
      contamination by V, Cr, Mn, As, Se, Mo and U. Previous authors have suggested
      that sediment redox activity occurring within organic carbon-enriched bodies
      located below the groundwater level may be regionally important to the
      maintenance and release of contaminant inventories, particularly uranium. To help
      assess this hypothesis, vertical distributions of Fe and S redox states and
      sulfide mineralogy were assessed in sediment cores from three floodplain sites
      spanning a 250km transect of the central UCRB. The results of this study support
      the hypothesis that organic-enriched reduced sediments are important zones of
      biogeochemical activity within UCRB floodplains. We found that the presence of
      organic carbon, together with pore saturation, are the key requirements for
      maintaining reducing conditions, which were dominated by sulfate-reduction
      products. Sediment texture was found to be of secondary importance and to
      moderate the response of the system to external forcing, such as oxidant
      diffusion. Consequently, fine-grain sediments are relatively resistant to
      oxidation in comparison to coarser-grained sediments. Exposure to oxidants
      consumes precipitated sulfides, with a disproportionate loss of mackinawite (FeS)
      as compared to the more stable pyrite. The accompanying loss of redox buffering
      capacity creates the potential for release of sequestered radionuclides and
      metals. Because of their redox reactivity and stores of metals, C, and N, organic
      enriched sediments are likely to be important to nutrient and contaminant
      mobility within UCRB floodplain aquifers.

PMID- 28359570
TI  - Sensitivity of ACL volume and T2* relaxation time to magnetic resonance imaging
      scan conditions.
AB  - Anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) volume and T2* relaxation times from magnetic
      resonance (MR) images have been previously shown to predict the structural
      properties of healing ligaments. We investigated whether MR imaging scan
      resolution and condition (in vivo, in situ, or ex vivo) affected ACL volume and
      T2* relaxation times in intact ligaments. ACLs of 14 pigs were imaged using a 3T
      scanner and a six-channel flexcoil using at least two of four possible scan
      conditions: (1) in vivo moderate resolution (n=14); (2) in vivo high resolution
      (n=7); (3) in situ high resolution acquired within 60 minutes of euthanasia
      (n=6); and (4) ex vivo high resolution following hind limb disarticulation and
      one freeze-thaw cycle (n=7). T2* relaxation times were mapped to the ACL voxels.
      The total ACL volume was then divided into four sub-volumes (Vol1-4) based on
      predetermined increasing ranges of T2* times. ACL T2* statistics (first quartile,
      median, and standard deviation (SD)) were computed. Scan resolution had no effect
      on the total ACL volume, but Vol1 and first quartile T2* times decreased with
      high resolution and in situ/ex vivo scan conditions. The most dramatic
      differences in T2* summary statistics were between in vivo moderate and ex vivo
      high resolution scan conditions that included a freeze-thaw cycle: ACL T2* SD
      increased by over 50% in 9 animals, and more than 90% in 4 animals. Our results
      indicated that T2*-based prediction models to quantify in vivo structural
      properties of healing ligaments should be based on high resolution in vivo MR
      scan conditions.

PMID- 28359571
TI  - Achilles tendon stress is more sensitive to subject-specific geometry than
      subject-specific material properties: A finite element analysis.
AB  - This study used subject-specific measures of three-dimensional (3D) free Achilles
      tendon geometry in conjunction with a finite element method to investigate the
      effect of variation in subject-specific geometry and subject-specific material
      properties on tendon stress during submaximal isometric loading. Achilles tendons
      of eight participants (Aged 25-35years) were scanned with freehand 3D ultrasound
      at rest and during a 70% maximum voluntary isometric contraction. Ultrasound
      images were segmented, volume rendered and transformed into subject-specific 3D
      finite element meshes. The mean (+/-SD) lengths, volumes and cross-sectional
      areas of the tendons at rest were 62+/-13mm, 3617+/-984mm3 and 58+/-11mm2
      respectively. The measured tendon strain at 70% MVIC was 5.9+/-1.3%. Subject
      specific material properties were obtained using an optimisation approach that
      minimised the difference between measured and modelled longitudinal free tendon
      strain. Generic geometry was represented by the average mesh and generic material
      properties were taken from the literature. Local stresses were subsequently
      computed for combinations of subject-specific and generic geometry and material
      properties. For a given geometry, changing from generic to subject-specific
      material properties had little effect on the stress distribution in the tendon.
      In contrast, changing from generic to subject-specific geometry had a 26-fold
      greater effect on tendon stress distribution. Overall, these findings indicate
      that the stress distribution experienced by the living free Achilles tendon of a
      young and healthy population during voluntary loading are more sensitive to
      variation in tendon geometry than variation in tendon material properties.

PMID- 28359572
TI  - Forests and Their Canopies: Achievements and Horizons in Canopy Science.
AB  - Forest canopies are dynamic interfaces between organisms and atmosphere,
      providing buffered microclimates and complex microhabitats. Canopies form
      vertically stratified ecosystems interconnected with other strata. Some forest
      biodiversity patterns and food webs have been documented and measurements of
      ecophysiology and biogeochemical cycling have allowed analyses of large-scale
      transfer of CO2, water, and trace gases between forests and the atmosphere.
      However, many knowledge gaps remain. With global research networks and databases,
      and new technologies and infrastructure, we envisage rapid advances in our
      understanding of the mechanisms that drive the spatial and temporal dynamics of
      forests and their canopies. Such understanding is vital for the successful
      management and conservation of global forests and the ecosystem services they
      provide to the world.

PMID- 28359573
TI  - Next-Generation Global Biomonitoring: Large-scale, Automated Reconstruction of
      Ecological Networks.
AB  - We foresee a new global-scale, ecological approach to biomonitoring emerging
      within the next decade that can detect ecosystem change accurately, cheaply, and
      generically. Next-generation sequencing of DNA sampled from the Earth's
      environments would provide data for the relative abundance of operational
      taxonomic units or ecological functions. Machine-learning methods would then be
      used to reconstruct the ecological networks of interactions implicit in the raw
      NGS data. Ultimately, we envision the development of autonomous samplers that
      would sample nucleic acids and upload NGS sequence data to the cloud for network
      reconstruction. Large numbers of these samplers, in a global array, would allow
      sensitive automated biomonitoring of the Earth's major ecosystems at high spatial
      and temporal resolution, revolutionising our understanding of ecosystem change.

PMID- 28359574
TI  - Gene Drives and Rodent Control: Response to Piaggio et al.

PMID- 28359575
TI  - Inaccuracy and bias in adult skeletal age estimation: Assessing the reliability
      of eight methods on individuals of varying body sizes.
AB  - Accurate age estimations are essential for identifying human skeletal remains and
      narrowing missing persons searches. This study examines how BMI, body mass, and
      stature influence inaccuracy and bias in adult skeletal age estimations obtained
      using eight methods. 746 skeletons from the Hamann-Todd and William Bass
      Collections were used. Underweight BMI, light body mass, and short-stature
      individuals have the most error associated with their age estimates and are
      consistently under-aged between 3 to 13years. Obese BMI, heavy body mass, and
      tall-stature individuals are consistently over-aged between 3 to 8.5years. The
      most reliable methods for smaller-bodied individuals are Kunos et al. (first rib)
      and Buckberry-Chamberlain (auricular surface); for individuals in the average
      range, Iscan et al. (fourth ribs) and Passalacqua (sacrum); and for larger-bodied
      individuals, Iscan et al., Passalacqua, and Rouge-Maillart et al. (auricular
      surface and acetabulum). Lovejoy et al. (auricular surface) and Suchey-Brooks
      (pubic symphysis) produce consistent inaccuracy and bias scores across all body
      size groups. The least reliable method for smaller-bodied individuals is Iscan et
      al.; for larger-bodied individuals, Buckberry-Chamberlain; and across all body
      size groups, DiGangi et al. (first rib).

PMID- 28359576
TI  - Teaching congenital heart disease: A new era?

PMID- 28359577
TI  - Resection of pulmonary sarcomatous metastases: Cut to cure?

PMID- 28359578
TI  - Simulation in congenital cardiac surgical education: We have arrived.

PMID- 28359579
TI  - Therapeutic interventional endoscopic bail-out in life-threatening surgical
      complications.

PMID- 28359580
TI  - Racialized legal status as a social determinant of health.
AB  - This article advances the concept of racialized legal status (RLS) as an
      overlooked dimension of social stratification with implications for racial/ethnic
      health disparities. We define RLS as a social position based on an ostensibly
      race-neutral legal classification that disproportionately impacts racial/ethnic
      minorities. To illustrate the implications of RLS for health and health
      disparities in the United States, we spotlight existing research on two cases:
      criminal status and immigration status. We offer a conceptual framework that
      outlines how RLS shapes disparities through (1) primary effects on those who hold
      a legal status and (2) spillover effects on racial/ethnic in-group members,
      regardless of these individuals' own legal status. Primary effects of RLS operate
      by marking an individual for material and symbolic exclusion. Spillover effects
      result from the vicarious experiences of those with social proximity to marked
      individuals, as well as the discredited meanings that RLS constructs around
      racial/ethnic group members. We conclude by suggesting multiple avenues for
      future research that considers RLS as a mechanism of social inequality with
      fundamental effects on health.

PMID- 28359581
TI  - Health inequities in the age of austerity: The need for social protection
      policies.
AB  - This commentary assesses the impacts of the global austerity drive on health
      inequities in the aftermath of the global financial crisis of 2008. In doing so,
      it first locates the origins of austerity within the 40 year history of
      neoliberal economic orthodoxy. It then describes the global diffusion of
      austerity since 2008, and its key policy tenets. It next describes the already
      visible impacts of austerity-driven welfare reform on trends in health equity,
      and documents how austerity has exacerbated health inequities in countries with
      weak social protection policies. We finally identify the components of an
      alternative policy response to the financial crisis than that of austerity, with
      specific reference to the need for shifts in national and global taxation
      policies and public social protection policies and spending. We conclude with a
      call for a reorientation of public policy towards making human health an
      overarching global policy goal, and how this aligns with the multilaterally
      agreed upon Sustainable Development Goals.

PMID- 28359582
TI  - Variation in Recombination Rate: Adaptive or Not?
AB  - Rates of meiotic recombination are widely variable both within and among species.
      However, the functional significance of this variation remains largely unknown.
      Is the observed within-species variation in recombination rate adaptive? Recent
      work has revealed new insight into the scale and scope of population-level
      variation in recombination rate. These data indicate that the magnitude of within
      population variation in recombination is similar among taxa. The apparent
      similarity of the variance in recombination rate among individuals between
      distantly related species suggests that the relative costs and benefits of
      recombination that establish the upper and lower bounds may be similar across
      species. Here we review the current data on intraspecific variation in
      recombination rate and discuss the molecular and evolutionary costs and benefits
      of recombination frequency. We place this variation in the context of adaptation
      and highlight the need for more empirical studies focused on the adaptive value
      of variation in recombination rate.

PMID- 28359583
TI  - Enhancer-Derived lncRNAs Regulate Genome Architecture: Fact or Fiction?
AB  - How does the non-coding portion of the genome contribute to the regulation of
      genome architecture? A recent paper by Tan et al. focuses on the relationship
      between cis-acting complex-trait-associated lincRNAs and the formation of
      chromosomal contacts in topologically associating domains (TADs).

PMID- 28359586
TI  - Muscarinic acetylcholine receptors participate in small intestinal mucosal
      homeostasis.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Intestinal mucosal homeostasis is controlled by multiple factors and
      an intact, functional mucosa is essential for survival. Maintenance of the
      epithelium begins with crypt base stem cells which eventually give rise to all
      epithelial cell types. Evidence suggests an important role of the enteric
      cholinergic nervous system in these processes. We hypothesized that mice with
      altered muscarinic signaling would exhibit differences in mucosal morphometric
      and proliferative parameters compared to wild-type mice. METHODS: Mouse lines
      specifically deficient in one of the five muscarinic acetylcholine receptors
      (M1KO-M5KO) were used for experiments. Distal ileal segments were obtained and
      histologic sections created. Villus height and crypt depth were measured using
      H&E-stained sections, while crypt proliferation index (CPI) was calculated using
      Ki67-stained sections. RESULTS: The ileal mucosa from mice deficient in mAChRs
      exhibited differences from wild-type ileal mucosa in nearly all measured
      parameters. Knockout of mAChR2, mAChR3 and mAChR5 resulted in changes in all
      measured parameters. Ileal mucosa from M2KO mice showed an unexpected combination
      decreased VH but paradoxically increased CD and CPI. CONCLUSIONS: Alterations in
      mAChR signaling causes change in ileal mucosal morphometry and crypt cell
      proliferation. While all mAChR subtypes may be involved, mAChR2, mAChR3, and
      mAChR5 appear to be critical for mucosal homeostasis. Further characterization of
      these pathways is warranted.

PMID- 28359584
TI  - Specialize and Divide (Twice): Functions of Three Aurora Kinase Homologs in
      Mammalian Oocyte Meiotic Maturation.
AB  - The aurora kinases (AURKs) comprise an evolutionarily conserved family of
      serine/threonine kinases involved in mitosis and meiosis. While most mitotic
      cells express two AURK isoforms (AURKA and AURKB), mammalian germ cells also
      express a third, AURKC. Although much is known about the functions of the kinases
      in mitosis, less is known about how the three isoforms function to coordinate
      meiosis. This review is aimed at describing what is known about the three
      isoforms in female meiosis, the similarities and differences between kinase
      functions, and speculates as to why mammalian germ cells require expression of
      three AURKs instead of two.

PMID- 28359587
TI  - Optimizing surgical resection of the bleeding Meckel diverticulum in children.
AB  - PURPOSE: Meckel diverticula containing gastric heterotopia predispose to local
      hyperacidity, mucosal ulceration, and gastrointestinal bleeding in children.
      Eradication of acid-producing oxyntic cells is performed by either of two
      surgical methods: segmental enterectomy including the diverticulum or
      diverticulectomy only. METHODS: Retrospective review of all children having
      surgical resection of a Meckel diverticulum at a tertiary-referral children's
      hospital from 2002 to 2016 was performed. Demographic data, surgical method,
      pathological specimens, and outcomes were evaluated. RESULTS: 102 children
      underwent surgical resection of a Meckel diverticulum during the study period. 27
      (26.5%) children presented with bleeding, of which 16 (59%) had diverticulectomy
      only, and 11 (41%) had segmental ileal resection. All Meckel diverticula in
      children presenting with bleeding contained gastric heterotopia, and resection
      margins were free of gastric mucosa. Histologically, 19 specimens showed
      microscopic features of ulceration, on average 2.95mm (SD 4.49) from the nearest
      gastric mucosa (range: 0-16mm). Mean length of hospitalization after ileal
      resection was 4.0days (SD 1.2) compared to 1.6days (SD 0.9) for diverticulectomy
      only (p<0.001), with no re-bleeding occurrences. CONCLUSION: In the operative
      management of children having a bleeding Meckel diverticulum, diverticulectomy
      only completely eradicates gastric heterotopia without increased risk of
      continued bleeding or complications and significantly shortens hospitalization.
      LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Treatment Study: Level III.

PMID- 28359585
TI  - Imaging Translational and Post-Translational Gene Regulatory Dynamics in Living
      Cells with Antibody-Based Probes.
AB  - Antibody derivatives, such as antibody fragments (Fabs) and single-chain variable
      fragments (scFvs), are now being used to image traditionally hard-to-see protein
      subpopulations, including nascent polypeptides being translated and post
      translationally modified proteins. This has allowed researchers to directly image
      and quantify, for the first time, translation initiation and elongation kinetics
      with single-transcript resolution and the temporal ordering and kinetics of post
      translational histone and RNA polymerase II modifications. Here, we review these
      developments and discuss the strengths and weaknesses of live-cell imaging with
      antibody-based probes. Further development of these probes will increase their
      versatility and open new avenues of research for dissecting complex gene
      regulatory dynamics.

PMID- 28359588
TI  - Centrifugal pumps and hemolysis in pediatric extracorporeal membrane oxygenation
      (ECMO) patients: An analysis of Extracorporeal Life Support Organization (ELSO)
      registry data.
AB  - PURPOSE: It is currently unclear whether centrifugal pumps cause more hemolysis
      than roller pumps in extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) circuits. The aim
      of this study was to help answer that question in pediatric patients. METHODS: A
      limited deidentified data set was extracted from the international multicenter
      Extracorporeal Life Support Organization (ELSO) registry comprising all reported
      ECMO runs for patients 18years or younger between 2010 and 2015. Logistic
      regression was used to evaluate a possible association between hemolysis and pump
      type, controlling for patient demographics, circuit factors, and complications.
      RESULTS: 14,776 ECMO runs for 14,026 patients had pump type recorded. Centrifugal
      pumps were employed in 60.4% of ECMO circuits. Hemolysis was a reported
      complication for 1272 (14%) centrifugal pump runs and for 291 (5%) roller pump
      runs. 1755 (20%) centrifugal pump runs reported kidney injury as compared to 797
      (14%) roller pump runs. In the full logistic regression, the odds of hemolysis
      were significantly greater for runs using centrifugal pumps (OR 3.3, 95% CI 2.9
      3.8, p<0.001). CONCLUSIONS: In this retrospective analysis of a large
      international data set, the use of centrifugal pumps was associated with
      increased rates of hemolysis, hyperbilirubinemia, and kidney injury. TYPE OF
      STUDY: Retrospective cohort study. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Level III.

PMID- 28359589
TI  - Extracorporeal and intracorporeal approaches of single-incision laparoscopic
      appendectomy in children: is one superior to another?
AB  - BACKGROUND: Single-incision laparoscopic surgery has been widely popularized for
      pediatric appendicitis. Various techniques have been proposed with two main
      approaches: extracorporeal and intracorporeal. The purpose of this study is to
      compare the result of different approaches in single-incision laparoscopic
      appendectomy (SILA) in children. MATERIAL AND METHODS: With IRB approval,
      patients less than 18years of age who underwent SILA were enrolled from July 2012
      to December 2015. The patients were divided into three groups based on surgical
      approach: extracorporeal (Extra), mixed (Mix), and intracorporeal (Intra)
      approaches. Parameters were retrospectively reviewed, including age, gender,
      white blood cell (WBC), operation time, operative findings, time to diet, length
      of hospital stay (LOS), and complications. Statistical analysis was performed
      separately for simple and complicated appendicitis. RESULTS: There were 32, 32,
      and 24 patients with simple appendicitis in Extra, Mix, and Intra respectively.
      There were 27, 15, and 31 patients with complicated appendicitis in the three
      groups, respectively. No significant difference was noted in the mean age, gender
      distribution, or WBCs between the different groups. A higher percentage of
      patients with complicated appendicitis received intracorporeal approach than
      those with simple appendicitis (42.5% vs. 27.3%, p=0.044). In simple
      appendicitis, the LOS was significantly longer in Extra as compared to Mix
      (p=0.043). Otherwise, the mean LOS, time to diet, and complications were not
      significantly different. The mean operation time was similar between groups of
      simple appendicitis (56.5+/-19.5, 63.6+/-23.5, and 70.1+/-23.1 min, p=0.08),
      whereas it was significantly shorter in Extra of complicated appendicitis (67.6+/
      16.4, 86.6+/-19.0, and 89.9+/-23.4 min, p<0.001). Multivariate analysis showed
      that intracorporeal approach is an independent factor for prolonged operation
      time in both simple and complicated appendicitis. CONCLUSIONS: Different
      approaches of SILA in children have similar outcomes for both simple and
      complicated appendicitis. Extracorporeal is the most time efficient; however,
      intracorporeal can be helpful to deal with complex situations. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE:
      III.

PMID- 28359590
TI  - Factors associated with early recurrence after congenital diaphragmatic hernia
      repair.
AB  - BACKGROUND: The purpose of this study was to identify patient and treatment
      characteristics associated with early (in hospital) hernia recurrence after
      congenital diaphragmatic hernia (CDH) repair. METHODS: Data from the Congenital
      Diaphragmatic Hernia Study Group registry were queried from 2007 to 2015.
      Recurrence of the diaphragmatic hernia after initial repair and prior to death or
      discharge was determined at the time of reoperation. Minimally invasive surgery
      (MIS) approaches included laparoscopy or thoracoscopy, and open approaches
      consisted of laparotomy or thoracotomy. Multivariate regression analysis was
      performed. RESULTS: Of 3984 patients, 3332 (84%) underwent CDH repair. 76 (2.3%)
      patients had an early recurrence. The rate of recurrence was less variable over
      time for patients undergoing laparotomy vs thoracoscopy (range: 1.1-3.7% vs 1.7
      8.9% annually). Timing of repair, whether performed after, during, or before ECMO
      did not significantly alter recurrence rates (0% vs 4.2% vs 3.0%, p=0.116).
      Larger defect size (C: OR 4.3, 95% CI 1.2-15.4; D: OR 7.1, 95% CI 1.7-29.1) and
      an MIS approach (OR 3.2, 95% CI 1.7-6.0) were the only independent predictors of
      recurrence. CONCLUSION: Larger defect size and an MIS approach were associated
      with higher rates of early recurrence, while ECMO use and timing of repair with
      ECMO were not. TYPE OF STUDY: Treatment study. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: II.

PMID- 28359591
TI  - Single stage management of Gustilo type III A/B tibia fractures: Fixed with nail
      & covered with fasciocutaneous flap.
AB  - PURPOSE: To evaluate the role of immediate and definitive management of Gustilo
      type III A/B tibia fractures with intramedullary nailing and fasciocutaneous
      flap. METHODS: From August 2010 to July 2012, 22 patients with Gustilo Grade III
      A/B tibia fractures were managed with a single stage treatment of ipsilateral
      fasciocutaneous flap & reamed intramedullary nailing and were included in the
      study. The severity of the injury was calculated with Ganga Hospital injury
      severity score. RESULTS: The mean age of patients was 41 years and the follow-up
      time ranged from six months to one year. Among the 22 patients, 73% were type III
      B fractures with upper leg involved in 55% of them. The time interval from injury
      to completion of surgery was 8-14 h. The incidence of bone infection requiring
      secondary procedure was 9%; the major and minor soft tissue complication rate was
      9% and 14% respectively. The limb salvage rate was 100%. CONCLUSION:
      Multidisciplinary management of severe lower limb trauma is important and
      provides good outcomes. Intramedullary nailing and immediate flap fixation can
      achieve early bone union and good soft tissue coverage, leading to good outcomes
      in patient with Grade III A & B tibia fractures.

PMID- 28359592
TI  - Clinical efficacy and safety of limited internal fixation combined with external
      fixation for Pilon fracture: A systematic review and meta-analysis.
AB  - PURPOSE: To compare the clinical efficacy and complications of limited internal
      fixation combined with external fixation (LIFEF) and open reduction and internal
      fixation (ORIF) in the treatment of Pilon fracture. METHODS: We searched
      databases including Pubmed, Embase, Web of science, Cochrane Library and China
      Biology Medicine disc for the studies comparing clinical efficacy and
      complications of LIFEF and ORIF in the treatment of Pilon fracture. The clinical
      efficacy was evaluated by the rate of nonunion, malunion/delayed union and the
      excellent/good rate assessed by Mazur ankle score. The complications including
      infections and arthritis symptoms after surgery were also investigated. RESULTS:
      Nine trials including 498 pilon fractures of 494 patients were identified. The
      meta-analysis found no significant differences in nonunion rate (RR = 1.60, 95%
      CI: 0.66 to 3.86, p = 0.30), and the excellent/good rate (RR = 0.95, 95% CI: 0.86
      to 1.04, p = 0.28) between LIFEF group and ORIF group. For assessment of
      infections, there were significant differences in the rate of deep infection (RR
      = 2.18, 95% CI: 1.34 to 3.55, p = 0.002), and the rate of arthritis (RR = 1.26,
      95% CI: 1.03 to 1.53, p = 0.02) between LIFEF group and ORIF group. CONCLUSION:
      LIFEF has similar effect as ORIF in the treatment of pilon fractures, however,
      LIFEF group has significantly higher risk of complications than ORIF group does.
      So LIFEF is not recommended in the treatment of pilon fracture.

PMID- 28359593
TI  - Response to "Re. Analysis of the Elective Treatment Process for Critical Limb
      Ischaemia with Tissue Loss: Diabetic Patients Require Rapid Revascularisation".

PMID- 28359595
TI  - Shelf life of diluted human interferon-alpha for veterinary clinical use.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Oral, low-dose, human interferon (IFN)-alpha treatments have shown
      efficacy in different models of viral and autoimmune diseases. Human IFN-alpha is
      commonly used at a daily dose between 1 and 10 IU/kg body weight. Registered
      products matching these doses at convenient concentrations are lacking. AIM: The
      stability of sterile, diluted, human leukocyte IFN-alpha was investigated under
      cold-chain and room temperature conditions. RESULTS: Diluted IFN-alpha displayed
      moderate decay at room temperature (20-23  degrees C), which should restrict the
      shelf life to 3-4 days after compounding. On the contrary, a substantial
      stability was demonstrated over 6 months under cold-chain conditions. Such a
      stability of IFN-alpha was correlated with the maintenance of Class I MHC
      modulating properties. CONCLUSION: A shelf life of six months can be envisaged
      for sterile, diluted preparations of human IFN-alpha under cold-chain conditions,
      and batch size should be adjusted in accordance with this property.

PMID- 28359594
TI  - Improvement in postoperative mortality in elective gastrectomy for gastric
      cancer: Analysis of predictive factors in 1066 patients from a single centre.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Gastrectomy represents the main treatment for gastric adenocarcinoma.
      This procedure is associated with substantial morbidity and mortality. The aim of
      this study was to evaluate the postoperative mortality changes across the study
      period and to identify predictive factors of 30-day mortality after elective
      gastrectomy for gastric cancer. METHODS: This was a retrospective cohort study of
      a prospective database from a single centre. Patients treated with an elective
      gastrectomy from 1996 to 2014 for gastric adenocarcinoma were included. We
      compared postoperative mortality between four time periods: 1996-2000, 2001-2005,
      2006-2010, and 2011-2014. Univariate and multivariate analyses were applied to
      identify predictors of 30-day postoperative mortality. RESULTS: We included 1066
      patients (median age 65 years; 67% male). The 30-day mortality rate was 4.7%.
      Mortality decreased across the four time periods; from 6.5% to 1.8% (P = 0.022).
      In the univariate analysis, age, ASA score, albumin <3.5, multivisceral
      resection, splenectomy, intrathoracic esophagojejunal anastomosis, R status, and
      T status were significantly associated with postoperative mortality. In the
      multivariate analysis, ASA class 3 (OR 10.06; CI 1.97-51.3; P = 0.005) and
      multivisceral resection (OR 1.6; CI 1.09-2.36; P = 0.016) were associated with
      higher postoperative 30-day mortality; surgery between 2011 and 2014 was
      associated with lower postoperative 30-day mortality (OR 0.55; CI 0.33-0.15; P =
      0.030). CONCLUSION: There was a decrease in postoperative 30-day mortality during
      this 18-year period at our institution. We have identified ASA score and
      multivisceral resection as predictors of 30-day mortality for elective
      gastrectomy for cancer.

PMID- 28359596
TI  - [Primary care in Ireland].
AB  - Spanish doctors are still leaving the country to look for quality work. Ireland
      is not a country with many Spanish professionals but it is interesting to know
      its particular Health care system. Ireland is one of the countries with a
      national health care system, although it has a mixture of private health care
      insurance schemes. People have a right to health care if they have been living in
      Ireland at least for a year. Access to the primary care health system depends on
      age and income: free of charge for Category 1 and co-payments for the rest. This
      division generates great inequalities among the population. Primary Care doctors
      are self-employed, and they work independently. However, since 2001 they have
      tended to work in multidisciplinary teams in order to strengthen the Primary Care
      practice. Salary is gained from a combination of public and private incomes which
      are not differentiated. The role of the General Practitioner consists in the
      treatment of acute and chronic diseases, minor surgery, child care, etc. There is
      no coordination between Primary and Secondary care. Access to specialised
      medicine is regulated by the price of consultation. Primary Care doctors are not
      gatekeepers. To be able to work here, doctors must have three years of training
      after medical school. After that, Continuing Medical Education is compulsory, and
      the college of general practitioners monitors it annually. The Irish health care
      system does not fit into the European model. Lack of a clear separation between
      public and private health care generates great inequalities. The non-existence of
      coordination between primary and specialised care leads to inefficiencies, which
      Ireland cannot allow itself after a decade of economic crisis.

PMID- 28359598
TI  - IDF Congress 2017 - Shaping the future of diabetes.

PMID- 28359599
TI  - [Masters in health economics in Spain. Highly valued and useful training].

PMID- 28359600
TI  - Characteristics of tree nut challenges in tree nut allergic and tree nut
      sensitized individuals.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Characteristics and outcomes of tree nut (TN) oral food challenges
      (OFCs) in patients with TN allergy or sensitization alone are poorly studied.
      OBJECTIVE: To determine the relation between TN sensitization levels and OFC
      outcomes. METHODS: Open TN OFCs performed from 2007 through 2015 at a referral
      center were analyzed to compare outcome based on skin prick test (SPT) wheal
      size, food-specific immunoglobulin E (sIgE), peanut co-allergy, and TN
      sensitization only vs TN allergy with sensitization to other TNs. Delayed OFC was
      defined as longer than 12 months from the time of an sIgE level lower than 2
      kUA/L. RESULTS: Overall passage rate was 86% for 156 TN OFCs in 109 patients (54
      almond, 28 cashew, 27 walnut, 18 hazelnut, 14 pecan, 13 pistachio, and 2 Brazil
      nut). Passage rates were 76% (n = 67) in patients with a history of TN allergy
      who were challenged to another TN to which they were sensitized and 91% (n = 65)
      in those with TN sensitization only (mean sIgE 1.53 kUA/L; range 0.35-9.14).
      Passage rates were 89% (n = 110 of 124) for a TN sIgE level lower than 2 kUA/L
      and 69% (11 of 16) for a TN sIgE level of at least 2 kUA/L. In 44 challenges in
      patients with peanut allergy and TN co-sensitization, the TN OFC passage rate was
      96%. In 41 TN OFCs with a TN SPT wheal size of at least 3 mm, 61% passed, with a
      mean wheal size of 4.8 mm (range 3-11) in those passing vs 9 mm (range 3-20) in
      those failing. CONCLUSION: TN challenges are frequently passed in patients with
      TN sensitization with or without a history of TN reactivity despite a TN SPT
      wheal of at least 3 mm or a TN sIgE level of at least 2 kUA/L. Nearly all
      patients with peanut allergy and TN co-sensitization passed the TN challenge,
      questioning the clinical relevance of "co-allergy."

PMID- 28359602
TI  - [Intelligent systems tools in the diagnosis of acute coronary syndromes: A
      systemic review].
AB  - BACKGROUND: Acute myocardial infarction is the leading cause of non-communicable
      deaths worldwide. Its diagnosis is a highly complex task, for which modelling
      through automated methods has been attempted. A systematic review of the
      literature was performed on diagnostic tests that applied intelligent systems
      tools in the diagnosis of acute coronary syndromes. METHODS: A systematic review
      of the literature is presented using Medline, Embase, Scopus, IEEE/IET Electronic
      Library, ISI Web of Science, Latindex and LILACS databases for articles that
      include the diagnostic evaluation of acute coronary syndromes using intelligent
      systems. The review process was conducted independently by 2 reviewers, and
      discrepancies were resolved through the participation of a third person. The
      operational characteristics of the studied tools were extracted. RESULTS: A total
      of 35 references met the inclusion criteria. In 22 (62.8%) cases, neural networks
      were used. In five studies, the performances of several intelligent systems tools
      were compared. Thirteen studies sought to perform diagnoses of all acute coronary
      syndromes, and in 22, only infarctions were studied. In 21 cases, clinical and
      electrocardiographic aspects were used as input data, and in 10, only
      electrocardiographic data were used. Most intelligent systems use the clinical
      context as a reference standard. High rates of diagnostic accuracy were found
      with better performance using neural networks and support vector machines,
      compared with statistical tools of pattern recognition and decision trees.
      CONCLUSIONS: Extensive evidence was found that shows that using intelligent
      systems tools achieves a greater degree of accuracy than some clinical algorithms
      or scales and, thus, should be considered appropriate tools for supporting
      diagnostic decisions of acute coronary syndromes.

PMID- 28359601
TI  - Reply to: "Peculiarities of progressive external ophthalmoplegia due to single
      mtDNA deletions".

PMID- 28359603
TI  - Balance of the unsuccessful systematization of measurement uncertainty in medical
      laboratories.

PMID- 28359604
TI  - Extra corporeal photochemotherapy in steroid refractory graft versus host
      disease: A review of guidelines and recommendations.
AB  - Regardless of remarkable progresses in prevention and treatment approaches, graft
      versus host disease (GVHD) remains a major impediment for successful allogeneic
      hematopoietic stem cells transplantation (HSCT) and leads to morbidity and
      mortality in transplanted patients. Corticosteroids are the standard therapy for
      GVHD; however, a great number of patients will not respond sufficiently and
      others will be significantly affected by adverse effects of steroids.
      Extracorporeal photochemotherapy (ECP), as one of the numerous second line
      therapies, through modulation of immune cells may improves GVHD affected organ
      function in steroid-refractory forms. Considering to widespread utilization of
      ECP as a therapeutic strategy, we performed review on current literature of ECP,
      regarding the treatment strategies, monitoring protocols and technical aspects in
      chronic and acute GVHD.

PMID- 28359606
TI  - Diagnosis and Treatment of Drug-Resistant Tuberculosis.
AB  - In the last 2 decades, drug-resistant tuberculosis has become a threat and a
      challenge to worldwide public health. The diagnosis and treatment of these forms
      of tuberculosis are much more complex and prognosis clearly worsens as the
      resistance pattern intensifies. Nevertheless, it is important to remember that
      with the appropriatesystematic clinical management, most of these patients can be
      cured. These guidelines itemize the basis for the diagnosis and treatment of all
      tuberculosis patients, from those infected by strains that are sensitive to all
      drugs, to those who are extensively drug-resistant. Specific recommendations are
      given forall cases. The current and future role of new molecular methods for
      detecting resistance, shorter multi-drug-resistant tuberculosis regimens, and new
      drugs with activity against Mycobacterium tuberculosis are also addressed.

PMID- 28359607
TI  - Endotracheal Tuberculosis in a Patient with Smear-Negative Sputum.

PMID- 28359605
TI  - Two cases of permanent indwelling catheter for long-term administration of
      intrapleural chemotherapy.

PMID- 28359608
TI  - Changes in Ventilatory Response to Exercise in Trained Athletes: Respiratory
      Physiological Benefits Beyond Cardiovascular Performance.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: The beneficial impact of an 8-month competitive season on the
      ventilatory profile response to exercise in soccer players has never been
      evaluated. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Ventilatory profile (evaluated by determining
      individual tidal volume [VT] relative to minute ventilation [VE] inflection
      points during exercise) and metabolic responses to incremental exercise were
      evaluated in 2 professional soccer teams before and after an 8-month competitive
      season. RESULTS: No differences between teams in anthropometric characteristics
      or in resting cardiopulmonary variables, included oxygen uptake (VO2) and heart
      rate (HR), before and during the competitive season were found. At iso-speed,
      there were overall improvements in carbon dioxide output (VCO2), VE/VO2, VE/VCO2,
      VE and respiratory frequency (fR) during the season. The VT/VE inflection points
      1 and 2 occurred with greater exercise time, HR, VO2, VCO2, VE and VT during the
      competitive season. CONCLUSIONS: Despite very high baseline performance and a
      negligible improvement in VO2, an 8-month competitive season improved ventilatory
      profile response to exercise in elite athletes.

PMID- 28359609
TI  - Pregnant Women: An Overlooked Asset to Plasmodium falciparum Malaria Elimination
      Campaigns?
AB  - Community chemotherapy campaigns to reduce malaria transmission often exclude
      pregnant women due to safety concerns related to the drugs. However, pregnant
      women might represent an important source of human-to-mosquito infection due to
      frequent parasite carriage with higher densities of parasites (often detectable
      by microscopy), attractiveness to mosquitoes, and modified sleeping behaviour.
      Accumulating evidence of the safety of artemisinin-based combination therapies
      for the treatment of malaria during gestation suggests that malaria elimination
      programmes should reconsider this exclusion. Including pregnant women will
      increase intervention coverage and impact, and may thereby accelerate progress
      towards the desired endpoint (e.g., elimination) or increase the chances of
      success. Studies assessing infectiousness of pregnant women and gametocyte
      dynamics during different trimesters of pregnancy will be valuable to support the
      planning of community treatment campaigns.

PMID- 28359610
TI  - Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus nasal carriage between healthy
      students of medical and nonmedical universities.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) is a challenge for
      public health, and community-acquired (CA) infections seem to be increasing among
      people in different areas. METHODS: A total of 700 healthy student volunteers
      residing in dormitories of universities in Urmia, Iran, were enrolled in this
      study. After identification of the isolates, antibiotic susceptibility, presence
      of mecA and pvl genes, and staphylococcal cassette chromosome mec (SCCmec) typing
      were evaluated. RESULTS: Nasal screening identified 137 (19.6%) carriers of S
      aureus, and 18 (13.14%) were MRSA isolates. The antimicrobial susceptibility
      patterns of isolates revealed high resistance to penicillin (93.4%). All isolates
      were sensitive to vancomycin. The SCCmec typing showed that most MRSA strains
      belonged to SCCmec type IV (n = 14; 77.8%). Only 1 (5.56%) MRSA isolates carried
      the pvl gene. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings revealed the relatively high frequency of
      S aureus nasal carriers and the advent of multidrug resistance among these
      isolates. Most MRSA isolates were SCCmec type IV; the transfer of such MRSA
      strains from carriers to other individuals in crowded living conditions such as
      dormitories can act as a risk factor for outbreak of CA MRSA and is a serious
      threat for the study groups.

PMID- 28359611
TI  - Risk factors, characteristics, and outcomes of candidemia in an adult intensive
      care unit in Turkey.
AB  - Thirty-six patients with candidemia and 37 control patients were included
      consecutively to determine the characteristics of candidemia episodes. The
      patients with candidemia had higher mortality with higher Sequential Organ
      Failure Assessment scores and frequency of use of a central venous catheter,
      total parenteral nutrition, and broad-spectrum antibiotics; chronic renal failure
      with replacement therapy; and longer stay in an intensive care unit. Candida
      albicans was the predominant species followed by Candida glabrata, Candida
      tropicalis, and Candida parapsilosis. All isolates of C glabrata were
      itraconazole-resistant.

PMID- 28359612
TI  - Evaluation of one-way valves used in medical devices for prevention of cross
      contamination.
AB  - BACKGROUND: One-way valves used in day use devices (used on multiple patients
      throughout a day without reprocessing between patients) are intended to reduce
      the potential for cross-contamination between patients resulting from the
      backflow of patient fluids. One-way valves are typically designed to withstand
      high levels of back pressure before failure; however, they may not be explicitly
      designed as a means of infection control as used in medical device applications.
      METHODS: Five different medical grade one-way valves were placed in low pressure
      configurations. After flushing in the intended direction of flow, bacteriophage,
      bacteria, or dye was placed patient side for 24 hours. The upstream device side
      of the valve was then evaluated for microbial growth or presence of visible dye.
      RESULTS: Leakage (ie, backflow) of the microorganisms occurred with a variety of
      one-way valve designs across a range of fluid properties tested. CONCLUSIONS:
      This study describes testing of the one-way valves (component-level testing) for
      the potential of cross-contamination. Although day use medical device systems may
      use numerous other factors to prevent patient cross-contamination, this work
      demonstrates that one-way valves themselves may not prevent leakage of
      contaminated fluid if the fluid is able to reach the upstream side of the one-way
      valve.

PMID- 28359613
TI  - Reduction of blood culture contamination rates after implementation of a
      phlebotomist team.

PMID- 28359614
TI  - Effectiveness of a balance-focused exercise program for enhancing functional
      fitness of older adults at risk of falling: A randomised controlled trial.
AB  - This study examined the effectivenss of a balance-focused training program (i.e.,
      Exercise for Balance Improvement Program, ExBP) in improving functional fitness
      of older nonfallers at risk of falling. Sixty-one participants were randomly
      assigned to receive 16 weeks of ExBP or Tai Chi (TC) training, or no treatment
      (CON) with an 8-week follow-up. The Senior Fitness Test battery was applied to
      assess functional fitness. After the intervention, results revealed significant
      improvements in all fitness components in the ExBP group. Compared with the CON
      group, the ExBP group demonstrated more improvements in lower extremity muscle
      strength, agility and balance, and aerobic endurance. The ExBP group also
      displayed more improvements in aerobic endurance than the TC group in posttest
      and follow-up test. Therefore, the balance-focused exercise can be applied as an
      effective way in improving overall functional fitness among older nonfallers who
      are at risk of falling.

PMID- 28359615
TI  - From Capstone/Dissertation to publication: Let's try this again!

PMID- 28359616
TI  - Recognising the boundary between heroism and futility in veterinary intensive
      care.

PMID- 28359617
TI  - Fluid-Attenuated Inversion Recovery (FLAIR) Signal Intensity Can Identify Stroke
      Within 6 and 8 Hours.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Patients with wake-up or unknown time of onset stroke are usually
      excluded from recanalization. However, a few studies indicate that some magnetic
      resonance sequences can help predict time from symptom onset (SxO). Our goal was
      to assess the value of fluid-attenuated inversion recovery (FLAIR) signal
      intensity ratio (SIR) in identifying patients within 6 and 8 hours of stroke
      onset. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We studied consecutive acute stroke patients with
      known time of onset who underwent magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) within 48
      hours of SxO. SIR was calculated as the value of the FLAIR signal intensity of
      the identified area of infarction divided by the signal intensity in the
      homologous contralateral side of the brain. RESULTS: Out of 160 patients included
      in this study, 72 and 80 patients had MRI within 6 and 8 hours of SxO,
      respectively. We found a positive correlation between SIR and time from SxO
      (Pearson coefficient, .63). Receiver operating characteristic curves indicated
      that SIR <= 1.18 could accurately identify patients within 6 hours of SxO (86%
      sensitivity, 79% specificity) and a SIR <= 1.20 can be identified within 8 hours
      (89% sensitivity, 76% specificity). Among patients with no visible FLAIR
      hyperintensity, 83% (95% CI, 77%-89%) were within the 6-hour window. CONCLUSION:
      Quantitative assessment of FLAIR sequence can be used to identify patients within
      6 and 8 hours of stroke onset.

PMID- 28359618
TI  - Adjuvanticity of a CTLA-4 3' UTR complementary oligonucleotide for emulsion
      formulated recombinant subunit and inactivated vaccines.
AB  - Cytotoxic T-lymphocyte antigen 4 (CTLA-4) is recognized as a critical inhibitory
      regulator of T-cell proliferation and activation, opposing the action of CD28
      mediated co-stimulation. Interfering or blocking CTLA-4 can result in continuous
      T-cell activation required for the full immune response to pathogenic microbes
      and vaccines. To test if nucleic acid-based CTLA-4 inhibitors could be developed
      into a novel adjuvant, we designed two oligonucleotides, CMD-1 and CMD-2, with
      the sequences complementary to the conserve regions identical between human and
      mouse CTLA-4 mRNA 3' untranslated region (3' UTR), and tested their in vitro
      effects on CTLA-4 production and their adjuvanticity for vaccines in mice. We
      found that CMD-1 inhibited the antigen-induced CTLA-4 up-regulation on the CD4+ T
      cells by interfering its mRNA expression, maintained higher levels of CD80 and
      CD86 on the CD11c+ cells and promoted the recalled proliferation of the CD4+ T
      cells and CD19+ B cells, and that the CMD-1 enhanced the antibody response
      against recombinant PCV2b capsid protein or inactivated foot-and-mouth disease
      virus in both ICR and BALB/c mice. These data suggest that the CMD-1 could be
      used as a novel vaccine adjuvant capable of inhibiting inhibitory signals rather
      than inducing stimulatory signals of immune cells.

PMID- 28359619
TI  - Predictors of influenza vaccination in the U.S. among children 9-13years of age.
AB  - BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: U.S. estimates of seasonal influenza (flu) vaccine
      uptake in 2014-2015 were 62% for 5-12year olds, dropping to 47% for 13-17year
      olds. The Healthy People 2020 goal for these age groups is 80%. It is important
      to understand factors associated with influenza vaccination, especially for those
      ages where rates begin to decline. The objective of this study was to identify
      factors associated with influenza vaccination acceptance in 9-13year old
      children. METHODS: An online U.S. survey of mothers of children aged 9-13
      assessed children's influenza vaccine uptake in the previous season, healthcare
      utilization, sociodemographics, and vaccine attitudes. Multivariable logistic
      regression identified independent predictors of influenza vaccine status.
      RESULTS: There were 2363 respondents (Mean age=38years old). Referent children
      were 57% female and 66% non-minority race/ethnicity with a mean age of 10.6years.
      By maternal report, 59% of children had received an influenza vaccine in the
      previous season. Predictors of influenza vaccine uptake included a recommendation
      or strong recommendation from a health care provider, seeing a health care
      provider in the past year, positive attitudes regarding the influenza vaccine,
      and being a minority race. Child gender, age, insurance coverage, and whether the
      child had a regular healthcare provider were not associated with influenza
      vaccine uptake (p=n.s.). CONCLUSIONS: This sample reported overall rates of
      influenza vaccine uptake similar to national surveillance data, but still lower
      than national goals. Provider recommendations along with health attitudes and
      seeing a health care provider were associated with vaccine uptake. Promising
      interventions may include more directive physician messaging for influenza
      vaccine uptake in youth, encouraging more regular well-child visits during the
      adolescent years, and promoting influenza vaccination at alternative sites.

PMID- 28359620
TI  - Pertussis vaccination in pregnancy: State of the art.
AB  - Pertussis vaccination in pregnancy has been introduced by several national
      advisory bodies, mostly in industrialized countries, as a means to protect young
      infants from disease by high titers of maternal antibodies. Most recommendations
      derive from epidemiological needs, but many knowledge gaps remained after
      implementation. This report aims to overview the solved and unsolved aspects of
      prenatal vaccination with a pertussis containing vaccine.

PMID- 28359621
TI  - Varicella seroepidemiology in United States air force recruits: A retrospective
      cohort study comparing immunogenicity of varicella vaccination and natural
      infection.
AB  - BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES: Infection with varicella zoster virus (VZV) produces
      lifelong immunity, but duration of post-vaccination immunity has not been
      established. The purpose of this study is to determine if a difference exists in
      the long-term seropositivity of anti-VZV antibodies in a cohort of young adults
      who were vaccinated against varicella as compared to a similar cohort with a
      history of chickenpox disease, and to determine which variables best predict
      waning seropositivity following varicella vaccination. METHODS: This
      retrospective cohort study captures immunization and serology data from
      approximately 10,000 recruits who entered basic military training between January
      1, 2008, and December 31, 2015, and who have childhood immunization records in
      the Air Force Aeromedical Services Information Management System. Varicella
      vaccine immunogenicity was determined relative to the immunogenicity of
      chickenpox disease, as measured by multiplex flow immunoassay. Among vaccine
      recipients, waning seroimmunity was modeled and adjusted for several important
      covariates. RESULTS: Basic military trainees who received varicella vaccine in
      childhood were 24% less likely to be seropositive to VZV than trainees who were
      exempt from vaccine due to a history of chickenpox disease. There was no
      significant difference in seropositivity between male and female trainees. The
      odds of a vaccinated trainee being seropositive to VZV decreased by 8% with each
      year elapsed since vaccination. Seroprevalence declined below estimated herd
      immunity thresholds in vaccinated trainees born after 1994, and in the cohort as
      a whole for trainees born after 1995. CONCLUSION: Despite prior vaccination,
      seroimmunity in a large cohort of young adults unexposed to wild-type VZV failed
      to meet the estimated threshold for herd immunity. If vaccination in accordance
      with the current US VZV vaccination schedule is inadequate to maintain herd
      immunity, young adults not previously exposed to wild-type VZV may be at
      increased risk for varicella outbreaks.

PMID- 28359622
TI  - [Corneal ectasia complicating a lime burn].

PMID- 28359623
TI  - [Congenital cerulean cataract].

PMID- 28359624
TI  - [Bilateral serous retinal detachment as a complication of preeclampsia].

PMID- 28359625
TI  - Progression of visual field defect in an unilateral glaucoma patient after an
      unilateral photorefractive keratectomy.

PMID- 28359627
TI  - [Uncomplicated massive central retinal artery embolism].

PMID- 28359626
TI  - Effects of femtosecond and excimer lasers on implanted KAMRA corneal inlay in
      animal models.
AB  - PURPOSE: To evaluate the effect of femtosecond laser and excimer laser on an
      intracorneal inlay (KAMRA(r)) implanted in animal models. METHODS: Femtosecond
      laser was used to create corneal intrastromal pockets at 250MUm depth in five
      porcine eyes. Four intact KAMRA inlays, examined by slit-lamp biomicroscopy and
      light microscopy, were implanted in the pocket of four eyes. A standard LASIK
      flap was created above each implanted inlay in the four eyes using a femtosecond
      laser with flap thicknesses of 150MUm, 130MUm, 110MUm and 90MUm. In the fifth
      porcine eye, a LASIK flap was created using femtosecond laser at 110MUm depth,
      and a fifth inlay was then implanted in the 250MUm pocket. Excimer laser ablation
      was performed under the flap targeting a -3.00 refraction. The inlay was then
      explanted, examined and reimplanted in the same pocket followed by a second
      similar excimer laser ablation. RESULTS: Significant burn, shrinkage and
      distortion of microholes were noted in all the first four inlays following the
      femtosecond laser flap creation at all the various flap thicknesses. The damage
      was noted to be more prominent as the distance between the flap and inlay
      decreased. No apparent effect was noted on the fifth inlay following repeated
      excimer laser ablations. CONCLUSION: Unlike excimer laser, femtosecond laser
      appears to be hazardous and damaging to the intracorneal KAMRA inlay when applied
      above it.

PMID- 28359628
TI  - [Iris mammillations].

PMID- 28359629
TI  - [Multimodal imaging in primary intraocular lymphoma].
AB  - INTRODUCTION: Vitreoretinal lymphoma is a serious disease with highly varied
      clinical presentations. The goal of this work is to identify the various
      presentations (clinical, imaging) in order to improve screening for this disease.
      MATERIALS AND METHOD: We collected data of patients followed on our service for
      vitreoretinal lymphoma. The fundus exam, autofluorescence and angiography data
      were classified in order to identify signs, which might lead to earlier diagnosis
      of lymphoma. RESULTS: The diagnosis of vitreoretinal lymphoma was confirmed by
      vitrectomy or cerebral biopsy for 12 patients (8 women and 4 men). Three clinical
      presentations were identified: no retinal involvement (2 patients), retinal
      infiltrate (4 patients) or acute retinal necrosis (3 patients). One patient had
      no imaging (deceased before it could be obtained), and two patients had
      uninterpretable imaging. CONCLUSION: Vitreoretinal lymphoma remains a rare and
      under-diagnosed disease. The prognosis is related to early diagnosis. Multimodal
      imaging can help to diagnose early vitreoretinal lymphoma in some cases.

PMID- 28359630
TI  - Neural Cell Adhesion Molecules of the Immunoglobulin Superfamily Regulate Synapse
      Formation, Maintenance, and Function.
AB  - Immunoglobulin superfamily adhesion molecules are among the most abundant
      proteins in vertebrate and invertebrate nervous systems. Prominent family members
      are the neural cell adhesion molecules NCAM and L1, which were the first to be
      shown to be essential not only in development but also in synaptic function and
      as key regulators of synapse formation, synaptic activity, plasticity, and
      synaptic vesicle recycling at distinct developmental and activity stages. In
      addition to interacting with each other, adhesion molecules interact with ion
      channels and cytokine and neurotransmitter receptors. Mutations in their genes
      are linked to neurological disorders associated with abnormal development and
      synaptic functioning. This review presents an overview of recent studies on these
      molecules and their crucial impact on neurological disorders.

PMID- 28359632
TI  - Oligo-evidence for antiemetic efficacy in the emergency department.

PMID- 28359631
TI  - Shapeshifting to Survive: Shape Determination and Regulation in Caulobacter
      crescentus.
AB  - Bacterial cell shape is a genetically encoded and inherited feature that is
      optimized for efficient growth, survival, and propagation of bacteria. In
      addition, bacterial cell morphology is adaptable to changes in environmental
      conditions. Work in recent years has demonstrated that individual features of
      cell shape, such as length or curvature, arise through the spatial regulation of
      cell wall synthesis by cytoskeletal proteins. However, the mechanisms by which
      these different morphogenetic factors are coordinated and how they may be
      globally regulated in response to cell cycle and environmental cues are only
      beginning to emerge. Here, we have summarized recent advances that have been made
      to understand morphology in the dimorphic Gram-negative bacterium Caulobacter
      crescentus.

PMID- 28359633
TI  - The role of perineural invasion in treatment decisions for oral cancer patients:
      A review of the literature.
AB  - PURPOSE: The role of perineural invasion (PNI) in the management of patients with
      oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSSC) is still controversial, and there is no
      consensus regarding the most appropriate therapeutic approach. The purpose of
      this study is to review the findings in the literature describing OSCC as a
      neurotropic malignancy, with the aim of correlating perineural invasion with
      treatment decisions and disease prognosis. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A literature
      search was conducted of references based on the MEDLINE and Cochrane Database of
      Systematic Reviews, with subject keywords including four main categories:
      perineural invasion, perineural spread, oral squamous cell cancinoma, neurotropic
      carcinoma. RESULTS: In this systematic review and analysis, more than 350
      publications met the eligibility criteria of the authors. CONCLUSION: Perineural
      invasion (PNI) is a widely recognized indicator of poor prognosis in oral cancer
      patients, strongly correlating with aggressive tumor behavior, disease
      recurrence, and increased morbidity and mortality. Elective neck dissection could
      be an indicator in improving neck control in PNI-positive patients, while the
      addition of adjuvant postoperative radiotherapy may not significantly improve
      survival rates. Various molecular markers have been correlated with perineural
      tumor spread, but further investigations are required before targeting PNI as
      part of advanced cancer therapies.

PMID- 28359634
TI  - Synthesis of sub-micronic and nanometric PMMA particles via emulsion
      polymerization assisted by ultrasound: Process flow sheet and characterization.
AB  - PMMA particle synthesis was performed from MMA (methyl methacrylate) and water
      mixtures, exposed to different ultrasonic systems and frequencies. The sonication
      sequence was 20kHz->580kHz->858kHz->1138kHz, and the solution was sampled after
      each irradiation step for polymerization. Effects of sonication parameters (time,
      power), polymerization method (thermo-initiated or photo-initiated), use of small
      amounts of surfactant (Triton X-100TM or Tween(r) 20) and initial MMA quantity
      were investigated on particle size and synthesis yields. Particle size and size
      distribution were measured by DLS (Dynamic Light Scattering), and confirmed via
      SEM (Scanning Electron Microscopy) images. Synthesis yield was calculated using
      the dry weight method. Particle composition was estimated using FTIR (Fourier
      Transform Infra-Red) spectroscopy. PMMA (polymethylmethacrylate) monodispersed
      particles were successfully synthesized, with a possibility of control in the 78
      310nm size range. These sized-controlled particles were synthesized with a 7.5
      85% synthesis yield (corresponding to 7.5-40g/L particle solid content),
      depending on operational parameters. Furthermore, a trade-off between particle
      size and synthesis yield can be proposed: 20kHz->10min waiting time->580kHz
      >858kHz leading to 90nm particles diameter with 72% yield in less than 40min for
      the whole sequence. Thus, the synthesis under ultrasound can be found easy to
      implement and time efficient, ensuring the success of the scale-up approach and
      opening up industrial applications for this type of polymeric particles.

PMID- 28359635
TI  - Protein fold recognition based on sparse representation based classification.
AB  - Knowledge of protein fold type is critical for determining the protein structure
      and function. Because of its importance, several computational methods for fold
      recognition have been proposed. Most of them are based on well-known machine
      learning techniques, such as Support Vector Machines (SVMs), Artificial Neural
      Network (ANN), etc. Although these machine learning methods play a role in
      stimulating the development of this important area, new techniques are still
      needed to further improve the predictive performance for fold recognition. Sparse
      Representation based Classification (SRC) has been widely used in image
      processing, and shows better performance than other related machine learning
      methods. In this study, we apply the SRC to solve the protein fold recognition
      problem. Experimental results on a widely used benchmark dataset show that the
      proposed method is able to improve the performance of some basic classifiers and
      three state-of-the-art methods to feature selection, including autocross
      covariance (ACC) fold, D-D, and Bi-gram. Finally, we propose a novel
      computational predictor called MF-SRC for fold recognition by combining these
      three features into the framework of SRC to achieve further performance
      improvement. Compared with other computational methods in this field on DD
      dataset, EDD dataset and TG dataset, the proposed method achieves stable
      performance by reducing the influence of the noise in the dataset. It is
      anticipated that the proposed predictor may become a useful high throughput tool
      for large-scale fold recognition or at least, play a complementary role to the
      existing predictors in this regard.

PMID- 28359636
TI  - Hepatic perivascular epithelioid tumor (PEComa). A case report.
AB  - A 37-year-old female had liver nodules found in an abdominal ultrasound scan. The
      radiological features were suggestive of hepatocellular adenomas, although there
      were some atypical findings. Two years later, one of the nodules showed
      dimensional progression and intralesional hemorrhage. The patient underwent a
      left hepatectomy and the postoperative course was uneventful. The histological
      exam and the immunohistochemistry were consistent with the diagnosis of PEComa.
      The PEComa is a mesenchymal tumor rarely described in the liver. The preoperative
      diagnosis of PEComa is very difficult and, with this report, the authors intend
      to increase the limited knowledge relating to natural history and optimal
      treatment of this rare condition.

PMID- 28359637
TI  - Development and evaluation of a social cognitive theory-based instrument to
      assess correlations for physical activity among people with spinal cord injury.
AB  - BACKGROUND: People with spinal cord injury (SCI) are more susceptible to
      sedentary lifestyles because of the displacement of physical functioning and the
      copious barriers. Benefits of physical activity for people with SCI include
      physical fitness, functional capacity, social integration and psychological well
      being. OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to develop and test a social
      cognitive theory-based instrument aimed to predict physical activity among people
      with SCI. METHODS: An instrument was developed through the utilization and
      modification of previous items from the literature, an expert panel review, and
      cognitive interviewing, and tested among a sample of the SCI population using a
      cross-sectional design. Statistical analysis included descriptives, correlations,
      multiple regression, and exploratory factor analysis. RESULTS: The physical
      activity outcome variable was significantly and positively correlated with self
      regulatory efficacy (r = 0.575), task self-efficacy (r = 0.491), self-regulation
      (r = 0.432), social support (r = 0.284), and outcome expectations (r = 0.247).
      Internal consistency for the constructs ranged from 0.82 to 0.96. Construct
      reliability values for the self-regulation (0.95), self-regulatory efficacy
      (0.96), task self-efficacy (0.94), social support (0.84), and outcome
      expectations (0.92) each exceeded the 0.70 a priori criteria. CONCLUSIONS: The
      factor analysis was conducted to seek modifications of current instrument to
      improve validity and reliability. The data provided support for the convergent
      validity of the five-factor SCT model. This study provides direction for further
      development of a valid and reliable instrument for predicting physical activity
      among people with SCI.

PMID- 28359638
TI  - Indications and Predictors for Reconstructive Surgery After Hand Burns.
AB  - PURPOSE: The objective of this study was to analyze the prevalence, indications,
      and type of reconstructive surgery and predictors of the outcomes of
      reconstructive surgery after hand burns. METHODS: A retrospective cohort study
      was conducted that included all patients admitted with acute hand burns in the
      Dutch burn centers from January 1998 through December 2002. The details of
      reconstruction including frequency, timing, indication, and techniques were
      collected over a 10-year follow-up period. RESULTS: Hand burns were seen in 42%
      (n = 562 of 1,334) of all patients admitted with acute burns. Reconstructive
      surgery during the 10-year follow-up period was required in 15%. Contractures,
      especially of the first web space and little finger, were the most frequent
      indications for reconstructive surgery. Web spaces 1 to 3 and the little finger
      were the location most frequently operated on. The most frequently performed
      surgical technique was release of the contractures and the use of a random flap.
      Eighty percent of the reconstructive surgery patients required more than 1
      reconstructive procedure, most often within 2 years of the initial injury.
      Secondary operations at the same location were required in 12%. In 40% of the
      patients, the first reconstructive surgery was performed within the first
      postburn year. Significant independent factors related to the need for
      reconstructive hand surgery were a larger area of full-thickness burns and
      surgical treatment of the hand during the acute phase. CONCLUSIONS:
      Reconstructive surgery was required in 15% of patients who sustained hand burns.
      The majority of the patients requiring reconstructive surgery of the hand needed
      2 or more operations to correct the contractures of the hand. Contractures of the
      little finger and first web space were the locations most frequently operated on.
      Patients with more extensive burns and who required hand surgery during the acute
      phase were more likely to need reconstructive surgery. TYPE OF STUDY/LEVEL OF
      EVIDENCE: Prognostic IV.

PMID- 28359639
TI  - Lateral Para-Olecranon Approach for the Treatment of Distal Humeral Fracture.
AB  - PURPOSE: To assess the outcomes of the lateral para-olecranon triceps-splitting
      approach for the treatment of distal humeral fracture. METHODS: Ten patients (3
      males, 7 females) with a mean age of 59 years were retrospectively reviewed.
      There were 2 A2, 3 C1, and 5 C2 fractures according to the AO/ASIF
      classification. Types B3 and C3 fractures were excluded from this study because
      the olecranon osteotomy approach was indicated to visualize the anterior
      fragment. The triceps was split at the midline, and the anconeus muscle was
      incised from the proximal ulna. The lateral half of the triceps along with
      anconeus was retracted laterally as a single unit. The distal part of the humerus
      could be visualized from medial and lateral windows by retracting the medial half
      of the triceps. The articular fragment was anatomically reduced and fixed
      temporarily with a Kirschner wire, and the reconstructed distal articular block
      was then fixed to the humeral shaft with double locking plates. RESULTS: After
      surgery, average elbow flexion was 127 degrees  (range, 110 degrees -145 degrees
      ), and extension was -10 degrees  (range, -20 degrees -0 degrees ) at the average
      follow-up time of 12.4 months (range, 8-20 months). Seven patients had normal
      muscle strength against full resistance (manual muscle testing grade 5), and the
      other 3 patients had slightly reduced muscle strength (grade 4). No articular
      stepoffs of more than 1 mm were seen on postoperative radiographs. There were no
      cases of triceps insufficiency and nonunion. The average (+/- SD) Mayo Elbow
      Score was 93.5 +/- 5.8 points at the final follow-up. CONCLUSIONS: The lateral
      para-olecranon approach is useful for the management of selected fractures of the
      distal humerus, preserving extension strength and providing satisfactory clinical
      outcomes, with no risk of olecranon osteotomy-related complications. TYPE OF
      STUDY/LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Therapeutic V.

PMID- 28359640
TI  - Headless Compression Screw Versus Kirschner Wire Fixation for Metacarpal Neck
      Fractures: A Biomechanical Study.
AB  - PURPOSE: This study aimed to determine the biomechanical stability of headless
      compression screws in the fixation of metacarpal neck fractures and to compare
      them with another common, less invasive form of fixation, K-wires. The hypothesis
      was that headless compression screws would show higher stiffness and peak load to
      failure than K-wire fixation. METHODS: Eight matched-paired hands (n = 31), using
      the ring and little finger metacarpals, had metacarpal fractures simulated at the
      physeal scar. Each group was stabilized with either a 3.5-mm headless compression
      screw or 2 0.045-in (1.1-mm) K-wires. Nineteen metacarpals were tested in 3-point
      bending and 12 in axial loading. Peak load to failure and stiffness were
      calculated from the load displacement curve. Bone mineral density was recorded
      for each specimen. RESULTS: Bone mineral density was similar in the 2 groups
      tested for 3-point bending and axial loading. Stiffness was not significantly
      different in 3-point bending for headless compression screws and K-wires (means,
      141.3 vs 194.5 N/mm) but it was significant in axial loading (means, 178.0 vs
      111.6 N/mm). Peak load to failure was significantly higher in headless
      compression screws in 3-point bending (means, 401.2 vs 205.3 N) and axial loading
      (means, 467.5 vs 198.3 N). CONCLUSIONS: Compared with K-wires, headless
      compression screws for metacarpal neck fractures are biomechanically superior in
      load to failure, 3-point bending, and axial loading. CLINICAL RELEVANCE: Headless
      compression screws demonstrate excellent biomechanical stability in metacarpal
      neck fractures. In conjunction with promising clinical studies, these data
      suggest that headless compression screws may be an option for treating metacarpal
      neck fractures.

PMID- 28359641
TI  - Prospective Evaluation of Sleep Improvement Following Carpal Tunnel Release
      Surgery.
AB  - PURPOSE: Sleep disturbance due to nighttime awakening is a well-documented
      symptom of carpal tunnel syndrome. While relief of nighttime waking following
      carpal tunnel release (CTR) has been demonstrated, the effect of CTR on overall
      sleep quality has not been fully investigated. We hypothesized that CTR would
      result in significant improvement in overall sleep quality as well as patients'
      overall satisfaction with their sleep habits. METHODS: Cases of carpal tunnel
      syndrome with positive nerve studies, and treated with CTR, were prospectively
      enrolled. Demographic data, electromyography (EMG) severity, Quick Disabilities
      of the Arm, Shoulder, and Hand questionnaire, and Insomnia Severity Index (ISI)
      scale data were collected. RESULTS: A total of 398 patients were enrolled, with
      99% available at 2 weeks and 64% available at 3-month final follow-up. At final
      follow-up, average Quick Disabilities of the Arm, Shoulder, and Hand score
      improved significantly from the preoperative value. Average ISI score on all 7
      sleep categories on the survey improved significantly from before surgery to the
      first postoperative visit. However, the total ISI score did not further improve
      significantly between the 2-week and the 3-month postoperative visits. The ISI
      score improvements did not correlate with EMG severity. CONCLUSIONS: Patients
      undergoing CTR demonstrated significant improvement in mean scores for 7 aspects
      of sleep quality. Sleep improvement was unrelated to preoperative EMG severity
      and was experienced within 2 weeks of surgery. TYPE OF STUDY/LEVEL OF EVIDENCE:
      Therapeutic II.

PMID- 28359642
TI  - Effect of Hormonal Replacement Therapy on Voice.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to investigate the effect of hormonal therapy (HRT)
      on voice in a group of menopausal women, taking into consideration body mass
      index (BMI) as a confounding factor and its potential role as a substitute for
      HRT. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: A total of 53 menopausal women, 34 not on HRT and 19
      on HRT, were recruited. Demographic variables included age, gender, smoking, and
      BMI. All subjects were asked about the presence or absence of the following
      symptoms: hoarseness, deepening of the voice, pitch breaks, throat clearing,
      dryness in the throat, and vocal fatigue. Acoustic analysis was performed, and
      Voice Handicap Index-10 was also completed. RESULTS: The mean BMI was 25.90 +/-
      5.39 and 25.77 +/- 4.26 in patients on HRT and not on HRT, respectively. There
      was no statistical difference in the Voice Handicap Index-10 score and the
      prevalence of any of the phonatory symptoms in menopausal women not on HRT
      compared with menopausal women on HRT. However, menopausal women not on HRT had
      significantly lower habitual pitch than those on HRT (P value of 0.022). On the
      other hand, the jitter was significantly higher in those on HRT (P value of
      0.033). CONCLUSION: Hormonal therapy has an impact on the habitual pith in
      menopausal women with comparable BMI. Those on HRT have a higher habitual pitch
      than those not on HRT.

PMID- 28359644
TI  - Thermodynamics of tunnel formation upon substrate binding in a processive
      glycoside hydrolase.
AB  - Glycoside hydrolases (GHs) catalyze the hydrolysis of glycosidic bonds and are
      key enzymes in carbohydrate metabolism. Efficient degradation of recalcitrant
      polysaccharides such as chitin and cellulose is accomplished due to synergistic
      enzyme cocktails consisting of accessory enzymes and mixtures of GHs with
      different modes of action and active site topologies. The substrate binding sites
      of chitinases and cellulases often have surface exposed aromatic amino acids and
      a tunnel or cleft topology. The active site of the exo-processive chitinase B
      (ChiB) from Serratia marcescens is partially closed, creating a tunnel-like
      catalytic cleft. To gain insight in the fundamental principles of substrate
      binding in this enzyme, we have studied the contribution of five key residues
      involved in substrate binding and tunnel formation to the thermodynamics of
      substrate binding. Mutation of Trp97, Phe190, Trp220 and Glu221, which are all
      part of the tunnel walls, resulted in significant less favorable conformational
      entropy change (DeltaS degrees conf) upon binding (-TDeltaDeltaS degrees conf =
      ~5 kcal/mol). This suggest that these residues are important for the structural
      rigidity and pre-shaping of the tunnel prior to binding. Mutation of Asp316,
      which, by forming a hydrogen bond to Trp97 is crucial in the active-site tunnel
      roof, resulted in a more favorable DeltaS degrees conf relative to the wild type
      (-TDeltaDeltaS degrees conf = -2.2 kcal/mol). This shows that closing the tunnel
      roof comes with an entropy cost, as previously suggested based on the crystal
      structures of GHs with tunnel topologies in complex with their substrates.

PMID- 28359643
TI  - Insights Into the Role of Collagen in Vocal Fold Health and Disease.
AB  - As one of the key fibrous proteins in the extracellular matrix, collagen plays a
      significant role in the structural and biomechanical characteristics of the vocal
      fold. Anchored fibrils of collagen create secure structural regions within the
      vocal folds and are strong enough to sustain vibratory impact and stretch during
      phonation. This contributes tensile strength, density, and organization to the
      vocal folds and influences health and pathogenesis. This review offers a
      comprehensive summary for a current understanding of collagen within normal vocal
      fold tissues throughout the life span as well as vocal pathology and wound
      repair. Further, collagen's molecular structure and biosynthesis are discussed.
      Finally, collagen alterations in tissue injury and repair and the incorporation
      of collagen-based biomaterials as a method of treating voice disorders are
      reviewed.

PMID- 28359645
TI  - Morphometry of the Tibial Plateau at the Surface and Resected Levels.
AB  - BACKGROUND: We aim to make an anthropometric analysis of tibial plateau at the
      surface level and the resected level and analyze the correlation in lengths
      between 2 levels. We hypothesized that lengths at the surface level were longer
      than those at the resected level, which brought soft tissue tolerance for tibial
      component to overhang. METHODS: Anthropometric data were measured using three
      dimensional structures reconstructed from tibial plateaus of 100 knees in 100
      Chinese subjects (50 men and 50 women). Mediolateral, medial anteroposterior, and
      lateral anteroposterior lengths at the surface level and the resected level were
      measured, and the Pearson's correlation coefficients of these data were
      calculated. RESULTS: Mediolateral and medial anteroposterior lengths at the
      surface level were longer than those at the resected level by a mean 2.38 +/-
      1.29 and 1.99 +/- 1.76 mm, respectively. Lateral anteroposterior length at the
      surface level was shorter than that at the resected level by a mean 1.54 +/- 2.49
      mm. All these differences between 2 levels had no gender difference. CONCLUSION:
      Our findings suggest that tibial overhang could be better tolerated in the medial
      compared to the lateral compartment but this hypothesis has to be further
      investigated in a clinical study.

PMID- 28359646
TI  - Letter to the Editor on "The Prevalence of Positive Findings on Metal Artifact
      Reduction Sequence Magnetic Resonance Imaging in Metal-on-Metal Total Hip
      Arthroplasty": Part 2.

PMID- 28359647
TI  - Long interval prostaglandin as an alternative to progesterone-eCG based protocols
      for timed AI in sheep.
AB  - To compare the reproductive performance after TAI in ewes synchronized with mid
      (12 or 13) or long (14-16 d) interval prostaglandin (PG) or progesterone plus eCG
      (P4-eCG) based protocols, 440 multiparous Corriedale ewes were synchronized with
      two PG injections administered 12-16 d apart (PG12, PG13, PG14, PG15 and PG16
      respectively), or P4-eCG (MAP sponges 14 d and eCG). Cervical TAI (Day 0) was
      performed with fresh semen. It was evaluated the ovulated ewes (OE, %) and the
      ovulation rate (OR) on Day 8 by trans-rectal ultrasonography, the rate of non
      return to service between Days 13 and 21 by painted rams, and the pregnancy rate,
      prolificacy and fecundity on Day 60 by trans-abdominal ultrasonography. No
      significant differences were found in OE among groups (P>0.05), but P4-eCG
      achieved higher OR (P<0.05) compared to PG protocols, without differences among
      them (P>0.05). Similar NRR-21, pregnancy and fecundity were observed among PG15
      (64.3, 62.9 and 84.3), PG16 (59.7, 59.7 and 77.8) and P4-eCG (70.3, 66.2 and
      95.9), but higher compared to PG12 (42.5, 39.7 and 52.1) and PG13 group (44.0,
      40.0 and 48.0, respectively; P<0.05). PG14 achieved intermediate results compared
      to other groups. No differences were found in prolificacy among groups (P>0.05),
      except PG13 that was lower compared to P4-eCG (P<0.05). In conclusion, long
      interval between PG injections (15 or 16 d) determined better reproductive
      outcome that mid interval (12 or 13 d), equating the P4-eCG based protocol after
      cervical TAI with fresh semen during the breeding season in sheep.

PMID- 28359648
TI  - Tachykinin neurokinin 3 receptor antagonists: a new treatment for cardiovascular
      disease?
AB  - Great progress has been made in reducing cardiovascular mortality over the past
      50 years. Nevertheless, prevalence is rising in some settings and remains higher
      in men than in women, even with the same level of established risk factors. To
      gain new insights, researchers are now considering cardiovascular disease in
      relation to the well known evolutionary biology model of growth and reproduction
      trading off against longevity, with trials of calorie restriction underway.
      However, calorie restriction has not been as successful as expected in primates
      and it is increasingly realised that effects on the reproductive axis might also
      be important. In this paper, the modulation of the reproductive axis using
      existing agents that have such properties-tachykinin neurokinin 3 receptor
      antagonists-is proposed as a way of reducing cardiovascular disease and combating
      a leading cause of global morbidity and mortality.

PMID- 28359649
TI  - Department of Error.

PMID- 28359650
TI  - Corrigendum to "Differential susceptibility to acetaminophen-induced liver injury
      in sub-strains of C57BL/6 mice: 6N versus 6J" [Food and Chem. Toxicol. 98 (Part
      B) (2016) 107-118].

PMID- 28359651
TI  - [Therapeutic adherence in asthma in France: A general review].
AB  - INTRODUCTION: Adherence in asthma is a paramount issue of disease management. A
      general review of the French publications on this topic has been conducted.
      METHODS: Research equations used for bibliographic databases (MEDLINE, Science
      Direct, Banque de donnees en sante publique, Cochrane and Cairn.info) comprised
      the following keywords: "asthma", "therapeutic adherence" and "France". These
      publications unrelated to asthma, focused on asthma management without exploring
      adherence, or those conducted in populations without French patients were
      excluded. RESULTS: A total of 82 articles have been selected (36 surveys, 4
      randomized trials and 42 reviews/syntheses). Whatever the methodology used and
      publication year, the inadequate therapeutic adherence in asthma was steadily
      reported, notably for controllers and the quality of use of inhaled devices.
      CONCLUSION: The present review highlights the sustainability of adherence-related
      issues in asthma and the need to improve patients' knowledge on asthma and the
      finality of therapy. It also highlights the need of an improved communication
      between patients and physicians is also advocated. Further studies with more
      recent data are desirable to assess changes in disease management of asthma and
      the impact of potential future corrective interventions.

PMID- 28359652
TI  - Automated classification of neonatal sleep states using EEG.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: To develop a method for automated neonatal sleep state classification
      based on EEG that can be applied over a wide range of age. METHODS: We collected
      231 EEG recordings from 67 infants between 24 and 45weeks of postmenstrual age.
      Ten minute epochs of 8 channel polysomnography (N=323) from active and quiet
      sleep were used as a training dataset. We extracted a set of 57 EEG features from
      the time, frequency, and spatial domains. A greedy algorithm was used to define a
      reduced feature set to be used in a support vector machine classifier. RESULTS:
      Performance tests showed that our algorithm was able to classify quiet and active
      sleep epochs with 85% accuracy, 83% sensitivity, and 87% specificity. The
      performance was not substantially lowered by reducing the epoch length or EEG
      channel number. The classifier output was used to construct a novel trend, the
      sleep state probability index, that improves the visualisation of brain state
      fluctuations. CONCLUSIONS: A robust EEG-based sleep state classifier was
      developed. It performs consistently well across a large span of postmenstrual
      ages. SIGNIFICANCE: This method enables the visualisation of sleep state in
      preterm infants which can assist clinical management in the neonatal intensive
      care unit.

PMID- 28359653
TI  - Combining transcranial magnetic stimulation and subdural electrodes for pain
      modulation.

PMID- 28359654
TI  - Future Perspectives in Cancer Screening and Early Detection.

PMID- 28359655
TI  - In vitro and in vivo evaluation of a novel integrated wearable artificial lung.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Conventional extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) is cumbersome
      and is associated with high morbidity and mortality. We are currently developing
      the Pittsburgh Ambulatory Assist Lung (PAAL), which is designed to allow for
      ambulation of lung failure patients during bridge to transplant or recovery. In
      this study, we investigated the in vitro and acute in vivo performance of the
      PAAL. METHODS: The PAAL features a 1.75-inch-diameter, cylindrical, hollow-fiber
      membrane (HFM) bundle of stacked sheets, with a surface area of 0.65 m2
      integrated with a centrifugal pump. The PAAL was tested on the bench for
      hydrodynamic performance, gas exchange and hemolysis. It was then tested in 40-
      to 60-kg adult sheep (n = 4) for 6 hours. The animals were cannulated with an
      Avalon Elite 27Fr dual-lumen catheter (DLC) inserted through the right external
      jugular into the superior vena cava (SVC), right atrium (RA) and inferior vena
      cava (IVC). RESULTS: The PAAL pumped >250 mm Hg at 3.5 liters/min at a rotation
      speed of 2,100 rpm. Oxygenation performance met the target of 180 ml/min at 3.5
      liters/min of blood flow in vitro, resulting in a gas-exchange efficiency of 278
      ml/min/m2. The normalized index of hemolysis (NIH) for the PAAL and cannula was
      0.054 g per 100 liters (n = 2) at 3.5 liters/min, as compared with 0.020 g per
      100 liters (n = 2) for controls (DLC cannula and a Centrimag pump). Plasma-free
      hemoglobin (pfHb) was <20 mg/dl for all animals. Blood left the device 100%
      oxygenated in vivo and oxygenation reached 181 ml/min at 3.8 liters/min.
      CONCLUSION: The PAAL met in vitro and acute in vivo performance targets. Five-day
      chronic sheep studies are planned for the near future.

PMID- 28359656
TI  - In-Center Nocturnal Hemodialysis Versus Conventional Hemodialysis: A Systematic
      Review of the Evidence.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Owing to its longer treatment duration-up to 8 hours per dialysis
      treatment-in-center thrice-weekly nocturnal hemodialysis (HD) is receiving
      greater attention. To better understand the evidence for in-center nocturnal HD,
      we sought to systematically review the literature to determine the effects of in
      center nocturnal HD versus conventional HD on clinically relevant outcomes. STUDY
      DESIGN: We searched MEDLINE, Embase, Evidence-Based Medicine Reviews (EBMR), Web
      of Science, and Scopus from the earliest date in the database to November 2016.
      SETTING & POPULATION: Adults receiving in-center nocturnal HD compared with those
      receiving conventional HD. SELECTION CRITERIA FOR STUDIES: All quasi-experimental
      and observational studies were considered; randomized trials were sought but not
      found. PREDICTOR: Nocturnal vs conventional in-center HD. OUTCOMES: Indexes of
      blood pressure and left ventricular hypertrophy, markers of anemia, measures of
      bone mineral metabolism, nutrition, quality of life, sleep quality, episodes of
      intradialytic hypotension, hospitalization, and mortality. RESULTS: Of 2,086
      identified citations, 21 met the inclusion criteria, comprising a total of 1,165
      in-center nocturnal HD patients and 15,865 conventional HD patients. Although
      there was substantial heterogeneity in reporting of outcomes, we pooled data for
      measures of blood pressure, anemia, and mineral metabolism. Though heterogeneity
      was generally high, in-center nocturnal HD was associated with improved systolic
      blood pressure (-3.18 [95% CI, -5.58 to -0.78) mm Hg, increased hemoglobin levels
      (0.53 [95% CI, 0.11-0.94] g/dL), and lower serum phosphate levels (-0.97 [95% CI,
      -1.48 to -0.46] mg/dL). LIMITATIONS: No randomized trials have been conducted to
      address the clinical effects of in-center nocturnal HD. The quality of the
      observational literature contributing to the results of this review was generally
      poor to moderate. Confounded outcomes are a significant concern. Publication bias
      and outcome reporting bias remain possibilities. CONCLUSIONS: Relative to
      conventional HD, in-center nocturnal HD was associated with improvements in
      several clinically relevant outcomes. Other benefits may not have been detected
      due to small sample sizes of included studies; no prespecified outcome was worse
      with in-center nocturnal HD.

PMID- 28359657
TI  - Association of Vitamin D Metabolites With Arterial Function in the Hemodialysis
      Fistula Maturation Study.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Disturbances in vitamin D metabolism are common in patients with end
      stage renal disease and may contribute to vascular dysfunction. STUDY DESIGN:
      Cross-sectional. SETTING & PARTICIPANTS: We evaluated 558 of 602 participants at
      baseline of the Hemodialysis Fistula Maturation (HFM) Study, a 7-center
      prospective cohort study of a cohort of patients with chronic kidney disease
      awaiting arteriovenous fistula (AVF) creation surgery. FACTOR: 4 vitamin D
      metabolites measured with liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectroscopy from
      samples obtained within 4 weeks prior to AVF surgery. OUTCOMES: Vasodilator
      functions and measurements of arterial stiffness. MEASUREMENTS: Trained HFM Study
      personnel measured brachial artery flow-mediated dilation, nitroglycerin-mediated
      dilation, and carotid-femoral and carotid-radial pulse wave velocities (PWVs)
      prior to AVF creation. We evaluated associations after basic adjustment for sex,
      age, and clinical site and more fully adjusted additionally for baseline
      education, smoking, body mass index, diabetes, dialysis status, and medication
      use. RESULTS: Mean participant age was 55+/-13 (SD) years and 65% were receiving
      maintenance dialysis. None of the vitamin D metabolites were significantly
      associated with flow-mediated dilation, carotid-femoral PWV, or carotid-radial
      PWV in basic or fully adjusted analyses. Higher serum concentrations of
      bioavailable vitamin D and 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D were associated with 0.62% and
      0.58% greater nitroglycerin-mediated dilation values, respectively, in basic
      models; however, these associations were no longer statistically significant with
      full adjustment. There were no significant associations of vitamin D metabolites
      with carotid-femoral or carotid-radial PWV in fully adjusted analyses.
      LIMITATIONS: Cross-sectional ascertainment of vitamin D metabolites and vascular
      functions late during the course of kidney disease. CONCLUSIONS: Serum
      concentrations of vitamin D metabolites are not associated with vasodilator
      functions or vascular stiffness at baseline in a cohort study of patients with
      chronic kidney disease awaiting AVF creation surgery. Laboratory measurements of
      vitamin D metabolites are unlikely to provide useful information regarding
      vascular functions in this setting.

PMID- 28359658
TI  - Unrecognized Fibrinogen A alpha-Chain Amyloidosis: Results From Targeted Genetic
      Testing.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Fibrinogen A alpha-chain (AFib) amyloidosis results from autosomal
      dominant mutations in the gene encoding AFib (FGA). Patients with this disorder
      typically present with proteinuria. Isolated cases of AFib amyloidosis, carrying
      the FGA p.Glu545Val variant, were identified in the district of Braga, in
      northwest Portugal. This observation led us to hypothesize that this disorder
      might be an unrecognized cause of kidney disease in that region and prompted us
      to carry out targeted genetic testing for the p.Glu545Val variant in the local
      hemodialysis population and family members of identified cases. STUDY DESIGN:
      Case series. SETTING & PARTICIPANTS: 3 groups of participants: (1) kidney biopsy
      registry, n=4; (2) hemodialysis facility, n=122 of 267 patients; and (3)
      genetically at-risk individuals; n=69 of 167 family members. OUTCOMES: Kidney
      disease, kidney disease progression, and survival. RESULTS: The p.Glu545Val
      variant was identified in all 4 patients of the biopsy registry, 12 of 122 (9.8%)
      hemodialysis patients tested, and 34 of 69 (49%) relatives tested. These 50 cases
      belonged to 13 unrelated families with kidney disease or amyloidosis identified
      in 61% of probands. 35 individuals presented with hypertension at a mean of
      51.0+/-10.4 years. Of these, 30 developed kidney disease at a mean of 56.7+/-12.0
      years, and 21 initiated dialysis therapy at a mean of 61.4+/-11.3 years. Heart,
      liver, spleen, colon, and ileum were involved along the progression of the
      disease. Kidney disease was formerly attributed to hypertension in 25% of
      patients with AFib amyloidosis undergoing hemodialysis. LIMITATIONS:
      Retrospective data collection for patients with amyloidosis previously diagnosed.
      CONCLUSIONS: AFib amyloidosis appears to be an under-recognized disorder in
      Braga, Portugal, where we found a high frequency of the FGA p.Glu545Val variant.
      Due to the nonspecific nature of its major clinical features, the diagnosis of
      AFib amyloidosis should have a high index of suspicion, particularly in
      populations in which hypertension is prevalent.

PMID- 28359660
TI  - Clinician-patient communication measures: drilling down into assumptions,
      approaches, and analyses.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: To critically examine properties of clinician-patient communication
      measures and offer suggestions for selecting measures appropriate to the purposes
      of research or clinical practice assessment. METHODS: We analyzed different types
      of communication measures by focusing on their ontological properties. We
      describe their relative advantages and disadvantages with respect to different
      types of research questions. RESULTS: Communication measures vary along
      dimensions of reporter (observer vs. participant), focus of measurement
      (behavior, meaning, or quality), target, and timing. Observer coded measures of
      communication behavior function well as dependent variables (e.g., evaluating
      communication skill interventions, examining variability related to gender or
      race), but are less effective as predictors of perceptions and health outcomes.
      Measures of participants' judgments (e.g., what the communication means or how
      well it was done) capture patients' or clinicians' experiences (e.g.,
      satisfaction) and can be useful for predicting outcomes, especially in
      longitudinal designs. CONCLUSION: In the absence of a theoretically coherent set
      of measures that could be used across research programs and applied setting,
      users should take steps to select measures with properties that are optimally
      matched to specific questions. PRACTICE IMPLICATIONS: Quality assessments of
      clinician-patient communication should take into account the timing of the
      assessment and use measures that drill down into specific aspects of patient
      experience to mitigate ceiling effects.

PMID- 28359659
TI  - A stakeholder-driven approach to improve the informed consent process for
      palliative chemotherapy.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: Patients often anticipate cure from palliative chemotherapy. Better
      resources are needed to convey its risks and benefits. We describe the
      stakeholder-driven development and acceptability testing of a prototype video and
      companion booklet supporting informed consent (IC) for a common palliative
      chemotherapy regimen. METHODS: Our multidisciplinary team (researchers,
      advocates, clinicians) employed a multistep process of content development,
      production, critical evaluation, and iterative revisions. Patient/clinician
      stakeholders were engaged throughout using stakeholder advisory panels, featuring
      their voices within the intervention, conducting surveys and qualitative
      interviews. A national panel of 57 patient advocates, and 25 oncologists from
      nine US practices critiqued the intervention and rated its clarity, accuracy,
      balance, tone, and utility. Participants also reported satisfaction with existing
      chemotherapy IC materials. RESULTS: Few oncologists (5/25, 20%) or advocates
      (10/22, 45%) were satisfied with existing IC materials. In contrast, most rated
      our intervention highly, with 89-96% agreeing it would be useful and promote
      informed decisions. Patient voices were considered a key strength. Every
      oncologist indicated they would use the intervention regularly. CONCLUSION: Our
      intervention was acceptable to advocates and oncologists. A randomized trial is
      evaluating its impact on the chemotherapy IC process. PRACTICE IMPLICATIONS:
      Stakeholder-driven methods can be valuable for developing patient educational
      interventions.

PMID- 28359661
TI  - Performance evaluation of a novel anaerobic digestion operation process for
      treating high-solids content chicken manure: Effect of reduction of the hydraulic
      retention time at a constant organic loading rate.
AB  - A novel feeding strategy was adopted in this study and the effect of reduction in
      hydraulic retention time (HRT) on the anaerobic digestion of chicken manure (CM)
      with a constant organic loading rate of 6.0gVS/L/d was investigated. The lab
      scale CSTR was operated at 38 degrees C and HRTCM was reduced from 52days to
      5days. At HRTCM of 20-45days, the reactor was relatively stable in terms of the
      volumetric biogas production rates and specific biogas production (SBP), which
      were 2.2-2.4L/L/d and 338.3-418.7mL/gVSadded, respectively. However, process
      instability and VFA accumulation occurred when the HRTCM was reduced to 10days
      due to excess microbes washout. The reduction in HRTCM to 5days caused SBP to
      decrease to 198.7mL/gVSadded and the acetic acid content to exceed 6000mg/L. The
      biomass balance model showed that the biomass concentration at HRTCM of 20-52days
      (0.473-0.615gVSS/L) was notably higher than that at HRTCM of 5-10days
      (0.173gVSS/L).

PMID- 28359662
TI  - Assessing the transmission dynamics of measles in Japan, 2016.
AB  - OBJECTIVES: Despite the verification of measles elimination, Japan experienced
      multiple generations of measles transmission following importation events in
      2016. The purpose of the present study was to analyze the transmission dynamics
      of measles in Japan, 2016, estimating the transmission potential in the partially
      vaccinated population. METHODS: All diagnosed measles cases were notified to the
      government, and the present study analyzed two pieces of datasets independently,
      i.e., the transmission tree of the largest outbreak in Osaka (n=49) and the final
      size distribution of all importation events (n=23 events). Branching process
      model was employed to estimate the effective reproduction number Rv, and the
      analysis of transmission tree in Osaka enabled us to account for the timing of
      introducing contact tracing and case isolation. RESULTS: Employing a negative
      binomial distribution for the offspring distribution, the model with time
      dependent decline in Rv due to interventions appeared to best fit to the
      transmission tree data with Rv of 9.20 (95% CI (confidence interval): 2.08,
      150.68) and the dispersion parameter 0.32 (95% CI: 0.07, 1.17) before
      interventions were introduced. The relative transmissibility in the presence of
      interventions from week 34 was estimated at 0.005. Analyzing the final size
      distribution, models for subcritical and supercritical processes fitted equally
      well to the observed data, and the estimated reproduction number from both models
      did not exclude the possibility that Rv>1. CONCLUSIONS: Our results likely
      reflect the highly contagious nature of measles, indicating that Japan is at risk
      of observing multiple generations of measles transmission given imported cases.
      Considering that importation events may continue in the future, supplementary
      vaccination of adults needs to be considered.

PMID- 28359663
TI  - Higher Maximal Occlusal Bite Force in Endodontically Treated Teeth Versus Vital
      Contralateral Counterparts.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: Decreased sensitivity to occlusal load could lead to a greater risk
      of damage to endodontically treated teeth. Therefore, this study aims to test
      whether root canal treatment reduces the sensitivity of the treated teeth to
      occlusal load. METHODS: This is a comparative cross-sectional study of 124
      patients who received root canal treatment. Treated teeth were compared with
      vital teeth on the contralateral side. After interviews with participants, their
      maximal bite forces (MBFs) of their root canal-treated and contralateral
      untreated teeth were measured using a digital bite fork force transducer. Data
      were analyzed by comparing the mean MBF of root canal-treated and control teeth.
      RESULTS: The mean MBF (+/- standard deviation) was 226.6 N (+/-168.7) for root
      canal-treated teeth and 207.93 N (+/-158.08) for control teeth. Root canal
      treated teeth had a significantly higher difference in the mean MBF than the
      control group (P < .0001) using the paired sample t test. A univariate analysis
      test showed that differences in the MBF were affected by molar relationship,
      overbite, and the quality of root filling. CONCLUSIONS: The difference in the MBF
      was significantly higher in root canal-treated teeth, which is consistent with
      the function of dental pulp as a highly sensitive sensor. Therefore, the
      reduction in the sensitivity of teeth to an applied load after pulp removal may
      increase the risk of overloading. This may, in turn, increase the frequency of
      tooth damage after root canal treatment.

PMID- 28359665
TI  - Incidental Findings in Small Field of View Cone-beam Computed Tomography Scans.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: The use of cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT) in endodontics has
      increased in recent years. In clinical application of small field of view (FOV)
      CBCTs, these scans are not reviewed routinely by a radiologist. Studies of large
      FOV CBCT scans show the prevalence of incidental findings to be greater than 90%.
      The purpose of this study was to evaluate the prevalence of missed findings by
      endodontic residents as compared with a radiologist on small FOV CBCT scans.
      METHODS: Two hundred three small FOV CBCTs obtained for endodontic purposes were
      analyzed by an endodontic resident and a medical radiologist. The reported
      findings of each practitioner were compared to evaluate for missed incidental
      findings by the endodontic resident. RESULTS: The radiologist reported
      abnormalities in 176 of the 203 subjects (87%), with a total of 310 abnormalities
      reported. The endodontic resident reported abnormalities in 102 of the 203
      subjects (50%), with a total of 126 abnormalities reported. The percentage of
      scans with any abnormality reported by the radiologist was significantly greater
      than the endodontic resident (P < .001). There was no significant difference
      between jaw locations in percentage of missed findings for the 3 most common
      types of finding-rarefying osteitis, sinusitis/mucosal lining thickening, and
      excess restorative material in the periapical area. Rarefying osteitis was missed
      significantly less than the other 2 types of findings (P < .001). CONCLUSIONS: A
      radiologist is significantly more likely to identify incidental findings in small
      FOV CBCT scans than an endodontic resident. Scan location had no significant
      association with the rate of missed findings.

PMID- 28359664
TI  - Omega 3 Fatty Acids Reduce Bone Resorption While Promoting Bone Generation in Rat
      Apical Periodontitis.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: This study evaluated the effects of the dietary supplement omega 3
      polyunsaturated fatty acids (omega-3 PUFAs) on pulp exposure-induced apical
      periodontitis (AP) in rats. METHODS: Twenty-eight male rats were divided into
      groups: control untreated rats (C), control rats treated with omega-3 PUFAs alone
      (C-O), rats with pulp exposure-induced AP, and rats with pulp exposure-induced AP
      treated with omega-3 PUFAs (AP-O). The omega-3 PUFAs were administered orally,
      once a day, for 15 days before pulp exposure and, subsequently, 30 days after
      pulp exposure. Rats were killed 30 days after pulp exposure, and jaws were
      subjected to histologic and immunohistochemical analyses. Immunohistochemical
      analyses were performed to detect tartrate-resistant acid phosphatase-positive
      osteoclasts and osteocalcin-positive osteoblasts on the bone surface of
      periapical area. Results were statistically evaluated by using analysis of
      variance and Tukey honestly significant difference, and P < .05 was considered
      statistically significant. RESULTS: The bone resorption lesion was significantly
      larger in the AP group compared with AP-O, C, and C-O groups (P < .05). The level
      of inflammatory cell infiltration was significantly elevated, and the number of
      tartrate-resistant acid phosphatase-positive osteoclasts was significantly higher
      in the periapical lesions of the AP group compared with AP-O, C, and C-O groups
      (P < .05). The number of osteocalcin-positive osteoblasts was significantly
      increased in the AP-O group compared with the AP group (P > .05). CONCLUSIONS:
      Supplementation with omega-3 PUFAs not only suppresses bone resorption but also
      promotes new bone formation in the periapical area of rats with AP in conjunction
      with downregulation of inflammatory cell infiltration into the lesion.

PMID- 28359667
TI  - Mitochondrial membrane protein-associated neurodegeneration.

PMID- 28359666
TI  - Sequence of the R1 plasmid and comparison to F and R100.
AB  - The R1 antibiotic resistance plasmid, originally discovered in a clinical
      Salmonella isolate in London, 1963, has served for decades as a key model for
      understanding conjugative plasmids. Despite its scientific importance, a complete
      sequence of this plasmid has never been reported. We present the complete genome
      sequence of R1 along with a brief review of the current knowledge concerning its
      various genetic systems and a comparison to the F and R100 plasmids. R1 is 97,566
      nucleotides long and contains 120 genes. The plasmid consists of a backbone
      largely similar to that of F and R100, a Tn21-like transposon that is nearly
      identical to that of R100, and a unique 9-kb sequence that bears some resemblance
      to sequences found in certain Klebsiella oxytoca strains. These three regions of
      R1 are separated by copies of the insertion sequence IS1. Overall, the structure
      of R1 and comparison to F and R100 suggest a fairly stable shared conjugative
      plasmid backbone into which a variety of mobile elements have inserted to form an
      "accessory" genome, containing multiple antibiotic resistance genes, transposons,
      remnants of phage genes, and genes whose functions remain unknown.

PMID- 28359668
TI  - The Anterolateral Ligament Has Similar Biomechanical and Histologic Properties to
      the Inferior Glenohumeral Ligament.
AB  - PURPOSE: To characterize the tensile and histologic properties of the
      anterolateral ligament (ALL), inferior glenohumeral ligament (IGHL), and knee
      capsule. METHODS: Standardized samples of the ALL (n = 19), anterolateral knee
      capsule (n = 15), and IGHL (n = 13) were isolated from fresh-frozen human
      cadavers for uniaxial tensile testing to failure. An additional 6 samples of the
      ALL, capsule, and IGHL were procured for histologic analysis and determination of
      elastin content. RESULTS: All investigated mechanical properties were
      significantly greater for both the ALL and IGHL when compared with capsular
      tissue. In contrast, no significant differences between the ALL and IGHL were
      found for any property. The elastic modulus of ALL and IGHL samples was 174 +/-
      92 MPa and 139 +/- 60 MPa, respectively, compared with 62 +/- 30 MPa for the
      capsule (P = .001). Ultimate stress was significantly lower (P < .001) for the
      capsule, at 13.4 +/- 7.7 MPa, relative to the ALL and IGHL, at 46.4 +/- 20.1 MPa
      and 38.7 +/- 16.3 MPa, respectively. The ultimate strain at failure was 37.8% +/-
      7.9% for the ALL and 39.5% +/- 9.4% for the IGHL; this was significantly greater
      (P = .041 and P = .02, respectively) for both relative to the capsule, at 32.6%
      +/- 8.4%. The strain energy density was 7.8 +/- 3.1 MPa for the ALL, 2.1 +/- 1.3
      MPa for the capsule, and 7.1 +/- 3.1 MPa for the IGHL (P < .001). The ALL and
      IGHL consisted of collagen bundles aligned in a parallel manner, containing
      elastin bundles, which was in contrast to the random collagen architecture noted
      in capsule samples. CONCLUSIONS: The ALL has similar tensile and histologic
      properties to the IGHL. The tensile properties of the ALL are significantly
      greater than those observed in the knee capsule. CLINICAL RELEVANCE: The ALL is
      not just a thickening of capsular tissue and should be considered a distinct
      ligamentous structure comparable to the IGHL in the shoulder. The tensile
      behavior of the ALL is similar to the IGHL, and treatment strategies should take
      this into account.

PMID- 28359669
TI  - Anatomic Anterior Cruciate Ligament Reconstruction via Independent Tunnel
      Drilling: A Systematic Review of Randomized Controlled Trials Comparing Patellar
      Tendon and Hamstring Autografts.
AB  - PURPOSE: To collect the highest level of evidence comparing anatomic anterior
      cruciate ligament (ACL) reconstruction via independent tunnel drilling using bone
      patellar tendon-bone (BTB) and hamstring tendon (HT) autografts in terms of
      clinical outcome and failure rate. METHODS: We performed a systematic review of
      clinical trials that randomized patients to ACL reconstruction with either BTB or
      HT autografts with a minimum 2-year follow-up. Only trials using independent
      tunnel drilling, including outside-in and anteromedial portal techniques, for
      both autografts were eligible for inclusion, whereas all transtibial studies were
      excluded. Study design, demographics, surgical technique, rehabilitation
      protocol, and clinical outcomes were compiled. Preferred Reporting Items for
      Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines were followed. Quality
      assessment was performed using the Coleman Methodological Scale (CMS). RESULTS:
      Six published studies reporting on 5 randomized controlled trials (RCTs) met the
      inclusion criteria. No study reported a difference in rerupture rate between BTB
      and HT. BTB-reconstructed knees experienced a greater incidence of anterior knee
      pain or crepitus in 2/7 trials and radiographic evidence of degenerative change
      in 3/7 trials. HT-reconstructed knees had increased instrumented laxity in 2/7
      trials and less knee flexion strength postoperatively. CONCLUSIONS: This study
      collects all available Level I and II evidence for anatomic ACL reconstruction
      using BTB and HT grafts. According to the data presented in these studies,
      clinical outcome scores and failure rates showed no differences for anatomic
      reconstruction using either autograft. However, in some studies, BTB
      reconstructed knees experienced a greater incidence of anterior knee pain and
      radiographic evidence of degenerative change, and in others, HT-reconstructed
      knees had increased laxity and less knee flexion strength. In our opinion, both
      BTB and HT autografts remain valid options for ACL reconstruction when using
      anatomic drilling techniques, providing a stable knee with reliable return to
      activity. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Level II, systematic review of Level I and II
      studies.

PMID- 28359671
TI  - Biosimilars and drug development in allergic and immunologic diseases.

PMID- 28359670
TI  - Electron-beam-induced-current and active secondary-electron voltage-contrast with
      aberration-corrected electron probes.
AB  - The ability to map out electrostatic potentials in materials is critical for the
      development and the design of nanoscale electronic and spintronic devices in
      modern industry. Electron holography has been an important tool for revealing
      electric and magnetic field distributions in microelectronics and magnetic-based
      memory devices, however, its utility is hindered by several practical
      constraints, such as charging artifacts and limitations in sensitivity and in
      field of view. In this article, we report electron-beam-induced-current (EBIC)
      and secondary-electron voltage-contrast (SE-VC) with an aberration-corrected
      electron probe in a transmission electron microscope (TEM), as complementary
      techniques to electron holography, to measure electric fields and surface
      potentials, respectively. These two techniques were applied to ferroelectric thin
      films, multiferroic nanowires, and single crystals. Electrostatic potential maps
      obtained by off-axis electron holography were compared with EBIC and SE-VC to
      show that these techniques can be used as a complementary approach to validate
      quantitative results obtained from electron holography analysis.

PMID- 28359672
TI  - Cloning and expression analysis of a Toll-like receptor 21 (TLR21) gene from
      turbot, Scophthalmus maximus.
AB  - Toll-like receptor 21 (TLR21) is a non-mammalian TLR recognizing unmethylated CpG
      DNA and considered as a functional homolog of mammalian TLR9. In the present
      study, a TLR21 gene was cloned from turbot, Scophthalmus maximus, its immune
      responsive expression was subsequently studied in vivo. The turbot (Sm)TLR21 gene
      is an intronless gene with a length of 3527 bp and encodes a peptide of 984 amino
      acids. The deduced protein possesses a signal peptide sequence, a leucine-rich
      repeat (LRR) domain composed of 16 LRR motifs, a transmembrane (TM) region and a
      Toll/interleukin-1 receptor (TIR) domain. Phylogenetic analysis grouped it with
      other teleost TLR21s. Quantitative real-time PCR (qPCR) analysis demonstrated the
      constitutive expression of SmTLR21 mRNA in all twelve examined tissues with
      higher levels in the lymphomyeloid-rich tissues like spleen and head kidney.
      Further, upon stimulation with polyinosinic: polycytidylic acid [poly(I:C)],
      turbot reddish body iridovirus (TRBIV) and CpG oligodeoxynucleotides (CpG-ODN)
      2395, the SmTLR21 mRNA expression was up-regulated in the gills, head kidney,
      spleen and muscle. The maximum increases of SmTLR21 transcript levels ranged from
      1.3 to 8.1-fold and appeared at 3 h to 5 day post-injection depending on
      different organs and stimuli. These findings suggest that SmTLR21 may play an
      important role in the immune responses to the infections of a broad range of
      pathogens that include RNA and DNA viruses and bacteria.

PMID- 28359674
TI  - Design and synthesis of bicyclic acetals as Beta Secretase (BACE1) inhibitors.
AB  - Taking advantage of the structural similarity between aspartic proteases, small
      molecule peptidomimetic inhibitors that already showed activity towards Secreted
      Aspartic Protease 2 as anti-Candida agents and HIV protease inhibitors were
      exploited as potential BACE1 inhibitors. A focused library of 6,8-dioxa-3
      azabicyclo[3.2.1]-octane peptidomimetic scaffolds was synthesized and assayed
      towards BACE1 enzyme, resulting in the identification of a thiolactam-containing
      hit compound possessing IC50 in the low micromolar range, and confirming the
      bicyclic acetal portion as a potential transition state analogue in the
      interaction with catalytic aspartic acid residues.

PMID- 28359675
TI  - Measuring Marrow Density and Area Using Peripheral Quantitative Computed
      Tomography at the Tibia: Precision in Young and Older Adults and Individuals With
      Spinal Cord Injury.
AB  - The objective of this study was to compare the test-retest precision error for
      peripheral quantitative computed tomography (pQCT)-derived marrow density and
      marrow area segmentation at the tibia using 3 software packages. A secondary
      analysis of pQCT data in young adults (n = 18, mean +/- standard deviation 25.4
      +/- 3.2 yr), older adults (n = 47, 71.8 +/- 8.2 yr), and individuals with spinal
      cord injury (C1-T12 American Spinal Injury Association Impairment Scale, classes
      A-C; n = 19, 43.5 +/- 8.6 yr) was conducted. Repeat scans of the tibial shaft
      (66%) were performed using pQCT (Stratec XCT2000). Test-retest precision errors
      (root mean square standard deviation and root mean square coefficient of
      variation [RMSCV%]) for marrow density (mg/cm3) and marrow area (mm2) were
      reported for the watershed-guided manual segmentation method (SliceOmatic version
      4.3 [Sliceo-WS]) and the 2 threshold-based edge detection methods (Stratec
      version 6.0 [Stratec-TB] and BoneJ version 1.3.14 [BoneJ-TB]). Bland-Altman plots
      and 95% limits of agreement were computed to evaluate test-retest discrepancies
      within and between methods of analysis and subgroups. RMSCV% for marrow density
      segmentation was >5% for all methods across subgroups (Stratec-TB: 12.2%-28.5%,
      BoneJ-TB: 14.5%-25.2%, and Sliceo-WS: 10.9%-23.0%). RMSCV% for marrow area
      segmentation was within 5% for all methods across subgroups (Stratec-TB: 1.9%
      4.4%, BoneJ-TB: 2.6%-5.1%, and Sliceo-WS: 2.4%-4.5%), except using BoneJ-TB in
      older adults. Intermethod discrepancies in marrow density appeared to be present
      across the range of marrow density values and did not differ by subgroup.
      Intermethod discrepancies varied to a greater extent for marrow area and were
      found to be more frequently at mid- to higher-range values for those with spinal
      cord injury. Precision error for pQCT-derived marrow density segmentation
      exceeded 5% for all methods of analysis across a range of bone mineral densities
      and fat infiltration, whereas precision error for marrow area segmentation ranged
      from 2% to 5%. Further investigation is necessary to determine alternative
      acquisition and analysis methods for pQCT-derived marrow segmentation.

PMID- 28359673
TI  - Indole-TEMPO conjugates alleviate ischemia-reperfusion injury via attenuation of
      oxidative stress and preservation of mitochondrial function.
AB  - Mitochondrial oxidative damage contributes to a wide range of pathologies
      including ischemia/reperfusion injury. Accordingly, protecting mitochondria from
      oxidative damage should possess therapeutic relevance. In the present study, we
      have designed and synthesized a series of novel indole-TEMPO conjugates that
      manifested good anti-inflammatory properties in a murine model of xylene-induced
      ear edema. We have demonstrated that these compounds can protect cells from
      simulated ischemia/reperfusion (s-I/R)-induced reactive oxygen species (ROS)
      overproduction and mitochondrial dysfunction. Furthermore, we have demonstrated
      that indole-TEMPO conjugates can attenuate organ damage induced in rodents via
      intestinal I/R injury. We therefore propose that the pharmacological profile and
      mechanism of action of these indole-TEMPO conjugates involve convergent roles,
      including the ability to decrease free radical production via lipid peroxidation
      which couples to an associated decrease in ROS-mediated activation of the
      inflammatory process. We further hypothesize that the protective effects of
      indole-TEMPO conjugates partially reside in maintaining optimal mitochondrial
      function.

PMID- 28359676
TI  - Transplantation of the decellularized tracheal allograft in animal model
      (rabbit).
AB  - BACKGROUND: It has been difficult to perform tracheal allotransplantation without
      immunosuppression. To determine whether decellularized trachea can be used in
      tracheal replacement, we evaluated the viability of decellularized tracheal
      allografts in a rabbit model of immunosuppressant-free transplantation. METHOD:
      Half allograft (Group 1, n = 7) was harvested from adult New Zealand white
      rabbits, subjected to a detergent-enzymatic method (containing sodium
      deoxycholate/DNase lavations) of decellularization for as many cycles as needed,
      and the other half was stored in phosphate-buffered saline at 4 degrees C as a
      control (Group 2, n = 7). Bioengineered and control tracheas were then implanted
      in 14 age-matched rabbits. RESULTS: In Group 1 (decellularized), all rabbits
      survived, whereas in Group 2(control), all rabbits died of airway obstruction
      between 20 days and 45 days after operation. Histologically, the decellularized
      allografts displayed complete regeneration of epithelium and cartilage, but the
      fresh allografts showed inflammatory changes, no epithelium, and no cartilage.
      CONCLUSIONS: Complete regeneration of epithelium and cartilage tracheal rings
      occurred after the implantation of decellularized tracheal allografts without
      immunosuppression. We demonstrate that the decellularized process reduces the
      allogeneic response to the trachea. Therefore, we believe that the decellularized
      tracheal allograft is an excellent choice for tracheal replacement. To our
      knowledge, this is the first study to observe the long-term (1 year) prognosis of
      this transplanted trachea.

PMID- 28359677
TI  - Paclitaxel dimers assembling nanomedicines for treatment of cervix carcinoma.
AB  - Poor water solubility and adverse side effects pose a challenge for clinical
      application of paclitaxel (PTX). In this work, a series of PTX dimers are
      synthesized by coupling two PTX molecules with dicarboxylic acids. As-synthesized
      PTX dimers form stable nanoparticles in aqueous solution without using any
      surfactants or adjuvants, and the solubility of PTX in water increases by 2500
      fold compared to that of free PTX. These nanoparticles with high content of PTX
      are internalized by cancer cells and exhibit comparable cytotoxicity with Taxol.
      Furthermore, when the PTX dimers are incorporated into methoxypoly(ethylene
      glycol)2K-block-poly(d, l-lactide)2K (PEG-PDLLA) micelles, the loading content of
      PTX dimers is as high as 85wt%. The formed nanoparticles possess the high
      stability in biological conditions. Both in vitro and in vivo experiments show
      that these (PTX dimer)/PEG-PDLLA formulations possess effective cellular uptake
      and potent cytotoxicity, and exhibit reduced systemic toxicity and enhanced
      antitumor efficacy towards human cervical tumor. We believe these PTX dimers
      based nanoparticles would be an alternative formulation for PTX, and such drug
      dimer assembling behaviors could be extended to other therapeutic agents.

PMID- 28359678
TI  - Bodyguards: Pathogen-Derived Decoys That Protect Virulence Factors.
AB  - Recent studies on plant-pathogen interactions have exposed a new strategy used by
      plant pathogens: decoy effectors that protect virulence factors. Examples of
      these "bodyguards" include the recently discovered PsXLP1 from Phytophthora sojae
      and truncated TALEs from Xanthomonas oryzae. These examples suggest important
      roles for seemingly non-functional effector proteins in distracting the host.

PMID- 28359679
TI  - Activation of Wnt Signaling Increases Numbers of Enteric Neurons Derived From
      Neonatal Mouse and Human Progenitor Cells.
AB  - BACKGROUND & AIMS: Neural stem and progenitor cells from the enteric nervous
      system (ENS) might serve as a source of cells for treatment of
      neurogastrointestinal disorders. Before we can use these cells, we must increase
      our understanding of the signaling mechanisms that regulate proliferation and
      differentiation. We systematically evaluated the effects of canonical Wnt
      signaling on proliferation and differentiation of cultured ENS progenitor cells
      from neonatal mice and humans. METHODS: We isolated ENS progenitors from tunica
      muscularis of the small intestine of newborn (postnatal day 0) wild-type C57BL/6
      mice as well as from Wnt1-Cre2 reporter mice. We also obtained intestinal tissue
      samples from infants (2 and 7 months old) undergoing surgery for imperforate anus
      or focal intestinal perforation and isolated ENS cells. ENS cells were cultured
      under proliferation conditions leading to formation of 3-dimensional spheres,
      which we activated with Wnt3a and SB216763 in order to activate the beta-catenin
      dependent canonical Wnt pathway. We used immunoblot and quantitative polymerase
      chain reaction to evaluate the molecular response to Wnt stimuli and
      immunohistochemistry, proliferation, and cell death assays to identify new
      neurons. RESULTS: In proliferating enterospheres derived from ENS progenitor
      cells, we verified the expression of Wnt receptors frizzled 1-10 and the co
      receptors low-density lipoprotein receptor-related proteins 5 and 6.
      Pharmacologic stimulation with Wnt agonists led to intracellular accumulation of
      Wnt-dependent beta-catenin and up-regulated expression of known Wnt target genes
      axin2, lef1, and lgr5. Activation of the canonical Wnt pathway promoted growth of
      ENS cell spheres during cell expansion and increased the number of newborn
      neurons derived from mouse and human progenitor cells. CONCLUSIONS: In studies of
      human and mouse ENS progenitors, we found activation of the Wnt signaling pathway
      to promote neurogenesis of the ENS in vitro. The neurogenic effect of Wnt
      agonists on ENS progenitors supports their use in generation of cell pools for
      autologous cell replacement therapies.

PMID- 28359680
TI  - Assessment of "YouTube" Content for Distal Radius Fracture Immobilization.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: Distal radius fractures (DRFs) are the most common orthopedic
      fractures, with >70% of cases treated by closed immobilization using a short arm
      cast or a sugar tong splint. However, inadequate immobilization is a risk factor
      for loss of reduction requiring repeat reduction or surgical treatment.
      Therefore, education of clinical skills for appropriate immobilization of DRFs is
      important. With the increasing use of web-based information by medical learners,
      our aim was to assess the quality and quantity of videos regarding closed
      immobilization of DRFs on YouTube. DESIGN: Retrospective review of YouTube videos
      on distal radius fracture immobilization using specific search terms. SETTING:
      Identified videos were analyzed for their educational value, quality of the
      technical skill demonstrated, and overall metrics. Educational value was scored
      on a 5-point scale, with "1" indicative of low quality and "5" of high quality.
      PARTICIPANTS: Not applicable. RESULTS: Among the 68,366 videos identified, 16 met
      our inclusion criteria of being in English; performed by a health care
      professional or institution; and with casting being the major theme of the
      educational information provided. Of these 16 videos, 6 had an educational value
      score of 4 or 5, with the remaining 10 having a score <=3. Although
      immobilization was demonstrated by cast technician specialized in orthopedics,
      skills were also performed by orthopedic attendants, urgent care physicians,
      orthopedic residents, and nurse practitioners. The credentials of the performer
      in 3 videos were not identified. CONCLUSION: There is a need to promote high
      quality educational videos produced by established medical school faculty members
      on open, web-based, portals.

PMID- 28359682
TI  - Anticipatory representations of reward and threat in perceptual areas from
      preadolescence to late adolescence.
AB  - This study examined whether changes in perceptual processes can partially account
      for the increase in reward-orientated behaviour during adolescence. This was
      investigated by examining reinforcement-dependent potentiation to discriminative
      stimuli (SD) that predicted rewarding or threatening outcomes. To that end,
      perceptual event-related potentials that are modulated by motivationally salient
      stimuli, the N170 and Late Positive Potential (LPP), were recorded from 30
      preadolescents (9-12 years), 30 adolescents (13-17 years), and 34 late
      adolescents (18-23 years) while they completed an instrumental task in which they
      emitted or omitted a motor response to obtain rewards and avoid losses. The LPP,
      but not the N170, showed age, but not gender, differences in reinforcement
      dependent potentiation; preadolescents, adolescents, and late adolescents showed
      potentiation to SD that predicted a threat, whereas only preadolescents showed
      potentiation to SD that predicted a reward. Notably, the magnitude of threat
      related LPP reinforcement-dependent potentiation decreased during the course of
      adolescence. In addition, greater sensation seeking was associated with greater
      LPP amplitudes in preadolescent males, but smaller LPP amplitudes in late
      adolescent males. Critically, these findings provide initial evidence for
      developmental differences in value-related coding in perceptual areas, where
      adolescents show greater perceptual biases to avoidance-related cues than to
      reward-related cues.

PMID- 28359681
TI  - Evaluation of Plaque Morphology by 64-Slice Coronary Computed Tomographic
      Angiography Compared to Intravascular Ultrasound in Nonocclusive Segments of
      Coronary Arteries.
AB  - RATIONALE AND OBJECTIVES: Although intravascular ultrasound (IVUS) is the current
      gold standard for plaque characterization, noninvasive coronary computed
      tomographic angiography (CCTA) requires further evaluation. The ability to detect
      plaque morphology by CCTA remains unclear. The purpose of this study was to
      evaluate the diagnostic accuracy of CCTA for plaque detection and morphology.
      MATERIALS AND METHODS: Thirty-one patients underwent cardiac catheterization with
      IVUS and CCTA. The presence of plaque was evaluated by both modalities in
      nonocclusive segments (<50% stenosis) of the left anterior descending artery,
      left circumflex artery, and right coronary artery. Plaque morphology was
      classified as (1) normal, (2) soft or fibrous, (3) fibrocalcific, or (4)
      calcific. Results by IVUS and CCTA were compared blindly on a segment-to-segment
      basis with subgroup analysis based on CCTA tube voltage. RESULTS: Among the 31
      patients (mean age 56.2 +/- 8.6 years, 27% female), 152 segments were analyzed.
      Of these segments, 42% were in the left anterior descending artery, 32% were in
      the left circumflex artery, and 26% were in the right coronary artery. Plaque
      morphology by IVUS identified 103 segments as fibrous (68%), 31 as fibrocalcific
      (20%), and 6 as calcific (4.0%); 12 segments were normal (8.0%). To evaluate for
      the presence of plaque, CCTA had an overall sensitivity and specificity of 99%
      and 75%, respectively. In patients who underwent CCTA with a tube voltage of 100
      kV, both sensitivity and specificity were 100%. The sensitivity and specificity
      of CCTA to identify plaque as calcified (fibrocalcific or calcific) vs
      noncalcified (soft or fibrous) were 87% and 96%, respectively. Overall, the
      accuracy of CCTA to detect the presence of plaque was 97%; the accuracy to detect
      plaque calcification was 94%. CONCLUSIONS: CCTA offers excellent sensitivity and
      accuracy for plaque detection and morphology characterization in nonocclusive
      coronary segments. In addition, diagnostic accuracy is preserved with a reduced
      tube voltage protocol.

PMID- 28359683
TI  - [Detection of severe hemophilia A during neonatal screening].

PMID- 28359684
TI  - [Giant mesenteric lipoma in children: A case-report].
AB  - Mesenteric lipoma is an extremely rare disease in children. Fewer than 50 cases
      have been reported in the literature. Diagnosis is based on clinical examination,
      ultrasound, and computed tomography (CT). However, only the histological study of
      the specimen during laparotomy or laparoscopy can confirm the diagnosis. Thus,
      surgery, be it by laparotomy or laparoscopic, is both a means of exploration and
      treatment in mesenteric lipoma. We report on a case of giant lipoma of the
      mesentery in a 7-year-old girl presenting paroxysmal abdominal pain with a
      subocclusive syndrome lasting 1 week.

PMID- 28359685
TI  - Professor Arto Urtti -A northern light from the land of the midnight sun.

PMID- 28359686
TI  - SLM, a novel carbazole-based fluorophore attenuates okadaic acid-induced tau
      hyperphosphorylation via down-regulating GSK-3beta activity in SH-SY5Y cells.
AB  - Phosphorylated tau dissociates from microtubules and aggregates to form
      neurofibrillary tangles resulting in neuronal toxicity and cognitive deficits.
      Attenuating tau hyperphosphorylation is considered as an effective therapeutic
      approach for Alzheimer's disease (AD). From our previous study, SLM, a carbazole
      based fluorophore prevents Abeta aggregation, reduced glycogen synthase kinase
      3beta (GSK-3beta) activity and tau hyperphosphorylation in triple transgenic
      mouse model of AD. However, the mechanism by which SLM attenuates tau
      hyperphosphorylation warrants further investigation. In the current study, we
      intend to evaluate the effects of SLM against okadaic acid (OA)-induced tau
      hyperphosphorylation and microtubules instability in human neuroblastoma (SH
      SY5Y) cells. The results showed that, SLM reduced the OA-induced cell
      neurotoxicity and tau hyperphosphorylation in SH-SY5Y cells. SLM treatment down
      regulated GSK-3beta activity. However, in the presence of GSK-3beta inhibitor
      (SB216763, 10MUM), SLM treatment could not reduce GSK-3beta activity and tau
      hyperphosphorylation as compared with SB216763 treatment alone. Furthermore, SLM
      treatment also ameliorated OA-induced microtubules instability and cytoskeleton
      damage. Collectively, SLM attenuated OA-induced tau hyperphosphorylation via down
      regulating GSK-3beta activity in SH-SY5Y cells. Therefore, this study supports
      SLM as a potential compound for AD and other tau pathology-related
      neurodegenerative disorders.

PMID- 28359687
TI  - Comparison of the adult three-dimensional craniofacial features of patients with
      unilateral craniofacial microsomia with and without early mandible distraction.
AB  - This study was conducted to analyze the long-term facial growth of patients with
      craniofacial microsomia (CFM) after early mandible distraction osteogenesis (DO),
      and compared adult three-dimensional (3D) craniofacial features of patients with
      and without early mandibular DO for Pruzansky grade II deformities. The study
      included 20 patients: 9 with early mandible DO (the DO group) and 11 without
      previous treatment (the NDO group). Longitudinal radiographs were measured for
      growth changes after DO. The 3D craniofacial images were constructed to compare
      the craniofacial forms between the two groups. The patients with early DO
      presented 8 to 9mm forward and downward maxillary growth and 4.6mm limited
      forward and 17.3mm substantial downward mandibular growth. The ramus length ratio
      (affected/nonaffected) was 90.8% at DO completion and decreased to 69.5% at
      growth completion during 13 years of follow-up. Both groups showed obvious
      craniofacial asymmetry, as indicated by occlusal plane canting, chin deviation,
      transverse and vertical condyle positions, and mandibular contours. Although all
      the bilateral differences were higher in the NDO group than in the DO group, no
      statistical differences were found. Early mandible distraction could not alter
      the inherent facial growth pattern in patients with grade II CFM. Limited changes
      are derived for definitive facial correction with early DO.

PMID- 28359688
TI  - Evaluation of hyaluronic matrix efficacy in sinus augmentation: a randomized
      controlled histomorphometric and micro-computed tomography analysis.
AB  - The objective of the present study was to test the hypothesis that the addition
      of hyaluronic acid-based matrix to collagenated heterologous bone graft for sinus
      augmentation would enhance bone formation compared to collagenated heterologous
      bone graft alone in the early healing period, by micro-computed tomography and
      histomorphometry. Thirteen systemically healthy patients requiring bilateral two
      stage maxillary sinus augmentation (residual crest height<=4mm) were enrolled in
      this split-mouth prospective randomized controlled study. One sinus side as a
      control group was grafted with only collagenated heterologous bone graft; the
      other region as a test group was grafted with hyaluronic matrix and collagenated
      heterologous bone graft. Bone biopsy samples were taken after 4 months during the
      dental implant surgery and analyzed using micro-computed tomography and
      histomorphometric parameters. According to the micro-computed tomography and
      histomorphometric results, a significantly higher percentage of new bone was
      observed in the test group when compared to the control group after 4 months of
      healing. This study confirmed the hypothesis that the addition of hyaluronic
      matrix to collagenated heterologous bone graft for sinus augmentation enhances
      bone formation compared to collagenated heterologous bone graft alone in the
      early healing period.

PMID- 28359689
TI  - Frailty measure is more predictive of outcomes after curative therapy for
      endometrial cancer than traditional risk factors in women 60 and older.
AB  - OBJECTIVES: To determine if readily obtainable markers of frailty predict disease
      free survival (DFS) in elderly women with endometrial cancer treated with
      curative intent. METHODS: 88 consecutive women>=age 60 treated with surgery,
      chemotherapy and radiation for stage I-IV endometrial cancer were included. We
      considered the following health deficits as markers of "frailty": albumin
      <3.5mg/dL, hemoglobin <10mg/dL, BMI<20kg/m,2 unintentional weight loss, ECOG
      performance status >=2, history of osteopenia or osteoporosis and Charlson
      comorbidity score. Kaplan-Meier estimates and Cox proportional hazards models of
      DFS were calculated. RESULTS: The median age was 68.5 (range 60-88years). The
      majority of women (65/88) had at least one frailty factor at baseline and 23/88
      had two or more. All women received radiation and chemotherapy. Treatment was
      delayed, modified or truncated in 46% (40/88) of women due to treatment-related
      toxicity. Age (< 70 vs. >=70 y) did not independently predict toxicity or
      recurrence risk. Women with at least one baseline frailty factor had twice the
      risk of disease recurrence (HR=2.21;95% CI:1.02-4.80) when adjusted for age,
      stage, grade and Charlson score. The 3-year DFS was 77% in those with no frailty
      markers and 48% in those with at least one (p=0.02). The presence of a frailty
      marker also predicted shortened overall survival (HR=2.34;95% CI:1.08-5.03)
      irrespective of treatment administered and stage of disease. CONCLUSIONS: A
      combined frailty measure was a more robust predictor of DFS and OS than patient
      age, tumor characteristics and comorbidities in this cohort of older women with
      very good functional status.

PMID- 28359690
TI  - Prognostic significance of peritoneal cytology in low-intermediate risk
      endometrial cancer.
AB  - OBJECTIVES: There is uncertainty surrounding the prognostic value and clinical
      utility of peritoneal cytology in endometrial cancer. Our primary objective was
      to determine if positive cytology is associated with disease-free and overall
      survival in women treated surgically for endometrial cancer, specifically those
      with low or intermediate risk disease. METHODS: This was a retrospective
      population-based cohort study of British Columbia Cancer Registry patients who
      underwent surgery with peritoneal washings for endometrioid-type endometrial
      cancer from 2003 to 2009. Low risk was defined as Stage IA grade 1 or 2, and
      intermediate risk defined as Stage IA grade 3, or Stage IB grade 1 or 2 tumours.
      Five-year overall and disease free-survival were assessed using Kaplan-Meier
      estimation. Potential covariates including peritoneal cytology, grade, depth of
      myometrial invasion, LVSI, age, and adjuvant therapy were evaluated in a
      multivariable Cox proportional hazards model. RESULTS: There were 849 patients,
      of whom 370 (43.6%) and 298 (35.1%) had low- and intermediate-risk disease,
      respectively. Overall, forty-nine (5.8%) patients had positive cytology,
      including 6 and 9 with low- and intermediate-risk respectively (2.2% within low
      and intermediate risk combined). Positive peritoneal cytology was not
      significantly associated with disease-free (HR 3.17, 95% CI 0.91-11.03) or
      overall survival (HR 1.33, 95% CI 0.47-3.76) in low and intermediate risk
      patients. Only age and extensive LVSI were associated with lower overall survival
      (HR 1.10, 95% CI 1.08-1.13, and HR 2.39, 95% CI 1.02-5.61, respectively).
      CONCLUSIONS: Positive peritoneal cytology was not associated with disease-free
      and overall survival in women with low and intermediate risk endometrial cancer.

PMID- 28359691
TI  - Ablation of supraventricular arrhythmias in adult congenital heart disease: A
      contemporary review.
AB  - Supraventricular arrhythmias are an important and increasing cause of morbidity
      in adults with congenital heart disease, requiring specific management
      strategies. Pharmacological treatment has limited efficacy, and is often
      associated with some side-effects. Major improvements in catheter ablation
      techniques have opened new opportunities to better understand underlying
      mechanisms of supraventricular arrhythmias, offer better therapy, and eventually
      improve symptoms and quality of life in these patients. An array of tools and
      techniques are necessary to access relevant anatomical areas to address the
      arrhythmogenic substrate. The mechanism of these arrhythmias is mostly related to
      macroreentry around surgical scars or cavotricuspid isthmus-dependent flutter.
      The efficacy of catheter ablation is mainly dependent on the underlying
      congenital heart condition, with the most complex cases typically being
      associated with atrial switch and Fontan surgeries. Although relatively high
      rates of recurrence are seen after a single procedure, additional attempts are
      often helpful to decrease recurrences and improve symptoms. Catheter ablation in
      such patients continues to present many unique challenges that are best addressed
      by experienced multidisciplinary teams, at centres equipped with the proper
      catheters, imaging capabilities, mapping systems and support staff needed to
      maximize safety and success. Consensus indications have emerged that often
      support ablation as first-line therapy in these patients. In this comprehensive
      review, we aim to describe the specific issues associated with ablation of
      supraventricular arrhythmias in adult congenital heart disease, assess the
      results in contemporary practice and, finally, review the current indications.

PMID- 28359692
TI  - Disentangling a Bad Reputation: Changing Perceptions of Amyloids.
AB  - Historically, amyloids were perceived as toxic/irreversible protein aggregates
      associated with neurodegenerative disorders including Alzheimer's and Parkinson's
      diseases. Recent papers are challenging this perception by uncovering widespread
      cellular roles for physiological amyloidogenesis. These findings suggest that the
      amyloid-fold should be considered, alongside the native-fold and unfolded
      configurations, as a physiological and reversible protein organization.

PMID- 28359693
TI  - Low-grade infections in nonarthroplasty shoulder surgery.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Recent studies have identified the diagnostic challenge of low-grade
      infections after shoulder arthroplasty surgery. Infections after nonarthroplasty
      procedures have not been reported. This study assessed patient-related risk
      factors, outcomes, and clinical presentation of low-grade infection after open
      and arthroscopic nonarthroplasty shoulder surgery. METHODS: The cases of 35
      patients presenting with suspected low-grade infection were reviewed. Biopsy
      specimens taken at revision surgery were cultured in the sterile environment of a
      class II laminar flow cabinet and incubated for a minimum of 14 days at a
      specialist orthopedic microbiology laboratory. Patient-related factors (age,
      occupation, injection), index surgery, and infection characteristics (onset of
      symptoms, duration to diagnosis, treatment) were analyzed. RESULTS: Positive
      cultures were identified in 21 cases (60.0%), of which 15 were male patients
      (71%). Of all patients with low-grade infection, 47.6% were male patients between
      16 and 35 years of age. Propionibacterium acnes and coagulase-negative
      staphylococcus were the most common organisms isolated (81.1% [n = 17] and 23.8%
      [n = 5], respectively). Of 14 negative culture cases, 9 were treated with early
      empirical antibiotics (64.3%); 7 patients reported symptomatic improvement
      (77.8%). Of 5 patients treated with late empirical antibiotics, 4 stated
      improvement. Patients presented with symptoms akin to resistant postoperative
      frozen shoulder (persistent pain and stiffness, unresponsive to usual
      treatments). CONCLUSION: Young male patients are at greatest risk for low-grade
      infections after arthroscopic and open nonarthroplasty shoulder surgery. P. acnes
      was the most prevalent organism. Patients presented with classic postoperative
      frozen shoulder symptoms, resistant to usual treatments. Interestingly, 78.6% of
      patients with negative cultures responded positively to empirical treatment.

PMID- 28359694
TI  - Long-term clinical results in patients treated for recurrent posterolateral elbow
      joint instability using an ipsilateral triceps tendon graft.
AB  - BACKGROUND: The aim was to report the long-term functional and radiologic
      outcomes in patients treated for recurrent posterolateral elbow joint instability
      using an ipsilateral triceps tendon graft. METHODS: We included 18 patients
      previously treated for posterolateral elbow joint instability and evaluated for
      clinical results in 2003. Fifteen patients were examined with a mean follow-up
      period of 19 years (range, 17-22 years). We performed the clinical follow-up with
      clinical examination of stability, range of motion, pain score on a visual analog
      scale, Mayo Elbow Performance Score, and Danish version of Oxford Elbow Score.
      Furthermore, conventional anteroposterior and side-view radiographs of the elbow
      were obtained to evaluate osteoarthritis, calcifications in the ligaments, and
      joint subluxation. We evaluated the radiographs by the size of osteophytes, joint
      space narrowing, and subchondral sclerosis and classified the findings into 3
      categories: no osteoarthritis, osteoarthritis, and severe osteoarthritis.
      RESULTS: All patients had a clinically stable elbow. None had pain while inactive
      or locking of the joint, and 4 had decreased range of motion. Two patients had a
      positive pivot-shift stress test, indicating laxity. The mean Mayo Elbow
      Performance Score was 93 (range, 70-100). The mean Oxford Elbow Score was 45. We
      observed 5 patients with osteoarthritis and 1 patient with severe osteoarthritis.
      CONCLUSION: The technique reported by Olsen and Sojbjerg in 2003 gives good long
      term results in the treatment of symptomatic posterolateral elbow joint
      instability, though the development of elbow joint osteoarthritis may decrease
      the surgical result in the coming years.

PMID- 28359695
TI  - Use of a shorter humeral stem in revision reverse shoulder arthroplasty.
AB  - BACKGROUND: The purpose of this study was to examine the outcomes of revision
      reverse arthroplasty using short bone-preserving humeral components in revising a
      long-stemmed component. METHODS: During a 7-year period, 39 patients who
      underwent revision reverse shoulder arthroplasty using the long to short humeral
      component technique were included. The mean age was 72 years. Prior implants used
      in the primary setting included anatomic (n = 26), hemiarthroplasty (n = 11), and
      reverse (n = 2). RESULTS: At a follow-up of 3 years (2-5), 5 shoulders (13%)
      required revision surgery, including 1 for a periprosthetic humerus fracture and
      4 for glenoid component loosening. The survival free of revision for any reason
      and revision for humeral disease was 84% and 94%, respectively. One patient
      experienced a nondisplaced greater tuberosity fracture at 18 months
      postoperatively that healed without operative intervention. There were no
      dislocations or infections. Overall, patients experienced excellent overall
      improvements in their pain levels and shoulder motion (P < .001), with a
      postoperative 91% satisfaction rate as well as postoperative American Shoulder
      and Elbow Surgeons score of 68 and Simple Shoulder Test score of 6.7. At most
      recent radiographic follow-up, 1 (5%) patient had grade 3 humeral lucency.
      CONCLUSIONS: Preserving bone stock through conversion to a shorter reverse
      humeral stem in the revision setting is a reasonable option with good short- to
      intermediate-term results and low rates of humeral complications. Using the
      shorter stem components provides adequate stability and high rates of humeral
      component ingrowth.

PMID- 28359696
TI  - Partial-thickness tears involving the rotator cable lead to abnormal glenohumeral
      kinematics.
AB  - HYPOTHESIS: The objective of this study was to determine the biomechanical
      function of the rotator cable when a partial-thickness (>50%) tear is present. We
      compared intact specimens with partial tears of the anterior cable followed by
      partial anterior and posterior tears in regard to glenohumeral kinematics and
      translation. The hypothesis was that partial-thickness tears will lead to
      abnormal glenohumeral biomechanics, including glenohumeral translation and path
      of glenohumeral articulation. METHODS: Five fresh frozen cadaveric shoulders with
      intact labrum, rotator cuff, and humerus were tested using a custom shoulder
      testing system in the scapular plane. Glenohumeral translation was measured after
      applying an anterior load of 30 N at different angles of external rotation. The
      path of glenohumeral articulation was measured by calculating the humeral head
      center with respect to the glenoid articular surface at 30 degrees , 60 degrees ,
      90 degrees , and 120 degrees  of external rotation. RESULTS: With an anterior
      force of 30 N, there was a significant increase in anterior and total translation
      at 30 degrees  of external rotation after the anterior cable was cut (P < .05).
      When the tear was extended to the posterior cable, there was a significant
      increase in anterior, inferior, and total translation at 30 degrees  and 120
      degrees  of external rotation (P < .05). With respect to the path of glenohumeral
      articulation , the humeral head apex was shifted superiorly at 90 degrees  and
      120 degrees  of external rotation after the posterior cable was cut (P < .05).
      CONCLUSION: Partial-thickness articular-sided rotator cuff tears with a thickness
      >50% involving the rotator cable increased glenohumeral translation and changed
      kinematics in our cadaveric biomechanical model.

PMID- 28359697
TI  - A comparison of onlay versus inlay glenoid component loosening in total shoulder
      arthroplasty.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Glenoid component loosening is common in total shoulder arthroplasty
      (TSA), often resulting from the mechanical interaction of glenohumeral
      components. This cadaveric study was performed to evaluate and to compare
      commercially available onlay and inlay glenoid prosthetic designs with respect to
      loading characteristics and loosening. METHODS: Sixteen prescreened cadaveric
      shoulders (8 matched pairs) underwent either onlay or inlay TSA. We created a
      custom glenohumeral loading model and used cycles of 5 mm anterior-posterior
      humeral translation to simulate a rocking-horse loosening mechanism for all
      testing. Articular TekScan measurements were performed with 9.1 kg (88.9 N) of
      glenohumeral compression before and after TSA. Fatigue testing was performed with
      34.0 kg (333.6 N) of glenohumeral compression using high-definition video to
      document gross glenoid loosening. Testing ended with gross loosening or a maximum
      of 4000 cycles. Mean contact area, pressure, and joint reaction force were used
      to compare the 2 glenoid designs. RESULTS: In both implant types, contact area
      decreased and pressure increased after TSA (P < .0001). Force increased at the
      onlay component edge only (P = .0012) compared with native glenoid testing. Force
      was greater in the onlay vs. the inlay implants (P < .0001). During fatigue
      testing, all onlay glenoid components exhibited gross loosening at a mean of 1126
      cycles (range, 749-1838), whereas none of the inlay glenoid components exhibited
      gross loosening (P < .0001). CONCLUSION: The inlay glenoid implant exhibited
      biomechanical characteristics favoring stability and decreased loosening compared
      with the onlay glenoid implant in this cadaveric model.

PMID- 28359698
TI  - Refuting the lipstick sign.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Arthroscopic examination of the tendon has been described as the
      "gold standard" for diagnosis of tendinitis of the long head of the biceps (LHB).
      An arthroscopic finding of an inflamed and hyperemic LHB within the bicipital
      groove has been described as the "lipstick sign." Studies evaluating direct
      visualization in diagnosis of LHB tendinitis are lacking. METHODS: During a 1
      year period, 363 arthroscopic shoulder procedures were performed, with 16 and 39
      patients prospectively selected as positive cases and negative controls,
      respectively. All positive controls had groove tenderness, positive Speed
      maneuver, and diagnostic ultrasound-guided bicipital injection. Negative controls
      had none of these findings. Six surgeons reviewed randomized deidentified
      arthroscopic pictures of enrolled patients The surgeons were asked whether the
      images demonstrated LHB tendinitis and if the lipstick sign was present. RESULTS:
      Overall sensitivity and specificity were 49% and 66%, respectively, for detecting
      LHB tendinitis and 64% and 31%, respectively, for erythema. The nonweighted kappa
      score for interobserver reliability ranged from 0.042 to 0.419 (mean, 0.215 +/-
      0.116) for tendinitis and from 0.486 to 0.835 (mean, 0.680 +/- 0.102) for
      erythema. The nonweighted kappa score for intraobserver reliability ranged from
      0.264 to 0.854 (mean, 0.615) for tendinitis and from 0.641 to 0.951 (mean, 0.783)
      for erythema. CONCLUSIONS: The presence of the lipstick sign performed only
      moderately well in a rigorously designed level III study to evaluate its
      sensitivity and specificity. There is only fair agreement among participating
      surgeons in diagnosing LHB tendinitis arthroscopically. Consequently, LHB
      tendinitis requiring tenodesis remains a clinical diagnosis that should be made
      before arthroscopic examination.

PMID- 28359699
TI  - The role age plays in the outcomes and complications of shoulder arthroplasty.
AB  - BACKGROUND: This investigation used age as a continuous variable to estimate
      implant survival and the risk of complications. METHODS: Prospectively collected
      data were used to analyze 5494 consecutive shoulder arthroplasties performed from
      1970 to 2012. Patients were a mean age of 67 years. The association between the
      age at the index procedure and the risk for each outcome was assessed using Cox
      regression and smoothing spline analysis. RESULTS: Older age was associated with
      a decreased risk of revision surgery, revision for mechanical failure, and
      reoperation but with a higher risk for thromboembolic events. Reoperation rates
      also decreased in a linear fashion with older ages (P < .001). The risk of
      revision surgery decreased in a linear fashion between the ages of 40 and 85,
      with a 3% decreased risk of revision per 1-year increase in age (P < .01). This
      association held true in a multivariate model and when specific procedures were
      separated out. Compared with patients aged <50 years, patients aged from 50 to 65
      years (P < .001) and those >65 years (P < .001) have decreased risks of revision
      surgery. The risk of a revision surgery in a patient aged >50 years was
      significantly decreased (~13% reduction in risk for each year; P < .001). There
      was a subtle association between older age and decreased rates of infection (P =
      .01). CONCLUSIONS: There is a strong association between older age and decreased
      rates of revision surgery and reoperation after shoulder arthroplasty, with a
      striking association with decreased rates of mechanical failure. These are
      important considerations when counseling younger patients regarding their risks.

PMID- 28359700
TI  - The effect of first and second premolar extractions on third molars: A
      retrospective longitudinal study.
AB  - OBJECTIVES: To analyse the effect of first and second premolar extractions on
      eruption space for upper and lower third molars and on third molar position and
      angulation during orthodontic treatment. METHODS: The sample consisted of 296
      patients of which 218 patients were orthodontically treated without extraction
      and 78 patients with extraction of first or second premolars. The eruption space
      for third molars was measured on pre- and posttreatment lateral cephalograms,
      whereas the angulation, vertical position, the relation with the mandibular canal
      and the mineralization status of third molars were evaluated using pre- and
      posttreatment panoramic radiographs. All data were statistically analyzed.
      RESULTS: The increase in eruption space and the change in vertical position of
      upper and lower third molars significantly differed between patients treated with
      and without premolar extractions, whereas the change in angulation, relationship
      with the mandibular canal and mineralization status of the third molars did not
      significantly differ between patients treated with and without premolar
      extractions. CONCLUSIONS: The retromolar space and the position of third molars
      significantly change during orthodontic treatment in growing patients. Premolar
      extractions have a positive influence on the eruption space and vertical position
      of third molars, whereas they do not influence the angular changes of third
      molars. Due to the retrospective character of the study, these conclusions should
      be carefully considered. Further prospective research is necessary for better
      insights into this complex topic. CLINICAL SIGNIFICANCE: This study stresses the
      importance of considering the possible effects of orthodontic treatment on third
      molars during treatment planning.

PMID- 28359701
TI  - The Power (and Misery) of Incremental Changes.

PMID- 28359702
TI  - Educational Crowdsourcing: Developing RadExam.

PMID- 28359703
TI  - Exploring the mediating role of energy balance-related behaviours in the
      association between sleep duration and obesity in European adults. The SPOTLIGHT
      project.
AB  - Sleep restriction is a risk factor for weight gain and obesity. Few studies have
      formally investigated the mediating role of energy balance-related behaviours in
      the sleep - obesity association. The aim of this study was to explore the
      mediating role of physical activity, sedentary behaviours and dietary habits in
      the association of sleep duration with obesity in adults in five European urban
      regions. Data on self-reported sleep duration, energy balance-related behaviours,
      height and weight and other covariates were collected between February and
      September 2014 from participants to the SPOTLIGHT survey (N=5900, mean age
      52years). Participants were recruited from 60 urban neighbourhoods in Belgium,
      France, Hungary, the Netherlands and the United Kingdom. Multilevel logistic
      regression analyses were used to assess the associations of sleep duration,
      energy balance-related behaviours and obesity and mediating effects were
      calculated using MacKinnon's product-of-coefficients method. Results indicated
      that a 1h increase in sleeping time was associated with a 14% lower likelihood of
      being obese (OR=0.86, 95%CI=0.80; 0.93). Only work-related sedentary behaviour
      was identified as a statistically significant mediator in the association between
      sleep duration and obesity for the total sample, and youngest and oldest age
      group. We did not find evidence for a mediating role of dietary habits and
      physical activities.

PMID- 28359704
TI  - Myopia among schoolchildren in East Asia and Singapore.
AB  - Myopia is highly prevalent among schoolchildren in East Asia and Singapore;
      however, its prevalence has been gradually increasing, and the number of
      population-based and non-population-based studies assessing this trend has
      increased in the past 10 years. Although the causes of this high prevalence in
      East Asia and Singapore remain poorly identified, related studies have discussed
      the associated risk factors. We summarize the data concerning the prevalence
      rates reported in related studies and discuss the most crucial risk factors among
      these schoolchildren.

PMID- 28359705
TI  - Manipulation of GES and ERG20 for geraniol overproduction in Saccharomyces
      cerevisiae.
AB  - Manipulation of monoterpene synthases to maximize flux towards targeted products
      from GPP (geranyl diphosphate) is the main challenge for heterologous monoterpene
      overproduction, in addition to cell toxicity from compounds themselves. In our
      study, by manipulation of the key enzymes geraniol synthase (GES) and farnesyl
      diphosphate synthase (Erg20), geraniol (a valuable acyclic monoterpene alcohol)
      overproduction was achieved in Saccharomyces cerevisiae with truncated 3-hydroxy
      3-methylglutaryl-coenzyme reductase (tHMGR) and isopentenyl diphosphate isomerase
      (IDI1) overexpressed. The expressions of all above engineered genes were under
      the control of Gal promoter for alleviating product toxicity. Geraniol production
      varied from trace amount to 43.19mg/L (CrGES, GES from Catharanthus roseus) by
      screening of nine GESs from diverse species. Further through protein structure
      analysis and site-directed mutation in CrGES, it was firstly demonstrated that
      among the high-conserved amino acid residues located in active pocket, Y436 and
      D501 with strong affinity to diphosphate function group, were critical for the
      dephosphorylation (the core step for geraniol formation). Moreover, the
      truncation position of the transit peptide from the N-terminus of CrGES was found
      to influence protein expression and activity significantly, obtaining a titer of
      191.61mg/L geraniol in strain with CrGES truncated at S43 (t3CrGES). Furthermore,
      directed by surface electrostatics distribution of t3CrGES and Erg20WW (Erg20F96W
      N127W), co-expression of the reverse fusion of Erg20ww/t3CrGES and another copy
      of Erg20WW promoted the geraniol titer to 523.96mg/L at shakes flask level, due
      to enhancing GPP accessibility led by protein interaction of t3CrGES-Erg20WW and
      the free Erg20WW. Eventually, a highest reported titer of 1.68g/L geraniol in
      eukaryote cells was achieved in 2.0L fed-batch fermentation under carbon
      restriction strategy. Our research opens large opportunities for other microbial
      production of monoterpenes. It also sets a good reference for desired compounds
      overproduction in microorganisms in terms of manipulation of key enzymes by
      protein engineering and metabolic engineering.

PMID- 28359706
TI  - Discovery of a new Mycobacterium tuberculosis thymidylate synthase X inhibitor
      with a unique inhibition profile.
AB  - Tuberculosis (TB), mainly caused by Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb), is an
      infection that is responsible for roughly 1.5 million deaths per year. The
      situation is further complicated by the wide-spread resistance to the existing
      first- and second-line drugs. As a result of this, it is urgent to develop new
      drugs to combat the resistant bacteria as well as have lower side effects, which
      can promote adherence to the treatment regimens. Targeting the de novo synthesis
      of thymidylate (dTMP) is an important pathway to develop drugs for TB. Although
      Mtb carries genes for two families of thymidylate synthases (TS), ThyA and ThyX,
      only ThyX is essential for its normal growth. Both enzymes catalyze the
      conversion of uridylate (dUMP) to dTMP but employ a different catalytic approach
      and have different structures. Also, ThyA is the only TS found in humans. This is
      the rationale for identifying selective inhibitors against ThyX. We exploited the
      NADPH oxidation to NADP+ step, catalyzed by ThyX, to develop a spectrophotometric
      biochemical assay. Success of the assay was demonstrated by its effectiveness
      (average Z'=0.77) and identification of selective ThyX inhibitors. The most
      potent compound is a tight-binding inhibitor with an IC50 of 710nM. Its mechanism
      of inhibition is analyzed in relation to the latest findings of ThyX mechanism
      and substrate and cofactor binding order.

PMID- 28359707
TI  - Evidence-Based Practice: Video-Discharge Instructions in the Pediatric Emergency
      Department.
AB  - PROBLEM: While a high quality discharge from a Pediatric Emergency Department
      helps caregivers feel informed and prepared to care for their sick child at home,
      poor adherence to discharge instructions leads to unnecessary return visits,
      negative health outcomes, and decreased patient satisfaction. Nurses at the Inova
      Loudoun Pediatric ED utilized the Johns Hopkins Model of Evidence Based Practice
      to answer the following question: Among caregivers who have children discharged
      from the ED, does the addition of video discharge instructions (VDI) to standard
      written/verbal discharge instructions (SDI) result in improved knowledge about
      the child's diagnosis, treatment, illness duration, and when to seek further
      medical care? METHODS: A multidisciplinary team reviewed available evidence and
      created VDI for three common pediatric diagnoses: gastroenteritis, bronchiolitis,
      and fever. Knowledge assessments were collected before and after delivery of
      discharge instructions to caregivers for both the SDI and VDI groups. RESULTS:
      Analysis found that the VDI group achieved significantly higher scores on the
      post test survey (P < .001) than the SDI group, particularly regarding treatment
      and when to seek further medical care. After integrating the best evidence with
      clinical expertise and an effective VDI intervention, the team incorporated VDI
      into the discharge process. IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTICE: VDI offer nurses an
      efficient, standardized method of providing enhanced discharge instructions in
      the ED. Future projects will examine whether VDI are effective for additional
      diagnoses and among caregivers for whom English is not the primary language.

PMID- 28359708
TI  - The Effect of Pneumatic Tube Systems on the Hemolysis of Biochemistry Blood
      Samples.
AB  - : Pneumatic tube systems (PTSs) are widely used in many hospitals because they
      lead to reduced turnaround times and cost efficiency. However, PTSs may affect
      the quality of the blood samples transported to the laboratory. The aim of this
      study was to investigate the effect of the PTS used in our hospital on the
      hemolysis of the biochemical blood samples transported to the laboratory.
      METHODS: A total of 148 samples were manually transported to the laboratory by
      hospital staff, 148 samples were transported with the PTS, and 113 were
      transported with the PTS without use of sponge-rubber inserts (PTSws). Hemolysis
      rates and the levels of biochemical analytes for the different transportation
      methods were compared. RESULTS: No significant difference was found between the
      samples transported manually and with the PTS with regard to hemolysis rate and
      the levels of biochemical analytes. However, the samples transported with the
      PTSws showed a significant difference compared with the samples transported
      manually and with the PTS with regard to hemolysis rate and potassium and lactate
      dehydrogenase levels. The percentages of the samples that exceeded the
      permissible threshold for the hemolysis among the samples transported manually,
      with the PTS, and with the PTSws were 10%, 8%, and 47%, respectively. DISCUSSION:
      A PTS can be used safely for transporting biochemistry blood samples to the
      laboratory. However, a sponge-rubber insert that holds sample tubes must be used
      with the PTS to prevent the hemolysis of blood samples.

PMID- 28359709
TI  - Nurse Participation in Continuing Education in Disaster Nursing in Taiwan.

PMID- 28359710
TI  - National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale in Plain English Is Reliable for
      Novice Nurse Users with Minimal Training.
AB  - : The National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS) is commonly used in
      Comprehensive Stroke Centers, but it has not been easily implemented in smaller
      centers. The aim of this study was to assess whether nurse providers who were
      naive to stroke assessment scales could obtain accurate stroke severity scores
      using our previously validated NIH Stroke Scale in Plain English (NIHSS-PE) with
      minimal or no training. METHODS: We randomly assigned 122 nursing students who
      were naive to stroke assessment scales to 1 of 4 groups: trained on the NIHSS,
      untrained on the NIHSS, trained on the NIHSS-PE, or untrained on the NIHSS-PE.
      The Trained/NIHSS and Trained/NIHSS-PE groups watched assessment scale-specific
      training DVDs. All 4 study groups scored the same 3 patients from the National
      Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke certification DVD, in randomly
      assigned order. Two-way repeated measures analysis of variance was used to
      compare group scores with those obtained by a consensus panel of NIHSS-certified
      expert users, and with each other. RESULTS: NIHSS-PE users had scores
      significantly closer to the expert scores compared with NIHSS users (F(1,118) =
      4.656, P = .033). Trained users had scores significantly closer to the expert
      scores than untrained users (F(1,118) = 6.607, P = .011). Scores from untrained
      users of the NIHSS-PE did not differ from those of trained users of the NIHSS
      (F(1,59) = 0.08, P = .780). DISCUSSION: With minimal or no training, novice nurse
      users of the NIHSS-PE can do as well as, if not better than, novice users of the
      NIHSS, making this tool useful for facilities pursuing Acute Stroke-Ready
      certification.

PMID- 28359711
TI  - Painful Discrimination in the Emergency Department: Risk Factors for
      Underassessment of Patients' Pain by Nurses.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: Unrelieved acute musculoskeletal pain continues to be a reality of
      major clinical importance, despite advancements in pain management. Accurate pain
      assessment by nurses is crucial for effective pain management. Yet inaccurate
      pain assessment is a consistent finding worldwide in various clinical settings,
      including the emergency department. In this study, pain assessments between
      nurses and patients with acute musculoskeletal pain after extremity injury will
      be compared to assess discrepancies. A second aim is to identify patients at high
      risk for underassessment by emergency nurses. METHODS: The prospective PROTACT
      study included 539 adult patients who were admitted to the emergency department
      with musculoskeletal pain. Data on pain assessment and characteristics of
      patients including demographics, pain, and injury, psychosocial, and clinical
      factors were collected using questionnaires and hospital registry. RESULTS:
      Nurses significantly underestimated patients' pain with a mean difference of 2.4
      and a 95% confidence interval of 2.2-2.6 on an 11-points numerical rating scale.
      Agreement between nurses' documented and patients' self-reported pain was only
      27%, and 63% of the pain was underassessed. Pain was particularly underassessed
      in women, in persons with a lower educational level, in patients who used
      prehospital analgesics, in smokers, in patients with injury to the lower
      extremities, in anxious patients, and in patients with a lower urgency level.
      DISCUSSION: Underassessment of pain by emergency nurses is still a major problem
      and might result in undertreatment of pain if the emergency nurses rely on their
      assessment to provide further pain treatment. Strategies that focus on awareness
      among nurses of which patients are at high risk of underassessment of pain are
      needed.

PMID- 28359712
TI  - Voluntary Medication Error Reporting by ED Nurses: Examining the Association With
      Work Environment and Social Capital.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: Medication errors are one of the most frequently occurring errors
      in health care settings. The complexity of the ED work environment places
      patients at risk for medication errors. Most hospitals rely on nurses' voluntary
      medication error reporting, but these errors are under-reported. The purpose of
      this study was to examine the relationship among work environment (nurse manager
      leadership style and safety climate), social capital (warmth and belonging
      relationships and organizational trust), and nurses' willingness to report
      medication errors. METHODS: A cross-sectional descriptive design using a
      questionnaire with a convenience sample of emergency nurses was used. Data were
      analyzed using descriptive, correlation, Mann-Whitney U, and Kruskal-Wallis
      statistics. RESULTS: A total of 71 emergency nurses were included in the study.
      Emergency nurses' willingness to report errors decreased as the nurses' years of
      experience increased (r = -0.25, P = .03). Their willingness to report errors
      increased when they received more feedback about errors (r = 0.25, P = .03) and
      when their managers used a transactional leadership style (r = 0.28, P = .01).
      DISCUSSION: ED nurse managers can modify their leadership style to encourage
      error reporting. Timely feedback after an error report is particularly important.
      Engaging experienced nurses to understand error root causes could increase
      voluntary error reporting.

PMID- 28359713
TI  - Child Passenger Safety: An Assessment of Emergency Nurses' Knowledge and
      Provision of Information in the Emergency Department.
AB  - : Each year, more than 130,000 children younger than 13 years are treated in the
      emergency department after evaluation of injuries sustained from motor vehicle
      crashes (MVCs). Many of these injuries can be prevented with use of child
      restraints. In this study we sought to assess emergency nurses' knowledge of
      child passenger safety (CPS) and its use to keep children safe while traveling in
      motor vehicles. METHODS: A cross-sectional anonymous study was distributed
      electronically to 530 emergency nurses who were asked to forward the survey link
      to other emergency nurses through snowball sampling. The target population
      included full-time and part-time emergency nurses, including nurse practitioners
      caring for pediatric patients. Emergency nurses' CPS knowledge, attitudes, and
      practices were ascertained. RESULTS: Nine hundred eighty-four emergency nurses
      completed a Web-based survey. All 6 CPS knowledge and scenario-based items were
      answered correctly by only 18.8% of the sample; these respondents were identified
      as the "high knowledge" group. Similarly, ED nurses rarely addressed CPS during
      ED visits in the prior 6 months. Those with high knowledge were more likely to be
      confident about providing recommendations for CPS topics. DISCUSSION: Emergency
      nurses can improve their knowledge and provision of CPS in the emergency
      department, particularly for children presenting for care following MVCs. These
      results identify opportunities to increase the knowledge and confidence of
      emergency nurses in providing CPS information to parents seen in the emergency
      department, especially those involved in MVCs. The gap in knowledge can be
      overcome by providing the nurses with increased CPS-focused educational
      opportunities.

PMID- 28359714
TI  - Influencing factors of sac shrinkage after endovascular aneurysm repair.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: Sac shrinkage is considered a reliable surrogate marker of success
      after endovascular aneurysm repair (EVAR). Whereas sac shrinkage is the best
      expected outcome, predictive factors of sac shrinkage remain unclear. The aim of
      this study was to identify the role of preoperative and postoperative influencing
      factors of sac reduction after EVAR. METHODS: Online searches across MEDLINE,
      Embase, and Cochrane Library medical databases were simultaneously performed.
      Study effects were pooled using a random-effects model, and forest plots were
      generated for every potential influencing factor. RESULTS: A total of 24 studies
      with 14,754 patients were included (mean age, 73.4 years; 76% male). At a mean
      follow-up of 24 months, the pooled shrinkage proportion was 47%. Random-effects
      meta-analysis revealed that renal impairment (odds ratio [OR], 0.74; 95%
      confidence interval [CI], 0.57-0.96), type I endoleaks (OR, 0.17; 95% CI, 0.08
      0.39), type II endoleaks (OR, 0.21; 95% CI, 0.14-0.33), and combined type I and
      type II endoleaks (OR, 0.32; 95% CI, 0.22-0.47) were found to prevent sac
      shrinkage, whereas hypercholesterolemia (OR, 1.24; 95% CI, 1.02-1.51) and smoking
      (OR, 1.32; 95% CI, 1.17-1.49) have a significant positive impact on sac
      shrinkage. In addition, there was a trend toward the association between
      shrinkage and statin therapy (OR, 4.07; 95% CI, 1.02-16.32) and nearly
      significant negative impacts of coronary artery disease (OR, 0.84; 95% CI, 0.70
      1.01), diabetes (OR, 0.79; 95% CI, 0.60-1.04), and sac thrombus (OR, 0.88; 95%
      CI, 0.77-1.01) on sac shrinkage. CONCLUSIONS: In this large meta-analysis of
      patients undergoing EVAR, we found that several comorbidity and postoperative
      factors were associated with postoperative sac shrinkage. These findings may
      contribute to a better understanding of the shrinkage process of patients
      undergoing EVAR.

PMID- 28359715
TI  - Simplified total aortic arch replacement with an in situ stent graft fenestration
      technique for acute type A aortic dissection.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: Total arch replacement combined with stented elephant trunk
      implantation in the descending aorta has successfully improved the outcomes of
      acute type A aortic dissection (AAAD). However, the optimal surgical strategy for
      the left subclavian artery (LSA) during the procedure remains a challenge. This
      study aimed to present our new technique of in situ stent graft fenestration to
      simplify the surgical procedure for suitable cases of AAAD. METHODS: From August
      2008 to December 2015, a total of 106 patients underwent simplified total aortic
      arch replacement with an in situ stent graft fenestration technique. The mean age
      of the patients was 50.71 +/- 11.54 years (range, 24-78 years). Both
      perioperative variables and postoperative follow-up outcome of the procedure were
      assessed. RESULTS: The in-hospital mortality rate was 7.5%. The mean
      cardiopulmonary bypass time was 162.73 +/- 68.49 minutes, cross-clamp time was
      93.13 +/- 22.29 minutes, and circulatory arrest time was 23.28 +/- 5.56 minutes.
      Transient neurologic dysfunction was observed in five patients. No permanent
      neurologic dysfunction was observed, and no stroke or left arm ischemia occurred.
      During the follow-up period (mean, 43.4 +/- 21.53 months), the survival rates of
      patients were 90.6%, 85.5%, and 78.8% at 1 year, 2 years, and 7 years,
      respectively. No stroke or left limb ischemia was observed. The LSA perfusion was
      well preserved in all surviving patients, and there was no endoleak or dissection
      around the LSA. All patients were free from reoperation. CONCLUSIONS: The in situ
      graft fenestration technique could simplify the procedure of LSA reconstruction
      during total arch replacement, provide a good surgical view for anastomosis and
      hemostasis, shorten the operation time, and yield satisfactory early and midterm
      results. It is a safe and effective alternative approach for suitable patients
      with AAAD. However, the long-term results of this technique need further
      evaluation.

PMID- 28359716
TI  - Pretreatment with and ongoing use of omega-3 fatty acid ethyl esters reduce the
      slow-flow phenomenon and prevent in-stent restenosis in patients undergoing
      carotid artery stenting.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: Carotid artery stenting (CAS) is a less invasive alternative to
      carotid endarterectomy, but it is essential to prevent thromboembolic
      complications during CAS and to suppress in-stent restenosis (ISR) after CAS
      because of the relatively high risk of periprocedural and follow-up stroke
      events. Clinical trials have demonstrated the strong relationship of carotid
      plaque vulnerability with the subsequent risk of ipsilateral ischemic stroke and
      thromboembolic complications during CAS. Recent studies demonstrated that both
      low eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and low docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) levels were
      significantly associated with lipid-rich coronary and carotid plaques, but little
      is known about the effect of administration of omega-3 fatty acids (O-3FAs)
      containing EPA and DHA before and after CAS for stabilizing carotid plaque,
      preventing thromboembolic complications, and suppressing ISR. In this study, the
      efficacy of pretreatment with and ongoing daily use of O-3FA in addition to
      statin treatment was evaluated in patients undergoing CAS. METHODS: This study
      was a nonrandomized prospective trial with retrospective analysis of historical
      control data. From 2012 to 2015, there were 100 consecutive patients with
      hyperlipidemia undergoing CAS for carotid artery stenosis who were divided into
      two groups. Between 2012 and 2013 (control period), 47 patients were treated with
      standard statin therapy. Between 2014 and 2015 (O-3FA period), patients were
      treated with statin therapy and add-on oral O-3FA ethyl esters containing 750
      mg/d DHA and 1860 mg/d EPA from 4 weeks before CAS, followed by ongoing daily use
      for at least 12 months. In all patients, the plaque morphology by virtual
      histology intravascular ultrasound, the incidence of new ipsilateral ischemic
      lesions on the day after CAS, the slow-flow phenomenon during CAS, and ISR within
      12 months after CAS were compared between the periods. RESULTS: The slow-flow
      phenomenon during CAS with filter-type embolic protection devices decreased in
      the O-3FA period (1 of 53 patients [2%]) compared with the control period (7 of
      47 patients [15%]; P = .02). Furthermore, ISR for 12 months after CAS was
      significantly decreased in the O-3FA period (1 of 53 patients [2%]) compared with
      the control period (10 of 47 patients [21%]; P = .01). On virtual histology
      intravascular ultrasound analysis, the fibrofatty area was significantly smaller
      and the fibrous area was significantly greater in the O-3FA period. On
      multivariate logistic regression analysis, a low EPA/arachidonic acid ratio and a
      symptomatic lesion were the factors related to vulnerable plaque (P = .01 [odds
      ratio, 5.24; 95% confidence interval, 1.65-16.63] and P = .01 [odds ratio, 11.72;
      95% confidence interval, 2.93-46.86], respectively). CONCLUSIONS: Pretreatment
      with O-3FA reduces the slow-flow phenomenon generated by plaque vulnerability
      during CAS, and on-going daily use of O-3FA suppresses ISR after CAS.

PMID- 28359717
TI  - "In situ" endografting in the treatment of arterial and graft infections.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: Endografts (eg, aortic aneurysm device or covered stent) are
      increasingly being used to temporize or treat arterial and graft infections in
      inaccessible areas, in patients with compromised anatomy, or in the presence of
      active bleeding or rupture. This summary examines the evidence for "in situ"
      endografting in the treatment these conditions. METHODS: A two-level search
      strategy of the literature (MEDLINE, PubMed, Google Scholar, and The Cochrane
      Library) was performed for relevant articles listed between January 2000 and
      December 2015. The review was confined to patients with primary and secondary
      bacterial or viral arterial infections, with or without fistulization and
      infection of bypass grafts and arteriovenous accesses. For the purposes of this
      summary, endografts can be considered to be an aortic aneurysm device or a
      covered stent. RESULTS: There are no societal guidelines. Endografts have been
      successfully applied to mycotic arterial aneurysms, aortoenteric, aortobronchial,
      and arterioureteric fistulae, and to anastomotic bleeds secondary to infection.
      Multiple reports indicate success at the control of hemorrhage in all locations.
      Short-term outcomes are good, but fatal infection-related complications,
      especially if antibiotic therapy is halted, are well reported and necessitate a
      more definitive plan for the long term. CONCLUSIONS: Stent grafts remain an
      important and viable option for the treatment of mycotic aneurysms,
      aortoesophageal and aortobronchial fistulae, and infected pseudoaneurysms in
      anatomically or technically inaccessible locations. In patients with a short life
      span (<6 months), no further intervention is generally required. In patients with
      a predicted life span >6 months, careful consideration should be given to a more
      definitive procedure. Life-long appropriate antibiotic therapy is strongly
      recommended for any patient receiving an endograft in an infected field.

PMID- 28359718
TI  - Impact of surgeon and hospital experience on outcomes of abdominal aortic
      aneurysm repair in New York State.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to assess the impact of the surgeon's and hospital's
      experience on the outcomes of open surgical repair (OSR) and endovascular
      aneurysm repair (EVAR) of intact and ruptured abdominal aortic aneurysms (AAAs)
      in New York State. METHODS: New York Statewide Planning and Research Cooperative
      System data were used to identify patients undergoing AAA repair from 2000 to
      2011. Characteristics of the provider and hospital were determined by linkage to
      the New York Office of Professions and National Provider Identification
      databases. Distinct hierarchical logistic regression models for EVAR and OSR for
      intact and ruptured AAAs were created to adjust for the patient's comorbidities
      and to evaluate the impact of the surgeon's and hospital's experience on
      outcomes. The provider's years since medical school graduation as well as annual
      volume of the facility and provider are examined in tertiles. Adjusted odds
      ratios and 95% confidence intervals are presented. RESULTS: A total of 18,842
      patients underwent AAA repair by a vascular surgeon. For intact AAAs (n =
      17,118), 26.2% of patients underwent OSR and 73.8% underwent EVAR. For ruptured
      AAAs (n = 1724), 63.9% underwent OSR and 36.1% underwent EVAR. After intact AAA
      repair, OSR adjusted outcomes were significantly influenced by the surgeon's
      annual volume but not by the facility's volume or the surgeon's age. The lowest
      volume providers (1-4 OSRs) had higher in-hospital mortality rates than high
      volume (>11 OSRs) surgeons (adjusted odds ratio, 1.87 [95% confidence interval,
      1.1-3.17]). Low-volume providers also had higher odds of major complications
      (1.23 [1-1.51]). For patients with intact AAA undergoing EVAR, mortality was
      higher at low-volume facilities (2.6 [1.3-5.3] and 2.7 [1.5-4.8] for <33 EVARs
      and 34-81 EVARs, respectively). After OSR for ruptured AAA, treatment at a low
      volume facility (<9 OSRs for ruptured AAA) was associated with greater mortality
      than at high-volume (>27 OSRs for ruptured AAA) centers (1.56 [1.02-2.39]),
      whereas low-volume physicians (<4 OSRs for ruptured AAA) had higher odds of major
      complications (1.58 [1.04-2.41]). In the case of EVAR for rupture, there were no
      characteristics of the hospital or surgeon significantly associated with poorer
      outcomes. CONCLUSIONS: For intact AAA, the surgeon's volume was an important
      factor for OSR outcomes, whereas low facility volume was associated with worse
      outcomes after EVAR. For ruptured AAA, low-volume surgeons and low-volume
      facilities had worse outcomes after OSR but not after EVAR. The interaction
      between the surgeon's volume and the hospital's volume is complex and varies on
      the basis of the acuity of presentation and treatment modality.

PMID- 28359720
TI  - The sequential catheterization amid progressive endograft deployment technique
      for fenestrated endovascular aortic aneurysm repair.
AB  - Fenestrated endovascular aneurysm repair (FEVAR) is an alternative to open repair
      of complex aortic aneurysms. Despite promising short-term results, the technical
      complexities of this procedure remain a considerable challenge. The risk of
      technical failure with loss of visceral or renal arteries is ubiquitous even in
      the most experienced hands, and thus many patients with unfavorable anatomy are
      frequently denied FEVAR. We have adopted a new technique for FEVAR that involves
      retrograde brachial artery access and stepwise deployment of the endograft during
      target vessel catheterization, overcoming many anatomic limitations encountered
      from a transfemoral approach. This technique, termed sequential catheterization
      amid progressive endograft deployment, has become our preferred approach for
      FEVAR and is described in this article. Of note, currently available Food and
      Drug Administration-approved fenestrated endografts may not be amenable to
      sequential catheterization amid progressive endograft deployment as this
      technique requires preloaded wires incorporated into the endografts.

PMID- 28359719
TI  - Regional variation in patient selection and treatment for carotid artery disease
      in the Vascular Quality Initiative.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: Previous studies involving large administrative data sets have
      revealed regional variation in the demographics of patients selected for carotid
      endarterectomy (CEA) and carotid artery stenting (CAS) but lacked clinical
      granularity. This study aimed to evaluate regional variation in patient selection
      and operative technique for carotid artery revascularization using a detailed
      clinical registry. METHODS: All patients who underwent CEA or CAS from 2009 to
      2015 were identified in the Vascular Quality Initiative (VQI). Deidentified
      regional groups were used to evaluate variation in patient selection, operative
      technique, and perioperative management. chi2 analysis was used to identify
      significant variation across regions. RESULTS: A total of 57,555 carotid artery
      revascularization procedures were identified. Of these, 49,179 patients underwent
      CEA (asymptomatic: median, 56%; range, 46%-69%; P < .01) and 8376 patients
      underwent CAS (asymptomatic: median, 36%; range, 29%-51%; P < .01). There was
      significant regional variation in the proportion of asymptomatic patients being
      treated for carotid stenosis <70% in CEA (3%-9%; P < .01) vs CAS (3%-22%; P <
      .01). There was also significant variation in the rates of intervention for
      asymptomatic patients older than 80 years (CEA, 12%-27% [P < .01]; CAS, 8%-26% [P
      < .01]). Preoperative computed tomography angiography or magnetic resonance
      angiography in the CAS cohort also varied widely (31%-83%; P < .01), as did
      preoperative medical management with combined aspirin and statin (CEA, 53%-77% [P
      < .01]; CAS, 62%-80% [P < .01]). In the CEA group, the use of shunt (36%-83%; P <
      .01), protamine (32%-89%; P < .01), and patch (87%-99%; P < .01) varied widely.
      Similarly, there was regional variation in frequency of CAS done without a
      protection device (1%-8%; P < .01). CONCLUSIONS: Despite clinical benchmarks
      aimed at guiding management of carotid disease, wide variation in clinical
      practice exists, including the proportion of asymptomatic patients being treated
      by CAS and preoperative medical management. Additional intraoperative variables,
      including the use of a patch and protamine during CEA and use of a protection
      device during CAS, displayed similar variation in spite of clear guidelines.
      Quality improvement projects could be directed toward improved adherence to
      benchmarks in these areas.

PMID- 28359721
TI  - Western Osteoporosis Alliance Clinical Practice Series: Evaluating the Balance of
      Benefits and Risks of Long-Term Osteoporosis Therapies.
AB  - Osteoporosis is a chronic disease that requires life-long strategies to reduce
      fracture risk. Few trials have investigated the balance of benefits and risk with
      long-term use of osteoporosis therapies, and fewer still have investigated the
      consequences of treatment discontinuation. The best available evidence suggests
      that up to 10 years of treatment with an oral bisphosphonate maintains the degree
      of fracture risk reduction observed in the 3-year registration trials. With
      denosumab, 10 years of therapy appears to provide fracture risk reduction similar
      to or better than that observed in the 3-year registration trial. Available data
      suggest an increasing but low risk of fractures with atypical features with
      increasing duration of bisphosphonate therapy. Published data linking duration of
      therapy to osteonecrosis of the jaw are lacking for bisphosphonates and
      denosumab. Other side effects associated with denosumab or bisphosphonates do not
      appear to be related to therapy duration. The antifracture benefits of long-term
      therapy with bisphosphonates and denosumab in appropriately selected patients
      outweigh the low risk of serious side effects.

PMID- 28359722
TI  - Urine Tests for Chronic Hypokalemia: When in Doubt, Check Urine-Sodium-to
      Chloride Ratio.

PMID- 28359723
TI  - Apoptotic effect of demethoxyfumitremorgin C from marine fungus Aspergillus
      fumigatus on PC3 human prostate cancer cells.
AB  - Demethoxyfumitremorgin C, a secondary metabolite of the marine fungus,
      Aspergillus fumigatus, had been reported to demonstrate cytotoxic effect on mouse
      tsFT210 cells. However, no information is available regarding its functional
      mechanism and the chemo-sensitization effects on different kinds of human cancer
      cells. We found that treatment of demethoxyfumitremorgin C inhibited the cell
      viability of PC3 human advanced prostate cancer cells, induced apoptosis as
      determined by Annexin V/propidium iodide double staining, and decreased
      mitochondrial membrane potential. Demethoxyfumitremorgin C induced apoptosis was
      associated with downregulation of anti-apoptotic proteins: Ras, PI3K, Akt, Bcl
      xL, and Bcl-2, and upregulation of pro-apoptotic Bax. Demethoxyfumitremorgin C
      activated caspase-3, -8, and -9, leading to PARP cleavage. Additionally, caspase
      inhibitors blocked demethoxyfumitremorgin C-induced apoptosis of PC3 cells. These
      results suggest that demethoxyfumitremorgin C from Aspergillus fumigatus inhibits
      the proliferation of PC3 human prostate cancer cells via the intrinsic
      (mitochondrial) and extrinsic pathway, followed by downstream events leading to
      apoptotic cell death. Demethoxyfumitremorgin C could therefore, serve as a useful
      agent to treat human advanced prostate cancer.

PMID- 28359724
TI  - Tutor-led teaching of procedural skills in the skills lab: Complexity, relevance
      and teaching competence from the medical teacher, tutor and student perspective.
AB  - BACKGROUND: In current medical curricula, the transfer of procedural skills has
      received increasing attention. Skills lab learning and tutor-led teaching have
      become an inherent part of all medical curricula at German medical faculties. In
      2011, the initial basis for the classification of clinical skills in medical
      school was created by the German Association for Medical Education (GMA)
      Committee's consensus statement on procedural skills. As a recommendation for
      medical curricula, the National Competency-based Catalogue of Learning Objectives
      (NKLM, 2015) lists procedural skills according to their curriculum integration
      and competency level. However, classification in regard to the perceived
      complexity, relevance, or teaching competency is still lacking. OBJECTIVE: The
      present study aimed to investigate procedural skills taught at the Medical
      Faculty of Heidelberg in regard to their complexity, relevance, and required
      teaching skills. To achieve this aim (1) the specific procedural skills in terms
      of complexity, that is, the degree of difficulty, and (2) the perceived relevance
      of taught procedural skills for studying and subsequent medical profession as
      well as (3) the personal preparation and required teaching skills were assessed
      in medical teachers, tutors and students. METHOD: During the winter semester
      2014/2015, the evaluations of all medical teachers, student tutors, and medical
      students in the skills lab teaching departments of internal medicine, surgery,
      pediatrics, gynecology, and otorhinolaryngology at the Medical Faculty of
      Heidelberg were assessed via a quantitative cross-sectional questionnaire survey
      using 7-point Likert scales. The questionnaire comprised four item sets
      concerning 1) demographic details, 2) procedural skill complexity, 3) practical
      relevance, and 4) required preparation and teaching skills. Descriptive,
      quantitative analysis was used for questionnaire data. RESULTS: The survey
      included the data from 17 of 20 physicians (return rate: 85 %), 10 of 10 student
      tutors (return rate: 100 %) and a total of 406 of 691 students (return rate: 58.8
      %). In terms of complexity and relevance, no major differences between medical
      teachers, tutors, and students were found. Procedural skills, assigned to the
      competence level of final year medical education in the NKLM, were also perceived
      as more complex than other skills. All skills were considered equally relevant,
      and student tutors were seen to have equally competent teaching skills as
      experienced medical teachers. CONCLUSION: This study largely underpins the NKLM's
      classification of procedural skills. The complexity assessment allows for
      conclusions to be drawn as to which skills are perceived to require particularly
      intensive training. Finally, our study corroborates extant findings that student
      tutors are apt at teaching procedural skills if they have been properly trained.

PMID- 28359725
TI  - Dysfunctional Skin-Derived Glucocorticoid Synthesis Is a Pathogenic Mechanism of
      Psoriasis.
AB  - Glucocorticoids (GC) are the primary steroids that regulate inflammation and have
      been exploited therapeutically in inflammatory skin diseases. Despite the broad
      spectrum therapeutic use of GC, the biochemical rationale for locally treating
      inflammatory skin conditions is poorly understood, as systemic GC production
      remains largely functional in these patients. GC synthesis has been well
      characterized in healthy skin, but the pathological consequence has not been
      examined. Here we show de novo GC synthesis, and GC receptor expression is
      dysfunctional in both nonlesional and lesional psoriatic skin. Use of GC receptor
      epidermal knockout mice with adrenalectomy allowed for the distinction between
      local (keratinocyte) and systemic GC activity. Compensation exhibited by adult GC
      receptor epidermal knockout mice demonstrated that keratinocyte-derived GC
      synthesis protected skin from topical phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate-induced
      inflammatory assault. Thus, localized de novo GC synthesis in skin is essential
      for controlling inflammation, and loss of the GC pathway in psoriatic skin
      represents an additional pathological process in this complex inflammatory skin
      disease.

PMID- 28359726
TI  - Migraine: A look down the nose.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Studies have suggested that contact between opposing mucosal surfaces
      in the nasal wall and cavity can be a target of the surgical treatment of
      migraines. Unfortunately, not enough is known about the role of nasal pathology
      in the pathogenesis of this condition. The co-existence of further rhinological
      disorders can be an impediment to defining the cause and effect of anatomical
      variants. The authors compared the MRI scans of migraine- and non-migraine
      patients (MPs and NMPs, respectively) to determine the prevalence of such mucosal
      contact points in order to extrapolate whether there is a significant association
      with migraines. METHODS: Coronal and axial MRI brain scans of 522 patients (412
      migraineurs and 110 non-migraineurs) were analysed for the prevalence of
      anatomical variations of the nasal cavity, e.g. concha bullosa, septal
      deviations, mucosal swelling and contact points. RESULTS: The results showed no
      significant difference between MPs and NMPs patients for any of the parameters
      examined. Moreover, 87% MPs and 79% NMPs had at least one contact point. The most
      frequent contact point was between the middle turbinate and the septum, observed
      in 54% of MPs and 45% of NMPs. CONCLUSIONS: Contact points with the nasal mucosa
      are highly prevalent in both MPs and NMPs. Although a contact point does not
      cause a migraine in the absence of the disease, the concomitant presence of
      migraine and contact points can trigger an attack, and therefore, it is necessary
      to differentiate or exclude a rhinological disorder in these patients.

PMID- 28359727
TI  - The medial femoral condyle flap to re-vitalise the femoral head for calcaneal
      reconstruction.

PMID- 28359728
TI  - Enriching consumer health vocabulary through mining a social Q&A site: A
      similarity-based approach.
AB  - The widely known vocabulary gap between health consumers and healthcare
      professionals hinders information seeking and health dialogue of consumers on end
      user health applications. The Open Access and Collaborative Consumer Health
      Vocabulary (OAC CHV), which contains health-related terms used by lay consumers,
      has been created to bridge such a gap. Specifically, the OAC CHV facilitates
      consumers' health information retrieval by enabling consumer-facing health
      applications to translate between professional language and consumer friendly
      language. To keep up with the constantly evolving medical knowledge and language
      use, new terms need to be identified and added to the OAC CHV. User-generated
      content on social media, including social question and answer (social Q&A) sites,
      afford us an enormous opportunity in mining consumer health terms. Existing
      methods of identifying new consumer terms from text typically use ad-hoc lexical
      syntactic patterns and human review. Our study extends an existing method by
      extracting n-grams from a social Q&A textual corpus and representing them with a
      rich set of contextual and syntactic features. Using K-means clustering, our
      method, simiTerm, was able to identify terms that are both contextually and
      syntactically similar to the existing OAC CHV terms. We tested our method on
      social Q&A corpora on two disease domains: diabetes and cancer. Our method
      outperformed three baseline ranking methods. A post-hoc qualitative evaluation by
      human experts further validated that our method can effectively identify
      meaningful new consumer terms on social Q&A.

PMID- 28359730
TI  - The Changing Role of Vacuum-assisted Biopsy of the Breast: A New Prototype of
      Minimally Invasive Breast Surgery.

PMID- 28359731
TI  - Acute submaxillitis: Etiological data and etiological management.
AB  - OBJECTIVES: The objective of the present study was to test the hypothesis that
      acute submaxillitis involves salivary duct obstruction. Obstacle characteristics
      and treatment were analyzed. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Patients presenting with an
      episode of acute submaxillitis between 2009 and 2015 were retrospectively
      included. All underwent salivary duct imaging and/or sialendoscopy, with
      pathologic examination if the salivary gland was removed for etiologic diagnosis.
      For etiological treatment, if the causal lesion could not be treated by isolated
      sialendoscopy, surgery used a direct approach assisted by sialendoscope. In case
      of failure of these procedures, submaxillectomy was indicated. RESULTS: Twenty
      nine patients were included, 28 of whom showed salivary duct abnormality. At
      least 1 calculus was found in 27 patients; calculi were usually single (n=20),
      situated in the mid-third (n=21), and large (mean 7.7mm). Ten patients showed
      stenosis, associated with salivary calculus in 9 cases. Twenty-five patients with
      salivary duct obstruction underwent sialendoscopy. Isolated sialendoscopy was
      used in 5 cases, and a combined approach in 13 cases. CONCLUSION: An episode of
      submaxillitis requires salivary duct exploration by sialendoscopy, to enable
      early treatment given the prevalence of associated calculi and high success rate
      of conservative management by sialendoscopy.

PMID- 28359729
TI  - DL-3-n-butylphthalide induced neuroprotection, regenerative repair, functional
      recovery and psychological benefits following traumatic brain injury in mice.
AB  - Previous investigations suggest that DL-3-n-butylphthalide (NBP) is a promising
      multifaceted drug for the treatment of stroke. It is not clear whether NBP can
      treat traumatic brain injury (TBI) and what could be the mechanisms of
      therapeutic benefits. To address these issues, TBI was induced by a controlled
      cortical impact in adult male mice. NBP (100 mg/kg) or saline was
      intraperitoneally administered within 5 min after TBI. One day after TBI,
      apoptotic events including caspase-3/9 activation, cytochrome c release from the
      mitochondria, and apoptosis-inducing factor (AIF) translocation into the nucleus
      in the pericontusion region were attenuated in NBP-treated mice compared to TBI
      saline controls. In the assessment of the nuclear factor kappa-light-chain
      enhancer of activated B (NF-kappaB) pathway, NBP ameliorated the p65 expression
      and the p-IkappaB-alpha/IkappaB-alpha ratio, indicating reduced NF-kappaB
      activation. Consistently, NBP reduced the upregulation of proinflammatory
      cytokines such as tumor necrotizing factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) and interleukin
      1beta (IL-1beta) after TBI. In sub-acute treatment experiments, NBP was
      intranasally delivered once daily for 3 days. At 3 days after TBI, this repeated
      NBP treatment significantly reduced the contusion volume and cell death in the
      pericontusion region. In chronic experiments up to 21 days after TBI, continues
      daily intranasal NBP treatment increased neurogenesis, angiogenesis, and
      arteriogenesis in the post-TBI brain, accompanied with upregulations of
      regenerative genes including brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), vascular
      endothelial growth factor (VEGF), endothelial-derived nitric oxide synthase
      (eNOS), and matrix metallopeptidase 9 (MMP-9). The NBP treatment significantly
      improved sensorimotor functional recovery and reduced post-TBP depressive
      behavior. These new findings demonstrate that NBP shows multiple therapeutic
      benefits after TBI.

PMID- 28359732
TI  - Outpatient hemithyroidectomy: A retrospective feasibility analysis.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Outpatient surgery is a major public health policy issue. It is
      controversial for total thyroidectomy, which raises the question of
      hemithyroidectomy. The present study assessed our experience in outpatient
      hemithyroidectomy. OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the rates of postoperative hematoma
      and unscheduled hospital admission. MATERIAL AND METHODS: A multicenter
      retrospective analysis was conducted in two hospital centers between January 2009
      and December 2013. Exclusion criteria for outpatient hemithyroidectomy comprised:
      ASA score >2, anticoagulant therapy, risk of completion procedure, and associated
      procedure requiring >12 hours' surveillance. Data were collated for age, gender,
      weight, postoperative complications, and unscheduled hospital admission. RESULTS:
      During the study period, 294 hemithyroidectomies were performed, 130 of which on
      an outpatient basis (44%). There were no medical contraindications to outpatient
      surgery in 64% of patients operated on under conventional admission. In the
      outpatient group, mean age was 44 years. Eight completion thyroidectomies were
      performed in the outpatient group, and only two patients required admission for
      surveillance, with no revision surgeries. All patients were satisfied or very
      satisfied with outpatient management. CONCLUSION: In our experience, outpatient
      hemithyroidectomy was safe and reliable.

PMID- 28359733
TI  - Right ethmoid eosinophilic angiocentric fibrosis with orbital extension.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: Eosinophilic angiocentric fibrosis (EAF) is a slowly progressive,
      benign disease involving the mucosa of the upper airways or, more rarely, the
      orbit. It belongs to the spectrum of IgG4-related disease. CASE REPORT: The
      authors report the case of a 61-year-old man who presented with orbital
      involvement (visual loss, pain, proptosis, and eyelid oedema), headache and nasal
      obstruction. Imaging revealed a right ethmoido-orbital mass infiltrating the
      periorbital fat and enveloping the optic nerve. Histological examination
      concluded on a diagnosis of EAF in the presence of perivascular infiltration by
      inflammatory cells, predominantly eosinophils, and zones of "onion skin"
      fibrosis. Immunohistochemistry attributed these lesions to IgG4-related disease.
      Initial treatment with corticosteroids followed by dapsone failed to control the
      disease and resulted in severe steroid dependence. Surgical ethmoidectomy with
      resection of the lamina papyracea was performed to allow displacement of the
      eyeball into the nasal cavity in the event of another episode. DISCUSSION: The
      combination of surgery and rituximab achieved lasting pain relief with no
      recurrence of exophthalmos.

PMID- 28359734
TI  - Complications After Metastasectomy for Renal Cell Carcinoma-A Population-based
      Assessment.
AB  - : Metastasectomy has long been considered a valid treatment option for patients
      with oligometastatic renal cell carcinoma (oligo-mRCC). However, the literature
      on complications in this setting is scarce. Our objective was to describe in
      hospital complications after metastasectomy in a contemporary cohort of patients
      with mRCC. Using the National Inpatient Sample database (2000-2011), 45 279 mRCC
      patients were identified. Of those, 1102 underwent metastasectomies. The
      metastatic sites were the lungs, bone, liver, lymph nodes, adrenal glands, and
      brain in, respectively, 52%, 29%, 19%, 14%, 11%, and 3.4% of patients. The
      overall complication rate was 45.7%. Major complications (Clavien III-V)
      constituted 27.5%. Resections of hepatic lesions were significantly associated
      with higher odds of overall complications compared with any other site (odds
      ratio 2.59, 95% confidence interval 1.84-3.62, p<0.001). While metastasectomy
      remains a potential treatment option in RCC with oligometastatic disease, the
      associated complication rates are non-negligible; therefore, careful patient
      selection is warranted. PATIENT SUMMARY: We studied outcomes of patients with
      metastatic kidney cancer treated with metastasectomy. While metastasectomy is a
      treatment option for metastatic renal cell carcinoma, complications are not
      insignificant and our results may guide preoperative counseling.

PMID- 28359735
TI  - The Influence of Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals on Undocumented Asian and
      Pacific Islander Young Adults: Through a Social Determinants of Health Lens.
AB  - PURPOSE: There is an urgent need to provide evidence-based policies to address
      the health of the 11.7 million undocumented immigrants in the United States.
      Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) offers temporary relief to
      qualified undocumented immigrants. Asians and Pacific Islanders (APIs), in
      particular, are the fastest growing immigrant population; yet, little is known
      about their health challenges. This article examines the influence of DACA on the
      health of API undocumented young adults. METHODS: In total, 32 unique
      participants participated in 24 in-depth interviews and four focus group
      discussions. Participants were aged 18-31 years and identified as undocumented
      API. RESULTS: DACA potentially improves health outcomes through four potential
      social determinants: economic stability, educational opportunities, social and
      community contexts, and access to health care. These determinants improve the
      mental health and sense of well-being among undocumented young adults.
      CONCLUSIONS: Targeted outreach and education in communities should be informed by
      these research findings with an eye toward promoting the economic, education, and
      health benefits of enrolling in DACA. Social policies that address the social
      determinants of health have significant potential to address health inequities.

PMID- 28359736
TI  - HLA-A, B, DRB1, DQA1, DQB1 alleles and haplotype frequencies in Dene and Cree
      cohorts in Manitoba, Canada.
AB  - BACKGROUND: First Nations in the Canadian province of Manitoba have
      disproportionately high rates of epidemic and endemic TB. Gene polymorphisms that
      modulate HLA Class I and II antigens are among the risk markers for TB, along
      with other biologic, and social determinants of health. HLA-A, B, DRB1, DQA1,
      DQB1 were typed in two Manitoba First Nation indigenous groups to identify and
      compare the frequency of gene polymorphisms that may influence susceptibility or
      resistance to TB. METHODS: Participants who self-identified as either Dene or
      Cree enrolled into the study from two First Nation communities in Manitoba,
      Canada. Genomic DNA was extracted from blood samples collected with informed
      consent from Dene (N=63) and Cree (N=42) First Nation study participants.
      Participants self-reported having treated active TB, treated latent TB or no TB.
      HLA Class I and II molecules were typed using sequence-specific oligonucleotide
      (SSO) probes from commercially available kits. RESULTS: The rates of treated
      active and latent TB were marginally higher among the Dene than the Cree
      participants (p=0.112). Class I and II HLA loci were in Hardy-Weinberg
      equilibrium in both the Dene and Cree groups. In this exploratory analysis of TB
      and HLA allele frequencies in Dene and Cree cohorts HLA-A*03 and HLA-DQB1*05:03
      were significantly associated with TB. CONCLUSIONS: The high incidence of TB in
      both Dene and Cree populations in Canada requires both biomedical and
      socioeconomic prevention and control measures. Among the former, an understanding
      of HLA diversity among First Nations groups may aid the development of new
      effective vaccine and therapeutic modalities that depend on the interaction
      between small molecules and specific HLA epitopes.

PMID- 28359738
TI  - Development of a multiplex real-time PCR assay for phylogenetic analysis of
      Uropathogenic Escherichia coli.
AB  - Uropathogenic Escherichia coli (UPEC) is among major pathogens causing 80-90% of
      all episodes of urinary tract infections (UTIs). Recently, E. coli strains are
      divided into eight main phylogenetic groups including A, B1, B2, C, D, E, F, and
      clade I. This study was aimed to develop a rapid, sensitive, and specific
      multiplex real time PCR method capable of detecting phylogenetic groups of E.
      coli strains. This study was carried out on E. coli strains (isolated from the
      patient with UTI) in which the presence of all seven target genes had been
      confirmed in our previous phylogenetic study. An EvaGreen-based singleplex and
      multiplex real-time PCR with melting curve analysis was designed for simultaneous
      detection and differentiation of these genes. The primers were selected mainly
      based on the production of amplicons with melting temperatures (Tm) ranging from
      82 degrees C to 93 degrees C and temperature difference of more than 1.5 degrees
      C between each peak.The multiplex real-time PCR assays that have been developed
      in the present study were successful in detecting the eight main phylogenetic
      groups. Seven distinct melting peaks were discriminated, with Tm value of 93+/
      0.8 for arpA, 89.2+/-0.1for chuA, 86.5+/-0.1 for yjaA, 82.3+/-0.2 for TspE4C2,
      87.8+/-0.1for trpAgpC, 85.4+/-0.6 for arpAgpE genes, and 91+/-0.5 for the
      internal control. To our knowledge, this study is the first melting curve-based
      real-time PCR assay developed for simultaneous and discrete detection of these
      seven target genes. Our findings showed that this assay has the potential to be a
      rapid, reliable and cost-effective alternative for routine phylotyping of E. coli
      strains.

PMID- 28359737
TI  - A flow-cytometric method to evaluate eosinophil-mediated uptake of probiotic
      Lactobacillus reuteri.
AB  - Eosinophils are resident leukocytes of gut mucosa. Here we present a combined
      flow cytometric-antibiotic protection assay to identify mouse eosinophils capable
      of bacterial uptake, specifically, Gram-positive Lactobacillus reuteri, in
      studies performed ex vivo. The assay may be adapted for use in vivo.

PMID- 28359739
TI  - 2,4 DNP improves motor function, preserves medium spiny neuronal identity, and
      reduces oxidative stress in a mouse model of Huntington's disease.
AB  - Huntington's disease (HD) is a neurodegenerative disorder caused by a CAG repeat
      expansion in the first exon of the gene huntingtin. There is no treatment to
      prevent or delay the disease course of HD currently. Oxidative stress and
      mitochondrial dysfunction have emerged as key determinants of the disease
      progression in HD. Therefore, counteracting mutant huntingtin (mHtt)-induced
      oxidative stress and mitochondrial dysfunction appears as a new approach to treat
      this devastating disease. Interestingly, mild mitochondrial uncoupling improves
      neuronal resistance to stress and facilitates neuronal survival. Mild
      mitochondrial uncoupling can be induced by the proper dose of 2,4-dinitrophenol
      (DNP), a proton ionophore that was previously used for weight loss. In this
      study, we evaluated the effects of chronic administration of DNP at three doses
      (0.5, 1, 5mg/kg/day) on mHtt-induced behavioral deficits and cellular
      abnormalities in the N171-82Q HD mouse model. DNP at a low dose (1mg/kg/day)
      significantly improved motor function and preserved medium spiny neuronal marker
      DARPP32 and postsynaptic protein PSD95 in the striatum of HD mice. Further
      mechanistic study suggests that DNP at this dose reduced oxidative stress in HD
      mice, which was indicated by reduced levels of F2-isoprostanes in the brain of HD
      mice treated with DNP. Our data indicated that DNP provided behavioral benefit
      and neuroprotective effect at a weight neutral dose in HD mice, suggesting that
      the potential value of repositioning DNP to HD treatment is warranted in well
      controlled clinical trials in HD.

PMID- 28359740
TI  - Bilateral tactile hypersensitivity and neuroimmune responses after spared nerve
      injury in mice lacking vasoactive intestinal peptide.
AB  - Vasoactive intestinal peptide (VIP) is one of the neuropeptides showing the
      strongest up-regulation in the nociceptive pathway after peripheral nerve injury
      and has been proposed to support neuropathic pain. Nevertheless, the story may be
      more complicated considering the known suppressive effects of the peptide on the
      immune reactivity of microglial cells, which have been heavily implicated in the
      onset and maintenance of pain after nerve injury. We here used mice deficient in
      VIP and the model of spared nerve injury, characterized by persistent tactile
      hypersensitivity. While tactile hypersensitivity developed similarly to wild type
      mice for the ipsilateral hindpaw, only transgenic mice showed a mirror-image
      tactile hypersensitivity in the contralateral hindpaw. This exacerbated
      neuropathic pain phenotype appeared to be mediated through a local mechanism
      acting at the level of the lumbar spinal cord as a distant nerve lesion in the
      front limb did not lead to hindpaw hypersensitivity in VIP-deficient mice.
      Innocuous tactile hindpaw stimulation was found to increase a neuronal activation
      marker in the bilateral superficial laminae of the lumbar dorsal horn of VIP
      deficient, but not wild type mice, after SNI. A deeper study into the immune
      responsiveness to the nerve lesion also proved that VIP-deficient mice had a
      stronger early pro-inflammatory cytokine response and a more pronounced
      microglial reactivity compared to wild type controls. The latter was also
      observed at four weeks after spared nerve injury, a time at which bilateral
      tactile hypersensitivity persisted in VIP-deficient mice. These data suggest an
      action of VIP in neuropathic states that is more complicated than previously
      assumed. Future research is now needed for a deeper understanding of the relative
      contribution of receptors and fiber populations involved in the VIP-neuropathic
      pain link.

PMID- 28359742
TI  - Increased vasopressin expression in the BNST accompanies paternally induced
      territoriality in male and female California mouse offspring.
AB  - While developmental consequences of parental investment on species-typical social
      behaviors has been extensively characterized in same-sex parent-offspring
      interactions, the impact of opposite-sex relationships is less clear. In the bi
      parental California mouse (Peromyscus californicus), paternal retrieval behavior
      induces territorial aggression and the expression of arginine vasopressin (AVP)
      in adult male offspring. Although similar patterns of territorially emerge among
      females, the sexually dimorphic AVP system has not been considered since it is
      generally thought to regulate male-typical behavior. However, we recently
      demonstrated that male and female P. californicus offspring experience increases
      in plasma testosterone following paternal retrieval. Since AVP expression is
      androgen-dependent during development, we postulate that increases in AVP
      expression may accompany territoriality in female, as well as male offspring. To
      explore this aim, adult P. californicus offspring that received either high or
      low levels of paternal care (retrievals) during early development were tested for
      territoriality and immunohistochemical analysis of AVP within the bed nucleus of
      the stria terminalis (BNST), paraventricular nucleus (PVN), and supraoptic
      nucleus (SON). Consistent with previous studies, high care offspring were more
      aggressive than low care offspring. Moreover, high care offspring had
      significantly more AVP immunoreactive (AVP-ir) cells within the BNST than low
      care offspring. This pattern was observed within female as well as male
      offspring, suggesting an equally salient role for paternal care on female
      offspring physiology. Regardless of early social experience, sex differences in
      AVP persisted in the BNST, with males having greater expression than females.

PMID- 28359743
TI  - Ejaculatory frequency and the risk of aggressive prostate cancer: Findings from a
      case-control study.
AB  - OBJECTIVES: Recent literature reports inverse associations with ejaculator
      frequency and prostate cancer (PC). We sought to explore the relationship between
      ejaculatory frequency from ages 20 to 50 and subsequent development of aggressive
      PC. MATERIAL AND METHODS: We conducted a case-control study sampling 2,141 men
      from private urology practices in Victoria, Australia. Cases were defined as men
      with high grade or high stage PC and controls being biopsy negative men.
      Ejaculation frequency recalled at age decades 20, 30, and 40 second was assessed
      by questionnaire. Unconditional multivariable logistic regression models were
      used to generate odds ratios (ORs). RESULTS: An inverse association with
      ejaculatory frequency at age 30 to 39 was observed (OR per 5-unit increase per
      week = 0.83, 95% CI: 0.72-0.96) but not at ages 20 to 29 (OR = 1.01, 95% CI: 0.89
      1.14) or ages 40 to 49 (OR = 0.95, 95% CI: 0.81-1.12). This result differed
      between men with new sexual partners after age 30 (OR = 0.77, P = 0.009) and
      those with no new partners (OR = 0.97, P = 0.8) though the test for a difference
      between these estimates was not significant (P = 0.11). CONCLUSION: We found only
      weak evidence of an inverse association between ejaculatory frequency in the
      fourth decade of life and advanced PC, which was not significantly modified by
      number of new sexual partners. No relationship was found for ejaculatory
      frequency in the third and fifth decades of life.

PMID- 28359745
TI  - Laparoscopic cryoablation for renal cell carcinoma: 100-Month oncologic outcomes.
      Caputo PA, Ramirez D, Zargar H, Akca O, Andrade HS, O'Malley C, Remer EM, Kaouk
      JH. J Urol. 2015 Oct;194(4):892-896. [Epub 2015 April 23]. doi:
      10.1016/j.juro.2015.03.128.
AB  - PURPOSE: With the incidence of renal cell carcinoma on the rise treatment options
      for the small renal mass have broadened. Cryoablation is increasingly used as a
      therapeutic option for renal tumors in select cases. However, studies with long
      term oncologic outcomes are sparse. We evaluated the long-term oncologic outcomes
      of laparoscopic renal mass cryoablation. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We reviewed our
      laparoscopic cryoablation database for patients treated with laparoscopic
      cryoablation from October 1997 to February 2005. Patients with less than 3 months
      of followup were excluded from study. Patient and tumor characteristics, and
      perioperative outcomes, including complications, were recorded. Recurrence-free,
      cancer specific and overall survival was analyzed using Kaplan-Meier curves.
      RESULTS: A total of 142 tumors in 138 consecutive patients were treated with
      laparoscopic cryoablation. Mean age of the cohort was 66.35 years. Of the
      patients 99 (71.7%) were male and 39 (28.3%) were female. Mean body mass index
      was 29.15kg/m(2) and median ASA score was 3. A solitary kidney was present in 23
      patients (16.2%). Mean tumor size on cross-sectional imaging was 2.4cm. The mean
      preoperative and postoperative estimated glomerular filtration rate was 66.72 and
      61.00ml per minute, respectively. The postoperative estimated glomerular
      filtration rate was determined at a mean+/-SD of 15.17+/-10.99 months of
      followup. The median R.E.N.A.L. nephrometry score was 5. Of the 142 tumors 100
      were diagnosed as renal cell carcinoma after histopathological examination of the
      biopsy specimen. At 3, 5, and 10 years in patients diagnosed with renal cell
      carcinoma estimated recurrence-free survival was 91.4%, 86.5%, and 86.5%,
      estimated cancer specific survival was 96.8%, 96.8%, and 92.6%, and estimated
      overall survival was 88.7%, 79.1%, and 53.8%, respectively. Mean followup was
      98.8+/-54.2 months in those diagnosed with renal cell carcinoma. Mean time to
      recurrence was 2.3 years. The latest experienced recurrence was 4.4 years after
      laparoscopic cryoablation. There was a postoperative complication rate of 10.6%
      with a total of 15 complications. CONCLUSIONS: Laparoscopic cryoablation achieves
      good long-term oncologic outcomes for localized small renal masses. It can safely
      be used in patients who cannot undergo or are unwilling to accept the risks of
      partial nephrectomy. Mean time to recurrence was 2.3 years and all recurrences
      developed within 4.4 years of initial treatment.

PMID- 28359744
TI  - Activation of the kynurenine pathway predicts poor outcome in patients with clear
      cell renal cell carcinoma.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: To investigate the expression of the kynurenine (KYN) pathway
      components and the prognostic role of the KYN-to-tryptophan ratio (KTR) in a
      cohort of patients with clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC). MATERIALS AND
      METHODS: The expression of KYN pathway components was investigated by tissue
      microarray-based immunohistochemistry, indirect immunofluorescence, and confocal
      microscopy analysis in 100 ccRCC cases and 30 normal renal samples. The role of
      this pathway in sustaining cancer cell proliferation, migration, and
      chemoresistance was evaluated. In addition, tryptophan and KYN concentrations and
      their ratio were measured in serum of 195 patients with ccRCC using a sandwich
      enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. The role of KTR as a prognostic factor for
      ccRCC cancer-specific survival (CSS) and progression-free survival (PFS) was
      assessed. RESULTS: Tissue microarray-based immunohistochemistry and indirect
      immunofluorescence staining showed an increased signal for KYN pathway components
      in ccRCC. Kaplan-Meier curves showed significant differences in CSS and PFS among
      groups of patients with high vs. low KTR. In particular, patients with high KTR
      values had a 5-year survival rate of 76.9% as compared with 92.3% for subjects
      with low levels (P  < 0.0001). Similar findings were observed for PFS (72.8% vs.
      96.8% at 5y). At multivariate analysis, KTR was an independent adverse prognostic
      factor for CSS (hazard ratio  = 1.24, P  =  0.001), and PFS (hazard ratio  = 
      1.14, P  =  0.001). CONCLUSIONS: The involvement of the KYN pathway enzymes and
      catabolites in ccRCC occurs via both immune and nonimmune mechanisms. Our data
      suggest that KTR could serve as a marker of ccRCC aggressiveness and as a
      prognostic factor for CSS and PFS.

PMID- 28359741
TI  - Targeting the mercapturic acid pathway and vicenin-2 for prevention of prostate
      cancer.
AB  - Prostate cancer (CaP) is often androgen-sensitive malignancy and regresses upon
      inhibition of androgen signaling. However, CaP, nearly always develops androgen
      resistance and progresses to aggressive and lethal androgen-independent CaP,
      which lacks satisfactory therapy. For metastatic CaP, patients are often treated
      with Taxotere (docetaxel), a cytoskeleton-targeted chemotherapy drug, that
      provides transient palliative benefit but to which patients rapidly develop drug
      resistance. Combination chemotherapy may be used instead, but is more toxic and
      adds little clinically relevant benefit over docetaxel. Therefore, novel
      strategies to enhance docetaxel efficacy are needed to effectively treat patients
      with metastatic CaP. The mercapturic acid pathway, which metabolizes genotoxic
      and pro-apoptotic toxins, is over-expressed in CaP and plays an important role in
      carcinogenesis, metastasis and therapy-resistance of CaP. Vicenin-2, a flavonoid
      derived from Tulsi (holy basil) as an active compound, inhibits the growth of CaP
      and increases the anti-tumor activity of docetaxel in-vitro and in-vivo. Taken
      together, the combination of vicenin-2 and docetaxel could be highly effective in
      the treatment of advanced and metastatic CaP due to their multi-targeting anti
      tumor potential.

PMID- 28359746
TI  - Are all grade group 4 prostate cancers created equal? Implications for the
      applicability of the novel grade grouping.
AB  - BACKGROUND: According to the novel prostate cancer (PCa) grade grouping, men with
      Gleason score 8 should be included in the grade group 4 regardless of primary and
      secondary scores. We aimed at evaluating the effect of Gleason patterns on the
      risk of recurrence in men with grade group 4 PCa. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Overall,
      1,089 patients treated with radical prostatectomy with grade group 4 PCa at final
      pathology were identified. Biochemical recurrence (BCR) was defined as 2
      consecutive prostate-specific antigen values>=0.2ng/ml and rising. Clinical
      recurrence (CR) was defined as positive imaging after BCR. Kaplan-Meier analyses
      assessed time to BCR and CR. Multivariable Cox regression analyses assessed the
      impact of Gleason patterns on the risk of BCR and CR. RESULTS: Overall, 295
      (27.1%), 651 (59.8%), and 143 (13.1%) patients had pathologic Gleason pattern
      3+5, 4+4, and 5+3. Overall, 435 (39.9%) patients had positive margins and 439
      (30.2%), 300 (27.5%), 350 (32.1%), and 216 (19.8%) had pT2, pT3a, pT3b/4, and pN1
      disease. Median follow-up was 83 months. Overall, 536 and 221 patients
      experienced BCR and CR. The 10-year BCR- and CR-free survival rates were 42.9%
      and 67.5% vs. 38.3% and 59.7% vs. 40.6% and 50.4% for patients with pathologic
      Gleason pattern 3+5 vs. 4+4 vs. 5+3, respectively (all P<=0.005). In
      multivariable analyses, patients with Gleason pattern 3+5 were at lower risk of
      BCR compared to those with 4+4 (P = 0.002). Men with Gleason pattern 3+5 were at
      lower risk of CR compared to those with 4+4 and 5+3 (all P<= 0.01). CONCLUSIONS:
      Patients with a primary Gleason score 3 are at reduced risk of recurrence as
      compared to their counterparts with 4 or 5. Primary and secondary Gleason scores
      should be considered to stratify the risk of recurrence after surgery in patients
      with grade group 4 PCa.

PMID- 28359747
TI  - Influence of previous breast surgery in sentinel lymph node biopsy in patients
      with breast cancer.
AB  - AIM: The aim of this study was to review the feasibility of selective sentinel
      lymph node biopsy in patients with previous surgery for breast cancer, as well as
      to examine the factors that may interfere with sentinel node detection. MATERIAL
      AND METHODS: A retrospective review was performed on 91 patients with breast
      cancer and previous breast surgery, and who underwent sentinel lymph node biopsy.
      Patients were divided into two groups according to their previous treatment:
      aesthetic breast surgery in 30 patients (group I) and breast-conserving surgery
      in 61 (group II). Lymphoscintigraphy was performed after an intra-tumour
      injection in 21 cases and a peri-areolar injection in 70 cases. An analysis was
      made of lymphatic drainage patterns and overall sentinel node detection according
      to clinical, pathological and surgical variables. RESULTS: The overall detection
      of the sentinel lymph node in the lymphoscintigraphy was 92.3%, with 7.7% of
      extra-axillary drainages. The identification rate was similar after aesthetic
      breast surgery (93.3%) and breast-conserving surgery (91.8%). Sentinel lymph
      nodes were found in the contralateral axilla in two patients (2.2%), and they
      were included in the histopathology study. The non-identification rate in the
      lymphoscintigraphy was 7.7%. There was a significantly higher non-detection rate
      in the highest histological grade tumours (28.6% grade III, 4.5% grade I and 3.6%
      grade II). CONCLUSION: Sentinel lymph node biopsy in patients with previous
      breast surgery is feasible and deserves further studies to assess the influence
      of different aspects in sentinel node detection in this clinical scenario. A high
      histological grade was significantly associated with a lower detection.

PMID- 28359748
TI  - Persistent sciatic artery aneurysm as a rare cause of radiculopathy.

PMID- 28359750
TI  - Can lifestyle changes prevent cognitive impairment?

PMID- 28359751
TI  - The influence of abiotic and biotic factors on the invasion of Ixodes scapularis
      in Ontario, Canada.
AB  - In northeastern North America, the blacklegged tick, Ixodes scapularis, is the
      vector of numerous tick-borne pathogens, including the agent of Lyme disease,
      Borrelia burgdorferi sensu stricto. Since 1990, there has been a rapid spread of
      I. scapularis northward into the province of Ontario, Canada. Climate change has
      been implicated as one of the driving factors for the spread of this vector.
      Other ecological factors also influence survival of I. scapularis populations and
      may facilitate invasion. The objective of this study was to identify local
      abiotic and biotic factors of significance for the invasion of I. scapularis in
      Ontario. The presence of ticks was determined by drag sampling at 154 sites in
      southern, eastern and central Ontario from May to October in 2014 and 2015. At
      each site, data on site aspect, forest cover, understory density and composition,
      soil moisture and composition, and the depth of litter layer were collected.
      Cumulative degree days above zero  degrees C, total precipitation and elevation
      were attributed to each site using a geographic information system. A mixed multi
      variable logistic regression model was created to assess the impact of the
      ecological factors on the presence of I. scapularis. In total, I. scapularis was
      found at 29 sites (18.8%) across the study area. The density of the understory,
      the presence of shrubs and the interaction of these two ecological factors were
      statistically significant, as well as longitude and cumulative degree days above
      zero. Our findings illustrate that local ecological factors are of importance for
      the invasion of I. scapularis into Ontario, and may be used to enhance local
      public health interventions and current predictive models and risk maps for I.
      scapularis.

PMID- 28359752
TI  - Development of a Model of Holistic Reflection to facilitate transformative
      learning in student midwives.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Reflective practice is considered an essential aspect of personal and
      professional development, and critical reflection is considered the cornerstone
      of being an accountable and autonomous practitioner. Tertiary education should
      lay the foundations of lifelong learning by ensuring students develop into
      critically reflective and reflexive practitioners, who demonstrate self-awareness
      and an ability to reflect on personal values and beliefs and their impact on the
      wider healthcare system. This level of reflective practice is essential to effect
      change at both an individual and societal level. Reflection should therefore be
      embedded into education programs as a learning, teaching and assessment strategy.
      AIM: The aim of this paper is to describe a structured Model of Holistic
      Reflection embedded within an Australian Bachelor of Midwifery Program. The paper
      firstly outlines the theoretical and conceptual underpinnings of the newly
      developed model. Secondly describes the six integrated and inter-dependant phases
      of the model. DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION: The aim of developing the Holistic
      Reflective Model was to produce a sound educational tool to assist midwifery
      students to progressively build reflexivity and reflective practice. Furthermore,
      provide midwifery academics with an educational resource to facilitate
      development of reflective and critical thinking skills in students. The specific
      intention was to promote deep personal and transformative learning across an
      entry to practice program. This paper highlights a number of ways the model can
      be embedded within the curriculum to support the scaffolded development of
      critical reflection and reflexivity required to facilitate transformative
      learning. While evaluation is required the model may have transferability to
      other disciplines.

PMID- 28359753
TI  - "The right help at the right time": Positive constructions of peer and
      professional support for breastfeeding.
AB  - Problem or issue: Support during the early establishment phase of breastfeedingis
      important but women report that health professionalscan undermine their
      confidence with breastfeeding. What is already known: Breastfeeding support
      provided in fragmented hospitalbased models of care predominantly reflect
      authoritativeexpert advice-giving which women describe as conflictingand
      unsupportive. Women show a preference for supportfrom a known midwife, or a peer
      supporter, or a combinationof the two. What this paper adds: Peer support
      counsellors and privately practicing midwivesapproached breastfeeding support in
      a similar way. Theyinteracted with women as a 'knowledgeable friend'
      andnormalised breastfeeding challenges which enhanced women'sconfidence with
      breastfeeding.

PMID- 28359754
TI  - "Better safe than sorry"-Reasons for consulting care due to decreased fetal
      movements.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Experience of reduced fetal movements is a common reason for
      consulting health care in late pregnancy. There is an association between reduced
      fetal movements and stillbirth. AIM: To explore why women decide to consult
      health care due to reduced fetal movements at a specific point in time and
      investigate reasons for delaying a consultation. METHODS: A questionnaire was
      distributed at all birth clinics in Stockholm during 2014, to women seeking care
      due to reduced fetal movements. In total, 3555 questionnaires were collected, 960
      were included in this study. The open-ended question; "Why, specifically, do you
      come to the clinic today?" was analyzed using content analysis as well as the
      complementary question "Are there any reasons why you did not come to the clinic
      earlier?" RESULTS: Five categories were revealed: Reaching dead line, Receiving
      advice from health care professionals, Undergoing unmanageable worry,
      Contributing external factors and Not wanting to jeopardize the health of the
      baby. Many women stated that they decided to consult care when some time with
      reduced fetal movements had passed. The most common reason for not consulting
      care earlier was that it was a new experience. Some women stated that they did
      not want to feel that they were annoying, or be perceived as excessively worried.
      Not wanting to burden health care unnecessarily was a reason for prehospital
      delay. CONCLUSION: Worry about the baby is the crucial reason for consulting care
      as well as the time which has passed since the women first experienced decreased
      fetal movements.

PMID- 28359749
TI  - Effect of long-term omega 3 polyunsaturated fatty acid supplementation with or
      without multidomain intervention on cognitive function in elderly adults with
      memory complaints (MAPT): a randomised, placebo-controlled trial.
AB  - BACKGROUND: No large trials have been done to investigate the efficacy of an
      intervention combining a specific compound and several lifestyle interventions
      compared with placebo for the prevention of cognitive decline. We tested the
      effect of omega 3 polyunsaturated fatty acid supplementation and a multidomain
      intervention (physical activity, cognitive training, and nutritional advice),
      alone or in combination, compared with placebo, on cognitive decline. METHODS:
      The Multidomain Alzheimer Preventive Trial was a 3-year, multicentre, randomised,
      placebo-controlled superiority trial with four parallel groups at 13 memory
      centres in France and Monaco. Participants were non-demented, aged 70 years or
      older, and community-dwelling, and had either relayed a spontaneous memory
      complaint to their physician, limitations in one instrumental activity of daily
      living, or slow gait speed. They were randomly assigned (1:1:1:1) to either the
      multidomain intervention (43 group sessions integrating cognitive training,
      physical activity, and nutrition, and three preventive consultations) plus omega
      3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (ie, two capsules a day providing a total daily
      dose of 800 mg docosahexaenoic acid and 225 mg eicosapentaenoic acid), the
      multidomain intervention plus placebo, omega 3 polyunsaturated fatty acids alone,
      or placebo alone. A computer-generated randomisation procedure was used to
      stratify patients by centre. All participants and study staff were blinded to
      polyunsaturated fatty acid or placebo assignment, but were unblinded to the
      multidomain intervention component. Assessment of cognitive outcomes was done by
      independent neuropsychologists blinded to group assignment. The primary outcome
      was change from baseline to 36 months on a composite Z score combining four
      cognitive tests (free and total recall of the Free and Cued Selective Reminding
      test, ten Mini-Mental State Examination orientation items, Digit Symbol
      Substitution Test, and Category Naming Test) in the modified intention-to-treat
      population. The trial was registered with ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT00672685).
      FINDINGS: 1680 participants were enrolled and randomly allocated between May 30,
      2008, and Feb 24, 2011. In the modified intention-to-treat population (n=1525),
      there were no significant differences in 3-year cognitive decline between any of
      the three intervention groups and the placebo group. Between-group differences
      compared with placebo were 0.093 (95% CI 0.001 to 0.184; adjusted p=0.142) for
      the combined intervention group, 0.079 (-0.012 to 0.170; 0.179) for the
      multidomain intervention plus placebo group, and 0.011 (-0.081 to 0.103; 0.812)
      for the omega 3 polyunsaturated fatty acids group. 146 (36%) participants in the
      multidomain plus polyunsaturated fatty acids group, 142 (34%) in the multidomain
      plus placebo group, 134 (33%) in the polyunsaturated fatty acids group, and 133
      (32%) in the placebo group had at least one serious emerging adverse event. Four
      treatment-related deaths were recorded (two in the multidomain plus placebo group
      and two in the placebo group). The interventions did not raise any safety
      concerns and there were no differences between groups in serious or other adverse
      events. INTERPRETATION: The multidomain intervention and polyunsaturated fatty
      acids, either alone or in combination, had no significant effects on cognitive
      decline over 3 years in elderly people with memory complaints. An effective
      multidomain intervention strategy to prevent or delay cognitive impairment and
      the target population remain to be determined, particularly in real-world
      settings. FUNDING: French Ministry of Health, Pierre Fabre Research Institute,
      Gerontopole, Exhonit Therapeutics, Avid Radiopharmaceuticals.

PMID- 28359755
TI  - A novel staphylococcal enterotoxin B subunit vaccine candidate elicits protective
      immune response in a mouse model.
AB  - Staphylococcal enterotoxin B (SEB), produced by the gram-positive bacterium
      Staphylococcus aureus, is responsible for food poisoning and toxic shock
      syndrome, and is considered a potential bioterrorism agent. Unfortunately, still
      now no approved vaccines are available against SEB. In this study, we constructed
      a series of nontoxic SEB mutants (mSEBs) and examined whether these mSEBs provide
      protective immunity against SEB challenge. These mSEB vaccine candidates did not
      demonstrate superantigen activity in mouse splenocyte cultures. Immunization with
      the vaccine candidates triggered the production of IgG-antibodies with
      neutralizing activity. In addition, increased production of IgG1 and IgG3 was
      observed after immunization, which signifies both Th1- and Th2-induced immune
      responses. Among the vaccine candidates tested, S9, a double mutant (N23A and
      Y90A) and S19, a quadruple mutant (N23A, Y90A, R110A, and F177A), demonstrated
      complete protection against a lethal SEB challenge. Altogether, our results
      strongly suggest that these mSEBs could be an effective recombinant SEB vaccine
      candidates for further/future preclinical and clinical studies.

PMID- 28359756
TI  - iTRAQ proteomic analysis of the hippocampus in a rat model of nicotine-induced
      conditioned place preference.
AB  - Repeated exposures to nicotine are known to result in persistent changes in
      proteins expression in addiction-related brain regions, such as the striatum,
      nucleus accumbens and prefrontal cortex, but the changes induced in the protein
      content of the hippocampus remain poorly studied. This study established a rat
      model of nicotine-induced conditioned place preference (CPP), and screened for
      proteins that were differentially expressed in the hippocampus of these rats
      using isobaric tags for relative and absolute quantitation labeling (iTRAQ)
      coupled with 2D-LC MS/MS. The nicotine-induced CPP was established by
      subcutaneously injecting rats with 0.2 mg/kg nicotine. Relative to the control
      (saline) group, the nicotine group showed 0.67- and 1.5-fold changes in 117 and
      10 hippocampal proteins, respectively. These differentially expressed proteins
      are mainly involved in calcium-mediated signaling, neurotransmitter transport,
      GABAergic synapse function, long-term synaptic potentiation and nervous system
      development. Furthermore, RT-PCR was used to confirmed the results of the
      proteomic analysis. Our findings identify several proteins and cellular signaling
      pathways potentially involved in the molecular mechanisms in the hippocampus that
      underlie nicotine addiction. These results provide insights into the mechanisms
      of nicotine treatment in hippocampus.

PMID- 28359757
TI  - Pyridoxamine scavenges protein carbonyls and inhibits protein aggregation in
      oxidative stress-induced human HepG2 hepatocytes.
AB  - Introduction of carbonyl groups into amino acid residues is a hallmark for
      oxidative damage to proteins by reactive oxygen species (ROS). Protein
      carbonylation can have deleterious effects on cell function and viability, since
      it is generally unrepairable by cells and can lead to protein dysfunction and to
      the production of potentially harmful protein aggregates. Meanwhile, pyridoxamine
      (PM) is known to scavenge various toxic carbonyl species derived from either
      glucose or lipid degradation through nucleophilic addition. PM is also
      demonstrated to catalyze non-enzymatic transamination reactions between amino and
      alpha-keto acids. Here, we found that PM scavenges protein carbonyls in oxidized
      BSA with concomitant generation of pyridoxal and recovers oxidized lysozyme
      activity. Moreover, we demonstrated that the treatment of H2O2-exposed HepG2
      hepatocytes with PM significantly reduced levels of cellular carbonylated
      proteins and aggregated proteins, and also improved cell survival rate. Our
      results suggest that PM may have potential efficacy in ameliorating ROS-mediated
      cellular dysfunction.

PMID- 28359758
TI  - Melanoma growth and lymph node metastasis is independent of host CD169
      expression.
AB  - Metastasis to the lymph node is a frequent and early event in tumour
      dissemination. Tumour soluble factors, including extracellular vesicles,
      condition host organs for metastatic tumour spread, thereby facilitating tumour
      cell migration and survival. In the peripheral lymphatics, extracellular vesicles
      are captured via their sialic acids by lymph node macrophages expressing the
      CD169 (sialoadhesin) molecule, thereby suppressing the immune response. We
      hypothesised that the CD169 molecule could modulate primary tumour growth and
      invasion into the regional lymph node by altering the immune response to tumour
      extracellular vesicles, or by directly interacting with invading tumour cells. No
      significant difference was noted in primary tumour growth between wild-type and
      CD169-/- mice, and protection against tumour challenge with tumour extracellular
      vesicle immunisation was similar between the strains. Subcutaneous implantation
      of B16 (F1 or F10) into the ventral-carpal aspect of forelimb resulted in
      melanoma infiltration into the axillary and brachial lymph nodes. CD169-/- mice
      displayed a lower level of metastatic lymph node lesions, however this failed to
      reach statistical significance. Although CD169 participates in the immune
      response to tumour antigen and appears to be a positive prognostic marker for
      human cancers, its role in modulating melanoma growth and metastasis is less
      clear.

PMID- 28359759
TI  - A vesicle trafficking protein alphaSNAP regulates Paneth cell differentiation in
      vivo.
AB  - A soluble N-ethylmaleimide-sensitive factor-attachment protein alpha (alphaSNAP)
      is a multifunctional scaffolding protein that regulates intracellular vesicle
      trafficking and signaling. In cultured intestinal epithelial cells, alphaSNAP has
      been shown to be essential for cell survival, motility, and adhesion; however,
      its physiologic functions in the intestinal mucosa remain unknown. In the present
      study, we used a mouse with a spontaneous hydrocephalus with hop gait (hyh)
      mutation of alphaSNAP to examine the roles of this trafficking protein in
      regulating intestinal epithelial homeostasis in vivo. Homozygous hyh mice
      demonstrated decreased expression of alphaSNAP protein in the intestinal
      epithelium, but did not display gross abnormalities of epithelial architecture in
      the colon and ileum. Such alphaSNAP depletion attenuated differentiation of small
      intestinal epithelial enteroids ex vivo. Furthermore, alphaSNAP-deficient mutant
      animals displayed reduced formation of lysozyme granules in small intestinal
      crypts and decreased expression of lysozyme and defensins in the intestinal
      mucosa, which is indicative of defects in Paneth cell differentiation. By
      contrast, development of Goblet cells, enteroendocrine cells, and assembly of
      enterocyte apical junctions was not altered in hyh mutant mice. Our data revealed
      a novel role of alphaSNAP in the intestinal Paneth cell differentiation in vivo.

PMID- 28359760
TI  - Effect of p62/SQSTM1 polyubiquitination on its autophagic adaptor function and
      cellular survival under oxidative stress induced by arsenite.
AB  - Oxidative stress induced by arsenite [As(III)] affects protein folding and
      results in increased levels of misfolded proteins or protein aggregates.
      Accumulation of misfolded protein aggregates may act as a cue signal for the
      oligomerization of the autophagic adaptor protein p62, which facilitates
      recognition of misfolded protein aggregates that are polyubiquitinated with K63
      linkages. However, as the autophagic flux is impaired under exposure to As(III),
      p62 oligomers cannot be cleared by autophagy and accumulate as aggregates with
      Keap1. This results in the sequestration of Keap1 and the stabilization of Nrf2,
      which activates the non-canonical Nrf2-Keap1 pathway as an antioxidant response.
      In this study, we found that polyubiquitination of p62 itself increased upon
      exposure to As(III) to prevent further oligomerization of p62 and to increase the
      availability of functional free monomeric p62. We also found that monomeric p62
      could also interact with ubiquitinated proteins and that the forced dimerization
      of p62 was sufficient to increase the interactions with ubiquitinated proteins,
      probably polyubiquitinated with K63 linkages. Upon exposure to As(III), (1)
      inability to form oligomeric p62 because of a mutation in the PB1 dimerization
      domain, or (2) reduced capability to generate monomeric p62 owing to diminished
      polyubiquitination of p62 itself, resulted in reduced viability of cells.
      Therefore, upon exposure to As(III), p62 initially needs to form oligomers to
      activate an antioxidant response pathway. Subsequently, p62 is polyubiquitinated
      to prevent further oligomerization and ensure the availability of free p62
      monomers. We propose that the polyubiquitination of p62 under exposure to As(III)
      plays an important role in overcoming the impaired autophagic flux by regulating
      the oligomerization status of p62.

PMID- 28359761
TI  - Aspirin suppresses the abnormal lipid metabolism in liver cancer cells via
      disrupting an NFkappaB-ACSL1 signaling.
AB  - Abnormal lipid metabolism is a hallmark of tumorigenesis. Hence, the alterations
      of metabolism enhance the development of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Aspirin
      is able to inhibit the growth of cancers through targeting nuclear factor kappaB
      (NF-kappaB). However, the role of aspirin in disrupting abnormal lipid metabolism
      in HCC remains poorly understood. In this study, we report that aspirin can
      suppress the abnormal lipid metabolism of HCC cells through inhibiting acyl-CoA
      synthetase long-chain family member 1 (ACSL1), a lipid metabolism-related enzyme.
      Interestingly, oil red O staining showed that aspirin suppressed lipogenesis in
      HepG2 cells and Huh7 cells in a dose-dependent manner. In addition, aspirin
      attenuated the levels of triglyceride and cholesterol in the cells, respectively.
      Strikingly, we identified that aspirin was able to down-regulate ACSL1 at the
      levels of mRNA and protein. Moreover, we validated that aspirin decreased the
      nuclear levels of NF-kappaB in HepG2 cells. Mechanically, PDTC, an inhibitor of
      NF-kappaB, could down-regulate ACSL1 at the levels of mRNA and protein in the
      cells. Functionally, PDTC reduced the levels of lipid droplets, triglyceride and
      cholesterol in HepG2 cells. Thus, we conclude that aspirin suppresses the
      abnormal lipid metabolism in HCC cells via disrupting an NFkappaB-ACSL1
      signaling. Our finding provides new insights into the mechanism by which aspirin
      inhibits abnormal lipid metabolism of HCC. Therapeutically, aspirin is
      potentially available for HCC through controlling abnormal lipid metabolism.

PMID- 28359762
TI  - Visual deprivation induce cross-modal enhancement of olfactory perception.
AB  - The underlying mechanisms responsible for enhanced olfactory perception of
      congenital blind humans remain elusive so far. Here, animal behavioral test
      showed that congenital visual deprivation (from postnatal day 0-28) or one-week
      visual deprivation during juvenile stage (from postnatal day 21-28) could reduce
      the latency time of food-seeking but increase the odor discrimination performance
      of rodents. The enhanced olfactory perception induced by one-week visual
      deprivation could be returned to base level when visual input was recovered.
      Accordingly, local field potential (LFP) oscillation recording in vivo showed
      that the power of high-frequency beta and gamma oscillations were increased in
      olfactory bulb (OB) and anterior piriform cortex (aPC) of vision deprived
      animals. This research discovered the enhancement of olfactory perception and
      adaptive plasticity of oscillations in olfactory system of rodents induced by
      visual deprivation, which may facilitate better understanding of mechanisms
      underlying cross-modal plasticity.

PMID- 28359764
TI  - Neuroimmunological response in neuro-Behcet's.
AB  - Behcet's disease is a chronic, multisystem, autoimmune vasculitis characterized
      by a triad of key signs. We report the case of a 16-year-old Caucasian girl, who
      complained of headache, dizziness and paresis of the left side of her body. After
      physical examination and ancillary tests, she was diagnosed with Behcet's disease
      with neurological manifestations (neuro-Behcet's disease). She had a good
      response to treatment. IgG, IgA, IgM and albumin were quantified in serum and
      cerebrospinal fluid by single radial immunodiffusion. Intrathecal synthesis was
      found for the 3 classes of immunoglobulins. This is the first case in which the
      Reibergram was used to evaluate the neuroimmunological response in a patient with
      Behcet's disease, suggesting the use of this diagnostic means for the active
      phase of the disease.

PMID- 28359763
TI  - Overcome the limitation of hypoxia against photodynamic therapy to treat cancer
      cells by using perfluorocarbon nanodroplet for photosensitizer delivery.
AB  - The low oxygen concentration limits the therapeutic efficacy of photodynamic
      therapy in treating cancer cells in hypoxia, since the cytotoxic 1O2 can't be
      effectively generated in this condition. To overcome this, we load
      photosensitizer into perfluorocarbon nanodroplet, which has a high oxygen
      capacity to enrich O2 for photodynamic consumption. Under the well-controlled
      hypoxic condition, we test its efficacy both in vitro and in vivo. This method
      can be successfully used for destroying cancer cells in hypoxic condition.

PMID- 28359765
TI  - Nephrocalcinosis in a patient with rheumatoid arthritis and secondary Sjogren's
      syndrome.

PMID- 28359766
TI  - Interstitial granulomatous dermatitis associated with lupus: A case report.

PMID- 28359767
TI  - Bilateral subacute lacrimal gland enlargement mimicking dacryoadenitis in a 7
      year-old boy: a rare adverse effect of valproic acid (sodium valproate).
AB  - A healthy 7-year-old boy presented with bilateral symmetrical lacrimal gland
      enlargement; a week later salivary gland enlargement was also noted. Clinical
      investigations suggested no diagnosis, and surgical biopsy was considered.
      Valproic acid (sodium valproate), which he was taking for absence seizures, has
      been reported to cause salivary gland swelling in adults. Suspecting that a
      similar mechanism could be causal, the drug was discontinued. Complete resolution
      of the lacrimal and salivary gland enlargement rapidly ensued. This is the first
      report of lacrimal gland enlargement caused by valproic acid.

PMID- 28359768
TI  - On the Science of Consciousness: Epistemological Reflections and Clinical
      Implications.
AB  - Consciousness has been one of the most important and tantalizing issues ever
      since the origin of philosophy and medicine. The concept of consciousness and the
      so-called "hard problem" (i.e., the mind-brain relationship) are highly complex
      topics that have yet to be elucidated, involving the realms of both science and
      philosophy with profound epistemological implications. In the lively debate on
      the foundations of the science of consciousness there are several potential
      biases of an essentially philosophical nature, such as those related to the
      paradigm and axioms adopted, and the ostensible logical contradiction between
      monism and dualism. Their origin dates back largely to Descartes' thinking and
      the birth of the new sciences as a compromise with the Inquisition, but they have
      been handed down through the Enlightenment and Positivism. A proper investigation
      of consciousness and the world of subjectivity demands a careful reflection on
      the paradigm of scientific medicine to identify possible flaws and overcome the
      limits of the mechanistic-reductionist approach.

PMID- 28359769
TI  - Regular in-situ simulation training of paediatric Medical Emergency Team leads to
      sustained improvements in hospital response to deteriorating patients, improved
      outcomes in intensive care and financial savings.
AB  - AIM OF THE STUDY: The introduction of a paediatric Medical Emergency Team (pMET)
      was accompanied by weekly in-situ simulation team training. Key ward staff
      participated in team training, focusing on recognition of the deteriorating
      child, teamwork and early involvement of senior staff. Following an earlier study
      [1], this investigation aimed to evaluate the long-term impact of ongoing regular
      team training on hospital response to deteriorating ward patients, patient
      outcome and financial implications. METHODS: Prospective cohort study of all
      deteriorating in-patients in a tertiary paediatric hospital requiring admission
      to paediatric intensive care (PICU) the year before, 1year after and 3 years
      after the introduction of pMET and team training. RESULTS: Deteriorating patients
      were recognised more promptly (before/1year after/3years after pMET; median time
      4/1.5/0.5h, p<0.001), more often reviewed by consultants (45%/76%/81%, p<0.001)
      and more rapidly escalated to PICU (median time 10.5/5/3.5h, p=0.02). There was a
      significant reduction in associated PICU admissions (56/51/32, p=0.02) and PICU
      bed days (527/336/193, p<0.001). The total annual cost of training (L74,250) was
      more than offset by savings from reduced PICU bed days (L801,600 per annum).
      Introduction of pMET coincided with significantly reduced hospital mortality
      (p<0.001). CONCLUSION: These results indicate that lessons learnt by ward staff
      during team training led to sustained improvements in the hospital response to
      critically deteriorating in-patients, significantly improved patient outcomes and
      substantial savings. Integration of regular in-situ simulation training of
      medical emergency teams, including key ward staff, in routine clinical care has
      potential application in all acute specialties.

PMID- 28359771
TI  - Hydrogen-rich saline attenuates anxiety-like behaviors in morphine-withdrawn
      mice.
AB  - Hydrogen therapy is a new medical approach for a wide range of diseases. The
      effects of hydrogen on central nervous system-related diseases have recently
      become increasingly appreciated, but little is known about whether hydrogen
      affects the morphine withdrawal process. This study aims to investigate the
      potential effects of hydrogen-rich saline (HRS) administration on naloxone
      precipitated withdrawal symptoms and morphine withdrawal-induced anxiety-like
      behaviors. Mice received gradually increasing doses (25-100 mg/kg, i.p.) of
      morphine over 3 days. In the naloxone-precipitated withdrawal procedure, the mice
      were treated with three HRS (20 MUg/kg, i.p.) injections, and naloxone (1 mg/kg,
      i.p.) was given 30 min after HRS administration. Body weight, jumping behavior
      and wet-dog shakes were immediately assessed. In the spontaneous withdrawal
      procedure, the mice were treated with HRS (20 MUg/kg, i.p.) every 8-h. Mice
      underwent naloxone-precipitated or spontaneous withdrawal were tested for anxiety
      like behaviors in the elevated plus-maze (EPM) and light/dark box (L/D box)
      paradigm, respectively. In addition, the levels of plasma corticosterone were
      measured. We found that HRS administration significantly reduced body weight
      loss, jumping behavior and wet-dog shakes in mice underwent naloxone-precipitated
      withdrawal, and attenuated anxiety-like behaviors in the EPM and L/D box tests
      after naloxone-precipitated withdrawal or a 2-day spontaneous withdrawal period.
      Hypo-activity or motor impairment after HRS administration was not observed in
      the locomotion tests. Furthermore, HRS administration significantly decreased the
      levels of corticosterone in morphine-withdrawn mice. These are the first findings
      to indicate that hydrogen might ameliorate withdrawal symptoms and exert an
      anxiolytic-like effect in morphine-withdrawal mice.

PMID- 28359770
TI  - Evaluation of cell viability dyes in antiviral assays with RNA viruses that
      exhibit different cytopathogenic properties.
AB  - Studies were conducted to determine the performance of four dyes in assessing
      antiviral activities of compounds against three RNA viruses with differing
      cytopathogenic properties. Dyes included alamarBlue(r) measured by absorbance
      (ALB-A) and fluorescence (ALB-F), neutral red (NR), Viral ToxGloTM (VTG), and WST
      1. Viruses were chikungunya, dengue type 2, and Junin, which generally cause 100,
      80-90, and 50% maximal cytopathic effect (CPE), respectively, in Vero or Vero 76
      cells Compounds evaluated were 6-azauridine, BCX-4430, 3-deazaguanine, EICAR,
      favipiravir, infergen, mycophenolic acid (MPA), ribavirin, and tiazofurin. The
      50% virus-inhibitory (EC50) values for each inhibitor and virus combination did
      not vary significantly based on the dye used. However, dyes varied in
      distinguishing the vitality of virus-infected cultures when not all cells were
      killed by virus infection. For example, VTG uptake into dengue-infected cells was
      nearly 50% when visual examination showed only 10-20% cell survival. ALB-A
      measured infected cell viability differently than ALB-F as follows: 16% versus
      32% (dengue-infected), respectively, and 51% versus 72% (Junin-infected),
      respectively. Cytotoxicity (CC50) assays with dyes in uninfected proliferating
      cells produced similar CC50 values for EICAR (1.5-8.9MUM) and MPA (0.8-2.5MUM). 6
      Azauridine toxicity was 6.1-17.5MUM with NR, VTG, and WST-1, compared to 48-92MUM
      with ALB-A and ALB-F (P<0.001). Curiously, the CC50 values for 3-deazaguanine
      were 83-93MUM with ALB-F versus 2.4-7.0MUM with all other dyes including ALB-A
      (P<0.001). Overall, ALB minimized the toxicities detected with these two
      inhibitors. Because the choice of dyes affected CC50 values, this impacted on the
      resulting in vitro selectivity indexes (calculated as CC50/EC50 ratio).

PMID- 28359772
TI  - GCK, GCKR, FADS1, DGKB/TMEM195 and CDKAL1 Gene Polymorphisms in Women with
      Gestational Diabetes.
AB  - OBJECTIVES: Gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) is the carbohydrate intolerance
      that can occur in pregnancy. Genetic polymorphisms associated with type 2
      diabetes could be considered as genetic determinants of GDM. The aim of this
      study was to examine the association between GCK, GCKR, FADS1, DGKB/TMEM195 and
      CDKAL1 gene polymorphisms and the development of gestational diabetes. These
      genetic polymorphisms are involved in glucose and lipid metabolism and are
      associated with increased risk for diabetes type 2. METHODS: This case-control
      study included 204 pregnant women with GDM and 207 pregnant women with normal
      glucose tolerance. The diagnosis of GDM was based on a 75-gram oral glucose
      tolerance test at 24 to 28 weeks' gestation. RESULTS: There was a statistically
      significant association between FADS1 rs174550 gene polymorphism and GDM. Among
      women with GDM, a predominance of C-allele carriers (CC and TC genotypes) was
      observed (CC+TC vs. TT; p=0.00065; OR=1.97, 95% CI, 1.33 to 2.92), and this
      association remained significant after correction for multiple testing. In the
      case of the GCK rs1799884 polymorphism, there was a predominance of the T allele
      in women with GDM; however, this association reached only borderline statistical
      significance (p=0.08). Women with higher numbers of GCK rs1799884 T alleles more
      commonly required insulin treatment; likewise, the CDKAL1 rs10946398 CC genotype
      was associated with the need for insulin therapy. However, these associations do
      not pass the statistical significance threshold after correction for multiple
      testing. CONCLUSIONS: The results of our study suggest an association between the
      rs174550 FADS1 polymorphism and GDM risk.

PMID- 28359773
TI  - Impact of Egg Consumption on Cardiovascular Risk Factors in Individuals with Type
      2 Diabetes and at Risk for Developing Diabetes: A Systematic Review of Randomized
      Nutritional Intervention Studies.
AB  - Observational studies have reported inconclusive results regarding the
      relationship between egg consumption (and dietary cholesterol) and the risk for
      cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) in individuals with type 2 diabetes, which has led
      to inconsistent recommendations to patients. We reviewed the evidence of egg
      consumption on major CVD risk factors in individuals with or at risk for type 2
      diabetes (prediabetes, insulin resistance or metabolic syndrome). We performed a
      systematic search in the databases PubMed, MEDLINE, EMBASE and Web of Science in
      January 2016. Inclusion criteria included randomized controlled trials in which
      the amount of egg consumed was manipulated and compared to a control group that
      received no-egg or low-egg diets (<2 eggs/week). We found 10 articles (6 original
      trials) that met our inclusion criteria. The majority of studies found that egg
      consumption did not affect major CVD risk factors. Consumption of 6 to 12 eggs
      per week had no impact on plasma concentrations of total cholesterol, low-density
      lipoprotein-cholesterol, triglycerides, fasting glucose, insulin or C-reactive
      protein in all studies that reported these outcomes in comparison with control
      groups. An increase in high-density lipoprotein-cholesterol with egg consumption
      was observed in 4 of 6 studies. Results from randomized controlled trials suggest
      that consumption of 6 to 12 eggs per week, in the context of a diet that is
      consistent with guidelines on cardiovascular health promotion, has no adverse
      effect on major CVD risk factors in individuals at risk for developing diabetes
      or with type 2 diabetes. However, heterogeneities in study design, population
      included and interventions prevent firm conclusions from being drawn.

PMID- 28359774
TI  - TRPV4 regulates insulin mRNA expression and INS-1E cell death via ERK1/2 and NO
      dependent mechanisms.
AB  - TRPV4 is a Ca2+-permeable, nonselective cation channel. Recently, TRPV4 was
      implicated in controlling peripheral insulin sensitivity, insulin secretion and
      apoptosis of pancreatic beta cells. Here, we characterize the role and potential
      mechanisms of TRPV4 in regulating insulin mRNA expression and cell death in
      insulin producing INS-1E cells and rat pancreatic islets. TRPV4 protein
      production was downregulated by siRNA. Intracellular calcium level was measured
      using Fluo-3 AM. Gene expression was studied by real-time PCR. Phosphorylation of
      extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK1 and ERK2) was detected by Western
      blot. Nitric oxide (NO) production was assessed by chemiluminescent reaction.
      Reactive oxygen species (ROS) level was analysed using a fluorogenic dye (DCFDA).
      Cell death was evaluated by determination of cytoplasmic histone-associated DNA
      fragments. Downregulation of TRPV4 neither affected insulin mRNA expression nor
      INS-1E cell growth. By contrast, pharmacological TRPV4 activation by 100nmol/l
      GSK1016790A increased Ca2+ levels in INS-1E cells and enhanced insulin mRNA
      expression after 1 and 3h, whereas a suppression of insulin mRNA expression was
      detected after 24h incubation. GSK1016790A increased ERK1/2 phosphorylation and
      NO production but not ROS production. Pharmacological blockade of ERK1/2
      attenuated GSK1016790A-induced insulin mRNA expression. Inhibition of NO
      synthesis by l-NAME failed to affect insulin mRNA expression in GSK1016790A
      treated INS-1E cells. Furthermore, inhibition of NO production attenuated
      GSK1016790A-induced INS-1E cell death. In pancreatic islets, 100nmol/l
      GSK1016790A increased insulin mRNA levels after 3h without inducing cytotoxicity
      after 24h. In conclusion, TRPV4 differently regulates insulin mRNA expression in
      INS-1E cells via ERK1/2 and NO-dependent mechanisms.

PMID- 28359776
TI  - Cross-species comparison of the gut: Differential gene expression sheds light on
      biological differences in closely related tenebrionids.
AB  - The gut is one of the primary interfaces between an insect and its environment.
      Understanding gene expression profiles in the insect gut can provide insight into
      interactions with the environment as well as identify potential control methods
      for pests. We compared the expression profiles of transcripts from the gut of
      larval stages of two coleopteran insects, Tenebrio molitor and Tribolium
      castaneum. These tenebrionids have different life cycles, varying in the duration
      and number of larval instars. T. castaneum has a sequenced genome and has been a
      model for coleopterans, and we recently obtained a draft genome for T. molitor.
      We assembled gut transcriptome reads from each insect to their respective genomes
      and filtered mapped reads to RPKM>1, yielding 11,521 and 17,871 genes in the T.
      castaneum and T. molitor datasets, respectively. There were identical GO terms in
      each dataset, and enrichment analyses also identified shared GO terms. From these
      datasets, we compiled an ortholog list of 6907 genes; 45% of the total assembled
      reads from T. castaneum were found in the top 25 orthologs, but only 27% of
      assembled reads were found in the top 25 T. molitor orthologs. There were 2281
      genes unique to T. castaneum, and 2088 predicted genes unique to T. molitor,
      although improvements to the T. molitor genome will likely reduce these numbers
      as more orthologs are identified. We highlight a few unique genes in T. castaneum
      or T. molitor that may relate to distinct biological functions. A large number of
      putative genes expressed in the larval gut with uncharacterized functions (36 and
      68% from T. castaneum and T. molitor, respectively) support the need for further
      research. These data are the first step in building a comprehensive understanding
      of the physiology of the gut in tenebrionid insects, illustrating commonalities
      and differences that may be related to speciation and environmental adaptation.

PMID- 28359775
TI  - Origin of alpha-mannosidase activity in CSF.
AB  - The alpha-mannosidase activity in human frontal gyrus, cerebrospinal fluid and
      plasma has been analyzed by DEAE-cellulose chromatography to investigate the
      origin of the alpha-mannosidase activity in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF). The
      profile of alpha-mannosidase isoenzymes obtained in CSF was similar to that in
      the frontal gyrus but different from that in human plasma. In particular the two
      characteristic peaks of lysosomal alpha-mannosidase, A and B, which have a pH
      optimum of 4.5 and are found in human tissues, were present in both the frontal
      gyrus and CSF. In contrast the majority of alpha-mannosidase activity in human
      plasma was due to the so called intermediate form, which has a pH-optimum of 5.5.
      The results suggest that the intermediate form of alpha-mannosidase in plasma
      does not cross the blood-brain barrier and that the alpha-mannosidase activity
      present in the cerebrospinal fluid is of lysosomal type and of brain origin. Thus
      the alpha-mannosidase activity in cerebrospinal fluid might mirror the brain
      pathological changes linked to neurodegenerative disorders such as Parkinson's
      disease.

PMID- 28359777
TI  - Kidney transplantation in children weighing 15 kg or less is challenging but
      associated with good outcome.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: Pediatric kidney transplantation (KT) in small children is assumed to
      be related to potential surgical complications that may cause severe morbidity
      and graft loss. The aim of our study was to analyze the outcome of KT recipients
      weighing <=15 kg, focusing on surgical complications, associated morbidity and
      mortality, as well as allograft loss. METHODS: We reviewed our retrospective
      institutional database for recipients of KT between January 2000 and December
      2014 with body weight <=15 kg. RESULTS: Forty-four children weighing <=15 kg, out
      of a total of 164 children (26.8%), received a deceased donor KT at our center
      during the study period. Mean weight was 10.10 +/- 2.9 kg (3-15 kg), and weight
      was <=10 kg in 23 patients (52.3%). The allograft was implanted intraperitoneally
      in two cases (4.5%) and extraperitoneally in the remaining 42 (95.5%). Two
      patients received a simultaneous double liver-kidney transplant. Postoperative
      complications appeared in 10 patients (22.7%) and eight required reintervention.
      Five allografts (11.4%) were lost secondary to surgical complications. No
      statistically significant differences in surgical complications were observed
      when compared with patients weighing >15 kg. Actuarial graft survival was 81% and
      73% at 1 and 5 years, respectively. No significant differences in graft survival
      were observed compared with patients >15 kg. Mean follow-up was 84.95 +/- 50
      months (1-190 months). CONCLUSIONS: Our results demonstrate that KT in children
      weighing <=15 kg is challenging but not associated with increased risk of
      surgical complications or early graft loss.

PMID- 28359778
TI  - One-stage repair of proximal hypospadias with severe chordee by in situ
      tubularization of the transverse preputial island flap.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: To investigate a modified transverse preputial island flap repair
      which is performed in an attempt to reduce the complications following one-stage
      repair of proximal hypospadias with chordee. METHODS: Briefly, the two ends of
      the flap were trimmed into V shape and anastomosed with the spatulated urethra
      proximally and urethral plate distally before tubularization. Then the in situ
      tubularization of the flap was performed. The procedure was performed in our
      hospital on 32 patients (mean age = 11 months). They were followed for 12-38
      months. RESULTS: The length of the urethral defect ranged from 4.0-6.0 cm after
      chordee correction. Urethrocutaneous fistulae occurred in 6 (18.7%) cases. No
      urethral strictures or meatal stenoses were observed. 29/32 families were
      satisfied with the cosmetic results. CONCLUSION: This procedure seems
      straightforward and reliable, leading to good result after a short-term follow
      up.

PMID- 28359779
TI  - "Trident" preputial plasty for phimosis in childhood.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the functional and cosmetic result of modified-triple
      incision preputial plasty for surgical management of phimosis in children.
      MATERIALS AND METHODS: This prospective study involved all consecutive children
      (age 3-15) with phimosis, managed at our Institution in a one-year period. All
      patients unable to retract the foreskin and symptomatic with episodes of
      posthitis or balanoposthitis or ballooning of the foreskin with voiding were
      initially included. After a two-month trial of topic corticosteroids treatment,
      for patients refractory to conservative ointment treatment, "trident" preputial
      plasty was offered. This procedure combines two lateral Z-plasty and one middle Y
      V plasty. All the procedures were performed as a day care, in general anaesthesia
      by two senior surgeons. Outpatient follow-up controls were scheduled at 1 and 2
      week, 1, 6 and 12 months after surgery, respectively. RESULTS: A total of 41
      patient were enrolled. Mean operative time was 24 minutes (range 15-43). At 12
      month follow-up, all but one patients (97.6%) was able to retract the prepuce.
      Cosmetic and functional results were satisfactory. CONCLUSION: In selected group
      of children with phimosis, the "trident" preputial plasty provided excellent
      cosmetic and functional result. Adequate retraction of the prepuce by the
      patients soon after surgery is mandatory.

PMID- 28359780
TI  - Potential role of retinoids in ovarian physiology and pathogenesis of polycystic
      ovary syndrome.
AB  - Retinoids (retinol and its derivatives) are required for maintaining vision,
      immunity, barrier function, reproduction, embryogenesis, cell proliferation and
      differentiation. Furthermore, retinoid signaling plays a key role in initiating
      meiosis of germ cells of the mammalian fetal ovary. Recently, studies indicated
      that precise retinoid level regulation in the ovary provides a molecular control
      of ovarian development, steroidogenesis and oocyte maturation. Besides, abnormal
      retinoid signaling may be involved in the pathogenesis of polycystic ovary
      syndrome (PCOS), one of the most common ovarian endocrinopathies in reproductive
      aged women worldwide. This review primarily summarizes recent advancements made
      in investigating the action of retinoid signaling in ovarian physiology as well
      as the abnormal retinoid signaling in PCOS.

PMID- 28359781
TI  - Why do Dutch people use dietary supplements? Exploring the role of socio
      cognitive and psychosocial determinants.
AB  - BACKGROUND: In the Netherlands, the prevalence of dietary supplement use has
      doubled (from 17 to 40 per cent) since the 1980s. Yet, limited data is available
      on which socio-cognitive factors are associated with dietary supplement use.
      Therefore, the purpose of the study is to explain dietary supplement use with
      determinants deriving from the Integrated Change Model (ICM) and from formative
      research. METHOD/DESIGN: Socio-cognitive and psychosocial factors were measured
      among users and non-users of dietary supplements in a longitudinal survey study,
      with measurements at baseline (N = 1448) and at one-month follow-up (N = 1161).
      Negative binomial regression analysis was applied to de data. RESULTS: Intention
      emerged as the main predictor of dietary supplement use (OR = 1.99). Further
      predictors of dietary supplement use with smaller effect-sizes were: health
      regulatory focus (promotion, OR = 1.46), social modelling (OR = 1.44), attitude
      (pros, OR = 1.37), attitude (cons, OR = 0.87), health locus of control (OR =
      0.77), and risk perception (chance of getting ill, OR = 1.22). CONCLUSIONS:
      Individuals tend to use dietary supplements if they are promotion oriented,
      notice dietary supplement users in their social environment, estimate their
      chances of getting ill higher, and have positive attitudes towards dietary
      supplements. In contrast, non-users believe that external factors affect their
      health, and hold negative attitudes towards dietary supplements. PRACTICAL
      IMPLICATIONS: Mapping out individuals' socio-cognitive profile may contribute to
      the development of online health communication. Based on socio-cognitive and
      demographical factors, personalised advice can be given about dietary supplement
      use.

PMID- 28359782
TI  - In vivo IL-4 prevents allo-antigen driven CD8+ CTL development.
AB  - IL-4 has been shown to suppress acute graft vs. host disease (GVHD) in irradiated
      hosts. Here we evaluated whether IL-4 suppresses acute GVHD in the un-irradiated
      parent-into-F1 GVHD model with relevance to renal allograft rejection. IL-4
      completely suppressed CD8 CTL when administered with donor cells however this
      effect was lost if its administration was delayed 3days. IL-4 did not inhibit
      donor CD8+ T cell homing to the host spleen but rather prevented donor CD8+ T
      cell differentiation into CTLs. Studies with IL-4Ralpha-deficient donor cells or
      recipient mice demonstrated that IL-4 effects on the host, rather than, or in
      addition to IL-4 effects on donor cells, were critical for suppression of CTL.
      Because IL-4 decreased all splenic dendritic cell populations and increased
      neutrophil and CD8+ T cells, IL-4 may suppress donor CD8+ CTL by decreasing Ag
      presentation and/or increasing host myeloid and CD8+ T cell suppression of donor
      T cells.

PMID- 28359785
TI  - Optimum dosing of ipilimumab in melanoma: too little, too late?

PMID- 28359783
TI  - Systematic analysis of splicing defects in selected primary immunodeficiencies
      related genes.
AB  - Both variants affecting splice sites and those in splicing regulatory elements
      (SREs) can impair pre-mRNA splicing, eventually leading to severe diseases.
      Despite the availability of many prediction tools, prognosis of splicing
      affection is not trivial, especially when SREs are involved. Here, we present
      data on 92 in silico-/55 minigene-analysed variants detected in genes responsible
      for the primary immunodeficiencies development (namely BTK, CD40LG, IL2RG,
      SERPING1, STAT3, and WAS). Of 20 splicing-affecting variants, 16 affected splice
      site while 4 disrupted potential SRE. The presence or absence of splicing defects
      was confirmed in 30 of 32 blood-derived patients' RNAs. Testing prediction tools
      performance, splice site disruptions and creations were reliably predicted in
      contrast to SRE-affecting variants for which just ESRseq, DeltaHZEI-scores and EX
      SKIP predictions showed promising results. Next, we found an interesting pattern
      in cryptic splice site predictions. These results might help PID-diagnosticians
      and geneticists cope with potential splicing-affecting variants.

PMID- 28359784
TI  - Ipilimumab 10 mg/kg versus ipilimumab 3 mg/kg in patients with unresectable or
      metastatic melanoma: a randomised, double-blind, multicentre, phase 3 trial.
AB  - BACKGROUND: A phase 2 trial suggested increased overall survival and increased
      incidence of treatment-related grade 3-4 adverse events with ipilimumab 10 mg/kg
      compared with ipilimumab 3 mg/kg in patients with advanced melanoma. We report a
      phase 3 trial comparing the benefit-risk profile of ipilimumab 10 mg/kg versus 3
      mg/kg. METHODS: This randomised, double-blind, multicentre, phase 3 trial was
      done in 87 centres in 21 countries worldwide. Patients with untreated or
      previously treated unresectable stage III or IV melanoma, without previous
      treatment with BRAF inhibitors or immune checkpoint inhibitors, were randomly
      assigned (1:1) with an interactive voice response system by the permuted block
      method using block size 4 to ipilimumab 10 mg/kg or 3 mg/kg, administered by
      intravenous infusion for 90 min every 3 weeks for four doses. Patients were
      stratified by metastasis stage, previous treatment for metastatic melanoma, and
      Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group performance status. The patients,
      investigators, and site staff were masked to treatment assignment. The primary
      endpoint was overall survival in the intention-to-treat population and safety was
      assessed in all patients who received at least one dose of study treatment. This
      study is completed and was registered with ClinicalTrials.gov, number
      NCT01515189. FINDINGS: Between Feb 29, and July 9, 2012, 727 patients were
      enrolled and randomly assigned to ipilimumab 10 mg/kg (365 patients; 364 treated)
      or ipilimumab 3 mg/kg (362 patients; all treated). Median follow-up was 14.5
      months (IQR 4.6-42.3) for the ipilimumab 10 mg/kg group and 11.2 months (4.9
      29.4) for the ipilimumab 3 mg/kg group. Median overall survival was 15.7 months
      (95% CI 11.6-17.8) for ipilimumab 10 mg/kg compared with 11.5 months (9.9-13.3)
      for ipilimumab 3 mg/kg (hazard ratio 0.84, 95% CI 0.70-0.99; p=0.04). The most
      common grade 3-4 treatment-related adverse events were diarrhoea (37 [10%] of 364
      patients in the 10 mg/kg group vs 21 [6%] of 362 patients in the 3 mg/kg group),
      colitis (19 [5%] vs nine [2%]), increased alanine aminotransferase (12 [3%] vs
      two [1%]), and hypophysitis (ten [3%] vs seven [2%]). Treatment-related serious
      adverse events were reported in 133 (37%) patients in the 10 mg/kg group and 66
      (18%) patients in the 3 mg/kg group; four (1%) versus two (<1%) patients died
      from treatment-related adverse events. INTERPRETATION: In patients with advanced
      melanoma, ipilimumab 10 mg/kg resulted in significantly longer overall survival
      than did ipilimumab 3 mg/kg, but with increased treatment-related adverse events.
      Although the treatment landscape for advanced melanoma has changed since this
      study was initiated, the clinical use of ipilimumab in refractory patients with
      unmet medical needs could warrant further assessment. FUNDING: Bristol-Myers
      Squibb.

PMID- 28359786
TI  - The Looming Maladaptive Style Questionnaire: Measurement invariance and relations
      to anxiety and depression across 10 countries.
AB  - The Looming Maladaptive Style Questionnaire (LMSQ) is a self-report measure
      designed to assess the looming cognitive style, a tendency to interpret threats
      as rapidly approaching and increasing in magnitude. To date, no systematic
      evaluation on the psychometric properties of the LMSQ across diverse cultural
      contexts has been done. In the present research, the measurement invariance of
      the LMSQ test scores was examined in 10 countries (N=4000). Confirmatory factor
      analysis suggested that a two-factor model (i.e., physical looming and social
      looming) fitted the data well across countries. Partial measurement invariance
      was established for the LMSQ scores across the countries whereas full measurement
      invariance was achieved across gender. Meta-analytic structural equation modeling
      was applied to examine the unique contributions of the two looming factors to
      anxiety and depression symptoms. Results indicated that the test scores
      underlying two looming factors were crucial and valid predictors of symptoms. The
      LMSQ shows promise as a measure with cross-cultural generalizability and opens
      new avenues for its use in diverse cultural settings.

PMID- 28359787
TI  - Tips on the analysis of phosphatidic acid by the fluorometric coupled enzyme
      assay.
AB  - The fluorometric coupled enzyme assay to measure phosphatidic acid (PA) involves
      the solubilization of extracted lipids in Triton X-100, deacylation, and the
      oxidation of PA-derived glycerol-3-phosphate to produce hydrogen peroxide for
      conversion of Amplex Red to resorufin. The enzyme assay is sensitive, but plagued
      by high background fluorescence from the peroxide-containing detergent and
      incomplete heat inactivation of lipoprotein lipase. These problems affecting the
      assay reproducibility were obviated by the use of highly pure Triton X-100 and by
      sufficient heat inactivation of the lipase enzyme. The enzyme assay could
      accurately measure the PA content from the subcellular fractions of yeast cells.

PMID- 28359788
TI  - Extended hybrid-space SENSE for EPI: Off-resonance and eddy current corrected
      joint interleaved blip-up/down reconstruction.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: Geometric distortions along the phase encode direction caused by
      off-resonant spins are still a major issue in EPI based functional and diffusion
      imaging. If the off-resonance map is known it is possible to correct for
      distortions. Most correction methods operate as a post-processing step on the
      reconstructed magnitude images. THEORY AND METHODS: Here, we present an algebraic
      reconstruction method (hybrid-space SENSE) that incorporates a physics based
      model of off-resonances, phase inconsistencies between k-space segments, and T2*
      decay during the acquisition. The method can be used to perform a joint
      reconstruction of interleaved acquisitions with normal (blip-up) and inverted
      (blip-down) phase encode direction which results in reduced g-factor penalty.
      RESULTS: A joint blip-up/down simultaneous multi slice (SMS) reconstruction for
      SMS-factor 4 in combination with twofold in-plane acceleration leads to a factor
      of two decrease in maximum g-factor penalty while providing off-resonance and
      eddy-current corrected images. CONCLUSION: We provide an algebraic framework for
      reconstructing diffusion weighted EPI data that in addition to the general
      applicability of hybrid-space SENSE to 2D-EPI, SMS-EPI and 3D-EPI with arbitrary
      k-space coverage along z, allows for a modeling of arbitrary spatio-temporal
      effects during the acquisition period like off-resonances, phase inconsistencies
      and T2*-decay. The most immediate benefit is a reduction in g-factor penalty if
      an interleaved blip-up/down acquisition strategy is chosen which facilitates eddy
      current estimation and ensures no loss in k-space encoding in regions with strong
      off-resonance gradients.

PMID- 28359789
TI  - Anti-leishmanial and cytotoxic activities of amino acid-triazole hybrids:
      Synthesis, biological evaluation, molecular docking and in silico physico
      chemical properties.
AB  - According to WHO, leishmaniasis is a major tropical disease, ranking second after
      malaria. Significant efforts have been therefore invested into finding potent
      inhibitors for the treatment. In this work, eighteen novel 1,2,3-triazoles
      appended with l-amino acid (Phe/Pro/Trp) tail were synthesized via azide-alkyne
      click chemistry with moderate to good yield, and evaluated for their anti
      leishmanial activity against promastigote form of Leishmania donovani (Dd8
      strain). Among all, compounds 40, 43, and 53 were identified with promising anti
      leishmanial activity with IC50=88.83+/-2.93, 96.88+/-12.88 and 94.45+/-6.51MUM
      respectively and displayed no cytotoxicity towards macrophage cells. Moreover,
      compound 43 showed highest selectivity index (SI=8.05) among all the tested
      compounds. Supported by docking studies, the lead inhibitors (40, 43 and 53)
      showed interactions with key residues in the catalytic site of trypanothione
      reductase. The results of pharmacokinetic parameters suggest that these selected
      inhibitors can be carried forward for further structural optimization and
      pharmacological investigation.

PMID- 28359790
TI  - Design, synthesis and optimization of 7-substituted-pyrazolo[4,3-b]pyridine ALK5
      (activin receptor-like kinase 5) inhibitors.
AB  - A series of potent ALK5 inhibitors were designed using a SBDD approach and
      subsequently optimized to improve drug likeness. Starting with a 4-substituted
      quinoline screening hit, SAR was conducted using a ALK5 binding model to
      understand the binding site and optimize activity. The resulting inhibitors
      displayed excellent potency but were limited by high in vitro clearance in rat
      and human microsomes. Using a scaffold morphing strategy, these analogs were
      transformed into a related pyrazolo[4,3-b]pyridine series with improved ADME
      properties.

PMID- 28359792
TI  - 4-Anilino-pyrimidine, novel aldosterone synthase (CYP11B2) inhibitors bearing
      pyrimidine structures.
AB  - 2,2,2-Trifluoro-1-{4-[(4-fluorophenyl)amino]pyrimidin-5-yl}-1-[1
      (methylsulfonyl)piperidin-4-yl]ethanol 1 was identified as a novel potent
      aldosterone synthase inhibitor. Despite large species differences, compound 1
      inhibits both human and rodent CYP11B2 in a nano-molar range.

PMID- 28359791
TI  - Plumbagin reduces osteopontin-induced invasion through inhibiting the Rho
      associated kinase signaling pathway in A549 cells and suppresses osteopontin
      induced lung metastasis in BalB/c mice.
AB  - Lung cancer is the second most commonly diagnosed cancer and the leading cause of
      cancer deaths in both men and women in the United States. It has been recently
      demonstrated that osteopontin (OPN) effectively inhibits cofilin activity through
      the focal adhesion kinase (FAK)/AKT/Rho-associated kinase (ROCK) pathway to
      induce the invasion of human non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) cells. Plumbagin
      was isolated from the roots of the medicinal plant Plumbago zeylanica L. and has
      been reported to possess anticancer activities. However, the molecular mechanisms
      by which plumbagin inhibits the invasion of cancer cells is still unclear. In
      this study, the anti-invasive and anti-metastatic mechanisms of plumbagin were
      investigated in OPN-treated NSCLC A549 cells. OPN effectively induced the
      motility and invasion of NSCLC A549 cells and H1299 cells, which was strongly
      suppressed by plumbagin with no evidence of cytotoxicity. In addition,
      lamellipodia formation at the leading edge of cells by OPN was dramatically
      decreased in plumbagin-treated cells. Plumbagin caused an effective inhibition in
      OPN-induced the expression of ROCK1 as well as the phosphorylation of LIM kinase
      1 and 2 (LIMK1/2), and cofilin. OPN-induced the phosphorylation of FAK and AKT
      was impaired without affecting their total forms by plumbagin treatment. OPN
      facilitated metastatic lung colonization, which was effectively suppressed in
      plumbagin-treated mice. Taken together, these results suggest that plumbagin
      reduces OPN-induced the invasion of NSCLC A549 cells, which resulted from
      inhibiting the ROCK pathway mediated by the FAK/AKT pathway and suppresses lung
      metastasis in vivo.

PMID- 28359793
TI  - Preoperative Hypoalbuminemia is a Risk Factor for Early and Late Mortality in
      Patients Undergoing Endovascular Juxtarenal and Thoracoabdominal Aortic Aneurysm
      Repair.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Advances in endovascular aneurysm repair now allow surgeons to treat
      high-risk patients with complex aortic aneurysms. Stringent selection criteria
      for repair exist from an anatomic and technical perspective; however, there is a
      paucity of literature examining frailty in patients being evaluated for
      fenestrated and branched endovascular aortic repair (FEVAR). As a marker of
      frailty well supported in the literature, we hypothesized that preoperative
      hypoalbuminemia would increase risk for short-term mortality after endovascular
      juxtarenal and thoracoabdominal aortic aneurysm repair. METHODS: One thousand
      eighty nine consecutive patients with juxtarenal and thoracoabdominal aortic
      aneurysms considered high risk for open surgery from a single institution who
      underwent FEVAR from 2001 to 2014 were included in the study. Risk factors for
      all-cause mortality were identified via a Cox regression model on time to death.
      RESULTS: The patients with severe hypoalbuminemia (albumin <2.4 g/dL) had
      significantly increased 30-day mortality (P = 0.025, odds ratio [OR]: 4.967 (95%
      CI: 1.385-17.814, normal versus severe) and 2-year mortality P = 0.006, OR: 2.4,
      95% CI: 1.05-5.73, normal versus severe), as well as increased 30-day
      complication rates P = 0.026, OR: 1.91, 95% CI: 0.9-4.17, normal versus severe).
      A univariate analysis for 30-day mortality revealed no significant difference in
      median age: 75.1 vs. 72.5 years (alive at 30 days (Q1, Q3: 69.8, 80.1) versus
      expired (Q1, Q3: 69.3, 77.8), P = 0.24. CONCLUSIONS: Patients with
      hypoalbuminemia have significantly increased mortality risk. Albumin level is
      regulated by nutritional intake and inflammation due to chronic disease, which
      make it a useful part of a preoperative frailty assessment. Further studies are
      needed to identify whether optimizing nutrition status will affect albumin levels
      or decrease mortality.

PMID- 28359794
TI  - Multilayered Parallel Endografting for Urgent Endovascular Repair of a Severely
      Angulated Thoracoabdominal Aortic Aneurysm.
AB  - Total endovascular repair of TAAA using branched, fenestrated stent grafts have
      been performed with promising midterm results. However, severe angulation of the
      aorta as well as close proximity of the visceral and renal artery ostia pose a
      significant technical challenge in designing and implanting branched, fenestrated
      stent grafts. Parallel grafting offers an alternative technique, allowing an
      urgent, or emergent total endovascular repair of symptomatic, or ruptured TAAA.
      We describe a technique of 4-vessel incorporation in a total endovascular repair
      of TAAA, using multilayered parallel endografting via bilateral femoral and
      unilateral brachial access. A 76-year-old male with severe chronic obstructive
      pulmonary disease and coronary artery disease presented with a symptomatic 9 cm
      extent IV thoracoabdominal aortic aneurysm. The thoracic, and paravisceral
      segments of his aorta, as well as the iliac arteries were severely angulated,
      whereas the superior mesenteric and the celiac arteries had a common origin. An
      urgent total endovascular aortic repair was performed. The aorta and the iliac
      arteries were straightened by placing stiff wires from bilateral femoral arteries
      in a "buddy" fashion. In addition, a brachiofemoral "body-floss" wire was
      established. Over this body-floss wire, thoracic stent grafts were deployed in
      multiple layers, alternating with parallel branch stents into visceral and renal
      arteries. Distally, a bifurcated modular stent graft was deployed down to the
      common iliacs, achieving complete aneurysm exclusion. Patient recovered well
      without complications and was discharged home in 5 days. Postoperative computed
      tomography scan showed patent visceral and renal stents and complete exclusion of
      the aneurysm without evidence of endoleak.

PMID- 28359795
TI  - Estimation of V-POSSUM and E-PASS Scores in Prediction of Acute Kidney Injury in
      Patients after Elective Open Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm Surgery.
AB  - BACKGROUND: V-POSSUM and E-PASS scoring systems are usually used to predict
      morbidity and early mortality in surgical patients. We conducted this study to
      assess the validity of the V-POSSUM and E-PASS scores in predicting risk of acute
      kidney injury (AKI) development in patients undergoing elective open abdominal
      aortic aneurysm (AAA) repair. METHODS: We studied a consecutive series of 171
      patients with AAA, qualified for elective open infrarenal repair. Patients
      underwent a thorough examination, and the physiological and surgical stress
      components of the V-POSSUM and E-PASS scores were calculated. The classification
      of patients in terms of postoperative AKI was performed in accordance with KDIGO
      criteria. RESULTS: AKI was recognized in 62 patients. In these patients, we found
      significantly higher physiological and surgical stress components of V-POSSUM and
      E-PASS scores in relation to patients without AKI. ROC analysis showed that the E
      PASS score with a cutoff point >=0.796 and the V-POSSUM score (morbidity) with a
      cutoff point >=77.2% with sensitivity of 75.8% and 74.2%, respectively, and with
      specificity of 83.5% for both, identified patients with postoperative AKI.
      CONCLUSIONS: V-POSSUM and E-PASS scores have similar good properties in
      predicting postoperative AKI in patients undergoing elective open AAA repair.

PMID- 28359796
TI  - Trends in Treatment and Mortality for Mesenteric Ischemia in the United States
      from 2000 to 2012.
AB  - BACKGROUND: It is unknown whether increased endovascular treatment of chronic
      mesenteric ischemia has led to decreases in open surgery, acute mesenteric
      ischemia, or overall mortality. The present study evaluates the trends in
      endovascular and open treatment over time for chronic and acute mesenteric
      ischemia. METHODS: We identified patients with chronic or acute mesenteric
      ischemia in the Nationwide Inpatient Sample and Center for Disease Control and
      Prevention database from 2000 to 2012. Trends in revascularization, mortality,
      and total deaths were evaluated over time. Data were adjusted to account for
      population growth. RESULTS: There were 14,810 revascularizations for chronic
      mesenteric ischemia (10,453 endovascular and 4,358 open) and 11,294
      revascularizations for acute mesenteric ischemia (4,983 endovascular and 6,311
      open). Endovascular treatment increased for both chronic (0.6-4.5/million, P <
      0.01) and acute mesenteric ischemia (0.6-1.8/million, P < 0.01). However,
      concurrent declines in open surgery did not occur (chronic: 1-1.1/million, acute:
      1.8-1.7/million). Among patients with acute mesenteric ischemia, the proportion
      with atrial fibrillation (18%) and frequency of embolectomy (1/million per year)
      remained stable. In-hospital mortality rates decreased for both endovascular
      (chronic: 8-3%, P < 0.01; acute: 28-17%, P < 0.01) and open treatment (chronic:
      21-9%, P < 0.01; acute: 40-25%, P < 0.01). Annual population-based mortality
      remained stable for chronic mesenteric ischemia (0.7-0.6 deaths per
      million/year), but decreased for acute mesenteric ischemia (12.9-5.3 deaths per
      million/year, P < 0.01). CONCLUSIONS: Population mortality from acute mesenteric
      ischemia declined from 2000 to 2012, correlated with dramatic increases in
      endovascular intervention for chronic mesenteric ischemia, and in spite of a
      stable rate of embolization. However, open surgery for both chronic and acute
      ischemia remained stable.

PMID- 28359797
TI  - The future of paediatric pneumococcal conjugate vaccines.

PMID- 28359798
TI  - Effect of high-valency pneumococcal conjugate vaccines on invasive pneumococcal
      disease in children in SpIDnet countries: an observational multicentre study.
AB  - BACKGROUND: The Streptococcus pneumoniae Invasive Disease network (SpIDnet)
      actively monitors populations in nine sites in seven European countries for
      invasive pneumococcal disease. Five sites use 13-valent pneumococcal conjugate
      vaccine (PCV13) alone and four use the ten-valent PCV (PCV10) and PCV13.
      Vaccination uptake is greater than 90% in six sites and 67-78% in three sites. We
      measured the effects of introducing high-valency PCVs on the incidence of
      invasive pneumococcal disease in children younger than 5 years. METHODS: We
      compared the incidence of invasive pneumococcal disease in each of the 4 years
      after the introduction of PCV13 alone or PCV10 and PCV13 with the average
      incidence during the preceding period of heptavalent PCV (PCV7) use, overall and
      by serotype category. We calculated incidence rate ratios (IRRs) and 95% CIs for
      each year and pooled the values for all sites in a random effects meta-analysis.
      FINDINGS: 4 years after the introduction of PCV13 alone or PCV10 and PCV13, the
      pooled IRR was 0.53 (95% CI 0.43-0.65) for invasive pneumococcal disease in
      children younger than 5 years caused by any serotype, 0.16 (0.07-0.40) for
      disease caused by PCV7 serotypes, 0.17 (0.07-0.42) for disease caused by 1, 5,
      and 7F serotypes, and 0.41 (0.25-0.69) for that caused by 3, 6A and 19A
      serotypes. We saw a similar pattern when we restricted the analysis to sites
      where only PCV13 was used. The pooled IRR for invasive pneumococcal disease
      caused by non-PCV13 serotypes was 1.62 (1.09-2.42). INTERPRETATION: The incidence
      of invasive pneumococcal disease caused by all serotypes decreased due to a
      decline in the incidence of vaccine serotypes. By contrast, that of invasive
      pneumococcal disease caused by non-PCV13 serotypes increased, which suggests
      serotype replacement. Long-term surveillance will be crucial to monitor the
      further effects of PCV10 and PCV13 vaccination programmes in young children.
      FUNDING: European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control, Czech National
      Institute of Public Health, French National Agency for Public Health, Irish
      Health Services Executive, Norwegian Institute of Public Health, Public Health
      Agency of Catalonia, Public Health Department of Community of Madrid, Navarra
      Hospital Complex, Public Health Institute of Navarra, CIBER Epidemiology and
      Public Health, Institute of Health Carlos III, Public Health Agency of Sweden,
      and NHS Scotland.

PMID- 28359801
TI  - Hybrid optimal descriptors as a tool to predict skin sensitization in accordance
      to OECD principles.
AB  - Skin sensitization (allergic contact dermatitis) is a widespread problem arising
      from the contact of chemicals with the skin. The detection of molecular features
      with undesired effect for skin is complex task owing to unclear biochemical
      mechanisms and unclearness of conditions of action of chemicals to skin. The
      development of computational methods for estimation of this endpoint in order to
      reduce animal testing is recommended (Cosmetics Directive EC regulation
      1907/2006; EU Regulation, Regulation, 1223/2009). The CORAL software
      (http://www.insilico.eu/coral) gives good predictive models for the skin
      sensitization. Simplified molecular input-line entry system (SMILES) together
      with molecular graph are used to represent the molecular structure for these
      models. So-called hybrid optimal descriptors are used to establish quantitative
      structure-activity relationships (QSARs). The aim of this study is the estimation
      of the predictive potential of the hybrid descriptors. Three different
      distributions into the training (~70%), calibration (~15%), and validation (~15%)
      sets are studied. QSAR for these three distributions are built up with using the
      Monte Carlo technique. The statistical characteristics of these models for
      external validation set are used as a measure of predictive potential of these
      models. The best model, according to the above criterion, is characterized by
      nvalidation=29, r2validation=0.8596, RMSEvalidation=0.489. Mechanistic
      interpretation and domain of applicability for these models are defined.

PMID- 28359799
TI  - Paxillin and embryonic PolyAdenylation Binding Protein (ePABP) engage to regulate
      androgen-dependent Xenopus laevis oocyte maturation - A model of kinase-dependent
      regulation of protein expression.
AB  - Steroid-triggered Xenopus laevis oocyte maturation is an elegant physiologic
      model of nongenomic steroid signaling, as it proceeds completely independent of
      transcription. We previously demonstrated that androgens are the main physiologic
      stimulator of oocyte maturation in Xenopus oocytes, and that the adaptor protein
      paxillin plays a crucial role in mediating this process through a positive
      feedback loop in which paxillin first enhances Mos protein translation, ensued by
      Erk2 activation and Erk-dependent phosphorylation of paxillin on serine residues.
      Phosphoserine-paxillin then further augments Mos protein translation and
      downstream Erk2 activation, resulting in meiotic progression. We hypothesized
      that paxillin enhances Mos translation by interacting with embryonic
      PolyAdenylation Binding Protein (ePABP) on polyadenylated Mos mRNA. Knockdown of
      ePABP phenocopied paxillin knockdown, with reduced Mos protein expression, Erk2
      and Cdk1 activation, as well as oocyte maturation. In both Xenopus oocytes and
      mammalian cells (HEK-293), paxillin and ePABP constitutively interacted.
      Testosterone (Xenopus) or EGF (HEK-293) augmented ePABP-paxillin binding, as well
      as ePABP binding to Mos mRNA (Xenopus), in an Erk-dependent fashion. Thus, ePABP
      and paxillin work together in an Erk-dependent fashion to enhance Mos protein
      translation and promote oocyte maturation.

PMID- 28359802
TI  - Low level arsenite exposures suppress the development of bone marrow erythroid
      progenitors and result in anemia in adult male mice.
AB  - Epidemiological studies report an association between chronic arsenic (As)
      exposure and anemia in men, and women who are predisposed to anemia. The purpose
      of these studies was to determine whether a 60 d drinking water exposure of adult
      male C57BL/6J mice to 0, 100, and 500ppb arsenite (As+3) results in anemia due to
      alterations in erythroid progenitor cell development in the bone marrow. Exposure
      to 500ppb As+3 for 60 d resulted in a reduction of mean corpuscular hemoglobin
      (MCH) levels, but did not significantly alter red blood cell (RBC) counts,
      hemoglobin (Hgb) levels, mean corpuscular Hgb concentrations (MCHC), or mean
      corpuscular volumes (MCV). Attenuation of burst-forming unit-erythroid (BFU-E)
      colony formation was observed in bone marrow cells of mice exposed to 500ppb
      As+3. The differentiation of late-stage bone marrow erythroblasts as defined by
      CD71 and Ter119 surface marker expression was reduced with the 500ppb As+3
      exposure. Mice exposed to 500ppb As+3 also had elevated serum levels of
      erythropoietin (EPO). Collectively, these results show that exposure to low
      levels of As+3 attenuate the development of early BFU-E cells and reduce the
      differentiation of late-stage erythroblasts. This suppression of bone marrow
      erythropoiesis may be a contributing factor to the mild hypochromic anemia
      observed in 500ppb As+3 exposed mice.

PMID- 28359800
TI  - Baicalin against obesity and insulin resistance through activation of
      AKT/AS160/GLUT4 pathway.
AB  - Obesity may cause several metabolic complications, including insulin resistance
      and type 2 diabetes mellitus. Despite great advances in medicine, people still
      keep exploring novel and effective drugs for treatment of obesity and insulin
      resistance. The aim of this study was to survey if baicalin might ameliorate
      obesity-induced insulin resistance and to explore its signal mechanisms in
      skeletal muscles of mice. Diet-induced obese (DIO) mice were given 50 mg/kg
      baicalin intraperitoneally (i.p.) once a day for 21 days, and C2C12 myotubes were
      treated with 100, 200, 400 MUM baicalin for 12 h in this study. Then insulin
      resistance indexes and insulin signal protein levels in skeletal muscles were
      examined. We discovered that administration of baicalin decreased food intake,
      body weight, HOMA-IR and NT-PGC-1alpha levels, but enhanced GLUT4, PGC-1alpha,
      pP38MAPK, pAKT and pAS160 contents, as well as GLUT4 mRNA, PGC-1alpha mRNA,
      PPARgamma mRNA, GLUT1 mRNA expression in skeletal muscles of obese mice and
      myotubes of C2C12 cells, and reversed high fat diet-induced glucose and insulin
      intolerance, hyperglycemia and insulin resistance in the mice. These results
      suggest that baicalin is a powerful and promising agent for treatment of obesity
      and insulin resistance via Akt/AS160/GLUT4 and P38MAPK/PGC1alpha/GLUT4 pathway.

PMID- 28359804
TI  - [Genomic medicine for every patient: Dream or reality?]

PMID- 28359803
TI  - [Outcomes of patients with breast cancer in function of their body mass index].
AB  - OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to evaluate outcomes of patients with breast
      cancer in function of the body mass index (BMI). METHODS: The study cohort
      consisted of consecutive women undergoing surgery for breast cancer in our
      institution between January 2009, and September 2013. Individual records of all
      patients were reviewed and analyzed. Patient BMI was categorized as underweight,
      normal, overweight and obese. RESULTS: A total of 1599 patients were evaluated.
      Patients were followed for one to 265months with a mean of 36.4months. The number
      of patients in each of the BMI categories was 66, 779, 463 and 291 for
      underweight, normal, overweight and obese women respectively. Women with higher
      BMI were more frequently affected by hypertension (18, 21, 35 and 47%
      respectively, P<0.0001) and diabetes (3, 2, 7 and 7% respectively, P<0.0001).
      Obese women had more frequently an inflammatory presentation (P=0.006), larger
      tumour size (P=0.038) and axillary lymph node involvement (P=0.03) with much more
      positive lymph nodes (P=0.02). Patients had the same protocols of treatment
      (surgery and adjuvant treatment). There was no statistically significant
      difference in overall 5-years survival between groups (P=0.30). CONCLUSIONS: Our
      study demonstrate a more aggressive clinical and histological presentation for
      obese women with breast cancer.

PMID- 28359806
TI  - Causes of low neonatal T-cell receptor excision circles: A systematic review.

PMID- 28359805
TI  - [Specific folic-acid targeted photosensitizer. The first step toward
      intraperitoneal photodynamic therapy for epithelial ovarian cancer].
AB  - OBJECTIVE: Epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC) management remains association of
      debulking surgery in combination with platinum-based chemotherapy. Sixty percent
      of women with EOC considered in remission will develop recurrent disease. An
      option to improve the completion of cytoreductive surgery may be the use of
      photodynamic therapy to induce necrosis of peritoneal metastases. A limit of this
      technique was the toxicity induced by the lack of specificity of old-generation
      photosensitizer (PS) for tumor tissue if the light could not be specifically
      applied. To solve this problem, a solution is the design of selective PS. Folate
      receptor is a promising target for EOC targeted therapy. We present preclinical
      results concerning properties of a folic-acid targeted photosensitizer. METHOD:
      Preclinical studies have been performed in vitro on murine and human cell lines
      of EOC and in vivo with a preclinical model of peritoneal carcinomatosis (Fisher
      F344 rat/NuTu-19 cell line). They aimed to precise the ability of PS to target
      specifically tumor tissue, to emit specific fluorescence, and to obtain cell
      death. RESULTS: Tissue quantification of the PS showed specific incorporation of
      the folate-targeted PS within tumor tissue. Specificity for ovarian cancer
      metastases is better than previously reported with others photosensitizers (tumor
      to-normal tissue ratio 9.6). We could detect specific fluorescence in vitro and
      in vivo on peritoneal metastases. Folic-acid targeted PDT allows to obtain human
      EOC cells death. CONCLUSION: Specific PS may allow the development of efficient
      and safe intraperitoneal PDT procedure, which could play a role in the prevention
      of EOC peritoneal recurrences.

PMID- 28359807
TI  - The heterochronic gene Lin28 regulates amphibian metamorphosis through
      disturbance of thyroid hormone function.
AB  - Metamorphosis is a classic example of developmental transition, which involves
      important morphological and physiological changes that prepare the organism for
      the adult life. It has been very well established that amphibian metamorphosis is
      mainly controlled by Thyroid Hormone (TH). Here, we show that the heterochronic
      gene Lin28 is downregulated during Xenopus laevis metamorphosis. Lin28
      overexpression before activation of TH signaling delays metamorphosis and
      inhibits the expression of TH target genes. The delay in metamorphosis is rescued
      by incubation with exogenous TH, indicating that Lin28 works upstream or parallel
      to TH. High-throughput analyses performed before any delay on metamorphosis or
      change in TH signaling showed that overexpression of Lin28 reduces transcript
      levels of several hormones secreted by the pituitary, including the Thyroid
      Stimulating Hormone (TSH), and regulates the expression of proteins involved in
      TH transport, metabolism and signaling, showing that Lin28 disrupts TH function
      at different levels. Our data demonstrates that the role of Lin28 in controlling
      developmental transitions is evolutionary conserved and establishes a functional
      interaction between Lin28 and thyroid hormone function introducing a new
      regulatory step in perinatal development with implications for our understanding
      of endocrine disorders.

PMID- 28359808
TI  - Asymmetrically reduced expression of hand1 homeologs involving a single
      nucleotide substitution in a cis-regulatory element.
AB  - During vertebrate evolution, whole genome duplications resulted in a number of
      duplicated genes, some of which eventually changed their expression patterns
      and/or levels via alteration of cis-regulatory sequences. However, the initial
      process involved in such cis-regulatory changes remains unclear. Therefore, we
      investigated this process by analyzing the duplicated hand1 genes of Xenopus
      laevis (hand1.L and hand1.S), which were generated by allotetraploidization 17-18
      million years ago, and compared these with their single ortholog in the ancestral
      type diploid species X. tropicalis. A dN/dS analysis indicated that hand1.L and
      hand1.S are still under purifying selection, and thus, their products appear to
      retain ancestral functional properties. RNA-seq and in situ hybridization
      analyses revealed that hand1.L and hand1.S have similar expression patterns to
      each other and to X. tropicalis hand1, but the hand1.S expression level was much
      lower than the hand1.L expression level in the primordial heart. A comparative
      sequence analysis, luciferase reporter analysis, ChIP-PCR analysis, and
      transgenic reporter analysis showed that a single nucleotide substitution in the
      hand1.S promoter was responsible for the reduced expression in the heart. These
      findings demonstrated that a small change in the promoter sequence can trigger
      diversification of duplicated gene expression prior to diversification of their
      encoded protein functions in a young duplicated genome.

PMID- 28359809
TI  - Wnt8a expands the pool of embryonic kidney progenitors in zebrafish.
AB  - During zebrafish embryogenesis the pronephric kidney arises from a small
      population of posterior mesoderm cells that then undergo expansion during early
      stages of renal organogenesis. While wnt8 is required for posterior mesoderm
      formation during gastrulation, it is also transiently expressed in the post
      gastrula embryo in the intermediate mesoderm, the precursor to the pronephros and
      some blood/vascular lineages. Here, we show that knockdown of wnt8a, using a low
      dose of morpholino that does not disrupt early mesoderm patterning, reduces the
      number of kidney and blood cells. For the kidney, wnt8a deficiency decreases
      renal progenitor growth during early somitogenesis, as detected by EdU
      incorporation, but has no effect on apoptosis. The depletion of the renal
      progenitor pool in wnt8a knockdown embryos leads to cellular deficits in the
      pronephros at 24 hpf that are characterised by a shortened distal-most segment
      and stretched proximal tubule cells. A pulse of the canonical Wnt pathway agonist
      BIO during early somitogenesis is sufficient to rescue the size of the renal
      progenitor pool while longer treatment expands the number of kidney cells. Taken
      together, these observations indicate that Wnt8, in addition to its well
      established role in posterior mesoderm patterning, also plays a later role as a
      factor that expands the renal progenitor pool prior to kidney morphogenesis.

PMID- 28359810
TI  - An approach for chemical stability during melt extrusion of a drug substance with
      a high melting point.
AB  - Poorly water-soluble drug substances that exhibit high melting points are
      difficult to process by melt extrusion due to chemical instability at high
      temperatures required for processing. The purpose of this study was to extrude
      meloxicam (melting point 255 degrees C) by optimizing processing parameters and
      formulation composition. Five extrusion studies were performed: 1) design space,
      2) impact of moisture, 3) impact of melt residence time, 4) specific energy
      optimization, and 5) altered microenvironment pH. Powder X-ray diffraction and
      polarized light microscopy were used to confirm amorphous conversion. Liquid
      chromatography-mass spectrometry was used to characterize the extrusion
      degradation pathway. The formulation consisted of 10% meloxicam and 90%
      copovidone. When processed above 140 degrees C, significant chemical degradation
      was observed. The minimum energy input to convert meloxicam was 1.8kWh/kg.
      Degradation of meloxicam during extrusion was identified as hydrolysis. Barrel
      configuration and screw design were designed to drive-off moisture and reduce
      melt residence time. With optimized parameters, the purity of the extrudate was
      96.7%. To further enhance chemical stability, meglumine was added to provide a
      stabilizing basic microenvironment resulting in 100% purity. By process parameter
      optimization and formulation modification, we successfully extruded a meloxicam
      amorphous solid dispersion.

PMID- 28359811
TI  - Delivery of doxorubicin-loaded PLGA nanoparticles into U87 human glioblastoma
      cells.
AB  - The paramount problem in the therapy of brain tumors is the inability of most
      drugs to cross the blood-brain barrier. PLGA nanoparticles overcoated with
      poloxamer 188 could overcome this problem and enabled a high anti-tumoral effect
      against the very aggressive intracranial 101.8 glioblastoma in rats that closely
      resembles human grade IV glioblastomas. The basis for the transport of these
      particles across the blood-brain barrier appears to be adsorption of blood
      apolipoproteins (ApoE or ApoA-I) on the nanoparticle surface caused by the
      poloxamer 188-coating, followed by receptor-mediated transcytosis of the
      nanoparticles. The objective of the present study is the elucidation of the
      mechanism by which the poloxamer 188-coated nanoparticles then enter the brain
      tumor cells. Their intracellular fate, therefore, was investigated using the U87
      human glioma cell line. The main mechanism of the PLGA nanoparticle
      internalization by U87 cells was clathrin-mediated endocytosis. Within 1h free
      doxorubicin was released from late endosomes and could reach its target site,
      i.e. the DNA in the nuclei without degradation, whereas the PLGA nanoparticles,
      which were labeled with Cy5.5, still were observed in the endo-lysosomal
      compartment. These results demonstrate that the underlying mechanism of action in
      the brain cells is by diffusive doxorubicin release from the nanoparticles rather
      than by their intracellular degradation.

PMID- 28359812
TI  - Deferoxamine-conjugated AgInS2 nanoparticles as new nanodrug for synergistic
      therapy for hepatocellular carcinoma.
AB  - Herein, a new nanodrug that exhibits multi-therapeutic modalities for synergistic
      treatment of hepatocellular carcinoma is reported. The nanodrug is composed of
      carboxymethyl cellulose modified silver indium sulfide nanoparticle (CMC-AgInS2
      NP, served as a source of reactive oxygen species) covalently linked with
      deferoxamine (DFO, served as iron chelating agent). The DFO/CMC-AgInS2 nanodrug
      was taken up by the HepG2 cell and accumulated within the cytosol as well as the
      nucleus, leading to induction of cell arrest in the G2/M phase and subsequent
      apoptosis cell death. Compared to DFO, the DFO/CMC-AgInS2 nanodrug demonstrated
      better anti-proliferative activity against the HepG2 cell. As they were cultured
      in a medium supplemented with ferric ions, the HepG2 cells were induced to grow
      faster as compared to the cells without the addition of ferric ions. Fortunately,
      our nanodrug was found to inhibit the cell growth induced by ferric ions. Our
      results indicate that the nanodrug has synergistic effect for treatment of HepG2
      cells via the intrinsic therapeutic property of CMC-AgInS2 NP and the iron
      chelating capability of DFO.

PMID- 28359813
TI  - Gaining insight into tablet capping tendency from compaction simulation.
AB  - Capping or lamination is an unsolved common problem in tablet manufacturing.
      Knowledge gaps remain despite an enormous amount of effort made in the past to
      better understand the tablet capping/lamination phenomenon. Using acetaminophen -
      containing formulations, we examined the potential use of a compaction simulator
      as a material-sparing tool to predict capping occurrence under commercial
      tableting conditions. Systematical analyses of the in-die compaction data led to
      insight on the potential mechanism of tablet capping/lamination. In general,
      capping strongly correlates with high in-die elastic recovery, high Poisson's
      ratio, low tensile strength, and radial die-wall pressure. Such insight can be
      used to guide the formulation design of high quality tablet products that are
      free from capping problems for challenging active pharmaceutical ingredients.

PMID- 28359814
TI  - Targeted delivery of anticancer drugs to tumor vessels by use of liposomes
      modified with a peptide identified by phage biopanning with human endothelial
      progenitor cells.
AB  - As tumor angiogenic vessels are critical for tumor growth and express different
      molecules on their surface from those on normal vessels, these vessels are
      expected to be an ideal target for anticancer drug delivery systems. It was
      previously reported that endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs) are involved in
      angiogenesis, tumor growth, and metastasis, and that EPCs show gene expression
      patterns similar to those of tumor endothelial cells. In the present study, a
      tumor vessel-targeting peptide, ASSHN, was identified from a phage-display
      peptide library by in vitro biopanning with human EPCs (hEPCs) and in vivo
      biopanning using angiogenesis model mice prepared by the dorsal air sac method.
      Phage clones displaying ASSHN peptide showed a marked affinity for hEPCs in
      vitro, and also for tumor vessels in vivo. PEGylated liposomes modified with the
      ASSHN peptide (ASSHN-Lip) were designed and prepared for the delivery of
      anticancer agents. Confocal images showed that ASSHN-Lip clearly bound to hEPCs
      in vitro and tumor vessels, and also showed extravasation from the vessels. The
      administration of doxorubicin-encapsulated ASSHN-Lip into Colon26 NL-17-bearing
      mice significantly suppressed tumor growth compared with doxorubicin-encapsulated
      PEGylated liposomes. These results suggest that the delivery of anticancer agents
      with ASSHN-Lip could be useful for targeted cancer therapy.

PMID- 28359815
TI  - Insight into the role of dual-ligand modification in low molecular weight heparin
      based nanocarrier for targeted delivery of doxorubicin.
AB  - Low molecular weight heparin nanoparticles (LMWH) modified by glycyrrhetinic acid
      (GA) (LMWH-GA) and further decorated by lactobionic acid (LA) (LA-LMWH-GA) were
      reported as novel hepatocellular carcinoma (HPC)-targeted carriers to overcome
      multidrug resistance (MDR) of doxorubicin (DOX). The drug-loaded nanoparticles
      had negative charge of around -25mV and average size range of 70-170nm. These
      nanoparticles performed sustained drug release in vitro and prolonged DOX
      residence time in blood circulation in vivo. Compared to free DOX, DOX-loaded
      nanoparticles demonstrated increased DOX accumulation in drug-resistance
      HepG2/ADR cells and enhanced in vitro therapeutic efficacy. However, DOX/LA-LMWH
      GA with dual ligands didn't show higher cellular uptake and cytotoxicity than
      single GA modified DOX/LMWH-GA, although both GA-mediated and LA-mediated
      endocytosis were involved in their cell internalization. Uptake pathway
      inhibition study revealed the less efficacy of DOX/LA-LMWH-GA in cellular level
      could be attributed to the reduced effect of micropinocytosis and caveolae
      mediated endocytosis in cellular uptake. Interestingly, the DOX-loaded
      nanoparticles developed from lower drug/carrier feeding ratio possessed higher
      performance in cell internalization and in vitro efficacy compared to those
      developed from higher drug/carrier feeding ratio, which could highlight the role
      of carrier in drug delivery process.

PMID- 28359816
TI  - Design and evaluation of surface functionalized superparamagneto-plasmonic
      nanoparticles for cancer therapeutics.
AB  - Designing a multifunctional nanomaterial is always considered as a biggest
      concern in the field of nanomedicine which aims to promote versatile action in a
      single use from tracking to therapeutics. Therefore, metallic nanoparticles are
      well exploited as a major platform with the assemblage of surface modifications
      which can be effectively engaged for plenty of applications. Here, in this work,
      we have successfully amalgamated gold coated magnetite core-shell nanoparticles
      along with bio-functionalization of folic acid and doxorubicin to explore its
      possibility as a distinct nanocargo for cancer nanotheranostics. This unique
      combination of both magnetic and optical properties makes its function to be more
      precise. For example, in case of in-vitro drug-release studies more than 75% of
      drug moieties are released at acidic pH 5.4 and exactly fitting in first order
      rate kinetics. As gold shell retains the superparamagnetic nature of the core it
      exhibited high r2 values, and because of large relaxivities (r2/r1) ratio, they
      are confirmed as T2-weighted contrast agent by MRI. Finally, under microwave of
      2.45GHz exhibited enough heat which can induce both apoptosis & necrosis leading
      to cell death. Thus, we conclude that our nanoparticle can be a multitool for
      diagnosis and therapeutics for various human diseases.

PMID- 28359817
TI  - Solubility and thermodynamics of apremilast in different mono solvents:
      Determination, correlation and molecular interactions.
AB  - The solubility data of recently launched poorly soluble antipsoriatic drug
      apremilast (APM) in any mono solvent or cosolvent mixtures with respect to
      temperature are not available in literature. Hence, in this research work, the
      solubility of APM in twelve different mono solvents namely "water, methanol,
      ethanol, isopropanol (IPA), ethylene glycol (EG), propylene glycol (PG), 1
      butanol, 2-butanol, ethyl acetate (EA), dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO), polyethylene
      glycol-400 (PEG-400) and Transcutol(r)" was determined at temperatures "T=298.2K
      to 318.2K" and pressure "p=0.1 MPa". Eexperimental solubilities of APM in mole
      fraction were determined by a static equilibrium method using high performance
      liquid chromatography at 254nm. Experimental solubilities of APM in mole fraction
      were correlated well with "Van't Hoff and Apelblat models". The solubilities of
      APM in mole fraction were recorded highest in DMSO (9.91*10-2), followed by EA
      (2.54*10-2), Transcutol (2.51*10-2), PEG-400 (2.16*10-2),PG (4.01*10-3), EG
      (1.61*10-3), IPA (4.96*10-4), 1-butanol (4.18*10-4), 2-butanol (3.91*10-4),
      methanol (2.25*10-4), ethanol (2.20*10-4) and water (1.29*10-6) at "T=318.2K" and
      similar results were also obtained at each temperature evaluated. The molecular
      interactions between solute and solvent molecules were evaluated by the
      determination of activity coefficients. Based on activity coefficients, the
      higher solute-solvents molecular interactions were recorded in APM-DMSO, APM-EA,
      APM-Transcutol and APM-PEG-400 in comparison with other combination of solute and
      solvents. "Apparent standard thermodynamic parameters" of APM indicated an
      "endothermic and entropy-driven dissolution" of APM in all mono solvents
      evaluated. Based on these results, APM was proposed as freely soluble in DMSO, EA
      and Transcutol, sparingly soluble in PEG0-400, slightly soluble in methanol,
      ethanol, IPA, EG, PG, 1-butanol and 2-butanol and practically insoluble in water.
      Hence, DMSO, EA and Transcutol were selected as the best solvents and water and
      ethanol were selected as the anti-solvents for APM.

PMID- 28359818
TI  - Ganoderma lucidum polysaccharide loaded sodium alginate micro-particles prepared
      via electrospraying in controlled deposition environments.
AB  - Ganoderma lucidum polysaccharide (GLP) is a functional food source deployed in
      preventative medicine. However, applications utilizing GLP are limited due to
      oxidative and acidic environmental damage. Advances in preserving GLP structure
      (and therefore function), in situ, will diversify their applications within
      biomedical fields (drug and antibacterial active delivery via the enteral route).
      In this study, GLP loaded sodium alginate (NaAlg) micro-particles (size range 225
      355MUm) were generated using the electrospray (ES) process. The loading capacity
      and encapsulation efficiency of GLP for composite particles (collected at
      different temperatures) were ~23% and 71%, respectively. The collection substrate
      (CaCl2, 1-20w/v%) concentration was explored and preliminary findings indicated a
      10w/v% solution to be optimal. The process was further modified by manipulating
      the collection environment temperature (~25 to 50 degrees C). Based on this,
      NaAlg/GLP micro-particles were engineered with variable surface morphologies
      (porous and crinkled), without effecting the chemical composition of either
      material (GLP and NaAlg). In-vitro release studies demonstrated pH responsive
      release rates. Modest release of GLP from micro-particles in simulated gastric
      fluid (pH ~1.7) was observed, while rapid release was exhibited under simulated
      intestinal conditions (pH ~7.4). Release of GLP from NaAlg beads was the greatest
      from samples prepared at elevated environmental temperatures. These findings
      demonstrate a facile route to fabricate GLP-NaAlg loaded micro-particles with
      various shapes, surface topographies and release characteristics via a one-step
      ES process.

PMID- 28359819
TI  - Effects of amine modification of mesoporous magnesium carbonate on controlled
      drug release.
AB  - (3-Aminopropyl)triethoxysilane (APTES) was used to modify the surface of
      mesoporous magnesium carbonate (MMC). The as-synthesized MMC had an average pore
      diameter of ~5nm, but amine grafting occurred preferentially on the walls of the
      largest MMC pores. Analysis of ibuprofen (IBU) loading and release showed that
      IBU remained stable in the amorphous phase in all the MMC and modified MMC
      samples. The kinetics of IBU release from the modified MMC were assessed and used
      to evaluate the effects of the different functional groups. The release rate
      showed that the release of IBU could be controlled by adjusting the amine surface
      coverage of MMC and also by changing the surface groups. It was concluded that
      the interaction between the grafted functional groups in the modified MMC and the
      OH in the carboxyl groups of IBU was the most important factor for prolonging the
      release of the drug. These results are expected to lead to investigation of other
      as yet unexplored applications for MMC, including using it as a plastic additive
      and for gas separation.

PMID- 28359820
TI  - Development of medicated foams that combine incompatible hydrophilic and
      lipophilic drugs for psoriasis treatment.
AB  - The focus was on the development of medicated foam for incorporation of two
      incompatible active agents for psoriasis treatment; i.e., lipophilic
      cholecalciferol, and hydrophilic salicylic acid. Emphasis was given to
      formulation of a propellant-free foam, with sufficient foaming properties,
      physical and chemical stability, and low irritancy potential to maintain
      relevance for later translation into clinical practice. Various excipients and
      concentrations were examined to achieve suitable foam stability parameters,
      viscoelasticity, and bubble-size, which relate to foamability and spreadability.
      The major positive impact on these properties was through a combination of
      surfactants, and by inclusion of a viscosity-modifying polymer. Incorporation of
      the incompatible drugs was then examined, noting the instability of
      cholecalciferol in an acidic environment, with the design aim to separate the
      drug distributions among the different foam phases. Cholecalciferol was
      stabilized in the emulsion-based foam, with at least a 30-fold lower degradation
      rate constant compared to its aqueous solution. The composition of the emulsion
      based foam itself protected cholecalciferol from degradation, as well as the
      addition of the radical-scavenging antioxidant tocopheryl acetate to the oil
      phase. With the patient in mind, the irritancy potential was also examined, which
      was below the set limit that defines a non-irritant dermal product.

PMID- 28359822
TI  - Computational and experimental approaches for development of methotrexate
      nanosuspensions by bottom-up nanoprecipitation.
AB  - Development of nanosuspensions offers a promising tool for formulations involving
      poorly water-soluble drugs. In this study, methotrexate (MTX) nanosuspensions
      were prepared using a bottom-up process based on acid-base neutralization
      reactions. Computational studies were performed to determine structural and
      electronic properties for isolated molecules and molecular clusters in order to
      evaluate the mechanism of MTX nanoparticle formation. Computational results
      indicated that the clusters in zwitterionic and cationic states presented larger
      dimensions and higher energies of interaction between MTX molecules, which
      favored aggregation. In contrast, the clusters in the anionic state exhibited
      lower energies of interaction, indicating aggregation was less likely to occur.
      Experimental results indicated that the higher the HCl proportion during drug
      precipitation, the greater the particle size, resulting in micrometric particles
      (2874-7308nm) (cationic and zwitterionic forms). However, MTX nanoparticles
      ranging in size from 132 to 186nm were formed using the lowest HCl proportion
      during drug precipitation (anionic form). In vitro release profiles indicated
      that the drug release rate from nanosuspension was increased (approximately 2.6
      times) over that of the raw material. Overall, computational modeling and
      experimental analysis were complementary and assisted in the rational design of
      the nanosuspension based on acid-base reactions.

PMID- 28359821
TI  - Rapamycin nanoparticles localize in diseased lung vasculature and prevent
      pulmonary arterial hypertension.
AB  - Vascular remodeling resulting from pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) leads to
      endothelial fenestrations. This feature can be exploited by nanoparticles (NP),
      allowing them to extravasate from circulation and accumulate in remodeled
      pulmonary vessels. Hyperactivation of the mTOR pathway in PAH drives pulmonary
      arterial smooth muscle cell proliferation. We hypothesized that rapamycin (RAP)
      loaded NPs, an mTOR inhibitor, would accumulate in diseased lungs, selectively
      targeting vascular mTOR and preventing PAH progression. RAP poly(ethylene glycol)
      block-poly(epsilon-caprolactone) (PEG-PCL) NPs were fabricated. NP accumulation
      and efficacy were examined in a rat monocrotaline model of PAH. Following
      intravenous (IV) administration, NP accumulation in diseased lungs was verified
      via LC/MS analysis and confocal imaging. Pulmonary arteriole thickness, right
      ventricular systolic pressures, and ventricular remodeling were determined to
      assess the therapeutic potential of RAP NPs. Monocrotaline-exposed rats showed
      increased NP accumulation within lungs compared to healthy controls, with NPs
      present to a high extent within pulmonary perivascular regions. RAP, in both free
      and NP form, attenuated PAH development, with histological analysis revealing
      minimal changes in pulmonary arteriole thickness and no ventricular remodeling.
      Importantly, NP-treated rats showed reduced systemic side effects compared to
      free RAP. This study demonstrates the potential for nanoparticles to
      significantly impact PAH through site-specific delivery of therapeutics.

PMID- 28359823
TI  - Tandem-multimeric F3-gelonin fusion toxins for enhanced anti-cancer activity for
      prostate cancer treatment.
AB  - Despite significant progress in prostate cancer treatment, yet, it remains the
      leading diagnosed cancer and is responsible for high incidence of cancer related
      deaths in the U.S. Because of the insufficient efficacy of small molecule anti
      cancer drugs, significant interest has been drawn to more potent macromolecular
      agents such as gelonin, a plant-derived ribosome inactivating protein (RIP) that
      efficiently inhibits protein translation. However, in spite of the great potency
      to kill tumor cells, gelonin lacks ability to internalize tumor cells and
      furthermore, cannot distinguish between tumor and normal cells. To address this
      challenge, we genetically engineered gelonin fusion proteins with varied numbers
      of F3 peptide possessing homing ability to various cancer cells and angiogenic
      blood vessels. The E. coli produced F3-gelonin fusion proteins possessed
      equipotent activity to inhibit protein translation in cell-free protein
      translation systems to unmodified gelonin; however, they displayed higher cell
      uptake that led to significantly augmented cytotoxicity. Compared with gelonin
      fusion with one F3 peptide (F3-Gel), tandem-multimeric F3-gelonins showed even
      greater cell internalization and tumor cell killing ability. Moreover, when
      tested against LNCaP s.c. xenograft tumor bearing mice, more significant tumor
      growth inhibition was observed from the mice treated with tandem-multimeric F3
      gelonins. Overall, this research demonstrated the potential of utilizing tandem
      multimeric F3-modified gelonin as highly effective anticancer agents to overcome
      the limitations of current chemotherapeutic drugs.

PMID- 28359825
TI  - Bilateral simultaneous infective keratitis.
AB  - AIM: To analyze the demographics, risk factors, clinical and microbiological
      characteristics of cases of bilateral simultaneous infective keratitis. METHODS:
      In this retrospective case series, patients with clinical evidence of bilateral
      simultaneous infective keratitis were identified from January 1, 2011 to August
      31, 2016. Demographics, risk factors, clinical and microbiological
      characteristics, and treatment outcomes were analyzed. RESULTS: Five patients
      (ten eyes) with bilateral simultaneous infective keratitis were identified. The
      mean age was 32.8 years (SD,+/-8.8; range, 24-44). All the patients were
      disposable soft contact lens wearers before presentation. The average size of the
      infiltrate was 4.76mm2 (SD+/-9.0; range, 0.2-31.34). A total of 4 types of
      bacteria were isolated, with Pseudomonas aeruginosa being the most frequently
      isolated bacteria involving 5 eyes of four patients. Infection resolved with
      medical treatment in 9 eyes, 1 patient required therapeutic corneal
      transplantation for impending corneal perforation. The average time taken for
      infection to resolve was 6.7days (SD+/-4.5; range, 2-16). CONCLUSIONS: In this
      case series, the most common risk factor of bilateral simultaneous microbial
      keratitis was use of soft disposable contact lens and the most commonly isolated
      bacteria was Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Bilateral simultaneous infective keratitis
      is uncommon and is a serious complication of contact lens use in immunocompetent
      adult patients.

PMID- 28359824
TI  - Development of biomonitoring equivalents for barium in urine and plasma for
      interpreting human biomonitoring data.
AB  - The objectives of the present work were: (1) to assemble population-level
      biomonitoring data to identify the concentrations of urinary and plasma barium
      across the general population; and (2) to derive biomonitoring equivalents (BEs)
      for barium in urine and plasma in order to facilitate the interpretation of
      barium concentrations in the biological matrices. In population level
      biomonitoring studies, barium has been measured in urine in the U.S. (NHANES
      study), but no such data on plasma barium levels were identified. The BE values
      for plasma and urine were derived from U.S. EPA's reference dose (RfD) of 0.2
      mg/kg bw/d, based on a lower confidence limit on the benchmark dose (BMDL05) of
      63 mg/kg bw/d. The plasma BE (9 MUg Ba/L) was derived by regression analysis of
      the near-steady-state plasma concentrations associated with the administered
      doses in animals exposed to barium chloride dihydrate in drinking water for 2
      years in a NTP study. Using a human urinary excretion fraction of 0.023, a BE for
      urinary barium (0.19 mg/L or 0.25 mg/g creatinine) was derived for US EPA's RfD.
      The median and the 95th percentile barium urine concentrations of the general
      population in U.S. are below the BE determined in this study, indicating that the
      population exposure to inorganic barium is expected to be below the exposure
      guidance value of 0.2 mg/kg bw/d.

PMID- 28359826
TI  - Response to: Socio-political prescriptions for latent tuberculosis infection are
      required to prevent reactivation of tuberculosis.
AB  - The importance of addressing the conditions that predispose individuals and
      populations to develop tuberculosis is increasingly being recognized. Accurate
      quantification of the protective effect of preventive therapy and the provision
      of pragmatic guidance for clinical care and public health interventions is
      important. However, this approach must be nested within a socio-political context
      that addresses associated disadvantage and inequality.

PMID- 28359827
TI  - Rickettsia parkeri in Amblyomma dubitatum ticks in a spotted fever focus from the
      Brazilian Pampa.
AB  - Spotted fever is an acute febrile illness, which is considered severely
      underreported and misdiagnosed in the Brazilian Pampa, caused by tick-borne
      Rickettsiae. Here, we report an eco-epidemiological investigation of Rickettsia
      spp. in ticks from a spotted fever focus in Toropi, southern Brazil. Ticks were
      collected from capybara carcasses and processed individually to obtain genomic
      DNA. Rickettsia was investigated using PCR that amplified the rickettsial
      fragments of the gltA, ompA and htrA genes. DNA from Rickettsia parkeri was found
      in four of 14 Amblyomma dubitatum ticks collected from capybara carcasses in
      Toropi and the nearby municipality of Quevedos. We also tested 210A. dubitatum
      ticks obtained from road-killed capybaras of other localities from the Pampa
      biome; none of them were positive for Rickettsiae. Thus, in Rio Grande do Sul,
      two Rickettsia species can be potentially associated to spotted fever: Rickettsia
      sp. strain Atlantic Rainforest, associated with Amblyomma ovale ticks in the
      Atlantic Rainforest biome, and R. parkeri, associated both with Amblyomma
      tigrinum and A. dubitatum ticks in the Pampa biome. Our results reinforce that R.
      parkeri may be the agent associated with spotted fever in the Brazilian Pampa.

PMID- 28359828
TI  - TsPKA-r: a potential immunodiagnostic antigen for the detection of porcine
      cysticercosis.
AB  - Cysticercosis, caused by metacestodes of Taenia solium, has a significant soci
      economic impact and is of considerable importance in public health. However,
      there are no specific diagnostic antigens to distinguish between T. solim and
      Taenia hydatigena. In the present study, cAMP-dependent protein kinase regulatory
      subunit (TsPKA-r), an excretory/secretary (ES) antigen of T. solium, was used to
      establish a specific and sensitive diagnostic tool for detection of porcine
      cysticercosis. The full-length sequence encoding TsPKA-r was amplified by PCR,
      sequenced and then identified by bioinformatics. The fusion protein with 6*His
      tags was expressed in E. coli, purified by Ni SepharoseTM 6 Fast Flow and used to
      test reactionogenicity by immunoblotting. TsPKA-r based indirect enzyme-linked
      immunosorbent assays (iELISA) showed good performance in recognition of sera of
      pigs experimentally infected with T. solium metacestodes, with 93.88% sensitivity
      and 96.40% specificity. There were no cross-reactions against the sera from pigs
      experimentally infected with T. hydatigena, Toxoplasma gondii or Trichinella
      spiralis. These results indicate that the TsPKA-r is a promising immunodiagnostic
      antigen for detection of porcine cysticercosis.

PMID- 28359829
TI  - Feeding behavior of Mimomyia (Etorleptiomyia) luzonensis (Ludlow, 1905) (Diptera,
      Culicidae) in Peninsular Malaysia.
AB  - Mosquitoes are vectors of various human diseases in the tropics including yellow
      fever, dengue, malaria and West Nile virus. Mosquitoes can act as vectors between
      wildlife and humans, which is particularly important for diseases where wild
      animals serve as reservoirs of parasites in the absence of human infections.
      Research has mainly focused on the medical impacts of Anopheles, Aedes, Mansonia
      and Culex, however, very little attention has been directed towards other
      mosquito genera, especially those which act as vectors of diseases of wildlife.
      We have observed adults of Mimomyia (Etorleptiomyia) luzonensis (Ludlow, 1905)
      feeding on a toad, Ingerophrynus parvus, near an oil palm plantation settlement
      in Setia Alam, Selangor state, Peninsular Malaysia. Mimomyia is known to feed on
      reptiles and amphibians, and is a documented vector of several arboviruses,
      including West Nile virus. The observation of Mimomyia feeding on a common toad
      near a human settlement highlights a need to understand the relationships between
      mosquitoes, toads and humans from an ecological perspective. We report on-site
      observations of the feeding habit of Mimomyia; the first records from Malaysia.

PMID- 28359830
TI  - Taxonomy and polytene chromosomes of the Neotropical black fly Simulium perplexum
      (Diptera: Simuliidae).
AB  - Simulium perplexum Shelley, Maia-Herzog, Luna Dias & Couch is structurally
      similar in the pupal stage to Simulium guianense Wise, the main vector in the
      onchocerciasis foci of Amazonian Brazil and Venezuela. We report S. perplexum for
      the first time beyond its type locality (Guyana, Potaro River), describe its
      larva, redescribe its pupa, and provide a chromosomal comparison with S.
      guianense and other morphologically similar species. We collected it in two
      rivers in Ruropolis municipality, Para state, Brazil. The larvae can be
      distinguished from those of related species by having body cuticle with
      microscopic, translucent, and lanceolate setae. Chromosomal comparisons of S.
      perplexum and similar Brazilian species with available chromosome information (S.
      guianense, S. hirtipupa Lutz, and S. litobranchium Hamada, Pepinelli, Mattos
      Gloria & Luz), using S. guianense Cytoform A as the standard, show that S.
      perplexum has the nucleolar organizer uniquely in the middle of the short arm of
      chromosome I, whereas the other three species have this marker at the base of the
      long arm of chromosome I. All chromosome arms, except IIS and IIIS, of S.
      perplexum are rearranged, compared with S. guianense Cytoform A, suggesting that
      it is not closely related to this species or to S. litobranchium, as suggested by
      some authors, based on morphological features.

PMID- 28359832
TI  - RE: Incidence and risk factors for secondary malignancy in patients with
      neuroblastoma after treatment with 131-I-metaiodobenzylguanidine. Huibregtse K et
      al. European Journal of Cancer 2016. 66:144-152.

PMID- 28359831
TI  - Seizure induced by repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation for central pain:
      Adapted guidelines for post-stroke patients.

PMID- 28359833
TI  - First report in Africa of two clinical isolates of Proteus mirabilis carrying
      Salmonella genomic island (SGI1) variants, SGI1-PmABB and SGI1-W.
AB  - Two Proteus mirabilis strains, designated PmTAN59 and PmKAF126, were isolated
      from two different Egyptian cities in 2014 and 2015, respectively. PmTAN59 was
      isolated from a sputum swab from a pneumonia patient in Tanta University Teaching
      Hospital. PmKAF126 was isolated from a patient with a diabetic foot infection in
      a hospital in the city of Kafr El-Sheikh. The two isolates were identified with
      bacterial small ribosomal RNA (16S rRNA) gene amplification and sequencing and
      tested for antimicrobial sensitivity with a Kirby-Bauer disk diffusion assay. The
      two strains were resistant to amoxicillin/clavulante, ampicillin, cefotaxime,
      cefoxitin, ceftriaxone, chloramphenicol, ciprofloxacin, colistin, gentamicin,
      kanamycin, nalidixic acid, spectinomycin, streptomycin,
      sulfamethoxazole/trimethoprime, and tetracycline, but sensitive to aztreonam,
      imipenem, and meropenem. Molecular characterization was used to map the entire
      backbone, including the multiple antibiotic resistance (MDR) region, of
      Salmonella genomic island 1 (SGI1). Both isolates carried a structure similar to
      SGI1, with two different MDR regions corresponding to SGI1-PmABB in PmTAN59 and
      SGI1-W in PmKAF126. SGI1-PmABB carried an integron of ~1.5kb with a two-gene
      cassette, aacCA5-aadA7, which confers resistance to gentamicin, streptomycin, and
      spectinomycin, whereas SGI1-W carried an integron of ~1.9kb containing aadA2
      lnuF, which confers resistance to spectinomycin, streptomycin, and lincosamides.
      PmKAF126 carried the entire SGI1 sequence, however PmTAN59 carried a SGI1
      structure with a deletion in the region from ORF S005 to ORF S009 and accompanied
      by insertion of IS1359 (1258bp). Furthermore, PmTAN59 carried class 2 integron of
      ~2.2kb containing dfrA1-sat2-aadA1. An ERIC-PCR analysis detected no clonal
      relationship between the two strains. Molecular screening for other antimicrobial
      resistance genes and a plasmid analysis indicated that PmTAN59 carried an IncFIB
      plasmid type. This strain also carried blaTEM-1 and the plasmid-mediated
      quinolone-resistance gene qnrA1. However, PmKAF126 carried no plasmids and no
      resistance gene other than that contained in the MDR region of SGI1 and floR gene
      conferring resistance to florfenicol. To the best of our knowledge, this is the
      first report of an SGI1-positive P. mirabilis strain in Egypt or on the entire
      African continent.

PMID- 28359834
TI  - Novel antigenic shift in HA sequences of H1N1 viruses detected by big data
      analysis.
AB  - The influenza virus H1N1 has been prevalent all over the world for nearly a
      century. Many studies on its evolutionary history, substitution rate and
      antigenicity-associated sites have been done with small datasets. To have a
      complete view, we analysed 3171 full-length HA sequences from human H1N1 viruses
      sampled from 1918 to 2016, and discovered a new clade has formed with sequences
      isolated in Iran. Based on genetic distance calculations, we revealed an uneven
      evolutionary rate among sequences isolated in different years. We also found that
      the HA1 fragment of the new clade is like that of viruses that existed in the
      1930s, while the HA2 fragment is closely associated with strains isolated after
      the 2009 pandemic. This new, "mixed" HA sequence indicates a cryptic antigenic
      shift event occurred, and it should draw more attention to the new clade
      identified from sequences from Iran.

PMID- 28359835
TI  - Noninitiation and Noncompletion of HPV Vaccine Among English- and Spanish
      Speaking Parents of Adolescent Girls: A Qualitative Study.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: The Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices recommends routine
      human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination for female adolescents aged 11 to 12
      years, yet vaccination rates remain low. We conducted a qualitative study to
      understand English- and Spanish-speaking parents' reasons for noninitiation or
      noncompletion of the HPV vaccine series for their daughters. METHODS: Parents of
      female adolescents aged 12 to 15 years who had not initiated or not completed the
      HPV vaccine series were identified through administrative data in 2 large urban
      safety net health care systems in Colorado. Focus groups and in-depth interviews
      were conducted with English-speaking parents and in-depth interviews were
      conducted with Spanish-speaking parents. All data were recorded, transcribed, and
      analyzed for thematic content by experienced analysts using established
      qualitative content analysis techniques. RESULTS: Forty-one parents participated
      in the study. Thirty parents participated in individual interviews and 11 parents
      participated in 1 of 2 focus groups. The most common reasons for noninitiation
      and noncompletion among English-speaking parents included a low perceived risk of
      HPV infection, vaccine safety concerns, and distrust of government and/or
      medicine. In contrast, Spanish-speaking parents most often reported that
      providers had either not encouraged initiation of the HPV vaccine series or had
      not explained the necessity of completing the series. Some noninitiating parents,
      particularly Spanish-speaking ones, also cited concerns that vaccination would
      encourage sexual activity. CONCLUSIONS: The reasons for noninitiation and
      noncompletion of the HPV vaccine series differed substantially between English-
      and Spanish-speaking parents. To maximize uptake of HPV vaccine, varying
      approaches might be needed to effectively target specific populations.

PMID- 28359837
TI  - Symptoms from masked acrolein exposure suggest altered trigeminal reactivity in
      chemical intolerance.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Chemical intolerance (CI) is a widespread occupational and public
      health problem characterized by symptoms that reportedly result from low-levels
      of chemical exposure. The mechanisms behind CI are unknown, however modifications
      of the chemical senses (rather than toxic processes) have been suggested as key
      components. The aim of this study was to investigate whether individuals with
      self-reported CI report more sensory irritation during masked acrolein exposure
      compared to controls without CI. METHODS: Individuals with CI (n=18) and controls
      without CI (n=19) were exposed in an exposure chamber. Each participant took part
      in two exposure conditions - one with heptane (the masking compound), and one
      with heptane and acrolein at a dose below previously reported sensory irritation
      thresholds. The exposures lasted for 60min. Symptoms and confidence ratings were
      measured continuously throughout the exposure as were measurements of
      electrodermal activity and self-reported tear-film break-up time. Participants
      were blind to exposure condition. RESULTS: Individuals with CI, compared with
      controls reported greater sensory irritation in the eyes, nose and throat when
      exposed to acrolein masked with heptane. There was no difference during exposure
      to heptane. CONCLUSIONS: Masked exposure to acrolein at a concentration below the
      previously reported detection threshold is perceived as more irritating by
      individuals with CI compared with controls. The results indicate that there is
      altered trigeminal reactivity in those with CI compared to controls.

PMID- 28359836
TI  - Development and Pilot Implementation of a Trauma-Informed Care Curriculum for
      Pediatric Residents.

PMID- 28359838
TI  - Graphene oxide nanosheets induced genotoxicity and pulmonary injury in mice.
AB  - : Graphene and graphene-related materials have broadly applied in biomedical
      purposes due to their unique properties, thus safety evaluation of them is
      crucial. This study was performed to explore the genotoxic and pulmonary toxic
      potential of different doses of graphene oxide nanosheets' (GOs) in mice.A total
      of 90 male mature mice were randomly divided into six groups of fifteen mice per
      each, five groups were intraperitoneally injected by GO at doses of 10, 50, 100,
      250 and 500MUg/kg b.w once weekly in addition to the control group that was
      injected intraperitoneally with 0.2ml saline solution. Five animals from each
      group were euthanized after 7, 28 and 56days post treatment. Evaluation of
      genotoxicity was performed through detection of chromosomal aberrations in bone
      marrow while assessment of lung injury was made by determination of DNA
      fragmentation in lung specimens using the alkali Comet assay, pulmonary oxidative
      markers estimation and finally histopathological investigations. Results revealed
      that GOs induced variable structural chromosomal aberrations (SCA) in bone marrow
      and DNA damage of lung cells that were time and dose dependent and represented by
      increase in%DNA in comet tail, tail moment and tail length and decrease in% head
      DNA in nuclei of lung of GOs-treated mice versus control groups in addition, GOs
      induced various changes in pulmonary oxidative stress parameters that were
      affected by dose and duration of treatment compared with the control as well as
      various pulmonary histopathological alterations were detected indicating lung
      injury. CONCLUSION: GO potentiate the induction of genotoxicity and pulmonary
      injury in mice in time and dose dependent manner.

PMID- 28359839
TI  - A novel flexible drill device enabling arthroscopic transosseous repair of
      Bankart lesions.
AB  - : We have developed a flexible drill device that makes arthroscopic transosseous
      repair possible, and report preliminary results. Twelve patients with post
      traumatic anterior inferior glenohumeral instability were selected. SURGICAL
      TECHNIQUE: the flexible drill device is inserted into the shoulder joint through
      the posterior portal and the guide pipe unit is placed 5mm posterior to the
      margin of the anterior glenoid rim. The flexible drill is driven through the
      glenoid with the power drill, creating a hole in the glenoid. A non-absorbable
      suture is passed through the hole and a sliding knot tying is performed over the
      capsule and labrum after completing stitches with the suture hook loaded. The
      same procedures are repeated in the 2, 3 and 4 o'clock positions of the glenoid.
      There was no recurrence of dislocation at the mean follow-up period of 52.3
      months. The mean Rowe score was 89.5.

PMID- 28359840
TI  - SAMHD1 is active in cycling cells permissive to HIV-1 infection.
AB  - SAMHD1 is a triphosphohydrolase that restricts HIV-1 by limiting the
      intracellular dNTP pool required for reverse transcription. Although SAMHD1 is
      expressed and active/unphosphorylated in most cell lines, its restriction
      activity is thought to be relevant only in non-cycling cells. However, an in
      depth evaluation of SAMHD1 function and relevance in cycling cells is required.
      Here, we show that SAMHD1-induced degradation by HIV-2 Vpx affects the dNTP pool
      and HIV-1 replication capacity in the presence of the 3'-azido-3'-deoxythymidine
      (AZT) in cycling cells. Similarly, in SAMHD1 knockout cells, HIV-1 showed
      increased replicative capacity in the presence of nucleoside inhibitors,
      especially AZT, that was reverted by re-expression of wild type SAMHD1.
      Sensitivity to non-nucleoside inhibitors (nevirapine and efavirenz) or the
      integrase inhibitor raltegravir was not affected by SAMHD1. Combination of three
      mutations (S18A, T21A, T25A) significantly prevented SAMHD1 phosphorylation but
      did not significantly affect HIV-1 replication in the presence of AZT. Our
      results demonstrate that SAMHD1 is active in HIV-1 permissive cells, does not
      modify susceptibility to HIV-1 infection but strongly affects sensitivity to
      nucleoside inhibitors.

PMID- 28359841
TI  - Harnessing cAMP signaling in musculoskeletal regenerative engineering.
AB  - This paper reviews the most recent findings in the search for small molecule
      cyclic AMP analogues regarding their potential use in musculoskeletal
      regenerative engineering.

PMID- 28359842
TI  - History of traumatic brain injury in prison populations: A systematic review.
AB  - : Traumatic brain injury (TBI) can lead to cognitive, behavioural and social
      impairments. The relationship between criminality and a history of TBI has been
      addressed on several occasions. OBJECTIVE: The objective of this review was to
      present an update on current knowledge concerning the existence of a history of
      TBI in prison populations. METHODS: PubMed and PsycINFO databases were searched
      for relevant papers, using the PRISMA guidelines. We selected papers describing
      TBI prevalence among incarcerated individuals and some that also discussed the
      validity of such studies. RESULTS: Thirty-three papers were selected. The
      majority of the papers were on prison populations in Australia (3/33), Europe
      (5/33) and the USA (22/33). The selected studies found prevalence rates of the
      history of TBI ranging from 9.7% and 100%, with an average of 46% (calculated on
      a total population of 9342). However, the level of evidence provided by the
      literature was poor according to the French national health authority scale. The
      majority of the prisoners were males with an average age of 37. In most of the
      papers (25/33), prevalence was evaluated using a questionnaire. The influence of
      TBI severity on criminality could not be analysed because of a lack of data in
      the majority of papers. Twelve papers mentioned that several comorbidities
      (mental health problems, use of alcohol...) were frequently found among prisoners
      with a history of TBI. Two papers established the validity of the use of
      questionnaires to screen for a history of TBI. CONCLUSION: These results
      confirmed the high prevalence of a history of TBI in prison populations. However,
      they do not allow conclusions to be drawn about a possible link between
      criminality and TBI. Specific surveys need to be performed to study this issue.
      The authors suggest ways of improving the screening and healthcare made available
      to these patients.

PMID- 28359844
TI  - Sequencing of the Hepatitis D Virus RNA WHO International Standard.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Well-characterized, stable calibration materials are essential to
      standardize quantitative viral reporting. The preferred calibration materials are
      the WHO International Standards and secondary standards derived from them. In
      2013, the 1st WHO International Standard for Hepatitis D Virus (HDV) RNA became
      available. During the course of assay development in our laboratory, differences
      between the published sequence (GenBank ID: HQ005371) and sequence we generated
      from the WHO HDV Standard were identified. OBJECTIVES: We sought to sequence the
      entire genome of the WHO HDV Standard and compare the results to the published
      sequence. STUDY DESIGN: RNA extracted from the WHO HDV Standard was used to
      generate five overlapping PCR products, including one covering the entire HDV
      genome, which were Sanger sequenced using standard dye-terminator chemistry.
      Total RNA from the WHO HDV Standard was also converted to a cDNA library
      generating 2.1 million sequencing reads on a NextSeq500 instrument. RESULTS:
      Sanger sequencing produced 32 overlapping, partial sequences of the HDV genome.
      RNA-seq resulted in 8100 HDV sequences covering the viral genome an average of
      645-fold. Sanger and RNA-seq consensus sequences had 100% agreement and showed
      89.0% nucleotide identity with the published WHO HDV Standard sequence. BLAST
      analysis revealed HQ005369 as the closest match with 99.2% nucleotide identity.
      CONCLUSIONS: HQ005369 was deposited in GenBank along with HQ005371 and seven
      others from a study of nine Turkish patients. A sample mix-up or clerical error
      may have resulted in the incorrect association of identifier and sequence. The
      correct nucleic acid sequence for standards is critical for test accuracy,
      optimization, calibration, and troubleshooting.

PMID- 28359845
TI  - Detection of cytomegalovirus drug resistance mutations in solid organ transplant
      recipients with suspected resistance.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Current guidelines recommend that treatment of resistant
      cytomegalovirus (CMV) in solid organ transplant (SOT) recipients must be based on
      genotypic analysis. However, this recommendation is not systematically followed.
      OBJECTIVES: To assess the presence of mutations associated with CMV resistance in
      SOT recipients with suspected resistance, their associated risk factors and the
      clinical impact of resistance. STUDY DESIGN: Using Sanger sequencing we
      prospectively assessed the presence of resistance mutations in a nation-wide
      prospective study between September 2013-August 2015. RESULTS: Of 39 patients
      studied, 9 (23%) showed resistance mutations. All had one mutation in the UL 97
      gene and two also had one mutation in the UL54 gene. Resistance mutations were
      more frequent in lung transplant recipients (44% p=0.0068) and in patients
      receiving prophylaxis >=6 months (57% vs. 17%, p=0.0180). The mean time between
      transplantation and suspicion of resistance was longer in patients with mutations
      (239 vs. 100days, respectively, p=0.0046) as was the median treatment duration
      before suspicion (45 vs. 16days, p=0.0081). There were no significant differences
      according to the treatment strategies or the mean CMV load at the time of
      suspicion. Of note, resistance-associated mutations appeared in one patient
      during CMV prophylaxis and also in a seropositive organ recipient. Incomplete
      suppression of CMV was more frequent in patients with confirmed resistance.
      CONCLUSIONS: Our study confirms the need to assess CMV resistance mutations in
      any patient with criteria of suspected clinical resistance. Early confirmation of
      the presence of resistance mutations is essential to optimize the management of
      these patients.

PMID- 28359843
TI  - It takes a village to raise a branch: Cellular mechanisms of the initiation of
      axon collateral branches.
AB  - The formation of axon collateral branches from the pre-existing shafts of axons
      is an important aspect of neurodevelopment and the response of the nervous system
      to injury. This article provides an overview of the role of the cytoskeleton and
      signaling mechanisms in the formation of axon collateral branches. Both the actin
      filament and microtubule components of the cytoskeleton are required for the
      formation of axon branches. Recent work has begun to shed light on how these two
      elements of the cytoskeleton are integrated by proteins that functionally or
      physically link the cytoskeleton. While a number of signaling pathways have been
      determined as having a role in the formation of axon branches, the complexity of
      the downstream mechanisms and links to specific signaling pathways remain to be
      fully determined. The regulation of intra-axonal protein synthesis and organelle
      function are also emerging as components of signal-induced axon branching.
      Although much has been learned in the last couple of decades about the
      mechanistic basis of axon branching we can look forward to continue elucidating
      this complex biological phenomenon with the aim of understanding how multiple
      signaling pathways, cytoskeletal regulators and organelles are coordinated
      locally along the axon to give rise to a branch.

PMID- 28359847
TI  - Abeta propagation and strains: Implications for the phenotypic diversity in
      Alzheimer's disease.
AB  - The progressive nature of Alzheimer's disease (AD) is thought to occur, at least
      in part, by the self-replication and spreading of Abeta and Tau aggregates
      through a prion mechanism. Evidence now exists that structural variants of Abeta
      prions can propagate their distinct conformations through template-directed
      folding of naive Abeta peptides. This notion implicates that the first self
      propagating Abeta assembly to emerge in the brain dictates the conformation,
      anatomical spread and pace of subsequently formed deposits. It is hypothesized
      that a prion mechanism defines the molecular basis underlying the diverse
      clinicopathologic phenotypes observed across the spectrum of AD patients. Thus,
      distinct AD strains might require further sub-classification based on biochemical
      and structural characterization of aggregated Abeta. Here, we review the evidence
      for distinct, self-propagating Abeta strains, and discuss potential cellular
      mechanisms that might contribute to their manifestation. From this perspective,
      we also explore the implications of Abeta strains for current FDA-approved
      medical imaging probes and therapies for amyloid. Ultimately, the discovery of
      new molecular tools to differentiate Abeta strains and dissect the heterogeneity
      of AD may lead to the development of more informative diagnostics and strain
      specific therapeutics.

PMID- 28359848
TI  - Traditional Chinese medicine therapy reduces the catheter indwelling risk in
      dementia patients with difficult voiding symptoms.
AB  - ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE: Dementia is an international health issue in
      elder people. Indwelling catheters to address voiding problems in patients with
      dementia introduce risks of urinary tract infection or urethral trauma.
      Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) is widely used to treat difficult voiding
      symptoms in Taiwan. We investigated the long-term clinical effects of TCM for
      reducing the risk of indwelling catheterization in dementia patients with
      difficult voiding symptoms. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We used National Health
      Insurance Research Database to conduct a retrospective study of dementia patients
      with difficult voiding symptoms between 1997 and 2012 in Taiwan. We collected
      medical data from the onset of dementia to post-catheter insertion. Cox
      regression proportional hazards model and cumulative incidence of the urinal
      catheterization curve were used to determine the association between catheter
      indwelling risk and TCM use. RESULTS: Data from 11069 patients with dementia was
      assessed, and 3982 participants who received medication for relief voiding
      symptoms were categorized into 2 groups: 2121 (53.3%) were TCM users and 1861
      (46.7%) were TCM non-users with a mean follow-up period of 7.25 years. Cox
      regression demonstrated that using TCM may decrease the need for indwelling
      catheterization in patients with dementia (adjusted hazards ratio (aHR) =0.58,
      95% confidence interval (95% CI): 0.52-0.66) compared to TCM non-users. A
      relationship between longer TCM use and reduced urinary retention with indwelling
      catheter use was observed, especially in patients who used TCM for >=200 days
      (aHR =0.46, 95% CI: 0.39-0.55). Ji-Sheng-Shen-Qi-Wan (aHR =0.44, 95% CI: 0.21
      0.88), Wu-Ling-San (aHR =0.47, 95% CI: 0.16-0.92), Zhi-Bai-Di-Huang-Wan (aHR
      =0.50, 95% CI: 0.26-0.94), were the most 3 beneficial TCM formulae. CONCLUSIONS:
      The results of this study suggest that TCM is associated with a reduced risk of
      indwelling catheterization in patients with dementia, with enhanced benefits from
      longer durations of TCM use.

PMID- 28359846
TI  - Long-term effect of neonatal inhibition of APP gamma-secretase on hippocampal
      development in the Ts65Dn mouse model of Down syndrome.
AB  - Neurogenesis impairment is considered a major determinant of the intellectual
      disability that characterizes Down syndrome (DS), a genetic condition caused by
      triplication of chromosome 21. Previous evidence obtained in the Ts65Dn mouse
      model of DS showed that the triplicated gene APP (amyloid precursor protein) is
      critically involved in neurogenesis alterations. In particular, excessive levels
      of AICD (amyloid precursor protein intracellular domain) resulting from APP
      cleavage by gamma-secretase increase the transcription of Ptch1, a Sonic Hedgehog
      (Shh) receptor that keeps the mitogenic Shh pathway repressed. Previous evidence
      showed that neonatal treatment with ELND006, an inhibitor of gamma-secretase,
      reinstates the Shh pathway and fully restores neurogenesis in Ts65Dn pups. In the
      framework of potential therapies for DS, it is extremely important to establish
      whether the positive effects of early intervention are retained after treatment
      cessation. Therefore, the goal of the current study was to establish whether
      early treatment with ELND006 leaves an enduring trace in the brain of Ts65Dn
      mice. Ts65Dn and euploid pups were treated with ELND006 in the postnatal period
      P3-P15 and the outcome of treatment was examined at ~one month after treatment
      cessation. We found that in treated Ts65Dn mice the pool of proliferating cells
      in the hippocampal dentate gyrus (DG) and total number of granule neurons were
      still restored as was the number of pre- and postsynaptic terminals in the
      stratum lucidum of CA3, the site of termination of the mossy fibers from the DG.
      Accordingly, patch-clamp recording from field CA3 showed functional normalization
      of the input to CA3. Unlike in field CA3, the number of pre- and postsynaptic
      terminals in the DG of treated Ts65Dn mice was no longer fully restored. The
      finding that many of the positive effects of neonatal treatment were retained
      after treatment cessation provides proof of principle demonstration of the
      efficacy of early inhibition of gamma-secretase for the improvement of brain
      development in DS.

PMID- 28359849
TI  - A review on traditional uses, phytochemistry, pharmacology, pharmacokinetics and
      toxicology of the genus Peganum.
AB  - ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE: The plants of the genus Peganum have a long
      history as a Chinese traditional medicine for the treatment of cough,
      hypertension, diabetes, asthma, jaundice, colic, lumbago, and many other human
      ailments. Additionally, the plants can be used as an amulet against evil-eye, dye
      and so on, which have become increasingly popular in Asia, Iran, Northwest India,
      and North Africa. AIM OF THE REVIEW: The present paper reviewed the
      ethnopharmacology, phytochemistry, analytical methods, biological activities,
      metabolism, pharmacokinetics, toxicology, and drug interaction of the genus
      Peganum in order to assess the ethnopharmacological use and to explore
      therapeutic potentials and future opportunities for research. MATERIALS AND
      METHODS: Information on studies of the genus Peganum was gathered via the
      Internet (using Google Scholar, Baidu Scholar, Elsevier, ACS, Pudmed, Web of
      Science, CNKI and EMBASE) and libraries. Additionally, information was also
      obtained from some local books, PhD and MS's dissertations. RESULTS: The genus
      Peganum has played an important role in traditional Chinese medicine. The main
      bioactive metabolites of the genus include alkaloids, flavonoids, volatile oils,
      etc. Scientific studies on extracts and formulations revealed a wide range of
      pharmacological activities, such as cholinesterase and monoamine oxidase
      inhibitory activities, antitumor, anti-hypertension, anticoagulant, antidiabetic,
      antimicrobial, insecticidal, antiparasidal, anti-leishmaniasis, antioxidant, and
      anti-inflammatory. CONCLUSIONS: Based on this review, there is some evidence for
      extracts' pharmacological effects on Alzheimer's and Parkinson's diseases,
      cancer, diabetes, hypertension. Some indications from ethnomedicine have been
      confirmed by pharmacological effects, such as the cholinesterase, monoamine
      oxidase and DNA topoisomerase inhibitory activities, hypoglycemic and
      vasodilation effects of this genus. The available literature showed that most of
      the activities of the genus Peganum can be attributed to the active alkaloids.
      Data regarding many aspects of the genus such as mechanisms of actions,
      metabolism, pharmacokinetics, toxicology, potential drug interactions with
      standard-of-care medications is still limited which call for additional studies
      particularly in humans. Further assessments and clinical trials should be
      performed before it can be integrated into medicinal practices.

PMID- 28359850
TI  - Cancer chemopreventive activity of compounds isolated from Waltheria indica.
AB  - ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE: Waltheria indica L. is traditionally used in
      several countries against inflammatory related diseases and cancer, mainly as a
      decoction of the aerial parts. AIM OF THE STUDY: The transcription factor NF
      kappaB is known to induce tumor promotion and progression and is considered a
      major player in inflammation-driven cancers. Therefore, inhibitors of this
      pathway possess cancer chemopreventive and chemotherapeutic activities. This
      study aimed first to confirm the use of Waltheria indica as a traditional anti
      inflammatory remedy by assessing the NF-kappaB inhibitory activity and then to
      identify the major bioactive compounds. The isolated compounds were also tested
      for their QR inducing property, a complementary strategy in cancer
      chemoprevention able to target tumor initiation. Finally, the relevance of in
      vitro results was examined by investigating the occurrence of the active
      compounds in traditional preparations. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Compounds were
      isolated from the dichloromethane extract of the aerial parts using flash
      chromatography and semi-preparative HPLC. NF-kappaB inhibitory activity of pure
      compounds from Waltheria indica was assessed using a luciferase reporter assay in
      HEK293 cells. Their QR inducing activity was also assessed in Hepa1c1c7 cells.
      RESULTS: Twenty-nine compounds, of which 5 are new, were obtained from the
      dichloromethane extract and tested for their cancer chemoprevention activity.
      Eleven compounds inhibited NF-kappaB and/or induced QR in the low to mid uM
      range. Chrysosplenol E (20) was active in both tests. Two of the most potent NF
      kappaB inhibitors, waltherione A (4) and waltherione C (5), as well as 20 were
      found in the traditional decoction, in which 4 and 5 were major compounds.
      CONCLUSION: The presence of potent NF-kappaB inhibitors and QR inducing compounds
      in the decoction of the aerial parts of Waltheria indica supports its traditional
      use in inflammatory-related diseases and cancer chemoprevention.

PMID- 28359851
TI  - Characterization of a protein-bound polysaccharide from Herba Epimedii and its
      metabolic mechanism in chronic fatigue syndrome.
AB  - OBJECTIVES: Herba Epimedii is one of the famous Traditional Chinese Medicines
      used to treat the chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS). The polysaccharides are the
      main active components in H. epimedii. The aim of this study is to discover the
      therapeutic effect and metabolic mechanism of H. epimedii polysaccharides against
      CFS. METHODS: The polysaccharide conjugates named HEP2-a were isolated from the
      leaves of H. epimedii using a water extraction method, and the general
      physicochemical properties of HEP2-a were analysed. In addition, a CFS rat model
      was established, and then, urinary metabonomic studies were performed using gas
      chromatography time-of-flight mass spectrometry (GC-TOF-MS) in combination with
      multivariate statistical analysis. RESULTS: The physicochemical properties
      revealed that HEP2-a had an average molecular weight of 13.6*104Da and consisted
      of mannose (4.41%), rhamnose (5.43%), glucose (31.26%), galactose (27.07%),
      arabinose (23.43%), and galacturonic acid (8.40%). The amino acids in HEP2-a
      include glutamate, cysteine, leucine, tyrosine, lysine, and histidine. Molecular
      morphology studies revealed many highly curled spherical particles with diameters
      of 5-10um in solids and 100-200nm for particles in water. Five metabolites in the
      HEP2-a group were oppositely and significantly changed compared to the CFS model
      group. CONCLUSION: Two metabolic pathways were identified as significant
      metabolic pathways involved with HEP2-a. The therapeutic effects of HEP2-a on CFS
      were partially due to the restoration of these disturbed pathways.

PMID- 28359852
TI  - Lithium and memantine improve spatial memory impairment and neuroinflammation
      induced by beta-amyloid 1-42 oligomers in rats.
AB  - Alzheimer's disease (AD) is the most common cause of dementia in the elderly. The
      main hallmarks of this disease include progressive cognitive dysfunction and an
      accumulation of soluble oligomers of beta-amyloid (Abeta) 1-42 peptide. In this
      research, we show the effects of lithium and memantine on spatial memory and
      neuroinflammation in an Abeta1-42 oligomers-induced animal model of dementia in
      rats. Abeta 1-42 oligomers were administered intrahippocampally to male wistar
      rats to induce dementia. Oral treatments with memantine (5mg/kg), lithium
      (5mg/kg), or both drugs in combination were performed over a period of 17days.
      14days after the administration of the Abeta1-42 oligomers, the radial arm-maze
      task was performed. At the end of the test period, the animals were euthanized,
      and the frontal cortex and hippocampus were removed for use in our analysis. Our
      results showed that alone treatments with lithium or memantine ameliorate the
      spatial memory damage caused by Abeta1-42. The animals that received combined
      doses of lithium and memantine showed better cognitive performance in their
      latency time and total errors to find food when compared to the results from
      alone treatments. Moreover, in our study, lithium and/or memantine were able to
      reverse the decreases observed in the levels of interleukin (IL)-4 that were
      induced by Abeta1-42 in the frontal cortex. In the hippocampus, only memantine
      and the association of memantine and lithium were able to reverse this effect.
      Alone doses of lithium and memantine or the association of lithium and memantine
      caused reductions in the levels of IL-1beta in the frontal cortex and
      hippocampus, and decreased the levels of TNF-alpha in the hippocampus. Taken
      together, these data suggest that lithium and memantine might be a potential
      therapy against cognitive impairment and neuroinflammation induced by Abeta1-42,
      and their association may be a promising alternative to be investigated in the
      treatment of AD-like dementia.

PMID- 28359853
TI  - Adult neurogenesis reduction by a cytostatic treatment improves spatial reversal
      learning in rats.
AB  - Adult neurogenesis in the dentate gyrus adds a substantial number of new
      functional neurons to the hippocampus network in rodents. To date, however, the
      function of these new granule cells remains unclear. We conducted an experiment
      to assess the contribution of adult neurogenesis in the dentate gyrus to
      acquisition and reversal learning in a task that predominantly requires
      generalization of a rule. Young adult male Long-Evans rats were repeatedly
      administered either a cytostatic temozolomide or saline for a period of four
      weeks (3 injections per week). Post treatment, animals were injected with
      bromodeoxyuridine to quantify adult neurogenesis in the dentate gyrus. For
      behavioral assessment we used hippocampus-dependent active place avoidance with
      reversal in a Carousel maze. Animals first learned to avoid a 60 degrees  sector
      on the rotating arena. Afterwards, sector was relocated to the opposite side of
      the rotating arena (reversal). The administration of temozolomide significantly
      improved the reversal performance compared to saline-treated rats. Our results
      suggest a significant, level-dependent, improvement of reversal learning in
      animals with reduced adult neurogenesis in hippocampus.

PMID- 28359854
TI  - Optimizing culture conditions for production of intra and extracellular inulinase
      and invertase from Aspergillus niger ATCC 20611 by response surface methodology
      (RSM).
AB  - The aim of this study was obtain a model that maximizes growth and production of
      inulinase and invertase by Aspergillus niger ATCC 20611, employing response
      surface methodology (RSM). The RSM with a five-variable and three-level central
      composite design (CCD) was employed to optimize the medium composition. Results
      showed that the experimental data could be appropriately fitted into a second
      order polynomial model with a coefficient of determination (R2) more than 0.90
      for all responses. This model adequately explained the data variation and
      represented the actual relationships between the parameters and responses. The pH
      and temperature value of the cultivation medium were the most significant
      variables and the effects of inoculum size and agitation speed were slightly
      lower. The intra-extracellular inulinase, invertase production and biomass
      content increased 10-32 fold in the optimized medium condition (pH 6.5,
      temperature 30 degrees C, 6% (v/v), inoculum size and 150rpm agitation speed) by
      RSM compared with medium optimized through the one-factor-at-a-time method. The
      process development and intensification for simultaneous production of intra
      extracellular inulinase (exo and endo inulinase) and invertase from A. niger
      could be used for industrial applications.

PMID- 28359855
TI  - Draft genome sequence of Streptomyces sp. strain F1, a potential source for
      glycoside hydrolases isolated from Brazilian soil.
AB  - Here, we show the draft genome sequence of Streptomyces sp. F1, a strain isolated
      from soil with great potential for secretion of hydrolytic enzymes used to
      deconstruct cellulosic biomass. The draft genome assembly of Streptomyces sp.
      strain F1 has 69 contigs with a total genome size of 8,142,296bp and G+C 72.65%.
      Preliminary genome analysis identified 175 proteins as Carbohydrate-Active
      Enzymes, being 85 glycoside hydrolases organized in 33 distinct families. This
      draft genome information provides new insights on the key genes encoding
      hydrolytic enzymes involved in biomass deconstruction employed by soil bacteria.

PMID- 28359857
TI  - Effect of e-beam sterilization on the in vivo performance of conventional UHMWPE
      tibial plates for total knee arthroplasty.
AB  - : Although the introduction of highly cross-linked polyethylene is effective in
      reducing the amount of wear, there are still major concerns regarding the use of
      this material in total knee arthroplasty (TKA), essentially due to the reduction
      of fatigue resistance and toughness. Monitoring the in vivo performance of
      different types of UHMWPE is a much needed task to tackle the lack of information
      on which should be the most reliable choice for TKA. The present study was aimed
      at investigating the mid-term degradation of electron beam sterilized
      conventional UHMWPE tibial plates. Visual inspection enabled to grade the surface
      damage of 12 retrievals according to the Hood's score: the total wear damage
      correlates to the in vivo time (Spearman's rho=0.681, p<0.05) and BMI (rho=0.834,
      p<0.001). Surface degradation was less severe than that quantified in similar
      studies on gamma-sterilized UHMWPE. Raman and infra-red spectroscopies were
      utilized to unfold the microstructural modifications. In the load zone,
      polyethylene whitened damage regions were noticed in the inserts implanted longer
      than 1year, in which oxidation index (OI) is clearly higher than 1 (max 8). The
      maximum OI (rho=0.802, p<0.005) and alphac (rho=0.816, p<0.005) correlate to the
      implantation time in the load zone. The crystallinity increased along with the
      extent of oxidation. Concentration of absorbed species from synovial fluid is
      higher in the contact zone and correlates to maximum OI (Spearman's rho=0.699,
      p=0.011). Absorption was promoted in the contact area by the mechanical action of
      the femoral counterpart and it exacerbated the oxidative degradation in
      retrievals with high concentration of absorbed species. In the non-load zone,
      mild but detectable oxidation was observed, probably due to free radicals trapped
      after sterilization. STATEMENT OF SIGNIFICANCE: Although several clinical studies
      on retrieved tibial bearings have been published so far, monitoring and comparing
      the in vivo performance of different types of UHMWPE is still a much needed task.
      The present study reports for the first time results on the effect of
      sterilization by electron beam on the mid-term in vivo performance of
      conventional UHMWPE tibial plates. In the present investigation, visual
      inspection of wear damage based on the Hood's scoring method, Raman micro
      spectroscopy and Fourier-transformed infrared spectroscopy were utilized to
      unveil the damage, the microstructural modifications and the oxidation occurred
      during implantation. The findings of this investigation have been discussed and
      compared to previous clinical studies on gamma-air sterilized, gamma-inert
      sterilized tibial bearings.

PMID- 28359856
TI  - Evaluation of short-chain-length polyhydroxyalkanoate accumulation in Bacillus
      aryabhattai.
AB  - This study was focused on the polyhydroxybutyrate (PHB) accumulation property of
      Bacillus aryabhattai isolated from environment. Twenty-four polyhydroxyalkanoate
      (PHA) producers were screened out from sixty-two environmental bacterial isolates
      based on Sudan Black B colony staining. Based on their PHA accumulation property,
      six promising isolates were further screened out. The most productive isolate
      PHB10 was identified as B. aryabhattai PHB10. The polymer production maxima were
      3.264g/L, 2.181g/L, 1.47g/L, 1.742g/L and 1.786g/L in glucose, fructose, maltose,
      starch and glycerol respectively. The bacterial culture reached its stationary
      and declining phases at 18h and 21h respectively and indicated growth-associated
      PHB production. Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) spectra confirmed the material
      as PHB. The material has thermal stability between 30 and 140 degrees C, melting
      point at 170 degrees C and maximum thermal degradation at 287 degrees C. The
      molecular weight and poly dispersion index of the polymer were found as 199.7kDa
      and 2.67 respectively. The bacterium B. aryabhattai accumulating PHB up to 75% of
      cell dry mass utilizing various carbon sources is a potential candidate for large
      scale production of bacterial polyhydroxybutyrate.

PMID- 28359858
TI  - Surface immobilized antibody orientation determined using ToF-SIMS and
      multivariate analysis.
AB  - : Antibody orientation at solid phase interfaces plays a critical role in the
      sensitive detection of biomolecules during immunoassays. Correctly oriented
      antibodies with solution-facing antigen binding regions have improved antigen
      capture as compared to their randomly oriented counterparts. Direct
      characterization of oriented proteins with surface analysis methods still remains
      a challenge however surface sensitive techniques such as Time-of-Flight Secondary
      Ion Mass Spectrometry (ToF-SIMS) provide information-rich data that can be used
      to probe antibody orientation. Diethylene glycol dimethyl ether plasma polymers
      (DGpp) functionalized with chromium (DGpp+Cr) have improved immunoassay
      performance that is indicative of preferential antibody orientation. Herein, ToF
      SIMS data from proteolytic fragments of anti-EGFR antibody bound to DGpp and
      DGpp+Cr are used to construct artificial neural network (ANN) and principal
      component analysis (PCA) models indicative of correctly oriented systems. Whole
      antibody samples (IgG) test against each of the models indicated preferential
      antibody orientation on DGpp+Cr. Cross-reference between ANN and PCA models yield
      20 mass fragments associated with F(ab')2 region representing correct
      orientation, and 23 mass fragments associated with the Fc region representing
      incorrect orientation. Mass fragments were then compared to amino acid fragments
      and amino acid composition in F(ab')2 and Fc regions. A ratio of the sum of the
      ToF-SIMS ion intensities from the F(ab')2 fragments to the Fc fragments
      demonstrated a 50% increase in intensity for IgG on DGpp+Cr as compared to DGpp.
      The systematic data analysis methodology employed herein offers a new approach
      for the investigation of antibody orientation applicable to a range of
      substrates. STATEMENT OF SIGNIFICANCE: Controlled orientation of antibodies at
      solid phases is critical for maximizing antigen detection in biosensors and
      immunoassays. Surface-sensitive techniques (such as ToF-SIMS), capable of direct
      characterization of surface immobilized and oriented antibodies, are under
      utilized in current practice. Selection of a small number of mass fragments for
      analysis, typically pertaining to amino acids, is commonplace in literature,
      leaving the majority of the information-rich spectra unanalyzed. The novelty of
      this work is the utilization of a comprehensive, unbiased mass fragment list and
      the employment of principal component analysis (PCA) and artificial neural
      network (ANN) models in a unique methodology to prove antibody orientation. This
      methodology is of significant and broad interest to the scientific community as
      it is applicable to a range of substrates and allows for direct, label-free
      characterization of surface bound proteins.

PMID- 28359859
TI  - Raman spectroscopy of biomedical polyethylenes.
AB  - With the development of three-dimensional Raman algorithms for local mapping of
      oxidation and plastic strain, and the ability to resolve molecular orientation
      patterns with microscopic spatial resolution, there is an opportunity to re
      examine many of the foundations on which our understanding of biomedical grade
      ultra-high molecular weight polyethylenes (UHMWPEs) are based. By implementing
      polarized Raman spectroscopy into an automatized tool with an improved precision
      in non-destructively resolving Euler angles, oxidation levels, and microscopic
      strain, we become capable to make accurate and traceable measurements of the in
      vitro and in vivo tribological responses of a variety of commercially available
      UHMWPE bearings for artificial hip and knee joints. In this paper, we first
      review the foundations and the main algorithms for Raman analyses of oxidation
      and strain of biomedical polyethylene. Then, we critically re-examine a large
      body of Raman data previously collected on different polyethylene joint
      components after in vitro testing or in vivo service, in order to shed new light
      on an area of particular importance to joint orthopedics: the microscopic nature
      of UHMWPE surface degradation in the human body. A complex scenario of physical
      chemistry appears from the Raman analyses, which highlights the importance of
      molecular-scale phenomena besides mere microstructural changes. The availability
      of the Raman microscopic probe for visualizing oxidation patterns unveiled
      striking findings related to the chemical contribution to wear degradation: chain
      breaking and subsequent formation of carboxylic acid sites preferentially occur
      in correspondence of third-phase regions, and they are triggered by emission of
      dehydroxylated oxygen from ceramic oxide counterparts. These findings profoundly
      differ from more popular (and simplistic) notions of mechanistic tribology
      adopted in analyzing joint simulator data. Statement of Significance This review
      was dedicated to the theoretical and experimental evaluation of the commercially
      available biomedical polyethylene samples by Raman spectroscopy with regard to
      their molecular textures, oxidative patterns, and plastic strain at the
      microscopic level in the three dimensions of the Euclidean space. The main
      achievements could be listed, as follow: (i) visualization of molecular patterns
      at the surface of UHMWPE bearings operating against metallic components; (ii)
      differentiation between wear and creep deformation in retrievals; (iii) non
      destructive mapping of oxidative patterns; and, (iv) the clarification of
      chemical interactions between oxide/non-oxide ceramic heads and advanced UHMWPE
      liners.

PMID- 28359861
TI  - Corrections.

PMID- 28359863
TI  - Ketamine and ECT: better alone than together?

PMID- 28359862
TI  - Ketamine augmentation of electroconvulsive therapy to improve neuropsychological
      and clinical outcomes in depression (Ketamine-ECT): a multicentre, double-blind,
      randomised, parallel-group, superiority trial.
AB  - BACKGROUND: The use of electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) is limited by concerns
      about its cognitive adverse effects. Preliminary evidence suggests that
      administering the glutamate antagonist ketamine with ECT might alleviate
      cognitive adverse effects and accelerate symptomatic improvement; we tested this
      in a randomised trial of low-dose ketamine. METHODS: In this multicentre,
      randomised, parallel-group study in 11 ECT suites serving inpatient and
      outpatient care settings in seven National Health Service trusts in the North of
      England, we recruited severely depressed patients, who were diagnosed as having
      unipolar or bipolar depressive episodes defined as moderate or severe by DSM-IV
      criteria, aged at least 18 years, and were able and willing to provide written
      consent to participate in the study. Patients were randomly assigned (1:1) to
      ketamine (0.5 mg/kg intravenous bolus) or saline adjunctive to the anaesthetic
      for the duration of their ECT course. Patients and assessment and ECT treatment
      teams were masked to treatment allocation, although anaesthetists administering
      the study medication were not. We analysed the primary outcome, Hopkins Verbal
      Learning Test-Revised delayed verbal recall (HVLT-R-DR) after four ECT
      treatments, using a Gaussian repeated measures model in all patients receiving
      the first ECT treatment. In the same population, safety was assessed by adverse
      effect monitoring. This trial was registered with International Standard
      Randomised Controlled Trial Number, number ISRCTN14689382. FINDINGS: Between
      early December, 2012, and mid-June, 2015, 628 patients were screened for
      eligibility, of whom 79 were randomly assigned to treatment (40 in the ketamine
      group vs 39 in the saline group). Ketamine (mean 5.17, SD 2.92), when compared
      with saline (5.54, 3.42), had no benefit on the primary outcome (HVLT-R-DR;
      difference in means -0.43 [95% CI -1.73 to 0.87]). 15 (45%) of 33 ketamine
      treated patients compared with 10 (27%) of 37 patients receiving saline
      experienced at least one adverse event which included two (6%) of 33 patients who
      had ketamine-attributable transient psychological effects. Psychiatric adverse
      events were the most common in both groups (six [27%] of 22 adverse events in the
      ketamine group vs seven [54%] of 13 in the saline group). INTERPRETATION: No
      evidence of benefit for ketamine was found although the sample size used was
      small; however, the results excluded greater than a small to moderate benefit
      with 95% confidence. The results do not support the use of adjunctive low-dose
      ketamine in routine ECT treatment. FUNDING: National Institute for Health
      Research (NIHR) Efficacy and Mechanism Evaluation (EME) programme, an MRC and
      NIHR partnership.

PMID- 28359864
TI  - Reduction in adolescent depression after contact with mental health services: a
      longitudinal cohort study in the UK.

PMID- 28359860
TI  - Factors affecting increased risk for substance use disorders following traumatic
      brain injury: What we can learn from animal models.
AB  - Recent studies have helped identify multiple factors affecting increased risk for
      substance use disorders (SUDs) following traumatic brain injury (TBI). These
      factors include age at the time of injury, repetitive injury and TBI severity,
      neurocircuits, neurotransmitter systems, neuroinflammation, and sex differences.
      This review will address each of these factors by discussing 1) the clinical and
      preclinical data identifying patient populations at greatest risk for SUDs post
      TBI, 2) TBI-related neuropathology in discrete brain regions heavily implicated
      in SUDs, and 3) the effects of TBI on molecular mechanisms that may drive
      substance abuse behavior, like dopaminergic and glutamatergic transmission or
      neuroimmune signaling in mesolimbic regions of the brain. Although these studies
      have laid the groundwork for identifying factors that affect risk of SUDs post
      TBI, additional studies are required. Notably, preclinical models have been shown
      to recapitulate many of the behavioral, cellular, and neurochemical features of
      SUDs and TBI. Therefore, these models are well suited for answering important
      questions that remain in future investigations.

PMID- 28359865
TI  - Transcriptomic analysis of two Beauveria bassiana strains grown on cuticle
      extracts of the silkworm uncovers their different metabolic response at early
      infection stage.
AB  - Beauveria bassiana is an important entomopathogenic fungus which not only widely
      distributes in the environment but also shows phenotypic diversity. However, the
      mechanism of pathogenic differences among natural B. bassiana strains has not
      been revealed at transcriptome-wide level. In the present study, in order to
      explore the mechanism, two B. bassiana strains with different pathogenicity were
      isolated from silkworms (Bombyx mori L.) and selected to analyze the gene
      expression of early stage by culturing on cuticle extracts of the silkworm and
      using RNA-sequencing technique. A total of 2108 up-regulated and 1115 down
      regulated genes were identified in B. bassiana strain GXsk1011 (hyper-virulent
      strain) compared with B. bassiana strain GXtr1009 (hypo-virulent strain),
      respectively. The function categorization of differential expressed genes (DEGs)
      showed that most of them involved in metabolic process, biosynthesis of secondary
      metabolites, catalytic activity, and some involved in nutrition uptake, adhesion
      and host defense were also noted. Based on our data, distinct pathogenicity among
      different strains of B. bassiana may largely attribute to unique gene expression
      pattern which differed at very early infection process. Most of the genes
      involved in conidia adhesion, cuticle degradation and fungal growth were up
      regulated in hyper-virulent B. bassiana strain GXsk1011. Furthermore, in
      combination with fungal growth analysis, our research provided a clue that fungal
      growth may also play an important role during early infection process. The
      results will help to explain why different B. bassiana strains show distinct
      pathogenicity on the same host even under same condition. Moreover, the
      transcriptome data were also useful for screening potential virulence factors.

PMID- 28359866
TI  - mRNA imaging in the chloroplast of Chlamydomonas reinhardtii using the light-up
      aptamer Spinach.
AB  - Light-up aptamers are practical tools to image RNA localization in vivo. A now
      classical light-up aptamer system is the combination of the 3,5-difluoro-4
      hydroxybenzylidene (DFHBI) fluorogen and the RNA aptamer Spinach, which has been
      successfully used in bacterial and mammalian cells. However, light-up aptamers
      have not been used in algae. Here, we show that a simple vector, carrying
      Spinach, transcriptionally fused to the aphA-6 gene, can be effectively used to
      generate a functional light-up aptamer in the chloroplast of Chlamydomonas
      reinhardtii. After incubation with DFHBI, lines expressing the aphA-6/Spinach
      mRNA were observed with laser confocal microscopy to evaluate the functionality
      of the light-up aptamer in the chloroplast of C. reinhardtii. Clear and strong
      fluorescence was localized to the chloroplast, in the form of discrete spots.
      There was no background fluorescence in the strain lacking Spinach. Light-up
      aptamers could be further engineered to image RNA or to develop genetically
      encoded biosensors in algae.

PMID- 28359867
TI  - Plant tissue cultures as sources of new ene- and ketoreductase activities.
AB  - While many redox enzymes are nowadays available for synthetic applications, the
      toolbox of ene-reductases is still limited. Consequently, the screening for these
      enzymes from diverse sources in the search of new biocatalyst suitable for green
      chemistry approaches is needed. Among 13 plant tissue cultures, Medicago sativa
      and Tessaria absinthioides calli, as well as Capsicum annuum hairy roots, were
      selected due to their ability to hydrogenate the CC double bond of the model
      substrate 2-cyclohexene-1-one. The three axenic plant cultures showed more
      preference toward highly activated molecules such as nitrostyrene and maleimide
      rather than the classical substrates of the well-known Old Yellow Enzymes,
      resembling the skills of the NAD(P)H-dependent flavin-independent enzymes. When
      the three biocatalytic systems were applied in the reduction of chalcones, T.
      absinthioides showed high chemoselectivity toward the CC double bond whereas the
      other two demonstrated abilities to biohydrogenate the CC double bounds and the
      carbonyl groups in a sequential fashion.

PMID- 28359868
TI  - Heterologous expression of the Halothiobacillus neapolitanus carboxysomal gene
      cluster in Corynebacterium glutamicum.
AB  - Compartmentalization represents a ubiquitous principle used by living organisms
      to optimize metabolic flux and to avoid detrimental interactions within the
      cytoplasm. Proteinaceous bacterial microcompartments (BMCs) have therefore
      created strong interest for the encapsulation of heterologous pathways in
      microbial model organisms. However, attempts were so far mostly restricted to
      Escherichia coli. Here, we introduced the carboxysomal gene cluster of
      Halothiobacillus neapolitanus into the biotechnological platform species
      Corynebacterium gluta-micum. Transmission electron microscopy, fluorescence
      microscopy and single molecule localization microscopy suggested the formation of
      BMC-like structures in cells expressing the complete carboxysome operon or only
      the shell proteins. Purified carboxysomes consisted of the expected protein
      components as verified by mass spectrometry. Enzymatic assays revealed the
      functional production of RuBisCO in C. glutamicum both in the presence and
      absence of carboxysomal shell proteins. Furthermore, we could show that eYFP is
      targeted to the carboxysomes by fusion to the large RuBisCO subunit. Overall,
      this study represents the first transfer of an alpha-carboxysomal gene cluster
      into a Gram-positive model species supporting the modularity and orthogonality of
      these microcompartments, but also identified important challenges which need to
      be addressed on the way towards biotechnological application.

PMID- 28359869
TI  - Spondylodiskitis after Dilatation of Esophageal Radiation Stenosis: A Suspect for
      Metastasis.

PMID- 28359870
TI  - Adsorption of emerging contaminant metformin using graphene oxide.
AB  - The occurrence of emerging contaminants in our water resources poses potential
      threats to the livings. Due to the poor treatment in wastewater management,
      treatment technologies are needed to effectively remove these products for living
      organism safety. In this study, Graphene oxide (GO) was tested for the first time
      for its capacity to remove a kind of emerging wastewater contaminants, metformin.
      The research was conducted by using a series of systematic adsorption and kinetic
      experiments. The results indicated that GO could rapidly and efficiently reduce
      the concentration of metformin, which could provide a solution in handling this
      problem. The uptake of metformin on the graphene oxide was strongly dependent on
      temperature, pH, ionic strength, and background electrolyte. The adsorption
      kinetic experiments revealed that almost 80% removal of metformin was achieved
      within 20 min for all the doses studied, corresponding to the relatively high k1
      (0.232 min-1) and k2 (0.007 g mg-1 min-1) values in the kinetic models. It
      indicated that the highest adsorption capacity in the investigated range (qm) of
      GO for metformin was at pH 6.0 and 288 K. Thermodynamic study indicated that the
      adsorption was a spontaneous (DeltaG0 < 0) and exothermic (DeltaH0 < 0) process.
      The adsorption of metformin increased when the pH values changed from 4.0 to 6.0,
      and decreased adsorption were observed at pH 6.0-11.0. GO still exhibited
      excellent adsorption capacity after several desorption/adsorption cycles.
      Besides, both so-called pi-pi interactions and hydrogen bonds might be mainly
      responsible for the adsorption of metformin onto GO.

PMID- 28359871
TI  - Evaluation of functional parameters in the occlusion of complete denture wearers
      before and after prosthetic treatment.
AB  - PURPOSE: The aim of the study was to evaluate functional parameters of the
      occlusion in complete denture wearers before and after prosthetic treatment.
      METHODS: The sample used as the basis for the present study consisted of 50
      healthy Caucasian patients (35 women and 15 men), aged from 44 to 86 years
      (mean=69.18+/-10), with a total deficiency of teeth. All patients received new
      complete dentures. Each patient underwent lateral radiograph with the presence of
      complete dentures, both before (initially existing dentures) and after the
      prosthetic treatment (new restorations). Cephalometric analysis was based on the
      Ricketts and McNamara criteria. In order to assess the functional parameters of
      the occlusion T-scan III analysis was conducted. The following parameters were
      measured: occlusion - and disclusion time. RESULTS: Statistically significant
      differences of functional parameters obtained before and 3 months after the
      treatment were noted in the whole study group. Both before and after therapy
      occlusion time was longer in women than in men. No statistically significant link
      was noted between functional parameters in occlusion and age of the patients,
      denture wearing time, and edentulous period. Some relationships were noted
      between occlusion time and cephalometric parameters associated with anterior
      facial height. CONCLUSION: Reconstruction of the surface of artificial teeth and
      vertical occlusal dimension affects the sustainability of parameters of occlusion
      and balance of forces in centric occlusion. The progressive shortening of
      occlusion time during the period of monitoring may be considered as a sign of
      progressive adaptation.

PMID- 28359872
TI  - Microbial colonization at the implant-abutment interface and its possible
      influence on periimplantitis: A systematic review and meta-analysis.
AB  - PURPOSE: The aim of this systematic review and meta-analysis was to evaluate the
      microbial colonization at the implant-abutment interfaces (IAI) on bone-level
      implants and to identify possible association with peri-implant conditions. STUDY
      SELECTION: The focus question aimed to answer whether two-piece osseointegrated
      implants, in function for at least 1 year, in human, relate to higher bacterial
      count and the onset of periimplantitis, compared to healthy peri-implant
      conditions. Search strategy encompassed the on-line (MedLine, Google scholar,
      Cochrane library) literature from 1990 up to March 2015 published in English
      using combinations of MeSH (Medical Subject Headings) and search terms. Quality
      assessment of selected full-text articles was performed according to the ARRIVE
      and CONSORT statement guidelines. For data analysis, the total bacterial count of
      Porphyromonas gingivalis, Tannerella forsythia, Treponema denticola, Prevotella
      intermedia, and Fusobacterium nucleatum was calculated and compared to IAI with
      or without peri-implant pathology. RESULTS: A total of 14 articles, reporting
      data from 1126 implants, fulfilled the inclusion criteria and subjected to
      quality assessment. The selected studies revealed contamination of the IAI, in
      patients who received two-piece implant systems. Meta-analysis indicated
      significant difference in total bacterial count between implants affected by
      periimplantitis versus healthy peri-implant tissues (0.387+/-0.055; 95% CI 0.279
      0.496). Less bacterial counts were identified in the healthy IAI for all the
      investigated gram-negative bacteria except for T. forsythia. CONCLUSIONS:
      Significantly higher bacterial counts were found for periodontal pathogenic
      bacteria within the IAI of implants in patients with periimplantitis compared to
      those implants surrounded by healthy peri-implant tissues.

PMID- 28359873
TI  - Neural correlates of emotional inhibitory control in autism spectrum disorders.
AB  - Atypical inhibitory function is often present in individuals with autism spectrum
      disorder (ASD), who may have difficulty suppressing context-inappropriate
      behaviors. We investigated the neural correlates of inhibition in ASD in response
      to both emotional and non-emotional stimuli using an fMRI Go/NoGo inhibition task
      with human faces and letters. We also related neural activation to behavioral
      dysfunction in ASD. Our sample consisted of 19 individuals with ASD (mean
      age=25.84) and 22 typically developing (TD) control participants (mean
      age=29.03). As expected, no group differences in task performance (inhibition
      accuracy and response time) were found. However, adults with ASD exhibited
      greater angular gyrus activation in face response inhibition blocks, as well as
      greater fusiform gyrus activation than controls, in a condition comparing face
      inhibition to letter inhibition. In contrast, control participants yielded
      significantly greater anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) activation in letter
      inhibition blocks. A positive relationship between communication and language
      impairment and angular gyrus activation during face inhibition was also found.
      Group activation differences during inhibition tasks in the context of comparable
      task performance and the relationship between activation and dysfunction
      highlight brain regions that may be related to ASD-specific dysfunction.

PMID- 28359874
TI  - In silico analysis of nonsynonymous single nucleotide polymorphisms of the human
      adiponectin receptor 2 (ADIPOR2) gene.
AB  - Polymorphisms of the ADIPOR2 gene are frequently linked to a higher risk of
      developing diseases including obesity, type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular
      diseases. Though mutations of the ADIPOR2 gene are detrimental, there is a lack
      of comprehensive in silico analyses of the functional and structural impacts at
      the protein level. Considering the involvement of ADIPOR2 in glucose uptake and
      fatty acid oxidation, an in silico functional analysis was conducted to explore
      the possible association between genetic mutations and phenotypic variations. A
      genomic analysis of 82 nonsynonymous SNPs in ADIPOR2 was initiated using SIFT
      followed by the SNAP2, nsSNPAnalyzer, PolyPhen-2, SNPs&GO, FATHMM and PROVEAN
      servers. A total of 10 mutations (R126W, L160Q, L195P, F201S, L235R, L235P,
      L256R, Y328H, E334K and Q349H) were predicted to have deleterious effects on the
      ADIPOR2 protein and were therefore selected for further analysis. Theoretical
      models of the variants were generated by comparative modeling via MODELLER 9.16.
      A protein structural analysis of these amino acid variants was performed using
      SNPeffect, I-Mutant, ConSurf, Swiss-PDB Viewer and NetSurfP to explore their
      solvent accessibility, molecular dynamics and energy minimization calculations.
      In addition, FTSite was used to predict the ligand binding sites, while
      NetGlycate, NetPhos2.0, UbPerd and SUMOplot were used to predict post
      translational modification sites. All of the variants showed increased free
      energy, though F201S exhibited the highest energy increase. The root mean square
      deviation values of the modeled mutants strongly indicated likely pathogenicity.
      Remarkably, three binding sites were detected on ADIPOR2, and two mutations at
      positions 328 and 201 were found in the first and second binding pockets,
      respectively. Interestingly, no mutations were found at the post-translational
      modification sites. These genetic variants can provide a better understanding of
      the wide range of disease susceptibility associated with ADIPOR2 and aid the
      development of new molecular diagnostic markers for these diseases. The findings
      may also facilitate the development of novel therapeutic elements for associated
      diseases.

PMID- 28359875
TI  - Seasonal variation of Brazilian red propolis: Antibacterial activity, synergistic
      effect and phytochemical screening.
AB  - The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of the dry and rainy season
      on the antibacterial activity and chemical composition of the Brazilian red
      propolis. The samples were collected in rainy (RP-PER) and dry (RP-PED) seasons
      and analyzed by HPLC-DAD. The extracts were tested alone and in association with
      antibiotics against Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Staphylococcus
      aureus. The HPLC analysis identified luteolin and quercetin as the main
      compounds. Seasonal variation was observed according to concentrations of the
      compounds. The MIC values against E. coli ranged from 128 MUg/mL to 512 MUg/mL
      (EC 06 and EC ATCC). The red propolis showed MIC values of 512 MUg/mL against
      both strains of P. aeruginosa used in our study (PA03 and PA24) and against
      strains of Gram-positive bacteria S. aureus the MICs ranged from 64 MUg/mL to
      >=1024 MUg/mL (SA10). A synergistic effect was observed when we combined the RP
      PED with gentamicin against all the strains tested. When we combined the RP-PED
      with Imipenem, we only observed synergistic effect against P. aeruginosa.
      According to our synergistic activity results, the utilization of red propolis
      collected in the drier periods can be used as an adjuvant against multiresistant
      bacterial infections.

PMID- 28359876
TI  - Production, purification and characterization of an aspartic protease from
      Aspergillus foetidus.
AB  - An acidic thermostable protease was extracellularly produced either in shake
      flask or in stirred tank bioreactor by an Aspergillus foetidus strain isolated
      from the Brazilian savanna soil using different nitrogen sources. Its maximum
      activity (63.7 U mL-1) was obtained in a medium containing 2% (w/v) peptone. A
      cultivation carried out in a 5.0 L stirred-tank bioreactor provided a maximum
      protease activity 9% lower than that observed in Erlenmeyer flasks, which was
      obtained after a significantly shorter (by 16-29%) time. Protease purification by
      a combination of gel-filtration chromatography resulted in a 16.9-fold increase
      in specific activity (248.1 U g-1). The estimated molecular weight of the
      purified enzyme was 50.6 kDa, and the optimal pH and temperature were 5.0 and 55 
      degrees C, respectively. The enzyme was completely inhibited by pepstatin A, and
      its activity enhanced by some metals. According to the inhibition profiles, it
      was confirmed that the purified acid protease belongs to the aspartic protease
      type. These results are quite promising for future development of large-scale
      production of such protease, which can be useful in biotechnological applications
      requiring high enzyme activity and stability under acidic conditions.

PMID- 28359877
TI  - A new method of screening for latent tuberculosis infection: Results from army
      recruits in Beijing in 2014.
AB  - Latent tuberculosis infection (LTBI) lacks diagnostic gold method. Effective
      method is important to the control of tuberculosis. IFN-gamma responses in 600
      military recruits were tested by ELISA using whole blood incubation with latent
      protein Rv2029c, Rv2659c and recombinant protein CFP10-ESAT6 (rCE) respectively.
      They also received tuberculin skin test. Their BCG vaccination status was
      recorded. When 30.7% (184/600) of recruits gave higher IFN-gamma responses
      (>=470pg/mL) to rCE as LTBI, the rests as healthy control, the AUC of rRv2029c
      was 0.856 and rRv2659c was 0.827 for LTBI diagnosis. IFN-gamma responses to rCE
      were higher in PPD-positive group (>=5mm) than negative group (<5mm) (p<0.05),
      while for rRv2029c and rRv2659c were not (p>0.05). IFN-gamma responses induced by
      rRv2029c and rRv2659c were higher in the moderately-positive group (>=5, <15mm)
      than the strongly-positive group (>=15mm) (p<0.05), while for rCE were not
      (p>0.05). IFN-gamma levels to three antigens were not related to BCG vaccination
      status (p>0.05). Rv2659c and Rv2029c are good candidate antigens to complement
      the role of rCE for LTBI diagnosis, which provide a basis for developing cost
      effective LTBI screening methods in the army.

PMID- 28359878
TI  - Formulation and biopharmaceutical evaluation of bitter taste masking
      microparticles containing azithromycin loaded in dispersible tablets.
AB  - The objective of this study was to prepare and evaluate some physiochemical and
      biopharmaceutical properties of bitter taste masking microparticles containing
      azithromycin loaded in dispersible tablets. In the first stage of the study, the
      bitter taste masking microparticles were prepared by solvent evaporation and
      spray drying method. When compared to the bitter threshold (32.43ug/ml) of
      azithromycin (AZI), the microparticles using AZI:Eudragit L100=1:4 and having a
      size distribution of 45-212um did significantly mask the bitter taste of AZI.
      Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), and proton nuclear magnetic
      resonance spectroscopy (1H NMR) proved that the taste masking of microparticles
      resulted from the intermolecular interaction of the amine group in AZI and the
      carbonyl group in Eudragit L100. Differential scanning calorimeter (DSC) analysis
      was used to display the amorphous state of AZI in microparticles. Images
      obtaining from optical microscopy and scanning electron microscopy (SEM)
      indicated the existence of microparticles in regular cube shape with many layers.
      In the second stage, dispersible tablets containing microparticles (DTs-MP) were
      prepared by direct compression technique. Stability study was conducted to screen
      pH modulators for DTs-MP, and a combination of alkali agents (CaCO3:NaH2PO4, 2:1)
      was added into DTs-MP to create microenvironment pH of 5.0-6.0 for the tablets.
      The disintegration time of optimum DTs-MP was 53+/-5.29s and strongly depended on
      the kinds of lubricant and diluent. The pharmacokinetic study in the rabbit model
      using liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry showed that the mean
      relative bioavailability (AUC) and mean maximum concentration (Cmax) of DTs-MP
      were improved by 2.19 and 2.02 times, respectively, compared to the reference
      product (Zithromax(r), Pfizer).

PMID- 28359879
TI  - A comparison of fat-soluble antioxidants in wild and farm-reared chukar
      partridges (Alectoris chukar).
AB  - This study assessed differences in antioxidant (carotenoid, retinol, retinol
      ester, vitamin E and coenzyme Q10) composition of egg yolk and tissue in chukar
      partridges (Alectoris chukar) newly hatched from eggs of birds maintained in
      captivity on commercial maize-soybean based diets and birds from the wild whose
      diet was obtained from the natural environment. All eggs were incubated in a
      commercial hatchery. Day-old chicks from both groups were sacrificed and
      dissected for antioxidant analysis. Fat soluble antioxidant concentrations of egg
      yolk and tissues were determined by HPLC. Total carotenoids, retinol, alpha
      tocopherol, and total vitamin E concentration of wild egg yolks were
      significantly higher compared to yolks from farm-reared birds (p<0.05). However,
      gamma tocopherol, and coenzyme Q10 were not significantly different in the yolks
      of either wild or farmed birds (p>0.05). The concentration of total carotenoids
      in all tissues of wild chukar one-day old partridges was significantly higher
      than in farmed one-day old chukar partridge tissues (p<0.05). Alpha tocopherol,
      free-retinol, retinol-esters and total vitamin A were significantly higher in
      most tissues of wild chukar when compared to farmed chicks (p<0.05). Coenzyme Q10
      concentrations of heart, kidney and brain tissues of farm-reared chukar day old
      chicks were significantly higher than tissues from wild birds, although leg and
      breast tissues of wild chicks were significantly higher than in farmed birds
      (p<0.05). These findings suggest that maternal access to antioxidants in the diet
      of farmed chukar partridges could positively influence fat soluble antioxidant
      concentrations in the egg yolk and tissues of day old chicks.

PMID- 28359880
TI  - Coordinated movement is influenced by prenatal light experience in bobwhite quail
      chicks (Colinus virginianus).
AB  - Sensory-motor development begins early during embryogenesis and is influenced by
      sensory experience. Little is known about the prenatal factors that influence the
      development of motor coordination. Here we investigated whether and to what
      extent prenatal light experience can influence the development of motor
      coordination in bobwhite quail hatchlings. Quail embryos were incubated under
      four light conditions: no light (dark), 2h of total light (2HR), 6h of total
      light (6HR), and diffused sunlight (controls). Hatchlings were video recording
      walking down a runway at three developmental ages (12, 24, and 48h). Videos were
      assessed for forward locomotion, a measurement of motor coordination, falls, a
      measurement of motor instability, and motivation to complete the task. We
      anticipated a linear decline of coordination with a reduction in prenatal light
      experience and improved coordination with age. Furthermore, as motor coordination
      becomes more laborious we anticipated motivation to complete the task would
      decline. However, our findings revealed hatchlings did not uniformly improve with
      age as expected, nor did the reduction of light result in a linear reduction in
      motor coordination. Instead, we found a more complex relationship with 6HR and
      2HR hatchlings showing distinct patterns of stability and instability. Similarly,
      we found a reduction in motivation within the 6HR light condition. It appears
      that prenatal light exposure influences the development of postnatal motor
      coordination and we discuss these finding in light of neurodevelopmental
      processes influenced by light experience.

PMID- 28359881
TI  - KU32 prevents 5-fluorouracil induced cognitive impairment.
AB  - Chemotherapy induced cognitive impairment (i.e. chemobrain) involves acute and
      long-term deficits in memory, executive function, and processing speed. Animal
      studies investigating these cognitive deficits have had mixed results,
      potentially due to variability in the complexity of behavioral tasks across
      experiments. Further, common chemotherapy treatments such as 5-fluorouracil (5
      FU) break down myelin integrity corresponding to hippocampal neurodegenerative
      deficits and mitochondrial dysfunction. There is little evidence, however, of
      pharmacological treatments that may target mitochondrial dysfunction. Using a
      differential reinforcement of low rates (DRL) task combining spatial and temporal
      components, the current study evaluated the preventative effects of the
      pharmacological agent KU32 on the behavior of rats treated with 5-FU (5-FU+Saline
      vs. 5FU+KU32). DRL performance was analyzed the day after the first set of
      injections (D1), the day after the second set of injections (D7) and the last day
      of the experiment (D14). The 5FU+KU32 group earned significantly more reinforcers
      on the DRL task at D7 and D14 than the 5FU+Saline group. Further, the 5FU+KU32
      group showed significantly better temporal discrimination. The 5FU+KU32 showed
      within-group improvement in temporal discrimination from D7 to D14. No
      significant differences were observed in spatial discrimination, however, those
      in the 5FU+Saline group responded more frequently on T3 compared to the 5FU+KU32
      group, highlighting temporal discrimination differences between groups. The
      current data suggest that KU32 shows promise in the prevention of chemotherapy
      induced impairments in temporal discrimination.

PMID- 28359882
TI  - Re-examining the factors affecting choice in the light-dark preference test in
      zebrafish.
AB  - The light-dark preference test has been extensively used to screen anxiolytic
      drugs and investigate mechanisms of anxiety with rodents. Recently, this task has
      been adapted to zebrafish, but a number of inconsistent findings have emerged.
      For example, some found zebrafish to avoid and others to prefer dark. Given the
      translational relevance of the zebrafish, its utility in high throughput drug
      screens, and that anxiety still represents a large unmet medical need, there is
      an urgent need to resolve these inconsistencies. We propose these inconsistencies
      are due to lack of distinction between two separate factors: background shade and
      level of illumination. Here, we systematically manipulated background shade
      (black vs. white) while keeping the illumination level constant (uniformly
      illuminated). We also manipulated the level of illumination (illuminated vs. not
      illuminated) while keeping the background constant (either uniformly black or
      white). We examined the time-course of numerous behavioural responses under these
      conditions, and found zebrafish to exhibit a significant preference for the black
      side of the tank within the first 3min of the test when the illumination level
      was constant. We found this response, along with other anxiety-like behaviours,
      to diminish over time. In contrast, we found zebrafish did not exhibit a
      preference for the unilluminated (dark) side of the tank when the background
      shade was kept constant. Our results demonstrate a dissociation between
      illumination level and background shade, shown by a preference for black to
      white, but not for dark to light, confirming the importance of differentiating
      these two distinct factors.

PMID- 28359884
TI  - Administration of riluzole into the basolateral amygdala has an anxiolytic-like
      effect and enhances recognition memory in the rat.
AB  - It is widely thought that inactivation of the glutamatergic system impairs
      recognition memory in rodents. However, we previously demonstrated that systemic
      administration of riluzole, which blocks the glutamatergic system, enhances
      recognition memory in the rat novel object recognition (NOR) test. The mechanisms
      underlying this paradoxical effect of riluzole on recognition memory remain
      unclear. In the present study, adult male Wistar rats were bilaterally cannulated
      in the basolateral amygdala (BLA) to examine the effects of intra-BLA
      administration of riluzole. We also compared the effects of riluzole with those
      of d-cycloserine, a partial agonist at the glycine binding site on the N-methyl-d
      aspartate (NMDA) receptor. The BLA plays a critical role not only in recognition
      memory, but also in the regulation of anxiety. In the present study, intra-BLA
      administration of riluzole or d-cycloserine enhanced recognition memory in the
      NOR test. It was previously suggested that recognition memory can be strongly
      affected by the state of anxiety in rodents. Interestingly, intra-BLA
      administration of riluzole, but not d-cycloserine, produced a potent anxiolytic
      like effect in the elevated plus-maze test. Thus, the enhancement of recognition
      memory by riluzole might be an indirect effect resulting from the anxiolytic-like
      action of the intra-BLA administration of the drug, and may not be directly
      related to inhibition of the glutamatergic system. Further studies are needed to
      clarify the mechanisms underlying the memory enhancing effect of riluzole.

PMID- 28359885
TI  - Sex differences in the acute locomotor response to methamphetamine in BALB/c
      mice.
AB  - Women use methamphetamine more frequently than men and are more vulnerable to its
      negative psychological effects. Rodent models have been an essential tool for
      evaluating the sex-dependent effects of psychostimulants; however, evidence of
      sex differences in the behavioral responses to methamphetamine in mice is
      lacking. In the present study, we investigated acute methamphetamine-induced
      (1mg/kg and 4mg/kg) locomotor activation in female and male BALB/c mice. We also
      evaluated whether basal locomotor activity was associated with the
      methamphetamine-induced locomotor response. The results indicated that female
      BALB/c mice displayed enhanced methamphetamine-induced locomotor activity
      compared to males, while basal locomotor activity was positively correlated with
      methamphetamine-induced activity in males, but not females. This study is the
      first to show sex-dependent locomotor effects of methamphetamine in BALB/c mice.
      Our observations emphasize the importance of considering sex when assessing
      behavioral responses to methamphetamine.

PMID- 28359883
TI  - The BDNF Val66Met polymorphism is associated with structural neuroanatomical
      differences in young children.
AB  - The brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) Val66Met single nucleotide
      polymorphism (SNP) has been associated with individual differences in brain
      structure and function, and cognition. Research on BDNF's influence on brain and
      cognition has largely been limited to adults, and little is known about the
      association of this gene, and specifically the Val66Met polymorphism, with
      developing brain structure and emerging cognitive functions in children. We
      performed a targeted genetic association analysis on cortical thickness, surface
      area, and subcortical volume in 78 children (ages 6-10) who were Val homozygotes
      (homozygous Val/Val carriers) or Met carriers (Val/Met, Met/Met) for the Val66Met
      locus using Atlas-based brain segmentation. We observed greater cortical
      thickness for Val homozygotes in regions supporting declarative memory systems
      (anterior temporal pole/entorhinal cortex), consistent with adult findings. Met
      carriers had greater surface area in the prefrontal and parietal cortices and
      greater cortical thickness in lateral occipital/parietal cortex in contrast to
      prior adult findings that may relate to performance on cognitive tasks supported
      by these regions in Met carriers. Finally, we found larger right hippocampal
      volume in Met carriers, although inconsistent with adult findings (generally
      reports larger volumes for Val homozygotes), is consistent with a recent finding
      in children. Gene expression levels vary across different brain regions and
      across development and our findings highlight the need to consider this
      developmental change in explorations of BDNF-brain relationships. The impact of
      the BDNF Val66Met polymorphism on the structure of the developing brain therefore
      reflects regionally-specific developmental changes in BDNF expression and
      cortical maturation trajectories.

PMID- 28359886
TI  - Sex differences in the strategies of spatial learning in prenatally-exposed rats
      treated with various drugs in adulthood.
AB  - In the present study we investigated the sex differences in the effect of adult
      long-term drug treatment on cognitive functions of Wistar rats, which were
      prenatally exposed to MA (5mg/kg) or saline. Cognitive functions were tested as
      an ability of spatial learning in the Morris Water Maze (MWM), which consisted of
      three types of tests: "Place Navigation Test"; "Probe Test", and "Memory Recall
      Test". Adult animals were injected daily, after completion of the last trial,
      either with saline or cocaine (COC; 5mg/kg), MDMA (3,4-methylenedioxy
      methamphetamine; 5mg/kg), morphine (MOR; 5mg/kg), or delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol
      (THC; 2mg/kg). Results revealed worsened MWM performance in female rats after
      drug treatment in adulthood. Not only were traditionally investigated parameters
      affected by drug treatment (latency of platform acquisition, search strategy,
      distance traveled), but also strategies used by animals (thigmotaxis, scanning).
      Analyses of search strategies observed in the Place Navigation Test, as well as
      in the Memory Recall Test, demonstrated variations in the percentage of time
      spent in thigmotaxis and scanning in females after treatment with COC, MDMA, MOR,
      and THC. Although we did not see a sensitizing effect of prenatal MA, in some
      cases the effect of drug treatment in adulthood differed depending on the
      prenatal drug exposure. The data presented in this study demonstrates that
      exposure to drugs with various mechanisms of action alters spatial abilities of
      female rats in the MWM. Alterations in the effect of adult drug treatment with
      reference to prenatal drug exposure were also found in the present study.

PMID- 28359888
TI  - Characterisation of the fumarate hydratase repertoire in Trypanosoma cruzi.
AB  - Nifurtimox and benznidazole represent the only treatments options available
      targeting Chagas disease, the most important parasitic infection in the Americas.
      However, use of these is problematic as they are toxic and ineffective against
      the more severe stages of the disease. In this work, we used a multidisciplinary
      approach to characterise the fumarases from Trypanosoma cruzi, the causative
      agent of Chagas Disease. We showed this trypanosome expresses cytosolic and
      mitochondrial fumarases that via an iron-sulfur cluster mediate the reversible
      conversion of fumarate to S-malate. Based on sequence, biochemical properties and
      co-factor binding, both T. cruzi proteins share characteristics with class I
      fumarases, enzymes found in bacteria and some other protozoa but absent from
      humans, that possess class II isoforms instead. Gene disruption suggested that
      although the cytosolic or mitochondrial fumarase activities are individually
      dispensable their combined activity is essential for parasite viability. Finally,
      based on the mechanistic differences with the human (host) fumarase, we designed
      and validated a selective inhibitor targeting the parasite enzyme. This study
      showed that T. cruzi fumarases should be exploited as targets for the development
      of new chemotherapeutic interventions against Chagas disease.

PMID- 28359887
TI  - Preparation and characterization of aminoethyl hydroxypropyl starch modified with
      collagen peptide.
AB  - The preparation of aminoethyl hydroxypropyl starch collagen peptide (AEHPS-COP)
      was via an enzyme-catalyzed reaction between amino groups in aminoethyl
      hydroxypropyl starch (AEHPS) and gamma-carboxamide groups in collagen peptide
      (COP) by using microbial transglutaminase (MTGase) as biocatalyst. As an
      intermediate reactant, AEHPS was synthesized from hydroxypropyl starch (HPS) and
      2-chloroethylamine hydrochloride (CEH). The chemical structures of HPS, AEHPS and
      AEHPS-COP were characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR)
      and 13C nuclear magnetic resonance (13C NMR). The reaction conditions that
      influenced the degree of substitution (DS) of AEHPS-COP were optimized, which
      included the reaction temperature, the reaction time, the mass ratio of collagen
      peptide to aminoethyl hydroxypropyl starch and the pH value. In addition, in
      vitro antioxidant activities of AEHPS-COP were evaluated through the scavenging
      activity of hydroxyl and 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radical.
      Furthermore, the methylthiazol tetrazolium (MTT) assay was applied to investigate
      the cell viability of AEHPS-COP. The results indicated that the AEHPS-COP
      exhibited better cell viability to L929 mouse fibroblast cells. Therefore, the
      AEHPS-COP showed a promising potential application in cosmetic, biomedical and
      pharmaceutical fields.

PMID- 28359889
TI  - Characterization of four arginine kinases in the ciliate Paramecium tetraurelia:
      Investigation on the substrate inhibition mechanism.
AB  - The ciliate Paramecium tetraurelia contains four arginine kinase genes (AK1-4).
      We detected cDNA for only three of the AKs (AK1-3) via PCR. Recombinant AK1-4
      were expressed in Escherichia coli and their kinetics parameters determined. AK3
      showed typical substrate inhibition toward arginine, and enzymatic activity
      markedly decreased when arginine concentration increased. This is the first
      example of substrate inhibition in wild-type phosphagen kinases. To explore the
      substrate inhibition mechanism, site-directed mutations were generated, targeting
      the amino acid sequence D-D-S-Q-V at positions 77-81 in P. tetraurelia AK3. Among
      the mutants, substrate inhibition was lost remarkably in the S79A mutant. In
      spite of high amino acid sequence identity (91%) between P. tetraurelia AK3 and
      AK4, the enzymatic activity of AK4 was less by 3% than that of AK3. We noticed
      that the conservative G298 was unusually replaced by R in P. tetraurelia AK4, and
      we constructed two mutants, R298G/AK4 and G298R/AK3. Enzymatic activity of the
      former mutant was comparable with that of the wild-type AK3, whereas that of the
      latter mutant was dramatically reduced. Thus, we concluded that the significantly
      low activity of P. tetraurelia AK4 is due to the residue R298.

PMID- 28359890
TI  - Artemisinin loaded chitosan magnetic nanoparticles for the efficient targeting to
      the breast cancer.
AB  - Artemisinin, a natural anti-malarial agent, also possesses anti-proliferative and
      anti-angiogenic activity in cancer cells with very low toxicity to normal healthy
      cells. Drug loaded magnetic nanoparticles by using external magnetic field could
      selectively accumulate the drug at the target site and thereby reduce the doses
      required to achieve therapeutic concentration which may otherwise produce serious
      side effects on healthy cells. In the present study the artemisinin magnetic
      nanoparticles were successfully formulated using chitosan by ionic-gelation
      method. The developed magnetic nanoparticles of artemisinin were smooth and
      spherical in nature and their size was in the range of 349-445nm. The
      polydispersity index (PDI) and zeta potential of the formulated nanoparticles
      were in the range of 0.373-0.908 and -9.34 to -33.3 respectively. They showed 55%
      to 62.5% of drug encapsulation efficiency and 20% to 25% drug loading capacity.
      Around 62% to 78% of artemisinin was released from the artemisinin magnetic
      nanoparticles over the period of 48h. On application of physiologically
      acceptable external magnetic field, FITC conjugated artemisinin magnetic
      nanoparticles showed an enhanced accumulation of nanoparticles in the 4T1 breast
      tumour tissues of BALB/c mice model.

PMID- 28359891
TI  - Synthesis, characterization and antibacterial activity of hybrid chitosan-cerium
      oxide nanoparticles: As a bionanomaterials.
AB  - The hybrid chitosan cerium oxide nanoparticles were prepared for the first time
      by green chemistry approach using plant leaf extract. The intense peak observed
      around 292nm in the UV-vis spectrum indicate the formation of cerium oxide
      nanoparticles. The XRD pattern revealed that the hybrid chitosan-cerium oxide
      nanoparticles have a polycrystalline structure with cubic fluorite phase. The
      FTIR spectrum of prepared samples showed the formation of Ce-O bonds and chitosan
      main chains COC and CO. The FESEM image of hybrid chitosan cerium oxide
      nanoparticles revealed that the particles are spherical in shape with grains size
      varying from 23.12nm to 89.91nm. EDAX analysis confirmed the presence of Ce, O, C
      and N elements in the prepared sample. TEM images showed that the prepared hybrid
      chitosan-cerium oxide nanoparticles are predominantly uniform in size and most of
      the particles are spherical in shape with less agglomeration and the particles
      size varies from 3.61nm to 24.40nm. The prepared chitosan cerium oxide
      nanoparticles of 50MUL concentration showed good antibacterial properties against
      test pathogens, which was confirmed by the FESEM analysis. The prepared small
      particle size facilitate that these hybrid ChiCO2 NPs could effectively be used
      in biomedical applications.

PMID- 28359892
TI  - Bamboo leaf extract ameliorates diabetic nephropathy through activating the AKT
      signaling pathway in rats.
AB  - Diabetic nephropathy (DN) is one of the most severe diabetic complication and it
      is becoming become a worldwide epidemic, accounting for approximately one-third
      of all case of end-stage renal disease. However, the underlying mechanism and
      strategy to alleviate renal injury remain unclear. In the present study, we
      assessed the protective effect of bamboo leaf extract on the DN, and investigated
      the underlying mechanism by which bamboo leaf extract ameliorating DN. Diabetic
      rats were induced by 4 weeks high sugar and high fat diet, and then injected a
      single dose of STZ (35mg/kg) into abdominal cavity. Different dose of bamboo
      extract (50mg/kg, 100mg/kg and 200mg/kg) were orally administered every day for a
      period of 12 weeks. Body weight, blood glucose, glycosylated hemoglobin A1c
      (HbAlc), blood urea nitrogen (BUN), serum creatinine (Scr), and 24-hour urinary
      protein (24 h-UP) were assessed. Total superoxide dismutase (T-SOD) activity and
      MDA (methane dicarboxylic aldehyde, MDA) level were tested by assay kit.
      Microstructural changes were observed by hematoxylin-eosin (HE) staining and
      electron microscopy. Expression of phosphorylated ser/thr protein kinase (P-AKT),
      phosphorylated glycogen synthase kinase-3 beta (P-GSK-3beta), B cell
      lymphoma/leukemia 2-associated X protein (BAX) and cleaved-cysteinyl aspartate
      specific proteinase-3 (Cleaved Caspase-3) were measured by Western-Blotting (WB).
      Results showed that diabetic rats had weight loss, high blood glucose, HbAlc,
      BUN, Scr and 24-UP and T-SOD activity were increased and MDA level was decreased
      in diabetic rats. Moreover, hyperglycemia could injury renal tissue
      ultrastructure, inhibit P-AKT level and increase P-GSK-3beta, BAX and Cleaved
      Caspase-3 levels in rats. However, bamboo leaf extract treatment could reduce
      body weight loss, BUN, Scr, 24 h-UP and MDA level, improve T-SOD activity and
      alleviate renal injury in diabetic rats. Furthermore, bamboo leaf extract
      increased P-AKT level, decreased P-GSK-3beta, BAX and Cleaved Caspase-3 levels in
      STZ-diabetic rats. In conclusion, our study suggested that bamboo leaf extract
      ameliorated DN in diabetic rats, and this protective effect is possibly related
      to suppressing oxidative stress through activating AKT signaling pathway. Bamboo
      leaf extract treatment may be a potential promising therapy for DN.

PMID- 28359893
TI  - Spectroscopic studies on the gemini surfactant mediated refolding of human serum
      albumin.
AB  - Refolding of guanidinium hydrochloride (GdCl) denatured human serum albumin (HSA)
      using a combination of cationic gemini surfactants; pentanediyl-alpha,omega
      bis(cetyldimethylammonium bromide) (C16H33(CH3)2N+-(CH2)5-N+(CH3)2C16H33)2Br-
      designated as G5 and methyl- beta-cyclodextrin, is attempted in the present
      study. The studies were carried out in an aqueous medium (pH 7.4) using dynamic
      light scattering (DLS), circular dichroism (CD) and fluorescence spectroscopy. A
      careful study of the DLS data indicates that against the hydrodynamic radius (Rh)
      of 3.5nm in native human serum albumin (HSA), hydrodynamic radius after
      attempting refolding by simple dilution increases to 33.8nm. The large Rh values
      of the diluted protein sample is associated with the formation of aggregates as
      dilution is an aggregation prone pathway. Hydrodynamic radii equal to 5.4nm, that
      is very near to the native protein (3.5nm), is obtained on the sequential
      addition of G5 and methyl- beta-cyclodextrin to the denatured protein. The
      results obtained from the multi-technique approach are associated with the
      presence of two charged head-groups and two hydrocarbon tails in the gemini
      surfactants resulting in very strong electrostatic and hydrophobic
      interactions.The present study suggests that gemini surfactants may be utilised
      in the protein refolding studies and may prove to be inexpensive and efficient
      folding agents.

PMID- 28359894
TI  - Characterisation and solution properties of a galactomannan from Bauhinia
      monandra seeds.
AB  - This study reports on the chemical and physicochemical properties of the
      polysaccharide isolated from Bauhinia monandra seeds. The seeds were found to
      contain 17.8% polysaccharide which consisted predominantly of galactose and
      mannose. The Man/Gal ratio was found to be approximately 4:1and the average molar
      mass was 2.54*105g/mol. The extracted material was also found to contain a small
      amount of protein (5.35%). The galactomannan produced highly viscous solution;
      the viscosity-shear rate profile was best described by the Williamson model. The
      mechanical spectrum of a 0.5wt% solution showed that G" was greater than G' over
      the frequency range employed while at higher concentrations G' became greater
      than G" above a critical frequency. The solutions obeyed the Cox-Merz rule at low
      concentrations, but there was some deviation at higher concentrations. Viscosity
      measurements were undertaken over a range of temperatures and the activation
      energy of viscous flow was found to be 20.75kJ/mol. The rheological properties of
      solutions of B. monandra galactomannan indicate that it has comparable
      characteristics to other commercially important galactomannans such as guar gum
      and locust bean gum and hence has potential as a thickener in the formulation of
      food and other related products.

PMID- 28359895
TI  - Multi-scale structure, pasting and digestibility of heat moisture treated red
      adzuki bean starch.
AB  - The pasting and digestibility of a red adzuki bean starch were simultaneously
      modulated by heat-moisture treatment (HMT) through altering the multi-scale
      structure. HMT, especially at high moisture content, could disrupt the granule
      integrity, semicrystalline lamellae, molecular order (crystallites) and molecular
      chains. Also, certain rearrangement of starch molecules occurred to form ordered
      structures with increased thermal stability as shown by DSC. This concomitant
      disordering and reassembly in the multi-scale structure converted the fractions
      of resistant starch (RS) and rapidly digestible starch (RDS) into that of slowly
      digestible starch (SDS). Furthermore, the emergence of thermally-stable orders
      increased the pasting temperature but suppressed the swelling of granules during
      heating. Hence, HMT-modified red adzuki starch may serve as a potential
      thickener/gelling agent with slow digestion rate for various foods.

PMID- 28359896
TI  - Yield study with the release property of polysaccharide-based physical hydrogels.
AB  - Water-release from kappa-Carrageenan (kC) hydrogels (syneresis) has been studied
      by two experimental methods (1) one in which the exudate is enabled to surround
      the gel and (2) one in which the exudate is continuously removed from the gel
      surfaces. The pressures Pg caused by the gel weight decrease from 1Pa for method
      (1) and 500Pa for method (2). The syneresis of the gels at 2g/L kC with 40mM KCl
      has been observed to decrease with Pg for the highest pressures. However, for the
      lowest pressures, the pressure-dependence of the syneresis has not been found,
      although this gel shrank remarkably. This gel exhibits yielding at approximately
      0.15Pa during rheological testing and exhibits creep at stress well below its
      yield stress. The result is consistent in demonstrating that similar gels in the
      conditions of method (1) or (2) yield while releasing fluid. The release kinetics
      have been fitted with a sum of two exponential decay functions, one for shrinkage
      and the other for yielding. The kinetic rate, k1 for shrinkage, is almost 0.035+/
      0.005h-1 for all of the gels studied, except for very soft and stiff gels; for
      that of yielding, k2 increases in the range of 0.07-0.33+/-0.01h-1 when the gel
      is modulated from soft to stiff.

PMID- 28359897
TI  - Chitosan-hyaluronic acid hydrogel for cartilage repair.
AB  - The current study investigates the potential of chitosan-hyaluronic acid
      dialdehyde hydrogels for in vivo cartilage regeneration following two different
      approaches: Gel alone for cartilage regeneration or combination of chondrocytes
      and gel for cartilage repair. Critical size osteochondral defects were created in
      knee joints of Newzealand White rabbits. Allogenic rabbit chondrocytes were
      encapsulated in hydrogels and gel or gel+cells were implanted in defects
      aseptically. The regenerated cartilage was analyzed after 12 weeks of
      implantation. The morphological scoring indicates that repair tissue was formed
      in all the animals by 12 weeks irrespective of whether they were sham, received
      gel, or gel with cells as implant. However the repair tissue formed in sham
      appeared fibrous and opaque, where as those that received gel had texture similar
      to the surrounding native cartilage and animals with gel+cells showed varied
      response. Histology staining, score distribution and immunostaining for collagen
      Type II showed animals that received gel alone as the implant had a mixture of
      hyaline and fibro cartilage. The animals with cell encapsulated gels had more
      fibrous cells with weak staining for collagen type II. There was no significant
      enhancement in the quality of regenerated cartilage in presence of encapsulated
      chondrocytes.

PMID- 28359898
TI  - Chitosan mediated enhancement of hydrolysable tannin in Phyllanthus debilis Klein
      ex Willd via plant cell suspension culture.
AB  - Phyllanthus debilis Klein ex Willd. is wild medicinal plant used in the
      traditional system of medicine. This plant has been actively used for
      hepatoprotection and to cure many diseases including jaundice and so on; which
      leads to complete extinction of this particular species. Therefore, the chitosan
      mediated cost effective cell suspension method has been developed for the
      production of hydrolysable tannin. The hydrolysable tannins are the main
      therapeutically active constituents with antioxidant, anticancer, and
      antimicrobial properties. An in vitro cell suspension culture was optimized by
      adding chitosan for production of hydrolysable tannin. According to the growth
      kinetics, a maximum biomass of 4.46+/-0.06g fresh cell weight and 1.33+/-0.04g
      dry cell weight were obtained from the optimal suspension medium consisted of MS
      medium+0.5mgL-1 BAP+1.5mgL-1 NAA. Chitosan was treated at the stationary phase
      which leads to the highest accumulation of hydrolysable tannin compared to the
      untreated control. Hydrolysable tannin was observed and compared using HPLC at
      the Rt of 4.91 in both chitosan treated and untreated cells. This is the first
      ever report where use of chitosan has been done to enhance the production of the
      hydrolysable tannin in P. debilis using cell suspension culture technique.

PMID- 28359899
TI  - IL-33/ST2 contributes to severe symptoms in Plasmodium chabaudi-infected BALB/c
      mice.
AB  - It has been reported that IL-33 contributes to potentiation of Th2 inflammatory
      diseases and protection against helminth infection. Increased plasma IL-33 levels
      have been observed in patients with severe falciparum malaria, however, the role
      of IL-33 in malaria remains unclear. Here we report that IL-33 enhances
      inflammatory responses in malaria infection. ST2-deficiency altered severity of
      inflammation in the liver and serum levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines such as
      TNF-alpha and IL-6, and IL-13 that is a Th2 cytokine during Plasmodium chabaudi
      infection. IL-13-deficient mice have similar phenotype with ST2-deficient mice
      during P. chabaudi infection. Furthermore, ST2- and IL-13-deficiency reduced
      mortality from P. chabaudi infection. These results indicate that IL-33/ST2 can
      induce production of proinflammatory cytokines, such as TNF-alpha and IL-6,
      through production of IL-13 in P. chabaudi-infected BALB/c mice, suggesting that
      IL-33/ST2 play a critical role in inflammatory responses to malaria infection.
      Thus, these findings may define a novel therapeutic target for patients with
      severe malaria.

PMID- 28359900
TI  - Phylogenetic position of the genus Gonocerca Manter, 1925 (Trematoda,
      Hemiuroidea), based on partial sequences of 28S rRNA gene and a reconsideration
      of taxonomic status of Gonocercinae Skrjabin et Guschanskaja, 1955.
AB  - Adult trematodes of the genus Gonocerca Manter, 1925, are parasites of marine
      fishes. Identification of the phylogenetic positions and a revision of the
      taxonomic status of the subfamily Gonocercinae Skrjabin et Guschanskaja, 1955
      (Derogenidae) are the main purposes of this research article. Four Gonocerca
      species were used in the study, including the type-species G. phycidis Manter,
      1925. Molecular phylogenetic analysis, based on partial sequences of 28S rRNA
      gene, revealed that Gonocerca spp. are phylogenetically distant from other
      hemiuroid trematodes, including Derogenes varicus (Muller, 1784), representative
      of the type-genus of the family Derogenidae. The taxonomic rank of Gonocercinae
      should be raised to the family level. The generic composition of the family
      Gonocercidae Skrjabin et Guschanskaja, 1955 stat. nov., requires further
      clarification as the molecular data do not support the inclusion of the genus
      Hemipera Nicoll, 1913, in this family.

PMID- 28359901
TI  - Model-based structural and functional characterization of the Rice stripe
      tenuivirus nucleocapsid protein interacting with viral genomic RNA.
AB  - Rice stripe tenuivirus (RSV) is a filamentous, negative-strand RNA virus causing
      severe diseases on rice in Asian countries. The viral particle is composed
      predominantly of a nucleocapsid protein (NP) and genomic RNA. However, the
      molecular details of how the RSV NP interacts with genomic RNA during particle
      assembly remain largely unknown. Here, we modeled the NP-RNA complex and show
      that polar amino acids within a predicted groove of NP are critical for RNA
      binding and protecting the RNA from RNase digestion. RSV NP formed pentamers,
      hexamers, heptamers, and octamers. By modeling the higher-order structures, we
      found that oligomer formation was driven by the N-terminal amino arm of the NP.
      Deletion of this arm abolished oligomerization; the N-terminally truncated NP was
      less able to interact with RNA and protect RNA than was the wild type. These
      findings afford valuable new insights into molecular mechanism of RSV NPs
      interacting with genomic RNA.

PMID- 28359903
TI  - First derivative spectrofluorimetric determination of zopiclone and its
      degradation product, 2-amino-5-chloropyridine, in pharmaceutical formulations
      with preliminary tool in biological fluids for clinical evidence of zopiclone
      intake.
AB  - A simple, fast, sensitive and stability-indicating derivative spectrofluorimetric
      method is presented for the assay of zopiclone (ZOP), a drug with hypnotic
      effect, and its main degradation product and major contaminant, 2-amino-5
      chloropyridine (ACP). The method is based on measuring the inherent fluorescence
      intensity of both drugs at lambdaex=300nm in methanol, then differentiation using
      D1 (first derivative technique). The developed method was found to be rectilinear
      over a range of 0.2-4MUg/mL of ZOP and 4-100ng/mL of ACP. The limits of detection
      were 0.05MUg/mL of ZOP and 0.2ng/mL of ACP with the limit of quantitation of
      0.17MUg/mL of ZOP and 0.7ng/mL of ACP. The outcoming results of the proposed
      method were compared to those obtained by a reference method showing no
      significant statistical difference between them concerning precision and
      accuracy. Additionally, the developed method was applied for detecting ACP in
      spiked human urine and plasma specimens as a tool of clinical evidence of
      zopiclone intake that can be easily implemented in forensic laboratories. The
      proposed method was validated as per ICH guidelines.

PMID- 28359902
TI  - On the catalytic mechanism of bacteriophage HK97 capsid crosslinking.
AB  - During maturation of the phage HK97 capsid, each of the 415 capsid subunits forms
      covalent bonds to neighboring subunits, stabilizing the capsid. Crosslinking is
      catalyzed not by a separate enzyme but by subunits of the assembled capsid in
      response to conformational rearrangements during maturation. This report
      investigates the catalytic mechanism. Earlier work established that the
      crosslinks are isopeptide (amide) bonds between side chains of a lysine on one
      subunit and an asparagine on another subunit, aided by a catalytic glutamate on a
      third subunit. The mature capsid structure suggests that the reaction may be
      facilitated by the arrival of a valine with the lysine to complete a hydrophobic
      pocket surrounding the glutamate, lysine and asparagine. We show that this valine
      has an essential role for efficient crosslinking, and that any of six other amino
      acids can successfully substitute for valine. Evidently none of the remaining 13
      amino acids will work.

PMID- 28359904
TI  - Quantum mechanical, spectroscopic and docking studies of 2-Amino-3-bromo-5
      nitropyridine by Density Functional Method.
AB  - Experimental and theoretical investigations on the molecular structure,
      electronic and vibrational characteristics of 2-Amino-3-bromo-5-nitropyridine are
      presented. The vibrational frequencies were obtained by DFT/B3LYP calculations
      employing 6-311++G (d, p) basis set. This was compared with experimental FT-IR
      and FT-Raman spectral data. Simulated FT-IR (4000-400cm-1) and FT-Raman spectra
      (4000-100cm-1) showed good agreement with the observed spectra. The molecular
      equilibrium geometry of the title compound was fully optimized. Quantum chemical
      calculations of the equilibrium geometry and the complete vibrational assignments
      of wavenumbers using potential energy distribution (PED) were calculated with
      scaled quantum mechanics. HOMO-LUMO energies, energy gap (DeltaE),
      electronegativity (chi), chemical potential (MU), global hardness (eta), softness
      (S) and the Fukui function were calculated for the title molecule. The title
      compound has a low softness value (0.239) and the calculated value of
      electrophilicity index (5.905) describes the biological activity. The stability
      and charge delocalization of the title molecule were studied by Natural Bond
      Orbital (NBO) analysis, Non-Linear Optical (NLO) behaviour in terms of first
      order hyperpolarizability, dipole moment and anisotropy of polarizability and
      Molecular Electrostatic Potential (MEP) were accounted. The computed values of
      MU, alpha and beta for the title molecule are 1.851 Debye, 1.723*10-23esu and
      7.428*10-30esu respectively. The high beta value and non-zero value of MU
      indicate that the title compound might be a good candidate for NLO material.
      Thermodynamic properties of the title molecule were studied for different
      temperatures thereby revealing the correlations between heat capacity (C),
      entropy (S) and enthalpy changes (H) with temperatures. Docking studies of the
      title compound were scrutinized to predict the preferred binding orientation,
      affinity and activity of the given compound. The title compound was docked into
      the active site of the protein 5FCT which belongs to the class of proteins
      exhibiting the property as a Dihydrofolate synthase inhibitor. A minimum binding
      energy of -5.9kcal/mol and intermolecular energy of -6.5kcal/mol is seen in the
      interaction.

PMID- 28359905
TI  - Effects of TiO2 crystal structure on the luminescence quenching of
      [Ru(bpy)2(dppz)]2+-intercalated into DNA.
AB  - The intercalation of [Ru(bpy)2(dppz)]2+ labeled as Ru(II) (bpy=2,2'-bipyridine
      and dppz=dipyrido[3,2,-a:2',3'-c]phenazine) into herring sperm DNA leads to the
      formation of emissive Ru(II)-DNA dyads, which can be quenched by TiO2
      nanoparticles (NPs) and sol-gel silica matrices at heterogeneous interfaces. The
      calcinations temperature exhibits a remarkable influence on the luminescence
      quenching of the Ru(II)-DNA dyads by TiO2 NPs. With increasing calcinations
      temperature in the range from 200 to 850 degrees C, the anatase-to-rutile TiO2
      crystal structure transformation increases the average particle size and
      hydrodynamic diameter of TiO2 and DNA@TiO2. The anatase TiO2 has the stronger
      ability to unbind the Ru(II)-DNA dyads than the rutile TiO2 at room temperature.
      The TiO2 NPs and sol-gel silica matrices can quench the luminescence of the
      Ru(II) complex intercalated into DNA by selectively capturing the negatively DNA
      and positively charged Ru(II) complex to unbind the dyads, respectively. This
      present results provide new insights into the luminescence quenching and
      competitive binding of dye-labeled DNA dyads by inorganic NPs.

PMID- 28359906
TI  - Patient-perceived surgical indication influences patient expectations of surgery
      for degenerative spinal disease.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: Patients frequently have misconceptions regarding diagnosis, surgical
      indication, and expected outcome following spinal surgery for degenerative spinal
      disease. In this study, we sought to understand the relationship between patient
      perceived surgical indications and patient expectations. We hypothesized that
      patients reporting appendicular symptoms as a primary surgical indication would
      report a higher rate of having expectations met by surgery compared to those
      patients reporting axial symptoms as a primary indication. METHODS:
      Questionnaires were administered to patients who had undergone surgery for
      degenerative spinal disease at 2 tertiary care institutions. Questions assessed
      perception of the primary indication for undergoing surgery (radicular versus
      axial), whether the primary symptom improved after surgery, and whether patient
      expectations were met with surgery. Outcomes of interest included patient
      reported symptomatic improvement following surgery and expectations met by
      surgery. Various factors were assessed for their relationship to these outcomes
      of interest. RESULTS: There were 151 unique survey respondents. Respondents were
      nearly split between having a patient-perceived indication for surgery as
      appendicular symptoms (55.6%) and axial symptoms (44.4%). Patient-perceived
      surgical indication being appendicular symptoms was the only factor predictive of
      patient-reported symptomatic improvement in our logistic regression model (OR
      2.614; 95% CI 1.218-5.611). Patient-perceived surgical indication being
      appendicular symptoms (OR 3.300; 95% CI 1.575-6.944) and patient-reported
      symptomatic improvement (OR 33.297; 95% CI 12.186-90.979) were predictive of
      patients reporting their expectations met with surgery in both univariate and
      multivariate logistic regression modeling. CONCLUSIONS: We found that patient
      reported appendicular symptoms as the primary indication for surgery were
      associated with a higher rate of both subjective improvement following surgery
      and having expectations met by surgery. Studies such as ours point to the fact
      that while performing technically superlative operations is paramount, it may be
      equally important to address other factors that help determine patient perception
      of the surgery experience.

PMID- 28359907
TI  - Anxiety in the preoperative phase of awake brain tumor surgery.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: Awake surgery emerges as a standard of care for brain tumors located
      in or near eloquent areas. Levels of preoperative anxiety in patients are
      important, because anxiety can influence cognitive performance and participation,
      hence altering the outcome of the procedure. In this study we analyzed the
      prevalence and potential clinical predictors of anxiety in the pre-operative
      phase of an awake brain tumor surgery. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Seventy consecutive
      candidates for an awake brain tumor surgery were included. All patients received
      a neuropsychological pre-operative work-up. The Hospital Anxiety and Depression
      Scale (HADS) was administrated to investigate symptoms of anxiety. Demographic
      and medical data were extracted from patients' charts. Linear regression
      analyses, multiple regression analyses, t-tests for parametric and Mann-Whitney U
      tests for non-parametric data were used to analyze the relation between
      demographic and medical variables and pre-operative anxiety. RESULTS: Mean score
      on the anxiety scale of the HADS was 6.1 (SD=4.2, range 1-19) and 25% of the
      patients scored on or above the cut-off for anxiety symptoms (score >7). Women
      reported higher levels of anxiety than men (p<0.01). Furthermore, younger patient
      were more anxious than older patients (p<0.05). No other variables were
      significantly related to pre-operative anxiety. CONCLUSIONS: Merely, one in every
      four patients reported significant anxiety symptoms in the pre-operative phase.
      Besides gender and age, none of the other demographic or medical factors were
      significantly associated with the level of anxiety.

PMID- 28359908
TI  - Perception of safety is a prerequisite for the association between neighbourhood
      green qualities and physical activity: Results from a cross-sectional study in
      Sweden.
AB  - In this study, we assess how the Scania Green Score (SGS5), and the five distinct
      perceived neighbourhood green dimensions within this area-aggregated index (1km2
      squares), is associated with self-reported physical activity and general health,
      and if perceived safety and social coherence has a moderating effect. Two
      independent surveys, both conducted in Scania, Sweden, was used for data on SGS5
      and health outcomes (N=28 198 and N=23 693), respectively. SGS5 was more clearly
      associated with physical activity (OR 1.06; 95% CI 1.02-1.10) than with general
      health (OR 1.02; 95% CI 1.00-1.04). This association was moderated by safety (p
      for interaction <0.001); SGS5 was positively associated with physical activity
      only among individuals who perceived high safety in their neighbourhood (OR 1.07;
      95% CI 1.02-1.11). No moderating effect was seen for social coherence. Among
      specific dimensions, cultural history was positively associated with both
      physical activity and general health. Our results suggest that perception of
      safety is a prerequisite for the positive effects of neighbourhood green
      qualities.

PMID- 28359909
TI  - Worries, 'weirdos', neighborhoods and knowing people: a qualitative study with
      children and parents regarding children's independent mobility.
AB  - This qualitative study involved focus groups with 132 children and 12 parents in
      primary and secondary schools in metropolitan and regional areas of Victoria,
      Australia, to explore experiences and perceptions of children's independent
      mobility. The study highlights the impact of family routines, neighborhood
      characteristics, social norms and reference points for decision making. Children
      reported a wider range of safety concerns than parents, including harm from
      strangers or traffic, bullying, or getting lost. Children expressed great delight
      in being independent, often seeking to actively influence parents' decision
      making. Children's independent mobility is a developmental process, requiring
      graduated steps and skill building.

PMID- 28359910
TI  - Cost-Effectiveness of Defibrotide in the Prophylaxis of Veno-Occlusive Disease
      after Pediatric Allogeneic Stem Cell Transplantation.
AB  - Veno-occlusive disease (VOD) remains a serious complication after allogeneic
      hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT). Prophylactic use of defibrotide
      (DF) might further reduce VOD rates but has no impact on the incidence of severe
      VOD or VOD-associated mortality. We investigated the cost-effectiveness of
      prophylactic DF according to the British Committee for Standards in
      Haematology/British Society for Blood and Marrow Transplantation guidelines in
      348 children who underwent transplantation between 2001 and 2014 in our hospital,
      138 of whom were at risk for VOD. The VOD incidence was 7.4% for the total
      cohort. Patients at risk had a higher incidence of VOD compared with patients
      without risk factors (15.2% versus 2.4%, P < .0001). VOD occurred more often in
      patients after busulfan-based myeloablative conditioning than in patients after
      total body irradiation (11.2% versus 3.5%, P = .001). Donor types or the
      transplantation-related mortality (TRM) risk score did not correlate with VOD
      incidence. In 81% of patients who responded to therapeutic DF, VOD resolved
      completely. Overall VOD-associated mortality was .3% for the complete cohort,
      3.7% for patients diagnosed with VOD, and 20% for patients with severe VOD.
      Neither the cumulative incidence of TRM (19% +/- 8% versus 17% +/- 2%, P = .706)
      nor the median length of hospitalization differed between patients with VOD and
      patients without. The median costs per HSCT in patients with VOD were about one
      third higher than the overall median costs per transplantation at our
      institution. The calculated total costs of prophylactic DF treatment for 138
      patients at risk was almost 6 times as high as the incremental costs for patients
      with VOD. We conclude that prophylactic DF for children at risk for VOD is not
      cost-effective with respect to TRM and length of hospital stay.

PMID- 28359911
TI  - Visceral larvae as a predictive index of the overall level of fish batch
      infection in European anchovies (Engraulis encrasicolus): A rapid procedure for
      Food Business Operators to assess marketability.
AB  - The European anchovy (Engraulis encrasicolus), one of the most important pelagic
      fish resources in the Mediterranean Sea, is frequently infected by anisakid
      larvae. Food Business Operators (FBOs) should use appropriate sampling plans and
      analytical methods to avoid commercialization of massively infected batches and
      reduce the risk of transmission of viable zoonotic larvae. In this study,
      performed at FishLab (Department of Veterinary Sciences of the University of
      Pisa) during 2016, an official sampling plan was associated with a digestion
      protocol for the inspection of anchovies. Considering that anisakid larvae are
      usually located in the fish visceral cavity and in the adjacent muscles (VM),
      this part was analyzed. In particular, we assessed the reliability of the
      digestion of a subsample of 150g (+/-30g) of VM, randomly collected from 29
      specimens, in estimating the marketability of the anchovies' batch. Fifty-seven
      samples of 29 anchovies were collected. Each anchovy was sectioned to separate
      VM. All the subsamples were digested, and visible larvae counted. A high
      correlation between the number of larvae in VM regions and in the total batch was
      observed, indicating a very significant contribution of the VM region on total
      number of parasites. The Mean Abundance (MA) was used to assess the batch
      marketability according to a threshold calculated on the basis of the maximum
      number of nematodes tolerated per sample. Considering that the MA can be
      calculated only when the number of examined specimens is known, the number of
      visible Larvae per gram of tissue (LpG) was calculated on 150g (+/-30g) of VM
      subsamples. A LpG marketability threshold was calculated dividing the maximum
      number of tolerated nematodes by the average weight of a sample of 29 anchovies
      calculated considering data available in literature. To evaluate the diagnostic
      performance of the LpG threshold, the marketability of 57 batches assessed on the
      basis of the MA threshold was assumed as the gold standard. The proposed LpG
      showed very high Specificity and Sensitivity. These findings suggest that the
      analysis of VM is representative of the overall infestation of the batch, both
      when considering the absolute number of parasites and the LpG, and may represent
      a valid alternative to the whole anchovy digestion. In particular, the use of an
      automated digestive method, coupled with the aforesaid sampling plan, could allow
      the procedure to be used by FBOs in operational conditions.

PMID- 28359912
TI  - Diffusion tensor imaging and tractography of the white matter in normal aging:
      The rate-of-change differs between segments within tracts.
AB  - Knowledge concerning the normal aging of cerebral white matter will improve our
      understanding of abnormal changes in neurodegenerative diseases. The
      microstructural basis of white matter maturation and aging can be investigated
      using diffusion tensor imaging (DTI). Generally, diffusion anisotropy increases
      during childhood and adolescence followed by a decline in middle age. However,
      this process is subject to spatial variations between tracts. The aim of this
      study was to investigate to what extent age-related variations also occur within
      tracts. DTI parameters were compared between segments of two white matter tracts,
      the cingulate bundle (CB) and the inferior fronto-occipital fasciculus (IFO), in
      257 healthy individuals between 13 and 84years of age. Segments of the CB and the
      IFO were extracted and parameters for each segment were averaged across the
      hemispheres. The data was analysed as a function of age. Results show that age
      related changes differ both between and within individual tracts. Different age
      trajectories were observed in all segments of the analysed tracts for all DTI
      parameters. In conclusion, aging does not affect white matter tracts uniformly
      but is regionally specific; both between and within white matter tracts.

PMID- 28359914
TI  - Starving for survival-how catabolic metabolism fuels immune function.
AB  - Infections disturb homeostasis and often induce a switch to catabolic organismal
      metabolism. During catabolism, increased systemic availability of glucose, fatty
      acids and ketone bodies is observed, and recent evidence indicates that these
      metabolites might serve an immunomodulatory function. However, whereas our
      understanding of direct pathogen recognition by the host immune system is quite
      detailed, much less is known about the immunobiology of the metabolic host
      response to infection. In this review article we briefly discuss how pathogens
      induce 'dys-homeostasis' systemically, locally, and within cells, and provide
      examples of how such changes can shape immune-functionality during the course of
      an infection.

PMID- 28359913
TI  - Obesity altered T cell metabolism and the response to infection.
AB  - An epidemic of obesity over the past three decades increases the risk of chronic
      and infectious diseases for adults and children alike. Within the past few years,
      obesity has been shown to impair the adaptive immune response to infection
      through alterations in T cell functioning. Growing evidence suggests that
      perturbations in T cell metabolism drives this stunted immune response, stemming
      from nutrient, hormone and adipokine dysregulation in the obese. In this review,
      recent findings in the fields of obesity and T cell mediated immunity demonstrate
      a unique relationship between altered mechanisms of T cell metabolic homeostasis
      and plasticity of adaptive immune responses in the obese setting.

PMID- 28359915
TI  - Sp3 controls fibroblast growth factor receptor 4 gene activity during myogenic
      differentiation.
AB  - Fibroblast growth factor/fibroblast growth factor receptor (FGF/FGFR) signaling
      is a critical component in the regulation of myoblast proliferation and
      differentiation. The transient FGFR4 gene expression during the transition from
      proliferating myoblasts to differentiated myotubes indicates that FGFR4 regulates
      this critical phase of myogenesis. The Specificity Protein (SP) family of
      transcription factors controls FGFR family member gene activity. We sought to
      determine if members of the Sp family regulate mouse FGFR4 gene activity during
      myogenic differentiation. RT-PCR and western blot analysis of FGFR4 mRNA and
      protein revealed transient expression over 72h, with peak expression between 24
      and 36h after addition of differentiation medium to C2C12 myogenic cultures. Sp3
      also displayed a transient expression pattern with peak expression occurring
      after 6h of differentiation. We cloned a 1527bp fragment of the mouse FGFR4
      promoter into a luciferase reporter. This FGFR4 promoter contains eight putative
      Sp binding sites and directed luciferase gene activity comparable to native FGFR4
      expression. Overexpression of Sp1 and Sp3 showed that Sp1 repressed FGFR4 gene
      activity, and Sp3 activated FGFR4 gene activity during myogenic differentiation.
      Mutational analyses of multiple Sp binding sites within the FGFR4 promoter
      revealed that three of these sites were transcriptionally active. Electromobility
      shift assays and chromatin immunoprecipitation of the area containing the
      activator sites showed that Sp3 bound to this promoter location.

PMID- 28359917
TI  - The identities of stop codon reassignments support ancestral tRNA stop codon
      decoding activity as a facilitator of gene duplication and evolution of novel
      function.
AB  - Stop codon reassignments are widely distributed in prokaryotic, eukaryotic and
      organellar genomes, but are remarkably convergent in terms of the stop codons and
      amino acids reassigned. Strikingly, the identities of stop codon reassignments
      are closely matched to the properties of naturally occurring nonsense suppressor
      (NONS) tRNAs, suggesting that pre-existing nonsense suppression in an ancestral
      tRNA facilitated the occurrence of stop codon reassignments. Here this idea is
      expanded, by exploring the mechanism by which the gene duplication of tRNAs has
      occurred, leading to the reassignment of stop codons. Two types of stop codon
      reassignment are identified: those that necessitate a tRNA gene duplication, and
      those that do not because a single tRNA can recognize the reassigned stop codon
      and the canonical codon(s) for the cognate amino acid. Where tRNA gene
      duplication has occurred, this implies a multi-functional ancestral NONS tRNA,
      followed by adaptive mutation in the anticodon of one of the gene duplicates to
      become complementary to the stop codon, constituting a clear example of escape
      from adaptive conflict. The best exemplar is the UAA+UAG ->gln reassignment,
      which has occurred 9 times independently in a diverse range of genomes, and
      appears to reflect the widespread occurrence of naturally occurring nonsense
      suppression of the UAA+UAG stop codons by glutamine tRNAs. Consideration of pre
      existing tRNA functionality and the mechanism of gene duplication provide new
      insights into the process of stop codon reassignment.

PMID- 28359916
TI  - Identification of microRNA biomarkers in the blood of breast cancer patients
      based on microRNA profiling.
AB  - Accumulating evidence indicates that human circulating microRNAs (miRNAs) could
      serve as diagnostic and prognostic biomarkers in various cancers. We aimed to
      explore novel miRNA biomarkers in the blood of breast cancer patients based on
      miRNA profiling. A miRCURYTM LNA Array was used to identify differentially
      altered miRNAs in the whole blood of breast cancer patients (n=6) and healthy
      controls (n=6). Levels of candidate miRNAs were quantified by quantitative
      reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) in whole blood
      specimens of 15 breast cancer patients and 13 age-matched healthy control
      individuals. The miRWalk database was used to predict miRNA targets and the DAVID
      tool was used to identify significant enrichment pathways. A total of 171
      differentially expressed miRNAs were identified by microarray, including 169
      upregulated and 2 downregulated miRNAs in breast cancer. Five upregulated miRNAs
      (miR-30b-5p, miR-96-5p, miR-182-5p, miR-374b-5p, and miR-942-5p) were confirmed
      by qRT-PCR. The areas under the receiver operating characteristic curve of miR
      30b-5p, miR-96-5p, miR-182-5p, miR-374b-5p, and miR-942-5p were 0.9333, 0.7692,
      0.7590, 0.8256, and 0.8128, respectively. Importantly, upregulation of these five
      miRNAs was observed even in patients with very early-stage breast cancer. A total
      of 855 genes were predicted to be targeted by the five miRNAs, and the one cut
      domain family member 2 gene (ONECUT2) was a shared target of the five miRNAs.
      Analysis of publicly available data revealed that these dysregulated miRNAs and
      the target genes were associated with the survival of breast cancer patients.
      Furthermore, the five miRNAs were significantly enriched in numerous cancer
      related pathways, including "MicroRNAs in cancer", "Pathways in cancer", "FoxO
      signaling pathway", "Ras signaling pathway", "Rap1 signaling pathway", "MAPK
      signaling pathway", and "PI3K-Akt signaling pathway". Our data support the
      potential of the five identified miRNAs as novel biomarkers for the detection of
      breast cancer, and indicate that they may be involved in breast cancer
      development and progression.

PMID- 28359918
TI  - The effects of desipramine, fluoxetine, or tianeptine on changes in bulbar BDNF
      levels induced by chronic social instability stress and inflammation.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Stress is a major predisposing factor in the development of
      psychiatric disorders and potential source of augmented inflammatory processes in
      the brain. Increasing body of evidence shows an important role of alterations in
      the olfactory bulbs (OBs) function in stress-related disorders. The aim of the
      present study was to investigate the impact of antidepressants on the alterations
      of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) induced by lipopolysaccharide (LPS)
      in female rats subjected to chronic social instability stress (CSIS). METHODS: 9
      weeks old female rats were subjected to CSIS and injected ip once daily with
      desipramine (10mg/kg), fluoxetine (5mg/kg), or tianeptine (10mg/kg) for 4 weeks.
      On the last day of the experiment, rats being at the estrus phase of cycle were
      injected ip with LPS (1mg/kg) or saline. RESULTS: The BDNF mRNA and protein
      levels were evaluated in the olfactory bulbs. and the BDNF protein levels were
      measured in plasma. A single LPS administration in the stressed rats resulted in
      significant decrease in the bulbar BDNF mRNA, but not in the protein level.
      Chronic administration of desipramine, fluoxetine, or tianeptine increased the
      BDNF mRNA expression and protein levels in the LPS-injected stressed rats. There
      was no effect of the studied antidepressants on the reduction of the plasma BDNF
      protein level induced by CSIS and LPS. CONCLUSIONS: These results suggest that
      studied antidepressants were effective in inhibiting the impact of LPS on BDNF
      expression in the stressed rats what may be significant for beneficial action of
      this drugs.

PMID- 28359919
TI  - The role of transient receptor potential vanilloid type 1 in unimodal and
      multimodal object recognition task in rats.
AB  - BACKGROUND: The role of transient receptor potential vanilloid type 1 (TRPV1)
      channels in learning and memory processes has recently been recognized. In the
      present study, the role of this receptor in the multisensory integration process
      was investigated. METHODS: This study was done using 96 male Wistar rats, which
      were kept in a reverse 12-12h dark/light cycle. Unimodal and multimodal object
      recognition task was performed by four variations of the spontaneous object
      recognition (SOR) test including standard SOR, tactile SOR, visual SOR, and cross
      modal visual-tactile SOR (CMOR). AMG9810 (selective TRPV1 antagonist) was
      injected into the right lateral cerebral ventricle prior to sample and choice
      phases of SOR. A discrimination ratio was calculated to assess the preference of
      the animal for the novel object. RESULTS: Results demonstrated that
      administration of AMG9810 prior to the sample phase, as encoding phase, and prior
      to the choice phase, as retrieval phase, impaired discrimination between the
      novel and the familiar objects in all standard SOR, tactile SOR, visual SOR, and
      CMOR tasks (all p<0.05). CONCLUSION: The results of this study showed that TRPV1
      receptors might be implicated in both unimodal and cross-modal encoding of
      information in rats.

PMID- 28359920
TI  - HCV core antigen as an alternate test to HCV RNA for assessment of virologic
      responses to all-oral, interferon-free treatment in HCV genotype 1 infected
      patients.
AB  - In light of the advances in HCV therapy, simplification of diagnosis
      confirmation, pre- treatment diagnostic workup and treatment monitoring is
      required to ensure broad access to interferon-free therapies. HCV core antigen
      (HCV cAg) testing is rapid, giving results in approximately 60min, and less
      expensive than HCV RNA methods. While extensive data on the analytical
      performance of HCV cAg relative to RNA or comparisons in longitudinal studies of
      patients on interferon based (response guided) therapy there is very limited data
      on the relative performance of HCV cAg in diagnosis and monitoring patients
      receiving all-oral interferon free regimens. Furthermore, there is no data in the
      literature that describes the specificity of HCV cAg in patients with resolved
      HCV infection i.e. anti-HCV positive/HCV RNA negative. In this study a total of
      1201 plasma samples from the 411 HCV genotype 1 subjects with a HCV RNA viral
      load >50,000IU/ml who enrolled in a clinical trial with ombitasvir, ritonavir
      boosted paritaprevir and dasabuvir, with or without ribavirin were
      retrospectively tested in a blinded fashion with HCV cAg test and results were
      compared to HCV RNA levels. The specificity of the HCV cAg test was also
      evaluated in anti-HCV positive but HCV RNA negative samples. Overall concordance
      between HCV cAg and HCV RNA was 98.6% while concordance in pre-treatment samples
      was 99.5% (409/411; n=2 HCV RNA pos. with viral loads>3 Mill IU/ml but HCV cAg
      neg.) and 99.24% in post treatment week 12 samples (391/394; n=2 HCV RNA
      pos.<25IU/ml and n=1 HCV RNA pos. 2180IU/ml). Specificity in anti-HCV positive
      HCV RNA negative samples tested was 100%.

PMID- 28359921
TI  - Increased 30-Day Complication Rates Associated with Laminectomy in 874 Adult
      Patients with Spinal Deformity Undergoing Elective Spinal Fusion: A Single
      Institutional Study.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: Recent studies have reported that decompression with fusion leads to
      superior outcomes in correction of spinal deformity. The aim of this study was to
      determine if there is a difference in intraoperative and 30-day postoperative
      complication rates in patients undergoing spinal fusion with and without
      decompression. METHODS: Medical records of 874 adult (>=18 years old) patients
      with spinal deformity undergoing elective spinal fusion at a major academic
      institution from 2005 to 2015 were reviewed; 374 (42.8%) patients underwent
      laminectomy in addition to spinal fusion. The primary outcome investigated was
      the rate of intraoperative and 30-day complications. RESULTS: Patient
      demographics and comorbidities were similar between groups. The laminectomy
      cohort had significantly higher estimated blood loss (P < 0.0001), incidence of
      allogeneic blood transfusions (P = 0.0001), and rate of intraoperative durotomies
      (laminectomy cohort 10.4% vs. no-laminectomy cohort 3.1%; P < 0.0001). The
      laminectomy cohort had a significantly higher proportion of patients in the
      intensive care unit (28.6% vs. 17.7%; P < 0.001). There was no significant
      difference in 30-day readmission rate between cohorts (laminectomy cohort 13.0%
      vs. no-laminectomy cohort 9.8%; P = 0.13). Within 30 days after initial
      discharge, the laminectomy cohort had significantly higher rates of altered
      mental status (3.2% vs. 1.2%; P = 0.05), urinary tract infection (4.3% vs. 1.4%;
      P = 0.009), wound drainage (7.2% vs. 3.1%; P = 0.007), and instrumentation
      failure (1.1% vs. 0.0%; P = 0.03). CONCLUSIONS: Patients undergoing spinal fusion
      with laminectomy may have higher complication rates than patients undergoing
      spinal fusion alone.

PMID- 28359923
TI  - Overlapped Stenting Combined with Coiling for Blood Blister-Like Aneurysms:
      Comparison of Low-Profile Visualized Intraluminal Support (LVIS) Stent and Non
      LVIS Stent.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the safety and efficacy of overlapped stenting for blood
      blister-like aneurysms (BBAs) and to compare the outcomes between Low-profile
      Visualized Intraluminal Support (LVIS) and non-LVIS stents. METHODS: A
      retrospective review of the aneurysm database identified 37 patients with
      intracranial carotid artery BBAs treated by overlapped stenting in our
      institution from June 2013 to June 2016. The clinical characteristics and
      angiographic results were reviewed. RESULTS: Overlapped stenting combined with
      coiling were applied in 37 BBAs, including LVIS stents in 18 cases and non-LVIS
      stents in 19. For the LVIS group, angiographic results at 3-24 months were
      complete occlusion in 15 cases (83.3%), improved in 2 cases (11.1%), and
      recanalized in 1 case (5.6%). The modified Rankin Scale scores at 3-36 months'
      follow-up were 0-2 in 15 cases (83.3%) and 3-6 in 3 cases (16.7%). For the non
      LVIS group, angiographic results at 3-46 months were complete occlusion in 12
      cases (63.2%) and recanalized in 7 cases (36.8%). Clinical outcomes at 6-58
      months were modified Rankin Scale scores of 0-2 in 17 cases (89.5%) and 3-6 in 2
      cases (10.5%). Use of the LVIS stent was less likely to result in recanalization
      (odds ratio 0.10, 95% confidence interval 0.01-0.93, P = 0.042) than the non-LVIS
      stent. The LVIS group had a lower average number of stents than did the non-LVIS
      group (2.2 vs. 2.6, P = 0.016). In terms of complication rate (11.1% vs. 5.3%, P
      = 0.604), good outcome rate (83.3% vs. 89.5%, P = 0.660), and immediate
      angiographic result (P = 0.424), no statistically significant difference between
      the 2 groups was found. CONCLUSIONS: Overlapped LVIS stenting combined with
      coiling is feasible and safe for BBAs. Overall, the LVIS stent provided less risk
      of BBA recurrence compared with the non-LVIS stent and did not increase the risk
      of procedure-related complications.

PMID- 28359922
TI  - First Application of 7-T Magnetic Resonance Imaging in Endoscopic Endonasal
      Surgery of Skull Base Tumors.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Successful endoscopic endonasal surgery for the resection of skull
      base tumors is reliant on preoperative imaging to delineate pathology from the
      surrounding anatomy. The increased signal-to-noise ratio afforded by 7-T MRI can
      be used to increase spatial and contrast resolution, which may lend itself to
      improved imaging of the skull base. In this study, we apply a 7-T imaging
      protocol to patients with skull base tumors and compare the images with clinical
      standard of care. METHODS: Images were acquired at 7 T on 11 patients with skull
      base lesions. Two neuroradiologists evaluated clinical 1.5-, 3-, and 7-T scans
      for detection of intracavernous cranial nerves and internal carotid artery (ICA)
      branches. Detection rates were compared. Images were used for surgical planning
      and uploaded to a neuronavigation platform and used to guide surgery. RESULTS:
      Image analysis yielded improved detection rates of cranial nerves and ICA
      branches at 7 T. The 7-T images were successfully incorporated into preoperative
      planning and intraoperative neuronavigation. CONCLUSIONS: Our study represents
      the first application of 7-T MRI to the full neurosurgical workflow for
      endoscopic endonasal surgery. We detected higher rates of cranial nerves and ICA
      branches at 7-T MRI compared with 3- and 1.5-T MRI, and found that integration of
      7 T into surgical planning and guidance was feasible. These results suggest a
      potential for 7-T MRI to reduce surgical complications. Future studies comparing
      standardized 7-, 3-, and 1.5-T MRI protocols in a larger number of patients are
      warranted to determine the relative benefit of 7-T MRI for endonasal endoscopic
      surgical efficacy.

PMID- 28359924
TI  - Prolonged Cerebral Hyperperfusion and Subcortical Low Intensity on Fluid
      Attenuated Inversion Recovery Images: Unusual Manifestation After Removal of
      Organized Chronic Subdural Hematoma.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Cerebral hyperperfusion sometimes occurs after removal of chronic
      subdural hematoma (CSH) and usually resolves within a few days without any
      symptoms. Subcortical low intensity (SCLI) on fluid-attenuated inversion recovery
      (FLAIR) magnetic resonance images is rare and has been reported in some diseases
      other than CSH. A case of organized CSH who suffered prolonged neurologic
      deterioration, SCLI, and cerebral hyperperfusion postoperatively is described.
      CASE DESCRIPTION: An 81-year-old man, presenting with left hemiparesis, underwent
      craniotomy for right organized CSH after 2 burr-hole surgeries. After the
      craniotomy, the symptoms improved, but on postoperative day 2, left hemiparesis,
      hemispatial neglect, and hemiasomatognosia developed. Magnetic resonance imaging
      revealed SCLI on FLAIR images, and single-photon emission computed tomography
      with N-isopropyl-p-[123I]-iodoamphetamine revealed cerebral hyperperfusion in the
      right hemispheric cortex. Antihypertensive treatment improved the symptoms
      gradually, which resolved completely 1 month postsurgery. CONCLUSIONS: A case of
      organized CSH, which showed postoperative neurologic deterioration associated
      with prolonged cerebral hyperperfusion and SCLI on FLAIR images, is reported.
      Prolonged cerebral hyperperfusion could be a cause of postoperative neurologic
      deterioration in organized CSH.

PMID- 28359925
TI  - Results of Proactive Surgical Clipping in Poor-Grade Aneurysmal Subarachnoid
      Hemorrhage: Pattern of Recovery and Predictors of Outcome.
AB  - BACKGROUND: The outcome associated with the treatment of poor-grade aneurysmal
      subarachnoid hemorrhage is rather discouraging. Even then, some patients may
      survive; however, the long-term outcomes and the patterns of recovery of these
      survivors have not received much attention in the literature. METHODS: A total of
      85 patients (mean age 53.3 years, male/female = 34:51, 98 aneurysms) with post
      resuscitation Hunt and Hess grades 4 and 5 subarachnoid hemorrhage were studied.
      Modified Rankin Scale score was used to determine the functional outcome.
      Different factors were analyzed with uni- and multivariate models for their
      effect on the functional outcomes after surgery. RESULTS: A total of 23 patients
      died in the 30-day perioperative period, whereas 8 patients died at follow-up (n
      = 31, 36.5%). Nearly 35% and 51% of the survivors obtained favorable short- and
      long-term functional outcomes, respectively. The presence of a space-occupying
      hematoma (P = 0.014) and the functional status at discharge significantly
      affected the long-term functionality (P = 0.004) in our patients. The functional
      improvement was steady with time (the probability of good outcome at about 2
      months of discharge was around 65%, about 55% at 1 year, and 40% at 2 years and
      then achieved a plateau). Marked improvement occurred in 11% survivors even after
      18 months. CONCLUSIONS: If operated at the earliest opportunity after admission,
      meaningful survival may be provided to a significant number of patients with poor
      grade subarachnoid hemorrhage. The recovery process in the survivors is a dynamic
      process and considering the late improvements in some, it is advisable be follow
      them beyond the conventional end points.

PMID- 28359926
TI  - Therapy Decisions for Patients with High-Grade Glioma and Their Families.

PMID- 28359928
TI  - The attentional demands of ambulating with an assistive device in older adults
      with Alzheimer's disease.
AB  - Ambulation with a mobility aid is a unique real-life situation of multi-tasking.
      These simultaneous motor tasks place increased demands on executive function in
      healthy young and older adults, but the demands have not been evaluated in people
      with Alzheimer's disease (AD). Mobility problems are common among adults with AD,
      leading to provision of a mobility aid to optimize independent activity. The
      study objectives were: (i) to determine the dual-task cost (DTC) associated with
      the use of a mobility aid in straight and complex path walking, and (ii) to
      evaluate the association between executive function and ambulation with a
      mobility aid in older adults with AD and age-sex matched cognitively normal
      controls. Fourteen people (mean age+/-SD, 72.6+/-9.9years) with a diagnosis of
      probable AD (MMSE range 12-25) and controls (mean age+/-SD, 72.9+/-9.5) walked at
      a self-selected pace and using a 4-wheeled walker in a 6m straight path and a
      Figure of 8 Test. Ambulation with the walker in a straight path produced a low
      DTC that was not different between the groups. Ambulation with the 4-wheeled
      walker in the complex path produced a significantly different DTC in the group
      with AD at -38.1+/-23.5% compared to -19.7+/-21.4% (p=0.041). Lower scores on
      executive function were associated with longer times across test conditions.
      Ambulation with a 4-wheeled walker, in particular maneuvering around obstacles,
      requires greater attentional costs in dementia. Future research should explore
      the timing for safely introducing mobility aids in AD and the role of improving
      executive function.

PMID- 28359929
TI  - Asymptomatic radiographic hip osteoarthritis is associated with gait differences,
      especially in women: A population-based study.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Hip and knee osteoarthritis (OA) are debilitating diseases that
      impair gait at severe stages. Although associations between OA and gait are
      established for normal walking, little is known about its relation with turning
      and tandem (heel-to-toe) walking. Furthermore, it is unknown how asymptomatic OA
      associates with gait, and whether associations differ by sex. We investigated how
      symptomatic and asymptomatic hip and knee OA associate with gait in community
      dwelling individuals. METHODS: In 2706 participants of a population-based cohort
      study, gait was assessed by electronic walkway and summarised into seven gait
      domains. Hip and knee radiographs were graded for radiographic OA (ROA) using the
      Kellgren and Lawrence (K&L) score. Linear regression was used to investigate
      associations between ROA and gait. Analyses were repeated including only
      participants with asymptomatic ROA, defined as a K&L-score of 2 without pain.
      RESULTS: In total, 177 participants (6.5%) had hip ROA and 441 (16.3%) knee ROA.
      We found no associations of knee ROA with gait. Hip ROA associated with Rhythm,
      Tandem, and Turning. Furthermore, unilateral hip ROA associated with larger gait
      asymmetry and gait differences in osteoarthritic and non-osteoarthritic leg, when
      compared to people without hip ROA. Associations between hip ROA and gait were
      generally stronger for women than men. Associations for hip ROA remained after
      restricting to asymptomatic ROA. CONCLUSION: Hip ROA, but not knee ROA,
      associates with gait differences in normal walking, turning, and tandem walking
      in community-dwelling individuals. These associations differ between the sexes,
      and are already present for asymptomatic ROA.

PMID- 28359927
TI  - Ultrasonography During Surgery to Approach Cerebral Metastases: Effect on
      Karnofsky Index Scores and Tumor Volume.
AB  - BACKGROUND: The goals of treating a cerebral metastasis (CM) are to achieve local
      control of the disease and to improve patient quality of life. The aim of this
      study was to analyze the effect of conventional surgery supported by
      intraoperative ultrasound (IOUS) to approach a CM. To perform this analysis, we
      determined the postoperative Karnofsky Performance Status Scale (KPS) scores and
      tumor resection grades. METHODS: Patients with a CM diagnosis were included in
      this study. Surgical treatment was either supported or not by IOUS. Pre- and
      postoperative KPS scores were determined by the oncology team, and cerebral tumor
      volume was estimated through pre- and postoperative magnetic resonance imaging.
      The surgical team determined whether it was possible to perform a total CM
      resection. RESULTS: There were 78 patients treated using surgical management (35
      with and 43 without IOUS). In the IOUS group, the postoperative KPS scores were
      higher (80 vs. 70, respectively; P = 0.045) and the KPS evolution was superior (P
      = 0.036), especially in the following subgroups: difficulty of tumor resection
      ranking score <4 (P = 0.037), tumor in an eloquent area (P = 0.043), tumor not
      associated with vessels or nerves (P = 0.007), and solitary lesions (P = 0.038).
      The residual tumor volume was lower in the IOUS group (9.5% and 1.6 mm3 vs. 30.8%
      and 9 mm3, respectively; P = 0.05). In patients with a KPS score >=70, 62% of
      them had <10% residual tumors (76% in the IOUS group and 45% in the non-IOUS
      group; P = 0.032; odds ratio, 3.8). CONCLUSIONS: IOUS may improve postoperative
      KPS scores and decrease residual tumor volumes in CM surgeries. These findings
      should be confirmed in future studies.

PMID- 28359930
TI  - Wiedemann-Steiner syndrome: Novel pathogenic variant and review of literature.
AB  - Wiedemann-Steiner syndrome (WDSTS) is a very rare genetic disorder characterized
      by short stature, intellectual disability and distinctive facial appearance. We
      present a five-year-old boy who was diagnosed with WDSTS based on identification
      of a novel de novo pathogenic variant in the KMT2A gene (OMIM: 159555) by Whole
      Exome Sequencing and supported by some characteristic clinical features. Genotype
      and phenotype of the patient is compared with the earlier reported patients in
      the literature, in an attempt to broaden our knowledge of this rare syndrome.

PMID- 28359931
TI  - Transplanting mouse induced pluripotent stem cells into mouse otocysts in vivo.
AB  - The otocyst is an attractive target for studying treatment strategies for genetic
      hearing loss and for understanding inner ear development. We have previously
      reported that trans-uterine supplemental gene therapy in vivo into the otocysts
      of mice, which had a loss of function mutation in a causative gene of deafness,
      was able to prevent putative hearing loss. We herein set out to clarify the
      feasibility of allogenic cell transplantation into the mouse otocysts in vivo. We
      transplanted naive mouse-derived induced pluripotent stem cells (miPSCs) into the
      otocysts of wild type mice or connexin (Cx) 30 deficient mice, at embryonic day
      11.5 (E11.5). The transplanted m-iPSCs survived in the lumens of the inner ears
      at E13.5 and E15.5 in wild type mice. In the Cx30 deficient mouse, the
      transplanted cells survived similarly, with some of the transplanted cells
      migrating into the lining cells of the lumens of the inner ears at E13.5 and
      showing tumorigenic cell proliferation at E15.5. In addition, engrafted cells
      appear to be able to differentiate after the cell transplantation. Our results
      suggest that otocyst transplanted cells survived and differentiated. A Cx30
      deficiency may facilitate cell migration. These findings may offer some hope for
      cell transplantation therapy for profound genetic hearing loss caused by a Cxs
      deficiency.

PMID- 28359932
TI  - Increased abundance of myeloid-derived suppressor cells and Th17 cells in
      peripheral blood of newly-diagnosed Parkinson's disease patients.
AB  - Parkinson's disease (PD) is a neurodegenerative disease that is often associated
      with corresponding neuroinflammation. In the present study, flow cytometry was
      used to detect T-helper 17 (Th17) cells and myeloid-derived suppressor cells
      (MDSCs) in 18 patients newly diagnosed with PD as well as 18 normal controls.
      Results showed that Th17 cells and MDSCs were significantly higher in peripheral
      blood of PD patients compared to controls (P<0.001). Furthermore, there was no
      correlation between Th17 cells and MDSCs in peripheral blood of PD patients. Our
      findings suggest that Th17 cells and MDSCs may be important factors related to
      the occurrence and progression of PD, as well as the development of PD-related
      neuroinflammation.

PMID- 28359933
TI  - Recombinant human erythropoietin offers neuroprotection through inducing
      endogenous erythropoietin receptor and neuroglobin in a neonatal rat model of
      periventricular white matter damage.
AB  - Recombinant human erythropoietin (rh-EPO) has been reported to have protective
      effects against brain injury. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the
      levels of erythropoietin receptor (EPOR) and neuroglobin (Ngb) in a neonatal rat
      model of periventricular white matter damage (PWMD), and to identify the
      relationship between the two proteins. On postnatal day 3 (P3), rats underwent
      permanent ligation of the right common carotid artery followed by 6% O2 for 4h
      (HI) or sham operation and normoxic exposure (sham). Immediately after HI, rats
      received a single intraperitoneal injection of rh-EPO (5U/g) or saline. We
      assessed the expression level of Ngb and EPOR on postnatal days 5, 7, 10 and 14.
      EPOR in the HI rats was initially increased as compared to the sham rats at P5.
      Subsequently, EPOR expression decreased, but was maintained at a higher level
      than in sham rats from P7 to P14. In rh-EPO treated rats, the increase in EPOR
      was greater than in HI rats at P5. However, EPOR levels decreased sharply from P7
      to P14. In HI rats, Ngb was increased compared to the sham rats from P5 to P14.
      Ngb levels were further upregulated after rh-EPO administration from P5 to P10
      compared to HI rats. However, this upregulation decreased at P14. In conclusion,
      this study shows that EPOR and Ngb were upregulated, and both of them act as
      important coordinated neuroprotectors in rh-EPO treatment of PWMD. However, the
      two proteins exhibit different expression patterns.

PMID- 28359934
TI  - CXCL13 regulates the trafficking of GluN2B-containing NMDA receptor via IL-17 in
      the development of remifentanil-induced hyperalgesia in rats.
AB  - BACKGROUND: This study aimed to investigate whether CXCL13 modulated the
      trafficking of NMDA receptor via interleukin (IL)-17 in a rat model of
      remifentanil-induced hyperalgesia (RIH).Although chemokines are crucial
      regulators of neuroinflammation, spinal N-methyl-d-aspartate (NMDA) receptor
      activation, and development of hypernociceptive process, little is known about
      specific pathogenesis and effective treatment. Inflammatory mediators are
      required for excitatory synaptic transmission in pathologic pain. METHODS: A
      neutralizing antibody against CXCL13 (anti-CXCL13), antiserum against IL-17 (anti
      IL-17), and recombinant CXCL13 and IL-17 were administered intrathecally to
      explore the roles of CXCL13, IL-17, and NMDA receptor, as well as the prevention
      of hyperalgesia. Paw withdrawal threshold and paw withdrawal latency were
      employed to record mechanical allodynia and thermal hyperalgesia. Reverse
      transcriptase quantitative polymerase chain reaction was used to evaluate the
      levels of CXCL13/CXCR5 and IL-17/IL-17RA in the spinal dorsal horn. The
      trafficking of spinal GluN2B-containing NMDA receptor was assessed by Western
      blot after nociceptive testing. RESULTS: This study found mechanical allodynia
      and thermal hyperalgesia with a remarkable increase in the expression of spinal
      CXCL13/CXCR5 and IL-17/IL-17RA and trafficking of GluN2B-containing NMDA receptor
      after remifentanil exposure. Behavioral RIH and elevated GluN2B trafficking were
      dampened by intrathecal anti-CXCL13 and anti-IL-17, respectively. The delivery of
      exogenous CXCL13 dose-dependently generated a rapid nociceptive hypersensitivity
      in naive rats, which was prevented by coadministering anti-IL-17. CXCL13-induced
      IL-17RA overproduction and GluN2B trafficking were reversed by anti-IL-17
      treatment. GluN2B antagonist also blocked CXCL13, and IL-17 directly induced
      hyperalgesia. CONCLUSION: This study highlighted the contribution of IL-17
      pathway in the trafficking of CXCL13-induced GluN2B-containing NMDA receptor in
      the pathogenesis of RIH.

PMID- 28359935
TI  - A large increase of sour taste receptor cells in Skn-1-deficient mice does not
      alter the number of their sour taste signal-transmitting gustatory neurons.
AB  - The connections between taste receptor cells (TRCs) and innervating gustatory
      neurons are formed in a mutually dependent manner during development. To
      investigate whether a change in the ratio of cell types that compose taste buds
      influences the number of innervating gustatory neurons, we analyzed the
      proportion of gustatory neurons that transmit sour taste signals in adult Skn-1a
      /- mice in which the number of sour TRCs is greatly increased. We generated
      polycystic kidney disease 1 like 3-wheat germ agglutinin (pkd1l3-WGA)/Skn-1a+/+
      and pkd1l3-WGA/Skn-1a-/- mice by crossing Skn-1a-/- mice and pkd1l3-WGA
      transgenic mice, in which neural pathways of sour taste signals can be
      visualized. The number of WGA-positive cells in the circumvallate papillae is 3
      fold higher in taste buds of pkd1l3-WGA/Skn-1a-/- mice relative to pkd1l3-WGA/Skn
      1a+/+ mice. Intriguingly, the ratio of WGA-positive neurons to P2X2-expressing
      gustatory neurons in nodose/petrosal ganglia was similar between pkd1l3-WGA/Skn
      1a+/+ and pkd1l3-WGA/Skn-1a-/- mice. In conclusion, an alteration in the ratio of
      cell types that compose taste buds does not influence the number of gustatory
      neurons that transmit sour taste signals.

PMID- 28359936
TI  - Selective photoinactivation of Histoplasma capsulatum by water-soluble
      derivatives chalcones.
AB  - Histoplasmosis is a respiratory and systemic disease caused by the dimorphic
      fungus Histoplasma capsulatum. The clinical features may vary from asymptomatic
      infections to disseminated severe form depending of patient immunity. The
      treatment of histoplasmosis can be performed with itraconazole, fluconazole, and
      in the disseminated forms is used amphotericin B. However, the critical side
      effects of amphotericin B, the cases of itraconazole therapy failure and the
      appearance of fluconozole-resistant strains makes necessary the search of new
      strategies to treat this disease. Antimicrobial photodynamic therapy (aPDT) seems
      to be a potential candidate once have been show efficacy to inhibit others
      dimorphic fungi. Although the photosensitizer (PS) chalcone aggregates in
      biological medium, it has antifungal activity and show a high quantum yield of
      ROS formation. So, the aim of this study was to obtain the experimental
      parameters to achieve an acceptable selective chalcone water-soluble derivatives
      photoinactivation of H. capsulatum comparing with fibroblastic and keratinocytes
      cells which are the constituents of some potential host tissues. Yeast and cells
      were incubated with the same chalchones concentrations and short incubation time
      followed by irradiation with equal dose of light. The best conditions to kill H.
      capsulatum selectively were very low photosensitizers concentration (1.95MUgmL-1)
      incubated by 15min and irradiated with LED 450nm with 24Jcm-2. Key words:
      chalcone, Histoplasma capsulatum, aPDT, selectivity.

PMID- 28359937
TI  - Pilot study on laser propagation in maxillary and mandibular bone: Grey level
      image analysis for optical measurements.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Bone tissue anatomy, density and porosity vary among subjects in
      different phases of life and even within areas of a single specimen. The optical
      characteristics of changes in bone tissue are analyzed based on these properties.
      Photobiomodulation has been used to improve bone healing after surgery or
      fractures. Thus, knowledge on light propagation is of considerable importance to
      the obtainment of successful clinical outcomes. OBJECTIVE: This study determines
      light penetration and distribution in human maxillary and mandibular bones in
      three different regions (anterior, middle, and posterior). METHODS: A HeNe laser
      (633nm) irradiated maxillary and mandibular bones in the cervical-apical
      direction. The light propagation and scattering pattern were acquired and the
      grey level of the images was analyzed. Three-dimensional plots of the intensity
      profile and attenuation profiles were created. RESULTS: Differences in optical
      properties were found between the mandibular and maxillary bones. The maxilla
      attenuated more light than the mandible at all sites, leading to a shallower
      penetration depth. CONCLUSION: Our results provide initial information on the
      behavior of the propagation of red laser on alveolar bone using an optical
      method.

PMID- 28359938
TI  - Effect of antimicrobial photodynamic therapy on the counts of salivary
      Streptococcus mutans in children with severe early childhood caries.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Antimicrobial photodynamic therapy (aPDT) is a novel technique for
      reduction of pathogenic microorganisms in dentistry. The aim of this study was to
      evaluate the effects of aPDT on Streptococcus mutans reduction in children with
      severe early childhood caries. METHODS: Twenty-two children with severe early
      childhood caries aged 3-6 years were treated with toluoidine blue O (TBO) for
      1min and irradiated by a Light Emitting Diode (LED; FotoSan, CMS Dental, Denmark)
      with the exposure time of 150s. Saliva samples were collected at baseline, 1h and
      7 days after treatment. S. mutans counts were determined using the Dentocult SM
      Strip mutans. RESULTS: The counts of S. mutans in saliva decreased significantly
      after 1h (P<0.001). However, the difference in reduction of S. mutans counts in
      saliva was not significant between the baseline and 7 days after treatment
      (P>0.05). CONCLUSION: aPDT seems to be efficient to reduce salivary S. mutans
      immediately after treatment in children with severe early childhood caries.
      However, further research is needed to evaluate different doses and frequency of
      irradiation in combination with restoring carious teeth to find more durable
      results.

PMID- 28359940
TI  - Oval gradient coils for an open magnetic resonance imaging system with a vertical
      magnetic field.
AB  - Existing open magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) systems use biplanar gradient
      coils for the spatial encoding of signals. We propose using novel oval gradient
      coils for an open vertical-field MRI. We designed oval gradients for a 0.3T open
      MRI system and showed that such a system could outperform a traditional biplanar
      gradient system while maintaining adequate gradient homogeneity and subject
      accessibility. Such oval gradient coils would exhibit high efficiency, low
      inductance and resistance, and high switching capability. Although the designed
      oval Y and Z coils showed more heat dissipation and less cooling capability than
      biplanar coils with the same gap, they showed an efficient heat-dissipation path
      to the surrounding air, which would alleviate the heat problem. The performance
      of the designed oval-coil system was demonstrated experimentally by imaging a
      human hand.

PMID- 28359941
TI  - Maternal cigarette smoking during pregnancy and the trajectory of externalizing
      and internalizing symptoms across childhood: Similarities and differences across
      parent, teacher, and self reports.
AB  - Maternal smoking during pregnancy (MSDP) has been associated with symptoms of
      externalizing (e.g., hyperactivity) and internalizing (e.g., emotional) disorders
      in childhood. The present research addresses two new questions about the nature
      of this relation: (1) Do the associations between MSDP and externalizing and
      internalizing symptoms vary by who reports the symptoms? and (2) Is MSDP
      associated with changes in symptomatology across childhood? We address these
      questions with two cohorts from the Longitudinal Study of Australian Children
      (LSAC). Parents and teachers completed the Strengths and Difficulties
      Questionnaire up to six times every two years between child ages 4 and 14 in the
      older cohort (N = 3841) and up to four times between child ages 4 and 10 in the
      younger cohort (N = 3714); the study children also completed the same
      questionnaire up to three times starting at age 10. Across the two cohorts, MSDP
      was associated with more externalizing symptoms as reported by parents, teachers,
      and self. MSDP was also associated with increases in externalizing symptoms
      across childhood when teachers assessed the symptoms but not when parents
      assessed them. Finally, MSDP was not consistently associated with the average
      level of internalizing symptoms, but it was associated with increases in these
      symptoms across childhood. The present research indicates a robust association
      between MSDP and the average level of externalizing symptoms in childhood
      regardless of who reports the symptoms. It also indicates that whether MSDP is
      associated with the trajectory of externalizing symptomatology depends on who
      reports on the symptoms.

PMID- 28359939
TI  - Tropomyosin 1: Multiple roles in the developing heart and in the formation of
      congenital heart defects.
AB  - Tropomyosin 1 (TPM1) is an essential sarcomeric component, stabilising the thin
      filament and facilitating actin's interaction with myosin. A number of sarcomeric
      proteins, such as alpha myosin heavy chain, play crucial roles in cardiac
      development. Mutations in these genes have been linked to congenital heart
      defects (CHDs), occurring in approximately 1 in 145 live births. To date, TPM1
      has not been associated with isolated CHDs. Analysis of 380 CHD cases revealed
      three novel mutations in the TPM1 gene; IVS1+2T>C, I130V, S229F and a
      polyadenylation signal site variant GATAAA/AATAAA. Analysis of IVS1+2T>C revealed
      aberrant pre-mRNA splicing. In addition, abnormal structural properties were
      found in hearts transfected with TPM1 carrying I130V and S229F mutations.
      Phenotypic analysis of TPM1 morpholino-treated embryos revealed roles for TPM1 in
      cardiac looping, atrial septation and ventricular trabeculae formation and
      increased apoptosis was seen within the heart. In addition, sarcomere assembly
      was affected and altered action potentials were exhibited. This study
      demonstrated that sarcomeric TPM1 plays vital roles in cardiogenesis and is a
      suitable candidate gene for screening individuals with isolated CHDs.

PMID- 28359942
TI  - Production, characterization and application of monoclonal antibody against
      immunoglobulin D heavy chain of flounder (Paralichthys olivaceus).
AB  - Immunoglobulin D (IgD) is considered to be an enigmatic Ig molecule because of
      the lack understanding of its immunological functions. In the present study, a
      partial delta region of the flounder IgD was recombinantly expressed, purified
      and used as an immunogen to produce monoclonal antibodies (MAbs) against the H
      chain of flounder IgD. After fusion, a total of 97 hybridomas were generated and
      observed under an inverted microscope One of the hybridomas, designated 5G7, gave
      strong positive results in an indirect enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA)
      and was cloned and subcloned by limiting dilution. Western blot analysis showed
      that MAb 5G7 could specifically recognize a 118 kDa protein from peripheral blood
      lymphocytes (PBLs), which was identified to be the H chain of flounder IgD by
      mass spectrometric analysis. Indirect immunofluorescence assay tests (IIFAT)
      showed that specific fluorescence signals were observed on the membranes of the
      PBLs, which suggests that MAb 5G7 could recognize the membrane-bound IgD
      molecule. Moreover, only the subset of IgD+/IgM + B cells were observed in the
      PBLs of healthy flounder when tested by flow cytometry analysis. Consistent with
      the results of flow cytometry, a double immunofluorescence assay test (DIFAT)
      showed that the positive lymphocytes were stained with both green and red
      fluorescence signals, which represent the IgM+/IgD + lymphocytes subset. These
      results demonstrate that the produced MAb 5G7 could specifically recognize the
      flounder IgD, which provides a useful tool to study the functions of flounder
      IgD.

PMID- 28359943
TI  - BNIP3, a cell pro-apoptotic protein, involved in response to viral infection in
      orange spotted grouper, Epinephelus coioides.
AB  - BNIP3 is a kind of BH3-only protein that induces both cell death and autophagy.
      Here, a BNIP3 gene (EcBNIP3) was identified from orange spotted grouper,
      Epinephelus coioides. EcBNIP3 possessed 236 amino acids residues, contained a
      conservative BNIP3 domain and a transmembrane region. Besides, EcBNIP3 expressed
      at a relative high level in heart and spleen. EcBNIP3 transcript was up-regulated
      after SGIV infection in vitro. Subcellular localization analysis revealed that
      EcBNIP3 was predominantly localized in the cytoplasm and co-localized with
      mitochondria. In addition, overexpression EcBNIP3 accelerated SGIV infection
      induced cell death but inhibited viral genes transcription. Taken together, these
      results provided new evidence that fish BNIP3 might involved in response to virus
      infection.

PMID- 28359944
TI  - Dietary dehydrated lemon peel improves the immune but not the antioxidant status
      of gilthead seabream (Sparus aurata L.).
AB  - Lemon (Citrus limon) is the third most important species of citrus in the world,
      while Spain is the major producer in Europe. Numerous beneficial effects of lemon
      are known, which explains their use in traditional medicine. The paper describes
      the effect of dietary dehydrated lemon peel (a sub-product of the lemon industry)
      on the growth, immune and antioxidant status of gilthead seabream (Sparus aurata
      L.) over a period of 30 days. Fish fed diets enriched with dehydrated lemon peel
      (1.5% and 3%) for 15 days showed improved growth and both humoral (seric
      immunoglobulin M) and cellular (peroxidase activity and phagocytic ability of
      head kidney leucocytes) immunity, as well as the expression of some immune
      related genes (nkefa, il1beta, igth and csfr1). However, decreases growth
      promotion was observed after thirty days of trial. Neither the anti-oxidant
      enzymes activity nor the expression of several anti-oxidants and anti-stress
      genes in liver was improved by the diet. The possible inclusion of dehydrated
      lemon peel in fish diets for its immunostimulant effects is discussed.

PMID- 28359945
TI  - Supplementation of arachidonic acid rich oil in European sea bass juveniles
      (Dicentrarchus labrax) diets: Effects on leucocytes and plasma fatty acid
      profiles, selected immune parameters and circulating prostaglandins levels.
AB  - The main objective of this study was to assess the effects of graded levels of
      dietary arachidonic acid (ARA), supplemented from alternative sources, on fatty
      acid composition of plasma and head kidney leucocytes of European sea bass
      (Dicentrarchus labrax). For that purpose, sea bass juveniles were fed four diets
      containing graded levels of ARA as follows: 0.5% (ARA0.5), 1% (ARA1), 2% (ARA2)
      and 4% (ARA4) during 60 days. At the end of the feeding trial fatty acid profiles
      of plasma and head kidney leucocytes were analyzed. Besides, plasma
      prostaglandins levels, head kidney leucocytes respiratory burst activity;
      peroxidase activity and phagocytic index were assayed. Reducing dietary ARA
      levels below 1% markedly reduced European sea bass growth performance. However,
      fish fed diet ARA0.5 tried to compensate this dietary ARA deficiency by a
      selective deposition of ARA on plasma and head kidney leucocytes, reaching
      similar levels to those fish fed diet ARA1 after 60 days of feeding.
      Nevertheless, head kidney phagocytic capacity was reduced as dietary ARA content
      in relation not only to variations on membrane composition but also to changes on
      fish basal prostaglandins levels. Results obtained demonstrated the importance to
      supply the necessary quantity n-6 LC-PUFA, and not only n-3 LC-PUFA levels, in
      European sea bass diets, in relation to not only growth performance but also
      immune system function.

PMID- 28359946
TI  - Use of in vivo induced technology to identify antigens expressed by
      Photobacterium damselae subsp. piscicida during infection of Senegalese sole
      (Solea senegalensis).
AB  - Photobacterium damselae subsp. piscicida (Phdp), the causative agent of
      photobacteriosis, is an important pathogen in marine aquaculture that affects
      many different fish species worldwide, including Solea senegalensis, an important
      fish species for aquaculture in the south of Europe. Bacteria express different
      repertoires of proteins in response to environmental conditions and when invading
      a host, sense in vivo environment and adapt by changing the expression of
      specific proteins. In the case of pathogens, identification of genes with up
      regulated expression in vivo compared to in vitro conditions might give an
      insight into the genes relevant to the bacterial virulence. In the present work,
      in vivo induced antigen technology (IVIAT) has been used to search for Phdp genes
      only expressed or up-regulated in infected S. senegalensis. An expression library
      from Phdp was assayed against pooled sera from convalescent S. senegalensis
      specimens and 18 clones were positive, indicating that proteins encoded are
      expressed by Phdp during S. senegalensis infection and are immunogenic for this
      fish species. In addition, five proteins were reactive against adsorbed sera,
      indicating their in vivo induced character. Inosine-5'-monophosphate
      dehydrogenase, serine hydroxy methyltransferase and alanyl-tRNA synthethase,
      involved in aminoacid and nucleotide metabolism, the protein with antioxidant
      activity alkyl hydroperoxide reductase and a non-ribosomal peptide synthetase
      responsible for the synthesis of the siderophore piscibactin have been identified
      as antigens induced in Phdp during S. senegalensis infection. Proteins induced
      during in vivo growth of Phdp represent promising targets for the development of
      novel antimicrobial or prophylactic agents in the treatment and prevention of
      photobacteriosis.

PMID- 28359947
TI  - The hot-water extract of leaves of noni, Morinda citrifolia, promotes the
      immunocompetence of giant freshwater prawn, Macrobrachium rosenbergii.
AB  - The hot-water Morinda citrifolia leaf extract (HMLE) was prepared for in vitro
      assessment on phenoloxidase (PO) activity, respiratory bursts (RBs), and
      phagocytic activity (PA). Furthermore, the HMLE was administrated in the diet at
      0.6, 3, and 6 g (kg diet)-1 for Macrobrachium rosenbergii, and the potential
      effects on the immunocompetence of prawns were evaluated. PO activity, RBs, and
      PA in hemocytes incubated with the HMLE at 140, 20, 20, and 140 mg l-1
      significantly increased. The immune parameters of the total hemocyte count (THC),
      differential hemocyte count (DHC), RBs, PO activity, superoxide dismutase (SOD)
      activity, PA, transglutaminase (TG) activity and hemolymph clotting time were
      evaluated before and after 1, 3, 5, 7, and 9 weeks of the feeding trial. During 9
      weeks of the feeding trial, higher THCs, DHCs, RBs, PO, and TG as well as
      accelerated clotting times were observed in prawns fed HMLE-containing diets at
      0.6 g kg-1. The mRNA expressions of prophenoloxidase, TG, crustin, and lysozyme
      of prawns fed HMLE-containing diets at 0.6 g kg-1 for 9 weeks of the feeding
      trial significantly increased. The susceptibility of prawns fed the HMLE at 0.6 g
      kg-1 to Lactococcus garvieae infection significantly decreased, and the relative
      survival percentage was 23.1%. We therefore found that HMLE administrated through
      the diet at 0.6 g kg-1 was capable of enhancing the immunity and resistance
      against L. garvieae in M. rosenbergii.

PMID- 28359948
TI  - Effect of dietary Clostridium butyricum on growth, intestine health status and
      resistance to ammonia stress in Pacific white shrimp Litopenaeus vannamei.
AB  - The present study evaluated the effect of dietary Clostridium butyricum (CB) on
      growth, intestine microstructure, intestine digestive and immune function,
      intestine short-chain fatty acids (SCFA) content and body composition of Pacific
      white shrimp Litopenaeus vannamei. The shrimp was fed for 56 d with diets
      containing different levels of C. butyricum (1 * 109 cfu/g): 0% (Control), 0.25%
      (CB1), 0.5% (CB2) and 1.0% (CB3) as treatment groups, followed by an acute
      ammonia stress test for 72 h. The results indicated that dietary supplementation
      of C. butyricum decreased the feed conversion rate (FCR) and increased the growth
      performance of shrimp. Compared with the control group, after shrimp fed with C.
      butyricum 56 d, intestine amylase and protease activity in the three C. butyricum
      group increased, while lipase activity was only affected in the CB1 and CB2
      group. Total antioxidant capacity (T-AOC) content, lysozyme (LSZ) activity, and
      the relative expression level of Toll and immune deficiency (Imd) gene all
      increased in three C. butyricum groups. Inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS)
      activity increased in the CB2 and CB3 group, heat shock protein 70 (HSP70) gene
      expression level increased in the CB3 group, while nitric oxide (NO) content was
      not affected by C. butyricum. After shrimp exposed to ammonia stress, intestine
      immune biochemical parameters (T-AOC, LSZ, iNOS and NO) and genes (HSP70, Toll
      and Imd) expression level of C. butyricum group was higher than that of the
      control. HE stain showed that C. butyricum increased the intestine epithelium
      height of L. vannamei. These results revealed that C. butyricum could improve the
      growth performance, increased intestine SCFA content and body crude protein
      content, modulated intestine digestive capacity, and enhanced intestine immune
      function of L. vannamei against ammonia stress.

PMID- 28359950
TI  - Whole transcriptome expression of trigeminal ganglia compared to dorsal root
      ganglia in Rattus Norvegicus.
AB  - The trigeminal ganglia (TG) subserving the head and the dorsal root ganglia (DRG)
      subserving the rest of the body are homologous handling sensory neurons.
      Differences exist, as a number of signaling substances cause headache but no pain
      in the rest of the body. To date, very few genes involved in this difference have
      been identified. We aim to reveal basal gene expression levels in TG and DRG and
      detect genes that are differentially expressed (DE) between TG and DRG. RNA
      Sequencing from six naive rats describes the whole transcriptome expression
      profiles of TG and DRG. Differential expression analysis was followed by pathway
      analysis to identify DE processes between TG and DRG. In total, 64 genes had
      higher and 55 genes had lower expressed levels in TG than DRG. Higher expressed
      genes, including S1pr5 and Gjc2, have been related to phospholipase activity. The
      lower expressed genes, including several Hox genes and Slc5a7, have been related
      to tyrosine and phenylalanine metabolism. Tissue-specific expression was
      identified for Gabra6 and Gabrd in TG, and for several Hox genes in DRG.
      Furthermore, genes that were known to be associated with headache/migraine were
      mostly moderately to highly expressed in one or both tissues. We present a
      comprehensive overview of the expression profiles of whole tissue comparison of
      TG and DRG. Further, we showed DE genes/pathways between TG and DRG, including
      several known migraine-associated genes. This study provides a basis for further
      pain-related studies using TG and DRG in rats.

PMID- 28359949
TI  - Establishment of lysozyme gene RNA interference systemand its involvement in
      salinity tolerance in sea cucumber (Apostichopus japonicus).
AB  - The lysozyme gene was silenced using RNA interference (RNAi) to analyze the
      function of lysozyme in sea cucumber under salt stress. The interfering
      efficiency of four lysozyme RNAi oligos ranged from 0.55 to 0.70. From the four
      oligos, p-miR-L245 was used for further interfering experiments because it had
      the best silencing efficiency. Peristomial film injection of p-miR-L245 (10 MUg)
      was used for further interfering experiments. The lowest gene expression,
      determined by RT-PCR assay, in muscle, coelomic fluid, and parapodium occurred 48
      h after p-miR-L245 injection, while that of body wall and tube foot was 96 h and
      24 h, respectively. Lysozyme activity in muscle and body wall was significantly
      lower than the controls. The lowest lysozyme activity in muscle, body wall and
      parapodium, was found at 48, 72, and 48 h, respectively, which was consistent
      with the transcription expression of lysozyme. The lowest point of lysozyme
      activity was at 96 h in coelomic fluid and tube foot, which was laid behind
      lysozyme expression in transcription level. The expression profile of the
      lysozyme transcription level and lysozyme activity in the body wall and tube foot
      increased at 12 h after p-miR-L245 injection before the interference effect
      appeared. NKA gene expression was expressed at a high level in the positive
      control (PC) and negative control (NC) groups at 12, 24, and 48 h, while NKA was
      expressed at low levels in the lysozyme RNAi injection group at 12 and 24 h. The
      level of NKA gene expression recovered to the level of the PC and NC group at 48,
      72, and 96 h after the lysozyme RNAi injection. NKCC1 gene expression was high in
      the PC and NC groups at 96 h, while the NKCC1 was expressed at a low level 96 h
      after lysozyme RNAi injection. The results suggest that lysozyme decay involves
      NKA and NKCC1 gene expression under salinity 18 psMU. The K+ and Cl-
      concentration after lysozyme RNAi injection was lower than in the PC and NC
      group.

PMID- 28359951
TI  - Acute stress regulates phosphorylation of N-methyl-d-aspartate receptor GluN2B at
      S1284 in hippocampus.
AB  - Exposure to acute stress leads to diverse changes, which include either
      beneficial or deleterious effects on molecular levels that are implicated in
      stress-related disorders. N-methyl-d-aspartate receptor (NMDAR)-mediated
      signalings, are thought to be vital players in stress-related mental disorders as
      well as attractive therapeutic targets for clinical treatment. In the present
      study, we utilized acute stress models in mice to explore regulation of
      phosphorylation level of S1284 in GluN2B subunit of NMDAR. We found out that
      forced swimming and acute restraint stress increased phosphorylation level of
      S1284, while phosphorylation level of S1284 was unaltered after brief exposure to
      open field. Moreover, phosphorylation change of S1284 was negated by treatment of
      roscovitine which is believed to be a Cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitor. Besides,
      we showed well correlation of phosphorylation change of S1284 and immobility time
      during forced swimming. Collectively, our results demonstrated that
      phosphorylation level of S1284 in GluN2B was regulated by acute stress.

PMID- 28359952
TI  - Low testosterone levels are related to oxidative stress, mitochondrial
      dysfunction and altered subclinical atherosclerotic markers in type 2 diabetic
      male patients.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: Low testosterone levels in men are associated with type 2 diabetes
      and cardiovascular risk. However, the role of testosterone in mitochondrial
      function and leukocyte-endothelium interactions is unknown. Our aim was to
      evaluate the relationship between testosterone levels, metabolic parameters,
      oxidative stress, mitochondrial function, inflammation and leukocyte-endothelium
      interactions in type 2 diabetic patients. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The study was
      performed in 280 male type 2 diabetic patients and 50 control subjects.
      Anthropometric and metabolic parameters, testosterone levels, reactive oxygen
      species (ROS) production, mitochondrial membrane potential, TNFalpha, adhesion
      molecules and leukocyte-endothelium cell interactions were evaluated. RESULTS:
      Testosterone levels were lower in diabetic patients. Total and mitochondrial ROS
      were increased and mitochondrial membrane potential, SOD and GSR expression
      levels were reduced in diabetic patients. TNFalpha, ICAM-1 and VCAM-1 levels,
      leukocyte rolling flux and adhesion were all enhanced in diabetic patients, while
      rolling velocity was reduced. Testosterone levels correlated negatively with
      glucose, HOMA-IR, HbA1c, triglycerides, nonHDL-c, ApoB, hs-CRP and AIP, and
      positively with HDL-c and ApoA1. The multivariable regression model showed that
      HDL-c, HOMA-IR and age were independently associated with testosterone.
      Furthermore, testosterone levels correlated positively with membrane potential
      and rolling velocity and negatively with ROS production, VCAM-1, rolling flux and
      adhesion. CONCLUSIONS: Our data highlight that low testosterone levels in
      diabetic men are related to impaired metabolic profile and mitochondrial function
      and enhanced inflammation and leukocyte-endothelium cell interaction, which
      leaves said patients at risk of cardiovascular events.

PMID- 28359953
TI  - Cigarette smoke extract induced exosome release is mediated by depletion of
      exofacial thiols and can be inhibited by thiol-antioxidants.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: Airway epithelial cells have been described to release
      extracellular vesicles (EVs) with pathological properties when exposed to
      cigarette smoke extract (CSE). As CSE causes oxidative stress, we investigated
      whether its oxidative components are responsible for inducing EV release and
      whether this could be prevented using the thiol antioxidants N-acetyl-l-cysteine
      (NAC) or glutathione (GSH). METHODS: BEAS-2B cells were exposed for 24h to CSE,
      H2O2, acrolein, 5,5'-dithiobis-(2-nitrobenzoic acid) (DTNB), bacitracin, rutin or
      the anti-protein disulfide isomerase (PDI) antibody clone RL90; with or without
      NAC or GSH. EVs in media were measured using CD63+CD81+ bead-coupled flow
      cytometry or tunable resistive pulse sensing (TRPS). For characterization by
      Western Blotting, cryo-transmission electron microscopy and TRPS, EVs were
      isolated using ultracentrifugation. Glutathione disulfide and GSH in cells were
      assessed by a GSH reductase cycling assay, and exofacial thiols using Flow
      cytometry. RESULTS: CSE augmented the release of the EV subtype exosomes, which
      could be prevented by scavenging thiol-reactive components using NAC or GSH.
      Among thiol-reactive CSE components, H2O2 had no effect on exosome release,
      whereas acrolein imitated the NAC-reversible exosome induction. The exosome
      induction by CSE and acrolein was paralleled by depletion of cell surface thiols.
      Membrane impermeable thiol blocking agents, but not specific inhibitors of the
      exofacially located thiol-dependent enzyme PDI, stimulated exosome release.
      SUMMARY/CONCLUSION: Thiol-reactive compounds like acrolein account for CSE
      induced exosome release by reacting with cell surface thiols. As acrolein is
      produced endogenously during inflammation, it may influence exosome release not
      only in smokers, but also in ex-smokers with chronic obstructive pulmonary
      disease. NAC and GSH prevent acrolein- and CSE-induced exosome release, which may
      contribute to the clinical benefits of NAC treatment.

PMID- 28359954
TI  - Comparison of the effects of commercial coated and uncoated ZnO nanomaterials and
      Zn compounds in kidney bean (Phaseolus vulgaris) plants.
AB  - Bean (Phaseolus vulgaris) plants were grown for 45 days in soil amended with
      either uncoated (Z-COTE(r)) and coated (Z-COTE HP1(r)) ZnO nanomaterials (NMs),
      bulk ZnO and ZnCl2, at 0-500mg/kg. At harvest, growth parameters, chlorophyll,
      and essential elements were determined. None of the treatments affected
      germination and pod production, and only ZnCl2 at 250 and 500mg/kg reduced
      relative chlorophyll content by 34% and 46%, respectively. While Z-COTE(r) did
      not produce phenotypic changes, Z-COTE HP1(r), at all concentrations, increased
      root length (~44%) and leaf length (~13%) compared with control. Bulk ZnO reduced
      root length (53%) at 62.5mg/kg and ZnCl2 reduced leaf length (16%) at 125mg/kg. Z
      COTE(r), at 125mg/kg, increased Zn by 203%, 139%, and 76% in nodules, stems, and
      leaves, respectively; while at the same concentration, Z-COTE HP1(r) increased Zn
      by 89%, 97%, and 103% in roots, stems, and leaves, respectively. At 125mg/kg, Z
      COTE HP1(r) increased root S (65%) and Mg (65%), while Z-COTE(r) increased stem B
      (122%) and Mn (73%). Bulk ZnO and ZnCl2 imposed more toxicity to kidney bean than
      the NMs, since they reduced root and leaf elongation, respectively, and the
      concentration of several essential elements in tissues.

PMID- 28359955
TI  - Does preoperative depression predict post-operative surgical pain: A systematic
      review.
AB  - BACKGROUND: As surgical procedures have been developed and refined, determining
      which factors predict rapid and successful surgical outcomes has become a
      priority. Significant psychosocial influences on surgical outcomes have been
      found with numerous procedures. The objective of this study is to perform a
      systematic review of randomized-control trials and observational studies to
      examine the relationships between pre-operative depression and post-operative (<6
      weeks) pain outcomes. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Pubmed/MEDLINE, EMBASE, CINAHL and
      Web of Science were searched for studies published from January 1, 2006 and
      August 31, 2016. Two independent reviewers assessed the eligibility of each
      report based on predefined inclusion criteria (study design, measure of pre
      operative depression, and post-operative pain). Participants included adult
      patients undergoing surgical procedures diagnosed with depression pre
      operatively. Patients were assessed for post-operative pain via pain scales and
      use of post-operative pain medications. Data was summarized qualitatively due to
      limitations of comparability and transformation. Significant clinical and
      statistical heterogeneity of the included studies was identified. RESULTS: Of
      1091 abstracts reviewed, 18 studies met the inclusion criteria. Due to the
      significant clinical and statistical heterogeneity, a meta-analysis was not
      performed. 8 studies (comprising a total of 1314 patients) reported a
      statistically significant effect of pre-operative depression on post-operative
      pain. 10 studies encompassing a total 1226 patients failed to demonstrate a
      statistically significant effect of depression on postoperative pain. CONCLUSION:
      The analysis of results was limited to a systematic review and qualitative
      analysis of the eligible studies. Based on this systematic review we identified 8
      studies reporting a statistically significant effect of pre-operative depression
      on post-operative pain and 10 studies reporting no statistically significant
      effect of pre-operative depression on post-operative pain. Therefore, the quality
      of presented data is poor and makes it challenging to answer further questions.
      Large epidemiologic studies in this field are needed to provide further evidence.

PMID- 28359956
TI  - Ab initio study of the energy loss near sulfur K and L2,3 edges of layered MS2
      (M=Ta, Nb and V) in trigonal prismatic and octahedral structures.
AB  - This study set out to calculate the full-potential linearized augmented plane
      wave (FPLAPW)-based energy loss near sulfur K and L2,3 edge structures of group V
      layered transition metal disulfides MS2 (M=Ta, Nb, and V) in octahedral (1T) as
      well as trigonal prismatic (2H) structures. The calculations showed that,
      consistent with other calculations, all the studied materials were metallic due
      to the partially filled d bands in their configurations. Furthermore, the
      calculated ELNES spectra revealed a good agreement with the available
      experimental XANES analogues. The d-like and p-like transitions of M and sulfur
      atoms were the dominant electron transitions in K edge spectra. Spectrum
      characteristics of the sulfur L2,3 edge of ELNES indicated the transition of
      sulfur-p electrons to the unoccupied s or d states. These spectra reflect the
      electronic band structures of materials, as well. As the focus shifts from bulk
      to monolayer, substrate hybridization becomes stronger. In 2H phases, the
      dominant peaks of sulfur K edge spectra originate from unoccupied d bands.
      Further, the broad peaks at higher energy ranges are due to the transitions to
      sulfur p hybridized with M-s and p states. For energies below 7eV, M-d state is
      the target state of most of the transitions in both 1T and 2H phases. For above
      10eV energies, however, sulfur-d is the target state. Moreover, density of states
      of sulfur-p (d) is very similar in shape to that of sulfur K (L2,3) edges
      spectra. For the sulfur L2,3 edges, from 2H-TaS2 to 2H-VS2 and also from bulk to
      monolayer, the number of transitions to M-d state increases.

PMID- 28359957
TI  - Structure and components of the globular and filamentous viroplasms induced by
      Rice black-streaked dwarf virus.
AB  - Viroplasms of members of the family Reoviridae are considered to be viral
      factories for genome replication and virion assembly. Globular and filamentous
      phenotypes have different components and probably have different functions. We
      used transmission electron microscopy and electron tomography to examine the
      structure and components of the two viroplasm phenotypes induced by Rice black
      streaked dwarf virus (RBSDV). Immuno-gold labeling was used to localize each of
      the 13 RBSDV encoded proteins as well as double-stranded RNA, host cytoskeleton
      actin-11 and alpha-tubulin. Ten of the RBSDV proteins were localized in one or
      both types of viroplasm. P5-1, P6 and P9-1 were localized on both viroplasm
      phenotypes but P5-1 was preferentially associated with filaments and P9-1 with
      the matrix. Structural analysis by electron tomography showed that osmiophilic
      granules 6-8nm in diameter served as the fundamental unit for constructing both
      of the viroplasm phenotypes but were more densely packed in the filamentous
      phenotype.

PMID- 28359958
TI  - Atom probe study of B2 order and A2 disorder of the FeCo matrix in an Fe-Co-Mo
      alloy.
AB  - The physical and mechanical properties of intermetallic alloys can be tailored by
      controlling the degree of order of the solid solution by means of heat
      treatments. FeCo alloys with an appropriate composition exhibit an A2-disorder<
      >B2-order transition during continuous cooling from the disordered bcc region.
      The study of atomic order in intermetallic alloys by diffraction and its
      influence on the material properties is well established, however, investigating
      magnetic FeCo-based alloys by conventional methods such as X-ray diffraction is
      quite challenging. Thus, the imaging of ordered FeCo-nanostructures needs to be
      done with high resolution techniques. Transmission electron microscopy
      investigations of ordered FeCo domains are difficult, due to the chemical and
      physical similarity of Fe and Co atoms and the ferromagnetism of the samples. In
      this work it will be demonstrated, that the local atomic arrangement of ordered
      and disordered regions in an industrial Fe-Co-Mo alloy can be successfully imaged
      by atom probe measurements supported by field ion microscopy and transmission
      Kikuchi diffraction. Furthermore, a thorough atom probe parameter study will be
      presented and field evaporation artefacts as a function of crystallographic
      orientation in Fe-Co-samples will be discussed.

PMID- 28359959
TI  - Designing new surfactant peptides for binding to carbon nanotubes via
      computational approaches.
AB  - The non-covalent interaction between single-walled carbon nanotube and surfactant
      peptides makes them soluble in biological media to be used in nano-medicine, drug
      delivery and gene therapy. Pervious study has shown that two important parameters
      in binding peptides into nanotubes are hydrophobic effect and the number of
      aromatic amino acids. Ten surfactant peptides with the length of eight residue,
      including Lys, Trp, Tyr, Phe and Val, were designed to investigate the important
      parameters in binding peptides to a (6, 6) carbon nanotube. 500ns MD simulation
      was performed for free surfactant peptides in water or near to a nanotube. Our
      results have indicated that the binding affinity of peptides to nanotube
      increases with the increase of aromatic residue content. Also, among aromatic
      residues, the peptides containing Trp residues have higher binding affinity to
      nanotube compared to the peptides with Phe or Tyr residue. Steric hindrance
      between bulky aromatic residues in peptide sequence has negative influence in
      binding peptide to nanotube, and in designing a surfactant peptide, the number
      and distance of aromatic residue and polarity of them should be taken into
      account. Our results also show that in docking peptides to nanotube, full
      flexible docking leads to incorrect results.

PMID- 28359960
TI  - Optimization of cell seeding in a 2D bio-scaffold system using computational
      models.
AB  - The cell expansion process is a crucial part of generating cells on a large-scale
      level in a bioreactor system. Hence, it is important to set operating conditions
      (e.g. initial cell seeding distribution, culture medium flow rate) to an optimal
      level. Often, the initial cell seeding distribution factor is neglected and/or
      overlooked in the design of a bioreactor using conventional seeding distribution
      methods. This paper proposes a novel seeding distribution method that aims to
      maximize cell growth and minimize production time/cost. The proposed method
      utilizes two computational models; the first model represents cell growth
      patterns whereas the second model determines optimal initial cell seeding
      positions for adherent cell expansions. Cell growth simulation from the first
      model demonstrates that the model can be a representation of various cell types
      with known probabilities. The second model involves a combination of
      combinatorial optimization, Monte Carlo and concepts of the first model, and is
      used to design a multi-layer 2D bio-scaffold system that increases cell
      production efficiency in bioreactor applications. Simulation results have shown
      that the recommended input configurations obtained from the proposed optimization
      method are the most optimal configurations. The results have also illustrated the
      effectiveness of the proposed optimization method. The potential of the proposed
      seeding distribution method as a useful tool to optimize the cell expansion
      process in modern bioreactor system applications is highlighted.

PMID- 28359961
TI  - Natural and artificial protein cages: design, structure and therapeutic
      applications.
AB  - Advanced electron microscopy techniques have been used to solve many viral capsid
      structures. The resulting detailed structural knowledge contributes to
      understanding of the mechanisms of self-assembly, maturation pathways and virion
      host cell interactions. It also acts as inspiration for design and production of
      capsid-like artificial protein cages. Both natural and artificial cages have
      potential uses in medicine including as vaccines and in drug delivery. For
      vaccines, virus-like particles formed only from outer virion shells, lacking
      genetic material, offer the simplest basis for development, while encapsulation
      of target molecules inside protein cages is potentially more challenging. Here we
      review advances in cryo-electron microscopy with particular reference to viral
      capsid structures. We then consider why knowledge of these structures is useful,
      giving examples of their utilization as encapsulation and vaccine agents. Finally
      we look at the importance of structural techniques including cryo-EM in the
      rapidly progressing field of designed protein cages.

PMID- 28359962
TI  - Quantitative analysis of binary polymorphs mixtures of fusidic acid by diffuse
      reflectance FTIR spectroscopy, diffuse reflectance FT-NIR spectroscopy, Raman
      spectroscopy and multivariate calibration.
AB  - Vibrational spectroscopic techniques such as infrared, near-infrared and Raman
      spectroscopy have become popular in detecting and quantifying polymorphism of
      pharmaceutics since they are fast and non-destructive. This study assessed the
      ability of three vibrational spectroscopy combined with multivariate analysis to
      quantify a low-content undesired polymorph within a binary polymorphic mixture.
      Partial least squares (PLS) regression and support vector machine (SVM)
      regression were employed to build quantitative models. Fusidic acid, a steroidal
      antibiotic, was used as the model compound. It was found that PLS regression
      performed slightly better than SVM regression in all the three spectroscopic
      techniques. Root mean square errors of prediction (RMSEP) were ranging from 0.48%
      to 1.17% for diffuse reflectance FTIR spectroscopy and 1.60-1.93% for diffuse
      reflectance FT-NIR spectroscopy and 1.62-2.31% for Raman spectroscopy. The
      results indicate that diffuse reflectance FTIR spectroscopy offers significant
      advantages in providing accurate measurement of polymorphic content in the
      fusidic acid binary mixtures, while Raman spectroscopy is the least accurate
      technique for quantitative analysis of polymorphs.

PMID- 28359963
TI  - Determination of AB-CHMINACA and its metabolites in human hair and their
      deposition in hair of abusers.
AB  - Despite global efforts to control the abuse of synthetic cannabinoids, the high
      level of turnover from the market impedes regulation, endangering public health.
      N-[(1S)-1-(aminocarbonyl)-2-methylpropyl]-1-(cyclohexylmethyl)-1H-indazole-3
      carboxamide (AB-CHMINACA) is the most popular synthetic cannabinoid in South
      Korea since its introduction in 2014. Nonetheless, few studies have been carried
      out on AB-CHMINACA and its metabolites, and its deposition in human hair. The
      purpose of this study was to develop and validate an analytical method for
      detection of AB-CHMINACA and its six metabolites in hair using a liquid
      chromatography tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) system, for forensic
      applications. The methanol extracts of hair samples were evaporated, filtered,
      and analyzed by LC-MS/MS with electrospray ionization in positive ion mode. The
      limits of detection and quantification ranged from 0.5 to 10pg/mg and 2 to
      50pg/mg, respectively. Good linearity was achieved within the range of 5
      1000pg/mg or 10-1000pg/mg depending on the analyte. Intra- and inter-assay
      precision and accuracy values were below 15%. No significant variation was
      observed using different sources of hair matrices. These validation results
      proved the selectivity, accuracy and reproducibility of the method. The
      established method was applied to 37 authentic samples from suspected synthetic
      cannabinoid users. AB-CHMINACA and its two metabolites, AB-CHMINACA M2 and AB
      CHMINACA M4, were detected. The concentration of the parent drug was much higher
      than those of its metabolites, and the amount of AB-CHMINACA M2 was greater than
      that of AB-CHMINACA M4 in all samples. No other metabolites were detected in the
      samples.

PMID- 28359964
TI  - Development of a new chlorogenic acid certified reference material for food and
      drug analysis.
AB  - This paper reports the preparation and characterization of a new chlorogenic acid
      (CHA) certified reference material (CRM), which is unavailable commercially. CHA
      is an active ingredient found in many geo-authentic Chinese medicinal materials
      and developed as an anti-cancer drug. In this work, trace impurities were
      isolated and identified through various techniques. CHA CRM was quantified with
      two analytical methods, and their results were in good agreement with each other.
      The certified value and corresponding expanded uncertainty of CHA CRM reached
      99.4%+/-0.2%, which was calculated by multiplying the combined standard
      uncertainty by the coverage factor (k=2), at a confidence level of 95%. This CRM
      can be used to calibrate measurement system, evaluate or validate measurement
      procedures, assign traceable property values to non-CRMs, and conduct quality
      control assays.

PMID- 28359965
TI  - Detailed analysis of cortisol, cortisone and their tetrahydro- and allo
      tetrahydrometabolites in human urine by LC-MS/MS.
AB  - Cortisol (F) and cortisone (E) are metabolized to A-ring reduced metabolites in
      the reactions catalyzed by 5alpha- and 5beta-reductase. 5alpha-tetrahydrocortisol
      (alloTHF) and 5beta-tetrahydrocortisol (THF) are produced from F. The metabolism
      of E takes place in analogy to form alloTHE and THE. Up to now, the analysis of
      endogenous glucocorticoids did not consider alloTHE, limiting the metabolism of E
      to THE only. Nevertheless, such simplification can generate inaccuracy in the
      assessment of the function of enzymes crucial for glucocorticoids metabolism:
      11beta-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase type 1 and type 2 (11beta-HSD1 and 11beta
      HSD2), as well as 5alpha- and 5beta-reductase. The paper presents the new LC
      MS/MS method for the simultaneous analysis of F and E with their tetrahydro- (THF
      and THE) and allo-tetrahydrometabolites (alloTHF and alloTHE) in urine. The
      method was fully validated and allows determining both the unconjugated and total
      concentrations of urinary glucocorticoids. The method meets the EMA's
      recommendations and was proved to be useful in the analysis of clinical samples.
      The LLOQ of 1ng/mL allows the determination of free urinary F, E, THF and THE,
      but not alloTHF and alloTHE, in samples obtained from pregnant women. The range
      of concentrations is wide enough for the analysis of total levels of F, E, THF,
      alloTHF, THE and alloTHE. The undisputed advantage of the method, distinguishing
      it among others, is the ability to determine F and E and their both 5alpha- and
      5beta-metabolites. Taking alloTHE into consideration enables the thorough
      analysis of the glucocorticoid equilibrium in human.

PMID- 28359966
TI  - Synchronous determination with double-wavelength by RP-HPLC-UV and optimization
      of ultrasound-assisted extraction of phenolic acids from Caragana species using
      response surface methodology.
AB  - The utilization of Caragana korshinskii Kom. (CK) is currently concentrated on
      its ecological and fuel functions. Little attention has been devoted to the
      analysis of their phenolic acid (PA) components. To obtain more data for further
      utilization of CK, a new analysis protocol was tested to determine PAs
      synchronously by RP-HPLC-UV with double-wavelength (280nm and 320nm) detection.
      Specifically, separation of PA components was performed on a Hypersil Gold C18
      reverse phase column with gradient elution. A four-factor-three-level Box-Behnken
      design was implemented for optimization of PA extraction. The results
      demonstrated that CK were rich primarily in chlorogenic acid, vanillic acid,
      caffeic acid and rosmarinic acid. The total content of PAs in CK leaves was the
      highest compared with its other parts. The distribution of total flavonoid
      content of CK was leaves>flowers>bark, while that of the total phenolic content
      of CK was flowers>leaves>bark.

PMID- 28359967
TI  - Alcohol-related serious road traffic injuries between 2000 and 2010: A new
      perspective to deal with administrative data in Australia.
AB  - BACKGROUND: According to the most recent statistics from the World Health
      Organization, 1.2 million people die or are injured on the world's roads every
      year. Drink-driving continues to be a major risk factor for road traffic crashes,
      with 22% of serious road injuries (SRIs) in Victoria involving a blood alcohol
      concentration (BAC) equal to or above the legal driving limit of 0.05g/mL. Use of
      police and hospital data to determine alcohol involvement in SRIs is not
      reliable, with researchers using proxy measures such as high alcohol hours (HAH).
      This paper examines patterns of alcohol-related SRIs based on reported BAC versus
      the surrogate HAH measure. METHODS: Trends over a 10year period (2000-2010) were
      examined, comparing four different SRI rates (low alcohol hours (LAH), LAH with
      positive BAC, HAH, HAH with positive BAC). Discontinuities in the data series
      were also examined. SRI data were drawn from the Road Networks Database of
      VicRoads containing information on all reported road crashes in Victoria.
      RESULTS: For the 10year period there were 52,286 reported SRIs relating to the
      driver. Of the incidents where a driver's reading was recorded, 44% had a
      recorded BAC exceeding Victoria's legal limit of 0.05% and a further 23% had a
      BAC below the legal limit. During the period over 17,000 (or 34%) SRIs occurred
      during HAH. Where a BAC had been recorded during HAH, almost 60% exceeded the
      legal limit and a further 20% had some positive recording of BAC. Where SRI
      drivers had a recorded BAC during LAH, 58% had a positive BAC (31% with a BAC
      over the legal limit). While it is likely that an SRI occurring during HAH will
      be associated with a positive BAC (80%), of which 60% will be above the legal
      limit, almost 60% of SRIs during LAH had a positive BAC, with 31% above the legal
      limit. CONCLUSION: There was no significant change in overall alcohol-related SRI
      rates between 2000 and 2010, suggesting that policies and procedures implemented
      to decrease drink-driving have not reduced alcohol-related SRI rates. In the
      absence of a reliable direct measure (i.e., BAC readings) this paper demonstrated
      the utility of the surrogate HAH measure for determining changes in alcohol
      related serious road injuries. Further, the unmet need for routine BAC testing in
      SRIs occurring during LAH requires further exploration given the significant
      proportion of SRIs involving positive BAC during these times.

PMID- 28359968
TI  - The mortality reducing effect of aspirin in colorectal cancer patients:
      Interpreting the evidence.
AB  - In 1971 the first study appeared that suggested a relationship between aspirin
      and cancer. Currently publications on the subject of aspirin and cancer are
      numerous, with both a beneficial effect of aspirin on cancer incidence and a
      beneficial effect on cancer survival. This review focusses on the relation
      between the use of aspirin and improved survival in colorectal cancer patients.
      Various study designs have been used, with the main part being observational
      studies and post hoc meta-analyses of cancer outcomes in cardiovascular
      prevention trials. The results of these studies are unambiguously pointing
      towards an effect of aspirin on colorectal cancer survival, and several
      randomised controlled trials are currently ongoing. Some clinicians feel that the
      current evidence is conclusive and that the time has come for aspirin to be
      prescribed as adjuvant therapy. However, until this review, not much attention
      has been paid to the specific types of bias associated with these studies. One of
      these biases is confounding by indication, because aspirin is indicated for
      patients as secondary prevention for cardiovascular disease. This review aims to
      provide perspective on these biases and provide tools for the interpretation of
      the current evidence. Albeit promising, the current evidence is not sufficient to
      already prescribe aspirin as adjuvant therapy for colorectal cancer.

PMID- 28359969
TI  - Simulation study of the backward-scattering effect in Compton imager.
AB  - In the field of nuclear medicine, nuclear security and astrophysics, Compton
      imaging is a promising technique for gamma-ray source imaging. We are developing
      a Compton imager using two layers of CdZnTe pixel array detectors. In this paper,
      the backward-scattering effect within such imagers is numerically studied using
      Geant4 Monte Carlo Package. From images reconstructed based on forward-scattering
      and backward-scattering imaging events, the imaging precision was investigated in
      a comparative analysis, in regard to energy resolution and position resolution.
      Furthermore, to establish a method to use backward-scattering imaging events
      properly so that the imaging efficiency can be significantly improved, the
      difference between reconstruction from forward-scattering and backward-scattering
      imaging events was analyzed to uncover a causal mechanism.

PMID- 28359970
TI  - Aryl- or heteroaryl-based hydrazinylphthalazine derivatives as new potential
      antitrypanosomal agents.
AB  - A series of twenty phthalazinyl-hydrazones were synthesized and tested as
      potential anti-Trypanosoma cruzi agents. The phthalazines containing 5
      nitroheteroaryl moiety 3l and 3m displayed an excellent in vitro antitrypanosomal
      profile, exhibiting low micromolar EC50 values against proliferative epimastigote
      of T. cruzi and minimal toxicity toward Vero cells. These derivatives were more
      potent than the reference drug benznidazole against the epimastigote stage of the
      parasite. Structure-property analysis indicates that the highly conjugated 5
      nitroheteroaryl moiety connected to the phthalazin scaffold play an important
      role in the antichagasic activity of these phthalazines. The decrease on the
      mitochondrial dehydrogenase activity and significant ROS production found for the
      parasites treated with 3l and 3m suggest that both nitro-derivatives can act
      through an oxidative stress mechanism.

PMID- 28359971
TI  - Emotion dysregulation explains the relation between insomnia symptoms and
      negative reinforcement smoking cognitions among daily smokers.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: Insomnia co-occurs with smoking. However, mechanisms that may
      explain their comorbidity are not well known. METHOD: The present study tested
      the hypothesis that insomnia would exert an indirect effect on negative
      reinforcement smoking processes via emotion dysregulation among 126 adult non
      treatment seeking daily smokers (55 females; Mage=44.1years, SD=9.72). Negative
      reinforcement smoking processes included negative reinforcement smoking outcome
      expectancies, negative reinforcement smoking motives, and two negative
      expectancies from brief smoking abstinence (somatic symptoms and harmful
      consequences). RESULTS: Insomnia symptoms yielded a significant indirect effect
      through emotion dysregulation for negative reinforcement smoking outcome
      expectancies, negative reinforcement smoking motives, and harmful consequences
      expectancies from brief smoking abstinence. In contrast to prediction, however,
      insomnia was not associated with somatic symptom expectancies from brief smoking
      abstinence through emotion dysregulation. CONCLUSIONS: These data may suggest
      that the indirect effect of emotion dysregulation is more relevant to cognitive
      affective negative reinforcement processes rather than somatic states. Overall,
      the present findings contribute to a growing body of literature linking emotion
      dysregulation as an explanatory mechanism for insomnia and smoking and uniquely
      extend such work to an array of clinically significant negative reinforcement
      smoking processes.

PMID- 28359973
TI  - Comments to special issue geogenic radiation and its potential use for developing
      the geogenic radon map.

PMID- 28359972
TI  - Descriptive drinking norms in Native American and non-Hispanic White college
      students.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: College students tend to overestimate how much their peers drink,
      which is associated with higher personal alcohol use. However, research has not
      yet examined if this phenomenon holds true among Native American (NA) college
      students. This study examined associations between descriptive norms and alcohol
      use/consequences in a sample of NA and non-Hispanic White (NHW) college students.
      METHOD: NA (n=147, 78.6% female) and NHW (n=246, 67.8% female) undergraduates
      completed an online survey. RESULTS: NAs NHWs showed similar descriptive norms
      such that the "typical college student," "typical NA student," and "typical NHW
      student" were perceived to drink more than "best friends." "Best friends"
      descriptive norms (i.e., estimations of how many drinks per week were consumed by
      participants' best friends) were the most robust predictors of alcohol
      use/consequences. Effect size estimates of the associations between drinking
      norms and participants' alcohol use were consistently positive and ranged from
      r=0.25 to r=0.51 across the four reference groups. Negative binomial hurdle
      models revealed that all descriptive norms tended to predict drinking, and "best
      friends" drinking norms predicted alcohol consequences. Apart from one
      interaction effect, likely due to familywise error rate, these associations were
      not qualified by interactions with racial/ethnic group. CONCLUSIONS: We found
      similar patterns between NAs and NHWs both in the pattern of descriptive norms
      across reference groups and in the strength of associations between descriptive
      norms and alcohol use/consequences. Although these results suggest that
      descriptive norms operate similarly among NAs as other college students,
      additional research is needed to identify whether other norms (e.g., injunctive
      norms) operate similarly across NA and NHW students.

PMID- 28359974
TI  - Purifying, cloning and characterizing a novel dehalogenase from Bacillus sp. GZT
      to enhance the biodegradation of 2,4,6-tribromophenol in water.
AB  - 2,4,6-Tribromophenol (TBP), an intermediate of brominated flame retardants, can
      easily release to environment and recalcitrant to degradation. Previously,
      Bacillus sp. GZT, a pure aerobic strain capable of simultaneously debrominating
      and mineralizing TBP, was successfully isolated by us. To further obtain a
      practical application and dig up its TBP degradation mechanism, a total of 46.7
      fold purification of a novel dehalogenase with a final specific activity of 18.9
      U mg-1 and a molecular mass of 63.4 kDa was achieved. Under optimal conditions
      (35  degrees C and 200 rpm), up to 80% degradation efficiencies were achieved
      within 120 min. Adding H2O2, NADPH, Mn2+ and Mg2+ promoted enzyme reaction
      effectively; while EDTA, methyl viologen, Ni2+, Cu2+, Ca2+ and Fe2+ strongly
      inhibited reaction activities. The debromination of TBP was catalyzed by the
      enzyme at a Km of 78 MUM and a Vmax of 0.65 min-1 mg protein-1, which indicated
      that this dehalogenase could specifically eliminate TBP with a high efficiency
      and stability. Based on MALDI-TOF/TOF analysis, the dehalogenase shared 98%
      identity with peptide ABC transporter substrate-binding protein. One open reading
      frame (ORF) encoding this peptide was found in Strain GZT genome, subjected to
      clone and expressed in Escherichia coli (E. coli) to characterize the encoding
      gene. Result showed that this recombinant strain could also remove as similar
      amount of TBP as Bacillus sp. GZT under the identical condition. Based on these
      results, we suggest that this newly-isolated TBP dehalogenase highlights a new
      approach for remediating TBP pollution.

PMID- 28359975
TI  - Mono-2-ethylhexyl phthalate associated with insulin resistance and lower
      testosterone levels in a young population.
AB  - Phthalates are commonly used as plasticizers and are reported to associate with
      testicular dysfunction or insulin resistance in different studies, but the
      concurrent relationship between phthalate exposure, testosterone levels, and
      insulin resistance in the young population is not well understood. We recruited
      786 subjects aged 12-30 years from a population-based sample of Taiwanese
      adolescents and young adults from 2006 to 2008. Generalized additive models were
      used to evaluate glucose homeostasis and testicular function in relation to seven
      urinary phthalate metabolites among adolescents (aged 12-20) and young adults
      (aged 20-30) in Taiwan. We observed a trend toward a decrease in male
      testosterone and an increase in urinary mono-2-ethylhexyl phthalate (MEHP) levels
      across four quartiles of homeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance (HOMA
      IR). After adjusting for potential covariates, generalized additive models
      further showed that log-transformed insulin and HOMA-IR were raised by 0.055 [95%
      confidence interval (CI), 0.027-0.082] and 0.056 (95% CI, 0.027-0.084),
      respectively, with a one-unit increase in log-transformed MEHP in young adults.
      In male adults (aged 22-30), the log-testosterone levels were reduced by 0.018
      (95% CI, 0.001-0.036), with a one-unit of increase in log-transformed MEHP. Such
      relationships were not observed in adolescents. In conclusion, this study
      demonstrated age-related associations of urinary MEHP metabolites with impaired
      metabolic homeostasis of glucose that were only observed in young adults. In
      addition, MEHP exposure was concurrently associated with lower testosterone
      levels in young, male adults.

PMID- 28359976
TI  - TRIM36 hypermethylation is involved in polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons-induced
      cell transformation.
AB  - Long term exposure to polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) is associated with
      the increasing risk of lung cancer. To identify differentially hypermethylated
      genes associated with PAHs-induced carcinogenicity, we performed genome-wide DNA
      methylation analysis in 20 MUM benzo(a)pyrene (BaP)-transformed human bronchial
      epithelial (HBE) cells at different stages of cell transformation. Several
      methylated genes (CNGA4, FLT1, GAREM1, SFMBT2, TRIM36) were differentially
      hypermethylated and their mRNA was suppressed in cells at both pre-transformed
      and transformed stages. Similar results were observed in HBE cells transformed by
      20 MUg/mL coke oven emissions (COEs) mixture collected from a coking
      manufacturing facility. In particular, hypermethylation of TRIM36 and suppression
      of TRIM36 expression were gradually enhanced over the time of COEs treatment. We
      developed bisulfite pyrosequencing assay and assessed TRIM36 methylation
      quantitatively. We found that hypermethylation of TRIM36 and reduced gene
      expression was prevalent in several types of human cancers. TRIM36
      hypermethylation appeared in 90.0% (23/30) of Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer (NSCLCs)
      tissues compared to their paired adjacent tissues with an average increase of
      1.32 fold. Furthermore, an increased methylation rate (5.90% v.s 7.38%) and
      reduced levels of TRIM36 mRNA were found in peripheral lymphocytes (PBLCs) of 151
      COEs-exposed workers. In all subjects, TRIM36 hypermethylation was positively
      correlated with the level of urinary 1-hydroxypyrene (P < 0.001), an internal
      exposure marker of PAHs, and the DNA damage (P = 0.013). These findings suggest
      that aberrant hypermethylation of TRIM36 might be involved in the acquisition of
      malignant phenotype and could be served as a biomarker for risk assessment of
      PAHs exposure.

PMID- 28359977
TI  - Report of novel H105R, D29N, V27A mutations in the methyltransferase region of
      the HEV genome in patients with acute liver failure.
AB  - BACKGROUND: The Hepatitis E virus (HEV) has been responsible for major outbreaks
      in the developing countries affecting millions of people and acute sporadic
      hepatitis worldwide. The HEV methyltransferase is important for capping the 5'
      end of the viral pregenomic RNA which is critical for viral infection.
      OBJECTIVES: We aimed to assess the substitutional profile in the HEV
      methyltransferase region in patients with acute liver failure (ALF) and acute
      viral hepatitis (AVH) from North Indian population and associate the
      substitutions with the poor outcome of the disease. STUDY DESIGN: HEV RNA was
      detected and partial region encoding the Methyltransferase domain in the HEV
      genome was amplified by Reverse Transcriptase(RT-PCR). Viral load of HEV was
      quantified utilizing Real time PCR.32 representative samples consisting of 16 AVH
      and 16 ALF were directly sequenced and amino acid changes were compared using
      Fischer's exact (two-tailed) test. RESULTS: Novel mutations Valine27Alanine
      (V27A), Aspartate29Asparagine (D29N) and Histidine105Arginine (H105R) mutation
      corresponding to 107T>C, 115G>A and 341 A>G substitutions respectively were
      significantly (p<0.0001) obtained in 16/16(100%) ALF patients compared to none
      (0/16) of the AVH patients. HEV viral load and disease severity parameters
      corresponding to the samples with D29N and V27A mutations were significantly
      higher compared to the isolates lacking these mutations while the H105R mutation
      was associated with decreased viremia. CONCLUSION: The D29N and V27A mutations
      had significant association with the poor outcome in ALF patients suggesting key
      role in enhancing HEV replication while the association of H105R mutation with
      decreased viremia creates interest on its antiviral aspects.

PMID- 28359979
TI  - Variation in selection criteria and approaches to surgery for Lumbar Spinal
      Stenosis among patients treated in Boston and Norway.
AB  - OBJECTIVES: There are no uniform guidelines regarding when to operate or the
      ideal surgical intervention in Lumbar Spinal Stenosis (LSS). Understanding the
      presence of practice-based variation between different localities is critical. We
      sought to compare patient-reported pre-operative pain, disability, and health
      related quality of life as indications for surgery between Boston and Norway, and
      the use of decompression alone vs. decompression and arthrodesis. PATIENTS AND
      METHODS: This study included 3826 patients; 1886 from Boston and 1940 from
      Norway. Eligible patients were 50 years or older who received surgery for the
      diagnosis of LSS. Data were retrieved from a centralized clinical database in
      Boston and a national spine registry in Norway based on reported diagnosis and
      procedure. We evaluated patient-reported pre-operative pain, disability, and
      health-related quality of life as indications for surgery. A propensity score
      match was performed for the generation of comparable cohorts. RESULTS: There were
      no significant differences in demographics between the unadjusted cohorts. The
      rates of obesity (39.4% vs. 25.4%; p<0.001) and patients with ASA >=3 (34.8% vs.
      22.1%; p<0.001) were higher in the Boston cohort, while smokers were less
      frequent (9.6% vs. 19.3%; p<0.001). These differences were accounted for in the
      propensity score matching. Pre-operative ODI was slightly higher among patients
      in Boston (43.3 [95% CI 41.5, 45.1] vs. 40.7 [95% CI 40.0, 41.4]; p=0.005), but
      did not reach the minimal clinically important difference. No statistical
      difference was encountered between pre-operative EQ-5D (0.339 [95% CI 0.304,
      0.374] vs. 0.366 [95% CI 0.351, 0.381]; p=0.16). Fifty-one percent of patients
      treated in Boston received a decompression and arthrodesis, as compared to only
      13.9% of those in Norway (p<0.001). In the matched cohort, counting 294 in each
      group, the overall conclusions were the same. CONCLUSIONS: The results
      demonstrate that indications for intervention were very similar in comparable
      patient populations with LSS in Boston and Norway. The use of supplemental
      arthrodesis was significantly greater in Boston. The etiology behind this finding
      is likely multifactorial but may represent medico-legal concerns in the US, or
      the phenomenon of provider inducement.

PMID- 28359980
TI  - Number needed to treat for stroke thrombectomy based on a systematic review and
      meta-analysis.
AB  - The positive results of recent clinical trials examining endovascular treatment
      of acute stroke were the culmination of nearly two decades of studies of
      endovascular stroke treatment. We systematically reviewed this body of work,
      evaluated the strength of evidence, and performed a meta-analysis to define the
      clinical impact of these investigations. Terms were entered into search engines
      in a systematic fashion. Articles were reviewed independently by study authors,
      graded for level of evidence, and combined in a meta-analysis. The overall body
      of evidence was evaluated using GRADE criteria. Our search yielded 948 articles.
      Twenty-five met predefined inclusion criteria. We identified 12 grade I, 1 grade
      II, 5 grade III, and 7 grade IV studies (kappa=0.86). Meta-analysis for
      independence at 90days showed a benefit of endovascular treatment (grade I
      studies OR 1.58 [1.20-2.07]). When limiting the analysis to studies using stent
      retriever, the OR increased to 2.44 (1.77-3.36). The number needed to treat (NNT)
      was 8. Endovascular treatment was not associated with increased symptomatic
      intracranial hemorrhage, and forgoing endovascular treatment was associated with
      death at 90 days. The quality of evidence according to GRADE criteria was
      "moderate." In summary, we found impressive evidence for a benefit of
      endovascular treatment of acute stroke, particularly when using stent retriever
      devices. Our meta-analysis is unique in that it includes all studies related to
      this topic and defines the clinical impact of the data, providing NNT. We show
      that thrombectomy is among the most effective stroke treatments currently
      available.

PMID- 28359978
TI  - Transcription factor-DNA binding: beyond binding site motifs.
AB  - Sequence-specific transcription factors (TFs) regulate gene expression by binding
      to cis-regulatory elements in promoter and enhancer DNA. While studies of TF-DNA
      binding have focused on TFs' intrinsic preferences for primary nucleotide
      sequence motifs, recent studies have elucidated additional layers of complexity
      that modulate TF-DNA binding. In this review, we discuss technological
      developments for identifying TF binding preferences and highlight recent
      discoveries that elaborate how TF interactions, local DNA structure, and genomic
      features influence TF-DNA binding. We highlight novel approaches for
      characterizing functional binding site motifs that promise to inform our
      understanding of how TF binding controls gene expression and ultimately
      contributes to phenotype.

PMID- 28359981
TI  - Increased aortic intima-media thickness following Kawasaki disease.
AB  - BACKGROUND AND AIMS: The cardiovascular risk following Kawasaki disease (KD),
      especially in those without coronary artery changes or with regressed coronary
      artery lesions, is unclear. We assessed markers of early atherosclerosis in
      individuals following KD, including those with and without coronary artery
      abnormalities. METHODS: We performed a cross-sectional case-control study of 60
      patients (25 with always normal coronary arteries and 35 with abnormalities) and
      60 controls, at least two years after KD. Non-invasive assessment of arterial
      structure (carotid and aortic intima-media thickness (IMT)) and function (pulse
      wave velocity, carotid artery distensibility and diameter compliance) was done.
      Analyses were adjusted for traditional cardiovascular risk factors. RESULTS:
      Kawasaki disease patients had increased aortic IMT compared to controls (0.53 mm
      (95% CI 0.51-0.56) versus 0.49 (95% CI 0.47-0.52), p = 0.04), largely driven by
      those with abnormal coronary arteries. There were no differences in carotid IMT.
      Kawasaki disease patients with coronary artery abnormalities had reduced carotid
      distensibility compared to controls (15.16% (95% CI 13.67-16.65) versus 17.50
      (95% CI 16.43-18.58), p = 0.02). CONCLUSIONS: Patients with KD have increased
      aortic IMT and reduced carotid distensibility, indicating heightened
      cardiovascular risk, especially in those with coronary artery abnormalities. In
      our study, we used validated surrogates for cardiovascular disease risk. Our
      findings, therefore, warrant follow-up investigations in KD patients.

PMID- 28359982
TI  - Bidirectional association between Bell's palsy and anxiety disorders: A
      nationwide population-based retrospective cohort study.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: Bell's palsy and anxiety disorders share numerous risk factors (e.g.,
      immune response, ischemia, and psychological stress). However, there have been no
      studies on the bidirectional temporal association between the two illnesses. In
      this study, we used the Taiwan National Health Insurance Research Database
      (NHIRD) to test the bidirectional association between Bell's palsy and anxiety
      disorders. We hypothesized that patients with Bell's palsy would have an
      increased risk of subsequent anxiety disorders later in life and that,
      conversely, those with anxiety disorders would have an increased likelihood of
      developing Bell's palsy later in life. METHODS: We conducted two retrospective
      cohort studies using Taiwan's National Health Insurance Research Database
      (NHIRD). Study 1 included 8070 patients diagnosed with anxiety disorders and
      32,280 controls without anxiety disorders who were matched with sex, age, and
      enrollment date to analyze the following risk of Bell's palsy among both groups.
      Study 2 included 4980 patients with Bell's palsy and 19,920 controls without
      Bell's palsy who were matched with sex, age, and enrollment date to analyze the
      following risk of anxiety disorders among both groups. The patient records
      selected for the studies were dated between January 1, 2000, and December 31,
      2004. All subjects were observed until their outcomes of interest, death or
      December 31, 2009. RESULTS: After adjustment for age, sex, comorbidities,
      urbanization, and income, the hazard ratio (HR) for patients with anxiety
      disorders to contract Bell's palsy was 1.53 (95% CI, 1.21-1.94, P<.001), and the
      HR for patients with Bell's palsy to develop an anxiety disorder was 1.59 (95%
      CI, 1.23-2.06, P<.001). CONCLUSION: This study found a bidirectional temporal
      association between Bell's palsy and anxiety disorders. After one of these
      conditions develops, the morbidity rate for the other significantly increases.
      Additional studies are required to determine whether these two conditions share
      the same pathogenic mechanisms, and whether successfully treating one will reduce
      the morbidity rate for the other.

PMID- 28359983
TI  - Prolactin, a potential mediator of reduced social interactive behavior in newborn
      infants following maternal perinatal depressive symptoms.
AB  - BACKGROUND: The hormone prolactin (PRL) plays a crucial role for the initiation
      and maintenance of maternal behavior, and is also associated with the etiology of
      mood disorders in women, especially for depression. The present study aimed to
      determine whether maternal peripheral prolactin would be associated with newborn
      behavior disorders following maternal perinatal depressive symptoms, and further
      to explore the efficacy of the Newborn Behavioral Observations (NBO) in improving
      newborn social interactive behavior. METHODS: Interview and the 24-item Hamilton
      Rating Scale for Depression (HAMD) were used to assess the hospitalized pregnant
      women waiting for delivery at 37-42weeks of gestation. A total of 255 subjects
      were recruited, diagnosed with depression (n=135), and control group (n=120).
      Within 2 weeks postpartum, mothers were asked to fill with Maternal Attachment
      Inventory (MAI) to measure maternal care. Neonatal Behavioral Assessment Scale
      (NBAS) were used to evaluate newborn behavior. The depressed mother-newborns dyad
      was randomly assigned to NBO intervention and control group. Serum prolaction in
      mothers and cortisol in mothers and newborns were measured. RESULTS: The newborns
      of mothers exposed to maternal perinatal depressive symptoms displayed the
      reduced newborn social interactive behavior accompanied by decreased maternal
      serum PRL as well as increased maternal and neonatal serum cortisol. The NBO
      could be an effective intervention tool. LIMITATIONS: Our study could not be
      double-blind. The mothers knew which group their infant were in. CONCLUSIONS:
      Maternal peripheral PRL had the potential to be a mediator in reduced social
      interactive behavior in newborn infants following maternal perinatal depressive
      symptoms.

PMID- 28359984
TI  - A selective HPLC-MS/MS method for quantification of SND-117 in rat plasma and its
      application to a pharmacokinetic study.
AB  - Rheumatoid arthritis (RA), a chronic systemic inflammatory disorder affects many
      adults. Sinomenine, a natural product, has been clinically available for the
      treatment of RA in China. SND-117, a sinomenine derivative with much more potent
      activity, might serve as a candidate for anti-arthritis. The aim of the present
      study was to develop a sensitive and rapid high performance liquid chromatography
      tandem mass spectrometry (HPLC-MS/MS) method for quantification of SND-117 in rat
      plasma and to understand its absolute bioavailability. The HPLC-MS/MS method was
      developed and fully validated for determination of SND-117 in rat plasma, and the
      pharmacokinetic differences were investigated after different administration
      routes. The pharmacokinetics parameters were calculated by non-compartment model
      with DAS 3.0 software. After the oral or intravenous administration of different
      doses of SND-117, the time to peak is 1.5h, half-life time is 8-10h. The absolute
      oral bioavailability of SND-117 in rats was 9.60%. The results showed that SND
      117 in rats was quickly absorbed, slowly eliminate, and the kinetics were linear.
      This method was suitable for pharmacokinetic studies of SNA-117 in rats.

PMID- 28359985
TI  - An on-line HPLC system for detection of antioxidant compounds in some plant
      extracts by comparing three different methods.
AB  - Echinacea (Echinacea purpurea), green tea (Camellia sinensis) and yaylacayi
      (Thymus praecox OPIZ subsp. grossheimii (Ronniger) Jalas) are herbs used in
      traditional medicine because of their beneficial health effects. A high
      performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) post-column method was developed by
      coupling HPLC with on-line antioxidant assays using diode array (DAD) and
      ultraviolet (UV) detectors. Thus antioxidant compounds and fifteen phenolic
      standards were detected in echinacea, green tea and yaylacayi methanol extracts
      simultaneously. Later on, the developed on-line HPLC coupled system was used to
      compare three different antioxidant methods, ABTS [2,2'-Azino-bis-(3
      ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid)], DPPH (2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl and
      FRAP (Ferric reducing antioxidant power). Eight compounds with antioxidant
      activity were identified as gallic acid, protocatechuic aldehyde, p-OH benzoic
      acid, chlorogenic acid, caffeic acid, vanillin, ferulic acid, and rosmarinic
      acid. For validation purposes, LOD (limit of detection) (0.36-14.68MUg/mL) and
      LOQ (limit of quantification) (1.35-48.92MUg/mL) values were calculated for six
      standards. The results showed that while the post-column ABTS and FRAP assays
      were repeatable, sensitive and supportive of each other, the post-column DPPH
      assay did not provide reliable results. Also due to the base-line noise and
      drifts in post-column DPPH assay, identification and quantitation of analytes
      could not be done accurately.

PMID- 28359986
TI  - Diagnostic accuracy of ultrasonography for detecting nasogastric tube (NGT)
      placement in adults: A systematic review and meta analysis.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: To review the evidence on diagnostic accuracy of ultrasonography for
      detecting correct nasogastric tube (NGT) placement in adults compared to X-ray as
      the reference standard. METHODS: This is a systematic review and meta-analysis of
      observational studies, searched in the literature between 1961 and 2015. We
      included studies which compared the diagnostic accuracy of ultrasonography
      detection for NGT placement with X-ray in adult patients who were undergoing NGT
      placement for any reason in any care setting. We searched published studies in
      the following electronic databases: Cochrane Central Register of Controlled
      Trials, MEDLINE, EMBASE, CINAHL, Web of Science, WanFang Data, China Journal Net,
      and the Chinese Biomedical Literature Database. Both English and non-English
      language articles were retrieved. Risk of bias was assessed using a standard
      procedure according to the Quality Assessment of Diagnostic Accuracy Studies
      (QUADAS-2) criteria. RESULTS: We included five studies involving a total of 420
      adult patients undergoing nasogastric tube placement: three trials were
      undertaken in mechanically ventilated patients in prehospital settings and two
      involved participants with comma or severe trauma in emergency room or intensive
      care unit (ICU). Pooled results showed that ultrasonography had a sensitivity of
      0.93 (95% CI 0.87 to 0.97), and specificity of 0.97 (95% CI 0. 23 to 1.00),
      suggesting that diagnostic performance of ultrasound is useful to confirm correct
      NGT placement, but not optimal to detect incorrect NGT position. This was
      confirmed through a summary receiver operator characteristics (SROC) curve that
      showed the area under the curve was 0.96 (95% CI 0.94 to 0.98). DISCUSSION: The
      main limitation of the review is the relatively moderate level of heterogeneity
      of included studies which may partially undermine the reliability and
      reproducibility of results. The insufficient studies included did not allow
      identification of possible sources of heterogeneity and exploration of reporting
      bias. Due to heterogeneity of studies, the diagnostic performance of
      ultrasonography could only be drawn cautiously. Physicians and nurses should
      perform routine X-ray if visualization of NGT is not possible. More well designed
      studies exploring ultrasound as a diagnostic tool for accuracy of NGT placement
      are needed to strengthen the current evidence.

PMID- 28359987
TI  - Developmental options and functional plasticity of innate lymphoid cells.
AB  - Innate lymphoid cells (ILCs) are lineage- and antigen receptor-negative
      lymphocytes including natural killer (NK) cells and at least three
      distinguishable cell subsets (ILC1, ILC2, ILC3) that rapidly produce cytokines
      (IFN-gamma, IL-5, IL-13, IL-17A, IL-22) upon activation. As such, ILCs can act as
      first-line defenders in the context of infection, inflammation and cancer.
      Because of the strong conservation between the expression of key transcription
      factors that can drive signature cytokine outputs in ILCs and differentiated
      helper T cells, it has been proposed that ILCs represent innate counterparts of
      the latter. Several distinct ILC precursors (ILCP) with pan-ILC (giving rise to
      all ILCs) or subset-restricted potentials have been described in both mouse and
      man. How and where these different ILCP give rise to more mature tissue-resident
      ILCs remains unclear. Recently, environmental signals have been shown to
      epigenetically influence canonical ILC differentiation pathways, generating
      substantial functional plasticity. These new results suggest that while ILC
      differentiation may be 'fixed' in principle, it remains 'flexible' in practice. A
      more comprehensive knowledge in the molecular mechanisms that regulate ILC
      development and effector functions may allow for therapeutic manipulation of ILCs
      for diverse disease conditions.

PMID- 28359988
TI  - Regulation of CRISPR-Cas adaptive immune systems.
AB  - CRISPR-Cas systems are prokaryotic immune systems that allow defense against
      invasion by foreign genetic elements. Through the acquisition of genetic memory
      representing prior exposure, the CRISPR-Cas machinery identifies complementary
      nucleic acids and mediates their destruction. Since their discovery, CRISPR-Cas
      research has exploded, with major progress into their mechanism and
      biotechnological application. In contrast, we are only beginning to understand
      how CRISPR-Cas activity is regulated. Recent studies have uncovered both
      conserved regulatory pathways, in addition to more specific mechanisms.
      Identifying the stimuli linking invasion with CRISPR-Cas activation will be
      essential in unraveling their ecological roles, evolutionary success and might
      offer strategies to control immunity for particular applications. We highlight
      factors impinging on CRISPR-Cas regulation across diverse bacterial and archaeal
      species.

PMID- 28359989
TI  - Benzophenone-type UV filters in surface waters: An assessment of profiles and
      ecological risks in Shanghai, China.
AB  - Benzophenone-type UV filters (BP-UV filters) are frequently introduced into
      aquatic environment from several sources. The occurrence and fate of select BP-UV
      filters and their metabolites were investigated in this study. All target
      compounds were detected in water samples, except for 2, 3, 4
      trihydroxybenzophenone (2, 3, 4-OH-BP). The concentration reached up 131ngL-1 for
      5-benzoyl-4-hydroxy-2-ethoxybenzenesulfonic acid (BP-4), 30.0ngL-1 for 2-hydroxy
      4-methoxybenzophenone (BP-3), and mean value of 158ngL-1 for benzophenone (BP).
      Concentrations of BP-UV filters were not related to recreational waters but with
      high population frequencies. In addition, five BP-UV filters, namely 2,2',4,4'
      tetrahydroxybenzophenone (BP-2), 2,3,4-OH-BP, 2,4-dihydroxybenzophenone (BP-1), 4
      hydroxybenzophenone (4-OH-BP) and BP were investigated for probable sources, and
      found that they originate from BP-3 metabolism. There is a similar source for BP
      3, BP-4, BP-1, 4-OH-BP and BP. Environmental risk assessment (ERA) showed that
      risk quotients (RQs) of BP-4, BP-3 and BP were 2.7, 0.8 and 0.5, respectively.

PMID- 28359990
TI  - Morphoanatomical and physiological changes in Bauhinia variegata L. as indicators
      of herbicide diuron action.
AB  - The wide use of the herbicide diuron has compromised surrounding uncultivated
      areas, resulting in acute and/or chronic damage to non-target plants. Thus, the
      aim of this research was to evaluate physiological and morphoanatomical responses
      in Bauhinia variegata L. plants to different doses of diuron. Seedlings of 90-day
      old B. variegata were transplanted into 10liter pots. After an acclimation period
      (about 30 days), treatments consisting of different diuron doses were applied: 0
      (control), 400, 800, 1600, and 2400g ai ha-1. The experiment was conducted in a
      randomized block design in a 5*5 factorial scheme with five doses of diuron five
      evaluation times, and five replicates per treatment. Anatomical and physiological
      injuries were observed in leaves of Bauhina variegata 10h after diuron
      application. Disruption of waxes was observed on both sides of the leaves of
      plants exposed since the lowest dose. Plasmolysis in cells were observed in
      treated leaves; more severe damage was observed in plants exposed to higher
      doses, resulting in rupture of epidermis. The diuron herbicide also caused
      gradual reduction in the gas exchange and chlorophyll fluorescence variables.
      Among the morphoanatomical and physiological variables analyzed, the non-invasive
      ones (e.g., ETR, YII, and Fv/Fm) may be used as biomarkers of diuron action in
      association with visible symptoms. In addition, changes in leaf blade waxes and
      chlorophyll parenchyma damage may also be considered additional leaf biomarkers
      of diuron herbicide action.

PMID- 28359992
TI  - Bioassays for toxicological risk assessment of landfill leachate: A review.
AB  - Landfilling is the most common solid waste management practice. However, there
      exist a potential environmental risk to the surface and ground waters due to the
      possible leaching of contaminants from the landfill leachates. Current municipal
      solid waste landfill regulatory approaches consider physicochemical
      characterization of the leachate and do not assess their potential toxicity.
      However, assessment of toxic effects of the leachates using rapid, sensitive and
      cost-effective biological assays is more useful in assessing the risks as they
      measure the overall toxicity of the chemicals in the leachate. Nevertheless, more
      research is needed to develop an appropriate matrix of bioassays based on their
      sensitivity to various toxicants in order to evaluate leachate toxicity. There is
      a need for a multispecies approach using organisms representing different trophic
      levels so as to understand the potential impacts of leachate on different trophic
      organisms. The article reviews different bioassays available for assessing the
      hazard posed by landfill leachates. From the review it appears that there is a
      need for a multispecies approach to evaluate leachate toxicity.

PMID- 28359991
TI  - Synergic use of chemical and ecotoxicological tools for evaluating multi
      contaminated soils amended with iron oxides-rich materials.
AB  - Abandoned waste piles from ancient mining activities are potential hot spots for
      the pollution of the surrounding areas. A pot experiment was carried out to check
      the potential toxicity of the dumping material present in one of these scenarios,
      and several amendments were tested to attenuate the spread of the contamination
      events. The waste material had an acid pH and a large total concentration of As
      and Cu. A dose-response experiment was performed with this material following
      OCDE 208 test. A proportion 90:10 uncontaminated soil: dumping material (% w/w)
      was selected for the following experiment, in order to surpass the amount of
      dumping material that caused 50% reduction in plant growth. Pots were filled with
      the 90:10 mixture, planted with seeds of Brassica napus and amended with the
      following materials: three iron oxides of Bayoxide(r) E33 series, iron (II)
      sulphate in combination with de-inking paper sludge (Fe+PS), iron oxide-rich
      rolling mill scale (ROL) and iron oxide-rich cement waste (CEM). Amendment
      effectiveness evaluation was based on chemical and biological assays: extractable
      trace element concentration, soil enzymatic activities, inhibition of light
      emission of V. fischeri and Anabaena sp., B. napus L. fresh weight and screening
      test for emergence of B. napus L. seedlings. Amendments E33HCF and Fe+PS were the
      most effective in reducing extractable As and Zn concentration. B. napus weight
      and dehydrogenase and beta-glucosidase activities were positively increased with
      the two above mentioned treatments but they triggered more toxic effects for V.
      fischeri luminescence. E33P treatment was the only in which the EC50 was higher
      than in the control. Anabaena sp. was less sensitive than V. fischeri as its
      luminescence was not hampered by any treatment. Trace element concentration did
      not significantly affect the failure in seed emergence. E33HCF and Fe+PS could
      act as proper amendments as they decreased extractable As and Zn. Further, plant
      fresh weight, enzymatic activities and some of the bioassays identified the
      latter treatments as the best ones among those tested here to this type of multi
      contaminated soil.

PMID- 28359994
TI  - Population genetic structure and hybridization patterns in the cryptic sister
      species Chironomus riparius and Chironomus piger across differentially polluted
      freshwater systems.
AB  - Chironomids are an integral and functionally important part of many freshwater
      ecosystems. Yet, to date, there is limited understanding of their
      microevolutionary processes under chemically polluted natural environments. In
      this study, we investigated the genetic variation within populations of the
      ecotoxicological model species Chironomus riparius and its cryptic sister species
      Chironomus piger at 18 metal-contaminated and reference sites in northwestern
      Portugal. Microsatellite analysis was conducted on 909 samples to answer if metal
      contamination affects genetic variation in natural chironomid populations as
      previously suggested from controlled laboratory experiments. Similarly high
      levels of genetic diversity and significant but weak genetic substructuring were
      found across all sites and temporal replicates, with no effects of metal
      contamination on the genetic variation or species' abundance, although C. piger
      tended to be less frequent at highly contaminated sites. Our results indicate
      that high levels of gene flow and population dynamic processes may overlay
      potential pollutant effects. At least for our study species, we conclude that the
      "genetic erosion hypothesis", which suggests that chemical pollution will reduce
      genome-wide genetic variability in affected populations, does not hold under
      natural conditions. Interestingly, our study provides evidence of successful
      hybridization between the two sister species under natural conditions.

PMID- 28359993
TI  - Chronic exposure to the beta-blocker metoprolol reduces growth and alters gene
      expression of gonadotropins and vitellogenin in Nile tilapia (Oreochromis
      niloticus).
AB  - Knowledge of the occurrence and impacts of human pharmaceuticals in the aquatic
      environment is increasing since many years. Ecotoxicological studies mainly focus
      on acute effects though; chronic exposure studies are still rare. beta-adrenergic
      receptor antagonists (beta-blockers) are widely detected in the aquatic
      environment and likely alter the physiology of aquatic vertebrates due to a well
      conserved adrenergic system. In this study, Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus)
      were exposed to four different concentrations (4*10-10M, 4*10-9M, 4*10-8M and
      4*10-7M) of metoprolol (beta1-blocker) from fertilized egg until 80 days post
      hatch. Hatching and survival were not affected but growth was reduced almost dose
      dependently after 30 and 80 days post-hatch. Histopathological evaluation of the
      gills revealed the tendency of mild alterations with proliferation of
      mucous/chloride cells and infiltration by leucocytes as the main findings. The
      transcriptional responses of both pituitary gonadotropins (luteinizing hormone
      and follicle stimulating hormone) as well as the estrogenic biomarker
      vitellogenin indicated moderately altered endocrine processes due to metoprolol
      exposure at the concentrations chosen. In contrast, hepatic detoxification
      mechanisms displayed only little to no effects. Based on this study, the overall
      toxicity of metoprolol in fish at environmentally relevant concentrations seems
      to be rather low.

PMID- 28359995
TI  - Cognitive advantages of immersion education after 1year: Effects of amount of
      exposure.
AB  - Previous studies with bilingual children have shown that the nature of their
      second-language instruction has an effect on the development of their cognitive
      abilities. The aim of this study was to determine whether children who acquire a
      second language in two different immersion programs for a period of 1year show
      advantages in executive functions and to examine how the amount of daily exposure
      affects executive functions. A group of Serbian-speaking second-grade children
      exposed to the second language for about 5h each day (high exposure group, HEG)
      and a low-exposure group (LEG) exposed to the second language for about 1.5h each
      day were compared with an age-matched control group (CG) of monolingual peers on
      working memory, inhibition, and shifting. Significant group differences were
      found for working memory, with the HEG performing better than the CG and LEG even
      after controlling for individual differences in terms of age and intelligence.
      The three groups did not differ in terms of inhibition and overall shifting
      abilities, although the control group had a marginally significant advantage on
      one of the two shifting tasks. Our findings extend previous research by
      demonstrating that the amount of daily exposure is a significant factor affecting
      executive functions in early immersion programs for second-language acquisition.
      In addition, they show that early intensive second-language acquisition can be
      advantageous for performance on tasks that require a higher level of executive
      control.

PMID- 28359996
TI  - Treatment of recurrent aphthous stomatitis with Er,Cr:YSGG laser irradiation: A
      randomized controlled split mouth clinical study.
AB  - The present randomized controlled split mouth clinical study aimed to investigate
      the efficacy of Er,Cr:YSGG laser irradiation on pain reduction and healing rate
      of recurrent aphthous stomatitis. 40 patients with RAS were recruited for this
      study and RAS ulcerations of each patient were randomly assigned to the control
      or test group. In the test group, Er,Cr:YSGG laser with non-contact mode was used
      to irradiate RAS lesions. In the placebo group, RAS lesions were irradiated with
      the same device without laser emission. Pain was evaluated with visual analog
      scale (VAS) while a clinician graded healing of RAS (HRAS). In the placebo group
      at immediate; scores of VAS presented no statistically significance; in the test
      group, laser application showed significant pain reducing, at 1st day control. In
      the test group, a significantly healing effect at 1st day control was observed
      and this effect was maintained throughout the study. In the placebo group, scores
      of HRAS were statistically significant at controls on 3, 7, 10days. Statistically
      significant difference between the scores of VAS and HRAS was found for all
      control days except day 10 according to the intergroup comparisons. Based on
      these findings, Er,Cr:YSGG laser application at 0.25W without water may be
      appropriate to reduce pain and also accelerate the healing of RAS.

PMID- 28359997
TI  - Impacts of sanitation improvement on reduction of nitrogen discharges entering
      the environment from human excreta in China.
AB  - Identifying the sanitation efficacy in reducing contaminations entering the
      environment is an important step for water pollution controls and developing
      management strategies to further improve sanitation conditions. With continuous
      efforts in sanitation improvement during the past decade, reductions in
      discharges of aquatic nutrients are expected in China. In this study, we
      estimated the aquatic nitrogen discharges from human excreta in 31 provinces in
      China during 2006-2014. The results indicated that the nitrogen discharges
      entering the environment from human excreta are largely determined by both local
      population and sanitation conditions. In 2014, the nitrogen discharges from human
      excreta in the rural areas (2118(1219-3140) Gg per year) (median and 95%
      confidence interval) are higher than those in the urban areas (1485(626-2495) Gg
      per year). The significant relationship (R2=0.38, n=29) between the total
      nitrogen concentrations in lakes and corresponding local nitrogen discharges
      indicated that, the lakes might be potentially affected by the contaminant inputs
      from human excreta. The further calculations under two policy scenarios showed
      that through sanitation improvement, further reduction of nitrogen discharges
      from human excreta in the developed regions might be limited. The sanitation
      improvement in the less-developed regions, such as Tibet, Qinghai, and Ningxia,
      should be considered a priority due to the larger reduction potentials.

PMID- 28359998
TI  - Too much to handle? Pesticide dependence of smallholder vegetable farmers in
      Southeast Asia.
AB  - This study aimed to understand farmers' knowledge, attitudes, and practices
      regarding agricultural pest management and synthetic pesticide use in Southeast
      Asia. Data were used from 900 farm households producing leaf mustard (Brassica
      juncea (L.) Czern. et Coss.) and yard-long bean (Vigna unguiculata subsp.
      sesquipedalis (L.) Verdc.) in Cambodia, Laos and Vietnam. Farmers heavily
      depended on synthetic pesticides as their main method of pest control. Most
      farmers were aware of the adverse health effects associated with pesticide use
      and covered body parts while spraying, but also considered pesticides to be
      highly effective and indispensable farm inputs. Farmers were largely unable to
      distinguish between common beneficial and harmful arthropods. Greater knowledge
      about this was associated with less pesticide use while greater awareness of
      pesticide health risks was associated with fewer observed poisoning symptoms. For
      the average farm and while controlling for other factors, farmers who sought
      advice from friends and neighbors used 45% less pesticide, but those who sought
      advice from pesticide shopkeepers used 251% more pesticide. Pesticide use was 42%
      less when a woman was in charge of pest management and 31% less when farmers had
      adopted biopesticides. These findings suggest relevant entry points for
      interventions aimed at reducing pesticide dependence.

PMID- 28359999
TI  - Potency of (doped) rare earth oxide particles and their constituent metals to
      inhibit algal growth and induce direct toxic effects.
AB  - Use of rare earth elements (REEs) has increased rapidly in recent decades due to
      technological advances. It has been accompanied by recurring rare earth element
      anomalies in water bodies. In this work we (i) studied the effects of eight novel
      doped and one non-doped rare earth oxide (REO) particles (aimed to be used in
      solid oxide fuel cells and gas separation membranes) on algae, (ii) quantified
      the individual adverse effects of the elements that constitute the (doped) REO
      particles and (iii) attempted to find a discernible pattern to relate REO
      particle physicochemical characteristics to algal growth inhibitory properties.
      Green algae Raphidocelis subcapitata (formerly Pseudokirchneriella subcapitata)
      were used as a test species in two different formats: a standard OECD201 algal
      growth inhibition assay and the algal viability assay (a 'spot test') that avoids
      nutrient removal effects. In the 24h 'spot' test that demonstrated direct
      toxicity, algae were not viable at REE concentrations above 1mgmetal/L. 72-hour
      algal growth inhibition EC50 values for four REE salts (Ce, Gd, La, Pr) were
      between 1.2 and 1.4mg/L, whereas the EC50 for REO particles ranged from 1 to
      98mg/L. The growth inhibition of REEs was presumably the result of nutrient
      sequestration from the algal growth medium. The adverse effects of REO particles
      were at least in part due to the entrapment of algae within particle
      agglomerates. Adverse effects due to the dissolution of constituent elements from
      (doped) REO particles and the size or specific surface area of particles were
      excluded, except for La2NiO4. However, the structure of the particles and/or the
      varying effects of oxide composition might have played a role in the observed
      effects. As the production rates of these REO particles are negligible compared
      to other forms of REEs, there is presumably no acute risk for aquatic unicellular
      algae.

PMID- 28360000
TI  - Spatial distribution of organic contaminants in three rivers of Southern England
      bound to suspended particulate material and dissolved in water.
AB  - The spatial distribution of pharmaceuticals, personal care products (PPCPs) and
      other emerging contaminants (ECs) such as plasticisers, perflourinated compounds
      (PFCs) and illicit drug metabolites in water and bound to suspended particulate
      material (SPM) is not well-understood. Here, we quantify levels of thirteen
      selected contaminants in water (n=88) and their partition to suspended
      particulate material (SPM, n=16) in three previously-unstudied rivers of Greater
      London and Southern England during a key reproduction/spawning period. Analysis
      was conducted using an in-house validated method for Solid Phase Extraction
      followed by High-Performance Liquid Chromatography-Tandem Mass-Spectrometry.
      Analytes were extracted from SPM using an optimised method for ultrasonic
      assisted solvent extraction. Detection frequencies of contaminants dissolved in
      water ranged from 3% (ethinylestradiol) to 100% (bisphenol-A). Overall mean
      concentrations in the aqueous-phase ranged from 14.7ng/L (benzoylecgonine) to
      159ng/L (bisphenol-A). Sewage treatment works (STW) effluent was the predominant
      source of pharmaceuticals, while plasticisers/perfluorinated compounds may
      additionally enter rivers via other sources. In SPM, detection frequencies ranged
      from 44% (PFOA) to 94% (hydroxyacetophenone). Mean quantifiable levels of
      analytes bound to SPM ranged from 13.5ng/g dry SPM (0.33ng bound/L water)
      perfluorononanoic acid to 2830ng/g dry SPM (14.3ng bound/L water)
      perfluorooctanesulfonic acid. Long chain (>C7) amphipathic and acidic PFCs were
      found to more preferentially bind to SPM than short chain PFCs and other
      contaminants (Kd=34.1-75.5 vs <5 respectively). Per capita daily contributions of
      studied contaminants entering rivers ranged from 0.157MUg/person/day of
      benzoylecgonine (cocaine metabolite) to 58.6MUg/person/day of bisphenol-A. The
      large sample size of this work (n=104) enabled ANOVA followed by Tukey HSD post
      hoc tests to establish significant trends in PPCP/EC spatial distribution from
      headwaters through downstream stretches of studied rivers. Novel findings include
      environmental Kd calculations, the occurrence of contaminants in river
      headwaters, increases in contaminant metabolite concentrations downstream of STW
      effluents revealing possible in-river degradation or de-conjugation, the
      influence of polarity and acidity in the partition of contaminants to particulate
      material, among others.

PMID- 28360001
TI  - Assessment of urban stream sediment pollutants entering estuaries using chemical
      analysis and multiple bioassays to characterise biological activities.
AB  - Stormwater contaminants are a major source of often neglected environmental
      stressors because of the emphasis placed on the management of municipal and
      industrial wastewaters. Stormwater-derived pollutants in sediments from two New
      Zealand estuaries was characterised by analytical chemistry and bioassays.
      Contaminants were extracted from sediment using accelerated solvent extraction
      (ASE), recovered and concentrated by solid phase extraction (SPE), and analysed
      for polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), selected metals, and musk
      fragrances. The concentrations of PAHs were below the ANZECC Interim Sediment
      Quality Guideline values while those of lead and zinc exceeded them in some
      samples. The sediment extracts containing organic contaminants exhibited acute
      toxicity in the zebrafish fish embryo toxicity (FET) and teratogenicity,
      induction of biotransformation (EROD activity), and genotoxicity (comet assay) in
      zebrafish. The potential of the extracts to interact with endocrine signalling
      processes was assessed by GeneBLAzer reporter gene bioassays and they exhibited
      estrogenic, androgenic, and anti-progestagenic activities.

PMID- 28360002
TI  - A monsoon-related 174-year relative humidity record from tree-ring delta18O in
      the Yaoshan region, eastern central China.
AB  - The authors present a time series of tree-ring cellulose stable oxygen isotope
      ratios (delta18O) constructed using a numerical mixing method, from five Pinus
      tabulaeformis from Yaoshan, eastern central China. The time series is synchronous
      with the observed April-to-September precipitation delta18O time series records
      from surrounding stations, implying that the tree-ring delta18O signals reflect
      Asian summer monsoon-related precipitation. Moreover, significant correlations
      were detected between the tree-ring delta18O records and central-eastern Pacific
      sea surface temperature (SSTs)/Asian summer monsoon indices. This suggests that
      the Yaoshan tree-ring delta18O time series offers a promising means to study past
      Asian summer monsoons and ENSO variability. The time series is significantly
      correlated with the mean relative humidity from April to September (RHAS) (r=
      0.638, n=52, p<0.0001) over the Yaoshan region. The authors assign a transfer
      function to the reconstruct the RHAS time series from 1835 to 2008. The mean
      value of RHAS over the period 1870-1890 is the lowest observed value during the
      past 174years, implying severe drought at that time. From 1930 to 2008, an
      obvious drying trend in the Yaoshan region is observed. Particularly from 1985 to
      2008, frequent, extremely dry years occurred, with few extremely wet years. The
      drying trend is consistent with decreasing Asian summer monsoon precipitation
      over the Loess Plateau over the past 60years. The acidification implied by this
      data extends well beyond the vicinity of Yaoshan and may be expected to impact
      the entire monsoonal region in northern China. A multi-taper spectral analysis
      and an ensemble empirical mode decomposition EEMD of the time series indicate
      14.6-12.4 and 6.4-2.3 year cycles in the reconstructed RHAS time series during
      the past 174years, which correspond with solar cycles and ENSO cycles,
      respectively.

PMID- 28360003
TI  - ZnO nanoparticle effects on hormonal pools in Arabidopsis thaliana.
AB  - At present, nanoparticles have been more and more used in a wide range of areas.
      However, very little is known about the mechanisms of their impact on plants, as
      both positive and negative effects have been reported. As plant interactions with
      the environment are mediated by plant hormones, complex phytohormone analysis has
      been performed in order to characterize the effect of ZnO nanoparticles (mean
      size 30nm, concentration range 0.16-100mgL-1) on Arabidopsis thaliana plants.
      Taking into account that plant hormones exhibit high tissue-specificity as well
      as an intensive cross-talk in the regulation of growth and development as well as
      defense, plant responses were followed by determination of the content of five
      main phytohormones (cytokinins, auxins, abscisic acid, salicylic acid and
      jasmonic acid) in apices, leaves and roots. Increasing nanoparticle concentration
      was associated with gradually suppressed biosynthesis of the growth promoting
      hormones cytokinins and auxins in shoot apical meristems (apices). In contrast,
      cis-zeatin, a cytokinin associated with stress responses, was elevated by 280%
      and 590% upon exposure to nanoparticle concentrations 20 and 100mgL-1,
      respectively, in roots. Higher ZnO nanoparticle doses resulted in up-regulation
      of the stress hormone abscisic acid, mainly in apices and leaves. In case of
      salicylic acid, stimulation was found in leaves and roots. The other stress
      hormone jasmonic acid (as well as its active metabolite jasmonate isoleucine) was
      suppressed at the presence of nanoparticles. The earliest response to
      nanoparticles, associated with down-regulation of growth as well as of cytokinins
      and auxins, was observed in apices. At higher dose, up-regulation of abscisic
      acid, was detected. This increase, together with elevation of the other stress
      hormone - salicylic acid, indicates that plants sense nanoparticles as severe
      stress. Gradual accumulation of cis-zeatin in roots may contribute to relatively
      higher stress resistance of this tissue.

PMID- 28360004
TI  - Outdoor and indoor particle characterization from a large and uncontrolled
      combustion of a tire landfill.
AB  - A large and uncontrolled fire of a tire landfill started in Sesena (Toledo,
      Spain) on May 13, 2016. An experimental deployment was immediately launched in
      the area for measuring regulated and non-standard air quality parameters to
      assess the potential impact of the plume at local and regional levels. Outdoor
      and indoor measurements of different parameters were carried out at a near
      school, approximately 700m downwind the burning tires. Real time measurements of
      ambient black carbon (BC) and total number particle concentrations were
      identified as good tracers of the smoke plume. Simultaneous peaks allowed us to
      characterize situations of the plume impact on the site. Outdoor total particle
      number concentrations reached in these occasions 3.8*105particlescm-3 (on a 10min
      resolution) whereas the indoor concentration was one order of magnitude lower. BC
      mass concentrations in ambient air were in the range of 2 to 7MUgm-3, whereas
      concentrations<2MUgm-3 were measured indoor. Indoor and outdoor deposited
      inhalable dust was sampled and chemically characterized. Both indoor and outdoor
      dust was enriched in tire components (Zn, sulfate) and PAHs associated to the
      tire combustion process. Infiltration processes have been documented for BC and
      particle number concentrations causing increases in indoor concentrations.

PMID- 28360005
TI  - Origin of hexavalent chromium in groundwater: The example of Sarigkiol Basin,
      Northern Greece.
AB  - Hexavalent chromium constitutes a serious deterioration factor for the
      groundwater quality of several regions around the world. High concentrations of
      this contaminant have been also reported in the groundwater of the Sarigkiol
      hydrological basin (near Kozani city, NW Greece). Specific interest was paid to
      this particular study area due to the co-existence here of two important factors
      both expected to contribute to Cr(VI) presence and groundwater pollution; namely
      the area's exposed ophiolitic rocks and its substantial fly ash deposits
      originating from the local lignite burning power plant. Accordingly, detailed
      geochemical, mineralogical, hydro-chemical, geophysical and hydrogeological
      studies were performed on the rocks, soils, sediments and water resources of this
      basin. Cr(VI) concentrations varied in the different aquifers, with the highest
      concentration (up to 120MUgL-1) recorded in the groundwater of the unconfined
      porous aquifer situated near the temporary fly ash disposal site. Recharge of the
      porous aquifer is related mainly to precipitation infiltration and occasional
      surface run-off. Nevertheless, a hydraulic connection between the porous and
      neighboring karst aquifers could not be delineated. Therefore, the presence of
      Cr(VI) in the groundwater of this area is thought to originate from both the
      ophiolitic rock weathering products in the soils, and the local leaching of
      Cr(VI) from the diffused fly ash located in the area surrounding the lignite
      power plant. This conclusion was corroborated by factor analysis, and the
      strongly positively fractionated Cr isotopes (delta53Cr up to 0.830/00) recorded
      in groundwater, an ash leachate, and the bulk fly ash. An anthropogenic source of
      Cr(VI) that possibly influences groundwater quality is especially apparent in the
      eastern part of the Sarigkiol basin.

PMID- 28360006
TI  - Do mosses exist outside of Europe? A biomonitoring reflection.
AB  - The passive moss biomonitoring technique has been proved a useful environmental
      tool for the study of the air quality. However, after more than 40years of its
      discovery, it has not been used yet in decision making when dealing with
      atmospheric pollution. Scientific efforts and funding are wasted when these sort
      of findings do not have a meaningful impact on society. Thus, the aim of this
      review is to showcase the reasons preventing the worldwide application of the
      moss technique. The results showed that the possible reasons underlying this
      problem are the lack of standardization of the technique, transmission of a false
      idea of robustness, and the lack of a theoretical background. Knowing and
      accepting these problems is the first step to encourage scientists and funding
      bodies to invest their efforts in really improving the technique for its
      application in environmental policies and not only in scientific circles.

PMID- 28360007
TI  - Biofilm structures (EPS and bacterial communities) in drinking water distribution
      systems are conditioned by hydraulics and influence discolouration.
AB  - High-quality drinking water from treatment works is degraded during transport to
      customer taps through the Drinking Water Distribution System (DWDS). Interactions
      occurring at the pipe wall-water interface are central to this degradation and
      are often dominated by complex microbial biofilms that are not well understood.
      This study uses novel application of confocal microscopy techniques to quantify
      the composition of extracellular polymeric substances (EPS) and cells of DWDS
      biofilms together with concurrent evaluation of the bacterial community. An
      internationally unique, full-scale, experimental DWDS facility was used to
      investigate the impact of three different hydraulic patterns upon biofilms and
      subsequently assess their response to increases in shear stress, linking biofilms
      to water quality impacts such as discolouration. Greater flow variation during
      growth was associated with increased cell quantity but was inversely related to
      EPS-to-cell volume ratios and bacterial diversity. Discolouration was caused and
      EPS was mobilised during flushing of all conditions. Ultimately, biofilms
      developed under low-varied flow conditions had lowest amounts of biomass, the
      greatest EPS volumes per cell and the lowest discolouration response. This
      research shows that the interactions between hydraulics and biofilm physical and
      community structures are complex but critical to managing biofilms within ageing
      DWDS infrastructure to limit water quality degradation and protect public health.

PMID- 28360009
TI  - Occurrence and fate of parabens and their metabolites in five sewage treatment
      plants in India.
AB  - Parabens (p-hydroxy benzoic acid esters) are antimicrobial agents, used widely as
      preservatives in personal care products (PCPs), pharmaceuticals, foods, and
      beverages. PCPs that contain parabens are a major source of these chemicals in
      sewage treatment plants (STPs). Very few studies have demonstrated the occurrence
      of parabens in wastewater. In this study, the occurrence and fate of six
      parabens, methyl-(MeP), ethyl-(EtP), propyl-(PrP), butyl-(BuP), hepty-(HpP) and
      benzyl-(BzP) parabens, and five of their metabolites (4-HB, 3,4-DHB, OH-MeP, OH
      EtP and BA) were studied in five STPs in India. The concentrations of parent
      parabens (?6parent parabens) in five STPs ranged between 131 and 920ng/L in
      influent; 16 and 67ng/L in effluent; and 104 and 1090ng/g, dry weight, in sludge
      samples. The sum concentrations of five paraben metabolites (?5paraben
      metabolites) in five STPs ranged between 4110 and 34,600ng/L in influent; 2560
      and 3800ng/L in effluent; and 1220 and 35,900ng/g, dry weight, in sludge samples.
      These values were higher than those reported for many industrialized countries.
      We calculated the mass loadings, removal efficiencies, and environmental
      emissions of parabens based on the measured concentrations in influents,
      effluents, and sludge. The mean removal efficiencies of parent parabens and their
      metabolites ranged from 80% to 100% and 28% to 76%, respectively.

PMID- 28360008
TI  - Stress acclimation and particulate matter accumulation in Pinus sylvestris
      saplings affected by moderate combinations of urban stressors.
AB  - To predict how the function of urban vegetation and the provision of ecosystem
      services respond to combinations of natural and anthropogenic drivers, a better
      understanding of multiple stress interactions is required. This study tested
      combined effects of moderate levels of drought, soil salinity and exposure to
      diesel exhaust on parameters of physiology, metabolism, morphology and growth of
      Pinus sylvestris L. saplings. We found that plant responses were primarily
      dominated by single stressors and a few two-way interactions. Stressor
      combinations did not have considerable additional negative effects on plant
      performance compared to single stressors. Hence, synergistic and antagonistic
      interactions were rare and additive effects frequent. Drought cycles caused most
      negative effects, from chlorophyll a fluorescence and epicuticular wax content to
      growth responses, while soil salinity caused fewer negative effects but
      contributed to reduction in fine root growth and fluorescence parameters at low
      air contamination. Interestingly, the air contamination alone had only marginal
      effects on plant morphology and growth, but contributed an antagonistic effect,
      dampening the negative effect of drought and salinity on the maximum quantum
      efficiency of PSII photochemistry (Fv/Fm) and fine root biomass. Although, these
      effects were moderate, it appears that exhaust exposure had a cross-acclimation
      effect on plant responses to drought and salinity. We also found that salinity
      had a negative effect on the accumulation of particulate matter on shoots,
      illustrating that the plant stress situation can affect the provisioning of
      certain ecosystem services like pollution attenuation. These findings have
      implications for the understanding of the complex natural and anthropogenic
      stress situation of urban, and how to maintain the ecological functions and
      delivery of ecosystem services.

PMID- 28360010
TI  - Food as a social determinant of mental health among household heads in the Upper
      West Region of Ghana.
AB  - According to the World Health Organization, mental distress and related illnesses
      are becoming leading causes of morbidity and mortality in developing countries.
      Despite the influence of food insecurity on mental health, empirical
      understanding of this relationship in sub-Saharan Africa, where incidence of food
      insecurity is relatively high, is almost non-existent. This study contributes to
      the literature by examining the association between food insecurity and mental
      health in the Upper West Region of Ghana. We used Ordinary Least Square (OLS) to
      analyze cross-sectional data collected on household heads (n = 1438) in 2014
      using the Household Food Insecurity Access Scale and the DUKE Health Profile. The
      results show that heads of severely food insecure (beta = 0.934, p <= 0.001) and
      moderately food secure households (beta = 0.759, p <= 0.001) were more likely to
      report elevated mental distress compared to those from food secure households. We
      also found that female household heads were more likely to report elevated mental
      distress (beta = 0.164, p <= 0.05) compared to their male counterparts. Our
      findings suggest the need to improve food security as a strategy targeted at
      improving overall mental health in the Ghanaian context.

PMID- 28360011
TI  - A modified 3D algorithm for road traffic noise attenuation calculations in large
      urban areas.
AB  - The primary objective of this study is the development and application of a 3D
      road traffic noise attenuation calculation algorithm. First, the traditional
      empirical method does not address problems caused by non-direct occlusion by
      buildings and the different building heights. In contrast, this study considers
      the volume ratio of the buildings and the area ratio of the projection of
      buildings adjacent to the road. The influence of the ground affection is
      analyzed. The insertion loss due to barriers (infinite length and finite
      barriers) is also synthesized in the algorithm. Second, the impact of different
      road segmentation is analyzed. Through the case of Pearl River New Town, it is
      recommended that 5 degrees  is the most appropriate scanning angle as the
      computational time is acceptable and the average error is approximately 3.1 dB.
      In addition, the algorithm requires only 1/17 of the time that the beam tracking
      method requires at the cost of more imprecise calculation results. Finally, the
      noise calculation for a large urban area with a high density of buildings shows
      the feasibility of the 3D noise attenuation calculation algorithm. The algorithm
      is expected to be applied in projects requiring large area noise simulations.

PMID- 28360012
TI  - Assessment of Olea europaea L. fruit extracts: Phytochemical characterization and
      anticancer pathway investigation.
AB  - Olea europaea L. has been widely used as an advantageous rich source of bioactive
      compounds of high economic value leading to its use in pharmaceutical, cosmetic,
      and agriculture industries. Ethanolic extracts of olive fruits from three
      different cultivars (OFE) were studied for their phytochemical contents and were
      investigated for antioxidant activities and anticancer potential. Major
      polyphenols detected in these extracts were tyrosol, hydroxytyrosol, oleuropein,
      rutin, quercetin and glucoside forms of luteolin and apigenin. All these
      compounds have shown to significantly contribute to the antioxidant activity of
      OFE, which was evaluated by DPPH and ABTS assays. Proliferation of hepatic and
      colon cancer cells, HepG2 and Caco-2, were shown to be sensitive to OFE with IC50
      less than 1.6mg/ml for all tested extracts. Moreover, flow cytometry analysis
      showed that OFE induced cell cycle arrest in the S-phase within both HepG2 and
      Caco-2 cells. This has triggered a cell death mechanism as shown by DNA
      fragmentation, expression of p53 and phosphorylation level of Akt and Erk
      proteins. Interestingly, these extracts could be further used as a potential
      source of natural compounds with both antioxidant and anticancer effects.

PMID- 28360013
TI  - A review of the role of orexin system in pain modulation.
AB  - The roles of orexinergic system (orexin-A, orexin-B) and their receptors (orexin
      receptor type-1, orexin receptor type-2) in various physiological processes such
      as arousal, reward seeking behavior, energy homeostasis, sensory modulation,
      stress processing, cognition, endocrine functions, visceral functions and pain
      modulation have been established. This review summarizes the studies
      investigating orexin antinociceptive effects and their cellular mechanisms in
      various types of pain including neuropathic pain, migraine and cluster headache,
      visceral and orofacial pains. Moreover, the role of orexins in stress induced
      analgesia and on the development of morphine analgesic tolerance has been
      discussed. The antinociceptive effects of orexins have been shown in several pain
      models including thermal, mechanical and chemical induced nociception. Orexins
      modulate pain perception at both spinal and supraspinal levels. The
      periaqueductal gray (PAG) is one important supraspinal sites of orexin pain
      modulation. A possible involvement of endocannabinoids in supraspinal orexin
      induced analgesia has been proposed. This review suggests a potential role of
      orexins in the management of pain.

PMID- 28360014
TI  - Concurrent versus sequential adjuvant chemo-endocrine therapy in hormone-receptor
      positive early stage breast cancer patients: a systematic review and meta
      analysis.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Although in clinical practice adjuvant chemotherapy (CT) and
      endocrine therapy (ET) are administered sequentially in patients with hormone
      receptor positive breast cancer, the optimal timing, i.e. concurrent or
      sequential administration, of these treatments has been scarcely investigated. To
      better clarify this issue we conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis of
      randomized studies comparing these two modalities of administrations in terms of
      disease-free survival (DFS) and overall survival (OS). METHODS: Relevant studies
      were identified by searching PubMed, Web of Knowledge and the proceedings of the
      major conferences with no date restriction up to March 2016. The summary risk
      estimates (pooled hazard ratio [HR] and 95% confidence intervals [CI]) for DFS
      and OS were calculated using random effect models (DerSimonian and Laird method).
      RESULTS: A total of three randomized studies were eligible including 2021 breast
      cancer patients. Overall, 755 DFS events were observed, 365 in the sequential arm
      and 390 in the concomitant arm, with a pooled HR of 0.95 (95% CI = 0.76 to 1.18,
      P = 0.643). No association between timing of treatment and OS was observed (HR =
      0.95; 95% CI = 0.80 to 1.12, P = 0.529). CONCLUSION: Our pooled analysis showed
      no association between the timing of administration of adjuvant CT and ET and DFS
      and OS in breast cancer patients candidates for both adjuvant treatments. Because
      of the small number of published trials, the lack of data on the timing with
      modern adjuvant treatments, i.e. taxane-containing CT and aromatase inhibitors,
      this topic remain still controversial and requires further studies to be
      clarified.

PMID- 28360016
TI  - FcgammaRIIb expression on B cells is associated with treatment efficacy for acute
      rejection after kidney transplantation.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Fcgamma receptors (FcgammaR) play a role in the acute rejection (AR)
      of organ transplants. FcgammaRIIB is an inhibitory FcgammaR expressed on B cells.
      Intravenous IgG (IVIG) and CD28 monoclonal antibody (mAb) have been shown to have
      immunomodulatory properties against AR. AIM: To examine the association between
      FcgammaRIIB expression on B cell subpopulations and AR treatment efficacy.
      METHODS: Male F344 rats were used as kidney donors and Lewis rats as recipients
      to establish models of renal transplantation. Rats were divided into five groups:
      sham, AR-PBS, AR-IVIG, AR-PNGase F-IVIG, and AR-CD28. Serum creatinine (Scr),
      blood urea nitrogen (BUN), and urine protein content were determined.
      Inflammatory markers were measured by ELISA, FcgammaR by western blotting, and
      spleen B cell activation by flow cytometry. RESULTS: Scr, BUN, urinary protein
      content, levels of CRP, IL-10, TNF-alpha, IL-6, IL-8, and IgG were all increased
      in the AR-PBS group compared with the sham group (all P<0.01); these increases
      were partly reversed in the AR-IVIG, AR-PNGase F IVIG, and AR-CD28 groups (all
      P<0.01), with IVIG showing the better efficacy than PNGase F IVIG. Furthermore,
      blood and spleen FcgammaRIA and FcgammaRIIIA were increased by AR, while
      FcgammaRIIB expressions in splenic activated B cells and regulatory B cells were
      decreased; these changes were partly alleviated by all three treatments, with
      IVIG having the better effect than PNGase F IVIG. CONCLUSION: We observed an
      association between B cell FcgammaRIIB expression and treatment efficacy for AR
      after kidney transplantation in rats.

PMID- 28360015
TI  - Health-related quality of life in patients with locally recurrent or metastatic
      breast cancer treated with etirinotecan pegol versus treatment of physician's
      choice: Results from the randomised phase III BEACON trial.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Health-related quality of life (HRQoL) enhances understanding of
      treatment effects that impact clinical decision-making. Although the primary end
      point was not achieved, the BEACON (BrEAst Cancer Outcomes with NKTR-102) trial
      established etirinotecan pegol, a long-acting topoisomerase-1 (TOP1) inhibitor,
      as a promising therapeutic for patients with advanced/metastatic breast cancer
      (MBC) achieving clinically meaningful benefits in median overall survival (OS)
      for patients with stable brain metastases, with liver metastases or >= 2 sites of
      metastatic disease compared to treatment of physician's choice (TPC). Reported
      herein are the findings from the preplanned secondary end-point of HRQoL.
      PATIENTS AND METHODS: HRQoL, assessed by European Organisation for Research and
      Treatment of Cancer (EORTC) Quality of Life Questionnaire-Core 30 (QLQ-C30)
      (version 3.0) supplemented by the breast cancer-specific Quality of Life
      Questionnaire (QLQ-BR23), was evaluated post randomisation in 733 of 852 patients
      with either anthracycline-, taxane- and capecitabine-pretreated locally recurrent
      or MBC randomised to etirinotecan pegol (n = 378; 145 mg/m2 every 3 weeks (q3wk))
      or single-agent TPC (n = 355). Patients completed assessments at screening, every
      8 weeks (q8wk) during treatment, and end-of-treatment. Changes from baseline were
      analysed, and the proportions of patients achieving differences (>=5 points) in
      HRQoL scores were compared. RESULTS: Differences were seen favouring etirinotecan
      pegol up to 32 weeks for global health status (GHS) and physical functioning
      scales (P < 0.02); numerical improvement was reported in other functional scales.
      The findings from HRQoL symptom scales were consistent with adverse event
      profiles; etirinotecan pegol was associated with worsening gastrointestinal
      symptoms whereas TPC was associated with worsened dyspnoea and other systemic
      side-effects. Analysis of GHS and physical functioning at disease progression
      showed a decline in HRQoL in both treatment arms, with a mean change from
      baseline of -9.4 and -10.8 points, respectively. CONCLUSION: There was evidence
      of benefit associated with etirinotecan pegol compared with current standard of
      care agents in multiple HRQoL measurements, including global health status and
      physical functioning, despite worse gastrointestinal symptoms (e.g. diarrhoea).
      Patients in both arms had a decline in HRQoL at disease progression. STUDY
      NUMBER: NCT01492101.

PMID- 28360017
TI  - Modification of cytokine-induced killer cells with folate receptor alpha
      (FRalpha)-specific chimeric antigen receptors enhances their antitumor immunity
      toward FRalpha-positive ovarian cancers.
AB  - Folate receptor alpha (FRalpha) is aberrantly expressed in ovarian cancers but
      largely absent in normal tissues, and therefore represents an attractive target
      for immunotherapy. In recent years, modification of T cells with chimeric antigen
      receptor (CAR) targeting FRalpha has been reported to improve antitumor immunity
      of T cells. However, there are limited data regarding CAR-modified cytokine
      induced killer (CAR-CIK) cells. In the present study, we modified CIK cells with
      FRalpha-specific CARs and investigated their antitumor immunity against ovarian
      cancers. We found that both non-transduced and mock CAR-transduced CIK cells
      showed only low antitumor activity against either FRalpha-positive (FRalpha+) or
      FRalpha-negative (FRalpha-) targets. However, all three generations of CAR
      modified CIK cells showed enhanced antitumor activity against FRalpha+ targets,
      but not FRalpha- targets. First-generation zeta-CAR-CIK cells increased
      production of IFN-gamma, enhanced short-term cytotoxicity against FRalpha+
      ovarian cancer cells, and showed modest and short-term suppression of established
      tumors; while second-generation 28zeta- and third-generation 28BBzeta-CAR-CIK
      cells showed significant proliferation, enhanced secretion of IL-2, eliminated
      the FRalpha+ ovarian cancer cells in long-term co-culture, and showed dramatic
      and long-term inhibition of tumor growth and prolonged survival of xenograft
      bearing mice. It is noteworthy that the 28BBzeta-CAR was more potent in the
      modification of CIK cells than 28zeta-CAR both in vitro and in vivo. Moreover,
      CAR-CIK cells showed more efficient anticancer activity compared with CAR-T cells
      in vitro, but less efficient than CAR-T cells in vivo. According to these
      results, we conclude that modification of CIK cells with FRalpha-specific CARs
      enhances their antitumor immunity to FRalpha+ ovarian cancers. The third
      generation 28BB-zeta CAR containing 4-1BB co-stimulation was more efficient in
      modification of CIK cells than either first-generation zeta-CAR or second
      generation CD28-zeta-CAR.

PMID- 28360018
TI  - Microwave-assisted inorganic salt pretreatment of sugarcane leaf waste: Effect on
      physiochemical structure and enzymatic saccharification.
AB  - This paper presents a method to pretreat sugarcane leaf waste using microwave
      assisted (MA) inorganic salt to enhance enzymatic saccharification. The effects
      of process parameters of salt concentration, microwave power intensity and
      pretreatment time on reducing sugar yield from sugarcane leaf waste were
      investigated. Pretreatment models based on MA-NaCl, MA-ZnCl2 and MA-FeCl3 were
      developed with high coefficients of determination (R2 >0.8) and optimized.
      Maximum reducing sugar yield of 0.406g/g was obtained with 2M FeCl3 at 700W for
      3.5min. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM), Fourier Transform Infrared analysis
      (FTIR) and X-ray diffraction (XRD) showed major changes in lignocellulosic
      structure after MA-FeCl3 pretreatment with 71.5% hemicellulose solubilization.
      This regime was further assessed on sorghum leaves and Napier grass under optimal
      MA-FeCl3 conditions. A 2-fold and 3.1-fold increase in sugar yield respectively
      were observed compared to previous reports. This pretreatment was highly
      effective for enhancing enzymatic saccharification of lignocellulosic biomass.

PMID- 28360019
TI  - Effects of biochar on nitrogen transformation and heavy metals in sludge
      composting.
AB  - Composting is regarded as an effective treatment to suppress pathogenic organisms
      and stabilize the organic material in sewage sludge. This study investigated the
      use of biochar as an amendment to improve the composting effectiveness and reduce
      the bioavailability of heavy metals and loss of nitrogen during composting.
      Biochar of 0%, 1%, 3%, 5% and 7% were added into a mixture of sludge and straw,
      respectively. The use of biochar, even in small amounts, altered the composting
      process and the properties of the end products. Biochar addition resulted in a
      higher pile temperature (66 degrees C) and could reduce nitrogen loss by
      transforming ammonium into nitrite. In the 5% biochar group, the final product
      from sludge composting, ammonia nitrogen, decreased by 22.4% compared to the
      control, and nitrate nitrogen increased by 310.6%. Considering temperature and N
      transformation, the treatment with 5% biochar is suggested for sludge composting.

PMID- 28360020
TI  - Strain rate influence on human cortical bone toughness: A comparative study of
      four paired anatomical sites.
AB  - Bone fracture is a major health issue worldwide and consequently there have been
      extensive investigations into the fracture behavior of human cortical bone.
      However, the fracture properties of human cortical bone under fall-like loading
      conditions remains poorly documented. Further, most published research has been
      performed on femoral diaphyseal bone, whereas it is known that the femoral neck
      and the radius are the most vulnerable sites to fracture. Hence, the aim of this
      study is to provide information on human cortical bone fracture behavior by
      comparing different anatomical sites including the radius and the femoral neck
      acquired from 32 elderly subjects (50 - 98 y.o.). In order to investigate the
      intrinsic fracture behavior of human cortical bone, toughness experiments were
      performed at two different strain rates: standard quasi-static conditions, and a
      higher strain rate representative of a fall from a standing position. The tests
      were performed on paired femoral neck, femoral, tibial and radius diaphyseal
      samples. Linear elastic fracture toughness and the non-linear J-integral method
      were used to take into account both the elastic and non-elastic behavior of
      cortical bone. Under quasi-static conditions, the radius presents a significantly
      higher toughness than the other sites. At the higher strain rate, all sites
      showed a significantly lower toughness. Also, at the high strain rate, there is
      no significant difference in fracture properties between the four anatomical
      sites. These results suggest that regardless of the anatomical site (femur,
      femoral neck, tibia and radius), the bone has the same fracture properties under
      fall loading conditions. This should be considered in biomechanical models under
      fall-like loading conditions.

PMID- 28360021
TI  - The morbidly adherent placenta: when and what association of signs can improve
      MRI diagnosis? Our experience.
AB  - PURPOSE: We aimed to verify whether combination of specific signs improves
      magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) accuracy in morbidly adherent placenta (MAP).
      METHODS: MRI findings for MAP were retrospectively evaluated in 27 women.
      Histopathology was the reference standard, showing MAP in eight of 27 cases.
      Specificity, sensitivity, positive predictive value, and negative predictive
      value were calculated for all MRI signs. Two skilled radiologists analyzed MRI
      findings, resolving discrepancies by consensus, using three alternative
      diagnostic criteria during three consecutive sections. First criterion: at least
      one of reported MRI signs indicates MAP and the absence of any sign is normal;
      second criterion: at least one statistically significant sign indicates MAP and
      no sign or nonsignificant sign is normal; third criterion: at least two
      statistically significant signs indicate MAP and no sign, nonsignificant sign, or
      only one significant sign is normal. RESULTS: Using the first criterion yielded
      an unacceptable rate of false positive results (78.9%). Using the second
      criterion there were less false positive results (31.5%), and diagnostic accuracy
      of the second criterion was significantly higher than the first; the third
      criterion correctly classified 100% of cases. CONCLUSION: Only specific MRI signs
      can correctly predict MAP at histopathology, particularly when multiple (at least
      two) specific signs are observed together.

PMID- 28360022
TI  - Patient Portals as a Tool for Health Care Engagement: A Mixed-Method Study of
      Older Adults With Varying Levels of Health Literacy and Prior Patient Portal Use.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Growing evidence that patient engagement improves health outcomes and
      reduces health care costs has fueled health providers' focus on patient portals
      as the primary access point for personal health information and patient-provider
      communication. Whereas much attention has been given to identifying
      characteristics of older adults who do and do not adopt patient portals and
      necessary adaptions to portal design, little is known about their attitudes and
      perceptions regarding patient portal use as a tool for engagement in their health
      care within the context of health literacy, experience navigating Web-based
      health information, and previous patient portal use. OBJECTIVE: The specific aims
      of this study were to explore attitudes toward portal adoption and its perceived
      usefulness as a tool for health care engagement among adults (65 years and older)
      who have varying levels of health literacy and degrees of prior patient portal
      use. METHODS: A phone survey of 100 community dwelling adults gathered
      sociodemographic, health, and technology related information. Older adults were
      purposefully selected for 4 follow-up focus groups based on survey responses to
      health literacy and previous patient portal use. A mixed-method approach was used
      to integrate phone survey data with thematic analysis of 4 focus groups. Due to
      variability in attitudes between focus group participants, an individual case
      analysis was performed and thematic patterns were used as the basis for subgroup
      formation. RESULTS: Differences in health literacy, comfort navigating health
      information on the Web, and previous portal experience explained some but not all
      differences related to the 7 themes that emerged in the focus groups analysis.
      Individual cases who shared attitudes were arranged into 5 subgroups from least
      to most able and willing to engage in health care via a patient portal. The
      subgroups' overall portal adoption attitudes were: (1) Don't want to feel pushed
      into anything, (2) Will only adopt if required, (3) Somebody needs to help me,
      (4) See general convenience of the portal for simple tasks and medical history,
      but prefer human contact for questions, and (5) Appreciates current features and
      excited about new possibilities . CONCLUSIONS: Most of the older adults are
      interested in using a patient portal regardless of health literacy level,
      previous patient portal adoption, or experience navigating health information on
      the Web. Research targeting informal caregivers of older adults who are unable or
      unwilling to engage with information technology in health care on their own is
      warranted. Health care organizations should consider tailored strategies to meet
      the needs of older adults (and their informal caregivers) and explore alternative
      workflows that integrate patient portal information into phone conversations and
      face-to-face contact with health care providers.

PMID- 28360023
TI  - Continuing Professional Development via Social Media or Conference Attendance: A
      Cost Analysis.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Professional development is essential in the health disciplines.
      Knowing the cost and value of educational approaches informs decisions and
      choices about learning and teaching practices. OBJECTIVE: The primary aim of this
      study was to conduct a cost analysis of participation in continuing professional
      development via social media compared with live conference attendance. METHODS:
      Clinicians interested in musculoskeletal care were invited to participate in the
      study activities. Quantitative data were obtained from an anonymous electronic
      questionnaire. RESULTS: Of the 272 individuals invited to contribute data to this
      study, 150 clinicians predominantly from Australia, United States, United
      Kingdom, India, and Malaysia completed the outcome measures. Half of the
      respondents (78/150, 52.0%) believed that they would learn more with the live
      conference format. The median perceived participation costs for the live
      conference format was Aus $1596 (interquartile range, IQR 172.50-2852.00). The
      perceived cost of participation for equivalent content delivered via social media
      was Aus $15 (IQR 0.00-58.50). The majority of the clinicians (114/146, 78.1%,
      missing data n=4) indicated that they would pay for a subscription-based service,
      delivered by social media, to the median value of Aus $59.50. CONCLUSIONS: Social
      media platforms are evolving into an acceptable and financially sustainable
      medium for the continued professional development of health professionals. When
      factoring in the reduced costs of participation and the reduced loss of
      employable hours from the perspective of the health service, professional
      development via social media has unique strengths that challenge the traditional
      live conference delivery format.

PMID- 28360024
TI  - With Some Help From My Network: Supplementing eHealth Literacy With Social Ties.
AB  - BACKGROUND: eHealth literacy is defined as the ability to seek, find, understand,
      and appraise health information from electronic sources and apply knowledge
      gained to addressing or solving a health problem. Previous research has shown
      high reliance on both online and face-to-face interpersonal sources when sharing
      and receiving health information. OBJECTIVE: In this paper, we examine these
      interpersonal sources and their interplay with respondents' eHealth literacy and
      perceived health outcomes. Specifically, we look at how the relationship between
      eHealth literacy and health outcomes is moderated by (1) finding help while
      performing online activities, (2) finding others with similar health concerns
      online, and (3) the importance of finding others with similar health concerns for
      people from ethnic minorities, specifically Palestinian citizens of Israel versus
      Israeli Jews. METHODS: We used a nationally representative random-digit dial
      telephone household survey of an Israeli adult population (age >=21 years,
      N=819). The collected data were analyzed using two regression models. The first
      examined how the correlation between eHealth literacy and perceived outcomes was
      moderated by the availability of help. The second examined how the correlation
      between eHealth literacy and perceived outcomes was moderated by finding others
      with similar health concerns and by ethnicity. RESULTS: Respondents with low
      eHealth literacy who were able to recruit help when performing online activities
      demonstrated higher perceived health outcomes compared to similar respondents who
      did not find help. Respondents with low eHealth literacy, who were able to find
      others with similar health concerns (online), demonstrated higher perceived
      health outcomes when compared to similar respondents who did not find others with
      similar health concerns. Finally, finding similar others online was more helpful
      in enhancing health outcomes for ethnic minorities; Palestinian citizens of
      Israel gained more health benefits by finding similar others compared to Israeli
      Jews. CONCLUSIONS: Although the availability of help and the notion of ethnicity
      have been discussed extensively within the context of social capital and health,
      our findings offer initial evidence for the relevancy of these concepts when
      studying individuals' eHealth literacy. Specifically, our findings enable a
      better understanding of the role of social ties and ethnicity in moderating the
      interplay between eHealth literacy and perceived health outcomes. Given the
      increased importance of eHealth information, our findings enhance understanding
      of how social ties can potentially compensate for low eHealth literacy.

PMID- 28360025
TI  - Design and Implementation of a Novel Web-Based E-Learning Tool for Education of
      Health Professionals on the Antibiotic Vancomycin.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Traditional approaches to health professional education are being
      challenged by increased clinical demands and decreased available time. Web-based
      e-learning tools offer a convenient and effective method of delivering education,
      particularly across multiple health care facilities. The effectiveness of this
      model for health professional education needs to be explored in context.
      OBJECTIVES: The study aimed to (1) determine health professionals' experience and
      knowledge of clinical use of vancomycin, an antibiotic used for treatment of
      serious infections caused by methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA)
      and (2) describe the design and implementation of a Web-based e-learning tool
      created to improve knowledge in this area. METHODS: We conducted a study on the
      design and implementation of a video-enhanced, Web-based e-learning tool between
      April 2014 and January 2016. A Web-based survey was developed to determine prior
      experience and knowledge of vancomycin use among nurses, doctors, and
      pharmacists. The Vancomycin Interactive (VI) involved a series of video clips
      interspersed with question and answer scenarios, where a correct response allowed
      for progression. Dramatic tension and humor were used as tools to engage users.
      Health professionals' knowledge of clinical vancomycin use was obtained from
      website data; qualitative participant feedback was also collected. RESULTS: From
      the 577 knowledge survey responses, pharmacists (n=70) answered the greatest
      number of questions correctly (median score 4/5), followed by doctors (n=271;
      3/5) and nurses (n=236; 2/5; P<.001). Survey questions on target trough
      concentration (75.0%, 433/577) and rate of administration (64.9%, 375/577) were
      answered most correctly, followed by timing of first level (49%, 283/577),
      maintenance dose (41.9%, 242/577), and loading dose (38.0%, 219/577). Self
      reported "very" and "reasonably" experienced health professionals were also more
      likely to achieve correct responses. The VI was completed by 163 participants
      during the study period. The rate of correctly answered VI questions on first
      attempt was 65% for nurses (n=63), 68% for doctors (n=86), and 82% for
      pharmacists (n=14; P<.001), reflecting a similar pattern to the knowledge survey.
      Knowledge gaps were identified for loading dose (39.2% correct on first attempt;
      64/163), timing of first trough level (50.3%, 82/163), and subsequent trough
      levels (47.9%, 78/163). Of the 163 participants, we received qualitative user
      feedback from 51 participants following completion of the VI. Feedback was
      predominantly positive with themes of "entertaining," "engaging," and "fun"
      identified; however, there were some technical issues identified relating to
      accessibility from different operating systems and browsers. CONCLUSIONS: A novel
      Web-based e-learning tool was successfully developed combining game design
      principles and humor to improve user engagement. Knowledge gaps were identified
      that allowed for targeting of future education strategies. The VI provides an
      innovative model for delivering Web-based education to busy health professionals
      in different locations.

PMID- 28360026
TI  - Experiences of Older Adults With Mobile Phone Text Messaging as Reminders of Home
      Exercises After Specialized Manual Therapy for Recurrent Low Back Pain: A
      Qualitative Study.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Clinical experience of manual therapy for musculoskeletal pain is
      that patients often suffer from recurrent pain and disorders, but that they do
      not continue to perform their physical home exercises when they are free from
      symptoms. The chance of positive long-term effects of manual therapy would
      probably increase if patients were reminded that they are to continue to perform
      their exercises. Mobile phone text messaging (short messaging service, SMS) is
      increasingly used as an innovative intervention to remind patient to exercise.
      However, there are only a few studies on such interventions in the field of low
      back pain (LBP). Qualitative studies of patients' experiences of receiving text
      messages as reminders of home exercises after manual treatment for recurrent LBP
      have to the best of our knowledge never been published. OBJECTIVES: The aim of
      this study was to explore older persons' common experiences of receiving
      reminders of home exercises through mobile phone text messaging after specialized
      manual therapy for recurrent LBP. METHODS: A total of 7 men and 8 women (67-86
      years), who had sought specialized manual therapy (Naprapathic manual therapy)
      for recurrent LBP were included in the study. Individual one-way text messages as
      reminders of home exercises (to be performed on a daily basis) were sent to each
      patient every third day for 3 weeks, then once a week for another 2 weeks.
      Semistructured interviews with 2 broad, open-ended questions were held and data
      were analyzed with systematic text condensation, based on Giorgi's principles of
      psychological phenomenological analysis. RESULTS: The participants appreciated
      the messages, which were perceived as timely and usable, and also stimulated
      memorizing. The messages made the participants reflect on the aim of the
      exercise, value of being reminded, and on their improvement in pain. During the
      interviews, the participants created their own routines for continued adherence
      to the exercises. CONCLUSIONS: It seems plausible that mobile phone text
      messaging may serve as a useful tool for patient empowerment with regard to
      recurrent LBP in older persons. Further studies are needed to explore whether
      future compliance with the exercises will be as large if the participants are not
      being interviewed.

PMID- 28360027
TI  - Relative effectiveness of insulin pump treatment over multiple daily injections
      and structured education during flexible intensive insulin treatment for type 1
      diabetes: cluster randomised trial (REPOSE).
AB  - Objective To compare the effectiveness of insulin pumps with multiple daily
      injections for adults with type 1 diabetes, with both groups receiving equivalent
      training in flexible insulin treatment.Design Pragmatic, multicentre, open label,
      parallel group, cluster randomised controlled trial (Relative Effectiveness of
      Pumps Over MDI and Structured Education (REPOSE) trial).Setting Eight secondary
      care centres in England and Scotland.Participants Adults with type 1 diabetes who
      were willing to undertake intensive insulin treatment, with no preference for
      pumps or multiple daily injections. Participants were allocated a place on
      established group training courses that taught flexible intensive insulin
      treatment ("dose adjustment for normal eating," DAFNE). The course groups (the
      clusters) were then randomly allocated in pairs to either pump or multiple daily
      injections.Interventions Participants attended training in flexible insulin
      treatment (using insulin analogues) structured around the use of pump or
      injections, followed for two years.Main outcome measures The primary outcomes
      were a change in glycated haemoglobin (HbA1c) values (%) at two years in
      participants with baseline HbA1c value of >=7.5% (58 mmol/mol), and the
      proportion of participants achieving an HbA1c value of <7.5%. Secondary outcomes
      included body weight, insulin dose, and episodes of moderate and severe
      hypoglycaemia. Ancillary outcomes included quality of life and treatment
      satisfaction.Results 317 participants (46 courses) were randomised (156 pump and
      161 injections). 267 attended courses and 260 were included in the intention to
      treat analysis, of which 235 (119 pump and 116 injection) had baseline HbA1c
      values of >=7.5%. Glycaemic control and rates of severe hypoglycaemia improved in
      both groups. The mean change in HbA1c at two years was -0.85% with pump treatment
      and -0.42% with multiple daily injections. Adjusting for course, centre, age,
      sex, and accounting for missing values, the difference was -0.24% (-2.7 mmol/mol)
      in favour of pump users (95% confidence interval -0.53 to 0.05, P=0.10). Most
      psychosocial measures showed no difference, but pump users showed greater
      improvement in treatment satisfaction and some quality of life domains (dietary
      freedom and daily hassle) at 12 and 24 months.Conclusions Both groups showed
      clinically relevant and long lasting decreases in HbA1c, rates of severe
      hypoglycaemia, and improved psychological measures, although few participants
      achieved glucose levels currently recommended by national and international
      guidelines. Adding pump treatment to structured training in flexible intensive
      insulin treatment did not substantially enhance educational benefits on glycaemic
      control, hypoglycaemia, or psychosocial outcomes in adults with type 1 diabetes.
      These results do not support a policy of providing insulin pumps to adults with
      poor glycaemic control until the effects of training on participants' level of
      engagement in intensive self management have been determined.Trial registration
      Current Controlled Trials ISRCTN61215213.

PMID- 28360029
TI  - Ursodeoxycholic acid and lithocholic acid exert anti-inflammatory actions in the
      colon.
AB  - Ward JB, Lajczak NK, Kelly OB, O'Dwyer AM, Giddam AK, Ni Gabhann J, Franco P,
      Tambuwala MM, Jefferies CA, Keely S, Roda A, Keely SJ. Ursodeoxycholic acid and
      lithocholic acid exert anti-inflammatory actions in the colon. Am J Physiol
      Gastrointest Liver Physiol 312: G550-G558, 2017. First published March 30, 2017;
      doi:10.1152/ajpgi.00256.2016.-Inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD) comprise a group
      of common and debilitating chronic intestinal disorders for which currently
      available therapies are often unsatisfactory. The naturally occurring secondary
      bile acid, ursodeoxycholic acid (UDCA), has well-established anti-inflammatory
      and cytoprotective actions and may therefore be effective in treating IBD. We
      aimed to investigate regulation of colonic inflammatory responses by UDCA and to
      determine the potential impact of bacterial metabolism on its therapeutic
      actions. The anti-inflammatory efficacy of UDCA, a nonmetabolizable analog,
      6alpha-methyl-UDCA (6-MUDCA), and its primary colonic metabolite lithocholic acid
      (LCA) was assessed in the murine dextran sodium sulfate (DSS) model of mucosal
      injury. The effects of bile acids on cytokine (TNF-alpha, IL-6, Il-1beta, and IFN
      gamma) release from cultured colonic epithelial cells and mouse colonic tissue in
      vivo were investigated. Luminal bile acids were measured by gas chromatography
      mass spectrometry. UDCA attenuated release of proinflammatory cytokines from
      colonic epithelial cells in vitro and was protective against the development of
      colonic inflammation in vivo. In contrast, although 6-MUDCA mimicked the effects
      of UDCA on epithelial cytokine release in vitro, it was ineffective in preventing
      inflammation in the DSS model. In UDCA-treated mice, LCA became the most common
      colonic bile acid. Finally, LCA treatment more potently inhibited epithelial
      cytokine release and protected against DSS-induced mucosal inflammation than did
      UDCA. These studies identify a new role for the primary metabolite of UDCA, LCA,
      in preventing colonic inflammation and suggest that microbial metabolism of UDCA
      is necessary for the full expression of its protective actions.NEW & NOTEWORTHY
      On the basis of its cytoprotective and anti-inflammatory actions, the secondary
      bile acid ursodeoxycholic acid (UDCA) has well-established uses in both
      traditional and Western medicine. We identify a new role for the primary
      metabolite of UDCA, lithocholic acid, as a potent inhibitor of intestinal
      inflammatory responses, and we present data to suggest that microbial metabolism
      of UDCA is necessary for the full expression of its protective effects against
      colonic inflammation.

PMID- 28360030
TI  - Old and new models for studying host-microbe interactions in health and disease:
      C. difficile as an example.
AB  - There has been an explosion of interest in studying the indigenous microbiota,
      which plays an important role in human health and disease. Traditionally, the
      study of microbes in relationship to human health involved consideration of
      individual microbial species that caused classical infectious diseases. With the
      interest in the human microbiome, an appreciation of the influence that complex
      communities of microbes can have on their environment has developed. When
      considering either individual pathogenic microbes or a symbiotic microbial
      community, researchers have employed a variety of model systems with which they
      can study the host-microbe interaction. With the use of studies of infections
      with the toxin-producing bacterium Clostridium difficile as a model for both a
      pathogen and beneficial bacterial communities as an example, this review will
      summarize and compare various model systems that can be used to gain insight into
      the host-microbe interaction.

PMID- 28360028
TI  - Detection of human elastase isoforms by the ScheBo Pancreatic Elastase 1 Test.
AB  - Determination of fecal pancreatic elastase content by ELISA is a reliable,
      noninvasive clinical test for assessing exocrine pancreatic function. Despite the
      widespread use of commercial tests, their exact molecular targets remain poorly
      characterized. This study was undertaken to clarify which human pancreatic
      elastase isoforms are detected by the ScheBo Pancreatic Elastase 1 Stool Test and
      whether naturally occurring genetic variants influence the performance of this
      test. Using recombinantly expressed and purified human pancreatic proteinases, we
      found that the test specifically measured chymotrypsin-like elastases (CELA) 3A
      and 3B (CELA3A and CELA3B), while CELA2A was not detected. Inactive proelastases,
      active elastases, and autolyzed forms were detected with identical efficiency.
      CELA3B elicited approximately four times higher ELISA signal than CELA3A, and we
      identified Glu154 in CELA3B as the critical determinant of detection. Common
      genetic variants of CELA3A and CELA3B had no effect on test performance, with the
      exception of the CELA3B variant W79R, which increased detection by 1.4-fold.
      Finally, none of the human trypsin and chymotrypsin isoforms were detected. We
      conclude that the ScheBo Pancreatic Elastase 1 Stool Test is specific for human
      CELA3A and CELA3B, with most of the ELISA signal attributable to CELA3B.NEW &
      NOTEWORTHY The ScheBo Pancreatic Elastase 1 Stool Test is widely used to assess
      pancreatic exocrine function, yet its molecular targets have been poorly defined.
      We demonstrate that, among the human pancreatic proteinases, the test measures
      the elastase isoform CELA3B and, to a lesser extent, CELA3A. Genetic variants of
      the human CELA3 isoforms have no significant effect on test performance.

PMID- 28360033
TI  - GP numbers drop despite government pledge to boost workforce.

PMID- 28360034
TI  - Ages and Stages Questionnaire at 3 Years for Predicting IQ at 5-6 Years.
AB  - OBJECTIVES: To assess the predictive value of the 36-month Ages & Stages
      Questionnaire (ASQ) score for IQ score at age 5 to 6 years in the general
      population and to identify factors associated with IQ <85 once the ASQ score is
      taken into account. METHODS: Data were collected from 939 children enrolled in a
      population-based prospective cohort study. Developmental outcomes at 36 months
      were assessed via the ASQ and at 5 to 6 years via the Wechsler Preschool and
      Primary Scale of Intelligence. The ASQ threshold was identified via the receiver
      operating characteristic curve. Additional predictive factors to obtain an IQ <85
      were investigated, and their interaction with ASQ score was studied. RESULTS:
      Sixty-nine children (7.3%) had an IQ <85. A 36-month ASQ score threshold of 270
      was optimal to identify children with an IQ <85 at 5 to 6 years, with a 0.77 +/-
      0.11 sensitivity and 0.68 +/- 0.03 specificity. Maternal educational level and
      occupational activity at the time of ASQ completion were associated with the risk
      of an IQ <85 at a given ASQ level. In the multivariate model, no interaction
      between the studied factors and ASQ score reached significance. CONCLUSIONS: In
      the general pediatric population, 36-month ASQ parental reports could be used to
      identify children at later risk of cognitive delay. Low maternal education level
      should also be considered as a major risk factor for lower IQ in preschool
      children regardless of ASQ score.

PMID- 28360031
TI  - Intermediate filament proteins of digestive organs: physiology and
      pathophysiology.
AB  - Intermediate filament proteins (IFs), such as cytoplasmic keratins in epithelial
      cells and vimentin in mesenchymal cells and the nuclear lamins, make up one of
      the three major cytoskeletal protein families. Whether in digestive organs or
      other tissues, IFs share several unique features including stress-inducible
      overexpression, abundance, cell-selective and differentiation state expression,
      and association with >80 human diseases when mutated. Whereas most IF mutations
      cause disease, mutations in simple epithelial keratins 8, 18, or 19 or in lamin
      A/C predispose to liver disease with or without other tissue manifestations.
      Keratins serve major functions including protection from apoptosis, providing
      cellular and subcellular mechanical integrity, protein targeting to subcellular
      compartments, and scaffolding and regulation of cell-signaling processes.
      Keratins are essential for Mallory-Denk body aggregate formation that occurs in
      association with several liver diseases, whereas an alternate type of keratin and
      lamin aggregation occurs upon liver involvement in porphyria. IF-associated
      diseases have no known directed therapy, but high-throughput drug screening to
      identify potential therapies is an appealing ongoing approach. Despite the
      extensive current knowledge base, much remains to be discovered regarding IF
      physiology and pathophysiology in digestive and nondigestive organs.

PMID- 28360035
TI  - Prognostic value of early response assessment using (18F)FDG-PET in patients with
      advanced non-small cell lung cancer treated with tyrosine-kinase inhibitors.
AB  - The purpose of this meta-analysis was to determine the prognostic value of early
      response assessment using (18F)fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG)-positron emission
      thermography (PET) in patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC)
      treated with tyrosine-kinase inhibitors (TKIs). MEDLINE, PubMed, Cochrane,
      EMBASE, and Google Scholar databases were searched until August 1, 2016 using the
      keywords non-small cell lung carcinoma, positron-emission tomography,
      fluorodeoxyglucose, prognosis, disease progression, survival, erlotinib,
      gefitinib, and afatinib. Inclusion criteria were studies of patients with stage
      III or IV NSCLC treated with a TKI and had response assessed by FDG-PET. Outcome
      measures were overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS). Of the
      167 articles identified, 10 studies including 302 patients were included in the
      analysis. In 8 studies, patients were treated with erlotinib, and in 2 they were
      treated with gefitinib. The overall analysis revealed that early metabolic
      response was statistically associated with improved OS (HR=0.54; 95% CI 0.46 to
      0.63; p<0.001), and with longer PFS (HR=0.23; 95% CI 0.17 to 0.33; p<0.001).
      Early response of patients with NSCLC treated with TKIs identified on FDG-PET is
      associated with improved OS and PFS.

PMID- 28360032
TI  - Multimodality Strategy for Cardiovascular Risk Assessment: Performance in 2
      Population-Based Cohorts.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Current strategies for cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk assessment
      among adults without known CVD are limited by suboptimal performance and a narrow
      focus on only atherosclerotic CVD (ASCVD). We hypothesized that a strategy
      combining promising biomarkers across multiple different testing modalities would
      improve global and atherosclerotic CVD risk assessment among individuals without
      known CVD. METHODS: We included participants from MESA (Multi-Ethnic Study of
      Atherosclerosis) (n=6621) and the Dallas Heart Study (n=2202) who were free from
      CVD and underwent measurement of left ventricular hypertrophy by ECG, coronary
      artery calcium, N-terminal pro B-type natriuretic peptide, high-sensitivity
      cardiac troponin T, and high-sensitivity C-reactive protein. Associations of test
      results with the global composite CVD outcome (CVD death, myocardial infarction,
      stroke, coronary or peripheral revascularization, incident heart failure, or
      atrial fibrillation) and ASCVD (fatal or nonfatal myocardial infarction or
      stroke) were assessed over >10 years of follow-up. Multivariable analyses for the
      primary global CVD end point adjusted for traditional risk factors plus statin
      use and creatinine (base model). RESULTS: Each test result was independently
      associated with global composite CVD events in MESA after adjustment for the
      components of the base model and the other test results (P<0.05 for each). When
      the 5 tests were added to the base model, the c-statistic improved from 0.74 to
      0.79 (P=0.001), significant integrated discrimination improvement (0.07, 95%
      confidence interval [CI] 0.06-0.08, P<0.001) and category free net
      reclassification improvement (0.47; 95% CI, 0.38-0.56; P=0.003) were observed,
      and the model was well calibrated (chi2=12.2, P=0.20). Using a simple integer
      score counting the number of abnormal tests, compared with those with a score of
      0, global CVD risk was increased among participants with a score of 1 (adjusted
      hazard ratio, 1.9; 95% CI, 1.4-2.6), 2 (hazard ratio, 3.2; 95% CI, 2.3-4.4), 3
      (hazard ratio, 4.7; 95% CI, 3.4-6.5), and >=4 (hazard ratio, 7.5; 95% CI, 5.2
      10.6). Findings replicated in the Dallas Health Study were similar for the ASCVD
      outcome. CONCLUSIONS: Among adults without known CVD, a novel multimodality
      testing strategy using left ventricular hypertrophy by ECG, coronary artery
      calcium, N-terminal pro B-type natriuretic peptide, high-sensitivity cardiac
      troponin T, and high-sensitivity C-reactive protein significantly improved global
      CVD and ASCVD risk assessment.

PMID- 28360036
TI  - Disseminated MRSA infection with purulent pericarditis.
AB  - The risk of developing pericarditis secondary to Methicillin-Resistant
      Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) infection in the absence of preceding surgical
      procedure is extremely low. We present a case report of a 36-year-old woman who
      developed disseminated MRSA infection leading to purulent pericarditis.

PMID- 28360037
TI  - Mitochondrial DNA Integrity Is Maintained by APE1 in Carcinogen-Induced
      Colorectal Cancer.
AB  - Changes in mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) integrity have been reported in many
      cancers; however, the contribution of mtDNA integrity to tumorigenesis is not
      well understood. We used a transgenic mouse model that is haploinsufficient for
      the apurinic/apyrimidinic endonuclease 1 (Apex1+/-) gene, which encodes the base
      excision repair (BER) enzyme APE1, to determine its role in protecting mtDNA from
      the effects of azoxymethane (AOM), a carcinogen used to induce colorectal cancer.
      Repair kinetics of AOM-induced mtDNA damage was evaluated using qPCR after a
      single AOM dose and a significant induction in mtDNA lesions in colonic crypts
      from both wild-type (WT) and Apex1+/-animals were observed. However, Apex1+/-
      mice had slower repair kinetics in addition to decreased mtDNA abundance. Tumors
      were also induced using multiple AOM doses, and both WT and Apex1+/-animals
      exhibited significant loss in mtDNA abundance. Surprisingly, no major differences
      in mtDNA lesions were observed in tumors from WT and Apex1+/- animals, whereas a
      significant increase in nuclear DNA lesions was detected in tumors from Apex1+/-
      mice. Finally, tumors from Apex1+/- mice displayed an increased proliferative
      index and histologic abnormalities. Taken together, these results demonstrate
      that APE1 is important for preventing changes in mtDNA integrity during AOM
      induced colorectal cancer.Implications: AOM, a colorectal cancer carcinogen,
      generates damage to the mitochondrial genome, and the BER enzyme APE1 is required
      to maintain its integrity. Mol Cancer Res; 15(7); 831-41. (c)2017 AACR.

PMID- 28360040
TI  - Vitamin B12 deficiency from the perspective of a practicing hematologist.
AB  - B12 deficiency is the leading cause of megaloblastic anemia, and although more
      common in the elderly, can occur at any age. Clinical disease caused by B12
      deficiency usually connotes severe deficiency, resulting from a failure of the
      gastric or ileal phase of physiological B12 absorption, best exemplified by the
      autoimmune disease pernicious anemia. There are many other causes of B12
      deficiency, which range from severe to mild. Mild deficiency usually results from
      failure to render food B12 bioavailable or from dietary inadequacy. Although
      rarely resulting in megaloblastic anemia, mild deficiency may be associated with
      neurocognitive and other consequences. B12 deficiency is best diagnosed using a
      combination of tests because none alone is completely reliable. The features of
      B12 deficiency are variable and may be atypical. Timely diagnosis is important,
      and treatment is gratifying. Failure to diagnose B12 deficiency can have dire
      consequences, usually neurological. This review is written from the perspective
      of a practicing hematologist.

PMID- 28360039
TI  - How I treat autoimmune hemolytic anemia.
AB  - Autoimmune hemolytic anemia (AIHA) is an uncommon entity that presents
      diagnostic, prognostic, and therapeutic dilemmas despite being a well-recognized
      entity for over 150 years. This is because of significant differences in the
      rates of hemolysis and associated diseases and because there is considerable
      clinical heterogeneity. In addition, there is a lack of clinical trials required
      to refine and update standardized and evidence-based therapeutic approaches. To
      aid the clinician in AIHA management, we present four vignettes that represent
      and highlight distinct clinical presentations with separate diagnostic and
      therapeutic pathways that we use in our clinical practice setting. We also review
      the parameters present in diagnostic testing that allow for prognostic insight
      and present algorithms for both diagnosis and treatment of the AIHA patient in
      diverse situations. This is done in the hope that this review may offer guidance
      in regard to personalized therapy recommendations. A section is included for the
      diagnosis of suspected AIHA with negative test results, a relatively infrequent
      but challenging situation, in order to assist in the overall evaluation spectrum
      for these patients.

PMID- 28360041
TI  - Securing the Future.

PMID- 28360042
TI  - Not 'just' a GP: a call for action.

PMID- 28360038
TI  - Insulin Receptor and GPCR Crosstalk Stimulates YAP via PI3K and PKD in Pancreatic
      Cancer Cells.
AB  - We examined the impact of crosstalk between the insulin receptor and G protein
      coupled receptor (GPCR) signaling pathways on the regulation of Yes-associated
      protein (YAP) localization, phosphorylation, and transcriptional activity in the
      context of human pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC). Stimulation of PANC-1
      or MiaPaCa-2 cells with insulin and neurotensin, a potent mitogenic combination
      of agonists for these cells, promoted striking YAP nuclear localization and
      decreased YAP phosphorylation at Ser127 and Ser397 Challenging PDAC cells with
      either insulin or neurotensin alone modestly induced the expression of YAP/TEAD
      regulated genes, including connective tissue growth factor (CTGF), cysteine-rich
      angiogenic inducer 61 (CYR61), and CXCL5, whereas the combination of neurotensin
      and insulin induced a marked increase in the level of expression of these genes.
      In addition, siRNA-mediated knockdown of YAP/TAZ prevented the increase in the
      expression of these genes. A small-molecule inhibitor (A66), selective for the
      p110alpha subunit of PI3K, abrogated the increase in phosphatidylinositol 3,4,5
      trisphosphate production and the expression of CTGF, CYR61, and CXCL5 induced by
      neurotensin and insulin. Furthermore, treatment of PDAC cells with protein kinase
      D (PKD) family inhibitors (CRT0066101 or kb NB 142-70) or with siRNAs targeting
      the PKD family prevented the increase of CTGF, CYR61, and CXCL5 mRNA levels in
      response to insulin and neurotensin stimulation. Thus, PI3K and PKD mediate YAP
      activation in response to insulin and neurotensin in pancreatic cancer
      cells.Implications: Inhibitors of PI3K or PKD disrupt crosstalk between insulin
      receptor and GPCR signaling systems by blocking YAP/TEAD-regulated gene
      expression in pancreatic cancer cells. Mol Cancer Res; 15(7); 929-41. (c)2017
      AACR.

PMID- 28360043
TI  - General practice: the heart of the NHS.

PMID- 28360044
TI  - Can innovation help us deliver an NHS for the 21st century?

PMID- 28360045
TI  - Opioid analgesic dependence: where do we go from here?

PMID- 28360046
TI  - 'MUS' or 'DEN'?

PMID- 28360047
TI  - MUS: continuing challenges for primary care.

PMID- 28360048
TI  - The recipe for general practice.

PMID- 28360049
TI  - Clinical and cultural conflicts.

PMID- 28360050
TI  - Discharge summary information: more than DVT warnings needed.

PMID- 28360051
TI  - The role of general practice in surgical trials.

PMID- 28360052
TI  - Do primary care chaplains need training in mental health issues?

PMID- 28360053
TI  - Incorporating cancer risk information into general practice: a qualitative study
      using focus groups with health professionals.

PMID- 28360054
TI  - The wrong paradigm may be driving drug glucose control in the face of the
      evidence.

PMID- 28360055
TI  - Medically unexplained symptoms.

PMID- 28360056
TI  - Giving patients choice of appointment length.

PMID- 28360057
TI  - Bad medicine: red drugs.

PMID- 28360058
TI  - Viewpoint: Redundant subjectivity?

PMID- 28360059
TI  - The chronotherapy of hypertension: or the benefit of taking blood pressure
      tablets at bedtime.

PMID- 28360060
TI  - Nature works: why don't we? How living systems can inform the design of effective
      primary care.

PMID- 28360062
TI  - Bad Medicine: Medical student numbers.

PMID- 28360063
TI  - Yonder: Physician assistants, timewasting, nursing homes, and social media.

PMID- 28360061
TI  - Every home should have one: the critical role of the research librarian.

PMID- 28360064
TI  - Can compassion help cure health-related disorders?

PMID- 28360065
TI  - Books: A Layman's Guide to Psychiatry and Psychoanalysis: Not a Wasted Word.

PMID- 28360066
TI  - Books: His Bloody Project. Documents Relating to the Case of Roderick Macrae: Mad
      or Bad?

PMID- 28360067
TI  - Fakery and science.

PMID- 28360068
TI  - Are we stripping the care out of care plans?

PMID- 28360069
TI  - Overdiagnosis of COPD: precise definitions and proposals for improvement.

PMID- 28360070
TI  - Recognition, diagnosis, and early management of sepsis: NICE guideline.

PMID- 28360071
TI  - Primary care management of overactive bladder symptoms: evaluation and treatment.

PMID- 28360072
TI  - Attitudes of newly qualified doctors towards a career in general practice: a
      qualitative focus group study.
AB  - BACKGROUND: A key element of the NHS is universal access to a GP. Recently, UK
      general practice has been described as being in crisis, with training places
      unfilled and multiple practices reporting vacancies or facing closure. The
      recruitment of GPs continues to be a key focus for both the Royal College of
      General Practitioners (RCGP) and the government. AIM: To understand the attitudes
      of newly qualified doctors towards a career in general practice, to appreciate
      potential reasons for the crisis in GP recruitment, and to recommend ways to
      improve recruitment. DESIGN AND SETTING: A qualitative study comprising five
      focus groups with 74 Foundation Year 1 (FY1) doctors from one Yorkshire deanery.
      METHOD: Audio recordings were transcribed verbatim and thematic analysis
      undertaken. RESULTS: Foundation Year 1 doctors' thoughts towards a career in
      general practice were summarised in four themes: quality of life, job
      satisfaction, uncertainty surrounding the future of general practice, and the
      lack of respect for GPs among both doctors and the public. Participants felt that
      general practice could provide a good work-life balance, fair pay, and job
      stability. Job satisfaction, with the ability to provide care from the cradle to
      the grave, and to work within a community, was viewed positively. Uncertainties
      around future training, skill levels, pay, and workload, together with a
      perceived stigma experienced in medical schools and hospitals, were viewed as a
      deterrent to a career in general practice. CONCLUSION: This study has gathered
      the opinions of doctors at a critical point in their careers, before they choose
      a future specialty. Findings highlight areas of concern and potential deterrents
      to a career in general practice, together with recommendations to address these
      issues.

PMID- 28360073
TI  - Patient participation in general practice based undergraduate teaching: a focus
      group study of patient perspectives.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Patients make a crucial contribution to undergraduate medical
      education. Although a national resource is available for patients participating
      in research, none is as yet available for education. AIM: This study aimed to
      explore what information patients would like about participation in general
      practice based undergraduate medical education, and how they would like to obtain
      this information. DESIGN AND SETTING: Two focus groups were conducted in London
      based practices involved in both undergraduate and postgraduate teaching. METHOD:
      Patients both with and without teaching experience were recruited using leaflets,
      posters, and patient participation groups. An open-ended topic guide explored
      three areas: perceived barriers that participants anticipated or had experienced;
      patient roles in medical education; and what help would support participation.
      Focus groups were audiorecorded, transcribed, and analysed thematically. RESULTS:
      Patients suggested ways of professionalising the teaching process. These were:
      making information available to patients about confidentiality, iterative
      consent, and normalising teaching in the practice. Patients highlighted the
      importance of relationships, making information available about their GPs'
      involvement in teaching, and initiating student-patient interactions.
      Participants emphasised educational principles to maximise exchange of
      information, including active participation of students, patient identification
      of student learner needs, and exchange of feedback. CONCLUSION: This study will
      inform development of patient information resources to support their
      participation in teaching and access to information both before and during
      general practice based teaching encounters.

PMID- 28360076
TI  - Reuben Frederick Payne.

PMID- 28360075
TI  - Alexander Ross Kerr Mitchell.

PMID- 28360074
TI  - Predicting the onset of hazardous alcohol drinking in primary care: development
      and validation of a simple risk algorithm.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Little is known about the risk of progressing to hazardous alcohol
      use in abstinent or low-risk drinkers. AIM: To develop and validate a simple
      brief risk algorithm for the onset of hazardous alcohol drinking (HAD) over 12
      months for use in primary care. DESIGN AND SETTING: Prospective cohort study in
      32 health centres from six Spanish provinces, with evaluations at baseline, 6
      months, and 12 months. METHOD: Forty-one risk factors were measured and
      multilevel logistic regression and inverse probability weighting were used to
      build the risk algorithm. The outcome was new occurrence of HAD during the study,
      as measured by the AUDIT. RESULTS: From the lists of 174 GPs, 3954 adult
      abstinent or low-risk drinkers were recruited. The 'predictAL-10' risk algorithm
      included just nine variables (10 questions): province, sex, age, cigarette
      consumption, perception of financial strain, having ever received treatment for
      an alcohol problem, childhood sexual abuse, AUDIT-C, and interaction AUDIT-C*Age.
      The c-index was 0.886 (95% CI = 0.854 to 0.918). The optimal cutoff had a
      sensitivity of 0.83 and specificity of 0.80. Excluding childhood sexual abuse
      from the model (the 'predictAL-9'), the c-index was 0.880 (95% CI = 0.847 to
      0.913), sensitivity 0.79, and specificity 0.81. There was no statistically
      significant difference between the c-indexes of predictAL-10 and predictAL-9.
      CONCLUSION: The predictAL-10/9 is a simple and internally valid risk algorithm to
      predict the onset of hazardous alcohol drinking over 12 months in primary care
      attendees; it is a brief tool that is potentially useful for primary prevention
      of hazardous alcohol drinking.

PMID- 28360077
TI  - Assessment and treatment of persistent pain in nursing home residents should be
      implemented systematically to prevent suffering.

PMID- 28360078
TI  - Health, psychosocial and workplace characteristics may identify nurses and
      midwives at risk of high absenteeism.

PMID- 28360079
TI  - BMA urges government to grant permanent residence to European doctors working in
      UK.

PMID- 28360080
TI  - Michael J Scott.

PMID- 28360081
TI  - Resolution of glucose intolerance in long-term high-fat, high-sucrose-fed mice.
AB  - The high-fat, high-sucrose diet (HFSD)-fed C57Bl/6 mouse is a widely used model
      of prediabetes. However, studies typically implement a relatively short dietary
      intervention lasting between 4 and 16 weeks; as a result, little is known about
      how a long-term HFSD influences the metabolic profile of these mice. Therefore,
      the aim of this investigation was to examine the effects of consuming a HFSD for
      42 weeks on the development of hyperinsulinaemia and glucose intolerance in male
      C57Bl/6 mice. Two cohorts of HFSD mice were studied at independent institutes and
      they underwent an oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT) with measures of plasma
      insulin and free fatty acids (FFA). Age-matched chow-fed control mice were also
      studied. The HFSD-fed mice were hyperinsulinaemic and grossly obese, being over
      25 g heavier than chow-fed mice, which was due to a marked expansion of
      subcutaneous adipose tissue. This was associated with a 3-fold increase in liver
      lipid content. Glucose tolerance, however, was either the same or better than
      control mice due to the preservation of glucose disposal as revealed by a dynamic
      stable isotope-labelled OGTT. In addition, plasma FFAs were suppressed to lower
      levels in HFSD mice during the OGTT. In conclusion, we have made the paradoxical
      observation that long-term HFSD feeding results in the resolution of glucose
      intolerance in the C57Bl/6 mouse. Mechanistically, we propose that the gross
      expansion of subcutaneous adipose tissue increases the glucose disposal capacity
      of the HFSD-fed mouse, which overcomes the prevailing insulin resistance to
      improve glucose tolerance.

PMID- 28360083
TI  - Posterior condylar offset is an independent predictor of functional outcome after
      revision total knee arthroplasty.
AB  - OBJECTIVES: Preservation of posterior condylar offset (PCO) has been shown to
      correlate with improved functional results after primary total knee arthroplasty
      (TKA). Whether this is also the case for revision TKA, remains unknown. The aim
      of this study was to assess the independent effect of PCO on early functional
      outcome after revision TKA. METHODS: A total of 107 consecutive aseptic revision
      TKAs were performed by a single surgeon during an eight-year period. The mean age
      was 69.4 years (39 to 85) and there were 59 female patients and 48 male patients.
      The Oxford Knee Score (OKS) and Short-form (SF)-12 score were assessed pre
      operatively and one year post-operatively. Patient satisfaction was also assessed
      at one year. Joint line and PCO were assessed radiographically at one year.
      RESULTS: There was a significant improvement in the OKS (10.6 points, 95%
      confidence interval (CI) 8.8 to 12.3) and the SF-12 physical component score
      (5.9, 95% CI 4.1 to 7.8). PCO directly correlated with change in OKS (p < 0.001).
      Linear regression analysis confirmed the independent effect of PCO on the OKS (p
      < 0.001) and the SF-12 physical score (p = 0.02). The overall rate of
      satisfaction was 85% and on logistic regression analysis improvement in the OKS
      (p = 0.002) was a significant predictor of patient satisfaction, which is related
      to PCO; although this was not independently associated with satisfaction.
      CONCLUSION: Preservation of PCO should be a major consideration when undertaking
      revision TKA. The option of increasing PCO to balance the flexion gap while
      maintaining the joint line should be assessed intra-operatively.Cite this
      article: N. D. Clement, D. J. MacDonald, D. F. Hamilton, R. Burnett. Posterior
      condylar offset is an independent predictor of functional outcome after revision
      total knee arthroplasty. Bone Joint Res 2017;6:172-178. DOI: 10.1302/2046
      3758.63.BJR-2015-0021.R1.

PMID- 28360082
TI  - Adipose tissue supports normalization of macrophage and liver lipid handling in
      obesity reversal.
AB  - Adipose tissue inflammation and dysfunction are considered central in the
      pathogenesis of obesity-related dysmetabolism, but their role in the rapid
      metabolic recovery upon obesity reversal is less well defined. We hypothesized
      that changes in adipose tissue endocrine and paracrine mechanisms may support the
      rapid improvement of obesity-induced impairment in cellular lipid handling. C57Bl
      6J mice were fed ad libitum either normal chow (NC) or high-fat diet (HFF) for 10
      weeks. A dietary obesity reversal group was fed HFF for 8 weeks and then switched
      to NC for 2 weeks (HFF->NC). Whole-body glucose homeostasis rapidly nearly
      normalized in the HFF->NC mice (fasting glucose and insulin fully normalized,
      glucose and insulin tolerance tests reversed 82% to the NC group levels). During
      2 weeks of the dietary reversal, the liver was significantly cleared from ectopic
      fat, and functionally, glucose production from pyruvate, alanine or fructose was
      normalized. In contrast, adipose tissue inflammation (macrophage infiltration and
      polarization) largely remained as in HFF, though obesity-induced adipose tissue
      macrophage lipid accumulation decreased by ~50%, and adipose tissue MAP kinase
      hyperactivation was reversed. Ex vivo, mild changes in adipose tissue
      adipocytokine secretion profile were noted. These corresponded to partial or full
      reversal of the excess cellular lipid droplet accumulation induced by HFF adipose
      tissue conditioned media in hepatoma or macrophage cells, respectively. We
      propose that early after initiating reversal of nutritional obesity, rapid
      metabolic normalization largely precedes resolution of adipose tissue
      inflammation. Nevertheless, we demonstrate a hitherto unrecognized contribution
      of adipose tissue to the rapid improvement in lipid handling by the liver and by
      macrophages.

PMID- 28360084
TI  - The revitalisation of flexor tendon allografts with bone marrow stromal cells and
      mechanical stimulation: An ex vivo model revitalising flexor tendon allografts.
AB  - OBJECTIVES: The present study describes a novel technique for revitalising
      allogenic intrasynovial tendons by combining cell-based therapy and mechanical
      stimulation in an ex vivo canine model. METHODS: Specifically, canine flexor
      digitorum profundus tendons were used for this study and were divided into the
      following groups: (1) untreated, unprocessed normal tendon; (2) decellularised
      tendon; (3) bone marrow stromal cell (BMSC)-seeded tendon; and (4) BMSC-seeded
      and cyclically stretched tendon. Lateral slits were introduced on the tendon to
      facilitate cell seeding. Tendons from all four study groups were distracted by a
      servohydraulic testing machine. Tensile force and displacement data were
      continuously recorded at a sample rate of 20 Hz until 200 Newton of force was
      reached. Before testing, the cross-sectional dimensions of each tendon were
      measured with a digital caliper. Young's modulus was calculated from the slope of
      the linear region of the stress-strain curve. The BMSCs were labeled for
      histological and cell viability evaluation on the decellularized tendon scaffold
      under a confocal microscope. Gene expression levels of selected extracellular
      matrix tendon growth factor genes were measured. Results were reported as mean +/
      SD and data was analyzed with one-way ANOVAs followed by Tukey's post hoc
      multiple-comparison test. RESULTS: We observed no significant difference in cross
      sectional area or in Young's modulus among the four study groups. In addition,
      histological sections showed that the BMSCs were aligned well and viable on the
      tendon slices after two-week culture in groups three and four. Expression levels
      of several extracellular matrix tendon growth factors, including collagen type I,
      collagen type III, and matrix metalloproteinase were significantly higher in
      group four than in group three (p < 0.05). CONCLUSION: Lateral slits introduced
      into de-cellularised tendon is a promising method of delivery of BMSCs without
      compromising cell viability and tendon mechanical properties. In addition,
      mechanical stimulation of a cell-seeded tendon can promote cell proliferation and
      enhance expression of collagen types I and III in vitro.Cite this article: J. H.
      Wu, A. R. Thoreson, A. Gingery, K. N. An, S. L. Moran, P. C. Amadio, C. Zhao. The
      revitalisation of flexor tendon allografts with bone marrow stromal cells and
      mechanical stimulation: An ex vivo model revitalising flexor tendon allografts.
      Bone Joint Res 2017;6:179-185. DOI: 10.1302/2046-3758.63.BJR-2016-0207.R1.

PMID- 28360085
TI  - Silencing of translation initiation factor eIF3b promotes apoptosis in
      osteosarcoma cells.
AB  - OBJECTIVES: Eukaryotic translation initiation factor 3 (eIF3) is a multi-subunit
      complex that plays a critical role in translation initiation. Expression levels
      of eIF3 subunits are elevated or decreased in various cancers, suggesting a role
      for eIF3 in tumorigenesis. Recent studies have shown that the expression of the
      eIF3b subunit is elevated in bladder and prostate cancer, and eIF3b silencing
      inhibited glioblastoma growth and induced cellular apoptosis. In this study, we
      investigated the role of eIF3b in the survival of osteosarcoma cells. METHODS: To
      investigate the effect of eIF3b on cell viability and apoptosis in osteosarcoma
      cells, we first examined the silencing effect of eIF3b in U2OS cells. Cell
      viability and apoptosis were examined by the Cell Counting Kit-8 (CCK-8) assay
      and Western blot, respectively. We also performed gene profiling to identify
      genes affected by eIF3b silencing. Finally, the effect of eIF3b on cell viability
      and apoptosis was confirmed in multiple osteosarcoma cell lines. RESULTS: eIF3b
      silencing decreased cell viability and induced apoptosis in U2OS cells, and by
      using gene profiling we discovered that eIF3b silencing also resulted in the
      upregulation of tumour necrosis factor receptor superfamily member 21 (TNFRSF21).
      We found that TNFRSF21 overexpression induced cell death in U2OS cells, and we
      confirmed that eIF3b silencing completely suppressed cell growth in multiple
      osteosarcoma cell lines. However, eIF3b silencing failed to suppress cell growth
      completely in normal fibroblast cells. CONCLUSION: Our data led us to conclude
      that eIF3b may be required for osteosarcoma cell proliferation by regulating
      TNFRSF21 expression.Cite this article: Y. J. Choi, Y. S. Lee, H. W. Lee, D. M.
      Shim, S. W. Seo. Silencing of translation initiation factor eIF3b promotes
      apoptosis in osteosarcoma cells. Bone Joint Res 2017;6:186-193. DOI: 10.1302/2046
      3758.63.BJR-2016-0151.R2.

PMID- 28360086
TI  - Potential Impact and Study Considerations of Metabolomics in Cardiovascular
      Health and Disease: A Scientific Statement From the American Heart Association.
AB  - Through the measure of thousands of small-molecule metabolites in diverse
      biological systems, metabolomics now offers the potential for new insights into
      the factors that contribute to complex human diseases such as cardiovascular
      disease. Targeted metabolomics methods have already identified new molecular
      markers and metabolomic signatures of cardiovascular disease risk (including
      branched-chain amino acids, select unsaturated lipid species, and trimethylamine
      N-oxide), thus in effect linking diverse exposures such as those from dietary
      intake and the microbiota with cardiometabolic traits. As technologies for
      metabolomics continue to evolve, the depth and breadth of small-molecule
      metabolite profiling in complex systems continue to advance rapidly, along with
      prospects for ongoing discovery. Current challenges facing the field of
      metabolomics include scaling throughput and technical capacity for metabolomics
      approaches, bioinformatic and chemoinformatic tools for handling large-scale
      metabolomics data, methods for elucidating the biochemical structure and function
      of novel metabolites, and strategies for determining the true clinical relevance
      of metabolites observed in association with cardiovascular disease outcomes.
      Progress made in addressing these challenges will allow metabolomics the
      potential to substantially affect diagnostics and therapeutics in cardiovascular
      medicine.

PMID- 28360087
TI  - Impairment of the Ability of HDL From Patients With Metabolic Syndrome but
      Without Diabetes Mellitus to Activate eNOS: Correction by S1P Enrichment.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: High-density lipoprotein (HDL) from nondiabetic patients with
      metabolic syndrome (MetS) displays abnormalities in their lipidome, such as
      triglyceride enrichment and sphingosine-1-phosphate depletion. We hypothesized
      that these abnormalities could impair the ability of HDL to stimulate endothelial
      nitric oxide synthase (eNOS). APPROACH AND RESULTS: Compared with HDL from
      control subjects, HDL from normoglycemic patients with MetS was 39% richer in
      triglycerides (P<0.01) and 15% poorer in sphingosine-1-phosphate (P<0.05; n=23 in
      each group). eNOS activity, assessed by the conversion of L-[3H]arginine to L
      [3H]citrulline, was 69% lower in human umbilical vein endothelial cells incubated
      with HDL from MetS patients than in cells incubated with HDL from controls
      (P<0.0001). In addition, the activating phosphorylation of eNOS at serine (Ser)
      1177 and of Akt (protein kinase B) at Ser473 was 37% (P<0.001) and 39% (P<0.05)
      lower, respectively, with HDL from MetS patients. Sphingosine-1-phosphate
      enrichment of HDL from MetS patients restored their ability to stimulate eNOS
      activity (P<0.05), in relation with a significant increase in eNOS
      phosphorylation at Ser1177 (P<0.05) and in Akt phosphorylation at Ser473
      (P=0.05). By contrast, triglyceride enrichment of HDL from control subjects did
      not modify eNOS activity (P=0.90) and phosphorylation at Ser1177 (P=0.87).
      CONCLUSIONS: We provide evidence that the activation of eNOS by HDL is decreased
      in MetS patients before the appearance of diabetes mellitus and that sphingosine
      1-phosphate depletion of HDL is the main factor responsible for this defect. This
      has important consequences on the impairment of HDL functionality and
      antiatherogenic properties in these patients.

PMID- 28360088
TI  - VEGF-A Regulates Cellular Localization of SR-BI as Well as Transendothelial
      Transport of HDL but Not LDL.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: Low- and high-density lipoproteins (LDL and HDL) must pass the
      endothelial layer to exert pro- and antiatherogenic activities, respectively,
      within the vascular wall. However, the rate-limiting factors that mediate
      transendothelial transport of lipoproteins are yet little known. Therefore, we
      performed a high-throughput screen with kinase drug inhibitors to identify
      modulators of transendothelial LDL and HDL transport. APPROACH AND RESULTS:
      Microscopy-based high-content screening was performed by incubating human aortic
      endothelial cells with 141 kinase-inhibiting drugs and fluorescent-labeled LDL or
      HDL. Inhibitors of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) receptors (VEGFR)
      significantly decreased the uptake of HDL but not LDL. Silencing of VEGF receptor
      2 significantly decreased cellular binding, association, and transendothelial
      transport of 125I-HDL but not 125I-LDL. RNA interference with VEGF receptor 1 or
      VEGF receptor 3 had no effect. Binding, uptake, and transport of HDL but not LDL
      were strongly reduced in the absence of VEGF-A from the cell culture medium and
      were restored by the addition of VEGF-A. The restoring effect of VEGF-A on
      endothelial binding, uptake, and transport of HDL was abrogated by
      pharmacological inhibition of phosphatidyl-inositol 3 kinase/protein kinase B or
      p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase, as well as silencing of scavenger receptor
      BI. Moreover, the presence of VEGF-A was found to be a prerequisite for the
      localization of scavenger receptor BI in the plasma membrane of endothelial
      cells. CONCLUSIONS: The identification of VEGF as a regulatory factor of
      transendothelial transport of HDL but not LDL supports the concept that the
      endothelium is a specific and, hence, druggable barrier for the entry of
      lipoproteins into the vascular wall.

PMID- 28360092
TI  - Marie Driver.

PMID- 28360090
TI  - Testosterone Prevents Cutaneous Ischemia and Necrosis in Males Through
      Complementary Estrogenic and Androgenic Actions.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: Chronic nonhealing wounds are a substantial medical concern and are
      associated with morbidity and mortality; thus, new treatment strategies are
      required. The first step toward personalized/precision medicine in this field is
      probably in taking sex differences into account. Impaired wound healing is
      augmented by ischemia, and we previously demonstrated that 17beta-estradiol
      exerts a major preventive effect against ischemia-induced skin flap necrosis in
      female mice. However, the equivalent effects of testosterone in male mice have
      not yet been reported. We then investigated the role of steroid hormones in male
      mice using a skin flap ischemia model. APPROACH AND RESULTS: Castrated male mice
      developed skin necrosis after ischemia, whereas intact or castrated males treated
      with testosterone were equally protected. Testosterone can (1) activate the
      estrogen receptor after its aromatization into 17beta-estradiol or (2) be reduced
      into dihydrotestosterone, a nonaromatizable androgen that activates the androgen
      receptor. We found that dihydrotestosterone protected castrated wild-type mice by
      promoting skin revascularization, probably through a direct action on resistance
      arteries, as evidenced using a complementary model of flow-mediated outward
      remodeling. 17beta-estradiol treatment of castrated male mice also strongly
      protected them from ischemic necrosis through the activation of estrogen receptor
      alpha by increasing skin revascularization and skin survival. Remarkably, 17beta
      estradiol improved skin survival with a greater efficiency than
      dihydrotestosterone. CONCLUSIONS: Testosterone provides males with a strong
      protection against cutaneous necrosis and acts through both its estrogenic and
      androgenic derivatives, which have complementary effects on skin survival and
      revascularization.

PMID- 28360091
TI  - Transcriptional response to hepatitis C virus infection and interferon-alpha
      treatment in the human liver.
AB  - Hepatitis C virus (HCV) is widely used to investigate host-virus interactions.
      Cellular responses to HCV infection have been extensively studied in vitro
      However, in human liver, interferon (IFN)-stimulated gene expression can mask
      direct transcriptional responses to infection. To better characterize the direct
      effects of HCV infection in vivo, we analyze the transcriptomes of HCV-infected
      patients lacking an activated endogenous IFN system. We show that expression
      changes observed in these patients predominantly reflect immune cell infiltrates
      rather than cell-intrinsic pathways. We also investigate the transcriptomes of
      patients with endogenous IFN activation, which paradoxically cannot eradicate
      viral infection. We find that most IFN-stimulated genes are induced by both
      recombinant IFN therapy and the endogenous IFN system, but with lower induction
      levels in the latter, indicating that the innate immune response in chronic
      hepatitis C is too weak to clear the virus. We show that coding and non-coding
      transcripts have different expression dynamics following IFN treatment. Several
      microRNA primary transcripts, including that of miR-122, are significantly down
      regulated in response to IFN treatment, suggesting a new mechanism for IFN
      induced expression fine-tuning.

PMID- 28360094
TI  - Identification and Structure-Function Study of Positive Allosteric Modulators of
      Kainate Receptors.
AB  - Kainate receptors (KARs) consist of a class of ionotropic glutamate receptors,
      which exert diverse pre- and postsynaptic functions through complex signaling
      regulating the activity of neural circuits. Whereas numerous small-molecule
      positive allosteric modulators of the ligand-binding domain of (S)-2-amino-3-(3
      hydroxy-5-methylisoxazol-4-yl)propanoic acid (AMPA) receptors have been reported,
      no such ligands are available for KARs. In this study, we investigated the
      ability of three benzothiadiazine-based modulators to potentiate glutamate-evoked
      currents at recombinantly expressed KARs. 4-cyclopropyl-7-fluoro-3,4-dihydro-2H
      1,2,4-benzothiadiazine 1,1-dioxide (BPAM344) potentiated glutamate-evoked
      currents of GluK2a 21-fold at the highest concentration tested (200 MUM), with an
      EC50 of 79 MUM. BPAM344 markedly decreased desensitization kinetics (from 5.5 to
      775 ms), whereas it only had a minor effect on deactivation kinetics. 4
      cyclopropyl-7-hydroxy-3,4-dihydro-2H-1,2,4-benzothiadiazine 1,1-dioxide (BPAM521)
      potentiated the recorded peak current amplitude of GluK2a 12-fold at a
      concentration of 300 MUM with an EC50 value of 159 MUM, whereas no potentiation
      of the glutamate-evoked response was observed for 7-chloro-4-(2-fluoroethyl)-3,4
      dihydro-2H-1,2,4-benzothiadiazine 1,1-dioxide (BPAM121) at the highest
      concentration of modulator tested (300 MUM). BPAM344 (100 MUM) also potentiated
      the peak current amplitude of KAR subunits GluK3a (59-fold), GluK2a (15-fold),
      GluK1b (5-fold), as well as the AMPA receptor subunit GluA1i (5-fold). X-ray
      structures of the three modulators in the GluK1 ligand-binding domain were
      determined, locating two modulator-binding sites at the GluK1 dimer interface. In
      conclusion, this study may enable the design of new positive allosteric
      modulators selective for KARs, which will be of great interest for further
      investigation of the function of KARs in vivo and may prove useful for
      pharmacologically controlling the activity of neuronal networks.

PMID- 28360089
TI  - ATVB Distinguished Scientist Award: How Costimulatory and Coinhibitory Pathways
      Shape Atherosclerosis.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: Immune cells play a critical role in atherosclerosis. Costimulatory
      and coinhibitory molecules of the tumor necrosis factor receptor and CD28
      immunoglobulin superfamilies not only shape T-cell and B-cell responses but also
      have a major effect on antigen-presenting cells and nonimmune cells. APPROACH AND
      RESULTS: Pharmacological inhibition or activation of costimulatory and
      coinhibitory molecules and genetic deletion demonstrated their involvement in
      atherosclerosis. This review highlights recent advances in understanding how
      costimulatory and coinhibitory pathways shape the immune response in
      atherosclerosis. CONCLUSIONS: Insights gained from costimulatory and coinhibitory
      molecule function in atherosclerosis may inform future therapeutic approaches.

PMID- 28360096
TI  - The microbiome of professional athletes differs from that of more sedentary
      subjects in composition and particularly at the functional metabolic level.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: It is evident that the gut microbiota and factors that influence its
      composition and activity effect human metabolic, immunological and developmental
      processes. We previously reported that extreme physical activity with associated
      dietary adaptations, such as that pursued by professional athletes, is associated
      with changes in faecal microbial diversity and composition relative to that of
      individuals with a more sedentary lifestyle. Here we address the impact of these
      factors on the functionality/metabolic activity of the microbiota which reveals
      even greater separation between exercise and a more sedentary state. DESIGN:
      Metabolic phenotyping and functional metagenomic analysis of the gut microbiome
      of professional international rugby union players (n=40) and controls (n=46) was
      carried out and results were correlated with lifestyle parameters and clinical
      measurements (eg, dietary habit and serum creatine kinase, respectively).
      RESULTS: Athletes had relative increases in pathways (eg, amino acid and
      antibiotic biosynthesis and carbohydrate metabolism) and faecal metabolites (eg,
      microbial produced short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) acetate, propionate and
      butyrate) associated with enhanced muscle turnover (fitness) and overall health
      when compared with control groups. CONCLUSIONS: Differences in faecal microbiota
      between athletes and sedentary controls show even greater separation at the
      metagenomic and metabolomic than at compositional levels and provide added
      insight into the diet-exercise-gut microbiota paradigm.

PMID- 28360095
TI  - HNRNPLL, a newly identified colorectal cancer metastasis suppressor, modulates
      alternative splicing of CD44 during epithelial-mesenchymal transition.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: Despite the recent advances in treatment of colon cancer, the
      prognosis is unfavourable for patients with distant metastases. The aim of this
      study was to identify targets for prevention and/or therapy of colon cancer
      metastasis. DESIGN: CMT93 cells, a murine rectal cancer cell line with poor
      metastasising activity, were transduced with lentiviral shRNA library and
      transplanted into the rectum of syngeneic C57BL/6 mice. Genomic DNA was collected
      from metastatic lesions, and the integrated shRNA were retrieved by PCR for
      sequencing, followed by identification of the candidate genes targeted by the
      shRNA. RESULTS: The genome-wide shRNA library screen identified Hnrnpll
      (heterogeneous nuclear ribonucleoprotein L-like) encoding a pre-mRNA splicing
      factor as a candidate metastasis suppressor gene. Knockdown of Hnrnpll enhanced
      matrigel invasion activity of colon cancer cells in vitro, as well as their
      metastatic ability in vivo. An RNA-immunoprecipitation analysis showed Hnrnpll
      binding to Cd44 pre-mRNAs, and the level of Cd44 variable exon 6 (Cd44v6), a poor
      prognosis marker of colorectal cancer, was increased by knocking down Hnrnpll. A
      neutralising Cd44v6 antibody suppressed the matrigel invasion ability induced by
      Hnrnpll knockdown. HNRNPLL expression was downregulated when colon cancer cells
      were induced to undergo epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT).
      Immunohistochemistry of clinical samples indicated that colorectal cancer cells
      with low E-cadherin expression at the invasion front exhibited decreased HNRNPLL
      expression. CONCLUSIONS: HNRNPLL is a novel metastasis suppressor of colorectal
      cancer, and modulates alternative splicing of CD44 during EMT.

PMID- 28360097
TI  - CHK2 overexpression and mislocalisation within mitotic structures enhances
      chromosomal instability and hepatocellular carcinoma progression.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: Chromosomal instability (CIN) is the most common form of genomic
      instability, which promotes hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) progression by
      enhancing tumour heterogeneity, drug resistance and immunity escape. CIN per se
      is an important factor of DNA damage, sustaining structural chromosome
      abnormalities but the underlying mechanisms are unknown. DESIGN: DNA damage
      response protein checkpoint kinase 2 (Chk2) expression was evaluated in an animal
      model of diethylnitrosamine-induced HCC characterised by DNA damage and elevated
      mitotic errors. Chk2 was also determined in two discrete cohorts of human HCC
      specimens. To assess the functional role of Chk2, gain on and loss-of-function,
      mutagenesis, karyotyping and immunofluorescence/live imaging were performed by
      using HCT116, Huh7 and human hepatocytes immortalised with hTERT gene (HuS).
      RESULTS: We demonstrate that mitotic errors during HCC tumorigenesis cause
      lagging chromosomes/DNA damage and activation of Chk2.
      Overexpression/phosphorylation and mislocalisation within the mitotic spindle of
      Chk2 contributes to induce lagging chromosomes. Lagging chromosomes and mitotic
      activity are reversed by knockdown of Chk2. Furthermore, upregulated Chk2
      maintains mitotic activity interacting with Aurora B kinase for chromosome
      condensation and cytokinesis. The forkhead-associated domain of Chk2 is required
      for Chk2 mislocalisation to mitotic structures. In addition, retinoblastoma
      protein phosphorylation contributes to defective mitoses. A cohort and
      independent validation cohort show a strong cytoplasm to nuclear Chk2
      translocation in a subset of patients with HCC. CONCLUSIONS: The study reveals a
      new mechanistic insight in the coinvolvement of Chk2 in HCC progression. These
      findings propose Chk2 as a putative biomarker to detect CIN in HCC providing a
      valuable support for clinical/therapeutical management of patients.

PMID- 28360098
TI  - Fatal outcome due to CO2 emboli during direct cholangioscopy.

PMID- 28360099
TI  - Humanisation of a claudin-1-specific monoclonal antibody for clinical prevention
      and cure of HCV infection without escape.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: HCV infection is a leading cause of chronic liver disease and a major
      indication for liver transplantation. Although direct-acting antivirals (DAAs)
      have much improved the treatment of chronic HCV infection, alternative strategies
      are needed for patients with treatment failure. As an essential HCV entry factor,
      the tight junction protein claudin-1 (CLDN1) is a promising antiviral target.
      However, genotype-dependent escape via CLDN6 and CLDN9 has been described in some
      cell lines as a possible limitation facing CLDN1-targeted therapies. Here, we
      evaluated the clinical potential of therapeutic strategies targeting CLDN1.
      DESIGN: We generated a humanised anti-CLDN1 monoclonal antibody (mAb) (H3L3)
      suitable for clinical development and characterised its anti-HCV activity using
      cell culture models, a large panel of primary human hepatocytes (PHH) from 12
      different donors, and human liver chimeric mice. RESULTS: H3L3 pan-genotypically
      inhibited HCV pseudoparticle entry into PHH, irrespective of donor. Escape was
      likely precluded by low surface expression of CLDN6 and CLDN9 on PHH. Co
      treatment of a panel of PHH with a CLDN6-specific mAb did not enhance the
      antiviral effect of H3L3, confirming that CLDN6 does not function as an entry
      factor in PHH from multiple donors. H3L3 also inhibited DAA-resistant strains of
      HCV and synergised with current DAAs. Finally, H3L3 cured persistent HCV
      infection in human-liver chimeric uPA-SCID mice in monotherapy. CONCLUSIONS:
      Overall, these findings underscore the clinical potential of CLDN1-targeted
      therapies and describe the functional characterisation of a humanised anti-CLDN1
      antibody suitable for further clinical development to complement existing
      therapeutic strategies for HCV.

PMID- 28360100
TI  - trans-Fatty acids promote proinflammatory signaling and cell death by stimulating
      the apoptosis signal-regulating kinase 1 (ASK1)-p38 pathway.
AB  - Food-borne trans-fatty acids (TFAs) are mainly produced as byproducts during food
      manufacture. Recent epidemiological studies have revealed that TFA consumption is
      a major risk factor for various disorders, including atherosclerosis. However,
      the underlying mechanisms in this disease etiology are largely unknown. Here we
      have shown that TFAs potentiate activation of apoptosis signal-regulating kinase
      1 (ASK1) induced by extracellular ATP, a damage-associated molecular pattern
      leaked from injured cells. Major food-associated TFAs such as elaidic acid (EA),
      linoelaidic acid, and trans-vaccenic acid, but not their corresponding cis
      isomers, dramatically enhanced extracellular ATP-induced apoptosis, accompanied
      by elevated activation of the ASK1-p38 pathway in a macrophage-like cell line,
      RAW264.7. Moreover, knocking out the ASK1-encoding gene abolished EA-mediated
      enhancement of apoptosis. We have reported previously that extracellular ATP
      induces apoptosis through the ASK1-p38 pathway activated by reactive oxygen
      species generated downstream of the P2X purinoceptor 7 (P2X7). However, here we
      show that EA did not increase ATP-induced reactive oxygen species generation but,
      rather, augmented the effects of calcium/calmodulin-dependent kinase II-dependent
      ASK1 activation. These results demonstrate that TFAs promote extracellular ATP
      induced apoptosis by targeting ASK1 and indicate novel TFA-associated pathways
      leading to inflammatory signal transduction and cell death that underlie the
      pathogenesis and progression of TFA-induced atherosclerosis. Our study thus
      provides insight into the pathogenic mechanisms of and proposes potential
      therapeutic targets for these TFA-related disorders.

PMID- 28360101
TI  - Phospholipase C-related but catalytically inactive proteins regulate ovarian
      follicle development.
AB  - Phospholipase C-related but catalytically inactive proteins PRIP-1 and -2 are
      inositol-1,4,5-trisphosphate binding proteins that are encoded by independent
      genes. Ablation of the Prip genes in mice impairs female fertility, which is
      manifested by fewer pregnancies, a decreased number of pups, and the decreased
      and increased secretion of gonadal steroids and gonadotropins, respectively. We
      investigated the involvement of the PRIPs in fertility, focusing on the ovaries
      of Prip-1 and -2 double-knock-out (DKO) mice. Multiple cystic follicles were
      observed in DKO ovaries, and a superovulation assay showed a markedly decreased
      number of ovulated oocytes. Cumulus-oocyte complexes showed normal expansion, and
      artificial gonadotropin stimulation regulated the ovulation-related genes in a
      normal fashion, suggesting that the ovulation itself was probably normal. A
      histological analysis showed atresia in fewer follicles of the DKO ovaries,
      particularly in the secondary follicle stages. The expression of luteinizing
      hormone receptor (LHR) was aberrantly higher in developing follicles, and the
      phosphorylation of extracellular signal-regulated protein kinase, a downstream
      target of LH-LHR signaling, was higher in DKO granulosa cells. This suggests that
      the up-regulation of LH-LHR signaling is the cause of impaired follicle
      development. The serum estradiol level was lower, but estradiol production was
      unchanged in the DKO ovaries. These results suggest that PRIPs are positively
      involved in the development of follicles via their regulation of LH-LHR signaling
      and estradiol secretion. Female DKO mice had higher serum levels of insulin,
      testosterone, and uncarboxylated osteocalcin, which, together with reduced
      fertility, are reminiscent of polycystic ovary syndrome in humans.

PMID- 28360102
TI  - The activity of cGMP-dependent protein kinase Ialpha is not directly regulated by
      oxidation-induced disulfide formation at cysteine 43.
AB  - The type I cGMP-dependent protein kinases (PKGs) are key regulators of smooth
      muscle tone, cardiac hypertrophy, and other physiological processes. The two
      isoforms PKGIalpha and PKGIbeta are thought to have unique functions because of
      their tissue-specific expression, different cGMP affinities, and isoform-specific
      protein-protein interactions. Recently, a non-canonical pathway of PKGIalpha
      activation has been proposed, in which PKGIalpha is activated in a cGMP
      independent fashion via oxidation of Cys43, resulting in disulfide formation
      within the PKGIalpha N-terminal dimerization domain. A "redox-dead" knock-in
      mouse containing a C43S mutation exhibits phenotypes consistent with decreased
      PKGIalpha signaling, but the detailed mechanism of oxidation-induced PKGIalpha
      activation is unknown. Therefore, we examined oxidation-induced activation of
      PKGIalpha, and in contrast to previous findings, we observed that disulfide
      formation at Cys43 does not directly activate PKGIalpha in vitro or in intact
      cells. In transfected cells, phosphorylation of Ras homolog gene family member A
      (RhoA) and vasodilator-stimulated phosphoprotein was increased in response to 8
      CPT-cGMP treatment, but not when disulfide formation in PKGIalpha was induced by
      H2O2 Using purified enzymes, we found that the Cys43 oxidation had no effect on
      basal kinase activity or Km and Vmax values; however, PKGIalpha containing the
      C43S mutation was less responsive to cGMP-induced activation. This reduction in
      cGMP affinity may in part explain the PKGIalpha loss-of-function phenotype of the
      C43S knock-in mouse. In conclusion, disulfide formation at Cys43 does not
      directly activate PKGIalpha, and the C43S-mutant PKGIalpha has a higher Ka for
      cGMP. Our results highlight that mutant enzymes should be carefully biochemically
      characterized before making in vivo inferences.

PMID- 28360103
TI  - Mutations in valosin-containing protein (VCP) decrease ADP/ATP translocation
      across the mitochondrial membrane and impair energy metabolism in human neurons.
AB  - Mutations in the gene encoding valosin-containing protein (VCP) lead to
      multisystem proteinopathies including frontotemporal dementia. We have previously
      shown that patient-derived VCP mutant fibroblasts exhibit lower mitochondrial
      membrane potential, uncoupled respiration, and reduced ATP levels. This study
      addresses the underlying basis for mitochondrial uncoupling using VCP knockdown
      neuroblastoma cell lines, induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs), and iPSC
      derived cortical neurons from patients with pathogenic mutations in VCP Using
      fluorescent live cell imaging and respiration analysis we demonstrate a VCP
      mutation/knockdown-induced dysregulation in the adenine nucleotide translocase,
      which results in a slower rate of ADP or ATP translocation across the
      mitochondrial membranes. This deregulation can explain the mitochondrial
      uncoupling and lower ATP levels in VCP mutation-bearing neurons via reduced ADP
      availability for ATP synthesis. This study provides evidence for a role of
      adenine nucleotide translocase in the mechanism underlying altered mitochondrial
      function in VCP-related degeneration, and this new insight may inform efforts to
      better understand and manage neurodegenerative disease and other proteinopathies.

PMID- 28360105
TI  - Demethylation of induced pluripotent stem cells from type 1 diabetic patients
      enhances differentiation into functional pancreatic beta cells.
AB  - Type 1 diabetes (T1D) can be managed by transplanting either the whole pancreas
      or isolated pancreatic islets. However, cadaveric pancreas is scarcely available
      for clinical use, limiting this approach. As such, there is a great need to
      identify alternative sources of clinically usable pancreatic tissues. Here, we
      used induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cells derived from patients with T1D to
      generate glucose-responsive, insulin-producing cells (IPCs) via 3D culture.
      Initially, T1D iPS cells were resistant to differentiation, but transient
      demethylation treatment significantly enhanced IPC yield. The cells responded to
      high-glucose stimulation by secreting insulin in vitro The shape, size, and
      number of their granules, as observed by transmission electron microscopy, were
      identical to those found in cadaveric beta cells. When the IPCs were transplanted
      into immunodeficient mice that had developed streptozotocin-induced diabetes,
      they promoted a dramatic decrease in hyperglycemia, causing the mice to become
      normoglycemic within 28 days. None of the mice died or developed teratomas.
      Because the cells are derived from "self," immunosuppression is not required,
      providing a much safer and reliable treatment option for T1D patients. Moreover,
      these cells can be used for drug screening, thereby accelerating drug discovery.
      In conclusion, our approach eliminates the need for cadaveric pancreatic tissue.

PMID- 28360104
TI  - The lysosomal Ca2+ release channel TRPML1 regulates lysosome size by activating
      calmodulin.
AB  - Intracellular lysosomal membrane trafficking, including fusion and fission, is
      crucial for cellular homeostasis and normal cell function. Both fusion and
      fission of lysosomal membrane are accompanied by lysosomal Ca2+ release. We
      recently have demonstrated that the lysosomal Ca2+ release channel P2X4 regulates
      lysosome fusion through a calmodulin (CaM)-dependent mechanism. However, the
      molecular mechanism underlying lysosome fission remains uncertain. In this study,
      we report that enlarged lysosomes/vacuoles induced by either vacuolin-1 or P2X4
      activation are suppressed by up-regulating the lysosomal Ca2+ release channel
      transient receptor potential mucolipin 1 (TRPML1) but not the lysosomal Na+
      release channel two-pore channel 2 (TPC2). Activation of TRPML1 facilitated the
      recovery of enlarged lysosomes/vacuoles. Moreover, the effects of TRPML1 on
      lysosome/vacuole size regulation were eliminated by Ca2+ chelation, suggesting a
      requirement for TRPML1-mediated Ca2+ release. We further demonstrate that the
      prototypical Ca2+ sensor CaM is required for the regulation of lysosome/vacuole
      size by TRPML1, suggesting that TRPML1 may promote lysosome fission by activating
      CaM. Given that lysosome fission is implicated in both lysosome biogenesis and
      reformation, our findings suggest that TRPML1 may function as a key lysosomal
      Ca2+ channel controlling both lysosome biogenesis and reformation.

PMID- 28360106
TI  - Ca2+ and calpain mediate capsaicin-induced ablation of axonal terminals
      expressing transient receptor potential vanilloid 1.
AB  - Capsaicin is an ingredient in spicy peppers that produces burning pain by
      activating transient receptor potential vanilloid 1 (TRPV1), a Ca2+-permeable ion
      channel in nociceptors. Capsaicin has also been used as an analgesic, and its
      topical administration is approved for the treatment of certain pain conditions.
      The mechanisms underlying capsaicin-induced analgesia likely involve reversible
      ablation of nociceptor terminals. However, the mechanisms underlying these
      effects are not well understood. To visualize TRPV1-lineage axons, a genetically
      engineered mouse model was used in which a fluorophore is expressed under the
      TRPV1 promoter. Using a combination of these TRPV1-lineage reporter mice and
      primary afferent cultures, we monitored capsaicin-induced effects on afferent
      terminals in real time. We found that Ca2+ influx through TRPV1 is necessary for
      capsaicin-induced ablation of nociceptive terminals. Although capsaicin-induced
      mitochondrial Ca2+ uptake was TRPV1-dependent, dissipation of the mitochondrial
      membrane potential, inhibition of the mitochondrial transition permeability pore,
      and scavengers of reactive oxygen species did not attenuate capsaicin-induced
      ablation. In contrast, MDL28170, an inhibitor of the Ca2+-dependent protease
      calpain, diminished ablation. Furthermore, overexpression of calpastatin, an
      endogenous inhibitor of calpain, or knockdown of calpain 2 also decreased
      ablation. Quantitative assessment of TRPV1-lineage afferents in the epidermis of
      the hind paws of the reporter mice showed that EGTA and MDL28170 diminished
      capsaicin-induced ablation. Moreover, MDL28170 prevented capsaicin-induced
      thermal hypoalgesia. These results suggest that TRPV1/Ca2+/calpain-dependent
      signaling plays a dominant role in capsaicin-induced ablation of nociceptive
      terminals and further our understanding of the molecular mechanisms underlying
      the effects of capsaicin on nociceptors.

PMID- 28360107
TI  - Electrostatic attraction of weak monoacid anions increases probability for
      protonation and passage through aquaporins.
AB  - A positive electrostatic field emanating from the center of the aquaporin (AQP)
      water and solute channel is responsible for the repulsion of cations. At the same
      time, however, a positive field will attract anions. In this regard, l
      lactate/lactic acid permeability has been shown for various isoforms of the
      otherwise highly water and neutral substrate selective AQP family. The structural
      requirements rendering certain AQPs permeable for weak monoacids and the
      mechanism of conduction have remained unclear. Here, we show by profiling pH
      dependent substrate permeability, measurements of media alkalization, and proton
      decoupling that AQP9 acts as a channel for the protonated, neutral monocarboxylic
      acid species. Intriguingly, the obtained permeability rates indicate an up to 10
      times higher probability of passage via AQP9 than given by the fraction of the
      protonated acid substrate at a certain pH. We generated AQP9 point mutants
      showing that this effect is independent from properties of the channel interior
      but caused by the protein surface electrostatics. Monocarboxylic acid-conducting
      AQPs thus employ a mechanism similar to the family of formate-nitrite
      transporters for weak monoacids. On a more general basis, our data illustrate
      semiquantitatively the contribution of surface electrostatics to the interaction
      of charged molecule substrates or ligands with target proteins, such as channels,
      transporters, enzymes, or receptors.

PMID- 28360111
TI  - The effects of electronic cigarette aerosol exposure on inflammation and lung
      function in mice.
AB  - Electronic cigarette usage is increasing worldwide, yet there is a paucity of
      information on the respiratory health effects of electronic cigarette aerosol
      exposure. This study aimed to assess whether exposure to electronic cigarette (e
      cigarette) aerosol would alter lung function and pulmonary inflammation in mice
      and to compare the severity of any alterations with mice exposed to mainstream
      tobacco smoke. Female BALB/c mice were exposed for 8 wk to tobacco smoke, medical
      air (control), or one of four different types of e-cigarette aerosol. E-cigarette
      aerosols varied depending on nicotine content (0 or 12 mg/ml) and the main
      excipient (propylene glycol or glycerin). Twenty-four hours after the final
      exposure, we measured pulmonary inflammation, lung volume, lung mechanics, and
      responsiveness to methacholine. Mice exposed to tobacco cigarette smoke had
      increased pulmonary inflammation and responsiveness to methacholine compared with
      air controls. Mice exposed to e-cigarette aerosol did not have increased
      inflammation but did display decrements in parenchymal lung function at both
      functional residual capacity and high transrespiratory pressures. Mice exposed to
      glycerin-based e-cigarette aerosols were also hyperresponsive to methacholine
      regardless of the presence or absence of nicotine. This study shows, for the
      first time, that exposure to e-cigarette aerosol during adolescence and early
      adulthood is not harmless to the lungs and can result in significant impairments
      in lung function.

PMID- 28360112
TI  - Apoptotic cell death in rat lung following mustard gas inhalation.
AB  - To investigate apoptosis as a mechanism of sulfur mustard (SM) inhalation injury
      in animals, we studied different caspases (caspase-8, -9, -3, and -6) in the
      lungs from a ventilated rat SM aerosol inhalation model. SM activated all four
      caspases in cells obtained from bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) as early as 6
      h after exposure. Caspase-8, which is known to initiate the extrinsic Fas
      mediated pathway of apoptosis, was increased fivefold between 6 and 24 h,
      decreasing to the unexposed-control level at 48 h. The initiator, caspase-9, in
      the intrinsic mitochondrial pathway of apoptosis as well as the executioner
      caspases, caspase-3 and -6, all peaked (P < 0.01) at 24 h; caspase-3 and -6
      remained elevated, but caspase-9 decreased to unexposed-control level at 48 h. To
      study further the Fas pathway, we examined soluble as well as membrane-bound Fas
      ligand (sFas-L and mFas-L, respectively) and Fas receptor (Fas-R) in both BALF
      cells and BALF. At 24 h after SM exposure, sFas-L increased significantly in both
      BALF cells (P < 0.01) and BALF (P < 0.05). However, mFas-L increased only in BALF
      cells between 24 and 48 h (P < 0.1 and P < 0.001, respectively). Fas-R increased
      only in BALF cells by 6 h (P < 0.01) after SM exposure. Apoptosis in SM-inhaled
      rat lung specimens was also confirmed by both immunohistochemical staining using
      cleaved caspase-3 and -9 antibodies and terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase
      dUTP nick end labeling (TUNEL) staining as early as 6 h in the proximal trachea
      and bronchi, but not before 48 h in distal airways. These findings suggest
      pathogenic mechanisms at the cellular and molecular levels and logical
      therapeutic target(s) for SM inhalation injury in animals.

PMID- 28360109
TI  - Focal adhesion kinase signaling determines the fate of lung epithelial cells in
      response to TGF-beta.
AB  - Alveolar epithelial cell (AEC) injury and apoptosis are prominent pathological
      features of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF). There is evidence of AEC
      plasticity in lung injury repair response and in IPF. In this report, we explore
      the role of focal adhesion kinase (FAK) signaling in determining the fate of lung
      epithelial cells in response to transforming growth factor-beta1 (TGF-beta1). Rat
      type II alveolar epithelial cells (RLE-6TN) were treated with or without TGF
      beta1, and the expressions of mesenchymal markers, phenotype, and function were
      analyzed. Pharmacological protein kinase inhibitors were utilized to screen for
      SMAD-dependent and -independent pathways. SMAD and FAK signaling was analyzed
      using siRNA knockdown, inhibitors, and expression of a mutant construct of FAK.
      Apoptosis was measured using cleaved caspase-3 and terminal deoxynucleotidyl
      transferase dUTP nick end labeling (TUNEL) staining. TGF-beta1 induced the
      acquisition of mesenchymal markers, including alpha-smooth muscle actin, in RLE
      6TN cells and enhanced the contraction of three-dimensional collagen gels. This
      phenotypical transition or plasticity, epithelial-myofibroblast plasticity (EMP),
      is dependent on SMAD3 and FAK signaling. FAK activation was found to be dependent
      on ALK5/SMAD3 signaling. We observed that TGF-beta1 induces both EMP and
      apoptosis in the same cell culture system but not in the same cell. While
      blockade of SMAD signaling inhibited EMP, it had a minimal effect on apoptosis;
      in contrast, inhibition of FAK signaling markedly shifted to an apoptotic fate.
      The data support that FAK activation determines whether AECs undergo EMP vs.
      apoptosis in response to TGF-beta1 stimulation. TGF-beta1-induced EMP is FAK-
      dependent, whereas TGF-beta1-induced apoptosis is favored when FAK signaling is
      inhibited.

PMID- 28360113
TI  - Directional preference of airway smooth muscle mass increase in human asthmatic
      airways.
AB  - Airway smooth muscle (ASM) orientation and morphology determine the ability of
      the muscle to constrict the airway. In asthma, ASM mass is increased, but it is
      unknown whether ASM orientation and morphology are altered as well or whether the
      remodeling at the source of the mass increase is ongoing. We dissected human
      airway trees from asthmatic and control lungs. Stained, intact airway sections
      were imaged in axial projection to show ASM bundle orientation, whereas cross
      sectional histological slides were used to assess ASM area, bundle thickness, and
      ASM bundle-to-basement membrane distance. We also used these slides to assess
      cell size, proliferation, and apoptosis. We showed that ASM mass increase in
      cartilaginous airways is primarily the result of an increase of ASM bundle
      thickness (as measured radially in an airway cross section) and coincides with an
      increased distance of the ASM bundles to the airway perimeter. ASM orientation
      was unchanged in all airways. Apoptosis markers and cell size did not show
      differences between asthmatics and controls. Our findings show that ASM mass
      increase likely contributes to the airway-constricting capacity of the muscle.
      Both the increased bundle thickness and increased thickness of the airway wall
      inwards of the ASM bundles could further enhance this capacity. Turnover of ASM
      appears to be the same in airways and biopsies, but the lack of correlation
      between different markers of proliferation casts doubt on the specificity of
      markers generally used to assess proliferation.

PMID- 28360110
TI  - The CFTR trafficking mutation F508del inhibits the constitutive activity of
      SLC26A9.
AB  - Several members of the SLC26A family of anion transporters associate with CFTR,
      forming complexes in which CFTR and SLC26A functions are reciprocally regulated.
      These associations are thought to be facilitated by PDZ scaffolding interactions.
      CFTR has been shown to be positively regulated by NHERF-1, and negatively
      regulated by CAL in airway epithelia. However, it is unclear which PDZ-domain
      protein(s) interact with SLC26A9, a SLC26A family member found in airway
      epithelia. We have previously shown that primary, human bronchial epithelia (HBE)
      from non-CF donors exhibit constitutive anion secretion attributable to SLC26A9.
      However, constitutive anion secretion is absent in HBE from CF donors. We
      examined whether changes in SLC26A9 constitutive activity could be attributed to
      a loss of CFTR trafficking, and what role PDZ interactions played. HEK293
      coexpressing SLC26A9 with the trafficking mutant F508del CFTR exhibited a
      significant reduction in constitutive current compared with cells coexpressing
      SLC26A9 and wt CFTR. We found that SLC26A9 exhibits complex glycosylation when
      coexpressed with F508del CFTR, but its expression at the plasma membrane is
      decreased. SLC26A9 interacted with both NHERF-1 and CAL, and its interaction with
      both significantly increased with coexpression of wt CFTR. However, coexpression
      with F508del CFTR only increased SLC26A9's interaction with CAL. Mutation of
      SLC26A9's PDZ motif decreased this association with CAL, and restored its
      constitutive activity. Correcting aberrant F508del CFTR trafficking in CF HBE
      with corrector VX-809 also restored SLC26A9 activity. We conclude that when
      SLC26A9 is coexpressed with F508del CFTR, its trafficking defect leads to a PDZ
      motif-sensitive intracellular retention of SLC26A9.

PMID- 28360115
TI  - CD163 Expression in Neurons After Experimental Intracerebral Hemorrhage.
AB  - BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: CD163, a receptor for hemoglobin, is involved in
      hemoglobin clearance after intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH). In contrast to
      microglial/macrophage CD163, neuronal CD163 hemoglobin has not been well studied.
      This study examined the expression of neuronal CD163 in a pig model of ICH and in
      vitro rat cortical neurons and the impact of deferoxamine on that expression.
      METHODS: There were 2 parts to this study. In the in vivo part, piglets had
      injection of autologous blood into the right frontal lobe. The time course of
      CD163 expression and the effect of deferoxamine on the expression of CD163 after
      ICH were determined in the grey matter. In the in vitro part, the levels of CD163
      and neuronal death and the effect of deferoxamine were examined in rat cortical
      neurons culture treated with hemoglobin. RESULTS: CD163-positive cells were
      found, and the CD163 protein levels were upregulated in the ipsilateral grey
      matter after ICH. The CD163 levels peaked at days 1 and 3. The CD163-positive
      cells were colocated with NeuN-positive, heme oxygenase-2-positive, and terminal
      deoxynucleatidyl transferase dUTP nick end labeling-positive cells. Deferoxamine
      treatment attenuated ICH-induced CD163 upregulation and significantly reduced
      both brain CD163 and hemoglobin levels at day 3. Treating neuronal cultures with
      hemoglobin for 24 hours resulted in CD163 upregulation and increased cell death.
      Deferoxamine significantly attenuated the hemoglobin-induced neuronal death and
      CD163 upregulation. CONCLUSIONS: CD163 is expressed in neurons and upregulated
      after ICH. Deferoxamine reduced ICH-induced CD163 upregulation and brain cell
      death in vivo and hemoglobin-induced CD163 upregulation and neuronal death in
      vitro.

PMID- 28360114
TI  - RORalpha-dependent type 2 innate lymphoid cells are required and sufficient for
      mucous metaplasia in immature mice.
AB  - Early-life wheezing-associated respiratory tract infection by rhinovirus (RV) is
      considered a risk factor for asthma development. We have shown that RV infection
      of 6-day-old BALB/c mice, but not mature mice, induces an asthmalike phenotype
      that is associated with an increase in the population of type 2 innate lymphoid
      cells (ILC2s) and dependent on IL-13 and IL-25. We hypothesize that ILC2s are
      required and sufficient for development of the asthmalike phenotype in immature
      mice. Mice were infected with RV1B on day 6 of life and treated with vehicle or a
      chemical inhibitor of retinoic acid receptor-related orphan receptor-alpha
      (RORalpha), SR3335 (15 mg.kg-1.day-1 ip for 7 days). We also infected Rorasg/sg
      mice without functional ILC2s. ILC2s were identified as negative for lineage
      markers and positive for cluster of differentiation 25 (CD25)/IL-2Ralpha and
      CD127/IL-7Ralpha. Effects of SR3335 on proliferation and function of cultured
      ILC2s were determined. Finally, sorted ILC2s were transferred into naive mice,
      and lungs were harvested 14 days later for assessment of gene expression and
      histology. SR3335 decreased the number of RV-induced lung lineage-negative,
      CD25+, CD127+ ILC2s in immature mice. SR3335 also attenuated lung mRNA expression
      of IL-13, Muc5ac, and Gob5 as well as mucous metaplasia. We also found reduced
      expansion of ILC2s in RV-infected Rorasg/sg mice. SR3335 also blocked IL-25 and
      IL-33-induced ILC2 proliferation and IL-13 production ex vivo. Finally, adoptive
      transfer of ILC2s led to development of asthmalike phenotype in immature and
      adult mice. RORalpha-dependent ILC2s are required and sufficient for type 2
      cytokine expression and mucous metaplasia in immature mice.

PMID- 28360117
TI  - Are babies conceived during Ramadan born smaller and sooner than babies conceived
      at other times of the year? A Born in Bradford Cohort Study.
AB  - BACKGROUND: It is not known whether infants exposed to intermittent maternal
      fasting at conception are born smaller or have a higher risk of premature birth
      than those who are not. Doctors are therefore unsure about what advice to give
      women about the safety of Ramadan fasting. This cohort study aimed to investigate
      these questions in Muslim mother-infant pairs to inform prenatal care. METHODS:
      Routinely collected data accessed from maternity records were the source for
      information. Mothers were considered exposed if they were Muslim and Ramadan
      overlapped with their infant conception date, estimated to be 14 days after the
      last menstrual period. Infants were included as exposed if their estimated
      conception date was in the first 21 days of Ramadan or 7 days prior to Ramadan.
      RESULTS: After adjusting for gestational age, maternal age, infant gender,
      maternal body mass index at booking, smoking status, gestational diabetes, parity
      and year of birth, there was no significant difference in birth weight between
      infants born to Muslim mothers who were conceived during Ramadan (n=479) and
      those who were not (n=4677) (adjusted mean difference =24.3 g, 95% CI -16.4 to
      64.9). There was no difference in rates of premature births in exposed and
      unexposed women (5.2% vs 4.9%; OR=1.08, 95% CI 0.71 to 1.65). CONCLUSIONS:
      Healthy Muslim women considering becoming pregnant prior to, or during Ramadan,
      can be advised that fasting does not seem to have a detrimental effect on the
      size (weight) of their baby and it appears not to increase the likelihood of
      giving birth prematurely.

PMID- 28360116
TI  - Homocysteine and Stroke Risk: Modifying Effect of Methylenetetrahydrofolate
      Reductase C677T Polymorphism and Folic Acid Intervention.
AB  - BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Elevated blood homocysteine concentration increases the
      risk of stroke, especially among hypertensive individuals. Homocysteine is
      largely affected by the methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase C677T polymorphism
      and folate status. Among hypertensive patients, we aimed to test the hypothesis
      that the association between homocysteine and stroke can be modified by the
      methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase C677T polymorphism and folic acid
      intervention. METHODS: We analyzed the data of 20 424 hypertensive adults
      enrolled in the China Stroke Primary Prevention Trial. The participants, first
      stratified by methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase genotype, were randomly
      assigned to receive double-blind treatments of 10-mg enalapril and 0.8-mg folic
      acid or 10-mg enalapril only. The participants were followed up for a median of
      4.5 years. RESULTS: In the control group, baseline log-transformed homocysteine
      was associated with an increased risk of first stroke among participants with the
      CC/CT genotype (hazard ratio, 3.1; 1.1-9.2), but not among participants with the
      TT genotype (hazard ratio, 0.7; 0.2-2.1), indicating a significant gene
      homocysteine interaction (P=0.008). In the folic acid intervention group,
      homocysteine showed no significant effect on stroke regardless of genotype.
      Consistently, folic acid intervention significantly reduced stroke risk in
      participants with CC/CT genotypes and high homocysteine levels (tertile 3; hazard
      ratio, 0.73; 0.55-0.97). CONCLUSIONS: In Chinese hypertensive patients, the
      effect of homocysteine on the first stroke was significantly modified by the
      methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase C677T genotype and folic acid
      supplementation. Such information may help to more precisely predict stroke risk
      and develop folic acid interventions tailored to individual genetic background
      and nutritional status. CLINICAL TRIAL REGISTRATION: URL:
      http://www.clinicaltrials.gov. Unique identifier: NCT00794885.

PMID- 28360118
TI  - Raising the pressure: Hemodynamic effects of splanchnic nerve stimulation.
AB  - A number of cardiovascular and neurological diseases are characterized by a
      dysregulation of intravascular volume distribution. The veins and arteries of the
      visceral organs form the so-called splanchnic vascular compartment and are the
      largest reservoir for intravascular blood. The blood localized in the splanchnic
      compartment can be mobilized in and out of the compartment via passive
      compression or active neurohormonal recruitment. We studied the hemodynamic
      effects of splanchnic nerve stimulation during five cases of irreversible
      electroporation (IRE) in patients with pancreatic cancer. In IRE, repeated bursts
      of high-voltage electrical fields are applied to visceral beds for >1 min, which
      induces rapid increase in blood pressure, heart rate, and cardiac output. We
      present the first analysis into the hemodynamic changes with splanchnic nerve
      stimulation and explore potential mechanisms of the hyperdynamic state. Our
      analysis presents the first human report of splanchnic nerve stimulation to
      induce hypertension and volume redistribution, introducing the splanchnic nerves
      as a key component of cardiovascular regulation.NEW & NOTEWORTHY Our case series
      provides the first detailed description of human hemodynamic effects with
      splanchnic nerve stimulation. Splanchnic nerve stimulation results in profound
      hemodynamic alteration with rapid onset of hypertension and blood mobilization.

PMID- 28360119
TI  - Optical clearing: impact of optical and dielectric properties of clearing
      solutions on pulmonary tissue mechanics.
AB  - Optical clearing allows tissue visualization under preservation of organ
      integrity. Optical clearing of organs with a physiological change in three
      dimensional geometry (such as the lung) would additionally allow visualization of
      macroscopic and microscopic tissue geometry. A prerequisite, however, is the
      preservation of the native tissue mechanics of the optically cleared lung tissue.
      We investigated the impact of optical and dielectric properties of clearing
      solutions on biomechanics and clearing potency in porcine tissue strips of
      healthy lungs. After fixation, bleaching, and rehydration, four methods of
      optical clearing were investigated using eight different protocols. The
      mechanical and optical properties of the cleared lung tissue strips were
      investigated by uniaxial tensile testing and by analyzing optical transparency
      and translucency for red, green, and blue light before, during, and after the
      biochemical optical clearing process. Fresh tissue strips were used as controls.
      Best balance between efficient clearing and preserved mechanics was found for
      clearing with a 1:1 mixture of dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) and aniline. Our
      findings show that 1) the degree of tissue transparency and translucency
      correlated with the refractive index of the clearing solution index (r = 0.976, P
      = 0.0004; and r = 0.91, P = 0.0046, respectively), 2) tissue mechanics were
      affected by dehydration and the type of clearing solution, and 3) tissue
      biomechanics and geometry correlated with the dielectric constant of the clearing
      solution (r = -0.98, P < 0.00001; and r = 0.69, P = 0.013, respectively). We show
      that the lower the dielectric constant of the clearing solutions, the larger the
      effect on tissue stiffness. This suggests that the dielectric constant is an
      important measure in determining the effect of a clearing solution on lung tissue
      biomechanics. Optimal tissue transparency requires complete tissue dehydration
      and a refractive index of 1.55 of the clearing solution.NEW & NOTEWORTHY
      Investigating optical clearing in porcine lung tissue strips, we found that
      refractive index and dielectric constant of the clearing solution affected tissue
      clearing and biomechanics. By documenting the impact of the composition of the
      clearing solution on clearing potency and preservation of tissue mechanics, our
      results help to compose optimal clearing solutions. In addition, the results
      allow conclusions on the molecular interaction of solvents with collagen fibers
      in tissue, thereby consolidating existing theories about the functionality of
      collagen.

PMID- 28360121
TI  - Prosthetic model, but not stiffness or height, affects the metabolic cost of
      running for athletes with unilateral transtibial amputations.
AB  - Running-specific prostheses enable athletes with lower limb amputations to run by
      emulating the spring-like function of biological legs. Current prosthetic
      stiffness and height recommendations aim to mitigate kinematic asymmetries for
      athletes with unilateral transtibial amputations. However, it is unclear how
      different prosthetic configurations influence the biomechanics and metabolic cost
      of running. Consequently, we investigated how prosthetic model, stiffness, and
      height affect the biomechanics and metabolic cost of running. Ten athletes with
      unilateral transtibial amputations each performed 15 running trials at 2.5 or 3.0
      m/s while we measured ground reaction forces and metabolic rates. Athletes ran
      using three different prosthetic models with five different stiffness category
      and height combinations per model. Use of an Ottobock 1E90 Sprinter prosthesis
      reduced metabolic cost by 4.3 and 3.4% compared with use of Freedom Innovations
      Catapult [fixed effect (beta) = -0.177; P < 0.001] and Ossur Flex-Run (beta = 
      0.139; P = 0.002) prostheses, respectively. Neither prosthetic stiffness (P >=
      0.180) nor height (P = 0.062) affected the metabolic cost of running. The
      metabolic cost of running was related to lower peak (beta = 0.649; P = 0.001) and
      stance average (beta = 0.772; P = 0.018) vertical ground reaction forces,
      prolonged ground contact times (beta = -4.349; P = 0.012), and decreased leg
      stiffness (beta = 0.071; P < 0.001) averaged from both legs. Metabolic cost was
      reduced with more symmetric peak vertical ground reaction forces (beta = 0.007; P
      = 0.003) but was unrelated to stride kinematic symmetry (P >= 0.636). Therefore,
      prosthetic recommendations based on symmetric stride kinematics do not
      necessarily minimize the metabolic cost of running. Instead, an optimal
      prosthetic model, which improves overall biomechanics, minimizes the metabolic
      cost of running for athletes with unilateral transtibial amputations.NEW &
      NOTEWORTHY The metabolic cost of running for athletes with unilateral transtibial
      amputations depends on prosthetic model and is associated with lower peak and
      stance average vertical ground reaction forces, longer contact times, and reduced
      leg stiffness. Metabolic cost is unrelated to prosthetic stiffness, height, and
      stride kinematic symmetry. Unlike nonamputees who decrease leg stiffness with
      increased in-series surface stiffness, biological limb stiffness for athletes
      with unilateral transtibial amputations is positively correlated with increased
      in-series (prosthetic) stiffness.

PMID- 28360120
TI  - Voluntary upregulation of reflex cough is possible in healthy older adults and
      Parkinson's disease.
AB  - Cough is an airway-protective mechanism that serves to detect and forcefully
      eject aspirate material. Existing research has identified the ability of healthy
      young adults to suppress or modify cough motor output based on external cueing.
      However, no study has evaluated the ability of people with Parkinson's disease
      (PD) and healthy older adults (HOAs) to upregulate cough motor output. The goal
      of this study was to evaluate the ability of people with PD and healthy age
      matched controls (HOAs) to upregulate reflex and voluntary cough function
      volitionally with verbal instruction and visual biofeedback of airflow targets.
      Sixteen participants with PD and twenty-eight HOAs (56-83 yr old) were recruited
      for this study. Experimental procedures used spirometry to evaluate 1) baseline
      reflex cough (evoked with capsaicin) and voluntary sequential cough and 2) reflex
      and voluntary cough with upregulation biofeedback. Cough airflow was recorded and
      repeated-measures ANOVA was used to analyze differences in cough airflow
      parameters. Cough peak expiratory airflow rate and cough expired volume were
      significantly greater in the cueing condition for both induced reflex (P < 0.001)
      and voluntary cough (P < 0.001) compared with baseline measures. This is the
      first study to demonstrate the ability of people with PD and HOAs to upregulate
      induced reflex and voluntary cough motor output volitionally. These results
      support the development of studies targeting improved cough effectiveness in
      patients with airway-protective deficits.NEW & NOTEWORTHY Aspiration pneumonia is
      a leading cause of death in Parkinson's disease (PD) and results from concurrent
      dysphagia and dystussia (cough dysfunction). This is the first study to
      demonstrate that people with PD and healthy age-matched controls can volitionally
      upregulate induced reflex and voluntary cough effectiveness when presented with
      novel cueing strategies. Thus targeting upregulation of cough effectiveness via
      biofeedback may be a viable way to enhance airway protection in people with PD.

PMID- 28360122
TI  - Increased cerebral blood volume pulsatility during head-down tilt with elevated
      carbon dioxide: the SPACECOT Study.
AB  - Astronauts aboard the International Space Station (ISS) have exhibited hyperopic
      shifts, posterior eye globe flattening, dilated optic nerve sheaths, and even
      optic disk swelling from spaceflight. Elevated intracranial pressure (ICP)
      consequent to cephalad fluid shifts is commonly hypothesized as contributing to
      these ocular changes. Head-down tilt (HDT) is frequently utilized as an Earth
      based analog to study similar fluid shifts. Sealed environments like the ISS also
      exhibit elevated CO2, a potent arteriolar vasodilator that could further affect
      cerebral blood volume (CBV) and cerebral blood flow, intracranial compliance, and
      ICP. A collaborative pilot study between the National Space Biomedical Research
      Institute and the German Aerospace Center tested the hypotheses that 1) HDT and
      elevated CO2 physiologically interact and 2) cerebrovascular pulsatility is
      related to HDT and/or elevated CO2 In a double-blind crossover study (n = 6), we
      measured CBV pulsatility via near-infrared spectroscopy, alongside noninvasive
      ICP and intraocular pressure (IOP) during 28-h -12 degrees  HDT at both nominal
      (0.04%) and elevated (0.5%) ambient CO2 In our cohort, CBV pulsatility increased
      significantly over time at cardiac frequencies (0.031 +/- 0.009 MUM/h increase in
      total hemoglobin concentration pulsatility amplitude) and Mayer wave frequencies
      (0.019 +/- 0.005 MUM/h increase). The HDT-CO2 interaction on pulsatility was not
      robust but rather driven by one individual. Significant differences between
      atmospheres were not detected in ICP or IOP. Further work is needed to determine
      whether individual differences in pulsatility responses to CO2 relate to visual
      changes in space.NEW & NOTEWORTHY Cerebral blood volume (CBV) pulsatility-as
      measured by near-infrared spectroscopy-increases over time during -12 degrees 
      head-down tilt at both cardiac and Mayer wave frequencies. CBV pulsatility
      appeared to increase more under elevated (0.5%) CO2 at Mayer wave frequencies in
      some individuals. If similar dynamic pulsatility increases occur in astronauts,
      there is the potential to initiate vascular and possibly other remodeling
      processes that lead to symptoms associated with sustained increases in
      intracranial pressure.

PMID- 28360123
TI  - Impact of positive pressure ventilation on mean systemic filling pressure in
      critically ill patients after death.
AB  - Mean systemic filling pressure (Pms) defines the pressure measured in the venous
      arterial system when the cardiac output is nil. Its estimation has been proposed
      in patients with beating hearts by building the venous return curve, using
      different pairs of right atrial pressure/cardiac output during mechanical
      ventilation. We raised the hypothesis according to which the Pms is altered by
      tidal ventilation and positive end-expiratory pressure (PEEP), which would
      challenge this extrapolation method based on cardiopulmonary interactions. We
      conducted a two-center, noninterventional, observational, and prospective study,
      using an arterial and a venous catheter to measure the pressure in the
      circulatory system at the time of death in critically ill, mechanically
      ventilated patients with a PEEP. Arterial (Part) and venous pressures (Pra) were
      recorded in five conditions: at end expiration and end inspiration with and
      without PEEP and finally once the ventilator was disconnected. Part and Pra did
      not differ in any experimental conditions. Tidal ventilation increased Pra and
      Part by 2.4 and 1.9 mmHg, respectively, whereas PEEP increased both values by 1.2
      and 1 mmHg, respectively. After disconnection of the ventilator, Pra and Part
      were 10.0 +/- 4.2 and 9.9 +/- 4.2 mmHg, respectively. Pms increases during
      mechanical ventilation, with an effect of tidal ventilation and PEEP. This calls
      into question the validity of its evaluation in heart-beating patients using
      cardiopulmonary interactions during mechanical ventilation.NEW & NOTEWORTHY The
      physiology of the mean systemic filling pressure (Pms) is not well understood in
      human beings. This study is the first report of a tidal ventilation- and positive
      end-expiratory pressure-related increase in Pms in critically ill patients. The
      results challenge the utility and the value estimating Pms in heart-beating
      patients by reconstruction of the venous return curve using varying inflation
      pressures.

PMID- 28360124
TI  - Genetic mutations linked to Parkinson's disease differentially control nucleolar
      activity in pre-symptomatic mouse models.
AB  - Genetic mutations underlying neurodegenerative disorders impair ribosomal DNA
      (rDNA) transcription suggesting that nucleolar dysfunction could be a novel
      pathomechanism in polyglutamine diseases and in certain forms of amyotrophic
      lateral sclerosis/frontotemporal dementia. Here, we investigated nucleolar
      activity in pre-symptomatic digenic models of Parkinson's disease (PD) that model
      the multifactorial aetiology of this disease. To this end, we analysed a novel
      mouse model mildly overexpressing mutant human alpha-synuclein (hA53T-SNCA) in a
      PTEN-induced kinase 1 (PINK1/PARK6) knockout background and mutant mice lacking
      both DJ-1 (also known as PARK7) and PINK1. We showed that overexpressed hA53T
      SNCA localizes to the nucleolus. Moreover, these mutants show a progressive
      reduction of rDNA transcription linked to a reduced mouse lifespan. By contrast,
      rDNA transcription is preserved in DJ-1/PINK1 double knockout (DKO) mice. mRNA
      levels of the nucleolar transcription initiation factor 1A (TIF-IA, also known as
      RRN3) decrease in the substantia nigra of individuals with PD. Because loss of
      TIF-IA, as a tool to mimic nucleolar stress, increases oxidative stress and
      because DJ-1 and PINK1 mutations result in higher vulnerability to oxidative
      stress, we further explored the synergism between these PD-associated genes and
      impaired nucleolar function. By the conditional ablation of TIF-IA, we blocked
      ribosomal RNA (rRNA) synthesis in adult dopaminergic neurons in a DJ-1/PINK1 DKO
      background. However, the early phenotype of these triple knockout mice was
      similar to those mice exclusively lacking TIF-IA. These data sustain a model in
      which loss of DJ-1 and PINK1 does not impair nucleolar activity in a pre
      symptomatic stage. This is the first study to analyse nucleolar function in
      digenic PD models. We can conclude that, at least in these models, the nucleolus
      is not as severely disrupted as previously shown in DA neurons from PD patients
      and neurotoxin-based PD mouse models. The results also show that the early
      increase in rDNA transcription and nucleolar integrity may represent specific
      homeostatic responses in these digenic pre-symptomatic PD models.

PMID- 28360125
TI  - Cellular levels of Grb2 and cytoskeleton stability are correlated in a
      neurodegenerative scenario.
AB  - Alzheimer's disease (AD) manifests as neuronal loss. On the premise of Grb2
      overexpression in AD mouse brain and brain tissues of AD patients, our study
      primarily focuses on the stability of cytoskeletal proteins in the context of
      degenerative AD-like conditions. Two predominant molecular features of AD,
      extracellular accumulation of beta-amyloid oligomers and intracellular elevation
      of amyloid precursor protein intracellular domain levels, have been used to
      closely inspect the series of signalling events. In their presence, multiple
      signalling pathways involving ROCK and PAK1 proteins lead to disassembly of the
      cytoskeleton, and Grb2 partially counterbalances the cytoskeletal loss. Increased
      Grb2-NOX4 interactions play a preventive role against cytoskeletal disassembly,
      in turn blocking the activity of nitrogen oxides and decreasing the expression of
      slingshot homolog 1 (SSH-1) protein, a potent inducer of cytoskeleton
      disassembly. This study unravels a unique role of Grb2 in protecting the
      cytoskeletal architecture in AD-like conditions and presents a potential new
      strategy for controlling neurodegeneration.

PMID- 28360126
TI  - The Evolving Definition of the Term "Gene".
AB  - This paper presents a history of the changing meanings of the term "gene," over
      more than a century, and a discussion of why this word, so crucial to genetics,
      needs redefinition today. In this account, the first two phases of 20th century
      genetics are designated the "classical" and the "neoclassical" periods, and the
      current molecular-genetic era the "modern period." While the first two stages
      generated increasing clarity about the nature of the gene, the present period
      features complexity and confusion. Initially, the term "gene" was coined to
      denote an abstract "unit of inheritance," to which no specific material
      attributes were assigned. As the classical and neoclassical periods unfolded, the
      term became more concrete, first as a dimensionless point on a chromosome, then
      as a linear segment within a chromosome, and finally as a linear segment in the
      DNA molecule that encodes a polypeptide chain. This last definition, from the
      early 1960s, remains the one employed today, but developments since the 1970s
      have undermined its generality. Indeed, they raise questions about both the
      utility of the concept of a basic "unit of inheritance" and the long implicit
      belief that genes are autonomous agents. Here, we review findings that have made
      the classic molecular definition obsolete and propose a new one based on
      contemporary knowledge.

PMID- 28360127
TI  - Mitochondrial Replacement Therapy: Are Mito-nuclear Interactions Likely To Be a
      Problem?
AB  - It has been suggested that deleterious interactions between the mitochondrial and
      nuclear genomes could pose a problem for mitochondrial replacement therapy (MRT).
      This is because the mitochondrial genome is placed in a novel nuclear environment
      using this technique. In contrast, it is inherited with half the mother's genome
      during normal reproduction, a genome that it is relatively compatible with, since
      the mother is alive. Here, I review the evidence of whether mito-nuclear
      interactions are likely to pose a problem for MRT. The majority of the available
      experimental evidence, both in humans and other species, suggests that MRT is not
      harmful. These results are consistent with population genetic theory, which
      predicts that deleterious mito-nuclear interactions are unlikely to be much more
      prevalent in individuals born to MRT than normal reproduction, particularly in a
      species such as humans with low population differentiation. This is because
      selection is unlikely to be strong enough to establish significant linkage
      disequilibrium between the mitochondrial and nuclear genomes. These results are
      supported by a meta-analysis of 231 cases, from a variety of animals, in which
      the mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) from one strain has been introgressed into the
      nuclear background of another strain of the same species. Overall, there is
      little tendency for introgression of mtDNA to be harmful.

PMID- 28360129
TI  - Corrigendum.

PMID- 28360131
TI  - A small-molecule screen reveals that HSP90beta promotes the conversion of induced
      pluripotent stem cell-derived endoderm to a hepatic fate and regulates HNF4A
      turnover.
AB  - We have previously shown that the transcription factor HNF4A is required for the
      formation of hepatic progenitor cells from endoderm that has been derived from
      human induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs). We reasoned that we could uncover
      regulatory pathways with new roles in hepatocyte differentiation by identifying
      cellular processes that regulate HNF4A. We therefore performed a screen of 1120
      small molecules with well-characterized mechanisms of action to detect those that
      affect the abundance of HNF4A in iPSC-derived hepatic progenitor cells. This
      approach uncovered several small molecules that depleted HNF4A. Of those, we
      chose to focus on an inhibitor of heat shock protein 90 beta (HSP90beta). We show
      that mutation of the gene encoding HSP90beta represses hepatocyte differentiation
      during the formation of hepatocytes from iPSCs. We reveal that HSP90beta,
      although dispensable for expression of HNF4A mRNA, directly interacts with HNF4A
      protein to regulate its half-life. Our results demonstrate that HSP90beta has an
      unappreciated role in controlling hepatic progenitor cell formation and highlight
      the efficiency of using small-molecule screens during the differentiation of
      iPSCs to reveal new molecular mechanisms that control hepatocyte formation.

PMID- 28360132
TI  - Dose-dependent transduction of Hedgehog relies on phosphorylation-based feedback
      between the G-protein-coupled receptor Smoothened and the kinase Fused.
AB  - Smoothened (SMO) is a G-protein-coupled receptor-related protein required for the
      transduction of Hedgehog (HH). The HH gradient leads to graded phosphorylation of
      SMO, mainly by the PKA and CKI kinases. How thresholds in HH morphogen regulate
      SMO to promote switch-like transcriptional responses is a central unsolved issue.
      Using the wing imaginal disc model in Drosophila, we identified new SMO
      phosphosites that enhance the effects of the PKA/CKI kinases on SMO accumulation,
      its localization at the plasma membrane and its activity. Surprisingly,
      phosphorylation at these sites is induced by the kinase Fused (FU), a known
      downstream effector of SMO. In turn, activation of SMO induces FU to act on its
      downstream targets. Overall, our data provide evidence for a SMO/FU positive
      regulatory loop nested within a multikinase phosphorylation cascade. We propose
      that this complex interplay amplifies signaling above a threshold that allows
      high HH signaling.

PMID- 28360134
TI  - Colloidally prepared La-doped BaSnO3 electrodes for efficient, photostable
      perovskite solar cells.
AB  - Perovskite solar cells (PSCs) exceeding a power conversion efficiency (PCE) of
      20% have mainly been demonstrated by using mesoporous titanium dioxide (mp-TiO2)
      as an electron-transporting layer. However, TiO2 can reduce the stability of PSCs
      under illumination (including ultraviolet light). Lanthanum (La)-doped BaSnO3
      (LBSO) perovskite would be an ideal replacement given its electron mobility and
      electronic structure, but LBSO cannot be synthesized as well-dispersible fine
      particles or crystallized below 500 degrees C. We report a superoxide colloidal
      solution route for preparing a LBSO electrode under very mild conditions (below
      300 degrees C). The PSCs fabricated with LBSO and methylammonium lead iodide
      (MAPbI3) show a steady-state power conversion efficiency of 21.2%, versus 19.7%
      for a mp-TiO2 device. The LBSO-based PSCs could retain 93% of their initial
      performance after 1000 hours of full-Sun illumination.

PMID- 28360133
TI  - Numb regulates somatic cell lineage commitment during early gonadogenesis in
      mice.
AB  - During early gonadogenesis, proliferating cells in the coelomic epithelium (CE)
      give rise to most of the somatic cells in both XX and XY gonads. Previous dye
      labeling experiments showed that a single CE cell could give rise to additional
      CE cells and to both supporting and interstitial cell lineages, implying that
      cells in the CE domain are multipotent progenitors, and suggesting that an
      asymmetric division is involved in the acquisition of gonadal cell fates. We
      found that NUMB is asymmetrically localized in CE cells, suggesting that it might
      be involved. To test this hypothesis, we conditionally deleted Numb on a Numbl
      mutant background just prior to gonadogenesis. Mutant gonads showed a loss of
      cell polarity in the surface epithelial layers, large interior cell patches
      expressing the undifferentiated cell marker LHX9, and a loss of differentiated
      cells in somatic cell lineages. These results indicate that NUMB is necessary for
      establishing polarity in CE cells, and that asymmetric divisions resulting from
      CE polarity are required for commitment to differentiated somatic cell fates.
      Surprisingly, germ cells, which do not arise from the CE, were also affected in
      mutants, which may be a direct or indirect effect of loss of Numb.

PMID- 28360128
TI  - Circadian Rhythms and Sleep in Drosophila melanogaster.
AB  - The advantages of the model organism Drosophila melanogaster, including low
      genetic redundancy, functional simplicity, and the ability to conduct large-scale
      genetic screens, have been essential for understanding the molecular nature of
      circadian (~24 hr) rhythms, and continue to be valuable in discovering novel
      regulators of circadian rhythms and sleep. In this review, we discuss the current
      understanding of these interrelated biological processes in Drosophila and the
      wider implications of this research. Clock genes period and timeless were first
      discovered in large-scale Drosophila genetic screens developed in the 1970s.
      Feedback of period and timeless on their own transcription forms the core of the
      molecular clock, and accurately timed expression, localization, post
      transcriptional modification, and function of these genes is thought to be
      critical for maintaining the circadian cycle. Regulators, including several
      phosphatases and kinases, act on different steps of this feedback loop to ensure
      strong and accurately timed rhythms. Approximately 150 neurons in the fly brain
      that contain the core components of the molecular clock act together to translate
      this intracellular cycling into rhythmic behavior. We discuss how different
      groups of clock neurons serve different functions in allowing clocks to entrain
      to environmental cues, driving behavioral outputs at different times of day, and
      allowing flexible behavioral responses in different environmental conditions. The
      neuropeptide PDF provides an important signal thought to synchronize clock
      neurons, although the details of how PDF accomplishes this function are still
      being explored. Secreted signals from clock neurons also influence rhythms in
      other tissues. SLEEP is, in part, regulated by the circadian clock, which ensures
      appropriate timing of sleep, but the amount and quality of sleep are also
      determined by other mechanisms that ensure a homeostatic balance between sleep
      and wake. Flies have been useful for identifying a large set of genes, molecules,
      and neuroanatomic loci important for regulating sleep amount. Conserved aspects
      of sleep regulation in flies and mammals include wake-promoting roles for
      catecholamine neurotransmitters and involvement of hypothalamus-like regions,
      although other neuroanatomic regions implicated in sleep in flies have less clear
      parallels. Sleep is also subject to regulation by factors such as food
      availability, stress, and social environment. We are beginning to understand how
      the identified molecules and neurons interact with each other, and with the
      environment, to regulate sleep. Drosophila researchers can also take advantage of
      increasing mechanistic understanding of other behaviors, such as learning and
      memory, courtship, and aggression, to understand how sleep loss impacts these
      behaviors. Flies thus remain a valuable tool for both discovery of novel
      molecules and deep mechanistic understanding of sleep and circadian rhythms.

PMID- 28360135
TI  - Enhancement of Zika virus pathogenesis by preexisting antiflavivirus immunity.
AB  - Zika virus (ZIKV) is spreading rapidly into regions around the world where other
      flaviviruses, such as dengue virus (DENV) and West Nile virus (WNV), are endemic.
      Antibody-dependent enhancement has been implicated in more severe forms of
      flavivirus disease, but whether this also applies to ZIKV infection is unclear.
      Using convalescent plasma from DENV- and WNV-infected individuals, we found
      substantial enhancement of ZIKV infection in vitro that was mediated through
      immunoglobulin G engagement of Fcgamma receptors. Administration of DENV- or WNV
      convalescent plasma into ZIKV-susceptible mice resulted in increased morbidity
      including fever, viremia, and viral loads in spinal cord and testes-and increased
      mortality. Antibody-dependent enhancement may explain the severe disease
      manifestations associated with recent ZIKV outbreaks and highlights the need to
      exert great caution when designing flavivirus vaccines.

PMID- 28360137
TI  - The applied value of public investments in biomedical research.
AB  - Scientists and policy-makers have long argued that public investments in science
      have practical applications. Using data on patents linked to U.S. National
      Institutes of Health (NIH) grants over a 27-year period, we provide a large-scale
      accounting of linkages between public research investments and subsequent
      patenting. We find that about 10% of NIH grants generate a patent directly but
      30% generate articles that are subsequently cited by patents. Although policy
      makers often focus on direct patenting by academic scientists, the bulk of the
      effect of NIH research on patenting appears to be indirect. We also find no
      systematic relationship between the "basic" versus "applied" research focus of a
      grant and its propensity to be cited by a patent.

PMID- 28360136
TI  - High-performance light-emitting diodes based on carbene-metal-amides.
AB  - Organic light-emitting diodes (OLEDs) promise highly efficient lighting and
      display technologies. We introduce a new class of linear donor-bridge-acceptor
      light-emitting molecules, which enable solution-processed OLEDs with near-100%
      internal quantum efficiency at high brightness. Key to this performance is their
      rapid and efficient utilization of triplet states. Using time-resolved
      spectroscopy, we establish that luminescence via triplets occurs within 350
      nanoseconds at ambient temperature, after reverse intersystem crossing to
      singlets. We find that molecular geometries exist at which the singlet-triplet
      energy gap (exchange energy) is close to zero, so that rapid interconversion is
      possible. Calculations indicate that exchange energy is tuned by relative
      rotation of the donor and acceptor moieties about the bridge. Unlike other
      systems with low exchange energy, substantial oscillator strength is sustained at
      the singlet-triplet degeneracy point.

PMID- 28360138
TI  - Mathematical Modeling Links Pregnancy-Associated Changes and Breast Cancer Risk.
AB  - Recent debate has concentrated on the contribution of bad luck to cancer
      development. The tight correlation between the number of tissue-specific stem
      cell divisions and cancer risk of the same tissue suggests that bad luck has an
      important role to play in tumor development, but the full extent of this
      contribution remains an open question. Improved understanding of the interplay
      between extrinsic and intrinsic factors at the molecular level is one promising
      route to identifying the limits on extrinsic control of tumor initiation, which
      is highly relevant to cancer prevention. Here, we use a simple mathematical model
      to show that recent data on the variation in numbers of breast epithelial cells
      with progenitor features due to pregnancy are sufficient to explain the known
      protective effect of full-term pregnancy in early adulthood for estrogen receptor
      positive (ER+) breast cancer later in life. Our work provides a mechanism for
      this previously ill-understood effect and illuminates the complex influence of
      extrinsic factors at the molecular level in breast cancer. These findings
      represent an important contribution to the ongoing research into the role of bad
      luck in human tumorigenesis. Cancer Res; 77(11); 2800-9. (c)2017 AACR.

PMID- 28360140
TI  - New approaches to measurement and management for high integrity health systems.

PMID- 28360139
TI  - A Pyrrole-Imidazole Polyamide Is Active against Enzalutamide-Resistant Prostate
      Cancer.
AB  - The LREX' prostate cancer model is resistant to the antiandrogen enzalutamide via
      activation of an alternative nuclear hormone receptor, glucocorticoid receptor
      (GR), which has similar DNA-binding specificity to the androgen receptor (AR).
      Small molecules that target DNA to interfere with protein-DNA interactions may
      retain activity against enzalutamide-resistant prostate cancers where ligand
      binding domain antagonists are ineffective. We reported previously that a pyrrole
      imidazole (Py-Im) polyamide designed to bind the consensus androgen response
      element half-site has antitumor activity against hormone-sensitive prostate
      cancer. In enzalutamide-resistant LREX' cells, Py-Im polyamide interfered with
      both AR- and GR-driven gene expression, whereas enzalutamide interfered with only
      that of AR. Genomic analyses indicated immediate interference with the AR
      transcriptional pathway. Long-term treatment with Py-Im polyamide demonstrated a
      global decrease in RNA levels consistent with inhibition of transcription. The
      polyamide was active against two enzalutamide-resistant xenografts with minimal
      toxicity. Overall, our results identify Py-Im polyamide as a promising
      therapeutic strategy in enzalutamide-resistant prostate cancer. Cancer Res;
      77(9); 2207-12. (c)2017 AACR.

PMID- 28360141
TI  - Sofosbuvir faces fresh patent challenge in Europe.

PMID- 28360142
TI  - Do Functional Movement Screen (FMS) composite scores predict subsequent injury? A
      systematic review with meta-analysis.
AB  - AIM: This paper aims to systematically review studies investigating the strength
      of association between FMS composite scores and subsequent risk of injury, taking
      into account both methodological quality and clinical and methodological
      diversity. DESIGN: Systematic review with meta-analysis. DATA SOURCES: A
      systematic search of electronic databases was conducted for the period between
      their inception and 3 March 2016 using PubMed, Medline, Google Scholar, Scopus,
      Academic Search Complete, AMED (Allied and Complementary Medicine Database),
      CINAHL (Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature), Health Source
      and SPORTDiscus. ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA FOR SELECTING STUDIES: Inclusion criteria:
      (1) English language, (2) observational prospective cohort design, (3) original
      and peer-reviewed data, (4) composite FMS score, used to define exposure and non
      exposure groups and (5) musculoskeletal injury, reported as the outcome.
      EXCLUSION CRITERIA: (1) data reported in conference abstracts or non-peer
      reviewed literature, including theses, and (2) studies employing cross-sectional
      or retrospective study designs. RESULTS: 24 studies were appraised using the
      Quality of Cohort Studies assessment tool. In male military personnel, there was
      'strong' evidence that the strength of association between FMS composite score
      (cut-point <=14/21) and subsequent injury was 'small' (pooled risk ratio=1.47,
      95% CI 1.22 to 1.77, p<0.0001, I2=57%). There was 'moderate' evidence to
      recommend against the use of FMS composite score as an injury prediction test in
      football (soccer). For other populations (including American football, college
      athletes, basketball, ice hockey, running, police and firefighters), the evidence
      was 'limited' or 'conflicting'. CONCLUSION: The strength of association between
      FMS composite scores and subsequent injury does not support its use as an injury
      prediction tool. TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER: PROSPERO registration number
      CRD42015025575.

PMID- 28360144
TI  - 'There is nothing more deceptive than an obvious fact': more evidence for the
      prescription of exercise during haemodialysis (intradialytic exercise) is still
      required.

PMID- 28360143
TI  - Return to play after hamstring injuries in football (soccer): a worldwide Delphi
      procedure regarding definition, medical criteria and decision-making.
AB  - There are three major questions about return to play (RTP) after hamstring
      injuries: How should RTP be defined? Which medical criteria should support the
      RTP decision? And who should make the RTP decision? The study aimed to provide a
      clear RTP definition and medical criteria for RTP and to clarify RTP consultation
      and responsibilities after hamstring injury. The study used the Delphi procedure.
      The results of a systematic review were used as a starting point for the Delphi
      procedure. Fifty-eight experts in the field of hamstring injury management
      selected by 28 FIFA Medical Centres of Excellence worldwide participated. Each
      Delphi round consisted of a questionnaire, an analysis and an anonymised feedback
      report. After four Delphi rounds, with more than 83% response for each round,
      consensus was achieved that RTP should be defined as 'the moment a player has
      received criteria-based medical clearance and is mentally ready for full
      availability for match selection and/or full training'. The experts reached
      consensus on the following criteria to support the RTP decision: medical staff
      clearance, absence of pain on palpation, absence of pain during strength and
      flexibility testing, absence of pain during/after functional testing, similar
      hamstring flexibility, performance on field testing, and psychological readiness.
      It was also agreed that RTP decisions should be based on shared decision-making,
      primarily via consultation with the athlete, sports physician, physiotherapist,
      fitness trainer and team coach. The consensus regarding aspects of RTP should
      provide clarity and facilitate the assessment of when RTP is appropriate after
      hamstring injury, so as to avoid or reduce the risk of injury recurrence because
      of a premature RTP.

PMID- 28360145
TI  - Preliminary evidence that high levels of nicotine on children's hands may
      contribute to overall tobacco smoke exposure.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Dust and surfaces are important sources of lead and pesticide
      exposure in young children. The purpose of this pilot study was to investigate if
      third-hand smoke (THS) pollutants accumulate on the hands of children who live in
      environments where tobacco is used and if hand nicotine levels are associated
      with second-hand smoke (SHS), as measured by salivary cotinine. METHODS:
      Participants were parents and children (n=25; age mean (SD)=5.4 (5.3) years)
      presenting to the emergency department with a potentially SHS-related illness. A
      convenience sample of participants were recruited at baseline from an ongoing two
      group, randomised controlled trial of a SHS reduction and tobacco cessation
      intervention. Parents were current smokers; thus, all children were at risk of
      SHS and THS exposure to varying extents. Primary outcome measures, which were
      assessed in child participants only, were hand nicotine and salivary cotinine.
      Parents reported sociodemographics and smoking patterns; children's medical
      records were abstracted for chief complaint, medical history and discharge
      diagnosis. RESULTS: All children had detectable hand nicotine (range=18.3-690.9
      ng/wipe). All but one had detectable cotinine (range=1.2-28.8 ng/mL). Multiple
      linear regression results showed a significant positive association between hand
      nicotine and cotinine (p=0.009; semipartial r2=0.24), independent of child age.
      DISCUSSION: The higher-than-expected nicotine levels and significant association
      with cotinine indicate that THS may play a role in the overall exposure of young
      children to tobacco smoke toxicants and that hand wipes could be a useful marker
      of overall tobacco smoke pollution and a proxy for exposure. TRIAL REGISTRATION
      NUMBER: ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT02531594.

PMID- 28360150
TI  - Public health interventions are highly cost saving, review finds.

PMID- 28360146
TI  - Resistin induces multidrug resistance in myeloma by inhibiting cell death and
      upregulating ABC transporter expression.
AB  - Despite advances in therapy, multiple myeloma remains incurable, with a high
      frequency of relapse. This suggests the need to identify additional factors that
      contribute to drug resistance. Our previous studies revealed that bone marrow
      adipocytes promote resistance to chemotherapy in myeloma through adipocyte
      secreted adipokines, but the mechanism underlying this effect and the specific
      adipokines involved are not well understood. We proposed to determine the role of
      resistin, an adipokine that is secreted by adipocytes, in chemotherapy resistance
      in myeloma. We found that resistin abrogated chemotherapy-induced apoptosis in
      established myeloma cell lines and primary myeloma samples. Resistin inhibited
      chemotherapy-induced caspase cleavage through the NF-kappaB and PI3K/Akt
      pathways. Resistin also increased the expression and drug efflux function of ATP
      binding cassette (ABC) transporters in myeloma cells through decreasing the
      expression of both DNA methyltransferases DNMT1 and DNMT3a and the methylation
      levels of ABC gene promoters. In vivo studies further demonstrated the protective
      effect of resistin in chemotherapy-induced apoptosis. Our study thus reveals a
      new biological function of resistin in the pathogenesis of myeloma, with the
      implication that targeting resistin could be a potential strategy to prevent or
      overcome multidrug resistance in myeloma.

PMID- 28360148
TI  - Sphingosine kinase 1 participates in the activation, proliferation and survival
      of chronic lymphocytic leukemia cells.

PMID- 28360151
TI  - Trump's order on climate policy threatens public health, say US doctors.

PMID- 28360147
TI  - A three-dimensional ex vivo tri-culture model mimics cell-cell interactions
      between acute myeloid leukemia and the vascular niche.
AB  - Ex vivo studies of human disease, such as acute myeloid leukemia, are generally
      limited to the analysis of two-dimensional cultures which often misinterpret the
      effectiveness of chemotherapeutics and other treatments. Here we show that matrix
      metalloproteinase-sensitive hydrogels prepared from poly(ethylene glycol) and
      heparin functionalized with adhesion ligands and pro-angiogenic factors can be
      instrumental to produce robust three-dimensional culture models, allowing for the
      analysis of acute myeloid leukemia development and response to treatment. We
      evaluated the growth of four leukemia cell lines, KG1a, MOLM13, MV4-11 and OCI
      AML3, as well as samples from patients with acute myeloid leukemia. Furthermore,
      endothelial cells and mesenchymal stromal cells were co-seeded to mimic the
      vascular niche for acute myeloid leukemia cells. Greater drug resistance to
      daunorubicin and cytarabine was demonstrated in three-dimensional cultures and in
      vascular co-cultures when compared with two-dimensional suspension cultures,
      opening the way for drug combination studies. Application of the C-X-C chemokine
      receptor type 4 (CXCR4) inhibitor, AMD3100, induced mobilization of the acute
      myeloid leukemia cells from the vascular networks. These findings indicate that
      the three-dimensional tri-culture model provides a specialized platform for the
      investigation of cell-cell interactions, addressing a key challenge of current
      testing models. This ex vivo system allows for personalized analysis of the
      responses of patients' cells, providing new insights into the development of
      acute myeloid leukemia and therapies for this disease.

PMID- 28360149
TI  - NOTCH1 mutation, TP53 alteration and myeloid antigen expression predict outcome
      heterogeneity in children with first relapse of T-cell acute lymphoblastic
      leukemia.

PMID- 28360152
TI  - Complete Genome Sequence of Carbapenem-Resistant Klebsiella pneumoniae Strain
      1756, Isolated from a Pus Specimen.
AB  - Carbapenem-resistant Klebsiella pneumoniae strain 1756 was isolated from a pus
      specimen from a Taiwanese patient. Here, the complete genome sequence of strain
      1756 is presented.

PMID- 28360153
TI  - Whole-Genome Sequence and Fosfomycin Resistance of Bacillus sp. Strain G3(2015)
      Isolated from Seawater off the Coast of Malaysia.
AB  - Bacillus sp. is a Gram-positive bacterium that is commonly found in seawater. In
      this study, the genome of marine Bacillus sp. strain G3(2015) was sequenced using
      MiSeq. The fosfomycin resistant gene fosB was identified upon bacterial genome
      annotation.

PMID- 28360154
TI  - Draft Genome Sequences of 12 Feline Bartonella henselae Isolates.
AB  - Bartonella henselae is the main causative agent of cat scratch disease. In this
      report, we present the draft genome sequences of 12 strains of Bartonella
      henselae originating from the United States, Denmark, and France. These strains
      were isolated from cats and belonged to either 16S rRNA genotype I or 16S rRNA
      genotype II.

PMID- 28360155
TI  - Draft Genome Sequence of Bacillus thuringiensis INTA Fr7-4.
AB  - We report here the complete annotated 6,035,547-bp draft genome sequence of
      Bacillus thuringiensis INTA Fr7-4. This strain contains three cry8 and two vip1
      and vip2 insecticidal toxin genes.

PMID- 28360156
TI  - Draft Genome Sequences of Tersicoccus phoenicis DSM 30849T, Isolated from a
      Cleanroom for Spacecraft Assembly, and Tersicoccus sp. Strain Bi-70, Isolated
      from a Freshwater Lake.
AB  - Here, we report the draft genome sequences of Tersicoccus phoenicis DSM 30849T,
      isolated from a spacecraft assembly cleanroom at the National Aeronautics and
      Space Administration (NASA), and Tersicoccus sp. strain Bi-70, isolated from Lake
      Biwa, the largest lake in Japan. These genome sequences facilitate our
      understanding of the adaptation of these closely related strains to different
      habitats.

PMID- 28360157
TI  - Draft Genome Sequence of Streptococcus caviae Strain Cavy grass 6T, Isolated from
      Domesticated Guinea Pig Fecal Samples.
AB  - Streptococcus caviae strain Cavy grass 6T, isolated from fecal samples of pet
      guinea pigs, can metabolize a range of plant mono- and disaccharides, as well as
      polymeric carbohydrates. Here, we report the draft genome sequence of this
      strain, which comprises 2.11 Mb.

PMID- 28360158
TI  - Draft Genome Sequence of Corynebacterium pseudotuberculosis Strain PA05 Isolated
      from an Ovine Host in Para State, Brazil.
AB  - We report here the draft genome sequence of Corynebacterium pseudotuberculosis
      PA05, isolated from an ovine host in Para State, Brazil. C. pseudotuberculosis is
      an etiological agent of diseases with veterinary and medical importance. The
      genome contains 2,435,137 bp, a G+C content of 52.2%, 2,295 coding sequences,
      five pseudogenes, 53 tRNAs, and six rRNAs.

PMID- 28360159
TI  - Draft Genome Sequence of Corynebacterium pseudotuberculosis Strain PA06 Isolated
      from a Subauricular Abscess in an Ovine Host.
AB  - We report here the draft genome sequence of Corynebacterium pseudotuberculosis
      PA06, isolated from a subauricular abscess in an ovine host. C.
      pseudotuberculosis is a worldwide pathogen of small and large ruminants. The
      genome comprises 2,320,074 bp, with a G+C content of 52.2%, 2,195 coding
      sequences, 48 tRNAs, and three rRNAs.

PMID- 28360160
TI  - First Complete Genome Sequence of Corynebacterium riegelii.
AB  - Here, we report the first complete genome sequence of Corynebacterium riegelii
      strain PUDD_83A45, isolated from the urine of a patient with urinary tract
      infection. The genome measured 2.56 Mb and contained no plasmid.

PMID- 28360162
TI  - Draft Genome Sequence of Pseudomonas putida Strain GM4FR, an Endophytic Bacterium
      Isolated from Festuca rubra L.
AB  - Pseudomonas putida GM4FR is an endophytic bacterium isolated from aerial plant
      tissues of Festuca rubra L. Functional annotation of the draft genome (7.1 Mb)
      revealed 6,272 predicted protein-encoding genes. The genome provides insights
      into the biocontrol and plant growth-promoting potential of P. putida GM4FR.

PMID- 28360161
TI  - Draft Genome Sequence of Bacillus pumilus Strain GM3FR, an Endophyte Isolated
      from Aerial Plant Tissues of Festuca rubra L.
AB  - Here, we report the draft genome sequence of Bacillus pumilus GM3FR, an
      endophytic bacterium isolated from aerial plant tissues of Festuca rubra L. The
      draft genome consists of 3.5 Mb and harbors 3,551 predicted protein-encoding
      genes. The genome provides insights into the biocontrol potential of B. pumilus
      GM3FR.

PMID- 28360163
TI  - Complete Genome Sequence of Staphylococcus aureus Strain Wood 46.
AB  - Here, we report the first complete genome sequence of the Staphylococcus aureus
      strain Wood 46. Wood 46 has played an important role in understanding the
      virulence and pathogenesis of S. aureus infections. This report will assist
      efforts in vaccine development against methicillin-resistant S. aureus (MRSA)
      infections.

PMID- 28360164
TI  - Draft Genome Sequence of Caenibacillus caldisaponilyticus B157T, a Thermophilic
      and Phospholipase-Producing Bacterium Isolated from Acidulocompost.
AB  - Caenibacillus caldisaponilyticus B157T (= NBRC 111400T = DSM 101100T), in the
      family Sporolactobacillaceae, was isolated from acidulocompost as a thermophilic
      and phospholipid-degrading bacterium. Here, we report the 3.36-Mb draft genome
      sequence, with a G+C content of 51.8%, to provide the genetic information coding
      for phospholipases.

PMID- 28360165
TI  - Complete Genome Sequence of Lactobacillus fermentum MTCC 25067 (Formerly
      TDS030603), a Viscous Exopolysaccharide-Producing Strain Isolated from Indian
      Fermented Milk.
AB  - Lactobacillus fermentum MTCC 25067 (formerly TDS030603) is capable of producing a
      highly viscous slime exopolysaccharide. We report here the complete genome
      sequence of the strain, which was deciphered by using PacBio single-molecule real
      time sequencing technology.

PMID- 28360166
TI  - Draft Genome Sequences of 14 Staphylococcus aureus Sequence Type 5 Isolates from
      California, USA.
AB  - Staphylococcus aureus is part of the human epithelial microbiota; however, it is
      also a pathogen. The acquisition of mobile genetic elements plays a role in the
      virulence of S. aureus isolates and contributes to treatment failures. This
      report details the draft genome sequences of 14 clinical S. aureus isolates.

PMID- 28360167
TI  - Complete Genome Sequences of Two Staphylococcus aureus Sequence Type 5 Isolates
      from California, USA.
AB  - Staphylococcus aureus causes a variety of human diseases ranging in severity. The
      pathogenicity of S. aureus can be partially attributed to the acquisition of
      mobile genetic elements. In this report, we provide two complete genome sequences
      from human clinical S. aureus isolates.

PMID- 28360168
TI  - Draft Genome Sequence of Streptomyces specialis Type Strain GW41-1564 (DSM
      41924).
AB  - Here, we report the draft genome sequence of Streptomyces specialis type strain
      GW41-1564, which was isolated from soil. This 5.87-Mb genome exhibits a high G+C
      content of 72.72% and contains 5,486 protein-coding genes.

PMID- 28360169
TI  - Complete Genome Sequences of Two Genotype A2 Small Ruminant Lentiviruses Isolated
      from Infected U.S. Sheep.
AB  - Two distinct subgroups of genotype A2 small ruminant lentiviruses (SRLVs) have
      been identified in the United States that infect sheep with specific host
      transmembrane protein 154 (TMEM154) diplotypes. Here, we report the first two
      complete genome sequences of SRLV strains infecting U.S. sheep belonging to
      genotype A2, subgroups 1 and 2.

PMID- 28360170
TI  - Draft Genome Sequence of Saccharomyces cerevisiae Barra Grande (BG-1), a
      Brazilian Industrial Bioethanol-Producing Strain.
AB  - Here, we present the draft genome sequence of Saccharomyces cerevisiae BG-1, a
      Brazilian industrial strain widely used for bioethanol production from sugarcane.
      The 11.7-Mb genome sequence consists of 216 scaffolds and harbors 5,607 predicted
      protein-coding genes.

PMID- 28360171
TI  - Draft Genome Sequence of the Root-Colonizing Fungus Trichoderma harzianum B97.
AB  - Trichoderma harzianum is one of the most beneficial microorganisms applied on
      diverse crops against biotic and abiotic stresses and acts also as a plant growth
      promoting fungus. Here, we report the genome of T. harzianum B97, originating
      from a French agricultural soil and used as a biofertilizer that can tolerate
      abiotic stresses.

PMID- 28360172
TI  - Complete Genome Sequences of Two Escherichia coli Phages, vB_EcoM_ ESCO5 and
      vB_EcoM_ESCO13, Which Are Related to phAPEC8.
AB  - We report here the complete genome sequences of two Myoviridae phages that infect
      various avian-pathogenic Escherichia coli strains and that are closely related to
      phage phAPEC8.

PMID- 28360173
TI  - Genome Sequence of Escherichia coli Tailed Phage Utah.
AB  - Escherichia coli bacteriophage Utah is a member of the chi-like tailed phage
      cluster in the Siphoviridae family. We report here the complete 59,024-bp
      sequence of the genome of phage Utah.

PMID- 28360175
TI  - Draft Genome Sequence of the Pelagic Photoferrotroph Chlorobium
      phaeoferrooxidans.
AB  - Here, we report the draft genome sequence of Chlorobium phaeoferrooxidans, a
      photoferrotrophic member of the genus Chlorobium in the phylum Chlorobi This
      genome sequence provides insight into the metabolic capacity that underpins
      photoferrotrophy within low-light-adapted pelagic Chlorobi.

PMID- 28360174
TI  - Complete Genome Sequences of Isolates of Enterococcus faecium Sequence Type 117,
      a Globally Disseminated Multidrug-Resistant Clone.
AB  - The emergence of nosocomial infections by multidrug-resistant sequence type 117
      (ST117) Enterococcus faecium has been reported in several European countries.
      ST117 has been detected in Spanish hospitals as one of the main causes of
      bloodstream infections. We analyzed genome variations of ST117 strains isolated
      in Madrid and describe the first ST117 closed genome sequences.

PMID- 28360176
TI  - Complete Genome Sequence of a Novel Human Betapapillomavirus Isolated from a Skin
      Sample.
AB  - We report the genetic characterization of a new papillomavirus (HPV_MTS1)
      isolated and fully cloned from a skin swab. The L1 open reading frame of HPV_MTS1
      was 85% identical to its closest human papillomavirus (HPV) type 80, which
      belongs to the species beta-2 of the genus Betapapillomavirus, hence qualifying
      it as a new HPV type.

PMID- 28360177
TI  - Draft Genome Sequences of 24 Lactococcus lactis Strains.
AB  - The lactic acid bacterium Lactococcus lactis is widely used for the production of
      fermented dairy products. Here, we present the draft genome sequences of 24 L.
      lactis strains isolated from different environments and geographic locations.

PMID- 28360178
TI  - Draft Genome Sequences of Pseudomonas moraviensis UCD-KL30, Vibrio ostreicida UCD
      KL16, Colwellia sp. Strain UCD-KL20, Shewanella sp. Strain UCD-KL12, and
      Shewanella sp. Strain UCD-KL21, Isolated from Seagrass.
AB  - Here, we present the draft genome sequences for five bacterial strains. These
      strains were all isolated from seagrass (Zostera marina) collected from Bodega
      Bay, CA, as a part of an undergraduate research project focused on seagrass
      associated microbes.

PMID- 28360179
TI  - Whole-Genome Sequence of Pseudomonas fluorescens EK007-RG4, a Promising
      Biocontrol Agent against a Broad Range of Bacteria, Including the Fire Blight
      Bacterium Erwinia amylovora.
AB  - Here, we report the first draft whole-genome sequence of Pseudomonas fluorescens
      strain EK007-RG4, which was isolated from the phylloplane of a pear tree. P.
      fluorescens EK007-RG4 displays strong antagonism against Erwinia amylovora, the
      causal agent for fire blight disease, in addition to several other pathogenic and
      non-pathogenic bacteria.

PMID- 28360180
TI  - First Whole-Genome Sequence of a Haemophilus influenzae Type e Strain Isolated
      from a Patient with Invasive Disease in Italy.
AB  - In the present era of conjugate vaccines against Haemophilus influenzae type b,
      non-vaccine-preventable strains are of concern. Here, we report the first whole
      genome sequence of an invasive H. influenzae type e strain. This genomic
      information will enable further investigations on encapsulated non-type b H.
      influenzae strains.

PMID- 28360181
TI  - Draft Genome Sequences of Three Cellulolytic Bacillus licheniformis Strains
      Isolated from Imperial Geyser, Amphitheater Springs, and Whiterock Springs inside
      Yellowstone National Park.
AB  - Novel cellulolytic microorganisms are becoming more important for rapidly growing
      biofuel industries. This paper reports the draft genome sequences of Bacillus
      licheniformis strains YNP2-TSU, YNP3-TSU, and YNP5-TSU. These cellulolytic
      isolates were collected from several hydrothermal features inside Yellowstone
      National Park.

PMID- 28360183
TI  - NHS will publish national list of "low value" drugs to curb GPs' prescribing
      costs.

PMID- 28360182
TI  - Simultaneous mapping of active DNA demethylation and sister chromatid exchange in
      single cells.
AB  - To understand mammalian active DNA demethylation, various methods have been
      developed to map the genomic distribution of the demethylation intermediates 5
      formylcysotine (5fC) and 5-carboxylcytosine (5caC). However, the majority of
      these methods requires a large number of cells to begin with. In this study, we
      describe low-input methylase-assisted bisulfite sequencing (liMAB-seq ) and
      single-cell MAB-seq (scMAB-seq), capable of profiling 5fC and 5caC at genome
      scale using ~100 cells and single cells, respectively. liMAB-seq analysis of
      preimplantation embryos reveals the oxidation of 5mC to 5fC/5caC and the positive
      correlation between chromatin accessibility and processivity of ten-eleven
      translocation (TET) enzymes. scMAB-seq captures the cell-to-cell heterogeneity of
      5fC and 5caC and reveals the strand-biased distribution of 5fC and 5caC. scMAB
      seq also allows the simultaneous high-resolution mapping of sister chromatid
      exchange (SCE), facilitating the study of this type of genomic rearrangement.
      Therefore, our study not only establishes new methods for the genomic mapping of
      active DNA demethylation using limited numbers of cells or single cells but also
      demonstrates the utilities of the methods in different biological contexts.

PMID- 28360184
TI  - Myeloid-derived suppressor cells and T regulatory cells in tumors: unraveling the
      dark side of the force.
AB  - Important conceptual advances in tumor immunology over the last years have
      shifted the paradigm from focusing on the malignant cell to the importance of
      host immune components in the design of successful immunotherapies. The immune
      system, through sophisticated innate and adaptive immune surveillance mechanisms,
      inhibits the growth and establishment of tumors. However, despite immune
      surveillance, tumors still escape and grow, mainly as a result of endowed tumor
      induced immunosuppressive circuits. Regulatory T cells (Tregs) and myeloid
      derived suppressor cells (MDSCs) are the major components of these regulatory
      networks that facilitate tumor immune escape and significantly compromise the
      efficacy of current immunotherapies. A better understanding of the induction,
      function, and expansion of these powerful regulatory compartments represents a
      major challenge on the clinical benefit of current treatments and may foster the
      design of novel cancer immunotherapies.

PMID- 28360185
TI  - Neutrophil, quo vadis?
AB  - Neutrophils were traditionally considered to be a homogeneous population of
      terminally differentiated cells with very defined roles in inflammation and
      fighting infections. However, recent advances in neutrophil research challenge
      this limited view and demonstrate that neutrophils are highly versatile, play
      different roles in various pathologic scenarios, and are heterogeneous. With
      this, it is becoming clear that one term-"neutrophil"-is too general, and more
      precise nomenclature is urgently required. In this mini review, we discuss the
      knowns and unknowns in neutrophil terminology and highlight the critical
      questions that should be addressed for the establishment of clear neutrophil
      nomenclature.

PMID- 28360186
TI  - Family Chores: TRAF Family Proteins Help Recycle Cellular Rubbish by Regulating
      Autophagy Dynamics.

PMID- 28360188
TI  - Rapid detection of cfiA metallo-beta-lactamase-producing Bacteroides fragilis by
      the combination of MALDI-TOF MS and CarbaNP.
AB  - AIMS: Carbapenem resistance in Bacteroides fragilis is emerging and is mainly
      attributed to insertion sequence (IS)-mediated activation of the carbapenemase
      gene cfiA. We investigated the use of matrix-assisted laser desorption ionisation
      time-of-flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF MS) and the CarbaNP assay for the
      rapid identification of these strains. METHODS: This study used the Bruker MALDI
      Biotype system and the mass spectra models generated by 20 B. fragilis reference
      strains (10 cfiA-positive and 10 cfiA-negative) in the ClinProTools software to
      identify 404 B. fragilis (71 cfiA-positive and 333 cfiA-negative) clinical
      isolates. The ability of the CarbaNP assay to detect IS-mediated activation of
      the cfiA gene was assessed and the results obtained by molecular analysis were
      used as reference methods. RESULTS: The support vector machine model generated by
      ClinProTools was found to be the most reliable algorithm for differentiation of
      cfiA-positive and cfiA-negative B. fragilis subgroups. Using the direct transfer
      method, all but one cfiA-negative isolates were correctly identified to the two
      subgroups by the model. The correct identification of the cfiA-negative isolate
      was obtained upon retesting by the extraction method. Of the 81 cfiA-positive
      isolates, PCR and sequencing showed that 30 had an IS element providing the
      promoter for activation of cfiA. With regard to the presence of the IS element,
      the CarbaNP test in the cfiA upstream region had 100% sensitivity, 80.4%
      specificity, 75.0% positive predictive value and 100% negative predictive value.
      CONCLUSIONS: The combination of MALDI-TOF MS and the CarbaNP assay can be applied
      in diagnostic clinical laboratory for rapid identification of B. fragilis with IS
      element-activated cfiA gene.

PMID- 28360187
TI  - Growth throughout childhood of children born growth restricted.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: Many studies that examine growth in growth-restricted children at
      birth do not discriminate between fetal growth restriction (FGR) and small for
      gestational age (SGA). These terms however are not synonymous. In SGA, stunting
      and increased weight gain have been reported. We do not know if this holds true
      for FGR. Our aim was to study postnatal growth until age 12.5 years in a cohort
      of children born FGR due to early onset placental insufficiency, and its relation
      to FGR severity. DESIGN: Prospective cohort study, follow-up of an antenatal
      randomised controlled trial in two tertiary centres. PATIENTS: Children aged 12.5
      years born after FGR, with mothers who had severe early onset hypertensive
      pregnancy disorders (N=96). MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Anthropometry at age 12.5
      years in SD scores (SDS). RESULTS: Mean height SDS (SD) corrected for target
      height was -0.09 (0.94), mean body mass index (BMI) SDS was 0.00 (1.16) and mean
      head circumference SDS was -0.37 (1.11). Catch-up growth was at fastest rate
      between term age and 3 months and similar for height (0.55 SDS/months) and weight
      (0.49 SDS/months). Neither FGR severity nor gestational age was related to height
      and BMI at age 12.5 years. CONCLUSIONS: Children born growth restricted due to
      early onset placental insufficiency have height and BMI scores comparable to
      their age-matched peers at age 12.5 years. FGR severity was not related to height
      and BMI at age 12.5 years. These reassuring results differ from most studies that
      examine SGA children.

PMID- 28360189
TI  - Biobanking strategy and sample preprocessing for integrative research in
      monoclonal gammopathies.
AB  - AIMS: Some types of monoclonal gammopathies are typified by a very limited
      availability of aberrant cells. Modern research use high throughput technologies
      and an integrated approach for detailed characterisation of abnormal cells. This
      strategy requires relatively high amounts of starting material which cannot be
      obtained from every diagnosis without causing inconvenience to the patient. The
      aim of this methodological paper is to reflect our long experience with
      laboratory work and describe the best protocols for sample collection, sorting
      and further preprocessing in terms of the available number of cells and intended
      downstream application in monoclonal gammopathies research. Potential pitfalls
      are also discussed. METHODS: Comparison and optimisation of freezing and sorting
      protocols for plasma cells in monoclonal gammopathies, followed by testing of
      various nucleic acid isolation and amplification techniques to establish a
      guideline for sample processing in haemato-oncology research. RESULTS: We show
      the average numbers of aberrant cells that can be obtained from various
      monoclonal gammopathies (monoclonal gammopathy of undetermined significance/light
      chain amyloidosis/multiple myeloma (MM)/MM circulating plasma cells/ minimal
      residual disease MM-10 123/22 846/305 501/68 641/4000 aberrant plasma cells of
      48/30/10/16/37*106 bone marrow mononuclear cells) and the expected yield of
      nucleic acids provided from multiple isolation kits (DNA/RNA yield from 1 to
      200*103 cells was 2.14-427/0.12-123 ng). CONCLUSIONS: Tested kits for parallel
      isolation deliver outputs comparable with kits specialised for just one type of
      molecule. We also present our positive experience with the whole genome
      amplification method, which can serve as a very powerful tool to gain complex
      information from a very small cell population.

PMID- 28360191
TI  - miR-10b is a prognostic marker in clear cell renal cell carcinoma.
AB  - AIMS: Clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC) is the most common adult kidney
      cancer. It is an aggressive tumour with unpredictable outcome. The currently used
      clinical parameters are not always accurate for predicting disease behaviour. miR
      10b is dysregulated in different malignancies including RCC. METHODS: We assessed
      the clinical utility of miR-10b as a prognostic marker in 250 patients with
      primary ccRCC. We examined the correlation between miR-10b and
      clinicopathological parameters. We compared miR-10b expression among different
      RCC subtypes and normal kidney tissue. RESULTS: We observed a stepwise decrease
      of miR-10b expression from normal kidney to primary ccRCC and a further decrease
      from primary to metastatic RCC. miR-10b expression was significantly lower in
      stages III/IV compared with stages I/II (p=0.038). Using a binary cut-off, miR
      10b-positive patients had significantly longer disease-free survival (HR=0.47, CI
      0.28 to 0.79, p=0.004). In the subgroup of patients with tumour size >4 cm,
      higher miR-10b expression was associated with significant longer disease-free and
      overall survival (p=0.001 and p=0.036, respectively). miR-10b was significantly
      downregulated in ccRCC compared with normal kidney (p<0.0001), and oncocytoma
      (p=0.031). It was also downregulated in chromophobe RCC. In addition, we
      identified a number of miR-10b-predicted targets and pathways that are involved
      in tumourigenesis. CONCLUSIONS: Our data point to miR-10b as a promising
      prognostic marker in ccRCC with potential therapeutic applications.

PMID- 28360192
TI  - Exploring thoughts of suicide.

PMID- 28360190
TI  - Release of urinary extracellular vesicles in prostate cancer is associated with
      altered urinary N-glycosylation profile.
AB  - AIM: Nowadays, extracellular vesicles are of great interest in prostate cancer
      (PCa) research. Asparagine (N)-linked glycosylation could play a significant role
      in the pathological mechanism of these vesicles. We investigated if prostatic
      protein N-glycosylation profiles were related to urinary vesicle-associated
      prostate-specific antigen (PSA) extractability and if this parameter showed
      diagnostic potential for PCa. METHODS: Urinary extracellular vesicles were
      visualised using transmission electron microscopy. Urinary extracellular vesicles
      extraction by means of n-butanol allowed determination of urinary vesicle
      associated PSA extractability. Diagnostic value was assessed between benign
      prostate hyperplasia (BPH; n=122) and patients with PCa (n=85). Additionally,
      correlation with urine N-glycosylation was assessed. RESULTS: Urinary
      extracellular vesicles with a diameter of approximately 100 nm were more
      abundantly present in urine of patients with PCa versus patients with BPH
      resulting in a higher vesicle-associated PSA extraction ratio (p<0.001). Next,
      vesicle-associated PSA extraction ratio was correlated to biantennary core
      fucosylation (p=0.003). Finally, vesicle-associated PSA extraction ratio proved
      beneficial in PCa diagnosis, next to serum PSA and the urinary glycosylation
      marker (p=0.021). CONCLUSIONS: The urinary vesicle-associated PSA extraction
      ratio is increased in PCa which is a direct result of the abundant presence of
      extracellular vesicles in urine of patients with PCa. The urinary vesicle
      associated PSA extraction ratio was associated with changes in N-glycoforms and
      showed diagnostic potential. Further research is warranted to unravel the
      pathological link between N-glycosylation and extracellular vesicles in cancer,
      as well as to assess the prognostic value of this biomarker.

PMID- 28360193
TI  - A role for galectin-3 in the development of early molecular alterations in short
      term aortic stenosis.
AB  - Aortic stenosis (AS) is characterized by pressure overload and causes left
      ventricular (LV) fibrosis and inflammation, two mechanisms that eventually lead
      to cardiac dysfunction. Galectin-3 (Gal-3), a beta-galactoside-binding lectin,
      promotes cardiac remodelling. In the present study, we investigated the role of
      Gal-3 in LV remodelling in patients with AS and the effects of Gal-3 blockade in
      rats subjected to short-term (6-week) supravalvular aortic banding (AS group).
      Myocardial biopsies were obtained from 25 patients with severe AS referred for
      aortic valve replacement and from necropsies of 11 cardiovascular disease-free
      control individuals. Gal-3 was up-regulated in myocardial biopsies from AS
      patients compared with controls. Gal-3 directly correlated with parameters
      assessing myocardial fibrosis and inflammation in AS patients. Normotensive AS
      animals presented decreased LV diastolic diameter compared with controls. At the
      histological level, AS rats exhibited a slight increase in LV cross-sectional
      area and LV wall thickness, and augmented cardiomyocyte width and cross-sectional
      area. AS animals presented enhanced cardiac Gal-3 expression, which paralleled
      higher myocardial fibrosis and inflammation. Cardiac Gal-3 was associated with
      fibrosis and inflammatory markers. Gal-3 pharmacological inhibition prevented the
      increase in cardiac Gal-3 and normalized histological and molecular alterations
      in AS rats. In short-term AS, the increase in myocardial Gal-3 expression was
      associated with cardiac fibrosis and inflammation, alterations that were
      prevented by Gal-3 blockade. These data suggest that Gal-3 inhibition could be a
      novel therapeutic approach in the prevention of AS-associated early pathological
      cardiac remodelling.

PMID- 28360194
TI  - Neuronal nitric oxide synthase-derived hydrogen peroxide effect in grafts used in
      human coronary bypass surgery.
AB  - Recently, H2O2 has been identified as the endothelium-dependent hyperpolarizing
      factor (EDHF), which mediates flow-induced dilation in human coronary arteries.
      Neuronal nitric oxide synthase (nNOS) is expressed in the cardiovascular system
      and, besides NO, generates H2O2 The role of nNOS-derived H2O2 in human vessels is
      so far unknown. The present study was aimed at investigating the relevance of
      nNOS/H2O2 signaling in the human internal mammary artery (IMA) and saphenous vein
      (SV), the major conduits used in coronary artery bypass grafting. In the IMA, but
      not in the SV, ACh (acetylcholine)-induced vasodilatation was decreased by
      selective nNOS inhibition with TRIM or Inhibitor 1, and by catalase, which
      specifically decomposes H2O2 Superoxide dismutase (SOD), which generates H2O2
      from superoxide, decreased the vasodilator effect of ACh on SV. In the IMA, SOD
      diminished phenylephrine-induced contraction in endothelium-containing, but not
      in endothelium-denuded vessels. Importantly, while exogenous H2O2 produced
      vasodilatation in IMA, it constricted SV. ACh increased H2O2 production in both
      sets of vessels. In the IMA, the increase in H2O2 was inhibited by catalase and
      nNOS blockade. In SV, H2O2 production was abolished by catalase and reduced by
      nNOS inhibition. Immunofluorescence experiments showed the presence of nNOS in
      the vascular endothelium and smooth muscle cells of both the IMA and SV.
      Together, our results clearly show that H2O2 induced endothelium-dependent
      vascular relaxation in the IMA, whereas, in the SV, H2O2 was a vasoconstrictor.
      Thus, H2O2 produced in the coronary circulation may contribute to the
      susceptibility to accelerated atherosclerosis and progressive failure of the SV
      used as autogenous graft in coronary bypass surgery.

PMID- 28360195
TI  - G1/S phase progression is regulated by PLK1 degradation through the CDK1/betaTrCP
      axis.
AB  - Polo-like kinase 1 (PLK1) is a serine/threonine kinase involved in several stages
      of the cell cycle, including the entry and exit from mitosis, and cytokinesis.
      Furthermore, it has an essential role in the regulation of DNA replication.
      Together with cyclin A, PLK1 also promotes CDH1 phosphorylation to trigger its
      ubiquitination and degradation, allowing cell cycle progression. The PLK1 levels
      in different type of tumors are very high compared to normal tissues, which is
      consistent with its role in promoting proliferation. Therefore, several PLK1
      inhibitors have been developed and tested for the treatment of cancer. Here, we
      further analyzed PLK1 degradation and found that cytoplasmic PLK1 is
      ubiquitinated and subsequently degraded by the SCFbetaTrCP/proteasome. This
      procedure is triggered when heat shock protein (HSP) 90 is inhibited with
      geldanamycin, which results in misfolding of PLK1. We also identified CDK1 as the
      major kinase involved in this degradation. Our work shows for the first time that
      HSP90 inhibition arrests cell cycle progression at the G1/S transition. This
      novel mechanism inhibits CDH1 degradation through CDK1-dependent PLK1 destruction
      by the SCFbetaTrCP/proteasome. In these conditions, CDH1 substrates do not
      accumulate and cell cycle arrests, providing a novel pathway for regulation of
      the cell cycle at the G1-to-S boundary.-Giraldez, S., Galindo-Moreno, M., Limon
      Mortes, M. C., Rivas, A. C., Herrero-Ruiz, J., Mora-Santos, M., Saez, C., Japon,
      M. A., Tortolero, M., Romero, F. G1/S phase progression is regulated by PLK1
      degradation through the CDK1/betaTrCP axis.

PMID- 28360197
TI  - Donor Quality in the Eye of the Beholder: Interactions between Nonimmunologic
      Recipient and Donor Factors as Determinants of Graft Survival.

PMID- 28360196
TI  - Epithelial chemokine CXCL14 synergizes with CXCL12 via allosteric modulation of
      CXCR4.
AB  - The chemokine receptor, CXC chemokine receptor 4 (CXCR4), is selective for CXC
      chemokine ligand 12 (CXCL12), is broadly expressed in blood and tissue cells, and
      is essential during embryogenesis and hematopoiesis. CXCL14 is a homeostatic
      chemokine with unknown receptor selectivity and preferential expression in
      peripheral tissues. Here, we demonstrate that CXCL14 synergized with CXCL12 in
      the induction of chemokine responses in primary human lymphoid cells and cell
      lines that express CXCR4. Combining subactive concentrations of CXCL12 with 100
      300 nM CXCL14 resulted in chemotaxis responses that exceeded maximal responses
      that were obtained with CXCL12 alone. CXCL14 did not activate CXCR4-expressing
      cells (i.e., failed to trigger chemotaxis and Ca2+ mobilization, as well as
      signaling via ERK1/2 and the small GTPase Rac1); however, CXCL14 bound to CXCR4
      with high affinity, induced redistribution of cell-surface CXCR4, and enhanced
      HIV-1 infection by >3-fold. We postulate that CXCL14 is a positive allosteric
      modulator of CXCR4 that enhances the potency of CXCR4 ligands. Our findings
      provide new insights that will inform the development of novel therapeutics that
      target CXCR4 in a range of diseases, including cancer, autoimmunity, and HIV.
      Collins, P. J., McCully, M. L., Martinez-Munoz, L., Santiago, C., Wheeldon, J.,
      Caucheteux, S., Thelen, S., Cecchinato, V., Laufer, J. M., Purvanov, V., Monneau,
      Y. R., Lortat-Jacob, H., Legler, D. F., Uguccioni, M., Thelen, M., Piguet, V.,
      Mellado, M., Moser, B. Epithelial chemokine CXCL14 synergizes with CXCL12 via
      allosteric modulation of CXCR4.

PMID- 28360199
TI  - Y chromosome's roles in sex differences in disease.

PMID- 28360198
TI  - Donor-Recipient Weight and Sex Mismatch and the Risk of Graft Loss in Renal
      Transplantation.
AB  - BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Relatively smaller kidney donor to recipient size is
      proposed to result in higher graft loss due to nephron underdosing and
      hyperfiltration injury, but the potentially additive effect of sex and weight
      mismatch has not been explored in detail. The purpose of this study was to
      determine if concurrent donor and recipient absolute weight and sex mismatch was
      associated with graft loss in a cohort of deceased donor kidney transplant
      recipients. DESIGN, SETTING, PARTICIPANTS, & MEASUREMENTS: The association of
      kidney donor and recipient absolute weight and sex difference with death-censored
      graft loss was explored using a cohort of United States deceased donor recipients
      between 2000 and 2014 through the Scientific Registry of Transplants Recipients.
      Donor-recipient sex pairings (male donor-male recipient; female donor-female
      recipient; male donor-female recipient; female donor-male recipient) were further
      stratified by donor and recipient absolute weight difference (>30 or 10-30 kg
      [donor<recipient; donor>recipient] or <10 kg [donor=recipient]) resulting in 20
      weight and sex pairings. Time to death-censored graft loss for each pairing was
      evaluated using multivariable Cox proportional hazards models adjusting for
      donor, immunologic, surgical, and recipient predictors of graft loss compared
      with the reference group of male donor-male recipients with no weight mismatch
      (<10 kg difference). RESULTS: Of 115,124 kidney transplant recipients, 21,261
      developed death-censored graft failure (median graft survival time was 3.8 years;
      quartile 1 to 3, 0.0 to 14.8 years). After multivariable adjustment, the highest
      relative hazards for graft failure were observed for female recipients of male
      donor kidneys and male recipients of female donor kidneys in situations where the
      recipient was >30 kg larger than donor (hazard ratio, 1.50; 95% confidence
      interval, 1.32 to 1.70; hazard ratio, 1.35; 95% confidence interval, 1.25 to
      1.45, respectively). CONCLUSIONS: A concurrent mismatch in donor-recipient weight
      (donor<recipient) and donor-recipient sex is associated with a higher risk of
      death-censored graft loss in kidney transplantation.

PMID- 28360200
TI  - Toward neuroprotective treatments of Parkinson's disease.

PMID- 28360201
TI  - Ralph J. Cicerone: His scientific legacy and a long friendship.

PMID- 28360202
TI  - Preventing acquisition of HIV is the only path to an AIDS-free generation.

PMID- 28360203
TI  - Design of energy-transducing artificial cells.

PMID- 28360204
TI  - Assessing Bone Marrow Activity in Patients with Myelofibrosis: Results of a Pilot
      Study of 18F-FLT PET.
AB  - An emerging noninvasive approach to assess tissue proliferation uses the PET
      tracer 3'-deoxy-3'-18F-fluorothymidine (18F-FLT). To evaluate the diagnostic
      value of this technique in myelofibrosis, 18F-FLT PET imaging results were
      compared with bone marrow histology and bone marrow scintigraphy (BMS), the gold
      standard techniques in this clinical situation. Methods: Fifteen patients with
      histology-proven myelofibrosis were included consecutively in the study. Tracers'
      distributions were assessed using a visual grading assessment score of the uptake
      in the axial skeleton, proximal and distal limbs, liver, and spleen. This visual
      score was used to define patterns of tracer distribution and to compare the
      information provided either by PET or by BMS. A semiquantitative analysis with
      determination of SUVmax in the same localizations was performed for 18F-FLT PET.
      Results: The histology grade of fibrosis correlated with the SUVmax in the axial
      skeleton (spine and iliac crests) and proximal limbs. 18F-FLT uptake in these
      areas was much lower in patients with grade 3 fibrosis than in patients with
      grade 1 or 2 fibrosis. 18F-FLT PET showed the same distribution of uptake as BMS
      in 13 of 14 patients (1 patient did not undergo BMS). In 1 patient, 18F-FLT PET
      clearly showed an intense abnormal splenic uptake, whereas spleen uptake was
      inconclusive with BMS. Conclusion:18F-FLT PET appears to be a reliable and
      convenient technique to assess hematopoietic activity in bone marrow. It yields
      results close to those observed with BMS. In our study population, 18F-FLT uptake
      in the axial skeleton and proximal limbs assessed by SUVmax correlated with the
      grade of fibrosis. Thus, 18F-FLT PET may be a useful tool to measure the severity
      of myelofibrosis, and to monitor noninvasively the patients' status during follow
      up. Finally, 18F-FLT PET may be foreseen as an alternative to BMS.

PMID- 28360205
TI  - Simulation of Tracer Dose Reduction in 18F-FDG PET/MRI: Effects on Oncologic
      Reading, Image Quality, and Artifacts.
AB  - The aim of our study was to evaluate the effect of stepwise-reduced doses on
      objective and subjective image parameters and on oncologic readings in whole-body
      18F-FDG PET/MRI. Methods: We retrospectively simulated the stepwise reduction of
      18F-FDG doses of 19 patients (mean age +/- SD, 50.9 +/- 11.7 y; mean body mass
      index +/- SD, 22.8 +/- 3.2 kg/m2) who received a whole-body PET/MRI examination
      from 3 to 0.5 MBq/kg of body weight (kgBW) in intervals of 0.25. Objective
      imaging parameters were assessed by measuring the SUV and coefficient of
      variation in different regions (aorta, liver, spleen, kidney, small bowel, lumbar
      vertebra, psoas muscle, urinary bladder) as well as the noise-equivalent counting
      rates in each bed position. Subjective image quality was evaluated with a masked
      reading of each simulated PET compared with the dose of 2 MBq/kgBW. Oncologic
      reading was performed first according to PERCIST in each dose and second by
      defining malignant lesions in doses of 2 MBq/kgBW and the maximum dose image
      (gold standard). The diagnostic confidence of each lesion was measured using a
      Likert scale. Results: With decreasing doses, regions in the mid abdomen showed a
      stronger decrease of SUVmean and noise-equivalent counting rates than regions in
      the upper abdomen (SUVmean, -45% and -15% on average in the small bowel and the
      liver, respectively). The coefficient of variation showed a nonlinear increase,
      pronounced below 1.5 MBq/kgBW. Subjective image quality was stable over a range
      between 1.25 and 2.75 MBq/kgBW compared with 2 MBq/kgBW. However, large
      photopenic areas in the mid abdomen were observed in 2 patients. In the PERCIST
      reading, target lesions were above the liver threshold with a stable SUVpeak in
      all cases down to 2 MBq/kgBW. Eighty-six of 90 lesions were identified correctly
      with a dose of 2 MBq/kgBW; Likert scores did not differ significantly.
      Conclusion: A reduction of doses in 18F-FDG PET/MRI might be possible down to 2
      MBq/kgBW in oncologic whole-body examinations. The image quality in the mid
      abdomen seems to be more affected by lower doses than in the upper abdomen, and
      in single cases large photopenic areas can occur. Therefore, we do not recommend
      reducing doses below 3 MBq/kgBW in adults at this time.

PMID- 28360206
TI  - Human Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor 3-Specific Tumor Uptake and
      Biodistribution of 89Zr-MSB0010853 Visualized by Real-Time and Noninvasive PET
      Imaging.
AB  - The human epidermal growth factor receptor 3 (HER3) is an interesting target for
      antitumor therapy. For optimal HER3 signaling inhibition, a biparatopic Nanobody
      construct (MSB0010853) was developed that binds 2 different HER3 epitopes. In
      addition, MSB0010853 contains a third HER3 epitope that binds albumin to extend
      its circulation time. MSB0010853 is cross-reactive with HER3 and albumin of mouse
      origin. We aimed to gain insight into MSB0010853 biodistribution and tumor uptake
      by radiolabeling the Nanobody construct with 89Zr. Methods: MSB0010853 was
      radiolabeled with 89Zr. Dose- and time-dependent tumor uptake was studied in nude
      BALB/c mice bearing a subcutaneous HER3 overexpressing H441 non-small cell lung
      cancer xenograft. Dose-dependent biodistribution of 89Zr-MSB0010853 was assessed
      ex vivo at 24 h after intravenous injection. Protein doses of 5, 10, 25, 100, and
      1,000 MUg were used. Time-dependent biodistribution of MSB0010853 was analyzed ex
      vivo at 3, 6, 24, and 96 h after intravenous administration of 25 MUg of 89Zr
      MSB0010853. PET imaging and biodistribution were performed 24 h after
      administration of 25 MUg of 89Zr-MSB0010853 to mice bearing human H441, FaDu
      (high HER3 expression), or Calu-1 (no HER3 expression) tumor xenografts. Results:
      Radiolabeling of MSB0010853 with 89Zr was performed with a radiochemical purity
      of greater than 95%. Ex vivo biodistribution showed protein dose- and time
      dependent distribution of 89Zr-MSB0010853 in all organs. Uptake of 89Zr
      MSB0010853 in H441 tumors was only time-dependent. Tumor could be visualized up
      to at least 96 h after injection. The highest mean SUV of 0.6 +/- 0.2 was
      observed at 24 h after injection of 25 MUg of 89Zr-MSB0010853. 89Zr-MSB0010853
      tumor uptake correlated with HER3 expression and was highest in H441 (6.2 +/- 1.1
      percentage injected dose per gram [%ID/g]) and lowest in Calu-1 (2.3 +/- 0.3
      %ID/g) xenografts. Conclusion:89Zr-MSB0010853 organ distribution and tumor uptake
      in mice are time-dependent, and tumor uptake correlates with HER3 expression. In
      contrast to tumor uptake except for kidney uptake, organ distribution of 89Zr
      MSB0010853 is protein dose-dependent for the tested doses. 89Zr-MSB0010853 PET
      imaging gives insight into the in vivo behavior of MSB0010853.

PMID- 28360207
TI  - 18F-Fluoromisonidazole Kinetic Modeling for Characterization of Tumor Perfusion
      and Hypoxia in Response to Antiangiogenic Therapy.
AB  - Multiparametric imaging of tumor perfusion and hypoxia with dynamic 18F
      fluoromisonidazole (18F-FMISO) PET may allow for an improved response assessment
      to antiangiogenic therapies. Cediranib (AZD2171) is a potent inhibitor of
      tyrosine kinase activity associated with vascular endothelial growth factor
      receptors 1, 2, and 3, currently in phase II/III clinical trials. Serial dynamic
      18F-FMISO PET was performed to investigate changes in tumor biomarkers of
      perfusion and hypoxia after cediranib treatment. Methods: Twenty-one rats bearing
      HT29 colorectal xenograft tumors were randomized into a vehicle-treated control
      group (0.5% methylcellulose daily for 2 d [5 rats] or 7 d [4 rats]) and a
      cediranib-treated test group (3 mg/kg daily for 2 or 7 d; 6 rats in both groups).
      All rats were imaged before and after treatment, using a 90-min dynamic PET
      acquisition after administration of 42.1 +/- 3.9 MBq of 18F-FMISO by tail vein
      injection. Tumor volumes were delineated manually, and the input function was
      image-derived (abdominal aorta). Kinetic modeling was performed using an
      irreversible 1-plasma 2-tissue compartmental model to estimate the kinetic rate
      constants K1, K1/k2, and k3-surrogates for perfusion, 18F-FMISO distribution
      volume, and hypoxia-mediated entrapment, respectively. Tumor-to-blood ratios
      (TBRs) were calculated on the last dynamic frame (80-90 min). Tumors were
      assessed ex vivo by digital autoradiography and immunofluorescence for
      microscopic visualization of perfusion (pimonidazole) and hypoxia (Hoechst
      33342). Results: Cediranib treatment resulted in significant reduction of mean
      voxelwise 18F-FMISO TBR, K1, and K1/k2 in both the 2-d and the 7-d groups (P <
      0.05). The k3 parameter was increased in both groups but reached significance
      only in the 2-d group. In the vehicle-treated groups, no significant change in
      TBR, K1, K1/k2, or k3 was observed (P > 0.2). Ex vivo tumor analysis confirmed
      the presence of hypoxic tumor regions that nevertheless exhibited relatively
      lower 18F-FMISO uptake. Conclusion:18F-FMISO kinetic modeling reveals a more
      detailed response to antiangiogenic treatment than a single static image is able
      to reveal. The reduced mean K1 reflects a reduction in tumor vascular perfusion,
      whereas the increased k3 reflects a rise in hypoxia-mediated entrapment of the
      radiotracer. However, if only late static images are analyzed, the observed
      reduction in 18F-FMISO uptake after treatment with cediranib may be mistakenly
      interpreted as a global decrease, rather than an increase, in tumor hypoxia.
      These findings support the use of 18F-FMISO kinetic modeling to more accurately
      characterize the response to treatments that have a direct effect on tumor
      vascularization and perfusion.

PMID- 28360210
TI  - Learning from Failure; Hypoxia Is an Evil Foe.

PMID- 28360208
TI  - Prediction of Response to Immune Checkpoint Inhibitor Therapy Using Early-Time
      Point 18F-FDG PET/CT Imaging in Patients with Advanced Melanoma.
AB  - The purpose of this study was to evaluate 18F-FDG PET/CT scanning as an early
      predictor of response to immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) in patients with
      advanced melanoma. Methods: Twenty patients with advanced melanoma receiving ICI
      prospectively underwent 18F-FDG PET/CT at 3 scan intervals: before treatment
      initiation (SCAN-1), at days 21-28 (SCAN-2), and at 4 mo (SCAN-3). This study was
      approved by the institutional review board, and informed consent was received
      from all patients who were enrolled between April 2012 and December 2013. Tumor
      response at each posttreatment time point was assessed according to RECIST 1.1,
      immune-related response criteria, PERCIST (PERCIST 1.0), and European
      Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer (EORTC) criteria. Performance
      characteristics of each metric to predict best overall response (BOR) at >= 4 mo
      were assessed. Results: Twenty evaluable patients were treated with ipilimumab (n
      = 16), BMS-936559 (n = 3), or nivolumab (n = 1). BOR at >= 4 mo included complete
      response (n = 2), partial response (n = 2), stable disease (n = 1), and
      progressive disease (n = 15). Response evaluations at SCAN-2 using RECIST 1.1,
      immune-related response criteria, PERCIST, and EORTC criteria demonstrated
      accuracies of 75%, 70%, 70%, and 65%, respectively, to predict BOR at >= 4 mo.
      Interestingly, the optimal PERCIST and EORTC threshold values at SCAN-2 to
      predict BOR were >15.5% and >14.7%, respectively. By combining anatomic and
      functional imaging data collected at SCAN-2, we developed criteria to predict
      eventual response to ICI with 100% sensitivity, 93% specificity, and 95%
      accuracy. Conclusion: Combining functional and anatomic imaging parameters from
      18F-FDG PET/CT scans performed early in ICI appears predictive for eventual
      response in patients with advanced melanoma. These findings require validation in
      larger cohorts.

PMID- 28360209
TI  - Preclinical Evaluation of RYM1, a Matrix Metalloproteinase-Targeted Tracer for
      Imaging Aneurysm.
AB  - Matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) play a key role in abdominal aortic aneurysm
      (AAA) development. Accordingly, MMP-targeted imaging provides important
      information regarding vessel wall biology in the course of aneurysm development.
      Given the small size of the vessel wall and its proximity with blood, molecular
      imaging of aneurysm optimally requires highly sensitive tracers with rapid blood
      clearance. To this end, we developed a novel hydrosoluble zwitterionic MMP
      inhibitor, RYM, on the basis of which a pan-MMP tracer, RYM1, was designed. Here,
      we describe the development and preclinical evaluation of RYM1 in comparison with
      RP805, a commonly used pan-MMP tracer in murine models of aneurysm. Methods: The
      macrocyclic hydroxamate-based pan-MMP inhibitor coupled with 6
      hydrazinonicotinamide, RYM1, was synthesized and labeled with 99mTc.
      Radiochemical stability of 99mTc-RYM1 was evaluated by radio-high-performance
      liquid chromatography analysis. Tracer blood kinetics and biodistribution were
      compared with 99mTc-RP805 in C57BL/6J mice (n = 10). 99mTc-RYM1 binding to
      aneurysm and specificity were evaluated by quantitative autoradiography in
      apolipoprotein E-deficient (apoE-/-) mice with CaCl2-induced carotid aneurysm (n
      = 11). Angiotensin II-infused apoE-/- (n = 16) mice were used for small-animal
      SPECT/CT imaging. Aortic tissue MMP activity and macrophage marker CD68
      expression were assessed by zymography and reverse-transcription polymerase chain
      reaction. Results: RYM1 showed nanomolar range inhibition constants for several
      MMPs. 99mTc-RYM1 was radiochemically stable in mouse blood for 5 h and
      demonstrated rapid renal clearance and lower blood levels in vivo compared with
      99mTc-RP805. 99mTc-RYM1 binding to aneurysm and its specificity were shown by
      autoradiography in carotid aneurysm. Angiotensin II infusion in apoE-/- mice for
      4 wk resulted in AAA formation in 36% (4/11) of surviving animals. In vivo 99mTc
      RYM1 small-animal SPECT/CT images showed higher uptake of the tracer in AAA than
      nondilated aortae. Finally, aortic uptake of 99mTc-RYM1 in vivo correlated with
      aortic MMP activity and CD68 expression. Conclusion: The newly developed pan-MMP
      inhibitor-based tracer 99mTc-RYM1 displays favorable pharmacokinetics for early
      vascular imaging and enables specific detection of inflammation and MMP activity
      in aneurysm.

PMID- 28360211
TI  - Quantitation of Cancer Treatment Response by 18F-FDG PET/CT: Multicenter
      Assessment of Measurement Variability.
AB  - The aim of this study was to assess the interobserver variability of quantitative
      18F-FDG PET/CT parameters used in assessments of treatment response across
      multiple sites and readers. Methods: Paired pre- and posttreatment 18F-FDG PET/CT
      images of 30 oncologic patients were distributed to 22 readers across 15 U.S. and
      international sites. One reader was aware of the full medical history
      (readreference) of the patients, whereas the 21 other readers were unaware. The
      readers selected the single hottest tumor from each study, and made SUV
      measurements from this target lesion and the liver. Descriptive statistics,
      percentage changes in the measurements, and their agreements were obtained.
      Results: The intraclass correlation coefficient for the percentage change in
      SUVmax (%DeltaSUVmax) of the hottest tumor was 0.894 (95% confidence interval
      [CI], 0.813-0.941), and the individual equivalence coefficient was 1.931 (95% CI,
      0.568-6.449) when all reads were included (n = 638). When only the measurements
      that selected the same target tumor as the readreference (n = 486) were included,
      the intraclass correlation coefficient for the %DeltaSUVmax was 0.944 (95% CI,
      0.841-0.989), and the individual equivalence coefficient was -0.688 (95% CI, 
      1.810 to -0.092). The absolute change in SUVmean of liver corrected for lean body
      mass showed upper and lower limits of agreement (average bias +/- 2 SDs) of 0.13
      and -0.13 g/mL. Conclusion: The quantitative tumor SUV changes measured across
      multiple sites and readers show a high correlation. Selection of the same tumor
      target among readers further increased the degree of correlation.

PMID- 28360212
TI  - Correlation of 18F-FDG PET and MRI Apparent Diffusion Coefficient Histogram
      Metrics with Survival in Diffuse Intrinsic Pontine Glioma: A Report from the
      Pediatric Brain Tumor Consortium.
AB  - The purpose of this study was to describe baseline 18F-FDG PET voxel
      characteristics in pediatric diffuse intrinsic pontine glioma (DIPG) and to
      correlate these metrics with baseline MRI apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC)
      histogram metrics, progression-free survival (PFS), and overall survival.
      Methods: Baseline brain 18F-FDG PET and MRI scans were obtained in 33 children
      from Pediatric Brain Tumor Consortium clinical DIPG trials. 18F-FDG PET images,
      postgadolinium MR images, and ADC MR images were registered to baseline fluid
      attenuation inversion recovery MR images. Three-dimensional regions of interest
      on fluid attenuation inversion recovery MR images and postgadolinium MR images
      and 18F-FDG PET and MR ADC histograms were generated. Metrics evaluated included
      peak number, skewness, and kurtosis. Correlation between PET and MR ADC histogram
      metrics was evaluated. PET pixel values within the region of interest for each
      tumor were plotted against MR ADC values. The association of these imaging
      markers with survival was described. Results: PET histograms were almost always
      unimodal (94%, vs. 6% bimodal). None of the PET histogram parameters (skewness or
      kurtosis) had a significant association with PFS, although a higher PET
      postgadolinium skewness tended toward a less favorable PFS (hazard ratio, 3.48;
      95% confidence interval [CI], 0.75-16.28 [P = 0.11]). There was a significant
      association between higher MR ADC postgadolinium skewness and shorter PFS (hazard
      ratio, 2.56; 95% CI, 1.11-5.91 [P = 0.028]), and there was the suggestion that
      this also led to shorter overall survival (hazard ratio, 2.18; 95% CI, 0.95-5.04
      [P = 0.067]). Higher MR ADC postgadolinium kurtosis tended toward shorter PFS
      (hazard ratio, 1.30; 95% CI, 0.98-1.74 [P = 0.073]). PET and MR ADC pixel values
      were negatively correlated using the Pearson correlation coefficient. Further,
      the level of PET and MR ADC correlation was significantly positively associated
      with PFS; tumors with higher values of ADC-PET correlation had more favorable PFS
      (hazard ratio, 0.17; 95% CI, 0.03-0.89 [P = 0.036]), suggesting that a higher
      level of negative ADC-PET correlation leads to less favorable PFS. A more
      significant negative correlation may indicate higher-grade elements within the
      tumor leading to poorer outcomes. Conclusion:18F-FDG PET and MR ADC histogram
      metrics in pediatric DIPG demonstrate different characteristics with often a
      negative correlation between PET and MR ADC pixel values. A higher negative
      correlation is associated with a worse PFS, which may indicate higher-grade
      elements within the tumor.

PMID- 28360215
TI  - Correction for Arl13b regulates Shh signaling from both inside and outside the
      cilium.

PMID- 28360213
TI  - Forty years on: clathrin-coated pits continue to fascinate.
AB  - Clathrin-mediated endocytosis (CME) is a fundamental process in cell biology and
      has been extensively investigated over the past several decades. Every cell
      biologist learns about it at some point during his or her education, and the
      beauty of this process has led many of us to go deeper and make it the topic of
      our research. Great progress has been made toward elucidating the mechanisms of
      CME, and the field is becoming increasingly complex, with several hundred new
      publications every year. This makes it easy to get lost in the vast amount of
      literature and forget about the fundamentals of the field, which are based on the
      careful interpretation of simple observations made >40 years ago, as exemplified
      by a study performed by Anderson, Brown, and Goldstein in 1977. We examine how
      this seminal study was pivotal to our understanding of CME and its progression
      into ever-increasing complexity over the past four decades.

PMID- 28360217
TI  - Bilateral Lung Transplantation for Bleomycin-Associated Lung Injury.
AB  - This report details the successful use of bilateral lung transplantation for the
      management of severe postoperative bleomycin-associated lung injury. This case
      highlights that the extremely favorable prognosis of advanced testicular germ
      cell tumors after systemic chemotherapy (>90% cure rate) should not preclude lung
      transplant consideration in all cases, despite current guidance that considers an
      advanced malignancy to be a contraindication for lung transplant listing. The
      Oncologist 2017;22:620-622.

PMID- 28360218
TI  - A productive NHS.

PMID- 28360216
TI  - Prolonged Temozolomide Maintenance Therapy in Newly Diagnosed Glioblastoma.
AB  - BACKGROUND: The impact of prolonging temozolomide (TMZ) maintenance beyond six
      cycles in newly diagnosed glioblastoma (GBM) remains a topic of discussion. We
      investigated the effects of prolonged TMZ maintenance on progression-free
      survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS). PATIENTS AND METHODS: In this
      retrospective single-center cohort study, we included patients with GBM who were
      treated with radiation therapy with concomitant and adjuvant TMZ. For analysis,
      patients were considered who either completed six TMZ maintenance cycles (group
      B), continued with TMZ therapy beyond six cycles (group C), or stopped TMZ
      maintenance therapy within the first six cycles (group A). Patients with
      progression during the first six TMZ maintenance cycles were excluded. RESULTS:
      Clinical data from 107 patients were included for Kaplan-Meier analyses and 102
      for Cox regressions. Median PFS times were 8.1 months (95% confidence interval
      [CI] 6.1-12.4) in group A, 13.7 months (95% CI 10.6-17.5) in group B, and 20.9
      months (95% CI 15.2-43.5) in group C. At first progression, response rates of
      TMZ/lomustine rechallenge were 47% in group B and 13% in group C. Median OS times
      were 12.7 months (95% CI 10.3-16.8) in group A, 25.2 months (95% CI 17.7-55.5) in
      group B, and 28.6 months (95% CI 24.4-open) in group C. Nevertheless,
      multivariate Cox regression for patients in group C compared with group B that
      accounted for imbalances of other risk factors showed no different relative risk
      (RR) for OS (RR 0.77, p = .46). CONCLUSION: Our data do not support a general
      extension of TMZ maintenance therapy beyond six cycles. The Oncologist
      2017;22:570-575 IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTICE: Radiation therapy with concomitant and
      adjuvant temozolomide (TMZ) maintenance therapy is still the standard of care in
      patients below the age of 65 years in newly diagnosed glioblastoma. However, in
      clinical practice, many centers continue TMZ maintenance therapy beyond six
      cycles. The impact of this continuation is controversial and has not yet been
      addressed in prospective randomized clinical trials. We compared the effect of
      more than six cycles of TMZ in comparison with exactly six cycles on overall
      survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS) by multivariate analysis and
      found a benefit in PFS but not OS. Thus, our data do not suggest prolonging TMZ
      maintenance therapy beyond six cycles, which should be considered in
      neurooncological practice.

PMID- 28360214
TI  - Genetically encoded fluorescent tags.
AB  - Genetically encoded fluorescent tags are protein sequences that can be fused to a
      protein of interest to render it fluorescent. These tags have revolutionized cell
      biology by allowing nearly any protein to be imaged by light microscopy at
      submicrometer spatial resolution and subsecond time resolution in a live cell or
      organism. They can also be used to measure protein abundance in thousands to
      millions of cells using flow cytometry. Here I provide an introduction to the
      different genetic tags available, including both intrinsically fluorescent
      proteins and proteins that derive their fluorescence from binding of either
      endogenous or exogenous fluorophores. I discuss their optical and biological
      properties and guidelines for choosing appropriate tags for an experiment. Tools
      for tagging nucleic acid sequences and reporter molecules that detect the
      presence of different biomolecules are also briefly discussed.

PMID- 28360219
TI  - A new mechanism of voltage-dependent gating exposed by KV10.1 channels
      interrupted between voltage sensor and pore.
AB  - Voltage-gated ion channels couple transmembrane potential changes to ion flow.
      Conformational changes in the voltage-sensing domain (VSD) of the channel are
      thought to be transmitted to the pore domain (PD) through an alpha-helical linker
      between them (S4-S5 linker). However, our recent work on channels disrupted in
      the S4-S5 linker has challenged this interpretation for the KCNH family.
      Furthermore, a recent single-particle cryo-electron microscopy structure of
      KV10.1 revealed that the S4-S5 linker is a short loop in this KCNH family member,
      confirming the need for an alternative gating model. Here we use "split" channels
      made by expression of VSD and PD as separate fragments to investigate the
      mechanism of gating in KV10.1. We find that disruption of the covalent connection
      within the S4 helix compromises the ability of channels to close at negative
      voltage, whereas disconnecting the S4-S5 linker from S5 slows down activation and
      deactivation kinetics. Surprisingly, voltage-clamp fluorometry and MTS
      accessibility assays show that the motion of the S4 voltage sensor is virtually
      unaffected when VSD and PD are not covalently bound. Finally, experiments using
      constitutively open PD mutants suggest that the presence of the VSD is
      structurally important for the conducting conformation of the pore. Collectively,
      our observations offer partial support to the gating model that assumes that an
      inward motion of the C-terminal S4 helix, rather than the S4-S5 linker, closes
      the channel gate, while also suggesting that control of the pore by the voltage
      sensor involves more than one mechanism.

PMID- 28360220
TI  - The Use of Sildenafil for Glomerular Disease.

PMID- 28360222
TI  - Novel imaging detailing the origins of a pneumothorax.
AB  - This is a prospective clinical study aimed at introducing a method to visualise
      the location of an air leak and to identify the bulla responsible on three
      dimensional (3-D) cine CT. In 10 patients with spontaneous pneumothorax, dynamic
      320-detector row CT was performed with injection of 0.9% saline into the affected
      pleural cavity via a preplaced chest tube. In eight cases, 3-D cine CT
      thoracography revealed the location of the air leak and the bulla responsible (7
      cases: air stream sign; 1 case: repeated collapse and expansion of a bulla with
      the patient's breathing).

PMID- 28360223
TI  - Risk stratification based on screening history: the NELSON lung cancer screening
      study.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Debate about the optimal lung cancer screening strategy is ongoing.
      In this study, previous screening history of the Dutch-Belgian Lung Cancer
      Screening trial (NELSON) is investigated on if it predicts the screening outcome
      (test result and lung cancer risk) of the final screening round. METHODS: 15 792
      participants were randomised (1:1) of which 7900 randomised into a screening
      group. CT screening took place at baseline, and after 1, 2 and 2.5 years.
      Initially, three screening outcomes were possible: negative, indeterminate or
      positive scan result. Probability for screening outcome in the fourth round was
      calculated for subgroups of participants. RESULTS: Based on results of the first
      three rounds, three subgroups were identified: (1) those with exclusively
      negative results (n=3856; 73.0%); (2) those with >=1 indeterminate result, but
      never a positive result (n=1342; 25.5%); and (3) with >=1 positive result (n=81;
      1.5%). Group 1 had the highest probability for having a negative scan result in
      round 4 (97.2% vs 94.8% and 90.1%, respectively, p<0.001), and the lowest risk
      for detecting lung cancer in round 4 (0.6% vs 1.6%, p=0.001). 'Smoked pack-years'
      and 'screening history' significantly predicted the fourth round test result. The
      third round results implied that the risk for detecting lung cancer (after an
      interval of 2.5 years) was 0.6% for those with negative results compared with
      3.7% of those with indeterminate results. CONCLUSIONS: Previous CT lung cancer
      screening results provides an opportunity for further risk stratifications of
      those who undergo lung cancer screening. TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER: Results,
      ISRCTN63545820.

PMID- 28360224
TI  - Ultrasound evaluation of diaphragm function in mechanically ventilated patients:
      comparison to phrenic stimulation and prognostic implications.
AB  - RATIONALE: In intensive care unit (ICU) patients, diaphragm dysfunction is
      associated with adverse clinical outcomes. Ultrasound measurements of diaphragm
      thickness, excursion (EXdi) and thickening fraction (TFdi) are putative
      estimators of diaphragm function, but have never been compared with phrenic nerve
      stimulation. Our aim was to describe the relationship between these variables and
      diaphragm function evaluated using the change in endotracheal pressure after
      phrenic nerve stimulation (Ptr,stim), and to compare their prognostic value.
      METHODS: Between November 2014 and June 2015, Ptr,stim and ultrasound variables
      were measured in mechanically ventilated patients <24 hours after intubation
      ('initiation of mechanical ventilation (MV)', under assist-control ventilation,
      ACV) and at the time of switch to pressure support ventilation ('switch to PSV'),
      and compared using Spearman's correlation and receiver operating characteristic
      curve analysis. Diaphragm dysfunction was defined as Ptr,stim <11 cm H2O.
      RESULTS: 112 patients were included. At initiation of MV, Ptr,stim was not
      correlated to diaphragm thickness (p=0.28), EXdi (p=0.66) or TFdi (p=0.80). At
      switch to PSV, TFdi and EXdi were respectively very strongly and moderately
      correlated to Ptr,stim, (r=0.87, p<0.001 and 0.45, p=0.001), but diaphragm
      thickness was not (p=0.45). A TFdi <29% could reliably identify diaphragm
      dysfunction (sensitivity and specificity of 85% and 88%), but diaphragm thickness
      and EXdi could not. This value was associated with increased duration of ICU stay
      and MV, and mortality. CONCLUSIONS: Under ACV, diaphragm thickness, EXdi and TFdi
      were uncorrelated to Ptr,stim. Under PSV, TFdi was strongly correlated to
      diaphragm strength and both were predictors of remaining length of MV and ICU and
      hospital death.

PMID- 28360225
TI  - Biomarker Profiles in Heart Failure Patients With Preserved and Reduced Ejection
      Fraction.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Biomarkers may help us to unravel differences in the underlying
      pathophysiology between heart failure (HF) patients with a reduced ejection
      fraction (HFrEF) and a preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF). Therefore, we
      compared biomarker profiles to characterize pathophysiological differences
      between patients with HFrEF and HFpEF. METHODS AND RESULTS: We retrospectively
      analyzed 33 biomarkers from different pathophysiological domains (inflammation,
      oxidative stress, remodeling, cardiac stretch, angiogenesis, arteriosclerosis,
      and renal function) in 460 HF patients (21% HFpEF, left ventricular ejection
      fraction >=45%) measured at discharge after hospitalization for acute HF. The
      association between these markers and the occurrence of all-cause mortality
      and/or HF-related rehospitalizations at 18 months was compared between patients
      with HFrEF and HFpEF. Patients were 70.6+/-11.4 years old and 37.4% were female.
      Patients with HFpEF were older, more often female, and had a higher systolic
      blood pressure. Levels of high-sensitive C-reactive protein were significantly
      higher in HFpEF, while levels of pro-atrial-type natriuretic peptide and N
      terminal pro-brain natriuretic peptide were higher in HFrEF. Linear regression
      followed by network analyses revealed prominent inflammation and angiogenesis
      associated interactions in HFpEF and mainly cardiac stretch-associated
      interactions in HFrEF. The angiogenesis-specific marker, neuropilin and the
      remodeling-specific marker, osteopontin were predictive for all-cause mortality
      and/or HF-related rehospitalizations at 18 months in HFpEF, but not in HFrEF (P
      for interaction <0.05). CONCLUSIONS: In HFpEF, inflammation and angiogenesis
      mediated interactions are predominantly observed, while stretch-mediated
      interactions are found in HFrEF. The remodeling marker osteopontin and the
      angiogenesis marker neuropilin predicted outcome in HFpEF, but not in HFrEF.

PMID- 28360226
TI  - Dual Function for Mature Vascular Smooth Muscle Cells During Arteriovenous
      Fistula Remodeling.
AB  - BACKGROUND: The arteriovenous fistula (AVF) is the preferred form of hemodialysis
      access for patients with chronic kidney disease. However, AVFs are associated
      with significant problems including high incidence of both early and late
      failures, usually attributed to inadequate venous arterialization and neointimal
      hyperplasia, respectively. Understanding the cellular basis of venous remodeling
      in the setting of AVF could provide targets for improving AVF patency rates.
      METHODS AND RESULTS: A novel vascular smooth muscle cell (VSMC) lineage tracing
      reporter mouse, Myh11-Cre/ERT2-mTmG, was used to track mature VSMCs in a
      clinically relevant AVF mouse model created by a jugular vein branch end to
      carotid artery side anastomosis. Prior to AVF surgery, differentiated medial
      layer VSMCs were labeled with membrane green fluorescent protein (GFP) following
      tamoxifen induction. Four weeks after AVF surgery, we observed medial VSMC layer
      thickening in the middle region of the arterialized vein branch. This thickened
      medial VSMC layer was solely composed of differentiated VSMCs that were
      GFP+/MYH11+/Ki67-. Extensive neointimal hyperplasia occurred in the AVF region
      proximal to the anastomosis site. Dedifferentiated VSMCs (GFP+/MYH11-) were a
      major cellular component of the neointima. Examination of failed human AVF
      samples revealed that the processes of VSMC phenotypic modulation and intimal
      hyperplasia, as well as medial VSMC layer thickening, also occurred in human
      AVFs. CONCLUSIONS: We demonstrated a dual function for mature VSMCs in AVF
      remodeling, with differentiated VSMCs contributing to medial wall thickening
      towards venous maturation and dedifferentiated VSMCs contributing to neointimal
      hyperplasia. These results provide valuable insights into the mechanisms
      underlying venous adaptations during AVF remodeling.

PMID- 28360221
TI  - NFAT5 and SLC4A10 Loci Associate with Plasma Osmolality.
AB  - Disorders of water balance, an excess or deficit of total body water relative to
      body electrolyte content, are common and ascertained by plasma hypo- or
      hypernatremia, respectively. We performed a two-stage genome-wide association
      study meta-analysis on plasma sodium concentration in 45,889 individuals of
      European descent (stage 1 discovery) and 17,637 additional individuals of
      European descent (stage 2 replication), and a transethnic meta-analysis of
      replicated single-nucleotide polymorphisms in 79,506 individuals (63,526
      individuals of European descent, 8765 individuals of Asian Indian descent, and
      7215 individuals of African descent). In stage 1, we identified eight loci
      associated with plasma sodium concentration at P<5.0 * 10-6 Of these, rs9980 at
      NFAT5 replicated in stage 2 meta-analysis (P=3.1 * 10-5), with combined stages 1
      and 2 genome-wide significance of P=5.6 * 10-10 Transethnic meta-analysis further
      supported the association at rs9980 (P=5.9 * 10-12). Additionally, rs16846053 at
      SLC4A10 showed nominally, but not genome-wide, significant association in
      combined stages 1 and 2 meta-analysis (P=6.7 * 10-8). NFAT5 encodes a
      ubiquitously expressed transcription factor that coordinates the intracellular
      response to hypertonic stress but was not previously implicated in the regulation
      of systemic water balance. SLC4A10 encodes a sodium bicarbonate transporter with
      a brain-restricted expression pattern, and variant rs16846053 affects a putative
      intronic NFAT5 DNA binding motif. The lead variants for NFAT5 and SLC4A10 are cis
      expression quantitative trait loci in tissues of the central nervous system and
      relevant to transcriptional regulation. Thus, genetic variation in NFAT5 and
      SLC4A10 expression and function in the central nervous system may affect the
      regulation of systemic water balance.

PMID- 28360227
TI  - Increased Arterial Stiffness is an Independent Predictor of Renal Function
      Decline in Patients With Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus Younger Than 60 Years.
AB  - BACKGROUND: The objective of this study was to evaluate whether aortic pulse wave
      velocity (Ao-PWV) predicts estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) decline in
      patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus. METHODS AND RESULTS: This prospective
      single-center cohort study investigated 211 type 2 diabetes mellitus patients
      with eGFR >=45 mL/min with a baseline mean age of 60.1 years (range, 30-82
      years). The mean+/-SD baseline eGFR was 85+/-26.1 mL/min. We divided the cohort
      into 2 groups above (n=117, "older") and below (n=94, "younger") the mean age to
      evaluate whether Ao-PWV predicted progression of kidney disease differentially in
      older and younger patients. The primary end point was reaching a final eGFR below
      the median for the age group and an eGFR fall >=1 mL/min per year. Median follow
      up was 9 years (range, 3-11 years) and ~50% of patients in both groups reached
      the primary end point. In older patients, Ao-PWV was similar in those who did and
      did not reach the primary end point. By contrast, younger patients who reached
      the primary end point had a higher Ao-PWV at baseline compared with those who did
      not (10.8 m/s versus 9.5 m/s, respectively; mean difference of 1.36 m/s [95% CI,
      0.38-2.33], P=0.007). Ao-PWV was an independent predictor of the primary end
      point (incident risk ratio, 1.09; 95% CI, 1.02-1.18) after adjustment for
      traditional risk factors only in younger patients (P=0.02). A 1m/s increase in Ao
      PWV was associated with a mean fall in eGFR of 2.1 mL/min per year (95% CI, 0.09
      4.1) independent of other risk factors in younger patients (P=0.04). CONCLUSIONS:
      Ao-PWV predicts eGFR decline, before the onset of advanced renal dysfunction, and
      is a potential target for renoprotection in younger patients with type 2 diabetes
      mellitus.

PMID- 28360228
TI  - Echocardiographic Pulmonary Artery Systolic Pressure in the Coronary Artery Risk
      Development in Young Adults (CARDIA) Study: Associations With Race and Metabolic
      Dysregulation.
AB  - BACKGROUND: The determinants of pulmonary artery systolic pressure (PASP) are not
      fully understood. It is unknown whether racial differences in PASP exist or if
      other population characteristics are associated with pulmonary pressure in
      humans. We examined echocardiographically estimated PASP in the Coronary Artery
      Risk Development in Young Adults (CARDIA) study, a middle-aged, biracial
      community-based cohort. METHODS AND RESULTS: At the CARDIA year-25 examination,
      3469 participants underwent echocardiography, including measurement of tricuspid
      regurgitant jet velocity to estimate PASP. Clinical features, laboratory values,
      pulmonary function tests, and measurement of adipose depot volume were analyzed
      for association with PASP. PASP was estimated in 1311 individuals (61% female,
      51% white). Older age, higher blood pressure, and higher body mass index were
      associated with higher PASP. Black race was associated with higher PASP after
      adjustment for demographics and left and right ventricular function (beta 0.94,
      95% CI 0.24-1.64; P=0.009), but this association was no longer significant after
      further adjustment for lung volume (beta 0.42, 95% CI -0.68 to 0.96; P=0.74).
      Insulin resistance, inflammation (C-reactive protein and interleukin-6), and
      visceral adipose volume were independently associated with higher PASP after
      adjustment for relevant covariates. PASP rose with worsening diastolic function
      (ratio of early transmitral Doppler velocity to average mitral annular tissue
      Doppler velocity [E/e'] and left atrial volume index). CONCLUSIONS: In a large
      biracial cohort of middle-aged adults, we identified associations among black
      race, insulin resistance, and diastolic dysfunction with higher
      echocardiographically estimated PASP. Further studies are needed to examine
      racial differences in PASP and whether insulin resistance directly contributes to
      pulmonary vascular disease in humans.

PMID- 28360229
TI  - Aortic Calcification Onset and Progression: Association With the Development of
      Coronary Atherosclerosis.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Thoracic aortic calcification (TAC) and coronary artery calcification
      (CAC) are markers of subclinical atherosclerosis and are associated with incident
      major cardiovascular events. We investigated major determinants for incidence and
      progression of TAC and the association between TAC and CAC incidence and
      progression. METHODS AND RESULTS: In a population-based cohort study, 3270
      participants (aged 45-74 years, 53.1% women) received cardiac computed tomography
      at baseline and after a mean follow-up of 5.1+/-0.3 years for quantification of
      calcification of the ascending (ATAC) and descending thoracic aorta (DTAC) and
      CAC. Multivariable relative risk regression analysis was used to investigate
      associations of cardiovascular risk factors with incident TAC, of baseline TAC
      with incident CAC, and of baseline CAC with incident TAC. Of 1243 participants
      with baseline TAC of 0, 517 (41.6%) revealed incident TAC after 5 years.
      Incidence of descending TAC was higher (34.5%) than ascending TAC (23.3%).
      Incident TAC after 5 years was associated with age (relative risk 1.26 [95% CI
      1.21-1.33], per 5 years), blood pressure (relative risk 1.06 [95% CI 1.03-1.10],
      per 10 mm Hg), low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (relative risk 1.08 [95% CI
      1.04-1.12], per 20 mg/dL), and smoking (relative risk 1.28 [95% CI 1.07-1.53]).
      Among the 1185 participants without CAC at baseline, the risk of developing CAC
      was 28.3% when baseline TAC was present compared with 22.2% among those without
      baseline TAC (excess risk 6.1% [95% CI 1.2-11.0%]). The point estimate of excess
      risk for incident CAC was higher for ascending TAC (10.8% [95% CI 4.8-16.7%]) and
      low for descending TAC (1.8% [95% CI -3.2% to 6.7%]). Excess risk for developing
      ascending and descending TAC with present baseline CAC was 16.4% (95% CI 12.7
      20.0%) and 15.6% (95% CI 10.8-20.4%), respectively. CONCLUSION: TAC and CAC share
      similar major determinants for incident calcification. Participants with TAC,
      especially ascending TAC, are at elevated risk for development of CAC.

PMID- 28360230
TI  - Sequences of 95 human MHC haplotypes reveal extreme coding variation in genes
      other than highly polymorphic HLA class I and II.
AB  - The most polymorphic part of the human genome, the MHC, encodes over 160 proteins
      of diverse function. Half of them, including the HLA class I and II genes, are
      directly involved in immune responses. Consequently, the MHC region strongly
      associates with numerous diseases and clinical therapies. Notoriously, the MHC
      region has been intractable to high-throughput analysis at complete sequence
      resolution, and current reference haplotypes are inadequate for large-scale
      studies. To address these challenges, we developed a method that specifically
      captures and sequences the 4.8-Mbp MHC region from genomic DNA. For 95 MHC
      homozygous cell lines we assembled, de novo, a set of high-fidelity contigs and a
      sequence scaffold, representing a mean 98% of the target region. Included are six
      alternative MHC reference sequences of the human genome that we completed and
      refined. Characterization of the sequence and structural diversity of the MHC
      region shows the approach accurately determines the sequences of the highly
      polymorphic HLA class I and HLA class II genes and the complex structural
      diversity of complement factor C4A/C4B It has also uncovered extensive and
      unexpected diversity in other MHC genes; an example is MUC22, which encodes a
      lung mucin and exhibits more coding sequence alleles than any HLA class I or II
      gene studied here. More than 60% of the coding sequence alleles analyzed were
      previously uncharacterized. We have created a substantial database of robust
      reference MHC haplotype sequences that will enable future population scale
      studies of this complicated and clinically important region of the human genome.

PMID- 28360232
TI  - Genome graphs and the evolution of genome inference.
AB  - The human reference genome is part of the foundation of modern human biology and
      a monumental scientific achievement. However, because it excludes a great deal of
      common human variation, it introduces a pervasive reference bias into the field
      of human genomics. To reduce this bias, it makes sense to draw on representative
      collections of human genomes, brought together into reference cohorts. There are
      a number of techniques to represent and organize data gleaned from these cohorts,
      many using ideas implicitly or explicitly borrowed from graph-based models. Here,
      we survey various projects underway to build and apply these graph-based
      structures-which we collectively refer to as genome graphs-and discuss the
      improvements in read mapping, variant calling, and haplotype determination that
      genome graphs are expected to produce.

PMID- 28360231
TI  - Combination of short-read, long-read, and optical mapping assemblies reveals
      large-scale tandem repeat arrays with population genetic implications.
AB  - Accurate and contiguous genome assembly is key to a comprehensive understanding
      of the processes shaping genomic diversity and evolution. Yet, it is frequently
      constrained by constitutive heterochromatin, usually characterized by highly
      repetitive DNA. As a key feature of genome architecture associated with
      centromeric and subtelomeric regions, it locally influences meiotic
      recombination. In this study, we assess the impact of large tandem repeat arrays
      on the recombination rate landscape in an avian speciation model, the Eurasian
      crow. We assembled two high-quality genome references using single-molecule real
      time sequencing (long-read assembly [LR]) and single-molecule optical maps
      (optical map assembly [OM]). A three-way comparison including the published short
      read assembly (SR) constructed for the same individual allowed assessing assembly
      properties and pinpointing misassemblies. By combining information from all three
      assemblies, we characterized 36 previously unidentified large repetitive regions
      in the proximity of sequence assembly breakpoints, the majority of which
      contained complex arrays of a 14-kb satellite repeat or its 1.2-kb subunit. Using
      whole-genome population resequencing data, we estimated the population-scaled
      recombination rate (rho) and found it to be significantly reduced in these
      regions. These findings are consistent with an effect of low recombination in
      regions adjacent to centromeric or subtelomeric heterochromatin and add to our
      understanding of the processes generating widespread heterogeneity in genetic
      diversity and differentiation along the genome. By combining three different
      technologies, our results highlight the importance of adding a layer of
      information on genome structure that is inaccessible to each approach
      independently.

PMID- 28360233
TI  - A Plant Cryptochrome Controls Key Features of the Chlamydomonas Circadian Clock
      and Its Life Cycle.
AB  - Cryptochromes are flavin-binding proteins that act as blue light receptors in
      bacteria, fungi, plants, and insects and are components of the circadian
      oscillator in mammals. Animal and plant cryptochromes are evolutionarily
      divergent, although the unicellular alga Chlamydomonas reinhardtii (Chlamydomonas
      throughout) has both an animal-like cryptochrome and a plant cryptochrome (pCRY;
      formerly designated CPH1). Here, we show that the pCRY protein accumulates at
      night as part of a complex. Functional characterization of pCRY was performed
      based on an insertional mutant that expresses only 11% of the wild-type pCRY
      level. The pcry mutant is defective for central properties of the circadian
      clock. In the mutant, the period is lengthened significantly, ultimately
      resulting in arrhythmicity, while blue light-based phase shifts show large
      deviations from what is observed in wild-type cells. We also show that pCRY is
      involved in gametogenesis in Chlamydomonas pCRY is down-regulated in pregametes
      and gametes, and in the pcry mutant, there is altered transcript accumulation
      under blue light of the strictly light-dependent, gamete-specific gene GAS28 pCRY
      acts as a negative regulator for the induction of mating ability in the light and
      for the loss of mating ability in the dark. Moreover, pCRY is necessary for light
      dependent germination, during which the zygote undergoes meiosis that gives rise
      to four vegetative cells. In sum, our data demonstrate that pCRY is a key blue
      light receptor in Chlamydomonas that is involved in both circadian timing and
      life cycle progression.

PMID- 28360234
TI  - Linking medical and dental health record data: a partnership with the Rochester
      Epidemiology Project.
AB  - PURPOSE: The purpose of this project was to expand the Rochester Epidemiology
      Project (REP) medical records linkage infrastructure to include data from oral
      healthcare providers. The goal of this linkage is to facilitate research studies
      examining the role of oral health in overall health and quality of life.
      PARTICIPANTS: Eight dental practices joined the REP between 2011 and 2015. The
      REP study team has linked oral healthcare information with medical record
      information from local healthcare providers for 31 750 participants who have
      resided in Olmsted County, Minnesota. Overall, 17 718 (56%) participants are
      women, 14 318 (45%) are 40 years of age or older and 26 090 (82%) are white.
      FINDINGS TO DATE: A first study using this new information was recently
      completed. This resource was used to determine whether the 2007 guidelines from
      the American Heart Association affected prescription rates of antibiotics to
      patients with moderate-risk cardiac conditions prior to dental procedures. The
      REP infrastructure was used to identify a series of patients diagnosed with
      moderate-risk cardiac conditions by the local healthcare providers (n=1351), and
      to abstract antibiotic prescriptions from dental records both pre-2007 and post
      2007. Antibiotic prescriptions prior to dental procedures declined from 62% to 7%
      following the change in guidelines. FUTURE PLANS: Dental data from participating
      practitioners will be updated on an annual basis, and new dental data will be
      linked to patient medical records. In addition, we will continue to invite new
      dental practices to participate in the REP. Finally, we will continue to use this
      research infrastructure to investigate associations between oral and medical
      health, and will present findings at conferences and in the scientific
      literature.

PMID- 28360236
TI  - Spin in RCTs of anxiety medication with a positive primary outcome: a comparison
      of concerns expressed by the US FDA and in the published literature.
AB  - OBJECTIVES: This study aimed to determine the presence of spin in papers on
      positive randomised clinical trials (RCTs) of antidepressant medication for
      anxiety disorders by comparing concerns expressed in the Food and Drug
      Administration (FDA) reviews with those expressed in the published paper.
      METHODS: For every positive anxiety medication trial with a matching publication
      (n=41), two independent reviewers identified the concerns raised in the US FDA
      reviews and those in the published literature. Spin was identified when concerns
      or limitations were expressed by the FDA (about the efficacy of the study drug)
      but not in the corresponding published paper. Concerns mentioned in the papers
      but not by the FDA were scored as 'non-FDA' concerns. FINDINGS: Only six out of
      35 (17%) of the FDA concerns pertaining to drug efficacy were reported in the
      papers. Two papers mentioned a concern that fit the FDA categories, but was not
      mentioned in the corresponding FDA review. Eighty-seven non-FDA concerns were
      counted, which often reflected general concerns or concerns related to the study
      design. CONCLUSIONS: Results indicate the presence of substantial spin in the
      clinical trial literature on drugs for anxiety disorders. In papers describing
      RCTs on anxiety medication, the concerns raised by the authors differed from
      those raised by the FDA. Published papers mentioned a large number of generic
      concerns about RCTs, such as a lack of long-term research and limited
      generalisability, while they mentioned few concerns about drug efficacy. These
      results warrant the promotion of independent statistical review, reporting of
      patient-level data, more study of spin, and an increased expectation that authors
      report FDA concerns.

PMID- 28360237
TI  - Developing a national dental education research strategy: priorities, barriers
      and enablers.
AB  - OBJECTIVES: This study aimed to identify national dental education research (DER)
      priorities for the next 3-5 years and to identify barriers and enablers to DER.
      SETTING: Scotland. PARTICIPANTS: In this two-stage online questionnaire study, we
      collected data with multiple dental professions (eg, dentistry, dental nursing
      and dental hygiene) and stakeholder groups (eg, learners, clinicians, educators,
      managers, researchers and academics). Eighty-five participants completed the
      Stage 1 qualitative questionnaire and 649 participants the Stage 2 quantitative
      questionnaire. RESULTS: Eight themes were identified at Stage 1. Of the 24 DER
      priorities identified, the top three were: role of assessments in identifying
      competence; undergraduate curriculum prepares for practice and promoting
      teamwork. Following exploratory factor analysis, the 24 items loaded onto four
      factors: teamwork and professionalism, measuring and enhancing performance,
      dental workforce issues and curriculum integration and innovation. Barriers and
      enablers existed at multiple levels: individual, interpersonal, institutional
      structures and cultures and technology. CONCLUSIONS: This priority setting
      exercise provides a necessary first step to developing a national DER strategy
      capturing multiple perspectives. Promoting DER requires improved resourcing
      alongside efforts to overcome peer stigma and lack of valuing and motivation.

PMID- 28360235
TI  - Venous thromboembolism in adults screened for sickle cell trait: a population
      based cohort study with nested case-control analysis.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: To determine whether sickle cell carriers ('sickle cell trait') have
      an increased risk of venous thromboembolism (VTE). DESIGN: Cohort study with
      nested case-control analysis. SETTING: General population with data from 609 UK
      general practices in the Clinical Practice Research Datalink (CPRD).
      PARTICIPANTS: All individuals registered with a CPRD general practice between
      1998 and 2013, with a medical record of screening for sickle cell between 18 and
      75 years of age. MAIN OUTCOMES MEASURES: Incidence of VTE per 10 000 person-years
      (PY) among sickle cell carriers and non-carriers; and adjusted OR for VTE among
      sickle cell carriers compared with non-carriers. RESULTS: We included 30 424
      individuals screened for sickle cell, with a follow-up time of 179 503 PY,
      identifying 55 VTEs in 6758 sickle cell carriers and 125 VTEs in 23 666 non
      carriers. VTE incidence among sickle cell carriers (14.9/10 000 PY; 95% CI 11.4
      to 19.4) was significantly higher than non-carriers (8.8/10 000 PY; 95% CI 7.4 to
      10.4). Restricting analysis to confirmed non-carriers was non-significant, but
      performed on a small sample. In the case-control analysis (180 cases matched to
      1775 controls by age and gender), sickle cell carriers remained at increased risk
      of VTE after adjusting for body mass index, pregnancy, smoking status and
      ethnicity (OR 1.78, 95% CI 1.18 to 2.69, p=0.006), with the greatest risk for
      pulmonary embolism (PE) (OR 2.27, 95% CI 1.17 to 4.39, p=0.011). CONCLUSIONS:
      Although absolute numbers are small, in a general population screened for sickle
      cell, carriers have a higher incidence and risk of VTE, particularly PE, than non
      carriers. Clinicians should be aware of this elevated risk in the clinical care
      of sickle cell carriers, or when discussing carrier screening, and explicitly
      attend to modifiable risk factors for VTE in these individuals. More complete
      primary care coding of carrier status could improve analysis.

PMID- 28360238
TI  - Psychological and behavioural patterns of stigma among patients with type 2
      diabetes: a cross-sectional study.
AB  - OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study was to test the psychological and behavioural
      patterns of stigma (self-esteem and social participation) and their relationship
      to self-stigma, patient activation for engaging in self-care and glycaemic
      control among patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). DESIGN: A cross
      sectional study. SETTING: 2 tertiary-level hospitals and 2 secondary-level
      hospitals in Japan. PARTICIPANTS: A consecutive sample of 209 outpatients with
      T2DM. Inclusion criteria were as follows: presence of T2DM, age 20-74 years, no
      diagnosis of dementia and/or psychosis, and no need for urgent medical
      procedures. OUTCOME MEASURES: Study measures included a self-administered
      questionnaire to assess the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale (SES), the 3 subscales of
      36-question Short Form Health Survey (SF-36; Social Function, Role Physical, Role
      Emotional), Self-Stigma Scale and Patient Activation Measure (PAM-13). Glycated
      haemoglobin was obtained from same day blood work. In our previous qualitative
      study, we found that psychological and behavioural patterns of stigma varied
      according to patients' levels of illness-related self-esteem as well as attitudes
      towards social participation. For quantitative consistency, we used the SES scale
      to measure self-esteem and the SF-36 subscales to measure social participation.
      We then divided participants into 4 groups by exhibited psychological and
      behavioural patterns: group A (high SES/high SF-36), group B (high SES/low SF
      36), group C (low SES/high SF-36) and group D (low SES/low SF-36). RESULTS: Using
      analysis of covariance after controlling for age and sex, there was a significant
      difference in self-stigma levels between the four groups (F[3203]=15.70,
      p<0.001). We observed the highest mean self-stigma levels in group D. Group D
      also had significantly lower PAM-13 scores than those of groups A (p<0.001) and B
      (p=0.02). CONCLUSIONS: The psychological and behavioural pattern of group D was
      found to be associated with higher levels of self-stigma and poorer patient
      activation for self-care.

PMID- 28360239
TI  - Instruments measuring the disease-specific quality of life of family carers of
      people with neurodegenerative diseases: a systematic review.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: Neurodegenerative diseases, such as dementia, have a profound impact
      on those with the conditions and their family carers. Consequently, the accurate
      measurement of family carers' quality of life (QOL) is important. Generic
      measures may miss key elements of the impact of these conditions, so using
      disease-specific instruments has been advocated. This systematic review aimed to
      identify and examine the psychometric properties of disease-specific outcome
      measures of QOL of family carers of people with neurodegenerative diseases
      (Alzheimer's disease and other dementias; Huntington's disease; Parkinson's
      disease; multiple sclerosis; and motor neuron disease). DESIGN: Systematic
      review. METHODS: Instruments were identified using 5 electronic databases
      (PubMed, PsycINFO, Web of Science, Scopus and the International Bibliography of
      the Social Sciences (IBSS)) and lateral search techniques. Only studies which
      reported the development and/or validation of a disease-specific measure for
      adult family carers, and which were written in English, were eligible for
      inclusion. The methodological quality of the included studies was evaluated using
      the COnsensus based Standards for the selection of health Measurement Instruments
      (COSMIN) checklist. The psychometric properties of each instrument were examined.
      RESULTS: 676 articles were identified. Following screening and lateral searches,
      a total of 8 articles were included; these reported 7 disease-specific carer QOL
      measures. Limited evidence was available for the psychometric properties of the 7
      instruments. Psychometric analyses were mainly focused on internal consistency,
      reliability and construct validity. None of the measures assessed either
      criterion validity or responsiveness to change. CONCLUSIONS: There are very few
      measures of carer QOL that are specific to particular neurodegenerative diseases.
      The findings of this review emphasise the importance of developing and validating
      psychometrically robust disease-specific measures of carer QOL.

PMID- 28360240
TI  - Meta-analysis of the effectiveness of psychological and medical treatments for
      binge-eating disorder (MetaBED): study protocol.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: Binge-eating disorder (BED) was included as its own diagnostic
      entity in the Fifth Edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental
      Disorders (DSM-5). An increasing number of treatment studies have been published,
      but an up-to-date comprehensive meta-analysis on diverse treatment approaches for
      BED is lacking. In an updated and extension of a previous meta-analysis, the
      goals of this study are to assess the short-term and long-term effectiveness of
      psychological and medical treatments for BED. METHODS AND ANALYSIS: We will
      search bibliographic databases and study registries, including manual searches
      for studies published before January 2016. The search strategy will include terms
      relating to binge eating and diverse forms of psychological and medical
      interventions. Language will be restricted to English. The studies included will
      be treatment studies, that is, randomised-controlled trials, and non-randomised
      and non-controlled studies, for individuals with BED (DSM-IV or DSM-5), and
      studies that provided a pre-treatment and at least one post-treatment or follow
      up assessment of binge eating. The primary outcomes will be the number of binge
      eating episodes, abstinence from binge eating and diagnosis of BED at post
      treatment and/or follow-up(s), and changes from pre-treatment to post-treatment
      and/or follow-up(s). Likewise, as secondary outcomes, eating disorder and general
      psychopathology, quality of life, and body weight will be analysed and adverse
      events and treatment drop-out will be examined. Study search, selection and data
      extraction, including risk of bias assessment, will be independently performed by
      2 reviewers and consensus will be sought. Moderator analyses will be conducted,
      and equity aspects will be considered. Sensitivity analyses will be conducted to
      determine the robustness of the results. ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION: Ethical
      approval is not required for this meta-analysis. Published in a peer-reviewed
      journal and disseminated electronically and in print, this meta-analysis will
      form the basis of the renewal of the German evidence-based S3 Guidelines of
      Diagnosis and Treatment of Eating Disorders, specifically BED. TRIAL REGISTRATION
      NUMBER: CRD42016043604.

PMID- 28360241
TI  - Protocol for validating cardiovascular and cerebrovascular ICD-9-CM codes in
      healthcare administrative databases: the Umbria Data Value Project.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: Administrative healthcare databases can provide a comprehensive
      assessment of the burden of diseases in terms of major outcomes, such as
      mortality, hospital readmissions and use of healthcare resources, thus providing
      answers to a wide spectrum of research questions. However, a crucial issue is the
      reliability of information gathered. Aim of this protocol is to validate
      International Classification of Diseases, 9th Revision-Clinical Modification (ICD
      9-CM) codes for major cardiovascular diseases, including acute myocardial
      infarction (AMI), heart failure (HF), atrial fibrillation (AF) and stroke.
      METHODS AND ANALYSIS: Data from the centralised administrative database of the
      entire Umbria Region (910 000 residents, located in Central Italy) will be
      considered. Patients with a first hospital discharge for AMI, HF, AF or stroke,
      between 2012 and 2014, will be identified in the administrative database using
      the following groups of ICD-9-CM codes located in primary position: (1) 410.x for
      AMI; (2) 427.31 for AF; (3) 428 for HF; (4) 433.x1, 434 (excluding 434.x0), 436
      for ischaemic stroke, 430 and 431 for haemorrhagic stroke (subarachnoid
      haemorrhage and intracerebral haemorrhage). A random sample of cases, and of non
      cases, will be selected, and the corresponding medical charts retrieved and
      reviewed for validation by pairs of trained, independent reviewers. For each
      condition considered, case adjudication of disease will be based on symptoms,
      laboratory and diagnostic tests, as available in medical charts. Divergences will
      be resolved by consensus. Sensitivity and specificity with 95% CIs will be
      calculated. ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION: Research protocol has been granted approval
      by the Regional Ethics Committee. Study results will be disseminated widely
      through peer-reviewed publications and presentations at national and
      international conferences.

PMID- 28360242
TI  - Northern Shanghai Study: cardiovascular risk and its associated factors in the
      Chinese elderly-a study protocol of a prospective study design.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: Cardiovascular (CV) diseases are the leading cause of death and
      disability in the world. Increasing lifespans and ageing populations also
      contribute to an increasing CV burden. However, in China, there were few well
      designed cohort studies focusing on the elderly population, let alone an
      established CV risk score. The objective of this study is to establish a CV risk
      score based on a community-dwelling Chinese elderly population, determining the
      profile of the associated CV risk factors and target organ damages (TODs), so as
      to guide the later intervention. METHODS AND ANALYSIS: The Northern Shanghai
      Study is an ongoing prospective community-based study. After enrolment, clinical
      examination, anthropometric measurement and a questionnaire will be administered
      to each participant at baseline and after every 2 years in the follow-up. Our
      tests and examinations include: blood/urine sample and biochemical measurements,
      office blood pressure recording, carotid ultrasonograph, echocardiograph, pulse
      wave velocity, pulse wave analysis, 4-limb blood pressure recording, body mass
      index, etc. Baseline measurement will also include the assessments on TODs and
      the conventional CV risk factors. In the follow-up, the incidence of CV events
      and mortality will be recorded. The Northern Shanghai Risk Score will be
      calculated, with considerations on CV risk factors and TODs. ETHICS AND
      DISSEMINATION: This study was approved by the Shanghai Tenth People's Hospital
      Institutional Review Board. All participants signed a written consent form. TRIAL
      REGISTRATION NUMBER: NCT02368938; Pre-results.

PMID- 28360244
TI  - Evaluation of an alternative care provider clinic for severe sleep-disordered
      breathing: a study protocol for a randomised controlled trial.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: Despite the high prevalence of sleep-disordered breathing (SDB) and
      the significant health consequences associated with untreated disease, access to
      diagnosis and treatment remains a challenge. Even patients with severe SDB
      (severe obstructive sleep apnoea or hypoventilation), who are at particularly
      high risk of adverse health effects, are subject to long delays. Previous
      research has demonstrated that, within a sleep clinic, management by alternative
      care providers (ACPs) is effective for patients with milder forms of SDB. The
      purpose of this study is to compare an ACP-led clinic (ACP Clinic) for patients
      with severe SDB to physician-led care, from the perspective of clinical outcomes,
      health system efficiency and cost. METHODS AND ANALYSIS: The study is a
      randomised, controlled, non-inferiority study in which patients who are referred
      with severe SDB are randomised to management by a sleep physician or by an ACP.
      ACPs will be supervised by sleep physicians for safety. The primary outcome is
      positive airway pressure (PAP) adherence after 3 months of therapy. Secondary
      outcomes include: long-term PAP adherence; clinical response to therapy; health
      related quality of life; patient satisfaction; healthcare usage; wait times from
      referral to treatment initiation and cost-effectiveness. The economic analysis
      will be performed using the perspective of a publicly funded healthcare system.
      ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION: Ethics approval was obtained from the Conjoint Health
      Research Ethics Board (ID: REB13-1280) at the University of Calgary. Results from
      this study will be disseminated through presentations at scientific conferences
      and publication in peer-reviewed journals. TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER:
      NCT02191085; Pre-results.

PMID- 28360246
TI  - Evidence on health-promoting lifestyle practices and information and
      communication technologies: scoping review protocol.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: Information and communication technologies (ICTs) play a key role
      in improving health and maintaining health promoting behaviours. ICTs are
      therefore one potential solution for promoting healthy lifestyles. In addition,
      they can assist in the reduction and control of the menace of both communicable
      and non-communicable diseases. This study will map evidence of interventions that
      demonstrate the effect of ICTs on health-promoting lifestyle practices that can
      prevent and control diseases. It is anticipated that this study will help
      identify areas where there is need for primary research. METHODS AND ANALYSIS:
      The following electronic databases will be searched: PsycArticle (EBSCO),
      PsycINFO (EBSCO), Science direct, PubMed, Medline (EBSCO) and Google Scholar. The
      study will be conducted in two stages: the first stage will map out the studies
      descriptively while the second stage will map the additional inclusion criteria
      of quality assessment. Two independent reviewers will undertake the data
      extraction. Relevant outcomes of the studies will be analysed thematically using
      NVIvo computer software. The authors will code all evidence independently.
      Thereafter the authors will critically cross-examine the relationship of the
      research questions to the emerging themes from the selected articles. The authors
      hope to find a large number of studies on health-promoting lifestyles that
      encompass six-subscales of health-promoting activities (nutrition, stress
      management, interpersonal relation, self-actualisation, health responsibility,
      physical activity) and ICT. DISSEMINATION: This study will be presented in
      conferences related to health promotion and health-promoting lifestyles. It will
      also be disseminated in print and electronically. TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER:
      CRD42016042568.

PMID- 28360243
TI  - Incidence and prevalence of type 2 diabetes mellitus with HIV infection in
      Africa: a systematic review and meta-analysis.
AB  - OBJECTIVES: This systematic review aims to investigate the incidence and
      prevalence of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) in patients with HIV infection in
      African populations. SETTING: Only studies reporting data from Africa were
      included. PARTICIPANTS: A systematic search was conducted using four databases
      for articles referring to HIV infection and antiretroviral therapy, and T2DM in
      Africa. Articles were excluded if they reported data on children, animals or type
      1 diabetes exclusively. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Incidence of T2DM and prevalence
      of T2DM. Risk ratios were generated for pooled data using random effects models.
      Bias was assessed using an adapted Cochrane Collaboration bias assessment tool.
      RESULTS: Of 1056 references that were screened, only 20 were selected for
      inclusion. Seven reported the incidence of T2DM in patients with HIV infection,
      eight reported the prevalence of T2DM in HIV-infected versus uninfected
      individuals and five reported prevalence of T2DM in HIV-treated versus untreated
      patients. Incidence rates ranged from 4 to 59 per 1000 person years. Meta
      analysis showed no significant differences between T2DM prevalence in HIV
      infected individuals versus uninfected individuals (risk ratio (RR) =1.61, 95% CI
      0.62 to 4.21, p=0.33), or between HIV-treated patients versus untreated patients
      (RR=1.38, 95% CI 0.66 to 2.87, p=0.39), and heterogeneity was high in both meta
      analyses (I2=87% and 52%, respectively). CONCLUSIONS: Meta-analysis showed no
      association between T2DM prevalence and HIV infection or antiretroviral therapy;
      however, these results are limited by the high heterogeneity of the included
      studies and moderate-to-high risk of bias, as well as, the small number of
      studies included. There is a need for well-designed prospective longitudinal
      studies with larger population sizes to better assess incidence and prevalence of
      T2DM in African patients with HIV. Furthermore, screening for T2DM using gold
      standard methods in this population is necessary. TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER:
      PROSPERO42016038689.

PMID- 28360245
TI  - Listening to paediatric primary care nurses: a qualitative study of the potential
      for interprofessional oral health practice in six federally qualified health
      centres in Massachusetts and Maryland.
AB  - OBJECTIVES: To explore the opportunities for interprofessional collaboration
      (IPC) to improve paediatric oral health in federally qualified health centres
      (FQHCs), to identify challenges to IPC-led integration of oral health prevention
      into the well-child visit and to suggest strategies to overcome barriers. SAMPLE:
      Nurse managers (NMs), nurse practitioners (NPs), paediatric clinical staff and
      administrators in six FQHCs in two states were interviewed using a semistructured
      format. DESIGN: Grounded theory research. Topics included feasibility of
      integration, perceived barriers and strategies for incorporating oral health into
      paediatric primary care. MEASUREMENTS: Qualitative data were coded and analysed
      using NVivo 10 to generate themes iteratively. RESULTS: Nurses in diverse roles
      recognised the importance of oral health prevention but were unaware of
      professional guidelines for incorporating oral health into paediatric encounters.
      They valued collaborative care, specifically internal communication, joint
      initiatives and training and partnering with dental schools or community dental
      practices. Barriers to IPC included inadequate training, few opportunities for
      cross-communication and absence of charting templates in electronic health
      records. CONCLUSIONS: NMs, NPs and paediatric nursing staff all value IPC to
      improve patients' oral health, yet are constrained by lack of oral health
      training and supportive charting and referral systems. With supports, they are
      willing to take on responsibility for introducing oral health preventive measures
      into the well-child visit, but will require IPC approaches to training and
      systems changes. IPC teams in the health centre setting can work together, if
      policy and administrative supports are in place, to provide oral health
      assessments, education, fluoride varnish application and dental referrals,
      decrease the prevalence of early childhood caries and increase access to a dental
      home for low-income children.

PMID- 28360247
TI  - Economic evaluation of aerobic exercise training in older adults with vascular
      cognitive impairment: PROMoTE trial.
AB  - BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES: Evidence suggests that aerobic exercise may slow the
      progression of subcortical ischaemic vascular cognitive impairment (SIVCI) by
      modifying cardiovascular risk factors. Yet the economic consequences relating to
      aerobic training (AT) remain unknown. Therefore, our primary objective was to
      estimate the incremental cost per quality-adjusted life years (QALYs) gained of a
      thrice weekly AT intervention compared with usual care. DESIGN: Cost-utility
      analysis alongside a randomised trial. SETTING: Vancouver, British Columbia,
      Canada. PARTICIPANTS: 70 adults (mean age of 74 years, 51% women) who meet the
      diagnostic criteria for mild SIVCI. INTERVENTION: A 6-month, thrice weekly,
      progressive aerobic exercise training programme compared with usual care (CON;
      comparator) with a follow-up assessment 6 months after formal cessation of
      aerobic exercise training. MEASUREMENTS: Healthcare resource usage was estimated
      over the 6-month intervention and 6-month follow-up period. Health status (using
      the EQ-5D-3L) at baseline and trial completion and 6-month follow-up was used to
      calculate QALYs. The incremental cost-utility ratio (cost per QALY gained) was
      calculated. RESULTS: QALYs were both modestly greater, indicating a health gain.
      Total healthcare costs (ie, 1791+/-1369 {2015 $CAD} at 6 months) were greater,
      indicating a greater cost for the thrice weekly AT group compared with CON. From
      the Canadian healthcare system perspective, the incremental cost-utility ratios
      for thrice weekly AT were cost-effective compared with CON, when using a
      willingness to pay threshold of $CAD 20 000 per QALY gained or higher.
      CONCLUSIONS: AT represents an attractive and potentially cost-effective strategy
      for older adults with mild SIVCI. TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER: NCT01027858.

PMID- 28360248
TI  - Transfusion of red blood cells in patients with traumatic brain injuries admitted
      to Canadian trauma health centres: a multicentre cohort study.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Optimisation of healthcare practices in patients sustaining a
      traumatic brain injury is of major concern given the high incidence of death and
      long-term disabilities. Considering the brain's susceptibility to ischaemia,
      strategies to optimise oxygenation to brain are needed. While red blood cell
      (RBC) transfusion is one such strategy, specific RBC strategies are debated. We
      aimed to evaluate RBC transfusion frequency, determinants of transfusions and
      associated clinical outcomes. METHODS: We conducted a retrospective multicentre
      cohort study using data from the National Trauma Registry of Canada. Patients
      admitted with moderate or severe traumatic brain injury to participating
      hospitals between April 2005 and March 2013 were eligible. Patient information on
      blood products, comorbidities, interventions and complications from the Discharge
      Abstract Database were linked to the National Trauma Registry data. Relative
      weights analyses evaluated the contribution of each determinant. We conducted
      multivariate robust Poisson regression to evaluate the association between
      potential determinants, mortality, complications, hospital-to-home discharge and
      RBC transfusion. We also used proportional hazard models to evaluate length of
      stay for time to discharge from ICU and hospital. RESULTS: Among the 7062
      patients with traumatic brain injury, 1991 patients received at least one RBC
      transfusion during their hospital stay. Female sex, anaemia, coagulopathy,
      sepsis, bleeding, hypovolemic shock, other comorbid illnesses, serious
      extracerebral trauma injuries were all significantly associated with RBC
      transfusion. Serious extracerebral injuries altogether explained 61% of the
      observed variation in RBC transfusion. Mortality (risk ratio (RR) 1.23 (95% CI
      1.13 to 1.33)), trauma complications (RR 1.38 (95% CI 1.32 to 1.44)) and
      discharge elsewhere than home (RR 1.88 (95% CI 1.75 to 2.04)) were increased in
      patients who received RBC transfusion. Discharge from ICU and hospital were also
      delayed in transfused patients. CONCLUSIONS: RBC transfusion is common in
      patients with traumatic brain injury and associated with unfavourable outcomes.
      Trauma severity is an important determinant of RBC transfusion. Prospective
      studies are needed to further evaluate optimal transfusion strategies in
      traumatic brain injury.

PMID- 28360251
TI  - The incidence of delirium after cardiac surgery in the elderly: protocol for a
      systematic review and meta-analysis.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: Delirium is one of the most common complications after cardiac
      surgery in the elderly. Future studies aimed at preventing postoperative delirium
      will need an accurate estimate of incidence. However, there are no available
      systematic reviews on the incidence, and reports of incidence of postoperative
      delirium after a cardiac operation vary widely with significant heterogeneity.
      Therefore, we aim to perform a systematic review and meta-analysis to determine
      the most accurate incidence possible of postoperative delirium in individuals
      aged >65 years after cardiac surgery. METHODS AND ANALYSES: We will undertake a
      comprehensive literature search among PubMed, EMBASE, the Cochrane Library,
      PsycINFO and CINAHL, from their inception to January 2017. Prospective cohort and
      cross sectional studies that described the incidence of delirium will be eligible
      for inclusion. The primary outcome will be the incidence of delirium. Risk of
      bias and methodological quality for the included studies will be assessed using a
      risk of bias tool for prevalence studies and the Cochrane guidelines.
      Heterogeneity of the estimates across studies will be assessed. Incidence data
      will be pooled by selective or emergency surgery. This systematic review will be
      reported according to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic reviews and
      Meta-Analyses (PRISMA). ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION: This proposed systematic review
      and meta-analysis is based on published data, and thus there is no requirement
      for ethics approval. The study will provide an up to date and accurate incidence
      of postoperative delirium among the older population after cardiac surgery, which
      is necessary for future research in this area. The findings of this study will be
      presented at conferences and disseminated through publication in a peer reviewed
      journal. TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER: CRD42016047773.

PMID- 28360249
TI  - Understanding the acceptability and adherence to paediatric antiretroviral
      treatment in the new formulation of pellets (LPV/r): the protocol of a realist
      evaluation.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Improving access to paediatric HIV treatment requires both large
      scale treatment programmes and medication that is adapted to infants and
      children's needs. The WHO recommends lopinavir/ritonavir as first-line
      antiretroviral therapy for all HIV-infected children younger than 3 years. There
      is currently little evidence on the acceptability of, and adherence to, a
      formulation of this combination treatment if given in the form of pellets. This
      protocol presents how we will carry a realist evaluation to assess the factors
      that contribute to the acceptability and adherence to the new pellets formulation
      in 3 hospitals in Kenya. METHODS: We structured the protocol along the realist
      evaluation cycle following 4 steps: (1) the initial programme theory, (2) the
      study design, (3) the data collection methods and (4) the data analysis plan.
      Theories of behavioural sciences were reviewed for frames that could provide
      insights into how using such new formulations may contribute to better
      acceptability and adherence. ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION: This study was approved by
      the Institutional Review Board of the Institute of Tropical Medicine, the Ethical
      Committee of the University Hospital Antwerp and the Kenyatta National
      Hospital/University of Nairobi Ethics and Research Committee. We aim to
      disseminate the findings through international conferences and peer-reviewed
      journals and to share them with Drugs for Neglected Diseases initiative's (DNDi)
      programme managers and with the Kenyan healthcare providers. DISCUSSION: In
      developing this study, we encountered some challenges. First, methods to measure
      the acceptability of any formulation and adherence to it are not standardised.
      The second challenge is common in realist evaluation and relates to how to choose
      from different potentially interesting theoretical frameworks. We identified
      relevant and empirically tested theories from behavioural science that may be
      helpful in our study. We will test them in 3 settings by exploring the multilevel
      factors that influence acceptability and adherence of this new paediatric
      Antiretroviral (ARV) formulation.

PMID- 28360250
TI  - Development of the Brussels Infant and Toddler Stool Scale ('BITSS'): protocol of
      the study.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: The Bristol Stool Form Scale (BSS) which consists of 7 photographs
      of different stool forms allows assessment of stool consistency (scale 1 for hard
      lumps to scale 7 for watery stools), in an objective manner in adults. The BSS is
      also sometimes used to characterise the stools of infants and young children.
      Despite its use, there is general agreement among paediatric gastroenterologists
      that the BSS is not adequate to be used in infants and young children who wear
      diapers; thus, a new scale specifically designed for this population is needed.
      Our aim is to develop a paediatric stool scale, the Brussels Infant and Toddler
      Stool Scale ('BITSS'), and to evaluate the interobserver agreement of stool
      assessment with the BITSS between the patient's parent and healthcare providers
      (physicians and nurses). METHODS AND ANALYSIS: This study has two phases. In the
      first phase, 11 key-opinion leaders in the field of paediatric gastroenterology
      representing different areas of the world selected seven coloured photographs of
      infants and/or young children wearing diapers to match the original descriptors
      of the BSS. The selected photographs were used to create a new scale in which the
      drawings of stools of the BSS were replaced by infant/toddlers stool photographs.
      In phase II, we aim at demonstrating that parents, nurses and primary healthcare
      physicians interpret the stool-pictures of the BITSS with a high degree of
      consensus and that the agreement is independent of whether it is a parent or a
      healthcare provider. Interobserver variability of stool assessment with the BITSS
      between the patient's parent and healthcare providers will be assessed. ETHICS
      AND DISSEMINATION: The study will be approved by the Ethics Committee of the
      participating centres. The findings of this study will be submitted to a peer
      reviewed journal. Abstracts will be submitted to national and international
      conferences. TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER: NCT02913950.

PMID- 28360253
TI  - To dialyse or delay: a qualitative study of older New Zealanders' perceptions and
      experiences of decision-making, with stage 5 chronic kidney disease.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Issues related to renal replacement therapy in elderly people with
      end stage kidney disease (ESKD) are complex. There is inadequate empirical data
      related to: decision-making by older populations, treatment experiences,
      implications of dialysis treatment and treatment modality on quality of life, and
      how these link to expectations of ageing. STUDY POPULATION: Participants for this
      study were selected from a larger quantitative study of dialysis and predialysis
      patients aged 65 years or older recruited from three nephrology services across
      New Zealand. All participants had reached chronic kidney disease (CKD) stage 5
      and had undergone dialysis education but had not started dialysis or recently
      started dialysis within the past 6 months. METHODOLOGY: Serial qualitative
      interviews were undertaken to explore the decision-making processes and
      subsequent treatment experiences of patients with ESKD.Analytical approach: A
      framework method guided the iterative process of analysis. Decision-making codes
      were generated within NVivo software and then compared with the body of the
      interviews. RESULTS: Interviews were undertaken with 17 participants. We observed
      that decision-making was often a fluid process, rather than occurring at a single
      point in time, and was heavily influenced by perceptions of oneself as becoming
      old, social circumstances, life events and health status. LIMITATIONS: This study
      focuses on participants' experiences of decision-making about treatment and does
      not include perspectives of their nephrologists or other members of the
      nephrology team. CONCLUSIONS: Older patients often delay dialysis as an act of
      self-efficacy. They often do not commit to a dialysis decision following
      predialysis education. Delaying decision-making and initiating dialysis were
      common. This was not seen by participants as a final decision about therapy.
      Predialysis care and education should be different for older patients, who will
      delay decision-making until the time of facing obvious uraemic symptoms,
      threatening blood tests or paternalistic guidance from their nephrologist. TRIAL
      REGISTRATION NUMBER: Australasian Clinical Trials Registry ACTRN 12611000024943;
      results.

PMID- 28360252
TI  - State of reporting of primary biomedical research: a scoping review protocol.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: Incomplete or inconsistent reporting remains a major concern in the
      biomedical literature. Incomplete or inconsistent reporting may yield the
      published findings unreliable, irreproducible or sometimes misleading. In this
      study based on evidence from systematic reviews and surveys that have evaluated
      the reporting issues in primary biomedical studies, we aim to conduct a scoping
      review with focuses on (1) the state-of-the-art extent of adherence to the
      emerging reporting guidelines in primary biomedical research, (2) the
      inconsistency between protocols or registrations and full reports and (3) the
      disagreement between abstracts and full-text articles. METHODS AND ANALYSES: We
      will use a comprehensive search strategy to retrieve all available and eligible
      systematic reviews and surveys in the literature. We will search the following
      electronic databases: Web of Science, Excerpta Medica Database (EMBASE), MEDLINE
      and Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature (CINAHL). Our
      outcomes are levels of adherence to reporting guidelines, levels of consistency
      between protocols or registrations and full reports and the agreement between
      abstracts and full reports, all of which will be expressed as percentages,
      quality scores or categorised rating (such as high, medium and low). No pooled
      analyses will be performed quantitatively given the heterogeneity of the included
      systematic reviews and surveys. Likewise, factors associated with improved
      completeness and consistency of reporting will be summarised qualitatively. The
      quality of the included systematic reviews will be evaluated using AMSTAR (a
      measurement tool to assess systematic reviews). ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION: All
      findings will be published in peer-reviewed journals and relevant conferences.
      These results may advance our understanding of the extent of incomplete and
      inconsistent reporting, factors related to improved completeness and consistency
      of reporting and potential recommendations for various stakeholders in the
      biomedical community.

PMID- 28360254
TI  - Hospital admissions for respiratory system diseases in adults with intellectual
      disabilities in Southeast London: a register-based cohort study.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Intellectual disability (ID) carries a high impact on need for care,
      health status and premature mortality. Respiratory system diseases contribute a
      major part of mortality among people with ID, but remain underinvestigated as
      consequent morbidities. METHODS: Anonymised electronic mental health records from
      the South London and Maudsley Trust (SLaM) were linked to national acute medical
      care data. Using retrospective cohort and matched case-control study designs,
      adults with ID receiving SLaM care between 1 January 2008 and 31 March 2013 were
      identified and compared with local catchment residents for respiratory system
      disease admissions. Standardised admission ratios (SARs) were first calculated,
      followed by a comparison of duration of hospitalisation with respiratory system
      disease between people with ID and age-matched and gender-matched random
      counterparts modelled using linear regression. Finally, the risk of readmission
      for respiratory system disease was analysed using the Cox models. RESULTS: For
      the 3138 adults with ID identified in SLaM, the SAR for respiratory system
      disease admissions was 4.02 (95% CI 3.79 to 4.26). Compared with adults without
      ID, duration of hospitalisation was significantly longer by 2.34 days (95% CI
      0.03 to 4.64) and respiratory system disease readmission was significantly
      elevated (HR=1.35; 95% CI 1.17 to 1.56) after confounding adjustment.
      CONCLUSIONS: Respiratory system disease admissions in adults with ID are more
      frequent, of longer duration and have a higher likelihood of recurring.
      Development and evaluation of potential interventions to the preventable causes
      of respiratory diseases should be prioritised.

PMID- 28360256
TI  - Predicting late-onset sepsis by routine neonatal screening for colonisation by
      gram-negative bacteria in neonates at intensive care units: a protocol for a
      systematic review.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: Hospitals conduct extensive screening procedures to assess
      colonisation of the body surface of neonates by gram-negative bacteria to avoid
      complications like late-onset sepsis. However, the benefits of these procedures
      are controversially discussed. Until now, no systematic review has investigated
      the value of routine screening for colonisation by gram-negative bacteria in
      neonates for late-onset sepsis prediction. METHODS AND ANALYSIS: We will conduct
      a systematic review, considering studies of any design that include infants up to
      an age of 12 months. We will search MEDLINE and EMBASE (inception to 2016),
      reference lists and grey literature. Screening of titles, abstracts and full
      texts will be conducted by two independent reviewers. We will extract data on
      study characteristics and study results. Risk of bias will be assessed using
      Quality Assessment of Diagnostic Accuracy Studies (QUADAS-2) and Quality in
      Prognosis Studies (QUIPS) tools. Subgroup analyses are planned according to
      characteristics of studies, participants, index tests and outcome. For
      quantitative data synthesis on prognostic accuracy, sensitivity and specificity
      of screening to detect late-onset sepsis will be calculated. If sufficient data
      are available, we will calculate summary estimates using hierarchical summary
      receiver operating characteristics and bivariate models. Applying a risk factor
      approach, pooled summary estimates will be calculated as relative risk or OR,
      using fixed-effects and random-effects models. I-squared will be used to assess
      heterogeneity. All calculations will be performed in Stata V14.1 (College
      Station, Texas, USA). The results will be used to calculate positive and negative
      predictive value and number needed to be screened to prevent one case of sepsis.
      Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation (GRADE) will be
      used to assess certainty in the evidence. The protocol follows the Preferred
      Reporting Items for Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis Protocols (PRISMA-P)
      guideline. ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION: This study will not require ethical approval
      since it is not carried out in humans. The systematic review will be published in
      an open-access peer-reviewed journal. TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER: CRD42016036664.

PMID- 28360255
TI  - Public health surveillance of automated external defibrillators in the USA:
      protocol for the dynamic automated external defibrillator registry study.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: Lay use of automated external defibrillators (AEDs) before the
      arrival of emergency medical services (EMS) providers on scene increases survival
      after out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA). AEDs have been placed in public
      locations may be not ready for use when needed. We describe a protocol for AED
      surveillance that tracks these devices through time and space to improve public
      health, and survival as well as facilitate research. METHODS AND ANALYSIS:
      Included AEDs are installed in public locations for use by laypersons to treat
      patients with OHCA before the arrival of EMS providers on scene. Included cases
      of OHCA are patients evaluated by organised EMS personnel and treated for OHCA.
      Enrolment of 10 000 AEDs annually will yield precision of 0.4% in the estimate of
      readiness for use. Enrolment of 2500 patients annually will yield precision of
      1.9% in the estimate of survival to hospital discharge. Recruitment began on 21
      Mar 2014 and is ongoing. AEDs are found by using multiple methods. Each AED is
      then tagged with a label which is a unique two-dimensional (2D) matrix code; the
      2D matrix code is recorded and the location and status of the AED tracked using a
      smartphone; these elements are automatically passed via the internet to a secure
      and confidential database in real time. Whenever the 2D matrix code is rescanned
      for any non-clinical or clinical use of an AED, the user is queried to answer a
      finite set of questions about the device status. The primary outcome of any
      clinical use of an AED is survival to hospital discharge. Results are summarised
      descriptively. ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION: These activities are conducted under a
      grant of authority for public health surveillance from the Food and Drug
      Administration. Results are provided periodically to participating sites and
      sponsors to improve public health and quality of care.

PMID- 28360257
TI  - Three-year outcomes after acute kidney injury: results of a prospective parallel
      group cohort study.
AB  - OBJECTIVES: Using a prospective study design, we aimed to characterise the effect
      of acute kidney injury (AKI) on long-term changes in renal function in a general
      hospital population. PARTICIPANTS: Hospitalised patients with AKI (exposed) and
      hospitalised patients without AKI (non-exposed), recruited at 3 months after
      hospital admission. DESIGN: Prospective, matched parallel group cohort study, in
      which renal function and proteinuria were measured at 3 months, 1 year and 3
      years. SETTING: Single UK centre. CLINICAL END POINTS: Clinical end points at 3
      years were comparison of the following variables between exposed and non-exposed
      groups: renal function, prevalence of proteinuria and albuminuria and chronic
      kidney disease (CKD) progression/development at each time point. CKD progression
      was defined as a decrease in the estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) of
      >=25% associated with a decline in eGFR stage. RESULTS: 300 exposed and non
      exposed patients were successfully matched 1:1 for age and baseline renal
      function; 70% of the exposed group had AKI stage 1. During follow-up, the AKI
      group had lower eGFR than non-exposed patients at each time point. At 3 years,
      the mean eGFR was 60.7+/-21 mL/min/1.73 m2 in the AKI group compared with 68.4+/
      21 mL/min/1.73 m2 in the non-exposed group, p=0.003. CKD development or
      progression at 3 years occurred in 30 (24.6%) of the AKI group compared with 10
      (7.5%) of the non-exposed group, p<0.001. Albuminuria was more common in the AKI
      group, and increased with AKI severity. Factors independently associated with CKD
      development/progression after AKI were non-recovery at 90 days, male gender,
      diabetes and recurrent AKI. CONCLUSIONS: AKI is associated with deterioration in
      renal function to 3 years, even in an unselected population with predominantly
      AKI stage 1. Non-recovery from AKI is an important factor determining long-term
      outcome.

PMID- 28360258
TI  - Impact of maternal antibodies and infant gut microbiota on the immunogenicity of
      rotavirus vaccines in African, Indian and European infants: protocol for a
      prospective cohort study.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: Gastroenteritis is the leading cause of morbidity and mortality
      among young children living in resource-poor settings, majority of which is
      attributed to rotavirus. Rotavirus vaccination can therefore have a significant
      impact on infant mortality. However, rotavirus vaccine efficacy in Sub-Saharan
      Africa and Southeast Asia is significantly lower than in high-income countries.
      Maternally derived antibodies, infant gut microbiota and concomitant oral polio
      vaccination have been proposed as potential reasons for poor vaccine performance
      in low-income settings. The overall aim of this study is to compare the role of
      maternally derived antibodies and infant gut microbiota in determining immune
      response to rotavirus vaccine in high-income and low-income settings, using the
      same vaccine and a similar study protocol. METHODS AND ANALYSIS: The study is an
      observational cohort in three countries-Malawi, India and UK. Mothers will be
      enrolled in third trimester of pregnancy and followed up, along with infants
      after delivery, until the infant completes two doses of oral rotavirus vaccine
      (along with routine immunisation). The levels of prevaccination maternally
      derived rotavirus-specific antibodies (IgG) will be correlated with infant
      seroconversion and antibody titres, 4 weeks after the second dose of rotavirus
      vaccine. Both within-country and between-country comparisons of gut microbiome
      will be carried out between children who seroconvert and those who do not. The
      impact of oral polio vaccine coadministration on rotavirus vaccine response will
      be studied in Indian infants. ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION: Ethical approvals have
      been obtained from Integrated Research Application System (IRAS, NHS ethics) in
      UK, College of Medicine Research and Ethics Committee (COMREC) in Malawi and
      Institutional Review Board (IRB), Christian Medical College, Vellore in India.
      Participant recruitment and follow-up is ongoing at all three sites. Analysis of
      data, followed by publication of the results, is expected in 2018.

PMID- 28360259
TI  - Influence of Left Atrial Function on Exercise Capacity and Left Ventricular
      Function in Patients With Heart Failure and Preserved Ejection Fraction.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Although left atrial (LA) dysfunction is common in heart failure with
      preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF), its functional implications beyond the
      reflection of left ventricular (LV) pathology are not well understood. The aim of
      this study was to further characterize LA function in HFpEF patients. METHODS AND
      RESULTS: We performed cardiac magnetic resonance myocardial feature tracking in
      22 patients with HFpEF and 12 patients without HFpEF. LA reservoir strain, LA
      conduit strain, and LA booster pump strain were quantified. Peak oxygen uptake
      (VO2max) was determined. Invasive pressure-volume loops were obtained to evaluate
      LV diastolic properties. LV early filling was determined from LV volume-time
      curves as derived from cardiac magnetic resonance. LA reservoir and conduit
      strain were significantly lower in HFpEF (LA reservoir strain, 22+/-7% versus
      29+/-6%, P=0.04; LA conduit strain, -9+/-5% versus -15+/-4%, P<0.01). Patients
      with HFpEF showed lower oxygen uptake (17+/-6 versus 29+/-8 mL/(kg min); P<0.01).
      Strain measurement for LA conduit function was strongly associated with VO2max
      (r=0.80; P<0.01). On multivariable regression analysis, LA conduit strain emerged
      as strongest predictor for VO2max even after inclusion of LV stiffness and
      relaxation time (beta=0.80; P<0.01). LA conduit strain correlated with the volume
      of early ventricular filling (r=0.67; P<0.01), but not LV stiffness constant beta
      (-0.34; P=0.051) or relaxation constant tau (r=-0.33; P=0.06). CONCLUSIONS:
      Cardiac magnetic resonance myocardial feature tracking-derived conduit strain is
      significantly impaired in HFpEF and associated with exercise intolerance.
      Impaired conduit function is associated with impaired early ventricular filling,
      as potential mechanism leading to impaired oxygen uptake. Our results propose
      that impaired LA conduit function represents a distinct feature of HFpEF,
      independent of LV stiffness and relaxation. CLINICAL TRIAL REGISTRATION: URL:
      http://www.clinicaltrials.gov. Unique identifier: NCT02459626.

PMID- 28360260
TI  - Multiparametric Imaging of Organ System Interfaces.
AB  - Cardiovascular diseases are a consequence of genetic and environmental risk
      factors that together generate arterial wall and cardiac pathologies. Blood
      vessels connect multiple systems throughout the entire body and allow organs to
      interact via circulating messengers. These same interactions facilitate nervous
      and metabolic system's influence on cardiovascular health. Multiparametric
      imaging offers the opportunity to study these interfacing systems' distinct
      processes, to quantify their interactions, and to explore how these contribute to
      cardiovascular disease. Noninvasive multiparametric imaging techniques are
      emerging tools that can further our understanding of this complex and dynamic
      interplay. Positron emission tomography/magnetic resonance imaging and
      multichannel optical imaging are particularly promising because they can
      simultaneously sample multiple biomarkers. Preclinical multiparametric
      diagnostics could help discover clinically relevant biomarker combinations
      pivotal for understanding cardiovascular disease. Interfacing systems important
      to cardiovascular disease include the immune, nervous, and hematopoietic systems.
      These systems connect with classical cardiovascular organs, such as the heart and
      vasculature, and with the brain. The dynamic interplay between these systems and
      organs enables processes, such as hemostasis, inflammation, angiogenesis, matrix
      remodeling, metabolism, and fibrosis. As the opportunities provided by imaging
      expand, mapping interconnected systems will help us decipher the complexity of
      cardiovascular disease and monitor novel therapeutic strategies.

PMID- 28360264
TI  - Changing the Paradigm in Type B Acute Aortic Dissection: Combining Clinical and
      Imaging Markers of Risk.

PMID- 28360263
TI  - Stepping Out of the Left Ventricle's Shadow: Time to Focus on the Left Atrium in
      Heart Failure With Preserved Ejection Fraction.

PMID- 28360262
TI  - Accuracy of Echocardiography to Estimate Pulmonary Artery Pressures With
      Exercise: A Simultaneous Invasive-Noninvasive Comparison.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Exercise echocardiography is often applied as a noninvasive strategy
      to screen for abnormal pulmonary hemodynamic response, but it is technically
      challenging, and limited data exist regarding its accuracy to estimate pulmonary
      arterial pressure during exercise. METHODS AND RESULTS: Among 65 patients with
      exertional intolerance undergoing upright invasive exercise testing, tricuspid
      regurgitation (TR) Doppler estimates and invasive measurement of pulmonary
      arterial pressure at rest and peak exercise were simultaneously obtained. TR
      Doppler envelopes were assessed for quality. Correlation, Bland-Altman, and
      receiver-operating characteristic curve analyses were performed to evaluate
      agreement and diagnostic accuracy. Mean age was 62+/-13 years, and 31% were male.
      High-quality (grade A) TR Doppler was present in 68% at rest and 34% at peak
      exercise. For grade A TR signals, echocardiographic measures of systolic
      pulmonary arterial pressure correlated reasonably well with invasive measurement
      at rest (r=0.72, P<0.001; bias, -2.9+/-8.0 mm Hg) and peak exercise (r=0.75,
      P<0.001; bias, -1.9+/-15.6 mm Hg). Lower quality TR signals (grade B and C)
      correlated poorly with invasive measurements overall. In patients with grade A TR
      signals, mean pulmonary arterial pressure-to-workload ratio at a threshold of 1.4
      mm Hg/10 W was able to identify abnormal pulmonary hemodynamic response during
      exercise (>3.0 mm Hg/L per minute increase), with 91% sensitivity and 82%
      specificity (area under the curve, 0.90; 95% confidence interval, 0.77-1.0;
      P=0.001). CONCLUSIONS: Agreement between echocardiographic and invasive measures
      of pulmonary pressures during upright exercise is good among the subset of
      patients with high-quality TR Doppler signal. While the limits of agreement are
      broad, our results suggest that in those patients, sensitivity is adequate to
      screen for abnormal pulmonary hemodynamic response during exercise.

PMID- 28360265
TI  - Pulmonary Vascular Function During Exercise: Progressing Toward Routine Clinical
      Use.

PMID- 28360261
TI  - Computed Tomography Imaging Features in Acute Uncomplicated Stanford Type-B
      Aortic Dissection Predict Late Adverse Events.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Medical treatment of initially uncomplicated acute Stanford type-B
      aortic dissection is associated with a high rate of late adverse events.
      Identification of individuals who potentially benefit from preventive
      endografting is highly desirable. METHODS AND RESULTS: The association of
      computed tomography imaging features with late adverse events was retrospectively
      assessed in 83 patients with acute uncomplicated Stanford type-B aortic
      dissection, followed over a median of 850 (interquartile range 247-1824) days.
      Adverse events were defined as fatal or nonfatal aortic rupture, rapid aortic
      growth (>10 mm/y), aneurysm formation (>=6 cm), organ or limb ischemia, or new
      uncontrollable hypertension or pain. Five significant predictors were identified
      using multivariable Cox regression analysis: connective tissue disease (hazard
      ratio [HR] 2.94, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.29-6.72; P=0.01),
      circumferential extent of false lumen in angular degrees (HR 1.03 per degree, 95%
      CI: 1.01-1.04, P=0.003), maximum aortic diameter (HR 1.10 per mm, 95% CI: 1.02
      1.18, P=0.015), false lumen outflow (HR 0.999 per mL/min, 95% CI: 0.998-1.000;
      P=0.055), and number of intercostal arteries (HR 0.89 per n, 95% CI: 0.80-0.98;
      P=0.024). A prediction model was constructed to calculate patient specific risk
      at 1, 2, and 5 years and to stratify patients into high-, intermediate-, and low
      risk groups. The model was internally validated by bootstrapping and showed good
      discriminatory ability with an optimism-corrected C statistic of 70.1%.
      CONCLUSIONS: Computed tomography imaging-based morphological features combined
      into a prediction model may be able to identify patients at high risk for late
      adverse events after an initially uncomplicated type-B aortic dissection.

PMID- 28360266
TI  - Gene bivalency at Polycomb domains regulates cranial neural crest positional
      identity.
AB  - The cranial neural crest cells are multipotent cells that provide head
      skeletogenic mesenchyme and are crucial for craniofacial patterning. We analyzed
      the chromatin landscapes of mouse cranial neural crest subpopulations in vivo.
      Early postmigratory subpopulations contributing to distinct mouse craniofacial
      structures displayed similar chromatin accessibility patterns yet differed
      transcriptionally. Accessible promoters and enhancers of differentially silenced
      genes carried H3K27me3/H3K4me2 bivalent chromatin marks embedded in large
      enhancer of zeste homolog 2-dependent Polycomb domains, indicating
      transcriptional poising. These postmigratory bivalent chromatin regions were
      already present in premigratory progenitors. At Polycomb domains, H3K27me3
      antagonized H3K4me2 deposition, which was restricted to accessible sites. Thus,
      bivalent Polycomb domains provide a chromatin template for the regulation of
      cranial neural crest cell positional identity in vivo, contributing insights into
      the epigenetic regulation of face morphogenesis.

PMID- 28360269
TI  - Science for life.

PMID- 28360270
TI  - News at a glance.

PMID- 28360268
TI  - Biodiversity redistribution under climate change: Impacts on ecosystems and human
      well-being.
AB  - Distributions of Earth's species are changing at accelerating rates, increasingly
      driven by human-mediated climate change. Such changes are already altering the
      composition of ecological communities, but beyond conservation of natural
      systems, how and why does this matter? We review evidence that climate-driven
      species redistribution at regional to global scales affects ecosystem
      functioning, human well-being, and the dynamics of climate change itself.
      Production of natural resources required for food security, patterns of disease
      transmission, and processes of carbon sequestration are all altered by changes in
      species distribution. Consideration of these effects of biodiversity
      redistribution is critical yet lacking in most mitigation and adaptation
      strategies, including the United Nation's Sustainable Development Goals.

PMID- 28360271
TI  - Science funders plunge into publishing.

PMID- 28360272
TI  - U.N. biodiversity group confronts cash crunch.

PMID- 28360273
TI  - HIV infections are spiking among young gay Chinese.

PMID- 28360274
TI  - Enzymes offer waste-to-energy solution.

PMID- 28360267
TI  - Decoupling genetics, lineages, and microenvironment in IDH-mutant gliomas by
      single-cell RNA-seq.
AB  - Tumor subclasses differ according to the genotypes and phenotypes of malignant
      cells as well as the composition of the tumor microenvironment (TME). We
      dissected these influences in isocitrate dehydrogenase (IDH)-mutant gliomas by
      combining 14,226 single-cell RNA sequencing (RNA-seq) profiles from 16 patient
      samples with bulk RNA-seq profiles from 165 patient samples. Differences in bulk
      profiles between IDH-mutant astrocytoma and oligodendroglioma can be primarily
      explained by distinct TME and signature genetic events, whereas both tumor types
      share similar developmental hierarchies and lineages of glial differentiation. As
      tumor grade increases, we find enhanced proliferation of malignant cells, larger
      pools of undifferentiated glioma cells, and an increase in macrophage over
      microglia expression programs in TME. Our work provides a unifying model for IDH
      mutant gliomas and a general framework for dissecting the differences among human
      tumor subclasses.

PMID- 28360275
TI  - Is the cell's garbage disposal sending messages?

PMID- 28360276
TI  - Dengue may bring out the worst in Zika.

PMID- 28360277
TI  - Circular RNAs hint at new realm of genetics.

PMID- 28360278
TI  - Deadly chemistry.

PMID- 28360279
TI  - Can we protect island flying foxes?

PMID- 28360280
TI  - Breathing to inspire and arouse.

PMID- 28360281
TI  - How Cyanobacteria went green.

PMID- 28360282
TI  - Costimulation, a surprising connection for immunotherapy.

PMID- 28360283
TI  - Looking backward to move regulations forward.

PMID- 28360284
TI  - Harnessing legal complexity.

PMID- 28360286
TI  - Cresting a gravitational wave.

PMID- 28360285
TI  - Mechanized creatures.

PMID- 28360287
TI  - Never Out of Season: How Having the Food We Want When We Want It Threatens Our
      Food Supply and Our Future.

PMID- 28360288
TI  - Global roadless areas: Hidden roads.

PMID- 28360289
TI  - Global roadless areas: Consider terrain.

PMID- 28360290
TI  - Global roadless areas-Response.

PMID- 28360291
TI  - Comment on "Outburst flood at 1920 BCE supports historicity of China's Great
      Flood and the Xia dynasty".
AB  - Wu et al (Reports, 5 August 2016, p. 579) reported geological and archaeological
      evidence about an earthquake-induced landslide dam outburst flood around 1920 BCE
      and claimed a support to the historicity of China's legendary Great Flood and Xia
      dynasty. We argue that the physical evidence is unreliable and their arguments
      are unconvincing.

PMID- 28360292
TI  - Comment on "Outburst flood at 1920 BCE supports historicity of China's Great
      Flood and the Xia dynasty".
AB  - By analyzing the data and methodology of Wu et al (Reports, 5 August 2016, p.
      579), I find that their conclusions about the scale of the dammed lake, the
      dating of the lake, and the peak discharge at the point of dam failure and at the
      Lajia site cannot be validated. The conjecture of the supposed Great Flood and
      its impact on the formation of the early Chinese dynasty is not substantiated.

PMID- 28360293
TI  - Comment on "Outburst flood at 1920 BCE supports historicity of China's Great
      Flood and the Xia dynasty".
AB  - Wu et al (Reports, 5 August 2016, p. 579) reported an enormous flood in the upper
      Yellow River that destroyed the Lajia Ruins. However, published research shows
      that the Ruins were destroyed at 3950 years before the present (B.P.) by
      earthquakes accompanied with mudflows, whereas the landslide-dammed lake
      terminated about 5650 years B.P. Various kinds of sediments with different ages
      were taken as evidence to verify an outburst flood.

PMID- 28360295
TI  - AAAS seeks to uphold science's role in policy-making.

PMID- 28360296
TI  - Video games: The bad, the ugly, and the (potentially) good.

PMID- 28360297
TI  - Small molecules to target parasite organelle.

PMID- 28360294
TI  - Response to Comments on "Outburst flood at 1920 BCE supports historicity of
      China's Great Flood and the Xia dynasty".
AB  - Wu et al, Han, and Huang et al question our reconstruction of a large outburst
      flood and its possible relationship to China's Great Flood and the Xia dynasty.
      Here, we clarify misconceptions concerning geologic evidence of the flood, its
      timing and magnitude, and the complex social-cultural response. We also further
      discuss how this flood may be related to ancient accounts of the Great Flood and
      origins of the Xia dynasty.

PMID- 28360298
TI  - CD28 is a critical target for PD-1 blockade.

PMID- 28360299
TI  - Digging deeper into soils.

PMID- 28360300
TI  - The changing surface of a comet.

PMID- 28360301
TI  - The calming effect of breathing.

PMID- 28360302
TI  - Aging and variability among immune cells.

PMID- 28360303
TI  - Predicting the shape of crystals to come.

PMID- 28360305
TI  - Mapping a path to HIV elimination.

PMID- 28360304
TI  - Knowing a name promotes cooperation.

PMID- 28360306
TI  - Consequences of shifting species distributions.

PMID- 28360308
TI  - Effects of the tumor microenvironment.

PMID- 28360307
TI  - The epigenetics of face-making.

PMID- 28360309
TI  - Most of Mars' atmosphere has been lost.

PMID- 28360310
TI  - Turning benzene into a C-H bond cleaver.

PMID- 28360311
TI  - Photosynthesis evolution in Cyanobacteria.

PMID- 28360313
TI  - Flying foxes in peril.

PMID- 28360314
TI  - Vitamin C prevents microglia activation.

PMID- 28360312
TI  - Mtb faces sirtuin death.

PMID- 28360316
TI  - Common antibiotic hurts bee survival.

PMID- 28360317
TI  - Metastatic cells feed off a complement.

PMID- 28360315
TI  - Supported gold ions.

PMID- 28360319
TI  - Manipulating the fly conditionally.

PMID- 28360318
TI  - Separating chemistry from mechanics.

PMID- 28360320
TI  - Gut churning controls inflammation.

PMID- 28360322
TI  - 3D assessment: The future is here.

PMID- 28360321
TI  - Neon nudges clusters toward bulk liquid.

PMID- 28360323
TI  - Controlled growth and form of precipitating microsculptures.
AB  - Controlled self-assembly of three-dimensional shapes holds great potential for
      fabrication of functional materials. Their practical realization requires a
      theoretical framework to quantify and guide the dynamic sculpting of the curved
      structures that often arise in accretive mineralization. Motivated by a variety
      of bioinspired coprecipitation patterns of carbonate and silica, we develop a
      geometrical theory for the kinetics of the growth front that leaves behind thin
      walled complex structures. Our theory explains the range of previously observed
      experimental patterns and, in addition, predicts unexplored assembly pathways.
      This allows us to design a number of functional base shapes of optical
      microstructures, which we synthesize to demonstrate their light-guiding
      capabilities. Overall, our framework provides a way to understand and control the
      growth and form of functional precipitating microsculptures.

PMID- 28360324
TI  - Identification of single-site gold catalysis in acetylene hydrochlorination.
AB  - There remains considerable debate over the active form of gold under operating
      conditions of a recently validated gold catalyst for acetylene hydrochlorination.
      We have performed an in situ x-ray absorption fine structure study of gold/carbon
      (Au/C) catalysts under acetylene hydrochlorination reaction conditions and show
      that highly active catalysts comprise single-site cationic Au entities whose
      activity correlates with the ratio of Au(I):Au(III) present. We demonstrate that
      these Au/C catalysts are supported analogs of single-site homogeneous Au
      catalysts and propose a mechanism, supported by computational modeling, based on
      a redox couple of Au(I)-Au(III) species.

PMID- 28360325
TI  - Arylation of hydrocarbons enabled by organosilicon reagents and weakly
      coordinating anions.
AB  - Over the past 80 years, phenyl cation intermediates have been implicated in a
      variety of C-H arylation reactions. Although these examples have inspired several
      theoretical and mechanistic studies, aryl cation equivalents have received
      limited attention in organic methodology. Their high-energy, promiscuous
      reactivity profiles have hampered applications in selective intermolecular
      processes. We report a reaction design that overcomes these challenges.
      Specifically, we found that beta-silicon-stabilized aryl cation equivalents,
      generated via silylium-mediated fluoride activation, undergo insertion into sp3
      and sp2 C-H bonds. This reaction manifold provides a framework for the catalytic
      arylation of hydrocarbons, including simple alkanes such as methane. This process
      uses low loadings of Earth-abundant initiators (1 to 5 mole percent) and occurs
      under mild conditions (30 degrees  to 100 degrees C).

PMID- 28360326
TI  - Mars' atmospheric history derived from upper-atmosphere measurements of
      38Ar/36Ar.
AB  - The history of Mars' atmosphere is important for understanding the geological
      evolution and potential habitability of the planet. We determine the amount of
      gas lost to space through time using measurements of the upper-atmospheric
      structure made by the Mars Atmosphere and Volatile Evolution (MAVEN) spacecraft.
      We derive the structure of 38Ar/36Ar between the homopause and exobase altitudes.
      Fractionation of argon occurs as a result of loss of gas to space by pickup-ion
      sputtering, which preferentially removes the lighter atom. The measurements
      require that 66% of the atmospheric argon has been lost to space. Thus, a large
      fraction of Mars' atmospheric gas has been lost to space, contributing to the
      transition in climate from an early, warm, wet environment to today's cold, dry
      atmosphere.

PMID- 28360327
TI  - Breathing control center neurons that promote arousal in mice.
AB  - Slow, controlled breathing has been used for centuries to promote mental calming,
      and it is used clinically to suppress excessive arousal such as panic attacks.
      However, the physiological and neural basis of the relationship between breathing
      and higher-order brain activity is unknown. We found a neuronal subpopulation in
      the mouse preBotzinger complex (preBotC), the primary breathing rhythm generator,
      which regulates the balance between calm and arousal behaviors. Conditional,
      bilateral genetic ablation of the ~175 Cdh9/Dbx1 double-positive preBotC neurons
      in adult mice left breathing intact but increased calm behaviors and decreased
      time in aroused states. These neurons project to, synapse on, and positively
      regulate noradrenergic neurons in the locus coeruleus, a brain center implicated
      in attention, arousal, and panic that projects throughout the brain.

PMID- 28360330
TI  - On the origins of oxygenic photosynthesis and aerobic respiration in
      Cyanobacteria.
AB  - The origin of oxygenic photosynthesis in Cyanobacteria led to the rise of oxygen
      on Earth ~2.3 billion years ago, profoundly altering the course of evolution by
      facilitating the development of aerobic respiration and complex multicellular
      life. Here we report the genomes of 41 uncultured organisms related to the
      photosynthetic Cyanobacteria (class Oxyphotobacteria), including members of the
      class Melainabacteria and a new class of Cyanobacteria (class Sericytochromatia)
      that is basal to the Melainabacteria and Oxyphotobacteria All members of the
      Melainabacteria and Sericytochromatia lack photosynthetic machinery, indicating
      that phototrophy was not an ancestral feature of the Cyanobacteria and that
      Oxyphotobacteria acquired the genes for photosynthesis relatively late in
      cyanobacterial evolution. We show that all three classes independently acquired
      aerobic respiratory complexes, supporting the hypothesis that aerobic respiration
      evolved after oxygenic photosynthesis.

PMID- 28360328
TI  - Inhibitors of PEX14 disrupt protein import into glycosomes and kill Trypanosoma
      parasites.
AB  - The parasitic protists of the Trypanosoma genus infect humans and domestic
      mammals, causing severe mortality and huge economic losses. The most threatening
      trypanosomiasis is Chagas disease, affecting up to 12 million people in the
      Americas. We report a way to selectively kill Trypanosoma by blocking
      glycosomal/peroxisomal import that depends on the PEX14-PEX5 protein-protein
      interaction. We developed small molecules that efficiently disrupt the PEX14-PEX5
      interaction. This results in mislocalization of glycosomal enzymes, causing
      metabolic catastrophe, and it kills the parasite. High-resolution x-ray
      structures and nuclear magnetic resonance data enabled the efficient design of
      inhibitors with trypanocidal activities comparable to approved medications. These
      results identify PEX14 as an "Achilles' heel" of the Trypanosoma suitable for the
      development of new therapies against trypanosomiases and provide the structural
      basis for their development.

PMID- 28360332
TI  - Creating our own community.

PMID- 28360333
TI  - Detailed Characterization of the In Vitro Pharmacological and Pharmacokinetic
      Properties of N-(2-Hydroxybenzyl)-2,5-Dimethoxy-4-Cyanophenylethylamine (25CN
      NBOH), a Highly Selective and Brain-Penetrant 5-HT2A Receptor Agonist.
AB  - Therapeutic interest in augmentation of 5-hydroxytryptamine2A (5-HT2A) receptor
      signaling has been renewed by the effectiveness of psychedelic drugs in the
      treatment of various psychiatric conditions. In this study, we have further
      characterized the pharmacological properties of the recently developed 5-HT2
      receptor agonist N-2-hydroxybenzyl)-2,5-dimethoxy-4-cyanophenylethylamine (25CN
      NBOH) and three structural analogs at recombinant 5-HT2A, 5-HT2B, and 5-HT2C
      receptors and investigated the pharmacokinetic properties of the compound. 25CN
      NBOH displayed robust 5-HT2A selectivity in [3H]ketanserin/[3H]mesulergine,
      [3H]lysergic acid diethylamide and [3H]Cimbi-36 binding assays (Ki2C/Ki2A ratio
      range of 52-81; Ki2B/Ki2A ratio of 37). Moreover, in inositol phosphate and
      intracellular Ca2+ mobilization assays 25CN-NBOH exhibited 30- to 180-fold 5
      HT2A/5-HT2C selectivities and 54-fold 5-HT2A/5-HT2B selectivity as measured by
      Deltalog(Rmax/EC50) values. In an off-target screening 25CN-NBOH (10 MUM)
      displayed either substantially weaker activity or inactivity at a plethora of
      other receptors, transporters, and kinases. In a toxicological screening, 25CN
      NBOH (100 MUM) displayed a benign acute cellular toxicological profile. 25CN-NBOH
      displayed high in vitro permeability (Papp = 29 * 10-6 cm/s) and low P
      glycoprotein-mediated efflux in a conventional model of cellular transport
      barriers. In vivo, administration of 25CN-NBOH (3 mg/kg, s.c.) in C57BL/6 mice
      mice produced plasma and brain concentrations of the free (unbound) compound of
      ~200 nM within 15 minutes, further supporting that 25CN-NBOH rapidly penetrates
      the blood-brain barrier and is not subjected to significant efflux. In
      conclusion, 25CN-NBOH appears to be a superior selective and brain-penetrant 5
      HT2A receptor agonist compared with (+/-)-2,5-dimethoxy-4-iodoamphetamine (DOI),
      and thus we propose that the compound could be a valuable tool for future
      investigations of physiologic functions mediated by this receptor.

PMID- 28360336
TI  - Meet the First Authors.

PMID- 28360329
TI  - Aging increases cell-to-cell transcriptional variability upon immune stimulation.
AB  - Aging is characterized by progressive loss of physiological and cellular
      functions, but the molecular basis of this decline remains unclear. We explored
      how aging affects transcriptional dynamics using single-cell RNA sequencing of
      unstimulated and stimulated naive and effector memory CD4+ T cells from young and
      old mice from two divergent species. In young animals, immunological activation
      drives a conserved transcriptomic switch, resulting in tightly controlled gene
      expression characterized by a strong up-regulation of a core activation program,
      coupled with a decrease in cell-to-cell variability. Aging perturbed the
      activation of this core program and increased expression heterogeneity across
      populations of cells in both species. These discoveries suggest that increased
      cell-to-cell transcriptional variability will be a hallmark feature of aging
      across most, if not all, mammalian tissues.

PMID- 28360337
TI  - Trainees in the Spotlight: Yet Another Addition to Our Portfolio.

PMID- 28360338
TI  - Novel Lipoprotein(a) Catabolism Pathway via Apolipoprotein(a) Recycling: Adding
      the Plasminogen Receptor PlgRKT to the List.

PMID- 28360334
TI  - A Genomic DNA Reporter Screen Identifies Squalene Synthase Inhibitors That Act
      Cooperatively with Statins to Upregulate the Low-Density Lipoprotein Receptor.
AB  - Hypercholesterolemia remains one of the leading risk factors for the development
      of cardiovascular disease. Many large double-blind studies have demonstrated that
      lowering low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol using a statin can reduce the
      risk of having a cardiovascular event by approximately 30%. However, despite the
      success of statins, some patient populations are unable to lower their LDL
      cholesterol to meet the targeted lipid levels, due to compliance or potency
      issues. This is especially true for patients with heterozygous familial
      hypercholesterolemia who may require additional upregulation of the low-density
      lipoprotein receptor (LDLR) to reduce LDL cholesterol levels below those
      achievable with maximal dosing of statins. Here we identify a series of small
      molecules from a genomic DNA reporter screen that upregulate the LDLR in mouse
      and human liver cell lines at nanomolar potencies (EC50 = 39 nM). Structure
      activity relationship studies carried out on the lead compound, OX03771 [(E)-N,N
      dimethyl-3-(4-styrylphenoxy)propan-1-amine], led to the identification of
      compound OX03050 [(E)-3-(4-styrylphenoxy)propan-1-ol], which had similar potency
      (EC50 = 26 nM) but a much-improved pharmacokinetic profile and showed in vivo
      efficacy. Compounds OX03050 and OX03771 were found to inhibit squalene synthase,
      the first committed step in cholesterol biosynthesis. These squalene synthase
      inhibitors were shown to act cooperatively with statins to increase LDLR
      expression in vitro. Overall, we demonstrated here a novel series of small
      molecules with the potential to be further developed to treat patients either
      alone or in combination with statins.

PMID- 28360339
TI  - Biological Age and Circulating Progenitor Cell Levels as Predictors Heart Disease
      Events.

PMID- 28360340
TI  - Route TESI: Main Street for MSC?

PMID- 28360341
TI  - Inorganic Nitrates: Qi for Heart Failure With Preserved Ejection Fraction?

PMID- 28360343
TI  - Catherine Makarewich: Collaboration of Diligence and Luck.

PMID- 28360342
TI  - Clinical Progress in Cell Therapy for Single Ventricle Congenital Heart Disease.

PMID- 28360344
TI  - The Davis Heart and Lung Research Institute: Building a Sustainable Platform for
      Translation.

PMID- 28360345
TI  - The Unraveling of the Matryoshka Doll.

PMID- 28360346
TI  - Individualized Knowledge Graph: A Viable Informatics Path to Precision Medicine.

PMID- 28360347
TI  - Adapt or Perish: Updating the Predoctoral Training Model.

PMID- 28360351
TI  - Correction to: Novel Risk Markers and Risk Assessments for Cardiovascular
      Disease.

PMID- 28360350
TI  - Myocardial Viability: Survival Mechanisms and Molecular Imaging Targets in Acute
      and Chronic Ischemia.
AB  - Myocardial responses to acute ischemia/reperfusion and to chronic ischemic
      conditions have been studied extensively at all levels of organization. These
      include subcellular (eg, mitochondria in vitro); intact, large animal models (eg,
      swine with chronic coronary stenosis); as well as human subjects. Investigations
      in humans have used positron emission tomographic metabolic and myocardial blood
      flow measurements, assessment of gene expression and anatomic description of
      myocardium obtained at the time of coronary artery revascularization, ventricular
      assist device placement, or heart transplantation. A multitude of genetic,
      molecular, and metabolic pathways have been identified, which may promote either
      myocyte survival or death or, most interestingly, both. Many of these potential
      mediators in both acute ischemia/reperfusion and adaptations to chronic ischemic
      conditions involve the mitochondria, which play a central role in cellular energy
      production and homeostasis. The present review is focused on operative survival
      mechanisms and potential myocardial viability molecular imaging targets in acute
      and chronic ischemia, especially those which impact mitochondrial function.

PMID- 28360348
TI  - Contemporary Approaches to Modulating the Nitric Oxide-cGMP Pathway in
      Cardiovascular Disease.
AB  - Endothelial cells lining the vessel wall control important aspects of vascular
      homeostasis. In particular, the production of endothelium-derived nitric oxide
      and activation of soluble guanylate cyclase promotes endothelial quiescence and
      governs vasomotor function and proportional remodeling of blood vessels. Here, we
      discuss novel approaches to improve endothelial nitric oxide generation and
      preserve its bioavailability. We also discuss therapeutic opportunities aimed at
      activation of soluble guanylate cyclase for multiple cardiovascular indications.

PMID- 28360352
TI  - Intracranial venous pressures under conscious sedation and general anesthesia.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: Venous outflow obstruction has been implicated in the
      pathophysiology of a subset of patients with idiopathic intracranial hypertension
      (IIH), and venous sinus stenting (VSS) has emerged as an effective treatment.
      However, the effect of anesthesia on venous sinus pressure measurements is
      unpredictable. A more thorough understanding of the effect of the level of
      anesthesia on intracranial venous pressures might help to better define patients
      who might benefit most from stent placement. OBJECTIVE: To compare, in a
      retrospective cohort study, intracranial venous pressures measured under
      conscious (CS) sedation versus general anesthesia (GA) and to assess the
      relationship between anesthetic-dependent venous pressures and outcomes after
      VSS. METHODS: We performed a retrospective review of a prospectively maintained
      database to identify patients undergoing angiographic evaluation and VSS for
      intracranial venous stenosis. Mean venous pressures (MVPs) and trans-stenosis
      pressure gradients obtained under CS were compared with those measured under GA.
      RESULTS: The maximal MVP was significantly lower under GA (19.8 mm Hg) than CS
      (21.9 mm Hg; p=0.029). The MVPs in the superior sagittal sinus, torcula, and
      transverse sinus were lower under GA, but were significantly higher in the
      sigmoid sinus and jugular bulb under GA (p<0.001). The mean trans-stenosis
      pressure gradient was also significantly lower under GA (8.6 mm Hg) than CS (12.1
      mm Hg; p<0.001). Patients with a larger difference between maximum MVP under GA
      versus CS were more likely to have normalization of the MVP after VSS (p=0.0008).
      CONCLUSIONS: Intracranial venous pressures are markedly affected by GA. In order
      to obtain an accurate measurement of MVPs and trans-stenosis gradients, patients
      undergoing investigation for IIH should undergo cerebral angiography and venous
      manometry under CS, which provides more reliable data for outcomes after VSS.

PMID- 28360349
TI  - Gut Microbiota in Cardiovascular Health and Disease.
AB  - Significant interest in recent years has focused on gut microbiota-host
      interaction because accumulating evidence has revealed that intestinal microbiota
      play an important role in human health and disease, including cardiovascular
      diseases. Changes in the composition of gut microbiota associated with disease,
      referred to as dysbiosis, have been linked to pathologies such as
      atherosclerosis, hypertension, heart failure, chronic kidney disease, obesity,
      and type 2 diabetes mellitus. In addition to alterations in gut microbiota
      composition, the metabolic potential of gut microbiota has been identified as a
      contributing factor in the development of diseases. Recent studies revealed that
      gut microbiota can elicit a variety of effects on the host. Indeed, the gut
      microbiome functions like an endocrine organ, generating bioactive metabolites,
      that can impact host physiology. Microbiota interact with the host through many
      pathways, including the trimethylamine/trimethylamine N-oxide pathway, short
      chain fatty acids pathway, and primary and secondary bile acids pathways. In
      addition to these metabolism-dependent pathways, metabolism-independent processes
      are suggested to also potentially contribute to cardiovascular disease
      pathogenesis. For example, heart failure-associated splanchnic circulation
      congestion, bowel wall edema, and impaired intestinal barrier function are
      thought to result in bacterial translocation, the presence of bacterial products
      in the systemic circulation and heightened inflammatory state. These are thought
      to also contribute to further progression of heart failure and atherosclerosis.
      The purpose of the current review is to highlight the complex interplay between
      microbiota, their metabolites, and the development and progression of
      cardiovascular diseases. We will also discuss the roles of gut microbiota in
      normal physiology and the potential of modulating intestinal microbial
      inhabitants as novel therapeutic targets.

PMID- 28360353
TI  - Optical coherence tomography evaluation of tissue prolapse after carotid artery
      stenting using closed cell design stents for unstable plaque.
AB  - BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: During carotid artery stenting (CAS) with the use of
      closed cell design stents for unstable plaques, tissue prolapse between stent
      struts was evaluated by optical coherence tomography (OCT). METHODS: 14 carotid
      stenosis lesions diagnosed as unstable plaques by MRI were evaluated by OCT
      imaging during CAS using closed cell stents. Cross sectional OCT images within
      the stented segment were evaluated at 1 mm intervals. The slice rate for the
      presence of tissue prolapse between the struts was calculated. RESULTS: No intra
      procedural complications occurred. After single stent placement, plaque prolapse
      was observed in all cases. Slices with any and >500 um tissue prolapse were seen
      in 30% and 7.8% of cases, respectively. In 5 of 7 lesions with tissue prolapse
      >500 um, additional stents were overlapped. In cases with overlapping stents,
      slices with any tissue prolapse were significantly decreased from 26% to 16%
      (p=0.008); in particular, the occurrence of tissue prolapse >500 um was
      significantly decreased from 15% to 2.3% (p<0.001). In one case of >500 um tissue
      prolapse without an overlapping stent, delayed embolization due to an in-stent
      thrombus occurred 9 months after the procedure. CONCLUSIONS: OCT during CAS using
      closed cell stent for unstable plaques frequently revealed tissue prolapse
      between struts. Placement of overlapping stents significantly reduced tissue
      prolapse, particularly tissue prolapse >500 um. However, closed cell stents used
      for unstable plaques may not solve the problem of tissue prolapse.

PMID- 28360355
TI  - Predicting APL lethal bleeding in the ATRA era.

PMID- 28360354
TI  - Predictors of false-positive stroke thrombectomy transfers.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Most patients with large vessel occlusion (LVO) stroke need to be
      transferred to receive thrombectomy. To save time, the decision to transfer often
      relies on clinical scales as a surrogate for LVO rather than imaging. However,
      clinical scales have been associated with high levels of diagnostic error. The
      aim of this study is to define the susceptibility to overdiagnosis of our current
      transfer decision process by measuring the rate of non-treatment transfers, the
      most common reasons for no treatment and potential predictors. METHODS: Clinical
      and transfer data on consecutive patients transferred to a single endovascular
      capable centre for possible thrombectomy via stroke code activation were
      retrospectively reviewed. Whether patients underwent the procedure, why they did
      not undergo the procedure, and other clinical and logistical predictors were
      recorded. chi2 tests and multivariate logistic regression analysis were
      performed. RESULTS: From 2015 to 2016, 105/192 transferred patients (54%) did not
      undergo thrombectomy and the most common reason was absence of a LVO found on CTA
      after transfer (71/104 (68%)). 14/16 (88%) with a National Institutes of Health
      Stroke Scale (NIHSS) score <10 did not undergo thrombectomy while 41/78 (52%)
      with a NIHSS>20 underwent thrombectomy (p<0.001). Helicopter use was associated
      with no treatment (p=0.004) while arrival within 5 hours was associated with
      treatment (p<0.001). CONCLUSIONS: Clinical scales appear to overdiagnose LVO and
      may be responsible for the majority of our stroke code transfers not undergoing
      thrombectomy. Primary stroke centres therefore have reason to develop the
      capability to rapidly acquire and interpret a CTA in patients with suspected LVO
      prior to transfer. Such efforts may reduce the costs associated with unnecessary
      thrombectomy transfers.

PMID- 28360356
TI  - Toward autophagy-targeted therapy in lymphoma.

PMID- 28360357
TI  - Risking thromboembolism: podoplanin and glioma.

PMID- 28360358
TI  - APL: Oh! What a tangled web we weave.

PMID- 28360359
TI  - The classical nature of distinctive CMML monocytes.

PMID- 28360361
TI  - Peripheral T-cell lymphoma with EBV-infected "anaplastic" B-cell proliferation
      confined to sinuses.

PMID- 28360360
TI  - Clusters of paracortical plasmacytoid dendritic cells in lupus lymphadenitis.

PMID- 28360362
TI  - Rising to the Challenge of Antimicrobial Resistance.

PMID- 28360363
TI  - The Importance of Continuous Quality Improvement in Peritoneal Dialysis Units.

PMID- 28360364
TI  - The Future of Peritoneal Dialysis in a Moving Landscape of Bacterial Resistance.

PMID- 28360365
TI  - ISPD Catheter-Related Infection Recommendations: 2017 Update.

PMID- 28360366
TI  - Peritoneal Dialysis to Treat Patients with Acute Kidney Injury-The Saving Young
      Lives Experience in West Africa: Proceedings of the Saving Young Lives Session at
      the First International Conference of Dialysis in West Africa, Dakar, Senegal,
      December 2015.
AB  - In December 2015, as part of the First African Dialysis Conference organized in
      Dakar, Senegal, 5 physicians from West African countries who have participated in
      the Saving Young Lives Program reviewed their experiences establishing peritoneal
      dialysis (PD) programs to treat patients with acute kidney injury (AKI). Thus
      far, nearly 200 patients have received PD treatment in these countries. The
      interaction and discussion amongst the participants at the meeting was meaningful
      and informative. The presentations highlighted the creativity, conviction, and
      determination of the physicians in overcoming the various barriers and challenges
      they encountered to establish PD/AKI programs. Hopefully, these successes and the
      increased awareness of the importance of early diagnosis and treatment of AKI
      will inspire much needed support from government, hospital, and international
      organizations.

PMID- 28360367
TI  - Peritoneal Dialysis: A Scoping Review of Strategies to Maximize PD Utilization.
AB  - The percentage of end-stage renal disease (ESRD) patients treated with peritoneal
      dialysis (PD) has declined in many countries since the mid-1990s. Barriers to PD
      have been reviewed extensively in the literature, but evidence about strategies
      to address these barriers and maximize the safe and effective use of PD is
      lacking. We therefore decided to conduct a scoping review identifying strategies
      to maximize PD use in adults with ESRD. Our search strategy included the
      following online databases: MEDLINE (OVID), EMBASE, PubMed, Cochrane Controlled
      Trials Register, Current Controlled Trials, and Cochrane Database of Systematic
      Reviews for articles published from 1974 to November 2013. Experts in the field
      were contacted for information about other ongoing or unpublished studies. A
      complementary search was conducted in the gray literature. Websites of national,
      provincial or regional agencies were searched for documents regarding policies
      surrounding the use of PD. Individual dialysis centers need to identify barriers
      to increasing PD in their program and direct targeted strategies to maximize PD
      utilization. Our review highlights some effective strategies that may be used.
      Our review also highlights the need for further research into strategies to
      maximize PD utilization.

PMID- 28360368
TI  - The 'Pull' Technique for Removal of Peritoneal Dialysis Catheters: A Call for Re
      Evaluation of Practice Standards.
AB  - ? BACKGROUND: The most commonly used peritoneal dialysis (PD) catheters have
      silicon tubing with attached Dacron cuffs. The current standard of care for PD
      catheter removal is by complete surgical dissection, withdrawing both the tubing
      and the cuffs. The intention is to avoid infection of any residual part of the
      catheter. We retrospectively analyzed our results with the alternative 'pull'
      technique, by which the silicon tube is pulled out, leaving the Dacron cuffs
      within the abdominal wall. This technique never gained popularity due to concern
      that the retained cuffs would get infected. ? METHODS: We reviewed our experience
      from an 18-month period, between January 2014 and June 2015. There were 46
      catheter removals in 40 patients. All the catheters were of the double-cuffed
      coiled Tenckhoff type (Covidien, Dublin, Ireland). ? RESULTS: Of the 46 catheter
      removals by the 'pull' technique, there was only 1 case of retained cuff
      infection. ? CONCLUSIONS: The 'pull' technique is a safe method for Tenckhoff
      catheter removal with low risk of infection. We strongly recommend it as the
      procedure of choice.

PMID- 28360369
TI  - Significant Decreasing Incidence of Encapsulating Peritoneal Sclerosis in the
      Dutch Population of Peritoneal Dialysis Patients.
AB  - The Dutch Encapsulating Peritoneal Sclerosis (EPS) Registry was started in 2009.
      Cases were identified by contacting all Dutch nephrologists twice yearly. The
      predefined criteria for EPS allowed for inclusion of patients with diagnosed and
      suspected EPS. Cases registered between January 2009 and January 2015 were
      analyzed with follow-up until September 2015. Fifty-three EPS cases were
      identified, of which 28.3% were post-transplantation EPS cases. Fourteen patients
      were initially categorized as suspected EPS, of whom 13 developed EPS. A
      remarkable 6-fold decrease in the yearly incidence of EPS was observed, from
      0.85% in 2009 to 0.14% in 2014. This decrease could not be explained by a
      decrease in the number of PD patients or average duration of PD treatment in this
      period. Two-year survival of EPS patients was 52%. The use of tamoxifen and
      surgical interventions increased significantly over the years. Tamoxifen-treated
      cases showed a trend to better patient survival and post-transplantation EPS had
      a significantly favorable outcome. In conclusion, the incidence of EPS has
      declined significantly in the Netherlands from 2009 to 2014.

PMID- 28360370
TI  - Barriers to Increasing Use of Peritoneal Dialysis in Bangladesh: A Survey of
      Patients and Providers.
AB  - Despite a lower requirement for technology and equipment than hemodialysis (HD),
      peritoneal dialysis (PD) is an underutilized modality in low- and middle-income
      countries (LMICs). Bangladesh has the lowest use of PD in the world (fewer than
      2% of prevalent patients). We evaluated nephrologists' attitudes toward PD and
      examined differences between patients on HD and PD in Dhaka. We asked
      nephrologists to fill out an English-language questionnaire. Using convenience
      sampling but targeting both public and private hospitals in Dhaka, we asked
      trained nurses to administer a Bangla-language questionnaire to patients on HD (n
      = 116) and PD (n = 41). We validated the questionnaires on a sub-sample (n = 10
      for each group). Of the 43 nephrologists surveyed, 27 (63%) had patients on PD.
      When compared with nephrologists without patients on PD, those with patients on
      PD were less likely to believe that survival and quality of life on PD was worse
      than on HD (odds ratio [OR] = 0.21, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.05 - 0.83 and
      OR = 0.11, 95% CI 0.02 - 0.67 respectively) but were not more likely to have
      received training for PD. Nephrologists named cost of PD as the predominant
      barrier to increasing use of PD, followed by concerns about patient hygiene and
      lack of trained nurses. Fifty-two HD patients (45%) did not know about a home
      based modality. When compared with patients on HD, patients on PD were more
      likely to have been educated by non-nephrologists about dialysis, to be
      "forewarned" about the need for dialysis, to be paying fully, and to be living in
      a permanent home with a non-communal water source. Some barriers to increasing
      access to PD-i.e., patient living conditions and cost-are unique to LMICs. Our
      study also highlights that issues encountered in high-income countries-i.e.,
      nephrologists' subjective preference and lack of patient knowledge about an
      alternate modality to HD-may play a role as well.

PMID- 28360371
TI  - CAPD Catheter Exit-Site and Tunnel Infection with Fungal Etiology-Treatment and
      Catheter Reinsertion for an Extremely Rare Complication.
AB  - Fungal infection is an extremely rare etiology of exit-site and tunnel infection
      in patients on continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis (CAPD). There are few
      data available regarding its management-especially choice of antifungals,
      duration of therapy, and removal of catheter. There are no guidelines pertaining
      to reinsertion of the CAPD catheter following fungal exit-site and tunnel
      infection. This case report highlights Candida albicans as a rare cause of exit
      site and tunnel infection of the CAPD catheter. The catheter was removed and the
      patient received appropriate antifungal therapy followed by reinsertion of the
      CAPD catheter and re-initiation on CAPD.

PMID- 28360372
TI  - Peritonitis as the First Presentation of Disseminated Listeriosis in a Patient on
      Peritoneal Dialysis-a Case Report.
AB  - Infections with Listeria monocytogenes are uncommon but serious, with mortality
      rate approaching 30% in cases of systemic involvement despite first-line therapy.
      They are usually caused by ingestion of contaminated foods, but spontaneous
      infections have also been described. Listeria monocytogenes is a rare cause of
      peritonitis, and most of the published cases are in patients with cirrhosis and
      ascites. There are a few reported cases of Listeria peritonitis associated with
      peritoneal dialysis (PD), primarily isolated peritonitis.If detected early,
      Listeria peritonitis can be successfully treated with ampicillin, alone or in
      combination with gentamicin. Vancomycin has been listed as a second-line agent.
      However, it has been associated with treatment failure.In this case report, we
      present a patient who developed disseminated listeriosis, with peritonitis as the
      first manifestation of disseminated infection. This case illustrates the
      importance of having a high index of suspicion for L. monocytogenes if patients
      deteriorate despite empiric therapy for PD-associated peritonitis and serves as a
      further example demonstrating the inadequate coverage of vancomycin for L.
      monocytogenes.

PMID- 28360374
TI  - The Phrene Asunder: The Unrelenting Puzzle of Psychosis.

PMID- 28360373
TI  - Successful Treatment of PD Peritonitis Due to Morganella morganii Resistant to
      Third-Generation Cephalosporins - A Case Report.
AB  - Morganella morganii is a rare cause of peritonitis in patients on peritoneal
      dialysis (PD). Most of the reported cases have resorted to a switch to
      hemodialysis. We herein report a case of peritonitis due to M. morganii resistant
      to third-generation cephalosporins, which was treated successfully with
      intraperitoneal (IP) tobramycin followed by oral ciprofloxacin. Early
      microbiologic diagnosis is essential in the treatment of peritonitis from rare
      microorganisms such as Morganella morganii, and appropriate antibiotic therapy is
      the key to avoiding catheter loss and subsequent switch to hemodialysis.

PMID- 28360377
TI  - Erratum.

PMID- 28360375
TI  - The Path to New Therapies for Schizophrenia and Bipolar Illness.
AB  - Schizophrenia and bipolar illness are two of the most serious forms of mental
      illness. Until relatively recently, almost nothing was known about the molecular
      pathogenesis of either illness. The single largest risk factor that predisposes
      people to schizophrenia or bipolar illness is genetic risk. Heritability is high,
      and the incidence is significantly higher in identical twins than in nonidentical
      twins. Despite decades of work aimed at identifying the genes involved in these
      two illnesses, virtually no progress had been made until the past decade. With
      the knowledge and technologies that have been gained from the Human Genome
      Project, it has been possible to begin to understand the underlying genetics and
      to use the new information to begin the effort to discover new and better
      medicines to treat these illnesses. This article will describe the past decade of
      work toward this goal and articulate both the promise that now exists and what is
      still needed to bring dramatic and tangible change to patients.-Scolnick, E. M.
      The path to new therapies for schizophrenia and bipolar illness.

PMID- 28360378
TI  - A systematic review and appraisal of the quality of practice guidelines for the
      management of Neisseria gonorrhoeae infections.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Clinical guidelines help ensure consistent care informed by current
      evidence. As shifts in antimicrobial resistance continue to influence first-line
      treatment, up-to-date guidelines are important for preventing treatment failure.
      A guideline's development process will influence its recommendations and users'
      trust. OBJECTIVE: To assess the quality of current gonorrhoea guidelines'
      development processes. DATA SOURCES: Multiple databases. STUDY ELIGIBILITY
      CRITERIA: Original and current English-language guidelines targeting health
      professionals and containing treatment recommendations for uncomplicated
      gonorrhoea in the general adult population. STUDY APPRAISAL AND SYNTHESIS
      METHODS: Two appraisers assessed the guidelines independently using the Appraisal
      of Guidelines for Research and Evaluation II (AGREE II) tool. Scores were
      combined as per the AGREE II users' manual. RESULTS: We identified 10 guidelines
      meeting the inclusion criteria. The quality of the gonorrhoea treatment
      guidelines varied. Most scored poorly on Rigour of Development; information on
      the evidence review process and methods for formulating recommendations was often
      missing. The WHO Guidelines for the Treatment of Neisseria gonorrhoeae and UK
      National Guideline for the Management of Gonorrhoea in Adults scored the highest
      on Rigour of Development. Methods to address conflicts of interest were often not
      described in the materials reviewed. Implementation of recommendations was often
      not addressed. LIMITATIONS: By limiting our study to English-language guidelines,
      a small number of guidelines we identified were excluded. Our analysis was
      limited to either published or online materials that were readily available to
      users. We could not differentiate between items addressed in the development
      process but not documented from items that were not addressed. CONCLUSIONS AND
      IMPLICATIONS OF KEY FINDINGS: Gonorrhoea treatment guidelines may slow
      antimicrobial resistance. Many current guidelines are not in line with the
      current guideline development best practices; this might undermine the perceived
      trustworthiness of guidelines. By identifying current limitations, this study can
      help improve the quality of future guidelines.

PMID- 28360379
TI  - Prevalence and characteristics of gastrointestinal infections in men who have sex
      with men diagnosed with rectal chlamydia infection in the UK: an 'unlinked
      anonymous' cross-sectional study.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: Gastrointestinal infections (GII) can cause serious ill health and
      morbidity. Although primarily transmitted through faecal contamination of food or
      water, transmission through sexual activity is well described, especially among
      men who have sex with men (MSM). METHODS: We investigated the prevalence of GIIs
      among a convenience sample of MSM who were consecutively diagnosed with rectal
      Chlamydia trachomatis (CT) at 12 UK genitourinary medicine clinics during 10
      weeks in 2012. Residual rectal swabs were coded, anonymised and tested for
      Shigella, Campylobacter, Salmonella, shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli and
      enteroaggregative E. coli (EAEC) using a real-time PCR. Results were linked to
      respective coded and anonymised clinical and demographic data. Associations were
      investigated using Fisher's exact tests. RESULTS: Of 444 specimens tested,
      overall GII prevalence was 8.6% (95% CI 6.3% to 11.6%): 1.8% (0.9% to 3.6%)
      tested positive for Shigella, 1.8% (0.9% to 3.6%) for Campylobacter and 5.2%
      (3.5% to 7.7%) for EAEC. No specimens tested positive for Salmonella or other
      diarrhoeagenic E. coli pathotypes. Among those with any GII, 14/30 were
      asymptomatic (2/7 with Shigella, 3/6 with Campylobacter and 9/17 with EAEC).
      Shigella prevalence was higher in MSM who were HIV-positive (4.7% (2.1% to 10.2%)
      vs 0.5%(0.1% to 3.2%) in HIV-negative MSM; p=0.01). CONCLUSIONS: In this small
      feasibility study, MSM with rectal CT appeared to be at appreciable risk of GII.
      Asymptomatic carriage may play a role in sexual transmission of GII.

PMID- 28360380
TI  - Genetic diversity of Echinococcus multilocularis in red foxes in Poland: the
      first report of a haplotype of probable Asian origin.
AB  - The aim of the present study was to estimate the genetic diversity of the cestode
      Echinococcus multilocularis Leuckart, 1863 in Poland based on sequence analysis
      of the mitochondrial genes of worms isolated from red foxes, Vulpes vulpes
      (Linnaeus). Overall, 83 adults of E. multilocularis from the same number of foxes
      in different parts of Poland were used for analysis. Sequences of the three
      mitochondrial genes, cytochrome b (cob), NADH dehydrogenase subunit 2 (nad2) and
      cytochrome c oxidase subunit 1 (cox1), were analysed. Seventy-four individual
      biological samples were successfully sequenced. Combined sequence analysis of
      these three genes exhibited fifteen Polish haplotypes (EmPL1-EmPL15). Most
      isolates (n = 29; 39%) were classified to the EmPL1 haplotype, which occurred
      mainly in the east, north and centre of Poland. Haplotype EmPL4 (n = 14; 19%) and
      other haplotypes appeared predominantly in the south and west area. Fourteen
      haplotypes were grouped in the European clade. One Polish haplotype (EmPL9) (n =
      7, 10%) was assigned to the Asian clade with haplotypes from Japan and
      Kazakhstan. This haplotype was found only in northeast Poland and this is the
      westernmost report of haplotype of E. multilocularis belonging to the Asian clade
      in Europe. The investigation demonstrated that populations of E. multilocularis
      in Poland (and probably also in eastern Europe) included not only different
      European haplotypes but also those of the Asian origin.

PMID- 28360381
TI  - Microsatellite development and characterization for Saurogobio dabryi Bleeker,
      1871 in a Yangtze river-connected lake, China.

PMID- 28360382
TI  - Genetic diversity in Satureja species determined by sequence-related amplified
      polymorphism markers.

PMID- 28360383
TI  - Cloning and expression analysis of zygote arrest 1 (Zar1) in New Zealand white
      rabbits.
AB  - Zygote arrest 1 (Zar1) is an oocyte-specific maternal-effect gene. Previous
      studies indicate that Zar1 plays important role in early embryo development, but
      little is known about its function in rabbit. The objectives of this study were
      to clone the New Zealand white rabbit Zar1 gene and to investigate its expression
      in various organs in groups of animals with different reproductive traits.We
      obtained a 709-bp Zar1 cDNA fragment consisting of an 8-bp exon 1, 161-bp exon 2,
      75-bp exon 3, 271-bp exon 4 and 194-bp 3'sequences. The rabbit Zar1 nucleotide
      sequence showed per cent identities of 91, 88, 88, 87, 86, 87, 76 and 82% with
      Zar1 orthologues in human, cattle, sheep, pig, mouse, rat, zebrafish and Xenopus
      laevis, respectively, indicating a high homology with other species and
      evolutionary conservation. Quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction
      analyses revealed nonoocyte-specific Zar1 expression, with expression in spleen,
      lung, ovary, uterus, heart, liver and kidney. The expression level was highest in
      the lung. This study may lay the theoretical foundation for the study of ZAR1's
      biological function.

PMID- 28360384
TI  - Sequence variants of the LCORL gene and its association with growth and carcass
      traits in Qinchuan cattle in China.
AB  - Molecular marker-assisted selection is a better way to satisfy the growing
      customer requirement with the development of beef cattle growth and breeding
      research. For now, quantitative trait locus (QTL) for cattle growth and carcass
      traits, just like body height, body length and carcass weight have been detected
      on bovine chromosome 6. In this study, ligand-dependent nuclear receptor
      corepressor-like (LCORL) was selected as the potential positional candidate gene
      located in chromosome 6 which is closely connected with the bovine growth and
      carcass traits. A total of 450 Qinchuan beef cattle were used to detect mutations
      in exon and its neighbouring region, and the promoter region of the bovine LCORL
      gene. The methods for SNPs detection were polymerase chain reaction-restriction
      fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP) and created restriction site PCR
      (CRSPCR), and the results of this study show that there were two variations in
      intron regions, the other four variations were located in the promoter region.
      Linkage disequilibrium analysis and haplotype analysis indicated that L78-Q4 had
      strong linkage disequilibrium, A T G C G C (16.2%) and G C G C A T (16.7%) had
      higher haplotype frequencies, G C A C A C (0.8%) and G T A C A T (0.7%) had lower
      haplotype frequencies. Correlation analysis indicated that SNP g. INT+52098A>G
      was significantly associated with slaughter weight and carcass weight. Based on
      the research, we selected LCORL as the candidate gene that can contribute to
      improved marker-assisted selection for the meat performance of Qinchuan beef
      cattle.

PMID- 28360385
TI  - Molecular analysis of glycogen storage disease type Ia in Iranian Azeri Turks:
      identification of a novel mutation.
AB  - Glycogen storage diseases (GSDs) are caused by abnormalities in enzymes that are
      involved in the regulation of gluconeogenesis and glycogenolysis. GSD I, an
      autosomal recessive metabolic disorder, is the most common GSD and has four
      subtypes. Here, we examined GSD Ia caused by the defective glucose-6-phosphatase
      catalytic (G6PC) gene. We investigated the frequency of GSD Ia and clarified its
      molecular aspect in patients with the main clinical and biochemical
      characteristics of GSD, including 37 unrelated patients with a mean age of three
      years at the time of diagnosis. All patients belonged to the Azeri Turkish
      population. Hypoglycaemia and hypertriglyceridaemia were the most frequent
      laboratory findings. Mutations were detected by performing direct sequencing.
      Mutation analysis of the G6PC gene revealed that GSD Ia accounted for 11% in GSD
      patients with involvement of liver. Three patients were homozygous for R83C
      mutation. In addition, a novel stop mutation, Y85X, was identified in a patient
      with the typical features of GSD Ia.

PMID- 28360386
TI  - Cloning and expression analysis of a new anther-specific gene CaMF4 in Capsicum
      annuum.
AB  - Our previous study on the genic male sterile-fertile line 114AB of Capsicum
      annuum indicated a diversity of differentially expressed cDNA fragments in
      fertile and sterile lines. In this study, a transcript-derived fragment (TDF),
      male fertile 4 (CaMF4) was chosen for further investigation to observe that this
      specific fragment accumulates in the flower buds of the fertile line. The full
      genomic DNA sequence of CaMF4 was 894 bp in length, containing two exons and one
      intron, and the complete coding sequence encoded a putative 11.53 kDa protein of
      109 amino acids. The derived protein of CaMF4 shared similarity with the members
      of PGPS/D3 protein family. The expression of CaMF4 was detected in both the
      flower buds at stage 8 and open flowers of the male fertile line. In contrast to
      this observation, expression of CaMF4 was not detected in any organs of the male
      sterile line. Further analysis revealed that CaMF4 was expressed particularly in
      anthers of the fertile line. Our results suggest that CaMF4 is an anther-specific
      gene and might be indispensable for anther or pollen development in C. annuum.

PMID- 28360387
TI  - Genetic structure of Pseudococcus microcirculus (Hemiptera: Pseudococcidae)
      populations on epiphytic orchids in south Florida.
AB  - In 2012, the orchid mealy bug Pseudococcus microcirculus was first detected in
      situ in North America's more diverse orchid region, the Big Cypress Basin
      (Collier Co FL). A follow-up survey showed that the mealy bug is more widespread
      and found on epiphytic orchids in two locations, in both the Fakahatchee Strand
      State Preserve (sites B and F) and the Florida Panther National Wildlife Refuge
      (sites M and C). There, we collected mealy bugs (n = 54) from 35 orchid
      individuals and screened allelic variation at seven microsatellite loci. We
      estimated genetic diversity and differentiation among all sites and compared the
      variation among individuals collected on the same plant. Genetic differentiation
      between sites M and C (FST = 0.03, P < 0.01) and,Mand B (FST = 0.04, P < 0.01)
      was detected.We also detected significantly lower mean pairwise relatedness among
      individuals from site B compared to all the other locations, and this population
      had the lowest inbreeding coefficient. Genetic diversity and mean pairwise
      relatedness were highly variable among plants with multiple individuals; however,
      plants from sites F and M tend to have collections of individuals with higher
      mean pairwise relatedness compared to sites B and C. Our results indicate that
      there is genetic diversity and differentiation among mealy bugs in these
      locations, and that collections of individuals on the same plant are genetically
      diverse. As such, the mealy bugs throughout these areas are likely to be
      genetically diverse and exist in multiple distinct populations.

PMID- 28360388
TI  - Transiently expressed pattern during myogenesis and candidate miRNAs of Tmem8C in
      goose.
AB  - Transmembrane protein 8C (Tmem8C) is a muscle-specific membrane protein that
      controls myoblast fusion, which is essential for the formation of multinucleated
      muscle fibres. As most of the birds can fly, they have enormous requirement for
      the muscle, but there are only a few studies of Tmem8C in birds. In this study,
      we obtained the coding sequence (CDS) of Tmem8C in goose, predicted miRNAs that
      can act on the 3'UTR, analysed expression profiles of this gene in breast and leg
      muscles (BM and LM) during the embryonic period and neonatal stages, and
      identified miRNAs that might affect the targeted gene. The results revealed a
      high homology between Tmem8C in goose and other animals (indicated by sequence
      comparisons and phylogenetic trees), some conservative characteristics (e.g., six
      transmembrane domains and two E-boxes in the 5'UTR might be the potential binding
      sites of muscle regulatory factors (MRFs)), and the dN/dS ratio indicated
      purifying selection acting on this gene, facilitating conservatism in
      vertebrates. Q-PCR indicated Tmem8C had a peak expression pattern, reaching its
      highest expression levels in stage E15 in LM and E19 in BM, and then dropping
      transiently in E23 (P < 0.05). We examined 13 candidate miRNAs, and negative
      relationships were detected both in BM and LM (mir-125b-5p, mir-15a, mir-16-1 and
      mir-n23). Notably, mir-16-1 significantly decreased luciferase activity in dual
      luciferase reporter gene (LRG) assay, suggesting that it can be identified as
      potential factors affecting Tmem8C. This study investigated Tmem8C in water bird
      for the first time, and provided useful information about this gene and its
      candidate miRNAs in goose.

PMID- 28360389
TI  - Potential emigration of Siberian cattle germplasm on Chirikof Island, Alaska.
AB  - Feral cattle residing in Chirikof Island, Alaska, are relatively distinct from
      breeds used in commercial production in North America. However, preliminary
      evidence suggested that they exhibit substantial genetic relationship with cattle
      from Yakutian region of Siberia. Thus, our objective was to further elucidate
      quantify the origins, admixture and divergence of the Chirikof Island cattle
      relative to cattle from Siberia and USA. Subject animals were genotyped at 15
      microsatellite loci. Compared with Turano-Mongolian and North American cattle,
      Chirikof Island cattle had similar variation, with slightly less observed
      heterozygosity, fewer alleles per locus and a positive fixation index. Analysis
      of the genetic distances revealed two primary clusters; one that contained the
      North American breeds and the Kazakh White head, and a second that contained the
      Yakutian and Kalmyk breeds, and the Chirikof population. Thus, it is suggested
      that Chirikof Island cattle may be a composite of British breeds emanating from
      North America and Turano-Mongolian cattle. A potential founder effect, consistent
      with historical records of the Russian-American period, may contribute to the
      adaptation of the Chirikof Island cattle to their harsh high-latitude
      environment. Further study of adaptive mechanisms manifest by these cattle is
      warranted.

PMID- 28360391
TI  - Complement component 3: characterization and association with mastitis resistance
      in Egyptian water buffalo and cattle.
AB  - Mastitis is an infectious disease of the mammary gland that leads to reduced milk
      production and change in milk composition. Complement component C3 plays a major
      role as a central molecule of the complement cascade involving in killing of
      microorganisms, either directly or in cooperation with phagocytic cells. C3 cDNA
      were isolated, from Egyptian buffalo and cattle, sequenced and characterized. The
      C3 cDNA sequences of buffalo and cattle consist of 5025 and 5019 bp,
      respectively. Buffalo and cattle C3 cDNAs share 99% of sequence identity with
      each other. The 4986 bp open reading frame in buffalo encodes a putative protein
      of 1661 amino acids-as in cattle-and includes all the functional domains.
      Further, analysis of the C3 cDNA sequences detected six novel single-nucleotide
      polymorphisms (SNPs) in buffalo and three novel SNPs in cattle. The association
      analysis of the detected SNPs with milk somatic cell score as an indicator of
      mastitis revealed that the most significant association in buffalo was found in
      the C>A substitution (ss: 1752816097) in exon 27, whereas in cattle it was in the
      C>T substitution (ss: 1752816085) in exon 12. Our findings provide preliminary
      information about the contribution of C3 polymorphisms to mastitis resistance in
      buffalo and cattle.

PMID- 28360390
TI  - Association of IL-10 gene (-1082A>G, -819C>T and -592C>A) polymorphism and its
      serum level with metabolic syndrome of north Indian subjects.
AB  - Metabolic syndrome (MetS) is an inflammatory disorder, in which various cytokines
      play important role in tilting balance towards disease state. Interleukin-10 (IL
      10) is an important antiinflammatory cytokine, but its genetic polymorphisms and
      serum levels in Indian MetS subjects are unknown. Three IL-10 gene polymorphisms
      (-1082A>G (rs1800896), -819C>T (rs1800872) and -592C>A (rs1800871)) were
      genotyped with PCR-RFLP in MetS subjects (n = 384) and age/sex matched control
      subjects (n = 386). Serum IL-10 was measured using enzyme-linked immunosorbent
      assay. Serum IL-10 level was significantly low in MetS subject and significantly
      correlated with clinicobiochemical parameters of MetS. Of three investigated
      promoter polymorphisms, IL-10 -819C> T and -592C>A were significantly associated
      with risk of MetS. The mutant alleles -819T and -592A of IL-10 gene polymorphism
      were significantly higher in MetS subjects compared to controls. Of the four
      different haplotypes obtained, common ACC haplotype and rare GTA haplotype of IL
      10 polymorphisms were associated with MetS. The mean of fasting insulin and HOMA
      IR were significantly different between the genotypes of both -819 C>T and 
      592C>A polymorphisms of IL-10 in MetS subjects. These results suggested that
      polymorphisms in IL-10 gene (-819C>T and -592C>A), haplotypes (ACC and GTA) and
      serum level are significantly associated with risk of MetS. IL- 10 -819C>T and 
      592C>A polymorphic variants are also significantly associated with insulin level
      and homeostasis model assessment-insulin resistance in north Indian MetS
      subjects.

PMID- 28360393
TI  - Single-nucleotide polymorphism of INS, INSR, IRS1, IRS2, PPAR-G and CAPN10 genes
      in the pathogenesis of polycystic ovary syndrome.
AB  - Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is the most common and a complex female
      endocrine disorder, and is one of the leading cause of female infertility. Here,
      we aimed to investigate the association of single-nucleotide polymorphism of INS,
      INSR, IRS1, IRS2, PPAR-G and CAPN10 gene in the pathogenesis of PCOS. A hospital
      based, observational case-control study was carried on 169 PCOS and 169 control
      women in the southern region of India. Genotype was carried out by real-time
      polymerase chain reaction. A chi-square (chi2) test was performed and the
      genotypes were verified to comply with the Hardy- Weinberg equilibrium. Odds
      ratio and 95% confidence interval were calculated to assess the relative risk.
      Comparison of clinical characteristics of women with PCOS and controls reveal an
      increase in body mass index (BMI), luteinizing hormone / follicle stimulating
      hormone (LH/FSH) ratio, glucose levels, insulin, testosterone, hirsutism and
      antral follicular count in PCOS women. The variant rs1801278 (P = 0.002; OR =
      2.88; 95% CI = 1.43, 5.80) show an association with PCOS. In the genotypic (P =
      0.0002) and allelic models (P = 0.000), significance persisted even after
      Bonferroni correction. The genotypes of SNPs strongly influence BMI, LH, LH/FSH
      ratio, ovarian volume and antral follicular count in PCOS women. The study
      results were suggestive of a positive association between Gly972Arg of IRS1 and
      PCOS in the south Indian population, while INS, IRS2, PPAR-G and CAPN10 failed to
      show any association with PCOS in our studied population. Further studies
      focussing the role of IRS1 are warranted to delineate its implication towards
      PCOS.

PMID- 28360392
TI  - Transcript variations, phylogenetic tree and chromosomal localization of porcine
      aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR) and AhR nuclear translocator (ARNT) genes.
AB  - Aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR) is a ligand-activated transcription factor best
      known for mediating xenobiotic-induced toxicity. AhR requires aryl hydrocarbon
      receptor nuclear translocator (ARNT) to form an active transcription complex and
      promote the activation of genes which have dioxin responsive element in their
      regulatory regions. The present study was performed to determine the complete
      cDNA sequences of porcine AhR and ARNT genes and their chromosomal localization.
      Total RNA from porcine livers were used to obtain the sequence of the entire
      porcine transcriptome by next-generation sequencing (NGS; lllumina HiSeq2500). In
      addition, both, in silico analysis and fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH)
      were used to determine chromosomal localization of porcine AhR and ARNT genes. In
      silico analysis of nucleotide sequences showed that there were two transcript
      variants of AhR and ARNT genes in the pig. In addition, computer analysis
      revealed that AhR gene in the pig is located on chromosome 9 and ARNT on
      chromosome 4. The results of FISH experiment confirmed the localization of
      porcine AhR and ARNT genes. In the present study, for the first time, the full
      cDNAs of AhR and ARNT were demonstrated in the pig. In future, it would be
      interesting to determine the tissue distribution of AhR and ARNT transcript
      variants in the pig and to test whether these variants are associated with
      different biological functions and/or different activation pathways.

PMID- 28360394
TI  - The Drosophila bipectinata species complex: phylogenetic relationship among
      different members based on chromosomal variations.
AB  - Making interspecific hybridizations, where possible remains an unparalleled
      option for studying the intricacies of speciation. In the Drosophila bipectinata
      species complex comprising of four species, namely D. bipectinata, D.
      parabipectinata, D. malerkotliana and D. pseudoananassae, interspecific hybrids
      can be obtained in the laboratory, thus bequeathing an ideal opportunity for
      studying speciation and phylogeny. With the view of investigating the degree of
      divergence between each species pair, we planned to study the polytene
      chromosomes of the F1 hybrids, as it would mirror the level of compatibility
      between the genomes of the parental species. Two sets of crosses were made, one
      involving homozygous strains of all four species from India and the other
      including homozygous strains from different places across the globe. Polytene
      chromosomes of F1 larvae from both sets of crosses had similar configurations. In
      F1 larvae from crosses involving D. bipectinata, D. parabipectinata and D.
      malerkotliana, complex configurations (depicting overlapping inversions) could be
      detected in different arms. However, they were fairly synapsed, indicating that
      the differences are only at the level of gene arrangements. The polytene
      chromosomes of larvae obtained by crossing D. pseudoananassae with the other
      three species were very thin with gross asynapsis in all the arms, demonstrating
      that the genome of D. pseudoananassae is widely diverged from rest of the
      species. The overlapping inversions (reflected in complex configuration), are
      inferred in the light of earlier chromosomal studies performed in this complex.

PMID- 28360395
TI  - Cooverexpression of EpCAM and c-myc genes in malignant breast tumours.
AB  - The overexpression of epithelial cell adhesion molecule (EpCAM), a proto
      oncogene, affects progression, treatment, and diagnosis of many adenocarcinomas.
      C-myc has been shown to be a downstream target of EpCAM and is also one of the
      most important proto-oncogenes routinely overexpressed in breast cancer. However,
      cooverexpression of EpCAM and c-myc genes has not been investigated in breast
      cancer tissues, particularly in Iranian population. The aim of this study was to
      assess the expression of EpCAM and c-myc genes in malignant breast cancer tissues
      using reverse transcriptase-quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR)
      followed by analyses of the association between the outcomes. In this study, 122
      fresh tissues, including 104 malignant and 18 benign samples, were disrupted by
      mortar and pestle, and then the RNA was isolated from the samples and converted
      to cDNA. The relative expression levels of EpCAM and c-myc genes were measured by
      2-DeltaDeltaCt method using RT-qPCR. EpCAM protein level was also assessed in 66
      cases using Western blot technique. Using RT-qPCR method, our results showed that
      EpCAM was overexpressed in 48% of malignant and 11.1% of benign samples.
      Evaluating EpCAM protein overexpression in a portion of samples depicted the
      fully concordance rate between Western blot and RT-qPCR techniques. C-myc
      expression was first evaluated by RT-qPCR method, showing the overexpression rate
      of 39% and 28% in malignant and benign samples, respectively. These data were
      also quite concordant with the clinically available immunohistochemistry reports
      of the same samples studied in this study. Importantly, overexpression of EpCAM
      and c-myc was significantly associated and showed an agreement of 57.3%. This
      study demonstrated the cooverexpression of EpCAM and c-myc in breast tumours
      collected from breast cancer patients of the Iranian population. EpCAM and c-myc
      positive cases were significantly associated with reduced and enhanced risk of
      ER/PR positivity respectively. However, both were associated with grade III of
      breast cancer.

PMID- 28360396
TI  - Phylogenetic analysis of Tibetan mastiffs based on mitochondrial hypervariable
      region I.
AB  - Recently, the number of Tibetan mastiffs, which is a precious germplasm resource
      and cultural heritage, is decreasing sharply. Therefore, the genetic diversity of
      Tibetan mastiffs needs to be studied to clarify its phylogenetics relationships
      and lay the foundation for resource protection, rational development and
      utilization of Tibetan mastiffs. We sequenced hypervariable region I of
      mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) of 110 individuals from Tibet region and Gansu
      province. A total of 12 polymorphic sites were identified which defined eight
      haplotypes of which H4 and H8 were unique to Tibetan population with H8 being
      identified first. The haplotype diversity (Hd: 0.808), nucleotide diversity (Pi:
      0.603%), the average number of nucleotide difference (K: 3.917) of Tibetan
      mastiffs from Gansu were higher than those from Tibet region (Hd: 0.794; Pi:
      0.589%; K: 3.831), which revealed higher genetic diversity in Gansu. In terms of
      total population, the genetic variation was low. The median-joining network and
      phylogenetic tree based on the mtDNA hypervariable region I showed that Tibetan
      mastiffs originated from grey wolves, as the other domestic dogs and had
      different history of maternal origin. The mismatch distribution analysis and
      neutrality tests indicated that Tibetan mastiffs were in genetic equilibrium or
      in a population decline.

PMID- 28360397
TI  - Ubiquitous distribution of fluorescent protein in muscles of four species and two
      subspecies of eel (genus Anguilla).
AB  - In this study, the localization of fluorescent protein (FP) was characterized in
      the muscles of four species and two subspecies of eels Anguilla anguilla, A.
      australis, A. bicolor bicolor (b.), A. bicolor pacifica (p.) and A. mossambica in
      addition to the previously reported A. japonica. The open reading frame of each
      eel FP was 417 bp encoding 139 amino acid residues. The deduced amino acid
      sequences among the four species and two subspecies exhibited 91.4-100% identity,
      and belonged to the fatty-acid-binding protein (FABP) family. The gene structure
      of eel FPs in A. japonica, A. anguilla, A. australis, A. bicolor b., A. bicolor
      p. and A. mossambica have four exons and three introns, and were common to that
      of FABP family. The apo eel FPs expressed by Escherichia coli with recombinant
      eel FP genes were analysed for the fluorescent properties in the presence of
      bilirubin. The excitation and emission spectra of holo eel FPs had the maximum
      wavelengths of 490-496 and 527-530 nm, respectively. The holo eel FPs indicated
      that the fluorescent intensities were stronger in A. japonica and A. bicolor than
      in A. mossambica, A. australis and A. anguilla. The comparison of amino acid
      sequences revealed two common substitutions in A. mossambica, A. australis and A.
      anguilla with weak fluorescent intensity.

PMID- 28360398
TI  - Nucleotide diversity and phylogenetic relationships among Gladiolus cultivars and
      related taxa of family Iridaceae.
AB  - The plastid genome regions of two intergenic spacers, psbA-trnH and trnL-trnF,
      were sequenced to study the nucleotide diversity and phylogenetic relationships
      among Gladiolus cultivars. Nucleotide diversity of psbA-trnH region was higher
      than trnL-trnF region of chloroplast. We employed Bayesian, maximum parsimony
      (MP) and neighbour-joining (NJ) approaches for phylogenetic analysis of Gladiolus
      and related taxa using combined datasets from chloroplast genome. The psbA-trnH
      and trnL-trnF intergenic spacers of Gladiolus and related taxa-like Babiana,
      Chasmanthe, Crocus, Iris, Moraea, Sisyrinchium, Sparaxis and two out group
      species (Hymenocallis littoralis and Asphodeline lutea) were used in the present
      investigation. Results showed that subfamily Iridoideae have sister lineage with
      subfamily Ixioideae and Crocoideae. H. littoralis and A. lutea were separately
      attached at the base of tree as the diverging Iridaceae relative's lineage.
      Present study revealed that psbA-trnH region are useful in addressing questions
      of phylogenetic relationships among the Gladiolus cultivars, as these intergenic
      spacers are more variable and have more phylogenetically informative sites than
      the trnL-trnF spacer, and therefore, are suitable for phylogenetic comparison on
      a lower taxonomic level. Gladiolus cultivars are extensively used as an
      ornamental crop and showed high potential in floriculture trade. Gladiolus
      cultivation still needs to generate new cultivars with stable phenotypes.
      Moreover, one of the most popular methods for generating new cultivars is
      hybridization. Hence, information on phylogenetic relationships among cultivars
      could be useful for hybridization programmes for further improvement of the crop.

PMID- 28360399
TI  - Genetic analyses for deciphering the status and role of photoperiodic and
      maturity genes in major Indian soybean cultivars.
AB  - Allelic combinations of major photoperiodic (E1, E3, E4) and maturity (E2) genes
      have extended the adaptation of quantitative photoperiod sensitive soybean crop
      from its origin (China ~35?N latitude) to both north (up to ~50?N) and south (up
      to 40?S) latitudes, but their allelic status and role in India (6-35?N) are
      unknown. Loss of function and hypoactive alleles of these genes are known to
      confer photoinsensitivity to long days and early maturity. Early maturity has
      helped to adapt soybean to short growing season of India. We had earlier found
      that all the Indian cultivars are sensitive to incandescent long day (ILD) and
      could identify six insensitive accessions through screening 2071 accessions under
      ILD. Available models for ILD insensitivity suggested that identified insensitive
      genotypes should be either e3/e4 or e1 (e1-nl or e1-fs) with either e3 or e4. We
      found that one of the insensitive accessions (EC 390977) was of e3/e4 genotype
      and hybridized it with four ILD sensitive cultivars JS 335, JS 95-60, JS 93-05,
      NRC 37 and an accession EC 538828. Inheritance studies and marker-based
      cosegregation analyses confirmed the segregation of E3 and E4 genes and
      identified JS 93-05 and NRC 37 as E3E3E4E4 and EC 538828 as e3e3E4E4. Further,
      genotyping through sequencing, derived cleaved amplified polymorphic sequences
      (dCAPS) and cleaved amplified polymorphic sequences (CAPS) markers identified JS
      95-60 with hypoactive e1-as and JS 335 with loss of function e3-fs alleles.
      Presence of photoperiodic recessive alleles in these two most popular Indian
      cultivars suggested for their role in conferring early flowering and maturity.
      This observation could be confirmed in F2 population derived from the cross JS 95
      60 * EC 390977, where individuals with e1-as e1-as and e4e4 genotypes could
      flower 7 and 2.4 days earlier, respectively. Possibility of identification of new
      alleles ormechanism for ILD insensitivity and use of photoinsensitivity in Indian
      conditions have been discussed.

PMID- 28360401
TI  - Mutational analysis of the GLA gene in Mexican families with Fabry disease.
AB  - Fabry disease (FD) is a lysosomal storage disorder, which develops due to a
      deficiency in the hydrolytic enzyme, alpha-galactosidase A (alpha-Gal A). Alpha
      Gal A hydrolyzes glycosphingolipid globotriaosylceramide (Gb3), and an alpha-Gal
      A deficiency leads to Gb3 accumulation in tissues and cells in the body. This
      pathology is likely to involve multiple systems, but it is generally considered
      to affect primarily vascular endothelium. In this study, we investigated
      mutations in the GLA gene, which encodes alpha-Gal A, in Mexican families with
      FD. We included seven probands with FD that carried known mutations. We analysed
      pedigrees of the probands, and performed molecular screening in 65 relatives with
      the potential of carrying a GLA mutation. Five mutations (P40S, IVS4+4, G328V,
      R363H, R404del) were detected in seven unrelated Mexican families with the
      classic FD phenotype. Of the 65 relatives examined, 42 (64.6%) had a GLA gene
      mutation. In summary, among seven Mexican probands with FD, 65 relatives were at
      risk of carrying a known GLA mutation, and molecular screening identified 42
      individuals with the mutation. Thus, our findings showed that it is important to
      perform molecular analysis in families with FD to detect mutations and to provide
      accurate diagnoses for individuals that could be affected.

PMID- 28360400
TI  - CDKN2A and MC1R variants found in Cypriot patients diagnosed with cutaneous
      melanoma.
AB  - The prevalence of genetic variants associated to cutaneous melanoma (CM) has
      never been determined within Cypriot melanomas. This study evaluates the
      frequency of variants in cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitor 2A (CDKN2A) and
      melanocortin-1 receptor (MC1R) in 32 patients diagnosed with CM. Other
      characteristics and risk factors were also assessed. CDKN2A p.Ala148Thr was
      detected in three of 32 patients, while the control group revealed no variations
      within CDKN2A. MC1R screening in 32 patients revealed the following variations:
      p.Val60Leu in 11 patients, p.Arg142His in four patients, p.Thr314Thr in one
      patient, p.Arg160Trp in one patient, p.Val92Met/p.Thr314Thr in one patient and
      p.Val92Met/p.Arg142His/p.Thr314Thr in one patient. The control group revealed
      only p.Val60Leu (in 10 of 45 individuals), which is frequently found in general
      populations. Two unrelated patients carried CDKN2A p.Ala148Thr in combination
      with MC1R p.Arg142His, suggesting digenic inheritance that may provide evidence
      of different gene variants acting synergistically to contribute for CM
      development. This study confirms the presence of CDKN2A and MC1R variants among
      Cypriot melanomas and supports existing evidence of a role for these variants in
      susceptibility to melanoma.

PMID- 28360402
TI  - Molecular cytogenetic identification of a wheat-Thinopyrum ponticum translocation
      line resistant to powdery mildew.
AB  - Thinopyrum ponticum (2n = 70) serves as a valuable gene pool for wheat
      improvement. Line SN0224, derived from crosses between Th. ponticum and the
      common wheat cultivar Yannong15, was identified in the present study. Cytogenetic
      observations showed that SN0224 contains 42 chromosomes in the root-tip cells and
      21 bivalents in the pollen mother cells, thereby demonstrating its cytogenetic
      stability. Genomic in situ hybridization, probed with the total genomic DNA of
      Th. ponticum, produced hybridization signals in the distal region of two wheat
      chromosome arms. After inoculation with the Blumeria graminis f. sp. tritici
      (Bgt) isolates, SN0224 exhibited immunity. Segregation in F1s and F2s from the
      cross SN0224/cv. Huixianhong indicated that SN0224 carries a single dominant gene
      for powdery mildew (Pm) resistance, which was temporarily designated PmSn0224.
      Three markers Barc212, Xwmc522 and Xbarc1138 were detected to be linked with
      PmSn0224. Based on the locations of the markers, PmSn0224 was located on the
      chromosome 2A. None of the three markers above is linked with the previously
      reported PM resistance genes on chromosome 2A, and none of the previously
      reported PM resistance genes on chromosome 2A is related to Th. ponticum.
      Therefore, PmSn0224 is likely a novel gene putatively from Th. ponticum.

PMID- 28360403
TI  - A universal, rapid, and inexpensive method for genomic DNA isolation from the
      whole blood of mammals and birds.
AB  - There is no 'one' procedure for extracting DNA from the whole blood of both
      mammals and birds, since each species has a unique property that require
      different methods to release its own DNA. Therefore, to obtain genomic DNA, a
      universal, rapid, and noncostly method was developed. A very simple biological
      basis is followed in this procedure, in which, when the blood is placed in water,
      it rapidly enters the RBCs by osmosis and causes cells to burst by hemolysis. The
      validity of extracting genomic DNA was confirmed by several molecular biological
      experiments. It was found that this method provides an efficient and versatile
      alternative for extracting bulk amounts of highly-qualified DNA from the blood of
      a wide range of species. This is the first manuscript that describes use of
      distilled water as the only eliminator of RBCs among all other known DNA
      extraction techniques.

PMID- 28360404
TI  - Genomewide association study for seeding emergence and tiller number using SNP
      markers in an elite winter wheat population.
AB  - Seeding emergence and tiller number are the most important traits for wheat
      (Triticum aestivum L.) yield, but the inheritance of seeding emergence and
      tillering is poorly understood. We conducted a genomewide association study
      focussing on seeding emergence and tiller number at different growth stages with
      a panel of 205 elite winter wheat accessions. The population was genotyped with a
      high-density Illumina iSelect 90K SNPs assay. A total of 31 loci were found to be
      associated with seeding emergence rate (SER) and tiller number in different
      growth stages. Loci distributed among 12 chromosomes accounted for 5.35 to 11.33%
      of the observed phenotypic variation. With this information, 10 stable SNPs were
      identified for eventual development of cleaved amplified polymorphic sequence
      markers for SER and tiller number in different growth stages. Additionally, a set
      of elite alleles were identified, such as Ra_c14761_1348-T, which may increase
      SER by 13.35%, and Excalibur_c11045_236-A and BobWhite_c8436_391-T, which may
      increase the rate of available tillering by 14.78 and 8.47%, respectively. These
      results should provide valuable information for marker-assisted selection and
      parental selection in wheat breeding programmes.

PMID- 28360406
TI  - Noncoding RNAs in protein clearance pathways: implications in neurodegenerative
      diseases.
AB  - The importance of noncoding genome has become more evident in recent years.
      Before genome sequencing, the most well studied portion of our genome was protein
      coding genes. Interestingly, this coding portion accounted only for 1.5% of the
      genome, the rest being the noncoding sequences. Noncoding RNAs (ncRNAs) are
      involved in normal cell physiology, stress, and disease states. A class of small
      ncRNAs and miRNAs has gained much importance because of its involvement in human
      diseases such as cancer. Involvement of long ncRNAs have also been acknowledged
      in other human diseases, especially in neurodegenerative diseases.
      Neurodegenerative diseases are characterized by the presence of abnormally folded
      proteins that are toxic to the cell. Several studies from model organisms suggest
      upregulation of pathways that clear this toxic protein may provide protection
      against neurodegeneration. In this review, I summarize the importance of ncRNAs
      in protein quality control system of cell that is implicated in this fatal group
      of neurodegenerative diseases.

PMID- 28360405
TI  - CYP/PON genetic variations as determinant of organophosphate pesticides toxicity.
AB  - In the present scenario of increased accumulation of pesticides in the
      environment, it is important to understand its impact on human health. The focus
      is on gene-environment interaction, highlighting the consequences and factors
      that may halt the biotransformation of some pesticides and change their actual
      dose response curve due to mixed exposure to pesticides. The paraoxonase and
      cytochrome P450 gene families are involved in the metabolism of oxon derivate
      (toxic than its parent compound) of organophosphate pesticides, thus, mutations
      in these genes may impact the metabolic outcome of pesticides and subsequent
      health hazards. The complex multi gene-environment interaction and one gene - one
      risk factor are two different aspects to understand the potential health effect
      related to environmental exposure studies. The genetic polymorphisms are
      associated with varying levels of risk within the population, as gene products of
      varied genotype alter the biotransformation of exogenous/endogenous substrates.
      This paper is aimed to review the impact of endogenous and exogenous factors on a
      mechanistic pathway of organophosphate pesticide biotransformation and various
      risk associated with it among the human population. Understanding the genetic
      polymorphism of genes involved in pesticide metabolism and highlighting the gene
      isoform dependent interindividual differences to metabolize particular pesticides
      may help us to unravel the reasons behind differential toxicity for pesticides
      exposure than expected.

PMID- 28360408
TI  - Senescence of Pancreas in Middle-Aged Rats with Normal Vascular Function.
AB  - BACKGROUND In organ transplantation, particularly pancreas transplantation, donor
      age is a determinant factor for graft survival. Physiological aging is crucial in
      the progressive deterioration of organs in adulthood. We compared the senescence
      and function features of pancreas and vascular tissues in young rats and middle
      aged rats. MATERIAL AND METHODS Islet morphology and the area of cells secreting
      insulin or glucagon was investigated using immunohistology in young rats (12
      weeks) and middle-aged rats (52 weeks) (n=8). Senescence markers, oxidative
      stress (ROS), and tissue factor (TF) were measured in the rat pancreases.
      Circulating microparticles (MPs) were measured as surrogates of vascular cell
      injury. Vascular function was studied in mesenteric arterial rings. RESULTS
      Larger islets were twice as frequent in young rats versus middle-aged rats. In
      middle-aged rats there was a significant decrease of the beta-cells/islet area
      ratio. Western blot analysis showed an increased expression of p53, p21, and p16
      senescence markers (2-, 7- and 3-fold respectively) with no modification in
      caspase-3 activation. A 30% decrease of endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS)
      was observed together with a 4-fold increase in TF expression. ROS formation
      increased significantly (2-fold) in middle-aged rats and their main source,
      determined by pharmacological inhibition, was NADPH oxidase and uncoupled nitric
      oxide (NO) synthase. No sign of vascular injury (microparticles) or dysfunction
      was evidenced. CONCLUSIONS Modification in islet morphology and function were
      detected in middle-aged rats before any measurement of macro-vascular
      dysfunction. The data indicate a pancreatic senescence in the process of aging
      associated with uncontrolled accumulation of oxidative species that suggests a
      determining role of donor age in transplantation.

PMID- 28360410
TI  - A Case with Recurrent Free-Floating Ball Thrombi in Left Atrium.
AB  - BACKGROUND A free-floating ball thrombus in the left atrium is a rare clinical
      condition. However, the diagnosis of this condition has been facilitated by the
      advent and development of echocardiography and multi-detector row computed
      tomography (MDCT) and several cases have been reported. CASE REPORT We report a
      case of a 75-year-old woman who had recurrent giant spherical thrombi in the left
      atrium. She was diagnosed with chronic atrial fibrillation at 52 years of age. A
      pacemaker implantation was performed at 54 years of age because of a complete
      atrioventricular block; and mitral valve replacement was performed for severe
      mitral regurgitation at 62 years of age. She had a history of cerebral infarction
      and she was under treatment for chronic heart failure. Despite intensive
      anticoagulant therapy, she developed ball thrombi in the left atrium three times
      in six months. During hospitalization for acute myocardial infarction treated
      with percutaneous catheter intervention, transthoracic echocardiography and
      computed tomography (CT) revealed a free-floating giant spherical thrombus in the
      left atrium. She was treated with intensive anticoagulation therapy and the left
      atrial ball thrombus disappeared; however, two ball thrombi in the left atrium
      and left atrial appendage recurred after three months. Surgical removal of the
      thrombi and closure of the left atrial appendage were performed. Unfortunately, a
      ball thrombus in the left atrium recurred again after a further three months.
      CONCLUSIONS The present case highlights the difficulty of treating refractory
      thrombi in the left atrium.

PMID- 28360407
TI  - Predictive Role of Coagulation, Fibrinolytic, and Endothelial Markers in Patients
      with Atrial Fibrillation, Stroke, and Thromboembolism: A Meta-Analysis, Meta
      Regression, and Systematic Review.
AB  - BACKGROUND The pathophysiological mechanism associated with the higher
      prothrombotic tendency in atrial fibrillation (AF) is complex and multifactorial.
      However, the role of prothrombotic markers in AF remains inconclusive. MATERIAL
      AND METHODS We conducted a meta-analysis of observational studies evaluating the
      association of coagulation activation, fibrinolytic, and endothelial function
      with occurrence of AF and clinical adverse events. A comprehensive subgroup
      analysis and meta-regression was performed to explore potential sources of
      heterogeneity. RESULTS A literature search of major databases retrieved 1703
      studies. After screening, a total of 71 studies were identified. Pooled analysis
      showed the association of coagulation markers (D-dimer (weighted mean difference
      (WMD) =197.67 and p<0.001), fibrinogen (WMD=0.43 and p<0.001), prothrombin
      fragment 1-2 (WMD=0.53 and p<0.001), antithrombin III (WMD=23.90 and p=0.004),
      thrombin-antithrombin (WMD=5.47 and p=0.004));  fibrinolytic markers (tissue-type
      plasminogen activator (t-PA) (WMD=2.13 and p<0.001), plasminogen activator
      inhibitor (WMD=11.44 and p<0.001), fibrinopeptide-A (WMD=4.13 and p=0.01)); and 
      endothelial markers (von Willebrand factor (WMD=27.01 and p<0.001) and soluble
      thrombomodulin (WMD=3.92 and p<0.001)) with AF. CONCLUSIONS The levels of
      coagulation, fibrinolytic, and endothelial markers have been reported to be
      significantly higher in AF patients than in SR patients.

PMID- 28360412
TI  - Thermoelectric and phonon transport properties of two-dimensional IV-VI
      compounds.
AB  - We explore the thermoelectric and phonon transport properties of two-dimensional
      monochalcogenides (SnSe, SnS, GeSe, and GeS) using density functional theory
      combined with Boltzmann transport theory. We studied the electronic structures,
      Seebeck coefficients, electrical conductivities, lattice thermal conductivities,
      and figures of merit of these two-dimensional materials, which showed that the
      thermoelectric performance of monolayer of these compounds is improved in
      comparison compared to their bulk phases. High figures of merit (ZT) are
      predicted for SnSe (ZT = 2.63, 2.46), SnS (ZT = 1.75, 1.88), GeSe (ZT = 1.99,
      1.73), and GeS (ZT = 1.85, 1.29) at 700 K along armchair and zigzag directions,
      respectively. Phonon dispersion calculations confirm the dynamical stability of
      these compounds. The calculated lattice thermal conductivities are low while the
      electrical conductivities and Seebeck coefficients are high. Thus, the properties
      of the monolayers show high potential toward thermoelectric applications.

PMID- 28360409
TI  - Vascularization Potential of Electrospun Poly(L-Lactide-co-Caprolactone)
      Scaffold: The Impact for Tissue Engineering.
AB  - BACKGROUND Electrospun nanofibers have widespread putative applications in the
      field of regenerative medicine and tissue engineering. When compared to naturally
      occurring collagen matrices, electrospun nanofiber scaffolds have two distinct
      advantages: they do not induce a foreign body reaction and they are not at risk
      for biological contamination. However, the exact substrate, structure, and
      production methods have yet to be defined. MATERIAL AND METHODS In the current
      study, tubular-shaped poly(L-lactide-co-caprolactone) (PLCL) constructs produced
      using electrospinning technology were evaluated for their potential application
      in the field of tissue regeneration in two separate anatomic locations: the skin
      and the abdomen. The constructs were designed to have an internal diameter of 3
      mm and thickness of 200 MUm. Using a rodent model, 20 PLCL tubular constructs
      were surgically implanted in the abdominal cavity and subcutaneously. The
      constructs were then evaluated histologically using electron microscopy at 6
      weeks post-implantation. RESULTS Histological evaluation and analysis using
      scanning electron microscopy showed that pure scaffolds by themselves were able
      to induce angiogenesis after implantation in the rat model. Vascularization was
      observed in both tested groups; however, better results were obtained after
      intraperitoneal implantation. Formation of more and larger vessels that migrated
      inside the scaffold was observed after implantation into the peritoneum. In this
      group no evidence of inflammation and better integration of scaffold with host
      tissue were noticed. Subcutaneous implantation resulted in more fibrotic
      reaction, and differences in cell morphology were also observed between the two
      tested groups. CONCLUSIONS This study provides a standardized evaluation of a
      PLCL conduit structure in two different anatomic locations, demonstrating the
      excellent ability of the structure to achieve vascularization. Functional,
      histological, and mechanical data clearly indicate prospective clinical
      utilization of PLCL in critical size defect regeneration.

PMID- 28360411
TI  - Interplay of DNA methyltransferase 1 and EZH2 through inactivation of Stat3
      contributes to beta-elemene-inhibited growth of nasopharyngeal carcinoma cells.
AB  - beta-elemene, a compound extracted from Curcuma wenyujin plant, exhibits
      anticancer activity in many cancer types. However, the detailed mechanism by
      which beta-elemene inhibits growth of nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) cells
      remains unknown. We showed that beta-elemene reduced phosphorylation of signal
      transducer and activator of transcription 3 (Stat3), and protein expressions of
      DNA methyltransferase 1 (DNMT1) and enhancer of zeste homolog 2 (EZH2).
      Exogenously expressed Stat3 antagonized the effect of beta-elemene on DNMT1 and
      EZH2 expressions. Furthermore, overexpressions of DNMT1 and EZH2 reversed the
      effect of beta-elemene on phosphorylation of Stat3 and cell growth inhibition.
      Intriguingly, exogenously expressed DNMT1 overcame beta-elemene-inhibited EZH2
      protein expression and promoter activity. On the contrary, silencing of EZH2 and
      DNMT1 genes feedback strengthened the effect of beta-elemene on phosphorylation
      of Stat3. Consistent with this, beta-elemene inhibited tumor growth,
      phosphorylation of Stat3, expressions of DNMT1 and EZH2 in a mouse xenograft
      model. Collectively, this study shows that beta-elemene inhibits NPC cell growth
      via inactivation of Stat3, and reduces DNMT1 and EZH2 expressions. The interplay
      of DNMT1 and EZH2, and the mutual regulations among Stat3, EZH2 and DNMT1
      contribute to the overall responses of beta-elemene. This study uncovers a novel
      mechanism by which beta-elemene inhibits growth of NPC cells.

PMID- 28360414
TI  - Chromosomal integration of HHV-6A during non-productive viral infection.
AB  - Human herpesvirus 6A (HHV-6A) and 6B (HHV-6B) are two different species of
      betaherpesviruses that integrate into sub-telomeric ends of human chromosomes,
      for which different prevalence rates of integration have been reported. It has
      been demonstrated that integrated viral genome is stable and is fully retained.
      However, study of chromosomally integrated viral genome in individuals carrying
      inherited HHV-6 (iciHHV-6) showed unexpected number of viral DR copies. Hence, we
      created an in vitro infection model and studied retention of full or partial
      viral genome over a period of time. We observed an exceptional event where cells
      retained viral direct repeats (DRs) alone in the absence of the full viral
      genome. Finally, we found evidence for non-telomeric integration of HHV-6A DR in
      both cultured cells and in an iciHHV-6 individual. Our results shed light on
      several novel features of HHV-6A chromosomal integration and provide valuable
      information for future screening techniques.

PMID- 28360417
TI  - Circadian rhythms: Astrocytes keep time.

PMID- 28360416
TI  - Heterodimerization of AML1/ETO with CBFbeta is required for leukemogenesis but
      not for myeloproliferation.
AB  - The AML1/Runx1 transcription factor and its heterodimerization partner CBFbeta
      are essential regulators of myeloid differentiation. The chromosomal
      translocation t(8;21), fusing the DNA binding domain of AML1 to the corepressor
      eight-twenty-one (ETO), is frequently associated with acute myeloid leukemia and
      generates the AML1/ETO (AE) fusion protein. AE represses target genes usually
      activated by AML1 and also affects the endogenous repressive function of ETO at
      Notch target genes. In order to analyze the contribution of CBFbeta in AE
      mediated leukemogenesis and deregulation of Notch target genes, we introduced two
      point mutations in a leukemia-initiating version of AE in mice, called AE9a, that
      disrupt the AML1/CBFbeta interaction (AE9aNT). We report that the AE9a/CBFbeta
      interaction is not required for the AE9a-mediated aberrant expression of AML1
      target genes, while upregulation/derepression of Notch target genes does require
      the interaction with CBFbeta. Using retroviral transduction to express AE9a in
      murine adult bone marrow-derived hematopoietic progenitors, we observed that both
      AE9a and AE9aNT lead to increased myeloproliferation in vivo. However, both
      development of leukemia and long-term replating capacity are only observed with
      AE9a but not with AE9aNT. Thus, deregulation of both AML1 and Notch target genes
      is required for the development of AE9a-driven leukemia.

PMID- 28360415
TI  - HIV Tat induces a prolonged MYC relocalization next to IGH in circulating B
      cells.
AB  - With combined antiretroviral therapy (cART), the risk for HIV-infected
      individuals to develop a non-Hodgkin lymphoma is diminished. However, the
      incidence of Burkitt lymphoma (BL) remains strikingly elevated. Most BL present a
      t(8;14) chromosomal translocation which must take place at a time of spatial
      proximity between the translocation partners. The two partner genes, MYC and IGH,
      were found colocalized only very rarely in the nuclei of normal peripheral blood
      B-cells examined using 3D-FISH while circulating B-cells from HIV-infected
      individuals whose exhibited consistently elevated levels of MYC-IGH
      colocalization. In vitro, incubating normal B-cells from healthy donors with a
      transcriptionally active form of the HIV-encoded Tat protein rapidly activated
      transcription of the nuclease-encoding RAG1 gene. This created DNA damage,
      including in the MYC gene locus which then moved towards the center of the
      nucleus where it sustainably colocalized with IGH up to 10-fold more frequently
      than in controls. In vivo, this could be sufficient to account for the elevated
      risk of BL-specific chromosomal translocations which would occur following DNA
      double strand breaks triggered by AID in secondary lymph nodes at the final stage
      of immunoglobulin gene maturation. New therapeutic attitudes can be envisioned to
      prevent BL in this high risk group.

PMID- 28360423
TI  - Immunometabolism in systemic lupus erythematosus.
AB  - Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is an autoimmune disease mediated by
      pathogenic autoantibodies directed against nucleoprotein complexes. Beyond the
      activation of autoreactive B cells, this process involves dysregulation in many
      other types of immune cells, including CD4+ T cells, dendritic cells, macrophages
      and neutrophils. Metabolic substrate utilization and integration of cues from
      energy sensors are critical checkpoints of effector functions in the immune
      system, with common as well as cell-specific programmes. Patients with SLE and
      lupus-prone mice present with activated metabolism of CD4+ T cells, and the use
      of metabolic inhibitors to normalize these features is associated with
      therapeutic effects. Far less is known about the metabolic requirements of B
      cells and myeloid cells in SLE. This article reviews current knowledge of the
      alterations in metabolism of immune cells in patients with SLE and mouse models
      of lupus in the context of what is known about the metabolic regulation of these
      cells during normal immune responses. How these alterations might contribute to
      lupus pathogenesis and how they can be targeted therapeutically are also
      discussed.

PMID- 28360422
TI  - Immunometabolism in early and late stages of rheumatoid arthritis.
AB  - One of the fundamental traits of immune cells in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is
      their ability to proliferate, a property shared with the joint-resident cells
      that form the synovial pannus. The building of biomass imposes high demands for
      energy and biosynthetic precursors, implicating metabolic control as a basic
      disease mechanism. During preclinical RA, when autoreactive T cells expand and
      immunological tolerance is broken, the main sites of disease are the secondary
      lymphoid tissues. Naive CD4+ T cells from patients with RA have a distinct
      metabolic signature, characterized by dampened glycolysis, low ATP levels and
      enhanced shunting of glucose into the pentose phosphate pathway. Equipped with
      high levels of NADPH and depleted of intracellular reactive oxygen species, such
      T cells hyperproliferate and acquire proinflammatory effector functions. During
      clinical RA, immune cells coexist with stromal cells in the acidic milieu of the
      inflamed joint. This microenvironment is rich in metabolic intermediates that are
      released into the extracellular space to shape cell-cell communication and the
      functional activity of tissue-resident cells. Increasing awareness of how
      metabolites regulate signalling pathways, guide post-translational modifications
      and condition the tissue microenvironment will help to connect environmental
      factors with the pathogenic behaviour of T cells in RA.

PMID- 28360419
TI  - Algorithms for survival: a comparative perspective on emotions.
AB  - The nature and neural implementation of emotions is the subject of vigorous
      debate. Here, we use Bayesian decision theory to address key complexities in this
      field and conceptualize emotions in terms of their relationship to survival
      relevant behavioural choices. Decision theory indicates which behaviours are
      optimal in a given situation; however, the calculations required are radically
      intractable. We therefore conjecture that the brain uses a range of pre
      programmed algorithms that provide approximate solutions. These solutions seem to
      produce specific behavioural manifestations of emotions and can also be
      associated with core affective dimensions. We identify principles according to
      which these algorithms are implemented in the brain and illustrate our approach
      by considering decision making in the face of proximal threat.

PMID- 28360420
TI  - Lifespan Gyrification Trajectories of Human Brain in Healthy Individuals and
      Patients with Major Psychiatric Disorders.
AB  - Cortical gyrification of the brain represents the folding characteristic of the
      cerebral cortex. How the brain cortical gyrification changes from childhood to
      old age in healthy human subjects is still unclear. Additionally, studies have
      shown regional gyrification alterations in patients with major psychiatric
      disorders, such as major depressive disorder (MDD), bipolar disorder (BD), and
      schizophrenia (SCZ). However, whether the lifespan trajectory of gyrification
      over the brain is altered in patients diagnosed with major psychiatric disorders
      is still unknown. In this study, we investigated the trajectories of gyrification
      in three independent cohorts based on structural brain images of 881 subjects
      from age 4 to 83. We discovered that the trajectory of gyrification during normal
      development and aging was not linear and could be modeled with a logarithmic
      function. We also found that the gyrification trajectories of patients with MDD,
      BD and SCZ were deviated from the healthy one during adulthood, indicating
      altered aging in the brain of these patients.

PMID- 28360424
TI  - The emerging safety profile of JAK inhibitors in rheumatic disease.

PMID- 28360418
TI  - Not just amyloid: physiological functions of the amyloid precursor protein
      family.
AB  - Amyloid precursor protein (APP) gives rise to the amyloid-beta peptide and thus
      has a key role in the pathogenesis of Alzheimer disease. By contrast, the
      physiological functions of APP and the closely related APP-like proteins (APLPs)
      remain less well understood. Studying these physiological functions has been
      challenging and has required a careful long-term strategy, including the analysis
      of different App-knockout and Aplp-knockout mice. In this Review, we summarize
      these findings, focusing on the in vivo roles of APP family members and their
      processing products for CNS development, synapse formation and function, brain
      injury and neuroprotection, as well as ageing. In addition, we discuss the
      implications of APP physiology for therapeutic approaches.

PMID- 28360421
TI  - Muscle-specific downregulation of GR levels inhibits adipogenesis in porcine
      intramuscular adipocyte tissue.
AB  - Intramuscular adipose is conducive to good pork quality, whereas subcutaneous
      adipose is considered as waste in pig production. So uncovering the regulation
      differences between these two adiposes is helpful to tissue-specific control of
      fat deposition. In this study, we found the sensitivity to glucocorticoids (GCs)
      was lower in intramuscular adipocytes (IMA) compared with subcutaneous adipocytes
      (SA). Comparison of glucocorticoid receptor (GR) revealed that IMA had lower GR
      level which contributed to its reduced GCs sensitivity. Higher methylation levels
      of GR promotor 1-C and 1-H were detected in IMA compared with SA. GR expression
      decrease was also found in adipocytes when treated with muscle conditioned medium
      (MCM) in vitro, which resulted in significant inhibition of adipocytes
      proliferation and differentiation. Since abundant myostatin (MSTN) was detected
      in MCM by ELISA assay, we further investigated the effect of this myokine on
      adipocytes. MSTN treatment suppressed adipocytes GR expression, cell
      proliferation and differentiation, which mimicked the effects of MCM. The
      methylation levels of GR promotor 1-C and 1-H were also elevated after MSTN
      treatment. Our study reveals the role of GR in muscle fiber inhibition on
      intramuscular adipocytes, and identifies myostatin as a muscle-derived modulator
      for adipose GR level.

PMID- 28360426
TI  - Bracing for the biosimilar wave.

PMID- 28360425
TI  - Rapid breeding of parthenocarpic tomato plants using CRISPR/Cas9.
AB  - Parthenocarpy in horticultural crop plants is an important trait with
      agricultural value for various industrial purposes as well as direct eating
      quality. Here, we demonstrate a breeding strategy to generate parthenocarpic
      tomato plants using the CRISPR/Cas9 system. We optimized the CRISPR/Cas9 system
      to introduce somatic mutations effectively into SlIAA9-a key gene controlling
      parthenocarpy-with mutation rates of up to 100% in the T0 generation.
      Furthermore, analysis of off-target mutations using deep sequencing indicated
      that our customized gRNAs induced no additional mutations in the host genome.
      Regenerated mutants exhibited morphological changes in leaf shape and seedless
      fruit-a characteristic of parthenocarpic tomato. And the segregated next
      generation (T1) also showed a severe phenotype associated with the homozygous
      mutated genome. The system developed here could be applied to produce
      parthenocarpic tomato in a wide variety of cultivars, as well as other major
      horticultural crops, using this precise and rapid breeding technique.

PMID- 28360427
TI  - Novel insights into the interaction of UBA5 with UFM1 via a UFM1-interacting
      sequence.
AB  - The modification of proteins by ubiquitin-fold modifier 1 (UFM1) is implicated in
      many human diseases. Prior to conjugation, UFM1 undergoes activation by its
      cognate activating enzyme, UBA5. UBA5 is a non-canonical E1 activating enzyme
      that possesses an adenylation domain but lacks a distinct cysteine domain.
      Binding of UBA5 to UFM1 is mediated via an amino acid sequence, known as the UFM1
      interacting sequence (UIS), located outside the adenylation domain that is
      required for UFM1 activation. However, the precise boundaries of the UIS are yet
      not clear and are still under debate. Here we revisit the interaction of UFM1
      with UBA5 by determining the crystal structure of UFM1 fused to 13 amino acids of
      human UBA5. Using binding and activity assays, we found that His 336 of UBA5,
      previously not reported to be part of the UIS, occupies a negatively charged
      pocket on UFM1's surface. This His is involved in UFM1 binding and if mutated
      perturbs activation of UFM1. Surprisingly, we also found that the interaction
      between two UFM1 molecules mimics how the UIS binds UFM1. Specifically, UFM1 His
      70 resembles UBA5 His336 and enters a negatively charged pocked on the other UFM1
      molecule. Our results refine our understanding of UFM1-UBA5 binding.

PMID- 28360429
TI  - Interleukin-20 targets podocytes and is upregulated in experimental murine
      diabetic nephropathy.
AB  - Interleukin (IL)-20, a proinflammatory cytokine of the IL-10 family, is involved
      in acute and chronic renal failure. The aim of this study was to elucidate the
      role of IL-20 during diabetic nephropathy development. We found that IL-20 and
      its receptor IL-20R1 were upregulated in the kidneys of mice and rats with STZ
      induced diabetes. In vitro, IL-20 induced MMP-9, MCP-1, TGF-beta1 and VEGF
      expression in podocytes. IL-20 was upregulated by hydrogen peroxide, high-dose
      glucose and TGF-beta1. In addition, IL-20 induced apoptosis in podocytes by
      activating caspase-8. In STZ-induced early diabetic nephropathy, IL-20R1
      deficient mice had lower blood glucose and serum BUN levels and a smaller
      glomerular area than did wild-type controls. Anti-IL-20 monoclonal antibody (7E)
      treatment reduced blood glucose and the glomerular area and improved renal
      functions in mice in the early stage of STZ-induced diabetic nephropathy. ELISA
      showed that the serum IL-20 level was higher in patients with diabetes mellitus
      than in healthy controls. The findings of this study suggest that IL-20 induces
      cell apoptosis of podocytes and plays a role in the pathogenesis of early
      diabetic nephropathy.

PMID- 28360428
TI  - Molecular checkpoints controlling natural killer cell activation and their
      modulation for cancer immunotherapy.
AB  - Natural killer (NK) cells have gained considerable attention as promising
      therapeutic tools for cancer therapy due to their innate selectivity against
      cancer cells over normal healthy cells. With an array of receptors evolved to
      sense cellular alterations, NK cells provide early protection against cancer
      cells by producing cytokines and chemokines and exerting direct cytolytic
      activity. These effector functions are governed by signals transmitted through
      multiple receptor-ligand interactions but are not achieved by engaging a single
      activating receptor on resting NK cells. Rather, they require the co-engagement
      of different activating receptors that use distinct signaling modules, due to a
      cell-intrinsic inhibition mechanism. The redundancy of synergizing receptors and
      the inhibition of NK cell function by a single class of inhibitory receptor
      suggest the presence of common checkpoints to control NK cell activation through
      different receptors. These molecular checkpoints would be therapeutically
      targeted to harness the power of NK cells against diverse cancer cells that
      express heterogeneous ligands for NK cell receptors. Recent advances in
      understanding the activation of NK cells have revealed promising candidates in
      this category. Targeting such molecular checkpoints will facilitate NK cell
      activation by lowering activation thresholds, thereby providing therapeutic
      strategies that optimize NK cell reactivity against cancer.

PMID- 28360431
TI  - Chilli consumption and the incidence of overweight and obesity in a Chinese adult
      population.
AB  - BACKGROUND: The frequency of spicy food intake has recently been associated with
      a reduced risk of mortality in the Chinese population. This study aimed to
      prospectively examine the association between chilli intake and the incidence of
      overweight/obesity in a Chinese adult population. METHODS: Adults aged 20-75
      years in the China Health and Nutrition Survey were followed between 1991 and
      2011. Dietary data were collected during home visits using a 3-day food record in
      1991, 1993, 1997, 2000, 2004, 2006, 2009 and 2011. Cox regression was used in the
      analysis. Overweight/obesity was defined as body mass index ?25 kg m-2. RESULTS:
      A total 12 970 adults were followed for a median of 9 years. During 126 884
      person-years of follow-up, 3203 subjects developed overweight/obesity. The
      absolute incidence rate of overweight/obesity was 26.4, 22.3, 24.4 and 20.5 per
      1000 person-years among those who consumed no chilli or 1-20, 20.1-50, ?50.1 g
      per day, respectively. Chilli consumption was therefore inversely associated with
      the incidence of overweight/obesity. After adjusting for age, gender, energy and
      fat intake, smoking, alcohol drinking and physical activity, those whose
      cumulative average chilli intake was 0, 1-20, 20.1-50 and ?50.1 g per day had a
      hazard ratio for overweight/obesity of 1.00, 0.81 (95% confidence interval=0.73
      0.89), 0.77 (0.69-0.86) and 0.73 (0.63-0.84); P for trend <0.001, respectively.
      There was no interaction between chilli intake and gender, income, education and
      residence (urban/rural) in relation to the risk of overweight/obesity.
      CONCLUSIONS: Chilli intake is inversely associated with the risk of becoming
      overweight/obese in Chinese adults.

PMID- 28360430
TI  - Sex differences in the influence of body mass index on anatomical architecture of
      brain networks.
AB  - BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES: The brain has a central role in regulating ingestive
      behavior in obesity. Analogous to addiction behaviors, an imbalance in the
      processing of rewarding and salient stimuli results in maladaptive eating
      behaviors that override homeostatic needs. We performed network analysis based on
      graph theory to examine the association between body mass index (BMI) and network
      measures of integrity, information flow and global communication (centrality) in
      reward, salience and sensorimotor regions and to identify sex-related differences
      in these parameters. SUBJECTS/METHODS: Structural and diffusion tensor imaging
      were obtained in a sample of 124 individuals (61 males and 63 females). Graph
      theory was applied to calculate anatomical network properties (centrality) for
      regions of the reward, salience and sensorimotor networks. General linear models
      with linear contrasts were performed to test for BMI and sex-related differences
      in measures of centrality, while controlling for age. RESULTS: In both males and
      females, individuals with high BMI (obese and overweight) had greater anatomical
      centrality (greater connectivity) of reward (putamen) and salience (anterior
      insula) network regions. Sex differences were observed both in individuals with
      normal and elevated BMI. In individuals with high BMI, females compared to males
      showed greater centrality in reward (amygdala, hippocampus and nucleus accumbens)
      and salience (anterior mid-cingulate cortex) regions, while males compared to
      females had greater centrality in reward (putamen) and sensorimotor (posterior
      insula) regions. CONCLUSIONS: In individuals with increased BMI, reward, salience
      and sensorimotor network regions are susceptible to topological restructuring in
      a sex-related manner. These findings highlight the influence of these regions on
      integrative processing of food-related stimuli and increased ingestive behavior
      in obesity, or in the influence of hedonic ingestion on brain topological
      restructuring. The observed sex differences emphasize the importance of
      considering sex differences in obesity pathophysiology.

PMID- 28360434
TI  - Locally advanced breast cancer in elderly patients.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Although locally advanced breast cancer (LABC) is more common in the
      elderly population, there is little data on the clinical characteristics and
      survival of these patients. The aim of the present study was to compare different
      factors affecting survival in elderly patients with LABC. METHODS: Retrospective
      analysis was carried out on a cohort of 80 patients aged 70 to 96 years,
      diagnosed with LABC defined as T3 N1, T4 N0, any N2 or N3, and M0. The prognostic
      impact of selected clinical parameters including age, comorbidities, tumour
      grade, HER2 status, tumour stage, local therapies, and systemic treatments was
      studied. RESULTS: The median age of the patients was 79 years. The majority
      (n=53; 66%) had at least one significant comorbidity according to the Charlson
      score evaluation. The median overall survival was 50.6 months. As expected,
      hormonal therapy was the dominant mode of systemic treatment, but 24% also
      received at least one line of chemotherapy. Local therapies including surgery
      and/or radiotherapy were applied in 58% of patients. CONCLUSIONS: The diagnosis
      of LABC in the elderly is associated with poor prognosis. Age and serious
      comorbidities were negative prognostic factors.

PMID- 28360433
TI  - Use of near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) in cerebral tissue oxygenation
      monitoring in neonates.
AB  - Near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) is a technology capable of non-invasive,
      continuous measuring of regional tissue oxygen saturation (StO2). StO2 represents
      a state of hemodynamic stability, which is influenced by many factors. Extensive
      research has been done in the field of measuring StO2 of various organs. The
      current clinical availability of several NIRS-based devices reflects an important
      development in prevention, detection and correction of discrepancy in oxygen
      delivery to the brain and vital organs. Managing cerebral ischemia remains a
      significant issue in the neonatal intensive care units (NICU). Cerebral tissue
      oxygenation (cStO2) and cerebral fractional tissue extraction (cFTOE) are
      reported in a large number of clinical studies. This review provides a summary of
      the concept of function, current variability of NIRS-based devices used in
      neonatology, clinical applications in continuous cStO2 monitoring, limitations,
      disadvantages, and the potential of current technology.

PMID- 28360435
TI  - Effect of water on the fluorine and chlorine partitioning behavior between
      olivine and silicate melt.
AB  - Halogens show a range from moderate (F) to highly (Cl, Br, I) volatile and
      incompatible behavior, which makes them excellent tracers for volatile transport
      processes in the Earth's mantle. Experimentally determined fluorine and chlorine
      partitioning data between mantle minerals and silicate melt enable us to estimate
      Mid Ocean Ridge Basalt (MORB) and Ocean Island Basalt (OIB) source region
      concentrations for these elements. This study investigates the effect of varying
      small amounts of water on the fluorine and chlorine partitioning behavior at 1280
      degrees C and 0.3 GPa between olivine and silicate melt in the Fe-free CMAS+F-Cl
      Br-I-H2O model system. Results show that, within the uncertainty of the analyses,
      water has no effect on the chlorine partitioning behavior for bulk water contents
      ranging from 0.03 (2) wt% H2O (DClol/melt = 1.6 +/- 0.9 * 10-4) to 0.33 (6) wt%
      H2O (DClol/melt = 2.2 +/- 1.1 * 10-4). Consequently, with the effect of pressure
      being negligible in the uppermost mantle (Joachim et al. Chem Geol 416:65-78,
      2015), temperature is the only parameter that needs to be considered for the
      determination of chlorine partition coefficients between olivine and melt at
      least in the simplified iron-free CMAS+F-Cl-Br-I-H2O system. In contrast, the
      fluorine partition coefficient increases linearly in this range and may be
      described at 1280  degrees C and 0.3 GPa with (R2 = 0.99): [Formula: see text].
      The observed fluorine partitioning behavior supports the theory suggested by
      Crepisson et al. (Earth Planet Sci Lett 390:287-295, 2014) that fluorine and
      water are incorporated as clumped OH/F defects in the olivine structure. Results
      of this study further suggest that fluorine concentration estimates in OIB source
      regions are at least 10% lower than previously expected (Joachim et al. Chem Geol
      416:65-78, 2015), implying that consideration of the effect of water on the
      fluorine partitioning behavior between Earth's mantle minerals and silicate melt
      is vital for a correct estimation of fluorine abundances in OIB source regions.
      Estimates for MORB source fluorine concentrations as well as chlorine abundances
      in both mantle source regions are within uncertainty not affected by the presence
      of water.

PMID- 28360436
TI  - Conditional Sure Independence Screening.
AB  - Independence screening is powerful for variable selection when the number of
      variables is massive. Commonly used independence screening methods are based on
      marginal correlations or its variants. When some prior knowledge on a certain
      important set of variables is available, a natural assessment on the relative
      importance of the other predictors is their conditional contributions to the
      response given the known set of variables. This results in conditional sure
      independence screening (CSIS). CSIS produces a rich family of alternative
      screening methods by different choices of the conditioning set and can help
      reduce the number of false positive and false negative selections when covariates
      are highly correlated. This paper proposes and studies CSIS in generalized linear
      models. We give conditions under which sure screening is possible and derive an
      upper bound on the number of selected variables. We also spell out the situation
      under which CSIS yields model selection consistency and the properties of CSIS
      when a data-driven conditioning set is used. Moreover, we provide two data-driven
      methods to select the thresholding parameter of conditional screening. The
      utility of the procedure is illustrated by simulation studies and analysis of two
      real datasets.

PMID- 28360432
TI  - Dose-response effects of aerobic exercise on energy compensation in
      postmenopausal women: combined results from two randomized controlled trials.
AB  - BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES: Despite the clear health benefits of exercise, exercised
      induced weight loss is often less than expected. The term 'exercise energy
      compensation' is used to define the amount of weight loss below what is expected
      for the amount of exercise energy expenditure. We examined the dose-response
      effects of exercise volume on energy compensation in postmenopausal women.
      PARTICIPANTS/METHODS: Data from Alberta Physical Activity and Breast Cancer
      Prevention (ALPHA) and Breast Cancer and Exercise Trial in Alberta (BETA) were
      combined for the present analysis. The ALPHA and BETA trials were two-centred,
      two-armed, 12-month randomized controlled trials. The ALPHA trial included 160
      participants randomized to 225 min per week of aerobic exercise, and the BETA
      trial randomized 200 participants to each 150 and 300 min per week of aerobic
      exercise. All participants were aged 50-74 years, moderately inactive (<90 min
      per week of exercise), had no previous cancer diagnosis and a body mass index
      between 22 and 40 kg m-2. Energy compensation was based on changes in body
      composition (dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry scan) and estimated exercise energy
      expenditure from completed exercise volume. Associations between Deltaenergy
      intake, DeltaVO2peak and Deltaphysical activity time with energy compensation
      were assessed. RESULTS: No differences in energy compensation were noted between
      interventions. However, there were large inter-individual differences in energy
      compensation between participants; 9.4% experienced body composition changes that
      were greater than expected based on exercise energy expenditure, 64% experienced
      some degree of energy compensation and 26.6% experienced weight gain based on
      exercise energy expenditure. Increases in VO2peak were associated with reductions
      in energy compensation (beta=-3.44 ml kg-1 min-1, 95% confidence interval for
      beta=-4.71 to -2.17 ml kg-1 min-1; P=0.0001). CONCLUSIONS: Large inter-individual
      differences in energy compensation were noted, despite no differences between
      activity doses. In addition, increases in VO2peak were associated with lower
      energy compensation. Future studies are needed to identify behavioral and
      metabolic factors that may contribute to this large inter-individual variability
      in energy compensation.

PMID- 28360437
TI  - Introducing New Antimalarial Analogues of Chloroquine and Amodiaquine: A
      Narrative Review.
AB  - Antimalarial drugs with the 4-aminoquinoline scaffold such as the important
      drugs, chloroquine (CQ) and amodiaquine (AQ), have been used to prevent and treat
      malaria for many years. The importance of these drugs is related to their simple
      usage, high efficacy, affordability, and cost-effectiveness of their synthesis.
      In recent years, with the spread of parasite resistance to CQ and cross
      resistance to its other analogues have decreased their consumption in many
      geographical areas. On the other hand, AQ is an effective antimalarial drug which
      its usage has been restricted due to hepatic and hematological toxicities. The
      significance of the quinoline ring at quinoline-based antimalarial drugs has
      prompted research centers and pharmaceutical companies to focus on the design and
      synthesis of new analogues of these drugs, especially CQ and AQ analogues.
      Accordingly, various derivatives have been synthesized and evaluated in vitro and
      in vivo against the resistant strains of the malaria parasite to solve the
      problem of drug resistance. Also, the pharmacokinetic properties of these
      compounds have been evaluated to augment their efficacy and diminish their
      toxicity. Some of these analogues are currently in clinical and preclinical
      development. Consequently, the recent researches showed yet 4-aminoquinoline
      scaffold is active moiety in new compounds with antiplasmodial activity. Hence,
      the aim of this review article is to introduce of the novel synthetic analogues
      of CQ and AQ, which may constitute the next generation of antimalarial drugs with
      the 4-aminoquinoline scaffold.

PMID- 28360438
TI  - Comparing Adrenaline with Tranexamic Acid to Control Acute Endobronchial
      Bleeding: A Randomized Controlled Trial.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Hemoptysis occurs due to either pulmonary diseases or bronchoscopy
      interventions. The aim of the present study was to compare the efficacy of the
      endobronchial instillation of adrenaline with that of tranexamic acid. METHODS:
      Fifty patients were randomly selected as 2 double-blinded sample groups (n=25).
      In these patients, bleeding could not be controlled with cold saline lavage
      during bronchoscopy and they, therefore, required prescription of another
      medicine. Adrenaline (1 mg) in one group and tranexamic acid (500 mg) in the
      other group were diluted in 20 mL of normal saline and instilled through the
      bronchoscope. This technique was repeated 3 times at 90-second intervals, if
      necessary. In the case of persistent bleeding, 90 seconds after the last dose, a
      second medicine was given for bleeding control. Observation of clot through the
      bronchoscope meant that the bleeding had stopped. The efficacy of tranexamic acid
      and adrenaline was evaluated and then compared using the Mann-Whitney test.
      RESULTS: The time of bleeding control had no significant difference between
      tranexamic acid and adrenaline (P=0.908). Another analysis was done to evaluate
      bleeding control with a second medicine; the results showed that 1 (4%) patient
      in the tranexamic acid and 8 (32%) in the adrenaline group needed the second
      medicine and there was no significant difference between the 2 groups (P=0.609).
      CONCLUSION: Our results suggested that tranexamic acid by endobronchial
      instillation was as efficient as adrenaline in controlling hemoptysis and
      required less frequent use of a second medicine. Trial Registration Number:
      IRCT2014120220188.

PMID- 28360439
TI  - Baricity of Bupivacaine on Maternal Hemodynamics after Spinal Anesthesia for
      Cesarean Section: A Randomized Controlled Trial.
AB  - BACKGROUND: After spinal anesthesia, patients undergoing cesarean section are
      more likely to develop hemodynamic changes. The baricity of local anesthetic has
      an important role on spinal blockade effects. The aim of this study was to
      compare the isobar and hyperbaric bupivacaine 0.5% plus fentanyl on maternal
      hemodynamics after spinal anesthesia for C/S. METHODS: In this double-blind
      study, 84 healthy pregnant women undergoing C/S using bupivacaine 0.5% isobar
      (study group, n=42) or hyperbaric (control group, n=42) for spinal anesthesia
      were scheduled. The study was conducted from 21 April 2014 to 21 November 2014 at
      Al-Zahra Hospital, Tabriz, Iran. Parameters such as maternal hemodynamics, block
      characteristics, side effects, and neonatal Apgar scores were recorded. Data were
      analyzed using the SPSS software by performing chi-square test, Fisher's exact
      test, one-way ANOVA, Mann-Whitney U-test, and student's t test. RESULTS: The
      incidence of hypotension in the isobar group was lower than the hyperbaric group,
      although it was not statistically significant (40.47% vs. 61.9%, P=0.08). The
      duration of hypotension was shorter in the study group (1.6+/-7.8 min vs. 7.4+/
      12.5 min, P=0.004). The dose of ephedrine was lower in the study group (2.4+/-6.6
      mg vs. 5.3+/-10.7 mg, P=0.006). The main maternal side effect is sustained
      hypotension that was seen in 0 patients of the isobar and 7 (16.66%) of
      hyperbaric groups (P=0.006). None of the neonates had Apgar score<=7 at 5 min of
      delivery (P=1.0). Sensory and motor block duration was shorter in the study group
      (P=0.01). CONCLUSION: Isobaric bupivacaine is associated with more hemodynamic
      stability and shorter sensory and motor blockade in mothers under spinal
      anesthesia for C/S. Trial Registration Number: IRCT201401287013N7.

PMID- 28360440
TI  - Effect of Poor Glycemic Control in Newly Diagnosed Patients with Smear-Positive
      Pulmonary Tuberculosis and Type-2 Diabetes Mellitus.
AB  - BACKGROUND: There is growing evidence that diabetes mellitus (DM) is an important
      risk factor for tuberculosis (TB). A significant number of DM patients have poor
      glycemic control. This study was carried out to find the impact of poor glycemic
      control on newly diagnosed smear-positive pulmonary tuberculosis patients with
      type-2 diabetes mellitus in a tertiary care hospital. METHODS: In a hospital
      based prospective study, newly diagnosed smear-positive pulmonary TB with DM
      patients were classified as poorly controlled diabetes (HBA1C>=7%) and optimal
      control diabetics (HbA1c<7%). Patients were started on anti-TB treatment and
      followed for 2 years for severity and treatment outcome. ANOVA was used for
      numerical variables in the univariable analysis. Logistic regression analysis was
      used for multivariable analysis of treatment outcome. The significance level was
      kept at a P<=0.05. RESULTS: A total of 630 individuals who met the inclusion
      criteria were analyzed; of which 423 patients had poor glycemic control (PGC) and
      207 patients had optimal glycemic control (OGC). The average HbA1c was 10+/-2.6
      and 5+/-1.50 in the PGC and OGC groups, respectively. The mean symptom score was
      significantly higher in the PGC group compared with patients in the OGC group
      (4.55+/-0.80 vs. 2.70+/-0.82, P<0.001). PGC was associated with more extensive
      lung disease, lung cavitation, and positive sputum smear at the baseline. In PGC,
      sputum smears were significantly more likely to remain positive after 2 months of
      treatment. PGC patients had significantly higher rates of treatment failure (adj.
      OR 0.72, 95% CI 0.58-0.74, P<0.001) and relapse (adj. OR 2.83, 95% CI 2.60-2.92,
      P<0.001). CONCLUSION: Poor glycemic control is associated with an increased risk
      of advanced and more severe TB disease in the form of lung cavitations, positive
      sputum smear, and slower smear conversion. It has a profound negative effect on
      treatment completion, cure, and relapse rates in patients with pulmonary
      tuberculosis.

PMID- 28360441
TI  - Neutralizing Antibody Response and Efficacy of Novel Recombinant Tetravalent
      Dengue DNA Vaccine Comprising Envelope Domain III in Mice.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Dengue is a global arboviral threat to humans; causing 390 million
      infections per year. The availability of safe and effective tetravalent dengue
      vaccine is a global requirement to prevent epidemics, morbidity, and mortality
      associated with it. METHODS: Five experimental groups (6 mice per group) each of
      5-week-old BALB/c mice were immunized with vaccine and placebo (empty plasmid)
      (100 ug, i.m.) on days 0, 14 and 28. Among these, four groups (one group per
      serotype) of each were subsequently challenged 3 weeks after the last boost with
      dengue virus (DENV) serotypes 1-4 (100 LD50, 20 ul intracerebrally) to determine
      vaccine efficacy. The fifth group of each was used as a control. The PBS
      immunized group was used as mock control. Serum samples were collected before and
      after subsequent immunizations. EDIII fusion protein expression was determined by
      Western blot. Total protein concentration was measured by Bradford assay.
      Neutralizing antibodies were assessed by TCID50-CPE inhibition assay. Statistical
      analysis was performed using Stata/IC 10.1 software for Windows. One-way repeated
      measures ANOVA and Mann-Whitney test were used for neutralizing antibody analysis
      and vaccine efficacy, respectively. RESULTS: The recombinant EDIII fusion protein
      was expressed adequately in transfected 293T cells. Total protein concentration
      was almost 3 times more than the control. Vaccine candidate induced neutralizing
      antibodies against all four DENV serotypes with a notable increase after
      subsequent boosters. Vaccine efficacy was 83.3% (DENV-1, -3, -4) and 50% (DENV
      2). CONCLUSION: Our results suggest that vaccine is immunogenic and protective;
      however, further studies are required to improve the immunogenicity particularly
      against DENV-2.

PMID- 28360443
TI  - Protective Effect of Edaravone Against Cyclosporine-Induced Chronic Nephropathy
      Through Antioxidant and Nitric Oxide Modulating Pathways in Rats.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Cyclosporine A (CsA) is an immunosuppressant with therapeutic
      indications in various immunological diseases; however, its use is associated
      with chronic nephropathy. Oxidative stress has a crucial role in CsA-induced
      nephrotoxicity. The present study evaluates the protective effect of edaravone on
      CsA-induced chronic nephropathy and investigates its antioxidant and nitric oxide
      modulating property. METHODS: Male Sprague-Dawley rats (n=66) were distributed
      into nine groups, including a control (group 1) (n=7). Eight groups received CsA
      (15 mg/kg) for 28 days while being treated. The groups were categorized as: Group
      2: Vehicle (n=10)Groups 3, 4, and 5: Edaravone (1, 5, and 10 mg/kg) (n=7
      each)Group 6: Diphenyliodonium chloride, a specific endothelial nitric oxide
      synthase (eNOS) inhibitor (n=7)Group 7: Aminoguanidine, a specific inducible
      nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) inhibitor (n=7)Group 8: Edaravone (10 mg/kg) plus
      diphenyliodonium chloride (n=7)Group 9: Edaravone (10 mg/kg) plus aminoguanidine
      (n=7) Blood urea nitrogen and serum creatinine levels, malondialdehyde,
      superoxide dismutase, and glutathione reductase enzyme activities were measured
      using standard kits. Renal histopathological evaluations and measurements of eNOS
      and iNOS gene expressions by RT-PCR were also performed. Data were analyzed using
      one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) followed by Tukey's test (SPSS software
      version 18.0). RESULTS: Edaravone (10 mg/kg) significantly attenuated CsA-induced
      oxidative stress, renal dysfunction, and kidney tissue injury. Aminoguanidine
      improved the renoprotective effect of edaravone. Edaravone reduced the elevated
      mRNA level of iNOS, but could not alter the level of eNOS mRNA significantly.
      CONCLUSION: Edaravone protects against CsA-induced chronic nephropathy using
      antioxidant property and probably through inhibiting iNOS gene expression.

PMID- 28360444
TI  - Nepeta Dschuparensis Bornm Extract Moderates COX-2 and IL-1beta Proteins in a Rat
      Model of Cerebral Ischemia.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Nepeta dschuparensis Bornm (NP) is used as a medicinal herb in Iran.
      In traditional medicine, this herb is extensively employed for curing ailments
      such as cardiovascular diseases. NP has antioxidant and anti-inflammatory
      properties. This project examined the effects of the NP extract on cyclooxygenase
      2 (COX-2) and interleukin-1beta (IL-1beta) protein levels and its efficacy in
      neuroprotection in a cerebral ischemia-reperfusion model. METHODS: Twenty-six
      male rats were randomly divided into 3 groups: 1) sham (n=6): no middle cerebral
      artery occlusion (MCAO) procedure, 2) control (n=10): MCAO procedure and
      treatment with normal saline, and 3) NP extract (n=10): MCAO procedure and
      treatment with the NP extract (20 mg/kg, i.p.) at the beginning of reperfusion.
      To examine the injury caused by cerebral ischemia, we measured motor coordination
      and the infarct area using the rotarod test and triphenyl tetrazolium chloride
      staining, respectively. IL-1beta and COX-2 protein levels, as inflammatory
      markers, were measured by immunoblotting assay. The statistical analyses were
      performed using SPSS, version 16, and the data are expressed as means+/-SEMs.
      Statistical difference was evaluated using the one-way ANOVA, followed by the
      post hoc LSD test (P<0.01). RESULTS: Treatment with the NP extract significantly
      diminished the infarct volume and alleviated the motor coordination disorder
      induced by cerebral ischemia. The NP extract administration significantly
      attenuated the increase in IL-1beta and COX-2 protein levels too (P<0.01).
      CONCLUSION: The beneficial effects of the NP extract are related to its ability
      to decrease the levels of IL-1beta and COX-2.

PMID- 28360442
TI  - Effects of Maternal Isocaloric Diet Containing Different Amounts of Soy Oil and
      Extra Virgin Olive Oil on Weight, Serum Glucose, and Lipid Profile of Female Mice
      Offspring.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Health status of offspring is programmed by maternal diet throughout
      gestation and lactation. The present study investigates the lasting effects of
      maternal supplementation with different amounts of soy oil or extra virgin olive
      oil (EVOO) on weight and biochemical parameters during gestation and lactation of
      female mice offspring. METHODS: Eight weeks old female C57BL/6 mice (n=40) were
      assigned through simple randomization into four isocaloric dietary groups (16% of
      calories as soy oil (LSO) or EVOO (LOO) and 45% of calories as soy oil (HSO) or
      EVOO (HOO)) during three weeks of gestation and lactation. After weaning (at 3
      weeks), all offspring received a diet containing 16% of calories as soy oil and
      were sacrificed at 6 weeks. Two-way ANOVA was used to adjust for confounding
      variables and repeated measures test for weight gain trend. Statistical analyses
      were performed with the IBM SPSS package. RESULTS: At birth and adolescence, the
      weight of offspring was significantly higher in the soy oil than the olive oil
      groups (P<0.001 and P<0.001, respectively). Adolescence weight was significantly
      higher in the offspring born to mothers fed with 16% oil than those with 45% oil
      (P=0.001). Serum glucose, triglyceride and total cholesterol were significantly
      higher in the LSO than LOO (P<0.001, P<0.001 and P<0.001), LSO than HSO (P<0.001,
      P=0.03 and P<0.001), and LOO than HOO (P<0.001, P<0.001 and P<0.001) dietary
      groups, respectively. Serum triglyceride and total cholesterol were significantly
      higher in the offspring of HSO than HOO fed mothers (P<0.001 and P<0.001,
      respectively). CONCLUSION: A maternal diet containing EVOO has better effects on
      birth weight, as well as weight and serum biochemical parameters in offspring at
      adolescence.

PMID- 28360445
TI  - Effect of Motivational Interviewing on Weight Efficacy Lifestyle among Women with
      Overweight and Obesity: A Randomized Controlled Trial.
AB  - : Obesity and overweight have become increasingly a major public health problem
      across the world. This study aimed at exploring the effects of motivational
      interviewing on weight efficacy lifestyle among women with obesity and
      overweight. A single-blind randomized clinical trial study was conducted on 100
      overweight and obese women who attended a nutrition clinic. The samples were
      selected based on the clinical records and assigned into two groups, namely
      motivational interviewing arm (50 samples) and nutrition education arm (50
      samples). Data were collected using a standard validated questionnaire entitled
      "weight efficacy lifestyle". The intervention was designed according to five
      motivation sessions and four nutrition education programs, such that the
      participants of the nutrition education arm were also provided with the nutrition
      pamphlets related to weight control. Data were finally analyzed using the SPSS
      statistical software by performing the independent t-test, chi-square, LSD and
      repeated measures ANOVA tests. P<0.05 were considered statistically significant.
      The mean age of women was 39.9+/-9.1 and 36.3+/-8.9 years in the control and
      motivational interviewing arms, respectively. Compared with the control group,
      the score of the motivational interviewing group was statistically significant in
      terms of weight efficacy lifestyle P=0.0001) and all subscales including social
      pressure (P=0.0001), physical discomfort (P=0.005), food accessibility
      (P=0.0001), positive and entertainment activities (P=0.0001), as well as negative
      emotions (P=0.003). Motivational interviewing appeared to be effective in
      increasing weight efficacy lifestyle among women with overweight and obesity.
      TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER: IRCT2014051817736N1.

PMID- 28360447
TI  - Botulism Outbreak in a Family after Ingestion of Locally Produced Cheese.
AB  - Botulism is one of the most important foodborne diseases and is caused by
      Clostridium botulinum toxin. The main manifestations are flaccid muscle paralysis
      and cranial nerve palsies. Botulism is an essential health problem because of its
      high mortality. The diagnosis of botulism, especially in sporadic cases, is a
      medical challenge and a high clinical suspicion is necessary for early
      recognition. So, every physician should be familiar with its signs and symptoms
      for early detection and treatment. We describe a family with dysphasia and acute
      paralysis after the ingestion of locally made cheese. The clinical presentations
      of the 1st patient were similar to myasthenic crisis and she, therefore, received
      plasma exchange. After the appearance of similar symptoms in the other family
      members, they were treated with polyvalent botulinum antitoxin and diagnosis was
      confirmed by toxicology and detection of serotype A botulinum toxin in cheese and
      stool samples. Uncommon clinical presentations and unusual sources of botulinum
      toxin should be kept in mind because of the importance of early diagnosis and
      treatment.

PMID- 28360446
TI  - Surface Electromyographic Assessment of Swallowing Function.
AB  - The reliability of surface electromyographic (sEMG) variables during swallowing
      determines the potential usefulness of these measures in swallowing assessment
      and treatment. This study aimed to establish the reliability of the sEMG measures
      of the swallowing function of muscles during different swallowing conditions in
      healthy young and old volunteers. Two groups of volunteers (24 older adults, 10
      younger adults) participated in this cross-sectional study during 2014. The
      activity of masseter, submental, and infrahyoid groups were measured using sEMG
      during three repetitions of different swallowing tasks. Both the relative and
      absolute reliability (characterized respectively by ICC, SEM%, and SRD%) were
      calculated for the sEMG indices of muscle activity during swallowing events.
      Statistical analyses were performed by the SPSS 19.0 and Microsoft Excel 2007
      software packages. Statistical significance was set at P<=0.05. The relative
      reliability calculations showed significant agreements between repetitions for
      the mean and peak amplitude and the average of median frequency (MDF) of the
      studied muscles function during most swallowing types in both groups. However,
      the duration and particularly the time to peak of muscle activity showed
      significant agreements during fewer swallowing conditions. Excluding MDF, we
      found high SEM% and SRD% for the studied measures (particularly timing measures)
      of muscles function during most swallowing types in both groups. The reliability
      of sEMG measures was influenced by the age and swallowing types. Our findings
      suggest that the MDF of muscle function during almost all studied swallowing
      types can be a reliable measure for the sEMG assessment of swallowing function in
      both younger and older adults.

PMID- 28360448
TI  - Tumefactive Fibroinflammatory Lesion: A Diagnostic Dilemma.
AB  - Tumefactive fibroinflammatory lesions (TFLs) are rare idiopathic benign
      fibrosclerosing lesions that clinically simulate a malignancy. TFLs are seen more
      frequently in males between 10 and 74 years of age. The usual site of involvement
      is the head and neck region, but rarely the extremities may be involved.
      Coexisting fibrosclerotic processes have been reported including retroperitoneal
      fibrosis, sclerosing cholangitis, sclerosing mediastinal fibrosis, and orbital
      pseudotumors. The etiology of this poorly understood entity remains unknown.
      Possible suggestions include exaggerated responses or autoimmune reactions to any
      chronic infection. The clinical and radiological appearance of TFLs is that of
      malignancy, but histopathology reveals them to be a benign process broadly
      classified under non-neoplastic, fibroinflammatory proliferations. The treatment
      strategies for these lesions are not well defined and variable and include
      steroids, surgery, and radiotherapy either alone or in combination. TFLs, albeit
      not fatal, have a high recurrence rate; patients should, therefore, be kept on
      long-term follow-up. We describe a young female patient presenting with a rapidly
      developing cheek swelling, which was diagnosed histopathologically as a TFLs.

PMID- 28360449
TI  - Balanced Reciprocal Translocation t(X;1) in a Girl with Tall Stature and Primary
      Amenorrhea.
AB  - Chromosomal translocations constitute one of the most important, yet uncommon,
      causes of primary amenorrhea and gonadal dysgenesis. Although X-autosome
      translocations are frequently associated with streak gonads and clinical features
      of the Turner syndrome, the majority of X-autosome carriers may present with a
      variable phenotype, developmental delay, and recognizable X-linked syndrome due
      to nonrandom X-inactivation. In this article, we describe a healthy 15.5-year-old
      girl with primary amenorrhea, gonadal dysgenesis, and tall stature without other
      manifestations of the Turner syndrome. Relevant clinical, biochemical,
      endocrinological, and cytogenetical evaluations were performed. Initial
      investigations revealed hypergonadotropic hypogonadism (FSH=134 mIU/mL [normal=10
      15 mIU/mL], LH=47.5 [normal=10-15 mIU/mL], and estradiol=24.3 pmol/L). On
      ultrasound examination of the pelvis, streak ovaries with a hypoplastic uterus
      were noted. Chromosome study, performed according to routine procedures, revealed
      an apparently balanced reciprocal translocation involving the short arm of
      chromosome 1(p2) and the long arm of the X chromosome (q2) in all the cells with
      the following karyotype: 46,X,t(1;X)(p13;q22). She was placed on hormone
      replacement therapy. In our patient, X-autosome translocation was associated with
      gonadal dysgenesis and tall stature. We conclude that t(X;1) may be associated
      with gonadal dysgenesis without other congenital abnormalities. To our knowledge,
      normal phenotype with gonadal dysgenesis and tall stature in association with
      t(X;1) translocation has not been previously reported.

PMID- 28360450
TI  - Renal Medullary Carcinoma; A Rare Entity.
AB  - Renal medullary carcinoma (RMC) is an uncommon aggressive neoplasm of the kidney.
      RMC is biologically aggressive with a very poor prognosis, and metastasis is seen
      in up to 95% of the patients at diagnosis or shortly thereafter. The common sites
      of metastasis are respectively lymph nodes, lungs, livers, and adrenal glands in
      order of frequency. The presence of poorly differentiated eosinophilic cells in a
      characteristic fibro-inflammatory stroma is seen in histological examination. The
      origin and pathogenesis of RMC are unclear. The radiographical and pathological
      findings suggest that RMC probably originates in the calyceal epithelium in or
      near the renal papillae, which could be the result of chronic ischemic damage in
      the renal papillae epithelium by sickled erythrocytes. Positivity of VEGF and HIF
      1alpha supports the chronic hypoxia that may be caused in the pathogenesis of
      RMC. Other factors such as genetic or environmental factors are important.
      Although hemoglobinopathy is very common, RMC is very rare. An understanding of
      the molecular and genetic factors of this rare disease is important for its
      prevention and treatment. We herein describe an adult Turkish patient, who
      presented with hematuria. The diagnosis was RMC after pathological examination.

PMID- 28360451
TI  - Effects of Mutational Combinations on Philadelphia-Negative Myeloproliferative
      Neoplasms.

PMID- 28360452
TI  - Cobra-Head Stone in Single-System Ureterocele.

PMID- 28360453
TI  - Long-term analysis on the variance of extra-group paternities in rhesus macaques.
AB  - ABSTRACT: Extra-group paternity (EGP) has been described in various mammalian
      species; however, little is known about which factors contribute to the variation
      in EGP, as the majority of studies were restricted in time and the number of
      groups considered. Using longitudinal demographic and genetic data, we aim to
      investigate which factors predict rates of EGP in the free-ranging rhesus macaque
      population of Cayo Santiago, Puerto Rico (USA). Of the 1649 infants considered
      which were born into six social groups over 9 years, we identified an average of
      16% of infants resulting from EGPs. We tested the influence of group size,
      breeding group sex ratio, female reproductive synchrony, and group instability on
      the occurrence of EGPs. Our results suggest a tendency for EGPs to increase as
      the proportion of females increased in larger groups, but no such effect in
      smaller groups. Furthermore, as group instability and female reproductive
      synchrony decreased, the number of EGPs tended to increase. Our results support
      the hypothesis that group structure affects the occurrence of EGPs, which might
      be mediated by male mating opportunities, male monopolization potential, and/or
      female choice. SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT: In several species, both sexes seek
      alternative reproductive strategies to enhance their reproductive success. For
      instance, females may pursue EGPs to potentially increase genetic compatibility
      with males, or males may seek EGPs to improve their mating opportunities. Our
      longitudinal analysis, including demographic and genetic data over 9 years of six
      social groups of rhesus macaques, revealed high variation in the occurrence of
      EGPs across groups and years, and this variation tended to depend on group
      characteristics such as breeding group size, sex ratio, female synchrony, and
      group instability. The data suggest that group structure affects the number of
      EGPs in this group-living primate. Our results show that EGPs can affect the
      distribution of paternity within social groups and should be taken into account
      when assessing reproductive success.

PMID- 28360454
TI  - MAIN ETHICAL BREACHES IN MULTICENTER CLINICAL TRIALS REGULATIONS OF TURKEY.
AB  - Turkey has been a growing market for multicenter clinical trials for the last ten
      years and is considered among the top ten countries in terms of potential study
      subject populations. The objective of increasing the share of Turkey in
      multicenter clinical trials is strongly supported. This ambitious goal of Turkey
      raises the need to have regulations in compliance with other leading countries
      conducting clinical trials. The latest published Turkish regulations on clinical
      trials are structured in compliance with the International Conference on
      Harmonization (ICH) Guidelines and in harmony with the regulations of other
      leading countries in clinical research, such as the US. There are still flaws in
      Turkish regulation with the risk of violating human subjects' rights and issues
      with responsible conduct of research. The aim of this article is to compare
      Turkish clinical trials regulations with those of the US, to determine if there
      exists any incompatibility between the countries' regulations and, if so, how to
      ameliorate these. The main flaws in Turkish clinical trials regulations are
      identified as follows: lack of definition of the term "human subject; absence of
      explicit referral to the unacceptability of Conflict of Interest (COI) and taking
      measures to avoid it; exiguity of emphasis on plurality of the IRB members;
      nonexistence of a clear expression that this is research; and clinical equipoise,
      regarding the treatment of the existing clinical problem and lack of integration
      with international accreditation systems for Institutional Review Boards.

PMID- 28360456
TI  - Nonsmoker COPD: Is it a reality?

PMID- 28360455
TI  - A Feasibility Study of High-Strength Bi-2223 Conductor for High-Field Solenoids.
AB  - We performed a feasibility study on a high-strength Bi2-x Pb x Sr2Ca2Cu3O10-x (Bi
      2223) tape conductor for high-field solenoid applications. The investigated
      conductor, DI-BSCCO Type HT-XX, is a pre-production version of Type HT-NX, which
      has recently become available from Sumitomo Electric Industries (SEI). It is
      based on their DI-BSCCO Type H tape, but laminated with a high-strength Ni-alloy.
      We used stress-strain characterizations, single- and double-bend tests, easy- and
      hard-way bent coil-turns at various radii, straight and helical samples in up to
      31.2 T background field, and small 20-turn coils in up to 17 T background field
      to systematically determine the electro-mechanical limits in magnet-relevant
      conditions. In longitudinal tensile tests at 77 K, we found critical stress- and
      strain-levels of 516 MPa and 0.57%, respectively. In three decidedly different
      experiments we detected an amplification of the allowable strain with a
      combination of pure bending and Lorentz loading to >= 0.92% (calculated
      elastically at the outer tape edge). This significant strain level, and the fact
      that it is multi-filamentary conductor and available in the reacted and insulated
      state, makes DI-BSCCO HT-NX highly suitable for very high-field solenoids, for
      which high current densities and therefore high loads are required to retain
      manageable magnet dimensions.

PMID- 28360457
TI  - India's fight against tuberculosis: How can chest physicians help?

PMID- 28360458
TI  - Prevalence and etiological profile of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease in
      nonsmokers.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Tobacco smoking has been recognized as the most important risk factor
      for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) for a long time, but recent
      studies have shown that nonsmokers also contribute to a significant proportion of
      COPD. This study was performed to find out the proportion of nonsmoker
      individuals among COPD patients and to determine various etiologies in nonsmoker
      COPD patients. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This study was an observational cross
      sectional study conducted in Department of Pulmonary Medicine, MLN Medical
      College, Allahabad. A total of 200 COPD patients, aged >18 years of either gender
      with COPD, diagnosed by clinical and spirometric criteria (GOLD guideline) were
      included in the study. RESULTS: Of the 200 COPD patients, the proportion of
      nonsmoker patients was 56.5%, and the smoker was 43.5%. Among 113 nonsmoker COPD
      patients, maximum number of patients (69.03%) belonged to low socioeconomic
      status but most important and statistically significant risk factor was exposure
      to biomass smoke (53.98%), other significant risk factors were treated pulmonary
      tuberculosis (32.74%), and long-standing asthma (14.16%). Risk factors that were
      not statistically significant were occupational exposure (9.73%), exposure to
      outdoor air pollution (3.54%), and lower respiratory tract infection during
      childhood (1.77%). The patients who were exposed to more than one risk factors,
      developed COPD at an earlier age. CONCLUSIONS: This study revealed that
      nonsmokers contribute a significant proportion of COPD patients. Multiple risk
      factors other than smoking also play a major role in the development of COPD,
      particularly exposure to biomass smoke, treated pulmonary tuberculosis, and long
      standing asthma.

PMID- 28360459
TI  - Correlation of pollen counts and number of hospital visits of asthmatic and
      allergic rhinitis patients.
AB  - AIMS AND OBJECTIVES: Environmental pollens are known to cause exacerbation of
      symptoms of patients with allergic rhinitis (AR) and asthma. During pollen
      months, number of patients visiting hospital has been shown to increase in some
      studies. However, in India, such studies are lacking. Therefore, we aimed to
      study pollen counts and to find its correlation with number of new patients
      attending Asthma Bhawan for 2 years. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Aerobiological
      sampling was done using Burkard 24 h spore trap system. The site selected for the
      entrapment of the air spore was the building of Asthma Bhawan situated at
      Vidhyadhar Nagar, Jaipur. New patients coming with problems of respiratory
      allergy such as AR or asthma were recruited in the study. Skin prick tests (SPTs)
      were carried out after obtaining consent in these patients. Monthly pollen counts
      of trees, weeds and grasses were correlated with the number of new patients.
      Pollen calendar was prepared for 2 years. RESULTS: Average annual pollen count
      during 2011 and 2012 were 14,460.5. In the analysis, 37 types of species or
      families were identified. Pollen count showed two seasonal peaks during March
      April and from August to October. January and June showed the lowest pollen
      counts in 2 years. Average monthly count of grass pollens showed significant
      correlation with number of new patients (r = 0.59). However, monthly pollen count
      of trees and weeds did not correlate. The correlation of the pollen count of
      individual pollen with the SPT positivity to that pollen showed significant
      correlation with Chenopodium album only. CONCLUSIONS: It can be concluded that
      there were two peaks of pollen count in a year during March-April and August
      October. Average monthly pollen counts of grass were significantly correlated
      with the number of hospital visits of new patients.

PMID- 28360460
TI  - Fractional exhaled nitric oxide is a useful adjunctive modality for monitoring
      bronchial asthma.
AB  - BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the utility of fractional exhaled nitric
      oxide (FeNO) in monitoring asthma control. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Steroid naive
      nonsmoking asthmatics were recruited and followed for 6-8 weeks on standard
      treatment. Serial measurements of FeNO, peak expiratory flow rate (PEFR)
      variability, forced expiratory volume in 1 s (FEV1), bronchodilator reversibility
      (BDR), and asthma control test (ACT) score were measured at baseline and after 6
      8 weeks of treatment. RESULTS: One hundred and fifty-one patients were recruited
      over an 18-month period. These comprised 79 males (52.3%) with mean (standard
      deviation) age of 34.2 (11.6). Mean (SD) FeNO levels at baseline and after
      therapy were 45.4 (35.9) and 38.4 (23.7) ppb, respectively (P = 0.01). Baseline
      FeNO correlated strongly with FEV1 (r = -0.78, P < 0.001), ACT score (r = -0.76,
      P < 0.001), PEFR variability (r = -0.74, P < 0.001), and moderately with BDR (r =
      0.50, P < 0.001). After treatment with inhaled steroids, the correlation remained
      strong with ACT score (r = -0.68, P < 0.001) but weakened with PEFR variability
      (r = -0.34, P = 0.01) and FEV1 (r = -0.36, P = 0.01). CONCLUSIONS: FeNO may be
      useful as an adjunctive noninvasive modality to assess asthma control in both
      steroid naive asthmatics and asthmatics on treatment. However, the suboptimal
      sensitivity and specificity may limit its utility as a point-of-care single
      monitoring tool.

PMID- 28360462
TI  - Cotton dust exposure: Analysis of pulmonary function and respiratory symptoms.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Cotton industry workers are exposed to various hazards in the
      different departments of textile factories. The major health problems associated
      with cotton dust are respiratory problems, byssinosis, bronchitis and asthma.
      OBJECTIVE: To study the effect of cotton dust exposure on pulmonary function and
      respiratory symptoms. SETTINGS AND DESIGN: This cross-sectional observational
      study was conducted at cotton mill in the Ahmedabad city. MATERIALS AND METHODS:
      One hundred cotton mill workers of the weaving and spinning area participated in
      this study while 100 age- and gender-matched male subjects living in the
      residential area served as the control group. A questionnaire was used to inquire
      about respiratory symptoms and spirometry was done in both the groups.
      STATISTICAL ANALYSIS USED: Student's t-test was used to find the difference
      between spirometric parameters, and Chi-square test was used to find the
      difference between respiratory symptoms. RESULTS: Respiratory symptoms were
      statistically significantly more common in the cotton mill workers compared to
      control group. Cotton mill workers group also showed significant (P < 0.0001)
      decrease in forced expiratory volume in 1 s (FEV1), ratio of FEV1 and forced
      vital capacity (FVC) and peak expiratory flow rate, and no significant difference
      of FVC between groups. There was an association of duration of exposure and
      symptoms with spirometric abnormality. CONCLUSION: Cotton mill workers showed a
      significant decrease in spirometric parameters and increase in respiratory
      symptoms. As the duration of exposure and symptoms increased, spirometric
      abnormality increased.

PMID- 28360461
TI  - Study the association of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease with early
      endothelial dysfunction and its impact on cardiovascular system by estimating
      urinary albumin creatinine ratio.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) attribute to systemic
      inflammation which is responsible for microalbuminuria reflecting endothelial
      dysfunction, could be a significant surrogate marker of potential cardiovascular
      morbidity. OBJECTIVE: The aim of our study was to find out the possible
      association of COPD with early cardiovascular changes in the form of renal
      endothelial dysfunction. SETTINGS AND DESIGN: Case-control, multi-group, cross
      sectional hospital-based study was designed and conducted in the Department of
      Respiratory Medicine of BPS Government Medical College for Women, Khanpur Kalan,
      Sonipat, Haryana. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: The study included 150 subjects,
      comprising of three groups with each having 50 subjects: Group 1 - acute
      exacerbation of COPD, Group 2 - stable COPD patients, Group 3 - asymptomatic
      smokers. Pulmonary function test, urine albumin creatinine ratio (UACR) and
      brachio-ankle pulse wave velocity were measured in all the subjects. STATISTICAL
      ANALYSIS: Data were analyzed using SPSS ver 20 (IBM, USA) software. Continuous
      variables were compared by unpaired Student's t-test while correlation was
      measured by Pearson correlation test, P < 0.05 was considered statistically
      significant. RESULTS: The mean urine albumin creatinine ratio UACR value in acute
      exacerbation of COPD (283.30 mg/g; standard deviation [SD] +/-871.98) was found
      significantly higher compare to control subjects (24.17 mg/g; SD +/- 32.105;) P =
      0.038. Besides this COPD patients with Type 2 respiratory failure having robust
      positive correlation in between UACR and arterial blood pH (r = 0.559; P = 0.030)
      while it was inverse and moderate with partial pressure of arterial oxygen (r = 
      0.470; P = 0.077). CONCLUSIONS: Acute state of COPD with or without Type 2
      respiratory failure is having a significant impact on cardiovascular system in
      the form of early microvascular changes.

PMID- 28360463
TI  - Prevalence of Aspergillus hypersensitivity and allergic bronchopulmonary
      aspergillosis in patients with bronchial asthma at a tertiary care center in
      North India.
AB  - BACKGROUND: The prevalence of Aspergillus hypersensitivity (AH) and allergic
      bronchopulmonary aspergillosis (ABPA) has been variably reported. Systematic data
      regarding Aspergillus sensitization and ABPA are lacking from this part of the
      country. OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study was to evaluate the prevalence of AH
      and ABPA in Uttar Pradesh. SETTING AND DESIGN: This was prospective observational
      study. All patients attending outpatient Department of Pulmonary Medicine of our
      institute were included in the study. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: Consecutive asthmatic
      patients underwent screening for ABPA using Aspergillus skin test (AST). Those
      showing a positive response to AST were further evaluated for ABPA. RESULTS:
      During the study, 350 patients (192 males, 158 females, mean +/- standard
      deviation age: 38.3 +/- 12.8) were screened with AST. One hundred and twenty
      three patients (35.1%) were tested positive for AST and 21.7% of patients were
      diagnosed as ABPA. CONCLUSIONS: A high prevalence rate of ABPA was observed at
      our chest clinic. Although comparable with published data from other tertiary
      centers, it does not represent the true prevalence rates in asthmatics because of
      high chances of referral bias.

PMID- 28360464
TI  - Assess drug resistance pattern and genetic profile of Mycobacterium tuberculosis
      clinical isolates by molecular typing methods using direct repeats and IS6110 in
      pulmonary tuberculosis cases.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Tuberculosis (TB), a highly contagious disease that sees no gender,
      age, or race is mainly a disease of lungs. According to World Health
      Organization, a TB patient can be completely cured with 6-9 months of anti-TB
      treatment under directly observed treatment short course. OBJECTIVES: The aim of
      this study was to check the mono, multi- and triple-drug resistance to first line
      drugs (FLDs) among TB patients and to access their genetic profile using DR 3074,
      DR 0270, DR 0642, DR 2068, and DR 4110 using molecular techniques. MATERIAL AND
      METHODS: To gain a better understanding of drug resistant TB, we characterized
      121 clinical isolates recovered from 159 drug resistant pulmonary tuberculosis
      patients by IS6110 genotyping. MTB isolates recovered from HIV- negative, and
      smear positive cases of both genders, age varied from 18 to 70 years with drug
      resistant-TB that was refractory to chemotherapy given for > 12 months. Of a
      total of 159 sputum smear positive patients sum number of male and female
      patients was 121 (76.10%) and 38 (23.89%), respectively. Among these patients,
      number of literate and illiterate patients were 123 (77.3%) and 36 (22.6%). 25
      (15.7%) patients had farming as their occupation, 80 (50.3%) had nonagricultural
      occupation and 54 (33.9%) women were housewives. RESULTS: Mono drug resistant,
      multi-drug resistant, and totally drug resistant (TDR) cases of TB were
      calculated as 113.83%, 125.1%, and 67.9%. Isoniazid showed the highest percentage
      of resistance among the patients. CONCLUSION: Any noncompliance to TB
      medications, lack of knowledge, and poor management in health centers, etc.,
      results in the emergence of deadly direct repeat forms of TB, which are further
      complicated and complex to treat.

PMID- 28360466
TI  - Rare cause of paradoxical worsening of pleural effusion in a patient with
      tuberculosis.
AB  - A 33-year-old patient, Known case of chronic kidney disease on maintenance
      dialysis presented with complaints of low-grade fever and weight loss of 2 months
      duration. Computed tomography (CT) revealed bilateral mild pleural effusion with
      significant mediastinal and abdominal adenopathy. CT-guided fine-needle
      aspiration cytology of abdominal lymph nodes and bone marrow culture was
      suggestive of tuberculosis. The patient was started on four drug anti-tubercular
      therapy, post 6 weeks of initiation he developed new onset fever and chest X-ray
      revealed moderate right pleural effusion. Diagnostic thoracocentesis was
      suggestive of chylothorax. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first case
      report of chylothorax due to the paradoxical reaction in the HIV-negative
      tuberculous patient.

PMID- 28360465
TI  - Diagnosis and management options in malignant pleural effusions.
AB  - Malignant pleural effusion (MPE) denotes an advanced malignant disease process.
      Most of the MPE are metastatic involvement of the pleura from primary malignancy
      at lung, breast, and other body sites apart from lymphomas. The diagnosis of MPE
      has been traditionally made on cytological examination of pleural fluid and/or
      histological examination of pleural biopsy tissue that still remains the initial
      approach in these cases. There has been tremendous advancement in the diagnosis
      of MPE now a day with techniques i.e. characteristic Ultrasound and computed
      tomography features, image guided biopsies, fluorodeoxyglucose-positron emission
      tomography imaging, thoracoscopy with direct biopsy under vision, tumor marker
      studies and immunocytochemical analysis etc., that have made possible an early
      diagnosis of MPE. The management of MPE still remains a challenge to
      pulmonologist and oncologist. Despite having various modalities with better
      tolerance such as pleurodesis and indwelling pleural catheters etc., for long
      term control, all the management approaches remain palliative to improve the
      quality of life and reduce symptoms. While choosing an appropriate management
      intervention, one should consider the clinical status of the patient, life
      expectancy, overall cost, availability and comparative institutional outcomes,
      etc.

PMID- 28360467
TI  - Curious case of extraskeletal myxoid chondrosarcoma.
AB  - Extraskeletal myxoid chondrosarcomas (EMC) are a rare entity of soft tissue
      tumors that have slow growth with metastatic potential. We discuss here a case of
      EMC presenting with right upper extremity pain and hemoptysis. Computed
      tomography scans chest showed diffuse metastatic numerous lung nodules
      bilaterally. Biopsy confirmed the diagnosis of the tumor. Chemotherapy was a
      bigger challenge for our patient due to sparse research and data in the
      literature about the disease.

PMID- 28360468
TI  - Air leak: An unusual manifestation of organizing pneumonia secondary to
      bleomycin.
AB  - Organizing pneumonia (OP) is a less common interstitial lung disease with varying
      clinical picture. The development of pulmonary air leak in a case of OP is an
      extremely rare complication. Here, we report the case of a 46-year-old female
      with carcinoma ovary, postchemotherapy who developed respiratory distress with
      pneumomediastinum, and subcutaneous emphysema. Lung biopsy showed evidence of OP.
      This turned out to be a rare case of OP, secondary to bleomycin chemotherapy,
      presenting with pulmonary air leak.

PMID- 28360469
TI  - Myelomatous pleural effusion: A rare case entity reported from a tertiary care
      cancer center in South India.
AB  - Multiple myeloma (MM) is a plasma cell neoplasm and constitutes 10% of
      hematologic malignancies. Malignant myelomatous pleural effusions are very rare
      and occur in <1% of cases of MM. In this article, we report a rare case of a
      patient who initially presented with pleural effusion and was subsequently found
      to be secondary to MM with an underlying raised IgG paraprotein. The patient
      symptomatically improved and was in partial remission with palliative
      radiotherapy, VTD chemotherapy, and bisphosphonates.

PMID- 28360470
TI  - Pulmonary mucormycosis diagnosed by convex probe endobronchial ultrasound-guided
      fine needle aspiration of cavity wall.
AB  - Pulmonary mucormycosis is an opportunistic fungal infection in immunocompromised
      individuals. It is difficult to diagnose as it requires tissue biopsy, and
      generally these patients are unfit to undergo invasive lung biopsies. We describe
      a novel technique in a case with uncontrolled diabetes mellitus with nonresolving
      pulmonary cavitary disease where convex probe endobronchial ultrasound (EBUS)
      guided aspiration of lung cavity wall showed classical histopathological picture
      establishing the diagnosis of mucorale infection. EBUS being real-time, minimally
      invasive technique with minimal risk of complications, led to early diagnosis,
      and prompt treatment. This appears to be a novel diagnostic modality in pulmonary
      mucormycosis with minimal complications as compared with other biopsy methods
      with very high complication risk.

PMID- 28360471
TI  - Thoracoscopic foreign body removal and repair of bronchus intermedius following
      injury during failed bronchoscopic retrieval.
AB  - Aspiration of foreign body (FB) into the airways is common in children and
      continues to be a cause for morbidity and mortality. We report herein, successful
      thoracoscopic management of a child who aspirated a large magnetic FB into his
      right bronchus and developed a tear of bronchus intermedius (BI) during an
      attempt at bronchoscopic retrieval using rigid bronchoscope. The impacted FB was
      successfully removed thoracoscopically followed by thoracoscopic BI repair.

PMID- 28360472
TI  - Management of locally advanced primary mediastinal synovial sarcoma.
AB  - Primary mediastinal synovial sarcoma (PMSS) is a relatively rare disease, and
      patients are treated predominantly with surgery for resectable disease.
      Management of locally advanced borderline resectable and unresectable PMSS is not
      only challenging but also lacks standard guidelines. We present three patients
      with PMSS, who were unresectable or borderline resectable at presentation and
      were treated with neoadjuvant chemotherapy followed by surgery and postoperative
      radiotherapy.

PMID- 28360473
TI  - Recurrent endobronchial actinomycosis following an interventional procedure.
AB  - Actinomycosis is an indolent, slowly progressive infection caused by anaerobic or
      microaerophilic bacteria, primarily from the genus Actinomyces. Thoracic
      involvement is observed in approximately 15% of cases of infection with
      actinomycosis. Here, we present a case of a 61-year-old male who presented with
      recurrent endobronchial actinomycosis. The case is being presented because of its
      rarity on three counts - endobronchial involvement, which is uncommon, recurrence
      in different sites in the bronchial tree, which is even rarer and development of
      the disease following an endobronchial procedure.

PMID- 28360474
TI  - An intra-thoracic follicular carcinoma of thyroid: An uncommon presentation.
AB  - Follicular carcinoma of thyroid is the second most common type of carcinoma of
      thyroid, and it may metastasize to bone, lung, brain, and skin. However, the
      initial presentation of follicular carcinoma of the thyroid as a large
      intrathoracic mass without any symptoms of thyroid gland enlargement and
      dysfunction is very rare. We hereby report a case of a 50-year-old male who
      presented with chief complaints of chest and low back pain. Preliminary
      evaluation led to the provisional diagnosis of left-sided intrathoracic mass with
      vertebral metastasis which was suspected to be a case of bronchogenic carcinoma
      with distant metastasis. Surprisingly, transthoracic biopsy and histopathology
      revealed metastasis from follicular carcinoma of thyroid. This prompted us for a
      retrograde evaluation for a primary thyroid malignancy for which an ultrasound
      and contrast enhanced computed tomography (CECT) of the neck was done which
      confirmed the presence of a solitary thyroid nodule. Ultrasonography-guided fine
      needle aspiration cytology of the nodule revealed follicular carcinoma of
      thyroid. Histopathological evaluation subsequent to total thyroidectomy revealed
      follicular carcinoma thyroid, further confirming the diagnosis. The patient was
      then referred to Department of Nuclear Medicine and Radiotherapy for radionuclide
      ablation and chemotherapy. We chose to report this case because of its rare
      presentation as a large intrathoracic mass and the retrograde diagnosis of
      follicular carcinoma of thyroid. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first
      report of such a rare case.

PMID- 28360475
TI  - Intrathoracic Castleman's disease: "An important clinical mimicker".

PMID- 28360477
TI  - Bronchoscopic management of critical central airway obstruction by thyroid
      cancer: Combination airway stenting using tracheal and inverted-Y carinal self
      expanding metallic stents.
AB  - Central airway obstruction (CAO) can result from various benign and malignant
      etiologies. Anaplastic thyroid cancer (ATC) is the most aggressive form of
      thyroid cancer. Rapid airway compromise is the main cause of death in ATC. We
      report a patient with ATC who presented with a large neck mass leading to CAO
      with long segment tracheal and right main bronchial compression and respiratory
      failure. Urgent Rigid Bronchoscopy was performed for airway stabilization and
      patient was managed with a combination airway stenting approach. A combination of
      self expanding, metallic, covered inverted Y and straight tracheal stents was
      used to stabilize the near complete airway structure. We herein highlight the
      role of therapeutic rigid bronchoscopy with airway stenting as an efficacious
      treatment modality for management of malignant CAO.

PMID- 28360476
TI  - Eggshell calcification.

PMID- 28360478
TI  - Hereditary hemorrhagic telangiectasia with hemothorax in pregnancy.

PMID- 28360479
TI  - Bronchoscopic instillation of liposomal amphotericin B in management of
      nonresponding endobronchial mucormycosis.

PMID- 28360480
TI  - Pulmonary inflammatory pseudotumor with jaundice and anemia: A case report.

PMID- 28360481
TI  - Hoarseness of voice as presenting complaint of idiopathic pulmonary arterial
      hypertension.

PMID- 28360482
TI  - Mapleson D continuous positive airway pressure system for weaning of mechanical
      ventilation in pediatric patients.

PMID- 28360484
TI  - Author's reply to concern on excessive dynamic airway collapse and wheeze.

PMID- 28360483
TI  - Mapleson D continuous positive airway pressure system for weaning of mechanical
      ventilation in pediatric patients: In response.

PMID- 28360485
TI  - Methodological issues in article titled, "Prevalence and correlates of nicotine
      dependence among construction site workers: A cross-sectional study in Delhi".

PMID- 28360486
TI  - Erratum: Mechanisms of hypoxemia.
AB  - [This corrects the article on p. 47 in vol. 34, PMID: 28144061.].

PMID- 28360487
TI  - All-inside ACL reconstruction: How does it compare to standard ACL reconstruction
      techniques?
AB  - The all-inside ACL reconstruction technique is a relatively new development in
      ACL surgery. Some features of this technique include closed-socket tunnels, dual
      suspensory graft fixation, decreased bone removal, and smaller skin incisions.
      The purpose of this review was to compare the unique features of the all-inside
      ACL versus standard ACL techniques using biomechanical and clinical studies. The
      all-inside ACL appears to have similar overall results on subjective and
      objective outcomes studies compared to standard ACL techniques and may be
      associated with decreased post-operative pain. There is also a concern for a
      higher graft failure rate with the all-inside ACL.

PMID- 28360488
TI  - Musculoskeletal colloquialisms based on weapons.
AB  - Eponyms and colloquialisms are commonly used in orthopaedic literature and convey
      a great deal of information in a concise fashion. Several orthopaedic conditions
      have characteristic clinical or radiologic appearances, mimicking the appearance
      of certain arms or weapons. Most of these are easy to memorise and recognise,
      provided the orthopaedic surgeon is aware of the colloquialism and familiar with
      the appearance of the weapon on which it is based. Unfortunately, many such
      colloquialisms are based on traditional weapons no longer in current use, and
      their appearances are not familiar to most orthopaedists, creating confusion and
      difficulty in understanding them. In this paper, we have reviewed the
      musculoskeletal colloquialisms based on weapons, including a brief description of
      the weapon with illustrations, highlighting the importance of the colloquialism
      in diagnosis or treatment of musculoskeletal conditions.

PMID- 28360490
TI  - Postoperative outcomes of initial varus versus initial valgus proximal humerus
      fracture: A systematic review and meta-analysis.
AB  - OBJECTIVES: Our objective was to perform a systematic review of the literature
      and conduct a meta-analysis to investigate the effect of initial varus or valgus
      displacement of proximal humerus on the outcomes of patients with proximal
      humerus fractures treated with open reduction and internal fixation. METHODS: In
      accordance with Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta
      Analyses (PRISMA) statement standards, we performed a systematic review.
      Electronic databases MEDLINE, EMBASE, CINAHL and the Cochrane Central Register of
      Controlled Trials (CENTRAL) were searched to identify randomised and non
      randomised studies comparing postoperative outcomes associated with initial varus
      versus initial valgus displacement of proximal humerus fracture. The Newcastle
      Ottawa scale was used to assess the methodological quality and risk of bias of
      the selected studies. Fixed-effect or random-effects models were applied to
      calculate pooled outcome data. RESULTS: We identified two retrospective cohort
      studies and one retrospective analysis of a prospective database, enrolling a
      total of 243 patients with proximal humerus fractures. Our analysis showed that
      initial varus displacement was associated with a higher risk of overall
      complication (RR 2.28, 95% CI 1.12-4.64, P = 0.02), screw penetration (RR 2.30,
      95% CI 1.06-5.02, P = 0.04), varus displacement (RR 4.38, 95% CI 2.22-8.65, P <
      0.0001), and reoperation (RR 3.01, 95% CI 1.80-5.03, P < 0.0001) compared to
      valgus displacement. There was no significant difference in avascular necrosis
      (RR 1.43, 95% CI 0.62-3.27, P = 0.40), infection (RR 1.49, 95% CI 0.46-4.84, P =
      0.51), and non-union or malunion (RR 1.37, 95% CI 0.37-5.04, P = 0.64).
      CONCLUSIONS: The best available evidence demonstrates that initial varus
      displacement of proximal humerus fractures is associated with higher risk of
      overall complication, screw penetration, varus displacement, and reoperation
      compared to initial valgus displacement. The best available evidence is not
      adequately robust to make definitive conclusions. Further high quality studies,
      that are adequately powered, are required to investigate the outcomes of initial
      varus and valgus displacement in specific fracture types. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE:
      Level II.

PMID- 28360489
TI  - Unicondylar knee arthroplasty: Key concepts.
AB  - The concept of unicondylar knee arthroplasty (UKA) has been described as early as
      1950s following the introduction of the MacIntosh and McKeever hemiarthroplasty.
      With improvements in implant design, patient selection, and surgical technique,
      there has been an increase in utilization of UKA as a less-invasive alternative
      to total joint arthroplasty for the treatment of localized symptomatic
      osteoarthritis. The purpose of this review article is to highlight five trending
      concepts in UKA based on current evidence: bearing design, fixation technique,
      medial vs. lateral UKA, implant survivorship, and revision surgery.

PMID- 28360491
TI  - Remote physiotherapy monitoring using the novel D+R Therapy iPhone application.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Patient compliance to physiotherapy after surgical intervention is
      key to optimal functional outcome. This has been recognised by published
      literature over a number of decades. Improving and monitoring patient compliance
      remains a challenge. This paper explores the use of a website linked iPhone
      application that may be used to address this issue. PURPOSE: The purpose of this
      case study was to assess if the D+R Therapy application was of benefit to a
      patient and to assess the advantages and disadvantages of such a system. METHOD:
      One patient who underwent knee cartilage resurfacing surgery was followed up in
      the post-operative period. RESULTS/CONCLUSION: The D+R Therapy platform may
      provide a timely and cost effective method of managing patients undergoing
      musculoskeletal physiotherapy. Costs may be reduced by exploiting the hardware
      patients already own, and identifying non-compliant patients who may be of
      interest to both healthcare providers and insurers. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Level IV.

PMID- 28360492
TI  - Social media and Internet usage of orthopaedic surgeons.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: The main objective of this study was to identify the prevalence of
      social media and Internet usage of orthopaedists and to determine its effects on
      patient-physician communication. METHODS: Data were collected by e-mail from 321
      orthopaedists who filled out the questionnaire. The questionnaire consists of a
      total 25 items pertaining to personal information, which social media tool they
      use, their overall views of and expectations from social media, the effects of
      social media on patient-physician relationship and communication. RESULTS: The
      rates of keeping in contact with patients and "often" helping patients to manage
      their treatments over social media increased with age (p < 0.05). It was found
      that the rate of helping patients to manage their treatments over social media
      was significantly higher in academicians compared to that in specialist
      physicians (p = 0.040). The rates of having a personal website and being a member
      of online physician platform and social-networking sites were higher in
      participants working in the private sector than participants working in the
      public sector (p = 0.001). It was found that the rate of finding it useful to be
      in contact with patients over social media was higher in physicians working in
      the private sector compared to that in those working in the public sector (p <
      0.01). CONCLUSION: Social media tools and Internet are commonly used by
      orthopaedists to communicate with their patients. Even though there are
      beneficial effects in patient-physician relationship, effective standards and
      regulations should be developed to enable a safe communication and to resolve
      ethical and legal uncertainties.

PMID- 28360493
TI  - Vitamin D levels among pediatric tuberculosis patients - Does it alter following
      antitubercular treatment? A prospective study in 19 children.
AB  - OBJECTIVES: It is still unknown whether altered vitamin D levels observed with
      osteoarticular tuberculosis change during treatment in a child or modify the
      disease course. To find a possible answer to the above query, we investigated
      serial serum 25 hydroxy vitamin D concentrations in children suffering from
      osteoarticular tuberculosis treated with multidrug antitubercular drugs. METHODS:
      The prospective study enrolled 19 untreated immunocompetent children with an
      established diagnosis of osteoarticular tuberculosis. None of the patients were
      offered any therapeutic vitamin D supplementation at initiation or during the
      treatment. The patients were followed for response to multidrug antitubercular
      therapy (DOTS) at 2 months interval. Mean values of vitamin D were calculated at
      0, 2, and 6 months and statistically compared. The following laboratory
      references for defining the vitamin D status were used: <30 nmol/L = deficiency;
      30-75 nmol/L = insufficiency; >75 nmol/L = sufficiency. RESULTS: All the patients
      responded to antitubercular therapy. Out of the enrolled children, 73.67% had low
      vitamin D levels at initial presentation. There was no statistically significant
      difference in vitamin D levels in affected children at either 0-2 (p = 0.452), 2
      6 (p = 0.240), or 0-6 months (p = 0.854) following antitubercular treatment.
      Although the mean vitamin D levels were higher in male patients when compared to
      female patients at all times, there was no statistically significant difference
      in vitamin D levels during treatment stages in either sex. CONCLUSIONS: Vitamin D
      levels were low at initiation of treatment and did not significantly improve
      during multidrug antitubercular treatment. Further, tuberculosis healed well with
      antitubercular therapy despite persistence of low serum levels of vitamin D.

PMID- 28360494
TI  - Vitamin D status and adult fracture healing.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: The effect of vitamin D on maintaining bone health is well
      researched and its role in the various metabolic stages of fracture healing has
      become evident, the clinical effects of a vitamin D deficiency in human fracture
      healing are less well described. Considering today's high prevalence of vitamin D
      deficiency, the aim of this present study was to investigate the effect of
      vitamin D status on human adult fracture healing. METHODS: The serum calcidiol
      concentration was measured in a cohort of adult patients with a fracture in the
      upper or lower extremity between September 2012 and October 2013. Deficient
      patients (serum calcidiol <50 nmol/L) were treated with vitamin D. Clinical and
      radiological consolidation was determined. RESULTS: Vitamin D concentration was
      measured in 617 patients; 249 (40%) were vitamin D deficient, they subsequently
      received vitamin D supplements. In 141 patients with a deficiency vitamin D was
      measured again after 4 months; 111 patients (78.7%) were no longer vitamin D
      deficient, and 30 remained vitamin D deficient. In six patients of the entire
      cohort, a clinical delayed union was described. The incidence of delayed union
      was higher in the group that remained vitamin D deficient (9.7%) compared to the
      patients who were not initially deficient (0.3%) and those who were no longer
      deficient after supplementation (1.7%; p < 0.001). The incidence of radiological
      delayed union did not differ between these three groups (p = 0.67). CONCLUSION:
      The results of this research suggest that the vitamin D status at time of
      fracture affects fracture healing. Further research is needed to confirm these
      results.

PMID- 28360495
TI  - The incidence of deep vein thrombosis and pulmonary embolism after fracture of
      the tibia: An analysis of the National Trauma Databank.
AB  - Controversy exists regarding the routine use of chemical prophylaxis in isolated
      lower extremity fractures. The incidence of VTE in specific fracture locations in
      the lower extremity is largely unknown, and represents key information necessary
      to determine the need for prophylaxis. A large cross-sectional study using the
      National Trauma Databank was performed evaluating for the incidence and risk
      factors of VTE in isolated tibia fractures. The overall incidence of DVT and PE
      are extremely low in cases of isolated tibia fractures, which brings into doubt a
      role for routine use of chemical prophylaxis for these fractures.

PMID- 28360496
TI  - Drivers of hospital length of stay in 56,000 orthopaedic trauma patients: The
      impact of postoperative cardiac events.
AB  - PURPOSE: To determine whether postoperative cardiac complications following
      orthopaedic trauma treatment are associated with longer lengths of stay. METHODS:
      This was a retrospective cohort study. We analyzed orthopaedic trauma patients in
      the United States for whom data was collected in the ACS-NSQIP database between
      the years of 2006 and 2013. The patient population included 56,217 orthopaedic
      trauma patients meeting any 1 of the 89 CPT codes selected in the ACS-NSQIP
      database. The main outcome measure was hospital length of stay following
      orthopaedic trauma treatment. RESULT: Of the 56,217 orthopaedic trauma patients,
      749 (1.3%) developed postoperative adverse cardiac events. There was a
      significant difference in total length of stay (p < 0.001): patients with cardiac
      complications on average stayed 10.6 days compared to 5.2 days for patients who
      did not experience such cardiac complications. This amounted to a difference of
      $24,316 in total hospital costs. Through multiple linear regression modeling
      controlling for multiple patient and surgical factors, the presence of cardiac
      complications significantly added 1.5 days in total hospital stay (p < 0.05).
      CONCLUSION: Orthopaedic trauma patients sustaining postoperative cardiac events
      have significantly longer hospital lengths of stay when compared to those who do
      not develop cardiac complications. This difference amounts to significantly
      higher health care costs.

PMID- 28360498
TI  - Arthroscopic assisted ankle arthrodesis: A retrospective study of 32 cases.
AB  - PURPOSE: The arthroscopic assisted ankle arthrodesis (AAAA) is a minimally
      invasive procedure for end-stage ankle arthritis with numerous benefits like
      faster time of union, insignificant blood loss, less morbidity, less infection
      rate, and less soft tissue complications. A shorter hospital stay decreases the
      cost and results in early mobilization compared to open methods. We present a
      retrospective series of 32 patients, who underwent AAAA during a period of 8
      years. METHODS: Thirty-two patients were reviewed retrospectively from 2008 to
      2015. We calculated the Karlsson and Peterson ankle function scoring system pre
      operatively and at 3 and 12 months after the surgery, in all the patients. All
      the patients were operated using arthroscopic denuding of degenerated cartilage
      followed by percutaneous criss-cross screw fixation through the tibia crossing
      the ankle joint into the talus. RESULTS: The mean age at operation time was 43.7
      years. Four patients were excluded from the study. 18 were male, and 10 were
      female patients. All the 28 cases were followed up for a minimum of 1 year (mean
      1.7 years). The average time to union was 14 weeks. The complications included
      four cases requiring removal of a screw for prominence, and one superficial
      infection. There were 20 (71.4%) patients with excellent, 4 (14.2%) with good, 3
      (10.7%) with fair and 1 (3.5%) with poor clinical outcome. The average tourniquet
      time for the surgery was 70 min. The mean hospital stay was 2 days. The average
      Karlsson and Peterson's scoring was 32.71 pre-operatively and 74.10 and 89.00
      postoperatively measured at 3 months and 1-year follow-up. CONCLUSION: With the
      high incidence of soft-tissue problems and the young age of onset of post
      traumatic arthritis, AAAA remains the treatment of choice in most cases with
      numerous advantages over open technique.

PMID- 28360497
TI  - Operative repair of proximal humerus fractures in septuagenarians and
      octogenarians: Does chronologic age matter?
AB  - BACKGROUND: With an expected doubling of the geriatric population within the next
      thirty years it is becoming increasingly important to determine who among the
      elderly population benefit from orthopaedic interventions. This study assesses
      post-operative outcomes in patients aged seventy or greater who sustained a
      proximal humerus fracture and were treated surgically as compared to a younger
      geriatric cohort to determine if there is a chronologic age after which post
      operative outcomes significantly decline. METHODS: A retrospective chart review
      was conducted for 201 patients who sustained fractures of the proximal humerus
      (OTA 11A-C) and were treated operatively by open reduction and internal fixation.
      Data from 132 independent, active patients aged fifty-five or older was
      identified and analyzed. Forty-seven patients age 70 or older were compared to 78
      patients aged 55-69. Average length of follow-up was 19.5 months. All
      complications were recorded. Univariate and multivariate analysis was conducted
      to assess for differences between groups. RESULTS: 95% of patients achieved
      fracture union within 6 months. No significant differences were found between
      cohorts with regard to gender, fracture severity, or CCI (p = 0.197, p = 0.276, p
      = 0.084, respectively). Functional outcome scores, shoulder range of motion, and
      complications rates for patients aged 70 and older were not significantly
      different from patients aged 55-69. There were 10 complications in the older
      elderly cohort (21%), 6 of which required re-operation and 13 complications in
      the young elderly cohort (17%), 8 of which required re-operation. CONCLUSIONS:
      Operative fracture repair using locked plating of the proximal humerus in
      septuagenarians and octogenarians can provide for excellent long-term outcomes in
      appropriately selected patients. These patients tend to have long term functional
      outcome scores, post-operative range of motion, and complication rates that are
      comparable to younger geriatric patients. Physicians should not exclude patients
      for repair of proximal humerus fractures based on chronological age cutoffs.

PMID- 28360499
TI  - Long-term safety and efficacy of human bone morphogenetic protein (HBMP) in the
      treatment of resistant non-unions and failed arthrodesis.
AB  - The bone morphogenetic protein (BMP) has emerged as a suitable alternative to
      autogenous cancellous bone grafting and despite current knowledge about its
      mechanism; few studies provide evidence about the long-term safety of BMP. The
      aim of this investigation is to determine if BMP implantation is a safe and
      effective agent in a long-term setting for the treatment of patients with
      resistant non-unions and failed arthrodesis. This study is a retrospective case
      series study that was conducted on 55 patients who had received BMP. Collected
      data included all related surgical history, and clinical and X-ray data both pre
      operatively and post-operatively. All patients were scheduled for follow-up
      evaluations at one week and 1, 3, 6, and 12 months post-operatively. Seven
      patients (13%) experienced adverse events related to their surgery with hBMP. Six
      patients (11%) experienced persistent non-union; five of these underwent further
      revision surgery. One patient (2%) developed an infected non-union. No patients
      experienced tumor induction, allergic reaction to hBMP. The remaining 48 patients
      achieved osseous union within six months of hBMP implantation. This study differs
      from previous studies that the use of hBMP is a safe and efficacious treatment
      method for resistant non-unions and failed arthrodesis in the long-term setting.

PMID- 28360500
TI  - Outcome after internal fixation of intraarticular distal humerus (AO type B & C)
      fractures: Preliminary results with anatomical distal humerus LCP system.
AB  - PURPOSE: The treatment of intraarticular fractures of the distal humerus is
      challenging and involves the risk of complications and bad functional results.
      Anatomical and stable internal fixation with early postoperative mobilization is
      expected to improve the functional outcomes. The objective of this study was to
      evaluate the functional and radiological results, along with the complications
      associated, of open reduction and internal fixation using precontoured anatomical
      locking LCP plate system for intraarticular distal humerus fractures in adult
      patients. METHODS: This prospective study consist of 31 patients with a mean age
      of 41.2 years (range 19-62) were treated with open reduction and angular stable
      internal fixation. All underwent posterior transolecranon surgical approach. Mean
      follow-up to the final interview was 10 months (from 6 to 20 months). All
      operated patients were available at the time of last followup. AO classification
      showed 26 C-fractures (9*13C 1, 12*13C2,5* 13C3) and 5 B-fracture (1* 13B1,1*
      13B2,3* 13B3). There were 25 closed fractures and 6 open grade 1 fractures. The
      clinical followup using Mayo elbow performance score (MEPS) and radiographic
      follow up with elbow anterior-posterior and lateral view X-rays were performed
      postoperatively. RESULTS: The mean MEPS was 87.9 points out of 100 (range 55-100)
      with 61% Excellent, 29% good and 10% fair and poor scores. Mean elbow flexion of
      115.8 degrees  (range 85 degrees -150 degrees ). The mean deficit in extension
      was 19 degrees  (range 5 degrees -35 degrees ). All olecranon osteotomy were
      united .Nonunion of distal humerus fracture occurred in 2 cases. Other
      complications were hardware prominence in 3 cases, superficial infection in 4
      cases and Ulnar nerve neuropraxia in 1 case which was recovered uneventfully.
      Revision surgery was not required in any complication. CONCLUSION: Open reduction
      and internal fixation with precontoured distal humerus anatomical locking plate
      system is a good method of treatment for complex Supra- intercondylar fracture of
      distal humerus with good functional outcome and low rates of complications. Even
      though early results are promising, longer term investigations and larger patient
      groups are necessary to confirm the presented data.

PMID- 28360501
TI  - Can TAD and CalTAD predict cut-out after extra-medullary fixation with new
      generation devices of proximal femoral fractures? A retrospective study.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Intramedullary and extramedullary strategies of pertrochanteric
      fracture fixation are still controversial, but new percutaneous devices may give
      advantages regarding operative time, blood loss and rate of cardiovascular
      complications. We retrospectively analyze our cases regarding Anteversa(r) plate
      (Intrauma, Turin, Italy) fixation of pertrochanteric femoral fractures, focusing
      on the correlation between two radiographical parameters (tip-apex distance "TAD"
      and calcar referenced tip-apex distance "CalTAD") and the occurrence of cut-out.
      The purpose of this study was to determine if these predicting factors of cut-out
      are reliable in the treatment of proximal femoral fractures with the Anteversa
      plate. METHODS: A series of 77 patients with 53 31-A1 fracture types and 24-A2
      fractures completed a 12-month-follow-up. Clinical outcomes were evaluated
      according to Parker-Palmer Mobility Score at the final follow-up. TAD and CalTAD
      were considered to determine their correlation with cut-out events. RESULTS: The
      mean Parker-Palmer Score was 6.94 in A1 group and 7.41 in A2 group (p = 0.47).
      Mean value of TAD index was 29.58, 29.81 in the A1 group and 29.08 in the A2
      group, and mean value of CalTAD index was 30.87, 31.03 in the A1 group and 30.50
      in the A2 group. We observed 3 cases of implant cut-out. We shared our sample in
      two groups, one group with TAD and CalTAD indices lower than 25 mm and another
      group higher than 25 mm to evaluate how the Palmer Parker score changed and no
      statistical differences were found between the two groups. CONCLUSIONS: Taking
      into consideration that good clinical results were obtained for TAD and CalTAD
      values superior to 25 mm, the prognostic value of 25 mm of TAD and CalTAD indices
      might not be appropriate to this new percutaneous plate.

PMID- 28360502
TI  - Citation analysis of the 100 most common articles regarding distal radius
      fractures.
AB  - PURPOSE: Bibliometric studies are increasingly being utilized as a tool for
      gauging the impact of different literature within a given field. The purpose of
      this study was to identify the most cited articles related to the management of
      distal radius fractures to better understand how the evidence of this topic has
      been shaped and changed over time. METHODS: We utilized the ISI web of science
      database to conduct a search for the term "distal radius fracture" under the
      "orthopaedics" research area heading, and sorted the results by number of times
      cited. The 100 most cited articles published in orthopedic journals were then
      analyzed for number of citations, source journal, year of publication, number of
      authors, study type, level of evidence, and clinical outcomes utilized. RESULTS:
      The 100 most cited articles identified were published between 1951 and 2009.
      Total number of citations ranged between 525 and 67, and came from ten different
      orthopedic journals. The largest number of articles came from J Hand Surg Am and
      J Bone Joint Surg Am, each with 32. Consistent with previous analyses of
      orthopedic literature, the articles were primarily clinical, and of these, 53/76
      were case series. The vast majority were evidence level IV. Only a small
      percentage of articles utilized patient reported outcome measures. CONCLUSIONS:
      These data show that despite distal radius fractures being a common fracture
      encountered by physicians, very few of the articles were high quality studies,
      and only a low proportion of the studies include patient reported outcome
      measures. Surgeons should take this lack of high-level evidence into
      consideration when referencing classic papers in this field. CLINICAL RELEVANCE:
      Analysis of the 100 most cited distal radius fracture articles allows for
      delineation of which articles are most common in the field and if a higher level
      of evidence correlates positively with citation quantity.

PMID- 28360503
TI  - The role of copy and paste function in orthopedic trauma progress notes.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: The electronic medical record (EMR) is standard in institutions.
      While there is not concern for legibility of notes and access to charts, there is
      an ease of copy and paste for daily notes. This may not lead to accurate
      portrayal of patient's status. Our purpose was to evaluate the use of copy and
      paste functions in daily notes of patients with injuries at high risk for
      complications. METHODS: IRB approval was obtained for a retrospective review.
      Inclusion criteria included patients aged 18 and older treated at our Level 1
      Trauma Center after implementation of Epic Systems Corporation, Verona, WI, USA.
      Those who were surgically treated for bicondylar tibial plateau fracture, or open
      tibial shaft fracture type I or II were included. Manual comparison of daily
      progress to the previous day's note was carried out. Comparisons were made by
      evaluating the subjective, objective, and plan portions of the notes, coded
      nominally using 1 for a change 0 for remaining the same. RESULTS: 38 patients'
      charts were reviewed during a 10-month (July 2012-April 2013) period, and the
      average length of stay was 12 days (range: 2-35). A total of 418 notes were
      compared. The overall average of copied data was 85% daily. In the subjective
      portion, 85-97% of the data was copied on a daily basis and 71-92% of the data
      was copied within the objective portion of the notes. There were 15 medical
      complications necessitating intervention. Of these medical complications, the
      note the day after the complication reflected the event in 10 out of 15, or 70%,
      of the complications. Thus 5, or 30%, of the patients did not have notes
      reflecting the complication (p < 0.05). There were 7 complications related to the
      injuries: 4 cases of compartment syndrome, 1 case of foot drop, representing a
      change in neurologic status, an amputation, and a wound infection treated with
      antibiotics. Four of the 7 complications (57%) were not reflected in the notes
      the following day after the complication (p < 0.05). There were 54 planned
      returns to the operating room for procedures, yet 30 of the 54 (56%) notes
      regarding planned surgical procedures notes did not accurately report the plan
      for surgery (p < 0.05). There were 4 patients with unplanned trips to the
      operating room and 3 of the notes (75%) did not reflect this (p < 0.05). Twelve
      patients (32%) did not have notes accurately reflecting discharge plans and/or
      destination (p < 0.05). DISCUSSION/CONCLUSION: Our results demonstrated
      widespread use of copy and paste function. We encourage evaluation of the charts
      by comparing notes to check and a plan to minimize this practice. There needs to
      be consistent note writing guidelines and appropriate templates used. This will
      decrease the inaccuracies in the chart and provide a clear picture of the
      patient, their injuries, and current status.

PMID- 28360504
TI  - Lateral facetectomy decreased patellofemoral contact pressure in total knee
      replacement: A cadaveric study.
AB  - BACKGROUND: To study the patellofemoral contact pressure in patellar non
      resurfacing total knee replacement after lateral facetectomy in different amounts
      of bone removal. METHODS: Eight knees from four fresh-frozen whole body cadavers
      were used for this study. Total knee replacement of all knees was performed by
      the same surgical technique. The contact pressure was measured and recorded when
      the knee performed passive motion from full extension to full flexion in native
      patella, lateral retinacular junction release, 10% lateral facetectomy, and 20%
      lateral facetectomy. RESULTS: Peak patellofemoral contact pressure decreased
      progressively from native patellar, junctional release of the patella, 10%
      facetectomy, and 20% facetectomy. The peak patellofemoral contact pressures were
      statistically significantly different in each patellar condition (p = 0.025).
      CONCLUSION: In the experimental study, lateral facetectomy can reduce the peak
      patellofemoral contact pressure in patellar non-resurfacing total knee
      arthroplasty.

PMID- 28360505
TI  - Intra-articular hyaluronic acid is superior to steroids in knee osteoarthritis: A
      comparative, randomized study.
AB  - BACKGROUND: To compare the short and mid-term results of intraarticular
      triamcinolone hexacetonide and hyaluronic acid (HA) in knee osteoarthritis.
      METHODS: A prospective randomized study including 40 patients in steroid and 42
      patients in HA group. The outcome was evaluated with Knee Society Score (KSS) and
      Visual Analog Scale (VAS). RESULT: On KSS function and VAS score, there was no
      difference till four weeks. On KSS pain there was no difference till 12 weeks (P
      > 0.05) after that score of steroid group deteriorated rapidly. At six months HA
      was significantly better than a steroid. CONCLUSION: The HA seems to be better
      for pain relief and functionality in the short and mid-term periods.

PMID- 28360506
TI  - Current trends of microorganisms and their sensitivity pattern in paediatric
      septic arthritis: A prospective study from tertiary care level hospital.
AB  - PURPOSE: Early treatment of septic arthritis is essential before irreversible
      damage to the articular cartilage occurs. Clinicians often start empirical
      antibiotic therapy for symptomatic relief while awaiting a definitive culture
      report. In present day parlance with variations in different centres in the
      private and public sector and rampant antibiotic abuse, a lot of resistance is
      being seen in the flora and their sensitivity patterns. Hence it is imperative to
      document and analyze these changing trends. METHODS: The authors conducted a
      retrospective analysis of prospectively gathered data of 60 patients under 14
      years of age. Joint arthrotomy was performed as a standard therapeutic protocol
      and the drained pus or synovial fluid was sent for gram stain and culture by 2
      different methods: conventional agar plate method and BACTEC Peds Plus/F bottle
      method. Antibiotic susceptibility tests were done by the disc diffusion method of
      Clinical Laboratory Standards Institute (CLSI). RESULTS: The commonest presenting
      age group was below 1 year (80% patients) including 24 neonates. There were 19
      hospital and 41 community acquired cases of septic arthritis. The hip (56%) was
      the commonest affected joint followed by knee (28%), shoulder joint (11%) and
      elbow (5%). Microorganism was isolated in 53% isolates of joint fluid only (36
      culture positive patients). Conventional agar methods of culture showed positive
      report in only 42% patients (15/36 patients) while with the BACTEC method the
      yield was 71%. In the Community acquired septic arthritis, methicillin sensitive
      Staphylococcus aureus was isolated as commonest microbe while resistant variety
      of gram negative bacilli including E. coli and Klebsiella were found as
      predominant organism causing hospital acquired nosocomial infection of joints.
      The results strikingly differ in terms of response to treatment as most patients
      (11/19 patients) showed significant resistance to the most commonly practiced
      empirical antibiotic regimen of ampicillin-cloxacillin group in routine practice.
      When cefazolin was used as empirical antibiotic, it has shown good response and
      better sensitivity in 82% patients (27/33 patients). CONCLUSION: S. aureus is
      still the most common organism in septic arthritis. The BACTEC system was found
      to improve the yield of clinically significant isolates. Though a significant
      resistance to common antibiotic regimen is noticed, the strain is susceptible to
      cephalosporin group of antibiotics. We recommend the use of cephalosporine
      antibiotics as an empirical therapy till culture and sensitivity report are
      available.

PMID- 28360508
TI  - New applications of Schrodinger type inequalities to the existence and uniqueness
      of Schrodingerean equilibrium.
AB  - As new applications of Schrodinger type inequalities appearing in Jiang (J.
      Inequal. Appl. 2016:247, 2016), we first investigate the existence and uniqueness
      of a Schrodingerean equilibrium. Next we propose a tritrophic Hastings-Powell
      model with two different Schrodingerean time delays. Finally, the stability and
      direction of the Schrodingerean Hopf bifurcation are also investigated by using
      the center manifold theorem and normal form theorem.

PMID- 28360507
TI  - Clear cell chondrosarcoma proximal femur with secondary aneurysmal component - A
      rarity.

PMID- 28360509
TI  - Influence on ocular surface after cataract surgery and effect of topical
      diquafosol on postoperative dry eye: a multicenter prospective randomized study.
AB  - PURPOSE: To investigate influences of 3% diquafosol sodium ophthalmic solution
      (DQS) on ocular surface after cataract surgery and effects on postoperative dry
      eye. DESIGN: This study had two consecutive prospective study phases. The former
      was an observational study from before cataract surgery to 4 weeks after surgery
      and the latter was a randomized open-label study from 4 to 8 weeks after surgery.
      METHODS: Subjects were 433 eyes of 433 patients undergoing cataract surgery with
      intraocular lens implantation. Dry eye examination of tear breakup time (BUT),
      corneal and conjunctival fluorescein staining scores, total subjective symptom
      score (12 symptoms), and Schirmer I test were conducted before surgery and 4
      weeks after surgery. Patient demographics and these examination results were used
      to analyze risk factors to predict postoperative dry eye. In a randomized study,
      154 eyes diagnosed with dry eye postoperatively were applied either DQS or
      artificial tears (AT) six times daily for 4 weeks. The data of the examinations
      were compared. RESULTS: At 4 weeks after surgery, BUT was shortened significantly
      (P=0.036), fluorescein staining score increased significantly (P=0.012), but
      total subjective symptom score was significantly improved (P<0.001). The majority
      of postoperative dry eye was shortened BUT type (53.1%). The dry eye prevalence
      after surgery decreased (55.7%) compared with before surgery (69.7%). Females and
      the patient with dry eye symptoms before surgery had significant risk factors for
      postoperative dry eye. In a randomized study, BUT was significantly prolonged in
      the DQS group (P=0.015), but not in the AT group. Fluorescein staining score was
      significantly improved in both groups (P<0.001). Total subjective symptom score
      was significantly decreased in the AT group (P<0.001), but not in the DQS group.
      CONCLUSION: Our study suggests that cataract surgery has harmful effects on tear
      film stability and ocular surface, and DQS has a capability to improve them.

PMID- 28360510
TI  - Efficacy of cytokine-induced killer cell infusion as an adjuvant immunotherapy
      for hepatocellular carcinoma: a systematic review and meta-analysis.
AB  - This study was designed to evaluate the efficacy and safety of cytokine-induced
      killer (CIK) cell-based immunotherapy as an adjuvant therapy for hepatocellular
      carcinoma (HCC). Published studies were identified by searching Medline,
      Cochrane, EMBASE, and Google Scholar databases with the keywords: cytokine
      induced killer cell, hepatocellular carcinoma, and immunotherapy. The outcomes of
      interest were overall survival, progression-free survival, and disease-free
      survival. Eight randomized controlled trials (RCTs), six prospective studies, and
      three retrospective studies were included. The overall analysis revealed that
      patients in the CIK cell-treatment group had a higher survival rate (pooled
      hazard ratio (HR) =0.594, 95% confidence interval [CI] =0.501-0.703, P<0.001).
      Patients treated with CIK cells in non-RCTs had a higher progression-free
      survival rate (pooled HR =0.613, 95% CI =0.510-0.738, P<0.001). However, CIK cell
      treated patients in RCTs had progression-free survival rates similar to those of
      the control group (pooled HR =0.700, 95% CI =0.452-1.084, P=0.110). The
      comparison between pooled results of RCTs and non-RCTs regarding the progression
      free survival rate did not reach statistical significance. Patients in the CIK
      cell-treatment group had lower rates of relapse in RCTs (pooled HR =0.635, 95% CI
      =0.514-0.784, P<0.001). Similar results were found when non-RCT and RCTs were
      pooled (pooled HR =0.623, 95% CI =0.516-0.752, P<0.001). Adjuvant CIK cell-based
      immunotherapy is a promising therapeutic approach that can improve overall
      survival and reduce recurrence in patients with HCC.

PMID- 28360511
TI  - Health-related quality of life, visual function and treatment satisfaction
      following intravitreal dexamethasone implant for diabetic macular edema.
AB  - PURPOSE: The aim of this study was to explore and describe quantitatively patient
      reported outcome measures (PROMs), ie, health-related quality of life (QoL),
      visual function and treatment satisfaction, in patients with diabetic macular
      edema (DME) receiving two different regimens of Ozurdex (intravitreal
      dexamethasone implant). METHODS: In this multicenter, prospective study, 100
      patients with center-involving refractory DME were randomized 1:1 to either five
      monthly fixed dosing or optical coherence tomography (OCT)-guided pro re nata
      (PRN) regimen of dexamethasone intravitreal implant therapy. The primary outcome
      was the difference between arms in change in PROMs and health-related QoL from
      baseline to 12 months, as measured by the Retinopathy-Dependent Quality of Life
      (RetDQoL) questionnaire, Visual Function Questionnaire-25 (VFQ-25) and
      Retinopathy Treatment Satisfaction Questionnaire (RetTSQ). RESULTS: There was no
      statistically significant difference in the RetDQoL score and VFQ-25 score at
      month 12 compared to those at baseline, whereas the total mean RetTSQ score
      increased significantly at the exit visit. The two treatment arms did not differ
      significantly regarding the change in PROMs and health-related QoL
      questionnaires. Logistic regression analysis showed that visual acuity (VA) of
      >=55 letters, central foveal thickness <300 MUm and macular volume <9.2 mm3 at
      the exit visit (month 12) predicted a higher change in RetTSQ. CONCLUSION: This
      study showed that there is a statistically significant improvement in treatment
      satisfaction, as measured by RetTSQ, in patients with DME treated with
      dexamethasone intravitreal implant, independent of the dose regimen, namely,
      fixed or PRN. However, it should be noted that the clinically meaningful change
      could not be assessed accurately, since no thresholds for clinically meaningful
      change currently exist for the RetTSQ. On the other hand, there was no
      significant change in health-related QoL, as measured using VFQ-25 and RetDQoL.
      Factors affecting the patients' treatment satisfaction were the final VA, the
      central foveal thickness and the macular volume.

PMID- 28360512
TI  - Treatment adherence in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus correlates with
      different coping styles, low perception of self-influence on disease, and
      depressive symptoms.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Insulin analogs are regarded as more convenient to use than human
      insulin; however, they require a different administration scheme due to their
      unique pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic properties. This study aimed to assess
      difficulties with adherence to treatment with insulin analogs in patients with
      type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM), who had previously been treated with human
      insulin. The associations between difficulties with adherence and clinical,
      demographic, and psychological characteristics were also evaluated. PATIENTS AND
      METHODS: The study was conducted on 3,467 consecutively enrolled patients with
      T2DM (54.4% women), mean age 63.9 years (SD =9.57), who had recently undergone a
      physician-directed change in treatment from human insulin to insulin analogs. The
      questionnaires addressed difficulties with switching the therapy, coping styles,
      well-being, and perception of self-influence on the disease. RESULTS: No
      adherence problems in switching therapy were reported in 56.6% of patients.
      Specific moderate difficulties were reported in 10.4%-22.1% of patients, major
      difficulties in 0.7%-6.9% of patients, and very significant difficulties in 0.03%
      1.3% of patients. Overall, remembering to modify the insulin dose in the case of
      additional meals was the most frequently reported difficulty, and problems with
      identifying hypoglycemic symptoms were the least frequently reported. The
      increased risk of difficulties was moderately related to low perception of self
      influence on diabetes and poor well-being. The intensity of problems was higher
      among those who were less-educated, lived in rural areas, had complications,
      and/or reported maladaptive coping styles. CONCLUSION: Switching from human
      insulin to an insulin analog did not cause adherence problems in more than half
      of the patients. In the remaining patients, difficulties in adherence correlated
      with maladaptive coping styles, low perception of self-influence on disease
      course, and depressive symptoms.

PMID- 28360513
TI  - Evaluation of the efficacy of randomized controlled trials of sensory stimulation
      interventions for sleeping disturbances in patients with dementia: a systematic
      review.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: The current review aims to evaluate the sensory stimulation
      interventions in terms of reducing sleeping disturbances in patients with
      dementia. The nonpharmacological interventions seem to be an efficient,
      inexpensive, and easy tool for family caregivers. Moreover, sleeping disorders
      increase caregivers' distress and may lead to hospitalization. METHODS: A
      systematic literature search was performed. Eleven randomized controlled trials
      have been found. Among these eleven trials, one referred to massage therapy and
      acupuncture, and the other ten studies referred to bright light therapy. RESULTS:
      The results demonstrated that there are no relevant randomized controlled trials
      of music therapy, aromatherapy, and multisensory environment/Snoezelen referring
      to sleeping disturbances. Several studies have been conducted about the effect of
      the bright light therapy, and there is also another study that combines massage
      therapy and acupuncture therapy. CONCLUSION: Sensory stimulation interventions
      are inexpensive and practical for dementia caregivers; however, only bright light
      therapy seems to be useful to reduce sleeping problems in dementia. The other
      sensory stimulation interventions lack evidence, and there is a strong need for
      further research.

PMID- 28360514
TI  - LABA/LAMA combinations versus LAMA monotherapy or LABA/ICS in COPD: a systematic
      review and meta-analysis.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) indicate that long-acting
      bronchodilator combinations, such as beta2-agonist (LABA)/muscarinic antagonist
      (LAMA), have favorable efficacy compared with commonly used COPD treatments. The
      objective of this analysis was to compare the efficacy and safety of LABA/LAMA
      with LAMA or LABA/inhaled corticosteroid (ICS) in adults with stable moderate-to
      very-severe COPD. METHODS: This systematic review and meta-analysis
      (PubMed/MEDLINE, Embase, Cochrane Library and clinical trial/manufacturer
      databases) included RCTs comparing >=12 weeks' LABA/LAMA treatment with LAMA
      and/or LABA/ICS (approved doses only). Eligible studies were independently
      selected by two authors using predefined data fields; the Preferred Reporting
      Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines were followed. RESULTS:
      Eighteen studies (23 trials) were eligible (N=20,185). LABA/LAMA significantly
      improved trough forced expiratory volume in 1 second (FEV1) from baseline to week
      12 versus both LAMA and LABA/ICS (0.07 L and 0.08 L, P<0.0001), with patients
      more likely to achieve clinically important improvements in FEV1 of >100 mL (risk
      ratio [RR]: 1.33, 95% confidence interval [CI]: [1.20, 1.46] and RR: 1.44, 95%
      CI: [1.33, 1.56], respectively, the number needed to treat being eight and six,
      respectively). LABA/LAMA improved transitional dyspnea index and St George's
      Respiratory Questionnaire scores at week 12 versus LAMA (both P<0.0001), but not
      versus LABA/ICS, and reduced rescue medication use versus both (P<0.0001 and
      P=0.001, respectively). LABA/LAMA significantly reduced moderate/severe
      exacerbation rate compared with LABA/ICS (RR 0.82, 95% CI: [0.75, 0.91]). Adverse
      event (AE) incidence was no different for LABA/LAMA versus LAMA treatment, but it
      was lower versus LABA/ICS (RR 0.94, 95% CI: [0.89, 0.99]), including a lower
      pneumonia risk (RR 0.59, 95% CI: [0.43, 0.81]). LABA/LAMA presented a lower risk
      for withdrawals due to lack of efficacy versus LAMA (RR: 0.66, 95% CI: [0.51,
      0.87]) and due to AEs versus LABA/ICS (RR: 0.83, 95% CI: [0.69, 0.99]).
      CONCLUSION: The greater efficacy and comparable safety profiles observed with
      LABA/LAMA combinations versus LAMA or LABA/ICS support their potential role as
      first-line treatment options in COPD. These findings are of direct relevance to
      clinical practice because we included all currently available LABA/LAMAs and
      comparators, only at doses approved for clinical use.

PMID- 28360515
TI  - A review of general pain measurement tools and instruments for consideration of
      use in COPD clinical practice.
AB  - BACKGROUND: The experience of pain can have a significant impact on the everyday
      life of individuals including those with COPD. Recently, pain has emerged as an
      area in COPD research. When considering pain measurement in COPD studies, it is
      important to consider the validity, reliability, responsiveness and
      interpretability of instruments and tools. This review sought to assess these
      domains of general pain instruments and tools using the consensus-based standards
      for the selection of health measurement instruments (COSMIN). METHODS: Three
      separate analyses were used to assess general pain measurement tools and
      instruments. These comprise COSMIN's, 1) methodological quality assessment with
      dichotomous responses, 2) the 4-point rating scale, and 3) overall quality
      criteria using an assessment scale for clinimetric properties by Terwee. RESULTS:
      Overall Pain Sensitivity Questionnaire (PSQ) was found to have the highest rating
      in all domains of validity, reliability, responsiveness and interpretability. In
      the first analysis, PSQ and Geriatric Pain Measure (GPM) scored highest in four
      of the six domains. In the second analysis, using the 4-point rating, the PSQ
      scored highest in three of four domains. In the third analysis, the GPM scored
      the highest in all four domains. Overall the PSQ, GPM and Defense and Veterans
      Pain Rating Scale scores were consistently high in the three separate analyses in
      this review. CONCLUSION: This review found variability in the domains of
      validity, reliability, responsiveness and interpretability in general pain tools
      and instruments. The PSQ was found to be the most valid and reliable general pain
      measurement instrument for adult populations.

PMID- 28360518
TI  - Erratum: Current asthma contributes as much as smoking to chronic bronchitis in
      middle age: a prospective population-based study [Corrigendum].
AB  - [This corrects the article on p. 1911 in vol. 11, PMID: 27574415.].

PMID- 28360516
TI  - Association between RTEL1 gene polymorphisms and COPD susceptibility in a Chinese
      Han population.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: We investigated the association between single-nucleotide
      polymorphisms in regulation of telomere elongation helicase 1 (RTEL1), which has
      been associated with telomere length in several brain cancers and age-related
      diseases, and the risk of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) in a
      Chinese Han population. METHODS: In a case-control study that included 279 COPD
      cases and 290 healthy controls, five single-nucleotide polymorphisms in RTEL1
      were selected and genotyped using the Sequenom MassARRAY platform. Odds ratios
      (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were calculated using unconditional
      logistic regression after adjusting for age and gender. RESULTS: In the genotype
      model analysis, we determined that rs4809324 polymorphism had a decreased effect
      on the risk of COPD (CC versus TT: OR =0.28; 95% CI =0.10-0.82; P=0.02). In the
      genetic model analysis, we found that the "C/C" genotype of rs4809324 was
      associated with a decreased risk of COPD based on the codominant model (OR =0.33;
      95% CI =0.13-0.86; P=0.022) and recessive model (OR =0.32; 95% CI =0.12-0.80;
      P=0.009). CONCLUSION: Our data shed new light on the association between genetic
      polymorphisms of RTEL1 and COPD susceptibility in the Chinese Han population.

PMID- 28360517
TI  - Greater dyspnea is associated with lower health-related quality of life among
      European patients with COPD.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: Dyspnea is a defining symptom in the classification and treatment of
      chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). However, the degree of variation in
      burden among symptomatic COPD patients and the possible correlates of burden
      remain unclear. This study was conducted to characterize patients in Europe
      currently being treated for COPD according to the level of dyspnea in terms of
      sociodemographics, health-related quality of life, work productivity impairment,
      and health care resource use assessed by patient reports. METHODS: Data were
      derived from the 5-EU 2013 National Health and Wellness Survey (N=62,000).
      Respondents aged >=40 years who reported currently using a prescription for COPD
      were grouped according to their level of dyspnea as per the Global Initiative for
      Chronic Obstructive Lung Disease guidelines and compared on health status
      (revised Short Form 36 [SF-36]v2), work impairment (Work Productivity and
      Activity Impairment questionnaire), and number of health care visits in the past
      6 months using generalized linear models with appropriate distributions and link
      functions. RESULTS: Of the 768 respondents who met the inclusion criteria, 245
      (32%) were considered to have higher dyspnea (equivalent to modified Medical
      Research Council score >=2). Higher dyspnea was associated with decrements
      ranging from 3.9 to 8.2 points in all eight domains of the SF-36 health profile
      after adjustment for sociodemographics, general health characteristics, and
      length of COPD diagnosis; mental component summary scores and Short Form-6D
      health utility scores were lower by 3.5 and 0.06 points, respectively. Adjusted
      mean activity impairment (55% vs 37%, P<0.001) and number of emergency room
      visits (0.61 vs 0.40, P=0.030) were higher in patients with greater dyspnea.
      CONCLUSION: Many European patients with COPD continue to experience dyspnea
      despite treatment and at levels associated with notable impairments in the
      patients' ability to function across a multitude of domains. These patients may
      benefit from more intense treatment of their symptoms.

PMID- 28360519
TI  - Intratracheal transplantation of endothelial progenitor cells attenuates smoking
      induced COPD in mice.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs) might play a protective role in
      COPD. The aim of this study was to investigate whether intratracheal allogeneic
      transplantation of bone-marrow-derived EPCs would attenuate the development of
      smoking-induced COPD in mice. METHODS: Isolated mononuclear cells from the bone
      marrow of C57BL/6J mice were cultured in endothelial cell growth medium-2 for 10
      days, yielding EPCs. A murine model of COPD was established by passive 90-day
      exposure of cigarette smoke. On day 30, EPCs or phosphate-buffered saline alone
      was administered into the trachea. On day 90, EPCs or 30 MUL phosphate-buffered
      saline alone was administered into the trachea, and on day 120, inflammatory
      cells, antioxidant activity, apoptosis, matrix metalloproteinase (MMP)-2, and MMP
      9 were measured. RESULTS: After EPC treatment, the lung function of the mice had
      improved compared with the untreated mice. Mean linear intercept and destructive
      index were reduced in the EPCs-treated group compared with the untreated group.
      In addition, the EPCs-treated mice exhibited less antioxidant activity in
      bronchoalveolar lavage fluid compared with the untreated mice. Moreover,
      decreased activities of MMP-2, MMP-9, and TUNEL-positive cells in lung tissues
      were detected in EPCs-treated mice. CONCLUSION: Intratracheal transplantation of
      EPCs attenuated the development of pulmonary emphysema and lung function disorder
      probably by alleviating inflammatory infiltration, decelerating apoptosis,
      inhibiting proteolytic enzyme activity, and improving antioxidant activity.

PMID- 28360521
TI  - Rapamycin modulated brain-derived neurotrophic factor and B-cell lymphoma 2 to
      mitigate autism spectrum disorder in rats.
AB  - The number of children suffered from autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is increasing
      dramatically. However, the etiology of ASD is not well known. This study employed
      mammalian target of rapamycin inhibitor rapamycin to explore its effect on ASD
      and provided new therapeutic strategies for ASD. ASD rat model was constructed
      and valproic acid (VPA) was injected intraperitoneally into rats on pregnancy day
      12.5. Offspring from VPA group were divided into ASD group and ASD + rapamycin
      (ASD + RAPA) group. Compared with normal group, the frequency and duration of
      social behavior and straight times of ASD group were shortened, but the grooming
      times were extended. Meanwhile, in ASD group, the average escape latency and the
      frequency of crossing plates were decreased, the apoptotic index (AI) detected by
      TUNEL assay was increased, and the expression of brain-derived neurotrophic
      factor (BDNF) and B-cell lymphoma 2 (Bcl-2) analyzed was decreased with great
      difference compared with normal group (P<0.01). However, rapamycin treatment in
      ASD rats mitigated the ASD-like social behavior, such as the frequencies of
      straight and grooming. Furthermore, rapamycin shortened the average escape
      latency, but increased the frequency of crossing plates of ASD rats. In
      hippocampus, rapamycin decreased the AI, but increased the levels of BDNF and Bcl
      2 (P<0.01) of ASD rats. These findings revealed that rapamycin significantly
      mitigated the social behavior by enhancing the expression of BDNF and Bcl-2 to
      suppress the hippocampus apoptosis in VPA-induced ASD rats.

PMID- 28360522
TI  - Long-term efficacy and safety of lamotrigine for all types of bipolar disorder.
AB  - BACKGROUND: We investigated whether the long-term efficacy and safety of
      lamotrigine (LTG) for bipolar disorder (BP) differs between disease types (BP-I,
      BP-II, or BP not otherwise specified [BP-NOS]), and the efficacy of the
      concomitant use of antidepressants (ADs). METHODS: For >1 year, we observed 445
      outpatients with BP (diagnosed by DSM-IV criteria) who initiated LTG treatment
      between July 1 and October 31, 2011, using the Himorogi Self-rating Depression
      (HSDS) and Anxiety Scales and the Clinical Global Impression-Improvement scale
      and also recorded adverse events. RESULTS: Treatment efficacy was observed at
      week 4, with the improved HSDS scores sustained until week 52 for all types of
      BP; 50% of the patients with any type of BP could be treated with LTG for 1 year,
      whereas ~40% could be treated for >1.5 years. However, 25% of the patients were
      withdrawn within the first 4 weeks. The overall incidence of adverse events was
      22.9% (104/455): 34.1% (14/41) for BP-I, 22.7% (15/66) for BP-II, and 22.2%
      (75/338) for BP-NOS. The most common adverse event was skin rash: 22.0% for BP-I,
      16.7% for BP-II, and 12.1% for BP-NOS. LIMITATIONS: There was no control group.
      Data were collected retrospectively. CONCLUSION: With careful and adequate
      titration, long-term treatment with LTG is possible for any type of BP, with BP
      NOS patients, the largest population in clinical practice, responding
      particularly well. Symptoms can improve with or without ADs. Large-scale
      prospective studies of the efficacy of ADs in bipolar treatment are warranted.

PMID- 28360520
TI  - Human cytotoxic T-lymphocyte membrane-camouflaged nanoparticles combined with low
      dose irradiation: a new approach to enhance drug targeting in gastric cancer.
AB  - Cell membrane-derived nanoparticles are becoming more attractive because of their
      ability to mimic many features of their source cells. This study reports on a
      biomimetic delivery platform based on human cytotoxic T-lymphocyte membranes. In
      this system, the surface of poly-lactic-co-glycolic acid nanoparticles was
      camouflaged using T-lymphocyte membranes, and local low-dose irradiation (LDI)
      was used as a chemoattractant for nanoparticle targeting. The T-lymphocyte
      membrane coating was verified using dynamic light scattering, transmission
      electron microscopy, and confocal laser scanning microscopy. This new platform
      reduced nanoparticle phagocytosis by macrophages to 23.99% (P=0.002). Systemic
      administration of paclitaxel-loaded T-lymphocyte membrane-coated nanoparticles
      inhibited the growth of human gastric cancer by 56.68% in Balb/c nude mice.
      Application of LDI at the tumor site significantly increased the tumor growth
      inhibition rate to 88.50%, and two mice achieved complete remission. Furthermore,
      LDI could upregulate the expression of adhesion molecules in tumor vessels, which
      is important in the process of leukocyte adhesion and might contribute to the
      localization of T-lymphocyte membrane-encapsulated nanoparticles in tumors.
      Therefore, this new drug-delivery platform retained both the long circulation
      time and tumor site accumulation ability of human cytotoxic T lymphocytes, while
      local LDI could significantly enhance tumor localization.

PMID- 28360523
TI  - Type D personality as a predictor of self-efficacy and social support in patients
      with type 2 diabetes mellitus.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to estimate the prevalence of Type D
      personality and assess the relationship between this personality type and self
      efficacy/social support in Chinese patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM).
      PATIENTS AND METHODS: From January 1, 2014, to July 31, 2014, 532 consecutive
      patients with T2DM were recruited from two hospitals in Guangzhou, China. The
      participants completed questionnaires containing questions about sociodemographic
      characteristics, Type D personality, self-efficacy, and social support scales,
      and their medical records were reviewed for additional data. RESULTS: Of the 532
      patients, 18.2% had Type D personality. Patients with this personality type
      reported significantly lower levels of self-efficacy (P<0.001), total social
      support (P<0.001), subjective support (P<0.001), and support utilization
      (P=0.003), but similar level of objective support (P=0.314), compared to those of
      patients without Type D personality. Negative affectivity and social inhibition,
      two intrinsic traits of Type D personality, negatively correlated with self
      efficacy and social support scores. Type D personality was significantly
      associated with less self-efficacy and social support (P<0.001), controlling for
      other sociodemographic factors. Glycosylated hemoglobin (HbA1c) levels were
      significantly higher in T2DM patients with Type D personality than in patients
      with non-Type D personality. CONCLUSION: This study provides new evidence linking
      Type D personality with self-efficacy, social support, and poor glycemic control,
      highlighting the special need for care among T2DM patients with Type D
      personality.

PMID- 28360525
TI  - The importance of a multidisciplinary approach to hepatocellular carcinoma.
AB  - Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the third leading cause of cancer-related
      deaths worldwide. The rising incidence, genetic heterogeneity, multiple
      etiologies, and concurrent chronic liver diseases make diagnosis, staging, and
      selection of treatment options challenging in patients with HCC. The best
      approach to optimize the management of HCC is one that utilizes a core
      multidisciplinary liver tumor board, consisting of hepatologists, pathologists,
      interventional radiologists, oncologists, hepatobiliary and transplant surgeons,
      nurses, and general practitioners. In most cases, HCC is diagnosed by abdominal
      imaging studies, preferably with a triphasic computed tomography scan of the
      abdomen or magnetic resonance imaging of the abdomen. Histopathological diagnosis
      using a guided liver biopsy may be needed in noncirrhotic patients or when
      radiological diagnostic criteria are not fulfilled in the setting of cirrhosis.
      The Barcelona Clinic Liver Cancer staging system facilitates a standardized
      therapeutic strategy based on the tumor burden, extent of metastasis, severity of
      hepatic decompensation, comorbid medical illnesses, functional status of patient,
      HCC-related symptoms, and preference of the patient. Treatment options include
      curative surgery (hepatic resection and liver transplantation) and palliative
      measures (radiofrequency ablation, transarterial chemoembolization, and
      chemotherapy with sorafenib). The role of the multidisciplinary team is crucial
      in promptly reconfirming the diagnosis, staging the HCC, and formulating an
      individualized treatment plan. In potential liver transplant candidates, timely
      liver transplant evaluation and coordinating bridging/downsizing treatment
      modalities, such as radiofrequency ablation and transarterial chemoembolization,
      can be time-consuming. In summary, a multidisciplinary team approach provides a
      timely, individualized treatment plan, which can vary from curative surgery in
      patients with early-stage HCC to palliative/hospice care in patients with
      metastatic HCC. In most tertiary care centers in the US, a multidisciplinary
      liver tumor board has become the standard of care and a key component of best
      practice protocol for patients with HCC.

PMID- 28360524
TI  - Antistress effects of Kampo medicine "Yokukansan" via regulation of orexin
      secretion.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: Various stressors induce stress responses through the hypothalamic
      pituitary-adrenal and the sympathetic-adrenal-medullary axes, which are
      regulated, in part, by orexin. For example, secretion of orexin in the
      hypothalamus is increased in rats exposed to the stress of social isolation for 1
      week. In this study, the antistress effects of Kampo medicine Yokukansan (YKS)
      via the regulation of orexin secretion were investigated using a rat model.
      METHODS AND RESULTS: The administration of 300 mg/kg per day of YKS to rats for 1
      week significantly decreased the plasma orexin levels compared with non-treated
      rats, whereas the administration of 1,000 mg/kg of YKS had no effect on orexin
      levels. Therefore, 300 mg/kg of YKS was an effective dose for controlling orexin
      secretion. Subsequently, rats were divided into group-housed control (Con),
      individually housed stress (Stress), and individually housed YKS (300 mg/kg)
      treated stress (Stress + YKS) groups. After 1 week, a resident-intruder
      aggression test was performed, and the plasma levels of orexin and corticosterone
      were measured. In the Stress group, aggressive behavior and the levels of
      corticosterone and orexin significantly increased compared with the Con group;
      however, these effects were inhibited in the Stress + YKS group. Further, an
      orexin receptor antagonist (TCS 1102; 10 mg/kg) was intraperitoneally
      administered to rats exposed to isolation stress to determine whether orexin was
      involved in stress responses. Under these conditions, aggressive behavior and the
      level of corticosterone significantly decreased compared with the Stress group.
      CONCLUSION: These results suggest that orexin is involved in the control of
      stress response and that YKS exerts an antistress effect via the regulation of
      orexin secretion.

PMID- 28360526
TI  - Human omental adipose-derived mesenchymal stem cell-conditioned medium alters the
      proteomic profile of epithelial ovarian cancer cell lines in vitro.
AB  - Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) have been reported to participate in the formation
      of supportive tumor stroma. The abilities of proliferation and invasion of human
      epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC) cells were significantly enhanced when indirectly
      cocultured with human omental adipose-derived MSCs (O-ADSCs) in vitro. However,
      the underlying mechanisms remain poorly understood. In this study, EOC cells were
      cultured with conditioned medium (CM) from O-ADSCs (O-ADSC), and the effect of O
      ADSC CM on the proteomic profile of EOC cells was assessed by two-dimensional gel
      electrophoresis (2-DE), followed by liquid chromatography and tandem mass
      spectrometry. The 2-DE assays revealed a global increase in protein expression in
      the EOC cells treated with CM. Nine proteins were identified from 11 selected
      protein spots with differential expression after treatment with CM from O-ADSCs.
      All the nine proteins have been linked to carcinoma and apoptosis, and the
      migration ability of tumor cells can be regulated by these proteins. Moreover,
      the upregulation of prohibitin and serine/arginine-rich splicing factor 1 in EOC
      cells treated with CM was further confirmed by quantitative real-time polymerase
      chain reaction. These results suggest that O-ADSCs affect the proteomic profile
      of EOC cells via paracrine mechanism in favor of EOC progression.

PMID- 28360528
TI  - The association of weight loss with patient experience and outcomes in a
      population of patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus prescribed canagliflozin.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) is a chronic condition complicated by
      being overweight or obese. This study used a patient survey to assess health,
      satisfaction, and diabetes self-management in relation to weight management.
      METHODS: A survey including the Current Health Satisfaction Questionnaire,
      Diabetes Distress Scale, and Diabetes Treatment Satisfaction Questionnaire was
      administered using an online platform to a sample of 205 patients with T2DM
      prescribed canagliflozin. Patients were placed into 5 groups based on their self
      reported weight change since initiation of canagliflozin: Lost >10 lbs, Lost 5-10
      lbs, Lost <5 lbs, No Change, and Gained Weight. One-way ANOVAs, Kruskall-Wallis
      tests, and multivariable regression were used to explore differences between
      weight loss groups. RESULTS: The majority of patients (66.8%) reported losing
      weight. Compared to other groups, patients who lost >10 lbs were more likely to
      be engaged in a weight loss program for at least 6 months. Patients in the Lost
      >10 lbs and Lost 5-10 lbs groups reported the greatest satisfaction with
      canagliflozin (p<0.05 for both). Multivariable analyses controlling for patient
      demographic and treatment characteristics revealed that losing >10 lbs was
      associated with reduced diabetes distress, improved A1c and blood glucose levels,
      and decreased perceived frequency of hyperglycemia (p<0.05). CONCLUSION:
      Increased positive patient outcomes, engagement in diabetes self-management, and
      medication satisfaction were observed among patients who reported weight loss.
      These findings suggest that a T2DM regimen that includes canagliflozin as part of
      a weight loss regimen can help improve patient outcomes and experiences with
      T2DM.

PMID- 28360527
TI  - Role of cytokines and chemokines in alcohol-induced tumor promotion.
AB  - Excessive chronic alcohol consumption has become a worldwide health problem. The
      oncogenic effect of chronic alcohol consumption is one of the leading concerns.
      The mechanisms of alcohol-induced tumorigenesis and tumor progression are largely
      unknown, although many factors have been implicated in the process. This review
      discusses the recent progress in this research area with concentration on alcohol
      induced dysregulation of cytokines and chemokines. Based on the available
      evidence, we propose that alcohol promotes tumor progression by the dysregulation
      of the cytokine/chemokine system. In addition, we discuss specific transcription
      factors and signaling pathways that are involved in the action of these
      cytokines/chemokines and the oncogenic effect of alcohol. This review provides
      novel insight into the mechanisms of alcohol-induced tumor promotion.

PMID- 28360530
TI  - Treatment application of rivaroxaban in Chinese patients with livedoid
      vasculopathy.
AB  - Livedoid vasculopathy (LV) is a chronic prothrombotic disease of cutaneous micro
      circulation resulting in cutaneous ischemia and infarction. As a rare disease, LV
      has an estimated incidence of ten cases per million. Not only correct diagnosis
      but also effective treatments are very difficult for patients with LV. Due to the
      lack of large-scale studies in this rare disease, LV poses a great challenge to
      the doctors, and existing treatment has always been an individual attempt with
      off-label application. The main goals in the treatment of patients with LV are to
      avoid the repeated occurrence of active cutaneous lesions and prevent painful
      ulceration and irreversible scarring. The current report describes the cases of
      three Chinese patients with LV receiving rivaroxaban treatment, an oral direct
      inhibitor of factor Xa inhibitor, and observes the treatment effect of
      rivaroxaban during the follow-up. As an injection-free alternative to low
      molecular-weight heparin (LMWP) and monitoring-free alternative to warfarin,
      rivaroxaban improves the quality of life and enhances the compliance of patients.
      All patients consider rivaroxaban as more tolerable than previous drugs and,
      therefore, continue the application of rivaroxaban, effectively improving the
      treatment effect of drugs and successfully avoiding the repeated occurrence of
      active cutaneous lesions. Treatment application of rivaroxaban in Chinese
      patients with LV successfully avoids the recurrence of active cutaneous lesions
      and prevents the progressive ulceration and scarring.

PMID- 28360529
TI  - Association of self-reported symptoms with serum levels of vitamin D and
      multivariate cytokine profile in healthy women.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Although a large number of studies have investigated possible
      relationships among serum levels of vitamin D or cytokines with disease progress
      and prognosis, similar studies on self-reported symptoms are still controversial.
      The overall objective of this study was to look into the association between
      serum levels of vitamin D or cytokines with self-reported symptoms related to
      musculoskeletal pain, sleep disorders, and premenstrual syndrome (PMS) in healthy
      adult women. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: Venous blood samples were collected from 117
      healthy adult women, and serum levels of vitamin D, pro-inflammatory cytokines
      (IL-1beta, IL-6, IL-8, IL-17, IFN-gamma, and TNF-alpha) and anti-inflammatory
      cytokines (IL-4, IL-10, and IL-13) were measured. Groups were tested for
      differences in single parameters, pro-:anti-inflammatory cytokine ratios, and
      differences in multivariate patterns. RESULTS: There were no significant
      associations between serum levels of vitamin D and any of the self-reported
      symptoms studied. However, serum levels of certain pro-inflammatory cytokines
      were significantly higher in subjects with musculoskeletal pain (IL-8, P=0.008),
      sleep disorders (IFN-gamma, P=0.02), and PMS (IL-8 and TNF-alpha, P=0.009 and
      0.002, respectively) compared to subjects who reported no symptoms. The pro-:anti
      inflammatory cytokine ratios showed pro-inflammatory cytokine dominance in
      subjects with self-reported symptoms, particularly in the groups with deficient
      levels of vitamin D. However, the multivariate cytokine-pattern analysis was
      significantly different between PMS groups only. CONCLUSION: These data point to
      a possible role of pro-inflammatory cytokines as a contributing factor in self
      reported symptoms related to musculoskeletal pain, sleep disorders, and PMS.

PMID- 28360531
TI  - A review and survey of policies utilized for interventional pain procedures: a
      need for consensus.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Other than the newly published anticoagulation guidelines, there are
      currently few recommendations to assist pain medicine physicians in determining
      the safety parameters to follow when performing interventional pain procedures.
      Little information exists regarding policies for oral intake, cumulative steroid
      dose limits, driving restrictions with and without sedation, and routine
      medication use for interventional procedures. METHODS: A 16-question survey was
      developed on common policies currently in use for interventional pain procedures.
      The questionnaire was distributed through the American Society of Regional
      Anesthesia and Pain Medicine and American Academy of Pain Medicine. We sought to
      statistically analyze the range of policies being used by pain medicine
      physicians and to determine if there are any commonly accepted standards.
      RESULTS: A total of 337 physicians out of 4037 members responded to our survey
      with a response rate of 8.4%. A total of 82% of these respondents used a sedative
      agent while performing an interventional pain procedure. The majority of
      respondents required drivers after procedures, except after trigger points. A
      total of 47% indicated that they have an nil per os (NPO) policy for procedures
      without sedation. A total of 98% reported that they had an anticoagulation policy
      before an interventional procedure. A total of 17% indicated that the interval
      between steroid doses was <2 weeks, while 53% indicated that they waited 2-4
      weeks between steroid doses. CONCLUSION: Our study has clearly demonstrated a
      wide variation in the current practice among physicians regarding sedation, NPO
      status, steroid administration, and the need for designated drivers. There was
      much higher endorsement of policies regarding anticoagulation. There is an
      obvious need for evidence-based guidelines for these aspects of interventional
      pain care to improve patient safety and minimize the risk of adverse events.

PMID- 28360532
TI  - Bottlenecks in the development of topical analgesics: molecule, formulation, dose
      finding, and phase III design.
AB  - Topical analgesics can be defined as topical formulations containing analgesics
      or co-analgesics. Since 2000, interest in such formulations has been on the rise.
      There are, however, four critical issues in the research and development phases
      of topical analgesics: 1) The selection of the active pharmaceutical ingredient.
      Analgesics and co-analgesics differ greatly in their mechanism of action, and it
      is required to find the most optimal fit between such mechanisms of action and
      the pathogenesis of the targeted (neuropathic) pain. 2) Issues concerning the
      optimized formulation. For relevant clinical efficacy, specific characteristics
      for the selected vehicle (eg, cream base or gel base) are required, depending on
      the physicochemical characteristics of the active pharmaceutical ingredient(s) to
      be delivered. 3) Well-designed phase II dose-finding studies are required, and,
      unfortunately, such trials are missing. In fact, we will demonstrate that
      underdosing is one of the major hurdles to detect meaningful and statistically
      relevant clinical effects of topical analgesics. 4) Selection of clinical end
      points and innovatively designed phase III trials. End point selection can make
      or break a trial. For instance, to include numbness together with tingling as a
      composite end point for neuropathic pain seems stretching the therapeutic impact
      of an analgesic too far. Given the fast onset of action of topical analgesics
      (usually within 30 minutes), enrichment designs might enhance the chances for
      success, as the placebo response might decrease. Topical analgesics may become
      promising inroads for the treatment of neuropathic pain, once sufficient
      attention is given to these four key aspects.

PMID- 28360533
TI  - Effects of decompression on behavioral, electrophysiologic, and histomorphologic
      recovery in a chronic sciatic nerve compression model of streptozotocin-induced
      diabetic rats.
AB  - PURPOSE: To determine susceptibility to decompression surgery in diabetic and
      nondiabetic peripheral neuropathy using a chronic compression neuropathy model.
      MATERIALS AND METHODS: Twenty-four streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats were
      randomly divided into three groups: group I, chronic compression of the left
      sciatic nerve for 4 weeks with decompression; group II, similar without
      decompression; and group III, sham exposing the sciatic nerve only. The other 24
      nondiabetic rats were assigned to groups IV-VI, which received compression
      decompression, compression, and the sham operation, respectively. Mixed-nerve
      elicited somatosensory evoked potentials (M-SSEPs) and compound muscle action
      potentials (CMAPs) were measured to verify the compression neuropathy in the
      posttreatment follow-up. Behavioral observations in thermal hyperalgesia tests
      were quantified before electrophysiologic examinations. Treated and contralateral
      nerves were harvested for histomorphologic analysis. RESULTS: Chronic compression
      of sciatic nerve induced significant reduction of amplitude and increment of
      latency of M-SSEP and CMAP in both diabetic and nondiabetic rats. Diabetic group
      changes were more susceptible. Decompression surgery significantly improved both
      sensory and motor conduction, thermal hyperalgesia, and the mean myelin diameter
      of the rat sciatic nerve in both diabetic and nondiabetic groups. Near full
      recovery of motor and sensory function occurred in the nondiabetic rats, but not
      in the diabetic rats 8 weeks postdecompression. CONCLUSION: Behavioral,
      electrophysiologic, and histomorphologic findings indicate that decompression
      surgery is effective in both diabetic and nondiabetic peripheral neuropathy.

PMID- 28360535
TI  - Assessment of risk factors for postdural puncture headache in women undergoing
      cesarean delivery in Jordan: a retrospective analytical study.
AB  - PURPOSE: Postdural puncture headache (PDPH) is one of the most recognized
      complications after spinal anesthesia in women undergoing cesarean delivery. This
      study aimed to investigate the incidence of PDPH and its associated risk factors
      in women undergoing cesarean delivery in Jordan. PATIENTS AND METHODS: This study
      included all women who underwent cesarean delivery at King Abdullah University
      Hospital in Jordan during 2015. Patient characteristics including age, weight,
      occurrence of PDPH, needle type, repeated puncture attempt, history of spinal
      anesthesia and PDPH, presence of tension headache, preeclampsia, migraine,
      sinusitis, and caffeine withdrawal were collated from hospital records.
      Statistical analyses were performed to assess the association of these
      characteristics with PDPH. RESULTS: The study cohort consisted of 680 women.
      Among these, only 43 (6.3%) had developed PDPH. The only factors that showed
      significant association (P<0.01) with PDPH were repeated puncture attempt and
      presence of tension headache. The repeated puncture attempt increased the risk of
      PDPH 2.55-fold, while presence of tension headache increased the risk 4.60-fold.
      Furthermore, the use of the traumatic 27 G Spinostar needle increased the risk of
      repeated puncture attempt 28.45-fold (P<0.01) compared with the use of the pencil
      point 25 G Whitacre needle. CONCLUSION: The major risk factors associated with
      the incidence of PDPH in women undergoing cesarean delivery in Jordan are
      repeated puncture attempt and presence of tension headache. The use of the pencil
      point 25 G Whitacre needle is recommended since this was associated with a
      substantially reduced risk of repeated spinal puncture than the traumatic 27 G
      Spinostar needle.

PMID- 28360534
TI  - Involvement of endoplasmic reticulum stress in formalin-induced pain is
      attenuated by 4-phenylbutyric acid.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress is involved in many neurological
      and inflammatory responses. Peripheral inflammatory responses can induce central
      sensitization and trigger inflammatory pain. However, there is little research on
      the relationship between ER stress and inflammatory pain. In this study, we
      examined whether the ER stress response is involved in peripheral inflammatory
      pain using a formalin-induced rat pain model. METHODS: Rats were divided into the
      following five groups: control, formalin, formalin + vehicle, formalin + 4
      phenylbutyric acid (4-PBA) (40 mg/kg) and formalin + 4-PBA (100 mg/kg). Formalin
      induced pain was assessed behaviorally by recording licking activity. The
      expression levels of immunoglobulin-binding protein (BIP), activating
      transcription factor-6 (ATF6), phosphorylated inositol-requiring enzyme-1 (p
      IRE1), phosphorylated protein kinase RNA-like ER kinase (p-PERK) and c-fos were
      quantitatively assessed by Western blot, and the distribution of BIP, ATF6 and c
      fos in the lumbar enlargement of spinal cord were identified by
      immunohistochemistry in spinal dorsal horn slices. In addition, the
      concentrations of nitric oxide (NO) and prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) in the spinal
      cord were tested by biochemical measurement and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay
      (ELISA), respectively. RESULTS: Intraperitoneal injection of 4-PBA at the dose of
      100 mg/kg before formalin injection significantly decreased nociceptive behavior
      in the second phase compared with control, formalin, formalin + vehicle and
      formalin + 4-PBA (40 mg/kg) (P<0.05). Western blot showed that formalin injection
      significantly upregulated the expression of BIP, ATF6, p-PERK and c-fos in the
      spinal cord. This upregulation was reduced by peritoneal injection of 4-PBA
      (P<0.05), while expression of p-IRE1 was not altered by formalin treatment.
      Immunohistochemistry revealed markedly increased staining density for BIP, ATF6
      and c-fos in the superficial spinal dorsal horn after formalin injection. This
      was significantly decreased by administration of 4-PBA (P<0.05). Compared with
      the formalin + vehicle group, 4-PBA inhibited the release of NO and PGE2 in the
      spinal cord (P<0.05). CONCLUSION: These results suggest that ER stress is
      involved in formalin-induced inflammatory pain and that inhibition of ER stress
      may attenuate central sensitization induced by peripheral inflammatory
      stimulation.

PMID- 28360536
TI  - Intensity-modulated radiation therapy for early-stage breast cancer: is it ready
      for prime time?
AB  - Whole breast external beam radiotherapy (WBEBRT) is commonly used as an essential
      arm in the treatment management of women with early-stage breast cancer.
      Dosimetry planning for conventional WBEBRT typically involves a pair of
      tangential fields. Advancement in radiation technology and techniques has the
      potential to improve treatment outcomes with clinically meaningful long-term
      benefits. However, this advancement must be balanced with safety and improved
      efficacy. Intensity-modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) is an advanced technique
      that shows promise in improving the planning process and radiation delivery.
      Early data on utilizing IMRT for WBEBRT demonstrate more homogenous dose
      distribution with reduction in organs at risk doses. This translates to
      toxicities reduction. The two common descriptors for IMRT are forward-planning
      "fields in field" and inverse planning. Unlike IMRT for other organs, the aim of
      IMRT for breast planning is to achieve dose homogeneity and not organ
      conformality. The aim of this paper was to evaluate whether IMRT is ready for
      prime time based on these three points: 1) workload impact, 2) the clinical
      impact on the patient's quality of life, and 3) the appropriateness and
      applicability to clinical practice.

PMID- 28360537
TI  - Successful treatment of Chrysosporium keratitis with voriconazole.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: To report a patient with severe Chrysosporium keratitis successfully
      treated by voriconazole. METHOD: Case report. RESULTS: A 37-year-old healthy male
      presented with irritation, pain and reduced vision in his left eye after mud
      contamination. Examination demonstrated corneal stromal infiltration, endothelial
      plaque and hypopyon. Corneal scrapings demonstrated numerous septate hyphae, and
      specimen cultures were positive for Chrysosporium sp. The lesion did not respond
      to aggressive topical 5% natamycin, 0.15% topical amphotericin B and oral
      itraconazole. The patient was then treated by topical 1% voriconazole every hour.
      Intracameral and intrastromal voriconazole injections (50 MUg/0.1 mL) were also
      undertaken. The keratitis was significantly improved after voriconazole.
      CONCLUSION: To the best of the authors' knowledge, this is the first report on
      the use of voriconazole for Chrysosporium keratitis. Voriconazole may be an
      effective alternative to conventional antifungal agents in some cases of fungal
      keratitis. It should be considered before shifting to therapeutic keratoplasty.

PMID- 28360538
TI  - Antidiabetic and gastric emptying inhibitory effect of herbal Melia azedarach
      leaf extract in rodent models of diabetes type 2 mellitus.
AB  - Diabetes type 2 is associated with impaired insulin production and increased
      insulin resistance. Treatment with antidiabetic drugs and insulin strives for
      normalizing glucose homeostasis. In Ethiopian traditional medicine, plant
      extracts of Melia azedarach are used to control diabetes mellitus and various
      gastrointestinal disorders. The objective of this study was to clarify the
      antidiabetic effects of M. azedarach leaf extracts in diabetic type 2
      experimental animals. In this study, mice were injected with Melia extract
      intraperitoneally. Plasma glucose was studied by using tail vein sampling in
      acute experiments over 4 h and chronic experiments over 21 days with concurrent
      insulin and body weight assessments. Glucose tolerance was studied by using
      intraperitoneal glucose (2 mg/g) tolerance test over 120 min. Gastric emptying of
      a metabolically inert meal was studied by the gastric retention of a radioactive
      marker over 20 min. Melia extracts displayed acute, dose-dependent antidiabetic
      effects in ob/ob mice similar to glibenclamide (p<0.05-0.001). Long-term
      administration of Melia extract reduced plasma glucose (p<0.001) and insulin
      (p<0.01-0.001) levels over 21 days, concurrent with body weight loss. Glucose
      tolerance test showed reduced basal glucose levels (p<0.05-0.01), but no
      difference was found in glucose disposal after long-term treatment with Melia
      extract. In addition, the Melia extract at 400 mg/kg slowed gastric emptying rate
      of normal Sprague-Dawley (p<0.001) and diabetic Goto-Kakizaki rats (p<0.001)
      compared with controls. It is concluded that the M. azedarach leaf extract
      elicits diabetic activity through a multitargeted action. Primarily an increased
      insulin-sensitizing effect is at hand, resulting in blood glucose reduction and
      improved peripheral glucose disposal, but also through reduced gastric emptying
      and decreased insulin demand.

PMID- 28360539
TI  - Alternative remedies for insomnia: a proposed method for personalized therapeutic
      trials.
AB  - Insomnia is a common symptom, with chronic insomnia being diagnosed in 5-10% of
      adults. Although many insomnia patients use prescription therapy for insomnia,
      the health benefits remain uncertain and adverse risks remain a concern. While
      similar effectiveness and risk concerns exist for herbal remedies, many
      individuals turn to such alternatives to prescriptions for insomnia. Like
      prescription hypnotics, herbal remedies that have undergone clinical testing
      often show subjective sleep improvements that exceed objective measures, which
      may relate to interindividual heterogeneity and/or placebo effects. Response
      heterogeneity can undermine traditional randomized trial approaches, which in
      some fields has prompted a shift toward stratified trials based on genotype or
      phenotype, or the so-called n-of-1 method of testing placebo versus active drug
      in within-person alternating blocks. We reviewed six independent compendiums of
      herbal agents to assemble a group of over 70 reported to benefit sleep. To bridge
      the gap between the unfeasible expectation of formal evidence in this space and
      the reality of common self-medication by those with insomnia, we propose a method
      for guided self-testing that overcomes certain operational barriers related to
      inter- and intraindividual sources of phenotypic variability. Patient-chosen
      outcomes drive a general statistical model that allows personalized self
      assessment that can augment the open-label nature of routine practice. The
      potential advantages of this method include flexibility to implement for other
      (nonherbal) insomnia interventions.

PMID- 28360541
TI  - Students' perceptions of lecturing approaches: traditional versus interactive
      teaching.
AB  - BACKGROUND: There is an increasing trend toward transcending from traditional
      teaching to student-centered methodologies that actively engage students. We
      aimed to analyze students' perceptions of effective interactive teaching using
      PollEverywhere Audience Response System (ARS) as a worthwhile teaching
      methodology. It can be of great help in maintaining students' attention and in
      facilitating the lecturer to pick up students' misunderstandings and correct
      them. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This system was introduced to the undergraduate
      dental curriculum to increase student's motivation and attention, giving
      immediate feedback on student understanding during an anatomy module. Computer
      science (CS) students who were more familiar with the use of this technology were
      also involved in the study for comparison and validation of the findings. The
      lecturer strategically inserted questions using PollEverywhere ARS. Students'
      perception of the effective interactive teaching using this technology was
      evaluated statistically using a questionnaire and focus groups. RESULTS: It
      promoted interactivity, focused attention, and provided feedback on
      comprehension. A total of 95% reported that it increased their participation and
      found that it clarified their thinking and helped to focus on key points. Another
      81.7% mentioned that it increased their motivation to learn. Students regarded it
      as a useful method for giving real-time feedback, which stimulated their
      performance and participation. Data from CS students echoed the findings from the
      dental students. Reports from focus groups demonstrated that this strategy was
      helpful in focusing students' attention and in clarifying information.
      DISCUSSION: PollEverywhere encouraged all students to participate during the
      learning process. This has proven to be an effective tool for improving students'
      understanding and critical thinking. CONCLUSION: Students regarded PollEverywhere
      as an effective teaching innovation that encouraged deeper ongoing retention of
      information. It was found to be an effective teaching aid in monitoring students'
      progress and identifying deficiencies. This is of benefit in a module where
      interactivity is considered important.

PMID- 28360540
TI  - Medical students' perception of the learning environment at King Saud University
      Medical College, Saudi Arabia, using DREEM Inventory.
AB  - BACKGROUND: The students' perception of the learning environment is an important
      aspect for evaluation and improvement of the educational program. The College of
      Medicine at King Saud University (KSU) reformed its curriculum in 2009 from a
      traditional to a system-oriented hybrid curriculum. OBJECTIVE: The objective of
      the present study was to determine the perception of the second batch (reformed
      curriculum) of medical graduates about the educational environment at the College
      of Medicine, KSU, using the Dundee Ready Education Environment Measure (DREEM)
      scale. METHODS: The fifth year medical students were asked to evaluate the
      educational program after graduation in May 2014. The questionnaire was
      distributed to the graduate students electronically. The DREEM questionnaire
      consisted of 50 items based on Likert's scale; and five domains, namely,
      students' perceptions of learning, perceptions of teachers, academic self
      perceptions, perceptions of atmosphere, and social self-perceptions. Data were
      analyzed using SPSS. RESULTS: A total of 62 students participated in the study.
      The score for students' perception of learning among medical students ranged from
      2.93 to 3.64 (overall mean score: 40.17). The score for students' perception of
      teachers ranged from 2.85 to 4.01 (overall mean score: 33.35). The score for
      students' academic self-perceptions ranged from 3.15 to 4.06 (overall mean score:
      28.4). The score for students' perception of atmosphere ranged from 2.27 to 3.91
      (overall mean score: 41.32). The score for students' social self-perceptions
      ranged from 2.85 to 4.33 (overall mean score: 24.33). The general perceptions of
      the students in all five sub-scales were positive. CONCLUSION: The overall
      student's perception about the educational environment was satisfactory. This
      study was important to evaluate the students' perception of the learning
      environment among medical graduates of the reformed curriculum and provided
      guidance on areas of improvement in the curriculum.

PMID- 28360542
TI  - Self-regulated learning: why is it important compared to traditional learning in
      medical education?
AB  - Self-regulated learning has played an increasingly significant role in medical
      education over the last one to two decades. Medical educators have endeavored to
      ensure that the students are equipped to face the challenges of continued growth
      of medical knowledge. Here we enquire and reflect on various aspects of self
      regulated learning including its strengths and weaknesses. We investigate how it
      could be incorporated with traditional teaching to bring the best out of the
      students and what students think about it.

PMID- 28360543
TI  - Examination of Attention Level in Nurses Working Night Shifts in terms of the
      Relationship between Electrodermal Activity and Sex Hormones.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: Electrodermal activity (EDA) is an electrical activity of eccrine
      sweat gland stimulated by the sympathetic nervous system. Skin conductance level
      (SCL) is measured with EDA. SCL and sweat gland activity increase in emotional
      situations, such as high activation, attention or stress. In this study, we
      investigated whether working in shifts affects attention level of nurses with EDA
      and explored the relationship between EDA and sex hormones. METHOD: The study was
      carried out on nurses working night shifts (16.00-08.00 h) (n=22) and nurses
      working without a shift (08.00-16.00 h) (n=20). Firstly, The Epworth Sleepiness
      Scale which evaluates a person's daytime sleepiness was applied to the subjects.
      For EDA measurement, Ag/AgCl electrodes were put on two fingers of their dominant
      hand. SCL was measured via MP30 system and GSR connection. The blood samples were
      analyzed for cortisol and ACTH hormone levels to investigate the changes in sleep
      and circadian rhythm. RESULT: It was found that there was no statistically
      significant difference in skin conductance levels between the groups. Moreover,
      in the comparison of hormone values between the groups, the cortisol levels in
      night shift nurses were higher than in those working without a shift. CONCLUSION:
      Night shift had no significant effect on the attention levels in the nurses. This
      situation is thought to be related to the fact that the nurses responsible for
      the night service raise their attention level to the highest point. The reason
      for higher level of cortisol in nurses working shifts may reflect that cortisol
      has no effect on the breadth of attention but reflects a high level of stress.

PMID- 28360544
TI  - Body Image and Self-Esteem in Patients with Rheumatoid Arthritis.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: The study was conducted in order to investigate the effect of
      disease-related variables such as socio-demographic characteristics, disease
      complaints and use of necrosis factor (anti-TNF) on the body image and self
      esteem in patients with rheumatoid arthritis. METHOD: The data was collected by
      an Introductory Information Form, Body Image Scale (PfP) BIS and the Coopersmith
      Self-Esteem Inventory (SEI) in 120 patients with rheumatoid arthritis and in 120
      healthy controls. One-way analysis of variance, Tukey HDS analysis, t-test,
      Kruskal-Wallis test, the Mann-Whitney U test, and Pearson's and Spearman's
      correlation coefficients were used to compare the data. RESULT: 60% of the
      control group were in the 20-44 year-age group, 75% were women and 30.8% had a
      bachelor's degree or above, while 60% of patient group were in the 20-44 year-age
      group, 71.7% were women and 36.7% had a bachelor's degree or higher education
      level. We observed that the body satisfaction and self-esteem levels were higher
      in the 20-44 age group, in those with a bachelor's degree or higher education and
      in the patients who had no additional disease and who did not use anti-TNF. The
      body satisfaction and self-esteem levels were lower in those who had been
      receiving treatment for longer than 5 years, who had changes in hands and body,
      who had gait disturbance and who had changes in family and working life.
      CONCLUSION: The assessment of the psychosocial needs with a holistic approach and
      training programs for body image and self-esteem would be advisable for patients
      with rheumatoid arthritis who are aged 45-59 years, who have low self-esteem, who
      have additional diseases, who use anti-TNF, who have changes in hands and body
      and who have primary-school education.

PMID- 28360546
TI  - Sociodemographic and Clinical Characteristics of Psychiatric Inpatients
      Hospitalized Involuntarily and Voluntarily in a Mental Health Hospital.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: In this study, we aimed to investigate and compare the
      sociodemographic and clinical characteristics of psychiatric inpatients
      hospitalized involuntarily and voluntarily. To our knowledge, there is no study
      analyzing involuntary psychiatric hospitalization in our country. METHOD: In this
      retrospective study, we included a total of 504 patients who were involuntarily
      or voluntarily hospitalized in Bolu Izzet Baysal Mental Health Hospital between
      1st of May and 31st October 2010. The data were obtained from the hospital
      records. RESULT: In the 6-month period, 13.1% of 504 inpatients were hospitalized
      involuntarily. The number of male patients who were involuntarily hospitalized
      was higher than the number of female patients. Most of the patients in the
      involuntary hospitalized group were graduates of primary school, were not married
      and were not working at the time of hospitalization. Schizophrenia was the most
      common diagnosis in the involuntarily hospitalized psychiatric patients and these
      patients needed longer stay in the hospital. The next hospitalization of the
      involuntarily hospitalized patients was mostly involuntary. CONCLUSION: Most of
      the involuntarily hospitalized psychiatric inpatients were male, were not working
      and had the diagnosis of schizophrenia. These general psychiatric risk factors
      were more important in involuntary hospitalization compared to voluntary
      hospitalization. We concluded that the high prevalence of involuntary
      hospitalizations deserved further studies.

PMID- 28360545
TI  - Psychiatric and Neurocognitive Evaluation Focused on Frontal Lobe Functions in
      Rolandic Epilepsy.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: In this study, we aimed to assess the behavioral problems,
      psychiatric disorders and neurocognitive functions focusing on frontal lobe
      functions in children with rolandic epilepsy (RE) and compare them with a control
      group. METHOD: 31 children with RE, aged between 8 and 13,5 years were compared
      with a control group matched for age, sex and socioeconomic status. Behavioral
      problems were assessed by the Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL) and psychiatric
      diagnoses were established by using the Kiddie Schedule for Affective Disorders
      and Schizophrenia Present and Lifetime Version. The Wechsler Intelligence Scale
      for Children-Revised (WISC-R), Wisconsin Card Sorting Test (WCST) and the Stroop
      Color and Word Test (SCWT) were applied in both groups of children. RESULT: The
      RE group presented more psychiatric disorders than the control group. Verbal and
      total IQ scores in the RE group were lower than in the control group. Although
      the groups did not differ from each other in WCST scores, children with RE
      displayed lower performance in SCWT. The RE group had a higher externalizing
      score and higher total scores in CBCL. CONCLUSION: It was concluded that RE did
      not affect basic frontal lobe functions significantly, had negative effects on
      attention and IQ performance and increased behavioral problems and psychiatric
      disorders.

PMID- 28360547
TI  - Evaluation of the Relation between Deliberate Self-Harm Behavior and Childhood
      Trauma Experiences in Patients Admitted to a Secondary-Care Psychiatric
      Outpatient Clinic for Adolescents and Young Adults.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence and the
      features of deliberate self-harm (DSH) behavior in patients admitted to the
      psychiatric outpatient clinic for adolescents and young adults and also to detect
      the association between the act of DSH and childhood traumas. METHOD: In this
      study, we included all patients who were admitted to the secondary-care
      psychiatric outpatient clinic for adolescents and young adults in Bakirkoy
      Research and Training Hospital Psychiatry, Neurology and Neurosurgery throughout
      a month. A sociodemographic data form, the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire (CTQ
      28), Childhood Abuse and Neglect Question List and the Deliberate Self-Harm and
      Intent Screening Form were applied to three hundred participants. RESULT: The
      prevalence of DSH was 50.0% among the participants (56.8% for females and 28.8%
      for males). Childhood abuse was detected in 57.0% of all participants (60.4% of
      females and 46.6% of males). Among patients with act of DSH, the rate of
      childhood abuse was 71.3%, while it was 42.7% in the subjects without act of DSH.
      CONCLUSION: DSH is a common behavior among adolescent psychiatric patients. It is
      more common in females than in males. The prevalence of experience of childhood
      abuse and neglect is remarkably high and is associated with self-harm behavior.

PMID- 28360548
TI  - Mental Findings in Trauma Victims.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: In medico-legal evaluation of trauma patients, the bio
      psychological effects of the trauma and the severity of the injuries require to
      be evaluated. In this study, assuming the fact that psychiatric assessment is not
      taken into consideration in physical trauma cases, we planned to show the
      presence of psychological trauma in our medico-legally evaluated patients who
      presented with different types of traumas and to review the mental findings and
      diagnoses in trauma victims. METHOD: We retrospectively analyzed the hospital
      records of 1975 patients aged 18 years or older who presented to the Department
      of Forensic Medicine at Dokuz Eylul University School of Medicine for medico
      legal evaluation between 1999 and 2009. Psychiatric assessment was performed in
      142 patients by the Department of Psychiatry. The data contained in medico-legal
      reports and patient records were then examined with respect to patients' age,
      gender, nature of traumatic events, psychiatric diagnoses, descriptive
      characteristics of the patients, severity of trauma and past history of mental
      disorder and trauma experience. Results of the medicolegal evaluations were also
      analyzed. RESULT: Of the 142 patients, 80 (56.3%) were female and their average
      age was 40.30+/-17.17 years. The most frequent traumatic events were traffic
      accidents (29.6%) and violence-related blunt force trauma (28.9%). When the
      distribution of the most common psychiatric diagnoses was examined, it was found
      that anxiety disorders were found in 69 cases (48.6%), adjustment disorders were
      found in 16 cases (11.3%) and mood disorders were found in 12 cases (8.5%). Among
      anxiety disorders, acute stress disorder (n=39) and post-traumatic stress
      disorder (PTSD) (n=27) were the most common ones. In 27 cases of the 142, it was
      determined that, psychiatric symptoms and findings did not meet the diagnostic
      criteria of any psychiatric disorder. Diagnosis of psychiatric disorder was not
      significantly related with traumatic experiences, comorbidity, marriage status,
      education level or lack of health insurance. CONCLUSION: We assume elucidating
      the presence of a psychological trauma is crucial not only for the health benefit
      but also for legal rights of the patient. The necessity of considering merely the
      international diagnostic criteria in determining the existence of psychiatric
      trauma and its severity level can bring forth some difficulties in medico-legal
      evaluation.

PMID- 28360550
TI  - The Effectiveness of an Interpersonal Cognitive Problem-Solving Strategy on
      Behavior and Emotional Problems in Children with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: This study was designed to evaluate the effectiveness of the "I Can
      Problem Solve" (ICPS) program on behavioral and emotional problems in children
      with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). METHODS: The subjects were
      33 children with ADHD aged between 6 to 11 years. The study used a pre- and post
      test quasi-experimental design with one group. The researchers taught 33 children
      with ADHD how to apply ICPS over a period of 14 weeks. The Child Behavior
      Checklist for Ages 6-18 (Teacher Report Form) and the Diagnostic and Statistical
      Manual of Mental Disorders, 4th edition Text Revision (DSM-IV-TR) Based
      Disruptive Behavior Disorders Screening and Rating Scale (parents' and teacher's
      forms) were used to evaluate the efficacy of the program. The scales were applied
      to parents and teachers of the children before and after the ICPS program.
      RESULT: The findings indicated that the measured pre-training scores for
      behavioral and emotional problems (attention difficulties, problems,
      anxious/depressed, withdrawn/depressed, oppositional defiant problems, rule
      breaking behaviors, and aggressive behaviors) were significantly decreased in all
      children post-training. In addition, children's total competence scores increased
      (working, behaving, learning and happy) after the ICPS program. CONCLUSION:
      According to the results, it is likely that, ICPS would be a useful program to
      decrease certain behavioral and emotional problems associated with ADHD and to
      increase the competence level in children with ADHD. An additional benefit of the
      program might be to empower children to deal with problems associated with ADHD
      such as attention difficulties, hyperactivity-impulsivity, and oppositional
      defiant problems.

PMID- 28360549
TI  - Use of Complementary and Alternative Medicine in Children with Autism Spectrum
      Disorders: A Multicenter Study.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: This study examined the prevalence of the use of different
      complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) strategies, families' attitudes and
      belief systems about the use of these strategies, and the economic burden of
      these strategies placed on family income in families of children with autism
      spectrum disorders (ASD). METHOD: A questionnaire survey concerning the use of
      CAM in children with ASD was administered to parents in the five different
      geographic locations in Turkey. RESULT: Of the 172 respondents, 56% had used at
      least one CAM therapy. The most frequently used CAM intervention was spiritual
      healing. Among the most reported reasons for seeking CAM were dissatisfaction
      with conventional interventions and a search for ways to enhance the
      effectiveness of conventional treatments. The most frequently reported source of
      recommendation for CAM was advice from family members. The mean economic burden
      of the CAM methods was a total of 4,005 Turkish lira ($2,670) in the sample using
      CAM. The CAM usage rate was lower in parents who suspected genetic/congenital
      factors for the development of ASD. CONCLUSION: This study observed the
      importance of socioeconomic and cultural factors as well as parents' beliefs
      about the etiology of ASD in treatment decisions about CAM.

PMID- 28360551
TI  - Comparison of Polysomnography and Multiple Sleep Latency Test Findings in
      Subjects with Narcolepsy and Idiopathic Hypersomnia.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: Both narcolepsy and idiopathic hypersomnia are the main causes of
      excessive daytime sleepiness. In this study, we aimed to compare polysomnography
      (PSG) and multiple sleep latency test (MSLT) findings in narcolepsy and
      idiopathic hypersomnia patients. METHODS: The files of patients with narcolepsy
      and hypersomnia who were admitted between 1995 and 2009 were reviewed. We
      evaluated data from 94 patients with narcolepsy with cataplexy, 49 with
      narcolepsy without cataplexy and 140 patients with idiopathic hypersomnia.
      RESULT: Sleep latency and REM latency were longer in idiopathic hypersomnia group
      than in narcolepsy with and without cataplexy group. Mean sleep latency in MSLT
      was the shortest in narcolepsy with cataplexy group. There was no difference in
      sleep efficiency, percentage of sleep stage and number of awakenings in PSG
      between three groups. CONCLUSION: The findings of the study indicated that
      narcolepsy patients differ from idiopathic hypersomnia patients in terms of sleep
      latency and REM latency in PSG.

PMID- 28360552
TI  - Clinical, Neurocognitive, Structural Imaging and Dermatogliphics in Schizophrenia
      According to Kraepelin Criteria.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: A century ago, Kraepelin stated that the distinctive feature of
      schizophrenia was progressive deterioration. Kraepelin criteria for schizophrenia
      are: (1) continuous hospitalization or complete dependence on others for
      obtaining basic necessities of life, (2) unemployment and (3) no remission for
      the past five years. We aimed to determine the clinical appearance and structural
      biological features of Kraepelinian schizophrenia. METHODS: The sample consisted
      of 17 Kraepelinian patients, 30 non-Kraepelinian schizophrenic patients and 43
      healthy controls. The Clinical Global Impressions (CGI) and the Positive and
      Negative Syndrome Scales (PANSS) were used for clinical assessment. The Frontal
      Assessment Battery (FAB) and the Verbal Fluency and Color Trail Test (CTT) were
      included in the cognitive battery. Brain magnetic resonance imaging and
      dermatoglyphic measurements were performed for structural features. RESULT:
      Duration of illness, hospitalization, suicide attempts, admission type, presence
      of a stressor and treatment choice were similar between the two patient groups.
      Treatment resistance and family history of schizophrenia were more common in
      Kraepelinian patients. PANSS and CGI subscales scores were also higher in this
      group. Only the category fluency and CTT-I were different in Kraepelinian
      patients in comparison to the other patient group. Structural findings were not
      different between the three groups. CONCLUSION: Category fluency, which was lower
      in Kraepelinian patients, is an important marker of a degenerative process. The
      collection of severe clinical symptoms, family history of psychiatric illness and
      nonresponse to treatment in this particular group of patients points to the need
      to conduct further studies including cluster analysis in methodology.

PMID- 28360553
TI  - Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder in Migraine Patients: Migraine, Trauma and
      Alexithymia.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: In recent studies, it has been suggested that there is a
      relationship between migraine headaches and post-traumatic stress disorder
      (PTSD). The PTSD has not been diagnosed by a clinician in these studies; the
      evaluation has been carried out by the screening scales. Besides, it has also
      been asserted that there was relationship of alexithymia with migraine and other
      chronic painful disorders. In this study, our aim was to investigate the
      prevalence of clinically-diagnosed PTSD and alexithymic features among migraine
      patients. METHODS: Sixty consecutive migraine patients sent from neurology clinic
      and 60 healthy controls having similar features constituted the sample of this
      study. SCID-I/CV PTSD module and the Clinician-Administered PTSD Scale (CAPS) was
      administered to the sample. The subjects also filled in the socio-demographic
      data form and the Toronto Alexithymia Scale (TAS). The level of pain perceived by
      the migraine patients was evaluated using a Visual Analog Scale (VAS). RESULT: 17
      subjects (28%) in the migraine group and 5 individuals (8.3%) in the control
      group were diagnosed with PTSD. Hence, PTSD was found to be statistically
      significantly higher in the migraine group. 25 persons in the migraine group
      (41.6%) and 12 in the control group (20%) scored above the TAS cutoff score in
      terms of alexithymic features. Alexithymia was found to be statistically
      significantly higher in the migraine group). In the migraine group, VAS scores of
      the ones with PTSD were statistically significantly higher compared to that in
      ones without PTSD. 94% of the persons diagnosed with PTSD in the migraine group
      reported that their migraine headaches started after a traumatic experience. In
      the migraine group, no statistically significant correlation was detected between
      CAPS and VAS scores in subjects with PTSD. CONCLUSION: In migraine patients, PTSD
      and alexithymic features have been found higher than in the healthy controls.
      Further studies are needed to search whether the practices aimed at treating the
      PTSD and alexithymic features can contribute to the treatment of migraine
      headaches or not.

PMID- 28360554
TI  - Injuries in Patients with Epilepsy and Some Factors Associated with Injury.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: The aim of the study was to evaluate injuries in patients with
      epilepsy and some factors associated with injury. METHODS: This study included
      126 epileptic patients who attended a neurology outpatient clinic of a hospital
      between March 2009 and March 2010. Data were collected using a patient
      information form and an injury evaluation form. The data were evaluated using
      percentage, mean and the Chi square test. RESULT: 82.5% of patients have
      sustained injury due to an epileptic seizure. Soft tissue injuries were the most
      common (70.2%), followed by head injury (61.5%), dental and tongue injury
      (%58.6), burns (24%), and orthopaedic injury (21.2%). The most common site of
      burns were the upper extremities and the face (36% and 24%, respectively). Burns
      occurred during cooking in 32% of cases. Five patients had upper extremity
      fractures. Four patients faced the risk of bathtub drowning. The injuries usually
      occurred at home. The significant risk factors for injury were generalized tonic
      clonic seizures and high frequency of seizures. Twenty-six patients were taken to
      the emergency unit due to an injury. CONCLUSION: Injury is a common problem in
      patients with epilepsy. Dental and tongue injury was the most common seizure
      related injury. The risk factors were generalized tonic-clonic seizures, and high
      frequency of seizures. Patients with epilepsy can lead normal lives but certain
      precautions are needed to prevent seizure-related injuries.

PMID- 28360556
TI  - An Unusual Case: The Comorbidity of Mood Disorder and 17-alpha-Hydroxylase
      Deficiency.
AB  - 17-alpha-hydroxylase enzyme has a crucial role in the steroid biosynthesis and,
      deficiency of this enzyme is an autosomal recessive monogenic disorder which is
      one of the two hypertensive form of congenital adrenal hyperplasia. It is
      characterized with the deficiency in glucocorticoid, adrenal androgen, and sex
      steroid synthesis with concomitant mineralocorticoid excess due to genetic defect
      in steroid biosynthesis. The relationship of hormone system physiology with
      psychiatric signs and syndromes are complex. Any problem in the hypothalamo
      pituitary axis may cause psychiatric syndromes. On the other hand, many
      psychiatric disorders, such as mood-anxiety symptoms, depression, mania,
      psychosis, and delirium can be seen secondary to the treatment of hormone
      deficiency. We present the case of a male patient with pseudohermaphroditism who
      has been followed and treated in Rasit Tahsin Mood Clinic with the diagnosis of
      mood disorder not otherwise specified and was diagnosed with 46, XY karyotype and
      17-alpha-hydroxylase deficiency after referring to a hospital with delayed
      puberty. Considering the medical literature, 17-alpha-hydroxylase deficiency has
      been evaluated from the aspects of gender-related behavioral disorders,
      psychological developmental and anxiety disorders. To the best of our knowledge,
      in the medical literature, this is the first case of 17-alpha-hydroxylase
      deficiency associated with mood disorder. Here, the relationship between mood
      disorders and hypothalamo-pituitary axis is discussed in the light of the
      literature.

PMID- 28360555
TI  - Endothelial Nitric Oxide Synthase and Angiotensin Converting Enzyme Gene
      Polymorphisms in Migraine Patients.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: In this study, we investigated the association of migraine with the
      Variable Number of Tandem Repeats (VNTR), repeated as 27 base pair, gene
      polymorphism in intron 4 of the endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS) and the
      insertion/deletion of angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE) gene polymorphisms.
      METHODS: One hundred and five migraine and ninety seven healthy female control
      subjects were enrolled in the study. The patients were subdivided as migraine
      with aura and without aura, and the frequency and severity of migraine headaches
      were recorded. The eNOS VNTR (eNOS 4 a/b) and ACE insertion/deletion gene
      polymorphisms (ACE I/D) were assessed by polymerase chain reactions. RESULT: The
      allele and genotype frequencies of eNOS 4 a/b gene polymorphism showed no
      difference between the migraine and control groups. The genotypic distribution of
      the ACE I/D gene polymorphism in the migraine group significantly differed from
      that in the control group. The DD and ID genotype increased the risk of migraine
      as much as 2.571 (95% CI-1.138-5.811) and 4.453 (95% CI-2.006-9.883) compared to
      the II genotype. The same increased risk sustained for both genotypes in the
      migraine with aura subgroup, but only the ID genotype remained as the risk factor
      in the migraine without aura subgroup (OR-3.750, 95% CI-1.493-9.420). No
      association of gene polymorphisms with migraine frequency and severity was
      observed. CONCLUSION: Our findings support the relationship between migraine and
      the ACE I/D gene polymorphism. However, no association was found between migraine
      and the eNOS 4 a/b gene polymorphism.

PMID- 28360558
TI  - Clinical and Polysomnographic Features of Kleine-Levin Syndrome: Case Series.
AB  - Kleine-Levin Syndrome (KLS) is a rare disorder characterized intermittent
      hypersomnia, hyperphagia, hypersexuality, abnormal behaviors, and confusion.
      Patients are asymptomatic between episodes. The aim of this case series study was
      to determine the clinical features of patients with KLS and to compare the
      polysomnography (PSG) findings between symptomatic and asymptomatic periods. We
      compared the results of PSG investigations performed in symptomatic and
      asymptomatic periods in six patients diagnosed with KLS at Gulhane Military
      Medical Faculty Sleep Research Center between 1998 and 2005. The age at onset of
      KLS was approximately 18 years, the diagnosis delayed 2.67 years, hypersomnia
      episodes lasted approximately 11.5 days, until the correct diagnosis, the
      patients had experienced on average 5 episodes. Total sleep time in KLS patients
      during symptomatic period and stage 2 sleep percent was higher than in
      asymptomatic period. REM latency was shorter and stage 3 and REM percent was
      lower in asymptomatic period. The clinical features including the age of onset
      and episode duration are compatible with those from the previous studies. It was
      observed that the sleep architecture during symptomatic period was different from
      that in asymptomatic period.

PMID- 28360557
TI  - The Effect of Balance Training by Tetraks Interactive Balance System on Balance
      and Fall Risk in Parkinson's Patients: A Report of Four Cases.
AB  - This pilot study aimed to investigate the effect of balance training by Tetraks
      Interactive Balance System (TIBS) on balance and fall risk in patients with mild
      to moderate Parkinson's disease. Four patients with Parkinson's disease between
      the ages of 56 and 70 years (61.25+/-6.70) were applied balance training for 3
      weeks by TIBS. Sociodemographic features and physical properties of the subjects
      were recorded. Their motor performance was evaluated by the Unified Parkinson's
      Disease Rating Scale (UPDRS), balance was measured using the Berg Balance Scale
      (BBS), Functional Reach Test (FRT), Timed Up and Go Test (TUG), and the Standing
      on One Leg Balance Test (SOL) and, their fall risks were evaluated by TIBS.
      Evaluations were performed twice, before and after treatment. Following training,
      Parkinson's patients showed improvements in UPDRS, TUG, BBS, FRT, SOL and fall
      risk. Balance training by TIBS has positive effects on balance and decreases fall
      risk in Parkinson's disease patients.

PMID- 28360559
TI  - Epilepsy, Psychogenic Seizure, Trauma in the Developmental Process.
AB  - An epileptic seizure, can cause trauma for its sudden emergence, leading to
      functional impairment, accidents and injuries, and fear of death. The seizure can
      be traumatizing itself, besides, an head trauma that may occur during the seizure
      can also cause epilepsy. As the severity and duration of epilepsy increases,
      disturbances in development and traumatic effects occur. Conversion (psychogenic)
      seizures may be added over the years in epileptic patients. The comorbidity of
      trauma-related dissociative disorder and psychogenic seizures is observed in
      approximately half of the cases. Dissociative disorders are known to occur in
      children with chronic diseases due to the traumatic effect of the disease.
      Conversion disorder and psychogenic seizures are frequently seen in dissociative
      disorders. Posttraumatic stress disorder, dissociative disorders, and psychogenic
      seizures are often comorbid diagnoses in epilepsy. For this reason, traumatic
      effect and associated dissociative disorder dimension should be kept in mind in
      the psychiatric approach when handling with cases of epilepsy.

PMID- 28360560
TI  - The Relationship of Symptoms of Anxiety and Depression with Disease Severity and
      Treatment Modality in Myasthenia Gravis: A Cross-sectional Study.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: Findings about the relationship between psychopathology and
      severity of myasthenia gravis (MG) seem scarce and conflicting. The aim of this
      study was to investigate the relationship of depressive and anxiety symptoms with
      disease severity and treatment modalities among a cohort of patients with MG.
      METHODS: Sixty-seven patients, who presented to the neuromuscular outpatient
      clinic, at a neuropsychiatry hospital in Istanbul, Turkey in a two-month period,
      were recruited consecutively. A total of 42 patients with MG were invited to
      participate in the study. None of the patients refused to participate. Severity
      of MG was assessed according to the Osserman and Genkins classification. The
      participants were evaluated by a sociodemographic form, the Beck Depression
      Inventory (BDI), Beck Anxiety Inventory (BAI), Hamilton Depression Rating Scale
      17-item version (HAM-D), and the Hamilton Anxiety Rating Scale (HAM-A). RESULTS:
      The patients with stage IIB MG had significantly higher scores on the BAI, HAM-D,
      HAM-A total and somatic anxiety than those with stage I and IIA MG (p<0.05).
      Likewise, the patients taking a combination of
      prednisolone+pyridostigmine/azathioprine had significantly higher scores on the
      BAI, HAM-D, HAM-A total and somatic anxiety than those taking only prednisolone
      (p<0.05). Linear regression analysis revealed that disease severity and stressful
      life events were the factors associated with the HAM-D scores. Disease severity,
      treatment modalities, and gender were the factors associated with the HAM-A
      scores. CONCLUSION: The results of the present study may suggest that patients
      with relatively more severe MG or those taking a combination of immunosupressive
      and anticholinesterase medications need psychiatric/psychological evaluation.

PMID- 28360561
TI  - Comparison between Camberwell Family Interview and Expressed Emotion Scale in
      Determining Emotions of Caregivers of Schizophrenic Patients.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: The aim of the study was to compare the Camberwell Family Interview
      (CFI) and the Expressed Emotion Scale (EES) in determining the level of expressed
      emotion in caregivers of patients with schizophrenia. METHOD: The study sample
      included caregivers of 22 schizophrenic patients followed in two psychiatric
      clinics. The level of expressed emotion in the caregivers was assessed by the CFI
      and the EES. CFI was applied to caregivers of the inpatients and the procedure
      was audio recorded. These records were later used for the ratings. EES was
      completed by the caregivers. Total EES scores were used to determine the level of
      expressed emotion in the caregivers. RESULTS: Forty point nine percent and 50% of
      the caregivers had high level of expressed emotion based on the analysis of the
      data obtained from the CFI and EES. Fifty-nine percent and 50% of the caregivers
      had low level of expressed emotion based on the data obtained from the CFI and
      EES. The proportion of the caregivers with high level of expressed emotion as
      measured by the CFI and the EES were not statistically significantly different
      within the sample (chi2= 0.727). CONCLUSION: The CFI and the EES were similar in
      determining the level of expressed emotion in caregivers of schizophrenic
      patients. It can be suggested that the EES, a user friendly tool, may be
      preferred to determine the level of expressed emotion in caregivers of patients
      with schizophrenia. However, further studies with larger samples are needed to
      obtain more reliable results.

PMID- 28360562
TI  - Sporadic Creutzfeldt-Jacob Disease: An 8-Year Experience from a Single Center in
      Turkey.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: Our aim was to conduct a retrospective review to demonstrate the
      clinical, radiological, and electrophysiological features of patients with
      sporadic Creutzfeldt-Jacob disease (sCJD). METHOD: A total of 10 patients (5
      female and 5 male, with a mean age of 45 years from a range of 40 to 67 years)
      out of 8.259 adult patients hospitalized from January 2000 to December 2008 were
      diagnosed with sCJD. RESULTS: Eight of the patients were diagnosed on the basis
      of clinical, radiological, electroencephalography (EEG), and cerebrospinal fluid
      (CSF) findings. Two other patients also had a pathological diagnosis. The most
      common signs and symptoms were behavioral disturbances, movement disorders,
      cognitive decline, myoclonus, psychosis, focal neurological deficit, and aphasia.
      Nine of the patients had periodic sharp wave discharges on EEG. Seven patients
      were positive for the 14.3.3 protein in the CSF. Five patients had pulvinar signs
      a bilateral increased signal in the pulvinar thalami-on cranial magnetic
      resonance imaging. Eight patients were diagnosed with probable sCJD; two were
      diagnosed with definite sCJD. All of the patients died as a result of the disease
      within 24 months after the onset of symptoms. DISCUSSION: sCJD should be
      considered in the diagnosis of patients who present with rapidly progressive
      dementia. Clinical and radiological data appear to be sufficient for the
      diagnosis. However, detailed molecular examinations of the subtypes of the
      disease may be required for early diagnosis of cases given the wide spectra of
      CJD.

PMID- 28360563
TI  - The Turkish Adaptation of the Ten-Item Personality Inventory.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: Personality is one of the important domains of psychology, and it
      is an integration of emotional, cognitive, social and physical properties. In
      this study, we aimed to assess the applicability of the "Ten-Item Personality
      Inventory (TIPI)" which measures five basic personality traits in Turkish young
      people. METHOD: Data from a total of 420 participants - 208 male (49.1%) and 212
      female (50.9%) - were employed for the validity and reliability analyses. Of the
      participants, 230 (54,8%; mean age: 23.2 years; sd=1.6) were university students
      and the rest were not (n=190; 45.2%; mean age: 23.4 years; df=1.7). The mean age
      of the participants was 22.1 years (df=1.3), ranging from 18 to 25 years.
      RESULTS: Language validity (correlations between 0.92 and 0.97), exploratory
      factor analysis yielded 10 items and five-factor model explaining 65.21% of the
      variance. Confirmatory factor analyses (chi2/df: 2.20, GFI=0.95, AGFI=0.92,
      CFI=0.93, NNFI=0.91, RMR=0.04, and RMSEA=0.03), item analysis, and convergent
      validity results indicated that a five-factor solution with 10 items met the
      criteria standards for adequacy of fit among Turkish young people. The internal
      consistency (Openness to Experiences 0.83, Agreeableness 0.81, Emotional
      Stability 0.83, Conscientiousness 0.84, and Extraversion 0.86) and test-retest
      stability (=54; Openness to Experiences 0.89, Agreeableness 0.87, Emotional
      Stability 0.89, Conscientiousness 0.87, and Extraversion 0.88) revealed a
      moderate to acceptable reliabilities. CONCLUSION: The results demonstrated that
      the TIPI could be used in studies that evaluate personality in Turkish young
      people.

PMID- 28360564
TI  - Self-Esteem, Social Phobia and Depression Status in Patients with Epilepsy.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: The increased risk for psychiatric disorders in epilepsy can be
      related to a number of clinical, psychosocial and biological factors. Due to the
      unpredictability of seizures and the possibility that they may occur at any time
      and in any place, patients with epilepsy may develop social phobia and may have
      feelings of worthlessness and stigma. These factors decrease their psychosocial
      function, self-efficacy, and quality of life and even increase the suicide rate.
      Considering the above-mentioned scientific data, the present study was designed
      to investigate phobia, self-esteem and depression status in patients with
      epilepsy. METHODS: One hundred thirty-two patients (aged 21-52 years) and age-
      and gender-matched control group of 61 subjects (aged 25-60 years) were included
      in this study. All patients in both groups were administered the Liebowitz Social
      Anxiety Scale (LSAS), Coopersmith Self-Esteem Inventory (CSEI), and the Beck
      Depression Inventory (BDI). RESULTS: The mean ages of the patient group and the
      healthy controls were 29.66+/-11.3 and 32.16+/-7.99, respectively. There was no
      statistical significance between the two groups in terms of age and sex (p>0.05).
      BDI, LSAS and CSEI scores in the patient group were statistically significantly
      different than in the control group (p<0.05). DISCUSSION: Our results showed that
      social phobia, lower self-esteem and depression are important comorbid conditions
      in epileptic patients. Psychiatric disorders are usually underrecognized and
      undertreated in patients with epilepsy. Therefore, it is very important to
      identify and treat the psychiatric comorbid conditions in epilepsy because of
      their significant burden on patients' quality of life.

PMID- 28360565
TI  - Reliability and Validity of the Turkish Version of the Health Anxiety Inventory.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: Health anxiety is seen in the clinical presentation of both
      somatoform disorders, especially hypochondriasis and anxiety disorders. In this
      study, we aimed to perform the reliability and validity analyses of the Turkish
      version of the Health Anxiety Inventory which is used in the assessment of health
      anxiety. METHOD: Translation and back-translation of the Health Anxiety Inventory
      was done. Study groups consisted of in- or out-patients with somatoform disorder
      (n=65), panic disorder (n=55), major depressive disorder (n=22), and healthy
      volunteers (n=114). In the assessment, beside the Health Anxiety Inventory, the
      Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression, Somatosensory Amplification Scale and the
      Trait Anxiety Inventory were used. RESULTS: In reliability analyses, Cronbach's
      alpha internal consistency coefficient was 0.918 and item-total score correlation
      coefficients were between 0.405 and 0.769. Test-retest correlation coefficient
      was r=0.572. In construct validity, two factors that representing 54.5 percent of
      the total variance were obtained and they represented sensitivity to somatic
      symptoms and anxiety towards organic diseases. In concurrent validity, it had
      moderate to good correlation with the other study scales. In the comparison of
      study groups, the groups of somatoform disorder and anxiety disorder had
      significantly higher level of health anxiety than the groups with major
      depressive disorder and of healthy controls. CONCLUSION: The Turkish version of
      the Health Anxiety Inventory can be reliably and validly used both in clinical
      practice and in research.

PMID- 28360566
TI  - Temperament and Character Differences in Patients with Premature Ejaculation.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: The debate on the etiology of premature ejaculation is still
      ongoing although there was huge amount of biological and psychological theories.
      We aimed to investigate the personality structure of patients with premature
      ejaculation via temperament and character inventory. METHODS: Forty patients with
      premature ejaculation and a matched number of healthy people were included.
      Participants were asked to fill out a questionnaire booklet with separate
      sections for general demographic information and the temperament and character
      inventory. RESULTS: Total novelty seeking scores and subscale 1 (exploration
      excitability) scores in premature ejaculation patients were significantly higher
      than in control groups (p<0.05). Total harm avoidance scores and harm avoidance
      subscale 2 (fear of uncertainty) scores in premature ejaculation patients was
      found significantly lower than in control group (p<0.05). Beck depression score
      was significantly higher in patients with premature ejaculation than in control
      groups. DISCUSSION: Men with premature ejaculation are more impulsive (excitant),
      more tempered, more excitable and less prone to harmful behavior. Current
      findings tend to reinforce premature ejaculation based upon combination of
      neurobiological and psychological reasons.

PMID- 28360567
TI  - Differences in Affective Temperaments in Anxiety Disorders: Comparison of Panic
      Disorder and Obsessive Compulsive Disorder.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: In this study, probable differences in affective temperament among
      anxiety disorders were investigated via a comparison of panic disorder (PD) and
      obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). METHOD: 44 patients with OCD and 42 patients
      with PD, who were admitted to Bakirkoy Prof. Dr. Mazhar Osman Research and
      Training Hospital for Psychiatry, Neurology and Neurosurgery outpatient clinics
      with complaints of OCD and PD and were diagnosed according to DSM IV criteria,
      were consecutively included in the study after informed consent was taken. A
      sociodemographic form, the Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-IV Axis I
      Disorders (SCID I), Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HAM-D), Beck Anxiety
      Inventory, Panic and Agoraphobia Scale, Yale-Brown Obsessive-Compulsive Scale (Y
      BOCS) and the temperament evaluation of the Memphis, Pisa, Paris, and San Diego
      Autoquestionnaire (TEMPS-A) were given to the patients. PD and OCD patients were
      compared in terms of affective temperament characteristics. RESULTS: Mean age,
      educational status and gender distribution of OCD and PD patients were similar
      (p>0.05). Dominant depressive temperament was more prominent in OCD group than in
      PD group (p=0.021). Hyperthymic temperament scores were higher in PD group than
      in OCD group (p=0.002). Dominant hyperthymic temperament was not encountered in
      either group. CONCLUSION: Dominant depressive temperament was more prominent in
      OCD group whereas hyperthymic temperament scores were higher in PD group. These
      findings should be evaluated in studies with larger sample sizes.

PMID- 28360568
TI  - The Prevalence of Psychiatric Disorders Distribution of Subjects Gender and its
      Relationship with Psychiatric Help-Seeking.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: The aim of this study was to investigate the prevalance of
      psychiatric disorders and psychiatric help-seeking behaviours in central
      Eskisehir according to sociodemographic variables. METHOD: In this study, for the
      purpose of revealing the psychiatric disorder profile of Eskisehir city and
      evaluating the prevalance of psychiatric disorders according to gender
      differences and psychiatric help-seeking behaviours; The Primary Care Evaluation
      of Mental Disorders (PRIME-MD) scale and psychiatric help questionnaire were
      administered to 1475 subjects who were randomly selected from 24 primary health
      care centers in Eskisehir. RESULTS: The prevalence of psychiatric disorders was
      as follows: at least one mood disorder 37%, anxiety disorders 29%, somatoform
      disorders - 8.6% and, possible alcohol abuse 7.7%. All diagnoses except possible
      alcohol abuse were found to be more frequent in women than men. Also It was found
      that in subjects who were thougth to have a psychiatric disorder, 64% of mood
      disorder patients, 67% of anxiety disorder patients, 70% of somatoform disorder
      patients and, 61% of possible alcohol abuse patients can receive appropriate
      treatment. DISCUSSION: Since psychiatric disorders are common, it is important to
      direct such patients to appropriate treatment. Therefore, new studies are
      necessary to find out the prevalance of psychiatric disorders and risky groups as
      well as to identify the reasons that why such people do not seek for help in
      different regions of our country.

PMID- 28360569
TI  - Investigation of Social, Emotional, and Cognitive Factors with Effect on Suicidal
      Behaviour in Adolescents with Depression.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: Our study aimed at investigating social, emotional, and cognitive
      factors playing a role in the development of suicidal ideation in depressed
      adolescents and its turning into a suicide attempt. METHOD: Sixty-three
      adolescents (48 female, 15 male) aged 12 to 18 years were included in the study.
      In face-to-face interviews, suicide ideation, suicide plans, and previous suicide
      attempts were evaluated, sociodemographic data were collected. Additionally, the
      Children's Depression Inventory, State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI-I, II), Beck
      Hopelessness Scale, Coopersmith Self-Esteem Inventory, Multidimensional Scale of
      Perceived Social Support, Strengths and the Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ)
      parent forms were applied. SPSS version 13.0 for Windows was used for statistical
      analysis. RESULTS: It has been established that in the last six months, 71.4% of
      cases (n=45) had suicidal ideation and 27% (n=17) attempted suicide. Factors
      associated with suicidal ideation in depressed adolescents were: high depression
      and anxiety levels, hopelessness and low self-esteem (p<0.05). Factors associated
      with suicide attempts were: separated family background, lower perceived family
      support and high rates of conduct difficulties (p<0.05). Patients with suicide
      attempt differed from patients with suicidal ideation but without suicide attempt
      in lower perceived family support only (p<0.05). DISCUSSION: It is thought that
      keeping in mind the factors associated with the development of suicidal ideation
      and its turning into a suicide attempt, will help clinicians in preventing
      suicide attempts in depressed adolescents.

PMID- 28360570
TI  - The Relationship of White Matter Hyperintensities with Depressive Symptoms and
      Daily Living Activities in Early-Stage Alzheimer's Disease Patients.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: Cerebral white matter hyperintensities (WMHs) detected on magnetic
      resonance imaging scans are frequently seen in both Alzheimer's disease (AD) and
      depression patients and believed to play an important role in cognition and mood.
      Depressive symptoms and depression may accompany AD in all stages of the disease.
      The aim of the study was to evaluate the relationship of regional WMHs with
      depressive symptoms, cognitive status, medial temporal lobe atrophy, and daily
      living activities in early-stage AD patients. METHOD: Forty-five patients with
      very mild or mild AD were examined. All subjects underwent MRI and were assessed
      by the Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS) and the Addenbrooke's Cognitive
      Examination-Revised (ACE-R) for the evaluation of depressive symptom severity and
      cognitive status, respectively. The patients were divided into two groups based
      on the selected cut-off point in the GDS. CDR sum of the boxes (CDR-sb) scores
      were calculated as a measure of activities of daily living (ADLs). MRI T2-FLAIR
      slices were used to rate the white-matter lesions according to the Age-Related
      White Matter Changes Rating Scale, assessing the WMHs in frontal,
      parietooccipital, temporal, infratentorial and basal ganglia areas individually.
      Medial temporal lobe atrophy was assessed with high-resolution T1 images using
      visual rating scale. RESULTS: In the depressive group, frontal WMH scores were
      found to be higher than in the non-depressive group (p=0.006). ACE-r, CDR-sb and
      medial temporal lobe atrophy scores did not differ among the groups. CDR-sb
      scores showed a significant correlation with frontal WMH scores (left frontal WMH
      r=0.439, p=0.003, right frontal AMH r=0.459, p=0.001). Linear regression models
      revealed the effect of WMHs on depressive symptoms among the other factors
      including age, functionality and atrophy in the medial temporal areas.
      DISCUSSION: Our findings underscore the potential role of regional, particularly
      frontal AMHs in depressive symptoms and functionality of the early AD patients.

PMID- 28360571
TI  - Expected and Experienced Pain Levels in Electromyography.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: The aim of the present study was to assess pain using a visual
      analogue scale (VAS) in patients awaiting an EMG procedure (i.e., expected VAS)
      and after an EMG procedure (i.e., experienced VAS). METHODS: Expected and
      experienced pain in response to nerve conduction studies (NCS) and needle EMG
      were assessed in 108 patients (61 females, 47 males; mean age 43.2+/-11.6) using
      a VAS. RESULTS: No significant correlations were noted between the expected or
      the experienced VAS in response to EMG and demographic features of the patients.
      The expected VAS was significantly higher than the experienced VAS in response to
      needle EMG (p=0.005). The highest VAS level was noted in the expected VAS in
      response to needle EMG (4.7+/-2.2). The lowest VAS level was noted in the
      experienced VAS in response to NCS (3.6+/-2.5). CONCLUSION: The present study
      demonstrated that neither the expected nor the experienced pain associated with
      EMG exceeded a moderate level. Interestingly, we found that expected pain levels
      in response to needle EMG were significantly higher than experienced pain levels.
      Therefore, it may be possible to increase compliance if patients are provided
      with this information before undergoing electrophysiological procedures.

PMID- 28360572
TI  - Cerebellar Mutism Syndrome After Posterior Fossa Surgery: A Report of Two Cases
      of Pilocytic Astrocytoma.
AB  - Cerebellar mutism is a type of syndrome including decreased speech, hypotonia,
      ataxia and emotional instability which occurs after posterior fossa surgery. It
      has been first reported by Rekate et al. and Yonemasu in 1985. It is well known
      that long tract signs and lower cranial nerve involvement are not seen with this
      syndrome and understanding is preserved. However, the pathophysiology of
      cerebellar mutism has not been well clarified yet. It is mainly seen in patients
      with medulloblastoma and brainstem involvement. In this report, we present two
      extraordinary cases of cerebellar mutism after posterior fossa surgery. They were
      considered extraordinary because their hystopathological analysis results yielded
      pilocytic astrocytoma which is out of the predefined risk factors.

PMID- 28360573
TI  - Late-life Onset Mania After Varenicline Use: A Case Report.
AB  - Late-life onset manic attacks generally occur secondary to general medical
      conditions or drug use. Varenicline is an alpha4beta2 nicotinic acetylcholine
      receptor partial agonist, used for the cessation of smoking. In this case report,
      we present a 67-year-old male patient with a new-onset manic episode following
      varenicline treatment. The patient's manic symptoms started on the seventh day of
      varenicline treatment. His symptoms started on the 7th day of treatment. He was
      admitted to the psychiatric outpatient clinic since his symptoms did not improve
      despite discontinuing varenicline treatment. In the initial mental status
      examination, he scored 35/60 on the Young Mania Rating Scale (YMRS). On the
      twenty-fifth day of the hospitalization, the patient was discharged since his
      YMRS score improved (5/60). Varenicline may cause manic episodes in patients with
      bipolar disorder and in healthy individuals. An increasing number of serious
      psychiatric disorders are being reported due to varenicline treatment. Mental
      state examination before and during varenicline treatment seems necessary.

PMID- 28360574
TI  - Chorea-Ballismus Associated with Hyperglycemia.
AB  - Chorea-ballismus which is a rare complication of nonketotic hyperglycemia may be
      the first symptom of type 2 diabetes mellitus. In this paper, we present two
      patients, who had involuntary movements and were diagnosed as having ballismus
      chorea associated with nonketotic hyperglycemia. While one of the patients was
      not diagnosed with diabetes mellitus, the other one did not administer insulin
      therapy for a long time which was prescribed. The patients were investigated by
      cranial imaging and biochemical tests. The symptoms improved in one of them
      within hours, however, it took days to improve for the other one. This clinical
      situation, which is thought to be caused by hyperglycemia, cerebral ischemia and
      failure of gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) and which probably improves with
      regulation of blood glucose levels, should be kept in mind by emergency
      physicians, because it can be the first presentation of type 2 diabetes mellitus.

PMID- 28360575
TI  - Agomelatine-Induced Maculopapular Rash: A Case Report.

PMID- 28360577
TI  - Critical Evaluation of Headache Classifications.
AB  - Transforming a subjective sense like headache into an objective state and
      establishing a common language for this complaint which can be both a symptom and
      a disease all by itself have kept the investigators busy for years. Each
      recommendation proposed has brought along a set of patients who do not meet the
      criteria. While almost the most ideal and most comprehensive classification
      studies continued at this point, this time criticisims about withdrawing from
      daily practice came to the fore. In this article, the classification adventure of
      scientists who work in the area of headache will be summarized. More
      specifically, 2 classifications made by the International Headache Society (IHS)
      and the point reached in relation with the 3rd classification which is still
      being worked on will be discussed together with headache subtypes. It has been
      presented with the wish and belief that it will contribute to the readers and
      young investigators who are interested in this subject.

PMID- 28360576
TI  - Pathophysiology of Migraine.
AB  - Migraine is a serious health problem which impair quality of life. It is the
      second most common primary headache that affects approximately more than %10
      people in general population. Migraine pathophysiology is still unclear.
      Increasing results of studies suggest to migraine pathophysiology is related with
      primary neuronal mechanisms. Migraine pain starts in which region of brain and
      what brain regions are activated in different stages is unenlightened. There is
      evidences that growing number of studies which using new imaging techniques as
      positron emission tomography (PET) and functional magnetic resonans imaging
      (fMRI) show that migraine and cluster headaches are related with neuronal
      structures and vasodilatation. There are four phases to a migraine. The prodrome
      phase, aura, the attack, and the postdrome phase. Some datas obtained from last
      ten years indicate that cortical excitability has increased in interictal phase
      too. For many years, studies in rodents show trgimenial nerve is activated and it
      leads to vasodilatation and neurogenic inflammation in the headache phase.
      Although the majority of patients encountered in clinical practice are migraine
      without aura or chronic migraine, experimental studies of the migraine
      pathophysiology are focusing on the aura model which is used cortical spreading
      depression.

PMID- 28360580
TI  - Acute Treatment of Migraine.
AB  - Migraine is one of the most frequent disabling neurological conditions with a
      major impact on the patient's quality of life. Migraine has been described as a
      chronic disorder that characterized with attacks. Attacks are characterized by
      moderate-severe, often unilateral, pulsating headache attacks, typically lasting
      4 to 72 hours. Migraine remains underdiagnosed and undertreated despite advances
      in the understanding of its pathophysiology. This article reviews management of
      migraine acute pharmacological treatment. Currently, for the acute treatment of
      migraine attacks, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) and triptans
      (serotonin 5HT1B/1D receptor agonists) are recommended. Before intake of NSAID
      and triptans, metoclopramide or domperidone is useful. In very severe attacks,
      subcutaneous sumatriptan is first choice. The patient should be treated early in
      the attack, use an adequate dose and formulation of a medication. Ideally, acute
      therapy should be restricted to no more than 2 to 3 days per week to avoid
      medication overuse.

PMID- 28360579
TI  - The Face of Chronic Migraine Which Has Started to be Clarified.
AB  - Recently, information about migraine which is generally characterized with
      attacks has gradually increased. In some patients with migraine, progression may
      be observed such that the frequency and time of the attacks are increased and an
      attack lasts for days. This condition is called chronic migraine (CM). According
      to the last classification, chronic migraine is defined as headache which occurs
      15 days a month or more frequently at least 8 of which show the characteristic
      properties of migraine or response to migraine-specific treatment. The diagnostic
      cirteria of chronic migraine, its differences from other chronic daily headaches
      and the question if it is a migraine form with a high frequency which transforms
      from episodic migraine or a completely different pathophysiological picture are
      still contradictory. Clarifying these issues is possible with clinical studies as
      well as increasing the studies directed to investigate the pathophysiological
      mechanisms.

PMID- 28360578
TI  - Comorbidity of Migraine.
AB  - Migraine is a common neurological disorder and can be severely disabling during
      attacks. The highest prevalence occurs between the ages of 25 and 55 years. Prior
      studies have found that migraine occurs together with other illnesses at a
      greater coincidental rate than is seen in the general population. These
      occurrences are called "comorbidities". To delineate the comorbidities of
      migraine is important, because it can help improve treatment strategies and the
      understanding of the possible pathophysiology of migraine.

PMID- 28360581
TI  - Prophylactic Treatment of Migraine.
AB  - Migraine is a common chronic neurological disease characterized by episodic
      attacks of headache and associated symptoms. The pharmacological treatment of
      migraine may be acute or prophylactic, and patients with frequent, severe
      headaches often require both approaches. Prophylactic treatment is used to reduce
      the frequency, duration, or severity of attacks, to enhance the benefits of acute
      treatments, and to improve patient's ability to function normally. Prophylactic
      treatment may also prevent progression from episodic migraine to chronic migraine
      and may result in reductions in health-care cost. The currently available
      pharmacological options for migraine prophylaxis include a wide array of
      medications. The major medication groups for prophylactic treatment include beta
      blockers, anticonvulsant, drugs such as topiramate and valproate, antidepressant
      drugs, such as amitriptyline and selective serotonin and selective serotonin
      norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors (SNRIs), calcium channel antagonists and
      neurotoxins. The agent for prophylactic treatment should be chosen based on the
      efficacy and side-effect profile of the drug, and the patient's coexistent and
      comorbid conditions.

PMID- 28360582
TI  - Botulinum Toxin in Migraine Treatment.
AB  - Since botulinum toxin might have a therapeutic effect on pain, many studies
      investigating the efficiency of botulinum toxin in headache treatment have been
      done. The most satisfying results were achieved by botulinum toxin type A
      (BoNT/A) in the treatment of chronic migraine. In this paper, we reviewed the
      clinical effectiveness of BoNT/A in migraine and included our clinical
      experience. In our ongoing pilot study, where we have repeated BoNT/A injections
      every 12 weeks, The difference in the Migraine Disability Assessment (MIDAS)
      scores between the first and the second injections was 61.1%; and between the
      first and the 3rd injections was found to be 65.72%.

PMID- 28360584
TI  - Medication Overuse Headache: The Reason of Headache That Common and Preventable.
AB  - Medication overuse headache (MOH) is well-defined clinically and is one of the
      common reasons of chronic daily headache, but its pathophysiology has not been
      elucidated yet. MOH has varying clinical features in regard to regional,
      psychosocial, medical and economic factors. Even though, the studies have shown
      that many factors may play a role, MOH is likely to occur in patients who are
      prone to primary headaches. Mainstay of the treatment is to withdraw the
      excessively used analgesic drugs. The primary prevention with education of the
      patients as well as early diagnosis and treatment of MOH will reduce its
      increasing financial burden on both patients and countries. Meticulous and
      multifactorial evaluation of the disease besides the diagnosis and treatment of
      the comorbid diseases will reduce the risk of recurrences.

PMID- 28360583
TI  - The Use of Complementary and Alternative Medicine in Patients with Migraine.
AB  - Although many patients with migraine get positive benefits from conventional
      pharmacological treatments, many others do not benefit sufficiently or experience
      adverse effects from these treatments. For that reason, these patients usually
      seek complementary and/or alternative medical (CAM) treatments all over the
      world. In general, although CAM therapies are not recommended by neurologist in
      Turkey, most of migraine patients, who do not respond conventional medicine
      treatments, seek alternative therapy. Acupuncture, botulinum toxin, mind-body
      interventions, and nutraceutical options are the most popular treatments. In this
      review, the available evidence for all these treatments will be discussed.

PMID- 28360585
TI  - Syndrome of Headache Accompanied with Transient Neurologic Deficits and
      Cerebrospinal Fluid Lymphocytosis.
AB  - The syndrome of headache accompanied with transient neurologic deficits and
      cerebrospinal fluid lymphocytosis (HaNDL), is a rare, benign and self limiting
      syndrome. In the 2nd Edition of the International Classification of Headache
      Disorders, HaNDL syndrome was defined in secondary headache group as "Headache
      attributed to non-vascular intracranial disorder". The etiology of HaNDL is still
      unknown. In recent years, some authors have shown that ion channel autoimmunity
      might at least partially contribute to HaNDL pathogenesis. In this paper, the
      definition of HaNDL syndrome, clinical picture and epidemiology of HaNDL
      syndrome, etiopathogenesis, differential diagnosis and treatment will be reviewed
      with the recent literature.

PMID- 28360586
TI  - Vestibular Migraine.
AB  - The co-occurrence between migraine and vertigo has been noticed for a long time
      ago. In recent years, however, growing numbers of epidemiological and clinical
      studies have definitely shown the significant relation between these two
      diseases. Recently, the term "vestibular migraine" is used commonly in studies.
      Vestibular migraine has taken place in appendix in the latest International
      Headache Society Classification. In this review, epidemiology, clinical features,
      diagnostic criteria and treatment of vesti-bular migraine will be discussed.

PMID- 28360587
TI  - Assessment of Quality of Life in Migraine.
AB  - Quality of life is the perception of an individual's position in life associated
      with his objectives, expectations, interests, and standard's of life. Health
      related quality of life, on the other hand, includes satisfaction with his health
      and emotional reaction to his state of health. Primary headaches are encountered
      commonly in adults during their most productive years like end of puberty and at
      the beginning of 50's. Migraine alone is responsible for 1.3% of years with
      disability in the world, all headaches together being responsible for twice of
      this load. Headaches both worsen quality of life of individuals and place a
      significant burden on the society. This review will focus on the effects of
      primary headaches, especially migraine, on quality of life and tools used to
      evaluate these effects.

PMID- 28360588
TI  - The Effect of Violence on the Diagnoses and the Course of Illness Among Female
      Psychiatric Inpatients.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: The aim of the study was to determine the rate of exposure to
      domestic violence among female inpatients at any period of their lives; to
      investigate the effect of different forms of violence on the diagnoses and the
      course of the illness. METHOD: The study was conducted on 102 female inpatients
      treated at Bakirkoy Research and Training Hospital for Psychiatry, Neurology and
      Neurosurgery. The Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-IV Axis I Disorders (SCID
      I) was administered and socio-demographic and clinical data was collected. A form
      designed for the assessment of violence was used to evaluate domestic violence.
      RESULTS: Ninety patients reported that they had been subjected to some kind of
      violence at some period of their lives. The parents or husbands were the most
      frequently reported persecutors. Seventy-three patients reported that they had
      been subjected to violence before the onset of their illness. Seventy-one had
      been subjected to physical, 79 to verbal, 42 to sexual, 52 to economic violence,
      and 49 to constraints on social relationship formation. Comorbid diagnosis of
      post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) was related to all types of violence. The
      rate of suicide attempt was found to be significantly related to verbal-emotional
      violence. Only 12 patients had previously reported being subjected to domestic
      violence to their psychiatrist. CONCLUSION: Domestic violence, an often
      overlooked phenomenon, is prevalent among women with psychiatric disorders.
      Subjection to domestic violence is found to be correlated with PTSD and suicidal
      attempt.

PMID- 28360589
TI  - Risk Factors For Diabetic Polyneuropathy.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: The aim of this study was to investigate the risk factors for
      distal symmetric sensory-motor polyneuropathy (DSP) in patients with type 2
      diabetes mellitus (DM). METHOD: Sixty seven patients with type 2 DM (33 males and
      34 females) were included in the study. In addition to a detailed neurological
      examination, the Michigan Neuropathy Screening Instrument was administered to all
      patients and their total neuropathy scores were calculated. Nerve conduction
      examinations were performed for all patients. RESULTS: The mean age of the
      patients was 52.83+/-.87 years. The mean glycosylated hemoglobin (HbA1C) value
      was 8.56+/-2.07% (normal: 3-6.5%). The total neuropathy score significantly
      correlated with diabetes duration, hypertension, retinopathy, and HbA1C.
      CONCLUSION: This study confirms the previous reports regarding the association of
      neuropathy with poor glycaemic control and duration of the disease. The
      association of neuropathy with retinopathy and hypertension is important.

PMID- 28360590
TI  - Validation of the Turkish Version of the Obsessive-Compulsive Inventory-Revised
      (OCI-R) in Clinical and Non-Clinical Samples.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: The Obsessive-Compulsive Inventory-Revised (OCI-R) is a widely used
      self-report instrument developed to overcome the problems with the available
      instruments. The aim of this study was to assess the psychometric properties of
      the revised Obsessive Compulsive Inventory (OCI-R) in Turkish sample. METHODS:
      The psychometric properties of the Turkish version of the Obsessive-Compulsive
      Inventory-Revised (OCI-R) were assessed in clinical samples (n=44 for patients
      with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), and n=44 for patients with major
      depression (MD) and a non-clinical student sample (n=287). RESULTS: The
      confirmatory factor analysis demonstrated that the original six-factor structure
      was valid in the Turkish sample. The overall and each of the subscales showed
      moderate to good internal consistency and convergent validity as well as test
      retest reliability. However, the Cronbach's alpha was excessively low for the
      hoarding subscale in the OCD group. The total and subscale scores of the OCI-R
      satisfied at discriminating patients with OCD from both patients with MD and
      healthy controls, with an exception of the neutralizing subscale. CONCLUSION: The
      Turkish version of the OCI-R did not reveal sound psychometric properties.
      Findings are discussed in the light of current theoretical considerations.

PMID- 28360591
TI  - Possible Risk Factors for Acute Stress Disorder and Post-Traumatic Stress
      Disorder After an Industrial Explosion.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: There have been deaths and injuries after an explosion which
      happened in an industrial region in Ankara in February 2011. The aim of this
      study was to determine the prevalence of acute stress disorder (ASD) and
      posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and to determine the variables which can be
      the risk factors for PTSD. METHODS: In this study, we included a total of 197
      subjects who were present at the factory building and at the four offices nearby
      when the disaster occurred. All the participants were assessed one month after
      the explosion and 157 of them were reassessed six months after the explosion.
      Socio-demographic information forms were given and the Clinician-Administered
      PTSD Scale (CAPS) was administered to the participants one month after the
      explosion. Psychiatric assessments were done using the structured clinical
      interview for DSM-IV axis-I disorders (SCID-I). The CAPS was re-applied six month
      after the disaster. RESULTS: At the first-month assessments, ASD was detected in
      37.1% of participants and PTSD in 13.7%, whereas PTSD was observed in 16.6% of
      subjects at the sixth month of the accident. According to the first month data,
      having any psychiatric disorder before the incident, physical injury,
      acquaintances among the dead and the injured people, being involved in the
      incident and seeing dead people were detected as the risk factors for PTSD. At
      the sixth month assessment, physical injury, acquaintances among the dead and the
      injured, being involved in the incident were seen as risk factors for PTSD.
      CONCLUSION: ASD and PTSD can be seen after an explosion. Having a previous
      psychiatric disorder and being directly affected by trauma and being injured are
      the risk factors for PTSD. This study implies that preventive mental health care
      services should include the management of current psychiatric condition and
      employee safety issues.

PMID- 28360593
TI  - Submissive Behaviour, Depression, and Suicide Probability in Male Arrestees and
      Convicts.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: The aim of this study was to determine the relationship of suicide
      probability with submissive behaviors and the levels of depression in male
      arrestees and convicts staying in penal institutions. METHODS: The study
      consisted of 326 male participants from five different prisons. A personal
      information form was used to collect the socio-demographic data, The Suicide
      Probability Scale (SPS), Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) and the Submissive
      Behaviour Scala (SBS) were used to determine the related psychological
      characteristics. RESULTS: The results showed that depression was determined in
      69% of the inmates (convicts and arrestees), while the suicide probability rate
      was found to be in the proportion of 88% which is higher than in the general
      population. Regarding the examination in terms of crime types, it was found that
      the suicide ideation rate of sex offenders or sex offender arrestees (x=18.33;
      ss=7.28) and the hostility rate of bulglary offenders (x=16.63; ss=4.75) were
      much higher than that of the other types of offenders. According to the findings
      of the Hierarchical Regression Analysis conducted in order to define the
      variables predicting the subscale rates of SPS, while previous suicide attempt(s)
      and depression predict hopelessness rate; self-attempted suicide, witnessing
      suicide attempts, self-harm and depression predict suicide ideation rate.
      Furthermore, education status and depression symptoms predict negative self
      evaluation rate, and lastly education level, witnessing suicide attempts, self
      harm and depression symptoms predict hostility subscale rate. CONCLUSION: Factors
      such as social isolation, mislearning, etc. were considered to cause increased
      feelings of hopelessness, suicide ideation, negative sense of self and feelings
      of hostility in convicts and arrestees staying indoors.

PMID- 28360592
TI  - The Effect of Sertraline on the Quality of Life for Children and Adolescents with
      Anxiety Disorder.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: In this study, we aimed to determine the changes in quality of life
      of children/adolescents with anxiety disorders during six months of sertraline
      treatment, to investigate parent-child/adolescent concordance in perception of
      quality of life and to examine the effect of treatment on children/adolescents.
      METHODS: In this study, 30 patients with anxiety disorders according to criteria
      specified in Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 4th. Edition
      (DSM-IV) were assigned to sertraline treatment. The patients were evaluated using
      the Pediatric Quality of Life Inventory (PedsQL), State-Trait Anxiety Inventory
      for Children, Clinical Global Impression Scale (CGI) and the Children's Global
      Assessment Scale (CGAS) at 0th, 2nd and 6th months. RESULTS: PedsQL total scores
      increased significantly with the treatment in children and adolescents (p<.001),
      however, no differences were observed in parent proxy report (p=.326). The mean
      CGAS score was 59.85+/-7.73 at the beginning of treatment and 73.70+/-7.01 at the
      end of treatment (p<.001). The average CGI score decreased from 4.68+/-.96 to
      2.27+/-.84. CONCLUSION: It was observed that perception of quality of life in
      children and adolescents with anxiety disorders increased with the treatment.

PMID- 28360594
TI  - Coping Strategies in Patients Who Had Suicide Attempts.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: The aim of this study was to investigate coping strategies
      suggested to be a determinant of suicide attempt and to compare them with coping
      strategies of healthy volunteers. METHODS: This study was conducted on 50
      patients who had suicide attempts within the past two months and 52 healthy
      volunteers who did not have any suicide attempt. They were evaluated with the
      Turkish version of COPE inventory. The results were analyzed using SPSS version
      15.0 for Windows. RESULTS: In the suicide attempt group, 'active coping',
      'planning', 'positive reinterpretation and growth' scores were found to be lower
      than that in the control group. On the other hand, 'restraint coping',
      'acceptance', 'focus on and venting of emotions', 'behavioral disengagement',
      'substance use' and nonfunctional coping total points were significantly higher
      in the suicide attempt group. The patients with depression in the suicide group
      were found less of the 'positive reinterpretation and growth' but more of the
      'substance use' compared to the healthy group. Subjects who attempted suicide
      more than once tended to 'substance use' rather than 'active coping'. 'Focus on
      and venting of emotions' scores in suicide attempters were higher in women than
      in males. CONCLUSION: We observed that individuals who attempted suicide have
      fewer functional coping strategies and more nonfunctional coping strategies than
      who do not attempt suicide. It was determined that under stressful situations,
      individuals with depression tended to alcohol and substance abuse instead of
      positive reinterpretation and growth. In subjects who had recurrent suicidal
      attempts, alcohol and substance abuse was more common than active coping. Women
      were using focusing on and venting of emotions techniques much more than men. We
      assume that to monitor, and in case of necessity, to change the coping strategies
      in suicide attempters are vitally important for preventing suicide attempts.

PMID- 28360595
TI  - Alterations of Lipid-Lipoprotein and Leptin in Bipolar Disorder Associated with
      Clinic Process.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: Obesity is more common among patients with bipolar disorder as
      compared to normal population. There are studies showing increased leptin levels
      in obese patients. The aim of the present study was to investigate the
      alterations in leptin levels, body mass index (BMI), and lipid-lipoprotein levels
      during manic period, as well as during euthymic period, after one month in
      patients with bipolar disorder. METHODS: Thirty-one adult patients, who had been
      hospitalized in the psychiatry clinic because of manic period of bipolar
      disorder, were included in the present study. Serum leptin and lipid-lipoprotein
      levels and BMI of the patients were analyzed both on the first day and 30th day
      of hospitalization after they became euthymic. RESULTS: Total cholesterol and
      triglyceride levels significantly increased in male patients (p<.05). The
      increase in total cholesterol and LDL-C levels was not significant in female
      patients (p=.066 and p=.056, respectively). BMI was significantly, but slightly
      increased in both genders (.56+/-.14 kg/m2), however, such a change was not
      observed in serum leptin levels. CONCLUSION: Results of the present study
      demonstrated that clinical improvement in bipolar patients showed different
      association in each gender with the alterations in BMI and serum lipid and/or
      lipoprotein levels. Such an alteration might have resulted from direct or
      indirect effect of drugs, as well as from lifestyle changes.

PMID- 28360596
TI  - Assessment of Relation Between Subjective Memory Complaints and Objective
      Cognitive Performance of Elderly Over 55 Years Old Age.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: This study investigated the frequency of forgetfulness in elderly
      individuals over 55 years of age and examined the association of subjective
      memory complaints (SMCs) with objective cognitive functions,, depression and
      other risk factors. METHODS: We recruited 405 patients over 55 years of age who
      were referred to Neurology, Cardiology, or Physical Therapy and Rehabilitation
      outpatient clinics. All subjects were questioned regarding forgetfulness and then
      were administered the Subjective Memory Complaint (SMC) Scale, Mini Mental Test
      (MMT), Verbal Fluency Test (VFT), Clock Drawing Test (CDT) and the Geriatric
      Depression Scale (GDS). Subjects with SMC were compared with those without SMC in
      terms of cognition, depression and some laboratory parameters. RESULTS: Of the
      patients, 42.5% complained of forgetfulness. None of these patients had been
      admitted to hospital for this complaint. Women and patients with low education
      had more forgetfulness as well as poorer results on the SMC Scale, MMT, VFT, and
      GDS. Patients with SMC had lower hemoglobin, ferritin and free T4 levels. Female
      gender and depression was found to be a risk factor for SMCs. CONCLUSION: SMCs
      are common in people over 55 years of age. Being a woman as well as depression
      was found to be a risk factor for SMC. Since depression is a treatable condition,
      these people should be assessed carefully in terms of depressive symptoms.
      Laboratory parameters, such as hemoglobin, ferritin and free T4 levels should be
      investigated in patients with SMC. Unlike the other cognitive tests, CDT
      performance is independent of subjective memory complaints. Elderly patients
      rarely visit hospital with complaint of SMC, therefore, clinicians should be
      watchful for this problem.

PMID- 28360597
TI  - Therapeutic Plasma Exchange in Neurologic Diseases: An Experience with 91
      Patients in Seven Years.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: In this study, we report the results of our experience of
      therapeutic plasma exchange (TPE) for neuroimmunologic disorders performed at our
      hospital over a seven-year period. METHODS: We retrospectively reviewed the
      medical records of 91 patients (53 male, 38 female) who had been treated at our
      center with TPE. RESULTS: 60 patients with Guillain-Barre syndrome (GBS), 23 with
      myasthenia gravis (MG), 4 with chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy
      (CIDP) and 1 patient each with polymyositis, septic encephalopathy, acute
      disseminated encephalomyelitis (ADEM) and Opsoclonus-Myoclonus syndrome (OMS)
      received TPE. 26.7% of GBS patient's made complete recovery, 61.7% had partial
      recovery and 11.7% patients died due to respiratory failure. Despite our best
      efforts and effective TPE treatments, 13.4% of MG patients deceased, however, 78%
      had full recovery. Three patients with CIDP were discharged with full and 1
      patient with partial recovery. The patient with ADEM had partial recovery with
      TPE at first, but deceased 2 months later due to pneumonia-related respiratory
      insufficiency. While, patient with polymyositis had slight-partial recovery, we
      obtained full recovery with TPE in septic encephalopathy and OMS patients. The
      side effects and complications of treatments with TPE, which included
      hypotension, hypocalcaemia and anemia, were mild and manageable. CONCLUSION: The
      improvement rates were encouraging and we concluded that significant benefit can
      be achieved with TPE for the treatment of neuroimmunological disorders.

PMID- 28360600
TI  - A Case of Acute Psychosis Following Energy Drink Consumption.
AB  - Interest in energy drinks is increasing every day. Energy drink consumption is
      increasing proportionally. Users often utilize these drinks in order to enjoy,
      have fun and to increase performance and attention. However, consumption of the
      energy drinks sometimes may also cause adverse physical and psychological
      consequences. Unwanted physical results are in the more foreground, noticeable
      and visible but the data about psychological problems caused by energy drinks is
      accumulated over the years in the literature. In this case report, we describe
      the case of a young man with no psychiatric history who was hospitalized for
      psychotic symptoms following excessive consumption of energy drinks.

PMID- 28360599
TI  - Inflammatory Demyelinating Diseases of Childhood: Case Report and Literature
      Review.
AB  - Multiple sclerosis (MS) and acute disseminated encephalomyelitis (ADEM) are
      demyelinating inflammatory diseases, considered to have a striking
      pathophysiological resemblance. However, due to the differences in both clinical
      course and clinical approaches, it is important to differentiate between the two
      conditions, to plan further investigations and therapy protocols. These diseases
      have similar but also distinct clinical, radiological and cerebrospinal fluid
      (CSF) findings. ADEM is typically a monophasic disease of children. MS occurs
      generally in adult age, but uncommonly may develop in childhood with variable
      features. Our case is a 14 year-old-girl, presented with a three-month history of
      left hemiparesis, followed by right hemiparesis, cerebellar signs, myelitis and
      cortical visual disturbances. Based on the clinical follow-up, MR and CSF
      findings, our patient was diagnosed with relapsing tumefactive multiple
      sclerosis. Steroid treatment was not significantly effective, however the patient
      has benefited from plasmapheresis clinically and radiologically. Our patient is
      still being followed under the disease modifying therapy without any relapse.

PMID- 28360598
TI  - Genetic Susceptibility to Multiple Sclerosis: The Role of FOXP3 Gene
      Polymorphism.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: It is well recognized that both genetic and environmental factors
      play an important role in the pathogenesis of multiple sclerosis (MS). Immune
      pathogenesis of MS focuses on pathogenic CD4+ T lymphocytes. CD4+CD25+ regulatory
      T cells have suppressive function in this cell group. FOXP3 (forkhead boxP3)
      transcription factor is a key structure in the development and function of
      regulatory cells. Functional alterations in FOXP3 gene expression have been
      observed in various autoimmune diseases. METHODS: We screened a non-synonymous
      coding single nucleotide polymorphism (exon +2710 C/T) (rs2232369) of human FOXP3
      gene in 148 MS patients (118 with Relapsing Remitting MS, 30 with Secondary
      Progressive MS) and 102 age- and sex-matched healthy controls. The association of
      polymorphisms with susceptibility, and course of the disease was evaluated.
      RESULTS: We could not detect any single nucleotide polymorphism in MS patients,
      however, polymorphic allele was detected in 3% of the control group.
      Consequently, a genetic association between the FOXP3 gene polymorphism and MS
      was not revealed. CONCLUSION: The distribution of this polymorphism has not been
      screened in any other MS populations before. Although we could not succeed to
      find any association between susceptibility to MS and screened FOXP3 gene
      polymorphisms, we suggest that this particular polymorphism is not appropriate
      for these kind of studies in the future.

PMID- 28360601
TI  - Acute Motor Conduction Block Neuropathy: Another Distinct Variant of Guillain
      Barre Syndrome.
AB  - We describe a patient who developed progressive weakness in all limbs without
      sensory symptoms 4 weeks after upper respiratory system infection.
      Electrophysiological findings suggested a new variant of Guillain-Barre syndrome
      named "acute motor conduction block neuropathy". Electrophysiological studies
      were performed at admission, 12th and 28th weeks. At the 28th week, the clinical
      examination and electrophysiological findings showed complete recovery.

PMID- 28360602
TI  - A Case of ADEM Mimicking Cerebral Adrenoleukodystrophy Based on Supratentorial
      MRI Findings.
AB  - A 9-year-old male admitted for syncope also had the complains of pain and
      numbness in his legs and frequent falling down. There was a history of upper
      respiratory tract infection 10 days before. On neurologic examination,
      paraparesia and fall a sleep were identified. On magnetic resonance imaging, the
      symetric signal increases were seen in biparieto-occipital white matter intented
      to corpus callosum at T2-weighted sequences and cytotoxic edema was seen at
      diffusion-weighted images. Heterogeneous contrast enhancement was seen on these
      areas. In addition, at the C7-Th5 vertebrae levels, spinal cord had diffuse
      increased signal intensity and contrast enhancement. Acute disseminated
      encephalomyelitis was thought based on clinical and radiological findings.
      Steroid therapy was started. Significant improvement was shown after treatment.
      On 2-year follow-up, there was no recurrence. In conclusion, it must be kept in
      mind that acute disseminated encephalomyelitis can rarely present with biparieto
      occipital involvement which extends to corpus callosum and can mimic
      adrenoleukodystrophy. For the differential diagnosis butterfly glioma,
      tumefactive demyelinating lesions or multiple sclerosis should be considered.

PMID- 28360603
TI  - Cognitive Impairment in Patients with Multiple Sclerosis.

PMID- 28360604
TI  - Supranuclear Gaze Abnormality in Sporadic-Creutzfeldt Jacob Disease.

PMID- 28360605
TI  - Cluster-Like Headache Associated with Symptomatic Chiari Type 1 Malformation.

PMID- 28360606
TI  - Could Hemiplegia Vegetativa Alterna be a Cerebral Sign of Heart Valve Disease?

PMID- 28360607
TI  - Comorbidity of Adult Attention Deficit and Hyperactivity Disorder in Bipolar
      Patients: Prevalence, Sociodemographic and Clinical Correlates.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: The aims of this study were to determine the frequency of adult
      attention deficit and hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) comorbidity in bipolar
      patients and to investigate the influence of this comorbidity on the clinical
      characteristics of bipolar disorder (BD). METHOD: A total of 135 patients with BD
      type I and II and BD not otherwise specified were included in this study. First,
      the Adult ADD/ADHD DSM-IV-Based Diagnostic Screening and Rating Scale (ADHD
      scale) was administered to all patients, and all of the patients were also
      interviewed for the diagnosis. Patients who were diagnosed as having ADHD
      comorbidity (n=23) on the basis of DSM-IV and those who were not diagnosed to
      have ADHD comorbidity (n=32) were compared in terms of sociodemographic and
      clinical correlates. RESULTS: Twenty-three of 135 patients (17%) were found to
      have ADHD comorbidity. In the ADHD comorbidity group, the level of education and
      the number of suicide attempts were higher (p=.011 and .043, respectively).
      Although not significant, subthreshold depressive symptoms in interepisodic
      periods, the lifetime history of antidepressant use and the total number of
      lifetime depressive episodes tended to be more frequent in bipolar disorder with
      ADHD comorbidity group than in the control group. CONCLUSION: Bipolar disorder
      has a frequent comorbidity with ADHD, and contrary to expectations, it might be
      related to the depressive aspect, rather than the manic aspect, of bipolar
      disorder. Early diagnosis of ADHD comorbidity in bipolar patients might help to
      prevent serious risk factors.

PMID- 28360608
TI  - Does Illness Perception Predict Posttraumatic Stress Disorder in Patients with
      Myocardial Infarction?
AB  - INTRODUCTION: Myocardial infarction (MI) as a life-threatening event, carrying
      high risk of recurrence and chronic disabling complications, increases the risk
      of developing acute stress disorder (ASD), posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD),
      or both. The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between
      illness perceptions and having ASD, PTSD, or both in patients after MI. METHOD:
      Seventy-six patients diagnosed with acute MI were enrolled into our prospective
      study. We evaluated patients during the first week and six months after MI.
      Patients were assessed by using the Clinician Administered PTSD Scale (CAPS), the
      Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HDRS), the Hamilton Anxiety Rating Scale
      (HARS), the Brief Illness Perception Questionnaire (BIPQ), and a semi-structured
      interview for socio-demographic characteristics during both the first and second
      evaluations. RESULTS: Acute stress disorder (ASD) developed in 9.2% of patients
      and PTSD developed in 11.9% of patients with MI. Illness perception factors of
      'consequences, identity and concern' predicted the occurrence of both ASD and
      PTSD, whereas 'emotion' predicted only PTSD. CONCLUSION: The factors of illness
      perceptions predicted the induction of ASD and PTSD in patients who had acute MI.

PMID- 28360609
TI  - Coping with Stress and Body Image in Patients with Ankylosing Spondylitis.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: The aim of this study was to determine coping with stress and body
      image in patients with ankylosing spondylitis (AS) and to investigate the
      correlation between these two characteristics together and also between them and
      disease activity/functional capacity. METHOD: Fourty healthy controls and 40
      patients with AS who were diagnosed on the basis of Modified New York Criteria
      were included in the study. The exclusion criteria were another medical disease
      or comorbid psychiatric disorder. All participants were administered the Coping
      Orientations to Problems Experienced (COPE) questionnaire in order to evaluate
      attitudes to coping with stress and the Multidimensional Body-Self Relations
      Questionnaire (MBSRQ) to evaluate body image. The Bath Ankylosing Spondylitis
      Disease Activity Index (BASDAI) and Bath Ankylosing Spondylitis Functional Index
      (BASFI) were used to evaluate AS patients' disease activities and functional
      capacities. RESULTS: There was no difference between the two groups in terms of
      COPE scores. The MBSRQ 'health evaluation' subscale scores were lower and the
      'fitness orientation' scores higher in the AS group. The COPE active coping
      subscale had a weak, positive correlation with MBSRQ total score and a weak,
      negative correlation with BASFI score. MBRSQ total score had a moderate, negative
      correlation with BASFI score, and a weak, negative correlation with BASDAI score.
      CONCLUSION: The attitudes to coping with stress in AS patients with no
      accompanying medical disease or psychiatric disorder may not differ from that in
      healthy controls. Negative health evaluation and fitness orientation must be
      characteristics considered in psychotherapeutic interventions applied to these
      patients. In addition, psychotherapeutic interventions directed toward coping
      with stress and body image may be especially useful in active stages of the
      disease and in patients with limited functional capacity.

PMID- 28360610
TI  - Attachment Characteristics and Behavioral Problems in Children and Adolescents
      with Congenital Blindness.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: This study aimed to assess the behavioral problems and the
      attachment characteristics of children and adolescents with congenital blindness
      (CB). METHOD: Forty children and adolescents aged 11-14 years with CB were
      included as the case group. Forty healthy children and adolescents who were
      matched for age, gender, and socioeconomic status with the case group served as
      the comparison group. Behavioral problems were assessed by the Child Behavior
      Checklist for ages 4-18 (CBCL 4/18). Attachment characteristics were assessed via
      the Short Form of Inventory of Parent and Peer Attachment (s-IPPA). RESULTS: The
      case group had lower CBCL total problems scores as well as anxiety/depression,
      withdrawal/depression, and attention problems subscales scores with respect to
      the comparison group. There were no significant differences between the two
      groups in s-IPPA scores. CONCLUSION: Children and adolescents with CB did not
      differ from the comparison group in terms of attachment, whereas, they had lower
      scores on behavioral problems than the comparison group. Although previous
      studies indicate that children and adolescents with CB may be at the risk of
      insecure attachment, our study suggested that adaptive mechanisms of their
      families together with professional help from specialized teachers and services
      provided by schools for children and adolescents with CB may play compensatory
      roles.

PMID- 28360611
TI  - Association Between Internet Use and Sleep Problems in Adolescents.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: Sleep problems are commonly encountered in adolescents. It has been
      shown that electronic media have a negative influence on the sleep quality and
      daytime functioning in adolescents. This study aims to investigate the
      association between internet use and sleep problems in adolescents. METHOD: A
      total of 1212 adolescents were recruited to the study. Self-report study
      questionnaire included two main parts: Young's Internet Addiction Scale (IAS) and
      a semi-structured inquiry on sleep habits/problems. RESULTS: Of the study sample,
      16% (n=198) reported their sleep quality as bad or very bad. One-fourth of the
      sample reported using internet everyday and 27% of them reported spending more
      than one hour when online. The mean IAS total score was 35.56+/-13.87.
      Adolescents with a higher IAS score reported getting to bed later in the night,
      needing more time to fall asleep and having an increased number of awakenings in
      the night than the adolescents with lower IAS score (p=.001). They were also
      found to have higher frequencies of several sleep problems including difficulty
      in initiating and sustaining sleep, difficulty in waking up and feelings of
      sleepiness in day. In addition, sleep quality of them was worse when compared to
      the adolescents with a lower IAS score (p=.001). CONCLUSION: Problematic sleep
      habits and sleep problems were found to be more frequent in adolescents with a
      higher IAS total score. Health care providers must be aware of the possible
      negative impact of excessive and uncontrolled internet use on adolescents' sleep
      habits.

PMID- 28360612
TI  - Body Image, Self-Esteem and Depressive Symptomatology in Women with Polycystic
      Ovary Syndrome.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: In the current study we aimed to determine body image, self-esteem
      and depressive symptomatology in women with Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) and
      compare with healthy controls. METHOD: This study was conducted among the
      patients with untreated PCOS who admitted to the Outpatient Clinic of Gynecology
      and Obstetrics of Faculty of Medicine of Selcuk University. A total 83
      consecutive women with PCOS met the criteria of present study were included in
      the study. Age matched healthy controls (n=64) were recruited from employees at
      Selcuk University Hospital. PCOS was defined according to Rotterdam criteria.
      After socio-demographic characteristics of the participants were recorded, Body
      Image Scale, Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale and Beck Depression Inventory were
      completed by the participants. RESULTS: Patients with PCOS and healthy controls
      did not differ in some sociodemographic variables, including age, education and
      economic status (p>.05). Previous psychiatric history was more prevalent among
      the PCOS group (p<. 05). Body mass index (BMI) was <=25 kg/m2 in both groups. BMI
      values in the PCOS group were significantly higher than in the controls (p<.05).
      BDI scores were significantly higher in the PCOS group compared to that in the
      healthy controls (p<.05). There was no significant difference between the PCOS
      group and healthy controls in BIS and RSES scores (p>.05). CONCLUSION: The
      present study suggests that PCOS seems to be associated with depressive
      symptomatology. Furthermore, rising BMI values of these women may be an indicator
      for the onset of PCOS. However, these results should be confirmed by prospective
      studies.

PMID- 28360613
TI  - The Relationship of Childhood Abuse and Neglect with Suicide Attempts in an Adult
      Unipolar Depression Sample.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: Unipolar depression is an important psychiatric disorder that leads
      to an increased risk of suicide. However, not all depression patients attempt
      suicide. This reflects the presence of other factors that may be related to
      suicide other than the sole presence of psychopathology. Drawing upon the
      clinical evidence linking childhood abuse and neglect experiences with suicide;
      this study aimed at investigating the relationship of childhood abuse and neglect
      experiences with suicide attempts in patients with unipolar depression. METHOD:
      One hundred six unipolar depressed patients between the ages of 18 and 65 were
      included in the study. Patients with comorbid psychiatric disorders, neurological
      disorders, alcohol-substance abuse problems, and a Beck Depression Inventory
      (BDI) score of <17 were excluded from the study. The BDI, Childhood Trauma
      Questionnaire (CTQ-28), State-Trait Anger Expression Inventory (STAXI), and the
      Suicide Behavior Questionnaire (SBQ) were administered to all patients. Suicidal
      and non-suicidal cases were determined according to clinic interviews and the
      patients' responses in the SBQ. RESULTS: Sixty-four patients have previously
      attempted suicide. Although there was no significant difference between unipolar
      depression patients with a history of suicide attempts and patients with no
      history of suicide attempts in terms of average age, education and marital
      status, however, female/male ratio in the former group was determined to be
      significantly higher. BDI, STAXI continuous anger and outward anger average
      scores, and average CTQ-28 emotional abuse, physical abuse and total scores were
      significantly higher in the group with a history of suicide attempts. The
      predictors of suicide attempts were higher BDI and CTQ-28 physical abuse scores
      and female gender. The predictors for average SBQ scores were determined as
      higher BDI, CTQ-28 sexual abuse, and STAXI outward anger and continuous anger
      scores. CONCLUSION: Childhood physical and sexual abuse experiences are important
      factors in evaluating the presence of suicide attempts and risk of suicide in
      patients with unipolar depression. Careful questioning of traumatic childhood
      experiences during psychiatric examinations and monitoring of depression patients
      is crucial in determining treatment protocols and preventing suicide attempts.

PMID- 28360614
TI  - The Presence of Autoantibodies Against Vascular and Nervous Tissue in Sera From
      Patients with Neuro-Behcet's Disease.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: Behcet's disease is a chronic inflammatory disease of unknown
      aetiology that affects multiple organ systems. Since the diagnosis of this
      disease mainly relies on clinical criteria, a diagnostic laboratory test is
      required especially for neuro-Behcet's patients without systemic involvement.
      METHOD: In this study, we searched for the presence of autoantibodies against
      brain tissue, by means of indirect immunofluorescent staining technique in sera
      obtained from patients with neuro-Behcet's disease, based on reports that humoral
      immune dysregulation may play a role in susceptibility to Behcet's disease. After
      pre-absorbtion of sera with guinea pig liver powder to reduce nonspecific
      staining, serum samples were applied to mouse brain sections and immunoreactivity
      was detected with fluorescein (FITC)-conjugated goat antibody against human IgG.
      RESULTS: Ten sera from neuro-Behcet's patients and 10 age-matched control sera
      were screened for immunoreactivity. We detected specific immunoreactivity to both
      parenchymal and vascular brain structures in the patients' sera. Parenchymal
      vessel immunopositivity was detected in 8 of 10 patients, whereas only two of
      control sera showed no significant parenchymal vascular immunoreactivity
      (p=.025). In addition to vascular immunoreactivity, filamentous and reticular
      immunopositive structures were detected in brain sections of 5 out of 10
      patients. No such immunoreactivity was detected in sections incubated with
      control sera (p=.016). CONCLUSION: We detected a specific immunoreactivity
      against vascular and parenchymal filamentous structures in neuro-Behcet patients'
      sera. Humoral autoimmunity may play a role in the pathogenesis of neuro-Behcet's
      disease in addition to cellular immune response. Findings of this preliminary
      study will be evaluated with a large number of patients and controls, to
      determine whether it is the cause or the result and, further studies are underway
      to disclose the nature of epitope to which the immunoreactivity was directed
      against and to develop a diagnostic laboratory method for investigating central
      nervous system involvement in Behcet's patients.

PMID- 28360615
TI  - If Neurologists Establish The Diagnosis of Primary Sjogren's Syndrome?
AB  - INTRODUCTION: Neurological involvements were shown in 20% of patients with
      Primary Sjogren's Syndrome (pSS). Neurological symptoms may be the first signs of
      pSS in 57% of the cases. In addition, early diagnosis and treatment of
      neurological disorders may save or improve the quality of life of these cases.
      There have been reports about the neurologic manifestations of pSS but little is
      known about the details of neurologically presented cases. METHOD: In this study,
      we described 11 pSS patients who presented with neurological manifestations.
      RESULTS: Central nervous system (CNS) involvement was recorded in 7 (63.7%) and
      peripheric nervous system (PNS) involvement in 4 cases (36.4%). CONCLUSION: Our
      findings regarding the cases with neurological manifestations leading to the
      diagnosis of pSS suggest that: 1) The frequency of CNS involvement was higher
      than that of PNS, and the most frequent clinical pictures of CNS involvement are
      Multiple Sclerosis (MS)-like illnesses and optic neuritis, 2) Guillain Barre
      Syndrome (GBS) was the most frequent disease of PNS involvement; 3)
      Mononeuropathy multiplex (MM) might be the first sign of pSS; 4) Neurologists
      should consider pSS in the differential diagnosis of cases with MS, optic
      neuritis, GBS and neuropathies of unknown causes including MM; 5) There is an
      urgent need of therapeutical guidelines for the cases with neurological
      involvement associated with pSS.

PMID- 28360616
TI  - The Effect of Vitamin D Treatment On Nerve Growth Factor (NGF) Release From
      Hippocampal Neurons.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: Vitamin D, the main function of which is thought to be the
      maintenance of calcium and phosphate homeostasis and bone structure, has been
      shown in recent studies to have important roles in brain development as well. A
      certain vitamin D receptor (VDR) gene haplotype was reported, for the first time
      by our group, to increase the risk of developing Alzheimer's disease. Our studies
      also showed that vitamin D prevents beta amyloid-induced calcium elevation and
      toxicity that target nerve growth factor (NGF) release in cortical neurons; beta
      amyloid suppresses VDR expression and the disruption of vitamin D-VDR pathway
      mimics beta amyloid-induced neurodegeneration. In this study, our aim was to
      investigate the effects of vitamin D on the NGF release from hippocampal neurons.
      METHOD: Primary hippocampal neuron cultures that were prepared from 18-day-old
      Sprague-Dawley rat embryos were treated with vitamin D for 48 hours. The
      alteration in the NGF release was determined with ELISA. Cytotoxicity tests were
      also performed for all groups. RESULTS: The NGF release in vitamin D-treated
      group was significantly higher than in untreated control group. The protective
      effect of vitamin D against cytotoxicity was also observed. CONCLUSION: Our
      results indicated that vitamin D regulates the release of NGF, a very important
      molecule for neuronal survival of hippocampal neurons as well as cortical
      neurons.

PMID- 28360618
TI  - Paliperidone: As a Possible Cause of Pericardial Effusion.
AB  - Paliperidone which is the active metabolite of risperidon is one of the novel
      antipsychotics. Controlled clinical studies proved its effectiveness on
      decreasing the positive and negative symptoms of schizophrenia. Some studies and
      case reports, reported its cardiovascular and cardiometabolic side effects.
      Cardiac tamponade, that may be mortal, wasn't reported as a side effect with
      paliperidone usage before. We present a 40 years old female with catatonic
      schizophrenia for eighteen years, whom was on 6 mg/day paliperidon for 3 years
      and presented with pericardial tamponade. We suggest that paliperdione may have
      cardiovascular and cardiometabolic side effects also in therapeutic doses.

PMID- 28360617
TI  - The Influence of Vitamin D Treatment on the Inducible Nitric Oxide Synthase
      (INOS) Expression in Primary Hippocampal Neurons.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: Neurodegeneration is a process that is characterized by the loss of
      neuronal structure and function and eventually ends with neuronal death. An
      elevated level of inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) is suggested to
      accompany this process by inducing oxidative and nitrosative damage. Vitamin D is
      reported to protect glial cells against neurotoxicity via suppressing iNOS
      synthesis. Though there was no data about whether iNOS is regulated by vitamin D
      in hippocampal neurons. In this study our aim was to determine any alteration in
      iNOS expression of hippocampal neurons in response to vitamin D treatment.
      METHOD: Twenty four and 48 hours of vitamin D treatments were performed on
      primary hippocampal neuron cultures that were prepared from Sprague dawley rat
      embryos (E18). The alterations in the iNOS mRNA expression were determined with
      quantative real time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR). The cytotoxicity levels
      of each group were investigated by the measurement of lactate dehydrogenase (LDH)
      that is released to culture medium. RESULTS: No difference was observed between
      groups in 24 hours of treatment regarding the iNOS expression. Though the iNOS
      mRNA level of vitamin D treated group was significantly lower than that of
      control group on the 48th hours of treatment (p<.001). Vitamin D treatment also
      attenuated the LDH release which is an indicator of cytotoxicity (p<.001).
      CONCLUSION: Our results indicated that vitamin D has the potential to prevent
      oxidative damage by suppressing iNOS expression.

PMID- 28360619
TI  - A Case of Carbonic Anhydrase Type 2 Deficiency Syndrome with Autistic Disorder.
AB  - Carbonic Anhydrase Type II Deficiency Syndrome (CADS) is a disease with an
      autosomal recessive inheritance that mainly includes characteristics of
      osteopetrosis, renal tubular acidosis and cerebral calcification. Pathological
      fractures, poor vision due to cranial nerve pressure, wide forehead,
      disproportionate mouth and jaw, physical and mental developmental delay are other
      features. In this paper, we present the case of a patient who was referred to our
      department with a diagnosis of CADS and diagnosed with autistic disorder after a
      psychiatric evaluation. We performed a detailed literature search, however, we
      did not find any report of co-existence of CADS (osteopetrosis intermediate type)
      and autistic disorder.

PMID- 28360620
TI  - Fibromuscular Dysplasia and Intravenous Thrombolytic Treatment.
AB  - Fibromuscular dysplasia (FMD), which usually affects middle-aged and older women,
      is a non-atheromatous and non-inflammatory angiopathy. Definitive diagnosis is
      made only by angiography showing classic string-of-beads appearance. In this
      article, we present a patient with acute ischemic stroke due to FMD who was
      successfully treated with thrombolytic therapy as well as to revise the approach
      to FMD in the light of the literature.

PMID- 28360621
TI  - Are the Comments on HaNDL Syndrome in the ICHD-II Sufficient?
AB  - A 33-year-old man was admitted to our emergency department for severe frontal
      headache followed by a state of consciousness disturbance and right-sided
      hemiparesis. No previous febrile disease, head trauma, vascular risk factor, and
      medication for any systemic disease were defined in his history. He had
      experienced a similar disorder three years ago and had recovered completely.
      Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) analysis revealed pleocytosis and
      electroencephalography (EEG) showed diffuse slow wave activity. Hyperintense foci
      on T2 and FLAIR sequences representing bilateral cortical ischemia, prominent on
      the right hemisphere, were seen on MRI. Contrast-enhanced T1 images showed marked
      leptomeningeal thickening with enhancement. The patient was considered as having
      CSF lymphocytosis (HaNDL syndrome) due to temporary headache with neurologic
      deficit and CSF pleocytosis. Diagnostic criteria have been identified for this
      syndrome according to the International Classification of Headache Disorders, 2nd
      edition (ICHD-II). According to these criteria, neuroimaging should be normal.
      Positive neuroimaging findings and impairment of consciousness have been reported
      in a limited number of HaNDL cases so far. Diversity of neurological signs,
      duration and distinctness from migraine headache have been described in comment
      section under the diagnostic criteria. Comments are inadequate in this regard.

PMID- 28360623
TI  - He who Sleeps with a Blind Man Will Wake Up Cross-Eyed: Wernicke's
      Encephalopathy.

PMID- 28360622
TI  - Spontaneous Rupture of Intracranial Dermoid Cyst Mimicking a Primary Psychiatric
      Disorder.
AB  - We discussed the case of a 14-year-old patient with acute onset of psychiatric
      symptoms for two months who had been examined and different antipsychotic drugs
      had been prescribed by several psychiatrists without any neuroradiological
      imaging. Because of unresponsiveness to the antipsychotic drugs, computed
      tomography and magnetic resonance imaging were performed which revealed a
      ruptured intracranial dermoid cyst. The patient underwent surgery and
      antipsychotic medications were withdrawn in short time. The emphasis of this case
      is that intracranial lesions can present with neuropsychiatric symptoms and
      findings only without any neurological deficit or signs.

PMID- 28360624
TI  - Rheumatoid Arthritis, Depressive Symptoms and Inflammation.

PMID- 28360625
TI  - State of the Art Approach to the Classification of Epileptic Seizures and
      Epilepsies.
AB  - In the light of the latest knowledge acquired from clinical and laboratory
      research dealing with genetic, molecular biology and neuroimaging, existing
      classifications were successively revised by the International League Against
      Epilepsy (ILAE) in 2001, 2006, and 2010. In the latest classification established
      in 2010, proposals articulated radical changes in terms of concepts and
      definitions of the previously published classifications and put forward new
      classifications for epileptic seizures, epilepsies and electroclinical syndromes.
      This review refers to the changes of the new classification with their reasons
      and criticisms.

PMID- 28360626
TI  - A Comparison between School and Home Rating Scales and Reliability-Validity of
      the Scales-the Scales for Diagnosing Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: The purpose of the present research is to compare the Turkish
      translations of school and home versions of the Scales for Diagnosing Attention
      Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (SCALES) developed by Ryser and McConnell with
      respect to age and gender and to examine the correlation between the two scales.
      METHOD: The research was conducted with 102 teachers and parents of 891 children
      aged between 5.0 and 14.11 years. 656 scale forms of parents returned to us were
      included in the study. The teachers filled in teacher information form, child
      information form, SCALES-School Rating Scale and the Turkish version of Conners'
      Teacher Rating Scale. The parents filled in family information form, child
      information form and SCALES-Home Rating Scale and the Turkish version of the
      Conners' Home Rating Scale. RESULTS: When SCALES-Home Rating Scale and SCALES
      School Rating Scale scores of each age group were compared using t-test, it was
      observed that the difference in all sub-scale scores in the 5-9 age group was
      significant and it was also observed that in the 10-13 and 13+ age groups, the
      difference was significant only in the hyperactivity field. The correlation
      between SCALES-School Rating Scale and SCALES-Home Rating Scale was investigated.
      The correlation between sub-scales measuring the same abilities was found to be
      between 0.1 and 0.26. CONCLUSION: We assume that the Turkish version of the
      SCALES is a valid and reliable instrument for diagnosing ADHD. Since SCALES-Home
      Rating Scale scores were higher than SCALES-School Rating Scale scores and the
      correlation between the two scales was low, we assume that the objectivity of
      parents' ratings was limited. Future validity studies on diagnosed children are
      needed.

PMID- 28360627
TI  - The Effects of Prolactin-Raising and Prolactin-Sparing Antipsychotics on
      Prolactin Levels and Bone Mineral Density in Schizophrenic Patients.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: We aimed to investigate the effects of antipsychotics on prolactin
      levels in patients diagnosed with schizophrenia and the effects of
      hyperprolactinemia on bone mineral density (BMD) in patients on long-term
      antipsychotics. METHOD: In this study, we included eighty consecutive patients
      who were diagnosed with schizophrenia according to DSM-IV, had been using the
      same antipsychotic for the last ten months, and fulfilled the inclusion criteria.
      Data on sociodemographic characteristics of the patients were collected through
      an information sheet. The Scale for the Assessment of Negative Symptoms (SANS)
      and the Scale for the Assessment of Positive Symptoms (SAPS) were used to rate
      positive and negative symptoms of the patients. In addition, their body mass
      indices (BMI) were calculated. Prolactin levels were measured through
      luminescence immune assay and BMD measurements were made at lumbar and femoral
      sites using dual-energy x-ray absorbtiometry. Haloperidol (n=20) and risperidone
      (n=20) were assigned to prolactin-raising antipsychotic group, and olanzapine
      (n=20) and quetiapine (n=20) were assigned to prolactin-sparing antipsychotic
      group for this study. The effects of antipsychotics on BMD were compared among
      these groups. RESULTS: Hyperprolactinemia was determined in 60% of haloperidol
      using patients, 90% of risperidone using patients, 25% of olanzapine using
      patients and 10% of quetiapine using patients. Mean prolactin levels were found
      to be significantly higher in prolactin-raising antipsychotic using group
      (p<0.001). There were no statistically significant differences in BMD values
      between the two groups, for the sites where the measurement was done. Lumbar
      spine and femoral neck T-scores and Z-scores in the prolactin-raising group
      significantly negatively correlated with the treatment durations and
      chlorpromazineequivalent doses (p<0.05). BMI and BMD values of both groups also
      displayed statistically significant positive correlations (p<0.05). CONCLUSION:
      The statistically significant differences in mean prolactin levels and numbers of
      patients with hyperprolactinemia between the treatment groups support the
      validity of classifying the antipsychotics as prolactin-raising and prolactin
      sparing". The relationship of BMD with the treatment duration and doses in the
      prolactin-raising antipsychotic using group was deemed to be important, since it
      indicated that a decrease in BMD was to be expected in long-term antipsychotic
      treatment.

PMID- 28360628
TI  - Association Between Age at Onset of Schizophrenia and Age at Menarche.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: Increasing evidence from clinical practice, as well as from
      epidemiological and basic research shows that there are gender differences in
      clinical features of schizophrenia, and this may be related to estrogens. There
      may be a relationship between earlier puberty and later onset of the disease,
      because of the protective effects of estrogens in women with schizophrenia. In
      this study, our aim was to analyze the correlation between age of menarche and
      age of onset of schizophrenia and to investigate the protective effects of
      estrogens in schizophrenia. METHOD: In this study, we included 289 patients who
      were diagnosed with schizophrenia. Those with mental deficiency or organic brain
      disorders were excluded from the study. All subjects were given a socio
      demographic form to determine their personal information, age at menarche, age at
      first odd behavior, age at onset of the disease and first hospitalization. Data
      on factors which may affect the association between age at onset of schizophrenia
      and age at menarche such as family history, head or birth trauma etc. were
      recorded on the information form. RESULTS: We found out that age at menarche was
      negatively associated with age at first odd behavior and age at first psychotic
      symptoms. CONCLUSION: Our study verifies the protective effects of estrogens and
      shows that the earlier puberty may be the cause of later onset of schizophrenia.
      A gender-sensitive approach in psychiatry improves our understanding of mental
      illness and our therapeutic strategies.

PMID- 28360629
TI  - Reliability and Validity of the Turkish Version of the Addiction Severity Index
      in Male Alcohol Dependents.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: We aimed to evaluate the psychometric characteristics of the
      Turkish translation of the Addiction Severity Index (ASI) in 115 male alcohol
      dependent patients. METHOD: The reliability of the instrument was assessed by
      measuring test-retest, interrater and internal reliabilities. In the validity
      analysis, the correlation coefficients between corresponding severity ratings and
      composite scores of each subscale and concurrent validity were assessed.
      Moreover, the discriminant validity and concurrent validity scores were
      calculated. RESULTS: The test-retest reliability of the ASI scores ranged from
      .79 to .91. The interrater reliability assigned by three raters was high (.74 to
      .99). Cronbach's alpha coefficient for internal consistency was .85 for all
      scales, and it varied between .64 and .77 for the subscales. The Beck Depression
      Inventory moderately correlated with the Psychatric status, and the MacAndrew
      Alcoholism Scale correlated with the Alcohol and Drug Use subscales of the
      Addiction Severity Index (ASI). The correlation coefficient was .91 for the
      alcohol use subscale. CONCLUSION: The results obtained in this study suggest that
      the Turkish version of the ASI could be used as a reliable and valid instrument
      in alcohol-dependent patients.

PMID- 28360630
TI  - Youth Sexual Health: Sexual Knowledge, Attitudes, and Behavior Among Students at
      a University in Turkey.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: To determine sexual attitudes, behavior, and knowledge of Namik
      Kemal University (NKU) students about sexual health and sexually transmitted
      infections (STIs). METHOD: A sample representing 10% of the undergraduate
      population of NKU in 2009-2010, was studied. Of 1,500 questionnaires distributed,
      1,314 (87.6%) were filled out. RESULTS: The mean age of the respondents (52.9%
      male) was 20.07+/-1.75 years. The rate of students who had received sexual health
      education was 32.0%, and 15.3% had previously used a sexual health service.
      Eleven percent of the female students and 50.3% of the male students had had
      sexual intercourse. The average age of initial sexual intercourse was 16.83+/
      2.07 years. Of the students who had had sexual intercourse, 46.6% reported that
      they did not use any contraception method. The most preferred method was condoms
      (37.6%). The rate of contraceptive use was 58.7% in sexually educated students
      and 43.9% in those not educated (p=.004). The most well-known STI was AIDS
      (96.5%), with sexually educated students giving higher rates of correct answers
      about STIs (p<.05). CONCLUSION: The students who had received sexual health
      education were more knowledgeable about vital consequences of STI's, even though
      it is not sufficient, than sexually active students. Awareness of safe sexual
      practices and changes in behavior, in particular, promoting condom use should be
      established in higher risk youths. Deficiencies in knowledge could be addressed
      by adding a sexual healthtraining component to the university curriculum, and
      unmet requirements could be met by reorganizing medico-social centers in
      universities.

PMID- 28360631
TI  - Are Uric Acid Levels Different from Healthy Subjects in Bipolar Affective
      Disorder and Schizophrenia?: Relationship Between Clinical Improvement and
      Episode Severity in Male Patients.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: Purinergic system dysfunction has been shown both in patients with
      bipolar disorder (BD) and those with schizophrenia. The aim of this study was to
      evaluate whether uric acid levels in male BD patients with manic episode and
      schizophrenia patients with psychotic relapse differ from healthy male subjects.
      Secondly to assess whether uric acid levels in both patient groups correlate with
      episode severity and if a decrease in uric acid levels correlate with clinical
      improvement. METHOD: A total of 55 BD patients with manic episode and 59
      schizophrenic patients with psychotic relapse were evaluated at baseline and at
      weeks 1, 2, 3 using the Young Mania Rating Scale (YMRS) and the Positive and
      Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS), and their plasma uric acid levels were measured.
      60 age-matched healthy males without history of any previous or current
      psychiatric diagnosis and treatment constituted the control group. In order to
      determine plasma uric acid levels, blood samples were centrifuged at 3000 * g for
      15 minutes, stored at -80 degrees C and measured in milligrams per deciliter.
      RESULTS: Uric acid levels in both patient groups with manic episode and psychotic
      relapse were found higher than in healthy controls (f=6.122, p=.027). The
      difference between repeated measurements of uric acid levels in BD patient group
      was found to be between baseline and first week measurements (after Bonferroni
      correction) (p<.001). No correlation was found between YMRS and PANSS scores and
      uric acid levels at 4 assessment times. CONCLUSION: Uric acid levels in male BD
      and schizophrenia patients with manic episode and psychotic relapse were similar
      with each other, and higher than in healthy males. No correlation was found
      between uric acid levels and episode severity in both groups. However, for
      patients with BD, a decrease in uric acid levels between baseline and first week
      seems to be correlated with clinical improvement.

PMID- 28360632
TI  - Effects of Dimensional and Categorical Classification on the Clinical
      Manifestation of Major Depressive Disorder.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: The aim of this study was to combine the dimensional concept with
      the categorical system in major depressive disorder (MDD) to reduce the
      complexity of the diagnosis. Furthermore, it was aimed to match categorical and
      dimensional approaches in a clear and simple manner. METHOD: The study included a
      patient group of 131 consecutive outpatients diagnosed with MDD according to the
      DSM-IV diagnosis criteria, and a control group of 99 people that is matched with
      the patient group by gender, age and education level. All subjects completed the
      Beck Depression Inventory, the Beck Anxiety Inventory and the Toronto Alexithymia
      Scale (TAS). RESULTS: Cronbach's alpha values for the analysis of the internal
      consistency of the scale for the patients group, control group and the total
      participants were determined as .94-.97, .87-.92 and .93-.96, respectively. Nine
      factors were obtained from the results of exploratory factor analysis. According
      to the Scree-plot, it was decided that the two-factor structure represents best.
      Although depression and anxiety are two distinct dimensions, the relationship
      between them was found to be significantly significant. This was valid for both
      patient and control groups. When the relationship between the DSM-IV diagnosis
      criteria and all variables (depression and its sub-dimensions, anxiety and its
      sub-dimensions and the number of symptoms) was evaluated, the number of symptoms
      was found to be significantly related with all of the criteria. CONCLUSION: The
      number of symptoms and the severity of illness are found to be important in the
      clinical manifestation of MDD. The relationship of the severity of the illness
      with sleep and appetite seems weaker. While loss of interest was mainly
      predicting the disorder, weight changes, psychomotor changes, difficulty in
      concentration, fatigue, and worthlessness were determined not to be predictors of
      the manifestations. According to dimensional approach, somatic anxiety and
      deterioration in performance predict the presence of the disorder. According to
      categorical and dimensional approaches, some of the DSM-IV criteria (#2, #1, #9,
      #4, number of symptoms, severity of symptoms, somatic anxiety, performance
      deterioration) are seen to contribute to the matchability between the approaches.

PMID- 28360633
TI  - Comparison of Sexual Function and Hormonal Parameters Between Mood Stabilizer
      Treatment Modalities in Bipolar Disorder.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: The aim of this study was to determine the differences between
      lithium and atypical antipsychotics (quetiapine and olanzapine) with regard to
      their effects on sexual functions and hormonal variables and to assess the
      findings in term of gender differences, in patients with bipolar disorder.
      METHOD: 28 female and 29 male patients diagnosed as having bipolar disorder type
      I according to the DSM-IV, using lithium or quetiapine and quetiapine+lithium or
      olanzapine and olanzapine+lithium were evaluated consecutively. Being in
      remission period and given informed consent were set as inclusion criteria in
      these cases. Interviews with the patients were carried out using the Structured
      Clinical Interview for DSM-IV Axis I Disorders (SCID-I) and SKIP-TURK. Sexual
      functions and satisfaction were evaluated with the Arizona Sexual Experiences
      Scale (ASEX) and the Golombok Rust Inventory of Sexual Satisfaction (GRISS).
      Blood samples of the patients were taken in order to determine prolactin (PRL),
      follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH), luteinizing hormone (LH), estradiol (E2), and
      free testosterone (T) levels. RESULTS: GRISS scores in male patients were higher
      than in female patients (p=.001). The number of manic, depressive and total
      episodes, and functionality levels were similar between the treatment groups,
      both in female and male patients. No differences were found between treatment
      modalities in terms of hormone levels both in female and male patients. Among
      females, ASEX scores of the patients treated with lithium monotherapy were less
      than the ones treated with quetiapine and olanzapine. Among patients with
      quetiapine monotherapy, GRISS scores in male patients were higher than in female
      patients. CONCLUSION: There are some evidences showing gender-based differences
      in the side effects of atypical antipsychotic drugs. Future studies with a
      specific focus on this topic are needed in order to have a better understanding
      of the basic mechanisms of gender differences.

PMID- 28360634
TI  - Triage of Patients in the Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Outpatient Clinic.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: The aim of this study was to evaluate and describe the three-stage
      triage method used in a child and adolescent psychiatry outpatient clinic.
      METHOD: The study investigated the new allocation process of 1482 children and
      adolescents who were assessed using this triage system for the duration of one
      year, in the year 2005. Data of 1423 children and adolescents who presented in
      2003 regarding the waiting time for the first appointment and the rate of
      nonattendance at the first appointment were used for the comparison. In triage
      system, new patients presenting to the outpatient clinic in the morning four days
      a week were assessed by a three-stage procedure: An initial Strengths and
      Difficulties Questionnaire screening and a structured interview administered by
      an intern was then followed by a clinical interview. RESULTS: Of the 1482
      children and adolescents who presented to the outpatient clinic during the study
      period, 1291 were given further appointments. Among patients who presented in
      2005, the 207 non-attendant patients were significantly more likely to have
      longer waiting times than the 1084 attendant patients. When compared to year
      2003, it was found that there was a significant decrease in the median waiting
      time for the first appointment and the rate of nonattendance at the first
      appointment among patients who presented in 2005. CONCLUSION: The triage
      procedure used in this study may constitute a model for developing countries with
      limited health care resources.

PMID- 28360635
TI  - Dissociative Experiences are Associated with Obsessive-Compulsive Symptoms in a
      Non-clinical Sample: A Latent Profile Analysis.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: There has been a burgeoning literature considering the significant
      associations between obsessive-compulsive symptoms and dissociative experiences.
      In this study, the relationsips between dissociative symtomotology and dimensions
      of obsessive-compulsive symptoms were examined in homogeneous sub-groups obtained
      with latent class algorithm in an undergraduate Turkish sample. METHOD: Latent
      profile analysis, a recently developed classification method based on latent
      class analysis, was applied to the Dissociative Experiences Scale (DES) item
      response data from 2976 undergraduates. Differences in severity of obsessive
      compulsive symptoms, anxiety and depression across groups were evaluated by
      running multinomial logistic regression analyses. Associations between latent
      class probabilities and psychological variables in terms of obsessive-compulsive
      sub-types, anxiety, and depression were assessed by computing Pearson's product
      moment correlation coefficients. RESULTS: The findings of the latent profile
      analysis supported further evidence for discontinuity model of dissociative
      experiences. The analysis empirically justified the distinction among three sub
      groups based on the DES items. A marked proportion of the sample (42%) was
      assigned to the high dissociative class. In the further analyses, all sub-types
      of obsessive-compulsive symptoms significantly differed across latent classes.
      Regarding the relationships between obsessive-compulsive symptoms and
      dissociative symptomatology, low dissociation appeared to be a buffering factor
      dealing with obsessive-compulsive symptoms; whereas high dissociation appeared to
      be significantly associated with high levels of obsessive-compulsive symptoms.
      CONCLUSION: It is concluded that the concept of dissociation can be best
      understood in a typological approach that dissociative symptomatology not only
      exacerbates obsessive-compulsive symptoms but also serves as an adaptive coping
      mechanism.

PMID- 28360636
TI  - Affective Temperament Profiles of Overactive Bladder Patients.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: Overactive bladder (OAB) is generally characterized by urinary
      urgency with or without incontinence and increased frequency of voiding and
      nocturia. Although animal studies have demonstrated the relationship between
      defective serotonergic neurotransmission and OAB, its etiology is still
      unclarified. Temperament profiles are hypothesized to be related with
      serotonergic activity and are studied in many psychosomatic disorders. Thus, we
      assume that OAB is related with a certain type of temperament. METHOD: 29
      patients, who were admitted to the urology outpatient clinic at Kocaeli
      University and clinically diagnosed with OAB syndrome, were recruited for the
      study. Temperament profiles were evaluated with the Temperament Evaluation of
      Memphis Pisa Paris and San Diego Autoquestionnaire (TEMPS-A). Depressive,
      hyperthymic, cyclothymic, anxious and irritable temperament scores in patients
      were compared with those in 25 healthy controls. RESULTS: Patient and control
      groups were similar in terms of age (p=.65), sex (p=.64) and educational level
      (p=.90). Anxious temperament scores were higher (p=.02) and hyperthymic
      temperament scores were lower (p=.02) in patients with OAB compared to controls.
      Depressive, cyclothymic and irritable temperament scores were similar in both
      groups. There was no significant differences between men and women in both groups
      in terms of different temperament profile scores. CONCLUSION: Hypothetically,
      there might be an association between anxious temperament and OAB syndrome
      reflecting serotonergic dysfunction. However, OAB syndrome must be considered
      from the aspect of the interdependence of psychosomatic implications in a narrow
      sense and psychosomatic dimensions due to the psychological predisposition in the
      individual case.

PMID- 28360637
TI  - Relationship of Cognitive Functions with Daily Living Activities, Depression,
      Anxiety and Clinical Variables in Hospitalized Elderly Patients.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: Cognitive impairment in elderly patients, which may be a sign of
      dementia, depression, anxiety or medical diseases, has been determined as a risk
      factor for functional loss. In this study, we aimed to investigate the frequency
      of cognitive impairment and to investigate the relationship of cognitive status
      with sociodemographic variables, daily living activities, anxiety and depression
      in elderly inpatients. METHOD: The sample of this cross-sectional and descriptive
      study consists of 243 patients aged 65 years and older who were hospitalized in
      Bulent Ecevit University Hospital. A sociodemographic questionnaire,, the Mini
      Mental State Examination (MMSE), Activities of Daily Living Scale, Lawton-Brody
      Instrumental Daily Activities Scale, Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS) and the
      Beck Anxiety Inventory were used for data collection. RESULTS: One hundred and
      six (43.6%) patients were female and 137 (56.4%) were male. The patients were
      divided into two groups according to the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE)
      23/24 cut-off score. The cognitive decline was statistically significantly more
      frequent in patients who were older, female, less educated, low socioeconomic
      status, and living in rural areas. There were more problems in the basic and
      instrumental activities of daily living and nutrition in patients with cognitive
      decline. Anxiety and depression scores were higher in this group. In our study,
      although the frequency of cognitive decline and depression according to GDS were
      56% and 48%, respectively; we found that only 10.5% of patients applied to the
      psychiatrist, and 9.3% of patients received psychiatric treatment. CONCLUSION:
      Cognitive decline may cause deterioration in the daily living activities,
      nutrition and capacity for independent functioning. Older age, female, low
      education, low socioeconomic status and living in rural area are important risk
      factors for cognitive impairment. Cognitive decline in older age may be
      associated with depression and anxiety. We assume that when cognitive decline,
      depression and other psychiatric problems are unidentified, it may contribute to
      deterioration of mental health in medically ill elderly.

PMID- 28360638
TI  - Analysis of Suicide Notes: An experience in Eskisehir City.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: It is estimated that a million people around the world die by
      suicide each year. It has been reported that a note was left in 5%-43% of the
      suicides. In this study, it we aimed to evaluate and discuss suicide notes in our
      city which is situated in Western Anatolia and where several universities are
      located. METHOD: All forensic deaths in Eskisehir in 10-year period between 2001
      and 2011 were evaluated. Forensic investigation files were assessed. After
      investigation, Out of 399 cases, 168 (42.1%) cases, who were determined to have
      left a suicide letter, telephone message (sms) or message via social network
      sites, were included in the scope of the study. RESULTS: It was found that 95
      (56.5%) of all cases had left a suicide letter, 69 (41.1%) cases had sent a
      telephone message to a person or more than one person, 4 (2.4%) cases had written
      notes about suicide and death in social networking sites. CONCLUSION: A suicide
      note is an important finding in suicide cases to clarify the case. However, the
      note should be confirmed by investigation to be accepted as evidence.

PMID- 28360639
TI  - Two Cases of Excessive Internet Use with Comorbid Family Relationship Problems.
AB  - Although the internet is used effectively and beneficially in every aspect of
      life, several users have been experiencing some problems due to excessive and
      uncontrolled use. While the term "internet addiction" still remains
      controversial, disturbed family relationships are considered to be a diagnostic
      criterion. The use of the internet, even in non-excessive levels, is associated
      with disturbance in family and social life. As considering from systemic point of
      view; while family relationships may be disturbed with internet addiction, people
      who have problems with their family relationships also may use internet
      excessively. This case report is composed of both the cases with excessive
      internet usage and those who had problems in complying with the changes in their
      family systems following the decrease in duration of internet usage during the
      treatment process.

PMID- 28360640
TI  - Cases of Narcolepsy-Cataplexy Syndrome Following H1N1 Vaccination.
AB  - Narcolepsy-Cataplexy syndrome is a rare sleep disorder related with human
      leukocyte antigens (HLA-DQB1*0602) caused by the loss of hypothalamic
      hypocretin/orexin producing neurons. Recently, in European countries, Narcolepsy
      Cataplexy syndrome developing following H1N1 vaccination has attracted attention.
      Our first patient was a 9-year-old boy, who was referred to our clinic with the
      complaint of daytime sleepiness developed 1.5 month after H1N1 vaccination. After
      a couple of weeks, weakness of the upper extremities while laughing was added to
      the clinical picture. He also developed hypnopompic hallucinations and
      nightmares. Multiple sleep latency test (MSLT) following full-night
      polysomnography (PSG) showed that the mean sleep latency was 0.6 minutes; and all
      of the naps had sleep-onset REM periods. Our second patient was a 50 year-oldman,
      who presented to our clinic complaining of sleep paralysis and REM sleep behavior
      disorder developed 4 months after H1N1 vaccination. He developed daytime
      sleepiness 6 months after and cataplexy 8 months after H1N1 vaccination. He was
      also diagnosed as having Narcolepsy-Cataplexy syndrome upon PSG and MSLT. We
      investigated HLA-DRB1/ DQB1 locus with Polymerase Chain Reaction-Sequence
      Specific Primer technique. The first patient had HLA-DQB1*0602.47 and DQB1*03.01
      heterozygous loci; and the second patient had HLA-DQB1*0602.47 and DQB1*02.01
      heterozygous loci. These patients are the first reported cases of Narcolepsy
      Cataplexy syndrome related with H1N1 vaccination in Turkey. Although there is no
      specific marker, temporal relationship between vaccination and onset of disease
      symptoms suggests a possible causal relationship. In the presence of an
      underlying genetic predisposition, it was thought that H1N1 vaccination could
      trigger Narcolepsy-Cataplexy syndrome.

PMID- 28360641
TI  - Guillain-Barre Syndrome in a Patient with Primary Extranodal Intestinal Non
      Hodgkin's Lymphoma: Paraneoplastic, Drug Induced or Coincidental?
AB  - Neurological involvement is observed in 5%-25% of patients with lymphoma being
      either the first presentation of the disease or emerging during its course.
      However, Guillain-Barre syndrome is rarely reported. In this article, we present
      a case with intestinal lymphoma developing Guillain-Barre syndrome during the
      course of the disease. A 66-year-old male patient with primary extranodal
      intestinal lymphoma developed quadriparesis, sensory deficits and autonomic
      dysfunction while receiving chemotherapy. The findings of clinical,
      electrophysiological and laboratory examinations were consistent with Guillain
      Barre syndrome. Guillain-Barre syndrome can potentially be fatal and mimic
      chemotherapy-induced neurotoxicity, especially in patients with lymphoma, and
      therefore, must be considered in the differential diagnosis.

PMID- 28360642
TI  - Other Possible Methods in the Differential Diagnosis of Epileptic and Non
      Epileptic Seizures.

PMID- 28360643
TI  - Coexistence of Migraine Headache and Red Ear Syndrome.

PMID- 28360644
TI  - Paroxysmal Dystonia as the First Manifestation of Multiple Sclerosis with
      Internal Capsular Plaque.

PMID- 28360645
TI  - New Nightmare "Synthetic Cannabinoids".

PMID- 28360646
TI  - Social Cognition or Towards a Mental Psychology/Neurology as a Dialectical
      Synthesis of Faculty Psychology.

PMID- 28360648
TI  - Language Disorders due to Posterior System Strokes - An Ignored Dysfunction.
AB  - The anterior system is primarily responsible for the clinical picture in a
      patient that presents with clinical aphasia. However, recent reports have shown
      that injuries to posterior structures, the cerebellum in particular, may have a
      role in language processing. Herein, we will look first at the linguistic role of
      the cerebellum in light of the literature, then of the thalamus and some
      described clinical syndromes, and finally, specific syndromes resulting from
      occipital lobe lesions, all of which are supported by the posterior vascular
      system. The human brain is such a complex organization that in addition to the
      thalamus and occipital cortex, we can see the involvement of the cerebellum in
      high cognitive functions. Posterior system strokes may lead to clinical findings
      of cognitive deficits, including neurolinguistic components. Determining these
      defects in stroke patients may precipitate changes in current management
      strategies.

PMID- 28360647
TI  - Management of Behavioral and Psychological Symptoms of Dementia.
AB  - Symptoms of disturbed perception, thought content, mood, or behavior that
      frequently occur in patients with dementia are defined as the term "Behavioral
      and Psychological Symptoms of Dementia (BPSD)." The behavioral symptoms of
      dementia include physical/verbal aggression, agitation, disinhibition,
      restlessness, wandering, culturally inappropriate behaviors, sexual
      disinhibition, and hoarding, and the psychological symptoms of dementia are
      anxiety, depressive mood, hallucinations and delusions, apathy, and
      misidentification syndrome. With the cognitive decline in Alzheimer's Dementia
      (AD), the frequency of neuropsychiatric symptoms increases. Apathy, depression,
      irritability, agitation, and anxiety are the most frequently detected
      neuropsychiatric symptoms of AD. In the mild stage of AD, affective symptoms are
      more likely to occur; agitated and psychotic behaviors are frequent in patients
      with moderately impaired cognitive function. When neuropsychiatric symptoms are
      first detected, medical conditions, such as delirium, infection, dehydration,
      diarrhea, and drug interactions, must be ruled out. The treatment of mild BPSD
      must be started with psychosocial approaches, such as behavioral management,
      caregiver education, and physical activity. Medications are indicated for BPSD
      symptoms that are refractory to non-pharmacological interventions or severe or
      jeopardizing the safety of a patient or others, often in conjunction with non
      pharmacological interventions.

PMID- 28360649
TI  - Psychometric Properties of Difficulties of Working with Patients with Personality
      Disorders and Attitudes Towards Patients with Personality Disorders Scales.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: In this study, we aimed to develop two reliable and valid
      assessment instruments for investigating the level of difficulties mental health
      workers experience while working with patients with personality disorders and the
      attitudes they develop tt the patients. METHODS: The research was carried out
      based on the general screening model. The study sample consisted of 332 mental
      health workers in several mental health clinics of Turkey, with a certain amount
      of experience in working with personality disorders, who were selected with a
      random assignment method. In order to collect data, the Personal Information
      Questionnaire, Difficulty of Working with Personality Disorders Scale (PD-DWS),
      and Attitudes Towards Patients with Personality Disorders Scale (PD-APS), which
      are being examined for reliability and validity, were applied. To determine
      construct validity, the Adjective Check List, Maslach Burnout Inventory, and
      State and Trait Anxiety Inventory were used. Explanatory factor analysis was used
      for investigating the structural validity, and Cronbach alpha, Spearman-Brown,
      Guttman Split-Half reliability analyses were utilized to examine the reliability.
      Also, item reliability and validity computations were carried out by
      investigating the corrected item-total correlations and discriminative indexes of
      the items in the scales. RESULTS: For the PD-DWS KMO test, the value was .946;
      also, a significant difference was found for the Bartlett sphericity test
      (p<.001). The computed test-retest coefficient reliability was .702; the Cronbach
      alpha value of the total test score was .952. For PD-APS KMO, the value was .925;
      a significant difference was found in Bartlett sphericity test (p<.001); the
      computed reliability coefficient based on continuity was .806; and the Cronbach
      alpha value of the total test score was .913. Analyses on both scales were based
      on total scores. CONCLUSION: It was found that PD-DWS and PD-APS have good
      psychometric properties, measuring the structure that is being investigated, are
      compatible with other scales, have high levels of internal reliability between
      their items, and are consistent across time. Therefore, it was concluded that
      both scales are valid and reliable instruments.

PMID- 28360650
TI  - Depression, Anxiety, and Anger in Patients with Polycystic Ovary Syndrome.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS) is a syndrome of heterogeneous
      nature, affecting multiple systems, particularly the endocrine system. We propose
      to investigate the possible relationships among hormonal changes, levels of
      anxiety, depression, and anger in patients with PCOS. METHOD: Forty-four female
      patients with PCOS and 44 body mass index (BMI )-matched healthy women
      participated in this study. We measured the sociodemographic features, some serum
      hormonal levels (insulin, gonadotropins, prolactin, dehydroepiandrosterone
      sulfate (DHEAS), thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH), triiodothyronine (T3),
      thyroxine (T4), 17 OH-progesterone, and total and free testosterone), and some
      other biochemical parameters of the participants. Also, all participants
      completed the Trait Anger-Anger Expression Scale (STAS), Beck Depression, and
      Beck Anxiety Inventories. We evaluated the psychiatric scale scores obtained from
      PCOS patients and control subjects. We used the independent-samples t-test for
      parametric data to evaluate normal distribution, and Mann-Whitney U-test was used
      for both abnormally distributed and nonparametric data. We used Pearson
      correlation analysis to evaluate the potential connection between the two groups'
      data. RESULTS: The mean ages of the patients with PCOS and control subjects who
      participated in this study were 27.3+/-5.6 and 27.4+/-6.1 years, respectively.
      The measures of BMI, insulin, luteinizing hormone (LH), DHEAS, and total
      testosterone serum levels in the patient group were significantly higher than in
      the control group (p<.05). There was a statistically significant positive
      correlation between Beck anxiety scores and serum DHEAS levels (Pearson r=.4366,
      P=.0001). We found significant differences between the two groups in terms of
      trait anger, anger control, outward and inward anger, anxiety level, and
      depression scores (P<.05). CONCLUSION: Anxiety symptoms indicate a stronger
      relationship compared to depression with DHEAS serum levels via the autonomic
      nervous system, considering the gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA)-antagonistic
      effect of DHEAS. Obesity, hirsutism, and infertility may reduce self-confidence
      and create depressive symptoms in patients with PCOS. In addition, changes in
      hormonal levels may lead to anxiety directly. Possibly, depressive symptoms are a
      secondary reflection of these changes.

PMID- 28360651
TI  - Neuropsychological and Clinical Profiles of Children and Adolescents Diagnosed
      with Childhood Obsessive Compulsive Disorder.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: The differential features of childhood-onset obsessive compulsive
      disorder (OCD) compared to adult-onset OCD are being more of a focus of attention
      in recent years. The aim of this study was to determine the clinical and
      neuropsychological profiles of children and adolescents diagnosed with childhood
      onset OCD and to investigate the association between the duration, severity,
      comorbidity, and family history of the disorder and clinical and
      neuropsychological functional impairments. METHODS: Thirty-five OCD patients
      (patient group) and 35 healthy control subjects (control group) between 8-15
      years of age were included. To investigate the neuropsychological profiles, the
      Wisconsin Card Sorting Test (WCST), Stroop Test, and Continuous Performance Test
      (CPT) were applied. To assess the clinical and behavioral profiles, the
      Children's Depression Inventory (CDI), Conner's Parent Rating Scale (CPRS-48),
      and the Yale Brown Obsessive Compulsive Scale (YB-OCS) and Yale Global Tic
      Severity Rating Scale (YGTSRS) were given. RESULTS: Based on the performance in
      the WCST, Stroop Test, and SPT, the results of the study reveal that childhood
      onset OCD patients have statistically significant worse performance compared to
      healthy controls in terms of executive functions, sustained attention, and motor
      inhibition tasks. Excluding the comorbid diagnoses, childhood-onset OCD patients
      did not show a difference in behavioral problems, but they had higher levels of
      anxiety compared to healthy controls. CONCLUSION: The findings of this study
      reveal that independent of the duration, severity, comorbid problems, and anxiety
      levels, the disorder itself is associated with worse performance in executive
      functions, attention, and motor inhibition processes, and a positive family
      history of OCD is an important risk factor. Long-term follow-up studies with
      patients diagnosed with childhood-onset OCD would be a logical next step in order
      to determine the cause-effect relation between the disorder and cognitive
      impairments.

PMID- 28360652
TI  - Childhood Traumatic Experiences, Anxiety, and Depression Levels in Fibromyalgia
      and Rheumatoid Arthritis.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: The close relationship between chronic pain, anxiety, depression,
      and childhood traumatic experiences is well known. The aim of this study is to
      investigate childhood traumatic experiences, anxiety, and depression levels in
      patients with fibromyalgia and rheumatoid arthritis, which are diseases that
      cause chronic pain. METHOD: A total of 30 patients with fibromyalgia, 30 patients
      with rheumatoid arthritis, and 30 healthy controls, matched with patients with
      respect to gender, age, and education, were included in the study (90
      participants in total). All participants were given a form for sociodemographic
      characteristics, the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire (CTQ), and Hospital Anxiety
      and Depression Scale (HAD). Patients were also asked to complete a numeric pain
      scale (NPS). RESULTS: Patients with fibromyalgia reported significantly higher
      scores for CTQ emotional abuse and HAD depression compared with healthy controls.
      Patients with fibromyalgia reported significantly higher scores for HAD anxiety
      than both healthy controls and patients with rheumatoid arthritis. Patients with
      rheumatoid arthritis reported significantly higher scores for CTQ emotional abuse
      and HAD depression compared with healthy controls. Pain scores of patients with
      fibromyalgia were higher than in patients with rheumatoid arthritis. Participants
      who had scores over the threshold on HAD anxiety and depression had significantly
      higher scores on CTQ sexual abuse. CONCLUSION: Both patients with fibromyalgia
      and patients with rheumatoid arthritis have high levels of childhood traumatic
      experiences and depression. Patients with pain-related disorders should be
      examined for childhood traumatic experiences, anxiety, and depression for better
      treatment outcomes.

PMID- 28360653
TI  - Alexithymia and Self-Esteem in Patients with Ankylosing Spondylitis.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: Ankylosing spondylitis (AS), which has an unknown etiology,
      inflammatory disorder, characterized by inflammation of the spinal joints and
      adjacent structures. It has a negatif effect on all aspects of a patients's life:
      Physcally, psychologically and socially. The purpose of this study was to
      determine the effect of AS on self-esteem and alexithymia. METHOD: In this study,
      50 patients from the department of physical therapy and rehabilitation with the
      diaognosis of AS who were under traetment and follow-up and 50 healty volunteers
      who matched for age and gender were taken. Toronto Alexithymia Scale (TAS), Beck
      Depression Inventory (BDI), Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale (RSES), Beck Anxiety
      Inventory (BAI), Bath Ankylosing Spondylitis Disease Activity Index (BASDAI) were
      performed to both patients and control group. RESULTS: Compared to the control
      group, the anxiety and depression scores were higher in the patient group and the
      alexithymic characteristics were significantly higher, self-esteem scores were
      significantly lower in the patient group (p<.05). CONCLUSION: Like all the other
      inflammatory chronic diseases, depression and anxiety are commonly seen in AS
      patients. Alexithymai and self-esteem of these patients should be considered
      carefully. More studies are needed on this regard.

PMID- 28360655
TI  - Comparison of Temperamental Features, Anxiety, and Depression Levels Between Non
      Cardiac Angina and Acute Coronary Syndrome.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: In many studies that are aimed to determine the psychological
      profile of patients admitted to the emergency unit with non-cardiac angina (NCA),
      it was indicated that psychiatric problems, less effective problem-solving, and
      alexithymia are more common in NCA compared with acute coronary syndrome (ACS)
      patients. In this study, aiming to find predictive psychological clinical
      features, we compared the temperament, anxiety, and depression scores of patients
      with NCA and ACS. METHODS: Sociodemographic variables of 63 patients (n=41 NCA,
      n=22 ACS) who were admitted to the emergency unit with chest pain were recorded.
      TEMPS-A scale was used for defining temperamental features, and Hospital Anxiety
      and Depression Scale (HADS) was used to measure anxiety and depression levels of
      patients in both groups. Sociodemographic variables and TEMPS-A and HADS scores
      were compared with chi2 and independent-groups t-test between the NCA and ACS
      groups. RESULTS: The NCA and ACS groups were similar in terms of sociodemographic
      variables. There was no statistical difference between groups in HDS (p=.12) and
      HAS (p=.39) scores and TEMPS-A scale depressive (p=.41), cyclothymic (p=.08),
      hyperthymic (p=.06), and anxious (p=.29) temperament scores. But, irritable
      temperament scores were significantly higher in the NCS group (p=.04).
      CONCLUSION: We believe that our findings will provide a basis for further studies
      in the diagnosis and treatment of NCA by contributing to the definition of NCA
      patients' psychological profiles.

PMID- 28360654
TI  - Development of a Psychometric Instrument Based on the Inference-Based Approach to
      Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder: The Obsessional Probabilistic Inference Scale.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: The current article addresses the validation of the construct of
      obsessional probabilistic inference in clinical and non-clinical samples.
      Obsessional probabilistic inference or obsessional doubt refers to a type of
      inferential process resulting in the belief that a state of affairs "maybe"
      causes development of a maladaptive cognitive coping style in terms of obsessing.
      METHODS: The latent structure of the Obsessional Probabilistic Inference Scale
      (OPIS) was evaluated with confirmatory factor analysis. RESULTS: Explanatory and
      confirmatory factor analyses indicated that a one-factor solution was
      satisfactory for the instrument, assessing a unidimensional psychological
      construct. The OPIS was shown to have high internal consistency in all samples,
      as well as temporal stability, relying on predominantly non-clinical individuals.
      The scale exhibited high convergent validity and successfully discriminated
      patients with obsessive-compulsive disorder from both depressive patients and
      controls. CONCLUSION: The findings replicated and extended the role of reasoning
      process in the development and maintenance of obsessive compulsive symptoms. The
      results are discussed in regard to assumptions of the inference-based approach to
      obsessive-compulsive disorder.

PMID- 28360656
TI  - Night Eating Syndrome in Major Depression and Anxiety Disorders.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: The purpose of this study is to investigate the prevalence and the
      clinical features of night eating syndrome (NES) in patients with depression and
      anxiety disorders. METHOD: The study was conducted at Bakirkoy State Hospital for
      Mental Health and Neurological Disorders. Three-hundred out-patients who had
      major depression (MD), panic disorders (PD), general anxiety disorders (GAD) and
      obsessive-compulsive disorders (OCD) participated in the study. The semi
      structured socio-demographic form, the Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-IV
      Axis I Disorders (SCID-I), Night Eating Questionnaire, and NES Evaluation
      Questionnaire were implemented. RESULTS: In our sample, the prevalence of the NES
      was 15.7% (n=47). NES frequency was significantly higher in the patients
      diagnosed with major depression (MD 22%, GAD 7.8%, OCD 12.5%, PD 14%). Smoking,
      presence of past suicide attempts, rates of antipsychotic drugs use, and average
      scores of body mass index (BMI) were significantly higher in the patients who had
      NES. In this sample, depression, BMI, and smoking were found to be determinants
      of NES. CONCLUSION: This study shows that NES may be frequently observed in
      patients admitted to psychiatric clinics, especially in those with major
      depression. Evaluation of NES in psychiatric patients may help the treatment of
      the primary psychopathology and prevent the adverse effects, like weight gain,
      which may reduce the quality of life.

PMID- 28360657
TI  - Role of CRP, TNF-a, and IGF-1 in Delirium Pathophysiology.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: Delirium is a common and life-threatening neuropsychiatric
      syndrome. Diagnosing delirium can be challenging, which increases mortality and
      mortality rates and health care costs. The biologic model of delirium is not
      definite yet, but evidence supports a cholinergic deficiency model. Delirium may
      be the result of processes and drugs that trespass a compromised blood-brain
      barrier. We aimed to evaluate the possible diagnostic utilization and the role of
      certain biomarkers, such as C-reactive protein (CRP), tumor necrosis factor-alpha
      (TNF-alpha), and insulin like growth factor-1 (IGF-1), in delirium etiology.
      METHODS: A total of 93 inpatients that planned to undergo cardiovascular surgery
      were informed; 35 of them completed the study. Medical history and current
      cognitive status were evaluated pre-operatively. Participants were followed using
      Delirium Rating Scale-Revised-98 Turkish (DRS-R98-T) for delirium symptoms, and
      blood samples were collected post-operatively. RESULTS: Delirium was developed
      more in participants who had worse pre-operative cognitive status. Also, low pre
      operative IGF-1 levels were detected in the delirium group. Pre-operative CRP and
      TNF-alpha levels were not different between groups. CONCLUSION: Low IGF-1 levels
      can be used to predict delirium after surgery. However, the complex nature of
      cytokines and delirium itself make it difficult to utilize cytokines to predict
      delirium instead of psychometric tools.

PMID- 28360658
TI  - Clinical Characteristics and Response to Long-Term Botulinum Toxin Type A Therapy
      in Patients with Cervical Dystonia at a Neurology Clinic.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: To determine the demographic and clinical characteristics and
      response to botulinum toxin type A (BoNT-A) therapy in patients with cervical
      dystonia (CD). METHOD: A retrospective analysis of the detailed medical records
      of the patients with CD, followed up at our Botulinum Toxin Outpatient Clinic
      from 1998 to 2012, was performed. The treatment data were compared between the
      patients with primary CD and those with secondary CD; between patients receiving
      BoNT-A treatment for more than 5 years and less than five years, and between
      first applications and last applications. RESULTS: Fifty-seven patients (56.15%
      women) with CD were included in this study. The mean age was 41.01+/-13.42 years,
      the mean age at symptom onset was 32.93+/-15.45 years, and the mean dystonia
      duration was 8.10+/-8.5 years. The interval between onset of symptom and first
      BoNT-A treatment was 5.94+/-9.06 years, the duration of BoNT-A treatment was
      36.13+/-29.17 months, and the number of applications was 8.48+/-6.23 in 45
      patients with CD who were under treatment with BoNT-A for more than 1 year and
      had received at least three injections before. There was no difference between
      the patients with primary and secondary CD in terms of treatment results. The
      injection interval of the patients receiving BoNT-A treatment for more than 5
      years and less than 5 years was 18.37+/-5.10 and 14.43+/-2.36 weeks, respectively
      (p=.001). There were no differences in the other treatment values. The mean doses
      were 559.00+/-147.60 vs. 681.66+/-188.09 units (p=.0001), the durations of
      improvement were 11.82+/-2.71 vs. 13.00+/-4.00 weeks (p=.014), the response
      scores were 2.71+/-.3 vs. 3.02+/-.5 (p=.002), the response ratings were 64.66%+/
      16.18 vs. 71.22%+/-17.29 (p=.001), and the numbers of muscles applied were 3.15+/
      1.16 vs. 3.51+/-0.99 (p=.012) in the first and last applications, respectively.
      CONCLUSION: There were no differences between the response of the patients with
      primary and secondary CD. Our results showed a statistically significant increase
      in the mean dose of BoNT-A, the response rating, the number of muscles applied,
      the duration of improvement, and the injection interval over time.

PMID- 28360659
TI  - Relation between Olfactory Dysfunction and Episodic Verbal Memory in Early
      Parkinson's Disease.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: Olfactory dysfunction is an early and common symptom in idiopathic
      Parkinson's disease (IPD). Recently, the relation between olfactory dysfunction
      and cognitive loss in IPD has been reported. In our study, we aimed to
      investigate the relation between olfactory dysfunction and cognitive impairments
      in early IPD related with this theory. METHODS: In this study, we included 28
      patients with stage 1 and stage 2 IPD according to the Hoehn-Yahr (H-Y) scale and
      19 healthy participants. The University of Pennsylvania Smell Identification Test
      (UPSIT) was performed for evaluating olfactory function. For cognitive
      investigation in participants, the clock drawing test, Stroop test, verbal
      fluency test, Benton face recognition test (BFR), Benton line judgment
      orientation test (BLO), and Auditory Verbal Learning Test (AVLT) were performed.
      RESULTS: We found significantly lower UPSIT scores in the patient group compared
      to controls (p=.018). In the neuropsychological investigation, only Stroop test
      and BLOT test scores were significantly lower in the patient group compared to
      controls (p=.003, p=.002, respectively). We found a negative correlation between
      UPSIT scores and Stroop time (p=.033) and Stroop error (p=.037) and a positive
      correlation between UPSIT scores and SBST long-term memory scores (p=.016) in
      patients. CONCLUSION: In our study, we found mild cognitive impairment related
      with visuospatial and executive functions in early-stage IPD compared to
      controls. But, in the patient group, we detected a different impairment pattern
      of memory and frontal functions that correlated with hyposmia. This different
      pattern might be indicating a subgroup of IPD characterized by low performance in
      episodic verbal memory, with accompanying olfactory dysfunction in the early
      stage.

PMID- 28360661
TI  - Idiopathic Hypoparathyroidism (IHP) Presenting as "Schizophrenia:" A Case Report.
AB  - Idiopathic hypoparathyroidism (IHP) with the onset of psychosis is a rare case in
      the psychiatric clinic. In this case report, we summarize the three facets of
      IHP, which contains the clinical, biochemical, and radiological features.
      Besides, the differential diagnosis of this case is supposed to be a highlight
      that IHP could have the main complaints of psychotic symptoms and featured signs
      on neuroimaging manifestation.

PMID- 28360660
TI  - The Relationship of Serum S100B Levels with Infarction Size and Clinical Outcome
      in Acute Ischemic Stroke Patients.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: S100B protein, which helps nerve development and differentiation,
      is produced by astrocytes and can be detected in peripheral circulation after
      brain damage. In this study, we aimed to investigate the relationship between the
      serum S100B protein level and the infarction volume and clinical outcome and also
      the early prognostic role of serum S100B protein in patients with ischemic
      stroke. METHOD: Fifty patients admitted in the first 24-hour period of acute
      ischemic stroke were evaluated prospectively, and the findings were compared to
      those of the controls (n=26). S100B levels of the patients and neurological
      findings on days 1, 3, and 5 and their functional outcomes on the discharge day
      and at the first month were recorded by the same examiner. RESULTS: S100B levels
      were not affected by sex, age, or concomitant systemic diseases. The maximum
      levels of S100B were recorded on the 3rd day, and there was a correlation between
      infarct size and S100B levels. No correlation between the severity of stroke and
      S100B level was found. There was a poor correlation between the functional
      outcomes of the patients at the 1st month and S100B levels and on the 3rd day.
      CONCLUSION: The detection of high S100B levels in peripheral circulation after
      acute ischemic stroke and the correlations of S100B levels with infarct size
      (good) and disability (poor) imply that S100B protein may be used as a peripheral
      marker in acute ischemic stroke patients.

PMID- 28360662
TI  - A Case of Risperidone Induced Stuttering as a Paradox.
AB  - The main feature of stuttering is the disturbance in terms of both timing and
      fluency of speech inappropriate with the age. This disturbance is characterized
      with the repetition and prolongation of sounds and syllables. There are two types
      of stuttering as acquired and developmental. Acquired stuttering may begin
      suddenly at any age and may be seen rarely due to the adverse effects of drugs.
      Stuttering induced by antipsychotics may develop very rarely. Risperidone is a
      strong antagonist of dopamin 2 (D2) and serotonin 2A (5 HT2A) and shows a high
      affinity for alpha1 and alpha2 noradrenaline receptors. It's used in a wide
      spectrum including psychotic disorders, mood disorders, and behavioral disorders,
      even for the treatment of stuttering. Risperidone treats the symptoms of
      stuttering by the antagonism of D2 receptors with an increase in striatal
      metabolism. In literature, we haven't observed any other case reports except the
      two stuttering cases with psychotic disorders due to the short term and high-dose
      risperidone treatment. In our case, stuttering adverse effect of chronic low-dose
      risperidone treatment is remarkable that is discussed for the first time. As well
      as the use of risperidone for the treatment of stuttering, stuttering adverse
      effect seems to be interesting as a paradox.

PMID- 28360663
TI  - Remission of Episodic Sweating Attacks and Comorbid Depression in Shapiro
      Syndrome: Case Report.
AB  - Shapiro syndrome, a rare disorder originally described by Shapiro and Plum in
      1967, is characterized by episodic hypothermia and hyperhydrosis associated with
      agenesis of the corpus callosum. Proposed hypotheses to explain the clinical
      features of this syndrome include changes in the set point of the hypothalamic
      thermostat, increased norepinephrine (NE) release, and decreased plasma NE
      clearance. It was emphasized that the recognition of Shapiro syndrome in the
      evaluation of episodic hyperhydrosis is important. Here, we described a case with
      Shapiro syndrome who presented to our psychiatry clinic with recurrent episodic
      profuse sweating and depression. Sweating attacks and depression remitted after
      successful treatment with amitriptyline.

PMID- 28360664
TI  - A Case of Cortical Multiple Sclerosis.

PMID- 28360665
TI  - An Unusual Case of Corticobasal Syndrome.

PMID- 28360666
TI  - Recovery as a Process in Severe Mental Illnesses.

PMID- 28360667
TI  - Attentional Bias and Training in Social Anxiety Disorder.
AB  - Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) is one of the most effective treatment
      modalities for social anxiety disorder (SAD), showing a high level of clinical
      evidence supporting its effectiveness. On the other hand, lack of the desired
      benefit from this treatment in some patients causes continuation of the search
      for new techniques. Recent research studies have focused on attentional bias and
      attention training in SAD. Attention processes in SAD have been a major target of
      interest and investigation since the introduction of the first cognitive models
      explaining SAD. In the first model, it was highlighted that attention was self
      focused. The relationship between threatening stimuli and attention was
      considered in the subsequent models. Attentional bias towards threat may take
      place in several ways, such as facilitated processing of threat, difficulty in
      disengaging attention from the threat and avoidance of attention from the threat.
      After these descriptions regarding the phenomenology of the disorder, treatments
      to modify attention, processes were developed. In spite of conflicting results,
      investigations on attentional training are promising. Attention processes,
      attentional bias and attentional training in SAD are discussed in this review.

PMID- 28360669
TI  - Evaluation of Early Postoperative Neurological Complications Following Living
      Donor Liver Transplantation.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: Liver transplantation is one of the best treatment options for end
      stage liver disease. In Turkey, living donor liver transplantation (LDLT) is
      performed more frequently than cadaveric transplantation, because organ donation
      is unpopular in our country. Neurological complications contribute to poor
      postoperative outcomes after liver transplantation. In the present study, we
      aimed to evaluate the outcomes of LDLT patients in whom such complications
      developed early during postoperative follow-up in the intensive care unit.
      METHODS: Of 217 LDLTs performed between August 2011 and August 2012, neurology
      consultations were arranged for 29 patients (13.36%) because of development of
      new-onset neurological symptoms and/or findings in patients with neurologically
      uneventful preoperative histories. We retrospectively collected data on age,
      gender, primary disease, Model for End-Stage Liver Disease (MELD) score, and
      postoperative hospitalization duration of those who survived. The indications for
      neurological consultation and diagnoses were categorized into acute
      confusion/encephalopathy, epileptic seizures, leukoencephalopathy, and focal
      neurological deficits. The immunosuppressive treatment regimens prescribed were
      also considered. The outcomes of the 2 groups (with and without neurological
      complications) were compared. RESULTS: The mean patient age was 44.52+/-16.24
      years, and males predominated (65.5%, n=19). Acute confusion/encephalopathy was
      the most frequent complication (62.1%, n=18), followed by epileptic seizures
      (27.6%, n=8), cerebrovascular disease (6.9%, n=2), and leukoencephalopathy (3.4%,
      n=1). Statistically significant between-group differences in age (44.5+/-16.2 vs.
      34.33+/-20.98 years; p<0.001), and proportions of patients with a disease of
      viral etiology (55.17% vs. 35.63%, p<0.05), were evident. Mortality was
      significantly higher in the group with neurological complications (65.5% vs.
      37.32%, p<0.05). The duration of postoperative hospitalization was also
      significantly longer in this group (29.80+/-15.04 vs. 10.00+/-5.47 days; p<0.05).
      CONCLUSION: Mortality was significantly higher and the duration of postoperative
      hospitalization significantly longer in LDLT patients with new-onset neurological
      complications than in those without such complications.

PMID- 28360668
TI  - The Relationship between Childhood Maltreatment and Emotional Dysregulation in
      Self Mutilation: An Investigation among Substance Dependent Patients.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: The present study aims to examine the role of emotion dysregulation
      and childhood maltreatment in self mutilation (SM) of substance dependent
      patients. Specifically, the present study examined whether emotion dysregulation
      and its dimensions, and childhood maltreatment and its dimensions were associated
      with SM. The relationship between emotion dysregulation and childhood
      maltreatment was also investigated. METHODS: The sample of study consisted of 55
      alcohol dependent and 24 opiate dependent patients (n=79). Substance dependence
      was diagnosed by means of the Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-IV-TR (SCID
      I), Turkish version. Childhood Trauma Questionnaire (CTQ) and Difficulties in
      Emotion Regulation Scale (DERS) were used. RESULTS: Findings indicated that
      substance dependents with SM and without SM were differentiated in terms of
      overall emotion dysregulation. Results also suggest the relevance of three
      specific dimensions of emotion dysregulation to SM: Difficulties engaging in goal
      directed behaviors when experiencing negative emotions, difficulties controlling
      impulsive behaviors when experiencing negative emotions, and limited access to
      effective emotion regulation strategies. These dimensions were predicted from
      childhood emotional maltreatment and neglect. It is also revealed that substance
      dependents with SM had higher points than those without SM on emotional childhood
      maltreatment and neglect, physical childhood maltreatment. CONCLUSION: Results
      were supported by the literature suggested that self-mutilation functions as a
      emotional regulation strategy. Findings also suggested that self- mutilation is
      related to early relationships take place in family environment in which
      individuals grow up.

PMID- 28360670
TI  - Effects of Parental Attitudes Among a Group of High School Students in Istanbul.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: Current study aimed to investigate the possible relations between
      parental attitudes and depression in a sample of mid-pubertal, high-school
      students under the light of several sociodemographic variables. METHODS: With the
      permission of Ministry of National Education, a total of 391 students from second
      and third grades in a state high school and occupational high school in Sisli
      area included in the study. Sociodemographic Questionnaire, The Parental Bonding
      Instrument (PBI), and Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) were administered. RESULTS:
      Among the students in the sample, 25.6% (n=100) had significantly higher
      depression scores and girls had significanltly higher mean BDI scores than boys
      (p=0.001) reflecting the presence of depression. Adolescents with depression also
      had higher scores of maternal protection than adolescents without depression
      (p=0.02). On the other hand, adolescents with depression had lower scores of both
      maternal and paternal interest than adolescents without depression (p=0.02 and
      p=0.03, respectively). We also found that boys had higher levels of nicotine -
      alcohol and substance abuse where girls had higher levels for suicidal attempts
      and self harming behaviors (p<0.05). CONCLUSION: Depression onset was found to be
      associated with parental attitude which does not promote autonomy and
      independency. Warm, accepting and concerned parental attitude that promotes
      secure attachment was found to be protective against depression. Parental
      attitudes must be of concern when working with adolescents and dealing with the
      problems seen in this vulnerable phase of the life.

PMID- 28360672
TI  - Substance and Alcohol use in Young Adults in Turkey as Indicated by the CAGE
      Questionnaire and Drinking Frequency.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: The purpose of this study was to determine drinking problems and to
      analyze the socio-demographic factors associated with problematic alcohol use in
      young adults. METHODS: The study included 262 students who were surveyed for
      substance use problems in a postgraduate program using the Cut down, Annoyed,
      Guilty, Eye opener (CAGE) Questionnaire. The relationships between socio
      demographic variables and alcohol use were assessed using both univariate and
      multivariate analyses. RESULTS: Of the whole sample, 56.11% reported that they
      had tried drinking alcohol and 1.91% had tried cannabis. The prevalence of
      problematic alcohol use was 15.3% and 29.7% according to CAGE1+ and past-year
      drinking frequency, respectively. Alcohol use by mothers was an important
      differentiating factor for alcohol use by their daughters. Graduating from a
      university located in the Eastern/Southeastern Anatolia regions, graduating from
      a private high school, and having average academic performance levels were
      determinants of problematic alcohol use according to CAGE1+ and frequency of
      drinking. CONCLUSION: This study suggests there is need for early intervention to
      prevent exposure to the risk factors for problematic alcohol use in young adults,
      emphasizing that probable presence of an alcohol use disorder and high frequency
      of drinking are related to socio-demographic factors (high school type,
      geographical location of the university, and family structure).

PMID- 28360671
TI  - Neuropathy and Dysautonomia in Patients with Obstructive Sleep Apnea Syndrome.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: The aim of our study is to search for the existence of neuropathy,
      dysautonomia and to identify the correlations of sickness level of patients with
      Obstructive Sleep Apnea Syndrome (OSAS). METHODS: The research is based on the
      real cases at Dokuz Eylul University of Medicine Sleep and Epilepsy Center,
      observed during September 2008-May 2009. The patients were selected by
      polysomnography samples based on 20 persons at same ages with following criteria;
      high leveled OSAS (AHI>=30), low OSAS (5<=AHI<30) and healthy participants.
      Classical ENMG protocol, symphatic skin response and R-R interval variation test
      were performed on these samples. RESULTS: High and low leveled OSAS patients had
      a statistically significant (p<0.05) decrease in the average velocity of motor
      conduction in right tibialis posterior when compared to the control group.
      Besides we observed an statistically significant (p<0.05) increase in the average
      amplitud of symphatic skin responses in high leveled OSAS patients than control
      group. CONCLUSION: OSAS indicates a risk of possible peripheral neuropathy and
      autonomic dysfunction risk increases in positive correlation with level of OSAS.

PMID- 28360673
TI  - The Relationships Between Dissociation, Attention, and Memory Dysfunction.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: Dissociation is a disruption in the integrated functions of
      consciousness, memory, identity, and perception. Dissociative symptoms include
      derealization/depersonalization, absorption, and amnesia. These experiences can
      cause a loss of control over mental processes, including memory and attention. In
      literature, there is a paucity of research concerning the relationships between
      dissociation and memory performance. In this study, our aim was to investigate
      the relationships between dissociative experiences, attention, and memory
      performance in a non-clinical community sample. METHODS: In this study, we
      examined the relationship between dissociation and cognitive dysfunction among 60
      healthy volunteers. We administered the Wechsler Memory Scale-Revised, Auditory
      Verbal Learning Test, Stroop Color Word Interference Test, and Dissociative
      Experience Scale. Here we examined the relationships between the subtypes of
      dissociation and memory performance as assessed by neuropsychological tests.
      RESULTS: We found that verbal memory was negatively associated with dissociative
      experiences. Pathological dissociation, particularly amnesia and
      depersonalization/derealization, was reversely linked to general memory
      performance and long-term memory. Moreover, low dissociators reported higher
      scores on verbal memory, general memory performance, and long-term memory but
      lower scores on recognition than high dissociators. CONCLUSION: The results of
      our study suggested that there are significant linkages between dissociative
      experiences and memory performance.

PMID- 28360675
TI  - Validity and Reliability of the Seizure Self-Efficacy Scale for Children with
      Epilepsy.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: This study aims to adapt the Seizure Self-Efficacy Scale for
      Children (SSES-C) into Turkish and then assess its validity and reliability in
      children with epilepsy. METHODS: The study sample consisted of 166 children (aged
      9-17 years) with epilepsy who attended of Akdeniz University Hospital, Antalya
      Training and Research Hospital, and Bursa Dortcelik Children's Hospital Pediatric
      Neurology Clinics between July 2012 and March 2013. All research data were
      collected by a researcher in face-to-face interviews using Child Information
      Form, Seizure Self-Efficacy Scale for Children and Children's Depression Scale.
      The Seizure Self-Efficacy Scale for Children is a 15-item, 5-point Likert scale
      designed by Caplin et al. (2002). RESULTS: The linguistic adaptation and
      validation of the scale was conducted by seven experts. To evaluate the content
      validity of the scale, we elicited judgments from a panel of 10 content experts.
      The expert judgments showed that the correlation between the items on the scale
      was fairly good (Kendall's W=0.411, p<0.001, ki-kare: 57.495). Load factor of 40%
      and a large factor analysis included analysis of substances and two factors
      accounting for 49.67% of the total variance explained. We calculated Cronbach's
      alpha coefficient for the internal consistency and the full-scale score showed
      good internal consistency (alpha 0.89). Within the context of reliability
      studies, it was found correlations varying between 0,98-0,74 for the two sub
      factors of the scale. Test/retest correlation coefficients were significant
      (p<0,01) and high (r=0.99). In parallel forms reliability, the correlations
      between the Seizure Self-Efficacy Scale for Children and Children's Depression
      Rating Scale were found to be negative, moderate and statistically significant
      (r=-0.58, p<0.001). CONCLUSION: The measurements conducted on the Turkish version
      of the Seizure Self-Efficacy Scale for Children showed that it is consistent with
      the original scale, valid and reliable for Turkish society.

PMID- 28360674
TI  - Psychological Symptoms in Obesity and Related Factors.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: This study aimed to investigate the relationship between levels of
      depression and anxiety symptoms and quality of life, self-esteem in obesity.
      METHODS: Fifty-two subjects whose Body Mass Index (BMI) is 30 kg/m2 and over and
      43 control whose BMI is normal were recruited for this study. The socio
      demographic data form, Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HAM-D17), Hamilton
      Anxiety Rating Scale (HAM-A), Quality of Life Scale Short Form (WHOQOL-Brief-TR),
      Coopersmith Self Esteem Scale (CSES), The Eating Attitudes (EAT), were applied to
      the participants. RESULTS: In this study most of the patients are women, married,
      postgraduated and live in urban areas. It was determined to scores of HAM-D17,
      HAM-A and EAT are higher in obese group than control group; WHOQOL-Brief-TR
      physical field scores was lower in obese group than control group. CSES scores
      wasn't difference between obese and control group. In obese group, there was HAM
      D17 and HAM-A scores a negative correlation between quality of life physical
      field score, negative correlation between CSES score, positive correlation
      between EAT scale score. There is no correlation between scores of HAM-D17 and
      HAM-A and BMI. CONCLUSION: Our results suggest that depressive and anxiety levels
      are high in induvidual with obesity. They have problems in eating attitudes and
      their quality of life especially physical field is poor. The psychological
      symptoms have negative effects on the quality of life, self-esteem, and eating
      attitudes. Our results suggest that psychiatric support to improving positive
      effects quality of life and self-esteem in individual with obesity.

PMID- 28360676
TI  - Relationship between Obsessive Beliefs and Symptoms in Patients with Obsessive
      Compulsive Disorder.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: Misinterpretation of intrusive thoughts because of obsessive
      beliefs has been thought to be important in the development of obsessive
      compulsive symptoms. In current study, (I) the difference between OCD patients
      and healthy controls in regard of obsessive beliefs and (II) the relation of
      obsesive beliefs with the prevelance and severity of obsessive compulsive
      symptoms was investigated. METHODS: The current study included 47 OCD patients
      and 44 healthy controls who have same properties with regard to age, sex and
      duration of education. All subjects were applied to Obsessive Beliefs Scale,
      Maudsley Obsessive Compulsive Scale, Hamilton Depression Rating Scale and
      Hamilton Anxiety Rating Scale. OCD patients were applied to Yale Brown Obsessive
      Compulsive Scale as well as the other scales. RESULTS: In analyses by controlling
      depression and anxiety scores, OCD patients had significantly higher scores than
      controls, with regard to all subscales of Obsessive Beliefs Scale. Also,
      prevalence of obsessive compulsive symptoms other than cleaning were correlated
      with obsessive beliefs about "responsibility and threat estimation" and
      "perfectionism and need for certainty". Hovewer, there was no correlation in
      between severity of obsessive compulsive symptoms and subscale scores of
      Obsessive Beliefs Scale. CONCLUSION: Excluding the effects of depression and
      anxiety, generally the results suggests that obsessive beliefs have an important
      role for development of obsessive compulsive symptoms. Future studies of
      seperated OCD subgroup with regard to obsessive compulsive symptoms will be
      helpful in determinig the difference among these subgroups in regard of obsessive
      beliefs.

PMID- 28360677
TI  - Vascular Ischemia as a Cause of Transient Global Amnesia: A Patient Series.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: Epileptic, migrainous, and vascular pathologies may cause transient
      global amnesia (TGA); however, the mechanism of causation remains unclear. We
      investigated possible vascular causes of TGA. METHODS: We retrospectively
      evaluated the clinical and radiologic studies of 13 patients with TGA. On
      admission, patients underwent diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI) and intra- and
      extracranial magnetic resonance angiography (MRA); vascular risk factor profiles
      for diabetes, hypertension, and hyperlipidemia; electroencephalography; and
      neuropsychological tests. Seven patients underwent control DWIs 24 h after
      symptom onset. RESULTS: One patient had two punctiform acute infarcts in the left
      hippocampus, and one had a left pontine paramedian acute infarct. In the second
      patient, control DWI showed additional left hippocampal and right frontal acute
      infarcts. None of the patients had electroencephalographic evidence of epileptic
      activity. All patients except for one had at least one vascular risk factor. The
      second patient was shown to have paroxsysmal atrial fibrillation during follow
      up. CONCLUSION: Minor posterior circulation ischemic stroke appears to cause TGA
      in some patients. Evaluations such as DWI and vascular risk factor assessment may
      be helpful in making the diagnosis.

PMID- 28360678
TI  - Relationship between Antidepressant Prescription Rates and Features of
      Schizophrenic Patients and Its Outcome in Schizophrenia Treatment.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: Comorbid depression in schizophrenia is associated with poor
      outcome, increased risk of relapse and a high rate of suicide. Identification of
      depressive symptoms and their appropriate treatment is crucial for depressed
      schizophrenic patients. The aim of this study is to investigate the rates of
      antidepressant prescription and their outcomes. METHODS: The records of the
      schizophrenic outpatients, who were consulted at Psychosis Unit of Psychiatry
      Department between January 2007 and September 2012, were evaluated
      retrospectively. Enrolled schizophrenic patients' antidepressant medications were
      at their minimal effective doses and effective duration. RESULTS: The present
      study demonstrates that 39 of the 101 patients during their follow-ups were
      prescribed antidepressants. The mean follow-up period was 6.3 (+/-4.2) years; the
      mean age at onset was 22 (+/-6.5) years; the mean duration of illness was 14.7
      (+/-7.3) years and the mean number of psychotic exacerbation was 5 (+/-3.7). The
      most prescribed antidepressants were; sertraline (36.9%), venlefaxine (23.8%) and
      essitalopram (20.2%). SSRI's were prescribed 57 (73.1%), where as SNRI's 21 times
      (26.9%). There was no significant difference between SSRI (78.6%) and SNRI
      (21.4%) treatments in terms of psychotic exacerbation under antidepressant
      medication. Full remission of depressive symptoms was achieved in 21 patients
      (53.8%). Remission rates were significantly higher (p<0.01) in SNRI treated
      depressed schizophrenic patients (85.7%) compared to SSRI treated patients
      (50.9%). In 8 of the 39 patients (20.5%) antidepressant treatment was terminated
      due to side effects. CONCLUSION: This study demonstrates that SSRI's were more
      often prescribed compared to other classes of antidepressants in emerging
      depressive symptoms in schizophrenic patients despite full remission with SNRI's
      is more common. There was no significant difference between SSRI and SNRI
      treatment in terms of psychotic exacerbation.

PMID- 28360679
TI  - Effects of Repeated Botulinum Toxin Treatment for Sialorrhea in Patients with
      Parkinson's Disease.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: To evaluate the efficacy and adverse effects of repeated
      onabotulinumtoxinA (BoNT-A) treatment in patients suffering from Parkinson's
      disease (PD) with sialorrhea. METHODS: A retrospective analysis of 16 patients
      with sialorrhea treated with BoNT-A at our movement disorders outpatient clinic
      was conducted from February 2009 to September 2013. A patient with adult cerebral
      palsy and a patient with PD who received only a single application were excluded.
      BoNT-A was injected into the parotid glands without ultrasound guidance. Pre
      treatment sialorrhea severity was quantified according to the Drooling Frequency
      and Severity Scale (DFSS). The efficacy was evaluated four weeks after BoNT-A
      injections using DFSS and according to the subjective assessment of the patients
      and/or caregivers. RESULTS: The mean age of the patients was 70.00+/-9.82 years
      and the mean follow-up duration was 18.78+/-10.37 months. Totally, 37
      applications were performed. The mean BoNT-A total dose was 34.35+/-6.41 units.
      The mean scores of DFSS before and after injections were 7.00+/-1.03 and 3.21+/
      0.89, respectively (p<0.001). Efficacy was 100%, and the mean experienced
      sialorrhea improvement was 71.78+/-12.95%. We found a significant difference
      between the first and last application in the mean duration of efficacy (17.28+/
      9.21 weeks and 18.03+/-9.02 weeks, respectively, p=0.001). We did not observe
      side effects in this study group. CONCLUSION: Repeated injections of BoNT-A are
      safe and effective in treating sialorrhea in patients with PD. Based on our
      results, it seems that there is a maintenance of efficacy after a three-year
      period and an increase in the mean duration of efficacy with the number of
      injections. Further prospective clinical studies with larger number of patients
      and more longer duration of follow-up are needed to confirm our results.

PMID- 28360680
TI  - Cortical Excitability and Agressive Behavior in Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: Hyperarousal and alertness play an important role in the clinical
      presentation of Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Strenuous effort has been
      made to shed light on the mechanisms that cause these symptoms of patients. Based
      on the claim that there is a relationship between some subtypes of hyperarousal
      symptoms and aggression in patients with PTSD, we aimed to examine the
      relationship between electrophysiological measurements that was measured through
      transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) and aggression scale scores of PTSD
      patients in this study. METHODS: The study included 37 patients with a diagnosis
      of PTSD according to DSM-IV criteria and 25 healthy volunteers.
      Electrophysiological measurements of participants were made with TMS. The Buss
      Perry Aggression Questionnaires was administered to patients and control group.
      RESULTS: In the patient group, a positive correlation was found between scores of
      aggression and arousal symptoms. Motor excitability threshold, one of TMS
      measurements, which is a sign of cortical excitability, was significantly lower
      in the patient group than the control group. There was a negative correlation
      between aggression scale scores and the parameters of motor excitability
      threshold and cortical silent period which both shows cortical excitability of
      the patients. CONCLUSION: We concluded that there was an increase in cortical
      excitability in PTSD patients and we suggest that this increase might be
      associated with hyperarousal symptoms and aggressive behavior.

PMID- 28360681
TI  - Analysis of the Maternal Filicide in Terms of Forensic Medicine in Turkey: A
      Clinical Research.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: In the literature, 15% of the victims of homicide consists of
      children under 16 years of age; children under the age has been proved that they
      have the maximum risk. The vast majority of the victims were killed by their
      mothers. Thus, if mothers are the perpetrators of crime child murders are
      discussed in different ways, so it is conceptualized under the name of maternal
      filicide in the literature. This study has been performed for, in Turkey, women
      who killed their own children between 0-6 years old, victims of crimes, and to
      determine features of crime regarding on forensic medicine, eventually in order
      to provide a basis for taking necessary precautions and measures. METHODS: This
      research includes 74 reports of maternal filicide cases came to IV. Board of
      Specialization at the Council of Forensic Medicine in Istanbul, Ministry of
      Justice of Republic of Turkey between 1996-2006 years. In the light of data came
      from these reports, the socio-demographic characteristics of mothers who
      attempted filicide and children who were killed, and crime occurrence methods and
      mothers' criminal legal responsibility were examined. RESULTS: Mothers, suspected
      of the filicide crime, are often at a young age, and did not desire pregnancy, 73
      of mother's do not have criminal history, and 48 of mothers confessed the crime.
      Found that 71 of child victims are biological kids, 38 of them were killed around
      age, and 20 of them were girls, 35 of them were boys. The study group, seven of
      defendants killed or attempted to kill more than one child at the same time. The
      majority of mothers committed the crime during the daylight. When filicide
      methods were examined strangling or throwing up the child from higher were seen
      the most. The majority of mothers committed crime wiithout weapon or other
      objects, just by their hands. Based on decisions of IV. Board of Specialization,
      no significant difference was observed between the the mothers with criminal
      liability and mothers with non-criminal liability. CONCLUSION: In this study,
      important data procured from the demographic characteristics of the mothers,
      findings on conditions during the crime and the method of the crime, and mothers'
      psychosocial stressors, but it has been discerned that this data is limited to
      define the crime of filicide. At the end of the study, besides studied the
      parameters that directed people to commit this crime, other factors, like mental
      status and/or motives should be probed.

PMID- 28360682
TI  - The Effects of Sleep Deprivation on Dissociation and Profiles of Mood, and Its
      Association with Biochemical Changes.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: Sleep deprivation is a method, which has being used in order to
      comprehend the functions of sleep both in healthy individuals and for the
      patients of depression with in treatment, for a long time. The objective of our
      present study is to examine the relation between hormonal values, which are known
      for being related to the effects of these said changes determined in the mood,
      dissociation and thought suppression in healthy individuals after one night of
      sleep deprivation implementation. METHODS: One night sleep deprivation was
      performed on a total of thirty-two healthy volunteers (16 males and 16 females)
      who were included in the study. Blood samples were taken from the individuals
      before and after sleep deprivation implementation in order to determine cortisol,
      dehydroepiandrosterone-sulfate (DHEA-S) and Thyroid Functions' Levels tests. In
      order to evaluate the effects of the sleep deprivation on moods, "White Bear
      Suppression Inventory (WBSI)" has been conducted, with an aim of evaluating
      thought suppression, "Profile of Mood States (POMS)", "Dissociative Experiences
      Scale (DES)" with a purpose of realizing any dissociation tendency. RESULTS: On
      the individuals who have been implemented for sleep deprivation, a decrease on
      depression and vigor-activity sub-scales values was detected, and an increase was
      determined on fatigue sub-scales values of "POMS". While the values of DES were
      found to have been statistically increased after sleep deprivation, also a
      significant decrease was determined on WBSI values. Even if there hasn't been any
      significant statistical change determined on cortisol levels after sleep
      deprivation, yet there had been some significant changes detected on Thyroid
      Stimulating Hormone (TSH), fT3, fT4, and DHEA-S levels. Decrease in "POMS"
      depression sub-scale values and increase on fatigue sub-scale values were
      determined on the individuals whose sT4 levels were found to be increased
      significantly in statistic manner after the sleep deprivation. CONCLUSION:
      According to the results of our study, sleep deprivation for one night was
      determined to cause decrease on depressive mood, increase on dissociative
      symptoms and to lower the tendency of suppressing the unwanted thoughts,
      consciously. The fact of being obtained lower depression values, on the
      individuals with the increased DHEA-S levels after the sleep deprivation meets
      with the information claiming that the high DHEA-S levels may be deemed as
      protectors against the negative effects of the stress.

PMID- 28360683
TI  - Reliability and Validity Study of the Turkish Version of the Clinical Opiate
      Withdrawal Scale.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: The aim of the present study was to perform reliability and
      validity analyses of the Turkish version of the Clinical Opiate Withdrawal Scale
      which is used to determine the severity of opiate withdrawal. METHODS: Initially,
      the Clinical Opiate Withdrawal Scale (COWS) was translated into Turkish and
      subsequently back-translated into English. The originality of the back-translated
      version was approved by the author who developed the scale. After the translation
      was completed, the scale was used to assess the withdrawal symptoms of 100
      patients with opiate withdrawal and 41 patients with alcohol withdrawal.
      Cronbach's alpha was used in the reliability assessment; explanatory and
      confirmatory factor analyses were used in structural validity assessment; and in
      scale validity, ROC analysis was used among diagnosis groups. RESULTS: The
      Cronbach's alpha internal consistency coefficient was calculated as 0.74 in
      reliability analyses. The correlation coefficient was found to be 0.975 (p<0.001)
      for inter-rater reliability. Factor analysis was conducted for the structural
      validity of the scale and findings that support the unidimensional structure of
      the scale were observed. In the confirmatory factor analysis, CFI, GFI and RMSEA
      values were found to be 0.905, 0.905 and 0.079, respectively. It was detected
      that COWS was successful in distinguishing between opiate and alcohol withdrawal
      symptoms and the area under the ROC curve was 0.878. CONCLUSION: This study
      showed that the Turkish version of COWS can be used reliably and validly for
      assessing opiate withdrawal.

PMID- 28360684
TI  - Longitudinal Analysis of Female Authorship of Psychiatry Articles in Turkey.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: The number of women with careers in medicine and with academic
      positions at medical schools has increased substantially since the 1980s;
      however, women remain underrepresented in medical academia, which may be because
      of the fewer research publications authored by women. This study aimed to
      determine the gender distribution among Turkish authors of psychiatry articles
      published in international scientific journals during a 30-year period. METHODS:
      The ISI Web of Science database was searched for all psychiatry publications
      between 1980 and 2009 using the search term Turkey. All articles were classified
      according to publication period (1980-1989, 1990-1999, 2000-2004, and 2005-2009),
      gender of the first and last authors, first author title, total number of
      authors, and type of article. RESULTS: In all, 1961 articles meet the study
      criteria. The first author of 36.5% of the articles and 34.9% of last authors
      were women. The percentage of female first and last authors did not differ
      according to publication period (p=0.57). CONCLUSION: To the best of our
      knowledge this is the first study to examine gender and authorship of psychiatric
      research in Turkey. In total, 33% of academic positions in Turkish university
      psychiatry departments were occupied by women, which is comparable to the
      percentage of female first authors of psychiatric research papers from Turkey. It
      could be concluded that women academics in psychiatry departments from state
      universities are as reproductive as their male counterparts, but there is still a
      "gender gap" in psychiatry field in our country.

PMID- 28360685
TI  - Modafinil-Induced Psychosis: A Case Report.
AB  - Modafinil is used in the treatment of excessive day time sleepiness associated
      with several clinical conditions. It can also be used for affective stimulation
      for working late and/or concentrating for a long time. The reported cases of
      psychosis associated with modafinil use in the literature, have medical or
      psychiatric diorders. There is only one reported case without medical or
      psychiatric disorder but developed modafinil related psychosis, which is a case
      under simulated shift work in laboratory conditions. The cases in the literature
      are reported to develop mania or psychosis with 200-400 mg/day or higher doses.
      The case reported in this manuscript develop psychosis with 100 mg/day dosage.
      This case has no previous psychiatric and medical disorder history and not being
      on a shift work. The aim of modafinil use in this case was reported as increasing
      the concentration and performance while studying. Modafinil using patients must
      be psychiatrically monitored for its potential psychotic effect even in
      previously healthy individuals and low doses.

PMID- 28360687
TI  - Glomus Tumor as a Rare Cause of Dizziness.

PMID- 28360686
TI  - Diagnosis and Treatment in Neurosarcoidosis.
AB  - Sarcoidosis is an inflammatory multisystem disorder, affecting many systems such
      as lung, lymph nodes, skin and eye involvement. Nervous system involvement is
      often seen in 5-15% of patients with systemic sarcoidosis in the first two years.
      Preceding to systemic involvement the initial symptom as neurological complaints
      has been rarely reported. Lacking of any specific, clinical and / or radiological
      findings for neurosarcoidosis in these cases, it could be difficult to make an
      accurate diagnosis and histopathological evaluation may be required. Due to
      rarity and complexity diagnosis of the neurosarcoidosis, in this study, clinical,
      radiological and / or histopathological features, treatment modalities of the 7
      neurosarcoidosis patients to be presented with detailed investigations of
      different neurological symptoms were evaluated.

PMID- 28360688
TI  - Up-to-date Critical Review of the Classification of Epilepsies and Epileptic
      Seizures.
AB  - The classification of epileptic seizures and epilepsies is a subject of interest
      in various medical disciplines (such as neurology, pediatric neurology, molecular
      biology and genetics, neurosurgery, pharmacology, radiology, histopathology), and
      each of them requires a different approach in their practice. In last 15 years,
      enormous amount of debate in which irrelevant to actual level of knowledge, were
      ongoing in the literature. Epilepsy classification is a fundamental tool that
      impacts not only daily clinical practice but also research era and education. The
      current lack of consensus in this field causes a serious obstacle in patient
      management, student and resident education, and information sharing among
      different scientific interest groups. The comparison of different classification
      proposals by means of positive and negative aspects is beyond the scope of
      discussion in this article; therefore, I will try to give a brief summary of our
      current level of understanding. Main issues regarding the classifications
      proposal are as follows: Concepts of epileptic seizure/epilepsy/syndromeFocal &
      generalized epilepsy conceptIdiopathic, genetic, cryptogenic, and symptomatic
      (structural/metabolic) concepts.

PMID- 28360689
TI  - From Poster Presentation to Publication: National Congress of Child and
      Adolescent Psychiatry.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: The aims of this study were as follows: 1) to determine publication
      rate, time to publication, and study design of poster presentations accepted at
      the National Congress of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry (NCCAP) and converted to
      publication and the degree of first author in a published article and journal
      index and 2) to investigate the relationship of these data with each other.
      METHODS: The poster presentations of four congresses organized between 2005 and
      2008 were investigated separately. The presentations were screened by taking into
      account the title and the first and second author in English and Turkish
      languages via PubMed and Google Academic databases. Published studies, time
      between presentation and publishing date, study design, degree of first author,
      and journal index of these studies were recorded. RESULTS: Fifty-four (25.2%) of
      214 poster presentations were published in international and national peer
      reviewed journals. Of the published articles, 74.1% (n=40) were research type and
      61.1% (n=33) were found in the Science Citation Index (SCI) and Science Citation
      Index-Expanded (SCI-E) peer-reviewed journals. The first author in 42.6% (n=23)
      of published articles were assistant professors. The average time between
      presentation and publishing date was 30.72+/-18.89 months. Statistical
      differences were not determined between publication rate and study design;
      between time to publication and study type/study design, degree of first author,
      and journal index; and between journal index and study design and degree of first
      author (p>0.05). It was found that research articles were published significantly
      more by teaching staff than experts and other researchers (p<0.05). CONCLUSION:
      Compared with literature data, it was found that the time to publication was
      longer while the publication rate was similar for poster presentations in our
      congresses. Based on these results, it is important to create necessary
      conditions and encourage the researchers to publish the poster presentations
      presented in NCCAP.

PMID- 28360690
TI  - What are the Predictors of Death in Patients With Cranio-Cervical Artery
      Dissection?
AB  - INTRODUCTION: Few studies have reported the predictive factors related to
      mortality in patients with cranio-cervical artery dissections (CCAD). Our aim was
      to investigate the predictors related to in-hospital mortality in patients with
      CCAD and its subgroups. METHODS: Sixty-seven patients diagnosed with carotid
      artery dissection (CAD) or vertebral artery dissection (VAD), admitted to our
      clinic between 2000 and 2013, were retrospectively reviewed. Age, gender,
      modified Rankin Scale scores (pre-stroke and at admission), clinical presentation
      type, location of the dissection, risk factors, and treatments were analyzed as
      mortality-related prognostic factors. Of the 67 patients, 12 (17.9%) died, five
      (7.46%) with CAD and seven (10.44%) with VAD. We compared the prognostic
      characteristics of the surviving versus deceased patients with CCAD and in the
      subgroups with CAD and VAD. RESULTS: Age above 45 years, severe disability at
      admission, presentation with stroke, and intracranial VAD occurred more
      frequently in deceased patients and were independent variables related to
      mortality in patients with CCAD and its subgroup with VAD. Severe disability at
      admission alone was related to mortality in patients with CAD. Hypertension and
      hypercholesterolemia were independent variables related to mortality in patients
      with CCAD. CONCLUSION: Severe disability at admission was a mortality predictor
      in both CAD and VAD. Although the initial severity of stroke is reportedly
      related to poor outcomes in patients with CCAD, it has not previously been
      directly identified as a predictor of mortality in patients with CAD or VAD.

PMID- 28360691
TI  - The Polymorphisms of Ser49Gly and Gly389Arg in Beta-1-Adrenergic Receptor Gene in
      Major Depression.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: It was reported that the genetic susceptibility of major depressive
      disorder (MDD) is related with genetic polymorphisms. The aim of this study was
      to investigate the possible association of the genotype and allele frequencies of
      Ser49Gly and Arg389Gly polymorphisms in MDD by comparing them with healthy
      subjects. METHODS: A total of 144 patients with MDD diagnosed according to
      Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 4th Edition (DSM-IV)
      criteria and 105 healthy controls were included in the study. Polymerase chain
      reaction (PCR) with restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) was used for
      genotyping. RESULTS: Of the 144 participants in the MDD group, 77 (53.5%) had
      homozygous wild type (AA), 57 (39.6%) had heterozygous type (AG), and 10 (6.9%)
      had mutant (GG) genotype for Ser49Gly, whereas 75 (52.1%) had homozygous wild
      type (GG), 59 (41.0%) had heterozygous (GC) type, and 10 (6.9%) had mutant
      homozygous (CC) genotype for Gly386Arg. There were no significant difference in
      the allele and genotype frequencies of the beta-1-adrenergic receptor (ADRB1)
      gene for Ser49Gly and Arg389Gly polymorphisms after comparing with healthy
      controls (p=0.626; p=0.863 and p=0.625; p=0.914). CONCLUSION: The results of our
      study did not reveal a major effect of the polymorphism of Ser49Gly and Gly389Arg
      in the ADRB1 gene in MDD. Further studies with larger sample size are required to
      elucidate the role of other beta-1 adrenergic gene polymorphisms in MDD.

PMID- 28360692
TI  - Turkish Version Study of "Parkinson's Disease Quality of Life Questionnaire"
      (PDQL).
AB  - INTRODUCTION: This study aimed to evaluate Turkish transcultural adaptation,
      reliability, and validity of "Parkinson's Disease Quality of Life Questionnaire"
      (PDQL), which has been developed to assess the quality of life of patients with
      Parkinson's disease. METHODS: Eighty-nine patients who were included in the study
      were diagnosed with Parkinson's disease. They were presented to the outpatient
      clinic of the Istanbul Faculty of Medicine, Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation
      department between July 2005 and April 2008. The Turkish translated version of
      PDQL (PDQL-TR), "Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale" (UPDRS), and Hoehn &
      Yahr (HY) were used as the main outcome measures. RESULTS: The calculated Pearson
      correlation coefficient for PDQL, H&Y, and UPDRS ranged between -0.36 and -0.80.
      Cronbach's alpha coefficients of the PDQL-TR complete questionnaire and
      subdomains were higher than 0.80. The absolute value of item-total score
      correlation coefficients by Pearson fluctuated between 0.40 (question 4-total
      score) and 0.88 (question 26-total score), whereas the subdomain-total score
      correlation coefficients ranged between 0.81 and 0.96. PDQL-TR showed high
      stability according to the ICC results, ranging between 0.75 (Emotional Function)
      and 0.88 (Parkinsonian Symptoms). CONCLUSION: The psychometric features of PDQL
      TR are satisfactory, and our results are consistent with the previous literature
      findings. PDQL-TR is a valid and reliable tool to measure health-related quality
      of life in patients with Parkinson's disease.

PMID- 28360693
TI  - Assessment of Psychopathology, Quality of Life, and Parental Attitudes in
      Adolescents with Type 1 Diabetes Mellitus.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: The aim of the present study was to identify psychopathology,
      parental attitudes, perceptions of quality of life, and relationships between
      these factors in adolescents with type 1 diabetes mellitus (DM). METHODS: Fifty
      adolescents (12-18 years old) with type 1 diabetes mellitus and 50 healthy
      adolescents and their parents were recruited for the study. Clinical interviews
      with the diabetic adolescents were performed using "Schedule for Affective
      Disorders and Schizophrenia for School-Age Children-Present and Lifetime Version
      (K-SADS-PL)." Both groups completed the "Depression Scale for Children," "State
      Trait Anxiety Inventory," and "Health Related Quality of Life Scale for
      Children," while their parents completed the "Parental Attitude Research
      Instrument," "The Coping Strategy Indicator," and "Health Related Quality of Life
      Scale for Children-Parent Form." RESULTS: The psychological disorder ratio in
      diabetic adolescents was 68%. No significant difference was found regarding
      perceptions of quality of life between the diabetic group and control group.
      However, diabetic adolescents with psychological disorder had reduced perception
      of quality of life than those without psychological disorder. Among parental
      attitudes, an authoritarian attitude was found to be more common in the diabetic
      group. It was found that among coping strategies, parents in the diabetic group
      use avoidance more commonly. CONCLUSION: In the present study, a high rate of
      psychopathology was detected among adolescents with type 1 DM. In addition, no
      clear impairment in quality of life was reported in patients with type 1 DM;
      however, there was worsening in the perception of quality of life in the presence
      of psychiatric disorders accompanying diabetes. It was found that parents of
      diabetic children use inappropriate coping strategies and negative parental
      attitudes more often than those of healthy controls.

PMID- 28360694
TI  - Recurrent Ischemic Stroke Characteristics and Assessment of Sufficiency of
      Secondary Stroke Prevention.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: Disabilities due to stroke lead to a serious individual and
      socioeconomic burden. In this presented hospital-based study, we aimed to
      evaluate recurrent ischemic stroke (RIS) characteristics and the sufficiency of
      secondary prevention regarding the most common modifiable risk factors. METHODS:
      The records of patients with a diagnosis of ischemic stroke between November 2009
      and November 2011 in our unit were retrospectively investigated. RESULTS: Ninety
      one (18%) out of 500 patients with ischemic stroke had RIS. Hypertension,
      diabetes mellitus, ischemic heart disease, hyperlipidemia, atrial fibrillation,
      and smoking were found in 88%, 43%, 36%, 30%, 11%, and 14% of the patients,
      respectively. Thirty-eight percent of the patients had more than two risk
      factors. While 14% of the hypertensive patients did not use antihypertensive
      medications, antihypertensive treatment was insufficient in 39% of those who
      already used antihypertensive medications. Twenty-three percent of the patients
      received no prophylactic agents. Sixty percent of the patients with a history of
      atrial fibrillation were on oral anticoagulant therapy (warfarin), and the
      international normalized ratio was <2.0 in 73% of them. Of the diabetic patients,
      87% had an HgbA1C level above 6%. The LDL level was higher than 100 mg/dL in 72%
      of the patients. CONCLUSION: The incidence of RIS and risk factors in our
      retrospective study was compatible with the results of those in literature.
      Secondary prophylactic treatment and modification of risk factors in the stroke
      patients were not satisfactory. The improvement of the patients' adherence to
      treatment is also very important in addition to the optimal treatment and follow
      up strategy for decreasing the incidence of RIS. A multidisciplinary outpatient
      model of stroke care may be beneficial for decreasing the incidence of RIS.

PMID- 28360695
TI  - Antipsychotic Use Pattern in People with Psychotic Disorder Living in Board and
      Care Facilities.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: The aim of this survey is to determine the pattern of antipsychotic
      drug use in patients with psychotic disorders, living in board and care
      facilities and to investigate the related factors. METHODS: We evaluated the
      antipsychotic drug use pattern in outpatients with psychotic disorders according
      to DSM-IV, living in board and care facilities. Patients using polypharmacy at
      least one month were compared with patients using monotherapy in terms of
      clinical and demographic characteristics. RESULTS: Antipsychotic polypharmacy
      (with two: 34%, with more than two: 28%) was identified in 62% of the patients.
      The most frequently prescribed combination was olanzapine+quetiapine (13%), the
      rate of first and second generation combination was 50%, the rate of second
      generation antipsychotic combination was 44%, and the rate of first generation
      anytipsychotic combination was 4% in the two antipsychotic drug combination
      group. The rate of clozapine use was 3%. Use of polypharmacy was associated with
      the diagnosis of schizophrenia and schizoaffective disorder, young age, suicidal
      behavior, multiple hospitalizations, clinical severity, and the need of
      anticholinergic drug. CONCLUSION: The ratio of using more than two antipsychotic
      drug combination is high (28%) in psychotic patients living in board and care,
      and rate of clozapine use is low, which shows that clinical practice is
      inconsistent with the treatment guidelines recommendations. It appears that
      further education to rationale antipsychotic drug use in psychiatric practices is
      required.

PMID- 28360696
TI  - Sympathetic Skin Responses from the Neck Area in Patients with Unilateral
      Migraine.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: In this study, in patients with unilateral migraine headache and in
      normal controls, it was aimed to assess the sympathetic function during attack,
      post attack, and interval periods and to compare these findings by recording
      sympathetic skin responses from the neck area, which was not studied before.
      METHODS: A total of 37 unilateral patients with migraine (30 women, seven men)
      who fulfilled the criteria of International Headache Society (2004) were
      recruited from our outpatient clinic. The control group consisted of 21 healthy
      individuals (16 women, five men) who are employees or students of our Medical
      Faculty. Mean latency and maximum amplitude values of sympathetic skin responses
      obtained from neck areas of the patients during attack, post attack, and interval
      periods were calculated. We compared the mean latency and the maximum amplitude
      values of the symptomatic side with the data of the asymptomatic side and with
      the data of the control group. We also compared the responses of the patients
      with right-sided headache with the responses of the patients with left-sided
      headache. All statistical analyses were performed using SPSS. RESULTS: On the
      neck area, we observed sympathetic hypo-function in the attack and interval
      periods and a relative hyper-function in the post attack period bilaterally,
      regardless of the symptomatic side. CONCLUSION: These findings suggest that there
      is ongoing bilateral sympathetic hypo-function in the neck area and there occurs
      a temporary increase in the function of sympathetic sudomotor activity in the
      recovery period of headaches.

PMID- 28360697
TI  - Mother-Child Interactions of Preterm Toddlers.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: We aimed to investigate the mother-toddler relationship in preterm
      toddlers. METHODS: The sample consisted of 18 mothers and their preterm toddlers
      (group 1) and 20 mothers and their fullterm toddlers (group 2). Anxiety and
      depressive symptom levels, attachment pattern, and parental attitudes of mothers
      and social-emotional problems and developmental level of the toddlers were
      explored to assess possible confounding factors in the mother-toddler
      relationship. Two researchers rated the Parent Infant Relationship Global
      Assessment Scales (PIRGAS). RESULTS: Both the mothers in group 1 and group 2 had
      similar Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) and State and Trait Anxiety Inventory
      (STAI) scores. However, the mothers who gave birth before 32 weeks of gestation
      had higher trait anxiety scores than others (46+/-2.4 vs. 42.3+/-5.4, p=0.01).
      The groups had similar Brief Infant Toddler Social Emotional Assessment Scale
      (BITSEA) problem and competency scores. The parenting style of group 1 revealed
      that they had higher scores on the Parenting Attitude Research Instrument (PARI)
      subscale 5 (excessive discipline) (39.6 vs. 32.1; p=0.02). CONCLUSION: Mother
      toddler interaction and attachment security were found to be similar in fullterm
      and moderately preterm healthy toddlers. Our findings suggest that not the
      preterm birth itself but the medical, developmental, and/or neurological
      consequences of prematurity may affect the mother-toddler interaction. To explore
      the independent effect of prematurity in mother-toddler dyadic relationship,
      longitudinally designed studies are warranted.

PMID- 28360698
TI  - Comparison of Cognitive Impairment between Patients having Epilepsy and
      Psychogenic Nonepileptic Seizures.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: The aim of this study was to evaluate cognitive impairment in
      patients having epilepsy or psychogenic nonepileptic seizures (PNESs) using
      selected neuropsychological tests at different time periods related to the
      seizure. METHODS: In this study, selected neurocognitive tests were administered
      to the patients. Within 24 h, the previously applied neurocognitive tests were
      repeated within 24 h following the observation of typical seizures when
      monitoring and normalizing electroencephalography (EEG) activity. Basal
      neurocognitive tests were also administered to the healthy control group, and
      repeat neurocognitive evaluation was performed within 24-96 h. RESULTS: The basal
      neurocognitive evaluation revealed that verbal learning and memory scores as well
      as Stroop test interference time were significantly lower in the PNES group
      compared with those in the controls. In the basal cognitive tests administered to
      the patients with epilepsy, verbal learning and memory scores, long-term memory,
      and total recognition test scores were significantly lower than those of the
      controls. Following the repeat cognitive tests, significant progress was found in
      the verbal categorical fluency score of the PNES group. No significant difference
      was determined in the epilepsy group. Significant contraction was determined in
      the Stroop interference time in the control group, but no similar change was
      recorded in the epilepsy or PNES groups. CONCLUSION: While memory problems seemed
      to be most prominent in the assessed patients with epilepsy, attention and
      executive function problems were more dominant in the patients with PNESs. These
      findings are probably related to numerous factors such duration of disease, mood
      disorders, and specific drug use. No deterioration in attention and executive
      functions was reported in the early post-seizure period in either patient group.

PMID- 28360699
TI  - Relationship Suicide, Cognitive Functions, and Depression in Patients with
      Schizophrenia.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: The aim of this study was to compare schizophrenic patients with
      and without a suicide attempt history in terms of sociodemographic and clinical
      features and cognitive functions and to determine the predictive factors for
      suicide attempt history. METHODS: In this study, we assessed and compared 70
      patients with schizophrenia, 27 patients with a suicide attempt history, and 43
      patients without a suicide attempt history. The cognitive functions of patients
      were assessed by the Stroop test, Wisconsin Card Sorting Test (WCST), and Rey
      Auditory Verbal Learning Test. In order to evaluate clinical symptoms, the
      Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS) and Calgary Depression Scale for
      Schizophrenia (CDSS) were used. RESULTS: In this study, the number of
      hospitalizations, PANSS general psychopathology subscale score, CDSS total score,
      suicide item score, and WCST total number of responses (WCST1) were significantly
      higher among the patients with a suicide attempt history. The WCST1 and CDSS
      total scores were predicted using the suicide attempt history. CONCLUSION:
      Revealing the factors related to suicidal behavior in patients with schizophrenia
      contributes to the prevention of suicide. Studies with long-term follow-up and
      with a larger sample group are required for the investigation of relationship
      suicide, cognitive impairment, which is one of the core symptoms of
      schizophrenia, and depression.

PMID- 28360700
TI  - The Effects of Cognitive Rehabilitation on Relapsing Remitting Multiple Sclerosis
      Patients.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: The aims of this study were to determine the severity of cognitive
      impairment with Brief Repeatable Battery Neuropsychology (BRB-N) and to show the
      benefits of cognitive rehabilitation programs to develop coping strategies for
      the retardation of cognitive losses in relapsing remitting multiple sclerosis
      (RRMS) patients. METHODS: The cognitive screening with BRB-N was performed in
      RRMS patients who had applied to the MS outpatient clinic of Bakirkoy Psychiatric
      and Neurological Diseases Hospital, had an Expanded Disability Status Scale
      (EDSS) score between 1.0 and 5.5, and had no other cognitive disease or used
      drugs that effected the cognitive status. Thirty two patients with cognitive
      impairment underwent consecutive computer-assisted cognitive rehabilitation
      program once a week for 8 weeks conducted by psychologists. The effects of the
      program were evaluated with the tests repeated every 4 weeks. RESULTS: The mean
      age of the patients was 36.09+/-7.19 years. Their initial and control test scores
      were found to be paced auditory serial addition test (PASAT) 29.21+/-17.97;
      42.43+/-15.43, Selective Reminding Test-Total Learning (SRT-TL) 8.03+/-2.36;
      10.09+/-1.77, Selective Reminding Test-Long-term Memory (SRT-DR) 6.72+/-2.74; 9+/
      2.29, Spatial Recall Test-Total Learning (SPART-TL) 4.72+/-2.02; 4.22+/-1.74,
      Spatial Recall Test-Long-term Memory (SPART-DR) 5.94+/-2.54; 5.16+/-2.23, Symbol
      Digit Modalities Test (SDMT) 40.44+/-17.04; 46.47+/-17.94, Word Fluency Test
      (WLG) 32.88+/-9.87; 40.44+/-9.95 respectively. There was no significant
      statistical difference between Multiple Sclerosis Neuropsychological Screening
      Questionnaire (MSNQ) and SPART values of preface, 1st control and 2nd control
      (p>0.05). There was significant statistical difference between PASAT, WLG, SDMT,
      SRT-TL, SRT-DR values of Preface, 1st control, and 2nd control (p=0.0001).
      CONCLUSION: It was determined that on distinctive improvement on sustaining
      attention, working memory and information processing speed, and verbal fluency
      and verbal learning with cognitive rehabilitation, no changes were observed on
      visuospatial learning. This approach is hopeful and further comprehensive studies
      are needed.

PMID- 28360702
TI  - Anxiety Disorders Comorbidity in Children and Adolescents with Attention Deficit
      Hyperactivity Disorder.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: Our aim is to investigate the prevalence of comorbidity of anxiety
      disorders (AD) among patients newly diagnosed with attention deficit
      hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and to compare symptom severity of ADHD and
      sociodemographic parameters between patients with and without AD. METHODS: Among
      1683 children and adolescents admitted to Kocaeli University Medical Faculty,
      Child and Adolescent Mental Health Outpatient Clinic, 447 children and
      adolescents, who were preliminarily diagnosed as ADHD by clinical interview based
      on Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 4th edition (DSM-IV),
      were invited to participate in the second phase of the study. Kiddie Schedule for
      Affective Disorder and Schizophrenia, Present and Lifetime-Turkish Version were
      applied to children and adolescents with ADHD and one of their parents to support
      the diagnoses of both ADHD and AD. Mothers, fathers, and teachers of the children
      were asked to complete DSM-IV-Based Child and Adolescent Behavior Disorders
      Screening and Rating Scale. RESULTS: Our study group comprised 170 children and
      adolescents diagnosed with ADHD of whom 19.4% were girls and 80.6% were boys;
      27.6% of patients diagnosed with ADHD showed AD comorbidity. Age of the parents
      at birth of the patients with AD was significantly lower than that of patients
      without AD. CONCLUSION: In line with the previous studies, the comorbidity rate
      of AD was found to be higher among patients with ADHD than general population and
      clinical sample without ADHD. The possibility of comorbidity of AD in patients
      with ADHD should be considered because higher rates of AD are observed in ADHD
      and comorbidities of AD.

PMID- 28360701
TI  - Denver Developmental Test Findings and their Relationship with Sociodemographic
      Variables in a Large Community Sample of 0-4-Year-Old Children.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: The aim of this study was to investigate the prevalence of
      developmental problems and relationship with sociodemographic variables in a
      community sample of young children. METHODS: Participants included 1000 children
      (558 males, 442 females, age range 1-48 months, mean 18.4 months, SD 7.8 months).
      Children were referred generally by their parents for developmental evaluation
      and consultation in response to a public announcement in a district area in
      Istanbul, Turkey. An interview form and the Denver Developmental Screening Test
      II (DDST) were used for sociodemographic data and developmental evaluation. The
      chi2 test and Pearson's correlation test were used for data analysis. RESULTS:
      Seven hundred forty-one out of 1000 children (74.1%) had normal, 140 (14%) had
      risky, and 119 (11.9%) had abnormal findings on the DDST results. The probability
      of abnormal findings on the DDST results was significantly higher in males
      (p=0.003), the 2-4-year-old group (p<0.05), families with more than one child
      (p=0.001), consanguineous marriages (p<0.01), low parental educational levels and
      low household income (p<0.01), and in children without a history of breastfeeding
      (p=0.000). Immigration status and delivery mode did not have a significant effect
      on the probability of abnormal findings on the DDST results (p>0.05). CONCLUSION:
      Sociodemographic factors have a noteworthy impact on development. Determining
      these factors is important especially during the first years of life.

PMID- 28360703
TI  - Electroencephalography Spectral Power Density in First-Episode Mania: A
      Comparative Study with Subsequent Remission Period.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: Our aim in this study was to investigate spectral power density
      (PSD) in first-episode mania and subsequent remission period and to evaluate
      their difference. METHODS: Sixty-nine consecutive cases referring to our hospital
      within the previous 1 year, who were evaluated as bipolar disorder manic episode
      according to The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders-IV (DSM
      IV) at the first episode and had the informed consent form signed by first degree
      relatives, were included in this study. Exclusion criteria included having
      previous depressive episode, using drugs which could influence
      electroencephalographic activity before electroencephalography (EEG), and having
      previous neurological disease, particularly epilepsy, head trauma, and/or loss of
      consciousness. EEG records were obtained using a digital device in 16 channels;
      23 surface electrodes were placed according to the International 10-20 system.
      Spectral power density (dbMUV/Hz) of EEG signal provided information on the power
      carried out by EEG waves in defined frequancy range per unit frequency in the
      present study. RESULTS: A peak power value detected on the right with FP2P4 and
      on the left with F7T3 electrodes were found to be higher in the manic episode
      than in the remission period (p=0.018 and 0.025). In the remission period, in
      cases with psychotic symptoms during the manic period, F4C4 peak power value was
      found to be lower than that in cases with no psychotic findings during the manic
      period (p=0.027). There was no relation was found between YMRS scores and peak
      power scores. CONCLUSION: Electrophysiological corollary of mood episode is
      present from the onset of the disease, and it differs between the manic and
      remission periods of bipolar disorder. In the remission period, peak power values
      of PSD distinguish cases with psychotic findings from cases without psychotic
      findings when they were manic.

PMID- 28360704
TI  - The Phenomenology of Delusions in a Patient with Disorders of Sex Development.
AB  - Abnormal development of the external and internal genital organs and male
      pseudohermaphrodite-type disorders of sex development is one of the conditions
      that creates problem in determination of gender. In this case report, our aim is
      to discuss how disorders with psychotic symptoms may affect different cultural
      life styles, circumstances, experience, delusion contents of identification and
      acceptance in a patient diagnosed with bipolar affective disorder, and with male
      pseudohermaphroditism during adulthood.

PMID- 28360705
TI  - Neuro-Behcet's Disease with Chorea.
AB  - Behcet's disease (BD) was described as a three-symptom complex comprising
      uveitis, oral aphthae, and genital ulcerations. It is a multisystemic, recurrent,
      inflammatory disorder and it is of unknown cause. Neuro-Behcet (NB) is present in
      5%-7% of BD. Movement disorders have rarely been reported in NB. Here, we report
      a case of chronic parenchymal NB presenting with chorea.

PMID- 28360706
TI  - Sertraline Induced Galactorrhea.
AB  - There is limited literature reporting galactorrhea with antidepressants,
      including selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors. In this case report, a patient
      with adjustment disorder who developed galactorrhea with sertraline was
      presented.

PMID- 28360707
TI  - Treatment Approach to Sleep Terror: Two Case Reports.
AB  - Parasomnias are a group of disorders characterized by abnormal behaviors,
      physical activities, and autonomic arousal symptoms while transition to sleep or
      continuation of sleep. Sleep terror (ST) is classified under parasomnias
      characterized by sudden fear attacks beginning with crying attacks or high
      frequency screams and continuing with increased autonomic symptoms. ST occurs in
      the first few hours of sleep during the delta phase. Further, the lifetime
      prevalence of ST in adults is less than 1%. It is important to obtain; anamnesis
      from patients' bed partner for a clinical evaluation of ST. Methods, such as
      evaluating sleep diaries and video recordings, can help ST diagnosis. It is also
      important to evaluate patients' medical history, history of substance or alcohol
      abuse, psychological traumatic experiences, primary or secondary incomes, and
      detailed neurological aspects. Physician can select some serotonin reuptake
      inhibitors (SSRIs) or tricyclic antidepressants (TCADs) as medical treatment if
      patients have a high frequency of attacks. Because of addiction and relapse of ST
      episodes, benzodiazepines are not preferred as the first-line treatment. In this
      study, we will discuss ST, which is rare in adulthood, and use of long-acting
      benzodiazepine based on two cases.

PMID- 28360709
TI  - The Effects of Antipsychotics on Prolactin and Bone Mineral Density.

PMID- 28360708
TI  - Tardive Blepharospasm and Meige Syndrome during Treatment with Quetiapine and
      Olanzapine.
AB  - Meige syndrome, which has been presented in tardive syndromes, is a form of
      blepharospasm accompanied by oromandibular dystonia with manifestations over the
      face, jaw, and neck. A blepharospasm can be induced by antihistamines,
      dopaminomimetic or sympathomimetic drugs, or long-term exposure to dopamine
      antagonists. Atypical antipsychotics have less extrapyramidal side effects
      because of a weak dopamine D2 receptor binding affinity or a strong antagonistic
      effect to serotonin 5-HT2a receptor and have been known to cause less tardive
      dyskinesia than typical antipsychotics. Thus, in literature, atypical
      antipsychotics are recommended for the treatment of psychosis in cases of tardive
      dyskinesia. The potential risk factors associated with the development of tardive
      dyskinesia are extrapyramidal symptoms' history, diabetes mellitus, affective
      disorder, female gender, older age, and long-term therapy with neuroleptics at
      higher dosages. As reported below, a patient with an affective disorder who had
      quetiapine-induced oromandibular dystonia and olanzapine-induced Meige syndrome
      after antipsychotic augmentation in different stages of the disease process was
      presented.

PMID- 28360710
TI  - Reversible Anorgasmia with Acetazolamide Treatment for Idiopathic Intracranial
      Hypertension.

PMID- 28360711
TI  - Erratum.
AB  - [This corrects the article on p. 4 in vol. 52.].

PMID- 28360712
TI  - The Challenge Behind the Facade: Substance Abuse and Comorbidities.

PMID- 28360713
TI  - Pregnancy-Onset Panic Disorder: Incidence, Comorbidity and Associated Factors.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: The present study aimed to investigate the incidence rate of
      pregnancy-onset panic disorder (POPD) among Turkish pregnant women using a
      diagnostic interview. Additionally, we examined whether the independent socio
      demographic or clinical risk factors were associated with the risk of panic
      disorder in these women. METHODS: The study sample comprised 1475 consecutive
      pregnant women who presented to the obstetric outpatient clinics of two research
      centers. The rate of POPD in these participants was 1.3% (Group 1, n=20). The 20
      women with POPD were compared with 250 pregnant women without pregnancy-onset
      depression or anxiety (Group 2; controls). Panic disorder and other anxiety or
      mood disorders were determined by means of the Structured Clinical Interview for
      DSM-IV. Comorbid Axis II disorders were diagnosed with the Structured Clinical
      Interview for DSM-III-R Personality Disorders. RESULTS: The incidence rate of
      panic disorder was 1.3% (n=20). In group 1, 55% (n=11) of the women with POPD had
      an additional mood or anxiety disorder. In addition, the prevalence rate of any
      cluster C personality disorder, including avoidant, passive-aggressive and
      obsessive-compulsive personality disorders, were significantly greater in the
      group 1 women with POPD than the control pregnant women without a panic disorder
      (group 2). CONCLUSION: The women with POPD were more likely than the controls to
      have a cluster C Axis II disorder and a history of a pre-existing anxiety or mood
      disorder.

PMID- 28360714
TI  - Investigation of the Plasma Nitrite Levels and Oxidant-Antioxidant Status in
      Obstructive Sleep Apnea Syndrome.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is one of the most prevalent sleep
      disorders. In the present study, we assessed the nitrite level, which is an
      indirect indicator of nitric oxide (NO), total oxidant status (TOS), total
      antioxidant status (TAS) and oxidative stress index (OSI), which may be
      associated with endotel dysfunction. We investigated the difference between the
      groups and the relationship among the severity of comorbid conditions. METHODS:
      This study was conducted in 39 OSA patients confirmed by polysomnography and 40
      healthy subjects (controls). The OSA group consisted of 10 women and 29 men and
      the control group consisted of 20 women and 20 men. Polysomnographic revealed
      mild OSA in two, moderate in 7 and severe in 30 cases. We measured plasma TAS,
      TOS and nitrite levels from venous blood. The OSI value was obtained by dividing
      the TOS and TAS values. Values were compared with the control group and between
      patient groups. RESULTS: A high body mass index (BMI), cardiovasculer diseases
      (CVD) and the use of medication for co-morbid diseases were more prevalent in the
      OSA group (p=.001, p=.029 and p=.006, respectively). The median plasma TOS level
      and OSI in the obstructive sleep apnea syndrome (OUA) group were significantly
      higher than those in the control group (p=.001 and p=.001, respectively). The
      plasma median nitrite level and TAS did not show any significant difference
      between the OSA and the control groups. None of the parameters revealed a
      significant difference between severe and moderate OSA cases. CONCLUSION: Our
      findings in the present study revealed that the oxidant-antioxidant balance
      shifted toward the oxidant side in OSA cases; however, the NO level did not
      change. These findings together may point out that some molecules other than NO
      may have a role in the pathophysiology of endothelial dysfunction and also in the
      disturbed oxidant-antioxidant balance in OSA.

PMID- 28360715
TI  - Relationships between Childhood Traumatic Experiences, Early Maladaptive Schemas
      and Interpersonal Styles.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: Cognitive theories of psychopathology have generally proposed that
      early experiences of childhood abuse and neglect may result in the development of
      early maladaptive self-schemas. Maladaptive core schemas are central in the
      development and maintenance of psychological symptoms in a schema-focused
      approach. Psychosocial dysfunction in individuals with psychological problems has
      been consistently found to be associated with symptom severity. However, till
      date, linkages between psychosocial functioning, early traumatic experiences and
      core schemas have received little attention. The aim of the present study was to
      explore the relations among maladaptive interpersonal styles, negative
      experiences in childhood and core self-schemas in non-clinical adults. METHODS: A
      total of 300 adults (58% women) participated in the study. The participants
      completed a socio-demographic questionnaire, Young Schema Questionnaire,
      Childhood Trauma Questionnaire and Interpersonal Style Scale. RESULTS:
      Hierarchical regression analyses revealed that the Disconnection and Rejection
      and Impaired Limits schema domains were significant antecedents of maladaptive
      interpersonal styles after controlling for demographic characteristics and
      childhood abuse and neglect. Associations of child sexual abuse with Emotionally
      Avoidant, Manipulative and Abusive interpersonal styles were mediated by early
      maladaptive schemas. Early maladaptive schemas mediated the relations of
      emotional abuse with Emotionally Avoidant and Avoidant interpersonal styles as
      well as the relations of physical abuse with Avoidant and Abusive interpersonal
      styles. CONCLUSION: Interpersonal styles in adulthood are significantly
      associated with childhood traumatic experiences. Significant relations between
      early traumatic experiences and maladaptive interpersonal styles are mediated by
      early maladaptive schemas.

PMID- 28360716
TI  - Correlation Between Life Events and Quality of Life in Patients with Medication
      Overuse Headache.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: The present study aimed to determine (a) the correlation between
      type and number of stressful life events and quality of life in patients with
      medication-overuse headache (MOH) and (b) whether stressful life events could be
      attributed to medication overuse and the conversion of headache to a chronic
      type. METHODS: The present study included 114 patients aged between 15 and 65
      years who met the criteria for headache classification of International Headache
      Society (IHS). The patients were divided into three groups according to the
      revised 2004 IHS classification; MOH (n=64), chronic migraine (n=25) and episodic
      migraine (n=25). Detailed data on clinical and sociodemographic characteristics
      were recorded. Neurological and physical examinations were performed for
      differential diagnosis. The patients underwent structured clinical interviews for
      DSM-IV Inventory (SCID-I), Beck Anxiety Inventory, Beck Depression Inventory,
      Short Form-36 (SF-36) and Life Events List. Scores of these inventories were
      statistically compared. RESULTS: Comparing MOH group with episodic migraine group
      via SF-36, statistically significant decreases were observed in the subscales of
      physical role limitation (p=.024), pain (p=.0001), general health (p=.043) and
      social functioning (p=.004). There was a statistically significant correlation
      between the number of life events and the time the disease became chronic in the
      patient group with non-MOH chronic migraine (p=.027). Moreover, a statistically
      significant correlation was observed between stressful family life events and the
      body pain subscale of quality of life scale (p=.038). CONCLUSION: The present
      study demonstrates that stressful life events impair quality of life in patients
      with MOH. It was also found that number of stressful life events could be
      attributed to the conversion of headache to a chronic type.

PMID- 28360718
TI  - Correlation of Fatigue with Depression, Disability Level and Quality of Life in
      Patients with Multiple Sclerosis.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: Fatigue is a subjective and non-specific symptom; therefore,
      evaluation of fatigue is quite difficult. Fatigue has been reported in 75%-87% of
      patients with multiple sclerosis (MS) and two-thirds of these patients indicated
      fatigue as one of the worst three common symptoms that they experienced. This
      study was conducted to measure the intensity, frequency and the characteristics
      of fatigue in patients with MS. Moreover, the effect of fatigue on the quality of
      life and its association with depression and disability were evaluated. METHODS:
      One hundred and twenty patients with multiple sclerosis (84 women and 36 men)
      were included in our study. The patients' sociodemographic characteristics and
      their experiences on symptoms of fatigue were questioned. Presence and degree of
      fatigue were assessed using the fatigue severity scale (FSS). Disability status
      was detected with expanded disability status scale (EDSS). The Multiple Sclerosis
      Quality of Life (MSQoL-54) survey was conducted to evaluate the quality of life
      of patients and Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) was used to determine the current
      depression status. Patients were grouped into fatigue and non-fatigue groups
      based on FSS. Both groups were compared according to their age, sex, MS clinical
      types, course of the disease and scores of EDSS, BDI and MSQoL-54. RESULTS:
      Seventy percent of patients reported fatigue and 38% of these patients defined
      fatigue as their most disabling symptom. There was no correlation of fatigue with
      age, sex and disease duration. The correlation of fatigue and educational level
      was negative and weak (p<.05, r=-.214) and the correlation between fatigue and MS
      clinical types were significant but weak (p<.01, r=.228). Patients with fatigue
      had higher EDSS and BDI scores. In addition, FSS scores were found to be
      statistically meaningful and positively correlated with both EDSS and BDI scores
      (r=.404, r=.476, p<.01). Furthermore, our findings revealed that the quality of
      life in patients with MS and fatigue was poor (r=-.58 p<.01). Similarly, a
      negative connection was found between MSQoL-54 sub-scales and fatigue.
      CONCLUSION: This study proved that fatigue has a positive correlation with
      depression and disability and a negative significant relation with the quality of
      life of patients with MS.

PMID- 28360717
TI  - Relationship between Symptoms of Disruptive Behavior Disorders and Unsafe
      Internet Usage in Early Adolescence.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: Children and adolescents are at the highest risk for negative
      effects of internet usage. Risk taking and erroneous decision making have been
      described as major behavioral characteristics of patients with attention deficit
      hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). ADHD and its association particularly with
      oppositional defiant disorder/conduct disorder are correlated with risk-taking
      behaviors. This study was conducted to evaluate how disruptive behavior disorder
      symptoms are associated with internet usage, particularly unsafe internet usage,
      in early adolescents. METHODS: A sample of 1389 secondary school students was
      invited to the survey. All children were given an invitation letter and Conners'
      Parent Rating Scale (CPRS) forms were sent to their parents. The accepted
      participants filled in questionnaire forms, which consisted of questions
      interrogating demographic information and internet usage habits. RESULTS:
      Responses indicated that 27.4% (n=249) of the participants encountered unwanted
      content unintentionally and nearly one-third (n=280, 30.4%) had chatted online
      with people they did not know. Additionally, respondents who had more severe ADHD
      symptoms were more likely to report surfing online mainly for the purpose of
      chatting than respondents with milder ADHD symptoms. Students with comparatively
      higher attention deficit scores were also significantly more likely to report
      meeting in person with strangers they knew only from internet chatting. Analyses
      have demonstrated the presence of a significant difference between study
      participants with and without conduct disorder as for internet overusage or
      meeting with their internet acquaintances. CONCLUSION: This study suggests that
      there may be a significant relation between ADHD symptoms, conduct disorder and
      pathological and unsafe internet usage. Evaluating adolescents with ADHD and
      conduct disorder with this risk in mind is important in the development of both
      preventive and interventional strategies.

PMID- 28360719
TI  - Relations between Post-traumatic Stress Disorder, Dissociation and Attention
      Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder among Earthquake Survivors.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: There is a burgeoning interest in relations between post-traumatic
      stress disorder (PTSD) and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).
      Although few studies were conducted, weak evidence was found supporting the
      hypothesis that ADHD may be a risk factor for the development of PTSD. In
      addition, there is a paucity of research addressing the relations between
      dissociation and ADHD. In this study, our aim was to examine the relations
      between PTSD and ADHD combined with the mediating effect of dissociative
      psychopathology. METHODS: The participants were 317 undergraduate students, a
      greater proportion of whom experienced the 2011 Van earthquake (66%). The
      participants were administered the Posttraumatic Diagnostic Scale, Dissociative
      Experiences Scale, Adult ADHD Self-Report Scale, Beck Depression Inventory and
      Beck Anxiety Inventory. RESULTS: We found that ADHD symptoms and dissociation
      were significantly associated with PTSD. Considering the multivariate relations
      between ADHD, PTSD and dissociation, significant associations between PTSD and
      ADHD resulted from symptom overlaps. However, pathological dissociation mediated
      the relations between PTSD and ADHD. CONCLUSION: We concluded that ADHD
      comorbidity was not a predominant vulnerability factor for the development of
      post-traumatic stress response but may be an exacerbating factor after the
      development of PTSD.

PMID- 28360720
TI  - Electroneuromyographic Features in Fabry Disease: A Retrospective Review.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: Fabry disease (FD) is an X-linked recessive inherited disorder
      characterized by lysosomal alpha-galactosidase deficiency. The purpose of our
      study was to assess and compare the electroneuromyographic (ENMG) findings of 15
      patients with Fabry disease and the electroneurographic (ENG) findings of 15
      healthy controls. We have not encountered any similar study in the medical
      literature of our country. Therefore, we believe that our study will contribute
      to national literature. METHODS: Fifteen patients with Fabry disease, 13 females
      and 2 males and 15 healthy controls, 13 females and 2 males, were included in the
      study. The definite diagnosis of patients with Fabry disease was made based on
      the enzyme level and genetic mutation. The patients with Fabry disease were
      examined with ENMG, while the healthy control group was examined with ENG. In the
      patients with a normal ENMG examination, neuropathic pain was attributed to the
      small fiber involvement. RESULTS: Patients with Fabry disease had neuropathic
      pain (LANSS score>=12). While neurological examination was normal in eight
      patients, glove- and stocking-type hypoesthesia and decreased deep tendon
      reflexes were observed in five and two patients, respectively. Axonal
      polyneuropathy was detected in one patient. The ENMG examinations of the other
      patients were normal. Enzyme replacement therapy could not be initiated in one
      patient because of pregnancy. The neurological examination of the healthy control
      group was normal. There was no statistically significant difference between the
      ENMG features of both groups (p>.05). As in other studies, a routine ENMG
      examination was normal in our patients with early-stage Fabry disease.
      Neuropathic pain, seen in patients with Fabry disease in literature, is thought
      to be due to small fiber involvement. CONCLUSION: Fabry disease should be
      considered in the differential diagnosis of patients with neuropathic pain at
      young ages. It should be kept in mind that ENMG examination can be normal at the
      early stages. Quantitative sensory test, autonomic tests (R-R interval and
      sympathetic skin response) and skin biopsy should be performed in such cases. In
      our country, pediatric physicians work on Fabry disease more than physicians
      dealing with Fabry disease in adults. Therefore, in this retrospective study, we
      aimed to draw adult and pediatric neurologists' attention to Fabry disease.

PMID- 28360721
TI  - Risk among Combat Veterans with Post-traumatic Stress Disorder: The Impact of
      Psychosocial Factors on the Escalation of Suicidal Risk.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: The purpose of this study was to (a) evaluate the influence of post
      traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and other comorbid disorders on suicidal risk
      among combat veterans and (b) evaluate the impact of psychosocial factors on the
      escalation of suicidal risk. METHODS: Data were gathered from a random and
      representative sample of 215 Kosovo War veterans. Subjects were assessed for the
      presence of lifetime and current psychiatric disorders according to the
      Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fourth Revision (DSM-IV
      TR) using the following questionnaires: Harvard Trauma Questionnaire (HTQ),
      Beck's Depression Inventory (BDI) and Beck's Suicide Intent Scale (BSIS).
      RESULTS: Suicidal ideations were observed in 44 (20.5%) of the 215 subjects. High
      suicide risk was found in 31.8% veterans diagnosed with PTSD and comorbid major
      depressive disorder. In addition, high suicide risk was also observed in the
      group of unemployed veterans, veterans dissatisfied with social/economic
      attainment and veterans dissatisfied with living conditions. CONCLUSION: Our
      study showed that socioeconomic factors contributes to the deterioration of
      symptoms of major depression, PTSD and other comorbid disorders, with a direct
      impact of worsening suicidal ideations and suicidal behavior among war veterans.

PMID- 28360722
TI  - Evaluation of Relationship Between Childhood Maltreatment and Medication Overuse
      Headache.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: We aimed to evaluate the prevalence and relationship between
      childhood maltreatment (CMT) among patients with medication overuse headache
      (MOH) and to investigate whether CMT is associated with medication overuse in
      patients having headaches or with headaches that become chronic. Epidemiological
      studies report a relationship between childhood abuse and headache. There is
      growing knowledge about the evidence that childhood maltreatment leads to
      neurobiological sequel. Medication overuse is the most important problem for
      migraine to become chronic. But in the literature, there was no information about
      the role of childhood abuse in MOH and for migraine to become chronic. METHODS: A
      total of 116 patients with headache, aged from 15 to 65 years, were included in
      the study. Patients having chronic migraine (CM), MOH and episodic migraine (EM)
      were selected out of patients presented to the headache outpatient clinic. Types
      of headache were determined according to the revised International Headache
      Society (IHS) criteria published in 2004. The Childhood Trauma Questionnaire,
      Beck Depression Inventory and Beck Anxiety Inventory were performed. Presence of
      psychiatric co-morbidities was evaluated by a clinician using Structured Clinical
      Interview for Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, the Fourth
      Edition. RESULTS: A total of 116 patients with headache were included in the
      study. Of patients, 64 had MOH, 25 had CM and 27 had EM. The prevalence of CMT,
      particularly emotional neglect (62%), physical neglect (44%) and emotional abuse
      (36.2%), was determined higher in all headache groups. There was no statistically
      significant difference in prevalence of childhood maltreatment between MOH, CM
      and EM groups. No statistically significant difference was detected between
      educational status, psychiatric co-morbidities and childhood trauma, except for
      physical neglect. CONCLUSION: Childhood maltreatment was observed in MOH as in
      other forms of migraine and headache. However, no significant difference was
      observed between the three groups of patients with headache.

PMID- 28360723
TI  - Exploring the Role of Social Anhedonia in the Positive and Negative Dimensions of
      Schizotypy in a Non-Clinical Sample.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: The present study aimed to investigate the role of social
      anhedonia, defined as the lack of ability to feel pleasure from interpersonal
      relationship, in a multidimensional model of schizotypy and to determine the
      psychometric properties of the Turkish version of Chapman's Revised Social
      Anhedonia Scale (SAS) in a non-clinical sample. METHODS: Second-grade students of
      Ankara University Medical Faculty were recruited (n=266, Mage=20.28).
      Confirmatory factor analysis was performed to test schizotypy dimensions. The
      Cronbach's alpha internal consistency value, test-retest reliability and
      congruent validity of SAS were calculated. RESULTS: The model in which social
      anhedonia was allowed to load on both schizotypy dimensions fit the data set
      better than the model in which social anhedonia was allowed to load on negative
      dimension alone. The internal consistency assessed with Cronbach's alpha was .84,
      test-retest reliability was r=.76 and the congruent validity of SAS was r=.55.
      CONCLUSION: The results of current study were consistent with those of earlier
      studies showing that social anhedonia was related to both schizotypy dimensions.
      Furthermore, the psychometric properties of the Turkish Version of SAS revealed
      that it is a reliable and valid measurement to assess social anhedonia in a non
      clinical population.

PMID- 28360724
TI  - The Activation of RAGE and NF-KB in Nerve Biopsies of Patients with Axonal and
      Vasculitic Neuropathy.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: The receptor for advanced glycation end products (RAGE) is a
      pattern recognition receptor expressed in tissues and cells, which plays a role
      in immunity. The activation of RAGE results in the translocation of nuclear
      factor kappa B (NF-kappaB) to the nucleus for expression of proinflammatory
      molecules. The role of the RAGE pathway in the pathogenesis of diabetic
      complications is well determined. We aimed to investigate the role of the RAGE
      pathway in axonal and vasculitic neuropathy. METHODS: We immunoreacted nerve
      biopsy samples from 17 axonal neuropathy (AN), 11 vasculitic neuropathy (VN) and
      12 hereditary neuropathy (as a control group) with liability to pressure palsy
      (HNPP) patients with antibodies to NF-kappaB and RAGE. Subsequently, we performed
      double staining with the antibodies to NF-kappaB or RAGE and T cells, macrophages
      and Schwann cells. RESULTS: RAGE and NF-kappaB immunoreactivities were higher in
      the perivascular cuff and in endoneurial cells in VN than in AN and HNPP.
      Although there is no significant difference, nerve biopsies with AN showed higher
      NFkappaB and RAGE immunoreactivities than HNPP. The colocalization study showed
      that most of the NFkappaB- and RAGE-positive cells were CD8 (+) T cells in VN. In
      AN, all NFkappaB- and RAGE-positive cells were macrophages, whereas all NFkappaB-
      and RAGE-positive cells were Schwann cells in HNPP. CONCLUSION: The activation of
      the RAGE pathway predominant in CD8 (+) T cells underscores its role in VN. In AN
      patients, the immunoreactivity to NFkappaB and RAGE in macrophages may support
      their role in axonal degeneration without inflammatory milieu.

PMID- 28360725
TI  - Relationship of Suicidal Ideation and Behavior to Attachment Style in Patients
      with Major Depression.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: The attachment theory aims to understand close relationships in
      adulthood based on the relationship of a child with the caregiver. Attachment
      styles are classified as secure, preoccupied, fearful and dismissing, which are
      the subtypes of insecure attachment style. Insecure attachment is suggested to be
      related to depression and suicide. In this study, the relationship of suicidal
      ideation and behavior to attachment style is investigated in patients diagnosed
      with major depression. METHODS: Sixty-two patients diagnosed with major
      depressive disorder according to the DSM-IV-TR criteria were taken and divided
      into two groups, 31 patients with and 31 patients without a past suicide attempt.
      Sixty healthy volunteers matched with the patients for age, gender and education
      and comprised the control group. Sociodemographic and clinical data form,
      Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-IV Axis I Disorders (SCID-I), Hamilton
      Depression Rating Scale (HDRS), Experiences in Close Relationships Scale (ECR),
      Scale of Suicidal Ideation and Suicidal Behavior Scale were applied to the
      groups. RESULTS: In the patients with depression, ECR anxiety and avoidance
      scores were found to be higher compared with those in the control group. There
      were no differences in the anxiety and avoidance scores between the patients with
      and without suicide attempt. The rate of participants who showed secure
      attachment style in the control group was higher than that of those with
      depression. In the patients with fearful attachment style, the suicide attempt
      rate was found to be higher than the other groups. A positively significant
      relationship was detected between ECR anxiety score and scores of HDRS suicide
      item, Scale of Suicidal Ideation and Suicidal Behavior Scale. CONCLUSION:
      Patients with depression were more anxious and more avoidant and showed more
      insecure attachment. In patients with depression with fearful attachment style,
      suicide attempts were more common.

PMID- 28360726
TI  - Validity and Reliability of the Quality of Life in Epilepsy Inventory (QOLIE-31)
      for Turkey.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: The purpose of this study was to evaluate reliability and validity
      of the 31-item Quality of Life in Epilepsy Inventory (QOLIE-31) in Turkish
      epileptic patients. METHODS: This study was performed methodologically. To
      standardize the inventory, using a standard "forward-backward" translation and
      cultural adaptation procedure the English version of the QOLIE-31 was translated
      to Turkish. Language equivalence of the scale was provided. The opinions of
      experts were considered regarding the content validity of the scale. Reliability
      of the scale was determined with the test-retest reliability, item-total
      correlation and internal consistency analysis. For the construct validity, QOLIE
      31 was compared with Nottingham Health Profile (NHP) scale and pre validity was
      determined. RESULTS: One hundred and forty-eight epileptic patients (62 females,
      86 males), with a mean age of 32.5 (SD: 10.71) years were enrolled in the study.
      Content Validity Index of instrument was .85. Alpha reliability was .91. Item
      total correlations were between .46 and .74 (p=.001). The mean score for the
      quality of life of epileptic patients was found to be moderate level (56.4; SD:
      17.3). The mean score of Seizure Worry subscale was the lowest (48.9, SD: 29.82),
      while social function subscale (60.1, SD: 20.12) was found to be highest. As
      expected, correlations between QOLIE-31 and NHP subscales were fairly strong,
      particularly between those subscales with close or interdependent content. Thus,
      Emotional Well-Being correlated with NHP Emotional Reactions, Social Isolation
      and Pain; Social Function with NHP Social Isolation and Physical Mobility;
      Seizure Worry with NHP Social Isolation and Emotional Reactions; and Cognitive
      Function with NHP Energy, Emotional Reactions and Pain. CONCLUSION: The Turkish
      version of the QOLIE-31 questionnaire has good structural characteristics, is a
      reliable and valid instrument and can be used for measuring the effect of
      epilepsy on the quality of life.

PMID- 28360727
TI  - The Validity and Reliability of the Turkish Version of Miller Forensic Assessment
      of Symptoms Test (M-FAST).
AB  - INTRODUCTION: The aim of this study was to show the validity and reliability of
      the M-FAST Turkish Version. METHODS: Translation and back-translation of the M
      FAST was done, then the M-FAST Turkish Version was created with linguistic
      equivalence. The study was performed with 97 detainees and convicts sent from
      penal institutions who were internalized at our hospital forensic psychiatry
      service. M-FAST Turkish Version was applied to evaluees and as a result of
      clinical interview according to DSM-IV-TR diagnostic criteria and various data
      explorations the evaluee was examined for malingering. To investigate the
      internal consistency of the scale, Cronbach's alpha and test-retest methods were
      used. In order to check the validity of the scale, in addition to the clinician's
      diagnosis, participants were requested to fill the Minnesota Multiphasic
      Personality Inventory (MMPI) F and K validity scales. RESULTS: The mean age of
      participants was 31.8+/-9.3 (SD) years. 47 evaluees (48.5%) were diagnosed as
      malingering. In the internal consistency analysis, Cronbach's alpha Coefficient
      was found to be .93. Test-retest relationship that was applied to 22 evaluees was
      found to be highly significant and strong (r=.89, p<.001). M-FAST scores were
      significantly high at the malingering group (n=47) (z=-8.02, p<.001). ROC curve
      analysis suggested a score of >=7 points as the optimal cut-off for a malingering
      level for the M-FAST. Kappa coefficients of malingering +/- groups were found to
      be, M-FAST>=7 Kappa: .83; F>16 Kappa: .29; F-K>16 Kappa: .30. For diagnosis of
      malingering, M-FAST Scale and the MMPI inventory scales were evaluated with the
      Binary Logistic Regression analysis and only M-FAST scores were found to be
      significant in prediction of malingering. CONCLUSION: The findings of this study
      support that, M-FAST Turkish Form represents the structure of the original scale
      and can be used as a reliable and valid instrument.

PMID- 28360728
TI  - Premorbid Personality Disorders in Male Schizophrenic Patients with or without
      Comorbid Substance Use Disorder: Is Dual Diagnosis Mediated by Personality
      Disorder?
AB  - INTRODUCTION: Although substance abuse is an important clinical problem in
      schizophrenic patients, very little evidence explains why these patients use
      drugs and alcohol. This study therefore aimed to examine whether premorbid
      personality disorders affect substance abuse. METHODS: The sample included 40
      male schizophrenic patients with and 40 male schizophrenic patients without
      substance use disorder comorbidity who had applied to Ankara Numune Research and
      Training Hospital. Each participant and a family member were interviewed in a
      structured clinical interview that addressed premorbid personality disorders.
      RESULTS: Altogether, 32 patients (80%) in the group with comorbidity and 28 (70%)
      in the group without comorbidity had a premorbid personality disorder. Antisocial
      (35% vs. 0%; p<.001) and borderline (37.5% vs. 5%; p=.001) personality disorders
      were more often detected in the group with comorbidity, while avoidant (10% vs.
      35%; p=.014) and obsessive-compulsive (0% vs. 15%; p=.026) personality disorders
      were less frequently found in this group. Comparing the group with comorbidity
      with premorbid personality types, schizophrenic patients with premorbid
      antisocial personality disorder were more frequently unemployed and hospitalized
      as well as had an earlier onset age of schizophrenia (p=.034, p=.038 and p=.035,
      respectively). Schizophrenic patients with premorbid borderline personality
      disorder had a significantly earlier onset age of substance use (19+/-5; p=.028).
      CONCLUSION: Schizophrenic patients with substance use comorbidity variously
      differ from those without comorbidity and some of these differences may be
      associated with premorbid personality disorders.

PMID- 28360729
TI  - Repetitive Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (rTMS)-Induced Trigeminal Autonomic
      Cephalalgia.
AB  - Repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) is an effective and novel
      treatment method that has been approved for the treatment of refractory
      depression by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. The most common side effects
      of rTMS are a transient headache that usually responds to simple analgesics,
      local discomfort in the stimulation area, dizziness, ipsilateral lacrimation and,
      very rarely, generalized seizure. TMS is also regarded as a beneficial tool for
      investigating mechanisms underlying headache. Although rTMS has considerable
      benefits in terms of headache, there is the potential for rare side effects. In
      this report, we present the case of a patient with no history of autonomic
      headache who underwent a course of rTMS for refractory unipolar depression caused
      by an inadequate response to pharmacotherapy. After his fourth rTMS session, the
      patient developed sudden headaches with characteristics of trigeminal autonomic
      cephalalgia on the stimulated side, representing a noteworthy example of the
      potential side effects of rTMS.

PMID- 28360730
TI  - An Alternative Approach to the Effects of Multiple Traumas: Complex Post
      Traumatic Stress Disorder.
AB  - Exposure to multiple traumatic events, particularly in childhood, has been shown
      to result in more complex symptoms than those seen after exposure to a single
      traumatic event. In case of overlooking the link between trauma and
      psychopathology, patients with multiple traumatic experiences receive a variety
      of different diagnoses that are unable to completely cover the clinical picture.
      Misdiagnoses of genuine cases inevitably lead to mistreatment. A diagnosis of
      complex post-traumatic stress disorder has been proposed to cover the emerging
      psychopathology in survivors of multiple traumas. This present report aimed to
      discuss the construct and to increase the awareness of complex post-traumatic
      stress disorder diagnosis among mental health professionals.

PMID- 28360732
TI  - A Methodological Criticism to Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental
      Disorders.

PMID- 28360731
TI  - Association of Demyelinating and Inflammatory Bowel Diseases: A Case Series and
      Overview of the Literature.
AB  - Neurological complications of inflammatory bowel diseases (i.e., ulcerative
      colitis and Crohn's disease) can be summarized as a combination of neuromuscular
      manifestations, cerebrovascular and demyelinating diseases that can be seen in
      approximately 3% of patients. In addition, asymptomatic cerebral white matter
      lesions may be detected in these patients. Clustering of diseases within families
      may be explained by the exposure to similar environmental factors, shared genes,
      or complex interactions between genetic and environmental factors. Here we report
      an epileptic patient with Crohn's disease and cerebral white matter lesions, a
      family with ulcerative colitis and multiple sclerosis and two patients who have
      both multiple sclerosis and Crohn's disease.

PMID- 28360733
TI  - Thirty Years of Magnetic Stimulation: Is it Still Only for the Purpose of
      Research?

PMID- 28360734
TI  - Prevalence of Intimate Partner Violence and Associated Factors.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: The aim of the present cross-sectional study was to investigate the
      prevalence of intimate partner physical violence among depressive Turkish women,
      as well as the association of intimate partner physical violence with attachment
      patterns, childhood traumas, and socio-demographic factors. METHODS: The study
      included 100 women diagnosed with depressive disorder and 30 healthy women. The
      Structured Clinical Interview for Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental
      Disorders-IV axis I disorders, Hamilton Depression Rating Scale, Hamilton Anxiety
      Rating Scale, Adult Attachment Style Questionnaire (AASQ), and Childhood Trauma
      Questionnaire (CTQ) were used for clinical assessment. RESULTS: It was found that
      64% of the women diagnosed with depression were suffering from intimate partner
      physical violence. In these women, the severity of depression and anxiety
      symptoms was higher, suicidal ideation and suicide attempts were more common, and
      the diagnosis of double depression was more prevalent. These women also achieved
      higher scores in the avoidant and ambivalent subscales of AASQ and higher total
      scores and higher scores in the physical abuse subscale of CTQ. The partner's and
      the woman's experiences of physical violence in their families during their
      childhood predicted intimate partner physical violence for women suffering from
      depression. CONCLUSION: The investigation of domestic violence contributes to the
      treatment of depression and also to the recognition and prevention of domestic
      violence that has profound effects on successive generations.

PMID- 28360735
TI  - Neurological Complications after Renal Transplantation: A Retrospective Clinical
      Study.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: The aim of this study was to evaluate the incidence and types of
      neurological complications (NCs) and associated factors in renal transplantation
      (RT) patients. METHODS: Three hundred and forty-four patients who had RT
      performed at our institution between January 2005 and July 2014 were
      retrospectively evaluated. RESULTS: File records of the patients revealed 19 who
      experienced a total of 22 episodes of NCs, of whom three had more than one
      episode. The mean age of 19 patients included in the study, of whom eight were
      female, was 37.52+/-13.08 (range, 18-65) years. NCs were classified into central
      or peripheral depending on the location of involvement of the central nervous
      system (CNS). CNS involvement was found in 16 (84.2%) of the 19 patients. Tremor
      (36.8%) was the most common CNS complication in these patients. Encephalopathy,
      generalized tonic-clonic seizures, and status epilepticus were observed in two
      patients (10.5%). Delirium and dementia were observed in one patient (5.2%).
      Headache was experienced by one patient, and agitated depression was observed in
      one patient. Six patients (26.3%) had the peripheral nervous system involvement.
      One patient had the numbness of hands with normal electromyography findings, and
      four patients had polyneuropathy. In one patient, lumbar plexopathy was observed.
      Seventeen of the 22 NCs were considered to be caused by immunosuppressive agents.
      Each incidence of amyloidosis, infection, septic emboli, and hypoglycemia caused
      a neurological episode. The etiology of one episode was unknown. CONCLUSION:
      Different neurological disorders can be seen after RT, and most of them are
      caused by immunosuppressive drugs. NCs seen after RT can be treated by decreasing
      the dose or changing the immunosuppressive drug.

PMID- 28360736
TI  - Psychiatric Features in Neurotic Excoriation Patients: The Role of Childhood
      Trauma.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: Neurotic excoriation is a psychodermatological disease of primary
      psychological/psychiatric genesis, responsible for self-induced dermatological
      disorders. Childhood traumatic events are closely related with self-injurious
      behaviors. The aim of this study is to evaluate the psychiatric features of
      neurotic excoriation and to investigate the effect of childhood traumatic events
      on the disease. METHODS: Thirty-eight neurotic excoriation patients who did not
      receive any psychiatric treatment within the past year and 40 healthy individuals
      having similar sociodemographic features were included in the study. For clinical
      evaluation, the Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-IV Axis I Disorders, Beck
      Depression Inventory, Beck Anxiety Inventory, and Childhood Trauma Questionnaire
      Short Form were applied to all the individuals. RESULTS: In this study, we
      observed that 78.9% of neurotic excoriation patients were diagnosed with at least
      one Axis I psychiatric disorder, the most frequent diagnoses of which were major
      depressive disorders and anxiety disorders. The anxiety and depression levels
      were significantly higher in the patient group than in the healthy individuals.
      Regarding the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire, emotional neglect, emotional abuse,
      and physical abuse subscales and weighted average total scores were found to be
      significantly higher in the patient group (p<.05). CONCLUSION: Our study has
      shown a close relationship between neurotic excoriation and childhood traumatic
      events as well as the accompanying psychiatric problems. We suppose that early
      interventions by both dermatologists and psychiatrists and especially a detailed
      investigation of childhood traumatic events by establishing a therapeutic
      collaboration are highly important and that using psychotherapeutic interventions
      can result in better treatment outcomes in many patients.

PMID- 28360737
TI  - Risk Factors for Hemorrhagic Transformation in Patients with Acute Middle
      Cerebral Artery Infarction.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: Hemorrhagic transformation (HT) after acute ischemic stroke (AIS)
      can be seen at any time following ischemic stroke. Although HT usually occurs as
      a complication of antithrombotic, anticoagulant, or thrombolytic treatments, it
      can also occur spontaneously. We aimed to investigate the occurrence of early HT
      and its relevant risk factors in patients diagnosed with acute middle cerebral
      artery (MCA) infarction who were not treated with thrombolytic agents. METHODS:
      We recruited 171 patients with acute MCA infarction between January 2011 and July
      2012 who were not treated with thrombolytic agents and were suitable to our
      inclusion criteria. Controlled neuroimaging was performed immediately in patients
      with deterioration, otherwise on day 7 following stroke. All patients were
      investigated for AIS risk factors and biochemical analyses were performed.
      Patients with HT in controlled neuroimaging were grouped both clinically (i.e.,
      symptomatic or asymptomatic) and radiologically, according to "European
      Cooperative Acute Stroke Radiological Study" (ECASS), and risk factors were
      examined. RESULTS: We enrolled 171 patients [94 men (55%) and 77 women (45%)] in
      the study. HT developed in 37 patients (21.63%). In terms of risk factor
      analysis, the most frequent etiological factor was atherosclerosis in AIS
      patients (50.3%). National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale scores were
      significantly higher both in sHT patients according to asHT patients and in HT
      patients on day 7 compared with their initial scores. Serum low-density
      lipoprotein (LDL-C), triglycerides (TG), and total cholesterol (TC) levels were
      significantly lower in patients with HT (p<.001). CONCLUSION: HT is a major
      complication in AIS that considerably increases the morbidity and mortality. To
      reduce the occurrence of HT, risk factors for each patient population should be
      determined. Acute thrombolytic therapy should be used cautiously in high-risk
      patients, and appropriate alternative therapies should be revised in them.

PMID- 28360739
TI  - Survey on Smoking, Consuming Alcohol, and using Illicit Drugs in Patients with
      Epilepsy.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: Addiction can be defined as the continuous consumption of addictive
      substances or repetition of certain behaviors despite adverse consequences.
      Epilepsy is associated with an increased risk of psychiatric disorders. However,
      to the best of our knowledge, there is no published data regarding addictions in
      patients with epilepsy. Considering the high incidence of psychopathology, we
      planned a survey using a self-report questionnaire to study some of the addictive
      behaviors in patients with epilepsy and in control subjects. METHODS: Patients
      from our outpatient epilepsy clinic (n=106) and control subjects (n=96) aged
      between 18 and 65 years took the 20-question questionnaire that screened for
      smoking, consuming alcohol, or using other illicit drugs. RESULTS: Fifty-three
      percent of patients with epilepsy were male (n=57) and in the control group, 52%
      were male (n=50) (p=.062). The mean age was 32.66+/-2.23 years for patients with
      epilepsy and 35.70+/-0.59 years for the control group (p=.810). Mean duration of
      epilepsy was found to be 14.33+/-11.26 (1-46) years. Majority of patients with
      epilepsy (84%) had focal epilepsy. Alcohol intake was found to be significantly
      lower in patients with epilepsy (p=.0001). There was no difference regarding
      smoking (p=.530) or using illicit drugs between the groups (p=.262). Smoking
      cigarettes was lower in new onset epilepsies (<5 years) compared with epilepsies
      of longer duration (p=.031). CONCLUSION: Recent studies connote to some common
      substrates in the pathophysiology of epilepsy and addiction. Therefore, we wanted
      to evaluate some addictive behaviors in patients with epilepsy. Although this
      study did not show significant differences other than low frequency of alcohol
      use in patients with epilepsy and low rate of smoking in patients with epilepsy
      duration of <5 year, further studies among homogeneous epilepsy subgroups with
      larger scale along with their neuropsychological profiles may still be required.

PMID- 28360740
TI  - Persistent Depression as a Novel Diagnostic Category: Results from the Menderes
      Depression Study.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: Persistent depressive disorder (PDD) introduced in the Diagnostic
      and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM) 5 as a novel diagnostic category
      represents a consolidation of two separate DSM-IV categories, chronic major
      depressive disorder (MDD) and dysthymic disorder. The present study aims to
      investigate the frequency and clinical as well as socio-demographic correlates of
      PDD in comparison with those of episodic MDD among patients seeking treatment for
      depressive symptoms. METHODS: Participants were 140 depressive out-and in
      patients under treatment at the psychiatry clinic of the Adnan Menderes
      University Research Hospital. Each patient was assessed by means of a structured
      clinical interview (SCID-I) and relevant psychometric instruments including the
      Hamilton Depression Inventory and Eskin Suicidal Behavior Inventory. RESULTS:
      Among the depressive patients, 61% fulfilled the criteria for PDD and 39% for
      episodic MDD. As compared with patients with episodic MDD, the PDD patients were
      older (d=.54), lower in educational attainment (d=.55), more likely to have
      comorbid generalized anxiety disorder (OR=3.7), and more prone to report symptoms
      of anxiety, hopelessness, pessimism, and somatic complaints. Nevertheless, the
      PDD patients displayed heterogeneous characteristics with respect to clinical
      severity and suicidal behavior. CONCLUSION: Our findings suggest that majority of
      depressive patients, including those fulfilling the criteria for MDD, have been
      suffering from a persistent ailment rather than an episodic disorder. Clinicians
      with a cross-sectional perspective are more likely to diagnose MDD, whereas those
      with a longitudinal perspective are more likely to identify PDD in the majority
      of depressive patients. The incorporation of both of these perspectives into DSM
      5 in a complementary manner will possibly enhance our insight into depressive
      disorders and improve our treatment results.

PMID- 28360738
TI  - Factors Associated with Depression in Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder: A Cross
      Sectional Study.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: Major depressive disorder (MDD) is the most frequent comorbid
      psychiatric condition associated with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). This
      study aimed to evaluate the prevalence of current depression in OCD, differences
      in socio-demographic and clinical characteristics, and obsessive-compulsive
      symptoms between OCD patients with and without depression. Additionally, factors
      associated with comorbid depression were investigated in our study. METHODS: In
      total, 140 OCD patients, of which 63 were OCD patients with MDD (OCD+MDD, n=63)
      and 77 were OCD patients without depression (OCD-MDD, n=77) were included in the
      study. All patients were diagnosed with OCD using the Structured Clinical
      Interview for DSM-IV. The Yale-Brown Obsessive-Compulsive Scale, Beck Anxiety
      Scale, and Beck Depression Scale were administered to all patients. After the
      socio-demographic and clinical variables and scales were accomplished, the OCD
      patients divided into two groups as OCD with or without depression and we
      compared their mean scores of the variables and scales. Univariate analyses were
      followed by logistic regression. RESULTS: There were no significant differences
      in age, gender, marital status, period without treatment, profession, medical and
      family history, and social support between the two groups. Anxiety, depression,
      and obsession and compulsion scores were significantly higher in the OCD+MDD
      group. The avoidance, insight, instability, and retardation scores of the OCD+MDD
      group were also significantly higher than those of the OCD-MDD group. CONCLUSION:
      Our study suggests that many factors are strongly associated with depression in
      OCD. Positive correlations between poor insight, severity of obsession and
      compulsion, and stressful life events during the last six months increased the
      risk of depression in OCD. Our study suggests that high level of avoidance,
      instability and retardation, history of suicidal attempt, and delayed treatment
      are other notable factors associated with the development of depression in OCD.

PMID- 28360741
TI  - Evaluation of Eating Attitude in Patients with Migraine.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: This study aimed to investigate the eating attitudes in patients
      with migraine. METHODS: Fifty-nine patients (mean age: 32.54+/-8.47 years)
      diagnosed with migraine according to the International Classification of Headache
      Disorder, 2004, and 47 age-, gender- and education-matched healthy controls (mean
      age: 31.85+/-7.14 years) were enrolled for this study. Sociodemographic data were
      recorded, and the body mass index was calculated as kilograms per meter squared.
      Data regarding the duration of illness and attack, frequency of migraine attacks,
      and the presence of aura were recorded. Migraine severity was assessed by
      Migraine Disability Assessment Score (MIDAS). Eating Attitudes Test (EAT), Beck
      Depression Inventory (BDI), and Beck Anxiety Inventory were applied to all
      participants. RESULTS: The patients with migraine had significantly higher EAT
      scores, levels of anxiety, and depression than controls (p<.01). Furthermore,
      11.9% of patients with migraine had an EAT score of 30 or higher, which is
      suggestive of a disordered eating attitude, whereas this rate was 2.1% in healthy
      controls (p<.05). The scores of EAT and BDI had positive correlation with the
      scores of MIDAS in patients with migraine (r=.298, p<.05; r=.332, p=.01,
      respectively). CONCLUSION: In our study, disordered eating attitudes and the
      levels of anxiety and depression were high in patients with migraine than
      controls. Our study is important to demonstrate the connection between migraine
      and disordered eating attitudes.

PMID- 28360742
TI  - Reliability and Validity of the Turkish Version of Abdel-Khalek's Death Anxiety
      Scale among College Students.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: Although death anxiety is considered a universal phenomenon,
      attitudes toward death may vary across populations that differ in terms of
      religion and culture. Abdel-Khalek's Death Anxiety Scale (ASDA) was developed on
      the basis of the rationale that there are specific concepts related to death and
      after death in Muslim populations. This study aims to translate and adapt ASDA in
      the Turkish population, examine its validity and reliability, and to compare its
      psychometric properties with the widely used Templer's Death Anxiety Scale (DAS).
      METHODS: A total of 220 medical students were included in the study. The Turkish
      version of ASDA, DAS, and Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale were used for
      data collection. RESULTS: Cronbach's alpha coefficients were .86 for ASDA and .66
      for DAS. Analysis by principal components with varimax rotation produced five
      factors for ASDA that explained 65.6% of total variance. ASDA and DAS were highly
      correlated with each other (r=.68, p<.001). CONCLUSION: The results of this study
      indicate that the Turkish version of Abdel-Khalek's Death Anxiety Scale is a
      reliable and valid instrument. The Turkish version of ASDA revealed better
      psychometric properties than DAS. This finding may reflect specific cultural and
      religious attitudes toward death or may result from more comprehensible language
      use in ASDA.

PMID- 28360743
TI  - Evaluation of the Adherence to Immunmodulatory Treatment in Patients with
      Multiple Sclerosis.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: In this article, we report the data regarding treatment adherence
      of a group of patients with multiple sclerosis (MS) and relapsing-remitting or
      secondary progressive disease who were followed in the MS outpatient clinic of
      Bozyaka Education and Research Hospital, Izmir. METHODS: We collected the
      demographic data of 219 patients with MS who were treated with immunomodulatory
      drugs and the documentary data on the disease characteristics from the patient'
      files. Each patient was provided a detailed questionnaire regarding treatment
      adherence in addition to the Beck depression scale (BDS) and Paced Auditory
      Serial Addition Test (PASAT). Nonadherence was defined as the discontinuation of
      the drug, i.e., more than one dose a month for intramuscular interferon, six
      doses a month for glatiramer acetate, and four doses a month for subcutaneous
      interferons. Statistical analyses were performed using Medcalc statistics
      package. For those parameters with an even distribution, the paired samples t
      test was used to compare the results. RESULTS: Of the 219 [183 relapsing
      remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS) and 36 secondary progressive multiple
      sclerosis (SPMS)] patients included in the study, 143 patients were women and 76
      were men. The mean age of the patients was 40.77+/-10.36 years. The mean expanded
      disability status scale (EDSS) score was 2.90+/-1.88, and mean annualized attack
      rate (ARR) was .65+/-.55. Of the 219 patients, 75.1% continued the
      immunomodulatory treatment. Thirty-three patients in the RRMS group and 23
      patients in the SPMS group abandoned the immunomodulatory treatment. Treatment
      adherences were similar between patients with RRMS and SPMS (53%). Adherence
      revealed no correlation with age, ARR, PASAT score, and disease duration.
      However, higher EDSS and depression scores had significant positive correlation
      with adherence. Moreover, treatment adherence was noted to be lower in the group
      with higher education levels. Treatment discontinuation did not correlate with
      age, ARR, BDS, or PASAT scores. The disease duration and EDSS scores were found
      to be significantly correlated with treatment discontinuation. CONCLUSION: In
      this extensively followed up patients' group with multiple sclerosis, the ones
      with extended disease duration, higher disability, and more educated had higher
      rates of treatment discontinuation and lower levels of treatment adherence. The
      patient-reported outcomes and well-documented treatment adherence data will
      contribute to the neurologists' understanding of the patients' inclinations
      regarding the injectable treatments and help in better management of the
      immunomodulatory treatments.

PMID- 28360744
TI  - The Effect of Dressing Styles and Attitudes of Psychiatrists on Treatment
      Preferences: Comparison between Patients and Psychiatrists.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: Recently, different dressing styles and attitudes of psychiatrists
      have been proposed to enhance the interaction between patients and the physician.
      The aim of the present study was to investigate the preferences of dressing style
      and attitudes of a psychiatrist of the patients referred to an outpatient
      psychiatry clinic and the perception of psychiatrists regarding the preferences
      of the patients. METHODS: One hundred and fifty-three patients referred to the
      outpatient psychiatry clinic of the Bulent Ecevit University School of Medicine,
      and 94 psychiatrists have been included in the present study. RESULTS: When the
      images of psychiatrists were evaluated in terms of referral for treatment, trust
      in treatment, and willingness to share their confidential matters, both groups
      gave minimum scores to causal/sports dress style. While psychiatrists preferred
      to dress in a suit, casuals, and white coat, the preference order was white coat,
      casual dress, and suit in the patient group. There was a significant difference
      between the groups with respect to three dressing styles. CONCLUSION: It can be
      suggested that psychiatrists assume that patients are traditional in terms of
      their preference of the dressing style of a doctor and doctor-patient
      relationship, and a white coat is important to enhance the treatment adherence of
      patients.

PMID- 28360745
TI  - Executive Functioning in Subtypes of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: This study aims to evaluate executive functions (EF), such as
      inhibition, planning, working memory, and set shifting, in children with
      attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) by comparing three ADHD subtype
      groups (ADHD-Inattentive, ADHD-Combined, and ADHD-Comorbid) and a normal control
      group. METHODS: Participants included 147 children. In total, 111 children were
      assigned to the ADHD groups of the study. Each child was matched according to the
      WISC-R Full-Scale IQ-score, sex, and age and was grouped as follows: ADHD
      Inattentive group (ADHD-I; n=37), ADHD-Combined (ADHD-C; n=37), ADHD-Comorbid
      group (ADHD-Comorbid with oppositional defiant disorder and/or conduct disorder;
      n=37), and control group (n=36). The tests used to assess the children were
      Conners' Parent and Teacher Rating Scales; Wechsler Intelligence Scale-Revised;
      Tower of London test; Wisconsin Card Sorting Test; Stroop Color-Word Test, and
      verbal fluency test. The data were analyzed by one-way ANOVA between subjects for
      all dependent variables. RESULTS: Children in the ADHD-I group had significantly
      better performances in verbal working memory and verbal category shifting than
      children in the ADHD-C group. There was no significant difference between the
      ADHD-I and ADHD-C groups in terms of inhibition, set shifting, verbal fluency,
      cognitive flexibility, and planning. The ADHD-Comorbid group displayed more
      severe impairments in EF measures than the ADHD-C group; however, the severity
      was not statistically significant. EF performances of children in the control
      group were similar to children in the ADHD-I group but better than children in
      the ADHD-C and ADHD-Comorbid groups. CONCLUSION: The outcome of the study
      indicated that subjects in the ADHD-Comorbid and ADHD-C groups had more severe EF
      deficits than subjects in the ADHD-I and control groups.

PMID- 28360747
TI  - Intolerance of Uncertainty and Coping Mechanisms in Nonclinical Young Subjects.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: We aimed to explore the relationship between intolerance of
      uncertainty (IU) and coping mechanisms in a nonclinical sample with the same age
      and educational level. METHODS: The Coping Orientations to Problems Experienced
      (COPE) scale was used to evaluate the coping mechanisms. The IU scale was used to
      evaluate IU situations. RESULTS: We found that the negative impact of uncertainty
      on the action in female students was greater than males. While female students
      used more planning, instrumental support, reinterpretation, religion, emotional
      support, venting, and mental disengagement coping styles, male students used more
      humor, denial, and alcohol/drug abuse coping styles. Subjects with psychological
      problems had higher IU scores and used some more coping mechanisms (restraint,
      acceptance, behavioral disengagement, and alcohol/drug abuse) than the others.
      CONCLUSION: Our results suggest that healthy subjects use different coping styles
      and respond differently to uncertainty in both genders.

PMID- 28360746
TI  - The Psychiatric Consequences of Child and Adolescent Sexual Abuse.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: The purpose of this study was to investigate the psychiatric
      consequences of sexual abuse and its associated factors in children and
      adolescents referred to our child and adolescent psychiatry clinic from official
      medico-legal units. METHODS: All victims of sexual abuse (n=590) aged 1-18 (mean:
      13.56+/-3.38) referred from forensic units to Ondokuz Mayis University Child and
      Adolescent Psychiatry Clinic over a period of 2 years [boys: 83 (14.1%); girls:
      507 (85.9%)] were included. Child and adolescent psychiatry and forensic medicine
      specialists evaluated all the cases. The Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children
      Revised Form (WISC-R) and the Schedule for Affective Disorders and Schizophrenia
      for School Age Children-Present and Lifetime Version-Turkish Version (K-SADS-PL
      T) were applied. RESULTS: Abuse-related psychiatric diagnoses (of which 45.9%
      were major depressive disorder and 31.7% were post-traumatic stress disorder
      cases) were made in 75.2% of the cases. In 80.3% of the cases, the perpetrators
      were known to their victims [incest, n=91 (15.1%)], and intercourse took place in
      48.8%. Although gender and age were not significantly associated with the
      appearance of any psychiatric disorders, severity of abuse (e.g., intercourse;
      p=.006), additional physical assault (p<.001), and incest (p<.001) had a
      significant correlation with psychiatric disorders. To explore the predictive
      value of multiple factors in the appearance of any sexual assault-related
      psychiatric disorder, a logistic regression model was used to determine the best
      linear combination of age, gender, abuse severity, incest, involvement of any
      other victim, additional physical assault, and length of time from first abuse to
      first psychiatric evaluation. This combination of variables (occurrence of
      incest, additional physical assault, and a long duration from first abuse to
      first psychiatric evaluation) significantly predicted the appearance of a
      psychiatric disorder of any kind (chi2=55.42; df=7; n=522; p<.001). CONCLUSION:
      Our findings reveal that the occurrence of incest, additional physical assault,
      and a long duration from first abuse to first psychiatric evaluation predict
      higher rates of sexual abuse-related psychiatric disorders.

PMID- 28360748
TI  - Extreme Appraisals of Internal States and Duration of Remission in Remitted
      Bipolar Patients.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: To identify dysfunctional attitudes seen in bipolar disorder (BPD)
      is important for the cognitive theories of BPD and corresponding psychosocial
      interventions. Cognitions are seen as vulnerability factors in the development
      and maintenance of BPD. The present study aims to contribute to the cognitive
      literature on BPD by examining depressive and hypomanic attitudes and their
      contribution to the prediction of BPD diagnosis as well as by exploring the
      relationship between dysfunctional cognitions and clinical features (types of
      episodes experienced, duration of illness, and duration of remission). METHODS:
      One hundred and eighteen remitted bipolar patients and 103 healthy controls
      completed the Mood Disorder Questionnaire (MDQ), Turkish Brief-Hypomanic
      Interpretations and Positive Predictions Inventory (HAPPI), and Dysfunctional
      Attitudes Scale. RESULTS: The bipolar group had significantly higher depressive
      and hypomanic attitudes than the control group. No significant differences were
      found regarding the types of episodes experienced and duration of illness.
      However, both types of attitudes decreased as the duration of remission
      increased. They were also found to contribute to the prediction of bipolar
      diagnosis together with the screening of the MDQ. CONCLUSION: The results pointed
      out that dysfunctional cognitions may be utilized as possible indicators for the
      risk of relapse in clinical groups and vulnerability for BPD among other
      populations.

PMID- 28360749
TI  - Effects of Depression on Treatment Motivation in Male Alcohol Dependence.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: Treatment motivation in alcohol dependents is usually viewed as a
      strong predictor of seeking treatment and treatment success. The conditions
      affecting motivation in alcohol dependence, however, has not been clarified. In
      this study, it is aimed to determine the effects of depression on treatment
      motivation in male alcohol dependence. METHODS: The present study included 34
      male alcohol dependents presenting to outpatient clinics in Manisa Hospital of
      Mental Disorders and Hospital of Celal Bayar University. The patients underwent
      evaluation using the socio-demographic and clinical information form, DSM-IV SCID
      I Clinical Version, Treatment Motivation Questionnaire (TMQ), and Hamilton
      Depression Rating Scale (HDRS). RESULTS: A significant relationship was found
      between the total score of TMQ and HDRS (p=.039). CONCLUSION: We believe that the
      present study, in which we examined the relationship between treatment motivation
      in male alcohol dependence and depression, would provide a significant
      contribution to literature. It is also important to investigate other factors
      that may affect treatment motivation in male alcohol dependence. Studies with
      larger samples are needed on this topic.

PMID- 28360752
TI  - Pregabalin Use Disorder.

PMID- 28360750
TI  - Menstrual Cycle in Schizophrenic Patients: Review with a Case.
AB  - There are not enough studies about the relationship between menstrual psychosis
      and schizophrenia exacerbation during the menstrual cycle. In patients diagnosed
      with schizophrenia, it is important to examine the psychotic symptoms and
      depression and anxiety symptoms during the menstrual cycle and to adjust the
      treatment according to these symptoms. If depression and anxiety symptoms are
      present, selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors can be used. In patients with
      exacerbated psychotic symptoms, it may be effective to increase the dose of an
      antipsychotic drug, which has no effect on prolactin release, 3-5 days prior to
      menstruation. In addition, hormonal therapy or menstrual cycle suppression is an
      alternative option. In this article, a case of a schizophrenic patient whose
      psychotic symptoms exacerbated with the menstrual cycle is presented.

PMID- 28360751
TI  - Dopamine Dysregulation Syndrome after Deep Brain Stimulation of the Subthalamic
      Nucleus.

PMID- 28360753
TI  - Steroid-Responsive Late Symptomatic Perihematomal Edema In Intracerebral
      Hemorrhage.

PMID- 28360754
TI  - Clinically Isolated Syndromes: Clinical Characteristics, Differential Diagnosis,
      and Management.
AB  - Clinically isolated syndrome (CIS) is a term that describes the first clinical
      onset of potential multiple sclerosis (MS). The term CIS is typically applied to
      young adults with episodes of acute or subacute onset, which reaches a peak quite
      rapidly within 2-3 weeks. In 85% of young adults who develop MS, onset occurs
      with an acute, CIS of the optic nerves, brainstem, or spinal cord. When
      clinically silent brain lesions are seen on MRI, the likelihood of developing MS
      is high. Because no single clinical feature or diagnostic test is sufficient for
      the diagnosis of CIS, diagnostic criteria have included a combination of both
      clinical and paraclinical studies. Diagnostic criteria from the International
      Panel of McDonald and colleagues incorporate MRI evidence of dissemination in
      time and space to allow a diagnosis of definite MS in patients with CIS. As CIS
      is typically the earliest clinical expression of MS, research on patients with
      CIS may provide new insights into early pathological changes and pathogenetic
      mechanisms that might affect the course of the disorder. With recent improvements
      in diagnosis and the advent of disease-modifying treatments for MS, there has
      been growing interest and research in patients with CIS.

PMID- 28360755
TI  - Cognitive Impairment in Multiple Sclerosis: Historical Aspects, Current Status,
      and Beyond.
AB  - Although the cognitive symptoms of multiple sclerosis (MS) were acknowledged in
      the 1800s, until the latter part of the 20th century, these symptoms were poorly
      recognized. Cognitive impairment associated with MS has a profound impact on many
      aspects of daily life, including employment, academic life, and social
      functioning. The cognitive reserve can be protected in MS patients to a certain
      limit, and prevention might be linked to early treatment. The analyses of
      historical and contemporary data can help researchers gain a clear vision of the
      direction in which to proceed in the future for better insight into cognitive
      issues in MS.

PMID- 28360757
TI  - Community Mental Health Services: Quo Vadis?

PMID- 28360756
TI  - Magnetic Resonance Imaging as a Major Milestone in Multiple Sclerosis Diagnosis
      and Treatment.
AB  - Multiple sclerosis (MS) is an inflammatory demyelinating disease of the central
      nervous system. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) has played a unique role in the
      diagnosis and management of patients with MS. In recent years, there have been
      considerable changes in the diagnostic criteria for MS as MRI-based studies have
      demonstrated their power in the earlier and more accurate diagnosis of the
      disease. Moreover, MRI metrics have become key supportive outcome measures for
      evaluating the efficacy of experimental treatments in randomized controlled
      trials. MRI can also be used as a prognostic tool in patients with clinically
      isolated syndrome (CIS). Conventional MR techniques including proton density,
      T1/T2-weighted images, and FLAIR sequences are now accepted in standard protocols
      for diagnostic and treatment outcome measures in clinical trials for MS.
      Radiological features may show a similarity between radiologically isolated
      syndrome and MS. Approximately two-thirds of individuals with RIS exhibit
      radiological progression and one-third develop neurological symptoms during mean
      follow-up times of up to five years. However, a current challenge in the global
      application of established criteria for RIS involves the accurate classification
      of subjects with incidentally identified anomalies that are highly characteristic
      of MS, in comparison to those categorized in medical parlance as possessing
      "unidentified bright objects" or nonspecific T2-hyperintensities, which are
      commonly identified in patients with migraine headache who fulfill the spatial
      dissemination requirements for MS. The need for systematically acquired data for
      improvements in the classification of radiologically isolated syndrome (RIS) and
      the generation of risk algorithms are critically important, providing a basis for
      scientifically supported management and most importantly, minimizing the number
      of improperly classified subjects exposed to unnecessary medical testing, MS
      treatments, and psychological harm. In addition, brain atrophy is a common
      finding that can now be quantitatively assessed by MR volumetric measures.
      Further, integrated strategies that combine MRI and clinical markers in scoring
      systems have provided a potentially useful approach for the management of
      patients with MS.

PMID- 28360758
TI  - Prevalence of Substance Use in Patients Diagnosed with Schizophrenia.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: Substance abuse among schizophrenic patients is a growing clinical
      concern. Substance use disorders and their effects on the course of schizophrenia
      have made the identification and treatment of schizophrenic patients a high
      priority. This study aimed to investigate the prevalence of substance use,
      preferred types of substances, sociodemographic characteristics and clinical
      features of schizophrenia, and substance use impact in schizophrenic patients.
      METHODS: Hundred patients who were consecutively admitted to the psychiatry
      clinic and were diagnosed with schizophrenia according to the DSM-IV criteria
      were enrolled in this study. Individual interviews were conducted during the
      patients. In order to evaluate substance abuse disorder (SAD) as per DSM-IV
      criteria, the substance use disorder section of the structured clinical interview
      for DSM disorders-II (SCID-II) form was used. In addition, the following were
      applied to schizophren-ic patients: sociodemographic data form, medical history
      form, Brief Disability Questionnaire (BDQ), UKU Side Effect Rating Scale
      (UKUSERS), Insight Rating Scale (IRS), Alcohol Use Dis-orders Identification Test
      (AUDIT), Fagerstrom Nicotine Dependence Test (FNDT), Global As-sessment of
      Functioning Scale (GAF), Scale for the Assessment of Positive Symptoms (SAPS),
      Scale for the Assessment of Negative Symptoms (SANS), and Calgary Depression
      Scale (CDS). RESULTS: Schizophrenia and alcohol and drug use were more common in
      males, and younger age was found to have no association with substance use.
      Unemployment, low education levels, rural survival rates, age at disease onset,
      the doctor first age of the applicant, the first inpatient years, legal issues,
      harm caused by others and suicidal behavior, SAPS, SANS, CDS received from their
      scores significant difference was detected. Schizophrenic patients with substance
      use had higher side effects of drugs, disability, and psychopathology scores than
      schizophrenic patients without substance use. The functioning of schizophrenic
      patients with substance use was worse, and the total length of stay was longer.
      Nicotine, alcohol, biperiden, cannabis, and volatile substances were the
      preferred materials most commonly used by schizophrenic patients. CONCLUSION: In
      our country, limited research has been conducted on the prevalence of substance
      use in schizophrenic patients. Therefore, we believe that this study will
      contribute to the literature on the subject. More sample groups and first-episode
      patients as well as follow-up studies will contribute to a better understanding
      of the effect of substance use on the clinical course of schizophrenia.

PMID- 28360759
TI  - Antinociceptive Effect of Mirtazapine in Rats with Diabetic Neuropathy.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: To evaluate the antinociceptive effect of mirtazapine and the
      mechanisms mediating this effect in neuropathic pain in rats with diabetes.
      METHODS: The experiments were performed in Sprague Dawley rats using a hot-plate
      device. Streptozotocin (STZ) was administered to the rats after taking control
      measurements. Rats with a blood glucose level of 240 mg/dL or above in the blood
      specimen obtained from the tail vein 3 days after STZ administration were
      considered as being diabetic. Three weeks after STZ administration, the hot-plate
      test was performed. Compared with the control measurements, rats that exhibited
      >20% decrease in the second hot-plate test measurements were considered to have
      developed neuropathy. Drugs [mirtazapine, naloxone (opioidergic antagonist),
      metergoline (serotonergic antagonist), and BRL44408 (adrenergic antagonist)] and
      drug combinations were administered to those rats that developed neuropathy.
      After administrating the drugs or drug combinations, the third hot-plate test was
      performed. RESULTS: Mirtazapine at doses of 10 and 15 mg/kg exhibited a
      significant antinociceptive effect. Naloxone, metergoline, or BRL44408 alone did
      not cause an antinociceptive effect. However, combinations of these drugs with
      mirtazapine (15 mg/kg) significantly decreased the antinociceptive effect of
      mirtazapine. CONCLUSION: It is suggested that mirtazapine has a significant
      antinociceptive effect in diabetic neuropathy and that opioidergic, serotonergic,
      and adrenergic systems have roles to play in this effect.

PMID- 28360760
TI  - Evaluation of Interoceptive Awareness in Alcohol-Addicted Patients.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: Interoceptive awareness (IA) is defined as an ability to accurately
      perceive interoceptive processes, which comprise receiving, processing, and
      integrating body-relevant signals together with external stimuli. Interoceptive
      processes affect the motivated approach or avoidance behavior toward stimuli.
      Alcohol and other substances have effects on the autonomic system that result in
      altered interoceptive processes. Individuals who have disturbed IA may be at a
      higher risk of addiction because they are not able to utilize sufficiently body
      relevant signals to guide their decision-making. The hypothesis that IA in
      alcohol-addicted patients would be affected and that the disturbed IA would be
      associated with alcohol craving was tested in this study. METHODS: The study was
      conducted with 55 patients diagnosed with alcohol addiction according to the
      Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fourth Edition, Text
      Revision (DSM-IV-TR) criteria and who had been sober for at least two weeks and
      52 non-addicted healthy controls. IA measurements were performed using the
      heartbeat perception performance method, which determines participants' awareness
      of their own heartbeat by comparing the number of subjectively perceived
      heartbeats with an objective heart rate measure recorded with ECG during four
      separate intervals. In addition, the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test
      (AUDIT), Penn Alcohol Craving Scale (PACS), and Obsessive Compulsive Drinking
      Scale (OCDS) were performed on the alcohol-addicted patient group. RESULTS: IA
      scores were significantly lower in the alcohol-addicted patients than the control
      subjects. IA scores of alcohol-addicted patients were negatively correlated with
      the levels of alcohol craving sensations according to the PACS results.
      CONCLUSION: Our results corroborate the suggestion that IA in alcohol-addicted
      patients would be affected and that poor IA would be associated with alcohol
      craving and could be a maintaining factor for drinking behavior.

PMID- 28360762
TI  - Electroacupuncture Therapy in Nicotine Dependence: A Double Blind, Sham
      Controlled Study.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: The number of non-pharmacological controlled studies is
      insufficient in the treatment of nicotine dependence (ND). Nevertheless, non
      pharmacological treatments, such as electroacupuncture (EA), are becoming
      increasingly popular in the treatment of ND. The aims of this study were to
      determine the efficacy and safety of "true EA therapy" (TEAT) compared to those
      of "sham EA therapy" (SEAT) in ND treatment. METHODS: Eligible patients who met
      the DSM-IV criteria for ND (n=450) were included in the study. This study was a
      double-blinded, sham-controlled clinical trial with a 4-week treatment period and
      4-week follow-up conducted between June and December 2009 at a psychiatry
      outpatient clinic. One hundred and sixty four adult (>=18 years; 44 men, 120
      women) cigarette smokers out of 450 patients who met the inclusion and exclusion
      criteria were enrolled in the study in a ratio of 1:1 to receive TEAT (n=84) or
      SEAT (n=80). Routine biochemical and hematological tests, chest X-Ray, and ECG
      were carried out; end-expired carbon monoxide (CO) levels were measured too.
      Clinical characteristics were obtained through the Fagerstrom Nicotine Dependence
      Test (FNDT), Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression (HRSD), and Hamilton Anxiety
      Scale (HAS). EA was carried out by a trademark device, Antismoke 3000(r).
      Efficacy analyses were performed on "intent-to-treat analysis." Primary outcome
      was the differences from baseline to endpoint in mean FNDT, number of cigarettes
      smoked per day, and CO levels at week 4. Secondary outcomes were the same
      variables at week 8. These variables were assessed via analysis of covariance
      (ANCOVA). RESULTS: Mean baseline FNDT, HRSD, HAS, and CO levels of the groups
      were statistically similar. TEAT and SEAT groups demonstrated no significant
      changes in the outcome variables and smoking cessation rates (35.7% and 30%,
      respectively). Of those remaining outside of the study, 8.3% were from the TEAT
      group and 8.7% were from the SEAT group; there was no statistical difference
      between the groups. The rate of treatment discontinuation was similar between the
      TEAT (44%) and SEAT (43.7%) groups (p>0.05). The rates of adverse events were not
      similar too. CONCLUSION: This study showed that both TEAT and SEAT have similar
      efficacy and safety profiles in patients with ND.

PMID- 28360761
TI  - Screening for Electrophysiological Abnormalities in Chronic Hepatitis C
      Infection: Peripheral Neuropathy and Optic Neuropathy.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: To investigate the existence of peripheral and optic neuropathies
      in asymptomatic individuals with hepatitis C infection. METHODS: Thirty
      consecutive patients who were followed in a hepatitis C outpatient clinic were
      recruited for electrophysiological evaluation together with 30 age- and gender
      compatible healthy controls. All patients had a detailed neurological
      examination. The information regarding the disease duration and management with
      interferons were collected. Nerve conduction studies and visual evoked potentials
      (VEP) were recorded in all subjects. The results of the patient and control
      groups were statistically compared. RESULTS: Of the patients with hepatitis C
      infection, 16 were females and 14 males. The mean age was 57.5 years, and the
      average disease duration was 6.43 years. The P100 latencies in the patient group
      were within normal limits, while the amplitudes were meaningfully small by
      comparison with the controls. There were some abnormalities in the nerve
      conduction studies of 15 patients. Sensorial neuropathy was detected in two
      patients, sensorimotor polyneuropathy in four, carpal tunnel syndrome in seven,
      and carpal tunnel syndrome and sensorimotor polyneuropathy as comorbid states in
      another two patients. The nerve conduction studies and VEP parameters were
      entirely normal in the control group. CONCLUSION: Hepatitis C-related
      neurological abnormalities may occur both in the central and peripheral nervous
      system. Mononeuritis multiplex, sensorial axonal neuropathy, and multiple
      mononeuropathies are some of the presentations of the peripheral nervous system
      involvement. The mode of infection is considered to be via vasculitic mechanisms.
      In addition, optic neuropathy is a known complication of interferon treatment.
      Autoantibodies, cytokines, chemokines, and cryoglobulins are accused to play
      roles in the pathogenesis. In this study, we investigated the involvement of the
      peripheral nervous system and optic nerves in a group of patients with hepatitis
      C. The results were in favor of peripheral nerve injury of various types and
      optic neuropathy of the axonal type.

PMID- 28360763
TI  - Vitamin D Deficiency in Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder Patients with Pediatric
      Autoimmune Neuropsychiatric Disorders Associated with Streptococcal Infections: A
      Case Control Study.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: Previous studies have indicated that vitamin D deficiency is common
      in psychiatric patients, particularly in those with neuropsychiatric disorders
      such as autism and schizophrenia. Vitamin D is an important neurosteroid hormone
      and immunomodulatory agent that also has bone metabolic effects. There has been
      an increasing interest in immune-related neuropsychiatric symptoms that are
      triggered by group A beta-hemolytic streptococcal infections. In this study, we
      aimed to compare the serum levels of vitamin D between obsessive-compulsive
      disorder (OCD) patients with pediatric autoimmune neuropsychiatric disorders
      associated with streptococcal infections (PANDAS) and control subjects. METHODS:
      Thirty-three OCD patients with PANDAS and 20 healthy controls were enrolled in
      the study. Serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25-(OH) D), calcium, phosphorus, alkaline
      phosphatase, and parathormone levels of the two groups were compared. Serum 25
      (OH) D levels of <15 ng/mL were classified as vitamin D deficiency. The
      children's Yale-Brown Obsessive Compulsive Scale (YBOCS) and Clinical Global
      Impression (CGI) were used to assess the severity of OCD symptoms. RESULTS: There
      was no significant difference in serum 25-(OH) D levels between the patient and
      control groups. However, vitamin D deficiency was significantly more frequent in
      the patient group than in the control group (48.5% vs. 20.0%; p=0.038). Moreover,
      OCD patients with vitamin D deficiency had higher rates of comorbid ADHD than
      those without vitamin D deficiency (87.5% vs. 52.6%; p=0.027). While serum
      phosphorus levels were negatively correlated with age as well as alkaline
      phosphatase and ASO levels, they were positively correlated with the YBOCS total
      score and global severity score. Serum parathormone levels were positively
      correlated with the YBOCS total score, compulsion score, obsession score, and
      global severity score. CONCLUSION: This study supports the hypothesis that an
      association between vitamin D metabolism and PANDAS-related OCD exists. We
      suggest that biochemical parameters predicting metabolic bone diseases are more
      common in PANDAS patients. There is a need for prospective studies to show a
      clear association between PANDAS and bone metabolic turnover based on autoimmune
      mechanisms.

PMID- 28360764
TI  - The Assessment of Family Functions, Dyadic Adjustment, and Parental Attitude in
      Adolescents with Substance Use Disorder.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: Family structure and family attitudes have been reported to be
      important factors in the development of substance use disorders. In this study,
      we aimed to assess the relationship between substance use and family functions,
      parental attitude, and parental dyadic adjustment of adolescents with substance
      use disorder. METHODS: The study was conducted on 50 patients, comprising 9
      female and 41 male adolescents between the ages of 14 and 18 years, treated at
      Bakirkoy Mental Health Hospital, Substance Abuse Research, Treatment and
      Education Center for Children Adolescents (CEMATEM), Turkey, with the diagnosis
      of substance use disorder according to DSM-5 and their parents and a control
      group comprising 50 healthy adolescents without any psychopathology or substance
      use disorder and their parents. The study was designed as a matched case-control
      study for age and gender. Sociodemographic Data Form (SDF), Parental Attitude
      Scale (PAS), Dyadic Adjustment Scale (DAS), and Family Assessment Device (FAD)
      were applied to both groups. RESULTS: When the study and control groups were
      compared with regard to the PAS, the study group scores determined for
      "involvement-acceptance," "psychological autonomy," and "control-supervision"
      dimensions were significantly lower than the control group scores. Compared with
      the control group, dyadic adjustment was lower in terms of "dyadic cohesion,"
      "dyadic consensus," and "affectional expression." Living with biological parents
      and the togetherness of parents were lower in the study group. "Problem solving,"
      "communication," "roles," "affective responsiveness," "affective involvement,"
      "behavior control," and "general functioning" dimension scores according to FAD
      were also significantly higher in the study group. CONCLUSION: Compared with
      togetherness of the controls, the dyadic adjustment of their parents was lower
      and family functions as perceived by the parents and adolescents were unhealthier
      in the adolescents using substances. These findings indicate that the family
      functions, dyadic adjustment, and parental attitude styles need to be assessed in
      the risk groups to determine familial risk factors and to structure protective
      measures. These assessments may guide clinicians and policy-makers toward good
      clinical practice and help build protective measures.

PMID- 28360765
TI  - Effectiveness of Greater Occipital Nerve Blocks in Migraine Prophylaxis.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: Peripheral nerve blocks have been used in primary headache
      treatment since a long time. In this study, we aimed to examine the efficiency of
      greater occipital nerve (GON) block in migraine prophylaxis. METHODS: Data from
      migraine without aura patients who had GON block were collected and divided into
      two groups: Group PGON (n=25), which included patients who were under medical
      prophylaxis and had GON block, and Group GON (n=53), which included patients who
      had only GON blocks. Migraine was diagnosed using International Headache Society
      (IHS) classification. Data of 78 patients were analyzed. Headache attack
      frequency, headache duration, and severity were compared between and within
      groups in a 3-month follow-up period. RESULTS: The decrease in headache
      parameters after GON block in both groups was significantly similar. Headache
      attack frequency decreased from 15.73+/-7.21 (pretreatment) to 4.52+/-3.61 (3rd
      month) in Group GON and from 13.76+/-8.07 to 3.28+/-2.15 in Group PGON (p<0.05).
      Headache duration decreased from 18.51+/-9.43 to 8.02+/-5.58 at 3rd month in
      Group GON and from 15.20+/-9.16 to 7.20+/-4.16 in Group PGON (p<0.05). Headache
      severity decreased from 8.26+/-1.32 to 5.16+/-2.64 in Group GON and from 8.08+/
      0.90 to 5.96+/-1.20 in Group PGON (p<0.05). There was no statistically
      significant difference between the groups in 3rd month after treatment (p>0.05).
      CONCLUSION: This study showed significant decreases in headache parameters in
      both groups. As GON blocks were performed in patients unresponsive to medical
      prophylaxis, a decrease in the headache parameters in Group PGON similar to that
      in Group GON can be attributed to GON blocks. Consequently, these results show
      that repeated GON blocks with local anesthetic can be an effective alternative
      treatment in migraine patients who are unresponsive to medical prophylaxis or who
      do not prefer to use medical prophylaxis.

PMID- 28360766
TI  - Impact of Symptoms of Maternal Anxiety and Depression on Quality of Life of
      Children with Cerebral Palsy.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: Cerebral palsy (CP) interferes with the quality of life (QOL) of
      children with CP, and given that parents report having to often guide their
      children's decision making, it is important to understand the psychosocial
      factors that have a potential influence on parent-proxy reports. The purpose of
      this study was to investigate the impact of maternal anxiety and depression
      symptoms on parent proxy-reported health-related QOL (HRQOL) for children with
      CP, while controlling other clinical and demographical variables that may have
      affect HRQOL. METHODS: The HRQOL scores of 97 outpatients with CP, aged 7-18
      years, were assessed using the Pediatric QOL Inventory, Parent version (PedsQL
      P). Each patient's type of CP, gross and fine motor function levels, severity of
      intellectual disability (ID), and other clinical variables were recorded. The
      levels of depression symptoms in each mother were assessed using the Beck
      Depression Inventory (BDI), and the levels of anxiety symptoms were assessed with
      the Beck Anxiety Inventory (BAI). RESULTS: According to regression analyses, male
      gender, severity of ID, and higher mothers' BAI scores had negative effects on
      the PedsQL-P physical scores, and severity of ID and higher mothers' BDI scores
      had negative effects on the PedsQL-P psychosocial scores. Regarding the
      determinants of total HRQOL, severity of ID, GMFCS score, and higher mothers' BDI
      scores negatively impacted the PedsQL-P total scores. CONCLUSION: Our findings
      show significant predictor effects of the mothers' anxiety and depressive
      symptoms, independent from other clinical variables, on the mother-rated HRQOL
      scores in children with CP.

PMID- 28360767
TI  - Head Circumference Charts for Turkish Children Aged Five to Eighteen Years.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: Most head circumference growth references are useful during the
      first years of life, but they are also useful for older children when screening
      for developmental, neurological, and genetic disorders. We aimed to develop head
      circumference growth reference charts for age, height, and waist circumference
      for Turkish children aged 5-18 years. METHODS: Head circumference, height, and
      waist circumference measurements were obtained from 5079 students aged 5-18 years
      from Izmit, Kocaeli Province, Turkey. The LMS method was used to construct
      reference centile curves. RESULTS: Head circumference measurements were strongly
      correlated with height (r=0.74), weight (r=0.76), and waist circumference
      (r=0.68). The mean head circumference values for boys were larger than those for
      girls at all ages. Compared with data from the United States, the World Health
      Organization, and other studies from Turkey, our data showed a decrease in head
      circumference at all ages for both sexes. CONCLUSION: Local growth charts can be
      used to evaluate head circumference growth in older Turkish children and
      adolescents.

PMID- 28360768
TI  - The Role of Patent Foramen Ovale in Cryptogenic Stroke.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: Almost one-third of ischemic strokes has an unknown etiology and
      are classified as cryptogenic stroke. Paradoxical embolism because of a patent
      foramen ovale (PFO) is detected in 40%-50% of these patients. Recently, PFO has
      been reported as a risk factor for patients of all age groups. METHODS: In this
      study, 1080 ischemic stroke patients admitted to our clinic (2011-2013) were
      retrospectively evaluated. Age, sex, risk factors, complete blood count,
      vasculitis, biochemical and hypercoagulability tests, magnetic resonance imaging,
      magnetic resonance angiography, transthoracic echocardiography, transeosophageal
      echocardiography (TEE) findings, and therapeutic approaches were evaluated.
      RESULTS: The age range of the participants (seven male and four female patients)
      was 20-60 years (mean=43.09+/-11.13 years). Hemiparesis (n=10), diplopia (n=2),
      hemianopsia (n=2), and dysarthria (n=2) were the main findings of the
      neurological examinations. Patient medical history revealed hypertension (n=3),
      asthma (n=1), deep venous thrombosis (n=1), and smoking (n=4). Diffusion-weighted
      imaging showed middle cerebral artery (n=8) and posterior cerebral artery (n=3)
      infarctions. In one case, symptomatic severe carotid stenosis was detected. In
      eight cases, TEE showed PFO without any other abnormalities, but PFO was
      associated with atrial septal aneurysm in two cases, and in one case it was
      associated with ventricular hypokinesia and pulmonary arterial hypertension.
      Antiplatelet therapy was applied to nine patients and percutaneous PFO closure
      operation to two patients. In a 2-year follow-up, no recurrent ischemic stroke
      was recorded. CONCLUSION: PFO, especially in terms of the etiology of cryptogenic
      stroke in young patients, should not be underestimated. We want to emphasize the
      importance of TEE in identifying potential cardioembolic sources not only in
      young but also in all ischemic stroke patients with unknown etiology; we also
      discuss the controversial management options of PFO.

PMID- 28360769
TI  - SUDEP: The First Case Series in Turkey.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: Sudden unexpected death in epilepsy (SUDEP) is defined as the
      sudden, unexpected, witnessed or unwitnessed, non-traumatic, and non-drowning
      death of patients with epilepsy with or without evidence of a seizure, excluding
      documented status epilepticus, and in whom postmortem examinations do not reveal
      a toxicological or anatomic cause for death. In this study, data on patients who
      passed away under observation in the epilepsy clinic due to sudden, unexpected
      death have been compiled, and we also aim to emphasize the importance of SUDEP in
      Turkey. METHODS: This study was performed with a total of nine cases. Data were
      obtained from hospital records, information given by the families of patients,
      the database of the General Directorate for Civil Services of the Ministry of
      Internal Affairs of Turkey, and from the Ankara Metropolitan Municipality
      Cemetery Information System. As the basis of classification and definition, the
      proposals suggested by Nashef et al., which were made to the International League
      Against Epilepsy (ILAE) in 2011, were taken into consideration. RESULTS: Eight of
      the patients were classified as probable SUDEP and one of them as possible SUDEP;
      the mean age at SUDEP was 33 years, and the average follow-up period was 19.7
      years. In these cases, except for known risk factors (generalized tonic-clonic
      seizures, nocturnal seizures, severe epilepsy, more frequent seizures, younger
      age at the onset of epilepsy, unwitnessed seizures, polytherapy, and mental
      handicap), a different risk factor was not identified. CONCLUSION: This study is
      the first case series on SUDEP in Turkey. Postmortem studies are the most
      important shortcoming of the study. However, the importance of the topic is
      highlighted by presenting the available data. SUDEP deserves more attention
      during the daily practice of neurologists, pediatric neurologists, forensic
      physicians, and family physicians. If death is sudden and unexpected in a patient
      with epilepsy, SUDEP should be considered, regardless of the clear causes of
      death.

PMID- 28360771
TI  - A Case in the Bipolar Spectrum.
AB  - It has been reported that the correct diagnosis and treatment are delayed when
      subsyndromal bipolar mood disorder symptoms are overlooked. Patients in this
      spectrum are reported to have a diminished level of functioning, and these
      patients fail to accept their diagnosis; therefore, there is a low level of
      treatment adherence. This case report focuses on the diagnosis and treatment of a
      patient in the bipolar spectrum.

PMID- 28360770
TI  - One Size Does Not Fit All in Psychotherapy: Understanding Depression Among
      Patients of Turkish Origin in Europe.
AB  - Over the last decades, Europe has become an immigration country hosting an
      estimated 56 million international immigrants. Yet, a large amount of literature
      suggests that migration is associated with a higher risk of common mental
      disorders, such as depression and anxiety. As representatives of one of the
      largest immigrant groups in Europe, various studies have shown that Turkish
      immigrants exhibit a higher prevalence of depression and anxiety disorders than
      do the background population. Nevertheless, it is also well demonstrated that
      this particular patient group is more likely to terminate treatment prematurely
      and displays lower rates of treatment compliance than their native counterparts.
      This reluctance for service utilization might be partially because of the fact
      that people from non-Western ethno-cultural backgrounds (e.g., Turkey) often have
      a different notion and comprehension of mental health and illness as compared
      with those of the people from Western societies. Such mismatch often results in
      discrepancies between the needs and expectations of immigrant patients and
      clinicians, which attenuate the communication and effectiveness of treatment and
      lead to unexplained high dropout rates. To provide continued provision of culture
      sensitive, high quality, evidence-based mental health care, the advancement of
      researches exploring such sociocultural differences between the patients' and the
      clinicians' notions of mental health must occur. In response to these problems,
      the current review aims to explore the interplay between culture and mental
      processes that associate with the etiology, maintenance, and management of
      depression among Turkish immigrant patients. This is to inform clinicians
      regarding culture-specific correlates of depression among Turkish patients to
      enable them to present interventions that fit the needs and expectations of this
      particular patient group.

PMID- 28360772
TI  - Copycat Suicides Without an Intention to Die After Watching TV Programs: Two
      Cases at Five Years of Age.
AB  - Suicide is an intentional self-destructive act. As conceptualization of death as
      an irreversible end occurs at approximately 8-10 years, attempted and completed
      suicides are rare before 7 years of age. Studies have suggested that media may
      contribute to increased suicides in adolescents through social learning. Effects
      of media on suicides were thoroughly evaluated in children and adolescents who
      committed suicide after identifying with the subject of a TV program, movie, or
      book. We present 2 cases at 5 years of age who committed suicide by hanging
      themselves after watching a TV program. These cases differed from copycat
      suicides reported in the literature that are performed mostly by adolescents
      because victims are very young children and because they died without an actual
      intent to die while they were imitating suicides. By presenting these cases, we
      want to emphasize that destructive effects of media may involve not only adults
      and adolescents but also very young children who do not have a completely
      developed concept of death.

PMID- 28360773
TI  - Spontaneous Ejaculations Associated with Aripiprazole.
AB  - Sexual side effects are common with antipsychotic use. Spontaneous ejaculations
      without sexual arousal have been previously described with several typical and
      atypical antipsychotics. We report the case of a man who had spontaneous
      ejaculations after stopping risperidone and starting 30 mg/day aripiprazole.
      Spontaneous ejaculations ceased 3 days after decreasing the aripiprazole dose to
      15 mg/day. He denied sexual fantasies or increased sexual desire during the
      period in which he had spontaneous ejaculations. The partial agonistic effect of
      aripiprazole on D2 receptors may have augmented the mesolimbic dopaminergic
      pathway, which was suppressed by risperidone, causing spontaneous ejaculations in
      this patient. Serotoninergic effects of aripiprazole should also be considered.
      This unusual side effect should be questioned, particularly in patients who
      recieve aripiprazole after D2-blocking antipsychotics; otherwise, this side
      effect may cause embarrassement and noncompliance.

PMID- 28360774
TI  - Leukocytosis after Clozapine Treatment in a Patient with Chronic Schizophrenia.
AB  - Clozapine is an atypical antipsychotic drug that is approved by the US Food and
      Drug Administration (FDA) for the treatment of psychotic disorders.
      Agranulocytosis is a well-established side effect of clozapine; clozapine has
      also been associated with other blood dyscrasias like leukocytosis, albeit
      rarely. In this paper, we aim to report a case of possible clozapine-associated
      leukocytosis in a 41-year-old woman.

PMID- 28360775
TI  - A Rare Cause of Neuropathic Pain in the Back: Notalgia Paresthetica.

PMID- 28360776
TI  - Frequently Seen But Rarely Diagnosed: Musical Ear Syndrome.

PMID- 28360777
TI  - Late Onset Tremor and Ataxia Syndrome: FXTAS and its Ignored Peripheral Nervous
      System Findings in Diagnostic Criteria.

PMID- 28360778
TI  - Multiple Sclerosis and Panuveitis: A Rare Association.

PMID- 28360779
TI  - Burden on Caregivers of Patients with Schizophrenia and Related Factors.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: Caregivers of patients with schizophrenia are under the burden of
      continuous and difficult processes. Determination of the factors related to
      caregiver burden in schizophrenia may help find strategies to decrease the
      burden. This study aimed at investigating the factors associated with caregiver
      burden among relatives of patients with schizophrenia. METHODS: Eighty-eight
      caregivers of patients under treatment for schizophrenia for at least 1 year were
      included in the study. The Zarit Caregiver Burden Interview was used for the
      assessment of caregiver burden. Sociodemographical data, the level of knowledge
      about schizophrenia, clinical impression scale, and global assessment of
      functioning were used to evaluate the related factors. RESULTS: Caregiver burden
      was negatively correlated with income level and functionality of the patient and
      was positively correlated with the age of the caregiver, the daily time spent
      with the patient, and the number of hospitalizations of the patient (p<0.05).
      There was no significant correlation between the caregivers' knowledge about
      schizophrenia and caregiver burden (p<0.05). Living in the same house with the
      patient was a positive predictor, whereas functionality and income level of the
      patient and education level of the caregiver were negative predictors (p<0.05).
      CONCLUSION: This study highlighted the importance of setting targets for
      improving the functionality of patients in the design and implementation of
      rehabilitation and support programs for patients with schizophrenia.
      Additionally, providing higher income for patients, creating conditions for an
      independent life, and increasing incentives for younger caregivers with a higher
      educational level may help decrease caregiver burden.

PMID- 28360780
TI  - Effect of Sleep Quality on Psychiatric Symptoms and Life Quality in Newspaper
      Couriers.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: Working at unusual hours has been found to be related to sleep
      problems, psychiatric symptoms, and low quality of life. This study aimed to
      investigate the effect of sleep quality on psychiatric symptoms and the quality
      of life in newspaper couriers who permanently wake up at early morning hours.
      METHODS: Thirty-five newspaper couriers who worked for a media company in Ankara
      and 35 healthy individuals who worked at usual hours and who were matched
      according to age, gender, and work duration were included in the study. All
      individuals were evaluated using the demographic forms, Symptom Checklist (SCL)
      90-R, Pittsburg Sleep Quality Index (PSQI), and Short Form-36 (SF-36). RESULTS:
      The somatization subscale of SCL-90-R and the sleep duration sub-component scores
      of PSQI were significantly higher and the physical role functioning domain score
      of SF-36 was significantly lower in newspaper couriers compared with the scores
      in healthy individuals. There were significantly positive correlations between
      the PSQI total and sub-component scores and the SCL-90-R subscale and global
      symptom index scores. There were significantly negative correlations between the
      PSQI total and sub-component scores and the SF-36 domain scores. CONCLUSION: This
      study demonstrates that waking up permanently at early morning hours may be
      related to sleep disturbances, psychiatric symptoms, and low quality of life.
      Measures to increase sleep quality in individuals working at unusual hours may
      improve their mental health and quality of life. Future studies should
      investigate the effects of interventions toward sleep disturbances on mental
      health and quality of life in different occupational groups.

PMID- 28360781
TI  - Evaluation of the Relationship between Major Depressive Disorder and Bereavement
      Symptoms in Elderly Patients Who Present Either to Psychiatry or Family Medicine.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: We aimed to determine the level of bereavement and depression
      symptoms among elderly patients who experience the loss of a significant other
      and the relationship between depressive symptoms and bereavement symptoms.
      METHODS: The study sample consisted of elderly adults who lost a significant
      other at least 6 months prior to the submission time. Participants were recruited
      from patients who presented to either the psychiatry or family medicine
      outpatient unit of a Training and Research Hospital. Cognitive functions were
      assessed using Standardized Mini Mental Examinations for Educated and Uneducated
      People (SMME/SMME-U). Participants were excluded from the study if their SMME or
      SMME-U scores were lower than 23 points. To assess the severity of depressive and
      bereavement symptoms, the Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS) and Core Bereavement
      Items (CBI) scales were used, respectively. RESULTS: Overall, 33 out of 67
      individuals (49.2%) who presented to the psychiatry unit and 7 out of the 43
      individuals (16.3%) who presented to the family medicine unit were diagnosed with
      major depressive disorder (MDD). CBI scale score means were higher in the MDD
      groups than in the non-depressive groups (p=0.012 and p=0.001, respectively). CBI
      scores were significantly correlated to acute (p=0.047) and chronic stress
      (p=0.007) in the psychiatry group and to chronic stress in the family medicine
      group (p=0.001). CONCLUSION: Probing loss experiences and reactions to them can
      be important to understand depression, to evaluate its symptoms, and to help
      manage the relevant symptoms. Considering the significant contributions of
      bereavement to depressive symptom severity in elders, interventions specific to
      bereavement symptoms should not be ignored.

PMID- 28360782
TI  - Determination of Genotypic and Phenotypic Characteristics of Friedreich's Ataxia
      and Autosomal Dominant Spinocerebellar Ataxia Types 1, 2, 3, and 6.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: This study aimed to analyze the genotypic characteristics of
      Friedreich's ataxia (FA) and autosomal dominant ataxias [such as spinocerebellar
      ataxia (SCA) types 1, 2, 3, and 6] using molecular and biological methods in
      hereditary cerebellar ataxia considering both clinical and electrophysiological
      findings. METHODS: The study included 129 indexed cases, who applied to the
      neurology department and were diagnosed with hereditary cerebellar ataxia through
      clinical, laboratory, and electrophysiological findings, and 15 sibling patients
      who were diagnosed through family scanning (144 cases in total); their genetic
      analyses were also performed. Detailed physical and neurological examinations,
      pedigree analyses, electroneurography, evoked potentials, cerebral-spinal
      magnetic resonance imaging, and echocardiographic analyses were performed for all
      cases. Blood samples were collected from patients, and the genotypic
      characteristics of autosomal dominant SCA types 1, 2, 3, and 6 were investigated.
      Statistical analyses were performed with the Statistical Package for the Social
      Sciences (SPSS Inc; Chicago, IL, USA) 17.0. RESULTS: Almost 50% of patients were
      defined as FA. Moreover, two SCA1 cases and one SCA6 case were detected.
      CONCLUSION: In our study, 47.2% of patients with FA had developed hereditary
      cerebellar ataxia. Ground and autosomal dominant-linked SCA1 and SCA6 were each
      detected in one family. These data suggest that patients with cerebellar ataxia
      of hereditary origin should be primarily examined for FA.

PMID- 28360783
TI  - The Relationship between Aggression and Serum Thyroid Hormone Level in
      Individuals Diagnosed with Antisocial Personality Disorder.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: Aggression is one of the leading clinical characteristics of
      antisocial personality disorder (APD). Studies aiming to clarify and control the
      biological basis of aggression are ongoing. Thyroid hormones have been indicated
      to play a role in the development of aggression. The aim of this study was to
      examine the level of aggression and serum thyroid hormone in a sample of APD and
      to make contributions to this field with the current findings. METHODS: The
      sample consisted of 96 subjects with a diagnosis of APD and 97 subjects as a
      control group. Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-IV Axis (SCID) 1 and 2 were
      used for the diagnosis, and the Buss-Perry Aggression Questionnaire was
      administered. Based on criminal patterns, the APD group was then divided into two
      subgroups: "criminal" and "noncriminal" APD groups. The day after the interview,
      after one night of fasting, blood was collected from the subjects between 7:00
      a.m. and 9:00 a.m.. Thyroid function tests and other biochemical analyses related
      to the confounding variables were also administered. The study group and the
      control group were compared in terms of their aggression scores and thyroid
      hormone levels. RESULTS: The mean score of free T3 level in the criminal APD
      group was found to be significantly higher than that in the noncriminal APD
      group. APD subjects with higher free T3 levels also had higher aggression scores.
      In the noncriminal APD group, as serum free T3 and T4 levels increased, there was
      also an increment in the aggression scores. However, in the criminal APD group,
      there was no significant correlation between thyroid hormone levels and
      aggression. CONCLUSION: The findings of this study indicated that criminal and
      noncriminal APD groups actually show different properties.

PMID- 28360784
TI  - Jitter Values on Voluntary Active Periocular Muscles of Healthy Subjects with
      Conventional (37 mm) Concentric Needle Electrode.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: The aim of this study was to re-evaluate jitter values of healthy
      subjects in whom pairs of single-fiber-like potentials were recorded from
      voluntary activated periocular muscles using a disposable 37-mm concentric needle
      electrode (CNE) with 2-kHz low-cut filtering. METHODS: We reviewed the recordings
      of 129 subjects (85 women; 44 men; mean age, 43.8+/-15.3 years). The m. frontalis
      group included 116 subjects, and the m. orbicularis oculi group included 18
      subjects. Jitter values were expressed as the mean consecutive difference (MCD)
      of 20 different pairs. RESULTS: The mean MCD (n=2680) was 22.5+/-9.7 MUs (range,
      5-121 MUs), and the upper 95% confidence limit (CL) was 39 MUs. The mean of 134
      MCD values for each subject was 22.5+/-3.7 MUs (range, 15-33 MUs), and the upper
      95% CL was 30 MUs. The outer limit of the 18th highest MCD values out of 20
      recordings for each subject was 31.3+/-6.5 MUs (range, 18-53 MUs), with an upper
      95% CL of 43.3 MUs. CONCLUSION: Using a conventional 37-mm CNE with 2-kHz low-cut
      filtering may be a cost effective alternative to a single-fiber electrode in
      periocular muscles if strict criteria are used for acceptable signals. Jitter
      values of >44 MUs that were calculated from single-fiber-like action potential
      pairs should alert the physician regarding the possibility of neuromuscular
      junction disorders and constitute an indication for a further diagnostic
      investigation.

PMID- 28360785
TI  - Determination of Clinical and Socio-demographical Differences of Adolescents
      Applying to a Treatment Center with Family Encouragement or the Decision of the
      Probation Office and Determination of Predictive Factors in Maintaining Soberness
      among Probation Cases.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: This study has two objectives. The first objective of this study
      was the determination of some basic clinical and socio-demographical differences
      among the adolescents with substance abuse who apply to a treatment center with
      support from their family or by order of the probation office. The other
      objective of this study was the determination of the predictive factors in
      maintaining soberness among adolescents who successfully complete the probation
      treatment process. METHODS: The target population of this study is young adults
      under 19 years of age who apply to a substance addiction center for adolescents
      as a result of encouragement from their family or ordered by the Probation Office
      between 2005 and 2013. These two groups were analyzed in terms of socio
      demographical characteristics such as age, the age at which they tried the
      substance, the age at which they applied to the treatment center, sex, substances
      they used, education period, employment history, and street life experience. The
      Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) 18.0 software was used for the
      statistical analysis. RESULTS: It was detected that among the cases who applied
      to the treatment center with family support, their education period was longer
      than probation (PR) cases (p<0.0001), and the rates of previous treatment, their
      mother being alive, and having street life experiences were more frequent (p
      values: <0.0001; =0.010; =0.027; <0.0001, respectively) and employment history
      was higher among PR cases (p<0.0001). In terms of the substances used, ecstasy,
      alcohol, inhalants, and volatile substances are more common among those applying
      with family support (p=0.018; 0.001; <0.0001, respectively). However, use of
      cannabis was found to be more common among PR cases (p<0.0001). It was found that
      PR cases who successfully completed their treatment process had married parents
      (p=0.008) and had more years of education (p=0.004). It can be predicted that if
      the subject is well educated and does not use multiple substances or have an
      alcohol history, the treatment process for PR cases can be successfully
      completed. (R2=0.176; p<0.0001). CONCLUSION: The rates of completing the
      treatment among cases analyzed in this study were higher than those among cases
      from adults. In the studies conducted, the results of the treatment efficiency
      among PR cases were inconsistent. This inconsistency may result from, except for
      legal obligations, having different circumstances such as socio-economic factors
      during the treatment period.

PMID- 28360786
TI  - Interaction of Cocaine- and Amphetamine-regulated Transcript and Neuropeptide Y
      on Behavior in the Central Nervous System.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: In the central nervous system, cocaine- and amphetamine-regulated
      transcript (CART) 55-102 peptide is localized in areas, such as the ventral
      tegmental area, amygdala, hypothalamus, and hippocampus, where emotional activity
      is regulated. Studies on the effects of the intracerebroventricular (ICV)
      administration of CART peptide on behavior remain limited. The findings from
      these studies suggest that this neuropeptide has anxiogenic-like effects. In the
      central nervous system, neuropeptide Y (NPY) has similar localization as CART.
      Previous behavioral studies have demonstrated that the ICV administration of NPY
      has anxiolytic-like effects. METHODS: In our study, we established five
      experimental groups of male Wistar rats to study the competitive effects of NPY
      and CART peptide. These groups were sham (n=10), CART (n=10), NPY (n=10), CART
      NPY (n=10), and NPY-CART (n=10). The open field test, elevated plus maze test,
      and Porsolt swim test were performed for behavioral analyses. Moreover, the rats
      were decapitated after the behavioral tests, and the amount of these two peptide
      in their brains was quantified. RESULTS: Our study revealed that the ICV
      administration of CART peptide is anxiogenic and inhibits animals undergoing
      learned helplessness in the Porsolt swim test. When we evaluated the results of
      our study with respect to NPY, we observed its anxiolytic-like effects; in the
      Porsolt swim test, although it reduced the duration of immobilization, it did not
      affect the period of struggle. CONCLUSION: Our results revealed that during the
      competitive interaction of these two peptides, anxiogenic CART peptide suppressed
      the anxiolytic effects of NPY.

PMID- 28360787
TI  - Using Neuropsychometric Measurements in the Differential Diagnosis of Specific
      Learning Disability.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: The aim of this study was to develop a neuropsychometric battery
      for the differential diagnosis of specific learning disability (SLD), with
      specific respect to attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), and to help
      resolve the conflicting results in the literature by an integrative utilization
      of scores on both the Bannatyne categories and neuropsychological tests. METHODS:
      The sample included 168 primary school boys who were assigned to SLD (n=21), ADHD
      (n=45), SLD and ADHD (n=57), and control groups (n=45). The exclusion criteria
      were a neurological or psychiatric comorbidity other than ADHD, a level of
      anxiety and/or depression above the cutoff score, medication affecting cognitive
      processes, visual and/or auditory disorders, and an intelligence level outside
      the IQ range of 85-129. Psychometric scores were obtained from the SLD Battery
      and Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children-Revised in the form of Bannatyne
      category scores. Neuropsychological scores were from the Visual-Aural Digit Span
      Test-Form B, Serial Digit Learning Test, Judgment of Line Orientation, and
      Mangina Test. The battery was called the Integrative Battery of SLD. RESULTS: The
      correctness of estimation for classifying cases into the diagnostic dyads
      (SLD/ADHD, SLD/SLD+ADHD, and SLD+ADHD/ADHD) by an integrative utilization of both
      the Bannatyne category scores (n=4) and scores from the four neuropsychological
      tests (n=10) was 92.4%, 81.4%, and 71.8%, respectively. These proportions were
      generally higher than those obtained using the Bannatyne category scores alone
      (86.4%, 75.5%, and 73.1%, respectively). The same trend was seen in the
      classification of children into diagnostic and control groups. However, the
      proportion of the correctness of estimation was higher than that obtained for the
      diagnostic dyads. CONCLUSION: When conducted using appropriately chosen research
      designs and statistical techniques and if confounding variables are sufficiently
      controlled, a neuropsychometric battery that includes capacities that relate to
      intelligence (Bannatyne categories) and those that relate to neurocognitive
      processes (neuropsychological tests) can be useful in the differential diagnosis
      of SLD.

PMID- 28360788
TI  - Determinants of Antenatal Psychological Distress in Pakistani Women.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: An increasing number of evidence has demonstrated that poor
      antenatal psychological health can lead to adverse pregnancy outcomes. Studies
      conducted in various countries demonstrated a wide range of factors associated
      with psychological distress during pregnancy. METHODS: A cross-sectional study
      was conducted between September 2011 and December 2012 in Peshawar, north-west
      Pakistan. A total of 230 women in their third trimester of pregnancy fulfilled
      the inclusion criteria. The antenatal psychological health status of women was
      measured using the Depression Anxiety Stress Scale. Relevant data regarding
      health and demographic-socioeconomic status were collected through personal
      interviews using standardized questionnaires. RESULTS: Overall, 45% (n=104) of
      women exhibited symptoms for composite depression, anxiety, and stress (composite
      DAS). In the univariate analysis, maternal age, husband support, monthly income,
      family size, stressful life events, lack of confidence, domestic violence, and
      pregnancy-related concerns were strongly associated with antenatal composite DAS
      (p<0.01). The association of maternal composite DAS symptoms with age, monthly
      income, family size, and lack of confidence remained significant in the
      multivariate analysis (p<0.01). CONCLUSION: A major proportion of women exhibited
      symptoms of antenatal composite DAS, and various factors were found to be related
      to their psychological distress. A young maternal age, low husband support, low
      income, large family size, adverse life events, lack of confidence, pregnancy
      related concerns, and domestic violence were stronger determinants of poor
      antenatal psychological status. The study findings concluded that policymakers at
      the government level should launch special intervention programs to improve
      maternal perinatal mental and psychological health at the community level.

PMID- 28360789
TI  - Social Aspect of Functioning Deteriorates More Than Individual Aspect in Patients
      with Remitted Bipolar Disorder.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: Many studies have demonstrated that patients with bipolar disorder
      (BD) suffer from significant functional impairment, even during remission
      periods. This study aimed to assess the levels of overall functioning and
      specific areas of functioning in remitted patients with BD compared with those in
      healthy controls. METHODS: Eighty completely remitted patients with BD and 80
      healthy controls were included in the study. The Bipolar Disorder Functioning
      Questionnaire (BDFQ), Young Mania Rating Scale, and Beck Depression Inventory
      were used. RESULTS: There were fewer married and employed cohorts in the BD group
      than in the control group. Compared with healthy controls, patients with BD
      exhibited a worse functioning in terms of intellectual and sexual functioning,
      feelings of stigmatization, social withdrawal, household relationships,
      relationships with friends, and participation in social activities. There was no
      difference between the groups in terms of emotional functioning, daily activities
      and hobbies, taking initiative and self-sufficiency, and occupation. The total
      BDFQ scores of patients were lower than those of healthy controls. A better
      functionality was observed in patients using only a mood stabilizer than in
      patients using three or more drugs. CONCLUSION: Remarkably, remitted patients
      with BD tended to perform daily activities well when these activities were not in
      a social context. Stigma-oriented interpersonal approaches can be particularly
      beneficial for these patients.

PMID- 28360790
TI  - Alcohol and Psychoactive Substance Use among University Students in Edirne and
      Related Parameters.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: Alcohol and psychoactive substance use and their effects are an
      important issue among adolescents and young adults. Different results have been
      reported about the frequency of alcohol and psychoactive substance use among
      university students in studies conducted both in Turkey and in different places
      worldwide. METHODS: The frequency of alcohol and psychoactive substance use among
      Trakya University students (n=1385) and the related parameters were studied cross
      sectionally using a self-reporting questionnaire. RESULTS: Alcohol was the most
      common substance used (30%), followed by tobacco (29.9%) and marijuana (3.1%).
      The frequency of alcohol and psychoactive substance use was found to be higher
      among males with higher amounts of pocket money, whose parents experienced more
      conflict in their relationship, and who belong to families with a higher
      education and income level. CONCLUSION: The frequency of alcohol and psychoactive
      substance use among Trakya University students was found to be lower than other
      regions in Turkey and particularly lower than the levels reported in studies
      conducted in other countries.

PMID- 28360791
TI  - Familial Adult-onset Alexander Disease: Clinical and Neuroradiological Findings
      of Three Cases.
AB  - The adult-onset Alexander disease (AOAD) dramatically differs from the early
      onset AD with respect to clinical and neuroradiological findings. Herein we
      report the detailed clinical and neuroradiological findings of a Turkish family
      with AOAD. In all three cases, magnetic resonance imaging revealed marked atrophy
      of the mesencephalon, bulbus, and cervical spinal cord accompanied with signal
      abnormalities in the same regions along with supratentorial white matter. Basal
      ganglia were affected in two cases. Molecular genetic analysis revealed
      heterozygous mutation in the 8th exon of the glial fibrillary acidic protein gene
      M451I (c.1245G>A), leading to the diagnosis of AOAD in all cases.

PMID- 28360792
TI  - Orbital Myositis: Evaluating Five New Cases Regarding Clinical and Radiological
      Features.
AB  - Orbital myositis (OM) is an inflammatory disorder of the extraocular muscles. The
      signs and symptoms of OM are periorbital pain, eyelid swelling and redness,
      restricted ocular motility, and strabismus. There are at least two major forms,
      described by Benedikt GH Schoser, a limited oligosymptomatic ocular myositis
      (LOOM), which is associated with conjunctival injection only, and severe
      exophthalmic ocular myositis (SEOM), which presents with additional ptosis,
      chemosis, and proptosis. We report the clinical and radiological features of five
      patients with OM who were recently followed in our clinic. Three patients, one
      man and two women, were placed in the LOOM group, and the other two patients,
      both women, were in the SEOM group. In both groups, the initial complaints were
      pain worsening with eye movements and double vision, with only one patient in the
      SEOM group having pain worsening secondary to Crohn's disease. The most affected
      muscles were the medial and lateral recti. All the patients were treated with
      corticosteroids, resulting in rapid improvement. Only one patient in the SEOM
      group experienced a relapse. Orbital magnetic resonance imaging of all the
      patients revealed enlargement and contrast enhancement of the involved muscles.
      Although clinical and radiological features are quite consistent, delayed
      diagnosis in some patients demonstrates the importance of the awareness of OM.

PMID- 28360794
TI  - A Case of Skin Picking Disorder of a Patient with a History of Childhood Abuse.
AB  - Skin picking (excoriation) disorder is the recurrent excoriation of one's own
      skin, resulting in noticeable skin damage. People pick their skin for different
      reasons. For the majority of patients, first skin picking is associated with a
      history of childhood abuse and personal problems. Subjects who moderately to
      severely cause injurious self-harm are more likely to have a history of exposure
      to domestic violence and childhood abuse than those who do not self-harm. At the
      same time, these conditions could be related to the etiology for majority of
      other psychiatric disorders. We report herein, a case of a patient with skin
      picking disorder who had a history of childhood physical and emotional abuse with
      borderline personality disorder.

PMID- 28360793
TI  - Withdrawal-Emergent Dyskinesia and Supersensitivity Psychosis Due to Olanzapine
      Use.
AB  - Tardive dyskinesia (TD) usually appears after years of antipsychotic drug use and
      appears to be related to the total lifetime medication dose. In withdrawal
      emergent dyskinesia (WE-D), which is considered to be a subtype of TD, dyskinetic
      symptoms often appear shortly after a rapid reduction in antipsychotic drug dose
      or sudden discontinuation of the drug. Supersensitivity psychosis, which is
      frequently observed along with TD and is considered to have a similar etiology as
      TD, is a psychotic relapse phenomenon that occurs after the withdrawal of an
      antipsychotic drug or a rapid reduction in the drug dosage. In general, atypical
      antipsychotics tend to be associated with less propensity to cause TD when
      compared with typical antipsychotics. Furthermore, olanzapine and clozapine may
      have a therapeutic potential in improving or totally curing TD. In this study, a
      case of WE-D because of discontinuing olanzapine use and supersensitivity
      psychosis is discussed.

PMID- 28360795
TI  - Herpes Zoster Ophthalmicus That Mimics the SUNCT Syndrome.

PMID- 28360796
TI  - Can Priapism Occur as an Idiosyncratic Reaction to Risperidone?

PMID- 28360797
TI  - Stiff Person Syndrome with Pyramidal Signs.

PMID- 28360798
TI  - Epicrania Fugax.

PMID- 28360799
TI  - Affective Temperament Profiles of Overactive Bladder Patients.

PMID- 28360800
TI  - Higher Relability? Higher Validity?

PMID- 28360801
TI  - Relationship between Impulsivity and Serum Oxytocin in Male Children and
      Adolescents with Attention-Deficit and Hyperactivity Disorder: A Preliminary
      Study.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: Here we aimed to determine the relationship between oxytocin levels
      and impulsivity, which is an important aspect at Attention Deficit Hyperactivity
      Disorder (ADHD) clinics. METHODS: The study population comprised 40 ADHD patients
      diagnosed based on the Schedule for Affective Disorders and Schizophrenia for
      School-Age Children-Present and Lifetime version, without other psychiatric
      disorders and chronic diseases aged between 8 and 15 years. The control group
      comprised 40 healthy, age-matched, male children and adolescents who voluntarily
      participated in the study. Patients and controls filled the Barratt impulsivity
      scale-11 (BIS-11). Ten cubic centimeters of blood was collected at 8 am for
      determining serum oxytocin levels. ELISA kits were used to measure serum oxytocin
      levels in a biochemistry laboratory. The obtained data were evaluated using
      appropriate statistical methods. RESULTS: In this study, compared with the
      control group, the impulsivity scores were significantly higher and serum
      oxytocin levels were lower in the ADHD group (52.5+/-18.1 and 37.62+/-9.0,
      respectively, p<0.001). Serum oxytocin levels showed a negative correlation with
      impulsivity and attention subscale scores of BIS-11 in the ADHD group.
      CONCLUSION: ADHD and impulsivity, which comprise an aspect of ADHD, may be
      associated with oxytocin. Serum oxytocin levels may contribute to inattention
      subtypes of impulsivity observed in ADHD.

PMID- 28360802
TI  - Validity and Reliability of the Turkish Adaptation of the Dream Reflective
      Awareness Questionnaire (DRAQ).
AB  - INTRODUCTION: The aim of this research was to adapt the Dream Reflective
      Awareness Questionnaire (DRAQ) to Turkish and to examine its psychometric
      properties. METHODS: In total, 378 college students participated in the study.
      The average age of the participants was 20.4 years; 56% of participants were
      women and 44% were men. After the scale linguistic equivalence was completed, the
      validity and reliability analyses were checked. Exploratory factor analysis and
      confirmatory factor analysis were utilized for the construct validity, and
      Cronbach's alpha coefficient was used for internal consistency reliability.
      RESULTS: In the exploratory factor analysis of the scale, unlike the original
      form, a 5-factor structure for 15 items was obtained, explaining the 71% of the
      total variance. The factor loads were between 0.61 and 0.88. Confirmatory factor
      analysis results confirmed the structure that was obtained from the exploratory
      factor analysis. The Cronbach's alpha internal consistency coefficient, which was
      derived from the reliability analysis of the scale, ranged between 0.74 and 0.78.
      CONCLUSION: Based on the results obtained, we can conclude that the scale is a
      valid and reliable tool with sufficient psychometric properties.

PMID- 28360803
TI  - Exposure of Students to Emotional and Physical Violence in the School
      Environment.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: While peer abuse or physical violence in school is emphasized more,
      the physical and emotional violence caused by school staff has been emphasized
      less. The purpose of this study was to investigate the variables related to
      emotional and physical violence that students are exposed to in the school
      environment. METHODS: This cross-sectional and descriptive study was conducted by
      applying a questionnaire to 434 fifth-grade students receiving education in the
      primary schools in Konak district of Izmir province. Being prepared by the
      researchers of this study, the questionnaire consisted of questions about the
      socio-demographic features of the child and the family, the place where the child
      has been raised, family income, average grade, and the emotional and physical
      violence of teachers, parents, and peers s/he has been exposed to within the last
      year. The Chi-square test, Mann-Whitney U test, and logistic regression analysis
      were used for statistical analyses. RESULTS: The study group consisted of 214
      (49.3%) female and 220 (50.7%) male students. Students reported that they were
      exposed to at least one type of emotional violence from 59.4% of teachers, 52.8%
      of parents, and 61.8% of children at school; they were exposed to at least one
      type of physical violence from 42.9% of teachers, 33.6% of parents, and 24.9% of
      children at school. While the rate of encountering with the beating of another
      child was 53%, the rate of watching this in television/cinema was 52.8%.
      Regarding exposure to at least one type of violence, males were found to be
      significantly more exposed to emotional and physical violence from male teachers,
      female teachers, and fathers and physical violence from children at school. The
      factors regarding the exposure to emotional and physical violence by teachers
      were evaluated using logistic regression analysis, and it was determined that the
      physical violence from teachers, emotional violence from children in school, and
      emotional violence from parents could predict the emotional violence from
      teachers. For males, physical violence from children in school and emotional
      violence from teachers could predict the physical violence from teachers.
      CONCLUSION: In this study, the determination of the tendency of togetherness of
      different types of violence applied to students from different people groups like
      teachers, parents, and children in school makes us think about the possibility of
      common risk factors in terms of violence exposure. The risk factors determined in
      this study may guide us in planning protective interventions aimed at violence.

PMID- 28360804
TI  - Affective Temperament Profiles in Patients with Multiple Sclerosis: Association
      with Mood Disorders.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: The aim of the present study was to screen for bipolarity and to
      investigate the affective temperaments of patients with multiple sclerosis (MS)
      and the possible association between the clinical and demographic characteristics
      of MS patients and temperament profiles. METHODS: A total of 65 patients with MS
      and 66 healthy volunteers completed the 32-item hypomania checklist (HCl-32), the
      Mood Disorder Questionnaire (MDQ), and the Temperament Evaluation of Memphis,
      Pisa, Paris, and San Diego-Autoquestionnaire (TEMPS-A) tests. The HCl-32, MDQ,
      and TEMPS-A scores were compared between the patients and healthy volunteers.
      RESULTS: MS patients had significantly higher scores for the depressive,
      cyclothymic, irritable, and anxious domains of the TEMPS-A scale than the control
      group, whereas relapsing remitting MS (RRMS) patients had higher MDQ and TEMPS-A
      hyperthymia scores than secondary progressive MS patients. MS patients who were
      being treated with interferon beta 1-b therapy had significantly higher MDQ
      scores than those being treated with interferon beta 1-a, glatiramer acetate, or
      who were without medication. Expanded Disability Status Scale (EDSS) scores were
      positively correlated with TEMPS-A depressive and hyperthymic temperaments.
      CONCLUSION: Our results suggest that higher scores for affective temperament in
      MS patients indicate subclinical manifestations of mood disorders. Higher
      hyperthymia scores and manic symptoms detected in the RRMS group could shed light
      on the relationship between bipolarity and MS. Thus, the screening of bipolarity
      and affective temperament profiles in MS patients could help clinicians predict
      future mood episodes and decrease their impact on disease severity.

PMID- 28360805
TI  - Effect of Increased Neutrophil-to-Lymphocyte Ratio (NLR) and Decreased Mean
      Platelet Volume (MPV) Values on Inflammation in Acute Mania.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: The neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) and mean platelet volume
      (MPV) are simple, low-cost, and useful inflammatory markers detected in routine
      complete blood count (CBC), and their use has recently become widespread. In this
      study, we aimed to investigate the presence of an inflammatory state in manic
      patients on the basis of NLR and MPV values. METHODS: This retrospective study
      was performed on 76 patients with acute mania who were admitted to the Inpatients
      Psychiatry Clinic of Afyon Kocatepe University Hospital in Turkey. Diagnoses were
      based on Diagnostic and Statistical Manuel of Mental disorder (DSM-IV). The
      control group consisted of 74 healthy individuals recruited from the community.
      They were age- and sex-matched with the study group. RESULTS: NLR values of the
      manic patient group were 2.2+/-1.4 and those of the control group were 1.6+/-0.5.
      NLR values were significantly higher (p=0.004) and MPV values were significantly
      lower in the manic patient group than in the control group (10.0+/-1.2 vs. 10.9+/
      2.3, p=0.027). CONCLUSION: Increased NLR and decreased MPV levels may reflect
      inflammation in manic patients, and inflammation may play a role in the complex
      pathophysiology of acute mania.

PMID- 28360806
TI  - Possible Effects of Copper and Ceruloplasmin Levels on Auditory Event Potentials
      in Boys with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: The aims of the present study were to investigate the relationship
      between levels of plasma copper (Cu) and ceruloplasmin (Cp) and amplitudes and
      latencies of P1, N2, and P3 in the parietal and frontal areas of children with
      attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) as well as to compare these Cu
      levels and event-related potentials (ERPs) indices in controls. METHODS: Boys
      (n=41) with ADHD were divided into two subgroups according to a median split of
      plasma Cu and Cp levels, separately. ERP indices from the parietal and frontal
      regions were recorded in children with ADHD and 24 normal boys (control group)
      using an auditory oddball paradigm. RESULTS: Parietal P3 latency was
      significantly longer, and parietal P3 amplitude, frontal P3 amplitude, and
      frontal N2 amplitudes were smaller in children with ADHD than in controls (all p
      values <0.017). Parietal P1 and frontal P1 latencies were significantly shorter
      in the higher Cu group than in the lower Cu group (both p values <0.017).
      Decreased latency of parietal P1 was dependent on plasma levels of Cu (p<0.05).
      Frontal N2 and parietal N2 amplitudes were significantly lower in the ADHD group
      with lower Cp levels than in the ADHD group with higher Cp levels (both p values
      <0.017). Decreased frontal N2 and parietal N2 amplitudes were dependent on plasma
      levels of Cp (both p values <0.05). CONCLUSION: Plasma Cu and Cp levels may have
      an effect on ERPs in ADHD, thus indicating the existence of effects on
      information processing. Cu levels may have a negative effect on the neuronal
      encoding of sound, whereas Cp levels may have a positive effect on the processes
      of cognitive control, conflict monitoring, and stimulus discrimination in
      children with ADHD.

PMID- 28360807
TI  - Symptomatic Remission Determines Functional Improvement and Quality of Life in
      Schizophrenia.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: Schizophrenia is a chronic illness that negatively affects the
      quality of life and psychosocial functions. Defined criteria to assess remission
      in schizophrenia are considered to be useful in the long-term follow-up of
      patients and in discriminating diagnostic factors. This study investigated the
      quality of life and functionality in schizophrenia patients in symptomatic
      remission (R-Sch) and not in remission (Non-R-Sch). METHODS: Sociodemographic
      data were collected for 40 R-Sch and 40 Non-R-Sch patients, and the following
      scales were administered: the Clinical Global Impression-Severity (CGI-S) Scale;
      Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS), World Health Organization Quality
      of Life Questionnaire-Short Form, Turkish Version (WHOQOL-BREF-TR), Quality of
      Life Scale for Schizophrenia Patients (QLS), and Global Assessment of Functioning
      Scale (GAF). RESULTS: The total and all subscale scores of PANSS and the CGI-S
      score were significantly lower in the R-Sch group than in the Non-R-Sch group,
      whereas the GAF scores and all subscales of QLS and WHOQOL-BREF-TR were
      significantly higher. CONCLUSION: This study demonstrates that improvement in
      symptoms in schizophrenia patients improves quality and functionality in all
      areas of life, suggesting that an improvement in symptoms is the most important
      determinant of functional recovery in the treatment of schizophrenia.

PMID- 28360808
TI  - Ischemic Stroke in the Elderly: Septuagenarians Versus Octogenarians.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: Stroke prevalence is known to increase with age. Approximately 50%
      of acute ischemic stroke patients are aged between 70 and 89 years. METHODS: In
      this study, records of 770 ischemic stroke patients who were 70-89 years old were
      retrospectively examined (407 septuagenarians and 363 octogenarians). The
      demographics, comorbid conditions, ischemic stroke type, and stroke outcome for
      the two age groups were analyzed. RESULTS: Comorbid hypertension, diabetes
      mellitus, and HbA1c levels of >=6.5% more frequently occurred in septuagenarians
      than in octogenarians (80.6% versus 70.8%, p=0.002; 32.2% versus 21.8%, p=0.001;
      and 35% versus 23.2%, p=0.003, respectively), whereas atrial fibrillation was
      significantly higher in octogenarians (49.3% versus 41.5%, p=0.03).
      Hypercholesterolemia, previous stroke history, and antiaggregant and/or
      anticoagulant use were not significantly different between the two age groups.
      Based on the Oxfordshire Community Stroke Project classification, the most common
      stroke subtype in the septuagenarian group was a lacunar infarction and in the
      octogenarian group, it was a partial anterior circulation infarct. According to
      the Modified Ranking Score, the number of patients living independently was
      higher for septuagenarians (42.8% versus 27.8%, p<0.001). CONCLUSION: The present
      findings indicate that the clinical characteristics of ischemic stroke differed
      between septuagenarians and octogenarians. Therefore, elderly stroke patients
      cannot be accepted as a homogeneous group. Because this is a hospital-based
      study, our findings need to be tested via additional epidemiological studies.

PMID- 28360809
TI  - Social Cognition in Schizophrenia Patients and Their First-Degree Relatives.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: Social cognition is a person's ability to configure the designs of
      relationships between themselves and others and to use these designs to guide
      social behaviors in a flexible manner. The models that are the most studied and
      describe social cognition are the theory of mind (ToM) and emotion recognition.
      This study was aimed to detect ToM and emotion recognition disorders in
      schizophrenia patients and their first-degree relatives. METHODS: Thirty
      schizophrenia patients in remission, the first-degree relatives of schizophrenia
      patients (n=30), and 30 healthy volunteers who were paired with the patients in
      terms of age and duration of education were included in the study. The Positive
      and Negative Symptom Scale (PANSS), Dokuz-Eylul Theory of Mind Scale (DEToMS),
      Reading the Mind in the Eyes test, Facial Emotion Identification Test (FEIT), and
      Facial Emotion Discrimination Test (FEDT) were performed by the patients
      participating in this study. RESULTS: ToM and emotion recognition were found to
      be defective in the schizophrenia patients and their relatives. The performances
      of ToM and emotion recognition were ranked as the schizophrenia group, family
      group, and control group, from the worst to the best. The schizophrenia group
      showed poor performance in all sub-components except irony. In the family group,
      the empathy subcomponent showed similar performance with the control group,
      whereas the subcomponents of the second-order false belief, metaphor, and faux
      pas tests showed similar performance with the patient group. There were
      differences among the three groups in the first-order false belief subscale as
      well as the total DEToMS. The patient and family groups showed the poorest
      performances, whereas the control group showed the best performance. CONCLUSION:
      The detection of ToM and emotion recognition disorders in the remission period,
      regardless of the attack period and asymptomatic first-degree relatives, may
      support the view that the period of schizophrenia is an independent continuous
      variable.

PMID- 28360810
TI  - Brain Infiltration of Immune Cells in CASPR2-Antibody Associated Mesial Temporal
      Lobe Epilepsy with Hippocampal Sclerosis.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: Antibodies directed against neuronal surface antigens have recently
      been identified in patients with focal temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE) of unknown
      cause and mesial TLE with hippocampal sclerosis (MTLE-HS), thereby emphasizing
      the role of autoimmunity in TLE. Antibodies to contactin-associated protein-like
      2 (CASPR2) are prevalent in MTLE-HS patients. We aimed to find out whether anti
      neuronal autoimmunity might be involved in CASPR2 antibody-related MTLE-HS.
      METHODS: Surgically resected medial temporal lobe specimens of seropositive and
      seronegative MTLE-HS patients were examined with hematoxylin and eosin and
      immunohistochemical staining using specific immune cell markers. RESULTS: Two of
      5 CASPR2 antibody-positive MTLE-HS patients showed polymorphonuclear and
      mononuclear cells infiltrating the subarachnoidal region. One of these patients
      also showed mononuclear cell infiltration in the parenchyma of the temporal lobe
      cortex. Subarachnoidal and parenchymal infiltrates contained CD3+, CD8+, and
      CD68+ cells. None of the 13 seronegative MTLE-HS patients displayed cellular
      infiltrates in their brain samples, and all MTLE-HS patients showed marked
      neuronal cell loss but no immune cell infiltration in their hippocampi.
      CONCLUSION: Our results show that CASPR2 antibody-associated MTLE-HS can present
      with central nervous system inflammation; thus, this subtype of MTLE-HS might
      have an autoimmune origin.

PMID- 28360812
TI  - Serum Prolactin Levels in Multiple Sclerosis, Neuromyelitis Optica, and
      Clinically Isolated Syndrome Patients.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: Prolactin has been discussed as a factor likely to play a mediating
      role in multiple sclerosis (MS). Our aim was to investigate the possible
      association between prolactin production and clinical features of autoimmune
      demyelinating central nervous system disorders. METHODS: Serum prolactin levels
      of 255 MS patients, 19 neuromyelitis optica (NMO) patients, 15 clinically
      isolated syndrome (CIS) patients, and 240 healthy controls were measured by a
      heterogeneous sandwich magnetic separation assay. RESULTS: MS and NMO cohorts had
      a significantly higher number of patients with hyperprolactinemia than healthy
      controls. Sera obtained during attacks of both MS and NMO patients displayed
      higher prolactin levels than those collected during remission. Prolactin level
      elevations were found to be more prominent in myelitis attacks in MS. No
      significant correlation was found between prolactin levels and age, disease
      duration, disability status, number of attacks, and oligoclonal band positivity.
      CIS patients who converted to MS had higher prolactin levels than those who did
      not. CONCLUSION: Our findings support the possible mediating role of prolactin in
      the immunopathogenesis of MS, NMO, and conversion from CIS to MS.

PMID- 28360811
TI  - Evaluation of the Relationship between Brain-Derived Neurotropic Factor Levels
      and the Stroop Interference Effect in Children with Attention-Deficit
      Hyperactivity Disorder.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: Brain-derived neurotropic factor (BDNF) has been suggested to play
      a role in the pathogenesis of attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). In
      addition, impairment in executive functions has been reported in children with
      ADHD. This study investigated the presence of a relationship between Stroop test
      scores and BDNF levels in children with ADHD. METHODS: The study was conducted in
      the Department of Child Psychiatry at Dicle University. The study included 49
      children between 6 and 15 years of age (M/F: 42/7), who were diagnosed with ADHD
      according to DSM-IV, and who did not receive previous therapy. Similar in terms
      of age and gender to the ADHD group, 40 children were selected in the control
      group. The Kiddie Schedule for Affective Disorders and Schizophrenia, Present and
      Lifetime version was administered to all participants. Parents and teachers were
      administered Turgay DSM-IV-based Child and Adolescent Behavior Disorders
      Screening and Rating Scale to measure symptom severity in children with ADHD.
      Children with ADHD underwent the Stroop test. BDNF levels were evaluated in serum
      by ELISA. RESULTS: The ADHD and control groups did not differ in terms of BDNF
      levels. BDNF levels did not differ between ADHD subtypes. There was also no
      relationship between the Stroop test interference scores and BDNF levels.
      CONCLUSION: The findings of the present study are in line with those in studies
      that demonstrated no significant role of BDNF in the pathogenesis of ADHD.

PMID- 28360814
TI  - Long-acting Injectable Risperidone Use in an 11-Years-Old Bipolar Child.
AB  - Early-onset bipolar disorder is difficult for child psychiatrists in terms of
      both diagnosis and treatment. The proper diagnostic evaluation is negatively
      impacted by the atypical clinical manifestation and rapid cycling pattern of the
      disease, together with common comorbidity with attention-deficit hyperactivity
      disorder and anxiety disorder. In addition to poor insight, nonadherence to
      treatment, poor family coping skills, and insufficient child psychiatric
      inpatient units make clinicians unsuccessful in following up and treating such
      patients. Risperidone is a commonly used atypical antipsychotic it has been
      approved for the treatment of manic and mixed episodes of bipolar disorder even
      in 10-17-year-old patients, and it is commonly used. It has a long-acting
      injectable formulation. Studies on its long-acting form in younger children are
      limited. In this case presentation, the diagnostic procedure in an 11-year old
      child with bipolar disorder will be presented. Long-acting injectable risperidone
      use in the case of nonadherence to treatment and observed side effects will be
      discussed.

PMID- 28360813
TI  - Effect of 72 h of Sleep Deprivation on the Iowa Gambling Task.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: Sleep deprivation has detrimental effects on cognitive processes,
      including decision making. The present study investigated how 72 h of sleep
      deprivation influenced individual neural performance in the Iowa gambling task
      using event-related potential technology. METHODS: Eleven healthy male adults who
      participated in our study were randomized to be either in group with 72 h of
      social isolation condition or 72 h of sleep deprivation condition. RESULTS:
      Results showed that, in the feedback stage, the N250-400 amplitude was smaller in
      post-test than in pre-test for the sleep deprivation condition, especially in the
      frontal cortex. No significant difference between the pre-test and post-test
      condition was found in the social isolation condition. CONCLUSION: These results
      suggested that 72 h of sleep deprivation affected an individual's response to
      feedback stimuli, causing the individual to evaluate the stimuli slowly.

PMID- 28360815
TI  - Epileptic Seizures with Mirthful Laughter.

PMID- 28360816
TI  - Relationship Between the Clinical and Biochemical Findings of Polycystic Ovary
      Syndrome and Depression and Anxiety.

PMID- 28360817
TI  - Carcinoid Tumor-Associated Paraneoplastic Polyneuropathy that Mimics Guillain
      Barre Syndrome.

PMID- 28360818
TI  - Geometric auxetics.
AB  - We formulate a mathematical theory of auxetic behaviour based on one-parameter
      deformations of periodic frameworks. Our approach is purely geome- tric, relies
      on the evolution of the periodicity lattice and works in any dimension. We
      demonstrate its usefulness by predicting or recognizing, without experiment,
      computer simulations or numerical approximations, the auxetic capabilities of
      several well-known structures available in the literature. We propose new
      principles of auxetic design and rely on the stronger notion of expansive
      behaviour to provide an infinite supply of planar auxetic mechanisms and several
      new three-dimensional structures.

PMID- 28360819
TI  - Surface-initiated ring-opening metathesis polymerization (SI-ROMP) to attach a
      tethered organic corona onto CdSe/ZnS core/shell quantum dots.
AB  - Core-shell CdSe/ZnS quantum dots (QDs) are useful as tunable photostable
      fluorophores for multiple applications in industry, biology, and medicine.
      However, to achieve the optimum optical properties, the surface of the QDs must
      be passivated to remove charged sites that might bind extraneous substances and
      allow aggregation. Here we describe a method of growing an organic polymer corona
      onto the QD surface using the bottom-up approach of surface-initiated ring
      opening metathesis polymerization (SI-ROMP) with Grubbs catalyst. CdSe/ZnS QDs
      were first coated with mercaptopropionic acid by displacing the original
      trioctylphosphine oxide layer, and then reacted with 7-octenyl dimethyl
      chlorosilane. The resulting octenyl double bonds allowed the attachment of
      ruthenium alkylidene groups as a catalyst. A subsequent metathesis reaction with
      strained bicyclic monomers (norbornene-dicarbonyl chloride (NDC), and a mixture
      of NDC and norbornenylethylisobutyl-polyhedral oligomeric silsesquioxane
      (norbornoPOSS)) allowed the construction of tethered organic homo-polymer or co
      polymer layers onto the QD. Compounds were characterized by FT-IR, 1H-NMR, X-ray
      photoelectron spectroscopy, differential scanning calorimetry, and transmission
      electron microscopy. Atomic force microscopy showed that the coated QDs were
      separate and non-aggregated with a range of diameter of 48-53 nm.

PMID- 28360820
TI  - The effect of tetrandrine combined with cisplatin on proliferation and apoptosis
      of A549/DDP cells and A549 cells.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Non-small cell lung cancer comprises the majority of lung cancer
      cases and is insensitive to chemotherapy. Most patients develop drug resistance.
      Recently, tetrandrine (TET), a bis-benzylisoquinoline alkaloid, was identified as
      a novel anti-cancer agent. However, the effect of tetrandrine combined with
      cisplatin on lung cancer has not yet been studied. We aimed to identify a
      possible synergistic effect between tetrandrine and cisplatin, besides, to
      investigate the effects of TET in combination with DDP on proliferation and
      apoptosis in cisplatin-resistant and cisplatin-sensitive A549 cell lines, and to
      study the underlying mechanism. METHODS: Cell viability was confirmed with CCK8
      assays, and the IC50 values for each treatment group were calculated. The
      synergistic interaction of these drugs was evaluated using an isobolographic
      analysis. Proliferation was assessed by EDU staining. Hoechst staining and flow
      cytometry were used to assess apoptosis. Apoptosis- and autophagy-associated
      proteins were analyzed by western blot. Transmission electron microscopy was used
      to detect autophagy, RFP-GFP-LC3 lentivirus was used to perform autophagic flux
      assay. RESULTS: Tetrandrine and cisplatin exerted synergistic cytotoxic effects
      on both cisplatin-resistant and cisplatin-sensitive A549 cell lines. The
      combination of tetrandrine and cisplatin induced apoptosis and inhibited
      proliferation in a synergistic manner. The formation of autophagosomes was
      evident by transmission electron microscopy. The autophagic flux of combination
      treatment was increased. CONCLUSIONS: Tetrandrine synergized with cisplatin to
      reduce the viability of cisplatin-resistant and cisplatin-sensitive A549 cells,
      tetrandrine could reverse the resistance of A549 cells to cisplatin. Tetrandrine
      combined with cisplatin could induce autophagy. Therefore, tetrandrine is a
      potent autophagy agonist and may be a promising drug for the treatment of non
      small cell lung cancer.

PMID- 28360821
TI  - Combined EphB2 receptor knockdown with radiation decreases cell viability and
      invasion in medulloblastoma.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Medulloblastoma is one of the most common types of pediatric brain
      tumor characterized by the subpopulation of cells that exhibit high invasive
      potential and radioresistant properties. In addition, dysregulated function and
      signaling by Eph family of receptors have been shown to impart pro-tumorigenic
      characteristics in this brain malignancy. In the current study, we investigated
      whether EphB2 knockdown in combination with radiation can alter invasiveness and
      decrease medulloblastoma tumor growth or viability in vitro. METHODS: The
      expression of EphB2 receptor was analyzed by immunohistochemistry and Western
      blotting. Microarray analysis and mRNA analysis was performed on medulloblastoma
      patient datasets and compared to the normal cerebellum. The radiosensitization
      effect following EphB2 knockdown was determined by clonogenic assay in human
      medulloblastoma cells. Effects of EphB2-siRNA in absence or presence of radiation
      on cell cycle distribution, cell viability, and invasion were analyzed by flow
      cytometry, MTT assay, trypan blue exclusion assay, xcelligence system, and
      Western blotting. RESULTS: We observed that EphB2 is expressed in both
      medulloblastoma cell lines and patient samples and its downregulation sensitized
      these cells to radiation as evident by decreased clonogenic survival fractions.
      EphB2 expression was also high across different medulloblastoma subgroups
      compared to normal cerebellum. The radiosensitization effect observed following
      EphB2 knockdown was in part mediated by enhanced G2/M cell cycle arrest. We also
      found that the combined approach of EphB2 knockdown and radiation exposure
      significantly reduced overall cell viability in medulloblastoma cells compared to
      control groups. Similar results were obtained in the xcelligence-based invasion
      assay. Western blot analysis also demonstrated changes in the protein expression
      of cell proliferation, cell survival, and invasion molecules in the combination
      group versus others. CONCLUSIONS: Overall, our findings indicate that specific
      targeting of EphB2 receptor in combination with radiation may serve as an
      effective therapeutic strategy in medulloblastoma. Future studies are warranted
      to test the efficacy of this approach in in vivo preclinical models.

PMID- 28360822
TI  - Impact of blood hypercoagulability on in vitro fertilization outcomes: a
      prospective longitudinal observational study.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Blood coagulation plays a crucial role in the blastocyst implantation
      process and its alteration may be related to in vitro fertilization (IVF)
      failure. We conducted a prospective observational longitudinal study in women
      eligible for IVF to explore the association between alterations of coagulation
      with the IVF outcome and to identify the biomarkers of hypercoagulability which
      are related with this outcome. METHODS: Thirty-eight women eligible for IVF (IVF
      group) and 30 healthy, age-matched women (control group) were included. In the
      IVF-group, blood was collected at baseline, 5-8 days after administration of
      gonadotropin-releasing hormone agonist (GnRH), before and two weeks after
      administration of human follicular stimulating hormone (FSH). Pregnancy was
      monitored by measurement of betaHCG performed 15 days after embryo transfer.
      Thrombin generation (TG), minimal tissue factor-triggered whole blood
      thromboelastometry (ROTEM(r)), procoagulant phospholipid clotting time (Procoag
      PPL(r)), thrombomodulin (TMa), tissue factor activity (TFa), factor VIII (FVIII),
      factor von Willebrand (FvW), D-Dimers and fibrinogen were assessed at each time
      point. RESULTS: Positive IVF occurred in 15 women (40%). At baseline, the IVF
      group showed significantly increased TG, TFa and TMa and significantly shorter
      Procoag-PPL versus the control group. After initiation of hormone treatment TG
      was significantly higher in the IVF-positive as compared to the IVF-negative
      group. At all studied points, the Procoag-PPL was significantly shorter and the
      levels of TFa were significantly higher in the IVF-negative group compared to the
      IVF-positive one. The D-Dimers were higher in the IVF negative as compared to IVF
      positive group. Multivariate analysis retained the Procoag-PPL and TG as
      predictors for the IVF outcome. CONCLUSIONS: Diagnosis of women with
      hypercoagulability and their stratification to risk of IVF failure using a model
      based on the Procoag-PPL and TG is a feasible strategy for the optimization of
      IVF efficiency that needs to be validated in prospective trials.

PMID- 28360824
TI  - Interrelations Between Maternal Smoking During Pregnancy, Birth Weight and
      Sociodemographic Factors in the Prediction of Early Cognitive Abilities.
AB  - Maternal prenatal smoking, birth weight and sociodemographic factors were
      investigated in relation to cognitive abilities of 1544 children (aged 3.5 years)
      participating in the Quebec Longitudinal Study of Children's Development. The
      Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test (PPVT) was used to assess verbal ability, the
      Wechsler Preschool and Primary Scale of Intelligence-Revised (WPPSI-R) block
      design test to assess visuospatial ability, and the Visually Cued Recall (VCR)
      task to assess short-term memory. Prenatal smoking was related to performance on
      the WPPSI-R, the PPVT, and the VCR, although it did not independently predict any
      cognitive ability after maternal education was taken into account. Birth weight
      was a more robust predictor of all outcome measures and independently predicted
      VCR-performance. Birth weight interacted significantly with family income and
      maternal education in predicting visuospatial ability, indicating a greater
      influence of birth weight under relatively poor socio-economic conditions.
      Parenting and family functioning mediated associations between maternal
      education/family income and cognitive task performance under different birth
      weight conditions, although there were indications for stronger effects under
      relatively low birth weight. We conclude that investigations of moderating and
      mediating effects can provide insights into which children are most at risk of
      cognitive impairment and might benefit most from interventions.

PMID- 28360825
TI  - Ingestion of oxygenated water enhances lactate clearance kinetics in trained
      runners.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Drinks with higher dissolved oxygen concentrations have in recent
      times gained popularity as a potential ergogenic aid, despite a lack of evidence
      regarding their efficacy. The aim of this study was to assess effects of
      ingestion of an oxygen supplement (OS) on exercise performance and post-exercise
      recovery in a group of trained runners. METHODS: Trained male runners (n = 25,
      mean +/- SD; age 23 +/- 6 years, mass 70 +/- 9 kg, BMI 21.9 +/- 2.7 kg.m-2 VO2max
      64 +/- 6mL.kg-1.min-1), completed a randomised double blinded, crossover study to
      assess the effect of ingestion of OS solution on exercise performance and
      recovery. Trials consisted of a 30min rest period, 5min warm-up, a 5000m
      treadmill time-trial, and a 30min passive recovery. Participants ingested 6x15mL
      of either OS or a taste matched placebo during the trials (3 during the rest
      phase, 1 during exercise and 2 during the recovery). Muscle tissue O2 saturation
      was measured via near infrared spectroscopy. Blood lactate concentrations were
      measured prior to, mid-way and directly after the finish of the 5000m time trials
      and every 3-min during the post-exercise recovery. RESULTS: Ingestion of OS did
      not improve exercise performance. No significant differences were observed for
      muscle tissue O2 saturation at any time-points. However, lactate clearance was
      significantly improved during recovery in the OS trials. Both AUC (109 +/- 32 vs.
      123 +/- 38 mmol.min, P < 0.05, d = 0.40) and lactate half-life (lambda) (1127 +/-
      272 vs. 1223 +/- 334 s, P < 0.05, d = 0.32) were significantly reduced.
      CONCLUSIONS: Despite no evidence of improved exercise performance, ingestion of
      OS did enhance post-exercise recovery via increased lactate clearance.

PMID- 28360826
TI  - Glycated lysine-141 in haptoglobin improves the diagnostic accuracy for type 2
      diabetes mellitus in combination with glycated hemoglobin HbA1c and fasting
      plasma glucose.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Recent epidemiological studies indicate that only 30-50% of
      undiagnosed type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) patients are identified using
      glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c) and elevated fasting plasma glucose (FPG) levels.
      Thus, novel biomarkers for early diagnosis and prognosis are urgently needed for
      providing early and personalized treatment. METHODS: Here, we studied the
      glycation degrees of 27 glycation sites representing nine plasma proteins in 48
      newly diagnosed male T2DM patients and 48 non-diabetic men matched for age (range
      35-65 years). Samples were digested with trypsin and enriched for glycated
      peptides using boronic acid affinity chromatography. Quantification relied on
      mass spectrometry (multiple reaction monitoring) using isotope-labelled peptides
      as internal standard. RESULTS: The combination of glycated lysine-141 of
      haptoglobin (HP K141) and HbA1c provided a sensitivity of 94%, a specificity of
      98%, and an accuracy of 96% to identify T2DM. A set of 15 features considering
      three glycation sites in human serum albumin, HP K141, and 11 routine laboratory
      measures of T2DM, metabolic syndrome, obesity, inflammation, and insulin
      resistance provided a sensitivity of 98%, a specificity of 100%, and an accuracy
      of 99% for newly diagnosed T2DM patients. CONCLUSIONS: Our studies demonstrated
      the great potential of glycation sites in plasma proteins providing an additional
      diagnostic tool for T2DM and elucidating that the combination of these sites with
      HbA1c and FPG could improve the diagnosis of T2DM.

PMID- 28360827
TI  - Property-Guided Synthesis of Aza-Tricyclic Indolines: Development of Gold
      Catalysis En Route.
AB  - Antibiotic resistance is a worldwide public health threat that needs to be
      addressed by improved antibiotic stewardship and continuing development of new
      chemical entities to treat resistant bacterial infections. Compounds that work
      alongside known antibiotics as combination therapies offer an efficient and
      sustainable approach to counteract antibiotic resistance in bacteria. Guided by
      property-based analysis, a series of aza-tricyclic indolines (ATIs) were
      synthesized to optimize their physiochemical properties as novel combination
      therapies with beta-lactams to treat methicillin-resistant S. aureus (MRSA)
      infections. A novel and highly efficient gold-catalyzed tandem cyclization was
      developed to facilitate the synthesis of these ATIs. One guanidine-containing ATI
      was discovered to possess both improved anti-MRSA activity and lower mammalian
      toxicity both in vitro and in vivo. In addition, it also showed significantly
      enhanced aqueous solubility and metabolic stability. These results indicated that
      the ATIs are a novel class of anti-MRSA agents suitable for further evaluations
      as adjuvant therapy in animal model studies.

PMID- 28360828
TI  - Economic evaluation of an exercise-counselling intervention to enhance smoking
      cessation outcomes: The Fit2Quit trial.
AB  - BACKGROUND: In the Fit2Quit randomised controlled trial, insufficiently-active
      adult cigarette smokers who contacted Quitline for support to quit smoking were
      randomised to usual Quitline support or to also receive <=10 face-to-face and
      telephone exercise-support sessions delivered by trained exercise facilitators
      over the 24-week trial. This paper aims to determine the cost-effectiveness of an
      exercise-counselling intervention added to Quitline compared to Quitline alone in
      the Fit2Quit trial. METHODS: Within-trial and lifetime cost-effectiveness were
      assessed. A published Markov model was adapted, with smokers facing increased
      risks of lung cancer and cardiovascular disease. RESULTS: Over 24 weeks, the
      incremental programme cost per participant in the intervention was NZ$428 (US$289
      or ?226; purchasing power parity-adjusted [PPP]). The incremental cost
      effectiveness ratio (ICER) for seven-day point prevalence measured at 24-week
      follow-up was NZ$31,733 (US$21,432 or ?16,737 PPP-adjusted) per smoker
      abstaining. However, for the 52% who adhered to the intervention (>=7 contacts),
      the ICER for point prevalence was NZ$3,991 (US$2,695 or ?2,105 PPP-adjusted). In
      this adherent subgroup, the Markov model estimated 0.057 and 0.068 discounted
      quality-adjusted life-year gains over the lifetime of 40-year-old males (ICER:
      NZ$4,431; US$2,993 or ?2,337 PPP-adjusted) and females (ICER: NZ$2,909; US$1,965
      or ?1,534 PPP-adjusted). CONCLUSIONS: The exercise-counselling intervention will
      only be cost-effective if adherence is a minimum of >=7 intervention calls, which
      in turn leads to a sufficient number of quitters for health gains. TRIAL
      REGISTRATION: Australasian Clinical Trials Registry Number ACTRN12609000637246.

PMID- 28360829
TI  - Activation and Functional Connectivity of the Left Inferior Temporal Gyrus during
      Visual Speech Priming in Healthy Listeners and Listeners with Schizophrenia.
AB  - Under a "cocktail-party" listening condition with multiple-people talking,
      compared to healthy people, people with schizophrenia benefit less from the use
      of visual-speech (lipreading) priming (VSP) cues to improve speech recognition.
      The neural mechanisms underlying the unmasking effect of VSP remain unknown. This
      study investigated the brain substrates underlying the unmasking effect of VSP in
      healthy listeners and the schizophrenia-induced changes in the brain substrates.
      Using functional magnetic resonance imaging, brain activation and functional
      connectivity for the contrasts of the VSP listening condition vs. the visual non
      speech priming (VNSP) condition were examined in 16 healthy listeners (27.4 +/-
      8.6 years old, 9 females and 7 males) and 22 listeners with schizophrenia (29.0
      +/- 8.1 years old, 8 females and 14 males). The results showed that in healthy
      listeners, but not listeners with schizophrenia, the VSP-induced activation
      (against the VNSP condition) of the left posterior inferior temporal gyrus (pITG)
      was significantly correlated with the VSP-induced improvement in target-speech
      recognition against speech masking. Compared to healthy listeners, listeners with
      schizophrenia showed significantly lower VSP-induced activation of the left pITG
      and reduced functional connectivity of the left pITG with the bilateral Rolandic
      operculum, bilateral STG, and left insular. Thus, the left pITG and its
      functional connectivity may be the brain substrates related to the unmasking
      effect of VSP, assumedly through enhancing both the processing of target visual
      speech signals and the inhibition of masking-speech signals. In people with
      schizophrenia, the reduced unmasking effect of VSP on speech recognition may be
      associated with a schizophrenia-related reduction of VSP-induced activation and
      functional connectivity of the left pITG.

PMID- 28360831
TI  - A 4-fJ/Spike Artificial Neuron in 65 nm CMOS Technology.
AB  - As Moore's law reaches its end, traditional computing technology based on the Von
      Neumann architecture is facing fundamental limits. Among them is poor energy
      efficiency. This situation motivates the investigation of different processing
      information paradigms, such as the use of spiking neural networks (SNNs), which
      also introduce cognitive characteristics. As applications at very high scale are
      addressed, the energy dissipation needs to be minimized. This effort starts from
      the neuron cell. In this context, this paper presents the design of an original
      artificial neuron, in standard 65 nm CMOS technology with optimized energy
      efficiency. The neuron circuit response is designed as an approximation of the
      Morris-Lecar theoretical model. In order to implement the non-linear gating
      variables, which control the ionic channel currents, transistors operating in
      deep subthreshold are employed. Two different circuit variants describing the
      neuron model equations have been developed. The first one features spike
      characteristics, which correlate well with a biological neuron model. The second
      one is a simplification of the first, designed to exhibit higher spiking
      frequencies, targeting large scale bio-inspired information processing
      applications. The most important feature of the fabricated circuits is the energy
      efficiency of a few femtojoules per spike, which improves prior state-of-the-art
      by two to three orders of magnitude. This performance is achieved by minimizing
      two key parameters: the supply voltage and the related membrane capacitance.
      Meanwhile, the obtained standby power at a resting output does not exceed tens of
      picowatts. The two variants were sized to 200 and 35 MUm2 with the latter
      reaching a spiking output frequency of 26 kHz. This performance level could
      address various contexts, such as highly integrated neuro-processors for
      robotics, neuroscience or medical applications.

PMID- 28360830
TI  - Transthyretin and BRICHOS: The Paradox of Amyloidogenic Proteins with Anti
      Amyloidogenic Activity for Abeta in the Central Nervous System.
AB  - Amyloid fibrils are physiologically insoluble biophysically specific beta-sheet
      rich structures formed by the aggregation of misfolded proteins. In vivo tissue
      amyloid formation is responsible for more than 30 different disease states in
      humans and other mammals. One of these, Alzheimer's disease (AD), is the most
      common form of human dementia for which there is currently no definitive
      treatment. Amyloid fibril formation by the amyloid beta-peptide (Abeta) is
      considered to be an underlying cause of AD, and strategies designed to reduce
      Abeta production and/or its toxic effects are being extensively investigated in
      both laboratory and clinical settings. Transthyretin (TTR) and proteins
      containing a BRICHOS domain are etiologically associated with specific amyloid
      diseases in the CNS and other organs. Nonetheless, it has been observed that TTR
      and BRICHOS structures are efficient inhibitors of Abeta fibril formation and
      toxicity in vitro and in vivo, raising the possibility that some amyloidogenic
      proteins, or their precursors, possess properties that may be harnessed for
      combating AD and other amyloidoses. Herein, we review properties of TTR and the
      BRICHOS domain and discuss how their abilities to interfere with amyloid
      formation may be employed in the development of novel treatments for AD.

PMID- 28360832
TI  - A Life without Hunger: The Ups (and Downs) to Modulating Melanocortin-3 Receptor
      Signaling.
AB  - Melanocortin neurons conserve body mass in hyper- or hypo-caloric conditions by
      conveying signals from nutrient sensors into areas of the brain governing
      appetite and metabolism. In mice, melanocortin-3 receptor (MC3R) deletion alters
      nutrient partitioning independently of hyperphagia, promoting accumulation of fat
      over muscle mass. Enhanced rhythms in insulin and insulin-responsive metabolic
      genes during hypocaloric feeding suggest partial insulin resistance and enhanced
      lipogenesis. However, exactly where and how MC3Rs affect metabolic control to
      alter nutrient partitioning is not known. The behavioral phenotypes exhibited by
      MC3R-deficient mice suggest a contextual role in appetite control. The impact of
      MC3R-deficiency on feeding behavior when food is freely available is minor.
      However, homeostatic responses to hypocaloric conditioning involving increased
      expression of appetite-stimulating (orexigenic) neuropeptides, binge-feeding,
      food anticipatory activity (FAA), entrainment to nutrient availability and
      enhanced feeding-related motivational responses are compromised with MC3R
      deficiency. Rescuing Mc3r transcription in hypothalamic and limbic neurons
      improves appetitive responses during hypocaloric conditioning while having minor
      effects on nutrient partitioning, suggesting orexigenic functions. Rescuing
      hypothalamic MC3Rs also restores responses of fasting-responsive hypothalamic
      orexigenic neurons in hypocaloric conditions, suggesting actions that sensitize
      fasting-responsive neurons to signals from nutrient sensors. MC3R signaling in
      ventromedial hypothalamic SF1(+ve) neurons improves metabolic control, but does
      not restore appetitive responses or nutrient partitioning. In summary,
      desensitization of fasting-responsive orexigenic neurons may underlie attenuated
      appetitive responses of MC3R-deficient mice in hypocaloric situations. Further
      studies are needed to identify the specific location(s) of MC3Rs controlling
      appetitive responses and partitioning of nutrients between fat and lean tissues.

PMID- 28360833
TI  - Efficient Binding of the NOS1AP C-Terminus to the nNOS PDZ Pocket Requires the
      Concerted Action of the PDZ Ligand Motif, the Internal ExF Site and Structural
      Integrity of an Independent Element.
AB  - Neuronal nitric oxide synthase is widely regarded as an important contributor to
      a number of disorders of excitable tissues. Recently the adaptor protein NOS1AP
      has emerged as a contributor to several nNOS-linked conditions. As a consequence,
      the unexpectedly complex mechanisms of interaction between nNOS and its effector
      NOS1AP have become a particularly interesting topic from the point of view of
      both basic research and the potential for therapeutic applications. Here we
      demonstrate that the concerted action of two previously described motif regions
      contributing to the interaction of nNOS with NOS1AP, the ExF region and the PDZ
      ligand motif, efficiently excludes an alternate ligand from the nNOS-PDZ ligand
      binding pocket. Moreover, we identify an additional element with a denaturable
      structure that contributes to interaction of NOS1AP with nNOS. Denaturation does
      not affect the functions of the individual motifs and results in a relatively
      mild drop, ~3-fold, of overall binding affinity of the C-terminal region of
      NOS1AP for nNOS. However, denaturation selectively prevents the concerted action
      of the two motifs that normally results in efficient occlusion of the PDZ ligand
      binding pocket, and results in 30-fold reduction of competition between NOS1AP
      and an alternate PDZ ligand.

PMID- 28360834
TI  - An Aberrant Phosphorylation of Amyloid Precursor Protein Tyrosine Regulates Its
      Trafficking and the Binding to the Clathrin Endocytic Complex in Neural Stem
      Cells of Alzheimer's Disease Patients.
AB  - Alzheimer's disease (AD) is the most common cause of dementia and is likely
      caused by defective amyloid precursor protein (APP) trafficking and processing in
      neurons leading to amyloid plaques containing the amyloid-beta (Abeta) APP
      peptide byproducts. Understanding how APP is targeted to selected destinations
      inside neurons and identifying the mechanisms responsible for the generation of
      Abeta are thus the keys for the advancement of new therapies. We previously
      developed a mouse model with a mutation at tyrosine (Tyr) 682 in the C-terminus
      of APP. This residue is needed for APP to bind to the coating protein Clathrin
      and to the Clathrin adaptor protein AP2 as well as for the correct APP
      trafficking and sorting in neurons. By extending these findings to humans, we
      found that APP binding to Clathrin is decreased in neural stem cells from AD
      sufferers. Increased APP Tyr phosphorylation alters APP trafficking in AD neurons
      and it is associated to Fyn Tyr kinase activation. We show that compounds
      affecting Tyr kinase activity and counteracting defects in AD neurons can control
      APP location and compartmentalization. APP Tyr phosphorylation is thus a
      potential therapeutic target for AD.

PMID- 28360835
TI  - Hemifusion in Synaptic Vesicle Cycle.
AB  - In the neuron, early neurotransmitters are released through the fusion pore prior
      to the complete vesicle fusion. It has been thought that the fusion pore is a gap
      junction-like structure made of transmembrane domains (TMDs) of soluble N
      ethylmaleimide-sensitive-factor attachment protein receptor (SNARE) proteins.
      However, evidence has accumulated that lipid mixing occurs prior to the
      neurotransmitter release through the fusion pore lined predominantly with lipids.
      To explain these observations, the hemifusion, a membrane structure in which two
      bilayers are partially merged, has emerged as a key step preceding the formation
      of the fusion pore. Furthermore, the hemifusion appears to be the bona fide
      intermediate step not only for the synaptic vesicle cycle, but for a wide range
      of membrane remodeling processes, such as viral membrane fusion and endocytotic
      membrane fission.

PMID- 28360836
TI  - Genetic Tracing of Cav3.2 T-Type Calcium Channel Expression in the Peripheral
      Nervous System.
AB  - Characterizing the distinct functions of the T-type ion channel subunits Cav3.1,
      3.2 or 3.3 has proven difficult due to their highly conserved amino-acid
      sequences and the lack of pharmacological blockers specific for each subunit. To
      precisely determine the expression pattern of the Cav3.2 channel in the nervous
      system we generated two knock-in mouse strains that express EGFP or Cre
      recombinase under the control of the Cav3.2 gene promoter. We show that in the
      brains of these animals, the Cav3.2 channel is predominantly expressed in the
      dentate gyrus of the hippocampus. In the peripheral nervous system, the
      activation of the promoter starts at E9.5 in neural crest cells that will give
      rise to dorsal root ganglia (DRG) neurons, but not sympathetic neurons. As
      development progresses the number of DRG cells expressing the Cav3.2 channel
      reaches around 7% of the DRG at E16.5, and remains constant until E18.5.
      Characterization of sensory neuron subpopulations at E18.5 showed that EGFP+
      cells are a heterogeneous population consisting mainly of TrkB+ and TrkC+ cells,
      while only a small percentage of DRG cells were TrkA+. Genetic tracing of the
      sensory nerve end-organ innervation of the skin showed that the activity of the
      Cav3.2 channel promoter in sensory progenitors marks many mechanoreceptor and
      nociceptor endings, but spares slowly adapting mechanoreceptors with endings
      associated with Merkel cells. Our genetic analysis reveals for the first time
      that progenitors that express the Cav3.2 T-type calcium channel, defines a
      sensory specific lineage that populates a large proportion of the DRG. Using our
      Cav3.2-Cre mice together with AAV viruses containing a conditional fluorescent
      reporter (tdTomato) we could also show that Cre expression is largely restricted
      to two functionally distinct sensory neuron types in the adult ganglia. Cav3.2
      positive neurons innervating the skin were found to only form lanceolate endings
      on hair follicles and are probably identical to D-hair receptors. A second
      population of nociceptive sensory neurons expressing the Cav3.2 gene was found to
      be positive for the calcitonin-gene related peptide but these neurons are deep
      tissue nociceptors that do not innervate the skin.

PMID- 28360837
TI  - New Insights into the Crosstalk between NMDARs and Iron: Implications for
      Understanding Pathology of Neurological Diseases.
AB  - Both iron dyshomeostasis and N-methyl-D-aspartate receptors (NMDARs)-mediated
      neurotoxicity have been shown to have an important role in neurological diseases
      such as Parkinson's disease (PD) and Alzheimer's disease (AD). Evidence proved
      that activation of NMDARs could promote iron overload and iron-induced
      neurotoxicity by enhancing iron importer divalent metal transporter 1 (DMT1)
      mediated iron uptake and iron releasing from lysosome. Also, iron overload could
      regulate NMDARs-mediated synaptic transmission. This indicates that there might
      be a possible relationship between iron and activation of NMDARs in neurological
      diseases. Understanding this interaction between iron and activation of NMDARs
      may provide new therapeutic avenues for a more targeted neurotherapeutic strategy
      for these diseases. Therefore, in this review article, we will describe the
      dysfunction of iron metabolism and NMDARs in neurological diseases including PD
      and AD, and summarize the new insight into the mechanisms underlying the
      interaction between iron and activation of NMDARs.

PMID- 28360838
TI  - Planar Supported Membranes with Mobile SNARE Proteins and Quantitative
      Fluorescence Microscopy Assays to Study Synaptic Vesicle Fusion.
AB  - Synaptic vesicle membrane fusion, the process by which neurotransmitter gets
      released at the presynaptic membrane is mediated by a complex interplay between
      proteins and lipids. The realization that the lipid bilayer is not just a passive
      environment where other molecular players like SNARE proteins act, but is itself
      actively involved in the process, makes the development of biochemical and
      biophysical assays particularly challenging. We summarize in vitro assays that
      use planar supported membranes and fluorescence microscopy to address some of the
      open questions regarding the molecular mechanisms of SNARE-mediated membrane
      fusion. Most of the assays discussed in this mini-review were developed in our
      lab over the last 15 years. We emphasize the sample requirements that we found
      are important for the successful application of these methods.

PMID- 28360839
TI  - Emerging Roles for Glycogen in the CNS.
AB  - The ability of glycogen, the depot into which excess glucose is stored in
      mammals, to act as a source of rapidly available energy substrate, has been
      exploited by several organs for both general and local advantage. The liver,
      expressing the highest concentration of glycogen maintains systemic normoglycemia
      ensuring the brain receives a supply of glucose in excess of demand. However the
      brain also contains glycogen, although its role is more specialized. Brain
      glycogen is located exclusively in astrocytes in the adult, with the exception of
      pathological conditions, thus in order to benefit neurons, and energy conduit
      (lactate) is trafficked inter-cellularly. Such a complex scheme requires cell
      type specific expression of a variety of metabolic enzymes and transporters.
      Glycogen supports neural elements during withdrawal of glucose, but once the
      limited buffer of glycogen is exhausted neural function fails and irreversible
      injury ensues. Under physiological conditions glycogen acts to provide
      supplemental substrates when ambient glucose is unable to support function during
      increased energy demand. Glycogen also supports learning and memory where it
      provides lactate to neurons during the conditioning phase of in vitro long-term
      potentiation (LTP), an experimental correlate of learning. Inhibiting the
      breakdown of glycogen or intercellular transport of lactate in in vivo rat models
      inhibits the retention of memory. Our current understanding of the importance of
      brain glycogen is expanding to encompass roles that are fundamental to higher
      brain function.

PMID- 28360841
TI  - Single Neuron Optimization as a Basis for Accurate Biophysical Modeling: The Case
      of Cerebellar Granule Cells.
AB  - In realistic neuronal modeling, once the ionic channel complement has been
      defined, the maximum ionic conductance (Gi-max) values need to be tuned in order
      to match the firing pattern revealed by electrophysiological recordings.
      Recently, selection/mutation genetic algorithms have been proposed to efficiently
      and automatically tune these parameters. Nonetheless, since similar firing
      patterns can be achieved through different combinations of Gi-max values, it is
      not clear how well these algorithms approximate the corresponding properties of
      real cells. Here we have evaluated the issue by exploiting a unique opportunity
      offered by the cerebellar granule cell (GrC), which is electrotonically compact
      and has therefore allowed the direct experimental measurement of ionic currents.
      Previous models were constructed using empirical tuning of Gi-max values to match
      the original data set. Here, by using repetitive discharge patterns as a
      template, the optimization procedure yielded models that closely approximated the
      experimental Gi-max values. These models, in addition to repetitive firing,
      captured additional features, including inward rectification, near-threshold
      oscillations, and resonance, which were not used as features. Thus, parameter
      optimization using genetic algorithms provided an efficient modeling strategy for
      reconstructing the biophysical properties of neurons and for the subsequent
      reconstruction of large-scale neuronal network models.

PMID- 28360840
TI  - Impaired NGF/TrkA Signaling Causes Early AD-Linked Presynaptic Dysfunction in
      Cholinergic Primary Neurons.
AB  - Alterations in NGF/TrkA signaling have been suggested to underlie the selective
      degeneration of the cholinergic basal forebrain neurons occurring in vivo in AD
      (Counts and Mufson, 2005; Mufson et al., 2008; Niewiadomska et al., 2011) and
      significant reduction of cognitive decline along with an improvement of
      cholinergic hypofunction have been found in phase I clinical trial in humans
      affected from mild AD following therapeutic NGF gene therapy (Tuszynski et al.,
      2005, 2015). Here, we show that the chronic (10-12 D.I.V.) in vitro treatment
      with NGF (100 ng/ml) under conditions of low supplementation (0.2%) with the
      culturing serum-substitute B27 selectively enriches the basal forebrain
      cholinergic neurons (+36.36%) at the expense of other non-cholinergic, mainly
      GABAergic (-38.45%) and glutamatergic (-56.25%), populations. By taking advantage
      of this newly-developed septo-hippocampal neuronal cultures, our biochemical and
      electrophysiological investigations demonstrate that the early failure in
      excitatory neurotransmission following NGF withdrawal is paralleled by
      concomitant and progressive loss in selected presynaptic and vesicles trafficking
      proteins including synapsin I, SNAP-25 and alpha-synuclein. This rapid
      presynaptic dysfunction: (i) precedes the commitment to cell death and is
      reversible in a time-dependent manner, being suppressed by de novo external
      administration of NGF within 6 hr from its initial withdrawal; (ii) is specific
      because it is not accompanied by contextual changes in expression levels of non
      synaptic proteins from other subcellular compartments; (ii) is not secondary to
      axonal degeneration because it is insensible to pharmacological treatment with
      known microtubule-stabilizing drug such paclitaxel; (iv) involves TrkA-dependent
      mechanisms because the effects of NGF reapplication are blocked by acute exposure
      to specific and cell-permeable inhibitor of its high-affinity receptor. Taken
      together, this study may have important clinical implications in the field of AD
      neurodegeneration because it: (i) provides new insights on the earliest molecular
      mechanisms underlying the loss of synaptic/trafficking proteins and, then, of
      synapes integrity which occurs in vulnerable basal forebrain population at
      preclinical stages of neuropathology; (ii) offers prime presynaptic-based
      molecular target to extend the therapeutic time-window of NGF action in the
      strategy of improving its neuroprotective in vivo intervention in affected
      patients.

PMID- 28360843
TI  - MagR Alone Is Insufficient to Confer Cellular Calcium Responses to Magnetic
      Stimulation.
AB  - Magnetic manipulation of cell activity offers advantages over optical
      manipulation but an ideal tool remains elusive. The MagR protein was found
      through its interaction with cryptochrome (Cry) and the protein in solution
      appeared to respond to magnetic stimulation (MS). After we initiated an
      investigation on the specific role of MagR in cellular response to MS, a
      subsequent study claimed that MagR expression alone could achieve cellular
      activation by MS. Here we report that despite systematically testing different
      ways of measuring intracellular calcium and different MS protocols, it was not
      possible to detect any cellular or neuronal responses to MS in MagR-expressing
      HEK cells or primary neurons from the dorsal root ganglion and the hippocampus.
      By contrast, in neurons co-expressing MagR and channelrhodopin, optical but not
      MS increased calcium influx in hippocampal neurons. Our results indicate that
      MagR alone is not sufficient to confer cellular magnetic responses.

PMID- 28360844
TI  - Recurrent Network Dynamics; a Link between Form and Motion.
AB  - To discriminate visual features such as corners and contours, the brain must be
      sensitive to spatial correlations between multiple points in an image. Consistent
      with this, macaque V2 neurons respond selectively to patterns with well-defined
      multipoint correlations. Here, we show that a standard feedforward model (a
      cascade of linear-non-linear filters) does not capture this multipoint
      selectivity. As an alternative, we developed an artificial neural network model
      with two hierarchical stages of processing and locally recurrent connectivity.
      This model faithfully reproduced neurons' selectivity for multipoint
      correlations. By probing the model, we gained novel insights into early form
      processing. First, the diverse selectivity for multipoint correlations and
      complex response dynamics of the hidden units in the model were surprisingly
      similar to those observed in V1 and V2. This suggests that both transient and
      sustained response dynamics may be a vital part of form computations. Second, the
      model self-organized units with speed and direction selectivity that was
      correlated with selectivity for multipoint correlations. In other words, the
      model units that detected multipoint spatial correlations also detected space
      time correlations. This leads to the novel hypothesis that higher-order spatial
      correlations could be computed by the rapid, sequential assessment and comparison
      of multiple low-order correlations within the receptive field. This computation
      links spatial and temporal processing and leads to the testable prediction that
      the analysis of complex form and motion are closely intertwined in early visual
      cortex.

PMID- 28360845
TI  - Surround-Masking Affects Visual Estimation Ability.
AB  - Visual estimation of numerosity involves the discrimination of magnitude between
      two distributions or perceptual sets that vary in number of elements. How
      performance on such estimation depends on peripheral sensory stimulation is
      unclear, even in typically developing adults. Here, we varied the central and
      surround contrast of stimuli that comprised a visual estimation task in order to
      determine whether mechanisms involved with the removal of unessential visual
      input functionally contributes toward number acuity. The visual estimation
      judgments of typically developed adults were significantly impaired for high but
      not low contrast surround stimulus conditions. The center and surround contrasts
      of the stimuli also differentially affected the accuracy of numerosity estimation
      depending on whether fewer or more dots were presented. Remarkably, observers
      demonstrated the highest mean percentage accuracy across stimulus conditions in
      the discrimination of more elements when the surround contrast was low and the
      background luminance of the central region containing the elements was dark
      (black center). Conversely, accuracy was severely impaired during the
      discrimination of fewer elements when the surround contrast was high and the
      background luminance of the central region was mid level (gray center). These
      findings suggest that estimation ability is functionally related to the quality
      of low-order filtration of unessential visual information. These surround masking
      results may help understanding of the poor visual estimation ability commonly
      observed in developmental dyscalculia.

PMID- 28360842
TI  - Neuroplastic Changes Following Brain Ischemia and their Contribution to Stroke
      Recovery: Novel Approaches in Neurorehabilitation.
AB  - Ischemic damage to the brain triggers substantial reorganization of spared areas
      and pathways, which is associated with limited, spontaneous restoration of
      function. A better understanding of this plastic remodeling is crucial to develop
      more effective strategies for stroke rehabilitation. In this review article, we
      discuss advances in the comprehension of post-stroke network reorganization in
      patients and animal models. We first focus on rodent studies that have shed light
      on the mechanisms underlying neuronal remodeling in the perilesional area and
      contralesional hemisphere after motor cortex infarcts. Analysis of
      electrophysiological data has demonstrated brain-wide alterations in functional
      connectivity in both hemispheres, well beyond the infarcted area. We then
      illustrate the potential use of non-invasive brain stimulation (NIBS) techniques
      to boost recovery. We finally discuss rehabilitative protocols based on robotic
      devices as a tool to promote endogenous plasticity and functional restoration.

PMID- 28360847
TI  - Effects of Different Exercise Strategies and Intensities on Memory Performance
      and Neurogenesis.
AB  - It is well established that physical exercise affects both hippocampal
      neurogenesis and memory functions. Until now, distinctive effects of controlled
      and voluntary training (VT) on behavior and neurogenesis as well as interactions
      between exercise intensity, neurogenesis and memory performance are still
      elusive. The present study tested the impact of moderate controlled and VT on
      memory formation and hippocampal neurogenesis and evaluated interactions between
      exercise performance, learning efficiency and proliferation of progenitor cells
      in the hippocampus. Our data show that both controlled and VT augmented spatial
      learning and promoted hippocampal neurogenesis. Regression analysis revealed a
      significant linear increase of the amount of new hippocampal neurons with
      increased exercise intensity. Regression analysis of exercise performance on
      retention memory performance revealed a quadratic, inverted u-shaped relationship
      between exercise performance and retention of spatial memory. No association was
      found between the amount of newborn neurons and memory performance. Our results
      demonstrate that controlled training (CT), if performed with an appropriate
      combination of speed and duration, improves memory performance and neurogenesis.
      Voluntary exercise elevates neurogenesis dose dependently to high levels. Best
      cognitive improvement was achieved with moderate exercise performance.

PMID- 28360848
TI  - Response-Modality-Specific Encoding of Human Choices in Upper Beta Band
      Oscillations during Vibrotactile Comparisons.
AB  - Perceptual decisions based on the comparison of two vibrotactile frequencies have
      been extensively studied in non-human primates. Recently, we obtained
      corresponding findings from human oscillatory electroencephalography (EEG)
      activity in the form of choice-selective modulations of upper beta band amplitude
      in medial premotor areas. However, the research in non-human primates as well as
      its human counterpart was so far limited to decisions reported by button presses.
      Thus, here we investigated whether the observed human beta band modulation is
      specific to the response modality. We recorded EEG activity from participants who
      compared two sequentially presented vibrotactile frequencies (f1 and f2), and
      decided whether f2 > f1 or f2 < f1, by performing a horizontal saccade to either
      side of a computer screen. Contrasting time-frequency transformed EEG data
      between both choices revealed that upper beta band amplitude (~24-32 Hz) was
      modulated by participants' choices before actual responses were given. In
      particular, "f2 > f1" choices were always associated with higher beta band
      amplitude than "f2 < f1" choices, irrespective of whether the choice was correct
      or not, and independent of the specific association between saccade direction and
      choice. The observed pattern of beta band modulation was virtually identical to
      our previous results when participants responded with button presses. In line
      with an intentional framework of decision making, the most likely sources of the
      beta band modulation were now, however, located in lateral as compared to medial
      premotor areas including the frontal eye fields. Hence, we could show that the
      choice-selective modulation of upper beta band amplitude is on the one hand
      consistent across different response modalities (i.e., same modulation pattern in
      similar frequency band), and on the other hand effector specific (i.e.,
      modulation originating from areas involved in planning and executing saccades).

PMID- 28360850
TI  - Exercise-Induced Fitness Changes Correlate with Changes in Neural Specificity in
      Older Adults.
AB  - Neural specificity refers to the degree to which neural representations of
      different stimuli can be distinguished. Evidence suggests that neural
      specificity, operationally defined as stimulus-related differences in functional
      magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) activation patterns, declines with advancing
      adult age, and that individual differences in neural specificity are associated
      with individual differences in fluid intelligence. A growing body of literature
      also suggests that regular physical activity may help preserve cognitive
      abilities in old age. Based on this literature, we hypothesized that exercise
      induced improvements in fitness would be associated with greater neural
      specificity among older adults. A total of 52 adults aged 59-74 years were
      randomly assigned to one of two aerobic-fitness training regimens, which differed
      in intensity. Participants in both groups trained three times a week on
      stationary bicycles. In the low-intensity (LI) group, the resistance was kept
      constant at a low level (10 Watts). In the high-intensity (HI) group, the
      resistance depended on participants' heart rate and therefore typically increased
      with increasing fitness. Before and after the 6-month training phase,
      participants took part in a functional MRI experiment in which they viewed
      pictures of faces and buildings. We used multivariate pattern analysis (MVPA) to
      estimate the distinctiveness of neural activation patterns in ventral visual
      cortex (VVC) evoked by face or building stimuli. Fitness was also assessed before
      and after training. In line with our hypothesis, training-induced changes in
      fitness were positively associated with changes in neural specificity. We
      conclude that physical activity may protect against age-related declines in
      neural specificity.

PMID- 28360852
TI  - Self-Organized Behavior Generation for Musculoskeletal Robots.
AB  - With the accelerated development of robot technologies, control becomes one of
      the central themes of research. In traditional approaches, the controller, by its
      internal functionality, finds appropriate actions on the basis of specific
      objectives for the task at hand. While very successful in many applications, self
      organized control schemes seem to be favored in large complex systems with
      unknown dynamics or which are difficult to model. Reasons are the expected
      scalability, robustness, and resilience of self-organizing systems. The paper
      presents a self-learning neurocontroller based on extrinsic differential
      plasticity introduced recently, applying it to an anthropomorphic musculoskeletal
      robot arm with attached objects of unknown physical dynamics. The central finding
      of the paper is the following effect: by the mere feedback through the internal
      dynamics of the object, the robot is learning to relate each of the objects with
      a very specific sensorimotor pattern. Specifically, an attached pendulum pilots
      the arm into a circular motion, a half-filled bottle produces axis oriented
      shaking behavior, a wheel is getting rotated, and wiping patterns emerge
      automatically in a table-plus-brush setting. By these object-specific dynamical
      patterns, the robot may be said to recognize the object's identity, or in other
      words, it discovers dynamical affordances of objects. Furthermore, when including
      hand coordinates obtained from a camera, a dedicated hand-eye coordination self
      organizes spontaneously. These phenomena are discussed from a specific dynamical
      system perspective. Central is the dedicated working regime at the border to
      instability with its potentially infinite reservoir of (limit cycle) attractors
      "waiting" to be excited. Besides converging toward one of these attractors,
      variate behavior is also arising from a self-induced attractor morphing driven by
      the learning rule. We claim that experimental investigations with this
      anthropomorphic, self-learning robot not only generate interesting and
      potentially useful behaviors, but may also help to better understand what
      subjective human muscle feelings are, how they can be rooted in sensorimotor
      patterns, and how these concepts may feed back on robotics.

PMID- 28360849
TI  - Embodied Medicine: Mens Sana in Corpore Virtuale Sano.
AB  - Progress in medical science and technology drastically improved physicians'
      ability to interact with patient's physical body. Nevertheless, medicine still
      addresses the human body from a Hippocratic point of view, considering the
      organism and its processes just as a matter of mechanics and fluids. However, the
      interaction between the cognitive neuroscience of bodily self-consciousness
      (BSC), fundamentally rooted in the integration of multisensory bodily inputs,
      with virtual reality (VR), haptic technologies and robotics is giving a new
      meaning to the classic Juvenal's latin dictum "Mens sana in corpore sano" (a
      healthy mind in a healthy body). This vision provides the basis for a new
      research field, "Embodied Medicine": the use of advanced technologies for
      altering the experience of being in a body with the goal of improving health and
      well-being. Up to now, most of the research efforts in the field have been
      focused upon how external bodily information is processed and integrated. Despite
      the important results, we believe that existing bodily illusions still need to be
      improved to enhance their capability to effectively correct pathological
      dysfunctions. First, they do not follow the suggestions provided by the free
      energy and predictive coding approaches. More, they lacked to consider a peculiar
      feature of the human body, the multisensory integration of internal inputs
      (interoceptive, proprioceptive and vestibular) that constitute our inner body
      dimension. So, a future challenge is the integration of simulation/stimulation
      technologies also able to measure and modulate this internal/inner experience of
      the body. Finally, we also proposed the concept of "Sonoception" as an extension
      of this approach. The core idea is to exploit recent technological advances in
      the acoustic field to use sound and vibrations to modify the internal/inner body
      experience.

PMID- 28360851
TI  - Neuroimaging, Genetics, and Clinical Data Sharing in Python Using the CubicWeb
      Framework.
AB  - In neurosciences or psychiatry, the emergence of large multi-center population
      imaging studies raises numerous technological challenges. From distributed data
      collection, across different institutions and countries, to final data
      publication service, one must handle the massive, heterogeneous, and complex data
      from genetics, imaging, demographics, or clinical scores. These data must be both
      efficiently obtained and downloadable. We present a Python solution, based on the
      CubicWeb open-source semantic framework, aimed at building population imaging
      study repositories. In addition, we focus on the tools developed around this
      framework to overcome the challenges associated with data sharing and
      collaborative requirements. We describe a set of three highly adaptive web
      services that transform the CubicWeb framework into a (1) multi-center upload
      platform, (2) collaborative quality assessment platform, and (3) publication
      platform endowed with massive-download capabilities. Two major European projects,
      IMAGEN and EU-AIMS, are currently supported by the described framework. We also
      present a Python package that enables end users to remotely query neuroimaging,
      genetics, and clinical data from scripts.

PMID- 28360846
TI  - Stress and the Emerging Roles of Chromatin Remodeling in Signal Integration and
      Stable Transmission of Reversible Phenotypes.
AB  - The influence of early life experience and degree of parental-infant attachment
      on emotional development in children and adolescents has been comprehensively
      studied. Structural and mechanistic insight into the biological foundation and
      maintenance of mammalian defensive systems (metabolic, immune, nervous and
      behavioral) is slowly advancing through the emerging field of developmental
      molecular (epi)genetics. Initial evidence revealed that differential nurture
      early in life generates stable differences in offspring hypothalamic-pituitary
      adrenal (HPA) regulation, in part, through chromatin remodeling and changes in
      DNA methylation of specific genes expressed in the brain, revealing physical,
      biochemical and molecular paths for the epidemiological concept of gene
      environment interactions. Herein, a primary molecular mechanism underpinning the
      early developmental programming and lifelong maintenance of defensive (emotional)
      responses in the offspring is the alteration of chromatin domains of specific
      genomic regions from a condensed state (heterochromatin) to a transcriptionally
      accessible state (euchromatin). Conversely, DNA methylation promotes the
      formation of heterochromatin, which is essential for gene silencing, genomic
      integrity and chromosome segregation. Therefore, inter-individual differences in
      chromatin modifications and DNA methylation marks hold great potential for
      assessing the impact of both early life experience and effectiveness of
      intervention programs-from guided psychosocial strategies focused on changing
      behavior to pharmacological treatments that target chromatin remodeling and DNA
      methylation enzymes to dietary approaches that alter cellular pools of metabolic
      intermediates and methyl donors to affect nutrient bioavailability and
      metabolism. In this review article, we discuss the potential molecular
      mechanism(s) of gene regulation associated with chromatin modeling and
      programming of endocrine (e.g., HPA and metabolic or cardiovascular) and
      behavioral (e.g., fearfulness, vigilance) responses to stress, including
      alterations in DNA methylation and the role of DNA repair machinery. From
      parental history (e.g., drugs, housing, illness, nutrition, socialization) to
      maternal-offspring exchanges of nutrition, microbiota, antibodies and
      stimulation, the nature of nurture provides not only mechanistic insight into how
      experiences propagate from external to internal variables, but also identifies a
      composite therapeutic target, chromatin modeling, for gestational/prenatal
      stress, adolescent anxiety/depression and adult-onset neuropsychiatric disease.

PMID- 28360854
TI  - Refining Pharmacologic Research to Prevent and Treat Spontaneous Preterm Birth.

PMID- 28360853
TI  - White Matter Integrity Declined Over 6-Months, but Dance Intervention Improved
      Integrity of the Fornix of Older Adults.
AB  - Degeneration of cerebral white matter (WM), or structural disconnection, is one
      of the major neural mechanisms driving age-related decline in cognitive
      functions, such as processing speed. Past cross-sectional studies have
      demonstrated beneficial effects of greater cardiorespiratory fitness, physical
      activity, cognitive training, social engagement, and nutrition on cognitive
      functioning and brain health in aging. Here, we collected diffusion magnetic
      resonance (MRI) imaging data from 174 older (age 60-79) adults to study the
      effects of 6-months lifestyle interventions on WM integrity. Healthy but low
      active participants were randomized into Dance, Walking, Walking + Nutrition, and
      Active Control (stretching and toning) intervention groups (NCT01472744 on
      ClinicalTrials.gov). Only in the fornix there was a time * intervention group
      interaction of change in WM integrity: integrity declined over 6 months in all
      groups but increased in the Dance group. Integrity in the fornix at baseline was
      associated with better processing speed, however, change in fornix integrity did
      not correlate with change in processing speed. Next, we observed a decline in WM
      integrity across the majority of brain regions in all participants, regardless of
      the intervention group. This suggests that the aging of the brain is detectable
      on the scale of 6-months, which highlights the urgency of finding effective
      interventions to slow down this process. Magnitude of WM decline increased with
      age and decline in prefrontal WM was of lesser magnitude in older adults spending
      less time sedentary and more engaging in moderate-to-vigorous physical activity.
      In addition, our findings support the anterior-to-posterior gradient of greater
      to-lesser decline, but only in the in the corpus callosum. Together, our findings
      suggest that combining physical, cognitive, and social engagement (dance) may
      help maintain or improve WM health and more physically active lifestyle is
      associated with slower WM decline. This study emphasizes the importance of a
      physically active and socially engaging lifestyle among aging adults.

PMID- 28360856
TI  - East Indian Sandalwood Oil (EISO) Alleviates Inflammatory and Proliferative
      Pathologies of Psoriasis.
AB  - Psoriasis, a chronic inflammatory skin disease marked by hyper proliferation and
      aberrant differentiation of keratinocytes, affects 2-3% of the world's
      population. Research into the pathogenesis of psoriasis has been hampered by the
      lack of models that accurately reflect the biology of the psoriatic phenotype. We
      have previously reported that East Indian Sandalwood oil (EISO) has significant
      anti-inflammatory properties in skin models and hypothesized that EISO might
      provide therapeutic benefit to psoriasis patients due to its anti-inflammatory
      and anti-proliferative properties. Here we present interim results from an on
      going proof-of-concept Phase 2 clinical trial in which topically applied EISO is
      demonstrating to be well tolerated and helpful in alleviating mild to moderate
      psoriasis symptoms. This led us to evaluate the ability of EISO to affect the
      psoriatic phenotype using MatTek Corporation reconstituted organotypic psoriatic
      and normal human skin models. EISO had no impact on the phenotype of the normal
      skin tissue model, however, EISO treatment of the psoriasis tissue model reverted
      psoriatic pathology as demonstrated by histologic characterization and expression
      of keratinocyte proliferation markers, Ki67 and psoriasin. These phenotypic
      affects correlated with suppressed production of ENA-78, IL-6, IL-8, MCP-1, GM
      CSF, and IL-1beta. Demonstration of the ability of EISO to abrogate these
      psoriasis symptoms in well-characterized in vitro psoriatic tissue models,
      supports the hypothesis that the clinically observed symptom alleviation is due
      to suppression of intrinsic tissue inflammation reactions in afflicted lesions.
      This study presents a systematic approach to further study the underlying
      mechanisms that cause psoriasis, and presents data supporting the potential of
      EISO as a new ethnobotanical therapeutic concept to help direct and accelerate
      the development of more effective therapies.

PMID- 28360855
TI  - The P2X7 Receptor-Interleukin-1 Liaison.
AB  - Interleukin-1beta (IL-1beta) plays a central role in stimulation of innate immune
      system and inflammation and in several chronic inflammatory diseases. These
      include rare hereditary conditions, e.g., auto-inflammatory syndromes, as well as
      common pathologies, such as type II diabetes, gout and atherosclerosis. A better
      understanding of IL-1beta synthesis and release is particularly relevant for the
      design of novel anti-inflammatory drugs. One of the molecules mainly involved in
      IL-1beta maturation is the P2X7 receptor (P2X7R), an ATP-gated ion channel that
      chiefly acts through the recruitment of the NLRP3 inflammasome-caspase-1 complex.
      In this review, we will summarize evidence supporting the key role of the P2X7R
      in IL-1beta production, with special emphasis on the mechanism of release, a
      process that is still a matter of controversy. Four different models have been
      proposed: (i) exocytosis via secretory lysosomes, (ii) microvesicles shedding
      from plasma membrane, (iii) release of exosomes, and (iv) passive efflux across a
      leaky plasma membrane during pyroptotic cell death. All these models involve the
      P2X7R.

PMID- 28360857
TI  - Hydrogen Sulfide Inhibits High-Salt Diet-Induced Myocardial Oxidative Stress and
      Myocardial Hypertrophy in Dahl Rats.
AB  - The study aimed to examine the protective effect of hydrogen sulfide (H2S) on
      high-salt-induced oxidative stress and myocardial hypertrophy in salt-sensitive
      (Dahl) rats. Thirty male Dahl rats and 40 SD rats were included in the study.
      They were randomly divided into Dahl control (Dahl + NS), Dahl high salt (Dahl +
      HS), Dahl + HS + NaHS, SD + NS, SD + HS, SD + HS + NaHS, and SD + HS +
      hydroxylamine (HA). Rats in Dahl + NS and SD + NS groups were given chow with
      0.5% NaCl and 0.9% normal saline intraperitoneally daily. Myocardial structure,
      alpha-myosin heavy chain (alpha-MHC) and beta-myosin heavy chain (beta-MHC)
      expressions were determined. Endogenous myocardial H2S pathway and oxidative
      stress in myocardial tissues were tested. Myocardial H2S pathway was
      downregulated with myocardial hypertrophy featured by increased heart weight/body
      weight and cardiomyocytes cross-sectional area, decreased alpha-MHC and increased
      beta-MHC expressions in Dahl rats with high-salt diet (all P < 0.01), and
      oxidative stress in myocardial tissues was significantly activated, demonstrated
      by the increased contents of hydroxyl radical, malondialdehyde and oxidized
      glutathione and decreased total antioxidant capacity, carbon monoxide, catalase,
      glutathione, glutathione peroxidase, superoxide dismutase (SOD) activities and
      decreased SOD1 and SOD2 protein expressions (P < 0.05, P < 0.01). However, H2S
      reduced myocardial hypertrophy with decreased heart weight/body weight and
      cardiomyocytes cross-sectional area, increased alpha-MHC, decreased beta-MHC
      expressions and inhibited oxidative stress in myocardial tissues of Dahl rats
      with high-salt diet. However, no significant difference was found in H2S pathway,
      myocardial structure, alpha-MHC and beta-MHC protein and oxidative status in
      myocardial tissues among SD + NS, SD + HS, and SD + HS + NaHS groups. HA, an
      inhibitor of cystathionine beta-synthase, inhibited myocardial H2S pathway (P <
      0.01), and stimulated myocardial hypertrophy and oxidative stress in SD rats with
      high-salt diet. Hence, H2S inhibited myocardial hypertrophy in high salt
      stimulated Dahl rats in association with the enhancement of antioxidant capacity,
      thereby inhibiting oxidative stress in myocardial tissues.

PMID- 28360858
TI  - Saponins from Sanguisorba officinalis Improve Hematopoiesis by Promoting Survival
      through FAK and Erk1/2 Activation and Modulating Cytokine Production in Bone
      Marrow.
AB  - Radix Sanguisorbae, the root of Sanguisorba officinalis L. is used as traditional
      Chinese medicine. In recent decades, it has been reported to be clinically
      effective against myelosuppression induced by chemotherapy and/ or radiotherapy.
      However, the underlining mechanism has not been well studied. In this work, we
      evaluated the hematopoietic effect of total saponins from S. officinalis L. on
      myelosuppressive mice induced by cyclophosphamide and by60Co-gamma-irradiation
      and confirmed the therapeutic effect. Then, we found total saponins and their
      characteristic constituents Ziyuglycoside I and Ziyuglycoside II can inhibit
      apoptosis of TF-1 cells caused by cytokine deprivation, and promote survival of
      mouse bone marrow nuclear cells through focal adhesion kinase (FAK) and
      extracellular signal-regulated kinase 1/2 (Erk1/2) activation in vitro. In
      addition, they can down-regulate macrophage inflammatory protein 2 (MIP-2),
      platelet factor 4 (PF4) and P-selectin secretion, which are reported to be
      suppressive to hematopoiesis, both in vitro and in vivo. These results suggest
      that promotion of survival through FAK and Erk1/2 activation and inhibition of
      suppressive cytokines in the bone marrow is likely to be the pharmacological
      mechanism underlying the hematopoietic effect of saponins from S. officinalis L.

PMID- 28360859
TI  - Dexamethasone Pretreatment Alleviates Isoniazid/Lipopolysaccharide
      Hepatotoxicity: Inhibition of Inflammatory and Oxidative Stress.
AB  - Isoniazid (INH) remains a cornerstone key constitute of the current tuberculosis
      management strategy, but its hepatotoxic potentiality remains a significant
      clinical problem. Our previous findings succeed to establish a rat model of INH
      hepatotoxicity employing the inflammatory stress theory in which non-injurious
      doses of inflammatory-mediating agent bacterial lipopolysaccharides (LPS)
      augmented the toxicity of INH that assist to uncover the mechanisms behind INH
      hepatotoxicity. Following LPS exposure, several inflammatory cells are activated
      and it is likely that the consequences of this activation rather than direct
      hepatocellular effects of LPS underlie the ability of LPS to augment toxic
      responses. In this study, we investigated the potential protective role of the
      anti-inflammatory agent dexamethasone (DEX), a potent synthetic glucocorticoid,
      in INH/LPS hepatotoxic rat model. DEX pre-treatment successfully eliminates the
      components of the inflammatory stress as shown through analysis of blood
      biochemistry and liver histopathology. DEX potentiated hepatic anti-oxidant
      mechanisms while serum and hepatic lipid profiles were reduced. However, DEX
      administration was not able to revoke the principal effects of cytochrome P450
      2E1 (CYP2E1) in INH/LPS-induced liver damage. In conclusion, this study
      illustrated the DEX-preventive capabilities on INH/LPS-induced hepatotoxicity
      model through DEX-induced potent anti-inflammatory activity whereas the partial
      toxicity seen in the model could be attributed to the expression of hepatic
      CYP2E1. These findings potentiate the clinical applications of DEX co
      administration with INH therapy in order to reduce the potential incidences of
      hepatotoxicity.

PMID- 28360860
TI  - Acanthoic Acid Can Partially Prevent Alcohol Exposure-Induced Liver Lipid
      Deposition and Inflammation.
AB  - Aims: The present study aims to detect the effect of acanthoic acid (AA) on
      alcohol exposure-induced liver lipid deposition and inflammation, and to explore
      the mechanisms. Methods: C57BL/6 mice were pretreated with single dose of AA (20
      and 40 mg/kg) by oral gavage or equal volume of saline, and then exposed to three
      doses of ethanol (5 g/kg body weight, 25%, w/v) by gavage within 24 h. The mice
      were sacrificed at 6 h after the last ethanol dosing. Serum and hepatic indexes
      were detected by western blot, RT-PCR, and histopathological assay. AML-12 cells
      were pretreated with AA (5, 10, 20 MUM), or AICAR (500 MUM), GW3965 (1 MUM),
      SRT1720 (6 MUM), Nicotinamide (20 mM) for 2 h, respectively, and then following
      treated with EtOH (200 mM) and lipopolysaccharide (LPS) (10 ng/ml) for additional
      48 h. Cell protein and mRNA were collected for western blot and RT-PCR. Cytokines
      interleukin-1beta (IL-1beta) and tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) release
      were detected by ELISA assay. Results: It was found that AA significantly
      decreased acute ethanol-induced increasing of the serum ALT/AST, LDH, ALP levels,
      and hepatic and serum triglyceride levels, and reduced fat droplets accumulation
      in mice liver. AA significantly suppressed the levels of sterol regulatory
      element binding protein 1 (SREBP-1), cytochrome P4502E1 (CYP2E1), IL-1beta, and
      caspase-1 induced by ethanol. Furthermore, a significant decline of sirtuin 1
      (Sirt1) and liver X receptors (LXRs) levels was observed in EtOH group, compared
      with normal group mice. And AA pretreatment increased the Sirt1 and LXRs levels,
      and also ameliorated phosphorylation of liver kinase B-1 (LKB-1), adenosine
      monophosphate-activated protein kinase (AMPK), acetyl CoA carboxylase (ACC)
      proteins, compared with EtOH group. However, the levels of peroxisome
      proliferator activated receptor -alpha or -gamma (PPAR-alpha or PPAR-gamma)
      induced by acute ethanol were reversed by AA. In EtOH/LPS cultivated AML-12
      cells, AA decreased IL-1beta and TNF-alpha levels, lipid droplets, and SREBP-1
      and CYP2E1 expressions, compared with EtOH/LPS treatment. AA also significantly
      increased protein expressions of Sirt1, p-LKB1, p-ACC, PPARalpha, and decreased
      protein expression of PPARgamma, compared with EtOH/LPS treatment. Conclusion:
      Acanthoic acid can partially prevent alcohol exposure-induced liver lipid
      deposition and inflammation via regulation of LKB1/Sirt1/AMPK/ACC and LXRs
      pathways.

PMID- 28360861
TI  - Odor, Not Performance, Dictates Bemisia tabaci's Selection between Healthy and
      Virus Infected Plants.
AB  - Although, insect herbivores are generally thought to select hosts that favor the
      fitness of their progeny, this "mother-knows-best" hypothesis may be challenged
      by the presence of a plant virus. Our previous study showed that the whitefly,
      Bemisia tabaci, the obligate vector for transmitting Tomato yellow leaf curl
      virus (TYLCV), preferred to settle and oviposit on TYLCV-infected rather than
      healthy host plant, Datura stramonium. The performances of B. tabaci larvae and
      adults were indeed improved on virus-infected D. stramonium, which is consistent
      with "mother-knows-best" hypothesis. In this study, B. tabaci Q displayed the
      same preference to settle and oviposit on Tomato spotted wilt virus (TSWV)
      infected host plants, D. stramonium and Capsicum annuum, respectively. As a non
      vector of TSWV, however, insect performance was impaired since adult body size,
      longevity, survival, and fecundity were reduced in TSWV infected D. stramonium.
      This appears to be an odor-mediated behavior, as plant volatile profiles are
      modified by viral infection. Infected plants have reduced quantities of o-xylene
      and alpha-pinene, and increased levels of phenol and 2-ethyl-1-hexanol in their
      headspace. Subsequent behavior experiments showed that o-xylene and alpha-pinene
      are repellant, while phenol and 2-ethyl-1-hexanol are attractive. This indicates
      that the preference of B. tabaci for virus-infected plants is modulated by the
      dynamic changes in the volatile profiles rather than the subsequent performances
      on virus-infected plants.

PMID- 28360862
TI  - Iodixanol as a Contrast Agent in a Fibrin Hydrogel for Endodontic Applications.
AB  - The application of biomaterials used in regenerative endodontics should be
      traceable. In this study, we checked some basic effects of rendering a fibrin
      hydrogel radiopaque using an iodine-based contrast agent (iodixanol) approved for
      systemic application. Fibrin hydrogels were prepared from a fibrin sealant
      (Tisseel) using either an isotonic iodixanol solution (Visipaque 320, test) or
      Tris buffer (control) as a diluent. Gelation kinetics, radiopacity, and swelling
      of lyophilized hydrogels were tested using standard methods. Hydrogel structure
      was evaluated using scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Furthermore, iodixanol
      release from the test gels was assessed using spectrophotometry, and tissue
      compatibility was compared between test and control hydrogels using the chick
      chorioallantoic membrane (CAM) assay. Results were compared using pairwise t
      test, p < 0.05. Iodixanol caused a 70-fold delay in gelation to 26 min in the
      test compared to the control hydrogels (22 +/- 1 s). Radiopacity of the test gels
      was 1.9 +/- 0.2 mm Al/mm, compared to zero in the control hydrogels. Lyophilized
      hydrogel swelling was strongly reduced when iodixanol was added to the hydrogel
      (p < 0.05). Test hydrogels had an altered SEM appearance compared to controls,
      and exhibited a reduced porosity. Iodixanol release from the test hydrogels
      reached 14.5 +/- 0.5% after 120 h and then ceased. This release did not have any
      apparent toxic effect and neither affected the viability, nor the physiology or
      vascularization of the CAM of fertilized chicken eggs. Iodixanol can render a
      fibrin hydrogel radiopaque and maintains its tissue compatibility, yet impacts
      gelation kinetics and hydrogel porosity.

PMID- 28360863
TI  - Differences in Oral Structure and Tissue Interactions during Mouse vs. Human
      Palatogenesis: Implications for the Translation of Findings from Mice.
AB  - Clefting of the secondary palate is one of the most common human birth defects
      and results from failure of the palatal shelves to fuse during embryonic
      development. Palatogenesis is traditionally considered to be a highly conserved
      developmental process among mammalian species. However, cleft palate phenotypes
      in humans are considerably more variable than those seen in mice, the most common
      animal model for studying palatal development and pathogenesis of cleft palate.
      In this investigation, we utilized macroscopic observations, histology and 3D
      imaging techniques to directly compare palate morphology and the oral-nasal
      cavity during palate closure in mouse embryos and human conceptuses. We showed
      that mouse and human palates display distinct morphologies attributable to the
      structural differences of the oral-nasal cavity. We further showed that the
      palatal shelves interact differently with the primary palate and nasal septum in
      the hard palate region and with pharyngeal walls in the soft palate region during
      palate closure in mice and humans. Knowledge of these morphological differences
      is important for improved translation of findings in mouse models of human cleft
      lip/palate and, as such, should ultimately enhance our understanding of human
      palatal morphogenesis and the pathogenesis of cleft lip/palate in humans.

PMID- 28360864
TI  - Isometric Stretch Alters Vascular Reactivity of Mouse Aortic Segments.
AB  - Most vaso-reactive studies in mouse aortic segments are performed in isometric
      conditions and at an optimal preload, which is the preload corresponding to a
      maximal contraction by non-receptor or receptor-mediated stimulation. In general,
      this optimal preload ranges from about 1.2 to 8.0 mN/mm, which according to
      Laplace's law roughly correlates with transmural pressures of 10-65 mmHg. For
      physiologic transmural pressures around 100 mmHg, preloads of 15.0 mN/mm should
      be implemented. The present study aimed to compare vascular reactivity of 2 mm
      mouse (C57Bl6) aortic segments preloaded at optimal (8.0 mN/mm) vs. (patho)
      physiological (10.0-32.5 mN/mm) preload. Voltage-dependent contractions of aortic
      segments, induced by increasing extracellular K+, and contractions by alpha1
      adrenergic stimulation with phenylephrine (PE) were studied at these preloads in
      the absence and presence of L-NAME to inhibit basal release of NO from
      endothelial cells (EC). In the absence of basal NO release and with higher than
      optimal preload, contractions evoked by depolarization or PE were attenuated,
      whereas in the presence of basal release of NO PE-, but not depolarization
      induced contractions were preload-independent. Phasic contractions by PE, as
      measured in the absence of external Ca2+, were decreased at higher than optimal
      preload suggestive for a lower contractile SR Ca2+ content at physiological
      preload. Further, in the presence of external Ca2+, contractions by Ca2+ influx
      via voltage-dependent Ca2+ channels were preload-independent, whereas non
      selective cation channel-mediated contractions were increased. The latter
      contractions were very sensitive to the basal release of NO, which itself seemed
      to be preload-independent. Relaxation by endogenous NO (acetylcholine) of aortic
      segments pre-contracted with PE was preload-independent, whereas relaxation by
      exogenous NO (diethylamine NONOate) displayed higher sensitivity at high preload.
      Results indicated that stretching aortic segments to higher than optimal preload
      depolarizes the SMC and causes Ca2+ unloading of the contractile SR, making them
      extremely sensitive to small changes in the basal release of NO from EC as can
      occur in hypertension or arterial stiffening.

PMID- 28360865
TI  - Bosutinib Therapy Ameliorates Lung Inflammation and Fibrosis in Experimental
      Silicosis.
AB  - Silicosis is an occupational lung disease for which no effective therapy exists.
      We hypothesized that bosutinib, a tyrosine kinase inhibitor, might ameliorate
      inflammatory responses, attenuate pulmonary fibrosis, and thus improve lung
      function in experimental silicosis. For this purpose, we investigated the
      potential efficacy of bosutinib in the treatment of experimental silicosis
      induced in C57BL/6 mice by intratracheal administration of silica particles.
      After 15 days, once disease was established, animals were randomly assigned to
      receive DMSO or bosutinib (1 mg/kg/dose in 0.1 mL 1% DMSO) by oral gavage, twice
      daily for 14 days. On day 30, lung mechanics and morphometry, total and
      differential cell count in alveolar septa and granuloma, levels of interleukin
      (IL)-1beta, tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-alpha, interferon (IFN)-gamma, IL-4,
      transforming growth factor (TGF)-beta, and vascular endothelial growth factor in
      lung homogenate, M1 and M2 macrophages, total leukocytes, and T cells in BALF,
      lymph nodes, and thymus, and collagen fiber content in alveolar septa and
      granuloma were analyzed. In a separate in vitro experiment, RAW264.7 macrophages
      were exposed to silica particles in the presence or absence of bosutinib. After
      24 h, gene expressions of arginase-1, IL-10, IL-12, inducible nitric oxide
      synthase (iNOS), metalloproteinase (MMP)-9, tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinase
      (TIMP)-1, and caspase-3 were evaluated. In vivo, in silicotic animals, bosutinib,
      compared to DMSO, decreased: (1) fraction area of collapsed alveoli, (2) size and
      number of granulomas, and mononuclear cell granuloma infiltration; (3) IL-1beta,
      TNF-alpha, IFN-gamma, and TGF-beta levels in lung homogenates, (4) collagen fiber
      content in lung parenchyma, and (5) viscoelastic pressure and static lung
      elastance. Bosutinib also reduced M1 cell counts while increasing M2 macrophage
      population in both lung parenchyma and granulomas. Total leukocyte, regulatory T,
      CD4+, and CD8+ cell counts in the lung-draining lymph nodes also decreased with
      bosutinib therapy without affecting thymus cellularity. In vitro, bosutinib led
      to a decrease in IL-12 and iNOS and increase in IL-10, arginase-1, MMP-9, and
      TIMP-1. In conclusion, in the current model of silicosis, bosutinib therapy
      yielded beneficial effects on lung inflammation and remodeling, therefore
      resulting in lung mechanics improvement. Bosutinib may hold promise for
      silicosis; however, further studies are required.

PMID- 28360866
TI  - From Toxoplasmosis to Schizophrenia via NMDA Dysfunction: Peptide Overlap between
      Toxoplasma gondii and N-Methyl-d-Aspartate Receptors As a Potential Mechanistic
      Link.
AB  - The present work aims at investigating how Toxoplasma gondii (T. gondii)
      infection may be linked to N-methyl-d-aspartate receptor (NMDAR) dysfunction in
      schizophrenia and related disorders and puts forward the hypothesis that immune
      responses against T. gondii may involve NMDARs. Indeed, the analysis of the
      protozoan proteome and NMDAR subunits for peptide commonalities shows a massive
      peptide overlap and supports the possibility that anti-T. gondii immune responses
      raised during active protozoan infection may cross-react with host NMDARs,
      determining disruption of neural circuits and cognitive deficits. In particular,
      the NMDA 2D subunit, which is mainly expressed in parvalbumin-positive
      interneurons, appears to be a hotspot for potential T. gondii-induced cross
      reactive immune attacks.

PMID- 28360868
TI  - Gendered Expectations: Examining How Peers Shape Female Students' Intent to
      Pursue STEM Fields.
AB  - Building on prior psychological and sociological research on the power of local
      environments to shape gendered outcomes in STEM fields, this study focuses on the
      critical stage of adolescence to explore the potential negative impact of
      exposure to exclusionary messages from peers within girls' science classrooms, as
      well as the positive potential impact of inclusionary messages. Specifically,
      utilizing longitudinal data from a diverse sample of adolescent youth, analyses
      examine how the presence of biased male peers, as well as confident female peers,
      shape girls' subsequent intentions to pursue different STEM fields, focusing
      specifically on intentions to pursue the male-dominated fields of computer
      science and engineering, as well as more gender equitable fields. Results reveal
      that exposure to a higher percentage of 8th grade male peers in the classroom who
      endorsed explicit gender/STEM stereotypes significantly and negatively predicted
      girls' later intentions to pursue a computer science/engineering (CS/E) major.
      Yet results also reveal that exposure to a higher percentage of confident female
      peers in the science classroom positively predicted such intentions. These
      results were specific to CS/E majors, suggesting that peers are an important
      source of messages regarding whether or not girls should pursue non-traditional
      STEM fields. This study calls attention to the importance of examining both
      positive and negative sources of influence within the local contexts where young
      people live and learn. Limitations and directions for future research are also
      discussed.

PMID- 28360867
TI  - Focal and Ambient Processing of Built Environments: Intellectual and Atmospheric
      Experiences of Architecture.
AB  - Neuroscience has well established that human vision divides into the central and
      peripheral fields of view. Central vision extends from the point of gaze (where
      we are looking) out to about 5 degrees  of visual angle (the width of one's fist
      at arm's length), while peripheral vision is the vast remainder of the visual
      field. These visual fields project to the parvo and magno ganglion cells, which
      process distinctly different types of information from the world around us and
      project that information to the ventral and dorsal visual streams, respectively.
      Building on the dorsal/ventral stream dichotomy, we can further distinguish
      between focal processing of central vision, and ambient processing of peripheral
      vision. Thus, our visual processing of and attention to objects and scenes
      depends on how and where these stimuli fall on the retina. The built environment
      is no exception to these dependencies, specifically in terms of how focal object
      perception and ambient spatial perception create different types of experiences
      we have with built environments. We argue that these foundational mechanisms of
      the eye and the visual stream are limiting parameters of architectural
      experience. We hypothesize that people experience architecture in two basic ways
      based on these visual limitations; by intellectually assessing architecture
      consciously through focal object processing and assessing architecture in terms
      of atmosphere through pre-conscious ambient spatial processing. Furthermore,
      these separate ways of processing architectural stimuli operate in parallel
      throughout the visual perceptual system. Thus, a more comprehensive understanding
      of architecture must take into account that built environments are stimuli that
      are treated differently by focal and ambient vision, which enable intellectual
      analysis of architectural experience versus the experience of architectural
      atmosphere, respectively. We offer this theoretical model to help advance a more
      precise understanding of the experience of architecture, which can be tested
      through future experimentation. (298 words).

PMID- 28360869
TI  - The Influence of State Anxiety on Fear Discrimination and Extinction in Females.
AB  - Formal theories have linked pathological anxiety to a failure in fear response
      inhibition. Previously, we showed that aberrant response inhibition is not
      restricted to anxiety patients, but can also be observed in anxiety-prone adults.
      However, less is known about the influence of currently experienced levels of
      anxiety on inhibitory learning. The topic is highly important as state anxiety
      has a debilitating effect on cognition, emotion, and physiology and is linked to
      several anxiety disorders. In the present study, healthy female volunteers
      performed a fear conditioning task, after being informed that they will have to
      perform the Trier Social Stress Test task (n = 25; experimental group) or a
      control task (n = 25; control group) upon completion of the conditioning task.
      The results showed that higher levels of state anxiety corresponded with a
      reduced discrimination between a stimulus (CS+) typically followed by an aversive
      event and a stimulus (CS-) that is never followed by an aversive event both
      during the acquisition and the extinction phase. No effect of state anxiety on
      the skin conductance response associated with CS+ and CS- was found.
      Additionally, higher levels of state anxiety coincided with more negative valence
      ratings of the CSs. The results suggest that increased stress-induced state
      anxiety might lead to stimulus generalization during fear acquisition, thereby
      impairing associative learning.

PMID- 28360870
TI  - The Faculty of Language Integrates the Two Core Systems of Number.
AB  - Only humans possess the faculty of language that allows an infinite array of
      hierarchically structured expressions (Hauser et al., 2002; Berwick and Chomsky,
      2015). Similarly, humans have a capacity for infinite natural numbers, while all
      other species seem to lack such a capacity (Gelman and Gallistel, 1978; Dehaene,
      1997). Thus, the origin of this numerical capacity and its relation to language
      have been of much interdisciplinary interest in developmental and behavioral
      psychology, cognitive neuroscience, and linguistics (Dehaene, 1997; Hauser et
      al., 2002; Pica et al., 2004). Hauser et al. (2002) and Chomsky (2008)
      hypothesize that a recursive generative operation that is central to the
      computational system of language (called Merge) can give rise to the successor
      function in a set-theoretic fashion, from which capacities for discretely
      infinite natural numbers may be derived. However, a careful look at two domains
      in language, grammatical number and numerals, reveals no trace of the successor
      function. Following behavioral and neuropsychological evidence that there are two
      core systems of number cognition innately available, a core system of
      representation of large, approximate numerical magnitudes and a core system of
      precise representation of distinct small numbers (Feigenson et al., 2004), I
      argue that grammatical number reflects the core system of precise representation
      of distinct small numbers alone. In contrast, numeral systems arise from
      integrating the pre-existing two core systems of number and the human language
      faculty. To the extent that my arguments are correct, linguistic representations
      of number, grammatical number, and numerals do not incorporate anything like the
      successor function.

PMID- 28360871
TI  - The Role of Autonomous and Controlled Motivation in Exercise Intentions of
      Participants in a Mass Cycling Event.
AB  - Purpose: This study used self-determination theory to examine the role of
      participants' autonomous and controlled motivation to exercise and to participate
      in a challenging mass cycling event and investigated whether the event enhanced
      intended and actual exercise behavior among the participants. Method: Two hundred
      and twenty-eight subjects, having participated in the cycling event, completed a
      questionnaire shortly after the event and again 4 months later. The questionnaire
      measured self-reported cycling and exercise activity, training in preparation of
      the event, motivation to participate in the event, motivation to exercise, and
      future exercise intentions due to the event. Results: Results showed that most
      participants were very active in cycling and other sports. The expected positive
      effect of autonomous motivation on exercise intentions and behavior could not be
      confirmed in our study. Multiple regression analyses revealed that the event had
      an enhancing effect on exercise intentions shortly after the event among
      participants that scored higher on controlled motivation to exercise (beta =
      0.15) and to participate (beta = 0.15); also, participants were more satisfied
      with the event (beta = 0.19) and had followed a preparation program before the
      event (beta = 0.15). However, intentions and exercise behavior distinctively
      dropped 4 months after the event. Conclusions: Events aiming to enhance their
      participants' exercise behavior need to attract less active participants and need
      to make additional efforts to prevent relapse in intentions and exercise
      behavior.

PMID- 28360872
TI  - Integrative Priming of Compositional and Locative Relations.
AB  - Integrative priming refers to the facilitated recognition of a target word
      (bench) as a real word following a prime (park). Prior integrative priming
      studies have used a wide variety of integrative relations including temporal
      (summer rain), topical (travel book), locative (forest river), and compositional
      (peach pie) relations. Yet differences in the types of integrative relations may
      yield differences in the underlying explanatory processes of integrative priming.
      In this study, we compared the magnitude, time course, and three theoretically
      based correlates of integrative priming for compositional (stone table) and
      locative (patio table) pairs in a lexical decision task across four stimulus
      onset asynchronies (SOAs; 50, 300, 800, and 1,600 ms). Based on the Complementary
      Role Activation theory, integrative ratings (the extent to which the prime and
      target can be combined into a meaningful phrase) were predicted to facilitate
      target RTs. Based on the Embodied Conceptual Combination (ECCo) theory, the local
      co-occurrence of the prime and target, and the ability to perceptually simulate
      (visually experience) the prime-target pair were tested as predictors. In
      comparison to unrelated pairs (nose table), target RTs were faster for the
      compositional and locative pairs, though did not differ between these relations.
      In support of the Complementary Role Activation theory, integrative ratings
      predicted target RTs above and beyond our control variables. In support of the
      ECCo theory, co-occurrence emerged as an early predictor of target RTs, and
      visual experience ratings was a reliable predictor at the 300 ms SOA, though only
      for the compositional relations.

PMID- 28360873
TI  - Second Language Use Facilitates Implicit Emotion Regulation via Content Labeling.
AB  - Previous studies reported that negative stimuli induced less affect in bilinguals
      when stimuli were presented in bilinguals' second, weaker language (L2) than when
      they were presented in their native language (L1). This effect of L2 use was
      attributed to increased emotional distance as well as to increased levels of
      cognitive control during L2 use. Here we investigated how explicit (cognitive
      reappraisal, i.e., reinterpreting the meaning of the emotional stimulus to alter
      its emotional impact) and implicit (content labeling, i.e., categorizing the
      content of the image; and emotion labeling, i.e., naming the emotion induced by
      the emotional stimulus) emotion regulation strategies are altered in an L2
      (English) context in German native speakers with medium to high proficiency in
      their L2. While previous studies used linguistic stimuli, such as words, to
      induce affect, here we used images to test whether reduced affect could also be
      observed for non-linguistic stimuli when presented in an L2 context. We
      hypothesized that the previously implicated increase in emotional distance and
      cognitive control in an L2 would result in an L2 advantage in emotion regulation
      (i.e., leading to less negative emotions compared to an L1 context), by
      strengthening the effect of linguistic re-evaluation on the evoked emotions.
      Using a classic emotion regulation paradigm, we examined changes in subjective
      emotional state ratings during reappraisal, emotion labeling and content labeling
      in a L1 and L2 context. We found that the strength of evoked affective responses
      did not depend on the language context in which an image was presented.
      Crucially, content labeling in L2 was more effective than in L1, whereas emotion
      labeling did not differ between languages. Overall, evoked responses were
      regulated most effectively through explicit emotion regulation (reappraisal) in
      L1 and L2 context. These results demonstrate an L2 advantage effect for emotion
      regulation through content labeling and suggest that L2 context alters sub
      processes implicated in content labeling but not emotion labeling.

PMID- 28360874
TI  - Online Control of Prehension Predicts Performance on a Standardized Motor
      Assessment Test in 8- to 12-Year-Old Children.
AB  - Goal-directed hand movements are guided by sensory information and may be
      adjusted 'online,' during the movement. If the target of a movement unexpectedly
      changes position, trajectory corrections can be initiated in as little as 100 ms
      in adults. This rapid visual online control is impaired in children with
      developmental coordination disorder (DCD), and potentially in other
      neurodevelopmental conditions. We investigated the visual control of hand
      movements in children in a 'center-out' double-step reaching and grasping task,
      and examined how parameters of this visuomotor control co-vary with performance
      on standardized motor tests often used with typically and atypically developing
      children. Two groups of children aged 8-12 years were asked to reach and grasp an
      illuminated central ball on a vertically oriented board. On a proportion of
      trials, and at movement onset, the illumination switched unpredictably to one of
      four other balls in a center-out configuration (left, right, up, or down). When
      the target moved, all but one of the children were able to correct their
      movements before reaching the initial target, at least on some trials, but the
      latencies to initiate these corrections were longer than those typically reported
      in the adult literature, ranging from 211 to 581 ms. These later corrections may
      be due to less developed motor skills in children, or to the increased cognitive
      and biomechanical complexity of switching movements in four directions. In the
      first group (n = 187), reaching and grasping parameters significantly predicted
      standardized movement scores on the MABC-2, most strongly for the aiming and
      catching component. In the second group (n = 85), these same parameters did not
      significantly predict scores on the DCDQ'07 parent questionnaire. Our reaching
      and grasping task provides a sensitive and continuous measure of movement skill
      that predicts scores on standardized movement tasks used to screen for DCD.

PMID- 28360875
TI  - An Exploratory Investigation of the Role of Openness in Relationship Quality
      among Emerging Adult Chinese Couples.
AB  - This study tested emerging adult couples' openness and its fit effect on their
      romantic relationship quality using quadratic polynomial regression and response
      surface analysis. Participants were 260 emerging adult dyads. Both dyads'
      openness and relationship quality were measured. The result showed that (1)
      female and male openness contribute differently to relationship quality; (2)
      couples with similar high openness could experience better relationship quality
      than those with similar low openness traits; and (3) when dyadic openness is
      dissimilar, it is better to be either relatively high or relatively low than to
      be moderate. These findings highlight the role of openness in emerging adults'
      romantic relationships from a dyadic angle.

PMID- 28360876
TI  - Groupness in Preverbal Infants: Proof of Concept.
AB  - Infant sociability is generally conceived in terms of dyadic capacities and
      behaviors. Recently, quantitative evidence has been published to support
      arguments that infants achieve a criterion for groupness: the capacity to
      interact simultaneously with two others. Such studies equate this capacity with
      alternating dyadic acts to the two other members of an interacting trio. Here we
      propose a stricter threefold criterion for infant groupness, of which the crux is
      whether the social behavior of an infant at time B is shown to be influenced by
      what two or more group-members were previously doing at time A. We test the
      viability of this conceptualization: (a) through its justification of the novel
      laboratory procedure of studying infant sociability in infant-peer quartets
      (rather than trios); and, (b) in an analysis of a pilot study of gaze-behavior
      recorded in 5-min interactions among two quartets of infants aged 6-9 months. We
      call this a 'proof of concept' because our aim is to show that infants are
      capable of groupness, when groupness is conceptualized in a supra-dyadic way-not
      that all infants will manifest it, nor that all conditions will produce it, nor
      that it is commonplace in infants' everyday lives. We found that both quartets
      did achieve the minimum criterion of groupness that we propose: mutual gaze
      predicting coordinated gaze (where two babies, A and B, are looking at each
      other, and B is then looked at by C, and sometimes D) more strongly than the
      reverse. There was a significant absence of 'parallel mutual gaze,' where the
      four babies pair off. We conclude that, under specific conditions, preverbal
      infants can manifest supra-dyadic groupness. Infants' capacities to exhibit
      groupness by 9 months of age, and the paucity of parallel mutual gaze in our
      data, run counter to the assumption that infant sociability, when in groups, is
      always generated by a dyadic program. Our conceptualization and demonstration of
      groupness in 8-month-olds thus opens a host of empirical, theoretical, and
      practical questions about the sociability and care of young babies.

PMID- 28360877
TI  - Social Discounting under Risk.
AB  - As a measure of how prosocial behavior depends on social distance, social
      discounting is defined as the decrease in generosity between the decision maker
      and the recipient as the social distance increases. While risk is a ubiquitous
      part of modern life, there is limited research on the relationship between risk
      and prosocial behavior. In the present experiment, we empirically test whether
      risk has an influence on social discounting. We use the choice titration
      procedure to examine this effect. Our data show that independent of risk,
      participants are less eager to forego money and exhibit more selfishness toward a
      specific person when the social distance increases; these findings are reflected
      in the hyperbolic model. Interestingly, risk influences the shape of the social
      discounting function, which is reflected in the notable different discount rates.
      Individuals who make decisions under risk yield a smaller discount rate than
      those who make decisions without risk, i.e., under risk subjects reduce less
      their generosity as a function of the social distance. Furthermore, this distinct
      type of generosity occurs typically among individuals with 10-distance recipients
      but not with the closest- and furthest-social-distance recipients.

PMID- 28360878
TI  - Task Integration Facilitates Multitasking.
AB  - The aim of this study was to investigate multi-task integration in a continuous
      tracking task. We were particularly interested in how manipulating task structure
      in a dual-task situation affects learning of a constant segment embedded in a
      pursuit-tracking task. Importantly, we examined if dual-task effects could be
      attributed to task integration by varying the structural similarity and
      difficulty of the primary and secondary tasks. In Experiment 1 participants
      performed a pursuit tracking task while counting high-pitched tones and ignoring
      low-pitched tones. The tones were either presented randomly or structurally 250
      ms before each tracking turn. Experiment 2 increased the motor load of the
      secondary tasks by asking participants to tap their feet to the tones. Experiment
      3 further increased motor load of the primary task by increasing its speed and
      having participants tracking with their non-dominant hand. The results show that
      dual-task interference can be moderated by secondary task conditions that match
      the structure of the primary task. Therefore our results support proposals of
      task integration in continuous tracking paradigms. We conclude that multi-tasking
      is not always detrimental for motor learning but can be facilitated through task
      integration.

PMID- 28360879
TI  - Resilience Protected against Suicidal Behavior for Men But Not Women in a
      Community Sample of Older Adults in Korea.
AB  - Suicide prevention efforts in reducing risk factors have been found to be more
      beneficial to older women than men, suggesting potential gender differences in
      effective prevention. The study aimed to examine gender difference in resilience
      for suicidal behavior in a community sample of older adults in Korea. A community
      based survey was conducted to investigate resilience and risk factors of suicidal
      behavior using the Suicidal Behaviors Questionnaire-Revised, Connor-Davidson
      Resilience Scale, Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale (CES-D), as
      well as questions regarding physical illness and depression history. After
      accounting for well-known risk factors, resilience was inversely associated with
      suicidal behavior, but this protective role of resilience was applicable to men
      only. The findings of this study indicated gender difference in resilience
      against suicidal behavior in the elderly population. Gender-specific preventive
      intervention strategies need to be developed for community-based suicide
      prevention for older adults.

PMID- 28360880
TI  - (Mal)Adaptive Psychological Functioning of Students Utilizing University
      Counseling Services.
AB  - Background: University students confront psychological difficulties that can
      negatively influence their academic performance. The present study aimed to
      assess several areas of adaptive and maladaptive psychological functioning among
      university students who request counseling services. Method: One hundred eighty
      four young female students seeking professional psychological help (Counseling
      seekers) and 185 young female students who have never asked for psychological
      help (Non-counseling seekers) were asked to complete the Adult Self-Report (ASR)
      to evaluate both their internalizing and externalizing problems through DSM
      oriented scales as well as their adaptive functioning. Results: ANOVA results
      indicated worse psychological functioning for the students who sought counseling.
      They reported lower score in ASR Adaptive Functioning Scales (i.e., friends,
      jobs, family, education), and higher scores in DSM-oriented scales (i.e.,
      Depressive, Anxiety, Somatic, Avoidant Personality, Attention
      Deficit/Hyperactivity symptoms) than the students who never asked psychological
      help. Furthermore, discriminant analysis successfully discriminated between the
      two groups of students on the basis of the ASR's adaptive and DSM-oriented
      scales. Conclusion: The study findings could be useful to guide university
      counseling services in their screening activities as well as useful for clinical
      practice.

PMID- 28360882
TI  - Vestibular Activation Habituates the Vasovagal Response in the Rat.
AB  - Vasovagal syncope is a significant medical problem without effective therapy,
      postulated to be related to a collapse of baroreflex function. While some studies
      have shown that repeated static tilts can block vasovagal syncope, this was not
      found in other studies. Using anesthetized, male Long-Evans rats that were highly
      susceptible to generation of vasovagal responses, we found that repeated
      activation of the vestibulosympathetic reflex (VSR) with +/-2 and +/-3 mA, 0.025
      Hz sinusoidal galvanic vestibular stimulation (sGVS) caused incremental changes
      in blood pressure (BP) and heart rate (HR) that blocked further generation of
      vasovagal responses. Initially, BP and HR fell ~20-50 mmHg and ~20-50 beats/min
      (bpm) into a vasovagal response when stimulated with Sgv?S in susceptible rats.
      As the rats were continually stimulated, HR initially rose to counteract the fall
      in BP; then the increase in HR became more substantial and long lasting,
      effectively opposing the fall in BP. Finally, the vestibular stimuli simply
      caused an increase in BP, the normal sequence following activation of the VSR.
      Concurrently, habituation caused disappearance of the low-frequency (0.025 and
      0.05 Hz) oscillations in BP and HR that must be present when vasovagal responses
      are induced. Habituation also produced significant increases in baroreflex
      sensitivity (p < 0.001). Thus, repeated low-frequency activation of the VSR
      resulted in a reduction and loss of susceptibility to development of vasovagal
      responses in rats that were previously highly susceptible. We posit that
      reactivation of the baroreflex, which is depressed by anesthesia and the
      disappearance of low-frequency oscillations in BP and HR are likely to be
      critically involved in producing resistance to the development of vasovagal
      responses. SGVS has been widely used to activate muscle sympathetic nerve
      activity in humans and is safe and well tolerated. Potentially, it could be used
      to produce similar habituation of vasovagal syncope in humans.

PMID- 28360883
TI  - Continuous Monitoring of Essential Tremor Using a Portable System Based on
      Smartwatch.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: Essential tremor (ET) shows amplitude fluctuations throughout the
      day, presenting challenges in both clinical and treatment monitoring. Tremor
      severity is currently evaluated by validated rating scales, which only provide a
      timely and subjective assessment during a clinical visit. Motor sensors have
      shown favorable performances in quantifying tremor objectively. METHODS: A new
      highly portable system was used to monitor tremor continuously during daily
      lives. It consists of a smartwatch with a triaxial accelerometer, a smartphone,
      and a remote server. An experiment was conducted involving eight ET patients. The
      average effective data collection time per patient was 26 (+/-6.05) hours. Fahn
      Tolosa-Marin Tremor Rating Scale (FTMTRS) was adopted as the gold standard to
      classify tremor and to validate the performance of the system. Quantitative
      analysis of tremor severity on different time scales is validated. RESULTS:
      Significant correlations were observed between neurologist's FTMTRS and patient's
      FTMTRS auto-assessment scores (r = 0.84; p = 0.009), between the device
      quantitative measures and the scores from the standardized assessments of
      neurologists (r = 0.80; p = 0.005) and patient's auto-evaluation (r = 0.97; p =
      0.032), and between patient's FTMTRS auto-assessment scores day-to-day (r = 0.87;
      p < 0.001). A graphical representation of four patients with different degrees of
      tremor was presented, and a representative system is proposed to summarize the
      tremor scoring at different time scales. CONCLUSION: This study demonstrates the
      feasibility of prolonged and continuous monitoring of tremor severity during
      daily activities by a highly portable non-restrictive system, a useful tool to
      analyze efficacy and effectiveness of treatment.

PMID- 28360881
TI  - Hemostasis in Intracranial Hemorrhage.
AB  - Spontaneous non-traumatic intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH) is associated with high
      morbidity and mortality throughout the world with no proven effective treatment.
      Majority of hematoma expansion occur within 4 h after symptom onset and is
      associated with early deterioration and poor clinical outcome. There is a vital
      role of ultra-early hemostatic therapy in ICH to limit hematoma expansion.
      Patients at risk for hematoma expansion are with underlying hemostatic
      abnormalities. Treatment strategy should include appropriate intervention based
      on the history of use of antithrombotic use or an underlying coagulopathy in
      patients with ICH. For antiplatelet-associated ICH, recommendation is to
      discontinue antiplatelet agent and transfuse platelets to those who will undergo
      neurosurgical procedure with moderate quality of evidence. For vitamin K
      antagonist-associated ICH, administration of 3-factor or 4-factor prothrombin
      complex concentrates (PCCs) rather than fresh frozen plasma to patients with INR
      >1.4 is strongly recommended. For patients with novel oral anticoagulant
      associated ICH, administering activated charcoal to those who present within 2 h
      of ingestion is recommended. Idarucizumab, a humanized monoclonal antibody
      fragment against dabigatran (direct thrombin inhibitor) is approved by FDA for
      emergency situations. Administer activated PCC (50 U/kg) or 4-factor PCC (50
      U/kg) to patients with ICH associated with direct thrombin inhibitors (DTI) if
      idarucizumab is not available or if the hemorrhage is associated with a DTI other
      than dabigatran. For factor Xa inhibitor-associated ICH, administration of 4
      factor PCC or aPCC is preferred over recombinant FVIIa because of the lower risk
      of adverse thrombotic events.

PMID- 28360885
TI  - Circadian Rhythm Influences the Promoting Role of Pulsed Electromagnetic Fields
      on Sciatic Nerve Regeneration in Rats.
AB  - Circadian rhythm (CR) plays a critical role in the treatment of several diseases.
      However, the role of CR in the treatment of peripheral nerve defects has not been
      studied. It is also known that the pulsed electromagnetic fields (PEMF) can
      provide a beneficial microenvironment to quicken the process of nerve
      regeneration and to enhance the quality of reconstruction. In this study, we
      evaluate the impact of CR on the promoting effect of PEMF on peripheral nerve
      regeneration in rats. We used the self-made "collagen-chitosan" nerve conduits to
      bridge the 15-mm nerve gaps in Sprague-Dawley rats. Our results show that PEMF
      stimulation at daytime (DPEMF) has most effective outcome on nerve regeneration
      and rats with DPEMF treatment achieve quickly functional recovery after 12 weeks.
      These findings indicate that CR is an important factor that determines the
      promoting effect of PEMF on peripheral nerve regeneration. PEMF exposure in the
      daytime enhances the functional recovery of rats. Our study provides a helpful
      guideline for the effective use of PEMF mediations experimentally and clinically.

PMID- 28360886
TI  - Increased Circulating T Follicular Helper Cells Are Inhibited by Rituximab in
      Neuromyelitis Optica Spectrum Disorder.
AB  - Neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder (NMOSD) is a severe autoimmune disease of
      the central nervous system. The existence of autoantibody targeting aquaporin-4
      (AQP4-Ab) indicates the involvement of humoral immunity in the pathogenesis of
      this disease. Rituximab (RTX), a monoclonal antibody against CD20, has been used
      to treat NMOSD by depleting circulating B cells and overall satisfactory outcome
      has been achieved. Although T follicular helper cells have been proved to
      regulate B cell activation and antibody production, the role of these cells in
      NMOSD and the impact of RTX treatment on these cells remain less understood. In
      this study, we found that frequencies of circulating T follicular helper (cTfh)
      cells and B cells together with the related cytokines, IL-21 and IL-6, were
      closely correlated with disease activity of NMOSD. Furthermore, B cell depletion
      with RTX treatment inhibited the expansion of cTfh cells, and these effects were
      achieved through eliminating IL-6-producing B cells and blocking the direct
      contact between cTfh cells and B cells. These findings imply the complicated
      cross talk between cTfh cells and B cells and may provide a novel therapeutic
      target for NMOSD.

PMID- 28360887
TI  - Oxidative Stress Function in Women over 40 Years of Age, Considering Their
      Lifestyle.
AB  - Aging is dependent on biological processes that determine the aging of the
      organism at the cellular level. The Oxidative Stress Theory of Aging might
      explain some of the age-related changes in cell macromolecules. Moreover,
      exposome and lifestyle may also induce changes in cell damage induced by
      oxidative stress. The aim of the present study was to analyze the related redox
      changes in lymphocyte function of healthy women over 40 years old. Three groups:
      younger (YG: 40-49 years), middle aged (MAG: 50-59 years), and older (OG: >=60
      years) were evaluated on anthropometric variables, blood pressure, cardiovascular
      fitness, lifestyle habits, perceived stress, DNA damage, malondialdehyde,
      catalase activity, and total antioxidant capacity. Physical activity and
      cardiovascular fitness were significantly higher in YG and MAG as compared to the
      OG. Systolic blood pressure increased significantly with group age. Frequency and
      total amount of alcohol intake were lower in the OG and higher in the MAG. No
      significant differences were observed between the three groups in oxidative
      stress parameters. Only alcohol consumption was associated with the higher DNA
      FPG-sensitive sites, and only in the YG (p < 0.05). Healthy lifestyle is critical
      to avoiding major ailments associated with aging. This may be inferred from the
      lack of significant differences in the various oxidative stress parameters
      measured in the healthy women over the age of 40 who took part in the study.
      Conscious lifestyle behaviors (decrease in alcohol and smoking habits) could have
      impaired the expected age-related oxidative stress increase.

PMID- 28360884
TI  - Clock-Enhancing Small Molecules and Potential Applications in Chronic Diseases
      and Aging.
AB  - Normal physiological functions require a robust biological timer called the
      circadian clock. When clocks are dysregulated, misaligned, or dampened,
      pathological consequences ensue, leading to chronic diseases and accelerated
      aging. An emerging research area is the development of clock-targeting compounds
      that may serve as drug candidates to correct dysregulated rhythms and hence
      mitigate disease symptoms and age-related decline. In this review, we first
      present a concise view of the circadian oscillator, physiological networks, and
      regulatory mechanisms of circadian amplitude. Given a close association of
      circadian amplitude dampening and disease progression, clock-enhancing small
      molecules (CEMs) are of particular interest as candidate chronotherapeutics. A
      recent proof-of-principle study illustrated that the natural polymethoxylated
      flavonoid nobiletin directly targets the circadian oscillator and elicits robust
      metabolic improvements in mice. We describe mood disorders and aging as potential
      therapeutic targets of CEMs. Future studies of CEMs will shed important insight
      into the regulation and disease relevance of circadian clocks.

PMID- 28360888
TI  - The Absence of the Transcription Factor Yrr1p, Identified from Comparative Genome
      Profiling, Increased Vanillin Tolerance Due to Enhancements of ABC Transporters
      Expressing, rRNA Processing and Ribosome Biogenesis in Saccharomyces cerevisiae.
AB  - Enhancing the tolerance of Saccharomyces cerevisiae to inhibitors derived from
      lignocellulose is conducive to producing biofuel and chemicals using abundant
      lignocellulosic materials. Vanillin is a major type of phenolic inhibitor in
      lignocellulose hydrolysates for S. cerevisiae. In the present work, the factors
      beneficial to vanillin resistance in yeast were identified from the vanillin
      resistant strain EMV-8, which was derived from strain NAN-27 by adaptive
      evolution. We found 450 SNPs and 44 genes with InDels in the vanillin-tolerant
      strain EMV-8 by comparing the genome sequences of EMV-8 and NAN-27. To
      investigate the effects of InDels, InDels were deleted in BY4741, respectively.
      We demonstrated that the deletion of YRR1 improved vanillin tolerance of strain.
      In the presence of 6 mM vanillin, deleting YRR1 increase the maximum specific
      growth rate and the vanillin consumption rate by 142 and 51%, respectively. The
      subsequent transcriptome analysis revealed that deleting YRR1 resulted in changed
      expression of over 200 genes in the presence of 5 mM vanillin. The most marked
      changes were the significant up-regulation of the dehydrogenase ADH7, several ATP
      binding cassette (ABC) transporters, and dozens of genes involved in ribosome
      biogenesis and rRNA processing. Coincidently, the crude enzyme solution of
      BY4741(yrr1Delta) exhibited higher NADPH-dependent vanillin reduction activity
      than control. In addition, overexpressing the ABC transporter genes PDR5, YOR1,
      and SNQ2, as well as the RNA helicase gene DBP2, increased the vanillin tolerance
      of strain. Interestingly, unlike the marked changes we mentioned above, under
      vanillin-free conditions, there are only limited transcriptional differences
      between wildtype and yrr1Delta. This indicated that vanillin might act as an
      effector in Yrr1p-related regulatory processes. The new findings of the
      relationship between YRR1 and vanillin tolerance, as well as the contribution of
      rRNA processing and ribosome biogenesis to enhancing S. cerevisiae vanillin
      tolerance, provide novel targets for genetic engineering manipulation to improve
      microbes' tolerance to lignocellulose hydrolysate.

PMID- 28360889
TI  - Small Luggage for a Long Journey: Transfer of Vesicle-Enclosed Small RNA in
      Interspecies Communication.
AB  - In the evolutionary arms race, symbionts have evolved means to modulate each
      other's physiology, oftentimes through the dissemination of biological signals.
      Beyond small molecules and proteins, recent evidence shows that small RNA
      molecules are transferred between organisms and transmit functional RNA
      interference signals across biological species. However, the mechanisms through
      which specific RNAs involved in cross-species communication are sorted for
      secretion and protected from degradation in the environment remain largely
      enigmatic. Over the last decade, extracellular vesicles have emerged as prominent
      vehicles of biological signals. They can stabilize specific RNA transcripts in
      biological fluids and selectively deliver them to recipient cells. Here, we
      review examples of small RNA transfers between plants and bacterial, fungal, and
      animal symbionts. We also discuss the transmission of RNA interference signals
      from intestinal cells to populations of the gut microbiota, along with its roles
      in intestinal homeostasis. We suggest that extracellular vesicles may contribute
      to inter-species crosstalk mediated by small RNA. We review the mechanisms of RNA
      sorting to extracellular vesicles and evaluate their relevance in cross-species
      communication by discussing conservation, stability, stoichiometry, and co
      occurrence of vesicles with alternative communication vehicles.

PMID- 28360890
TI  - Driving HIV-1 into a Vulnerable Corner by Taking Advantage of Viral Adaptation
      and Evolution.
AB  - Anti-retroviral therapy (ART) is crucial for controlling human immunodeficiency
      virus type-1 (HIV-1) infection. Recently, progress in identifying and
      characterizing highly potent broadly neutralizing antibodies has provided
      valuable templates for HIV-1 therapy and vaccine design. Nevertheless, HIV-1,
      like many RNA viruses, exhibits genetically diverse populations known as
      quasispecies. Evolution of quasispecies can occur rapidly in response to
      selective pressures, such as that exerted by ART and the immune system. Hence,
      rapid viral evolution leading to drug resistance and/or immune evasion is a
      significant barrier to the development of effective HIV-1 treatments and
      vaccines. Here, we describe our recent investigations into evolutionary pressure
      exerted by anti-retroviral drugs and monoclonal neutralizing antibodies (NAbs) on
      HIV-1 envelope sequences. We also discuss sensitivities of HIV-1 escape mutants
      to maraviroc, a CCR5 inhibitor, and HIV-1 sensitized to NAbs by small-molecule
      CD4-mimetic compounds. These studies help to develop an understanding of viral
      evolution and escape from both anti-retroviral drugs and the immune system, and
      also provide fundamental insights into the combined use of NAbs and entry
      inhibitors. These findings of the adaptation and evolution of HIV in response to
      drug and immune pressure will inform the development of more effective antiviral
      therapeutic strategies.

PMID- 28360892
TI  - Enhancement of Non-photochemical Quenching as an Adaptive Strategy under
      Phosphorus Deprivation in the Dinoflagellate Karlodinium veneficum.
AB  - Intensified water column stratification due to global warming has the potential
      to decrease nutrient availability while increasing excess light for the
      photosynthesis of phytoplankton in the euphotic zone, which together will
      increase the need for photoprotective strategies such as non-photochemical
      quenching (NPQ). We investigated whether NPQ is enhanced and how it is regulated
      molecularly under phosphorus (P) deprivation in the dinoflagellate Karlodinium
      veneficum. We grew K. veneficum under P-replete and P-depleted conditions,
      monitored their growth rates and chlorophyll fluorescence, and conducted gene
      expression and comparative proteomic analyses. The results were used to
      characterize NPQ modulation and associated gene expression dynamics under P
      deprivation. We found that NPQ in K. veneficum was elevated significantly under P
      deprivation. Accordingly, the abundances of three light-harvesting complex stress
      related proteins increased under P-depleted condition. Besides, many proteins
      related to genetic information flow were down-regulated while many proteins
      related to energy production and conversion were up-regulated under P
      deprivation. Taken together, our results indicate that K. veneficum cells respond
      to P deprivation by reconfiguring the metabolic landscape and up-tuning NPQ to
      increase the capacity to dissipate excess light energy and maintain the fluency
      of energy flow, which provides a new perspective about what adaptive strategy
      dinoflagellates have evolved to cope with P deprivation.

PMID- 28360893
TI  - Diversity of Cultivable Protease-Producing Bacteria in Laizhou Bay Sediments,
      Bohai Sea, China.
AB  - Protease-producing bacteria are widespread in ocean sediments and play important
      roles in degrading sedimentary nitrogenous organic materials. However, the
      diversity of the bacteria and the proteases involved in such processes remain
      largely unknown especially for communities in enclosed sea bays. Here, we
      investigated the diversity of the extracellular protease-producing bacteria and
      their protease types in Laizhou Bay. A total of 121 bacterial isolates were
      obtained from sediment samples in 7 sites and their protease types were
      characterized. The abundance of cultivable protease-producing bacteria was about
      104 CFU g-1 of sediment. Phylogenetic analysis based on 16S rRNA gene sequences
      suggest that the isolates belonged to 17 genera from 4 phyla including
      Firmicutes, Actinobacteria, Proteobacteria and Bacteroidetes, and mainly
      dominated by the genera Pseudoalteromonas (40.5%), Bacillus (36.3%), and
      Photobacterium (5.8%). The diversity and community structure varied among
      different sampling sites but no significant correlation was observed with soil
      sediment's characteristics. Enzyme activity and inhibition tests further revealed
      that all isolates secreted proteases that were inhibited by serine and/or
      metalloprotease inhibitors, and a smaller proportion was inhibited by inhibitors
      of cysteine and/or aspartic proteases. Furthermore, all isolates effectively
      degraded casein and/or gelatin with only a few that could hydrolyze elastin,
      suggesting that the bacteria were producing different kinds of serine proteases
      or metalloproteases. This study provided novel insights on the community
      structure of cultivable protease-producing bacteria near the Yellow River estuary
      of an enclosed sea bay.

PMID- 28360891
TI  - Cloning and Heterologous Expression of a Large-sized Natural Product Biosynthetic
      Gene Cluster in Streptomyces Species.
AB  - Actinomycetes family including Streptomyces species have been a major source for
      the discovery of novel natural products (NPs) in the last several decades thanks
      to their structural novelty, diversity and complexity. Moreover, recent genome
      mining approach has provided an attractive tool to screen potentially valuable NP
      biosynthetic gene clusters (BGCs) present in the actinomycetes genomes. Since
      many of these NP BGCs are silent or cryptic in the original actinomycetes,
      various techniques have been employed to activate these NP BGCs. Heterologous
      expression of BGCs has become a useful strategy to produce, reactivate, improve,
      and modify the pathways of NPs present at minute quantities in the original
      actinomycetes isolates. However, cloning and efficient overexpression of an
      entire NP BGC, often as large as over 100 kb, remain challenging due to the
      ineffectiveness of current genetic systems in manipulating large NP BGCs. This
      mini review describes examples of actinomycetes NP production through BGC
      heterologous expression systems as well as recent strategies specialized for the
      large-sized NP BGCs in Streptomyces heterologous hosts.

PMID- 28360894
TI  - Plasmids Carrying blaCMY -2/4 in Escherichia coli from Poultry, Poultry Meat, and
      Humans Belong to a Novel IncK Subgroup Designated IncK2.
AB  - The blaCMY -2/4-carrying IncB/O/K-like plasmids of seven Escherichia coli strains
      from poultry, poultry meat and human urine samples were examined using
      comparative analysis of whole plasmid sequences. The incompatibility group was
      determined by analysis of the incRNAI region and conjugation assays with strains
      containing the IncK and IncB/O reference plasmids. Strains were additionally
      characterized using MLST and MIC determination. The complete DNA sequences of all
      plasmids showed an average nucleotide identity of 91.3%. Plasmids were detected
      in E. coli sequence type (ST) 131, ST38, ST420, ST1431, ST1564 and belonged to a
      new plasmid variant (IncK2) within the IncK and IncB/O groups. Notably, one E.
      coli from poultry meat and one from human contained the same plasmid. The
      presence of a common recently recognized IncK2 plasmid in diverse E. coli from
      human urine isolates and poultry meat production suggests that the IncK2 plasmids
      originated from a common progenitor and have the capability to spread to
      genetically diverse E. coli in different reservoirs. This discovery is alarming
      and stresses the need of rapidly introducing strict hygiene measures throughout
      the food chain, limiting the spread of such plasmids in the human settings.

PMID- 28360896
TI  - Comparative Genomics of Four Isosphaeraceae Planctomycetes: A Common Pool of
      Plasmids and Glycoside Hydrolase Genes Shared by Paludisphaera borealis PX4T,
      Isosphaera pallida IS1BT, Singulisphaera acidiphila DSM 18658T, and Strain SH
      PL62.
AB  - The family Isosphaeraceae accommodates stalk-free planctomycetes with spherical
      cells, which can be assembled in short chains, long filaments, or aggregates.
      These bacteria inhabit a wide variety of terrestrial environments, among those
      the recently described Paludisphaera borealis PX4T that was isolated from acidic
      boreal wetlands. Here, we analyzed its finished genome in comparison to those of
      three other members of the Isosphaeraceae: Isosphaera pallida IS1BT,
      Singulisphaera acidiphila DSM 18658T, and the uncharacterized planctomycete
      strain SH-PL62. The complete genome of P. borealis PX4T consists of a 7.5 Mb
      chromosome and two plasmids, 112 and 43 kb in size. Annotation of the genome
      sequence revealed 5802 potential protein-coding genes of which 2775 could be
      functionally assigned. The genes encoding metabolic pathways common for chemo
      organotrophic bacteria, such as glycolysis, citrate cycle, pentose-phosphate
      pathway, and oxidative phosphorylation were identified. Several genes involved in
      the synthesis of peptidoglycan as well as N-methylated ornithine lipids were
      present in the genome of P. borealis PX4T. A total of 26 giant genes with a size
      >5 kb were detected. The genome encodes a wide repertoire of carbohydrate-active
      enzymes (CAZymes) including 44 glycoside hydrolases (GH) and 83
      glycosyltransferases (GT) affiliated with 21 and 13 CAZy families, respectively.
      The most-represented families are GH5, GH13, GH57, GT2, GT4, and GT83. The
      experimentally determined carbohydrate utilization pattern agrees well with the
      genome-predicted capabilities. The CAZyme repertoire in P. borealis PX4T is
      highly similar to that in the uncharacterized planctomycete SH-PL62 and S.
      acidiphila DSM 18658T, but different to that in the thermophile I. pallida IS1BT.
      The latter strain has a strongly reduced CAZyme content. In P. borealis PX4T,
      many of its CAZyme genes are organized in clusters. Contrary to most other
      members of the order Planctomycetales, all four analyzed Isosphaeraceae
      planctomycetes have plasmids in numbers varying from one to four. The plasmids
      from P. borealis PX4T display synteny to plasmids from other family members,
      providing evidence for their common evolutionary origin.

PMID- 28360895
TI  - Genetic Diversity of Brucella Reference and Non-reference Phages and Its Impact
      on Brucella-Typing.
AB  - Virulent phages have been used for many years to type Brucella isolates, but
      until recently knowledge about the genetic makeup of these phages remains
      limited. In this work the host specificity and genomic sequences of the original
      set (deposited in 1960) of VLA Brucella reference phages Tb, Fi, Wb, Bk2, R/C,
      and Iz were analyzed and compared with hitherto described brucellaphages. VLA
      phages turned out to be different from homonymous phages in other laboratories.
      The host range of the phages was defined by performing plaque assays with a wide
      selection of Brucella strains. Propagation of the phages on different strains did
      not alter host specificity. Sequencing of the phages TbV, FiV, WbV, and R/CV
      revealed nucleotide variations when compared to same-named phages previously
      described by other laboratories. The phages Bk2V and IzV were sequenced for the
      first time. While Bk2V exhibited the same deletions as WbV, IzV possesses the
      largest genome of all Brucella reference phages. The duplication of a 301 bp
      sequence in this phage and the large deletion in Bk2V, WbV, and R/CV may be a
      result of recombination caused by repetitive sequences located in this DNA
      region. To identify new phages as potential candidates for lysotyping, the host
      range and Single Nucleotide Polymorphisms (SNPs) of 22 non-reference Brucella
      phages were determined. The phages showed lysis patterns different from those of
      the reference phages and thus represent novel valuable candidates in the typing
      set.

PMID- 28360897
TI  - Classification of Isolates from the Pseudomonas fluorescens Complex into
      Phylogenomic Groups Based in Group-Specific Markers.
AB  - The Pseudomonas fluorescens complex of species includes plant-associated bacteria
      with potential biotechnological applications in agriculture and environmental
      protection. Many of these bacteria can promote plant growth by different means,
      including modification of plant hormonal balance and biocontrol. The P.
      fluorescens group is currently divided into eight major subgroups in which these
      properties and many other ecophysiological traits are phylogenetically
      distributed. Therefore, a rapid phylogroup assignment for a particular isolate
      could be useful to simplify the screening of putative inoculants. By using
      comparative genomics on 71 P. fluorescens genomes, we have identified nine
      markers which allow classification of any isolate into these eight subgroups, by
      a presence/absence PCR test. Nine primer pairs were developed for the
      amplification of these markers. The specificity and sensitivity of these primer
      pairs were assessed on 28 field isolates, environmental samples from soil and
      rhizosphere and tested by in silico PCR on 421 genomes. Phylogenomic analysis
      validated the results: the PCR-based system for classification of P. fluorescens
      isolates has a 98.34% of accuracy and it could be used as a rapid and simple
      assay to evaluate the potential of any P. fluorescens complex strain.

PMID- 28360898
TI  - Archaea Dominate the Ammonia-Oxidizing Community in Deep-Sea Sediments of the
      Eastern Indian Ocean-from the Equator to the Bay of Bengal.
AB  - Ammonia-oxidizing Archaea (AOA) and ammonia-oxidizing Bacteria (AOB) oxidize
      ammonia to nitrite, and therefore play essential roles in nitrification and
      global nitrogen cycling. To better understand the population structure and the
      distribution of AOA and AOB in the deep Eastern Indian Ocean (EIO), nine surface
      sediment samples (>3,300 m depth) were collected during the inter-monsoon Spring
      2013. One sediment sample from the South China Sea (SCS; 2,510 m) was also
      included for comparison. The community composition, species richness, and
      diversity were characterized by clone libraries (total 1,238 clones), and higher
      diversity of archaeal amoA genes than bacterial amoA genes was observed in all
      analyzed samples. Real time qPCR analysis also demonstrated higher abundances
      (gene copy numbers) of archaeal amoA genes than bacterial amoA genes, and the
      ratios of AOA/AOB ranged from 1.42 to 8.49 among sites. In addition, unique and
      distinct clades were found in both reconstructed AOA and AOB phylogeny,
      suggesting the presence of niche-specific ammonia-oxidizing microorganisms in the
      EIO. The distribution pattern of both archaeal and bacterial amoA genes revealed
      by NMDS (non-metric multidimensional scaling) showed a distinct geographic
      separation of the sample from the SCS and most of the samples from the EIO
      following nitrogen gradients. Higher abundance and diversity of archaeal amoA
      genes indicated that AOA may play a more important role than AOB in the deep
      Indian Ocean. Environmental parameters shaping the distribution pattern of AOA
      were different from that of AOB, indicating distinct metabolic characteristics
      and/or adaptation mechanisms between AOA and AOB in the EIO, especially in deep
      sea environments.

PMID- 28360899
TI  - Members of the Oral Microbiota Are Associated with IL-8 Release by Gingival
      Epithelial Cells in Healthy Individuals.
AB  - The triggers for the onset of oral diseases are still poorly understood. The aim
      of this study was to characterize the oral bacterial community in healthy humans
      and its association with nutrition, oral hygiene habits, and the release of the
      inflammatory marker IL-8 from gingival epithelial cells (GECs) with and without
      stimulation by bacterial endotoxins to identify possible indicator operational
      taxonomic units (OTUs) associated with inflammatory marker status. GECs from 21
      healthy participants (13 females, 8 males) were incubated with or without
      addition of bacterial lipopolysaccharides (LPSs), and the oral microbiota was
      profiled using 16S rRNA gene-targeted sequencing. The basal IL-8 release after 6
      h was between 9.9 and 98.2 pg/ml, and bacterial communities were characteristic
      for healthy oral microbiota. The composition of the oral microbiota was
      associated with basal IL-8 levels, the intake of meat, tea, white wine, sweets
      and the use of chewing gum, as well as flossing habits, allergies, gender and
      body mass index. Additionally, eight OTUs were associated with high basal levels
      of IL-8 and GEC response to LPS, with high basal levels of IL-8, and 1 with low
      basal levels of IL8. The identification of indicator bacteria in healthy subjects
      with high levels of IL-8 release is of importance as they may be promising early
      warning indicators for the possible onset of oral diseases.

PMID- 28360900
TI  - Oral Immunization with Recombinant Lactobacillus acidophilus Expressing espA-Tir
      M Confers Protection against Enterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli O157:H7 Challenge
      in Mice.
AB  - Enterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli O157:H7 (EHEC O157:H7) causes hemorrhagic
      colitis and the formation of characteristic attaching and effacing (A/E) lesions
      in humans. Given the severe sequelae of EHEC O157:H7 infection, it is critical to
      develop effective vaccines for human use. However, for achieving this goal many
      hurdles need to be addressed, such as the type or subset of antigens, adjuvant,
      and the delivery route. We developed a candidate vaccine by inserting the
      bivalent antigen espA-Tir-M composed of espA and the Tir central domain into
      Lactobacillus acidophilus. The recombinant L. acidophilus (LA-ET) was safe in a
      cell model and excluded EHEC O157:H7 from LoVo cells at rates of nearly 94 and
      60% in exclusion and competition assays, respectively. LA-ET inhibited the
      induction of A/E lesions by EHEC O157:H7 cells in vitro. Oral immunization with
      LA-ET induced higher levels of specific mucosal and systemic antibody responses
      in mice. Moreover, LA-ET enhanced interferon-gamma and interleukin-4 and -10
      production, which was associated with mixed helper T (Th1/Th2) cell responses,
      and protected against EHEC O157:H7 colonization and infection in mice at a rate
      of 80%. Histopathological analyses revealed that orally administered LA-ET
      reduced or inhibited A/E lesions and toxin-induced systemic injury. These
      findings demonstrate that LA-ET induces both humoral and cellular immune
      responses in mice and is therefore a promising vaccine against EHEC O157:H7
      infection.

PMID- 28360901
TI  - An Efficient Multiplex PCR-Based Assay as a Novel Tool for Accurate Inter-Serovar
      Discrimination of Salmonella Enteritidis, S. Pullorum/Gallinarum and S. Dublin.
AB  - Salmonella enterica serovars Enteritidis, Pullorum/Gallinarum, and Dublin are
      infectious pathogens causing serious problems for pig, chicken, and cattle
      production, respectively. Traditional serotyping for Salmonella is costly and
      labor-intensive. Here, we established a rapid multiplex PCR method to
      simultaneously identify three prevalent Salmonella serovars Enteritidis,
      Pullorum/Gallinarum, and Dublin individually for the first time. The multiplex
      PCR-based assay focuses on three genes tcpS, lygD, and flhB. Gene tcpS exists
      only in the three Salmonella serovars, and lygD exists only in S. Enteritidis,
      while a truncated region of flhB gene is only found in S. Pullorum/Gallinarum.
      The sensitivity and specificity of the multiplex PCR assay using three pairs of
      specific primers for these genes were evaluated. The results showed that this
      multiplex PCR method could accurately identify Salmonella Enteritidis,
      Pullorum/Gallinarum, and Dublin from eight non-Salmonella species and 27
      Salmonella serovars. The least concentration of genomic DNA that could be
      detected was 58.5 pg/MUL and the least number of cells was 100 CFU. Subsequently,
      this developed method was used to analyze clinical Salmonella isolates from one
      pig farm, one chicken farm, and one cattle farm. The results showed that blinded
      PCR testing of Salmonella isolates from the three farms were in concordance with
      the traditional serotyping tests, indicating the newly developed multiplex PCR
      system could be used as a novel tool to accurately distinguish the three specific
      Salmonella serovars individually, which is useful, especially in high-throughput
      screening.

PMID- 28360902
TI  - The Potential of Systems Biology to Discover Antibacterial Mechanisms of Plant
      Phenolics.
AB  - Drug resistance of bacterial pathogens is a growing problem that can be addressed
      through the discovery of compounds with novel mechanisms of antibacterial
      activity. Natural products, including plant phenolic compounds, are one source of
      diverse chemical structures that could inhibit bacteria through novel mechanisms.
      However, evaluating novel antibacterial mechanisms of action can be difficult and
      is uncommon in assessments of plant phenolic compounds. With systems biology
      approaches, though, antibacterial mechanisms can be assessed without the bias of
      target-directed bioassays to enable the discovery of novel mechanism(s) of action
      against drug resistant microorganisms. This review article summarizes the current
      knowledge of antibacterial mechanisms of action of plant phenolic compounds and
      discusses relevant methodology.

PMID- 28360903
TI  - Cooperative Actions of CRP-cAMP and FNR Increase the Fosfomycin Susceptibility of
      Enterohaemorrhagic Escherichia coli (EHEC) by Elevating the Expression of glpT
      and uhpT under Anaerobic Conditions.
AB  - Bacterial infections to anaerobic site are often hard to be treated because the
      activity of most of antimicrobials decreases under anaerobic conditions. However,
      fosfomycin rather provides a greater activity under anaerobic conditions than
      aerobic conditions. Previously, we found that expression of glpT and uhpT,
      fosfomycin symporters in enterohaemorrhagic Escherichia coli (EHEC) was
      upregulated by FNR, a global regulator during the anaerobiosis of the bacterium,
      which led to increased uptake and susceptibility to this drug. In this study, we
      showed that expression of glpT and uhpT is induced by CRP-cAMP, the regulator
      complex under both aerobic and anaerobic conditions. The activity of CRP-cAMP in
      EHEC was elevated under anaerobic conditions because levels of both CRP and cAMP
      were higher in the cells when grown anaerobically than those when grown
      aerobically. Results of expression study using mutants indicated that CRP-cAMP is
      indispensable for expression of glpT but not uhpT-whereas that of uhpT requires
      UhpA that is the response regulator composing of two-component system with the
      sensor kinase, UhpB. The CRP-cAMP protein bound to a region that overlaps RNA
      polymerase binding site for glpT and region upstream of UhpA binding site for
      uhpT. FNR bound to a region further upstream of CRP-cAMP binding site on region
      upstream of the glpT gene. These combined results suggested that increased
      antibacterial activity of fosfomycin to EHEC under anaerobic conditions is due to
      activation of FNR and increment of CRP-cAMP activity. Then, FNR enhances the
      expression of glpT activated by CRP-cAMP while CRP-cAMP and FNR cooperatively
      aids the action of UhpA to express uhpT to maximum level.

PMID- 28360905
TI  - Improvement of the Process Stability of Arylmalonate Decarboxylase by
      Immobilization for Biocatalytic Profen Synthesis.
AB  - The enzyme arylmalonate decarboxylase (AMDase) enables the selective synthesis of
      enantiopure (S)-arylpropinates in a simple single-step decarboxylation of
      dicarboxylic acid precursors. However, the poor enzyme stability with a half-life
      time of about 1.2 h under process conditions is a serious limitation of the
      productivity, which results in a need for high catalyst loads. By immobilization
      on an amino C2 acrylate carrier the operational stability of the (S)-selective
      AMDase variant G74C/M159L/C188G/V43I/A125P/V156L was increased to a half-life of
      about 8.6 days, which represents a 158-fold improvement. Further optimization was
      achieved by simple immobilization of the cell lysate to eliminate the cost- and
      time intensive enzyme purification step.

PMID- 28360904
TI  - Host Factors in the Infection Cycle of Bamboo mosaic virus.
AB  - To complete the infection cycle efficiently, the virus must hijack the host
      systems in order to benefit for all the steps and has to face all the defense
      mechanisms from the host. This review involves a discussion of how these positive
      and negative factors regulate the viral RNA accumulation identified for the
      Bamboo mosaic virus (BaMV), a single-stranded RNA virus. The genome of BaMV is
      approximately 6.4 kb in length, encoding five functional polypeptides. To reveal
      the host factors involved in the infection cycle of BaMV, a few different
      approaches were taken to screen the candidates. One of the approaches is
      isolating the viral replicase-associated proteins by co-immunoprecipitation with
      the transiently expressed tagged viral replicase in plants. Another approach is
      using the cDNA-amplified fragment length polymorphism technique to screen the
      differentially expressed genes derived from N. benthamiana plants after
      infection. The candidates are examined by knocking down the expression in plants
      using the Tobacco rattle virus-based virus-induced gene silencing technique
      following BaMV inoculation. The positive or negative regulators could be
      described as reducing or enhancing the accumulation of BaMV in plants when the
      expression levels of these proteins are knocked down. The possible roles of these
      host factors acting on the accumulation of BaMV will be discussed.

PMID- 28360906
TI  - Efficacy of Resistance to Francisella Imparted by ITY/NRAMP/SLC11A1 Depends on
      Route of Infection.
AB  - Natural resistance-associated macrophage protein (NRAMP) encoded by the Slc11a1
      gene is a membrane-associated transporter of divalent metal ions. Murine Slc11a1
      has two known alleles, a functional Slc11a1Gly169, which is found in DBA2/J,
      NOD/LtJ, and 129p3/J and related mouse strains, and a non-functional
      Slc11a1Asp169, that is found in C56Bl/6J (B6) and BALB/cJ mice. B6 mice congenic
      for Slc11a1Gly169 (B6-Slc11a1G169 ) are markedly resistant to the intracellular
      pathogens Salmonella, Leishmania, and Mycobacterium tuberculosis. We examined the
      host cell response and replication of Francisella in B6-Slc11a1G169 mice. Bone
      marrow-derived macrophages from either B6-Slc11a1G169 or B6 mice were both
      effectively invaded by Francisella live vaccine strain (LVS). However, at 16
      hours post-infection (hpi), the number of LVS bacteria recovered from B6
      macrophages had increased roughly 100-fold, while in B6-Slc11a1G169 mice the
      number decreased 10-fold. When the mice were challenged intranasally (i.n.) B6
      mice lost significant amounts (~15%) of weight, where as B6-Slc11a1G169 mice lost
      no weight. Three days after infection in B6-Slc11a1G169 mice, we failed to
      recover viable Francisella from the lungs, livers, or spleens. By contrast, B6
      mice had bacterial burdens approaching 1 * 106 CFU/organ in all three organs. To
      further examine the degree of resistance imparted by Slc11a1Gly169 expression, we
      challenged mice deficient in TLR2, TLR4, and TLR9, but expressing the functional
      Slc11a1 (B6-Slc11a1G169Tlr2/4/9-/- ). Surprisingly, B6-Slc11a1G169Tlr2/4/9-/-
      mice had no notable weight loss. Eighty percent of B6-Slc11a1G169Tlr2/4/9-/- mice
      yielded no detectable Francisella in any organ tested. Additionally, Slc11a1G169
      produced little detectable cytokine either in the lung or serum compared to B6
      mice. Mice expressing Slc11a1Gly169 survived even high doses (~80 LD50) of LVS
      inoculation. These data taken together serve to highlight that functional
      Slc11a1Gly169 can compensate the lack of TLR2/4/9. Thus Slc11a1 is a critical
      player in murine resistance to pulmonary Francisella infection, but not footpad
      infection.

PMID- 28360907
TI  - Aspirin: The Mechanism of Action Revisited in the Context of Pregnancy
      Complications.
AB  - Aspirin is one of the most frequently used and cheapest drugs in medicine. It
      belongs to the non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs with a wide range of
      pharmacological activities, including analgesic, antipyretic, and antiplatelet
      properties. Currently, it is accepted to prescribe a low dose of aspirin to
      pregnant women who are at high risk of preeclampsia (PE) because it reduces the
      onset of this complication. Another pregnancy alteration in which a low dose of
      aspirin is recommended is the obstetric antiphospholipid syndrome (APS). The most
      recognized mechanism of action of aspirin is to inhibit the synthesis of
      prostaglandins but this by itself does not explain the repertoire of anti
      inflammatory effects of aspirin. Later, another mechanism was described: the
      induction of the production of aspirin-triggered lipoxins (ATLs) from arachidonic
      acid by acetylation of the enzyme cyclooxygenase-2. The availability of a stable
      analog of ATL has stimulated investigations on the use of this analog and it has
      been found that, similar to endogenously produced lipoxins, ATL resolves
      inflammation and acts as antioxidant and immunomodulator. If we consider that in
      PE and in the obstetric APS, there is an underlying inflammatory process, aspirin
      might be used based on the induction of ATL. The objective of this review is to
      revisit the old and new mechanisms of action of aspirin. In particular, it
      intends to show other potential uses of this drug to prevent certain pregnancy
      complications in the light of its ability to induce anti-inflammatory and pro
      resolving lipid-derived mediators.

PMID- 28360908
TI  - Fasciola hepatica Immune Regulates CD11c+ Cells by Interacting with the
      Macrophage Gal/GalNAc Lectin.
AB  - Fasciolosis, caused by Fasciola hepatica and Fasciola gigantica, is a trematode
      zoonosis of interest in public health and livestock production. Like other
      helminths, F. hepatica modulates the host immune response by inducing potent
      polarized Th2 and regulatory T cell immune responses and by downregulating the
      production of Th1 cytokines. In this work, we show that F. hepatica glycans
      increase Th2 immune responses by immunomodulating TLR-induced maturation and
      function of dendritic cells (DCs). This process was mediated by the macrophage
      Gal/GalNAc lectin (MGL) expressed on DCs, which recognizes the Tn antigen (GalNAc
      Ser/Thr) on parasite components. More interestingly, we identified MGL-expressing
      CD11c+ cells in infected animals and showed that these cells are recruited both
      to the peritoneum and the liver upon F. hepatica infection. These cells express
      the regulatory cytokines IL-10, TNFalpha and TGFbeta and a variety of regulatory
      markers. Furthermore, MGL+ CD11c+ cells expand parasite-specific Th2/regulatory
      cells and suppress Th1 polarization. The results presented here suggest a
      potential role of MGL in the immunomodulation of DCs induced by F. hepatica and
      contribute to a better understanding of the molecular and immunoregulatory
      mechanisms induced by this parasite.

PMID- 28360911
TI  - Swine Leukocyte Antigen Diversity in Canadian Specific Pathogen-Free Yorkshire
      and Landrace Pigs.
AB  - The highly polymorphic swine major histocompatibility complex (MHC), termed swine
      leukocyte antigen (SLA), is associated with different levels of immunologic
      responses to infectious diseases, vaccines, and transplantation. Pig breeds with
      known SLA haplotypes are important genetic resources for biomedical research.
      Canadian Yorkshire and Landrace pigs represent the current specific pathogen-free
      (SPF) breeding stock maintained in the isolation environment at the Harbin
      Veterinary Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences. In this
      study, we identified 61 alleles at five polymorphic SLA loci (SLA-1, SLA-2, SLA
      3, DRB1, and DQB1) representing 17 class I haplotypes and 11 class II haplotypes
      using reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) sequence-based
      typing and PCR-sequence specific primers methods in 367 Canadian SPF Yorkshire
      and Landrace pigs. The official designation of the alleles has been assigned by
      the SLA Nomenclature Committee of the International Society for Animal Genetics
      and released in updated Immuno Polymorphism Database-MHC SLA sequence database
      [Release 2.0.0.3 (2016-11-03)]. The submissions confirmed some unassigned alleles
      and standardized nomenclatures of many previously unconfirmed alleles in the
      GenBank database. Three class I haplotypes, Hp-37.0, 63.0, and 73.0, appeared to
      be novel and have not previously been reported in other pig populations. One
      crossover within the class I region and two between class I and class II regions
      were observed, resulting in three new recombinant haplotypes. The presence of the
      duplicated SLA-1 locus was confirmed in three class I haplotypes Hp-28.0, Hp
      35.0, and Hp-63.0. Furthermore, we also analyzed the functional diversities of 19
      identified frequent SLA class I molecules in this study and confirmed the
      existence of four supertypes using the MHCcluster method. These results will be
      useful for studying the adaptive immune response and immunological phenotypic
      differences in pigs, screening potential T-cell epitopes, and further developing
      the more effective vaccines.

PMID- 28360910
TI  - Antifungal Immunological Defenses in Newborns.
AB  - Newborns are prone to fungal infections, largely due to Candida species. The
      immunological basis for this vulnerability is not yet fully understood. However,
      useful insights can be gained from the knowledge of the maturation of immune
      pathways during ontogeny, particularly when placed in context with how rare
      genetic mutations in humans predispose to fungal diseases. In this article, we
      review these most current data on immune functions in human newborns,
      highlighting pathways most relevant to the response to Candida. While discussing
      these data, we propose a framework of why deficiencies in these pathways make
      newborns particularly vulnerable to this opportunistic pathogen.

PMID- 28360912
TI  - Exosomes Isolated from Ascites of T-Cell Lymphoma-Bearing Mice Expressing Surface
      CD24 and HSP-90 Induce a Tumor-Specific Immune Response.
AB  - Extracellular vesicles (EVs), including endosome-derived nanovesicles (exosomes),
      are involved in cell-cell communication. Through transfer of their molecular
      contents, extracellular nanovesicles can alter the function of recipient cells.
      Due to these characteristics, EVs have shown potential as a new alternative for
      cancer immunotherapy. Tumor exosomes isolated from malignant ascites can activate
      dendritic cells, thereby priming the immune system to recognize and kill cancer
      cells. However, a suppressive role on tumor immune response has also been
      reported, suggesting that the neoplastic stage of carcinogenesis and the
      microenvironment where tumor cells grow may influence the amount of EVs released
      by the cell. This neoplastic stage and microenvironment may also impact EVs'
      components such as proteins and miRNA, determining their biological behavior.
      Most T-cell lymphomas have an aggressive clinical course and poor prognosis.
      Consequently, complementary alternative therapies are needed to improve the
      survival rates achieved with conventional treatments. In this work, we have
      characterized EVs isolated from ascites of mice bearing a very aggressive murine
      T-cell lymphoma and have studied their immunogenic properties. Small EVs were
      isolated by differential centrifugation, ultrafiltration, and ultracentrifugation
      at 100,000 * g on a sucrose cushion. The EVs were defined as exosomes by their
      morphology and size analyzed by electron microscopy, their floating density on a
      sucrose gradient, as well as their expression of endosome marker proteins ALIX,
      TSG-101; the tetraspanins CD63, CD9, and CD81. In addition, they contain tumor
      antigens, the marker for malignancy CD24, the heat shock protein HSP-70, and an
      unusual surface expression of HSP-90 was demonstrated. The administration of EVs
      isolated from ascites (EVs A) into naive-syngeneic mice induced both humoral and
      cellular immune responses that allowed the rejection of subsequent tumor
      challenges. However, the immunization had no effect on a non-related mammary
      adenocarcinoma, demonstrating that the immune response elicited was specific and
      also it induced immune memory. In vitro analysis demonstrated that T-cells from
      EVs A-immunized mice secrete IFN-gamma in response to tumor stimulation.
      Furthermore, tumor-specific CD4+ and CD8+ IFN-gamma secreting cells could be
      efficiently expanded from mice immunized with EVs A, showing that a T helper 1
      response is involved in tumor rejection. Our findings confirm exosomes as
      promising defined acellular tumor antigens for the development of an antitumor
      vaccine.

PMID- 28360909
TI  - Inflammasomes in Inflammation-Induced Cancer.
AB  - The inflammasome is an important multiprotein complex that functions during
      inflammatory immune responses. The activation of inflammasome will lead to the
      autoactivation of caspase-1 and subsequent cleavage of proIL-1beta and proIL-18,
      which are key sources of inflammatory manifestations. Recently, the roles of
      inflammasomes in cancers have been extensively explored, especially in
      inflammation-induced cancers. In different and specific contexts, inflammasomes
      exhibit distinct and even contrasting effects in cancer development. In some
      cases, inflammasomes initiate carcinogenesis through the extrinsic pathway and
      maintain the malignant cancer microenvironment through the intrinsic pathway. On
      the contrary, inflammasomes also exert anticancer effects by specialized
      programmed cell death called pyroptosis and immune regulatory functions. The
      phases and compartments in which inflammasomes are activated strongly influence
      the final immune effects. We systemically summarize the functions of
      inflammasomes in inflammation-induced cancers, especially in gastrointestinal and
      skin cancers. Besides, information about the current therapeutic use of
      inflammasome-related products and potential future developing directions are also
      introduced.

PMID- 28360913
TI  - Lectin Pathway of Complement Activation Is Associated with Vulnerability of
      Atherosclerotic Plaques.
AB  - Inflammatory mechanisms may be involved in atherosclerotic plaque rupture. By
      using a novel histology-based method to quantify plaque instability here, we
      assess whether lectin pathway (LP) of complement activation, a major inflammation
      arm, could represent an index of plaque instability. Plaques from 42 consecutive
      patients undergoing carotid endarterectomy were stained with hematoxylin-eosin
      and the lipid core, cholesterol clefts, hemorrhagic content, thickness of tunica
      media, and intima, including or not infiltration of cellular debris and
      cholesterol, were determined. The presence of ficolin-1, -2, and -3 and mannose
      binding lectin (MBL), LP initiators, was assessed in the plaques by
      immunofluorescence and in plasma by ELISA. LP activation was assessed in plasma
      by functional in vitro assays. Patients presenting low stenosis (<=75%) had
      higher hemorrhagic content than those with high stenosis (>75%), indicating
      increased erosion. Increased hemorrhagic content and tunica media thickness, as
      well as decreased lipid core and infiltrated content were associated with
      vulnerable plaques and therefore used to establish a plaque vulnerability score
      that allowed to classify patients according to plaque vulnerability. Ficolins and
      MBL were found both in plaques' necrotic core and tunica media. Patients with
      vulnerable plaques showed decreased plasma levels and intraplaque deposition of
      ficolin-2. Symptomatic patients experiencing a transient ischemic attack had
      lower plasma levels of ficolin-1. We show that the LP initiators are present
      within the plaques and their circulating levels change in atherosclerotic
      patients. In particular, we show that decreased ficolin-2 levels are associated
      with rupture-prone vulnerable plaques, indicating its potential use as marker for
      cardiovascular risk assessment in atherosclerotic patients.

PMID- 28360914
TI  - Macrophage Metabolism As Therapeutic Target for Cancer, Atherosclerosis, and
      Obesity.
AB  - Macrophages are not only essential components of innate immunity that contribute
      to host defense against infections, but also tumor growth and the maintenance of
      tissue homeostasis. An important feature of macrophages is their plasticity and
      ability to adopt diverse activation states in response to their microenvironment
      and in line with their functional requirements. Recent immunometabolism studies
      have shown that alterations in the metabolic profile of macrophages shape their
      activation state and function. For instance, to fulfill their respective
      functions lipopolysaccharides-induced pro-inflammatory macrophages and
      interleukin-4 activated anti-inflammatory macrophages adopt a different
      metabolism. Thus, metabolic reprogramming of macrophages could become a
      therapeutic approach to treat diseases that have a high macrophage involvement,
      such as cancer. In the first part of this review, we will focus on the metabolic
      pathways altered in differentially activated macrophages and link their metabolic
      aspects to their pro- and anti-inflammatory phenotype. In the second part, we
      will discuss how macrophage metabolism is a promising target for therapeutic
      intervention in inflammatory diseases and cancer.

PMID- 28360917
TI  - Ubiquitin-Proteasome-Dependent Regulation of Bidirectional Communication between
      Plastids and the Nucleus.
AB  - Plastids are DNA-containing organelles and can have unique differentiation states
      depending on age, tissue, and environment. Plastid biogenesis is optimized by
      bidirectional communication between plastids and the nucleus. Import of nuclear
      encoded proteins into plastids serves as anterograde signals and vice versa,
      plastids themselves send retrograde signals to the nucleus, thereby controlling
      de novo synthesis of nuclear-encoded plastid proteins. Recently, it has become
      increasingly evident that the ubiquitin-proteasome system regulates both the
      import of anterograde plastid proteins and retrograde signaling from plastids to
      the nucleus. Targets of ubiquitin-proteasome regulation include unimported
      chloroplast precursor proteins in the cytosol, protein translocation machinery at
      the chloroplast surface, and transcription factors in the nucleus. This review
      will focus on the mechanism through which the ubiquitin-proteasome system
      optimizes plastid biogenesis and plant development through the regulation of
      nuclear-plastid interactions.

PMID- 28360916
TI  - B Cell-Activating Factor Regulates Different Aspects of B Cell Functionality and
      Is Produced by a Subset of Splenic B Cells in Teleost Fish.
AB  - In mammals, B cell functionality is greatly influenced by cytokines released by
      innate cells, such as macrophages or dendritic cells, upon the early recognition
      of common pathogen patterns through invariant receptors. B cell-activating factor
      (BAFF) is one of these innate B cell-helper signals and plays a key role in the
      survival and differentiation of B cells. Although, evolutionarily, teleost fish
      constitute the first animal group in which adaptive immunity based on Ig
      receptors is present, fish still rely greatly on innate responses. In this
      context, we hypothesized that BAFF would play a key role in the control of B cell
      responses in fish. Supporting this, our results show that teleost BAFF
      recapitulates mammalian BAFF stimulating actions on B cells, upregulating the
      expression of membrane MHC II, improving the survival of fish naive B cells and
      antibody-secreting cells, and increasing the secretion of IgM. Surprisingly, we
      also demonstrate that BAFF is not only produced in fish by myeloid cells but is
      also produced by a subset of splenic B cells. Thus, if this B cell-produced BAFF
      proves to be actively regulating this same B cell subset, our findings point to
      an ancient mechanism to control B cell differentiation and survival in lower
      vertebrates, which has been silenced in mammals in physiological conditions, but
      reemerges under pathological conditions, such as B cell lymphomas and autoimmune
      diseases.

PMID- 28360915
TI  - Role of Distinct Natural Killer Cell Subsets in Anticancer Response.
AB  - Natural killer (NK) cells, the prototypic member of innate lymphoid cells, are
      important effectors of anticancer immune response. These cells can survey and
      control tumor initiation due to their capability to recognize and kill malignant
      cells and to regulate the adaptive immune response via cytokines and chemokines
      release. However, several studies have shown that tumor-infiltrating NK cells
      associated with advanced disease can have profound functional defects and display
      protumor activity. This evidence indicates that NK cell behavior undergoes
      crucial alterations during cancer progression. Moreover, a further level of
      complexity is due to the extensive heterogeneity and plasticity of these
      lymphocytes, implying that different NK cell subsets, endowed with specific
      phenotypic and functional features, may be involved and play distinct roles in
      the tumor context. Accordingly, many studies reported the enrichment of selective
      NK cell subsets within tumor tissue, whereas the underlying mechanisms are not
      fully elucidated. A malignant microenvironment can significantly impact NK cell
      activity, by recruiting specific subpopulations and/or influencing their
      developmental programming or the acquisition of a mature phenotype; in
      particular, neoplastic, stroma and immune cells, or tumor-derived factors take
      part in these processes. In this review, we will summarize and discuss the
      recently acquired knowledge on the possible contribution of distinct NK cell
      subsets in the control and/or progression of solid and hematological
      malignancies. Moreover, we will address emerging evidence regarding the role of
      different components of tumor microenvironment on shaping NK cell response.

PMID- 28360918
TI  - The Unfolded Protein Response Supports Plant Development and Defense as well as
      Responses to Abiotic Stress.
AB  - The unfolded protein response (UPR) is a stress response conserved in eukaryotic
      organisms and activated by the accumulation of misfolded proteins in the
      endoplasmic reticulum (ER). Adverse environmental conditions disrupt protein
      folding in the ER and trigger the UPR. Recently, it was found that the UPR can be
      elicited in the course of plant development and defense. During vegetative plant
      development, the UPR is involved in normal root growth and development, the
      effect of which can be largely attributed to the influence of the UPR on plant
      hormone biology. The UPR also functions in plant reproductive development by
      protecting male gametophyte development from heat stress. In terms of defense,
      the UPR has been implicated in virus and microbial defense. Viral defense
      represents a double edge sword in that various virus infections activate the UPR,
      however, in a number of cases, the UPR actually supports viral infections. The
      UPR also plays a role in plant immunity to bacterial infections, again through
      the action of plant hormones in regulating basal immunity responses.

PMID- 28360919
TI  - Reconsideration of Plant Morphological Traits: From a Structure-Based Perspective
      to a Function-Based Evolutionary Perspective.
AB  - This opinion article proposes a novel alignment of traits in plant morphogenesis
      from a function-based evolutionary perspective. As a member species of the
      ecosystem on Earth, we human beings view our neighbor organisms from our own
      sensing system. We tend to distinguish forms and structures (i.e., "morphological
      traits") mainly through vision. Traditionally, a plant was considered to be
      consisted of three parts, i.e., the shoot, the leaves, and the root. Based on
      such a "structure-based perspective," evolutionary analyses or comparisons across
      species were made on particular parts or their derived structures. So far no
      conceptual framework has been established to incorporate the morphological traits
      of all three land plant phyta, i.e., bryophyta, pteridophyta and spermatophyta,
      for evolutionary developmental analysis. Using the tenets of the recently
      proposed concept of sexual reproduction cycle, the major morphological traits of
      land plants can be aligned into five categories from a function-based
      evolutionary perspective. From this perspective, and the resulting alignment, a
      new conceptual framework emerges, called "Plant Morphogenesis 123." This
      framework views a plant as a colony of integrated plant developmental units that
      are each produced via one life cycle. This view provided an alternative
      perspective for evolutionary developmental investigation in plants.

PMID- 28360920
TI  - Study of Commercially Available Lobelia chinensis Products Using Bar-HRM
      Technology.
AB  - There is an unmet need for herbal medicine identification using a fast,
      sensitive, and easy-to-use method that does not require complex infrastructure
      and well-trained technicians. For instance, the detection of adulterants in
      Lobelia chinensis herbal product has been challenging, since current detection
      technologies are not effective due to their own limits. High Resolution Melting
      (HRM) has emerged as a powerful new technology for clinical diagnosis, research
      in the food industry and in plant molecular biology, and this method has already
      highlighted the complexity of species identification. In this study, we developed
      a method of species specific detection of L. chinensis using HRM analysis
      combined with internal transcribed spacer 2. We then applied this method to
      commercial products purporting to contain L. chinensis. Our results demonstrated
      that HRM can differentiate L. chinensis from six common adulterants. HRM was
      proven to be a fast and accurate technique for testing the authenticity of L.
      chinensis in herbal products. Based on these results, a HRM approach for herbal
      authentication is provided.

PMID- 28360921
TI  - The Involvement of Heat Shock Proteins in the Establishment of Tomato Yellow Leaf
      Curl Virus Infection.
AB  - Tomato yellow leaf curl virus (TYLCV), a begomovirus, induces protein aggregation
      in infected tomatoes and in its whitefly vector Bemisia tabaci. The interactions
      between TYLCV and HSP70 and HSP90 in plants and vectors are necessity for virus
      infection to proceed. In infected host cells, HSP70 and HSP90 are redistributed
      from a soluble to an aggregated state. These aggregates contain, together with
      viral DNA/proteins and virions, HSPs and components of the protein quality
      control system such as ubiquitin, 26S proteasome subunits, and the autophagy
      protein ATG8. TYLCV CP can form complexes with HSPs in tomato and whitefly.
      Nonetheless, HSP70 and HSP90 play different roles in the viral cell cycle in the
      plant host. In the infected host cell, HSP70, but not HSP90, participates in the
      translocation of CP from the cytoplasm into the nucleus. Viral amounts decrease
      when HSP70 is inhibited, but increase when HSP90 is downregulated. In the
      whitefly vector, HSP70 impairs the circulative transmission of TYLCV; its
      inhibition increases transmission. Hence, the efficiency of virus acquisition by
      whiteflies depends on the functionality of both plant chaperones and their cross
      talk with other protein mechanisms controlling virus-induced aggregation.

PMID- 28360922
TI  - Sub-high Temperature and High Light Intensity Induced Irreversible Inhibition on
      Photosynthesis System of Tomato Plant (Solanum lycopersicum L.).
AB  - High temperature and high light intensity is a common environment posing a great
      risk to organisms. This study aimed to elucidate the effects of sub-high
      temperature and high light intensity stress (HH, 35 degrees C, 1000 MUmol?m-2?s
      1) and recovery on the photosynthetic mechanism, photoinhibiton of photosystem II
      (PSII) and photosystem I (PSI), and reactive oxygen (ROS) metabolism of tomato
      seedlings. The results showed that with prolonged stress time, net photosynthetic
      rate (Pn), Rubisco activity, maximal photochemistry efficiency (Fv/Fm), efficient
      quantum yield and electron transport of PSII [Y(II) and ETR(II)] and PSI [Y(I)
      and ETR(I)] decreased significantly whereas yield of non-regulated and regulated
      energy dissipation of PSII [Y(NO) and Y(NPQ)] increased sharply. The donor side
      limitation of PSI [Y(ND)] increased but the acceptor side limitation of PSI
      [Y(NA)] decreased. Content of malondialdehyde (MDA) and hydrogen peroxide (H2O2)
      were increased while activity of superoxide dismutase (SOD) and peroxidase (POD)
      were significantly inhibited compared with control. HH exposure affected
      photosynthetic carbon assimilation, multiple sites in PSII and PSI, ROS
      accumulation and elimination of Solanum lycopersicum L.

PMID- 28360923
TI  - Adaptation Mechanisms in the Evolution of Moss Defenses to Microbes.
AB  - Bryophytes, including mosses, liverworts and hornworts are early land plants that
      have evolved key adaptation mechanisms to cope with abiotic stresses and
      microorganisms. Microbial symbioses facilitated plant colonization of land by
      enhancing nutrient uptake leading to improved plant growth and fitness. In
      addition, early land plants acquired novel defense mechanisms to protect plant
      tissues from pre-existing microbial pathogens. Due to its evolutionary stage
      linking unicellular green algae to vascular plants, the non-vascular moss
      Physcomitrella patens is an interesting organism to explore the adaptation
      mechanisms developed in the evolution of plant defenses to microbes. Cellular and
      biochemical approaches, gene expression profiles, and functional analysis of
      genes by targeted gene disruption have revealed that several defense mechanisms
      against microbial pathogens are conserved between mosses and flowering plants. P.
      patens perceives pathogen associated molecular patterns by plasma membrane
      receptor(s) and transduces the signal through a MAP kinase (MAPK) cascade leading
      to the activation of cell wall associated defenses and expression of genes that
      encode proteins with different roles in plant resistance. After pathogen assault,
      P. patens also activates the production of ROS, induces a HR-like reaction and
      increases levels of some hormones. Furthermore, alternative metabolic pathways
      are present in P. patens leading to the production of a distinct metabolic
      scenario than flowering plants that could contribute to defense. P. patens has
      acquired genes by horizontal transfer from prokaryotes and fungi, and some of
      them could represent adaptive benefits for resistance to biotic stress. In this
      review, the current knowledge related to the evolution of plant defense responses
      against pathogens will be discussed, focusing on the latest advances made in the
      model plant P. patens.

PMID- 28360926
TI  - Commentary: A "Source" of Error: Computer Code, Criminal Defendants, and the
      Constitution.

PMID- 28360924
TI  - Molecular Genetic Influences on Normative and Problematic Alcohol Use in a
      Population-Based Sample of College Students.
AB  - Background: Genetic factors impact alcohol use behaviors and these factors may
      become increasingly evident during emerging adulthood. Examination of the effects
      of individual variants as well as aggregate genetic variation can clarify
      mechanisms underlying risk. Methods: We conducted genome-wide association studies
      (GWAS) in an ethnically diverse sample of college students for three quantitative
      outcomes including typical monthly alcohol consumption, alcohol problems, and
      maximum number of drinks in 24 h. Heritability based on common genetic variants
      (h2SNP) was assessed. We also evaluated whether risk variants in aggregate were
      associated with alcohol use outcomes in an independent sample of young adults.
      Results: Two genome-wide significant markers were observed: rs11201929 in GRID1
      for maximum drinks in 24 h, with supportive evidence across all ancestry groups;
      and rs73317305 in SAMD12 (alcohol problems), tested only in the African ancestry
      group. The h2SNP estimate was 0.19 (SE = 0.11) for consumption, and was non
      significant for other outcomes. Genome-wide polygenic scores were significantly
      associated with alcohol outcomes in an independent sample. Conclusions: These
      results robustly identify genetic risk for alcohol use outcomes at the variant
      level and in aggregate. We confirm prior evidence that genetic variation in GRID1
      impacts alcohol use, and identify novel loci of interest for multiple alcohol
      outcomes in emerging adults. These findings indicate that genetic variation
      influencing normative and problematic alcohol use is, to some extent, convergent
      across ancestry groups. Studying college populations represents a promising
      avenue by which to obtain large, diverse samples for gene identification.

PMID- 28360925
TI  - Jmjd6, a JmjC Dioxygenase with Many Interaction Partners and Pleiotropic
      Functions.
AB  - Lysyl hydroxylation and arginyl demethylation are post-translational events that
      are important for many cellular processes. The jumonji domain containing protein
      6 (JMJD6) has been reported to catalyze both lysyl hydroxylation and arginyl
      demethylation on diverse protein substrates. It also interacts directly with RNA.
      This review summarizes knowledge of JMJD6 functions that have emerged in the last
      15 years and considers how a single Jumonji C (JmjC) domain-containing enzyme can
      target so many different substrates. New links and synergies between the three
      main proposed functions of Jmjd6 in histone demethylation, promoter proximal
      pause release of polymerase II and RNA splicing are discussed. The physiological
      context of the described molecular functions is considered and recently described
      novel roles for JMJD6 in cancer and immune biology are reviewed. The increased
      knowledge of JMJD6 functions has wider implications for our general understanding
      of the JmjC protein family of which JMJD6 is a member.

PMID- 28360927
TI  - Stakeholder views of breastfeeding education in schools: a systematic mixed
      studies review of the literature.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Breastfeeding provides numerous health benefits for mothers and
      infants, but worldwide breastfeeding rates fall below recommendations. As part of
      efforts to increase breastfeeding initiation and duration, the World Health
      Organization and UNICEF UK recommend educational interventions to increase
      awareness and positive attitudes towards breastfeeding beginning during the
      school years. Breastfeeding education in the school setting offers the
      opportunity to improve the knowledge base, address misconceptions, and positively
      influence beliefs and attitudes for students from a wide range of socioeconomic
      and cultural backgrounds. The purpose of this paper is to present a comprehensive
      narrative review of the literature regarding student and teacher (stakeholder)
      views of breastfeeding and breastfeeding education programs in schools to inform
      future research in the area. METHODS: Articles were located through a systematic
      search of online databases and journals using the following keywords in various
      combinations: (1) breastfeeding, lactation, breast-feeding, "bottle feeding",
      "infant feeding" (2) student, educator, teacher, "school administrator" and (3)
      schools, "secondary education", "primary education", "K-12", "high school",
      "middle school", "elementary school", education, adolescents, curriculum, and a
      manual search of article references. Studies were screened for inclusion against
      specific criteria and included papers were assessed using the Mixed Methods
      Appraisal Tool (MMAT). RESULTS: This review suggests that adolescents have a
      deficit in breastfeeding knowledge and express negative conceptions about
      breastfeeding. Breastfeeding is being discussed in some school environments, but
      the extent of lessons and the specific messages that teachers communicate have
      not been explored. Students appear to be interested in receiving more information
      about breastfeeding, especially if delivered by health professionals or
      breastfeeding mothers. The majority of teachers are supportive of incorporating
      breastfeeding education in family and consumer sciences, sexual education, and
      health classes; however, time constraints and limited knowledge of infant feeding
      recommendations may be barriers to implementation of appropriate lesson plans.
      CONCLUSIONS: Students generally support and are receptive to breastfeeding
      education; however, research on educator attitudes, knowledge, and experiences
      are necessary for appropriate implementation of breastfeeding education in
      varying school settings around the world.

PMID- 28360928
TI  - A new kymogram-based method reveals unexpected effects of marker protein
      expression and spatial anisotropy of cytoskeletal dynamics in plant cell cortex.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Cytoskeleton can be observed in live plant cells in situ with high
      spatial and temporal resolution using a combination of specific fluorescent
      protein tag expression and advanced microscopy methods such as spinning disc
      confocal microscopy (SDCM) or variable angle epifluorescence microscopy (VAEM).
      Existing methods for quantifying cytoskeletal dynamics are often either based on
      laborious manual structure tracking, or depend on costly commercial software.
      Current automated methods also do not readily allow separate measurements of
      structure lifetime, lateral mobility, and spatial anisotropy of these parameters.
      RESULTS: We developed a new freeware-based, operational system-independent semi
      manual technique for analyzing VAEM or SDCM data, QuACK (Quantitative Analysis of
      Cytoskeletal Kymograms), and validated it on data from Arabidopsis thaliana fh1
      formin mutants, previously shown by conventional methods to exhibit altered actin
      and microtubule dynamics compared to the wild type. Besides of confirming the
      published mutant phenotype, QuACK was used to characterize surprising
      differential effects of various fluorescent protein tags fused to the Lifeact
      actin probe on actin dynamics in A. thaliana cotyledon epidermis. In particular,
      Lifeact-YFP slowed down actin dynamics compared to Lifeact-GFP at marker
      expression levels causing no macroscopically noticeable phenotypic alterations,
      although the two fluorophores are nearly identical. We could also demonstrate the
      expected, but previously undocumented, anisotropy of cytoskeletal dynamics in
      elongated epidermal cells of A. thaliana petioles and hypocotyls. CONCLUSIONS:
      Our new method for evaluating plant cytoskeletal dynamics has several advantages
      over existing techniques. It is intuitive, rapid compared to fully manual
      approaches, based on the free ImageJ software (including macros we provide here
      for download), and allows measurement of multiple parameters. Our approach was
      already used to document unexpected differences in actin mobility in transgenic
      A. thaliana expressing Lifeact fusion proteins with different fluorophores,
      highlighting the need for cautious interpretation of experimental results, as
      well as to reveal hitherto uncharacterized anisotropy of cytoskeletal mobility in
      elongated plant cells.

PMID- 28360929
TI  - TALEN-mediated genome-editing approaches in the liverwort Marchantia polymorpha
      yield high efficiencies for targeted mutagenesis.
AB  - BACKGROUND: The liverwort Marchantia polymorpha occupies a crucial position in
      land plant evolution and provides the opportunity to investigate adaptations to a
      terrestrial plant life style. Marchantia reverse genetic analyses have thus far
      been conducted by employing a homologous recombination approach, which yields an
      efficiency of around 3%. Availability of the characterized and suitable
      endogenous MpEF1alpha promoter prompted us to establish the TALEN gene targeting
      technique for Marchantia. RESULTS: Here, two different TALEN techniques, using
      custom and self-assembled TALEN constructs, were applied and compared. The MpNOP1
      gene was selected as a candidate gene, as the respective knockout mutant has been
      shown to lack air chamber formation, representing an easily traceable phenotype.
      We demonstrate that both TALEN approaches are successful in Marchantia yielding
      high gene targeting efficiencies of over 20%. Investigation of selected G1 up to
      G4 generations proved the stability of the knockout mutants. In 392 analyzed T1
      plants, no additional phenotypes were observed and only one chimeric knockout
      plant was detected after an extended cultivation period. Interestingly, two out
      of the 24 sequenced mutants harbored indels causing in-frame mutations and
      revealed novel Mpnop1-related phenotypes. This demonstrates the potential to
      detect crucial amino acids and motives of targeted proteins, which is of special
      interest for essential genes where full knockouts are lethal. The FastTALETM
      TALEN assembly kit enables the rapid assembly and ligation of the TALEN arms
      within half a day. For transformations, custom and assembled constructs were
      subcloned into Marchantia binary vectors possessing the MpEF1alpha promoter.
      CONCLUSION: Considering time, costs and practicability, the assembly TALEN
      approach represents a rapid and highly efficient gene targeting system to
      generate Marchantia knockout mutants, which can be further adapted for future
      advanced genome-editing applications.

PMID- 28360930
TI  - Performance of new adjustments to the TRISS equation model in developed and
      developing countries.
AB  - BACKGROUND: The Trauma and Injury Severity Score (TRISS) has been criticized for
      being based on data from the USA and Canada-high-income countries-and therefore,
      it may not be applicable to low-income and middle-income countries. The present
      study evaluated the accuracy of three adjustments to the TRISS equation model
      (NTRISS-like; TRISS SpO2; NTRISS-like SpO2) in a high-income and a middle-income
      country to compare their performance when derived and applied to different
      groups. METHODS: This was a retrospective study of trauma patients admitted to
      two institutions: a university medical center in Sao Paulo, Brazil (a middle
      income country), and a level 1 university trauma center in San Diego, USA (a high
      income country). Patients were admitted between January 1, 2006, and December 31,
      2010. The subjects were 2416 patients from Brazil and 8172 patients from the USA.
      All equations had adjusted coefficients for Sao Paulo and San Diego and for blunt
      and penetrating trauma. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves were used
      to evaluate performance of the models. RESULTS: Regardless of the population
      where the equation was generated, it performed better when applied to patients in
      the USA (AUC from 0.911 to 0.982) compared to patients in Brazil (AUC from 0.840
      to 0.852). When the severity was considered and homogenized, the performance of
      equations were similar to both application in the USA and Brazil. CONCLUSIONS:
      Survival probability models showed better performance when applied in data
      collected in the high-income countries (HIC) regardless the country they were
      derived. The severity is an important factor to consider when using non-adjusted
      survival probability models for the local population. Adjusted models for
      severely traumatized patients better predict survival probability in less
      severely traumatized populations. Other factors besides physiological and
      anatomical data may impact final outcomes and should be identified in each
      environment if they are to be used in the development of the trauma care
      performance improvement process in middle-income countries.

PMID- 28360933
TI  - Extraction, purification, characterization and antioxidant activities of
      polysaccharides from Ramaria botrytis (Pers.) Ricken.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Ramaria botrytis (Pers.) Ricken, a member of the family Clavariaceae,
      has been widely prescribed for anti-aging and improving immunity. To extract and
      purify the polysaccharides, the main constituent of the fruiting-body, from R.
      botrytis and explore antioxidant activities was great significant. RESULTS:
      Ramaria botrytis polysaccharides (RBP) was extracted with water at 88.47  degrees
      C for 1.42 h with a solution to sample ratio of 10.94 mL g-1 employing response
      surface methodology. Four purified fractions, RBP-1, RBP-2, RBP-3, and RBP-4,
      were obtained from column chromatography of DEAE-52 and Sephadex G-100. Among
      these four purified fractions, RBP-1, RBP-2, RBP-4 were mainly composed of
      glucose, while RBP-3 contained 41.36% mannose and 28.96% glucose. The molecular
      weights of RBP-1, RBP-2, RBP-3 and RBP-4 were 6.48, 36.12, 96.72 and 8.34 kDa,
      respectively. These four fractions are also tested for antioxidant activities in
      vitro, RBP-4 exhibited strong assay of reducing power and high scavenging
      activity on DPPH radical, while RBP-3 showed the stronger ability of hydroxyl
      radical scavenging activity. CONCLUSIONS: Response surface methodology was
      successfully applied to optimize the ultrasonic extraction of polysaccharides
      from R. botrytis. RBP is an efficient natural antioxidant.

PMID- 28360931
TI  - Mechanisms for the anti-obesity actions of bofutsushosan in high-fat diet-fed
      obese mice.
AB  - BACKGROUND: The Kampo medicine bofutsushosan (BTS; Pulvis ledebouriellae
      compositae; Fang Feng Tong Sheng San) has been used as an anti-obesity treatment
      in overweight patients. In this study, we assessed the underlying physiological
      changes induced by BTS in obese mice maintained on a high-fat diet. METHODS: Male
      ICR mice were fed a 60% kcal fat diet for 5 weeks starting at 4 weeks of age and
      then fed the same diet with administration of water (control) or aqueous BTS
      extract (1.0-2.0 g/kg) for 25 days. Body weight, wet weight of isolated white
      adipose tissue, and obesity-related serum parameters (glucose, lipids, leptin,
      adiponectin) were measured after treatment. The mRNA expression levels of leptin,
      adiponectin, and UCP1 in the adipose tissues were determined by quantitative real
      time polymerase chain reaction after the first 5 days of treatment. RESULTS:
      Bofutsushosan (1.5-2.0 g/kg) significantly decreased total body weight and total
      wet weight of white adipose tissue isolated from subcutaneous (retroperitoneal)
      and visceral regions (epididymal, mesenteric, and perirenal). At 2.0 g/kg, BTS
      also decreased total fat mass, visceral fat mass, and ratio of fat mass to body
      weight as measured by computed tomography, and significantly decreased epididymal
      adipocyte size after 14 and 25 days' treatment. Twenty-five days' treatment
      lowered serum glucose, insulin, leptin, and triglycerides, and reduced
      homeostasis model assessment-insulin resistance. Alternatively, 2.0 g/kg BTS
      significantly increased mRNA levels of adiponectin, leptin, and UCP1 in
      interscapular brown adipose tissue but not epididymal white adipose tissue after
      5 days' administration. CONCLUSION: In the early administration period, BTS
      increased mRNA expression levels of leptin, adiponectin, and UCP1 in brown
      adipose tissues. With longer administration, BTS improved insulin resistance, and
      subsequently reduced serum levels of leptin and triglyceride in parallel with
      decreased visceral white adipose tissue volume and adipocyte size.

PMID- 28360932
TI  - Synthesis and in vitro antitumor activity of (1E,4E)-1-aryl-5-(2-((quinazolin-4
      yl)oxy)phenyl)-1,4-pentadien-3-one derivatives.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Cancer is one of the leading causes of death and only second to heart
      diseases. Recently, preclinical studies have demonstrated that curcumin had a
      number of anticancer properties. Thus, we planned to synthesize a series of
      curcumin analogs to assess their antiproliferation efficacy. RESULTS: A series of
      (1E,4E)-1-aryl-5-(2-((quinazolin-4-yl)oxy)phenyl)-1,4-pentadien-3-one derivatives
      (curcumin analogs) were synthesized and characterized by IR, NMR, and elemental
      analysis techniques. All of the prepared compounds were screened for antitumor
      activities against MGC-803, PC3, and Bcap-37 cancer cell lines. A significant
      inhibition for cancer cells were observed with compound 5f and also less toxic on
      NIH3T3 normal cells. The mechanism of cell death induced by compound 5f was
      further investigated by acridine orange/ethidium bromide staining, Hoechst 33,258
      staining, TUNEL assay, and flow cytometry cytometry, which revealed that the
      compound can induce cell apoptosis in MGC-803 cells. CONCLUSIONS: This study
      suggests that most of the derivatives could inhibit the growth of human cancer
      cell lines. In addition, compound 5f could induce apoptosis of cancer cells, and
      it should be subjected to further investigation as a potential anticancer drug
      candidate.

PMID- 28360934
TI  - Sleep disturbances and mental strain in university students: results from an
      online survey in Luxembourg and Germany.
AB  - OBJECTIVES: This study examined the prevalence of sleep disturbances and mental
      strain in students from two European countries, Luxembourg and Germany. METHODS:
      A total of 2831 students took part in an online survey, with 2777 students from
      Germany and 184 students from Luxembourg. Sleep disturbances were assessed with
      the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index and the Epworth Sleepiness Scale, and aspects
      of mental strain using the Patient Health Questionnaire, the Social-Interactive
      Anxiety Scale, the self-efficacy questionnaire and the test anxiety
      questionnaire. In addition, we also assessed students' chronotypes. RESULTS:
      Across the whole sample mean scores on the sleep questionnaires were above the
      cut-off for clinically relevant sleep problems, indicating an increased
      prevalence of sleep disturbances in students from both countries. Sleep quality
      was impaired in 42.8%, and 17.9% showed clinically relevant scores. Overall 25.5%
      reported elevated depression and 13.3% social phobia symptoms, while 45%
      indicated elevated stress levels. Sleep quality, daytime sleepiness, chronotype,
      depression scores, stress levels, test anxiety, and self-efficacy differed
      significantly between men and women, but there were no differences between
      countries. CONCLUSIONS: Sleep disturbances and mental strain in students are
      common, with the current results replicating previous findings. Students from
      Luxembourg and Germany are affected equally.

PMID- 28360935
TI  - Portable nuclear magnetic resonance biosensor and assay for a highly sensitive
      and rapid detection of foodborne bacteria in complex matrices.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) technique is a powerful analytical
      tool in determining the presence of bacterial contaminants in complex biological
      samples. In this paper, a portable NMR-based (pNMR) biosensor and assay to detect
      the foodborne bacteria Escherichia coli O157:H7 is reported. It uses antibody
      functionalized polymer-coated magnetic nanoparticles as proximity biomarker of
      the bacteria which accelerates NMR resonance signal decay. RESULTS: The pNMR
      biosensor operates at 0.47 Tesla of magnetic strength and consists of a high
      power pulsed RF transmitter and an ultra-low noise sensing circuitry capable of
      detecting weak NMR signal at 0.1 MUV. The pNMR biosensor assay and sensing
      mechanism is used in detecting E. coli O157:H7 bacteria in drinking water and
      milk samples. Experimental results demonstrate that by adding a filtration step
      in the assay, the pNMR biosensor is able to detect E. coli O157:H7 as low as 76
      CFU/mL in water samples and as low as 92 CFU/mL in milk samples in about one min.
      CONCLUSION: The pNMR biosensor assay and sensing system is innovative for
      foodborne bacterial detection in food matrices. The lowest detection level for E.
      coli O157:H7 in water and milk samples is essentially 101 CFU/mL. Although the
      linear range of detection is only from 101 to 104 CFU/mL, the wider detection
      range spans from 101 CFU/mL to 107 CFU/mL. Existing pNMR biosensors have
      detection limits at 103-104 CFU/mL only. The detection technique can be extended
      to other microbial or viral organisms by merely changing the specificity of the
      antibodies. Besides food safety, the pNMR biosensor described in this paper has
      potential to be applied as a rapid detection device in biodefense and healthcare
      diagnostic applications.

PMID- 28360938
TI  - Citrobacter amalonaticus Y19 for constitutive expression of carbon monoxide
      dependent hydrogen-production machinery.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Citrobacter amalonaticus Y19 is a good biocatalyst for production of
      hydrogen (H2) from oxidation of carbon monoxide (CO) via the so-called water-gas
      shift reaction (WGSR). It has a high H2-production activity (23.83 mmol H2 g-1
      cell h-1) from CO, and can grow well to a high density on various sugars.
      However, its H2-production activity is expressed only when CO is present as an
      inducer and in the absence of glucose. RESULTS: In order to avoid dependency on
      CO and glucose, in the present study, the native CO-inducible promoters of WGSR
      operons (CO dehydrogenase, CODH, and CODH-dependent hydrogenase, CO-hyd) in Y19
      were carefully analyzed and replaced with strong and constitutive promoters
      screened from Y19. One engineered strain (Y19-PR1), selected from three positive
      ones after screening ~10,000 colonies, showed a similar CO-dependent H2
      production activity to that of wild-type Y19, without being affected by glucose
      and/or CO. Compared with wild-type Y19, transcription of the CODH operon in Y19
      PR1 increased 1.5-fold, although that of the CO-hyd operon remained at a similar
      level. To enhance the activity of CO-Hyd in Y19-PR1, further modifications,
      including an increase in gene copy number and engineering of the 5' untranslated
      region, were attempted, but without success. CONCLUSIONS: Convenient recombinant
      Y19-PR1 that expresses CO-dependent H2-production activity without being limited
      by CO and glucose was obtained.

PMID- 28360937
TI  - Enhanced fermentative performance under stresses of multiple lignocellulose
      derived inhibitors by overexpression of a typical 2-Cys peroxiredoxin from
      Kluyveromyces marxianus.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Bioethanol from lignocellulosic materials is of great significance to
      the production of renewable fuels due to its wide sources. However, multiple
      inhibitors generated from pretreatments represent great challenges for its
      industrial-scale fermentation. Despite the complex toxicity mechanisms,
      lignocellulose-derived inhibitors have been reported to be related to the levels
      of intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS), which makes oxidoreductase a
      potential target for the enhancement of the tolerance of yeasts to these
      inhibitors. RESULTS: A typical 2-Cys peroxiredoxin from Kluyveromyces marxianus
      Y179 (KmTPX1) was identified, and its overexpression was achieved in
      Saccharomyces cerevisiae 280. Strain TPX1 with overexpressed KmTPX1 gene showed
      an enhanced tolerance to oxidative stresses. Serial dilution assay indicated that
      KmTPX1 gene contributed to a better cellular growth behavior, when the cells were
      exposed to multiple lignocellulose-derived inhibitors, such as formic acid,
      acetic acid, furfural, ethanol, and salt. In particular, KmTPX1 expression also
      possessed enhanced tolerance to a mixture of formic acid, acetic acid, and
      furfural (FAF) with a shorter lag period. The maximum glucose consumption rate
      and ethanol generation rate in KmTPX1-expressing strain were significantly
      improved, compared with the control. The mechanism of improved tolerance to FAF
      depends on the lower level of intracellular ROS for cell survival under stress.
      CONCLUSION: A new functional gene KmTPX1 from K. marxianus is firstly associated
      with the enhanced tolerance to multiple lignocellulose-derived inhibitors in S.
      cerevisiae. We provided a possible detoxification mechanism of the KmTPX1 for
      further theoretical research; meanwhile, we provided a powerful potential for
      application of the KmTPX1 overexpressing strain in ethanol production from
      lignocellulosic materials.

PMID- 28360939
TI  - Techno-economic assessment of hybrid extraction and distillation processes for
      furfural production from lignocellulosic biomass.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Lignocellulosic biomass is one of the most promising alternatives for
      replacing mineral resources to overcome global warming, which has become the most
      important environmental issue in recent years. Furfural was listed by the
      National Renewable Energy Laboratory as one of the top 30 potential chemicals
      arising from biomass. However, the current production of furfural is energy
      intensive and uses inefficient technology. Thus, a hybrid purification process
      that combines extraction and distillation to produce furfural from
      lignocellulosic biomass was considered and investigated in detail to improve the
      process efficiency. This effective hybrid process depends on the extracting
      solvent, which was selected based on a comprehensive procedure that ranged from
      solvent screening to complete process design. RESULTS: Various solvents were
      first evaluated in terms of their extraction ability. Then, the most promising
      solvents were selected to study the separation feasibility. Eventually, processes
      that used the three best solvents (toluene, benzene, and butyl chloride) were
      designed and optimized in detail using Aspen Plus. Sustainability analysis was
      performed to evaluate these processes in terms of their energy requirements,
      total annual costs (TAC), and carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions. The results showed
      that butyl chloride was the most suitable solvent for the hybrid furfural process
      because it could save 44.7% of the TAC while reducing the CO2 emissions by 45.5%
      compared to the toluene process. In comparison with the traditional purification
      process using distillation, this suggested hybrid extraction/distillation process
      can save up to 19.2% of the TAC and reduce 58.3% total annual CO2 emissions.
      Furthermore, a sensitivity analysis of the feed composition and its effect on the
      performance of the proposed hybrid system was conducted. CONCLUSIONS: Butyl
      chloride was found to be the most suitable solvent for the hybrid
      extraction/distillation process of furfural production. The proposed hybrid
      sequence was more favorable than the traditional distillation process when the
      methanol fraction of the feed stream was <3% and more benefit could be obtained
      when that fraction decreased.

PMID- 28360936
TI  - Hybridization and adaptive evolution of diverse Saccharomyces species for
      cellulosic biofuel production.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Lignocellulosic biomass is a common resource across the globe, and
      its fermentation offers a promising option for generating renewable liquid
      transportation fuels. The deconstruction of lignocellulosic biomass releases
      sugars that can be fermented by microbes, but these processes also produce
      fermentation inhibitors, such as aromatic acids and aldehydes. Several research
      projects have investigated lignocellulosic biomass fermentation by the baker's
      yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Most projects have taken synthetic biological
      approaches or have explored naturally occurring diversity in S. cerevisiae to
      enhance stress tolerance, xylose consumption, or ethanol production. Despite
      these efforts, improved strains with new properties are needed. In other
      industrial processes, such as wine and beer fermentation, interspecies hybrids
      have combined important traits from multiple species, suggesting that
      interspecies hybridization may also offer potential for biofuel research.
      RESULTS: To investigate the efficacy of this approach for traits relevant to
      lignocellulosic biofuel production, we generated synthetic hybrids by crossing
      engineered xylose-fermenting strains of S. cerevisiae with wild strains from
      various Saccharomyces species. These interspecies hybrids retained important
      parental traits, such as xylose consumption and stress tolerance, while
      displaying intermediate kinetic parameters and, in some cases, heterosis (hybrid
      vigor). Next, we exposed them to adaptive evolution in ammonia fiber expansion
      pretreated corn stover hydrolysate and recovered strains with improved
      fermentative traits. Genome sequencing showed that the genomes of these evolved
      synthetic hybrids underwent rearrangements, duplications, and deletions. To
      determine whether the genus Saccharomyces contains additional untapped potential,
      we screened a genetically diverse collection of more than 500 wild, non
      engineered Saccharomyces isolates and uncovered a wide range of capabilities for
      traits relevant to cellulosic biofuel production. Notably, Saccharomyces mikatae
      strains have high innate tolerance to hydrolysate toxins, while some
      Saccharomyces species have a robust native capacity to consume xylose.
      CONCLUSIONS: This research demonstrates that hybridization is a viable method to
      combine industrially relevant traits from diverse yeast species and that members
      of the genus Saccharomyces beyond S. cerevisiae may offer advantageous genes and
      traits of interest to the lignocellulosic biofuel industry.

PMID- 28360940
TI  - Comprehensive characterization of non-cellulosic recalcitrant cell wall
      carbohydrates in unhydrolyzed solids from AFEX-pretreated corn stover.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Inefficient carbohydrate conversion has been an unsolved problem for
      various lignocellulosic biomass pretreatment technologies, including AFEX, dilute
      acid, and ionic liquid pretreatments. Previous work has shown 22% of total
      carbohydrates are typically unconverted, remaining as soluble or insoluble
      oligomers after hydrolysis (72 h) with excess commercial enzyme loading (20 mg
      enzymes/g biomass). Nearly one third (7 out of 22%) of these total unconverted
      carbohydrates are present in unhydrolyzed solid (UHS) residues. The presence of
      these unconverted carbohydrates leads to a considerable sugar yield loss, which
      negatively impacts the overall economics of the biorefinery. Current commercial
      enzyme cocktails are not effective to digest specific cross-linkages in plant
      cell wall glycans, especially some of those present in hemicelluloses and
      pectins. Thus, obtaining information about the most recalcitrant non-cellulosic
      glycan cross-linkages becomes a key study to rationally improve commercial enzyme
      cocktails, by supplementing the required enzyme activities for hydrolyzing those
      unconverted glycans. RESULTS: In this work, cell wall glycans that could not be
      enzymatically converted to monomeric sugars from AFEX-pretreated corn stover (CS)
      were characterized using compositional analysis and glycome profiling tools. The
      pretreated CS was hydrolyzed using commercial enzyme mixtures comprising
      cellulase and hemicellulase at 7% glucan loading (~20% solid loading). The
      carbohydrates present in UHS and liquid hydrolysate were evaluated over a time
      period of 168 h enzymatic hydrolysis. Cell wall glycan-specific monoclonal
      antibodies (mAbs) were used to characterize the type and abundance of non
      cellulosic polysaccharides present in UHS over the course of enzymatic
      hydrolysis. 4-O-methyl-d-glucuronic acid-substituted xylan and pectic
      arabinogalactan were found to be the most abundant epitopes recognized by mAbs in
      UHS and liquid hydrolysate, suggesting that the commercial enzyme cocktails used
      in this work are unable to effectively target those substituted polysaccharide
      residues. CONCLUSION: To our knowledge, this is the first report using glycome
      profiling as a tool to dynamically monitor recalcitrant cell wall carbohydrates
      during the course of enzymatic hydrolysis. Glycome profiling of UHS and liquid
      hydrolysates unveiled some of the glycans that are not cleaved and enriched after
      enzyme hydrolysis. The major polysaccharides include 4-O-methyl-d-glucuronic acid
      substituted xylan and pectic-arabinogalactan, suggesting that enzymes with
      glucuronidase and arabinofuranosidase activities are required to maximize
      monomeric sugar yields. This methodology provides a rapid tool to assist in
      developing new enzyme cocktails, by supplementing the existing cocktails with the
      required enzyme activities for achieving complete deconstruction of pretreated
      biomass in the future.

PMID- 28360942
TI  - Comparing the speed of irrigation between pulsatile lavage versus gravity
      irrigation: an Ex-vivo experimental investigation.
AB  - BACKGROUND: The need for reoperation or wound infection treatments between
      pulsatile and gravity irrigation are statistically equivalent, however, it is
      unclear which method maximizes operative efficiency and expeditious irrigation.
      In this study we set out to determine the differences in irrigation rate between
      these various treatment methods. METHODS: This was an ex-vivo experimental
      laboratory study not involving human subjects. Irrigation rates were tested based
      on the time in seconds required to empty a three-liter bag of normal saline
      hanging at either 6 or 9 ft. Three forms of irrigation were tested: gravity
      irrigation (GI6, GI9), low-pressure pulsatile irrigation (LP6, LP9) and high
      pressure pulsatile irrigation. One-way ANOVA and Student's t-test were used to
      compare rates based on height and form of irrigation. RESULTS: Significant
      differences in irrigation rates were noted at 6 ft between all three forms of
      irrigation with gravity irrigation the fastest followed by high-pressure and low
      pressure pulsatile irrigation (GI6, mean 142 s +/- 3.2; HP6, mean 189 s +/- 10.2;
      LP6, mean 323 s +/- 22.5; p < 0.001). This difference was also found at 9 ft
      (GI9, mean 114 s +/- 1.5; HP9, mean 186 s +/- 10.5; LP9, mean 347 s +/- 3.5; p <
      0.001). Gravity irrigation was significantly faster (p < 0.001) at an increased
      height, whereas the high and low-pressure irrigation rates were unaffected by
      height. List price comparison found pulsatile irrigation to cost approximately
      3.3 times more than gravity lavage. CONCLUSIONS: Gravity irrigation provided the
      most rapid rate of irrigation tested, regardless of the height. With existing
      literature demonstrating equivalent clinical outcomes between methods, gravity
      lavage offers a faster and potentially more cost-effective form of irrigation.

PMID- 28360941
TI  - Co-production of hydrogen and ethanol from glucose in Escherichia coli by
      activation of pentose-phosphate pathway through deletion of phosphoglucose
      isomerase (pgi) and overexpression of glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (zwf) and
      6-phosphogluconate dehydrogenase (gnd).
AB  - BACKGROUND: Biologically, hydrogen (H2) can be produced through dark fermentation
      and photofermentation. Dark fermentation is fast in rate and simple in reactor
      design, but H2 production yield is unsatisfactorily low as <4 mol H2/mol glucose.
      To address this challenge, simultaneous production of H2 and ethanol has been
      suggested. Co-production of ethanol and H2 requires enhanced formation of NAD(P)H
      during catabolism of glucose, which can be accomplished by diversion of
      glycolytic flux from the Embden-Meyerhof-Parnas (EMP) pathway to the pentose
      phosphate (PP) pathway in Escherichia coli. However, the disruption of pgi
      (phosphoglucose isomerase) for complete diversion of carbon flux to the PP
      pathway made E. coli unable to grow on glucose under anaerobic condition.
      RESULTS: Here, we demonstrate that, when glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (Zwf)
      and 6-phosphogluconate dehydrogenase (Gnd), two major enzymes of the PP pathway,
      are homologously overexpressed, E. coli Deltapgi can recover its anaerobic growth
      capability on glucose. Further, with additional deletions of DeltahycA,
      DeltahyaAB, DeltahybBC, DeltaldhA, and DeltafrdAB, the recombinant Deltapgi
      mutant could produce 1.69 mol H2 and 1.50 mol ethanol from 1 mol glucose.
      However, acetate was produced at 0.18 mol mol-1 glucose, indicating that some
      carbon is metabolized through the Entner-Doudoroff (ED) pathway. To further
      improve the flux via the PP pathway, heterologous zwf and gnd from Leuconostoc
      mesenteroides and Gluconobacter oxydans, respectively, which are less inhibited
      by NADPH, were overexpressed. The new recombinant produced more ethanol at 1.62
      mol mol-1 glucose along with 1.74 mol H2 mol-1 glucose, which are close to the
      theoretically maximal yields, 1.67 mol mol-1 each for ethanol and H2. However,
      the attempt to delete the ED pathway in the Deltapgi mutant to operate the PP
      pathway as the sole glycolytic route, was unsuccessful. CONCLUSIONS: By deletion
      of pgi and overexpression of heterologous zwf and gnd in E. coli DeltahycA
      DeltahyaAB DeltahybBC DeltaldhA DeltafrdAB, two important biofuels, ethanol and
      H2, could be successfully co-produced at high yields close to their theoretical
      maximums. The strains developed in this study should be applicable for the
      production of other biofuels and biochemicals, which requires supply of excessive
      reducing power under anaerobic conditions.

PMID- 28360943
TI  - Age-related reduction and independent predictors of toe flexor strength in middle
      aged men.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Toe flexor muscles play an important role in posture and locomotion,
      and poor toe flexor strength is a risk factor for falls. In this cross-sectional
      study, we estimated the age-related change in toe flexor strength and compared it
      with that of handgrip strength. Independent factors predicting toe flexor and
      handgrip strength were also determined. METHODS: A total of 1401 male (aged 35-59
      years) study participants were divided into five groups according to their
      chronological age; 35-39, 40-44, 45-49, 50-54, and 55-59 years. Toe flexor and
      handgrip strength, anthropometry, and resting blood pressure were measured.
      Fasting blood samples were collected to measure blood glucose, triglycerides,
      high- and low-density lipoprotein-cholesterols, and albumin. A self-administered
      lifestyle questionnaire was conducted. RESULTS: Decline in absolute toe flexor
      and handgrip strength began in the age groups 50-55 and 55-59 years,
      respectively. In comparison to the mean values of the youngest group, relative
      toe flexor strength (87.0 +/- 26.6%) was significantly lower than handgrip
      strength (94.4 +/- 13.1%) for the oldest group. Multiple regression analyses
      showed that independent factors predicting both toe flexor and handgrip strength
      were lean body mass, age, serum albumin, drinking habit, and fat mass.
      Additionally, fasting blood glucose, diastolic blood pressure, sleeping time and
      exercise habit were predicting factors of toe flexor strength but not of handgrip
      strength. CONCLUSIONS: Age-related reduction in toe flexor strength was earlier
      and greater than handgrip strength, and toe flexor strength reflects body
      composition and metabolic status.

PMID- 28360944
TI  - Multiaxial Polarity Determines Individual Cellular and Nuclear Chirality.
AB  - Intrinsic cell chirality has been implicated in the left-right (LR) asymmetry of
      embryonic development. Impaired cell chirality could lead to severe birth defects
      in laterality. Previously, we detected cell chirality with an in vitro
      micropatterning system. Here, we demonstrate for the first time that chirality
      can be quantified as the coordination of multiaxial polarization of individual
      cells and nuclei. Using an object labeling, connected component based method, we
      characterized cell chirality based on cell and nuclear shape polarization and
      nuclear positioning of each cell in multicellular patterns of epithelial cells.
      We found that the cells adopted a LR bias the boundaries by positioning the sharp
      end towards the leading edge and leaving the nucleus at the rear. This behavior
      is consistent with the directional migration observed previously on the boundary
      of micropatterns. Although the nucleus is chirally aligned, it is not strongly
      biased towards or away from the boundary. As the result of the rear positioning
      of nuclei, the nuclear positioning has an opposite chirality to that of cell
      alignment. Overall, our results have revealed deep insights of chiral
      morphogenesis as the coordination of multiaxial polarization at the cellular and
      subcellular levels.

PMID- 28360945
TI  - Epigenetic signatures of gestational diabetes mellitus on cord blood methylation.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Intrauterine exposure to gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) confers
      a lifelong increased risk for metabolic and other complex disorders to the
      offspring. GDM-induced epigenetic modifications modulating gene regulation and
      persisting into later life are generally assumed to mediate these elevated
      disease susceptibilities. To identify candidate genes for fetal programming, we
      compared genome-wide methylation patterns of fetal cord bloods (FCBs) from GDM
      and control pregnancies. METHODS AND RESULTS: Using Illumina's 450K methylation
      arrays and following correction for multiple testing, 65 CpG sites (52 associated
      with genes) displayed significant methylation differences between GDM and control
      samples. Four candidate genes, ATP5A1, MFAP4, PRKCH, and SLC17A4, from our
      methylation screen and one, HIF3A, from the literature were validated by
      bisulfite pyrosequencing. The effects remained significant after adjustment for
      the confounding factors maternal BMI, gestational week, and fetal sex in a
      multivariate regression model. In general, GDM effects on FCB methylation were
      more pronounced in women with insulin-dependent GDM who had a more severe
      metabolic phenotype than women with dietetically treated GDM. CONCLUSIONS: Our
      study supports an association between maternal GDM and the epigenetic status of
      the exposed offspring. Consistent with a multifactorial disease model, the
      observed FCB methylation changes are of small effect size but affect multiple
      genes/loci. The identified genes are primary candidates for transmitting GDM
      effects to the next generation. They also may provide useful biomarkers for the
      diagnosis, prognosis, and treatment of adverse prenatal exposures.

PMID- 28360946
TI  - Associations of LEP, CRH, ICAM-1, and LINE-1 methylation, measured in saliva,
      with waist circumference, body mass index, and percent body fat in mid-childhood.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Genetics explains a small proportion of variance in body mass index
      at the population level. Epigenetics, commonly measured by gene methylation,
      holds promise for understanding obesity risk factors and mechanisms. METHODS:
      Participants were 431 adolescents aged 10-15 years. BMI z-score, waist
      circumference z-score, and percent body fat were measured. Saliva samples were
      collected and methylation of promoter regions of four candidate genes or
      sequences (LEP, ICAM-1, CRH, and LINE-1) were measured in 3-4 CpG sites each.
      Linear regression was used to identify associations of methylation with obesity
      related outcomes. RESULTS: After adjusting for age, in sex-stratified analysis,
      the three obesity-related outcomes were negatively associated with LEP
      methylation in obese boys only. There were no associations of methylation of the
      other genes or sequences and the obesity-related outcomes. CONCLUSIONS: Our
      results are consistent with prior studies that reported sex differences in
      associations of obesity-related outcomes with LEP methylation, and also as would
      be expected in adipose tissue, the source of circulating leptin. The findings
      suggest that saliva might be an acceptable tissue for epigenetics studies in
      adolescents.

PMID- 28360947
TI  - A novel method for isolation of histones from serum and its implications in
      therapeutics and prognosis of solid tumours.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Dysregulation in post-translational modifications of histones and
      their modifiers are now well-recognized as a hallmark of cancer and can be used
      as biomarkers and potential therapeutic targets for disease progression and
      prognosis. In most solid tumours, a biopsy is challenging, costly, painful or
      potentially risky for the patient. Therefore, non-invasive methods like 'liquid
      biopsy' for analysis of histone modifications and their modifiers if possible
      will be helpful in the better clinical management of cancer patients. METHODS:
      Here, we have developed a cost-effective and time-efficient protocol for
      isolation of circulating histones from serum of solid tumor, HCC, called Dual
      Acid Extraction (DAE) protocol and have confirmed by mass spectrometry. Also, we
      measured the activity of HDACs and HATs in serum samples. RESULTS: The serum
      purified histones were profiled for changes in histone PTMs and have shown a
      comparable pattern of modifications like acetylation (H4K16Ac), methylation
      (H4K20Me3, H3K27Me3, H3K9Me3) and phosphorylation (gamma-H2AX and H3S10P) to
      paired cancer tissues. Profiling for the histone PTM changes in various other
      organs of normal and tumor bearing animal suggests that the changes in the
      histone PTMs observed in the tumor serum is indeed due to changes in the tumor
      tissue only. Further, we demonstrate that the observed hypo-acetylation of
      histone H4 in tissue and serum samples of tumor bearing animals corroborated with
      the elevated HDAC activity in both samples compared to normal. Interestingly,
      human normal and tumor serum samples also showed elevated HDAC activity with no
      significant changes in HAT activity. CONCLUSIONS: Our study provides the first
      evidence in the context of histone PTMs and modifiers that liquid biopsy is a
      valuable predictive tool for monitoring disease progression. Importantly, with
      the advent of drugs that target specific enzymes involved in the epigenetic
      regulation of gene expression, liquid biopsy-based 'real time' monitoring will be
      useful for subgrouping of the patients for epi-drug treatment, predicting
      response to therapy, early relapse and prognosis.

PMID- 28360948
TI  - Are Mindfulness and Self-Compassion Related to Psychological Distress and
      Communication in Couples Facing Lung Cancer? A Dyadic Approach.
AB  - Lung cancer patients and their spouses report high rates of distress. Due to the
      increasing popularity of and evidence for mindfulness-based interventions in
      cancer, mindfulness and self-compassion have been identified as potentially
      helpful skills when coping with cancer. This dyadic study examined how
      mindfulness and self-compassion are related to psychological distress and
      communication about cancer in couples facing lung cancer. Using the actor-partner
      interdependence model, self-reported mindfulness, self-compassion, psychological
      distress and communication about cancer were analyzed in a cross-sectional sample
      of 88 couples facing lung cancer. Regarding psychological distress, no difference
      was found between patients and spouses. In both partners, own levels of
      mindfulness (B = -0.19, p = .002) and self-compassion (B = -0.45, p < .001) were
      negatively related to own distress levels. At a dyadic level, own self-compassion
      was less strongly associated with distress if the partner reported high self
      compassion (B = 0.03, p = .049). Regarding communication about cancer, patients
      reported to communicate more openly with their partner than with spouses.
      However, after controlling for gender, this difference was no longer significant.
      In both partners, own self-compassion (B = 0.03, p = .010) was significantly
      associated with own communication while mindfulness was not. A trend showed that
      mindfulness of the partner was related to more open communication in the
      individual (B = 0.01, p = .080). These findings give a first indication that
      mindfulness and self-compassion skills may go beyond the individual and could
      impact couple functioning. Future research should examine whether couples facing
      (lung) cancer may benefit from programs in which mindfulness and self-compassion
      are cultivated.

PMID- 28360950
TI  - Management of pelvic fracture-associated urethral injuries: A survey of Canadian
      urologists.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: The management of pelvic fracture-associated urethral injuries
      (PFUI) is not standardized and optimal management is controversial. We surveyed
      Canadian urologists about their experiences and opinions regarding optimal
      management of PFUI. METHODS: Canadian urologists were surveyed via an anonymous,
      bilingual, web-based, 12-item questionnaire. A total of 735 Canadian urologists
      were invited to participate via email distributed by the Canadian Urological
      Association. RESULTS: Of the 146 urologists who participated (19.9% response
      rate), the majority practice at a trauma centre (53.2%), but manage only 1-5
      PFUI/year (71.5%). Most participants (82.6%) favour primary realignment compared
      to suprapubic (SP) tube with delayed repair (15.3%) and immediate reconstruction
      (2.1%). Compared to SP diversion and delayed repair, the majority of participants
      believe primary realignment is associated with equivocal incontinence (61.2%) and
      erectile dysfunction rates (75.8%), but has lower stricture rates (73.0%). Among
      respondents who perform primary realignment, 45.4% concurrently place a SP tube,
      while 54.6% do not. While 91% believe SP tubes do not increase the risk of pelvic
      hardware infections, 31.6% report that orthopedic surgeons alter their management
      of pelvic fractures in the presence of a SP tube. CONCLUSIONS: Most Canadian
      urologist respondents - even those practicing at trauma centres - manage very few
      PFUIs/year. There is reasonable consensus among respondents that primary
      realignment is favourable to delayed or immediate reconstruction, but discordance
      on whether or not to place concurrent SP tubes. The urological and orthopedic
      consequences of SP tubes in the management of traumatic urological injuries
      warrant further investigation.

PMID- 28360951
TI  - Intravesical formalin for hemorrhagic cystitis: A contemporary cohort.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: Hemorrhagic cystitis presents a difficult clinical challenge, yet
      data regarding treatment options is sparse. Here, we sought to evaluate outcomes
      of a contemporary cohort of patients treated with intravesical formalin for
      hemorrhagic cystitis. METHODS: We identified a retrospective cohort of eight
      patients managed with formalin for hemorrhagic cystitis from 2000-2014. All
      patients failed prior measures, including bladder irrigation, clot evacuation,
      and other intravesical agents. Treatment success was defined as hematuria
      resolution during the given hospitalization without use of additional invasive
      therapies. We also evaluated treatment complications and additional treatments
      following hospital dismissal. RESULTS: Etiology of cystitis was radiation for
      malignancy in all cases. The formalin concentration ranged from 1-4%, with
      escalation used in treatment failures. Five patients (62.5%) received a single
      dose of 1% formalin, two patients received two doses, and one patient received
      three doses. Notably, intraoperative cystography identified vesicoureteral reflux
      (VUR) in 50.0% of patients. Six patients (75.0%) achieved treatment success, with
      a median time to resolution of four days (range 1-17 days). Of those refractory
      to formalin, one was managed with indwelling nephrostomy tubes and one underwent
      cystectomy. Median followup was eight months. Of the responders, two eventually
      required cystectomy, one for recurrent hematuria and one for recalcitrant bladder
      neck contracture and bladder dysfunction. The remaining four patients (50%)
      required no additional therapy. CONCLUSIONS: Formalin remains an important tool
      for treating refractory hemorrhagic cystitis, with roughly 75.0% of patients
      requiring no additional therapy prior to hospital discharge. Notably, there is a
      risk of bladder dysfunction following formalin.

PMID- 28360949
TI  - CUA guideline on the management of cystic renal lesions.

PMID- 28360953
TI  - Diabetes and elevated urea level predict for uretero-ileal stricture after
      radical cystectomy and ileal conduit formation.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: Benign uretero-ileal anastomotic stricture is a significant
      complication following radical cystectomy and ileal conduit urinary diversion
      after radical cystectomy. We examined risk factors for stricture formation to
      predict those at greatest stricture risk. METHODS: A retrospective chart review
      was conducted for patients undergoing radical cystectomy and ileal conduit
      diversion between 2002 and 2012. Demographic data and patient variables were
      analyzed to determine risk factors for uretero-ileal stricture using multivariate
      logistic regression. RESULTS: Over the study period, 133 patients underwent
      cystectomy and ileal conduit formation, with 14 (10.5%) developing uretero-ileal
      anastomotic stricture. Diabetes and elevated serum urea level (defined as >7.1
      mmol/L) were associated with increased risk for development of uretero-ileal
      stricture (odds ratio 4.31 and 4.28, respectively; p<0.05 for each). CONCLUSIONS:
      In this patient cohort, diabetes and elevated serum urea level were predictive
      for the development of uretero-ileal anastomotic stricture. Further prospective
      study with larger patient samples is required.

PMID- 28360952
TI  - Urogynecological conditions associated with overactive bladder symptoms in women.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: Overactive bladder symptoms (OAB) affect 9-43% of women and are
      associated with underlying disorders, including pelvic organ prolapse (POP) and
      stress urinary incontinence (SUI). The aim of this study is to identify
      urogynecological conditions associated with OAB symptoms. METHODS: This
      prospective, institutional review board-approved study included women referred to
      a tertiary centre with lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS). All women completed
      the self-administered OAB questionnaire (OABSS). Those with an OABSS >=8, the
      cutoff, were considered to have OAB symptoms. Patients underwent a history and
      physical examination (including Baden-Walker prolapse grading and stress test),
      24-hour voiding diary, pad test (for urinary incontinence), urinalysis, and
      uroflow with post-void residual volume. Patients were classified clinically into
      the following: idiopathic OAB, SUI, POP, bladder outlet obstruction (BOO)
      neurogenic bladder (NGB), recurrent urinary tract infection (UTI), and
      miscellaneous. RESULTS: In total, 148 women met the inclusion criteria with a
      mean age of 67 years. Only 27% had no comorbid conditions and were considered
      idiopathic OAB. Associated urogynecological conditions included SUI in 37%, POP
      in 26%, miscellaneous conditions in 18%, recurrent UTI in 11%, NGB in 9%, and BOO
      in 8%. Some patients met criteria for more than one category, thus the total is
      greater than 100%. CONCLUSIONS: In a tertiary care setting, a significant
      proportion of women with OAB symptoms have underlying conditions that may cause
      or contribute to their symptoms. Appropriate evaluation is desirable to enhance
      our understanding of the relationship of these conditions to the diagnosis,
      treatment, outcomes, and pathophysiology of OAB.

PMID- 28360954
TI  - Impact of preoperative and postoperative membranous urethral length measured by 3
      Tesla magnetic resonance imaging on urinary continence recovery after robotic
      assisted radical prostatectomy.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: We sought to investigate the impact of preoperative and
      postoperative membranous urethral length (MUL) on urinary continence using 3
      Tesla (3T) magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) after robotic-assisted radical
      prostatectomy (RARP). METHODS: Between 2008 and 2013, 190 men with RARP underwent
      preoperative and postoperative MRI. Patients who received adjuvant radiotherapy
      or who were lost to followup were excluded, leaving 186 patients eligible for
      analysis. Preoperative MUL was estimated from the prostate apex to the penile
      bulb, while postoperative MUL was estimated from the bladder neck to penile bulb.
      Patients with no pads or protection were considered to have complete continence.
      Logistic regression analysis was used to identify predictors associated with
      urinary incontinence at six and 12 months. RESULTS: Age was commonly associated
      with urinary incontinence at six and 12 months. In addition, diabetes mellitus
      (DM) was another factor associated with urinary incontinence at 12 months. When
      adjusting these variables, preoperative MUL <=16 mm (95% confidence interval [CI]
      1.01-1.14; p=0.022), postoperative MUL <=14 mm (95% CI 1.16-9.80; p=0.025) and
      percent change of MUL >18% (95% CI 1.17-7.23; p=0.021) were significantly
      associated with urinary incontinence at six months. However, at 12 months,
      preoperative MUL <=13.5 mm (95% CI 1.85-19.21; p=0.003) and postoperative MUL
      <=13 mm (95% CI 1.24-13.84; p=0.021) had impacts on urinary incontinence, but not
      percent change of MUL. CONCLUSIONS: Preoperative and postoperative MUL were
      significantly associated with urinary continence recovery after RARP. Therefore,
      efforts to preserve MUL are highly recommended during surgery for optimal
      continence outcomes after RARP.

PMID- 28360955
TI  - Is testis-sparing surgery safe in small testicular masses? Results of a
      multicentre study.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: Our goal was to evaluate benign and malignant lesions and
      testicular intraepithelial neoplasia (TIN) in the neighbouring normal-appearing
      testis tissue in men who underwent radical orchiectomy for testicular mass with a
      pathologic tumour size of <=3cm. METHODS: In this retrospective, multicentre
      study, data of 252 patients from 11 different institutions were included.
      Patients were divided into three groups based on tumour size: Group 1 (0-1 cm;
      n=35), Group 2 (1.1-2cm; n=99), and Group 3 (2.1-3 cm; n=118). Benign lesions and
      TIN were sought in the neighbouring testicular tissue and compared between
      groups. RESULTS: Mean patient age was 32.3 years. Benign lesions were reported in
      54.3%, 33.3%, and 14.4% of Groups 1, 2, and 3, respectively (p<0.05 between
      groups). TIN was detected in 20%, 42.4%, and 41.5% of Groups 1, 2, and 3,
      respectively (p<0.05 for Group 1 vs. Groups 2 and 3; p>0.05 for Groups 2 vs. 3).
      Multifocality was detected in 8.6%, 4%, and 0% of Groups 1, 2, and 3,
      respectively (p<0.05 for both Group 1 vs. Group 3 and for Group 2 vs. Group 3;
      p>0.05 for Group 1 vs. Group 2). A tumour cutoff size of 1.5 cm was found to be
      significant for detecting benign tumour. TIN and multifocality rates were similar
      in patients with a tumour size of <=1.5 vs. >1.5 cm (p>0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Benign
      lesions and TIN in the neighbouring testis were significantly decreased and
      multifocality was increased in patients with a tumour mass size of <=1 cm. Testis
      sparing surgery should be performed with caution and a safety rim of normal
      tissue should also be excised.

PMID- 28360956
TI  - Shock due to urosepsis: A multicentre study.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: Urosepsis is a severe infection that can cause shock afterwards.
      The purpose of this study is to investigate the clinical and bacterial risk
      factors for shock in those cases with urosepsis caused by urinary tract infection
      in a multicentre study. METHODS: Our study included 77 consecutive urosepsis
      cases from four hospitals. We examined factors such as patient characteristics,
      underlying disease, serum white blood cell (WBC) count, platelet count, C
      reactive protein (CRP) level at the time of diagnosis of urosepsis, urinary tract
      occlusion, causative bacteria, and bacterial antibiotic susceptibilities.
      Statistical analyses were performed to assess the potential risk factors for
      shock during the clinical course of urosepsis by a multivariate analysis.
      RESULTS: We had 38 male and 39 female patients aged 25-104 (median 73).
      Underlying diseases included cancers (n=22, 28.6 %) and diabetes mellitus (n=17,
      22.1 %). Positive blood culture was seen in 74 cases; these involved 88 bacterial
      strains, of which Escherichia coli was the most common (34 strains, 38.6 %).
      There were 31 cases with shock (40.3 %) and multivariate analyses demonstrated
      that serum CRP was the only clinical risk factor for shock due to urosepsis.
      CONCLUSIONS: Our study demonstrated that serum CRP was a risk factor for shock
      during urosepsis in a multicentre analysis. Further prospective studies with a
      greater number of patients are needed to draw more definitive conclusions.

PMID- 28360958
TI  - Rare complication of needleless mini-sling procedure: Case report.
AB  - The mini-sling procedure is a widely used, minimally invasive treatment for
      stress urinary incontinence. While bladder perforation and stone formation over
      the mesh is not an expected complication of the mini-sling procedure, in this
      case, we report on the management of bladder calculi formed over the mesh, which
      was passed through the bladder while applying the mini-sling procedure, and was
      eventually removed using holmium laser. Performing cystoscopy in patients with
      irritative and obstructive symptoms after the sling procedure will help confirm
      bladder perforation, and an endoscopic approach using holmium laser is an
      effective treatment.

PMID- 28360957
TI  - Treatment of lower urinary tract symptoms in multiple sclerosis patients: Review
      of the literature and current guidelines.
AB  - Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a unique neurological disease with a broad spectrum of
      clinical presentations that are time- and disease course-related. Lower urinary
      tract symptoms (LUTS) are highly prevalent in this patient population, with
      approximately 90% showing some degree of voiding dysfunction and/or incontinence
      6-8 years after the initial MS diagnosis. Major therapeutic goals include quality
      of life improvement and the avoidance of urological complications Owing to the
      wide divergence of clinical symptoms and disease course, evaluation and treatment
      differ between patients. Treatment must be customized for each patient based on
      disease phase, patient independence, manual dexterity, social support, and other
      medical- or MS-related issues. Ablative or irreversible therapies are indicated
      only when the disease course is stable. In most cases of "safe" bladder,
      behavioural treatment is considered first-line defense. Antimuscarinic drugs,
      alone or in combination with intermittent self-catheterization, are currently the
      mainstay of conservative treatment, and several other medications may help in
      specific disease conditions. Second-line treatment includes botulinum toxin A
      injection, neuromodulation, indwelling catheters, and surgery in well-selected
      cases.

PMID- 28360959
TI  - A case of epidermoid median raphe cyst traversing the corpora cavernosa.
AB  - Median raphe cysts are congenital lesions that typically have a superficial
      appearance. We present a very unusual case of a deep perineal mass in a six-year
      old boy. The lesion extends into the corpus cavernosum, suggesting that the
      anomaly was an early embryological event. Histopathological features are
      consistent with an epidermoid type of median raphe cyst.

PMID- 28360960
TI  - Clomiphene citrate rescue of spermatogenesis in men with infertility while
      remaining on finasteride: A case report.

PMID- 28360961
TI  - Flexible cystoscope retrieval of detached resectoscope sheath beak.

PMID- 28360963
TI  - Assessing eosinophilic cationic protein as a biomarker for monitoring patients
      with eosinophilic esophagitis treated with specific exclusion diets.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Eosinophilic esophagitis (EoE) is a complex pathology. Attempts have
      been made in order to relate EoE with the intake of certain food. The problem is
      to establish which foods are really involved in the pathophysiology of this
      condition and to objectify a reliable inflammation biomarker for the follow-up of
      patients undergoing pharmacological treatment and/or diets. Our aim is to assess
      the food sensitization profile of patients with objective diagnosis of EoE and
      objectify the utility of ECP as an inflammation biomarker for the follow-up of
      patients with EoE treated with specific diets, based on the hypothesis that we
      will observe a decrease and clinical improvement after maintenance of these
      diets. METHODS: A total of 19 subjects were included between 1 January 2012 and
      30 June 2015. Diets based on allergy testing were established. Prior to the
      initiation of the diets, baseline ECP was determined. Appointments were arranged
      for the patients between 4 and 6 months later to assess the clinical response to
      the specific diets and to request a second blood sample for blood counts and
      serum ECP levels to compare with the previous baseline. RESULTS: 19 patients
      diagnosed with EoE (12 males and 7 females) between January 2012 and June 2015,
      aged between 17 and 68 (33.52; SD 13.67 years), were included consecutively, 15
      of whom showed optimum response to specific diets based on allergy testing. A
      statistically significant difference ECP decrease was observed in our patients.
      DISCUSSION: Until now most of the studies previously published in reference to
      the use of ECP as a biomarker for monitoring patients on treatment with diets
      show consistent but insignificant decreases in ECP levels. However, ECP seems to
      be a good marker of inflammation if the determinations are performed avoiding
      confounding factors. CONCLUSION: The serial determination of ECP is useful when
      monitoring patients with EoE treated with specific diets.

PMID- 28360964
TI  - Picosecond Lasers: A New and Emerging Therapy for Skin of Color, Minocycline
      induced Pigmentation, and Tattoo Removal.

PMID- 28360965
TI  - A Closer Look at Seborrheic Keratoses: Patient Perspectives, Clinical Relevance,
      Medical Necessity, and Implications for Management.
AB  - The author sought to discover why seborrheic keratoses that are not symptomatic
      or clinically suspicious are not considered therapeutically important to most
      clinicians. The author conducted an office-based, observational study examining
      how the diagnosis of asymptomatic seborrheic keratoses personally affects
      patients and what these patients think concerning treatment. Many patients
      reported being bothered by the diagnosis of seborrheic keratoses, even when told
      it's not cancerous, and indicated an interest in its treatment. Lack of insurance
      coverage for the treatment of non-symptomatic seborrheic keratoses may be the
      primary reason clinicians do not consider seborrheic keratoses therapeutically
      important, as clinicians often find the discussion of "self payment" with their
      patients to be awkward. Furthermore, patients may not understand the implications
      that "lack of medical necessity" may have on their treatment options. The author
      describes a clinical approach that may better serve patients and clinicians
      through the compartmentalization of asymptomatic seborrheic keratoses treatment
      as a cosmetic procedure within the clinical practice model.

PMID- 28360962
TI  - Novel Immune Mechanisms in Hypertension and Cardiovascular Risk.
AB  - PURPOSE OF REVIEW: Hypertension is a common disorder with substantial impact on
      public health due to highly elevated cardiovascular risk. The mechanisms still
      remain unclear and treatments are not sufficient to reduce risk in majority of
      patients. Inflammatory mechanisms may provide an important mechanism linking
      hypertension and cardiovascular risk. We aim to review newly identified immune
      and inflammatory mechanisms of hypertension with focus on their potential
      therapeutic impact. RECENT FINDINGS: In addition to the established role of the
      vasculature, kidneys and central nervous system in pathogenesis of hypertension,
      low-grade inflammation contributes to this disorder as indicated by experimental
      models and GWAS studies pointing to SH2B3 immune gene as top key driver of
      hypertension. Immune responses in hypertension are greatly driven by neoantigens
      generated by oxidative stress and modulated by chemokines such as RANTES, IP-10
      and microRNAs including miR-21 and miR-155 with other molecules under
      investigation. Cells of both innate and adoptive immune system infiltrate
      vasculature and kidneys, affecting their function by releasing pro-inflammatory
      mediators and reactive oxygen species. SUMMARY: Immune and inflammatory
      mechanisms of hypertension provide a link between high blood pressure and
      increased cardiovascular risk, and reduction of blood pressure without attention
      to these underlying mechanisms is not sufficient to reduce risk.

PMID- 28360966
TI  - Recurrent Aphthous Stomatitis: A Review.
AB  - Aphthous stomatitis is a painful and often recurrent inflammatory process of the
      oral mucosa that can appear secondary to various well-defined disease processes.
      Idiopathic recurrent aphthous stomatitis is referred to as recurrent aphthous
      stomatitis. The differential diagnosis for recurrent aphthous ulcerations is
      extensive and ranges from idiopathic benign causes to inherited fever syndromes,
      to connective tissue disease, or even inflammatory bowel diseases. A thorough
      history and review of systems can assist the clinician in determining whether it
      is related to a systemic inflammatory process or truly idiopathic. Management of
      aphthous stomatitis is challenging. For recurrent aphthous stomatitis or
      recalcitrant aphthous stomatitis from underlying disease, first-line treatment
      consists of topical medications with use of systemic medications as necessary.
      Herein, the authors discuss the differential diagnosis and treatment ladder of
      aphthous stomatitis as described in the literature.

PMID- 28360968
TI  - Molluscum Contagiosum Treated with Dilute Povidone-Iodine: A Series of Cases.
AB  - Objective: To report our experience using a broad spectrum antimicrobial,
      povidone-iodine, as a novel at-home prescription treatment for molluscum
      contagiosum. Design/Setting: A systematic review of cases presenting to one of
      the author's private dermatology clinics from January to July of 2015 identified
      12 patients with molluscum contagiosum seeking treatment. Participants: The
      population was pediatric, with six males and six female patients included (age
      range 2-17 years, mean age 6 years). Measurements: Patients were evaluated at
      baseline and returned to the office for evaluation at four-week intervals until
      resolution or failure to show for appointments, with number and location of
      lesions being recorded at each visit. Adverse effects were evaluated at each
      visit. Results: All 12/12 (100%) patients demonstrated complete or partial
      resolution. There were a total of 115 lesions treated in the case series, and
      103/115 (90%) resolved. Complete resolution occurred in 8/12 (67%) patients. Of
      the 8/12 with complete resolution, 4/8 (50%) patients showed complete resolution
      at the four-week follow-up visit and 4/8 (50%) showed complete resolution at the
      eight-week follow-up. Of the 4/12 (33%) patients who failed to demonstrate
      complete resolution, 4/4 (100%) showed partial resolution. Conclusion: This case
      series demonstrates considerable success for treatment of molluscum contagiosum
      with a dilute povidone-iodine preparation. The treatment was well-tolerated, with
      minimal side effects.

PMID- 28360967
TI  - Azelaic Acid Topical Formulations: Differentiation of 15% Gel and 15% Foam.
AB  - In this article, the author reviews topical formulations of azelaic acid used to
      treat papulopustular rosacea. Emphasis is placed on differences in vehicle
      technology and potential clinical impact of the possibility for neurosensory
      cutaneous tolerability reactions.

PMID- 28360969
TI  - Ticks and Tick Bites Presenting as "Funny Moles": A Review of Different
      Presentations and a Focus on Tick-borne Diseases.
AB  - Purpose: To describe a man with an adherent tick mimicking a melanoma, summarize
      the salient features of this condition, and review other cases of ticks mistaken
      for dermatoses. Background: Ticks are obligatory ectoparasites. Disease-causing
      ticks belong to two families: Ixodidae (hard ticks) and Argasidae (soft ticks).
      Ticks thrive by consuming blood from animal hosts, and the transfer of infected
      blood from one host to the next is the method by which ticks spread disease.
      Materials and methods: The authors describe a man who presented to their
      dermatology clinic in New York with an unusual black pigmented lesion on the
      right zygomatic region of his face. He was worried about how rapidly the lesion
      had developed and the tingling of the skin surrounding it. Since the patient had
      a history of nonmelanoma skin cancer, he was concerned that the lesion was a
      melanoma. An excisional biopsy of the lesion revealed a non-Ixodes tick with a
      surrounding tick-bite reaction. Results: Ticks cause cutaneous manifestations
      through physical trauma and their salivary contents. A number of reports describe
      a similar phenomenon of a persistent tick being mistaken for a nodule or tumor.
      Management includes complete removal of a tick, either mechanically or
      surgically, along with the appropriate work-up for tick-borne diseases in the
      relevant geographic location. The decision to test for systemic disease depends
      on the clinical presentation of the patient and geographic location of the tick
      bite. Conclusion: A patient presented to the authors' dermatology clinic with a
      pigmented lesion suspicious for a melanoma, but the lesion was actually an
      adherent non-Ixodes tick. This case illustrates the importance of keeping insects
      and arthropods in the differential diagnosis of a sudden- and recent-onset
      pigmented skin lesion.

PMID- 28360970
TI  - Pediatric Dermatology.
AB  - Skin changes are common in children. Common concerns are birthmarks (e.g.,
      hemangiomas and port wine stains), atopic and contact dermatitis, acne, and
      alopecia areata. The authors review advances in common and not so common skin
      changes in pediatric patients.

PMID- 28360971
TI  - Psoriasis and Psoriatic Arthritis.
AB  - Psoriasis is a dynamic systemic disease that can have a profound affect on a
      patient's self-esteem. Fortunately, numerous therapeutic advances have been made
      over the last 10 years. In order to help patients manage their disease,
      healthcare providers should be aware of the modifiable risk factors that may
      exacerbate psoriasis. Additionally, exploring the impact the disease has on a
      patient and how it may change over their lifespan will help ensure appropriate
      therapies are used. Patients are unique so one medication will not fit all of our
      patients' needs. In this paper, the authors look at available treatment options
      for psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis. Educating psoriasis patients, in addition
      to collaborating with patients and other healthcare providers, may help initiate
      therapies that will result in patients living their lives to the fullest.

PMID- 28360972
TI  - Dermatology Roundup: The Latest Tips, Techniques, and Technologies for Busy
      Clinicians.
AB  - Rapid advances in use of technology and discovery of innovative therapeutic tips
      or clinically relevant epidemiological clues are discussed. Much of the
      literature-based review was drawn from somewhat non-traditional sources of
      dermatological information.

PMID- 28360975
TI  - Clipping prevents perforation in large, flat polyps.
AB  - AIM: To determine if prophylactic clipping of post-polypectomy endoscopic mucosal
      resection (EMR) mucosal defects of large, flat, right sided polyps prevents
      perforations. METHODS: IRB approved review of all colonoscopies, and prospective
      data collection of grasp and snare EMR performed by 2 endoscopists between
      January 1, 2010 and March 31, 2014 in a community ambulatory endoscopy center.
      The study consisted of two phases. In the first phase, all right-sided, flat
      polyps greater than or equal to 1.2 cm in size were removed using the grasp and
      snare technique. Clipping was done at the discretion of the endoscopist. In the
      second phase, all mucosal defects were closed using resolution clips. Phase 2 of
      the study was powered to detect a statistically significant difference in
      perforation rate with 148 EMRs, if less than or equal to 2 perforations occurred.
      RESULTS: In phase 1 of the study, 2121 colonoscopies were performed. Seventy-five
      patients had 95 large polyps removed. There were 4 perforations in 95
      polypectomies (4.2%). The perforations occurred in polyps ranging in size from
      1.5 cm to 2.5 cm. In phase 2, there were 2464 colonoscopies performed. One
      hundred and sixteen patients had 151 large polyps removed, and all mucosal
      defects were clipped. There were no perforations (P = 0.0016). There were no post
      polypectomy hemorrhages in either phase. An average of 2.15 clips were required
      to close the mucosal defects. The median time to perform the polypectomy and
      clipping was 13 min, and the median procedure duration was 40 min. Five percent
      of all patients undergoing colonoscopy in our community based, ambulatory
      endoscopy center had flat, right sided polyps greater than or equal to 1.2 cm in
      size. CONCLUSION: Prophylactic clipping of the mucosal resection defect of large,
      right-sided, flat polyps reduces the incidence of perforation.

PMID- 28360974
TI  - Utility of endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography on biliopancreatic
      diseases in patients with Billroth II-reconstructed stomach.
AB  - AIM: To examine the utility of endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography
      (ERCP) on biliopancreatic diseases in the patients with Billroth II-reconstructed
      stomach. METHODS: For 26 cases of biliopancreatic diseases in patients with
      Billroth II-reconstructed stomach, ERCP was conducted using a straight-view scope
      or a retrograde oblique-viewing endoscope. All the cases were patients aiming at
      selective insertion into the bile duct. One patient aimed at diagnosis, and 25
      patients aimed at treatment. The cases in which the endoscope reached the
      duodenal papilla and anastomosis, and insertion into the bile duct became
      possible, were considered successful. RESULTS: The rate of reaching the duodenal
      papilla and anastomosis was 84.7% (22/26 patients). Among the cases without
      reaching the duodenal papilla and anastomosis, there were 2 in which the
      endoscope did not pass due to tumor-induced duodenal infiltration. In 1 case, the
      fiber did not reach the duodenal papilla due to long afferent loop. The success
      rate of insertion into the bile duct in patients in which the endoscope reached
      the duodenal papilla and anastomosis was 90.9% (20/22 patients), and the success
      rate of procedures including treatment was 86.3% (19/22 patients). After
      treatment, mild cholangitis was observed in 1 patient (4.5%, 1/22 patients) but
      relieved conservatively. No other accidental symptom was observed. CONCLUSION: It
      was considered that the ERCP for biliopancreatic diseases in patients with
      Billroth II-reconstructed stomach will become a less invasive, safe and useful
      examination and treatment approach.

PMID- 28360976
TI  - Langerhans cell histiocytosis masquerading as acute appendicitis: Case report and
      review.
AB  - Langerhans cell histiocytosis (LCH) is a rare syndrome characterized by unifocal,
      multifocal unisystem, or disseminated/multi-system disease that commonly involves
      the bone, skin, lymph nodes, pituitary, or sometimes lung (almost exclusively in
      smokers) causing a variety of symptoms from rashes and bone lesions to diabetes
      insipidus or pulmonary infiltrates. We present a previously unreported case of
      gastrointestinal LCH as well as a novel characteristic lesion affecting the colon
      of a young woman who presented with signs and symptoms mimicking acute on chronic
      appendicitis. Immunohistochemical analysis of appendectomy specimen and nodular
      specimens on colonoscopy demonstrated S-100, CD1a, and langerin reactivity. The
      patient underwent systemic chemotherapy with cytarabine and demonstrated
      excellent response to therapy.

PMID- 28360977
TI  - Endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancretography in modified double tracks
      anastomosis with anastomotic stenosis.
AB  - A 63-year-old man presented at our hospital with right upper abdomen pain and
      fever for 4 d. The patient's magnetic resonance cholangiopancreatography revealed
      dilated common bile duct and choledocholithiasis. In his past history, he
      received proximal gastrectomy and modified double tracks anastomosis. Endoscopic
      retrograde cholangiopancretography in modified double tracks anastomosis,
      especially accompanied with anastomotic stenosis, has been rarely reported. In
      the present case, the duodenoscope was successfully introduced over the guidewire
      and the stone taken out using a basket. The patient had good palliation of his
      symptoms after removal of the stone.

PMID- 28360978
TI  - Shift Work and Health Problems.

PMID- 28360973
TI  - Endoluminal solutions to bariatric surgery complications: A review with a focus
      on technical aspects and results.
AB  - Obesity is a growing problem in developed countries, and surgery is the most
      effective treatment in terms of weight loss and improving medical comorbidity in
      a high proportion of obese patients. Despite the advances in surgical techniques,
      some patients still develop acute and late postoperative complications, and an
      endoscopic evaluation is often required for diagnosis. Moreover, the high
      morbidity related to surgical reintervention, the important enhancement of
      endoscopic procedures and technological innovations introduced in endoscopic
      equipment have made the endoscopic approach a minimally-invasive alternative to
      surgery, and, in many cases, a suitable first-line treatment of bariatric surgery
      complications. There is now evidence in the literature supporting endoscopic
      management for some of these complications, such as gastrointestinal bleeding,
      stomal and marginal ulcers, stomal stenosis, leaks and fistulas or
      pancreatobiliary disorders. However, endoscopic treatment in this setting is not
      standardized, and there is no consensus on its optimal timing. In this article,
      we aim to analyze the secondary complications of the most expanded techniques of
      bariatric surgery with special emphasis on those where more solid evidence exists
      in favor of the endoscopic treatment. Based on a thorough review of the
      literature, we evaluated the performance and safety of different endoscopic
      options for every type of complication, highlighting the most recent innovations
      and including comparative data with surgical alternatives whenever feasible.

PMID- 28360979
TI  - Shift Work Is Associated with Metabolic Syndrome in Young Female Korean Workers.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Shift work is associated with health problems, including metabolic
      syndrome. This study investigated the association between shift work and
      metabolic syndrome in young workers. METHODS: A total of 3,317 subjects aged 20
      40 years enrolled in the 2011-2012 Korean National Health and Nutrition
      Examination Survey were divided into shift and day workers. We conducted a cross
      sectional study and calculated odds ratios using multivariate logistic regression
      analysis in order to examine the association between shift work and metabolic
      syndrome. RESULTS: The prevalence of metabolic syndrome was 14.3% and 7.1% among
      male and female shift workers, respectively. After adjusting for confounding
      factors, shift work was associated with metabolic syndrome in female workers
      (odds ratio, 2.53; 95% confidence interval, 1.12 to 5.70). CONCLUSION: Shift work
      was associated with metabolic syndrome in young women. Timely efforts are
      necessary to manage metabolic syndrome in the workplace.

PMID- 28360980
TI  - Mental Health of the People with Hearing Impairment in Korea: A Population-Based
      Cross-Sectional Study.
AB  - BACKGROUND: The prevalence of hearing impairment is increasing and an association
      between hearing impairment and mental health has been reported. Our study aimed
      to determine the association between hearing impairment and mental health in
      Korea. METHODS: This was a cross-sectional study of data from the Korean National
      Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 2010-2013, with a sample size of 18,563
      individuals (6,395 with hearing impairment and 12,168 without hearing
      impairment), aged >=20 years. RESULTS: The female group with hearing impairment
      tended to have a higher rate of stress (odds ratio [OR], 1.32; 95% confidence
      interval [CI], 1.11 to 1.56). The association between hearing impairment and
      depressive symptoms was higher in elderly males (OR, 1.60; 95% CI, 1.10 to 2.32),
      while the association of hearing impairment with suicide ideation was higher in
      elderly females (OR, 1.32; 95% CI, 1.00 to 1.75). CONCLUSION: Elderly individuals
      with hearing impairment are easily susceptible to poor mental health status.
      Early targeted intervention to address mental health problems is recommended for
      people with hearing impairment.

PMID- 28360981
TI  - Association Between the Awareness of Dyslipidemia and Health Behavior for Control
      of Lipid Levels Among Korean Adults with Dyslipidemia.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Dyslipidemia is a major risk factor contributing to cardiovascular
      disease and its prevalence is steadily rising. Although screening tests are
      readily accessible, dyslipidemia remains undertreated. Evaluating health behavior
      patterns after diagnosis may help improve lifestyle interventions for the
      management of dyslipidemia. METHODS: Data from the fifth Korean National Health
      and Nutrition Examination Survey 2010-2012 were used. A total of 6,624
      dyslipidemia patients over 20 years old were included according to National
      Cholesterol Education Program-Adult Treatment Panel III guidelines. Logistic
      regression analysis was completed using a weighted method to determine whether
      awareness of dyslipidemia was associated with health behavior. Health behavior
      was divided into two categories: behavioral factors (smoking, alcohol
      consumption, exercise) and nutritional factors (adequate intake of fiber,
      carbohydrate, fat, protein). RESULTS: There were no significant differences in
      health behavior among dyslipidemia patients according to awareness after
      adjustment for covariates, diabetes and hypertension. Awareness in women was
      associated with decreased smoking (odds ratio [OR], 0.55; 95% confidence interval
      [CI], 0.32 to 0.94), but when adjusted for diabetes and hypertension the result
      was not significant (OR, 0.61; 95% CI, 0.35 to 1.06). The same pattern applied to
      intake of carbohydrate in men (OR, 1.28; 95% CI, 0.99 to 1.67) and protein in
      women (OR, 1.22; 95% CI, 0.98 to 1.50). In subgroup analysis, awareness of
      dyslipidemia in men without hypertension or diabetes was associated with adequate
      intake of carbohydrate (OR, 1.70; 95% CI, 1.06 to 2.72). CONCLUSION: Increasing
      awareness alone may not be enough to improve healthy behavior in patients with
      dyslipidemia. Efforts including patient education and counseling through a multi
      team approach may be required.

PMID- 28360982
TI  - Joint Effect of Cigarette Smoking and Body Mass Index on White Blood Cell Count
      in Korean Adults.
AB  - BACKGROUND: White blood cell count is an independent risk factor for
      cardiovascular disease. Several lifestyle and metabolic factors such as cigarette
      smoking and obesity are known to be associated with an elevated white blood cell
      count. However, the joint effect of cigarette smoking and obesity on white blood
      cell count has not yet been fully described. METHODS: We explored the joint
      effect of cigarette smoking and obesity on white blood cell count using multiple
      logistic regression analyses after adjusting for confounding variables in a
      population-based, cross-sectional study of 416,065 Korean adults. RESULTS:
      Cigarette smoking and body mass index have a dose-response relationship with a
      higher white blood cell count, but no synergistic interaction is observed between
      them (men, P for interaction=0.797; women, P for interaction=0.311). Cigarette
      smoking and body mass index might have an additive combination effect on high
      white blood cell count. Obese male smokers were 2.36 times more likely and obese
      female smokers 2.35 times more likely to have a high white blood cell count when
      compared with normal body mass index non-smokers. CONCLUSION: Cigarette smoking
      and body mass index are independently associated with an elevated white blood
      cell count in both men and women.

PMID- 28360983
TI  - Association Between Serum 25-Hydroxyvitamin D Levels and Dry Eye in Korean
      Adults: A Study Based on Korean National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey,
      2010-2011.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Dry eye is a common disease. Many patients continue to experience
      residual symptoms despite optimal treatment. Thus, new treatment options are
      required. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the association between serum
      25-hydroxyvitamin D [25(OH)D] levels and dry eye. METHODS: This study was
      performed using data from the fifth Korean National Health and Nutrition
      Examination Survey, which is a cross-sectional study of the Korean population
      that was conducted from 2010 to 2011. We included adults aged >19 years who
      underwent ophthalmologic interviews and examinations. We excluded subjects who
      had comorbid conditions (rheumatoid arthritis, thyroid disease, chronic kidney
      disease, or depression) that are associated with dry eye. The subjects were
      divided into normal and dry eye groups. The dry eye group consisted of those who
      had clinically diagnosed dry eye syndrome or symptoms. Multiple logistic
      regression analysis was conducted to determine the association between serum
      25(OH)D levels and dry eye. RESULTS: In the univariate model, the 25(OH)D levels
      were lower in the dry eye group than in the normal group (P=0.01). A significant
      association was found between severe vitamin D deficiency (<10 ng/mL) and dry eye
      (P=0.04). However, after multivariate adjustment, the statistical significance of
      the association disappeared (P-values= 0.49, vitamin D insufficiency; P=0.33,
      vitamin D deficiency; P=0.18, severe vitamin D deficiency). CONCLUSION: Severe
      vitamin D deficiency was associated with dry eye in an unadjusted model, but the
      association was not statistically significant after adjustment.

PMID- 28360984
TI  - The Association Between Shift Work and Health Behavior: Findings from the Korean
      National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Shift workers are increasing worldwide, and various negative health
      effects of shift work have been reported. This study aimed to evaluate the
      relationship between shift work and health behavior. METHODS: This cross
      sectional study included a total of 11,680 Korean adults (6,061 men and 5,619
      women) aged >=20 years old who participated in the Fifth Korean National Health
      and Nutrition Examination Survey, 2010-2012. Multiple logistic regression
      analysis was performed to evaluate the association between shift work and health
      behavior after adjusting for covariates. RESULTS: In men, shift work was
      associated with an increased risk of inadequate sleep (odds ratio [OR], 1.18; 95%
      confidence interval [CI], 1.00 to 1.40) compared to day work. In women, shift
      work was associated with an increased risk of smoking (OR, 1.73; 95% CI, 1.34 to
      2.22) and inadequate sleep (OR, 1.24; 95% CI, 1.05 to 1.47) compared to day work.
      In an age-stratified subgroup analysis, female shift workers aged >=50 years old
      demonstrated an increased risk of smoking (OR, 5.55; 95% CI, 3.60 to 8.55),
      alcohol consumption (OR, 2.22; 95% CI, 1.53 to 3.23), and inadequate sleep (OR,
      1.50; 95% CI, 1.10 to 2.05) compared to female day workers. CONCLUSION: Shift
      work is associated with worse health behavior, and this is most evident in women
      aged >=50 years. Targeted strategies to reduce the negative health effects of
      shift work should be implemented, with consideration of shift workers'
      demographic characteristics.

PMID- 28360986
TI  - Confusion, Faciobrachial Dystonic Seizures, and Critical Hyponatremia in a
      Patient with Voltage-Gated Potassium Channel Encephalitis.
AB  - Autoimmune limbic encephalitis is a rare cause of encephalitic disease. It is
      associated with various target antigens and is difficult to diagnose, and
      experience with its treatment is limited. This case report describes a 69-year
      old man, who presented with life-threatening hyponatremia and confusion,
      following several months of gradually worsening faciobrachial dystonic seizures.
      Faciobrachial dystonic seizures are a well-described feature classically observed
      in voltage-gated potassium channel autoimmune encephalitis. The presence of
      chronic hyponatremia without cognitive dysfunction, eventually culminating in an
      acute episode of encephalopathy and severe hyponatremia, is a pattern of natural
      history not previously documented in this condition.

PMID- 28360985
TI  - Relationship Between Alcohol Consumption and Prostatic Hyperplasia According to
      Facial Flushing After Drinking in Korean Men.
AB  - BACKGROUND: The purpose of this study was to examine whether facial flushing
      after drinking influences the relationship between alcohol consumption and
      prostatic hyperplasia among Korean men. METHODS: The subjects were 957 Korean men
      (180 non-drinkers, 389 with drinking-related facial flushing, 388 without facial
      flushing) in the 40-69 age group, who underwent prostate ultrasound at the health
      promotion center of Chungnam National University Hospital between 2008 and 2014.
      Alcohol consumption and alcohol-related facial flushing were assessed through a
      questionnaire. In terms of the amount consumed, 14 g of alcohol was considered a
      standard drink. With the non-drinker group as reference, logistic regression was
      used to analyze the relationship between weekly alcohol intake and prostatic
      hyperplasia in the flushing and non-flushing groups, with adjustment for
      confounding factors such as age, body mass index, smoking, and exercise patterns.
      RESULTS: Individuals aged 50-59 years who experienced drinking-related facial
      flushing had a significantly lower risk of prostatic hyperplasia than the non
      drinker group, depending on alcohol consumption: <=4 standard drinks (adjusted
      odds ratio [OR], 0.38; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.16 to 0.86); >4 <=8
      standard drinks (OR, 0.35; 95% CI, 0.13 to 0.95); >8 standard drinks (OR, 0.33;
      95% CI, 0.13 to 0.84). However, no significant relationship was observed between
      the number of drinks consumed and the risk of prostate hyperplasia in the non
      flushing group. CONCLUSION: The risk of prostatic hyperplasia appears to be
      reduced by alcohol consumption among Korean men aged 50-59 years who exhibit
      drinking-related facial flushing.

PMID- 28360987
TI  - A Diagnosis to Consider in an Adult Patient with Facial Features and Intellectual
      Disability: Williams Syndrome.
AB  - Williams syndrome (OMIM #194050) is a rare, well-recognized, multisystemic
      genetic condition affecting approximately 1/7,500 individuals. There are no
      marked regional differences in the incidence of Williams syndrome. The syndrome
      is caused by a hemizygous deletion of approximately 28 genes, including ELN on
      chromosome 7q11.2. Prenatal-onset growth retardation, distinct facial appearance,
      cardiovascular abnormalities, and unique hypersocial behavior are among the most
      common clinical features. Here, we report the case of a patient referred to us
      with distinct facial features and intellectual disability, who was diagnosed with
      Williams syndrome at the age of 37 years. Our aim is to increase awareness
      regarding the diagnostic features and complications of this recognizable syndrome
      among adult health care providers. Williams syndrome is usually diagnosed during
      infancy or childhood, but in the absence of classical findings, such as
      cardiovascular anomalies, hypercalcemia, and cognitive impairment, the diagnosis
      could be delayed. Due to the multisystemic and progressive nature of the
      syndrome, accurate diagnosis is critical for appropriate care and screening for
      the associated morbidities that may affect the patient's health and well-being.

PMID- 28360988
TI  - Validity of Alcohol Use Disorder Identification Test: Methodological Issues.

PMID- 28360989
TI  - Authors' Reply to the Letter to the Editor "Validity of an Alcohol Use Disorder
      Identification Test: Methodological Issues".

PMID- 28344770
TI  - Aspiration in injections: should we continue or abandon the practice?
AB  - Aspiration during any kind of injection is meant to ensure that the needle tip is
      at the desired location during this blind procedure. While aspiration appears to
      be a simple procedure, it has generated a lot of controversy concerning the
      perceived benefits and indications. Advocates and opponents of aspiration both
      make logically sound claims. However, due to scarcity of available data, there is
      no evidence that this procedure is truly beneficial or unwarranted. Keeping in
      view the huge number of injections given worldwide, it is important that we draw
      attention to key questions regarding aspiration that, up till now, remain
      unanswered. In this review, we have attempted to gather and present literature on
      aspiration both from published and non-published sources in order to provide not
      only an exhaustive review of the subject, but also a starting point for further
      studies on more specific areas requiring clarification. A literature review was
      conducted using the US National Institute of Health's PubMed service (including
      Medline), Google Scholar and Scopus. Guidelines provided by the World Health
      Organization, Safe Injection Global Network, International Council of Nursing,
      Center for Disease Control, US Federal Drug Agency, UK National Health Services,
      British Medical Association, Europe Nursing and Midwifery Council, Public Health
      Agency Canada, Pakistan Medical Association and International Organization of
      Standardization recommendations 7886 parts 1-4 for sterile hypodermics were
      reviewed for relevant information. In addition, curricula of several medical/
      nursing schools from India, Nigeria and Pakistan, the US pharmacopeia Data from
      the WHO Program for International Drug Monitoring network in regard to adverse
      events as a result of not aspirating prior to injection delivery were reviewed.
      Curricula of selected major medical/nursing schools in India, Nigeria and
      Pakistan, national therapeutic formularies, product inserts of most commonly used
      drugs and other possible sources of information regarding aspiration and
      injections were consulted as well.

PMID- 28360990
TI  - Sex differences in the association of phospholipids with components of the
      metabolic syndrome in young adults.
AB  - BACKGROUND: There are differences in the prevalence and severity of diseases
      between males, females not taking hormonal contraceptives (non-HC females) and
      females taking hormonal contraceptives (HC females). The aim of this study was to
      identify sex-specific differences in the metabolome and its relation to
      components of the metabolic syndrome in a young adult population. METHODS: The
      subjects analysed are from the 20-year follow-up of the Western Australian
      Pregnancy Cohort (Raine) Study. Two hundred fifteen plasma metabolites were
      analysed in 1021 fasted plasma samples by a targeted liquid chromatography
      coupled to tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) metabolomics approach. Principal
      component analysis between males (n = 550), non-HC females (n = 199) and HC
      females (n = 269) was applied. Regression analysis with a sex * metabolite
      concentration interaction was performed on components of the MetS,  namely waist
      circumference, systolic blood pressure, and plasma HDL-C, triglycerides and
      glucose concentration, as outcome to select the significant metabolites of the
      interaction. Those selected metabolites were used as predictors in a sex group
      stratified analysis to compare the different beta coefficients and therefore the
      sex group-dependent associations. RESULTS: Principal component analysis between
      males, non-HC females, and HC females showed a general discriminating trend
      between males and HC females. One hundred twenty-seven metabolites were
      significantly different between males and non-HC females, whereas 97 differed
      between non-HC females and HC females. Males and non-HC females mainly differed
      in sphingomyelin, lyso-phosphatidylcholine, acyl-carnitine and amino acid
      species, whilst non-HC females and HC females mainly differed in
      phosphatidylcholine, lyso-phosphatidylcholine and acyl-carnitine concentrations.
      Forty-one metabolites (phosphatidylcholines, sphingomyelines, lyso
      phosphatidylcholine) were significantly differently associated with the MetS
      factors in the different groups. CONCLUSIONS: We have shown clear differences
      between plasma metabolite concentrations in males, and HC or non-HC females,
      especially in lyso-phosphatidylcholine, sphingomyelin and phosphatidylcholine,
      which have been shown to associate with obesity in other studies. The association
      of these metabolites differed between sexes with components of the metabolic
      syndrome, which means that development of diseases like obesity and diabetes may
      differ between the sexes. Our findings highlight the importance of considering
      sex differences when conducting a metabolomics study and the need to account for
      the effect of HC usage in females in future studies.

PMID- 28344770
TI  - Aspiration in injections: should we continue or abandon the practice?
AB  - Aspiration during any kind of injection is meant to ensure that the needle tip is
      at the desired location during this blind procedure. While aspiration appears to
      be a simple procedure, it has generated a lot of controversy concerning the
      perceived benefits and indications. Advocates and opponents of aspiration both
      make logically sound claims. However, due to scarcity of available data, there is
      no evidence that this procedure is truly beneficial or unwarranted. Keeping in
      view the huge number of injections given worldwide, it is important that we draw
      attention to key questions regarding aspiration that, up till now, remain
      unanswered. In this review, we have attempted to gather and present literature on
      aspiration both from published and non-published sources in order to provide not
      only an exhaustive review of the subject, but also a starting point for further
      studies on more specific areas requiring clarification. A literature review was
      conducted using the US National Institute of Health's PubMed service (including
      Medline), Google Scholar and Scopus. Guidelines provided by the World Health
      Organization, Safe Injection Global Network, International Council of Nursing,
      Center for Disease Control, US Federal Drug Agency, UK National Health Services,
      British Medical Association, Europe Nursing and Midwifery Council, Public Health
      Agency Canada, Pakistan Medical Association and International Organization of
      Standardization recommendations 7886 parts 1-4 for sterile hypodermics were
      reviewed for relevant information. In addition, curricula of several
      medical/nursing schools from India, Nigeria and Pakistan, the US pharmacopeia
      Data from the WHO Program for International Drug Monitoring network in regard to
      adverse events as a result of not aspirating prior to injection delivery were
      reviewed. Curricula of selected major medical/nursing schools in India, Nigeria
      and Pakistan, national therapeutic formularies, product inserts of most commonly
      used drugs and other possible sources of information regarding aspiration and
      injections were consulted as well.

PMID- 28360993
TI  - Risk factors for Clostridium difficile infection in surgical patients
      hospitalized in a tertiary hospital in Belgrade, Serbia: a case-control study.
AB  - BACKGROUND: The objective of this study was to investigate independent risk
      factors (RFs) connected with healthcare-associated (HA) Clostridium difficile
      infection (CDI) in surgical patients, its frequency per surgical wards and in
      hospital-mortality at a single hospital. METHODS: Risk factors for the infection
      were prospectively assessed among surgical patients with laboratory confirmed HA
      CDI and compared with a control group without HA CDI. RESULTS: The overall
      incidence rate of HA CDI was 2.6 per 10000 patient-days. Significant independent
      RFs for HA CDI were the use of carbapenems (P = 0.007, OR: 10.62, 95% CI: 1.93
      58.4), the admission to intensive care unit (P = 0.004, OR:3.00, 95% CI:1.41
      6.40), and the administration of 3rd generation cephalosporins (P = 0.014,
      OR:2.27, 95% CI:1.18-4.39). Patients with HA CDI had significantly higher in
      hospital mortality compared to controls (P: 0.007; OR: 8.95; 95% CI: 1.84-43.43).
      CONCLUSIONS: CDI is an important HA infection in population of surgical patients
      and this study emphasizes the importance of the wise use of antibiotics, and
      other infection control strategies in order to prevent HA CDI, and to decrease
      the incidence and in-hospital mortality rate.

PMID- 28360994
TI  - MRSA decolonization failure-are biofilms the missing link?
AB  - BACKGROUND: Device-associated infections due to biofilm-producing methicillin
      resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) have been recently associated with the
      failure of antibiotic treatment and decolonization measures. The goal of our
      study was to evaluate the extent to which the formation of biofilms influenced
      the efficacy of topical decolonization agents or disinfectants such as mupirocin
      (MUP), octenidine (OCT), chlorhexidine (CHG), polyhexanide (POL), and
      chloroxylenol (CLO). METHODS: Bacterial killing in biofilms by the disinfectants
      and MUP was determined as the reduction [%] in metabolic activity determined by a
      biofilm viability assay that uses kinetic analysis of metabolic activity. The
      test substances were diluted in water with standardized hardness (WSH) at 25 
      degrees C at the standard concentration as well as half the standard
      concentration to demonstrate the dilution effects in a practical setting. The
      tested concentrations were: CHG 1%, 2%; OCT 0.1%, 0.05%; PH 0.04%, 0.02%; and CLO
      0.12%, 0.24%. A test organism suspension, 1 mL containing ~1 * 109 bacterial
      cells/mL, and 1 mL of sterile WSH were mixed and incubated for six different
      exposure times (15 s, 1, 3, 5, 10 and 20 min) after the test substance was added.
      Additionally, the bactericidal effects of all substances were tested on
      planktonic bacteria and measured as the log10 reduction. RESULTS: The
      disinfectants OCT and CHG showed good efficacy in inhibiting MRSA in biofilms
      with reduction rates of 94 +/- 1% and 91 +/- 1%, respectively. POL, on the other
      hand, had a maximum efficacy of only 81 +/- 7%. Compared to the tested
      disinfectants, MUP showed a significantly lower efficacy with <20% inhibition (p
      < .05). Bactericidal effects were the greatest for CHG (log10 reduction of 9.0),
      followed by OCT (7.7), POL (5.1), and CLO (6.8). MUP, however, showed a very low
      bactericidal effect of only 2.1. Even when the exposure time was increased to 24
      h, 2% MUP did not show sufficient bactericidal effect. CONCLUSIONS: Our data
      provide evidence that OCT and CHG are effective components for disinfection of
      MRSA-biofilms. On the other hand, exposure to MUP at the standard concentrations
      in topical preparations did not effectively inhibit MRSA-biofilms and also did
      not show adequate bactericidal effects. Combining an MUP-based decolonization
      regimen with a disinfectant such as OCT or CHG could decrease decolonization
      failure.

PMID- 28360995
TI  - Inappropriate prescribing in outpatient healthcare: an evaluation of respiratory
      infection visits among veterans in teaching versus non-teaching primary care
      clinics.
AB  - A recent study led by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
      revealed at least 30% of antibiotic prescriptions in the outpatient setting were
      inappropriate. In this study of all ages, among adult patients, results were
      similar to the overall population, with the majority of inappropriate prescribing
      relating to respiratory infections. We applied the same methodology to
      investigate rates of antibiotic prescribing for respiratory tract infections in
      outpatient primary care clinics at the Providence Veterans Affairs Medical
      Center. The results of our evaluation reflected comparable rates of inappropriate
      prescribing, but when stratified by teaching versus non-teaching primary care
      clinics, inappropriate prescribing was significantly higher in non-teaching
      clinics (17.6% vs 44.0%, p < .0001). Respiratory infection visits in non-teaching
      outpatient clinics may be a pragmatic target for antimicrobial stewardship
      programs.

PMID- 28360998
TI  - Protective factors against disordered eating in family systems: a systematic
      review of research.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: This systematic review aims to identify and evaluate the literature
      investigating protective factors and eating disorders (EDs), to establish what is
      known about factors in family systems that could be considered protective against
      the development of ED/disordered eating. METHODS: A systematic review of the
      literature was conducted on five databases, using search terms related to
      ED/disordered eating and protective factors. Studies were systematically screened
      and included if they made reference to a protective factor within the family
      system and explored associations with a quantitative measure of ED/disordered
      eating behaviours. All included studies were evaluated for study quality.
      RESULTS: Twenty-five studies met criteria for inclusion. Ten papers made use of
      longitudinal or prospective designs appropriate to identify factors potentially
      protecting against the development of disordered eating difficulties, while a
      further 15 papers report cross-sectional associations between family factors and
      disordered eating outcomes. Studies looked at aspects of family relationships and
      family practices around food or eating. There was a particular research focus on
      the potential protective role of regular family meals. CONCLUSIONS AND
      IMPLICATIONS: Many of the potential protective factors identified, such as family
      support and connectedness, may be non-specific to eating difficulties, promoting
      general adaptive development and a range of positive development outcomes.
      Factors in the family environment around food, eating and weight, such as
      frequent family meals and avoiding comments about weight, may be more specific to
      ED and disordered eating. Issues with the methodologies used severely impact on
      the ability to draw conclusions about whether factors are 'protective'.

PMID- 28360999
TI  - Stress response to handling is short lived but may reflect personalities in a
      wild, Critically Endangered tortoise species.
AB  - We investigated the acute stress response associated with animal personalities by
      measuring plasma glucocorticoids throughout handling and collected ~2 years of
      movement and behavioural data in a wild, Critically Endangered animal,
      Astrochelys radiata (radiated tortoise). To determine whether our standard, brief
      conscientious handling procedures induce a stress response in our target species,
      we applied a stressor by way of initial animal processing and deployment of
      telemetry equipment. During surveys and processing, we sampled animals
      immediately upon detection, again after completing transmitter attachment and
      processing, and a final time the following day. We then used radiotelemetry to
      follow a subset of the animals for 22 months while collecting behavioural,
      climatic and location data. We found that brief and conscientious handling did
      not illicit consistent changes in plasma concentrations of the stress hormone
      corticosterone (CORT) but did reveal tremendous individual variation in response.
      The CORT concentration ranged more than 200-fold after imposing the stressor and
      returned to near-baseline values by the following day. When we accounted for the
      wide variation by calculating the degree of each individual's stress response
      relative to its baseline over its processing time, we discovered two non
      overlapping physiological response types; those in which CORT concentrations
      increased dramatically in response to handling (219 +/- 89.8 pg/ml/min) and those
      in which CORT varied only slightly (5.3 +/- 8.9 pg/ml/min). The response types
      (strong vs. mild) also predicted body condition, home range size, activity, and
      behavioural tendencies. The degree of the individual's stress response in this
      species may be one component of correlated physiological and behavioural traits
      (animal personalities), which have previously been obscured in other chelonian
      studies by the use of mean values and should be considered in future conservation
      management applications for chelonian species.

PMID- 28361000
TI  - Rethinking the approach to viability monitoring in seed genebanks.
AB  - Seed viability monitoring, usually through a germination test, is a key aspect of
      genebank management; a low viability result triggers the regeneration of an
      accession in order to ensure that the genetic diversity of the accession is
      conserved and available for distribution. However, regular viability monitoring
      of large collections is costly in terms of seeds, labour and other resources.
      Genebanks differ in how they conduct their viability monitoring and how they
      collect, manage and store the data that are generated. In this article, we
      propose alternatives to the current norm of conducting an initial germination
      test soon after arrival at the genebank and then testing after regular, set
      storage intervals, as recommended in the Food and Agriculture Organization's
      Genebank Standards for Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture. We use
      real data from the International Rice Genebank (held at the International Rice
      Research Institute) to illustrate some of the issues regarding the accuracy and
      reliability of germination test results, in particular when they are used to
      predict the longevity of a seed lot in storage and to set viability monitoring
      intervals. We suggest the use of seed storage experiments on samples of seeds to
      identify which seed lots from a particular crop season to test first. We also
      give advice on the use of sequential testing schemes potentially to reduce the
      number of seeds used for viability testing; the use of tolerance tables to
      identify unlikely results when samples are subdivided into replicates; and what
      data to include in a genebank management database to improve the management of
      seed collections.

PMID- 28360996
TI  - The role of cognitive activity in cognition protection: from Bedside to Bench.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Cognitive decline poses a great concern to elderly people and their
      families. In addition to pharmacological therapies, several varieties of
      nonpharmacological intervention have been developed. Most training trials proved
      that a well-organized task is clinically effective in cognition improvement. MAIN
      BODY: We will first review clinical trials of cognitive training for healthy
      elders, MCI and AD patients, respectively. Besides, potential neuroprotective and
      compensatory mechanisms in animal models of AD are discussed. Despite
      controversy, cognitive training has promising effect on cognitive ability. In
      animal model of AD, environmental enrichment showed beneficial effect for
      cognitive ability, as well as neuronal plasticity. Neurotrophin, neurotransmitter
      and neuromodulator signaling pathway were also involved in the process. Well
      designed cognitive activity could benefit cognitive function, and thus life
      quality of patients and their families. CONCLUSION: The positive effects of
      cognitive activity is closely related with neural plasticity, neurotrophin,
      neurotransmitter and neuromodulator signaling pathway changes.

PMID- 28361001
TI  - Effects of ambient oxygen and size-selective mortality on growth and maturation
      in guppies.
AB  - Growth, onset of maturity and investment in reproduction are key traits for
      understanding variation in life-history strategies. Many environmental factors
      affect variation in these traits, but for fish, hypoxia and size-dependent
      mortality have become increasingly important because of human activities, such as
      increased nutrient enrichment (eutrophication), climate warming and selective
      fishing. Here, we study experimentally the effect of oxygen availability on
      maturation and growth in guppies (Poecilia reticulata) from two different
      selected lines, one subjected to positive and the other negative size-dependent
      fishing. This is the first study to assess the effects of both reduced ambient
      oxygen and size-dependent mortality in fish. We show that reduced ambient oxygen
      led to stunting, early maturation and high reproductive investment. Likewise,
      lineages that had been exposed to high mortality of larger-sized individuals
      displayed earlier maturation at smaller size, greater investment in reproduction
      and faster growth. These life-history changes were particularly evident for
      males. The widely reported trends towards earlier maturation in wild fish
      populations are often interpreted as resulting from size-selective fishing. Our
      results highlight that reduced ambient oxygen, which has received little
      experimental investigation to date, can lead to similar phenotypic changes. Thus,
      changes in ambient oxygen levels can be a confounding factor that occurs in
      parallel with fishing, complicating the causal interpretation of changes in life
      history traits. We believe that better disentangling of the effects of these two
      extrinsic factors, which increasingly affect many freshwater and marine
      ecosystems, is important for making more informed management decisions.

PMID- 28361002
TI  - A case of lung abscess successfully treated by transbronchial drainage using a
      guide sheath.
AB  - A 51-year-old man was diagnosed with colon cancer in September 2011, and a
      solitary pulmonary nodule was detected by computed tomography (CT) scan. We
      performed a transbronchial biopsy with endobronchial ultrasonography using a
      guide sheath (GS) and diagnosed lung metastasis of colon cancer. The patient
      experienced remittent fever after the biopsy in spite of intravenous antibiotic
      therapies. Moreover, his CT scan showed a large lung abscess at the biopsy site.
      We performed transbronchial drainage using a GS as salvage therapy. The bloody
      pus was successfully aspirated, and chest X-ray following the procedure showed
      dramatic shrinkage of the abscess.

PMID- 28360997
TI  - Imaging biomarkers in Parkinson's disease and Parkinsonian syndromes: current and
      emerging concepts.
AB  - Two centuries ago in 1817, James Parkinson provided the first medical description
      of Parkinson's disease, later refined by Jean-Martin Charcot in the mid-to-late
      19th century to include the atypical parkinsonian variants (also termed,
      Parkinson-plus syndromes). Today, Parkinson's disease represents the second most
      common neurodegenerative disorder with an estimated global prevalence of over 10
      million. Conversely, atypical parkinsonian syndromes encompass a group of
      relatively heterogeneous disorders that may share some clinical features with
      Parkinson's disease, but are uncommon distinct clinicopathological diseases.
      Decades of scientific advancements have vastly improved our understanding of
      these disorders, including improvements in in vivo imaging for biomarker
      identification. Multimodal imaging for the visualization of structural and
      functional brain changes is especially important, as it allows a 'window' into
      the underlying pathophysiological abnormalities. In this article, we first
      present an overview of the cardinal clinical and neuropathological features of,
      1) synucleinopathies: Parkinson's disease and other Lewy body spectrum disorders,
      as well as multiple system atrophy, and 2) tauopathies: progressive supranuclear
      palsy, and corticobasal degeneration. A comprehensive presentation of well
      established and emerging imaging biomarkers for each disorder are then discussed.
      Biomarkers for the following imaging modalities are reviewed: 1) structural
      magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) using T1, T2, and susceptibility-weighted
      sequences for volumetric and voxel-based morphometric analyses, as well as MRI
      derived visual signatures, 2) diffusion tensor MRI for the assessment of white
      matter tract injury and microstructural integrity, 3) proton magnetic resonance
      spectroscopy for quantifying proton-containing brain metabolites, 4) single
      photon emission computed tomography for the evaluation of nigrostriatal integrity
      (as assessed by presynaptic dopamine transporters and postsynaptic dopamine D2
      receptors), and cerebral perfusion, 5) positron emission tomography for gauging
      nigrostriatal functions, glucose metabolism, amyloid and tau molecular imaging,
      as well as neuroinflammation, 6) myocardial scintigraphy for dysautonomia, and 7)
      transcranial sonography for measuring substantia nigra and lentiform nucleus
      echogenicity. Imaging biomarkers, using the 'multimodal approach', may aid in
      making early, accurate and objective diagnostic decisions, highlight
      neuroanatomical and pathophysiological mechanisms, as well as assist in
      evaluating disease progression and therapeutic responses to drugs in clinical
      trials.

PMID- 28361003
TI  - Case report: primary osteonecrosis associated with thrombophilia-hypofibrinolysis
      and worsened by testosterone therapy.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Familial and acquired thrombophilia are often etiologic for
      idiopathic hip and jaw osteonecrosis (ON), and testosterone therapy (TT) can
      interact with thrombophilia, worsening ON. CASE PRESENTATION: Case 1: A 62-year
      old Caucasian male (previous deep venous thrombosis), on warfarin 1 year for
      atrial fibrillation (AF), had non-specific right hip-abdominal pain for 2 years.
      CT scan revealed bilateral femoral head ON without collapse. Coagulation studies
      revealed Factor V Leiden (FVL) heterozygosity, 4G/4G plasminogen activator
      inhibitor (PAI) homozygosity, high anti-cardiolipin (ACLA) IgM antibodies, and
      endothelial nitric oxide (NO) synthase (eNOS) T786C homozygosity (reduced
      conversion of L-arginine to NO, required for bone health). Apixaban 5 mg twice
      daily was substituted for warfarin; and L-arginine 9 g/day was started to
      increase NO. On Apixaban for 8 months, he became asymptomatic. Case 2: A 32-year
      old hypogonadal Caucasian male had 10 years of unexplained tooth loss,
      progressing to primary jaw ON with cavitation 8 months after starting TT gel 50
      mg/day. Coagulation studies revealed FVL heterozygosity, PAI 4G/4G homozygosity,
      and the lupus anticoagulant. TT was discontinued. Jaw pain was sharply reduced
      within 2 months. CONCLUSIONS: Idiopathic ON, often caused by thrombophilia
      hypofibrinolysis, is worsened by TT, and its progression may be slowed or stopped
      by discontinuation of TT and, thereafter, anticoagulation. Recognition of
      thrombophilia-hypofibrinolysis before joint collapse facilitates anticoagulation
      which may stop ON, preserving joints.

PMID- 28361004
TI  - How to use composite indicator and linear programming model for determine
      sustainable tourism.
AB  - BACKGROUND: The tourism industry which is one of the most dynamic economic
      activities in today's world plays a significant role in the sustainable
      development. Therefore, in addition to paying attention to tourism, sustainable
      tourism must be taken into huge account; otherwise, the environment and its
      health will be damaged irreparably. METHODS: To determine the level of
      sustainability in this study, indicators of sustainable tourism were first
      presented in three environmental health, economic and social aspects. Then, the
      levels of sustainable tourism and environmental sustainability were practically
      measured in different cities of Kerman Province using a composite indicator, a
      linear programming model, Delphi method and the questionnaire technique. Finally,
      the study cities (tourist attractions) were ranked. RESULTS: Result of this study
      showed that unfortunately the tourism opportunities were not used appropriately
      in these cities and tourist destinations, and that environmental aspect (health
      and environmental sustainability) had very bad situations compared to social and
      economic aspects. In other words, environmental health had the lowest levels of
      sustainability. CONCLUSIONS: The environment is a place for all human activities
      like tourism, social and economic issues; therefore, its stability and health is
      of great importance. Thus, it is necessary to pay more attention to
      sustainability of activities, management and environmental health in planning
      sustainable development in regional and national policy.

PMID- 28361005
TI  - Respiratory symptoms and illnesses related to the concentration of airborne
      particulate matter among brick kiln workers in Kathmandu valley, Nepal.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Bricks have been manufactured in Nepal for hundreds of years and are
      seen as a component of Nepalese sculpture and architecture. Large quantities of
      hazardous materials including high concentrations of particulate matter are
      emitted on a daily basis from brick kilns. Exposure to these hazardous materials
      can lead to adverse consequences on the environment and human health. This study
      was conducted to  estimate the prevalence of respiratory symptoms/illnesses and
      the magnitude of respirable and total dust exposures among Nepalese brick kiln
      workers. METHODS: Respiratory symptoms/illnesses were evaluated by questionnaire
      among brickfield workers (n = 400) and a referent group of grocery workers (n =
      400) in Kathmandu valley. Work zones (WZs): green brick molding (GBM), green
      brick stacking/carrying (GBS/C), red brick loading/carrying (RBL/C), coal
      preparation (CP) and firemen (FM) were the similar exposure groups (SEGs) from
      where personal air samples and interviews were taken. Among brickfield workers,
      personal monitoring was conducted across SEGs for total (n = 89) and respirable
      (n = 72) dust during February-March 2015 and March-April 2016. Applying multi
      stage probability proportionate to size sampling technique, 16 kilns and 400
      brick workers for interview were selected. Proportions, means, medians and ranges
      were calculated for the demographics, samples and respiratory symptoms/illnesses.
      One-way ANOVA was applied to compare the significance differences of the level of
      particulate matter among SEGs. Bivariate and multivariate logistic regression
      analysis were performed to evaluate association between respiratory
      symptoms/illnesses and participants groups, and SEGs among brick kiln workers at
      0.05 level. Statistical analyses were performed using IBM SPSS Statistics 21.
      RESULTS: Chronic cough (14.3%), phlegm (16.6%) and bronchitis (19.0%) were higher
      (P < 0.05) among brickfield compared with grocery workers (6.8, 5.8 and 10.8%).
      Mean respirable (5.888 mg/m3) and total (20.657 mg/m3) dust exposures were
      highest for red brick loading tasks. The prevalence of chronic cough, chronic
      phlegm, chronic bronchitis, wheezing and asthma were significantly higher for
      other WZs workers (p < 0.05) compared with CP; for GBM: 22.9, 34.6, 15.0 and
      7.5%; for GBS/C: 13.5, 15.8, 10.0, 8.8 and 7.5%; for RBL/C: 11.1, 17.1, 27.4,
      19.0 and 11.9%; for FM: 18.4, 12.5, 28.4, 4.9 and 0.0%; and for CP: 4.9, 6.3,
      13.3, 9.3 and 4.0% respectively. CONCLUSION: High dust exposures identified in
      this study may explain the increased prevalence of respiratory symptoms/illnesses
      among Nepalese brickfield workers, warranting action to reduce exposures.

PMID- 28361007
TI  - Association of angiotensinogen gene SNPs and haplotypes with risk of hypertension
      in eastern Indian population.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Angiotensinogen (AGT) enzyme comprises a vital module of RAAS system
      that effectively controls the blood pressure and related cardiovascular
      functions. Ample association studies have reported the importance of AGT variants
      in cardiovascular and non-cardiovascular adversities. But lately, owing to the
      complexity of the many anomalies, the haplotype based examination of genetic
      variation that facilitates the identification of polymorphic sites which are
      located in the vicinity of the causative polymorphic site, gets greater
      appreciation. METHODS: In the present study, we have done genotype and haplotype
      analysis of AGT gene in reference to hypertension to confirm the association of
      the two in an Indian population. To accomplish this, we performed candidate SNPs
      analysis and construct possible haplotypes across the AGT promoter and gene
      region in 414 subjects (256 Hypertensive cases and 158 controls). RESULTS: We
      found four SNPs (rs11568020: A-152G and rs5050: A-20C in promoter; rs4762 and
      rs699 in exon2) and 3 haplotypes (H4, H7 and H8) that showed a stronger positive
      association with hypertension. The haplotype H2 was showing protective
      association with hypertension. CONCLUSION: The results of the present study
      confirmed and reestablished the role of AGT gene variants and their haplotypes in
      the causation of hypertension in Indian population and showed that haplotypes can
      provide stronger evidence of association.

PMID- 28361008
TI  - Chameleon: Dynamic Color Mapping for Multi-Scale Structural Biology Models.
AB  - Visualization of structural biology data uses color to categorize or separate
      dense structures into particular semantic units. In multiscale models of viruses
      or bacteria, there are atoms on the finest level of detail, then amino-acids,
      secondary structures, macromolecules, up to the compartment level and, in all
      these levels, elements can be visually distinguished by color. However, currently
      only single scale coloring schemes are utilized that show information for one
      particular scale only. We present a novel technology which adaptively, based on
      the current scale level, adjusts the color scheme to depict or distinguish the
      currently best visible structural information. We treat the color as a visual
      resource that is distributed given a particular demand. The changes of the color
      scheme are seamlessly interpolated between the color scheme from the previous
      views into a given new one. With such dynamic multi-scale color mapping we ensure
      that the viewer is able to distinguish structural detail that is shown on any
      given scale. This technique has been tested by users with an expertise in
      structural biology and has been overall well received.

PMID- 28361009
TI  - Analysis of Intonation Patterns in Cantonese Aphasia Speech.
AB  - This paper presents a study on intonation patterns in Cantonese aphasia speech.
      The speech materials were spontaneous discourse recorded from seven pairs of
      aphasic and unimpaired speakers. Hidden Markov model based forced alignment was
      applied to obtain syllable-level time alignments. The pitch level of each
      syllable was determined and normalized according to the given tone identity of
      the syllable. Linear regression of the normalized pitch levels was performed to
      describe the intonation patterns of sentences. It was found that aphasic speech
      has a higher percentage of sentences with increasing pitch. This trend was found
      to be more prominent in story-telling than descriptive discourses.

PMID- 28361010
TI  - Verrucoid Variant of Invasive Squamous Cell Carcinoma in Oral Submucous Fibrosis:
      A Clinicopathological Challenge.
AB  - Verrucous carcinoma (VC) is an exophytic, low-grade, well-differentiated variant
      of squamous cell carcinoma. It is described as a lesion appearing in the sixth or
      seventh decade of life that has minimal aggressive potential and, in long
      standing cases, has been shown to transform into squamous cell carcinoma. Oral
      submucous fibrosis (OSMF) is a potentially malignant disorder, and about one
      third of the affected population develop oral squamous cell carcinoma. The
      histopathological diagnosis of verrucous carcinoma is challenging, and the
      interpretation of early squamous cell carcinoma requires immense experience. Here
      we present a rare case of a 24-year-old male with OSMF transforming to verrucous
      carcinoma with invasive squamous cell carcinoma. Even though the case had a
      straightforward clinical diagnosis, the serial sectioning done for pathological
      diagnosis disclosed the squamous cell carcinoma.

PMID- 28361011
TI  - Severe Dumping Syndrome in a 6-year-old Girl with Congenital Microgastria Treated
      by Hunt-Lawrence Pouch.
AB  - Microgastria is a rare congenital condition often associated with other
      anomalies. In the present report we describe the case of a 6-year-old girl with
      isolated CM who presented with dumping syndrome successfully treated by a Hunt
      Lawrence pouch.

PMID- 28361006
TI  - Regulatory mechanisms, prophylaxis and treatment of vascular leakage following
      severe trauma and shock.
AB  - Vascular leakage, or increased vascular permeability, is a common but important
      pathological process for various critical diseases, including severe trauma,
      shock, sepsis, and multiple organ dysfunction syndrome (MODS), and has become one
      of the most important causes of death for intensive care units (ICU) patients.
      Currently, although there has been some progress in knowledge of the pathogenesis
      of these vascular disorders, the detailed mechanisms remain unclear, and
      effective prophylaxis and treatment are still lacking. In this study, we aimed to
      provide a review of the literature regarding the regulatory mechanisms and
      prophylaxis as well as the treatment of vascular leakage in critical diseases
      such as severe trauma and shock, which could be beneficial for the overall
      clinical treatment of vascular leakage disorders.

PMID- 28361012
TI  - Surveillance and prayer - comparing Muslim prison chaplaincy in Germany's federal
      states.
AB  - Moving beyond approaches that emphasise the influence of national ideologies and
      transnational frameworks on the governance of religious diversity in Western
      Europe, recent scholarship has underlined the importance of analysing the impact
      of concrete institutional settings such as hospitals, schools and prisons on the
      public incorporation of religious minorities. Building on this approach, the
      present article analyses the emergence of Muslim prison chaplaincies in three
      German federal states by focussing on how framing strategies of state- and
      religious actors accommodate the national state-church framework and prison
      related norms. The article thus shows how national ideologies of diversity
      regulation and prison norms are mutually shaped in the process of the local
      governance of Islam. The comparative perspective of the article highlights
      subnational variations regarding actor constellations and strategies and thereby
      emphasises a multidimensional process of negotiating the national regime of
      diversity governance.

PMID- 28361013
TI  - Anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction and knee osteoarthritis.
AB  - Anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury is a traumatic event that can lead to
      significant functional impairment and inability to participate in high-level
      sports-related activities. ACL reconstruction is considered the treatment of
      choice for symptomatic ACL-deficient patients and can assist in full functional
      recovery. Furthermore, ACL reconstruction restores ligamentous stability to
      normal, and, therefore, can potentially fully reinstate kinematics of the knee
      joint. As a consequence, the natural history of ACL injury could be potentially
      reversed via ACL reconstruction. Evidence from the literature is controversial
      regarding the effectiveness of ACL reconstruction in preventing the development
      of knee cartilage degeneration. This editorial aims to present recent high-level
      evidence in an attempt to answer whether ACL injury inevitably leads to
      osteoarthritis and whether ACL reconstruction can prevent this development or
      not.

PMID- 28361014
TI  - Fix and replace: An emerging paradigm for treating acetabular fractures in older
      patients.
AB  - Acetabular fractures in older patients are challenging to manage. The "fix and
      replace" construct may present a new paradigm for the management of these
      injuries. We present the current challenge of acetabular fractures in older
      patients. We present this in the context of the current literature. This invited
      editorial presents early results from our centre and the ongoing challenges are
      discussed.

PMID- 28361015
TI  - Development of an internally braced prosthesis for total talus replacement.
AB  - Total loss of talus due to trauma or avascular necrosis, for example, still
      remains to be a major challenge in foot and ankle surgery with severely limited
      treatment options. Implantation of a custom made total talar prosthesis has shown
      promising results so far. Most important factors for long time success are degree
      of congruence of articular surfaces and ligamentous stability of the ankle.
      Therefore, our aim was to develop an optimized custom made prosthesis for total
      talus replacement providing a high level of primary stability. A custom made
      hemiprosthesis was developed using computed tomography and magnetic resonance
      imaging data of the affected and contralateral talus considering the principles
      and technology for the development of the S.T.A.R. prosthesis (Stryker).
      Additionally, four eyelets for fixation of artificial ligaments were added at the
      correspondent footprints of the most important ligaments. Two modifications can
      be provided according to the clinical requirements: A tri-articular
      hemiprosthesis or a bi-articular hemiprosthesis combined with the tibial
      component of the S.T.A.R. total ankle replacement system. A feasibility study was
      performed using a fresh frozen human cadaver. Maximum range of motion of the
      ankle was measured and ligamentous stability was evaluated by use of standard X
      rays after application of varus, valgus or sagittal stress with 150 N. Correct
      implantation of the prosthesis was technically possible via an anterior approach
      to the ankle and using standard instruments. Malleolar osteotomies were not
      required. Maximum ankle dorsiflexion and plantarflexion were measured as 22-0-28
      degrees. Maximum anterior displacement of the talus was 6 mm, maximum varus tilt
      3 degrees and maximum valgus tilt 2 degrees. Application of an internally braced
      prosthesis for total talus replacement in humans is technically feasible and
      might be a reasonable procedure in carefully selected cases with no better
      alternatives left.

PMID- 28361017
TI  - Lower limb stress fractures in sport: Optimising their management and outcome.
AB  - Stress fractures in sport are becoming increasing more common, comprising up to
      10% of all of sporting injuries. Around 90% of such injuries are located in the
      lower limb. This articles aims to define the optimal management of lower limb
      stress fractures in the athlete, with a view to maximise return rates and
      minimise return times to sport. Treatment planning of this condition is specific
      to the location of the injury. However, there remains a clear division of stress
      fractures by "high" and "low" risk. "Low risk" stress fractures are those with a
      low probability of fracture propagation, delayed union, or non-union, and so can
      be managed reliably with rest and exercise limitation. These include stress
      fractures of the Postero-Medial Tibial Diaphysis, Metatarsal Shafts, Distal
      Fibula, Medial Femoral Neck, Femoral Shaft and Calcaneus. "High risk" stress
      fractures, in contrast, have increased rates of fracture propagation,
      displacement, delayed and non-union, and so require immediate cessation of
      activity, with orthopaedic referral, to assess the need for surgical
      intervention. These include stress fractures of the Anterior Tibial Diaphysis,
      Fifth Metatarsal Base, Medial Malleolus, Lateral Femoral Neck, Tarsal Navicular
      and Great Toe Sesamoids. In order to establish the optimal methods for managing
      these injuries, we present and review the current evidence which guides the
      treatment of stress fractures in athletes. From this, we note an increased role
      for surgical management of certain high risk stress fractures to improve return
      times and rates to sport. Following this, key recommendations are provided for
      the management of the common stress fracture types seen in the athlete. Five case
      reports are also presented to illustrate the application of sport-focussed lower
      limb stress fracture treatment in the clinical setting.

PMID- 28361016
TI  - Prevention and management of post-instability glenohumeral arthropathy.
AB  - Post-instability arthropathy may commonly develop in high-risk patients with a
      history of recurrent glenohumeral instability, both with and without surgical
      stabilization. Classically related to anterior shoulder instability, the
      incidence and rates of arthritic progression may vary widely. Radiographic
      arthritic changes may be present in up to two-thirds of patients after primary
      Bankart repair and 30% after Latarjet procedure, with increasing rates associated
      with recurrent dislocation history, prominent implant position, non-anatomic
      reconstruction, and/or lateralized bone graft placement. However, the presence
      radiographic arthrosis does not predict poor patient-reported function. After
      exhausting conservative measures, both joint-preserving and arthroplasty surgical
      options may be considered depending on a combination of patient-specific and
      anatomic factors. Arthroscopic procedures are optimally indicated for individuals
      with focal disease and may yield superior symptomatic relief when combined with
      treatment of combined shoulder pathology. For more advanced secondary
      arthropathy, total shoulder arthroplasty remains the most reliable option,
      although the clinical outcomes, wear characteristics, and implant survivorship
      remains a concern among active, young patients.

PMID- 28361018
TI  - Spinal alignment evolution with age: A prospective gait analysis study.
AB  - AIM: To describe, using gait analysis, the development of spinal motion in the
      growing child. METHODS: Thirty-six healthy children aged from 3 to 16 years old
      were included in this study for a gait analysis (9 m-walk). Various kinematic
      parameters were recorded and analyzed such as thoracic angle (TA), lumbar angle
      (LA) and sagittal vertical axis (SVA). The kinetic parameters were the net
      reaction moments (N.m/kg) at the thoracolumbar and lumbosacral junctions.
      RESULTS: TA and LA curves were not statistically correlated to the age
      (respectively, P = 0.32 and P = 0.41). SVA increased significantly with age (P <
      0.001). Moments in sagittal plane at the lumbosacral junction were statistically
      correlated to the age (P = 0.003), underlining the fact that sagittal mechanical
      constraints at the lumbosacral junction increase with age. Moments in transversal
      plane at the thoracolumbar and lumbosacral junctions were statistically
      correlated to the age (P = 0.0002 and P = 0.0006), revealing that transversal
      mechanical constraints decrease with age. CONCLUSION: The kinetic analysis showed
      that during growth, a decrease of torsional constraint occurs while an increase
      of sagittal constraint is observed. These changes in spine biomechanics are
      related to the crucial role of the trunk for bipedalism acquisition, allowing
      stabilization despite lower limbs immaturity. With the acquisition of mature
      gait, the spine will mainly undergo constraints in the sagittal plane.

PMID- 28361019
TI  - Results of single stage exchange arthroplasty with retention of well fixed cement
      less femoral component in management of infected total hip arthroplasty.
AB  - AIM: To investigate success of one stage exchange with retention of fixed
      acetabular cup. METHODS: Fifteen patients treated by single stage acetabular
      component exchange with retention of well-fixed femoral component in infected
      total hip arthroplasty (THA) were retrospectively reviewed. Inclusion criteria
      were patients with painful chronic infected total hip. The patient had
      radiologically well fixed femoral components, absence of major soft tissue or
      bone defect compromising, and infecting organism was not poly or virulent micro
      organism. The organisms were identified preoperatively in 14 patients (93.3%),
      coagulase negative Staphylococcus was the infecting organism in 8 patients
      (53.3%). RESULTS: Mean age of the patients at surgery was 58.93 (+/- 10.67)
      years. Mean follow-up was 102.8 mo (36-217 mo, SD 56.4). Fourteen patients had no
      recurrence of the infection; one hip (6.7%) was revised for management of
      infection. Statistical analysis using Kaplan Meier curve showed 93.3% survival
      rate. One failure in our series; the infection recurred after 14 mo, the patient
      was treated successfully with surgical intervention by irrigation, and
      debridement and liner exchange. Two complications: The first patient had
      recurrent hip dislocation 12 years following the definitive procedure, which was
      managed by revision THA with abductor reconstruction and constrained acetabular
      liner; the second complication was aseptic loosening of the acetabular component
      2 years following the definitive procedure. CONCLUSION: Successful in management
      of infected THA when following criteria are met; well-fixed stem, no draining
      sinuses, non-immune compromised patients, and infection with sensitive organisms.

PMID- 28361020
TI  - Role of dynamic computed tomography scans in patients with congenital
      craniovertebral junction malformations.
AB  - AIM: To evaluate the role of dynamic computed tomography (CT) scan imaging in
      diagnosing craniovertebral junction (CVJ) instability in patients with congenital
      CVJ malformations. METHODS: Patients with symptomatic congenital CVJ
      malformations who underwent posterior fossa decompression and had a preoperative
      dynamic CT scan in flexion and extended position were included in this study.
      Measurements of the following craniometrical parameters were taken in flexed and
      extended neck position: Atlanto-dental interval (ADI), distance of the odontoid
      tip to the Chamberlain's line, and the clivus-canal angle (CCA). Assessment of
      the facet joints congruence was also performed in both positions. Comparison of
      the values obtained in flexion and extension were compared using a paired
      Student's t-test. RESULTS: A total of ten patients with a mean age of 37.9 years
      were included. In flexion imaging, the mean ADI was 1.76 mm, the mean CCA was
      125.4 degrees  and the mean distance of the odontoid tip to the Chamberlain's
      line was + 9.62 mm. In extension, the mean ADI was 1.46 mm (P = 0.29), the mean
      CCA was 142.2 degrees  (P < 0.01) and the mean distance of the odontoid tip to
      the Chamberlain's line was + 7.11 mm (P < 0.05). Four patients (40%) had facetary
      subluxation demonstrated in dynamic imaging, two of them with mobile subluxation
      (both underwent CVJ fixation). The other two patients with a fixed subluxation
      were not initially fixed. One patient with atlantoaxial assimilation and C23
      fusion without initial facet subluxation developed a latter CVJ instability
      diagnosed with a dynamic CT scan. Patients with basilar invagination had a lower
      CCA variation compared to the whole group. CONCLUSION: Craniometrical parameters,
      as well as the visualization of the facets location, may change significantly
      according to the neck position. Dynamic imaging can provide additional useful
      information to the diagnosis of CVJ instability. Future studies addressing the
      relationship between craniometrical changes and neck position are necessary.

PMID- 28361022
TI  - Hip resurfacing arthroplasty complicated by mismatched implant components.
AB  - Metal-on-metal hip resurfacing has gained popularity as a feasible treatment
      option for young and active patients with hip osteoarthritis and high functional
      expectations. This procedure should only be performed by surgeons who have
      trained specifically in this technique. Preoperative planning is essential for
      hip resurfacing in order to execute a successful operation and preview any
      technical problems. The authors present a case of a man who underwent a
      resurfacing arthroplasty for osteoarthritis of the left hip that was complicated
      by mismatched implant components that were revised three days afterwards for
      severe pain and leg length discrepancy. Such mistakes, although rare, can be
      prevented by educating operating room staff in the size and colour code tables
      provided by the companies on their prostheses or implant boxes.

PMID- 28361021
TI  - Relationship between biological factors and catastrophizing and clinical outcomes
      for female patients with knee osteoarthritis.
AB  - AIM: To investigate the correlations between clinical outcomes and
      biopsychological variables in female patients with knee osteoarthritis (OA).
      METHODS: Seventy-seven patients with symptomatic knee OA were enrolled in this
      study. We investigated the age, body mass index (BMI), pain catastrophizing scale
      (PCS) and radiographic severity of bilateral knees using a Kellgren-Lawrence (K
      L) grading system of the subjects. Subsequently, a multiple linear regression was
      conducted to determine which variables best correlated with main outcomes of knee
      OA, which were pain severity, moving capacity by measuring timed-up-and-go test
      and Japanese Knee Osteoarthritis Measure (JKOM). RESULTS: We found that the
      significant contributor to pain severity was PCS (beta = 0.555) and BMI (beta =
      0.239), to moving capacity was K-L grade (beta = 0.520) and to PCS (beta =
      0.313), and to a JKOM score was PCS (beta = 0.485) and K-L grade (beta = 0.421),
      respectively. CONCLUSION: The results suggest that pain catastrophizing as well
      as biological factors were associated with clinical outcomes in female patients
      with knee OA, irrespective of radiographic severity.

PMID- 28361023
TI  - Pharyngeal airway dimensions in skeletal class II: A cephalometric growth study.
AB  - PURPOSE: This retrospective study aimed to evaluate the nasopharyngeal and
      oropharyngeal dimensions of individuals with skeletal class II, division 1 and
      division 2 patterns during the pre-peak, peak, and post-peak growth periods for
      comparison with a skeletal class I control group. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Totally
      124 lateral cephalograms (47 for skeletal class I; 45 for skeletal class II,
      division 1; and 32 for skeletal class II, division 2) in pre-peak, peak, and post
      peak growth periods were selected from the department archives. Thirteen
      landmarks, 4 angular and 4 linear measurements, and 4 proportional calculations
      were obtained. The ANOVA and Duncan test were applied to compare the differences
      among the study groups during the growth periods. RESULTS: Statistically
      significant differences were found between the skeletal class II, division 2
      group and other groups for the gonion-gnathion/sella-nasion angle. The sella
      nasion-B-point angle was different among the groups, while the A-point-nasion-B
      point angle was significantly different for all 3 groups. The nasopharyngeal
      airway space showed a statistically significant difference among the groups
      throughout the growth periods. The interaction among the growth periods and study
      groups was statistically significant regarding the upper oropharyngeal airway
      space measurement. The lower oropharyngeal airway space measurement showed a
      statistically significant difference among the groups, with the smallest
      dimension observed in the skeletal class II, division 2 group. CONCLUSION: The
      naso-oropharyngeal airway dimensions showed a statistically significant
      difference among the class II, division 1; class II, division 2; and class I
      groups during different growth periods.

PMID- 28361024
TI  - Intraobserver and interobserver reproducibility in linear measurements on axial
      images obtained by cone-beam computed tomography.
AB  - PURPOSE: This study was performed to investigate the intra- and inter-observer
      variability in linear measurements with axial images obtained by PreXion (PreXion
      Inc., San Mateo, USA) and i-CAT (Imaging Sciences International, Xoran
      Technologies Inc., Hatfield, USA) CBCT scanners, with different voxel sizes.
      MATERIALS AND METHODS: A cylindrical object made from nylon with radiopaque
      markers (phantom) was scanned by i-CAT and PreXion 3D devices. For each axial
      image, measurements were taken twice in the horizontal (distance A-B) and
      vertical (distance C-D) directions, randomly, with a one-week interval between
      measurements, by four oral radiologists with five years or more experience in the
      use of these measuring tools. RESULTS: All of the obtained linear measurements
      had lower values than those of the phantom. The statistical analysis showed high
      intra- and inter-observer reliability (p=0.297). Compared to the real
      measurements, the measurements obtained using the i-CAT device and PreXion
      tomography, on average, revealed absolute errors ranging from 0.22 to 0.59 mm and
      from 0.23 to 0.63 mm, respectively. CONCLUSION: It can be concluded that both
      scanners are accurate, although the linear measurements are underestimations,
      with no significant differences between the evaluators.

PMID- 28361025
TI  - Detection of furcation involvement using periapical radiography and 2 cone-beam
      computed tomography imaging protocols with and without a metallic post: An animal
      study.
AB  - PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to assess the accuracy, sensitivity, and
      specificity of the diagnosis of incipient furcation involvement with periapical
      radiography (PR) and 2 cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT) imaging protocols,
      and to test metal artifact interference. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Mandibular second
      molars in 10 macerated pig mandibles were divided into those that showed no
      furcation involvement and those with lesions in the furcation area. Exams using
      PR and 2 different CBCT imaging protocols were performed with and without a
      metallic post. Each image was analyzed twice by 2 observers who rated the absence
      or presence of furcation involvement according to a 5-point scale. Receiver
      operating characteristic (ROC) curves were used to evaluate the accuracy,
      sensitivity, and specificity of the observations. RESULTS: The accuracy of the
      CBCT imaging protocols ranged from 67.5% to 82.5% in the images obtained with a
      metallic post and from 72.5% to 80% in those without a metallic post. The
      accuracy of PR ranged from 37.5% to 55% in the images with a metallic post and
      from 42.5% to 62.5% in those without a metallic post. The area under the ROC
      curve values for the CBCT imaging protocols ranged from 0.813 to 0.802, and for
      PR ranged from 0.503 to 0.448. CONCLUSION: Both CBCT imaging protocols showed
      higher accuracy, sensitivity, and specificity than PR in the detection of
      incipient furcation involvement. Based on these results, CBCT may be considered a
      reliable tool for detecting incipient furcation involvement following a clinical
      periodontal exam, even in the presence of a metallic post.

PMID- 28361026
TI  - Cone-beam computed tomography versus digital periapical radiography in the
      detection of artificially created periapical lesions: A pilot study of the
      diagnostic accuracy of endodontists using both techniques.
AB  - PURPOSE: The aim of this study was to compare the diagnostic accuracy of
      previously trained endodontists in the detection of artificially created
      periapical lesions using cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT) and digital
      periapical radiography (DPR). MATERIALS AND METHODS: An ex vivo model using dry
      skulls was used, in which simulated apical lesions were created and then
      progressively enlarged using #1/2, #2, #4, and #6 round burs. A total of 11 teeth
      were included in the study, and 110 images were obtained with CBCT and with an
      intraoral digital periapical radiographic sensor (Instrumentarium dental,
      Tuusula, Finland) initially and after each bur was used. Specificity and
      sensitivity were calculated. All images were evaluated by 10 previously trained,
      certified endodontists. Agreement was calculated using the kappa coefficient. The
      accuracy of each method in detecting apical lesions was calculated using the chi
      square test. RESULTS: The kappa coefficient between examiners showed low
      agreement (range, 0.17-0.64). No statistical difference was found between CBCT
      and DPR in teeth without apical lesions (P=.15). The accuracy for CBCT was
      significantly higher than for DPR in all corresponding simulated lesions
      (P<.001). The correct diagnostic rate for CBCT ranged between 56.9% and 73.6%.
      The greatest difference between CBCT and DPR was seen in the maxillary teeth
      (CBCT, 71.4%; DPR, 28.6%; P<.01) and multi-rooted teeth (CBCT, 83.3%; DPR, 33.3%;
      P<.01). CONCLUSION: CBCT allowed higher accuracy than DPR in detecting simulated
      lesions for all simulated lesions tested. Endodontists need to be properly
      trained in interpreting CBCT scans to achieve higher diagnostic accuracy.

PMID- 28361027
TI  - Cone-beam computed tomography analysis of accessory maxillary ostium and Haller
      cells: Prevalence and clinical significance.
AB  - PURPOSE: This study aimed to evaluate the prevalence of Haller cells and
      accessory maxillary ostium (AMO) in cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT) images,
      and to analyze the relationships among Haller cells, AMO, and maxillary
      sinusitis. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Volumetric CBCT scans from 201 patients were
      retrieved from our institution's Digital Imaging and Communications in Medicine
      archive folder. Two observers evaluated the presence of Haller cells, AMO, and
      maxillary sinusitis in the CBCT scans. RESULTS: AMO was observed in 114 patients,
      of whom 27 (23.7%) had AMO exclusively on the right side, 26 (22.8%) only on the
      left side, and 61 (53.5%) bilaterally. Haller cells were identified in 73 (36.3%)
      patients. In 24 (32.9%) they were present exclusively on the right side, in 17
      (23.3%) they were only present on the left side, and in 32 (43.8%) they were
      located bilaterally. Of the 73 (36.3%) patients with Haller cells, maxillary
      sinusitis was also present in 50 (68.5%). On using chi-square test, a significant
      association was observed between AMO and maxillary sinusitis in the presence of
      Haller cells. CONCLUSION: Our results showed AMO and Haller cells to be
      associated with maxillary sinusitis. This study provides evidence for the
      usefulness of CBCT in imaging the bony anatomy of the sinonasal complex with
      significantly higher precision and a smaller radiation dose.

PMID- 28361028
TI  - Prevalence and location of the posterior superior alveolar artery using cone-beam
      computed tomography.
AB  - PURPOSE: Insufficient knowledge of the anatomy of the maxillary sinuses prior to
      sinus graft surgery may lead to perioperative or postoperative complications.
      This study sought to characterize the position of the posterior superior alveolar
      artery (PSAA) within the maxillary sinuses using cone-beam computed tomography
      (CBCT). MATERIALS AND METHODS: A total of 300 patients with edentulous posterior
      maxillae, including 138 females and 162 males with an age range of 33-86 years,
      who presented to a radiology clinic between 2013 and 2015 were enrolled in this
      retrospective cross-sectional study. The distance from the inferior border of the
      PSAA to the alveolar crest according to the residual ridge classification by
      Lekholm and Zarb, the distance from the PSAA to the nasal septum and zygomatic
      arch, and the diameter and position of the PSAA were all assessed on patients'
      CBCT scans. The data were analyzed using the Mann-Whitney test and the t-test.
      RESULTS: The PSAA was detected on the CBCT scans of 87% of the patients; it was
      located beneath the sinus membrane in 47% of cases and was intraosseous in 47% of
      cases. The diameter of the artery was between 1 and 2 mm in most patients (72%).
      The mean diameter of the artery was 1.29+/-0.39 mm, and the mean distances from
      the PSAA to the zygomatic arch, nasal septum, and alveolar crest were 22.59+/
      4.89 mm, 26.51+/-3.52 mm, and 16.7+/-3.96 mm, respectively. CONCLUSION: The
      likelihood of detecting the PSAA on CBCT scans is high; its location is
      intraosseous or beneath the sinus membrane in most patients. Determining the
      exact location of the PSAA on CBCT scans preoperatively can help prevent it from
      being damaged during surgery.

PMID- 28361029
TI  - Risk factors of osteonecrosis of the jaw after tooth extraction in osteoporotic
      patients on oral bisphosphonates.
AB  - PURPOSE: The aim of this study was to investigate the incidence of bisphosphonate
      related osteonecrosis of the jaw (BRONJ) after tooth extraction in patients with
      osteoporosis on oral bisphosphonates in Korea and to evaluate local factors
      affecting the development of BRONJ. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The clinical records
      of 320 patients who underwent dental extraction while receiving oral
      bisphosphonates were reviewed. All patients had a healing period of more than 6
      months following the extractions. Each patient's clinical record was used to
      assess the incidence of BRONJ; if BRONJ occurred, a further radiographic
      investigation was carried out to obtain a more definitive diagnosis. Various
      local factors including age, gender, extraction site, drug type, duration of
      administration, and C-terminal telopeptide (CTx) level were retrieved from the
      patients' clinical records for evaluating their effect on the incidence of BRONJ.
      RESULTS: Among the 320 osteoporotic patients who underwent tooth extraction, 11
      developed BRONJ, reflecting an incidence rate of 3.44%. Out of the local factors
      that may affect the incidence of BRONJ, gender, drug type, and CTx level showed
      no statistically significant effects, while statistically significant
      associations were found for age, extraction site, and duration of administration.
      The incidence of BRONJ increased with age, was greater in the mandible than the
      maxilla, and was associated with a duration of administration of more than 3
      years. CONCLUSION: Tooth extraction in patients on oral bisphosphonates requires
      careful consideration of their age, the extraction site, and the duration of
      administration, and close postoperative follow-up should be carried out to
      facilitate effective early management.

PMID- 28361030
TI  - The development of a learning management system for dental radiology education: A
      technical report.
AB  - PURPOSE: This study was conducted to suggest the development of a learning
      management system for dental radiology education using the Modular Object
      Oriented Dynamic Learning Environment (Moodle). MATERIALS AND METHODS: Moodle is
      a well-known and verified open-source software-learning management system (OSS
      LMS). The Moodle software was installed on a server computer and customized for
      dental radiology education. The system was implemented for teaching undergraduate
      students to diagnose dental caries in panoramic images. Questions were chosen
      that could assess students' diagnosis ability. Students were given several
      questions corre-sponding to each of 100 panoramic images. RESULTS: The
      installation and customization of Moodle was feasible, cost-effective, and time
      saving. By having students answer questions repeatedly, it was possible to train
      them to examine panoramic images sequentially and thoroughly. CONCLUSION: Based
      on its educational efficiency and efficacy, the adaptation of an OSS-LMS in
      dental school may be highly recommended. The system could be extended to
      continuing education for dentists. Further studies on the objective evaluation of
      knowledge acquisition and retention are needed.

PMID- 28361031
TI  - Recurrent osteochondroma of the mandibular condyle: A case report.
AB  - A 21-year-old woman presented with facial asymmetry. Crepitus and clicking of the
      temporomandibular joint were noted. The midline deviated 5.5 mm to the left, and
      secondary malocclusion was observed. Panoramic and cone-beam computed tomographic
      images showed an irregular and exophytic bony mass on the anteromedial surface of
      the right mandibular condyle. A 3-phase bone scan revealed increased tracer
      uptake on the affected side. The lesion was treated with excision and reshaping
      under the diagnosis of osteochondroma confirmed by a histopathological
      examination. The lesion recurred after 3 years, and the patient underwent
      condylectomy. Mandibular condylar osteochondroma is often resected because it
      causes functional and aesthetic problems, but it rarely recurs. To the best of
      our knowledge, only 2 cases of recurrent osteochondromas of the mandibular
      condyle have been reported previously. Surgical treatment of the osteochondroma
      should be performed considering the possibility of recurrence, and long-term
      follow-up is recommended.

PMID- 28361032
TI  - Radiographic and computed tomography monitoring of a fractured needle fragment in
      the mandibular branch.
AB  - Some complications can arise with the usage of local anesthesia for dental
      procedures, including the fracture of needles in the patient. This is a rare
      incident, usually caused by the patient's sudden movements during anesthetic
      block. Its complications are not common, but can include pain, trismus,
      inflammation in the region, difficulty in swallowing, and migration of the
      object, which is the least common but has the ability to cause more serious
      damage to the patient. This report describes a case in which, after the fracture
      of the anesthetic needle used during alveolar nerve block for exodontia of the
      left mandibular third molar, the fragment moved significantly in the first 2
      months, before stabilizing after the third month of radiographic monitoring.

PMID- 28361033
TI  - Clinical Implications of ESR1 Mutations in Hormone Receptor-Positive Advanced
      Breast Cancer.
AB  - Hormone receptor-positive breast cancer is the most frequent breast cancer
      subtype. Endocrine therapy (ET) targeting the estrogen receptor (ER) pathway
      represents the main initial therapeutic approach. The major strategies include
      estrogen deprivation and the use of selective estrogen modulators or degraders,
      which show efficacy in the management of metastatic and early-stage disease.
      However, clinical resistance associated with progression of disease remains a
      significant therapeutic challenge. Mutations of the ESR1 gene, which encodes the
      ER, have been increasingly recognized as an important mechanism of ET resistance,
      with a prevalence that ranges from 11 to 39%. The majority of these mutations are
      located within the ligand-binding domain and result in an estrogen-independent
      constitutive activation of the ER and, therefore, resistance to estrogen
      deprivation therapy such as aromatase inhibition. ESR1 mutations, most often
      detected from liquid biopsies, have been consistently associated with a worse
      outcome and are being currently evaluated as a potential biomarker to guide
      therapeutic decisions. At the same time, targeted therapy directed to ESR1
      mutated clones is an appealing concept with preclinical and clinical work in
      progress.

PMID- 28361034
TI  - Combinatorial Ranking of Gene Sets to Predict Disease Relapse: The Retinoic Acid
      Pathway in Early Prostate Cancer.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Quantitative high-throughput data deposited in consortia such as
      International Cancer Genome Consortium (ICGC) and The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA)
      present opportunities and challenges for computational analyses. METHODS: We
      present a computational strategy to systematically rank and investigate a large
      number (210-220) of clinically testable gene sets, using combinatorial gene
      subset generation and disease-free survival (DFS) analyses. This approach
      integrates protein-protein interaction networks, gene expression, DNA
      methylation, and copy number data, in association with DFS profiles from patient
      clinical records. RESULTS: As a case study, we applied this pipeline to
      systematically analyze the role of ALDH1A2 in prostate cancer (PCa). We have
      previously found this gene to have multiple roles in disease and homeostasis, and
      here we investigate the role of the associated ALDH1A2 gene/protein networks in
      PCa, using our methodology in combination with PCa patient clinical profiles from
      ICGC and TCGA databases. Relationships between gene signatures and relapse were
      analyzed using Kaplan-Meier (KM) log-rank analysis and multivariable Cox
      regression. Relative expression versus pooled mean from diploid population was
      used for z-statistics calculation. Gene/protein interaction network analyses
      generated 11 core genes associated with ALDH1A2; combinatorial ranking of the
      power set of these core genes identified two gene sets (out of 211 - 1 = 2,047
      combinations) with significant correlation with disease relapse (KM log rank p <
      0.05). For the more significant of these two sets, referred to as the optimal
      gene set (OGS), patients have median survival 62.7 months with OGS alterations
      compared to >150 months without OGS alterations (p = 0.0248, hazard ratio =
      2.213, 95% confidence interval = 1.1-4.098). Two genes comprising OGS (CYP26A1
      and RDH10) are strongly associated with ALDH1A2 in the retinoic acid (RA)
      pathways, suggesting a major role of RA signaling in early PCa progression. Our
      pipeline complements human expertise in the search for prognostic biomarkers in
      large-scale datasets.

PMID- 28361035
TI  - Mitochondrial and Oxidative Stress-Mediated Activation of Protein Kinase D1 and
      Its Importance in Pancreatic Cancer.
AB  - Due to alterations in their metabolic activity and decreased mitochondrial
      efficiency, cancer cells often show increased generation of reactive oxygen
      species (ROS), but at the same time, to avoid cytotoxic signaling and to
      facilitate tumorigenic signaling, have mechanism in place that keep ROS in check.
      This requires signaling molecules that convey increases in oxidative stress to
      signal to the nucleus to upregulate antioxidant genes. Protein kinase D1 (PKD1),
      the serine/threonine kinase, is one of these ROS sensors. In this mini-review, we
      highlight the mechanisms of how PKD1 is activated in response to oxidative
      stress, so far known downstream effectors, as well as the importance of PKD1
      initiated signaling for development and progression of pancreatic cancer.

PMID- 28361036
TI  - A Salmonella Regulator Modulates Intestinal Colonization and Use of
      Phosphonoacetic Acid.
AB  - Many microorganisms produce phosphonates, molecules characterized by stable
      carbon-phosphorus bonds that store phosphorus or act as antimicrobials. The role
      of phosphonates in the marine biosphere is well characterized but the role of
      these molecules in the intestine is poorly understood. Salmonella enterica uses
      its virulence factors to influence the host immune response to compete with the
      host and normal microflora for nutrients. Salmonella cannot produce phosphonates
      but encodes the enzymes to use them suggesting that it is exposed to phosphonates
      during its life cycle. The role of phosphonates during enteric salmonellosis is
      unexplored. We have previously shown that STM3602, encoding a putative regulator
      of phosphonate metabolism, is needed for colonization in calves. Here, we report
      that the necessity of STM3602 in colonization of the murine intestine results
      from multiple factors. STM3602 is needed for full activation of the type-3
      secretion system-1 and for optimal invasion of epithelial cells. The DeltaSTM3602
      mutant grows poorly in phosphonoacetic acid (PA) as the sole phosphorus source,
      but can use 2-aminoethylphosphonate. PhnA, an enzyme required for PA breakdown,
      is not controlled by STM3602 suggesting an additional mechanism for utilization
      of PA in S. Typhimurium. Finally, the requirement of STM3602 for intestinal
      colonization differs depending on the composition of the microflora. Our data
      suggest that STM3602 has multiple regulatory targets that are necessary for
      survival within the microbial community in the intestine. Determination of the
      members of the STM3602 regulon may illuminate new pathways needed for
      colonization of the host.

PMID- 28361037
TI  - Either fadD1 or fadD2, Which Encode acyl-CoA Synthetase, Is Essential for the
      Survival of Haemophilus parasuis SC096.
AB  - In Haemophilus parasuis, the genes HAPS_0217 and HAPS_1695 are predicted to
      encode long-chain fatty acid-CoA ligases (FACSs). These proteins contain ATP/AMP
      signature motifs and FACS conserved motifs that are homologous to those in
      Escherichia coli FadD (EcFadD). In this study, we demonstrate that HAPS_0217 and
      HAPS_1695 can functionally replace EcFadD in the E. coli fadD mutant JW1794, and
      were thus designated fadD1 and fadD2, respectively. An evaluation of kinetic
      parameters indicated that FadD1 and FadD2 have a substrate preference for long
      chain fatty acids. Moreover, FadD2 exhibited substrate inhibition in the presence
      of high concentrations of oleic acid. Single mutants of each of the fadD genes
      were easily constructed, whereas double mutants were not. These results were
      further confirmed using genomic site-directed mutagenesis, which supported the
      idea that H. parasuis requires either fadD1 or fadD2 for survival. The fadD1
      mutant exhibited slower growth than the wild-type strain SC096, and its
      complementation resulted in a restored phenotype. The wild-type strain did not
      grow on chemically defined medium without the addition of oleic acid, indicating
      that lipids are a vital nutrient for this bacterium. Additionally, strains with a
      disrupted fadD1 gene also exhibited increased sensitivity to quinolone
      antibiotics, including levofloxacin, enrofloxacin, ciprofloxacin and nalidixic
      acid.

PMID- 28361038
TI  - Tick Thioester-Containing Proteins and Phagocytosis Do Not Affect Transmission of
      Borrelia afzelii from the Competent Vector Ixodes ricinus.
AB  - The present concept of the transmission of Lyme disease from Borrelia-infected
      Ixodes sp. ticks to the naive host assumes that a low number of spirochetes that
      manage to penetrate the midgut epithelium migrate through the hemocoel to the
      salivary glands and subsequently infect the host with the aid of immunomodulatory
      compounds present in tick saliva. Therefore, humoral and/or cellular immune
      reactions within the tick hemocoel may play an important role in tick competence
      to act as a vector for borreliosis. To test this hypothesis we have examined
      complement-like reactions in the hemolymph of the hard tick Ixodes ricinus
      against Borrelia afzelii (the most common vector and causative agent of Lyme
      disease in Europe). We demonstrate that I. ricinus hemolymph does not exhibit
      borreliacidal effects comparable to complement-mediated lysis of bovine sera.
      However, after injection of B. afzelii into the tick hemocoel, the spirochetes
      were efficiently phagocytosed by tick hemocytes and this cellular defense was
      completely eliminated by pre-injection of latex beads. As tick thioester
      containing proteins (T-TEPs) are components of the tick complement system, we
      performed RNAi-mediated silencing of all nine genes encoding individual T-TEPs
      followed by in vitro phagocytosis assays. Silencing of two molecules related to
      the C3 complement component (IrC3-2 and IrC3-3) significantly suppressed
      phagocytosis of B. afzelii, while knockdown of IrTep (insect type TEP) led to its
      stimulation. However, RNAi-mediated silencing of T-TEPs or elimination of
      phagocytosis by injection of latex beads in B. afzelii-infected I. ricinus nymphs
      had no obvious impact on the transmission of spirochetes to naive mice, as
      determined by B. afzelii infection of murine tissues following tick infestation.
      This result supports the concept that Borrelia spirochetes are capable of
      avoiding complement-related reactions within the hemocoel of ticks competent to
      transmit Lyme disease.

PMID- 28361039
TI  - CD4 T Cell Dependent Colitis Exacerbation Following Re-Exposure of Mycobacterium
      avium ssp. paratuberculosis.
AB  - Mycobacterium avium ssp. paratuberculosis (MAP) is the causative agent of Johne's
      disease (JD), a chronic inflammatory bowel disease of cattle characterized by
      intermittent to chronic diarrhea. In addition, MAP has been isolated from Crohn's
      disease (CD) patients. The impact of MAP on severity of clinical symptoms in JD
      as well as its role in CD are yet unknown. We have previously shown that MAP is
      able to colonize inflamed enteric tissue and to exacerbate the inflammatory
      tissue response (Suwandi et al., 2014). In the present study, we analyzed how
      repeated MAP administration influences the course of dextran sulfate sodium (DSS)
      induced colitis. In comparison to mice exposed to DSS or MAP only, repeated
      exposure of DSS-treated mice to MAP (DSS/MAP) revealed a significantly enhanced
      clinical score, reduction of colon length as well as severe CD4+ T cell
      infiltration into the colonic lamina propria. Functional analysis identified a
      critical role of CD4+ T cells in the MAP-induced disease exacerbation.
      Additionally, altered immune responses were observed when closely related
      mycobacteria species such as M. avium ssp. avium and M. avium ssp. hominissuis
      were administered. These data reveal the specific ability of MAP to aggravate
      intestinal inflammation and clinical symptoms. Overall, this phenotype is
      compatible with similar disease promoting capabilites of MAP in JD and CD.

PMID- 28361040
TI  - Different Phenotypes of Mature Biofilm in Flavobacterium psychrophilum Share a
      Potential for Virulence That Differs from Planktonic State.
AB  - Flavobacterium psychrophilum is the etiological agent of bacterial coldwater
      disease and the rainbow trout fry syndrome in salmonid aquaculture worldwide.
      However, there have been few studies into the capacity of F. psychrophilum to
      form biofilms and how these cellular accretions differ from planktonic cells or
      how they affect potential virulence. We evaluated the biofilm formation by three
      Chilean isolates of F. psychrophilum (LM-02-Fp, LM-06-Fp, and LM-13-Fp) and two
      non-Chilean strains (JIP02/86 and NCMB1947T), and compared biofilm and planktonic
      states to obtain insights into expression differences of virulence- and biofilm
      related genes (VBRGs). Our findings are based on scanning confocal laser
      microscopy (SCLM) and LIVE/DEAD staining, enzymatic reactions, reverse
      transcription-quantitative PCR (RT-qPCR) of genes encoding putative virulence
      factors, and transcriptomes (RNA-Seq). The LM-02-Fp and NCMB1947T strains were
      the strongest and weakest biofilm producers, respectively. The strong-biofilm
      producer showed different physiological cell states distributed in different
      layers of mature biofilms, whereas the NCMB1947T biofilms consisted of cells
      arranged in a monolayer. WGA-binding exopolysaccharides would be the main
      components of their corresponding extracellular matrices. Transcriptomes of F.
      psychrophilum NCMB1947T and LM-02-Fp were clustered by state (biofilm vs.
      planktonic) rather than by strain, indicating important state-dependent
      differences in gene expression. Analysis of differentially expressed genes
      between states identified putative VBRGs involved in polysaccharide biosynthesis,
      lateral gene transfer, membrane transport (e.g., for drugs and Fe3+), sensory
      mechanisms, and adhesion, and indicated that about 60-100% of VBRGs involved in
      these processes was significantly upregulated in the biofilm state. Conversely,
      upregulated motility-related genes in the biofilm state were not identified,
      whereas a lower fraction of proteolysis-related genes (33%) was upregulated in
      biofilms. In summary, F. psychrophilum strains that produce different biofilm
      phenotypes show global transcriptional activity in the mature biofilm state that
      differs significantly from their planktonic counterparts. Also, different biofilm
      phenotypes share a genetic potential for virulence that is transcriptionally
      enhanced with respect to free-living cells. Our results suggest that the F.
      psychrophilum biofilm lifestyle acts as a reservoir for a given set of putative
      virulence factors, and recommend a deeper understanding of which could help
      prevent recurring infections in salmonid farms.

PMID- 28361041
TI  - Decrease of Staphylococcus aureus Virulence by Helcococcus kunzii in a
      Caenorhabditis elegans Model.
AB  - Social bacterial interactions are considered essential in numerous infectious
      diseases, particularly in wounds. Foot ulcers are a common complication in
      diabetic patients and these ulcers become frequently infected. This infection is
      usually polymicrobial promoting cell-to-cell communications. Staphylococcus
      aureus is the most prevalent pathogen isolated. Its association with Helcococcus
      kunzii, commensal Gram-positive cocci, is frequently described. The aim of this
      study was to assess the impact of co-infection on virulence of both H. kunzii and
      S. aureus strains in a Caenorhabditis elegans model. To study the host response,
      qRT-PCRs targeting host defense genes were performed. We observed that H. kunzii
      strains harbored a very low (LT50: 5.7 days +/- 0.4) or an absence of virulence
      (LT50: 6.9 days +/- 0.5). In contrast, S. aureus strains (LT50: 2.9 days +/- 0.4)
      were significantly more virulent than all H. kunzii (P < 0.001). When H. kunzii
      and S. aureus strains were associated, H. kunzii significantly reduced the
      virulence of the S. aureus strain in nematodes (LT50 between 4.4 and 5.2 days; P
      < 0.001). To evaluate the impact of these strains on host response,
      transcriptomic analysis showed that the ingestion of S. aureus led to a strong
      induction of defense genes (lys-5, sodh-1, and cyp-37B1) while H. kunzii did not.
      No statistical difference of host response genes expression was observed when C.
      elegans were infected with either S. aureus alone or with S. aureus + H. kunzii.
      Moreover, two well-characterized virulence factors (hla and agr) present in S.
      aureus were down-regulated when S. aureus were co-infected with H. kunzii. This
      study showed that H. kunzii decreased the virulence of S. aureus without
      modifying directly the host defense response. Factor(s) produced by this
      bacterium modulating the staphylococci virulence must be investigated.

PMID- 28361042
TI  - Sodium Octanoate Modulates the Innate Immune Response of Bovine Mammary
      Epithelial Cells through the TLR2/P38/JNK/ERK1/2 Pathway: Implications during
      Staphylococcus aureus Internalization.
AB  - Bovine mammary epithelial cells (bMECs) contribute to mammary gland defense
      against invading pathogens, such as Staphylococcus aureus (intracellular
      facultative), which is recognized by TLR2. In a previous report, we showed that
      sodium octanoate [NaO, a medium chain fatty acid (C8)] induces (0.25 mM) or
      inhibits (1 mM) S. aureus internalization into bMECs and differentially regulates
      the innate immune response (IIR). However, the molecular mechanisms have not been
      described, which was the aim of this study. The results showed that alpha5beta1
      integrin membrane abundance (MA) was increased in 0.25 mM NaO-treated cells, but
      TLR2 or CD36 MA was not modified. When these receptors were blocked individually,
      0.25 mM NaO-increased S. aureus internalization was notably reduced.
      Interestingly, in this condition, the IIR of the bMECs was impaired because MAPK
      (p38, JNK, and ERK1/2) phosphorylation and the activation of transcription
      factors related to these pathways were decreased. In addition, the 1 mM NaO
      treatment induced TLR2 MA, but neither the integrin nor CD36 MA was modified. The
      reduction in S. aureus internalization induced by 1 mM NaO was increased further
      when TLR2 was blocked. In addition, the phosphorylation levels of the MAPKs
      increased, and 13 transcriptional factors related to the IIR were slightly
      activated (CBF, CDP, c-Myb, AP-1, Ets-1/Pea-3, FAST-1, GAS/ISRE, AP-2, NFAT-1,
      OCT-1, RAR/DR-5, RXR/DR-1, and Stat-3). Moreover, the 1 mM NaO treatment up
      regulated gene expression of IL-8 and RANTES and secretion of IL-1beta. Notably,
      when 1 mM NaO-treated bMECs were challenged with S. aureus, the gene expression
      of IL-8 and IL-10 increased, while IL-1beta secretion was reduced. In conclusion,
      our results showed that alpha5beta1 integrin, TLR2 and CD36 are involved in 0.25
      mM NaO-increased S. aureus internalization in bMECs. In addition, 1 mM NaO
      activates bMECs via the TLR2 signaling pathways (p38, JNK, and ERK1/2), which
      improves IIR before S. aureus invasion. Additionally, NaO (1 mM) might exert anti
      inflammatory effects after bacterial internalization.

PMID- 28361043
TI  - Cleavage of Grb2-Associated Binding Protein 2 by Viral Proteinase 2A during
      Coxsackievirus Infection.
AB  - Coxsackievirus type B3 (CV-B3), an enterovirus associated with the pathogenesis
      of several human diseases, subverts, or employs the host intracellular signaling
      pathways to support effective viral infection. We have previously demonstrated
      that Grb2-associated binding protein 1 (GAB1), a signaling adaptor protein that
      serves as a platform for intracellular signaling assembly and transduction, is
      cleaved upon CV-B3 infection, resulting in a gain-of-pro-viral-function via the
      modification of GAB1-mediated ERK1/2 pathway. GAB2 is a mammalian homolog of
      GAB1. In this study, we aim to address whether GAB2 plays a synergistic role with
      GAB1 in the regulation of CV-B3 replication. Here, we reported that GAB2 is also
      a target of CV-B3-encoded viral proteinase. We showed that GAB2 is cleaved at
      G238 during CV-B3 infection by viral proteinase 2A, generating two cleaved
      fragments of GAB2-N1-237 and GAB2-C238-676. Moreover, knockdown of GAB2
      significantly inhibits the synthesis of viral protein and subsequent viral
      progeny production, accompanied by reduced levels of phosphorylated p38,
      suggesting a pro-viral function for GAB2 linked to p38 activation. Finally, we
      examined whether the cleavage of GAB2 can promote viral replication as observed
      for GAB1 cleavage. We showed that expression of neither GAB2-N1-237 nor GAB2-C238
      676 results in enhanced viral infectivity, indicating a loss-of-function, rather
      than a gain-of-function of GAB2 cleavage in mediating virus replication. Taken
      together, our findings in this study suggest a novel host defense machinery
      through which CV-B3 infection is limited by the cleavage of a pro-viral protein.

PMID- 28361044
TI  - [Family background influence on adolescents' smoking on mures, harghita and
      covasna sample].
AB  - Cigarette consumption might be considered as a lifestyle model. The formation of
      this lifestyle model in childhood and adolescence is considerable due to the
      socio-cultural environment in which socialization take part. The aim of this
      study was to analyze adolescents' smoking behavior, and family-related factors
      that may influence it. The self-reported questionnaire-based study was done in
      Mures, Harghita and Covasna counties among 7th and 8th grades students. The
      prevalence of smoking was 5.9% in the total sample. The results showed
      significant associations between smoking behavior of young people and their
      family background (e.g. education of parents, smoking bans at home).

PMID- 28361045
TI  - Phase I clinical trial of sipuleucel-T combined with escalating doses of
      ipilimumab in progressive metastatic castrate-resistant prostate cancer.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Sipuleucel-T (SIP-T), which functions by stimulating cancer-specific
      dendritic cells, prolongs survival in men with prostate cancer. Ipilimumab (IPI)
      achieved a borderline survival advantage in a large randomized trial. SIP-T and
      IPI are potentially synergistic. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Nine men with progressive
      metastatic castrate-resistant prostate cancer (mCRPC) were treated prospectively
      with SIP-T followed immediately by IPI with one of the following doses of IPI: 1
      mg/kg at 1 week after SIP-T; 1 mg/kg at 1 and 4 weeks after SIP-T; or 1 mg/kg at
      1, 4, and 7 weeks after SIP-T. Three patients were evaluated at each level.
      Cancer-specific immunoglobulins directed at granulocyte-macrophage-colony
      stimulating factor/prostatic acid phosphatase (PAP) fusion protein (PA2024) and
      PAP were measured prior to SIP-T, after SIP-T, 1 week after IPI, every other
      month for 5 months, then every 3 months for an additional 12 months. RESULTS:
      Adverse events of SIP-T were consistent with previous reports. IPI only caused a
      transient grade 1 rash in one patient. Median age, Gleason score, and number of
      previous hormonal interventions were 77 years, 8, and 3, respectively. Eight men
      had bone metastases and one had lymph node metastasis. Statistically significant
      increases in serum immunoglobulin G (IgG) and IgG-IgM specific for PA2024 and PAP
      occurred after SIP-T. An additional statistically significant increase in the
      aforementioned immunoglobulins - above the levels achieved by SIP-T - occurred
      after IPI. Median clinical follow-up was 36 months (range: 26-40). Three patients
      died from progressive disease after 9, 18, and 20 months. Out of the remaining
      six patients, five of them needed further treatment that included abiraterone
      acetate, enzalutamide, radium-223 dichloride, and spot radiation. One patient had
      an undetectable PSA, who did not receive any other treatment except spot
      radiation. Median PSA at last follow-up for the surviving patients was 3.8
      (range: 0.6-7.47). CONCLUSION: In this small trial, the addition of IPI to SIP-T
      was well tolerated. IPI increased immunoglobulins specific for the PA2024 protein
      and PAP above the level achieved with SIP-T alone.

PMID- 28361046
TI  - Endothelial Progenitor Cells of the Human Placenta and Fetoplacental Circulation:
      A Potential Link to Fetal, Neonatal, and Long-term Health.
AB  - The fetoplacental circulation plays a key role in both short- and long-term
      outcomes, and aberrant flow indices as manifested by abnormal fetal Doppler
      velocimetry within this compartment have been associated with significant adverse
      consequences. These include fetal growth restriction, which often coexists with
      preeclampsia, and long-lasting medical issues as a result of both the underlying
      pathology and prematurity such as bronchopulmonary dysplasia, chronic lung
      disease, and neurodevelopmental delay. Furthermore, it is also clear that
      exposure to an abnormal in utero environment increases risk for long-term,
      adulthood issues such as cardiovascular disease. Endothelial progenitor cells
      (EPCs) have been implicated in vasculogenesis and angiogenesis, and they have
      been isolated from both human placenta and umbilical cord blood. This review
      outlines the extensive nomenclature of EPCs, summarizes existing literature
      surrounding human placental and umbilical cord blood EPCs, explores their
      potential role in pregnancy complications and adverse perinatal outcome, and
      highlights key areas where future investigations are needed.

PMID- 28361048
TI  - Screening for Hypertension in Children and Adolescents: Methodology and Current
      Practice Recommendations.
AB  - Hypertension (HTN) requires urgent, uniform, and consistent attention across all
      frontiers of pediatric health care not only because of established links between
      the onset of HTN during one's youth and its sustenance throughout adulthood but
      also because of the sequelae associated with the disease's trajectory, such as
      cardiovascular disease, end organ damage, and decreased quality of life. Although
      national guidelines for the diagnosis and management of pediatric HTN have been
      available for nearly 40 years, knowledge and recognition of the problem by
      clinicians remain poor due to a host of influencing factors. The purpose of this
      article is to explicate key issues contributing to the inaccurate measurement of
      blood pressure and misclassification of HTN among children and to present
      strategies to address these issues.

PMID- 28361047
TI  - Dynamic Akt/mTOR Signaling in Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder.
AB  - Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a behaviorally defined disorder affecting 1 in
      68 children. Currently, there is no known cause for the majority of ASD cases nor
      are there physiological diagnostic tools or biomarkers to aid behavioral
      diagnosis. Whole-genome linkage studies, genome-wide association studies, copy
      number variation screening, and SNP analyses have identified several ASD
      candidate genes, but which vary greatly among individuals and family clusters,
      suggesting that a variety of genetic mutations may result in a common pathology
      or alter a common mechanistic pathway. The Akt/mammalian target of rapamycin
      (mTOR) pathway is involved in many cellular processes including synaptic
      plasticity and immune function that can alter neurodevelopment. In this study, we
      examined the activity of the Akt/mTOR pathway in cells isolated from children
      with ASD and typically developing controls. We observed higher activity of mTOR,
      extracellular receptor kinase, and p70S6 kinase and lower activity of glycogen
      synthase kinase 3 (GSK3)alpha and tuberin (TSC2) in cells from children with ASD.
      These data suggest a phosphorylation pattern indicative of higher activity in the
      Akt/mTOR pathway in children with general/idiopathic ASD and may suggest a common
      pathological pathway of interest for ASD.

PMID- 28361049
TI  - Programs and Place: Risk and Asset Mapping for Fall Prevention.
AB  - Identifying ways to measure access, availability, and utilization of health-care
      services, relative to at-risk areas or populations, is critical in providing
      practical and actionable information to key stakeholders. This study identified
      the prevalence and geospatial distribution of fall-related emergency medical
      services (EMS) calls in relation to the delivery of an evidence-based fall
      prevention program in Tarrant County, Texas over a 3-year time period. It aims to
      educate public health professionals and EMS first respondents about the
      application of geographic information system programs to identify risk-related
      "hot spots," service gaps, and community assets to reduce falls among older
      adults. On average, 96.09 (+/-108.65) calls were received per ZIP Code (ranging
      from 0 calls to 386 calls). On average, EMS calls per ZIP Code increased from
      30.80 (+/-34.70) calls in 2009 to 33.75 (+/-39.58) calls in 2011, which indicate
      a modest annual call increase over the 3-year study period. The percent of ZIP
      Codes offering A Matter of Balance/Volunteer Lay Leader Model (AMOB/VLL)
      workshops increased from 27.3% in 2009 to 34.5% in 2011. On average, AMOB/VLL
      workshops were offered in ZIP Codes with more fall-related EMS calls over the 3
      year study period. Findings suggest that the study community was providing
      evidence-based fall prevention programming (AMOB/VLL workshops) in higher-risk
      areas. Opportunities for strategic service expansion were revealed through the
      identification of fall-related hot spots and asset mapping.

PMID- 28361050
TI  - Conceptual DFT Descriptors of Amino Acids with Potential Corrosion Inhibition
      Properties Calculated with the Latest Minnesota Density Functionals.
AB  - Amino acids and peptides have the potential to perform as corrosion inhibitors.
      The chemical reactivity descriptors that arise from Conceptual DFT for the twenty
      natural amino acids have been calculated by using the latest Minnesota family of
      density functionals. In order to verify the validity of the calculation of the
      descriptors directly from the HOMO and LUMO, a comparison has been performed with
      those obtained through DeltaSCF results. Moreover, the active sites for
      nucleophilic and electrophilic attacks have been identified through Fukui
      function indices, the dual descriptor Deltaf(r) and the electrophilic and
      nucleophilic Parr functions. The results could be of interest as a starting point
      for the study of large peptides where the calculation of the radical cation and
      anion of each system may be computationally harder and costly.

PMID- 28361051
TI  - On the Role of Additional [4Fe-4S] Clusters with a Free Coordination Site in
      Radical-SAM Enzymes.
AB  - The canonical CysXXXCysXXCys motif is the hallmark of the Radical-SAM
      superfamily. This motif is responsible for the ligation of a [4Fe-4S] cluster
      containing a free coordination site available for SAM binding. The five enzymes
      MoaA, TYW1, MiaB, RimO and LipA contain in addition a second [4Fe-4S] cluster
      itself bound to three other cysteines and thus also displaying a potentially free
      coordination site. This review article summarizes recent important achievements
      obtained on these five enzymes with the main focus to delineate the role of this
      additional [4Fe-4S] cluster in catalysis.

PMID- 28361052
TI  - CaMKII Signaling Stimulates Mef2c Activity In Vitro but Only Minimally Affects
      Murine Long Bone Development in vivo.
AB  - The long bones of vertebrate limbs form by endochondral ossification, whereby
      mesenchymal cells differentiate into chondrogenic progenitors, which then
      differentiate into chondrocytes. Chondrocytes undergo further differentiation
      from proliferating to prehypertrophic, and finally to hypertrophic chondrocytes.
      Several signaling pathways and transcription factors regulate this process.
      Previously, we and others have shown in chicken that overexpression of an
      activated form of Calcium/calmodulin-dependent kinase II (CaMKII) results in
      ectopic chondrocyte maturation. Here, we show that this is not the case in the
      mouse. Although, in vitro Mef2c activity was upregulated by about 55-fold in
      response to expression of an activated form of CaMKII (DACaMKII), transgenic mice
      that expressed a dominant-active form of CaMKII under the control of the Col2a1
      regulatory elements display only a very transient and mild phenotype. Here, only
      the onset of chondrocyte hypertrophy at E12.5 is accelerated. It is also this
      early step in chondrocyte differentiation that is temporarily delayed around
      E13.5 in transgenic mice expressing the peptide inhibitor CaM-KIIN from rat
      (rKIIN) under the control of the Col2a1 regulatory elements. Yet, ultimately
      DACaMKII, as well as rKIIN transgenic mice are born with completely normal
      skeletal elements with regard to their length and growth plate organization.
      Hence, our in vivo analysis suggests that CaMKII signaling plays a minor role in
      chondrocyte maturation in mice.

PMID- 28361053
TI  - T1 Mapping for Myocardial Fibrosis by Cardiac Magnetic Resonance Relaxometry-A
      Comprehensive Technical Review.
AB  - Cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) imaging has been widely used to assess
      myocardial perfusion and scar and is the non-invasive gold standard for
      identification of focal myocardial fibrosis. However, the late gadolinium
      enhancement technique is limited in its accuracy for absolute quantification and
      assessment of diffuse myocardial fibrosis by technical and pathophysiological
      features. CMR relaxometry, incorporating T1 mapping, has emerged as an accurate,
      reproducible, highly sensitive, and quantitative technique for the assessment of
      diffuse myocardial fibrosis in a number of disease states. We comprehensively
      review the physics behind CMR relaxometry, the evidence base, and the clinical
      applications of this emerging technique.

PMID- 28361054
TI  - Validation and Utilization of a Clinical Next-Generation Sequencing Panel for
      Selected Cardiovascular Disorders.
AB  - The development of high-throughput technologies such as next-generation
      sequencing (NGS) has allowed for thousands of DNA loci to be interrogated
      simultaneously in a fast and economical method for the detection of clinically
      deleterious variants. Whenever a clinical diagnosis is known, a targeted NGS
      approach involving the use of disease-specific gene panels can be employed. This
      approach is often valuable as it allows for a more specific and clinically
      relevant interpretation of results. Here, we describe the customization,
      validation, and utilization of a commercially available targeted enrichment
      platform for the scalability of clinical diagnostic cardiovascular genetic tests,
      including the design of the gene panels, the technical parameters for the quality
      assurance and quality control, the customization of the bioinformatics pipeline,
      and the post-bioinformatics analysis procedures. Regions of poor base coverage
      were detected and targeted by Sanger sequencing as needed. All panels were
      successfully validated using genotype-known DNA samples either commercially
      available or from research subjects previously tested in outside clinical
      laboratories. In our experience, utilizing several of the sub-panels in a
      clinical setting with 33 real-life cardiovascular patients, we found that 20% of
      tests requested were reported to have at least one pathogenic or likely
      pathogenic variant that could explain the patient phenotype. For each of these
      patients, the positive results may aid the clinical team and the patients in best
      developing a disease management plan and in identifying relatives at risk.

PMID- 28361055
TI  - Changes in Circulating Monocyte Subsets (CD16 Expression) and Neutrophil-to
      Lymphocyte Ratio Observed in Patients Undergoing Cardiac Surgery.
AB  - BACKGROUND: The characteristics of circulating inflammatory cells (leukocytes) in
      patients undergoing heart surgery remains poorly understood. Recently, neutrophil
      to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) and specific monocyte subsets (based on CD14/CD16
      expression) have been suggested as markers of inflammation and predictors of
      outcomes. The present study aims to characterize the influence cardiac surgery
      with cardiopulmonary bypass has on specific circulating leukocytes. METHODS: All
      enrolled patients had blood samples taken pre- (0 days), early post- (5 days),
      and late post- (90 days) surgery. Complete blood counts were performed and whole
      leukocyte isolations were obtained from blood samples and analyzed with flow
      cytometry. Fluorophore-linked antibodies (CD45, CD11b, CD14, and CD16) were added
      to the blood cell isolations and later assessed by flow cytometry. RESULTS:
      Seventeen patients were enrolled and samples obtained at 0, 5, and 90 days. We
      demonstrated a significant increase in NLR (2.2-fold; p = 0.0028) and CD16 mean
      fluorescence index (MFI-measure fluorescence intensity shift of CD16 in a gated
      cell population) early at day 5 (2.0-fold; p = 0.0051). Both NLR and CD16 MFI
      levels generally returned to normal by day 90. There was a significant positive
      correlation between NLR and CD16 MFI (r2 = 0.29; p = 0.0064). Adverse
      cardiovascular event (AE) was defined as prolonged length of hospitalization or
      readmission to hospital for cardiac reasons after discharge was seen in 59% of
      patients (no deaths occurred). In an unadjusted analysis of AE, we identified NLR
      as a likely predictor of AE, which meant that patients developing AE had a
      significantly higher baseline NLR (p = 0.0065), something that was not observed
      with CD16 MFI (p = 0.2541). CONCLUSION: Cardiac surgery is associated with a
      significant increase in NLR and CD16 MFI (non-classical monocytes) early after
      surgery corresponding to the early inflammatory phase after surgery. Furthermore,
      we have, for the first time, identified a significant correlation between NLR and
      CD16 MFI. While the mechanism for this relationship remains unclear, our findings
      support the use of a simple test of NLR as a biomarker of inflammation for
      predicting outcomes in cardiac surgery patients.

PMID- 28361056
TI  - Eliminating Dog-Mediated Rabies in Sikkim, India: A 10-Year Pathway to Success
      for the SARAH Program.
AB  - A third of the world rabies burden is in India. The Sikkim Anti-Rabies and Animal
      Health (SARAH) program is the first state-wide rabies program in India and
      demonstrates a successful One Health model of dog-mediated rabies elimination.
      The SARAH program was created in 2006 as a collaboration between the Government
      of Sikkim and international non-government organizations-Vets Beyond Borders and
      Fondation Brigitte Bardot. Activities are directed to canine rabies vaccination,
      humane dog population control, community education, and treatment of sick and
      injured animals. In 2005, there were 0.74 human rabies deaths per 100,000 (4
      deaths) within Sikkim, and from 2006 to 2015, there were no human rabies deaths.
      In 2016, two human rabies deaths were reported near the West Bengal border
      region. From 2005 to 2010, the incidence of animal rabies is unknown; from 2010
      to 2016, eight cases of animal rabies were reported. Major challenges for the
      program are continued commitment to rabies control in the face of 0 to low human
      rabies incidence and the risk of rabies incursions. Effective intersectoral
      communication between Health, Veterinary, Forestry, and Police officers is
      essential to enable rapid response to animal bite incidents and possible rabies
      incursions. An integrated One Health approach needs to be maintained with
      enhanced active rabies surveillance. Other states must establish similar programs
      if India is ever to achieve a goal of eliminating dog-mediated human rabies.

PMID- 28361057
TI  - Effect of Skull Type on the Relative Size of Cerebral Cortex and Lateral
      Ventricles in Dogs.
AB  - Volume measurements of the brain are of interest in the diagnosis of brain
      pathology. This is particularly so in the investigation hydrocephalus and canine
      cognitive dysfunction (CCD), both of which result in thinning of the cerebral
      cortex and enlarged ventricles. Volume assessment can be made using computed
      tomography or more usually magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). There is, however,
      some uncertainty in the interpretation of such volume data due to the great
      variation in skull size and shape seen in dog. In this retrospective study, we
      examined normal MRI images from 63 dogs <6 years of age. We used a continuous
      variable, the cranial index (CrI) to indicate skull shape and compared it with
      MRI volume measurements derived using Cavalieri's principle. We found a negative
      correlation between CrI and the ratio of cortical to ventricular volume. Breeds
      with a high CrI (large laterolateral compared to rostrocaudal cranial cavity
      dimension) had a smaller ratio of cortical to ventricular volume (low C:V ratio)
      than breeds with lower CrI skull types. It is important to consider this effect
      of skull shape on the relative volume estimates of the cerebral cortex and
      ventricles when trying to establish if pathology is present.

PMID- 28361058
TI  - "Don't Just Do Something ... Stand There!" Emergency Responders' Peri-Incident
      Perceptions of Animal Owners in Bushfire.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: Narrowing the awareness-preparedness gap in bushfires (wildfires)
      means that new strategies and tactics will be needed to improve human safety and
      survival in this increasingly frequent and severe globally significant natural
      hazard. One way to do this is to explore the peri-event experiences of novel
      demographic groups living and working in at-risk areas to determine how best to
      strengthen a collaborative, mutually beneficial interface with emergency
      responders. Thus, this study included participants from one novel demographic,
      animal owners, in combination with emergency responders. Animal owners themselves
      are a large, diverse group whose preparedness and response behavior has not been
      assessed with respect to their potential contribution to contemporary natural
      hazard management. METHOD: Data were collected using semi-structured interviews
      and focus group discussions from four emergency responder classifications who
      were asked about their perceptions of animal owners in bushfire. Thematic
      analysis was used for data analysis because of its flexibility and suitability to
      this pragmatic qualitative study. Results from the first of 10 themes, chosen for
      its "overview" properties, are discussed in this paper, and indicate that
      exploring the animal owner-emergency responder interface has the potential to
      generate useful additions to public policy and expansion of social theory.
      CONCLUSION: Analysis of these data in this paper supports the potential for
      positive outcomes gained by reciprocal collaboration between animal owners and
      emergency responders. Some simple practical solutions are evident and two major
      outcome streams are identified. These are (1) policy development and
      implementation and (2) etiology of decision-making. Considerations and
      recommendations for research examining the efficacy of these streams and
      solutions are provided.

PMID- 28361059
TI  - In vitro prediction of breast cancer therapy toxicity.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Understanding the basis of clinical radiosensitivity is a key goal of
      radiation research. In this study, we used the limiting dilution assay (LDA) to
      analyze in vitro radiosensitivity of cell lines from individuals with breast and
      other cancers, who had been treated with ionizing radiation, and who either had a
      non-radiosensitive (RS) radiation response or who were clinically RS. METHODS:
      Lymphoblastoid cell lines (LCLs) were created from 29 cancer patients including
      19 RS patients, 10 controls who had not developed severe normal tissue reactions,
      and 1 ataxia telangiectasia RS control cell line. The clinically RS patients had
      grade 3 or grade 4 reactions; one had a grade 2 reaction. All cells were exposed
      to graded doses of gamma-radiation in vitro and cell survival assessed via LDA.
      Cell survival was expressed on non-linear regression analysis-fitted survival
      curves and also as the surviving fraction at 2 Gray (Gy) (SF2). RESULTS: Our LDA
      analysis yielded two notable positive results. Firstly, it could distinguish
      control cells from cells from pooled breast cancer cases with severe reactions of
      all types (acute reactors, consequential late reactors and late reactors).
      Secondly, two radiosensitivity outliers were detected on the fitted curves,
      corresponding clinically to grade 3 and 4 late radiation reactions in breast and
      head and neck cancer cases respectively. The assay showed considerable cell
      survival heterogeneity. CONCLUSIONS: The LDA as used here may provide unique
      clinical utility in detecting potential RS breast cancer patients prior to
      radiotherapy (RT), a form of personalized medicine. The assay may be especially
      useful in situations where its results can be temporally available prior to
      therapy initiation (e.g., those patients not undergoing RT until some months
      after surgery, typically those having adjuvant chemotherapy prior to RT). Two
      LCLs from RS outliers could potentially yield insight into the cellular and/or
      genetic basis of radiosensitivity, for example by undertaking genomic analyses on
      these cell lines.

PMID- 28361060
TI  - Bioaerosols in the lungs of subjects with different ages-Part 2: clearance
      modeling.
AB  - BACKGROUND: The present contribution deals with theoretical aspects regarding
      biogenic particle clearance from various lung structures of probands with
      different ages (1, 5, 15, 20 y). With reference to part 1 of the study, particles
      varying in size and shape are subject to a detailed analysis. The main goal of
      the investigation consists in an increase of our knowledge concerning the
      clearance behaviour of bioparticles and its dependence upon various physiological
      and anatomical factors. METHODS: Theoretical clearance of biogenic particles was
      subdivided into four main phases, namely fast bronchial clearance, slow bronchial
      clearance, fast alveolar clearance, and slow alveolar clearance. All of these
      phases were simulated by using a well validated stochastic modeling approach,
      where the main focus is set on the randomly varied particle mass transfer between
      main compartments of the human respiratory tract. Whilst effects of particle
      geometry on clearance were approximated by application of the projective-diameter
      concept, age dependence of the particle removal process was expressed by the
      experimentally proven relationship between bronchial mucus velocities and
      morphometry of the airway tree. RESULTS: According to the results of the
      theoretical simulations efficiency of fast bronchial clearance, expressed by the
      24-h-retention value, exhibits a negative correlation with proband's age, whereas
      the other clearance phases are characterized by a rather conservative behaviour
      among the different age categories. Highest clearance rates may be observed for
      very fine (<0.01 um) and very coarse particles (>5 um) preferentially deposited
      in the upper bronchial airways, whilst large particles accumulated in the alveoli
      may be stored there for several months to years. CONCLUSIONS: The study comes to
      the conclusion that infants and children dispose of an enhanced bronchial
      clearance efficiency with respect to adolescents and adults, which results in a
      faster removal of particulate substances accumulated in the upper bronchial
      regions. Particles escaping from the natural filtering process in the upper
      airways and undergoing alveolar deposition are subject to identical clearance
      scenarios among the age groups and may represent remarkable health hazards.

PMID- 28361061
TI  - Non-homologous end-joining protein expression screen from radiosensitive cancer
      patients yields a novel DNA double strand break repair phenotype.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Clinical radiosensitivity is a significant impediment to tumour
      control and cure, in that it restricts the total doses which can safely be
      delivered to the whole radiotherapy population, within the tissue tolerance of
      potentially radiosensitive (RS) individuals. Understanding its causes could lead
      to personalization of radiotherapy. METHODS: We screened tissues from a unique
      bank of RS cancer patients for expression defects in major DNA double-strand
      break repair proteins, using Western blot analysis and subsequently reverse
      transcriptase polymerase chain reaction and pulsed-field gel electrophoresis.
      RESULTS: We hypothesized that abnormalities in expression of these proteins may
      explain the radiosensitivity of some of our cancer patients. The cells from one
      patient showed a reproducibly consistent expression reduction in two complex
      forming DNA double-strand break repair protein components (DNA Ligase IV and
      XRCC4). We also showed a corresponding reduction in both gene products at the
      mRNA level. Additionally, the mRNA inducibility by ionizing radiation was
      increased for one of the proteins in the patient's cells. We confirmed the likely
      functional significance of the non-homologous end-joining (NHEJ) expression
      abnormalities with a DNA double strand break (DNA DSB) repair assay. CONCLUSIONS:
      We have identified a novel biological phenotype linked to clinical
      radiosensitivity. This is important in that very few molecular defects are known
      in human radiotherapy subjects. Such knowledge may contribute to the
      understanding of radiation response mechanisms in cancer patients and to
      personalization of radiotherapy.

PMID- 28361062
TI  - Is the SenseWear Armband accurate enough to quantify and estimate energy
      expenditure in healthy adults?
AB  - BACKGROUND: The SenseWear Armband (SWA) is a monitor that can be used to estimate
      energy expenditure (EE); however, it has not been validated in healthy adults.
      The objective of this paper was to study the validity of the SWA for quantifying
      EE levels. METHODS: Twenty-three healthy adults (age 40-55 years, mean: 48+/-3.42
      years) performed different types of standardized physical activity (PA) for 10
      minutes (rest, walking at 3 and 5 km.h-1, running at 7 and 9 km.h-1, and
      sitting/standing at a rate of 30 cycle.min-1). Participants wore the SWA on their
      right arm, and their EE was measured by indirect calorimetry (IC) the gold
      standard. RESULTS: There were significant differences between the SWA and IC,
      except in the group that ran at 9 km.h-1 (>9 METs). Bland-Altman analysis showed
      a BIAS of 1.56 METs (+/-1.83 METs) and limits of agreement (LOA) at 95% of -2.03
      to 5.16 METs. There were indications of heteroscedasticity (R2 =0.03; P<0.05).
      Analysis of the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves showed that the
      SWA seems to be not sensitive enough to estimate the level of EE at highest
      intensities. CONCLUSIONS: The SWA is not as precise in estimating EE as IC, but
      it could be a useful tool to determine levels of EE at low intensities.

PMID- 28361063
TI  - Survival of primary lung cancer patients in Brunei Darussalam, 1987-2012.
AB  - BACKGROUND: In 2009 to 2011, the commonest cause of death was by cancer in Brunei
      Darussalam, and 16.5% and 19.5% of cancer deaths were due to lung cancer in 2004
      and 2011 respectively. This study was to investigate the survival of lung cancer
      patients in Brunei Darussalam. METHODS: This retrospective cohort study was
      conducted in 2013 & 2014 for those who were diagnosed as primary lung cancer in
      the period of 1987 to 2012. Data were retrieved from patients' medical records
      and death certificates using pretested data collection form. Survival analyses
      namely Kaplan-Meier method, and log-rank test to compare survival between groups.
      RESULTS: We retrieved 630 primary lung cancer records. Majority was diagnosed at
      the late stages, 42.5% at Stage IV & 33.4% at Stage III. The overall median
      survival time was 6.1 months whereas 2.6 and 79.1 months for Stage IV and Stage I
      respectively. The overall 6-month, 1-, 3- and 5-year survival rates were 50.2%,
      32.1%, 14.5% and 8.8% respectively. Survival duration had significantly improved
      from 1987-1999 to 2000-2012 (P=0.001) although significant higher proportion of
      Stage IV was diagnosed in the second period (P=0.008). CONCLUSIONS: Overall
      survival rates and duration of primary lung cancer in Brunei Darussalam were
      comparable with some developed countries. However, through effective public
      intervention such as increase awareness, early case detection, and effective anti
      smoking strategies, survival of lung cancer patients can certainly be improved
      and the burden of disease can be reduced.

PMID- 28361064
TI  - The effect of financial crisis on the profile of the patients examined at the
      surgical emergencies of an academic institution in Greece.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Greece is suffering an economic recession of enormous magnitude, but
      whether its health has deteriorated as a result, has not yet been well
      established. We aim to present and analyze differences in demographics and
      clinical distribution of patients examined at the emergency room (ER) in the era
      of financial crisis. METHODS: A retrospective data analysis of all patients that
      were examined to surgical ER, between January 1st 2008 and December 31st 2014,
      was conducted. We only analyzed and evaluated data for the years 2008, 2011 and
      2014. We evaluated the etiology of the examination (main complaint of the
      patient), the gender, the ethnic origin, the age and the severity of the disease,
      whenever it was feasible. The diseases that presented differences that were
      statistically significant were analyzed in terms of medical, social and financial
      aspects. RESULTS: The number of patients being examined in the ER in 2011 was
      higher compared with that of 2014 and to 2008 respectively (P<0.05). Throughout
      the years, there was a decline in vascular emergencies (veins, arteries, AAA;
      P<0.05). An increased incidence of soft tissue infections (STIs) was also found
      (P<0.05). Finally, an increased incidence of anal diseases and patients with
      abdominal pain was also noted (P<0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Financial crisis seems to
      have a multivariable effect on epidemiology and clinical diversity of patients
      being examined in the ER.

PMID- 28361065
TI  - Surgical prophylaxis with gentamicin and acute kidney injury: a systematic review
      and meta-analysis.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Gentamicin has been increasingly used instead of cephalosporins for
      surgical prophylaxis in an attempt to reduce the rate of "Clostridium difficile"
      infection. There are limited data regarding nephrotoxicity related to gentamicin
      in these patients. METHODS: We have conducted a systematic review and meta
      analysis to evaluate the risk of acute kidney injury (AKI) in gentamicin
      containing surgical prophylactic regimens, compared to regimens without
      gentamicin, in several types of surgery. Electronic searches were performed using
      PubMed and Embase, including terms for "AKI, gentamicin, and surgical
      prophylaxis" with and without MeSH/EMTREE functions. Statistical analysis was
      then performed using a random-effect model; risk ratios (RR), risk differences
      (RD) and heterogeneity (I2) were calculated. Funnel plot was used for assessment
      of publication bias. RESULTS: Eleven studies with fifteen cohorts with 18,354
      patients were included in the analysis. Subgroup analysis was performed according
      to surgery type. We have found that antibiotic prophylaxis with gentamicin
      containing regimen has significant risk for developing postoperative AKI in
      orthopedic surgery (RR 2.99; 95% CI: 1.84, 4.88). The results were inconclusive
      in other types of surgery. Funnel plot indicates potential publication bias.
      CONCLUSIONS: Gentamicin-induced AKI is significant in patients undergoing
      orthopedic surgery. Physicians should consider risks and benefits of using this
      regimen in individual patients.

PMID- 28361066
TI  - Emerging treatments for hemophilia: patients and their treaters spoilt for
      choice, but laboratories face a difficult path?

PMID- 28361067
TI  - Structural equation modeling in the context of clinical research.
AB  - Structural equation modeling (SEM) has been widely used in economics, sociology
      and behavioral science. However, its use in clinical medicine is quite limited,
      probably due to technical difficulties. Because SEM is particularly suitable for
      analysis of complex relationships among observed variables, it must have
      potential applications to clinical medicine. The article introduces basic ideas
      of SEM in the context of clinical medicine. A simulated dataset is employed to
      show how to do model specification, model fit, visualization and assessment of
      goodness-of-fit. The first example fits a SEM with continuous outcome variable
      using sem() function, and the second explores the binary outcome variable using
      lavaan() function.

PMID- 28361068
TI  - Use of distal perfusion in peripheral extracorporeal membrane oxygenation.
AB  - Extra corporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) is a life-saving technique to manage
      refractory cardiopulmonary failure. Its usage and indication continue to
      increase. Femoral venoarterial ECMO (VA ECMO) is relatively less invasive and the
      cardiac support may be more rapidly instituted in in these extremely tenuous
      patients. Vascular injuries and limb ischemia unfortunately occur in these
      emergent access settings. Here we will discuss the optimal techniques of
      preventing this complication which might affect patient survival and impact the
      patient quality of life.

PMID- 28361069
TI  - Posterior reversible encephalopathy syndrome associated with left horizontal gaze
      palsy.
AB  - Posterior reversible encephalopathy syndrome (PRES) is characterized by rapid
      onset of symptoms including headache, seizures, altered consciousness, and visual
      disturbance, as well as radiologic findings of focal reversible vasogenic edema.
      Multiple visual disturbances have been described in PRES, such as hemianopia,
      visual neglect, auras, visual hallucinations, and cortical blindness. However,
      horizontal gaze palsy has not been previously reported. We report a 72-year-old
      female who presented with blurred vision, severe headache, lethargy, and later
      developed seizures. She was found to have left horizontal gaze palsy with intact
      vestibulo-ocular reflex. Brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) showed severe
      edema throughout the subcortical white matter, and signal in the posterior
      parietal and occipital lobes. She was diagnosed with PRES associated with
      supranuclear gaze palsy.

PMID- 28361070
TI  - Primary psoas sarcoma causing malignant psoas syndrome: favourable response to
      radiotherapy.
AB  - Malignant psoas syndrome (MPS) is an uncommon condition first described by
      Stevens et al. MPS is caused by malignant infiltration of the psoas muscle and
      adjacent nerves and is characterised by (fixed) flexion deformity of the
      ipsilateral hip and proximal lumbosacral plexopathy. It has previously been
      described in relation to metastatic carcinoma, melanoma and liposarcoma, as well
      as non-Hodgkins lymphoma. We present the case of a 68-year-old woman with a
      sarcoma arising in the left psoas muscle at the level of L4 who presented with
      symptoms of MPS. To the authors' knowledge this is the first case of MPS arising
      from a primary sarcoma of the iliopsoas compartment. The patient underwent
      presurgical radiotherapy, with a significant improvement in pain control without
      an increase in analgesic medications. We discuss the aetiology of MPS and the
      role of radiotherapy in the treatment of this rare syndrome.

PMID- 28361071
TI  - A brother and sister with breast cancer, BRCA2 mutations and bilateral
      supernumerary nipples.
AB  - We describe a 54-year-old man with breast cancer and a BRCA2 mutation who was
      also found to have bilateral supernumerary nipples. His sister, also with a BRCA2
      mutation, was diagnosed with breast cancer in her late forties; she also had
      bilateral supernumerary nipples. We address the significance of breast cancer
      arising in breast tissue underlying supernumerary nipples; the known association
      between supernumerary nipples and genitourinary malignancies/malformations and
      the possible link between BRCA2 and supernumerary nipple development. We believe
      that this is the first described case of the latter. We then outline an approach
      to further management for supernumerary nipple cases.

PMID- 28361072
TI  - High-flow nasal cannula is superior to noninvasive ventilation to prevent
      reintubation?

PMID- 28361073
TI  - Is there a benefit to locally consolidative therapy for oligometastatic non-small
      cell lung cancer?

PMID- 28361074
TI  - Neonatal Ebstein repair-where are we now?

PMID- 28361075
TI  - Liposteroid therapy for juvenile and adult dermatomyositis: efficacy and side
      effects.

PMID- 28361076
TI  - Not all extracellular vesicles were created equal: clinical implications.

PMID- 28361077
TI  - Extra corporeal membrane oxygenation support: ethical dilemmas.
AB  - The vast expansion of patients treated with of extra corporeal membrane
      oxygenation (ECMO) emerge novel ethical questions about the use of this new
      technology. In regard the indications, duration of support and timing of
      withdrawal of support, these questions sometimes create disagreement among
      surrogates, between health care team and surrogates, and even disagreement among
      health care team, these disagreements occurs because of the extreme emergency of
      support initiation, the ambiguity of the outcome as well as lack of clarity on
      the intended treatment direction, whether it is ineffective, bridge to recovery
      or bridge to lifetime mechanical support or transplant. In this article we
      discuss these questions through patients' scenarios.

PMID- 28361078
TI  - Targeting the seeds of small cell lung cancer.
AB  - The concept of antibody drug conjugates (ADCs), which includes the delivery of
      cytotoxic drugs to antigen-expressing tumor cells by harnessing the antigen
      selectivity of a monoclonal antibody, has the potential to redefine the landscape
      of translational medicine. With the advent of patient derived xenograft (PDX)
      models and sophisticated genomic technologies, the identification of a selective
      antigen can be accurately validated within the appropriate tumor milieu. However,
      a major biological hurdle in cancer translational medicine is the inherent
      tumoral heterogeneity, underscoring the importance of targeting the 'right' sub
      population of cancer cells. Herein, we review a seminal work highlighting the
      ability to target a key 'stem-like' cancer sub-population called tumor initiating
      cells (TICs) using engineered ADCs. While the promise of this approach needs to
      be validated in the clinical setting, TIC-targeted ADCs offer great hope for
      circumventing current limitations with conventional ADC therapy.

PMID- 28361079
TI  - Ultrasound to assess diaphragmatic function in the critically ill-a critical
      perspective.
AB  - Ultrasound of the diaphragm in critically ill patients has become a diagnostic
      technique of emerging interest among clinicians and scientists. The advantages
      include that it is widely available, non-invasive and examination can be
      performed after relatively short training and at low costs. It is used to
      estimate muscle mass by measurement of muscle thickness and diagnose weakness by
      the assessment of diaphragm movement during unassisted breathing. Thickening of
      the muscle during inspiration has been used to quantify force generation. The
      enthusiasm that surrounds this topic is shared by many clinicians and we agree
      that ultrasound is a valuable tool to screen for diaphragm dysfunction in
      intensive care unit (ICU) patients. However, in our opinion much more studies are
      required to validate ultrasound as a tool to quantify breathing effort. More
      sophisticated ultrasound techniques, such as speckle tracking imaging are
      promising techniques to evaluate respiratory muscle function in patients,
      including the critically ill.

PMID- 28361081
TI  - On vs. off pump coronary artery bypass grafting: the next chapter.

PMID- 28361080
TI  - Future directions of extracellular vesicle-associated miRNAs in metastasis.
AB  - Numerous studies have demonstrated the dynamic cell-to-cell communication
      mediated by extracellular vesicles (EV) in cancer cell survival and metastasis
      development. EV content includes proteins, lipids, DNA, and RNA like microRNAs.
      Non-protein coding microRNAs play a very active role in almost all cellular
      processes targeting mRNAs for silencing. Different miRNA profiles have been found
      in different cancer types, and clarification of miRNAs packed in EV from
      different types of cancers will allow the understanding of metastasis and the
      application of miRNAs as biomolecules in diagnostic, prognostic and therapeutic
      approaches to fight cancer. The profound review of Dhondt et al., 2016, provides
      a wide view of EV miRNAs involved in various steps of the metastasis process to
      illustrate how the cancer cell interaction with the near and long distance
      microenvironment allows metastasis. These studies will surely conduce to
      additional patient studies to prove the relevance of EV miRNAs in metastasis in
      vivo. It remains to be elucidated how the tumoral cell sorts the miRNAs for
      secretion to send a message, and to well recognize the type of EV performing this
      message delivering. It will be very useful to identify whether miRNAs are
      delivered with post-transcriptional modifications since this is an important
      feature for miRNAs activity and stability.

PMID- 28361082
TI  - Is the exosome a potential target for cancer immunotherapy?

PMID- 28361083
TI  - Next steps to improve disparities in lung cancer treatment clinical trial
      enrollment.

PMID- 28361084
TI  - Meta-analysis on extracorporeal life support during cardiac arrest: do not
      compare apples and oranges.

PMID- 28361085
TI  - Human stem memory T cells (TSCM) as critical players in the long-term persistence
      of immune responses.

PMID- 28361086
TI  - Asymmetric cell division regulates the transcriptional balance controlling memory
      fate decisions in T cells.

PMID- 28361087
TI  - Proper selection of sedative drugs improves outcomes: volatile anesthetics are
      surgeons' best friends.

PMID- 28361088
TI  - Residency training in Greece: job dissatisfaction paves the way to brain drain.

PMID- 28361089
TI  - Truth behind hypokalemia.

PMID- 28361090
TI  - Prof. Stefanie Dimmeler: long non-coding RNAs-why it is important in
      cardiovascular disease.

PMID- 28361091
TI  - The highlights in the Digestive Disease Institute Week 2017.

PMID- 28361092
TI  - Erratum to Isolated idiopathic aortitis with an unusually thickened aortic wall:
      case report.
AB  - [This corrects the article DOI: 10.21037/atm.2016.11.14.].

PMID- 28361093
TI  - A Systematic Review of the Management of Incidental Findings in Genomic Research.
AB  - Information empowerment has been the greatest gain of genomics, yet it also poses
      serious threat to its survival, especially when the information is incidental.
      There may be an emerging consensus that actionable incidental findings be
      returned. But this has not been supported by any systematic review. Future
      directions are equally missing. These are significant gaps. To fill these gaps,
      an online search on PubMed and Genetics in Medicine website was conducted between
      20th of August to 23rd of October, 2013; combining certain filters and phrases,
      such as 'return incidental findings'. Nineteen (19) articles were selected from
      an avalanche of results, and reviewed. The review confirms a majority support for
      return of clinically actionable findings. The result also shows that the support
      represents views of Northern Americans. Critical contributions of Africans,
      Asians and Europeans are missing in this discourse. I recommended studies in this
      direction.

PMID- 28361095
TI  - Genetics and genomic medicine in Indonesia.
AB  - Genetics and genomic medicine in Indonesia.

PMID- 28361094
TI  - Genetic contributions to stuttering: the current evidence.
AB  - Evidence for genetic factors in persistent developmental stuttering has
      accumulated over the past four decades, and the genes that underlie this disorder
      are starting to be identified. The genes identified to date, all point to
      deficits in intracellular trafficking in this disorder.

PMID- 28361096
TI  - Clinical dose effect and functional consequences of R92Q in two families
      presenting with a TRAPS/PFAPA-like phenotype.
AB  - BACKGROUND: TNF receptor-associated syndrome (TRAPS) is a dominantly inherited
      autoinflammatory condition caused by mutations in the TNFRSF1A gene. The
      mechanism underlying the variable expressivity of the common variant R92Q
      (rs4149584; c.362G>A; p.Arg121Gln) is unclear and is of critical importance for
      patient care and genetic counseling. This study evaluated the impact of the
      number of R92Q mutations in two unique unrelated families. METHODS: Two patients
      with undefined but clear autoinflammatory symptoms were referred for genetic
      diagnosis. Blood samples were collected from the available family members to
      screen autoinflammatory genes and assess key steps of the TNFR1-mediated
      signaling pathway using flow cytometry and ex vivo culture. RESULTS: R92Q
      homozygosity was demonstrated for the two probands. In family 1, the segregation
      analysis revealed TRAPS-like symptoms in all carriers, with a more severe
      presentation in the proband, whereas in family 2, the heterozygous parents were
      totally asymptomatic, suggesting recessive transmission. Functional studies
      revealed a nonclassical pathogenesis of TRAPS in the two probands and suggested a
      compensatory mechanism without clear dose effect. CONCLUSION: We observed for the
      first time a possible clinical dose effect of R92Q. This work highlights the
      importance of familial studies to reconcile the contradictory reports published
      on the pathogenicity of this variant.

PMID- 28361097
TI  - Independent variant analysis of TEAD1 and OCEL1 in 38 Aicardi syndrome patients.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Aicardi syndrome is a severe neurodevelopmental disorder
      characterized by infantile spasms, typical chorioretinal lacunae, agenesis of the
      corpus callosum, and other neuronal migration defects. It has been reported
      recently that de novo variants in TEAD1 and OCEL1 each may cause Aicardi syndrome
      in a single individual of a small cohort of females with this clinical diagnosis.
      These data were interpreted to suggest that the clinical diagnosis of Aicardi
      syndrome may be genetically heterogeneous. METHODS: To investigate this further,
      we sequenced TEAD1 and OCEL1 coding regions using DNA from 38 clinically well
      characterized girls with Aicardi syndrome. RESULTS: We did not detect the
      previously reported or any other deleterious variants in any of the analyzed
      samples. CONCLUSIONS: This suggests that the published variants represent either
      an extremely rare cause of Aicardi syndrome or an incidental finding.

PMID- 28361098
TI  - Building a family network from genetic testing.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Genetic testing has multigenerational and familial repercussions.
      However, the "trickle-down effect" of providing genetic counseling and testing to
      family members at risk after an initial identification of a pathogenic variant in
      a medically actionable gene has been poorly understood. METHODS: Three probands
      were identified during the pharmacogenetics research phase of eMERGEII
      (electronic MEdical Record and Genomics, phase II) to have variants in genes
      associated with autosomal dominant adult-onset disorders determined to be
      actionable by the American College of Medical Genetics (ACMG). Two of the three
      probands had variants that were classified as pathogenic and the third proband
      had a variant ultimately classified of uncertain significance, but of concern due
      to the proband's own phenotype. All probands had additional family members at
      risk for inheriting the variant. Two of the three probands had family members who
      received their medical care from the same health care system, Group Health
      Cooperative (GHC). It was recommended that the proband contact their family
      members at risk to be referred to genetic counseling for consideration of genetic
      testing. RESULTS: The two probands with pathogenic variants contacted some of
      their family members at risk. Individuals contacted included children and adult
      grandchildren, particularly if they received their medical care at GHC. To the
      best of our knowledge, siblings and more distant relatives at risk were not
      informed by the proband of their genetic risk. CONCLUSIONS: Establishing a family
      network is essential to disseminate knowledge of genetic risk. These three
      initial cases describe our experience of contacting eMERGE participants with
      identified variants, providing the probands with appropriate genetic counseling
      and care coordination, and recommendations for contacting family members at risk.
      Greater challenges were observed for coordinating genetics care for family
      members and extending the family network to include other relatives at risk.

PMID- 28361100
TI  - A novel de novo frameshift deletion in EHMT1 in a patient with Kleefstra Syndrome
      results in decreased H3K9 dimethylation.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Kleefstra Syndrome (KS) (MIM# 610253) is an autosomal dominant
      disorder caused by haploinsufficiency of euchromatic histone methyltransferase-1
      (EHMT1, GLP). EHMT1 (MIM# 607001) encodes a histone methyltransferase that
      heterodimerizes with EHMT2 (also known as G9a, MIM# 604599), which together are
      responsible for mono- and dimethylation of H3 lysine 9 (H3K9me1 and -me2),
      resulting in transcriptional repression of target genes. METHODS: This report
      describes an 18-year-old woman with intellectual disability, severely limited
      speech, hypotonia, microcephaly, and facial dysmorphisms, who was found to have a
      novel de novo single-base frameshift deletion in EHMT1. RESULTS: Functional
      studies using patient fibroblasts showed decreased H3K9me2 compared to wild-type
      control cells, thus providing a rapid confirmatory test that complements
      molecular studies. CONCLUSION: Whole exome sequencing revealed a novel frameshift
      deletion in EHMT1 after a lengthy diagnostic odyssey in this patient. Functional
      testing using this patient's fibroblasts provides proof-of-concept for the
      analysis of variants of uncertain significance that are predicted to impact EHMT1
      enzymatic activity.

PMID- 28361099
TI  - A de novo splice site mutation in EHMT1 resulting in Kleefstra syndrome with
      pharmacogenomics screening and behavior therapy for regressive behaviors.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Kleefstra syndrome (KS) is a rare autosomal dominant developmental
      disability, caused by microdeletions or intragenic mutations within the
      epigenetic regulator gene EHMT1 (euchromatic histone lysine N-methyltransferase
      1). In addition to common features of autism, young adult regressive behaviors
      have been reported. However, the genetic downstream effects of the reported
      deletions or mutations on KS phenotype have not yet been completely explored.
      While genetic backgrounds affecting drug metabolism can have a profound effect on
      therapeutic interventions, pharmacogenomic variations are seldom considered in
      directing psychotropic therapies. METHODS: In this report, we used next
      generation sequencing (exome sequencing and high-throughput RNA sequencing) in a
      patient and his parents to identify causative genetic variants followed by
      pharmacogenomics-guided clinical decision-making for making positive changes
      toward his treatment strategies. The patient had an early autism diagnosis and
      showed significant regressive behaviors and physical aberrations at age 23.
      RESULTS: Exome sequencing identified a novel, de novo splice site variant
      NM_024757.4: c.2750-1G>T in EHMT1, a candidate gene for Kleefstra syndrome, in
      the patient that results in exon skipping and downstream frameshift and
      termination. Gene expression results from the patient showed, when compared to
      his parents, there was a significant decreased expression of several reported
      gene variants associated with autism risk. Further, using a pharmacogenomics
      genotyping panel, we discovered that the patient had the CYP2D6 nonfunctioning
      variant genotype *4/*4 that results in very low metabolic activity on a number of
      psychotropic drugs, including fluvoxamine which he was prescribed. As reported
      here, a change in psychotropic drugs and intense behavior therapies resulted in a
      significant reversal of the regressive behaviors and physical aberrations.
      CONCLUSION: These results demonstrate an individualized approach that integrated
      genetic information and behavior therapies, resulting in a dramatic improvement
      in regressive behaviors associated with KS.

PMID- 28361102
TI  - Gene-centric analysis implicates nuclear encoded mitochondrial protein gene
      variants in migraine susceptibility.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Migraine is a common neurological disorder which affects a large
      proportion of the population. The Norfolk Island population is a genetically
      isolated population and is an ideal discovery cohort for genetic variants
      involved in complex disease susceptibility given the reduced genetic and
      environmental heterogeneity. Given that the majority of proteins responsible for
      mitochondrial function are nuclear encoded, this study aimed to investigate the
      role of Nuclear Encoded Mitochondrial Protein (NEMP) genes in relation to
      migraine susceptibility. METHODS: A gene-centric association analysis of NEMP
      genes was undertaken in the most related individuals (n = 315) within the
      genetically isolated Norfolk Island population. The discovery phase included
      genes with three or more SNP associations (P < 0.005), which were investigated
      further in a replication phase using an unrelated migraine case-control cohort
      (544 patients and 584 controls). RESULTS: The discovery phase of the study
      implicated SNPs in 5 NEMP genes to be associated with migraine susceptibility (P
      < 0.005). Replication analysis validated some of these implicated genes with SNPs
      in three NEMP genes shown to be associated with migraine in the replication
      cohort. These were CSNK1G3 (P = 0.00037), ELOVL6 (P = 0.00035) and SARDH (P =
      0.00081), which are involved in phosphorylation, fatty acid metabolism, and
      oxidative demethylation, respectively. CONCLUSION: Here we provide evidence that
      variation in NEMP genes is associated with migraine susceptibility. This study
      provides evidence for a link between mitochondrial function and migraine
      susceptibility.

PMID- 28361101
TI  - A molecular analysis of the GBA gene in Caucasian South Africans with Parkinson's
      disease.
AB  - BACKGROUND: The molecular basis of Parkinson's disease in South African
      population groups remains elusive. To date, substitutions in the GBA gene are the
      most common large-effect genetic risk factor for Parkinson's disease. The primary
      objective of this study was to determine the prevalence of GBA substitutions in
      South Africans with idiopathic Parkinson's disease. METHODS: Participants were
      recruited from tertiary hospitals in the Gauteng Province in South Africa. All
      participants were screened for substitutions in GBA exon 8-11 and the full coding
      region was analysed in 20 participants. Peripheral beta-glucocerebrosidase
      enzymatic activity of GBA-carriers was measured in mixed leukocytes. RESULTS: Of
      105 Caucasian Parkinson's disease participants (82.7% Afrikaner) with an average
      age of disease onset of 61.9 +/- 12.2 years and 40 controls (age 73.4 +/- 12.4
      years) were included. Heterozygous GBA substitutions were identified in 12.38% of
      affected participants (p.G35A, p.E326K, p.I368T, p.T369M, p.N370S, p.P387L and
      p.K441N) and 5.00% of controls (p.E326K and p.T369M). The substitutions ranged
      from predicted benign to moderately damaging; with p.E326K and p.T369M most
      prevalent, followed by the Afrikaner Gaucher disease substitution p.P387L. Severe
      Gaucher disease mutations, like p.L444P, were absent in this cohort. Enzyme
      activity analysis revealed a nonsignificant reduction in the GBA-Parkinson's
      disease individuals (14.49 +/- 2.30 nmol/h/mg protein vs. 15.98 +/- 3.06
      nmol/h/mg in control samples). GBA substitutions occur in both young-onset and
      late-onset Parkinson's cases in the cohort. CONCLUSION: Mild GBA substitutions
      that may not cause Gaucher disease were a common risk factor for Parkinson's
      disease in the participant group.

PMID- 28361104
TI  - Discordance in selected designee for return of genomic findings in the event of
      participant death and estate executor.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Legal and ethical questions arise regarding disseminating genetic
      research results to family members in the event of a research participant's
      death; failure to return or return to legal next of kin or estate executor may
      not reflect participant desires. We sought to determine participant preferences
      for whether and to whom they would like their data released in the case of their
      death prior to receiving genomic results, focusing on whether the person selected
      was also their estate executor. METHODS: The University of Washington NEXT
      Medicine Study of the Clinical Sequencing Exploratory Research program previously
      reported participant preferences regarding designating an individual to receive
      genomic results in the event of death, including whether they want results
      shared, and if so, with what person. Participants were also asked whether this
      designee is executor of their will or estate. RESULTS: To date, 61 individuals
      were asked about the concordance of their study designee and legal
      representative: 42 (69%) reported having a will or estate plan and of these, 14
      (33%) chose someone other than their executor to receive their results. For the
      14 who chose someone other than their estate executor to receive genetic results,
      12 (86%) chose a family member, typically a biological relative, as their
      designee. Those with a different genomic designee than their executor were less
      likely to be partnered (P = 0.0024). For those partnered participants without an
      estate plan, spouses were not always chosen for return of genomic results.
      CONCLUSION: For one-third of our participants, the individual deemed most
      appropriate by the participant to receive their genomic results was not the
      executor. In the absence of an explicit designation, HIPAA may prohibit access to
      genomic results to persons other than the executor; hence asking for designation
      at the time of study enrollment (or initiation of clinical testing) is important.

PMID- 28361103
TI  - The prevalence, penetrance, and expressivity of etiologic IRF6 variants in
      orofacial clefts patients from sub-Saharan Africa.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Orofacial clefts are congenital malformations of the orofacial
      region, with a global incidence of one per 700 live births. Interferon Regulatory
      Factor 6 (IRF6) (OMIM:607199) gene has been associated with the etiology of both
      syndromic and nonsyndromic orofacial clefts. The aim of this study was to show
      evidence of potentially pathogenic variants in IRF6 in orofacial clefts cohorts
      from Africa. METHODS: We carried out Sanger Sequencing on DNA from 184 patients
      with nonsyndromic orofacial clefts and 80 individuals with multiple congenital
      anomalies that presented with orofacial clefts. We sequenced all the nine exons
      of IRF6 as well as the 5' and 3' untranslated regions. In our analyses pipeline,
      we used various bioinformatics tools to detect and describe the potentially
      etiologic variants. RESULTS: We observed that potentially etiologic exonic and
      splice site variants were nonrandomly distributed among the nine exons of IRF6,
      with 92% of these variants occurring in exons 4 and 7. Novel variants were also
      observed in both nonsyndromic orofacial clefts (p.Glu69Lys, p.Asn185Thr, c.175
      2A>C and c.1060+26C>T) and multiple congenital anomalies (p.Gly65Val, p.Lys320Asn
      and c.379+1G>T) patients. Our data also show evidence of compound heterozygotes
      that may modify phenotypes that emanate from IRF6 variants. CONCLUSIONS: This
      study demonstrates that exons 4 and 7 of IRF6 are mutational 'hotspots' in our
      cohort and that IRF6 mutants-induced orofacial clefts may be prevalent in the
      Africa population, however, with variable penetrance and expressivity. These
      observations are relevant for detection of high-risk families as well as genetic
      counseling. In conclusion, we have shown that there may be a need to combine both
      molecular and clinical evidence in the grouping of orofacial clefts into
      syndromic and nonsyndromic forms.

PMID- 28361105
TI  - Single-nucleotide substitution T to A in the polypyrimidine stretch at the splice
      acceptor site of intron 9 causes exon 10 skipping in the ACAT1 gene.
AB  - BACKGROUND: beta-ketothiolase (T2, gene symbol ACAT1) deficiency is an autosomal
      recessive disorder, affecting isoleucine and ketone body metabolism. We
      encountered a patient (GK03) with T2 deficiency whose T2 mRNA level was <10% of
      the control, but in whom a previous routine cDNA analysis had failed to find any
      mutations. Genomic PCR-direct sequencing showed homozygosity for c.941-9T>A in
      the polypyrimidine stretch at the splice acceptor site of intron 9 of ACAT1.
      Initially, we regarded this variant as not being disease-causing by a method of
      predicting the effect of splicing using in silico tools. However, based on other
      findings of exon 10 splicing, we eventually hypothesized that this mutation
      causes exon 10 skipping. METHODS: cDNA analysis was performed using GK03's
      fibroblasts treated with/without cycloheximide (CHX), since exon 10 skipping
      caused a frameshift and nonsense-mediated mRNA decay (NMD). Minigene splicing
      experiment was done to confirm aberrant splicing. RESULTS: cDNA analysis using
      fibroblasts cultured with cycloheximide indeed showed the occurrence of exon 10
      skipping. A minigene splicing experiment clearly showed that the c.941-9T>A
      mutant resulted in transcripts with exon 10 skipping. There are few reports
      describing that single-nucleotide substitutions in polypyrimidine stretches of
      splice acceptor sites cause aberrant splicing. CONCLUSION: We showed that c.941
      9T>A induces aberrant splicing in the ACAT1 gene. Our ability to predict the
      effects of mutations on splicing using in silico tools is still limited. cDNA
      analysis and minigene splicing experiments remain useful alternatives to reveal
      splice defects.

PMID- 28361106
TI  - Fluorescence spectroscopy of roGFP2-based redox probes responding to various
      physiologically relevant oxidant species in vitro.
AB  - This article contains representative fluorescence excitation spectra of roGFP2
      based probes used for ratiometric analysis of redox changes as presented in the
      article "Systematic in vitro assessment of responses of roGFP2-based probes to
      physiologically relevant oxidant species" [1]. The recombinant probes roGFP2,
      roGFP2-Orp1, and Grx1-roGFP2 were exposed to various oxidative and nitrosative
      species, including hydrogen peroxide (H2O2), aldrithiol-2 (AT-2), glutathione
      disulfide (GSSG), hypochlorous acid (HOCl), S-nitrosoglutathione (GSNO),
      peroxynitrite (ONOO-), potassium polysulfide (K2Sx), spermine NONOate (SperNO),
      and diethyl amino NONOate (DeaNO) at different molar ratios. Fluorescence
      excitation spectra of the probes were recorded in the excitation wavelength range
      between 350 and 500 nm and for a total of 60 min. Analysis and interpretation of
      the data is presented in an associated article [1].

PMID- 28361108
TI  - A generalized fixed drug eruption associated with mycophenolate.

PMID- 28361107
TI  - Remission of subcutaneous panniculitis-like T-cell lymphoma in a pregnant woman
      after treatment with oral corticosteroids as monotherapy.
AB  - Subcutaneous panniculitis-like T-cell lymphoma (SPTCL) is a rare form of
      cutaneous T-cell lymphoma characterized by neoplastic alpha/beta T cells
      infiltrating subcutaneous tissues in a lobular pattern. Few data support the
      optimal treatment regimen for patients, given the rarity of this condition, and
      even fewer data describe treatment when diagnosed during pregnancy. We describe a
      case of SPTCL in a pregnant patient who achieved clinical remission after
      treatment with corticosteroid monotherapy. Our case suggests that corticosteroids
      should be considered as first-line treatment in pregnant patients with SPTCL.

PMID- 28361109
TI  - Trousseau syndrome presenting with penile gangrene.

PMID- 28361110
TI  - Patterns of Care and Outcomes in Cardiovascular Disease After Kidney
      Transplantation in the United States.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is an important driver of mortality
      after kidney transplantation. Its broader impact on posttransplant health care
      utilization in US hospitals is unknown. METHODS: We used administrative claims
      data from the Nationwide Inpatient Sample and the American Hospital Association
      Annual Survey to identify hospitalizations for kidney transplant patients with a
      cardiovascular diagnosis from 2005 to 2011. CVD hospitalizations were stratified
      by transplant hospital status to characterize patterns in inpatient health care
      utilization and outcomes. Based on these analyses, the domestic burden of
      treatment for posttransplant CVD (myocardial infarction, stroke, congestive heart
      failure, dysrhythmia, cardiac arrest, malignant hypertension) was estimated.
      RESULTS: The total domestic burden of post-kidney transplant hospitalization
      between 2005 and 2011 is estimated at 389 138 of which 26.5% of episodes were
      related to CVD (n = 103 118). CVD was responsible for a growing proportion of
      post-transplant hospitalizations over time (24.4%-30.4%, P < 0.001). Compared
      with nontransplant hospitals, transplant hospitals had similar length of stay
      (median length of stay, 3.7 days), higher median costs per hospitalization (US
      $10 364 vs US $8606, overall US $9324), and lower adjusted mortality (3.2% vs
      3.9%, overall 3.6%; P = 0.003). CONCLUSIONS: Inpatient CVD care is increasing
      over time for kidney transplant patients, accounting for 30% of all post
      transplant hospitalizations. Variation exists in the inpatient care, outcomes,
      and costs between by hospital type. Further studies are needed to better
      understand the mechanisms behind these phenomena.

PMID- 28361111
TI  - Perspectives of Patients, Caregivers and Researchers on Research Priorities in
      Donation and Transplantation in Canada: A Pilot Workshop.
AB  - BACKGROUND: It is vitally important to seek input from key stakeholders to
      increase the quality and relevance of health-related research and accelerate its
      adoption into practice. Patients and caregivers have rarely been involved in
      setting research priorities in the transplantation and donation field. The
      objectives of this explorative study are: (i) to discuss research priorities
      within the Canadian National Transplant Research Program during a priority
      setting exercise with patients, caregivers, organ donors and researchers and (ii)
      to compare the identified priorities with research published in 2 prestigious
      transplantation journals. METHODS: A pilot workshop attended by 10 patients and
      caregivers and 5 researchers was held in Montreal (Quebec, Canada) in August 2014
      to identify research priorities. Priorities were identified using a thematic
      analysis of the workshop transcription conducted by multiple coders. These
      priorities were compared with the topics of research articles published in 2
      major transplantation journals between 2012 and 2014. RESULTS: The themes of the
      10 research priorities identified by study participants were related to different
      research domains: social, cultural, and environmental health factors (4);
      biomedical or clinical (4); and research about health systems and services (2).
      26.7% of the research articles published were related to the identified
      priorities. Thirteen percent looked at ways to improve graft survival and 8.5%
      looked at the development of tolerance, 2 priorities identified by participants.
      Fewer than 5% examined the other 8 research priorities identified as important by
      workshop participants. CONCLUSIONS: This is the first study reporting patients'
      and researchers' priorities in the field of transplantation and donation in
      Canada. There is a discrepancy between topics that key stakeholders find
      important and research published in 2 major transplantation journals. The
      research priorities identified during our initial workshop will be validated
      through a national survey and workshop.

PMID- 28361112
TI  - 5 Years Experience With Drug Eluting and Bare Metal Stents as Primary
      Intervention in Transplant Renal Artery Stenosis.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Transplant renal artery stenosis (TRAS) is a common vascular
      complication after kidney transplantation and is associated with refractory
      hypertension, volume overload, and graft injury or loss. This article describes 5
      year outcomes of endovascular intervention for TRAS with bare metal and drug
      eluting stents (DES). METHODS: We investigated, as a prospective cohort study,
      patient and graft outcomes after the targeted use of DES for vessel diameter less
      than 5 mm and bare metal stents (BMS) for vessel diameter greater than 5 mm as
      the primary management for TRAS. RESULTS: From March 2008 to November 2014, 57
      patients were stented for hemodynamically significant TRAS; 29 received DES, 26
      received BMS, and 2 patients received both stent types. They were followed up for
      a mean of 35.1 +/- 22.8 months; a subset of these patients who all received DES
      were followed up for 61.7 +/- 17.5 months. Mean serum creatinine declined from
      2.87 +/- 1.5 mg/dL at the time of intervention to 1.98 +/- 0.76 mg/dL (P < 0.001)
      at one month follow-up and was 1.96 +/-0.92 mg/dL (P < 0.001) at 35.1 +/- 22.8
      months. Mean systolic blood pressure declined from 159.05 +/- 19.68 mm Hg at time
      of intervention to 135.65 +/- 15.10 mm Hg (P < 0.001) at most recent visit.
      Clinically driven restenosis requiring repeat revascularization occurred in 15.7%
      of patients. CONCLUSIONS: Primary stenting with DES and BMS is both successful in
      the initial treatment of TRAS and also produced an immediate and long-term
      reduction in serum creatinine and systolic blood pressure.

PMID- 28361113
TI  - Overweight Kidney Transplant Recipients Are at Risk of Being Overdosed Following
      Standard Bodyweight-Based Tacrolimus Starting Dose.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Bodyweight-based dosing of tacrolimus (Tac) is considered standard
      care, even though the available evidence is thin. An increasing proportion of
      transplant recipients is overweight, prompting the question if the starting dose
      should always be based on bodyweight. METHODS: For this analysis, data were used
      from a randomized-controlled trial in which patients received either a standard
      Tac starting dose or a dose that was based on CYP3A5 genotype. The hypothesis was
      that overweight patients would have Tac overexposure following standard
      bodyweight-based dosing. RESULTS: Data were available for 203 kidney transplant
      recipients, with a median body mass index (BMI) of 25.6 (range, 17.2-42.2). More
      than 50% of the overweight or obese patients had a Tac predose concentration
      above the target range. The CYP3A5 nonexpressers tended to be above target when
      they weighed more than 67.5 kg or had a BMI of 24.5 or higher. Dosing guidelines
      were proposed with a decrease up to 40% in Tac starting doses for different BMI
      groups. The dosing guideline for patients with an unknown genotype was validated
      using the fixed-dose versus concentration controlled data set. CONCLUSIONS: This
      study demonstrates that dosing Tac solely on bodyweight results in overexposure
      in more than half of overweight or obese patients.

PMID- 28361114
TI  - En Bloc Cadaver Kidney Transplantation From a 9-Month-Old Donor to an Adult
      Recipient: Maturation of Glomerular Size and Podocyte in the Recipient.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Favorable outcomes of en bloc pediatric donor kidney transplantation
      to adult recipients are attributed primarily to grafting of twice the nephron
      mass of a single kidney. METHODS: The kidneys of a 9-month-old male infant were
      transplanted en bloc in a 56-year-old man. Biopsies were performed 1 hour
      postreperfusion, 6 months and 3.5 years posttransplant. RESULTS: Warm and cold
      ischemia times were 21 and 426 minutes, respectively. The recipient was released
      from hemodialysis 10 days posttransplant and discharged 91 days posttransplant
      when serum creatinine was 0.9 mg/dL. At 4 years and 9 months posttransplant,
      serum creatinine was 1.0 mg/dL, and estimated glomerular filtration rate was 58.0
      mL/min per 1.73 m2. The grafts increased in size until they reached adult size by
      3 months posttransplant. The glomerular area and volume, respectively, increased
      from 5.9 * 103 MUm2 and 0.34 * 106 MUm3 at 1 hour postreperfusion to 14.9 * 103
      MUm2 and 1.27 * 106 MUm3 at 3.5 years posttransplant, both of which were less
      than half of adult size. At 1 hour postreperfusion, podocytes were structurally
      immature. At 6 months posttransplant, podocyte immaturity was still evident. At
      3.5 years posttransplant, podocytes were mature. CONCLUSIONS: These findings
      suggest that podocytes and glomerular size of pediatric donor kidneys can
      continue to mature in adult recipients at rates appropriate for donor age when
      transplanted en bloc. The maturational levels of podocytes and glomeruli may also
      be a factor involved in favorable outcomes of en bloc pediatric donor kidney
      transplantation.

PMID- 28361115
TI  - Detection of Donor-Derived Microparticles in the Peripheral Blood of a Hand
      Transplant Recipient During Rejection.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Microparticles (MPs) are released from the plasma membrane of
      activated or dying cells and bear surface molecules from those cells. We examined
      whether donor-derived MPs in the peripheral blood of the recipient could serve as
      a marker of tissue damage due to rejection of a transplanted hand. METHODS:
      Platelet-free plasma from the recipient of the transplanted hand was analyzed for
      MPs bearing the donor-specific HLA molecule A*02 using flow cytometry. Rejection
      status of the transplanted hand was monitored by histopathology of skin punch
      biopsies. RESULTS: Donor-specific MPs expressing HLA A*02 were quantifiable in
      the peripheral blood of the recipient. Levels of these MPs increased with
      worsening rejection of the transplanted hand. CONCLUSIONS: These findings
      demonstrate the ability to detect donor specific MPs through staining of graft
      cell-specific HLA and promote further investigation into the potential utility of
      flow cytometry for donor-derived MPs as a noninvasive tool to assess rejection in
      solid organ transplantation patients.

PMID- 28361116
TI  - Development and Validation of the Kidney Transplant Understanding Tool (K-TUT).
AB  - BACKGROUND: Several educational interventions have been designed to improve
      patient knowledge before and after kidney transplantation. However, evaluation of
      such interventions has been difficult because validated instruments to measure
      knowledge-based outcomes in this population have not been developed. OBJECTIVE:
      To create a tool to measure patient knowledge of kidney transplantation and to
      evaluate its validity. METHODS: The Kidney Transplant Understanding Tool (K-TUT)
      was created using a stepwise iterative process. Experts in the field and
      transplant recipients were consulted to establish content validity. The K-TUT
      consists of 9 true/false and 13 multiple-choice questions, and scores are based
      on the number correct answers [YES/NO format] of 69 items. The questionnaire was
      piloted in a study that also measured health literacy (via the Short Test of
      Functional Health Literacy) in transplant candidates, whereas the main survey was
      mailed to transplant recipients. Test-retest was performed, and completed surveys
      were analyzed for internal consistency, construct validity, floor and ceiling
      effects, and reproducibility. RESULTS: Surveys were offered to 106 pretransplant
      patients and 235 in the posttransplant period, and response rates were 38.7%
      (41/106) and 63.4% (149/235), respectively. The mean corrected scores were 53.1
      +/- 8.5 (77%) and 56.2 +/- 6.3 (81%), respectively. Test-retest was performed
      over 20% of both cohorts and percent agreement ranged between 70% and 100% in the
      pretransplant group and 66% and 100% in the posttransplant group. Cronbach alpha
      ranged from 0.794 to 0.875 in all cohorts indicating favorable internal
      consistency. Increased health literacy in the pretransplant group was
      significantly associated with increased knowledge (r = 0.52; P < 0.001),
      suggestive of construct validity, and the absence of floor and ceiling effects
      was positive. The majority of transplant recipients (98/148, 67%) believed the
      questionnaire adequately assessed transplant knowledge, about a quarter (36/148,
      24.3%) were "unsure," and 85% (126/148) agreed that no questions should be
      removed. CONCLUSIONS: Although more study is warranted to further assess
      psychometric properties, the K-TUT appears to be a promising tool to measure
      transplant knowledge.

PMID- 28361117
TI  - The Privilege of Induction Avoidance and Calcineurin Inhibitors Withdrawal in 2
      Haplotype HLA Matched White Kidney Transplantation.
AB  - BACKGROUND: White recipients of 2-haplotype HLA-matched living kidney transplants
      are perceived to be of low immunologic risk. Little is known about the safety of
      induction avoidance and calcineurin inhibitor withdrawal in these patients.
      METHODS: We reviewed our experience at a single center and compared it to Organ
      Procurement and Transplantation Network (OPTN) registry data and only included 2
      haplotype HLA-matched white living kidney transplants recipients between 2000 and
      2013. RESULTS: There were 56 recipients in a single center (where no induction
      was given) and 2976 recipients in the OPTN. Among the OPTN recipients, 1285
      received no induction, 903 basiliximab, 608 thymoglobulin, and 180 alemtuzumab.
      First-year acute rejection rates were similar after induction-free
      transplantation among the center and induced groups nationally. Compared with
      induction-free transplantation in the national data, there was no decrease in
      graft failure risk over 13 years with use of basiliximab (adjusted hazard ratio
      [aHR], 0.86; confidence interval [CI], 0.68-1.08), Thymoglobulin (aHR, 0.92; CI,
      0.7-1.21) or alemtuzumab (aHR, 1.18; CI, 0.72-1.93). Among induction-free
      recipients at the center, calcineurin inhibitor withdrawal at 1 year (n = 27) did
      not significantly impact graft failure risk (HR,1.62; CI, 0.38-6.89).
      CONCLUSIONS: This study may serve as a foundation for further studies to provide
      personalized, tailored, immunosuppression for this very low-risk population of
      kidney transplant patients.

PMID- 28361118
TI  - A Case Report of Paradoxical Air Embolism Caused by Intrapulmonary Shunting
      During Liver Transplantation.
AB  - Supplemental digital content is available in the text.

PMID- 28361119
TI  - Evaluation of Carotid Ultrasonography Screening Among Kidney Transplant
      Candidates: A Single-Center, Retrospective Study.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Kidney transplant candidates undergo rigorous testing prior to
      clearance for transplantation. Because kidney transplant candidates may be at
      increased risk for carotid artery stenosis because of arteriosclerosis and
      atherosclerosis secondary to hypertension, vascular calcification, and diabetes,
      carotid ultrasound is often performed with the intent of preventing a
      cerebrovascular accident in the perioperative or posttransplant period. To our
      knowledge, there has not been a study investigating the utility of screening
      carotid ultrasonography in pretransplant candidates. The purpose of the present
      study was to investigate the yield of carotid ultrasonography in end-stage renal
      disease patients, at high risk for having clinically significant vascular disease
      evaluated at our center for kidney transplantation during the years 2009 to 2014.
      METHODS: Data for carotid ultrasound findings and risk factors for carotid artery
      disease were extracted from the medical records. RESULTS: A total of 882 patients
      were included in our study of which only 13 patients (1.47% of the cohort) had
      significant carotid artery stenosis (>70%) on ultrasound testing. Using multiple
      logistic regression on the outcome of carotid stenosis, congestive heart failure
      (adjusted odds ratio, 5.2), and peripheral vascular disease (adjusted odds ratio,
      4.4) were positively associated with carotid stenosis. CONCLUSIONS: The
      prevalence of significant carotid artery stenosis was only 1.47% in our cohort of
      kidney transplant candidates, and the routine use of carotid ultrasound testing
      in this population may not be an efficient use of clinical resources. Use of risk
      factors, such as congestive heart failure or peripheral vascular disease, may
      identify patients who are more likely to benefit from carotid ultrasonography
      screening.

PMID- 28361121
TI  - A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of the Data Behind Current Recommendations
      for Corticosteroids in Non-HIV-Related PCP: Knowing When You Are on Shaky
      Foundations.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Randomized trials show a mortality benefit to adjunctive
      corticosteroids for human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-related Pneumocystis
      jiroveci pneumonia (HIV-PCP). Guidelines for non-HIV PCP (NH-PCP) recommend
      adjunctive corticosteroids based on expert opinion. We conducted a systematic
      review and meta-analysis characterizing adjunctive corticosteroids for NH-PCP.
      METHODS: We searched MEDLINE from 1966 through 2015. Data on clinical outcomes
      from NH-PCP were extracted with a standardized instrument. Heterogeneity was
      assessed with the I2 index. Pooled odds ratios and 95% confidence interval were
      calculated using a fixed effects model. RESULTS: Our search yielded 5044
      abstracts, 277 articles were chosen for full review, and 6 articles described
      outcomes in moderate to severe NH-PCP. Studies were limited by variable
      definitions, treatment selection bias, concomitant infections and small sample
      size. Individual studies reported shorter intensive care unit stay and duration
      of mechanical ventilation of patients given adjunctive corticosteroids. There was
      no association between corticosteroids and survival in NH-PCP (odds ratio, 0.66;
      95% confidence interval, 0.38-1.15; P = 0.14). CONCLUSIONS: The literature does
      not support an association between adjunctive corticosteroids and survival from
      NH-PCP but data are limited and findings should not be considered conclusive.
      Further research with improved methodology is needed to better understand the
      role of adjunctive corticosteroids for NH-PCP.

PMID- 28361120
TI  - Acute Rejection Phenotypes in the Current Era of Immunosuppression: A Single
      Center Analysis.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Besides 'definitive rejection', the Banff classification includes
      categories for 'suspicious for rejection' phenotypes. The aim of this study was
      to determine the frequency and phenotypes of rejection episodes in 316
      consecutive renal transplants from 2009 to 2014 grouped into patients
      without/with pretransplant HLA-DSA (ptDSAneg, n = 251; ptDSApos, n = 65).
      METHODS: All adequate indication (n = 125) and surveillance biopsies (n = 538)
      performed within the first year posttransplant were classified according to the
      current Banff criteria. RESULTS: 'Suspicious for rejection' phenotypes were 3
      times more common than 'definitive rejection' phenotypes in biopsies from
      ptDSAneg patients (35% vs 11%) and equally common in biopsies from ptDSApos
      patients (25% vs 27%). In both groups, 'suspicious for rejection' phenotypes were
      more frequent in surveillance than in indication biopsies (28% vs 16% in ptDSAneg
      patients, and 37% vs 29% in ptDSApos patients). 'Borderline changes: 'Suspicious'
      for acute T-cell mediated rejection' (91%) were the dominant 'suspicious for
      rejection' phenotype in ptDSAneg patients, whereas 'borderline changes' (58%) and
      'suspicious for acute/active antibody-mediated rejection' (42%) were equally
      frequent in biopsies from ptDSApos patients. Inclusion of 'suspicious for
      rejection' phenotypes increased the 1-year incidence of clinical (ptDSAneg
      patients: 18% vs 8%, P = 0.0005; ptDSApos patients: 24% vs 18%, P = 0.31) and
      (sub)clinical rejection (ptDSAneg patients: 59% vs 22%, P < 0.0001; ptDSApos
      patients: 68% vs 40%, P = 0.004). CONCLUSIONS: 'Suspicious for rejection'
      phenotypes are very common in the current era and outnumber the frequency of
      'definitive rejection' within the first year posttransplant.

PMID- 28361122
TI  - Risk Factors for Intractable Ascites After Adult-to-Adult Living Donor Liver
      Transplantation Using Left Lobe.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Intractable ascites is one of the causes of graft loss after adult-to
      adult living donor liver transplantation (LDLT) using a small graft.
      Identification of factors associated with increasing posttransplant ascites has
      important implications for prevention and treatment. METHODS: All 59 consecutive
      adult patients who underwent left lobe LDLT without portal inflow modulation
      between October 2002 and February 2016 were prospectively enrolled. Factors
      associated with the average daily amount of ascites for 2 weeks after LDLT were
      assessed. RESULTS: The median daily amount of ascites during the 2 weeks was 1052
      mL (range, 52-3480 mL). Although 16 of the 59 patients developed intractable
      ascites, exceeding 1500 mL daily (massive ascites group), the remaining 43
      patients produced less than 1500 mL of ascites daily (nonmassive ascites group).
      The presence of pretransplant ascites (P = 0.001), albumin (P = 0.011),
      albumin/globulin ratio (P = 0.026), cold ischemia time (P = 0.004), operation
      time (P = 0.022), and pretransplant portal vein pressure (PVP) (P = 0.047)
      differed significantly between the 2 groups. Neither posttransplant PVP nor
      portal vein flow differed between the 2 groups. The variables associated with
      intractable ascites that remained significant after logistic regression analysis
      were pretransplant PVP (P = 0.047) and cold ischemia time (P = 0.049). After
      appropriate fluid resuscitation for intractable ascites, 58 (98%) of the 59
      recipients were discharged from hospital after removal of the indwelling drains.
      CONCLUSIONS: It is important to shorten the scold ischemia time to reduce massive
      ascites after LDLT. Pretransplant portal hypertension is more closely associated
      with ascites production than posttransplant hemodynamic status.

PMID- 28361123
TI  - Tocilizumab (Anti-IL-6R) Suppressed TNFalpha Production by Human Monocytes in an
      In Vitro Model of Anti-HLA Antibody-Induced Antibody-Dependent Cellular
      Cytotoxicity.
AB  - BACKGROUND: We previously demonstrated that natural killer (NK) cells activated
      via FcgammaRIIIa (CD16) interactions with anti-HLA antibodies binding to
      peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) in the in vitro antibody-dependent
      cellular cytotoxicity (ADCC) assay produced IFNgamma. Here we investigate if
      other CD16 bearing cells are responsive to alloantigen via alloantibody in the in
      vitro ADCC and if the ADCC-induced cytokine reactions and cytotoxicity can be
      modified by the anti-interleukin 6 receptor (IL-6R) monoclonal antibody,
      Tocilizumab (TCZ). METHODS: Whole blood from a normal individual was incubated
      overnight with irradiated allo-PBMCs pretreated with anti-HLA antibody positive
      (in vitro ADCC) or negative sera (mixed lymphocyte reaction [MLR]), with or
      without TCZ or control IgG. IFNgamma+, TNFalpha+ or IL-6+ cell% in NK cells,
      monocytes and CD8+ T cells were enumerated by cytokine flow cytometry. ADCC using
      PBMCs (effector) and Farage B cells (FB, target) with anti-HLA antibody positive
      sera, with or without TCZ, was measured by flow cytometry. RESULTS: IFNgamma+
      and/or TNFalpha+ cell% in NK cells, monocytes and CD8+ T cells were elevated in
      the ADCC compared to the MLR condition. IL-6+ cells were significantly increased
      in ADCC versus MLR (10.2 +/- 4.8% vs 2.7 +/- 1.5%, P = 0.0003), but only in
      monocytes. TCZ treatment significantly reduced TNFalpha+ cell% in monocytes in
      ADCC, but had no effect on other cytokine+ cells. TCZ showed no effect on
      cytotoxicity in ADCC. CONCLUSIONS: IFNgamma, TNFalpha, and IL-6 production
      induced by HLA antibody-mediated CD16 bearing cell activation in NK cells,
      monocytes, and CD8+ T cells suggests a potential role for ADCC and these
      inflammatory cytokines in mediation of antibody-mediated rejection. TCZ
      suppressed TNFalpha production in monocytes in the ADCC condition, suggesting a
      role of IL-6/IL-6R pathway in monocytes activation. Inhibition of this pathway
      could reduce the inflammatory cascade induced by alloantibody, although the
      inhibitory effect on cytotoxicity is minimal.

PMID- 28361124
TI  - Lowering Perfusate Temperature From 37 degrees C to 32 degrees C Diminishes
      Function in a Porcine Model of Ex Vivo Kidney Perfusion.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Ex vivo perfusion (EVP) is a novel method of preservation. However,
      optimal perfusion conditions remain undetermined. Reducing the temperature of the
      perfusate to subnormothermia may be beneficial during EVP and improve early graft
      function. The aim of this study was to investigate whether subnormothermia would
      influence the conditioning effect of EVP when compared with normothermic
      perfusion, and standard cold static storage (CS). METHODS: Porcine kidneys
      underwent static CS for 23 hours followed by 1 hour of EVP using leukocyte
      depleted blood at a mean temperature of 32 degrees C or 37 degrees C. After this,
      kidneys were reperfused with whole autologous blood at 37 degrees C for 3 hours
      to assess renal function and injury. These were compared with a control group
      that underwent 24 hours CS. RESULTS: During EVP, kidneys perfused at 37 degrees C
      had a higher level of renal blood flow and oxygen consumption compared with EVP
      at 32 degrees C (P = 0.001, 0.002). During reperfusion, 32 degrees C EVP kidneys
      had lower creatinine clearance and urine output than control (P = 0.023, 0.011)
      and a higher fractional excretion of sodium, serum potassium, and serum aspartate
      transaminase than 37 degrees C EVP kidneys (P = 0.01, 0.023, 0.009). CONCLUSIONS:
      Tubular and renal functions were better preserved by a near-physiological
      temperature of 37 degrees C during 1 hour of EVP, when compared to EVP at 32
      degrees C or cold storage.

PMID- 28361126
TI  - Pressure sensitivity and phenotypic changes in patients with suspected opioid
      induced hyperalgesia being withdrawn from full mu agonists.
AB  - OBJECTIVES: To assess changes in phenotype and pressure sensitivity in patients
      with suspected opioid-induced-hyperalgesia (OIH) after transitioning to
      buprenorphine. METHODS: Twenty patients with suspected OIH were enrolled to
      transition to buprenorphine therapy. Patients completed validated self-report
      measures at baseline and at 1, 4, 8 weeks, and 6 months after initiation of
      buprenorphine along with quantitative sensory testing including measures of
      pressure pain threshold, pain tolerance and Pain 50 (a pain intensity rating).
      RESULTS: 20 patients were enrolled, 17 were treated with buprenorphine and 11
      completed all assessment points. We found that after transitioning to
      buprenorphine, patients on higher opioid doses (>=100mg oral morphine
      equivalents) had significant improvements for some measures including decreased
      pain severity and fibromyalgia survey scores, fewer neuropathic pain features,
      less catastrophizing, fewer depressive symptoms, and improved functioning 1-week
      after transitioning to buprenorphine with an eventual return back to baseline.
      Although not statistically significant, patients on high dose opioids (>=100mg
      OME) also showed a trend of decreased pressure sensitivity 1-week after
      transitioning to buprenorphine with a gradual return back to baseline.
      CONCLUSIONS: Our study is the first to look at pressure pain sensitivity in
      patients who were taking opioids and transitioned to buprenorphine. These results
      suggest that the patients most likely to benefit from buprenorphine therapy are
      those on higher doses. In addition, the eventual return back to baseline on
      measures of pain phenotype and pressure sensitivity suggests that buprenorphine
      may over time result in a return of the hyperalgesic effects of a full mu
      agonist.

PMID- 28361125
TI  - Thiol-ene click hydrogels for therapeutic delivery.
AB  - Hydrogels are of growing interest for the delivery of therapeutics to specific
      sites in the body. For use as a delivery vehicle, hydrophilic precursors are
      usually laden with bioactive moieties and then directly injected to the site of
      interest for in situ gel formation and controlled release dictated by precursor
      design. Hydrogels formed by thiol-ene click reactions are attractive for local
      controlled release of therapeutics owing to their rapid reaction rate and
      efficiency under mild aqueous conditions, enabling in situ formation of gels with
      tunable properties often responsive to environmental cues. Herein, we will review
      the wide range of applications for thiol-ene hydrogels, from the prolonged
      release of anti-inflammatory drugs in the spine to the release of protein-based
      therapeutics in response to cell-secreted enzymes, with a focus on their clinical
      relevance. We will also provide a brief overview of thiol-ene click chemistry and
      discuss the available alkene chemistries pertinent to macromolecule
      functionalization and hydrogel formation. These chemistries include functional
      groups susceptible to Michael type reactions relevant for injection and radically
      mediated reactions for greater temporal control of formation at sites of interest
      using light. Additionally, mechanisms for the encapsulation and controlled
      release of therapeutic cargoes are reviewed, including i) tuning the mesh size of
      the hydrogel initially and temporally for cargo entrapment and release and ii)
      covalent tethering of the cargo with degradable linkers or affinity binding
      sequences to mediate release. Finally, myriad thiol-ene hydrogels and their
      specific applications also are discussed to give a sampling of the current and
      future utilization of this chemistry for delivery of therapeutics, such as small
      molecule drugs, peptides, and biologics.

PMID- 28361128
TI  - Design of dual multiple aperture devices for dynamical fluence field modulated
      CT.
AB  - A Multiple Aperture Device (MAD) is a novel x-ray beam modulator that uses binary
      filtration on a fine scale to spatially modulate an x-ray beam. Using two MADs in
      series enables a large variety of fluence profiles by shifting the MADS relative
      to each other. This work details the design and control of dual MADs for a
      specific class of desired fluence patterns. Specifically, models of MAD operation
      are integrated into a best fit objective followed by CMA-ES optimization. To
      illustrate this framework we demonstrate the design process for an abdominal
      phantom with the goal of uniform detected signal. Achievable fluence profiles
      show good agreement with target fluence profiles, and the ability to flatten
      projections when a phantom is scanned is demonstrated. Simulated data
      reconstruction using traditional tube current modulation (TCM) and MAD filtering
      with TCM are investigated with the dual MAD system demonstrating more uniformity
      in noise and illustrating the potential for dose reduction under a maximum noise
      level constraint.

PMID- 28361127
TI  - Longterm maintenance of human naive T cells through in situ homeostasis in
      lymphoid tissue sites.
AB  - Naive T cells develop in the thymus and coordinate immune responses to new
      antigens; however, mechanisms for their long-term persistence over the human
      lifespan remain undefined. Here, we investigated human naive T cell development
      and maintenance in primary and secondary lymphoid tissues obtained from
      individual organ donors aged 3 months-73 years. In the thymus, the frequency of
      double-positive thymocytes declined sharply in donors over age 40 coincident with
      reduced recent thymic emigrants (RTE) in lymphoid tissues, while naive T cells
      were functionally maintained predominantly in lymph nodes (LN). Analysis of TCR
      clonal distribution by CDR3 sequencing of naive CD4+ and CD8+ T cells in spleen
      and LNs reveal site-specific clonal expansions of naive T cells from individuals
      >40 years of age with minimal clonal overlap between lymphoid tissues. We also
      identified biased naive T cell clonal distribution within specific lymph nodes
      based on VJ usage. Together these results suggest prolonged maintenance of naive
      T cells through in situ homeostasis and retention in lymphoid tissue.

PMID- 28361129
TI  - Modeling Shift-Variant X-Ray Focal Spot Blur for High-Resolution Flat-Panel Cone
      Beam CT.
AB  - Flat-panel cone-beam CT (CBCT) has been applied clinically in a number of high
      resolution applications. Increasing geometric magnification can potentially
      improve resolution, but also increases blur due to an extended x-ray focal-spot.
      We present a shift-variant focal-spot blur model and incorporate it into a model
      based iterative-reconstruction algorithm. We apply this algorithm to simulation
      and CBCT test-bench data. In a trabecular bone simulation study, we find
      traditional reconstruction approaches without a blur model exhibit shift-variant
      resolution properties that depend greatly on the acquisition protocol (e.g. short
      vs. full scans) and the anode angles of the rays used to reconstruct a particular
      region. For physical CBCT experiments focal spot blur was characterized and a
      spatial resolution phantom was scanned and reconstructed. In both experiments
      image quality using the shift-variant model was significantly improved over
      approaches that modeled no blur or only a shift-invariant blur, suggesting a
      potential means to overcome traditional CBCT spatial resolution and system design
      limitations.

PMID- 28361130
TI  - A luminogenic lanthanide-based probe for the highly selective detection of
      nanomolar sulfide levels in aqueous samples.
AB  - A bimetallic terbium(iii)/copper(ii) complex (Tb-1.Cu2+) for the time-gated
      luminescent detection of hydrogen sulfide in aqueous samples is reported. The
      probe shows excellent selectivity towards HS- over various anions and cations,
      including the ions common to natural waterways and waste water samples,
      displaying a 73-fold increase in luminescence in the presence of sulfide. The
      probe exhibits extremely fast reaction times and a low limit of detection (130
      nM). The probe was used to quantify sulfide in an industrial "sour water" sample,
      with the result in excellent agreement with those from two independent assay
      methods (methylene blue and AzMC).

PMID- 28361131
TI  - A mixed-valence metallogrid [CoCo] with an unusual electronic structure and
      single-ion-magnet characterization.
AB  - The reaction of the multisite coordination ligand (H2L) with Co(Ac)2.4H2O in the
      absence of any base affords a homometallic tetranuclear mixed-valence complex,
      [Co4(L)4(CH3CO2)2(CH3OH)2].Et2O (1). This mixed-valence metallogrid
      [Co4(L)4(CH3CO2)2 (CH3OH)2].Et2O (1) has been theoretically and experimentally
      analyzed to assign the valence and spin state in the form of trans-[Co-Co-Co-Co].
      HF-EPR reveals the presence of axial anisotropy (D = -34.4 cm-1) with a
      significant transverse component (E = 9.5 cm-1) in the local high spin cobalt
      centers. Slow magnetic relaxation effects were observed in the presence of a dc
      field, demonstrating field-induced single ion magnetic behavior, which is
      associated with the unusual electronic structure of Co(ii) within the
      metallogrid.

PMID- 28361132
TI  - Anionic and cationic Hofmeister effects are non-additive for guanidinium salts.
AB  - To understand specific ion effects on a molecular level we explore the effect of
      salts on the rotational mobility of a model amide using dielectric spectroscopy.
      Based on our previous studies on the effect of strong denaturing anions or
      cations, here we study the additivity of the anionic and cationic effect. Using
      salts consisting of denaturing spherical anions and spherical cations we find
      such salts to affect the amide according to what one expects based on the
      additive activity of the individual ions. The guanidinium (Gdm+) cation appears
      to be a notable exception, as our results suggest that GdmI (and accordingly
      GdmSCN) is less efficient in hindering the rotation of the amide than KI or
      GdmCl.

PMID- 28361133
TI  - Glycolipid-based nanostructures with thermal-phase transition behavior
      functioning as solubilizers and refolding accelerators for protein aggregates.
AB  - The self-assembly of synthetic glycolipids produced nanostructures such as
      vesicles and nanotubes consisting of bilayer membranes, which underwent a gel-to
      liquid crystalline thermal phase transition. Vesicles formed at temperatures
      above the thermal phase transition temperatures (Tg-l) could solubilize
      aggregates of denatured proteins by trapping them in the fluid bilayer membranes.
      Cooling to temperatures below Tg-l caused a morphological transformation into
      nanotubes that accompanied the thermal phase transition from the fluid to the
      solid state. This phenomenon allowed the trapped proteins to be quickly released
      into the bulk solution and simultaneously facilitated the refolding of the
      proteins. The refolding efficiency strongly depended on the electrostatic
      attraction between the bilayer membranes of the nanostructures and the proteins.
      Because of the long shape (>400 nm) of the nanotubes, simple membrane filtration
      through a pore size of 200 nm led to complete separation and recovery of the
      refolded proteins (3-9 nm sizes).

PMID- 28361134
TI  - Selective mono-alkylation of N-methoxybenzamides.
AB  - We report our latest discovery of norbornene derivative modulated highly mono
      selective ortho-C-H activation alkylation reactions on arenes bearing simple mono
      dentate coordinating groups. The reaction features the use of readily available
      benzamides and alkyl halides. During the study, we prepared 30 mono-alkylated
      aryl amides in good yields with good mono-selectivity. We have also demonstrated
      that structurally rigid alkenes such as norbornene and its derivatives are a good
      class of ligand and could be used for future direct C-H functionalizations. The
      utilization of norbornene type ligands for assistance in C-H activation processes
      has opened a new window for future molecular design using direct C-H
      functionalization strategies.

PMID- 28361135
TI  - Programmable self-assembly of water-soluble organo-heterometallic cages
      [M12M'4L12] using 3-(3,5-dimethyl-1H-pyrazol-4-yl)pentane-2,4-dione (H2L).
AB  - A bifunctional ligand H2L featuring primary (pyrazole) and secondary
      (acetylacetone) coordination sites was preferentially reacted with dimetallic
      [M2(NO3)2](NO3)2 linkers at the pyrazolyl end of H2L, giving rise to dimetallic
      corners. Subsequently, the corners serve as the secondary site with M' to form
      water-soluble organo-heterometallic [M12M'4L12] cages in a stepwise mode.

PMID- 28361136
TI  - A family of 'windmill'-like {Cu6Ln12} complexes exhibiting single-molecule
      magnetism behavior and large magnetic entropy changes.
AB  - A family of nanosized {Cu6Ln12} clusters with a 'windmill'-like topology was
      prepared from the employment of 2,6-diacetylpyridine dioxime, in conjunction with
      bridging N3-, in 3d/4f-metal chemistry; the octadecanuclear compounds exhibit
      single-molecule magnetism behavior and large magnetic entropy changes, depending
      on the 4f-metal ion present.

PMID- 28361137
TI  - The metalation of hen egg white lysozyme impacts protein stability as shown by
      ion mobility mass spectrometry, differential scanning calorimetry, and X-ray
      crystallography.
AB  - Metalation of hen egg white lysozyme (HEWL) with organometallics was studied with
      physicochemical methods in solid state, solution and the gas phase. While
      metalation did not affect the crystal structure of HEWL significantly, protein
      destabilisation was detected in gas phase and solution.

PMID- 28361138
TI  - Fully convolutional neural network for removing background in noisy images of
      uranium bearing particles.
AB  - A fully convolutional neural network (FCN) was developed to supersede automatic
      or manual thresholding algorithms used for tabulating SIMS particle search data.
      The FCN was designed to perform a binary classification of pixels in each image
      belonging to a particle or not, thereby effectively removing background signal
      without manually or automatically determining an intensity threshold. Using 8000
      images from 28 different particle screening analyses, the FCN was trained to
      accurately predict pixels belonging to a particle with near 99% accuracy.
      Background eliminated images were then segmented using a watershed technique in
      order to determine isotopic ratios of identified particles. A comparison of the
      isotopic distributions of an independent data set segmented using the neural
      network with a commercially available automated particle measurement (APM)
      program developed by CAMECA was performed. This comparison highlighted the
      necessity for effective background removal to ensure that resulting particle
      identification is not only accurate, but preserves valuable signal that could be
      lost due to improper segmentation. The FCN approach improves the robustness of
      current state-of-the-art particle searching algorithms by reducing user input
      biases, resulting in an improved absolute signal per particle and decreased
      uncertainty of the determined isotope ratios.

PMID- 28361139
TI  - Controlling transmembrane protein concentration and orientation in supported
      lipid bilayers.
AB  - The trans-membrane protein - proteorhodopsin (pR) has been incorporated into
      supported lipid bilayers (SLB). In-plane electric fields have been used to
      manipulate the orientation and concentration of these proteins, within the SLB,
      through electrophoresis leading to a 25-fold increase concentration of pR.

PMID- 28361140
TI  - Magnetic zeolites: novel nanoreactors through radiofrequency heating.
AB  - Many catalytic applications use conventional heating to increase the temperature
      to allow the desired reaction. A novel methodology is presented for the
      preparation of magnetic zeolite-based catalysts, allowing more efficient
      radiofrequency heating. These nanoreactors are tested in the isomerisation of
      citronellal with successful results and without any apparent deactivation.

PMID- 28361141
TI  - A backbone design principle for covalent organic frameworks: the impact of weakly
      interacting units on CO2 adsorption.
AB  - Covalent organic frameworks are designed to have backbones with different yet
      discrete contents of triarylamine units that interact weakly with CO2. Adsorption
      experiments indicate that the triarylamine units dominate the CO2 adsorption
      process and the CO2 uptake increases monotonically with the triarylamine content.
      These profound collective effects reveal a principle for designing backbones
      targeting for CO2 capture and separation.

PMID- 28361142
TI  - Textures and shapes in nematic elastomers under the action of dopant
      concentration gradients.
AB  - We explore a novel strategy of patterning nematic elastomers that does not
      require inscribing the texture directly. It is based on varying the dopant
      concentration that, beside shifting the phase transition point, affects the
      nematic director field via coupling between the gradients of concentration and
      nematic order parameter. Rotation of the director around a point dopant source
      causes topological modification manifesting itself in a change of the number of
      defects. A variety of shapes, dependent on the dopant distribution, are obtained
      by anisotropic deformation following the nematic-isotropic transition.

PMID- 28361143
TI  - Automatic generation of reaction energy databases from highly accurate
      atomization energy benchmark sets.
AB  - In this contribution, we discuss how reaction energy benchmark sets can
      automatically be created from arbitrary atomization energy databases. As an
      example, over 11 000 reaction energies derived from the W4-11 database, as well
      as some relevant subsets are reported. Importantly, there is only very modest
      computational overhead involved in computing >11 000 reaction energies compared
      to 140 atomization energies, since the rate-determining step for either benchmark
      is performing the same 140 quantum chemical calculations. The performance of
      commonly used electronic structure methods for the new database is analyzed. This
      allows investigating the relationship between the performances for atomization
      and reaction energy benchmarks based on an identical set of molecules. The
      atomization energy is found to be a weak predictor for the overall usefulness of
      a method. The performance of density functional approximations in light of the
      number of empirically optimized parameters used in their design is also
      discussed.

PMID- 28361144
TI  - Borane-catalysed postpolymerisation modification of the Si-H bonds in
      poly(phenylsilane).
AB  - B(C6F5)3-catalysed hydrosilation, heterodehydrocoupling, and demethanative
      coupling reactions of the Si-H bonds in poly(phenylsilane) allow the introduction
      of 10-40% new sidechains in this polymer. The resulting new polymers contain an
      unusually wide variety of functionalities including Si-C, Si-O, Si-N, and Si-S
      bonds, whose presence is confirmed by NMR and IR spectroscopies. Gel permeation
      chromatography (GPC) and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) are consistent with
      conservation of the all-silicon backbones in these modified polymers, a result of
      the high chemoselectivity of the borane-catalysed reactions for Si-H versus Si-Si
      bonds. UV-visible spectroscopy is sensitive to the presence of new functional
      groups in the modified polysilanes, although the high proportion of residual Si-H
      groups attenuates the changes in the sigma-delocalized chromophores. Limitations
      in substrate scope, arising from issues of borane-substrate complexation or
      competing catalytic over-reduction chemistry, have been identified, and the
      potential for achieving greater degrees of sidechain substitution at higher
      reaction temperatures has been demonstrated for the hydrosilation of 1-hexene.

PMID- 28361145
TI  - Substrate effects on cell-envelope deformation during early-stage Staphylococcus
      aureus biofilm formation.
AB  - Bacterial adhesion to a surface is the first step in biofilm formation, and
      adhesive forces between the surface and a bacterium are believed to give rise to
      planktonic-to-biofilm phenotypic changes. Here we use Focused-Ion-Beam (FIB)
      tomography with backscattered scanning electron microscopy (SEM) to image
      Staphyolococcus aureus (S. aureus) biofilms grown on Au-coated polystyrene (PS)
      and Au-coated PS modified by mixed thiols of triethylene glycol mono-11
      mercaptoundecyl ether (EG3) and 1-dodecanethiol (CH3). The FIB-SEM technique
      enables a direct measurement of the contact area between individual bacteria and
      the substrate. The area of adhesion is effectively zero on the EG3 substrate. It
      is nonzero on all of the other substrates and increases with increasing
      hydrophobicity. The fact that the contact area is highest on the unmodified gold,
      however, indicates that other forces beyond hydrophobicity are significant. The
      magnitude of bacterial deformation suggests that the adhesive forces are on the
      order of a few nN, consistent with AFM force measurements reported in the
      literature. The resolution afforded by electron microscopy furthermore enables us
      to probe changes in the cell-envelope thickness, which decreases within and near
      the contact area relative to other parts of the same bacterium. This finding
      supports the idea that mechanosensing due to stress-induced membrane thinning
      plays a role in the planktonic-to-biofilm transition associated with bacterial
      adhesion.

PMID- 28361146
TI  - Local collection, reaction and analysis with theta pipette emitters.
AB  - A mobile nanofluidic device based on theta pipettes was developed for "collect
      react-analyze" measurements of small volumes of a sample collected locally from
      biological samples. Specifically, we demonstrate execution of local reactions
      inside single cells and on Pseudomonas aeruginosa biofilms for targeted analysis
      of metabolites. Nanoliter volumes of the sample, post-reaction, were delivered to
      a mass spectrometer via electrospray ionization (ESI) for chemical analysis. A
      new strategy was developed where the additional barrel of a theta pipette was
      utilized both to enable chemical manipulations after sample collection and to
      electrospray the nanoliter sample volumes collected directly from the pipette
      tip. This strategy proved a robust method for ESI from nanometer sized tips
      without clogging or degradation of the emitter and obviated the need to coat
      glass pipettes with a conductive metal coating. Chemical reactions investigated
      include acid catalyzed degradation of oligosaccharides inside the pipette tip to
      increase the detection sensitivity of minor metabolites found in Allium cepa
      cells. Additionally, phenylboronic acid complexation of carbohydrates from single
      cells and liposaccharides from biofilms was also performed inside the pipette tip
      for selective detection of carbohydrates and liposaccharides with cis-diols.

PMID- 28361147
TI  - Enantioselective construction of quaternary tetrahydropyridines by palladium
      catalyzed vinylborylation of alkenes.
AB  - Here, the highly enantioselective construction of 3,3-disubstituted
      tetrahydropyridines via Pd(0)-catalyzed asymmetric vinylborylation of (Z)-1-iodo
      dienes and B2pin2 in the presence of a (S)-p-CF3-BnPHOX ligand is reported. This
      process is supposed to be initiated by oxidative addition of Pd(0) to vinyl
      iodide, followed by transmetallation with B2pin2, insertion of the pendant alkene
      and reductive elimination of alkyl-Pd(ii)-Bpin.

PMID- 28361148
TI  - Chemical states of 3d transition metal impurities in a liquid lead-bismuth
      eutectic analyzed using first principles calculations.
AB  - Steels are easily corroded in a liquid lead-bismuth eutectic (LBE) because their
      components, such as Fe, Cr and Ni, exhibit a high solubility in the liquid LBE.
      To understand the reason for such a high solubility of these 3d transition
      metals, we have performed first-principles molecular dynamics calculations and
      analyzed the pair-correlation functions, electronic densities of states, and
      Bader charges and volumes of the 3d transition metals dissolved in the liquid LBE
      as impurities. The calculations show that the 4s and 3d orbitals of the 3d
      impurity atoms largely interact with the 6p band of the LBE, which generates
      bonding orbitals. We suggest that the high stability of 3d metals in the liquid
      LBE is caused by the interactions of the 4s and 3d orbitals with the 6p band.
      Spin polarization is induced by V, Cr, Mn, Fe and Co impurity atoms in a similar
      manner to the Slater-Pauling curve of solid transition metals, which exhibits a
      downward shift in the atomic number by approximately two. Based on the degree of
      spin polarization and the shifted trend of the Slater-Pauling curve, we suggest
      that Ni exhibits a higher solubility than Cr and Fe because of the differences in
      their interaction strengths between their 3d orbitals and the 6p band. In
      addition, the 4s and 3d orbitals of the 3d impurity atoms were found to interact
      more favorably with the Bi 6p band than the Pb 6p band, which is consistent with
      the fact that liquid Bi is more corrosive to steels than is liquid Pb.

PMID- 28361149
TI  - Encapsulation of a compartmentalized cytoplasm mimic within a lipid membrane by
      microfluidics.
AB  - There is growing interest in analyzing the effect of microenvironments, which may
      be mimicked through liquid-liquid phase separation (LLPS), on the reactivity of
      biological macromolecules. We report the encapsulation by microfluidics of the
      division protein FtsZ and a LLPS system inside microdroplets and their conversion
      into permeable vesicles (allowing ligand uptake), with higher yield, homogeneity
      and biomolecular compatibility than those previously described.

PMID- 28361150
TI  - Ab initio calculation of the attempt frequency of oxygen diffusion in pure and
      samarium doped ceria.
AB  - The rate of oxygen ion jumps in a solid oxide depends not only on the activation
      energy but also on the pre-exponential factor of diffusion. In order to allow a
      fully ab initio prediction of the oxygen ion conductivity in pure and samarium
      doped ceria, we calculated the attempt frequency for an oxygen ion jump from
      first principles combining DFT+U, the NEB method, phonon calculations and the
      transition state theory. Different definitions of the jump attempt frequency are
      presented. The equivalence of the Eyring and the Vineyard method is shown without
      restriction to the Gamma point. Convergence checks of the phonon mesh reveal that
      the common reduction to the Gamma point is not sufficient to calculate the
      attempt frequency. Calculations of Sm doped ceria revealed an increase of the
      prefactor. The attempt frequency for the constant pressure case in quasi-harmonic
      approximation is larger than the attempt frequency at constant volume in harmonic
      approximation. The calculated electronic energies, enthalpies and entropies of
      migration are in agreement with the experimental diffusion coefficients and
      activation energies.

PMID- 28361151
TI  - High-performance nanocomposite membranes realized by efficient molecular sieving
      with CuBDC nanosheets.
AB  - Two-dimensional (2-D) CuBDC nanosheets (ns-CuBDC) with high-aspect-ratios were
      deliberately paired with polymers possessing high free volumes to fabricate high
      performance gas separation membranes. Owing to the molecular sieving effect of
      the filler, a small ns-CuBDC loading (2-4 wt%) could significantly improve the
      CO2/CH4 selectivities of membranes, resulting in performances that surpass the
      upper bound limit for polymer membranes.

PMID- 28361152
TI  - New pressure-induced polymorphic transitions of anhydrous magnesium sulfate.
AB  - The effects of pressure on the crystal structure of the three known polymorphs of
      magnesium sulfate (alpha-MgSO4, beta-MgSO4, and gamma-MgSO4) have been
      theoretically studied by means of density-functional theory calculations up to 45
      GPa. We determined that under ambient conditions gamma-MgSO4 is an unstable
      polymorph, which decomposes into MgO + SO3, and that the response of the other
      two polymorphs to hydrostatic pressure is non-isotropic. Additionally, we found
      that at all pressures beta-MgSO4 has a larger enthalpy than alpha-MgSO4. This
      indicates that beta-MgSO4 is thermodynamically unstable versus alpha-MgSO4 and
      predicts the occurrence of a beta-alpha phase transition under moderate
      compression. Our calculations also predict the existence under pressure of
      additional phase transitions to two new polymorphs of MgSO4, which we named delta
      MgSO4 and epsilon-MgSO4. The alpha-delta transition is predicted to occur at 17.5
      GPa, and the delta-epsilon transition at 35 GPa, pressures that nowadays can be
      experimentally easily achieved. All the predicted structural transformations are
      characterized as first-order transitions. This suggests that they can be non
      reversible, and therefore the new polymorphs could be recovered as metastable
      polymorphs under ambient conditions. The crystal structure of the two new
      polymorphs is reported. In them, the coordination number of sulfur is four as in
      the previously known polymorphs, but the coordination number of magnesium is
      eight instead of six. In this article we will report the axial and bond
      compressibility for the four polymorphs of MgSO4. The pressure-volume equation of
      state of each phase is also given, which is described by a third-order Birch
      Murnaghan equation. The values obtained for the bulk modulus are 62 GPa, 57 GPa,
      102 GPa, and 119 GPa for alpha-MgSO4, beta-MgSO4, delta-MgSO4, and epsilon-MgSO4,
      respectively. Finally, the electronic band structure of these four polymorphs of
      MgSO4 has been calculated for the first time. The obtained results will be
      presented and discussed.

PMID- 28361153
TI  - Optimized synthesis of pi-extended squaraine dyes relevant to organic electronics
      by direct (hetero)arylation and Sonogashira coupling reactions.
AB  - This study reports on the synthesis and characterization of four molecular pi
      extended squaraine compounds relevant to the field of organic electronics. The
      compounds each consist of a bis-indole squaraine core end-capped with
      indoloquinoxaline units employing three different bridging units, namely
      thiophene, thiazole, and acetylene. Compound 10 bears a thiophene bridge, 11
      consists of a thiophene bridge and fluorinated indoloquinoxaline terminal units,
      and compounds 12 and 13 are bridged by thiazole and acetylene, respectively. The
      final compounds are constructed using the atom economical direct
      (hetero)arylation or the classic Sonogashira carbon-carbon bond formation
      protocols. Each carbon-carbon bond forming reaction employing thiophene bridges
      (i.e. synthesis of compounds 10 and 11) has been optimized using the stable and
      reusable silica supported Pd catalyst, SiliaCat(r) DPP-Pd, streamlining the
      synthetic procedure. While compounds 12 and 13 were also accessible using the
      SiliaCat(r) DPP-Pd catalyst, the use of Herrmann-Beller and Pd(PPh3)4 catalysts,
      respectively, lead to improved isolated yields of the final materials. Compounds
      10-13 were characterized by thermal gravimetric analysis, cyclic voltammetry,
      optical absorption spectroscopy, photoluminescence spectroscopy, and each
      structure was analysed using density functional theory. All compounds exhibit
      high thermal stability and good solubility in common organic solvents, including
      in the greener alternative 2-methyl tetrahydrofuran. The reported compounds
      display stable ambipolar redox behaviour, furthermore, we have demonstrated that
      the frontier molecular energy levels can be effectively tuned by changing the
      bridging unit as predicted by density functional theory. Most striking is the
      drastic optical absorption profile changes observed from this class of materials
      upon post-deposition film annealing, suggesting molecular rearrangement in the
      solid-state. The induced changes and fine structure observed upon post-deposition
      annealing is unique to these pi-extended squaraines with nothing like it reported
      in the literature for related squaraine based materials.

PMID- 28361154
TI  - Capillary fracture of ultrasoft gels: variability and delayed nucleation.
AB  - A droplet of surfactant spreading on an ultrasoft (E ? 100 Pa) gel substrate will
      produce capillary fractures at the gel surface; these fractures originate at the
      contact-line and propagate outwards in a starburst pattern. There is an inherent
      variability in both the number of fractures formed and the time delay before
      fractures form. In the regime where single fractures form, we observe a Weibull
      like distribution of delay times, consistent with a thermally-activated process.
      The shape parameter is close to 1 for softer gels (a Poisson process), and larger
      for stiffer gels (indicative of aging). For single fractures, the characteristic
      delay time is primarily set by the elastocapillary length of the system,
      calculated from the differential in surface tension between the droplet and the
      substrate, rather than the elastic modulus as for stiffer systems. For multiple
      fractures, all fractures appear simultaneously and long delay times are
      suppressed. The experimental protocol provides a new technique for probing the
      energy landscape and fracture toughness of ultrasoft materials through
      measurement of the delay time distribution.

PMID- 28361155
TI  - A stochastic method for asphaltene structure formulation from experimental data:
      avoidance of implausible structures.
AB  - This work presents a stochastic procedure designed to formulate a discrete set of
      molecular structures that, as a whole, adjust properly to experimental asphaltene
      data. This algorithm incorporates the pentane effect concept and Clar's sextet
      rule to the formulation process. The set of viable structures was constructed
      based on probability distribution functions obtained from experimental
      information and an isomer database containing all plausible configurations for a
      given number of rings, avoiding high-energy structures. This procedure was
      applied to a collection of experimental data from the literature. Ten sets,
      consisting of 5000 structures each, were obtained. Each set was then optimized.
      For the most accurate representation, four molecules were sufficient to properly
      reproduce the experimental input. The asphaltene system obtained is consistent
      with the reported molecular weight, number of aromatic rings and heteroatom
      content. Molecular dynamic simulations showed that the asphaltene representation
      adequately reproduced asphaltene aggregation behavior in toluene and n-heptane.
      In toluene, a single three-molecule aggregate was observed, and the majority of
      asphaltene molecules remained in a monomeric state. In n-heptane, aggregates
      containing up to four molecules were observed; both porous and compact aggregates
      were found. The asphaltene molecular representation obtained, which allows
      researchers to avoid inappropriate torsions in the molecule, is able to reproduce
      interplanar distances between aromatic cores of 4 A or less for the aggregation
      state, as supported by experimental results.

PMID- 28361157
TI  - Integration of Hospital Information and Clinical Decision Support Systems to
      Enable the Reuse of Electronic Health Record Data.
AB  - BACKGROUND: The efficiency and acceptance of clinical decision support systems
      (CDSS) can increase if they reuse medical data captured during health care
      delivery. High heterogeneity of the existing legacy data formats has become the
      main barrier for the reuse of data. Thus, we need to apply data modeling
      mechanisms that provide standardization, transformation, accumulation and
      querying medical data to allow its reuse. OBJECTIVES: In this paper, we focus on
      the interoperability issues of the hospital information systems (HIS) and CDSS
      data integration. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Our study is based on the approach
      proposed by Marcos et al. where archetypes are used as a standardized mechanism
      for the interaction of a CDSS with an electronic health record (EHR). We build an
      integration tool to enable CDSSs collect data from various institutions without a
      need for modifications in the implementation. The approach implies development of
      a conceptual level as a set of archetypes representing concepts required by a
      CDSS. RESULTS: Treatment case data from Regional Clinical Hospital in Tomsk,
      Russia was extracted, transformed and loaded to the archetype database of a
      clinical decision support system. Test records' normalization has been performed
      by defining transformation and aggregation rules between the EHR data and the
      archetypes. These mapping rules were used to automatically generate openEHR
      compliant data. After the transformation, archetype data instances were loaded
      into the CDSS archetype based data storage. The performance times showed
      acceptable performance for the extraction stage with a mean of 17.428 s per year
      (3436 case records). The transformation times were also acceptable with 136.954 s
      per year (0.039 s per one instance). The accuracy evaluation showed the
      correctness and applicability of the method for the wide range of HISes. These
      operations were performed without interrupting the HIS workflow to prevent the
      HISes from disturbing the service provision to the users. CONCLUSIONS: The
      project results have proven that archetype based technologies are mature enough
      to be applied in routine operations that require extraction, transformation,
      loading and querying medical data from heterogeneous EHR systems. Inference
      models in clinical research and CDSS can benefit from this by defining queries to
      a valid data set with known structure and constraints. The standard based nature
      of the archetype approach allows an easy integration of CDSSs with existing EHR
      systems.

PMID- 28361156
TI  - Mapping Acute Coronary Syndrome Registries to SNOMED CT. A Comparative Study
      between Malaysia and Sweden.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Malaysia and Sweden have mapped their acute coronary syndrome
      registries using SNOMED CT. Since similar-purposed patient registries can be
      expected to collect similar data, these data should be mapped to the same SNOMED
      CT codes despite the different languages used. Previous studies have however
      shown variations in mapping between different mappers but the reasons behind
      these variations and the influence of different mapping approaches are still
      unknown. OBJECTIVES: To analyze similar-purposed registries and their registry-to
      SNOMED CT maps, using two national acute coronary syndrome registries as
      examples, to understand the reasons for mapping similarities and differences as
      well as their implications. METHODS: The Malaysian National Cardiovascular
      Disease - Acute Coronary Syndrome (NCVD-ACS) registry was compared to the Swedish
      Register of Information and Knowledge about Swedish Heart Intensive Care
      Admissions (RIKS-HIA). The structures of NCVD-ACS and RIKS-HIA registry forms and
      their distributions of headings, variables and values were studied. Data items
      with equivalent meaning (EDIs) were paired and their mappings were categorized
      into match, mismatch, and non-comparable mappings. Reasons for match, mismatch
      and non-comparability of each paired EDI were seen as factors that contributed to
      the similarities and differences between the maps. RESULTS: The registries and
      their respective maps share a similar distribution pattern regarding the number
      of headings, variables and values. The registries shared 101 EDIs, whereof 42 %
      (42) were mapped to SNOMED CT. 45 % (19) of those SNOMED CT coded EDIs had
      matching codes. The matching EDIs occurred only in pre-coordinated SNOMED CT
      expressions. Mismatches occurred due to challenges arising from the mappers
      themselves, limitations in SNOMED CT, and complexity of the registries. Non
      comparable mappings appeared due to the use of other coding systems, unmapped
      data items, as well as requests for new SNOMED CT concepts. CONCLUSIONS: To
      ensure reproducible and reusable maps, the following three actions are
      recommended: (i) develop a specific mapping guideline for patient registries;
      (ii) openly share maps; and (iii) establish collaboration between clinical
      research societies and the SNOMED CT community.

PMID- 28361158
TI  - A Machine Learning-based Method for Question Type Classification in Biomedical
      Question Answering.
AB  - BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: Biomedical question type classification is one of the
      important components of an automatic biomedical question answering system. The
      performance of the latter depends directly on the performance of its biomedical
      question type classification system, which consists of assigning a category to
      each question in order to determine the appropriate answer extraction algorithm.
      This study aims to automatically classify biomedical questions into one of the
      four categories: (1) yes/no, (2) factoid, (3) list, and (4) summary. METHODS: In
      this paper, we propose a biomedical question type classification method based on
      machine learning approaches to automatically assign a category to a biomedical
      question. First, we extract features from biomedical questions using the proposed
      handcrafted lexico-syntactic patterns. Then, we feed these features for machine
      learning algorithms. Finally, the class label is predicted using the trained
      classifiers. RESULTS: Experimental evaluations performed on large standard
      annotated datasets of biomedical questions, provided by the BioASQ challenge,
      demonstrated that our method exhibits significant improved performance when
      compared to four baseline systems. The proposed method achieves a roughly 10
      point increase over the best baseline in terms of accuracy. Moreover, the
      obtained results show that using handcrafted lexico-syntactic patterns as
      features' provider of support vector machine (SVM) lead to the highest accuracy
      of 89.40 %. CONCLUSION: The proposed method can automatically classify BioASQ
      questions into one of the four categories: yes/no, factoid, list, and summary.
      Furthermore, the results demonstrated that our method produced the best
      classification performance compared to four baseline systems.

PMID- 28361159
TI  - Evaluation of Adjusted and Unadjusted Indirect Comparison Methods in Benefit
      Assessment. A Simulation Study for Time-to-event Endpoints.
AB  - BACKGROUND: With the Act on the Reform of the Market for Medicinal Products
      (AMNOG) in Germany, pharmaceutical manufacturers are obliged to submit a dossier
      demonstrating added benefit of a new drug compared to an appropriate comparator.
      Underlying evidence was planned for registration purposes and therefore often
      does not meet the appropriate comparator as defined by the Federal Joint
      Committee (G-BA). For this reason AMNOG allows indirect comparisons to assess the
      extent of added benefit. OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study is to evaluate the
      characteristics and applicability of adjusted indirect comparison described by
      Bucher and Matching-Adjusted Indirect Comparison (MAIC) in various situations
      within the early benefit assessment according to S35a Social Code Book 5. In
      particular, we consider time-to-event endpoints. METHODS: We conduct a simulation
      study where we consider three different scenarios: I) similar study populations,
      II) dissimilar study populations without interactions and III) dissimilar study
      populations with interactions between treatment effect and effect modifiers. We
      simulate data from a Cox model with Weibull distributed survival times. Desired
      are unbiased effect estimates. We compare the power and the proportion of type 1
      errors of the methods. RESULTS: I) Bucher and MAIC perform equivalently well and
      yield unbiased effect estimates as well as proportions of type 1 errors below the
      significance level of 5 %. II) Both Bucher and MAIC yield unbiased effect
      estimates, but Bucher shows a higher power for detection of true added benefit
      than MAIC. III) Only MAIC, but not Bucher yields unbiased effect estimates. When
      using robust variance estimation MAIC yields a proportion of type 1 error close
      to 5 %. In general, power of all methods for indirect comparisons is low. An
      increasing loss of power for the indirect comparisons can be observed as the true
      treatment effects decrease. CONCLUSION: Due to the great loss of power and the
      potential bias for indirect comparisons, head-to-head trials using the
      appropriate comparator as defined by the Federal Joint Committee should be
      conducted whenever possible. However, indirect comparisons are needed if no such
      direct evidence is available. To conduct indirect comparisons in case of a
      present common comparator and similar study populations in the trials to be
      compared, both Bucher and MAIC can be recommended. In case of using adjusted
      effect measures (such as Hazard Ratio), the violation of the similarity
      assumption has no relevant effect on the Bucher approach as long as interactions
      between treatment effect and effect modifiers are absent. Therefore Bucher can
      still be considered appropriate in this specific situation. In the authors'
      opinion, MAIC can be considered as an option (at least as sensitivity analysis to
      Bucher) if such interactions are present or cannot be ruled out. Nevertheless, in
      practice MAIC is potentially biased and should always be considered with utmost
      care.

PMID- 28361160
TI  - Ministry of Health Clinical Practice Guidelines: Lipids.
AB  - The Ministry of Health (MOH) has updated the Clinical Practice Guidelines on
      Lipids to provide doctors and patients in Singapore with evidence-based treatment
      for lipids. This article reproduces the introduction and executive summary (with
      recommendations from the guidelines) from the MOH Clinical Practice Guidelines on
      Lipids, for the information of SMJ readers. Chapters and page numbers mentioned
      in the reproduced extract refer to the full text of the guidelines, which are
      available from the Ministry of Health website:
      http://www.moh.gov.sg/content/moh_web/healthprofessionalsportal/doctors/guideline
      /cpg_medical.html.

PMID- 28361162
TI  - Comment on: The joy of parenting: infant sleep intervention to improve maternal
      emotional well-being and infant sleep.

PMID- 28361163
TI  - Authors' reply.

PMID- 28361161
TI  - Steroids in traditional Chinese medicine: what is the evidence?
AB  - Local healthcare providers often question the possible steroidal activity of
      traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) herbs or herbal products and implicate them as
      a cause for adrenal insufficiency or Cushing's syndrome in patients with a
      history of TCM intake. We conducted a comprehensive database search for evidence
      of potential glucocorticoid, mineralocorticoid, androgenic or oestrogenic
      activity of herbs or herbal products. Overall, there are not many herbs whose
      steroidal activity is well established; among these, most cases were based on
      preclinical studies. Liquorice root may cause pseudoaldosteronism through
      interference with the steroidogenesis pathway. Although ginseng and cordyceps
      have some in vitro glucocorticoid activities, the corroborating clinical data is
      lacking. Deer musk and deer antler contain androgenic steroids, while epimedium
      has oestrogenic activity. On the other hand, adulteration of herbal products with
      exogenous glucocorticoids is a recurrent problem encountered locally in illegal
      products masquerading as TCM. Healthcare providers should stay vigilant and
      report any suspicion to the relevant authorities for further investigations.

PMID- 28361164
TI  - Clinics in diagnostic imaging (175). Corpus callosum glioblastoma multiforme
      (GBM): butterfly glioma.
AB  - A 54-year-old man presented with change in behaviour, nocturnal enuresis,
      abnormal limb movement and headache of one week's duration. The diagnosis of
      butterfly glioma (glioblastoma multiforme) was made based on imaging
      characteristics and was further confirmed by biopsy findings. As the corpus
      callosum is usually resistant to infiltration by tumours, a mass that involves
      and crosses the corpus callosum is suggestive of an aggressive neoplasm. Other
      neoplastic and non-neoplastic conditions that may involve the corpus callosum and
      mimic a butterfly glioma, as well as associated imaging features, are discussed.

PMID- 28361166
TI  - [The first Mental Health Act in China 2013 : An historical step towards human
      rights].
AB  - In the past, the mentally ill used to be relentlessly stigmatized and their basic
      needs grossly neglected in China. Only the coastal cities with their Western
      oriented universities provided Western type mental healthcare. In general,
      traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) embracing medicinal herbs and acupuncture was
      practiced. Mental hospitals were non-existent before 1889 and care of the
      chronically mentally ill rested with their families and the community; however,
      the prevalence and spectrum of mental disorders were similar to those in Western
      countries. After the establishment of the People's Republic of China old
      fashioned mental hospitals were founded. The "Great Leap Forward" starting in
      1958 envisaged the creation of a mental healthcare system based on Soviet Union
      standards. Psychiatry had a strong biological orientation, and psychotherapy did
      not exist. Psychology was rejected as not being science and was not taught at
      universities before 1978. With the Reform and Opening Policy in 1978 the
      education of psychology was stepped up. Psychology was introduced as an academic
      discipline in 1978 and psychotherapy and psychosomatic medicine were established
      in mental healthcare. The current mental healthcare in China resembles the
      standard in Germany before the "Psychiatrie-Enquete" (expert commission official
      report). With the Mental Health Act adopted in 2013 after 27 years of planning,
      China has laid the legal foundation for planning and establishing a humane system
      of mental healthcare. The Act safeguards patients' human and individual rights
      and increases trust in psychiatric institutions. It guarantees the right to
      optimal treatment and provides legal protection in cases of malpractice.

PMID- 28361165
TI  - Accuracy of stereolithographically printed digital models compared to plaster
      models.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: This study compared the accuracy of plaster models from alginate
      impressions and printed models from intraoral scanning. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A
      total of 28 volunteers were selected and alginate impressions and intraoral scans
      were used to make plaster models and digital models of their dentition,
      respectively. The digital models were printed using a stereolithographic (SLA) 3D
      printer with a horseshoe-shaped design. Two calibrated examiners measured
      distances on the plaster and printed models with a digital caliper. The paired t
      test was used to determine intraobserver error and compare the measurements. The
      Pearson correlation coefficient was used to evaluate the reliability of
      measurements for each model type. RESULTS: The measurements on plaster models and
      printed models show some significant differences in tooth dimensions and
      interarch parameters, but these differences were not clinically relevant, except
      for the transversal measurements. The upper and lower intermolar distances on the
      printed models were statistically significant and clinically relevant smaller.
      CONCLUSIONS: Printed digital models with the SLA 3D printer studied, with a
      horseshoe-shaped base made from intraoral scans cannot replace conventional
      plaster models from alginate impressions in orthodontics for diagnosis and
      treatment planning because of their clinically relevant transversal contraction.

PMID- 28361167
TI  - Potential drug-drug interactions with abiraterone in metastatic castration
      resistant prostate cancer patients: a prevalence study in France.
AB  - PURPOSE: Abiraterone acetate combined with prednisone improves survival in
      metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer (mCRPC) patients. This oral
      anticancer agent may result in drug-drug interactions (DDI). We aimed to evaluate
      the prevalence of DDI with abiraterone and the possible determinants for the
      occurrence of these DDI. METHODS: We performed a single centre retrospective
      review from electronic medical records of mCRPC patients treated with abiraterone
      from 2011 to 2015. Potential DDI with abiraterone were identified using
      Micromedex and were categorized by a 4-point scale severity. RESULTS: Seventy-two
      out of ninety-five mCRPC pts (median age: 77 years [68-82]) had comorbidities.
      The median number of drugs used per patient was 7 [5-9]. 66 potential DDI with
      abiraterone were detected in 49 patients (52%): 39 and 61% were classified as
      major and moderate DDI, respectively. In the univariate analysis, pain (p <
      0.0001), hypo-albuminemia (p = 0.032), and higher ECOG performance status (PS) (p
      = 0.013) were significantly associated with a higher risk of DDI with
      abiraterone. Pain (p < 0.0001) and PS (p = 0.018) remained significant in the
      multivariate analysis. CONCLUSIONS: Polypharmacy is an issue among mCRPC
      patients. In our study, half of the patients have potential DDI with abiraterone.
      Patients with pain and poor PS are at higher risk of DDI with abiraterone. A
      medication review by a pharmacist is of crucial importance to prevent DDI with
      abiraterone.

PMID- 28361168
TI  - Influence of leptin and GABAB-receptor agonist and antagonist on neurons of the
      hypothalamic infundibular nucleus in the chicken.
AB  - In birds and mammals, the neuroendocrine regulation of energy balance is
      conserved in many aspects. Despite significant similarities between the two
      groups, differences in the regulatory mechanisms were detected. The present study
      was performed to carry out investigations of the influence of human leptin and
      GABAB-receptor agonist and antagonist on the firing rate of neurons of the
      Nucleus infundibuli hypothalami in brain slices from juvenile chickens. For the
      first time, we demonstrated a clear, dose-related change in the firing rate of
      hypothalamic neurons in juvenile chickens after the acute application of
      recombinant human leptin (1, 10, and 100 nM). All investigated neurons increased
      their subsequent firing rate. Application of GABAB-receptor agonist baclofen (1
      uM) blocked, while antagonist CGP 35348 (10 uM) increased the spontaneous
      neuronal activity. Simultaneous application of baclofen and leptin reduced the
      effect observed from single leptin application. This was not found after
      simultaneously application of leptin and CGP. Altogether, our results indicate
      that in bird brain slices, and exemplarily in those of the chicken, hypothalamic
      neurons show mammalian-like responsiveness after acute leptin and GABA
      application. GABAB-mechanisms involved in GABA release play a likely important
      role in the leptin-mediated effects on NI neurons via functional leptin
      receptors.

PMID- 28361170
TI  - Bilateral chorea-ballism and diabetic ketoacidosis as the initial presentation of
      a case with maternally inherited diabetes and deafness.

PMID- 28361169
TI  - Magnetic activation in the brain of the migratory northern wheatear (Oenanthe
      oenanthe).
AB  - Behavioural and neurobiological evidence suggests the involvement of the visual
      and trigeminal sensory systems in avian magnetoreception. The constantly growing
      array of new genetic approaches becoming available to scientists would bear great
      potential to contribute to a generally accepted understanding of the mechanisms
      underlying this ability, but would require to breed migratory birds in captivity.
      Here we show that the transcontinental night-migratory Northern Wheatear
      (Oenanthe oenanthe), which is currently the only migratory songbird successfully
      being bred in reasonable numbers in captivity, shows magnetic-field-induced
      neuronal activation in the trigeminal brainstem areas receiving their input
      through the ophthalmic branch of the trigeminal nerve. In addition, preliminary
      data indicate night vision-triggered activation in the anterior visual forebrain.
      This brain area could represent the same brain region, which has previously been
      named "Cluster N" and shown to be involved in processing magnetic compass
      information in European Robins. Thus, based on brain activation data, both
      visually and trigeminally mediated magnetic senses known from other birds seem to
      exist in Northern Wheatears. This makes this species a potentially excellent
      model species for future genetic research on magnetoreception in migratory birds.

PMID- 28361172
TI  - Letter to the Editor regarding "Analysis of recombinant human follicle
      stimulating hormone by mass spectrometric approaches".

PMID- 28361173
TI  - [Medical examination: Preparation for ENT specialisation : Part 29].

PMID- 28361171
TI  - Reducing dentine hypersensitivity with nano-hydroxyapatite toothpaste: a double
      blind randomized controlled trial.
AB  - OBJECTIVES: The present randomized double-blind clinical trial aimed to compare
      the efficacy in reducing dentin hypersensitivity of a dentifrice formulation
      containing nano-hydroxyapatite with a fluoride dentifrice and a placebo. METHODS
      AND MATERIALS: One hundred and five subjects were recruited to participate in the
      study. A computer-generated random table with blocking to one of the three study
      treatments was used in order to have 35 subjects per group: (1) nano
      hydroxyapatite 2% gel toothpaste fluoride free; (2) fluoride gel toothpaste; (3)
      placebo. Groups 1, 2, and 3 were instructed to treat their teeth for 10 min twice
      a day with the provided toothpaste gel. The participant's dentin hypersensitivity
      was evaluated at baseline and after 2 and 4 weeks using airblast and tactile
      tests. In addition, a subjective evaluation using a visual analogue scale was
      used. RESULTS: Significant lower values of cold air sensitivity and tactile
      sensitivity (p < 0.05) were found for the test group at 2 weeks and 4 weeks. In
      addition, statistically significant (p < 0.05) lower values of sensitivity were
      reported for group 1 compared to those for groups 2 and 3 at 2 and 4 weeks,
      respectively. The VAS scores were significantly lower (p < 0.05) in the test
      group at 2 and 4 weeks compared to those at baseline and in the control groups.
      CONCLUSION: The application of nano-hydroxyapatite in gel toothpaste fluoride
      free is an effective desensitizing agent providing relief from symptoms after 2
      and 4 weeks.

PMID- 28361174
TI  - Eustachian tuboplasty and shrinkage of ostial mucosa with new devices : Including
      a proposal of a classification system.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: A new combined approach to Eustachian tube dysfunction (ETD) employing
      new minimally invasive devices is described. STUDY DESIGN: An anatomoclinical
      classification of ETD was conceived to allow correct categorization of patients
      and enable comparative studies to be performed. Herein, the authors report on
      their experience with a consecutive series of obstructive ETD patients treated by
      balloon dilation of the Eustachian tube using AERA (Acclarent, Menlo Park, CA,
      USA), combined with a quantic molecular resonance (QMR)-mediated rhinopharyngeal
      tubal ostial mucosa shrinkage technique with a dedicated "Mitto" hand piece
      (Telea, Sandrigo-Vicenza, Italy). METHODS: A prospective study was conducted in
      102 patients with ETD. Medical history, complete clinical ENT evaluation and oto
      functional examinations were performed in all patients. In all cases, balloon
      dilatation of the Eustachian tube was performed via the transnasal approach under
      video-endoscopic control. This was followed by decongestion of the torus tubarius
      and the inferior turbinate by QMR, with immediate shrinkage of the mucosa of the
      turbinate and a reduction of the prolapse of the mucosal plica on the tubal
      ostium. RESULTS: Comparison of pre- and postoperative oto-functional examinations
      revealed a significant improvement. The postoperative hearing symptoms were
      reduced in a statistically significant manner on the visual analog scale (VAS).
      It was possible to perform the postoperative "swallowing-opening-Toynbee
      Valsalva" (SOTV) test in a significant percentage of cases compared to the
      preoperative test. CONCLUSION: The combined surgical procedure of balloon
      tubodilation with simultaneous QMR-mediated shrinkage of the tubal ostial mucosa
      and reduction of the posterior portion of the inferior turbinate was found to be
      an effective, safe, and complete treatment for tubal dysfunction in the majority
      of patients.

PMID- 28361175
TI  - Letter of response: Small-incision lenticule extraction (SMILE): Outcomes of 722
      eyes treated for myopia and myopic astigmatism.

PMID- 28361176
TI  - Electrophysiological assessment for early detection of retinal dysfunction in
      beta-thalassemia major patients.
AB  - PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to assess the role of various diagnostic
      tests in early detection of retinal changes in beta-thalassemia major patients.
      METHODS: Thirty-eight visually asymptomatic beta-thalassemia major patients
      receiving regular blood transfusions and iron-chelation therapy with deferoxamine
      (group A, n = 13), deferasirox (group B, n = 11) or deferoxamine with deferiprone
      (group C, n = 14) and fourteen age- and sex- matched healthy individuals were
      included in the study. All participants underwent ophthalmoscopy, full-field
      electroretinography (ERG), visual evoked potentials (VEP), multifocal
      electroretinography (mfERG), fundus autofluorescence (FAF) imaging and optical
      coherence tomography (OCT) scans. RESULTS: Retinal pigment epithelium changes
      were present in two cases. Scotopic ERG demonstrated decreased a-wave amplitude
      in groups A, B and C (p = 0.03, p = 0.002 and p = 0.002, respectively) and
      decreased b-wave amplitude in groups B and C (p = 0.002 and p = 0.01,
      respectively) compared to controls. Photopic ERG showed delayed b-wave latency in
      groups A and C (p = 0.03 and p = 0.03, respectively) ERG maximal combined
      response and VEP response did not differ between groups. MfERG showed reduced
      retinal response density in ring 1 in groups A, B, C (p < 0.001, p < 0.001, p =
      0.001, respectively) and ring 2 in group B (p = 0.02) and delayed latency in ring
      5 in groups A and B (p = 0.04 and p = 0.04, respectively). Abnormal FAF images
      appeared in three cases and OCT abnormalities in one case, whereas no changes
      were observed in controls (p = 0.55 and p = 1.00, respectively). CONCLUSIONS:
      Full-field ERG and mfERG are more sensitive tools for detecting early retinal
      changes in beta-thalassemia patients compared with ophthalmoscopy, VEP, FAF
      imaging and OCT scans.

PMID- 28361177
TI  - Chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension: Evaluation of 2D-perfusion
      angiography in patients who undergo balloon pulmonary angioplasty.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the feasibility of 2D-perfusion angiography (2D-PA) in
      order to quantify perfusion changes of the lung parenchyma pre- and post-balloon
      pulmonary angioplasty (BPA). METHODS: Thirty consecutive interventions in 16
      patients with 99 treated pulmonary artery segments were included. To quantify
      changes in pulmonary blood flow using 2D-PA, the acquired digital subtraction
      angiographies (DSA) pre- and post-BPA were post-processed. A reference ROI in the
      treated pulmonary artery and a distal target ROI in the lung parenchyma were
      placed in corresponding areas on DSA pre- and post-BPA. Time to peak (TTP), peak
      density (PD) and area under the curve (AUC) were assessed. The ratios reference
      ROI to target ROI (TTPparenchyma/TTPinflow; PDparenchyma/PDinflow;
      AUCparenchyma/AUCinflow) were calculated. Relative differences of the 2D-PA
      parameters were correlated to changes in the pulmonary-flow-grade-score. RESULTS:
      The pulmonary-flow-grade-score improved after BPA (p<0.0001). Likewise, the ratio
      TTPparenchyma/TTPinflow shortened by 10% (p=0.0002), the PDparenchyma/PDinflow
      increased by 46% (p<0.0001) and the AUCparenchyma/AUCinflow increased by 36%
      (p<0.0001). A significant correlation between changes in the pulmonary-flow-grade
      score and changes in PDparenchyma/PDinflow (rho=0.48, p<0.0001) and
      AUCparenchyma/AUCinflow (rho=0.31, p=0.0018) was observed. CONCLUSION:
      Quantification of pulmonary perfusion pre- and post-BPA using 2D-PA is feasible
      and has the potential to improve monitoring of BPA. KEY POINTS: * Quantification
      of BPA results by use of 2D-PA is feasible. * 2D-PA allows objective assessment
      of changes in lung parenchymal perfusion. * 2D-PA has the potential to optimize
      BPA.

PMID- 28361179
TI  - [Frequency and doses of diagnostic and interventional X-ray applications : Trends
      between 2007 and 2014].
AB  - BACKGROUND: In Germany, approximately 95% of man-made radiation exposure of the
      population results from diagnostic and interventional X-ray procedures. Thus,
      radiation protection of patients in this field of application is of great
      importance. OBJECTIVE: Quantification and evaluation of current data on the
      frequency and doses of X-ray procedures as well as temporal trends for the years
      2007-2014. MATERIAL AND METHODS: For outpatients the frequency of X-ray
      procedures was estimated using reimbursement data from health insurances and for
      inpatients by means of hospital statistics. For the years under review,
      representative values for the effective dose per X-ray application were
      determined mainly from data reported by X-ray departments to the competent
      authorities. RESULTS: In 2014 approximately 140 million X-ray procedures were
      performed in Germany with some 40% from dental examinations. On average 1.7
      procedures per inhabitant and year were almost constantly carried out between
      2007 and 2014. Besides dental diagnostics, X-ray examinations of the skeleton and
      thorax were performed most frequently. The number of computed tomography (CT)
      examinations increased by approximately 40%. The increase in magnetic resonance
      imaging (MRI) was even more pronounced with approximately 55% but overall CT
      examinations were still performed more often than MRI. The doses per X-ray
      procedure were only slightly reduced, despite the various dose reduction
      approaches established in recent years; therefore, the mean effective dose per
      inhabitant increased from approximately 1.4 mSv in 2007 to 1.6 mSv in 2014,
      mainly due to the increasing frequency of CT examinations. CONCLUSION: The
      principles of justification and optimization of radiological procedures are to be
      consistently applied in each individual instance, especially in the case of CT
      examinations.

PMID- 28361178
TI  - Nitrogen-regulated changes in total amino acid profile of maize genotypes having
      contrasting response to nitrogen deficit.
AB  - Sustainable development of cellular organisms depends on a precise coordination
      between the carbon and nitrogen metabolisms within the living system. Inorganic N
      is assimilated into amino acids which serve as an important N source for various
      regulatory metabolic pathways in plants. This study investigates the role of
      amino acids in C/N balance by examining changes in amino acid profile in the
      leaves and roots of low-N-tolerant (PHEM-2) and low-N-sensitive (HM-4) maize
      genotypes grown hydroponically under N-sufficient (4.5 mM), N-deficient (0.05 mM)
      and N-restoration conditions. N application effectively altered the level of
      cysteine, methionine, asparagine, arginine, phenylalanine, glycine, glutamine,
      aspartate and glutamate in both genotypes. Under low N (0.05 mM), the asparagine
      and glutamine contents increased, while those of glutamate, phenylalanine and
      aspartate decreased in both genotypes. However, serine content increased in PHEM
      2 but decreased in HM-4. Resupply of N to low-N-grown plants of both genotypes
      restored the amino acids level to that in the control; the restoration was
      quicker and more consistent in PHEM-2 than in HM-4. Based on alteration of amino
      acid level, a strategy can be developed to improve the ability of maize to adapt
      to low-N environments by way of an improved N utilization.

PMID- 28361180
TI  - Evaluation of Endothelial Function by Flow-Mediated Dilation: a Comprehensive
      Review in Rheumatic Disease.
AB  - Flow-mediated dilation (FMD) represents a non-invasive marker of endothelial
      function to evaluate vascular homeostasis, which reflects the effects of several
      mechanisms, including vessel tone regulation, cell proliferation, and
      inflammatory responses. Beyond classical atherosclerotic risk factors such as
      arterial hypertension, diabetes mellitus, smoking, obesity, and dyslipidemia,
      chronic inflammation contributes to the endothelial dysfunction causing plaque
      formation and there is growing evidence of a significantly higher cardiovascular
      morbidity associated with autoimmune diseases. The endothelium reacts to several
      endogenous and exogenous stimuli, through surface receptors and intracellular
      signalling, and releases numerous vasoactive substances, including endothelins,
      prostacyclins, and nitric oxide (NO). Chronic inflammatory rheumatic diseases are
      commonly associated with decreased endothelial NO production, vascular damage,
      and premature atherosclerosis. Despite partially eclipsed by pulse wave velocity
      measure in the modern scientific literature, we provide a comprehensive overview
      and critically discuss the available data supporting FMD as a surrogate marker of
      endothelial function and, therefore, its potential role in predicting early
      atherosclerosis in patients with rheumatic diseases.

PMID- 28361182
TI  - Stiffness of Protease Sensitive and Cell Adhesive PEG Hydrogels Promotes
      Neovascularization In Vivo.
AB  - Materials that support the assembly of new vasculature are critical for
      regenerative medicine. Controlling the scaffold's mechanical properties may help
      to optimize neovascularization within implanted biomaterials. However, reducing
      the stiffness of synthetic hydrogels usually requires decreasing polymer
      densities or increasing chain lengths, both of which accelerate degradation. We
      synthesized enzymatically-degradable poly(ethylene glycol) hydrogels with
      compressive moduli from 2 to 18 kPa at constant polymer density, chain length,
      and proteolytic degradability by inserting an allyloxycarbonyl functionality into
      the polymer backbone. This group competes with acrylates during
      photopolymerization to alter the crosslink network structure and reduce the
      hydrogel's stiffness. Hydrogels that incorporated (soft) or lacked (stiff) this
      group were implanted subcutaneously in rats to investigate the role of stiffness
      on host tissue interactions. Changes in tissue integration were quantified after
      4 weeks via the hydrogel area replaced by native tissue (tissue area fraction),
      yielding 0.136 for softer vs. 0.062 for stiffer hydrogels. Including soluble FGF
      2 and PDGF-BB improved these responses to 0.164 and 0.089, respectively. Softer
      gels exhibited greater vascularization with 8.6 microvessels mm-2 compared to
      stiffer gels at 2.4 microvessels mm-2. Growth factors improved this to 11.2 and
      4.9 microvessels mm-2, respectively. Softer hydrogels tended to display more
      sustained responses, promoting neovascularization and tissue integration in
      synthetic scaffolds.

PMID- 28361183
TI  - Handheld Electrical Impedance Myography Probe for Assessing Carpal Tunnel
      Syndrome.
AB  - Electrical impedance myography (EIM) is a novel, noninvasive, and painless
      technique for quantitatively assessing muscle health as well as disease status
      and progression. The preparatory work for commercial adhesive electrodes used in
      previous EIM measurements is tedious, as the electrodes need to be cut,
      repeatedly applied, and removed. Moreover, the electrode distances need to be
      measured many times. To overcome these problems, we developed a convenient and
      practical handheld EIM probe for assessing carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS) in the
      small hand muscles. To reduce the electrode-skin contact impedance (ESCI), the
      micropillared and microholed stainless steel electrodes (SSEs) contained in the
      probe were fabricated using a laser processing technique. When covered with
      saline, these electrodes showed lower ESCIs than a smooth SSE and Ag/AgCl
      electrode. The probe was shown to have excellent test-retest reproducibility in
      both healthy subjects and CTS patients, with intraclass correlation coefficients
      exceeding 0.975. The reactance and phase values of the abductor pollicis brevis
      (affected muscle) for CTS patients were consistently lower than those for healthy
      subjects, with a 50-kHz difference of 37.1% (p < 0.001) and 31.0% (p < 0.001),
      respectively. Further, no significant differences were detected in the case of
      the abductor digiti minimi (unaffected muscle). These results indicate that EIM
      has considerable potential for CTS assessment and hence merits further
      investigation.

PMID- 28361181
TI  - Putting a brake on synaptic vesicle endocytosis.
AB  - In chemical synapses, action potentials evoke synaptic vesicle fusion with the
      presynaptic membrane at the active zone to release neurotransmitter. Synaptic
      vesicle endocytosis (SVE) then follows exocytosis to recapture vesicle proteins
      and lipid components for recycling and the maintenance of membrane homeostasis.
      Therefore, SVE plays an essential role during neurotransmission and is one of the
      most precisely regulated biological processes. Four modes of SVE have been
      characterized and both positive and negative regulators have been identified.
      However, our understanding of SVE regulation remains unclear, especially the
      identity of negative regulators and their mechanisms of action. Here, we review
      the current knowledge of proteins that function as inhibitors of SVE and their
      modes of action in different forms of endocytosis. We also propose possible
      physiological roles of such negative regulation. We believe that a better
      understanding of SVE regulation, especially the inhibitory mechanisms, will shed
      light on neurotransmission in health and disease.

PMID- 28361184
TI  - Impact of Fiber Structure on the Material Stability and Rupture Mechanisms of
      Coronary Atherosclerotic Plaques.
AB  - The rupture of an atherosclerotic plaque in the coronary circulation remains the
      main cause of heart attack. As a fiber-oriented structure, the fiber structure,
      in particular in the fibrous cap (FC), may affect both loading and material
      strength in the plaque. However, the role of fiber orientation and dispersion in
      plaque rupture is unclear. Local orientation and dispersion of fibers were
      calculated for the shoulder regions, mid FC, and regions with intimal thickening
      (IT) from histological images of 16 human coronary atherosclerotic lesions.
      Finite element analysis was performed to assess the effect of these properties on
      mechanical conditions. Fibers in shoulder regions had markedly reduced alignment
      (Median [interquartile range] 12.9 degrees  [6.6, 18.0], p < 0.05) compared with
      those in mid FC (6.1 degrees  [5.5, 9.0]) and IT regions (6.7 degrees  [5.1,
      8.6]). Fiber dispersion was highest in shoulders (0.150 [0.121, 0.192]),
      intermediate in IT (0.119 [0.103, 0.144]), and lowest in mid FC regions (0.093
      [0.081, 0.105], p < 0.05). When anisotropic properties were considered, stresses
      were significantly higher for the mid FC (p = 0.030) and IT regions (p = 0.002)
      and no difference was found for the shoulder or global regions. Shear (sliding)
      stress between fibers in each region and their proportion of maximum principal
      stress were: shoulder (25.8 kPa [17.1, 41.2], 12.4%), mid FC (13.9 kPa [5.8,
      29.6], 13.8%), and IT (36.5 kPa [25.9, 47.3], 15.5%). Fiber structure within the
      FC has a marked effect on principal stresses, resulting in considerable shear
      stress between fibers. Fiber structure including orientation and dispersion may
      determine mechanical strength and thus rupture of atherosclerotic plaques.

PMID- 28361186
TI  - Soret coefficient of the n-dodecane-n-hexane binary mixture under high pressure.
AB  - In the present work, the Soret coefficient has been determined at high pressure
      for a binary hydrocarbon mixture by combining the thermogravitational column and
      the dynamic near-field imaging techniques. The analyzed mixture is an iso-massic
      n -dodecane-n -hexane mixture at 298.15K. The molecular diffusion coefficient has
      been measured up to 20MPa by means of the dynamic analysis of the light scattered
      by non-equilibrium concentration fluctuations. With a cylindrical
      thermogravitational column the thermodiffusion coefficient was determined from
      0.1MPa to 10MPa. Density, as well as, mass expansion and thermal expansion have
      been measured with a high pressure densimeter. Dynamic viscosity at up to 20MPa
      has been determined with a high pressure viscometer. This work shows the
      decreasing tendency of both the molecular diffusion and the thermodiffusion
      coefficient with increasing pressure.

PMID- 28361185
TI  - Assessment of pharmacokinetics for microvessel proliferation by DCE-MRI for early
      detection of physeal bone bridge formation in an animal model.
AB  - OBJECTIVES: Bone bridge formation occurs after physeal lesions and can lead to
      growth arrest if not reversed. Previous investigations on the underlying
      mechanisms of this formation used histological methods. Therefore, this study
      aimed to apply a minimally invasive method using dynamic contrast-enhanced MRI
      (DCE-MRI). MATERIALS AND METHODS: Changes in functional parameters related to the
      microvessel system were assessed in a longitudinal study of a cohort of an animal
      model applying a reference region model. The development of morphology of the
      injured physis was investigated with 3D high-resolution MRI. To acquire
      complementary information for MRI-related findings qRT-PCR and
      immunohistochemical data were acquired for a second cohort of the animal model.
      RESULTS: The evaluation of the pharmacokinetic parameters showed a first rise of
      the transfer coefficient 7 days post-lesion and a maximum 42 days after
      operation. The analysis of the complementary data showed a connection of the
      first rise to microvessel proliferation while the maximum value was linked to
      bone remodeling. CONCLUSION: The pharmacokinetic analysis of DCE-MRI provides
      information on a proliferation of microvessels during the healing process as a
      sign for bone bridge formation. Thereby, DCE-MRI could identify details, which up
      to now required analyses of highly invasive methods.

PMID- 28361187
TI  - Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAHs) in Exposed-Lawn Soils from 28 Urban Parks
      in the Megacity Guangzhou: Occurrence, Sources, and Human Health Implications.
AB  - Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in urban soils may pose a serious threat
      to human health via oral ingestion, dermal absorption, and particulate
      inhalation, especially in public parks and playgrounds, with children and senior
      citizens showing the highest susceptibility. Several studies have been undertaken
      identifying PAHs in urban soils, but no studies to date have assessed PAHs in
      urban parks, in particular in exposed-lawn soils. In recent decades,
      unprecedented rates of urbanization and industrialization in China have resulted
      in significant levels of urban environmental pollution. However, concentrations,
      sources, and the health risk associated with PAH exposure via urban park lawn
      soils in China remain unknown. The concentrations, sources, and health risk of
      exposure to 16 PAHs in surface-exposed lawn soils were studied in 28 urban parks
      in Guangzhou. Concentrations of Sigma16PAHs ranged from 76.44 to 890.85 ng/g with
      a mean of 286.11 ng/g. PAH composition was mostly characterized by 2- and 4-ring
      PAHs in most sampling parks; Nap, Flua, Pyr, Phe, and Chr were the dominant
      constituents. Principle component analysis coupled with multivariate linear
      regression indicated that vehicular and coal combustion emissions contributed to
      50.53 and 49.46% of PAHs in Guangzhou's urban park soils, respectively. Total
      cancer risk (TCR) analysis found that 22 parks (accounting for 78.57% total
      parks) designed for children's use and general-use park areas presented a
      potentially high risk (>1 * 10-4) for all users.

PMID- 28361188
TI  - Evaluating tumor response with FDG PET: updates on PERCIST, comparison with EORTC
      criteria and clues to future developments.
AB  - Eighteen years ago, the EORTC PET criteria standardized for the first time
      response assessment by FDG PET. Response assessment by FDG PET has been further
      developed and refined by PERCIST (PET response criteria in solid tumors). This
      review describes the data underlying these two systems for assessing tumor
      response on FDG PET/CT. It also summarizes recent clinical studies that have
      compared EORTC criteria and PERCIST with each other as well as with the
      anatomically based "response criteria in solid tumors" (RECIST). These studies
      have shown that response assessment by EORTC criteria and PERCIST leads to very
      similar response classifications. In contrast, there are significant differences
      between response assessment by PERCIST and RECIST. Preliminary data also suggest
      that response assessment by PERCIST is better correlated with patient outcome and
      may be a better predictor for the effectiveness of new anti-cancer therapies than
      RECIST. If correct, this could have a significant impact on oncologic drug
      development. However, confirmation of the better predictive value of response
      assessment by PERCIST by data from randomized trials is still lacking.

PMID- 28361189
TI  - Personalized 177Lu-octreotate peptide receptor radionuclide therapy of
      neuroendocrine tumours: a simulation study.
AB  - PURPOSE: Peptide receptor radionuclide therapy (PRRT) with 177Lu-octreotate is
      commonly administered at empiric, fixed amounts of injected radioactivity (IA).
      This results in highly variable absorbed doses to critical organs and suboptimal
      treatment of most patients. The primary aims of this study were to design a
      personalized PRRT (P-PRRT) protocol based on dosimetry, and to perform a
      simulation of this protocol in a retrospective cohort of patients with
      neuroendocrine tumours, in order to assess the potential of P-PRRT to safely
      increase the absorbed dose to the tumour during a four-cycle induction course.
      METHODS: Thirty-six patients underwent 122 fixed-IA 177Lu-octreotate PRRT cycles
      with quantitative SPECT/CT-based dosimetry. Twenty-two patients completed a four
      cycle induction course (29.6 +/- 2.4 GBq cumulative IA), with kidney, bone marrow
      and maximum tumour absorbed doses of 16.2 +/- 5.5, 1.3 +/- 0.8, and 114 +/- 66
      Gy, respectively. We simulated a P-PRRT regime in which the renal absorbed dose
      per IA was predicted by the body surface area and glomerular filtration rate for
      the first cycle, and by renal dosimetry of the previous cycle(s) for the
      following cycles. Personalized IA was adjusted at each cycle in order to reach
      the prescribed renal absorbed dose of 23 Gy over four cycles (with a 25-50%
      reduction when renal or bone marrow function was impaired). Simulated IA and
      absorbed doses were based on actual patient characteristics, laboratory values
      and absorbed doses per IA delivered at each cycle. RESULTS: In the P-PRRT regime,
      cumulative IA could have been increased to 43.7 +/- 16.5 GBq over four induction
      cycles (10.9 +/- 5.0 GBq per cycle), yielding cumulative kidney, bone marrow and
      maximum tumour absorbed doses of 21.5 +/- 2.5, 1.63 +/- 0.61, and 163.4 +/- 85.9
      Gy, respectively. This resulted in an average 1.48-fold increase in cumulative
      maximum tumour absorbed dose over empiric PRRT (range, 0.68-2.64-fold; P =
      0.0013). CONCLUSION: By standardizing the renal absorbed dose delivered during
      the induction course, P-PRRT has the potential to significantly increase tumour
      absorbed dose, thus to augment the therapeutic benefit while limiting toxicity.

PMID- 28361190
TI  - [The fibrous skeleton of the hand : Changes with Dupuytren's contracture].
AB  - The exact knowledge of the anatomy of the fibrous skeleton of the hand is an
      absolute prerequisite for any treatment of Dupuytren's disease. The fibrous
      skeleton does not only include the palmar aponeurosis, but also numerous
      retinacula cutis, which are not found in current anatomy books. Here, eponyms
      facilitate the otherwise difficult and over-pronounced names of the fiber
      systems. Skoog, Legueu and Juvara, Gosset, Grapow, Grayson, Cleland, Thomine, and
      Barton are the most important. This systematic review of the fibers and strands
      is designed to help reduce iatrogenic complications.

PMID- 28361192
TI  - [Malalignment of the first ray : Clinical and radiological diagnostics].
AB  - Clinical and radiological examination of the foot are mandatory before surgical
      correction of the forefoot. The clinical examination includes leg axis, position
      of the hind foot, deformity of the first ray as well as skin conditions, pulse
      status and possible sensitive deficits. A shortening of the gastrocnemius muscle
      can be identified using the Silfverskiold test. Discomfort in the midfoot can
      indicate pathologies of the tarsometatarsal joint and the same applies for
      osteophyte infiltration around the Lisfranc joint line, whereby the second
      tarsometatarsal joint often shows more advanced degenerative arthritis than the
      first tarsometatarsal joint. Callosities under the second and third metatarsal
      heads correlate with a faulty load transmission of the first ray. A limitation of
      the range of movement of the first metatarsophalangeal joint is usually
      associated with degenerative arthritis in X-ray imaging. Under weight bearing, X
      rays of the foot in two planes represent the standard imaging examination. In
      addition to the intermetatarsal angle, the hallux valgus angle and the
      interphalangeal angle as well as the width of the first metatarsal bone influence
      the therapy decision. The same applies to degenerative changes or an obvious
      instability of the first tarsometatarsal joint. In many cases, initial signs of
      degenerative arthritis can be found in the metatarsophalangeal joint and around
      the sesamoid bones, although these often do not correlate to clinical symptoms.

PMID- 28361191
TI  - [Bone void fillers in osteotomies : If, when, and which type?]
AB  - Medial opening wedge high tibial osteotomy (HTO) is an established procedure for
      treating medial osteoarthritis of the knee. In order to achieve the desired
      amount of correction, the osteotomy gap is opened, which creates a bone void in
      the medial aspect of the proximal tibia. The resulting bone void can either be
      left alone or be addressed by interposing a variety of different bone void
      fillers. Autologous and allogenic fillers can be distinguished from synthetic
      materials. Up to now, few studies have dealt with the usefulness and necessity
      for bone void fillers in HTO. The following article provides an overview on the
      currently used bone void fillers, their specific advantages and disadvantages and
      their influence on clinical and radiographic outcome after HTO.

PMID- 28361193
TI  - Return to sports and work after partial shoulder replacement surgery.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Shoulder hemiarthroplasty is a particularly attractive treatment
      option in young active patients, where revision surgery is an issue and a glenoid
      replacement might be necessary in the long run. These patients often ask about
      the possibility of returning to sport and work after surgery. OBJECTIVE: The
      purpose of this investigation was to analyze whether patients undergoing shoulder
      hemiarthroplasty (HSA) are able to successfully return to sports activities and
      work after surgery. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This study included 42 patients
      treated with HSA. Two subgroups were built: patients who had participated in
      sports less than 5 years prior to surgery (group A: n = 29, 69%) and those who
      had not done so (group B: n = 13, 31%). Evaluation was based on a questionnaire
      asking about types of sports, frequency of sports activity, and the time taken to
      return to sports and work, as well as about limitations in occupational life.
      RESULTS: Patients' mean age at the time of surgery was 56.3 +/- 12.7 years in
      group A and 66.9 +/- 13.8 years in group B. Mean follow-up was 5.5 years (range
      2.5-12 years). In group A, 18 patients (62%) had participated in sports up to the
      time of surgery and 12 (41%) had returned to the same level of sports activity at
      final follow-up. The rate of return to preoperative sports activity was 67%.
      Swimming was one of the most favorable sports (92%). Of the cohort patients, 2
      (5%) had to change their profession due to surgery. Most patients were retired at
      follow-up. CONCLUSION: Patients who were sportingly active prior to HSA were able
      to return to sports after surgery in 67% of cases. This study confirms that
      patients treated by hemiarthroplasty of the shoulder joint can return to sports
      and work, even at medium-term follow-up.

PMID- 28361194
TI  - [Lapidus arthrodesis].
AB  - The tarso-metatarsal 1 joint (TMT-I) arthrodesis is a treatment option or
      moderate to severe hallux valgus (HV) deformities. Instability of the TMT1 joint
      is still a debatable indication. Using stable osteosynthesis techniques allows
      early postoperative weight bearing. Plantar plating combined with a lag screw is
      the biomechanical most stable construct. An additional intermetatarsal screw can
      improve the horizontal stability. Clinical results are good and radiological
      parameters stay constant, even in the long term.

PMID- 28361195
TI  - Percutaneous Image-Guided Cryoablation as Second-Line Therapy of Soft-Tissue
      Venous Vascular Malformations of Extremities: A Prospective Study of Safety and 6
      Month Efficacy.
AB  - PURPOSE: To report the safety and short-term efficacy of percutaneous image
      guided cryoablation performed as second-line therapy of venous vascular
      malformations (VVM) of extremities. MATERIALS AND METHODS: In this non-blinded,
      no-randomized trial, cryoablation was proposed in 14 patients presenting with
      symptomatic VVM for recurrences after treatment. Eligibility criteria were:
      cryoablation feasible, localization at least 5 mm from skin and nerves, absence
      of contra-indication for anesthesia. Safety was evaluated by the common
      terminology criteria for adverse events (AE). Clinical response was assessed by
      evaluating pain at day 7, month 2 and 6 using visual analog scale; quality of
      life before cryoablation and at 2 and 6 months after using questionnaire.
      Evolution of volume was evaluated by MRI at 6 months. Comparison was performed
      using the Wilcoxon test. RESULTS: A technical success was observed in all cases.
      While 11 patients (78.6%) presented AE (13 grade 1-2 and 3 grade 3), only two
      severe AE (grade 3) related to cryoablation occurred in two patients (14.3%)
      during the 6-month follow-up: one immediate sciatic paralysis and one delayed
      paresthesia. A clinical response was observed in 12 patients (85.7%) at 6 months.
      Pain decreased significantly from 42.5 +/- 14.2 mm before the intervention to
      11.8 +/- 17.9 mm at 6 months (P = 0.002). A significant decrease in the mean
      volume from 12.8 +/- 14.3 to 3 +/- 2.7 cm3 was observed at 6 months (P = 0.002).
      CONCLUSION: Percutaneous cryoablation is a promising alternative treatment for
      sclerotherapy-resistant venous malformations. However, to improve safety, careful
      patient selection and treatment planning will be mandatory.

PMID- 28361196
TI  - Gender Identity Disparities in Bathroom Safety and Wellbeing among High School
      Students.
AB  - By examining the relationship between trans identity, bathroom safety and
      wellbeing among high school students, this article empirically investigates how
      educational institutions operate as sites through which gender is negotiated in
      ways that are consequential for trans youth. We draw cross-sectional survey data,
      from a multi-school climate survey (n = 1046) conducted in the Midwestern United
      States, to examine three aspects of high school students' wellbeing: safety at
      school, self-esteem, and grades. The sample included students in 9th-12th grade
      who identified as trans (9.2%) and cisgender (41.2% boys, 49.6% girls), as well
      as LGBQ (21.6%) and heterosexual (78.4%). Most respondents were monoracial white
      (65.8%), monoracial Black (12.4%), and multiracial (14.1%). Using mediation and
      moderation linear regression models, we show that feeling safe using school
      facilities helps to explain widespread inequalities between trans and cisgender
      students. Based on these results, we suggest that in order to address disparities
      in educational outcomes between trans and cisgender students, as well as to
      improve student wellbeing in general, policies and practices need to ensure that
      all students have the right to safely access bathrooms and school facilities.

PMID- 28361197
TI  - Aspirations, Expectations and Delinquency: The Moderating Effect of Impulse
      Control.
AB  - Although prior research finds a robust link between delinquent behavior and
      expectations, or an adolescent's perceived likelihood of obtaining one's future
      goals, fewer studies have evaluated aspirations, or the perceived importance of
      achieving one's goals. In addition, few studies consider how individual traits
      such as impulsivity affect the degree to which expectations and aspirations
      motivate or deter delinquent behavior. We contribute to this body of research by
      evaluating the independent effects of expectations and aspirations, and the
      aspiration-expectation gap (i.e., strain) on delinquent behavior during the year
      following an adolescent's first arrest using a large (N = 1117),
      racially/ethnically diverse sample of male adolescents (46.55% Latino, 35.81%
      Black, 14.95% White, and 2.69% Other race). In addition, we considered how
      impulse control interacts with expectations, aspirations, and strain to motivate
      behavior. Our results indicated that both aspirations, expectations and strain
      uniquely influence criminal behavior. Importantly, aspirations interacted with
      impulse control, such that aspirations affected delinquency only among youth with
      higher impulse control. Our findings suggest that aspirations may only influence
      behavior if youth also have the psychosocial capabilities to consider their
      future aspirations when behaving in the present.

PMID- 28361198
TI  - Peer Influence, Peer Selection and Adolescent Alcohol Use: a Simulation Study
      Using a Dynamic Network Model of Friendship Ties and Alcohol Use.
AB  - While studies suggest that peer influence can in some cases encourage adolescent
      substance use, recent work demonstrates that peer influence may be on average
      protective for cigarette smoking, raising questions about whether this effect
      occurs for other substance use behaviors. Herein, we focus on adolescent
      drinking, which may follow different social dynamics than smoking. We use a data
      calibrated Stochastic Actor-Based (SAB) Model of adolescent friendship tie choice
      and drinking behavior to explore the impact of manipulating the size of peer
      influence and selection effects on drinking in two school-based networks. We
      first fit a SAB Model to data on friendship tie choice and adolescent drinking
      behavior within two large schools (n = 2178 and n = 976) over three time points
      using data from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent to Adult Health. We
      then alter the size of the peer influence and selection parameters with all other
      effects fixed at their estimated values and simulate the social systems forward
      1000 times under varying conditions. Whereas peer selection appears to contribute
      to drinking behavior similarity among adolescents, there is no evidence that it
      leads to higher levels of drinking at the school level. A stronger peer influence
      effect lowers the overall level of drinking in both schools. There are many
      similarities in the patterning of findings between this study of drinking and
      previous work on smoking, suggesting that peer influence and selection may
      function similarly with respect to these substances.

PMID- 28361199
TI  - The #Tamojunto Drug Prevention Program in Brazilian Schools: a Randomized
      Controlled Trial.
AB  - A randomized controlled trial was conducted in 2014 with 7th and 8th grade
      students from 72 public schools in 6 Brazilian cities. This trial aimed to
      evaluate the effects of an adapted European school-based drug prevention program
      Unplugged, called #Tamojunto in Brazil, which was implemented by the Ministry of
      Health as part of public policy. The experimental group (n = 3340) attended 12
      classes in the #Tamojunto program, and the control group (n = 3318) did not
      receive a school prevention program. Baseline data were collected prior to
      program implementation, and follow-up data were collected 9 months later,
      allowing a matching of 4213 adolescents in both waves. The substances examined
      were alcohol, tobacco, marijuana, inhalants, cocaine, and crack. Multilevel
      analyses were used to evaluate the changes in consumption of each drug between
      time points and between groups. The intervention and control groups had similar
      baseline characteristics. The mean age of the adolescents was 12.5 +/- 0.7 years,
      and 51.3% were female. The program seemed to increase alcohol use initiation
      (first alcohol use); students in the experimental group had a 30% increased risk
      of initiating alcohol use during the 9-month follow-up (aRR = 1.30, 95%
      confidence interval (95%CI) 1.13-1.49, p < 0.001) compared to the control group.
      The opposite was found for the first inhalant use: the risk of using inhalants
      for the first time after baseline was lower in the experimental group (aRR =
      0.78, 95%CI 0.63-0.96, p = 0.021) than the control group. The results of the
      #Tamojunto program suggest that the content and lessons regarding alcohol may
      enhance curiosity about its use among adolescents. We suggest a re-evaluation of
      the expansion of the #Tamojunto program in schools while analyzing why the
      program's effects were inconsistent with those of previous European studies.

PMID- 28361200
TI  - Utilization of Liver Microsomes to Estimate Hepatic Intrinsic Clearance of
      Monoamine Oxidase Substrate Drugs in Humans.
AB  - PURPOSE: Monoamine oxidases (MAOs) are non-CYP enzymes that contribute to
      systemic elimination of therapeutic agents, and localized on mitochondrial
      membranes. The aim of the present study was to validate quantitative estimation
      of metabolic clearance of MAO substrate drugs using human liver microsomes
      (HLMs). METHODS: Three MAO substrate drugs, sumatriptan, rizatriptan and
      phenylephrine, as well as four CYP substrates were selected, and their
      disappearance during incubation with HLMs or mitochondria (HLMt) was measured.
      Metabolic clearance (CL) was then calculated from the disappearance curve.
      RESULTS: CL obtained in HLMs for sumatriptan and a typical MAO substrate
      serotonin was correlated with that obtained in HLMt among ten human individual
      livers. Hepatic intrinsic clearance (CLint,vitro) estimated from CL in HLMs was
      14-20 and 2-5 times lower than in vivo hepatic intrinsic clearance (CLint,vivo)
      obtained from literature for MAO and CYP substrates, respectively. Utilization of
      HLMs for quantitatively assessing metabolic clearance of MAO substrates was
      further validated by proteomics approach which has revealed that numerous
      proteins localized on inner and outer membranes of mitochondria were detected in
      both HLMs and HLMt. CONCLUSION: CLint,vitro values of MAO substrate drugs can be
      quantitatively estimated with HLMs and could be used for semi-quantitative
      prediction of CLint,vivo values.

PMID- 28361201
TI  - Swallowing Function After Continuous Neuromuscular Electrical Stimulation of the
      Submandibular Region Evaluated by High-Resolution Manometry.
AB  - Although neuromuscular electrical stimulation (NMES) is increasingly used in
      dysphagia therapy, patient responses to NMES are inconsistent and conflicting
      results have been reported. This, together with a lack of information about the
      effects of NEMS on the swallowing process, has led to an ongoing debate about its
      impact on swallowing function. In order to address this, we set out to (i)
      collect baseline information on the physiological effects of NMES on the complex
      pharyngeal phase of swallowing and (ii) to compare two different stimulation
      protocols. In doing so, we provide information useful for evaluating the
      therapeutic effectiveness of NMES on the swallowing process. In a prospective
      study, 29 healthy participants performed water swallows after receiving
      continuous NMES for 10 min. The stimulus was applied in the submandibular region
      using one of two different stimulation protocols: low-frequency stimulation (LFS)
      and mid-frequency stimulation (MFS). Swallowing parameters of the pharynx and UES
      were measured using high-resolution manometry. Maximum tongue base pressure
      increased by 8.4% following stimulation with the MFS protocol. Changes in UES
      function were not found. LFS stimulation did not result in any significant
      changes in the parameters examined. The MFS protocol enhances tongue base
      retraction during swallowing in healthy volunteers. The magnitude of the effect,
      however, was small, possibly due to the ability of healthy subjects to compensate
      for external influences, such as NMES, and may actually prove to be much greater
      in patients with diminished tongue base retraction. Thus, further studies are
      needed to determine whether a similar effect is also achievable in dysphagic
      patients with impaired bolus propulsion, possibly allowing MFS stimulation of the
      tongue base region to be used as an additional treatment tool.

PMID- 28361203
TI  - Physiotherapy and behavior therapy for the treatment of overactive bladder
      syndrome: a prospective cohort study.
AB  - PURPOSE: To determine the efficacy of physiotherapy and behavior therapy and to
      find specific subgroups of women with overactive bladder syndrome that might gain
      increased benefit from this therapy. METHODS: Women with >=10 micturitions per 24
      h period were included. Six to nine therapy sessions were held within a 14-day
      interval. Efficacy end point was a reduction in micturitions and in episodes of
      nocturia. Secondary outcomes included ICIQ-OAB, ICIQ-OABqol and visual analog
      scales. Follow-up was 6 months. Levene test, Student's t test, Pearson's and
      Spearman's correlations were utilized as well as the Friedman test and a
      multivariable-multilevel model. RESULTS: 32 women were included. Mean age was 51
      +/- 15.9 (years +/- standard deviation, sd). Mean body mass index (BMI) was 24.4
      +/- 4.8 (kg/m2 +/- sd). There was a 22.9% reduction in the number of micturitions
      per 24 h (11.7 +/- 1.6 vs. 9.0 +/- 1.3 p < 0.001), a 21.3% reduction during the
      day (10.3 +/- 1.4 vs. 8.1 +/- 1.1 p < 0.001) and a 34.7% reduction in episodes of
      nocturia (1.5 +/- 1.0 vs. 1.0 +/- 0.8 p = 0.026). Both ICIQ-OAB (8.7 +/- 2.3 vs.
      5.8 +/- 2.7 vs. 6.3 +/- 3.3 p < 0.001) and ICIQ-OABqol (73.4 +/- 25.9 vs. 47.5 +/
      14.5 vs. 47.7 +/- 18.6 p < 0.001) questionnaires as well as VAS (7.5 +/- 1.4 vs.
      4.1 +/- 2.4 vs. 4.2 +/- 2.7 p < 0.001) showed significant improvement persisting
      in the 6-month follow-up. In addition, in a multivariable model controlling for
      age, women who were overactive bladder syndrome therapy naive responded
      significantly better than those who had already been under therapy (p < 0.001).
      CONCLUSIONS: This study shows the efficacy of physiotherapy and behavior therapy
      in women with overactive bladder syndrome with a post-therapy effect especially
      for women with no prior treatment.

PMID- 28361204
TI  - Genetic stability of ectomycorrhizal fungi is not affected by cryopreservation at
      -130  degrees C or cold storage with repeated sub-cultivations over a period of 2
      years.
AB  - Cryopreservation is considered the most reliable method for storage of
      filamentous fungi including ectomycorrhizal (ECM) fungi. A number of studies,
      however, have reported genetic changes in fungus cultures following
      cryopreservation. In the present study, the genetic stability of six ECM fungus
      isolates was analyzed using amplified fragment length polymorphism (AFLP). The
      isolates were preserved for 2 years either by cryopreservation (at -130  degrees
      C) or by storage at 4  degrees C with regular sub-cultivation. A third
      preservation treatment consisting of isolates maintained on Petri dishes at 22-23
      degrees C for 2 years (i.e., without any sub-cultivation) was included and used
      as a control. The differences observed in AFLP patterns between the three
      preservation methods remained within the range of the total error generated by
      the AFLP procedure (6.85%). Therefore, cryopreservation at -130  degrees C and
      cold storage with regular sub-cultivation did not affect the genetic stability of
      the ECM fungus isolates, and both methods can be used for the routine storage of
      ECM fungus isolates over a period of 2 years.

PMID- 28361202
TI  - Swallowing Preparation and Execution: Insights from a Delayed-Response Functional
      Magnetic Resonance Imaging (fMRI) Study.
AB  - The present study sought to elucidate the functional contributions of sub-regions
      of the swallowing neural network in swallowing preparation and swallowing motor
      execution. Seven healthy volunteers participated in a delayed-response, go, no-go
      functional magnetic resonance imaging study involving four semi-randomly ordered
      activation tasks: (i) "prepare to swallow," (ii) "voluntary saliva swallow,"
      (iii) "do not prepare to swallow," and (iv) "do not swallow." Results indicated
      that brain activation was significantly greater during swallowing preparation,
      than during swallowing execution, within the rostral and intermediate anterior
      cingulate cortex bilaterally, premotor cortex (left > right hemisphere),
      pericentral cortex (left > right hemisphere), and within several subcortical
      nuclei including the bilateral thalamus, caudate, and putamen. In contrast,
      activation within the bilateral insula and the left dorsolateral pericentral
      cortex was significantly greater in relation to swallowing execution, compared
      with swallowing preparation. Still other regions, including a more inferior
      ventrolateral pericentral area, and adjoining Brodmann area 43 bilaterally, and
      the supplementary motor area, were activated in relation to both swallowing
      preparation and execution. These findings support the view that the preparation,
      and subsequent execution, of swallowing are mediated by a cascading pattern of
      activity within the sub-regions of the bilateral swallowing neural network.

PMID- 28361206
TI  - Three-dimensional replica of corrected transposition of the great arteries for
      successful heart transplantation.
AB  - A 59-year-old man who had been previously diagnosed with congenitally corrected
      transposition of the great arteries at the age of 35 years became a candidate for
      heart transplantation. At the age of 57 years, he was referred to our hospital
      and underwent implantation of a left ventricular assist device (EVAHEART; Sun
      Medical Technology Research Corp., Suwa City, Japan) because of worsening
      ventricular function and was listed as a heart transplant candidate. A donor
      appeared when the patient was 59 years. A three-dimensional replica was made
      using data from computed tomography angiography. The three-dimensional replica
      was made of soft rubber (crossMedical, Inc., Kyoto, Japan), which enabled the
      surgeons to understand the relationship between the great arteries and chambers.
      After repeated dry laboratories using this replica, the patient underwent
      successful heart transplantation.

PMID- 28361205
TI  - Caspase-Cleaved Cytokeratin 18 Fragment M30 as a Potential Biomarker of
      Macrovascular Invasion in Hepatocellular Carcinoma.
AB  - BACKGROUND AND AIM: Extremely poor prognosis in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC)
      patients with progressing disease was denoted by vascular invasion. Cytokeratin
      18 (CK18) has been shown to be overexpressed in hepatocellular carcinoma so it is
      a valuable tumor marker; however, its role in vascular invasion is still unclear.
      This study aimed to predict CK18 as a predictive marker for macrovascular
      malignant invasion. METHODS: The present study was conducted on three groups of
      patients: group I included 91 HCC patients without macrovascular invasion, group
      II included 34 HCC patients with radiological evidence of vascular invasion, and
      group III included 110 control individuals subdivided into IIIA as healthy blood
      donors and IIIB as post-HCV cirrhotic patients without HCC. RESULTS: ROC curve of
      M30 fragments of CK18 was constructed for discrimination between HCC with and
      without macrovascular invasion. Optimum cutoff value was 304.5 ng/mL (AUC =
      0.997, P < 0.001), sensitivity (100%) and specificity (98.8%). Regression
      analysis was conducted for prediction of macrovascular invasion within HCC
      patients. The following variables: higher levels of AST, M30, bilirubin, and AFP,
      lower levels of serum albumin, larger tumor size, child B score, and multiple
      lesions were associated with vascular invasion in univariate analysis. While in
      multivariate analysis, higher levels of AST and bilirubin and elevated levels of
      M30 and AFP serum were considered independent predictors for macrovascular
      invasion in HCC patients. CONCLUSION: The present study suggests that increased
      M30 fragments of CK18 levels may be useful as a possible marker of early tumor
      invasiveness.

PMID- 28361208
TI  - The use of warmed, humidified CO2 during open abdominal surgery: a modified
      delivery technique.

PMID- 28361207
TI  - Antibody Response to Paramyxoviruses in Paget's Disease of Bone.
AB  - Paget's disease of bone (PDB) is a common skeletal disorder characterised by
      focal abnormalities of increased and disorganised bone turnover. Genetic factors
      play a central role in the pathogenesis of PDB but environmental factors also
      contribute. Measles virus (MV), respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) and canine
      distemper virus (CDV) have all been implicated as potential disease triggers but
      the data are conflicting. Since chronic paramyxovirus infection with measles is
      known to be accompanied by increased production of antiviral antibodies, we have
      analysed circulating concentrations of antibodies to MV, CDV, and RSV as well as
      mumps, rubella and varicella zoster virus (VZV) in 463 patients with PDB and 220
      aged and gender-matched controls. We also studied the relation between viral
      antibody concentrations and various markers of disease severity and extent in 460
      PDB patients. A high proportion of cases and controls tested positive for
      antiviral antibodies but there was no significant difference in circulating
      antibody concentrations between PDB cases and controls for MV, CDV, RSV, rubella
      or VZV. However, mumps virus antibody levels were significantly higher in the PDB
      cases (mean +/- SD = 3.1 +/- 0.84 vs. 2.62 +/- 0.86. p < 0.001). There was no
      association between disease severity and circulating antibody concentrations to
      any of the viruses. In conclusion, we found no evidence to suggest that PDB is
      associated with abnormalities of immune response to measles or other
      paramyxoviruses, although there was evidence of a greater antibody response to
      mumps. The results do not support that hypothesis that PDB is associated with a
      persistent infection with measles or other paramyxoviruses.

PMID- 28361209
TI  - Correlation between clinical symptoms and striatal DAT uptake in patients with
      DLB.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: It is widely known that there is low striatal 123I-FP-CIT dopamine
      transporter-single photon emission tomography (DAT-SPECT) uptake in patients with
      dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB). We assessed the correlation between symptom and
      regional low DAT uptake in the striatum. METHODS: Patients with Alzheimer's
      disease (AD) (n = 95) and patients with DLB (n = 133) who underwent DAT-SPECT
      were enrolled. We examined the correlation between symptoms [cognitive function
      decline, fluctuations, visual hallucinations, parkinsonism, and REM sleep
      behavior disorder (RBD)] and regional striatal DAT uptake in the patients with
      DLB. RESULTS: When comparing the DLB patients with or without fluctuations,
      visual hallucinations, or RBD, there were no significant differences in DAT
      uptake in any regions of the striatum. DLB patients with parkinsonism had
      significantly lower DAT uptake in entire striatum, entire putamen, and anterior
      putamen compared to DLB patients without parkinsonism. Moreover, there was weak
      but significant correlation between severity of parkinsonism and DAT uptake in
      entire regions of the striatum in patients with DLB. There was no significant
      correlation between cognitive function and DAT uptake in any regions of the
      striatum in patients with DLB. CONCLUSIONS: In patients with DLB, only
      parkinsonism is associated with a reduction in striatal DAT uptake.

PMID- 28361212
TI  - Catheter ablation of a left posterior fascicular ventricular tachycardia guided
      by a novel high-resolution multipolar mapping catheter.

PMID- 28361210
TI  - The Treatment of Advanced Thyroid Cancer in the Age of Novel Targeted Therapies.
AB  - Until recently, patients with advanced thyroid cancers had limited options for
      systemic treatment. With the introduction of tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) as
      a promising new class of targeted therapies for thyroid cancer, suddenly patients
      with advanced disease were given new options to extend survival. Guidelines
      worldwide have been updated to include general indications for these newer
      agents, but questions remain regarding which agent(s) to select, when to begin
      treatment, and how long therapy should continue. Additionally, the true impact of
      TKIs on overall survival and quality-of-life in thyroid cancer patients needs
      further clarification. As familiarity with approved agents and longer-term data
      become available, better strategies for implementation of these targeted drugs
      will evolve to optimize benefit for patients living with metastatic disease.

PMID- 28361211
TI  - Efficacy and Safety of Quinolone-Containing Rescue Therapies After the Failure of
      Non-Bismuth Quadruple Treatments for Helicobacter pylori Eradication: Systematic
      Review and Meta-Analysis.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Anti-Helicobacter pylori eradication treatment fails in a significant
      percentage of cases. Although this percentage has been reduced to 5-15% with the
      use of non-bismuth quadruple therapies, limited data exist regarding rescue after
      failure of these treatments. AIM: The aim of this study was to systematically
      review the efficacy and safety of quinolone-containing therapies after the
      failure of non-bismuth quadruple regimens. METHODS: Studies evaluating the
      efficacy of second-line quinolone-containing therapies after the failure of non
      bismuth sequential or concomitant regimens were selected. Efficacy (by intention
      to treat) was analyzed using the inverse variance method; safety data were
      recorded as the occurrence of any adverse event. The risk of bias of each primary
      study was evaluated using the Risk of Bias in Non-randomized Studies-of
      Interventions (ROBINS-I) tool. The quality of the evidence was summarized using
      the Grades of Recommendation, Assessment, Development and Evaluation (GRADE)
      approach. RESULTS: Sixteen studies were included. The 10-day
      levofloxacin/amoxicillin/proton pump inhibitor (PPI) triple therapy (LT) achieved
      eradication rates of 80% (95% CI 71-88). Regarding the
      moxifloxacin/amoxicillin/PPI triple therapy (MT), its efficacy was higher when
      administered for 14 days instead of 7 days (80 vs 63%). Two studies investigated
      the levofloxacin/bismuth-containing quadruple therapies (LBQ) obtaining
      eradication rates over 90%. Safety was similar in all treatments. The sensitivity
      analyses showed that results for LT were robust, but MT had weak evidence.
      CONCLUSIONS: Quinolone-containing triple therapies reported eradication rates
      <=80%, but LBQ therapies showed encouraging rates. However, the strength of the
      evidence was very low. The efficacy of LBQ should be corroborated in more
      studies, and the usefulness of quinolones needs to be evaluated in areas with
      moderate to high bacterial resistances.

PMID- 28361213
TI  - Food addiction as a proxy for eating disorder and obesity severity, trauma
      history, PTSD symptoms, and comorbidity.
AB  - PURPOSE: Food addiction (FA) is a newly defined yet still controversial condition
      that has important etiological, developmental, treatment, prevention, and social
      policy implications. In this review, the case is made that FA (or high scores on
      the Yale Food Addiction Scale) may be used as a proxy measure for a matrix of
      interrelated clinical features, including greater eating disorder severity,
      greater obesity severity, more severe trauma histories, greater symptoms of
      posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), greater psychiatric comorbidity, as well as
      greater medical morbidity and mortality. METHODS: A Medline search was undertaken
      using the following terms: food addiction cross-referenced with eating disorders
      (anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa, binge eating disorder, and binge eating),
      obesity, trauma, posttraumatic stress disorder, and comorbidity. RESULTS: The
      thesis is that the identification and acknowledgment of the concept of FA, when
      integrated into an overall, trauma-focused and transdiagnostic treatment
      approach, are supported and can be useful in understanding clinically the "big
      picture." CONCLUSIONS: Food addiction (FA) may be used as a proxy for (1) bulimic
      eating disorder severity, (2) complex trauma histories, (3) severity of PTSD and
      PTSD symptoms, (4) intensity of psychiatric comorbidity, (5) severity of obesity,
      as well as (6) their combination. Implications for developing treatment
      strategies are discussed. The case for a comprehensive management that requires
      careful attention to medical and psychiatric assessment and integrated care that
      incorporates trauma-focused treatment is made.

PMID- 28361214
TI  - Adolescent pregnancy and eating disorders: a minireview and case report.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Despite the fact that eating disorders (EDs) during pregnancy and
      early child bearing can both individually increase risk to mother and child,
      there is a paucity of research exploring pregnancy in adolescence and concomitant
      EDs. CASE: We report the case of a 16-year-old female with atypical anorexia
      nervosa, who experiences a remission of her ED behavior during pregnancy,
      followed by a severe relapse in the post-partum period. CONCLUSION: In this case,
      pregnancy functioned as a motivator for remission in our patient with concomitant
      ED. Further research is needed to identify risks of EDs in adolescent pregnancy,
      to explore the trajectory of pre-existing EDs during pregnancy and to identify
      effective interventions for prolonging remission into the post-partum period.

PMID- 28361215
TI  - The Categorical Stability of Gambling Motives Among Community-Recruited Gamblers:
      A Longitudinal Assessment.
AB  - Over the past decade, several motivational models have been proposed to explain
      the role of motives in gambling disorder. In the model captured by the four
      factor Gambling Motives Questionnaire Financial (GMQ-F), gamblers are described
      as being primarily motivated to gamble for 'coping', 'enhancement', 'social', and
      'financial' reasons. Although this model has received significant empirical
      support; to date, research assessing the role of motives in gambling disorder has
      been primarily cross-sectional in nature. Thus, the extent to which gambling
      motives remain stable over time has yet to be explored. In the current study, the
      stability versus fluidity of self-assessed gambling motives was investigated
      using the Quinte Longitudinal Study, a longitudinal dataset of gambling behaviour
      collected over 5 years. Gambling motives of 2795 gamblers were examined over all
      five annual assessments. The total proportion of gamblers who stayed in the same
      primary motive category across each of the 5 consecutive assessments was 22%,
      indicating substantial fluidity in category membership. Substantial movement
      between categories was seen for each GMQ-F group, as well as an additional group
      of non-classified motives. Logistic regression analyses suggest that greater
      resistance to gambling fallacies significantly predicted stability between the
      baseline assessment and a follow-up 1 year later, but gambling severity did not.
      Potential limitations in the study design and opportunities for future research
      are discussed.

PMID- 28361216
TI  - Combined hepatic arterial resection in pancreatic resections for locally advanced
      pancreatic cancer.
AB  - PURPOSE: Arterial involvement in advanced pancreatic cancer generally defines
      local unresectability. This study was aimed to evaluate the clinical outcomes of
      combined common hepatic arterial resection with pancreaticoduodenectomy or total
      pancreatectomy in patients with locally advanced pancreatic cancer involving the
      hepatic artery. METHODS: Of 348 patients with pancreatic head cancers who
      underwent surgical resection between June 1999 and September 2015, 21 underwent
      combined common hepatic arterial resection with pancreaticoduodenectomy (17) or
      total pancreatectomy (4). Preoperative common hepatic arterial embolization was
      performed in 12 patients. Preoperative CT findings of hepatic arterial
      involvement, postoperative complications, survival rates, and prognostic factors
      for survival were analyzed. Twenty-one unresectable patients with locally
      advanced pancreatic cancer who underwent laparotomy in this study period were
      selected as the control group. RESULTS: Rates of pathological arterial invasion
      were significantly higher in patients with level III (>1800) CT findings
      (90%,9/10) than in patients with levels I and II (<1800) (27%, 3/11) (p < 0.01).
      No surgical deaths occurred. Survival after surgical resection in all 21 patients
      was 47.6%, 6.6%, and 6.6% at 1, 3, and 5 years, and median survival was 11
      months. The preoperative serum CA19-9 level was a significant prognostic factor
      for overall survival, median survivals were 21.5 and 8.3 months in the low CA19-9
      and high CA19-9 groups, respectively. No significant difference in survival
      between the high-CA19-9 group and the unresectable group was found. CONCLUSIONS:
      Combined common hepatic arterial resection in pancreaticoduodenectomy or total
      pancreatectomy might be feasible with an acceptable rate of surgical
      complications, and may have a beneficial effect on the prognosis only in patients
      with low preoperative serum CA19-9 levels.

PMID- 28361218
TI  - Intramedullary nailing of tibial shaft fractures in the semi-extended position
      using a suprapatellar portal technique.
AB  - Intramedullary nail fixation remains the standard treatment for displaced tibial
      shaft fractures. Establishing an appropriate starting point remains a crucial
      step in the surgical procedure. Tibial nailing using an infrapatellar starting
      point with the knee flexed over a radiolucent triangle has been established as a
      widely-used standard technique. Tibial nail insertion with the knee in the semi
      extended position was introduced with the goal to counteract post-operative
      procurvatum deformities that frequently have been reported as a common problem in
      proximal third tibial shaft fractures. Early reports on tibial nailing in the
      semi-extended position used a knee arthrotomy in order to establish the proximal
      tibial starting point. Recent technological advances have provided the surgical
      community with instrumentation systems that allow for tibial nailing in the semi
      extended position using a suprapatellar portal with nail insertion through the
      patellofemoral joint. Preliminary clinical studies have suggested favorable
      outcomes that can be achieved with this technique. This article provides a
      description of the surgical technique and a review of the currently available
      evidence.

PMID- 28361217
TI  - The push-through total femoral prosthesis offers a functional alternative to
      total femoral replacement: a case series.
AB  - PURPOSE: Oncologic resections or complications of segmental femoral prostheses
      can result in severe bone loss of the femur for which a total femoral prosthesis
      (TFP) is required. This study assesses whether the loss of stability and function
      caused by the loss of muscle attachments can be improved by using a push-through
      total femoral endoprosthesis (PTTF), because it saves parts of the femur and its
      muscle attachments. METHODS: In this retrospective case series, ten patients aged
      25-77 (mean 54) who received a PTTF between 2005 and 2014 were included for
      baseline, complications and survival analysis with a mean follow-up of 5.3 (1.1
      9.6) years. Functional outcome was assessed in six patients using the
      Musculoskeletal Tumor Society (MSTS) score, WHO performance scale, Toronto
      Extremity Salvage Score (TESS), SF36, EQ-5D, NRS pain score, fatigue score and
      satisfaction score. RESULTS: The mean MSTS score was 64% (23-93%). Five patients
      had a WHO performance scale of 1, one patient of 3. Mean TESS was 69% (13-90%).
      SF36 was most notably limited by physical functioning (mean 48), vitality (68)
      and general health (67). NRS score was 1.9, 1.8 and 8.3 for pain, fatigue and
      satisfaction, respectively. There were four failures: two infections (one
      resulting in amputation and one in a minor revision) and two mechanical failures
      (which required one revision to a TFP and one minor revision). Patient survival
      was 100%, limb survival 90%, and prosthesis survival 80%. CONCLUSION: The push
      through total femoral endoprosthesis allows preservation of muscle attachments
      and offers a good alternative to total femoral prostheses.

PMID- 28361219
TI  - Shoulder arthroplasty for locked anterior shoulder dislocation: a role for the
      reversed design.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: Locked anterior shoulder dislocation (LASD) is an uncommon
      condition associated with bone, articular cartilage, and soft tissue damage. In
      selected cases, shoulder arthroplasty (SA) may be the best treatment. The purpose
      of this study was to assess outcomes of SA for LASD. MATERIALS AND METHODS:
      Between 1976 and 2013, 19 SAs [three hemiarthroplasties (HA), seven total
      shoulder arthroplasties (TSA), and nine reverse shoulder arthroplasties (RSA),
      mean age 62 years] were performed for LASD. Shoulders were followed for at least
      two years (range, 2-30 years, mean 7.1). Clinical and radiographic outcomes were
      studied. RESULTS/DISCUSSION: Three SAs required re-operation, two TSAs for early
      redislocation and one HA for late, painful glenoid arthrosis. Four additional
      shoulders (two TSA, two HA) were unstable at most recent follow-up. Pain improved
      from 4.7 to 2.2 (p < 0.0001) out of 5, elevation from 51 to 94 degrees (p =
      0.004), and external rotation from 1 to 34 degrees (p = 0.01). There were two
      excellent, seven satisfactory, and ten unsatisfactory modified Neer ratings.
      Compared to TSA/HA, RSA experienced fewer re-operations (0 vs. 3, hazard ratio,
      2.03*10^-9, p = 0.0844) and instability (0 vs. 6, p = 0.0108). Similar post
      operative pain (p = 0.2192), range of motion (p = 0.2432-0.5299), strength (p =
      0.2099), satisfaction (p = 0.6563), outcomes scores (p = 0.0683-0.0933), and
      complication rate (p = 0.3698) were seen with RSA vs. TSA/HA. CONCLUSIONS: RSA
      for the treatment of chronic LASD provides greater pain relief, and improvement
      in range of motion (ROM) compared to TSA/HA. Anatomic SA is associated with a
      high rate of instability not seen with RSA. Therefore, anatomic SA (TSA/HA) is
      likely not indicated in these difficult circumstances. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: IV.

PMID- 28361220
TI  - Disease severity and treatment requirements in familial inflammatory bowel
      disease.
AB  - PURPOSE: Several studies demonstrate an increased prevalence and concordance of
      inflammatory bowel disease among the relatives of patients. Other studies suggest
      that genetic influence is over-estimated. The aims of this study are to evaluate
      the phenotypic expression and the treatment requirements in familial inflammatory
      bowel disease, to study the relationship between number of relatives and degree
      of kinship with disease severity and to quantify the impact of family aggregation
      compared to other environmental factors. METHODS: Observational analytical study
      of 1211 patients followed in our unit. We analyzed, according to the existence of
      familial association, number and degree of consanguinity, the phenotypic
      expression, complications, extraintestinal manifestations, treatment
      requirements, and mortality. A multivariable analysis considering smoking habits
      and non-steroidal-anti-inflammatory drugs was performed. RESULTS: 14.2% of
      patients had relatives affected. Median age at diagnosis tended to be lower in
      the familial group, 32 vs 29, p = 0.07. In familial ulcerative colitis, there was
      a higher proportion of extraintestinal manifestations: peripheral arthropathy (OR
      = 2.3, p = 0.015) and erythema nodosum (OR = 7.6, p = 0.001). In familial Crohn's
      disease, there were higher treatment requirements: immunomodulators (OR = 1.8, p
      = 0.029); biologics (OR = 1.9, p = 0.011); and surgery (OR = 1.7, p = 0.044). The
      abdominal abscess increased with the number of relatives affected: 5.1%
      (sporadic), 7.0% (one), and 14.3% (two or more), p=0.039. These associations were
      maintained in the multivariate analysis. CONCLUSIONS: Familial aggregation is
      considered a risk factor for more aggressive disease and higher treatment
      requirements, a tendency for earlier onset, more abdominal abscess, and
      extraintestinal manifestations, remaining a risk factor analyzing the influence
      of some environmental factors.

PMID- 28361221
TI  - Eighth edition of AJCC staging for differentiated thyroid cancer: Is stage I
      appropriate for T4/N1b patients aged 45-55 years?

PMID- 28361222
TI  - Philadelphia-Like Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia in Adults.
AB  - PURPOSE OF REVIEW: This study aims to provide an overview of the classification,
      incidence, genomic alterations, and clinical implications of Philadelphia-like
      Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia (Ph-like ALL) in adults. RECENT FINDINGS: Ph-like
      ALL is a high-risk subtype of B cell precursor ALL with characteristic genomic
      alterations in children and adults. A standard approach for diagnosis is missing
      and currently mainly based on gene expression analysis. The incidence is age
      depended and highest in adolescents and younger adults (age 16-39) where 19-28%
      of patients belong to this subtype. Ph-like ALL is associated with persistence of
      minimal residual disease (MRD) and inferior prognosis. Some genomic alterations
      respond to specific treatment approaches and provide hope for tailored therapies.
      Ph-like ALL in adults is an aggressive and high-risk subtype of B cell precursor
      ALL. Without consensus definition, diagnosis is difficult and current
      publications highlight the importance of stringent MRD monitoring to guide risk
      adapted treatment strategies.

PMID- 28361225
TI  - Abdominal imaging ordering patterns by referring provider specialty.
AB  - PURPOSE: Prior work has demonstrated marked growth in the volume of abdominal
      imaging performed by radiologists. However, decisions to pursue imaging are
      largely driven by referring providers. In this study, we take the novel approach
      of investigating abdominal imaging utilization patterns by referring provider
      specialty. METHODS: Data on imaging services were obtained from the 2014 DocGraph
      Medicare Referring Provider Utilization for Procedures (MrPUP) public use file.
      MrPUP contains aggregated transaction data for combinations of unique referring
      provider and service code. Imaging services were classified by modality and body
      region using the Neiman Institute Types of Service (NITOS). Each referring
      provider's specialty was determined using Medicare Physician Compare. Abdominal
      imaging ordering patterns were summarized by referring specialty. RESULTS: The
      final dataset included 5,824,754 abdominal imaging transactions. The most common
      ordering specialties of abdominal imaging were as follows: (1) internal medicine;
      (2) urology; (3) emergency medicine; (4) family practice; and (5)
      gastroenterology. The most common ordering specialties by abdominal imaging
      modality were emergency medicine for CT; gastroenterology for MRI and nuclear
      medicine; and internal medicine for ultrasound and radiography. While numerous
      specialties commonly ordered abdominal radiography and CT, urologists also
      commonly ordered retroperitoneal ultrasound and retrograde urography, and
      gastroenterologists also commonly ordered abdominal ultrasound, abdominal MRI,
      and esophagrams. Internal medicine, family practice, and emergency medicine
      providers ordered a much broader mix of imaging, including many non-abdominal
      imaging examinations. CONCLUSION: Referring specialty abdominal imaging ordering
      patterns are varied but distinct. Awareness of these patterns may facilitate
      focused educational and policy initiatives to improve abdominal imaging
      appropriateness and utilization.

PMID- 28361224
TI  - Immunotherapy for Esophageal Squamous Cell Carcinoma.
AB  - Esophageal squamous cell carcinoma have been frustrating to treat, with slow
      progress made on extending survival. Immunotherapy targeting immune checkpoints,
      T cells, and infiltrating lymphocytes has shown promise in early studies. The
      efficacy of pembrolizumab and nivolumab is encouraging. Anti-chemokine receptors
      and oncolytic viruses are also making headway against these stubborn tumors;
      improved results when immune checkpoint inhibitors are combined with radiation
      therapy are eagerly anticipated. Adoptive T cell therapy and vaccines are also
      under development. The importance of a multidisciplinary approach cannot be
      emphasized enough.

PMID- 28361223
TI  - Emerging Variants of Castration-Resistant Prostate Cancer.
AB  - Metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer (CRPC) is associated with
      substantial clinical, pathologic, and molecular heterogeneity. Most tumors remain
      driven by androgen receptor (AR) signaling, which has clinical implications for
      patient selection for AR-directed approaches. However, histologic and clinical
      resistance phenotypes can emerge after AR inhibition, in which the tumors become
      less dependent on the AR. In this review, we discuss prostate cancer variants
      including neuroendocrine (NEPC) and aggressive variant (AVPC) prostate cancers
      and their clinical implications. Improvements in the understanding of the
      biologic mechanisms and molecular features underlying prostate cancer variants
      may help prognostication and facilitate the development of novel therapeutic
      approaches for subclasses of patient with CRPC.

PMID- 28361226
TI  - Bending percutaneous drainage catheters to facilitate CT-guided insertion using
      curved trocar technique.
AB  - PURPOSE: To assess the safety and efficacy of placing thoraco-abdominal drainage
      catheters under CT-guidance using a curved trocar technique. METHODS: A
      retrospective study of 182 CT/CT-fluoroscopy-guided thoraco-abdominal catheter
      drainages was conducted; half were performed by residents or fellows under the
      supervision of one radiologist (Group 1) and the other half under the supervision
      of 10 other radiologists (Group 2). Group 1 procedures employed a curved catheter
      assembly placed using trocar technique (n = 44) or straight catheters placed with
      Seldinger technique (n = 47). Group 2 procedures employed a straight catheter
      placed using trocar technique (n = 16) or straight catheters placed with
      Seldinger technique (n = 75). Technical success, procedure time, radiation dose
      (CT Dose Index CTDIvol), and adverse events (Common Terminology Criteria for
      Adverse Events, 4.0) were compared between techniques and groups using Student's
      t test, Fisher's exact test or Chi-square analysis. RESULTS: All procedures in
      groups 1 and 2 were technically successful. Mean procedure time for Group 1
      curved trocar technique (28 +/- 8 min) was shorter than groups 1 and 2 Seldinger
      technique (37 +/- 11 min, p = .00002). Mean CTDIvol for Group 1 curved trocar
      technique (107.8 +/- 54.2 mGy) was lower than groups 1 and 2 Seldinger technique
      (136.1 +/- 99.7 mGy, p = 0.032). Adverse event rates for curved trocar, straight
      trocar, and Seldinger techniques were 2.3% (1/44), 0% (0/16), and 3.3% (4/122),
      respectively (p = 1); all were grade 1 or 2, and no catheter malfunctions
      occurred. CONCLUSIONS: The curved catheter trocar technique is a safe and
      effective modification of the standard trocar technique that may facilitate CT
      guided procedures impeded by CT gantry size limitations.

PMID- 28361227
TI  - Light use efficiency of a warm-temperate mixed plantation in north China.
AB  - Light use efficiency (LUE) is one of the important parameters on calculating
      terrestrial gross primary productivity (GPP) and net primary productivity (NPP).
      Based on 5-year (2006-2010) carbon flux and climatic variable data of a mixed
      plantation in north China, the seasonal and interannual variation of LUE was
      investigated and the biophysical controls were examined. Our results show that
      LUE had a distinct seasonal course, and peaked in the vigorous growing season
      with a value of 0.92-1.27 g C MJ-1. During the period of 2006-2010, annual mean
      LUE ranged between 0.54 and 0.62 g C MJ-1, and it was linearly correlated with
      annual GPP. In the growing season, LUE was significantly linked with the water
      availability variables (including monthly mean vapor pressure deficit (VPD),
      precipitation, evaporative fraction (EF), and the ratio of precipitation to
      evapotranspiration (P/ET)) and canopy conductance (g c). However, EF was a better
      estimator of LUE compared with other biophysical variables. LUE decreased with an
      increase of the clearness index (CI), indicating that LUE was higher under cloudy
      sky conditions than that under sunny sky conditions in the mixed plantation.

PMID- 28361228
TI  - Cancer patients' preferences for therapy decisions can be grouped into categories
      and separated by demographic factors.
AB  - PURPOSE: Shared decision-making is based on comparable understanding of decision
      criteria on both sides that requires knowledge about preferences,
      reception/prioritization of benefits and covariates influencing these criteria.
      We addressed identification of cancer patients' preferences for treatment
      decisions and covariates for preference patterns in certain patient cohorts.
      DESIGN: Using preference surveys ordinal ranking of decisional preferences in
      life (PL) and during therapy (PT) were obtained and aggregated by factorial
      analysis. Demographic and clinical data enabled clustering of patient groups
      including non-malignant control group with distinct preference patterns.
      Covariates for these patterns were determined by multivariate ANOVA. RESULTS:
      1777 cancer and 367 non-oncological patients (>=18 years) were evaluable
      (response 56.0%). Patient-reported PT was grouped into distinctive categories:
      immediate treatment effectivity, long-term effects and survival, empathy, easy
      treatment and employability/healing. Gender, parenthood, family status, age and
      educational level mainly determine importance of PL (52.1% variance) and PT
      (55.1% variance) enabling discrimination of specific preference patterns in
      patients: older males, non-single, younger males, non-single female with children
      and young, single patients without children that mainly significantly differed
      from non-cancer patients (p < 0.001). CONCLUSION: Relevance of decisional PL/PT
      appears to be cancer-specific and distinct between cancer patient groups. If
      patients recognize direct social responsibility, immediate treatment effects gain
      importance accompanied by reduced impact of employability, rehabilitation and
      financial security. For young and independent patients empathy has similar impact
      as treatment effects. Consequently, clinical research should consider age
      specific endpoints and distinct decisional preferences to match patients'
      perspective by specific evidence.

PMID- 28361231
TI  - [Infectiology in intensive care medicine].

PMID- 28361229
TI  - Obesity in pediatric kidney transplant recipients and the risks of acute
      rejection, graft loss and death.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Obesity is prevalent in children with chronic kidney disease (CKD),
      but the health consequences of this combination of comorbidities are uncertain.
      The aim of this study was to evaluate the impact of obesity on the outcomes of
      children following kidney transplantation. METHODS: Using data from the ANZDATA
      Registry (1994-2013), we assessed the association between age-appropriate body
      mass index (BMI) at the time of transplantation and the subsequent development of
      acute rejection (within the first 6 months), graft loss and death using adjusted
      Cox proportional hazards models. RESULTS: Included in our analysis were 750
      children ranging in age from 2 to 18 (median age 12) years with a total of 6597
      person-years of follow-up (median follow-up 8.4 years). Overall, at
      transplantation 129 (17.2%) children were classified as being overweight and 61
      (8.1%) as being obese. Of the 750 children, 102 (16.2%) experienced acute
      rejection within the first 6 months of transplantation, 235 (31.3%) lost their
      allograft and 53 (7.1%) died. Compared to children with normal BMI, the adjusted
      hazard ratios (HR) for graft loss in children who were underweight, overweight or
      diagnosed as obese were 1.05 [95% confidence interval (CI) 0.70-1.60], 1.03 (95%
      CI 0.71-1.49) and 1.61 (95% CI 1.05-2.47), respectively. There was no
      statistically significant association between BMI and acute rejection
      [underweight: HR 1.07, 95% CI 0.54-2.09; overweight: HR 1.42, 95% CI 0.86-2.34;
      obese: HR 1.83, 95% CI 0.95-3.51) or patient survival (underweight: HR 1.18, 95%
      CI 0.54-2.58, overweight: HR 0.85, 95% CI 0.38-1.92; obese: HR 0.80, 95% CI 0.25
      2.61). CONCLUSIONS: Over 10 years of follow-up, pediatric transplant recipients
      diagnosed with obesity have a substantially increased risk of allograft failure
      but not acute rejection of the graft or death.

PMID- 28361230
TI  - Acute kidney injury and fluid overload in infants and children after cardiac
      surgery.
AB  - Acute kidney injury is a common and serious complication after congenital heart
      surgery, particularly among infants. This comorbidity has been independently
      associated with adverse outcomes including an increase in mortality.
      Postoperative acute kidney injury has a complex pathophysiology with many risk
      factors, and therefore no single medication or therapy has been demonstrated to
      be effective for treatment or prevention. However, it has been established that
      the associated fluid overload is one of the major determinants of morbidity,
      particularly in infants after cardiac surgery. Therefore, in the absence of an
      intervention to prevent acute kidney injury, much of the effort to improve
      outcomes has focused on treating and preventing fluid overload. Early renal
      replacement therapy, often in the form of peritoneal dialysis, has been shown to
      be safe and beneficial in infants with oliguria after heart surgery. As
      understanding of the pathophysiology of acute kidney injury and the ability to
      confidently diagnose it earlier continues to evolve, it is likely that novel
      preventative and therapeutic interventions will be available in the future.

PMID- 28361233
TI  - RNA Seq analysis for transcriptome profiling in response to classical swine fever
      vaccination in indigenous and crossbred pigs.
AB  - In present investigation, differential expression of transcriptome after
      classical swine fever (CSF) vaccination has been explored at the cellular level
      in crossbred and indigenous (desi) piglets. RNA Sequencing by Expectation
      Maximization (RSEM) package was used to quantify gene expression from RNA
      Sequencing data, and differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were identified using
      EBSeq, DESeq2, and edgeR softwares. After analysis, 5222, 6037, and 6210 common
      DEGs were identified in indigenous post-vaccinated verses pre-vaccinated,
      crossbred post-vaccinated verses pre-vaccinated, and post-vaccinated crossbred
      verses indigenous pigs, respectively. Functional annotation of these DEGs showed
      enrichment of antigen processing-cross presentation, B cell receptor signaling, T
      cell receptor signaling, NF-kappaB signaling, and TNF signaling pathways. The
      interaction network among the immune genes included more number of genes with
      greater connectivity in vaccinated crossbred than the indigenous piglets. Higher
      expression of IRF3, IL1beta, TAP1, CSK, SLA2, SLADM, and NF-kB in crossbred
      piglets in comparison to indigenous explains the better humoral response observed
      in crossbred piglets. Here, we predicted that the processed CSFV antigen through
      the T cell receptor signaling cascade triggers the B cell receptor-signaling
      pathway to finally activate MAPK kinase and NF-kappaB signaling pathways in B
      cell. This activation results in expression of genes/transcription factors that
      lead to B cell ontogeny, auto immunity and immune response through antibody
      production. Further, immunologically important genes were validated by qRT-PCR.

PMID- 28361234
TI  - Aseptic meningitis in relapsing polychondritis: a case report and literature
      review.
AB  - Aseptic meningitis is an extremely rare neurologic complication of relapsing
      polychondritis (RP). We reported a case of a 58-year-old Chinese female with
      intractable headache, puffy ears, pleocytosis, and cranial magnetic resonance
      imaging (MRI) showing thickened and enhanced meninges. She was finally diagnosed
      of aseptic meningitis due to RP after full exclusion of infectious causes. She
      gradually developed neurosensory hearing loss, vertigo, and saddle nose while
      glucocorticosteroid therapy and combined cyclophosphamide could not control her
      headache. Ultimately, cyclosporin A was tried showing a good response. Only 18
      previous cases were found in the literature and the clinical manifestation,
      cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) characteristics, imaging features, and therapy
      considerations of RP-related aseptic meningitis were summarized by reviewing the
      literature. Aseptic meningitis due to RP is a rare condition of undetermined
      pathoetiology. Its diagnosis is primarily based on clinical manifestations
      combined with CSF and MRI examinations plus adequate exclusion of possible
      infections. Corticosteroid is the basic therapy but choice of protocol should be
      individualized.

PMID- 28361236
TI  - Efficient synthesis of tyrosol galactosides by the beta-galactosidase from
      Enterobacter cloacae B5.
AB  - In this work, the beta-galactosidase from Enterobacter cloacae B5 (BgaB5)
      exhibited excellent transglycosylation activity toward tyrosol (p
      hydroxyphenethyl alcohol) when using lactose as the glycosyl donor, generating a
      series of tyrosol glycosides with potential pharmacological properties. The
      effects of substrate concentration, temperature, pH, and reaction time on the
      transglycosylation reaction catalyzed by the enzyme BgaB5 were studied in detail.
      Three tyrosol derivatives were produced in a total high yield of 50.0% when
      incubating the enzyme with 250 mM tyrosol and 1000 mM lactose (pH 7.5) at 50 
      degrees C for 5 min. These derivatives were subsequently purified by column
      chromatography and preparative thin-layer chromatography. MS analysis of the
      purified compounds suggested one monogalactoside (M r 300) and two digalactoside
      derivatives (M r 462). The following NMR analysis further identified them to be p
      hydroxyphenethyl beta-D-galactopyranoside, p-hydroxyphenethyl beta-D-
      galactopyranosyl-(1 -> 3')-beta-D-galactopyranoside, and p-hydroxyphenethyl beta
      D- galactopyranosyl-(1 -> 6')-beta-D-galactopyranoside, respectively. The yield
      of the tyrosol monogalactoside which was known to possess potent bioactivities
      reached 39.4%, higher than other enzymatic yields reported so far. The two
      digalactosides, which were expected to have potential applications for novel drug
      screening and discovery, were artificially obtained with 10.6% yield for the
      first time.

PMID- 28361237
TI  - Valorization of spent oyster mushroom substrate and laccase recovery through
      successive solid state cultivation of Pleurotus, Ganoderma, and Lentinula
      strains.
AB  - Spent mushroom substrate (SMS) of Pleurotus ostreatus was supplemented with wheat
      bran and soybean flour in various proportions to obtain C/N ratios of 10, 20, and
      30, and their effect was evaluated in successive cultivation of Pleurotus
      ostreatus, Pleurotus pulmonarius, Ganoderma adspersum, Ganoderma resinaceum, and
      Lentinula edodes strains with respect to mycelium growth rate, biomass
      concentration, recovery of the enzyme laccase and crude exopolysaccharides, and
      also with additional fruiting body production. All fungi showed the highest
      growth rate on unamended SMS (C/N 30), with G. resinaceum being the fastest
      colonizer (Kr = 9.84 mm day-1), while biomass concentration maximized at C/N 10.
      Moreover, supplementation affected positively laccase activity, with P.
      pulmonarius furnishing the highest value (44,363.22 U g-1) at C/N 20. On the
      contrary, L. edodes growth, fruiting, and laccase secretion were not favored by
      SMS supplementation. Fruiting body formation was promoted at C/N 30 for Ganoderma
      and at C/N 20 for Pleurotus species. Exopolysaccharide production of further
      studied Pleurotus strains was favored at a C/N 20 ratio, at the initial stage of
      SMS colonization. The obtained results support the potential effective
      utilization of supplemented SMS for laccase production from Ganoderma spp. and
      for new fruiting body production of Pleurotus spp.

PMID- 28361235
TI  - DASH diet and change in serum uric acid over time.
AB  - The Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) diet lowers serum uric acid
      (SUA) levels compared to the typical American (control) diet. However, the time
      required for the DASH diet to take effect is unknown. We analyzed data from a
      parallel arm, randomized-controlled trial in pre-hypertensive or hypertensive
      adults (N = 103), comparing the effects of DASH or a control diet on SUA measured
      at 30, 60, and 90 days. Effects were examined overall and within stratified
      subgroups based on baseline SUA status (SUA >=6 mg/dL vs <6 mg/dL). The mean age
      of participants was 51.5 +/- 9.7 years, 55% were women, 75% were black, 42% were
      obese, and 34% had hypertension. Twenty-four of the 103 (23%) participants had a
      baseline SUA >=6 mg/dL. Overall, compared to the control, DASH lowered SUA by 0.5
      mg/dL at 30 and 90 days. Among participants with baseline SUA >=6 mg/dL, DASH
      lowered SUA by 0.8 and 1.0 mg/dL at 30 and 90 days, respectively. These findings
      demonstrate that the DASH diet reduces SUA within 30 days, with a sustained
      effect at 90 days, which is informative for healthcare providers counseling
      patients on time course expectations for uric acid reduction in response to
      dietary modification.

PMID- 28361238
TI  - A novel genetic tool for metabolic optimization of Corynebacterium glutamicum:
      efficient and repetitive chromosomal integration of synthetic promoter-driven
      expression libraries.
AB  - Fine-tuning the expression level of multiple genes is usually pivotal for
      metabolic optimization. We have developed a tool for this purpose for the
      important industrial workhorse Corynebacterium glutamicum that allows for the
      introduction of synthetic promoter-driven expression libraries of arbitrary
      genes. We first devised a method for introducing genetic elements into the
      chromosome repeatedly, relying on site-specific recombinases and the vector pJS31
      serving as the carrier. The pJS31 vector contains a synthetic cassette including
      a phage attachment site attP for integration, a bacterial attachment site attB
      for subsequent integration, a multiple cloning site, and two modified loxP sites
      to facilitate easy removal of undesirable vector elements. Meanwhile, we
      constructed a derivative of the wild-type strain ATCC 13032 carrying an attB site
      in its chromosome (JS34) and demonstrated that pJS31 readily could integrate into
      the attB site in this strain providing expression of the corresponding integrase.
      Subsequent expression of the Cre recombinase promoted recombination between the
      modified loxP sites, resulting in a strain only retaining the target insertions
      and an attB site. To simplify the procedure, non-replicating circular expression
      units for the phage integrase and the Cre recombinase were used. As a showcase,
      we used the tool to construct a battery of strains simultaneously expressing the
      two reporter genes, lacZ (encoding beta-galactosidase) and gusA (encoding beta
      glucuronidase), to arbitrary levels. In principle, an unlimited number of genes,
      whether native, heterologous, or synthetic, can be introduced using the developed
      approach, and this should greatly facilitate metabolic optimization of this
      important platform organism.

PMID- 28361239
TI  - Implications of molecular diversity of chitin and its derivatives.
AB  - Chitin is a long unbranched polysaccharide, made up of beta-1,4-linked N
      acetylglucosamine which forms crystalline fiber-like structure. It is present in
      the fungal cell walls, insect and crustacean cuticles, nematode eggshells, and
      protozoa cyst. We provide a critical appraisal on the chemical modifications of
      chitin and its derivatives in the context of their improved efficacy in medical
      applications without any side effect. Recent advancement in nanobiotechnology has
      helped to synthesize several chitin derivatives having significant biological
      applications. Here, we discuss the molecular diversity of chitin and its
      applications in enzyme immobilization, wound healing, packaging material,
      controlled drug release, biomedical imaging, gene therapy, agriculture,
      biosensor, and cosmetics. Also, we highlighted chitin and its derivatives as an
      antioxidant, antimicrobial agent, anticoagulant material, food additive, and
      hypocholesterolemic agent. We envisage that chitin and chitosan-based
      nanomaterials with their potential applications would augment nanobiotechnology
      and biomedical industries.

PMID- 28361232
TI  - Cancer immunotherapy: how low-level ionizing radiation can play a key role.
AB  - The cancer immunoediting hypothesis assumes that the immune system guards the
      host against the incipient cancer, but also "edits" the immunogenicity of
      surviving neoplastic cells and supports remodeling of tumor microenvironment
      towards an immunosuppressive and pro-neoplastic state. Local irradiation of
      tumors during standard radiotherapy, by killing neoplastic cells and generating
      inflammation, stimulates anti-cancer immunity and/or partially reverses cancer
      promoting immunosuppression. These effects are induced by moderate (0.1-2.0 Gy)
      or high (>2 Gy) doses of ionizing radiation which can also harm normal tissues,
      impede immune functions, and increase the risk of secondary neoplasms. In
      contrast, such complications do not occur with exposures to low doses (<=0.1 Gy
      for acute irradiation or <=0.1 mGy/min dose rate for chronic exposures) of low
      LET ionizing radiation. Furthermore, considerable evidence indicates that such
      low-level radiation (LLR) exposures retard the development of neoplasms in humans
      and experimental animals. Here, we review immunosuppressive mechanisms induced by
      growing tumors as well as immunomodulatory effects of LLR evidently or likely
      associated with cancer-inhibiting outcomes of such exposures. We also offer
      suggestions how LLR may restore and/or stimulate effective anti-tumor immunity
      during the more advanced stages of carcinogenesis. We postulate that, based on
      epidemiological and experimental data amassed over the last few decades, whole-
      or half-body irradiations with LLR should be systematically examined for its
      potential to be a viable immunotherapeutic treatment option for patients with
      systemic cancer.

PMID- 28361240
TI  - [Psychological pain modulation].

PMID- 28361241
TI  - Novel Silicon Phthalocyanines Bearing Triethylene Glycol Groups: Photophysical
      and Photochemical Properties as well as pH-Induced Spectral Behaviour.
AB  - Herein, novel silicon (IV) phthalocyanines peripherally substituted by
      triethylene glycol groups and bearing axial hydroxyl groups were synthesized and
      fully characterized by using different analyses techniques. The photophysical and
      photochemical properties of octa (2a) and tetra (2b) derivatives were
      investigated in DMF and DMSO. The effect of octa or tetra substitution on
      fluorescence quantum yield, singlet oxygen generation and photodegradation were
      examined, and the differences were evaluated regarding their potential efficiency
      in photodynamic therapy (PDT). Their pH-responses were investigated to determine
      the influence of protonation of azomethine nitrogen atoms on singlet oxygen
      generation efficiencies. Dramatic optical changes were observed by protonation of
      azomethine bridges of 2a and 2b. They exhibited signal decrease from pH 4.0 to
      1.0 for 2a (pKa = 2.6) and pH 3.0 to 1.0 for 2b (pKa = 1.8). Besides, the
      compounds exhibited no aggregation tendency, moderate fluorescence quantum yield,
      solubility in common organic solvents, high singlet oxygen quantum yield and high
      photostability in DMF and in DMSO, these favorable properties making them good
      candidates as photosensitizer for PDT.

PMID- 28361242
TI  - Optimal resource allocation enables mathematical exploration of microbial
      metabolic configurations.
AB  - Central to the functioning of any living cell, the metabolic network is a complex
      network of biochemical reactions. It may also be viewed as an elaborate
      production system, integrating a diversity of internal and external signals in
      order to efficiently produce the energy and the biochemical precursors to ensure
      all cellular functions. Even in simple organisms like bacteria, it shows a
      striking level of coordination, adapting to very different growth media.
      Constraint-based models constitute an efficient mathematical framework to compute
      optimal metabolic configurations, at the scale of a whole genome. Combining the
      constraint-based approach "Resource Balance Analysis" with combinatorial
      optimization techniques, we propose a general method to explore these
      configurations, based on the inference of logical rules governing the activation
      of metabolic fluxes in response to diverse extracellular media. Using the concept
      of partial Boolean functions, we notably introduce a novel tractable algorithm to
      infer monotone Boolean functions on a minimal support. Monotonicity seems
      particularly relevant in this context, since the orderliness exhibited by the
      metabolic network's dynamical behavior is expected to give rise to relatively
      simple rules. First results are promising, as the application of the method on
      Bacillus subtilis central carbon metabolism allows to recover known regulations
      as well as to investigate lesser known parts of the global regulatory network.

PMID- 28361243
TI  - Asexual Identity in a New Zealand National Sample: Demographics, Well-Being, and
      Health.
AB  - Academic interest in asexuality has increased in recent years; however, there is
      yet to be a national probability study exploring the correlates of self
      identifying as asexual. Here, we utilized data from the 2014/15 New Zealand
      Attitudes and Values Study. Past research has typically used attraction-based
      measures; however, we asked participants to describe their sexual orientation
      using a self-generated, open-ended item, and 0.4% (n = 44) self-identified as
      asexual. We then compared self-identified asexual participants with a
      heterosexual reference group (n = 11,822) across a large number of demographic,
      psychological, and health variables. Relative to heterosexuals, self-identified
      asexual participants were (1) more likely to be women, and (2) substantially less
      likely to be cisgender, (3) in a serious romantic relationship, or (4) a parent.
      No deleterious mental or physical health effects were associated with asexuality
      when compared to heterosexuality. This study provides the first attempt at
      measuring self-identification as asexual in a national sample and highlights core
      similarities and differences between those who identify as asexual and
      heterosexual.

PMID- 28361244
TI  - Condition-dependent virulence of slow bee paralysis virus in Bombus terrestris:
      are the impacts of honeybee viruses in wild pollinators underestimated?
AB  - Slow bee paralysis virus (SBPV)-previously considered an obligate honeybee
      disease-is now known to be prevalent in bumblebee species. SBPV is highly
      virulent in honeybees in association with Varroa mites, but has been considered
      relatively benign otherwise. However, condition-dependent pathogens can appear
      asymptomatic under good, resource abundant conditions, and negative impacts on
      host fitness may only become apparent when under stressful or resource-limited
      conditions. We tested whether SBPV expresses condition-dependent virulence in its
      bumblebee host, Bombus terrestris, by orally inoculating bees with SBPV and
      recording longevity under satiated and starvation conditions. SBPV infection
      resulted in significant virulence under starvation conditions, with infected bees
      1.6 times more likely to die at any given time point (a median of 2.3 h earlier
      than uninfected bees), whereas there was no effect under satiated conditions.
      This demonstrates clear condition-dependent virulence for SBPV in B. terrestris.
      Infections that appear asymptomatic in non-stressful laboratory assays may
      nevertheless have significant impacts under natural conditions in the wild. For
      multi-host pathogens such as SBPV, the use of sentinel host species in laboratory
      assays may further lead to the underestimation of pathogen impacts on other
      species in nature. In this case the impact of 'honeybee viruses' on wild
      pollinators may be underestimated, with detrimental effects on conservation and
      food security. Our results highlight the importance of multiple assays and
      multiple host species when testing for virulence, in order for laboratory studies
      to accurately inform conservation policy and mitigate disease impacts in wild
      pollinators.

PMID- 28361245
TI  - Detoxification of Sap from Felled Oil Palm Trunks for the Efficient Production of
      Lactic Acid.
AB  - The availability of fermentable sugars in high concentrations in the sap of
      felled oil palm trunks and the thermophilic nature of the recently isolated
      Bacillus coagulans strain 191 were exploited for lactic acid production under non
      sterile conditions. Screening indicated that strain 191 was active toward most
      sugars including sucrose, which is a major component of sap. Strain 191 catalyzed
      a moderate conversion of sap sugars to lactic acid (53%) with a productivity of
      1.56 g/L/h. Pretreatment of oil palm sap (OPS) using alkaline precipitation
      improved the sugar fermentability, providing a lactic acid yield of 92% and
      productivity of 2.64 g/L/h. To better characterize potential inhibitors in the
      sap, phenolic, organic, and mineral compounds were analyzed using non-treated sap
      and saps treated with activated charcoal and alkaline precipitation. Phthalic
      acid, 3,4-dimethoxybenzoic acid, aconitic acid, syringic acid, and ferulic acid
      were reduced in the sap after treatment. High concentrations of Mg, P, K, and Ca
      were also precipitated by the alkaline treatment. These results suggest that
      elimination of excess phenolic and mineral compounds in OPS can improve the
      fermentation yield. OPS, a non-food resource that is readily available in bulk
      quantities from plantation sites, is a promising source for lactic acid
      production.

PMID- 28361246
TI  - Multidrug-resistant Mycoplasma genitalium infections in Europe.
AB  - In Japan and Australia, multidrug-resistant Mycoplasma genitalium infections are
      reported with increasing frequency. Although macrolide-resistant M. genitalium
      strains are common in Europe and North America, fluoroquinolone-resistant strains
      are still exceptional. However, an increase of multidrug-resistant M. genitalium
      in Europe and America is to be expected. The aim of this paper is to increase
      awareness on the rising number of multidrug-resistant M. genitalium strains.
      Here, one of the first cases of infection with a genetically proven multidrug
      resistant M. genitalium strain in Europe is described. The patient was a native
      Dutch 47-year-old male patient with urethritis. Mycoplasma genitalium was
      detected, but treatment failed with azithromycin, doxycycline and moxifloxacin. A
      urogenital sample was used to determine the sequence of the 23S rRNA, gyrA, gyrB
      and parC genes. The sample contained an A2059G single nucleotide polymorphism
      (SNP) in the 23S rRNA gene and an SNP in the parC gene, resulting in an amino
      acid change of Ser83 -> Ile, explaining both azithromycin and moxifloxacin
      treatment failure. The SNPs associated with resistance were probably generated de
      novo, as a link with high-prevalence areas was not established. It is, thus,
      predictable that there is going to be an increase of multidrug-resistant M.
      genitalium strains in Europe. As treatment options for multidrug-resistant M.
      genitalium are limited, the treatment of M. genitalium infections needs to be
      carefully considered in order to limit the rapid increase of resistance to
      macrolides and fluoroquinolones.

PMID- 28361249
TI  - Does trajectory matter? A study looking into the relationship of trajectory with
      target engagement and error accommodation in subthalamic nucleus deep brain
      stimulation.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Deep brain stimulation (DBS) of the subthalamic nucleus (STN) is now
      a key treatment choice for advanced Parkinson's disease. The optimum target area
      within the STN is well established. However, no emphasis on the impact of
      trajectory exists. The ellipsoid shape of the STN and the off-centre traditional
      target point mean that variation in the electrode inclination should affect STN
      engagement. Understanding of this relationship could inform trajectory selection
      during planning by improving STN engagements and margins for error. METHOD: We
      simulated electrode placement at the clinical target through a set of trial
      trajectories. Twelve three-dimensionally reconstructed STNs were created from
      magnetic resonance imaging data of six patients. An appropriate target within
      each STN was then chosen. Each STN was approached through 56 simulated
      trajectories arranged in a grid covering a quadrant of skull around and in front
      of the coronal suture. A subset of 20 viable trajectories was reassessed for
      depth of engagement in each STN whilst approaching the chosen target. RESULTS:
      Group averages for each trajectory are presented as traffic light maps and as an
      overlaid skull mask illustrating recommended electrode entry sites. Trajectories
      under 30 degrees anterior to the bregma and between 10 to 30 degrees off the
      midline accommodated over 2.4 degrees of wobble. A mean engagement of 6 mm was
      possible in half of the subset. The longest engagements are on trajectories which
      saddle the coronal suture, extending to 40 degrees lateral. Microelectrode tracts
      of 14 additional STNs were collated using the above protocol and engagement
      exceeded 5 mm in all central trajectories without capsular side effects,
      suggesting placement away from STN borders. CONCLUSIONS: Trajectory selection
      influences engagement and flexibility to accommodate electrode wobble or brain
      shift whilst approaching a chosen STN target. We recommend having the first trial
      trajectory 20 degrees anterior to the bregma, moving postero-laterally in
      successive trials to balance both error and engagement. When wider margins for
      error are beneficial (e.g. second side during bilateral procedures), trajectories
      nearer the coronal suture and around 25 degrees off the midline are advised.

PMID- 28361248
TI  - Increased risk of critical CBF levels in SAH patients with actual CPP below
      calculated optimal CPP.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Cerebral pressure autoregulation can be quantified with the pressure
      reactivity index (PRx), based on the correlation between blood pressure and
      intracranial pressure. Using PRx optimal cerebral perfusion pressure (CPPopt) can
      be calculated, i.e., the level of CPP where autoregulation functions best. The
      relation between cerebral blood flow (CBF) and CPPopt has not been examined. The
      objective was to assess to which extent CPPopt can be calculated in SAH patients
      and to investigate CPPopt in relation to CBF. METHODS: Retrospective study of
      prospectively collected data. CBF was measured bedside with Xenon-enhanced CT (Xe
      CT). The difference between actual CPP and CPPopt was calculated (CPP?).
      Correlations between CPP? and CBF parameters were calculated with Spearman's rank
      order correlation coefficient (rho). Separate calculations were done using all
      patients (day 0-14 after onset) as well as in two subgroups (day 0-3 and day 4
      14). RESULTS: Eighty-two patients with 145 Xe-CT scans were studied. Automated
      calculation of CPPopt was possible in adjunct to 60% of the Xe-CT scans. Actual
      CPP < CPPopt was associated with higher numbers of low-flow regions (CBF <10
      ml/100 g/min) in both the early phase (day 0-3, n = 39, Spearman's rho = -0.38, p
      = 0.02) and late acute phase of the disease (day 4-14, n = 35, Spearman's rho = 
      0.39, p = 0.02). CPP level per se was not associated with CBF. CONCLUSIONS:
      Calculation of CPPopt is possible in a majority of patients with severe SAH.
      Actual CPP below CPPopt is associated with low CBF.

PMID- 28361247
TI  - The potential curative effect of rebamipide in hepatic ischemia/reperfusion
      injury.
AB  - Rebamipide (Reba), a gastroprotective drug, has signified its hepatoprotective
      activity; however, its possible post-therapeutic intervention in hepatic
      ischemia/reperfusion (I/R) remains elusive. Consequently, the intent of this
      study was to test Reba modulatory effect on nuclear factor (NF)-kappaB signaling
      in hepatic I/R model. Rats were randomized into sham, I/R, Reba 60, and Reba100
      (60 and 100 mg/kg, respectively) groups. Ischemia was induced for 30 min followed
      by 3-day reperfusion to set up a model of partial (70%) warm hepatic ischemia.
      Post-treatment with Reba reduced the serum level of alanine transaminase,
      improved histopathological alterations of the liver, and elevated hepatic
      adenosine triphosphate. It also lowered hepatic lipid peroxides and increased
      both total antioxidant capacity and nitric oxide. Besides, Reba decreased tumor
      necrosis factor-alpha, interferon-gamma, intercellular adhesion molecule-1,
      myeloperoxidase, prostaglandin E2, cyclooxygenase-2 expression/content, and
      caspase-3 activity. Reba also upregulated the gene expression/content of sirtuin
      1 (SIRT-1), while it downregulated that of high mobility group box (HMGB)1 and
      reduced the expression/content of NF-kappaB p65/pS536-NF-kappaB and the content
      of pT180/Y182-p38MAPK. Reba provided tenable hepato-therapeutic mechanisms to
      mitigate events concomitant with hepatic I/R via inhibition of NF-kappaB p65 and
      modulation of its influential signals (SIRT-1, HMGB1, p38MAPK) associated with
      its antiinflammatory, antioxidant, and antiapoptotic impacts.

PMID- 28361250
TI  - Influence of Co-57 and CT Transmission Measurements on the Quantification
      Accuracy and Partial Volume Effect of a Small Animal PET Scanner.
AB  - PURPOSE: Non-invasive in vivo positron emission tomography (PET) provides high
      detection sensitivity in the nano- to picomolar range and in addition to other
      advantages, the possibility to absolutely quantify the acquired data. The present
      study focuses on the comparison of transmission data acquired with an X-ray
      computed tomography (CT) scanner or a Co-57 source for the Inveon small animal
      PET scanner (Siemens Healthcare, Knoxville, TN, USA), as well as determines their
      influences on the quantification accuracy and partial volume effect (PVE). A
      special focus included the impact of the performed calibration on the
      quantification accuracy. PROCEDURES: Phantom measurements were carried out to
      determine the quantification accuracy, the influence of the object size on the
      quantification, and the PVE for different sphere sizes, along the field of view
      and for different contrast ratios. RESULTS: An influence of the emission activity
      on the Co-57 transmission measurements was discovered (deviations up to 24.06 %
      measured to true activity), whereas no influence of the emission activity on the
      CT attenuation correction was identified (deviations <3 % for measured to true
      activity). The quantification accuracy was substantially influenced by the
      applied calibration factor and by the object size. The PVE demonstrated a
      dependency on the sphere size, the position within the field of view, the
      reconstruction and correction algorithms and the count statistics. Depending on
      the reconstruction algorithm, only ~30-40 % of the true activity within a small
      sphere could be resolved. The iterative 3D reconstruction algorithms uncovered
      substantially increased recovery values compared to the analytical and 2D
      iterative reconstruction algorithms (up to 70.46 % and 80.82 % recovery for the
      smallest and largest sphere using iterative 3D reconstruction algorithms). The
      transmission measurement (CT or Co-57 source) to correct for attenuation did not
      severely influence the PVE. CONCLUSIONS: The analysis of the quantification
      accuracy and the PVE revealed an influence of the object size, the reconstruction
      algorithm and the applied corrections. Particularly, the influence of the
      emission activity during the transmission measurement performed with a Co-57
      source must be considered. To receive comparable results, also among different
      scanner configurations, standardization of the acquisition (imaging parameters,
      as well as applied reconstruction and correction protocols) is necessary.

PMID- 28361251
TI  - [Singular skin-colored nodule on the trunk of an 18-month-old girl].

PMID- 28361253
TI  - Effects of photoinitiator on electro-optical properties of polymerization-induced
      phase separation blue-phase liquid crystals.
AB  - We have reported polymer-dispersed blue-phase (PDBP) liquid-crystal films via
      polymerization-induced phase separation. PDBP films are prepared by photochemical
      polymerization of curable crosslinking agent, monomer and blue-phase liquid
      crystal under an ultraviolet (UV) light. The influences of photoinitiator and
      weight ratio between monomer/crosslinking agent and blue phase on the electro
      optical properties of PDBP liquid-crystal samples are investigated. The electro
      optical (E-O) properties of PDBP films are determined in the top-down electro
      optical cell. PDBP liquid-crystal films show good E-O properties with high
      contrast ratio and fast response time.

PMID- 28361252
TI  - [Single center analysis of the dermatosurgical patient cohort of a tumor center
      in Germany].
AB  - BACKGROUND: The incidence of skin cancer continues to increase. However, little
      is known about the dermatosurgical characteristics of the patients. PATIENTS AND
      METHODS: In this single center, retrospective study, dermatosurgical reports of
      all patients treated because of basal cell carcinomas (BCC), squamous cell
      carcinomas (SCC), and malignant melanoma (MM) between 2004 and 2013 were
      analyzed. RESULTS: During the observed period, the number of operated BCC rose by
      a factor of 1.86 and the number of MM by a factor of 2.3. In comparison to
      BCC/MM, there was a disproportionately high increase of SCC by a factor of 4.02.
      The average age was 71.5 +/- 13.4 years (minimum: 14 years; maximum: 104 years),
      whereupon a significant increase of male age and a significant decrease of female
      age occurred. Almost 70% of all tumors were located in the head and neck area.
      The nose was most commonly treated. CONCLUSIONS: During the last 10 years, the
      cohort of dermatosurgical patients changed in the tumor center. This should be
      verified in multicenter studies.

PMID- 28361255
TI  - Novel WDR45 mutation causing beta-propeller protein associated neurodegeneration
      (BPAN) in two monozygotic twins.

PMID- 28361254
TI  - Vestibular cognition: the effect of prior belief on vestibular perceptual
      decision making.
AB  - Vestibular cognition is a growing field of interest and relatively little is
      known about the underlying mechanisms. We tested the effect of prior beliefs
      about the relative probability (50:50 vs. 80:20) of motion direction (yaw
      rotation) using a direction discrimination task. We analyzed choices individually
      with a logistic regression model and together with response times using a
      cognitive process model. The results show that self-motion perception is altered
      by prior belief, leading to a shift of the psychometric function, without a loss
      of sensitivity. Hierarchical drift diffusion analysis showed that at the group
      level, prior belief manifests itself as an offset to the drift criterion.
      However, individual model fits revealed that participants vary in how they use
      cognitive information in perceptual decision making. At the individual level, the
      response bias induced by a prior belief resulted either in a change in starting
      point (prior to evidence accumulation) or drift rate (during evidence
      accumulation). Participants incorporate prior belief in a self-motion
      discrimination task, albeit in different ways.

PMID- 28361256
TI  - Computational Approaches and Related Tools to Identify MicroRNAs in a Species: A
      Bird's Eye View.
AB  - MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are a family of non-coding RNAs that play a central role in
      fine-tuning gene expression regulation. Over the past decade, identification and
      annotation of miRNAs have become a major focus in epigenomics research. However,
      detection and characterization of miRNA are challenging due to its small size
      (~22 nucleotide-long) and susceptibility to degradation. The difficulties
      involved in experimental prediction and characterization of miRNA coding genes
      have led to the development of in silico-based approaches. Although several
      algorithms have been developed in recent years, a comprehensive assessment of the
      principles, methodological insights, and estimate of the strengths and weaknesses
      of computational methods are limited. The present review is dealt with the
      detailed methodological insights of different tools used for identifying miRNA
      coding genes falling under four computational approaches. The parameters
      considered in these tools along with their specificity are also delineated.
      Furthermore, the strengths and weaknesses of these four computational approaches,
      and the bioinformatics resources pertaining to target identification, expression
      analysis, regulatory network analysis, and SNP identification are stated in this
      review. The methodological details of miRNA prediction methods and bioinformatics
      resources related to miRNA research in one platform would facilitate the miRNA
      research community to develop efficient tools for uncovering novel miRNAs and
      understanding their role in regulatory networks.

PMID- 28361257
TI  - Induction of anthocyanin in the inner epidermis of red onion leaves by
      environmental stimuli and transient expression of transcription factors.
AB  - KEY MESSAGE: Novel imaging approaches have allowed measurements of the
      anthocyanin induction in onion epidermal cells that can be induced through water
      stress or transient expression of exogenous transcription factors. Environmental
      and genetic mechanisms that allow the normally colourless inner epidermal cells
      of red onion (Allium cepa) bulbs to accumulate anthocyanin were quantified by
      both absorbance ratios and fluorescence. We observed that water-stressing excised
      leaf segments induced anthocyanin formation, and fluorescence indicated that this
      anthocyanin was spectrally similar to the anthocyanin in the outer epidermal
      cells. This environmental induction may require a signal emanating from the leaf
      mesophyll, as induction did not occur in detached epidermal peels. Exogenous
      transcription factors that successfully drive anthocyanin biosynthesis in other
      species were also tested through transient gene expression using particle
      bombardment. Although the petunia R2R3-MYB factor AN2 induced anthocyanin in both
      excised leaves and epidermal peels, several transcription factors including maize
      C1 and Lc inhibited normal anthocyanin development in excised leaves. This
      inhibition may be due to moderate levels of conservation between the exogenous
      transcription factors and endogenous Allium transcription factors. The over
      expressed exogenous transcription factors cannot drive anthocyanin biosynthesis
      themselves, but bind to the endogenous transcription factors and prevent them
      from driving anthocyanin biosynthesis.

PMID- 28361259
TI  - The role of weight teasing and weight bias internalization in psychological
      functioning: a prospective study among school-aged children.
AB  - Weight-related teasing is a widespread phenomenon in childhood, and might foster
      the internalization of weight bias. The goal of this study was to examine the
      role of weight teasing and weight bias internalization as mediators between
      weight status and negative psychological sequelae, such as restrained eating and
      emotional and conduct problems in childhood. Participants included 546 female
      (52%) and 501 (48%) male children aged 7-11 and their parents, who completed
      surveys assessing weight teasing, weight bias internalization, restrained eating
      behaviors, and emotional and conduct problems at two points of measurement,
      approximately 2 years apart. To examine the hypothesized mediation, a prospective
      design using structural equation modeling was applied. As expected, the
      experience of weight teasing and the internalization of weight bias were
      mediators in the relationship between weight status and psychosocial problems.
      This pattern was observed independently of gender or weight status. Our findings
      suggest that the experience of weight teasing and internalization of weight bias
      is more important than weight status in explaining psychological functioning
      among children and indicate a need for appropriate prevention and intervention
      approaches.

PMID- 28361258
TI  - Effects of neonatal excitotoxic lesions in ventral thalamus on social interaction
      in the rat.
AB  - The role of the thalamus in schizophrenia has increasingly been studied in recent
      years. Deficits in the ventral thalamus have been described in only few
      postmortem and neuroimaging studies. We utilised our previously introduced
      neurodevelopmental animal model, the neonatal excitotoxic lesion of the ventral
      thalamus of Sprague-Dawley rats (Wolf et al., Pharmacopsychiatry 43:99-109, 22).
      At postnatal day (PD7), male pubs received bilateral thalamic infusions with
      ibotenic acid (IBA) or artificial cerebrospinal fluid (control). In adulthood,
      social interaction of two animals not familiar to each other was studied by a
      computerised video tracking system. This study displays clear lesion effects on
      social interaction of adult male rats. The significant reduction of total contact
      time and the significant increase in distance between the animals in the IBA
      group compared to controls can be interpreted as social withdrawal modelling a
      negative symptom of schizophrenia. The significant increase of total distance
      travelled in the IBA group can be hypothesised as agitation modelling a positive
      symptom of schizophrenia. Using a triple concept of social interaction, the
      percentage of no social interaction (Non-SI%) was significantly larger, and
      inversely, the percentage of passive social interaction (SI-passive%) was
      significantly smaller in the IBA group when compared to controls. In conclusion,
      on the background of findings in schizophrenic patients, the effects of neonatal
      ventral thalamic IBA lesions in adult male rats support the hypothesis of face
      and construct validity as animal model of schizophrenia.

PMID- 28361260
TI  - Gadolinium retention in the body: what we know and what we can do.
AB  - Gadolinium-based contrast agents (GBCA), widely used in Magnetic Resonance
      Imaging (MRI) for almost 30 years, were recently shown to be deposited in the
      brain and to induce persistent T1 shortening in deep gray matter structures in
      subjects with normal renal function. The aim of the present study is to summarize
      the evidence derived from the rapidly growing scientific literature on Gadolinium
      retention in the brain and in the rest of the body. To this end, the original
      articles that described imaging and pathology findings in humans and animals
      exposed to GBCA were reviewed. The main aspects that emerged were the different
      effects of linear and macrocyclic GBCA on brain MRI appearance, the evidence of
      Gadolinium tissue retention in multiple organs, and the debated issue of the
      possible clinical consequences. Although no adverse health effects have been
      documented so far, updated information about GBCA build-up in the body is
      necessary for health professionals, also in view of the increasing concern in the
      general population. To date, our knowledge about the mechanisms of Gadolinium
      tissue deposition and, above all, its long-term consequences is still largely
      incomplete. However, while official guidelines are eagerly awaited, some advices
      may already be given, to help our radiological daily practice.

PMID- 28361261
TI  - Diabetic brain or retina? Visual psychophysical performance in diabetic patients
      in relation to GABA levels in occipital cortex.
AB  - Visual impairment is one of the most feared complications of Type 2 Diabetes
      Mellitus. Here, we aimed to investigate the role of occipital cortex gamma
      aminobutyric acid (GABA) as a predictor of visual performance in type 2 diabetes.
      18 type 2 diabetes patients were included in a longitudinal prospective one-year
      study, as well as 22 healthy age-matched controls. We collected demographic data,
      HbA1C and used a novel set of visual psychophysical tests addressing color,
      achromatic luminance and speed discrimination in both groups. Psychophysical
      tests underwent dimension reduction with principle component analysis into three
      synthetic variables: speed, achromatic luminance and color discrimination. A MEGA
      PRESS magnetic resonance brain spectroscopy sequence was used to measure
      occipital GABA levels in the type 2 diabetes group. Retinopathy grading and
      retinal microaneurysms counting were performed in the type 2 diabetes group for
      single-armed correlations. Speed discrimination thresholds were significantly
      higher in the type 2 diabetes group in both visits; mean difference (95%
      confidence interval), [0.86 (0.32-1.40) in the first visit, 0.74 (0.04-1.44) in
      the second visit]. GABA from the occipital cortex predicted speed and achromatic
      luminance discrimination thresholds within the same visit (r = 0.54 and 0.52; p =
      0.02 and 0.03, respectively) in type 2 diabetes group. GABA from the occipital
      cortex also predicted speed discrimination thresholds one year later (r = 0.52; p
      = 0.03) in the type 2 diabetes group. Our results suggest that speed
      discrimination is impaired in type 2 diabetes and that occipital cortical GABA is
      a novel predictor of visual psychophysical performance independently from
      retinopathy grade, metabolic control or disease duration in the early stages of
      the disease.

PMID- 28361263
TI  - Serum Biomarkers of Myocardial Remodeling and Coronary Dysfunction in Early
      Stages of Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy in the Young.
AB  - Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) remains the leading cause of sudden cardiac
      death in the young. Early markers for HCM are important to identify individuals
      at risk. The aim of this study was to investigate novel serum biomarkers
      reflecting myocardial remodeling, microfibrosis, and vascular endotheliopathy in
      the early stages of familial HCM in young patients. Twenty-three HCM patients, 16
      HCM-risk individuals, and 66 controls (median 15 years) underwent
      echocardiography and serum analysis for cathepsin S, endostatin, myostatin, type
      I collagen degradation marker (ICTP), matrix metalloproteinase (MMP)-9, vascular
      endothelial growth factor receptor (VEGFR)-1, and vascular and intercellular
      adhesion molecules (VCAM, ICAM). In a subset of the population, global myocardial
      perfusion was performed by magnetic resonance imaging. Cathepsin S (p = 0.0009),
      endostatin (p < 0.0001), MMP-9 (p = 0.008), and VCAM (p = 0.04) were increased in
      the HCM group and correlated to left ventricular mass index and mitral E/e' (p <
      0.01). In the HCM-risk group, myostatin was decreased (p = 0.004), whereas ICAM
      was increased (p = 0.002). Global perfusion was decreased in the HCM group (p <
      0.05) versus controls. Endostatin and mitral E/e' correlated inversely to
      myocardial perfusion (p <= 0.05). This is the first study demonstrating adverse
      changes in biomarkers reflecting myocardial matrix remodeling, microfibrosis, and
      vascular endotheliopathy in early stage of hypertrophic cardiomyopathy in the
      young.

PMID- 28361262
TI  - The interrelationship of metabolic syndrome and neurodegenerative diseases with
      focus on brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF): Kill two birds with one stone.
AB  - The brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) is involved in metabolic syndrome
      (MetS) and neurodegenerative diseases (NDD) like Alzheimer's disease,
      Huntington's disease, Parkinson's disease and depression. If one factor plays an
      essential role in the pathogenesis of two diseases, it can be concluded that
      there might be a common root in these two diseases, as well. This review was
      aimed to highlight the crucial roles of BDNF in the pathogenesis of MetS and NDD
      and to introduce sole prophylactic or therapeutic applications, BDNF gene therapy
      and BDFN administration, in controlling MetS and NDD.

PMID- 28361264
TI  - Social context has differential effects on acquisition of nicotine self
      administration in male and female rats.
AB  - RATIONAL: Smoking typically begins during adolescence or early adulthood in a
      social context, yet the role of social context in animal models is poorly
      understood. OBJECTIVES: The present study examined the effect of social context
      on acquisition of nicotine self-administration. METHODS: Sixty-day-old male and
      female Sprague-Dawley rats were trained to press a lever for nicotine (0.015
      mg/kg, IV) or saline infusions (males only) on a fixed ratio (FR1) schedule of
      reinforcement across nine sessions in duplex chambers that were conjoined with
      either a solid wall or a wall containing wire mesh creating a social context
      between rat dyads (social visual, auditory, and olfactory cues). In a subsequent
      experiment, sex differences and dose-dependent effects of nicotine [0 (saline),
      0.015 or 0.03 mg/kg, IV] were directly compared in rats trained in the isolated
      or social context on a schedule progressing from FR1 to FR3. These rats were
      given 20 sessions followed by 3 extinction sessions. RESULTS: We consistently
      found transient social facilitation of low-dose nicotine self-administration in
      males during the first session. However, across training overall, we found social
      suppression of nicotine intake that was most prominent in females during later
      sessions. CONCLUSIONS: Collectively, these findings suggest that at the age of
      transition from adolescence to adulthood, a social context enhances the initial
      reinforcing effects of nicotine in males, but protects against nicotine intake
      during later sessions especially in females. These findings highlight the
      importance of sex and social context in studying neural mechanisms involved in
      initiation of nicotine use.

PMID- 28361265
TI  - Diversity, Antimicrobial Activity, and Biosynthetic Potential of Cultivable
      Actinomycetes Associated with Lichen Symbiosis.
AB  - Lichens are structured associations of a fungus with a cyanobacteria and/or green
      algae in a symbiotic relationship, which provide specific habitats for diverse
      bacterial communities, including actinomycetes. However, few studies have been
      performed on the phylogenetic relationships and biosynthetic potential of
      actinomycetes across lichen species. In the present study, a total of 213
      actinomycetes strains were isolated from 35 lichen samples (22 lichen genera)
      collected in Yunnan Province, China. 16S rRNA gene sequence analysis revealed an
      unexpected level of diversity among these isolates, which were distributed into
      38 genera, 19 families, and 9 orders within the Actinobacteria phylum. The
      detailed taxa of isolates had no clear relationship to the taxonomic affiliations
      of the associated lichens. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report
      to describe the isolation of Actinophytocola, Angustibacter, Herbiconiux,
      Kibdelosporangium, Kineosporia, Kitasatospora, Nakamurella, Nonomuraea,
      Labedella, Lechevalieria, Lentzea, Schumannella, and Umezawaea species from
      lichens. At least 40 isolates (18.78%) are likely to represent novel
      actinomycetes taxa within 15 genera. In addition, all 213 isolates were tested
      for antimicrobial activity and screened for genes associated with secondary
      metabolite production to evaluate their biosynthetic potential. These results
      demonstrate that the lichens of Yunnan Province represent an extremely rich
      reservoir for the isolation of a significant diversity of actinomycetes,
      including novel species, which are potential source for discovering biologically
      active compounds.

PMID- 28361266
TI  - Genomic Epidemiology and Management of Salmonella in Island Ecosystems Used for
      Takahe Conservation.
AB  - Translocation and isolation of threatened wildlife in new environments may have
      unforeseen consequences on pathogen transmission and evolution in host
      populations. Disease threats associated with intensive conservation management of
      wildlife remain speculative without gaining an understanding of pathogen dynamics
      in meta-populations and how location attributes may determine pathogen
      prevalence. We determined the prevalence and population structure of an
      opportunistic pathogen, Salmonella, in geographically isolated translocated sub
      populations of an endangered New Zealand flightless bird, the takahe (Porphyrio
      hochstetteri). Out of the nine sub-populations tested, Salmonella was only
      isolated from takahe living on one private island. The apparent prevalence of
      Salmonella in takahe on the private island was 32% (95% CI 13-57%), with two
      serotypes, Salmonella Mississippi and Salmonella houtenae 40:gt-, identified.
      Epidemiological investigation of reservoirs on the private island and another
      island occupied by takahe identified environmental and reptile sources of S.
      Mississippi and S. houtenae 40:gt- on the private island. Single nucleotide
      polymorphism analysis of core genomes revealed low-level diversity among isolates
      belonging to the same serotype and little differentiation according to host and
      environmental source. The pattern observed may be representative of transmission
      between sympatric hosts and environmental sources, the presence of a common
      unsampled source, and/or evidence of a recent introduction into the ecosystem.
      This study highlights how genomic epidemiology can be used to ascertain and
      understand disease dynamics to inform the management of disease threats in
      endangered wildlife populations.

PMID- 28361269
TI  - [Drainages in abdominal surgery: (in)dispensable?]
AB  - BACKGROUND: Prophylactic placement of intraperitoneal drains in elective
      abdominal surgery is still subject to scrutiny. OBJECTIVE: Do currently available
      data enable the practice of routine placement of abdominal drainages to be
      abandoned? METHODS: The databases of MEDLINE, PubMed and the Cochrane Library
      were systematically searched for clinical trials concerning the practice of
      routine drainage placement in elective abdominal surgery. The available evidence
      was summarized for cholecystectomy, colorectal surgery, gastrectomy and
      pancreatic surgery, as well as for liver resection. A total of 6 Cochrane reviews
      including 65 randomized controlled trials (RCTs) and 9 retrospective analyses, as
      well as 1 more recent RCT and 3 retrospective analyses that were not included in
      a meta-analysis were reviewed. CONCLUSION: There is evidence that drains should
      not be routinely used in elective abdominal surgery, such as cholecystectomy,
      colorectal resection and gastrectomy. Even for some cases of pancreatic and liver
      resection, there is growing evidence that routine placement of drains is not
      mandatory. In conclusion, there is a need for more prospective randomized
      controlled trials.

PMID- 28361270
TI  - [Lugol's solution for preoperative pretreatment in Grave's disease].

PMID- 28361268
TI  - Resveratrol Attenuates Abeta-Induced Early Hippocampal Neuron Excitability
      Impairment via Recovery of Function of Potassium Channels.
AB  - Alzheimer's disease (AD) is an age-related neurodegenerative disease. Amyloid
      beta (Abeta) is not only the morphological hallmark but also the initiator of the
      pathology process of AD. As a natural compound found in grapes, resveratrol shows
      a protective effect on the pathophysiology of AD, but the underlying mechanism is
      not very clear. This study was to investigate whether resveratrol could attenuate
      Abeta-induced early impairment in hippocampal neuron excitability and the
      underlying mechanism. The excitability and voltage-gated potassium currents were
      examined in rat hippocampal CA1 pyramidal neurons by using whole-cell patch-clamp
      technique. It was found that Abeta25-35 increased the excitability of neurons.
      Resveratrol could reverse the Abeta25-35-induced increase in the frequency of
      repetitive firing and the spike half-width of action potential (AP). Moreover,
      resveratrol can attenuate Abeta25-35-induced decreases in transient potassium
      channel (I A ) and delay rectifier potassium channel (I K(DR)) of neurons. It was
      also found that resveratrol could decline the increase of protein kinase A (PKA)
      and inhibit the activation of PI3K/Akt signaling pathway induced by Abeta25-35.
      The results suggest that resveratrol alleviates Abeta25-35-induced dysfunction in
      hippocampal CA1 pyramidal neurons via recovery of the function of I A and I K(DR)
      by inhibiting the increase of PKA and the activation of PI3K/Akt signaling
      pathway.

PMID- 28361267
TI  - Anti-angiogenesis for cancer revisited: Is there a role for combinations with
      immunotherapy?
AB  - Angiogenesis is defined as the formation of new blood vessels from preexisting
      vessels and has been characterized as an essential process for tumor cell
      proliferation and viability. This has led to the development of pharmacological
      agents for anti-angiogenesis to disrupt the vascular supply and starve tumor of
      nutrients and oxygen, primarily through blockade of VEGF/VEGFR signaling. This
      effort has resulted in 11 anti-VEGF drugs approved for certain advanced cancers,
      alone or in combination with chemotherapy or other targeted therapies. But this
      success had only limited impact on overall survival of cancer patients and rarely
      resulted in durable responses. Given the recent success of immunotherapies,
      combinations of anti-angiogenics with immune checkpoint blockers have become an
      attractive strategy. However, implementing such combinations will require a
      better mechanistic understanding of their interaction. Due to overexpression of
      pro-angiogenic factors in tumors, their vasculature is often tortuous and
      disorganized, with excessively branched leaky vessels. This enhances vascular
      permeability, which in turn is associated with high interstitial fluid pressure,
      and a reduction in blood perfusion and oxygenation. Judicious dosing of anti
      angiogenic treatment can transiently normalize the tumor vasculature by
      decreasing vascular permeability and improving tumor perfusion and blood flow,
      and synergize with immunotherapy in this time window. However, anti-angiogenics
      may also excessively prune tumor vessels in a dose and time-dependent manner,
      which induces hypoxia and immunosuppression, including increased expression of
      the immune checkpoint programmed death receptor ligand (PD-L1). This review
      focuses on revisiting the concept of anti-angiogenesis in combination with
      immunotherapy as a strategy for cancer treatment.

PMID- 28361272
TI  - Sterilization of blow fly eggs, Chrysomya megacephala and Lucilia cuprina,
      (Diptera: Calliphoridae) for maggot debridement therapy application.
AB  - Maggot debridement therapy (MDT) is an application of sterile laboratory-reared
      blow fly larvae to remove necrotic tissue and disinfect wounds for medical
      conditions. For effective application, the blow fly larvae used in the wound
      treatment are required to be in aseptic condition. Here, we report the results of
      a detailed assessment of bacteria and fungi isolated from the eggs of two blow
      fly species, Chrysomya megacephala (F.) and Lucilia cuprina (Wiedemann) before
      and after sterilization by disinfectants Chlorhex-C, povidone-iodine, and sodium
      hypochlorite. We also assess the survival ability of larvae and their sterility
      after the cleansing process. The results indicate that the isolated
      microorganisms from the control group of both the species consisted of 10 species
      of gram-positive bacteria, 21 species of gram-negative bacteria, and 4 species of
      yeast. As for sterility testing, the eggs and the larvae of C. megacephala were
      found to have been completely sterilized after being subjected to thioglycollate
      medium for 5 days, leading to aseptic larvae. By contrast, some microorganisms
      from the bacterial culture were still detected in the L. cuprina larvae treated
      with Chlorhex-C and povidone-iodine. The survival ability of the larvae in both
      the species was not significantly different between the treated and the control
      groups. Due to its high disinfection efficacy in destroying microorganisms in
      both the blow fly eggs, sodium hypochlorite is recommended for preparing sterile
      larvae before using MDT.

PMID- 28361273
TI  - Widespread 5-methylcytosine in the genomes of avian Coccidia and other
      apicomplexan parasites detected by an ELISA-based method.
AB  - To date, little is known about cytosine methylation in the genomic DNA of
      apicomplexan parasites, although it has been confirmed that this important
      epigenetic modification exists in many lower eukaryotes, plants, and animals. In
      the present study, ELISA-based detection demonstrated that low levels of 5
      methylcytosine (5-mC) are present in Eimeria spp., Toxoplasma gondii,
      Cryptosporidium spp., and Neospora caninum. The proportions of 5-mC in genomic
      DNA were 0.18 +/- 0.02% in E tenella sporulated oocysts, 0.19 +/- 0.01% in E.
      tenella second-generation merozoites, 0.22 +/- 0.04% in T. gondii tachyzoites,
      0.28 +/- 0.03% in N. caninum tachyzoites, and 0.06 +/- 0.01, 0.11 +/- 0.01, and
      0.09 +/- 0.01% in C. andersoni, C. baileyi, and C. parvum sporulated oocysts,
      respectively. In addition, we found that the percentages of 5-mC in E. tenella
      varied considerably at different life stages, with sporozoites having the highest
      percentage of 5-mC (0.78 +/- 0.10%). Similar stage differences in 5-mC were also
      found in E. maxima, E. necatrix, and E. acervulina, the levels of 5-mC in their
      sporozoites being 4.3-, 1.8-, 2.5-, and 2.0-fold higher than that of sporulated
      oocysts, respectively (p < 0.01). Furthermore, a total DNA methyltransferase-like
      activity was detected in whole cell extracts prepared from E. tenella
      sporozoites. In conclusion, genomic DNA methylation is present in these
      apicomplexan parasites and may play a role in the stage conversion of Eimeria.

PMID- 28361271
TI  - The Development of Translational Biomarkers as a Tool for Improving the
      Understanding, Diagnosis and Treatment of Chronic Neuropathic Pain.
AB  - Chronic neuropathic pain (CNP) is one of the most significant unmet clinical
      needs in modern medicine. Alongside the lack of effective treatments, there is a
      great deficit in the availability of objective diagnostic methods to reliably
      facilitate an accurate diagnosis. We therefore aimed to determine the feasibility
      of a simple diagnostic test by analysing differentially expressed genes in the
      blood of patients diagnosed with CNP of the lower back and compared to healthy
      human controls. Refinement of microarray expression data was performed using
      correlation analysis with 3900 human 2-colour microarray experiments. Selected
      genes were analysed in the dorsal horn of Sprague-Dawley rats after L5 spinal
      nerve ligation (SNL), using qRT-PCR and ddPCR, to determine possible associations
      with pathophysiological mechanisms underpinning CNP and whether they represent
      translational biomarkers of CNP. We found that of the 15 potential biomarkers
      identified, tissue inhibitor of matrix metalloproteinase-1 (TIMP1) gene
      expression was upregulated in chronic neuropathic lower back pain (CNBP) (p =
      0.0049) which positively correlated (R = 0.68, p = <=0.05) with increased plasma
      TIMP1 levels in this group (p = 0.0433). Moreover, plasma TIMP1 was also
      significantly upregulated in CNBP than chronic inflammatory lower back pain (p =
      0.0272). In the SNL model, upregulation of the Timp1 gene was also observed (p =
      0.0058) alongside a strong trend for the upregulation of melanocortin 1 receptor
      (p = 0.0847). Our data therefore highlights several genes that warrant further
      investigation, and of these, TIMP1 shows the greatest potential as an accessible
      and translational CNP biomarker.

PMID- 28361274
TI  - The patient's experience of primary ciliary dyskinesia: a systematic review.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Primary ciliary dyskinesia (PCD) is a rare genetic disorder
      characterised by progressive sinopulmonary disease, with symptoms starting soon
      after birth. The aim of this study is to critically review, analyse, and
      synthesise the literature in order to understand the experiences of patients with
      primary ciliary dyskinesia (PCD) and the impact on health-related quality of
      life. METHOD: MEDLINE, EBSCO, Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health
      Literature (CINAHL), PsycINFO and EMBASE were searched according to the inclusion
      criteria. A qualitative analysis of 14 studies was conducted. RESULTS: Fourteen
      studies were included in the review, five with qualitative methodologies. Studies
      originated from the UK, USA, Italy, Denmark and Belgium, one study included a
      survey distributed internationally. Significant relationships were found between
      age and worsening of respiratory symptoms, physical, and mental domains of health
      related quality of life, with a greater decline compared with reference
      populations. Variations between the UK and Italy were found for health-related
      quality of life and its correlation with time since diagnosis. PCD was found to
      have a physical impact in all age groups: patients found it difficult to keep up
      with others, and found energy levels were easily depleted compared to family or
      peers. In terms of social impact, symptoms lead to embarrassment and a sense of
      isolation, with patients concealing symptoms and/or their diagnosis. In turn,
      isolation was also linked with the lack of public and medical knowledge. In
      relation to emotional impact, anxiety was reported in a number of qualitative
      studies; patients were anxious about getting sick or when thinking about their
      future health. The burden of treatment and factors influencing adherence were
      also discussed in depth. CONCLUSION: Health-related quality of life decreases
      with age in patients with PCD. For all age groups, PCD was found to greatly
      impact physical, emotional, social functioning, and treatment burden. More
      research is needed on the psychosocial impact of the illness, disease burden and
      its effect on quality of life.

PMID- 28361275
TI  - Effects of spinal stabilization exercises in women with benign joint
      hypermobility syndrome: a randomized controlled trial.
AB  - The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of an 8-week lumbar spinal
      stabilization exercise program on pain, trunk muscle endurance, and postural
      stability in women with benign joint hypermobility syndrome (BJHS). Women with
      BJHS were randomly allocated into exercise (n = 20) and control (n = 18) groups.
      The lumbar spinal stabilization exercise program was carried out 3 days a week
      for 8 weeks. BJHS with Brighton criteria, musculoskeletal pain intensity with
      Visual Analog Scale, trunk muscle endurance with McGill's trunk muscle endurance
      tests, and postural stability as static and dynamic while eyes open and closed
      with Biodex Balance System SD were evaluated. Chi-square test, independent sample
      t test, Mann-Whitney U test, and Wilcoxon test were used for statistical
      analysis. It was shown that most of the patients with BJHS had low back (exercise
      group 40.0%; control group 22.2%) and knee pain (exercise group 15.0%; control
      group 22.2%). After the program, pain intensity, and static and dynamic stability
      scores (eyes closed) decreased, and trunk muscle endurance scores increased in
      the exercise group. There was no difference for all parameters in the control
      group. Pain intensity, trunk muscle endurance, and only dynamic stability (eyes
      open) improved in the exercise group in comparison to the control group. The
      lumbar spinal stabilization exercise program improved pain complaints, postural
      stability, and trunk muscle endurance of women with BJHS. The program can be used
      for general pain relief, trunk muscle weakness, and postural impairment in women
      with BJHS.

PMID- 28361276
TI  - Aplastic anemia in a lung adenocarcinoma patient receiving pemetrexed.
AB  - Pemetrexed (PEM) is an antimetabolite drug that interferes with enzymes involved
      in DNA synthesis and also the folate-dependent metabolic processes necessary for
      DNA replication and homocysteine homeostasis. Continuation maintenance with PEM
      after induction therapy with PEM plus cisplatin has been the standard form of
      first-line chemotherapy for advanced non-squamous non-small cell lung cancer. The
      regimen has a low incidence of bone marrow suppression, and the incidences of
      anemia, leukopenia, neutropenia and thrombocytopenia exceeding grade 3 are less
      than 5%. Here we report a 68-year-old Japanese man with stage IIIB (cT4N3M0) lung
      adenocarcinoma who received 4 cycles of chemotherapy with PEM 500 mg/m2 and
      cisplatin 75 mg/m2 every three weeks, which resulted in a partial response, and
      then continued to receive maintenance PEM monotherapy. After 11 cycles of PEM
      maintenance therapy, the patient's platelet count decreased, and progressed to
      pancytopenia within two months. A bone marrow puncture revealed replacement with
      fatty marrow. As other diseases possibly responsible for pancytopenia were ruled
      out, we diagnosed the patient as having aplastic anemia. This is the first
      reported case of aplastic anemia to have occurred during PEM therapy. Clinicians
      should bear in mind that PEM can potentially trigger severe pancytopenia,
      including aplastic anemia.

PMID- 28361277
TI  - The effect of a dynamic PCL brace on patellofemoral compartment pressures in PCL
      and PCL/PLC-deficient knees.
AB  - BACKGROUND: The natural history of posterior cruciate ligament (PCL) deficiency
      includes the development of arthrosis in the patellofemoral joint (PFJ). The
      purpose of this biomechanical study was to evaluate the hypothesis that dynamic
      bracing reduces PFJ pressures in PCL- and combined PCL/posterolateral corner
      (PLC)-deficient knees. STUDY DESIGN: Controlled Laboratory Study. METHODS: Eight
      fresh frozen cadaveric knees with intact cruciate and collateral ligaments were
      included. PFJ pressures and force were measured using a pressure mapping system
      via a lateral arthrotomy at knee flexion angles of 30 degrees , 60 degrees , 90
      degrees , and 120 degrees  in intact, PCL-deficient, and PCL/PLC-deficient knees
      under a combined quadriceps/hamstrings load of 400 N/200 N. Testing was then
      repeated in PCL- and PCL/PLC-deficient knees after application of a dynamic PCL
      brace. RESULTS: Application of a dynamic PCL brace led to a reduction in peak PFJ
      pressures in PCL-deficient knees. In addition, the brace led to a significant
      reduction in peak pressures in PCL/PLC-deficient knees at 60 degrees , 90 degrees
      , and 120 degrees  of flexion. Application of the dynamic brace also led to a
      reduction in total PFJ force across all flexion angles for both PCL- and PCL/PLC
      deficient knees. CONCLUSION: Dynamic bracing reduces PFJ pressures in PCL- and
      combined PCL/PLC-deficient knees, particularly at high degrees of knee flexion.

PMID- 28361278
TI  - Cost Effectiveness of Gastroprotection with Proton Pump Inhibitors in Older Low
      Dose Acetylsalicylic Acid Users in the Netherlands.
AB  - PURPOSE: The present study aimed to assess the cost effectiveness of concomitant
      proton pump inhibitor (PPI) treatment in low-dose acetylsalicylic acid (LDASA)
      users at risk of upper gastrointestinal (UGI) adverse effects as compared with no
      PPI co-medication with attention to the age-dependent influence of PPI-induced
      adverse effects. METHODS: We used a Markov model to compare the strategy of PPI
      co-medication with no PPI co-medication in older LDASA users at risk of UGI
      adverse effects. As PPIs reduce the risk of UGI bleeding and dyspepsia, these
      risk factors were modelled together with PPI adverse effects for LDASA users 60
      69, 70-79 (base case) and 80 years and older. Incremental cost-utility ratios
      (ICURs) were calculated as cost per quality-adjusted life-year (QALY) gained per
      age category. Furthermore, a budget impact analysis assessed the expected changes
      in expenditure of the Dutch healthcare system following the adoption of PPI co
      treatment in all LDASA users potentially at risk of UGI adverse effects. RESULTS:
      PPI co-treatment of 70- to 79-year-old LDASA users, as compared with no PPI,
      resulted in incremental costs of ?100.51 at incremental effects of 0.007 QALYs
      with an ICUR of ?14,671/QALY. ICURs for 60- to 69-year-old LDASA users were
      ?13,264/QALY and ?64,121/QALY for patients 80 years and older. Initiation of PPI
      co-treatment for all Dutch LDASA users of 60 years and older at risk of UGI
      adverse effects but not prescribed a PPI (19%) would have cost ?1,280,478 in the
      first year (year 2013 values). CONCLUSIONS: PPI co-medication in LDASA users at
      risk of UGI adverse effects is generally cost effective. However, this strategy
      becomes less cost effective with higher age, particularly in patients aged 80
      years and older, mainly due to the increased risks of PPI-induced adverse
      effects.

PMID- 28361279
TI  - Outcomes after hand and upper extremity transplantation.
AB  - Hand and upper extremity transplantation (HUET) has emerged as the most
      frequently performed reconstructive procedure in the burgeoning field of
      vascularized composite allotransplantation (VCA). VCA refers to a form of
      transplant with multiple tissue types that represents a viable treatment option
      for devastating injuries where conventional reconstruction would be unable to
      restore form and function. As hand transplantation becomes increasingly more
      common, discussions on advantages and disadvantages of the procedure seem to
      intensify. Despite encouraging functional outcomes, current immunosuppressive
      regimens with their deleterious side-effect profile remain a major concern for a
      life-changing but not life-saving type of transplant. In addition, a growing
      number of recipients with progressively longer follow-up prompt the need to
      investigate potential long-term sequelae, such as chronic rejection. This review
      will discuss the current state of HUET, summarizing outcome data on graft
      survival, motor and sensory function, as well as immunosuppressive treatment. The
      implications of these findings for VCA in terms of achievements and challenges
      ahead will then be discussed.

PMID- 28361280
TI  - Temporary skin grafts based on hybrid graphene oxide-natural biopolymer
      nanofibers as effective wound healing substitutes: pre-clinical and pathological
      studies in animal models.
AB  - In recent years, temporary skin grafts (TSG) based on natural biopolymers
      modified with carbon nanostructures have received considerable attention for
      wound healing. Developments are required to improve physico-mechanical properties
      of these materials to match to natural skins. Additionally, in-deep pre-clinical
      examinations are necessary to ensure biological performance and toxicity effect
      in vivo. In the present work, we show superior acute-wound healing effect of
      graphene oxide nanosheets embedded in ultrafine biopolymer fibers (60 nm) on
      adult male rats. Nano-fibrous chitosan-based skin grafts crosslinked by Genepin
      with physico-mechanical properties close to natural skins were prepared by
      electrospinning of highly concentrated chitosan- polyvinylpyrrolidone solutions
      containing graphene oxide (GO) nanosheets. No surfactants and organic solvents
      were utilized to ensure high biocompatibility of the fibrous structure. In vitro
      evaluations by human skin fibroblast cells including live and dead assay and MTT
      results show that GO promote cell viability of porous nanofibrous membrane while
      providing enhanced bactericidal capacity. In vivo studies on rat's skin determine
      accelerated healing effect, i.e. a large open wound (1.5 * 1.5 cm2) is fully
      regenerated after 14-day of post operation while healing is observed for sterile
      gauze sponge (as the control). Pathological studies support thick dermis
      formation and complete epithelialization in the presence of 1.5 wt% GO
      nanosheets. Over 99% wound healing occurs after 21 days for the injury covered
      with TSG containing 1.5 wt% GO while this would takes weeks for the control.
      Therefore, the developed materials have a high potential to be used as TSG as pre
      clinical testing has shown.

PMID- 28361281
TI  - Europium-phenolic network coated BaGdF5 nanocomposites for tri-modal computed
      tomography/magnetic resonance/luminescence imaging.
AB  - Multifunctional nanocomposites based on BaGdF5 nanoparticles (NPs) and metal
      phenolic network (MPN) have been engineered as novel contrast agents for
      potential applications in X-ray computed tomography, magnetic resonance and
      luminescence imaging. The BaGdF5@MPN nanocomposites were synthesized at room
      temperature by coating BaGdF5 NPs with europium-phenolic network, which was
      obtained by the coordination of europium (III) with tannic acid (TA). The in
      vitro cytotoxicity assays against HepG2 cells revealed that the BaGdF5@MPN
      nanocomposites presented better cytocompatibility and lower cytotoxity than pure
      BaGdF5 NPs. In addition, vivid red and green luminescence can be observed by
      confocal laser scanning microscope (CLSM) from the BaGdF5@MPN nanocomposites
      laden HepG2 cells under the excitation of UV (390 nm) and visible light (440 nm),
      respectively. The longitudinal relaxivity value (r1) of the nanocomposites was
      2.457 mM-1s-1. Moreover, the nanocomoposites exhibited X-ray computed tomography
      (CT) and T1-weighted magnetic resonance (MR) imaging capacities, and the
      intensities of the enhanced signals of in vitro CT and MR images were
      proportional to the concentrations of the nanocomposites. These results indicated
      that the as-prepared BaGdF5@MPN nanocomposites are promising contrast agents for
      CT/MR/luminescence imaging.

PMID- 28361282
TI  - Prenatal maternal distress seems to be associated with the infant's temperament
      and motor development: an explorative study.
AB  - According to the concept of fetal programming, prenatal distress has long-lasting
      consequences on the offspring's health later in life. The hypothalamic-pituitary
      adrenal axis is considered a mediating system by which maternal distress is
      transferred to the fetus in intrauterine environment. In this longitudinal
      explorative study on 30 mother-child-dyads, reported maternal distress and
      salivary cortisol were collected during pregnancy. Infant temperament, motor and
      cognitive development were assessed at 16 months. Additionally, infant cortisol
      levels throughout the day and in reaction to a psycho-social stressor where
      measured. As expected, infants whose mothers had experienced higher prenatal
      distress expressed a more difficult temperament and lower fine motor development
      at 16 months. No association could be shown between prenatal maternal distress
      and infant salivary cortisol.

PMID- 28361283
TI  - CORR Insights(r): Have the Causes of Revision for Total and Unicompartmental Knee
      Arthroplasties Changed During the Past Two Decades?

PMID- 28361284
TI  - CORR Insights(r): The 2017 ABJS Nicolas Andry Award: Advancing Personalized
      Medicine for Clubfoot Through Translational Research.

PMID- 28361285
TI  - Evaluation of lower limb kinetics during gait, sprint and hop tests before and
      after anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction.
AB  - BACKGROUND: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the functional status prior
      to and at different times after anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction (ACLR),
      and to analyze the changes in the kinetic patterns of the involved and uninvolved
      lower limb during gait, sprint and three hop tests. MATERIALS AND METHODS:
      Seventy-four male patients with an ACL injury were included in the study. All
      patients performed a standardized kinetic protocol including gait, sprint and
      three hop tests (single-leg hop, drop vertical jump and vertical jump tests),
      preoperatively and at 3, 6, and 12 months after ACLR with a semitendinosus
      gracilis tendon autograft. Measurements were performed with two force plates. The
      lower limb symmetry index (LSI) was calculated to determine whether a side-to
      side leg difference was classified as normal (LSI >90%) or abnormal (LSI <90%).
      RESULTS: The LSI presented high values (>90%) at almost all times before and
      after ACLR in gait, sprint and single-leg hop tests (p < 0.005), with a tendency
      to increase postoperatively. A lower LSI was observed (<90%) in tests where both
      extremities were tested simultaneously, such as the drop vertical jump and
      vertical hop tests (p < 0.05). CONCLUSION: We observed a tendency to increase
      symmetry restoration in the kinetics of the involved and uninvolved limb up to
      twelve months after ACLR, especially in those tests, in which, both limbs were
      tested individually (gait analysis, sprint and single-leg hop tests). Therefore,
      the isolation of the involved and uninvolved limb seems to be a critical
      component in the functional rehabilitation and evaluation of patients before and
      after ACLR. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: level III.

PMID- 28361287
TI  - Characteristics of far eastern strains of tick-borne encephalitis virus.
AB  - A comparative study of biological, molecular and genetic characteristics of a
      collection of ten strains of tick-borne encephalitis virus (TBEV) isolated in
      Primorsky Krai before 1960 and stored in a lyophilized state for a prolonged
      period (over 65 years) is presented. The collection includes the Sofjin strain
      isolated from the brain of a fatal case in Primorsky Krai in 1937 and transferred
      to the Scientific Research Institute of Epidemiology and Microbiology
      (Vladivostok) in 1953. All lyophilized viral strains demonstrated great
      preservation and high infectious activity in the model of 2-day-old non-inbred
      mice. Whole-genome sequencing showed that all strains belong to the Far East TBEV
      subtype, comprising three clusters of Sofjin-, Oshima- and Senzhang-like strains.
      We show that SofjinPYB, Sofjin (Vector) and Sofjin-HO strains form a separate
      branch of the phylogenetic tree and are closely related to Khabarovsk-Obor-4, but
      not to the original Sofjin strain. The Sofjin-1953, Sofijin-Chumakov, SofjinKSY
      and SofjinCDC strains are genetically close to each other and can be used as
      reference strains for comparative analysis of the tick-borne encephalitis virus
      population.

PMID- 28361286
TI  - Quasispecies evolution of the prototypical genotype 1 porcine reproductive and
      respiratory syndrome virus early during in vivo infection is rapid and tissue
      specific.
AB  - Porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus (PRRSV) is a major infectious
      threat to the pig industry worldwide. Increasing evidence suggests that
      microevolution within a quasispecies population can give rise to high sequence
      heterogeneity in PRRSV; potentially impacting the pathogenicity of the virus.
      Here, we report on micro-evolutionary events taking place within the viral
      quasispecies population in lung and lymph node 3 days post infection (dpi)
      following experimental in vivo infection with the prototypical Lelystad PRRSV
      (LV). Sequence analysis revealed 16 high frequency single nucleotide variants
      (SNV) or differences from the reference LV genome which are assumed to be
      representative of the consensus inoculum genome. Additionally, 49 other low
      frequency SNVs were also found in the inoculum population. At 3 dpi, a total of 9
      and 10 SNVs of varying frequencies could already be detected in the LV population
      infecting the lung and lymph nodes, respectively. Interestingly, of these, three
      and four novel SNVs emerged independently in the two respective tissues when
      compared to the inoculum. The remaining variants, though already present at lower
      frequencies in the inoculum, were positively selected and their frequency
      increased within the quasispecies population. Hence, we were able to determine
      directly from tissues infected with PRRSV the repertoire of genetic variants
      within the viral quasispecies population. Our data also suggest that
      microevolution of these variants is rapid and some may be tissue-specific.

PMID- 28361288
TI  - Evolution of H5 highly pathogenic avian influenza: sequence data indicate
      stepwise changes in the cleavage site.
AB  - The genetic composition of an H5 subtype hemagglutinin gene quasispecies,
      obtained from ostrich tissues that had been infected with H5 subtype influenza
      virus was analysed using a next generation sequencing approach. The first
      evidence for the reiterative copying of a poly (U) stretch in the connecting
      peptide region in the haemagglutinin cleavage site (HACS) by the viral RNA
      dependent RNA polymerase (RdRp) is provided. Multiple non-consensus species of
      RNA were detected in the infected host, corresponding to likely intermediate
      sequences between the putative low pathogenic precursor nucleotide sequence of
      the H5 influenza strain and the highly pathogenic avian influenza virus gene
      sequence. In silico analysis of the identified RNA sequences predicted that the
      intermediary H5 sequence PQREKRGLF plays an important role in subsequent
      mutational events that relocate the HACS coding region from stable base-paired
      RNA regions to a single-stranded bulge, thereby priming the connecting peptide
      coding region for RdRp slippage.

PMID- 28361289
TI  - Exposure to cold impairs interferon-induced antiviral defense.
AB  - It is commonly believed that exposure to low temperature increases susceptibility
      to viral infection in the human respiratory tract, but a molecular mechanism
      supporting this belief has yet to be discovered. In this study, we investigated
      the effect of low temperature on viral infection and innate defense in cell lines
      from the human respiratory tract and found that interferon-induced antiviral
      responses were impaired at low temperatures. Cells maintained at 25 degrees C and
      33 degrees C expressed lower levels of myxovirus resistance protein 1 (MxA) and
      2'5'-oligoadenylate synthetase 1 (OAS1) mRNAs when compared to cells maintained
      at 37 degrees C after infection by seasonal influenza viruses. Exogenous beta
      interferon treatment reduced the viral replication at 37 degrees C, but not at 25
      degrees C. Our results suggest that the impairment of interferon-induced
      antiviral responses by low temperature is one of several mechanisms that could
      explain an increase in host susceptibility to respiratory viruses after exposure
      to cold temperature.

PMID- 28361291
TI  - Belgian Neurological Society (BNS) and Belgian Dementia Council (BeDeCo) Joint
      Scientific Meeting University of Antwerp, Belgium, December 10th, 2016.

PMID- 28361290
TI  - Efficacy and safety of atazanavir/ritonavir-based antiretroviral therapy for HIV
      1 infected subjects: a systematic review and meta-analysis.
AB  - Atazanavir (ATZ) is a well-tolerated protease inhibitor that can be boosted with
      ritonavir (r) to treat infection with resistant strains of human immunodeficiency
      virus 1 (HIV-1). The aim of this meta-analysis was to compare the efficacy,
      safety, and metabolic effects of ATZ/r regimen versus commonly used
      antiretroviral drugs such as lopinavir (LPV) and darunavir (DRV) in HIV-1
      infected patients. We searched PubMed, Scopus, Embase and Cochrane CENTRAL, using
      relevant keywords. Data were extracted from eligible randomized trials and pooled
      as risk ratios (RR) or standardized mean differences (SMD) in a meta-analysis
      model using RevMan software. Nine randomized controlled trials (RCTs) (3292
      patients) were eligible for the final analysis. After 96 weeks of treatment, the
      pooled effect estimate did not favor either ATZ/r or LPV/r in terms of
      virological failure rate (RR 1.11, 95% CI [0.74, 1.66]). However, ATZ/r was
      marginally superior to LPV/r in terms of increasing the proportion of patients
      with HIV RNA <50 copies/ml (RR 1.09, 95% CI [1.01, 1.17]). The pooled effect
      estimate did not favor ATZ/r over DRV/r regarding the change in plasma levels of
      total cholesterol, triglycerides, or high-density lipoprotein at 24, 48, and 96
      weeks. Moreover, no significant difference was found between the two regimens
      (ATZ/r and DRV/r) in terms of change in visceral (SMD -0.06, 95%CI [-0.33, 0.21])
      or subcutaneous adipose tissue (SMD 0.12, 95% CI [-0.15, 0.39]). The ATZ/r
      regimen was generally as effective and well-tolerated as the LPV/r regimen for
      the treatment of HIV-1 patients. Compared to the DRV/r regimen, ATZ/r has no
      favorable effect on the plasma lipid profile or adipose tissue distribution.

PMID- 28361292
TI  - Evidence of social deprivation on the spatial patterns of excess winter
      mortality.
AB  - OBJECTIVES: The aims of this study are to identify the patterns of excess winter
      mortality (due to diseases of the circulatory system) and to analyse the
      association between the excess winter deaths (EWD) and socio-economic deprivation
      in Portugal. METHODS: The number of EWD in 2002-2011 was estimated by comparing
      the number of deaths in winter months with the average number in non-winter
      months. The EWD ratio of each municipality was calculated by following the
      indirect standardization method and then compared with two deprivation indexes
      (socio-material and housing deprivation index) through ecological regression
      models. RESULTS: This study found that: (1) the EWD ratio showed considerable
      asymmetry in its geography; (2) there are significant positive associations
      between the EWD ratio and both deprivation indexes; and (3) at the higher level
      of deprivation, housing conditions have a stronger association with EWD than
      socio-material conditions. CONCLUSIONS: The significant association between two
      deprivation dimensions (socio-material and housing deprivation) and EWDs suggests
      that EWD geographical pattern is influenced by deprivation.

PMID- 28361295
TI  - Hearing sub-Saharan African voices in bioethics.

PMID- 28361293
TI  - Activation of liver X receptor alpha protects amyloid beta1-40 induced
      inflammatory and senescent responses in human retinal pigment epithelial cells.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: To investigate whether activation of the liver X receptors (LXRs)
      inhibits amyloid beta1-40 (Abeta1-40) induced inflammatory and senescent
      responses in human retinal pigment epithelial (RPE) cells. MATERIALS AND METHODS:
      Confluent cultures of human primary RPE and ARPE-19 cells pretreated with 5 MUMU
      of TO901317 (TO90), a synthetic agonist of LXR, or vehicle were incubated with 1
      MUMU of Abeta1-40 or Abeta40-1. The optimum concentrations of Abeta1-40 and TO90
      were determined by cell viability assay. Pro-inflammatory cytokines IL-6, IL-8,
      MCP-1 were detected by real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and enzyme
      linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Expression and localization of an aging
      protein p16INK4a (p16) were analyzed by western blotting and immunofluorescence.
      Expressions of LXRs and one of their target genes ATP-binding cassette
      transporter A1 (ABCA1) were examined by real-time PCR and western blotting.
      Phosphorylated transcription inhibition factor-kappaB-alpha (p-IkappaB-alpha) was
      assessed by western blotting. RESULTS: A negative linear relationship between the
      Abeta1-40 concentration and the cell viability was evident, indicating Abeta1-40
      decreased ARPE-19 cell viability in a dose-dependent manner. Abeta1-40 enhanced
      the expression of IL-6, IL-8, MCP-1 as well as p16 in both RPE cell lines at both
      mRNA and protein levels, whereas TO90 counteracted the detrimental effects. TO90
      upregulated the expression of LXRalpha and its target gene ABCA1, but it did not
      affect the expression of LXRbeta. Meanwhile, TO90 inhibited the phosphorylation
      of IkappaB-alpha mediated by Abeta1-40 stimulation. CONCLUSION: Activation of the
      LXRalpha-ABCA1 axis may alleviate Abeta1-40 induced inflammatory and senescent
      responses in RPE cells. The beneficial effect appears associated with the
      inhibition of the NF-kappaB signaling pathway.

PMID- 28361294
TI  - Image-based multiscale mechanical modeling shows the importance of structural
      heterogeneity in the human lumbar facet capsular ligament.
AB  - The lumbar facet capsular ligament (FCL) primarily consists of aligned type I
      collagen fibers that are mainly oriented across the joint. The aim of this study
      was to characterize and incorporate in-plane local fiber structure into a
      multiscale finite element model to predict the mechanical response of the FCL
      during in vitro mechanical tests, accounting for the heterogeneity in different
      scales. Characterization was accomplished by using entire-domain polarization
      sensitive optical coherence tomography to measure the fiber structure of
      cadaveric lumbar FCLs ([Formula: see text]). Our imaging results showed that
      fibers in the lumbar FCL have a highly heterogeneous distribution and are neither
      isotropic nor completely aligned. The averaged fiber orientation was [Formula:
      see text] ([Formula: see text] in the inferior region and [Formula: see text] in
      the middle and superior regions), with respect to lateral-medial direction
      (superior-medial to inferior-lateral). These imaging data were used to construct
      heterogeneous structural models, which were then used to predict experimental
      gross force-strain behavior and the strain distribution during equibiaxial and
      strip biaxial tests. For equibiaxial loading, the structural model fit the
      experimental data well but underestimated the lateral-medial forces by [Formula:
      see text]16% on average. We also observed pronounced heterogeneity in the strain
      field, with stretch ratios for different elements along the lateral-medial axis
      of sample typically ranging from about 0.95 to 1.25 during a 12% strip biaxial
      stretch in the lateral-medial direction. This work highlights the multiscale
      structural and mechanical heterogeneity of the lumbar FCL, which is significant
      both in terms of injury prediction and microstructural constituents' (e.g.,
      neurons) behavior.

PMID- 28361296
TI  - Women with homozygous AT deficiency type II heparin-binding site (HBS) are at
      high risk of pregnancy loss and pregnancy complications.
AB  - Data regarding outcome and therapy of pregnancies in patients with homozygous
      antithrombin (AT) deficiency are very rare. We conducted a retrospective,
      descriptive investigation with emphasis on the obstetric history of eight women
      with homozygous AT deficiency heparin-binding site (HBS), who had at least one
      pregnancy. The aim of the study was to get a better insight into the outcome and
      identify suitable management procedures of pregnancy in this rare disease. All
      patients suffered from homozygous AT deficiency caused by the mutation c.391C>T
      p.Leu131Phe in the AT gene (SERPINC1). The women reported in total 23
      pregnancies; one pregnancy was excluded because of induced abortion. We found
      that only seven out of the 22 analyzed pregnancies ended with a live infant, all
      of them were born preterm. Among the 15 negative outcomes, seven were early
      pregnancy losses and eight were intrauterine fetal deaths. We found no clear
      association between treatment protocols and outcome. Eight pregnancies were not
      treated at all; all of them ended with pregnancy loss. We conclude that
      homozygous AT deficiency HBS, a form of severe thrombophilia, is associated with
      high risk of pregnancy loss and preterm delivery. Rigorous anticoagulation and/or
      replacement of AT during pregnancy may improve the outcome.

PMID- 28361297
TI  - Neuropathic pain in patients with sickle cell disease: a cross-sectional study
      assessing teens and young adults.
AB  - Chronic pain conditions are little studied and may be underestimated in sickle
      cell disease (SCD). The aim of this study was to identify the occurrence and
      characteristics of neuropathic pain (NP) in SCD patients. A sample of 56 patients
      was chosen from a total of 554 patients submitted to the inclusion criteria
      between 2015 and 2016. The Leeds assessment of neuropathic symptoms and signs
      scale was used for detecting NP. The groups with and without NP were compared by
      sex, age, use of hydroxyurea, and sensory changes through Chi-square, Fisher's
      exact, ANOVA, and Kruskal-Wallis tests. The average age was 20.6 years (SD +/-
      4.6), 51.8% of the patients were male, and 14 patients (25%) suffered from NP.
      Most commonly, the pain was reported to be in the lower back area (53.6%). Age
      was positively related to NP: the average age in the group with NP was 22.7 years
      (SD +/- 4.1) and in the group without NP was 19.8 years (SD +/- 4.5), p < 0.05.
      Higher rates of NP occurred in patients aged 19 years or older, compared with
      that in teens (p < 0.01). There was a positive association between NP and the use
      of hydroxyurea (p < 0.05). An association was found between NP and sensitive
      neurological changes (p < 0.01). Therefore, screening for NP may result in faster
      and more effective diagnoses and consequently initiate appropriate treatment.

PMID- 28361298
TI  - Multidisciplinary Approach to the Management of Esophageal Malignancies.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: A multidisciplinary approach in the management of complex
      malignancies is becoming more common, and likewise, adopting such an approach to
      the care of patients with locally advanced esophageal is recommended in order to
      optimize clinical outcomes. METHODS: In this review, we discuss both the surgical
      and medical oncology perspectives in the management of patients with locally
      advanced esophageal cancer. We review the data supporting the current standard-of
      care approach, namely trimodality therapy with neoadjuvant chemo-radiotherapy
      followed by surgery. Other aspects of managing these patients including the
      control of dysphagia and pain as well as nutritional support are discussed.
      Finally, we review data that support the importance of incorporating a
      multidisciplinary streamlined approach in the management of these patients.
      RESULTS: Rather than having patients see each provider separately, a
      multidisciplinary approach to esophageal cancer allows for the seamless flow of
      communication and proactive management of the patient's symptoms. These benefits
      include increasing the likelihood of evidence-based decision making, shorter time
      to treatment, and increased patient quality of life, all of which can result in
      improved patient outcomes. CONCLUSION: The use of a multidisciplinary team can
      lead to a more accurate staging paradigm and thereby, better management decisions
      that translate to improved clinical outcomes. Therefore, optimizing the
      multidisciplinary approach for the care of patients with locally advanced
      esophageal cancer is essential for successful and individualized patient care.

PMID- 28361300
TI  - Treatment of chronic hepatitis C genotype 3 with Sofosbuvir-based therpy: a real
      life study.
AB  - BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Recently, Sofosbuvir was launched in India at affordable
      cost. We conducted a real-life study to determine the efficacy and safety of
      Sofosbuvir plus Ribavirin, with and without peginterferon-alfa 2a, in patients
      with chronic hepatitis C (CHC) genotype 3, the commonest genotype in South Asia.
      METHODS: This study included data of CHC patients from 11 sites in northern India
      between March 2015 and December 2015 (n = 1203). Patients with CHC genotype 3 (n
      = 931), who were treated with either Sofosbuvir 400 mg plus weight-based
      Ribavirin, daily *24 weeks (n = 432) (dual therapy), or Peginterferon-alpha2a 180
      mcg weekly, Sofosbuvir 400 mg plus weight-based Ribavirin, daily *12 weeks (n =
      499) (triple therapy) were included for analysis. Primary outcome was the
      proportion of patients achieving sustained viral response at 12 weeks post
      therapy. RESULTS: The overall SVR rates were 91 and 92% in the dual and triple
      therapy arms, respectively. The SVR rates in treatment experienced were 67 and
      74% versus 93 and 96% in naive patients, on the dual and triple therapy arms,
      respectively. The SVR rates of cirrhotics were 73 and 75% on the dual and triple
      treatment arms, respectively. The SVR rates were low in the experienced cirrhotic
      patients: 44% (dual therapy) and 58% (triple therapy). Common adverse events were
      fatigue, headache, and myalgia. CONCLUSION: Both dual and triple therapy regimes
      resulted in SVR rates of >95% in CHC genotype 3 who were naive non-cirrhotics.
      However, the SVR rates were low in treatment-experienced cirrhotics.

PMID- 28361301
TI  - Anoxic and Oxic Oxidation of Rocks Containing Fe(II)Mg-Silicates and Fe(II)
      Monosulfides as Source of Fe(III)-Minerals and Hydrogen. Geobiotropy.
AB  - In this article, anoxic and oxic hydrolyses of rocks containing Fe (II) Mg
      silicates and Fe (II)-monosulfides are analyzed at 25  degrees C and 250-350 
      degrees C. A table of the products is drawn. It is shown that magnetite and
      hydrogen can be produced during low-temperature (25  degrees C) anoxic
      hydrolysis/oxidation of ferrous silicates and during high-temperature (250 
      degrees C) anoxic hydrolysis/oxidation of ferrous monosulfides. The high-T (350 
      degrees C) anoxic hydrolysis of ferrous silicates leads mainly to ferric
      oxides/hydroxides such as the hydroxide ferric trihydroxide, the oxide hydroxide
      goethite/lepidocrocite and the oxide hematite, and to Fe(III)-phyllosilicates.
      Magnetite is not a primary product. While the low-T (25  degrees C) anoxic
      hydrolysis of ferrous monosulfides leads to pyrite. Thermodynamic functions are
      calculated for elementary reactions of hydrolysis and carbonation of olivine and
      pyroxene and E-pH diagrams are analyzed. It is shown that the hydrolysis of the
      iron endmember is endothermic and can proceed within the exothermic hydrolysis of
      the magnesium endmember and also within the exothermic reactions of carbonations.
      The distinction between three products of the iron hydrolysis, magnetite,
      goethite and hematite is determined with E-pH diagrams. The hydrolysis/oxidation
      of the sulfides mackinawite/troilite/pyrrhotite is highly endothermic but can
      proceed within the heat produced by the exothermic hydrolyses and carbonations of
      ferromagnesian silicates and also by other sources such as magma, hydrothermal
      sources, impacts. These theoretical results are confirmed by the products
      observed in several related laboratory experiments. The case of radiolyzed water
      is studied. It is shown that magnetite and ferric oxides/hydroxides such as
      ferric trihydroxide, goethite/lepidocrocite and hematite are formed in oxic
      hydrolysis of ferromagnesian silicates at 25  degrees C and 350  degrees C. Oxic
      oxidation of ferrous monosulfides at 25  degrees C leads mainly to pyrite and
      ferric oxides/hydroxides such as ferric trihydroxide, goethite/lepidocrocite and
      hematite and also to sulfates, and at 250  degrees C mainly to magnetite instead
      of pyrite, associated to the same ferric oxides/hydroxides and sulfates. Some
      examples of geological terrains, such as Mawrth Vallis on Mars, the Tagish Lake
      meteorite and hydrothermal venting fields, where hydrolysis/oxidation of
      ferromagnesian silicates and iron(II)-monosulfides may occur, are discussed.
      Considering the evolution of rocks during their interaction with water, in the
      absence of oxygen and in radiolyzed water, with hydrothermal release of H2 and
      the plausible associated formation of components of life, geobiotropic signatures
      are proposed. They are mainly Fe(III)-phyllosilicates, magnetite, ferric
      trihydroxide, goethite/lepidocrocite, hematite, but not pyrite.

PMID- 28361299
TI  - Invasive and non-invasive assessment of portal hypertension.
AB  - Portal hypertension is the central driver of complications in patients with
      chronic liver diseases and cirrhosis. The diagnosis of portal hypertension has
      important prognostic and clinical implications. In particular, screening for
      varices in patients with portal hypertension can effectively reduce the morbidity
      and mortality of variceal bleeding. In this article, we review the invasive and
      non-invasive methods to assess portal hypertension. Hepatic venous pressure
      gradient remains the gold standard to measure portal pressure but is invasive and
      seldom performed outside expert centers and research settings. In recent years, a
      number of non-invasive tests of fibrosis have shown good correlation with liver
      histology. They also show promise in identifying patients with portal
      hypertension and large varices. As a result, the latest Baveno VI consensus
      guidelines endorse the use of liver stiffness measurement by transient
      elastography and platelet count as initial assessment to select patients for
      varices screening. On the other hand, the performance of non-invasive tests in
      assessing the response to non-selective beta-blockers or transjugular
      intrahepatic portosystemic shunting is either suboptimal or unclear.

PMID- 28361302
TI  - Transfer of Asymmetry between Proteinogenic Amino Acids under Harsh Conditions.
AB  - The heating above 400  degrees C of serine, cysteine, selenocysteine and
      threonine leads to a complete decomposition of the amino acids and to the
      formation in low yields of alanine for the three formers and of 2-aminobutyric
      acid for the latter. At higher temperature, this amino acid is observed only when
      sublimable alpha-alkyl-alpha-amino acids are present, and with an enantiomeric
      excess dependent on several parameters. Enantiopure or enantioenriched Ser, Cys,
      Sel or Thr is not able to transmit its enantiomeric excess to the amino acid
      formed during its decomposition. The presence during the sublimation
      decomposition of enantioenriched valine or isoleucine leads to the
      enantioenrichment of all sublimable amino acids independently of the presence of
      many decomposition products coming from the unstable derivative. All these
      studies give information on a potentially prebiotic key-reaction of abiotic
      transformations between alpha-amino acids and their evolution to homochirality.

PMID- 28361303
TI  - Macrophage type modulates osteogenic differentiation of adipose tissue MSCs.
AB  - Since the reconstruction of large bone defects remains a challenge, knowledge
      about the biology of bone healing is desirable to develop novel strategies for
      improving the treatment of bone defects. In osteoimmunology, macrophages are the
      central component in the early stage of physiological response after bone injury
      and bone remodeling in the late stage. During this process, a switch of
      macrophage phenotype from pro-inflammatory (M1) to anti-inflammatory (M2) is
      observed. An appealing option for bone regeneration would be to exploit this
      regulatory role for the benefit of osteogenic differentiation of osteoprogenitor
      cells (e.g., mesenchymal stem cells; MSCs) and to eventually utilize this
      knowledge to improve the therapeutic outcome of bone regenerative treatment. In
      view of this, we focused on the in vitro interaction of different macrophage
      subtypes with adipose tissue MSCs to monitor the behavior (i.e. proliferation,
      differentiation and mineralization) of the latter in dedicated co-culture models.
      Our data show that co-culture of MSCs with M2 macrophages, but not with M1
      macrophages or M0 macrophages, results in significantly increased MSC
      mineralization caused by soluble factors. Specifically, M2 macrophages promoted
      the proliferation and osteogenic differentiation of MSCs, while M0 and M1
      macrophages solely stimulated the osteogenic differentiation of MSCs in the early
      and middle stages during co-culture. Secretion of the soluble factors oncostatin
      M (OSM) and bone morphogenetic protein 2 (BMP-2) by macrophages showed
      correlation with MSC gene expression levels for OSM-receptor and BMP-2,
      suggesting the involvement of both signaling pathways in the osteogenic
      differentiation of MSCs.

PMID- 28361304
TI  - Parietal cells-new perspectives in glomerular disease.
AB  - In normal glomeruli, parietal epithelial cells (PECs) line the inside of Bowman's
      capsule and form an inconspicuous sheet of flat epithelial cells in continuity
      with the proximal tubular epithelial cells (PTECs) at the urinary pole and with
      the podocytes at the vascular pole. PECs, PTECs and podocytes have a common
      mesenchymal origin and are the result of divergent differentiation during
      embryogenesis. Podocytes and PTECs are highly differentiated cells with well
      established functions pertaining to the maintenance of the filtration barrier and
      transport, respectively. For PECs, no specific function other than a structural
      one has been known until recently. Possible important functions for PECs in the
      fate of the glomerulus in glomerular disease have now become apparent: (1) PECs
      may be involved in the replacement of lost podocytes; (2) PECs form the basis of
      extracapillary proliferative lesions and subsequent sclerosis in glomerular
      disease. In addition to the acknowledgement that PECs are crucial in glomerular
      disease, knowledge has been gained regarding the molecular processes driving the
      phenotypic changes and behavior of PECs. Understanding these molecular processes
      is important for the development of specific therapeutic approaches aimed at
      either stimulation of the regenerative function of PECs or inhibition of the pro
      sclerotic action of PECs. In this review, we discuss recent advances pertaining
      to the role of PECs in glomerular regeneration and disease and address the major
      molecular processes involved.

PMID- 28361306
TI  - Generation of Various Telencephalic Regions from Human Embryonic Stem Cells in
      Three-Dimensional Culture.
AB  - In the developing embryo, telencephalon arises from the rostral portion of the
      neural tube. The telencephalon further subdivides into distinct brain regions
      along the dorsal-ventral (DV) axis by exogenous patterning signals. Here, we
      describe a protocol for in vitro generation of various telencephalic regions from
      human embryonic stem cells (ESCs). Dissociated human ESCs are reaggregated in a
      low-cell-adhesion 96-well plate and cultured as floating aggregates.
      Telencephalic neural progenitors are efficiently generated when ESC aggregates
      are cultured in serum-free medium containing TGFbeta inhibitor and Wnt inhibitor.
      In long-term culture, the telencephalic neural progenitors acquire cortical
      identities and self-organize a stratified cortical structure as seen in human
      fetal cortex. By treatment with Shh signal, the telencephalic progenitors acquire
      ventral (subpallial) identities and generate lateral ganglionic eminence (LGE)
      and medial ganglionic eminence (MGE). In contrast, by treatment with Wnt and BMP
      signals, their regional identities shift to more dorsal side that generates
      choroid plexus and medial palllium (hippocampal primordium).

PMID- 28361307
TI  - Generation of a Three-Dimensional Retinal Tissue from Self-Organizing Human ESC
      Culture.
AB  - A three-dimensional (3D) tissue generated in vitro is a promising source to study
      developmental biology and regenerative medicine. In the last decade, Yoshiki
      Sasai's group have developed a 3D stem cell culture technique known as SFEBq and
      demonstrated that embryonic stem cells (ESCs) have an ability to self-organize
      stratified neural tissue including 3D-retina. Furthermore, we have reported that
      ESC-derived retinal tissue can form an optic cup and a ciliary margin, which are
      unique structures in the developing retina. In this review, we focus on self
      organizing culture technique to generate 3D-retina from human ESCs.

PMID- 28361308
TI  - 3D Culture for Self-Formation of the Cerebellum from Human Pluripotent Stem Cells
      Through Induction of the Isthmic Organizer.
AB  - Pluripotent stem cells (PSCs) possess self-organizing abilities in 3D culture.
      This property has been demonstrated in recent studies, including the generation
      of various neuroectodermal and endodermal tissues. For example, PSCs are able to
      differentiate into specific type of neural tissues, such as the neocortex and the
      optic cup, in response to local positional information brought about by signals
      during embryogenesis. In contrast, the generation of cerebellar tissue from PSCs
      requires a secondary induction by a signaling center, called the isthmic
      organizer, which first appears in the cell aggregate in 3D culture. Such
      developmental complexity of cerebellum has hampered establishment of effective
      differentiation culture system from PSCs, thus far.We recently reported that
      cerebellar neurons are generated from human PSCs (hPSCs). In this chapter, we
      describe an efficient protocol for differentiation of 3D cerebellar
      neuroepithelium from hPSCs. We also describe the protocols for further
      differentiation into specific neurons in the cerebellar cortex, such as Purkinje
      cells and the granule cells.

PMID- 28361305
TI  - Role of primary cilia in non-dividing and post-mitotic cells.
AB  - The essential role of primary (non-motile) cilia during the development of multi
      cellular tissues and organs is well established and is underlined by severe
      disease manifestations caused by mutations in cilia-associated molecules that are
      collectively termed ciliopathies. However, the role of primary cilia in non
      dividing and terminally differentiated, post-mitotic cells is less well
      understood. Although the prevention of cells from re-entering the cell cycle may
      represent a major chore, primary cilia have recently been linked to DNA damage
      responses, autophagy and mitochondria. Given this connectivity, primary cilia in
      non-dividing cells are well positioned to form a signaling hub outside of the
      nucleus. Such a center could integrate information to initiate responses and to
      maintain cellular homeostasis if cell survival is jeopardized. These more
      discrete functions may remain undetected until differentiated cells are
      confronted with emergencies.

PMID- 28361309
TI  - Reconstitution of a Patterned Neural Tube from Single Mouse Embryonic Stem Cells.
AB  - The recapitulation of tissue development and patterning in three-dimensional (3D)
      culture is an important dimension of stem cell research. Here, we describe a 3D
      culture protocol in which single mouse ES cells embedded in Matrigel under neural
      induction conditions clonally form a lumen containing, oval-shaped epithelial
      structure within 3 days. By Day 7 an apicobasally polarized neuroepithelium with
      uniformly dorsal cell identity forms. Treatment with retinoic acid at Day 2
      results in posteriorization and self-organization of dorsal-ventral neural tube
      patterning. Neural tube organoid growth is also supported by pure laminin gels as
      well as poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG)-based artificial extracellular matrix
      hydrogels, which can be fine-tuned for key microenvironment characteristics. The
      rapid generation of a simple, patterned tissue in well-defined culture conditions
      makes the neural tube organoid a tractable model for studying neural stem cell
      self-organization.

PMID- 28361310
TI  - Functional Pituitary Tissue Formation.
AB  - The adenohypophysis, which mainly consists of anterior pituitary, plays important
      roles for endocrine systems by secreting several hormones indispensable for
      maintaining homeostasis. During early mouse development, the pituitary primordium
      (called Rathke's pouch) develops from oral ectoderm adjacent to ventral
      hypothalamus by interaction between these two tissues. By using mouse embryonic
      stem cells (ESCs), we recapitulated this in vivo micro-environment of the
      pituitary development and demonstrated that Rathke's pouch-like structures were
      self-formed from three-dimensional (3D) floating culture. The mouse ESC-derived
      Rathke's pouch-like structures subsequently differentiated into hormone-producing
      cells such as corticotrophs and somatotrophs. We have modified this technique for
      human pluripotent stem cells and recently reported that pituitary placodes can
      also be generated from human ESCs through a similar process. Here, we describe a
      protocol for human ESC culture for in vitro generation of 3D pituitary tissue.

PMID- 28361311
TI  - Directed Differentiation of Mouse Embryonic Stem Cells Into Inner Ear Sensory
      Epithelia in 3D Culture.
AB  - The inner ear sensory epithelium harbors mechanosensory hair cells responsible
      for detecting sound and maintaining balance. This protocol describes a three
      dimensional (3D) culture system that efficiently generates inner ear sensory
      epithelia from aggregates of mouse embryonic stem (mES) cells. By mimicking the
      activations and repressions of key signaling pathways during in vivo inner ear
      development, mES cell aggregates are sequentially treated with recombinant
      proteins and small molecule inhibitors for activating or inhibiting the Bmp,
      TGFbeta, Fgf, and Wnt signaling pathways. These stepwise treatments promote mES
      cells to sequentially differentiate into epithelia representing the non-neural
      ectoderm, preplacodal ectoderm, otic placodal ectoderm, and ultimately, the hair
      cell-containing sensory epithelia. The derived hair cells are surrounded by a
      layer of supporting cells and are innervated by sensory neurons. This in vitro
      inner ear organoid culture system may serve as a valuable tool in developmental
      and physiological research, disease modeling, drug testing, and potential cell
      based therapies.

PMID- 28361312
TI  - Generation of Functional Thyroid Tissue Using 3D-Based Culture of Embryonic Stem
      Cells.
AB  - During the last decade three-dimensional (3D) cultures of pluripotent stem cells
      have been intensively used to understand morphogenesis and molecular signaling
      important for the embryonic development of many tissues. In addition, pluripotent
      stem cells have been shown to be a valid tool for the in vitro modeling of
      several congenital or chronic human diseases, opening new possibilities to study
      their physiopathology without using animal models. Even more interestingly, 3D
      culture has proved to be a powerful and versatile tool to successfully generate
      functional tissues ex vivo. Using similar approaches, we here describe a protocol
      for the generation of functional thyroid tissue using mouse embryonic stem cells
      and give all the details and references for its characterization and analysis
      both in vitro and in vivo. This model is a valid approach to study the expression
      and the function of genes involved in the correct morphogenesis of thyroid gland,
      to elucidate the mechanisms of production and secretion of thyroid hormones and
      to test anti-thyroid drugs.

PMID- 28361313
TI  - Functional Tooth Regeneration.
AB  - Three-dimensional organogenesis in vivo is principally regulated by the
      spatiotemporal developmental process that relies on the cellular behavior such as
      cell growth, migration, differentiation, and cell-to-cell interaction. Organ
      development and morphogenesis have been elucidated to be regulated by the proper
      transient expression of various signaling molecules including cytokines,
      extracellular matrix, and adhesion molecules based on the epithelial and
      mesenchymal interactions. Current bioengineering technology for regenerating
      three-dimensional organ has progressed to the replication of organogenesis,
      thereby enabling the development of fully functional bioengineered organs using
      bioengineered organ germs that are generated from immature stem cells via tissue
      engineering technology in vitro.To achieve precise replication of organogenesis,
      we have developed a novel three-dimensional cell manipulation method designated
      the organ germ method, and enabled the generation of a structurally correct and
      fully functional bioengineered tooth in vivo. This method is also expected to be
      utilized for analyzing gene and protein functions during organogenesis. Here, we
      describe protocols for the tooth germ reconstitution by using the organ germ
      method and for the functional analysis of tooth development in vitro and in vivo.

PMID- 28361314
TI  - Functional Hair Follicle Regeneration by the Rearrangement of Stem Cells.
AB  - Hair follicles develop from the ectoderm in embryos and cyclically regenerate
      using proper spatiotemporal signaling molecules, which are conserved in
      organogenesis during adulthood. Previously, we demonstrated that bioengineered
      hair follicle germs could regenerate functional hair follicles via a three
      dimensional cell manipulation technique, which we named the "organ germ method ."
      We could also regulate the type of hair follicle and pigmentation with correct
      structures by rearranging the source of the cells. In this article, we describe a
      detailed protocol for the regeneration of functional hair follicles and their
      stem cell niches by the rearrangement of embryonic or adult hair follicle-derived
      epithelial and mesenchymal cells.

PMID- 28361315
TI  - Functional Salivary Gland Regeneration.
AB  - The salivary gland plays important roles in maintaining the health and
      homeostasis of the oral cavity by regulating functions, such as chewing,
      digestion, cleaning, and swallowing. Salivary gland dysfunction causes dry mouth
      syndrome, which includes many oral problems, such as dental caries, bacterial
      infection, mastication dysfunction, and swallowing dysfunction. Therefore,
      salivary gland regeneration is expected, and we attempted to establish a method
      by manual approaches. Previously, a novel three-dimensional cell manipulation
      technique, the "organ germ method," to create a bioengineered organ germ enabled
      the regeneration of structurally correct and fully functional bioengineered
      organs, including the teeth, hair follicles, and secretory glands, in vivo. Here,
      we describe the protocol for salivary gland germ regeneration using this method
      and the functional analysis of the regenerated salivary gland.

PMID- 28361316
TI  - Generation of a Bioengineered Lacrimal Gland by Using the Organ Germ Method.
AB  - In organogenesis including lacrimal gland development, cell arrangement within a
      tissue plays an important role. The lacrimal gland develops from embryonic ocular
      surface epithelium through reciprocal epithelial and mesenchymal interaction,
      which is organized by interactive regulation of various pathways of signaling
      molecules. Current development of an in vitro three-dimensional cell manipulation
      procedure to generate a bioengineered organ germ, named as the organ germ method,
      has shown the regeneration of a histologically correct and fully functional
      bioengineered lacrimal gland after engraftment in vivo. This method demonstrated
      a possibility of lacrimal gland organ replacement to treat dry eye disease, which
      has been a public health problem leading reduction of visual function. Here, we
      describe protocols for lacrimal gland germ regeneration using the organ germ
      method and methods for analyzing the function of the bioengineered lacrimal gland
      after its transplantation in vivo.

PMID- 28361317
TI  - Generation of Gastrointestinal Organoids from Human Pluripotent Stem Cells.
AB  - Over the past several decades, developmental biologists have discovered
      fundamental mechanisms by which organs form in developing embryos. With this
      information it is now possible to generate human "organoids" by the stepwise
      differentiation of human pluripotent stem cells using a process that
      recapitulates organ development. For the gastrointestinal tract, one of the first
      key steps is the formation of definitive endoderm and mesoderm, a process that
      relies on the TGFb molecule Nodal. Endoderm is then patterned along the anterior
      posterior axis, with anterior endoderm forming the foregut and posterior endoderm
      forming the mid and hindgut. A-P patterning of the endoderm is accomplished by
      the combined activities of Wnt, BMP, and FGF. High Wnt and BMP promote a
      posterior fate, whereas repressing these pathways promotes an anterior endoderm
      fate. The stomach derives from the posterior foregut and retinoic acid signaling
      is required for promoting a posterior foregut fate. The small and large intestine
      derive from the mid and hindgut, respectively.These stages of gastrointestinal
      development can be precisely manipulated through the temporal activation and
      repression of the pathways mentioned above. For example, stimulation of the Nodal
      pathway with the mimetic Activin A, another TGF-beta superfamily member, can
      trigger the differentiation of pluripotent stem cells into definitive endoderm
      (D'Amour et al., Nat Biotechnol 23:1534-1541, 2005). Exposure of definitive
      endoderm to high levels of Wnt and FGF promotes the formation of posterior
      endoderm and mid/hindgut tissue that expresses CDX2. Mid-hindgut spheroids that
      are cultured in a three-dimensional matrix form human intestinal organoids (HIOs)
      that are small intestinal in nature Spence et al., Nature 2011. In contrast,
      activation of FGF and Wnt in the presence of the BMP inhibitor Noggin promotes
      the formation of anterior endoderm and foregut tissues that express SOX2. These
      SOX2-expressing foregut spheroids can be further patterned into posterior foregut
      by addition of retinoic acid. Once formed, these posterior foregut spheroids can
      be grown in three-dimensional human gastric organoids (HGOs) that have all of the
      cell types of antral part of the stomach (Mc Cracken et al. 2014).Here, we
      describe the detailed methods for generating stomach/human gastric organoids
      (HGOs) and human intestinal organoids (HIOs) from human pluripotent stem cells.
      We first present a method for generating definitive endoderm from pluripotent
      stem cells followed by differentiation of definitive endoderm into either
      posterior foregut spheroids or mid-hindgut spheroids. We then describe how three
      dimensional culturing of these spheroids results in the formation of HGOs and
      HIOs, respectively.

PMID- 28361318
TI  - Generation of a Three-Dimensional Kidney Structure from Pluripotent Stem Cells.
AB  - The kidney is a vital organ that has an important role in the maintenance of
      homeostasis by fluid volume regulation and waste product excretion. This role
      cannot be performed without the three-dimensional (3D) structure of the kidney.
      Therefore, it is important to generate the 3D structure of the kidney when
      inducing functional kidney tissue or the whole organ from pluripotent stem cells.
      In this chapter, we describe the detailed methods to induce kidney progenitor
      cells from pluripotent stem cells, which are based on embryological development.
      We also provide a method to generate 3D kidney tissue with vascularized glomeruli
      upon transplantation.

PMID- 28361319
TI  - Making a Kidney Organoid Using the Directed Differentiation of Human Pluripotent
      Stem Cells.
AB  - An organoid can be defined as a three-dimensional organ-like structure formed
      from organ-specific progenitor cells. Organ progenitor cells were empirically
      found to self-organize three-dimensional tissues when they were aggregated and
      cultivated in vitro. While this nature power of progenitor cells has an amazing
      potential to recreate artificial organs in vitro, there had been difficulty to
      apply this technology to human organs due to the inaccessibility to human
      progenitor cells until human-induced pluripotent stem cell (hiPSC) was invented
      by Takahashi and Yamanaka in 2007. As embryonic stem cells do, hiPSCs also have
      pluripotency to give rise to any organs/tissues cell types, including the kidney,
      via directed differentiation. Here, we provide a detailed protocol for generating
      kidney organoids using human pluripotent stem cells. The protocol differentiates
      human pluripotent stem cells into the posterior primitive streak. This is
      followed by the simultaneous induction of posterior and anterior intermediate
      mesoderm that are subsequently aggregated and undergo self-organization into the
      kidney organoid. Such kidney organoids are comprised of all anticipated kidney
      cell types including nephrons segmented into the glomerulus, proximal tubule,
      loop of Henle, and distal tubule as well as the collecting duct, endothelial
      network, and renal interstitium.

PMID- 28361320
TI  - Liver Regeneration Using Cultured Liver Bud.
AB  - Here, we describe a protocol to develop a three-dimensional (3D) liver bud-like
      tissue from human iPSCs in vitro. This method mainly consists of two parts: (1)
      hepatic endoderm (HE) differentiation from human iPSCs in 2D culture and (2) co
      culturing iPSC-HE with endothelial and mesenchymal cells. First, iPSCs were
      differentiated into definitive endoderm (DE) cells, and the DE cells were
      differentiated into HE cells, which were then co-cultured with endothelial cells
      and mesenchymal cells on Matrigel-coated plastic plates or micropattern plates.
      The cells rapidly condensed to generate 3D tissue masses. We named these iPSC
      liver buds (iPSC-LBs) because they resemble the developing liver bud from the
      perspective of gene expression, cell proliferation, and cell proportion. This
      liver bud culture system provides a novel approach for future clinical
      applications, for drug development, and as a tool for studying human development.

PMID- 28361321
TI  - Formation of Stomach Tissue by Organoid Culture Using Mouse Embryonic Stem Cells.
AB  - In this chapter, we describe a method for the induction of stomach organoids from
      mouse embryonic stem (ES) cells. We used an embryoid body-based differentiation
      method to induce gastric primordial epithelium covered with mesenchyme and
      further differentiate it in Matrigel by 3D culture. The differentiated organoid
      contains both corpus- and antrum-specific mature gastric tissue cells. This
      protocol may be useful for a variety of studies in developmental biology and
      disease modeling of the stomach.

PMID- 28361322
TI  - In Vivo Model of Small Intestine.
AB  - The utilization of human pluripotent stem cells (hPSCs) offers new avenues in the
      generation of organs and opportunities to understand development and diseases.
      The hPSC-derived human intestinal organoids (HIOs) provide a new tool to gain
      insights in small intestinal development, physiology, and associated diseases.
      Herein, we provide a method for orthotropic transplantation of HIOs in
      immunocompromised mice. This method highlights the specific steps to successful
      engraftment and provides insight into the study of bioengineered human small
      intestine.

PMID- 28361323
TI  - SLIDE: automatic spine level identification system using a deep convolutional
      neural network.
AB  - PURPOSE: Percutaneous spinal needle insertion procedures often require proper
      identification of the vertebral level to effectively and safely deliver analgesic
      agents. The current clinical method involves "blind" identification of the
      vertebral level through manual palpation of the spine, which has only 30%
      reported accuracy. Therefore, there is a need for better anatomical
      identification prior to needle insertion. METHODS: A real-time system was
      developed to identify the vertebral level from a sequence of ultrasound images,
      following a clinical imaging protocol. The system uses a deep convolutional
      neural network (CNN) to classify transverse images of the lower spine. Several
      existing CNN architectures were implemented, utilizing transfer learning, and
      compared for adequacy in a real-time system. In the system, the CNN output is
      processed, using a novel state machine, to automatically identify vertebral
      levels as the transducer moves up the spine. Additionally, a graphical display
      was developed and integrated within 3D Slicer. Finally, an augmented reality
      display, projecting the level onto the patient's back, was also designed. A small
      feasibility study [Formula: see text] evaluated performance. RESULTS: The
      proposed CNN successfully discriminates ultrasound images of the sacrum,
      intervertebral gaps, and vertebral bones, achieving 88% 20-fold cross-validation
      accuracy. Seventeen of 20 test ultrasound scans had successful identification of
      all vertebral levels, processed at real-time speed (40 frames/s). CONCLUSION: A
      machine learning system is presented that successfully identifies lumbar
      vertebral levels. The small study on human subjects demonstrated real-time
      performance. A projection-based augmented reality display was used to show the
      vertebral level directly on the subject adjacent to the puncture site.

PMID- 28361324
TI  - Coffee: the key to safer image-guided surgery-a granular jamming cap for non
      invasive, rigid fixation of fiducial markers to the patient.
AB  - PURPOSE: Accurate image guidance requires a rigid connection between tracked
      fiducial markers and the patient, which cannot be guaranteed by current non
      invasive attachment techniques. We propose a new granular jamming approach to
      firmly, yet non-invasively, connect fiducials to the patient. METHODS: Our
      granular jamming cap surrounds the head and conforms to the contours of the
      patient's skull. When a vacuum is drawn, the device solidifies in a manner
      conceptually like a vacuum-packed bag of ground coffee, providing a rigid
      structure that can firmly hold fiducial markers to the patient's skull. By using
      the new Polaris Krios optical tracker, we can also use more fiducials in
      advantageous configurations to reduce registration error. RESULTS: We tested our
      new approach against a clinically used headband-based fiducial fixation device
      under perturbations that could reasonably be expected to occur in a real-world
      operating room. In bump testing, we found that the granular jamming cap reduced
      average TRE at the skull base from 2.29 to 0.56 mm and maximum TRE at the same
      point from 7.65 to 1.30 mm. Clinically significant TRE reductions were also
      observed in head repositioning and static force testing experiments. CONCLUSION:
      The granular jamming cap concept increases the robustness and accuracy of image
      guided sinus and skull base surgery by more firmly attaching fiducial markers to
      the patient's skull.

PMID- 28361325
TI  - Intravascular endoscopy improvement through narrow-band imaging.
AB  - PURPOSE: Recent advances in endoscopy have led to new technologies with
      significant optical imaging improvements. Since its development a few years ago,
      narrow-band imaging (NBI) has already been proved useful in detecting malignant
      lesions and carcinoma in clinical settings of urology, gastroenterology and ENT.
      The potential of this technology for imaging applications of the arterial vessel
      wall has not been properly analysed yet, but with the observed benefits could
      prove valuable for this clinical use as well. METHODS: In order to assess the
      efficacy of NBI, defects such as burns and mechanical tears were created on the
      walls of an arterial vessel sample. Ex vivo imaging using NBI and white light
      imaging (WLI) were performed with rigid and flexible fibre endoscopes. RESULTS: A
      thorough comparison of the images proved that NBI enhances the visualisation of
      lesions and defects on the artery walls compared to normal WLI. CONCLUSION: WLI
      provides a direct image of the vessel lumen and its anatomical shape. It is
      suitable for observation and documentation of intravascular therapies. NBI images
      are more distinct and have more contrast. This helps to detect even small defects
      or changes on the inner vessel wall that could provide additional information and
      lead to more precise and personalised therapies.

PMID- 28361326
TI  - Translation, validation, and cross-cultural adaption of the Western Ontario
      Meniscal Evaluation Tool (WOMET) into German.
AB  - PURPOSE: The Western Ontario Meniscal Evaluation Tool (WOMET) was developed in
      order to investigate the health-related quality of life of patients with meniscal
      pathologies. The aim of the present study was to translate and validate the WOMET
      into German. METHODS: A standardized forward backward translation of the WOMET
      into German was first performed. One hundred ninety-two patients with isolated
      meniscal tears completed the German version of the WOMET as well as the Western
      Ontario McMasters University Arthritis Index, and the Knee Osteoarthritis Outcome
      Score. Furthermore, reliability, construct validity, feasibility, internal
      consistency, ceiling, and floor effects were then calculated. RESULTS: Excellent
      feasibility (85.4% fully complete questionnaire), internal consistency
      (Cronbach's alpha = 0.92), and test-retest reliability (ICC, r = 0.90) were
      found. The standard error of measurement and the minimal detectable change were
      +/-4.6 and 12.7 points, respectively. All predefined hypothesises were confirmed.
      No floor or ceiling effects were found. CONCLUSIONS: The presented German version
      of the WOMET is a valid and reliable tool for investigating the health-related
      quality of life of German-speaking patients with meniscal pathologies. LEVEL OF
      EVIDENCE: Cross-sectional study, Level II.

PMID- 28361327
TI  - How Much Rugby is Too Much? A Seven-Season Prospective Cohort Study of Match
      Exposure and Injury Risk in Professional Rugby Union Players.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: Numerous studies have documented the incidence and nature of
      injuries in professional rugby union, but few have identified specific risk
      factors for injury in this population using appropriate statistical methods. In
      particular, little is known about the role of previous short-term or longer-term
      match exposures in current injury risk in this setting. OBJECTIVES: Our objective
      was to investigate the influence that match exposure has upon injury risk in
      rugby union. METHOD: We conducted a seven-season (2006/7-2012/13) prospective
      cohort study of time-loss injuries in 1253 English premiership professional
      players. Players' 12-month match exposure (number of matches a player was
      involved in for >=20 min in the preceding 12 months) and 1-month match exposure
      (number of full-game equivalent [FGE] matches in preceding 30 days) were assessed
      as risk factors for injury using a nested frailty model and magnitude-based
      inferences. RESULTS: The 12-month match exposure was associated with injury risk
      in a non-linear fashion; players who had been involved in fewer than ~15 or more
      than ~35 matches over the preceding 12-month period were more susceptible to
      injury. Monthly match exposure was linearly associated with injury risk (hazard
      ratio [HR]: 1.14 per 2 standard deviation [3.2 FGE] increase, 90% confidence
      interval [CI] 1.08-1.20; likely harmful), although this effect was substantially
      attenuated for players in the upper quartile for 12-month match exposures (>28
      matches). CONCLUSION: A player's accumulated (12-month) and recent (1-month)
      match exposure substantially influences their current injury risk. Careful
      attention should be paid to planning the workloads and monitoring the responses
      of players involved in: (1) a high (>~35) number of matches in the previous year,
      (2) a low (<~15) number of matches in the previous year, and (3) a low-moderate
      number of matches in previous year but who have played intensively in the recent
      past. These findings make a major contribution to evidence-based policy decisions
      regarding match workload limits in professional rugby union.

PMID- 28361328
TI  - The past, present and future of the postanesthesia care unit (PACU) in Japan.
AB  - The postanesthesia care unit (PACU), which is run and coordinated by
      anesthesiologists, delivers general medical supervision as well as close and
      constant care to patients who have just undergone a surgical procedure under
      anesthesia. Although PACU management has been considered a standard procedure in
      many developed countries since the 1940s, Japanese hospitals have tended to cease
      their management, and only 16.1% of hospitals in Japan currently have PACUs. In
      today's efficiency-required atmosphere in Japan, we need to consider a better
      postoperative management method, including facilities similar to the PACU, to
      prevent serious adverse events and improve the postoperative outcomes and quality
      of life. Nevertheless, the way postoperative patients are treated and cared for,
      and the location in which they receive such attention, will likely need to be
      modified to fit the Japanese style due to Japan's unique medical systems and
      traditions. Here, we describe the past, present and future of the PACU and
      postanesthesia care in Japan compared with other countries.

PMID- 28361329
TI  - Implementation of safeguards to improve patient safety in chemotherapy.
AB  - PURPOSE: To evaluate the effectiveness of safeguards introduced in the process of
      using cytostatic agents for increasing the safety of oncology patients. METHODS:
      Prospective hospital study conducted in two stages, before and after the
      implementation of safeguards: staff training, standardized procedures,
      computerized prescription, pharmaceutical validation, implementation of bar
      codes, and a new manual on drug interactions. Medication errors (MEs) were
      actively recorded during the process of administering chemotherapy in the Medical
      Oncology Department. The study classified MEs by the stage of the medication
      process in which they occurred and assessed their severity. RESULTS: 500
      patients, 250 before implementing safeguards and 250 afterward, were included in
      this study . Out of all patients included before, 43.1% had at least 1 error,
      compared to 27% of those included later. The number of MEs detected before and
      after was 144 vs. 95: 125 vs. 55 prescription errors, 2 vs. 5 validation errors,
      14 vs. 4 preparation errors, 3 vs. 1 dispensation errors and 0 vs. 30
      administration errors. The number of MEs that reached the patient before and
      after safeguard implementation was 16.7% vs. 6.3%. After the safeguards were
      introduced, all MEs that could have caused harm or required monitoring of some
      kind were prevented. CONCLUSIONS: Implementing safeguards in the hospital's
      cytostatic treatment cycle is useful for preventing MEs. Computerized
      prescription, pharmaceutical validation, and the creation/dissemination of proper
      work procedures are effective barriers that keep MEs from reaching the patient.
      Administering chemotherapy with a bar-code system facilitates detection error
      detection at this stage of the cycle and prevents them from reaching the patient.

PMID- 28361331
TI  - ANCA-Associated Vasculitis Pathogenesis: A Commentary.
AB  - PURPOSE OF REVIEW: The ANCA-associated vasculitides are a group of small vessel
      vasculitides characterized by autoantibodies recognizing the neutrophil
      cytoplasmic antigens PR3 and MPO. We examine the current clinical and molecular
      immunology understanding of ANCA-associated vasculitides and discuss the current
      needs in our understanding of the pathogenic mechanisms of these rare diseases.
      RECENT FINDINGS: The majority of efforts to understand the pathogenesis of these
      diseases have focused on dissecting neutrophil biology because the neutrophil is
      the primary expressor of ANCA autoantigens. However, a number of important
      genetic, clinical, and cellular biology observations suggest that attempts to
      understand the pathogenesis of ANCA vasculitides should move away from emphasis
      on the role of the neutrophil and instead re-focus on the potential role of other
      immune cell mediators. Whether or not neutrophils are the key determinant of ANCA
      associated vasculitis pathogenesis should be revisited in detail. A neutrophil
      centric view of the pathogenesis of these diseases cannot fully account for
      important genetic, clinical, and cellular biology observations that implicate
      important and under-appreciated roles for monocytes and T cells. Refocusing on
      these findings will likely lead to new discovery of novel therapeutic targets and
      the identification of clinically useful biomarkers for disease activity.

PMID- 28361330
TI  - The Paradox of Bone Formation and Bone Loss in Ankylosing Spondylitis: Evolving
      New Concepts of Bone Formation and Future Trends in Management.
AB  - PURPOSE OF REVIEW: The purpose of the study is to briefly review the molecular
      mechanisms that leads to structural damage in ankylosing spondylitis (AS),
      defined as new bone formation resulting in complete or incomplete ankylosis of
      the spine, and the impact of treatment with biologics to retard this process.
      RECENT FINDINGS: The understanding of molecular mechanisms leading to new bone
      formation in AS has significantly improved but is still incomplete. Availability
      of biologics has greatly enhanced the treatment of patients with AS, but its
      impact on slowing the structural damage is still a matter of debate, although a
      few observational studies have shown that long term use of TNF-alpha blockers may
      slow radiographic progression. The availability of newer biologics targeting IL
      17/1L23 has shown some promising results in slowing radiographic progression in
      AS. Although the availability of TNF-inhibitors has greatly enhanced the
      treatment options for patients with AS, their impact on slowing the structural
      damage is still not clearly established. However, preliminary results using newer
      biologics targeting IL-17/1L23 axis are more encouraging but longer follow-up is
      needed.

PMID- 28361332
TI  - Managing Cardiovascular Disease Risk in Rheumatoid Arthritis: Clinical Updates
      and Three Strategic Approaches.
AB  - : ?: The increase in cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk in rheumatoid arthritis
      (RA) is well known; however, appropriate management of this elevated risk in
      rheumatology clinics is less clear. PURPOSE OF REVIEW: By critically reviewing
      literature published within the past 5 years, we aim to clarify current knowledge
      and gaps regarding CVD risk management in RA. RECENT FINDINGS: We examine recent
      guidelines, recommendations, and evidence and discuss three approaches: (1) RA
      specific management including treat-to-target and medication management, (2)
      assessment of comprehensive individual risk, and (3) targeting traditional CVD
      risk factors (hypertension, smoking, hyperlipidemia, diabetes, obesity, and
      physical inactivity) at a population level. Considering that 75% of US RA visits
      occur in specialty clinics, further research is needed regarding evidence-based
      strategies to manage and reduce CVD risk in RA. This review highlights clinical
      updates including US cardiology and international professional society
      guidelines, successful evidence-based population approaches from primary care,
      and novel opportunities in rheumatology care to reduce CVD risk in RA.

PMID- 28361333
TI  - In the Pursuit of Methotrexate Treatment Response Biomarker in Juvenile
      Idiopathic Arthritis-Are We Getting Closer to Personalised Medicine?
AB  - PURPOSE OF REVIEW: Methotrexate (MTX) is the most widely used disease-modifying
      antirheumatic drug (DMARD) in paediatric rheumatology and the mainstay in the
      therapy of juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA). Despite its common use, about 30%
      of children fail to respond to this medicine that results in potentially
      irreversible joint damage. RECENT FINDINGS: No clinical biomarker that would
      predict the outcome of MTX therapy exists. Results of several studies focused on
      gene polymorphisms and outcome of this DMARD therapy have been published, but no
      reliable genetic marker useful to tailor the therapy has been discovered so far.
      The results of the first genome-wide association study in this field have
      recently revealed new genetic candidates from outside the metabolic pathway of
      MTX that may be associated with the efficacy of treatment. However promising,
      those outcomes need validation in independent prospective cohorts before we can
      claim that clinically useful biomarker predicting MTX treatment response is
      discovered.

PMID- 28361334
TI  - Chronic Recurrent Multifocal Osteomyelitis and Related Diseases-Update on
      Pathogenesis.
AB  - PURPOSE OF REVIEW: We focus on recent advances in the understanding of the
      genetic, molecular, immunologic, and environmental factors implicated in the
      pathogenesis of autoinflammatory bone diseases including the syndromic and non
      syndromic forms of chronic recurrent multifocal osteomyelitis (CRMO). RECENT
      FINDINGS: Evidence implicating the IL-1 pathway in the pathogenesis of the
      Mendelian forms of CRMO is growing. LIPIN2 can regulate the NLRP3 inflammasome by
      affecting P2X7 receptor activation, and intracellular cholesterol can modulate
      P2X7R currents. Work in a mouse model of CRMO demonstrates that dietary
      manipulation can alter the microbiome and protect these mice from the development
      of sterile osteomyelitis in vivo. Although the genetic and immunologic basis of
      non-syndromic CRMO remains only partially understood, the IL-1 pathway is central
      to the pathogenesis in the syndromic autoinflammatory bone disorders. Recent work
      implicates lipids and the microbiome in sterile osteomyelitis.

PMID- 28361336
TI  - Setting the light conditions for measuring root transparency for age-at-death
      estimation methods.
AB  - Age-at-death estimation is one of the main goals in forensic identification,
      being an essential parameter to determine the biological profile, narrowing the
      possibility of identification in cases involving missing persons and unidentified
      bodies. The study of dental tissues has been long considered as a proper tool for
      age estimation with several age estimation methods based on them. Dental age
      estimation methods can be divided into three categories: tooth formation and
      development, post-formation changes, and histological changes. While tooth
      formation and growth changes are important for fetal and infant consideration,
      when the end of dental and skeletal growth is achieved, post-formation or
      biochemical changes can be applied. Lamendin et al. in J Forensic Sci 37:1373
      1379, (1992) developed an adult age estimation method based on root transparency
      and periodontal recession. The regression formula demonstrated its accuracy of
      use for 40 to 70-year-old individuals. Later on, Prince and Ubelaker in J
      Forensic Sci 47(1):107-116, (2002) evaluated the effects of ancestry and sex and
      incorporated root height into the equation, developing four new regression
      formulas for males and females of African and European ancestry. Even though root
      transparency is a key element in the method, the conditions for measuring this
      element have not been established. The aim of the present study is to set the
      light conditions measured in lumens that offer greater accuracy when applying the
      Lamendin et al. method modified by Prince and Ubelaker. The results must be also
      taken into account in the application of other age estimation methodologies using
      root transparency to estimate age-at-death.

PMID- 28361337
TI  - Chronic Stressors and Adolescents' Externalizing Problems: Genetic Moderation by
      Dopamine Receptor D4. The TRAILS Study.
AB  - The existing literature does not provide consistent evidence that carriers of the
      Dopamine D4 Receptor 7-repeat allele are more sensitive to adverse environmental
      influences, resulting in enhanced externalizing problems, compared to
      noncarriers. One explanation is that the adverse influences examined in prior
      studies were not severe, chronic, or distressing enough to reveal individual
      differences in sensitivity reflected by DRD4-7R. This study examined whether the
      7-repeat allele moderated the association between chronic stressors capturing
      multiple stressful aspects of individuals' lives and externalizing problems in
      adolescence. We expected that chronic stressor levels would be associated with
      externalizing levels only in 7-repeat carriers. Using Linear Mixed Models, we
      analyzed data from 1621 Dutch adolescents (52.2% boys), obtained in three
      measurement waves (mean age approximately 11, 13.5, and 16 years) from the
      TRacking Adolescents' Individual Lives Survey (TRAILS) population-based birth
      cohort and the parallel clinic-referred cohort. Across informants, we found that
      higher levels of chronic stressors were related to higher externalizing levels in
      7-repeat carriers but not in noncarriers, as hypothesized. Although previous
      studies on the 7-repeat allele as a moderator of environmental influences on
      adolescents' externalizing problems have not convincingly demonstrated individual
      differences in sensitivity to adverse environmental influences, our findings
      suggest that adolescent carriers of the Dopamine D4 Receptor 7-repeat allele are
      more sensitive to chronic, multi-context stressors than noncarriers.

PMID- 28361335
TI  - Endosomal Redox Signaling in the Antiphospholipid Syndrome.
AB  - PURPOSE OF REVIEW: It is well established that the antiphospholipid syndrome
      (APS) is caused by antiphospholipid antibodies (aPL). While several underlying
      mechanisms have been described in the past, many open questions remain. Here, we
      will review data on endosomal signaling and, in particular, redox signaling in
      APS. RECENT FINDINGS: Endosomal redox signaling has been implicated in several
      cellular processes including signaling of proinflammatory cytokines. We have
      shown that certain aPL can activate endosomal NADPH-oxidase (NOX) in several cell
      types followed by induction of proinflammatory and procoagulant cellular
      responses in vitro. Involvement of endosomes in aPL signaling has also been
      reported by others. In wild-type mice but not in NOX-deficient mice, aPL
      accelerate venous thrombus formation underscoring the relevance of endosomal NOX.
      Furthermore, hydroxychloroquine (HCQ) inhibits activation of endosomal NOX and
      prevents thrombus formation in aPL-treated mice. Endosomal redox signaling is an
      important novel mechanism involved in APS pathogenesis. This makes endosomes a
      potential target for future treatment approaches of APS.

PMID- 28361338
TI  - Maternal Executive Functioning and Scaffolding in Families of Children with and
      without Parent-Reported ADHD.
AB  - Parental scaffolding robustly predicts child developmental outcomes, including
      improved self-regulation and peer relationships and fewer externalizing
      behaviors. However, few studies have examined parental characteristics associated
      with a parent's ability to scaffold. Executive functioning (EF) may be an
      important individual difference factor associated with maternal scaffolding that
      has yet to be examined empirically. Scaffolding may be particularly important for
      children with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and disruptive
      behavior disorder (DBD) symptoms due to their core difficulties with inattention,
      disorganization, EF, and self-regulation, their need for greater parental
      structure, and higher-than-average rates of parental EF deficits. Yet, little
      research has examined child ADHD in relation to parental scaffolding. This cross
      sectional study examined: (1) the association between maternal EF (as measured by
      the Hotel Test, Barkley's Deficits in Executive Functioning Scale, and Digit
      Span) and observed scaffolding, (2) the association between parent-reported child
      ADHD/DBD symptoms and scaffolding, and (3) the interaction between child ADHD/DBD
      symptoms and maternal EF in predicting scaffolding. In a sample of 84 mothers and
      their 5-10 year-old biological children (62% male) with and without parent
      reported ADHD, we found that maternal EF, as measured by Digit Span and the Hotel
      Test, predicted observed maternal scaffolding. However, child ADHD/DBD symptoms
      did not significantly predict maternal scaffolding controlling for child age,
      maternal education, and maternal EF, nor did the interaction of maternal EF and
      parent-reported child ADHD/DBD symptoms. Working memory and task shifting may be
      key components of parental EF that could be targeted in interventions to improve
      parental scaffolding.

PMID- 28361339
TI  - Use of Antihypertensive Drugs in Neoplastic Patients.
AB  - The introduction of Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor (VEGF) signaling pathway
      inhibitor treatment has highlighted the role of the baseline activity of the VEFG
      system for blood pressure regulation. VEGF signaling pathway is associated with
      hypertension and proteinuria. Activation of the endothelin system, endothelial
      dysfunction and capillary rarefaction are among the underlying mechanisms
      possibly explaining the rise in blood pressure and, to some extent, also the
      renal injury. The hypertension induced by VEGF signaling pathway inhibition is,
      usually, responsive to treatment. Recommendations about the management of
      cardiovascular toxicity in patients receiving VEGF signaling pathway inhibitors
      include a formal cardiovascular risk assessment before initiation of VEGF
      signaling pathway inhibitor treatment, active monitoring of blood pressure and
      cardiac toxicity throughout treatment, with more frequent monitoring during the
      first cycles of therapy, given that marked and unpredictable blood pressure rises
      can occur early after treatment with a VEGF signaling pathway inhibitor, and
      aggressive management of blood pressure elevations and early symptoms and signs
      of cardiac toxicity to prevent clinically limiting complications. In patients
      with preexisting hypertension, the blood pressure target for initiating VEGF
      signaling pathway inhibitor treatment should be <140/90 mmHg. Blockers of the
      renin-angiotensin system and calcium channel antagonists are among the drugs to
      be preferably used in these clinical conditions.

PMID- 28361340
TI  - Overall survival and prognostic factors in patients with spinal metastases from
      lung cancer treated with and without epidermal growth factor receptor tyrosine
      kinase inhibitors.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Evaluation of the prognosis in patients with spinal metastases is
      important in decision making regarding surgical treatment. The purpose of this
      study was to investigate overall survival in patients with spinal metastases from
      lung cancer by histological subtype, and to investigate prognostic factors in
      patients treated with and without epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR)
      tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs). METHODS: The data from 135 patients diagnosed
      with spinal metastases from lung cancer were retrospectively evaluated. The 88
      patients with adenocarcinoma were divided into two groups according to whether
      the lung cancer was treated with or without EGFR-TKIs-the EGFR-TKI group (n = 43)
      and the non-EGFR-TKI group (n = 45). RESULTS: The overall median survival time
      was 11.3 months for those with adenocarcinoma, 5.3 months for squamous cell
      carcinoma, and 3.9 months for small cell carcinoma. Overall survival in the EGFR
      TKI group (median 21.4 months) was significantly longer than in the non-EGFR-TKI
      group (median 6.1 months). In univariate analysis, poor performance status was a
      poor prognostic factor in the non-EGFR-TKI group. However, performance status and
      other variables were not significant prognostic factors in the EGFR-TKI group.
      CONCLUSIONS: Median overall survival was longer in patients with spinal
      metastases from lung cancer treated with EGFR-TKIs compared with those treated
      without EGFR-TKIs. Poor performance status or other prognostic factors were not
      associated with poor overall survival in the group treated with EGFR-TKIs.

PMID- 28361341
TI  - Cot kinase plays a critical role in Helicobacter pylori-induced IL-8 expression.
AB  - Helicobacter pylori is a major pathogen causing various gastric diseases
      including gastric cancer. Infection of H. pylori induces pro-inflammatory
      cytokine IL-8 expression in gastric epithelial cells in the initial inflammatory
      process. It has been known that H. pylori can modulate Ras-Raf-Mek-Erk signal
      pathway for IL-8 induction. Recently, it has been shown that another signal
      molecule, cancer Osaka thyroid oncogene/tumor progression locus 2 (Cot/Tpl2)
      kinase, activates Mek and Erk and plays a role in the Erk pathway, similar to
      MAP3K signal molecule Raf kinase. Therefore, the objective of this study was to
      determine whether Cot kinase might be involved in IL-8 induction caused by H.
      pylori infection. AGS gastric epithelial cells were infected by H. pylori strain
      G27 or its isogenic mutants lacking cagA or type IV secretion system followed by
      treatment with Cot kinase inhibitor (KI) or siRNA specific for Cot kinase.
      Activation of Erk was assessed by Western blot analysis and expression of IL-8
      was measured by ELISA. Treatment with Cot KI reduced both transient and sustained
      Erk activation. It also reduced early and late IL-8 secretion in the gastric
      epithelial cell line. Furthermore, siRNA knockdown of Cot inhibited early and
      late IL-8 secretion induced by H. pylori infection. Taken together, these results
      suggest that Cot kinase might play a critical role in H. pylori type IV secretion
      apparatus-dependent early IL-8 secretion and CagA-dependent late IL-8 secretion
      as an alternative signaling molecule in the Erk pathway.

PMID- 28361343
TI  - Erratum to: A computationally simplistic poly-phasic approach to explore
      microbial communities from the Yucatan aquifer as a potential sources of novel
      natural products.

PMID- 28361344
TI  - Cerebral aneurysms and metastases occurring as a delayed complication of resected
      atrial Myxoma: Imaging findings including high resolution Vessel Wall MRI.

PMID- 28361342
TI  - Potential use of lactic acid bacteria Leuconostoc mesenteroides as a probiotic
      for the removal of Pb(II) toxicity.
AB  - It has been demonstrated that certain lactic acid bacteria (LAB) can sequester
      metal ions by binding them to their surfaces. In the present study, lead (Pb)
      resistant LAB were isolated from kimchi, a Korean fermented food. A total of 96
      different LAB strains were isolated, and 52 strains showed lead resistance. Among
      them, an LAB strain-96 (L-96) identified as Leuconostoc mesenteroides showed
      remarkable Pb resistance and removal capacity. The maximum adsorption capacity of
      this strain calculated using the Langmuir isotherm was 60.6 mg Pb/g. In an in
      vivo experiment, young male mice were provided with water (A), Pb-water (B), or
      Pb-water+ L-96 (C) during puberty. Lower glutamate oxaloacetate transaminase
      (GOT) and glutamate pyruvate transaminase (GPT) levels in Pb-exposed male mice
      that received strain L-96 as a probiotic were suggestive of reduced
      hepatotoxicity. Moreover, feces from mice treated with L-96 contained more Pb
      than feces from untreated mice. Increased Pb elimination likely reduced internal
      accumulation, and this hypothesis was supported by significantly lower Pb
      concentrations in kidneys and testes of the mice treated with strain L-96. The
      motility and ATP content of epididymal spermatozoa were partially restored if
      strain L-96 was administered. In conclusion, isolated L-96 LAB had lead
      biosorption activity and efficiently detoxified lead-poisoned male mice,
      resulting in recovering male reproductive function. These results suggest the
      potential use of LAB as a probiotic to protect humans from the adverse effects of
      Pb exposure.

PMID- 28361346
TI  - Redesigning the diagnostic pathway for chest pain patients in emergency
      departments.
AB  - Patients presenting with chest pain at an emergency department in the United
      Kingdom receive troponin tests to assess the likelihood of an acute myocardial
      infarction (AMI). Until recently, serial testing with two blood samples separated
      by at least six hours was necessary in order to analyse the change in troponin
      levels over time. New high-sensitivity troponin tests, however, allow the inter
      test time to be shortened from six to three hours. Recent evidence also suggests
      that the new generation of troponin tests can be used to rule out AMI on the
      basis of a single test if patients at low risk of AMI present with very low
      cardiac troponin levels more than three hours after onset of worst pain. This
      paper presents a discrete event simulation model to assess the likely impact on
      the number of hospital admissions if emergency departments adopt strategies for
      serial and single testing based on the use of high-sensitivity troponin. Data
      sets from acute trusts in the South West of England are used to quantify the
      resulting benefits.

PMID- 28361345
TI  - Altered structural connectivity of pain-related brain network in burning mouth
      syndrome-investigation by graph analysis of probabilistic tractography.
AB  - PURPOSE: Burning mouth syndrome (BMS) is a chronic intraoral pain syndrome
      featuring idiopathic oral pain and burning discomfort despite clinically normal
      oral mucosa. The etiology of chronic pain syndrome is unclear, but preliminary
      neuroimaging research has suggested the alteration of volume, metabolism, blood
      flow, and diffusion at multiple brain regions. According to the neuromatrix
      theory of Melzack, pain sense is generated in the brain by the network of
      multiple pain-related brain regions. Therefore, the alteration of pain-related
      network is also assumed as an etiology of chronic pain. In this study, we
      investigated the brain network of BMS brain by using probabilistic tractography
      and graph analysis. METHODS: Fourteen BMS patients and 14 age-matched healthy
      controls underwent 1.5T MRI. Structural connectivity was calculated in 83
      anatomically defined regions with probabilistic tractography of 60-axis diffusion
      tensor imaging and 3D T1-weighted imaging. Graph theory network analysis was used
      to evaluate the brain network at local and global connectivity. RESULTS: In BMS
      brain, a significant difference of local brain connectivity was recognized at the
      bilateral rostral anterior cingulate cortex, right medial orbitofrontal cortex,
      and left pars orbitalis which belong to the medial pain system; however, no
      significant difference was recognized at the lateral system including the somatic
      sensory cortex. A strengthened connection of the anterior cingulate cortex and
      medial prefrontal cortex with the basal ganglia, thalamus, and brain stem was
      revealed. CONCLUSION: Structural brain network analysis revealed the alteration
      of the medial system of the pain-related brain network in chronic pain syndrome.

PMID- 28361347
TI  - Testing the influence of gravity on flower symmetry in five Saxifraga species.
AB  - Flower symmetry is considered a species-specific trait and is categorized in
      asymmetry, actinomorphic symmetry, bisymmetry and zygomorphic symmetry. Here we
      report on the intra-individual variation of flower symmetry in the genus
      Saxifraga and the influence of light, gravity and intrinsic factors on the
      development of flower symmetry. We tested five species-Saxifraga cuneifolia,
      Saxifraga imparilis, Saxifraga rotundifolia, Saxifraga stolonifera and Saxifraga
      umbrosa-concerning six flower parameters-angles between petals, petal length,
      petal pigmentation, angular position of carpels, movement of stamens and (only
      for S. imparilis and S. stolonifera) the length of the two lower elongated petals
      in regard to their position towards the stem. Specimens of all species were
      tested on a vertical clinostat as a gravity compensator, on a horizontal
      clinostat as a light incidence compensator and on a stationary control. The
      results show that the angle of incident light has no apparent impact on flower
      symmetry, whereas gravity affects the angular position of petals in S. cuneifolia
      and S. umbrosa and the petal colouration in S. rotundifolia. In S. cuneifolia and
      S. umbrosa, the absence of directional gravity resulted in the development of
      actinomorphic flowers, whereas the corresponding control flowers were
      zygomorphic. The development of flowers in S. rotundifolia was not altered by
      this treatment. The length of the two elongated petals in S. stolonifera and S.
      imparilis was not affected by gravity, but rather was determined by position of
      the flower within the inflorescence and resulted in asymmetrical flowers.

PMID- 28361348
TI  - Controlling enzymatic activity by immobilization on graphene oxide.
AB  - In this study, graphene oxide (GO) has been applied as a matrix for enzyme
      immobilization. The protein adsorption capacity of GO is much higher than of
      other large surface area carbonaceous materials. Its structure and
      physicochemical properties are reported beneficial also for enzymatic activity
      modifications. The experimental proof was done here that GO-based biocatalytic
      systems with immobilized catalase are modifiable in terms of catalyzed reaction
      kinetic constants. It was found that activity and stability of catalase,
      considered here as model enzyme, closely depend on enzyme/GO ratio. The changes
      in kinetic parameters can be related to secondary structure alterations. The
      correlation between enzyme/GO ratio and kinetic and structure parameters is
      reported for the first time and enables the conscious control of biocatalytic
      processes and their extended applications. The biological activity of obtained
      biocatalytic systems was confirmed in vitro by the use of functional test. The
      addition of immobilized catalase improved the cells' viability after they were
      exposed to hydrogen peroxide and tert-butyl-hydroperoxide used as source of
      reactive oxygen species.

PMID- 28361349
TI  - Impact of the EARL harmonization program on automatic delineation of metabolic
      active tumour volumes (MATVs).
AB  - BACKGROUND: The clinical validation of the EARL harmonization program for
      standardised uptake value (SUV) metrics is well documented; however, its
      potential for defining metabolic active tumour volume (MATV) has not yet been
      investigated. We aimed to compare delineation of MATV on images reconstructed
      using conventional ordered subset expectation maximisation (OSEM) with those
      reconstructed using point spread function modelling (PSF-reconstructed images),
      and either optimised for diagnostic potential (PSF) or filtered to meet the
      EANM/EARL harmonising standards (PSF7). METHODS: Images from 18 stage IIIA-IIIB
      lung cancer patients were reconstructed using all the three methods. MATVs were
      then delineated using both a 40% isocontour and a gradient-based method. MATVs
      were compared by means of Bland-Altman analyses, and Dice coefficients and
      concordance indices based on the unions and intersections between each pair of
      reconstructions (PSF vs OSEM, PSF7 vs PSF and PSF7 vs OSEM). RESULTS: Using the
      40% isocontour method and taking the MATVs delineated on OSEM images as a
      reference standard, the use of PSF7 images led to significantly higher Dice
      coefficients (median value = 0.96 vs 0.77; P < 0.0001) and concordance indices
      (median value = 0.92 vs 0.64; P < 0.0001) than those obtained using PSF images.
      The gradient-based methodology was less sensitive to reconstruction variability
      than the 40% isocontour method; Dice coefficients and concordance indices were
      superior to 0.8 for both PSF reconstruction methods. However, the use of PSF7
      images led to narrower interquartile ranges and significantly higher Dice
      coefficients (median value = 0.96 vs 0.94; P = 0.01) and concordance indices
      (median value = 0.89 vs 0.85; P = 0.003) than those obtained with PSF images.
      CONCLUSION: This study demonstrates that automatic contouring of lung tumours on
      EARL-compliant PSF images using the widely adopted automatic isocontour
      methodology is an accurate means of overcoming reconstruction variability in MATV
      delineation. Although gradient-based methodology appears to be less sensitive to
      reconstruction variability, the use of EARL-compliant PSF images significantly
      improved the Dice coefficients and concordance indices, demonstrating the
      importance of harmonised-images, even when more advanced contouring algorithms
      are used.

PMID- 28361350
TI  - FOXM1 transcriptionally regulates expression of integrin beta1 in triple-negative
      breast cancer.
AB  - PURPOSE: Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) is an aggressive type of breast
      cancer and associated with early metastasis, drug resistance, and poor patient
      survival. Fork head box M1 (FOXM1) is considered as an emerging molecular target
      due to its oncogenic role and high overexpression profile in 85% in TNBC.
      However, molecular mechanisms by which FOXM1 transcription factor mediate its
      oncogenic effects are not fully understood. Integrin beta1 is often upregulated
      in invasive breast cancers and associated with poor clinical outcome and shorter
      overall patient survival in TNBC. However, the mechanisms regulating integrin
      beta1 (ITGB1) gene expression have not been well elucidated. METHODS: Normal
      breast epithelium (MCF10A) and TNBC cells (i.e., MDA-MB-231, BT-20 MDA-MB436)
      were used for the study. Small interfering RNA (siRNA)-based knockdown was used
      to inhibit Integrin beta1 gene (mRNA) and protein expressions, which are detected
      by RT-PCR and Western blot, respectively. Chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChiP)
      and gene reporter (Luciferase) assays were used to demonstrate that FOXM1
      transcription factor binds to the promoter of Integrin beta1 gene and drives its
      expression. RESULTS: We demonstrated that FOXM1 directly binds to the promoter of
      integrin beta1 gene and transcriptionally regulates its expression and activity
      of focal adhesion kinase (FAK) in TNBC cells. CONCLUSION: Our study suggests that
      FOXM1 transcription factor regulates Integrin beta1 gene expression and that
      FOXM1/ Integrin-beta1/FAK axis may play an important role in the progression of
      TNBC.

PMID- 28361351
TI  - Glenohumeral position during CT arthrography with arthroscopic correlation:
      optimization of diagnostic yield.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the diagnostic yield of two acquisitions of single
      contrast CT arthrography (CTA) of the shoulder in internal, neutral, or external
      glenohumeral rotation with arthroscopic correlation. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The
      CT study was obtained using two acquisitions (first the humerus positioned in
      maximum tolerated external rotation with the arm along the body and the second
      with the humerus in internal rotation with the palm placed flat on the table).
      Two independent readers blinded to the arthroscopic results evaluated the CTA
      images for labral tears, glenoid bone loss/fractures, and cartilage loss. For
      each CTA acquisition, sensitivity and specificity for detection of the
      aforementioned pathology were assessed. Inter-reader agreement was quantified by
      weighted K statistics. RESULTS: Sensitivity and specificity for detecting
      anteroinferior or posterior labral tears was highest with neutral rotation
      (sensitivity 91-100%, specificity 61-100%). For glenoid fracture, sensitivity
      (67%) was highest with external rotation and specificity (100%) was highest with
      internal rotation. For cartilage loss, sensitivity (64%) and specificity (89%)
      was highest with external rotation and neutral rotation, respectively. Neutral
      rotation showed high sensitivity and specificity for glenoid fractures and
      cartilage loss. Inter-reader agreement ranged from fair to very good.
      CONCLUSIONS: Neutral glenohumeral position in shoulder CT arthrography was
      adequately sensitive and specific for the detection of intra-articular pathology,
      avoiding the use of more than one acquisition.

PMID- 28361352
TI  - Small, superficial, indeterminate soft-tissue lesions as suspected sarcomas: is
      primary excision biopsy suitable?
AB  - OBJECTIVE: Suspected soft-tissue sarcomas are typically investigated using
      magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), with a view to planning image-guided core
      needle biopsy for confirmation of the histological diagnosis. Indeterminate
      superficial lesions may be small and therefore potentially difficult to biopsy
      safely, such lesions possibly being more amenable to primary excision biopsy. The
      aim of this study is to determine the suitability of this practice in the setting
      of a specialist sarcoma service. MATERIALS AND METHODS: All patients referred
      over a 12-month period to the sarcoma service with a small (<3-cm),
      indeterminate, superficial soft-tissue mass according to MRI criteria, or a small
      lesion of the hand or foot deemed unsafe for percutaneous biopsy, and who
      underwent primary excision biopsy were included. The histology results were
      categorized into neoplastic and non-neoplastic lesions, and assessed for
      resection completeness. RESULTS: Fifty-eight patients fulfilled the inclusion
      criteria from all patients referred to the sarcoma service in a 12-month period.
      Of these, 42 out of 58 (72.4%) had benign neoplasms, 4 out of 58 (6.9%) had
      malignant tumours, 2 out of 58 (3.4%) an intermediate grade lesion, while 10 out
      of 58 (17.2%) were non-neoplastic. All 4 malignant lesions were completely
      excised at the time of excision biopsy. CONCLUSIONS: Primary excision biopsy of
      small, indeterminate soft-tissue masses within the setting of a specialist
      sarcoma service is a suitable management option. Only a small proportion of small
      superficial soft-tissue lesions with indeterminate MRI features are malignant
      tumours.

PMID- 28361353
TI  - Erratum to: Neurobiology of local and intercellular BDNF signaling.

PMID- 28361354
TI  - The diagnosis of neglected tropical diseases (NTDs) in Italy: comment.

PMID- 28361355
TI  - Redox status alterations during the competitive season in elite soccer players:
      focus on peripheral leukocyte-derived ROS.
AB  - It is well known that exercise training can deeply affect redox homeostasis by
      enhancing antioxidant defenses. However, exhaustive exercise can induce excessive
      reactive oxygen species (ROS) production, leading to oxidative stress-related
      tissue injury and impaired muscle contractility. Hence, ROS represent important
      signaling molecules whose level has to be maintained to preserve normal cellular
      function, but which can also accumulate in response to repetitive muscle
      contraction. In fact, low levels of oxidants have been suggested to be essential
      for muscle contraction. Both aerobic and anaerobic exercise induce ROS production
      from several sources (mitochondria, NADPH oxidases and xanthine oxidases);
      however, the exact mechanisms underlying exercise-induced oxidative stress remain
      undefined. Professional athletes show a high risk for oxidative stress, and
      consequently muscle injury or decreased performance. Based on this background, we
      investigated leukocyte redox homeostasis alterations during the soccer season in
      elite soccer players. Overall blood redox status was investigated in twenty-seven
      male soccer players from primary division (Italian "Serie A" team) at four
      critical time points during the soccer season: T0: just before the first team
      training session; T1: at the beginning of the season; T2: in the middle of the
      season and T3: at the end of the season. The main markers of muscular damage (CK,
      myoglobin, LDH), assessed by standard routine methods, are significantly altered
      at the considered time points (T0 vs T1 P < 0.01). In peripheral leukocyte
      subpopulations, ROS production shows significant alterations at the considered
      time points during the soccer season, and strictly and significantly correlates
      with CK values at every considered time point. Our experimental data indicate
      that deep redox homeostasis alterations are evident during the soccer season in
      elite soccer players, and that oxidative stress can be easily monitored, besides
      using the standard plasma biochemical parameters, by leukocyte ROS production
      analysis.

PMID- 28361358
TI  - [Compression of the median nerve by chronic palmar dislocation of the lunate due
      to carpal collapse].
AB  - Carpal tunnel syndrome is among the most frequently diagnosed forms of peripheral
      nerve compression. Carpal tunnel syndrome due to carpal collapse that had
      progressed over decades, with a palmarly dislocated lunate, is rare. Hints of
      past trauma to the wrist going back decades should prompt further radiological
      examination in case of recurrent median nerve compression. With sufficient
      preoperative evaluation, the causes can be accurately detected and treated.
      Therefore, precise and complete history-taking is mandatory. Conclusions on
      further diagnostics that can be drawn from the latter must be consistently
      implemented to enable adequate therapy.

PMID- 28361356
TI  - [Pathophysiology of atopic blepharokeratoconjunctivitis].
AB  - Atopic dermatitis (AD) is a systemic inflammatory disease, which is characterized
      by pronounced eczema and pruritus. In addition to the involvement of the entire
      integument, the periocular lid skin and the surface of the eye are frequently
      involved. Ocular involvement may occur solely without dermatitis of facial or
      body skin. Pathophysiologically, besides a dysregulated immune response, genetic
      changes can occur in various dermal structural proteins which will lead to a
      disturbed skin barrier. Furthermore, there is a regular colonization with
      bacterial pathogens and an increased susceptibility for viral skin infections.
      The lid margin reveals a loss of Meibomian glands whereas the conjunctiva shows
      reduced goblet cells. Consecutively, eye surface defects and recurrent
      conjunctival and corneal defects can be found. Increased mechanical manipulation
      in atopia-associated pruritus is seen as a cause of increased comorbidity with
      keratoconus. In addition, individual cases are reported of various malignomas of
      the eye surface, which are present in patients with AD. Understanding of the
      pathophysiological connections is essential for the correct diagnosis and therapy
      of this clinically very complex disease picture.

PMID- 28361357
TI  - Increasing accuracy of pulse transit time measurements by automated elimination
      of distorted photoplethysmography waves.
AB  - Photoplethysmography (PPG) is a widely available non-invasive optical technique
      to visualize pressure pulse waves (PWs). Pulse transit time (PTT) is a
      physiological parameter that is often derived from calculations on ECG and PPG
      signals and is based on tightly defined characteristics of the PW shape. PPG
      signals are sensitive to artefacts. Coughing or movement of the subject can
      affect PW shapes that much that the PWs become unsuitable for further analysis.
      The aim of this study was to develop an algorithm that automatically and
      objectively eliminates unsuitable PWs. In order to develop a proper algorithm for
      eliminating unsuitable PWs, a literature study was conducted. Next, a '7Step PW
      Filter' algorithm was developed that applies seven criteria to determine whether
      a PW matches the characteristics required to allow PTT calculation. To validate
      whether the '7Step PW-Filter' eliminates only and all unsuitable PWs, its
      elimination results were compared to the outcome of manual elimination of
      unsuitable PWs. The '7Step PW-Filter' had a sensitivity of 96.3% and a
      specificity of 99.3%. The overall accuracy of the '7Step PW-Filter' for detection
      of unsuitable PWs was 99.3%. Compared to manual elimination, using the '7Step PW
      Filter' reduces PW elimination times from hours to minutes and helps to increase
      the validity, reliability and reproducibility of PTT data.

PMID- 28361359
TI  - Medical Student Oncology Congress: Designed and Implemented by Brazilian Medical
      Students.
AB  - Oncology is an essential field of medicine; however, its teaching is occasionally
      underemphasized and uncoordinated during medical school. An alternative method of
      providing additional oncological information to medical students is through
      extracurricular activities, such as congresses and medical student associations.
      The aim of this paper is to describe a Medical Student Oncology Congress entirely
      designed and organized by medical students. Three medical students from oncology
      study and research groups identified the gap in oncology training at universities
      and decided to organize a congress for students. They selected representatives
      from 26 universities in Brazil for onsite registration and created a website for
      online registration and promotion of the congress. To determine the topics of the
      lectures, they searched the medical literature for the most commonly occurring
      cancers in adults and children. Extrapolating the academic content of oncology,
      they organized lectures by non-governmental organizations (NGOs), talks on career
      guidance and research in this field as well as a role-playing workshop to train
      future doctors on how to deliver news to patients. There were a total of 609
      attendees, with 590 students from 26 different universities in Brazil.
      Approximately 82% were medical students, and among the participants there were
      also 15 medical educators. A total of 80.75% of the participants were extremely
      satisfied with the congress, and 99.17% would recommend it to a colleague. Most
      of the overall cost of the congress, 96%, was covered by registration fees. There
      was a 6% positive net balance, which was donated to the NGOs participating in the
      congress. This successful experience proves that it is possible to have a
      congress fully designed, organized and managed by students. It demonstrates how
      students can be active participants in their own education, as opposed to a
      classic approach through which only professors are responsible for instruction.

PMID- 28361360
TI  - Feasibility of Providing Web-Based Information to Breast Cancer Patients Prior to
      a Surgical Consult.
AB  - Patients facing decisions for breast cancer surgery commonly search the internet.
      Directing patients to high-quality websites prior to the surgeon consultation may
      be one way of supporting patients' informational needs. The objective was to test
      an approach for delivering web-based information to breast cancer patients. The
      implementation strategy was developed using the Replicating Effective Programs
      framework. Pilot testing measured the proportion that accepted the web-based
      information. A pre-consultation survey assessed whether the information was
      reviewed and the acceptability to stakeholders. Reasons for declining guided
      refinement to the implementation package. Eighty-two percent (309/377) accepted
      the web-based information. Of the 309 that accepted, 244 completed the pre
      consultation survey. Participants were a median 59 years, white (98%), and highly
      educated (>50% with a college degree). Most patients who completed the
      questionnaire reported reviewing the website (85%), and nearly all found it
      helpful. Surgeons thought implementation increased visit efficiency (5/6) and
      would result in patients making more informed decisions (6/6). The most common
      reasons patients declined information were limited internet comfort or access (n
      = 36), emotional distress (n = 14), and preference to receive information
      directly from the surgeon (n = 7). Routine delivery of web-based information to
      breast cancer patients prior to the surgeon consultation is feasible. High
      stakeholder acceptability combined with the low implementation burden means that
      these findings have immediate relevance for improving care quality.

PMID- 28361361
TI  - In vitro antioxidant and antidiabetic activities of zinc oxide nanoparticles
      synthesized using different plant extracts.
AB  - Phytofabricated green synthesis of zinc oxide (ZnO) nanoparticles using different
      plant extracts of Azadirachta indica, Hibiscus rosa-sinensis, Murraya koenigii,
      Moringa oleifera, and Tamarindus indica for biological applications has been
      reported. ZnO nanoparticles were also synthesized by chemical method to compare
      the efficiency of the green synthesized nanoparticles. FT-IR spectra confirmed
      the functional groups involved in the green synthesis of ZnO nanoparticles and
      the powder XRD patterns of the ZnO nanoparticles revealed pure wurtzite structure
      with preferred orientation at (100) reflection plane. SEM and TEM analysis
      revealed the spherical shape of the synthesized ZnO nanoparticles with the
      particle size between 54 and 27 nm. The antioxidant activity was evaluated by
      five different free radical scavenging assays. The present study also intends to
      screen alpha-amylase and alpha-glucosidase activity of ZnO nanoparticles
      synthesized using natural sources, which may minimize the toxicity and side
      effects of the inhibitors used to control diabetes. The ZnO nanoparticles
      synthesized using T. indica extract displayed remarkable antioxidant and
      antidiabetic activities.

PMID- 28361362
TI  - Functional disruption of peroxiredoxin by bismuth antiulcer drugs attenuates
      Helicobacter pylori survival.
AB  - Bismuth drugs have been used clinically to treat infections from Helicobacter
      pylori, a pathogen that is strongly related to gastrointestinal diseases even
      stomach cancer. Despite extensive studies, the mechanisms of action of bismuth
      drugs are not fully understood. Alkyl hydroperoxide reductase subunit C (AhpC) is
      the most abundant 2-cysteine peroxiredoxin, crucial for H. pylori survival in the
      host by defense of oxidative stress. Herein we show that a Bi(III) antiulcer drug
      (CBS) binds to the highly conserved cysteine residues (Cys49 and Cys169) with a
      dissociation constant (K d) of Bi(III) to AhpC of 3.0 (+/-1.0) * 10-24 M.
      Significantly the interaction of CBS with AhpC disrupts the peroxiredoxin and
      chaperone activities of the enzyme both in vitro and in bacterial cells, leading
      to attenuated bacterial survival. Moreover, using a home-made fluorescent probe,
      we demonstrate that Bi(III) also perturbs AhpC relocation between the cytoplasm
      and membrane region in decomposing the exogenous ROS. Our study suggests that
      disruption of redox homeostasis by bismuth drugs via interaction with key enzymes
      such as AhpC contributes to their antimicrobial activity.

PMID- 28361363
TI  - Fine mapping and candidate gene analysis of qFL-chr1, a fiber length QTL in
      cotton.
AB  - KEY MESSAGE: A fiber length QTL, qFL-chr1, was fine mapped to a 0.9 cM interval
      of cotton chromosome 1. Two positional candidate genes showed positive
      correlation between gene expression level and fiber length. Prior analysis of a
      backcross-self mapping population derived from a cross between Gossypium hirsutum
      L. and G. barbadense L. revealed a QTL on chromosome 1 associated with increased
      fiber length (qFL-chr1), which was confirmed in three independent populations of
      near-isogenic introgression lines (NIILs). Here, a single NIIL, R01-40-08, was
      used to develop a large population segregating for the target region. Twenty-two
      PCR-based polymorphic markers used to genotype 1672 BC4F2 plants identified 432
      recombinants containing breakpoints in the target region. Substitution mapping
      using 141 informative recombinants narrowed the position of qFL-chr1 to a 1.0-cM
      interval between SSR markers MUSS084 and CIR018. To exclude possible effects of
      non-target introgressions on fiber length, different heterozygous BC4F3 plants
      introgressed between SSR markers NAU3384 and CGR5144 were selected to develop sub
      NILs. The qFL-chr1 was further mapped at 0.9-cM interval between MUSS422 and
      CIR018 by comparisons of sub-NIL phenotype, and increased fiber length by ~1 mm.
      The 2.38-Mb region between MUSS422 and CIR018 in G. barbadense contained 19
      annotated genes. Expression levels of two of these genes, GOBAR07705 (encoding 1
      aminocyclopropane-1-carboxylate synthase) and GOBAR25992 (encoding amino acid
      permease), were positively correlated with fiber length in a small F2 population,
      supporting these genes as candidates for qFL-chr1.

PMID- 28361364
TI  - Spontaneous and complete regeneration of a vertebra plana after surgical
      curettage of an eosinophilic granuloma.
AB  - PURPOSE: The eosinophilic granuloma is a unifocal or multifocal Langerhans cell
      histiocytosis characterized by an expanding proliferation of Langerhans cells in
      bones. Skeletal LCH is a rare condition, and vertebral regeneration in cases of
      vertebral body collapse is even rarer. We report the case of a girl with
      spontaneous complete healing. METHODS AD RESULTS: A 3-year-old girl was referred
      for nighttime back pain, with no fever and no neurologic signs. Within a few
      days, she developed sudden painful restriction of all spine movements. X-ray and
      computed tomography (CT) of the spine showed reduced T7 vertebral body height
      (vertebra plana).The patient underwent T7 curettage and the histopathological
      exam was suggestive of LCH. Two additional skull lesions were found and therefore
      she underwent chemotherapy. After 7 years of follow-up, total vertebral
      reconstruction was observed. CONCLUSIONS: Despite the rarity of the condition and
      despite the rarity of vertebral body lesion resolution, total vertebral body
      reconstruction was observed over a 7-year period. Long-term follow-up is
      necessary for a better understanding of the final outcome of patients with EG.

PMID- 28361365
TI  - Acute non-traumatic idiopathic spinal subdural hematoma: radiographic findings
      and surgical results with a literature review.
AB  - PURPOSE: Intraspinal hematoma is a serious condition, and early diagnosis is
      necessary to permit emergency treatment. Among such hematomas, non-traumatic
      spinal subdural hematoma is a rare occurrence. We have experienced three patients
      with surgically proven subdural spinal hematoma, and here we report these cases
      with a review of their clinical and imaging characteristics. METHODS: All three
      cases were idiopathic with no history of disease, no coagulopathy, and no trauma.
      All had acute onset that brought about paralysis of the lower limbs with severe
      pain. Early surgery was performed, based on a relatively early diagnosis using
      thoracolumbar MRI and CT. RESULTS: Since the epidural fat is not affected by
      bleeding, the normal structure remains and the boundary between hematoma and fat
      is a significant feature in MRI and CT. Partial Gd enhancement in MRI and ring
      enhancement in contrast CT were also apparent. Two of the cases had subarachnoid
      hematomas. CONCLUSIONS: Preoperative diagnosis of spinal subarachnoid hematoma is
      difficult because there are no specific radiological findings and confirmation
      can only occur intraoperatively. In particular, one case had a massive hematoma
      causing canal stenosis, and it was difficult to distinguish between intradural
      and extradural hematoma. In all cases of subarachnoid or subdural hematoma,
      decompression was performed within 24 h after onset, and consequently, the
      patients had relatively good outcomes.

PMID- 28361366
TI  - A rare invasive hemangioma in cauda equina.
AB  - PURPOSE: Typical hemangioma of cauda equina with relative clear margin has been
      described in some case reports, but atypical hemangioma with invasion,
      infiltration, and augmentation of all nerve roots in the cauda equina area has
      never been reported. In this paper, we reported a rare case with invasive
      hemangioma in cauda equina, and analyzed its radiological appearance and
      treatment. METHODS: We described an atypical case of hemangioma, which was
      revealed by MR and intraoperative photograph without clear margin and confirmed
      by histopathologic diagnosis. RESULTS: The patient was received radiotherapy
      (5400 cGy/25f/5w) and continued to be clinically in good condition with follow-up
      MR after 24 months without further surgery. CONCLUSIONS: Surgery may be the first
      management modality for hemangiomas with severe or progressive neurologic
      deficits, and radiotherapy may be an alternative therapy to treat hemangiomas
      according to accurate histopathologic diagnosis.

PMID- 28361368
TI  - Multiple intradural-extramedullary spinal ependymomas including tumors with
      different histological features.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: We report a rare case with multiple intradural-extramedullary
      spinal ependymomas with different histological features. CASE REPORT: A 26-year
      old female presented to our hospital because of difficulty in walking due to
      progressive paresis. Magnetic resonance imaging of the thoracic spinal cord
      showed multiple spinal cord tumors. Surgical resection of these tumors was
      performed and a different histological diagnosis including World Health
      Organization Grade III anaplastic ependymoma and Grade II ependymoma was obtained
      using the resected specimen. Additional radiotherapy and chemotherapy were also
      performed, and a successful outcome has been maintained for at least 3 years
      after surgery. CONCLUSION: Surgical resections and subsequent radiotherapy and
      chemotherapy for cases with multiple intradural-extramedullary ependymomas can
      result in a good postoperative course.

PMID- 28361370
TI  - Expert's comment concerning Grand Rounds case entitled "Floating lumbar spine:
      proposed mechanism with review of literature" (K. Das et al., Eur Spine J.
      doi:10.1007/s00586-016-4690-2).

PMID- 28361367
TI  - Three-column osteotomy for correction of cervical and cervicothoracic
      deformities: alignment changes and early complications in a multicenter
      prospective series of 23 patients.
AB  - PURPOSE: Three-column osteotomy (3CO), including pedicle subtraction osteotomy
      (PSO) and vertebral column resection (VCR), can provide powerful alignment
      correction for adult cervical deformity (ACD). Our objective was to assess
      alignment changes and early complications associated with 3CO for ACD. METHODS:
      ACD patients treated with 3CO with minimum 90-day follow-up were identified from
      a prospectively collected multicenter ACD database. Complications within 90-days
      of surgery and pre- and postoperative radiographs were collected. RESULTS: All 23
      ACD patients treated with 3CO (14 PSO/9 VCR) had minimum 90-day follow-up (mean
      age 62.3 years, previous cervical/cervicothoracic instrumentation in 52.2% and
      thoracic/thoracolumbar instrumentation in 47.8%). The primary diagnosis was
      kyphosis in 91.3% and coronal deformity in 8.7%. The mean number of fusion levels
      was 12 (range 6-18). The most common 3CO levels were T1 (39.1%), T2 (30.4%) and
      T3 (21.7%). Eighteen (12 major/6 minor) complications affected 13 (56.5%)
      patients. The most common complications were neurologic deficit (17.4%), wound
      infection (8.7%), distal junctional kyphosis (DJK 8.7%), and cardiorespiratory
      failure (8.7%). Three (13.0%) patients required re-operation within 90-days (1
      each for nerve root motor deficit, DJK, and implant pain/prominence). Cervical
      alignment improved significantly following 3CO, including cervical lordosis (-2.8
      degrees  to -12.9 degrees , p = 0.036), C2-7 sagittal vertical axis (64.6-42.3
      mm, p < 0.001), and T1 slope minus cervical lordosis (46.4 degrees -27.0 degrees
      , p < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: Among 23 ACD patients treated with 3CO, cervical
      alignment improved significantly following surgery. Thirteen (56.5%) patients had
      at least one complication. The most common complications were neurologic deficit,
      infection, DJK, and cardiorespiratory failure.

PMID- 28361369
TI  - Lack of improvement in health-related quality of life (HRQOL) scores 6 months
      after surgery for adult spinal deformity (ASD) predicts high revision rate in the
      second postoperative year.
AB  - PURPOSE: ASD is assessed radiologically with the spinopelvic parameters and
      clinically with HRQOL scores. The revision rate after ASD surgery is high and
      usually occurs during the first or second postoperative year. The aim of this
      study is to find clinical or radiological factors that could predict revision
      surgery in the second postoperative year. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Inclusion
      criterion: ASD patients operated on by instrumented posterior fusion with more
      than 2 years follow-up were enrolled prospectively. Additional criterion was no
      revision surgery during the first postoperative year. From a multicenter database
      of 560 operated ASD patients, 164 patients met these criteria. The patients were
      divided into two groups depending on the need of revision surgery during the
      second postoperative year. Preoperative, 6-month, 1-year and 2-year data were
      collected and compared for both groups. RESULTS: A total of 22 patients needed
      revision surgery and 142 did not. All revisions were for mechanical complications
      (non-fusion and implant related). Preoperatively, there was a significant
      difference between the groups (no revision vs. revision) for age (48 vs. 60
      years), ODI (37 vs. 53), and SVA (29 vs. 76 mm), respectively. At 6 months, a
      significant difference in sagittal alignment was found, though HRQOL scores were
      similar. At 1 year, the no revision group scores improved, whereas the revision
      group scores remained stable or worsened. At 2 years, the no revision group
      scores remained stable. Comparing 6- and 12-month data, patients with improved,
      stable and worsened HRQOL scores had 8, 15 and 28% revision rates, respectively.
      CONCLUSION: The revision rate at the second-year post-surgery (13.4%) remains
      high and demonstrated that a 2-year follow-up is mandatory. In addition to usual
      risk factors for mechanical complications in ASD surgery, stabilization or
      worsening of the HRQOL scores between the 6th and 12th month postop was highly
      predictive of revision rate. This observation is beneficial for ASD patient
      follow-up as clinical symptoms clearly precede mechanical failure.

PMID- 28361371
TI  - Regional differences in health-related quality of life in elderly heart failure
      patients: results from the CIBIS-ELD trial.
AB  - AIM: Patient-reported outcomes such as health-related quality of life (HRQoL) are
      main treatment goals for heart failure (HF) and therefore endpoints in
      multinational therapy trials. However, little is known about country-specific
      differences in HRQoL and in treatment-associated HRQoL improvement. The present
      work sought to examine those questions. METHODS AND RESULTS: We analysed data
      from the Cardiac Insufficiency Bisoprolol Study in Elderly (CIBIS-ELD) trial, in
      which patients from central and south-eastern Europe completed the HRQoL
      questionnaire SF-36 at baseline and the end of a 12-week beta-blocker up
      titration (follow-up). 416 patients from Serbia (mean age 72.21 years, 69% NYHA
      class I-II, 27.4% women) and 114 from Germany (mean age 73.64 years, 78.9% NYHA
      class I-II, 47.4% women) were included. Controlling for clinical variables, the
      change in mental HRQoL from baseline to follow-up was modulated by Country:
      Serbian patients, M baseline = 37.85 vs. M follow-up = 40.99, t(526) = 5.34, p <
      .001, reported a stronger increase than Germans, M baseline = 37.66 vs. M follow
      up = 38.23, t(526) = 0.68, ns. For physical HRQoL, we observed a main effect of
      Country, M Serbia = 39.28 vs. M Germany = 35.29, t(526) = 4.24, p < .001.
      CONCLUSION: We observed significant differences in HF patients from Germany and
      Serbia and country-specific differences between Serbian and German patients in
      mean physical HRQoL. Changes in mental HRQoL were modulated by country. Those
      results may reflect psychological, sociocultural, aetiological differences or
      regional differences in phenotype prevalence. More importantly, they suggest that
      future multinational trials should consider such aspects when designing a trial
      in order to avoid uncertainties aligned to data interpretation and to improve
      subsequent treatment optimisation.

PMID- 28361372
TI  - State-of-the-Art: a Review of Cardiovascular Effects of Testosterone Replacement
      Therapy in Adult Males.
AB  - PURPOSE OF REVIEW: According to an Endocrine Society Clinical Practice Guideline
      published in June 2010, testosterone replacement therapy (TRT) should be
      administered only to men who are hypogonadal with documented low testosterone
      level on two morning measurements. This recommendation was based on previous
      studies that did not show an increased risk in cardiovascular events with TRT. In
      contrast, recent studies did show an increased risk which prompted the FDA to
      investigate further. RECENT FINDINGS: Multiple studies suggested an increased
      risk in cardiovascular events among groups of men prescribed TRT. There is recent
      evidence that TRT can be associated with higher cardiovascular risks, while these
      risks are still not well established, and more well-designed trials are needed.
      Physicians should always be cautious when prescribing TRT to their patients.
      Potential risks should be discussed with each patient, and TRT requires regular
      monitoring to help minimize side effects.

PMID- 28361373
TI  - Methylmercury Exposure Reduces the Auditory Brainstem Response of Zebra Finches
      (Taeniopygia guttata ).
AB  - Mercury contamination from mining and fossil fuel combustion causes damage to
      humans and animals worldwide. Mercury exposure has been implicated in mammalian
      hearing impairment, but its effect on avian hearing is unknown. In this study, we
      examined whether lifetime dietary mercury exposure affected hearing in domestic
      zebra finches (Taeniopygia guttata) by studying their auditory brainstem
      responses (ABRs). Zebra finches exposed to mercury exhibited elevated hearing
      thresholds, decreased amplitudes, and longer latencies in the ABR, the first
      evidence of mercury-induced hearing impairment in birds. Birds are a more
      appropriate model for the human auditory spectrum than most mammals because of
      similarities in frequency discrimination, vocal learning, and communication
      behavior. When mercury is considered in combination with other anthropogenic
      stressors such as noise pollution and habitat alteration, the hearing impairments
      we document here could substantially degrade avian auditory communication in wild
      birds.

PMID- 28361375
TI  - Impaired Recognition of Basic Emotions from Facial Expressions in Young People
      with Autism Spectrum Disorder: Assessing the Importance of Expression Intensity.
AB  - It has been proposed that impairments in emotion recognition in ASD are greater
      for more subtle expressions of emotion. We measured recognition of 6 basic facial
      expressions at 8 intensity levels in young people (6-16 years) with ASD (N = 63)
      and controls (N = 64) via an Internet platform. Participants with ASD were less
      accurate than controls at labelling expressions across intensity levels, although
      differences at very low levels were not detected due to floor effects.
      Recognition accuracy did not correlate with parent-reported social functioning in
      either group. These findings provide further evidence for an impairment in
      recognition of basic emotion in ASD and do not support the idea that this
      impairment is limited solely to low intensity expressions.

PMID- 28361374
TI  - Spatial Gradients in the Size of Inner Hair Cell Ribbons Emerge Before the Onset
      of Hearing in Rats.
AB  - The size and locations of pre-synaptic ribbons and glutamate receptors within and
      around inner hair cells are correlated with auditory afferent response features
      such as the spontaneous discharge rate (SR), threshold, and dynamic range of
      sound intensity representation (the so-called SR-groups). To test if the
      development of these spatial gradients requires experience with sound intensity,
      we quantified the size and spatial distribution of synaptic ribbons from the
      inner hair cells of neonatal rats before and after the onset of hearing (from
      post-natal day (P) 3 to P33). To quantify ribbon size, we used high resolution
      fluorescence confocal microscopy and 3-D reconstructions of immunolabeled
      ribbons. The size, density, and spatial distribution of ribbons changed during
      development. At P3, ribbons were densely clustered near the basal/modiolar face
      of the hair cell where low SR-groups preferentially contact adult hair cells. By
      P12, the disparity in ribbon count was less striking and ribbons were equally
      likely to occupy both faces. At all ages before P12, ribbons were larger on the
      modiolar face than on the pillar face. These differences initially grew larger
      with age but collapsed around the onset of hearing. Between P12 and P33, the
      spatial gradients remained small and began to re-emerge around P33. Even by P12,
      we did not find spatial gradients in the size of the post-synaptic glutamate
      receptors as is found on afferent terminals contacting adult inner hair cells.
      These results suggest that spatial gradients in ribbon size develop in the
      absence of sensory experience.

PMID- 28361376
TI  - Treatment with teriparatide for advanced bisphosphonate-related osteonecrosis of
      the jaw around dental implants: a case report.
AB  - We report a case of a 66-year-old severely osteoporotic woman with bisphosphonate
      related osteonecrosis of the jaw (BRONJ) around her dental implants, who was
      treated successfully with teriparatide and sequestrectomy of the mandible. After
      5 months of teriparatide therapy, the sequestrum separation had progressed and a
      sequestrectomy was performed under general anesthesia. Five months after the
      operation, new bone formation was observed around the bone defect in the region
      of the sequestrectomy. A repeat computed tomographic image revealed improvement
      in the bone defect in the mandible. These results suggest that teriparatide
      provides beneficial effects in the treatment of advanced BRONJ around dental
      implants.

PMID- 28361377
TI  - Alveolar ridge preservation with autologous particulated dentin-a case series.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: Ridge preservation can be performed with autologous bone,
      alloplastic bone substitute material or a combination of both. Dentin is similar
      to bone in its chemical composition. In its use as bone substitute material, it
      undergoes a remodelling process and transforms to bone. The presented case report
      introduces a technique in which the extraction socket is augmented with
      autologous, particulated dentin. MATERIAL AND METHODS: The fractured, non-savable
      mesial incisor of the upper jaw was carefully extracted in axial direction. After
      the extraction, the tooth was cleared from remaining periodontal tissue. The
      vital pulp tissue or a root canal filling, enamel and cementum were also removed.
      Following the particulation of the remaining dentin in a bone mill, the dentin
      particles were immediately filled orthotope into the alveolar socket. The soft
      tissue closure was performed with a free gingival graft of the palate. RESULTS:
      After an observation period of 4 months, an implant was placed in the augmented
      area, which osseointegrated successfully and could be restored prosthodontically
      in the following. The results of this method showed a functional and aesthetic
      success. CONCLUSION: The pre-implantological, autologous ridge preservation with
      dentin could be performed successfully. For the establishment of dentin as
      augmentation material for jaw augmentation procedures, a prospective, clinical
      trial is now necessary.

PMID- 28361378
TI  - Evaluation of corneal topographic changes and surgically induced astigmatism
      after transconjunctival 27-gauge microincision vitrectomy surgery.
AB  - PURPOSE: To evaluate the corneal topographic changes and postvitrectomy
      astigmatism after 27-gauge (g) microincision vitrectomy surgery (MIVS) by using
      Pentacam HR-Scheimpflug imaging system. METHODS: This prospective descriptive
      study included 30 eyes of 30 patients who underwent 27-g MIVS. All eyes underwent
      a Pentacam HR examination preoperatively and on the first week, first month and
      third month postoperatively. The power of the corneal astigmatism, mean
      keratometry (K m), K 1 and K 2 values and corneal asphericity (Q value) values
      for the both front and back surfaces of the cornea, index of surface variance
      (ISV), index of vertical asymmetry (IVA), index of height asymmetry (IHA), index
      of height decentration (IHD) and higher-order aberrations including coma,
      trefoil, spherical aberration, higher-order root-mean-square and total RMS were
      recorded. Additionally, the mean induced astigmatism was estimated by vector
      analysis. RESULTS: No statistically significant changes were observed in the mean
      power of corneal astigmatism, mean keratometry, K 1 and K 2 values, corneal
      asphericity values, ISV, IVA, IHA, IHD and higher-order aberrations on the first
      week, first month and third month after the operation. The mean surgically
      induced astigmatism was calculated as 0.23 +/- 0.11 D on the first week, 0.19 +/-
      0.10 D on the first month and 0.19 +/- 0.08 D on the third month postoperatively.
      CONCLUSION: Minor corneal surface and induced astigmatic changes are expected to
      result in rapid visual rehabilitation after pars plana vitrectomy with the 27-g
      MIVS system.

PMID- 28361379
TI  - Bevacizumab for treatment of choroidal neovascularization secondary to candida
      chorioretinitis.
AB  - PURPOSE: To report a case of juxtafoveal choroidal neovascularization in a
      patient with candida chorioretinitis successfully treated with intravitreal
      bevacizumab. METHODS: Case report. RESULTS: A 45-year-old woman previously
      treated for candida chorioretinitis was presented with reduced vision in the left
      eye. The patient was investigated with ophthalmoscopy, fluorescein angiography,
      and optical coherence tomography (OCT). Following initial treatment, fundus
      examination, fluorescein angiography, and OCT of the right eye revealed a
      secondary juxtafoveal classic choroidal neovascularization. Following a single
      intravitreal injection of bevacizumab, the patient had excellent visual recovery,
      with absence of subretinal or intraretinal fluid in the OCT. CONCLUSIONS:
      Bevacizumab was effective in treatment of choroidal neovascularization associated
      with candida chorioretinitis.

PMID- 28361380
TI  - A challenged case of Vogt-Koyanagi-Harada syndrome: when dermatological
      manifestations came first.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: Vogt-Koyanagi-Harada syndrome (VKHS) is an inflammatory systemic
      autoimmune disease principally affecting pigmented tissues in the ocular,
      auditory, integumentary and central nervous systems. Patients are generally women
      in the fourth decade of life. The prognosis is correlated mainly with the time
      between diagnosis and the start of treatment and number of recurrent episodes of
      inflammation. Most complications are mainly ocular. The purpose of this paper is
      to describe a clinical case of VKHS. MATERIAL AND METHODS: A child with a
      challenging clinical presentation in which the dermatological symptoms occurred
      before ocular manifestations. DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION: VKHS is rare in children
      and can be a diagnostic challenge. It seemed interesting to share this case as an
      opportunity to expand our knowledge of the clinical spectrum of diseases and
      reflect about current diagnostic criteria.

PMID- 28361381
TI  - Prospective Evaluation of Predictive DNA Testing for Huntington's Disease in a
      Large German Center.
AB  - We present a prospective study of counselees seeking predictive testing for
      Huntington's disease at the Huntington Center North Rhine-Westphalia (Bochum,
      Germany) between 2010 and 2012. The aim was to observe the decision-making
      process of at-risk individuals and explore their experiences following the
      decision as well as the impacts of positive and negative mutation results. Data
      were collected using two standardized questionnaires as well as via a semi
      standardized telephone interview one year after the initial counseling session.
      Seventy-two  individuals participated in at least one of the three phases of the
      survey, including 31 individuals in the telephone interview. Sociodemographic
      data were in accordance with previous reports. The process of predictive testing
      was generally perceived in a positive manner, with almost all interviewees
      reporting a balanced emotional state one year after initial counseling,
      regardless of the decision for or against the test. The most important reasons
      named in favor of or against testing were assembled as well as different aspects
      regarding the satisfaction with the reached decision. In line with and expanding
      previous observations on gender-related differences in decision-making, our
      results suggest that gender-related aspects should be more strongly taken into
      account in genetic counseling during the predictive testing and counseling
      processes.

PMID- 28361382
TI  - Pointing movements both impair and improve visuospatial working memory depending
      on serial position.
AB  - Two experiments investigated the effects of pointing movements on the item and
      order recall of random, horizontal, and vertical arrays consisting of 6 and 7
      squares (Experiment 1) or 8 and 9 squares (Experiment 2). In the encoding phase,
      participants either viewed the items passively (passive-view condition) or
      pointed towards them (pointing condition). Then, after a brief interval, they
      were requested to recall the locations of the studied squares in the correct
      order of presentation. The critical result was that, for all types of arrays, the
      effects of the encoding condition varied as a function of serial position: for
      the initial and central positions accuracy was higher in the passive-view than in
      the pointing condition (confirming the standard inhibitory effect of pointing
      movements on visuospatial working memory), whereas the reverse pattern occurred
      in the final positions-showing a significant advantage of the pointing condition
      over the passive-view condition. Findings are interpreted as showing that
      pointing can have two simultaneous effects on the recall of spatial locations, a
      positive one due to the addition of a motor code and a negative one due to the
      attentional requirements of hand movements, with the net impact on serial recall
      depending on the amount of attention resources needed for the encoding of each
      position. Implications for the item-order hypothesis and the perceptual-gestural
      account of working memory are also discussed.

PMID- 28361383
TI  - "Does this Look Infected to You?" Social Network Predictors of Dental Help
      Seeking Among Mexican Immigrants.
AB  - Compared to U.S. born Latinos, Mexican immigrants (MAs) have diminished health
      care access and face substantial barriers to accessing needed dental health
      services. However, little research has examined how MAs social networks shape
      their use of dental health services. Using data from 332 Mexican immigrants to
      the Midwest, this research examines the significance of individual and egocentric
      network characteristics on two measures of dental health service utilization.
      Findings reveal that network size, network dental service utilization, and the
      frequency with which MAs discuss acute problems with network ties, positively
      correspond to use of oral health services. Conversely, embeddedness in networks
      where ties hassle egos about dental issues and have low levels of dental health
      knowledge correspond to lower odds of using these services. This research is
      among the first to use ego network data and methods to examine the ways network
      characteristics shape oral health behaviors among this underserved population.

PMID- 28361384
TI  - Formation of Pyrylium from Aromatic Systems with a Helium:Oxygen Flowing
      Atmospheric Pressure Afterglow (FAPA) Plasma Source.
AB  - The effects of oxygen addition on a helium-based flowing atmospheric pressure
      afterglow (FAPA) ionization source are explored. Small amounts of oxygen doped
      into the helium discharge gas resulted in an increase in abundance of protonated
      water clusters by at least three times. A corresponding increase in protonated
      analyte signal was also observed for small polar analytes, such as methanol and
      acetone. Meanwhile, most other reagent ions (e.g., O2+., NO+, etc.) significantly
      decrease in abundance with even 0.1% v/v oxygen in the discharge gas.
      Interestingly, when analytes that contained aromatic constituents were subjected
      to a He:O2-FAPA, a unique (M + 3)+ ion resulted, while molecular or protonated
      molecular ions were rarely detected. Exact-mass measurements revealed that these
      (M + 3)+ ions correspond to (M - CH + O)+, with the most likely structure being
      pyrylium. Presence of pyrylium-based ions was further confirmed by tandem mass
      spectrometry of the (M + 3)+ ion compared with that of a commercially available
      salt. Lastly, rapid and efficient production of pyrylium in the gas phase was
      used to convert benzene into pyridine. Though this pyrylium-formation reaction
      has not been shown before, the reaction is rapid and efficient. Potential
      reactant species, which could lead to pyrylium formation, were determined from
      reagent-ion mass spectra. Thermodynamic evaluation of reaction pathways was aided
      by calculation of the formation enthalpy for pyrylium, which was found to be
      689.8 kJ/mol. Based on these results, we propose that this reaction is initiated
      by ionized ozone (O3+.), proceeds similarly to ozonolysis, and results in the
      neutral loss of the stable CHO2. radical. Graphical Abstract ?.

PMID- 28361385
TI  - MALDI Orbitrap Mass Spectrometry Profiling of Dysregulated
      Sulfoglycosphingolipids in Renal Cell Carcinoma Tissues.
AB  - Matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization coupled with Orbitrap mass
      spectrometry (MALDI-Orbitrap-MS) is used for the clinical study of patients with
      renal cell carcinoma (RCC), as the most common type of kidney cancer. Significant
      changes in sulfoglycosphingolipid abundances between tumor and autologous normal
      kidney tissues are observed. First, sulfoglycosphingolipid species in studied RCC
      samples are identified using high mass accuracy full scan and tandem mass
      spectra. Subsequently, optimization, method validation, and statistical
      evaluation of MALDI-MS data for 158 tissues of 80 patients are discussed. More
      than 120 sulfoglycosphingolipids containing one to five hexosyl units are
      identified in human RCC samples based on the systematic study of their
      fragmentation behavior. Many of them are recorded here for the first time.
      Multivariate data analysis (MDA) methods, i.e., unsupervised principal component
      analysis (PCA) and supervised orthogonal partial least square discriminant
      analysis (OPLS-DA), are used for the visualization of differences between normal
      and tumor samples to reveal the most up- and downregulated lipids in tumor
      tissues. Obtained results are closely correlated with MALDI mass spectrometry
      imaging (MSI) and histologic staining. Important steps of the present MALDI
      Orbitrap-MS approach are also discussed, such as the selection of best matrix,
      correct normalization, validation for semiquantitative study, and problems with
      possible isobaric interferences on closed masses in full scan mass spectra.
      Graphical Abstract ?.

PMID- 28361386
TI  - Human Immune Monitoring Techniques during Food Allergen Immunotherapy.
AB  - PURPOSE OF REVIEW: Encouraging results from recent food allergen immunotherapy
      clinical trials indicate that the immune system plays an essential role in
      peripheral tolerance to food allergen. Thus, the monitoring of changes in immune
      responses and their possible correlation with clinical outcome in allergic
      patients receiving immunotherapies could theoretically serve as surrogate markers
      and be harnessed as rationale for food allergen immunotherapy development. RECENT
      FINDINGS: A shift towards antigen specificity in recent assays has provided a
      solid foundation for the elucidation of cellular mechanisms involved in food
      allergen immunotherapy as well as the tracking of allergen-specific immune cells.
      In this review, we overview the current challenges and technologies used in
      immune monitoring during immunotherapy in allergic patients with a focus on cell
      mediated immunity. We also discuss critical steps involved in some of the
      cellular immune assays utilized in clinical trials.

PMID- 28361387
TI  - Excess Manganese-Induced Apoptosis in Chicken Cerebrums and Embryonic Neurocytes.
AB  - There were many studies about the effect of excess manganese (Mn) on nervous
      system apoptosis; however, Mn-induced apoptosis in chicken cerebrums and
      embryonic neurocytes was unclear. The purpose of this study was to investigate
      the effect of excess Mn on chicken cerebrum and embryonic neurocyte apoptosis.
      Seven-day-old Hyline male chickens were fed either a commercial diet or three
      levels of manganese chloride (MnCl2)-added commercial diets containing 600-, 900
      , and 1800-mg/kg-Mn diet, respectively. On the 30th, 60th, and 90th days,
      cerebrums were collected. Fertilized Hyline chicken eggs were hatched for 6-8
      days and were selected. Embryonic neurocytes with 0, 0.5, 1, 1.5, 2, 2.5, and 3
      mM Mn were collected and were cultured for 12, 24, 36, and 48 h, respectively.
      The following research contents were performed: superoxide dismutase (SOD) and
      total antioxidant capacity (T-AOC) activities; tumor protein p53 (p53), B cell
      lymphoma-2 (Bcl-2), B cell lymphoma extra large (Bcl-x), Bcl-2-associated X
      protein (Bax), Bcl-2 homologous antagonist/killer (Bak), fas, and caspase-3
      messenger RNA (mRNA) expression; and morphologic observation. The results
      indicated that excess Mn inhibited SOD and T-AOC activities; induced p53, Bax,
      Bak, fas, and caspase-3 mRNA expression; and inhibited Bcl-2 and Bcl-x mRNA
      expression in chicken cerebrums and embryonic neurocytes. There were dose
      dependent manners on all the above factors at all the time points and time
      dependent manners on SOD activity of 1800-mg/kg-Mn group, T-AOC activity, and
      apoptosis-related gene mRNA expression in all the treatment groups in chicken
      cerebrums. Excess Mn induced chicken cerebrum and embryonic neurocyte apoptosis.

PMID- 28361389
TI  - Improving trial design in cancer anesthesia (onco-anesthesia) research.

PMID- 28361388
TI  - Effects of Ag Nanoparticles on Growth and Fat Body Proteins in Silkworms (Bombyx
      mori).
AB  - Ag nanoparticles (AgNPs), a widely used non-antibiotic, antibacterial material,
      have shown toxic and other potentially harmful effects in mammals. However, the
      deleterious effects of AgNPs on insects are still unknown. Here, we studied the
      effects of AgNPs on the model invertebrate organism Bombyx mori. After feeding
      silkworm larvae different concentrations of AgNPs, we evaluated the changes of B.
      mori body weights, survival rates, and proteomic differences. The results showed
      that low concentrations (<400 mg/L) of AgNPs promoted the growth and cocoon
      weights of B. mori. Although high concentrations (>=800 mg/L) of AgNPs also
      improved B. mori growth, they resulted in silkworm death. An analysis of fat body
      proteomic differences revealed 13 significant differences in fat body protein
      spots, nine of which exhibited significantly downregulated expression, while four
      showed significantly upregulated expression. Reverse transcription-polymerase
      chain reaction results showed that at an AgNP concentration of 1600 mg/L, the
      expression levels of seven proteins were similar to the transcription levels of
      their corresponding genes. Our results suggest that AgNPs lowered   the
      resistance to oxidative stress, affected cell apoptosis, and induced cell
      necrosis by regulating related protein metabolism and metabolic pathways in B.
      mori.

PMID- 28361390
TI  - Effect of magnesium sulfate on oxytocin-induced contractility in human
      myometrium: an in vitro study.
AB  - PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to determine the contractile patterns
      induced by oxytocin in myometrium exposed to magnesium sulfate (MgSO4). We
      hypothesized that MgSO4 pretreatment would reduce oxytocin-induced myometrial
      contractions in both oxytocin-naive and oxytocin-desensitized myometrium.
      METHODS: In this prospective in vitro study, myometrial samples were obtained
      from 26 women undergoing elective Cesarean deliveries. Samples were divided into
      six groups. Four groups were apportioned to no pretreatment (control group),
      oxytocin 10-5 M pretreatment (desensitization group), MgSO4 3.5 mM pretreatment,
      and MgSO4 3.5 mM + oxytocin 10-5M pretreatment. This was followed by dose
      response testing to oxytocin 10-10 to 10-5M in all four groups. Two additional
      groups included MgSO4 3.5 mM pretreatment and MgSO4 3.5 mM + oxytocin 10-5 M
      pretreatment, followed by dose-response testing to oxytocin along with MgSO4 3.5
      mM. The outcomes were motility index (MI), as defined by the amplitude (g) *
      frequency of myometrial contractions (c) over ten minutes, and area under the
      curve (AUC). RESULTS: In oxytocin-naive myometrium, the mean (standard error
      [SE]) MI was not affected by MgSO4 pretreatment [3.31 (0.20) ?g?c/10 min] as
      compared with control (P = 0.88), even when MgSO4 was continued during dose
      response testing [2.50 (0.19) ?g?c/10 min; P = 0.41]. In the oxytocin
      desensitized model, mean (SE) MI was not affected by MgSO4 pretreatment [2.60
      (0.21) ?g?c/10 min; P = 0.68], but when MgSO4 was continued during the dose
      response period, the MI was significantly reduced compared with control [1.89
      (0.13) ?g?c/10 min; P < 0.001]. The results for AUC were similar to MI, except
      for a significant reduction in oxytocin-naive myometrium when MgSO4 was continued
      during dose-response testing (P = 0.02). CONCLUSION: Magnesium sulfate
      pretreatment does not impair oxytocin-induced myometrial contractility in
      oxytocin-naive or desensitized myometrium unless it is continued during oxytocin
      dose-response testing. These results suggest that its tocolytic effect is likely
      dependent on an extracellular mechanism. The study was registered with
      ClinicalTrials.gov, number NCT02647268.

PMID- 28361391
TI  - Relation between bispectral index measurements of anesthetic depth and
      postoperative mortality: a meta-analysis of observational studies.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: The association between anesthesia depth and mortality is still
      controversial. There are a number of narrative reviews on this topic that affirm
      this association, but their conclusions were based only on qualitative analyses.
      The aim of this meta-analysis of observational studies was to examine the
      potential association between depth of anesthesia as a low bispectral index (BIS)
      and mortality using appropriate quantitative methods. METHODS: The literature was
      systematically reviewed in three main electronic databases (MEDLINE, EMBASE,
      Google Scholar) to identify all articles from inception through December 2015
      regarding the association between depth of anesthesia and mortality. Inclusion
      criteria were restricted to observational studies that used multivariable Cox
      proportional regression methodology and reported adjusted hazard ratios (aHR).
      Pooled effect size was measured using a random effects model. Subgroup analysis
      was performed post hoc based on follow-up duration (30 days and >= one year).
      RESULTS: Eight observational studies that included 40,317 patients were evaluated
      in this meta-analysis. The results showed a statistically significant association
      between the depth of anesthesia as measured by low BIS (< 40-45), and mortality
      (pooled aHR, 1.21; 95% CI, 1.07 to 1.38; P = 0.003). Subgroup analysis showed
      that the association between depth of anesthesia (measured by low BIS) and
      mortality was significant for studies with a follow-up duration of >= one year (n
      = 23,347; pooled aHR, 1.10; 95% CI, 1.00 to 1.21; P = 0.04) but was not
      significant for studies with a follow-up duration of 30 days (n = 16,970; pooled
      aHR, 1.38; 95% CI = 0.81 to 2.36; P = 0.24). CONCLUSION: Existing observational
      studies support a significant association between depth of anesthesia (as
      measured by BIS) and long-term mortality (>= one year), although it was without
      statistical significance at 30 days. Larger prospective, randomized trials are
      necessary to establish a definitive conclusion about whether this association
      represents true causality or is an epiphenomenon.

PMID- 28361393
TI  - Limited evidence of individual differences in holistic processing in different
      versions of the part-whole paradigm.
AB  - The part-whole paradigm was one of the first measures of holistic processing and
      it has been used to address several topics in face recognition, including its
      development, other-race effects, and more recently, whether holistic processing
      is correlated with face recognition ability. However the task was not designed to
      measure individual differences and it has produced measurements with low
      reliability. We created a new holistic processing test designed to measure
      individual differences based on the part-whole paradigm, the Vanderbilt Part
      Whole Test (VPWT). Measurements in the part and whole conditions were reliable,
      but, surprisingly, there was no evidence for reliable individual differences in
      the part-whole index (how well a person can take advantage of a face part
      presented within a whole face context compared to the part presented without a
      whole face) because part and whole conditions were strongly correlated. The same
      result was obtained in a version of the original part-whole task that was
      modified to increase its reliability. Controlling for object recognition ability,
      we found that variance in the whole condition does not predict any additional
      variance in face recognition over what is already predicted by performance in the
      part condition.

PMID- 28361392
TI  - Noninvasive Follicular Thyroid Neoplasm with Papillary-Like Nuclear Features:
      Historical Context, Diagnosis, and Future Challenges.
AB  - The encapsulated/well-demarcated non-invasive form of follicular variant of
      papillary thyroid carcinoma (FVPTC) that occurs annually in 45,000 patients
      worldwide was thought for 30 years to be a carcinoma. Many studies have now shown
      almost no recurrence in these non-invasive tumors, even in patients treated by
      surgery without radioactive iodine therapy. The categorization of the tumor as
      cancer has led to aggressive forms of treatment, with their side effects,
      financial costs, and the psychological and social impact of a cancer diagnosis.
      Recently, the encapsulated/well-demarcated non-invasive, FVPTC was renamed as
      noninvasive follicular thyroid neoplasm with papillary-like nuclear features
      (NIFTP) by an international group of experts. The new terminology lacks the
      carcinoma label enabling clinicians to avoid aggressive therapy. By taking the
      reader through the history of FVPTC, this article explains how diagnostic
      criteria for thyroid carcinoma of follicular cells have evolved over the last 60
      years. It discusses the steps that led to the labeling of FVPTC as cancer and
      highlights the various studies that helped reclassify and rename this tumor. It
      also sheds light on the impact of this reclassification on cytologic diagnosis
      and focuses on the studies needed to refine and expand the histologic criteria of
      NIFTP. By understanding the history of this change in nomenclature, future
      classification of tumors will be greatly improved.

PMID- 28361394
TI  - Financial feasibility of end-user designed rainwater harvesting and greywater
      reuse systems for high water use households.
AB  - Water availability pressures, competing end-uses and sewers at capacity are all
      drivers for change in urban water management. Rainwater harvesting (RWH) and
      greywater reuse (GWR) systems constitute alternatives to reduce drinking water
      usage and in the case of RWH, reduce roof runoff entering sewers. Despite the
      increasing popularity of installations in commercial buildings, RWH and GWR
      technologies at a household scale have proved less popular, across a range of
      global contexts. For systems designed from the top-down, this is often due to the
      lack of a favourable cost-benefit (where subsidies are unavailable), though few
      studies have focused on performing full capital and operational financial
      assessments, particularly in high water consumption households. Using a bottom-up
      design approach, based on a questionnaire survey with 35 households in a
      residential complex in Bucaramanga, Colombia, this article considers the initial
      financial feasibility of three RWH and GWR system configurations proposed for
      high water using households (equivalent to >203 L per capita per day). A full
      capital and operational financial assessment was performed at a more detailed
      level for the most viable design using historic rainfall data. For the selected
      configuration ('Alt 2'), the estimated potable water saving was 44% (equivalent
      to 131 m3/year) with a rate of return on investment of 6.5% and an estimated
      payback period of 23 years. As an initial end-user-driven design exercise, these
      results are promising and constitute a starting point for facilitating such
      approaches to urban water management at the household scale.

PMID- 28361395
TI  - Bioaccumulation of gadolinium in freshwater bivalves.
AB  - In this study, the presence of anthropogenic gadolinium (Gd) was evaluated in
      rivers, close to wastewater treatment plant outputs. Then, one site was selected
      for in situ experiments to assess the bioaccumulation of Gd in the digestive
      gland and in the gills of two bivalves (Dreissena rostriformis bugensis and
      Corbicula fluminea). For both organisms, the results suggested that the
      bioaccumulation of Gd can be observed when organisms are exposed in a geogenic
      and anthropogenic Gd mixture. In order to observe if Gd can bioaccumulate in
      tissues of bivalves when the ion is only present as the main anthropogenic
      speciation of Gd, i.e., Gd-contrast agents (Gd-CAs), the gadoteric acid was used
      for a laboratory experiment. In this case, the presence of Gd was clearly
      detected in a significant amount in the digestive glands of D. rostriformis
      bugensis and C. fluminea while low concentrations are measured in the gills. For
      the first time, these results clearly showed that Gd can bioaccumulate in bivalve
      tissues even when it is only present as Gd-CAs. Biochemical activities were
      measured in the digestive gland and in the gills of the bivalves to assess the
      effects of Gd-CA bioaccumulation. No significant variations were observed in the
      gills. Concerning the digestive gland, after 7 days of exposure at 10 MUg L-1 of
      Gd as Gd-CA speciation, GST activity in D. rostriformis bugensis and lipid
      hydroperoxide and mitochondrial electron transfer system in C. fluminea had
      increased. The results suggest an acclimation of the organisms to the presence of
      Gd-CAs in the medium within less than 21 days.

PMID- 28361396
TI  - Synthesis and photocatalytic performance of reduced graphene oxide-TiO2
      nanocomposites for orange II degradation under UV light irradiation.
AB  - To enhance the photocatalytic activity of TiO2, reduced graphene oxide-TiO2 (RGO
      TiO2) composites with sandwich-like structure were synthesized using a simple
      solvothermal method. The morphology, crystalline information, and structural
      property of the photocatalyst were characterized by field emission scanning
      electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction, and
      Fourier transmission infrared spectroscopy. The photocatalytic performances of
      the RGO-TiO2 composites were evaluated by the degradation of orange II (AO7) in
      water under UV light irradiation. The results showed that the RGO-TiO2 composites
      exhibited much higher photocatalytic activity than TiO2 and that the removal
      efficiency of AO7 could reach above 95% only after 20 min of UV light irradiation
      under the optimum condition. The improved photocatalytic activity might be
      attributed to the improved charge transfer and significant separation of the
      photoinduced electrons and holes in the presence of a two-dimensional graphene
      network. The results of recycling experiments show that RGO-TiO2 composites have
      a high photostability, which is expected in the practical application. Radical
      trapping experiments indicated that .OH plays a crucial role in the process of
      AO7 degradation.

PMID- 28361398
TI  - A two-stage fuzzy chance-constrained water management model.
AB  - In this study, an inexact two-stage fuzzy gradient chance-constrained programming
      (ITSFGP) method is developed and applied to the water resources management in the
      Heshui River Basin, Jiangxi Province, China. The optimization model is
      established by incorporating interval programming, two-stage stochastic
      programming, and fuzzy gradient chance-constrained programming within an
      optimization framework. The hybrid model can address uncertainties represented as
      fuzzy sets, probability distributions, and interval numbers. It can effectively
      tackle the interactions between pre-regulated economic targets and the associated
      environmental penalties attributed to water allocation schemes and reflect the
      tradeoffs between economic revenues and system-failure risk. Furthermore,
      uncertainties associated with the decision makers' preferences are considered in
      decision-making processes. The obtained results can provide decision support for
      the local sustainable economic development and water resources allocation
      strategies under multiple uncertainties.

PMID- 28361397
TI  - Integration of coagulation and adsorption for removal of N-nitrosodimethylamine
      (NDMA) precursors from biologically treated municipal wastewater.
AB  - This study investigated the N-nitrosodimethylamine (NDMA) formation potential of
      various dissolved organic matter (DOM) fractions in biologically treated
      municipal wastewater by UF fractionation, XAD-8 resin adsorption isolation, and
      excitation and emission matrix (EEM) fluorescence spectroscopy. Removal of
      various NDMA precursor fractions was also analyzed to evaluate the efficiency of
      traditional water treatment processes (coagulation, adsorption, and coagulation
      adsorption). Results showed that NDMA were mainly formed by low molecular weight
      (MW) fractions (<30 kDa) and hydrophilic fractions (HiS) in biologically treated
      municipal wastewater. Integrated coagulation-adsorption treatments showed the
      highest reduction capacity for NDMA formation potential (57%), followed by
      isolated adsorption treatment (50%) and isolated coagulation treatment (28%). The
      powdered activated carbon (PAC) adsorption process could reduce the high MW
      precursors (>30 kDa) by 48%, which was higher than other treatments. In contrast,
      the highest uptake (66%) of low MW precursors (<30 kDa) was achieved by the
      coagulation-adsorption process. All treatments preferentially removed the
      hydrophobic acids (HoA) fraction compared to other fractions. Coagulation could
      remove more fulvic acid-like substances and adsorption could remove more
      microbial by-products and aromatic proteins.

PMID- 28361399
TI  - The potential DNA toxic changes among workers exposed to antimony trioxide.
AB  - Occupational exposure to antimony has gained much interest when specific toxic
      effects were noticed among workers processing antimony. Thus, the aim of the
      present work was to investigate the potential DNA oxidative damage occurring
      among Egyptian workers occupationally exposed to antimony trioxide. The study was
      conducted on 25 subjects exposed to antimony trioxide while working in the
      polymerization process of polyester in Misrayon and Polyester Fiber Company,
      KafrEldawwar, Beheira, Egypt. Urinary antimony levels were assessed using
      inductive coupled plasma-optical emission spectrometry (ICP-OES) and considered
      as a biological exposure index. DNA damage and total oxidant capacity (TOC) were
      assessed using ELISA. DNA damage was detected in the form of increased
      apurinic/apyrimidinic (AP) sites among antimony trioxide-exposed workers compared
      to control subjects, but it could not be explained by oxidative mechanisms due to
      lack of significant correlation between DNA damage and measured TOC. Antimony
      trioxide might have a genotoxic impact on occupationally exposed workers which
      could not be attributed to oxidative stress in the studied cases.

PMID- 28361400
TI  - Comparison of two modified coal ash ferric-carbon micro-electrolysis ceramic
      media for pretreatment of tetracycline wastewater.
AB  - Application of modified sintering ferric-carbon ceramics (SFC) and sintering-free
      ferric-carbon ceramics (SFFC) based on coal ash and scrap iron for pretreatment
      of tetracycline (TET) wastewater was investigated in this article. Physical
      property, morphological character, toxic metal leaching content, and crystal
      component were studied to explore the application possibility of novel ceramics
      in micro-electrolysis reactors. The influences of operating conditions including
      influent pH, hydraulic retention time (HRT), and air-water ratio (A/W) on the
      removal of tetracycline were studied. The results showed that SFC and SFFC were
      suitable for application in micro-electrolysis reactors. The optimum conditions
      of SFC reactor were pH of 3, HRT of 7 h, and A/W of 10. For SFFC reactor, the
      optimum conditions were pH of 2, HRT of 7 h, and A/W of 15. In general, the TET
      removal efficiency of SFC reactor was better than that of SFFC reactor. However,
      the harden resistance of SFFC was better than that of SFC. Furthermore, the
      biodegradability of TET wastewater was improved greatly after micro-electrolysis
      pretreatment for both SFC and SFFC reactors.

PMID- 28361401
TI  - Rosmarinus officinalis L. ameliorates titanium dioxide nanoparticles and induced
      some toxic effects in rats' blood.
AB  - Titanium dioxide nanoparticles (TiO2 NPs) have been widely used as a white
      pigment in food and drugs. The most important route of human exposure to TiO2 is
      through food and drug products containing TiO2 additives. This study investigates
      the efficacy of an oral traditional use of rosemary extract in ameliorating some
      toxic effects induced on blood of TiO2 NP-intoxicated rats. Rats were given
      rosemary extract via intragastric administration 1 h before the intragastric
      administration of 100 mg/kg/day TiO2 NPs (10 nm) for 60 days. TiO2 NPs
      significantly increased serum cholesterol, glucose, and triglyceride levels of
      rats. They also induced significant oxidative stress and inflammatory and caused
      DNA damage in peripheral blood leukocytes. The rosemary extract appears to have a
      significant protective effect by lowering glucose level properties, restoring the
      lipid profile and showing an antioxidative, anti-inflammatory, and antigenotoxic
      properties against TiO2 NPs toxicity. In conclusion, this study gives an
      encouraging scientific basis for consumers of rosemary leaves to keep on with
      this culinary habit.

PMID- 28361402
TI  - Response of low-molecular-weight organic acids in mangrove root exudates to
      exposure of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons.
AB  - Low-molecular-weight organic acids (LMWOAs) represent an important component of
      root exudates. They play a pivotal role in the degradation of polycyclic aromatic
      hydrocarbons (PAHs) in sediments as they influence PAH bioavailability and
      degrader colonization. This study examined variations of LMWOAs in mangrove root
      exudates (Aegiceras corniculatum and Kandelia obovata) after exposure in
      phenanthrene and pyrene solution for 7 and 40 days, respectively. After 7 days of
      treatment, total root exudates and six types of LMWOA in root exudates from both
      mangrove species were enhanced. The largest increase was found in oxalic acid,
      i.e., the dominant component in determined LMWOAs. Coupled with the enhancement
      in LMWOA exudation rates, root metabolism intensities, measured as the
      dehydrogenase activity, increased. In contrast, after 40 days of exposure, the
      exudation rate of total LMWOAs had dropped markedly in PAH-contaminated groups
      compared to the control, indicating that PAHs negatively impacted root metabolism
      and activities due to their toxicity. The largest decrease was also found in
      oxalic acid, suggesting that the biological reactions related with oxalic acid
      are vulnerable under PAH stresses.

PMID- 28361403
TI  - Impact of highway traffic and the acoustic screen on the content and spatial
      distribution of heavy metals in soils.
AB  - Recent years have witnessed intensification of road traffic and, with it, the
      amount of substances emitted by vehicles. Such emissions need to be monitored for
      public health purposes. The aim of this study was to evaluate the impact of the
      highway traffic on the total content and bioavailability of Zn, Cu, Ni, Cd, Cr
      and Pb in nearby soils as well as influence of an acoustic screen on spatial
      distribution of the metals. The material included 40 soil samples collected from
      15 research points located 5, 10, 25 and 50 m away from the road acoustic screen
      and from 4 points between the screen and the highway. Additionally, 5 research
      points were located next to the metal barrier. Selected physicochemical
      properties of soils were determined: soil texture, soil pH, TOC and CaCO3
      content. The total content of heavy metals in the soils was determined by AAS
      after digestion in aqua regia and bioavailable forms in 1 M
      diethylenetriaminepentaacetic acid. The research found low impact of the highway
      traffic on the content of heavy metals in soils; however, due to a very short
      period of this potential impact (5 years), the moderately polluted category of
      geo-accumulation index of cadmium and high bioavailability of lead indicate the
      need of repeating the research within the next several years. Furthermore, the
      road acoustic screen significantly influenced spatial distribution of the metals
      in soils.

PMID- 28361404
TI  - Antibacterial mode of action of violacein from Chromobacterium violaceum UTM5
      against Staphylococcus aureus and methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus
      (MRSA).
AB  - Violacein, violet pigment produced by Chromobacterium violaceum, has attracted
      much attention recently due to its pharmacological properties including
      antibacterial activity. The present study investigated possible antibacterial
      mode of action of violacein from C. violaceum UTM5 against Staphylococcus aureus
      and methicillin-resistant S. aureus (MRSA) strains. Violet fraction was obtained
      by cultivating C. violaceum UTM5 in liquid pineapple waste medium, extracted, and
      fractionated using ethyl acetate and vacuum liquid chromatography technique.
      Violacein was quantified as major compound in violet fraction using HPLC
      analysis. Violet fraction displayed bacteriostatic activity against S. aureus
      ATCC 29213 and methicillin-resistant S. aureus ATCC 43300 with minimum inhibitory
      concentration (MIC) of 3.9 MUg/mL. Fluorescence dyes for membrane damage and
      scanning electron microscopic analysis confirmed the inhibitory effect by
      disruption on membrane integrity, morphological alternations, and rupture of the
      cell membranes of both strains. Transmission electron microscopic analysis showed
      membrane damage, mesosome formation, and leakage of intracellular constituents of
      both bacterial strains. Mode of action of violet fraction on the cell membrane
      integrity of both strains was shown by release of protein, K+, and extracellular
      adenosine 5'-triphosphate (ATP) with 110.5 MUg/mL, 2.34 MUg/mL, and 87.24 ng/MUL,
      respectively, at 48 h of incubation. Violet fraction was toxic to human embryonic
      kidney (HEK293) and human fetal lung fibroblast (IMR90) cell lines with LC50
      value of 0.998 +/- 0.058 and 0.387 +/- 0.002 MUg/mL, respectively. Thus, violet
      fraction showed a strong antibacterial property by disrupting the membrane
      integrity of S. aureus and MRSA strains. This is the first report on the possible
      mode of antibacterial action of violet fraction from C. violaceum UTM5 on S.
      aureus and MRSA strains.

PMID- 28361405
TI  - Impact of Safety-Related Regulations on Codeine Use in Children: A Quasi
      Experimental Study Using Taiwan's National Health Insurance Research Database.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: Safety concerns regarding potential life-threatening adverse events
      associated with codeine have resulted in policy decisions to restrict its use in
      pediatrics. However, whether these drug safety communications have had an
      immediate and strong impact on codeine use remains in question. OBJECTIVE: We
      aimed to investigate the impact of the two implemented safety-related regulations
      (label changes and reimbursement regulations) on the use of codeine for upper
      respiratory infection (URI) or cough. METHODS: A quasi-experimental study was
      performed using Taiwan's National Health Insurance Research Database. Quarterly
      data of codeine prescription rates for URI/cough visits were reported, and an
      interrupted time series design was used to assess the impact of the safety
      regulations on the uses of codeine among children with URI/cough visits.
      Multivariable logistic regression models were used to explore patient and
      provider characteristics associated with the use of codeine. RESULTS: The safety
      related regulations were associated with a significant reduction in codeine
      prescription rates of -4.24% (95% confidence interval [CI] -4.78 to -3.70), and
      the relative reduction compared with predicted rates based on preregulation
      projections was 60.4, 56.6, and 53.2% in the first, second, and third year after
      the regulations began, respectively. In the postregulation period, physicians
      specializing in otolaryngology (odds ratio [OR] 1.47, 95% CI 1.45-1.49),
      practicing in district hospitals (OR 6.84, 95% CI 5.82-8.04) or clinics (OR 6.50,
      95% CI 5.54-7.62), and practicing in the least urbanized areas (OR 1.60, 95% CI
      1.55-1.64) were more likely to prescribe codeine to children than their
      counterparts. CONCLUSIONS: Our study provides a successful example of how to
      effectively reduce the codeine prescriptions in children in the 'real-world'
      settings, and highlights areas where future effort could be made to improve the
      safety use of codeine. Future research is warranted to explore whether there was
      a simultaneous decrease in the incidence rates of codeine-related adverse events
      following the safety-related regulations.

PMID- 28361406
TI  - "Vesica Patavina" (lat.).
AB  - After the initial simulation, we started performing Ves.Pa. on human patients. We
      can confirm that the technique is more rapid than others, and easy to perform
      with a totally intracorporeal robotic approach.

PMID- 28361407
TI  - Erratum to: Modern Approaches to Studies of New Osteogenic Biomaterials on the
      Model of Regeneration of Critical-Size Cranial Defects in Rats.

PMID- 28361408
TI  - Correction of Abnormalities Provoked by Long-Term Alcoholization with Hypoxic
      Hyperoxic Training.
AB  - Free radical oxidation in the liver and skeletal muscles as well as stress
      behavior were examined in rats subjected to a gradual long-term alcoholization
      with elevated ethanol content from 10 to 40% followed by correction of alcohol
      induced disturbances with hypoxic-hyperoxic training. The elevated plus-maze test
      revealed increased anxiety and appearance of risky behavior in alcoholized rats
      in the absence of changes in motor and orientation activity. In the liver and
      skeletal muscles of alcoholized rats, free radical oxidation processes were
      decompensated despite activation of antioxidant enzymes. Adaptation to
      intermittent hypoxia-hyperoxia during last two weeks of alcoholization exerted a
      protective effect against ethanol-induced oxidative stress: reduced anxious and
      risk behavior, normalized tissue tolerance of free radical oxidation processes,
      and restored the level of protective proteins.

PMID- 28361409
TI  - Albumin in the Vitreous Body, Retina and Lens of Human Fetal Eye.
AB  - The content of serum albumin was evaluated in the vitreous body, retina, and lens
      of human fetuses of 14, 16, 17, 18 and 24 weeks of gestation. Albumin was
      detected in these tissues. PCR analysis revealed no albumin mRNA in the retina or
      in the lens, while in fetal liver (control) mRNA for this protein was expressed.
      These findings suggest that serum albumin is not synthesized by cells of retina
      and lens, but is captured by them. The presence of serum albumin in human eye
      tissues suggests its involvement in the metabolism, maintenance of tissue volume,
      and antioxidant reactions.

PMID- 28361410
TI  - Effect of Selank on Spontaneous Synaptic Activity of Rat Hippocampal CA1 Neurons.
AB  - Application of anxiolytic drug Selank to hippocampal slices increased the
      amplitude and discharge rate of spontaneous inhibitory postsynaptic currents in
      rat hippocampal pyramidal CA1 neurons. In some neurons, Selank-induced up
      regulation of spontaneous inhibitory postsynaptic currents was preceded by a
      transient decrease in this activity. In the examined concentration range (1-8
      MUM), Selank demonstrated no significant dose-dependence.

PMID- 28361411
TI  - Study of SMAD-Dependent Signal Pathway in the Development of Early Pulmonary
      Fibrosis in Mice Infected with Influenza A/H1N1 Virus.
AB  - Early fibrosis of the visceral organs is one of the main complications of
      infection caused by influenza A virus. Structural manifestations and molecular
      regulators of the epithelialmesenchymal transformation as a possible mechanism of
      fibrosis progression were studied in mice infected with influenza A/H1N1
      A/Tomsk/13/2010 virus. We found early fibrosis of the lungs against the
      background of minor changes in fibroblast count. However, enhanced expression of
      TGF-beta and SMAD-2 by macrophages and alveolocytes attested to possible
      development of epithelial-mesenchymal transformation and its contribution to
      activation of fibrogenesis process in the lungs.

PMID- 28361412
TI  - Study of MU- and delta-Opioid Activities in Agents with Various kappa-Receptor
      Selectivity.
AB  - A putative opioid agonist RU-1205 was ineffective within in vitro model of
      electrically induced contractions of rat ileum assessing the MU- and delta-opioid
      receptor pathways, while morphine inhibited these contractions in a dose
      dependent and naloxone-reversible manners with EC50=2.6*10-7 M. In vivo
      experiments revealed no significant effects of RU-1205 on respiration and
      gastrointestinal tract contractile activity. In contrast, butorphanol decreased
      respiration rate by 25% (25-100 mg/kg) and slowed down the transit of labeled
      particles along the small intestine by 77.1% (1 mg/kg) and by 45.5% (10 mg/kg).
      Morphine-induced inhibition of peristalsis was dose-dependent with maximum effect
      (by 68.6%) observed in the dose of 10 mg/kg. It was concluded that the effects of
      RU-1205 are not related to activation MU- and delta-opioid receptors known to
      mediate the effects of non-selective opioid agonist morphine and agonist
      antagonist butorphanol.

PMID- 28361413
TI  - Structural Reorganization of the Thyroid Gland in Males of the Republic of Sakha
      (Yakutia) Depending on Ethnicity and Climate.
AB  - Histomorphometric and immunohistochemical analyses showed season-dependent
      changes in the morphofunctional parameters of the structural components of the
      thyroid gland in males of indigenous (Yakuts, Evens, and Evenkis) and non
      indigenous (Russian and Ukrainians) populations of the Republic of Sakha
      (Yakutia) in different seasons. External and internal diameters of follicles and
      area of the colloid in the thyroid gland was higher in non-indigenous than in non
      indigenous individuals both in summer and in winter. The height of thyroid
      epithelium, areas of thyrocytes and their nuclei, and nucleocytoplasmic index of
      the thyroid gland were lower in men from non-indigenous population in summer, and
      higher in winter than in non-indigenous inhabitants. Transition of a part of
      follicular apparatus of the thyroid gland to enhanced activity during winter was
      less pronounced in indigenous males in comparison with non-indigenous subjects.

PMID- 28361414
TI  - Cytophysiological Changes in the Follicular Epithelium of the Thyroid Gland after
      Long-Term Exposure to Low Doses of Dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane (DDT).
AB  - Exposure to endocrine disruptors is considered as a risk factor thyroid gland
      diseases. We analyzed cytophysiological changes in rat thyroid follicular
      epithelium after long-term exposure to low doses of the most widespread disruptor
      DDT. Analysis of thyroid hormone production and light and electron microscopy of
      thyroid gland samples revealed cytophysiological changes in thyroid epithelium
      related to impaired transport through the apical membrane, suppressed Golgi
      complex activity, and impaired thyrotrophic hormone regulation of the secretory
      functions of thyroid cells, which led to compensatory transition from merocrine
      to microapocrine secret release.

PMID- 28361415
TI  - Role of Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor and Transforming Growth Factor-beta2
      in Rat Bone Tissue after Bone Fracture and Placement of Titanium Implants with
      Bioactive Bioresorbable Coatings.
AB  - The study established enhanced expression of vascular endothelial growth factor
      (VEGF) in the subpopulation of osteoblasts located in the regeneration region of
      femoral bone fracture near the titanium implants with bioactive calcium phosphate
      and hydroxyapatite coatings and suppressed activity of transforming growth factor
      beta2 (TGF-beta2) in chondroblasts during the two weeks after surgery. In the
      delayed posttraumatic period, the distribution of TGF-beta2 inversely related to
      its maximal activity. The data revealed the up-regulating effect of bioresorbable
      coatings on expression of VEGF and TGF-beta2 and their implication in the control
      over various stages of reparative osteogenesis.

PMID- 28361416
TI  - Characteristics of Depressive-Like Behavior of Prenatally Stressed Male Rats with
      Androgen Deficiency.
AB  - Characteristics of depressive-like behavior of male rats with androgen deficiency
      born by mothers subjected to prenatal stress during pregnancy were assessed by
      using Porsolt tests and open-field tests. The level of depression-like behavior
      in prenatally stressed males increased more intensively than in non-stressed
      gonadectomized males. Chronic administration of testosterone propionate (0.5
      mg/kg, intramuscularly, for 14 days) increased depressive behavior in prenatally
      stressed gonadectomized males in contrast to its antidepressant effect in
      nonstressed gonadectomized rats. Prenatal stress considerably exacerbated
      depressive behavior of male rats under conditions of androgen deficiency and
      abolished the antidepressant effect of exogenously administered testosterone
      propionate.

PMID- 28361417
TI  - Participation of Purinergic P2X Receptors in the Thermoregulatory Response to
      Cooling.
AB  - We studied the role of purinergic P2X receptors in the body response to cooling.
      In experiments on rats, P2X receptor antagonist PPADS was administered in
      different modes, which resulted in changes of different characteristics of the
      thermoregulatory response to cold. Iontophoresis of P2X antagonist into the skin
      decreased the thermal thresholds of all thermoregulatory responses to cooling,
      which can attest to a modulating effect of P2X receptors on peripheral
      thermosensitive afferents. Intraperitoneal administration of P2X antagonist
      suppressed thermoregulatory activity of skeletal muscles (shivering) developing
      during cooling without changing the thresholds of thermoregulatory responses. The
      findings suggest that ATP and P2X receptors play an important role in the
      formation of the response to cooling.

PMID- 28361418
TI  - Proteomic Characteristics of Blood Serum in Rats with Different Behavioral
      Parameters after Acute Stress.
AB  - We studied proteome profile of blood serum of Wistar rats with different
      behavioral activity immediately and in 1 and 3 days after acute stress on the
      model of 12-h immobilization during the nighttime. Comparative analysis of 2D
      electrophoretograms revealed differences in the expression of serum proteins in
      non-stressed (control) and stressed (experimental) rats. We found 22 protein
      spots that characterized the proteomic features of blood serum in rats with
      different prognostic resistance to stress. Mass-spectrometry of isolated spots
      identified 6 functional proteins. Persistent proteome changes in the blood of
      animals at different stages after acute stress were determined. The specificity
      of proteomic characteristics of blood serum was shown in behaviorally passive and
      active rats during the post-stress period. These data extend the concept on
      specific protein markers for the formation of a negative emotional state and
      adaptive-and-compensatory processes in mammals with different sensitivity to
      stressogenic factors.

PMID- 28361419
TI  - Association of Glu298Asp Polymorphism of Endothelial NO Synthase Gene with
      Metabolic Syndrome Development: a Pilot Study.
AB  - We studied association of single nucleotide polymorphism Glu298Asp (rs1799983) of
      the NOS3 gene with the risk of metabolic syndrome in the Slavic population. Blood
      samples were obtained from 128 patients with metabolic syndrome and 100 healthy
      individuals. Polymorphism Glu298Asp of the NOS3 gene was genotyped by allele
      specific PCR. Allele Asp (OR=1.95, 95%CI 1.29-2.95, p=0.007) and genotype Asp/Asp
      (OR=2.56, 95%CI 0.98-6.72, p=0.04) were associated with the risk of metabolic
      syndrome in Slavic population. Patients with metabolic syndrome carrying genotype
      Asp/Asp had higher serum endothelin-1 level in comparison with Glu/Asp and
      Glu/Glu carriers.

PMID- 28361421
TI  - Dynamics of Interaction of Neural Networks in the Course of EEG Alpha
      Biofeedback.
AB  - Brain EEG-fMRI activity was studied in subjects, who had successfully completed
      the EEG alpha stimulating training course (20 sessions): for 14 healthy men (20
      35 years) three records were obtained in the feedback loop (biofeedback with EEG
      alpha rhythm with sound reinforcement): in the beginning, middle and at the end
      of the course. During alpha training, increased functional connectivity was
      revealed between precuneus network and anterior salience network, left executive
      control network, default mode network, primary visual network; anterior salience
      network and executive control network, visual-spatial network. The most prominent
      changes were found for precuneus network and anterior salience network, which
      could be due to their key role in the biofeedback phenomenon. Significant changes
      in functional connectivity were recorded for anterior salience network and
      precuneus network (synchronicity increased from the first to the third trial) and
      right and left executive control networks (weakening from the first to the second
      session.

PMID- 28361420
TI  - Effect of Purine Co-Transmitters on Automatic Activity Caused by Norepinephrine
      in Myocardial Sleeves of Pulmonary Veins.
AB  - We studied the effect of extracellular purine nucleotides (NAD+ and ATP) on
      spontaneous arrhythmogenic activity caused by norepinephrine in myocardial
      sleeves of pulmonary veins. In pulmonary veins, NAD+ and ATP reduced the
      frequency of action potentials and their duration at regular type of spontaneous
      activity caused by norepinephrine. NAD+ and ATP lengthened the intervals between
      spike bursts at periodic (burst) type of spontaneous activity. In addition, ATP
      shortened the duration of spike bursts and the number of action potentials in the
      "bursts" caused by norepinephrine in the pulmonary veins. It was hypothesized
      that NAD+ and ATP attenuate the effects of sympathetic stimulation and when
      released together with norepinephrine from sympathetic endings in vivo, probably,
      reduce arrhythmogenic activity in myocardial sleeves of pulmonary veins.

PMID- 28361422
TI  - Effect of Metal-Containing Nanocomposites on Functional Status of the Thymus in
      Experimental Animals.
AB  - The effects of nanostructurized composites argentogalactomannan and argento-poly
      1-vinyl-1,2,4-triasole on the kinetics of T cell maturation in the thymus of
      albino mice were studied. These nanocomposites stimulated the formation of
      CD3+CD4+CD8- and CD3+CD4-CD8+ cells from CD3-CD4-CD8- cells, the effect of
      argentogalactomannan was more potent. The efficiency of these compounds as agents
      improving the defense potential deserves special studies.

PMID- 28361423
TI  - Effects of Growth Factors on Mobilization of Mesenchymal Stem Cells.
AB  - We studied mobilization of bone marrow stem cells the under conditions of boost
      therapy with granulocytic CSF and erythropoietin. Immunophenotyping of the
      peripheral blood was carried out in patients after transplantation of tissue
      engineered trachea during the perioperative period. We observed an increase in
      hemopoietic stem cell pool and appearance of multipotent mesenchymal stromal
      cells in systemic circulation, their maximum concentration being recorded on days
      10-14 after surgery. These data indicated a positive effect of growth factors on
      mobilization of stem cells.

PMID- 28361424
TI  - Role of Prolactin in the Regulation of Bicarbonates Biodynamics in Female Rat
      Model of Cholestasis of Pregnancy.
AB  - We studied possible involvement of prolactin in the regulation of bicarbonate
      biodynamics using female rat model of cholestasis of pregnancy induced by
      transplantation of the donor pituitary under the renal capsule of a recipient
      (hyperprolactinemia) and bile duct ligation (cholestasis). The concentration of
      bicarbonates in the bile and blood, their excretion, clearance, and reabsorption,
      as well as glomerular filtration rate and excretion of sodium ions were assessed.
      It was found that the main effect of prolactin was directed to the kidney
      regulated pool of bicarbonates and consisted in stimulation of their clearance
      and inhibition of reabsorption, which led to a decrease in bicarbonate blood
      concentration. Parallel influence of prolactin on the clearance of bicarbonates
      and sodium ions was observed.

PMID- 28361425
TI  - Anxiolytic Properties of Trimetazidine in Experimental Models of Increased
      Anxiety.
AB  - Effect of trimetazidine (20 and 30 mg/kg) on elevated plus maze behavior of
      rodents was assessed in the genetic and pharmacological anxiety models. Single
      intraperitoneal injection of trimetazidine in a dose of 20 mg/kg prevented
      anxiety development in highly emotional male BALB/c mice and increased the time
      spent in open arms of the maze. In outbred male rats receiving 10% ethanol
      solution for 20 weeks, trimetazidine administered intraperitoneally in a dose of
      20 mg/kg for 28 days abolished ethanol withdrawal-induced anxiogenesis developed
      against the background of 4-week alcohol deprivation: it increased the time spent
      in open arms, the number of entries into open arms, and total locomotor activity
      in the maze. Anxiolytic properties of trimetazidine were not inferior to those of
      the non-benzodiazepine anxiolytic Afobazole (fabomotizole) in acute and chronic
      administration.

PMID- 28361426
TI  - Antithrombotic Activity of DAB-15, a Novel Diazepinobenzimidazole Compound.
AB  - Antithrombotic activity of a new orally administered antiplatelet compound DAB-15
      was compared to that of acetylsalicylic acid, ticlopidine, and clopidogrel in the
      experimental model of arterial thrombosis in rats caused by surface application
      of 50% ferric chloride (III) on the carotid artery. Compound DAB-15 exerted a
      dose-dependent antithrombotic effect and was superior to acetylsalicylic acid,
      ticlopidine and clopidogrel by 5, 7, and 4.9 times, respectively (by ED50). This
      necessitates studying of the action mechanism of this antiplatelet compound with
      consideration of its influence on different stages of the pathogenesis of
      platelet aggregation.

PMID- 28361428
TI  - Experimental Validation of the Efficiency of Gamalant-paste-FORTE Plus, a Russian
      Osteoinductive Material, in Oral Surgery.
AB  - For evaluation of the efficiency of bone substitute, nanostructurized Gamalant
      paste-FORTEPlus was placed into a mandibular defect in rats. Bone tissue
      reparation was evaluated after 30 days by histological methods under a
      microscope. Use of bone substitute in experimental mandibular defect ensured more
      complete and rapid restructuring of the bone tissue in comparison with the
      control (natural healing).

PMID- 28361427
TI  - Age-Specific Characteristics of CO-Mediated Reaction of the Pial Arteries of
      Various Diameters in Rats.
AB  - First-fourth order pial branches of the median cerebral artery were studied by
      biomicroscopy in male Wistar rats aged 1 and 12 months. Irrespective of age, CO
      mediated mechanisms are involved in the regulation of the basal tone of pial
      vessels of various diameters (more so of arteries with well-developed muscular
      tunic). Injection of hemin confirmed that endogenous production of CO maintained
      vasodilatation and this effect was most pronounced in large pial branches of
      young animals, while zinc protoporphyrin IX blocked this effect in all cases. On
      the other hand, zinc IX protoporphyrin did not modify NO-mediated reaction caused
      by injection of L-arginine, while hemin compensated (though not completely)
      vasoconstriction induced by NO synthase blocker L-NAME. In contrast to NO, the
      effect of CO on blood vessels was not so rapid and potent, but more lasting.
      Other targets for CO were arteries with well-developed muscular tunic, while
      targets for NO were small vessels. The vasomotor effects of both gas transmitters
      were more pronounced in young animals.

PMID- 28361429
TI  - Possible Role of Polymorphisms in TNFA, NFKB1, and CASP8 Gene Promoter Areas in
      the Development of Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia.
AB  - We studied the relationship between polymorphisms rs1800629 (-308G>A), rs28362491
      (-94ins>del), and rs3834129 (-652ins>del) in the promoter regions of TNFA, NFKB1,
      and CASP8 genes, respectively, encoding TNF-alpha, nuclear transcription factor
      kappaB1 (NF-kappaB1), and caspase 8 (CASP8), and the risk and stages of chronic
      lymphocytic leukemia in ethnic Russians, residents of the Vyatka region of
      Russia. Allele -308A, genotype -308AA, and -308A genotypes (-308AA/-308AG) were
      associated with the risk of this pathology (OR=1.64, 95%CI 1.14-2.37, p=0.007;
      OR=4.48, 95%CI 1.20-16.80, p=0.02, and OR=1.57, 95%CI 1.05-2.36, p=0.03). In
      addition, NFKB1 allele -94del and genotype -94del/del were associated with
      advanced stages of the disease at the time of diagnosis (OR=0.66, 95%CI 0.46
      0.97, p=0.03 and OR=0.43, 95%CI 0.20-0.92, p=0.03). These data suggest that 
      308G>A and -94ins>del polymorphisms of genes TNFA and NFKB1, respectively, can be
      involved in the pathogenesis of chronic lymphocytic leukemia.

PMID- 28361430
TI  - Changes in the Structure of the Thymus under Conditions of Various Treatments for
      Experimental Mammary Tumor.
AB  - Morphological changes in the thymus of female Wistar rats with experimental
      mammary gland carcinomas were studied. After adjuvant therapy, the area of the
      cortical matter and density of parenchymal cells in the thymus decreased, while
      areas of the medulla, connective tissue, and content of immunoblasts and
      macrophages increased. In the thymuses of rats receiving exogenous DNA,
      morphological signs of activation of the lymphoid and epithelial components were
      found: areas of the cortex and medulla, glandular and connective tissue
      corresponded to the values in intact animals, the counts of lymphocytes in the
      central part of the cortical matter and of macrophages in all zones of the thymus
      increased, and lymphocyte migration from the thymus increased (in comparison with
      the chemotherapy group).

PMID- 28361431
TI  - Modification of Rat Lung Decellularization Protocol Based on Dynamic
      Conductometry of Working Solution.
AB  - We modified the protocol of obtaining of biological scaffolds of rat lungs based
      on dynamic recording of specific resistivity of working detergent solution
      (conductometry) during perfusion decellularization. Termination of sodium
      deoxycholate exposure after attaining ionic equilibrium plateau did not impair
      the quality of decellularization and preserved structural matrix components,
      which was confirmed by morphological analysis and quantitative assay of residual
      DNA.

PMID- 28361432
TI  - Prediction of Intraoperative Blood Loss during Total Knee Arthroplasty in HCV+
      and HCV- Patients with Hemophilia A.
AB  - We examined HCV+ and HCV- hemophilia A patients with knee arthropathy and
      hematocrit above 38.5%. The mean density of erythrocytes was studied by the
      phthalate method, intraoperative blood loss was assessed gravimetrically. The
      volume of blood loss in HCV+ patients with manifest adhesive process and chronic
      synovitis varied from 300 to 1900 ml, in patients with moderate adhesive process
      from 400 to 1500 ml. The volume of blood loss in HCV- patients was 300-800 ml. A
      positive correlation between the blood loss volume and mean density of
      erythrocytes was detected. Blood loss >1000 ml during total knee arthroplasty can
      be expected in patients with hemophilia A with HCV and high mean density of
      erythrocytes. Blood loss >1000 ml is unlikely in HCV- and HCV+ patients with the
      mean density of erythrocytes not surpassing the normal values.

PMID- 28361433
TI  - Ultrastructural Characteristics of Placental Telocytes.
AB  - Telocytes of placental villi were studied by electronic microscopy during
      physiological pregnancy. Ultrastructural features of telocytes indicating their
      heterogeneity and presence of at least three types of villi depending on their
      localization and kind were observed. All placental telocytes were characterized
      by small amount of organelles including mitochondria. Presence of long thin
      processes, which generated a branching network by contacting with each other,
      served as a typical feature of telocytes including telocytes of the stroma and
      intermediate villi. Telocytes were absent in the terminal villi.

PMID- 28361434
TI  - Comparative Analysis of Structural Responses of Rat Subcutaneous Fat on the
      Implantation of Samples of Polymethyl Methacrylate with Hydrophobic and
      Hydrophilic Surface.
AB  - Morphological analysis of the subcutaneous fat was performed in rats after
      subcutaneous implantation of basic dental plastic materials with different
      hydrophobic and hydrophilic properties. It was shown that subcutaneous
      implantation of dental plastics with mostly hydrophobic surface and low
      biocompatibility induced destructive and inflammatory processes of various
      intensities, sometimes with allergic component; morphological signs of processes
      persisted for 6 weeks. Modification of basic plastics using glow-discharge plasma
      and enhancement of their hydrophilicity and biocompatibility significantly
      reduced the intensity of destructive and inflammatory processes and ensured more
      rapid (in 2 weeks) repair of the destroyed tissues with the formation of fibrous
      capsule around the implant.

PMID- 28361435
TI  - The time course of morphological processing during spoken word recognition in
      Chinese.
AB  - We investigated the time course of morphological processing during spoken word
      recognition using the printed-word paradigm. Chinese participants were asked to
      listen to a spoken disyllabic compound word while simultaneously viewing a
      printed-word display. Each visual display consisted of three printed words: a
      semantic associate of the first constituent of the compound word (morphemic
      competitor), a semantic associate of the whole compound word (whole-word
      competitor), and an unrelated word (distractor). Participants were directed to
      detect whether the spoken target word was on the visual display. Results
      indicated that both the morphemic and whole-word competitors attracted more
      fixations than the distractor. More importantly, the morphemic competitor began
      to diverge from the distractor immediately at the acoustic offset of the first
      constituent, which was earlier than the whole-word competitor. These results
      suggest that lexical access to the auditory word is incremental and morphological
      processing (i.e., semantic access to the first constituent) that occurs at an
      early processing stage before access to the representation of the whole word in
      Chinese.

PMID- 28361436
TI  - The effect of character contextual diversity on eye movements in Chinese sentence
      reading.
AB  - Chen, Huang, et al. (Psychonomic Bulletin & Review, 2017) found that when reading
      two-character Chinese words embedded in sentence contexts, contextual diversity
      (CD), a measure of the proportion of texts in which a word appears, affected
      fixation times to words. When CD is controlled, however, frequency did not affect
      reading times. Two experiments used the same experimental designs to examine
      whether there are frequency effects of the first character of two-character words
      when CD is controlled. In Experiment 1, yoked triples of characters from a
      control group, a group matched for character CD that is lower in frequency, and a
      group matched in frequency with the control group, but higher in character CD,
      were rotated through the same sentence frame. In Experiment 2 each character from
      a larger set was embedded in a separate sentence frame, allowing for a larger
      difference in log frequency compared to Experiment 1 (0.8 and 0.4, respectively).
      In both experiments, early and later eye movement measures were significantly
      shorter for characters with higher CD than for characters with lower CD, with no
      effects of character frequency. These results place constraints on models of
      visual word recognition and suggest ways in which Chinese can be used to tease
      apart the nature of context effects in word recognition and language processing
      in general.

PMID- 28361437
TI  - Effect of Preventive and Curative Fingolimod Treatment Regimens on Microglia
      Activation and Disease Progression in a Rat Model of Multiple Sclerosis.
AB  - Fingolimod was the first oral drug approved for multiple sclerosis treatment. Its
      principal mechanism of action is blocking of lymphocyte trafficking. In addition,
      recent studies have shown its capability to diminish microglia activation. The
      effect of preventive and curative fingolimod treatment on the time-course of
      neuroinflammation was investigated in the experimental autoimmune
      encephalomyelitis rat model for multiple sclerosis. Neuroinflammatory progression
      was followed in Dark Agouti female rats after immunization. Positron-Emission
      tomography (PET) imaging with (R)-[11C]PK11195 was performed on day 11, 15, 19,
      27, 29 and 34 during normal disease progression, preventive and curative
      treatments with fingolimod (1 mg/kg/day). Additionally, bodyweight and clinical
      symptoms were determined. Preventive treatment diminished bodyweight loss and
      inhibited the appearance of neurological symptoms. In non-treated rats, PET
      showed that neuroinflammation peaked in the brainstem at day 19, whereas the
      imaging signal was decreased in cortical regions. Both preventive and curative
      treatment reduced neuroinflammation in the brainstem at day 19. Eight days after
      treatment withdrawal, neuroinflammation had flared-up, especially in cortical
      regions. Preventive treatment with fingolimod suppressed clinical symptoms and
      neuroinflammation in the brainstem. After treatment withdrawal, clinical symptoms
      reappeared together with neuroinflammation in cortical regions, suggesting a
      different pathway of disease progression.

PMID- 28361438
TI  - Drug Utilization of Japanese Patients Diagnosed with Schizophrenia: An
      Administrative Database Analysis.
AB  - BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: Patient characteristics require consideration for
      optimal treatment in order to achieve clinical remission for an improved quality
      of life and social functioning. Prior evidence supports long-acting injectable
      antipsychotics (LAIs) in the relapse prevention of schizophrenia. This study
      aimed to characterize Japanese patients diagnosed with schizophrenia and to
      compare the outcomes of LAIs and oral antipsychotics (AP) in re-hospitalization
      or emergency room visit rates. METHODS: Diagnostic Procedure Combination (DPC)
      designated hospital data in Japan with ICD-10 code F20x between July 2013 and
      June 2015 were obtained from the Medical Data Vision Co. Ltd. Patients were
      divided into sub-groups in order to filter co-diagnostic conditions. Differences
      across sub-groups were assessed using a Chi square test or ANOVA. The incidence
      rate ratio (IRR) was calculated to compare the re-hospitalization (30 days post
      discharge) or emergency room visit rates between pharmacotherapy groups of oral
      versus LAI or typical versus atypical within LAI patients. Adjusted estimates
      were provided by propensity scores that were assigned for age, gender, and
      Charlson co-morbidity index (CCI) scores. RESULTS: A quarter of the data sourced
      were attributed to co-diagnosis with dementia/delirium with antipsychotic
      prescriptions despite reported risks of antipsychotic use. After adjusting for
      age, gender, and co-morbidity, LAI reduced re-hospitalization and emergency (ER)
      visit rates more than oral APs (LAI vs. oral IRR = 0.38 (95% CI 0.17-0.74), IRR =
      0.56 (95% CI 0.34-0.91), respectively). CONCLUSION: The study findings
      demonstrate usage of DPC hospital data in schizophrenia pharmacotherapy based on
      classification of co-diagnoses. In comparison with oral APs only, LAI utilization
      can provide an opportunity for reduced re-hospitalization and ER visit rates
      among patients with schizophrenia.

PMID- 28361439
TI  - Cost-Effectiveness Analysis of Regorafenib for Gastrointestinal Stromal Tumour
      (GIST) in Germany.
AB  - BACKGROUND: No study has compared the cost-effectiveness of active treatment
      options for unresectable or metastatic gastrointestinal stromal tumours in
      patients who progressed on or are intolerant to prior treatment with imatinib and
      sunitinib. The aim of this study was to estimate the cost-effectiveness of
      regorafenib compared to imatinib rechallenge in this setting in Germany. METHODS:
      Hazard ratios for progression-free (PFS) and overall survival (OS) with
      regorafenib versus imatinib rechallenge were estimated by indirect comparison. A
      state distribution model was used to simulate progression, mortality and
      treatment costs over a lifetime horizon. Drug acquisition costs and utilities
      were derived from clinical trial data and published literature; non-drug costs
      were not included. The outcomes measured were treatment costs, life-years (LYs)
      and quality-adjusted life-years (QALYs). RESULTS: The indirect comparison
      suggested that median PFS and OS were longer with regorafenib compared to
      imatinib but results were not statistically significant. Regorafenib versus
      imatinib rechallenge was estimated to have hazard ratios of 0.58 (95% CI 0.31
      1.11) for PFS and 0.77 (95% CI 0.34-1.77) for OS, with substantial uncertainty
      due to the rarity of the disease and small number of patients within the trials.
      Regorafenib treatment per patient over a lifetime horizon provided an additional
      0.61 LYs and 0.42 QALYs over imatinib rechallenge, with additional direct drug
      costs of ?8,773. The incremental cost-effectiveness ratio was ?21,127 per QALY
      gained. At a cost-effectiveness threshold of ?50,000 per QALY, regorafenib had a
      67% probability of being cost-effective. CONCLUSION: Based on the currently
      available clinical data, this analysis suggests that regorafenib is cost
      effective compared with imatinib rechallenge in Germany.

PMID- 28361441
TI  - The effect of a telephone-based cognitive behavioral therapy on quality of life:
      a randomized controlled trial.
AB  - Health-related quality of life (HRQoL) has emerged as a major public health
      concern in perinatal care. The purpose of this study was to examine the effect of
      telephone-based cognitive behavioral therapy (T-CBT) on HRQoL among Chinese
      mothers at risk of postnatal depression at 6 weeks and 6 months postpartum. A
      multi-center randomized controlled trial was conducted at the postnatal units of
      three regional hospitals. Three hundred and ninety-seven women at risk of
      postnatal depression were recruited and were randomly assigned to the T-CBT (n =
      197) or usual care (n = 200). Assessment was conducted at baseline, 6 weeks and 6
      months postpartum for HRQoL. Women in the T-CBT experienced greater improvement
      in the physical component of HRQoL from baseline to 6 weeks and 6 months
      postpartum than the usual care group. At 6 months postpartum, the T-CBT group
      also experienced better HRQoL in the mental component of HRQoL than the usual
      care group. The T-CBT appears to be feasible and effective in improving HRQoL in
      women at risk of postnatal depression in the primary care practice.

PMID- 28361442
TI  - Natural polyprenylated benzophenone: keto-enol tautomerism from density
      functional calculations and the AIM theory.
AB  - The quantum theory of atoms in molecules (QTAIM) and density functional theory
      (DFT) calculations were employed to investigate the structure and tautomeric
      equilibrium of epiclusianone, a polyisoprenylated benzophenone with interesting
      biological activities. Two different exchange-correlation functionals were
      employed, namely omegaB97x-D and M06-2x, including implicit solvent models
      (benzene and DMSO). Our results for the thermodynamic properties show that the
      isomer in which the H atom is bonded to the oxygen away from the benzene ring is
      the most stable tautomer form of the epiclusianone, thus confirming previous
      charge density analysis from X-ray diffraction data (Martins et al. J Braz Chem
      Soc 18(8):1515-1523, 22).

PMID- 28361443
TI  - Gaining insight into crizotinib resistance mechanisms caused by L2026M and G2032R
      mutations in ROS1 via molecular dynamics simulations and free-energy
      calculations.
AB  - ROS1 fusion kinase-highly expressed in a variety of human cancers-has emerged as
      an important and attractive target for anticancer drug design. Crizotinib, a well
      known drug approved by the FDA as an ALK inhibitor to treat advanced NSCLC, also
      shows potent inhibitoy activity against ROS1. However, the development of serious
      resistance due to secondary mutations has been observed in clinical studies. To
      provide insight into the mechanisms of this drug resistance, molecular dynamics
      simulations and free-energy calculations were carried out for complexes of
      crizotinib with wild-type (WT) ROS1 as well as the mutated L2026M and G2032R
      forms. MD simulations indicated that the L2026M and G2032R systems are slightly
      less flexible than the WT system. Binding free energy calculations showed that
      the L2026M and G2032R mutations significantly reduce the binding affinity of
      crizotinib for ROS1, and that the resistance to crizotinib caused by the L2026M
      and G2032R mutations arises mostly from increases in entropic terms. Furthermore,
      calculations of per-residue binding free energies highlighted increased and
      decreased contributions of some residues in the L2026M and G2032R systems
      relative to those in the WT system. The present study therefore yielded detailed
      insight into the mechanisms of resistance to crizotinib caused by the L2026M and
      G2032R mutations, which should provide the basis for rational drug design to
      combat crizotinib resistance. Graphical Abstract Superposition of the average
      structures obtained from the last 10 ns of the molecular dynamics simulation
      trajectoriy for WT (green) and mutated ROS1 (cyan).

PMID- 28361444
TI  - Functional roles of T3.37 and S5.46 in the activation mechanism of the dopamine
      D1 receptor.
AB  - The activation mechanism of dopamine receptors is unknown. The amino acids S5.42,
      S5.43, and S5.46 located in helix 5 appear to be crucial, but their specific
      roles in receptor activation have not been studied. We modeled the D1 dopamine
      receptor using the crystal structures of the D3 dopamine and beta2 adrenergic
      receptors. Molecular dynamics simulations show that the interaction of dopamine
      with the D1 receptor leads to the formation of a hydrogen-bond network with its
      catechol group and helices 3, 5, and 6, including water molecules. The para
      hydroxyl group of dopamine binds directly to S5.42 and N6.55, the latter also
      interacting with S5.43. Unexpectedly, S5.46 does not interact directly with the
      catechol; instead, it interacts through a water molecule with S5.42 and directly
      with T3.37. The formation of this hydrogen-bond network, part of which was
      previously observed in docking studies with dopamine agonists, triggers the
      opening of the E6.30-R3.60 ionic lock associated with the activation of GPCRs.
      These changes do not occur in the unbonded (apo) receptor or when it is in a
      complex with the antagonist 3-methoxy-5,6,7,8,9,14-hexahydrodibenz[d,g]azecine.
      Our results provide valuable insight into the T3.37-S5.46-water-S5.43-ligand
      interaction, which may be crucial to the activation of the D1 dopamine receptor
      and should be considered during the design of novel agonists. Graphical Abstract
      General representation of the relationship between the formation of the HBN and
      the opening of the R3.50-E6.30 ionic lock.

PMID- 28361445
TI  - Roles of Probiotic Lactobacilli Inclusion in Helping Piglets Establish Healthy
      Intestinal Inter-environment for Pathogen Defense.
AB  - The gastrointestinal tract of pigs is densely populated with microorganisms that
      closely interact with the host and with ingested feed. Gut microbiota benefits
      the host by providing nutrients from dietary substrates and modulating the
      development and function of the digestive and immune systems. An optimized
      gastrointestinal microbiome is crucial for pigs' health, and establishment of the
      microbiome in piglets is especially important for growth and disease resistance.
      However, the microbiome in the gastrointestinal tract of piglets is immature and
      easily influenced by the environment. Supplementing the microbiome of piglets
      with probiotic bacteria such as Lactobacillus could help create an optimized
      microbiome by improving the abundance and number of lactobacilli and other
      indigenous probiotic bacteria. Dominant indigenous probiotic bacteria could
      improve piglets' growth and immunity through certain cascade signal transduction
      pathways. The piglet body provides a permissive habitat and nutrients for
      bacterial colonization and growth. In return, probiotic bacteria produce
      prebiotics such as short-chain fatty acids and bacteriocins that benefit piglets
      by enhancing their growth and reducing their risk of enteric infection by
      pathogens. A comprehensive understanding of the interactions between piglets and
      members of their gut microbiota will help develop new dietary interventions that
      can enhance piglets' growth, protect piglets from enteric diseases caused by
      pathogenic bacteria, and maximize host feed utilization.

PMID- 28361448
TI  - Variability of aggregation extent of light-harvesting pigments in peripheral
      antenna of Chloroflexus aurantiacus.
AB  - The stationary ground state and femtosecond time-resolved absorption spectra as
      well as spectra of circular dichroism were measured at room temperature using
      freshly prepared samples of chlorosomes isolated from fresh cultures of the green
      bacterium Chloroflexus aurantiacus. Cultures were grown by using as inoculum the
      same seed culture but under different light conditions. All measured spectra
      clearly showed the red shift of BChl c Qy bands (up to 5 nm) for low-light
      chlorosomes as compared to high-light ones, together with concomitant narrowing
      of these bands and increasing of their amplitudes. The sizes of the unit BChl c
      aggregates of the high-light-chlorosomes and the low-light ones were estimated.
      The fit of all experimental spectra was obtained within the framework of our
      model proposed before (Fetisova et al., Biophys J 71:995-101, 1996). The model
      assumes that a unit building block of the BChl c antenna has a form of a tubular
      aggregate of L = 6 linear single or double exciton-coupled pigment chains within
      a rod element, with the pigment packing density, approximating that in vivo. The
      simultaneous fit of all experimental spectra gave the number of pigments in each
      individual linear pigment chain N = 4 and N = 6 for the high-light and the low
      light BChl c unit building blocks, respectively. The size of a unit building
      block in the BChl c antenna was found to vary from L * N = 24 to L * N = 36
      exciton-coupled BChl c molecules being governed by the growth-light intensity.
      All sets of findings for Chloroflexus aurantiacus chlorosomes demonstrated the
      biologically expedient light-controlled variability, predicted by us, of the
      extent of BChl c aggregation within a unit building block in this antenna.

PMID- 28361447
TI  - Reproductive factors and incidence of endometrial cancer in U.S. black women.
AB  - PURPOSE: Previous studies have shown that reproductive history is a strong
      determinant of endometrial cancer risk among white women. Less is known about how
      reproductive history affects endometrial cancer risk among black women, whose
      incidence and mortality differ from white women. We investigated the associations
      of age at menarche, parity, timing of births, and menopausal age with endometrial
      cancer in the Black Women's Health Study, a prospective cohort study. METHODS:
      Every 2 years from 1995 to 2013, 47,555 participants with intact uteri at
      baseline in 1995 completed questionnaires on reproductive and medical history,
      and lifestyle factors. Self-reported cases of endometrial cancer were confirmed
      by medical record, cancer registry, or death certificate when available. Cox
      proportional hazards regression was used to estimate multivariable incidence rate
      ratios (IRR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI). RESULTS: During 689,501 person
      years of follow-up, we identified 300 incident cases of endometrial cancer. The
      strongest associations with endometrial cancer were found for early age at
      menarche (<11 vs. 12-13 years: IRR 1.82, 95% CI 1.31, 2.52), and later age at
      first birth (>=30 vs. <20 years: IRR 0.26, 95% CI 0.13, 0.50). Parous women were
      less likely than nulliparous women to develop endometrial cancer (IRR 0.77, 95%
      CI 0.57, 1.05), but there was little evidence of a dose-response relationship for
      number of births. CONCLUSION: Associations between reproductive factors and
      endometrial cancer among black women were generally consistent with those in
      studies of white women.

PMID- 28361446
TI  - Does milk intake promote prostate cancer initiation or progression via effects on
      insulin-like growth factors (IGFs)? A systematic review and meta-analysis.
AB  - PURPOSE: To establish whether the association between milk intake and prostate
      cancer operates via the insulin-like growth factor (IGF) pathway (including IGF
      I, IGF-II, IGFBP-1, IGFBP-2, and IGFBP-3). METHODS: Systematic review, collating
      data from all relevant studies examining associations of milk with IGF, and those
      examining associations of IGF with prostate cancer risk and progression. Data
      were extracted from experimental and observational studies conducted in either
      humans or animals, and analyzed using meta-analysis where possible, with summary
      data presented otherwise. RESULTS: One hundred and seventy-two studies met the
      inclusion criteria: 31 examining the milk-IGF relationship; 132 examining the IGF
      prostate cancer relationship in humans; and 10 animal studies examining the IGF
      prostate cancer relationship. There was moderate evidence that circulating IGF-I
      and IGFBP-3 increase with milk (and dairy protein) intake (an estimated
      standardized effect size of 0.10 SD increase in IGF-I and 0.05 SD in IGFBP-3 per
      1 SD increase in milk intake). There was moderate evidence that prostate cancer
      risk increased with IGF-I (Random effects meta-analysis OR per SD increase in IGF
      I 1.09; 95% CI 1.03, 1.16; n = 51 studies) and decreased with IGFBP-3 (OR 0.90;
      0.83, 0.98; n = 39 studies), but not with other growth factors. The IGFBP-3 
      202A/C single nucleotide polymorphism was positively associated with prostate
      cancer (pooled OR for A/C vs. AA = 1.22; 95% CI 0.84, 1.79; OR for C/C vs. AA =
      1.51; 1.03, 2.21, n = 8 studies). No strong associations were observed for IGF
      II, IGFBP-1 or IGFBP-2 with either milk intake or prostate cancer risk. There was
      little consistency within the data extracted from the small number of animal
      studies. There was additional evidence to suggest that the suppression of IGF-II
      can reduce tumor size, and contradictory evidence with regards to the effect of
      IGFBP-3 suppression on tumor progression. CONCLUSION: IGF-I is a potential
      mechanism underlying the observed associations between milk intake and prostate
      cancer risk.

PMID- 28361449
TI  - Interaction and electron transfer between ferredoxin-NADP+ oxidoreductase and its
      partners: structural, functional, and physiological implications.
AB  - Ferredoxin-NADP+ reductase (FNR) catalyzes the last step of linear electron
      transfer in photosynthetic light reactions. The FAD cofactor of FNR accepts two
      electrons from two independent reduced ferredoxin molecules (Fd) in two
      sequential steps, first producing neutral semiquinone and then the fully anionic
      reduced, or hydroquinone, form of the enzyme (FNRhq). FNRhq transfers then both
      electrons in a single hydride transfer step to NADP+. We are presenting the
      recent progress in studies focusing on Fd:FNR interaction and subsequent electron
      transfer processes as well as on interaction of FNR with NADP+/H followed by
      hydride transfer, both from the structural and functional point of views. We also
      present the current knowledge about the physiological role(s) of various FNR
      isoforms present in the chloroplasts of higher plants and the functional impact
      of subchloroplastic location of FNR. Moreover, open questions and current
      challenges about the structure, function, and physiology of FNR are discussed.

PMID- 28361452
TI  - Great Expectations: HIV Risk Behaviors and Misperceptions of Low HIV Risk among
      Incarcerated Men.
AB  - Incarcerated populations have relatively high HIV prevalence but little has been
      reported about their aggregate HIV risk behaviors or perceptions of risk. A
      random selection of HIV-negative men (n = 855) entering a US state prison system
      were surveyed to assess five risk behaviors and his self-perceived HIV risk.
      Using multivariate logistic regression, we identified factors associated with
      having elevated actual but low perceived risk (EALPR). Of the 826 men with
      complete data, 88% were at elevated risk. While 64% of the sample had risk
      perceptions concordant with their actual risk, 14% had EALPR (with the remainder
      at low actual but high perceived risk). EALPR rates were lower in those with a
      pre-incarceration HIV test but higher for those with a negative prison entry HIV
      test. HIV testing counseling should assess for discordance between actual and
      perceived risk and communicate the continued risk of HIV despite a negative
      result.

PMID- 28361451
TI  - Long-term Duration of First-Line Axitinib Treatment in Advanced Renal Cell
      Carcinoma.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: We conducted a retrospective analysis of two clinical trials in
      treatment-naive patients (n = 402) with advanced renal cell carcinoma (RCC)
      treated with axitinib. Our objective was to compare duration of treatment (DT)
      and clinical outcome in patients who achieved DT >18 months (longer DT) versus
      <=18 months (shorter DT). PATIENTS AND METHODS: DT, objective response rate
      (ORR), tumor shrinkage, and overall survival (OS) were summarized for patients
      with longer and shorter DT. RESULTS: Overall, 152 patients (37.8%) had longer DT
      and 250 (62.2%) had shorter DT (median, 34.7 vs. 6.5 months, respectively). ORR
      in all 402 patients with advanced RCC was 43.5%. ORR was 75% for longer DT versus
      24.4% for shorter DT (p < 0.0001). More patients with longer DT versus shorter DT
      had >=10% tumor shrinkage at first scan (74.8% vs. 55.3%; p = 0.0001) and maximum
      on-study tumor shrinkage was greater in longer-DT versus shorter-DT group (-51.8%
      vs. -22.1%; p < 0.0001). Median OS was 32.6 months in the overall population
      while in the patients with longer DT the median was not reached. Treatment
      related adverse events (AEs) grade >=3 were more frequent in longer-DT versus
      shorter-DT and included hypertension (25.7% vs. 18.8%), diarrhea (15.1% vs.
      4.4%), and weight decrease (11.2% vs. 3.2%); however, these AEs decreased over
      time in both groups. Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group performance status 0,
      favorable hematology values, no bone or liver metastases, and baseline tumor
      burden below the overall median were associated with longer DT. CONCLUSIONS:
      Longer duration (>18 months) of axitinib treatment was associated with increased
      frequency of early tumor shrinkage, greater magnitude of tumor shrinkage, and a
      favorable OS.

PMID- 28361454
TI  - Self-Report and Dry Blood Spot Measurement of Antiretroviral Medications as
      Markers of Adherence in Pregnant Women in Rural South Africa.
AB  - Antiretroviral (ARV) adherence is essential to prevent mother-to-child
      transmission of HIV. This study compared self-reported adherence versus ARV
      detection in dried blood spots (DBS) among N = 392 HIV-infected pregnant women in
      South Africa (SA). Women completed two self-reported adherence measures [visual
      analog scale (VAS), AIDS Clinical Trials Group Adherence (ACTG)]. Adherence was
      89% (VAS), 80% (ACTG), and 74% (DBS). Self-report measures marginally agreed with
      DBS (VAS: Kappa = 0.101, Area under the ROC curve (AUROC) = 0.543; ACTG: Kappa  =
      0.081, AUROC = 0.538). Self-reported adherence was overestimated and agreement
      with DBS was poor. Validation of self-reported ARV adherence among pregnant HIV+
      women in SA is needed.

PMID- 28361455
TI  - Development of Albumin Coupled, Cholesterol Stabilized, Lipid Nanoemulsion of
      Methotrexate, and TNF-alpha Inhibitor for Improved In Vivo Efficacy Against
      Rheumatoid Arthritis.
AB  - Methotrexate (MTX; an anti-folate) and etanercept (ET; a TNF-alpha inhibitor) are
      used against arthritis; however, limitations like short biological half-life, low
      cutaneous absorption, and acidic instability limit their clinical relevance.
      Therefore, the aim of the investigation was to develop albumin coupled lipid
      nanoemulsion of MTX and ET for improved efficacy by virtue of their controlled
      release and specificity at the arthritic site. This emulsion was prepared by high
      speed homogenization and stabilized using cholesterol. Lipid nanoemulsion of MTX
      and ET (MTX+ET-LNE) was coupled with albumin (MTX+ET-ALNE). MTX+ET-ALNE was
      characterized on the basis of particle size (410 +/- 25.4 nm), PDI (0.160), and
      zeta potential (+38.6 +/- 5.6 mV) and evaluated for pH (6.15), drug content (97.7
      +/- 2.17%), entrapment efficiency (76 +/- 4.6%), in vitro release, and in vitro
      cytotoxicity. About 82.6 +/- 9.60% release of MTX+ET was observed in 24 h from
      the developed MTX+ET-ALNE which may help maintain therapeutic level of drugs in
      blood at least for one day. No toxicity was observed when Raw 264.7 cells were
      treated with MTX+ET-ALNE, and no causalities of mice were observed at
      experimental in vivo dose (10 mg/kg BW) of MTX+ET in MTX+ET-ALNE-treated group.
      MTX+ET-ALNE treatment has alleviated arthritic scores and inflammatory cytokines
      level in a very significant manner when compared with MTX+ET-LNE and MTX+ET
      solutions. MTX+ET-ALNE-treated group restored histological alterations
      (cartilage/bone erosion, inflammatory cell infiltration, synovial hyperplasia,
      and narrower joint space) as observed in diseased treated groups. In conclusion,
      MTX+ET-ALNE can be opted as efficacious and clinically pertinent option to the
      current medication systems of arthritis.

PMID- 28361458
TI  - In remembrance of Professor Mario Andreoli (1929-2016).

PMID- 28361456
TI  - Transition of stable patients from traditional anticoagulation clinic services to
      telephonic management.
AB  - Background Outpatient warfarin dosing and monitoring with telephonic
      anticoagulation management (TAM) could be an effective alternative to other more
      labor intensive management models. Objectives To evaluate the time in therapeutic
      range (TTR) and number of extreme INR values (<1.5 or >4.5) of a telephonic
      system of warfarin management for stable patients who currently utilized
      traditional anticoagulation management services (AMSs). Method A retrospective,
      observational cohort with three groups (1) patients transitioned from an office
      based anticoagulation clinic to TAM, (2) patients continuously enrolled in office
      based AMS, (3) patients continuously managed by usual physician care without
      specialized anticoagulation services (UPC). Data was collected for six months
      before and six months after transition. Results All groups demonstrated decreased
      TTR from baseline to active phase, with the TAM and AMS groups showing similar
      magnitude of reduction (-10.61 and -12.66% respectively) but UPC group producing
      a greater drop (-20.08%). The TAM and AMS groups had similar rates of extreme INR
      levels; UPC had higher numbers of extreme INRs in three of the four measurements.
      Conclusion Stable patients transitioned from office-based anticoagulation clinic
      to a telephonic model of management performed equally as well as those who
      continued traditional enrollment.

PMID- 28361457
TI  - Myxobolus lepomis n. sp. (Cnidaria: Myxobolidae), a gill myxozoan infecting
      Lepomis marginatus Holbrook and Lepomis miniatus Jordan (Perciformes:
      Centrarchidae), in the Big Thicket National Preserve, Texas, USA.
AB  - A parasitological survey of freshwater fishes in the Big Thicket National
      Preserve in southeast Texas revealed myxozoan infections in two species of
      sunfish, Lepomis marginatus Holbrook and Lepomis miniatus Jordan (Perciformes:
      Centrarchidae). Pseudocysts were elongate-oval, 988 * 485 um (ex L. marginatus)
      and 800 * 606 um (ex L. miniatus) and demonstrated a predilection to the edge of
      the primary gill lamellae. Myxospores consistent with the genus Myxobolus were
      oblong, 16.8-21.3 (19.0 +/- 0.9) um long, 7.0-8.8 (7.9 +/- 0.5) um wide and 5.3
      6.1 (5.8 +/- 0.3) um thick (ex L. marginatus) and 17.2-20.3 (18.8 +/- 0.7) um
      long, 7.5-9.9 (8.7 +/- 0.6) um wide, and 6.8-7.2 (7.0 +/- 0.2) um thick (ex L.
      miniatus); with 2 pyriform polar capsules 8.3-9.8 (9.0 +/- 0.5) um long, 2.2-2.7
      (2.5 +/- 0.2) um wide (ex L. marginatus) and 9.2-10.5 (10.0 +/- 0.4) um long, 2.2
      3.0 (2.8 +/- 0.2) um wide (ex L. miniatus). Statistically, the measurements of
      spore body width, polar capsule length, and polar capsule width were
      significantly different between myxospores from L. marginatus and L. miniatus.
      However, intraspecific genetic variability between isolates at the 18S rRNA gene
      was negligible, with < 0.8% variability across > 2,000 bp of sequence. The
      isolates shared no significant sequence similarity with any myxozoan deposited in
      the GenBank nucleotide database. Phylogenetic analysis inferred from the 18S rRNA
      gene from both L. marginatus and L. miniatus placed the isolates within a clade
      of myxozoan parasites of perciform fishes. Based on shared tissue and host family
      tropism, overlapping morphological characters and high degrees of sequence
      conservation at the 18S rRNA gene, we propose these isolates as morphologically
      distinct, genetically conspecific representatives of M. lepomis n. sp. from the
      gills of L. marginatus and L. miniatus in the Big Thicket National Preserve in
      Texas, USA.

PMID- 28361460
TI  - Influence of Long Term Application of Butachlor on its Dissipation and Harvest
      Residues in Soil and Rice.
AB  - The study delineates the effect of repeated application of butachlor to rice crop
      from 1997 onwards. Additionally, in 2014 and 2015, dissipation kinetics of
      butachlor in soil was studied under field and laboratory conditions. The average
      recovery of butachlor for soil, rice grain and rice straw ranged between 80.3%
      93.2% and 82.8%-96.5% with quantification limit of 0.01 and 0.003 ug g-1 for HPLC
      and GC-MS/MS, respectively. The dissipation of butachlor followed first order
      kinetics and half-life under long term field trials in rice soil varied from 15.2
      to 19.29 days and 25.94 to 29.79 days under field and laboratory conditions,
      respectively. The residue of butachlor in soil, rice grain and straw samples at
      harvest over the years was below the quantification limit and no quantifiable
      amount of metabolites were present in soil at harvest suggestive of its safe
      application.

PMID- 28361459
TI  - Distribution and antifungal susceptibility of yeasts isolates from intensive care
      unit patients.
AB  - Yeasts frequently colonize non-sterile sites in the body. The aim of the study
      was to determine distribution in clinical samples and antifungal susceptibility
      to five antifungals. From January 2013 through June 2015, 800 isolates were
      obtained from intensive care unit patients. Candida albicans (58.9%), Candida
      glabrata (20.4%), Candida krusei (8.6%), and Candida parapsilosis (3.6%) were the
      leading species. Majority of the C. albicans isolates were susceptible to the
      fluconazole. Elevated voriconazole minimal inhibitory concentrations (MICs) were
      observed in isolates exhibiting high fluconazole MICs, most frequently in C.
      glabrata. Isolates with echinocandins MICs suggesting reduced susceptibility were
      only sporadic cases with the exception of Trichosporon spp. The amphotericin B
      MICs were slightly higher for some C. krusei.

PMID- 28361453
TI  - The Benefits of Psychosocial Interventions for Mental Health in People Living
      with HIV: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis.
AB  - In this systematic review and meta-analysis we investigated the effectiveness of
      different psychosocial treatments for people living with HIV (PLWH) and mental
      health problems. Additionally, characteristics that may influence the
      effectiveness of a treatment (e.g., treatment duration) were studied. PubMed,
      PsycINFO and Embase were searched for randomized controlled trials on
      psychosocial interventions for PLWH. Depression, anxiety, quality of life, and
      psychological well-being were investigated as treatment outcome measures. Sixty
      two studies were included in the meta-analysis. It was found that psychosocial
      interventions for PLWH had a small positive effect on mental health (g = 0.19,
      95% CI [0.13, 0.25]). Furthermore, there was evidence for publication bias. Six
      characteristics influenced the effectiveness of a treatment for depression. For
      example, larger effects were found for studies with psychologists as treatment
      providers. To conclude, this systematic review and meta-analysis suggests that
      psychosocial interventions have a beneficial effect for PLWH with mental health
      problems.

PMID- 28361461
TI  - Bisphenol A Removal by Submerged Macrophytes and the Contribution of Epiphytic
      Microorganisms to the Removal Process.
AB  - Bisphenol A (BPA), a typical endocrine disruptor, has been found in global
      aquatic environments, causing great concern. The capabilities of five common
      submerged macrophytes to remove BPA from water and the contributions of epiphytic
      microorganisms were investigated. Macrophytes removed 62%-100% of total BPA (5
      mg/L) over 12 days; much higher rates than that observed in the control (2%, F =
      261.511, p = 0.000). Ceratophyllum demersum was the most efficient species. C.
      demersum samples from lakes with different water qualities showed no significant
      differences in BPA removal rates. Moreover, removal, inhibition or re
      colonization of epiphytic microorganisms did not significantly change the BPA
      removal rates of C. demersum. Therefore, the contributions of epiphytic
      microorganisms to the BPA removal process were negligible. The rate of BPA
      accumulation in C. demersum was 0.1%, indicating that BPA was mainly biodegraded
      by the macrophyte. Hence, submerged macrophytes, rather than epiphytic
      microorganisms, substantially contribute to the biodegradation of BPA in water.

PMID- 28361462
TI  - PPAR-alpha Agonist Fenofibrate Reduces Insulin Resistance in Impaired Glucose
      Tolerance Patients with Hypertriglyceridemia: A Cross-Sectional Study.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: Peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-alpha (PPAR-alpha)
      agonists can regulate metabolism and protect the cardiovascular system. This
      study investigated the effects of PPAR-alpha agonist fenofibrate on insulin
      resistance in patients with impaired glucose tolerance (IGT). METHODS: This
      research evaluated cross-sectional and interventional studies. 191 subjects with
      IGT were divided into a hypertriglyceridemia group (HTG group, n = 118) and a
      normal triglyceride (TG) group (NTG group, n = 73). 79 subjects with normal
      glucose tolerance were recruited as a control group. The HTG group was treated
      with fenofibrate (200 mg/day) for 12 weeks. The homeostatic model assessment
      index 2 (HOMA2) and the McAuley index (McA) were calculated. RESULTS: HOMA2 for
      beta-cell function (HOMA2-%B) was 93.47 +/- 26.28, 68.47 +/- 21.29, and 79.92 +/-
      23.15 in HTG, NTG, and control groups, respectively. HOMA2 for insulin
      sensitivity (HOMA2-%S) was 48.40 (39.70, 68.70), 110.20 (62.55, 141.95), and
      101.20 (79.90, 140.10) in HTG, NTG, and control groups, respectively. HOMA2 for
      insulin resistance (HOMA2-IR) was 2.09 (1.46, 2.52), 0.92 (0.70, 1.61), and 0.99
      (0.71, 1.25) in HTG, NTG, and control groups, respectively. McA was 5.05 +/-
      0.76, 7.99 +/- 1.79, and 8.34 +/- 1.55 in HTG, NTG, and control groups,
      respectively. The HTG group had higher HOMA2-%B and HOMA2-IR, and lower HOMA2-%S
      and McA than NTG and control groups (P < 0.001 for all). Fenofibrate decreased
      HOMA2-%B and HOMA2-IR and increased HOMA2-%S and McA in the HTG group (HOMA2-%B:
      from 93.47 +/- 26.28 to 89.34 +/- 23.53, P = 0.018; HOMA2-%S: from 48.40 (39.70,
      68.70) to 56.75 (44.88, 72.53), P < 0.001; HOMA2-IR: from 2.07 (1.46, 2.52) to
      1.76 (1.38, 2.30), P < 0.001; McA: from 5.05 +/- 0.76 to 9.34 +/- 0.88, P <
      0.001). CONCLUSION: PPAR-alpha agonists improve parameters of glucoregulation in
      IGT patients with hypertriglyceridemia.

PMID- 28361463
TI  - Clinical Outcomes of Patients with Diabetes Who Exhibit Upper-Quartile Insulin
      Antibody Responses After Treatment with LY2963016 or Lantus(r) Insulin Glargine.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: We compared insulin antibody response (IAR) profiles in patients
      with type 1 diabetes (T1D) or type 2 diabetes (T2D) who received LY2963016
      insulin glargine (LY IGlar) or Lantus(r) insulin glargine (IGlar) and evaluated
      the potential relationship between higher IARs and clinical and safety outcomes
      with a focus on patients who exhibited antibody responses in the upper quartile.
      METHODS: Data from ELEMENT-1 (52-week open-label in T1D) and ELEMENT-2 (24-week,
      double-blind study in T2D) were analyzed. Maximum postbaseline IAR levels and
      proportions of patients in the upper quartile of maximum antibody percent binding
      (UQMAPB; patients with maximum postbaseline percent binding in the highest 25% of
      maximum values observed) were compared for differential treatment effects on
      clinical efficacy outcomes and incidence of adverse events. Continuous outcomes
      were analyzed by analysis of covariance. Categorical data were analyzed by the
      Cochran-Mantel-Haenszel or Breslow-Day test. RESULTS: In both studies (N = 532
      evaluable patients with T1D; N = 730 with T2D), no statistically significant
      differences between LY IGlar and IGlar were observed for maximum antibody percent
      binding (MAPB) levels or for proportions of patients in the respective UQMAPB. No
      statistically significant differential treatment effects were observed in the
      relationship between MAPB and clinical efficacy and safety outcomes. CONCLUSIONS:
      Maximum postbaseline IAR levels and the proportion of patients with high IAR
      levels were similar for LY IGlar and IGlar. High antibody levels did not affect
      clinical outcomes. These results add further evidence supporting similar IARs of
      LY IGlar and IGlar. FUNDING: Eli Lilly and Company and Boehringer-Ingelheim.

PMID- 28361464
TI  - Healthcare Resource Use, Costs, and Disease Progression Associated with Diabetic
      Nephropathy in Adults with Type 2 Diabetes: A Retrospective Observational Study.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: Diabetic nephropathy (DN) is a progressive kidney disease resulting
      as a complication of diabetes mellitus. This study evaluated the disease
      progression and economic burden of DN among commercially insured patients with
      type 2 diabetes in the USA. METHODS: The research design was a retrospective
      observational study based on healthcare claims data. The Truven MarketScan
      Databases (2004-2014) were queried for adults with type 2 diabetes with at least
      one urine albumin test (index, randomly selected) after diagnosis and at least
      one test after the index. On the basis of the index test, patients were
      classified into normoalbuminuria, microalbuminuria, or macroalbuminuria groups.
      Nephropathy-related treatment use was measured in the 6 months after the index,
      disease progression was assessed from the index to the end of data availability,
      and annual all-cause and nephropathy-related costs and healthcare resource use
      (HRU) were assessed up to 2 years from the index. Outcomes were compared between
      any two groups, controlling for baseline demographics. RESULTS: A total of 23,235
      patients were identified and classified into normoalbuminuria (N = 18,409),
      microalbuminuria (N = 3863), or macroalbuminuria (N = 963) groups. Patients with
      albuminuria were more likely to be older, male, and have a higher burden of
      baseline comorbidities and HRU. Within 6 months following the index, 12-20% of
      patients with albuminuria were not treated with any relevant recommended
      treatment. Compared to the normoalbuminuria group, patients with macroalbuminuria
      had a significantly greater risk of disease progression (hazard ratio [HR] =
      1.44), and both albuminuria groups were more likely to require dialysis (HR =
      4.23 and 40.14 for micro- and macroalbuminuria, respectively; all p < 0.05).
      Annual all-cause (2016 US dollars, $3580 and $12,830 higher for micro- and
      macroalbuminuria vs. normoalbuminuria, respectively) and nephropathy-related
      ($362 and $3716) costs increased significantly with increasing nephropathy
      severity, consistent with the trend in increased HRU. CONCLUSIONS: Diabetic
      nephropathy may be undertreated or inappropriately treated. It was also
      associated with significantly higher costs, HRU, and risk of disease progression
      among commercially insured patients with type 2 diabetes in the USA. FUNDING:
      Takeda Development Center Americas, Inc.

PMID- 28361440
TI  - Acid-Suppressive Therapy and Risk of Infections: Pros and Cons.
AB  - This narrative review summarises the benefits, risks and appropriate use of acid
      suppressing drugs (ASDs), proton pump inhibitors and histamine-2 receptor
      antagonists, advocating a rationale balanced and individualised approach aimed to
      minimise any serious adverse consequences. It focuses on current controversies on
      the potential of ASDs to contribute to infections-bacterial, parasitic, fungal,
      protozoan and viral, particularly in the elderly, comprehensively and critically
      discusses the growing body of observational literature linking ASD use to a
      variety of enteric, respiratory, skin and systemic infectious diseases and
      complications (Clostridium difficile diarrhoea, pneumonia, spontaneous bacterial
      peritonitis, septicaemia and other). The proposed pathogenic mechanisms of ASD
      associated infections (related and unrelated to the inhibition of gastric acid
      secretion, alterations of the gut microbiome and immunity), and drug-drug
      interactions are also described. Both probiotics use and correcting vitamin D
      status may have a significant protective effect decreasing the incidence of ASD
      associated infections, especially in the elderly. Despite the limitations of the
      existing data, the importance of individualised therapy and caution in long-term
      ASD use considering the balance of benefits and potential harms, factors that may
      predispose to and actions that may prevent/attenuate adverse effects is evident.
      A six-step practical algorithm for ASD therapy based on the best available
      evidence is presented.

PMID- 28361466
TI  - Research with and about user participation: potentials and challenges.

PMID- 28361467
TI  - Effectiveness of decompression alone versus decompression plus fusion for lumbar
      spinal stenosis: a systematic review and meta-analysis.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: The debate on efficacy of fusion added to decompression for lumbar
      spinal stenosis (LSS) is ongoing. No meta-analysis has compared the effectiveness
      of decompression versus decompression plus fusion in treating patients with LSS.
      METHODS: A literature search was performed in the Web of Science, PubMed, Embase,
      and Springer databases from 1970 to 2016. Relevant references were selected and
      the included studies were manually reviewed. We included trials evaluating
      decompression surgery compared to decompression plus fusion surgery in treating
      patients with LSS. The primary outcomes analyzed were back pain, leg pain,
      Oswestry Disability Index scores (ODI), the quality-of-life EuroQol-5 Dimensions
      (EQ-5D), duration of operation, intraoperative blood loss, length of hospital
      stay, major complications, walking ability, number of reoperation, and finally
      clinically excellent and good rates. Data analysis was conducted using the Review
      Manager 5.2 software. RESULTS: Fifteen studies involving 17,785 patients with LSS
      were included. The overall effect mean difference (MD) (95% CI) in the
      differences between pre- and post-operative back pain, leg pain, operative time,
      intraoperative blood loss, and length of stay were 0.04 (-0.36, 0.44), 0.69 (
      0.38, 1.76), -2.04 (-3.12, -0.96), -3.96 (-6.64, -1.27) and -4.21 (-10.03, 1.62)
      (z = 0.18, 1.26, 3.71, 2.89 and 1.41, respectively; P = 0.86, 0.55, 0.0002, 0.004
      and 0.16, respectively) in random effects models. The overall effect MD (95% CI)
      in ODI, EQ-5D, and walking ability were 0.43 (-1.15, 2.00), 0.01 (-0.01, 0.03)
      and 0.04 (-0.49, 0.57) (z = 0.52, 1.16 and 0.15, respectively; P = 0.59, 0.24 and
      0.88, respectively) in fixed effects models. The overall effect odds ratio (OR)
      (95% CI) of major complications, number of reoperations, and clinically excellent
      and good rates between the two groups were 0.70 (0.60, 0.81), 1.04 (0.90, 1.19)
      and 0.31 (0.06, 1.59) (z = 4.63, 0.53 and 1.40, respectively; P < 0.00001, 0.60
      and 0.16, respectively). Our study reveals no difference in the effectiveness
      between the two surgical techniques. CONCLUSIONS: The additional fusion in the
      management of LSS yielded no clinical improvements over decompression alone
      within a 2-year follow-up period. But fusion resulted in a longer duration of
      operation, more blood loss, and a higher risk of complications. Therefore, the
      appropriate surgical protocol for LSS should be discussed further.

PMID- 28361465
TI  - Antibody-Drug Conjugates (ADCs) for Personalized Treatment of Solid Tumors: A
      Review.
AB  - Attaching a cytotoxic "payload" to an antibody to form an antibody-drug conjugate
      (ADC) provides a mechanism for selective delivery of the cytotoxic agent to
      cancer cells via the specific binding of the antibody to cancer-selective cell
      surface molecules. The first ADC to receive marketing authorization was
      gemtuzumab ozogamicin, which comprises an anti-CD33 antibody conjugated to a
      highly potent DNA-targeting antibiotic, calicheamicin, approved in 2000 for
      treating acute myeloid leukemia. It was withdrawn from the US market in 2010
      following an unsuccessful confirmatory trial. The development of two classes of
      highly potent microtubule-disrupting agents, maytansinoids and auristatins, as
      payloads for ADCs resulted in approval of brentuximab vedotin in 2011 for
      treating Hodgkin lymphoma and anaplastic large cell lymphoma, and approval of ado
      trastuzumab emtansine in 2013 for treating HER2-positive breast cancer. Their
      success stimulated much research into the ADC approach, with >60 ADCs currently
      in clinical evaluation, mostly targeting solid tumors. Five ADCs have advanced
      into pivotal clinical trials for treating various solid tumors-platinum-resistant
      ovarian cancer, mesothelioma, triple-negative breast cancer, glioblastoma, and
      small cell lung cancer. The level of target expression is a key parameter in
      predicting the likelihood of patient benefit for all these ADCs, as well as for
      the approved compound, ado-trastuzumab emtansine. The development of a patient
      selection strategy linked to target expression on the tumor is thus critically
      important for identifying the population appropriate for receiving treatment.

PMID- 28361468
TI  - Impact of Participation in the Adalimumab (Humira) Patient Support Program on
      Rheumatoid Arthritis Treatment Course: Results from the PASSION Study.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: Patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) who are treated with
      adalimumab (ADA) are offered a proprietary patient support program (PSP, AbbVie
      Care(r)). The main objective of this study was to examine the effectiveness of
      ADA on RA treatment course over time in the context of PSP utilization. METHODS:
      PASSION was a 78-week post-marketing observational study of RA patients with an
      insufficient response to >=1 DMARD newly initiating ADA in routine clinical care
      that was conducted in Europe, Israel, Mexico, Puerto Rico, and Australia. One
      prior biologic DMARD was allowed. The primary endpoint was percentage of patients
      achieving the minimal clinically important difference (MCID; improvement of
      >=0.22 compared to baseline) in Health Assessment Questionnaire (HAQ) Disability
      Index (HAQ-DI) at week 78. Additionally, multiple clinical and patient-reported
      outcomes (PROs) were evaluated over time. Patients were categorized based on
      their participation in the PSP: ever (PSP users) vs. never (PSP non-users).
      Safety events were monitored throughout the study. RESULTS: Overall, 42.8% of PSP
      users achieved the MCID in HAQ-DI at week 78 (improvement of at least 0.22
      compared to baseline). From 1025 enrolled, 48.7% of patients were PSP users while
      treated with ADA. The percentage of patients achieving MCID in the HAQ-DI was
      higher in PSP users vs. PSP non-users (48.1 vs. 37.8%) at week 78 (p < 0.001,
      NRI). Most of the studied clinical outcomes and PROs showed significant
      improvements (p < 0.05) from baseline to week 78 favoring PSP users over PSP non
      users. CONCLUSIONS: In patients with moderate-to-severe RA who initiated ADA,
      improvements in clinical, functional, and PROs were achieved in real-world
      settings with significantly greater improvements among PSP users in comparison
      with PSP non-users. FUNDING: AbbVie. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ClinicalTrials.gov
      identifier, NCT01383421.

PMID- 28361469
TI  - Supracostal access for miniaturized percutaneous nephrolithotomy: comparison of
      supracostal and infracostal approaches.
AB  - In this study, we aimed to evaluate the efficiency and safety of supracostal and
      subcostal approaches during miniaturized percutaneous nephrolithotomy (mPNL). In
      two tertiary academic centers, we retrospectively analyzed the charts of patients
      who had undergone mPNL between January 2011 and June 2015 for the treatment of
      renal stones. Enrolled in the study were 49 patients who had access through the
      supracostal area (Group 1) and, to serve as controls, 49 patients who were
      accessed through the subcostal area (Group 2). To avoid potential bias between
      the groups, the patients were retrospectively matched one-on-one with respect to
      age, gender, body mass index, ASA score, and size and number of stones. The
      presence of upper calyx stones and distorted lower calyx anatomy were the most
      common reasons for performing supracostal access (57.1 and 28.6%, respectively).
      Access through 11-12 intercostal space was performed in 46 patients (93.9%), and
      the other three supracostal accesses (6.1%) were performed through the 10-11
      intercostal area. The complication rates were 14.3% in Group 1 and 16.3% in Group
      2 (p = 0.952). Final stone-free status had increased to 89.8 and 87.8% in Groups
      1 and 2, respectively (p = 0.942). Our study demonstrated that mPNL resulted in
      acceptable stone-free rates whether accessed through either the supracostal or
      subcostal areas. Moreover, the supracostal approach with mPNL had no negative
      effect on any intraoperative and postoperative parameters, nor did it increase
      complication rates.

PMID- 28361472
TI  - A Global Perspective of Fine Particulate Matter Pollution and Its Health Effects.
AB  - Fine particulate matter (PM) in the ambient air is implicated in a variety of
      human health issues throughout the globe. Regulation of fine PM in the atmosphere
      requires information on the dimension of the problem with respect to variations
      in concentrations and sources. To understand the current status of fine particles
      in the atmosphere and their potential harmful health effects in different regions
      of the world this review article was prepared based on peer-reviewed scientific
      papers, scientific reports, and database from government organizations published
      after the year 2000 to evaluate the global scenario of the PM2.5 (particles <2.5
      MUm in aerodynamic diameter), its exceedance of national and international
      standards, sources, mechanism of toxicity, and harmful health effects of PM2.5
      and its components. PM2.5 levels and exceedances of national and international
      standards were several times higher in Asian countries, while levels in Europe
      and USA were mostly well below the respective standards. Vehicular traffic has a
      significant influence on PM2.5 levels in urban areas; followed by combustion
      activities (biomass, industrial, and waste burning) and road dust. In urban
      atmosphere, fine particles are mostly associated with different health effects
      with old aged people, pregnant women, and more so children being the most
      susceptible ones. Fine PM chemical constituents severely effect health due to
      their carcinogenic or mutagenic nature. Most of the research indicated an
      exceedance of fine PM level of the standards with a diverse array of health
      effects based on PM2.5 chemical constituents. Emission reduction policies with
      epidemiological studies are needed to understand the benefits of sustainable
      control measures for fine PM mitigation.

PMID- 28361470
TI  - Pathogenesis of calcium oxalate urinary stone disease: species comparison of
      humans, dogs, and cats.
AB  - Idiopathic calcium oxalate nephrolithiasis is a highly recurrent disease that is
      increasing in prevalence. Decades of research have not identified effective
      methods to consistently prevent the formation of nephroliths or induce medical
      dissolution. Idiopathic calcium oxalate nephroliths form in association with
      renal papillary subepithelial calcium phosphate deposits called Randall's plaques
      (RPs). Rodent models are commonly used to experimentally induce calcium oxalate
      crystal and stone formation, but a rodent model that conclusively forms RPs has
      not been identified. Both dogs and cats form calcium oxalate uroliths that can be
      recurrent, but the etiopathologic mechanisms of stone formation, especially renal
      pathologic findings, are a relatively unexploited area of study. A large animal
      model that shares a similar environment to humans, along with a shorter lifespan
      and thus shorter time to recurrence, might provide an excellent means to study
      preventative and therapeutic measures, along with enhancing the concepts of the
      one health initiative. This review article summarizes and compares important
      known features of idiopathic calcium oxalate stone disease in humans, dogs, and
      cats, and emphasizes important knowledge gaps and areas for future study in the
      quest to discover a naturally occurring animal model of idiopathic calcium
      oxalate stone disease.

PMID- 28361473
TI  - Extending the Quality and Reach of IPS.

PMID- 28361471
TI  - Perceiver as polar planimeter: Direct perception of jumping, reaching, and jump
      reaching affordances for the self and others.
AB  - Runeson (Scandanavian Journal of Psychology 18:172-179, 1977) suggested that the
      polar planimeter might serve as an informative model system of perceptual
      mechanism. The key aspect of the polar planimeter is that it registers a higher
      order property of the environment without computational mediation on the basis of
      lower order properties, detecting task-specific information only. This aspect was
      posited as a hypothesis for the perception of jumping and reaching affordances
      for the self and another person. The findings supported this hypothesis. The
      perception of reaching while jumping significantly differed from an additive
      combination of jump-without-reaching and reach-without-jumping perception. The
      results are consistent with Gibson's (The senses considered as perceptual
      systems, Houghton Mifflin, Boston, MA; Gibson, The senses considered as
      perceptual systems, Houghton Mifflin, Boston, MA, 1966; The ecological approach
      to visual perception, Houghton Mifflin, Boston, MA; Gibson, The ecological
      approach to visual perception, Houghton Mifflin, Boston, MA, 1979) theory of
      information-that aspects of the environment are specified by patterns in
      energetic media.

PMID- 28361475
TI  - Factors affecting appearance of a normal myocardial perfusion scan.

PMID- 28361474
TI  - Metabolic syndrome is predictive of lower urinary tract symptom improvement after
      holmium laser enucleation of the prostate for benign prostatic obstruction.
AB  - PURPOSE: To investigate the effect of metabolic syndrome (MS) on patient outcomes
      who underwent holmium laser enucleation of the prostate (HoLEP) for benign
      prostatic obstruction. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Data from 151 patients who
      underwent HoLEP by a single surgeon between March 2012 and March 2016 were
      retrospectively analyzed. Patients with MS were assigned to group 1 (n = 33) and
      patients without MS in group 2 (n = 118). Clinical characteristics and the
      International Prostate Symptom Score (IPSS), including quality of life (QoL),
      peak urinary flow rate (Qmax), and postvoid residual urine (PVR), before surgery
      and 3 months afterward were compared between groups. Additionally, predictors of
      total IPSS improvement after HoLEP were assessed. RESULTS: Compared with group 2
      patients, group 1 patients were older (70.3 vs. 65.2 years old, p = 0.001).
      Preoperative data, which included prostate volume, QoL, Qmax, and PVR, were not
      different between groups. For all patients, both the storage subscore and voiding
      subscore significantly decreased after surgery (p < 0.001). Postoperative total
      IPSS and voiding subscore improvement in group 1 were lower than in group 2
      (total IPSS improvement 9.2 vs. 12.5, p = 0.042; voiding subscore improvement 6.6
      vs. 8.8, p = 0.048). Multivariate analysis showed preoperative total IPSS (beta =
      0.79, CI 0.71-0.94, p < 0.001) and number of MS components (beta = -0.15, CI 
      2.04 to -0.29, p = 0.009) were independently associated with total IPSS
      improvement. CONCLUSIONS: We found that MS was associated with decreased
      postoperative symptom improvement. Thus, lower urinary tract symptoms after
      surgery may be a systemic disorder due to multiple metabolic risk factors.

PMID- 28361476
TI  - Left-ventricular mechanical dyssynchrony in the prognosis of dilated
      cardiomyopathy: Which parameter is more useful?

PMID- 28361477
TI  - Effect of patient positioning on the evaluation of myocardial perfusion SPECT.
AB  - BACKGROUND: ECG-gated SPECT myocardial perfusion imaging is usually acquired in
      supine position. However, some patients are not comfortable in this position for
      a variety of personal or medical reasons. Our aim was to investigate the effect
      of patient positioning on quantitative SPECT imaging results using normal supine
      database. METHODS: 55 patients (mean age 58.5 +/- 8.3 years) were enrolled in
      this prospective study. Each patient had a pair of ECG-gated stress SPECT
      myocardial perfusion images acquired on two gamma cameras: one in supine position
      and the other in upright sitting position. Left ventricular (LV) ejection
      fraction (EF), end-diastolic (ED), and end-systolic (ES) left ventricular volumes
      (V), LV mass, summed stress perfusion defect score (SSS), and total severity
      score (TSS) were calculated automatically relative to a supine normal reference
      database. RESULTS: There were no significant differences in LVEF using the two
      cameras (0.65 +/- 0.08 vs. 0.66 +/- 0.10; P > 0.1). However, EDV, ESV, and LV
      mass were significantly smaller in sitting position than in supine position (89
      vs. 80 ml; 33 vs. 29 ml and 115 vs. 109 ml, respectively, all P < 0.0001). On the
      other hand, SSS and TSS were significantly higher in sitting position than in
      supine position (5.16 vs. 8.73 and 166.82 vs. 288.27, both P < 0.0001). Overall,
      more studies in sitting position were interpreted as abnormal than in supine
      position (P < 0.05). CONCLUSION: Patient positioning has a significant impact on
      quantitative gated SPECT imaging results. Using a supine normal reference
      database, SSS and TSS were larger in sitting position than in supine position.
      Thus, for imaging in sitting position, separate normal limits are required.

PMID- 28361478
TI  - Commissioning a hobby cutting device for radiochromic film preparation.
AB  - In addition to a high spatial resolution and well characterised dose response,
      one of the major advantages of radiochromic film as a dosimeter is that sheets of
      film can be cut into pieces suitable for use as calibration films, and for in
      vivo and phantom measurements. The cutting of film is typically done using
      scissors or a guillotine, and this process can be time-consuming, limited in
      precision, requires extensive handling and does not allow holes to be cut from
      the film without cutting from an existing edge. This study investigated the use
      of a Brother ScanNCut hobby cutting system for EBT3 film preparation. The optimal
      operating parameters (blade size, pressure, speed) that resulted in precise cuts
      with minimal delamination at cut edges were identified using test cutting
      patterns. These parameters were then used to cut a large film insert for a
      stereotactic head phantom for comparison against an insert cut with scissors.
      While the hobby cutting system caused a wider region of delamination at the film
      edge (1.8 mm) compared to scissors (1 mm), the hobby cutting system was found to
      be able to produce reproducible cuts more efficiently and more accurately than
      scissors. The use of the hobby cutting system is recommended for complex phantom
      inserts (containing sharp corners or holes for alignment rods) or in situations
      where large numbers of film pieces need to be prepared.

PMID- 28361479
TI  - A Simple Method of Generating 3D Brain Organoids Using Standard Laboratory
      Equipment.
AB  - 3D brain organoids are a powerful tool with prospective application for the study
      of neural development and disease. Here we describe the growth factor-free method
      of generating cerebral organoids from feeder-dependent or feeder-free human
      pluripotent stem cells using standard laboratory equipment. The protocol outlined
      below allows generation of 3D tissues, which replicate human early in vivo brain
      development up to the end of the first trimester, both in terms of morphology and
      gene expression pattern.

PMID- 28361480
TI  - Human Intestinal Enteroids: New Models to Study Gastrointestinal Virus
      Infections.
AB  - Human rotavirus (HRV) and human norovirus (HuNoV) infections are recognized as
      the most common causes of epidemic and sporadic cases of gastroenteritis
      worldwide. The study of these two human gastrointestinal viruses is important for
      understanding basic virus-host interactions and mechanisms of pathogenesis and to
      establish models to evaluate vaccines and treatments. Despite the introduction of
      live-attenuated vaccines to prevent life-threatening HRV-induced disease, the
      burden of HRV illness remains significant in low-income and less-industrialized
      countries, and small animal models or ex vivo models to study HRV infections
      efficiently are lacking. Similarly, HuNoVs remained non-cultivatable until
      recently. With the advent of non-transformed human intestinal enteroid (HIE)
      cultures, we are now able to culture and study both clinically relevant HRV and
      HuNoV in a biologically relevant human system. Methods described here will allow
      investigators to use these new culture techniques to grow HRV and HuNoV and
      analyze new aspects of virus replication and pathogenesis.

PMID- 28361481
TI  - Sphingosine-1-Phosphate (S1P) Signaling in Neural Progenitors.
AB  - Sphingosine-1-phosphate (S1P) and its receptors are important in nervous system
      development. Reliable in vitro human model systems are needed to further define
      specific roles for S1P signaling in neural development. We have described S1P
      regulated signaling, survival, and differentiation in a human embryonic stem cell
      derived neuroepithelial progenitor cell line (hNP1) that expresses functional S1P
      receptors. These cells can be further differentiated to a neuronal cell type and
      therefore represent a good model system to study the role of S1P signaling in
      human neural development. The following sections describe in detail the culture
      and differentiation of hNP1 cells and two assays to measure S1P signaling in
      these cells.

PMID- 28361482
TI  - Induction of PINK1/Parkin-Mediated Mitophagy.
AB  - PINK1/Parkin mitophagy is a key mechanism to contribute mitochondrial quality
      control, and the defects are thought to be a cause of those Parkinson's disease
      onsets. Upon loss of mitochondrial membrane potential, PINK1 and Parkin are
      activated to promote the proteasomal degradation of mitochondrial outer membrane
      proteins and selective elimination of damaged mitochondria by autophagy. In this
      chapter, we describe the methods for induction of PINK1/Parkin-mediated mitophagy
      in tissue culture cell lines.

PMID- 28361483
TI  - Immunocytochemical Monitoring of PINK1/Parkin-Mediated Mitophagy in Cultured
      Cells.
AB  - Both PINK1 and parkin are the responsible genes (PARK6 and PARK2, respectively)
      for familial early-onset Parkinson's disease (PD). Several lines of evidences
      have suggested that mitochondrial dysfunction would be associated with PD
      pathogenesis. Lewy body, one of PD pathological hallmarks, contains alpha
      synuclein, a familial PD (PARK1/4)-gene product, which is eliminated by
      macroautophagy, while PINK1 and parkin coordinately mediate mitophagy (hereafter
      called as PINK1/parkin-mediated mitophagy) reported firstly by Youle's group. The
      mitochondrial quality control system is specific for elimination of damaged
      mitochondria especially in the loss of mitochondrial membrane potential induced
      by treatment with mitochondrial uncoupler like CCCP or FCCP. In this chapter, we
      summarized immunocytochemical methods to monitor the PINK1/parkin-mediated
      mitophagy using cultured cells.

PMID- 28361484
TI  - A Cleanup Method for Mass Spectrometric Analysis of Sphingosine- and Ceramide-1
      Phosphate in Blood and Solid Tissue Using a Phosphate Capture Molecule.
AB  - Cleanup technology and mass spectrometric determination of sphingosine-1
      phosphate (S1P) using a phosphate capture molecule are shown. The protocol is
      rapid, requires neither thin-layer chromatography nor liquid chromatography, and
      is applicable to both blood and solid tissue samples. The mass spectrometric
      method is also applicable to ceramide-1-phosphate.

PMID- 28361485
TI  - The Use of Correlative Light-Electron Microscopy (CLEM) to Study PINK1/Parkin
      Mediated Mitophagy.
AB  - In this chapter we describe the use of correlative light-electron microscopy
      (CLEM) to study, in cultured cells, the turnover of damaged mitochondria by
      PINK1/Parkin-dependent mitophagy. CLEM combines the advantages of light
      microscopy, which allows to image and rapidly screen a large number of the cells,
      while electron microscopy provides high-resolution imaging of these selected
      cells and a detailed structural analysis of their cellular organelles. We
      describe in detail how to prepare the cell cultures for optimum preservation of
      their cellular ultrastructure for CLEM using the most suitable buffers,
      fixatives, and embedding resins. These protocols are applicable for detailed
      ultrastructural analysis in a wide variety of organisms and cells, ranging from
      prokaryotic bacteria to mammalian cells.

PMID- 28361486
TI  - Size effect on the mineralogy and chemistry of Mytilus trossulus shells from the
      southern Baltic Sea: implications for environmental monitoring.
AB  - Mussels have the ability to control biomineral production and chemical
      composition, producing shells with a range of functions. In addition to
      biological control, the environment also seems to influence the process of
      biomineralization; thus, shells can be used as archives of ambient water
      parameters during the calcium carbonate deposition. Past and present
      environmental conditions are recorded in the shells in the form of various
      proxies including Mg/Ca or Sr/Ca ratios. For such proxies to be accurate and
      robust, the influence of biological effects including the size of studied
      organism must be examined and eliminated or minimized, so that the environmental
      signal can be efficiently extracted. This study considers mineralogy and
      elemental composition of shells representing four size classes of Mytilus
      trossulus from the Baltic Sea. Obtained results suggest that mineralogy and
      chemical composition change throughout the shell development due to most likely a
      combination of environmental and biological factors. The content of aragonite
      increases with increasing shell size, while the bulk concentrations of Na, Cd,
      Cu, U, V, Zn and Pb were found to decrease with increasing height of the shells.
      Therefore, using mussels for environmental monitoring requires analysis of
      individuals in the same size range.

PMID- 28361487
TI  - Simultaneous spectrophotometric determination of crystal violet and malachite
      green in water samples using partial least squares regression and central
      composite design after preconcentration by dispersive solid-phase extraction.
AB  - In this paper, a simple, fast, and inexpensive method is introduced for the
      simultaneous spectrophotometric determination of crystal violet (CV) and
      malachite green (MG) contents in aquatic samples using partial least squares
      regression (PLS) as a multivariate calibration technique after preconcentration
      by graphene oxide (GO). The method was based on the sorption and desorption of
      analytes onto GO and direct determination by ultraviolet-visible
      spectrophotometric techniques. GO was synthesized according to Hummers method. To
      characterize the shape and structure of GO, FT-IR, SEM, and XRD were used. The
      effective factors on the extraction efficiency such as pH, extraction time, and
      the amount of adsorbent were optimized using central composite design. The
      optimum values of these factors were 6, 15 min, and 12 mg, respectively. The
      maximum capacity of GO for the adsorption of CV and MG was 63.17 and 77.02 mg g
      1, respectively. Preconcentration factors and extraction recoveries were obtained
      and were 19.6, 98% for CV and 20, 100% for MG, respectively. LOD and linear
      dynamic ranges for CV and MG were 0.009, 0.03-0.3, 0.015, and 0.05-0.5 (MUg mL
      1), respectively. The intra-day and inter-day relative standard deviations were
      1.99 and 0.58 for CV and 1.69 and 3.13 for MG at the concentration level of 50 ng
      mL-1, respectively. Finally, the proposed DSPE/PLS method was successfully
      applied for the simultaneous determination of the trace amount of CV and MG in
      the real water samples.

PMID- 28361488
TI  - Adaptive nitrogen and integrated weed management in conservation agriculture:
      impacts on agronomic productivity, greenhouse gas emissions, and herbicide
      residues.
AB  - Increasing nitrogen (N) immobilization and weed interference in the early phase
      of implementation of conservation agriculture (CA) affects crop yields. Yet,
      higher fertilizer and herbicide use to improve productivity influences greenhouse
      gase emissions and herbicide residues. These tradeoffs precipitated a need for
      adaptive N and integrated weed management in CA-based maize (Zea mays L.)-wheat
      [Triticum aestivum (L.) emend Fiori & Paol] cropping system in the Indo-Gangetic
      Plains (IGP) to optimize N availability and reduce weed proliferation. Adaptive N
      fertilization was based on soil test value and normalized difference vegetation
      index measurement (NDVM) by GreenSeekerTM technology, while integrated weed
      management included brown manuring (Sesbania aculeata L. co-culture, killed at 25
      days after sowing), herbicide mixture, and weedy check (control, i.e., without
      weed management). Results indicated that the 'best-adaptive N rate' (i.e., 50%
      basal + 25% broadcast at 25 days after sowing + supplementary N guided by NDVM)
      increased maize and wheat grain yields by 20 and 14% (averaged for 2 years),
      respectively, compared with whole recommended N applied at sowing. Weed
      management by brown manuring (during maize) and herbicide mixture (during wheat)
      resulted in 10 and 21% higher grain yields (averaged for 2 years), respectively,
      over the weedy check. The NDVM in-season N fertilization and brown manuring
      affected N2O and CO2 emissions, but resulted in improved carbon storage
      efficiency, while herbicide residuals in soil were significantly lower in the
      maize season than in wheat cropping. This study concludes that adaptive N and
      integrated weed management enhance synergy between agronomic productivity,
      fertilizer and herbicide efficiency, and greenhouse gas mitigation.

PMID- 28361489
TI  - Estimation of underwater visibility in coastal and inland waters using remote
      sensing data.
AB  - An optical method is developed to estimate water transparency (or underwater
      visibility) in terms of Secchi depth (Z sd ), which follows the remote sensing
      and contrast transmittance theory. The major factors governing the variation in Z
      sd , namely, turbidity and length attenuation coefficient (1/(c + K d ), c = beam
      attenuation coefficient; K d  = diffuse attenuation coefficient at 531 nm), are
      obtained based on band rationing techniques. It was found that the band ratio of
      remote sensing reflectance (expressed as (R rs (443) + R rs (490))/(R rs (555) +
      R rs (670)) contains essential information about the water column optical
      properties and thereby positively correlates to turbidity. The beam attenuation
      coefficient (c) at 531 nm is obtained by a linear relationship with turbidity. To
      derive the vertical diffuse attenuation coefficient (K d ) at 531 nm, K d (490)
      is estimated as a function of reflectance ratio (R rs (670)/R rs (490)), which
      provides the bio-optical link between chlorophyll concentration and K d (531).
      The present algorithm was applied to MODIS-Aqua images, and the results were
      evaluated by matchup comparisons between the remotely estimated Z sd and in situ
      Z sd in coastal waters off Point Calimere and its adjoining regions on the
      southeast coast of India. The results showed the pattern of increasing Z sd from
      shallow turbid waters to deep clear waters. The statistical evaluation of the
      results showed that the percent mean relative error between the MODIS-Aqua
      derived Z sd and in situ Z sd values was within +/-25%. A close agreement
      achieved in spatial contours of MODIS-Aqua-derived Z sd and in situ Z sd for the
      month of January 2014 and August 2013 promises the model capability to yield
      accurate estimates of Z sd in coastal, estuarine, and inland waters. The spatial
      contours have been included to provide the best data visualization of the
      measured, modeled (in situ), and satellite-derived Z sd products. The modeled and
      satellite-derived Z sd values were compared with measurement data which yielded
      RMSE = 0.079, MRE = -0.016, and R 2  = 0.95 for the modeled Z sd and RMSE =
      0.075, MRE = 0.020, and R 2  = 0.95 for the satellite-derived Z sd products.

PMID- 28361490
TI  - Managed aquifer recharge by a check dam to improve the quality of fluoride-rich
      groundwater: a case study from southern India.
AB  - In many regions around the globe, including India, degradation in the quality of
      groundwater is of great concern. The objective of this investigation is to
      determine the effect of recharge from a check dam on quality of groundwater in a
      region of Krishnagiri District of Tamil Nadu State, India. For this study, water
      samples from 15 wells were periodically obtained and analysed for major ions and
      fluoride concentrations. The amount of major ions present in groundwater was
      compared with the drinking water guideline values of the Bureau of Indian
      Standards. With respect to the sodium and fluoride concentrations, 38% of
      groundwater samples collected was not suitable for direct use as drinking water.
      Suitability of water for agricultural use was determined considering the
      electrical conductivity, sodium adsorption ratio, sodium percentage, permeability
      index, Wilcox and United States Salinity Laboratory diagrams. The influence of
      freshwater recharge from the dam is evident as the groundwater in wells nearer to
      the check dam was suitable for both irrigation and domestic purposes. However,
      the groundwater away from the dam had a high ionic composition. This study
      demonstrated that in other fluoride-affected areas, the concentration can be
      reduced by dilution with the construction of check dams as a measure of managed
      aquifer recharge.

PMID- 28361491
TI  - Response to: Letter to the Editor: Long-Term Results of Laparoscopic Sleeve
      Gastrectomy for Morbid Obesity: 5 to 8-Year Results.

PMID- 28361492
TI  - Pregnancy After Bariatric Surgery: National Survey of Obstetrician's Comfort,
      Knowledge, and Practice Patterns.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study is to survey a nationally representative
      sample of obstetricians regarding comfort, knowledge, and practice patterns of
      caring for pregnant women after bariatric surgery. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We
      conducted an online survey of US obstetricians and describe obstetrician's
      demographics, practice settings, and practice patterns. We assessed respondent's
      knowledge and recommended practices. We compared provider knowledge by years
      since completing residency, scope of practice (generalist or specialist), and
      practice setting (academic setting or other). Statistical significance was set at
      p < 0.05. RESULTS: A total of 106 completed the survey (response rate of 54%).
      Respondents had a median age of 47 and median 17 years in practice. Sixty-two
      percent were generalists. Nearly all of the respondents (94%) had some experience
      with caring for pregnant women after bariatric surgery and 83% reported feeling
      "very comfortable" (48%) or "somewhat comfortable" (35%) providing care for this
      population. Most (74%) were aware of increased risk of small for gestational age
      after surgery. Only 13% were able to correctly identify all recommended
      nutritional labs and 20% reported that they "did not know" which labs are
      recommended. There were no differences in comfort, experience, knowledge, and
      practice patterns by physician characteristics and practice settings. CONCLUSION:
      While most obstetricians are aware of perinatal risks after bariatric surgery, a
      substantial percentage of obstetricians are unaware of recommended practices
      regarding nutrition and nutritional monitoring. As bariatric surgery becomes
      increasingly prevalent among reproductive age women, educational interventions to
      increase obstetricians' knowledge of optimal care of pregnant women after
      bariatric surgery are urgently needed.

PMID- 28361493
TI  - Understanding Objections to One Anastomosis (Mini) Gastric Bypass: A Survey of
      417 Surgeons Not Performing this Procedure.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Despite published experience with thousands of patients, the uptake
      of One Anastomosis/Mini Gastric Bypass (OAGB/MGB) has been less than enthusiastic
      and many surgeons still harbour objections to this procedure. The purpose of this
      study was to understand these objections scientifically. METHODS: Bariatric
      surgeons from around the world were invited to participate in a questionnaire
      based survey on SurveyMonkey(r). Surgeons already performing this procedure were
      excluded. RESULTS: Four hundred seventeen bariatric surgeons (from 42 countries)
      not currently performing OAGB/MGB took the survey. There were 211/414 (50.97%)
      and 188/414 (45.41%) respondents who expressed concerns that it will lead to an
      increased risk of gastric and oesophageal cancers respectively. A total of 62/416
      (14.9%) and 201/413 (n = 48.6%) surgeons respectively felt that OAGB/MGB was
      associated with a higher early (30-day) and late complication rate compared to
      the RYGB. Moreover, 7.8% (n = 32/411) and 16.26% (n = 67/412) of the respondents
      were concerned that OAGB/MGB carried a higher early (30-day) and late mortality,
      respectively, in comparison with the RYGB. There were 79/410 (19.27%) and 88/413
      (21.3%) respondents who were concerned that OAGB/MGB was not an effective
      procedure for weight loss and co-morbidity resolution, respectively. A total of
      258/411 (62.77%) respondents reported that OAGB/MGB was not approved by their
      national society as a mainstream bariatric procedure; 51.0% of these surgeons
      would start performing this procedure if it was. CONCLUSIONS: Surgeons not
      performing OAGB/MGB cite a number of concerns for not performing this operation.
      This survey is the first scientific attempt to understand these objections
      scientifically.

PMID- 28361494
TI  - Management Options for Twisted Gastric Tube after Laparoscopic Sleeve
      Gastrectomy.
AB  - PURPOSE: This study aims to determine the incidence, etiology, and management
      options for symptomatic gastric obstruction caused by axially twisted sleeve
      gastrectomy. METHODS: In this retrospective study, we reviewed medical charts of
      all morbidly obese patients who underwent laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy.
      Patients who developed gastric obstruction symptoms and were diagnosed with
      twisted sleeve gastrectomy were identified and included in this study. RESULTS:
      From October 2005 to December 2015, there are 3634 morbidly obese patients who
      underwent laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy (LSG). Eighty-six (2.3%) patients
      developed symptoms of gastric obstruction. Forty-five (1.23%) patients were
      included in this study. The mean time of presentation was 59.8 days after
      surgery. Upper GI contrast study was done routinely, and it was positive for
      axial twist in 37 (82%) patients. Abdominal CT with oral and IV contrast was done
      in eight (18%) when swallow study was equivocal. Endoscopic treatment was
      successful in 43 patients (95.5%). Sixteen patients were successfully managed by
      endoscopic stenting, and 29 patients had balloon dilation. The average numbers of
      dilation sessions were 1.7. Out of these 29 patients, 18 responded well to a
      single session of dilatation and did not require any further dilatation sessions.
      Two patients who failed to respond to three subsequent sessions of balloon
      dilation underwent laparoscopic adhesiolysis and gastropexy. CONCLUSIONS:
      Endoscopic stenting is an effective tool in management of axial rotation of
      sleeved stomach. Balloon dilation can also be effective in selected cases. Few
      cases might require laparoscopic adhesiolysis and gastropexy.

PMID- 28361495
TI  - On the tragedy of the commons: When predation and livestock loss may improve the
      economic lot of herders.
AB  - This paper studies the practice of semi-domestic reindeer (Rangifer t. tarandus)
      herding in Finnmark county in northern Norway. In this area, the Saami reindeer
      herders compete for space and grazing areas and keep large herds, while at the
      same time, the reindeer population is heavily exposed to carnivore predation by
      the lynx (Lynx lynx), the wolverine (Gulo gulo), and the golden eagle (Aquila
      chrysaetos). It is demonstrated that predation actually may improve the economic
      lot of livestock holders in this unmanaged local common setting. There are
      ecological as well as economic reasons as to why this happens. The ecological
      reason is that predation compensates for natural mortality; that is, increased
      predation reduces natural mortality, indicating that the net loss due to
      predation actually may be quite small. When predation reduces livestock density,
      the feeding conditions of the animals will improve, resulting in increased
      livestock weight and higher per animal slaughter value. At the same time, a
      smaller stock reduces the operating costs of the herders.

PMID- 28361496
TI  - Individual behavioural counselling for smoking cessation.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Individual counselling from a smoking cessation specialist may help
      smokers to make a successful attempt to stop smoking. OBJECTIVES: The review
      addresses the following hypotheses:1. Individual counselling is more effective
      than no treatment or brief advice in promoting smoking cessation.2. Individual
      counselling is more effective than self-help materials in promoting smoking
      cessation.3. A more intensive counselling intervention is more effective than a
      less intensive intervention. SEARCH METHODS: We searched the Cochrane Tobacco
      Addiction Group Specialized Register for studies with counsel* in any field in
      May 2016. SELECTION CRITERIA: Randomized or quasi-randomized trials with at least
      one treatment arm consisting of face-to-face individual counselling from a
      healthcare worker not involved in routine clinical care. The outcome was smoking
      cessation at follow-up at least six months after the start of counselling. DATA
      COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS: Both authors extracted data in duplicate. We recorded
      characteristics of the intervention and the target population, method of
      randomization and completeness of follow-up. We used the most rigorous definition
      of abstinence in each trial, and biochemically-validated rates where available.
      In analysis, we assumed that participants lost to follow-up continued to smoke.
      We expressed effects as a risk ratio (RR) for cessation. Where possible, we
      performed meta-analysis using a fixed-effect (Mantel-Haenszel) model. We assessed
      the quality of evidence within each study using the Cochrane 'Risk of bias' tool
      and the GRADE approach. MAIN RESULTS: We identified 49 trials with around 19,000
      participants. Thirty-three trials compared individual counselling to a minimal
      behavioural intervention. There was high-quality evidence that individual
      counselling was more effective than a minimal contact control (brief advice,
      usual care, or provision of self-help materials) when pharmacotherapy was not
      offered to any participants (RR 1.57, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.40 to 1.77;
      27 studies, 11,100 participants; I2 = 50%). There was moderate-quality evidence
      (downgraded due to imprecision) of a benefit of counselling when all participants
      received pharmacotherapy (nicotine replacement therapy) (RR 1.24, 95% CI 1.01 to
      1.51; 6 studies, 2662 participants; I2 = 0%). There was moderate-quality evidence
      (downgraded due to imprecision) for a small benefit of more intensive counselling
      compared to brief counselling (RR 1.29, 95% CI 1.09 to 1.53; 11 studies, 2920
      participants; I2 = 48%). None of the five other trials that compared different
      counselling models of similar intensity detected significant differences.
      AUTHORS' CONCLUSIONS: There is high-quality evidence that individually-delivered
      smoking cessation counselling can assist smokers to quit. There is moderate
      quality evidence of a smaller relative benefit when counselling is used in
      addition to pharmacotherapy, and of more intensive counselling compared to a
      brief counselling intervention.

PMID- 28361497
TI  - Group behaviour therapy programmes for smoking cessation.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Group therapy offers individuals the opportunity to learn behavioural
      techniques for smoking cessation, and to provide each other with mutual support.
      OBJECTIVES: To determine the effect of group-delivered behavioural interventions
      in achieving long-term smoking cessation. SEARCH METHODS: We searched the
      Cochrane Tobacco Addiction Group Specialized Register, using the terms 'behavior
      therapy', 'cognitive therapy', 'psychotherapy' or 'group therapy', in May 2016.
      SELECTION CRITERIA: Randomized trials that compared group therapy with self-help,
      individual counselling, another intervention or no intervention (including usual
      care or a waiting-list control). We also considered trials that compared more
      than one group programme. We included those trials with a minimum of two group
      meetings, and follow-up of smoking status at least six months after the start of
      the programme. We excluded trials in which group therapy was provided to both
      active therapy and placebo arms of trials of pharmacotherapies, unless they had a
      factorial design. DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS: Two review authors extracted data
      in duplicate on the participants, the interventions provided to the groups and
      the controls, including programme length, intensity and main components, the
      outcome measures, method of randomization, and completeness of follow-up. The
      main outcome measure was abstinence from smoking after at least six months follow
      up in participants smoking at baseline. We used the most rigorous definition of
      abstinence in each trial, and biochemically-validated rates where available. We
      analysed participants lost to follow-up as continuing smokers. We expressed
      effects as a risk ratio for cessation. Where possible, we performed meta-analysis
      using a fixed-effect (Mantel-Haenszel) model. We assessed the quality of evidence
      within each study and comparison, using the Cochrane 'Risk of bias' tool and
      GRADE criteria. MAIN RESULTS: Sixty-six trials met our inclusion criteria for one
      or more of the comparisons in the review. Thirteen trials compared a group
      programme with a self-help programme; there was an increase in cessation with the
      use of a group programme (N = 4395, risk ratio (RR) 1.88, 95% confidence interval
      (CI) 1.52 to 2.33, I2 = 0%). We judged the GRADE quality of evidence to be
      moderate, downgraded due to there being few studies at low risk of bias. Fourteen
      trials compared a group programme with brief support from a health care provider.
      There was a small increase in cessation (N = 7286, RR 1.22, 95% CI 1.03 to 1.43,
      I2 = 59%). We judged the GRADE quality of evidence to be low, downgraded due to
      inconsistency in addition to risk of bias. There was also low quality evidence of
      benefit of a group programme compared to no-intervention controls, (9 trials, N =
      1098, RR 2.60, 95% CI 1.80 to 3.76 I2 = 55%). We did not detect evidence that
      group therapy was more effective than a similar intensity of individual
      counselling (6 trials, N = 980, RR 0.99, 95% CI 0.76 to 1.28, I2 = 9%).
      Programmes which included components for increasing cognitive and behavioural
      skills were not shown to be more effective than same-length or shorter programmes
      without these components. AUTHORS' CONCLUSIONS: Group therapy is better for
      helping people stop smoking than self-help, and other less intensive
      interventions. There is not enough evidence to evaluate whether groups are more
      effective, or cost-effective, than intensive individual counselling. There is not
      enough evidence to support the use of particular psychological components in a
      programme beyond the support and skills training normally included.

PMID- 28361499
TI  - Supporting people living with HIV in serodiscordant partnerships to attempt a
      desired pregnancy by integrating sexual and reproductive health and HIV
      interventions.

PMID- 28361498
TI  - Disclosure of sexual orientation to health professionals in China: results from
      an online cross-sectional study.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Many men who have sex with men (MSM) in China are "in the closet."
      The low rate of disclosure may impact sexual behaviours, testing for HIV and
      other sexually transmitted infections (STIs), and diseases transmission. This
      study examines factors associated with overall sexual orientation disclosure and
      disclosure to healthcare professionals. METHODS: A nationwide cross-sectional
      online survey was conducted from September 2014 to October 2014 in China.
      Participants completed questions covering socio-demographic information, sexual
      behaviours, HIV/STI testing history, and self-reported HIV status. We defined
      healthcare professional disclosure as disclosing to a doctor or other medical
      provider. RESULTS: A total of 1819 men started the survey and 1424 (78.3%)
      completed it. Among the 1424 participants, 62.2% (886/1424) reported overall
      disclosure, and 16.3% (232/1424) disclosed to healthcare professionals. In
      multivariate analyses, the odds of sexual orientation disclosure were 56% higher
      among MSM who used smartphone-based, sex-seeking applications [adjusted odds
      ratio (aOR) = 1.56, 95% CI: 1.25-2.95], but were lower among MSM reporting sex
      while drunk or recreational drug use. The odds of disclosure to a healthcare
      professional were greater among MSM who had ever tested for HIV or STIs (aOR =
      3.36, 95% CI: 2.50-4.51 for HIV, and aOR = 4.92, 95% CI: 3.47-6.96 for STIs,
      respectively) or self-reported as living with HIV (aOR = 1.59, 95% CI: 0.93
      2.72). CONCLUSION: Over 80% of MSM had not disclosed their sexual orientation to
      health professionals. This low level of disclosure likely represents a major
      obstacle to serving the unique needs of MSM in clinical settings. Further
      research and interventions to facilitate MSM sexual orientation disclosure,
      especially to health professionals, are urgently needed.

PMID- 28361501
TI  - Fertility care interventions should be provided as the first line options for
      HIV+ serodiscordant couples who desire children in settings with affordable
      access to care, regardless of their fertility status.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: With increasing life expectancy, couples with at least one partner
      afflicted with HIV are more commonly pursuing the opportunity to have biologic
      offspring. Currently, there are no universally accepted recommendations regarding
      first line reproductive treatments for HIV serodiscordant couples lacking a
      history of infertility. We strongly believe that fertility care intervention
      should be the first line treatment, when affordably accessible, over natural
      conception for HIV serodiscordant couples to achieve pregnancy in a safe and
      efficacious manner. Discussion: In the era of highly active anti-retroviral
      therapy, in combination with timed intercourse and pre-exposure prophylaxis for
      the HIV negative partner, some members of the medical community are arguing in
      favour of natural conception as a means of achieving pregnancy in this patient
      population. In our opinion, laboratory assisted fertility methods, including
      intrauterine insemination, in vitro fertilization, and intracytoplasmic sperm
      injection with semen washing should be the first line treatment recommendation
      for HIV serodiscordant couples desiring pregnancy for the following reasons: (1)
      abundance of evidence in the medical literature supporting the safety profile and
      efficacy of fertility care intervention in couples with HIV; paucity of data
      addressing safety of natural conception in comparison to fertility intervention
      techniques (2) unknown public health impact of promoting natural conception as a
      safe means of achieving pregnancy (3) ethical implications: patients should be
      offered the available and accessible treatment option posing the lowest possible
      known risk to the uninfected partner. Conclusions: We believe that physician
      assisted fertility care, when affordably accessible, should be the treatment of
      choice over natural conception. While the preliminary data on natural conception
      in couples using highly active anti-retroviral therapy/pre-exposure
      prophylaxis/timed intercourse appears promising, we believe that this approach
      should be limited to patients in resource poor settings where more sophisticated
      measures do not exist or for patients that simply cannot afford subspecialty
      care. There are likely to be unknown psychological and behavioural factors
      impacted by promoting natural conception and diminishing the importance of safe
      sex practices. Additionally, it is our moral obligation to patients to offer the
      affordably accessible treatment interventions that pose the least known risk when
      considering reproductive options.

PMID- 28361500
TI  - The role of family planning in achieving safe pregnancy for serodiscordant
      couples: commentary from the United States government's interagency task force on
      family planning and HIV service integration.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: People living with HIV (PLHIV) have the right to exercise voluntary
      choices about their health, including their reproductive health. This commentary
      discusses the integral role that family planning (FP) plays in helping PLHIV,
      including those in serodiscordant relationships, achieve conception safely. The
      United States (US) President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) is
      committed to meeting the reproductive health needs of PLHIV by improving their
      access to voluntary FP counselling and services, including prevention of
      unintended pregnancy and counselling for safer conception. DISCUSSION: Inclusion
      of preconception care and counselling (PCC) as part of routine HIV services is
      critical to preventing unintended pregnancies and perinatal infections among
      PLHIV. PLHIV not desiring a current pregnancy should be provided with information
      and counselling on all available FP methods and then either given the method
      onsite or through a facilitated referral process. PLHIV, who desire children
      should be offered risk reduction counselling, support for HIV status disclosure
      and partner testing, information on safer conception options to reduce the risk
      of HIV transmission to the partner and the importance of adhering to
      antiretroviral treatment during pregnancy and breastfeeding to reduce the risk of
      vertical transmission to the infant. Integration of PCC, HIV and FP services at
      the same location is recommended to improve access to these services for PLHIV.
      Other considerations to be addressed include the social and structural context,
      the health system capacity to offer these services, and stigma and discrimination
      of providers. CONCLUSION: Evaluation of innovative service delivery models for
      delivering PCC services is needed, including provision in community-based
      settings. The US Government will continue to partner with local organizations,
      Ministries of Health, the private sector, civil society, multilateral and
      bilateral donors, and other key stakeholders to strengthen both the policy and
      programme environment to ensure that all PLHIV and serodiscordant couples have
      access to FP services, including prevention of unintended pregnancy and safer
      conception counselling.

PMID- 28361502
TI  - Achieving pregnancy safely for HIV-serodiscordant couples: a social ecological
      approach.
AB  - The recognition and fulfilment of the sexual and reproductive health and rights
      (SRHR) of all individuals and couples affected by HIV, including HIV
      serodiscordant couples, requires intervention strategies aimed at achieving safe
      and healthy pregnancies and preventing undesired pregnancies. Reducing risk of
      horizontal and vertical transmission and addressing HIV-related infertility are
      key components of such interventions. In this commentary, we present challenges
      and opportunities for achieving safe pregnancies for serodiscordant couples
      through a social ecological lens. At the individual level, knowledge (e.g. of HIV
      status, assisted reproductive technologies) and skills (e.g. adhering to
      antiretroviral therapy or pre-exposure prophylaxis) are important. At the couple
      level, communication between partners around HIV status disclosure, fertility
      desires and safer pregnancy is required. Within the structural domain, social
      norms, stigma and discrimination from families, community and social networks
      influence individual and couple experiences. The availability and quality of
      safer conception and fertility support services within the healthcare system
      remains essential, including training for healthcare providers and strengthening
      integration of SRHR and HIV services. Policies, legislation and funding can
      improve access to SRHR services. A social ecological framework allows us to
      examine interactions between levels and how interventions at multiple levels can
      better support HIV-serodiscordant couples to achieve safe pregnancies. Strategies
      to achieve safer pregnancies should consider interrelated challenges at different
      levels of a social ecological framework. Interventions across multiple levels,
      implemented concurrently, have the potential to maximize impact and ensure the
      full SRHR of HIV-serodiscordant couples.

PMID- 28361504
TI  - Ask women living with HIV what's needed to achieve safe pregnancies in
      serodifferent relationships.

PMID- 28361505
TI  - Men living with HIV in serodiscordant relationships who desire a child/children.

PMID- 28361503
TI  - Offering pre-exposure prophylaxis for HIV prevention to pregnant and postpartum
      women: a clinical approach.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: HIV prevention during pregnancy and lactation is critical for both
      maternal and child health. Pregnancy provides a critical opportunity for
      clinicians to elicit women's vulnerabilities to HIV and offer HIV testing,
      treatment and referral and/or comprehensive HIV prevention options for the
      current pregnancy, the postpartum period and safer conception options for future
      pregnancies. In this commentary, we review the safety of oral pre-exposure
      prophylaxis with tenofovir/emtricitabine in pregnant and lactating women and
      suggest opportunities to identify pregnant and postpartum women at substantial
      risk of HIV. We then describe a clinical approach to caring for women who both
      choose and decline pre-exposure prophylaxis during pregnancy and postpartum,
      highlighting areas for future research. DISCUSSION: Evidence suggests that pre
      exposure prophylaxis with tenofovir/emtricitabine is safe in pregnancy and
      lactation. Identifying women vulnerable to HIV and eligible for pre-exposure
      prophylaxis is challenging in light of the myriad of individual, community, and
      structural forces impacting HIV acquisition. Validated risk calculators exist for
      specific populations but have not been used to screen and offer HIV prevention
      methods. Partner testing and engagement of men living with HIV are additional
      means of reaching at-risk women. However, women's vulnerabilities to HIV change
      over time. Combining screening for HIV vulnerability with HIV and/or STI testing
      at standard intervals during pregnancy is a practical way to prompt providers to
      incorporate HIV screening and prevention counselling. We suggest using shared
      decision-making to offer women pre-exposure prophylaxis as one of multiple HIV
      prevention strategies during pregnancy and postpartum, facilitating open
      conversations about HIV vulnerabilities, preferences about HIV prevention
      strategies, and choosing a method that best meets the needs of each woman.
      CONCLUSION: Growing evidence suggests that pre-exposure prophylaxis with
      tenofovir/emtricitabine during pregnancy and lactation is safe and effective.
      Shared decision-making provides one approach to identify at-risk women and offers
      pre-exposure prophylaxis but requires implementation research in diverse clinical
      settings. Including pregnant and breastfeeding women in future HIV prevention
      research is critical for the creation of evidence-driven public health policies
      and clinical guidelines.

PMID- 28361506
TI  - Supporting HIV prevention and reproductive goals in an HIV-endemic setting:
      taking safer conception services from policy to practice in South Africa.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: Safer conception care encompasses HIV care, treatment and
      prevention for persons living with HIV and their partners who desire children. In
      2012, South Africa endorsed a progressive safer conception policy supporting HIV
      affected persons to safely meet reproductive goals. However, aside from select
      research-supported clinics, widespread implementation has not occurred. Using
      South Africa as a case study, we identify key obstacles to policy implementation
      and offer recommendations to catalyse expansion of these services throughout
      South Africa and further afield. DISCUSSION: Four key implementation barriers
      were identified by combining authors' safer conception service delivery
      experiences with available literature. First, strategic implementation frameworks
      stipulating where, and by whom, safer conception services should be provided are
      needed. Integrating safer conception services into universal test-and-treat (UTT)
      and elimination-of-mother-to-child-transmission (eMTCT) priority programmes would
      support HIV testing, ART initiation and management, viral suppression and early
      antenatal/eMTCT care engagement goals, reducing horizontal and vertical
      transmissions. Embedding measurable safer conception targets into these priority
      programmes would ensure accountability for implementation progress. Second,
      facing an organizational clinic culture that often undermines clients'
      reproductive rights, healthcare providers' (HCP) positive experiences with eMTCT
      and enthusiasm for UTT provide opportunities to shift facility-level and
      individual attitudes in favour of safer conception provision. Third, safer
      conception guidelines have not been incorporated into HCP training. Combining
      safer conception with "test-and-treat" training would efficiently ensure that
      providers are better equipped to discuss clients' reproductive goals and support
      safer conception practices. Lastly, HIV-affected couples remain largely unaware
      of safer conception strategies. HIV-affected populations need to be mobilized to
      engage with safer conception options alongside other HIV-related healthcare
      services. CONCLUSION: Key barriers to widespread safer conception service
      provision in South Africa include poor translation of policy into practical and
      measurable implementation plans, inadequate training and limited community
      engagement. South Africa should leverage the momentum and accountability
      associated with high priority UTT and eMTCT programmes to reinvigorate
      implementation efforts by incorporating safer conception into implementation and
      monitoring frameworks and associated HCP training and community engagement
      activities. South Africa's experiences should be used to inform policy
      development and implementation processes in other HIV high-burden countries.

PMID- 28361507
TI  - Client uptake of safer conception strategies: implementation outcomes from the
      Sakh'umndeni Safer Conception Clinic in South Africa.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: Implementation of safer conception services for HIV-affected
      couples within primary healthcare clinics in resource-limited settings remains
      limited. We review service utilization and safer conception strategy uptake
      during the first three years of Sakh'umndeni, which is a safer conception clinic
      in South Africa. METHODS: Sakh'umndeni is located at Witkoppen Health and Welfare
      Centre, a high-volume primary healthcare clinic in northern Johannesburg. Men and
      women desiring to conceive in less than or equal to six months and in
      relationships in which one or both partners are living with HIV are eligible for
      safer conception services. Clients receive a baseline health assessment and
      counselling around periconception HIV risk reduction strategies and choose which
      strategies they plan to use. Clients are followed-up monthly. We describe client
      service utilization and uptake and continuation of safer conception methods.
      Factors associated with male partner attendance are assessed using robust Poisson
      regression. RESULTS: Overall 440 individuals utilized the service including 157
      couples in which both partners attended (55%) and 126 unaccompanied female
      partners. Over half of the couples (55%) represented were in
      serodiscordant/unknown status relationships. Higher economic status and HIV
      negative status of the women increased male partner involvement, while HIV
      negative status of the men decreased male involvement. Regarding safer conception
      strategies, uptake of antiretroviral therapy initiation (90%), vaginal self
      insemination among partnerships with HIV-negative men (75%) and timed condomless
      intercourse strategies (48%) were variable, but generally high. Overall uptake of
      pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) was 23% and was lower among HIV-negative men than
      women (7% vs. 44%, p < 0.001). Male medical circumcision (MMC) was used by 28% of
      HIV-negative men. Over 80% of clients took up at least one recommended safer
      conception strategy. Continuation of selected strategies over attempted
      conception attempts was >60%. CONCLUSIONS: Safer conception strategies are
      generally used by clients per recommendations. High uptake of strategies suggests
      that the proposed combination prevention methods are acceptable to clients and
      appropriate for scale-up; however, low uptake of PrEP and MMC among HIV-negative
      men needs improvement. Targeted community-based efforts to reach men unlinked to
      safer conception services are needed, alongside streamlined approaches for
      service scale-up within existing HIV and non-HIV service delivery platforms.

PMID- 28361509
TI  - A Clinician's Perspective on the Mechanism of beta3-Adrenoceptor Agonists in the
      Bladder.

PMID- 28361508
TI  - Delivering safer conception services to HIV serodiscordant couples in Kenya:
      perspectives from healthcare providers and HIV serodiscordant couples.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: For HIV serodiscordant couples in resource-limited settings,
      pregnancy is common despite the risk of sexual and/or perinatal HIV transmission.
      Some safer conception strategies to reduce HIV transmission during pregnancy
      attempts are available but often not used for reasons including knowledge,
      accessibility, preference and others. We sought to understand Kenyan health
      providers' and HIV serodiscordant couples' perspectives and experiences with
      safer conception. METHODS: Between August 2015 and March 2016, we conducted key
      informant interviews (KIIs) with health providers from public and private HIV
      care and fertility clinics and in-depth interviews (IDIs) and focus group
      discussions (FGDs) with HIV serodiscordant couples participating in an open-label
      study of integrated pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) and antiretroviral therapy
      (ART) for HIV prevention (the Partners Demonstration Project). An inductive
      analytic approach identified a number of themes related to experiences with and
      perceptions of safer conception strategies. RESULTS: We conducted 20 KIIs with
      health providers, and 21 IDIs and 4 FGDs with HIV serodiscordant couples. HIV
      clinic providers frequently discussed timed condomless sex and antiretroviral
      medications while providers at private fertility care centres were more
      comfortable recommending medically assisted reproduction. Couples experienced
      with ART and PrEP reported that they were comfortable using these strategies to
      reduce HIV risk when attempting pregnancy. Timed condomless sex in conjunction
      with ART and PrEP was a preferred strategy, often owing to them being available
      for free in public and research clinics, as well as most widely known; however,
      couples often held inaccurate knowledge of how to identify days with peak
      fertility in the upcoming menstrual cycle. CONCLUSIONS: Antiretroviral-based HIV
      prevention is acceptable and accessible to meet the growing demand for safer
      conception services in Kenya, since medically assisted interventions are
      currently cost prohibitive. Cross-disciplinary training for health providers
      would expand confidence in all prevention options and foster the tailoring of
      counselling to couples' preferences.

PMID- 28361510
TI  - Broaden and Build Up Knowledge Based on Investigative and Clinical Research.

PMID- 28361511
TI  - Therapeutic Efficacy of a New Procedure for Male Urinary Incontinence Combining a
      Suburethral Polypropylene Mesh and Cardiovascular Patch.
AB  - PURPOSE: Stress urinary incontinence (SUI) in men is a complication secondary to
      prostatectomy or resulting from neurological lesions. This study presents our
      experiences with male suburethral slings over the past decade. METHODS: In this
      study, we considered patients who presented with SUI and were diagnosed with an
      intrinsic sphincteric deficiency due to postprostatectomy incontinence (PPI) or
      other causes (non-PPI). Patients who underwent the suburethral sling procedure
      using a polypropylene mesh and a cardiovascular patch were retrospectively
      included. An urodynamic study was performed before and after the operation.
      Global response assessment (GRA) and SUI grading were used for surgical outcome.
      The revision rate and the infection rate were also evaluated. RESULTS: A total 31
      patients were enrolled in this study; the mean patient age was 59.5+/-18.9 years,
      and the mean follow-up period was 36.9+/-29.4 months. Fourteen patients comprised
      the non-PPI group and 17 were in the PPI group. The preoperative SUI of all
      patients were categorized as a moderate to severe problem according to the SUI
      grade, with a mean score of 2.32+/-0.48 before the operation and 0.48+/-0.57
      after the operation. With a mean score of 2.35+/-0.71, GRA showed that the
      patients were satisfied with the treatment. After the sling procedure, 4 patients
      (13%) reported a mild improvement, 12 (38.7%) a moderate improvement, while 15
      (48.4%) reported an excellent improvement. Six patients (19.4%), including 5 from
      the non-PPI group (35.7%) and 1 (5.9%) from the PPI group (P=0.037), underwent
      sling removal because of infection. CONCLUSIONS: The male suburethral sling
      procedure using a polypropylene mesh and a cardiovascular patch is a safe,
      efficacious, and inexpensive surgical procedure for PPI. In cases of neurological
      incontinence, however, the higher infection rate in non-PPI patients means that
      they should be carefully managed.

PMID- 28361512
TI  - Comparison of Surgical Outcomes Between Holmium Laser Enucleation and
      Transurethral Resection of the Prostate in Patients With Detrusor Underactivity.
AB  - PURPOSE: Currently, holmium laser enucleation of the prostate (HoLEP) and
      transurethral resection of the prostate (TURP) are the standard surgical
      procedures used to treat benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH). Several recent
      studies have demonstrated that the surgical management of BPH in patients with
      detrusor underactivity (DU) can effectively improve voiding symptoms, but
      comparative data on the efficacy of HoLEP and TURP are insufficient. Therefore,
      we compared the short-term surgical outcomes of HoLEP and TURP in patients with
      DU. METHODS: From January 2010 to May 2015, 352 patients underwent HoLEP or TURP
      in procedures performed by a single surgeon. Of these patients, 56 patients with
      both BPH and DU were enrolled in this study (HoLEP, n=24; TURP, n=32). Surgical
      outcomes were retrospectively compared between the 2 groups. DU was defined as a
      detrusor pressure at maximal flow rate of <40 cm H2O as measured by a pressure
      flow study. RESULTS: The preoperative characteristics of patients and the
      presence of comorbidities were comparable between the 2 groups. The TURP group
      showed a significantly shorter operative time than the HoLEP group (P=0.033). The
      weight of the resected prostate was greater in the HoLEP group, and postoperative
      voiding parameters, including peak flow rate and postvoid residual urine volume
      were significantly better in the HoLEP group than in the TURP group. CONCLUSIONS:
      HoLEP can be effectively and safely performed in patients with DU and can be
      expected to have better surgical outcomes than TURP in terms of the improvement
      in lower urinary tract symptoms.

PMID- 28361513
TI  - Surgical Outcomes and Safety of Robotic Sacrocolpopexy in Women With Apical
      Pelvic Organ Prolapse.
AB  - PURPOSE: This study aimed to investigate the surgical outcomes and safety of
      robotic sacrocolpopexy (RSC) in patients with uterine/vaginal vault prolapse.
      METHODS: Between January 2009 and June 2015, 16 women with apical prolapse
      underwent RSC. Pelvic organ prolapse quantification (POP-Q) examination was
      performed, and treatment success was defined as the presence of grade 0 or I
      apical prolapse upon POP-Q examination at the final follow-up. Pelvic floor
      distress inventory-short form 20 (PFDI-SF 20) was administered at every follow
      up. A treatment satisfaction questionnaire was administered by telephone to
      evaluate patient satisfaction with the operation. RESULTS: Median age was 65
      years (interquartile range [IQR], 56-68 years), and follow-up duration was 25.3
      months (IQR, 5.4-34.0 months). Thirteen women (81.3%) had >=grade III apical
      prolapse. Operation time was 251 minutes (IQR, 236-288 minutes), and blood loss
      was 75 mL (IQR, 50-150 mL). Median hospital stay was 4 days (IQR, 3-5 days). At
      the final follow-up, treatment success was reported in all patients, who
      presented grade 0 (n=8, 57.1%) and grade I (n=6, 42.9%) apical prolapse. Dramatic
      improvements in PFDI-SF 20 scores were noted after RSC (from 39 to 4; P=0.001).
      Most patients (12 of 13) were satisfied with RSC. An intraoperative complication
      (sacral venous plexus injury) was reported in 1 patient, and there was no
      conversion to open surgery. Mesh erosion was not reported. CONCLUSIONS: RSC is an
      efficient and safe surgical option for apical prolapse repair. Most patients were
      satisfied with RSC. Thus, RSC might be one of the best treatment options for
      apical prolapse in women.

PMID- 28361514
TI  - Treatment of Stress Urinary Incontinence in Neurological Patients With an
      Injectable Elastomer Prosthesis: Preliminary Results.
AB  - Many treatment options for stress urinary incontinence are difficult to apply to
      neurological patients. Urolastic is a new agent that is primarily indicated for
      women with mild stress urinary incontinence or men after prostate surgery. In
      this report, we present a series of 5 cases describing the first use of Urolastic
      to treat neurological patients. All patients were evaluated with a voiding diary
      and the use of auxiliary devices as the main indicators of continence. The median
      operative time was 30.8 minutes, and no complications were observed. Of the 5
      patients, 4 reported improved incontinence: 2 switched from diapers to small
      pads, while the other 2 patients were able to discontinue urinary condom use. The
      only instance of treatment failure occurred in a patient with a low-compliance
      bladder. The advantages of this procedure appear to include a soft-cuff effect,
      reversibility, and minimal invasiveness. However, a future randomized study would
      be necessary to validate this treatment option.

PMID- 28361515
TI  - Efficacy and Adverse Events Associated With Use of OnabotulinumtoxinA for
      Treatment of Neurogenic Detrusor Overactivity: A Meta-Analysis.
AB  - PURPOSE: OnabotulinumtoxinA is used widely for the treatment of neurogenic
      detrusor overactivity. We conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis to
      assess its efficacy and safety for neurogenic detrusor overactivity treatment.
      METHODS: A systematic literature review was performed to identify all published
      randomized double-blind, placebo-controlled trials of onabotulinumtoxinA for
      neurogenic detrusor overactivity treatment. MEDLINE, Embase, and the CENTRAL were
      employed. Reference lists of retrieved studies were reviewed carefully. RESULTS:
      Six publications involving 871 patients, which compared onabotulinumtoxinA with a
      placebo were analyzed. Efficacy of onabotulinumtoxinA treatment was shown as a
      reduction of the mean number of urinary incontinence episodes per day (mean
      difference, -1.41; 95% confidence interval [CI], -1.70 to -1.12; P<0.00001),
      maximum cystometric capacity (135.48; 95% CI, 118.22-152.75; P<0.00001), and
      maximum detrusor pressure (-32.98; 95% CI, -37.33 to -28.62; P<0.00001).
      Assessment of adverse events revealed that complications due to
      onabotulinumtoxinA injection were localized primarily to the urinary tract.
      CONCLUSIONS: This meta-analysis suggests that onabotulinumtoxinA is an effective
      treatment for neurogenic detrusor overactivity with localized advent events.

PMID- 28361516
TI  - Evaluation of Overactive Bladder in Male Antidepressant Users: A Prospective
      Study.
AB  - PURPOSE: In this study, we investigated overactive bladder (OAB) functions in
      male patients who used antidepressant drugs (ADs) that were previously examined
      in female patients, based on conflicting data in literature regarding the effects
      of AD on OAB and the differences between male and female urinary system
      physiologies (anatomical and hormonal). METHODS: The study included 202 male
      patients (a control group of 90 healthy subjects, and an experimental group of
      112 patients taking ADs for different disorders). All the patients completed the
      overactive bladder-validated 8 (OAB-V8) questionnaire, the International
      Consultation on Incontinence Questionnaire-Short Form (ICIQ-SF), and the Beck
      Depression Inventory (BDS). RESULTS: The OAB-V8, ICIQ-SF, and BDS scores for the
      antidepressant users were significantly higher than those of the control group.
      The highest prevalence of OAB symptoms was observed in patients taking
      venlafaxine (68.2%), and the lowest prevalence was in patients taking sertraline
      (28.0%). Moreover, the frequency of OAB between the antidepressant groups was
      statistically significant. The univariate logistic regression analyses showed a
      significant relationship between the presence of OAB, antidepressant usage, BDS
      score, and the age of a patient. In the multivariate logistic regression
      analyses, the association between the presence of OAB and antidepressant usage
      was statistically significant. CONCLUSIONS: The present study showed that the
      incidence of OAB and the severity of OAB symptoms increased in males using
      antidepressants for various disorders. This may have been due to unique
      pharmacological effects, on a molecular or individual level, of serotonin
      norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors.

PMID- 28361517
TI  - Structural Changes of the Urinary Bladder After Chronic Complete Spinal Cord
      Injury in Minipigs.
AB  - PURPOSE: The aim of this study was to determine the structural changes of the
      urinary bladder after chronic spinal cord injury (SCI) in minipigs with the
      primary focus on the analysis of urinary bladder wall proteins and their
      quantitative distribution. METHODS: Seven Gottingen minipigs (adult, female)
      underwent a complete spinal cord transection. Follow-up time was 4 months during
      which the bladder was drained by frequent single catheterisation and data from
      the bladder diary and daily urine strip test were collected. Samples from the
      urinary bladder were taken, fixed in 4% paraformaldehyde and stained for
      histological analyses. Bladder wall thickness, single tissue
      quantities/distributions, types I and III collagen, and elastin quantifications
      were performed. Comparisons to healthy urinary bladder tissue of age-matched
      minipigs were performed for statistical analyses. RESULTS: No urinary tract
      infections were observed in our SCI minipig collective during follow-up. A trend
      towards a reduction in bladder volumes and an increase in incontinence periods
      were seen. The bladder wall thickness significantly increased after chronic SCI.
      Furthermore, bladder wall composition was severely altered by a significant loss
      of smooth muscle tissue and a significant increase in connective tissue. Elastic
      fibres were reduced in number and altered in their structural appearance after
      SCI. Type I collagen was significantly increased, while type III collagen was
      significantly decreased after SCI. CONCLUSIONS: Chronic SCI highlighted that the
      urinary bladder wall undergoes fibrotic events with reduced contractile and
      elastic properties due to changes of the bladder wall protein composition. These
      changes show in detail how SCI severely influences the urinary bladder wall
      composition and depicts the similarities between minipigs and humans.

PMID- 28361518
TI  - Ketanserin and Naftopidil Enhance the Potentiating Effect of Alpha-Methyl
      Serotonin on the Neurally-Induced Contraction of Human Isolated Urinary Bladder
      Muscle Strips.
AB  - PURPOSE: The aim of this study was to assess the potential involvement of a
      specific subtype of 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT), 5HT2 receptors in neurally
      induced contractions of the human detrusor. METHODS: Contractile responses to
      electrical field stimulation (EFS) were examined in human isolated urinary
      bladder muscle strips. The potentiation of EFS-induced detrusor contraction was
      examined by adding cumulative concentrations of a 5-HT and 5-HT2 receptor
      agonist, alpha-methyl-serotonin (alpha-Me-5-HT) (1nM-100MUM) in the presence or
      absence of a 5-HT2 antagonist, ketanserin (5-HT2A>5-HT2C) or naftopidil (5-HT2B>5
      HT2A) (0.3-3MUM). RESULTS: 5-HT and alpha-Me-5-HT potentiated EFS-induced
      contraction with a maximal effect (Emax) of 37.6% and 38.6%, respectively, and
      with pEC50 (negative logarithm of the concentration required for a half-maximal
      response to an agonist) values of 8.3 and 6.8, respectively. Neither ketanserin
      nor naftopidil at any concentration produced a rightward displacement of the
      alpha-Me-5-HT concentration response curve. Instead, the Emax of alpha-Me-5-HT
      increased in the presence of ketanserin at 0.3-1MUM and in the presence of
      naftopidil at 1MUM to 51% and 56%, respectively, while the Emax in the presence
      of vehicle alone was 36%. The highest concentration (3MUM) of either drug,
      however, fully reversed the enhancement. CONCLUSIONS: The potentiating effect of
      alpha-Me-5-HT on neurally-induced contraction of human urinary bladder muscle
      strips was not found to be mediated via any 5-HT2 receptor subtypes. The
      underlying mechanism for the enhancement of the alpha-Me-5-HT potentiating effect
      on detrusor contractility by ketanserin and naftopidil remains unknown; however,
      our results suggest that these drugs may be useful for treating contractile
      dysfunction of the detrusor, as manifested in conditions such as underactive
      bladder.

PMID- 28361519
TI  - Evidence Is Enough?: A Systematic Review and Network Meta-Analysis of the
      Efficacy of Tamsulosin 0.2 mg and Tamsulosin 0.4 mg as an Initial Therapeutic
      Dose in Asian Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia Patients.
AB  - PURPOSE: We compared the efficacy of tamsulosin between 0.2 mg and 0.4 mg in
      Asian prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) patients using network meta-analysis due to
      lack of studies with direct comparison. METHODS: The literature search was
      conducted using the MEDLINE, Embase, and Cochrane Library. Keywords used were
      "BPH," "tamsulosin," "placebo." Experimental groups were defined as tamsulosin
      0.2 mg (Tam 0.2) and 0.4 mg (Tam 0.4) and common control group was defined as
      placebo for indirect treatment comparison. Mixed treatment comparison was
      performed including one direct comparison study. RESULTS: Seven studies met the
      eligible criteria. Indirect treatment comparison revealed that total
      International Prostate Symptoms Score (IPSS) and quality of life score of IPSS
      were not significantly different in Tam 0.2 and Tam 0.4 (P>0.05). There was no
      significant difference of maximal flow rate and postvoid residual urine volume in
      Tam 0.2 and Tam 0.4 (P>0.05). Mixed treatment comparison including one direct
      comparison study showed inconsistency (P<0.001). Therefore, analysis using direct
      treatment comparison effect sizes of Tam 0.2 vs. placebo and Tam 0.4 vs. placebo
      was done and there was no significant difference. CONCLUSIONS: Network meta
      analysis showed no difference of efficacy between tamsulosin 0.2 mg and 0.4 mg
      and the evidence of tamsulosin 0.4 mg as initial dose for Asian BPH patient seems
      to be insufficient. Therefore, initial dose of tamsulosin for Asian BPH patient
      should be 0.2 mg.

PMID- 28361520
TI  - On the Site and Mechanism of Action of beta3-Adrenoceptor Agonists in the
      Bladder.
AB  - The clinical success of mirabegron as the first beta3-adrenoceptor (AR) agonist
      for treatment of the overactive bladder (OAB) syndrome, has resulted in
      substantial interest in its site and mechanism of action. Even if the adrenergic
      innervation of the bladder and urethra has been well studied, the location(s) of
      beta3-ARs in different structures within the bladder wall and urethra, and the
      mode(s) of action of beta3-AR stimulation have still not been established. The
      recent demonstration of beta3-ARs on cholinergic nerve terminals with no
      immunoreactivity in urothelium or detrusor smooth muscle, is not in agreement
      with previous morphological studies, and functional data strongly suggest that
      beta3-ARs can be found these structures. However, recent studies suggest that the
      beta3-ARs on detrusor smooth muscle may not be the functionally most relevant.
      The assumption that beta3-AR activation during bladder filling inhibits
      acetylcholine release from parasympathetic neurons by a prejunctional mechanism
      and that this decreases bladder micromotions that generate afferent activity, is
      an attractive hypothesis. It does not exclude that other mechanisms may be
      contributing, and supports combined approaches to reduce afferent activity for
      treatment of the OAB syndrome.

PMID- 28361521
TI  - Gemcitabine and Docetaxel Combination for Advanced Soft Tissue Sarcoma: A
      Nationwide Retrospective Study.
AB  - PURPOSE: This nationwide retrospective study was conducted to evaluate the
      efficacy and safety of combined gemcitabine and docetaxel (GD) as an off-label
      therapy for advanced soft tissue sarcoma, which has limited treatment options
      owing to its rare occurrence. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A total of 228 patients
      received GD therapy for advanced soft tissue sarcoma from 2009 to 2014 in Korea.
      We retrospectively reviewed the clinical medical records and claims data of these
      patients. RESULTS: A total of 218 patients in 20 medical centers were included in
      the final analysis (median age, 50.0 years). The objective response rate was
      15.1% (34/218, in the leiomyosarcoma subgroup; 26.3%). The median overall
      survival and progression-free survival were 10.3 months (95% confidence interval
      [CI], 8.4 to 12.2) and 3.3 months (95% CI, 2.8 to 4.7), respectively. The
      treatment was discontinued in 7.8% of patients owing to adverse events; however,
      there was no adverse event-related death. Neutropenia (35.7%) and anemia (15.1%)
      were the most frequent grade 3/4 toxicities. Univariate analysis for identifying
      the predictors of the progression-free survival period revealed that patients
      aged <= 50 years had a hazard ratio of 1.388 (95% CI, 1.027 to 1.875; p < 0.05)
      relative to those aged > 50 years, and the group with leiomyosarcoma had a hazard
      ratio of 0.693 (95% CI, 0.493 to 0.975; p < 0.05) relative to the group with
      other histopathological subtypes. CONCLUSION: GD therapy was tolerable and
      effective for Korean patients with soft tissue sarcoma. In conclusion, for
      patients with advanced soft tissue sarcoma, especially leiomyosarcoma, GD therapy
      could be an important therapeutic option.

PMID- 28361522
TI  - Strategic Distributional Cost-Effectiveness Analysis for Improving National
      Cancer Screening Uptake in Cervical Cancer: A Focus on Regional Inequality in
      South Korea.
AB  - PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to conduct a cost effectiveness analysis
      of strategies designed to improve national cervical cancer screening rates, along
      with a distributional cost effectiveness analysis that considers regional
      disparities. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Cost effectiveness analysis was conducted
      using a Markov cohort simulation model, with quality adjusted life years as the
      unit of effectiveness. The strategies considered were current (biennial
      Papanicolaou smear cytology of females aged 20 or above), strong screening
      recommendation by mail to target regions (effect, 12% increase in screening
      uptake; cost, 1,000 Korean won per person), regular universal screening
      recommendation by mail (effect, 6% increase in screening uptake; cost, 500 Korean
      won per person), and strong universal screening recommendation by mail (effect,
      12% increase in screening uptake; cost, 1,000 Korean won per person).
      Distributional cost effectiveness analysis was conducted by calculating the cost
      effectiveness of strategies using the Atkinson incremental cost effectiveness
      ratio. RESULTS: All strategies were under the threshold value, which was set as
      the Korean gross domestic product of $25,990. In particular, the 'strong
      screening recommendation to target regions' strategy was found to be the most
      cost effective (incremental cost effectiveness ratio, 7,361,145 Korean won). This
      was also true when societal inequality aversion increased in the distributional
      cost effectiveness analysis. CONCLUSION: The 'strong screening recommendation to
      target regions' strategy was the most cost effective approach, even when
      adjusting for inequality. As efficiency and equity are objectives concurrently
      sought in healthcare, these findings imply a need to develop appropriate economic
      evaluation methodologies to assess healthcare policies.

PMID- 28361524
TI  - Validation of the Korean Version of the Quality of Life-Cancer Survivors (QOL-CS
      K) Questionnaire in Lymphoma Survivors.
AB  - PURPOSE: The objective of this study was to validate the Korean version of the
      Quality of Life-Cancer Survivors (QOL-CS-K) in a sample of lymphoma survivors.
      MATERIALS AND METHODS: We conducted a cross-sectional survey of lymphoma
      survivors who had survived for at least 24 months since diagnosis. Participants
      were recruited at the outpatient clinics and at a hospital event in a tertiary
      hospital in Seoul, Korea. Survivors were asked to complete the QOL-CS-K and the
      European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer Quality of Life Core
      Questionnaire (EORTC QLQ-C30) questionnaires. To determine test-retest
      reliability, a second questionnaire was sent to participants who completed the
      first questionnaire adequately. Exploratory factor analysis and Pearson's
      correlations were used for evaluating reliability and validity of the QOL-CS-K.
      RESULTS: Among 257 survivors, 245 (95.3%) completed all questionnaires and had no
      missing data. The mean age of study participants was 52.2 years, 54.9% were men,
      and the mean time since diagnosis was 4.0+/-1.6 years. The Cronbach's alpha for
      the overall QOL-CS-K was 0.90, and the alpha coefficients for each subscale
      ranged from 0.73 to 0.83. The test and retest reliability was 0.88. Moderate
      correlations were found between comparable subscales of the QOL-CS-K and
      subscales of the EORTC QLQ-C30 (r=0.51-0.55) except for the spiritual well-being
      subscale of the QOL-CS-K, which did not correlate with any of the EORTC QLQ-C30
      subscales (-0.08 to 0.16). CONCLUSION: The QOL-CS-K is a reliable and valid scale
      for measuring the QOL in long-term lymphoma survivors.

PMID- 28361525
TI  - A rapid validated UV-HPLC method for the simultaneous determination of the
      antiretroviral compounds darunavir and raltegravir in their dosage form.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: A rapid, simple and sensitive high-performance liquid chromatography
      (HPLC) method with ultraviolet detection has been developed for quantification of
      darunavir and raltegravir in their pharmaceutical dosage form. METHODS: The assay
      enables the measurement of both drugs with a linear calibration curve (R2= 0.999)
      over the concentration range 5-100 mg/L. The determination was performed on an
      analytical Tracer Excel 120 ODSB (15x0.4.6 cm) column at 35oC. The selected
      wavelength was 254 nm. The mobile phase was a mixture of 0.037 M sodium
      dihydrogen phosphate buffer, acetonitrile and methanol (40:50:10, v/v/v) at a
      flow rate of 2.0 mL/min Nevirapine (50 mg/L) was used as internal standard.
      RESULTS: Accuracy, intra-day repeatability (n = 5), and inter-day precision (n =
      3) were found to be satisfactory, being the accuracy from -4.33 to 3.88% and
      precisions were intra-day and inter-day, 0.25% and 4.42% respectively in case of
      darunavir. Raltegravir intra-day and inter-day precisions lower of 1.01 and
      2.36%, respectively and accuracy values bet from -4.02 to 1.06%. CONCLUSIONS:
      Determination of the darunavir and raltegravir in their dosage form was done with
      a maximum deviation of 4%. This analytical method is rapid, easily implantable
      and offers good results.

PMID- 28361523
TI  - Nationwide Statistical Analysis of Lymphoid Malignancies in Korea.
AB  - PURPOSE: Regional differences in the incidence of lymphoid malignancies have been
      reported worldwide, but there has been no large-scale epidemiologic analysis in
      Korea. The aim of this study was to provide a nationwide population-based
      statistical analysis of Korean patients with lymphoid malignancies. MATERIALS AND
      METHODS: The Korea Central Cancer Registry analyzed the incidence and survival of
      patients with lymphoid malignancies from the Korean National Cancer Incidence
      Database. Diseases were grouped by clinically relevant categories based on the
      2008 World Health Organization classification. RESULTS: Overall 65,948 lymphoid
      diseases were identified between 1999 and 2012. The incidence of most subtypes
      increased with age, except for precursor cell neoplasms. Male predominance
      (male:female ratio=1.28:1) was observed. In 2012, annual age-standardized
      incidence rates per 100,000 persons of Hodgkin's lymphoma, mature B-cell
      neoplasm, mature T/natural killer (NK)-cell neoplasm, and precursor cell neoplasm
      were 0.46, 6.60, 0.95, and 1.50, respectively, and they increased yearly from
      1999. Composite Hodgkin's and non-Hodgkin's lymphomas were extremely rare.
      Survival improvement estimated using 5-year relative survival rate was observed
      in patients with Hodgkin's lymphoma (71.1%-83.0%), diffuse large B-cell lymphoma
      (49.5%-61.5%), plasma cell neoplasms (20.2%-36.9%), and lymphoblastic
      lymphoma/leukemia (41.5%-56.3%) between 1993 and 2012. However, survival rates of
      T/NK-cell lymphoma (excluding cutaneous T-cell lymphoma) ranged from 40.5%-43.5%
      during the study period. Survival rates decreased with age in most subtypes.
      CONCLUSION: This report presented the subtype-specific statistical analysis of
      lymphoid malignancies in the Korean population, showing increasing incidences and
      survival rates in most subtypes.

PMID- 28361526
TI  - Ceftolozane-tazobactam for the treatment of ventilator-associated infections by
      colistin-resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa.
AB  - The use of colistin for the treatment of multiresistant bacteria has led to the
      emergence of colistin-resistant strains of Gram-negative bacilli. Treatment of
      infections caused by these pan-drug-resistant bacteria is difficult owing to the
      paucity of effective antibiotics. We report two cases of ventilator-associated
      respiratory infection caused by pan-drug-resistant, colistin-resistant
      Pseudomonas aeruginosa that were successfully treated with ceftolozane
      tazobactam.

PMID- 28361527
TI  - Clinical presentation of candidaemia in elderly patients: experience in a single
      institution.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: To analyse the clinical presentation of candidaemia in elderly
      patients. METHODS: A comparison of clinical presentation of candidaemia cases was
      carried out in a Spanish tertiary hospital between January 2010 and September
      2015. RESULTS: Forty-five cases (32%) corresponded to elderly patients (>= 75
      years) and 95 cases (68%) to non-elderly patients (16-74 years). A higher
      proportion of elderly patients presented solid tumour (51% versus 32%, p=0.026)
      and a lower proportion had undergone solid or hematopoietic transplantation (0%
      versus 28%, p<0.001). Fewer elderly patients (16 patients, 36%) had a central
      venous line inserted than non-elderly patients (81 patients, 85%, p<0.001).
      Isolation of Candida parapsilosis was significantly lower among elderly (13.3%)
      than among non-elderly patients (32%, p=0.015). Fundoscopy was carried out in 20
      elderly (44%) and in 64 younger patients (67%, p=0.009). The proportion of
      patients who underwent echocardiography was similar in both groups (56% vs 66%,
      respectively; p=0.218). Adequate antifungal treatment within the first 48 hours
      was administered in16 elderly patients (36%) and 58 younger patients (61%,
      p=0.005). Catheter removal was carried out in 9 elderly patients (68.1%) and in
      40 non-elderly patients (49%, p=0.544). Mortality was higher among elderly
      patients (55.6%) than non-elderly patients (36.8%; p=0.037). CONCLUSIONS: Elderly
      patients account for a substantial proportion of patients suffering from
      candidaemia in recent years. The clinical management of these patients was less
      appropriate than in younger patients with respect to fundus examination and the
      prescription of appropriate antifungal treatment. Mortality in elderly patients
      was higher than in younger patients.

PMID- 28361528
TI  - Epidemic meningitis control in countries of the African meningitis belt, 2016.

PMID- 28361529
TI  - Ensuring the timely supply and management of medicines for preventive
      chemotherapy against neglected tropical diseases.

PMID- 28361530
TI  - Enhanced Efficiency and Stability of an Aqueous Lead-Nitrate-Based Organometallic
      Perovskite Solar Cell.
AB  - We investigate the stability of an active organometallic perovskite layer
      prepared from a two-step solution procedure, including spin coating of aqueous
      lead nitrate (Pb(NO3)2) as a Pb2+ source and sequential dipping into a
      methylammonium iodide (CH3NH3I) solution. The conversion of CH3NH3PbI3 from a
      uniform Pb(NO3)2 layer generates PbI2-free and large-grain perovskite
      crystallites owing to an intermediate ion-exchange reaction step, resulting in
      improved humidity resistance and, thereby, improved long-term stability with 93%
      of the initial power conversion efficiency (PCE) after a period of 20 days. The
      conventional fast-converted PbI2-dimethylformamide solution system leaves small
      amounts of intrinsic PbI2 residue on the resulting perovskite and MAPbI3
      crystallites with uncontrollable sizes. This accelerates the generation of PbI2
      and the decomposition of the perovskite layer, resulting in poor stability with
      less than 60% of the initial PCE after a period of 20 days.

PMID- 28361531
TI  - Photocatalytic Anatase TiO2 Thin Films on Polymer Optical Fiber Using Atmospheric
      Pressure Plasma.
AB  - Due to the undeniable industrial advantages of low-temperature atmospheric
      pressure plasma processes, such as low cost, low temperature, easy
      implementation, and in-line process capabilities, they have become the most
      promising next-generation candidate system for replacing thermal chemical vapor
      deposition or wet chemical processes for the deposition of functional coatings.
      In the work detailed in this article, photocatalytic anatase TiO2 thin films were
      deposited at a low temperature on polymer optical fibers using an atmospheric
      pressure plasma process. This method overcomes the challenge of forming
      crystalline transition metal oxide coatings on polymer substrates by using a dry
      and up-scalable method. The careful selection of the plasma source and the
      titanium precursor, i.e., titanium ethoxide with a short alkoxy group, allowed
      the deposition of well-adherent, dense, and crystalline TiO2 coatings at low
      substrate temperature. Raman and XRD investigations showed that the addition of
      oxygen to the precursor's carrier gas resulted in a further increase of the
      film's crystallinity. Furthermore, the films deposited in the presence of oxygen
      exhibited a better photocatalytic activity toward methylene blue degradation
      assumedly due to their higher amount of photoactive {101} facets.

PMID- 28361532
TI  - Fused Deposition Modeling Enables the Low-Cost Fabrication of Porous, Customized
      Shape Sorbents for Small-Molecule Extraction.
AB  - Fused deposition modeling, one of the most common techniques in three-dimensional
      printing and additive manufacturing, has many practical applications in the
      fields of chemistry and pharmacy. We demonstrate that a thermoplastic elastomer
      poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA) composite material (LAY-FOMM 60), which presents porous
      properties after PVA removal, is useful for the extraction of small-molecule drug
      like compounds from water samples. The usefulness of the proposed approach is
      demonstrated by the extraction of glimepiride from a water sample, followed by LC
      MS analysis. The recovery was 82.24%, with a relative standard deviation of less
      than 5%. The proposed approach can change the way of thinking about extraction
      and sample preparation due to a shift to the use of sorbents with customizable
      size, shape, and chemical properties that do not rely on commercial suppliers.

PMID- 28361533
TI  - Synthesis and Reactivity of 1-Allenyltriazenes.
AB  - 1-Aryl-3,3-dialkyltriazenes have received considerable attention in the context
      of synthetic and medicinal chemistry. In contrast, the chemistry of other
      unsaturated triazenes is largely unexplored. The synthesis of 1-allenyltriazenes
      is described. This new class of compounds can be obtained by base-induced
      isomerization of 1-alkynyltriazenes. The latter are accessible by reaction of
      alkynyl Grignard reagents with lithium amides and nitrous oxide. 1
      Allenyltriazenes were found to be thermally labile, but they can be stored
      without degradation at lower temperatures. In the presence of ZnCl2, 1
      allenyltriazenes rearrange into N-aminopyrazoles.

PMID- 28361534
TI  - Ultrathin Broadband Germanium-Graphene Hybrid Photodetector with High
      Performance.
AB  - Germanium-based photodetector is a key component in silicon based photonics
      because of its unique properties of response at telecommunication band and
      compatibility with CMOS techniques. However, the limitations of low quantum
      efficiency and high surface recombination in ultrathin germanium film, especially
      in the near-infrared range, put huge obstructions on the road toward
      applications. Nowadays, practical applications require more nanoscale devices
      with lower power consumption as well as higher responsivity and response speed.
      In this work, we first demonstrate a germanium-graphene hybrid structure
      photodetector that consists of an ultrathin 20 nm germanium layer and a monolayer
      graphene. The photodetector can achieve a broadband detection from ultraviolet to
      near-infrared range. A conductive gain of 155 and a responsivity of 66.2 A W-1
      are achieved, which is about 3 orders of magnitude higher than pure graphene
      photodetectors and about 4 times larger than pure germanium photodetectors. Such
      enhancement owes to effective generation, separation and transfer of
      photogenerated carriers at material interface. The photodetector based on
      germanium--graphene hybrid structure presents a new paradigm for the realization
      of small but high performance device in the process of integration in silicon
      based optical chips. And it offers new opportunities for imaging, sensing, and
      other optoelectronic field applications.

PMID- 28361535
TI  - Detecting Ligand-Binding Events and Free Energy Landscape while Imaging Membrane
      Receptors at Subnanometer Resolution.
AB  - Force-distance curve-based atomic force microscopy has emerged into a
      sophisticated technique for imaging cellular membranes and for detecting specific
      ligand-binding events of native membrane receptors. However, so far the
      resolution achieved has been insufficient to structurally map ligand-binding
      sites onto membrane proteins. Here, we introduce experimental and theoretical
      approaches for overcoming this limitation. To establish a structurally and
      functionally well-defined reference sample, we engineer a ligand-binding site to
      the light-driven proton pump bacteriorhodopsin of purple membrane.
      Functionalizing the AFM stylus with an appropriate linker-system tethering the
      ligand and optimizing the AFM conditions allows for imaging the engineered
      bacteriorhodopsin at subnanometer resolution while structurally mapping the
      specific ligand-receptor binding events. Improved data analysis allows
      reconstructing the ligand-binding free energy landscape from the experimental
      data, thus providing thermodynamic and kinetic insight into the ligand-binding
      process. The nanoscopic method introduced is generally applicable for imaging
      receptors in native membranes at subnanometer resolution and for systematically
      mapping and quantifying the free energy landscape of ligand binding.

PMID- 28361536
TI  - Semipolar (2021) GaN and InGaN Light-Emitting Diodes Grown on Sapphire.
AB  - We have demonstrated growing uniform and purely nitrogen polar semipolar (2021)
      GaN epilayers on 2 in. patterned sapphire substrates. The as-grown surface of
      (2021) GaN is composed of two stable facets: (1010) and (1011). A chemical
      mechanical polishing process was further used to planarize the surface with a
      final surface root-mean-square roughness of less than 1.5 nm over an area of 10 *
      10 MUm2. InGaN light-emitting diodes were grown on a polished (2021) GaN/sapphire
      template with an electroluminescence emission at around 490 nm. Our work exhibits
      the potential to produce high-quality nitrogen-polar semipolar GaN templates and
      optoelectronic devices on large-area sapphire substrates with economical
      feasibility.

PMID- 28361537
TI  - Integration of Chemical, Genetic, and Bioinformatic Approaches Delineates Fungal
      Polyketide-Peptide Hybrid Biosynthesis.
AB  - To identify natural products and their associated biosynthetic genes from
      underutilized, difficult-to-manipulate microbes, chemical screening and
      bioinformatic analysis were employed to identify secondary metabolites and a
      potentially associated biosynthetic gene cluster. Subsequently, a heterologous
      expression system was used to confirm the identity of the gene cluster and the
      proposed biosynthetic mechanism. This approach successfully identified the
      curvupallide and spirostaphylotrichin biosynthetic pathways in endophytic fungus
      Curvularia pallescens and the short-chain pyranonigrin biosynthetic pathway in
      Aspergillus niger.

PMID- 28361538
TI  - Light-Controlled Membrane Mechanics and Shape Transitions of Photoswitchable
      Lipid Vesicles.
AB  - Giant unilamellar vesicles (GUVs) represent a versatile model system to emulate
      the fundamental properties and functions associated with the plasma membrane of
      living cells. Deformability and shape transitions of lipid vesicles are closely
      linked to the mechanical properties of the bilayer membrane itself and are
      typically difficult to control under physiological conditions. Here, we developed
      a protocol to form cell-sized vesicles from an azobenzene-containing
      phosphatidylcholine (azo-PC), which undergoes photoisomerization on irradiation
      with UV-A and visible light. Photoswitching within the photolipid vesicles
      enabled rapid and precise control of the mechanical properties of the membrane.
      By varying the intensity and dynamics of the optical stimulus, controlled vesicle
      shape changes such as budding transitions, invagination, pearling, or the
      formation of membrane tubes were achieved. With this system, we could mimic the
      morphology changes normally seen in cells, in the absence of any molecular
      machines associated with the cytoskeleton. Furthermore, we devised a mechanism to
      utilize photoswitchable lipid membranes for storing mechanical energy and then
      releasing it on command as locally usable work.

PMID- 28361539
TI  - Direct Observation of Charge Collection at Nanometer-Scale Iodide-Rich
      Perovskites during Halide Exchange Reaction on CH3NH3PbBr3.
AB  - Organolead halide perovskites MAPbX3 (MA = CH3NH3+, X = Cl-, Br-, or I-) are
      known to undergo reversible halide exchange reactions, enabling bandgap tuning
      over the visible light region. Using single-particle photoluminescence (PL)
      imaging for in situ observation, we have studied the structure-dependent charge
      dynamics during halide exchange with iodide ions on an MAPbBr3 crystal. In
      particular, we optically detected nanometer-scale iodide-rich domains (i.e.,
      MAPbBrI2) and found that their lifetimes of several tens of milliseconds are
      limited by reaction with diffusing vacancies. Furthermore, it was discovered that
      these domains effectively collect the charge carriers from the bulk crystal, thus
      resulting in amplified spontaneous emission (ASE) under continuous-wave laser
      irradiation. Our findings will provide direction for development of perovskite
      heterostructures with enhanced charge utilization.

PMID- 28361540
TI  - Exciton-Induced Degradation of Carbazole-Based Host Materials and Its Role in the
      Electroluminescence Spectral Changes in Phosphorescent Organic Light Emitting
      Devices with Electrical Aging.
AB  - We investigate the origins of the long-wavelength bands that appear in the
      emission spectra of carbazole-based host materials and play a role in the
      electroluminescence (EL) spectral changes of phosphorescent organic light
      emitting devices (PhOLEDs) with electrical aging. 4,4'-Bis(carbazol-9-yl)biphenyl
      (CBP) is used as a model carbazole host material and is studied using
      photoluminescence, EL, and atomic force microscopy measurements under various
      stress scenarios in both single and bilayer devices and in combination with
      various electron transport layer (ETL) materials. Results show that exciton
      induced morphological aggregation of CBP is behind the appearance of those long
      wavelength bands and that complexation between the aggregated CBP molecules and
      ETL molecules plays a role in this phenomenon. Comparisons between the effects of
      exciton and thermal stress suggest that exciton-induced aggregation may be
      limited to short-range molecular ordering or pairing (e.g., dimer or trimer
      species formation) versus longer-range ordering (crystallization) in the case of
      thermal stress. The findings provide new insights into exciton-induced
      degradation in wide band gap host materials and its role in limiting the
      stability of PhOLEDs.

PMID- 28361541
TI  - Characterization of Polyphenol Effects on Inhibition and Promotion of Iron Uptake
      by Caco-2 Cells.
AB  - Polyphenolic compounds present in the seed coat of common bean (Phaseolus
      vulgaris L.) are known to act collectively as inhibitors of iron bioavailability.
      Recent research identified specific polyphenols as being potent Fe uptake
      inhibitors. That research also identified other polyphenols as being promoters of
      Fe uptake. The present study extends that work using a Caco-2 cell model to
      characterize the effects of 43 additional polyphenols on Fe uptake. In addition,
      this study indicates that the inhibitory compounds have a more potent effect that
      outweighs the ability of promoting compounds to increase Fe uptake. For example,
      a ratio of 100:0 epicatechin (a promoter)/myricetin (an inhibitor) produced 78.5
      +/- 6.7 ng ferritin/mg protein, 90:10 yielded 27.4 +/- 3.0, 50:50 yielded 3.42 +/
      0.54, and 0:100 yielded 2.26 +/- 0.25 ng ferritin/mg protein. A simulation of
      the relative concentrations of eight major polyphenols (four inhibitors, four
      promoters) present in a sample of black bean seed coats demonstrated that most of
      the inhibitory compounds would need to be removed to reduce the negative effect
      on Fe uptake. In vivo studies are now warranted to confirm the above in vitro
      effects. Such work would be significant as other bean color classes exist that
      are likely to have polyphenolic profiles that are more favorable to Fe
      bioavailability.

PMID- 28361542
TI  - Wafer Scale Fabrication of Dense and High Aspect Ratio Sub-50 nm Nanopillars from
      Phase Separation of Cross-Linkable Polysiloxane/Polystyrene Blend.
AB  - We demonstrated a simple and effective approach to fabricate dense and high
      aspect ratio sub-50 nm pillars based on phase separation of a polymer blend
      composed of a cross-linkable polysiloxane and polystyrene (PS). In order to
      obtain the phase-separated domains with nanoscale size, a liquid prepolymer of
      cross-linkable polysiloxane was employed as one moiety for increasing the
      miscibility of the polymer blend. After phase separation via spin-coating, the
      dispersed domains of liquid polysiloxane with sub-50 nm size could be solidified
      by UV exposure. The solidified polysiloxane domains took the role of etching mask
      for formation of high aspect ratio nanopillars by O2 reactive ion etching (RIE).
      The aspect ratio of the nanopillars could be further amplified by introduction of
      a polymer transfer layer underneath the polymer blend film. The effects of spin
      speeds, the weight ratio of the polysiloxane/PS blend, and the concentration of
      polysiloxane/PS blend in toluene on the characters of the nanopillars were
      investigated. The gold-coated nanopillar arrays exhibited a high Raman scattering
      enhancement factor in the range of 108-109 with high uniformity across over the
      wafer scale sample. A superhydrophobic surface could be realized by coating a
      self-assembled monolayers (SAM) of fluoroalkyltrichlorosilane on the nanopillar
      arrays. Sub-50 nm silicon nanowires (SiNWs) with high aspect ratio of about 1000
      were achieved by using the nanopillars as etching mask through a metal-assisted
      chemical etching process. They showed an ultralow reflectance of approximately
      0.1% for wavelengths ranging from 200 to 800 nm.

PMID- 28361543
TI  - Inhibition of Myeloperoxidase- and Neutrophil-Mediated Hypochlorous Acid
      Formation in Vitro and Endothelial Cell Injury by (-)-Epigallocatechin Gallate.
AB  - Myeloperoxidase (MPO) plays important roles in various diseases through its
      unique chlorinating activity to catalyze excess hypochlorous acid (HOCl)
      formation. Epidemiological studies indicate an inverse correlation between plant
      polyphenol consumption and the incidence of cardiovascular diseases. Here we
      showed that (-)-epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG), the main flavonoid present in
      green tea, dose-dependently inhibited MPO-mediated HOCl formation in vitro
      (chlorinating activities of MPO: 50.2 +/- 5.7% for 20 MUM EGCG versus 100 +/-
      5.6% for control, P < 0.01). UV-vis spectral and docking studies indicated that
      EGCG bound to the active site (heme) of MPO and resulted in the accumulation of
      compound II, which was unable to produce HOCl. This flavonoid also effectively
      inhibited HOCl generation in activated neutrophils (HOCl formation: 65.0 +/- 5.6%
      for 20 MUM EGCG versus 100 +/- 6.2% for control, P < 0.01) without influencing
      MPO and Nox2 release and superoxide formation, suggesting that EGCG specifically
      inhibited MPO but not NADPH oxidase activity in activated neutrophils. Moreover,
      EGCG inhibited MPO (or neutrophil)-mediated HOCl formation in human umbilical
      vein endothelial cells (HUVEC) culture and accordingly protected HUVEC from MPO
      (or neutrophil)-induced injury (P < 0.05, all cases), although it did not induce
      cytotoxicity to HUVEC (P > 0.05, all cases). Our results indicate that dietary
      EGCG is an effective and specific inhibitor of MPO activity and may participate
      in the regulation of immune responses at inflammatory sites.

PMID- 28361544
TI  - Response to: "Mammographic density as a risk factor: to go out of a 30-year fog".

PMID- 28361545
TI  - Progressive massive fibrosis in patients with pneumoconiosis: utility of MRI in
      differentiating from lung cancer.
AB  - Background It is occasionally difficult to distinguish progressive massive
      fibrosis (PMF) from lung cancer on computed tomography (CT) in patients with
      pneumoconiosis. Purpose To evaluate the magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) features
      of PMF and to assess its ability to differentiate PMF from lung cancer. Material
      and Methods Between 2000 and 2014, 40 pulmonary lesions suspected to be lung
      cancer on the basis of CT in 28 patients with known pneumoconiosis were
      evaluated. Twenty-four of the 40 lesions were pathologically or clinically
      diagnosed as PMF. The signal pattern on T2-weighted (T2W) images, post-contrast
      enhancement pattern on T1-weighted (T1W) images, and the pattern of the time
      intensity curve (TIC) on contrast-enhanced dynamic studies were evaluated. All
      images were analyzed independently by two chest radiologists. Results All 24 PMF
      lesions showed low signal intensity (SI) on T2W images (sensitivity, 100%), while
      15 of 16 lung cancer lesions showed intermediate or high SI on T2W images
      (specificity, 94%) when PMF was regarded as a positive result. Six of 17 PMF
      lesions showed a homogeneous enhancement pattern (sensitivity, 35%), and 4/9 lung
      cancer lesions showed an inhomogeneous or a ring-like enhancement pattern
      (specificity, 44%). Six of 16 PMF lesions showed a gradually increasing
      enhancement pattern (sensitivity, 38%), and 7/9 lung cancer lesions showed rapid
      enhancement pattern (specificity, 78%). Conclusion When differentiation between
      PMF and lung cancer in patients with pneumoconiosis is difficult on CT, an
      additional MRI study, particularly the T2W imaging sequence, may help
      differentiate between the two.

PMID- 28361546
TI  - Clinical feasibility of simultaneous multi-slice imaging with blipped-CAIPI for
      diffusion-weighted imaging and diffusion-tensor imaging of the brain.
AB  - Background Simultaneous multi-slice (SMS) imaging is starting to be used in
      clinical situation, although evidence of clinical feasibility is scanty. Purpose
      To prospectively assess the clinical feasibility of SMS diffusion-weighted
      imaging (DWI) and diffusion-tensor imaging (DTI) with blipped-controlled aliasing
      in parallel imaging for brain lesions. Material and Methods The institutional
      review board approved this study. This study included 156 hyperintense lesions on
      DWI from 32 patients. A slice acceleration factor of 2 was applied for SMS scans,
      which allowed shortening of the scan time by 41.3%. The signal-to-noise ratio
      (SNR) was calculated for brain tissue of a selected slice. The contrast-to-noise
      ratio (CNR), apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC), and fractional anisotropy (FA)
      were calculated in 36 hyperintense lesions with a diameter of three pixels or
      more. Visual assessment was performed for all 156 lesions. Tractography of the
      corticospinal tract of 29 patients was evaluated. The number of tracts and
      averaged tract length were used for quantitative analysis, and visual assessment
      was evaluated by grading. Results The SMS scan showed no bias and acceptable 95%
      limits of agreement compared to conventional scans in SNR, CNR, and ADC on Bland
      Altman analyses. Only FA of the lesions was higher in the SMS scan by 9% ( P =
      0.016), whereas FA of the surrounding tissues was similar. Quantitative analysis
      of tractography showed similar values. Visual assessment of DWI hyperintense
      lesions and tractography also resulted in comparable evaluation. Conclusion SMS
      imaging was clinically feasible for imaging quality and quantitative values
      compared with conventional DWI and DTI.

PMID- 28361547
TI  - Esential oils extraction: a 24-hour steam distillation systematic methodology.
AB  - Steam distillation is known to be the most prevalent method of essential oil
      extraction. Despite many studies on extraction methods, there is no report about
      the impact of distillation process duration on the yield and oil quality. A new
      24-h steam distillation process for extraction of plant essential oils is
      presented. For improving the total yield, prolonged and continued isolation was
      used. A selection of plant species from Lamiaceae and Apiaceae families was
      subjected to direct steam distillation and essential oils were collected at
      different times (1, 2, 3, 6, 12 and 24 h). The analysis included either annual or
      perennial species monitored in terms of different harvesting time. From these
      studies, it is conclusively that there is no rule about appropriate extraction
      time, and different plants need different periods for the essential oils to
      achieve the desired quality or quantity of extract. Thus, extraction duration is
      directly dependent on what the study is conducted for.

PMID- 28361548
TI  - Bloody technology: the sphygmograph in asylum practice.
AB  - The sphygmograph, an instrument to measure and visually chart the pulse, was used
      by a number of asylum researchers in the late nineteenth century in an attempt to
      better understand mental disease. In charting the use of such a medical
      technology in the asylum, this article explores the utility of a practice
      oriented approach in the history of psychiatry - as a window onto the alienist
      profession and as a means of investigating how new medical technologies were
      assimilated into everyday practice.

PMID- 28361549
TI  - Antimicrobial sesquiterpene lactones from Artemisia sieberi.
AB  - Two new sesquiterpene lactones 3R, 8R-dihydroxygermacr-4(15),9(10)-dien
      6S,7S,11RH,12,6-olide (1) and 1R, 8S-dihydroxy-11R,13-dihydrobalchanin(2),
      together with two known compounds 11-epiartapshin (3) and 3'-hydroxygenkwanin
      (4), were isolated from Artemisia sieberi. Their structures were elucidated by
      1D, 2D NMR, MS, and X-ray diffraction. Compound 4 inhibited Gram-positive
      bacteria Bacillus subtilis and Staphylococcus aureus with Minimal inhibitory
      concentration values of 50 and 25 MUg/disk, respectively. All the isolated
      compounds exhibited moderate antifungal activities.

PMID- 28361550
TI  - Mercury in fish products: what's the best for consumers between bluefin tuna and
      yellowfin tuna?
AB  - A total of 205 bluefin and yellowfin tuna samples were examined for mercury
      detection in order to verify possible differences and have a detailed risk
      assessment of the two tuna species. The results showed significant higher mercury
      concentration in muscle tissue of bluefin tuna respect yellowfin tuna (p < 0.001)
      with mean concentration of 0.84 mg/kg and maximum value of 1.94 mg/kg. These
      differences can be due the different biological and ecological aspects of the two
      tuna species and to different oceanographic aspects between Atlantic Ocean and
      Mediterranean sea. The results obtained in this study suggest an advisable
      containment of the sources of pollution and further studies on the closed-loop
      farming of bluefin tuna, in order to ensure the product safety.

PMID- 28361551
TI  - Antioxidant phenolic compounds from the rhizomes of Astilbe rivularis.
AB  - The rhizomes of Astilbe rivularis, commonly known as 'Thulo Okhati' are widely
      used in Nepal as tonic for uterine and menstrual disorders. In our preliminary
      study, the 70% MeOH extract of the rhizomes showed potent antioxidant activity.
      Hence, present study was aimed for the isolation of potent antioxidant
      constituents. Bergenin (1), 11-O-galloylbergenin (2), (+)-catechin (3), (-)
      catechin (4), (-)-afzelechin (5), (-)-epiafzelechin (6) and 2-(beta-D
      glucopyranosyloxy)-4-hydroxylbenzenacetonitrile (7) were isolated from the
      rhizomes. Structures of these compounds were elucidated on the basis of
      spectroscopic methods. All these isolated compounds were evaluated for their in
      vitro antioxidant activity by 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radical
      scavenging assay. 11-O-Galloylbergenin (2), (+)-catechin (3), (-)-catechin (4), (
      )-afzelechin (5) and (-)-epiafzelechin (6) showed potent antioxidant activity.

PMID- 28361552
TI  - Serum levels of nesfatin-1 are increased in gestational diabetes mellitus.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: To analyze the concentrations of nesfatin-1 in maternal and cord
      serum, to evaluate the expression of nesfatin-1 in subcutaneous adipose tissue
      (SAT) from pregnant women with gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) and those with
      normal glucose tolerance (NGT). METHODS: We studied a total of 50 GDM and 50 NGT
      subjects. The clinical features, serum nesfatin-1, homeostasis model assessment
      of insulin resistance (HOMA-IR), lipid profiles were measured at the third
      trimester of pregnancy. The expression of nesfatin-1 in the SAT was determined by
      western blot. RESULTS: Compared with the NGT group, the GDM group showed greater
      levels of serum nesfatin-1, adipocyte fatty acid binding protein (AFABP), and
      leptin; a greater level of cord blood nesfatin-1; and a higher level of
      expression in SAT (p < 0.05 or p < 0.01). Fasting insulin (FI) (b = 0.317, p=
      0.022) and body mass index (BMI) before delivery (b = 0.367, p=0.008) were
      independently associated with serum nesfatin-1. Nesfatin-1 was the independent
      risk factor for GDM. CONCLUSIONS: The GDM group had higher levels of maternal
      serum and cord blood nesfatin-1, and greater nesfatin-1 expression in SAT.
      Nesfatin-1 is closely related to obesity and IR in pregnancy.

PMID- 28361553
TI  - Phytochemical analysis and antioxidant activity of the seed of Telfairia
      occidentalis Hook (Cucurbitaceae).
AB  - The 2,2-diphenyl-1-picryl hydrazyl (DPPH) radical, nitric oxide, reducing power,
      hydrogen peroxide scavenging, and total antioxidant activities of the methanol
      extract, n-hexane, dichloromethane, ethyl acetate, butanol and aqueous fractions
      of the seed of Telfairia occidentalis were evaluated. Total phenolic content was
      determined using the Folin-Ciocalteu method. The dichloromethane fraction
      exhibited the highest DPPH radical scavenging, reducing power and total
      antioxidant activities. Two pure compounds which were identified by FTIR, H-and
      2D NMR and Mass spectroscopy as 9-octadecenoic acid (TOS B) and 10
      hydroxyoctadecanoic acid (TOS C) and four oily isolates, TOS A, TOS D, TOS E and
      TOS F were obtained from the dichloromethane fraction. TOS E had the highest DPPH
      radical scavening activity comparable to that of ascorbic acid. GC-MS analysis
      revealed the major compounds in TOS E as 4-(2,2-Dimethyl-6-methylene
      cyclohexylidene)-2-butanol; 3-(3-hydroxybutyl)-2,4,4-trimethyl-2-cyclohexene-1
      one and 1,2-Benzenedicarboxylic acid disooctyl ester. Thus, the seed of T.
      occidentalis can be consumed for its antioxidant property.

PMID- 28361554
TI  - Molecular antibiogram in diagnostic clinical microbiology: advantages and
      challenges.

PMID- 28361555
TI  - Life-threatening endocrine emergencies during pregnancy - management and
      therapeutic features.
AB  - Endocrine emergencies during pregnancy may be life-threatening events for both
      mother and fetus. Besides pregnancy-associated endocrine disorders, several pre
      existing endocrinopathies such as type-1 diabetes and Grave's disease or adrenal
      failure may acutely deteriorate during pregnancy. Since "classical" signs are
      often modified by pregnancy, early diagnosis and management may be hampered. In
      addition, laboratory tests show altered physiologic ranges and pharmacologic
      options are limited while therapeutic goals are mostly tighter than in the non
      pregnant patient. Though subclinical endocrinopathies are more frequent and worth
      consideration due to their related adverse sequelae, this article focuses on
      endocrine emergencies complicating pregnancy.

PMID- 28361556
TI  - Fungicide Xylaria sp. BCC 1067 extract induces reactive oxygen species and
      activates multidrug resistance system in Saccharomyces cerevisiae.
AB  - AIM: To investigate antifungal potential of Xylaria sp. BIOTEC culture collection
      (BCC) 1067 extract against the model yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae. MATERIALS &
      METHODS: Antifungal property of extract, reactive oxygen species levels and cell
      survival were determined, using selected deletion strains. RESULTS: Extract
      showed promising antifungal effect with minimal inhibitory concentration100 and
      minimal fungicidal concentration of 500 and 1000 mg/l, respectively. Strong
      synergy was observed with fractional inhibitory concentration index value of
      0.185 for the combination of 60.0 and 0.5 mg/l of extract and ketoconazole,
      respectively. Extract-induced intracellular reactive oxygen species levels in
      some oxidant-prone strains and mediated plasma membrane rupture. Antioxidant
      regulator Yap1, efflux transporter Pdr5 and ascorbate were pivotal to protect S.
      cerevisiae from extract cytotoxicity. CONCLUSION: Xylaria sp. BCC 1067 extract is
      a potentially valuable source of novel antifungals.

PMID- 28361557
TI  - Protective effect of alpha-lipoic acid in methotrexate-induced ovarian oxidative
      injury and decreased ovarian reserve in rats.
AB  - To determine whether the possible oxidative effect of methotrexate (Mtx) on ovary
      and to evaluate the effectiveness of alpha lipoic acid (ALA), which may be useful
      in many oxidative stress models. Thirty-two female Wistar-albino rats were
      randomly divided into four groups; control group, alpha lipoic acid group (ALA
      100 mg/kg, 10 days), multiple dose Mtx group (Mtx 1 mg/kg 1, 3, 5, 7 days) and
      Mtx and ALA group (Mtx 1 mg/kg 1, 3, 5, 7 days and ALA 100 mg/kg, 10 days). Serum
      total antioxidant status (TAS), total oxidant status (TOS) and oxidative stress
      index (OSI), tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha), tissue malondialdehyde
      (MDA) and activities of glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px) and catalase (CAT) and
      anti-Mullerian hormone (AMH) and total ovarian follicle count were evaluated. Mtx
      administration caused a significant decrease in TAS, a significant increase in
      TOS and OSI, a significant increase in MDA levels and a decrease in GSH-Px and
      CAT activity. Moreover the proinflammatory cytokine (TNF-alpha) was increased in
      the Mtx group. And AMH values and total follicle count were significantly
      decreased in Mtx group. However, ALA treatment reversed biochemical results and
      AMH levels and total follicle count. Alpha lipoic acid ameliorates methotrexate
      induced oxidative damage of ovarian in rats.

PMID- 28361558
TI  - Mining the fecal proteome: from biomarkers to personalised medicine.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: Fecal proteomics has gained increased prominence in recent years.
      It can provide insights into the diagnosis and surveillance of many bowel
      diseases by both identifying potential biomarkers in stool samples and helping
      identify disease-related pathways. Fecal proteomics has already shown its
      potential for the discovery and validation of biomarkers for colorectal cancer
      screening, and the analysis of fecal microbiota by MALDI-MS for the diagnosis of
      a range of bowel diseases is gaining clinical acceptance. Areas covered: Based on
      a comprehensive analysis of the current literature, we introduce the range of
      sensitive and specific proteomics methods which comprise the current 'Proteomics
      Toolbox', explain how the integration of fecal proteomics with data
      processing/bioinformatics has been used for the identification of potential
      biomarkers for both CRC and other gut-related pathologies and analysis of the
      fecal microbiome, outline some of the current fecal assays in current clinical
      practice and introduce the concept of personalised medicine which these
      technologies will help inform. Expert commentary: Integration of fecal proteomics
      with other proteomics and genomics strategies as well as bioinformatics is paving
      the way towards personalised medicine, which will bring with it improved global
      healthcare.

PMID- 28361560
TI  - After phrenology: neural reuse and the interactive brain.

PMID- 28361559
TI  - A new immunosuppressive pregnane glycoside from aqueous fraction of Epigynum
      cochinchinensis.
AB  - Chemical investigation on the aqueous fraction of the stems of Epigynum
      cochinchinensis led to the isolation of a new pregnane glycoside named as
      epigycoside A (1) along with three known analogues (2-4). The structure of
      compound 1 was elucidated by means of spectroscopic techniques, including
      HRESIMS, and 1D and 2D NMR experiments. The immunosuppressive activity of 1 was
      evaluated by an in vitro model of concanavalin A-induced mice splenocytes
      proliferation. Compound 1 showed significant inhibitory activity in a dose
      dependent manner, closer to the efficacy of positive control, dexamethasone, at a
      concentration of 50 MUM.

PMID- 28361561
TI  - Positive events protect children from causal false memories for scripted events.
AB  - Adults produce fewer inferential false memories for scripted events when their
      conclusions are emotionally charged than when they are neutral, but it is not
      clear whether the same effect is also found in children. In the present study, we
      examined this issue in a sample of 132 children aged 6-12 years (mean 9 years, 3
      months). Participants encoded photographs depicting six script-like events that
      had a positively, negatively, or a neutral valenced ending. Subsequently, true
      and false recognition memory of photographs related to the observed scripts was
      tested as a function of emotionality. Causal errors-a type of false memory
      thought to stem from inferential processes-were found to be affected by valence:
      children made fewer causal errors for positive than for neutral or negative
      events. Hypotheses are proposed on why adults were found protected against
      inferential false memories not only by positive (as for children) but also by
      negative endings when administered similar versions of the same paradigm.

PMID- 28361563
TI  - What makes a space invader? Passenger perceptions of personal space invasion in
      aircraft travel.
AB  - The invasion of personal space is often a contributory factor to the experience
      of discomfort in aircraft passengers. This paper presents a questionnaire study
      which investigated how air travellers are affected by invasions of personal space
      and how they attempt to adapt to, or counter, these invasions. In support of
      recent findings on the factors influencing air passenger comfort, the results of
      this study indicate that the invasion of personal space is not only caused by
      physical factors (e.g. physical contact with humans or objects), but also other
      sensory factors such as noise, smells or unwanted eye contact. The findings of
      this study have implications for the design of shared spaces. Practitioner
      Summary: This paper presents a questionnaire study which investigated personal
      space in an aircraft environment. The results highlight the factors which affect
      the perception of personal space invasion in aircraft and can therefore inform
      the design of aircraft cabin environments to enhance the passenger experience.

PMID- 28361562
TI  - Age-related similarities and differences in monitoring spatial cognition.
AB  - Spatial cognitive performance is impaired in later adulthood but it is unclear
      whether the metacognitive processes involved in monitoring spatial cognitive
      performance are also compromised. Inaccurate monitoring could affect whether
      people choose to engage in tasks that require spatial thinking and also the
      strategies they use in spatial domains such as navigation. The current experiment
      examined potential age differences in monitoring spatial cognitive performance in
      a variety of spatial domains including visual-spatial working memory, spatial
      orientation, spatial visualization, navigation, and place learning. Younger and
      older adults completed a 2D mental rotation test, 3D mental rotation test, paper
      folding test, spatial memory span test, two virtual navigation tasks, and a
      cognitive mapping test. Participants also made metacognitive judgments of
      performance (confidence judgments, judgments of learning, or navigation time
      estimates) on each trial for all spatial tasks. Preference for allocentric or
      egocentric navigation strategies was also measured. Overall, performance was
      poorer and confidence in performance was lower for older adults than younger
      adults. In most spatial domains, the absolute and relative accuracy of
      metacognitive judgments was equivalent for both age groups. However, age
      differences in monitoring accuracy (specifically relative accuracy) emerged in
      spatial tasks involving navigation. Confidence in navigating for a target
      location also mediated age differences in allocentric navigation strategy use.
      These findings suggest that with the possible exception of navigation monitoring,
      spatial cognition may be spared from age-related decline even though spatial
      cognition itself is impaired in older age.

PMID- 28361564
TI  - Superior episodic memory in inconsistent-handers: a replication and extension
      using fNIRS.
AB  - A large body of evidence supports the existence of a robust handedness difference
      in episodic memory retrieval, with inconsistent-handedness being associated with
      superior memory across a wide variety of paradigms, including superior retrieval
      of lab-based and real world memories. Despite superior episidoc memory in
      inconsistent-handers, and despite neuroanatomical and neurophysiological
      differences in cortical regions between inconsistent- and consistent-handers, we
      are aware of no studies to date that have examined physiological activity in the
      brains of inconsistent- versus consistent-handers while engaged in memory tasks.
      The purpose of this paper, therefore, is to present a first look at this issue,
      using functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) as a simple, non-invasive
      measure of frontal lobe activity during encoding and recall of list words in
      inconsistent- and consistent-handers. Behaviourally, we replicated prior studies,
      finding a significant inconsistent-handed advantage in free recall. Using fNIRS
      derived oxygenated haemoglobin (O2Hb) as a measure of frontal lobe activity, we
      found the first evidence for handedness differences in brain activity that are
      associated with the handedness differences in episodic retrieval. Specifically,
      the primary finding was that increased O2Hb in the right hemisphere during recall
      was associated with better retrieval, but for consistent-handers only.

PMID- 28361565
TI  - Education, training, and practice among nordic neuropsychologists. Results from a
      professional practices survey.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: To investigate sociodemographic characteristics, clinical and academic
      training, work setting and salary, clinical activities, and salary and job
      satisfaction among practicing neuropsychologists in four Nordic countries.
      METHODS: 890 neuropsychologists from Denmark, Finland, Norway, and Sweden
      participated in an internet-based survey between December 2013 and June 2015.
      RESULTS: Three-fourths (76%) of the participants were women, with a mean age of
      47 years (range 24-79). In the total sample, 11% earned a PhD and 42% were
      approved as specialists in neuropsychology (equivalent to board certification in
      the U.S.). Approximately 72% worked full-time, and only 1% were unemployed. Of
      the participants, 66% worked in a hospital setting, and 93% had conducted
      neuropsychological assessments during the last year. Attention deficit
      hyperactivity disorder, learning disability, and intellectual disability were the
      most common conditions seen by neuropsychologists. A mean income of 53,277 Euros
      was found. Neuropsychologists expressed greater job satisfaction than income
      satisfaction. Significant differences were found between the Nordic countries.
      Finnish neuropsychologists were younger and worked more hours every week. Fewer
      Swedish neuropsychologists had obtained specialist approval and fewer worked full
      time in neuropsychology positions. Danish and Norwegian neuropsychologists earned
      more money than their Nordic colleagues. CONCLUSION: This is the first
      professional practice survey of Nordic neuropsychologists to provide information
      about sociodemographic characteristics and work setting factors. Despite the well
      established guidelines for academic and clinical education, there are relevant
      differences between the Nordic countries. The results of the study offer guidance
      for refining the development of organized and highly functioning
      neuropsychological specialty practices in Nordic countries.

PMID- 28361567
TI  - Corrigendum.

PMID- 28361566
TI  - Evaluation of the ACR and SLICC classification criteria in juvenile-onset
      systemic lupus erythematosus: a longitudinal analysis.
AB  - Objectives The Systemic Lupus International Collaborating Clinics (SLICC) group
      proposed revised classification criteria for systemic lupus erythematosus (SLICC
      2012 criteria). This study aimed to compare these criteria with the well
      established American College of Rheumatology classification criteria (ACR-1997
      criteria) in a national cohort of juvenile-onset systemic lupus erythematosus
      (JSLE) patients and evaluate how patients' classification criteria evolved over
      time. Methods Data from patients in the UK JSLE Cohort Study with a senior
      clinician diagnosis of probable evolving, or definite JSLE, were analyzed.
      Patients were assessed using both classification criteria within 1 year of
      diagnosis and at latest follow up (following a minimum 12-month follow-up
      period). Results A total of 226 patients were included. The SLICC-2012 was more
      sensitive than ACR-1997 at diagnosis (92.9% versus 84.1% p < 0.001) and after
      follow up (100% versus 92.0% p < 0.001). Most patients meeting the SLICC-2012
      criteria and not the ACR-1997 met more than one additional criterion on the SLICC
      2012. Conclusions The SLICC-2012 was better able to classify patients with JSLE
      than the ACR-1997 and did so at an earlier stage in their disease course. SLICC
      2012 should be considered for classification of JSLE patients in observational
      studies and clinical trial eligibility.

PMID- 28361568
TI  - Heterogeneous impact of body mass index on in-hospital mortality in acute heart
      failure syndromes: An analysis from the ATTEND Registry.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Although the obesity paradox may vary depending upon clinical
      background factors such as age, gender, aetiology of heart failure and
      comorbidities, the reasons underlying the heterogeneous impact of body mass index
      (BMI) on in-hospital cardiac mortality under various conditions in patients with
      acute heart failure syndromes (AHFSs) remain unclear. METHODS: Among 4617
      hospitalised patients with AHFSs enrolled in the Acute Decompensated Heart
      Failure Syndromes (ATTEND) registry, the patient characteristics and in-hospital
      cardiac mortality rates in those with low BMI (BMI <25 kg/m2, n = 3263) were
      compared to those with high BMI (BMI ?25 kg/m2, n = 1354). RESULTS: Compared to
      the high-BMI group, the low-BMI group was significantly older, less likely to be
      male and to have hypertensive or idiopathic dilated aetiologies and more likely
      to have valvular aetiologies and a history of prior hospitalisation for AHFS. The
      low-BMI group also had lower prevalence rates of diabetes, dyslipidaemia,
      hypertension and atrial fibrillation and higher prevalence rates of anaemia and
      chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. In addition, cardiac mortality was
      significantly higher in the low-BMI group than in the high-BMI group (5.5 vs.
      1.5%, p < 0.001). Logistic regression analysis demonstrated that low BMI was a
      predictor of cardiac mortality (odds ratio: 3.89, 95% confidence interval: 2.44
      6.21). In subgroup analyses, the impact of BMI on cardiac mortality differed
      depending on the presence of hypertensive aetiology, hypertension, chronic
      obstructive pulmonary disease and hyponatremia (all p < 0.05), although there
      were no interactions between the impacts of BMI and age, gender, other
      aetiologies, prior hospitalisation, diabetes, anaemia, cardio-renal function and
      in-hospital management. CONCLUSION: It is necessary to appreciate the obesity
      paradox in AHFS patients, and a patient's heterogeneous background should also be
      considered.

PMID- 28361569
TI  - Processes of change in a school-based mindfulness programme: cognitive reactivity
      and self-coldness as mediators.
AB  - The underlying mechanisms of the effectiveness of mindfulness-based interventions
      for emotional well-being remain poorly understood. Here, we examined the
      potential mediating effects of cognitive reactivity and self-compassion on
      symptoms of depression, anxiety and stress using data from an earlier randomised
      controlled school trial. A moderated time-lagged mediation model based on
      multilevel modelling was used to analyse the data. The findings showed that post
      treatment changes in cognitive reactivity and self-coldness, an aspect of self
      compassion, mediated subsequent changes in symptoms of depression, anxiety and
      stress. These results suggest that cognitive reactivity and self-coldness may be
      considered as transdiagnostic mechanisms of change of a mindfulness-based
      intervention programme for youth.

PMID- 28361570
TI  - The acute muscular response to two distinct blood flow restriction protocols.
AB  - The purpose of this study was to determine acute physiological and perceptual
      responses to two commonly implemented blood flow restriction protocols. Using a
      within-subject design, 15 participants (age ~25) performed four sets of
      unilateral elbow flexion with each arm. One arm exercised using a 3-cm elastic
      cuff inflated to 160 mmHg, whereas the other arm exercised using a 5-cm nylon
      cuff inflated to 40% of the individual's arterial occlusion pressure. While both
      protocols elicited increases in acute muscle thickness [pre: 4.5 (0.2) cm, post:
      5.0 (0.2) cm; p < 0.001] and electromyography amplitude [first 3 reps: 55 ( 5 )
      %MVC; last 3 reps: 87 ( 10 ) %MVC], there were no differences between conditions.
      Both protocols produced decreases in post-exercise strength (pre: 70 Nm, post: 51
      Nm; p < 0.001) with no difference between conditions. The nylon protocol resulted
      in more repetitions during sets 2 [13 ( 2 ) vs. 9 ( 4 ); p = 0.001] and 3 [10 ( 2
      ) vs. 7 ( 4 ); p = 0.05], while producing lower levels of discomfort following
      each set (average 3 vs. 4; p < 0.05). In conclusion, both protocols produced
      similar acute responses thought to be important for promoting muscle growth.
      However, the use of arbitrary pressures may place some individuals under complete
      arterial occlusion which may increase the potential risk of an adverse event.

PMID- 28361571
TI  - Correlation between ECG changes and early left ventricular remodeling in
      preadolescent footballers.
AB  - The aim of this study was to assess the early electrocardiogram (ECG) changes
      induced by physical training in preadolescent elite footballers. This study
      included 94 preadolescent highly trained male footballers (FG) competing in
      Serbian Football League (minimum of 7 training hours/week) and 47 age-matched
      healthy male controls (less than 2 training hours/week) (CG). They were screened
      by ECG and echocardiography at a tertiary referral cardio center. Sokolow-Lyon
      index was used as a voltage electrocardiographic criterion for left ventricular
      hypertrophy diagnosis. Characteristic ECG intervals and voltage were compared and
      reference range was given for preadolescent footballers. Highly significant
      differences between FG and CG were registered in all ECG parameters: P-wave
      voltage (p < 0.001), S-wave (V1 or V2 lead) voltage (p < 0.001), R-wave (V5 and
      V6 lead) voltage (p < 0.001), ECG sum of S V1-2 + R V5-6 (p < 0.001), T-wave
      voltage (p < 0.001), QRS complex duration (p < 0.001), T-wave duration (p <
      0.001), QTc interval duration (p < 0.001), and R/T ratio (p < 0.001). No
      differences were found in PQ interval duration between these two groups (p >
      0.05). During 6-year follow-up period, there was no adverse cardiac event in
      these footballers. None of them expressed pathological ECG changes. Benign ECG
      changes are presented in the early stage of athlete's heart remodeling, but they
      are not related to pathological ECG changes and they should be regarded as ECG
      pattern of LV remodeling.

PMID- 28361572
TI  - Characterization of the thrombin generation profile in systemic lupus
      erythematosus.
AB  - Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is a multisystemic inflammatory autoimmune
      disorder. Thrombotic events occur at a higher incidence among SLE patients. The
      investigation of thrombin generation (TG) with calibrated automated thrombogram
      (CAT) test as a global hemostasis assay is applicable for the overall functional
      assessment of the hemostasis. The aim of this study was to characterize the
      hemostatic alterations observed in SLE by CAT assay. In this study, CAT
      parameters and basic coagulation parameters of SLE patients (n = 22) and healthy
      control subjects (n = 34) were compared. CAT area under the curve (i.e.,
      endogenous thrombin potential) was lower than normal in SLE (807 vs. 1,159
      nM*min, respectively), whereas other CAT parameters (peak, lag time, time to
      peak, and velocity index) and the basic coagulation tests were within the normal
      range. The presence of anti-phospholipid antibodies and the applied therapy was
      not associated with hemostasis parameters in SLE. We concluded that the reported
      high risk of thrombosis is not related to TG potential.

PMID- 28361573
TI  - Effects of time-of-day on oxidative stress, cardiovascular parameters,
      biochemical markers, and hormonal response following level-1 Yo-Yo intermittent
      recovery test.
AB  - The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of time-of-day on oxidative
      stress, cardiovascular parameters, muscle damage parameters, and hormonal
      responses following the level-1 Yo-Yo intermittent recovery test (YYIRT). A total
      of 11 healthy subjects performed an intermittent test (YYIRT) at two times-of-day
      (i.e., 07:00 h and 17:00 h), with a recovery period of >=36 h in-between, in a
      randomized order. Blood samples were taken at the rest (baseline) and immediately
      (post-YYIRT) after the YYIRT for measuring oxidative stress, biochemical markers,
      and hormonal response. Data were statistically analyzed using one-way and two-way
      repeated measures ANOVA and Bonferroni test at p < 0.05. Observed power (alpha =
      0.05) and partial eta-squared were used. Our results showed that oxygen uptake
      (VO2max), maximal aerobic speed, and the total distance covered tended to be
      higher in the evening (17:00 h). There was also a main effect of time-of-day for
      cortisol and testosterone concentration, which were higher after the YYIRT in the
      morning (p < 0.05). The heart rate peak and the rating of perceived exertion
      scales were lower in the morning (p < 0.05). However, the plasma glucose (p <
      0.01), malondialdehyde, creatine kinase (p < 0.01), lactate dehydrogenase (p <
      0.05), high-density lipoprotein (p < 0.01), total cholesterol (p < 0.01), and
      triglycerides (p < 0.05) were higher after the YYIRT in the evening. Low-density
      lipoprotein, systolic blood pressure, diastolic blood pressure, and lactate
      levels (p > 0.05) were similar for the morning and evening test. In conclusion,
      our findings suggest that aerobic performance presents diurnal variation with
      great result observed in the evening accompanied by an improvement of hormonal,
      metabolic, and oxidative responses. These data may help to guide athletes and
      coaches and contribute to public health recommendations on exercise and muscle
      damage particularly in the competitive periods.

PMID- 28361574
TI  - Influence of testosterone on mean arterial pressure: A physiological study in
      male and female normotensive WKY and hypertensive SHR rats.
AB  - Introduction Testosterone plays an important role in the blood pressure
      regulation. However, information with regard to the effect of this hormone on
      blood pressure in normotensive and hypertensive conditions is limited. Therefore,
      in this study, the relationship between plasma testosterone level and mean
      arterial pressure (MAP) was investigated under these conditions. Methods
      Normotensive Wistar-Kyoto (WKY) and hypertensive Spontaneous Hypertensive (SHR)
      male and female rats were gonadectomized with female rats treated with
      testosterone. Estrous cycle stages of intact female rats of both strains were
      identified by vaginal smear. Pressure in the carotid artery of anesthetized rats
      was measured via direct cannulation technique. The blood was withdrawn for plasma
      testosterone level measurement by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Results
      Treatment of ovariectomized female WKY and SHR rats with testosterone for 6-week
      duration has resulted in MAP to increase (P < 0.05). In male WKY and SHR rats,
      MAP and plasma testosterone levels decreased by orchidectomy (P < 0.05). No
      significant differences in MAP and plasma testosterone levels were observed in
      intact female WKY and SHR rats between stages of the estrous cycle. Conclusions
      The effects seen in testosterone-treated ovariectomized female rats and in
      orchidectomized male rats suggested that testosterone could play an important
      role in causing the blood pressure to increase.

PMID- 28361575
TI  - Obesity and kidney disease: Hidden consequences of the epidemic.
AB  - Obesity has become a worldwide epidemic, and its prevalence has been projected to
      grow by 40% in the next decade. This increasing prevalence has implications for
      the risk of diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and also for chronic kidney disease
      (CKD). A high body mass index is one of the strongest risk factors for new-onset
      CKD. In individuals affected by obesity, a compensatory hyperfiltration occurs to
      meet the heightened metabolic demands of the increased body weight. The increase
      in intraglomerular pressure can damage the kidneys and raise the risk of
      developing CKD in the long-term. The incidence of obesity-related glomerulopathy
      has increased tenfold in recent years. Obesity has also been shown to be a risk
      factor for nephrolithiasis, and for a number of malignancies including kidney
      cancer. This year the World Kidney Day promotes education on the harmful
      consequences of obesity and its association with kidney disease, advocating
      healthy lifestyle, and health policy measures that makes preventive behaviors an
      affordable option.

PMID- 28361576
TI  - The effect of 8-week different-intensity walking exercises on serum hepcidin, IL
      6, and iron metabolism in pre-menopausal women.
AB  - Objective Hepcidin may be an important mediator in exercise-induced iron
      deficiency. Despite the studies investigating acute exercise effects on hepcidin
      and markers of iron metabolism, we found no studies examining the chronic effects
      of walking exercises (WE) on hepcidin and markers of iron metabolism in
      premenopausal women. The chronic effects of two 8-week different-intensity WE on
      hepcidin, interleukin 6 (IL-6), and markers of iron metabolism in pre-menopausal
      women were examined. Methods Exercise groups (EG) [moderate tempo walking group
      (MTWG), n = 11; brisk walking group (BWG), n = 11] walked 3 days/week, starting
      from 30 to 51 min. Control group (CG; n = 8) did not perform any exercises. BWG
      walked at ~70%-75%; MTWG at ~50%-55% of HRRmax. VO2max, hepcidin, IL-6, and iron
      metabolism markers were determined before and after the intervention. Results
      VO2max increased in both EGs, favoring the BWG. Hepcidin increased in the BWG (p
      < 0.01) and CG (p < 0.05). IL-6 decreased in the BWG and the MTWG (p < 0.05; p <
      0.01). While iron, ferritin, transferrin, and transferrin saturation levels did
      not change in any group, total iron binding capacity (p < 0.05), red blood cells
      (p < 0.05), and hematocrit (p < 0.01) increased only in the BWG. Conclusion Both
      WE types may be useful to prevent inflammation. However, brisk walking is
      advisable due to the positive changes in VO2max and some iron metabolism
      parameters, which may contribute to prevent iron deficiency. The increase in
      hepcidin levels remains unclear and necessitates further studies.

PMID- 28361577
TI  - Effects of Nigella sativa seeds and certain species of fungi extracts on number
      and activation of dural mast cells in rats.
AB  - In this study, we aimed to investigate the effects of Nigella sativa seeds and
      certain species of fungi extracts on the number and degranulation states of dural
      mast cells in rats. Rats were fed ad libitum with normal tap water or tap water
      with extract of N. sativa seed, Ramaria condensata, Lactarius salmonicolor,
      Lactarius piperatus, and Tricholoma terreum for 3 days. Mast cells in dura mater
      were counted and evaluated in terms of granulation and degranulation states.
      Compound 48/80, a mast cell degranulating agent, and T. terreum significantly
      increased the percent of degranulated mast cells in dura mater, respectively (p <
      0.01 and p < 0.05). Moreover, T. terreum causes a significant increase in the
      total number of mast cells (p < 0.05). N. sativa significantly inhibited mast
      cell degranulation induced by both the compound 48/80 and T. terreum (p < 0.05),
      and significantly decreased the mast cell numbers increased by T. terreum (p <
      0.05). Our results suggested that T. terreum following ingestion can contribute
      to headaches like migraine via dural mast cell degranulation and N. sativa may be
      able to exert analgesic and anti-inflammatory effects by stabilizing dural mast
      cells. However, investigation is needed to determine the ingredients of N. sativa
      that may be responsible for these beneficial effects.

PMID- 28361578
TI  - Perceived social determinants of health among older, rural-dwelling adults with
      early-stage cognitive impairment.
AB  - Limited access to resources and delayed detection of subtle cognitive changes may
      negatively impact the long-term cognitive health of rural-dwelling adults. This
      study explored perceived social determinants of health among older, rural
      dwelling adults with early-stage cognitive impairment. Semi-structured interviews
      were conducted with older, rural-dwelling adults with early-stage cognitive
      impairment and their care partners. Thematic content analysis was performed.
      Participants ( n = 9) were 73.7 +/- 6.0 years of age with 14.2 +/- 3.1 years of
      education; care partners ( n = 10) were 70.9 +/- 7.4 years of age with 15.6 +/-
      2.3 years of education. Data analysis revealed six themes: Staying active, Eating
      well, Living with cognitive changes, Living rural, Connecting with neighbors and
      community, and Relying on children. Dyads' depictions of perceived social
      determinants of health focused on the adoption of a healthy lifestyle,
      description of relationships, and advantages of living in a rural area. Emergent
      themes may be used to promote adoption of self-management and prevention
      behaviors, particularly lifestyle changes.

PMID- 28361579
TI  - Dementia and clinical interaction in frontline radiography: Mapping the practical
      experiences of junior clinicians in the UK.
AB  - This paper reports findings from a study of the practical experiences of junior
      diagnostic radiographers in the UK when managing patients with dementia. Extended
      semi-structured interviews with six participants (mean experience in diagnostic
      radiography = 3.5 years) were analysed using interpretative phenomenological
      analysis. Findings highlight that participants' recurrently cited lack of
      confidence around their knowledge of dementia, and regular treatment of the
      condition as a 'generic' thing in practice, had sometimes damaged clinical
      interaction, particularly when the participant was feeling institutional time
      pressures. Education for new professionals was seen as lacking in both quantity
      and context-relevance, with implications for professional confidence and ethical
      practice. Carers and family members were viewed by participants as potentially
      positive and negative forces within an examination context, and technological
      advances in radiography were taken to be clinically advantageous but also
      actively detrimental to the effective interpersonal care of their patients.

PMID- 28361580
TI  - Rapid-deployment or transcatheter aortic valves in intermediate-risk patients?
AB  - Background Transcatheter aortic valve implantation and rapid-deployment aortic
      valve replacement represent two emerging therapies for patients with intermediate
      surgical risk and severe aortic stenosis. However, head-to-head comparisons
      between such novel therapies are lacking. Methods Severe aortic stenosis patients
      with intermediate surgical risk treated with rapid-deployment valve replacement
      at our institution were identified and compared with a propensity-matched
      population of patients who underwent transcatheter aortic valve replacement.
      Postoperative echocardiographic findings, in-hospital and midterm clinical
      outcomes were compared. Results We identified 60 patients who received
      transcatheter ( n = 30) or rapid-deployment ( n = 30) valve replacement. On
      postoperative echocardiography, freedom from paravalvular regurgitation was
      higher in the rapid-deployment valve group ( p < 0.001), while postoperative mean
      transprosthetic gradient was lower in the transcatheter valve group ( p = 0.03).
      Permanent pacemaker implantation was required more frequently in transcatheter
      valve patients ( p = 0.01). Postoperative atrial fibrillation was more common in
      the rapid-deployment valve group ( p = 0.03). Hospital mortality was similarly
      low in both groups ( p = 0.33). At midterm follow-up, mortality was comparable (
      p = 0.42) but the rapid-deployment valve group still had a lower degree of
      paravalvular regurgitation. Conclusions Transcatheter and rapid-deployment valve
      replacement are promising treatment options for patients with intermediate
      surgical risk. These two techniques are associated with specific patterns of
      prosthesis function and postoperative complications. Further evaluation of the
      clinical impact of these therapies in this patient population is needed.

PMID- 28361581
TI  - Biatrial connection of partial anomalous pulmonary venous return.
AB  - We describe an extremely rare case of partial anomalous pulmonary venous return
      in a 3-year-old boy with an abnormal connection between the right upper pulmonary
      vein and the right middle pulmonary vein, which created biatrial communication
      hemodynamically. Patch closure on the orifice of the right upper pulmonary vein
      was performed to avoid distortion or kinking of the right pulmonary veins and the
      connection.

PMID- 28361582
TI  - HEART score performance in Asian and Caucasian patients presenting to the
      emergency department with suspected acute coronary syndrome.
AB  - BACKGROUND: The HEART score is a simple and effective tool to predict short-term
      major adverse cardiovascular events in patients suspected of acute coronary
      syndrome. Patients are assigned to three risk categories using History, ECG, Age,
      Risk factors and Troponin (HEART). The purpose is early rule out and discharge is
      considered safe for patients in the low risk category. Its performance in
      patients of Asian ethnicity is unknown. We evaluated the performance of the HEART
      score in patients of Caucasian, Chinese, Indian and Malay ethnicity. METHODS: The
      HEART score was assessed retrospectively in 3456 patients presenting to the
      emergency department with suspected acute coronary syndrome (1791 Caucasians,
      1059 Chinese, 344 Indians, 262 Malays), assigning them into three risk
      categories. RESULTS: The incidence of major adverse cardiovascular events within
      six weeks after presentation was similar between the ethnic groups. A smaller
      proportion of Caucasians was in the low risk category compared with Asians
      (Caucasians 35.8%, Chinese 43.5%, Indians 45.3%, Malays 44.7%, p<0.001). The
      negative predictive value of a low HEART score was comparable across the ethnic
      groups, but lower than previously reported (Caucasians 95.3%, Chinese 95.0%,
      Indians 96.2%, Malays 96.6%). Also the c-statistic for the HEART score was not
      significantly different between the groups. CONCLUSIONS: These results show that
      the overall performance of the HEART score is equal among Caucasian and Asian
      ethnic groups. The event rate in the low risk group, however, was higher than
      reported in previous studies, which queries the safety of early discharge of
      patients in the low risk category.

PMID- 28361583
TI  - Two new unsaturated fatty acids from the whole plant of Pothos chinensis.
AB  - Two new unsaturated fatty acids, (Z)-octadec-13-en-11-ynoic acid (1) and (Z)
      octadec-16-en-12,14-diynoic acid (2), along with six known compounds were
      isolated from the whole plant of Pothos chinensis. The structures of these
      compounds were elucidated by detailed spectroscopic analysis, including 1D and 2D
      NMR data. Compound 2 showed moderate antibacterial activity against
      Staphylococcus aureus.

PMID- 28361584
TI  - "Paintings Fade Like Flowers": Pigment Analysis and Digital Reconstruction of a
      Faded Pink Lake Pigment in Vincent van Gogh's Undergrowth with Two Figures.
AB  - Color fading in Vincent van Gogh's Undergrowth with Two Figures was studied
      chemically to facilitate the creation of a digital reconstruction of fugitive
      colors . The painting contains a field of white, green, orange, and yellow
      flowers under a canopy of poplar trees with two central figures-a man and a
      woman, arms entwined. From Van Gogh's letters, however, it is known that he
      painted the picture with some pink flowers, which appear to have altered,
      presumably to white. Raman spectroscopy was applied to microsamples of paint to
      identify the faded pigment as geranium lake, which in this painting consists of
      the dye, eosin (2',4',5',7'-tetrabromofluorescein). For the first time, lead(II)
      sulfate has been specifically identified as the likely inorganic substrate for a
      geranium lake used by Van Gogh in the last months of his life. Microfocus X-ray
      fluorescence (MXRF) spectroscopy was subsequently used in situ to analyze the
      white flowers to identify bromine as a proxy for eosin, thus indicating an
      original pink coloration. Of the 387 white flowers analyzed, 37.7% contained
      measurable bromine and were, therefore, originally pink. Several cross-sections
      from these formerly pink areas were assessed using a combination of visual
      inspection and microcolorimetry to create a colored mask in Adobe Photoshop to
      digitally reconstruct a suggestion of the original appearance of the painting
      with regard to the faded flowers. Additionally, microfadeometry was undertaken
      for the first time on a painting cross-section sample to understand the actual
      fading kinetics of the underlying bright pink geranium lake used by Van Gogh. A
      combination of Raman microspectroscopy, MXRF, and scanning electron microscopy
      energy dispersive spectroscopy (SEM-EDS) were utilized in situ and on paint
      microsamples to identify the complete palette used to create Undergrowth with Two
      Figures.

PMID- 28361586
TI  - Determination and application of the permitted daily exposure (PDE) for topical
      ocular drugs in multipurpose manufacturing facilities.
AB  - Limits for the carry-over of product residues should be based on toxicological
      evaluation such as described in the "Guideline on setting health based exposure
      limits for use in risk identification in the manufacture of different medicinal
      products in shared facilities". The toxicological evaluation should be performed
      also for locally administered drugs to ensure patient safety. Currently, there is
      no guidance on setting PDE for ocular drug substances in particular. The purpose
      of this investigation was to identify and describe a method for calculating a PDE
      value for topical ocular drugs (PDEocular). As an alternative method,
      extrapolation of a PDE for systemically administered drugs to a PDEocular is
      presented. These methods may be applied in cross-contamination risk assessments
      for manufacturing of topical ocular drugs. Similarly, the methods apply to
      systemically administered drugs, if their production precedes manufacturing of a
      topical ocular drug. We have examined pharmacokinetic (PK) properties of topical
      ocular drugs and compared them to the PK parameters of systemically administered
      drugs. Furthermore, we examined possible adverse effects of the carry-over in
      topical ocular drugs at therapeutic doses.

PMID- 28361585
TI  - Featured Article: Pyruvate preserves antiglycation defenses in porcine brain
      after cardiac arrest.
AB  - Cardiac arrest (CA) and cardiocerebral resuscitation (CCR)-induced ischemia
      reperfusion imposes oxidative and carbonyl stress that injures the brain. The
      ischemic shift to anaerobic glycolysis, combined with oxyradical inactivation of
      glyceraldehyde 3-phosphate dehydrogenase (GAPDH), provokes excessive formation of
      the powerful glycating agent, methylglyoxal. The glyoxalase (GLO) system,
      comprising the enzymes glyoxalase 1 (GLO1) and GLO2, utilizes reduced glutathione
      (GSH) supplied by glutathione reductase (GR) to detoxify methylglyoxal resulting
      in reduced protein glycation. Pyruvate, a natural antioxidant that augments GSH
      redox status, could sustain the GLO system in the face of ischemia-reperfusion.
      This study assessed the impact of CA-CCR on the cerebral GLO system and
      pyruvate's ability to preserve this neuroprotective system following CA. Domestic
      swine were subjected to 10 min CA, 4 min closed-chest CCR, defibrillation and 4 h
      recovery, or to a non-CA sham protocol. Sodium pyruvate or NaCl control was
      infused (0.1 mmol/kg/min, intravenous) throughout CCR and the first 60 min
      recovery. Protein glycation, GLO1 content, and activities of GLO1, GR, and GAPDH
      were analyzed in frontal cortex biopsied at 4 h recovery. CA-CCR produced marked
      protein glycation which was attenuated by pyruvate treatment. GLO1, GR, and GAPDH
      activities fell by 86, 55, and 30%, respectively, after CA-CCR with NaCl
      infusion. Pyruvate prevented inactivation of all three enzymes. CA-CCR sharply
      lowered GLO1 monomer content with commensurate formation of higher molecular
      weight immunoreactivity; pyruvate preserved GLO1 monomers. Thus, ischemia
      reperfusion imposed by CA-CCR disabled the brain's antiglycation defenses.
      Pyruvate preserved these enzyme systems that protect the brain from glycation
      stress. Impact statement Recent studies have demonstrated a pivotal role of
      protein glycation in brain injury. Methylglyoxal, a by-product of glycolysis and
      a powerful glycating agent in brain, is detoxified by the glutathione-catalyzed
      glyoxalase (GLO) system, but the impact of cardiac arrest (CA) and cardiocerebral
      resuscitation (CCR) on the brain's antiglycation defenses is unknown. This study
      in a swine model of CA and CCR demonstrated for the first time that the intense
      cerebral ischemia-reperfusion imposed by CA-resuscitation disabled glyoxalase-1
      and glutathione reductase (GR), the source of glutathione for methylglyoxal
      detoxification. Moreover, intravenous administration of pyruvate, a redox-active
      intermediary metabolite and antioxidant in brain, prevented inactivation of
      glyoxalase-1 and GR and blunted protein glycation in cerebral cortex. These
      findings in a large mammal are first evidence of GLO inactivation and the
      resultant cerebral protein glycation after CA-resuscitation, and identify novel
      actions of pyruvate to minimize protein glycation in postischemic brain.

PMID- 28361587
TI  - Stimulus-evoked changes in cerebral vessel diameter: A study in healthy humans.
AB  - The high metabolic demand of neuronal tissue, coupled with its relatively low
      energy storage capacity, requires that increases in neuronal activation are
      quickly matched with increased blood flow to ensure efficient supply of oxygen
      and nutrients to the tissue. For this to occur, dilation of nearby arterioles
      must be coordinated with the dilation of larger upstream feeding arteries. As it
      stands, the exact spatial extent of such dilation in humans is unknown. Using non
      invasive time-of-flight magnetic resonance angiography in healthy participants,
      we developed an automatic methodology for reconstructing cerebral arterial
      vessels and quantifying their diameter on a voxel-by-voxel basis. Specifically,
      we isolated the posterior cerebral artery (PCA) supplying each occipital lobe and
      quantified its vasodilation induced by visual stimulation. Stimulus-induced
      changes were strongest (~30%) near primary visual cortex and progressively
      decreased in a non-linear fashion as a function of distance. Surprisingly, weak -
      albeit significant - changes (~2%) were observed ~70 mm from the visual cortex.
      This demonstrates that visual stimulation modulates vascular tone along the bulk
      of the PCA segment, and thus may have important implications for our
      understanding of functional hyperemia in healthy and diseased states.

PMID- 28361588
TI  - First Report of Hb Limassol [beta8(A5)Lys->Asn; HBB: c.27G>C] from Odisha, India.
AB  - In this short report, we describe the clinical presentation of a rare hemoglobin
      (Hb) variant, Hb Limassol [beta8(A5)Lys->Asn; HBB: c.27G>C] with a faster
      electrophoretic mobility than Hb A and that elutes in the P3 window on cation
      exchange high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). This sequence variation
      at codon 8 (AAG>AAC) of the HBB gene was found in the four heterozygous cases,
      all of whom were clinically asymptomatic.

PMID- 28361589
TI  - Detection of the Unstable Hb Koln (HBB: c.295G>A) by a Capillary Electrophoresis
      Method.
AB  - Hb Koln (HBB: c.295G>A) is an unstable beta-globin gene variant with a GTG>ATG
      substitution at codon 98. This variant is quite frequent in Europe and the USA
      but rare in China. It can easily be misdiagnosed as Hb Constant Spring (Hb CS;
      HBA2: c.427T>C) by high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), but detection
      and quantification of both Hb Koln and degraded Hb Koln by capillary
      electrophoresis (CE) are possible. Thus, we concluded that CE was the preferred
      method for Hb Koln detection.

PMID- 28361590
TI  - Hb Alesha [beta67(E11)Val->Met (GTG>ATG); HBB: c.202G > A] Found in a Chinese
      Girl.
AB  - Mutations that cause destabilization of the hemoglobin (Hb) tetramer are a rare
      cause of hemolytic anemia. In contrast to the hemolytic anemia caused by enzyme
      deficiencies, a dominant mode of inheritance characterizes the unstable Hbs. Hb
      Alesha [beta67(E11)Val->Met; HBB: c.202G>A] is caused by a G>A mutation at codon
      67 of the beta-globin gene, resulting in a valine to methionine substitution at
      helix E11. This replacement disrupts the apolar bonds between valine and the heme
      group, producing an unstable Hb and severe hemolysis. We report this rare
      hemoglobinopathy in a Chinese girl with severe hemolytic anemia, splenomegaly and
      frequent requirement for red blood cell (RBC) transfusions.

PMID- 28361591
TI  - Genetic Variants at BCL11A and HBS1L-MYB loci Influence Hb F Levels in Chinese
      Zhuang beta-Thalassemia Intermedia Patients.
AB  - Increased Hb F levels can ameliorate the symptoms of beta-thalassemia (beta
      thal). Due to the genetic heterogenicity of beta-thal, the relationship between
      genetic variants in modifier genes and Hb F level has been studied in different
      populations. The Chinese Zhuang has the second largest population in China and
      has 6.78% prevalence of beta-thal. However, the effects of these single
      nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) variants on the Hb F levels of beta-thal intermedia
      (beta-TI) patients in this population have not been reported. To explore the
      association between modifier loci (beta-globin gene cluster, HBS1L-MYB intergenic
      region and BCL11A) and Hb F levels in Chinese Zhuang beta-TI patients, 96
      unrelated beta-TI patients (50 males and 46 females) with different Hb F levels
      were recruited and genotyped by mass spectrometry. A total of 13 SNPs were
      confirmed to be in a significant relationship with Hb F levels in this
      population. Of these, high-risk genotypes of six Hb F-associated SNPs, rs9376090,
      rs7776054, rs9399137, rs9389268, rs9402685 in the HBS1L-MYB intergenic region and
      rs189984760 in the BCL11A locus, showed association with high Hb F levels,
      especially for SNPs in linkage disequilibrium. One novel Hb F-associated SNP,
      rs189984760, was identified in our study. Our findings will be of valuable
      reference for correlation between modifier genes and Hb F in Chinese Zhuang
      populations and may lead to better understand the modifying mechanisms for beta
      thal.

PMID- 28361592
TI  - Lactate Dehydrogenase: A Marker of the Severity of Vaso-Occlusive Crisis in
      Children with Sickle Cell Disease Presenting at the Emergency Department.
AB  - The aim of this study was to describe the characteristics of vaso-occlusive
      crises (VOC) in children with sickle cell disease and to identify factors
      associated with greater severity. We performed a prospective observational study
      from August 2012 to January 2014. The study population comprised patients with
      sickle cell disease who consulted at the emergency department (ED) for VOC. We
      recorded demographic variables, history of complications related to the disease,
      and data on usual treatment. We also assessed pain, analgesia at home, need for
      admission, length of stay, and analgesia during admission. Analytical parameters
      were collected. A total of 29 patients with VOC were included. The patient's
      usual treatment was hydroxyurea (HU) in 69.0%, and 7.0% required chronic
      transfusions. In the ED, 90.0% had moderate or severe pain, even though 86.0% had
      received analgesia at home (41.4% minor opioids). Overall, 27 of the 29 patients
      were admitted, and 56.0% needed major opioids. Higher lactate dehydrogenase (LDH)
      levels were related to the use of major opioids during admission (p = 0.038). A
      significant difference was recorded between the median number of days of
      admission for patients receiving non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs and for
      those requiring intravenous opioids (p = 0.005). Most patients with VOC were
      admitted to hospital. Lactate dehydrogenase level in the ED was a predictor of
      severity and was associated with the need for major opioids during admission and
      more days of admission.

PMID- 28361593
TI  - First Report of a Chinese Family Carrying a Double Heterozygosity for Hb Q
      Thailand and Hb J-Bangkok.
AB  - The double heterozygosity for alpha and beta chain variants leads to the
      formation of abnormal heterodimer hybrids, which could render laboratory
      diagnostics in a routine setting difficult. The following is the first report of
      a double heterozygosity for Hb Q-Thailand [alpha74(EF3)Asp->His; HBA1: c.223G>C]
      with alpha+-thalassemia (alpha+-thal) and Hb J-Bangkok [beta56(D7)Gly->Asp; HBB:
      c.170G>A] found in a Chinese family. Both subjects were healthy with normal or
      borderline hematological parameters. Hemoglobin (Hb) analyses showed a novel
      variant, Hb Q-Thailand and Hb J-Bangkok. Family studies helped in the initial
      recognition and in making presumptive diagnoses, but definitive diagnoses of
      these cases with complex alpha and beta chain variants could only be obtained
      after DNA analysis.

PMID- 28361594
TI  - An Unusual Hydrops Fetalis Associated with Compound Heterozygosity for Kruppel
      like Factor 1 mutations.
AB  - Hydrops fetalis is commonly due to Hb Bart's (gamma4) disease in South East Asia.
      Here, we report an unusual case of hydrops fetalis due to congenital
      dyserythropoietic anemia (CDA) associated with compound heterozygosity for
      Kruppel-like factor 1 (KLF1) gene mutations. Fetal cardiomegaly was first
      detected on routine mid-trimester scan in a pregnant woman with normal mean
      corpuscular volume (MCV) and Rhesus positive status. The fetus subsequently
      developed hydrops fetalis, and cordocentesis showed severe fetal anemia with a
      hemoglobin (Hb) level of 3.4 g/dL. Common causes of fetal anemia including Hb
      Bart's disease, parvovirus infection, and red cell antibodies were excluded. In
      view of the marked increase in erythroblasts at various stages of erythropoiesis,
      the diagnosis of CDA was suspected. We screened the couple for previously
      reported KLF1 gene mutations, showing that the mother was heterozygous for the
      c.525_526insCGGCGCC, p.Gly176Argfs*179 mutation, and her husband heterozygous for
      c.1012C>A, p.Pro338Thr mutation. The fetus was a compound heterozygote for these
      two KLF1 mutations. After counseling, repeated intrauterine transfusions were
      given at 27, 29, and 34 weeks' gestation; the hydrops fetalis was resolved. The
      baby was delivered at 34 weeks' gestation and required monthly blood transfusions
      but was otherwise thriving. Bone marrow aspiration at 10 months of age showed the
      features of ineffective erythropoiesis, compatible with CDA. In conclusion,
      hydrops fetalis can rarely be due to CDA associated with a compound heterozygous
      mutation for KLF1 gene mutations, and be managed by repeated intrauterine
      transfusions. Our present report adds to the wide clinical spectrum of KLF1
      mutations.

PMID- 28361595
TI  - The Molecular Spectrum of beta- and alpha-Thalassemia Mutations in Non-Endemic
      Umbria, Central Italy.
AB  - The aim of this study was to describe the mutational spectrum of
      hemoglobinopathies during the period 1988-2015 in Umbria, Central Italy, which
      has never been considered endemic for these conditions. Twenty-four different
      beta-globin gene mutations were identified in 188 patients and eight different
      alpha-globin gene mutations in 74 patients. Sixty percent beta-thalassemia (beta
      thal), 85.0% sickle cell disease, 44.0% Hb S (HBB: c.20A>T)/beta-thal and 85.0%
      compound heterozygotes for hemoglobin (Hb) variant-carrying patients were
      diagnosed or molecularly characterized in the last 3 years. Moreover, most
      homozygous or compound heterozygous patients (84.5%) came from foreign countries,
      while only 15.5% were of Italian origin. These data are in accordance with the
      increasing foreign resident population in Umbria, which has nearly doubled in 10
      years (2004-2014). Different from beta-globin gene variations, no increasing
      trend in alpha defects was observed in our study cohort. Consistently, 58.0% of
      patients have an Italian origin, suggesting no broad influence of foreign
      migration in the alpha-globin genes genetic background. As few defects are
      prevalent in each country of origin or ethnic group, their knowledge may provide
      a proper strategy for the identification of mutations in immigrant individuals in
      a non-endemic region and be important for carrier identification and prenatal
      screening.

PMID- 28361596
TI  - A Case of Fatal Agranulocytosis That Developed in a Patient with beta-Thalassemia
      Major Treated with Deferiprone.
AB  - A 29-year-old male with transfusion-dependent beta-thalassemia major (beta-TM),
      splenectomized and on chelation therapy with deferiprone (DFP or L1) due to heart
      and liver hemosiderosis, presented with high fever and agranulocytosis.
      Deferiprone was discontinued and a broad spectrum antibiotic therapy was started
      intravenously. The patient remained febrile and showed no recovery of neutrophil
      count even after the initiation of granulocyte colony-stimulation factor (G-CSF).
      After 12 days at the hospital, he developed respiratory failure and was
      transferred to the intensive care unit (ICU) where he developed multi-organ
      failure and died 3 days later. To investigate the mechanism of agranulocytosis,
      bone marrow mononuclear cells of a healthy volunteer were plated on culture
      dishes, with or without the patient's serum. The observation of colony forming
      units of progenitor cells in dishes that contained the patient's serum, provided
      inconclusive explanation of the possible mechanism of DFP-induced
      agranulocytosis. This is a case of fatal agranulocytosis developing in a patient
      being treated with DFP, a well recognized but rare complication of this drug.
      Further studies are required in order to elucidate the possible pathogenic
      mechanism of agranulocytosis due to DFP and to provide clear guidelines in order
      to best care for the patient.

PMID- 28361597
TI  - Regional recurrence in early stage I-II oral tongue cancer: a single
      institutional study and review of the literature.
AB  - CONCLUSIONS: There is a high propensity for locoregional and isolated regional
      failure in stage II patients, even though treated with combined therapy. In stage
      I patients the risk of isolated regional failure was moderate, at levels below
      10%. BACKGROUND: The neck treatment of early stages of oral tongue squamous cell
      carcinoma (OTSCC) are still debatable, considering that previous studies have
      produced diverting results. The purpose of this study is to report on the outcome
      of patients with stages I-II, with special respect to regional outcome. MATERIALS
      AND METHODS: All patients treated for OTSCC at Karolinska University Hospital
      between 2008-2014 were included. Patient demographics, intention of treatment,
      treatment modality, time of follow-up and status at follow-up, recurrence, and
      place of recurrence were recorded. RESULTS: Of 230 patients, 149 presented within
      stages I and II. Of those, 105 were electively treated to the neck. In stage I,
      the risk of presence of disease in the neck specimen was four out of 63 (6%),
      whereas 17 out of 41 (41%) were positive in stage II patients. The overall risk
      of isolated regional failure at any time in stage I patients was six out of 89
      and in stage II 25 out of 60.

PMID- 28361598
TI  - Topical and Transdermal Formulation and Drug Delivery.

PMID- 28361599
TI  - Antianginal Therapy for Stable Ischemic Heart Disease: A Contemporary Review.
AB  - Chronic angina pectoris is associated with considerable morbidity and mortality,
      especially if treated suboptimally. For many patients, aggressive pharmacologic
      intervention is necessary in order to alleviate anginal symptoms. The optimal
      treatment of stable ischemic heart disease (SIHD) should be the prevention of
      angina and ischemia, with the goal of maximizing both quality and quantity of
      life. In addition to effective risk factor modification with lifestyle changes,
      intensive pharmacologic secondary prevention is the therapeutic cornerstone in
      managing patients with SIHD. Current guidelines recommend a multifaceted
      therapeutic approach with beta-blockers as first-line treatment. Another
      important pharmacologic intervention for managing SIHD is nitrates. Nitrates can
      provide both relief of acute angina and can be used prophylactically before
      exposure to known triggers of myocardial ischemia to prevent angina. Additional
      therapeutic options include calcium channel blockers and ranolazine, an inhibitor
      of the late inward sodium current, that can be used alone or in addition to
      nitrates or beta-blockers when these agents fail to alleviate symptoms.
      Ranolazine appears to be particularly effective for patients with microvascular
      angina and endothelial dysfunction. In addition, certain antianginal therapies
      are approved in Europe and have been shown to improve symptoms, including
      ivabradine, nicorandil, and trimetazidine; however, these have yet to be approved
      in the United States. Ultimately, there are several different medications
      available to the physician for managing the patient with SIHD having chronic
      angina, when either used alone or in combination. The purpose of this review is
      to highlight the most important therapeutic approaches to optimizing contemporary
      treatment in response to individual patient needs.

PMID- 28361600
TI  - Application of DRIFTS, 13C NMR, and py-MBMS to Characterize the Effects of Soil
      Science Oxidation Assays on Soil Organic Matter Composition in a Mollic
      Xerofluvent.
AB  - Chemical oxidations are routinely employed in soil science to study soil organic
      matter (SOM), and their interpretation could be improved by characterizing
      oxidation effects on SOM composition with spectroscopy. We investigated the
      effects of routinely employed oxidants on SOM composition in a Mollic Xerofluvent
      representative of intensively managed agricultural soils in the California
      Central Valley. Soil samples were subjected to oxidation by potassium
      permanganate (KMnO4), sodium hypochlorite (NaOCl), and hydrogen peroxide (H2O2).
      Additionally, non-oxidized and oxidized soils were treated with hydrofluoric acid
      (HF) to evaluate reduction of the mineral component to improve spectroscopy of
      oxidation effects. Oxidized non-HF and HF-treated soils were characterized by
      diffuse reflectance infrared Fourier transform spectroscopy (DRIFTS), 13C cross
      polarization magic angle spinning (CP-MAS) nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR)
      spectroscopy, and pyrolysis molecular beam mass spectrometry (py-MBMS), and for
      particle size distribution (PSD) using laser diffractometry (LD). Across the
      range of soil organic carbon (OC) removed by oxidations (14-72%), aliphatic C-H
      stretch at 3000-2800 cm-1 (DRIFTS) decreased with OC removal, and this trend was
      enhanced by HF treatment due to significant demineralization in this soil (70%).
      Analysis by NMR spectroscopy was feasible only after HF treatment, and did not
      reveal trends between OC removal and C functional groups. Pyrolysis-MBMS did not
      detect differences among oxidations, even after HF treatment of soils.
      Hydrofluoric acid entailed OC loss (13-39%), and for H2O2 oxidized soils
      increased C:N and substantially decreased mean particle size. This study
      demonstrates the feasibility of using HF to improve characterizations of SOM
      composition following oxidations as practiced in soil science, in particular for
      DRIFTS. Since OC removal by oxidants, mineral removal by HF, and the interaction
      of oxidants and HF observed for this soil may differ for soils with different
      mineralogies, future work should examine additional soil and land use types to
      optimize characterizations of oxidation effects on SOM composition.

PMID- 28361602
TI  - Sex differences in pharyngeal airway morphology in adults with skeletal Class III
      malocclusion.
AB  - OBJECTIVES: To compare the pharyngeal airway dimensions in adults with skeletal
      Class III malocclusion and well-balanced faces, to ascertain whether sex can
      influence such measurements and to correlate skeletal pattern with pharyngeal
      dimensions. METHODOLOGY: Fifty adults were recruited and assigned to two groups:
      skeletal Class III (n = 25; 12 males and 13 females, mean age = 26.1 years), and
      skeletal Class I (n = 25; 11 males and 14 females, mean age = 26.0 years), with
      well-balanced faces. Pharyngeal measurements were made using cone beam computed
      tomography and analyzed with Dolphin Imaging software 11.5. RESULTS: Pharyngeal
      sagittal area, length, retroglossal area and width were statistically greater for
      males. Pharyngeal volume was greater for Class III patients (p = .0245), due to
      enlarged male dimensions. A significant but moderate correlation was observed
      between pharyngeal airway volume and ANB angle (r = -.4917) and effective
      mandibular length (Co-Gn, r = .5181). CONCLUSION: There is sexual differentiation
      in the pharyngeal airway morphology for Class III adults. As females present
      similar pharynx volume compared to a normal skeletal pattern, mandibular setback
      surgery should be carefully planned because of the risk of airway constriction.

PMID- 28361601
TI  - Prospective validation of a novel renal activity index of lupus nephritis.
AB  - Objectives The renal activity index for lupus (RAIL) score was developed in
      children with lupus nephritis as a weighted sum of six urine biomarkers (UBMs)
      (neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin, monocyte chemotactic protein 1,
      ceruloplasmin, adiponectin, hemopexin and kidney injury molecule 1) measured in a
      random urine sample. We aimed at prospectively validating the RAIL in adults with
      lupus nephritis. Methods Urine from 79 adults was collected at the time of kidney
      biopsy to assay the RAIL UBMs. Using receiver operating characteristic curve
      analysis, we evaluated the accuracy of the RAIL to discriminate high lupus
      nephritis activity status (National Institutes of Health activity index (NIH-AI)
      score >10), from low/moderate lupus nephritis activity status (NIH-AI score
      <=10). Results In this mixed racial cohort, high lupus nephritis activity was
      present in 15 patients (19%), and 71% had proliferative lupus nephritis. Use of
      the identical RAIL algorithm developed in children resulted in only fair
      prediction of lupus nephritis activity status of adults (area under the receiver
      operating characteristic curve (AUC) 0.62). Alternative weightings of the six
      RAIL UBMs as suggested by logistic regression yielded excellent accuracy to
      predict lupus nephritis activity status (AUC 0.88). Accuracy of the model did not
      improve with adjustment of the UBMs for urine creatinine or albumin, and was
      little influenced by concurrent kidney damage. Conclusions The RAIL UBMs provide
      excellent prediction of lupus nephritis activity in adults. Age adaption of the
      RAIL is warranted to optimize its discriminative validity to predict high lupus
      nephritis activity status non-invasively.

PMID- 28361603
TI  - Repeatability of electromyography normalization of the neck and shoulder muscles
      in symptomatic office workers.
AB  - PURPOSE: The purpose of the study was to examine the repeatability of
      electromyography (EMG) normalization in office workers with neck and shoulder
      symptoms. METHODS: Fifteen female office workers with neck/shoulder symptoms were
      recruited to participate in two separate days of testing. Maximum voluntary
      isometric contraction (MVIC) was used for the normalization of EMG data on the
      following muscles: cervical erector spinae, upper trapezius, lower trapezius and
      anterior deltoid. Repeatability was calculated using the intra-class correlation
      (ICC), relative standard error of measurement (%SEM) and relative coefficient of
      variation (%CV). RESULTS: Peak root mean square (rms) and median frequency (MF)
      showed good to high repeatability in the UT, AD and CES (ICC = 0.87-0.95, %SEM=
      2.65-9.48, %CV= 0.2-5.9). The repeatability of peak rms was good (ICC = 0.87,
      %SEM = 12.56, %CV = 3.3) and the MF of the LT was fair (ICC = 0.76, %SEM = 5.71,
      %CV = 2.9). CONCLUSION: Peak rms and MF from the MVIC normalization method can be
      measured with sufficient repeatability in symptomatic office workers.

PMID- 28361604
TI  - Caregiver-proxy reliability of the Igbo-culture adapted Maleka Stroke Community
      Reintegration Measure: a validation study.
AB  - OBJECTIVES: This study was designed to determine the caregiver-proxy reliability
      of the Igbo-culture adapted urban version of the Maleka Stroke Community
      Reintegration Measure (I-MSCRIM). METHODS: This was a validation study involving
      74 consenting stroke survivors and their 74 primary informal caregivers
      consecutively recruited from selected tertiary hospitals in South-East Nigeria
      (Igboland). The I-MSCRIM was researcher-administered to the participants.
      Obtained data was analyzed using frequency counts, percentages, range, mean,
      standard deviation, Spearman rank order correlation, Mann-Whitney U test, Kruskal
      Wallis test and Intra-class Correlation Coefficient. Alpha level was set at 0.05.
      RESULTS: The mean ages of the stroke survivors (55.4% males) and their primary
      informal caregivers (41.9% males) were 50.14 +/- 12.24 and 31.93 +/- 10.9 years
      respectively. There was no significant difference in the community reintegration
      (CR) scores as rated by stroke survivors and their primary informal caregivers (p
      > 0.05). The correlations between stroke survivors' and primary informal
      caregivers' rated CR scores were all adequate and acceptable (ICC = 0.602-0.917).
      The discrepancy in the total CR scores between the two ratings was significantly
      influenced by primary informal caregivers' educational attainment (k = 13.15; p <
      0.01). CONCLUSION: The I-MSCRIM has acceptable caregiver-proxy reliability among
      Igbo stroke survivors in South-East Nigeria. This suggests that primary informal
      caregivers of stroke survivors can reliably estimate the CR of their care
      recipients when I-MSCRIM is administered to them. This will be useful when a
      stroke survivor cannot respond to I-MSCRIM.

PMID- 28361605
TI  - Development of microemulsions for ocular delivery.
AB  - Microemulsions (MEs) are thermodynamic stable dispersion of oily phase and
      aqueous phase stabilized by surfactants and co-surfactants, and are a small
      droplet size of less than 100 nm. MEs are appropriate systems for ocular drug
      delivery because they improve ocular drug retention, extended duration of action,
      high ocular absorption, permeation of loaded drugs and effortlessness of
      preparation and administration. This review is an effort to summarize the recent
      development in the area of MEs, self-emulsifying drug delivery systems, which are
      examined in relation to their uses in ocular drug delivery. The noteworthy
      patent, toxicity and stability issues related to these ME systems are also
      explored here.

PMID- 28361606
TI  - Targeting active cancer cells with smart bullets.
AB  - Paul Ehrlich's 'magic bullet' concept has stimulated research for therapeutic
      agents with the capability to go straight to their intended targets. The 'magic
      bullet' concept is still considered the ultimate approach to maximize the
      therapeutic effects of a given therapeutic agent without affecting nontargeted
      tissues. But so far, there has never been a therapeutic agent or a delivery
      system that goes straight to the target in the body, and no approach has provided
      anything better than just a few percents of the total administered dose reaching
      the intended target sites. But engineering principles can transform
      systematically circulating vectors that so far were based primarily on physical
      characteristics and biochemical principles alone, as smart therapeutic agents
      with the required propulsion-navigation-homing capabilities to enable them to go
      straight to their intended targets.

PMID- 28361607
TI  - Fabrication, characterization and application of sugar microneedles for
      transdermal drug delivery.
AB  - AIM: This study aimed to fabricate, characterize and use maltose microneedles for
      transdermal delivery of doxorubicin. MATERIALS & METHODS: Microneedles were
      fabricated by micromolding technique and evaluated for dimensions, mechanical
      properties and in situ dissolution. Microporation of human cadaver skin was
      confirmed by dye binding, histology, pore uniformity, confocal laser microscopy
      and skin integrity measurement. In vitro permeation studies were performed on
      vertical Franz diffusion cells. RESULTS: Maltose microneedles were sharp,
      mechanically uniform and rapidly dissolvable. Microneedle insertion resulted in a
      marked decrease in lag time and a significant increase in the permeation across
      and into human skin (p < 0.05). The skin delivery profile was used to predict the
      steady-state plasma concentration. CONCLUSION: Maltose microneedles are a
      promising physical technique to increase skin delivery.

PMID- 28361608
TI  - Biomimetic and bioinspired nanoparticles for targeted drug delivery.
AB  - In drug targeting, the urgent need for more effective and less iatrogenic
      therapies is pushing toward a complete revision of carrier setup. After the era
      of 'articles used as homing systems', novel prototypes are now emerging. Newly
      conceived carriers are endowed with better biocompatibility, biodistribution and
      targeting properties. The biomimetic approach bestows such improved functional
      properties. Exploiting biological molecules, organisms and cells, or taking
      inspiration from them, drug vector performances are now rapidly progressing
      toward the perfect carrier. Following this direction, researchers have refined
      carrier properties, achieving significant results. The present review summarizes
      recent advances in biomimetic and bioinspired drug vectors, derived from
      biologicals or obtained by processing synthetic materials with a biomimetic
      approach.

PMID- 28361609
TI  - Skin cancer: symptoms, mechanistic pathways and treatment rationale for
      therapeutic delivery.
AB  - Cancer is a group of diseases categorized by abandoning escalation and
      multiplication of abnormal cells. Current topical treatments for skin cancer are
      mainly in the semisolid dosage forms of 5-fluorouracil, imiquimod, etc. Many
      surgical treatments are also available these days for the treatment of skin
      cancer, for example, photodynamic therapy, which is approved by the US FDA. The
      stratum corneum is the main barrier against permeation of topical formulations
      developed for skin cancer treatment. Liposomes, thermosensitive stealth
      liposomes, nanoemulsions and polymeric lipid nanoparticles have been used by
      several researchers to increase skin permeability. In the present paper, major
      aspects of formulations developed for skin cancer, various types of skin cancer,
      its etiology and pathogenesis have been emphasized.

PMID- 28361610
TI  - An industry update: the latest developments in therapeutic delivery.
AB  - The present industry update covers the period 1-31 January 2017, with information
      sourced from company press releases, regulatory and patent agencies as well as
      the scientific literature. With a new year come new resolutions, annual operation
      plans but also reports and outlooks for the years(s) to come. A number of the
      latter have been published in January forecasting various spaces in drug delivery
      (Market and Research). Also a number of financing deals were closed being fresh
      into the year such as Ossianix and Ocular Therapeutix and contract manufacturers
      will show their offerings at the 2017 MD&M West Medtech event (Lubrizol,
      Trelleborg). The US FDA released some new (draft) guidelines for combination
      products to regulate standards and disputes in this increasingly important field.
      Recent advances in artificial pancreas technology demonstrates that while the age
      of nanotechnology and gene therapy (Bluebird Bio) has arrived, implantable,
      closed-loop delivery systems (Medtronic) are just to pass successfully the clinic
      and come in reach of patients.

PMID- 28361611
TI  - High failure rate of transungal drug delivery: need for new strategies.

PMID- 28361612
TI  - Targeting therapeutics to the plasma membrane: opportunities for nanoparticle
      mediated delivery abound.

PMID- 28361613
TI  - Synergistic efficacy of ultrasound, sonosensitizers and chemotherapy: a review.
AB  - Chemotherapeutic agents, either in the form of systemically injected free drug or
      encapsulated in nanoparticles transport vehicles, must overcome three main
      obstacles prior to reaching and interacting with their intended target inside
      tumor cells. Drugs must leave the circulation, overcome the tissue-tumor barrier
      and penetrate the cell's plasma membrane. Since, many agents enter the cell by
      endocytosis, they must avoid entrapment and degradation by the intracellular
      endolysosome complex. Ultrasound has demonstrated potential to enhance the
      efficacy of chemotherapy by reducing these barriers. The purpose of this review
      is to highlight the potential of ultrasound in combination with sonosensitizers
      to enhance the efficacy of chemotherapy by optimizing the anticancer agent's
      intracellular ability to engage and interact with its target.

PMID- 28361614
TI  - Therapeutic approaches for the delivery of TNF-alpha siRNA.
AB  - Immune-mediated diseases are emerging as a major healthcare concern in the
      present era. TNF-alpha, a proinflammatory cytokine, plays a major role in the
      manifestation of these diseases by mediating different pathways and inducing the
      expression of other cytokines. In last decades, monoclonal antibodies and
      extracellular portion of human TNF-alpha receptors are explored in this area;
      however, the risk of immunological response and undesired effects urge a need to
      develop more effective therapies to control TNF-alpha levels. siRNA therapeutic
      strategies are emerging for the treatment of myriad of diseases, but the delivery
      challenges associated with siRNA require the development of suitable delivery
      vectors. For delivery of TNF-alpha siRNA, both viral and nonviral vectors are
      explored. This review attempts to describe different delivery approaches for TNF
      alpha siRNA with special focus on nonviral delivery vectors.

PMID- 28361615
TI  - Unclear-onset intracerebral hemorrhage: Clinical characteristics, hematoma
      features, and outcomes.
AB  - Background and purpose Although unclear-onset ischemic stroke, including wake-up
      ischemic stroke, is drawing attention as a potential target for reperfusion
      therapy, acute unclear-onset intracerebral hemorrhage has been understudied.
      Clinical characteristics, hematoma features, and outcomes of patients who
      developed intracerebral hemorrhage during sleep or those with intracerebral
      hemorrhage who were unconscious when witnessed were determined. Methods
      Consecutive intracerebral hemorrhage patients admitted within 24 hours after
      onset or last-known normal time were classified into clear-onset intracerebral
      hemorrhage and unclear-onset intracerebral hemorrhage groups. Outcomes included
      initial hematoma volume, initial National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale
      score, hematoma growth on 24-hour follow-up computed tomography, and vital and
      functional prognoses at 30 days. Results Of 377 studied patients (122 women, 69
      +/- 11 years old), 147 (39.0%) had unclear-onset intracerebral hemorrhage.
      Patients with unclear-onset intracerebral hemorrhage had larger hematoma volumes
      (p = 0.044) and higher National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale scores (p <
      0.001) than those with clear-onset intracerebral hemorrhage after multivariable
      adjustment for risk factors and comorbidities. Hematoma growth was similarly
      common between the two groups (p = 0.176). There were fewer patients with
      modified Rankin Scale (mRS) scores of 0-2 (p = 0.033) and more patients with mRS
      scores of 5-6 (p = 0.009) and with fatal outcomes (p = 0.049) in unclear-onset
      intracerebral hemorrhage group compared with clear-onset intracerebral hemorrhage
      as crude values, but not after adjustment. Conclusions Patients with unclear
      onset intracerebral hemorrhage presented with larger hematomas and higher
      National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale scores at emergent visits than those
      with clear-onset intracerebral hemorrhage, independent of underlying
      characteristics. Unclear-onset intracerebral hemorrhage patients showed poorer 30
      day vital and functional outcomes than clear-onset intracerebral hemorrhage
      patients; these differences seem to be mainly due to initial hematoma volumes and
      National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale scores.

PMID- 28361616
TI  - Acute basilar artery occlusion: Endovascular Interventions versus Standard
      Medical Treatment (BEST) Trial-Design and protocol for a randomized, controlled,
      multicenter study.
AB  - Rationale Endovascular treatment plus standard medical therapy is superior to
      standard medical therapy alone for acute anterior proximal intracranial large
      artery occlusion strokes. The benefit of endovascular treatment in acute ischemic
      stroke caused by basilar artery occlusion remains unproven. Aim This study
      compares the safety and efficacy of endovascular treatment plus standard medical
      therapy versus standard medical therapy alone in acute ischemic stroke due to
      basilar artery occlusion. Design The study is a multicenter randomized control
      trial with blinded outcome assessment. A projected total 344 subjects with acute
      basilar arterial occlusion within 8 h of estimated occlusion time will be
      enrolled over three years in China. Patients will be assigned to endovascular
      treatment plus standard medical therapy and standard medical therapy alone group
      in 1:1 ratio for study centers. Study outcomes The primary outcome measure is a
      favorable functional outcome, defined as a modified Rankin Score of 0-3 at 90
      days. The primary safety measure is mortality at 90 days. Trial registration
      ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT 02441556). Summary The BEST trial will provide valuable
      insights into the safety and efficacy of endovascular treatment for acute
      ischemic stroke patients with basilar artery occlusion.

PMID- 28361617
TI  - Optimal testing time for suppression of competitors during interference
      resolution.
AB  - Interference between competing memory traces is a common cause of memory failure.
      Recent research has demonstrated a suppression mechanism that operates at
      retrieval to resolve interference. Using an adaptation of the suppression
      paradigm in Healey, Ngo, and Hasher [(2014). Below-baseline suppression of
      competitors during interference resolution by younger but not older adults.
      Psychological Science, 25(1), 145-151. doi: 10.1177/0956797613501169 ], we tested
      whether the ability to suppress competing memory traces varies with the synchrony
      between optimal arousal period and time of testing. We replicate the below
      baseline suppression effect for young adults tested at optimal times of day, and
      present novel evidence that they do not show competitor suppression during non
      optimal times of day. In fact, competitors are actually strengthened at non
      optimal times. Our results suggest that the ability to resolve interference by
      suppression varies with circadian arousal.

PMID- 28361618
TI  - Erratum.

PMID- 28361619
TI  - Classification of long bone fractures in children.

PMID- 28361620
TI  - Practice improvement as a result of an end of life care programme for care homes.
AB  - This article explores practice outcomes from a Six Steps+ programme for end of
      life care (EoLC) delivered in care homes in the south of England. The education
      programme aims to increase staff's knowledge, skills and confidence to counter
      balance their anxiety about EoLC. The Six Steps+ programme promotes a culture of
      high quality, compassionate, person-centred and dignified holistic care to meet
      the needs of residents who may have increasing complex requirements throughout
      their last year or more of life. Through integrated working and a reduction in
      avoidable hospital admissions, residents are enabled to die in their place of
      choice where possible. Case studies show that participating in the Six Steps+
      programme increases care home staff's knowledge, skills and confidence and
      enhances the quality of EoLC for residents. With the cost of the education and
      support required essentially covered by six avoided hospital admissions
      throughout the one-year course, the Six Steps+ programme is an attractive and
      cost-effective approach to improving EoLC.

PMID- 28361621
TI  - Deprivation of Liberty: Collected Guidance The Law Society Deprivation of
      Liberty: Collected Guidance 400 pages L29.95 Law Society Publishing 9781784460433
      1784460435 [Formula: see text].
AB  - Deprivation of liberty (DoL) can be a difficult subject, partly due to the
      complexity of regulations and variety of guidance sources. It can be challenging
      to find specific information.

PMID- 28361622
TI  - Nurse-led team commended for specialist Parkinson's disease service.
AB  - A nurse-led team that offers support for people with complex Parkinson's needs in
      nursing homes has been highly commended in the first UK Parkinson's Excellence
      Network Awards.

PMID- 28361623
TI  - Story in numbers.
AB  - Facts and figures about dementia in the UK.

PMID- 28361624
TI  - Nutritional standards needed for ready meals to avoid micronutrient deficiencies.
AB  - Micronutrient deficiencies contribute to many age-related disorders, although
      initial effects may be mild and easily missed. For example, B vitamin deficiency
      may result in mild cognitive decline, thiamine deficiency can contribute to
      development of type 2 diabetes and lack of vitamin D changes immune function.

PMID- 28361625
TI  - 'Long way to go' for high quality end of life care.
AB  - NHS England recently called on its Twitter followers to share their views about
      end of life care. It highlighted best practice examples in a bid to show progress
      on the government's six commitments to end of life care.

PMID- 28361626
TI  - 'Nurses need to find a voice to challenge the status quo'.
AB  - What is your job? I have recently taken up a new and exciting role as director of
      health and well-being at the Royal Hospital Chelsea. I will lead the social care
      and health team, including the nursing team, who care for the 320 pensioners
      living at the hospital.

PMID- 28361627
TI  - Challenges in implementing an advance care planning programme in long-term care.
AB  - This study explores the effectiveness of an education programme, Let Me Decide,
      designed to support the development of advance care planning (ACP) for people
      with cognitive impairment and frailty.

PMID- 28361628
TI  - Dementia Care at a Glance Jenkins Catharine Ginesi Laura and Keenan Bernie
      Dementia Care at a Glance 176pp L26.99 Wiley-Blackwell 9781118859988 1118859987
      [Formula: see text].
AB  - This book adds to Wiley's critically acclaimed 'at a glance' series with an
      overview of dementia care for all grades of healthcare providers, including
      healthcare assistants.

PMID- 28361629
TI  - Healthcare decision-making: past, present and future, in light of a diagnosis of
      dementia.
AB  - This study explores experiences of and views of healthcare decision-making in the
      past, present and future among people with dementia and their family carers.

PMID- 28361630
TI  - Obstructive sleep apnoeahypopnoea syndrome and cognitive impairments.
AB  - Obstructive sleep apnoea-hypopnoea is a common condition involving apnoea
      (absence of breath) and hypopnoea (reduced airflow). It causes intermittent
      hypoxia and poor quality, fragmented sleep. As a result, daytime functioning is
      significantly impaired with excessive sleepiness, fatigue and mood problems.

PMID- 28361631
TI  - Vitamin D supplementation effective in preventing acute respiratory tract
      infections.
AB  - Studies have consistently shown low levels of vitamin D make people more
      susceptible to respiratory infections. Acute respiratory infections are a major
      cause of ill health and mortality. Observational studies have shown that people
      with low levels of 25-hydroxyvitamin D, the major circulating vitamin D
      metabolite, are susceptible to respiratory infection.

PMID- 28361632
TI  - Advance care planning for people with dementia.
AB  - UK policy and guidance state that people should have their preferences and
      priorities for end of life care recorded in the form of an advance care plan.
      However, for people with dementia and their families, issues of reduced capacity,
      difficulties with discussing end of life preferences and staff understanding can
      make this process challenges. This research focus summarises two studies that
      explore these issues.

PMID- 28361634
TI  - Pressure ulcer prevention in care home settings.
AB  - Pressure ulcer prevention in the care home setting can be challenging and is
      often compromised by a lack of access to education and resources. There are
      measures that have been shown to consistently improve outcomes in pressure ulcer
      prevention including assessment of the patient and their individual risks,
      delivery of a consistent plan of care that meets patients' needs, and regular
      evaluation to identify shortfalls. In addition, there should be a robust approach
      to investigating events that lead to a person developing a pressure ulcer and
      that information should be used to improve future practice. Pressure ulcer
      prevention in care homes is achievable and nurses should all be aware of the
      necessary measures detailed in this article.

PMID- 28361636
TI  - Writing can seriously improve your health.
AB  - Laughter rings out in the dining room of a care home where residents try on a
      range of different hats and invent characters who might wear them.

PMID- 28361637
TI  - ANPs can improve older people's care.
AB  - Advanced and specialist nurses have the potential to improve older patients'
      experiences of GP services in Wales, according to independent older people's
      commissioner for Wales Sarah Rochira in her latest guidance to health boards.

PMID- 28361638
TI  - This year's award finalists revealed.
AB  - The names of the finalists for nursing older people category at RCNi Nurse Awards
      2017 have been revealed.

PMID- 28361639
TI  - Nurses need access to high-quality education in end of life care.
AB  - End of life care is often explored in the pages of Nursing Older People,
      including in an article on the development, implementation and evaluation of an
      end of life care intervention in care homes that appeared in our February edition
      ( Cox et al 2017 ).

PMID- 28361640
TI  - Sight loss charity calls for nurse training in care homes.
AB  - A sight loss charity has called for more training for nurses in care homes so
      that they can intervene early to prevent residents' vision deteriorating.

PMID- 28361641
TI  - Correct use of inhalers is our responsibility.
AB  - Despite the fact that inhaled medications have been the basis for treating
      patients with respiratory diseases for more than 60 years, we are repeatedly
      reminded that many individuals cannot use their inhaler devices correctly (
      Capstick and Clifton 2012 , Scullion and Holmes 2013 , Sanchis et al 2016 ).This
      is often because healthcare professionals cannot use the devices correctly either
      and they teach less than optimum techniques to patients. This in turn results in
      poor control and, potentially, death.

PMID- 28361642
TI  - Nursing care for people with delirium superimposed on dementia.
AB  - Nursing and healthcare is changing in response to an ageing population. There is
      a renewed need for holistic nursing to provide clinically competent, appropriate
      and timely care for patients who may present with inextricably linked mental and
      physical health requirements. This article explores the dichotomy in healthcare
      provision for 'physical' and 'mental' health, and the unique role nurses have
      when caring for people with delirium superimposed on dementia (DSD). Delirium is
      prevalent in older people and recognised as 'acute brain failure'. As an acute
      change in cognition, it presents a unique challenge when occurring in a person
      with dementia and poses a significant risk of mortality. In this article,
      dementia is contrasted with delirium and subtypes of delirium presentation are
      discussed. Nurses can recognise DSD through history gathering, implementation of
      appropriate care and effective communication with families and the
      multidisciplinary team. A simple mnemonic called PINCH ME (Pain, INfection,
      Constipation, deHydration, Medication, Environment) can help identify potential
      underlying causes of DSD and considerations for care planning. The mnemonic can
      easily be adapted to different clinical settings and a fictitious scenario is
      presented to show its application in practice.

PMID- 28361643
TI  - Ask dying adults about their spiritual beliefs.
AB  - Essential facts Religion should be included in the vital discussions about the
      care people and those close to them want to receive in the last two to three days
      of life, according to the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence
      (NICE).

PMID- 28361646
TI  - Correction to: Exposure to methyl tert-butyl ether (MTBE) is associated with
      mitochondrial dysfunction in rat.

PMID- 28361645
TI  - An unusual cause of epidemic thyrotoxicosis.
AB  - We describe the case of four patients consulting for headache and tachycardia of
      brutal onset. Their biological data were compatible with primary hyperthyroidism
      with low TSH and high T4 serum levels. Serum thyroglobulin level was low and Tc
      scintigraphy showed decreased uptake with a homogenous pattern. These results
      allowed to conclude a thyrotoxicosis caused by thyroid hormones intake. History
      taking revealed consumption of beef neck meat containing all or parts of the
      bovine thyroid gland. Evolution was favourable with beta-blockers. A literature
      review of " hamburger thyrotoxicosis " is presented.

PMID- 28361647
TI  - Effects of Photo-Depicted Pupil Diameter on Judgments of Others' Attentiveness
      and on Facial Recognition Memory.
AB  - Occasionally, individuals perceive that someone is no longer paying attention to
      the discussion at hand even when there are no overt cues of inattentiveness. As a
      preliminary study of this phenomenon, we examined whether pupil diameter might be
      implicitly used to infer others' attentiveness. Forty participants (27 women, 13
      men, M age = 19.7 year, SD = 2.8) were presented with images of male faces with
      either large or small pupils, and, in the context of a personnel selection
      scenario, participants then judged the attentiveness of the person in the image.
      Images of faces with large pupils were judged as more attentive, compared with
      images of faces with small pupils. Face recognition memory performance was not
      affected by depicted pupil size. Our results are consistent with the proposal
      that pupillary fluctuations can be an index of perceived attention, and they
      provide preliminary evidence that pupil dilation may be implicitly relied upon to
      infer attentional states.

PMID- 28361648
TI  - Can Eye Fixation During the Grooved Pegboard Test Distinguish Between Planning
      and Online Correction?
AB  - The Grooved Pegboard Test, in its standard use, has well-documented utility.
      However, a revised methodology needs further study, leading us to investigate
      whether duration of eye fixation could predict performance on different task
      conditions of the Grooved Pegboard Test (place and remove pegs) with the
      preferred and nonpreferred hands. Fifty-two right-handed undergraduate students
      (33 male and 19 female), with a mean age of 22.22 (+/-3.57) years, performed the
      Grooved Pegboard Test. SensoMotoric eye-tracking glasses with a binocular time
      resolution of 30 Hz were used to measure eye fixation. The videos were recorded
      in iView software, and data were analyzed using BeGaze software. The number and
      duration of eye fixations were statistically different with preferred and
      nonpreferred hands and also differed across tasks. Simple linear regression
      showed eye fixation duration to predict movement time in the place task
      (preferred hand: R2 = 31%; nonpreferred hand: R2 = 41%) and in the remove task
      (preferred hand: R2 = 11%; nonpreferred hand: R2 = 25%). Thus, duration of eye
      fixation during the Grooved Pegboard Test differentially predicted performance
      with each hand and on preferred and different subtests of this instrument.

PMID- 28361649
TI  - Self-Regulation in Language Learning.
AB  - Self-regulated learning has been a widely researched subject for decades in
      educational psychology. Different instruments have been developed to understand
      learners' self-regulated learning in a specific subject domain. This study
      developed a measurement scale to assess English-as-a-foreign-language learners'
      self-regulatory capacity in English language learning and further examined the
      effects of gender on English-as-a-foreign-language learners' self-regulatory
      capacity. A series of psychometric analyses including exploratory factor
      analysis, confirmatory factor analysis, and full structural equation modeling
      were undertaken to answer the research questions raised. The findings suggest
      that the scale can attain high reliability and strong validity in two different
      samplings, and the underlying construct of self-regulation in English language
      learning is shown to be multidimensional with a significant impact by gender.
      Theoretical and pedagogical implications are further put forward in light of the
      research findings.

PMID- 28361650
TI  - Exploring the Interaction of Motor and Social Skills With Autism Severity Using
      the SFARI Dataset.
AB  - Social communicative deficits and stereotyped or repetitive interests or
      behaviors are the defining features of autism spectrum disorder (ASD). A growing
      body of research suggests that gross motor deficits are also present in most
      children with ASD. This study sought to understand how pediatric ASD severity is
      related to motor skills and social skills. A multivariate analysis of variance
      analysis of 483 children with autism ( N = 444) and ASD ( N = 39) revealed a
      nonsignificant difference between groups. Results suggest little difference
      between severity groups on gross motor and social skills within the limited age
      range of the participants (about 5.6 years of age).

PMID- 28361651
TI  - Interrelationships among Jumping Power, Sprinting Power and Pubertal Status after
      Controlling for Size in Young Male Soccer Players.
AB  - This study examined power output on jumping and sprinting tests in young soccer
      players of differing pubertal status, while controlling for body size with
      allometric scaling exponents. A total of 46 males aged 12-18 years (14.17 years)
      were divided into three groups: pre-pubescent ( n = 12), pubescent ( n = 22), and
      post-pubescent ( n = 12). Participants performed a series of tests, including the
      squat jump (SJ), countermovement jump (CMJ), and 10-meter and 30-meter sprint
      test protocols. The Post-PUB group was older ( F = 112.411, p < 0.001), more
      experienced in competitive soccer ( F = 8.055, p = 0.001), taller ( F = 28.940, p
      < 0.001), and heavier ( F = 20.618, p < 0.001), when compared to peers in the
      other groups. Mean differences in jumping and sprinting performances suggested a
      significant effect for pubertal status on performance in the 10-meter sprint
      (large effect size, F = 8.191, p < 0.001) and 30-meter sprint (large effect size,
      F = 8.093, p < 0.001) after allometric scaling. Power output derived from SJ
      (small effect size, F = 0.536, p = 0.001) and CMJ (small effect size, F = 1.058,
      p = 0.356) showed no significant differences across players of varying pubertal
      status. Biological maturation showed a large effect on maximal power output for
      sprints, but not for jumps, when the effect of body size was adjusted by
      statistically derived allometric exponents in young male soccer players.

PMID- 28361652
TI  - Electrical Activity of Powerhouse Muscles During the Teaser Exercise of Pilates
      Using Different Types of Apparatus.
AB  - We compared the electrical activity of certain powerhouse muscles-External
      Oblique, Multifidus, Adductor Longus, and Gluteus Medius-during the teaser
      exercise of the Pilates Method, performed on various types of apparatus-the Mat,
      Reformer, and Wall Unit. Fifteen female practitioners of the Classic Pilates
      Method (32.6 +/- 7.7 years old; 21.9 +/- 1.9 body mass index) performed the
      teaser in each situation while electromyographic (EMG) and kinematic data were
      collected. Root mean square values of the flexion phase were compared. All
      muscles showed higher EMG activity in Reformer compared with Wall Unit, and
      Multifidus, Adductor Longus, and Gluteus Medius showed higher EMG activity in Mat
      compared with Wall Unit. No difference was found between Reformer and Mat.

PMID- 28361653
TI  - Hand Function in Muscular Dystrophies.
AB  - The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between Performance of
      Upper Limb (PUL) and Jebsen-Taylor Test (JTT) to assess and monitor upper limb
      function progression in patients with muscular dystrophy. Thirty patients
      diagnosed with Duchenne muscular dystrophy, limb-girdle muscular dystrophy,
      Becker muscular dystrophy, myotonic dystrophy Type 1, and fascioscapulohumeral
      dystrophy were submitted to the shoulder, elbow, and wrist domains of PUL, and to
      JTT subtests. Spearman tests investigated the relationships between PUL and JTT
      total scores and domains. Correlations were classified as strong ( r >= 0.70),
      moderate (0.40 <=  r < 0.70), or weak ( r <= 0.40). There were strong
      correlations between the PUL and JTT total scores ( r = -0.706). Although JTT
      measures time and PUL provides kinesiologic scores, these measures were related.
      Therefore, muscle synergies, which control the compensatory movements and motor
      functions involving mainly shoulder, elbow, wrist, and finger movements, are
      related to timed performance in patients with muscular dystrophies.

PMID- 28361654
TI  - Effect of a 6-Week Active Play Intervention on Fundamental Movement Skill
      Competence of Preschool Children.
AB  - This study examined the effectiveness of an active play intervention on
      fundamental movement skills of 3- to 5-year-old children from deprived
      communities. In a cluster randomized controlled trial design, six preschools
      received a resource pack and a 6-week local authority program involving staff
      training with help implementing 60-minute weekly sessions and postprogram
      support. Six comparison preschools received a resource pack only. Twelve skills
      were assessed at baseline, postintervention, and at a 6-month follow-up using the
      Children's Activity and Movement in Preschool Study Motor Skills Protocol. One
      hundred and sixty-two children (Mean age = 4.64 +/- 0.58 years; 53.1% boys) were
      included in the final analyses. There were no significant differences between
      groups for total fundamental movement skill, object-control skill or locomotor
      skill scores, indicating a need for program modification to facilitate greater
      skill improvements.

PMID- 28361655
TI  - The Effect of Variability of Practice at Execution Redundancy Level in Skilled
      and Novice Basketball Players.
AB  - We investigated the effect of practice variability through execution redundancy
      in skilled and novice basketball players on free throw skills. Twelve skilled
      basketball players and 12 novices (mean age = 25.4 years, SD = 4.3) were divided
      into four groups (skilled constant, skilled variable, novice constant, and novice
      variable). After a pretest, participants practiced free throw action. The
      variable groups threw the ball over an obstacle of varying heights on each trial
      in random order, whereas the obstacle's height was fixed for the constant groups.
      After 7 and 14 consecutive days of practice, participants performed two posttests
      with constant and variable distances from the basket. The results showed that
      practicing different solutions of a task did not affect the performance of
      skilled players but had an immediate negative effect on the performance of novice
      players. Learning a complex task is the result of learning task-related
      parameters, and practice variability can create a mismatch between task
      difficulty and new learner skill levels.

PMID- 28361656
TI  - Motor Skills and Free-Living Physical Activity Showed No Association Among
      Preschoolers in 2012 U.S. National Youth Fitness Survey.
AB  - Albeit limited, some emerging work, using convenience-based samples, has
      demonstrated that greater motor skill development is associated with higher
      physical activity among preschool-aged children. The purpose of this study was to
      evaluate this topic using data from the 2012 National Youth Fitness Survey that
      included 329 preschool-aged children (3-5 years). Parents proxy-reported their
      child's physical activity, with motor skill level assessed from the Test of Gross
      Motor Development-Second Edition (TGMD2). Motor skill levels (Gross Motor
      Quotient, locomotor or object control) were not associated with preschool free
      living physical activity in any analytic model. Thus, in this large sample of
      preschoolers, contrary to research with older children, motor skill level was not
      associated with physical activity. Findings are discussed in terms of study
      limitations of (a) a reliance on parent report of children's physical activity
      levels and (b) the possibility that physical activity data within the national
      survey were too limited in range to show possible associations to motor skill
      development with higher levels of free-living physical activity in preschoolers.

PMID- 28361657
TI  - Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder and Motor Impairment.
AB  - Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is the most common
      neurobehavioral disorder during childhood, affecting approximately 3-6% of school
      aged children; its cardinal symptoms of high activity, impulsivity, and
      behavioral distractibility might be assumed to have close relationships to
      interferences with motor skills. A separate body of literature attests to ways
      that motor problems can severely impact children's daily lives, as motor problems
      may occur in 30-50% of children with ADHD. This article critically reviews
      research on motor impairment in children with ADHD, notable differences in motor
      performance of individuals with ADHD compared with age-matched controls, and
      possible neural underpinnings of this impairment. We discuss the highly prevalent
      link between ADHD and developmental coordination disorder (DCD) and the lack of a
      clear research consensus about motor difficulties in ADHD. Despite increasing
      evidence and diagnostic classifications that define DCD by motor impairment, the
      role of ADHD symptoms in DCD has not been delineated. Similarly, while ADHD may
      predispose children to motor problems, it is unclear whether any such motor
      difficulties observed in this population are inherent to ADHD or are mediated by
      comorbid DCD. Future research should address the exact nature and long-term
      consequences of motor impairment in children with ADHD and elucidate effective
      treatment strategies for these disorders together and apart.

PMID- 28361658
TI  - Roles of Perceived Motivational Climates Created by Coach, Peer, and Parent on
      Dispositional Flow in Young Athletes.
AB  - We investigated the contribution of perceived motivational climates created by
      coach, peer, and parent on the dispositional flow experience of young athletes.
      Eighty-six female ( Mage = 14.24, SD = 1.38 years) and 134 male ( Mage = 16.28,
      SD = 1.17 years) athletes completed questionnaires of perceived motivational
      climates created by coach, peer, and parent and the Dispositional Flow Scale-2.
      Results of hierarchical multiple regression analyses indicated that perceived
      task-involving coach (beta = .40, p < .001) and peer (beta = .28, p < .002)
      motivational climates were the only significant predictors of dispositional flow.
      These findings suggest that task-involving motivational climates should be
      strengthened to increase experience of flow.

PMID- 28361659
TI  - Ratings of Perceived Exertion and Physiological Parameters of Muscle Metabolism
      in Postmenopausal Women.
AB  - We compared responses from postmenopausal women living a sedentary lifestyle ( n
      = 15; Mean age= 59; SD = 4.2) to a single bout of water- or land-based exercise
      with respect to ratings of perceived exertion (RPE), lactate concentration, and
      muscle oxygen saturation. Each participant was randomly assigned to a single
      water- or land-based 50-minute bout of combined aerobic and resistance exercise.
      Blood samples were collected to detect pre- and post-exercise lactate
      concentration. Total hemoglobin, deoxidized hemoglobin, and the percentage change
      in the total oxygen saturation index (TSI%) of the rectus femoris were detected
      by means of near-infrared spectroscopy. We found similar RPE at various stages of
      land- and water-based exercise, and a similar change in lactate concentration in
      these environments (in water: 4.35 +/- 1.49 mol/L; on land: 3.62 +/- 1.18 mol/L).
      However, the reduction in HHb response was less pronounced after water-based
      exercise, and TSI% increased on land but decreased in water, with the magnitude
      of this change much higher on land. For similar RPE and lactate concentration,
      the oxygen saturation in the exercising muscles decreased in water, suggesting
      higher oxygen consumption in water than on land.

PMID- 28361660
TI  - Effects of Auditory and Visual Priming on the Identification of Spoken Words.
AB  - This study examined the effects of preceding contextual stimuli, either auditory
      or visual, on the identification of spoken target words. Fifty-one participants
      (29% males, 71% females; mean age = 24.5 years, SD = 8.5) were divided into three
      groups: no context, auditory context, and visual context. All target stimuli were
      spoken words masked with white noise. The relationships between the context and
      target stimuli were as follows: identical word, similar word, and unrelated word.
      Participants presented with context experienced a sequence of six context stimuli
      in the form of either spoken words or photographs. Auditory and visual context
      conditions produced similar results, but the auditory context aided word
      identification more than the visual context in the similar word relationship. We
      discuss these results in the light of top-down processing, motor theory, and the
      phonological system of language.

PMID- 28361661
TI  - Personality, Motivation, and Math Achievement Among Turkish Students.
AB  - Using the Turkish portion of the Programme for International Student Assessment
      dataset ( N = 4,848; 51% boys, 49% girls; age, M = 15.81 years, SD = 0.28), this
      study investigated factors associated with mathematics achievement among Turkish
      students. Three different models were estimated using the method of balanced
      repeated replication with Fay's method and taking into account the presence of
      five plausible values of the dependent variable. Results showed that male
      students and older students had better mathematics proficiency. Socio-economic
      status and school resources also played a significant role in explaining student
      achievement in mathematics. Finally, students who were more open to problem
      solving, who attributed their failure to external factors, and who were
      intrinsically motivated to learn mathematics achieved higher scores. Policy
      implications are provided.

PMID- 28361662
TI  - Throwing Skills.
AB  - Traditionally, motor learning scientists have evaluated the process of learning a
      new motor skill by considering the skill as a whole. Yet, motor skills comprise
      various phases, and in the motor learning literature, it is not clear whether new
      learners show similar or different learning across various phases. We provide
      exploratory data on learning movement phases by novices, using baseball pitching
      as the learning task. Eight participants (four male, four female, M age = 23.7
      years, SD = 2.4) performed five trials each in the pretest followed by three
      blocks of 10 trials each in the acquisition phase. Finally, two retention tests
      of five trials were conducted by each participant 10 minutes and seven days after
      the last acquisition block, respectively. Intra- and interlimb coordination of
      upper and lower body segments were measured as dependent variables. We found
      significant differences between the stride phase and the other phases at pretest,
      during the acquisition phase, and on both retention tests across all kinematic
      variables. Participants experienced more trouble coordinating the stride phase
      than the other phases of pitching, perhaps because the stride phase is the only
      phase in which the participants had to move their upper and lower body parts
      simultaneously. We discuss implications for motor learning generally.

PMID- 28361663
TI  - Sex and Ability Differences in Neural Strategy for Piaget's Water Level Test.
AB  - To explore brain activation differences between the sexes and between high and
      low performers on spatial perception performance, 43 college students (20 males
      and 23 females) performed the Piaget's Water Level Test (WLT) while their
      electroencephalogram signals were recorded. A 2 (Sex) * 2 (Group: high performing
      vs. low performing) * 2 (Hemisphere: left vs. right) * 3 (Region: frontal,
      parietal, and temporal) mixed analysis of variance on beta power data showed that
      females more significantly activated the left hemisphere when performing the WLT,
      suggesting their application of an analytic strategy. In contrast, males showed a
      bilateral activation pattern, suggesting their use of an analytic- or holistic
      combined strategy. Moreover, superior performance on the WLT was associated with
      enhanced temporal lobe functioning, suggesting that a superior analytic skill is
      key to successful performance on the WLT. There is likely modulating impact of
      both cognitive style and specific task properties on spatial perception strategy
      preferences.

PMID- 28361664
TI  - Network-based analysis of transcriptional profiles from chemical perturbations
      experiments.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Methods for inference and comparison of biological networks are
      emerging as powerful tools for the identification of groups of tightly connected
      genes whose activity may be altered during disease progression or due to chemical
      perturbations. Connectivity-based comparisons help identify aggregate changes
      that would be difficult to detect with differential analysis methods comparing
      individual genes. METHODS: In this study, we describe a pipeline for network
      comparison and its application to the analysis of gene expression datasets from
      chemical perturbation experiments, with the goal of elucidating the modes of
      actions of the profiled perturbations. We apply our pipeline to the analysis of
      the DrugMatrix and the TG-GATEs, two of the largest toxicogenomics resources
      available, containing gene expression measurements for model organisms exposed to
      hundreds of chemical compounds with varying carcinogenicity and genotoxicity.
      RESULTS: Starting from chemical-specific transcriptional networks inferred from
      these data, we show that the proposed comparative analysis of their associated
      networks identifies groups of chemicals with similar functions and similar
      carcinogenicity/genotoxicity profiles. We also show that the in-silico annotation
      by pathway enrichment analysis of the gene modules with a significant gain or
      loss of connectivity for specific groups of compounds can reveal molecular
      pathways significantly associated with the chemical perturbations and their
      likely modes of action. CONCLUSIONS: The proposed pipeline for transcriptional
      network inference and comparison is highly reproducible and allows grouping
      chemicals with similar functions and carcinogenicity/genotoxicity profiles. In
      the context of drug discovery or drug repositioning, the methods presented here
      could help assign new functions to novel or existing drugs, based on the
      similarity of their associated network with those built for other known
      compounds. Additionally, the method has broad applicability beyond the uses here
      described and could be used as an alternative or as a complement to standard
      approaches of differential gene expression analysis.

PMID- 28361665
TI  - A computational method for estimating the PCR duplication rate in DNA and RNA-seq
      experiments.
AB  - BACKGROUND: PCR amplification is an important step in the preparation of DNA
      sequencing libraries prior to high-throughput sequencing. PCR amplification
      introduces redundant reads in the sequence data and estimating the PCR
      duplication rate is important to assess the frequency of such reads. Existing
      computational methods do not distinguish PCR duplicates from "natural" read
      duplicates that represent independent DNA fragments and therefore, over-estimate
      the PCR duplication rate for DNA-seq and RNA-seq experiments. RESULTS: In this
      paper, we present a computational method to estimate the average PCR duplication
      rate of high-throughput sequence datasets that accounts for natural read
      duplicates by leveraging heterozygous variants in an individual genome. Analysis
      of simulated data and exome sequence data from the 1000 Genomes project
      demonstrated that our method can accurately estimate the PCR duplication rate on
      paired-end as well as single-end read datasets which contain a high proportion of
      natural read duplicates. Further, analysis of exome datasets prepared using the
      Nextera library preparation method indicated that 45-50% of read duplicates
      correspond to natural read duplicates likely due to fragmentation bias. Finally,
      analysis of RNA-seq datasets from individuals in the 1000 Genomes project
      demonstrated that 70-95% of read duplicates observed in such datasets correspond
      to natural duplicates sampled from genes with high expression and identified
      outlier samples with a 2-fold greater PCR duplication rate than other samples.
      CONCLUSIONS: The method described here is a useful tool for estimating the PCR
      duplication rate of high-throughput sequence datasets and for assessing the
      fraction of read duplicates that correspond to natural read duplicates. An
      implementation of the method is available at
      https://github.com/vibansal/PCRduplicates .

PMID- 28361666
TI  - Towards targeted combinatorial therapy design for the treatment of castration
      resistant prostate cancer.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Prostate cancer is one of the most prevalent cancers in males in the
      United States and amongst the leading causes of cancer related deaths. A
      particularly virulent form of this disease is castration-resistant prostate
      cancer (CRPC), where patients no longer respond to medical or surgical
      castration. CRPC is a complex, multifaceted and heterogeneous malady with limited
      standard treatment options. RESULTS: The growth and progression of prostate
      cancer is a complicated process that involves multiple pathways. The signaling
      network comprising the integral constituents of the signature pathways involved
      in the development and progression of prostate cancer is modeled as a
      combinatorial circuit. The failures in the gene regulatory network that lead to
      cancer are abstracted as faults in the equivalent circuit and the Boolean circuit
      model is then used to design therapies tailored to counteract the effect of each
      molecular abnormality and to propose potentially efficacious combinatorial
      therapy regimens. Furthermore, stochastic computational modeling is utilized to
      identify potentially vulnerable components in the network that may serve as
      viable candidates for drug development. CONCLUSION: The results presented herein
      can aid in the design of scientifically well-grounded targeted therapies that can
      be employed for the treatment of prostate cancer patients.

PMID- 28361667
TI  - Combination therapy design for maximizing sensitivity and minimizing toxicity.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Design of personalized targeted therapies involve modeling of patient
      sensitivity to various drugs and drug combinations. Majority of studies evaluate
      the sensitivity of tumor cells to targeted drugs without modeling the effect of
      the drugs on normal cells. In this article, we consider the individual modeling
      of drug responses to tumor and normal cells and utilize them to design targeted
      combination therapies that maximize sensitivity over tumor cells and minimize
      toxicity over normal cells. RESULTS: The problem is formulated as maximizing
      sensitivity over tumor cell models while maintaining sensitivity below a
      threshold over normal cell models. We utilize the constrained structure of tumor
      proliferation models to design an accelerated lexicographic search algorithm for
      generating the optimal solution. For comparison purposes, we also designed two
      suboptimal search algorithms based on evolutionary algorithms and hill-climbing
      based techniques. Results over synthetic models and models generated from
      Genomics of Drug Sensitivity in Cancer database shows the ability of the proposed
      algorithms to arrive at optimal or close to optimal solutions in significantly
      lower number of steps as compared to exhaustive search. We also present the
      theoretical analysis of the expected number of comparisons required for the
      proposed Lexicographic search that compare favorably with the observed number of
      computations. CONCLUSIONS: The proposed algorithms provide a framework for design
      of combination therapy that tackles tumor heterogeneity while satisfying toxicity
      constraints.

PMID- 28361668
TI  - GATK hard filtering: tunable parameters to improve variant calling for next
      generation sequencing targeted gene panel data.
AB  - BACKGROUND: NGS technology represents a powerful alternative to the standard
      Sanger sequencing in the context of clinical setting. The proprietary software
      that are generally used for variant calling often depend on preset parameters
      that may not fit in a satisfactory manner for different genes. GATK, which is
      widely used in the academic world, is rich in parameters for variant calling.
      However the self-adjusting parameter calibration of GATK requires data from a
      large number of exomes. When these are not available, which is the standard
      condition of a diagnostic laboratory, the parameters must be set by the operator
      (hard filtering). The aim of the present paper was to set up a procedure to
      assess the best parameters to be used in the hard filtering of GATK. This was
      pursued by using classification trees on true and false variants from simulated
      sequences of a real dataset data. RESULTS: We simulated two datasets, with
      different coverages, including all the sequence alterations identified in a real
      dataset according to their observed frequencies. Simulated sequences were aligned
      with standard protocols and then regression trees were built up to identify the
      most reliable parameters and cutoff values to discriminate true and false variant
      calls. Moreover, we analyzed flanking sequences of region presenting a high rate
      of false positive calls observing that such sequences present a low complexity
      make up. CONCLUSIONS: Our results showed that GATK hard filtering parameter
      values can be tailored through a simulation study based-on the DNA region of
      interest to ameliorate the accuracy of the variant calling.

PMID- 28361669
TI  - Interpretive time-frequency analysis of genomic sequences.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Time-Frequency (TF) analysis has been extensively used for the
      analysis of non-stationary numeric signals in the past decade. At the same time,
      recent studies have statistically confirmed the non-stationarity of genomic non
      numeric sequences and suggested the use of non-stationary analysis for these
      sequences. The conventional approach to analyze non-numeric genomic sequences
      using techniques specific to numerical data is to convert non-numerical data into
      numerical values in some way and then apply time or transform domain signal
      processing algorithms. Nevertheless, this approach raises questions regarding the
      relative magnitudes under numeric transforms, which can potentially lead to
      spurious patterns or misinterpretation of results. RESULTS: In this paper, using
      the notion of interpretive signal processing (ISP) and by redefining correlation
      functions for non-numeric sequences, a general class of TF transforms are
      extended and applied to non-numerical genomic sequences. The technique has been
      successfully evaluated on synthetic and real DNA sequences. CONCLUSION: The
      proposed framework is fairly generic and is believed to be useful for extracting
      quantitative and visual information regarding local and global periodicity,
      symmetry, (non-) stationarity and spectral color of genomic sequences. The notion
      of interpretive time-frequency analysis introduced in this work can be considered
      as the first step towards the development of a rigorous mathematical construct
      for genomic signal processing.

PMID- 28361670
TI  - Prediction of virus-host infectious association by supervised learning methods.
AB  - BACKGROUND: The study of virus-host infectious association is important for
      understanding the functions and dynamics of microbial communities. Both cellular
      and fractionated viral metagenomic data generate a large number of viral contigs
      with missing host information. Although relative simple methods based on the
      similarity between the word frequency vectors of viruses and bacterial hosts have
      been developed to study virus-host associations, the problem is significantly
      understudied. We hypothesize that machine learning methods based on word
      frequencies can be efficiently used to study virus-host infectious associations.
      METHODS: We investigate four different representations of word frequencies of
      viral sequences including the relative word frequency and three normalized word
      frequencies by subtracting the number of expected from the observed word counts.
      We also study five machine learning methods including logistic regression,
      support vector machine, random forest, Gaussian naive Bayes and Bernoulli naive
      Bayes for separating infectious from non-infectious viruses for nine bacterial
      host genera with at least 45 infecting viruses. Area under the receiver operating
      characteristic curve (AUC) is used to compare the performance of different
      machine learning method and feature combinations. We then evaluate the
      performance of the best method for the identification of the hosts of contigs in
      metagenomic studies. We also develop a maximum likelihood method to estimate the
      fraction of true infectious viruses for a given host in viral tagging
      experiments. RESULTS: Based on nine bacterial host genera with at least 45
      infectious viruses, we show that random forest together with the relative word
      frequency vector performs the best in identifying viruses infecting particular
      hosts. For all the nine host genera, the AUC is over 0.85 and for five of them,
      the AUC is higher than 0.98 when the word size is 6 indicating the high accuracy
      of using machine learning approaches for identifying viruses infecting particular
      hosts. We also show that our method can predict the hosts of viral contigs of
      length at least 1kbps in metagenomic studies with high accuracy. The random
      forest together with word frequency vector outperforms current available methods
      based on Manhattan and [Formula: see text] dissimilarity measures. Based on word
      frequencies, we estimate that about 95% of the identified T4-like viruses in
      viral tagging experiment infect Synechococcus, while only about 29% of the
      identified non-T4-like viruses and 30% of the contigs in the study potentially
      infect Synechococcus. CONCLUSIONS: The random forest machine learning method
      together with the relative word frequencies as features of viruses can be used to
      predict viruses and viral contigs for specific bacterial hosts. The maximum
      likelihood approach can be used to estimate the fraction of true infectious
      associated viruses in viral tagging experiments.

PMID- 28361671
TI  - Using the entrapment sequence method as a standard to evaluate key steps of
      proteomics data analysis process.
AB  - BACKGROUND: The mass spectrometry based technical pipeline has provided a high
      throughput, high-sensitivity and high-resolution platform for post-genomic
      biology. Varied models and algorithms are implemented by different tools to
      improve proteomics data analysis. The target-decoy searching strategy has become
      the most popular strategy to control false identification in peptide and protein
      identifications. While this strategy can estimate the false discovery rate (FDR)
      within a dataset, it cannot directly evaluate the false positive matches in
      target identifications. RESULTS: As a supplement to target-decoy strategy, the
      entrapment sequence method was introduced to assess the key steps of mass
      spectrometry data analysis process, database search engines and quality control
      methods. Using the entrapment sequences as the standard, we evaluated five
      database search engines for both the origanal scores and reprocessed scores, as
      well as four quality control methods in term of quantity and quality aspects. Our
      results showed that the latest developed search engine MS-GF+ and percolator
      embeded quality control method PepDistiller performed best in all tools
      respectively. Combined with efficient quality control methods, the search engines
      can improve the low sensitivity of their original scores. Moreover, based on the
      entrapment sequence method, we proved that filtering the identifications
      separately could increase the number of identified peptides while improving the
      confidence level. CONCLUSION: In this study, we have proved that the entrapment
      sequence method could be an useful strategy to assess the key steps of the mass
      spectrometry data analysis process. Its applications can be extended to all steps
      of the common workflow, such as the protein assembling methods and data
      integration methods.

PMID- 28361672
TI  - Improving the accuracy of high-throughput protein-protein affinity prediction may
      require better training data.
AB  - BACKGROUND: One goal of structural biology is to understand how a protein's 3
      dimensional conformation determines its capacity to interact with potential
      ligands. In the case of small chemical ligands, deconstructing a static protein
      ligand complex into its constituent atom-atom interactions is typically
      sufficient to rapidly predict ligand affinity with high accuracy (>70%
      correlation between predicted and experimentally-determined affinity), a fact
      that is exploited to support structure-based drug design. We recently found that
      protein-DNA/RNA affinity can also be predicted with high accuracy using
      extensions of existing techniques, but protein-protein affinity could not be
      predicted with >60% correlation, even when the protein-protein complex was
      available. METHODS: X-ray and NMR structures of protein-protein complexes, their
      associated binding affinities and experimental conditions were obtained from
      different binding affinity and structural databases. Statistical models were
      implemented using a generalized linear model framework, including the
      experimental conditions as new model features. We evaluated the potential for new
      features to improve affinity prediction models by calculating the Pearson
      correlation between predicted and experimental binding affinities on the training
      and test data after model fitting and after cross-validation. Differences in
      accuracy were assessed using two-sample t test and nonparametric Mann-Whitney U
      test. RESULTS: Here we evaluate a range of potential factors that may interfere
      with accurate protein-protein affinity prediction. We find that X-ray crystal
      resolution has the strongest single effect on protein-protein affinity
      prediction. Limiting our analyses to only high-resolution complexes (<=2.5 A)
      increased the correlation between predicted and experimental affinity from 54 to
      68% (p = 4.32x10-3). In addition, incorporating information on the experimental
      conditions under which affinities were measured (pH, temperature and binding
      assay) had significant effects on prediction accuracy. We also highlight a number
      of potential errors in large structure-affinity databases, which could affect
      both model training and accuracy assessment. CONCLUSIONS: The results suggest
      that the accuracy of statistical models for protein-protein affinity prediction
      may be limited by the information present in databases used to train new models.
      Improving our capacity to integrate large-scale structural and functional
      information may be required to substantively advance our understanding of the
      general principles by which a protein's structure determines its function.

PMID- 28361673
TI  - AfterQC: automatic filtering, trimming, error removing and quality control for
      fastq data.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Some applications, especially those clinical applications requiring
      high accuracy of sequencing data, usually have to face the troubles caused by
      unavoidable sequencing errors. Several tools have been proposed to profile the
      sequencing quality, but few of them can quantify or correct the sequencing
      errors. This unmet requirement motivated us to develop AfterQC, a tool with
      functions to profile sequencing errors and correct most of them, plus highly
      automated quality control and data filtering features. Different from most tools,
      AfterQC analyses the overlapping of paired sequences for pair-end sequencing
      data. Based on overlapping analysis, AfterQC can detect and cut adapters, and
      furthermore it gives a novel function to correct wrong bases in the overlapping
      regions. Another new feature is to detect and visualise sequencing bubbles, which
      can be commonly found on the flowcell lanes and may raise sequencing errors.
      Besides normal per cycle quality and base content plotting, AfterQC also provides
      features like polyX (a long sub-sequence of a same base X) filtering, automatic
      trimming and K-MER based strand bias profiling. RESULTS: For each single or pair
      of FastQ files, AfterQC filters out bad reads, detects and eliminates sequencer's
      bubble effects, trims reads at front and tail, detects the sequencing errors and
      corrects part of them, and finally outputs clean data and generates HTML reports
      with interactive figures. AfterQC can run in batch mode with multiprocess
      support, it can run with a single FastQ file, a single pair of FastQ files (for
      pair-end sequencing), or a folder for all included FastQ files to be processed
      automatically. Based on overlapping analysis, AfterQC can estimate the sequencing
      error rate and profile the error transform distribution. The results of our error
      profiling tests show that the error distribution is highly platform dependent.
      CONCLUSION: Much more than just another new quality control (QC) tool, AfterQC is
      able to perform quality control, data filtering, error profiling and base
      correction automatically. Experimental results show that AfterQC can help to
      eliminate the sequencing errors for pair-end sequencing data to provide much
      cleaner outputs, and consequently help to reduce the false-positive variants,
      especially for the low-frequency somatic mutations. While providing rich
      configurable options, AfterQC can detect and set all the options automatically
      and require no argument in most cases.

PMID- 28361674
TI  - BATVI: Fast, sensitive and accurate detection of virus integrations.
AB  - BACKGROUND: The study of virus integrations in human genome is important since
      virus integrations were shown to be associated with diseases. In the literature,
      few methods have been proposed that predict virus integrations using next
      generation sequencing datasets. Although they work, they are slow and are not
      very sensitive. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION: This paper introduces a new method BatVI
      to predict viral integrations. Our method uses a fast screening method to filter
      out chimeric reads containing possible viral integrations. Next, sensitive
      alignments of these candidate chimeric reads are called by BLAST. Chimeric reads
      that are co-localized in the human genome are clustered. Finally, by assembling
      the chimeric reads in each cluster, high confident virus integration sites are
      extracted. CONCLUSION: We compared the performance of BatVI with existing methods
      VirusFinder and VirusSeq using both simulated and real-life datasets of liver
      cancer patients. BatVI ran an order of magnitude faster and was able to predict
      almost twice the number of true positives compared to other methods while
      maintaining a false positive rate less than 1%. For the liver cancer datasets,
      BatVI uncovered novel integrations to two important genes TERT and MLL4, which
      were missed by previous studies. Through gene expression data, we verified the
      correctness of these additional integrations. BatVI can be downloaded from
      http://biogpu.ddns.comp.nus.edu.sg/~ksung/batvi/index.html .

PMID- 28361675
TI  - A statistical method for the conservative adjustment of false discovery rate (q
      value).
AB  - BACKGROUND: q-value is a widely used statistical method for estimating false
      discovery rate (FDR), which is a conventional significance measure in the
      analysis of genome-wide expression data. q-value is a random variable and it may
      underestimate FDR in practice. An underestimated FDR can lead to unexpected false
      discoveries in the follow-up validation experiments. This issue has not been well
      addressed in literature, especially in the situation when the permutation
      procedure is necessary for p-value calculation. RESULTS: We proposed a
      statistical method for the conservative adjustment of q-value. In practice, it is
      usually necessary to calculate p-value by a permutation procedure. This was also
      considered in our adjustment method. We used simulation data as well as
      experimental microarray or sequencing data to illustrate the usefulness of our
      method. CONCLUSIONS: The conservativeness of our approach has been mathematically
      confirmed in this study. We have demonstrated the importance of conservative
      adjustment of q-value, particularly in the situation that the proportion of
      differentially expressed genes is small or the overall differential expression
      signal is weak.

PMID- 28361676
TI  - Selecting high-quality negative samples for effectively predicting protein-RNA
      interactions.
AB  - BACKGROUND: The identification of Protein-RNA Interactions (PRIs) is important to
      understanding cell activities. Recently, several machine learning-based methods
      have been developed for identifying PRIs. However, the performance of these
      methods is unsatisfactory. One major reason is that they usually use unreliable
      negative samples in the training process. METHODS: For boosting the performance
      of PRI prediction, we propose a novel method to generate reliable negative
      samples. Concretely, we firstly collect the known PRIs as positive samples for
      generating positive sets. For each positive set, we construct two corresponding
      negative sets, one is by our method and the other by random method. Each positive
      set is combined with a negative set to form a dataset for model training and
      performance evaluation. Consequently, we get 18 datasets of different species and
      different ratios of negative samples to positive samples. Secondly, sequence
      based features are extracted to represent each of PRIs and protein-RNA pairs in
      the datasets. A filter-based method is employed to cut down the dimensionality of
      feature vectors for reducing computational cost. Finally, the performance of
      support vector machine (SVM), random forest (RF) and naive Bayes (NB) is
      evaluated on the generated 18 datasets. RESULTS: Extensive experiments show that
      comparing to using randomly-generated negative samples, all classifiers achieve
      substantial performance improvement by using negative samples selected by our
      method. The improvements on accuracy and geometric mean for the SVM classifier,
      the RF classifier and the NB classifier are as high as 204.5 and 68.7%, 174.5 and
      53.9%, 80.9 and 54.3%, respectively. CONCLUSION: Our method is useful to the
      identification of PRIs.

PMID- 28361677
TI  - Predicting protein-binding regions in RNA using nucleotide profiles and
      compositions.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Motivated by the increased amount of data on protein-RNA interactions
      and the availability of complete genome sequences of several organisms, many
      computational methods have been proposed to predict binding sites in protein-RNA
      interactions. However, most computational methods are limited to finding RNA
      binding sites in proteins instead of protein-binding sites in RNAs. Predicting
      protein-binding sites in RNA is more challenging than predicting RNA-binding
      sites in proteins. Recent computational methods for finding protein-binding sites
      in RNAs have several drawbacks for practical use. RESULTS: We developed a new
      support vector machine (SVM) model for predicting protein-binding regions in mRNA
      sequences. The model uses sequence profiles constructed from log-odds scores of
      mono- and di-nucleotides and nucleotide compositions. The model was evaluated by
      standard 10-fold cross validation, leave-one-protein-out (LOPO) cross validation
      and independent testing. Since actual mRNA sequences have more non-binding
      regions than protein-binding regions, we tested the model on several datasets
      with different ratios of protein-binding regions to non-binding regions. The best
      performance of the model was obtained in a balanced dataset of positive and
      negative instances. 10-fold cross validation with a balanced dataset achieved a
      sensitivity of 91.6%, a specificity of 92.4%, an accuracy of 92.0%, a positive
      predictive value (PPV) of 91.7%, a negative predictive value (NPV) of 92.3% and a
      Matthews correlation coefficient (MCC) of 0.840. LOPO cross validation showed a
      lower performance than the 10-fold cross validation, but the performance remains
      high (87.6% accuracy and 0.752 MCC). In testing the model on independent
      datasets, it achieved an accuracy of 82.2% and an MCC of 0.656. Testing of our
      model and other state-of-the-art methods on a same dataset showed that our model
      is better than the others. CONCLUSIONS: Sequence profiles of log-odds scores of
      mono- and di-nucleotides were much more powerful features than nucleotide
      compositions in finding protein-binding regions in RNA sequences. But, a slight
      performance gain was obtained when using the sequence profiles along with
      nucleotide compositions. These are preliminary results of ongoing research, but
      demonstrate the potential of our approach as a powerful predictor of protein
      binding regions in RNA. The program and supporting data are available at
      http://bclab.inha.ac.kr/RBPbinding .

PMID- 28361678
TI  - DIGNiFI: Discovering causative genes for orphan diseases using protein-protein
      interaction networks.
AB  - BACKGROUND: An orphan disease is any disease that affects a small percentage of
      the population. Orphan diseases are a great burden to patients and society, and
      most of them are genetic in origin. Unfortunately, our current understanding of
      the genes responsible for inherited orphan diseases is still quite limited.
      Developing effective computational algorithms to discover disease-causing genes
      would help unveil disease mechanisms and may enable better diagnosis and
      treatment. RESULTS: We have developed a novel method, named as DIGNiFI (Disease
      causIng GeNe FInder), which uses Protein-Protein Interaction (PPI) network-based
      features to discover and rank candidate disease-causing genes. Specifically, our
      approach computes topologically similar genes by taking into account both local
      and global connected paths in PPI networks via Direct Neighbors and Local Random
      Walks, respectively. Furthermore, since genes with similar phenotypes tend to be
      functionally related, we have integrated PPI data with gene ontology (GO)
      annotations and protein complex data to further improve the performance of this
      approach. Results of 128 orphan diseases with 1184 known disease genes collected
      from the Orphanet show that our proposed methods outperform existing state-of-the
      art methods for discovering candidate disease-causing genes. We also show that
      further performance improvement can be achieved when enriching the human-curated
      PPI network data with text-mined interactions from the biomedical literature.
      Finally, we demonstrate the utility of our approach by applying our method to
      identifying novel candidate genes for a set of four inherited retinal
      dystrophies. In this study, we found the top predictions for these retinal
      dystrophies consistent with literature reports and online databases of other
      retinal dystrophies. CONCLUSIONS: Our method successfully prioritizes orphan
      disease-causative genes. This method has great potential to benefit the field of
      orphan disease research, where resources are scarce and greatly needed.

PMID- 28361679
TI  - Stochastic modeling and simulation of reaction-diffusion system with Hill
      function dynamics.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Stochastic simulation of reaction-diffusion systems presents great
      challenges for spatiotemporal biological modeling and simulation. One widely used
      framework for stochastic simulation of reaction-diffusion systems is reaction
      diffusion master equation (RDME). Previous studies have discovered that for the
      RDME, when discretization size approaches zero, reaction time for bimolecular
      reactions in high dimensional domains tends to infinity. RESULTS: In this paper,
      we demonstrate that in the 1D domain, highly nonlinear reaction dynamics given by
      Hill function may also have dramatic change when discretization size is smaller
      than a critical value. Moreover, we discuss methods to avoid this problem:
      smoothing over space, fixed length smoothing over space and a hybrid method.
      CONCLUSION: Our analysis reveals that the switch-like Hill dynamics reduces to a
      linear function of discretization size when the discretization size is small
      enough. The three proposed methods could correctly (under certain precision)
      simulate Hill function dynamics in the microscopic RDME system.

PMID- 28361680
TI  - Inferring microbial interaction networks from metagenomic data using SgLV-EKF
      algorithm.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Inferring the microbial interaction networks (MINs) and modeling
      their dynamics are critical in understanding the mechanisms of the bacterial
      ecosystem and designing antibiotic and/or probiotic therapies. Recently, several
      approaches were proposed to infer MINs using the generalized Lotka-Volterra (gLV)
      model. Main drawbacks of these models include the fact that these models only
      consider the measurement noise without taking into consideration the
      uncertainties in the underlying dynamics. Furthermore, inferring the MIN is
      characterized by the limited number of observations and nonlinearity in the
      regulatory mechanisms. Therefore, novel estimation techniques are needed to
      address these challenges. RESULTS: This work proposes SgLV-EKF: a stochastic gLV
      model that adopts the extended Kalman filter (EKF) algorithm to model the MIN
      dynamics. In particular, SgLV-EKF employs a stochastic modeling of the MIN by
      adding a noise term to the dynamical model to compensate for modeling
      uncertainties. This stochastic modeling is more realistic than the conventional
      gLV model which assumes that the MIN dynamics are perfectly governed by the gLV
      equations. After specifying the stochastic model structure, we propose the EKF to
      estimate the MIN. SgLV-EKF was compared with two similarity-based algorithms, one
      algorithm from the integral-based family and two regression-based algorithms, in
      terms of the achieved performance on two synthetic data-sets and two real data
      sets. The first data-set models the randomness in measurement data, whereas, the
      second data-set incorporates uncertainties in the underlying dynamics. The real
      data-sets are provided by a recent study pertaining to an antibiotic-mediated
      Clostridium difficile infection. The experimental results demonstrate that SgLV
      EKF outperforms the alternative methods in terms of robustness to measurement
      noise, modeling errors, and tracking the dynamics of the MIN. CONCLUSIONS:
      Performance analysis demonstrates that the proposed SgLV-EKF algorithm represents
      a powerful and reliable tool to infer MINs and track their dynamics.

PMID- 28361681
TI  - An integrated approach with new strategies for QSAR models and lead optimization.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Computational drug design approaches are important for shortening the
      time and reducing the cost for drug discovery and development. Among these
      methods, molecular docking and quantitative structure activity relationship
      (QSAR) play key roles for lead discovery and optimization. Here, we propose an
      integrated approach with core strategies to identify the protein-ligand hot spots
      for QSAR models and lead optimization. These core strategies are: 1) to generate
      both residue-based and atom-based interactions as the features; 2) to identify
      compound common and specific skeletons; and 3) to infer consensus features for
      QSAR models. RESULTS: We evaluated our methods and new strategies on building
      QSAR models of human acetylcholinesterase (huAChE). The leave-one-out cross
      validation values q 2 and r 2 of our huAChE QSAR model are 0.82 and 0.78,
      respectively. The experimental results show that the selected features
      (resides/atoms) are important for enzymatic functions and stabling the protein
      structure by forming key interactions (e.g., stack forces and hydrogen bonds)
      between huAChE and its inhibitors. Finally, we applied our methods to
      arthrobacter globiformis histamine oxidase (AGHO) which is correlated to heart
      failure and diabetic. CONCLUSIONS: Based on our AGHO QSAR model, we identified a
      new substrate verified by bioassay experiments for AGHO. These results show that
      our methods and new strategies can yield stable and high accuracy QSAR models. We
      believe that our methods and strategies are useful for discovering new leads and
      guiding lead optimization in drug discovery.

PMID- 28361682
TI  - Identifying miRNA sponge modules using biclustering and regulatory scores.
AB  - BACKGROUND: MicroRNA (miRNA) sponges with multiple tandem miRNA binding sequences
      can sequester miRNAs from their endogenous target mRNAs. Therefore, miRNA sponge
      acting as a decoy is extremely important for long-term loss-of-function studies
      both in vivo and in silico. Recently, a growing number of in silico methods have
      been used as an effective technique to generate hypotheses for in vivo methods
      for studying the biological functions and regulatory mechanisms of miRNA sponges.
      However, most existing in silico methods only focus on studying miRNA sponge
      interactions or networks in cancer, the module-level properties of miRNA sponges
      in cancer is still largely unknown. RESULTS: We propose a novel in silico method,
      called miRSM (miRNA Sponge Module) to infer miRNA sponge modules in breast
      cancer. We apply miRSM to the breast invasive carcinoma (BRCA) dataset provided
      by The Cancer Genome Altas (TCGA), and make functional validation of the
      computational results. We discover that most miRNA sponge interactions are module
      conserved across two modules, and a minority of miRNA sponge interactions are
      module-specific, existing only in a single module. Through functional annotation
      and differential expression analysis, we also find that the modules discovered
      using miRSM are functional miRNA sponge modules associated with BRCA. Moreover,
      the module-specific miRNA sponge interactions among miRNA sponge modules may be
      involved in the progression and development of BRCA. Our experimental results
      show that miRSM is comparable to the benchmark methods in recovering
      experimentally confirmed miRNA sponge interactions, and miRSM outperforms the
      benchmark methods in identifying interactions that are related to breast cancer.
      CONCLUSIONS: Altogether, the functional validation results demonstrate that miRSM
      is a promising method to identify miRNA sponge modules and interactions, and may
      provide new insights for understanding the roles of miRNA sponges in cancer
      progression and development.

PMID- 28361684
TI  - NEArender: an R package for functional interpretation of 'omics' data via network
      enrichment analysis.
AB  - BACKGROUND: The statistical evaluation of pathway enrichment, i.e. of gene
      profiles' confluence to the pathway level, allows exploring molecular landscapes
      using functionally annotated gene sets. However, pathway scores can also be used
      as predictive features in machine learning. That requires, firstly, increasing
      statistical power and biological relevance via a network enrichment analysis
      (NEA) and, secondly, a fast and convenient procedure for rendering the original
      data into a space of pathway scores. However, previous implementations of NEA
      involved multiple runs of network randomization and were therefore slow. RESULTS:
      Here, we present a new R package NEArender which can transform raw 'omics'
      features of experimental or clinical samples into matrices describing the same
      samples with many fewer NEA-based pathway scores. This is done via a parametric
      estimation of the null binomial distribution and is thus much faster and less
      biased than randomization procedures. Further, we compare estimates from these
      two alternative procedures and demonstrate that the summarization of individual
      genes to pathways increases the statistical power compared to both the default
      differential expression analysis on individual genes and the state-of-the-art
      gene set enrichment analysis. The package also contains functions for preparing
      input, modeling null distributions, and evaluating alternative versions of the
      global network. CONCLUSIONS: Beyond the state-of-the-art exploration of molecular
      data through pathway enrichment, score matrices produced by NEArender can be used
      in larger bioinformatics pipelines as input for phenotype modeling, predicting
      disease outcomes etc. This approach is often more sensitive and robust than using
      the original data. The package NEArender is complementary to the online NEA tool
      EviNet ( https://www.evinet.org ) and, unlike of the latter, enables high
      performance of computations off-line. The R package NEArender version 1.4 is
      available at CRAN repository https://cran.r-project.org/web/packages/NEArender/.

PMID- 28361683
TI  - Comparative network stratification analysis for identifying functional
      interpretable network biomarkers.
AB  - BACKGROUND: A major challenge of bioinformatics in the era of precision medicine
      is to identify the molecular biomarkers for complex diseases. It is a general
      expectation that these biomarkers or signatures have not only strong
      discrimination ability, but also readable interpretations in a biological sense.
      Generally, the conventional expression-based or network-based methods mainly
      capture differential genes or differential networks as biomarkers, however, such
      biomarkers only focus on phenotypic discrimination and usually have less
      biological or functional interpretation. Meanwhile, the conventional function
      based methods could consider the biomarkers corresponding to certain biological
      functions or pathways, but ignore the differential information of genes, i.e.,
      disregard the active degree of particular genes involved in particular functions,
      thereby resulting in less discriminative ability on phenotypes. Hence, it is
      strongly demanded to develop elaborate computational methods to directly identify
      functional network biomarkers with both discriminative power on disease states
      and readable interpretation on biological functions. RESULTS: In this paper, we
      present a new computational framework based on an integer programming model,
      named as Comparative Network Stratification (CNS), to extract functional or
      interpretable network biomarkers, which are of strongly discriminative power on
      disease states and also readable interpretation on biological functions. In
      addition, CNS can not only recognize the pathogen biological functions
      disregarded by traditional Expression-based/Network-based methods, but also
      uncover the active network-structures underlying such dysregulated functions
      underestimated by traditional Function-based methods. To validate the
      effectiveness, we have compared CNS with five state-of-the-art methods, i.e.
      GSVA, Pathifier, stSVM, frSVM and AEP on four datasets of different complex
      diseases. The results show that CNS can enhance the discriminative power of
      network biomarkers, and further provide biologically interpretable information or
      disease pathogenic mechanism of these biomarkers. A case study on type 1 diabetes
      (T1D) demonstrates that CNS can identify many dysfunctional genes and networks
      previously disregarded by conventional approaches. CONCLUSION: Therefore, CNS is
      actually a powerful bioinformatics tool, which can identify functional or
      interpretable network biomarkers with both discriminative power on disease states
      and readable interpretation on biological functions. CNS was implemented as a
      Matlab package, which is available at
      http://www.sysbio.ac.cn/cb/chenlab/images/CNSpackage_0.1.rar .

PMID- 28361685
TI  - Sparse feature selection for classification and prediction of metastasis in
      endometrial cancer.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Metastasis via pelvic and/or para-aortic lymph nodes is a major risk
      factor for endometrial cancer. Lymph-node resection ameliorates risk but is
      associated with significant co-morbidities. Incidence in patients with stage I
      disease is 4-22% but no mechanism exists to accurately predict it. Therefore,
      national guidelines for primary staging surgery include pelvic and para-aortic
      lymph node dissection for all patients whose tumor exceeds 2cm in diameter. We
      sought to identify a robust molecular signature that can accurately classify risk
      of lymph node metastasis in endometrial cancer patients. 86 tumors matched for
      age and race, and evenly distributed between lymph node-positive and lymph node
      negative cases, were selected as a training cohort. Genomic micro-RNA expression
      was profiled for each sample to serve as the predictive feature matrix. An
      independent set of 28 tumor samples was collected and similarly characterized to
      serve as a test cohort. RESULTS: A feature selection algorithm was designed for
      applications where the number of samples is far smaller than the number of
      measured features per sample. A predictive miRNA expression signature was
      developed using this algorithm, which was then used to predict the metastatic
      status of the independent test cohort. A weighted classifier, using 18 micro
      RNAs, achieved 100% accuracy on the training cohort. When applied to the testing
      cohort, the classifier correctly predicted 90% of node-positive cases, and 80% of
      node-negative cases (FDR = 6.25%). CONCLUSION: Results indicate that the
      evaluation of the quantitative sparse-feature classifier proposed here in
      clinical trials may lead to significant improvement in the prediction of
      lymphatic metastases in endometrial cancer patients.

PMID- 28361686
TI  - DTL reconciliation repair.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Maximum parsimony phylogenetic tree reconciliation is an important
      technique for reconstructing the evolutionary histories of hosts and parasites,
      genes and species, and other interdependent pairs. Since the problem of finding
      temporally feasible maximum parsimony reconciliations is NP-complete, current
      methods use either exact algorithms with exponential worst-case running time or
      heuristics that do not guarantee optimal solutions. RESULTS: We offer an
      efficient new approach that begins with a potentially infeasible maximum
      parsimony reconciliation and iteratively "repairs" it until it becomes temporally
      feasible. CONCLUSIONS: In a non-trivial number of cases, this approach finds
      solutions that are better than those found by the widely-used Jane heuristic.

PMID- 28361688
TI  - Pysim-sv: a package for simulating structural variation data with GC-biases.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Structural variations (SVs) are wide-spread in human genomes and may
      have important implications in disease-related and evolutionary studies. High
      throughput sequencing (HTS) has become a major platform for SV detection and
      simulation serves as a powerful and cost-effective approach for benchmarking SV
      detection algorithms. Accurate performance assessment by simulation requires the
      simulator capable of generating simulation data with all important features of
      real data, such GC biases in HTS data and various complexities in tumor data.
      However, no available package has systematically addressed all issues in data
      simulation for SV benchmarking. RESULTS: Pysim-sv is a package for simulating HTS
      data to evaluate performance of SV detection algorithms. Pysim-sv can introduce a
      wide spectrum of germline and somatic genomic variations. The package contains
      functionalities to simulate tumor data with aneuploidy and heterogeneous
      subclones, which is very useful in assessing algorithm performance in tumor
      studies. Furthermore, Pysim-sv can introduce GC-bias, the most important and
      prevalent bias in HTS data, in the simulated HTS data. CONCLUSIONS: Pysim-sv
      provides an unbiased toolkit for evaluating HTS-based SV detection algorithms.

PMID- 28361687
TI  - PINTnet: construction of condition-specific pathway interaction network by
      computing shortest paths on weighted PPI.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Identifying perturbed pathways in a given condition is crucial in
      understanding biological phenomena. In addition to identifying perturbed pathways
      individually, pathway analysis should consider interactions among pathways.
      Currently available pathway interaction prediction methods are based on the
      existence of overlapping genes between pathways, protein-protein interaction
      (PPI) or functional similarities. However, these approaches just consider the
      pathways as a set of genes, thus they do not take account of topological
      features. In addition, most of the existing approaches do not handle the explicit
      gene expression quantity information that is routinely measured by RNA-sequecing.
      RESULTS: To overcome these technical issues, we developed a new pathway
      interaction network construction method using PPI, closeness centrality and
      shortest paths. We tested our approach on three different high-throughput RNA-seq
      data sets: pregnant mice data to reveal the role of serotonin on beta cell mass,
      bone-metastatic breast cancer data and autoimmune thyroiditis data to study the
      role of IFN- alpha. Our approach successfully identified the pathways reported in
      the original papers. For the pathways that are not directly mentioned in the
      original papers, we were able to find evidences of pathway interactions by the
      literature search. Our method outperformed two existing approaches, overlapping
      gene-based approach (OGB) and protein-protein interaction-based approach (PB), in
      experiments with the three data sets. CONCLUSION: Our results show that PINTnet
      successfully identified condition-specific perturbed pathways and the
      interactions between the pathways. We believe that our method will be very useful
      in characterizing biological mechanisms at the pathway level. PINTnet is
      available at http://biohealth.snu.ac.kr/software/PINTnet/ .

PMID- 28361689
TI  - AVC: Selecting discriminative features on basis of AUC by maximizing variable
      complementarity.
AB  - BACKGROUND: The Receiver Operator Characteristic (ROC) curve is well-known in
      evaluating classification performance in biomedical field. Owing to its
      superiority in dealing with imbalanced and cost-sensitive data, the ROC curve has
      been exploited as a popular metric to evaluate and find out disease-related genes
      (features). The existing ROC-based feature selection approaches are simple and
      effective in evaluating individual features. However, these approaches may fail
      to find real target feature subset due to their lack of effective means to reduce
      the redundancy between features, which is essential in machine learning. RESULTS:
      In this paper, we propose to assess feature complementarity by a trick of
      measuring the distances between the misclassified instances and their nearest
      misses on the dimensions of pairwise features. If a misclassified instance and
      its nearest miss on one feature dimension are far apart on another feature
      dimension, the two features are regarded as complementary to each other.
      Subsequently, we propose a novel filter feature selection approach on the basis
      of the ROC analysis. The new approach employs an efficient heuristic search
      strategy to select optimal features with highest complementarities. The
      experimental results on a broad range of microarray data sets validate that the
      classifiers built on the feature subset selected by our approach can get the
      minimal balanced error rate with a small amount of significant features.
      CONCLUSIONS: Compared with other ROC-based feature selection approaches, our new
      approach can select fewer features and effectively improve the classification
      performance.

PMID- 28361690
TI  - Revealing common disease mechanisms shared by tumors of different tissues of
      origin through semantic representation of genomic alterations and topic modeling.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Cancer is a complex disease driven by somatic genomic alterations
      (SGAs) that perturb signaling pathways and consequently cellular function.
      Identifying patterns of pathway perturbations would provide insights into common
      disease mechanisms shared among tumors, which is important for guiding treatment
      and predicting outcome. However, identifying perturbed pathways is challenging,
      because different tumors can have the same perturbed pathways that are perturbed
      by different SGAs. Here, we designed novel semantic representations that capture
      the functional similarity of distinct SGAs perturbing a common pathway in
      different tumors. Combining this representation with topic modeling would allow
      us to identify patterns in altered signaling pathways. RESULTS: We represented
      each gene with a vector of words describing its function, and we represented the
      SGAs of a tumor as a text document by pooling the words representing individual
      SGAs. We applied the nested hierarchical Dirichlet process (nHDP) model to a
      collection of tumors of 5 cancer types from TCGA. We identified topics
      (consisting of co-occurring words) representing the common functional themes of
      different SGAs. Tumors were clustered based on their topic associations, such
      that each cluster consists of tumors sharing common functional themes. The
      resulting clusters contained mixtures of cancer types, which indicates that
      different cancer types can share disease mechanisms. Survival analysis based on
      the clusters revealed significant differences in survival among the tumors of the
      same cancer type that were assigned to different clusters. CONCLUSIONS: The
      results indicate that applying topic modeling to semantic representations of
      tumors identifies patterns in the combinations of altered functional pathways in
      cancer.

PMID- 28361691
TI  - Improving prediction of burial state of residues by exploiting correlation among
      residues.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Residues in a protein might be buried inside or exposed to the
      solvent surrounding the protein. The buried residues usually form hydrophobic
      cores to maintain the structural integrity of proteins while the exposed residues
      are tightly related to protein functions. Thus, the accurate prediction of
      solvent accessibility of residues will greatly facilitate our understanding of
      both structure and functionalities of proteins. Most of the state-of-the-art
      prediction approaches consider the burial state of each residue independently,
      thus neglecting the correlations among residues. RESULTS: In this study, we
      present a high-order conditional random field model that considers burial states
      of all residues in a protein simultaneously. Our approach exploits not only the
      correlation among adjacent residues but also the correlation among long-range
      residues. Experimental results showed that by exploiting the correlation among
      residues, our approach outperformed the state-of-the-art approaches in prediction
      accuracy. In-depth case studies also showed that by using the high-order
      statistical model, the errors committed by the bidirectional recurrent neural
      network and chain conditional random field models were successfully corrected.
      CONCLUSIONS: Our methods enable the accurate prediction of residue burial states,
      which should greatly facilitate protein structure prediction and evaluation.

PMID- 28361692
TI  - Active module identification in intracellular networks using a memetic algorithm
      with a new binary decoding scheme.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Active modules are connected regions in biological network which show
      significant changes in expression over particular conditions. The identification
      of such modules is important since it may reveal the regulatory and signaling
      mechanisms that associate with a given cellular response. RESULTS: In this paper,
      we propose a novel active module identification algorithm based on a memetic
      algorithm. We propose a novel encoding/decoding scheme to ensure the
      connectedness of the identified active modules. Based on the scheme, we also
      design and incorporate a local search operator into the memetic algorithm to
      improve its performance. CONCLUSION: The effectiveness of proposed algorithm is
      validated on both small and large protein interaction networks.

PMID- 28361693
TI  - Protein complex-based analysis is resistant to the obfuscating consequences of
      batch effects --- a case study in clinical proteomics.
AB  - BACKGROUND: In proteomics, batch effects are technical sources of variation that
      confounds proper analysis, preventing effective deployment in clinical and
      translational research. RESULTS: Using simulated and real data, we demonstrate
      existing batch effect-correction methods do not always eradicate all batch
      effects. Worse still, they may alter data integrity, and introduce false
      positives. Moreover, although Principal component analysis (PCA) is commonly used
      for detecting batch effects. The principal components (PCs) themselves may be
      used as differential features, from which relevant differential proteins may be
      effectively traced. Batch effect are removable by identifying PCs highly
      correlated with batch but not class effect. However, neither PC-based nor
      existing batch effect-correction methods address well subtle batch effects, which
      are difficult to eradicate, and involve data transformation and/or projection
      which is error-prone. To address this, we introduce the concept of batch-effect
      resistant methods and demonstrate how such methods incorporating protein
      complexes are particularly resistant to batch effect without compromising data
      integrity. CONCLUSIONS: Protein complex-based analyses are powerful, offering
      unparalleled differential protein-selection reproducibility and high prediction
      accuracy. We demonstrate for the first time their innate resistance against batch
      effects, even subtle ones. As complex-based analyses require no prior data
      transformation (e.g. batch-effect correction), data integrity is protected.
      Individual checks on top-ranked protein complexes confirm strong association with
      phenotype classes and not batch. Therefore, the constituent proteins of these
      complexes are more likely to be clinically relevant.

PMID- 28361694
TI  - An empirical fuzzy multifactor dimensionality reduction method for detecting gene
      gene interactions.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Detection of gene-gene interaction (GGI) is a key challenge towards
      solving the problem of missing heritability in genetics. The multifactor
      dimensionality reduction (MDR) method has been widely studied for detecting GGIs.
      MDR reduces the dimensionality of multi-factor by means of binary classification
      into high-risk (H) or low-risk (L) groups. Unfortunately, this simple binary
      classification does not reflect the uncertainty of H/L classification. Thus, we
      proposed Fuzzy MDR to overcome limitations of binary classification by
      introducing the degree of membership of two fuzzy sets H/L. While Fuzzy MDR
      demonstrated higher power than that of MDR, its performance is highly dependent
      on the several tuning parameters. In real applications, it is not easy to choose
      appropriate tuning parameter values. RESULT: In this work, we propose an
      empirical fuzzy MDR (EF-MDR) which does not require specifying tuning parameters
      values. Here, we propose an empirical approach to estimating the membership
      degree that can be directly estimated from the data. In EF-MDR, the membership
      degree is estimated by the maximum likelihood estimator of the proportion of
      cases(controls) in each genotype combination. We also show that the balanced
      accuracy measure derived from this new membership function is a linear function
      of the standard chi-square statistics. This relationship allows us to perform the
      standard significance test using p-values in the MDR framework without
      permutation. Through two simulation studies, the power of the proposed EF-MDR is
      shown to be higher than those of MDR and Fuzzy MDR. We illustrate the proposed EF
      MDR by analyzing Crohn's disease (CD) and bipolar disorder (BD) in the Wellcome
      Trust Case Control Consortium (WTCCC) dataset. CONCLUSION: We propose an
      empirical Fuzzy MDR for detecting GGI using the maximum likelihood of the
      proportion of cases(controls) as the membership degree of the genotype
      combination. The program written in R for EF-MDR is available at
      http://statgen.snu.ac.kr/software/EF-MDR .

PMID- 28361695
TI  - SILVA, RDP, Greengenes, NCBI and OTT - how do these taxonomies compare?
AB  - BACKGROUND: A key step in microbiome sequencing analysis is read assignment to
      taxonomic units. This is often performed using one of four taxonomic
      classifications, namely SILVA, RDP, Greengenes or NCBI. It is unclear how similar
      these are and how to compare analysis results that are based on different
      taxonomies. RESULTS: We provide a method and software for mapping taxonomic
      entities from one taxonomy onto another. We use it to compare the four taxonomies
      and the Open Tree of life Taxonomy (OTT). CONCLUSIONS: While we find that SILVA,
      RDP and Greengenes map well into NCBI, and all four map well into the OTT,
      mapping the two larger taxonomies on to the smaller ones is problematic.

PMID- 28361697
TI  - Selected research articles from the 2016 International Workshop on Computational
      Network Biology: Modeling, Analysis, and Control (CNB-MAC).

PMID- 28361696
TI  - P-Hint-Hunt: a deep parallelized whole genome DNA methylation detection tool.
AB  - BACKGROUND: The increasing studies have been conducted using whole genome DNA
      methylation detection as one of the most important part of epigenetics research
      to find the significant relationships among DNA methylation and several typical
      diseases, such as cancers and diabetes. In many of those studies, mapping the
      bisulfite treated sequence to the whole genome has been the main method to study
      DNA cytosine methylation. However, today's relative tools almost suffer from
      inaccuracies and time-consuming problems. RESULTS: In our study, we designed a
      new DNA methylation prediction tool ("Hint-Hunt") to solve the problem. By having
      an optimal complex alignment computation and Smith-Waterman matrix dynamic
      programming, Hint-Hunt could analyze and predict the DNA methylation status. But
      when Hint-Hunt tried to predict DNA methylation status with large-scale dataset,
      there are still slow speed and low temporal-spatial efficiency problems. In order
      to solve the problems of Smith-Waterman dynamic programming and low temporal
      spatial efficiency, we further design a deep parallelized whole genome DNA
      methylation detection tool ("P-Hint-Hunt") on Tianhe-2 (TH-2) supercomputer.
      CONCLUSIONS: To the best of our knowledge, P-Hint-Hunt is the first parallel DNA
      methylation detection tool with a high speed-up to process large-scale dataset,
      and could run both on CPU and Intel Xeon Phi coprocessors. Moreover, we deploy
      and evaluate Hint-Hunt and P-Hint-Hunt on TH-2 supercomputer in different scales.
      The experimental results illuminate our tools eliminate the deviation caused by
      bisulfite treatment in mapping procedure and the multi-level parallel program
      yields a 48 times speed-up with 64 threads. P-Hint-Hunt gain a deep acceleration
      on CPU and Intel Xeon Phi heterogeneous platform, which gives full play of the
      advantages of multi-cores (CPU) and many-cores (Phi).

PMID- 28361698
TI  - A clustering-based approach for efficient identification of microRNA
      combinatorial biomarkers.
AB  - BACKGROUND: MicroRNAs (miRNAs) have great potential serving as tumor biomarkers
      and therapeutic targets. As the rapid development of high-throughput experimental
      technology, gene expression experiments have become more and more specialized and
      diversified. The complex data structure has brought great challenge for the
      identification of biomarkers. In the meantime, current statistical and machine
      learning methods for detecting biomarkers have the problem of low reliability and
      biased criteria. RESULTS: This study aims to select combinatorial miRNA
      biomarkers, which have higher sensitivity and specificity than single-gene
      biomarkers. In order to avoid exhaustive search and redundant information, miRNAs
      are firstly clustered, then the combinations of representative cluster members
      are assessed as potential biomarkers. Both the criteria for the partition of
      clusters and selection of representative members are based on Fisher linear
      discriminant analysis (FDA). The FDA-based criterion has been demonstrated to be
      superior to three other criteria in selecting representative members, and also
      good at refining clusters. In the comparison with eight common feature selection
      methods, this clustering-based method performs the best with regard to the
      discriminative ability of selected biomarkers. CONCLUSIONS: Our experimental
      results demonstrate that the clustering-based method can identify microRNA
      combinatorial biomarkers with high accuracy and efficiency. Our method and data
      are available to the public upon request.

PMID- 28361699
TI  - Prior knowledge guided active modules identification: an integrated multi
      objective approach.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Active module, defined as an area in biological network that shows
      striking changes in molecular activity or phenotypic signatures, is important to
      reveal dynamic and process-specific information that is correlated with cellular
      or disease states. METHODS: A prior information guided active module
      identification approach is proposed to detect modules that are both active and
      enriched by prior knowledge. We formulate the active module identification
      problem as a multi-objective optimisation problem, which consists two conflicting
      objective functions of maximising the coverage of known biological pathways and
      the activity of the active module simultaneously. Network is constructed from
      protein-protein interaction database. A beta-uniform-mixture model is used to
      estimate the distribution of p-values and generate scores for activity
      measurement from microarray data. A multi-objective evolutionary algorithm is
      used to search for Pareto optimal solutions. We also incorporate a novel
      constraints based on algebraic connectivity to ensure the connectedness of the
      identified active modules. RESULTS: Application of proposed algorithm on a small
      yeast molecular network shows that it can identify modules with high activities
      and with more cross-talk nodes between related functional groups. The Pareto
      solutions generated by the algorithm provides solutions with different trade-off
      between prior knowledge and novel information from data. The approach is then
      applied on microarray data from diclofenac-treated yeast cells to build network
      and identify modules to elucidate the molecular mechanisms of diclofenac toxicity
      and resistance. Gene ontology analysis is applied to the identified modules for
      biological interpretation. CONCLUSIONS: Integrating knowledge of functional
      groups into the identification of active module is an effective method and
      provides a flexible control of balance between pure data-driven method and prior
      information guidance.

PMID- 28361700
TI  - Plant miRNAs found in human circulating system provide evidences of cross kingdom
      RNAi.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Emerging evidence indicates that plant miRNAs can present within
      human circulating system through dietary intake and regulate human gene
      expression. Hence we deduced that comestible plants miRNAs can be identified in
      the public available small RNA sequencing data sets. RESULTS: In this study, we
      identified abundant plant miRNAs sequences from 410 human plasma small RNA
      sequencing data sets. One particular plant miRNA miR2910, conserved in fruits and
      vegetables, was found to present in high relative amount in the plasma samples.
      This miRNA, with same 6mer and 7mer-A1 target seed sequences as hsa-miR-4259 and
      hsa-miR-4715-5p, was predicted to target human JAK-STAT signaling pathway gene
      SPRY4 and transcription regulation genes. CONCLUSIONS: Through analysis of public
      available plasma small RNA sequencing data, we found the supporting evidence for
      the plant miRNAs cross kingdom RNAi within human circulating system.

PMID- 28361701
TI  - In silico prediction of lncRNA function using tissue specific and evolutionary
      conserved expression.
AB  - BACKGROUND: In recent years long non coding RNAs (lncRNAs) have been the subject
      of increasing interest. Thanks to many recent functional studies, the existence
      of a large class of lncRNAs with potential regulatory functions is now widely
      accepted. Although an increasing number of lncRNAs is being characterized and
      shown to be involved in many biological processes, the functions of the vast
      majority lncRNA genes is still unknown. Therefore computational methods able to
      take advantage of the increasing amount of publicly available data to predict
      lncRNA functions could be very useful. RESULTS: Since coding genes are much
      better annotated than lncRNAs, we attempted to project known functional
      information regarding proteins onto non coding genes using the guilt by
      association principle: if a gene shows an expression profile that correlates with
      those of a set of coding genes involved in a given function, that gene is
      probably involved in the same function. We computed gene coexpression for 30
      human tissues and 9 vertebrates and mined the resulting networks with a
      methodology inspired by the rank product algorithm used to identify
      differentially expressed genes. Using different types of reference data we can
      predict putative new annotations for thousands of lncRNAs and proteins, ranging
      from cellular localization to relevance for disease and cancer. CONCLUSIONS: New
      function of coding genes and lncRNA can be profitably predicted using tissue
      specific coexpression, as well as expression of orthologous genes in different
      species. The data are available for download and through a user-friendly web
      interface at www.funcpred.com .

PMID- 28361702
TI  - A sequence-based method to predict the impact of regulatory variants using random
      forest.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Most disease-associated variants identified by genome-wide
      association studies (GWAS) exist in noncoding regions. In spite of the common
      agreement that such variants may disrupt biological functions of their hosting
      regulatory elements, it remains a great challenge to characterize the risk of a
      genetic variant within the implicated genome sequence. Therefore, it is essential
      to develop an effective computational model that is not only capable of
      predicting the potential risk of a genetic variant but also valid in interpreting
      how the function of the genome is affected with the occurrence of the variant.
      RESULTS: We developed a method named kmerForest that used a random forest
      classifier with k-mer counts to predict accessible chromatin regions purely based
      on DNA sequences. We demonstrated that our method outperforms existing methods in
      distinguishing known accessible chromatin regions from random genomic sequences.
      Furthermore, the performance of our method can further be improved with the
      incorporation of sequence conservation features. Based on this model, we assessed
      importance of the k-mer features by a series of permutation experiments, and we
      characterized the risk of a single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) on the function
      of the genome using the difference between the importance of the k-mer features
      affected by the occurrence of the SNP. We conducted a series of experiments and
      showed that our model can well discriminate between pathogenic and normal SNPs.
      Particularly, our model correctly prioritized SNPs that are proved to be enriched
      for the binding sites of FOXA1 in breast cancer cell lines from previous studies.
      CONCLUSIONS: We presented a novel method to interpret functional genetic variants
      purely base on DNA sequences. The proposed k-mer based score offers an effective
      means of measuring the impact of SNPs on the function of the genome, and thus
      shedding light on the identification of genetic risk factors underlying complex
      traits and diseases.

PMID- 28361703
TI  - Mathematical modelling for variations of inbreeding populations fitness with
      single and polygenic traits.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Inbreeding mating has been widely accepted as the key mechanism to
      enhance homozygosity which normally will decrease the fitness of the population.
      Although this result has been validated by a large amount of biological data from
      the natural populations, a mathematical proof of these experimental discoveries
      is still not complete. A related question is whether we can extend the well
      established result regarding the mean fitness from a randomly mating population
      to inbreeding populations. A confirmative answer may provide insights into the
      frequent occurrence of self-fertilization populations. RESULTS: This work
      presents a theoretic proof of the result that, for a large inbreeding population
      with directional relative genotype fitness, the mean fitness of population
      increases monotonically. However, it cannot be extended to the case with over
      dominant genotype fitness. In addition, by employing multiplicative intersection
      hypothesis, we prove that inbreeding mating does decrease the mean fitness of
      polygenic population in general, but does not decrease the mean fitness with
      mixed dominant-recessive genotypes. We also prove a novel result that inbreeding
      depression depends on not only the mating pattern but also genetic structure of
      population. CONCLUSIONS: For natural inbreeding populations without serious
      inbreeding depression, our theoretical analysis suggests the majority of its
      genotypes should be additive or dominant-recessive genotypes. This result gives a
      reason to explain why many hermaphroditism populations do not show severe
      inbreeding depression. In addition, the calculated purging rate shows that
      inbreeding mating purges the deleterious mutants more efficiently than randomly
      mating does.

PMID- 28361704
TI  - Comparison of tissue/disease specific integrated networks using directed graphlet
      signatures.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Analysis of integrated genome-scale networks is a challenging problem
      due to heterogeneity of high-throughput data. There are several topological
      measures, such as graphlet counts, for characterization of biological networks.
      RESULTS: In this paper, we present methods for counting small sub-graph patterns
      in integrated genome-scale networks which are modeled as labeled multidigraphs.
      We have obtained physical, regulatory, and metabolic interactions between H.
      sapiens proteins from the Pathway Commons database. The integrated network is
      filtered for tissue/disease specific proteins by using a large-scale human
      transcriptional profiling study, resulting in several tissue and disease specific
      sub-networks. We have applied and extended the idea of graphlet counting in
      undirected protein-protein interaction (PPI) networks to directed multi-labeled
      networks and represented each network as a vector of graphlet counts. Graphlet
      counts are assessed for statistical significance by comparison against a set of
      randomized networks. We present our results on analysis of differential graphlets
      between different conditions and on the utility of graphlet count vectors for
      clustering multiple condition specific networks. CONCLUSIONS: Our results show
      that there are numerous statistically significant graphlets in integrated
      biological networks and the graphlet signature vector can be used as an effective
      representation of a multi-labeled network for clustering and systems level
      analysis of tissue/disease specific networks.

PMID- 28361705
TI  - SNP by SNP by environment interaction network of alcoholism.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Alcoholism has a strong genetic component. Twin studies have
      demonstrated the heritability of a large proportion of phenotypic variance of
      alcoholism ranging from 50-80%. The search for genetic variants associated with
      this complex behavior has epitomized sequence-based studies for nearly a decade.
      The limited success of genome-wide association studies (GWAS), possibly
      precipitated by the polygenic nature of complex traits and behaviors, however,
      has demonstrated the need for novel, multivariate models capable of
      quantitatively capturing interactions between a host of genetic variants and
      their association with non-genetic factors. In this regard, capturing the network
      of SNP by SNP or SNP by environment interactions has recently gained much
      interest. RESULTS: Here, we assessed 3,776 individuals to construct a network
      capable of detecting and quantifying the interactions within and between
      plausible genetic and environmental factors of alcoholism. In this regard, we
      propose the use of first-order dependence tree of maximum weight as a potential
      statistical learning technique to delineate the pattern of dependencies
      underpinning such a complex trait. Using a predictive based analysis, we further
      rank the genes, demographic factors, biological pathways, and the interactions
      represented by our SNP [Formula: see text]SNP[Formula: see text]E network. The
      proposed framework is quite general and can be potentially applied to the study
      of other complex traits.

PMID- 28361706
TI  - Comprehensive evaluation of RNA-seq quantification methods for linearity.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Deconvolution is a mathematical process of resolving an observed
      function into its constituent elements. In the field of biomedical research,
      deconvolution analysis is applied to obtain single cell-type or tissue specific
      signatures from a mixed signal and most of them follow the linearity assumption.
      Although recent development of next generation sequencing technology suggests RNA
      seq as a fast and accurate method for obtaining transcriptomic profiles, few
      studies have been conducted to investigate best RNA-seq quantification methods
      that yield the optimum linear space for deconvolution analysis. RESULTS: Using a
      benchmark RNA-seq dataset, we investigated the linearity of abundance estimated
      from seven most popular RNA-seq quantification methods both at the gene and
      isoform levels. Linearity is evaluated through parameter estimation, concordance
      analysis and residual analysis based on a multiple linear regression model.
      Results show that count data gives poor parameter estimations, large intercepts
      and high inter-sample variability; while TPM value from Kallisto and Salmon shows
      high linearity in all analyses. CONCLUSIONS: Salmon and Kallisto TPM data gives
      the best fit to the linear model studied. This suggests that TPM values estimated
      from Salmon and Kallisto are the ideal RNA-seq measurements for deconvolution
      studies.

PMID- 28361708
TI  - SEQUOIA: significance enhanced network querying through context-sensitive random
      walk and minimization of network conductance.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Network querying algorithms provide computational means to identify
      conserved network modules in large-scale biological networks that are similar to
      known functional modules, such as pathways or molecular complexes. Two main
      challenges for network querying algorithms are the high computational complexity
      of detecting potential isomorphism between the query and the target graphs and
      ensuring the biological significance of the query results. RESULTS: In this
      paper, we propose SEQUOIA, a novel network querying algorithm that effectively
      addresses these issues by utilizing a context-sensitive random walk (CSRW) model
      for network comparison and minimizing the network conductance of potential
      matches in the target network. The CSRW model, inspired by the pair hidden Markov
      model (pair-HMM) that has been widely used for sequence comparison and alignment,
      can accurately assess the node-to-node correspondence between different graphs by
      accounting for node insertions and deletions. The proposed algorithm identifies
      high-scoring network regions based on the CSRW scores, which are subsequently
      extended by maximally reducing the network conductance of the identified
      subnetworks. CONCLUSIONS: Performance assessment based on real PPI networks and
      known molecular complexes show that SEQUOIA outperforms existing methods and
      clearly enhances the biological significance of the query results. The source
      code and datasets can be downloaded from http://www.ece.tamu.edu/~bjyoon/SEQUOIA
      .

PMID- 28361707
TI  - Investigation and identification of protein carbonylation sites based on position
      specific amino acid composition and physicochemical features.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Protein carbonylation, an irreversible and non-enzymatic post
      translational modification (PTM), is often used as a marker of oxidative stress.
      When reactive oxygen species (ROS) oxidized the amino acid side chains, carbonyl
      (CO) groups are produced especially on Lysine (K), Arginine (R), Threonine (T),
      and Proline (P). Nevertheless, due to the lack of information about the
      carbonylated substrate specificity, we were encouraged to develop a systematic
      method for a comprehensive investigation of protein carbonylation sites. RESULTS:
      After the removal of redundant data from multipe carbonylation-related articles,
      totally 226 carbonylated proteins in human are regarded as training dataset,
      which consisted of 307, 126, 128, and 129 carbonylation sites for K, R, T and P
      residues, respectively. To identify the useful features in predicting
      carbonylation sites, the linear amino acid sequence was adopted not only to build
      up the predictive model from training dataset, but also to compare the
      effectiveness of prediction with other types of features including amino acid
      composition (AAC), amino acid pair composition (AAPC), position-specific scoring
      matrix (PSSM), positional weighted matrix (PWM), solvent-accessible surface area
      (ASA), and physicochemical properties. The investigation of position-specific
      amino acid composition revealed that the positively charged amino acids (K and R)
      are remarkably enriched surrounding the carbonylated sites, which may play a
      functional role in discriminating between carbonylation and non-carbonylation
      sites. A variety of predictive models were built using various features and three
      different machine learning methods. Based on the evaluation by five-fold cross
      validation, the models trained with PWM feature could provide better sensitivity
      in the positive training dataset, while the models trained with AAindex feature
      achieved higher specificity in the negative training dataset. Additionally, the
      model trained using hybrid features, including PWM, AAC and AAindex, obtained
      best MCC values of 0.432, 0.472, 0.443 and 0.467 on K, R, T and P residues,
      respectively. CONCLUSION: When comparing to an existing prediction tool, the
      selected models trained with hybrid features provided a promising accuracy on an
      independent testing dataset. In short, this work not only characterized the
      carbonylated substrate preference, but also demonstrated that the proposed method
      could provide a feasible means for accelerating preliminary discovery of protein
      carbonylation.

PMID- 28361709
TI  - Staged heterogeneity learning to identify conformational B-cell epitopes from
      antigen sequences.
AB  - BACKGROUND: The broad heterogeneity of antigen-antibody interactions brings
      tremendous challenges to the design of a widely applicable learning algorithm to
      identify conformational B-cell epitopes. Besides the intrinsic heterogeneity
      introduced by diverse species, extra heterogeneity can also be introduced by
      various data sources, adding another layer of complexity and further confounding
      the research. RESULTS: This work proposed a staged heterogeneity learning method,
      which learns both characteristics and heterogeneity of data in a phased manner.
      The method was applied to identify antigenic residues of heterogenous
      conformational B-cell epitopes based on antigen sequences. In the first stage,
      the model learns the general epitope patterns of each kind of propensity from a
      large data set containing computationally defined epitopes. In the second stage,
      the model learns the heterogenous complementarity of these propensities from a
      relatively small guided data set containing experimentally determined epitopes.
      Moreover, we designed an algorithm to cluster the predicted individual antigenic
      residues into conformational B-cell epitopes so as to provide strong potential
      for real-world applications, such as vaccine development. With heterogeneity well
      learnt, the transferability of the prediction model was remarkably improved to
      handle new data with a high level of heterogeneity. The model has been tested on
      two data sets with experimentally determined epitopes, and on a data set with
      computationally defined epitopes. This proposed sequence-based method achieved
      outstanding performance - about twice that of existing methods, including the
      sequence-based predictor CBTOPE and three other structure-based predictors.
      CONCLUSIONS: The proposed method uses only antigen sequence information, and thus
      has much broader applications.

PMID- 28361710
TI  - A framework for space-efficient read clustering in metagenomic samples.
AB  - BACKGROUND: A metagenomic sample is a set of DNA fragments, randomly extracted
      from multiple cells in an environment, belonging to distinct, often unknown
      species. Unsupervised metagenomic clustering aims at partitioning a metagenomic
      sample into sets that approximate taxonomic units, without using reference
      genomes. Since samples are large and steadily growing, space-efficient clustering
      algorithms are strongly needed. RESULTS: We design and implement a space
      efficient algorithmic framework that solves a number of core primitives in
      unsupervised metagenomic clustering using just the bidirectional Burrows-Wheeler
      index and a union-find data structure on the set of reads. When run on a sample
      of total length n, with m reads of maximum length l each, on an alphabet of total
      size sigma, our algorithms take O(n(t+logsigma)) time and just 2n+o(n)+O(max{l
      sigmalogn,K logm}) bits of space in addition to the index and to the union-find
      data structure, where K is a measure of the redundancy of the sample and t is the
      query time of the union-find data structure. CONCLUSIONS: Our experimental
      results show that our algorithms are practical, they can exploit multiple cores
      by a parallel traversal of the suffix-link tree, and they are competitive both in
      space and in time with the state of the art.

PMID- 28361712
TI  - A program to compute the soft Robinson-Foulds distance between phylogenetic
      networks.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Over the past two decades, phylogenetic networks have been studied to
      model reticulate evolutionary events. The relationships among phylogenetic
      networks, phylogenetic trees and clusters serve as the basis for reconstruction
      and comparison of phylogenetic networks. To understand these relationships, two
      problems are raised: the tree containment problem, which asks whether a
      phylogenetic tree is displayed in a phylogenetic network, and the cluster
      containment problem, which asks whether a cluster is represented at a node in a
      phylogenetic network. Both the problems are NP-complete. RESULTS: A fast
      exponential-time algorithm for the cluster containment problem on arbitrary
      networks is developed and implemented in C. The resulting program is further
      extended into a computer program for fast computation of the Soft Robinson-Foulds
      distance between phylogenetic networks. CONCLUSIONS: Two computer programs are
      developed for facilitating reconstruction and validation of phylogenetic network
      models in evolutionary and comparative genomics. Our simulation tests indicated
      that they are fast enough for use in practice. Additionally, the distribution of
      the Soft Robinson-Foulds distance between phylogenetic networks is demonstrated
      to be unlikely normal by our simulation data.

PMID- 28361713
TI  - The joint NETTAB/Integrative Bioinformatics 2015 Meeting: aims, topics and
      outcomes.
AB  - The 15th International NETTAB workshop and the 11th Integrative Bioinformatics
      Symposium were held together in Bari, on October 14-16, 2016, as Joint NETTAB/IB
      2015 Meeting. A special topic for the meeting was "Bioinformatics for ncRNA", but
      the traditional topics of both meetings series were also included in the
      event.About 60 scientific contributions were presented, including six keynote
      lectures, one special guest lecture, and many oral communications and posters. A
      "Two-Day Hands-on Tutorial" event was organised before the workshop.Selected full
      papers from some of the best works presented in Bari were submitted either to the
      Journal of Integrative Bioinformatics or to a purpose Call for a Supplement of
      BMC Bioinformatics.Here, we provide an overview of meeting aims and scope. We
      also shortly introduce selected papers that have been either accepted for
      publication in this Supplement or published in the Journal of Integrative
      Bioinformatics, for a more complete presentation of the outcomes of the meeting.

PMID- 28361711
TI  - Receptor-guided 3D-QSAR studies, molecular dynamics simulation and free energy
      calculations of Btk kinase inhibitors.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Bruton tyrosine kinase (Btk) plays an important role in B-cell
      development, differentiation, and signaling. It is also found be in involved in
      male immunodeficiency disease such as X-linked agammaglobulinemia (XLA). Btk is
      considered as a potential therapeutic target for treating autoimmune diseases and
      hematological malignancies. RESULTS: In this work, a combined molecular modeling
      study was performed on a series of thieno [3,2-c] pyridine-4-amine derivatives as
      Btk inhibitors. Receptor-guided COMFA (q 2 = 0.574, NOC = 3, r 2 = 0.924) and
      COMSIA (q 2 = 0.646, NOC = 6, r 2 = 0.971) models were generated based on the
      docked conformation of the most active compound 26. All the developed models were
      tested for robustness using various validation techniques. Furthermore, a 5-ns
      molecular dynamics (MD) simulation and binding free energy calculations were
      carried out to determine the binding modes of the inhibitors and to identify
      crucial interacting residues. The rationality and stability of molecular docking
      and 3D-QSAR results were validated by MD simulation. The binding free energies
      calculated by the MM/PBSA method showed the importance of the van der Waals
      interaction. CONCLUSIONS: A good correlation between the MD results, docking
      studies, and the contour map analysis were observed. The study has identified the
      key amino acid residues in Btk binding pocket. The results from this study can
      provide some insights into the development of potent, novel Btk inhibitors.

PMID- 28361714
TI  - Finding low-conductance sets with dense interactions (FLCD) for better protein
      complex prediction.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Intuitively, proteins in the same protein complexes should highly
      interact with each other but rarely interact with the other proteins in protein
      protein interaction (PPI) networks. Surprisingly, many existing computational
      algorithms do not directly detect protein complexes based on both of these
      topological properties. Most of them, depending on mathematical definitions of
      either "modularity" or "conductance", have their own limitations: Modularity has
      the inherent resolution problem ignoring small protein complexes; and conductance
      characterizes the separability of complexes but fails to capture the interaction
      density within complexes. RESULTS: In this paper, we propose a two-step algorithm
      FLCD (Finding Low-Conductance sets with Dense interactions) to predict
      overlapping protein complexes with the desired topological structure, which is
      densely connected inside and well separated from the rest of the networks. First,
      FLCD detects well-separated subnetworks based on approximating a potential low
      conductance set through a personalized PageRank vector from a protein and then
      solving a mixed integer programming (MIP) problem to find the minimum-conductance
      set within the identified low-conductance set. At the second step, the densely
      connected parts in those subnetworks are discovered as the protein complexes by
      solving another MIP problem that aims to find the dense subnetwork in the minimum
      conductance set. CONCLUSION: Experiments on four large-scale yeast PPI networks
      from different public databases demonstrate that the complexes predicted by FLCD
      have better correspondence with the yeast protein complex gold standards than
      other three state-of-the-art algorithms (ClusterONE, LinkComm, and SR-MCL).
      Additionally, results of FLCD show higher biological relevance with respect to
      Gene Ontology (GO) terms by GO enrichment analysis.

PMID- 28361717
TI  - Guest Editorial: Yet Another Emerging Technology: Old and New Questions Posed by
      Synthetic Biology.

PMID- 28361716
TI  - Visualization of consensus genome structure without using a reference genome.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Standard graphical tools for whole genome comparison require a
      reference genome. However, any reference is also subject to annotation biases and
      rearrangements, and may not serve as the standard except for those of extensively
      studied model species. To fully exploit the rapidly accumulating sequence data
      from the recent sequencing technologies, genome comparison without any reference
      has been anticipated. RESULTS: We introduce a circular genome visualizer to
      compare complete genomes of closely related species. This tool visualizes the
      position of orthologous gene clusters rather than actual sequences or their
      features, thereby achieving the comparative view without using a single reference
      genome. The essential information is the matrix of orthologous gene clusters
      whose positions (not sequences) are color-coded in circular graphics. As a
      demonstration, comparison of 14 Lactobacillus paracasei strains and one L. casei
      strain revealed not only large-scale rearrangements but also genomic islands that
      are strain-specific. Comparison of 73 Helicobacter pylori strains confirmed their
      genetic consistency and also revealed the three general patterns of large-scale
      genome inversions. CONCLUSIONS: From the ample sequence information in the
      GenBank/ENA/DDBJ repository, we can reconstruct a genomic consensus for
      particular species. By visualizing multiple strains at a glance, we can identify
      conserved as well as strain-specific regions in multiply sequenced genomes.
      Positional consistency for orthologous genes provides information orthogonal to
      major sequence features such as the GC content or sequence similarity of marker
      genes. The positional comparison is therefore useful for identifying large-scale
      genome rearrangements or gene transfers.

PMID- 28361719
TI  - Consequentialism and the Synthetic Biology Problem.
AB  - This article analyzes the ethics of synthetic biology (synbio) from a
      consequentialist perspective, examining potential effects on food and
      agriculture, and on medicine, fuel, and the advancement of science. The issues of
      biosafety and biosecurity are also examined. A consequentialist analysis offers
      an essential road map to policymakers and regulators as to how to deal with
      synbio. Additionally, the article discusses the limitations of consequentialism
      as a tool for analysing synbioethics. Is it possible to predict, with any degree
      of plausibility, what the consequences of synthetic biology will be in 50 years,
      or in 100, or in 500? Synbio may take humanity to a place of radical departure
      from what is known or knowable.

PMID- 28361718
TI  - Synthetic Biology and Ethics: Past, Present, and Future.
AB  - This article explores the ethical issues that have been identified in emerging
      technologies, from early genetic engineering to synthetic biology. The scientific
      advances in the field form a continuum, and some ethical considerations can be
      raised time and again when new developments occur. An underlying concern is the
      cumulative effect of scientific advances and ensuing technological innovation
      that can change our understanding of life and humanity.

PMID- 28361720
TI  - The Bioethicist Who Cried "Synthetic Biology": An Analysis of the Function of
      Bioterrorism Predictions in Bioethics.
AB  - This article analyzes a specter that has haunted bioethics almost since its
      inception, namely the specter of the misuse of biotechnology by maleficent agents
      bent on mass destruction, or the complete eradication of human kind and life as
      we know it. The article provides a general account of why bioethicists cry
      "catastrophic bioterrorism potential" when new biotechnologies emerge, and an
      analysis of the arguments that flow from the prediction, especially in relation
      to synthetic biology.

PMID- 28361721
TI  - Finding Hope in Synthetic Biology.
AB  - For some, synthetic biology represents great hope in offering possible solutions
      to many of the world's biggest problems, from hunger to sustainable development.
      Others remain fearful of the harmful uses, such as bioweapons, that synthetic
      biology can lend itself to, and most hold that issues of biosafety are of utmost
      importance. In this article, I will evaluate these points of view and conclude
      that although the biggest promises of synthetic biology are unlikely to become
      reality, and the probability of accidents is fairly substantial, synthetic
      biology could still be seen to benefit humanity by enhancing our ethical
      understanding and by offering a boost to world economy.

PMID- 28361722
TI  - Synthetic Biology between Self-Regulation and Public Discourse: Ethical Issues
      and the Many Roles of the Ethicist.
AB  - This article discusses the roles of ethicists in the governance of synthetic
      biology. I am particularly concerned with the idea of self-regulation of
      bioscience and its relationship to public discourse about ethical issues in
      bioscience. I will look at the role of philosophical ethicists at different
      levels and loci, from the "embedded ethicist" in the laboratory or research
      project, to ethicists' impact on policy and public discourse. In a democratic
      society, the development of governance frameworks for emerging technologies, such
      as synthetic biology, needs to be guided by a well-informed public discourse. In
      the case of synthetic biology, the public discourse has to go further than merely
      considering technical issues of biosafety and biosecurity, or risk management, to
      consider more philosophical issues concerning the meaning and value of "life"
      between the natural and the synthetic. I argue that ethicists have moral
      expertise to bring to the public arena, which consists not only in guiding the
      debate but also in evaluating arguments and moral positions and making normative
      judgments. When ethicists make normative claims or moral judgments, they must be
      transparent about their theoretical positions and basic moral standpoints.

PMID- 28361723
TI  - Synthetic Biology: The Response of the Commission of the (Catholic) Bishops'
      Conferences of the European Community.
AB  - The Commission of the (Catholic) Bishops' Conferences of the European Community
      (COMECE) has issued an opinion on the ethics of synthetic biology (synbio).
      Examining synbio from religious and more general ethical perspectives, it
      examines synbio's potential pros and cons, as well as whether it is ethical in
      and of itself. Its conclusions mirror those of the ethical mainstream; namely,
      that synbio may present humanity with opportunities for both great advancement
      and great destruction. It suggests a prudent approach, and calls for regulation
      to be used to encourage positive outcomes while reducing the likelihood of
      negative ones.

PMID- 28361724
TI  - Sex before the State: Civic Sex, Reproductive Innovations, and Gendered Parental
      Identity.
AB  - Certain changes in the way that states classify people by sex as well as certain
      reproductive innovations undercut the rationale for state identification of
      people as male or female in signifying gendered parental relationships to
      children. At present, people known to the state as men may be genetic mothers to
      their children; people known to the state as women may be genetic fathers to
      their children. Synthetic gametes would make it possible for transgender men to
      be genetically related to children as fathers and transgender women to be
      genetically related to children as mothers, even if they have otherwise relied on
      naturally-occurring gametes to be genetic mothers and genetic fathers of children
      respectively. Synthetic gametes would presumably make it possible for any person
      to be the genetic father or genetic mother of children, even in a mix-and-match
      way. Other reproductive innovations will also undercut existing expectations of
      gendered parental identity. Uterus transplants would uncouple the maternal
      function of gestation from women, allowing men to share in maternity that way.
      Extracorporeal gestation ((ExCG)-gestation outside anyone's body-would also
      undercut the until-now absolute connection between female sex and maternity. In
      kind, effects such as these-undoing conventionally gendered parenthood-undercut
      the state's interest in knowing whether parents are male or female in relation to
      a given child, as against knowing simply whether someone stands in a parental
      relationship to that child, as a matter of rights and duties.

PMID- 28361725
TI  - Resource Allocation, Treatment, Disclosure, and Mitochondrial Replacement
      Techniques.

PMID- 28361726
TI  - From What Kind of Research Can They Dissent?

PMID- 28361727
TI  - Beyond an Open Future.
AB  - Discussions about the ethical permissibility of pediatric cognitive enhancement
      frequently revolve around arguments about welfare, and often include an appeal to
      the child's right to an open future. Both proponents and opponents of cognitive
      enhancement claim that their respective positions best serve the interests of the
      child by promoting an open future. This article argues that this right to an open
      future argument only captures some of the risks to the welfare of children,
      therefore requiring a broader ethical approach. Further, it suggests that a
      thorough moral assessment of the ends pursued is needed before concluding on the
      moral permissibility of cognitive enhancement in children, which ultimately
      hinges on the effect on the overall welfare of the child, beyond an open future.

PMID- 28361728
TI  - The Electronic Medical Record and the Loss of Narrative.
AB  - The use of the electronic medical record (EMR) facilitates many aspects of
      patient care as well as clinical and outcomes research. However, our thought
      processes are directed differently when collecting data to be entered into a
      structured database compared with when collecting data to construct a narrative
      of the patient and his or her complaints. While recognizing that the EMR will
      improve overall patient care, it is worthwhile examining aspects of patient
      doctor interaction that may be sacrificed.

PMID- 28361729
TI  - The Electronic Health Record and Patient Portals in HIV Medicine.
AB  - The electronic medical record provides an exciting opportunity to support the
      coordination of care by medical and social providers. Many of these systems
      include patient portals that allow providers to share clinical information with
      patients in real time. These "patient portals" provide a unique opportunity for
      clients and patients to access and use HIV and sexually transmitted infection
      information for communication with healthcare providers, with potential or actual
      sex partners, and for tracking their own clinical course and progress. A
      concerted effort to develop these should include a high level of transparency and
      adequate support for both patient and provider.

PMID- 28361730
TI  - Safeguarding Confidentiality in Electronic Health Records.
AB  - Electronic health records (EHRs) offer significant advantages over paper charts,
      such as ease of portability, facilitated communication, and a decreased risk of
      medical errors; however, important ethical concerns related to patient
      confidentiality remain. Although legal protections have been implemented, in
      practice, EHRs may be still prone to breaches that threaten patient privacy.
      Potential safeguards are essential, and have been implemented especially in
      sensitive areas such as mental illness, substance abuse, and sexual health.
      Features of one institutional model are described that may illustrate the efforts
      to both ensure adequate transparency and ensure patient confidentiality. Trust
      and the therapeutic alliance are critical to the provider-patient relationship
      and quality healthcare services. All of the benefits of an EHR are only possible
      if patients retain confidence in the security and accuracy of their medical
      records.

PMID- 28361715
TI  - SheddomeDB: the ectodomain shedding database for membrane-bound shed markers.
AB  - BACKGROUND: A number of membrane-anchored proteins are known to be released from
      cell surface via ectodomain shedding. The cleavage and release of membrane
      proteins has been shown to modulate various cellular processes and disease
      pathologies. Numerous studies revealed that cell membrane molecules of diverse
      functional groups are subjected to proteolytic cleavage, and the released soluble
      form of proteins may modulate various signaling processes. Therefore, in addition
      to the secreted protein markers that undergo secretion through the secretory
      pathway, the shed membrane proteins may comprise an additional resource of
      noninvasive and accessible biomarkers. In this context, identifying the membrane
      bound proteins that will be shed has become important in the discovery of
      clinically noninvasive biomarkers. Nevertheless, a data repository for biological
      and clinical researchers to review the shedding information, which is
      experimentally validated, for membrane-bound protein shed markers is still
      lacking. RESULTS: In this study, the database SheddomeDB was developed to
      integrate publicly available data of the shed membrane proteins. A comprehensive
      literature survey was performed to collect the membrane proteins that were
      verified to be cleaved or released in the supernatant by immunological-based
      validation experiments. From 436 studies on shedding, 401 validated shed membrane
      proteins were included, among which 199 shed membrane proteins have not been
      annotated or validated yet by existing cleavage databases. SheddomeDB attempted
      to provide a comprehensive shedding report, including the regulation of shedding
      machinery and the related function or diseases involved in the shedding events.
      In addition, our published tool ShedP was embedded into SheddomeDB to support
      researchers for predicting the shedding event on unknown or unrecorded membrane
      proteins. CONCLUSIONS: To the best of our knowledge, SheddomeDB is the first
      database for the identification of experimentally validated shed membrane
      proteins and currently may provide the most number of membrane proteins for
      reviewing the shedding information. The database included membrane-bound shed
      markers associated with numerous cellular processes and diseases, and some of
      these markers are potential novel markers because they are not annotated or
      validated yet in other databases. SheddomeDB may provide a useful resource for
      discovering membrane-bound shed markers. The interactive web of SheddomeDB is
      publicly available at http://bal.ym.edu.tw/SheddomeDB/ .

PMID- 28361731
TI  - Health Information Technology as a Universal Donor to Bioethics Education.
AB  - Health information technology, sometimes called biomedical informatics, is the
      use of computers and networks in the health professions. This technology has
      become widespread, from electronic health records to decision support tools to
      patient access through personal health records. These computational and
      information-based tools have engendered their own ethics literature and now
      present an opportunity to shape the standard medical and nursing ethics
      curricula. It is suggested that each of four core components in the professional
      education of clinicians-privacy, end-of-life care, access to healthcare and valid
      consent, and clinician-patient communication-offers an opportunity to leverage
      health information technology for curricular improvement. Using informatics in
      ethics education freshens ethics pedagogy and increases its utility, and does so
      without additional demands on overburdened curricula.

PMID- 28361732
TI  - Bioethicsing.
AB  - This article describes the components of a unique 9 month required course in
      bioethics for 3rd year medical students at the American University of Beirut. The
      blended (hybrid) learning format emphasizes three innovative learning activities:
      the bioethics documentary, edutainment games, and the bioethics log book. Sample
      student responses are included as well as an outline of limitations.

PMID- 28361733
TI  - Emerging Fungal Threats to Plants and Animals Challenge Agriculture and Ecosystem
      Resilience.
AB  - While fungi can make positive contributions to ecosystems and agro-ecosystems,
      for example, in mycorrhizal associations, they can also have devastating impacts
      as pathogens of plants and animals. In undisturbed ecosystems, most such negative
      interactions will be limited through the coevolution of fungi with their hosts.
      In this article, we explore what happens when pathogenic fungi spread beyond
      their natural ecological range and become invasive on naive hosts in new
      ecosystems. We will see that such invasive pathogens have been problematic to
      humans and their domesticated plant and animal species throughout history, and we
      will discuss some of the most pressing fungal threats of today.

PMID- 28361734
TI  - Tuberculosis in Enclosed Populations.
AB  - Transmission of tuberculosis (TB) is most effective in close contact indoor
      environments in various congregate settings including health care facilities,
      homeless shelters, correctional facilities, long-term care facilities, as well as
      community settings such as homes, schools, workplaces, and various modes of
      transportation. Outbreaks are fueled by numerous factors including the HIV
      epidemic, ease of global travel, unstable socio-economic and/or political
      situations, and lapses in response to potentially infectious patients. Organized
      approaches to TB control include an appropriate index of suspicion,
      identification and isolation of contagious patients in appropriate facilities,
      use of environmental controls, and personal protective equipment in accordance to
      national and international published guidelines. These all require tailoring to
      the various settings where TB is encountered using a determination of risk.
      Concerted efforts at the local, regional, national, and international levels at
      identifying patients with active disease, enforcing completion of treatment, and
      testing and fully treating patients with latent TB infection are paramount in
      reducing TB burden and continued transmission.

PMID- 28361735
TI  - Key Ecological Roles for Zoosporic True Fungi in Aquatic Habitats.
AB  - The diversity and abundance of zoosporic true fungi have been analyzed recently
      using fungal sequence libraries and advances in molecular methods, such as high
      throughput sequencing. This review focuses on four evolutionary primitive true
      fungal phyla: the Aphelidea, Chytridiomycota, Neocallimastigomycota, and
      Rosellida (Cryptomycota), most species of which are not polycentric or mycelial
      (filamentous), rather they tend to be primarily monocentric (unicellular).
      Zoosporic fungi appear to be both abundant and diverse in many aquatic habitats
      around the world, with abundance often exceeding other fungal phyla in these
      habitats, and numerous novel genetic sequences identified. Zoosporic fungi are
      able to survive extreme conditions, such as high and extremely low pH; however,
      more work remains to be done. They appear to have important ecological roles as
      saprobes in decomposition of particulate organic substrates, pollen, plant
      litter, and dead animals; as parasites of zooplankton and algae; as parasites of
      vertebrate animals (such as frogs); and as symbionts in the digestive tracts of
      mammals. Some chytrids cause economically important diseases of plants and
      animals. They regulate sizes of phytoplankton populations. Further metagenomics
      surveys of aquatic ecosystems are expected to enlarge our knowledge of the
      diversity of true zoosporic fungi. Coupled with studies on their functional
      ecology, we are moving closer to unraveling the role of zoosporic fungi in carbon
      cycling and the impact of climate change on zoosporic fungal populations.

PMID- 28361737
TI  - Therapy of Multidrug-Resistant and Extensively Drug-Resistant Tuberculosis.
AB  - The global epidemic of multidrug-resistant tuberculosis (MDR-TB) caused by
      Mycobacterium tuberculosis strains resistant to at least isoniazid and rifampin
      was recently reported as larger than previously estimated, with at least 580,000
      new cases reported in 2015. Extensively drug-resistant tuberculosis (XDR-TB), MDR
      TB with additional resistance to a second-line fluoroquinolone and injectable,
      continues to account for nearly 10% of MDR cases globally. Cases in India, China,
      and the Russian Federation account for >45% of the cases of MDR-TB. Molecular
      testing helps identify MDR more quickly, and treatment options have expanded
      across the globe. Despite this, only 20% are in treatment, and treatment is
      challenging due to the toxicity of medications and the long duration. In 2016 the
      World Health Organization updated guidelines for the treatment of MDR-TB. A new
      short-course regimen is an option for those who qualify. Five effective drugs,
      including pyrazinamide (PZA) when possible, are recommended during the initial
      treatment phase and four drugs thereafter. Revised drug classifications include
      the use of linezolid and clofazimine as key second-line drugs and the option to
      use bedaquiline and delamanid to complete a five-drug regimen when needed due to
      poor medication tolerance or extensive resistance. Despite multiple drugs and
      long-duration treatment regimens, the outcomes for MDR and especially XDR-TB are
      much worse than for drug-susceptible disease. Better management of toxicity,
      prevention of transmission, and identification and appropriate management of
      infected contacts are important challenges for the future.

PMID- 28361739
TI  - Ghrelin activation and neuropeptide Y elevation in response to medium chain
      triglyceride administration in anorexia nervosa patients.
AB  - BACKGROUND & AIMS: Ghrelin, a peptide found in the stomach, increases appetite
      and fat-free mass while suppressing energy expenditure. Ghrelin requires
      modification by medium-chain triglycerides (MCTs) to exert its physiological
      effects. In this study, we investigated ghrelin activation and the resulting
      physiological changes following MCT administration. METHODS: Thirty participants
      were selected from among inpatients diagnosed with anorexia nervosa (AN). The
      patients were randomly divided into three groups by the MCT content of their
      nutritional supplement: (1) 'MCT high' (>6 g/day), (2) 'MCT moderate' (1-6
      g/day), and (3) 'MCT low' (<1 g/day). Physical factors such as body weight and
      composition, as well as levels of nutrition-related serum factors such as
      acylated (active form) and desacyl (inactive form) ghrelin, leptin, growth
      hormone, insulin-like growth factor, and neuropeptide Y (NPY) were measured at
      weeks 0, 2, 4, and 6 of the treatment protocol. RESULTS: Significantly higher
      ghrelin activation was found in the 'MCT high' than in the 'MCT low' group (P <
      0.05). The amount of consumed MCT had a curvilinear relationship with the active
      ghrelin level (P = 0.00). NPY levels in the 'MCT high' group were significantly
      more elevated than in the 'MCT low' group (P < 0.05). MCT administration did not
      significantly affect the remaining factors. CONCLUSIONS: This study clearly
      demonstrated that MCT activates ghrelin and increases NPY, suggesting that
      nutritional supplementation with MCT may be effective for the treatment of AN
      patients in an emaciated state.

PMID- 28361740
TI  - Association between adductor pollicis muscle thickness, anthropometric and
      immunological parameters in HIV-positive patients.
AB  - BACKGROUNDS AND AIMS: Involuntary weight loss and muscle mass loss among HIV
      positive patients are only detectable in late stages, leading poor life quality.
      The reduction of adductor pollicis muscle thickness (APMT) can be easily and
      earlier uncovered in those cases. The purpose was to estimate APMT and compare it
      with immunological and anthropometric parameters of HIV-infected people. METHODS:
      A crosssectional study was carried out in an University Hospital including 103
      HIV-infected outpatients by subjective global assessment (SGA). Data were
      compared to APMT for the whole sample and between gender in univariate analysis.
      Besides that, simple correlation and multiple linear regression were done to
      check the APMT relation with gender, age, weight body, body mass index, arm
      circumference, CD4, CD8 and viral load. RESULTS: The APMT average values of the
      dominant hand (16.2 +/- 4.2 mm) and non-dominant hand (14.8 +/- 4.3 mm) were
      lower than in the healthy population. Through stratified analysis by gender, it
      was found significant difference in weight, arm muscle circumference, arm muscle
      area, triceps skinfold thickness and arm fat area (p < 0,01 for each). In any age
      group, men had significantly higher dominant and non-dominant APMT values than
      women (p < 0.001). Although the fair correlation among cited variables and APMT
      of both hands, there were no correlation and no difference between the genders in
      regards to immunological markers (CD4, CD8 and viral load). In a prediction model
      to APMT values, gender was determinant in multiple linear regression.
      CONCLUSIONS: In a well-nourished HIV sample by SGA with adequate CD4 counts, APMT
      measures of both hands were lower than in healthy people. In both hands, APMT
      were positively correlated with weight and male, regardless of other
      anthropometric data and immunologic factors.

PMID- 28361738
TI  - Simplifying study of fever's dramatic relief of autistic behavior.
AB  - Dramatic relief of autistic behavior by infectious fever continues to tantalize
      parents and practitioners, yet researchers still hesitate to study its
      physiology/biochemistry, fearing stress and heat of brain imaging, contagion, and
      fever's complexity. Yet what could be more revealing than a common event that
      virtually 'normalizes' autistic behavior for a time? This paper proposes study of
      three simplified scenarios: (1) improvements appearing hours before fever, (2)
      return of autistic behavior soon after fever, (3) improvements persisting long
      after fever. Each scenario limits some risk - and some explanation - inviting
      triangulation of decisive factor(s) in relief and recurrence. Return of autistic
      behavior after fever may be most revealing. The complex mechanisms that generated
      fever have all abated; simpler cooling mechanisms prevail - how many plausible
      explanations can there be? The decisive factor in fever's benefit is concluded to
      be water drawn/carried from brain myelin and astrocytes by osmolytes glutamine
      and taurine released from muscles and brain; the decisive factor in return of
      autistic behavior after fever is return of water.

PMID- 28361736
TI  - DNA Replication in Mycobacterium tuberculosis.
AB  - Faithful replication and maintenance of the genome are essential to the ability
      of any organism to survive and propagate. For an obligate pathogen such as
      Mycobacterium tuberculosis that has to complete successive cycles of
      transmission, infection, and disease in order to retain a foothold in the human
      population, this requires that genome replication and maintenance must be
      accomplished under the metabolic, immune, and antibiotic stresses encountered
      during passage through variable host environments. Comparative genomic analyses
      have established that chromosomal mutations enable M. tuberculosis to adapt to
      these stresses: the emergence of drug-resistant isolates provides direct evidence
      of this capacity, so too the well-documented genetic diversity among M.
      tuberculosis lineages across geographic loci, as well as the microvariation
      within individual patients that is increasingly observed as whole-genome
      sequencing methodologies are applied to clinical samples and tuberculosis (TB)
      disease models. However, the precise mutagenic mechanisms responsible for M.
      tuberculosis evolution and adaptation are poorly understood. Here, we summarize
      current knowledge of the machinery responsible for DNA replication in M.
      tuberculosis, and discuss the potential contribution of the expanded complement
      of mycobacterial DNA polymerases to mutagenesis. We also consider briefly the
      possible role of DNA replication-in particular, its regulation and coordination
      with cell division-in the ability of M. tuberculosis to withstand antibacterial
      stresses, including host immune effectors and antibiotics, through the generation
      at the population level of a tolerant state, or through the formation of a
      subpopulation of persister bacilli-both of which might be relevant to the
      emergence and fixation of genetic drug resistance.

PMID- 28361741
TI  - How to measure energy and protein intake in a geriatric department - A comparison
      of three visual methods.
AB  - BACKGROUND & AIMS: Sufficient energy and protein intake are essential to
      treatment and recovery of hospitalized older adults. The food intake should be
      assessed in order to detect patients in need of nutritional intervention. The aim
      of this study was to compare the accuracy of three visual methods for assessing
      energy and protein intake as compared to weighing food items. METHODS: We
      conducted assessment of 103 lunch meals served to geriatric inpatients. Lunch
      meals were assessed by the nursing staff using three visual methods: 1. Meal
      Portions (MP): Consumption of each meat/fish, vegetables, potatoes, and sauce 2.
      Plate Method (PM): Consumption of 100%, 75%, 50%, 25%, or 0% 3. Reduced Plate
      Method (RPM): All, half, quarter, or nothing Separate weighing of all food items
      pre- and post-serving was used as reference method. Wilcoxon Signed Rank Test was
      used comparing the accuracy of the three visual methods. Bland-Altman analysis
      was used to test the degree of agreement. Results are given as median estimates
      [25%>, 75%> percentiles]. The Alpha level was set to 0.05. RESULTS: The total
      energy served pr. lunch meal was 893.6 kJ [830.4, 1034.3] and the weighed intake
      676.6 kJ [421.4, 870.0]. The median intake was 663.0 kJ [389.0, 873.0] (p =
      0.044), 636.0 kJ [436.5, 873.0] (p < 0.001), and 487.8 kJ [316.5, 873.0] (p <
      0.001) assessed by MP, PM, and RPM respectively. The weighted protein content pr.
      served meal was 13.0 g [11.4, 15.4] with a weighted intake of 10.3 g [5.3, 13.1].
      The median intake was 10.7 g [5.3, 11.7] (P = 0.045), 9.3 g [5.8, 11.7] (p <
      0.001), and 8.0 g [4.8, 11.7] (p < 0.001) assessed by MP, PM, and RPM
      respectively. CONCLUSIONS: All visual methods underestimated energy intake. PM
      and RPM underestimated protein intake whereas MP overestimated protein intake.
      However, visual assessment by MP was found to be most accurate.

PMID- 28361743
TI  - The role of nutritional assessment and early enteral nutrition for combined
      pancreas and kidney transplant candidates.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Early post-operative enteral nutrition is an important part of
      perioperative management and is strongly supported by ESPEN Guidelines. However,
      there is limited evidence into the use of Early Enteral Nutrition (EEN) after
      combined Pancreas and Kidney Transplantation (PKT). We know malnutrition in type
      1 diabetics with end stage renal failure (ESRF) is a common problem and a
      significant risk factor. Therefore, we introduced EEN in our patients. METHOD: We
      monitored and recorded nutritional data on 29 PKT recipients who underwent
      transplantation between Oct 2007 and Jan 2010 without a nutritional assessment or
      EEN [Monitored Group (MG)] and on 30 PKT recipients between Feb 2010 and Dec 2013
      who received a nutritional assessment and EEN (Naso-jejunal feed or oral intake
      with supplementation, according to their nutritional status) [Fed Group (FG)].
      The end-point was to assess patients' daily post-transplant nutritional intake.
      This was calculated as a percentage of estimated nutritional requirements using
      the Schofield equation with a 25% added stress factor and relevant activity
      factor. Following a literature search and realistic targets our aim was to reach
      >60% requirements: achievement of >=60% energy requirements by day-7 (7d-60%) and
      at the time of discharge (total-60%) [13,14]. RESULTS: There was no significant
      difference between MG and FG patients in cold ischemic time (CIT), recipient-age
      and donor-age, Length of Stay and donor-creatinine. In contrast, FG patients were
      less frequently in predialysis status 41.4% vs. 26.7%, p = 0.001; and had higher
      incidence of BMI <22.5 kg/m2 63.3% vs. 48.3%, p = <0.005. In outcomes, FG
      patients more frequently achieved a higher average % of nutritional requirements
      in the first week 39.69% vs. 22.37%, p = <0.005; as well as during whole in
      patient stay 57.24% vs. 44.43%, p = <0.005 (Table 3, Figs. 1 and 2). The FG spent
      a greater proportion during the first week 66.7% vs. 31%, p = <0.005; and of
      whole their admission 93.3% vs. 75.9%, p = <0.005; meeting more than 60% of
      nutritional requirements. Most important, the need for parenteral nutrition
      within the FG was significantly lower, 7.1% vs. 20.7%, p < 0.005 (Table 3).
      CONCLUSION: Our results show that these patients benefit from planned EEN and
      receive better nutritional support when compared to the patients managed with the
      historic, reactive approach to nutritional care. Nutritional intake in the first
      week as well as during the whole admission was superior in patients receiving
      active EEN despite a more difficult post-operative course due to higher incidence
      of re-operations compared to the control group. Also the need for parenteral
      nutrition was significantly lower in this group. In addition, pre-transplant
      nutritional assessment is beneficial and accurately highlights those who may be
      at risk of malnutrition pre and post-operatively.

PMID- 28361742
TI  - Coffee consumption and calcified atherosclerotic plaques in the coronary
      arteries: The NHLBI Family Heart Study.
AB  - BACKGROUND & AIMS: While a recent meta-analysis of prospective studies reported
      that coffee consumption is associated with a lower risk of cardiovascular disease
      mortality, limited and inconsistent data are available on the relation of coffee
      intake with subclinical disease. Thus, the aim of the present study was to see
      the association of coffee consumption with the prevalence of atherosclerotic
      plaque in the coronary arteries in NHLBI Family Heart Study. METHODS: In a cross
      sectional design, we studied 1929 participants of the NHLBI Family Heart Study
      without known coronary heart disease. Coffee consumption was assessed by a semi
      quantitative food frequency questionnaire and coronary-artery calcium (CAC) was
      measured by cardiac computed tomography. We defined prevalent CAC as an Agatston
      score of >=100 and used generalized estimating equations to calculate prevalence
      ratios of CAC as well as a sensitivity analysis at a range of cutpoints for CAC.
      RESULTS: Mean age was 56.7 years and 59% of the study subjects were female. In
      adjusted analysis for age, sex, BMI, smoking, alcohol, physical activity, field
      center, and energy intake, prevalence ratio (95% CI) for CAC was 1.0 (reference),
      0.92 (0.57-1.49), 1.34 (0.86-2.08), 1.30 (0.84-2.02), and 0.99 (0.60-1.64) for
      coffee consumption of almost never, <1/day, 1/day, 2-3/day, and >=4 cups/day,
      respectively. In a sensitivity analysis, there was no evidence of association
      between coffee consumption and prevalent CAC when CAC cut points of 0, 50, 150,
      200, and 300 were used. CONCLUSIONS: These data do not provide evidence for an
      association between coffee consumption and prevalent CAC in adult men and women.

PMID- 28361744
TI  - Admission handgrip strength predicts functional decline in hospitalized patients.
AB  - PROBLEM: Up to 35% of hospitalized patients may experience functional decline
      during or after hospitalization. Subjective Global Assessment (SGA) and handgrip
      strength at admission, have been proposed as simple and accessible tools to
      predict functional decline, but there are few studies in hospitalized patients to
      confirm these findings. OBJECTIVE: To assess the predictive value of handgrip
      strength at hospital admission, on functional decline after 30 days. METHODS: 125
      non-critical patients hospitalized for medical and surgical conditions, were
      studied in El Pino hospital in Santiago, Chile. Upon admission, nutritional
      status was assessed by SGA, functional status through the Karnofsky index (KI),
      and handgrip strength by dynamometry. Change in functionality was assessed by the
      difference between KI at admission and 30 days later. Multivariate logistic
      regression models were used to establish associations between the variables at
      hospital admission, and subsequent functional decline. RESULTS: Thirty days post
      hospital admission, 28.8% of the sample showed functional decline. In a
      multivariate analysis, only handgrip strength was associated with this decline
      (beta = -0.025, OR = 0.974 (CI 0.956-0.992), p = 0.007). CONCLUSIONS: Handgrip
      strength upon hospital admission can be a useful independent and early method to
      predict deterioration of functional status during hospitalization.

PMID- 28361745
TI  - Short-term impact of a classical ketogenic diet on gut microbiota in GLUT1
      Deficiency Syndrome: A 3-month prospective observational study.
AB  - BACKGROUND&AIMS: The classical ketogenic diet (KD) is a high-fat, very low
      carbohydrate normocaloric diet used for drug-resistant epilepsy and Glucose
      Transporter 1 Deficiency Syndrome (GLUT1 DS). In animal models, high fat diet
      induces large alterations in microbiota producing deleterious effects on gut
      health. We carried out a pilot study on patients treated with KD comparing their
      microbiota composition before and after three months on the diet. METHODS: Six
      patients affected by GLUT1 DS were asked to collect fecal samples before and
      after three months on the diet. RT - PCR analysis was performed in order to
      quantify Firmicutes, Bacteroidetes, Bifidobacterium spp., Lactobacillus spp.,
      Clostridium perfringens, Enterobacteriaceae, Clostridium cluster XIV,
      Desulfovibrio spp. and Faecalibacterium prausnitzii. RESULTS: Compared with
      baseline, there were no statistically significant differences at 3 months in
      Firmicutes and Bacteroidetes. However fecal microbial profiles revealed a
      statistically significant increase in Desulfovibrio spp. (p = 0.025), a bacterial
      group supposed to be involved in the exacerbation of the inflammatory condition
      of the gut mucosa associated to the consumption of fats of animal origin.
      CONCLUSIONS: A future prospective study on the changes in gut microbiota of all
      children with epilepsy started on a KD is warranted. In patients with dysbiosis
      demonstrated by fecal samples, it my be reasonable to consider an empiric trial
      of pre or probiotics to potentially restore the "ecological balance" of
      intestinal microbiota.

PMID- 28361746
TI  - Short-term effects of Mediterranean-type diet intervention on soluble cellular
      adhesion molecules in subjects with abdominal obesity.
AB  - BACKGROUND & AIMS: Abdominal obesity (AO) is associated with increased risk for
      cardiovascular disease and with increased production of adhesion molecules. The
      present work examined the effect of a Mediterranean-style diet on soluble
      cellular adhesion molecules in individuals with AO. METHODS: Ninety subjects with
      AO without cardiovascular disease or diabetes mellitus were randomly allocated to
      the intervention or control group and were instructed to follow a Mediterranean
      style diet for two months. Intervention group followed a specific relevant food
      plan with close dietetic supervision and provision of basic foods. Soluble
      intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (sICAM-1), soluble vascular cell adhesion
      molecule-1 (sVCAM-1), sP and sE-selectin, C-reactive protein (CRP) and
      interleukin-6 (IL-6) were measured. RESULTS: Subjects in the intervention group
      increased their intake of total fat, monounsaturated fatty acids, dietary fiber,
      vitamin C, and alcohol compared to controls, while decreased their intake of
      saturated fat. Although there was a significant decrease in CRP, sP-selectin and
      in sE-selectin in the intervention group, and an increase in sVCAM-1 in the
      control group, between-group analysis showed no statistically significant
      differences. There were also no significant changes in sICAM-1, and IL-6 levels
      after intervention. CONCLUSIONS: Mediterranean-type diet for two months combined
      with close dietetic supervision showed a beneficial tendency towards the down
      regulation of some markers of vascular inflammation, although the comparison
      between groups after the intervention did not reach statistical significance. A
      longer period of dietary intervention may be required to further support these
      changes.

PMID- 28361747
TI  - Dietary counseling adherence during tuberculosis treatment: A longitudinal study.
AB  - BACKGROUND: The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends the use of dietary
      counseling to overcome malnutrition for patients with tuberculosis, with or
      without HIV, however the response to nutritional treatment depends on patient's
      adherence to nutritional counseling. OBJECTIVE: Identify the degree of adherence
      to dietary counseling and predictors of adherence among patients undergoing
      tuberculosis treatment. DESIGN: Observational prospective follow-up study
      conducted in adults treating for tuberculosis with or without HIV. Self-reported
      adherence and 24-h diet recall were checked. Diet counseling according to WHO
      strategy was offered at each visit for all patients. The endpoint was the
      adherence to the recommended dietary allowance (RDA) and total calories consumed
      during tuberculosis treatment. Data were mainly analyzed with marginal models to
      estimate adjusted trajectories. RESULTS: Sixty-eight patients were included in
      the study. The maximum probability of total calories consumption of at least one
      RDA was 80%. The adherence to dietary counseling was low regardless of HIV
      infection. The negative determinants of adherence were the presence of loss of
      appetite and nausea/vomiting. For patients with loss of appetite and
      nausea/vomiting, the probability of total calories consumption of at least one
      RDA is less than 20% at any time. CONCLUSION: The loss of appetite and
      nausea/vomiting are highly prevalents and were the main causes of non-adherence
      to dietary counseling.

PMID- 28361748
TI  - Erythrocyte concentrations of B1, B2, B6 but not plasma C and E are reliable
      indicators of nutrition status in the presence of systemic inflammation.
AB  - BACKGROUND & AIM: There is increasing evidence that the plasma concentration of
      vitamin D, carotenoids, zinc and selenium are associated with the magnitude of
      the systemic inflammatory response. In order to examine whether other vitamins
      may be affected and whether red cell concentrations are less affected by systemic
      inflammation the aim of the present study was to examine the effect of the
      systemic inflammatory response on red cell measurements of vitamins B1, B2 and
      B6, and plasma concentration of vitamin C and E in a large cohort of patients
      referred for a nutritional screen. METHODS: Patients referred for nutritional
      assessment of B1 (n = 551), B2 (n = 251), B6 (n = 313), ascorbic acid (n = 494)
      and alpha-tocopherol (n = 395) concentrations. These vitamins were measured using
      routine laboratory methods. RESULTS: The median concentrations of vitamin B1
      grouped according to C-reactive protein concentrations <=10, 11-80 and >80 mg/L
      were 543, 664 and 766 ng/g Hb respectively (p < 0.001, 41% higher). The median
      concentration of vitamin B1 grouped according to albumin concentrations >=35, 25
      34 and <25 g/l were 547, 664 and 701 ng/g Hb respectively (p < 0.001, 28%
      higher). The median concentrations of red cell vitamin B2 grouped according to
      CRP concentrations <=10, 11-80 and >80 mg/L were 2.2, 2.3 and 2.4 nmol/g Hb
      respectively (p < 0.001, 9% higher). The median red cell concentrations of
      vitamin B2 grouped according to albumin concentrations >=35, 25-34 and <25 g/l
      were 2.1, 2.4 and 2.3 nmol/g Hb respectively (p < 0.001, 14% higher). The median
      concentrations of red cell vitamin B6 grouped according to CRP concentrations
      <=10, 11-80 and >80 mg/L were 534, 548 and 767 pmol/g Hb respectively (p < 0.001,
      44% higher). The median red cell concentrations of vitamin B6 grouped according
      to albumin concentrations >=35, 25-34 and <25 g/l were 462, 644 and 840 pmol/g Hb
      respectively (p < 0.001, 82% higher). In contrast, the median plasma
      concentrations of ascorbic acid grouped according to CRP concentrations <=10, 11
      80 and >80 mg/L were 25.0, 15.0 and 6.0 MUmol/l respectively (78% lower, p <
      0.001). The median plasma concentrations of ascorbic acid grouped according to
      albumin concentrations >=35, 25-34 and <25 g/l were 32.0, 13.0 and 5.0 MUmol/l
      respectively (84% lower, p < 0.001). The median alpha-tocopherol/cholesterol
      grouped according to CRP concentrations <=10, 11-80 and >80 mg/L were 5.9, 4.6
      and 2.1 MUmol/l respectively (64% lower, p < 0.001). The median alpha
      tocopherol/cholesterol grouped according to albumin concentrations >=35, 25-34
      and <25 g/l were 6.0, 5.5 and 2.1 MUmol/l respectively (65% lower, p < 0.001).
      CONCLUSION: Red cell concentrations of vitamins B1, B2 and B6 were not lower with
      an increasing systemic inflammatory response. In contrast, plasma concentrations
      of vitamin C and E were lower. Therefore, compared with plasma concentration, red
      cell concentrations of B1, B2 and B6 are likely to be more reliable measures of
      status in the presence of a systemic inflammatory response.

PMID- 28361749
TI  - Malnutrition Inflammation Score cut-off predicting mortality in maintenance
      hemodialysis patients.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Malnutrition is a strong predictor of mortality on hemodialysis
      patients, especially when it is associated with inflammation. Malnutrition
      Inflammation Score (MIS) is a simple and low cost tool which assesses the
      presence of malnutrition associated with inflammation. Therefore, the aim is to
      evaluate if MIS is associated with mortality in patients on maintenance
      hemodialysis and establish a cut-off to predict mortality at different follow-up
      periods. METHODS: Observational retrospective cohort study including 215 patients
      on hemodialysis between July 2012 and June 2014, censored until November 2015.
      MIS was used to assess patient's nutritional status at the moment they were
      enrolled in the study. They were followed for at least 18 months. RESULTS: At the
      end of 18 months, 38 (17.7%) deaths, 20 renal transplants (9.3%), four facilities
      transference (1.9%), three dialysis method change (1.4%) and one renal function
      recovery (0.5%) were observed. One hundred seventy one patients completed at
      least 24 months of follow-up, and during this additional period, there were five
      deaths and one renal transplant more. Score higher than 7 points was able to
      predict mortality for both follow-up periods using sensitivity and specificity
      analysis and ROC curves. Using this cut-off on Kaplan-Meier survival curve, it
      was possible to confirm the association of MIS with all-cause mortality at 18
      months and 24 or more months of follow-up. Finally, Cox multivariate analysis
      adjusted for demographic, clinical and nutritional variables showed MIS as the
      only significant predictor of mortality. CONCLUSION: MIS is an independent
      predictor of mortality in hemodialysis patients.

PMID- 28361750
TI  - Nutritional status and the performance of multiple bedside tools for nutrition
      assessment among patients waiting for liver transplantation: A Canadian
      experience.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Malnutrition is an important predictor of morbidity and mortality
      among cirrhotic patients. Our objectives were to assess protein-calorie
      malnutrition (PCM) in cirrhotic pre-liver transplant patients and to study the
      correlation between subjective global assessment (SGA) and other objective
      measures of malnutrition. METHODS: We recruited pre-liver transplant adult
      patients at our center between October 2012 and Oct 2015. Nutrition status was
      assessed via SGA. PCM was assessed by comparing recommended to actual protein and
      calorie intake. SGA was correlated with body mass index (BMI), dry BMI, handgrip
      strength by calibrated dynometer (HGS), and mid-arm circumference (MAC). We used
      non-parametric statistical methods in our analysis. RESULTS: Seventy patients
      were included in this study. Majority were males (n = 46, 66%) with a median age
      of 58 years (IQR: 50-61). Moderate to severe malnutrition was prevalent in our
      cohort (SGA-A: n = 15 (21.4%), SGA-B: n = 30 (42.9%) and SGA-C: n = 25 (35.7%).
      There was a significant difference in the recommended calories consumed between
      SGA groups (A 98.5% vs. C 79.2%, P = 0.03). A similar trend was observed for the
      recommended protein consumed (A 85.4%, C 62.5%; P = 0.09). SGA correlated with
      BMI (A = 26.4, C = 22.4; P<0.01), Dry BMI (A = 25.9, C = 20.4; P<0.01), HGS (A =
      67.0, C = 47.0 PSI; P = 0.03), and MAC (A = 29.5 cm, C = 22.0 cm; P<0.01). HGS
      and MAC were strongly correlated (Spearman correlation 0.49, P<0.01).
      CONCLUSIONS: Cirrhotic patients have significant protein-calorie malnutrition.
      Multiple malnutrition tools including BMI, dry BMI, HGS and MAC were precisely
      able to assess malnutrition.

PMID- 28361751
TI  - Glutamine dipeptide-supplemented parenteral nutrition improves the clinical
      outcomes of critically ill patients: A systematic evaluation of randomised
      controlled trials.
AB  - BACKGROUND & AIMS: Early randomised controlled trials (RCTs) testing whether
      parenteral nutrition regimens that include glutamine dipeptides improves the
      outcomes of critically ill patients demonstrated convincingly that this regimen
      associates with reduced mortality, infections, and hospital stays. However,
      several new RCTs on the same question challenged this. To resolve this
      controversy, the present meta-analysis was performed. Stringent eligibility
      criteria were used to select only those RCTs that tested the outcomes of
      critically ill adult patients without hepatic and/or renal failure who were
      haemodynamically and metabolically stabilised and who were administered glutamine
      dipeptide strictly according to current clinical guidelines (via the parenteral
      route at 0.3-0.5 g/kg/day; max. 30% of the prescribed nitrogen supply) in
      combination with adequate nutrition. METHODS: The literature research (PubMed,
      Embase, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials) searched for English and
      German articles that had been published in peer-review journals (last entry March
      31, 2015) and reported the results of RCTs in critically ill adult patients
      (major surgery, trauma, infection, or organ failure) who received parenteral
      glutamine dipeptide as part of an isoenergetic and isonitrogenous nutrition
      therapy. The following data were extracted: infectious complications, lengths of
      stay (LOS) in the hospital and intensive care unit (ICU), duration of mechanical
      ventilation, days on inotropic support, and ICU and hospital mortality rates. The
      selection of and data extraction from studies were performed by two independent
      reviewers. RESULTS: Fifteen RCTs (16 publications) fulfilled all selection
      criteria. They involved 842 critically ill patients. None had renal and/or
      hepatic failure. The average study quality (Jadad score: 3.8 points) was well
      above the predefined cut-off of 3.0. Common effect estimates indicated that
      parenteral glutamine dipeptide supplementation significantly reduced infectious
      complications (relative risk [RR] = 0.70, 95% CI 0.60, 0.83, p < 0.0001), ICU LOS
      (common mean difference [MD] -1.61 days, 95% CI -3.17, -0.05, p = 0.04), hospital
      LOS (MD -2.30 days, 95% CI -4.14, -0.45, p = 0.01), and mechanical ventilation
      duration (MD -1.56 days, 95% CI -2.88, -0.24, p = 0.02). It also lowered the
      hospital mortality rate by 45% (RR = 0.55, 95% CI 0.32, 0.94, p = 0.03) but had
      no effect on ICU mortality. Visual inspection of funnel plots did not reveal any
      potential selective reporting of studies. CONCLUSIONS: This meta-analysis clearly
      confirms that when critically ill patients are supplemented with parenteral
      glutamine dipeptide according to clinical guidelines as part of a balanced
      nutrition regimen, it significantly reduces hospital mortality, infectious
      complication rates, and hospital LOS. The latter two effects indicate that
      glutamine dipeptide supplementation also confers economic benefits in this
      setting. The present analysis indicates the importance of delivering glutamine
      dipeptides together with adequate parenteral energy and nitrogen so that the
      administered glutamine serves as precursor in various biosynthetic pathways
      rather than simply as a fuel.

PMID- 28361753
TI  - Handgrip strength and weight predict long-term mortality in acute kidney injury
      patients.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: Surviving acute kidney (AKI) patients have a higher late mortality
      compared with those admitted without AKI. The negative impact of malnutrition on
      the early outcome of AKI patients has recently been confirmed by various studies.
      However, its impact after hospital discharge has not been studied. The objective
      of the study was to determine the role of anthropometric measurements and
      handgrip strength as predictors of mortality 180 days after discharge.
      METHODOLOGY: Eighty-two survivors AKI patients who were older than 18 y old and
      followed by AKI team were prospectively evaluated. Patient's characteristics were
      recorded, anthropometric measurements were taken, handgrip strength (HGS) was
      measured, subjective global assessment and bioimpedance were applied and blood
      samples were collected during hospitalization at first and last nephrologist
      evaluation and in after hospital discharge at 1 month, 3 and 6 months.
      Multivariable logistic regression was used to adjust confounding and selection
      bias. RESULTS: Age was 62.3 +/- 14.7 years, prevalence of hospitalization in
      medical wards of 71.6%, index of severity of AKI (ATN-ISS) was 28% and late
      mortality rates was 25.6%. Risk factors associated with late mortality were the
      number of comorbidities (HR = 1.79, 95% CI = 1.45-2.46, p = 0.04), cancer (HR =
      1.89, 95 CI% = 1.48-3.16, p = 0.01), sepsis (HR = 1.47, 95% CI = 1.18-2.38, p =
      0.03), no recovery of renal function at hospital discharge (HR = 1.46, 95% CI =
      1.02-2.16, p = 0.03), malnutrition at first evaluation (HR = 1.58, 95% CI = 1.14
      2.94, p = 001), the HGS value at the moment of last evaluation by nephrologist
      (HR = 1.81, 95% CI = 1.17-2.31, p = 0.04) and gain weigh < 1 kg between the
      moment at first evaluation by nephrologist and one month after hospital discharge
      (HR = 1.95, 95 CI% = 1.29-3.3, p = 0.02). CONCLUSION: HGS and gain weight were
      identified as predictors of late mortality. Simple and ease methods can be
      applied in AKI patients during and after hospitalization to diagnose
      nutritionally patients who are at higher risk for poor prognosis and,
      consequently intervention measures can be performed to improve survival in long
      term.

PMID- 28361752
TI  - An empirically derived dietary pattern associated with breast cancer risk is
      validated in a nested case-control cohort from a randomized primary prevention
      trial.
AB  - BACKGROUND & AIMS: We reported an association between cytologic atypia, a
      reversible biomarker of breast cancer risk, and lower omega-3/omega-6 fatty acid
      ratio in blood and breast tissue. Our goal was to develop and validate a dietary
      pattern index in this high-risk sample of U.S. women, and test its capacity to
      predict incidence in a nested case-control cohort of Canadian women from a
      randomized trial of a low-fat dietary intervention for primary prevention of
      breast cancer. METHODS: Food intake was measured by food frequency questionnaire
      in the U.S. sample (n = 65) and multiple dietary recalls in the Canadian sample
      (n = 220 cases; 440 controls). Principal component analysis identified a dietary
      pattern associated with atypia. We measured differences among dietary pattern
      tertiles in (a) fatty acid composition in blood lipids and breast tissue in the
      U.S. sample, and (b) risk of breast cancer subtypes in the Canadian cohort.
      Registered under ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT00148057. RESULTS: A Modern
      diet was characterized as consuming more grains, dairy, and sugar and less
      vegetables, fish and poultry; these women had lower tissue omega-3 fatty acids
      and higher omega-6 and trans fatty acids. The low-fat intervention increased the
      likelihood of a Modern diet after randomization. A Modern diet at baseline and
      post-randomization was associated with estrogen-receptor negative (ER-) breast
      cancer risk among those at least 160 cm tall. A Traditional diet (the reciprocal
      of Modern) at baseline was associated with lower ER-positive (ER+) risk in the
      comparison group, but not the low-fat intervention group. CONCLUSIONS: A Modern
      diet (high in grains, dairy, and sugar and low in vegetables, fish, and poultry)
      is associated with ER- breast cancer risk among taller women. Recommending
      dietary fat reduction may have untoward effects on breast cancer risk.

PMID- 28361754
TI  - The medical risks of severe anorexia nervosa during initial re-feeding and
      medical stabilisation.
AB  - BACKGROUND & AIMS: Objective evidence about the risks associated with anorexia
      nervosa and how to manage them, is limited. The aim of this study is to describe
      the medical risk profile, management and outcomes of a cohort of patients with
      severe anorexia nervosa (sAN) during medical stabilisation treatment. METHODS:
      Retrospective analysis of case records gathered medical risk data for a 90 day
      high risk period, on 65 patients with sAN admitted to two specialist services.
      Prospectively established definitions of medical risk variables and significant
      complications were applied to the data to describe the risk profiles and
      outcomes. RESULTS: Amongst this population with an average initial BMI of 12.8
      kg/m2, 74% developed no significant medical complications. Oral re-feeding over
      60 days achieved an increase in mean BMI to 14.4 kg/m2 and mean weight gain of 4
      kg. No patients developed severe hypophosphatemia (<0.45 mmol/L) or any other
      indicators of a re-feeding syndrome. All the medical complications that arose
      were temporary. CONCLUSIONS: Initial re-feeding and medical stabilisation of
      patients with severe AN can be managed safely in specialist inpatient and
      community settings with slow re-feeding. Although the prevalence of complications
      was shown to be low, slight worsening of medical risk markers and increased
      incidence of complications did occur during initial re-feeding. The limited
      comparable published data appears to support slower rates of re-feeding, showing
      fewer abnormal results and complications. There is however a need for a
      definitive prospective multi-centre observational cohort study to investigate
      risks factors, and the effects of treatment on medical outcomes, in a large
      sample with varied rates of re-feeding.

PMID- 28361755
TI  - Plasma pro-inflammatory markers in chronic neuropathic pain: A multivariate,
      comparative, cross-sectional pilot study.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Caused by a lesion or disease of the somatosensory system,
      neuropathic pain is notoriously difficult to treat with conventional analgesics.
      It has been suggested that inflammatory cytokines play a role in the development
      and maintenance of neuropathic pain. But human studies of these substances are
      relatively few and partly contradictory. OBJECTIVES: To simultaneously
      investigate the plasma levels of chemokine interleukin 8 (IL-8) and the cytokines
      IL-6, IL-1beta, and Granulocyte macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF) in
      patients with peripheral neuropathic pain (most of whom due to failed back
      surgery syndrome) (n=14) compared to controls (n=17). RESULTS: IL-6 was
      significantly higher in patients than in controls (0.92+/-0.12pg/ml vs. 0.57+/
      0.08pg/ml, p=0.012). IL-1beta, IL-8, and GM-CSF levels did not differ between the
      two groups. A multivariate analysis showed a tendency for patients also to have
      higher GM-CSF plasma levels than controls. CONCLUSIONS: This study found an
      increased level of IL-6 in plasma in patients with neuropathic pain, but not for
      the other pro-inflammatory substances investigated. There are several possible
      confounders not registered or controlled for in this and other studies of
      neuropathic pain. IMPLICATIONS: Larger studies that take several possible
      confounders into consideration are needed to further investigate the levels of
      plasma cytokines in different pain conditions.

PMID- 28361756
TI  - The obesity epidemic makes life difficult for patients with herniated lumbar
      discs - and for back-surgeons: Increased risk of complications.

PMID- 28361757
TI  - Multimodal Rehabilitation Programs (MMRP) for patients with longstanding complex
      pain conditions - The need for quality control with follow-up studies of patient
      outcomes.

PMID- 28361758
TI  - Mechanisms of cognitive impairment in chronic pain patients can now be studied
      preclinically by inducing cognitive deficits with an experimental animal model of
      chronic neuropathic pain.

PMID- 28361759
TI  - Complex Regional Pain Syndrome (CRPS) after viper-bite in a pregnant young woman:
      Pathophysiology and treatment options.

PMID- 28361760
TI  - Finnish version of the fear-avoidance-beliefs questionnaire (FABQ) and the
      importance of validated questionnaires on FAB in clinical praxis and in research
      on low-back pain.

PMID- 28361761
TI  - Translation and validation of the Finnish version of the Fear-Avoidance Beliefs
      Questionnaire (FABQ).
AB  - BACKGROUND AND AIM: Low back pain (LBP) is a debilitating problem worldwide
      causing disability and reducing quality of life. The Fear Avoidance Beliefs
      Questionnaire (FABQ) was developed on the basis of the assumption that fear
      avoidance beliefs play a major role in LBP-related disability. It comprises 16
      items scored by the patient and includes sub-scores for fear-avoidance beliefs
      regarding work and physical activity. This study aimed to translate and validate
      the Finnish version of the FABQ and to measure its properties among Finnish
      patients with LBP. MATERIAL AND METHODS: A forward-backward translation procedure
      was used based on modified recommended guidelines. The FABQ was applied to 66
      Finnish patients with LBP. Patients answered the FABQ at baseline and again
      approximately two weeks later. The test-re-test reliability between the baseline
      and follow-up FABQ was evaluated by calculating intraclass correlation
      coefficients (ICC). Internal consistency between the items within total and sub
      scores was evaluated by calculating Cronbach's alpha. The items of the baseline
      FABQ were grouped using factor analysis and the correlations between the FABQ,
      pain intensity in visual analogue scale (VAS) and Oswestry Disability Index (ODI)
      were assessed using linear regression analysis. RESULTS: The Finnish version of
      the FABQ was successfully adapted. The mean age of patients was 46. Almost all
      patients (97%) reported LBP, most patients (76%) had chronic pain lasting more
      than 3 months and the mean intensity of LBP was 58mm on VAS. The follow-up time
      between the first and second questionnaire ranged from 2 days to 59 days with the
      median of 16 days. The ICC value for reliability between the baseline and follow
      up questionnaires was excellent for the total score (0.91) and work sub-score
      (0.89), and good for the physical activity sub-score (0.73). The items regarding
      work showed high or excellent reliability throughout, with ICC values ranging
      from 0.63 to 0.89. The ICC values for the items related to physical activity
      ranged from 0.43 to 0.66, displaying moderate to good reliability. Cronbach's
      alpha for internal consistency was excellent for the total score (0.92) and work
      (0.89), and good for physical activity (0.71). The best factor analysis solution
      yielded three factors characterized by the fear that pain aggravates due to (1)
      work or (2) physical activity, and (3) fear-avoidance beliefs concerning work.
      Higher total FABQ score was associated significantly with higher VAS (p-value
      0.021) and ODI (<0.001). CONCLUSIONS AND IMPLICATIONS: The expert committee
      successfully created an applicable Finnish version of the FABQ. The Finnish FABQ
      is a valid and reliable instrument for assessing LBP patients' fear avoidance
      behaviour and has similar properties to those found in other validation studies
      of the FABQ. Thus it can be used for assessing the risk of disability due to fear
      avoidance behaviour in Finnish-speaking patients with LBP for both clinical and
      scientific purposes.

PMID- 28361762
TI  - Pain, sleep and catastrophizing: The conceptualization matters: Comment on Wilt
      JA et al. "A multilevel path model analysis of the relations between sleep, pain,
      and pain catastrophizing in chronic pain rehabilitation patients".

PMID- 28361763
TI  - A multilevel path model analysis of the relations between sleep, pain, and pain
      catastrophizing in chronic pain rehabilitation patients.
AB  - BACKGROUND AND AIM: Pain catastrophizing is linked to heightened pain and poorer
      coping among individuals with chronic pain, yet little is known about how pain
      catastrophizing associates with sleep and pain over the course of treatment for
      chronic pain. Previous research employing a cross-sectional design suggests that
      sleep mediates the association between pain catstrophizing and pain, but there
      have been no longitudinal studies examining the directionality of these
      associations. Thus, the aim of this study was to test two competing theoretical
      models. The first model specified that pain catastrophizing leads to increased
      pain via poor sleep. The second model specified that poor sleep leads to
      increased pain catastrophizing via increased pain. METHODS: This study examined
      the relations between pain catastrophizing, sleep, and pain among 50 consecutive
      patients (36 female, 14 male) ages 20-80 (M=45.96, SD=13.94) with chronic, non
      malignant pain who were admitted to the Cleveland Clinic, Chronic Pain
      Rehabilitation Programme (CPRP). The CPRP, within the Neurological Centre for
      Restoration, Neurologic Institute at the Cleveland Clinic, is a comprehensive,
      interdisciplinary programme designed to treat patients with disabling chronic
      pain. As part of their daily, morning update with their case manager, patients
      completed self-report ratings of their previous night's sleep time (TST), and
      their current pain, anxiety, and depression. Pain catastrophizing was assessed at
      admission and discharge. RESULTS: Over the course of treatment, daily TST
      increased from approximately 5h and 20min per night to nearly 6h and 30min per
      night, and average daily pain, daily depression, and daily anxiety decreased over
      the course of treatment. As the data in this study has a multilevel structure,
      with daily reports nested with in patients, we conducted multilevel path models
      to examine the longitudinal relations between pain catastrophizing, sleep, and
      pain. Multilevel path analysis permits the analysis of interdependent data
      without violating the assumptions of standard multiple regression. Models were
      conducted for pain catastrophizing and each of its subscales: rumination,
      magnification and helplessness. The findings were uniform across the composite
      pain catastrophizing scale and its subscales. There was an indirect path from
      sleep to pain catastrophizing (post-treatment) via pain, but not from pain
      catastrophizing (pre-treatment) to pain via sleep. There were also direct effects
      of sleep on pain and from pain to pain catastrophizing (post-treatment).
      Additionally, decreases in pain over the course of treatment were related to
      lower pain catastrophizing post-treatment. CONCLUSION AND IMPLICATIONS: These
      results call into question previous evidence that pain catastrophizing indirectly
      affects pain by way of its impact on sleep. Rather, our findings suggest that
      pain mediates the relationship between sleep and levels of pain catastrophizing.
      These results therefore underscore importance and value in collecting
      longitudinal data and potential influence on the conclusions gained with regards
      to sleep, pain and psychological variables. These findings may be of clinical
      importance when tailoring interventions for individuals with chronic pain and
      perhaps even more so for those with comorbid pain and sleep disturbance;
      prioritizing the treatment of sleep difficulties could result in improvements to
      pain-related outcomes.

PMID- 28361764
TI  - Genetic variability of pain - A patient focused end-point.

PMID- 28361765
TI  - Complex regional pain syndrome following viper-bite.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Complex regional pain syndrome (CRPS) may occur following fractures,
      surgery or different trauma. Development of CRPS following snake-bite has only
      been published in three reports (from Turkey, Nepal and Korea), although snake
      bites occur frequently world-wide. There has been no report from Western Europe.
      Vipera Berus is a common snake in European countries and the only venomous snake
      in Norway. We here describe the development of CRPS in a young woman as a
      consequence of a viper bite (Vipera Berus) in the right arm. METHODS: We
      performed a clinical investigation (inspection, measurement of skin temperatures,
      sensory and motor evaluation) of the patient six months following the viper-bite,
      measurement of thermal thresholds (quantitative sensory testing, QST),
      measurement of resting sweat output (RSO) and quantitative sudomotor axon reflex
      (QSART) from both arms. RESULTS: The patient fulfilled the Budapest criteria for
      a CRPS-condition, with continuous pain and symptoms and findings of autonomic
      dysfunction. In addition, we found elevated thresholds of warmth and cold,
      evidence of an affection of afferent A-delta and C-fibres as well as an affection
      of the efferent sympathetic sudomotor C-fibres by QSART. An increased RSO-volume
      was in inverse relationship to the decreased QSART result. CONCLUSION AND
      IMPLICATIONS: It is important to be aware of viper-bite as a possible eliciting
      event for CRPS for early diagnosis and treatment of a patient. As long-lasting
      pain and oedema are known complications, it is probable that CRPS after viper
      bites previously may have been underdiagnosed. As many patients are unaware of
      being bit, viper bite should be considered in cases of unexplained sudden pain
      and swelling of a limb.

PMID- 28361766
TI  - An investigation into enlarging and reducing the size of mirror reflections of
      the hand on experimentally-induced cold-pressor pain in healthy human
      participants.
AB  - BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Mirror visual feedback may be a useful clinical tool for
      reducing pain. Research suggests that reducing the size of a non-painful
      reflected hand can alleviate complex regional pain syndrome in the affected hand
      that is out of view. In contrast, research on healthy humans exposed to
      experimentally induced pain suggests that reducing the appearance of the size of
      a reflected body part can increase pain. The aim of this study was to investigate
      the effect of enlarging and reducing the visual appearance of the size of a hand
      using mirror visual feedback on pain threshold, intensity and tolerance in
      healthy human participants exposed to cold-pressor pain. METHODS: Participants
      were a convenience sample of 20 unpaid, healthy pain free volunteers aged 18
      years or above. Each participant took part in one experiment where they completed
      cold-pressor pain tests whilst observing normal, enlarged and reduced size
      reflections of a hand congruent to a hand immersed in the ice cold water. A 4*2
      factorial repeated measures analysis of variance (ANOVA) was performed on time to
      pain threshold and pain tolerance, and pain intensity with Condition (four
      levels: no reflection, reduced reflection, normal reflection, enlarged
      reflection) being the within-subject factors and Sex (two levels: female, male)
      between-subject factors. RESULTS: There were no significant effects for
      Condition, Sex, or Condition*Sex interaction for pain threshold, intensity or
      tolerance (p>0.05). There were no significant differences between the 3 mirror
      reflection conditions for agreement with the statements: "It felt like I was
      looking directly at my hand rather than at a mirror image"; "It felt like the
      hand I was looking at was my hand"; and "Did it seem like the hand you saw was a
      right hand or a left hand?". CONCLUSION: Enlarging or reducing the size of a hand
      using mirror visual feedback did not alter pain perception in healthy human
      participants exposed to cold-pressor pain. The different sizes of hands generated
      by mirror visual feedback created an illusion of looking at their own hand but
      this was not as strong as looking directly at the hand. IMPLICATIONS: In future,
      investigators and clinicians using mirror visual feedback may consider including
      an adaptive phase to ensure the reflection has been perceptually embodied.
      Reasons for the lack of effects are explored to inspire further research in the
      field.

PMID- 28361767
TI  - An investigation into enlarging and reducing the size of mirror reflections of
      the hand on experimentally induced cold-pressor pain in healthy volunteers.

PMID- 28361768
TI  - Structural and functional characterization of nerve fibres in polyneuropathy and
      healthy subjects.
AB  - OBJECTIVES: Quantification of intraepidermal nerve fibre density (IENFD) is an
      important small fibre measure in distal symmetric polyneuropathies (DSP), but
      quantitative evaluation of additional structural and functional factors may help
      in elucidating the underlying mechanisms, and in improving the diagnostic
      accuracy in DSP. The literature reports a weak or moderate relationship between
      IENFD and spontaneous and evoked pain in neuropathies, but the relationship
      between functional and structural small fibre parameters in patients with DSP is
      unclear. The objectives of the current study, therefore, were to determine
      morphological and functional parameters related to small nerve fibres in subjects
      with distal symmetric polyneuropathy (DSP) and healthy controls, and to
      characterize the interplay among these parameters in these two groups. MATERIALS
      AND METHODS: 17 patients with painful DSP (>=4 on 0-10 numerical rating scale)
      and with symptoms and signs of small fibre abnormality (with or without large
      fibre involvement) and 19 healthy control subjects underwent comprehensive
      functional and structural small fibre assessments that included quantitative
      sensory testing, response to 30min topical application of 10% capsaicin and
      analysis of skin biopsy samples taken from the distal leg (IENFD, epidermal and
      dermal nerve fibre length densities (eNFLD, dNFLD) using global spatial sampling
      and axonal swelling ratios (swellings/IENFD and swellings/NFLD)). RESULTS: DSP
      patients had reduced sensitivity to cold (median -11.07 degrees C vs. -2.60,
      P<=0.001) and heat (median 46.7 vs. 37.70, P<=0.001), diminished neurovascular
      (median 184 vs. 278 mean flux on laser Doppler, P=0.0003) and pain response to
      topical capsaicin (median 10 vs. 35 on 0-100 VAS, P=0.0002), and lower IENFD,
      eNFLD and dNFLD values combined with increased swelling ratios (all P<0.001)
      compared to healthy controls. The correlation between structural and functional
      parameters was poor in DSP patients, compared with healthy controls. In healthy
      controls eNFLD and dNFLD, IENFD and eNFLD, IENFD and dNFLD all correlated well
      with each other (r=0.81; P<=0.001, r=0.58; P=0.009, r=0.60; P=0.007,
      respectively). In DSP, on the other hand, only eNFLD and dNFLD showed significant
      correlation (r=0.53, P=0.03). A diagnostic approach of combined IENFD and eNFLD
      utilization increased DSP diagnostic sensitivity from 82.0% to 100% and
      specificity from 84.0% to 89.5%. CONCLUSIONS: This study presents a rigorous
      comparison between functional and morphological parameters, including parameters
      such as eNFDL and dNFLD that have not been previously evaluated in this context.
      The correlation pattern between functional and structural small fibre parameters
      is different in patients with DSP when compared to healthy controls. The findings
      suggest a more direct relationship between structure and function of nerve fibres
      in healthy controls compared to DSP. Furthermore, the findings suggest that
      combining IENFD with measurement of NFLD improves the diagnostic sensitivity and
      specificity of DSP. IMPLICATIONS: Combining small fibre parameters may improve
      the diagnostic accuracy of DSP.

PMID- 28361769
TI  - Patients with chronic pain: One-year follow-up of a multimodal rehabilitation
      programme at a pain clinic.
AB  - BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Multimodal rehabilitation (MMR) programmes, including,
      physical training, educational and psychological interventions by an
      interdisciplinary team are found to be more successful for patients with
      disabling chronic pain compared with less comprehensive treatments. MMR
      programmes are based on the biopsychosocial model and the goal is usually to
      improve function, quality of life and facilitate and enable return to work. As
      pain clinics traditionally offer conventional medical pain treatment, there is
      limited knowledge about MMR given in this context. The aim of our study was to
      describe characteristics of patients with chronic pain, treated with a MMR
      programme at a conventional pain clinic, to evaluate patient-reported outcome
      measures (PROM) from start to one year after, and to study possibly associated
      factors for the improvement of health-related quality of life after one year.
      METHODS: A prospective, observational study with a one-year follow-up was
      performed. SUBJECTS: A total of 42 individuals (38 females, age 44.0+/-12.3 years
      and 4 men age 40+/-8.5 years) with different pain diagnoses were included. After
      a team assessment, the patients began a programme that lasted about three months.
      The MMR programme contained coordinated, individually adapted treatments
      administered individually or in groups, and was based on cognitive behavioural
      principles. Questionnaires regarding health-related quality of life (HRQoL) (EQ
      5D), insomnia (ISI), mental health (HADS), pain-related disability (PDI),
      kinesiophobia (TSK), current pain intensity (VAS) and sense of coherence (SOC)
      were used at the start of the MMR and at follow-up. Demographic data were
      collected from the patient records. RESULTS: The PROM at baseline showed
      substantial pain problems with low HRQoL (EQ-5D index of 0.1+/-0.282, and EQ VAS
      of 32.67+/-20.1), moderate insomnia (ISI 18.95+/-6.7), doubtful cases of
      depression and anxiety (HADS-depression 9.35+/-4.1 and HADS-anxiety 9.78+/-3.95),
      presence of pain-related disability (PDI 39.48 +/-12.64), kinesiophobia (TSK
      40.8+/-9.8), as well as moderate current pain (VAS 61.31+/-20.4). The sense of
      coherence was weak (SOC of 51.37+/-14). At one-year follow-up, significant
      (p<=0.05) improvement occurred on the EQ-5D index, EQ VAS, ISI, PDI and TSK. In
      the logistic regression analysis, no significant associations could be
      identified. CONCLUSIONS: MMR for patients with complex pain problems can be a
      successful treatment alternative at conventional pain clinics. IMPLICATIONS:
      Since access to rehabilitation clinics in Sweden may be limited, the availability
      of MMR can increase by providing this type of intervention in pain clinics.
      Increased knowledge of MMR in different settings can also contribute to increased
      understanding and collaboration between pain clinics and rehabilitation units.

PMID- 28361771
TI  - Plasma pro-inflammatory markers in chronic neuropathic pain: Why elevated levels
      may be relevant for diagnosis and treatment of patients suffering chronic pain.

PMID- 28361770
TI  - Stimulation-induced expression of immediate early gene proteins in the dorsal
      horn is increased in neuropathy.
AB  - BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Peripheral neuropathic pain is described as a pain state
      caused by an injury or dysfunction of the nervous system, and could have clinical
      manifestations such as hyperalgesia, allodynia and spontaneous pain. The
      development of neuropathic pain may depend on long-term forms of neuronal
      plasticity in the spinal cord (SC). Expression of the immediate early gene
      proteins (IEGPs) Arc, Zif268, and c-Fos are implicated in establishment of long
      term potentiation (LTP) induced by conditioning stimulation (CS) of primary
      afferent fibres. However, the impact of the neuropathic state (Bennett's model)
      on CS-induced expression of IEGPs has not been studied. The aim of this study was
      to compare the levels of Arc, c-Fos and Zif268 immunoreactivity prior to and
      after conditioning stimulation in animals with developed neuropathic pain, with
      sham operated, non-ligated controls. METHODS: Twenty-four animals were divided
      equally into the neuropathic and non-neuropathic groups. Neuropathic pain was
      induced in all animals by conducting a loose ligation of the sciatic nerve with
      Chromic Catgut 4.0 sutures 7 days prior to conditioning stimulation or sham
      operation. The loose ligation was performed by placing sutures around the sciatic
      nerve compressing the nerve slightly just enough to reduce but not completely
      diminish the perineural circulation. A state of neuropathy was confirmed by a
      significant decrease in mechanical withdrawal threshold measured by von Frey's
      fibres. Immunohistochemical analysis was performed on transverse sections
      obtained from the L3-L5 segments of the SC at 2 and 6h post-CS and IEGP positive
      cells were counted in lamina I and II of the dorsal horn. During statistical
      analyses, the groups were compared by means of analysis of variance (univariate
      general linear model). If significant differences were found, each set of animals
      was compared with the sham group with post hoc Tukey's multiple comparison test.
      RESULTS: Strikingly, all IEGPs exhibited a significant increase in
      immunoreactivity at both time points compared to time-matched, sham operated
      controls. Maximal IEGP expression was found 2h after CS in neuropathic rats, and
      there was a smaller but still significant increase 6h after CS. The unstimulated
      side of the dorsal horn in stimulated animals did not show any significant change
      of the number of IEGP positive cells and was approximately at the same level as
      sham operated animals. The number of IEGP positive cells in sham operated
      controls (non-neuropathic and non-stimulated animals) showed same
      immunoreactivity in 2 and 6h post sham operation. CONCLUSIONS AND IMPLICATIONS:
      The neurophysiological process of neuropathic pain development is complex and
      needs to be studied further in order to clarify its nature and components. This
      present study is meant to reveal a step towards further understanding the role of
      Arc, c-Fos and Zif268 in neuropathic pain. Moreover, this study might contribute
      to the knowledge base for further research on better therapeutic possibilities
      for neuropathic pain.

PMID- 28361772
TI  - Advancing methods for characterizing structure and functions of small nerve
      fibres in neuropathic conditions.

PMID- 28361773
TI  - Stimulation-induced expression of immediate early gene proteins in the dorsal
      horn is increased in neuropathy.

PMID- 28361774
TI  - Targeting glial dysfunction to treat post-surgical neuropathic pain.

PMID- 28361775
TI  - Impaired recognition memory and cognitive flexibility in the rat L5-L6 spinal
      nerve ligation model of neuropathic pain.
AB  - BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Although neuropathic pain is known to negatively affect
      cognition, the neural mechanisms involved are poorly understood. Chronic pain is
      associated with changes in synaptic plasticity in the brain which may impact on
      cognitive functioning. The aim of this study was to model neuropathic pain in mid
      aged rats using spinal nerve ligation (SNL). Following establishment of allodynia
      and hyperalgesia, behaviour was assessed in a battery of cognitive tests.
      Expression of the presynaptic protein, synaptophysin, and its colocalisation with
      the vesicular GABA and glutamate transporters (vGAT and vGLUT, respectively), was
      investigated in the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) and hippocampus. METHODS:
      Nine month old male Sprague Dawley rats underwent L5-L6 spinal nerve ligation or
      a sham procedure. Mechanical and cold allodynia and thermal hyperalgesia were
      assessed using von Frey, acetone and Hargreaves tests, respectively. Cognition
      was assessed in the novel-object recognition, air-puff passive avoidance and
      Morris water maze behavioural tasks. Immunohistochemistry was used to examine the
      expression of synaptophysin in the mPFC and CA1 region of the hippocampus and
      double labelling of synaptophysin and the vesicular transporters vGAT and vGlut
      was used to investigate the distribution of synaptophysin on GABAergic and
      glutamatergic neurons. RESULTS: SNL rats displayed impaired performance in the
      novel-object recognition task. Passive-avoidance responding, and spatial learning
      and memory in the Morris water maze, were unaffected by SNL surgery. However, in
      the water maze reversal task, pain-related impairments were evident during
      training and probe trials. SNL surgery was not associated with any differences in
      the expression of synaptophysin or its colocalisation with vGAT or vGLUT in the
      mPFC or the hippocampal CA1 region. CONCLUSIONS: These results suggest that the
      SNL model of neuropathic pain is associated with deficits in recognition memory
      and cognitive flexibility, but these deficits are not associated with altered
      synaptophysin expression or distribution in the mPFC and CA1. IMPLICATIONS:
      Cognitive complaints are common amongst chronic pain patients. Here we modelled
      cognitive impairment in a well-established animal model of neuropathic pain and
      investigated the neural mechanisms involved. A better understanding of this
      phenomenon is an important prerequisite for the development of improved treatment
      of patients affected.

PMID- 28361776
TI  - Glial dysfunction and persistent neuropathic postsurgical pain.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Acute pain in response to injury is an important mechanism that
      serves to protect living beings from harm. However, persistent pain remaining
      long after the injury has healed serves no useful purpose and is a disabling
      condition. Persistent postsurgical pain, which is pain that lasts more than 3
      months after surgery, affects 10-50% of patients undergoing elective surgery.
      Many of these patients are affected by neuropathic pain which is characterised as
      a pain caused by lesion or disease in the somatosensory nervous system. When
      established, this type of pain is difficult to treat and new approaches for
      prevention and treatment are needed. A possible contributing mechanism for the
      transition from acute physiological pain to persistent pain involves low-grade
      inflammation in the central nervous system (CNS), glial dysfunction and
      subsequently an imbalance in the neuron-glial interaction that causes enhanced
      and prolonged pain transmission. AIM: This topical review aims to highlight the
      contribution that inflammatory activated glial cell dysfunction may have for the
      development of persistent pain. METHOD: Relevant literature was searched for in
      PubMed. RESULTS: Immediately after an injury to a nerve ending in the periphery
      such as in surgery, the inflammatory cascade is activated and immunocompetent
      cells migrate to the site of injury. Macrophages infiltrate the injured nerve and
      cause an inflammatory reaction in the nerve cell. This reaction leads to
      microglia activation in the central nervous system and the release of pro
      inflammatory cytokines that activate and alter astrocyte function. Once the
      astrocytes and microglia have become activated, they participate in the
      development, spread, and potentiation of low-grade neuroinflammation. The
      inflammatory activated glial cells exhibit cellular changes, and their
      communication to each other and to neurons is altered. This renders neurons more
      excitable and pain transmission is enhanced and prolonged. Astrocyte dysfunction
      can be experimentally restored using the combined actions of a MU-opioid receptor
      agonist, a MU-opioid receptor antagonist, and an anti-epileptic agent. To find
      these agents we searched the literature for substances with possible anti
      inflammatory properties that are usually used for other purposes in medicine.
      Inflammatory induced glial cell dysfunction is restorable in vitro by a
      combination of endomorphine-1, ultralow doses of naloxone and levetiracetam.
      Restoring inflammatory-activated glial cells, thereby restoring astrocyte-neuron
      interaction has the potential to affect pain transmission in neurons. CONCLUSION:
      Surgery causes inflammation at the site of injury. Peripheral nerve injury can
      cause low-grade inflammation in the CNS known as neuroinflammation. Low-grade
      neuroinflammation can cause an imbalance in the glial-neuron interaction and
      communication. This renders neurons more excitable and pain transmission is
      enhanced and prolonged. Astrocytic dysfunction can be restored in vitro by a
      combination of endomorphin-1, ultralow doses of naloxone and levetiracetam. This
      restoration is essential for the interaction between astrocytes and neurons and
      hence also for modulation of synaptic pain transmission. IMPLICATIONS: Larger
      studies in clinical settings are needed before these findings can be applied in a
      clinical context. Potentially, by targeting inflammatory activated glial cells
      and not only neurons, a new arena for development of pharmacological agents for
      persistent pain is opened.

PMID- 28361777
TI  - Pain treatment with intrathecal corticosteroids: Much ado about nothing? But
      epidural corticosteroids for radicular pain is still an option.

PMID- 28361778
TI  - Obesity has an impact on outcome in lumbar disc surgery.
AB  - PURPOSE: To investigate the effect of obesity on outcome in lumbar discectomy.
      METHODS: A cross-sectional postal survey; a self-made questionnaire, Beck
      depression inventory IA (BDI IA) and the Oswestry low back disability
      questionnaire (ODI) were sent to the patients, who had undergone lumbar disc
      surgery in the Oulu University Hospital between June 2005 and May 2008. Patients
      were divided into three groups according to BMI: normal, pre-obese and obese. The
      ODI was also examined in the framework of the international classification of
      functioning, disability and health (ICF) to investigate its ability to describe
      various dimensions of functioning (body structure and functions, activities and
      participation). RESULTS: The postal survey was sent to 642 patients, of whom 355
      (55%) replied. Males dominated in the pre-obese (66%) and obese (62%) groups
      (p=0.01). Normal-weighted and pre-obese patients had lower BDI scores compared to
      obese patients (mean BDI: 8.0, 7.6, 11.2, respectively, p=0.035). Total ODI score
      was highest in the obese group compared to normal-weighted or pre-obese (20.3,
      18.6, 26.4, respectively, p=0.011). When ODI was linked to the ICF there were
      significant differences in all activity domains (mobility, self-care and
      interpersonal interactions and relationships) and the mobility component of the
      participation domain between the weight groups. CONCLUSIONS AND IMPLICATIONS:
      Obesity has an impact on outcome in lumbar discectomy. Obese patients had higher
      scores in BDI and ODI indicating mild mood disturbances and moderate functional
      disability. According to ICF, functional disability of obese patients was
      observed to some extent in all activity domains. Obese patients will be more
      frequently present for disc surgery and increased morbidity risk must be
      recognized. We need a strategy to rehabilitate and activate obese patients pre-
      and postoperatively.

PMID- 28361779
TI  - Analgesic properties of intrathecal glucocorticoids in three well established
      preclinical pain models.
AB  - BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Glucocorticoids, a group of anti-inflammatory agents, are
      frequently administered in pain medicine. Of interest is the reported activity
      after intrathecal delivery in patients with neuropathic pain syndromes such as
      postherpetic neuralgia, though its efficacy is controversial. After the
      publication of two randomized clinical trials in postherpetic neuralgia patients
      treated with similar intrathecal methylprednisolone acetate (MPA) dosing regimes
      with conflicting results; one showing significant pain reduction (Kotani N,
      Kushikata T, Hashimoto H, Kimura F, Muraoka M, Yodono M, Asai M, Matsuki A:
      Intrathecal methylprednisolone for intractable postherpetic neuralgia. N Engl J
      Med 2000;23: 1514-9), the other increased pain sensations (Rijsdijk M, van Wijck
      AJ, Meulenhoff PC, Kavelaars A, van der Tweel I, Kalkman CJ: No beneficial effect
      of intrathecal methylprednisolone acetate in postherpetic neuralgia patients. Eur
      J Pain 2013;38: 175-200), we decided additional research was warranted. Present
      study sought to determine effects of intrathecally delivered methylprednisolone
      on pain-like behaviour and pain-associated markers in three well established
      rodent pain models: (1) intraplantar carrageenan, (2) intraplantar formalin, and
      (3) ligation of L5/L6 spinal nerves (SNL model). METHODS: Male rats with
      intrathecal catheters were examined for (1) tactile allodynia after unilateral
      hindpaw intraplantar carrageenan injection (2%), (2) flinching and subsequent
      long term tactile allodynia after unilateral hindpaw intraplantar formalin
      injection (2.5%) or (3) tactile allodynia after unilateral ligation of the L5 and
      L6 spinal nerves. Rats were treated with the maximum tolerable intrathecal dose
      of the soluble methylprednisolone sodium succinate (MP) or the particulate
      methylprednisolone acetate (MPA). Dorsal root ganglia and spinal cords were
      harvested for immunohistochemistry to assess markers of neuronal damage (ATF3)
      and glial activation (GFAP, Iba1). RESULTS: During dose finding, severe
      generalized allodynia was observed with high intrathecal doses of both MPA and MP
      in naive rats. MPA had no effect upon tactile allodynia after carrageenan. MP and
      MPA did not reverse tactile allodynia in the SNL model, and did not reduce
      flinching in the formalin model. MP and MPA prevented the delayed (7-day) tactile
      allodynia otherwise observed in the formalin-injected paw. Systemic MP or
      perineural MP or MPA did not reduce pain-like behaviour in the SNL model. No
      reduction of neuronal injury (ATF3) in the dorsal root ganglion or astrocyte
      activation (GFAP) in the spinal dorsal horn with intrathecal MP or MPA was
      observed. There was a decrease in microglial activation (Iba1) in the spinal
      dorsal horn with MPA after SNL. CONCLUSION: Severe generalized allodynia was
      observed after high intrathecal doses of MP and MPA in naive rats. No acute
      analgesic effects with intrathecal glucocorticoids were observed in three well
      established pain models. Only a late antiallodynic effect was present in the
      formalin model, 7 days after formalin injection and drug treatment. IMPLICATIONS:
      Our results do not support use of intrathecal methylprednisolone in the treatment
      of pain.

PMID- 28361780
TI  - A candidate reference method for serum potassium measurement by inductively
      coupled plasma mass spectrometry.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Potassium is an important serum ion that is frequently assayed in
      clinical laboratories. Quality assurance requires reference methods; thus, the
      establishment of a candidate reference method for serum potassium measurements is
      important. METHODS: An inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS)
      method was developed. Serum samples were gravimetrically spiked with an aluminum
      internal standard, digested with 69% ultrapure nitric acid, and diluted to the
      required concentration. The 39K/27Al ratios were measured by ICP-MS in hydrogen
      mode. The method was calibrated using 5% nitric acid matrix calibrators, and the
      calibration function was established using the bracketing method. RESULTS: The
      correlation coefficients between the measured 39K/27Al ratios and the analyte
      concentration ratios were >0.9999. The coefficients of variation were 0.40%,
      0.68%, and 0.22% for the three serum samples, and the analytical recovery was
      99.8%. The accuracy of the measurement was also verified by measuring certified
      reference materials, SRM909b and SRM956b. Comparison with the ion selective
      electrode routine method and international inter-laboratory comparisons gave
      satisfied results. CONCLUSIONS: The new ICP-MS method is specific, precise,
      simple, and low-cost, and it may be used as a candidate reference method for
      standardizing serum potassium measurements.

PMID- 28361782
TI  - Laboratory testing in the emergency department: an Italian Society of Clinical
      Biochemistry and Clinical Molecular Biology (SIBioC) and Academy of Emergency
      Medicine and Care (AcEMC) consensus report.

PMID- 28361781
TI  - Serum complexed and free prostate-specific antigen (PSA) for the diagnosis of the
      polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS).
AB  - BACKGROUND: Polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS) is a common cause of reproductive
      and metabolic dysfunction. We hypothesized that serum prostate-specific antigen
      (PSA) may constitute a new biomarker for hyperandrogenism in PCOS. METHODS: We
      conducted a cross-sectional study of 45 women with PCOS and 40 controls. Serum
      from these women was analyzed for androgenic steroids and for complexed PSA
      (cPSA) and free PSA (fPSA) with a novel fifth- generation assay with a
      sensitivity of ~10 fg/mL for cPSA and 140 fg/mL for fPSA. RESULTS: cPSA and fPSA
      levels were about three times higher in PCOS compared to controls. However, in
      PCOS, cPSA and fPSA did not differ according to waist-to-hip ratio, Ferriman
      Gallwey score, or degree of hyperandrogenemia or oligo-ovulation. In PCOS and
      control women, serum cPSA and fPSA levels were highly correlated with each other,
      and with free and total testosterone levels, but not with other hormones.
      Adjusting for age, body mass index (BMI) and race, cPSA was significantly
      associated with PCOS, with an odds ratio (OR) of 5.67 (95% confidence interval
      [CI]: 1.86, 22.0). The OR of PCOS for fPSA was 7.04 (95% CI: 1.65, 40.4). A
      multivariate model that included age, BMI, race and cPSA yielded an area-under
      the-receiver-operating-characteristic curve of 0.89. CONCLUSIONS: Serum cPSA and
      fPSA are novel biomarkers for hyperandrogenism in PCOS and may have value for
      disease diagnosis.

PMID- 28361783
TI  - A Theorem at the Core of Colliding Bias.
AB  - Conditioning on a shared outcome of two variables can alter the association
      between these variables, possibly adding a bias component when estimating
      effects. In particular, if two causes are marginally independent, they might be
      dependent in strata of their common effect. Explanations of the phenomenon,
      however, do not explicitly state when dependence will be created and have been
      largely informal. We prove that two, marginally independent, causes will be
      dependent in a particular stratum of their shared outcome if and only if they
      modify each other's effects, on a probability ratio scale, on that value of the
      outcome variable. Using our result, we also qualify the claim that such causes
      will "almost certainly" be dependent in at least one stratum of the outcome:
      dependence must be created in one stratum of a binary outcome, and independence
      can be maintained in every stratum of a trinary outcome.

PMID- 28361784
TI  - Obituary - Edward Ogata (1945-2017).

PMID- 28361785
TI  - Whither National Medical Commission (NMC) Bill?

PMID- 28361786
TI  - What Predicts Intergenerational Change in Anthropometry?

PMID- 28361787
TI  - IAP Guidelines on Rickettsial Diseases in Children.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: To formulate practice guidelines on rickettsial diseases in children
      for pediatricians across India. JUSTIFICATION: Rickettsial diseases are
      increasingly being reported from various parts of India. Due to low index of
      suspicion, nonspecific clinical features in early course of disease, and absence
      of easily available, sensitive and specific diagnostic tests, these infections
      are difficult to diagnose. With timely diagnosis, therapy is easy, affordable and
      often successful. On the other hand, in endemic areas, where healthcare workers
      have high index of suspicion for these infections, there is rampant and
      irrational use of doxycycline as a therapeutic trial in patients of
      undifferentiated fevers. Thus, there is a need to formulate practice guidelines
      regarding rickettsial diseases in children in Indian context. PROCESS: A
      committee was formed for preparing guidelines on rickettsial diseases in children
      in June 2016. A meeting of consultative committee was held in IAP office, Mumbai
      and scientific content was discussed. Methodology and results were scrutinized by
      all members and consensus was reached. Textbook references and published
      guidelines were also used in few instances to make recommendations. Various
      Indian and international publications pertinent to present study were collated
      and guidelines were approved by all committee members. Future updates in these
      guidelines will be dictated by new scientific data in the field of rickettsial
      diseases in children. RECOMMENDATIONS: Indian tick typhus and scrub typhus are
      commonly seen rickettsial diseases in India. It is recommended that practicing
      pediatricians should be well conversant with compatible clinical scenario,
      suggestive epidemiological features, differential diagnoses and suggestive
      laboratory features to make diagnosis and avoid over diagnosis of these
      infections, as suggested in these guidelines. Doxycycline is the drug of choice
      and treatment should begin promptly without waiting for confirmatory laboratory
      results.

PMID- 28361788
TI  - Indian Childhood Cirrhosis - A Forgotten Entity.

PMID- 28361789
TI  - Vaccine Associated Paralytic Poliomyelitis Unmasking Common Variable
      Immunodeficiency.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Oral polio vaccine can rarely lead to Vaccine-associated paralytic
      poliomyelitis (VAPP). CASE CHARACTERISTICS: A 2-year-old child with asymmetric
      paralysis of lower limbs following first booster of oral polio vaccine; type 2
      Vaccine-derived poliovirus (VDPV) isolated. Subsequently, the child was diagnosed
      to have common variable immunodeficiency. OUTCOME: Paralysis gradually improved
      on follow-up; monthly intravenous immunoglobulin therapy started for primary
      immunodeficiency. MESSAGE: We need to evaluate children with VAPP for underlying
      immunodeficiency.

PMID- 28361790
TI  - Neurological Manifestations of Chikungunya in Children.

PMID- 28361791
TI  - Acute Generalized Exanthematous Pustulosis.

PMID- 28361792
TI  - Calcinosis Cutis.

PMID- 28361794
TI  - Fabrication of beta-tricalcium phosphate composite ceramic sphere-based scaffolds
      with hierarchical pore structure for bone regeneration.
AB  - Polymer sphere-based scaffolds, which are prepared by bonding the adjacent
      spheres via sintering the randomly packed spheres, feature uniform pore
      structure, full three-dimensional (3D) interconnection, and considerable
      mechanical strength. However, bioceramic sphere-based scaffolds fabricated by
      this method have never been reported. Due to high melting temperature of
      bioceramic, only limited diffusion rate can be achieved when sintering the
      bioceramic spheres, which is far from enough to form robust bonding between
      spheres. In the present study, for the first time we fabricated 3D interconnected
      beta-tricalcium phosphate ceramic sphere-based (PG/TCP) scaffolds by introducing
      phosphate-based glass (PG) as sintering additive and placing uniaxial pressure
      during the sintering process. The sintering mechanism of PG/TCP scaffolds was
      unveiled. The PG/TCP scaffolds had hierarchical pore structure, which was
      composed by interconnected macropores (>200 MUm) among spheres, pores (20-120
      MUm) in the interior of spheres, and micropores (1-3 MUm) among the grains.
      During the sintering process, partial PG reacted with beta-TCP, forming beta
      Ca2P2O7; metal ions from PG substituted to Ca2+ sites of beta-TCP. The mechanical
      properties (compressive strength 2.8-10.6 MPa; compressive modulus 190-620 MPa)
      and porosity (30%-50%) of scaffolds could be tailored by manipulating the
      sintering temperatures. The introduction of PG accelerated in vitro degradation
      of scaffolds, and the PG/TCP scaffolds showed good cytocompatibility. This work
      may offer a new strategy to prepare bioceramic scaffolds with satisfactory
      physicochemical properties for application in bone regeneration.

PMID- 28361796
TI  - Why research on Endocrine Disrupting Chemicals is still worthwhile. Editorial.

PMID- 28361793
TI  - Modeling the response of small myelinated axons in a compound nerve to kilohertz
      frequency signals.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: There is growing interest in electrical neuromodulation of peripheral
      nerves, particularly autonomic nerves, to treat various diseases. Electrical
      signals in the kilohertz frequency (KHF) range can produce different responses,
      including conduction block. For example, EnteroMedics' vBloc(r) therapy for
      obesity delivers 5 kHz stimulation to block the abdominal vagus nerves, but the
      mechanisms of action are unclear. APPROACH: We developed a two-part computational
      model, coupling a 3D finite element model of a cuff electrode around the human
      abdominal vagus nerve with biophysically-realistic electrical circuit equivalent
      (cable) model axons (1, 2, and 5.7 um in diameter). We developed an automated
      algorithm to classify conduction responses as subthreshold (transmission), KHF
      evoked activity (excitation), or block. We quantified neural responses across
      kilohertz frequencies (5-20 kHz), amplitudes (1-8 mA), and electrode designs.
      MAIN RESULTS: We found heterogeneous conduction responses across the modeled
      nerve trunk, both for a given parameter set and across parameter sets, although
      most suprathreshold responses were excitation, rather than block. The firing
      patterns were irregular near transmission and block boundaries, but otherwise
      regular, and mean firing rates varied with electrode-fibre distance. Further, we
      identified excitation responses at amplitudes above block threshold, termed 're
      excitation', arising from action potentials initiated at virtual cathodes.
      Excitation and block thresholds decreased with smaller electrode-fibre distances,
      larger fibre diameters, and lower kilohertz frequencies. A point source model
      predicted a larger fraction of blocked fibres and greater change of threshold
      with distance as compared to the realistic cuff and nerve model. SIGNIFICANCE:
      Our findings of widespread asynchronous KHF-evoked activity suggest that
      conduction block in the abdominal vagus nerves is unlikely with current clinical
      parameters. Our results indicate that compound neural or downstream muscle force
      recordings may be unreliable as quantitative measures of neural activity for in
      vivo studies or as biomarkers in closed-loop clinical devices.

PMID- 28361795
TI  - Native extracellular matrix/fibroin hydrogels for adipose tissue engineering with
      enhanced vascularization.
AB  - Adipose tissue engineering is a promising field for regeneration of soft tissue
      defects. However, vascularization is needed since nutrients and oxygen cannot
      reach cells in thick implants by diffusion. Obtaining a biocompatible scaffold
      with good mechanical properties is another problem. In this study, we aimed to
      develop thick and vascularized adipose tissue constructs supporting cell
      viability and adipose tissue regeneration. Hydrogels were prepared by mixing rat
      decellularized adipose tissue (DAT) and silk fibroin (Fib) at different v/v
      ratios (3:1, 1:1 and 1:3) and vortexing. Gelation times decreased with increasing
      fibroin ratio Among hydrogel groups 1:3-DAT:Fib ratio group showed similar
      mechanical properties with adipose tissue. Both pre-adipocytes and pre
      endothelial cells, pre-differentiated from adipose derived stem cells (ASCs),
      were encapsulated in hydrogels at a 1: 3 ratio. In vitro analyses showed that
      hydrogels with 1:3 (v/v) DAT:Fib ratio supported better cell viability. Pre
      adipocytes had lipid vesicles, and pre-endothelial cells formed tubular
      structures inside hydrogels only after 3 days in vitro. When endothelial and
      adipogenic pre-differentiated ASCs (for 7 days before encapsulation) were
      encapsulated together into 1:3-DAT:Fib hydrogels both cell types continued to
      differentiate into the committed cell lineage. Vascularization process in the
      hydrogels implanted with adipogenic and endothelial pre-differentiated ASCs took
      place between the first and second week after implantation which was faster than
      observed in the empty hydrogels. ASCs pre-differentiated towards adipogenic
      lineage inside hydrogels had begun to accumulate lipid vesicles after 1 week of
      subcutaneous implantation Based on these results, we suggest that 1:3-DAT:Fib
      hydrogels with enhanced vascularization hold promise for adipose tissue
      engineering.

PMID- 28361797
TI  - Knowledge and participation. Moving towards scientific citizenship. Editorial.

PMID- 28361798
TI  - Research on biological materials of human origin. Jurists and scientists face to
      face. Commentary.
AB  - On 3rd October 2016 a convention was held in the Aldo Moro room of the Chamber of
      Deputies on "Research on biological materials of human origin. Jurists and
      scientists face to face". The convention was organised by the Bioethics Unit of
      the Istituto Superiore di Sanita (ISS, Italian National Institute of Health) in
      conjunction with the Italian Academy of the Internet Code (IAIC) and the
      Fondazione Centro di Iniziativa Giuridica Piero Calamandrei. The present
      contribution reports the topics discussed and the key conclusions reached. As a
      follow-up to the discussion, the scientists, jurists and institutions concerned
      are resolved to take further steps towards the formulation of operational
      proposals intended to facilitate research using human biological materials within
      a framework of precise and strict regulations.

PMID- 28361799
TI  - Do I need training in public health ethics? A survey on Italian residents'
      beliefs, knowledge and curricula.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: Ethics is needed to support the decision-making process in public
      health and to face moral issues during practice. However, professionals are often
      not adequately trained. OBJECTIVES: In 2015, the National Conference of Public
      Health Medical Residents of the Italian Society of Public Health started the
      "Public Health Ethics" workgroup to evaluate how the Italian Schools of Public
      Health train their residents in ethics, and which are residents' beliefs,
      knowledge and attitudes about public health ethics. METHODS: A survey was built
      and emailed to the Italian public health residents. RESULTS: Residents are
      interested in ethics/bioethics (83.2%) and are aware of its importance for
      professional practice (97.2%). However, few of them (19.6%) evaluated their
      competence above a satisfactory level. They believe that a training in ethics
      should be offered during residency (92.1%). Nonetheless, in Italy only two
      schools required a course on bioethics, and one a course in public health ethics.
      According to residents, a public health ethics trainer should be a public health
      professional (23.2%) or a social scientist (22.8%). CONCLUSIONS: In Italy,
      Schools of Public Health do not train future professionals in ethics or public
      health ethics during residency. Training should be implemented in curricula, and
      trainers should have a strong competence in both public health and ethics.

PMID- 28361800
TI  - The product of the human AHI-1 (Abelson helper integration site) gene:
      experimental in vitro data point to its involvement in tumor cell invasion.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: Each of the steps involved in invasion of tumors requires specific
      molecular program in which the modulation of adhesive and migratory properties of
      disseminating cells plays an essential role. The improvement in the knowledge of
      these mechanisms can lead to discovery of new target candidates in drug
      development. In this study we focused attention on the product of the human AHI-1
      (Abelson helper integration site) gene Jouberin (Jbn). METHODS: In particular, we
      explore by in vitro invasion assay, AHI-1 knockdown and electron microscopy, if
      Jbn is involved in the signaling machinery that regulates tumor invasion. To this
      purpose tumor cells of different histological derivation (brain, breast, skin)
      were employed. RESULTS: We found that Jbn expression correlates with the
      proliferation, invasive potential and invasion strategy of the tested tumor
      cells, and that its downregulation reduces their capability of migrating and
      invading the extracellular matrix. CONCLUSIONS: The results obtained in this
      study for the first time point to Jbn as a new candidate involved in the invasion
      process of tumor cells, and as potential molecular target in anticancer therapy.

PMID- 28361801
TI  - Uterus transplants and their ethical implications.
AB  - Early experiments in womb transplants have increased interest in the possibility
      of performing this procedure in women who have no womb, usually for congenital
      reasons. The present article describes past experiments and summarises the most
      relevant reference documents before indicating the key ethical implications
      involved in womb transplants.

PMID- 28361802
TI  - Molecular characterization of Babesia and Theileria species in ticks collected in
      the outskirt of Monte Romano, Lazio Region, Central Italy.
AB  - BACKGROUND: In 2012-2013, an investigation was carried out in the Viterbo
      province, Lazio region, on ticks and tick-borne Apicomplexan protozoa of the
      Babesia and Theileria genera. This followed the reporting of high density of
      ticks by soldiers operating in a military shooting range, and the signaling by
      owners and local veterinary authorities of several cases of babesiosis among
      cattle. METHODS: A total of 422 ticks were collected from 35 heads, whereas 96
      ticks were collected by dragging. Ticks were identified as Rhipicephalus
      (Boophilus) annulatus Say (n = 373), Rhipicephalus bursa Canestrini & Fanzago (n
      = 63), Rhipicephalus sanguineus/turanicus (n = 32), Hyalomma marginatum Koch (n =
      49) and Dermacentor marginatus Sulzer, 1776 (n = 1). A randomly selected sample
      of ticks (235 from animals and 36 by dragging) was analyzed using molecular
      methods to detect species of Babesia and Theileria. RESULTS: In total, 11 ticks
      collected from animals (4.7%) and two ticks (5.5%) collected by dragging were
      positive. Sequencing of PCR products of the small subunit ribosomal RNA gene
      revealed Babesia caballi (n = 2), Babesia bigemina (n = 3), Theileria
      sergenti/buffeli/orientalis (n = 7) and Theileria equi (n = 1). None of the
      detected species has been associated with human infection.

PMID- 28361803
TI  - Illicit drugs in Emergency Department patients injured in road traffic accidents.
AB  - Urine and blood samples from 1730 drivers involved in road accidents (July 2012 -
      December 2015) were analyzed for the evaluation of driving under influence of
      drug of abuse according to the Lombardia Region guideline. The 22.5% (95% CI 20.5
      to 24.5) of urine screenings tested positive for at least one class of drugs.
      10.6% (95% CI 9.2 to 12.1) of the 1730 drivers were under the influence of drug,
      being blood concentration above the cut-off limit for at least one active
      substance; the proportion of illicit drugs in blood was cocaine 5.7 % (95% CI 4.7
      to 6.9), cannabinoids 3.7 % (95% CI 2.9 to 4.7), opiates 1.4% (95% CI 0.9 to
      2.1), methadone 1.4% (95% CI 0.9 to 2.1), amphetamines 0.2% (95% CI 0.04 to 0.5).
      Trend in proportion showed similar percentage (about 5%) of cocaine and
      cannabinoids consumption in the last two years. Poly-drug of abuse consumption
      emerged in the 10.4% (95% CI 6.4 to 15.7) of the positive blood and alcohol was
      above the legal limit in 47% (95% CI 39.6 to 54.5) of the subjects driving under
      the influence of drugs.

PMID- 28361804
TI  - Risk adjusted mortality after hip replacement surgery: a retrospective study.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: Hip replacement (HR) operations are increasing. Short term
      mortality is an indicator of quality; few studies include risk adjustment models
      to predict HR outcomes. We evaluated in-hospital and 30-day mortality in
      hospitalized patients for HR and compared the performance of two risk adjustment
      algorithms. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A retrospective cohort study on hospital
      discharge records of patients undergoing HR from 2000 to 2005 in Tuscany Region,
      Italy, applied All-Patient Refined Diagnosis Related Groups (APR-DRG) and
      Elixhauser Index (EI) risk adjustment models to predict outcomes. Logistic
      regression was used to analyse the performance of the two models; C statistic (C)
      was used to define their discriminating ability. RESULTS: 25 850 hospital
      discharge records were studied. In-hospital and 30-day crude mortality were 1.3%
      and 3%, respectively. Female gender was a significant (p < 0.001) protective
      factor under both models and had the following Odds Ratios (OR): 0.64 for in
      hospital and 0.51 for 30-day mortality using APR-DRG and 0.55 and 0.48,
      respectively, with EI. Among EI comorbidities, heart failure and liver disease
      were associated with in-hospital (OR 9.29 and 5.60; p < 0.001) and 30-day (OR
      6.36 and 3.26; p < 0.001) mortality. Increasing age and APR-DRG risk class were
      predictive of all the outcomes. Discriminating ability for in-hospital and 30-day
      mortality was reasonable with EI (C 0.79 and 0.68) and good with APR-DRG (C 0.86
      and 0.82). CONCLUSIONS: Our study found that gender, age, EI comorbidities and
      APR-DRG risk of death are predictive factors of in-hospital and 30-day mortality
      outcomes in patients undergoing HR. At least one risk adjustment algorithm should
      always be implemented in patient management.

PMID- 28361805
TI  - Hospital efficiency: how to spend less maintaining quality?
AB  - INTRODUCTION: The recent global economic crisis is pushing governments worldwide
      to obtain a more explicit and urgent rationing of resources. The purpose of this
      study is to provide, through Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA), a methodological
      framework useful for investigating technical efficiency of hospital care.
      METHODS: To validate such framework, we compared 50 Italian public hospital
      trusts (AOs) to identify relative efficient using inputs and outputs from
      national databases. We also evaluated if, and how, efficiency is affected by
      various exogenous factors. RESULTS: On average, Italian AOs had an efficiency
      score of 77% (SD 0.12). Tobit regression model identified a positive association
      between efficiency and a lower case-mix index, being in the north of Italy, in a
      region with fiscal autonomy, with a higher public and a lower private expenditure
      on health as percentage of GDP. CONCLUSIONS: DEA may provide useful and
      especially objective information regarding the technical efficiency of hospital
      care and support hospital management and policy makers' decisions.

PMID- 28361806
TI  - Association between serum vitamin D and metabolic syndrome in middle-aged and
      older adults and role of supplementation therapy with vitamin D.
AB  - OBJECTIVES: To evaluate i) the correlation between vitamin D (vit. D) serum
      concentrations and metabolic syndrome (MetS); ii) the efficacy of 6 months
      supplementation therapy with vit. D. METHOD: 200 patients were enrolled. Blood
      analyses and anthropometric measurements were carried out. Patients with
      hypovitaminosis D received an oral supplement therapy. RESULTS: 81% of the sample
      shows vit. D levels < 30 ng/mL. Rate of MetS was significantly higher in vit. D
      deficiency group than in vit D insufficiency (p = 0.009) and sufficiency (p =
      0.002) groups. Vit. D shows a significant negative correlation with both waist
      circumference (WC) (rho - 0.202 p = 0.004) and glycaemia values (FBG) (rho -0.185
      p = 0.009). After the supplementation therapy in a group of 60 subjects a
      significant increase in vit. D levels (p = 0.001) and a significant reduction in
      WC values (p = 0.001) were observed. CONCLUSIONS: MetS, WC and FBG appeared to be
      associated vit. D status and it is well-known that central obesity, with the
      inflammatory alterations thereto correlated that determine insulin resistance,
      can be considered the "primum movens" for the development of MetS.

PMID- 28361807
TI  - The Italian reference sites of the European innovation partnership on active and
      healthy ageing: Progetto Mattone Internazionale as an enabling factor.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Ageing population implies an increasing demand for health care
      services and resources, unsustainable according to current previsions. The
      European Commission is tackling this challenge throughout initiatives such as the
      European Innovation Partnership on Active and Healthy Ageing (EIP-AHA), where all
      the efforts are aligned to the common goal of adding two active and healthy years
      to the life of European Union (EU) citizens. METHOD: We presented the
      collaborative efforts of Italian Reference Site Collaborative Network 2012-2015.
      RESULTS: Italian regions joined forces through the "Progetto Mattone
      Internazionale" of the Ministry of Health developing several national and
      international collaborations. Activities from all five Italian reference sites
      are presented with different good practices and scale-up approaches for improving
      health in ageing population. DISCUSSION: The simultaneous development of these
      activities allowed the strengthening of the coordination of Italian stakeholders
      in the European arena fostering collaboration and supporting the streamlining of
      the Italian regions still outside these projects.

PMID- 28361808
TI  - Appropriateness and efficacy of Spa therapy for musculoskeletal disorders. A
      Delphi method consensus initiative among experts in Italy.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: The aim of the study was to identify the main aspects concerning
      appropriateness and efficacy of Spa therapy for musculoskeletal pathologies.
      METHODS: A committee of 8 experts from Italian universities, public hospitals,
      territorial services, research institutes and patient associations was set up.
      Clinicians from Italian medical centers specialized in rheumatology,
      rehabilitation and thermal medicine took part in a Delphi process aimed at
      obtaining consensus statements among the participants. RESULTS: Large consensus
      was obtained for statements grouped under the following main themes: treatment
      indications; choice of treatment modality and treatment efficacy. CONCLUSIONS:
      The experts developed a number of consensus statements which may be used as a
      practical reference to guide the choice of physicians to treat musculoskeletal
      diseases with Spa therapy.

PMID- 28361809
TI  - Association of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease and cardiometabolic risk factors
      with early atherosclerosis in an adult population in Southern Italy.
AB  - AIM: The prevalence of risk factors for cardiovascular and metabolic diseases was
      investigated in an adult population of the city of Cittanova, Southern Italy.
      METHODS: The study was conducted among 992 randomly selected adults aged 18-75
      years, between April 2009 and January 2011. RESULTS: Prevalence rates of non
      alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), overweight, obesity, and metabolic
      syndrome (MS) were 24.8%, 41.5%, 27.1%, and 34.4%, respectively. For the
      components of MS, prevalence of central obesity was 47.4%, impaired fasting
      glucose (IFG) 34.7%; hypertension 53.7%, low high-density lipoprotein (HDL)
      cholesterol 34.2%, and hypertriglyceridemia 27.2%. CONCLUSIONS: Hypertension,
      central obesity, IFG, low HDL cholesterol, hypertriglyceridemia, MS, and
      increased carotid artery intima-media thickness (IMT) were significantly
      associated with NAFLD after adjustment for age and sex. With additional
      adjustment for body mass index (BMI), IMT and MS (depending on the prevalence
      ratio that was investigated), the positive association between the NAFLD and
      increased IMT lost statistical significance, while that with body mass index
      (BMI) and MS remained significant.

PMID- 28361810
TI  - Educational action in the rehabilitation of severe acquired brain injuries: the
      role of self-awareness.
AB  - Severe acquired brain injuries (ABI) cause a range of short-or long-term
      limitations in physical and neuropsychological abilities. The aim of
      rehabilitation is to promote the harmonious development of the individual through
      collaboration between medical and educational sciences, involved in the
      educability of the whole person, in which the aim is not only functional recovery
      but also social-reintegration. This "functional synergy" permits the development
      of the person, and establishes an indissoluble link between functions and
      attitudes, thus allowing the achievement of the greater possible autonomy. In
      this way classical and pedagogical rehabilitation may be combined in a single
      concept of educational action. To realize this integrated educational process it
      is important to evaluate and promote awareness development, based on the
      possibilities of brain plasticity and on the presence of multiple intelligences
      skillfully intertwined each other. Therefore, self-awareness plays a prime role
      in educational actions for the rehabilitation of persons with severe ABI.

PMID- 28361811
TI  - Predictive value of FSH, testicular volume, and histopathological findings for
      the sperm retrieval rate of microdissection TESE in nonobstructive azoospermia: a
      meta-analysis.
AB  - We performed this meta-analysis to evaluate the predictive value of different
      parameters in the sperm retrieval rate (SRR) of microdissection testicular sperm
      extraction (TESE) in patients with nonobstructive azoospermia (NOA). All relevant
      studies were searched in PubMed, Web of Science, EMBASE, Cochrane Library, and
      EBSCO. We chose three parameters to perform the meta-analysis: follicle
      stimulating hormone (FSH), testicular volume, and testicular histopathological
      findings which included three patterns: hypospermatogenesis (HS), maturation
      arrest (MA), and Sertoli-cell-only syndrome (SCOS). If there was a threshold
      effect, only the area under the summary receiver operating characteristic curve
      (AUSROC) was calculated. Otherwise, the pooled sensitivity, specificity, positive
      likelihood ratio (PLR), negative likelihood ratio (NLR), and the diagnostic odds
      ratio (DOR) were also calculated. Twenty-one articles were included in our study
      finally. There was a threshold effect among studies investigating FSH and SCOS.
      The AUSROCs of FSH, testicular volume, HS, MA, and SCOS were 0.6119, 0.6389,
      0.6758, 0.5535, and 0.2763, respectively. The DORs of testicular volume, HS, and
      MA were 1.98, 16.49, and 1.26, respectively. The sensitivities of them were 0.80,
      0.30, and 0.27, while the specificities of them were 0.35, 0.98, and 0.76,
      respectively. The PLRs of them were 1.49, 10.63, and 1.15, respectively. And NLRs
      were 0.73, 0.72, and 0.95, respectively. All the investigated factors in our
      study had limited predictive value. However, the histopathological findings were
      helpful to some extent. Most patients with HS could get sperm by microdissection
      TESE.

PMID- 28361812
TI  - Validity of premature ejaculation diagnostic tool and its association with
      International Index of Erectile Function-15 in Chinese men with evidence-based
      defined premature ejaculation.
AB  - The premature ejaculation diagnostic tool (PEDT) is a brief diagnostic measure to
      assess premature ejaculation (PE). However, there is insufficient evidence
      regarding its validity in the new evidence-based-defined PE. This study was
      performed to evaluate the validity of PEDT and its association with IIEF-15 in
      different types of evidence-based-defined PE. From June 2015 to January 2016, a
      total of 260 men complaining of PE and defined as lifelong PE (LPE)/acquired PE
      (APE) according to the evidence-based definition from Andrology Clinic of the
      First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, along with 104 male
      healthy controls without PE from a medical examination center, were enrolled in
      this study. All individuals completed questionnaires including demographics,
      medical and sexual history, as well as PEDT and IIEF-15. After statistical
      analysis, it was found that men with PE reported higher PEDT scores (14.28 +/-
      3.05) and lower IIEF-15 (41.26 +/- 8.20) than men without PE (PEDT: 5.32 +/-
      3.42, IIEF-15: 52.66 +/- 6.86, P < 0.001 for both). It was suggested that a score
      of >=9 indicated PE in both LPE and APE by sensitivity and specificity analyses
      (sensitivity: 0.875, 0.913; specificity: 0.865, 0.865, respectively). In
      addition, IIEF-15 were higher in men with LPE (42.64 +/- 8.11) than APE (39.43 +/
      7.84, P < 0.001). After adjusting for age, IIEF-15 was negatively related to
      PEDT in men with LPE (adjust r = -0.225, P < 0.001) and APE (adjust r = -0.378, P
      < 0.001). In this study, we concluded that PEDT was valid in the diagnosis of
      evidenced-based-defined PE. Furthermore, IIEF-15 was negatively related to PEDT
      in men with different types of PE.

PMID- 28361813
TI  - Childhood diabetes mellitus: Advances & challenges.

PMID- 28361815
TI  - Understanding of skeletal deformities in Parkinson's disease.

PMID- 28361814
TI  - Macronutrient intake, insulin secretion, oxidative stress & inflammation: Clinico
      pathological implications.

PMID- 28361816
TI  - Need for power in genetic explorations of alcoholism in India.

PMID- 28361817
TI  - Epilepsy: Is there hope?
AB  - Epilepsy is a highly prevalent chronic neurologic disorder and leads to social,
      behavioural, health and economic consequences. 'Treatment gap' varies from 10 per
      cent in developed countries to 75 per cent in low-income countries. Stigma and
      discrimination related to epilepsy are prevalent worldwide.
      Electroencephalography (EEG) is considered the most important tool for evaluating
      the patient with epilepsy. Video-EEG monitoring is an important tool for
      confirming the seizure type and estimating the epileptogenic zone in the brain.
      Neuroimaging evaluation is important to determine the aetiology of the
      epilepsies. Genetic testing has increased the probability of identifying the
      causes of some types of epilepsies. Epilepsy can be treated in an affordable way
      with low-cost medications. Refractory epilepsies occur in approximately one-third
      of recently diagnosed patients with epilepsy. For this group of patients, there
      are options of surgical treatment, diets and neurostimulation to improve seizure
      control and quality of life. In poorly organized societies, there is a lack of
      prioritization of epilepsy in national health policies, limited resources for
      trained personnel and a shortage of basic antiepileptic medications. There is
      evidence of improvement in the understanding of epilepsy and a clear progress in
      the management of epileptic seizures in recent times.

PMID- 28361818
TI  - Current status of Mycobacterium avium subspecies paratuberculosis infection in
      animals & humans in India: What needs to be done?
AB  - Mycobacterium avium subspecies paratuberculosis (MAP) has emerged as a major
      health problem for domestic livestock and human beings. Reduced per animal
      productivity of domestic livestock seriously impacts the economics of dairy
      farming globally. High to very high bioload of MAP in domestic livestock and also
      in the human population has been reported from north India. Presence of live MAP
      bacilli in commercial supplies of raw and pasteurized milk and milk products
      indicates its public health significance. MAP is not inactivated during
      pasteurization, therefore, entering into human food chain daily. Recovery of MAP
      from patients with inflammatory bowel disease or Crohn's disease and animal
      healthcare workers suffering with chronic gastrointestinal problems indicate a
      close association of MAP with a number of chronic and other diseases affecting
      human health. Higher bioload of MAP in the animals increases the risk of exposure
      to the human population with MAP. This review summarizes the current status of
      MAP infection in animals as well as in human beings and also highlights the
      prospects of effective management and control of disease in animals to reduce the
      risk of exposure to human population.

PMID- 28361819
TI  - Pioglitazone utilization, efficacy & safety in Indian type 2 diabetic patients: A
      systematic review & comparison with European Medicines Agency Assessment Report.
AB  - BACKGROUND & OBJECTIVES: With pioglitazone ban and subsequent revoking in India
      along with varying regulatory decisions in other countries, it was decided to
      carry out a systematic review on its safety, efficacy and drug utilization in
      patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) in India and compare with the data
      from the European Medicines Agency Assessment Report (EMA-AR). METHODS:
      Systematic review was performed as per the Preferred Reporting Items for
      Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines, searching
      Medline/PubMed, Google Scholar and Science Direct databases using 'pioglitazone
      AND India AND human' and 'pioglitazone AND India AND human AND patient' and
      compared with EMA-AR. Spontaneous reports in World Health Organization VigiBase
      from India were compared with VigiBase data from other countries. RESULTS: Sixty
      six publications, 26 (efficacy), 32 (drug utilization) and eight (safety), were
      retrieved. In India, pioglitazone was used at 15-30 mg/day mostly with metformin
      and sulphonylurea, being prescribed to 26.7 and 8.4 per cent patients in north
      and south, respectively. The efficacy in clinical trials (CTs) was similar to
      those in EMA-AR. Incidence of bladder cancer in pioglitazone exposed and non
      exposed patients was not significantly different in an Indian retrospective
      cohort study. There were two cases and a series of eight cases of bladder cancer
      published but none reported in VigiBase. INTERPRETATION & CONCLUSIONS: In India,
      probably due to lower dose, lower background incidence of bladder cancer and
      smaller sample size in epidemiological studies, association of bladder cancer
      with pioglitazone was not found to be significant. Reporting of CTs and adverse
      drug reactions to Clinical Trials Registry of India and Pharmacovigilance
      Programme of India, respectively, along with compliance studies with warning
      given in package insert and epidemiological studies with larger sample size are
      needed.

PMID- 28361820
TI  - Assessment of striatal & postural deformities in patients with Parkinson's
      disease.
AB  - BACKGROUND & OBJECTIVES: Though striatal and postural deformities are known to
      occur commonly in atypical Parkinsonism patients, these may also be seen in
      patients with Parkinson's disease (PD). These are frequently misdiagnosed as
      joint or orthopaedic pathology leading to unnecessary investigations. This study
      was conducted to observe the various striatal and postural deformities among
      patients with PD in India. METHODS: This study was conducted at a tertiary care
      teaching institute in north# India. Seventy consecutive patients with PD
      diagnosed as per the modified UK Brain Bank criteria were included. Various
      striatal (hand & foot) and postural (antecollis, camptocormia, scoliosis & Pisa
      syndrome) deformities and their relation with the duration of disease, severity
      [measured by the Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale (UPDRS)] and levodopa
      intake were analyzed. RESULTS: Of the 70 patients with PD, 34 (48.57%) had either
      striatal or postural deformities. Striatal foot was the most common deformity
      observed (25.71%). Camptocormia was the second most common deformity (20%).
      Striatal and postural deformities were seen in more advanced PD as suggested by
      significantly higher UPDRS and Hoehn and Yahr scale (P<0.001). Striatal
      deformities were more ipsilateral to PD symptom onset side (agreement 94.44%).
      Pisa and scoliosis concavity were more on contralateral side to PD symptoms onset
      side (66.67%). INTERPRETATION & CONCLUSIONS: Our results showed that striatal and
      postural deformities were common and present in about half of the patients with
      PD. These deformities we more common in patients with advanced stage of PD.

PMID- 28361821
TI  - Candidate genes for alcohol dependence: A genetic association study from India.
AB  - BACKGROUND & OBJECTIVES: Search for candidate genes for alcohol dependence (AD)
      has been inconsistent and inconclusive. Moreover, most of the research has been
      confined to a few specific ethnic groups. Hence, the aim of our study was to
      explore specific candidate genes for AD in north Indian male population. METHODS:
      In this clinic-based genetic association study, 210 males with AD and 200
      controls matched for age, gender and ethnicity were recruited from the clinic and
      the general population, respectively. Cases were diagnosed with Semi-structured
      Assessment for Genetics of Alcoholism-II (SSAGA-II). Single-nucleotide
      polymorphism genotyping was done by real-time quantitative-polymerase chain
      reaction (PCR) using Taq Man assay (ABI 7500) fast real-time PCR system. RESULTS:
      Both at the genotypic level and at allelic frequency, Met158 variant of catechol
      O-methyl transferase (COMT) showed significant increase in cases as compared to
      controls. The frequency of heterozygous genotype (A/G) of gamma-aminobutyric acid
      receptor A1 (GABRA1) was significantly lower in cases as compared to controls.
      Likewise, for GABRA2, the frequency of homozygous recessive genotype (G/G) was
      significantly higher in the control group. With respect to the 5
      hydroxytryptamine (5HT) transporter long promoter region (5HTTLPR), cholinergic
      receptor muscarinic (CHRM2) and alcohol dehydrogenase 1B (ADH1B) genes, there was
      no significant difference between the cases and the controls. Aldehyde
      dehydrogenase (ALDH2) gene was found to be monomorphic in our study population.
      INTERPRETATION & CONCLUSIONS: Our study findings showed COMT polymorphism
      conferring risk and GABRA polymorphism as a protective genotype for Indian male
      with AD. Genes for alcohol metabolism, serotonin transporter and cholinergic
      receptor gene polymorphism were perhaps not contributory to AD for Indian
      population.

PMID- 28361823
TI  - Prevalence & correlates of tobacco use among adolescents in Kerala, India.
AB  - BACKGROUND & OBJECTIVES: Most tobacco users who initiate its use during
      adolescence are likely to continue the use into adulthood and contribute to the
      90 per cent of premature deaths among tobacco users. In this context the
      prevalence, patterns and correlates of tobacco use were studied among adolescent
      school students in Kerala, India. METHODS: Total 7560 students from classes 8, 10
      and 12, within the age group of 12-19 yr, across 73 schools in Ernakulam
      district, Kerala, India, selected by cluster random sampling, completed a self
      administered questionnaire incorporating standardized instruments. RESULTS: Of
      the 7350 valid questionnaires, the overall lifetime prevalence of tobacco use was
      6.9 per cent (12.5% males and 1.2% females). The prevalence of tobacco use
      increased from 3.1 per cent at 12-13 yr to 15.1 per cent at 18-19 yr. The mean
      age of onset of tobacco use was 14.0+/-2.2 yr. The prevalence was higher among
      students from urban backgrounds, lower socio-economic status and those with part
      time jobs. Tobacco users had significantly higher rates of use of alcohol (67.8
      vs. 11%) and illicit drugs (33 vs. 6.1%). They had poorer academic performance
      (24.7 vs. 9.1%), more severe psychological distress (10.8 vs. 4.5%), suicidal
      attempts (10.2 vs. 3.5%), higher scores of ratings of attention deficit
      hyperactivity disorder (8.3 vs. 2.5%) and history of sexual abuse (12.5 vs.
      3.8%). INTERPRETATION & CONCLUSIONS: The prevalence of tobacco use in adolescents
      reported in this study was relatively lower than those reported from other Indian
      States. However, it correlates with multiple negative outcomes suggesting a need
      to promote specific interventions to prevent adolescent tobacco use.

PMID- 28361822
TI  - Comparative study of clozapine versus risperidone in treatment-naive, first
      episode schizophrenia: A pilot study.
AB  - BACKGROUND & OBJECTIVES: Clozapine may be more useful in treatment-naive patients
      with first-episode schizophrenia for better symptoms control and improving
      quality of life. The current study was carried out to compare the efficacy and
      tolerability of clozapine versus risperidone in treatment-naive, first-episode
      patients of schizophrenia. METHODS: This was a comparative, open-label, six
      months prospective study of treatment-naive, first-episode patients with
      schizophrenia between the age group of 18 and 40 yr diagnosed as per the
      International Classification of Diseases-10 (ICD-10) criteria. A total of 63
      patients were recruited and randomly assigned to clozapine group or risperidone
      group using computer-generated random number tables. Eight patients were lost to
      follow up. The dosages of the respective drugs were kept in therapeutic range of
      200-600 mg/day and 4-8 mg/day orally for clozapine and risperidone, respectively.
      RESULTS: On general psychopathology score, after six months of intervention,
      clozapine led to 60.32 per cent mean reduction in Positive and Negative Syndrome
      Scale (PANSS) for Schizophrenia total score while risperidone led to 56.35 per
      cent mean reduction in PANSS total score, which meant more improvement with
      clozapine. Clozapine group was found to have significant improvement in quality
      of life (P = 0.04339). On Glasgow Antipsychotic Side-effect Scale, clozapine was
      superior to risperidone. The most common side effects observed in clozapine group
      were oversedation (78.96%) and dizziness (55.23%), and in risperidone group,
      common side effects were rigidity (62.36%), sedation (38.69%), tremors (65.69%)
      and menstrual irregularities in 80.25 per cent of female patients. INTERPRETATION
      & CONCLUSIONS: The findings of this preliminary study showed clozapine as a
      better choice than risperidone in terms of efficacy, tolerability and better
      quality of life in treatment-naive, first-episode schizophrenia. However, further
      studies need to be done on a larger group of patients to confirm the findings.

PMID- 28361824
TI  - Postprandial glycaemic response of foxtail millet dosa in comparison to a rice
      dosa in patients with type 2 diabetes.
AB  - BACKGROUND & OBJECTIVES: Millets are rich source of dietary fibre and non-starchy
      polysaccharides with low glycaemic index (GI), hence can be used as a therapeutic
      diet. This study was conducted to estimate the effects of a millet-based dosa
      (foxtail dosa) compared to a rice dosa for breakfast on postprandial glucose
      levels in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). METHODS: The GI of rice
      dosa and foxtail millet dosa was estimated. A total of 105 T2DM participants were
      randomly selected for the study. The participants were on oral hypoglycaemic
      agents (OHA) and not on insulin. In this study, each individual served as their
      own control and experimental group. The postprandial increase in blood glucose
      was compared after a breakfast of rice dosa and millet dosa. Single and paired t
      test was used to note the change in blood glucose levels and the level of the
      significance. RESULTS: The GI of foxtail millet dosa was 59.25 and rice dosa was
      77.96. There was a significant reduction (P<0.001) in the postprandial glucose
      level of patients who consumed a millet-based dosa when compared to those who
      consumed a rice-based dosa. No significant reduction was observed in the fasting
      glucose levels. INTERPRETATION & CONCLUSIONS: The results suggested that
      replacing a rice-based breakfast item with a millet-based breakfast item lowers
      the postprandial blood glucose levels in T2DM patients. Thus, millets may have a
      protective role in the management of hyperglycaemia. Further studies need to be
      done in a systematic manner to confirm these findings.

PMID- 28361825
TI  - Evidence of apoptosis in right ventricular dysfunction in rheumatic mitral valve
      stenosis.
AB  - BACKGROUND & OBJECTIVES: Right ventricular (RV) dysfunction is one of the causes
      of morbidity and mortality in valvular heart disease. The phenomenon of
      apoptosis, though rare in cardiac muscle may contribute to loss of its function.
      Role of apoptosis in RV in patients with rheumatic valvular heart disease is
      investigated in this study. METHODS: Patients with rheumatic mitral valve
      stenosis formed two groups based on RV systolic pressure (RVSP) as RVSP <40 mmHg
      (group I, n=9) and RVSP >=40 mmHg (group II, n=30). Patients having atrial septal
      defect (ASD) with RVSP <40 mmHg served as control (group III, n=15). Myocardial
      performance index was assessed for RV function. Real-time polymerase chain
      reaction was performed on muscle biopsy procured from RV to assess expression of
      pro-apoptotic genes (Bax, cytochrome c, caspase 3 and Fas) and anti-apoptotic
      genes (Bcl-2). Apoptosis was confirmed by histopathology and terminal
      deoxynucleotide-transferase-mediated dUTP nick end labelling. RESULTS: Group II
      had significant RV dysfunction compared to group I (P=0.05) while caspase 3
      (P=0.01) and cytochrome c (P=0.03) were expressed excessively in group I. When
      group I was compared to group III (control), though there was no difference in RV
      function, a highly significant expression of pro-apoptotic genes was observed in
      group I (Bax, P=0.02, cytochrome c=0.001 and caspase 3=0.01). There was a
      positive correlation between pro-apoptotic genes. Nuclear degeneration was
      present conforming to apoptosis in valve disease patients (groups I and II) while
      it was absent in patients with ASD. INTERPRETATION & CONCLUSION: Our findings
      showed evidence of apoptosis in RV of patients with valvular heart disease.
      Apoptosis was set early in the course of rheumatic valve disease even with lower
      RVSP, followed by RV dysfunction; however, expression of pro-apoptotic genes
      regressed.

PMID- 28361826
TI  - Preventive role of carvedilol in adriamycin-induced cardiomyopathy.
AB  - BACKGROUND & OBJECTIVES: Adriamycin though considered as an effective anticancer
      drug, leads to irreversible cardiomyopathy (CMP) and congestive heart failure
      (CHF). The aim of this study was to determine the protective effect of carvedilol
      in adriamycin (ADR)-induced cardiomyopathy (CMP) in cancer patients. METHODS:
      Patients with lymphoreticular malignancy in whom ADR therapy was planned were
      randomized into two groups: carvedilol and control. Twenty seven patients each
      were enrolled in carvedilol and control groups. In the carvedilol group, 12.5 mg
      once daily oral carvedilol was given during six months. The patients were
      evaluated by echocardiography before and after chemotherapy. Left ventricular
      ejection fraction (EF) and systolic and diastolic diameters were calculated.
      RESULTS: At six months of follow up, six patients in the carvedilol group and
      five in the control group had died. The mean EF (63.19 vs. 63.88%) and fraction
      shortening (FS) (34 vs. 34.6) of the carvedilol group were similar at follow up,
      but in the control group, the mean EF (67.27 vs. 60.82%, P =0.003) and FS (38.48
      vs. 34.6, P<0.05) at control echocardiography were significantly lower. In
      carvedilol group, both systolic and diastolic diameters were not changed, but in
      control group, systolic diameters were significantly increased compared with
      basal measures (left ventricular end systolic diameter = 28.26+/-5.50 mm vs.
      31.25+/- 6.50 mm; P< 0.05). INTERPRETATION & CONCLUSIONS: Prophylactic use of
      carvedilol in patients receiving anthracycline protected systolic functions of
      the left ventricle. Carvedilol can be a potential drug which can ameliorate ADR
      induced CMP.

PMID- 28361827
TI  - Comparative antinociceptive effect of arachidonylcyclopropylamide, a cannabinoid
      1 receptor agonist & lignocaine, a local anaesthetic agent, following direct
      intrawound administration in rats.
AB  - BACKGROUND & OBJECTIVES: Treatment of inflammatory pain with opioids is
      accompanied by unpleasant and, at times, life-threatening side effects.Cannabis
      produces antinociception as well as psychotropic effects. It was hypothesized
      that peripheral cannabinoid receptors outside the central nervous system could be
      selectively activated for relief of pain. This study was undertaken to measure
      the antinociceptive effect of type 1 cannabinoid receptor (CB1r) agonist
      arachidonylcyclopropylamide (ACPA) in a rat model of inflammatory pain after
      intrawound administration and the effects were compared with lignocaine. METHODS:
      Wounds were produced under controlled conditions by an incision in the right hind
      paw in rats. ACPA (10, 30 or 100 MUg/10 MUl) was administered directly into the
      wound. Antinociception was evaluated by guarding, allodynia and thermal
      hyperalgesia. This was compared to lignocaine (30 MUg/10 MUl). Reversal of ACPA
      (30 MUg)-mediated antinociceptive effect was attempted by intrawound AM251 (100
      MUg), a CB1r antagonist. Antinociception was also evaluated after contralateral
      administration of ACPA (30 MUg). Primary afferent nociceptive input to the spinal
      cord was investigated by c-Fos expression after ACPA treatment (100 MUg).
      RESULTS: ACPA, but not lignocaine, inhibited guarding behaviour, which was
      locally mediated. Conversely, lignocaine, but not ACPA, inhibited thermal
      hyperalgesia and mechanical allodynia. ACPA-mediated inhibitory effect was
      reversible and dose dependent. It was associated with a decreased c-Fos
      expression. Locomotor activity was unaffected following ACPA (100 MUg) treatment.
      INTERPRETATION & CONCLUSIONS: Lignocaine attenuated evoked pain behaviour whereas
      ACPA decreased guarding score. This difference was likely due to blockade of
      sodium ion channels and the activation of peripheral CB1r, respectively. Central
      side effects were absent after ACPA treatment. Further studies need to be done to
      assess the effect of ACPA treatment in clinical conditions.

PMID- 28361828
TI  - Knowledge, attitude & practice on human papillomavirus vaccination: A cross
      sectional study among healthcare providers.
AB  - BACKGROUND & OBJECTIVES: Cervical cancer is a major health problem and a leading
      cause of death among women in India. Of all the associated risk factors, high
      risk human papillomavirus (HPV) infections being the principal aetiologic agent,
      two HPV vaccines are in use for the control of cervical cancer. The present study
      was undertaken to explore the knowledge, attitude and practice (KAP) on HPV
      vaccination among the healthcare providers in India. METHODS: A cross-sectional
      study was conducted among 590 healthcare professionals from 232 hospitals and 80
      PHCs of nine districts of Delhi-NCR (National Capital Region). A total of 590
      (526 female, 64 male) healthcare providers were surveyed. RESULTS: Only 47 per
      cent of respondents recommended young women to get vaccinated against HPV.
      Majority of respondents (81%) were found to be aware about the existence of
      vaccines for cervical cancer prevention. District-wise, highest (88.3%) awareness
      about the existence of vaccines against HPV was reported from Gautam Budh Nagar
      and lowest (64%) in Faridabad. Although 86 per cent of gynaecologists were aware
      about the names of HPV vaccines available in the market, only 27 per cent of
      paramedical staff had this knowledge. There was a significant difference between
      the respondents from government and private sectors regarding their awareness
      about HPV vaccines. Lack of awareness about the principal cause, risk factors and
      symptoms for cervical cancer and HPV vaccination was significantly (P< 0.05)
      reported in the respondents from paramedical staff category. INTERPRETATION &
      CONCLUSIONS: The findings reinforce continued medical education of healthcare
      providers, particularly those from the government sector on HPV vaccination for
      cervical cancer prevention. Public education is also pertinent for a successful
      HPV vaccination programme in the country.

PMID- 28361829
TI  - Genetic characterization of human herpesvirus type 1: Full-length genome sequence
      of strain obtained from an encephalitis case from India.
AB  - BACKGROUND & OBJECTIVES: Human herpes simplex virus 1 (HSV-1) is the most common
      cause of sporadic encephalitis in humans that contributes to >10 per cent of the
      encephalitis cases occurring worldwide. Availability of limited full genome
      sequences from a small number of isolates resulted in poor understanding of host
      and viral factors responsible for variable clinical outcome. In this study
      genetic relationship, extent and source of recombination using full-length genome
      sequence derived from a newly isolated HSV-1 isolate was studied in comparison
      with those sampled from patients with varied clinical outcome. METHODS: Full
      genome sequence of HSV-1 isolated from cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) of a patient
      with acute encephalitis syndrome (AES) by inoculation in baby hamster kidney-21
      (BHK-21) cells was determined using next-generation sequencing (NGS) technology.
      Phylogenetic analysis of the newly generated sequence in comparison with 33
      additional full-length genomes defined genetic relationship with worldwide
      distributed strains. The bootscan and similarity plot analysis defined
      recombination crossovers and similarities between newly isolated Indian HSV-1
      with six Asian and a total of 34 worldwide isolated strains. RESULTS: Mapping of
      376,332 reads amplified from HSV-1 DNA by NGS generated full-length genome of
      151,024 bp from newly isolated Indian HSV-1. Phylogenetic analysis classified
      worldwide distributed strains into three major evolutionary lineages correlating
      to their geographic distribution. Lineage 1 containing strains were isolated from
      America and Europe; lineage 2 contained all the strains from Asian countries
      along with the North American KOS and RE strains whereas the South African
      isolates were distributed into two groups under lineage 3. Recombination analysis
      confirmed events of recombination in Indian HSV-1 genome resulting from mixing of
      different strains evolved in Asian countries. INTERPRETATION & CONCLUSIONS: Our
      results showed that the full-length genome sequence generated from an Indian HSV
      1 isolate shared close genetic relationship with the American KOS and Chinese
      CR38 strains which belonged to the Asian genetic lineage. Recombination analysis
      of Indian isolate demonstrated multiple recombination crossover points throughout
      the genome. This full-length genome sequence amplified from the Indian isolate
      would be helpful to study HSV evolution, genetic basis of differential
      pathogenesis, host-virus interactions and viral factors contributing towards
      differential clinical outcome in human infections.

PMID- 28361830
TI  - Synergism in dual functionality of cryptdin-2 in conjunction with antibiotics
      against Salmonella.
AB  - BACKGROUND & OBJECTIVES: The emergence of multidrug-resistant Salmonella over the
      last two decades poses a major health risk. In this context, antimicrobial
      peptides have found a strategic place in the therapeutic armamentarium.
      Previously, we found that cryptdin-2 has the potential to augment the activity of
      conventional second- and third-generation anti-Salmonella antibiotics as evident
      by in vitro assays. In continuation to this, the present study was designed to
      evaluate the in vivo synergistic effects, if any, of cryptdin-2 in combination
      with ciprofloxacin and ceftriaxone against murine salmonellosis. METHODS:
      Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) studies along with in vivo synergistic studies
      were performed using cryptdin- 2 and antibiotic combinations. In addition,
      peroxidative liver damage, levels of nitric oxide (NO) and antioxidant enzymes
      along with tumour necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) levels were also measured.
      RESULTS: The SEM results revealed marked changes on the outer membrane of the
      bacterial cells treated with various combinations. Both the tested combinations
      demonstrated synergistic in vivo potency against S. Typhimurium as evident by
      reduction in the number of Salmonellae in the liver, spleen and intestine.
      Analysis of peroxidative liver damage, levels of NO and antioxidant enzymes along
      with TNF-alpha and nuclear factor-kappa B levels revealed that the tested
      combinations restored their levels to near normal. The most potent combination
      was found to be that of cryptdin-2 and ciprofloxacin in terms of direct killing
      and immunomodulatory potential. INTERPRETATION & CONCLUSIONS: These findings
      suggest that cryptdin-2 may act in conjunction with conventional antibiotics
      indicating the possibility of developing these combinations as additional
      therapeutic agents to combat Salmonella infections.

PMID- 28361831
TI  - Evolving management of insulinoma: Experience at a tertiary care centre.
AB  - BACKGROUND & OBJECTIVES: Since our previous study in 2006, several new modalities
      for localization of cause of endogenous hyperinsulinemic hypoglycaemia such as
      multiphasic computed tomography (CT), multiphasic magnetic resonance imaging
      (MRI), endoscopic ultrasound (EUS), intraoperative ultrasound, and intra-arterial
      calcium infusion with arterial stimulation venous sampling (ASVS) have become
      available. Therefore, to evaluate the relative usefulness of various imaging
      modalities to guide future management in terms of diagnosis and patient care, we
      analyzed presentation and management of patients of endogenous hyperinsulinemic
      hypoglycaemia. METHODS: In this retrospective study, medical records of patients
      admitted with endogenous hyperinsulinemic hypoglycaemia were retrieved. Data
      pertaining to clinical features, diagnosis, imaging, surgery and patient outcome
      were extracted. The localization of insulinoma by preoperative imaging techniques
      was compared with the findings at surgery to assess the accuracy of localization.
      RESULTS: Fasting hypoglycaemia was present in all, and post-prandial
      hypoglycaemia (plasma glucose <=50 mg/dl within four hours of meal) in 25.8 per
      cent. Mean duration of symptoms before reaching a diagnosis of hyperinsulinemic
      hypoglycaemia was 3.9 years. Mean duration of provocative fast was 21.8 h (range
      6-48 h). Among the currently used imaging modalities, the sensitivity of
      localizing tumour was 79.3 per cent for multiphasic CT, 85 per cent for
      multiphasic MRI and 95 per cent for EUS. EUS detected tumour missed by both CT
      and MRI. All, except one of the operated patients, were cured by surgery.
      INTERPRETATION & CONCLUSIONS: Our results suggest that patients with insulinoma
      have a varied presentation. Multiphasic contrast-enhanced MRI/CT scan, EUS and
      ASVS may be complimentary in pre-operative localization.

PMID- 28361832
TI  - Safety of yellow fever vaccine in Indian travellers: A prospective observational
      study.

PMID- 28361833
TI  - Carbapenem resistance in a rural part of southern India: Escherichia coli versus
      Klebsiella spp.

PMID- 28361834
TI  - Metastatic skull swelling secondary to neuroblastoma in a child.

PMID- 28361835
TI  - Unilateral submandibular gland agenesis.

PMID- 28361836
TI  - The choice of myotomy in achalasia cardia: Heller's or per-oral endoscopic
      myotomy.

PMID- 28361838
TI  - Comparison of diagnostic efficacy between AFI, NBI, and AFI combined with NBI for
      colonic cancers: A meta-analysis.
AB  - BACKGROUND/AIMS: Advanced endoscopic imaging technologies have been used for the
      early detection and differentiation of colonic cancers recently. We aim to
      evaluate the diagnostic efficacy of autofluorescence imaging (AFI), narrow-band
      imaging (NBI), and AFI combined with NBI for colonic cancers. MATERIALS AND
      METHODS: We searched Medline/PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, and Cochrane Library
      databases for relevant articles. A random-effects model was used to assess
      diagnostic efficacy. Heterogeneity was tested by the I2 statistic and Chi-square
      test. Meta-regression was used to analyze the sources of heterogeneity. RESULTS:
      The pooled sensitivities for AFI, NBI, and AFI plus NBI were 0.84 (95% confidence
      interval (CI) 0.82-0.87), 0.84 (95% CI 0.81-0.86), and 0.93 (95% CI 0.90-0.95),
      respectively. The pooled specificities were 0.44 (95% CI 0.40-0.48), 0.69 (95% CI
      0.65-0.72), and 0.69 (95% CI 0.64-0.74), respectively. The sensitivity estimate
      was significantly higher for AFI plus NBI than AFI or NBI alone (P = 0.041), and
      the specificity estimates were significantly higher for NBI and AFI plus NBI than
      AFI (P = 0.031).The pooled diagnostic odds ratio for AFI, NBI, and AFI plus NBI
      were 8.71 (95% CI 2.90-26.16), 16.02 (95% CI 7.05-36.39), and 57.55 (95% CI 9.82
      337.33), respectively. Furthermore, the summary receiver operating characteristic
      curve area under the curve for AFI, NBI, and AFI plus NBI were 0.8125 with Q*
      =0.7469, 0.8696 with Q* =0.8001, and 0.9447 with Q* =0.8835, respectively. The Q*
      index for AFI plus NBI was significantly higher than AFI or NBI alone (P =
      0.048). CONCLUSION: The combination of AFI and NBI was associated with increased
      diagnostic value for colonic cancers compared with AFI and NBI alone.

PMID- 28361837
TI  - Early squamous neoplasia of the esophagus: The endoscopic approach to diagnosis
      and management.
AB  - Considerable focus has been placed on esophageal adenocarcinoma in the last 10
      years because of its rising incidence in the West. However, squamous cell cancer
      (SCC) continues to be the most common type of esophageal cancer in the rest of
      the world. The detection of esophageal SCC (ESCC) in its early stages can lead to
      early endoscopic resection and cure. The increased incidence of ESCC in high-risk
      groups, such as patients with head and neck squamous cancers, highlights the need
      for screening programs. Lugol's iodine chromoendoscopy remains the gold standard
      technique in detecting early ESCC, however, safer techniques such as electronic
      enhancement or virtual chromoendoscopy would be ideal. In addition to early
      detection, these new "push-button" technological advancements can help
      characterize early ESCC, thereby further aiding the diagnostic accuracy and
      facilitating resection. Endoscopic resection (ER) of early ESCC with negligible
      risk of lymph node metastases has been widely accepted as an effective
      therapeutic strategy because it offers similar success rates when compared to
      esophagectomy, but carries lesser morbidity and mortality. Endoscopic submucosal
      dissection (ESD) is the preferred technique of ER in lesions larger than 15 mm
      because it provides higher rates of en bloc resections and lower local recurrence
      rates when compared to endoscopic mucosal resection (EMR).

PMID- 28361839
TI  - Peroral endoscopic myotomy achieves similar clinical response but incurs lesser
      charges compared to robotic heller myotomy.
AB  - BACKGROUND/AIM: Several uncontrolled studies comparing peroral endoscopic myotomy
      (POEM) and Heller myotomy have demonstrated equivalent short-term efficacy and
      safety. However, no data exists rergarding the cost of POEM and how it compares
      to that of robotic Heller myotomy (RHM). The primary aim of this study was to
      compare the inpatient charges incurred in patients who underwent POEM or RHM for
      the treatment of achalasia. PATIENTS AND METHODS: A retrospective single center
      review was conducted among 52 consecutive POEM patients (2012-2014) and 52
      consecutive RHM patients (2009-2014). All RHM procedures included a Toupet
      fundoplication and were performed via a transabdominal approach. All POEM
      procedures were performed by a gastroenterologist in the endoscopy unit. Clinical
      response was defined by improvement of symptoms and decrease in Eckardt stage to
      <=I. All procedural and facility charges were obtained from review of the
      hospital finance records. RESULTS: There was no difference between POEM and RHM
      with regards to age, gender, symptom duration, achalasia subtype, manometry
      findings, or Eckardt symptom stage. There was no significant difference in the
      rate of adverse events (19.2% vs 9.6%, P = 0.26) or the length of stay (1.9 vs.
      2.3, P = 0.18) between both groups. Clinical response rate of patients in the
      POEM groups was similar to that in the RHM group (94.3% vs. 88.5%, P = 0.48).
      POEM incurred significantly less total charges compared to LHM ($14481 vs.
      $17782, P = 0.02). CONCLUSIONS: POEM when performed in an endoscopy unit was
      similar in efficacy and safety to RHM. However, POEM was associated with
      significant cost savings ($3301/procedure).

PMID- 28361840
TI  - Patient-perceived barriers to lifestyle interventions in cirrhosis.
AB  - BACKGROUND/AIMS: Sarcopenia, muscle weakness, and physical frailty are
      independent predictors of mortality in cirrhosis. These adverse prognostic
      factors are potentially modifiable with lifestyle interventions, including
      adequate nutritional intake and physical activity. Our aim was to identify
      patient-perceived barriers and enablers to these interventions. PATIENTS AND
      METHODS: Adult patients with cirrhosis were prospectively recruited from two
      tertiary care liver clinics. Patients were excluded if they had hepatocellular
      carcinoma beyond transplant criteria, other active malignancy, or advanced
      chronic disease. RESULTS: A total of 127 patients (mean age: 60 +/- 9 years, 58%
      males, and 48% with Child-Pugh-B/C (CP-B/C) disease) were included. Two-thirds of
      the patients had cirrhosis related to alcohol or hepatitis C. CP-B/C patients
      were more likely to take oral nutritional supplements (56% vs 29%) and less
      likely to consume animal protein daily (66% vs 85%) when compared to CP-A
      patients. Early satiety, altered taste, and difficulty in buying/preparing meals
      were more common in CP-B/C patients and even present in 20-30% of CP-A patients.
      Most patients reported adequate funds to purchase food. As quantified by the
      International Physical Activity Questionnaire-Short Form, 47% reported low
      activity levels, with no significant differences between groups. CP-B/C patients
      were more fatigued with exercise, however, overall Exercise Benefits/Barriers
      Scale scores were similar across groups. CONCLUSIONS: Barriers to nutritional
      intake and physical activity are common in cirrhosis and should be evaluated and
      treated in all patients. Asking simple screening questions in clinic and
      referring at-risk patients to expert multidisciplinary providers is a reasonable
      strategy to address these barriers. Future research should evaluate techniques to
      overcome modifiable barriers and enhance enablers.

PMID- 28361841
TI  - Effects of humanin on experimental colitis induced by 2,4,6-trinitrobenzene
      sulphonic acid in rats.
AB  - BACKGROUND/AIM: The excessive apoptosis of intestinal epithelial cells (IECs)
      partly accounts for the development of colonic inflammation and eventually
      results in ulcerative colitis (UC). Humanin, an endogenous anti-apoptotic
      peptide, has previously been shown to protect against Alzheimer's disease and a
      variety of cellular insults. The present study aimed to investigate the effects
      of glysin variant of humanin (HNG) on 2,4,6-trinitrobenzene sulphonic acid (TNBS)
      induced colitis in rats. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Rats were divided into four
      groups as follows: Group 1 (n = 8): control; isotonic saline solution 0.1 ml/rat
      rectally, Group 2 (n = 8): TNBS colitis; 0.1 ml of a 2.5% (w/v) TNBS solution in
      50% ethanol rectally, Group 3 (n = 8): 10 MUM HNG, and Group 4 (n = 8): 20 MUM
      HNG intraperitoneal (ip) on day 2 and 6 after rectal TNBS administration. Rats
      were sacrificed 7 days after the induction of colitis. Blood and tissue samples
      were harvested for biochemical and histopathological analysis. RESULTS: HNG
      treatment significantly ameliorated weight loss and macroscopic and microscopic
      scores. TNBS-induced colitis significantly increased the colonic mRNA expression
      of tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha), interleukin-1beta (IL-1beta), and
      caspase-3 activities in group II in comparison to the group I. HNG treatment was
      associated with an inhibition of mRNA expression of TNF-alpha and IL-1beta, and a
      decrease in caspase-3 activities in colon tissues in group III and IV when
      compared to group II. CONCLUSION: The results of this study indicate that HNG
      treatment may exert beneficial effects in UC by decreasing inflammatory reactions
      and apoptosis.

PMID- 28361842
TI  - Quality of life in dyspepsia and its subgroups using EQ-5D (EuroQol)
      questionnaire.
AB  - BACKGROUND/AIM: Dyspepsia has a significant impact on the quality of life. Health
      related quality of life (HRQoL) can be assessed by disease-specific and generic
      HRQoL instruments. The present study evaluated HRQoL and compared it among
      dyspepsia subgroups by using EQ (Euro QoL)-5D questionnaire. PATIENTS AND
      METHODS: Patients with abnormal findings on upper gastrointestinal endoscopy were
      classified to have organic dyspepsia, whereas those with normal endoscopy were
      classified as functional dyspepsia if they met the ROME III criteria or as
      endoscopy negative recent dyspepsia if symptom duration was <6 months. HRQoL was
      assessed using the EQ-5D questionnaire, and the overall health status on a visual
      analogue scale (VAS); and the frequency of impairment in each dimension were
      compared between the dyspepsia subgroups. RESULTS: The overall health status was
      affected equally in all three dyspepsia subgroups. Impairment in HRQoL was
      commonly seen in the dimensions of pain (98.4%), usual activities (66.20%), and
      anxiety/depression (70.60%), however, much less so in mobility (22.70%) and self
      care (10.9%). Any impairment in HRQoL was not significantly different between the
      three subgroups in the dimensions of mobility and usual activities. Self-care was
      more commonly affected in organic dyspepsia, anxiety/depression was more common
      with functional dyspepsia, while pain, though significantly different among
      various subgroups, was very common in all three subgroups. CONCLUSION: HRQoL was
      equally affected in all three subgroups of dyspepsia but variably so in the
      different domains of EQ-5D. These differences need to be studied further to
      improve the management of different etiological subgroups of dyspepsia.

PMID- 28361843
TI  - Does combining liraglutide with intragastric balloon insertion improve sustained
      weight reduction?
AB  - BACKGROUND/AIM: Intragastric balloon (IGB) is an effective and safe method of
      weight reduction. However, IGBs have been associated with a high rate of weight
      regain post removal. Accordingly, ways to improve sustained weight reduction
      including concomitant treatment with Glucagon-like peptide 1 (GLP-1) agonists
      have been proposed. This study aims to evaluate the effect of adding Liraglutide
      to IGB insertion on sustained weight reduction. PATIENTS AND METHODS: A
      retrospective analysis of all cases treated with IGB with or without Liraglutide
      was performed. Outcomes were statistically compared. RESULTS: A total of 108
      patients were included; 64 were treated with IGB alone and 44 with IGB +
      Liraglutide. Six months after removing IGB, patients treated with IGB +
      Liraglutide had a higher mean weight loss post treatment completion (10.2 +/- 6.7
      vs. 18.5 +/- 7.6, P = <0.0001) than those treated with IGB alone. After adjusting
      for covariates, patients treated with IGB alone demonstrated a higher mean body
      weight loss at the time of IGB removal (coefficient 7.71, 95% CI = 4.78-10.63),
      and a higher odds of treatment success 6 months post IGB removal (OR = 5.74, 95%
      CI = 1.79-188.42). Baseline body mass index appeared to be a significant
      predictor of mean body weight loss at the time of balloon removal. CONCLUSIONS:
      Adding Liraglutide to IGB does not appear to decrease the risk of weight regain 6
      months post IGB removal.

PMID- 28361844
TI  - New mutations of EpCAM gene for tufting enteropathy in Saudi Arabia.
AB  - BACKGROUND/AIM: Tufting enteropathy (TE) is a rare cause of congenital
      intractable diarrhea in children. It often results in an irreversible intestinal
      failure and total parenteral nutrition (TPN) dependency; eventually, intestinal
      transplantation may be necessary. Data on TE from the Middle East are scarce;
      therefore, our aim of conducting this study was to clarify the clinical,
      histopathologic, and molecular features of TE in Saudi children. PATIENTS AND
      METHODS: This was a retrospective chart review of four children with TE who
      presented between January 2011 and December 2013 to King Fahad Specialist
      Hospital-Dammam (KFSH-D). The diagnosis of TE was suspected based on
      characteristic histopathologic intestinal biopsy findings and confirmed by EpCAM
      gene testing. RESULTS: Molecular testing identified two novel mutations in the
      EpCAM gene in our patients. These mutations were associated with severe phenotype
      of the disease characterized by very early onset (median of 2 weeks of life), TPN
      dependency, and death during early childhood. Two patients died due to central
      line-related complications. Two patients were referred for intestinal
      transplantation due to loss of intravenous access in one and progressive liver
      disease in the other. CONCLUSION: Mutations in EpCAM gene in Saudi children are
      characterized by severe phenotype and poor outcome.

PMID- 28361845
TI  - Finally, it is bismuth's time.

PMID- 28361846
TI  - Is solitary rectal ulcer syndrome uncommon in Saudi Arabia?

PMID- 28361847
TI  - Is solitary rectal ulcer syndrome uncommon in Saudi Arabia? Response to letter.

PMID- 28361848
TI  - Erratum: efficacy of proton pump inhibitors for patients with duodenal ulcers: A
      pairwise and network meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.
AB  - [This corrects the article DOI: 10.4103/1319-3767.199117.].

PMID- 28361849
TI  - Effect of antitumor drugs in low concentrationson the biological,
      immunophenotypic and cytogenetic characteristics of human colon cancer cells in
      vitro.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: To estimate the impact of the low-dose anticancer drugs (ACD) with the
      different mechanisms of action and human interferon (IFN) alpha 2b on the
      biological properties, immunophenotypic and cytogenetic characteristics of colon
      cancer cells in vitro. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The study was performed on human
      colon cancer cell lines COLO 205, HT-29 and 3C-P treated with ACD and IFN in
      subtoxic concentrations. Expression of CD44, N-cadherin, vimentin, beta-catenin,
      ERCC1 and Slug was assessed by immunocytochemical method. Using cytogenetic
      analysis, the numbers of mitoses, cells with micronuclei, apoptotic cells and
      cells with nuclear protrusions were studied. RESULTS: The prolonged exposure (up
      to 30 days) of colon cancer cells to low-dose ACD (0.2-0.5 ug/ml cisplatin and
      0.1-0.2 ug/ml irinotecan) in combination with IFN (500-1000 IU/ml) led to 37-fold
      decreased colony-forming activity of these cell and 10-fold reduction of the
      number of cells expressing mesenchymal protein markers (N-cadherin, vimentin).
      Also, in COLO 205 cells treated with ACD and IFN the number of SLUG- and CD44
      positive cells decreased by 92 and by 85%, respectively. Long-term cultivation of
      HT-29 cells in the presence of cisplatin and IFN resulted in 5-fold suppression
      of ERCC1 expression. The cytogenetic analysis has shown that the ACD, IFN and
      their combinations in subtoxic concentrations caused significant genotoxic
      effect, suppression of cell proliferation and accumulation of cells with
      micronuclei. The sensitivity of colon cancer cells to ACD in standard cytotoxic
      concentrations did not change after prolonged low-dose exposure. CONCLUSION: The
      data showed that the prolonged action of the low doses of ACD on human colon
      cancer cells resulted in the suppression of cell proliferation, colony-forming
      activity in soft agar, expression of epithelial-mesenchymal transition-associated
      markers and significant cytogenetic changes.

PMID- 28361850
TI  - Prognostic value of the bone turnover markers in multiple myeloma.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Multiple myeloma (MM) is characterized by osteolytic bone disease
      resulting from increased osteoclast activity and reduced osteoblast function.
      AIM: The aim of our research was to determine connection between bone turnover
      markers and presence of bone lesions, their degree of severity, to monitor MM
      bone disease and to assess effectiveness of anti-myeloma treatment. MATERIALS AND
      METHODS: Serum samples and clinical data from 123 patients with newly diagnosed
      MM were collected at Riga East Clinical University Hospital (Riga, Latvia) from
      June 2014 to June 2016. Bone lesions detected by radiography, CT scans, MRI, and
      PET/CT were divided into degrees from 0 to 3 (0 - no bone involvement, 1 - <= 3
      bone lesions, 2 - >= 3 bone lesions, 3 - fracture). Staging was performed
      applying Durie/Salmon (DS) and International Staging System classifications.
      Progressive disease was defined as development of one or more new bone lesions.
      The levels of bone metabolic markers beta-isomerized C-terminal telopeptide of
      collagen type I (beta-CTX) and bone-specific alkaline phosphatase (bALP) were
      monitored regularly in the year. RESULTS: Bone lesions were found in 86 (69%)
      patients. From these 6 (4%) patients had 1st degree, 11 (9%) had 2nd degree and
      69 (56%) had 3rd degree bone lesions. Level of the bone resorption marker beta
      CTX in the control group was 0.41 ng/ml, which is lower than in MM patients (p <
      0.001). Spearman correlation coefficient analysis found a positive and
      statistically significant correlation (rs = 0.51, p < 0.001) between bone lesions
      degree and beta-CTX levels. Mean beta-CTX for patients without bone lesions was
      0.72 ng/ml (SD = 0.64), but for patients with 3rd degree bone lesions it was 1.34
      ng/ml (SD = 0.65) difference being 38% (p < 0.001). In patients who responded to
      therapy after 6 months of treatment reduction of beta-CTX was found compared to
      baseline values (M = -0.65). In contrast, in patients who did not respond to
      therapy, there was a statistically significant (p < 0.001) increase in beta-CTX
      values after six months of treatment compared to baseline values (M = 0.42).
      Exact cutoff value of beta-CTX is 0.79. When analyzing mean bALP, no significant
      difference between MM patients and control group was found. ANOVA statistical
      analysis showed no statistically significant differences in bALP levels at
      different degrees of bone lesions (p = 0.95) in MM patients. Analysis of bALP
      suitability as MM diagnostic marker using receiver operating characteristics
      curve showed that bALP is not applicable for clinical diagnosis of MM (AUC 0.5, p
      > 0.05). However, beta-CTX was found to be an excellent diagnostic marker for MM
      (AUC 0.91; 95% confidence interval, 0.88-0.94; p < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: Patients
      with MM and bone lesions have increased value of bone resorption marker beta-CTX.
      There is a correlation between bone resorption marker and degree of bone lesions.
      Changes in beta-CTX levels may be used to monitor the effectiveness of myeloma
      treatment.

PMID- 28361851
TI  - Significance of iodine symporter for prognosis of the disease course and efficacy
      of neoadjuvant chemotherapy in patients with breast cancer of luminal and basal
      subtypes.
AB  - The aim of the research was to study the relation between expression of Na.

PMID- 28361852
TI  - EPR spectroscopy studies of changes in erythrocyte membranes in patients with
      laryngeal cancer.
AB  - AIM: To evaluate microviscosity and sorption capacity of erythrocyte membranes
      (SCEM) from patients with laryngeal cancer (LC). MATERIALS AND METHODS: Samples
      from 35 patients with LC of stages II and III and 20 healthy volunteers were
      investigated by electron paramagnetic resonance with Bis(1-oxyl-2,2,6,6
      tetramethylpiperidinyl-4)-ester of 5,7-dimethyladamantane-1,3-dicarbonic acid
      (AdTEMPO) probe. SCEM was evaluated by amount of unabsorbed methylene blue.
      RESULTS: Microviscosity of erythrocyte membranes was determined by the effective
      rotational diffusion correlation times (taueff) and a decrease in radical
      spectrum signal intensity per hour. The most apparent decrease in mobility of the
      AdTEMPO in erythrocytes was observed prior to washing of erythrocytes with 0.9%
      NaCl for 5 min after probe insertion. The deceleration after 60 min was observed
      only in stage II LC. taueff was at control values after washing of erythrocytes
      of stage II LC 5 min after probe insertion and was significantly reduced in stage
      III LC in comparison to control. Radical spectrum signal intensity per hour in
      samples of stage II and III patients prior to and after washing of erythrocytes
      was on average 1.5-fold higher than that of control. SCEM in samples of stage II
      and III LC was found in 40 and 33% cases, respectively and was on average
      significantly reduced in comparison to control. CONCLUSIONS: The initial
      interaction of AdTEMPO with erythrocyte membranes of stage II and III LC patients
      is accompanied by an increase in taueff, indicating deceleration of probe
      rotation. taueff of the probe in membranes remains unchanged in 60 min,
      indicating changes in the structural organization of lipid bilayer and its
      associated proteins in particular. The similarity of SCEM for both studied groups
      reflects the pathological changes in function of erythrocyte membranes.

PMID- 28361854
TI  - Anti-histone H1 IgGs possess proliferative activity towards human T-leukaemia CEM
      cells.
AB  - : The aim of this study was to characterize the proliferative activity of the
      anti-histone H1 IgGs towards human T-leukaemia CEM cells. MATERIALS AND METHODS:
      Anti-histone H1 IgGs were purified from blood serum of systemic lupus
      erythematosus patients by precipitation of serum proteins with 50% ammonium
      sulfate followed by a sequential affinity chromatography on Protein G-Sepharose
      and histone H1-Sepharose columns. To avoid contamination with other proteins,
      anti-histone H1 IgGs were subjected to strongly acidic pH 2.0 during gel
      filtration through HPLC column. The effects of the anti-histone H1 IgGs on cell
      viability and cell cycle were tested by MTS-assay and flow cytometry,
      correspondingly. The cross-reactivity of the anti-histone H1 antibodies towards
      heterogenetic and cellular antigens was evaluated by Western-blot analysis.
      RESULTS: It was found that incubation of CEM cells with the HPLC-purified anti
      histone H1 IgGs resulted in significant stimulation of cell growth by 46% after
      48 h of incubation. These IgGs possess an antigenic poly-specificity to
      positively charged heterogenetic antigens and different cellular antigens. FITC
      labeled and biotinylated anti-histone H1 IgGs are internalized by CEM cells and
      preferentially accumulated in the cytoplasm. CONCLUSION: The anti-histone H1 IgGs
      are shown to internalize human T-leukemia CEM and stimulate their proliferation.
      These IgGs are polyspecific toward cellular antigens.

PMID- 28361853
TI  - Anticancer effect and immunologic response to xenogeneic embryonic proteins in
      mice bearing Ehrlich solid carcinoma.
AB  - AIM: To investigate anticancer and immunologic effects of chicken embryonic
      proteins (CEP) in mice bearing Ehrlich solid carcinoma. MATERIALS AND METHODS:
      The study was carried out on male Balb/c mice bearing Ehrlich solid carcinoma.
      The immunizations were performed after the tumor transplantation. The immune
      status was assessed on days 7, 14, 21 and 28 after the tumor challenge. Cytotoxic
      activity (CAT) of macrophages (Mph), natural killer cells (NK), cytotoxic T
      lymphocytes (CTL) and blood serum, as well as the influence of the blood serum on
      immune cells activity was checked in MTT-assay; Mph's cytochemical activity was
      tested in NBT-assay; Ehrlich antigen-specific or CEP-specific antibodies were
      detected in ELISA-assay; medium size circulating immune complexes (CIC) were
      detected in reaction of 4.5% polyethylene glycol precipitation. RESULTS: The
      immunization resulted in tumor growth suppression and significant 25.64%
      prolongation of the survival time. In both control and immunized mice with
      transplanted tumors antibodies specific to Ehrlich carcinoma antigens and to CEP
      were detected, but antibody response was more balanced in the treatment group. In
      the treatment group both cytochemical and CAT of Mph was moderately activated and
      well preserved until late stages of tumor development; CAT of NK and CTL remained
      in the range of the intact mice until day 28 after the tumor transplantation. The
      immunized mice were well protected from accumulation of CIC and suppressive
      activity of autologous blood serum. CONCLUSION: Collectively, our data indicate
      that CEP can elicit immunomodulating and immunoprotecting effects sufficient to
      provide tumor growth inhibition. The further elaboration of a xenogeneic
      anticancer vaccine based on CEP is warranted.

PMID- 28361855
TI  - Parthenolide reduces gene transcription of prosurvival mediators in U937 cells.
AB  - : In acute myeloid leukemia (AML) the functional abnormalities of osteopontin
      (OPN), NF-kB, PI3K/AKT/mTOR/PTEN pathway or beta-catenin have been considered.
      AIM: To analyze the response of U937 cells to parthenolide (PTL) through the
      involvement of expression of OPN protein, RelB, AKT1, mTOR, PTEN and beta-catenin
      genes. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The U937 cells were treated with PTL at
      concentrations of 4 MUM (IC25) or 6 MUM (IC50) and with OPN siRNA for MTT assay
      and colony forming assay. Western blot analysis using antibodies against OPN was
      performed with lysates of PTL-treated cells. Quantitative real-time polymerase
      chain reaction was performed using primers for OPN siRNA, RelB, AKT1, mTOR, PTEN
      and beta-catenin. RESULTS: PTL reduces OPN protein level and down-regulates RelB
      mRNA in U937 cell line. Suppression of OPN with siRNA increases the cytotoxic
      effects of PTL. Also, mRNA expression of AKT1, mTOR, PTEN, and beta-catenin
      decreases with PTL or OPN siRNA. CONCLUSION: Sensitivity of U937 cells to PTL can
      be associated with the reduction in expression of prosurvival mediators.

PMID- 28361856
TI  - Aberrant promoter hypermethylation of selected apoptotic genes in childhood acute
      lymphoblastic leukemia among North Indian population.
AB  - : Promoter hypermethylation mediates gene silencing in many neoplasms. Acute
      leukemia has been reported to harbor multiple genes aberrantly silenced by
      hypermethylation. AIM: In present study, we investigated the prevalence of
      hypermethylation of caspase-8 (CASP8), TMS1 and DAPK genes in correlation with
      clinicopathological factors in childhood acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL).
      MATERIALS AND METHODS: A case-control study has been conducted based on bone
      marrow and peripheral blood samples from 125 ALL patients and 100 sex-age matched
      healthy controls. Methylation specific polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and
      bisulfite sequencing PCR was performed to analyze the methylation status of these
      genes. Reverse transcription PCR and real time PCR was carried out to determine
      changes in the mRNA expression level of the genes due to hypermethylation.
      RESULTS: Hypermethylation of the 5'CpG islands of the CASP8, TMS1 and DAPK gene
      promoters was found in 3.2, 6.4, and 13.6% of 125 childhood ALL samples from
      north Indian population, respectively. There were significant differences in
      pattern of hypermethylation of TMS1 (p = 0.045) and DAPK (p < 0.001) between
      patients and healthy controls. Down-regulation of mRNA expression was found in
      cases in which CASP8, TMS1 and DAPK were hypermethylated. CONCLUSIONS: The
      present study indicated the impact of hypermethylation-mediated inactivation of
      CASP8, TMS1 and DAPK genes, which is associated with risk of childhood ALL. This
      abnormality occurs in leukemogenesis and it may be used as a biomarker and for
      predicting the prognosis of ALL.

PMID- 28361857
TI  - Artemisinin modulating effect on human breast cancer cell lines with different
      sensitivity to cytostatics.
AB  - AIM: To explore effects of Artemisinin on a series of breast cancer cells with
      different sensitivity to typical cytotoxic drugs (doxorubicin - Dox; cisplatin -
      DDP) and to investigate possible artemisinin-induced modification of the
      mechanisms of drug resistance. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The study was performed on
      wild-type breast cancer MCF-7 cell line (MCF-7/S) and its two sublines MCF-7/Dox
      and MCF-7/DDP resistant to Dox and DDP, respectively. The cells were treated with
      artemisinin and iron-containing magnetic fluid. The latter was added to modulate
      iron levels in the cells and explore its role in artemisinin-induced effects. The
      MTT assay was used to monitor cell viability, whereas changes of expression of
      selected proteins participating in regulation of cellular iron homeostasis were
      estimated using immunocytochemical methods. Finally, relative expression levels
      of miRNA-200b, -320a, and -34a were examined by using qRT-PCR. RESULTS:
      Artemisinin affects mechanisms of the resistance of breast cancer cells towards
      both Dox and DDP at sub-toxic doses. The former drug induces changes of
      expression of iron-regulating proteins via different mechanisms, including
      epigenetic regulation. Particularly, the disturbances in ferritin heavy chain 1,
      lactoferrin, hepcidin (decrease) and ferroportin (increase) expression (r <=
      0.05) were established. The most enhanced increase of miRNA expression under
      artemisinin influence were found for miRNA-200b in MCF-7/DDP cells (7.1 +/- 0.98
      fold change), miRNA-320a in MCF-7/Dox cells (2.9 +/- 0.45 fold change) and miRNA
      34a (1.7 +/- 0.15 fold change) in MCF-7/S cells. It was observed that the
      sensitivity to artemisinin can be influenced by changing iron levels in cells.
      CONCLUSIONS: Artemisinin can modify iron metabolism of breast cancer cells by its
      cytotoxic effect, but also by inducing changes in expression of iron-regulating
      proteins and microRNAs (miRNAs), involved in their regulation. This modification
      affects the mechanisms that are implicated in drug-resistance, that makes
      artemisinin a perspective modulator of cell sensitivity towards chemotherapeutic
      agents in cancer treatment.

PMID- 28361858
TI  - Impact of single nucleotide polymorphism in chemical metabolizing genes and
      exposure to wood smoke on risk of cervical cancer in North-Indian women.
AB  - AIM: In the present study, we investigated the hypothesis whether exposure to
      wood smoke increases the risk of cervical cancer (CC) in North-Indian women who
      inherit different polymorphic forms of chemical metabolizing genes (GSTM1, GSTT1,
      GSTP1 and CYP1A1). MATERIALS AND METHODS: One hundred fifty histologically
      confirmed CC patients and equal number of cancer-free age and ethnicity matched
      controls were genotyped for genetic polymorphism in chemical metabolizing genes
      by using polymerase chain reaction/restriction fragment length polymorphism
      method. The association of the different genotypes and exposure to wood smoke
      with the risk of CC in North-Indian women was estimated by doing statistical
      analysis using Statistical Package for the Social Science. RESULTS: It was
      observed that the variant genotypes of GSTM1, GSTT1, GSTP1 and CYP1A1 did not
      significantly increase the risk of CC. However, statistically significant
      increased risk (odds ratio 3.6; 95% confidence interval, 1.34-9.78; p = 0.008)
      was observed for women who used wood for cooking and had GSTM1 (null) genotype.
      CONCLUSIONS: The present study suggests that genetic differences in the
      metabolism of wood smoke carcinogens, particularly by GSTM1, may increase the
      risk of CC.

PMID- 28361859
TI  - The impact of locoregional treatment on survival of patients with primary
      metastatic breast cancer.
AB  - : The aim of the study was to investigate the impact of primary tumor
      locoregional treatment (surgery or/and radiotherapy) on overall survival in
      patients with primary metastatic breast cancer (PMBC). MATERIALS AND METHODS:
      This retrospective study included 295 wo-men aged from 23 to 76 years with PMBC.
      Among the 295 patients, the effect of locoregional treatment of primary tumor on
      survival outcomes was evaluated in 177 women with distant metastases at diagnosis
      of breast cancer. 35 patient received breast surgery (group 1), 95 patients with
      PMBC - radiotherapy (group 2) and 47 patients - combination of breast surgery and
      radiation (group 3). The remaining 118 patients didn't receive surgery or/and
      radiotherapy (group 4). All patients received systemic cytotoxic chemotherapy.
      RESULTS: The groups of patients with PMBC did not differ significantly by age,
      menstrual function, ER status, Her2 receptor status, site of metastasis and
      number of metastatic lesions. 2- and 5-year overall survival in patients of group
      1 was 54 and 32%, group 2 - 47 and 8%, group 3 - 73 and 18%, whereas in patients
      from group 4 - 26 and 9%, respectively. The median survival of patients who
      underwent surgery was 36 months, patients with PMBC who received radiotherapy -
      24 months, patients who obtained combination of breast surgery and radiation - 30
      months vs 18 months in patients who did not undergo primary tumor locoregional
      treatment. CONCLUSIONS: The results of this study showed a favourable effect of
      locoregional treatment in patients with PMBC.

PMID- 28361860
TI  - Do MRPS18-2 and RB proteins cooperate to control cell stemness and
      differentiation, preventing cancer development?
AB  - In childhood tumors, including retinoblastoma, osteosarcoma, and neuroblastoma,
      the RB-E2F1 pathway is inactivated, as a rule. These tumors arise from precursor
      cells that fail to undergo the terminal differentiation. Noteworthy, the RB1
      encoded protein (RB) does not control the cell cycle in embryonic stem cells. It
      has not been yet well understood how RB controls cell stemness and
      differentiation. The question arises why "inactive" RB is required for the
      survival and stemness of cells? Recently, we have found that overexpression of
      the RB-binding protein MRPS18-2 (S18-2) in primary fibroblasts leads to their
      immortalization, which is accompanied by the induction of embryonic stem cell
      markers and, eventually, malignant transformation. We suggest that cell stemness
      may be associated with high expression levels of both proteins, RB and S18-2.
      There must be a strict regulation of the expression levels of S18-2 and RB during
      embryogenesis. Disturbances in the expression of these proteins would lead to the
      abnormalities in development. We think that the S18-2 protein, together with the
      RB, plays a crucial role in the control on cell stemness and differentiation. We
      hope to uncover the new mechanisms of the cell fate determination. The S18-2 may
      serve as a new target for anticancer medicines, which will help to improve human
      health.

PMID- 28361861
TI  - Diagnostic challenges with intraoral myeloid sarcoma: report of two cases &
      review of world literature.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Myeloid sarcomas (MS) are rare extramedullary tumors composed of
      blasts of myeloid lineage that either precede, follow or present concomitantly
      with acute myeloid leukaemia (AML) or myeloproliferative neoplasms. The diagnosis
      of MS is especially challenging in patients without an antecedent history of
      leukemia. METHODS: We present 2 cases of intraoral MS that presented as de novo
      lesions. A detailed review of cases of intraoral MS that either preceded or
      presented along with leukemia has been done with emphasis on diagnostic criteria
      used. RESULTS: Two male patients aged 28 and 5 years presented with MS with one
      patient presenting with concomitant AML. A combination of morphological and
      immunohistochemical methods was used for diagnosis. A thorough review of world
      literature revealed 44 cases of intraoral MS that presented as de novo lesions.
      CONCLUSION: Intraoral MS is a rare tumor with poor prognosis. It may be
      diagnostically challenging due to its protean clinical manifestations and
      histological overlap with other tumors.

PMID- 28361864
TI  - Materials of International VACTRAIN/3-rd Swedish-Ukrainian Conference on Cancer
      Diseases, January 16-17, 2017, Stockholm, Sweden.

PMID- 28361862
TI  - Circulating tumor cells in breast cancer: functional heterogeneity, pathogenetic
      and clinical aspects.
AB  - Each patient has a unique history of cancer ecosystem development, resulting in
      intratumor heterogeneity. In order to effectively kill the tumor cells by
      chemotherapy, dynamic monitoring of driver molecular alterations is necessary to
      detect the markers for acquired drug resistance and find the new therapeutic
      targets. To perform the therapeutic monitoring, frequent tumor biopsy is needed,
      but it is not always possible due to small tumor size or its regression during
      the therapy or tumor inaccessibility in advanced cancer patients. Liquid biopsy
      appears to be a promising approach to overcome this problem, providing the
      testing of circulating tumor cells (CTC) and/or tumor-specific circulating
      nucleic acids. Their genomic characteristics make it possible to assess the
      clonal dynamics of tumors, comparing it with the clinical course and
      identification of driver mutation that confer resistance to therapy. The main
      attention in this review is paid to CTC. The biological behavior of the tumor is
      determined by specific cancer-promoting molecular and genetic alterations of
      tumor cells, and by the peculiarities of their interactions with the
      microenvironment that can result in the presence of wide spectrum of circulating
      tumor clones with various properties and potentialities to contribute to tumor
      progression and response to chemotherapy and prognostic value. Indeed, data on
      prognostic or predictive value of CTC are rather contradictory, because there is
      still no standard method of CTC identification, represented by different
      populations manifesting various biological behavior as well as different potency
      to metastasis. Circulating clasters of CTC appear to have essentially greater
      ability to metastasize in comparison with single CTC, as well as strong
      association with worse prognosis and chemoresistance in breast cancer patients.
      The Food and Drug Administration (USA) has approved the CTC-based prognostic test
      for clinical application in patients with advanced breast cancer. Prospective
      clinical trials have demonstrated that measuring changes in CTC numbers during
      treatment is useful for monitoring therapy response in breast cancer patients.
      Molecular and genetic analysis of CTC gives the opportunity to have timely
      information on emergence of resistant tumor clones and may shed light on the new
      targets for pathogenetic antitumor therapy.

PMID- 28361863
TI  - Trichilemmal cystis in metastatic melanoma: a case report.
AB  - The malignant melanoma is a neoplasm associated with a wide variety of cutaneous
      paraneoplastic syndromes, as dermatomyositis, systemic sclerosis, paraneoplastic
      pemphigus. We describe a case of four multiple trichilemmal cystis arising on
      frontal region in the same patient with brain metastasis and unknown primary
      melanoma and discuss their relationship.

PMID- 28361865
TI  - Workshop with International Participation ''New Trends in Cancer Research and
      Innovative Tumor Vaccines'', May 11-12, 2017, Kyiv, Ukraine.

PMID- 28361866
TI  - International Scientific Conference ''Normal and Cancer Stem Cells: Discovery,
      Diagnosis and Therapy'' October 5-6, 2017 Kyiv, Ukraine.

PMID- 28361867
TI  - Integrated arrays of air-dielectric graphene transistors as transparent active
      matrix pressure sensors for wide pressure ranges.
AB  - Integrated electronic circuitries with pressure sensors have been extensively
      researched as a key component for emerging electronics applications such as
      electronic skins and health-monitoring devices. Although existing pressure
      sensors display high sensitivities, they can only be used for specific purposes
      due to the narrow range of detectable pressure (under tens of kPa) and the
      difficulty of forming highly integrated arrays. However, it is essential to
      develop tactile pressure sensors with a wide pressure range in order to use them
      for diverse application areas including medical diagnosis, robotics or automotive
      electronics. Here we report an unconventional approach for fabricating fully
      integrated active-matrix arrays of pressure-sensitive graphene transistors with
      air-dielectric layers simply formed by folding two opposing panels. Furthermore,
      this realizes a wide tactile pressure sensing range from 250 Pa to ~3 MPa.
      Additionally, fabrication of pressure sensor arrays and transparent pressure
      sensors are demonstrated, suggesting their substantial promise as next-generation
      electronics.

PMID- 28361868
TI  - A recent deep earthquake doublet in light of long-term evolution of Nazca
      subduction.
AB  - Earthquake faulting at ~600 km depth remains puzzling. Here we present a new
      kinematic interpretation of two Mw7.6 earthquakes of November 24, 2015. In
      contrast to teleseismic analysis of this doublet, we use regional seismic data
      providing robust two-point source models, further validated by regional back
      projection and rupture-stop analysis. The doublet represents segmented rupture of
      a ~30-year gap in a narrow, deep fault zone, fully consistent with the stress
      field derived from neighbouring 1976-2015 earthquakes. Seismic observations are
      interpreted using a geodynamic model of regional subduction, incorporating
      realistic rheology and major phase transitions, yielding a model slab that is
      nearly vertical in the deep-earthquake zone but stagnant below 660 km, consistent
      with tomographic imaging. Geodynamically modelled stresses match the seismically
      inferred stress field, where the steeply down-dip orientation of compressive
      stress axes at ~600 km arises from combined viscous and buoyant forces resisting
      slab penetration into the lower mantle and deformation associated with slab
      buckling and stagnation. Observed fault-rupture geometry, demonstrated likelihood
      of seismic triggering, and high model temperatures in young subducted
      lithosphere, together favour nanometric crystallisation (and associated grain
      boundary sliding) attending high-pressure dehydration as a likely seismogenic
      mechanism, unless a segment of much older lithosphere is present at depth.

PMID- 28361869
TI  - Strained in Planning Your Mouse Background? Using the HPA Stress Axis as a
      Biological Readout for Backcrossing Strategies.

PMID- 28361871
TI  - A tipping point in refreezing accelerates mass loss of Greenland's glaciers and
      ice caps.
AB  - Melting of the Greenland ice sheet (GrIS) and its peripheral glaciers and ice
      caps (GICs) contributes about 43% to contemporary sea level rise. While patterns
      of GrIS mass loss are well studied, the spatial and temporal evolution of GICs
      mass loss and the acting processes have remained unclear. Here we use a novel, 1
      km surface mass balance product, evaluated against in situ and remote sensing
      data, to identify 1997 (+/-5 years) as a tipping point for GICs mass balance.
      That year marks the onset of a rapid deterioration in the capacity of the GICs
      firn to refreeze meltwater. Consequently, GICs runoff increases 65% faster than
      meltwater production, tripling the post-1997 mass loss to 36+/-16 Gt-1, or ~14%
      of the Greenland total. In sharp contrast, the extensive inland firn of the GrIS
      retains most of its refreezing capacity for now, buffering 22% of the increased
      meltwater production. This underlines the very different response of the GICs and
      GrIS to atmospheric warming.

PMID- 28361870
TI  - Associations Between Daily Affective Instability and Connectomics in Functional
      Subnetworks in Remitted Patients with Recurrent Major Depressive Disorder.
AB  - Remitted patients with major depressive disorder (rMDD) often report more
      fluctuations in mood as residual symptomatology. It is unclear how this affective
      instability is associated with information processing related to the default mode
      (DMS), salience/reward (SRS), and frontoparietal (FPS) subnetworks in rMDD
      patients at high risk of recurrence (rrMDD). Sixty-two unipolar, drug-free rrMDD
      patients (?2 MDD episodes) and 41 healthy controls (HCs) were recruited. We used
      experience sampling methodology to monitor mood/cognitions (10 times a day for 6
      days) and calculated affective instability using the mean adjusted absolute
      successive difference. Subsequently, we collected resting-state functional
      magnetic resonance imaging data and performed graph theory to obtain network
      metrics of integration within (local efficiency) the DMS, SRS, and FPS, and
      between (participation coefficient) these subnetworks and others. In rrMDD
      patients compared with HCs, we found that affective instability was increased in
      most negative mood/cognition variables and that the DMS had less connections with
      other subnetworks. Furthermore, we found that rrMDD patients, who showed more
      instability in feeling down and irritated, had less connections between the SRS
      and other subnetworks and higher local efficiency coefficients in the FPS,
      respectively. In conclusion, rrMDD patients, compared with HCs, are less stable
      in their negative mood and these dynamics are related to differences in
      information processing within- and between-specific functional subnetworks. These
      results are a first step to gain a better understanding of how mood fluctuations
      in real life are represented in the brain and provide insights into the
      vulnerability profile of MDD.

PMID- 28361872
TI  - Evidence for a bi-partition of the Younger Dryas Stadial in East Asia associated
      with inversed climate characteristics compared to Europe.
AB  - The Younger Dryas Stadial (YDS) was an episode of northern hemispheric cooling
      which occurred within the Last Glacial Interglacial Transition (LGIT). A major
      driver for the YDS climate was a weakening of the Atlantic Meridional Overturning
      Circulation (AMOC). It has been inferred that the AMOC began to strengthen mid
      YDS, producing a bipartite structure of the YDS in records from continental
      Europe. These records imply that the polar front and westerlies shifted
      northward, producing a warmer second phase of the YDS in Europe. Here we present
      multi-proxy data from the sediments of Lake Suigetsu (Japan), as evidence that a
      related bi-partition of the YDS also occurred in East Asia. Besides showing for
      the first time that the bi-partition was not limited to the North
      Atlantic/European region, the data also imply a climatic dipole between Europe
      and East Asia since the cold-warm characteristics are reversed at Lake Suigetsu.
      We suggest that changes in eastward moisture transport from the North Atlantic
      are the primary mechanism by which the teleconnection can be explained.

PMID- 28361873
TI  - Erratum: PARP1 promotes gene expression at the post-transcriptional level by
      modulating the RNA-binding protein HuR.

PMID- 28361876
TI  - A novel method for non-destructive determination of hair photo-induced damage
      based on multispectral imaging technology.
AB  - Extended exposure to sunlight may give rise to chemical and physical damages of
      human hairs. In this work, we report a novel method for non-destructive
      quantification of hair photodamage via multispectral imaging (MSI) technology. We
      show that the multispectral reflectance value in near-infrared region has a
      strong correlation with hair photodamage. More specifically, the hair segments
      with longer growing time and the same hair root segment after continuous
      ultraviolet (UV) irradiation displaying more severe photodamage observed via
      scanning electron microscopy (SEM) micrographs showed significantly higher
      multispectral reflectance value. Besides, the multispectral reflectance value of
      hair segments with different growing time was precisely reproduced by exposing
      the same hair root segment to specific durations of UV irradiation, suggesting
      that MSI can be adequately applied to determine the sunlight exposure time of the
      hair. The loss of cystine content of photodamaged hairs was identified to be the
      main factor that physiologically contributed to the morphological changes of hair
      surface fibers and hence the variation of their multispectral reflectance
      spectra. Considering the environmental information recording nature of hairs, we
      believe that MSI for non-destructive evaluation of hair photodamage would prove
      valuable for assessing sunlight exposure time of a subject in the biomedical
      fields.

PMID- 28361875
TI  - Label-free quantification of calcium-sensor targeting to photoreceptor guanylate
      cyclase and rhodopsin kinase by backscattering interferometry.
AB  - Quantification of protein binding to membrane proteins is challenging and a
      limited set of methods is available to study such systems. Here we employed
      backscattering interferometry (BSI), a free-solution label-free method with high
      sensitivity, to quantify the interaction of neuronal Ca2+-Sensor proteins with
      their targets operating in phototransduction. We tested direct binding of
      guanylate cyclase-activating proteins (GCAP1 and GCAP2) to their membrane target
      guanylate cyclase 1. The regulatory mechanism of GCAPs including their binding
      interface in the target is unresolved. Here we used a label-free, free-solution
      assay method based on BSI to determine binding constants of GCAP1 and GCAP2 to
      the full-length membrane-bound guanylate cyclase type 1. GCAP1 and GCAP2 bound to
      different regions on the target guanylate cyclase with submicromolar affinity
      (apparent KD-values of 663 +/- 121 nM and 231 +/- 63 nM for Ca2+-free GCAP1 and
      GCAP2, respectively). A guanylate cyclase construct containing the juxta-membrane
      and kinase homology domain harbored an exclusive binding site for GCAP1 with
      similar affinities as the full-length protein, whereas GCAP2 did not bind to this
      region. We provide a model in which GCAP1 and GCAP2 do not share a single binding
      site to the target, thus cannot exchange upon fluctuating Ca2+ levels.

PMID- 28361874
TI  - IL-15 sustains IL-7R-independent ILC2 and ILC3 development.
AB  - The signals that maintain tissue-resident innate lymphoid cells (ILC) in
      different microenvironments are incompletely understood. Here we show that IL-7
      receptor (IL-7R) is not strictly required for the development of any ILC subset,
      as residual cells persist in the small intestinal lamina propria (siLP) of adult
      and neonatal Il7ra-/- mice. Il7ra-/- ILC2 primarily express an ST2- phenotype,
      but are not inflammatory ILC2. CCR6+ ILC3, which express higher Bcl-2 than other
      ILC3, are the most abundant subset in Il7ra-/- siLP. All ILC subsets are
      functionally competent in vitro, and are sufficient to provide enhanced
      protection to infection with C. rodentium. IL-15 equally sustains wild-type and
      Il7ra-/- ILC survival in vitro and compensates for IL-7R deficiency, as residual
      ILCs are depleted in mice lacking both molecules. Collectively, these data
      demonstrate that siLP ILCs are not completely IL-7R dependent, but can persist
      partially through IL-15 signalling.

PMID- 28361877
TI  - Unacylated ghrelin promotes adipogenesis in rodent bone marrow via ghrelin O-acyl
      transferase and GHS-R1a activity: evidence for target cell-induced acylation.
AB  - Despite being unable to activate the cognate ghrelin receptor (GHS-R), unacylated
      ghrelin (UAG) possesses a unique activity spectrum that includes promoting bone
      marrow adipogenesis. Since a receptor mediating this action has not been
      identified, we re-appraised the potential interaction of UAG with GHS-R in the
      regulation of bone marrow adiposity. Surprisingly, the adipogenic effects of
      intra-bone marrow (ibm)-infused acylated ghrelin (AG) and UAG were abolished in
      male GHS-R-null mice. Gas chromatography showed that isolated tibial marrow
      adipocytes contain the medium-chain fatty acids utilised in the acylation of UAG,
      including octanoic acid. Additionally, immunohistochemistry and immunogold
      electron microscopy revealed that tibial marrow adipocytes show prominent
      expression of the UAG-activating enzyme ghrelin O-acyl transferase (GOAT), which
      is located in the membranes of lipid trafficking vesicles and in the plasma
      membrane. Finally, the adipogenic effect of ibm-infused UAG was completely
      abolished in GOAT-KO mice. Thus, the adipogenic action of exogenous UAG in tibial
      marrow is dependent upon acylation by GOAT and activation of GHS-R. This suggests
      that UAG is subject to target cell-mediated activation - a novel mechanism for
      manipulating hormone activity.

PMID- 28361878
TI  - Structural mechanisms for alpha-conotoxin activity at the human alpha3beta4
      nicotinic acetylcholine receptor.
AB  - Nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (nAChR) are therapeutic targets for a range of
      human diseases. alpha-Conotoxins are naturally occurring peptide antagonists of
      nAChRs that have been used as pharmacological probes and investigated as drug
      leads for nAChR related disorders. However, alpha-conotoxin interactions have
      been mostly characterised at the alpha7 and alpha3beta2 nAChRs, with interactions
      at other subtypes poorly understood. This study provides novel structural
      insights into the molecular basis for alpha-conotoxin activity at alpha3beta4
      nAChR, a therapeutic target where subtype specific antagonists have potential to
      treat nicotine addiction and lung cancer. A co-crystal structure of alpha
      conotoxin LsIA with Lymnaea stagnalis acetylcholine binding protein guided the
      design and functional characterisations of LsIA analogues that identified the
      minimum pharmacophore regulating alpha3beta4 antagonism. Interactions of the LsIA
      R10F with beta4 K57 and the conserved -NN- alpha-conotoxin motif with beta4 I77
      and I109 conferred alpha3beta4 activity to the otherwise inactive LsIA. Using
      these structural insights, we designed LsIA analogues with alpha3beta4 activity.
      This new understanding of the structural basis of protein-protein interactions
      between alpha-conotoxins and alpha3beta4 may help rationally guide the
      development of alpha3beta4 selective antagonists with therapeutic potential.

PMID- 28361879
TI  - Synthesizing topological structures containing RNA.
AB  - Though knotting and entanglement have been observed in DNA and proteins, their
      existence in RNA remains an enigma. Synthetic RNA topological structures are
      significant for understanding the physical and biological properties pertaining
      to RNA topology, and these properties in turn could facilitate identifying
      naturally occurring topologically nontrivial RNA molecules. Here we show that
      topological structures containing single-stranded RNA (ssRNA) free of strong base
      pairing interactions can be created either by configuring RNA-DNA hybrid four-way
      junctions or by template-directed synthesis with a single-stranded DNA (ssDNA)
      topological structure. By using a constructed ssRNA knot as a highly sensitive
      topological probe, we find that Escherichia coli DNA topoisomerase I has low RNA
      topoisomerase activity and that the R173A point mutation abolishes the unknotting
      activity for ssRNA, but not for ssDNA. Furthermore, we discover the topological
      inhibition of reverse transcription (RT) and obtain different RT-PCR patterns for
      an ssRNA knot and circle of the same sequence.

PMID- 28361880
TI  - Genomic structure of the horse major histocompatibility complex class II region
      resolved using PacBio long-read sequencing technology.
AB  - The mammalian Major Histocompatibility Complex (MHC) region contains several gene
      families characterized by highly polymorphic loci with extensive nucleotide
      diversity, copy number variation of paralogous genes, and long repetitive
      sequences. This structural complexity has made it difficult to construct a
      reliable reference sequence of the horse MHC region. In this study, we used long
      read single molecule, real-time (SMRT) sequencing technology from Pacific
      Biosciences (PacBio) to sequence eight Bacterial Artificial Chromosome (BAC)
      clones spanning the horse MHC class II region. The final assembly resulted in a
      1,165,328 bp continuous gap free sequence with 35 manually curated genomic loci
      of which 23 were considered to be functional and 12 to be pseudogenes. In
      comparison to the MHC class II region in other mammals, the corresponding region
      in horse shows extraordinary copy number variation and different relative
      location and directionality of the Eqca-DRB, -DQA, -DQB and -DOB loci. This is
      the first long-read sequence assembly of the horse MHC class II region with
      rigorous manual gene annotation, and it will serve as an important resource for
      association studies of immune-mediated equine diseases and for evolutionary
      analysis of genetic diversity in this region.

PMID- 28361881
TI  - Wave-particle energy exchange directly observed in a kinetic Alfven-branch wave.
AB  - Alfven waves are fundamental plasma wave modes that permeate the universe. At
      small kinetic scales, they provide a critical mechanism for the transfer of
      energy between electromagnetic fields and charged particles. These waves are
      important not only in planetary magnetospheres, heliospheres and astrophysical
      systems but also in laboratory plasma experiments and fusion reactors. Through
      measurement of charged particles and electromagnetic fields with NASA's
      Magnetospheric Multiscale (MMS) mission, we utilize Earth's magnetosphere as a
      plasma physics laboratory. Here we confirm the conservative energy exchange
      between the electromagnetic field fluctuations and the charged particles that
      comprise an undamped kinetic Alfven wave. Electrons confined between adjacent
      wave peaks may have contributed to saturation of damping effects via nonlinear
      particle trapping. The investigation of these detailed wave dynamics has been
      unexplored territory in experimental plasma physics and is only recently enabled
      by high-resolution MMS observations.

PMID- 28361882
TI  - Rapid electron transfer by the carbon matrix in natural pyrogenic carbon.
AB  - Surface functional groups constitute major electroactive components in pyrogenic
      carbon. However, the electrochemical properties of pyrogenic carbon matrices and
      the kinetic preference of functional groups or carbon matrices for electron
      transfer remain unknown. Here we show that environmentally relevant pyrogenic
      carbon with average H/C and O/C ratios of less than 0.35 and 0.09 can directly
      transfer electrons more than three times faster than the charging and discharging
      cycles of surface functional groups and have a 1.5 V potential range for
      biogeochemical reactions that invoke electron transfer processes. Surface
      functional groups contribute to the overall electron flux of pyrogenic carbon to
      a lesser extent with greater pyrolysis temperature due to lower charging and
      discharging capacities, although the charging and discharging kinetics remain
      unchanged. This study could spur the development of a new generation of
      biogeochemical electron flux models that focus on the bacteria-carbon-mineral
      conductive network.

PMID- 28361883
TI  - Migration phenology and breeding success are predicted by methylation of a
      photoperiodic gene in the barn swallow.
AB  - Individuals often considerably differ in the timing of their life-cycle events,
      with major consequences for individual fitness, and, ultimately, for population
      dynamics. Phenological variation can arise from genetic effects but also from
      epigenetic modifications in DNA expression and translation. Here, we tested if
      CpG methylation at the poly-Q and 5'-UTR loci of the photoperiodic Clock gene
      predicted migration and breeding phenology of long-distance migratory barn
      swallows (Hirundo rustica) that were tracked year-round using light-level
      geolocators. Increasing methylation at Clock poly-Q was associated with earlier
      spring departure from the African wintering area, arrival date at the European
      breeding site, and breeding date. Higher methylation levels also predicted
      increased breeding success. Thus, we showed for the first time in any species
      that CpG methylation at a candidate gene may affect phenology and breeding
      performance. Methylation at Clock may be a candidate mechanism mediating
      phenological responses of migratory birds to ongoing climate change.

PMID- 28361884
TI  - AT-RvD1 Promotes Resolution of Inflammation in NOD/ShiLtJ mice.
AB  - Sjogren's syndrome (SS) is a chronic inflammatory autoimmune disease
      characterized by diminished secretory function of the exocrine glands. Treatments
      for hyposalivation are limited to the use of saliva substitutes and medications
      that provide only temporary relief. In light of the high degree of need and the
      limitations of current therapies, development of alternative treatments to
      restore functioning is essential. Resolvins (Rv), which are highly potent lipid
      mediators, offer a viable alternative for better treating inflammatory diseases
      such as SS. The goal of this study was to determine whether systemic preventive
      treatment with Aspirin-triggered RvD1 (AT-RvD1) reduces inflammation and
      preserves secretory functioning in NOD/ShiLtJ SS-like mice. Our results indicate
      that systemic treatment with AT-RvD1 diminishes the progression of the disease in
      salivary epithelium from female mice as follows: (a) improves secretory function,
      (b) reduces pro-inflammatory molecule gene expression, (c) increases anti
      inflammatory molecule gene expression and (d) induces M2 macrophage polarization.
      Finally, AT-RvD1 decreases lymphocytic infiltration into the salivary glands when
      used with small doses of the steroid, dexamethasone, and promotes the tissue
      healing process.

PMID- 28361885
TI  - Exposure to Ambient Particulate Matter Induced COPD in a Rat Model and a
      Description of the Underlying Mechanism.
AB  - While the health effects of air pollution have been an international public
      health concern since at least the 1950s, recent research has focused on two broad
      sources of air pollution, namely, biomass fuel (BMF) and motor vehicle exhaust
      (MVE). Many studies have shown associations between air pollution PM and
      exacerbations of pre-existing COPD, but the role of air pollution PM in the
      development and progression of COPD is still uncertain. The current study
      indicates that rats can develop pronounced COPD following chronic exposure to air
      pollution PM (BMF and MVE), as characterized by lung function reduction, mucus
      metaplasia, lung and systemic inflammation, emphysema, and small airway
      remodeling. Comparative analyses demonstrate that both BMF and MVE activate
      similar pathogenesis that are linked to the development of COPD. These findings
      also show that some differences are found in the lungs of rats exposed to BMF or
      MVE, which might result in different phenotypes of COPD.

PMID- 28361887
TI  - Mechanisms of social buffering of fear in zebrafish.
AB  - Some humans thrive whereas others resign when exposed to threatening situations
      throughout life. Social support has been identified as an important modulator of
      these discrepancies in human behaviour, and other social animals also exhibit
      phenomena in which individuals recover better from aversive events when
      conspecifics are present - aka social buffering. Here we studied social buffering
      in zebrafish, by exposing focal fish to an aversive stimulus (alarm substance -
      AS) either in the absence or presence of conspecific cues. When exposed to AS in
      the presence of both olfactory (shoal water) and visual (sight of shoal)
      conspecific cues, focal fish exhibited a lower fear response than when tested
      alone, demonstrating social buffering in zebrafish. When separately testing each
      cue's effectiveness, we verified that the visual cue was more effective than the
      olfactory in reducing freezing in a persistent threat scenario. Finally, we
      verified that social buffering was independent of shoal size and coincided with a
      distinct pattern of co-activation of brain regions known to be involved in
      mammalian social buffering. Thus, this study suggests a shared evolutionary
      origin for social buffering in vertebrates, bringing new evidence on the
      behavioural, sensory and neural mechanisms underlying this phenomenon.

PMID- 28361888
TI  - Control strategy of hand movement depends on target redundancy.
AB  - Reaching toward a point target has been intensively studied in human motor
      control. However, little is known about reaching toward a redundant target, such
      as grasping a bar, in which the grasping point is irrelevant to the achievement
      of a task. We examined whether humans could solve the target-redundancy and
      control problems in a serial fashion or control their body without solving the
      target-redundancy problem. We equalized the target ranges between two reaching
      tasks: a point-to-point reaching task without target-redundancy and a point-to
      bar reaching task with target-redundancy. In the both tasks, we measured hand
      viscoelasticity at movement end as parameters that reflect the adopted control
      strategy. As a result, the hand viscoelasticity in the point-to-bar reaching task
      was smaller than that in the point-to-point reaching task, even under the same
      kinematics. These results indicate that the hand viscoelasticity was modulated
      depending on the target-redundancy. Moreover, it is suggested that a human
      reaches toward a redundant target by effectively utilizing information of target
      redundancy rather than explicitly solving the target-redundancy problem.

PMID- 28361886
TI  - Enzyme-dependent fluorescence recovery of NADH after photobleaching to assess
      dehydrogenase activity of isolated perfused hearts.
AB  - Reduction of NAD+ by dehydrogenase enzymes to form NADH is a key component of
      cellular metabolism. In cellular preparations and isolated mitochondria
      suspensions, enzyme-dependent fluorescence recovery after photobleaching (ED
      FRAP) of NADH has been shown to be an effective approach for measuring the rate
      of NADH production to assess dehydrogenase enzyme activity. Our objective was to
      demonstrate how dehydrogenase activity could be assessed within the myocardium of
      perfused hearts using NADH ED-FRAP. This was accomplished using a combination of
      high intensity UV pulses to photobleach epicardial NADH. Replenishment of
      epicardial NADH fluorescence was then imaged using low intensity UV illumination.
      NADH ED-FRAP parameters were optimized to deliver 23.8 mJ of photobleaching light
      energy at a pulse width of 6 msec and a duty cycle of 50%. These parameters
      provided repeatable measurements of NADH production rate during multiple
      metabolic perturbations, including changes in perfusate temperature,
      electromechanical uncoupling, and acute ischemia/reperfusion injury. NADH
      production rate was significantly higher in every perturbation where the energy
      demand was either higher or uncompromised. We also found that NADH production
      rate remained significantly impaired after 10 min of reperfusion after global
      ischemia. Overall, our results indicate that myocardial NADH ED-FRAP is a useful
      optical non-destructive approach for assessing dehydrogenase activity.

PMID- 28361891
TI  - Integrated Design and Simulation of Tunable, Multi-State Structures Fabricated
      Monolithically with Multi-Material 3D Printing.
AB  - Multi-material 3D printing has created new opportunities for fabricating
      deployable structures. We design reversible, deployable structures that are
      fabricated flat, have defined load bearing capacity, and multiple, predictable
      activated geometries. These structures are designed with a hierarchical framework
      where the proposed bistable actuator serves as the base building block. The
      actuator is designed to maximise its stroke length, with the expansion ratio
      approaching one when serially connected. The activation force of the actuator is
      parameterised through its joint material and joint length. Simulation and
      experimental results show that the bistability triggering force can be tuned
      between 0.5 and 5.0 N. Incorporating this bistable actuator, the first group of
      hierarchical designs demonstrate the deployment of space frame structures with a
      tetrahedron module consisting of three active edges, each containing four
      serially connected actuators. The second group shows the design of flat
      structures that assume either positive or negative Gaussian curvature once
      activated. By flipping the initial configuration of the unit actuators,
      structures such as a dome and an enclosure are demonstrated. A modified Dynamic
      Relaxation method is used to simulate all possible geometries of the hierarchical
      structures. Measured geometries differ by less than 5% compared to simulation
      results.

PMID- 28361889
TI  - The histone H3K9 methyltransferase SUV39H links SIRT1 repression to myocardial
      infarction.
AB  - Myocardial infarction (MI) dampens heart function and poses a great health risk.
      The class III deacetylase sirtuin 1 (SIRT1) is known to confer cardioprotection.
      SIRT1 expression is downregulated in the heart by a number of stress stimuli that
      collectively drive the pathogenesis of MI, although the underlying mechanism
      remains largely obscure. Here we show that in primary rat neonatal ventricular
      myocytes (NRVMs), ischaemic or oxidative stress leads to a rapid upregulation of
      SUV39H, the mammalian histone H3K9 methyltransferase, paralleling SIRT1
      downregulation. Compared to wild-type littermates, SUV39H knockout mice are
      protected from MI. Likewise, suppression of SUV39H activity with chaetocin
      attenuates cardiac injury following MI. Mechanistically, SUV39H cooperates with
      heterochromatin protein 1 gamma (HP1gamma) to catalyse H3K9 trimethylation on the
      SIRT1 promoter and represses SIRT1 transcription. SUV39H augments intracellular
      ROS levels in a SIRT1-dependent manner. Our data identify a previously
      unrecognized role for SUV39H linking SIRT1 trans-repression to myocardial
      infarction.

PMID- 28361890
TI  - Development of the macaque face-patch system.
AB  - Face recognition is highly proficient in humans and other social primates; it
      emerges in infancy, but the development of the neural mechanisms supporting this
      behaviour is largely unknown. We use blood-volume functional MRI to monitor
      longitudinally the responsiveness to faces, scrambled faces, and objects in
      macaque inferotemporal cortex (IT) from 1 month to 2 years of age. During this
      time selective responsiveness to monkey faces emerges. Some functional
      organization is present at 1 month; face-selective patches emerge over the first
      year of development, and are remarkably stable once they emerge. Face selectivity
      is refined by a decreasing responsiveness to non-face stimuli.

PMID- 28361892
TI  - An Inter-comparison of Three Heat Wave Types in China during 1961-2010: Observed
      Basic Features and Linear Trends.
AB  - Using observed daily temperatures in China, three independent types of heat waves
      (HWs), including daytime HWs, nighttime HWs, and compound HWs (with both extreme
      daily maxima and minima), were defined. Different types of HWs showed distinctive
      preferences in occurrence locations and timing. However, spatial patterns of
      accompanying relative humidity were generally independent of categorization,
      except for closer association of nighttime events with high humidity level.
      Compound HWs and nighttime HWs experienced significant increases in frequency,
      participating days, mean duration, intensity and areal extent. Conversely,
      significant decreasing trends of above indicators prevailed in daytime HWs,
      especially in central-eastern China. Tendency of relative humidity changes didn't
      vary with HW types. Instead it caused an interesting phenomenon that dry HWs in
      the west became more humid and humid events in the east got dryer, as manifested
      most obviously in compound type. Thorough comparisons highlight the evolutionary
      dominance of HW types. Specifically, previously-dominating independent daytime
      HWs have been increasingly replaced by independent nighttime events in central
      eastern China, and by compound HWs in southern China. That's the very reason for
      negative trends of independent daytime HWs in eastern China, even in a warming
      climate.

PMID- 28361893
TI  - Shock-Resistibility of MEMS-Based Inertial Microswitch under Reverse Directional
      Ultra-High g Acceleration for IoT Applications.
AB  - This paper presents a novel MEMS-based inertial microswitch design with multi
      directional compact constraint structures for improving the shock-resistibility.
      Its shock-resistibility in the reverse-sensitive direction to ultra-high g
      acceleration (~hunderds of thousands) is simulated and analyzed. The dynamic
      response process indicates that in the designed inertial microswitch the proof
      mass weight G, the whole system's stiffness k and the gap x2 between the proof
      mass and reverse constraint blocks have significant effect on the shock
      resistibility. The MEMS inertial microswitch micro-fabricated by surface
      micromachining has been evaluated using the drop hammer test. The maximum
      allowable reverse acceleration, which does not cause the spurious trigger, is
      defined as the reverse acceleration threshold (athr). Test results show that athr
      increases with the decrease of the gap x2, and the proposed microswitch tends to
      have a better shock-resistibility under smaller gap. The measured responses of
      the microswitches with and without constraint structure indicates that the device
      without constraint structure is prone to spurious trigger, while the designed
      constraint structures can effectively improve the shock-resistibility. In this
      paper, the method for improving the shock-resistibility and reducing the spurious
      trigger has been discussed.

PMID- 28361895
TI  - Cell fate conversion: a chromatin remodeling checkpoint revealed.
AB  - In a new paper in Cell Research, Ji et al. find that transcription factor
      instigated opening of chromatin, during cell reprogramming, can be sensed by the
      Baf60b-containing chromatin remodeling complex, which then activates the ATM-p53
      pathway, leading to cell death. These findings from reprogramming studies unveil
      what I term a "chromatin remodeling checkpoint" whereby extensive, inappropriate
      chromatin opening events lead to cell elimination, thus preventing cell fate
      conversion that might occur upon tissue damage; if unchecked, such conversion
      could lead to metaplasia and cancer.

PMID- 28361896
TI  - Tissue-resident memory T cells live off the fat of the land.
AB  - The consumption of exogenous free fatty acids by tissue-resident memory T (Trm)
      cells is critical for their long-term survival and antiviral function, and
      appears to be a conserved feature of Trm cells in both mouse and man, a recent
      paper published in Nature demonstrates.

PMID- 28361894
TI  - The antimicrobial effects of the alginate oligomer OligoG CF-5/20 are independent
      of direct bacterial cell membrane disruption.
AB  - Concerns about acquisition of antibiotic resistance have led to increasing demand
      for new antimicrobial therapies. OligoG CF-5/20 is an alginate oligosaccharide
      previously shown to have antimicrobial and antibiotic potentiating activity. We
      investigated the structural modification of the bacterial cell wall by OligoG CF
      5/20 and its effect on membrane permeability. Binding of OligoG CF-5/20 to the
      bacterial cell surface was demonstrated in Gram-negative bacteria. Permeability
      assays revealed that OligoG CF-5/20 had virtually no membrane-perturbing effects.
      Lipopolysaccharide (LPS) surface charge and aggregation were unaltered in the
      presence of OligoG CF-5/20. Small angle neutron scattering and circular dichroism
      spectroscopy showed no substantial change to the structure of LPS in the presence
      of OligoG CF-5/20, however, isothermal titration calorimetry demonstrated a weak
      calcium-mediated interaction. Metabolomic analysis confirmed no change in
      cellular metabolic response to a range of osmolytes when treated with OligoG CF
      5/20. This data shows that, although weak interactions occur between LPS and
      OligoG CF-5/20 in the presence of calcium, the antimicrobial effects of OligoG CF
      5/20 are not related to the induction of structural alterations in the LPS or
      cell permeability. These results suggest a novel mechanism of action that may
      avoid the common route in acquisition of resistance via LPS structural
      modification.

PMID- 28361897
TI  - Spontaneous DNA damage propels tumorigenicity.
AB  - High levels of endogenously generated DNA damage drive oncogenesis, sustain
      malignant progression and increase therapy resistance. In a paper recently
      published in Cell Research, Liu and colleagues added additional insights into
      this topic by uncovering a novel intrinsic source of double-strand breaks that
      fosters the aggressiveness and stemness of malignant cells.

PMID- 28361898
TI  - Atomic resolution structure of serine protease proteinase K at ambient
      temperature.
AB  - Atomic resolution structures (beyond 1.20 A) at ambient temperature, which is
      usually hampered by the radiation damage in synchrotron X-ray crystallography
      (SRX), will add to our understanding of the structure-function relationships of
      enzymes. Serial femtosecond crystallography (SFX) has attracted surging interest
      by providing a route to bypass such challenges. Yet the progress on atomic
      resolution analysis with SFX has been rather slow. In this report, we describe
      the 1.20 A resolution structure of proteinase K using 13 keV photon energy.
      Hydrogen atoms, water molecules, and a number of alternative side-chain
      conformations have been resolved. The increase in the value of B-factor in SFX
      suggests that the residues and water molecules adjacent to active sites were
      flexible and exhibited dynamic motions at specific substrate-recognition sites.

PMID- 28361899
TI  - Towards a Humanized Mouse Model of Liver Stage Malaria Using Ectopic Artificial
      Livers.
AB  - The malaria liver stage is an attractive target for antimalarial development, and
      preclinical malaria models are essential for testing such candidates. Given
      ethical concerns and costs associated with non-human primate models, humanized
      mouse models containing chimeric human livers offer a valuable alternative as
      small animal models of liver stage human malaria. The best available human liver
      chimeric mice rely on cellular transplantation into mice with genetically
      engineered liver injury, but these systems involve a long and variable
      humanization process, are expensive, and require the use of breeding-challenged
      mouse strains which are not widely accessible. We previously incorporated primary
      human hepatocytes into engineered polyethylene glycol (PEG)-based nanoporous
      human ectopic artificial livers (HEALs), implanted them in mice without liver
      injury, and rapidly generated human liver chimeric mice in a reproducible and
      scalable fashion. By re-designing the PEG scaffold to be macroporous, we
      demonstrate the facile fabrication of implantable porous HEALs that support liver
      stage human malaria (P. falciparum) infection in vitro, and also after
      implantation in mice with normal liver function, 60% of the time. This proof-of
      concept study demonstrates the feasibility of applying a tissue engineering
      strategy towards the development of scalable preclinical models of liver stage
      malaria infection for future applications.

PMID- 28361901
TI  - Parental Exposure to Dim Light at Night Prior to Mating Alters Offspring Adaptive
      Immunity.
AB  - Exposure to dim light at night (dLAN) disrupts natural light/dark cycles and
      impairs endogenous circadian rhythms necessary to maintain optimal biological
      function, including the endocrine and immune systems. We have previously
      demonstrated that white dLAN compromises innate and cell mediated immune
      responses in adult Siberian hamsters (Phodopus sungorus). We hypothesized that
      dLAN has transgenerational influences on immune function. Adult male and female
      Siberian hamsters were exposed to either dark nights (DARK) or dLAN (~5 lux) for
      9 weeks, then paired in full factorial design, mated, and thereafter housed under
      dark nights. Offspring were gestated and reared in dark nights, then tested as
      adults for cell-mediated and humoral immunity. Maternal exposure to dLAN dampened
      delayed type hypersensitivity (DTH) responses in male offspring. Maternal and
      paternal exposure to dLAN reduced DTH responses in female offspring. IgG
      antibodies to a novel antigen were elevated in offspring of dams exposed to dLAN.
      Paternal exposure to dLAN decreased splenic endocrine receptor expression and
      global methylation in a parental sex-specific manner. Together, these data
      suggest that exposure to dLAN has transgenerational effects on endocrine-immune
      function that may be mediated by global alterations in the epigenetic landscape
      of immune tissues.

PMID- 28361900
TI  - MicroRNAs Associated with Caste Determination and Differentiation in a
      Primitively Eusocial Insect.
AB  - In eusocial Hymenoptera (ants, bees and wasps), queen and worker adult castes
      typically arise via environmental influences. A fundamental challenge is to
      understand how a single genome can thereby produce alternative phenotypes. A
      powerful approach is to compare the molecular basis of caste determination and
      differentiation along the evolutionary trajectory between primitively and
      advanced eusocial species, which have, respectively, relatively undifferentiated
      and strongly differentiated adult castes. In the advanced eusocial honeybee, Apis
      mellifera, studies suggest that microRNAs (miRNAs) play an important role in the
      molecular basis of caste determination and differentiation. To investigate how
      miRNAs affect caste in eusocial evolution, we used deep sequencing and Northern
      blots to isolate caste-associated miRNAs in the primitively eusocial bumblebee
      Bombus terrestris. We found that the miRNAs Bte-miR-6001-5p and -3p are more
      highly expressed in queen- than in worker-destined late-instar larvae. These are
      the first caste-associated miRNAs from outside advanced eusocial Hymenoptera, so
      providing evidence for caste-associated miRNAs occurring relatively early in
      eusocial evolution. Moreover, we found little evidence that miRNAs previously
      shown to be associated with caste in A. mellifera were differentially expressed
      across caste pathways in B. terrestris, suggesting that, in eusocial evolution,
      the caste-associated role of individual miRNAs is not conserved.

PMID- 28361902
TI  - Corticosterone activity during early weaning reprograms molecular markers in rat
      gastric secretory cells.
AB  - Gastric epithelial cells differentiate throughout the third postnatal week in
      rats, and become completely functional by weaning time. When suckling is
      interrupted by early weaning (EW), cell proliferation and differentiation change
      in the gastric mucosa, and regulatory mechanisms might involve corticosterone
      activity. Here we used EW and RU486 (glucocorticoid receptor antagonist) to
      investigate the roles of corticosterone on differentiation of mucous neck (MNC)
      and zymogenic cells (ZC) in rats, and to evaluate whether effects persisted in
      young adults. MNC give rise to ZC, and mucin 6, Mist1, pepsinogen a5 and
      pepsinogen C are produced to characterize these cells. We found that in pups, EW
      augmented the expression of mucins, Mist1 and pepsinogen C at mRNA and protein
      levels, and it changed the number of MNC and ZC. Corticosterone regulated
      pepsinogen C expression, and MNC and ZC distributions. Further, the changes on
      MNC population and pepsinogen C were maintained until early- adult life.
      Therefore, by using EW as a model for altered corticosterone activity in rats, we
      demonstrated that the differentiation of secretory epithelial cells is sensitive
      to the type of nutrient in the lumen. Moreover, this environmental perception
      activates corticosterone to change maturation and reprogram cellular functions in
      adulthood.

PMID- 28361903
TI  - Steviol glycosides enhance pancreatic beta-cell function and taste sensation by
      potentiation of TRPM5 channel activity.
AB  - Steviol glycosides (SGs), such as stevioside and rebaudioside A, are natural, non
      caloric sweet-tasting organic molecules, present in extracts of the scrub plant
      Stevia rebaudiana, which are widely used as sweeteners in consumer foods and
      beverages. TRPM5 is a Ca2+-activated cation channel expressed in type II taste
      receptor cells and pancreatic beta-cells. Here we show that stevioside,
      rebaudioside A and their aglycon steviol potentiate the activity of TRPM5. We
      find that SGs potentiate perception of bitter, sweet and umami taste, and enhance
      glucose-induced insulin secretion in a Trpm5-dependent manner. Daily consumption
      of stevioside prevents development of high-fat-diet-induced diabetic
      hyperglycaemia in wild-type mice, but not in Trpm5-/- mice. These results
      elucidate a molecular mechanism of action of SGs and identify TRPM5 as a
      potential target to prevent and treat type 2 diabetes.

PMID- 28361905
TI  - Changes in temporomandibular joint spaces after arthroscopic disc repositioning:
      a self-control study.
AB  - Disc repositioning is a common procedure for patients with anterior disc
      displacement (ADD). The purpose of this retrospective record-based study was to
      evaluate changes in the widths of joint spaces and condylar position changes in
      patients with unilateral ADD following arthroscopic disc repositioning, with the
      healthy sides as self-control, using magnetic resonance images (MRI).Widths of
      anterior, superior, and posterior joint spaces (AS, SS, and PS) were measured.
      The condylar position was described as anterior, centric or posterior, expressed
      as . Paired-t test and Chi-square test were used to analyze the data. Fifty-four
      records conformed to the inclusion criteria (mean age of 21.02 years). Widths of
      SS and PS increased significantly after surgery (P < 0.001) on the operative
      sides, while joint spaces of healthy sides and AS of operative sides had no
      significant changes. Dominant location of condyles of operative sides changed
      from a posterior position to an anterior position, while healthy sides were
      mostly centric condylar position no matter preoperatively or postoperatively.
      Therefore, the results of this study indicate that unilateral arthroscopic disc
      repositioning significantly increases the posterior and superior spaces of the
      affected joints, without affecting spaces of the healthy sides.

PMID- 28361904
TI  - IgE binds asymmetrically to its B cell receptor CD23.
AB  - The antibody IgE plays a central role in allergic disease mechanisms. Its
      effector functions are controlled through interactions between the Fc region and
      two principal cell surface receptors FcepsilonRI and CD23. The interaction with
      FcepsilonRI is primarily responsible for allergic sensitization and the
      inflammatory response, while IgE binding to CD23 is involved in the regulation of
      IgE synthesis and allergen transcytosis. Here we present the crystal structure of
      a CD23/IgE-Fc complex and conduct isothermal titration calorimetric binding
      studies. Two lectin-like "head" domains of CD23 bind to IgE-Fc with affinities
      that differ by more than an order of magnitude, but the crystal structure reveals
      only one head bound to one of the two identical heavy-chains in the
      asymmetrically bent IgE-Fc. These results highlight the subtle interplay between
      receptor binding sites in IgE-Fc and their affinities, the understanding of which
      may be exploited for therapeutic intervention in allergic disease.

PMID- 28361907
TI  - Wide-Range Probing of Dzyaloshinskii-Moriya Interaction.
AB  - The Dzyaloshinskii-Moriya interaction (DMI) in magnetic objects is of enormous
      interest, because it generates built-in chirality of magnetic domain walls (DWs)
      and topologically protected skyrmions, leading to efficient motion driven by spin
      orbit torques. Because of its importance for both potential applications and
      fundamental research, many experimental efforts have been devoted to DMI
      investigation. However, current experimental probing techniques cover only
      limited ranges of the DMI strength and have specific sample requirements. Thus,
      there are no versatile methods to quantify DMI over a wide range of values. Here,
      we present such an experimental scheme, which is based on the angular dependence
      of asymmetric DW motion. This method can be used to determine values of DMI much
      larger than the maximum strength of the external magnetic field strength, which
      demonstrates that various DMI strengths can be quantified with a single
      measurement setup. This scheme may thus prove essential to DMI-related emerging
      fields in nanotechnology.

PMID- 28361906
TI  - Herbicidal properties of antimalarial drugs.
AB  - The evolutionary relationship between plants and the malarial parasite Plasmodium
      falciparum is well established and underscored by the P. falciparum apicoplast,
      an essential chloroplast-like organelle. As a result of this relationship,
      studies have demonstrated that herbicides active against plants are also active
      against P. falciparum and thus could act as antimalarial drug leads. Here we show
      the converse is also true; many antimalarial compounds developed for human use
      are highly herbicidal. We found that human antimalarial drugs (e.g. sulfadiazine,
      sulfadoxine, pyrimethamine, cycloguanil) were lethal to the model plant
      Arabidopsis thaliana at similar concentrations to market herbicides glufosinate
      and glyphosate. Furthermore, the physicochemical properties of these herbicidal
      antimalarial compounds were similar to commercially used herbicides. The
      implications of this finding that many antimalarial compounds are herbicidal
      proffers two novel applications: (i) using the genetically tractable A. thaliana
      to reveal mode-of-action for understudied antimalarial drugs, and (ii) co-opting
      antimalarial compounds as a new source for much needed herbicide lead molecules.

PMID- 28361909
TI  - Rational mutagenesis by engineering disulphide bonds improves Kluyveromyces
      lactis beta-galactosidase for high-temperature industrial applications.
AB  - Kluyveromyces lactis beta-galactosidase (Kl-beta-Gal) is one of the most
      important enzymes in the dairy industry. The poor stability of this enzyme limits
      its use in the synthesis of galactooligosaccharides (GOS) and other applications
      requiring high operational temperature. To obtain thermoresistant variants, a
      rational mutagenesis strategy by introducing disulphide bonds in the interface
      between the enzyme subunits was used. Two improved mutants, R116C/T270C and
      R116C/T270C/G818C, had increased half-lives at 45  degrees C compared to Kl-beta
      Gal (2.2 and 6.8 fold increases, respectively). Likewise, Tm values of
      R116C/T270C and R116C/T270C/G818C were 2.4 and 8.5  degrees C, respectively,
      higher than Kl-beta-Gal Tm. Enrichment in enzymatically active oligomeric forms
      in these mutant variants also increased their catalytic efficiency, due to the
      reinforcement of the interface contacts. In this way, using an artificial
      substrate (p-nitrophenyl-beta-D-galactopyranoside), the Vmax values of the
      mutants were ~1.4 (R116C/T270C) and 2 (R116C/T270C/G818C) fold higher than that
      of native Kl-beta-Gal. Using the natural substrate (lactose) the Vmax for
      R116C/T270C/G818C almost doubled the Vmax for Kl-beta-Gal. Validation of these
      mutant variants of the enzyme for their use in applications that depend on
      prolonged incubations at high temperatures was achieved at the laboratory scale
      by monitoring their catalytic activity in GOS synthesis.

PMID- 28361908
TI  - Sustained delivery of calcium and orthophosphate ions from amorphous calcium
      phosphate and poly(L-lactic acid)-based electrospinning nanofibrous scaffold.
AB  - The purpose of this study is to investigate electrospinning poly(L-lactic acid)
      (PLLA) nanofibrous scaffold with different contents of amorphous calcium
      phosphate (ACP), which is suitable for using in bone regeneration through
      sustained release of calcium and orthophosphate ions. Three groups of nanofibrous
      scaffolds, ACP-free PLLA, ACP-5 wt%/PLLA and ACP-10 wt%/PLLA, are developed and
      characterized by scanning electron microscopy and gel permeation chromatography.
      Calcium and phosphate colorimetric assay kits are used to test ions released from
      scaffold during hydrolytic degradation. The results show ACP-5 wt%/PLLA and ACP
      10 wt%/PLLA scaffolds have relatively high degradation rates than ACP-free PLLA
      group. The bioactivity evaluation further reveals that ACP-5 wt%/PLLA scaffold
      presents more biocompatible feature with pre-osteoblast cells and significant
      osteogenesis ability of calvarial bone defect. Due to the facile preparation
      method, sustained calcium and orthophosphate release behavior, and excellent
      osteogenesis capacity, the presented ACP/PLLA nanofibrous scaffold has potential
      applications in bone tissue engineering.

PMID- 28361911
TI  - Land cover changes induced by the great east Japan earthquake in 2011.
AB  - The east Japan earthquake that occurred on March 11, 2011 was a big natural
      disaster, comprising the large earthquake shock, tsunami, and Fukushima Daiichi
      Nuclear Power Plant (FDNPP) accident. These disasters caused changes in the land
      use and land cover (LULC) in Japan's Tohoku district. While the LULC map created
      before the disaster is available, as yet there is no precise LULC map of the
      district after the disaster. In this study, we created a precise LULC map for the
      years 2013-2015 post-disaster with 30-m spatial resolution using the Landsat-8
      with the Operational Land Imager (OLI) to evaluate the changes in LULC induced by
      the disaster. Our results indicate many changes in areas categorized as rice
      paddies primarily into grass categories along the coast damaged by the tsunami
      and in the evacuation zone around the FDNPP. Since there is a possibility of
      future LULC changes according to the change of the evacuation zone and
      implementation of reconstruction and revitalization efforts, we recommend
      continual monitoring of the changes in LULC by the use of satellite data in order
      to evaluate the long-term effects of the disaster.

PMID- 28361910
TI  - Her-2 expression regulated by downregulation of miR-9 and which affects
      chemotherapeutic effect in breast cancer.
AB  - This study aimed to identify microRNAs (miRs), the deregulated expression of
      which leads to the activation of oncogenic pathways in human breast cancer (BC).
      miRs are classes of endogenous, small, noncoding RNAs that regulate gene
      expression aberrantly in human tumor tissues. A total of 39 out of 123 tumoral
      and matched uninvolved peritumoral breast specimens from 3 independent subsets of
      patients were analyzed for the expression of 851 human miRs using an Agilent
      platform. The remaining 84 samples were used to validate miRs differentially
      expressed between tumoral and matched peritumoral specimens by quantitative
      polymerase chain reaction. Animal assay was further used to test the role of miR
      9 and Her-2 in the pathogenesis of BC. All 39 matched samples were analyzed by
      unsupervised cluster analysis. This analytical approach identified a signature of
      miRs (miR-9, miR-148a, miR-31, miR-375, miR-21, miR-135b, miR-196a and miR-196b)
      that were significantly modulated between tumoral and peritumoral tissues in both
      subsets of patients. Her-2 protein staining increased in tumoral specimens when
      miR-9 downregulation correlated with the prognostic value. The ectopic expression
      of miR-9 inhibited the colony-forming ability, migration and tumor engraftment of
      BC cells. miR-9 targeted the Her-2 messenger RNA and increased responsiveness of
      BC cells to docetaxel (DOC) or cyclophosphamide treatment. The ectopic expression
      of Her-2 protein counteracted the miR-9 proapoptotic activity in response to DOC.
      These findings suggested that the modulation of aberrant expression of miR-9,
      which in turn induces oncogenic Her-2 protein activity, might hold promise for
      preventive and therapeutic management of BC.

PMID- 28361912
TI  - Polymorphisms of RAD51B are associated with rheumatoid arthritis and erosion in
      rheumatoid arthritis patients.
AB  - Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a common, chronic autoimmune disease affecting 0.5
      1.0% of adults worldwide, including approximately 4.5-5.0 million patients in
      China. The genetic etiology and pathogenesis of RA have not yet been fully
      elucidated. Recently, one new RA susceptibility gene (RAD51B) has been identified
      in Korean and European populations. In this study, we designed a two-stage case
      control study to further assess the relationship of common variants in the RAD51B
      gene with increased risk of RA in a total of 965 RA patients and 2,511 unrelated
      healthy controls of Han Chinese ancestry. We successfully identified a common
      variant, rs911263, as being significantly associated with the disease status of
      RA (P = 4.8 * 10-5, OR = 0.64). In addition, this SNP was shown to be related to
      erosion, a clinical assessment of disease severity in RA (P = 2.89 * 10-5, OR =
      0.52). These findings shed light on the role of RAD51B in the onset and severity
      of RA. More research in the future is needed to clarify the underlying functional
      link between rs911263 and the disease.

PMID- 28361914
TI  - Soft and wrinkled carbon membranes derived from petals for flexible
      supercapacitors.
AB  - Biomass materials are promising precursors for the production of carbonaceous
      materials due to their abundance, low cost and renewability. Here, a freestanding
      wrinkled carbon membrane (WCM) electrode material for flexible supercapacitors
      (SCs) was obtained from flower petal. The carbon membrane was fabricated by a
      simple thermal pyrolysis process and further activated by heating the sample in
      air. As a binder and current collector-free electrode, the activated wrinkled
      carbon membrane (AWCM) exhibited a high specific capacitance of 332.7 F/g and
      excellent cycling performance with 92.3% capacitance retention over 10000 cycles.
      Moreover, a flexible all-solid supercapacitor with AWCM electrode was fabricated
      and showed a maximum specific capacitance of 154 F/g and great bending stability.
      The development of this flower petal based carbon membrane provides a promising
      cost-effective and environmental benign electrode material for flexible energy
      storage.

PMID- 28361913
TI  - Multi-scale radiomic analysis of sub-cortical regions in MRI related to autism,
      gender and age.
AB  - We propose using multi-scale image textures to investigate links between
      neuroanatomical regions and clinical variables in MRI. Texture features are
      derived at multiple scales of resolution based on the Laplacian-of-Gaussian (LoG)
      filter. Three quantifier functions (Average, Standard Deviation and Entropy) are
      used to summarize texture statistics within standard, automatically segmented
      neuroanatomical regions. Significance tests are performed to identify regional
      texture differences between ASD vs. TDC and male vs. female groups, as well as
      correlations with age (corrected p < 0.05). The open-access brain imaging data
      exchange (ABIDE) brain MRI dataset is used to evaluate texture features derived
      from 31 brain regions from 1112 subjects including 573 typically developing
      control (TDC, 99 females, 474 males) and 539 Autism spectrum disorder (ASD, 65
      female and 474 male) subjects. Statistically significant texture differences
      between ASD vs. TDC groups are identified asymmetrically in the right
      hippocampus, left choroid-plexus and corpus callosum (CC), and symmetrically in
      the cerebellar white matter. Sex-related texture differences in TDC subjects are
      found in primarily in the left amygdala, left cerebellar white matter, and brain
      stem. Correlations between age and texture in TDC subjects are found in the
      thalamus-proper, caudate and pallidum, most exhibiting bilateral symmetry.

PMID- 28361916
TI  - Seeing elements by visible-light digital camera.
AB  - A visible-light digital camera is used for taking ordinary photos, but with new
      operational procedures it can measure the photon energy in the X-ray wavelength
      region and therefore see chemical elements. This report describes how one can
      observe X-rays by means of such an ordinary camera - The front cover of the
      camera is replaced by an opaque X-ray window to block visible light and to allow
      X-rays to pass; the camera takes many snap shots (called single-photon-counting
      mode) to record every photon event individually; an integrated-filtering method
      is newly proposed to correctly retrieve the energy of photons from raw camera
      images. Finally, the retrieved X-ray energy-dispersive spectra show fine energy
      resolution and great accuracy in energy calibration, and therefore the visible
      light digital camera can be applied to routine X-ray fluorescence measurement to
      analyze the element composition in unknown samples. In addition, the visible
      light digital camera is promising in that it could serve as a position sensitive
      X-ray energy detector. It may become able to measure the element map or chemical
      diffusion in a multi-element system if it is fabricated with external X-ray optic
      devices. Owing to the camera's low expense and fine pixel size, the present
      method will be widely applied to the analysis of chemical elements as well as
      imaging.

PMID- 28361915
TI  - Evolution of multi-drug resistant HCV clones from pre-existing resistant
      associated variants during direct-acting antiviral therapy determined by third
      generation sequencing.
AB  - Resistance-associated variant (RAV) is one of the most significant clinical
      challenges in treating HCV-infected patients with direct-acting antivirals
      (DAAs). We investigated the viral dynamics in patients receiving DAAs using third
      generation sequencing technology. Among 283 patients with genotype-1b HCV
      receiving daclatasvir + asunaprevir (DCV/ASV), 32 (11.3%) failed to achieve
      sustained virological response (SVR). Conventional ultra-deep sequencing of HCV
      genome was performed in 104 patients (32 non-SVR, 72 SVR), and detected
      representative RAVs in all non-SVR patients at baseline, including Y93H in 28
      (87.5%). Long contiguous sequences spanning NS3 to NS5A regions of each viral
      clone in 12 sera from 6 representative non-SVR patients were determined by third
      generation sequencing, and showed the concurrent presence of several synonymous
      mutations linked to resistance-associated substitutions in a subpopulation of pre
      existing RAVs and dominant isolates at treatment failure. Phylogenetic analyses
      revealed close genetic distances between pre-existing RAVs and dominant RAVs at
      treatment failure. In addition, multiple drug-resistant mutations developed on
      pre-existing RAVs after DCV/ASV in all non-SVR cases. In conclusion, multi-drug
      resistant viral clones at treatment failure certainly originated from a
      subpopulation of pre-existing RAVs in HCV-infected patients. Those RAVs were
      selected for and became dominant with the acquisition of multiple resistance
      associated substitutions under DAA treatment pressure.

PMID- 28361917
TI  - The low affinity glucose transporter HxtB is also involved in glucose signalling
      and metabolism in Aspergillus nidulans.
AB  - One of the drawbacks during second-generation biofuel production from plant
      lignocellulosic biomass is the accumulation of glucose, the preferred carbon
      source of microorganisms, which causes the repression of hydrolytic enzyme
      secretion by industrially relevant filamentous fungi. Glucose sensing, subsequent
      transport and cellular signalling pathways have been barely elucidated in these
      organisms. This study therefore characterized the transcriptional response of the
      filamentous fungus Aspergillus nidulans to the presence of high and low glucose
      concentrations under continuous chemostat cultivation with the aim to identify
      novel factors involved in glucose sensing and signalling. Several transcription
      factor- and transporter-encoding genes were identified as being differentially
      regulated, including the previously characterized glucose and xylose transporter
      HxtB. HxtB was confirmed to be a low affinity glucose transporter, localizing to
      the plasma membrane under low- and high-glucose conditions. Furthermore, HxtB was
      shown to be involved in conidiation-related processes and may play a role in
      downstream glucose signalling. A gene predicted to encode the protein kinase PskA
      was also identified as being important for glucose metabolism. This study
      identified several proteins with predicted roles in glucose metabolic processes
      and provides a foundation for further investigation into the response of
      biotechnologically important filamentous fungi to glucose.

PMID- 28361918
TI  - Single-cell RNA sequencing identifies distinct mouse medial ganglionic eminence
      cell types.
AB  - Many subtypes of cortical interneurons (CINs) are found in adult mouse cortices,
      but the mechanism generating their diversity remains elusive. We performed single
      cell RNA sequencing on the mouse embryonic medial ganglionic eminence (MGE), the
      major birthplace for CINs, and on MGE-like cells differentiated from embryonic
      stem cells. Two distinct cell types were identified as proliferating neural
      progenitors and immature neurons, both of which comprised sub-populations.
      Although lineage development of MGE progenitors was reconstructed and immature
      neurons were characterized as GABAergic, cells that might correspond to
      precursors of different CINs were not identified. A few non-neuronal cell types
      were detected, including microglia. In vitro MGE-like cells resembled bona fide
      MGE cells but expressed lower levels of Foxg1 and Epha4. Together, our data
      provide detailed understanding of the embryonic MGE developmental program and
      suggest how CINs are specified.

PMID- 28361920
TI  - Sedentary lifestyle related exosomal release of Hotair from gluteal-femoral fat
      promotes intestinal cell proliferation.
AB  - Pioneering epidemiological work has established strong association of sedentary
      lifestyle and obesity with the risk of colorectal cancer, while the detailed
      underlying mechanism remains unknown. Here we show that Hotair (HOX transcript
      antisense RNA) is a pro-adipogenic long non-coding RNA highly expressed in
      gluteal-femoral fat over other fat depots. Hotair knockout in adipose tissue
      results in gluteal-femoral fat defect. Squeeze of the gluteal-femoral fat induces
      intestinal proliferation in wildtype mice, while not in Hotair knockout mice.
      Mechanistically, squeeze of the gluteal-femoral fat induces exosomal Hotair
      secretion mainly by transcriptional upregulation of Hotair via NFkappaB. And
      increased exosomal Hotair in turn circulates in the blood and is partially
      endocytosed by the intestine, finally promoting the stemness and proliferation of
      intestinal stem/progenitor cells via Wnt activation. Clinically, obese subjects
      with sedentary lifestyle have much higher exosomal HOTAIR expression in the
      serum. These findings establish that sedentary lifestyle promotes exosomal Hotair
      release from the gluteal-femoral fat, which in turn facilitates intestinal stem
      and/or progenitor proliferation, raising a possible link between sedentary
      lifestyle with colorectal tumorigenesis.

PMID- 28361919
TI  - Discovery of the first dual GSK3beta inhibitor/Nrf2 inducer. A new multitarget
      therapeutic strategy for Alzheimer's disease.
AB  - The formation of neurofibrillary tangles (NFTs), oxidative stress and
      neuroinflammation have emerged as key targets for the treatment of Alzheimer's
      disease (AD), the most prevalent neurodegenerative disorder. These pathological
      hallmarks are closely related to the over-activity of the enzyme GSK3beta and the
      downregulation of the defense pathway Nrf2-EpRE observed in AD patients. Herein,
      we report the synthesis and pharmacological evaluation of a new family of
      multitarget 2,4-dihydropyrano[2,3-c]pyrazoles as dual GSK3beta inhibitors and
      Nrf2 inducers. These compounds are able to inhibit GSK3beta and induce the Nrf2
      phase II antioxidant and anti-inflammatory pathway at micromolar concentrations,
      showing interesting structure-activity relationships. The association of both
      activities has resulted in a remarkable anti-inflammatory ability with an
      interesting neuroprotective profile on in vitro models of neuronal death induced
      by oxidative stress and energy depletion and AD. Furthermore, none of the
      compounds exhibited in vitro neurotoxicity or hepatotoxicity and hence they had
      improved safety profiles compared to the known electrophilic Nrf2 inducers. In
      conclusion, the combination of both activities in this family of multitarget
      compounds confers them a notable interest for the development of lead compounds
      for the treatment of AD.

PMID- 28361922
TI  - Surface Acoustic Waves to Drive Plant Transpiration.
AB  - Emerging fields of research in electronic plants (e-plants) and agro
      nanotechnology seek to create more advanced control of plants and their products.
      Electronic/nanotechnology plant systems strive to seamlessly monitor, harvest, or
      deliver chemical signals to sense or regulate plant physiology in a controlled
      manner. Since the plant vascular system (xylem/phloem) is the primary pathway
      used to transport water, nutrients, and chemical signals-as well as the primary
      vehicle for current e-plant and phtyo-nanotechnology work-we seek to directly
      control fluid transport in plants using external energy. Surface acoustic waves
      generated from piezoelectric substrates were directly coupled into rose leaves,
      thereby causing water to rapidly evaporate in a highly localized manner only at
      the site in contact with the actuator. From fluorescent imaging, we find that the
      technique reliably delivers up to 6x more water/solute to the site actuated by
      acoustic energy as compared to normal plant transpiration rates and 2x more than
      heat-assisted evaporation. The technique of increasing natural plant
      transpiration through acoustic energy could be used to deliver biomolecules,
      agrochemicals, or future electronic materials at high spatiotemporal resolution
      to targeted areas in the plant; providing better interaction with plant
      physiology or to realize more sophisticated cyborg systems.

PMID- 28361924
TI  - Bioinspired fractal electrodes for solar energy storages.
AB  - Solar energy storage is an emerging technology which can promote the solar energy
      as the primary source of electricity. Recent development of laser scribed
      graphene electrodes exhibiting a high electrical conductivity have enabled a
      green technology platform for supercapacitor-based energy storage, resulting in
      cost-effective, environment-friendly features, and consequent readiness for on
      chip integration. Due to the limitation of the ion-accessible active porous
      surface area, the energy densities of these supercapacitors are restricted below
      ~3 * 10-3 Whcm-3. In this paper, we demonstrate a new design of biomimetic laser
      scribed graphene electrodes for solar energy storage, which embraces the
      structure of Fern leaves characterized by the geometric family of space filling
      curves of fractals. This new conceptual design removes the limit of the
      conventional planar supercapacitors by significantly increasing the ratio of
      active surface area to volume of the new electrodes and reducing the electrolyte
      ionic path. The attained energy density is thus significantly increased to ~10-1
      Whcm-3- more than 30 times higher than that achievable by the planar electrodes
      with ~95% coulombic efficiency of the solar energy storage. The energy storages
      with these novel electrodes open the prospects of efficient self-powered and
      solar-powered wearable, flexible and portable applications.

PMID- 28361921
TI  - Prion-like characteristics of the bacterial protein Microcin E492.
AB  - Microcin E492 (Mcc) is a pore-forming bacteriotoxin. Mcc activity is inhibited at
      the stationary phase by formation of amyloid-like aggregates in the culture. Here
      we report that, in a similar manner as prions, Mcc naturally exists as two
      conformers: a beta-sheet-rich, protease-resistant, aggregated, inactive form
      (Mccia), and a soluble, protease-sensitive, active form (Mcca). The exogenous
      addition of culture medium containing Mccia or purified in vitro-generated Mccia
      into the culture induces the rapid and efficient conversion of Mcca into Mccia,
      which is maintained indefinitely after passaging, changing the bacterial
      phenotype. Mccia prion-like activity is conformation-dependent and could be
      reduced by immunodepleting Mccia. Interestingly, an internal region of Mcc shares
      sequence similarity with the central domain of the prion protein, which is key to
      the formation of mammalian prions. A synthetic peptide spanning this sequence
      forms amyloid-like fibrils in vitro and is capable of inducing the conversion of
      Mcca into Mccia in vivo, suggesting that this region corresponds to the prion
      domain of Mcc. Our findings suggest that Mcc is the first prokaryotic protein
      with prion properties which harnesses prion-like transmission to regulate protein
      function, suggesting that propagation of biological information using a prion
      based conformational switch is an evolutionary conserved mechanism.

PMID- 28361926
TI  - Dispersion/dilution enhances phytoplankton blooms in low-nutrient waters.
AB  - Spatial characteristics of phytoplankton blooms often reflect the horizontal
      transport properties of the oceanic turbulent flow in which they are embedded.
      Classically, bloom response to horizontal stirring is regarded in terms of
      generation of patchiness following large-scale bloom initiation. Here, using
      satellite observations from the North Pacific Subtropical Gyre and a simple
      ecosystem model, we show that the opposite scenario of turbulence dispersing and
      diluting fine-scale (~1-100 km) nutrient-enriched water patches has the critical
      effect of regulating the dynamics of nutrients-phytoplankton-zooplankton
      ecosystems and enhancing accumulation of photosynthetic biomass in low-nutrient
      oceanic environments. A key factor in determining ecological and biogeochemical
      consequences of turbulent stirring is the horizontal dilution rate, which depends
      on the effective eddy diffusivity and surface area of the enriched patches.
      Implementation of the notion of horizontal dilution rate explains quantitatively
      plankton response to turbulence and improves our ability to represent ecological
      and biogeochemical processes in oligotrophic oceans.

PMID- 28361923
TI  - Stable mucus-associated bacterial communities in bleached and healthy corals of
      Porites lobata from the Arabian Seas.
AB  - Coral reefs are subject to coral bleaching manifested by the loss of
      endosymbiotic algae from coral host tissue. Besides algae, corals associate with
      bacteria. In particular, bacteria residing in the surface mucus layer are thought
      to mediate coral health, but their role in coral bleaching is unknown. We
      collected mucus from bleached and healthy Porites lobata colonies in the
      Persian/Arabian Gulf (PAG) and the Red Sea (RS) to investigate bacterial
      microbiome composition using 16S rRNA gene amplicon sequencing. We found that
      bacterial community structure was notably similar in bleached and healthy corals,
      and the most abundant bacterial taxa were identical. However, fine-scale
      differences in bacterial community composition between the PAG and RS were
      present and aligned with predicted differences in sulfur- and nitrogen-cycling
      processes. Based on our data, we argue that bleached corals benefit from the
      stable composition of mucus bacteria that resemble their healthy coral
      counterparts and presumably provide a conserved suite of protective functions,
      but monitoring of post-bleaching survival is needed to further confirm this
      assumption. Conversely, fine-scale site-specific differences highlight
      flexibility of the bacterial microbiome that may underlie adjustment to local
      environmental conditions and contribute to the widespread success of Porites
      lobata.

PMID- 28361925
TI  - Follistatin-like 1 protects against hypoxia-induced pulmonary hypertension in
      mice.
AB  - Pulmonary hypertension (PH) remains a life-limiting disease characterized by
      pulmonary vascular remodelling due to aberrant proliferation and migration of
      pulmonary artery smooth muscle cells (PASMCs), thus leading to raised pulmonary
      arterial pressure and right ventricular hypertrophy. Secreted glycoprotein
      follistatin-like 1 (FSTL1) has been reported to ameliorate tissue remodelling in
      cardiovascular injuries. However, the role of FSTL1 in deranged pulmonary
      arteries remains elusive. We found that there were higher serum levels of FSTL1
      in patients with PH related to chronic obstructive pulmonary diseases (COPD) and
      in mice model of hypoxia-induced PH (HPH). Haploinsufficiency of Fstl1 in mice
      contributed to an exacerbated HPH, as demonstrated by increased right ventricular
      systolic pressure, pulmonary arterial muscularization and right ventricular
      hypertrophy index. Conversely, FSTL1 administration attenuated HPH. In cultured
      human PASMCs, hypoxia-promoted cellular viability, DNA synthesis and migration
      were suppressed by exogenous FSTL1 but enhanced by small interfering RNA
      targeting FSTL1. Additionally, FSTL1 inhibited the proliferation and migration of
      PASMCs via extracellular regulated kinase (ERK) signal pathway. All these
      findings indicate that FSTL1 imposed a protective modulation on pulmonary
      vascular remodelling, thereby suggesting its role in the regulation of HPH.

PMID- 28361928
TI  - Diabetes: Loss of beta-cell mass - an acute event before T1DM presentation?

PMID- 28361927
TI  - Molecular profiling of thyroid nodule fine-needle aspiration cytology.
AB  - The differential diagnosis and malignancy risk stratification of thyroid nodules
      requires multidisciplinary expertise and knowledge of both local ultrasonography
      practices and the local malignancy rates for a given fine-needle aspiration (FNA)
      result. Even in such a multidisciplinary setting, FNA cytology has the inherent
      limitation that indeterminate cytology results cannot distinguish between
      follicular adenomas, follicular thyroid carcinomas or follicular variant
      papillary thyroid carcinomas. Accumulating evidence suggests that this limitation
      can be overcome by using molecular diagnostic approaches. In this Review, we
      present the advantages and disadvantages of the different molecular diagnostic
      methodologies, which can be divided into two approaches: those that 'rule out'
      malignancy (to reduce the overtreatment of benign nodules) and those that 'rule
      in' malignancy (to optimize surgical planning). We identify microRNA classifiers
      as potential additional markers for use in a two-step diagnostic approach,
      consider the potential implications of the reclassification of noninvasive
      encapsulated follicular variant papillary thyroid carcinomas to noninvasive
      follicular thyroid neoplasms with papillary-like nuclear features and discuss the
      cost-effectiveness of molecular testing. Molecular FNA diagnostics is an
      important complementary addition to FNA cytology that could substantially reduce
      unnecessary surgery and better define the need for appropriate surgery in
      patients who have thyroid nodules with indeterminate FNA cytology.

PMID- 28361930
TI  - Diabetes: Metformin in breast cancer.

PMID- 28361931
TI  - Stroke: Extracellular RNAs associated with stroke.

PMID- 28361929
TI  - Metabolism: Liver and adipose tissue control uridine biosynthesis.

PMID- 28361932
TI  - Neuro-oncology: CD47 antibody helps phagocytes fight paediatric cancer.

PMID- 28361933
TI  - Modeling of coupled motion and growth interaction of equiaxed dendritic crystals
      in a binary alloy during solidification.
AB  - Motion of growing dendrites is a common phenomenon during solidification but
      often neglected in numerical simulations because of the complicate underlying
      multiphysics. Here a phase-field model incorporating dendrite-melt two-phase flow
      is proposed for simulating the dynamically interacted process. The proposed model
      circumvents complexity to resolve dendritic growth, natural convection and solid
      motion simultaneously. Simulations are performed for single and multiple
      dendritic growth of an Al-based alloy in a gravity environment. Computing results
      of an isolated dendrite settling down in the convective supersaturated melt shows
      that solid motion is able to overwhelm solutal convection and causes a rather
      different growth morphology from the stationary dendrite that considers natural
      convection alone. The simulated tip growth dynamics are correlated with a
      modified boundary layer model in the presence of melt flow, which well accounts
      for the variation of tip velocity with flow direction. Polycrystalline
      simulations reveal that the motion of dendrites accelerates the occurrence of
      growth impingement which causes the behaviors of multiple dendrites are distinct
      from that of single dendrite, including growth dynamics, morphology evolution and
      movement path. These polycrystalline simulations provide a primary understanding
      of the sedimentation of crystals and resulting chemical homogeneity in industrial
      ingots.

PMID- 28361934
TI  - Tumour blood vessel normalisation by prolyl hydroxylase inhibitor repaired
      sensitivity to chemotherapy in a tumour mouse model.
AB  - Blood vessels are important tissue structures that deliver oxygen and nutrition.
      In tumour tissue, abnormal blood vessels, which are hyperpermeable and immature,
      are often formed; these tissues also have irregular vascularisation and
      intravasation. This situation leads to hypoperfusion in tumour tissue along with
      low oxygen and nutrition depletion; this is also called the tumour
      microenvironment and is characterised by hypoxia, depleted nutrition, low pH and
      high interstitial pressure. This environment induces resistance to anticancer
      drugs, which causes an increase in anticancer drug doses, leading to increased
      side effects. We hypothesised that normalised tumour blood vessels would improve
      tumour tissue perfusion, resupply nutrition and re-oxygenate the tumour tissue.
      Chemotherapy would then be more effective and cause a decrease in anticancer drug
      doses. Here we report a neovascularisation-inducing drug that improved tumour
      vascular abnormalities, such as low blood flow, blood leakage and abnormal vessel
      structure. These results could lead to not only an increased chemo-sensitivity
      and tissue-drug distribution but also an up-regulated efficiency for cancer
      chemotherapy. This suggests that tumour blood vessel normalisation therapy
      accompanied by angiogenesis may be a novel strategy for cancer therapy.

PMID- 28361936
TI  - Magnetic control of Goos-Hanchen shifts in a yttrium-iron-garnet film.
AB  - We investigate the Goos-Hanchen (GH) shifts reflected and transmitted by a
      yttrium-iron-garnet (YIG) film for both normal and oblique incidence. It is found
      that the nonreciprocity effect of the MO material does not only result in a
      nonvanishing reflected shift at normal incidence, but also leads to a slab
      thickness-independent term which breaks the symmetry between the reflected and
      transmitted shifts at oblique incidence. The asymptotic behaviors of the normal
      incidence reflected shift are obtained in the vicinity of two characteristic
      frequencies corresponding to a minimum reflectivity and a total reflection,
      respectively. Moreover, the coexistence of two types of negative-reflected-shift
      (NRS) at oblique incidence is discussed. We show that the reversal of the shifts
      from positive to negative values can be realized by tuning the magnitude of
      applied magnetic field, the frequency of incident wave and the slab thickness as
      well as the incident angle. In addition, we further investigate two special cases
      for practical purposes: the reflected shift with a total reflection and the
      transmitted shift with a total transmission. Numerical simulations are also
      performed to verify our analytical results.

PMID- 28361935
TI  - Passive smoking and stroke in men and women: a national population-based case
      control study in China.
AB  - An association between passive smoking and stroke is unclear in China,
      particularly the association with hemorrhagic stroke. This study included 16205
      deaths due to stroke aged >=30 years and 16205 non-stroke controls randomly
      selected and frequency-matched to cases on gender and age. Smoking of spouses,
      defined as >=1 cigarette per day for up to 1 year, was taken as a measure of
      exposure to passive smoking of subjects that was retrospectively ascertained by
      interviewing surviving spouses. After adjustment for variables, passive smoking
      increased the risk of death by 10% (odds ratio (OR), 1.10; 95% confidence
      interval (CI), 1.05-1.16) for all strokes, by 10% (OR, 1.10; 95% CI, 1.04-1.16)
      for hemorrhagic stroke, and by 12% (OR, 1.12; 95% CI, 1.03-1.23) for ischemic
      stroke, compared with non-exposure. This finding was highly consistent in men or
      women and in smokers or non-smokers, and was generally consistent among zones of
      China despite geographic diversity. The risk significantly increased with
      exposure-years and quantity of cigarettes smoked daily by spouses. This study
      indicated that passive smoking is associated with deaths from all-type strokes.
      It is highly advisable for the government to promote strong tobacco prevention
      and cessation programs and smoke-free environments.

PMID- 28361938
TI  - Hippo interferes with antiviral defences.
AB  - The Hippo pathway responds to environmental factors including nutrient
      availability, cell density and substrate stiffness to regulate organ size. This
      pathway is now shown to also regulate antiviral defence by modulating the TBK1
      mediated control of interferon production.

PMID- 28361939
TI  - Demystifying blood stem cell fates.
AB  - Determining the differentiation potential of stem and progenitor cells is
      essential for understanding their function, yet our ability to do so is limited
      by the restrictions of experimental assays. Based on single-cell functional and
      molecular profiling experiments, a new computational approach shows how lineage
      commitment may occur in human haematopoiesis.

PMID- 28361937
TI  - Identification of two p53 isoforms from Litopenaeus vannamei and their
      interaction with NF-kappaB to induce distinct immune response.
AB  - p53 is a transcription factor with capability of regulating diverse NF-kappaB
      dependent biological progresses such as inflammation and host defense, but the
      actual mechanism remains unrevealed. Herein, we firstly identified two novel
      alternatively spliced isoforms of p53 from Litopenaeus vannamei (LvDeltaNp53 and
      the full-length of p53, LvFLp53). We then established that the two p53 isoforms
      exerted opposite effects on regulating NF-kappaB induced antimicrobial peptides
      (AMPs) and white spot syndrome virus (WSSV) immediate-early (IE) genes
      expression, suggesting there could be a crosstalk between p53 and NF-kappaB
      pathways. Of note, both of the two p53 isoforms could interact directly with
      LvDorsal, a shrimp homolog of NF-kappaB. In addition, the activation of NF-kappaB
      mediated by LvDorsal was provoked by LvDeltaNp53 but suppressed by LvFLp53, and
      the increased NF-kappaB activity conferred by LvDeltaNp53 can be attenuated by
      LvFLp53. Furthermore, silencing of LvFLp53 in shrimp caused higher mortalities
      and virus loads under WSSV infection, whereas LvDeltaNp53-knockdown shrimps
      exhibited an opposed RNAi phenotype. Taken together, these findings present here
      provided some novel insight into different roles of shrimp p53 isoforms in immune
      response, and some information for us to understand the regulatory crosstalk
      between p53 pathway and NF-kappaB pathway in invertebrates.

PMID- 28361940
TI  - On data availability, reproducibility and reuse.

PMID- 28361941
TI  - Erratum: Tissue-scale coordination of cellular behaviour promotes epidermal wound
      repair in live mice.

PMID- 28361942
TI  - PARL paves the way to apoptosis.
AB  - Although the mitochondrial inner membrane rhomboid peptidase PARL is known to
      participate in critical signalling cascades, its role in apoptosis has remained
      unclear. PARL is now shown to process the mitochondrial pro-apoptotic protein
      Smac (also known as DIABLO) for its subsequent release into the cytosol where it
      antagonizes XIAP-mediated caspase inhibition to promote apoptosis.

PMID- 28361943
TI  - Talin gets SHANKed in the fight for integrin activation.
AB  - Genetic mutations in the SHANK family of proteins are linked to multiple
      neuropsychiatric disorders including autism spectrum disorders. A study now
      elucidates critical roles for SHANK in regulating integrin-mediated cell
      extracellular matrix adhesion, by sequestering integrin activators.

PMID- 28361945
TI  - High-performance spinel-rich Li1.5MnTiO4+delta ultralong nanofibers as cathode
      materials for Li-ion batteries.
AB  - Recently, composite materials based on Li-Mn-Ti-O system were developed to target
      low cost and environmentally benign cathodes for Li-ion batteries. The spinel
      layered Li1.5MnTiO4+delta bulk particles showed excellent cycle stability but
      poor rate performance. To address this drawback, ultralong nanofibers of a
      Li1.5MnTiO4+delta spinel-layered heterostructure were synthesized by
      electrospinning. Uniform nanofibers with diameters of about 80 nm were formed of
      tiny octahedral particles wrapped together into 30 MUm long fibers. The
      Li1.5MnTiO4+delta nanofibers exhibited an improved rate capability compared to
      both Li1.5MnTiO4+delta nanoparticles and bulk particles. The uniform one
      dimensional nanostructure of the composite cathode exhibited enhanced capacities
      of 235 and 170 mAh g-1 at C/5 and 1 C rates, respectively. Its unique structure
      provided a large effective contact area for Li+ diffusion, and low charge
      transfer resistance. Moreover, the layered phase contributed to its capacity in
      over 3 V region, which increased specific energy (726 Wh kg-1) compared to the
      bulk particles (534 Wh kg-1).

PMID- 28361944
TI  - Association Study of Reported Significant Loci at 5q35.3, 7p14.3, 13q14.1 and
      16p12.3 with Urolithiasis in Chinese Han Ethnicity.
AB  - In this study, we aimed to validate the association of 8 reported significant
      loci at 5q35.3, 7p14.3, 13q14.1 and 16p12.3 with urolithiasis in Chinese Han
      population. We performed case-control association analysis using 624 patients
      with nephrolithiasis and 1008 control subjects. We selected single-nucleotide
      polymorphism (SNPs) including rs12654812 and rs11746443 from 5q32.3; rs12669187
      and rs1000597 from 7q14.3; rs7981733, rs4142110 and rs17646069 from 13q14.1 and
      rs4293393 from 16p12.3 which were previously reported to be associated with
      nephrolithiasis. We found none of these eight reported SNPs were significant
      associated with urolithiasis risk in Chinese Han population, which suggested that
      differences could exist in the mechanisms of calcium urolithiasis between Chinese
      and Japanese Ethnics. The A allele of rs12669187 was significantly correlated
      with increased level of serum magnesium. The C allele of rs1000597 was associated
      with higher levels of serum creatinine, uric acid, calcium and lower urine pH
      level. The T allele of rs4142110 was correlated with higher levels of serum
      magnesium, phosphorus, and lower AKP level. The G alleles of rs4293393 was
      associated with higher serum CO2 level. The risk alleles of these SNPs were
      proved to be associated with the electrolytes metabolism that may result in the
      formation of urolithiasis.

PMID- 28361946
TI  - Rediscovery and reclassification of the dipteran taxon Nothomicrodon Wheeler, an
      exclusive endoparasitoid of gyne ant larvae.
AB  - The myrmecophile larva of the dipteran taxon Nothomicrodon Wheeler is
      rediscovered, almost a century after its original description and unique report.
      The systematic position of this dipteran has remained enigmatic due to the
      absence of reared imagos to confirm indentity. We also failed to rear imagos, but
      we scrutinized entire nests of the Brazilian arboreal dolichoderine ant Azteca
      chartifex which, combined with morphological and molecular studies, enabled us to
      establish beyond doubt that Nothomicrodon belongs to the Phoridae (Insecta:
      Diptera), not the Syrphidae where it was first placed, and that the species we
      studied is an endoparasitoid of the larvae of A. chartifex, exclusively attacking
      sexual female (gyne) larvae. Northomicrodon parasitism can exert high fitness
      costs to a host colony. Our discovery adds one more case to the growing number of
      phorid taxa known to parasitize ant larvae and suggests that many others remain
      to be discovered. Our findings and literature review confirm that the Phoridae is
      the only taxon known that parasitizes both adults and the immature stages of
      different castes of ants, thus threatening ants on all fronts.

PMID- 28361947
TI  - Mapping ECoG channel contributions to trajectory and muscle activity prediction
      in human sensorimotor cortex.
AB  - Studies on brain-machine interface techniques have shown that
      electrocorticography (ECoG) is an effective modality for predicting limb
      trajectories and muscle activity in humans. Motor control studies have also
      identified distributions of "extrinsic-like" and "intrinsic-like" neurons in the
      premotor (PM) and primary motor (M1) cortices. Here, we investigated whether
      trajectories and muscle activity predicted from ECoG were obtained based on
      signals derived from extrinsic-like or intrinsic-like neurons. Three participants
      carried objects of three different masses along the same counterclockwise path on
      a table. Trajectories of the object and upper arm muscle activity were predicted
      using a sparse linear regression. Weight matrices for the predictors were then
      compared to determine if the ECoG channels contributed more information about
      trajectory or muscle activity. We found that channels over both PM and M1
      contributed highly to trajectory prediction, while a channel over M1 was the
      highest contributor for muscle activity prediction.

PMID- 28361949
TI  - Quasi-stokeslet induced by thermoplasmonic Marangoni effect around a water vapor
      microbubble.
AB  - Rapid Marangoni flows around a water vapor microbubble (WVMB) is investigated
      using the thermoplasmonic effect of a gold nanoisland film (GNF). By focusing a
      laser onto the GNF, a stable WVMB with a diameter of ~10 MUm is generated in
      degassed water, while an air bubble generated in non-degassed water is larger
      than 40 MUm. Under continuous heating, the WVMB involves significantly rapid
      Marangoni flow. This flow is well-described by a stokeslet sat ~10 MUm above the
      surface of GNF, from which the maximum flow speed around the WVMB is estimated to
      exceed 1 m/s. This rapid flow generation is attributed to the small bubble size,
      over which the temperature is graded, and the superheat at the bubble surface in
      contact with the GNF. It is expected to be useful not only for microfluidic
      mixing but also for fundamental research on viscous flow induced by a single
      stokeslet.

PMID- 28361950
TI  - Implementation of a quantum controlled-SWAP gate with photonic circuits.
AB  - Quantum information science addresses how the processing and transmission of
      information are affected by uniquely quantum mechanical phenomena. Combination of
      two-qubit gates has been used to realize quantum circuits, however, scalability
      is becoming a critical problem. The use of three-qubit gates may simplify the
      structure of quantum circuits dramatically. Among them, the controlled-SWAP
      (Fredkin) gates are essential since they can be directly applied to important
      protocols, e.g., error correction, fingerprinting, and optimal cloning. Here we
      report a realization of the Fredkin gate for photonic qubits. We achieve a
      fidelity of 0.85 in the computational basis and an output state fidelity of 0.81
      for a 3-photon Greenberger-Horne-Zeilinger state. The estimated process fidelity
      of 0.77 indicates that our Fredkin gate can be applied to various quantum tasks.

PMID- 28361948
TI  - Degradation of neural representations in higher visual cortex by sleep
      deprivation.
AB  - A night of total sleep deprivation (TSD) impairs selective attention and is
      accompanied by attenuated activation within ventral visual cortex (VVC). However,
      finer details of how TSD compromises selectivity of visual processing remain
      unclear. Drawing from prior work in cognitive aging, we predicted that TSD would
      result in dedifferentiation of neural responses for faces and houses within the
      VVC. Instead, we found preservation of category selectivity. This was observed
      both in voxels highly selective for each category, and also across multiple
      voxels evaluated using MVPA. Based on prior findings of impaired attentional
      modulation following TSD, we also predicted reduced biasing of neural
      representations towards the attended category when participants viewed ambiguous
      face/house images. When participants were well rested, attention to houses (or
      faces) caused activation patterns to more closely resemble those elicited by
      isolated house (face) images than face (house) images. During TSD, attention to
      faces enhanced neural similarity to both target (face) and distractor (house)
      representations, signifying reduced suppression of irrelevant information.
      Degraded sensory processing reflected in reduced VVC activation following TSD,
      thus appears to be a result of impaired top-down modulation of sensory
      representations instead of degraded selectivity of maximally category sensitive
      voxels, or the dedifferentiation of neural activation patterns.

PMID- 28361951
TI  - Qualitative and Quantitative Imaging Evaluation of Renal Cell Carcinoma Subtypes
      with Grating-based X-ray Phase-contrast CT.
AB  - Current clinical imaging methods face limitations in the detection and correct
      characterization of different subtypes of renal cell carcinoma (RCC), while these
      are important for therapy and prognosis. The present study evaluates the
      potential of grating-based X-ray phase-contrast computed tomography (gbPC-CT) for
      visualization and characterization of human RCC subtypes. The imaging results for
      23 ex vivo formalin-fixed human kidney specimens obtained with phase-contrast CT
      were compared to the results of the absorption-based CT (gbCT), clinical CT and a
      3T MRI and validated using histology. Regions of interest were placed on each
      specimen for quantitative evaluation. Qualitative and quantitative gbPC-CT
      imaging could significantly discriminate between normal kidney cortex (54 +/- 4
      HUp) and clear cell (42 +/- 10), papillary (43 +/- 6) and chromophobe RCCs (39 +/
      7), p < 0.05 respectively. The sensitivity for detection of tumor areas was
      100%, 50% and 40% for gbPC-CT, gbCT and clinical CT, respectively. RCC
      architecture like fibrous strands, pseudocapsules, necrosis or hyalinization was
      depicted clearly in gbPC-CT and was not equally well visualized in gbCT, clinical
      CT and MRI. The results show that gbPC-CT enables improved discrimination of
      normal kidney parenchyma and tumorous tissues as well as different soft-tissue
      components of RCCs without the use of contrast media.

PMID- 28361952
TI  - USP9X regulates centrosome duplication and promotes breast carcinogenesis.
AB  - Defective centrosome duplication is implicated in microcephaly and primordial
      dwarfism as well as various ciliopathies and cancers. Yet, how the centrosome
      biogenesis is regulated remains poorly understood. Here we report that the X
      linked deubiquitinase USP9X is physically associated with centriolar satellite
      protein CEP131, thereby stabilizing CEP131 through its deubiquitinase activity.
      We demonstrate that USP9X is an integral component of centrosome and is required
      for centrosome biogenesis. Loss-of-function of USP9X impairs centrosome
      duplication and gain-of-function of USP9X promotes centrosome amplification and
      chromosome instability. Significantly, USP9X is overexpressed in breast
      carcinomas, and its level of expression is correlated with that of CEP131 and
      higher histologic grades of breast cancer. Indeed, USP9X, through regulation of
      CEP131 abundance, promotes breast carcinogenesis. Our experiments identify USP9X
      as an important regulator of centrosome biogenesis and uncover a critical role
      for USP9X/CEP131 in breast carcinogenesis, supporting the pursuit of USP9X/CEP131
      as potential targets for breast cancer intervention.

PMID- 28361953
TI  - Cell-to-cell transfer of SAA1 protein in a cell culture model of systemic AA
      amyloidosis.
AB  - Systemic AA amyloidosis arises from the misfolding of serum amyloid A1 (SAA1)
      protein and the deposition of AA amyloid fibrils at multiple sites within the
      body. Previous research already established that mononuclear phagocytes are
      crucial for the formation of the deposits in vivo and exposure of cultures of
      such cells to SAA1 protein induces the formation of amyloid deposits within the
      culture dish. In this study we show that both non-fibrillar and fibrillar SAA1
      protein can be readily transferred between cultured J774A.1 cells, a widely used
      model of mononuclear phagocytes. We find that the exchange is generally faster
      with non-fibrillar SAA1 protein than with fibrils. Exchange is blocked if cells
      are separated by a membrane, while increasing the volume of cell culture medium
      had only small effects on the observed exchange efficiency. Taken together with
      scanning electron microscopy showing the presence of the respective types of
      physical interactions between the cultured cells, we conclude that the transfer
      of SAA1 protein depends on direct cell-to-cell contacts or tunneling nanotubes.

PMID- 28361954
TI  - Hidden Markov models reveal complexity in the diving behaviour of short-finned
      pilot whales.
AB  - Diving behaviour of short-finned pilot whales is often described by two states;
      deep foraging and shallow, non-foraging dives. However, this simple
      classification system ignores much of the variation that occurs during subsurface
      periods. We used multi-state hidden Markov models (HMM) to characterize states of
      diving behaviour and the transitions between states in short-finned pilot whales.
      We used three parameters (number of buzzes, maximum dive depth and duration)
      measured in 259 dives by digital acoustic recording tags (DTAGs) deployed on 20
      individual whales off Cape Hatteras, North Carolina, USA. The HMM identified a
      four-state model as the best descriptor of diving behaviour. The state-dependent
      distributions for the diving parameters showed variation between states,
      indicative of different diving behaviours. Transition probabilities were
      considerably higher for state persistence than state switching, indicating that
      dive types occurred in bouts. Our results indicate that subsurface behaviour in
      short-finned pilot whales is more complex than a simple dichotomy of deep and
      shallow diving states, and labelling all subsurface behaviour as deep dives or
      shallow dives discounts a significant amount of important variation. We discuss
      potential drivers of these patterns, including variation in foraging success,
      prey availability and selection, bathymetry, physiological constraints and
      socially mediated behaviour.

PMID- 28361956
TI  - Role for formin-like 1-dependent acto-myosin assembly in lipid droplet dynamics
      and lipid storage.
AB  - Lipid droplets (LDs) are cellular organelles specialized in triacylglycerol (TG)
      storage undergoing homotypic clustering and fusion. In non-adipocytic cells with
      numerous LDs this is balanced by poorly understood droplet dissociation
      mechanisms. We identify non-muscle myosin IIa (NMIIa/MYH-9) and formin-like 1
      (FMNL1) in the LD proteome. NMIIa and actin filaments concentrate around LDs, and
      form transient foci between dissociating LDs. NMIIa depletion results in
      decreased LD dissociations, enlarged LDs, decreased hydrolysis and increased
      storage of TGs. FMNL1 is required for actin assembly on LDs in vitro and for
      NMIIa recruitment to LDs in cells. We propose a novel acto-myosin structure
      regulating lipid storage: FMNL1-dependent assembly of myosin II-functionalized
      actin filaments on LDs facilitates their dissociation, thereby affecting LD
      surface-to-volume ratio and enzyme accessibility to TGs. In neutrophilic
      leucocytes from MYH9-related disease patients NMIIa inclusions are accompanied by
      increased lipid storage in droplets, suggesting that NMIIa dysfunction may
      contribute to lipid imbalance in man.

PMID- 28361955
TI  - Endoscopic nipple sparing mastectomy with immediate implant-based reconstruction
      versus breast conserving surgery: a long-term study.
AB  - To evaluate the differences between endoscopic nipple sparing mastectomy (ENSM)
      with immediate implant-based reconstruction and breast conserving surgery(BCS)
      applied to early-stage breast cancer in postoperative outcomes, function, and
      cosmesis. we made a prospective, non-randomized study reviewed a total of 346
      cases of breast cancer from January 2007 to December 2011, including 189 cases of
      BCS and 157 cases of ENSM. All the patients were followed up to April 2016, with
      a median follow-up time of 74 months. The operative time, blood loss and
      drainage, postoperative complications, postoperative cosmesis, local recurrence
      rate, disease-free survival rate and overall survival rate of the two groups were
      compared. we found out that the operative time of ENSM was longer than that of
      BCS. There was no difference in blood loss and drainage, the postoperative
      complications, the disease-free survival rate and overall survival rate between
      the two groups. In regarding to cosmesis, patients in the ENSM group were more
      likely to get a satisfactory postoperative breast appearance. we reached a
      conclusion that ENSM is a safe and effective operative method retainingadvantages
      of TSSM to further improve the postoperative cosmetic effect, without increasing
      other risks. The surgery provides a new choice for patients with early-stage
      breast cancer.

PMID- 28361957
TI  - Comparative Subcellular Proteomics Analysis of Susceptible and Near-isogenic
      Resistant Bombyx mori (Lepidoptera) Larval Midgut Response to BmNPV infection.
AB  - The molecular mechanism of silkworm resistance to Bombyx mori
      nucleopolyhedrovirus (BmNPV) infection remains largely unclear. Accumulating
      evidence suggests that subcellular fractionation combined with proteomics is an
      ideal technique to analyse host antiviral mechanisms. To clarify the anti-BmNPV
      mechanism of the silkworm, the near-isogenic line BC9 (resistant strain) and the
      recurrent parent P50 (susceptible strain) were used in a comparative subcellular
      proteomics study. Two-dimensional gel electrophoresis (2-DE) combined with mass
      spectrometry (MS) was conducted on proteins extracted from the cytosol,
      mitochondria, and microsomes of BmNPV-infected and control larval midguts. A
      total of 87 proteins were successfully identified from the three subcellular
      fractions. These proteins were primarily involved in energy metabolism, protein
      metabolism, signalling pathways, disease, and transport. In particular, disease
      relevant proteins were especially changed in microsomes. After infection with
      BmNPV, differentially expressed proteins (DEPs) primarily appeared in the
      cytosolic and microsomal fractions, which indicated that these two fractions
      might play a more important role in the response to BmNPV infection. After
      removing genetic background and individual immune stress response proteins, 16
      proteins were identified as potentially involved in repressing BmNPV infection.
      Of these proteins, the differential expression patterns of 8 proteins according
      to reverse transcription quantitative PCR (RT-qPCR) analyses were consistent with
      the 2-DE results.

PMID- 28361958
TI  - Graphene-like nanoribbons periodically embedded with four- and eight-membered
      rings.
AB  - Embedding non-hexagonal rings into sp2-hybridized carbon networks is considered a
      promising strategy to enrich the family of low-dimensional graphenic structures.
      However, non-hexagonal rings are energetically unstable compared to the hexagonal
      counterparts, making it challenging to embed non-hexagonal rings into carbon
      based nanostructures in a controllable manner. Here, we report an on-surface
      synthesis of graphene-like nanoribbons with periodically embedded four- and eight
      membered rings. The scanning tunnelling microscopy and atomic force microscopy
      study revealed that four- and eight-membered rings are formed between adjacent
      perylene backbones with a planar configuration. The non-hexagonal rings as a
      topological modification markedly change the electronic properties of the
      nanoribbons. The highest occupied and lowest unoccupied ribbon states are mainly
      distributed around the eight- and four-membered rings, respectively. The
      realization of graphene-like nanoribbons comprising non-hexagonal rings
      demonstrates a controllable route to fabricate non-hexagonal rings in nanoribbons
      and makes it possible to unveil their unique properties induced by non-hexagonal
      rings.

PMID- 28361959
TI  - Dinaciclib potently suppresses MCL-1 and selectively induces the cell death in
      human iPS cells without affecting the viability of cardiac tissue.
AB  - Induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cells hold great potential for being a major
      source of cells for regenerative medicine. One major issue that hinders their
      advancement to clinic is the persistence of undifferentiated iPS cells in iPS
      derived tissue. In this report, we show that the CDKs inhibitor, Dinaciclib,
      selectively eliminates iPS cells without affecting the viability of cardiac
      cells. We found that low nanomolar concentration of dinaciclib increased DNA
      damage and p53 protein levels in iPSCs. This was accompanied by negative
      regulation of the anti-apoptotic protein MCL-1. Gene knockdown experiments
      revealed that p53 downregulation only increased the threshold of dinaciclib
      induced apoptosis in iPS cells. Dinaciclib also inhibited the phosphorylation of
      Serine 2 of the C-terminal domain of RNA Polyemrase II through CDK9 inhibition.
      This resulted in the inhibition of transcription of MCL-1 and the pluripotency
      genes, NANOG and c-MYC. Even though dinaciclib caused a slight downregulation of
      MCL-1 in iPS-derived cardiac cells, the viability of the cells was not
      significantly affected, and beating iPS-derived cardiac cell sheet could still be
      fabricated. These findings suggest a difference in tolerance of MCL-1
      downregulation between iPSCs and iPS-derived cardiac cells which could be
      exploited to eliminate remaining iPS cells in bioengineered cell sheet tissues.

PMID- 28361960
TI  - Sequence analysis of pooled bacterial samples enables identification of strain
      variation in group A streptococcus.
AB  - Knowledge of the genomic variation among different strains of a pathogenic
      microbial species can help in selecting optimal candidates for diagnostic assays
      and vaccine development. Pooled sequencing (Pool-seq) is a cost effective
      approach for population level genetic studies that require large numbers of
      samples such as various strains of a microbe. To test the use of Pool-seq in
      identifying variation, we pooled DNA of 100 Streptococcus pyogenes strains of
      different emm types in two pools, each containing 50 strains. We used four
      variant calling tools (Freebayes, UnifiedGenotyper, SNVer, and SAMtools) and one
      emm1 strain, SF370, as a reference genome. In total 63719 SNPs and 164 INDELs
      were identified in the two pools concordantly by at least two of the tools.
      Majority of the variants (93.4%) from six individually sequenced strains used in
      the pools could be identified from the two pools and 72.3% and 97.4% of the
      variants in the pools could be mined from the analysis of the 44 complete Str.
      pyogenes genomes and 3407 sequence runs deposited in the European Nucleotide
      Archive respectively. We conclude that DNA sequencing of pooled samples of large
      numbers of bacterial strains is a robust, rapid and cost-efficient way to
      discover sequence variation.

PMID- 28361961
TI  - Exposure to paternal tobacco smoking increased child hospitalization for lower
      respiratory infections but not for other diseases in Vietnam.
AB  - Exposure to environmental tobacco smoke (ETS) is an important modifiable risk
      factor for child hospitalization, although its contribution is not well
      documented in countries where ETS due to maternal tobacco smoking is negligible.
      We conducted a birth cohort study of 1999 neonates between May 2009 and May 2010
      in Nha Trang, Vietnam, to evaluate paternal tobacco smoking as a risk factor for
      infectious and non-infectious diseases. Hospitalizations during a 24-month
      observation period were identified using hospital records. The effect of paternal
      exposure during pregnancy and infancy on infectious disease incidence was
      evaluated using Poisson regression models. In total, 35.6% of 1624 children who
      attended follow-up visits required at least one hospitalization by 2 years of
      age, and the most common reason for hospitalization was lower respiratory tract
      infection (LRTI). Paternal tobacco smoking independently increased the risk of
      LRTI 1.76-fold (95% CI: 1.24-2.51) after adjusting for possible confounders but
      was not associated with any other cause of hospitalization. The population
      attributable fraction indicated that effective interventions to prevent paternal
      smoking in the presence of children would reduce LRTI-related hospitalizations by
      14.8% in this epidemiological setting.

PMID- 28361962
TI  - Fractal and multifractal analyses of bipartite networks.
AB  - Bipartite networks have attracted considerable interest in various fields.
      Fractality and multifractality of unipartite (classical) networks have been
      studied in recent years, but there is no work to study these properties of
      bipartite networks. In this paper, we try to unfold the self-similarity structure
      of bipartite networks by performing the fractal and multifractal analyses for a
      variety of real-world bipartite network data sets and models. First, we find the
      fractality in some bipartite networks, including the CiteULike, Netflix,
      MovieLens (ml-20m), Delicious data sets and (u, v)-flower model. Meanwhile, we
      observe the shifted power-law or exponential behavior in other several networks.
      We then focus on the multifractal properties of bipartite networks. Our results
      indicate that the multifractality exists in those bipartite networks possessing
      fractality. To capture the inherent attribute of bipartite network with two types
      different nodes, we give the different weights for the nodes of different
      classes, and show the existence of multifractality in these node-weighted
      bipartite networks. In addition, for the data sets with ratings, we modify the
      two existing algorithms for fractal and multifractal analyses of edge-weighted
      unipartite networks to study the self-similarity of the corresponding edge
      weighted bipartite networks. The results show that our modified algorithms are
      feasible and can effectively uncover the self-similarity structure of these edge
      weighted bipartite networks and their corresponding node-weighted versions.

PMID- 28361963
TI  - Maternal Smoking during Pregnancy and Necrotizing Enterocolitis-associated Infant
      Mortality in Preterm Babies.
AB  - Few studies have examined the possible pregnancy-related risk factors for
      necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC)-associated deaths during infancy. Infant death
      due to NEC in preterm babies was identified from the US Linked Livebirth and
      Infant Death records between 2000 and 2004. The average number of cigarettes per
      day reported by the mothers who were smoking during pregnancy was classified in
      three categories: non-smoking, light smoking (<10 cigarettes/day) and heavy
      smoking (>=10 cigarettes/day). Logistic regression analyses examined the
      association between prenatal smoking and NEC-associated infant mortality rates
      with adjustment for potential confounders. Compared with non-smoking mothers,
      light and heavy smoking mothers have a higher risk of NEC-associated infant
      mortality [light smoking: adjusted odds ratio (aOR) = 1.21, 95% confidence
      interval (CI), 1.03-1.43; heavy smoking: aOR = 1.30, 95% CI, 1.12-1.52],
      respectively. Moreover, the association was stronger among white race (light
      smoking: aOR = 1.69, 95% CI, 1.34-2.13; heavy smoking: aOR = 1.44, 95% CI, 1.18
      1.75) and female babies (light smoking: aOR = 1.31, 95% CI, 1.02-1.69; heavy
      smoking: aOR = 1.62, 95% CI, 1.29-2.02). Maternal smoking during pregnancy is
      associated with increased risks of infant mortality due to NEC in preterm babies,
      especially in white race and female babies.

PMID- 28361964
TI  - Experimental and numerical evaluations on palm microwave heating for Red Palm
      Weevil pest control.
AB  - The invasive Red Palm Weevil is the major pest of palms. Several control methods
      have been applied, however concern is raised regarding the treatments that can
      cause significant environmental pollution. In this context the use of microwaves
      is particularly attractive. Microwave heating applications are increasingly
      proposed in the management of a wide range of agricultural and wood pests,
      exploiting the thermal death induced in the insects that have a thermal tolerance
      lower than that of the host matrices. This paper describes research aiming to
      combat the Red Palm pest using microwave heating systems. An electromagnetic
      thermal model was developed to better control the temperature profile inside the
      palm tissues. In this process both electromagnetic and thermal parameters are
      involved, the latter being particularly critical depending on plant physiology.
      Their evaluation was carried out by fitting experimental data and the thermal
      model with few free parameters. The results obtained by the simplified model well
      match with both that of a commercial software 3D model and measurements on
      treated Phoenix canariensis palms with a ring microwave applicator. This work
      confirms that microwave heating is a promising, eco-compatible solution to fight
      the spread of weevil.

PMID- 28361966
TI  - Ash aggregation enhanced by deposition and redistribution of salt on the surface
      of volcanic ash in eruption plumes.
AB  - Interactions with volcanic gases in eruption plumes produce soluble salt deposits
      on the surface of volcanic ash. While it has been postulated that saturation
      driven precipitation of salts following the dissolution of ash surfaces by
      condensed acidic liquids is a primary mechanism of salt formation during an
      eruption, it is only recently that this mechanism has been subjected to detailed
      study. Here we spray water and HCl droplets into a suspension of salt-doped
      synthetic glass or volcanic ash particles, and produce aggregates. Deposition of
      acidic liquid droplets on ash particles promotes dissolution of existing salts
      and leaches cations from the underlying material surface. The flow of liquid, due
      to capillary forces, will be directed to particle-particle contact points where
      subsequent precipitation of salts will cement the aggregate. Our data suggest
      that volcanically-relevant loads of surface salts can be produced by acid
      condensation in eruptive settings. Several minor and trace elements mobilised by
      surface dissolution are biologically relevant; geographic areas with aggregation
      mediated ash fallout could be "hotspots" for the post-deposition release of these
      elements. The role of liquids in re-distributing surface salts and cementing ash
      aggregates also offers further insight into the mechanisms which preserve well
      structured aggregates in some ash deposits.

PMID- 28361965
TI  - Transcriptomics and proteomic studies reveal acaricidal mechanism of octadecanoic
      acid-3, 4 - tetrahydrofuran diester against Sarcoptes scabiei var. cuniculi.
AB  - In our previous study, a new compound, octadecanoic acid-3, 4-tetrahydrofuran
      diester, possessing potent acaricidal activity was obtained from neem oil. This
      study performed RNA-seq transcriptomics and iTRAQ proteomics to uncover the
      acaricidal mechanism of the compound against Sarcoptes scabiei var. cuniculi. The
      results of transcriptomics indicated that after treatment with octadecanoic acid
      3, 4-tetrahydrofuran diester, genes related to "Energy metabolism" were
      significantly up-/down-regulated, including citrate cycle, oxidative
      phosphorylation pathway and fatty acid metabolism. Proteomics analysis showed
      accordant changes of proteins related to oxidative phosphorylation pathway. The
      target proteins of the compound were NADH dehydrogenase, Ubiquinol-cytochrome c
      reductase, Cytochrome c oxidase, ATP synthase, enolase and superoxide dismutase.
      In transcriptomics-proteomics correlation analysis, the concordance rate between
      protein abundances and their corresponding mRNAs was 57%, while others (43%) were
      discordant changes, suggesting divergent regulating effects of octadecanoic acid
      3, 4-tetrahydrofuran diester. These results suggested that the acaricidal
      mechanism of octadecanoic acid-3, 4-tetrahydrofuran diester attributed to
      interference with energy metabolism, especially oxidative phosphorylation
      pathway.

PMID- 28361967
TI  - Precise Photodynamic Therapy of Cancer via Subcellular Dynamic Tracing of Dual
      loaded Upconversion Nanophotosensitizers.
AB  - Recent advances in upconversion nanophotosensitizers (UCNPs-PS) excited by near
      infrared (NIR) light have led to substantial progress in improving photodynamic
      therapy (PDT) of cancer. For a successful PDT, subcellular organelles are
      promising therapeutic targets for reaching a satisfactory efficacy. It is of
      vital importance for these nanophotosensitizers to reach specifically the
      organelles and to perform PDT with precise time control. To do so, we have in
      this work traced the dynamic subcellular distribution, especially in organelles
      such as lysosomes and mitochondria, of the poly(allylamine)-modified and dual
      loaded nanophotosensitizers. The apoptosis of the cancer cells induced by PDT
      with the dependence of the distribution status of the nanophotosensitizers in
      organelles was obtained, which has provided an in-depth picture of intracellular
      trafficking of organelle-targeted nanophotosensitizers. Our results shall
      facilitate the improvement of nanotechnology assisted photodynamic therapy of
      cancers.

PMID- 28361968
TI  - Photodynamic dye adsorption and release performance of natural zeolite.
AB  - Clinoptilolite type of zeolite (CZ) is a promising material for biomedicine and
      pharmaceutics due to its non-toxicity, thermal stability, expanded surface area,
      and exceptional ability to adsorb various atoms and organic molecules into
      micropores. Using multiphoton microscopy, we demonstrated that individual CZ
      particles produce two-photon excited luminescence and second harmonic generation
      signal at femtosecond laser excitation, and adsorb photo-dynamically active dyes
      such as hypericin and methylene blue. Furthermore, the release of hypericin from
      CZ pores in the presence of biomolecules is shown, and CZ can be considered as an
      effective material for drug delivery and controlled release in biological
      systems. The results may open new perspectives in application of CZ in biomedical
      imaging, and introducing of the optical approaches into the clinical environment.

PMID- 28361969
TI  - HEG1 is a novel mucin-like membrane protein that serves as a diagnostic and
      therapeutic target for malignant mesothelioma.
AB  - The absence of highly specific markers for malignant mesothelioma (MM) has served
      an obstacle for its diagnosis and development of molecular-targeting therapy
      against MM. Here, we show that a novel mucin-like membrane protein, sialylated
      protein HEG homolog 1 (HEG1), is a highly specific marker for MM. A monoclonal
      antibody against sialylated HEG1, SKM9-2, can detect even sarcomatoid and
      desmoplastic MM. The specificity and sensitivity of SKM9-2 to MM reached 99% and
      92%, respectively; this antibody did not react with normal tissues. This accurate
      discrimination by SKM9-2 was due to the recognition of a sialylated O-linked
      glycan with HEG1 peptide. We also found that gene silencing of HEG1 significantly
      suppressed the survival and proliferation of mesothelioma cells; this result
      suggests that HEG1 may be a worthwhile target for function-inhibition drugs.
      Taken together, our results indicate that sialylated HEG1 may be useful as a
      diagnostic and therapeutic target for MM.

PMID- 28361970
TI  - PCTK3/CDK18 regulates cell migration and adhesion by negatively modulating FAK
      activity.
AB  - PCTAIRE kinase 3 (PCTK3) is a member of the cyclin dependent kinase family, but
      its physiological function remains unknown. We previously reported that PCTK3
      knockdown HEK293T cells showed actin accumulation at the leading edge, suggesting
      that PCTK3 is involved in the regulation of actin reorganization. In this study,
      we investigated the physiological function and downstream signal transduction
      molecules of PCTK3. PCTK3 knockdown in HEK293T cells increased cell motility and
      RhoA/Rho-associated kinase activity as compared with control cells. We also found
      that phosphorylation at residue Tyr-397 in focal adhesion kinase (FAK) was
      increased in PCTK3-knockdown cells. FAK phosphorylation at Tyr-397 was increased
      in response to fibronectin stimulation, whereas its phosphorylation was
      suppressed by PCTK3. In addition, excessive expression of PCTK3 led to the
      formation of filopodia during the early stages of cell adhesion in HeLa cells.
      These results indicate that PCTK3 controls actin cytoskeleton dynamics by
      negatively regulating the FAK/Rho signaling pathway.

PMID- 28361973
TI  - Diabetes: Sacubitril/valsartan improves glycaemic control.

PMID- 28361974
TI  - Dyslipidaemia: Promising results with siRNA against PCSK9.

PMID- 28361971
TI  - PG2 for patients with acute spontaneous intracerebral hemorrhage: a double-blind,
      randomized, placebo-controlled study.
AB  - PG2 is an infusible polysaccharide extracted from Astragalus membranaceus, which
      is a Chinese herb traditionally used for stroke treatment. We investigated the
      effect of PG2 on patients with spontaneous acute intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH).
      A total of 61 patients with acute spontaneous ICH were randomized to either the
      treatment group (TG, 30 patients), which received 3 doses of PG2 (500 mg, IV) per
      week for 2 weeks, or the control group (CG, 31 patients), which received PG2
      placebo. At 84 days after PG2 administration, the percentage of patients with a
      good Glasgow outcome scale (GOS 4-5) score in the TG was similar to that in the
      CG (69.0% vs. 48.4%; p = 0.2). The percentage of good mRS scores (0-2) in the TG
      was similar to that in the CG (62.1% vs. 45.2%; p = 0.3). In addition, no
      significant differences were seen when comparing differences in the C-reactive
      protein, erythrocyte sedimentation rate, interleukin-6 (IL-6), IL-1beta, tumor
      necrosis factor-alpha, and S100B levels between baseline and days 4, 7, and 14
      after PG2 administration (all p > 0.05). The results are preliminary,
      necessitating a more thorough assessment.

PMID- 28361975
TI  - Heart failure: No early benefits of adjunct therapy with tolvaptan for acute
      heart failure.

PMID- 28361972
TI  - PABPN1 gene therapy for oculopharyngeal muscular dystrophy.
AB  - Oculopharyngeal muscular dystrophy (OPMD) is an autosomal dominant, late-onset
      muscle disorder characterized by ptosis, swallowing difficulties, proximal limb
      weakness and nuclear aggregates in skeletal muscles. OPMD is caused by a
      trinucleotide repeat expansion in the PABPN1 gene that results in an N-terminal
      expanded polyalanine tract in polyA-binding protein nuclear 1 (PABPN1). Here we
      show that the treatment of a mouse model of OPMD with an adeno-associated virus
      based gene therapy combining complete knockdown of endogenous PABPN1 and its
      replacement by a wild-type PABPN1 substantially reduces the amount of insoluble
      aggregates, decreases muscle fibrosis, reverts muscle strength to the level of
      healthy muscles and normalizes the muscle transcriptome. The efficacy of the
      combined treatment is further confirmed in cells derived from OPMD patients.
      These results pave the way towards a gene replacement approach for OPMD
      treatment.

PMID- 28361976
TI  - Coronary artery disease: Urbanization is a risk factor for CAD.

PMID- 28361978
TI  - Venous thromboembolism: Risk of recurrence lower with rivaroxaban than aspirin.

PMID- 28361979
TI  - Stem cells: Cell therapy for cardiac repair: what is needed to move forward?

PMID- 28361980
TI  - Anticoagulation therapy: Uninterrupted dabigatran during ablation for AF.

PMID- 28361977
TI  - Myocardial stress and autophagy: mechanisms and potential therapies.
AB  - Autophagy is a ubiquitous cellular catabolic process responsive to energy stress.
      Research over the past decade has revealed that cardiomyocyte autophagy is a
      prominent homeostatic pathway, important in adaptation to altered myocardial
      metabolic demand. The cellular machinery of autophagy involves targeted direction
      of macromolecules and organelles for lysosomal degradation. Activation of
      autophagy has been identified as cardioprotective in some settings (that is,
      ischaemia and ischaemic preconditioning). In other situations, sustained
      autophagy has been linked with cardiopathology (for example, sustained pressure
      overload and heart failure). Perturbation of autophagy in diabetic cardiomyopathy
      has also been observed and is associated with both adaptive and maladaptive
      responses to stress. Emerging research findings indicate that various forms of
      selective autophagy operate in parallel to manage various types of catabolic
      cellular cargo including mitochondria, large proteins, glycogen, and stored
      lipids. In this Review, induction of autophagy associated with cardiac benefit or
      detriment is considered. The various static and dynamic approaches used to
      measure autophagy are critiqued, and current inconsistencies in the understanding
      of autophagy regulation in the heart are highlighted. The prospects for
      pharmacological intervention to achieve therapeutic manipulation of autophagic
      processes are also discussed.

PMID- 28361981
TI  - Patterns in the skin microbiota differ in children and teenagers between rural
      and urban environments.
AB  - The composition of human microbiota is affected by a multitude of factors.
      Understanding the dynamics of our microbial communities is important for
      promoting human health because microbiota has a crucial role in the development
      of inflammatory diseases, such as allergies. We have studied the skin microbiota
      of both arms in 275 Finnish children of few months old to teenagers living in
      contrasting environments. We show that while age is a major factor affecting skin
      microbial composition, the living environment also discriminates the skin
      microbiota of rural and urban children. The effect of environment is age
      specific; it is most prominent in toddlers but weaker for newborns and non
      existent for teenagers. Within-individual variation is also related to age and
      environment. Surprisingly, variation between arms is smaller in rural subjects in
      all age groups, except in teenagers. We also collected serum samples from
      children for characterization of allergic sensitization and found a weak, but
      significant association between allergic sensitization and microbial composition.
      We suggest that physiological and behavioral changes, related to age and the
      amount of contact with environmental microbiota, jointly influence the dynamics
      of the skin microbiota, and explain why the association between the living
      environment skin microbiota is lost in teenager.

PMID- 28361982
TI  - Nonlinear responses of soil respiration to precipitation changes in a semiarid
      temperate steppe.
AB  - Extreme precipitation events are predicted to occur more frequently and will have
      significant influences on terrestrial ecosystem carbon (C) cycling in the future.
      However, response patterns of soil respiration to precipitation changes remain
      uncertain in terrestrial ecosystems. A field experiment with seven precipitation
      treatments (i.e. from -60% to +60% of ambient precipitation to form a drought to
      wet precipitation gradient) was conducted over three growing seasons (2010-2012)
      in a semiarid temperate steppe of Northern China. Results showed a nonlinear
      response pattern of soil respiration along the experimental precipitation
      gradient, with soil respiration suppressed by decreased precipitation and
      enhanced by increased precipitation. Over the three growing seasons, soil
      respiration was reduced more under the three drought treatments (by 45.8, 32.8,
      and 15.9% under the -60, -40, and -20% treatments, respectively) than stimulated
      under the three wet treatments (by 8.9, 14.3, and 18.5% under the +20, +40, and
      +60% treatments, respectively). Our results indicate that soil respiration was
      more sensitive to decreased than increased precipitation treatments. The
      nonlinear and asymmetric responses of soil respiration to precipitation changes
      should be built into ecosystem models to project ecosystem C cycling associated
      with climate change.

PMID- 28361983
TI  - Inhibitory Potential of Constituents from Osmanthus fragrans and Structural
      Analogues Against Advanced Glycation End Products, alpha-Amylase, alpha
      Glucosidase, and Oxidative Stress.
AB  - Inhibition of alpha-amylase and alpha-glucosidase, advanced glycation end
      products (AGEs) formation, and oxidative stress by isolated active constituents
      of Osmanthus fragrans flowers (9,12-octadecadienoic acid and 4-(2,6,6-trimethyl-1
      cyclohexenyl)-3-buten-2-one) and their structural analogues were evaluated. 9,12
      Octadecadienoic acid was 10.02 and 22.21 times more active against alpha-amylase
      and alpha-glucosidase, respectively, than acarbose and ascorbic acid, followed by
      9,12,15-octadecatrienoic acid, 9-octadecenoic acid, 4-(2,6,6-trimethyl-1
      cyclohexenyl)-3-buten-2-one, 4-(2,6,6-trimethyl-2-cyclohexenyl)-3-buten-2-one, 1
      heptadecanecarboxylic acid, and 1-pentadecanecarboxylic acid. Concerning the
      inhibition of AGEs formation, similar with data for 2,2'-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazl
      radical scavenging activities, 9,12-octadecadienoic acid was 3.54 times more
      active than aminoguanidine, followed by 9,12,15-octadecatrienoic acid, and 9
      octadecenoic acid. These results indicate that 4-(2,6,6-trimethyl-1-cyclohexenyl)
      3-buten-2-one, 9,12-octadecadienoic acid and their analogues inhibit alpha
      amylase and alpha-glucosidase, AGEs formation, and oxidative stress have
      potential value in alleviating diabetic pathological conditions.

PMID- 28361985
TI  - Assessing the Dynamics of Organic Aerosols over the North Atlantic Ocean.
AB  - The influence of aerosols on climate is highly dependent on the particle size
      distribution, concentration, and composition. In particular, the latter
      influences their ability to act as cloud condensation nuclei, whereby they impact
      cloud coverage and precipitation. Here, we simultaneously measured the
      concentration of aerosols from sea spray over the North Atlantic on board the
      exhaust-free solar-powered vessel "PlanetSolar", and the sea surface physico
      chemical parameters. We identified organic-bearing particles based on individual
      particle fluorescence spectra. Organic-bearing aerosols display specific spatio
      temporal distributions as compared to total aerosols. We propose an empirical
      parameterization of the organic-bearing particle concentration, with a dependence
      on water salinity and sea-surface temperature only. We also show that a very rich
      mixture of organic aerosols is emitted from the sea surface. Such data will
      certainly contribute to providing further insight into the influence of aerosols
      on cloud formation, and be used as input for the improved modeling of aerosols
      and their role in global climate processes.

PMID- 28361984
TI  - Neuronal p38alpha mediates synaptic and cognitive dysfunction in an Alzheimer's
      mouse model by controlling beta-amyloid production.
AB  - Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a neurodegenerative disorder characterized by a
      severe and progressive neuronal loss leading to cognitive dysfunctions. Previous
      reports, based on the use of chemical inhibitors, have connected the stress
      kinase p38alpha to neuroinflammation, neuronal death and synaptic dysfunction. To
      explore the specific role of neuronal p38alpha signalling in the appearance of
      pathological symptoms, we have generated mice that combine expression of the
      5XFAD transgenes to induce AD symptoms with the downregulation of p38alpha only
      in neurons (5XFAD/p38alpha?-N). We found that the neuronal-specific deletion of
      p38alpha improves the memory loss and long-term potentiation impairment induced
      by 5XFAD transgenes. Furthermore, 5XFAD/p38alpha?-N mice display reduced amyloid
      beta accumulation, improved neurogenesis, and important changes in brain cytokine
      expression compared with 5XFAD mice. Our results implicate neuronal p38alpha
      signalling in the synaptic plasticity dysfunction and memory impairment observed
      in 5XFAD mice, by regulating both amyloid-beta deposition in the brain and the
      relay of this accumulation to mount an inflammatory response, which leads to the
      cognitive deficits.

PMID- 28361986
TI  - Individual Differences in Moral Disgust Do Not Predict Utilitarian Judgments,
      Sexual and Pathogen Disgust Do.
AB  - The role of emotional disgust and disgust sensitivity in moral judgment and
      decision-making has been debated intensively for over 20 years. Until very
      recently, there were two main evolutionary narratives for this rather puzzling
      association. One of the models suggest that it was developed through some form of
      group selection mechanism, where the internal norms of the groups were acting as
      pathogen safety mechanisms. Another model suggested that these mechanisms were
      developed through hygiene norms, which were piggybacking on pathogen disgust
      mechanisms. In this study we present another alternative, namely that this
      mechanism might have evolved through sexual disgust sensitivity. We note that
      though the role of disgust in moral judgment has been questioned recently, few
      studies have taken disgust sensitivity to account. We present data from a large
      sample (N = 1300) where we analyzed the associations between The Three Domain
      Disgust Scale and the most commonly used 12 moral dilemmas measuring
      utilitarian/deontological preferences with Structural Equation Modeling. Our
      results indicate that of the three domains of disgust, only sexual disgust is
      associated with more deontological moral preferences. We also found that pathogen
      disgust was associated with more utilitarian preferences. Implications of the
      findings are discussed.

PMID- 28361987
TI  - Effects of atmospheric-pressure non-thermal bio-compatible plasma and plasma
      activated nitric oxide water on cervical cancer cells.
AB  - Atmospheric-pressure non-thermal bio-compatible plasma is a partially ionized gas
      with electrically charged particles. Previous studies demonstrated that
      dielectric barrier discharge (DBD) plasma could induce apoptosis of various
      cancer cells, in particular demonstrating the selective cytotoxicity of cancer
      cells over normal cells. Therefore, DBD plasma can be considered as a potential
      cancer treatment method for clinical applications. We previously developed a
      microwave jet plasma system, producing nitric oxide called nitric oxide-plasma
      activated water (NO-PAW). In this study, we explored the effects of NO-PAW on a
      cervical cancer cell line, in comparison with DBD plasma. The cytotoxicity
      results showed that the treatment of HeLa cell with DBD for 4 minutes and 7 MUM
      concentration of NO-PAW could reach almost IC60. For the apoptosis assay, 4
      minutes treatment of DBD could induce 7% apoptotic effect, whereas 7 MUM NO-PAW
      could induce 18% apoptotic effect. In addition, we assumed that both DBD plasma
      and NO-PAW could induce HeLa cell apoptosis by facilitating an accumulation of
      intracellular reactive oxygen and nitrogen species (RONS). Although further
      detail on the molecular signal pathway is still needed, DBD and NO-PAW could
      become promising applications for effective and safe clinical trials for cancer
      therapy.

PMID- 28361988
TI  - International incidence and mortality trends of liver cancer: a global profile.
AB  - We examined the global incidence and mortality rates of liver cancer, and
      evaluated the association between incidence/mortality and socioeconomic
      development (Human Development Index [HDI] and Gross Domestic Product [GDP])
      using linear regression analysis. The average annual percent change (AAPC) of the
      trends was evaluated from join-point regression analysis. The global incidence of
      liver cancer varied widely by nine-fold, and was negatively correlated with HDI
      (men: r = -0.232, p = 0.003; women: r = -0.369, p < 0.001) and GDP per capita
      (men: r = -0.164, p = 0.036; women: r = -0.212, p = 0.007). Its mortality showed
      a similarly negative correlation with both indices. The greatest incidence rise
      in men was observed in Poland (AAPC = 17.5, 95% C.I. = 5.6, 30.9) and Brazil
      (AAPC = 13.2, 95% C.I. = 5.9, 21.0), whereas Germany (AAPC = 6.6, 95% C.I = 2.0,
      11.5) and Norway (AAPC = 6.5, 95% C.I. = 3.2, 10.0) had the greatest increase in
      women. The mortality rates paralleled the incidence rates in most countries. For
      mortality, Malta (AAPC = 11.5, 95% C.I. = 3.9, 19.8), Australia (AAPC = 6.8, 95%
      C.I. = 2.2, 11.5) and Norway (APCC = 5.6, 95% C.I. = 2.8, 8.5) reported the
      biggest increase among men; whilst Australia (AAPC = 13.4, 95% C.I. = 7.8, 19.4)
      and Singapore (AAPC = 7.7, 95% C.I. = 4.1, 11.5) showed the most prominent rise
      among women. These epidemiological data identified countries with potentially
      increasing trends of liver cancer for preventive actions.

PMID- 28361989
TI  - Testis Transcriptome Modulation in Klinefelter Patients with Hypospermatogenesis.
AB  - The main genetic cause of male infertility is represented by the Klinefelter
      Syndrome (KS), a condition accounting for 3% of all cases of infertility and up
      to15% of cases of azoospermia. KS is generally characterized by azoospermia;
      approximately 10% of cases have severe oligozoospermia. Among these, the 30-40%
      of patients show hypospermatogenesis. The mechanisms leading to adult testis
      dysfunctions are not completely understood. A microarray transcriptome analysis
      was performed on testis biopsies obtained from three KS patients with
      hypospermatogenesis and three control subjects. KS testis showed a differential
      up- and down-regulation of 303 and 747 transcripts, respectively, as compared to
      controls. The majority of down-regulated transcripts were involved in
      spermiogenesis failure and testis morphological defects, whereas up-regulated
      genes were responsible for testis apoptotic processes. Functional analysis of the
      transcriptionally altered genes indicated a deregulation in cell death, germ cell
      function and morphology as well as blood-testis-barrier maintenance and Leydig
      cells activity. These data support a complex scenario in which spermatogenic
      impairment is the result of functional and morphological alterations in both
      germinal and somatic components of KS testis. These findings could represent the
      basis for evaluating new markers of KS spermatogenesis and potential targets of
      therapeutic intervention to preserve residual spermatogenesis.

PMID- 28361991
TI  - Y14 governs p53 expression and modulates DNA damage sensitivity.
AB  - Y14 is a core component of the exon junction complex (EJC), while it also exerts
      cellular functions independent of the EJC. Depletion of Y14 causes G2/M arrest,
      DNA damage and apoptosis. Here we show that knockdown of Y14 induces the
      expression of an alternative spliced isoform of p53, namely p53beta, in human
      cells. Y14, in the context of the EJC, inhibited aberrant exon inclusion during
      the splicing of p53 pre-mRNA, and thus prevent p53beta expression. The anti
      cancer agent camptothecin specifically suppressed p53beta induction.
      Intriguingly, both depletion and overexpression of Y14 increased overall p53
      protein levels, suggesting that Y14 governs the quality and quantity control of
      p53. Moreover, Y14 depletion unexpectedly reduced p21 protein levels, which in
      conjunction with aberrant p53 expression accordingly increased cell sensitivity
      to genotoxic agents. This study establishes a direct link between Y14 and p53
      expression and suggests a function for Y14 in DNA damage signaling.

PMID- 28361990
TI  - A retinoraphe projection regulates serotonergic activity and looming-evoked
      defensive behaviour.
AB  - Animals promote their survival by avoiding rapidly approaching objects that
      indicate threats. In mice, looming-evoked defensive responses are triggered by
      the superior colliculus (SC) which receives direct retinal inputs. However, the
      specific neural circuits that begin in the retina and mediate this important
      behaviour remain unclear. Here we identify a subset of retinal ganglion cells
      (RGCs) that controls mouse looming-evoked defensive responses through axonal
      collaterals to the dorsal raphe nucleus (DRN) and SC. Looming signals transmitted
      by DRN-projecting RGCs activate DRN GABAergic neurons that in turn inhibit
      serotoninergic neurons. Moreover, activation of DRN serotoninergic neurons
      reduces looming-evoked defensive behaviours. Thus, a dedicated population of RGCs
      signals rapidly approaching visual threats and their input to the DRN controls a
      serotonergic self-gating mechanism that regulates innate defensive responses. Our
      study provides new insights into how the DRN and SC work in concert to extract
      and translate visual threats into defensive behavioural responses.

PMID- 28361993
TI  - The combined effects of sampling parameters on the sorbent tube sampling of
      phthalates in air.
AB  - The adsorption properties of various sorbent materials were investigated to
      assess the factors affecting biases in the sorbent tube (ST) sampling of airborne
      phthalates. The recovery of phthalates was assessed critically in relation to
      four key sampling parameters: (1) three types of sorbent materials (quartz wool
      (QW), glass wool (GW), and quartz wool plus Tenax TA (QWTN)), (2) the
      concentration level of phthalate standards, (3) purge flow rate, and (4) purge
      volume for analysis based on a 'sorbent tube-thermal desorption-gas
      chromatography-mass spectrometry (ST-TD-GC-MS)' system. Among these parameters,
      the type of ST was the most influential in determining the recovery of
      phthalates. For a given ST type, the recovery of phthalates tends to improve with
      increases in the concentration level of standards. In case of QW and QWTN tubes,
      the breakthrough of phthalates was not observed up to the maximum purge volume
      (100 L) tested in this work; however, in case of GW, the recovery decreased
      drastically to 60% even at a purge volume of 1 L for low molecular weight
      phthalates. The results of our study demonstrate that accurate analysis of
      airborne phthalates can be achieved through proper control of key sampling
      parameters, particularly the choice of sorbent material.

PMID- 28361992
TI  - Microvascular vasodilator properties of the angiotensin II type 2 receptor in a
      mouse model of type 1 diabetes.
AB  - Diabetes Mellitus is associated with severe cardiovascular disorders involving
      the renin-angiotensin system, mainly through activation of the angiotensin II
      type 1 receptor (AT1R). Although the type 2 receptor (AT2R) opposes the effects
      of AT1R, with vasodilator and anti-trophic properties, its role in diabetes is
      debatable. Thus we investigated AT2R-mediated dilatation in a model of type 1
      diabetes induced by streptozotocin in 5-month-old male mice lacking AT2R (AT2R
      /y). Glucose tolerance was reduced and markers of inflammation and oxidative
      stress (cyclooxygenase-2, gp91phox p22phox and p67phox) were increased in AT2R-/y
      mice compared to wild-type (WT) animals. Streptozotocin-induced hyperglycaemia
      was higher in AT2R-/y than in WT mice. Arterial gp91phox and MnSOD expression
      levels in addition to blood 8-isoprostane and creatinine were further increased
      in diabetic AT2R-/y mice compared to diabetic WT mice. AT2R-dependent dilatation
      in both isolated mesenteric resistance arteries and perfused kidneys was greater
      in diabetic mice than in non-diabetic animals. Thus, in type 1 diabetes, AT2R may
      reduce glycaemia and display anti-oxidant and/or anti-inflammatory properties in
      association with greater vasodilatation in mesenteric arteries and in the renal
      vasculature, a major target of diabetes. Therefore AT2R might represent a new
      therapeutic target in diabetes.

PMID- 28361994
TI  - Systemic inflammation and family history in relation to the prevalence of type 2
      diabetes based on an alternating decision tree.
AB  - To investigate unknown patterns associated with type 2 diabetes in the Japanese
      population, we first used an alternating decision tree (ADTree) algorithm, a
      powerful classification algorithm from data mining, for the data from 1,102
      subjects aged 35-69 years. On the basis of the investigated patterns, we then
      evaluated the associations of serum high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP)
      as a biomarker of systemic inflammation and family history of diabetes (negative,
      positive or unknown) with the prevalence of type 2 diabetes because their
      detailed associations have been scarcely reported. Elevated serum hs-CRP levels
      were proportionally associated with the increased prevalence of type 2 diabetes
      after adjusting for probable covariates, including body mass index and family
      history of diabetes (P for trend = 0.016). Stratified analyses revealed that
      elevated serum hs-CRP levels were proportionally associated with increased
      prevalence of diabetes in subjects without a family history of diabetes (P for
      trend = 0.020) but not in those with a family history or with an unknown family
      history of diabetes. Our study demonstrates that systemic inflammation was
      proportionally associated with increased prevalence of type 2 diabetes even after
      adjusting for body mass index, especially in subjects without a family history of
      diabetes.

PMID- 28361995
TI  - Comparative Transcriptomic Analysis of Vernalization- and Cytokinin-Induced
      Floral Transition in Dendrobium nobile.
AB  - Vernalization is required for floral initiation in Dendrobium. Interestingly,
      those beneficial effects can also be achieved by exogenous cytokinin application
      in greenhouses. Thus, an as yet unknown crosstalk/interaction may exist between
      vernalization and cytokinin signaling pathways. In this study, we showed, by de
      novo transcriptome assembly using RNA-seq data from both vegetative and
      reproductive tissue samples, that some floral transition-related genes-DnVRN1,
      FT, SOC1, LFY and AP1-were differentially expressed in low-temperature-challenged
      (LT) or thidiazuron (TDZ)-treated plants, compared to those mock-treated (CK).
      Both LT and TDZ upregulated SOC1, LFY and AP1, while the upregulation of DnVRN1
      and FT was only LT-induced. We further found that LT promoted the upregulation of
      some key cytokinin signaling regulators, including several cytokinin biosynthesis
      related genes and type-B response regulator (RR)-encoding genes, and that both LT
      and TDZ triggered the significant upregulation of some marker genes in the
      gibberellin (GA) signaling pathway, indicating an important low temperature
      cytokinin-GA axis in flowering. Our data thus have revealed a cytokinin-GA signal
      network underlying vernalization, providing a novel insight into further
      investigation of the molecular mechanism of floral initiation in Dendrobium.

PMID- 28361996
TI  - Increased mitochondrial coupling and anaerobic capacity minimizes aerobic costs
      of trout in the sea.
AB  - Anadromy is a distinctive life-history strategy in fishes that has evolved
      independently many times. In an evolutionary context, the benefits of anadromy
      for a species or population must outweigh the costs and risks associated with the
      habitat switch. The migration of fish across the freshwater-ocean boundary
      coincides with potentially energetically costly osmoregulatory modifications
      occurring at numerous levels of biological organization. By integrating whole
      animal and sub-cellular metabolic measurements, this study presents significant
      findings demonstrating how an anadromous salmonid (i.e. rainbow trout,
      Oncorhynchus mykiss) is able to transform from a hyper- to hypo-osmoregulatory
      state without incurring significant increases in whole animal oxygen consumption
      rate. Instead, underlying metabolic mechanisms that fuel the osmoregulatory
      machinery at the organ level (i.e. intestine) are modulated, as mitochondrial
      coupling and anaerobic metabolism are increased to satisfy the elevated energetic
      demands. This may have positive implications for the relative fitness of the
      migrating individual, as aerobic capacity may be maintained for locomotion (i.e.
      foraging and predator avoidance) and growth. Furthermore, the ability to modulate
      mitochondrial metabolism in order to maintain osmotic balance suggests that
      mitochondria of anadromous fish may have been a key target for natural selection,
      driving species adaptations to different aquatic environments.

PMID- 28361997
TI  - Zinc treatment is efficient against Escherichia coli alpha-haemolysin-induced
      intestinal leakage in mice.
AB  - Zinc homoeostasis exerts protective effects in inflammatory intestinal diseases
      and zinc supplementation has been successfully used for treating infectious
      diarrhoea. This study aimed at a characterisation of zinc effects on focal leak
      induction by alpha-haemolysin (HlyA)-producing Escherichia coli (E. coli) as
      protective mechanism for colitis. We conducted in vivo experiments by oral
      challenge of gnotobiotic mice colonised with HlyA-expressing E. coli-536. Mice
      were either fed a defined normal or high zinc diet to analyse effects of zinc as
      a therapeutic regimen. HlyA-deficient E. coli-536 mutants were used as controls.
      Mice infected with HlyA-producing E. coli showed impaired barrier integrity when
      receiving normal zinc. High zinc supplementation in HlyA-producing E. coli
      infected mice reduced epithelial dysfunction as indicated by ameliorated
      macromolecule permeability. Reduced size of focal leaks with diminished bacterial
      translocation was observed as inherent mechanisms of this zinc action. In human
      colon cell monolayers application of zinc rescued the HlyA-dependent decline in
      transepithelial electrical resistance via reduction of the calcium entry into
      HlyA-exposed cells. Calcium-dependent cell exfoliation was identified as
      mechanism for focal leak induction. In conclusion, zinc supplementation protects
      from HlyA-induced barrier dysfunction in vivo and in vitro, providing an
      explanation for the protective efficacy of zinc in intestinal disorders.

PMID- 28361999
TI  - Synthesis of Sr2Si5N8:Ce3+ phosphors for white LEDs via an efficient chemical
      vapor deposition [corrected].
AB  - Novel chemical vapor deposition (CVD) process was successfully developed for the
      growth of Sr2Si5N8:Ce3+ phosphors with elevated luminescent properties. Metallic
      strontium was used as a vapor source for producing Sr3N2 vapor to react with
      Si3N4 powder via a homogeneous gas-solid reaction. The phosphors prepared via the
      CVD process showed high crystallinity, homogeneous particle size ranging from 8
      to 10 MUm, and high luminescence properties. In contrast, the phosphors prepared
      via the conventional solid-state reaction process exhibited relative low
      crystallinity, non-uniform particle size in the range of 0.5-5 MUm and relatively
      lower luminescent properties than the phosphors synthesized via the CVD process.
      Upon the blue light excitation, Sr2-xCexSi5N8 phosphors exhibited a broad yellow
      band. A red shift of the emission band from 535 to 556 nm was observed with the
      increment in the doping amount of Ce3+ ions from x = 0.02 to x = 0.10. The
      maximum emission was observed at x = 0.06, and the external and internal quantum
      efficiencies were calculated to be 51% and 71%, respectively. Furthermore, the
      CVD derived optimum Sr1.94Ce0.06Si5N8 phosphor exhibited sufficient thermal
      stability for blue-LEDs and the activation energy was calculated to be 0.33 eV.
      The results demonstrate a potential synthesis process for nitride phosphors
      suitable for light emitting diodes.

PMID- 28362000
TI  - Emergence and Evolution of Cooperation Under Resource Pressure.
AB  - We study the influence that resource availability has on cooperation in the
      context of hunter-gatherer societies. This paper proposes a model based on
      archaeological and ethnographic research on resource stress episodes, which
      exposes three different cooperative regimes according to the relationship between
      resource availability in the environment and population size. The most
      interesting regime represents moderate survival stress in which individuals
      coordinate in an evolutionary way to increase the probabilities of survival and
      reduce the risk of failing to meet the minimum needs for survival. Populations
      self-organise in an indirect reciprocity system in which the norm that emerges is
      to share the part of the resource that is not strictly necessary for survival,
      thereby collectively lowering the chances of starving. Our findings shed further
      light on the emergence and evolution of cooperation in hunter-gatherer societies.

PMID- 28361998
TI  - Exosome-associated AAV2 vector mediates robust gene delivery into the murine
      retina upon intravitreal injection.
AB  - Widespread gene transfer to the retina is challenging as it requires vector
      systems to overcome physical and biochemical barriers to enter and diffuse
      throughout retinal tissue. We investigated whether exosome-associated adeno
      associated virus, (exo-AAV) enabled broad retinal targeting following
      intravitreal (IVT) injection, as exosomes have been shown to traverse biological
      barriers and mediate widespread distribution upon systemic injection. We packaged
      an AAV genome encoding green fluorescent protein (GFP) into conventional AAV2 and
      exo-AAV2 vectors. Vectors were IVT injected into the eyes of adult mice. GFP
      expression was noninvasively monitored by fundus imaging and retinal expression
      was analyzed 4 weeks post-injection by qRT-PCR and histology. Exo-AAV2
      outperformed conventional AAV2 in GFP expression based on fundus image analysis
      and qRT-PCR. Exo-AAV2 demonstrated deeper penetration in the retina, efficiently
      reaching the inner nuclear and outer plexiform, and to a lesser extent the outer
      nuclear layer. Cell targets were ganglion cells, bipolar cells, Muller cells, and
      photoreceptors. Exo-AAV2 serves as a robust gene delivery tool for murine retina,
      and the simplicity of production and isolation should make it widely applicable
      to basic research of the eye.

PMID- 28362002
TI  - Only functional localization is faithful localization.

PMID- 28362001
TI  - Cross-talk among metabolic parameters, esophageal microbiota, and host gene
      expression following chronic exposure to an obesogenic diet.
AB  - Unhealthy diets, and ensuing weight gain, predispose individuals to the
      development of esophageal adenocarcinoma. We examined the effect of chronic high
      fat diet (HFD) on the esophageal microbiota of Sprague Dawley rats using Illumina
      MiSeq amplicon sequencing (V4, 515 F/806 R) and on esophageal expression of IL18,
      PTGS2, PPARA, FFAR3, and CRAT. The relationships among metabolic parameters,
      esophageal microbiota, and host gene expression were determined. We observed a
      significant difference between the upper and lower esophageal microbiota in
      control fed rats, emphasized by enrichment of Lactobacillus species in the lower
      esophagus. Rats on HFD gained significantly more fat and had reduced insulin
      sensitivity. Diet type significantly affected the esophageal microbiota, with
      Clostridium sensu stricto being enriched in both upper and lower segments of HFD
      fed rats. Of interest, bacterial pathways related to carotenoid biosynthesis were
      significantly decreased in the lower esophagus of HFD fed rats. We observed
      strong correlations between metabolic parameters, the esophageal microbial
      profiles, and host esophageal gene expression. In particular, Fusobacterium,
      Rothia, and Granulicatella showed consistent correlations across a range of
      metabolic and gene markers. Our data indicates that unhealthy diets can
      significantly alter the esophageal microbiota, and enrich for bacterial species
      previously associated with chronic gastrointestinal diseases.

PMID- 28362004
TI  - Toxoplasma control of host apoptosis: the art of not biting too hard the hand
      that feeds you.

PMID- 28362003
TI  - Fancy a gene? A surprisingly complex evolutionary history of peroxiredoxins.
AB  - While the phylum Apicomplexa includes "only" several thousand described species
      of obligatory parasites of animals, it may in fact be the most specious group of
      parasitic protists with over a million species 1. The best known representatives
      are Plasmodium spp., Toxoplasma gondii and Cryptosporidium spp., which belong to
      the most important and widespread human parasites exacting an enormous disease
      burden. On the other hand, dinoflagellates and colpodellids, which are
      monophyletic with the apicomplexans, are ecologically highly significant, as they
      belong to the most abundant marine protists 2. As the common ancestor of these
      groups was most likely a free-living photosynthesizing protist, one wonders,
      which evolutionary forces contributed to the dramatic transition of some of its
      descendants into the arguably most successful intracellular parasites? Although a
      range of various processes and mechanisms contributed to this transition, most
      likely it also involved an acquisition of genes via horizontal gene transfer
      (HGT), which might have provided typical characteristics of a parasitic cell,
      such as immune escape, nutritional dependence and the capacity to invade other
      cells.

PMID- 28362005
TI  - Metabolic pathways further increase the complexity of cell size control in
      budding yeast.
AB  - How organisms regulate their size is a major question in biology. With a few
      notable exceptions (such as cell divisions in the early embryo), most cells need
      to reach a critical size in order to initiate a new cell cycle. How cells set a
      critical cell size, and how they know it has been reached, is not well
      understood. Using various types of experimental systems, decades ago two main
      models were proposed for cell size homeostasis: the deterministic model and the
      probabilistic model.

PMID- 28362006
TI  - What's the role of autophagy in trypanosomes?

PMID- 28362007
TI  - Yeast screening platform identifies FDA-approved drugs that reduce Abeta
      oligomerization.

PMID- 28362008
TI  - Non-genetic impact factors on chronological lifespan and stress resistance of
      baker's yeast.
AB  - Survival under nutrient limitation is an essential feature of microbial cells,
      and it is defined by the chronological lifespan. We summarize recent findings,
      illustrating how crucial the choice of the experimental setup is for the
      interpretation of data in this field. Especially the impact of oxygen supply
      differs depending on the culture type, highlighting the differences of
      alternatives like the retentostat to classical batch cultures. Finally the
      importance of culture conditions on cell aging and survival in biotechnological
      processes is highlighted.

PMID- 28362009
TI  - Gearing up for survival - HSP-containing granules accumulate in quiescent cells
      and promote survival.

PMID- 28362010
TI  - Entropy-driven homochiral self-sorting of a dynamic library.
AB  - A dynamic mixture of stereoisomeric macrocycles derived from glutamic acid
      displayed a homochiral self-selection when increasing the acetonitrile content of
      the aqueous mixed medium. The homochiral self-sorting required the anionic form
      of the side chains and increased at higher temperature, implying an entropic
      origin. Conformational analysis (NMR and MD simulations) allowed us to explain
      the observed behaviour. The results show that entropy can play a role in the
      homochiral self-sorting in adaptive bio-inspired chemical systems.

PMID- 28362011
TI  - Effects of microsolvation on a SN2 reaction: indirect atomistic dynamics and
      weakened suppression of reactivity.
AB  - Systematic studies of microsolvation in the gas phase have enriched our knowledge
      of solvent effects. Here, the dynamics of a prototype SN2 reaction of a hydrated
      fluoride ion with methyl iodide is uncovered employing direct dynamics
      simulations that show strikingly distinct features from those determined for an
      unsolvated system. An indirect scattering is found to prevail, which occurs
      dominantly by forming hydrated F-(H2O)-HCH2I and F-(H2O)-CH3I pre-reaction
      complexes at low energies, but proceeds through their water-free counterparts at
      higher energies. This finding is in strong contrast to a general evolution from
      indirect to direct dynamics with enhancing energy for the unsolvated substitution
      reactions, and this discrepancy is understood by the substantial steric hindrance
      introduced by a water molecule. As established in experiments, solvation
      suppresses the reactivity, whereas we find that this depression is remarkably
      frustrated upon raising the energy given that collision-induced dehydration
      essentially diminishes the water block for reactive collisions. The present study
      sheds light on how solute-solvent interactions affect the underlying dynamics at
      a deeper atomic level, thereby promoting our understanding of the fundamental
      solvent effects on chemical reactions in solution.

PMID- 28362012
TI  - Facile synthesis and characterization of a SnO2-modified LiNi0.5Mn1.5O4 high
      voltage cathode material with superior electrochemical performance for lithium
      ion batteries.
AB  - A thin-layer-SnO2 modified LiNi0.5Mn1.5O4@SnO2 material is synthesized via a
      facile synthetic approach. It is physically and electrochemically characterized
      as a high-voltage lithium ion battery cathode and compared to the pristine
      LiNi0.5Mn1.5O4 material prepared under similar conditions. The two materials are
      proved to be crystals of a well-defined disordered spinel phase with the
      morphology of aggregates of micron/submicron polyhedral particles. The Mn3+ ions
      and the inactive NixLiyO phase in the LiNi0.5Mn1.5O4@SnO2 is less than those in
      the LiNi0.5Mn1.5O4 due to incorporation of a very small amount of Sn2+ into the
      spinel structure upon high-temperature calcination of the precursor. Besides, the
      mean particle size of the LiNi0.5Mn1.5O4@SnO2 is obviously smaller than that of
      the LiNi0.5Mn1.5O4. The LiNi0.5Mn1.5O4@SnO2 demonstrates much superior
      electrochemical performance over the LiNi0.5Mn1.5O4 in terms of specific
      capacity, rate capability and cyclability. For example, the discharge capacities
      at current rates of 0.2C, 2C and 20C are 145.4, 139.9 and 112.2 mA h g-1,
      respectively. A capacity retention rate of ca. 75% is obtained after 500 cycles
      at 2C rate. The improved electrochemical performance is attributed to the
      positive effect of the surface protective SnO2 coating layer as well as the
      structural and morphological modifications of the spinel.

PMID- 28362013
TI  - Controlling the atomic distribution in PtPd nanoparticles: thermal stability and
      reactivity during NO abatement.
AB  - In situ X-ray absorption spectroscopy and mass spectrometry measurements were
      employed to simultaneously probe the atom specific short range order and
      reactivity of Pd and PtPd nanoparticles towards NO decomposition at 300  degrees
      C. The nanoparticles were synthesized by a well controlled, eco-friendly wet
      chemical reduction of metal salts and later supported on activated carbon.
      Particularly for the bimetallic PtPd samples, distinct atomic arrangements were
      achieved using a seeding growth method, which allowed producing a random
      nanoalloy, or nanoparticles with Pt- or Pd-rich core. X-ray photoelectron
      spectroscopy, transmission electron microscopy, and X-ray diffraction provided
      additional insights on their electronic, morphological and long range order
      structural properties. The results revealed that the higher the thermal induced
      atomic migration observed within the nanoparticles during thermal treatments, the
      least were their reactivity for NO abatement.

PMID- 28362014
TI  - Azobenzene-benzoylphenylureas as photoswitchable chitin synthesis inhibitors.
AB  - Benzoylphenylureas (BPUs) are used as synthetic insect growth regulators for
      inhibiting chitin synthesis. Merging insecticidal BPUs with photoswitchable
      azobenzene generated photoresponsive chitin synthesis inhibitors. A prepared
      azobenzene-benzoylphenylurea can be activated upon irradiation with UV light, and
      shows 6-fold and 2-fold activity difference to armyworm (Mythimna separata) and
      German cockroach (Blattella germanica) sulfonylurea receptors, respectively. This
      is the first example of a photoswitchable BPU insecticide. The generation of such
      a photoresponsive BPU insecticide allows for modulation of the insecticidal
      activity by light, and may facilitate the spatiotemporal control over the
      sulfonylurea receptor and the mechanistic study of this kind of insecticide.

PMID- 28362015
TI  - Square sugars: challenges and synthetic strategies.
AB  - Square sugars (4-membered ring carbohydrate mimetics) are at the intersection of
      several important topics concerning the recent emergence, in medicinal chemistry,
      of glycomimetic drugs and small ring systems. Monosaccharide mimetics containing
      oxetane, azetidine, thiethane or cyclobutane rings present a number of synthetic
      challenges that are a powerful driving force for innovation in organic synthesis.
      In addition to the inherent issues associated with 4-membered rings, the high
      density of functional groups and asymmetric centres found in glycomimetics
      further complicates the matter and requires efficient stereoselective
      methodologies. The purpose of this review is to present an overview of the
      elegant strategies that have been developed to synthesize the different types of
      square sugars.

PMID- 28362016
TI  - A study of diketopiperazines as electron-donor initiators in transition metal
      free haloarene-arene coupling.
AB  - Several diketopiperazines have been shown to promote carbon-carbon coupling
      between benzene and aryl halides in the presence of potassium tert-butoxide and
      without the assistance of a transition metal catalyst. The structure of the
      diketopiperazine has an influence on its reductive potential and can help to
      promote the coupling of the more challenging aryl bromides with benzene.

PMID- 28362017
TI  - Correction: Understanding MAOS through computational chemistry.
AB  - Correction for 'Understanding MAOS through computational chemistry' by P. Prieto
      et al., Chem. Soc. Rev., 2017, 46, 431-451.

PMID- 28362019
TI  - Non-genetic risk factors for early and late age at menarche in Eastern Ukrainian
      females.
AB  - ABSTRACT: BACKGROUND: Age at menarche is a reproductive trait, which is largely
      influenced by environmental factors. Each population has a set of lifestyle
      factors that may shift age at menarche in different direction. Populations of
      Eastern Slavs, particularly Ukrainians, are underrepresented in studies of
      reproductive health. The objective of the present research was to determine
      important non-genetic risk factors, which may contribute to menarcheal onset in
      Eastern Ukrainians. METHODS: In total 620 females aged 17-25 years participated
      in the cross-sectional survey. The questionnaire included lifestyle factors
      previously reported in other populations as those, which might affect age at
      menarche. The risk factors for early and late age at menarche were determined
      using logistic regression models. The models were validated by receiver operating
      curves. RESULTS: Body composition in the prepubertal stage as presented by
      responders seems to have the strongest association with age at menarche. Those
      who were shorter and thinner as compared to their peers at age six had
      significantly more chance to start menstruating later (OR = 1.66, 95% CI [1.01
      2.73]) and reduced chance to have menarche before 12 years old (OR = 0.32, 95% CI
      [0.14-0.73]). Maternal smoking during pregnancy and low protein intake reported
      during childhood may decrease a probability of late age at menarche. CONCLUSIONS:
      Although overall body composition at age of six was a main trait, which was
      associated with menarcheal timing, more information on body measurements (e.g.
      waist-hip ratio) in prepubertal stage would help to establish a greater degree of
      accuracy on this matter.

PMID- 28362020
TI  - Variation of height and BMI within school classes in 14-year-old children.
AB  - ABSTRACT: The aim of the study was to analyze the variation of height and weight
      of 14-year-old children within classes of primary schools in Wroclaw. All
      children were attending the 7th grade of primary schools in Wroclaw, and
      underwent a medical examination as part of a project (the Health Card of the
      Child) of the city of Wroclaw. The data were collected between January and
      December of 1997. The present study included height and weight of 1810 children
      (917 boys and 893 girls). For analyses, individual height and BMI [kg m-2] were
      standardized based on mean and SD of the whole population separately for boys and
      girls. The SDs of height and BMI in each class were tested by Student-t test for
      one sample to check the difference in comparison to population with SD equal 1.
      Additionally, the nested analysis of variance was used, where height and BMI were
      dependent variables, and classes were nested into schools. SDs of height and BMI
      within classes are significantly lower than for the whole population in boys and
      girls, whereas the means did not differ significantly from the whole population.
      Nested analysis of variance showed a significant effect of class for girls (for
      height and BMI) but not for boys. Also variation of height significantly differed
      between schools in girls but not in boys. It is hypothesized that decrease of
      variation within classes might be caused by the community effect.

PMID- 28362018
TI  - IL-37 suppresses MyD88-mediated inflammatory responses in human aortic valve
      interstitial cells.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Calcific aortic valve disease (CAVD) is common among the elderly, and
      aortic valve interstitial cells (AVICs) exhibit unique inflammatory and
      osteogenic responses to pro-inflammatory stimulation which play an important role
      in valvular fibrosis and calcification. Thus, suppression of AVIC pro
      inflammatory response may have therapeutic utility for prevention of CAVD
      progression. Interleukin (IL)-37, an anti-inflammatory cytokine, reduces tissue
      inflammation. OBJECTIVE: This study was to test the hypothesis that IL-37
      suppresses human AVIC inflammatory responses to Toll-like receptor (TLR)
      agonists. METHODS AND RESULTS: Human AVICs were exposed to Pam3CSK4, poly(I:C)
      and lipopolysaccharide, respectively, in the presence and absence of recombinant
      human IL-37. Stimulation of TLR4 increased the production of intercellular
      adhesion molecule-1, IL-6, IL-8 and monocyte chemoattractant protein-1. Knockdown
      of myeloid differentiation factor 88 (MyD88) or TIR-domain-containing adaptor
      inducing interferon-beta (TRIF) differentially affected inflammatory mediator
      production following TLR4 stimulation. IL-37 reduced the production of these
      inflammatory mediators induced by TLR4. Moreover, knockdown of IL-37 enhanced the
      induction of these mediators by TLR4. IL-37 also suppressed inflammatory mediator
      production induced by the MyD88-dependent TLR2, but had no effect on the
      inflammatory responses to the TRIF-dependent TLR3. Furthermore, IL-37 inhibited
      NF-kappaB activation induced by TLR2 or TLR4 through a mechanism dependent of IL
      18 receptor alpha-chain. CONCLUSION: Activation of TLR2, TLR3 or TLR4 up
      regulates the production of inflammatory mediators in human AVICs. IL-37
      suppresses MyD88-mediated responses to reduce inflammatory mediator production
      following stimulation of TLR2 and TLR4. This anti-inflammatory cytokine may be
      useful for suppression of aortic valve inflammation elicited by MyD88-dependent
      TLR signaling.

PMID- 28362021
TI  - Sexual dimorphism in base of skull.
AB  - ABSTRACT: Sex determination is an important task in forensic medicine and
      physical anthropology. The aims of this study were to assess the presence of
      sexual dimorphism in the base of the skull and to compare the accuracy of sex
      estimation by this method with that achieved in other metric studies of this
      region. The sample comprised 109 individuals (53 males and 56 females) of known
      sex, age, and cause of death from San Jose cemetery in Granada (Spain). Six
      dimensions were analyzed and discriminant function analysis was performed. The
      discriminant capacity of the selected variables was then evaluated by using a
      cross-validation procedure. All dimensions were significantly higher in males
      than in females. The percentage accuracy was 75.7% (77.8% for males and 73.7% for
      females). Highest dimorphic values were for occipital condyle length and foramen
      magnum width. Skull base measurements should only serve to corroborate findings.

PMID- 28362022
TI  - Growth status of Korean orphans raised in the affluent West: anthropometric
      trend, multivariate determinants, and descriptive comparison with their North and
      South Korean peers.
AB  - ABSTRACT: This paper investigates the trend in height among adult Korean orphans
      who were adopted in early life into affluent Western nations. Final heights of
      148 females were analyzed based on a Korean government survey conducted in 2008.
      Height of the orphans was descriptively compared against final heights of South
      and North Koreans. Furthermore, statistical determinants of orphan height were
      investigated in multivariate regressions. Mean height of Korean orphans was
      160.44 cm (SD 5.89), which was higher than that of South Koreans at 158.83 cm (SD
      5.01). Both Korean orphans and South Koreans were taller than North Koreans at
      155.30 cm (SD 4.94). However, height of Korean orphans stagnated at around 160
      161 cm while those of North and South Koreans improved over time. In the
      regression analysis, the socioeconomic status of the adoptive family was
      statistically significant in all models, while dummies for the adoptive nations
      and age at adoption were insignificant. This study shows that the mean final
      height of women experiencing extreme environmental improvements in early-life is
      capped at 160-161 cm, tentatively suggesting that social stress factors in the
      host nation or early-life factors in the birth nation might have offset some of
      the environmental enrichment effects achieved through intercountry adoption.

PMID- 28362023
TI  - Kinematic study of standing long jump in preadolescents before the occurrence of
      maximum growth age.
AB  - ABSTRACT: The aims of this study were to identify the kinematics characteristics
      of the standing long jump (SLJ) performance in groups of Mexican girls and boys,
      with a chronological age such that theoretically, corresponds to the age before
      the occurrence of the maximum growth. The jump distance is largely dependent on
      the kinematic values at the time of takeoff. A calculation method was used from
      video recordings of the sagittal projection of jumps. The location of the body
      mass center at takeoff was the source for measuring the kinematic values. The
      Mann-Whitney U non-parametric Test (p < 0.05) and a Z-scores analysis were
      applied to assess differences between the groups. Almost the 60% of all the
      participants are within the range that is considered as average BMI and stature,
      according to the WHO growing standard values. In the sample, boys are bigger,
      probably stronger and jump longer than girls. Although the statistical tests show
      there are some similarities, mainly in the older groups, it is not possible to
      conclude that girls and boys in the sample have an equally performance in the
      Standing Long Jump.

PMID- 28362024
TI  - Modeling a secular trend by Monte Carlo simulation of height biased migration in
      a spatial network.
AB  - ABSTRACT: Background: In a recent Monte Carlo simulation, the clustering of body
      height of Swiss military conscripts within a spatial network with characteristic
      features of the natural Swiss geography was investigated. In this study I
      examined the effect of migration of tall individuals into network hubs on the
      dynamics of body height within the whole spatial network. The aim of this study
      was to simulate height trends. Material and methods: Three networks were used for
      modeling, a regular rectangular fishing net like network, a real world example
      based on the geographic map of Switzerland, and a random network. All networks
      contained between 144 and 148 districts and between 265-307 road connections.
      Around 100,000 agents were initially released with average height of 170 cm, and
      height standard deviation of 6.5 cm. The simulation was started with the a priori
      assumption that height variation within a district is limited and also depends on
      height of neighboring districts (community effect on height). In addition to a
      neighborhood influence factor, which simulates a community effect, body height
      dependent migration of conscripts between adjacent districts in each Monte Carlo
      simulation was used to re-calculate next generation body heights. In order to
      determine the direction of migration for taller individuals, various centrality
      measures for the evaluation of district importance within the spatial network
      were applied. Taller individuals were favored to migrate more into network hubs,
      backward migration using the same number of individuals was random, not biased
      towards body height. Network hubs were defined by the importance of a district
      within the spatial network. The importance of a district was evaluated by various
      centrality measures. In the null model there were no road connections, height
      information could not be delivered between the districts. Results: Due to the
      favored migration of tall individuals into network hubs, average body height of
      the hubs, and later, of the whole network increased by up to 0.1 cm per iteration
      depending on the network model. The general increase in height within the network
      depended on connectedness and on the amount of height information that was
      exchanged between neighboring districts. If higher amounts of neighborhood height
      information were exchanged, the general increase in height within the network was
      large (strong secular trend). The trend in the homogeneous fishnet like network
      was lowest, the trend in the random network was highest. Yet, some network
      properties, such as the heteroscedasticity and autocorrelations of the migration
      simulation models differed greatly from the natural features observed in Swiss
      military conscript networks. Autocorrelations of district heights for instance,
      were much higher in the migration models. Conclusion: This study confirmed that
      secular height trends can be modeled by preferred migration of tall individuals
      into network hubs. However, basic network properties of the migration simulation
      models differed greatly from the natural features observed in Swiss military
      conscripts. Similar network-based data from other countries should be explored to
      better investigate height trends with Monte Carlo migration approach.

PMID- 28362025
TI  - The effect of neighboring districts on body height of Polish conscripts.
AB  - ABSTRACT: The aim of the study was to investigate the correlation of heights of
      conscripts living in neighboring districts in Poland. The study used 10% of a
      nationally representative sample of 26,178 males 18.5-19.5 years old examined
      during the National survey of Polish conscripts conducted in 2001. The sample
      represented all regions and social strata of the country and included 354
      different districts within 16 voivodships (provinces). Analyses were performed
      with the R statistical software. A small but significant correlation (0.24, p <
      0.0001) was observed for height between 1st order neighboring districts.
      Correlations decreased with increased distances between neighboring districts,
      but remained significant for 7th node neighbors (0.18, p < 0.0001). Regarding
      voivodships (provinces), average height showed a geographical trend from the
      northwest (relatively tall) to the southeast (relatively short), and the
      correlation was stronger for first order neighboring provinces (0.796, p <
      0.001). This study revealed clusters of tall people and short people, providing a
      support for hypothesis of the community effect in height. Small correlations
      between 1st order neighbors than in another country (Switzerland) may be
      associated with differences in geography, since in Poland there are no natural
      barriers (e.g., mountains) and road infrastructure is well-developed.

PMID- 28362026
TI  - Erratum: Macroscopic singlet oxygen modeling for dosimetry of Photofrin-mediated
      photodynamic therapy: an in-vivo study.

PMID- 28362027
TI  - Ludwik Bierkowski and the early days of general anaesthesia in the Polish soil in
      February 1847.
AB  - Ludwik Bierkowski belonged to the elite of surgeons of the first half of the 19th
      century. Educated in an excellent German university, Bierkowski had in-depth and
      comprehensive knowledge, a wide range of practical skills and was continuously
      eager to search for new solutions. He introduced cotton wool for wound dressings,
      experimentally determined the conditions of blood transfusions and published two
      outstanding anatomo-surgical atlases, which ranks him among the leading
      physicians of those days. Moreover, he was the first to use ether for effective
      general anaesthesia in the Polish lands, the procedure that changed the course of
      the history of medicine. Bierkowski performed ether anaesthesia in less than four
      months after the first world and in less than two months after the first European
      demonstration, which rates him among the most modern surgeons of those times.
      This year we celebrate the 170th anniversary of this event.

PMID- 28362028
TI  - Perioperative haemodynamic optimisation in patients undergoing non-cardiac
      surgery - a position statement from the Cardiac and Thoracic Anaesthesia Section
      of the Polish Society of Anaesthesiology and Intensive Therapy. Part 1.

PMID- 28362029
TI  - Perioperative haemodynamic optimisation in patients undergoing non-cardiac
      surgery - a position statement from the Cardiac and Thoracic Anaesthesia Section
      of the Polish Society of Anaesthesiology and Intensive Therapy. Part 2.

PMID- 28362030
TI  - Effect of universal chlorhexidine decolonisation on the infection rate in
      intensive care patients.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Healthcare-associated infections (HAIs), particularly intensive care
      unit-acquired infections (HAI-ICU), are an important cause of morbidity and
      mortality in hospitals. Most of these infections are caused by multidrugresistant
      organisms. The results of recent studies have suggested that daily bathing with
      chlorhexidine (CHX)-universal decolonisation can prevent ICU infections. The
      purpose of the study was to determine the influence of CHX bathing on the rate
      and type of HAI-ICU in critically ill patients. METHODS: This observational
      study, conducted in a mixed, 16-bed tertiary ICU, compared the following three 3
      month periods: I) pre-intervention (traditional soap-water bathing), II)
      intervention (bathing with 2% CHX clothes), and III) post-intervention (soap
      water bathing). The type and rate of HAI-ICU were registered according to the
      European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) guidelines. RESULTS: A
      total of 272 patients were included in the study. During the intervention period,
      the total infection rate was significantly lower than in the pre-intervention
      period (12.7% vs 22.2%, respectively). Significant decreases in the rate and
      density of catheter-related infections (CRI) were observed during the
      intervention period. A decrease in the isolation rate of multidrug-resistant
      bacteria was also observed during the intervention and post-intervention periods.
      CONCLUSIONS: Daily bathing of ICU patients with chlorhexidine-impregnated clothes
      significantly decreased the rate of HAI-ICU and the acquisition of CRI. This
      simple hygienic approach can be an important adjunctive intervention with the
      capability of reducing the burden of healthcare-associated infections in ICUs.

PMID- 28362031
TI  - Comparison of anaesthetic gas consumption and stability of anaesthesia using
      automatic and manual control over the course of anaesthesia.
AB  - BACKGROUND: The automatic control module of end-tidal volatile agents (EtC) was
      designed to reduce the consumption of anaesthetic gases, increase the stability
      of general anaesthesia and reduce the need for adjustments in the settings of the
      anaesthesia machine. The aim of this study was to verify these hypotheses.
      METHODS: The course of general anaesthesia with the use of the EtC module was
      analysed for haemodynamic stability, depth of anaesthesia, end-expiratory
      concentration of anaesthetic, number of ventilator key presses, fentanyl supply,
      consumption of volatile agents and anaesthesia and operation times. These data
      were compared with the data obtained during general anaesthesia controlled
      manually and were processed with statistical tests. RESULTS: Seventy-four
      patients underwent general anaesthesia for scheduled operations. Group AUTO-ET (n
      = 35) was anaesthetized with EtC, and group MANUAL-ET (n = 39) was controlled
      manually. Both populations presented similar anaesthesia stability. No
      differences were noted in the time of anaesthesia, saturation up to MAC 1.0 or
      awakening. Data revealed no differences in mean EtAA or the fentanyl dose. The
      AUTO-ET group exhibited fewer key presses per minute, 0.0603 min-1, whereas the
      MANUAL-ET exhibited a value of 0.0842 min-1; P = 0.001. The automatic group
      consumed more anaesthetic and oxygen per minute (sevoflurane 0.1171 mL min-1;
      IQR: 0.0503; oxygen 1.8286 mL min-1, IQR: 1,3751) than MANUAL-ET (sevoflurane
      0.0824 mL min-1, IQR: 0.0305; oxygen 1,288 mL min-1, IQR: 0,6517) (P = 0.0028 and
      P = 0.0171, respectively). CONCLUSION: Both methods are equally stable and safe
      for patients. The consumption of volatile agents was significantly increased in
      the AUTO-ET group. EtC considerably reduces the number of key presses.

PMID- 28362033
TI  - Methods of pain assessment in adult intensive care unit patients - Polish version
      of the CPOT (Critical Care Pain Observation Tool) and BPS (Behavioral Pain
      Scale).
AB  - Many patients treated in the intensive care unit (ICU) experience pain that is a
      source of suffering and leaves a longterm imprint (chronic pain, post-traumatic
      stress disorder). Nearly 30% of patients experience pain at rest, while the
      percentage increases to 50% during nursing procedures. Pain in ICU patients can
      be divided into four categories: continuous ICU treatment-related
      pain/discomfort, acute illness-related pain, intermittent procedural pain and pre
      existing chronic pain present before ICU admission. As daily nursing procedures
      and interventions performed in the ICU may be a potential source of pain, it is
      crucial to use simple pain monitoring tools. The assessment of pain intensity in
      ICU patients remains an everyday challenge for clinicians, especially in sedated,
      intubated and mechanically ventilated patients. Regular assessment of pain
      intensity leads to improved outcome and better quality of life of patients in the
      ICU and after discharge from ICU. The gold standard in pain evaluation is patient
      self-reporting, which is not always possible. Current research shows that the two
      tools best validated for patients unable to self-report pain are the Behavioral
      Pain Scale (BPS) and the Critical Care Pain Observation Tool (CPOT). Although
      international guidelines recommend the use of validated tools for pain
      evaluation, they underline the need for translation into a given language. The
      authors of this publication obtained an official agreement from the authors of
      the two behavioral scales - CPOT and BPS - for translation into Polish.
      Validation of these tools in the Polish population will aid their wider use in
      pain assessment in ICUs in Poland.

PMID- 28362032
TI  - Randomized, comparative study of the effectiveness of three different techniques
      of interscalene brachial plexus block using 0.5% ropivacaine for shoulder
      arthroscopy.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Interscalene brachial plexus block is an effective regional
      anesthesia technique for shoulder surgeries. The superiority of the popular
      ultrasound-guided blocks over peripheral nerve stimulator-confirmed blocks
      remains unclear. In this study the efficacy of these different block techniques
      was compared. METHODS: This prospective, randomized, clinical study included 109
      patients (ASA grades I-III) who receive 20 mL 0.5% ropivacaine with ultrasound
      guided blocks (U group), peripheral nerve stimulator-confirmed blocks (N group),
      or ultrasound-guided and peripheral nerve stimulator-confirmed blocks (dual
      guidance; NU group) for elective shoulder arthroscopy. Block onset time,
      duration, and effectiveness on the Lovett rating scale were assessed. RESULTS:
      There was no statistically significant intergroup difference in duration of block
      performance, irrespective of the technique (P = 0.232). Onset time of complete
      warmth sensation loss (P < 0.001) and muscle strength abolition (P < 0.001) was
      significantly longer and mean Lovett rating scale score distribution was
      significantly higher in the N group than in the other groups (P < 0.001). These
      findings show a statistically significant correlation between the performance of
      the used block technique and the necessity of conversion to general anesthesia
      because of insufficient block in the N group (58.54%) than in the U (24.44%) and
      NU (19.57%) groups. CONCLUSIONS: Peripheral nerve stimulator-confirmed needle
      placement is not necessary to ensure effectiveness of ultrasound-guided blocks,
      which is expressed as a lack of necessity of conversion to general anesthesia.
      Nevertheless, the dual guidance technique is recommended to reduce the risk of
      complications and might be considered the regional anesthesia of choice for
      shoulder surgery.

PMID- 28362035
TI  - Commentary to the article "Neuromuscular blockade in the elderly".

PMID- 28362034
TI  - Silesian Registry of Intensive Care Units.

PMID- 28362036
TI  - Hypermobile laryngeal granulomas: a potential cause of false negative cuff leak
      test.

PMID- 28362037
TI  - Silicone stents save lives without surgery in postintubation subglottic stenosis.

PMID- 28362038
TI  - Anaphylaxis during cardiac surgery for hypertrophic cardiomyopathy:
      patholophysiologic and therapeutic considerations.

PMID- 28362039
TI  - In response to: Anaphylaxis during cardiac surgery for hypetrophic
      cardiomyopathy: pathophysiologic and therapeutic considerations.

PMID- 28362040
TI  - Alternating air-medium exposure in rotating bioreactors optimizes cell metabolism
      in 3D novel tubular scaffold polyurethane foams.
AB  - BACKGROUND: In vitro dynamic culture conditions play a pivotal role in developing
      engineered tissue grafts, where the supply of oxygen and nutrients, and waste
      removal must be permitted within construct thickness. For tubular scaffolds, mass
      transfer is enhanced by introducing a convective flow through rotating
      bioreactors with positive effects on cell proliferation, scaffold colonization
      and extracellular matrix deposition. We characterized a novel polyurethane-based
      tubular scaffold and investigated the impact of 3 different culture
      configurations over cell behavior: dynamic (i) single-phase (medium) rotation and
      (ii) double-phase exposure (medium-air) rotation; static (iii) single-phase
      static culture as control. METHODS: A new mixture of polyol was tested to create
      polyurethane foams (PUFs) as 3D scaffold for tissue engineering. The structure
      obtained was morphologically and mechanically analyzed tested. Murine fibroblasts
      were externally seeded on the novel porous PUF scaffold, and cultured under
      different dynamic conditions. Viability assay, DNA quantification, SEM and
      histological analyses were performed at different time points. RESULTS: The PUF
      scaffold presented interesting mechanical properties and morphology adequate to
      promote cell adhesion, highlighting its potential for tissue engineering
      purposes. Results showed that constructs under dynamic conditions contain
      enhanced viability and cell number, exponentially increased for double-phase
      rotation; under this last configuration, cells uniformly covered both the
      external surface and the lumen. CONCLUSIONS: The developed 3D structure combined
      with the alternated exposure to air and medium provided the optimal in vitro
      biochemical conditioning with adequate nutrient supply for cells. The results
      highlight a valuable combination of material and dynamic culture for tissue
      engineering applications.

PMID- 28362041
TI  - Chyluria: the state of the art.
AB  - Chyluria is the passage of chyle in the urine. The cause seems to be the rupture
      of retroperitoneal lymphatics into the pyelocaliceal system, giving urine a milky
      appearance. This communication is caused by the obstruction of lymphatic drainage
      proximal to intestinal lacteals, resulting in dilatation of distal lymphatics and
      the eventual rupture of lymphatic vessels into the urinary collecting system.This
      condition, if left untreated, leads to significant morbidity because of
      hematochyluria, recurrent renal colic, nutritional problems due to protein losses
      and immunosuppression resulting from lymphocyturia.In this review, we summarize
      the state of the art of this condition and the newest treatments available.

PMID- 28362042
TI  - Gadolinium contrast agents - are they really safe?
AB  - Gadolinium-based contrast agents (GBCA) are used worldwide for enhanced MRI
      examinations, including heart and vessels. Gadolinium is a highly toxic heavy
      metal. If used in GBCA it must be tightly bound to ligands. The configuration of
      ligands influences the stability of the GBCA and two types of chelates have been
      used. Macrocyclic chelates offer better protection and binding of gadolinium ion
      than linear chelates with a flexible open chain - gadolinium could be more easily
      released from the latter ones. GBCAs are excreted from the body mostly by the
      kidneys, which is of importance in chronic kidney disease.Two states are related
      to gadolinium: nephrogenic systemic fibrosis (NSF) and gadolinium body storage.
      NSF is a severe and debilitating disease, directly connected to gadolinium
      toxicity, proven after the use of linear chelates. Due to strict recommendations
      of radiology societies, NSF was practically eradicated. Gadolinium deposition was
      observed especially in bones and in some brain areas: in dentate nucleus and in
      globus pallidus, even years after the GBCA administration. The form of the
      storage (chelated or free), as well as their clinical impact, are not clear, but
      first observations of "gadolinium deposition disease" have been reported.

PMID- 28362044
TI  - Comparison of post-creation procedures and costs between surgical and an
      endovascular approach to arteriovenous fistula creation.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: Due to early and late failures that may occur with surgically
      created hemodialysis arteriovenous fistulas (SAVF), post-creation procedures are
      commonly required to facilitate AVF maturation and maintain patency. This study
      compared AVF post-creation procedures and their associated costs in patients with
      SAVF to patients with a new endovascularly created AVF (endoAVF). METHODS: A 5%
      random sample from Medicare Standard Analytical Files was abstracted to determine
      post-creation procedures and associated costs for SAVF created from 2011 to 2013.
      Medicare enrollment during the 6 months prior to and after the AVF creation was
      required. Patients' follow-up inpatient, outpatient, and physician claims were
      used to identify post-creation procedures and to estimate average procedure
      costs. Comparative procedural information on endoAVF was obtained from the Novel
      Endovascular Access Trial (NEAT). RESULTS: Of 3764 Medicare SAVF patients, 60
      successfully matched to endoAVF patients using 1:1 propensity score matching of
      baseline demographic and clinical characteristics. The total post-creation
      procedural event rate within 1 year was lower for endoAVF patients (0.59 per
      patient-year) compared to the matched SAVF cohort (3.43 per patient-year;
      p<0.05). In the endoAVF cohort, event rates of angioplasty, thrombectomy,
      revision, catheter placement, subsequent arteriovenous graft (AVG), new SAVF, and
      vascular access-related infection were all significantly lower than in the SAVF
      cohort. The average first year cost per patient-year associated with post
      creation procedures was estimated at US$11,240 USD lower for endoAVF than for
      SAVF. CONCLUSIONS: Compared to patients with SAVF, patients with endoAVF required
      fewer post-creation procedures and had lower associated mean costs within the
      first year.

PMID- 28362043
TI  - Transformation of the peripheral intravenous catheter placement experience in
      pediatrics.
AB  - BACKGROUND: "Needle pokes" are the most frequent cause of pain encountered by
      pediatric patients in the hospital setting. Poor control of pain during needle
      pokes leads to short- and long-term adverse outcomes for both patients and
      hospitals. J-Tips are a needle-free injection system that use pressurized gas to
      inject lidocaine in a fine stream of fluid that penetrates the skin. This study
      undertook an evaluation of their effectiveness at decreasing the pain of the
      needle poke that takes place with IV insertion. METHODS: Participation was
      limited to patients between the ages of 3 and 16 who received an IV during a 3
      week period at an academic pediatric hospital. Furthermore, patients requiring
      more than one attempt to place the IV were not included. Participants were
      recruited within 24 hours after having received their IV. The 10-point, Wong
      Baker Faces Pain Rating Scale was the tool used to collect pain scores. Patients
      were recruited to the study by convenience sampling. RESULTS: Pain scores were
      collected from 85 patients. There were 41 patients who received needle-free
      injected lidocaine prior to IV insertion. There were 44 patients who received an
      IV without previous lidocaine injection. Mean pain scores for the two groups were
      2.45 for the patients who received the needle-free injected lidocaine and 5.8 for
      the patients who did not (p value <0.001). CONCLUSIONS: Results were consistent
      with the hypothesis that needle-free injection of lidocaine is an effective
      therapy for the management of pain in children between the ages of 3-16 years who
      receive an IV.

PMID- 28362045
TI  - Optimizing the fluidized bed bioreactor as an external bioartificial liver.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Our team previously designed and validated a new bioartificial liver
      (BAL) called Suppliver based on a PrismaflexTM device, including fluidized bed
      bioreactors hosting alginate-encapsulated hepatocytes. To ensure correct
      fluidization within the bioreactor, the beads need to become heavier with the
      addition of inert glass microspheres. METHODS: In this study, we assessed the
      impact of this additional component on the bead production process, bed
      fluidization, mass transfer and the mechanical properties of the beads, as well
      as cell viability and basic metabolic function. RESULTS: A concentration of 20 mg
      (1% v/v) of microspheres for 15-20 million cells per milliliter of alginate
      solution appears to be the best configuration. The filling ratio for the beads in
      the bioreactors can reach 60%. Four 250-mL bioreactors represent approximately
      15% of the hepatocytes in a liver, which is a reasonable target for
      extracorporeal liver supply. CONCLUSIONS: Increasing bead density clearly
      maintained the performances of the fluidized bed with plasma of different
      compositions, without any risk of release out of the bioreactor. A 1% (v/v)
      concentration of microspheres in alginate solution did not result in any
      alteration of the mechanical or biological behavior. This concentration can thus
      be applied to the production of large-scale encapsulated biomass for further use
      of the Suppliver setup in human scale preclinical studies.

PMID- 28362046
TI  - Co-microencapsulation of BMSCs and mouse pancreatic beta cells for improving the
      efficacy of type I diabetes therapy.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: To overcome the shortcomings of pancreas transplantation and
      insulin injection treatment for type I diabetes, biocompatible materials were
      used to prepare alginate-chitosan-alginate microcapsules that co-encapsulated
      bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells and mouse pancreatic beta cells to treat
      diabetic mice. METHODS: Blank alginate-chitosan-alginate (ACA) microcapsules and
      co-microencapsulated cells were prepared using a high-voltage electrostatic
      method and then characterized using an inverted microscope. Cell viability was
      evaluated using AO/EB staining. ELISA kit was used to detect insulin secretion.
      Peri-orbital blood samples were obtained from the mice for blood glucose
      determination every week for one month. RESULTS: After 28 days of in vitro
      culture, the secretion of insulin following co-microencapsulation was higher than
      that observed for microencapsulated beta-TC-6 cells alone. On the 28th day after
      transplantation, the blood glucose level was 6.86 mmol/L in the microencapsulated
      beta-TC-6 group. On the 14th day, the blood glucose level was 6.80 mmol/L in the
      co-microencapsulated BMSC/beta-TC-6 group, which was close to the normal blood
      glucose level of healthy mice. These results indicated that the efficacy in
      reducing blood glucose was better in the co-microencapsulated BMSC/beta-TC-6
      group. CONCLUSIONS: This primary study indicated that combining
      microencapsulation technology and co-culture of stem cells and somatic cells
      shows promise for the treatment of type I diabetes mellitus.

PMID- 28362048
TI  - Comparison of estimates of resting energy expenditure equations in haemodialysis
      patients.
AB  - PURPOSE: Waste products of metabolism accumulate in patients with chronic kidney
      disease, and require clearance by haemodialysis (HD). We wished to determine
      whether there was an association between resting energy expenditure (REE) and
      total energy expenditure (TEE) in HD patients and body composition.
      SUBJECTS/METHODS: We determined REE by recently validated equations (CKD
      equation) and compared REE with that estimated by standard equations for REE, and
      TEE calculated from patient reported physical activity, in HD patients with
      corresponding body composition measured by dual energy X-ray absorptiometry
      (DEXA) scanning. RESULTS: We studied 107 patients, 69 male (64.5%), mean age 62.7
      +/- 15.1 years. The CKD equation REE was 72.5 +/- 13.3 watts (W) and TEE 83.2 +/-
      9.7 W. There was a strong association between REE with body surface area (BSA)
      (r2 = 0.80), total soft lean and fat lean tissue mass (r2 = 0.69), body mass
      index (BMI) (r2 = 0.34), all p<0.001. REE estimated using the modified Harris
      Benedict, Mifflin St. Jeor, Katch McArdle, Bernstein and Robertson equations
      underestimated REE compared to the CKD equation. TEE was more strongly associated
      with BSA (r2 = 0.51), appendicular muscle mass (r2 = 0.42), than BMI (r2 = 0.15)
      all p<0.001.TEE was greater for those employed (104.9 +/- 10.7 vs. 83.1 +/- 12.3
      W, p<0.001), and with no co-morbidity (88.7 +/- 14.8 vs. 82.7 +/- 12.3 W,
      p<0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Standard equations underestimate REE in HD patients
      compared to the CKD equation. TEE was greater in those with more skeletal muscle
      mass, in those who were employed and in those with the least co-morbidity. More
      metabolically active patients may well require greater dialytic clearances.

PMID- 28362047
TI  - The Vietnamese pig as a translational animal model to evaluate tissue engineered
      heart valves: promising early experience.
AB  - Several animal models are currently used for the surgical implantation of either
      biologic or biopolymeric scaffolds in order to provide in vivo assessment of
      tissue-engineered heart valves. The Vietnamese pig (VP) is herein proposed as a
      suitable recipient to test the function of novel bioengineered valve substitutes,
      in the reconstruction of the right ventricular outflow tract (RVOT). This review
      aims to provide a complete and exhaustive panel of physiological parameters and
      methodological information for preclinical studies of tissue-engineered heart
      valves in the VP animal model.

PMID- 28362049
TI  - Robotic-arm assisted total hip arthroplasty results in smaller acetabular cup
      size in relation to the femoral head size: a matched-pair controlled study.
AB  - PURPOSE: To compare the acetabular component size relative to the patient's
      native femoral head size between conventional THA (CTHA) approach and robotic-arm
      assisted THA (RTHA) to infer which of these techniques preserved more acetabular
      bone. METHODS: Patients were included if they had primary osteoarthritis (OA) and
      underwent total hip replacement between June 2008 and March 2014. Patients were
      excluded if they had missing or rotated postoperative anteroposterior
      radiographs. RTHA patients were matched to a control group of CTHA patients, in
      terms of preoperative native femoral head size, age, gender, body mass index
      (BMI) and approach. Acetabular cup size relative to femoral head size was used as
      a surrogate for amount of bone resected. We compared the groups according to 2
      measures describing acetabular cup diameter (c) in relation to femoral head
      diameter (f): (i) c-f, the difference between cup diameter and femoral head
      diameter and (ii) (c-f)/f, the same difference as a fraction of femoral head
      diameter. RESULTS: 57 matched pairs were included in each group. There were no
      significant differences between groups for demographic measures, femoral head
      diameter, or acetabular cup diameter (p>0.05). However, measures (i) and (ii) did
      differ significantly between the groups, with lower values in the RTHA group
      (p<0.02). CONCLUSIONS: Using acetabular cup size relative to femoral head size as
      an approximate surrogate measure of acetabular bone resection may suggest greater
      preservation of bone stock using RTHA compared to CTHA. Further studies are
      needed to validate the relationship between acetabular cup size and bone loss in
      THA.

PMID- 28362050
TI  - Clinical and radiographic outcomes of the Birmingham Hip Resurfacing arthroplasty
      at a minimum follow-up of 10 years: results from an independent centre.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Metal-on-metal hip resurfacing (MoMHR) has been proposed as an
      effective surgical treatment for young and active patients with symptomatic hip
      disease. Recently, good clinical and radiographic outcomes have been reported by
      the designer surgeons at a 15.3 years follow-up; however, results at long follow
      up by non-designer surgeons are less satisfactory. The aim of the study was to
      investigate if MoMHR can produce satisfactory clinical and radiographic results
      and if survival rate can be high even if the procedure is performed by non
      designer surgeons. METHODS: All patients were assessed about implant survival.
      All patients completed an Oxford Hip Score (OHS), Harris Hip Score (HHS) and a
      University of California Los Angeles (UCLA) activity score preoperatively, at 1
      year and at last available follow-up; at this time, a standard anteroposterior
      weight-bearing radiograph was performed. RESULTS: The survival rate with revision
      for any reason is 96%, similar to those obtained by designer surgeons. All the
      clinical scores improved over time: according to the OHS the survivors are
      asymptomatic and according to the UCLA maintain a high level of function. 6
      remodellings of the femoral neck and 2 heterotopic bone formations were seen, but
      they were asymptomatic. CONCLUSIONS: As designer surgeons have already shown,
      MoMHR can provide in active patients a durable treatment for hip arthritis, with
      low risk of revision and good results at 10 years follow-up, even if the
      procedure is performed by non-designer surgeons.

PMID- 28362051
TI  - Deep Capillary Macular Perfusion Indices Obtained with OCT Angiography Correlate
      with Degree of Nonproliferative Diabetic Retinopathy.
AB  - PURPOSE: To evaluate the integrity of macular and temporomacular vasculature in
      nonproliferative diabetic retinopathy (NPDR) with noninvasive optical coherence
      tomography angiography (OCTA) and correlate perfusion indices with degree of
      NPDR. METHODS: In this prospective observational cross-sectional study, 102 eyes
      with newly diagnosed NPDR (mild NPDR, 36; moderate NPDR, 21; severe NPDR, 13;
      NPDR with diabetic macular edema [DME], 32) underwent OCTA. Sixty eyes of normal
      subjects served as control. Degree of NPDR (based on Early Treatment Diabetic
      Retinopathy Study criteria) was confirmed with fluorescein angiography. Automated
      OCTA/split-spectrum amplitude decorrelation angiography software generated
      perfusion indices (vessel density and flow index) from images of the retina. The
      perfusion index of superficial and deep retinal plexuses was obtained in both
      perifoveal (central 1-3 mm) and parafoveal (3-6 mm) areas. RESULTS: Deep plexus
      parafoveal vessel density was 25.23% (+/-6.1) in mild NPDR, 20.16% (+/-6.16) in
      moderate NPDR, 11.16% (+/-4.16) in severe NPDR, and 17.91% (+/-4.42) in NPDR +
      DME compared to normal subjects (36.93% [+/-8.1]; (p<0.01). Spearman correlation
      coefficient (rs) between vessel density and level of NPDR severity in the
      parafoveal region showed inverse correlation for both superficial (rs -0.87; p =
      0.083) and deep (rs -0.96; p = 0.017) plexus. Similarly, when vessel density of
      the perifoveal region was compared with level of NPDR severity, inverse
      correlation was noted in both superficial (rs -0.85; p = 0.08) and deep (rs 
      0.98; p = 0.011) plexus. CONCLUSIONS: Optical coherence tomography angiography
      clearly delineated the retinal microcirculation and allowed quantification of
      vascular perfusion of each layer. As diabetic retinopathy progressed, a decrease
      in perfusion index is more pronounced in the deep retinal plexus and precedes
      changes in superficial plexus.

PMID- 28362052
TI  - Plasmapheresis, Intravenous Immunoglobulins, and Autologous Serum Eyedrops in the
      Acute Eye Complications of Toxic Epidermal Necrolysis.
AB  - PURPOSE: Toxic epidermal necrolysis (TEN) is a rare, life-threatening, drug
      induced, mucocutaneous disease, which can severely affect the ocular surface. The
      purpose of this study was to investigate the efficacy of plasmapheresis, human IV
      immunoglobulins (IVIg), and autologous serum (AS) eyedrops in the treatment of
      the severe acute ocular complications of TEN. METHODS: A retrospective chart
      review of all patients admitted to the Burn Unit, Azienda Ospedaliero
      Universitaria-Sassari, Sassari, Italy, from 2009 to 2015, identified 9 patients
      (2 men, 7 women; mean age 63.8 +/- 24.7 years) with TEN. Bilateral, acute ocular
      surface complications were observed in 7 (78%) patients; 3 showed catarrhal
      conjunctivitis, whereas 4 had severe pseudomembranous conjunctivitis and corneal
      ulcers. RESULTS: All patients with TEN were immediately treated with
      plasmapheresis and human IVIg, which produced a marked improvement in the
      patients' general condition. In the 3 with catarrhal conjunctivitis, preservative
      free artificial tears and topical antibiotics were beneficial. In the 4 with
      severe pseudomembranous conjunctivitis and corneal ulcers, treatment with AS
      eyedrops resulted in corneal and conjunctival epithelium healing over 3-6 weeks.
      After a minimum follow-up of at least 12 months, there were minimal/mild residual
      signs and symptoms of dry eye. CONCLUSIONS: Plasmapheresis and IVIg may be life
      saving and contribute to reduce ocular surface inflammation in TEN. Autologous
      serum eyedrops, prepared after plasmapheresis completion and IVIg infusion, may
      be helpful in the management of the severe acute ocular complications of TEN.

PMID- 28362053
TI  - To what extent may Botulinum toxin type A injections be an alternative choice to
      surgery in infantile esotropia?
AB  - INTRODUCTION: Evaluation of a single injection of botulinum toxin A in infantile
      esotropia as an alternative choice to surgery in a retrospective cases serie.
      METHODS: Patients (65 consecutive children aged 9 to 26 months with infantile
      strabismus) underwent botulinum toxin A injection in both medial recti Botulinum
      toxin A injection. Clinical datas including measurement of angle of deviation
      before and after injection. visual acuity, stereoscopy and side effects were
      observed in a 24 months period of follow-up. RESULTS: Stable satisfactory result
      (angle equal to or less than 8 dioptres) was obtained in 33 cases (50.7%).
      Excellent result (-2 to + 4 dioptres) were obtained in 17 children (26%).
      Additional surgery was required in 32 cases for a residual (albeit smaller angle
      than the initial deviation) or recurrent deviation and/or DVD (49,2%).
      CONCLUSIONS: Botulinum toxin A reduces the tonic spastic motor component of
      strabismus and, should additional surgery be required (49% in our series), allows
      the procedure to be carried out on a smaller angle. A reduction in the maximum
      angle of deviation is thus achieved sooner, and allows the development of
      anomalous binocularity in a stable microtropia.

PMID- 28362054
TI  - A randomized study of the efficacy and safety of 0.1% cyclosporine A cationic
      emulsion in treatment of moderate to severe dry eye.
AB  - PURPOSE: The SICCANOVE study aimed to compare the efficacy and safety of 0.1%
      cyclosporine A cationic emulsion (CsA CE) versus vehicle in patients with
      moderate to severe dry eye disease (DED). METHODS: In this multicenter, double
      masked, parallel-group, controlled study, patients were randomized (1:1) to
      receive CsA CE (Ikervis(r)) or vehicle for 6 months. The co-primary efficacy
      endpoints at month 6 were mean change from baseline in corneal fluorescein
      staining (CFS; modified Oxford scale) and in global ocular discomfort (visual
      analogue scale [VAS]). RESULTS: The mean change in CFS from baseline to month 6
      (CsA CE: n = 241; vehicle: n = 248) was significantly greater with CsA CE than
      with vehicle (-1.05 +/- 0.98 and -0.82 +/- 0.94, respectively; p = 0.009). Ocular
      discomfort improved similarly in both groups; however, the percentage of patients
      with >=25% improvement in VAS was significantly higher with CsA CE (50.2%) than
      with vehicle (41.9%; p = 0.048). In a post hoc analysis of patients with severe
      ocular surface damage (CFS score 4) at baseline (CsA CE: n = 43; vehicle: n =
      42), the percentage of patients with improvements of >=2 grades in CFS score and
      >=30% in Ocular Surface Disease Index score was significantly greater with CsA CE
      (p = 0.003). Treatment compliance and ocular tolerability were satisfactory and
      as expected for CsA use. CONCLUSION: Cyclosporine A CE was well-tolerated and
      effectively improved signs and symptoms in patients with moderate to severe DED
      over 6 months, especially in patients with severe disease, who are at risk of
      irreversible corneal damage.

PMID- 28362055
TI  - Author's reply to: Effectiveness of anti-VEGF treatment on ophthalmic radiation
      side effects.

PMID- 28362056
TI  - Effectiveness of anti-VEGF treatment on ophthalmic radiation side effects.

PMID- 28362057
TI  - Correlation between choroidal thickness and degree of myopia assessed with
      enhanced depth imaging optical coherence tomography.
AB  - PURPOSE: To assess the choroidal thickness in different degrees of myopia using
      enhanced depth imaging optical coherence tomography (EDI-OCT) compared with
      healthy subjects. METHODS: We included 240 patients with myopia and 60 emmetropes
      as controls. Participants underwent full ophthalmologic examination, axial length
      measurement, and EDI-OCT imaging of the choroid. Choroidal thickness (CT) was
      measured at 5 locations, including subfoveal (SFCT), 2 mm nasal, temporal, upper,
      and lower to fovea. RESULTS: Choroidal thickness was significantly lower in
      myopic eyes compared to controls. Regardless of the degree of myopia, nasal
      regions showed the lowest CT with decremental pattern with advance of myopia (low
      myopia 279.00 +/- 24.50 um, moderate myopia 269.58 +/- 20.69 um, high myopia
      189.58 +/- 25.95 um, advanced myopia 96.75 +/- 24.83 um). Highest CT was variable
      according to the degree of myopia with decremental pattern with advance of myopia
      (low myopia in subfoveal region 354.40 +/- 35.14 um, moderate myopia in temporal
      region 337.87 +/- 35.75 um, high myopia in lower region 312.15 +/- 38.90 um, and
      advanced myopia in upper region 201.25 +/- 18.27 um). Axial length showed
      significant negative correlation with SFCT and CT in different studied regions.
      CONCLUSIONS: Different degrees of myopia showed thinner choroidal thickness than
      that of normal control eyes with decremental thinning with progress of myopia.
      This might be secondary to the longer axial length, which was the determining
      factor in some locations such as subfoveal, nasal, and upper CT.

PMID- 28362058
TI  - Correlation between Postoperative Area of High Autofluorescence in Macula and
      Visual Acuity after Macular Hole Closure.
AB  - PURPOSE: To determine the correlation between the preoperative basal diameter of
      macular hole, the postoperative area of high autofluorescence (AF) in macula, and
      visual acuity in full-thickness macular hole. METHODS: Forty-nine patients with
      full-thickness macular hole who underwent vitrectomy and C3F8 filling were
      reviewed. The preoperative diameter of macular hole, the 6 months postoperative
      area of high AF in macula if it existed, the length of inner segment/outer
      segment (IS/OS) defect, and visual acuity were obtained. The correlation between
      them was determined. RESULTS: At postoperative 6 months, the rate of high AF in
      macula was 63.3%. There were statistical differences between with and without
      high AF groups in postoperative best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA) (t = -2.751,
      p = 0.008), preoperative basal diameter of macular hole (t = -4.946, p =
      0.00001), and postoperative length of IS/OS defect (t = -8.351, p<0.00001).
      Simple linear regression analysis showed high positive correlations between
      preoperative basal diameter of macular hole and area of high AF (p<0.00001, r =
      0.893), postoperative length of IS/OS defect and area of high fundus AF (FAF)
      (p<0.00001, r = 0.779), and negative correlations between area of high AF and
      postoperative BCVA (p = 0.037, r = 0.375). There was low correlation between
      diameter of macular hole and postoperative BCVA (p = 0.112). CONCLUSIONS: The
      preoperative basal diameter of macular hole and postoperative length of IS/OS
      defect decides the postoperative area of high AF in macula to some degree, and
      the postoperative area of high AF in macula can be an evaluating indicator for
      poor macular function recovery.

PMID- 28362059
TI  - Diffusion-weighted imaging in evaluating the efficacy of concurrent
      chemoradiotherapy in the treatment of non-small cell lung cancer.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: To explore the predictive value of diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI) in
      evaluating the short-term efficacy of concurrent chemoradiotherapy (CCRT) in the
      treatment of patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). METHODS: A total
      of 192 patients with NSCLC were selected and treated with CCRT. Dynamic contrast
      enhanced magnetic resonance imaging combined with DWI was performed on all
      patients before and after CCRT treatment. Correspondingly, apparent diffusion
      coefficient (ADC) values were recorded before treatment (ADCpre), during
      treatment (ADCmid), and after treatment (ADCpost). Tumor response was evaluated
      as complete response (CR), partial response (PR), stable disease (SD), or
      progressive disease (PD). Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves were
      used to evaluate the diagnostic power of quantitative DWI parameters in
      predicting the short-term efficacy of CCRT for patients with NSCLC. RESULTS:
      There were 21 patients with CR, 82 with PR, 77 with SD, and 12 with PD. The
      ADCpre was negatively correlated with tumor regression rate, whereas ADCmid,
      ADCpost, and their respective change rates ?ADCmid and ?ADCpost were positively
      related to tumor regression rate. The ROC curve analysis suggested ADCpre = 1.38
      * 10-3 mm2/s, ?ADCmid = 14.14%, and ?ADCpost = 20.39% as thresholds to predict
      the short-term efficacy of CCRT, with corresponding areas under the curve of
      0.637, 0.743, and 0.752, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: These findings indicate that
      DWI provides promising predictive value in evaluating the short-term efficacy of
      CCRT in the treatment of patients with NSCLC.

PMID- 28362060
TI  - Maintenance immunosuppression for adults undergoing liver transplantation: a
      network meta-analysis.
AB  - BACKGROUND: As part of liver transplantation, immunosuppression (suppressing the
      host immunity) is given to prevent graft rejections resulting from the immune
      response of the body against transplanted organ or tissues from a different
      person whose tissue antigens are not compatible with those of the recipient. The
      optimal maintenance immunosuppressive regimen after liver transplantation remains
      uncertain. OBJECTIVES: To assess the comparative benefits and harms of different
      maintenance immunosuppressive regimens in adults undergoing liver transplantation
      through a network meta-analysis and to generate rankings of the different
      immunosuppressive regimens according to their safety and efficacy. SEARCH
      METHODS: We searched CENTRAL, MEDLINE, Embase, Science Citation Index Expanded,
      World Health Organization International Clinical Trials Registry Platform, and
      trials registers until October 2016 to identify randomised clinical trials on
      immunosuppression for liver transplantation. SELECTION CRITERIA: We included only
      randomised clinical trials (irrespective of language, blinding, or publication
      status) in adult participants undergoing liver transplantation (or liver
      retransplantation) for any reason. We excluded trials in which participants had
      undergone multivisceral transplantation or participants with established graft
      rejections. We considered any of the various maintenance immunosuppressive
      regimens compared with each other. DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS: We performed a
      network meta-analysis with OpenBUGS using Bayesian methods and calculated the
      odds ratio, rate ratio, and hazard ratio (HR) with 95% credible intervals (CrI)
      based on an available-case analysis, according to National Institute of Health
      and Care Excellence Decision Support Unit guidance. MAIN RESULTS: We included a
      total of 26 trials (3842 participants) in the review, and 23 trials (3693
      participants) were included in one or more outcomes in the review. The vast
      majority of the participants underwent primary liver transplantation. All of the
      trials were at high risk of bias, and all of the evidence was of low or very low
      quality. In addition, because of sparse data involving trials at high risk of
      bias, it is not possible to entirely rely on the results of the network meta
      analysis. The trials included mainly participants undergoing primary liver
      transplantation of varied aetiologies. The follow-up in the trials ranged from 3
      to 144 months. The most common maintenance immunosuppression used as a control
      was tacrolimus. There was no evidence of difference in mortality (21 trials; 3492
      participants) or graft loss (15 trials; 2961 participants) at maximal follow-up
      between the different maintenance immunosuppressive regimens based on the network
      meta-analysis. In the direct comparison, based on a single trial including 222
      participants, tacrolimus plus sirolimus had increased mortality (HR 2.76, 95% CrI
      1.30 to 6.69) and graft loss (HR 2.34, 95% CrI 1.28 to 4.61) at maximal follow-up
      compared with tacrolimus. There was no evidence of differences in the proportion
      of people with serious adverse events (1 trial; 719 participants), proportion of
      people with any adverse events (2 trials; 940 participants), renal impairment (8
      trials; 2233 participants), chronic kidney disease (1 trial; 100 participants),
      graft rejections (any) (16 trials; 2726 participants), and graft rejections
      requiring treatment (5 trials; 1025 participants) between the different
      immunosuppressive regimens. The network meta-analysis showed that the number of
      adverse events was lower with cyclosporine A than with many other
      immunosuppressive regimens (12 trials; 1748 participants), and the risk of
      retransplantation (13 trials; 1994 participants) was higher with cyclosporine A
      than with tacrolimus (HR 3.08, 95% CrI 1.13 to 9.90). None of the trials reported
      number of serious adverse events, health-related quality of life, or costs.
      FUNDING: 14 trials were funded by pharmaceutical companies who would benefit from
      the results of the trial; two trials were funded by parties who had no vested
      interest in the results of the trial; and 10 trials did not report the source of
      funding. AUTHORS' CONCLUSIONS: Based on low-quality evidence from a single small
      trial from direct comparison, tacrolimus plus sirolimus increases mortality and
      graft loss at maximal follow-up compared with tacrolimus. Based on very low
      quality evidence from network meta-analysis, we found no evidence of difference
      between different immunosuppressive regimens. We found very low-quality evidence
      from network meta-analysis and low-quality evidence from direct comparison that
      cyclosporine A causes more retransplantation compared with tacrolimus. Future
      randomised clinical trials should be adequately powered; performed in people who
      are generally seen in the clinic rather than in highly selected participants;
      employ blinding; avoid postrandomisation dropouts or planned cross-overs; and use
      clinically important outcomes such as mortality, graft loss, renal impairment,
      chronic kidney disease, and retransplantation. Such trials should use tacrolimus
      as one of the control groups. Moreover, such trials ought to be designed in such
      a way as to ensure low risk of bias and low risks of random errors.

PMID- 28362061
TI  - Chlorhexidine mouthrinse as an adjunctive treatment for gingival health.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Dental plaque associated gingivitis is a reversible inflammatory
      condition caused by accumulation and persistence of microbial biofilms (dental
      plaque) on the teeth. It is characterised by redness and swelling of the gingivae
      (gums) and a tendency for the gingivae to bleed easily. In susceptible
      individuals, gingivitis may lead to periodontitis and loss of the soft tissue and
      bony support for the tooth. It is thought that chlorhexidine mouthrinse may
      reduce the build-up of plaque thereby reducing gingivitis. OBJECTIVES: To assess
      the effectiveness of chlorhexidine mouthrinse used as an adjunct to mechanical
      oral hygiene procedures for the control of gingivitis and plaque compared to
      mechanical oral hygiene procedures alone or mechanical oral hygiene procedures
      plus placebo/control mouthrinse. Mechanical oral hygiene procedures were
      toothbrushing with/without the use of dental floss or interdental cleaning aids
      and could include professional tooth cleaning/periodontal treatment.To determine
      whether the effect of chlorhexidine mouthrinse is influenced by chlorhexidine
      concentration, or frequency of rinsing (once/day versus twice/day).To report and
      describe any adverse effects associated with chlorhexidine mouthrinse use from
      included trials. SEARCH METHODS: Cochrane Oral Health's Information Specialist
      searched the following databases: Cochrane Oral Health's Trials Register (to 28
      September 2016); the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL;
      2016, Issue 8) in the Cochrane Library (searched 28 September 2016); MEDLINE Ovid
      (1946 to 28 September 2016); Embase Ovid (1980 to 28 September 2016); and CINAHL
      EBSCO (Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature; 1937 to 28
      September 2016). We searched ClinicalTrials.gov and the World Health Organization
      International Clinical Trials Registry Platform for ongoing trials. No
      restrictions were placed on the language or date of publication when searching
      the electronic databases. SELECTION CRITERIA: We included randomised controlled
      trials assessing the effects of chlorhexidine mouthrinse used as an adjunct to
      mechanical oral hygiene procedures for at least 4 weeks on gingivitis in children
      and adults. Mechanical oral hygiene procedures were toothbrushing with/without
      use of dental floss or interdental cleaning aids and could include professional
      tooth cleaning/periodontal treatment. We included trials where participants had
      gingivitis or periodontitis, where participants were healthy and where some or
      all participants had medical conditions or special care needs. DATA COLLECTION
      AND ANALYSIS: Two review authors independently screened the search results
      extracted data and assessed the risk of bias of the included studies. We
      attempted to contact study authors for missing data or clarification where
      feasible. For continuous outcomes, we used means and standard deviations to
      obtain the mean difference (MD) and 95% confidence interval (CI). We combined MDs
      where studies used the same scale and standardised mean differences (SMDs) where
      studies used different scales. For dichotomous outcomes, we reported risk ratios
      (RR) and 95% CIs. Due to anticipated heterogeneity we used random-effects models
      for all meta-analyses. MAIN RESULTS: We included 51 studies that analysed a total
      of 5345 participants. One study was assessed as being at unclear risk of bias,
      with the remaining 50 being at high risk of bias, however, this did not affect
      the quality assessments for gingivitis and plaque as we believe that further
      research is very unlikely to change our confidence in the estimate of effect.
      Gingivitis After 4 to 6 weeks of use, chlorhexidine mouthrinse reduced gingivitis
      (Gingival Index (GI) 0 to 3 scale) by 0.21 (95% CI 0.11 to 0.31) compared to
      placebo, control or no mouthrinse (10 trials, 805 participants with mild gingival
      inflammation (mean score 1 on the GI scale) analysed, high-quality evidence). A
      similar effect size was found for reducing gingivitis at 6 months. There were
      insufficient data to determine the reduction in gingivitis associated with
      chlorhexidine mouthrinse use in individuals with mean GI scores of 1.1 to 3
      (moderate or severe levels of gingival inflammation). Plaque Plaque was measured
      by different indices and the SMD at 4 to 6 weeks was 1.45 (95% CI 1.00 to 1.90)
      standard deviations lower in the chlorhexidine group (12 trials, 950 participants
      analysed, high-quality evidence), indicating a large reduction in plaque. A
      similar large reduction was found for chlorhexidine mouthrinse use at 6 months.
      Extrinsic tooth staining There was a large increase in extrinsic tooth staining
      in participants using chlorhexidine mouthrinse at 4 to 6 weeks. The SMD was 1.07
      (95% CI 0.80 to 1.34) standard deviations higher (eight trials, 415 participants
      analysed, moderate-quality evidence) in the chlorhexidine mouthrinse group. There
      was also a large increase in extrinsic tooth staining in participants using
      chlorhexidine mouthrinse at 7 to 12 weeks and 6 months. Calculus Results for the
      effect of chlorhexidine mouthrinse on calculus formation were inconclusive.
      Effect of concentration and frequency of rinsing There were insufficient data to
      determine whether there was a difference in effect for either chlorhexidine
      concentration or frequency of rinsing. Other adverse effects The adverse effects
      most commonly reported in the included studies were taste disturbance/alteration
      (reported in 11 studies), effects on the oral mucosa including soreness,
      irritation, mild desquamation and mucosal ulceration/erosions (reported in 13
      studies) and a general burning sensation or a burning tongue or both (reported in
      nine studies). AUTHORS' CONCLUSIONS: There is high-quality evidence from studies
      that reported the Loe and Silness Gingival Index of a reduction in gingivitis in
      individuals with mild gingival inflammation on average (mean score of 1 on the 0
      to 3 GI scale) that was not considered to be clinically relevant. There is high
      quality evidence of a large reduction in dental plaque with chlorhexidine
      mouthrinse used as an adjunct to mechanical oral hygiene procedures for 4 to 6
      weeks and 6 months. There is no evidence that one concentration of chlorhexidine
      rinse is more effective than another. There is insufficient evidence to determine
      the reduction in gingivitis associated with chlorhexidine mouthrinse use in
      individuals with mean GI scores of 1.1 to 3 indicating moderate or severe levels
      of gingival inflammation. Rinsing with chlorhexidine mouthrinse for 4 weeks or
      longer causes extrinsic tooth staining. In addition, other adverse effects such
      as calculus build up, transient taste disturbance and effects on the oral mucosa
      were reported in the included studies.

PMID- 28362062
TI  - A novel Online-to-Offline (O2O) model for pre-exposure prophylaxis and HIV
      testing scale up.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: PrEP awareness and uptake among men who have sex with men (MSM) and
      transgender women (TG) in Thailand remains low. Finding ways to increase HIV
      testing and PrEP uptake among high-risk groups is a critical priority. This study
      evaluates the effect of a novel Adam's Love Online-to-Offline (O2O) model on PrEP
      and HIV testing uptake among Thai MSM and TG and identifies factors associated
      with PrEP uptake. METHODS: The O2O model was piloted by Adam's Love
      (www.adamslove.org) HIV educational and counselling website. MSM and TG reached
      online by PrEP promotions and interested in free PrEP and/or HIV testing services
      contacted Adam's Love online staff, received real-time PrEP eCounseling, and
      completed online bookings for receiving services at one of the four sites in
      Bangkok based on their preference. Auto-generated site- and service-specific e
      tickets and Quick Response (QR) codes were sent to their mobile devices enabling
      monitoring and check-in by offline site staff. Service uptake and participant's
      socio-demographic and risk behaviour characteristics were analyzed. Factors
      associated with PrEP uptake were assessed using multiple logistic regression.
      RESULTS: Between January 10th and April 11th, 2016, Adam's Love reached 272,568
      people online via the PrEP O2O promotions. 425 MSM and TG received eCounseling
      and e-tickets. There were 325 (76.5%) MSM and TG who checked-in at clinics and
      received HIV testing. Nine (2.8%) were diagnosed with HIV infection. Median (IQR)
      time between receiving the e-ticket and checking-in was 3 (0-7) days. Of 316 HIV
      negative MSM and TG, 168 (53.2%) started PrEP. In a multivariate model, higher
      education (OR 2.30, 95%CI 1.14-4.66; p = 0.02), seeking sex partners online (OR
      2.05, 95%CI 1.19-3.54; p = 0.009), being aware of sexual partners' HIV status (OR
      2.37, 95%CI 1.29-4.35; p = 0.008), ever previously using post-exposure
      prophylaxis (PEP) (OR 2.46, 95%CI 1.19-5.09; p = 0.01), and enrolment at Adam's
      Love clinic compared to the other three sites (OR 3.79, 95%CI 2.06-6.95; p <
      0.001) were independently associated with PrEP uptake. CONCLUSION: Adam's Love
      O2O model is highly effective in linking online at-risk MSM and TG to PrEP and
      HIV testing services, and has high potential to be replicated and scaled up in
      other settings with high Internet penetration among key populations.

PMID- 28362063
TI  - Adherence to antiretroviral therapy for HIV in sub-Saharan Africa and Asia: a
      comparative analysis of two regional cohorts.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: Our understanding of how to achieve optimal long-term adherence to
      antiretroviral therapy (ART) in settings where the burden of HIV disease is
      highest remains limited. We compared levels and determinants of adherence over
      time between HIV-positive persons receiving ART who were enrolled in a bi
      regional cohort in sub-Saharan Africa and Asia. METHODS: This multicentre
      prospective study of adults starting first-line ART assessed patient-reported
      adherence at follow-up clinic visits using a 30-day visual analogue scale.
      Determinants of suboptimal adherence (<95%) were assessed for six-month
      intervals, using generalized estimating equations multivariable logistic
      regression with multiple imputations. Region of residence (Africa vs. Asia) was
      assessed as a potential effect modifier. RESULTS: Of 13,001 adherence assessments
      in 3934 participants during the first 24 months of ART, 6.4% (837) were
      suboptimal, with 7.3% (619/8484) in the African cohort versus 4.8% (218/4517) in
      the Asian cohort (p < 0.001). In the African cohort, determinants of suboptimal
      adherence were male sex (odds ratio (OR) 1.27, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.06
      1.53; p = 0.009), younger age (OR 0.8 per 10 year increase; 0.8-0.9; p = 0.003),
      use of concomitant medication (OR 1.8, 1.0-3.2; p = 0.044) and attending a public
      facility (OR 1.3, 95% CI 1.1-1.7; p = 0.004). In the Asian cohort, adherence was
      higher in men who have sex with men (OR for suboptimal adherence 0.6, 95% CI 0.4
      0.9; p = 0.029) and lower in injecting drug users (OR for suboptimal adherence
      1.6, 95% CI 0.9-2.6; p = 0.075), compared to heterosexuals. Risk of suboptimal
      adherence decreased with longer ART duration in both regions. Participants in low
      and lower-middle-income countries had a higher risk of suboptimal adherence (OR
      1.6, 1.3-2.0; p < 0.001), compared to those in upper-middle or high-income
      countries. Suboptimal adherence was strongly associated with virological failure,
      in Africa (OR 5.8, 95% CI 4.3-7.7; p < 0.001) and Asia (OR 9.0, 95% CI 5.0-16.2;
      p < 0.001). Patient-reported adherence barriers among African participants
      included scheduling demands, drug stockouts, forgetfulness, sickness or adverse
      events, stigma or depression, regimen complexity and pill burden. CONCLUSION:
      Psychosocial factors and health system resources may explain regional
      differences. Adherence-enhancing interventions should address patient-reported
      barriers tailored to local settings, prioritizing the first years of ART.

PMID- 28362064
TI  - Leveraging social capital: multilevel stigma, associated HIV vulnerabilities, and
      social resilience strategies among transgender women in Lima, Peru.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: In Peru, transgender women (TW) experience unique vulnerabilities
      for HIV infection due to factors that limit access to, and quality of, HIV
      prevention, treatment and care services. Yet, despite recent advances in
      understanding factors associated with HIV vulnerability among TW globally,
      limited scholarship has examined how Peruvian TW cope with this reality and how
      existing community-level resilience strategies are enacted despite pervasive
      social and economic exclusion facing the community. Addressing this need, our
      study applies the understanding of social capital as a social determinant of
      health and examines its relationship to HIV vulnerabilities to TW in Peru.
      METHODS: Using qualitative methodology to provide an in-depth portrait, we
      assessed (1) intersections between social marginalization, social capital and HIV
      vulnerabilities; and (2) community-level resilience strategies employed by TW to
      buffer against social marginalization and to link to needed HIV-related services
      in Peru. Between January and February 2015, 48 TW participated (mean age = 29,
      range = 18-44) in this study that included focus group discussions and
      demographic surveys. Analyses were guided by an immersion crystallization
      approach and all coding was conducted using Dedoose Version 6.1.18. RESULTS:
      Themes associated with HIV vulnerability included experiences of multilevel
      stigma and limited occupational opportunities that placed TW at risk for, and
      limited their engagement with, existing HIV services. Emergent resiliency-based
      strategies included peer-to-peer and intergenerational knowledge sharing,
      supportive clinical services (e.g. group-based clinic attendance) and emotional
      support through social cohesion (i.e. feeling part of a community). CONCLUSION:
      This study highlights the importance of TW communities as support structures that
      create and deploy social resiliency-based strategies aimed at deterring and
      mitigating the impact of social vulnerabilities to discrimination,
      marginalization and HIV risk for individual TW in Peru. Public health strategies
      seeking to provide HIV prevention, treatment and care for this population will
      benefit from recognizing existing social capital within TW communities and
      incorporating its strengths within HIV prevention interventions. At the
      intersection of HIV vulnerabilities and collective agency, dimensions of bridging
      and bonding social capital emerged as resiliency strategies used by TW to access
      needed healthcare services in Peru. Fostering TW solidarity and peer support are
      key components to ensure acceptability and sustainability of HIV prevention and
      promotion efforts.

PMID- 28362065
TI  - Alcohol use, viral hepatitis and liver fibrosis among HIV-positive persons in
      West Africa: a cross-sectional study.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: Liver fibrosis is often the first stage of liver disease in people
      living with HIV (PLWHIV) in industrialized countries. However, little is known
      about liver fibrosis and its correlates among PLWHIV in sub-Saharan Africa.
      METHODS: The study was undertaken in three HIV referral clinics in Cote d'Ivoire,
      Senegal and Togo. Enrolled PLWHIV underwent a non-invasive assessment of liver
      fibrosis combining liver stiffness measure (LSM) with transient elastography and
      the aspartate aminotransferase-to-platelet ratio index (APRI). Significant liver
      fibrosis was defined as LSM >=7.1 kPa. Patients were screened for alcohol use
      (alcohol use disorder identification test (AUDIT)-C questionnaire), hepatitis B
      virus (HBV) antigen, hepatitis Delta virus (HDV) antibody and anti-hepatitis C
      (HCV) antibody. A logistic regression model was used to identify the factors
      associated with significant liver fibrosis. RESULTS: A total of 807 PLWHIV were
      screened at a median age of 43 years (interquartile range (IQR): 36-50). Their
      median CD4 count was 393 cells/mm3 (IQR: 234-563) and 682 (84.5%) were on
      antiretroviral therapy (ART). The prevalence of significant fibrosis was 5.3%
      (3.8-6.7). Infections with HBV and HCV were identified in 74 (9.2%) and nine
      (1.1%) participants. Main factors associated with liver fibrosis were alcohol use
      (AUDIT-C >6): (odds ratio (OR) = 4.0, confidence interval (CI): 1.2-14.0), (Ref.
      AUDIT-C <4) and HBV infection (OR = 2.9, CI: 1.2-7.2). Of the 74 patients
      positively screened for HBV, 50.0% were on a tenofovir-based ART regimen.
      Overall, 10% of HIV/HBV coinfected patients were detected with a positive HDV
      antibody with a higher prevalence in patients with a significant liver fibrosis
      (43.0%) compared to others (6.3%) (p = 0.01). CONCLUSION: Considering the WHO
      recommendations to screen for HBV infection and treat co-infected patients with
      tenofovir-based ART, screening of alcohol use and brief interventions to prevent
      alcohol abuse should be implemented in West Africa, especially in HBV/HIV co
      infected patients.

PMID- 28362066
TI  - Adverse event profile of a mature voluntary medical male circumcision programme
      performing PrePex and surgical procedures in Zimbabwe.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: The frequency of adverse events (AEs) is a widely used indicator of
      voluntary medical male circumcision (VMMC) programme quality. Though over 11.7
      million male circumcisions (MCs) have been performed, little published data
      exists on the profile of AEs from mature, large-scale programmes. No published
      data exists on routine implementation of PrePex, a device-based MC method.
      METHODS: The ZAZIC Consortium began implementing VMMC in Zimbabwe in 2013,
      supporting services at 36 facilities. Aggregate data on VMMC outputs are
      collected monthly from each facility. Detailed forms are completed describing the
      profile of each moderate and severe AE. Bivariate and multivariable analyses were
      conducted using log-binomial regression models. RESULTS: From October 2014
      through September 2015, 44,868 clients were circumcised with 156 clients
      experiencing a moderate or severe AE. 96.2% of clients had a follow-up visit
      within 14 days of their procedure. AEs were uncommon, with 0.3% (116/41,416) of
      surgical and 1.2% (40/3,452) of PrePex clients experiencing a moderate or severe
      AE. After adjusting for VMMC site, we found that PrePex was associated with a
      3.29-fold (95% CI: 1.78-6.06) increased risk of experiencing an AE compared to
      surgical procedures. Device displacements, when the PrePex device is
      intentionally or accidentally dislodged during the 7-day placement period,
      accounted for 70% of PrePex AEs. The majority of device displacements were
      intentional self-removals. Overall, infection was the most common AE among VMMC
      clients. Compared to clients aged 20 and above, clients aged 10-14 were 3.07-fold
      (95% CI: 1.36-6.91) more likely to experience an infection and clients aged 15-19
      were 1.80-fold (95% CI: 0.82-3.92) more likely to experience an infection,
      adjusted for site. CONCLUSION: This exploratory analysis found that clients
      receiving PrePex were more likely to experience an AE than surgical circumcision
      clients. This is largely attributable to the occurrence of device displacements,
      which require prompt access to corrective surgical MC procedures as part of their
      clinical management. Most device displacements were self-removals which are
      preventable if client behaviour could be modified through counselling
      interventions. We also found that infection after MC is more common among younger
      clients, who may benefit from additional counselling or increased parental
      involvement.

PMID- 28362068
TI  - Liver fibrosis regression and progression during controlled hepatitis B virus
      infection among HIV-HBV patients treated with tenofovir disoproxil fumarate in
      France: a prospective cohort study.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: Long-term tenofovir disoproxil fumarate (TDF) use has been
      associated with significant regression of liver fibrosis during hepatitis B virus
      (HBV) mono-infection, yet little is known during HIV-HBV coinfection. The aim of
      this study was to evaluate the evolution of liver fibrosis and its determinants
      in TDF-treated coinfected patients. METHODS: In this prospective cohort study,
      167 HIV-HBV-infected patients initiating TDF-containing antiretroviral therapy
      were included. Fibrosis was assessed using the FibroTest(r) at baseline and every
      six to twelve months. Risk factors for fibrosis progression (F0-F1-F2 to F3-F4)
      and regression (F3-F4 to F0-F1-F2) were evaluated. RESULTS: At baseline, 134
      (80.2%) patients had detectable HBV-DNA (median = 4.93 log10 IU/mL, IQR = 2.94
      7.15) and 104 (62.3%) had hepatitis B "e" antigen-positive serology. Median
      follow-up was sixty months (IQR = 36-93). In the 47 (28.1%) patients with F3-F4
      baseline fibrosis, 7/47 (14.9%) regressed to F0-F1-F2 at last follow-up visit.
      Fibrosis regression was significantly associated with higher CD4+ cell counts (P
      = 0.009) and lower fasting triglyceride levels (P = 0.007) at TDF-initiation. In
      the 120 (71.9%) patients with F0-F1-F2-baseline fibrosis, 20/120 (16.7%)
      progressed to F3-F4 at last follow-up visit. Fibrosis progression was associated
      with male gender (P = 0.01), older age (P = 0.001), from low/moderate HBV-endemic
      country (P = 0.007), lower nadir CD4+ cell count (P = 0.03), higher fasting
      glycaemia (P = 0.03) and anaemia (P = 0.004) at TDF-initiation. Control of HBV
      replication at end of follow-up was extensive (88.1%), while no HBV-related
      factors emerged as predictors of progression/regression. Incidence of severe
      liver-related events was low (n = 4, rate = 0.5/100 person-years). CONCLUSION:
      Liver fibrosis levels are stable for most coinfected patients undergoing TDF,
      despite control of HBV replication. Nevertheless, a concerning amount of liver
      fibrosis progression did occur, which could be partly explained by metabolic
      abnormalities and past severe immunosuppression and requires further evaluation.

PMID- 28362070
TI  - Awareness and perceived fairness of Option B+ in Malawi: A population-level
      perspective
AB  - INTRODUCTION: Policies for rationing antiretroviral therapy (ART) have been
      subject to on-going ethical debates. Introduced in Malawi in 2011, Option B+
      prioritized HIV-positive pregnant women for lifelong ART regardless of the
      underlying state of their immune system, shifting the logic of allocation away
      from medical eligibility. Despite the rapid expansion of this policy, we know
      little about how it has been understood and interpreted by the people it affects.
      METHODS: We assessed awareness and perceived fairness of the prioritization
      system for ART among a population-based sample of young women (n = 1440) and
      their partners (n = 574) in southern Malawi. We use a card-sort technique to
      elicit understandings of who gets ART under Option B+ and who should be
      prioritized, and we compare perceptions to actual ART policy using sequence
      analysis and optimal matching. We then use ordered logistic regression to
      identify the factors associated with policy awareness. RESULTS: In 2015, only
      30.7% of women and 21.1% of male partners understood how ART was being
      distributed. There was widespread confusion around whether otherwise healthy HIV
      positive pregnant women could access ART under Option B + . Nonetheless, more
      young adults thought that the fairest policy should prioritize such women than
      believed the actual policy did. Women who were older, more educated or had
      recently engaged with the health system through antenatal care or ART had more
      accurate understandings of Option B + . Among men, policy awareness was lower,
      and was patterned only by education. CONCLUSION: Although most respondents were
      unaware that Option B+ afforded ART access to healthy-pregnant women, Malawians
      support the prioritization of pregnant women. Countries adopting Option B+ or
      other new ART policies such as universal test-and-treat should communicate the
      policies and their rationales to the public - such transparency would be more
      consistent with a fair and ethical process and could additionally serve to
      clarify confusion and enhance retention..

PMID- 28362067
TI  - Personal contact with HIV-positive persons is associated with reduced HIV-related
      stigma: cross-sectional analysis of general population surveys from 26 countries
      in sub-Saharan Africa.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: HIV-related stigma hampers treatment and prevention efforts
      worldwide. Effective interventions to counter HIV-related stigma are greatly
      needed. Although the "contact hypothesis" suggests that personal contact with
      persons living with HIV (PLHIV) may reduce stigmatizing attitudes in the general
      population, empirical evidence in support of this hypothesis is lacking. Our aim
      was to estimate the association between personal contact with PLHIV and HIV
      related stigma among the general population of sub-Saharan Africa. METHODS:
      Social distance and anticipated stigma were operationalized using standard HIV
      related stigma questions contained in the Demographic and Health Surveys and AIDS
      Indicator Surveys of 26 African countries between 2003 and 2008. We fitted
      multivariable logistic regression models with country-level fixed effects,
      specifying social distance as the dependent variable and personal contact with
      PLHIV as the primary explanatory variable of interest. RESULTS: We analyzed data
      from 206,717 women and 91,549 men living in 26 sub-Saharan African countries. We
      estimated a statistically significant negative association between personal
      contact with PLHIV and desires for social distance (adjusted odds ratio [AOR] =
      0.80; p < 0.001; 95% Confidence Interval [CI], 0.73-0.88). In a sensitivity
      analysis, a similar finding was obtained with a model that used a community-level
      variable for personal contact with PLHIV (AOR = 0.92; p < 0.001; 95% CI, 0.89
      0.95). CONCLUSION: Personal contact with PLHIV was associated with reduced
      desires for social distance among the general population of sub-Saharan Africa.
      More contact interventions should be developed and tested to reduce the stigma of
      HIV.

PMID- 28362071
TI  - Differential effects of antiretrovirals on microbial translocation and gut
      microbiota composition of HIV-infected patients.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: Increased bacterial translocation and alterations to gut microbiota
      composition have been described in HIV infection and contribute to immune
      activation and inflammation. These effects persist despite combined
      antiretroviral therapy (cART). However, the contribution of different cART
      combinations has not yet been investigated. The aim of this study was to analyse
      the long-term effects of different combinations of cART on bacterial
      translocation and gut microbiota composition in HIV-infected patients. METHODS:
      We carried out a cross-sectional study of 45 HIV-infected patients on cART,
      classified as nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors (NRTIs)+ protease
      inhibitors (PIs) (n = 15), NRTIs+ non-nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors
      (NNRTIs) (n = 22), and NRTIs+ integrase strand transfer inhibitors (INSTIs) (n =
      8). Untreated HIV-infected patients (n = 5) and non-infected volunteers (n = 21)
      were also included. Soluble markers of bacterial translocation and inflammation
      were measured and gut microbiota composition was analysed using 16S rDNA
      pyrosequencing (Illumina MiSeq). RESULTS: The NRTIs+INSTIs regimen was associated
      with levels of systemic inflammation that were similar to uninfected controls.
      The reduction in faecal bacterial diversity induced by HIV infection was also
      restored by this regimen. HIV infection was more closely related to changes in
      lower taxonomic units and diversity rather than at the phylum level. The
      NRTIs+PIs regimen showed the highest reduction in bacterial species, whereas
      NRTIs+INSTIs induced a minor loss of bacterial species and a significant increase
      in others. CONCLUSION: Our study demonstrated that INSTI-based ART was associated
      with levels of systemic inflammation and microbial diversity similar to that of
      uninfected controls. The role of INSTIs other than raltegravir needs to be
      further investigated. Patients on the NRTIs+PIs regimen presented the highest
      reduction in bacterial species compared with other antiretrovirals and naive
      patients. Thus, different cART regimens are associated with diverse profiles in
      gut microbiota composition. Longitudinal and functional studies are needed to
      better understand these findings.

PMID- 28362072
TI  - Postnatal HIV transmission in breastfed infants of HIV-infected women on ART: a
      systematic review and meta-analysis.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: To systematically review the literature on mother-to-child
      transmission in breastfed infants whose mothers received antiretroviral therapy
      and support the process of updating the World Health Organization infant feeding
      guidelines in the context of HIV and ART. METHODS: We reviewed experimental and
      observational studies; exposure was maternal HIV antiretroviral therapy (and
      duration) and infant feeding modality; outcomes were overall and postnatal HIV
      transmission rates in the infant at 6, 9, 12 and 18 months. English literature
      from 2005 to 2015 was systematically searched in multiple electronic databases.
      Papers were analysed by narrative synthesis; data were pooled in random effects
      meta-analyses. Postnatal transmission was assessed from four to six weeks of
      life. Study quality was assessed using a modified Newcastle-Ottawa Scale (NOS)
      and GRADE. RESULTS: Eleven studies were identified, from 1439 citations and
      review of 72 abstracts. Heterogeneity in study methodology and pooled estimates
      was considerable. Overall pooled transmission rates at 6 months for breastfed
      infants with mothers on antiretroviral treatment (ART) was 3.54% (95% CI: 1.15
      5.93%) and at 12 months 4.23% (95% CI: 2.97-5.49%). Postnatal transmission rates
      were 1.08 (95% CI: 0.32-1.85) at six and 2.93 (95% CI: 0.68-5.18) at 12 months.
      ART was mostly provided for PMTCT only and did not continue beyond six months
      postpartum. No study provided data on mixed feeding and transmission risk.
      CONCLUSION: There is evidence of substantially reduced postnatal HIV transmission
      risk under the cover of maternal ART. However, transmission risk increased once
      PMTCT ART stopped at six months, which supports the current World Health
      Organization recommendations of life-long ART for all.

PMID- 28362074
TI  - Validity and reliability of submaximal fitness tests based on perceptual
      variables.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Few studies examined the validity of fitness tests based on
      perception scales. The field-based fitness tests batteries are composed by
      maximal tests and currently, a battery of submaximal tests does not exist.
      METHODS: Seventeen physically active male participants (age 40.5+/-10.7 years)
      performed the Multistage Fitness Test, the Crunch Test, the Push-Up Test and a
      Trunk Flexion Test with a submaximal protocol based on perceptual variables that
      were defined as non-validated submaximal. The mentioned tests were repeated three
      times to assess their reliability. The participants also performed four validated
      maximal tests comprising a velocity dependent ramp test on the treadmill, the
      Crunch Test, the Push-Up Test, and Sit-and-Reach Test. The submaximal tests were
      correlated to the maximal ones to assess their criterion validity. RESULTS: All
      the submaximal tests showed an ICC superior to 0.8 apart from the submaximal
      Crunch Test. The correlation between Maximal Treadmill Test and submaximal
      Multistage Fitness Test was 0.77. The correlation between Sit-and-Reach Test and
      submaximal Trunk Flexion Test was 0.71. Correlations equal to 0.66 and 0.60 were
      found between the maximal and submaximal Crunch Test and Push-Up Test
      respectively. CONCLUSIONS: The use of submaximal tests based on a fixed value of
      perception can represent a suitable tool to assess cardiorespiratory fitness and
      flexibility because of their correlation with the corresponding maximal
      evaluation tests and because of their reliability. On the contrary, muscular
      endurance capacity seems not to be assessable in the same manner.

PMID- 28362073
TI  - Feasibility and acceptability of HIV self-testing among pre-exposure prophylaxis
      users in Kenya.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: HIV testing is key to the delivery of pre-exposure prophylaxis
      (PrEP): testing HIV-uninfected at-risk persons is the first step for PrEP
      initiation and ongoing HIV testing is an essential part of PrEP delivery. Thus,
      novel and cost-effective HIV-testing approaches to streamline delivery of PrEP
      are urgently needed. Within a demonstration project of PrEP for HIV prevention
      among high-risk HIV serodiscordant couples in Kenya (the Partners Demonstration
      Project), we conducted a pilot evaluation of HIV self-testing. METHODS: Clinic
      visits were scheduled quarterly and included in-clinic HIV testing using
      fingerstick rapid HIV tests and refills of PrEP prescriptions. HIV oral fluid
      self-test kits were provided for participants to use in the two-month interval
      between scheduled quarterly clinic visits. Acceptability of HIV self-testing was
      assessed using both quantitative and qualitative methods. RESULTS: We found that
      222 of 226 (98%) HIV-uninfected persons who were offered accepted self-testing.
      Nearly all (96.8%) reported that using the self-testing kit was easy. More than
      half (54.5%) reportedly did not share the HIV results from self-testing with
      anyone and almost all (98.7%) the participants did not share the HIV self-testing
      kits with anyone. Many participants reported that HIV self-testing was empowering
      and reduced anxiety associated with waiting between clinic HIV tests. CONCLUSION:
      HIV self-testing was highly acceptable and may therefore be a feasible strategy
      to efficiently permit routine HIV testing between PrEP refills.

PMID- 28362075
TI  - Association between the number of daily steps and the cardiovascular risk factors
      in basic education teachers.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Regular physical activity is suggested as an important non
      pharmacological mechanism to prevent cardiovascular diseases. Thus, the objective
      the present study was to verify the association of the number of daily steps with
      cardiovascular risk factors in basic education teachers and analyze the
      suitability of the cutoff of 10,000 steps/day as a predictor for the main risk
      factors in this sample. METHODS: Two hundred teachers (43.2+/-10.2 years) of
      basic education were assessed in Vicosa, Brazil. It was analyzed the number of
      daily steps, Body Mass Index (BMI), waist circumference (WC), waist-hip ratio,
      body fat percentage (%BF), systolic and diastolic blood pressure, glucose, total
      cholesterol, high-density (HDL-C) and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, non
      HDL cholesterol and triglycerides. RESULTS: The group which exceeded the 10,000
      steps had lower BMI, BF% and triglycerides (P<0.05) compared to those who did not
      reach this value. A weak inverse correlation between the number of steps and BMI,
      WC and %BF was observed. Overweight and dyslipidemia were significantly
      associated with low number of steps (<10,000). The average number of daily steps
      was predictive of major cardiovascular risk factors, with the best cutoff near
      the 8000 steps for the presented results. CONCLUSIONS: Basic education teachers
      who exceed the 10,000 daily steps have a lower BMI, %BF and triglycerides. On the
      other hand, teachers who do not overcome show a greater chance of overweight and
      dyslipidemia. The cutoff point of 8000 steps/day in this sample had an
      appropriate value in the prediction of the risk factors analyzed.

PMID- 28362076
TI  - A systematic review of preclinical studies on therapeutic potential of stem cells
      or stem cells products in peritoneal fibrosis.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: Peritoneal fibrosis remains a serious complication of long-term
      peritoneal dialysis. Stem cell therapy is an innovative field of scientific
      investigation with potential for clinical application. Here, we systematically
      reviewed the studies to determine whether stem cell based therapy could improve
      the peritoneal fibrosis in experimental models of peritoneal fibrosis. EVIDENCE
      ACQUISITION: Our systematic search of PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, and
      Cochrane Library yield 5219 article. After screening for eligibility, in vivo,
      experimental, interventional studies using stem cells in animal models of
      peritoneal fibrosis; 11 articles were included. The studies underwent
      comprehensive review, quality assessment, and data extraction. EVIDENCE
      SYNTHESIS: Mesenchymal stem cells were the most used type (90.9%) originated
      either from bone marrow (70%), adipose tissue (20%), or umbilical cord (10%). In
      90.9% of studies, stem cells were injected after peritoneal insult and 63.6% of
      studies used the intraperitoneal injection route. Eight studies met the >=50% of
      criteria indicated by ARRIVE recommendation. Information regarding the nature of
      ethical review permissions, species, strain and gender, dose, route and duration
      of treatment, was stated by all studies; 81.8% of the studies reported the number
      of animals in each group. Adverse events were reported in one study. Improvement
      in histological parameters including attenuation of submesothelial thickness
      (100%), inflammation (62.5%), angiogenesis (60%), and fibrosis (85.7%) was
      reported after stem cell therapy. Peritoneal permeability function by assessing
      the ultrafiltration, glucose transport and solute permeability was improved in
      all studies. Stem cell treatment resulted in mesothelial recovery in 100% of
      studies. CONCLUSIONS: In preclinical studies, the use of stem cells is associated
      with improved peritoneal fibrosis. This may provide an important foundation to
      support future translational clinical research using stem cell therapy to repair
      the injured peritoneum and modulate immune responses in PD patients.

PMID- 28362077
TI  - Lactosylated Glycogen Nanoparticles for Targeting Prostate Cancer Cells.
AB  - Glyconanoparticles that exhibit multivalent binding to lectins are desirable for
      molecular recognition and therapeutic applications. Herein we explore the use of
      glycogen nanoparticles as a biosourced glycoscaffold for engineering multivalent
      glyconanoparticles. Glycogen nanoparticles, a naturally occurring highly branched
      polymer of glucose, was functionalized with lactose, achieved through copper(I)
      catalyzed alkyne-azide cycloaddition chemistry, for targeted interaction with
      lectins ex situ and on prostate cancer cells. The lactosylated glycogen, which
      contains terminal beta-galactoside moieties, is termed galacto-glycogen (GG), and
      is found to interact strongly with peanut agglutinin (PNA), a beta-galactoside
      specific lectin, as observed by optical waveguide lightmode spectroscopy, dynamic
      light scattering, and quartz crystal microbalance measurements. The GG
      nanoparticles exhibit multivalent binding to PNA with an affinity constant of 3.4
      * 105 M-1, and the GG-PNA complex cannot be displaced by lactose, demonstrating
      the competitive binding of GG to the lectin. These GG nanoparticles were tested
      for association with prostate cancer cell membranes in vitro, where the particles
      exhibited a high affinity for the membrane, as observed from flow cytometry and
      confocal microscopy. This is inferred to result from specific extracellular
      galectin-1 targeting. Furthermore, the GG nanoparticles induce aggregation
      between prostate cancer cells. Our results highlight a strategy for engineering a
      biosourced polysaccharide with surface moieties that exhibit strong multivalent
      interactions with lectins, and targeted interaction with prostate cancer cells.

PMID- 28362078
TI  - The Anxiolytic Etifoxine Binds to TSPO Ro5-4864 Binding Site with Long Residence
      Time Showing a High Neurosteroidogenic Activity.
AB  - The low binding affinity of the approved anxiolytic drug etifoxine (Stresam) at
      the steroidogenic 18 kDa translocator protein (TSPO) has questioned the specific
      contribution of this protein in mediating the etifoxine neurosteroidogenic
      efficacy. Residence time (RT) at the binding site of the classical TSPO ligand
      PK11195 is emerging as a relevant neurosteroidogenic efficacy measure rather than
      the binding affinity. Here etifoxine was evaluated for (i) the in vitro
      neurosteroidogenic activity in comparison to poorly neurosteroidogenic reference
      TSPO ligands (PK11195 and Ro5-4864) and (ii) the affinity and RT at [3H]PK11195
      and [3H]Ro5-4864 binding sites in rat kidney membranes. Etifoxine shows (i) high
      neurosteroidogenic efficacy and (ii) low affinity/short RT at the [3H]PK11195
      site and low affinity/long RT at the [3H]Ro5-4864 site, at which etifoxine
      competitively bound. These findings suggest that the long RT of etifoxine at the
      Ro5-4864 binding site could account for its high neurosteroidogenic efficacy.

PMID- 28362079
TI  - Role of Defects and Surface States in the Carrier Transport and Nonlinearity of
      the Diode Characteristics in PbS/ZnO Quantum Dot Solar Cells.
AB  - The roles of bulk surface states and interfacial defects are probed
      experimentally using a combination of current-voltage, capacitance-voltage, and
      impedance measurements. The critical importance of the quality of both the film
      and interfaces is evident in current-voltage measurements where shunting and
      interface states result in large dark currents and the subsequent loss of Jsc.
      These properties are shown to be critically related to the nature and role of the
      PbS QD interface with the (nominally) ohmic gold contact. Specifically, the
      nonideality of this interface results in the formation of an electric field and
      therefore a Schottky barrier that opposes the transport of carriers across the
      conventional ZnO-PbS CQD system. Nonidealities in the structure and absorber
      layer are also reflected in nonmonotonic behavior and dispersion in C-V
      measurements with trapping processes on the CQD surfaces, and the ZnO/PbS and
      PbS/Au interfaces also affecting the carrier dynamics, which is reflected in the
      response time of these systems under different biases.

PMID- 28362080
TI  - Polymer Composite with Improved Thermal Conductivity by Constructing a
      Hierarchically Ordered Three-Dimensional Interconnected Network of BN.
AB  - In this work, we report a fabrication of epoxy resin/ordered three-dimensional
      boron nitride (3D-BN) network composites through combination of ice-templating
      self-assembly and infiltration methods. The polymer composites possess much
      higher thermal conductivity up to 4.42 W m-1 K-1 at relatively low loading 34 vol
      % than that of random distribution composites (1.81 W m-1 K-1 for epoxy/random 3D
      BN composites, 1.16 W m-1 K-1 for epoxy/random BN composites) and exhibit a high
      glass transition temperature (178.9-229.2  degrees C) and dimensional stability
      (22.7 ppm/K). We attribute the increased thermal conductivity to the unique
      oriented 3D-BN thermally conducive network, in which the much higher thermal
      conductivity along the in-plane direction of BN microplatelets is most useful.
      This study paves the way for thermally conductive polymer composites used as
      thermal interface materials for next-generation electronic packaging and 3D
      integration circuits.

PMID- 28362082
TI  - Pore-Scale Geochemical Reactivity Associated with CO2 Storage: New Frontiers at
      the Fluid-Solid Interface.
AB  - The reactivity of carbonate and silicate minerals is at the heart of porosity and
      pore geometry changes in rocks injected with CO2, which ultimately control the
      evolution of flow and transport properties of fluids in porous and/or fractured
      geological reservoirs. Modeling the dynamics of CO2-water-rock interactions is
      challenging because of the resulting large geochemical disequilibrium, the
      reservoir heterogeneities, and the large space and time scales involved in the
      processes. In particular, there is a lack of information about how the
      macroscopic properties of a reservoir, e.g., the permeability, will evolve as a
      result of geochemical reactions at the molecular scale. Addressing this point
      requires a fundamental understanding of how the microstructures influence the
      macroscopic properties of rocks. The pore scale, which ranges from a few
      nanometers to centimeters, has stood out as an essential scale of observation of
      geochemical processes in rocks. Transport or surface reactivity limitations due
      to the pore space architecture, for instance, are best described at the pore
      scale itself. It can be also considered as a mesoscale for aggregating and
      increasing the gain of fundamental understanding of microscopic interfacial
      processes. Here we focus on the potential application of a combination of
      physicochemical measurements coupled with nanoscale and microscale imaging
      techniques during laboratory experiments to improve our understanding of the
      physicochemical mechanisms that occur at the fluid-solid interface and the
      dynamics of the coupling between the geochemical reactions and flow and transport
      modifications at the pore scale. Imaging techniques such as atomic force
      microscopy, vertical scanning interferometry, focused ion beam transmission
      electron microscopy, and X-ray microtomography, are ideal for investigating the
      reactivity dynamics of these complex materials. Minerals and mineral assemblages,
      i.e., rocks, exhibit heterogeneous and anisotropic reactivity, which challenges
      the continuum description of porous media and assumptions required for reactive
      transport modeling at larger scales. The conventional approach, which consists of
      developing dissolution rate laws normalized to the surface area, should be
      revisited to account for both the anisotropic crystallographic structure of
      minerals and the transport of chemical species near the interface, which are
      responsible for the intrinsic evolution of the mineral dissolution rate as the
      reaction progresses. In addition, the crystal morphology and the mineral
      assemblage composition, texture, and structural heterogeneities are crucial in
      determining whether the permeability and transport properties of the reservoir
      will be altered drastically or maintain the sealing properties required to ensure
      the safe sequestration of CO2 for hundreds of years. Investigating the transport
      properties in nanometer- to micrometer-thick amorphous Si-rich surface layers
      (ASSLs), which develop at the fluid-mineral interface in silicates, provides
      future direction, as ASSLs may prevent contact between the dissolving solids and
      the pore fluid, potentially inhibiting the dissolution/carbonation process.
      Equally, at a larger scale, the growth of micrometer- to millimeter-thick
      alteration layers, which result from the difference in reactivity between
      silicates and carbonates, slows the transport in the vicinity of the fluid-solid
      interface in polymineralic rocks, thus limiting the global reactivity of the
      carbonate matrix. In contrast, in pure limestone, the global reactivity of the
      monomineralic rock decreases because the flow localization promotes the local
      reactivity within the forming channels, thus enhancing permeability changes
      compared with more homogeneous dissolution of the rock matrix. These results
      indicate that the transformation of the rock matrix should control the evolution
      of the transport properties in reservoirs injected with CO2 to the same extent as
      the intrinsic chemical reactivity of the minerals and the reservoir
      hydrodynamics. This process, which is currently not captured by large-scale
      modeling of reactive transport, should benefit from the increasing capabilities
      of noninvasive and nondestructive characterization tools for pore-scale
      processes, ultimately constraining reactive transport modeling and improving the
      reliability of predictions.

PMID- 28362081
TI  - Photosensitized H2 Production Using a Zinc Porphyrin-Substituted Protein,
      Platinum Nanoparticles, and Ascorbate with No Electron Relay: Participation of
      Good's Buffers.
AB  - Development of efficient light-driven splitting of water, 2H2O -> 2H2 + O2, often
      attempts to optimize photosensitization of the reductive and oxidative half
      reactions individually. Numerous homogeneous and heterogeneous systems have been
      developed for photochemical stimulation of the reductive half reaction, 2H+ + 2e-
      -> H2. These systems generally consist of various combinations of a H+ reduction
      catalyst, a photosensitizer (PS), and a "sacrificial" electron donor. Zinc(II)
      porphyrins (ZnPs) have frequently been used as PSs for H2 generation, but they
      are subject to various self-quenching processes in aqueous solutions. Colloidal
      platinum in nanoparticle form (Pt NP) is a classical H+ reduction catalyst using
      ZnP photosensitizers, but efficient photosensitized H2 generation requires an
      electron relay molecule between ZnP and Pt NP. The present report describes an
      aqueous system for visible (white) light-sensitized generation of H2 using a
      protein-embedded Zn(II)-protoporphyrin IX as PS and Pt NP as H+ reduction
      catalyst without an added electron relay. This system operated efficiently in
      piperazino- and morpholino-alkylsulfonic acid (Good's buffers), which served as
      sacrificial electron donors. The system also required ascorbate at relatively
      modest concentrations, which stabilized the Zn(II)-protoporphyrin IX against
      photodegradation. In the absence of an electron relay molecule, the
      photosensitized H2 generation must involve formation of at least a transient
      complex between a protein-embedded Zn(II)-protoporphyrin IX species and Pt NP.

PMID- 28362084
TI  - Fluorometric Biosniffer Camera "Sniff-Cam" for Direct Imaging of Gaseous Ethanol
      in Breath and Transdermal Vapor.
AB  - Various volatile organic compounds can be found in human transpiration, breath
      and body odor. In this paper, a novel two-dimensional fluorometric imaging
      system, known as a "sniffer-cam" for ethanol vapor released from human breath and
      palm skin was constructed and validated. This imaging system measures ethanol
      vapor concentrations as intensities of fluorescence through an enzymatic reaction
      induced by alcohol dehydrogenase (ADH). The imaging system consisted of multiple
      ultraviolet light emitting diode (UV-LED) excitation sheet, an ADH enzyme
      immobilized mesh substrate and a high-sensitive CCD camera. This imaging system
      uses ADH for recognition of ethanol vapor. It measures ethanol vapor by measuring
      fluorescence of nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NADH), which is produced by an
      enzymatic reaction on the mesh. This NADH fluorometric imaging system achieved
      the two-dimensional real-time imaging of ethanol vapor distribution (0.5-200
      ppm). The system showed rapid and accurate responses and a visible measurement,
      which could lead to an analysis of metabolism function at real time in the near
      future.

PMID- 28362083
TI  - Ultrasensitive and Selective Sensing of Selenium Using Nitrogen-Rich Ligand
      Interfaced Carbon Quantum Dots.
AB  - This work reports a label-free, ultrasensitive, and selective optical
      chemosensory system for trace level detection of selenite (SeO32-), the most
      toxic form of selenium, in water. The probe, i.e., carbon quantum dots (CQDs), is
      designed from citric acid by means of pyrolysis and is interfaced with a newly
      synthesized nitrogen-rich ligand to create a selective sensor platform
      (functionalized CQDs, fCQDs) for selenite in a water matrix. Spectral (NMR, UV
      vis, photoluminescence, Raman, and Fourier transform infrared analyses) and
      structural (high-resolution transmission electron microscopy) characteristics of
      the designed new probe were investigated. The developed sensor exhibits high
      sensitivity (limit of detection = 0.1 ppb), a wide detection range (0.1-1000 ppb
      range, relative standard deviation: 3.2%), and high selectivity even in the
      presence of commonly interfering ions reported to date, including Cl-, NO3-, NO2
      , Br-, F-, As(V), As(III), Cu2+, Pb2+, Cd2+, Zn2+, Sr2+, Rb2+, Na+, Ca2+, Cs+,
      K+, Mg2+, Li+, NH4+, Co2+, etc. The observed selectivity is due to designed
      ligand characteristics in terms of strong Se-N chemistry. Ultrafast spectroscopic
      analysis of the fCQDs in the absence and presence of selenite was studied to
      understand the sensing mechanism. The sensor was successfully exemplified for
      real water samples and exhibits comparative performance to conventional ion
      channel chromatography as well as flame atomic absorption spectroscopy for
      selenite analysis. The promising results pave ways for realization of a field
      deployable device based upon a developed probe for selenite quantification in
      water.

PMID- 28362085
TI  - Wetting Transition of Condensed Droplets on Nanostructured Superhydrophobic
      Surfaces: Coordination of Surface Properties and Condensing Conditions.
AB  - Nanostructured superhydrophobic surfaces have been actively explored to promote
      favorable droplet dynamics for a wide range of technological applications.
      However, the tendency of condensed droplets to form as pinned states greatly
      limits their applicability in enhancing condensation heat transfer efficiency.
      Despite recent progresses, the understanding of physical mechanisms governing the
      wetting transition of condensed droplets is still lacking. In this work, a
      nanostructured superhydrophobic surface with tapered nanogaps is fabricated to
      demonstrate the coordination of surface wetting property, topography, and the
      condensing condition on the wetting state and dynamic behavior of condensed
      droplets. Combining the environmental scanning electron microscopy and optical
      visualization methods, we systematically show the morphology of nucleated
      droplets in nanostructures and the droplet dynamic evolution throughout the
      growth stages, which provides the direct evidence of condensing condition-induced
      droplet wetting transition. When the surface subcooling is smaller than 0.3 K,
      the droplets formed as the Cassie-Baxter state, followed by coalescence-induced
      droplet jumping. With the increase of surface subcooling up to 0.6 K, however,
      droplet formation occurs randomly inside nanogaps, resulting in the loss of
      superhydrophobicity. These new observations along with the new insights about the
      coordination of surface properties and condensing conditions on droplet wetting
      transition are useful for guiding the development of novel surfaces for improving
      droplet removal and phase-change heat transfer.

PMID- 28362087
TI  - Elucidating the Structures of the Low- and High-pH Mo(V) Species in Respiratory
      Nitrate Reductase: A Combined EPR, 14,15N HYSCORE, and DFT Study.
AB  - Respiratory nitrate reductases (Nars), members of the prokaryotic Mo/W-bis
      Pyranopterin Guanosine dinucleotide (Mo/W-bisPGD) enzyme superfamily, are key
      players in nitrate respiration, a major bioenergetic pathway widely used by
      microorganisms to cope with the absence of dioxygen. The two-electron reduction
      of nitrate to nitrite takes place at their active site, where the molybdenum ion
      cycles between Mo(VI) and Mo(IV) states via a Mo(V) intermediate. The active site
      shows two distinct pH-dependent Mo(V) electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR)
      signals whose structure and catalytic relevance have long been debated. In this
      study, we use EPR and HYSCORE techniques to probe their nuclear environment in
      Escherichia coli Nar (EcNar). By using samples prepared at different pH and
      through different enrichment strategies in 98Mo and 15N nuclei, we demonstrate
      that each of the two Mo(V) species is coupled to a single nitrogen nucleus with
      similar quadrupole characteristics. Structure-based density functional theory
      calculations allow us to propose a molecular model of the low-pH Mo(V) species
      consistent with EPR spectroscopic data. Our results show that the metal ion is
      coordinated by a monodentate aspartate ligand and permit the assignment of the
      coupled nitrogen nuclei to the Ndelta of Asn52, a residue located ~3.9 A to the
      Mo atom in the crystal structures. This is confirmed by measurements on
      selectively 15N-Asn labeled EcNar. Further, we propose a Mo-O(H)...HN structure
      to account for the transfer of spin density onto the interacting nitrogen nucleus
      deduced from HYSCORE analysis. This work provides a foundation for monitoring the
      structure of the molybdenum active site in the presence of various substrates or
      inhibitors in Nars and other molybdenum enzymes.

PMID- 28362088
TI  - Potential Retinal Benefits of Dietary Polyphenols Based on Their Permeability
      across the Blood-Retinal Barrier.
AB  - Whether all dietary polyphenols nourish the eyes via oral supplementation is
      controversial. Given that passage of dietary polyphenols across the blood-retina
      barrier (BRB) is the precondition for polyphenols to exhibit ocular benefits, the
      BRB permeability of polyphenols was assessed in this study. Being common dietary
      polyphenols in fruits and vegetables, nonanthocyanin flavonoids, anthocyanins,
      and phenolic acids were investigated. BRB was simulated in vitro by using a
      differentiated retinal pigment epithelial cell monolayer cultivated on a
      Transwell culture system. Penetration rate was calculated by quantitatively
      analyzing the polyphenols in basolateral media. The BRB permeability of different
      polyphenols obviously (p < 0.05) differed, as follows: phenolic acids >
      nonanthocyanin flavonoids > anthocyanins. Glycosylation and methylation improved
      the BRB permeability of nonanthocyanin flavonoids and anthocyanins. However,
      instability and carbonylation at the C-4 position severely suppressed the BRB
      permeability of anthocyanins and nonanthocyanin flavonoids. Moreover, a new
      metabolite was discovered during penetration of anthocyanins into the BRB.
      However, hydrophilic phenolic acids exhibited better BRB permeability than
      hydrophobic ones. Data demonstrate that BRB permeability of polyphenols was
      determined based on structural characteristics, hydrophilicity, stability, and
      metabolic changes.

PMID- 28362086
TI  - Caging and Photoactivation in Single-Molecule Forster Resonance Energy Transfer
      Experiments.
AB  - Caged organic fluorophores are established tools for localization-based super
      resolution imaging. Their use relies on reversible deactivation of standard
      organic fluorophores by chemical reduction or commercially available caged dyes
      with ON switching of the fluorescent signal by ultraviolet (UV) light. Here, we
      establish caging of cyanine fluorophores and caged rhodamine dyes, i.e., chemical
      deactivation of fluorescence, for single-molecule Forster resonance energy
      transfer (smFRET) experiments with freely diffusing molecules. They allow
      temporal separation and sorting of multiple intramolecular donor-acceptor pairs
      during solution-based smFRET. We use this "caged FRET" methodology for the study
      of complex biochemical species such as multisubunit proteins or nucleic acids
      containing more than two fluorescent labels. Proof-of-principle experiments and a
      characterization of the uncaging process in the confocal volume are presented.
      These reveal that chemical caging and UV reactivation allow temporal uncoupling
      of convoluted fluorescence signals from, e.g., multiple spectrally similar donor
      or acceptor molecules on nucleic acids. We also use caging without UV
      reactivation to remove unwanted overlabeled species in experiments with the
      homotrimeric membrane transporter BetP. We finally outline further possible
      applications of the caged FRET methodology, such as the study of weak biochemical
      interactions, which are otherwise impossible with diffusion-based smFRET
      techniques because of the required low concentrations of fluorescently labeled
      biomolecules.

PMID- 28362089
TI  - New Phenol Benzoate Cyanine Picolinium Salt Photoacid Excited-State Proton
      Transfer.
AB  - Steady-state and time-resolved fluorescence techniques were employed to study the
      excited-state proton transfer (ESPT) to water and D2O of a new photoacid, phenol
      benzoate cyanine picolinium salt (BCyP). We found that the ground-state pKa is
      about 6.5, whereas the excited-state pKa* is about -4.5. The ESPT rate constant,
      kPT, to water is ~0.5 * 1012s-1 (tauPT ~ 2 ps) and in D2O the rate is 0.33 * 1012
      s-1. We determined that the BCyP photoacid belongs to the third regime of
      photoacids, the solvent-controlled regime.

PMID- 28362091
TI  - Synthesis of Cyano-Containing Phenanthridine Derivatives via Catalyst-, Base-,
      and Oxidant-Free Direct Cyanoalkylarylation of Isocyanides.
AB  - An efficient catalyst-, base-, and oxidant-free direct cyanoalkylarylation of
      isocyanides with AIBN has been developed under mild conditions. This strategy
      provides an elusive and rapid access to a wide range of cyano-containing
      phenanthridine derivatives in good yields via a one-pot alkylation/cyclization
      radical-cascade process. The mild reaction conditions together with no need of
      any catalyst, base, or oxidant make this protocol environmentally benign and
      practical.

PMID- 28362090
TI  - Effects of alpha-Galactooligosaccharides from Chickpeas on High-Fat-Diet-Induced
      Metabolic Syndrome in Mice.
AB  - The gut microbiota has the ability to modulate host energy homeostasis, which may
      regulate metabolic disorders. Functional oligosaccharide may positively regulate
      the intestinal microbiota. Therefore, effects of alpha-galactooligosaccharides
      (alpha-GOS) from chickpea on high-fat-diet (HFD)-induced metabolic syndrome and
      gut bacterial dysbiosis were investigated. After 6 weeks of intervention, HFD led
      to significant increases in levels of blood glucose, total cholesterol,
      triglyceride, glycated serum protein, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, and
      low-density lipoprotein cholesterol of mice compared to normal-chow-fed mice.
      Meanwhile, all of the alpha-GOS-treated groups significantly decreased above
      parameters compared to the HFD group. HFD could significantly decrease the
      content of all bacteria, especially Bacteroides (9.82 +/- 0.09 versus 10.3 +/-
      0.10; p < 0.05) and Lactobacillus (6.67 +/- 0.18 versus 7.30 +/- 0.24; p < 0.05),
      and a decrease in the production of short-chain fatty acids was also observed.
      Treatment with alpha-GOS significantly increased the number of Bifidobacterium
      (6.07 +/- 0.23 of the low-dose treatment versus 5.65 +/- 0.20 of the HFD group)
      and Lactobacillus (7.22 +/- 0.16 of the low-dose treatment). It also
      significantly promoted the secretion of propionic and butyric acids. These
      results indicate that alpha-GOS from chickpeas may affect the metabolic disorders
      and gut bacterial ecosystem in a positive way.

PMID- 28362092
TI  - Spiro Metalla-aromatics of Pd, Pt, and Rh: Synthesis and Characterization.
AB  - Since the concept of aromaticity represents one of the most fundamental
      principles in chemistry, the search for unprecedented and exciting aromatic
      systems, therefore, continues to drive research in this area. Herein we report
      the synthesis and characterization of spiro metalla-aromatics, in which the
      transition metal (Pd, Pt, or Rh) is the spiro atom, that cross-conjugates two
      aromatic five-membered metallacycles. These spiro metalla-aromatics tend to take
      square planar geometries, with the dihedral angle being influenced by the steric
      repulsion between the alpha-positioned substituents. Rationalized and classified
      via both experimental measurements (X-ray structural analysis, NMR spectroscopy,
      XPS, etc.) and theoretical analysis (DFT calculation, ISE, AICD, NICS, and CMOs),
      all these fundamental observations extend the concept of aromaticity and
      organometallic chemistry.

PMID- 28362094
TI  - Extraction, Processing, and Storage Effects on Curcuminoids and Oleoresin Yields
      from Curcuma longa L. Grown in Jamaica.

PMID- 28362093
TI  - Selective and Robust Stabilization of Triplex DNA Structures Using Cationic Comb
      type Copolymers.
AB  - DNA sequences capable of forming triplexes induce DNA double-strand breaks that
      have attracted attention in genome editing technologies (e.g., CRISPR/Cas9
      system, TALEN, and ZFN). Therefore, novel functional tools that stabilize triplex
      DNA structures must be further investigated to spark renewed interest. In this
      study, we investigated the unique character of cationic comb-type copolymers for
      the selective stabilization of triplex DNA. The melting temperature (Tm) of
      triplex DNA increased from 24.5 to 73.0  degrees C (DeltaTm = 48.5  degrees C) by
      the addition of poly(allylamine)-graft-dextran (PAA-g-Dex) under physiological
      conditions (at pH 7.0), while PAA-g-Dex did not stabilize but rather destabilized
      the DNA duplex. On the other hand, poly(l-lysine)-graft-dextran (PLL-g-Dex)
      stabilized both the duplex and triplex structures at pH 7.0. Thermodynamic
      parameters evaluated by isothermal titration calorimetry (ITC) revealed that the
      binding constant (Ka) for the intermolecular triplex formation in the presence of
      PAA-g-Dex was 1.1 * 109 M-1 at 25  degrees C which is more than 10 times larger
      than that in the presence of PLL-g-Dex (8.6 * 107 M-1). Stabilizing activity and
      selectivity of cationic copolymers toward DNA assemblies were successfully
      controlled by selecting appropriate backbone structures of the copolymer. Various
      functional molecules that stabilize DNA duplexes have been developed and used in
      biological research. However, there are few cationic polymers that stabilize
      triplex DNA selectively. This study indicates that PAA-g-Dex has great potential
      to regulate the biological activities of triplex DNA.

PMID- 28362095
TI  - Correction to "Transition-Metal-Free Alkynylation of 2-Oxindoles through Radical
      Radical Coupling".

PMID- 28362096
TI  - Ultrahigh-Capacity Lithium-Oxygen Batteries Enabled by Dry-Pressed Holey Graphene
      Air Cathodes.
AB  - Lithium-oxygen (Li-O2) batteries have the highest theoretical energy density of
      all the Li-based energy storage systems, but many challenges prevent them from
      practical use. A major obstacle is the sluggish performance of the air cathode,
      where both oxygen reduction (discharge) and oxygen evolution (charge) reactions
      occur. Recently, there have been significant advances in the development of
      graphene-based air cathode materials with a large surface area and catalytically
      active for both oxygen reduction and evolution reactions, especially with
      additional catalysts or dopants. However, most studies reported so far have
      examined air cathodes with a limited areal mass loading rarely exceeding 1
      mg/cm2. Despite the high gravimetric capacity values achieved, the actual (areal)
      capacities of those batteries were far from sufficient for practical
      applications. Here, we present the fabrication, performance, and mechanistic
      investigations of high-mass-loading (up to 10 mg/cm2) graphene-based air
      electrodes for high-performance Li-O2 batteries. Such air electrodes could be
      easily prepared within minutes under solvent-free and binder-free conditions by
      compression-molding holey graphene materials because of their unique dry
      compressibility associated with in-plane holes on the graphene sheet. Li-O2
      batteries with high air cathode mass loadings thus prepared exhibited excellent
      gravimetric capacity as well as ultrahigh areal capacity (as high as ~40
      mAh/cm2). The batteries were also cycled at a high curtailing areal capacity (2
      mAh/cm2) and showed a better cycling stability for ultrathick cathodes than their
      thinner counterparts. Detailed post-mortem analyses of the electrodes clearly
      revealed the battery failure mechanisms under both primary and secondary modes,
      arising from the oxygen diffusion blockage and the catalytic site deactivation,
      respectively. These results strongly suggest that the dry-pressed holey graphene
      electrodes are a highly viable architectural platform for high-capacity, high
      performance air cathodes in Li-O2 batteries of practical significance.

PMID- 28362097
TI  - Infiltration of Solution-Processable Solid Electrolytes into Conventional Li-Ion
      Battery Electrodes for All-Solid-State Li-Ion Batteries.
AB  - Bulk-type all-solid-state lithium-ion batteries (ASLBs) have the potential to be
      superior to conventional lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) in terms of safety and
      energy density. Sulfide SE materials are key to the development of bulk-type
      ASLBs because of their high ionic conductivity (max of ~10-2 S cm-1) and
      deformability. However, the severe reactivity of sulfide materials toward common
      polar solvents and the particulate nature of these electrolytes pose serious
      complications for the wet-slurry process used to fabricate ASLB electrodes, such
      as the availability of solvent and polymeric binders and the formation of ionic
      contacts and networks. In this work, we report a new scalable fabrication
      protocol for ASLB electrodes using conventional composite LIB electrodes and
      homogeneous SE solutions (Li6PS5Cl (LPSCl) in ethanol or 0.4LiI-0.6Li4SnS4 in
      methanol). The liquefied LPSCl is infiltrated into the tortuous porous structures
      of LIB electrodes and solidified, providing intimate ionic contacts and favorable
      ionic percolation. The LPSCl-infiltrated LiCoO2 and graphite electrodes show high
      reversible capacities (141 and 364 mA h g-1) at 0.14 mA cm-2 (0.1 C) and 30 
      degrees C, which are not only superior to those for conventional dry-mixed and
      slurry-mixed ASLB electrodes but also comparable to those for liquid electrolyte
      cells. Good electrochemical performance of ASLBs employing the LPSCl-infiltrated
      LiCoO2 and graphite electrodes at 100  degrees C is also presented, highlighting
      the excellent thermal stability and safety of ASLBs.

PMID- 28362098
TI  - Visible Light as a Sole Requirement for Intramolecular C(sp3)-H Imination.
AB  - A novel, simple, and practical visible-light-mediated intramolecular alpha-C(sp3)
      H imination of tertiary aliphatic amines containing beta-O-aryl oximes leading to
      N-heterocycles has been developed. The reaction was performed well at rt with
      tolerance of some functional groups. Importantly, the selective C-H
      functionalization did not require added catalyst, oxidant, additive, acid, and
      base; visible light was the sole requirement.

PMID- 28362099
TI  - Palladium-Catalyzed Cleavage of alpha-Allenylic Aryl Ether toward
      Pyrazolemethylene-Substituted Phosphinyl Allenes and Their Transformations via
      Alkenyl C-P(O) Cleavage.
AB  - A palladium-catalyzed two-component coupling of allenylphosphine oxides with
      conjugated N-tosylhydrazones is revealed. For the first time, the cleavage of
      alpha-allenylic aryl ether toward pyrazolemethylene-substituted phosphinyl
      allenes enabled facile synthesis of combined motifs with pyrazole and allene.
      Moreover, the obtained adducts could be easily transformed to potential bioactive
      multifunctionalized phosphinates via a novel alkenyl C-P(O) cleavage.

PMID- 28362100
TI  - N-Heterocyclic Carbene Catalyzed 1,6-Conjugate Addition of Me3Si-CN to para
      Quinone Methides and Fuchsones: Access to alpha-Arylated Nitriles.
AB  - An organocatalytic approach toward alpha-arylated nitriles using N-heterocyclic
      carbene (NHC) as a catalyst is described. This protocol comprises an NHC
      catalyzed activation of Me3Si-CN followed by 1,6-conjugate addition of cyanide to
      para-quinone methides (p-QMs) and fuchsones leading to alpha-diaryl- and alpha
      triaryl nitriles in good to excellent yields.

PMID- 28362101
TI  - Reactivity of Ketyl and Acetyl Radicals from Direct Solar Actinic Photolysis of
      Aqueous Pyruvic Acid.
AB  - The variable composition of secondary organic aerosols (SOA) contributes to the
      large uncertainty for predicting radiative forcing. A better understanding of the
      reaction mechanisms leading to aerosol formation such as for the photochemical
      reaction of aqueous pyruvic acid (PA) at lambda >= 305 nm can contribute to
      constrain these uncertainties. Herein, the photochemistry of aqueous PA (5-300
      mM) continuously sparged with air is re-examined in the laboratory under
      comparable irradiance at 38 degrees  N at noon on a summer day. Several
      analytical methods are employed to monitor the time series of the reaction,
      including (1) the derivatization of carbonyl (C?O) functional groups with 2,4
      dinitrophenylhydrazine (DNPH), (2) the separation of photoproducts by ultrahigh
      pressure liquid chromatography (UHPLC) and ion chromatography (IC) coupled to
      mass spectrometry (MS), (3) high resolution MS, (4) the assignment of 1H NMR and
      13C gCOSY spectroscopic features, and (5) quantitative 1H NMR. The primary
      photoproducts are 2,3-dimethyltartaric acid and unstable 2-(1-carboxy-1
      hydroxyethoxy)-2-methyl-3-oxobutanoic acid, a polyfunctional beta-ketocarboxylic
      acid with eight carbons (C8) that quickly decarboxylates into 2-hydroxy-2-((3
      oxobutan-2-yl)oxy)propanoic acid. Kinetic isotope effect studies performed for
      the first time for this system reveal the existence of tunneling during the
      initial loss of PA. Thus, the KIEs support a mechanism initiated by photoinduced
      proton coupled electron transfer (PCET). Measured reaction rates at variable
      initial [PA]0 were used to calculate the sum of the quantum yields for the
      products, which displays a hyperbolic dependence: ?Phiproduct = 1.99 [PA]0/(113.2
      + [PA]0). The fast photochemical loss of aqueous PA with an estimated lifetime of
      21.7 min is interpreted as a significant atmospheric sink for this species. The
      complexity of these aqueous phase pathways indicates that the solar
      photochemistry of an abundant alpha-ketocarboxylic acid can activate chemical
      processes for SOA formation.

PMID- 28362103
TI  - Thermal Conductance in Cross-linked Polymers: Effects of Non-Bonding
      Interactions.
AB  - Weak interchain interactions have been considered to be a bottleneck for heat
      transfer in polymers, while covalent bonds are believed to give a high thermal
      conductivity to polymer chains. For this reason, cross-linkers have been explored
      as a means to enhance polymer thermal conductivity; however, results have been
      inconsistent. Some studies show an enhancement in the thermal conductivity for
      polymers upon cross-linking, while others show the opposite trend. In this work
      we study the mechanisms of heat transfer in cross-linked polymers in order to
      understand the reasons for these discrepancies, in particular examining the
      relative contributions of covalent (referred to here as "bonding") and nonbonding
      (e.g., van der Waals and electrostatic) interactions. Our results indicate cross
      linkers enhance thermal conductivity primarily when they are short in length and
      thereby bring polymer chains closer to each other, leading to increased
      interchain heat transfer by enhanced nonbonding interactions between the chains
      (nonbonding interactions being highly dependent on interchain distance). This
      suggests that enhanced nonbonding interactions, rather than thermal pathways
      through cross-linker covalent bonds, are the primary transport mechanism by which
      thermal conductivity is increased. We further illustrate this by showing that
      energy from THz acoustic waves travels significantly faster in polymers when
      nonbonding interactions are included versus when only covalent interactions are
      present. These results help to explain prior studies that measure differing
      trends in thermal conductivity for polymers upon cross-linking with various
      species.

PMID- 28362104
TI  - Is Geometric Frustration-Induced Disorder a Recipe for High Ionic Conductivity?
AB  - Ionic conductivity is ubiquitous to many industrially important applications such
      as fuel cells, batteries, sensors, and catalysis. Tunable conductivity in these
      systems is therefore key to their commercial viability. Here, we show that
      geometric frustration can be exploited as a vehicle for conductivity tuning. In
      particular, we imposed geometric frustration upon a prototypical system, CaF2, by
      ball milling it with BaF2, to create nanostructured Ba1-xCaxF2 solid solutions
      and increased its ionic conductivity by over 5 orders of magnitude. By mirroring
      each experiment with MD simulation, including "simulating synthesis", we reveal
      that geometric frustration confers, on a system at ambient temperature,
      structural and dynamical attributes that are typically associated with heating a
      material above its superionic transition temperature. These include structural
      disorder, excess volume, pseudovacancy arrays, and collective transport
      mechanisms; we show that the excess volume correlates with ionic conductivity for
      the Ba1-xCaxF2 system. We also present evidence that geometric frustration
      induced conductivity is a general phenomenon, which may help explain the high
      ionic conductivity in doped fluorite-structured oxides such as ceria and
      zirconia, with application for solid oxide fuel cells. A review on geometric
      frustration [ Nature 2015 , 521 , 303 ] remarks that classical crystallography is
      inadequate to describe systems with correlated disorder, but that correlated
      disorder has clear crystallographic signatures. Here, we identify two possible
      crystallographic signatures of geometric frustration: excess volume and
      correlated "snake-like" ionic transport; the latter infers correlated disorder.
      In particular, as one ion in the chain moves, all the other (correlated) ions in
      the chain move simultaneously. Critically, our simulations reveal snake-like
      chains, over 40 A in length, which indicates long-range correlation in our
      disordered systems. Similarly, collective transport in glassy materials is well
      documented [for example, J. Chem. Phys. 2013 , 138 , 12A538 ]. Possible
      crystallographic nomenclatures, to be used to describe long-range order in
      disordered systems, may include, for example, the shape, length, and branching of
      the "snake" arrays. Such characterizations may ultimately provide insight and
      differences between long-range order in disordered, amorphous, or liquid states
      and processes such as ionic conductivity, melting, and crystallization.

PMID- 28362105
TI  - Discrimination of Four Marine Biofilm-Forming Bacteria by LC-MS Metabolomics and
      Influence of Culture Parameters.
AB  - Most marine bacteria can form biofilms, and they are the main components of
      biofilms observed on marine surfaces. Biofilms constitute a widespread life
      strategy, as growing in such structures offers many important biological
      benefits. The molecular compounds expressed in biofilms and, more generally, the
      metabolomes of marine bacteria remain poorly studied. In this context, a
      nontargeted LC-MS metabolomics approach of marine biofilm-forming bacterial
      strains was developed. Four marine bacteria, Persicivirga (Nonlabens)
      mediterranea TC4 and TC7, Pseudoalteromonas lipolytica TC8, and Shewanella sp.
      TC11, were used as model organisms. The main objective was to search for some
      strain-specific bacterial metabolites and to determine how culture parameters
      (culture medium, growth phase, and mode of culture) may affect the cellular
      metabolism of each strain and thus the global interstrain metabolic
      discrimination. LC-MS profiling and statistical partial least-squares
      discriminant analyses showed that the four strains could be differentiated at the
      species level whatever the medium, the growth phase, or the mode of culture
      (planktonic vs biofilm). A MS/MS molecular network was subsequently built and
      allowed the identification of putative bacterial biomarkers. TC8 was
      discriminated by a series of ornithine lipids, while the P. mediterranea strains
      produced hydroxylated ornithine and glycine lipids. Among the P. mediterranea
      strains, TC7 extracts were distinguished by the occurrence of diamine
      derivatives, such as putrescine amides.

PMID- 28362106
TI  - Synthesis of a NbO Type Homochiral Cu(II) Metal-Organic Framework: Ferroelectric
      Behavior and Heterogeneous Catalysis of Three-Component Coupling and Pechmann
      Reactions.
AB  - A chiral tetracarboxylic acid ligand, H4L, incorporating the (S)-(+)-2
      methylpiperazine moiety in its middle, solvothermally forms a homochiral Cu(II)
      framework, {[Cu2(L)(H2O)2].(4DMF)(4H2O)}n (LCu). It forms a non-interpenetrated
      structure consisting of [Cu2(COO)4] paddle-wheel secondary bonding units (SBUs)
      with NbO topology. Interestingly, the framework LCu exhibits excellent
      ferroelectric properties. It shows a remnant polarization (Pr) of ~3.5 MUC cm-2
      and a coercive field (Ec) of ~12 kV cm-1 with a distinct electric hysteresis
      loop. Dielectric studies of LCu reveal almost frequency-independent behavior with
      a dielectric constant (epsilonr) of ~42 and a low dielectric loss (tan delta) of
      ~0.04 up to 106 Hz, for potential use in high-frequency applications. In
      addition, activated framework LCu' having uncoordinated metal sites acts as an
      efficient heterogeneous catalyst in the three-component coupling of amines,
      aldehydes, and alkynes, as well as in Pechmann reactions of phenols with beta
      ketoesters.

PMID- 28362107
TI  - Interactions between cell wall polysaccharides and polyphenols.
AB  - In plant-based food systems such as fruits, vegetables, and cereals, cell wall
      polysaccharides and polyphenols co-exist and commonly interact during processing
      and digestion. The noncovalent interactions between cell wall polysaccharides and
      polyphenols may greatly influence the physicochemical and nutritional properties
      of foods. The affinity of cell wall polysaccharides with polyphenols depends on
      both endogenous and exogenous factors. The endogenous factors include the
      structures, compositions, and concentrations of both polysaccharides and
      polyphenols, and the exogenous factors are the environmental conditions such as
      pH, temperature, ionic strength, and the presence of other components (e.g.,
      protein). Diverse methods used to directly characterize the interactions include
      NMR spectroscopy, size-exclusion chromatography, confocal microscopy, isothermal
      titration calorimetry, molecular dynamics simulation, and so on. The un-bound
      polyphenols are quantified by liquid chromatography or spectrophotometry after
      dialysis or centrifugation. The adsorption of polyphenols by polysaccharides is
      mostly driven by hydrophobic interactions and hydrogen bonding, and can be
      described by various isothermal models such as Langmuir and Freundlich equations.
      Quality attributes of various food and beverage products (e.g., wine) can be
      significantly affected by polysaccharide-polyphenol interactions. Nutritionally,
      the interactions play an important role in the digestive tract of humans for the
      metabolism of both polyphenols and polysaccharides.

PMID- 28362109
TI  - Fruit and vegetable by-products as novel ingredients to improve the nutritional
      quality of baked goods.
AB  - The industrial manufacturing of fruits and vegetables generates approximately 50%
      by-product waste, causing a negative environmental impact and significant
      expenses. Nevertheless, fruit and vegetable by-products (FVB) are rich nutrients
      and extranutritional compounds that contribute to bowel health, weight
      management, lower blood cholesterol levels and improved control of glycemic and
      insulin responses. Due to the positive influence of FVB fibers and bioactive
      compounds during the digestion of glycemic carbohydrates, such as starch, baked
      goods are ideal food systems to accommodate FVB, since most of them have a high
      glycemic index. Therefore, this is an area of recent interest with critical
      environmental, economic and health implications worldwide. However, the
      utilization of FVB in baked goods leads to the loss of acceptability, in many
      cases caused by a lack of understanding of the physical structure and composition
      of FVB and their effects on food quality. The objective of this review is to
      provide a mechanistic understanding of the impact of the physical structure and
      composition of FVB on common baked goods and their influence on the nutritional
      and physical quality of the resulting product. This review will support the use
      of FVB as ideal ingredients while improving the added value of waste streams.

PMID- 28362102
TI  - Systems Toxicology: Real World Applications and Opportunities.
AB  - Systems Toxicology aims to change the basis of how adverse biological effects of
      xenobiotics are characterized from empirical end points to describing modes of
      action as adverse outcome pathways and perturbed networks. Toward this aim,
      Systems Toxicology entails the integration of in vitro and in vivo toxicity data
      with computational modeling. This evolving approach depends critically on data
      reliability and relevance, which in turn depends on the quality of experimental
      models and bioanalysis techniques used to generate toxicological data. Systems
      Toxicology involves the use of large-scale data streams ("big data"), such as
      those derived from omics measurements that require computational means for
      obtaining informative results. Thus, integrative analysis of multiple molecular
      measurements, particularly acquired by omics strategies, is a key approach in
      Systems Toxicology. In recent years, there have been significant advances
      centered on in vitro test systems and bioanalytical strategies, yet a frontier
      challenge concerns linking observed network perturbations to phenotypes, which
      will require understanding pathways and networks that give rise to adverse
      responses. This summary perspective from a 2016 Systems Toxicology meeting, an
      international conference held in the Alps of Switzerland, describes the
      limitations and opportunities of selected emerging applications in this rapidly
      advancing field. Systems Toxicology aims to change the basis of how adverse
      biological effects of xenobiotics are characterized, from empirical end points to
      pathways of toxicity. This requires the integration of in vitro and in vivo data
      with computational modeling. Test systems and bioanalytical technologies have
      made significant advances, but ensuring data reliability and relevance is an
      ongoing concern. The major challenge facing the new pathway approach is
      determining how to link observed network perturbations to phenotypic toxicity.

PMID- 28362110
TI  - Diet effects in the asthma treatment: A systematic review.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: Obesity in asthmatic patients has important relationships with
      asthma control, pulmonary function, and quality of life. The objective of this
      study was to conduct a systematic review of the literature on the effect of diet
      on asthma management in adults. METHODS: We searched PubMed, Embase, and Scopus
      (January 1948-October 2014) for randomized clinical trials that evaluated the
      effects of diet in adults with asthma. RESULTS: Of 12,215 studies identified, 21
      were included. A reduction in weight of at least 7.5% from baseline as a result
      of caloric restriction can be beneficial for improving disease control, quality
      of life, and pulmonary function in obese patients with asthma. A dietary pattern
      rich in foods with potential antioxidant effect had an impact in improving asthma
      control, but with little clinical significance. Studies involving antioxidant
      supplementation showed improvements in asthma control with magnesium
      supplementation and less decline in lung function with vitamin C supplementation.
      Studies of fatty acid supplementation demonstrated effects on weight loss and
      improvement of asthma control and lung function. Studies of supplementation with
      propolis and caffeine reported significant increases in FEV1. Conversely, studies
      of high dietary salt intake reported greater declines in lung function.
      CONCLUSIONS: The evidence shows that, for obese adults with asthma, the best
      dietary intervention seems to be caloric restriction, regardless of specific
      dietary components.

PMID- 28362111
TI  - Alternative yeasts for winemaking: Saccharomyces non-cerevisiae and its hybrids.
AB  - Wine fermentation has not significantly changed since ancient times and the most
      traditional aspects are seen by the market as elements that uplift wine nuances
      and quality. In recent years, new trends have emerged from the sector in line
      with consumer preferences, and due to the effects of global climate change on
      grape ripening. In the first cases, the consumers are looking for wines with less
      ethanol and fruitier aromas and in the second cases the wineries want to reduce
      the wine alcohol levels and/or astringency. New yeast starters of alternative
      Saccharomyces species and their hybrids can help to solve some problems that
      wineries face. In this article we review several physiological and genetic
      aspects of S. uvarum and S. kudriavzevii and the hybrids, which are especially
      relevant during the winemaking process, such as their good fermentative
      capabilities at low temperatures, resulting in wines with lower alcohol and
      higher glycerol amounts.

PMID- 28362108
TI  - Alpha-1 Antitrypsin-Deficient Macrophages Have Increased Matriptase-Mediated
      Proteolytic Activity.
AB  - Alpha-1 antitrypsin (AAT) deficiency-associated emphysema is largely attributed
      to insufficient inhibition of neutrophil elastase released from neutrophils.
      Correcting AAT levels using augmentation therapy only slows disease progression,
      and that suggests a more complex process of lung destruction. Because alveolar
      macrophages (Mphi) express AAT, we propose that the expression and intracellular
      accumulation of mutated Z-AAT (the most common mutation) compromises Mphi
      function and contributes to emphysema development. Extracellular matrix (ECM)
      degradation is a hallmark of emphysema pathology. In this study, Mphi from
      individuals with Z-AAT (Z-Mphi) have greater proteolytic activity on ECM than do
      normal Mphi. This abnormal Z-Mphi activity is not abrogated by supplementation
      with exogenous AAT and is likely the result of cellular dysfunction induced by
      intracellular accumulation of Z-AAT. Using pharmacologic inhibitors, we show that
      several classes of proteases are involved in matrix degradation by Z-Mphi.
      Importantly, compared with normal Mphi, the membrane-bound serine protease,
      matriptase, is present in Z-Mphi at higher levels and contributes to their
      proteolytic activity on ECM. In addition, we identified matrix metalloproteinase
      (MMP)-14, a membrane-anchored metalloproteinase, as a novel substrate for
      matriptase, and showed that matriptase regulates the levels of MMP-14 on the cell
      surface. Thus, high levels of matriptase may contribute to increased ECM
      degradation by Z-Mphi, both directly and through MMP-14 activation. In summary,
      the expression of Z-AAT in Mphi confers increased proteolytic activity on ECM.
      This proteolytic activity is not rescued by exogenous AAT supplementation and
      could thus contribute to augmentation resistance in AAT deficiency-associated
      emphysema.

PMID- 28362112
TI  - The role of nonfat ingredients on confectionery fat crystallization.
AB  - Confections such as chocolate and biscuit fillings are composed of a continuous
      fat phase that contains dispersed nonfat ingredients such as sugar and cocoa
      powder. Research on fat crystallization and rheology in confections often
      extrapolates crystallization and textural properties from bulk to mixed systems
      while overlooking the important role of composition or particle interactions. For
      example, in chocolate processing the fat phase aids dispersed phase lubrication
      and fluidity whereas the dispersed particles assist in fat crystallization by
      providing many nucleation sites. In confections with a high dispersed phase
      volume fraction, fat crystallization may be hindered due to reduced
      triacyglycerol mobility, confinement, and increased tortuosity. This is further
      complicated in systems with slow crystallizing fats such as palm oil whose
      crystallization is exceptionally sensitive to composition and processing. This
      review breaks down the physical chemistry of fat-based confections and discusses
      the impact of different nonfat ingredients towards fat crystallization and
      rheology. The behavior of palm oil is further highlighted as it is becoming
      increasingly popular as a confectionery ingredient. Lastly, ingredient-ingredient
      interactions and their role in fat crystallization are described along with force
      spectroscopy as a novel tool to characterize such phenomena. Force spectroscopy
      utilizes atomic force microscopy to measure intermolecular forces as a function
      of distance but remains largely unexplored in the area of food science.

PMID- 28362113
TI  - Staphylococcal enterotoxins and enterotoxin-like toxins with special reference to
      dairy products: An overview.
AB  - Staphylococcal Enterotoxins (SEs) have been raising health concerns for food
      safety due to their association with staphylococcal foodborne poisoning (SFP). As
      superantigens, they also cause the life threatening toxic shock syndrome (TSS),
      the transmission of which via food cannot be ruled out despite the lack of
      epidemiological evidence. To date, at least 23 of these exotoxins are known and
      separated into SEs and Staphylococcal Enterotoxin-like (SEl) depending on whether
      or not they invoke emesis. This work presents an up-to-date overview on the
      presently known SEs/SEls from the perspective of their classification,
      pathogenesis, and genetic organisation. The incidence of these toxins in dairy
      products, the risk this poses to the public health, and possible control means
      are also reviewed.

PMID- 28362115
TI  - Novel EGFR (T790M)-cMET dual inhibitors: putative therapeutic agents for non
      small-cell lung cancer.
AB  - AIM: Different resistance mechanisms, especially, T790M secondary acquired point
      mutation and in some cases amplification of cMET, have been a major setback for
      the lung cancer therapies. METHODOLOGY: The current in silico study explored the
      small molecules which can act as putative EGFR (T790M)-cMET dual inhibitors.
      Databases were first filtered and subsequently cross filtered, initially by
      thoroughly validated pharmacophore models for both targets. As per score and
      interactions obtained in docking, the molecules were subjected to molecular
      dynamics simulations, to study the stability and binding orientations of their
      complexes with target proteins. CONCLUSION: Molecular dynamics simulations
      predicted three hits to possess good binding affinities and stability for EGFR
      (T790M) and cMET, which can be claimed to be potential dual inhibitors.

PMID- 28362114
TI  - (Meth)Acrylate Occupational Contact Dermatitis in Nail Salon Workers: A Case
      Series.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Recently, many cases of acrylate-associated allergic contact
      dermatitis have appeared among nail salon workers. Common acrylate-containing
      products in nail salons include traditional nail polish, ultraviolet-cured
      shellac nail polish, ultraviolet-cured gel nails, and press-on acrylic nails.
      METHODS: Nail salon technicians seen in the occupational medicine clinic in 2015
      and 2016 were identified, and their patch test results and clinical features were
      summarized. Patch testing was done with the Chemotechnique (Meth)Acrylate nail
      series, and either the North American Standard series or the North American
      Contact Dermatitis Group screening series. RESULTS: Six patients were identified,
      all women, ages 38 to 58. Common presentations included erythematous dermatitis
      of the dorsa of the hands, palms, and forearms and fissures on the fingertips.
      Less common sites of eruptions included the periorbital region, cheeks, posterior
      ears, neck, sacral area, lateral thighs, and dorsa of the feet. All patients
      reacted to hydroxyethyl methacrylate, and 5 patients reacted to ethyl acrylate.
      Each patient also reacted to (meth)acrylates that are not found on either
      standard series, including ethyleneglycol dimethacrylate, 2-hydroxypropyl
      methacrylate, and 2-hydroxyethyl acrylate. CONCLUSIONS: The authors report 6
      cases of allergic contact dermatitis to acrylates in nail technicians seen over
      the past year, representing a new trend in their clinic. These cases are
      reflective of a growing trend of nail technicians with allergic contact
      dermatitis associated with occupational (meth)acrylate exposure. Efforts to
      improve prevention are needed.

PMID- 28362116
TI  - Variability of HOMA and QUICKI insulin sensitivity indices.
AB  - Assessment of insulin sensitivity based on a single measurement of insulin and
      glucose, is both easy to understand and simple to perform. The tests most often
      used are HOMA and QUICKI. The aim of this study was to assess the biological
      variability of estimates of insulin sensitivity using HOMA and QUICKI indices.
      After a 12-h fast, blood was sampled for insulin and glucose determination.
      Sampling lasted for 90 min with an intersample interval of 2 min. A total of 56
      subjects were included in the study, and in nine subjects sampling was done
      before and after weight reduction, so total number of analyzed series was 65. To
      compute the reference value of the insulin sensitivity index, averages of all 46
      insulin and glucose samples were used. We also computed point estimates (single
      value estimates) of the insulin sensitivity index based on the different number
      of insulin/glucose samples (1-45 consecutive samples). To compute the variability
      of point estimates a bootstrapping procedure was used using 1000 resamples for
      each series and for each number of samples used to average insulin and glucose.
      Using a single insulin/glucose sample HOMA variability was 26.18 +/- 4.31%, and
      QUICKI variability was 3.30 +/- 0.54%. For 10 samples variability was 11.99 +/-
      2.22% and 1.62 +/- 0.31% respectively. Biological variability of insulin
      sensitivity indices is significant, and it can be reduced by increasing the
      number of samples. Oscillations of insulin concentration in plasma are the major
      cause of variability of insulin sensitivity indices.

PMID- 28362117
TI  - New benzothiophene derivatives as dual COX-1/2 and 5-LOX inhibitors: synthesis,
      biological evaluation and docking study.
AB  - AIM: Simultaneous inhibition of 5-LOX/COX may enhance anti-inflammatory effects
      and reduce side effects. Hence, synthesis of novel dual inhibitors of 5-LOX/COX
      is an important strategy for treatment of inflammation. Results/methodology: The
      target compounds were designed to hybridize benzothiophene scaffold or its
      bioisostere benzofuran with various anti-inflammatory pharmacophore hetercycles
      through different atoms spacers. Compounds 4a, 4c, 4d, 5b, 7a, showed significant
      in vitro LOX inhibitory activity higher than that of meclofenamate sodium.
      Compounds 4b, 4e, 4f, 5a exhibited significant in vitro COX-2 inhibition higher
      than celecoxib and in vitro LOX inhibitory activity twice that of reference.
      These compounds elicited significant in vivo anti-inflammatory activities higher
      than celecoxib in formalin-induced paw edema test. Compound 4e exhibited
      gastrointestinal safety profile as celecoxib. The results were also consistent
      with the docking studies. CONCLUSION: Compound 4e could be considered as
      structural lead for the development of a new class of anti-inflammatory agents
      with better safety profile.

PMID- 28362118
TI  - Dietary Antioxidants: Potential Anticancer Agents.
AB  - There are several extrinsic and intrinsic factors involving reactive oxygen
      species that play critical roles in tumor development and progression by inducing
      DNA mutations, genomic instability, and aberrant pro-tumorigenic signaling. There
      are various essential micronutrients including minerals and vitamins in the diet,
      which play pivotal roles in maintaining and reinforcing antioxidant performance,
      affecting the complex network of genes (nutrigenomic approach) and encoding
      proteins for carcinogenesis. A lot of these antioxidant agents are available as
      dietary supplements and are predominant worldwide. However, the best antioxidant
      micronutrient (or a combination of micronutrients) for reducing cancer risks is
      unknown. The purpose of this review is to survey the literature on modern
      biological theories of cancer and the roles of dietary antioxidants in cancer.
      The roles and functions of antioxidant micronutrients, such as vitamin C
      (ascorbate), vitamin E (alpha-tocopherol), selenium, and vitamin A, provided
      through diet for the prevention of cancer are discussed in the present work.

PMID- 28362119
TI  - Enhancement of antimicrobial activity by liposomal oleic acid-loaded antibiotics
      for the treatment of multidrug-resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa.
AB  - In this study, we examined the efficacy of liposomal oleic acid-based antibiotic
      formulations on 32 strains of multidrug-resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa (MDRPa).
      The average size of liposomes were 93.12 +/- 2.3 nm holding a negative zeta
      potential at -57.3 +/- 0.89. Liposomal antibiotic formulations were tested
      against 32 MDRPa strains isolated from burn wounds and urine samples, which
      exhibited an MIC of <=8 MUg/mL, whereas MIC of free antibiotics ranged from 32 to
      >1024 MUg/mL. The results clearly indicate that the liposomes composed of
      naturally occurring oleic acid, could be used therapeutically either alone or in
      combination with antibiotics to effectively treat P. aeruginosa infections.

PMID- 28362120
TI  - Traumatic brain injury rehabilitation in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia: Time to
      rehabilitation admission, length of stay and functional outcome.
AB  - OBJECTIVES: (1) Describe trends in time to rehabilitation admission and
      rehabilitation length of stay (LOS), (2) compare functional independence at
      discharge from rehabilitation between patients who arrived directly from acute
      care versus those from elsewhere and (3) identify independent predictors of
      functional outcomes following rehabilitation. SETTING: Traumatic brain injuries
      rehabilitation unit of King Fahad Medical City, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. METHODS: We
      collected information on time from injury to rehabilitation admission,
      rehabilitation LOS, functional independence measure (FIM) score (admission and
      discharge) and demographic variables for 66 patients who arrived to
      rehabilitation from acute care and 142 patients who arrived from elsewhere. A
      mixed model analysis of variance measured change in FIM score between groups.
      Hierarchical regression was employed to investigate variables associated with FIM
      score at rehabilitation discharge. RESULTS: Patients arriving directly from acute
      care had a time from injury to rehabilitation admission 1/3 that of, and a higher
      discharge FIM score than, patients arriving from elsewhere. For the latter group,
      increasing time from injury to rehabilitation admission was associated with lower
      rehabilitation discharge FIM score. CONCLUSIONS: Reducing time from injury to
      rehabilitation admission and promoting enrolment to inpatient traumatic brain
      injury rehabilitation directly from acute care may improve functional outcome at
      discharge from rehabilitation.

PMID- 28362125
TI  - Progress in the medicinal chemistry of silicon: C/Si exchange and beyond.
AB  - Application of silyl functionalities is one of the most promising strategies
      among various 'elements chemistry' approaches for the development of novel and
      distinctive drug candidates. Replacement of one or more carbon atoms of various
      biologically active compounds with silicon (so-called sila-substitution) has been
      intensively studied for decades, and is often effective for alteration of
      activity profile and improvement of metabolic profile. In addition to simple C/Si
      exchange, several novel approaches for utilizing silicon in medicinal chemistry
      have been suggested in recent years, focusing on the intrinsic differences
      between silicon and carbon. Sila-substitution offers great potential for
      enlarging the chemical space of medicinal chemistry, and provides many options
      for structural development of drug candidates.

PMID- 28362126
TI  - Epigenetics: new possibilities for drug discovery.

PMID- 28362124
TI  - Redox sensitive PEG controlled octaarginine and targeting peptide co-modified
      nanostructured lipid carriers for enhanced tumour penetrating and targeting in
      vitro and in vivo.
AB  - To strengthen the anti-tumour efficacy and weaken the side effects, a nano
      targeted drug delivery system was constructed. The nanostructured lipid carriers
      (NLCs) were prepared by the melt-emulsification method. Modified with the
      octaarginine, thiolytic cleavable polyethylene glycol (PEG) and targeting peptide
      simultaneously on the surface, this multifunctional NLC could not only actively
      target to tumour tissues, but also control the cell penetration effect of the
      octaarginine easily by a safe reducing agent l-cysteine (l-Cys). In the present
      study, the pharmaceutical characteristics, the cytotoxicity and cellular uptake
      on NCI-H1299 cells in vitro, the biodistribution and targeting effect and anti
      tumour ability in vivo were employed to evaluate the formulations. As the results
      revealed, various NLCs had a mean particle size of about 40 nm and a positive
      zeta potential of about 10 mV. The optimum density of cleavable PEG was confirmed
      as 10% and the best concentration of l-cysteine was determined as 20 mM via the
      qualitative and quantitative cellular uptake study. Based on these outcomes, the
      multiply decorated NLC manifested a great cell growth inhibition with the
      increased concentration of paclitaxel (PTX). Moreover, it preferred to accumulate
      at tumours, but not normal organs in vivo. Compared with Taxol(r), this
      preparation demonstrated stronger anti-tumour efficacy and better security.
      Therefore, the multifunctional NLC can be considered as a promising drug delivery
      system targeting to tumours.

PMID- 28362127
TI  - Welcome to the 2017 Annual Review of Sex Research.

PMID- 28362128
TI  - A pilot study on the applicability of thromboelastometry in detecting brain
      tumour-induced hypercoagulation.
AB  - Patients with intracranial tumours have an increased risk of venous
      thromboembolism, particularly during the first month after neurosurgery. A
      proposed explanation for this increased risk, are procoagulant tumour-derived
      substances, such as tissue factor, usually measured in peripheral blood. The aim
      of the present study is to investigate whether a rotational thromboelastometry
      (ROTEM) can measure the procoagulative activity of tumour tissue. The study
      included 21 patients who were undergoing a craniotomy and complete tumour
      resection after written consent and ethical approval were obtained. Tumour tissue
      was biopsied during surgery and used for in vitro spiking of patients own
      citrated whole blood. Blood samples with or without spiking were analyzed with
      ROTEM using different activating reagents. ROTEM clotting time significantly
      decreased (p < .001), indicating a hypercoagulative response on clot initiation
      that was strongest for glioma tumours. However, ROTEM clot formation time was
      significantly prolonged (p < .001), which was an opposite response that indicated
      poor initial clot propagation. ROTEM maximum lysis was increased in the tumour
      tissue-spiked samples (p < .001), indicating a strong fibrinolytic activity in
      brain tumour tissue. Tissue extracts from intracranial tumours have both
      procoagulant and fibrinolytic effects that are detectable with ROTEM. Glioma
      tumours had the strongest hypercoagulative response in our in vitro model. Larger
      studies are necessary to test the clinical relevance and accuracy of tumour
      extract spiked viscoelastic tests to predict the individual patient risk for
      developing a thrombotic complication.

PMID- 28362129
TI  - Radiofrequency ablation for management of malignant biliary obstruction: a single
      center experience and review of the literature.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Radiofrequency ablation (RFA) causes coagulative necrosis of tissue
      and may be beneficial prior to biliary stenting. We report our experience using
      RFA for malignant biliary obstruction and review the literature. METHODS:
      Retrospective analysis of all patients undergoing RFA for malignant biliary
      obstruction over the last two years. Success, complications and re-intervention
      following RFA were assessed. Controls were age, sex and disease matched who had
      stenting alone. RESULTS: 31 patients were included and 15 patients underwent
      biliary RFA prior to stenting (median age 78 years, 8 females). 14 patients had
      pancreatic cancer, 13 cholangiocarcinoma (6 hilar lesions) and 4 malignant
      disease invading the bile duct. Adverse events included acute pancreatitis (n =
      2) and bacteremia in (n = 1). Median duration of intervention free survival was
      220 days in the RFA group compared to 106.5 days in controls (hazard ratio 2.4,
      95% CI 1.1 - 5.3, p = 0.025). Multivariable Cox proportional hazard analysis
      showed survival was associated with RFA (hazard ratio 2.55, 95% CI 1.09-5.96, p =
      0.026) but not age, site or type of malignancy. CONCLUSION: Biliary RFA is a
      technically feasible with a low adverse event rate and is associated with
      increased survival. Multi-centre randomized controlled trials are required.

PMID- 28362130
TI  - Estimation of kinetic and thermodynamic ligand-binding parameters using
      computational strategies.
AB  - Kinetic and thermodynamic ligand-protein binding parameters are gaining growing
      importance as key information to consider in drug discovery. The determination of
      the molecular structures, using particularly x-ray and NMR techniques, is crucial
      for understanding how a ligand recognizes its target in the final binding
      complex. However, for a better understanding of the recognition processes,
      experimental studies of ligand-protein interactions are needed. Even though
      several techniques can be used to investigate both thermodynamic and kinetic
      profiles for a ligand-protein complex, these procedures are very often laborious,
      time consuming and expensive. In the last 10 years, computational approaches have
      enormous potential in providing insights into each of the above effects and in
      parsing their contributions to the changes in both kinetic and thermodynamic
      binding parameters. The main purpose of this review is to summarize the state of
      the art of computational strategies for estimating the kinetic and thermodynamic
      parameters of a ligand-protein binding.

PMID- 28362131
TI  - Reframing undergraduate medical education in global health: Rationale and key
      principles from the Bellagio Global Health Education Initiative.
AB  - Global health education (GHE) continues to be a growing initiative in many
      medical schools across the world. This focus is no longer limited to participants
      from high-income countries and has expanded to institutions and students from low
      and middle-income settings. With this shift has come a need to develop
      meaningful curricula through engagement between educators and learners who
      represent the sending institutions and the diverse settings in which GHE takes
      place. The Bellagio Global Health Education Initiative (BGHEI) was founded to
      create a space for such debate and discussion and to generate guidelines towards
      a universal curriculum for global health. In this article, we describe the
      development and process of our work and outline six overarching principles that
      ought to be considered when adopting an inclusive approach to GHE curriculum
      development.

PMID- 28362132
TI  - Identifying Patients Eligible for a Short Hospital Stay After Stoma Closure.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: The implementation of enhanced recovery programmes after elective
      colorectal surgery has dramatically reduced the length of stay. The objective of
      this study was to assess the selection of good candidates for short post
      operative stay (GCSS) in the context of stoma closure. METHODS: Between January
      2011 and December 2014, 222 patients were included in the present retrospective,
      single-center study. The primary endpoint was the proportion of GCSS. We also
      identified factors associated with GCSS status and built a predictive score.
      RESULTS: The study population was predominantly male (n = 122, 55%). 60% of the
      patients had undergone ileostomy and 85% had undergone hand-sewn anastomosis. The
      postoperative ileus rate was 5% and the readmission rate was 3.5%. 41% (n = 92)
      of the study population were considered to be GCSS. In a multivariate analysis,
      age under 50 (odds ratio (OR) [95% confidence interval (CI)] = 2.8 [1.2-5.6], p =
      0.008), the absence of vascular comorbidities (OR [95%CI] = 3.2 [1.3-12.3]; p =
      0.006) and stapled anastomosis (OR: 4.2, 95%CI: 1.1-17.3, p = 0.03) were
      associated with GCSS status. Predictive scores of 0, 1, 2, and 3 were associated
      with GCSS rates of 20%, 18%, 44%, and 62%, respectively (p < 0.001). CONCLUSION:
      In the context of stoma closure, 41% of patients were GCSS.

PMID- 28362133
TI  - Intestinal Epithelial Stem Cells: Distinct Behavior After Surgical Injury and
      Teduglutide Administration.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Previous studies suggest that intestinal epithelial stem cells
      (IESC), critical drivers of homeostasis and regeneration, include two
      subpopulations: crypt-based columnar and "position +4" stem cells, identified by
      Lgr5 and Bmi1 biomarkers, respectively. Teduglutide is an enterotrophic
      counterpart of glucagon-like peptide 2. This study aimed to investigate the
      response of putative IESC to surgical injury and teduglutide administration on an
      animal model of intestinal resection and anastomosis. METHODS: Wistar rats (n =
      59) were distributed into four groups: "Ileal Resection" versus "Laparotomy",
      subsequently subdivided into "Postoperative Teduglutide Administration" versus
      "No Treatment"; and sacrificed at third or seventh days, with ileal sample
      harvesting. Flow cytometry was used to analyze epithelial stem cells with
      monoclonal antibodies against Lgr5, Bmi1 and also CD44, CD24, CD166, and Grp78
      surface markers. RESULTS: Surgical trauma induced an increase of epithelial stem
      cells population at third day (9.0 +/- 0.3 versus 5.7 +/- 0.3%, p = 0.0001),
      which was more intense and involved all subpopulations after ileal resection. At
      seventh day, teduglutide was significantly associated with higher proportion of
      Lgr5+/Bmi1- cells (5.8 +/- 0.1 versus 2.9 +/- 0.3%, p = 0.005) and, on the
      contrary, lower percentage of Lgr5-/Bmi1+ cells (0.03 +/- 0.01 versus 1.9 +/-
      0.1%, p = 0.049) after ileal resection; and higher proportion of Lgr5+/Bmi1+
      cells (1.7 +/- 0.1 versus 1.1 +/- 0.2%, p = 0.028) after isolated laparotomy.
      After surgery, Lgr5+/Bmi1- and Lgr5-/Bmi1+ subpopulations demonstrated an inverse
      correlation and both correlated negatively with Grp78 labeling index. Lgr5-/Bmi1+
      and CD44+/CD24low/CD166+/Grp78+ cells proportions exhibited a high grade positive
      correlation. CONCLUSION: Those observations support the existence of two
      epithelial stem cells subpopulations with distinct behavior after surgical injury
      and teduglutide treatment.

PMID- 28362136
TI  - Analogical reasoning in children with specific language impairment: Evidence from
      a scene analogy task.
AB  - Analogical reasoning is a human ability that maps systems of relations. It
      develops along with relational knowledge, working memory and executive functions
      such as inhibition. It also maintains a mutual influence on language development.
      Some authors have taken a greater interest in the analogical reasoning ability of
      children with language disorders, specifically those with specific language
      impairment (SLI). These children apparently have weaker analogical reasoning
      abilities than their aged-matched peers without language disorders. Following
      cognitive theories of language acquisition, this deficit could be one of the
      causes of language disorders in SLI, especially those concerning productivity. To
      confirm this deficit and its link to language disorders, we use a scene analogy
      task to evaluate the analogical performance of SLI children and compare them to
      controls of the same age and linguistic abilities. Results show that children
      with SLI perform worse than age-matched peers, but similar to language-matched
      peers. They are more influenced by increased task difficulty. The association
      between language disorders and analogical reasoning in SLI can be confirmed. The
      hypothesis of limited processing capacity in SLI is also being considered.

PMID- 28362134
TI  - Estrogen signaling, through estrogen receptor beta, regulates DNA methylation and
      its machinery in male germ line in adult rats.
AB  - Estrogen, through its receptors, regulates various aspects of spermatogenesis and
      male fertility. To understand the roles of estrogen receptors (ERalpha and
      ERbeta) in male fertility, we have developed in vivo selective ER agonist
      administration models. Treatment of adult male rats with ERalpha or ERbeta
      agonist for 60 d decreases fertility and litter size mainly due to increased pre-
      and post-implantation embryo loss. Since epigenetic mechanisms like DNA
      methylation play a crucial role in male fertility, we investigated the effects of
      the ER agonists on DNA methylation in spermatozoa. Treatment with ERbeta agonist
      causes a significant decrease in DNA methylation both at the global level and at
      the H19 differentially methylated region (DMR). This could be due to decrease in
      DNA methyltransferases in the testis upon ERbeta agonist treatment. The
      hypomethylation observed at the H19 DMR corroborates with aberrant expression of
      Igf2 and H19 imprinted genes in the resorbed embryos sired by ERbeta agonist
      treated males. Thus, our study demonstrates that ERbeta regulates DNA methylation
      and methylating enzymes during adult rat spermatogenesis. Activation of estrogen
      signaling through ERbeta could therefore cause DNA methylation defects leading to
      impaired male fertility. These results define a role for estrogen in epigenetic
      regulation of male germ line, suggesting that epigenetic insults by exposure to
      environmental estrogens could potentially affect male fertility.

PMID- 28362135
TI  - Immunogenicity and safety evaluation of bivalent types 1 and 3 oral poliovirus
      vaccine by comparing different poliomyelitis vaccination schedules in China: A
      randomized controlled non-inferiority clinical trial.
AB  - BACKGROUND: The type 2 component of the oral poliovirus vaccine is targeted for
      global withdrawal through a switch from the trivalent oral poliovirus vaccine
      (tOPV) to a bivalent oral poliovirus vaccine (bOPV). The switch is intended to
      prevent paralytic polio caused by circulating vaccine-derived poliovirus type 2.
      We aimed to assess the immunogenicity and safety profile of 6 vaccination
      schedules with different sequential doses of inactivated poliovirus vaccine
      (IPV), tOPV, or bOPV. METHODS: A randomized controlled trial was conducted in
      China in 2015. Healthy newborn babies randomly received one of the following 6
      vaccination schedules: cIPV-bOPV-bOPV(I-B-B), cIPV-tOPV-tOPV(I-T-T), cIPV-cIPV
      bOPV(I-I-B), cIPV-cIPV-tOPV(I-I-T), cIPV-cIPV-cIPV(I-I-I), or tOPV-tOPV-tOPV(T-T
      T). Doses were administered sequentially at 4-6 week intervals after collecting
      baseline blood samples. Patients were proactively followed up for observation of
      adverse events after the first dose and 30 days after all doses. The primary
      study objective was to investigate the immunogenicity and safety profile of
      different vaccine schedules, evaluated by seroconversion, seroprotection and
      antibody titer against poliovirus types 1, 2, and 3 in the per-protocol
      population. RESULTS: Of 600 newborn babies enrolled, 504 (84.0%) were included in
      the per-protocol population. For type 1 poliovirus, the differences in the
      seroconversion were 1.17% (95% CI = -2.74%, 5.08%) between I-B-B and I-T-T and
      0.00% (95% CI: -6.99%, 6.99%) between I-I-B and I-I-T; for type 3 poliovirus,
      differences in the seroconversion were 3.49% (95% CI: -1.50%, 8.48%) between I-B
      B and I-T-T and -2.32% (95% CI: -5.51%, 0.86%) between I-I-B and I-I-T. The non
      inferiority conclusion was achieved in both poliovirus type 1 and 3 with the
      margin of -10%. Of 24 serious adverse events reported, no one was vaccine
      related. CONCLUSIONS: The vaccination schedules with bOPV followed by one or 2
      doses of IPV were recommended to substitute for vaccinations involving tOPV
      without compromising the immunogenicity and safety in the Chinese population. The
      findings will be essential for policy formulation by national and global
      authorities to facilitate polio elimination.

PMID- 28362137
TI  - Magnitude and Determinants of the Ratio between Prevalence of Low Vision and
      Blindness in Rapid Assessment of Avoidable Blindness Surveys.
AB  - PURPOSE: To determine the magnitude and determinants of the ratio between
      prevalence of low vision and prevalence of blindness in rapid assessment of
      avoidable blindness (RAAB) surveys globally. METHODS: Standard RAAB reports were
      downloaded from the repository or requested from principal investigators.
      Potential predictor variables included prevalence of uncorrected refractive error
      (URE) as well as gross domestic product (GDP) per capita, health expenditure per
      capita of the country across World Bank regions. Univariate and multivariate
      linear regression were used to investigate the correlation between potential
      predictor variables and the ratio. RESULTS: The results of 94 surveys from 43
      countries showed that the ratio ranged from 1.35 in Mozambique to 11.03 in India
      with a median value of 3.90 (Interquartile range 3.06;5.38). Univariate
      regression analysis showed that prevalence of URE (p = 0.04), logarithm of GDP
      per capita (p = 0.01) and logarithm of health expenditure per capita (p = 0.03)
      were significantly associated with the higher ratio. However, only prevalence of
      URE was found to be significant in multivariate regression analysis (p = 0.03).
      CONCLUSION: There is a wide variation in the ratio of the prevalence of low
      vision to the prevalence of blindness. Eye care service utilization indicators
      such as the prevalence of URE may explain some of the variation across the
      regions.

PMID- 28362140
TI  - Occurrence of Giardia in Swedish Red Foxes ( Vulpes vulpes ).
AB  - Giardia duodenalis is an intestinal protozoan capable of causing gastrointestinal
      disease in a range of vertebrate hosts. It is transmitted via the fecal-oral
      route. Understanding the epidemiology of G. duodenalis in animals is important,
      both for public health and for the health of the animals it infects. We
      investigated the occurrence of G. duodenalis in wild Swedish red foxes ( Vulpes
      vulpes ), with the aim of providing preliminary information on how this abundant
      predator might be involved in the transmission and epidemiology of G. duodenalis
      . Fecal samples (n=104) were analysed for G. duodenalis using a commercially
      available direct immunofluorescent antibody test. Giardia duodenalis cysts were
      found in 44% (46/104) of samples, with foxes excreting 100 to 140,500 cysts per
      gram of feces (mean, 4,930; median, 600). Molecular analysis, using PCR with
      sequencing of PCR amplicons, was performed on 14 samples, all containing over
      2,000 cysts per gram feces. Amplification only occurred in four samples at the
      tpi gene, sequencing of which revealed assemblage B in all four samples. This
      study provides baseline information on the role of red foxes in the transmission
      dynamics of G. duodenalis in Sweden.

PMID- 28362138
TI  - Intestinal parasitic infections in different groups of immunocompromised patients
      in Kashan and Qom cities, central Iran.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: Intestinal parasitic infections (IPIs) are important causes of
      morbidity and mortality in patients with immunocompromising conditions.
      OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of IPIs in
      different groups of immunocompromised patients, including hemodialysis patients
      (HD), renal transplant recipients (RTR), cancer and HIV/AIDS patients in
      comparison with healthy individuals in two central cities of Iran (Kashan and
      Qom). METHODS: In this case-control study, the stool samples of 135 HD, 50 RTR,
      60 cancer patients, 20 HIV/AIDS patients and 120 healthy subjects were tested
      using direct-smear, formol-ether concentration, Ziehl-Neelsen staining and Agar
      plate method. RESULTS: The overall infection rate was 11.7% (31/265) in patient
      groups and 0% (0/120) in the control group. The frequency of parasites was 25% in
      HIV/AIDS patients, 11.9% (16/135) in HD, 12.0% (6/50) in RTR and 6.7% (4/60) in
      cancer patients. Blastocystis hominis (4.2%) and Giardia lamblia (3.0%) were the
      most prevalent parasites in patient groups. The infection rate was significantly
      higher in male (17.6%) than female (5.4%) patients (p = .002), but no
      statistically significant association was observed according to the age and
      educational levels. CONCLUSIONS: This study showed a high prevalence of IPIs in
      immunocompromised patients. The results of this study suggest that periodic stool
      examinations for screening of IPIs should be included as a part of routine
      medical care in these patients.

PMID- 28362141
TI  - Using Off-the-Shelf Technologies to Mass Manufacture Oral Vaccine Baits for
      Wildlife.
AB  - Technology and infrastructure costs can limit access to oral vaccination tools
      for wildlife disease control. We describe vaccine bait mass manufacturing
      employing off-the-shelf technologies. Our approach has helped advance scaling-up
      of plague vaccination campaigns, but components of this production system could
      be translated into other wildlife vaccination applications.

PMID- 28362142
TI  - Elucidating the association between the self-harm inventory and several
      borderline personality measures in an inpatient psychiatric sample.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: The current study evaluated the utility of the self-harm inventory
      (SHI) as a proxy for and screening measure of borderline personality disorder
      (BPD) using several diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders (DSM)
      based BPD measures as criteria. METHODS: We used a sample of 145 psychiatric
      inpatients, who completed the SHI and a series of well-validated, DSM-based self
      report measures of BPD. RESULTS: Using a series of latent trait and latent class
      analyses, we found that the SHI was substantially associated with a latent
      construct representing BPD, as well as differentiated latent classes of 'high'
      vs. 'low' BPD, with good accuracy. CONCLUSIONS: The SHI can serve as proxy for
      and a good screening measure for BPD, but future research needs to replicate
      these findings using structured interview-based measurement of BPD.

PMID- 28362143
TI  - Stance foot alignment and hand positioning alter star excursion balance test
      scores in those with chronic ankle instability: What are we really assessing?
AB  - OBJECTIVE: The literature has consistently shown that the Star Excursion Balance
      Test (SEBT) is a reliable and valid tool to anticipate the risk of lower
      extremity injury, assess dynamic postural control differences among groups, and
      assess the effectiveness of balance training programs in both healthy individuals
      and people with lower extremity injuries. However, there is no standard
      administration technique for the SEBT in research, clinical practice, or
      performance settings. Therefore, the purpose of this investigation was to compare
      six different combinations (3 different foot alignments * 2 hand positions) on
      the SEBT performance in those with chronic ankle instability (CAI). DESIGN:
      Repeated Measures Design. SETTING: University Research Laboratory. PARTICIPANTS:
      Twenty-five university students with CAI (12 males, 13 females; age: 20.3 +/- 2.4
      years, height: 172.7 +/- 7.4 cm, weight: 77.5 +/- 15.3 kg. , BMI: 25.9 +/- 4.0
      kg/m2) voluntarily participated in the study. METHODS: Six different SEBT
      positions were used to assess dynamic postural control. Three foot positions: 1)
      Foot centered; 2) Toe fixed; and 3) Toe-heel changing and two hand placements: 1)
      Hands free and 2) Hands on the hips were used in this study. After
      6familiarization trials for each condition, three Star Excursion Balance Test
      scores were recorded. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Normalized reach distance (% of leg
      length) in the anterior, posteromedial, and posterolateral directions as well as
      a composite reach score quantified dynamic postural control. RESULTS: Both foot
      alignment and hand position significantly altered normalized SEBT reach distance
      in the anterior (p < 0.003), posteromedial (p < 0.001), posterolateral (p <
      0.001), and composite reach scores (p < 0.001). CONCLUSION: Different foot
      alignments and hand constraints significantly altered normalized reach distances
      and the composite score in individuals with CAI. These results do not suggest
      that any combination of foot alignments and/or hand constraints is superior.
      However, changing the toe/heel position, while maintaining hands on the hips, may
      provide the best standardization for clinicians and researchers.

PMID- 28362145
TI  - Phase II dose-response trials: A simulation study to compare analysis method
      performance under design considerations.
AB  - Phase II trials are intended to provide information about the dose-response
      relationship and to support the choice of doses for a pivotal phase III trial.
      Recently, new analysis methods have been proposed to address these objectives,
      and guidance is needed to select the most appropriate analysis method in specific
      situations. We set up a simulation study to evaluate multiple performance
      measures of one traditional and three more recent dose-finding approaches under
      four design options and illustrate the investigated analysis methods with an
      example from clinical practice. Our results reveal no general recommendation for
      a particular analysis method across all design options and performance measures.
      However, we also demonstrate that the new analysis methods are worth the effort
      compared to the traditional ANOVA-based approach.

PMID- 28362144
TI  - Long-term effectiveness of vedolizumab in inflammatory bowel disease: a national
      study based on the Swedish National Quality Registry for Inflammatory Bowel
      Disease (SWIBREG).
AB  - OBJECTIVES: Clinical trials have demonstrated the efficacy of vedolizumab in
      inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). However, these findings may not reflect the
      clinical practice. Therefore, we aimed to describe a vedolizumab-treated patient
      population and assess long-term effectiveness. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Patients
      initiating vedolizumab between 1 June 2014 and 30 May 2015 were identified
      through the Swedish National Quality Registry for IBD. Prospectively collected
      data on treatment and disease activity were extracted. Clinical remission was
      defined as Patient Harvey Bradshaw index <5 in Crohn's disease (CD) and Patient
      Simple Clinical Colitis Activity index <3 in ulcerative colitis (UC). RESULTS:
      Two-hundred forty-six patients (147 CD, 92 UC and 7 IBD-Unclassified) were
      included. On study entry, 86% had failed TNF-antagonist and 48% of the CD
      patients had undergone >=1 surgical resection. After a median follow-up of 17
      (IQR: 14-20) months, 142 (58%) patients remained on vedolizumab. In total, 54% of
      the CD- and 64% of the UC patients were in clinical remission at the end of
      follow-up, with the clinical activity decreasing (p < .0001 in both groups).
      Faecal-calprotectin decreased in CD (p < .0001) and in UC (p = .001), whereas CRP
      decreased in CD (p = .002) but not in UC (p = .11). Previous anti-TNF exposure
      (adjusted HR: 4.03; 95% CI: 0.96-16.75) and elevated CRP at baseline (adjusted
      HR: 2.22; 95% CI: 1.10-4.35) seemed to be associated with discontinuation because
      of lack of response. Female sex was associated with termination because of
      intolerance (adjusted HR: 2.75; 95% CI: 1.16-6.48). CONCLUSION: Vedolizumab
      treated patients represent a treatment-refractory group. A long-term effect can
      be achieved, even beyond 1 year of treatment.

PMID- 28362147
TI  - Benchmarking of copper(II) LFMM parameters for studying amyloid-beta peptides.
AB  - Ligand field molecular mechanics (LFMM) parameters have been benchmarked for
      copper (II) bound to the amyloid-beta1-16 peptide fragment. Several density
      functional theory (DFT) optimised small test models, representative of different
      possible copper coordination modes, have been used to test the accuracy of the
      LFMM copper bond lengths and angles, resulting in errors typically less than 0.1
      A and 5 degrees . Ligand field molecular dynamics (LFMD) simulations have been
      carried out on the copper bound amyloid-beta1-16 peptide and snapshots extracted
      from the subsequent trajectory. Snapshots have been optimised using DFT and the
      semi-empirical PM7 method resulting in good agreement against the LFMM calculated
      geometry. Analysis of substructures within snapshots shows that the larger
      contribution of geometrical difference, as measured by RMSD, lies within the
      peptide backbone, arising from differences in DFT and AMBER, and the copper
      coordination sphere is reproduced well by LFMM. PM7 performs excellently against
      LFMM with an average RMSD of 0.2 A over 21 tested snapshots. Further analysis of
      the LFMD trajectory shows that copper bond lengths and angles have only small
      deviations from average values, with the exception of a carbonyl moiety from the
      N-terminus, which can act as a weakly bound fifth ligand.

PMID- 28362146
TI  - A longitudinal analysis of stress among incoming college freshmen.
AB  - OBJECTIVES: The objectives of this study were to: (1) examine changes in stress
      during first semester among freshmen undergraduates and (2) identify predictors
      of stress (coping strategies, emotional states, and quality of sleep).
      PARTICIPANTS: One hundred ninety-seven freshmen students were recruited for a 10
      week study during first quarter (October-December, 2015). METHODS: Students
      completed weekly self-report surveys on stress, coping strategies, emotions, and
      quality of sleep. A generalized linear mixed model was used for analyses.
      RESULTS: Stress was elevated during examinations periods. Women reported a
      greater stress level than men. Increased stress level was significantly
      associated with lower sleep quality and greater negative emotions (fear, anger).
      Exercise was an effective stress coping strategy, while other coping methods
      (Internet usage, meditation, and self-isolation) were associated with higher
      stress. Social media usage did not influence stress level. CONCLUSIONS: Future
      stress management programs for freshmen need to consider gender differences and
      may focus on sleep, exercise, and decreased general Internet usage.

PMID- 28362148
TI  - Failure of Alveolar Type 2 Cell Maintenance Links Neonatal Distress with Adult
      Lung Disease.

PMID- 28362149
TI  - Releasing Tensin.

PMID- 28362150
TI  - The Cornerstone of the Aberrant Pathophysiology of Obstructive Sleep Apnea:
      Tissue Responses to Chronic Sustained Versus Intermittent Hypoxia.

PMID- 28362152
TI  - Finally, Progress in Pulmonary Hypertension Associated with Heart Failure with
      Preserved Ejection Fraction.

PMID- 28362151
TI  - alpha6beta4 Integrin Directs Alveolar Epithelial Migration.

PMID- 28362154
TI  - Factors influencing college women's contraceptive behavior: An application of the
      integrative model of behavioral prediction.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: This study investigated variables within the Integrative Model of
      Behavioral Prediction (IMBP) as well as differences across socioeconomic status
      (SES) levels within the context of inconsistent contraceptive use among college
      women. PARTICIPANTS: A nonprobability sample of 515 female college students
      completed an Internet-based survey between November 2014 and February 2015.
      METHODS: Respondents were asked about their contraception use, knowledge and
      information sources, demographic information, and IMBP factors, including
      attitudes, norms, and perceived behavioral control (PBC). RESULTS: While overall
      attitudes, norms, PBC, and intentions for contraceptive use were high, only 46.8%
      of women used contraception consistently. Data also revealed only moderate levels
      of knowledge about contraception. While there were no differences across SES
      levels for attitudes, PBC, norms or knowledge, SES levels did differ in sources
      used to acquire contraceptive information. CONCLUSIONS: This study highlights the
      need to consider where college women acquire contraceptive information which is
      associated with SES.

PMID- 28362155
TI  - Pathologists' Perspectives on Disclosing Harmful Pathology Error.
AB  - CONTEXT: - Medical errors are unfortunately common. The US Institute of Medicine
      proposed guidelines for mitigating and disclosing errors. Implementing these
      recommendations in pathology will require a better understanding of how errors
      occur in pathology, the relationship between pathologists and treating clinicians
      in reducing error, and pathologists' experiences with and attitudes toward
      disclosure of medical error. OBJECTIVE: - To understand pathologists' attitudes
      toward disclosing pathology error to treating clinicians and patients. DESIGN: -
      We conducted 5 structured focus groups in Washington State and Missouri with 45
      pathologists in academic and community practice. Participants were questioned
      about pathology errors, how clinicians respond to pathology errors, and what
      roles pathologists should play in error disclosure to patients. RESULTS: - These
      pathologists believe that neither treating physicians nor patients understand the
      subtleties and limitations of pathologic diagnoses, which complicates discussions
      about pathology errors. Pathologists' lack of confidence in communication skills
      and fear of being misrepresented or misunderstood are major barriers to their
      participation in disclosure discussions. Pathologists see potential for their
      future involvement in disclosing error to patients, but at present advocate
      reliance on treating clinicians to disclose pathology errors to patients. Most
      group members believed that going forward pathologists should offer to
      participate more actively in error disclosure to patients. CONCLUSIONS: -
      Pathologists lack confidence in error disclosure communication skills with both
      treating physicians and patients. Improved communication between pathologists and
      treating physicians could enhance transparency and promote disclosure of
      pathology errors. Consensus guidelines for best practices in pathology error
      disclosure may be useful.

PMID- 28362156
TI  - Development and Validation of Clinical Whole-Exome and Whole-Genome Sequencing
      for Detection of Germline Variants in Inherited Disease.
AB  - CONTEXT: - With the decrease in the cost of sequencing, the clinical testing
      paradigm has shifted from single gene to gene panel and now whole-exome and whole
      genome sequencing. Clinical laboratories are rapidly implementing next-generation
      sequencing-based whole-exome and whole-genome sequencing. Because a large number
      of targets are covered by whole-exome and whole-genome sequencing, it is critical
      that a laboratory perform appropriate validation studies, develop a quality
      assurance and quality control program, and participate in proficiency testing.
      OBJECTIVE: - To provide recommendations for whole-exome and whole-genome
      sequencing assay design, validation, and implementation for the detection of
      germline variants associated in inherited disorders. DATA SOURCES: - An example
      of trio sequencing, filtration and annotation of variants, and phenotypic
      consideration to arrive at clinical diagnosis is discussed. CONCLUSIONS: - It is
      critical that clinical laboratories planning to implement whole-exome and whole
      genome sequencing design and validate the assay to specifications and ensure
      adequate performance prior to implementation. Test design specifications,
      including variant filtering and annotation, phenotypic consideration, guidance on
      consenting options, and reporting of incidental findings, are provided. These are
      important steps a laboratory must take to validate and implement whole-exome and
      whole-genome sequencing in a clinical setting for germline variants in inherited
      disorders.

PMID- 28362157
TI  - The Significance of Lymphovascular Invasion of the Spermatic Cord in the Absence
      of Cord Soft Tissue Invasion.
AB  - CONTEXT: - Testicular germ cell tumors with lymphovascular invasion (LVI) are
      staged pT2, and those with spermatic cord involvement are staged pT3. OBJECTIVE: 
      To study the clinical significance of LVI within the spermatic cord without
      direct involvement of the cord soft tissues. DESIGN: - A retrospective, multi
      institutional review was performed on testicular GCTs with spermatic cord LVI in
      the absence of cord soft tissue invasion. RESULTS: - Forty-four germ cell tumors
      had LVI in the spermatic cord without soft tissue invasion; 37 of 44 patients
      (84%) had nonseminomatous germ cell tumors (NSGCT), and 7 (16%) had pure
      seminomas. Patients with NSGCTs and spermatic cord LVI had worse clinical
      outcomes compared with patients with pure seminoma and spermatic cord LVI (P =
      .008). We then compared patients with NSGCTs and spermatic cord LVI (n = 37) to
      patients with NSGCTs and LVI limited to the testis (n = 32). A significantly
      greater percentage of patients with LVI in the spermatic cord presented with
      advanced clinical stage (76% versus 50%; P = .01). There was no statistically
      significant difference in disease recurrence/progression or death between
      patients with spermatic cord LVI and patients with LVI limited to the testis (P =
      .40; P = .50). There was no significant difference in the presence of embryonal
      dominant histology (P = .30) or rete testis invasion (P = .50) between the 2
      groups. More hilar soft tissue invasion was seen in patients with LVI present in
      the spermatic cord (P = .004). CONCLUSIONS: - In patients with NSGCTs, LVI in the
      spermatic cord, without soft tissue invasion, is associated with worse clinical
      stage at presentation compared with patients with LVI confined to the testis.

PMID- 28362158
TI  - Interpretation of relative effects.

PMID- 28362159
TI  - Attitudinal and behavioral differences between cigarette users who do and do not
      identify as "smokers".
AB  - OBJECTIVE: The current research aimed to understand differences in smoking
      related identity among college students and to illustrate the distinct
      characteristics of nonidentified smokers (NIS). PARTICIPANTS: Students from 2
      colleges in Massachusetts (N = 538; April 2016). METHODS: Respondents reported by
      online survey whether or not they had smoked a cigarette in the past 30 days and
      if they self-identified as smokers. Nonsmokers (NIS) and identified smokers (IS)
      were then compared on their smoking attitudes and behavior. RESULTS: NIS made up
      12.5% of the sample and 64% of all tobacco users. NIS perceived themselves as
      less addicted and were more confident in their ability to quit smoking. They also
      were less likely to smoke alone, buy their own cigarettes, or have friends who
      smoked. CONCLUSIONS: College health officials can best motivate NIS to quit
      smoking by focusing on peer norms and the potential of long-term addiction.

PMID- 28362160
TI  - Epidemiology of Skin Infections in Men's Wrestling: Analysis of 2009-2010 Through
      2013-2014 National Collegiate Athletic Association Surveillance Data.
AB  - CONTEXT:   Our knowledge of the current epidemiology of skin infections among
      wrestlers is limited. OBJECTIVE:   To analyze and report the epidemiology of skin
      infections among National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) men's wrestling
      student-athletes during the 2009-2010 through 2013-2014 academic years. DESIGN:  
      Descriptive epidemiology study. SETTING:   Aggregate skin infection and exposure
      data collected by the NCAA Injury Surveillance Program. PATIENTS OR OTHER
      PARTICIPANTS:   Collegiate men's wrestling student-athletes. MAIN OUTCOME
      MEASURE(S):   All viral, bacterial, or fungal skin infections reported by
      athletic trainers at 17 NCAA programs were analyzed, providing 35 team-seasons of
      data. Skin infection rates per 10 000 athlete-exposures (AEs), rate ratios, skin
      infection proportions, and skin infection proportion ratios were calculated.
      RESULTS:   The athletic trainers reported 112 skin infections contracted by 87
      student-athletes across 78 720 AEs. The overall skin infection rate was 14.23/10
      000 AEs (95% confidence interval [CI] = 11.59, 16.86). Of the skin infections
      identified, 22.3% (n = 25) were recurrent skin infections. Most skin infections
      (65.2%) were attributable to 5 team-seasons (range, 11-19 infections). Most skin
      infections occurred during the regular season (n = 76, 67.9%), were identified
      during practice (n = 100, 89.3%), and resulted in >=24 hours' time loss (n = 83,
      74.1%). The rate for viral skin infections was 1.72 times the rate for bacterial
      skin infections (95% CI = 1.09, 2.72) and 2.08 times the rate for fungal skin
      infections (95% CI = 1.28, 3.39). Fungal skin infections more often resulted in
      time loss <24 hours compared with all other skin infections (75.0% versus 12.5%;
      infection proportion ratio = 6.00; 95% CI = 3.30, 10.92). CONCLUSIONS:   Our
      findings highlight the contagiousness of skin infections and suggest that skin
      infection rates may be attributable to high incidences among particular teams.

PMID- 28362161
TI  - Test-Retest Reliability of the King-Devick Test in an Adolescent Population.
AB  - CONTEXT:   The King-Devick (KD) test is a screening tool designed to assess
      cognitive visual impairments, namely saccadic rhythm, postconcussion. Test-retest
      reliability of the KD in a healthy adolescent population has not yet been
      established. OBJECTIVE:   To investigate the overall test-retest reliability of
      the KD among a sample of healthy adolescents. Additionally, we sought to
      determine if sex and age influenced reliability. DESIGN:   Cross-sectional study.
      SETTING:   Secondary school. PATIENTS OR OTHER PARTICIPANTS:   Sixty-eight
      healthy adolescents, 41 boys (age = 15.4 +/- 1.9 years) and 27 girls (age = 15.4
      +/- 1.9 years). MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE(S):   Participants completed the KD (version
      1) at 3 testing sessions (days 1, 30, and 45) following standard instructions. We
      recorded total time to complete the reading of 3 cards for each participant
      during each testing session. Two-way random-effects intraclass correlation
      coefficients (ICCs) using single measurements repeated over time and
      repeatability coefficients were calculated. Linear mixed models were used to
      determine whether differences existed at each testing time and to examine whether
      changes that took place among visits were different by sex or age. RESULTS:  
      Adolescents who completed the KD demonstrated acceptable reliability (ICC = 0.81;
      95% confidence interval = 0.73, 0.87); however, the repeatability coefficient was
      large (+/-8.76 seconds). The sample demonstrated improvements between visits 1
      and 2 (mean +/- standard error = 4.3 +/- 0.5 seconds, P < .001) and between
      visits 2 and 3 (2.4 +/- 0.5 seconds, P < .001) for a total improvement of 6.9
      seconds over 3 tests. No significant visit-by-sex or visit-by-age interactions
      were observed. CONCLUSIONS:   Despite the ICC being clinically acceptable,
      providers using the KD test for serial assessment of concussion in adolescents
      should be cautious in interpreting the results due to a large learning effect.
      Incorporating multiple measures can ensure accurate detection of sport
      concussion.

PMID- 28362163
TI  - Ties That Bond: Youth Sport as a Vehicle for Social Identity and Positive Youth
      Development.
AB  - : An emerging area of research has focused on understanding how the group
      dynamics of a sport team influence positive youth development (PYD). The
      identities that youth form through their membership in sport teams (i.e., social
      identities) have been found to influence teammate behavior and team performance.
      Yet, minimal work exists on social identity and PYD in youth sport. PURPOSE: The
      purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between social identity
      and PYD in sport. METHOD: Youth engaged in recreational sport (N = 219; Mage =
      11.61 years, SD = 1.39 years) completed measures of social identity and PYD in
      sport. The social identity measure assessed 3 dimensions including ingroup ties
      (IGT; perceptions of similarity, bonding, belongingness), cognitive centrality
      (importance of being a team member), and ingroup affect (IGA; feelings associated
      with group membership). A regression analysis was performed separately for 4 PYD
      outcomes (personal and social skills, goal setting, initiative, negative
      experiences) with the 3 dimensions of social identity entered as predictors.
      RESULTS: Regression analyses revealed that IGT and IGA were positively associated
      with personal and social skills (R2 Adj. = .29). Further, IGT predicted
      initiative (R2 Adj. = .16), whereas IGA was positively associated with goal
      setting (R2 Adj. = .17) and negatively associated with negative experiences (R2
      Adj. = .08). CONCLUSION: The findings extend previous research highlighting the
      benefits of social identity on teammate behavior and team performance and
      demonstrate how social identity may contribute to PYD through sport.

PMID- 28362164
TI  - Determination of restriction enzyme activity when cutting DNA labeled with the
      TOTO dye family.
AB  - Optical mapping, a single DNA molecule genome analysis platform that can
      determine methylation profiles, uses fluorescently labeled DNA molecules that are
      elongated on the surface and digested with a restriction enzyme to produce a
      barcode of that molecule. Understanding how the cyanine fluorochromes affect
      enzyme activity can lead to other fluorochromes used in the optical mapping
      system. The effects of restriction digestion on fluorochrome labeled DNA
      (Ethidium Bromide, DAPI, H33258, EthD-1, TOTO-1) have been analyzed previously.
      However, TOTO-1 is a part of a family of cyanine fluorochromes (YOYO-1, TOTO-1,
      BOBO-1, POPO-1, YOYO-3, TOTO-3, BOBO-3, and POPO-3) and the rest of the
      fluorochromes have not been examined in terms of their effects on restriction
      digestion. In order to determine if the other dyes in the TOTO-1 family inhibit
      restriction enzymes in the same way as TOTO-1, lambda DNA was stained with a dye
      from the TOTO family and digested. The restriction enzyme activity in regards to
      each dye, as well as each restriction enzyme, was compared to determine the
      extent of digestion. YOYO-1, TOTO-1, and POPO-1 fluorochromes inhibited ScaI-HF,
      PmlI, and EcoRI restriction enzymes. Additionally, the mobility of labeled DNA
      fragments in an agarose gel changed depending on which dye was intercalated.

PMID- 28362162
TI  - Hypoxia and Hypoglycemia synergistically regulate mRNA stability.
AB  - Ischemic events, common in many diseases, result from decreased blood flow and
      impaired delivery of oxygen and glucose to tissues of the body. While much is
      known about the cellular transcriptional response to ischemia, much less is known
      about the posttranscriptional response to oxygen and glucose deprivation. The
      goal of this project was to investigate one such posttranscriptional response,
      the regulation of mRNA stability. To that end, we have identified several novel
      ischemia-related mRNAs that are synergistically stabilized by oxygen and glucose
      deprivation including VEGF, MYC, MDM2, and CYR61. This increase in mRNA half-life
      requires the synergistic effects of both low oxygen (1%) as well as low glucose
      (<= 1 g/L) conditions. Oxygen or glucose deprivation alone fails to initiate the
      response, as exposure to either high glucose (4 g/L) or normoxic conditions
      inhibits the response. Furthermore, in response to hypoxia/hypoglycemia, the
      identified mRNAs are released from the RNA binding protein KHSRP which likely
      contributes to their stabilization.

PMID- 28362165
TI  - Physiological protection of probiotic microcapsules by coatings.
AB  - Nowadays, food and nutrition have a greater impact in people's concerns, with the
      awareness that nutrition have a direct impact in health and wellbeing. Probiotics
      have an important role in this topic and consumers are starting to really
      understand their potential in health, leading to an increasing interest of the
      companies to their commercial use in foods. However, there are several
      limitations to the use of probiotics in foods and beverages, being one of them
      their efficiency (directly associated to their survival rate) upon ingestion.
      This work is focused in microencapsulation techniques that have been used to
      increase probiotics efficiency. More specifically, this work reviews the most
      recent and relevant research about the production and coating techniques of
      probiotic-loaded microcapsules, providing an insight in the effect of these
      coatings in probiotics survival during the gastrointestinal phase. This review
      shows that coatings with the better performances in probiotics protection,
      against the harsh conditions of digestion, are chitosan, alginate, poly-L-lysine,
      and whey protein. Chitosan presented an interesting performance in probiotics
      protection being able to maintain the initial concentration of viable probiotics
      during a digestive test. The analyses of different works also showed that the
      utilization of several coatings does not guarantee a better protection in
      comparison with monocoated microcapsules.

PMID- 28362166
TI  - Illness uncertainty and illness intrusiveness as predictors of depressive and
      anxious symptomology in college students with chronic illnesses.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: To examine predictors of psychological functioning in college students
      with chronic illnesses. PARTICIPANTS: Participants (N = 1413) included 364
      students with self-reported diagnoses of asthma or allergies, 148 students with
      other chronic illnesses (eg, epilepsy, type 1 diabetes), and 901 healthy
      students. Data were collected between November 2013 and May 2015. METHODS:
      Participants completed online measures of psychosocial functioning, including
      illness uncertainty, illness intrusiveness, depression, and anxiety. RESULTS:
      Students with chronic illnesses other than asthma or allergies evidenced the
      greatest levels of anxious (p <. 05), but not depressive symptomology.
      Additionally, this group reported greater illness uncertainty and intrusiveness
      (p <. 05) compared to their peers. Uncertainty and intrusiveness independently
      predicted depressive and anxious symptoms for students in both illness groups.
      CONCLUSIONS: Compared to peers with asthma or allergies, college students with
      other chronic illnesses reported higher levels of anxious symptoms. Illness
      uncertainty and intrusiveness appear to be predictors of psychological distress,
      regardless of illness.

PMID- 28362167
TI  - Adipocyte Secretome Increases Radioresistance of Malignant Melanocytes by
      Improving Cell Survival and Decreasing Oxidative Status.
AB  - Radiotherapy is a treatment option for the majority of malignancies. However,
      because melanoma is known to be radioresistant, the use of ionizing radiation as
      an adjuvant therapy in cutaneous melanoma patients is ineffective. Obesity has
      now been recognized as a risk factor for melanoma. High adiposity is generally
      associated with a more pro-oxidative status. Oxidative stress is a major player
      in radiation therapy and also a common link between obesity and cancer. Several
      adipocyte-released proteins are known to have a role in controlling cellular
      growth and pro-survival signaling. For that reason, we investigated the influence
      of 3T3-L1 mature adipocyte secretome in B16-F10 malignant melanocyte
      radiosensitivity. We evaluated B16-F10 cell survival and redox homeostasis when
      exposed to four daily doses of ionizing radiation (2 Gy per day) up to a total of
      8 Gy in a medical linear accelerator. B16-F10 melanocytes exhibited slight
      alterations in survival, catalase activity, nitrative stress and total oxidant
      concentration after the first 2 Gy irradiation. The motility of the melanocytes
      was also delayed by ionizing radiation. Subsequent irradiations of the malignant
      melanocytes led to more prominent reductions in overall survival. Remarkably, 3T3
      L1 adipocyte-secreted molecules were able to increase the viability and migration
      of melanocytes, as well as lessen the pro-oxidant burden induced by both the
      single and cumulative X-ray doses. In vitro adipocyte-released factors protected
      B16-F10 malignant melanocytes from both oxidative stress and loss of viability
      triggered by radiation, enhancing the radioresistant phenotype of these cells
      with a concomitant activation of the AKT signaling pathway. These results both
      help to elucidate how obesity influences melanoma radioresistance and support the
      usage of conventional medical linear accelerators as a valid model for the in
      vitro radiobiological study of tumor cell lines.

PMID- 28362168
TI  - Impact of Abbreviated Filgrastim Schedule on Survival and Hematopoietic Recovery
      after Irradiation in Four Mouse Strains with Different Radiosensitivity.
AB  - Filgrastim (Neupogen(r), granulocyte-colony stimulating factor) is among the few
      countermeasures recommended for management of patients in the event of lethal
      total-body irradiation. Despite the plethora of studies using filgrastim as a
      radiation countermeasure, relatively little is known about the optimal dose
      schedule of filgrastim to mitigate radiation lethality. We evaluated the efficacy
      of filgrastim in improving 30-day survival of CD2F1 mice irradiated with a lethal
      dose (LD70/30) in the AFRRI cobalt-60 facility. We tested different schedules of
      1, 3, 5, 10 or 16 once-daily injections of filgrastim initiated one day after
      irradiation. Time optimization studies with filgrastim treatment were also
      performed, beginning 6-48 h postirradiation. Maximum survival was observed with 3
      daily doses of 0.17 mg/kg filgrastim. Survival efficacy of the 3-day treatment
      was compared against the conventional 16-day filgrastim treatment after
      irradiation in four mouse strains with varying radiation sensitivities: C3H/HeN,
      C57BL/6, B6C3F1 and CD2F1. Blood indices, bone marrow histopathology and colony
      forming unit assays were also evaluated. Filgrastim significantly increased 30
      day survival (P < 0.001) with a 3-day treatment compared to 16-day treatment.
      Filgrastim did not prevent cytopenia nadirs, but facilitated faster recovery of
      white blood cells, neutrophils, red blood cells, platelets, lymphocytes and
      hematocrits in all four strains. Accelerated hematopoietic recovery was also
      reflected in faster bone marrow reconstitution and significant increase in
      hematopoietic progenitors (P < 0.001) in all four mouse strains. These data
      indicate that prompt and abbreviated filgrastim treatment has potential benefit
      for triage in the event of a radiological incident for treating acute
      hematopoietic syndrome.

PMID- 28362169
TI  - Preliminary validation of the Portuguese Edinburgh Handedness Inventory in an
      adult sample.
AB  - The Edinburgh Handedness Inventory (EHI) is persistently the most used inventory
      to evaluate handedness, being neuropsychological investigation and clinical
      practice. Despite this, there is no information on how this instrument functions
      in a Portuguese population. The objective of this study was therefore to examine
      the sociodemographic influences on handedness and establish psychometric
      properties of the EHI in a Portuguese sample. The sample consisted of 342 adults
      (157 men and 185 women), assessed with a battery of neuropsychological tests. The
      mean EHI Laterality Quotient was 63.52 (SD = 38.00). A much high percentage of
      ambiguous-handedness compared to left-handedness was detected. An inconsistency
      was found between the preference for formal education activities (writing-drawing
      using scissors) and the remaining EHI activities. From sociodemographic
      variables, only age, area, and regions of residence showed significant influence
      on EHI scores. The reliability and temporal reliability of EHI were adequate.
      Confirmatory factor analysis indicated a one-factor model (chi2/df = 2.141; TLI =
      0.972; CFI = 0.979; RMSEA = 0.058). The inconsistency between formal education
      and nonformal activities could be an indicator of social pressure. The present
      data give support for the notion that handedness measured by EHI is potentially
      sensitive to sociodemographic and cultural influences.

PMID- 28362170
TI  - Accuracy and reproducibility of dental measurements on tomographic digital
      models: a systematic review and meta-analysis.
AB  - OBJECTIVES: The aim of this systematic review with meta-analysis was to assess
      the accuracy and reproducibility of dental measurements obtained from digital
      study models generated from CBCT compared with those acquired from plaster
      models. METHODS: The electronic databases Cochrane Library, Medline (via PubMed),
      Scopus, VHL, Web of Science, and System for Information on Grey Literature in
      Europe were screened to identify articles from 1998 until February 2016. The
      inclusion criteria were: prospective and retrospective clinical trials in humans;
      validation and/or comparison articles of dental study models obtained from CBCT
      and plaster models; and articles that used dental linear measurements as an
      assessment tool. The methodological quality of the studies was carried out by
      Quality Assessment of Diagnostic Accuracy Studies-2 (QUADAS-2) tool. A meta
      analysis was performed to validate all comparative measurements. RESULTS: The
      databases search identified a total of 3160 items and 554 duplicates were
      excluded. After reading titles and abstracts, 12 articles were selected. Five
      articles were included after reading in full. The methodological quality obtained
      through QUADAS-2 was poor to moderate. In the meta-analysis, there were
      statistical differences between the mesiodistal widths of mandibular incisors,
      maxillary canines and premolars, and overall Bolton analysis. Therefore, the
      measurements considered accurate were maxillary and mandibular crowding,
      intermolar width and mesiodistal width of maxillary incisors, mandibular canines
      and premolars, in both arches for molars. CONCLUSIONS: Digital models obtained
      from CBCT were not accurate for all measures assessed. The differences were
      clinically acceptable for all dental linear measurements, except for maxillary
      arch perimeter. Digital models are reproducible for all measurements when
      intraexaminer assessment is considered and need improvement in interexaminer
      evaluation.

PMID- 28362171
TI  - Effects of Dietary Resistant Starch on the Wnt Signaling Pathway and
      Preneoplastic Cells in the Colons of Azoxymethane-Treated Rats.
AB  - Dietary resistant starch (RS) has been suggested to reduce colonic neoplasia. To
      determine the effects of digestion-resistant cornstarch on colonic carcinogenesis
      and Wnt signaling in azoxymethane (AOM)-treated F344 rats, diets containing
      naturally occurring RS from corn lines derived partially from Guat209 (GUAT),
      AR16035 (AR), or a hybrid (ARxGUAT), containing 34.5 +/- 2.0, 0.2 +/- 0.1, and
      1.9 +/- 0.1% RS, respectively, were fed at 55% of the diet. GUAT-fed rats had
      increased cecal content and tissue weight and decreased cecal pH compared with AR
      or ARxGUAT-fed rats. Numbers of aberrant crypt foci (ACF) were not different
      among diet groups. Increased numbers of crypts/focus were observed in AOM
      injected rats fed GUAT compared with rats fed other diets. beta-catenin mRNA
      expression of the crypts was significantly increased in GUAT-fed rats injected
      with AOM relative to those injected with saline. These findings suggest that
      selected dietary RSs may at some level further enhance colonocyte proliferation
      and differentiation in an AOM-treated colon.

PMID- 28362172
TI  - Vitamin D Signaling Pathways Confer the Susceptibility of Esophageal Squamous
      Cell Carcinoma in a Northern Chinese Population.
AB  - Experimental studies have determined the chemopreventive effects of vitamin D
      against the esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC); however, results from the
      epidemiological studies are not yet well established. The current study aimed to
      evaluate the associations between plasma vitamin D levels and variants on vitamin
      D metabolic-related genes with the risks for ESCC. A hospital-based case-control
      study was performed. Five hundred eighty-two ESCC patients and 569 controls were
      recruited in a Northern Chinese population. Common variants on vitamin D
      metabolism-related genes CYP24A1, DHCR7, GC, CYP27B1, and vitamin D receptor
      (VDR) and the plasma 25(OH)D level were determined. The unconditional logistic
      regression method was applied to determine the associations between the variants
      and vitamin D level and ESCC. Higher plasma 25(OH)D was associated with a reduced
      risk for ESCC, especially for rs2296241, rs11568820, and rs4646536. The variants
      rs2296241 on CYP24A1 and rs11568820 on VDR are significantly associated with ESCC
      cancer. Vitamin D signaling pathways may participate in the ESCC development.
      Further studies with larger sample size are warranted to confirm the results.
      Intervention studies are needed to determine whether vitamin D supplementation
      may reduce the ESCC risk in the Chinese population.

PMID- 28362174
TI  - Thermodynamics, transport phenomena, and electrochemistry of external field
      assisted nonthermal food technologies.
AB  - Interest in the development and adoption of nonthermal technologies is burgeoning
      within the food and bioprocess industry, the associated research community, and
      among the consumers. This is evident from not only the success of some innovative
      nonthermal technologies at industrial scale, but also from the increasing number
      of publications dealing with these topics, a growing demand for foods processed
      by nonthermal technologies and use of natural ingredients. A notable feature of
      the nonthermal technologies such as cold plasma, electrohydrodynamic processing,
      pulsed electric fields, and ultrasound is the involvement of external fields,
      either electric or sound. Therefore, it merits to study the fundamentals of these
      technologies and the associated phenomenon with a unified approach. In this
      review, we revisit the fundamental physical and chemical phenomena governing the
      selected technologies, highlight similarities, and contrasts, describe few
      successful applications, and finally, identify the gaps in research.

PMID- 28362175
TI  - Synergistic Impact of d-delta-Tocotrienol and Geranylgeraniol on the Growth and
      HMG CoA Reductase of Human DU145 Prostate Carcinoma Cells.
AB  - The growth-suppressive effect of d-delta-tocotrienol and geranylgeraniol is at
      least partially attributed to their impact on 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl coenzyme
      A (HMG CoA) reductase, the rate-limiting enzyme in the mevalonate pathway that
      provides essential intermediates for the posttranslational modification of growth
      related proteins including RAS. We hypothesize that these agents synergistically
      impact cell growth based on their complementary mechanisms of action with HMG CoA
      reductase. d-delta-tocotrienol (0-40 umol/L; half maximal inhibitory
      concentration [IC50] = 15 umol/L) and geranylgeraniol (0-100 umol/L; IC50 = 60
      umol/L) each induced concentration-dependent suppression of the growth of human
      DU145 prostate carcinoma cells. Blends of the two agents synergistically
      suppressed the growth of DU145 cells, with combination index values ranging 0.67
      0.75. While 7.5 umol/L d-delta-tocotrienol and 30 umol/L geranylgeraniol
      individually had no impact on cell cycle distribution in DU145 cells, a blend of
      the agents induced cell cycle arrest at the G1 phase. The synergistic
      downregulation of the expression of HMG CoA reductase by 7.5 umol/L d-delta
      tocotrienol and 30 umol/L geranylgeraniol was accompanied by a reduction in
      membrane K-RAS protein. Our finding supports the cancer chemopreventive action of
      plant-based diets and their isoprenoid constituents. Properly formulated
      isoprenoids and derivatives may provide novel approaches in prostate cancer
      prevention and therapy.

PMID- 28362179
TI  - Serotonin-induced hypophagia is mediated via alpha2 and beta2 adrenergic
      receptors in neonatal layer-type chickens.
AB  - 1. Serotoninergic and adrenergic systems play crucial roles in feed intake
      regulation in avians but there is no report on possible interactions among them.
      So, in this study, 5 experiments were designed to evaluate the interaction of
      central serotonergic and adrenergic systems on food intake regulation in 3 h food
      deprived (FD3) neonatal layer-type chickens. 2. In Experiment 1, chickens
      received intracerebroventricular (ICV) injection of control solution, serotonin
      (56.74 nmol), prazosin (alpha1 receptor antagonist, 10 nmol) and co-injection of
      serotonin plus prazosin. In Experiment 2, control solution, serotonin (56.74
      nmol), yohimbine (alpha2 receptor antagonist, 13 nmol) and co-injection of
      serotonin plus yohimbine were used. In Experiment 3, the birds received control
      solution, serotonin (56.74 nmol), metoprolol (beta1 receptor antagonist, 24 nmol)
      and co-injection of serotonin plus metoprolol. In Experiment 4, injections were
      control solution, serotonin (56.74 nmol), ICI 118.551 (beta2 receptor antagonist,
      5 nmol) and serotonin plus ICI 118.551. In Experiment 5, control solution,
      serotonin (56.74 nmol), SR59230R (beta3 receptor antagonist, 20 nmol) and co
      administration of serotonin and SR59230R were injected. In all experiments the
      cumulative food intake was measured until 120 min post injection. 3. The results
      showed that ICV injection of serotonin alone decreased food intake in chickens. A
      combined injection of serotonin plus ICI 118.551 significantly attenuated
      serotonin-induced hypophagia. Also, co-administration of serotonin and yohimbine
      significantly amplified the hypophagic effect of serotonin. However, prazosin,
      metoprolol and SR59230R had no effect on serotonin-induced hypophagia in
      chickens. 4. These results suggest that serotonin-induced feeding behaviour is
      probably mediated via alpha2 and beta2 adrenergic receptors in neonatal layer
      type chicken.

PMID- 28362177
TI  - Advances in Retinal Prosthetic Research: A Systematic Review of Engineering and
      Clinical Characteristics of Current Prosthetic Initiatives.
AB  - PURPOSE: To date, reviews of retinal prostheses have focused primarily on devices
      undergoing human trials in the Western Hemisphere and fail to capture significant
      advances in materials and engineering research in countries such as Japan and
      Korea, as well as projects in early stages of development. To address these gaps,
      this systematic review examines worldwide advances in retinal prosthetic
      research, evaluates engineering characteristics and clinical progress of
      contemporary device initiatives, and identifies potential directions for future
      research in the field of retinal prosthetics. METHODS: A literature search using
      PubMed, Google Scholar, and IEEExplore was conducted following the PRISMA
      Guidelines for Systematic Review. Inclusion criteria were peer-reviewed papers
      demonstrating progress in human or animal trials and papers discussing the
      prosthetic engineering design. For each initiative, a description of the device,
      its engineering considerations, and recent clinical results were provided.
      RESULTS: Ten prosthetic initiatives met our inclusion criteria and were organized
      by stimulation location. Of these initiatives, four have recently completed human
      trials, three are undergoing multi- or single-center human trials, and three are
      undergoing preclinical animal testing. Only the Argus II (FDA 2013, CE 2011) has
      obtained FDA approval for use in the United States; the Alpha-IMS (CE 2013) has
      achieved the highest visual acuity using a Landolt-C test to date and is the only
      device presently undergoing a multicenter clinical trial. CONCLUSION: Several
      distinct approaches to retinal stimulation have been successful in eliciting
      visual precepts in animals and/or humans. However, many clinical needs are still
      not met and engineering challenges must be addressed before a retinal prosthesis
      with the capability to fully and safely restore functional vision can be
      realized.

PMID- 28362176
TI  - Co-delivery of insulin-like growth factor 1 receptor specific siRNA and
      doxorubicin using chitosan-based nanoparticles enhanced anticancer efficacy in
      A549 lung cancer cell line.
AB  - Here, we investigated the effects of dual delivery of IGF-1R siRNA and
      doxorubicin by chitosan nanoparticles on viability of A549 lung cancer cells line
      by utilization of MTT and qRT-PCR. Furthermore apoptosis and migration of treated
      cells were assessed by Annexin-PI and wound healing assays, respectively. The
      chitosan nanoparticles had about 176 nm size with zeta potential and
      polydispersive index about 11 mV and 0.3, respectively. The IGF-1R siRNA had
      synergistic effect on DOX-induced cytotoxicity and apoptosis in tumour cells. In
      addition, siRNA/DOX-loaded chitosan nanoparticles could significantly decrease
      migration and expressions of mmp9, VEGF and STAT3 in A549 cells.

PMID- 28362180
TI  - Not All Orgasms Were Created Equal: Differences in Frequency and Satisfaction of
      Orgasm Experiences by Sexual Activity in Same-Sex Versus Mixed-Sex Relationships.
AB  - Which sexual activities result in the most frequent and most satisfying orgasms
      for men and women in same- and mixed-sex relationships? The current study
      utilized a convenience sample of 806 participants who completed an online survey
      concerning the types of sexual activities through which they experience orgasms.
      Participants indicated how frequently they reached orgasm, how satisfied they
      were from orgasms resulting from 14 sexual activities, and whether they desired a
      frequency change for each sexual activity. We present the overall levels of
      satisfaction, frequency, and desired frequency change for the whole sample and
      also compare responses across four groups of participants: men and women in same
      sex relationships and men and women in mixed-sex relationships. While all
      participants reported engaging in a wide variety of activities that either could,
      or often did, lead to the experience of orgasm, there were differences in the
      levels of satisfaction derived from different types of orgasms for different
      types of participants, who also engaged in such activities with varying degrees
      of frequency. We discuss group differences within the context of sexual scripts
      for same- and mixed-sex couples and question the potential explanations for
      gender differences in the ability to experience orgasm during partnered sexual
      activity.

PMID- 28362181
TI  - Infantile scurvy revealed by spontaneous orbital hematoma.

PMID- 28362182
TI  - Pediatric spinal cord astrocytomas: a retrospective study of 348 patients from
      the SEER database.
AB  - OBJECTIVE Intramedullary spinal cord tumors comprise 1%-10% of all childhood
      central nervous system neoplasms, with astrocytomas representing the most common
      subtype. Due to their rarity and poor prognosis, large population-based studies
      are needed to assess the epidemiology and survival risk factors associated with
      these tumors in the hope of improving outcome. The authors undertook this
      retrospective study to explore factors that may influence survival in pediatric
      patients with spinal cord astrocytomas. METHODS Utilizing the Surveillance,
      Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) database, a prospective cancer registry, the
      authors retrospectively assessed survival in histologically confirmed, primary
      spinal cord astrocytomas in patients 21 years of age and younger. Survival was
      described with Kaplan-Meyer curves, and a multivariate regression analysis was
      used to assess the association of several variables with survival while
      controlling for confounding variables. RESULTS This analysis of 348 cases showed
      that age (hazard ratio [HR] 1.05, 95% CI 1.01-1.09, p = 0.017), nonwhite race (HR
      1.74, 95% CI 1.11-2.74, p = 0.014), high-grade tumor status (HR 14.67, 95% CI
      6.69-32.14, p < 0.001), distant or invasive extension of the tumor (HR 2.37, 95%
      CI 1.02-5.49, p = 0.046), and radiation therapy (HR 3.74, 95% CI 2.18-6.41, p <
      0.001) were associated with decreased survival. Partial resection (HR 0.37, 95%
      CI 0.16-0.83, p = 0.017) and gross-total resection (HR 0.39, 95% CI 0.16-0.95, p
      = 0.039) were associated with improved survival. CONCLUSIONS Younger age appears
      to be protective, while high-grade tumors have a much worse prognosis. Early
      diagnosis and access to surgery appears necessary for improving outcomes, while
      radiation therapy has an unclear role. There is still much to learn about this
      disease in the hope of curing children with the misfortune of having one of these
      rare tumors.

PMID- 28362183
TI  - Editorial. Early unplanned reoperation: we need more data.

PMID- 28362184
TI  - Surveillance survey of family history in children with neural tube defects.
AB  - OBJECTIVE Although there are known risk factors for the development of neural
      tube defects (NTDs), little is known regarding the role of family history. The
      authors' goal in this study is to describe the family history in their population
      of patients with NTDs. METHODS Surveys were completed for 254 patients who were
      accompanied by their biological mother during their annual visit to the
      multidisciplinary Spina Bifida Clinic at Children's of Alabama. An NTD has been
      diagnosed in all patients who are seen in this clinic (myelomeningocele,
      lipomeningocele, split cord malformation, and congenital dermal sinus tract).
      Each mother answered questions regarding known NTD risk factors and their
      pregnancy, as well as the family history of NTDs, other CNS disorders, and birth
      defects. RESULTS The overall prevalence of family history of NTDs in children
      with an NTD was 16.9% (n = 43), of which 3.1% (n = 8) were in first-degree
      relatives. In patients with myelomeningocele, 17.7% (n = 37) had a positive
      family history for NTDs, with 3.8% in first-degree relatives. Family history in
      the paternal lineage for all NTDs was 8.7% versus 10.6% in the maternal lineage.
      Twenty-two patients (8.7%) had a family history of other congenital CNS
      disorders. Fifteen (5.9%) had a family history of Down syndrome, 12 (4.7%) had a
      family history of cerebral palsy, and 13 (5.1%) patients had a family history of
      clubfoot. Fourteen (5.5%) had a family history of cardiac defect, and 13 (5.1%)
      had a family history of cleft lip or palate. CONCLUSIONS The family history of
      NTDs was 16.9% in children with NTD without a difference between maternal and
      paternal lineage. This high rate of positive family history suggests that
      genetics and epigenetics may play a larger role in the pathogenesis of NTD in the
      modern era of widespread folate supplementation.

PMID- 28362185
TI  - Reoperations within 48 hours following 7942 pediatric neurosurgery procedures.
AB  - OBJECTIVE Various indicators are used to evaluate the quality of care delivered
      by surgical services, one of which is early reoperation rate. The indications and
      rate of reoperations within a 48-hour time period have not been previously
      reported for pediatric neurosurgery. METHODS Between May 1, 2009, and December
      30, 2014, 7942 surgeries were performed by the pediatric neurosurgery service in
      the operating rooms at a single institution. Demographic, socioeconomic, and
      clinical characteristics associated with each of the operations were
      prospectively collected. The procedures were grouped into 31 categories based on
      the nature of the procedure and underlying diseases. Reoperations within 48 hours
      at the conclusion of the index surgery were reviewed to determine whether the
      reoperation was planned or unplanned. Multivariate logistic regression was
      employed to analyze risk factors associated with unplanned reoperations. RESULTS
      Cerebrospinal fluid shunt-and hydrocephalus-related surgeries accounted for 3245
      (40.8%) of the 7942 procedures. Spinal procedures, craniotomy for tumor
      resections, craniotomy for traumatic injury, and craniofacial reconstructions
      accounted for an additional 8.7%, 6.8%, 4.5%, and 4.5% of surgical volume. There
      were 221 reoperations within 48 hours of the index surgery, yielding an overall
      incidence of 2.78%; 159 of the reoperation were unplanned. Of these 159 unplanned
      reoperations, 121 followed index operations involving shunt manipulations. Using
      unplanned reoperations as the dependent variable (n = 159), index operations with
      a starting time after 3 pm and admission through the emergency department (ED)
      were associated with a two- to threefold increase in the likelihood of
      reoperations (after-hour surgery, odds ratio [OR] 2.01 [95% CI 1.43-2.83, p <
      0.001]; ED admission, OR 1.97 (95% CI 1.32-2.96, p < 0.05]). CONCLUSIONS
      Approximately 25% of the reoperations within 48 hours of a pediatric
      neurosurgical procedure were planned. When reoperations were unplanned,
      contributing factors could be both surgeon related and system related. Further
      study is required to determine the extent to which these reoperations are
      preventable. The utility of unplanned reoperation as a quality indicator is
      dependent on proper definition, analysis, and calculation.

PMID- 28362186
TI  - A proposal for a new classification of complications in craniosynostosis surgery.
AB  - OBJECTIVE Complications have been used extensively to facilitate evaluation of
      craniosynostosis practice. However, description of complications tends to be
      nonstandardized, making comparison difficult. The authors propose a new pragmatic
      classification of complications that relies on prospective data collection, is
      geared to capture significant morbidity as well as any "near misses" in a
      systematic fashion, and can be used as a quality improvement tool. METHODS Data
      on complications for all patients undergoing surgery for nonsyndromic
      craniosynostosis between 2010 and 2015 were collected from a prospective
      craniofacial audit database maintained at the authors' institution. Information
      on comorbidities, details of surgery, and follow-up was extracted from medical
      records, anesthetic and operation charts, and electronic databases. Complications
      were defined as any unexpected event that resulted or could have resulted in a
      temporary or permanent damage to the child. RESULTS A total of 108 operations for
      the treatment of nonsyndromic craniosynostosis were performed in 103 patients
      during the 5-year study period. Complications were divided into 6 types: 0)
      perioperative occurrences; 1) inpatient complications; 2) outpatient
      complications not requiring readmission; 3) complications requiring readmission;
      4) unexpected long-term deficit; and 5) mortality. These types were further
      subdivided according to the length of stay and time after discharge. The overall
      complication rate was found to be 35.9%. CONCLUSIONS The proportion of children
      with some sort of complication using the proposed definition was much higher than
      commonly reported, predominantly due to the inclusion of problems often dismissed
      as minor. The authors believe that these complications should be included in
      determining complication rates, as they will cause distress to families and may
      point to potential areas for improving a surgical service.

PMID- 28362188
TI  - Spinal column shortening for tethered cord syndrome associated with
      myelomeningocele, lumbosacral lipoma, and lipomyelomeningocele in children and
      young adults.
AB  - OBJECTIVE Tethered cord syndrome is the clinical manifestation of an abnormal
      stretch on the spinal cord, presumably causing mechanical injury, a compromised
      blood supply, and altered spinal cord metabolism. Tethered cord release is the
      standard treatment for tethered cord syndrome. However, direct untethering of the
      spinal cord carries potential risks, such as new neurological deficits from
      spinal cord injury, a CSF leak from opening the dura, and retethering of the
      spinal cord from normal scar formation after surgery. To avoid these risks, the
      authors applied spinal column shortening to children and transitional adults with
      primary and secondary tethered cord syndrome and report treatment outcomes. The
      authors' aim with this study was to determine the safety and efficacy of spinal
      column shortening for tethered cord syndrome by analyzing their experience with
      this surgical technique. METHODS The authors retrospectively reviewed the
      demographic and procedural data of children and young adults who had undergone
      spinal column shortening for primary or secondary tethered cord syndrome. RESULTS
      Seven patients with tethered cord syndrome caused by myelomeningocele,
      lipomyelomeningocele, and transitional spinal lipoma were treated with spinal
      column shortening. One patient with less than 24 months of follow-up was excluded
      from further analysis. There were 3 males and 4 females; the average age at the
      time was surgery was 16 years (range 8-30 years). Clinical presentations for our
      patients included pain (in 5 patients), weakness (in 4 patients), and
      bowel/bladder dysfunction (in 4 patients). Spinal column osteotomy was most
      commonly performed at the L-1 level, with fusion between T-12 and L-2 using a
      pedicle screw-rod construct. Pedicle subtraction osteotomy was performed in 6
      patients, and vertebral column resection was performed in 1 patient. The average
      follow-up period was 31 months (range 26-37 months). Computed tomography-based
      radiographic outcomes showed solid fusion and no instrumentation failure in all
      cases by the most recent follow-up. Five of 7 patients (71%) reported improvement
      in preoperative symptoms during the follow-up period. The mean differences in
      initial and most recent Scoliosis Research Society Outcomes Questionnaire and
      Oswestry Disability Index scores were 0.26 and -13%, respectively; minimum
      clinically important difference in SRS-22 and ODI were assumed to be 0.4% and 
      12.8%, respectively. CONCLUSIONS Spinal column shortening seems to represent a
      safe and efficacious alternative to traditional untethering of the spinal cord
      for tethered cord syndrome.

PMID- 28362187
TI  - Three-dimensional changes in head shape after extended sagittal strip craniectomy
      with wedge ostectomies and helmet therapy.
AB  - OBJECTIVE Outcome studies for sagittal strip craniectomy have largely relied on
      the 2D measure of the cephalic index (CI) as the primary indicator of head shape.
      The goal of this study was to measure the 2D and 3D changes in head shape that
      occur after sagittal strip craniectomy and postoperative helmet therapy. METHODS
      The authors performed a retrospective review of patients treated with sagittal
      strip craniectomy at their institution between January 2012 and October 2015.
      Inclusion criteria were as follows: 1) isolated sagittal synostosis; 2) age at
      surgery < 200 days; and 3) helmet management by a single orthotist. The CI was
      calculated from 3D images. Color maps and dot maps were generated from 3D images
      to demonstrate the regional differences in the magnitude of change in head shape
      over time. RESULTS Twenty-one patients met the study inclusion criteria. The mean
      CI was 71.9 (range 63.0-77.9) preoperatively and 81.1 (range 73.0-89.8) at the
      end of treatment. The mean time to stabilization of the CI after surgery was 57.2
      +/- 32.7 days. The mean maximum distances between the surfaces of the
      preoperative and 1-week postoperative and between the surfaces of the
      preoperative and end-of-treatment 3D images were 13.0 +/- 4.1 mm and 24.71 +/-
      6.83 mm, respectively. The zone of maximum change was distributed equally in the
      transverse and vertical dimensions of the posterior vault. CONCLUSIONS The CI
      normalizes rapidly after sagittal strip craniectomy (57.2 days), with equal
      distribution of the change in CI occurring before and during helmet therapy.
      Three-dimensional analysis revealed significant vertical and transverse expansion
      of the posterior cranial vault. Further studies are needed to assess the 3D
      changes that occur after other sagittal strip craniectomy techniques.

PMID- 28362189
TI  - Canakinumab for the treatment of familial Mediterranean fever.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: Familial Mediterranean fever (FMF) is the most frequent of all
      hereditary autoinflammatory syndromes. It is characterized by recurrent attacks
      of fever and serositis. If not treated it may be complicated with AA amyloidosis.
      It is caused by mutations in the MEFV gene that encodes pyrin which is involved
      in the regulation of IL-1beta. The mainstay of treatment is colchicine, however a
      subset of patients requires an alternative treatment either due to inadequate
      response or intolerance. The accumulating data indicates that anti IL-1 drugs are
      effective in treating colchicine resistant FMF cases and improving their quality
      of life. Areas covered: This review focuses on canakinumab, a fully human anti IL
      1beta antibody, treatment in FMF. Expert commentary: Canakinumab became the first
      approved therapy by the Food and Drug Administration for FMF very recently, which
      highlights its importance as the alternative treatment in FMF.

PMID- 28362190
TI  - HPV epigenetic mechanisms related to Oropharyngeal and Cervix cancers.
AB  - Human Papilloma Virus infection is very frequent in humans and is mainly
      transmitted sexually. The majority of infections are transient and asymptomatic,
      however, if the infection persists, it can occur with a variety of injuries to
      skin and mucous membranes, depending on the type of HPV involved. Some types of
      HPV are classified as high oncogenic risk as associated with the onset of cancer.
      The tumors most commonly associated with HPV are cervical and oropharyngeal
      cancer, epigenetic mechanisms related to HPV infection include methylation
      changes to host and viral DNA and chromatin modification in host species. This
      review is focused about epigenethic mechanism, such as MiRNAs expression, related
      to cervix and oral cancer. Specifically it discuss about molecular markers
      associated to a more aggressive phenotype. In this way we will analyze genes
      involved in meiotic sinaptonemal complex, transcriptional factors, of
      orthokeratins, sinaptogirin, they are all expressed in cancer in a way not more
      dependent on cell differentiation but HPV-dependent.

PMID- 28362191
TI  - Increase in depression diagnoses and prescribed antidepressants among young
      girls. A national cohort study 2000-2013.
AB  - AIMS: To analyse trends in depression diagnoses and antidepressant use according
      to age and gender. METHODS: Nationwide cohort study including all women and men
      of 10-49 years living in Denmark during 2000-2013. The Psychiatric Registry and
      Prescription Registry provided data on depression diagnoses and antidepressant
      medication, respectively. Incidence rates as well as 1-year prevalence rates were
      calculated. RESULTS: The incidence and 1-year prevalence rates of depression
      diagnoses increased during 2000-2013. The women/men rates were 2.0 for both 1
      year prevalence of depressions diagnoses and antidepressant use. For adolescent
      girls, the absolute increase was 3 per 1000 for depression diagnoses and 8 per
      1000 for first use of antidepressants, compared to boys who had an increase of
      1.1 and 3 per 1000, respectively. Before puberty, boys and girls had almost the
      same incidence rates of both depression diagnoses and antidepressant use
      throughout the period. After puberty, girls had significantly higher incidence
      rates than boys, and experienced during the study period a steeper increase than
      boys. According to age, the girls/boys incidence rate ratio of a depression
      diagnosis increased from 0.8 in the 10-11 year age group to 2.7 at age 12-19
      years and hereafter decreased with increasing age to 1.5 at age 45-49.
      CONCLUSIONS: Depression diagnosed and first use of antidepressants increased more
      for girls of 12-19 years than for boys during 2000-2013, and the incidences were
      similar for girls and boys before puberty, but higher after puberty for girls.

PMID- 28362193
TI  - Relations between awareness of morphosyntactic structures in Chinese compound
      words and reading abilities: A short report.
AB  - This is a short report of the investigation of the relationship between awareness
      of morphosyntactic structures in Chinese compound words and reading abilities on
      268 fourth graders studying in three mainstream schools in Shenzhen. All children
      were assessed using reading and cognitive tasks including rapid automatized
      naming, phonological, orthographic and morphological awareness. A compound
      production task using pseudo compound words with different morphosyntactic
      structures in the first and second levels as stimuli was also conducted. Results
      of ANOVA indicated that main effect of first level morphosyntactic structures,
      main effect of second level morphosyntactic structures and interaction effects
      between the two were significant. Children's awareness of different
      morphosyntactic structures were affected by frequency of usage of individual
      morphosyntactic structures in the language. Results of hierarchical regression
      analyses revealed that the awareness of morphosyntactic structures in Chinese
      compound words is strongly associated with Chinese reading abilities. Theoretical
      and clinical implications were discussed.

PMID- 28362192
TI  - Ovarian metastasis from lung adenocarcinoma with ALK-positive rearrangement
      detected by next generation sequencing: A case report and literatures review.
AB  - Ovarian metastasis is an exceptionally rare condition in lung adenocarcinoma
      patients and is often difficult to distinguish from primary ovarian carcinoma.
      ALK (anaplastic lymphoma kinase) tyrosine kinase inhibitors elicit a significant
      objective response rate and are well-tolerated in advanced ALK-positive lung
      cancer. Hence, we report a case of a 41-year-old woman with ovarian metastases
      from NSCLC. After receiving a 6 course first line chemotherapy and 8 course
      maintenance therapy, the patient suffered acute abdominal pain, so surgery was
      performed. ALK rearrangement was detected by next generation sequencing, with a
      13% abundance of ALK fusion. Crizotinib was administered, and the disease
      remained stable after 10 months of crizotinib therapy. Further, we reviewed the
      literature related to characteristics of metastatic ovarian malignancies that
      form from lung tumors, the utility of ALK inhibition for treating ALK-positive
      NSCLC, the molecular diagnosis of ALK rearrangement and the role of next
      generation sequencing for ALK rearrangement detection.

PMID- 28362195
TI  - Unproven Stem Cell Treatments for Lung Disease-An Emerging Public Health Problem.

PMID- 28362194
TI  - Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells in Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension.

PMID- 28362196
TI  - Post Hoc: Two (or More) for the Price of One.

PMID- 28362197
TI  - Sepsis-3: Syndromes and Empiricism in the Age of Big Data.

PMID- 28362198
TI  - The Use of Plasmapheresis in Patients with Bronchiectasis with Pseudomonas
      aeruginosa Infection and Inhibitory Antibodies.

PMID- 28362199
TI  - Effects of Lumacaftor/Ivacaftor in a Pediatric Cohort Homozygous for F508del
      CFTR.

PMID- 28362200
TI  - Maladaptive Suppression of Bacterial Clearance in Early Sepsis. Setting the Scene
      for Failure.

PMID- 28362201
TI  - Prolonged Apnea Supported by High-Frequency Noninvasive Ventilation: A Pilot
      Study.

PMID- 28362202
TI  - Eucapnic Voluntary Hyperpnea Testing in Athletes.

PMID- 28362203
TI  - Noninvasive Ventilation with Helium/Oxygen in Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary
      Disease Exacerbations. When Physiologic Improvement Does Not Translate into
      Clinical Benefit.

PMID- 28362204
TI  - Reply: Exploring Endomicroscopy in the Field of Pulmonology.

PMID- 28362205
TI  - Endomicroscopy, Not "Optical Biopsy" (Yet).

PMID- 28362206
TI  - A Glimpse into the Future: Automated Quantitative Computed Tomography as a
      Biomarker in Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis.

PMID- 28362207
TI  - Reply: Reevaluating the Diagnostic Threshold for Eucapnic Voluntary Hyperpnea
      Testing in Athletes.

PMID- 28362209
TI  - Secondary metabolism in Penicillium expansum: Emphasis on recent advances in
      patulin research.
AB  - The plant pathogenic fungus Penicillium expansum is a major concern of the global
      food industry due to its wide occurrence and ability to produce various
      mycotoxins, of which the most significant is patulin. Relatively less highlighted
      in the literature, in comparison with the other food-borne mycotoxins, patulin is
      one of the main factors in economic losses of vegetables and fruits. Otherwise,
      patulin is a health hazard which results in both short-term and long-term risks.
      This review includes knowledge on the biosynthetic mechanisms used for secondary
      metabolite production in P. expansum, with special emphasis on patulin
      biosynthesis. The abiotic factors triggering the production of patulin and the
      strategies developed to reduce or prevent the contamination by this mycotoxin are
      comprehensively discussed. The database presented in this review would be useful
      for the prioritization and development of future research.

PMID- 28362208
TI  - The early-onset febrile reaction following vaccination and associated factors: An
      exploratory sub-study based on the Ebola vaccine clinical trial.
AB  - A phase-1 clinical trial aimed to assess the safety and immunogenicity of the
      type-5 adenovirus vector based Ebola vaccine (Ad5-EBOV) was conducted in China.
      To provide more evidence for the safety evaluation and dose-selection, an
      exploratory sub-study using a wireless automatic temperature measuring platform
      was done based on the phase-1 clinical trial. The main aim of the sub-study was
      to obtain more information about the occurrence of fever and detect the potential
      associated factors, second was to assess the feasibility of the temperature
      measuring platform in vaccine clinical trials. Temperature data of 3 treatment
      groups all presented a rising tendency during the first 6 hours after
      vaccination, the incidence of elevated temperature and possible associated
      factors were analyzed. For the incidence of elevated temperature, no marked dose
      response relationship was found in 6 hours with wireless thermometers; the
      information from mercury thermometers showed that the grade-1 fever proportion
      peaked at 6 hours and there was no difference between groups, while grade-2 fever
      proportion peaked at 24 hours and was significantly higher in high-dose group
      than those in the other 2 groups. Significant differences were found between sex
      groups (males vs. female, incidence rate ratios (IRR) = 2.93 and 7.62 for any
      grade, grade-2 fever respectively, P<0.001); a decline in grade-2 fever incidence
      was found with the increasing age groups (IRR = 0.78, P = 0.003) and body mass
      index (BMI, IRR = 0.67, P<0.001) .Our findings show that the dose-dependent
      manner between fever and the dose of Ad5-EBOV in this study might emerge after 6
      hours, and which is slight and transient. Wireless thermometers secured on the
      skin surface are not suitable for a long time (longer than 6 hours) measurement,
      new methods for temperature monitoring, like ear temperature measurement, should
      be tested in the further research.

PMID- 28362211
TI  - Laser interstitial thermal therapy for palliative ablation of a chordoma
      metastasis to the spine: case report.
AB  - The authors present the first report of laser interstitial thermal therapy (LITT)
      ablation of a recurrent chordoma metastasis to the cervical spine. This patient
      was a 75-year-old woman who was diagnosed and treated for a sacral chordoma, and
      then developed metastases to the lung and upper thoracic spine. Unfortunately she
      experienced symptomatic recurrence at the C-7 spinous process. She underwent an
      uncomplicated LITT to the lesion. The patient convalesced without incident and
      was discharged on postoperative Day 1. She received stereotactic spinal
      radiosurgery to the lesion at a dose of 24 Gy in 1 fraction. At the 3-month
      follow-up evaluation she had radiographic response and improvement in her
      symptoms.

PMID- 28362210
TI  - Solar radiation is inversely associated with inflammatory bowel disease
      admissions.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: To explore the associations between latitude and solar radiation with
      inflammatory bowel disease admission rates in Chile, the country with the largest
      variation in solar radiation in the world. PATIENTS AND METHODS: This is an
      ecological study, which included data on all hospital-admitted population for
      inflammatory bowel disease between 2001 and 2012, according to different
      latitudes and solar radiation exposures in Chile. The data were acquired from the
      national hospital discharge database from the Department of Health Statistics and
      Information of the Chilean Ministry of Health. RESULTS: Between 2001 and 2012
      there were 12,869 admissions due to inflammatory bowel disease (69% ulcerative
      colitis, 31% Crohn's disease). Median age was 36 years (IQR: 25-51); 57% were
      female. The national inflammatory bowel disease admission rate was 6.52 (95% CI:
      6.40-6.63) per 100,000 inhabitants with increasing rates over the 12-year period.
      In terms of latitude, the highest admission rates for pediatric ulcerative
      colitis and Crohn's disease, as well as adult ulcerative colitis, were observed
      in the southernmost region with lowest annual solar radiation. Linear regression
      analysis showed that regional solar radiation was inversely associated with
      inflammatory bowel disease admissions in Chile (beta: -.44, p = .03).
      CONCLUSIONS: Regional solar radiation was inversely associated with inflammatory
      bowel disease admission rates in Chile; inflammatory bowel disease admissions
      were highest in the southernmost region with lowest solar radiation. Our results
      support the potential role of vitamin D deficiency on inflammatory bowel disease
      flares.

PMID- 28362212
TI  - Does clinical improvement of symptomatic degenerative lumbar disease impact
      obesity?
AB  - OBJECTIVE Obesity and low-back pain associated with degenerative spondylosis or
      spondylolisthesis are common comorbid conditions. Many patients report that the
      pain and disability associated with degenerative lumbar disease are key factors
      in their inability to lose weight. The aim of this retrospective study was to
      determine if there is an association between improved functional status and
      weight loss following a successful transforaminal lumbar interbody fusion (TLIF)
      procedure. METHODS A retrospective cohort study of patients who underwent single
      level TLIF was performed. Inclusion criteria were preoperative body mass index
      (BMI) greater than 30 kg/m2, achievement of minimum clinically important
      difference in the Oswestry Disability Index (ODI, defined as improvement of 15
      points), and minimum 1-year postoperative followup BMI. Preoperative and
      postoperative BMI, ODI, and visual analog scale (VAS) scores were compared. A
      subgroup analysis of patients who achieved substantial clinical benefit (SCB,
      defined as a net improvement of 18.8 points on the ODI) was also performed.
      RESULTS A total of 56 patients met the inclusion criteria. The mean age of the
      study population was 55.6 +/- 13.7 years. The mean preoperative BMI was 34.8 +/-
      4.6 kg/m2, the mean preoperative ODI was 66.2 +/- 10.1, and the mean preoperative
      VAS score was 7.1 +/- 1.7. The mean change in ODI was -33.1 +/- 13.5 (p < 0.01)
      and the mean change in the VAS score was -4.1 +/- 2.1 (p < 0.01). The mean change
      in BMI was +0.15 +/- 2.1 kg/m2 (range -4.2 to +6.5 kg/m2; p = 0.6). SCB was
      achieved in 46 patients on the ODI. The mean preoperative BMI for patients with
      SCB was 34.8 +/- 4.8 kg/m2, and the mean postoperative BMI was 34.7 +/- 5.0
      kg/m2. The mean change in BMI was -0.03 +/- 1.9 kg/m2 (p = 0.9). CONCLUSIONS
      Despite successful surgical intervention via TLIF with achievement of improved
      function and pain, obese patients did not have significant change in weight
      postoperatively.

PMID- 28362213
TI  - Digital subtraction myelography in the investigation of post-dural puncture
      headache in 27 patients: technical note.
AB  - OBJECTIVE Post-dural puncture headaches are common, and the treatment of such
      headaches can be complex when they become chronic. Among patients with
      spontaneous spinal CSF leaks, digital subtraction myelography (DSM) can localize
      the exact site of the leak when an extradural CSF collection is present, and it
      can also demonstrate CSF-venous fistulas in those without an extradural CSF
      collection. The authors now report on the use of DSM in the management of
      patients with chronic post-dural puncture headaches. METHODS The patient
      population consisted of a consecutive group of 27 patients with recalcitrant post
      dural puncture headache that had lasted from 2 to 150 months (mean 26 months).
      RESULTS The mean age of the 17 women and 10 men was 39.1 years (range 18-77
      years). An extensive extradural CSF collection was present in 5 of the 27
      patients, and DSM was able to localize the exact site of the dural defect in all
      5 patients. Among the 22 patients who did not have an extradural CSF collection,
      DSM showed a CSF-venous fistula in 1 patient (5%). Three other patients had a
      small pseudomeningocele at the level of the dural puncture. Percutaneous glue
      injection or microsurgical repair resulted in resolution of symptoms in 8 of the
      9 patients in whom an abnormality had been identified on imaging. CONCLUSIONS
      Digital subtraction myelography is able to precisely localize the dural puncture
      site in patients with a post-dural puncture headache and an extensive extradural
      CSF collection, and it may rarely detect a CSF-venous fistula in such patients
      without an extradural CSF collection.

PMID- 28362215
TI  - A Parental Health Education Model of Children's Food Consumption: Influence on
      Children's Attitudes, Intention, and Consumption of Healthy and Unhealthy Foods.
AB  - This study proposes that parental mediation of television advertising and
      parental guidance of food consumption differentially influence children's
      attitude, intention, and behavior toward the consumption of healthy and unhealthy
      foods. Structural equation modeling based on a survey of 1,119 children aged 9-12
      supported our model, revealing that parental education strategies influence
      children's food consumption in a complex manner that is highly context-dependent.
      Parental guidance of food consumption enhanced children's healthy food attitude
      and intention to consume, while reducing the intention to consume unhealthy food.
      However, parental mediation of television advertising influenced unhealthy food
      attitude to a greater extent than healthy food attitude. Implications for health
      promotion and education, as well as parents and policy makers are discussed.

PMID- 28362214
TI  - A systematic multidisciplinary initiative for reducing the risk of complications
      in adult scoliosis surgery.
AB  - OBJECTIVE Systematic multidisciplinary approaches to improving quality and safety
      in complex surgical care have shown promise. Complication rates from complex
      spine surgery range from 10% to 90% for all surgeries, and the overall mortality
      rate is 1%-4%. These rates suggest the need for improved perioperative complex
      spine surgery processes designed to minimize risk and improve quality. METHODS
      The Group Health Research Institute and Virginia Mason Medical Center implemented
      a systematic multidisciplinary protocol, the Seattle Spine Team Protocol, in
      2010. This protocol involves the following elements: 1) a comprehensive
      multidisciplinary conference including clinicians from neurosurgery, anesthesia,
      orthopedics, internal medicine, behavioral health, and nursing, collaboratively
      deciding on each patient's suitability for surgery; 2) a mandatory patient
      education course that reviews the risks of surgery, preparation for the surgery,
      and postoperative care; 3) a dual-attending-surgeon approach involving 1
      neurosurgeon and 1 orthopedic spine surgeon; 4) a dedicated specialist complex
      spine anesthesia team; and 5) rigorous intraoperative monitoring of a patient's
      blood loss and coagulopathy. The authors identified 71 patients who underwent
      complex spine surgery involving fusion of 6 or more levels before implementation
      of the protocol (surgery between 2008 and 2010) and 69 patients who underwent
      complex spine surgery after the implementation of the protocol (2010 and 2012).
      All patient demographic variables, including age, sex, body mass index, smoking
      status, diagnosis of diabetes and/or osteoporosis, previous surgery, and the
      nature of the spinal deformity, were comprehensively assessed. Also
      comprehensively assessed were surgical variables, including operative time,
      number of levels fused, and length of stay. The authors assessed overall
      complication rates at 30 days and 1 year and detailed deaths, cardiovascular
      events, infections, instrumentation failures, and CSF leaks. Chi-square and
      Wilcoxon rank-sum tests were used to assess differences in patient
      characteristics for patients with a procedure in the preimplementation period
      from those in the postimplementation period under a Poisson distribution model.
      RESULTS Patients who underwent surgery after implementation of the Seattle Spine
      Team Protocol had a statistically significant reduction (relative risk 0.49 [95%
      CI 0.30-0.78]) in all measured complications, including cardiovascular events,
      wound infections, other perioperative infections, and implant failures within 30
      days after surgery; the analysis was adjusted for age and Charlson comorbidity
      score. A trend toward fewer deaths in this group was also found. CONCLUSIONS This
      type of systematic quality improvement strategy can improve quality and patient
      safety and might be applicable to other complex surgical disciplines.
      Implementation of these strategies in the treatment of adult spinal deformity
      will likely lead to better patient outcomes.

PMID- 28362217
TI  - Can Graduated Compressive Stockings Reduce Muscle Activity During Running?
AB  - PURPOSE: Graduated compressive stockings (GCS) have been suggested to influence
      performance by reducing muscle oscillations and improving muscle function and
      efficiency. However, no study to date has analyzed the influence of GCS on muscle
      activity during running. The objective of the study was to analyze the influence
      of GCS on the perception of comfort and muscle activation of the main muscles of
      the lower leg during running. METHOD: Thirty-six participants ran on a treadmill
      with (GCS) or without (control) GCS. The running tests consisted of a 10-min warm
      up followed by a 20-min intense run at 75% of the athlete's maximal aerobic
      speed. Surface electromyography of the tibialis anterior, peroneus longus,
      gastrocnemius lateralis (GL), and gastrocnemius medialis (GM) were recorded every
      5 min during the run and analyzed using a non-linearly scaled wavelet analysis.
      Perception of comfort of the GCS was measured before and after the run. RESULTS:
      The GCS were reported as comfortable garments and reduced GL activity at Minute 0
      (p < .05, [Formula: see text]= .245) and Minute 5 (p < .05, [Formula: see text]=
      .326) and GM activity at Minute 0 (p < .05, [Formula: see text]= .233) compared
      with running without garments, but their effect was temporary and disappeared
      after 5 min of running. CONCLUSION: Even though GCS reduced gastrocnemius muscle
      activity during the initial minutes of running, it is hypothesized that the GCS
      could have lost their initial levels of compression after some minutes of
      exercise, thereby reducing their influence on muscle activation. However, this
      hypothesis needs to be further investigated.

PMID- 28362218
TI  - Implicit and Explicit Attitudes Toward Sex and Romance in Asexuals.
AB  - Despite the recent surge of interest in sexuality, asexuality has remained
      relatively underresearched. Distinct from abstinence or chastity, asexuality
      refers to a lack of sexual attraction toward others. Past research suggests
      asexuals have negative attitudes toward sex, though no research has examined
      implicit attitudes. While preliminary evidence suggests that many asexuals are
      interested in engaging in romantic relationships, these attitudes have yet to be
      examined thoroughly, implicitly, or compared with a control group. This study
      investigated explicit and implicit attitudes toward sex and romance in a group of
      asexuals (N = 18, age M = 21.11) and a group of controls (N = 27, age M = 21.81),
      using the Asexuality Identification Scale (AIS), the Triangular Love Scale (TLS),
      semantic differentials, an Implicit Association Task (IAT), and two Single
      Category IATs. It was found that asexuals exhibited more negative explicit and
      implicit attitudes toward sex, as well as more negative explicit attitudes toward
      romance, relative to controls. There was no significant difference between groups
      on implicit romantic attitudes. Moreover, aromantic asexuals demonstrated
      significantly more negative explicit attitudes toward romance than romantic
      asexuals, though there was no significant difference between groups on implicit
      measures. Explanations and implications of these findings are discussed.

PMID- 28362219
TI  - Validity of auditory perceptual assessment of velopharyngeal function and
      dysfunction - the VPC-Sum and the VPC-Rate.
AB  - Overall weighted or composite variables for perceptual auditory estimation of
      velopharyngeal closure or competence have been used in several studies for
      evaluation of velopharyngeal function during speech. The aim of the present study
      was to investigate the validity of a composite score (VPC-Sum) and of auditory
      perceptual ratings of velopharyngeal competence (VPC-Rate). Available VPC-Sum
      scores and judgments of associated variables (hypernasality, audible nasal air
      leakage, weak pressure consonants, and non-oral articulation) from 391 5-year
      olds with repaired cleft palate (the Scandcleft project) were used to investigate
      content validity, and 339 of these were compared with an overall judgment of
      velopharyngeal competence (VPC-Rate) on the same patients by the same listeners.
      Significant positive correlations were found between the VPC-Sum and each of the
      associated variables (Cronbachs alpha 0.55-0.87, P < 0.001), and a moderately
      significant positive correlation between VPC-Sum and VPC-Rate (Rho 0.698, P <
      0.01). The latter classified cases well when VPC-Sum was dichotomized with 67%
      predicted velopharyngeal competence and 90% velopharyngeal incompetence. The
      validity of the VPC-Sum was good and the VPC-Rate a good predictor, suggesting
      possible use of both measures depending on the objective.

PMID- 28362220
TI  - Design, synthesis, and in vitro anti-hepatocellular carcinoma of novel thymine
      thioglycoside analogs as new antimetabolic agents.
AB  - A first reported direct method for preparation of thymine thioglycoside analogs
      utilizing novel pyrimidine-2(1H)-thiones and alpha-bromoglucose or alpha
      bromogalactose tetraacetate as starting components is described. The synthetic
      potential of the method is demonstrated. The evaluation of antiproliferative
      activity against HepG-2 cell lines (Liver carcinoma cell lines) shows that most
      of the compounds have high antitumor activities especially 6b, 6e, 11b, and 12b.
      Moreover, molecular modelings of these compounds reveal that they have high
      binding affinity through hydrogen bond interaction with the binding pocket of
      thymidylate synthase dihydrofolate reductase (TS-DHFR).

PMID- 28362223
TI  - Examining the Error of Mis-Specifying Nonlinear Confounding Effect With
      Application on Accelerometer-Measured Physical Activity.
AB  - PURPOSE: Some confounders are nonlinearly associated with dependent variables,
      but they are often adjusted using a linear term. The purpose of this study was to
      examine the error of mis-specifying the nonlinear confounding effect. METHODS: We
      carried out a simulation study to investigate the effect of adjusting for a
      nonlinear confounder in the estimation of a causal relationship between the
      exposure and outcome in 3 ways: using a linear term, binning into 5 equal-size
      categories, or using a restricted cubic spline of the confounder. Continuous,
      binary, and survival outcomes were simulated. We examined the confounder across
      varying measurement error. In addition, we performed a real data analysis
      examining the 3 strategies to handle the nonlinear effects of accelerometer
      measured physical activity in the National Health and Nutrition Examination
      Survey 2003-2006 data. RESULTS: The mis-specification of a nonlinear confounder
      had little impact on causal effect estimation for continuous outcomes. For binary
      and survival outcomes, this mis-specification introduced bias, which could be
      eliminated using spline adjustment only when there is small measurement error of
      the confounder. Real data analysis showed that the associations between high
      blood pressure, high cholesterol, and diabetes and mortality adjusted for
      physical activity with restricted cubic spline were about 3% to 11% larger than
      their counterparts adjusted with a linear term. CONCLUSION: For continuous
      outcomes, confounders with nonlinear effects can be adjusting with a linear term.
      Spline adjustment should be used for binary and survival outcomes on confounders
      with small measurement error.

PMID- 28362222
TI  - Motivation for and use of social networking sites: Comparisons among college
      students with and without histories of non-suicidal self-injury.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: This research examines potential differences in social network use and
      motivation for social network use by non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI) status.
      PARTICIPANTS: 367 (73% women; Mage = 20.60) college students were recruited in
      November-December 2011. METHODS: A random sample of 2,500 students was accessed
      through a university registrar to recruit students interested in an online survey
      assessing NSSI and various health-related behaviors. RESULTS: Social network use
      and motivations for social networks did not differ by NSSI status. CONCLUSIONS:
      Results suggest that it is not patterns of use or motivation to use social
      networks that could lead to concern about online behavior (i.e., behavior
      increasing risk of future NSSI) among those with NSSI history. Rather, future
      preventive and intervention efforts should address the NSSI-related content that
      is available online, since this is unregulated, often explicit, and commonly
      includes "pro-NSSI" content that may be problematic and increase risk among
      vulnerable individuals.

PMID- 28362224
TI  - Prediction of Periodontitis Occurrence: Influence of Classification and
      Sociodemographic and General Health Information.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Prediction of periodontitis development is challenging. Use of oral
      health-related data alone, especially in a young population, might underestimate
      disease risk. This study investigates accuracy of oral, systemic, and
      socioeconomic data on estimating periodontitis development in a population-based
      prospective cohort. METHODS: General health history and sociodemographic
      information were collected throughout the life-course of individuals. Oral
      examinations were performed at ages 24 and 31 years in the Pelotas 1982 birth
      cohort. Periodontitis at age 31 years according to six classifications was used
      as the gold standard to compute area under the receiver operating characteristic
      curve (AUC). Multivariable binomial regression models were used to evaluate the
      effects of oral health, general health, and socioeconomic characteristics on
      accuracy of periodontitis development prediction. RESULTS: Complete data for 471
      participants were used. Periodontitis classifications with lower thresholds
      yielded superior predictive power. Calculus, pocket, or bleeding presence at age
      24 years separately presented fair accuracy. Accuracy increased using
      multivariable models; for example, the Beck et al. classification AUC from 0.59
      to 0.75 combining proportion of teeth with calculus, bleeding, or pocket with
      income; number of lost teeth; sex; education; people living in the house;
      prosthetic needs; or number of decayed, missing, or filled teeth (DMFT).
      Proportion of teeth with pocket, bleeding, or calculus; number of DMFT;
      toothbrushing frequency; blood pressure; sex; and income were most frequently
      associated. CONCLUSIONS: Choice of classification might have an impact on
      accuracy to predict periodontitis occurrence. Regardless of the classification,
      predictive value for development of periodontitis in young adults might be
      increased by combining periodontal information, sociodemographic information, and
      general health history.

PMID- 28362216
TI  - Strategies for combating bacterial biofilms: A focus on anti-biofilm agents and
      their mechanisms of action.
AB  - Biofilm refers to the complex, sessile communities of microbes found either
      attached to a surface or buried firmly in an extracellular matrix as aggregates.
      The biofilm matrix surrounding bacteria makes them tolerant to harsh conditions
      and resistant to antibacterial treatments. Moreover, the biofilms are responsible
      for causing a broad range of chronic diseases and due to the emergence of
      antibiotic resistance in bacteria it has really become difficult to treat them
      with efficacy. Furthermore, the antibiotics available till date are ineffective
      for treating these biofilm related infections due to their higher values of
      minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) and minimum bactericidal concentration
      (MBC), which may result in in-vivo toxicity. Hence, it is critically important to
      design or screen anti-biofilm molecules that can effectively minimize and
      eradicate biofilm related infections. In the present article, we have highlighted
      the mechanism of biofilm formation with reference to different models and various
      methods used for biofilm detection. A major focus has been put on various anti
      biofilm molecules discovered or tested till date which may include herbal active
      compounds, chelating agents, peptide antibiotics, lantibiotics and synthetic
      chemical compounds along with their structures, mechanism of action and their
      respective MICs, MBCs, minimum biofilm inhibitory concentrations (MBICs) as well
      as the half maximal inhibitory concentration (IC50) values available in the
      literature so far. Different mode of action of anti biofilm molecules addressed
      here are inhibition via interference in the quorum sensing pathways, adhesion
      mechanism, disruption of extracellular DNA, protein, lipopolysaccharides,
      exopolysaccharides and secondary messengers involved in various signaling
      pathways. From this study, we conclude that the molecules considered here might
      be used to treat biofilm-associated infections after significant structural
      modifications, thereby investigating its effective delivery in the host. It
      should also be ensured that minimum effective concentration of these molecules
      must be capable of eradicating biofilm infections with maximum potency without
      posing any adverse side effects on the host.

PMID- 28362225
TI  - A Sialidase-Deficient Porphyromonas gingivalis Mutant Strain Induces Less
      Interleukin-1beta and Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha in Epi4 Cells Than W83 Strain
      Through Regulation of c-Jun N-Terminal Kinase Pathway.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Porphyromonas gingivalis is one of the major periodontal pathogens.
      In a previous study, a mouse abscess model showed that sialidase deficiency of P.
      gingivalis weakened its virulence, but the mechanism behind this observation
      remains unknown. METHODS: A sialidase-deficient mutant strain (?PG0352) and a
      complemented strain (com?PG0352) were constructed. Epi4 cells were stimulated by
      wild-type strain P. gingivalis W83, ?PG0352, or com?PG0352. Real-time polymerase
      chain reaction was carried out to detect expression of virulent genes in P.
      gingivalis and interleukin (IL)-1beta, IL-6, IL-8, and tumor necrosis factor
      (TNF)-alpha in epi4 cells. Activities of sialidase, gingipains, and
      lipopolysaccharide (LPS) were compared among the different P. gingivalis strains.
      Levels of IL-1beta and TNF-alpha in the epi4 cells supernatant were detected by
      enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and levels of p38, extracellular signal
      regulated kinase, c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK), and phospho-c-Jun were detected
      by western blotting. RESULTS: Compared with P. gingivalis W83 and com?PG0352,
      activities of Kgp and Rgp gingipains and amount of LPS decreased in ?PG0352,
      whereas there were no differences in LPS activity among these three strains.
      Level of phospho-JNK was lower in epi4 cells stimulated by ?PG0352. ?pG0352
      induced less IL-1beta and TNF-alpha and more IL-8 in epi4 cells; differences in
      IL-1beta and TNF-alpha could not be detected after JNK blocking. CONCLUSION: A
      sialidase-deficient P. gingivalis mutant strain induces less IL-1beta and TNF
      alpha in epi4 cells than W83 strain through regulation of JNK pathway.

PMID- 28362221
TI  - The non-conserved region of MRP is involved in the virulence of Streptococcus
      suis serotype 2.
AB  - Muramidase-released protein (MRP) of Streptococcus suis serotype 2 (SS2) is an
      important epidemic virulence marker with an unclear role in bacterial infection.
      To investigate the biologic functions of MRP, 3 mutants named Deltamrp, Deltamrp
      domain 1 (Deltamrp-d1), and Deltamrp domain 2 (Deltamrp-d2) were constructed to
      assess the phenotypic changes between the parental strain and the mutant strains.
      The results indicated that MRP domain 1 (MRP-D1, the non-conserved region of MRP
      from a virulent strain, a.a. 242-596) played a critical role in adherence of SS2
      to host cells, compared with MRP domain 1* (MRP-D1*, the non-conserved region of
      MRP from a low virulent strain, a.a. 239-598) or MRP domain 2 (MRP-D2, the
      conserved region of MRP, a.a. 848-1222). We found that MRP-D1 but not MRP-D2,
      could bind specifically to fibronectin (FN), factor H (FH), fibrinogen (FG), and
      immunoglobulin G (IgG). Additionally, we confirmed that mrp-d1 mutation
      significantly inhibited bacteremia and brain invasion in a mouse infection model.
      The mrp-d1 mutation also attenuated the intracellular survival of SS2 in RAW246.7
      macrophages, shortened the growth ability in pig blood and decreased the
      virulence of SS2 in BALB/c mice. Furthermore, antiserum against MRP-D1 was found
      to dramatically impede SS2 survival in pig blood. Finally, immunization with
      recombinant MRP-D1 efficiently enhanced murine viability after SS2 challenge,
      indicating its potential use in vaccination strategies. Collectively, these
      results indicated that MRP-D1 is involved in SS2 virulence and eloquently
      demonstrate the function of MRP in pathogenesis of infection.

PMID- 28362226
TI  - Camel as a transboundary vector for emerging exotic Salmonella serovars.
AB  - The current study was conducted to shed light on the role of imported camels as a
      transboundary vector for emerging exotic Salmonella serovars. Fecal samples were
      collected from 206 camels directly after slaughtering including 25 local camels
      and 181 imported ones as well as stool specimens were obtained from 50
      slaughterhouse workers at the same abattoir. The obtained samples were cultured
      while Salmonella serovars were identified through Gram's stain films, biochemical
      tests and serotyping with antisera kit. Moreover, the obtained Salmonella
      serovars were examined by PCR for the presence of invA and stn genes. The overall
      prevalence of Salmonella serovars among the examined camels was 8.3%. Stn gene
      was detected in the vast majority of exotic strains (11/14) 78.6% including
      emerging serovars such as Salmonella Saintpaul, S. Chester, S. Typhimurium
      whereas only one isolate from local camels carried stn gene (1/3) 33.3%. On the
      other hand, none of the examined humans yielded positive result. Our findings
      highlight the potential role of imported camels as a transboundary vector for
      exotic emerging Salomenella serovars.

PMID- 28362227
TI  - Realisation of voicing by French-speaking CI children after long-term implant
      use: An acoustic study.
AB  - Studies of speech production in French-speaking cochlear-implanted (CI) children
      are very scarce. Yet, difficulties in speech production have been shown to impact
      the intelligibility of these children. The goal of this study is to understand
      the effect of long-term use of cochlear implant on speech production, and more
      precisely on the coordination of laryngeal-oral gestures in stop production. The
      participants were all monolingual French children: 13 6;6- to 10;7-year-old CI
      children and 20 age-matched normally hearing (NH) children. We compared /p/, /t/,
      /k/, /b/, /d/ and /g/ in word-initial consonant-vowel sequences, produced in
      isolation in two different tasks, and we studied the effects of CI use, vowel
      context, task and age factors (i.e. chronological age, age at implantation and
      duration of implant use). Statistical analyses show a difference in voicing
      production between groups for voiceless consonants (shorter Voice Onset Times for
      CI children), with significance reached only for /k/, but no difference for
      voiced consonants. Our study indicates that in the long run, use of CI seems to
      have limited effects on the acquisition of oro-laryngeal coordination needed to
      produce voicing, except for specific difficulties located on velars. In a follow
      up study, further acoustic analyses on vowel and fricative production by the same
      children reveal more difficulties, which suggest that cochlear implantation
      impacts frequency-based features (second formant of vowels and spectral moments
      of fricatives) more than durational cues (voicing).

PMID- 28362228
TI  - The Role of Philanthropic Funding in Building Research Evidence to Support an
      Aging Population: A Case Study from Ireland.
AB  - This case study examines the role of philanthropic funding in building capacity
      for aging research in Ireland, and how this investment has addressed the lack of
      evidence to support planning for an aging population. The funding has supported a
      range of initiatives including the national longitudinal study on aging (TILDA),
      the creation of three professorships/chairs, and the establishment of four new
      research centers. Important potential outcomes are emerging across other domains
      including research-informed policy development and the generation of health
      benefits. The efforts of academic researchers to ensure that their findings are
      readily accessible to end users and to forge robust working relationships with
      all stakeholders have helped to enhance the use of research findings. Overall,
      philanthropy has played a pivotal role in building capacity, infrastructure, and
      expertise in academic settings in Ireland. Moreover, this work provides an
      excellent example of how such efforts can begin to inform effective planning and
      service provision.

PMID- 28362229
TI  - Late chronotypes are associated with neoadjuvant chemotherapy-induced nausea and
      vomiting in women with breast cancer.
AB  - Neoadjuvant chemotherapy, that is, the administration of chemotherapy before
      surgery, has been commonly used for locally advanced breast cancer to improve the
      surgical outcomes and increase the opportunity for breast-conserving therapy.
      Women with breast cancer often receive an anthracycline-based regimen as the
      neoadjuvant chemotherapy, which is associated with a high risk of emesis. Despite
      the development of novel antiemetics, chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting
      (CINV) has been commonly reported as a major adverse effect, affecting the
      quality of life of the patients. However, the factors predicting CINV in women
      with breast cancer undergoing neoadjuvant chemotherapy remain unclear. In this
      single-institution, prospective, observational study conducted at an outpatient
      cancer centre in the Republic of Korea from November 2013 to March 2016, we
      analysed women with breast cancer who planned to be treated with neoadjuvant
      chemotherapy before surgery. Candidate factors associated with CINV were assessed
      before neoadjuvant chemotherapy using the Munich Chronotype Questionnaire,
      Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index and Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale. CINV
      was assessed after chemotherapy by using the Multinational Association of
      Supportive Care in Cancer Antiemesis Tool. Of a total of 143 participants, 7
      patients were lost to follow-up and 2 patients were excluded due to changes in
      their treatment plan; thus, 134 patients were finally included in the analyses.
      Overall, 48.5% of the participants experienced CINV, with delayed CINV prevalence
      (42.5%) being more common than acute (39.6%). In the univariate analyses, overall
      CINV was significantly associated with late chronotypes (odds ratio [OR], 3.49;
      95% confidence interval [CI], 1.37-8.87; p = 0.009), a history of nausea/vomiting
      (OR, 2.19; 95% CI, 1.10-4.37; p = 0.026) and anxiety (OR, 2.25; 95% CI, 1.05
      4.81; p = 0.036). In the multivariate analyses, late chronotypes (OR, 3.53; 95%
      CI, 1.27-9.79; p = 0.015) and a history of nausea/vomiting (OR, 2.83; 95% CI,
      1.31-6.13; p = 0.008) remained significantly associated with CINV. In conclusion,
      in women with breast cancer undergoing neoadjuvant chemotherapy before surgery,
      late chronotypes were found to have an increased risk of CINV; these data suggest
      that clinicians need to assess and consider the chronotype in the management of
      CINV.

PMID- 28362230
TI  - Destigmatization by Association: Improving Children's Reactions to an Obese
      Storybook Character.
AB  - Second- through fourth-grade students were read a storybook that described a
      typical boy who interacted with an obese boy for one of four reasons (sympathy,
      curiosity, teacher instructed, or no reason) to explore the manner in which a
      typical storybook character's reason for associating with an obese storybook
      character influences children's responses to both characters. Results revealed
      that the children responded more favorably to the obese storybook character after
      than before learning about the typical storybook character's association with
      him, especially when the typical storybook character's reason for association was
      presented as internally motivated (sympathy or curiosity). In contrast to "stigma
      by association" findings reported in prior research, the children also responded
      more favorably to the typical storybook character after than before his
      association with the obese storybook character.

PMID- 28362231
TI  - Cognitive Factors Affecting Freeze-like Behavior in Humans.
AB  - Contemporary research on survival-related defensive behaviors has identified
      physiological markers of freeze/flight/fight. Our research focused on cognitive
      factors associated with freeze-like behavior in humans. Study 1 tested if an
      explicit decision to freeze is associated with the psychophysiological state of
      freezing. Heart rate deceleration occurred when participants chose to freeze.
      Study 2 varied the efficacy of freezing relative to other defense options and
      found "freeze" was responsive to variations in the perceived effectiveness of
      alternative actions. Study 3 tested if individual differences in motivational
      orientation affect preference for a "freeze" option when the efficacy of options
      is held constant. A trend in the predicted direction suggested that naturally
      occurring cognitions led loss-avoiders to select "freeze" more often than reward
      seekers. In combination, our attention to the cognitive factors affecting freeze
      like behavior in humans represents a preliminary step in addressing an important
      but neglected research area.

PMID- 28362233
TI  - Resiliency in the Face of Adversity: A Short Longitudinal Test of the Trait
      Hypothesis.
AB  - Resilience represents coping with adversity and is in line with a more positive
      paradigm for viewing responses to adversity. Most research has focused on
      resilience as coping-a state-based response to adversity. However, a competing
      hypothesis views resilience or resiliency as a trait that exists across time and
      types of adversity. We tested undergraduates enrolled in social work classes at a
      large southern university at two time periods during a single semester using
      measures of adversity, positive and negative affect, and trait-based resiliency.
      Consistent with the trait-based resiliency, and in contrast to state-based
      resilience, resiliency scores were not strongly correlated with adversity at both
      testing points but were with positive affect, and resiliency scores remained the
      same over time despite adversity variations. There was no gender or ethnic group
      difference in resilience scores. Black/African Americans reported significantly
      less negative affect and more positive affect than White/Caucasians.

PMID- 28362232
TI  - An Investigation of Sound-Symbolism in the Context of Tactile Feeling.
AB  - Sound symbolism suggests a non-arbitrary relationship between speech sounds and
      the concepts to which those sounds refer (Hinton, Nichols, & Ohala, 2006 ).
      Supporting evidence comes primarily from studies investigating how speech sounds
      relate to semantically compatible visual concepts. The present study therefore
      attempted to examine sound symbolism in the context of tactile perception.
      Contrary to the propositions of sound symbolism, participants in Experiment 1 did
      not consistently assign names with plosive consonant to objects with curved
      frames. Experiment 2, however, found that names with fricative consonants were
      more likely to be applied to materials with rough surfaces. The results suggested
      the existence of a direct relationship between speech sounds and their referent
      concepts that could be crucial in revealing the phenomenon of sound symbolism. A
      future study was also proposed to study the contributions of mouth shape and
      airflow to associations between speech sounds and tactile feelings. (161 words).

PMID- 28362234
TI  - Dissociating Medial Temporal and Striatal Memory Systems With a Same/Different
      Matching Task: Evidence for Two Neural Systems in Human Recognition.
AB  - The medial temporal lobe and striatum have both been implicated as brain
      substrates of memory and learning. Here, we show dissociation between these two
      memory systems using a same/different matching task, in which subjects judged
      whether four-letter strings were the same or different. Different RT was
      determined by the left-to-right location of the first letter different between
      the study and test string, consistent with a left-to-right comparison of the
      study and test strings, terminating when a difference was found. This comparison
      process results in same responses being slower than different responses.
      Nevertheless, same responses were faster than different responses. Same responses
      were associated with hippocampus activation. Different responses were associated
      with both caudate and hippocampus activation. These findings are consistent with
      the dual-system hypothesis of mammalian memory and extend the model to human
      visual recognition.

PMID- 28362236
TI  - Nonenhancing peritumoral hyperintense lesion on diffusion-weighted imaging in
      glioblastoma: a novel diagnostic and specific prognostic indicator.
AB  - OBJECTIVE Glioblastoma differentials include intracranial tumors, like malignant
      lymphomas and metastatic brain tumors with indiscernible radiological
      characteristics. The purpose of this study was to identify a distinct
      radiological feature for the preoperative differentiation of glioblastoma from
      its differentials, which include malignant lymphomas and metastatic brain tumors.
      METHODS Preoperative MR images, including diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI)
      studies (b = 1000 and 4000 sec/mm2), obtained in patients with newly diagnosed
      malignant tumor, were analyzed retrospectively after receiving approval from the
      institutional review board. Sixty-four patients with histologically confirmed
      glioblastoma, 32 patients with malignant lymphoma, and 46 patients with brain
      metastases were included. The presence of a nonenhancing peritumoral DWI high
      lesion (NePDHL, i.e., hyperintense lesion in a nonenhancing peritumoral area on
      DWI) was confirmed in both DWI sequences. Gray matter lesions were excluded.
      Lesions were termed "definite" if present within 3 cm of the hyperintense tumor
      border with a signal intensity ratio >= 30% when compared with the contralateral
      normal white matter in both sequences. Discriminant analysis between the
      histological diagnosis and the presence of Definite-NePDHL was performed, as well
      as Kaplan-Meier survival analysis incorporating the existence of Definite-NePDHL.
      RESULTS In 25% of glioblastoma patients, Definite-NePDHL was present, while it
      was conspicuously absent in patients with malignant lymphoma and metastatic brain
      tumors. The specificity and positive predictive value were 100%. In the
      glioblastoma subset, a higher preoperative Karnofsky Performance Scale score (p =
      0.0028), high recursive partitioning analysis class (p = 0.0006), and total
      surgical removal (p = 0.0012) were associated with better median overall
      survival. Patients with Definite-NePDHL had significantly early local (p =
      0.0467) and distant/dissemination recurrence (p < 0.0001) and poor prognosis (p =
      0.0007). CONCLUSIONS The presence of Definite-NePDHL is very specific for
      glioblastoma and indicates poor prognosis. Definite-NePDHL is a significant
      indicator of early local and distant/dissemination recurrence in patients with
      glioblastoma. Studying peritumoral DWI and high-b-value DWI is useful for tumor
      differentiation.

PMID- 28362235
TI  - A supplementary grading scale combining lesion-to-eloquence distance for
      predicting surgical outcomes of patients with brain arteriovenous malformations.
AB  - OBJECTIVE Case selection for the surgical treatment of brain arteriovenous
      malformations (BAVMs) remains challenging. This study aimed to construct a
      predictive grading system combining lesion-to-eloquence distance (LED) for
      selecting patients with BAVMs for surgery. METHODS Between September 2012 and
      September 2015, the authors retrospectively studied 201 consecutive patients with
      BAVMs. All patients had undergone preoperative functional MRI and diffusion
      tensor imaging (DTI), followed by resection. Both angioarchitectural factors and
      LED were analyzed with respect to the change between preoperative and final
      postoperative modified Rankin Scale (mRS) scores. LED refers to the distance
      between the lesion and the nearest eloquent area (eloquent cortex or eloquent
      fiber tracts) measured on preoperative fMRI and DTI. Based on logistic regression
      analysis, the authors constructed 3 new grading systems. The HDVL grading system
      includes the independent predictors of mRS change (hemorrhagic presentation,
      diffuseness, deep venous drainage, and LED). Full Score combines the variables in
      the Spetzler-Martin (S-M) grading system (nidus size, eloquence of adjacent
      brain, and venous drainage) and the HDVL. For the third grading system, the fS-M
      grading system, the authors added information regarding eloquent fiber tracts to
      the S-M grading system. The area under the receiver operating characteristic
      (ROC) curves was compared with those of the S-M grading system and the
      supplementary S-M grading system of Lawton et al. RESULTS LED was significantly
      correlated with a change in mRS score (p < 0.001). An LED of 4.95 mm was the
      cutoff point for the worsened mRS score. Hemorrhagic presentation, diffuseness,
      deep venous drainage, and LED were independent predictors of a change in mRS
      score. Predictive accuracy was highest for the HDVL grading system (area under
      the ROC curve 0.82), followed by the Full Score grading system (0.80), the fS-M
      grading system (0.79), the supplementary S-M grading system (0.76), and least for
      the S-M grading system (0.71). Predictive accuracy of the HDVL grading system was
      significantly better than that of the Spetzler-Martin grade (p = 0.040).
      CONCLUSIONS LED was a significant predictor for the preoperative risk evaluation
      for surgery. The HDVL system was a good predictor of neurological outcomes after
      BAVM surgery. Adding the consideration of the involvement of eloquent fiber
      tracts to preoperative evaluation can effectively improve its predictive
      accuracy.

PMID- 28362238
TI  - Supratentorial cavernous malformations adjacent to the corticospinal tract:
      surgical outcomes and predictive value of diffusion tensor imaging findings.
AB  - OBJECTIVE Diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) findings may facilitate clinical
      decision making in patients with supratentorial cavernous malformations adjacent
      to the corticospinal tract (CST-CMs). The objective of this study was to
      determine the predictive value of preoperative DTI findings for surgical outcomes
      in patients with CST-CMs. METHODS A prospectively maintained database of patients
      with CM referred to the authors' hospital between September 2012 and October 2015
      was reviewed to identify all consecutive surgically treated patients with CST-CM.
      All patients had undergone sagittal T1-weighted anatomical imaging and DTI before
      surgery. Both DTI findings and clinical characteristics of the patients and
      lesions were analyzed with respect to surgery-related motor deficits. DTI
      findings included lesion-to-CST distance (LCD) and the alteration (i.e.,
      deviation, interruption, or degeneration due to the CM) of CST on preoperative
      DTI images. Surgery-related motor deficits at 1 week and the last clinic visit
      (>= 3 months) after surgery were defined as short-term and long-term deficits,
      respectively. Preoperative and final modified Rankin Scale scores were also
      analyzed to identify the surgical outcomes in these patients. RESULTS A total of
      56 patients with 56 CST-CMs were included in this study. The mean LCD was 3.9 +/-
      3.2 mm, and alterations of the CST were detected in 20 (36.7%) patients. One week
      after surgery, 21 (37.5%) patients had short-term surgery-related motor deficits,
      but only 14 (25.0%) patients had long term deficits at the last clinical visit.
      The mean patient follow-up was 14.7 +/- 10.1 months. The difference between
      preoperative and final modified Rankin Scale scores was not statistically
      significant (p = 0.490). Multivariate analysis showed that both short-term (p <
      0.001) and long-term (p = 0.002) surgery-related motor deficits were
      significantly associated with LCD. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve
      results were as follows: for short-term surgery-related motor deficits, the area
      under the ROC curve (AUC) was 0.860, and the cutoff point was LCD = 2.55 mm; for
      long-term deficits, the AUC was 0.894, and the cutoff point was LCD = 2.30 mm.
      Both univariate (p = 0.012) and multivariate (p = 0.049) analyses revealed that
      CST alteration on preoperative DTI was significantly correlated with short-term
      surgery-related motor deficits. On univariate analysis, deep location of the CST
      CMs was significantly correlated with long-term motor deficits (p = 0.016). Deep
      location of the CST-CMs had a trend toward significance with long-term motor
      deficits on the multivariate analysis (p = 0.060). CONCLUSIONS To facilitate
      clinical practice, the authors propose that 3.00 mm (2.55 to ~3.00 mm) may be the
      safe LCD for surgery in patients with CST-CMs. A CST alteration on preoperative
      DTI and a deep location of the CST-CM may be risk factors for short- and long
      term surgery-related motor deficits, respectively. A randomized controlled trial
      is needed to demonstrate the predictive value of preoperative DTI findings on
      surgical outcomes in patients with CST-CMs in future studies.

PMID- 28362240
TI  - Microvascularization of Grade I meningiomas: effect on tumor volume, blood loss,
      and patient outcome.
AB  - OBJECTIVE Quantitative assessment of tumor microvascularity has the potential to
      improve prognostication, advance understanding of tumor biology, and help narrow
      potential molecular therapies. While the role of tumor microvascularity has been
      widely studied in meningiomas, this study examines both the role of automated
      measurements and the impact on surgical outcome. METHODS Two hundred seven
      patients with Grade I meningiomas underwent surgery between 1996 and 2011. Tissue
      samples from each patient were retrospectively evaluated for histopathological
      measures of microvascularity, including staining for von Willebrand factor (vWF),
      CD31, CD105, hypoxia-inducible factor 1 (HIF-1), vascular endothelial growth
      factor, glucose transporter 1, and carbonic anhydrase IX. Manual methods of
      assessing microvascularity were supplemented by a computational analysis of the
      microvascular patterns by means of fractal analysis. MIB-1 proliferation staining
      was also performed on the same tumors. These measures were compared with various
      patient characteristics, tumor volume, estimated blood loss (EBL) during surgery,
      progression-free survival (PFS), and overall survival (OS). RESULTS The mean
      patient age was 55.4 +/- 14.8 years, and 63 (30.4%) patients were male. Patients
      harboring tumors >= 3 cm were significantly older (56.9 +/- 15.2 years vs 53.1 +/
      13.6 years; p = 0.07), more frequently male (40.8% vs 14.6%; p = 0.0001), and
      had greater EBL (446.5 +/- 532.2 ml vs 185.4 +/- 197.2 ml; p = 0.0001), greater
      tumor volume (33.9 +/- 38.1 ml vs 29.4 +/- 23.5 ml; p = 0.0001), higher MIB-1
      index values (3.0% +/- 5.4% vs 1.7% +/- 1.7%; p = 0.03), higher vWF levels (85.6%
      +/- 76.9% vs 54.1% +/- 52.4%; p = 0.001), lower HIF-1 expression (1.4 +/- 1.3 vs
      2.2 +/- 1.4; p = 0.004), and worse OS (199.9 +/- 7.6 months vs 180.8 +/- 8.1
      months; p = 0.05) than patients with tumors < 3 cm. In the multivariate logistic
      regression, MIB-1 (OR 1.14; p = 0.05), vWF (OR 1.01; p = 0.01), and HIF-1 (OR
      1.54; p = 0.0001) significantly predicted tumor size. Although multiple factors
      were predictive of EBL in the univariate linear regression, only vWF remained
      significant in the multivariate analysis (beta = 0.39; p = 0.004). Lastly, MIB-1
      was useful via Kaplan-Meier survival analysis for predicting patients with
      disease progression, whereby an MIB-1 cutoff value of >= 3% conferred a 36%
      sensitivity and 82.5% specificity in predicting disease progression; an MIB-1
      value >= 3% showed significantly shorter mean PFS (140.1 +/- 11.7 months vs 179.5
      +/- 7.0 months; log-rank test, p = 0.05). The Cox proportional hazards model
      showed a trend for MIB-1 in predicting disease progression in a hazards model (OR
      1.08; 95% CI 0.99-1.19; p = 0.08). CONCLUSIONS These results support the
      importance of various microvascularity measures in predicting preoperative (e.g.,
      tumor size), intraoperative (e.g., EBL), and postoperative (e.g., PFS and OS)
      outcomes in patients with Grade I meningiomas. An MIB-1 cutoff value of 3% showed
      good specificity for predicting tumor progression. The predictive ability of
      various measures to detect aberrant tumor microvasculature differed, possibly
      reflecting the heterogeneous underlying biology of meningiomas. It may be
      necessary to combine assays to understand angiogenesis in meningiomas.

PMID- 28362237
TI  - Ionizing radiation augments glioma tropism of mesenchymal stem cells.
AB  - OBJECTIVE Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) have been shown to localize to gliomas
      after intravascular delivery. Because these cells home to areas of tissue injury,
      the authors hypothesized that the administration of ionizing radiation (IR) to
      tumor would enhance the tropism of MSCs to gliomas. Additionally, they sought to
      identify which radiation-induced factors might attract MSCs. METHODS To assess
      the effect of IR on MSC migration in vitro, transwell assays using conditioned
      medium (CM) from an irradiated commercially available glioma cell line (U87) and
      from irradiated patient-derived glioma stem-like cells (GSCs; GSC7-2 and GSC11)
      were employed. For in vivo testing, green fluorescent protein (GFP)-labeled MSCs
      were injected into the carotid artery of nude mice harboring orthotopic U87, GSC7
      2, or GSC17 xenografts that were treated with either 0 or 10 Gy of IR, and brain
      sections were quantitatively analyzed by immunofluorescence for GFP-positive
      cells. These GSCs were used because GSC7-2 is a weak attractor of MSCs at
      baseline, whereas GSC17 is a strong attractor. To determine the factors
      implicated in IR-induced tropism, CM from irradiated GSC7-2 and from GSC11 was
      assayed with a cytokine array and quantitative ELISA. RESULTS Transwell migration
      assays revealed statistically significant enhanced MSC migration to CM from
      irradiated U87, GSC7-2, and GSC11 compared with nonirradiated controls and in a
      dose-dependent manner. After their intravascular delivery into nude mice
      harboring orthotopic gliomas, MSCs engrafted more successfully in irradiated U87
      (p = 0.036), compared with nonirradiated controls. IR also significantly
      increased the tropism of MSCs to GSC7-2 xenografts (p = 0.043), which are known
      to attract MSCs only poorly at baseline (weak-attractor GSCs). Ionizing radiation
      also increased the engraftment of MSCs in strong-attractor GSC17 xenografts, but
      these increases did not reach statistical significance. The chemokine CCL2 was
      released by GSC7-2 and GSC11 after irradiation in a dose-dependent manner and
      mediated in vitro transwell migration of MSCs. Immunohistochemistry revealed
      increased CCL2 in irradiated GSC7-2 gliomas near the site of MSC engraftment.
      CONCLUSIONS Administering IR to gliomas enhances MSC localization, particularly
      in GSCs that attract MSCs poorly at baseline. The chemokine CCL2 appears to play
      a crucial role in the IR-induced tropism of MSCs to gliomas.

PMID- 28362239
TI  - Associations between clinical outcome and navigated transcranial magnetic
      stimulation characteristics in patients with motor-eloquent brain lesions: a
      combined navigated transcranial magnetic stimulation-diffusion tensor imaging
      fiber tracking approach.
AB  - OBJECTIVE Navigated transcranial magnetic stimulation (nTMS) and diffusion tensor
      imaging fiber tracking (DTI FT) based on nTMS data are increasingly used for
      preoperative planning and resection guidance in patients suffering from motor
      eloquent brain tumors. The present study explores whether nTMS-based DTI FT can
      also be used for individual preoperative risk assessment regarding surgery
      related motor impairment. METHODS Data derived from preoperative nTMS motor
      mapping and subsequent nTMS-based tractography in 86 patients were analyzed. All
      patients suffered from high-grade glioma (HGG), low-grade glioma (LGG), or
      intracranial metastasis (MET). In this context, nTMS-based DTI FT of the
      corticospinal tract (CST) was performed at a range of fractional anisotropy (FA)
      levels based on an individualized FA threshold ([FAT]; tracking with 50%, 75%,
      and 100% FAT), which was defined as the highest FA value allowing for
      visualization of fibers (100% FAT). Minimum lesion-to-CST distances were
      measured, and fiber numbers of the reconstructed CST were assessed. These data
      were then correlated with the preoperative, postoperative, and follow-up status
      of motor function and the resting motor threshold (rMT). RESULTS At certain FA
      levels, a statistically significant difference in lesion-to-CST distances was
      observed between patients with HGG who had no impairment and those who developed
      surgery-related transient or permanent motor deficits (75% FAT: p = 0.0149; 100%
      FAT: p = 0.0233). In this context, no patient with a lesion-to-CST distance >= 12
      mm suffered from any new surgery-related permanent paresis (50% FAT and 75% FAT).
      Furthermore, comparatively strong negative correlations were observed between the
      rMT and lesion-to-CST distances of patients with surgery-related transient
      paresis (Spearman correlation coefficient [rs]; 50% FAT: rs = -0.8660; 75% FAT:
      rs = -0.8660) or surgery-related permanent paresis (50% FAT: rs = -0.7656; 75%
      FAT: rs = -0.6763). CONCLUSIONS This is one of the first studies to show a direct
      correlation between imaging, clinical status, and neurophysiological markers for
      the integrity of the motor system in patients with brain tumors. The findings
      suggest that nTMS-based DTI FT might be suitable for individual risk assessment
      in patients with HGG, in addition to being a surgery-planning tool. Importantly,
      necessary data for risk assessment were obtained without significant additional
      efforts, making this approach potentially valuable for direct clinical use.

PMID- 28362241
TI  - Safety of a meningococcal group B vaccine used in response to two university
      outbreaks.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: To assess the safety of meningococcal group B (MenB)-4C vaccine.
      PARTICIPANTS: Undergraduates, dormitory residents, and persons with high-risk
      medical conditions received the MenB-4C vaccine two-dose series during mass
      vaccination clinics from 12/2013 through 11/2014. METHODS: Adverse events (AEs)
      were identified by 15 minutes of observation postvaccination, spontaneous
      reports, surveys, and hospital surveillance. Causality was assessed for serious
      adverse events (SAEs). RESULTS: 16,974 persons received 31,313 MenB-4C doses. The
      incidence of syncope during the 15-minutes post-dose 1 was 0.88/1000 persons. 2%
      of participants spontaneously reported an AE (most common were arm pain and
      fever). 3 SAEs were suspected of being caused by the vaccine, including one case
      of anaphylaxis. CONCLUSIONS: Most AEs reported were nonserious and consistent
      with previous clinical trial findings. Measures to prevent injury from syncope
      and to treat anaphylaxis should be available wherever vaccines are administered.
      Our safety evaluation supports the use of MenB-4C in response to outbreaks.

PMID- 28362242
TI  - Arf GAPs: A family of proteins with disparate functions that converge on a common
      structure, the integrin adhesion complex.
AB  - ADP-ribosylation factors (Arfs) are members of the Ras GTPase superfamily. The
      function of Arfs is dependent on GTPase-activating proteins (GAPs) and guanine
      nucleotide exchange factors (GEFs), which allow Arfs to cycle between the GDP
      bound and GTP-bound forms. Arf GAPs have been shown to be present in integrin
      adhesion complexes, which include focal adhesions. Integrin adhesion complexes
      are composed of integrins, scaffolding proteins and signaling proteins and
      regulate cell proliferation, survival, differentiation and migration.
      Understanding the role of Arf GAPs in the regulation of integrin adhesion
      complexes is relevant to understanding normal physiology and cancer. In this
      review, we will discuss the contribution of the Arf GAP family members to the
      regulation of integrin adhesion complexes, examining the diverse mechanisms by
      which they control integrin adhesion complex formation, maturation and
      dissolution. GIT1 and ARAP2 serve as GAPs for Arf6, regulating Rac1 and other
      effectors by mechanisms still being defined. In contrast, GIT2 regulates Rac1
      independent of Arf6. AGAP2 binds to and regulates focal adhesion kinase (FAK).
      ARAP2 and ACAP1, both Arf6 GAPs, regulate membrane trafficking of integrins
      through different endocytic pathways, exerting opposite effects on focal
      adhesions. ASAP1 not only regulates actin cytoskeleton remodeling through its
      interaction with nonmuscle myosin 2A, but is also important in integrin
      recycling. These examples illustrate the diversity and versatility of Arf GAPs as
      regulators of integrin adhesion complex structure and function.

PMID- 28362243
TI  - Sexual health and sexual trauma in women with severe mental illness: An
      exploratory survey of Western Australian community mental health services.
AB  - Australian women attending community mental health services were surveyed to
      determine the relationship between sexual trauma, sexual activity, and sexual
      health seeking behaviors. Self-reported history of "forced sex" was 58.4% (n =
      122 out of 220). Latent class analysis revealed a three-class model: "sexually
      active and health seeking," "low sexual activity and health seeking" and "low
      sexual activity and not health seeking." An association with general practitioner
      engagement and sexual health seeking behaviors was found. Rates of self-reported
      sexual trauma reinforce the need for screening and trauma informed care.
      Groupings may reflect different aspects of recovery associated with sexual health
      behaviors.

PMID- 28362244
TI  - HPV vaccines: Global perspectives.
AB  - The discovery of HPV as the etiological factor for HPV-associated malignancies
      and disease has opened up several opportunities for prevention and therapy.
      Current commercially available HPV vaccines (Gardasil, Gardasil 9, and Cervarix)
      are prophylactic in nature and derived from adjuvanted L1-based virus-like
      particles of HPV. Globally, through several clinical trials, they were found to
      be very safe and efficacious. Certain limitations such as cost-effectiveness, low
      coverage against all HPV types and a 3-dose schedule make these vaccines
      difficult to use worldwide. Approaches to address these issues involve alternate
      expression systems using L1 or alternate antigen (L2) as well as optimizing doses
      and broadening protection to provide cheap and cross-protective vaccines.
      Additionally, promising preclinical immunogenicity results from our own studies
      using alternative hosts such as Pichia and an antigen delivery system-based
      measles vector have potential for development as next generation HPV prophylactic
      vaccines. Several other therapeutic approaches are also ongoing.

PMID- 28362245
TI  - Accessing VA Healthcare During Large-Scale Natural Disasters.
AB  - Natural disasters can lead to the closure of medical facilities including the
      Veterans Affairs (VA), thus impacting access to healthcare for U.S. military
      veteran VA users. We examined the characteristics of VA patients who reported
      having difficulty accessing care if their usual source of VA care was closed
      because of natural disasters. A total of 2,264 veteran VA users living in the
      U.S. northeast region participated in a 2015 cross-sectional representative
      survey. The study used VA administrative data in a complex stratified survey
      design with a multimode approach. A total of 36% of veteran VA users reported
      having difficulty accessing care elsewhere, negatively impacting the functionally
      impaired and lower income VA patients.

PMID- 28362246
TI  - Using Quality Tools and Methodologies to Improve a Hospital's Quality Position.
AB  - The authors identify the quality tools and methodologies most frequently used by
      quality-positioned hospitals versus nonquality hospitals. Northeastern U.S.
      hospitals in both groups received a brief, 12-question survey. The authors found
      that 93.75% of the quality hospitals and 81.25% of the nonquality hospitals used
      some form of process improvement methodologies. However, there were significant
      differences between the groups regarding the impact of quality improvement
      initiatives on patients. The findings indicate that in quality hospitals the use
      of quality improvement initiatives had a significantly greater positive impact on
      patient satisfaction and patient outcomes when compared to nonquality hospitals.

PMID- 28362248
TI  - Hope and adjustment to college in the context of collective trauma.
AB  - OBJECTIVES: To understand predictors of first-year college adjustment in the
      context of collective trauma, including a school shooting. PARTICIPANTS: Two
      consecutive years of entering freshman (Year 1 (Y1) N = 169, Year 2 (Y2) N = 94)
      were surveyed over time: Y1 in October 2012 and March 2013, and Y2 in October
      2013 and August 2014. During Y2, several collective traumas occurred, impacting
      the campus community and providing a stark comparison. METHODS: Online surveys
      measuring predictors at the start of each year and adjustment at the end of each
      year. RESULTS: Hope was the only significant predictor of adjustment when
      included in a regression model with depression symptoms in Y1, and with
      depression symptoms, baseline posttraumatic stress symptoms, and traumatic
      exposure in Y2. CONCLUSIONS: Fostering hope may promote college adjustment,
      regardless of collective traumas that might occur on campus.

PMID- 28362250
TI  - Controversial issues in visual cortex mapping: Extrastriate cortex between areas
      V2 and MT in human and nonhuman primates.

PMID- 28362249
TI  - The intersection of nonsuicidal self-injury and suicide-related behavior:
      Patterns of elevated risk and implications for college mental health.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: To analyze the overlap of nonsuicidal self-injury (NSSI) and suicide
      related behaviors (SRB) among college students with regard to demographics,
      mental health, and coping styles. PARTICIPANTS: Respondents were 572
      undergraduate students at a southwestern public university. METHODS: Data were
      collected in 2015. Respondents completed a demographic survey and assessments of
      NSSI, SRB, internalizing symptoms (ie, anxiety, stress, and depression),
      aggression, and negative coping strategies. The survey was administered via a Web
      based procedure. RESULTS: Women reported more frequent cutting behaviors than
      men. Endorsement of NSSI was also associated with an increased likelihood of
      lifetime SRB. A subgroup of students endorsing both NSSI and SRB demonstrated
      poorer mental health, more negative coping, and self-reported female sex.
      CONCLUSIONS: College healthcare providers may benefit from competency-based
      training in techniques for the combination treatment of NSSI and SRB, as well as
      culturally based models of suicide.

PMID- 28362252
TI  - Maxillofacial Trauma: Managing Potentially Dangerous And Disfiguring Complex
      Injuries.
AB  - Patients with maxillofacial trauma require a careful evaluation due to the
      anatomical proximity of the maxillofacial region to the head and neck. Facial
      injuries can range from soft-tissue lacerations and nondisplaced nasal fractures
      to severe, complex fractures, eye injuries, and possible brain injury. Though the
      Advanced Trauma Life Support (ATLS) guidelines provide a framework for the
      management of trauma patients, they do not provide a detailed reference for many
      subtle or complex facial injuries. This issue adds a more comprehensive and
      systematic approach to the secondary survey of the maxillofacial area and
      emergency department management of injuries to the face. In addition to an
      overall review of maxillofacial trauma pathophysiology, associated injuries, and
      physical examination, this review will also discuss relevant imaging, treatment,
      and disposition plans.

PMID- 28362247
TI  - A Qualitative Study of Hospitalists' Perceptions of Patient Satisfaction Metrics
      on Pain Management.
AB  - Hospital initiatives to promote pain management may unintentionally contribute to
      excessive opioid prescribing. To better understand hospitalists' perceptions of
      satisfaction metrics on pain management, the authors conducted 25 interviews with
      hospitalists. Transcribed interviews were systematically analyzed to identify
      emergent themes. Hospitalists felt institutional pressure to earn high
      satisfaction scores for pain, which they perceived influenced practices toward
      opioid prescribing. They felt tying compensation to satisfaction scores
      commoditized pain. Hospitalists believed satisfaction would improve with
      increased time spent at the bedside. Focusing on methods to improve patient
      physician communication, while maintaining efficiency in clinical practice, may
      promote both patient-centered pain management and satisfaction.

PMID- 28362251
TI  - Syncope In Pediatric Patients: A Practical Approach To Differential Diagnosis And
      Management In The Emergency Department.
AB  - Syncope is a condition that is often seen in the emergency department. Most
      syncope is benign, but it can be a symptom of a life-threatening condition. While
      syncope often requires an extensive workup in adults, in the pediatric
      population, critical questioning and simple, noninvasive testing is usually
      sufficient to exclude significant or life-threatening causes. For low-risk
      patients, resource-intensive workups are rarely diagnostic, and add significant
      cost to medical care. This issue will highlight critical diseases that cause
      syncope, identify high-risk "red flags," and enable the emergency clinician to
      develop a cost-effective, minimally invasive algorithm for the diagnosis and
      treatment of pediatric syncope.

PMID- 28362254
TI  - Hip, hip, hooray!
AB  - X-rays are best known for showing where bones have fractured, but researchers can
      also use X-rays to investigate why bones break, which could lead to treatments
      that reduce the number of elderly people who suffer broken hips.

PMID- 28362253
TI  - Bad medicine.
AB  - In his new book Ben Goldacre argues that the pharmaceutical industry is in poor
      health and in urgent need of treatment. Richard Smith agrees.

PMID- 28362255
TI  - Ribonuclease L mediates the cell-lethal phenotype of double-stranded RNA editing
      enzyme ADAR1 deficiency in a human cell line.
AB  - ADAR1 isoforms are adenosine deaminases that edit and destabilize double-stranded
      RNA reducing its immunostimulatory activities. Mutation of ADAR1 leads to a
      severe neurodevelopmental and inflammatory disease of children, Aicardi-Goutieres
      syndrome. In mice, Adar1 mutations are embryonic lethal but are rescued by
      mutation of the Mda5 or Mavs genes, which function in IFN induction. However, the
      specific IFN regulated proteins responsible for the pathogenic effects of ADAR1
      mutation are unknown. We show that the cell-lethal phenotype of ADAR1 deletion in
      human lung adenocarcinoma A549 cells is rescued by CRISPR/Cas9 mutagenesis of the
      RNASEL gene or by expression of the RNase L antagonist, murine coronavirus NS2
      accessory protein. Our result demonstrate that ablation of RNase L activity
      promotes survival of ADAR1 deficient cells even in the presence of MDA5 and MAVS,
      suggesting that the RNase L system is the primary sensor pathway for endogenous
      dsRNA that leads to cell death.

PMID- 28362256
TI  - Frequent exchange of the DNA polymerase during bacterial chromosome replication.
AB  - The replisome is a multiprotein machine that carries out DNA replication. In
      Escherichia coli, a single pair of replisomes is responsible for duplicating the
      entire 4.6 Mbp circular chromosome. In vitro studies of reconstituted E. coli
      replisomes have attributed this remarkable processivity to the high stability of
      the replisome once assembled on DNA. By examining replisomes in live E. coli with
      fluorescence microscopy, we found that the Pol III* subassembly frequently
      disengages from the replisome during DNA synthesis and exchanges with free copies
      from solution. In contrast, the DnaB helicase associates stably with the
      replication fork, providing the molecular basis for how the E. coli replisome can
      maintain high processivity and yet possess the flexibility to bypass obstructions
      in template DNA. Our data challenges the widely-accepted semi-discontinuous model
      of chromosomal replication, instead supporting a fully discontinuous mechanism in
      which synthesis of both leading and lagging strands is frequently interrupted.

PMID- 28362258
TI  - A CDC25 family protein phosphatase gates cargo recognition by the Vps26 retromer
      subunit.
AB  - We describe a regulatory mechanism that controls the activity of retromer, an
      evolutionarily conserved sorting device that orchestrates cargo export from the
      endosome. A spontaneously arising mutation that activates the yeast
      (Saccharomyces cerevisiae) CDC25 family phosphatase, Mih1, results in accelerated
      turnover of a subset of endocytosed plasma membrane proteins due to deficient
      sorting into a retromer-mediated recycling pathway. Mih1 directly modulates the
      phosphorylation state of the Vps26 retromer subunit; mutations engineered to
      mimic these states modulate the binding affinities of Vps26 for a retromer cargo,
      resulting in corresponding changes in cargo sorting at the endosome. The results
      suggest that a phosphorylation-based gating mechanism controls cargo selection by
      yeast retromer, and they establish a functional precedent for CDC25 protein
      phosphatases that lies outside of their canonical role in regulating cell cycle
      progression.

PMID- 28362257
TI  - Role of D-aminoacyl-tRNA deacylase beyond chiral proofreading as a cellular
      defense against glycine mischarging by AlaRS.
AB  - Strict L-chiral rejection through Gly-cisPro motif during chiral proofreading
      underlies the inability of D-aminoacyl-tRNA deacylase (DTD) to discriminate
      between D-amino acids and achiral glycine. The consequent Gly-tRNAGly 'misediting
      paradox' is resolved by EF-Tu in the cell. Here, we show that DTD's active site
      architecture can efficiently edit mischarged Gly-tRNAAla species four orders of
      magnitude more efficiently than even AlaRS, the only ubiquitous cellular
      checkpoint known for clearing the error. Also, DTD knockout in AlaRS editing
      defective background causes pronounced toxicity in Escherichia coli even at low
      glycine levels which is alleviated by alanine supplementation. We further
      demonstrate that DTD positively selects the universally invariant tRNAAla
      specific G3*U70. Moreover, DTD's activity on non-cognate Gly-tRNAAla is conserved
      across all bacteria and eukaryotes, suggesting DTD's key cellular role as a
      glycine deacylator. Our study thus reveals a hitherto unknown function of DTD in
      cracking the universal mechanistic dilemma encountered by AlaRS, and its
      physiological importance.

PMID- 28362259
TI  - Non-coding cancer driver candidates identified with a sample- and position
      specific model of the somatic mutation rate.
AB  - Non-coding mutations may drive cancer development. Statistical detection of non
      coding driver regions is challenged by a varying mutation rate and uncertainty of
      functional impact. Here, we develop a statistically founded non-coding driver
      detection method, ncdDetect, which includes sample-specific mutational
      signatures, long-range mutation rate variation, and position-specific impact
      measures. Using ncdDetect, we screened non-coding regulatory regions of protein
      coding genes across a pan-cancer set of whole-genomes (n = 505), which top-ranked
      known drivers and identified new candidates. For individual candidates, presence
      of non-coding mutations associates with altered expression or decreased patient
      survival across an independent pan-cancer sample set (n = 5454). This includes an
      antigen-presenting gene (CD1A), where 5'UTR mutations correlate significantly
      with decreased survival in melanoma. Additionally, mutations in a base-excision
      repair gene (SMUG1) correlate with a C-to-T mutational-signature. Overall, we
      find that a rich model of mutational heterogeneity facilitates non-coding driver
      identification and integrative analysis points to candidates of potential
      clinical relevance.

PMID- 28362261
TI  - Regulation of plant immune receptor accumulation through translational repression
      by a glycine-tyrosine-phenylalanine (GYF) domain protein.
AB  - Plant immunity is tightly regulated to ensure proper defense against surrounding
      microbial pathogens without triggering autoimmunity, which negatively impacts
      plant growth and development. Immune receptor levels are intricately controlled
      by RNA processing and post-translational modification events, such as
      ubiquitination. It remains unknown whether, and if yes, how, plant immune
      receptor homeostasis is regulated at the translational level. From a mutant, snc1
      enhancing (muse) forward genetic screen, we identified MUSE11/EXA1, which
      negatively regulates nucleotide-binding leucine-rich repeat (NLR) receptor
      mediated defence. EXA1 contains an evolutionarily conserved glycine-tyrosine
      phenylalanine (GYF) domain that binds proline-rich sequences. Genetic and
      biochemical analysis revealed that loss of EXA1 leads to heightened NLR
      accumulation and enhanced resistance against virulent pathogens. EXA1 also
      associates with eIF4E initiation factors and the ribosome complex, likely
      contributing to the proper translation of target proteins. In summary, our study
      reveals a previously unknown mechanism of regulating NLR homeostasis through
      translational repression by a GYF protein.

PMID- 28362260
TI  - Evolution of substrate specificity in a retained enzyme driven by gene loss.
AB  - The connection between gene loss and the functional adaptation of retained
      proteins is still poorly understood. We apply phylogenomics and metabolic
      modeling to detect bacterial species that are evolving by gene loss, with the
      finding that Actinomycetaceae genomes from human cavities are undergoing sizable
      reductions, including loss of L-histidine and L-tryptophan biosynthesis. We
      observe that the dual-substrate phosphoribosyl isomerase A or priA gene, at which
      these pathways converge, appears to coevolve with the occurrence of trp and his
      genes. Characterization of a dozen PriA homologs shows that these enzymes adapt
      from bifunctionality in the largest genomes, to a monofunctional, yet not
      necessarily specialized, inefficient form in genomes undergoing reduction. These
      functional changes are accomplished via mutations, which result from relaxation
      of purifying selection, in residues structurally mapped after sequence and X-ray
      structural analyses. Our results show how gene loss can drive the evolution of
      substrate specificity from retained enzymes.

PMID- 28362262
TI  - A type I IFN-dependent DNA damage response regulates the genetic program and
      inflammasome activation in macrophages.
AB  - Macrophages produce genotoxic agents, such as reactive oxygen and nitrogen
      species, that kill invading pathogens. Here we show that these agents activate
      the DNA damage response (DDR) kinases ATM and DNA-PKcs through the generation of
      double stranded breaks (DSBs) in murine macrophage genomic DNA. In contrast to
      other cell types, initiation of this DDR depends on signaling from the type I
      interferon receptor. Once activated, ATM and DNA-PKcs regulate a genetic program
      with diverse immune functions and promote inflammasome activation and the
      production of IL-1beta and IL-18. Indeed, following infection with Listeria
      monocytogenes, DNA-PKcs-deficient murine macrophages produce reduced levels of IL
      18 and are unable to optimally stimulate IFN-gamma production by NK cells. Thus,
      genomic DNA DSBs act as signaling intermediates in murine macrophages, regulating
      innate immune responses through the initiation of a type I IFN-dependent DDR.

PMID- 28362263
TI  - Inhibitor of ppGalNAc-T3-mediated O-glycosylation blocks cancer cell invasiveness
      and lowers FGF23 levels.
AB  - Small molecule inhibitors of site-specific O-glycosylation by the polypeptide N
      acetylgalactosaminyltransferase (ppGalNAc-T) family are currently unavailable but
      hold promise as therapeutics, especially if selective against individual ppGalNAc
      T isozymes. To identify a compound targeting the ppGalNAc-T3 isozyme, we screened
      libraries to find compounds that act on a cell-based fluorescence sensor of
      ppGalNAc-T3 but not on a sensor of ppGalNAc-T2. This identified a hit that
      subsequent in vitro analysis showed directly binds and inhibits purified ppGalNAc
      T3 with no detectable activity against either ppGalNAc-T2 or ppGalNAc-T6.
      Remarkably, the inhibitor was active in two medically relevant contexts. In cell
      culture, it opposed increased cancer cell invasiveness driven by upregulated
      ppGalNAc-T3 suggesting the inhibitor might be anti-metastatic. In cells and mice,
      it blocked ppGalNAc-T3-mediated glycan-masking of FGF23 thereby increasing its
      cleavage, a possible treatment of chronic kidney disease. These findings
      establish a pharmacological approach for the ppGalNAc-transferase family and
      suggest that targeting specific ppGalNAc-transferases will yield new
      therapeutics.

PMID- 28362265
TI  - The GuLF STUDY: A Prospective Study of Persons Involved in the Deepwater Horizon
      Oil Spill Response and Clean-Up.
AB  - BACKGROUND: The 2010 Deepwater Horizon disaster led to the largest ever marine
      oil spill. Individuals who worked on the spill were exposed to toxicants and
      stressors that could lead to adverse effects. OBJECTIVES: The GuLF STUDY was
      designed to investigate relationships between oil spill exposures and multiple
      potential physical and mental health effects. METHODS: Participants were
      recruited by telephone from lists of individuals who worked on the oil spill
      response and clean-up or received safety training. Enrollment interviews between
      2011 and 2013 collected information about spill-related activities, demographics,
      lifestyle, and health. Exposure measurements taken during the oil spill were used
      with questionnaire responses to characterize oil exposures of participants.
      Participants from Gulf states completed a home visit in which biological and
      environmental samples, anthropometric and clinical measurements, and additional
      health and lifestyle information were collected. Participants are being followed
      for changes in health status. RESULTS: Thirty-two thousand six hundred eight
      individuals enrolled in the cohort, and 11,193 completed a home visit. Most were
      young (56.2% <= 45 years of age), male (80.8%), lived in a Gulf state (82.3%),
      and worked at least 1 day on the oil spill (76.5%). Workers were involved in
      response (18.0%), support operations (17.5%), clean-up on water (17.4%) or land
      (14.6%), decontamination (14.3%), and administrative support (18.3%). Using an
      ordinal job exposure matrix, 45% had maximum daily total hydrocarbon exposure
      levels >= 1.0 ppm. CONCLUSIONS: The GuLF STUDY provides a unique opportunity to
      study potential adverse health effects from the Deepwater Horizon oil spill.

PMID- 28362267
TI  - Unintentionally retained vascular devices: improving recognition and removal.
AB  - The increased demand for minimally invasive placement of intravascular medical
      devices has led to increased procedure-related complications, including retention
      of all or part of the implanted device. A number of risk factors can predispose
      to unintentionally retained vascular devices (uRVD); most are technical in
      etiology. Despite best efforts to insert and remove vascular devices properly,
      uRVD still occur. Prevention or early identification of uRVD is ideal; however,
      procedural complications are not always recognized at the time of device
      insertion or removal. In these cases, early radiologic diagnosis is important to
      enable expeditious removal and reduction of morbidity, mortality, and medicolegal
      consequences. The diagnostic radiologist's role is to identify suspected uRVD and
      ensure proper communication of the findings to the referring clinician. The
      diagnostic radiologist can implement various strategies to increase detection of
      uRVD and advise the referring clinician regarding the use of minimally invasive
      percutaneous techniques for safe removal of uRVD.

PMID- 28362266
TI  - The Prevalence of Antibiotic-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus Nasal Carriage among
      Industrial Hog Operation Workers, Community Residents, and Children Living in
      Their Households: North Carolina, USA.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Antibiotic use in industrial hog operations (IHOs) can support the
      emergence of antibiotic-resistant (ABR) Staphylococcus aureus. The extent of ABR
      S. aureus exposure in IHO workers and children living in their households remains
      unclear. OBJECTIVE: We investigated ABR S. aureus nasal carriage prevalence among
      adults with versus without occupational exposure to IHOs and among children
      living in their households. METHODS: In total, 198 IHO worker-child household
      pairs and 202 community referent (CR) adult-child household pairs completed a
      questionnaire and provided a nasal swab which was analyzed for S. aureus,
      methicillin-resistant S. aureus (MRSA), multidrug-resistant S. aureus (MDRSA),
      absence of scn (putative marker of livestock association), and spa type. RESULTS:
      S. aureus nasal carriage prevalence was higher among IHO (53%) compared with CR
      (31%) adults [adjusted prevalence ratio (aPR): 1.40; 95% confidence interval
      (CI): 1.07, 1.83], but MRSA nasal carriage prevalence was uncommon (2-3%) in IHO
      and CR adults. MDRSA nasal carriage prevalence was similar among IHO workers and
      CR adults (12% vs. 8%; aPR: 1.14; 95% CI: 0.56, 2.29). Nasal carriage prevalence
      was higher among IHO compared with CR children for S. aureus (49% vs. 31%; aPR:
      1.50; 95% CI: 1.13, 1.99), MRSA (14% vs. 6%; aPR: 2.37; 95% CI: 1.14, 4.92), and
      MDRSA (23% vs. 8%; aPR: 2.64; 95% CI: 1.47, 4.75). We also found suggestive
      evidence of a higher prevalence of S. aureus, MRSA, and MDRSA among children
      living with an IHO worker who did versus did not report taking personal
      protective equipment (PPE) home from the IHO. Livestock-associated S. aureus
      nasal carriage predominated among IHO workers. CONCLUSION: Our findings support
      the importance of further research on the prevalence and potential sources of
      exposure to ABR S. aureus among children living with IHO workers.

PMID- 28362269
TI  - Daclatasvir plasma concentration assessment in HIV-HCV-coinfected real-life
      patients.

PMID- 28362268
TI  - Progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy due to John Cunningham (JC) virus
      following allogeneic haematopoietic cell transplantation.
AB  - Progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy (PML) is an uncommon infectious
      complication post allogeneic stem cell transplant. We present a case report of a
      patient developing this complication with a review of the current literature. It
      also describes the first use of artesunate in a clinical case of PML with no
      beneficial effect.

PMID- 28362270
TI  - Signature of surface periodicity in the electronic structure of Si(1 1 1)-(7 *
      7).
AB  - The surface electronic structure of Si(1 1 1)-[Formula: see text] has been
      studied by angle-resolved photo electron spectroscopy. Replicas of the S 1
      surface state are found in correspondence with several [Formula: see text] unit
      cells in the reciprocal space. This observation resolves in a direct way the long
      standing dichotomy between the structural and electronic properties of the system
      previously discussed on the basis of the [Formula: see text] or [Formula: see
      text] R30 degrees  surface models.

PMID- 28362264
TI  - Small-Magnitude Effect Sizes in Epigenetic End Points are Important in Children's
      Environmental Health Studies: The Children's Environmental Health and Disease
      Prevention Research Center's Epigenetics Working Group.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Characterization of the epigenome is a primary interest for
      children's environmental health researchers studying the environmental influences
      on human populations, particularly those studying the role of pregnancy and early
      life exposures on later-in-life health outcomes. OBJECTIVES: Our objective was to
      consider the state of the science in environmental epigenetics research and to
      focus on DNA methylation and the collective observations of many studies being
      conducted within the Children's Environmental Health and Disease Prevention
      Research Centers, as they relate to the Developmental Origins of Health and
      Disease (DOHaD) hypothesis. METHODS: We address the current laboratory and
      statistical tools available for epigenetic analyses, discuss methods for
      validation and interpretation of findings, particularly when magnitudes of effect
      are small, question the functional relevance of findings, and discuss the future
      for environmental epigenetics research. DISCUSSION: A common finding in
      environmental epigenetic studies is the small-magnitude epigenetic effect sizes
      that result from such exposures. Although it is reasonable and necessary that we
      question the relevance of such small effects, we present examples in which small
      effects persist and have been replicated across populations and across time. We
      encourage a critical discourse on the interpretation of such small changes and
      further research on their functional relevance for children's health. CONCLUSION:
      The dynamic nature of the epigenome will require an emphasis on future
      longitudinal studies in which the epigenome is profiled over time, over changing
      environmental exposures, and over generations to better understand the multiple
      ways in which the epigenome may respond to environmental stimuli.

PMID- 28362271
TI  - Radial dose distributions from carbon ions of therapeutic energies calculated
      with Geant4-DNA.
AB  - We report on radial dose distributions [Formula: see text] for carbon ions
      calculated with Geant4-DNA code. These distributions characterize ion tracks on a
      nanoscale and are important for understanding the biological effects of ion
      beams. We present data for carbon ion beams in the energy range from 20 to 400
      MeV u-1. To approximate the Monte Carlo results, we developed a simple formula
      that combines the well-known inverse square distance dependence with a factor
      correcting [Formula: see text] for small [Formula: see text]. The proposed
      formula can be used to calculate [Formula: see text] for any energy within the
      above range and for distances [Formula: see text] from 1 nm to 2 MUm with a
      maximum error not exceeding 14%. This range of distances corresponds to a dose
      range of over seven orders of magnitude. Differences between our results and
      those of previously published analytical models are discussed.

PMID- 28362272
TI  - Spectroscopic signatures of different symmetries of the superconducting order
      parameter in metal-decorated graphene.
AB  - Motivated by the recent experiments indicating superconductivity in metal
      decorated graphene sheets, we investigate their quasi-particle structure within
      the framework of an effective tight-binding Hamiltonian augmented by appropriate
      BCS-like pairing terms for p-type order parameter. The normal state band
      structure of graphene is modified not only through interaction with adsorbed
      metal atoms, but also due to the folding of bands at Brillouin zone boundaries
      resulting from a [Formula: see text] reconstruction. Several different types of
      pairing symmetries are analyzed utilizing Nambu-Gorkov Green's function
      techniques to show that [Formula: see text]-symmetric nearest-neighbor pairing
      yields the most enhanced superconducting gap. The character of the order
      parameter depends on the nature of the atomic orbitals involved in the pairing
      process and exhibits interesting angular and radial asymmetries. Finally, we
      suggest a method to distinguish between singlet and triplet type
      superconductivity in the presence of magnetic substitutional impurities using
      scanning tunneling spectroscopy.

PMID- 28362273
TI  - Introduction to the special issue on halogen bonding.

PMID- 28362274
TI  - Directional O...F halogen bonds.

PMID- 28362275
TI  - Coordination chemistry of anions through halogen-bonding interactions.

PMID- 28362276
TI  - Characterization of fluorine-centred 'F...O' sigma-hole interactions in the solid
      state.
AB  - In the current study, the crystal structure of 1-(3-nitrophenyl)-2,2,2
      trifluoroethanone (A1) and (E)-4-((4-fluorophenyl) diazenyl)phenol (A2) has been
      analyzed for the characterization of the presence of a 'unique' and 'rare'
      intermolecular C(sp3/sp2)-F...O contact, which has been observed to play a
      significant role in the crystal packing. Theoretical charge-density calculations
      have been performed to study the nature and strength associated with the
      existence of this intermolecular F...O contact, wherein the F atom is attached to
      an sp3-hybridized C atom in the case of A1 and to an sp2 hybridized carbon in the
      case of A2. The crystal packing of the former contains two 'electronically
      different' Csp3-F...O contacts which are present across and in between the layers
      of molecules. In the latter case, it is characterized by the presence of a very
      'short' (2.708 A) and 'highly directional' (168 degrees  at ?C4-F1...O1 and 174
      degrees  at ?C10-O1...F1) Csp2-F...O contact. According to the Cambridge
      Structural Database (CSD) study, it is a rare example in molecular crystals.
      Topological features of F...O contacts in the solid state were compared with the
      gas-phase models. The two-dimensional and three-dimensional static deformation
      density obtained from theoretical multipole modeling confirm the presence of a
      charge depleted region on the F atoms. Minimization of the electrostatic
      repulsion between like charges are observed through subtle arrangements in the
      electronic environment in two of the short intermolecular F...O contacts. These
      contacts were investigated using inputs from pair energy decomposition analysis,
      Bader's quantum theory of atoms in molecules (QTAIM), Hirshfeld surface analysis,
      delocalization index, reduced density gradient (RDG) plot, electrostatic
      potential surface and distributed atomic polarizability. The intermolecular
      energy decomposition (PIXEL) and RDG-NCI (non-covalent interaction) analysis of
      the F...O contacts establish the interaction to be dispersive in nature. The
      mutual polarization of an O atom by fluorine and vice versa provides real
      physical insights into the role of atomic polarizability in interacting atoms in
      molecules in crystals.

PMID- 28362277
TI  - 1,3,5-Tri(iodoethynyl)-2,4,6-trifluorobenzene: halogen-bonded frameworks and NMR
      spectroscopic analysis.
AB  - Halogen bonding is the non-covalent interaction between the region of positive
      electrostatic potential associated with a covalently bonded halogen atom, named
      the sigma-hole, and a Lewis base. Single-crystal X-ray diffraction structures are
      reported for a series of seven halogen-bonded cocrystals featuring 1,3,5
      tris(iodoethynyl)-2,4,6-trifluorobenzene (1) as the halogen-bond donor, and
      bromide ions (as ammonium or phosphonium salts) as the halogen-bond acceptors:
      (1).MePh3PBr, (1).EtPh3PBr, (1).acetonyl-Ph3PBr, (1).Ph4PBr, (1).[bis(4
      fluorophenyl)methyl]triphenylphosphonium bromide, and two new polymorphs of
      (1).Et3BuNBr. The cocrystals all feature moderately strong iodine-bromide halogen
      bonds. The crystal structure of pure [bis(4
      fluorophenyl)methyl]triphenylphosphonium bromide is also reported. The results of
      a crystal engineering strategy of varying the size of the counter-cation are
      explored, and the features of the resulting framework materials are discussed.
      Given the potential utility of (1) in future crystal engineering applications,
      detailed NMR analyses (in solution and in the solid state) of this halogen-bond
      donor are also presented. In solution, complex 13C and 19F multiplets are
      explained by considering the delicate interplay between various J couplings and
      subtle isotope shifts. In the solid state, the formation of (1).Et3BuNBr is shown
      through significant 13C chemical shift changes relative to pure solid 1,3,5
      tris(iodoethynyl)-2,4,6-trifluorobenzene.

PMID- 28362278
TI  - A new tecton with parallel halogen-bond donors: a path to supramolecular
      rectangles.
AB  - A new tecton, 1,8-diiodoethynylanthracene, with two halogen-bond donor sites was
      synthesized and characterized. This tecton is capable of forming two parallel
      halogen bonds at once, which makes it a useful building block for the
      construction of a variety of supramolecular squares and rectangles.

PMID- 28362279
TI  - Taking the halogen bonding-hydrogen bonding competition one step further:
      complexes of difluoroiodomethane with trimethylphosphine, dimethyl sulfide and
      chloromethane.
AB  - To rationalize the driving factors in the competition of halogen bonding and
      hydrogen bonding, the complexes of the combined halogen-/hydrogen-bond donor
      difluoroiodomethane with the Lewis bases trimethylphosphine, dimethyl sulfide and
      chloromethane are studied. For all Lewis bases, ab initio calculations lead to
      halogen- and hydrogen-bonded complexes. Fourier transform-IR experiments
      involving solutions of mixtures of difluoroiodomethane with trimethylphosphine(
      d9) or dimethyl sulfide(-d6) in liquid krypton confirm the coexistence of a
      halogen-bonded and hydrogen-bonded complex. Also for solutions containing
      chloromethane, evidence of the formation of binary associations is found, but no
      definitive assignment of the multiple complex bands could be made. Using van't
      Hoff plots, the experimental complexation enthalpies for the halogen- and
      hydrogen-bonded complex of difluoroiodomethane with trimethylphosphine are
      determined to be -15.4 (4) and -10.5 (3) kJ mol-1, respectively, while for the
      halogen- and hydrogen-bonded complexes with dimethyl sulfide, the values are 
      11.3 (5) and -7.7 (6) kJ mol-1, respectively. The experimental observation that
      for both trimethylphospine and dimethyl sulfide the halogen-bonded complex is
      more stable than the hydrogen-bonded complex supports the finding that softer
      Lewis bases tend to favor iodine halogen bonding over hydrogen bonding.

PMID- 28362280
TI  - Cyclic networks of halogen-bonding interactions in molecular self-assemblies: a
      theoretical N-X...N versus C-X...N investigation.
AB  - The geometries and energetics of molecular self-assembly structures that contain
      a sequential network of cyclic halogen-bonding interactions are investigated
      theoretically. The strength of the halogen-bonding interactions is assessed by
      examining binding energies, electron charge transfer (NBO analysis) and electron
      density at halogen-bond critical points (AIM theory). Specifically, structural
      motifs having intramolecular N-X...N (X = Cl, Br, or I) interactions and the
      ability to drive molecular self-assembly via the same type of interactions are
      used to construct larger self-assemblies of up to three unit motifs. N-X...N
      halogen-bond cooperativity as a function of the self-assembly size, and the
      nature of the halogen atom is also examined. The cyclic network of the halogen
      bonding interactions provides a suitable cavity rich in electron density (from
      the halogen atom lone pairs not involved in the halogen bonds) that can
      potentially bind an electron-deficient species such as a metal ion. This
      possibility is explored by examining the ability of the N-X...N network to bind
      Na+. Likewise, molecular self-assembly structures driven by the weaker C-X...N
      halogen-bonding interactions are investigated and the results compared with those
      of their N-X...N counterparts.

PMID- 28362281
TI  - The evaluation of QM/MM-driven molecular docking combined with MM/GBSA
      calculations as a halogen-bond scoring strategy.
AB  - The combination of quantum mechanics/molecular mechanics-driven (QM/MM) molecular
      docking with binding free-energy calculations was successfully used to reproduce
      the X-ray geometries of protein-ligand complexes with halogen bonding. The
      procedure involves quantum-polarized ligand docking (QPLD) to obtain the QM
      derived ligand atomic charges in the protein environment at the B3PW91/cc-pVTZ
      level and the MM/GBSA (generalized-Born/surface area) algorithm to calculate the
      binding free energies of resultant complexes. The performance was validated using
      a set of 106 X-ray complexes and compared with the Glide and AutoDock VinaXB
      scoring functions in terms of RMSD and the reconstruction of halogen-bond
      geometry (distance and sigma-hole angle). The results revealed that docking and
      scoring using the QPLD-GBSA procedure outperformed the remaining scoring
      functions in the majority of instances. Additionally, a comparison of the
      orientation of the top ranked binding poses calculated using the fixed atomic
      charges of ligands obtained from force-field parameterization and by QM
      calculations in the protein environment provides strong evidence that the use of
      QM-derived charges is significant.

PMID- 28362282
TI  - Theoretical insights into the pi-hole interactions in the complexes containing
      triphosphorus hydride (P3H3) and its derivatives.
AB  - The pi-hole of triphosphorus hydride (P3H3) and its derivatives Z3X3 (Z = P, As;
      X = H, F, Cl, Br) was discovered and analyzed. MP2/aug-cc-pVDZ calculations were
      performed on the pi-hole interactions in the HCN...Z3X3 complexes and the mutual
      influence between pi-hole interactions and the hydrogen bond in the
      HCN...HCN...Z3X3 and HCN...Z3X3...HCN complexes studied. The pi-hole interaction
      belongs to the typical closed-shell noncovalent interaction. The linear
      relationship was found between the most positive electrostatic potential of the
      pi-hole (VS,max) and the interaction energy. Moreover, the VS,max of the pi-hole
      was also found to be linearly correlated to the electrostatic energy term,
      indicating the important contribution of the electrostatic energy term to the pi
      hole interaction. There is positive cooperativity between the pi-hole interaction
      and the hydrogen bond in the termolecular complexes. The pi-hole interaction has
      a greater influence on the hydrogen bond than vice versa. The mutual enhancing
      effect between the pi-hole interaction and the hydrogen bond in the
      HCN...HCN...Z3X3 complexes is greater than that in the HCN...Z3X3...HCN
      complexes.

PMID- 28362284
TI  - Cocrystal assembled by 1,4-diiodotetrafluorobenzene and phenothiazine based on C
      I...pi/N/S halogen bond and other assisting interactions.
AB  - The halogen-bonded cocrystal of 1,4-diiodotetrafluorobenzene (1,4-DITFB) with the
      butterfly-shape non-planar heterocyclic compound phenothiazine (PHT) was
      successfully assembled by the conventional solution-based method. X-ray single
      crystal diffraction analysis reveals a 3:2 stoichiometric ratio for the cocrystal
      (1,4-DITFB/PHT), and the cocrystal structure is constructed via C-I...pi, C-I...N
      and C-I...S halogen bonds as well as other assisting interactions (e.g. C-H...F/S
      hydrogen bond, C-H...H-C and C-F...F-C bonds). The small shift of the 1,4-DITFB
      vibrational band to lower frequencies in FT-IR and Raman spectroscopies provide
      evidence to confirm the existence of the halogen bond. In addition, the non
      planarity of the PHT molecule in the cocrystal results in PHT emitting weak
      phosphorescence and relatively strong delayed fluorescence. Thus, a wide range of
      delayed fluorescence and weak phosphorescence could play a significant role in
      selecting a proper pi-conjugated system to engineer functional cocrystal and
      luminescent materials by halogen bonds.

PMID- 28362285
TI  - Testing the tools for revealing and characterizing the iodine-iodine halogen bond
      in crystals.
AB  - To understand what tools are really suitable to identify and classify the iodine
      iodine non-covalent interactions in solid organic polyiodides, we have examined
      the anisotropy of the electron density within the iodine atomic basin along and
      across the iodine-iodine halogen bond using the Laplacian of electron density,
      one-electron potential and electron localization function produced by Kohn-Sham
      calculations with periodic boundary conditions. The Laplacian of electron density
      exhibits the smallest anisotropy and yields a vague picture of the outermost
      electronic shells. The one-electron potential does not show such a deficiency and
      reveals that the valence electron shell for the halogen-bond acceptor iodine is
      always wider than that for the halogen-bond donor iodine along its sigma-hole
      direction. We have concluded that the one-electron potential is the most suitable
      for classification of the iodine-iodine bonds and interactions in complicated
      cases, while the electron localization function allows to distinguish the
      diiodine molecule bonded with the monoiodide anion from the typical triiodide
      anion.

PMID- 28362283
TI  - Experimental investigation of halogen-bond hard-soft acid-base complementarity.
AB  - The halogen bond (XB) is a topical noncovalent interaction of rapidly increasing
      importance. The XB employs a 'soft' donor atom in comparison to the 'hard' proton
      of the hydrogen bond (HB). This difference has led to the hypothesis that XBs can
      form more favorable interactions with 'soft' bases than HBs. While computational
      studies have supported this suggestion, solution and solid-state data are
      lacking. Here, XB soft-soft complementarity is investigated with a bidentate
      receptor that shows similar associations with neutral carbonyls and heavy
      chalcogen analogs. The solution speciation and XB soft-soft complementarity is
      supported by four crystal structures containing neutral and anionic soft Lewis
      bases.

PMID- 28362287
TI  - Utilizing bifurcated halogen-bonding interactions with the uranyl oxo group in
      the assembly of a UO2-3-bromo-5-iodobenzoic acid coordination polymer.
AB  - The synthesis and crystal structure of a new uranyl coordination polymer
      featuring 3-bromo-5-iodobenzoic acid is described and the luminescent and
      vibrational properties of the material have been explored. Compound (1),
      [UO2(C7H3BrIO2)2]n, features dimeric uranyl units chelated and then linked by 3
      bromo-5-iodobenzoic acid ligands to form a one-dimensional coordination polymer
      that is subsequently assembled via bifurcated halogen-bonding interactions with
      uranyl oxo atoms to form a supramolecular three-dimensional network. The
      asymmetric, bifurcated halogen-bonding interaction in (1) is notable as it
      represents the first observation of this synthon in a uranyl hybrid material.
      Raman and IR spectroscopy showed that halogen-bonding interactions with the
      uranyl oxo atoms result in small shifts in upsilon1 and upsilon3 frequencies,
      whereas luminescence spectra collected at an excitation wavelength of 420 nm
      reveal partially resolved uranyl emission.

PMID- 28362286
TI  - Halogen bonding stabilizes a cis-azobenzene derivative in the solid state: a
      crystallographic study.
AB  - Crystals of trans- and cis-isomers of a fluorinated azobenzene derivative have
      been prepared and characterized by single-crystal X-ray diffraction. The presence
      of F atoms on the aromatic core of the azobenzene increases the lifetime of the
      metastable cis-isomer, allowing single crystals of the cis-azobenzene to be
      grown. Structural analysis on the cis-azobenzene, complemented with density
      functional theory calculations, highlights the active role of the halogen-bond
      contact (N...I synthon) in promoting the stabilization of the cis-isomer. The
      presence of a long aliphatic chain on the azobenzene unit induces a phase
      segregation that stabilizes the molecular arrangement for both the trans- and cis
      isomers. Due to the rarity of cis-azobenzene crystal structures in the
      literature, our paper makes a step towards understanding the role of non-covalent
      interactions in driving the packing of metastable azobenzene isomers. This is
      expected to be important in the future rational design of solid-state,
      photoresponsive materials based on halogen bonding.

PMID- 28362288
TI  - Crystallographic insights into the structural aspects of thioctic acid based
      halogen-bond donor for the functionalization of gold nanoparticles.
AB  - The synthesis and self-assembly capabilities of a new halogen-bond donor ligand,
      2,3,5,6-tetrafluoro-4-iodophenyl 5-(1,2-dithiolan-3-yl)pentanoate (1), are
      reported. The crystal structure of ligand (1) and the formation of a cocrystal
      with 1,2-di(4-pyridyl)ethylene, (1).(2), both show halogen bonds involving the 4
      iodotetrafluorobenzene moiety. Ligand (1), being a self-complementary unit, forms
      an infinite halogen-bonded chain driven by the S...I synthon, while the cocrystal
      (1).(2) self-assembles into a discrete trimeric entity driven by the N...I
      synthon. Ligand (1) was also successfully used to functionalize the surface of
      gold nanoparticles, AuNP-(1). Experiments on the dispersibility profile of AuNP
      (1) demonstrated the potential of halogen bonding in facilitating the dispersion
      of modified NPs with halogen-bond donors in pyridine.

PMID- 28362289
TI  - Color-tunable phosphorescence of 1,10-phenanthrolines by 4,7-methyl/-diphenyl/
      dichloro substituents in cocrystals assembled via bifurcated C-I...N halogen
      bonds using 1,4-diiodotetrafluorobenzene as a bonding donor.
AB  - Single-crystal X-ray diffraction reveals a series of phosphorescent cocrystals
      which were assembled by 1,4-diiodotetrafluorobenzene (1,4-DITFB) and either 4,7
      dimethyl-1,10-phenanthroline (DMPhe), 4,7-diphenyl-1,10-phenanthroline (DPPhe) or
      4,7-dichloro-1,10-phenanthroline (DClPhe) via C-I...N halogen bonding. These
      cocrystals, labeled (1), (2) and (3), respectively, are phosphorescent and a
      distinct change in phosphorescent color can be observed from orange-yellow, green
      to yellow-green, with well defined vibrational band maxima at 587, 520 and 611 nm
      for (1), (2) and (3). Based on the dependence of halogen bonding in sites and
      strength, we discussed the impact of substituents with different electron
      withdrawing effects and steric hindrance on intermolecular noncovalent
      interactions and phosphorescence. The method of inducing and modulating
      phosphorescence by halogen bonding and other weak non-covalent interactions
      through changing the substituent groups of molecules should be significant in
      both theory and the application of optical function materials with predictable
      and modulated luminescent properties.

PMID- 28362290
TI  - Relationships between hydrogen bonds and halogen bonds in biological systems.
AB  - The recent recognition that halogen bonding (XB) plays important roles in the
      recognition and assembly of biological molecules has led to new approaches in
      medicinal chemistry and biomolecular engineering. When designing XBs into
      strategies for rational drug design or into a biomolecule to affect its structure
      and function, we must consider the relationship between this interaction and the
      more ubiquitous hydrogen bond (HB). In this review, we explore these
      relationships by asking whether and how XBs can replace, compete against or
      behave independently of HBs in various biological systems. The complex
      relationships between the two interactions inform us of the challenges we face in
      fully utilizing XBs to control the affinity and recognition of inhibitors against
      their therapeutic targets, and to control the structure and function of proteins,
      nucleic acids and other biomolecular scaffolds.

PMID- 28362291
TI  - Nature of E2X2 sigma(4c-6e) of the X---E-E---X type at naphthalene 1,8-positions
      and model, elucidated by X-ray crystallographic analysis and QC calculations with
      the QTAIM approach.
AB  - The nature of E2X2 sigma(4c-6e) of the X-*-E-*-E-*-X type is elucidated for 1-(8
      XC10H6)E-E(C10H6X-8')-1' [(1) E, X = S, Cl; (2) S, Br; (3) Se, Cl; (4) Se, Br]
      after structural determination of (1), (3) and (4), together with model A [MeX--
      E(H)-E(H)---XMe (E = S and Se; X = Cl and Br)]. The quantum theory of atoms-in
      molecules dual functional analysis (QTAIM-DFA) is applied. The total electron
      energy densities Hb(rc) are plotted versus Hb(rc) - Vb(rc)/2 for the interactions
      at the bond critical points (BCPs; *), where Vb(rc) show the potential energy
      densities at the BCPs. Data for the perturbed structures around the fully
      optimized structures are employed for the plots, in addition to those of the
      fully optimized structures. The plots were analysed using the polar coordinate
      (R, theta) representation of the data of the fully optimized structures. Data
      containing the perturbed structures were analysed by (thetap, kappap), where
      thetap corresponds to the tangent line of the plot and kappap is the curvature.
      Whereas (R, theta) shows the static nature, (thetap, kappap) represents the
      dynamic nature of interactions. E-*-E are all classified as shared shell (S)
      interactions for (1)-(4) and as weak covalent (Cov-w) in nature (S/Cov-w). The
      nature of pure CS (closed shell)/typical-HB (hydrogen bond) with no covalency is
      predicted for E-*-X in (1) and (3), regular CS/typical-HB nature with covalency
      is predicted for (4), and an intermediate nature is predicted for (2). The NBO
      energies evaluated for E-*-X in (1)-(4) are substantially larger than those in
      model A due the shortened length at the naphthalene 1,8-positions. The nature of
      E2X2 of sigma(4c-6e) is well elucidated via QTAIM-DFA.

PMID- 28362292
TI  - Incommensurately modulated twin structure of nyerereite Na1.64K0.36Ca(CO3)2.
AB  - The incommensurately modulated twin structure of nyerereite Na1.64K0.36Ca(CO3)2
      has been first determined in the (3 + 1)-dimensional symmetry group
      Cmcm(alpha00)00s with modulation vector q = 0.383a*. Unit-cell values are a =
      5.062 (1), b = 8.790 (1), c = 12.744 (1) A. Three orthorhombic components are
      related by threefold rotation about [001]. Discontinuous crenel functions are
      used to describe the occupation modulation of Ca and some CO3 groups. The strong
      displacive modulation of the O atoms in vertexes of such CO3 groups is described
      using x-harmonics in crenel intervals. The Na, K atoms occupy mixed sites whose
      occupation modulation is described in two ways using either complementary
      harmonic functions or crenels. The nyerereite structure has been compared both
      with the commensurately modulated structure of K-free Na2Ca(CO3)2 and with the
      widely known incommensurately modulated structure of gamma-Na2CO3.

PMID- 28362293
TI  - Temperature-induced first-order displacive phase transition of isonicotinamide-4
      methoxybenzoic acid co-crystal.
AB  - Isonicotinamide-4-methoxybenzoic acid co-crystal (1), C6H6N2O.C8H8O3, is formed
      through slow evaporation from methanol solution and it undergoes a first-order
      isosymmetry (monoclinic I2/a <-> monoclinic I2/a) structural phase transition at
      Tc = 142.5 (5) K, which has been confirmed by an abrupt jump of crystallographic
      interaxial angle beta from variable-temperature single-crystal XRD and small heat
      hysteresis (6.25 K) in differential scanning calorimetry measurement. The three
      dimensional X-ray crystal structures of (1) at the low-temperature phase (LTP)
      (100, 140 and 142 K) and the high-temperature phase (HTP) (143, 150, 200, 250 and
      300 K) were solved and refined as a simple non-disordered model with final R[F2 >
      2sigma(F2)] ? 0.05. The asymmetric unit of (1) consists of crystallographically
      independent 4-methoxybenzoic acid (A) and isonicotinamide (B) molecules in both
      enantiotropic phases. Molecule A adopts a 'near-hydroxyl' conformation in which
      the hydroxyl and methoxy groups are positioned on the same side. Both 'near
      hydroxyl' and 'near-carbonyl' molecular conformations possess minimum
      conformational energies with an energy difference of < 0.15 kJ mol-1 from a
      potential energy surface scan. In the crystal, molecules are joined into linear
      ABBA arrays by intermolecular N-H...O and O-H...N hydrogen bonds which were
      preserved in both phases. However, these ABBA arrays are displaced from planarity
      upon LTP-to-HTP transition and the changes in inter-array interactions are
      observed in two-dimensional fingerprint plots of their Hirshfeld surfaces. The
      PIXEL energies of each molecular pair in both phases were calculated to
      investigate the difference in intermolecular interaction energies before and
      after the displacement of ABBA arrays from planarity, which directly leads to the
      single-crystal-to-single-crystal phase transition of (1).

PMID- 28362294
TI  - A potential Cu/V-organophosphonate platform for tailored void spaces via
      terpyridine mold casting.
AB  - The reaction of appropriate copper and vanadium salts with tetratopic methane
      tetra-p-phenylphosphonic acid (MTPPA) in the presence of 2,2':6':2''-terpyridine
      (terpy) yielded the three-dimensional bimetallic copper vanadium phosphonate
      framework [{Cu(terpy)}4Cu(VO2)4(MTPPA-H)2].4H2O (1). Terpy has no net
      contribution to the three-dimensional structure providing a potential platform
      for void space formation via mold-casting. The structure was characterized by
      single-crystal X-ray diffraction and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA). Magnetic
      measurements were performed using a SQUID magnetometer. The crystal structure of
      the methanol solvate of the free ligand, MTPPA.MeOH, was analysed using Hirshfeld
      surfaces and fingerprint plots.

PMID- 28362295
TI  - Variable-temperature structural studies on valence tautomerism in cobalt
      bis(dioxolene) molecular complexes.
AB  - A variable-temperature single-crystal structural study of five valence tautomeric
      cobalt molecular complexes, CoII(3,5-DBSQ)2(DBPy)2 (1), CoII(3,5
      DBSQ)2(DBPy)2.1.33C7H8 (1S), CoII(3,5-DBSQ)2(DCPy)2.C7H8 (2S), CoII(3,5
      DBSQ)2(TBPy)2 (3) and CoII(3,5-DBSQ)2(TCPy)2 (4) (S = toluene, 3,5-DBSQ = 3,5-di
      tert-butylsemiquinonate, DBPy = 3,5-dibromopyridine, DCPy = 3,5-dichloropyridine,
      TBPy = 3,4,5-tribromopyridine and TCPy = 3,4,5-trichloropyridine) is reported.
      The re-crystallization of (1S) in toluene at 277 K resulted in a concomitant
      formation of a solvent-free polymorph, CoII(3,5-DBSQ)2(DBPy)2 (1). Thermally
      induced valence tautomerism (VT) is observed only in (1S), (1) and (2S) [hs
      CoII(3,5-DBSQ)2L2 <-> ls-CoIII(3,5-DBSQ)(3,5-DBCat)L2 (hs = high spin, ls = low
      spin, 3,5-DBCat = 3,5-di-tert-butylcatecholate)], whereas (3) and (4) remain
      locked in the hs-CoII(3,5-DBSQ)2 state during cooling of the sample. Multi
      temperature single-crystal studies demonstrate the change in cobalt coordination
      environment during the VT conversion. The non-solvated compound (1) shows a sharp
      VT transition (T1/2 ~ 245 K with DeltaT ~ 10 K) from hs-CoII(3,5-DBSQ)2(DBPy)2 to
      ls-CoIII(3,5-DBSQ)(3,5-DBCat)(DBPy)2 oxidation state, whereas the other polymorph
      with lattice solvent (1S) results in a broad transition (T1/2 ~ 150 K with DeltaT
      ~ 100 K). This increase in the VT transition temperature for (1) relative to (1S)
      illustrates the effect of lattice solvent on the VT transition mechanism.
      Additionally, the influence of halogen substitutions on the pyridine ring is
      discussed with respect to observed VT behaviour in the studied compounds.

PMID- 28362296
TI  - Triclinic crystal structure distortion of multiferroic BiMn7O12.
AB  - The quadruple perovskite BiMn7O12 obtained via high-pressure synthesis was
      investigated by high-resolution synchrotron X-ray powder diffraction over a
      temperature range of 10 to 295 K. Careful Rietveld analysis reveals triclinic
      lattice distortion of BiMn7O12 at 295 K, which increases upon cooling to 10 K.
      Also hkl-dependent anisotropic Bragg reflection shape was introduced to give a
      precise description of the diffracted intensities. Importantly BiMn7O12 crystal
      structure was described in the non-centrosymmetric I1 triclinic space group. We
      also demonstrate the use of irreducible representations analysis (ISODISTORT
      program) for crystal structure distortion from Im to I1 space group. The
      irreducible representation which describes crystal structure distortion points
      towards possible ferroelectricity. Finally anisotropic thermal lattice expansion
      was observed.

PMID- 28362299
TI  - Towards a research agenda for water, sanitation and antimicrobial resistance.
AB  - Clinically relevant antimicrobial resistant bacteria, genetic resistance
      elements, and antibiotic residues (so-called AMR) from human and animal waste are
      abundantly present in environmental samples. This presence could lead to human
      exposure to AMR. In 2015, the World Health Organization (WHO) developed a Global
      Action Plan for Antimicrobial Resistance with one of its strategic objectives
      being to strengthen knowledge through surveillance and research. With respect to
      a strategic research agenda on water, sanitation and hygiene and AMR, WHO
      organized a workshop to solicit input by scientists and other stakeholders. The
      workshop resulted in three main conclusions. The first conclusion was that
      guidance is needed on how to reduce the spread of AMR to humans via the
      environment and to introduce effective intervention measures. Second, human
      exposure to AMR via water and its health impact should be investigated and
      quantified, in order to compare with other human exposure routes, such as direct
      transmission or via food consumption. Finally, a uniform and global surveillance
      strategy that complements existing strategies and includes analytical methods
      that can be used in low-income countries too, is needed to monitor the magnitude
      and dissemination of AMR.

PMID- 28362300
TI  - Evaluation of DBPs formation from SMPs exposed to chlorine, chloramine and ozone.
AB  - Soluble microbial products (SMPs) are an important group of components in
      wastewater effluents. In this study, the formation of disinfection by-products
      (DBPs), including trihalomethanes (THMs), haloacetic acids (HAAs), chlorinated
      solvents (CSs), haloketones (HKs), haloacetonitriles (HANs) and
      trichloronitromethane (TCNM) (chloropicrin), from SMPs during chlorination,
      chloramination and ozonation was investigated. More carbonaceous DBPs (C-DBPs:
      THMs, HAAs, CSs and HKs) and nitrogenous DBPs (N-DBPs: HANs and TCNM) were formed
      in chlorination than chloramination. More dichloroacetic and N-DBPs, and higher
      DBP formation potential were generated by SMPs than by natural organic matter.
      The results also show that disinfection factors, including temperature, pH,
      disinfectant dose, reaction time and bromide level significantly affected the
      formation of DBPs from SMPs. Additionally, the bromine incorporation factor
      indicates that chloramination may be a good alternative to chlorination in
      reducing the formation of Br-DBPs from SMPs. Bromide level and pH were the key
      factors affecting the formation of DBPs in both chlorination and chloramination.

PMID- 28362301
TI  - Assessing the population dynamics of Escherichia coli in a metropolitan river
      after an extreme flood event.
AB  - We investigated Escherichia coli populations in a metropolitan river after an
      extreme flood event. Between nine and 15 of the 23 selected sites along the river
      were sampled fortnightly over three rounds. In all, 307 E. coli were typed using
      the PhP typing method and were grouped into common (C) or single (S) biochemical
      phenotypes (BPTs). A representative from each of the 31 identified C-BPTs was
      tested for 58 virulence genes (VGs) associated with intestinal and extra
      intestinal E. coli, resistance to 22 antibiotics, production of biofilm and
      cytotoxicity to Vero cells. The number of E. coli in the first sampling round was
      significantly (P < 0.01) higher than subsequent rounds, whereas the number of VGs
      was significantly (P < 0.05) higher in isolates from the last sampling round when
      compared to previous rounds. Comparison of the C-BPTs with an existing database
      from wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) in the same catchment showed that 40.6%
      of the river isolates were identical to the WWTP isolates. The relatively high
      number of VGs and antibiotic resistance among the C-BPTs suggests possessing and
      retaining these genes may provide niche advantages for those naturalised and/or
      persistent E. coli populations which may pose a health risk to the community.

PMID- 28362303
TI  - Effect of sodium hypochlorite on typical biofilms formed in drinking water
      distribution systems.
AB  - Human health and biological safety problems resulting from urban drinking water
      pipe network biofilms pollution have attracted wide concern. Despite the
      inclusion of residual chlorine in drinking water distribution systems supplies,
      the bacterium is a recalcitrant human pathogen capable of forming biofilms on
      pipe walls and causing health risks. Typical drinking water bacterial biofilms
      and their response to different concentrations of chlorination was monitored. The
      results showed that the four bacteria all formed single biofilms susceptible to
      sodium hypochlorite. After 30 min disinfection, biomass and cultivability
      decreased with increasing concentration of disinfectant but then increased in
      high disinfectant doses. PMA-qPCR results indicated that it resulted in little
      cellular damage. Flow cytometry analysis showed that with increasing doses of
      disinfectant, the numbers of clusters increased and the sizes of clusters
      decreased. Under high disinfectant treatment, EPS was depleted by disinfectant
      and about 0.5-1 mg/L of residual chlorine seemed to be appropriate for drinking
      water treatment. This research provides an insight into the EPS protection to
      biofilms. Resistance of biofilms against high levels of chlorine has implications
      for the delivery of drinking water.

PMID- 28362302
TI  - Identification of the faecal indicator Escherichia coli in wastewater through the
      beta-D-glucuronidase activity: comparison between two enumeration methods,
      membrane filtration with TBX agar, and Colilert(r)-18.
AB  - Escherichia coli (E. coli) is one of the most commonly adopted indicators for the
      determination of the microbiological quality in water and treated wastewater. Two
      main types of methods are used for the enumeration of this faecal indicator:
      membrane filtration (MF) and enzyme substrate tests. For both types, several
      substrates based on the beta-D-glucuronidase activity have been commercialized.
      The specificity of this enzyme for E. coli bacteria has generated considerable
      use of methods that identify the beta-D-glucuronidase activity as a definite
      indication of the presence of E. coli, without any further confirmation. This
      approach has been recently questioned for the application to wastewater. The
      present study compares two methods belonging to the above-mentioned types for the
      enumeration of E. coli in wastewater: MF with Tryptone Bile X-glucuronide agar
      and the Colilert(r)-18 test. Confirmation tests showed low average percentages of
      false positives and false negatives for both enumeration methods (between 4 and
      11%). Moreover, the counting capabilities of these two methods were compared for
      a set of 70 samples of wastewater having different origins and degrees of
      treatment. Statistical analysis showed that the Colilert(r)-18 test allowed on
      average for a significantly higher recovery of E. coli.

PMID- 28362304
TI  - The influence of the microbial quality of wastewater, lettuce cultivars and
      enumeration technique when estimating the microbial contamination of wastewater
      irrigated lettuce.
AB  - This study investigated the volume of wastewater retained on the surface of three
      different varieties of lettuce, Iceberg, Cos, and Oak leaf, following submersion
      in wastewater of different microbial qualities (10, 102, 103, and 104 E. coli
      MPN/100 mL) as a surrogate method for estimation of contamination of spray
      irrigated lettuce. Uniquely, Escherichia coli was enumerated, after submersion,
      on both the outer and inner leaves and in a composite sample of lettuce. E. coli
      were enumerated using two techniques. Firstly, from samples of leaves - the
      direct method. Secondly, using an indirect method, where the E. coli
      concentrations were estimated from the volume of wastewater retained by the
      lettuce and the E. coli concentration of the wastewater. The results showed that
      different varieties of lettuce retained significantly different volumes of
      wastewater (p < 0.01). No statistical differences (p > 0.01) were detected
      between E. coli counts obtained from different parts of lettuce, nor between the
      direct and indirect enumeration methods. Statistically significant linear
      relationships were derived relating the E. coli concentration of the wastewater
      in which the lettuces were submerged to the subsequent E. coli count on each
      variety the lettuce.

PMID- 28362305
TI  - Rapid molecular identification of fecal origin-colonies growing on Enterococcus
      spp.-specific culture methods.
AB  - The mEI, Chromocult(r) enterococci, and m-Enterococcus culture-based methods used
      to assess water quality by the detection of Enterococcus spp. were first compared
      in terms of sensitivity using (1) 41 different type strains of Enterococcus spp.
      and (2) environmental colonies identified by 16S rRNA sequencing. Then, two
      specific-rtPCR assays targeting Enterococcus spp. and Enterococcus
      faecalis/faecium were tested for their ability to confirm the identity of
      putative enterococcal colonies. The mEI, Chromocult(r) enterococci, and m
      Enterococcus methods detected beta-glucosidase activity for 28 (68.3%), 32
      (78.0%), and 12 (29.3%) of the 41 reference enterococcal strains tested,
      respectively. Analysis with environmental colonies showed that mEI and
      Chromocult(r) enterococci media had false positive rates of 4.3% and 5.0%,
      respectively. Finally, the two rtPCR assays showed a specificity of 100%. Only
      two (2/19) colonies of E. faecium isolated from mEI agar were not detected by the
      Enterococcus faecium rtPCR assay, for a sensitivity of 89.5%. Our results showed
      that Chromocult(r) enterococci medium recovered more E. faecalis/faecium cells
      than the two other methods. Thus, the use of Chromocult(r) enterococci combined
      with the Enterococcus faecalis/faecium rtPCR assay showed the best combination to
      decrease the high false-positive rate obtained when the entire Enterococcus genus
      is targeted.

PMID- 28362306
TI  - Assessment of swine-specific bacteriophages of Bacteroides fragilis in swine
      farms with different antibiotic practices.
AB  - We assessed the occurrence and specificity of bacteriophages of Bacteroides
      fragilis in swine farms for their potential application in microbial source
      tracking. A local B. fragilis host strain, SP25 (DSM29413), was isolated from a
      pooled swine feces sample taken from a non-antibiotic farm. This strain was
      highly specific to swine fecal materials because it did not detect bacteriophages
      in any samples from human sewage, sheep, goats, cattle, dogs, and cats. The
      reference B. fragilis strain, RYC2056, could detect phages in swine samples but
      also detected phages in most human sewage and polluted urban canal samples.
      Phages of SP25 exist in the proximity of certain swine farms, regardless of their
      antibiotic use (p > 0.05). B. fragilis strain SP25 exhibited relatively high
      resistance to most of the veterinary antimicrobial agents tested. Interestingly,
      most farms that were positive for SP25 phages were also positive for RYC2056
      phages. In conclusion, the swine-specific SP25 strain has the potential to
      indicate swine fecal contamination in certain bodies of water. Bacterial isolates
      with larger distributions are being studied and validated. This study highlights
      the importance of assessing the abundance of phages in local swine populations
      before determining their potential applicability for source tracking in local
      surface waters.

PMID- 28362307
TI  - Impact of surface maintenance on BioSand filter performance and flow.
AB  - The BioSand filter (BSF) is a household scaled, intermittently operated, slow
      sand filter. The BSF requires maintenance to remove trapped sediments. This study
      evaluated the effects of maintenance on the filter's flow rate and performance.
      Four concrete BSFs received three styles of maintenance: surface agitation (SA),
      stirring method (SM), and sand removal (SR). Effluent water was collected from
      the filter between 0-2 L effluent (0-2 L effluent) and between 15-20 L effluent
      (15 L+ effluent). After maintenance, effluent at 15 L+ (no pause time) showed a
      significant decrease in thermotolerant coliform removal rates by 0.66-0.91 log
      (SA), 0.57-0.67 log (SM) and 0.32-0.83 log (RM) (<0.001). Effluent water at 0-2 L
      (with pause time) did not significantly decrease in thermotolerant coliform
      removal rates (>0.17) for any maintenance method. The recovery duration after
      maintenance for all methods at 0-2 L effluent had a median recovery of <1.2 days.
      The effluent at 15 L+ had a longer recovery period (at least 3.9, 3.0 and 12.75
      days for the SA, SM, and SR method, respectively). The flow rate recovery for SA
      (76%) and SM (82%) was lower compared to SR (138%).

PMID- 28362308
TI  - Hydrochemical characteristics of natural water and selenium-rich water resources
      in the Northern Daba Mountains, China.
AB  - The Northern Daba Mountains (NDM) of Shaanxi Province, China, are a well-known
      selenium (Se)-rich area, and the area is also known for endemic fluorine (F) and
      arsenic (As) poisoning. In order to study the hydrochemical characteristics and
      trace element contents of the natural waters of this region, 62 water samples
      were collected from Lan'gao area in the NDM. The hydrochemical composition was
      principally characterized by Ca.Mg-HCO3.SO4. F and As concentrations ranged from
      0.01 to 0.67 mg/L and from 0.33 to 6.29 MUg/L, respectively, lower than Chinese
      national standard and international guidelines for drinking water quality. One
      year of monitoring proved that F and As in natural water were not the sources of
      the local fluorosis and arseniasis in the NDM. The average Se concentration in
      fissure water was 5.20 MUg/L. The average Se content of river water was 2.82
      MUg/L, 14 times that of the world's surface level (0.2 MUg/L). The Se content in
      eight samples reached the Chinese national standards for mineral drinking water
      quality (>10 MUg/L). Contrasting the water samples of May, July, and September in
      2015 shows that the Se content is relatively stable and the increase of humidity
      might be beneficial to increase the content of selenium and strontium in water.

PMID- 28362310
TI  - Seawater desalination and serum magnesium concentrations in Israel.
AB  - With increasing shortage of fresh water globally, more countries are consuming
      desalinated seawater (DSW). In Israel >50% of drinking water is now derived from
      DSW. Desalination removes magnesium, and hypomagnesaemia has been associated with
      increased cardiac morbidity and mortality. Presently the impact of consuming DSW
      on body magnesium status has not been established. We quantified changes in serum
      magnesium in a large population based study (n = 66,764), before and after
      desalination in regions consuming DSW and in regions where DSW has not been used.
      In the communities that switched to DSW in 2013, the mean serum magnesium was
      2.065 +/- 0.19 mg/dl before desalination and fell to 2.057 +/- 0.19 mg/dl
      thereafter (p < 0.0001). In these communities 1.62% of subjects exhibited serum
      magnesium concentrations <=1.6 mg/dl between 2010 and 2013. This proportion
      increased by 24% between 2010-2013 and 2015-2016 to 2.01% (p = 0.0019). In
      contrast, no such changes were recorded in the communities that did not consume
      DSW. Due to the emerging evidence of increased cardiac morbidity and mortality
      associated with hypomagnesaemia, it is vital to consider re-introduction of
      magnesium to DSW.

PMID- 28362309
TI  - Updating national standards for drinking-water: a Philippine experience.
AB  - The latest version of the Philippine National Standards for Drinking-Water
      (PNSDW) was issued in 2007 by the Department of Health (DOH). Due to several
      issues and concerns, the DOH decided to make an update which is relevant and
      necessary to meet the needs of the stakeholders. As an output, the water quality
      parameters are now categorized into mandatory, primary, and secondary. The ten
      mandatory parameters are core parameters which all water service providers
      nationwide are obligated to test. These include thermotolerant coliforms or
      Escherichia coli, arsenic, cadmium, lead, nitrate, color, turbidity, pH, total
      dissolved solids, and disinfectant residual. The 55 primary parameters are site
      specific and can be adopted as enforceable parameters when developing new water
      sources or when the existing source is at high risk of contamination. The 11
      secondary parameters include operational parameters and those that affect the
      esthetic quality of drinking-water. In addition, the updated PNSDW include new
      sections: (1) reporting and interpretation of results and corrective actions; (2)
      emergency drinking-water parameters; (3) proposed Sustainable Development Goal
      parameters; and (4) standards for other drinking-water sources. The lessons
      learned and insights gained from the updating of standards are likewise
      incorporated in this paper.

PMID- 28362311
TI  - Quantitative analysis of glutathione and cysteine S-conjugates of microcystin-LR
      in the liver, kidney and muscle of common carp (Cyprinus carpio) in Lake Taihu.
AB  - Tissue distribution of microcystin (MC)-LR-GSH, MC-LR-Cys and MC-LR of omnivorous
      fish in Lake Taihu was investigated. MC-LR and MC-LR-Cys were detected in liver,
      kidney and muscle. The concentration of MC-LR in liver and kidney was 0.052 MUg g
      1 DW and 0.067 MUg g-1 DW, respectively. MC-LR-Cys appeared to be an important
      metabolite with average contents of 1.104 MUg g-1 DW and 0.724 MUg g-1 DW in
      liver and kidney, and the MC-LR-Cys/MC-LR ratio in liver and kidney reaching as
      high as 21.4 and 10.8. High MC-LR-Cys/MC-LR ratio and a significant correlation
      between MC-LR-Cys and MC-LR concentration in liver, suggest that liver is more
      active in detoxification of MC-LR by formation of MC-LR-Cys for omnivorous fish.
      Furthermore, there might be a balance between the accumulation and
      depuration/metabolism of MC-LR-Cys in kidney. The MC-LR-Cys can be formed in
      kidney directly, or transported from liver or other tissues, while the MC-LR-Cys
      in kidney might be dissociated to MC-LR or excreted. Although MC-LR and its
      metabolites were scarcely detected in muscle, it is necessary to investigate the
      distribution of toxic metabolites in edible muscle.

PMID- 28362312
TI  - Fungal biodiversity and mycotoxigenic fungi in cooling-tower water systems in
      Istanbul, Turkey.
AB  - This is the first study to assess fungal diversity and mycotoxigenic fungi in
      open recirculating cooling-tower (CT) water systems (biofilm and water phase).
      The production capability of mycotoxin from fungal isolates was also examined.
      The mean fungal count in 21 different water and biofilm samples was determined as
      234 CFU/100 mL and 4 CFU/cm2. A total of 32 species were identified by internal
      transcribed spacer (ITS) sequencing. The most common isolated fungi belonged to
      the genera Aspergillus and Penicillium, of which the most prevalent fungi were
      Aspergillus versicolor, Aspergillus niger, and Penicillium dipodomyicola. From
      42% of the surveyed CTs, aflatoxigenic A. flavus isolates were identified. The
      detection of opportunistic pathogens and/or allergen species suggests that open
      recirculating CTs are a possible source of fungal infection for both the public
      and for occupational workers via the inhalation of aerosols and/or skin contact.

PMID- 28362313
TI  - Identification and Characterization of Spontaneous Auxotrophic Mutants in
      Fusarium langsethiae.
AB  - Analysis of 49 strains of Fusarium langsethiae originating from northern Europe
      (Russia, Finland, Sweden, UK, Norway, and Latvia) revealed the presence of
      spontaneous auxotrophic mutants that reflect natural intraspecific diversity. Our
      investigations detected that 49.0% of F. langsethiae strains were auxotrophic
      mutants for biotin, and 8.2% of the strains required thiamine as a growth factor.
      They failed to grow on vitamin-free media. For both prototrophic and auxotrophic
      strains, no growth defect was observed in rich organic media. Without essential
      vitamins, a significant reduction in the growth of the auxotrophic strains
      results in a decrease of the formation of T-2 toxin and diacetoxyscirpenol. In
      addition, all analysed F. langsethiae strains were distinguished into two
      subgroups based on PCR product sizes. According to our results, 26 and 23 strains
      of F. langsethiae belong to subgroups I and II respectively. We determined that
      the deletion in the intergenic spacer (IGS) region of the rDNA of F. langsethiae
      belonging to subgroup II is linked with temperature sensitivity and causes a
      decrease in strain growth at 30  degrees C. Four thiamine auxotrophic strains
      were found in subgroup I, while 21 biotin auxotrophic strains were detected in
      subgroups II. To the best of our knowledge, the spontaneous mutations in F.
      langsethiae observed in the present work have not been previously reported.

PMID- 28362314
TI  - Energy-Efficient Channel Coding Strategy for Underwater Acoustic Networks.
AB  - Underwater acoustic networks (UAN) allow for efficiently exploiting and
      monitoring the sub-aquatic environment. These networks are characterized by long
      propagation delays, error-prone channels and half-duplex communication. In this
      paper, we address the problem of energy-efficient communication through the use
      of optimized channel coding parameters. We consider a two-layer encoding scheme
      employing forward error correction (FEC) codes and fountain codes (FC) for UAN
      scenarios without feedback channels. We model and evaluate the energy consumption
      of different channel coding schemes for a K-distributed multipath channel. The
      parameters of the FEC encoding layer are optimized by selecting the optimal error
      correction capability and the code block size. The results show the best
      parameter choice as a function of the link distance and received signal-to-noise
      ratio.

PMID- 28362315
TI  - The Use of Phononic Crystals to Design Piezoelectric Power Transducers.
AB  - It was recently proposed that the lateral resonances around the working resonance
      band of ultrasonic piezoelectric sandwich transducers can be stopped by a
      periodic array of circular holes drilled along the main propagation direction (a
      phononic crystal). In this work, the performance of different transducer designs
      made with this procedure is tested using laser vibrometry, electric impedance
      tests and finite element models (FEM). It is shown that in terms of mechanical
      vibration amplitude and acoustic efficiency, the best design for physiotherapy
      applications is when both, the piezoceramic and an aluminum capsule are phononic
      structures. The procedure described here can be applied to the design of power
      ultrasonic devices, physiotherapy transducers and other external medical power
      ultrasound applications where piston-like vibration in a narrow band is required.

PMID- 28362318
TI  - Acousto-Optic-Based Wavelength-Comb-Swept Laser for Extended Displacement
      Measurements.
AB  - We demonstrate a novel wavelength-comb-swept laser based on two intra-cavity
      filters: an acousto-optic tunable filter (AOTF) and a Fabry-Perot etalon filter.
      The AOTF is used for the tunable selection of the output wavelength with time and
      the etalon filter for the narrowing of the spectral linewidth to extend the
      coherence length. Compared to the conventional wavelength-swept laser, the
      acousto-optic-based wavelength-comb-swept laser (WCSL) can extend the measureable
      range of displacement measurements by decreasing the sensitivity roll-off of the
      point spread function. Because the AOTF contains no mechanical moving parts to
      select the output wavelength acousto-optically, the WCSL source has a high
      wavenumber (k) linearity of R2 = 0.9999 to ensure equally spaced wavelength combs
      in the wavenumber domain.

PMID- 28362317
TI  - MicroRNA-17-92 Regulates the Transcription Factor E2F3b during Myogenesis In
      Vitro and In Vivo.
AB  - Myogenic differentiation, which occurs during muscle development, is a highly
      ordered process that can be regulated by E2F transcription factors. Available
      data show that E2F3b, but not E2F3a, is upregulated and required for myogenic
      differentiation. However, the regulation of E2F3b expression in myogenic
      differentiation is not well understood. To investigate whether E2Fb expression is
      controlled by miRNAs, we used bioinformatics to combine the database of microRNAs
      downregulated during myogenesis and those predicted to target E2F3. This
      identified miR-17 and miR-20a as miRNAs potentially involved in E2F3 regulation.
      We found that miR-17-92 controls the expression of E2F3b in C2C12 cells during
      myogenic differentiation. Moreover, we confirmed that miR-20a regulates the
      expression of E2F3b proteins in vivo using a muscle regeneration model.

PMID- 28362319
TI  - Investigation of a Combined Surveying and Scanning Device: The Trimble SX10
      Scanning Total Station.
AB  - Surveying fields from geosciences to infrastructure monitoring make use of a wide
      range of instruments for accurate 3D geometry acquisition. In many cases, the
      Terrestrial Laser Scanner (TLS) tends to become an optimal alternative to total
      station measurements thanks to the high point acquisition rate it offers, but
      also to ever deeper data processing software functionalities. Nevertheless,
      traditional surveying techniques are valuable in some kinds of projects.
      Nowadays, a few modern total stations combine their conventional capabilities
      with those of a laser scanner in a unique device. The recent Trimble SX10
      scanning total station is a survey instrument merging high-speed 3D scanning and
      the capabilities of an image-assisted total station. In this paper this new
      instrument is introduced and first compared to state-of-the-art image-assisted
      total stations. The paper also addresses the topic of various laser scanning
      projects and the delivered point clouds are compared with those of other TLS.
      Directly and indirectly georeferenced projects have been carried out and are
      investigated in this paper, and a polygonal traverse is performed through a
      building. Comparisons with the results delivered by well-established survey
      instruments show the reliability of the Trimble SX10 for geodetic work as well as
      for scanning projects.

PMID- 28362316
TI  - Cancer/Testis Antigens: "Smart" Biomarkers for Diagnosis and Prognosis of
      Prostate and Other Cancers.
AB  - A clinical dilemma in the management of prostate cancer (PCa) is to distinguish
      men with aggressive disease who need definitive treatment from men who may not
      require immediate intervention. Accurate prediction of disease behavior is
      critical because radical treatment is associated with high morbidity. Here, we
      highlight the cancer/testis antigens (CTAs) as potential PCa biomarkers. The CTAs
      are a group of proteins that are typically restricted to the testis in the normal
      adult but are aberrantly expressed in several types of cancers. Interestingly,
      >90% of CTAs are predicted to belong to the realm of intrinsically disordered
      proteins (IDPs), which do not have unique structures and exist as highly dynamic
      conformational ensembles, but are known to play important roles in several
      biological processes. Using prostate-associated gene 4 (PAGE4) as an example of a
      disordered CTA, we highlight how IDP conformational dynamics may regulate
      phenotypic heterogeneity in PCa cells, and how it may be exploited both as a
      potential biomarker as well as a promising therapeutic target in PCa. We also
      discuss how in addition to intrinsic disorder and post-translational
      modifications, structural and functional variability induced in the CTAs by
      alternate splicing represents an important feature that might have different
      roles in different cancers. Although it is clear that significant additional work
      needs to be done in the outlined direction, this novel concept emphasizing
      (multi)functionality as an important trait in selecting a biomarker underscoring
      the theranostic potential of CTAs that is latent in their structure (or, more
      appropriately, the lack thereof), and casts them as next generation or "smart"
      biomarker candidates.

PMID- 28362322
TI  - The In Vitro-In Vivo Safety Confirmation of PEG-40 Hydrogenated Castor Oil as a
      Surfactant for Oral Nanoemulsion Formulation.
AB  - Evaluation on the safety use of high concentration of polyoxyl 40 (PEG-40)
      hydrogenated castor oil as a surfactant for oral nanoemulsion was performed in
      Webster mice. As previously reported, nearly 20% of PEG-40 hydrogenated castor
      oil was used to emulsify the glyceryl monooleate (GMO) as an oil to the aqueous
      phase. Thermodynamically stable and spontaneous nanoemulsion was formed by the
      presence of co-surfactant polyethylene glycol 400 (PEG-400). Standard parameters
      were analyzed for nanoemulsion including particle size and particle size
      distribution, the surface charge of nanoemulsion, and morphology. To ensure the
      safety of this nanoemulsion, several cell lines were used for cytotoxicity study.
      In addition, 5000 mg/kg body weight (BW) of the blank nanoemulsion was given
      orally to Webster mice once a day for 14 days. Several parameters such as gross
      anatomy, body weight, and main organs histopathology were observed. In
      particular, by considering the in vivo data, it is suggested that nanoemulsion
      composed with a high amount of PEG-40 hydrogenated castor oil is acceptable for
      oral delivery of active compounds.

PMID- 28362320
TI  - Resilience and Vulnerability to Pain and Inflammation in the Hippocampus.
AB  - Increasing evidence demonstrates the importance of hippocampal neurogenesis, a
      fundamental mechanism of neuroplasticity associated with cognition and emotion,
      in correlation to neurodegenerative and psychiatric disorders. Neuropsychiatric
      disorders are often a result of chronic stress or pain followed by inflammation;
      all these conditions manifest cognitive deficits and impairments in neurogenesis.
      However, while some individuals are more susceptible to stress, others are able
      to adapt to new environments via mechanisms of resilience. In light of this
      emerging field and based on extensive research, the role of neurogenesis is
      summarized and presented as a potentially powerful therapeutic tool.

PMID- 28362323
TI  - Optimizing Sample Size to Assess the Genetic Diversity in Common Vetch (Vicia
      sativa L.) Populations Using Start Codon Targeted (SCoT) Markers.
AB  - Common vetch (Vicia sativa subsp. sativa L.) is a self-pollinating annual forage
      legume with worldwide importance. Here, we investigate the optimal number of
      individuals that may represent the genetic diversity of a single population,
      using Start Codon Targeted (SCoT) markers. Two cultivated varieties and two wild
      accessions were evaluated using five SCoT primers, also testing different
      sampling sizes: 1, 2, 3, 5, 8, 10, 20, 30, 40, 50, and 60 individuals. The
      results showed that the number of alleles and the Polymorphism Information
      Content (PIC) were different among the four accessions. Cluster analysis by
      Unweighted Pair Group Method with Arithmetic Mean (UPGMA) and STRUCTURE placed
      the 240 individuals into four distinct clusters. The Expected Heterozygosity (HE)
      and PIC increased along with an increase in sampling size from 1 to 10 plants but
      did not change significantly when the sample sizes exceeded 10 individuals. At
      least 90% of the genetic variation in the four germplasms was represented when
      the sample size was 10. Finally, we concluded that 10 individuals could
      effectively represent the genetic diversity of one vetch population based on the
      SCoT markers. This study provides theoretical support for genetic diversity,
      cultivar identification, evolution, and marker-assisted selection breeding in
      common vetch.

PMID- 28362321
TI  - Early Assessment of Colorectal Cancer by Quantifying Circulating Tumor Cells in
      Peripheral Blood: ECT2 in Diagnosis of Colorectal Cancer.
AB  - Circulating tumor cells (CTCs) in peripheral blood is an indication of poor
      prognosis for patients with different cancer types. However, most of the
      available technologies for detecting CTCs show low sensitivity and specificity.
      Therefore, we attempted to find an alternative marker for CTCs of colorectal
      cancer. We have directly extracted RNA from CTCs contained in 1.5 mL peripheral
      blood from 90 colorectal cancer patients and 151 healthy donors, and screened
      these samples for candidate marker genes by nested real-time quantitative
      polymerase chain reaction (PCR). From genes selected from a public database of
      microarray analyses, we successfully identified epithelial cell transforming
      sequence 2 oncogene (ECT2) as a gene that exhibits high differential expression
      ratios (p < 0.01). ECT2 displays good sensitivity and specificity, with an area
      under the curve (AUC) value of 0.821. This marker gene also has a high detection
      rate in patients with serum carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) concentrations below
      the diagnostic threshold of 5 ng/mL. The expression of ECT2 can therefore serve
      as an alternative measurement that can compensate for the inadequacy of the
      current CEA test in the diagnosis and monitoring of colorectal cancer patients.

PMID- 28362326
TI  - Natural Pathogen Control Chemistry to Replace Toxic Treatment of Microbes and
      Biofilm in Cooling Towers.
AB  - Application of toxic antibacterial agents is considered necessary to control
      prevalent fresh water microorganisms that grow in evaporative cooling water
      systems, but can adversely affect the environment and human health. However,
      natural antibacterial water chemistry has been applied in industrial cooling
      water systems for over 10 years to inhibit microorganisms with excellent results.
      The water chemistry method concentrates natural minerals in highly-softened water
      to produce elevated pH and dissolved solids, while maintaining low calcium and
      magnesium content. The method provides further benefits in water conservation,
      and generates a small volume of non-toxic natural salt concentrate for cost
      efficient separation and disposal if required. This report describes the
      antimicrobial effects of these chemistry modifications in the cooling water
      environment and the resultant collective inhibition of microbes, biofilm, and
      pathogen growth. This article also presents a novel perspective of parasitic
      microbiome functional relationships, including "Trojan Protozoans" and biofilms,
      and the function of polyvalent metal ions in the formation and inhibition of
      biofilms. Reducing global dependence on toxic antibacterial agents discharged to
      the environment is an emerging concern due to their impact on the natural
      microbiome, plants, animals and humans. Concurrently, scientists have concluded
      that discharge of antibacterial agents plays a key role in development of
      pathogen resistance to antimicrobials as well as antibiotics. Use of natural
      antibacterial chemistry can play a key role in managing the cooling water
      environment in a more ecologically sustainable manner.

PMID- 28362324
TI  - NG2 Proteoglycan Enhances Brain Tumor Progression by Promoting Beta-1 Integrin
      Activation in both Cis and Trans Orientations.
AB  - By physically interacting with beta-1 integrins, the NG2 proteoglycan enhances
      activation of the integrin heterodimers. In glioma cells, co-localization of NG2
      and ?3?1 integrin in individual cells (cis interaction) can be demonstrated by
      immunolabeling, and the NG2-integrin interaction can be confirmed by co
      immunoprecipitation. NG2-dependent integrin activation is detected via use of
      conformationally sensitive monoclonal antibodies that reveal the activated state
      of the beta-1 subunit in NG2-positive versus NG2-negative cells. NG2-dependent
      activation of beta-1 integrins triggers downstream activation of FAK and PI3K/Akt
      signaling, resulting in increased glioma cell proliferation, motility, and
      survival. Similar NG2-dependent cis activation of beta-1 integrins occurs in
      microvascular pericytes, leading to enhanced proliferation and motility of these
      vascular cells. Surprisingly, pericyte NG2 is also able to promote beta-1
      integrin activation in closely apposed endothelial cells (trans interaction).
      Enhanced beta-1 signaling in endothelial cells promotes endothelial maturation by
      inducing the formation of endothelial junctions, resulting in increased barrier
      function of the endothelium and increased basal lamina assembly. NG2-dependent
      beta-1 integrin signaling is therefore important for tumor progression by virtue
      of its affects not only on the tumor cells themselves, but also on the maturation
      and function of tumor blood vessels.

PMID- 28362325
TI  - Possible Roles of CC- and CXC-Chemokines in Regulating Bovine Endometrial
      Function during Early Pregnancy.
AB  - The aim of the present study was to determine the possible roles of chemokines in
      regulating bovine endometrial function during early pregnancy. The expression of
      six chemokines, including CCL2, CCL8, CCL11, CCL14, CCL16, and CXCL10, was higher
      in the endometrium at 15 and 18 days of pregnancy than at the same days in non
      pregnant animals. Immunohistochemical staining showed that chemokine receptors
      (CCR1, CCR2, CCR3, and CXCR3) were expressed in the epithelial cells and
      glandular epithelial cells of the bovine endometrium as well as in the fetal
      trophoblast obtained from a cow on day 18 of pregnancy. The addition of
      interferon-tau (IFNT) to an endometrial tissue culture system increased CCL8 and
      CXCL10 expression in the tissues, but did not affect CCL2, CCL11, and CCL16
      expression. CCL14 expression by these tissues was inhibited by IFNT. CCL16, but
      not other chemokines, clearly stimulated interferon-stimulated gene 15 (ISG15)
      and myxovirus-resistance gene 1 (MX1) expression in these tissues. Cyclooxygenase
      2 (COX2) expression decreased after stimulation with CCL8 and CCL14, and oxytocin
      receptor (OTR) expression was decreased by CCL2, CCL8, CCL14, and CXCL10.
      Collectively, the expression of chemokine genes is increased in the endometrium
      during early pregnancy. These genes may contribute to the regulation of
      endometrial function by inhibiting COX2 and OTR expression, subsequently
      decreasing prostaglandin production and preventing luteolysis in cows.

PMID- 28362328
TI  - Patients' Data Management System Protected by Identity-Based Authentication and
      Key Exchange.
AB  - A secure and distributed framework for the management of patients' information in
      emergency and hospitalization services is proposed here in order to seek
      improvements in efficiency and security in this important area. In particular,
      confidentiality protection, mutual authentication, and automatic identification
      of patients are provided. The proposed system is based on two types of devices:
      Near Field Communication (NFC) wristbands assigned to patients, and mobile
      devices assigned to medical staff. Two other main elements of the system are an
      intermediate server to manage the involved data, and a second server with a
      private key generator to define the information required to protect
      communications. An identity-based authentication and key exchange scheme is
      essential to provide confidential communication and mutual authentication between
      the medical staff and the private key generator through an intermediate server.
      The identification of patients is carried out through a keyed-hash message
      authentication code. Thanks to the combination of the aforementioned tools, a
      secure alternative mobile health (mHealth) scheme for managing patients' data is
      defined for emergency and hospitalization services. Different parts of the
      proposed system have been implemented, including mobile application, intermediate
      server, private key generator and communication channels. Apart from that,
      several simulations have been performed, and, compared with the current system,
      significant improvements in efficiency have been observed.

PMID- 28362327
TI  - The Salutary Influence of Forest Bathing on Elderly Patients with Chronic Heart
      Failure.
AB  - <b/> The aim of the current study was to test the hypothesis that forest bathing
      would be beneficial for elderly patients with chronic heart failure (CHF) as an
      adjunctive therapy. Two groups of participants with CHF were simultaneously sent
      to the forest or an urban control area for a four-day trip, respectively.
      Subjects exposed to the forest site showed a significant reduction of brain
      natriuretic peptide (BNP) in comparison to that of the city group and their own
      baseline levels. The values for the cardiovascular disease related pathological
      factors, including endothelin-1 (ET-1), and constituents of the renin-angiotensin
      system (RAS), including renin, angiotensinogen (AGT), angiotensin II (ANGII), and
      ANGII receptor type 1 or 2 (AT1 or AT2) in subjects exposed to the forest
      environment were lower than those in the urban control group. Obviously, a
      decreased level of inflammatory cytokines and improved antioxidant function was
      observed in the forest group rather than in the city group. The assessment of the
      profile of mood states (POMS) indicated that the negative emotional mood state
      was alleviated after forest bathing. As anticipated, a better air quality in the
      forest site was observed according to the detection of PM2.5 (particulate matter
      <2.5 MUm) and negative ions. These results provided direct evidence that forest
      bathing has a beneficial effect on CHF patients, and thus may pave the way for
      potential development of forest bathing as an effective adjunctive therapy on
      cardiovascular disorders.

PMID- 28362329
TI  - Bench-Top Fabrication of an All-PDMS Microfluidic Electrochemical Cell Sensor
      Integrating Micro/Nanostructured Electrodes.
AB  - In recent years, efforts in the development of lab-on-a-chip (LoC) devices for
      point-of-care (PoC) applications have increased to bring affordable, portable,
      and sensitive diagnostics to the patients' bedside. To reach this goal, research
      has shifted from using traditional microfabrication methods to more versatile,
      rapid, and low-cost options. This work focuses on the benchtop fabrication of a
      highly sensitive, fully transparent, and flexible poly (dimethylsiloxane) (PDMS)
      microfluidic (MUF) electrochemical cell sensor. The MUF device encapsulates 3D
      structured gold and platinum electrodes, fabricated using a shape-memory polymer
      shrinking method, which are used to set up an on-chip electrochemical cell. The
      PDMS to PDMS-structured electrode bonding protocol to fabricate the MUF chip was
      optimized and found to have sufficient bond strength to withstand up to 100
      mL/min flow rates. The sensing capabilities of the on-chip electrochemical cell
      were demonstrated by using cyclic voltammetry to monitor the adhesion of murine
      3T3 fibroblasts in the presence of a redox reporter. The charge transfer across
      the working electrode was reduced upon cell adhesion, which was used as the
      detection mechanism, and allowed the detection of as few as 24 cells. The
      effective utilization of simple and low cost bench-top fabrication methods could
      accelerate the prototyping and development of LoC technologies and bring PoC
      diagnostics and personalized medicine to the patients' bedside.

PMID- 28362330
TI  - The Additional Secondary Phase Correction System for AIS Signals.
AB  - This paper looks at the development and implementation of the additional
      secondary phase factor (ASF) real-time correction system for the Automatic
      Identification System (AIS) signal. A large number of test data were collected
      using the developed ASF correction system and the propagation characteristics of
      the AIS signal that transmits at sea and the ASF real-time correction algorithm
      of the AIS signal were analyzed and verified. Accounting for the different
      hardware of the receivers in the land-based positioning system and the variation
      of the actual environmental factors, the ASF correction system corrects original
      measurements of positioning receivers in real time and provides corrected
      positioning accuracy within 10 m.

PMID- 28362331
TI  - Review on the Processing and Properties of Polymer Nanocomposites and
      Nanocoatings and Their Applications in the Packaging, Automotive and Solar Energy
      Fields.
AB  - For the last decades, nanocomposites materials have been widely studied in the
      scientific literature as they provide substantial properties enhancements, even
      at low nanoparticles content. Their performance depends on a number of parameters
      but the nanoparticles dispersion and distribution state remains the key challenge
      in order to obtain the full nanocomposites' potential in terms of, e.g., flame
      retardance, mechanical, barrier and thermal properties, etc., that would allow
      extending their use in the industry. While the amount of existing research and
      indeed review papers regarding the formulation of nanocomposites is already
      significant, after listing the most common applications, this review focuses more
      in-depth on the properties and materials of relevance in three target sectors:
      packaging, solar energy and automotive. In terms of advances in the processing of
      nanocomposites, this review discusses various enhancement technologies such as
      the use of ultrasounds for in-process nanoparticles dispersion. In the case of
      nanocoatings, it describes the different conventionally used processes as well as
      nanoparticles deposition by electro-hydrodynamic processing. All in all, this
      review gives the basics both in terms of composition and of processing aspects to
      reach optimal properties for using nanocomposites in the selected applications.
      As an outlook, up-to-date nanosafety issues are discussed.

PMID- 28362333
TI  - The Promise and the Challenge of Technology-Facilitated Methods for Assessing
      Behavioral and Cognitive Markers of Risk for Suicide among U.S. Army National
      Guard Personnel.
AB  - Suicide was the 10th leading cause of death for Americans in 2015 and rates have
      been steadily climbing over the last 25 years. Rates are particularly high
      amongst U.S. military personnel. Suicide prevention efforts in the military are
      significantly hampered by the lack of: (1) assessment tools for measuring
      baseline risk and (2) methods to detect periods of particularly heightened risk.
      Two specific barriers to assessing suicide risk in military personnel that call
      for innovation are: (1) the geographic dispersion of military personnel from
      healthcare settings, particularly amongst components like the Reserves; and (2)
      professional and social disincentives to acknowledging psychological distress.
      The primary aim of this paper is to describe recent technological developments
      that could contribute to risk assessment tools that are not subject to the
      limitations mentioned above. More specifically, Behavioral Signal Processing can
      be used to assess behaviors during interaction and conversation that likely
      indicate increased risk for suicide, and computer-administered, cognitive
      performance tasks can be used to assess activation of the suicidal mode. These
      novel methods can be used remotely and do not require direct disclosure or
      endorsement of psychological distress, solving two challenges to suicide risk
      assessment in military and other sensitive settings. We present an introduction
      to these technologies, describe how they can specifically be applied to assessing
      behavioral and cognitive risk for suicide, and close with recommendations for
      future research.

PMID- 28362334
TI  - Proximity to Industrial Food Animal Production and Asthma Exacerbations in
      Pennsylvania, 2005-2012.
AB  - The research on industrial food animal production (IFAP) and asthma exacerbations
      in the United States has relied on small sample sizes and/or self-reported
      outcomes. We assessed associations of proximity to large-scale and densely
      stocked swine and dairy/veal IFAP with three types of asthma exacerbations:
      hospitalizations, emergency encounters, and oral corticosteroid (OCS) medication
      orders from Geisinger Clinic in Pennsylvania. We used a diagnosis code
      (International Classification of Diseases, 9th Revision, Clinical Modification
      code 493.x) and medication orders from electronic health records to identify
      these exacerbations among asthma patients (n = 35,269) from 2005-2012. We
      compared residential proximity to swine or dairy/veal IFAP (dichotomized as <3
      miles (4.8 km) or >=3 miles) among asthma patients with and without exacerbations
      and estimated odds ratios using multilevel logistic regression. In adjusted
      models, proximity to IFAP was associated (odds ratio (95% confidence interval))
      with OCS orders (1.11 (1.04-1.19)) and hospitalizations (1.29 (1.15-1.46)), but
      not emergency encounters (1.12 (0.91-1.37)). This study contributes to growing
      evidence that IFAP may impact health, in this case clinically-documented asthma
      exacerbations. No prior study has evaluated the association of IFAP and
      clinically-documented asthma exacerbations in the United States.

PMID- 28362332
TI  - Sphingosine-1-Phosphate Metabolism and Its Role in the Development of
      Inflammatory Bowel Disease.
AB  - Beyond their role as structural molecules, sphingolipids are involved in many
      important cellular processes including cell proliferation, apoptosis,
      inflammation, and migration. Altered sphingolipid metabolism is observed in many
      pathological conditions including gastrointestinal diseases. Inflammatory bowel
      disease (IBD) represents a state of complex, unpredictable, and destructive
      inflammation of unknown origin within the gastrointestinal tract. The mechanisms
      explaining the pathophysiology of IBD involve signal transduction pathways
      regulating gastro-intestinal system's immunity. Progressive intestinal tissue
      destruction observed in chronic inflammation may be associated with an increased
      risk of colon cancer. Sphingosine-1-phosphate (S1P), a sphingolipid metabolite,
      functions as a cofactor in inflammatory signaling and becomes a target in the
      treatment of IBD, which might prevent its conversion to cancer. This paper
      summarizes new findings indicating the impact of (S1P) on IBD development and IBD
      associated carcinogenesis.

PMID- 28362336
TI  - Biodegradable Poly(Amino Ester) with Aromatic Backbone as Efficient Nonviral Gene
      Delivery Vectors.
AB  - The development of gene delivery vectors with high efficiency and
      biocompatibility is one of the critical points of gene therapy. Two biodegradable
      poly(amino ester)s were synthesized via ring-opening polymerization between low
      molecular weight (LMW) PEI and diepoxide. The molecular weights of poly(amino
      ester)s were measured by GPC. Agarose gel retardation assays showed that these
      materials have good DNA-binding ability and can retard the electrophoretic
      mobility of plasmid DNA (pDNA) at a weight ratio of 1. The formed polyplexes have
      proper sizes of around 200 nm and zeta-potential values of about 30-40 mV for
      cellular uptake. In vitro experiments revealed that polymer P2 gave higher
      transfection efficiency than PEI 25KDa and Lipofectamine 2000 with less toxicity,
      especially in 293 cells. Results demonstrate that such a type of degradable
      poly(amino ester) may serve as a promising non-viral gene vector.

PMID- 28362338
TI  - Tracking a Non-Cooperative Target Using Real-Time Stereovision-Based Control: An
      Experimental Study.
AB  - Tracking a non-cooperative target is a challenge, because in unfamiliar
      environments most targets are unknown and unspecified. Stereovision is suited to
      deal with this issue, because it allows to passively scan large areas and
      estimate the relative position, velocity and shape of objects. This research is
      an experimental effort aimed at developing, implementing and evaluating a real
      time non-cooperative target tracking methods using stereovision measurements
      only. A computer-vision feature detection and matching algorithm was developed in
      order to identify and locate the target in the captured images. Three different
      filters were designed for estimating the relative position and velocity, and
      their performance was compared. A line-of-sight control algorithm was used for
      the purpose of keeping the target within the field-of-view. Extensive analytical
      and numerical investigations were conducted on the multi-view stereo projection
      equations and their solutions, which were used to initialize the different
      filters. This research shows, using an experimental and numerical evaluation, the
      benefits of using the unscented Kalman filter and the total least squares
      technique in the stereovision-based tracking problem. These findings offer a
      general and more accurate method for solving the static and dynamic stereovision
      triangulation problems and the concomitant line-of-sight control.

PMID- 28362339
TI  - Distributed Humidity Sensing in PMMA Optical Fibers at 500 nm and 650 nm
      Wavelengths.
AB  - Distributed measurement of humidity is a sought-after capability for various
      fields of application, especially in the civil engineering and structural health
      monitoring sectors. This article presents a method for distributed humidity
      sensing along polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA) polymer optical fibers (POFs) by
      analyzing wavelength-dependent Rayleigh backscattering and attenuation
      characteristics at 500 nm and 650 nm wavelengths. Spatially resolved humidity
      sensing is obtained from backscatter traces of a dual-wavelength optical time
      domain reflectometer (OTDR). Backscatter dependence, attenuation dependence as
      well as the fiber length change are characterized as functions of relative
      humidity. Cross-sensitivity effects are discussed and quantified. The evaluation
      of the humidity-dependent backscatter effects at the two wavelength measurements
      allows for distributed and unambiguous measurement of relative humidity. The
      technique can be readily employed with low-cost standard polymer optical fibers
      and commercial OTDR devices.

PMID- 28362335
TI  - Chemical and Biological Properties of S-1-Propenyl-l-Cysteine in Aged Garlic
      Extract.
AB  - S-1-Propenyl-l-cysteine (S1PC) is a stereoisomer of S-1-Propenyl-l-cysteine
      (SAC), an important sulfur-containing amino acid that plays a role for the
      beneficial pharmacological effects of aged garlic extract (AGE). The existence of
      S1PC in garlic preparations has been known since the 1960's. However, there was
      no report regarding the biological and/or pharmacological activity of S1PC until
      2016. Recently, we performed a series of studies to examine the chemical,
      biological, pharmacological and pharmacokinetic properties of S1PC, and obtained
      some interesting results. S1PC existed only in trace amounts in raw garlic, but
      its concentration increased almost up to the level similar of SAC through aging
      process of AGE. S1PC showed immunomodulatory effects in vitro and in vivo, and
      reduced blood pressure in a hypertensive animal model. A pharmacokinetic study
      revealed that S1PC was readily absorbed after oral administration in rats and
      dogs with bioavailability of 88-100%. Additionally, S1PC had little inhibitory
      influence on human cytochrome P450 activities, even at a concentration of 1 mM.
      Based on these findings, S1PC was suggested to be another important,
      pharmacologically active and safe component of AGE similar to SAC. In this
      review, we highlight some results from recent studies on S1PC and discuss the
      potential medicinal value of S1PC.

PMID- 28362337
TI  - Action of Thyroid Hormones, T3 and T2, on Hepatic Fatty Acids: Differences in
      Metabolic Effects and Molecular Mechanisms.
AB  - The thyroid hormones (THs) 3,3',5,5'-tetraiodo-l-thyronine (T4) and 3,5,3'
      triiodo-l-thyronine (T3) influence many metabolic pathways. The major
      physiological function of THs is to sustain basal energy expenditure, by acting
      primarily on carbohydrate and lipid catabolism. Beyond the mobilization and
      degradation of lipids, at the hepatic level THs stimulate the de novo fatty acid
      synthesis (de novo lipogenesis, DNL), through both the modulation of gene
      expression and the rapid activation of cell signalling pathways. 3,5-Diiodo-l
      thyronine (T2), previously considered only a T3 catabolite, has been shown to
      mimic some of T3 effects on lipid catabolism. However, T2 action is more rapid
      than that of T3, and seems to be independent of protein synthesis. An inhibitory
      effect on DNL has been documented for T2. Here, we give an overview of the
      mechanisms of THs action on liver fatty acid metabolism, focusing on the
      different effects exerted by T2 and T3 on the regulation of the DNL. The
      inhibitory action on DNL exerted by T2 makes this compound a potential and
      attractive drug for the treatment of some metabolic diseases and cancer.

PMID- 28362340
TI  - Knowledge, Attitudes, and Practices about the Prevention of Mosquito Bites and
      Zika Virus Disease in Pregnant Women in Greece.
AB  - A survey among 573 pregnant women in Greece was conducted through self-completion
      of a questionnaire in July 2016. Traveling abroad the last six months was
      declared by 10.5% and 13.0% of pregnant women and their male sex partners,
      respectively, while 77.4% (441/570) had heard about Zika virus disease (ZVD). A
      lack of knowledge about sexual transmission of ZVD was identified in 63.3% of
      pregnant women, and 24.1% of responders did not know the risks to the fetus and
      baby. Approximately 73% of responders believed that the mosquito bites can affect
      their fetus and baby and 18% did not take measures to prevent mosquito bites
      routinely. Multivariable logistic regression models showed that traveling abroad
      the last six months by pregnant women correlated with correctly answering the
      question about the transmission of ZVD through bites of infected mosquitoes (Odds
      Ratio, OR = 10.47, 95% CI = 1.11-98.41). Traveling abroad with a male sex partner
      over the last six months correlated (OR = 2.05, 95% CI = 0.99-4.23) with
      responding correctly to the four key questions about the transmission of ZVD
      through mosquito bites, the risk of microcephaly, and the risks of traveling to
      the affected countries. A score of >=5 for the nine responses given to questions
      of knowledge and attitudes was associated with a Bachelor of Science degree (OR =
      1.54, 95% CI = 1.09-2.18), antenatal care at a public hospital (OR = 2.26, 95% CI
      = 1.28-3.98), being a civil servant as occupation (OR = 1.96, 95% CI = 1.10
      3.48), and having gotten information about ZVD from the public health sector (OR
      = 2.04, 95% CI = 1.05-3.98). In conclusion, we found considerable knowledge gaps
      related to ZVD among Greek pregnant women. These study results are useful in
      targeting pregnant women for the prevention of potential Zika virus infections.

PMID- 28362343
TI  - Characterization of Retail Conventional, Organic, and Grass Full-Fat Butters by
      Their Fat Contents, Free Fatty Acid Contents, and Triglyceride and Fatty Acid
      Profiling.
AB  - In the Netherlands, butter is produced from milk originating from three different
      production systems: conventional, organic, and grass-fed cows. The aim of the
      current study was to characterize these types of butters, and pinpoint distinct
      compositional differences. Retail conventional (n = 28), organic (n = 14), and
      grass (n = 12) full-fat butters were collected during the winter and summer
      seasons. Samples were analyzed for their fat content, free fatty acid (FFA)
      content, and triglyceride (TG) and fatty acid (FA) profiles. The fat content was
      significantly lower in conventional butters than in organic butters and the FFA
      content was significantly lower in conventional butters compared with grass
      butters. Also, organic butters differed significantly from their conventional
      counterparts with regard to their TG and FA profiles. The TG profiles of the
      organic and grass butters did not differ significantly. The FA profiles of grass
      butters were less distinct, since only a few FAs differed significantly from
      conventional (six FAs) and organic (eight FAs) butters.

PMID- 28362342
TI  - Activity Learning as a Foundation for Security Monitoring in Smart Homes.
AB  - Smart environment technology has matured to the point where it is regularly used
      in everyday homes as well as research labs. With this maturation of the
      technology, we can consider using smart homes as a practical mechanism for
      improving home security. In this paper, we introduce an activity-aware approach
      to security monitoring and threat detection in smart homes. We describe our
      approach using the CASAS smart home framework and activity learning algorithms.
      By monitoring for activity-based anomalies we can detect possible threats and
      take appropriate action. We evaluate our proposed method using data collected in
      CASAS smart homes and demonstrate the partnership between activity-aware smart
      homes and biometric devices in the context of the CASAS on-campus smart apartment
      testbed.

PMID- 28362341
TI  - The Role of MicroRNAs in Myocardial Infarction: From Molecular Mechanism to
      Clinical Application.
AB  - MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are a class of small single-stranded and highly conserved non
      coding RNAs, which are closely linked to cardiac disorders such as myocardial
      infarction (MI), cardiomyocyte hypertrophy, and heart failure. A growing number
      of studies have demonstrated that miRNAs determine the fate of the heart by
      regulating cardiac cell death and regeneration after MI. A deep understanding of
      the pathophysiology of miRNA dependent regulatory pathways in these processes is
      required. The role of miRNAs as diagnostic, prognostic, and therapeutic targets
      also needs to be explored in order to utilize them in clinical settings. This
      review summarizes the role of miRNAs in myocardial infarction and focuses mainly
      on their influence on cardiomyocyte regeneration and cell death including
      apoptosis, necrosis, and autophagy. In addition, the targets of pro- and anti-MI
      miRNAs are comparatively described. In particular, the possibilities of miRNA
      based diagnostic and therapeutic strategies for myocardial infarction are
      discussed in this review.

PMID- 28362345
TI  - Object Tracking Using Local Multiple Features and a Posterior Probability
      Measure.
AB  - Object tracking has remained a challenging problem in recent years. Most of the
      trackers can not work well, especially when dealing with problems such as
      similarly colored backgrounds, object occlusions, low illumination, or sudden
      illumination changes in real scenes. A centroid iteration algorithm using
      multiple features and a posterior probability criterion is presented to solve
      these problems. The model representation of the object and the similarity measure
      are two key factors that greatly influence the performance of the tracker.
      Firstly, this paper propose using a local texture feature which is a
      generalization of the local binary pattern (LBP) descriptor, which we call the
      double center-symmetric local binary pattern (DCS-LBP). This feature shows great
      discrimination between similar regions and high robustness to noise. By analyzing
      DCS-LBP patterns, a simplified DCS-LBP is used to improve the object texture
      model called the SDCS-LBP. The SDCS-LBP is able to describe the primitive
      structural information of the local image such as edges and corners. Then, the
      SDCS-LBP and the color are combined to generate the multiple features as the
      target model. Secondly, a posterior probability measure is introduced to reduce
      the rate of matching mistakes. Three strategies of target model update are
      employed. Experimental results show that our proposed algorithm is effective in
      improving tracking performance in complicated real scenarios compared with some
      state-of-the-art methods.

PMID- 28362346
TI  - Monitoring and Discovery for Self-Organized Network Management in Virtualized and
      Software Defined Networks.
AB  - This paper presents the Monitoring and Discovery Framework of the Self-Organized
      Network Management in Virtualized and Software Defined Networks SELFNET project.
      This design takes into account the scalability and flexibility requirements
      needed by 5G infrastructures. In this context, the present framework focuses on
      gathering and storing the information (low-level metrics) related to physical and
      virtual devices, cloud environments, flow metrics, SDN traffic and sensors.
      Similarly, it provides the monitoring data as a generic information source in
      order to allow the correlation and aggregation tasks. Our design enables the
      collection and storing of information provided by all the underlying SELFNET
      sublayers, including the dynamically onboarded and instantiated SDN/NFV Apps,
      also known as SELFNET sensors.

PMID- 28362344
TI  - Proactive Approach for Safe Use of Antimicrobial Coatings in Healthcare Settings:
      Opinion of the COST Action Network AMiCI.
AB  - Infections and infectious diseases are considered a major challenge to human
      health in healthcare units worldwide. This opinion paper was initiated by EU COST
      Action network AMiCI (AntiMicrobial Coating Innovations) and focuses on
      scientific information essential for weighing the risks and benefits of
      antimicrobial surfaces in healthcare settings. Particular attention is drawn on
      nanomaterial-based antimicrobial surfaces in frequently-touched areas in
      healthcare settings and the potential of these nano-enabled coatings to induce
      (eco)toxicological hazard and antimicrobial resistance. Possibilities to minimize
      those risks e.g., at the level of safe-by-design are demonstrated.

PMID- 28362347
TI  - Strong Tracking Spherical Simplex-Radial Cubature Kalman Filter for Maneuvering
      Target Tracking.
AB  - Conventional spherical simplex-radial cubature Kalman filter (SSRCKF) for
      maneuvering target tracking may decline in accuracy and even diverge when a
      target makes abrupt state changes. To overcome this problem, a novel algorithm
      named strong tracking spherical simplex-radial cubature Kalman filter (STSSRCKF)
      is proposed in this paper. The proposed algorithm uses the spherical simplex
      radial (SSR) rule to obtain a higher accuracy than cubature Kalman filter (CKF)
      algorithm. Meanwhile, by introducing strong tracking filter (STF) into SSRCKF and
      modifying the predicted states' error covariance with a time-varying fading
      factor, the gain matrix is adjusted on line so that the robustness of the filter
      and the capability of dealing with uncertainty factors is improved. In this way,
      the proposed algorithm has the advantages of both STF's strong robustness and
      SSRCKF's high accuracy. Finally, a maneuvering target tracking problem with
      abrupt state changes is used to test the performance of the proposed filter.
      Simulation results show that the STSSRCKF algorithm can get better estimation
      accuracy and greater robustness for maneuvering target tracking.

PMID- 28362349
TI  - Real-Time and High-Resolution 3D Face Measurement via a Smart Active Optical
      Sensor.
AB  - The 3D measuring range and accuracy in traditional active optical sensing, such
      as Fourier transform profilometry, are influenced by the zero frequency of the
      captured patterns. The phase-shifting technique is commonly applied to remove the
      zero component. However, this phase-shifting method must capture several fringe
      patterns with phase difference, thereby influencing the real-time performance.
      This study introduces a smart active optical sensor, in which a composite pattern
      is utilized. The composite pattern efficiently combines several phase-shifting
      fringes and carrier frequencies. The method can remove zero frequency by using
      only one pattern. Model face reconstruction and human face measurement were
      employed to study the validity and feasibility of this method. Results show no
      distinct decrease in the precision of the novel method unlike the traditional
      phase-shifting method. The texture mapping technique was utilized to reconstruct
      a nature-appearance 3D digital face.

PMID- 28362348
TI  - Effect of Temperature on Tolbutamide Binding to Glycated Serum Albumin.
AB  - Glycation process occurs in protein and becomes more pronounced in diabetes when
      an increased amount of reducing sugar is present in bloodstream. Glycation of
      protein may cause conformational changes resulting in the alterations of its
      binding properties even though they occur at a distance from the binding sites.
      The changes in protein properties could be related to several pathological
      consequences such as diabetic and nondiabetic cardiovascular diseases, cataract,
      renal dysfunction and Alzheimer's disease. The experiment was designed to test
      the impact of glycation process on sulfonylurea drug tolbutamide-albumin binding
      under physiological (T = 309 K) and inflammatory (T = 311 K and T = 313 K) states
      using fluorescence and UV-VIS spectroscopies. It was found in fluorescence
      analysis experiments that the modification of serum albumin in tryptophanyl and
      tyrosyl residues environment may affect the tolbutamide (TB) binding to albumin
      in subdomain IIA and/or IIIA (Sudlow's site I and/or II), and also in subdomains
      IB and IIB. We estimated the binding of tolbutamide to albumin described by a
      mixed nature of interaction (specific and nonspecific). The association constants
      Ka (L?mol-1) for tolbutamide at its high affinity sites on non-glycated albumin
      were in the range of 1.98-7.88 * 104 L?mol-1 (lambdaex = 275 nm), 1.20-1.64 * 104
      L?mol-1 (lambdaex = 295 nm) and decreased to 1.24-0.42 * 104 L?mol-1 at lambdaex
      = 275 nm (T = 309 K and T = 311 K) and increased to 2.79 * 104 L?mol-1 at
      lambdaex = 275 nm (T = 313 K) and to 4.43-6.61 * 104 L?mol-1 at lambdaex = 295 nm
      due to the glycation process. Temperature dependence suggests the important role
      of van der Waals forces and hydrogen bonding in hydrophobic interactions between
      tolbutamide and both glycated and non-glycated albumin. We concluded that the
      changes in the environment of TB binding of albumin in subdomain IIA and/or IIIA
      as well as in subdomains IB and IIB influence on therapeutic effect and therefore
      the studies of the binding of tolbutamide (in diabetes) to transporting protein
      under glycation that refers to the modification of a protein are of great
      importance in pharmacology and biochemistry. This information may lead to the
      development of more effective drug therapy in people with diabetes.

PMID- 28362350
TI  - Individual and Store Characteristics Associated with Brand Choices in Select Food
      Category Redemptions among WIC Participants in Virginia.
AB  - The Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC)
      often allows participants to redeem food benefits for various brands at different
      costs. To aid the program's food cost containment efforts, it is important to
      understand the individual and store characteristics associated with brand
      choices. This study used the WIC Electronic Benefit Transfer (EBT) data for
      239,062 Virginia WIC participants' brand choices in infant fruits and vegetables
      (F&Vs) and whole grain bread in May 2014-February 2015, one of the first such
      data sets available in the U.S. for research purposes. Mixed effects logistic
      regression models were used to analyze the choice of higher-priced brands over
      lower-priced brands. Minority participants were significantly more likely to
      redeem higher-priced brands of infant F&Vs, but more likely to choose lower
      priced brands of bread. Participants shopping in urban stores or midsized stores
      (with 5-9 registers) were less likely to choose higher-priced brands compared to
      rural stores or large stores (with 9+ registers). Race/ethnicity and store
      characteristics may be significant factors in participants' brand choices. The
      results can help develop interventions that encourage targeted participants to
      redeem lower-priced but equivalently healthy brands. This may not only help
      contain WIC program costs, but help participants manage their own non-WIC food
      expenses as well.

PMID- 28362351
TI  - Barbatic Acid Offers a New Possibility for Control of Biomphalaria Glabrata and
      Schistosomiasis.
AB  - This study evaluated the biological activity of an ether extract and barbatic
      acid (BAR) from Cladia aggregata on embryos and adult mollusks of Biomphalaria
      glabrata, cercariae of Schistosoma mansoni and the microcrustacean Artemia
      salina. The ether extract and BAR were obtained by successive extractions with
      diethyl ether. The obtained extracts were analyzed using thin-layer
      chromatography (TLC), high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), proton
      nuclear magnetic resonance (1H-NMR) and infrared (IR) spectroscopy. The results
      demonstrated that the ether extract exerted embryotoxic effects at 50 and 100
      ug/mL and molluscicidal effects at 20 and 25 ug/mL. BAR exhibited no
      embryotoxicity, and its molluscicidal concentration was equal to that of the
      ether extract. However, after 60 min of exposure, 1 ug/mL BAR presented
      cercaricidal activity against the parasite S. mansoni at the second larval stage.
      Neither substance induced toxicity against A. salina. These results indicate the
      potential molluscicidal activities of the ether extract and BAR against B.
      glabrata and S. mansoni cercariae. In addition to these effects, there was a lack
      of toxicity against the aquatic environment and no damage to the biota,
      indicating the potential of these products for large-scale control and/or
      eradication of schistosomiasis.

PMID- 28362352
TI  - Optimization of Bromelain-Aided Production of Angiotensin I-Converting Enzyme
      Inhibitory Hydrolysates from Stone Fish Using Response Surface Methodology.
AB  - The stone fish is an under-utilized sea cucumber with many nutritional and ethno
      medicinal values. This study aimed to establish the conditions for its optimum
      hydrolysis with bromelain to generate angiotensin I-converting enzyme (ACE)
      inhibitory hydrolysates. Response surface methodology (RSM) based on a central
      composite design was used to model and optimize the degree of hydrolysis (DH) and
      ACE-inhibitory activity. Process conditions including pH (4-7), temperature (40
      70  degrees C), enzyme/substrate (E/S) ratio (0.5%-2%) and time (30-360 min) were
      used. A pH of 7.0, temperature of 40  degrees C, E/S ratio of 2% and time of 240
      min were determined using a response surface model as the optimum levels to
      obtain the maximum ACE-inhibitory activity of 84.26% at 44.59% degree of
      hydrolysis. Hence, RSM can serve as an effective approach in the design of
      experiments to improve the antihypertensive effect of stone fish hydrolysates,
      which can thus be used as a value-added ingredient for various applications in
      the functional foods industries.

PMID- 28362353
TI  - Ergosteryl 2-naphthoate, An Ergosterol Derivative, Exhibits Antidepressant
      Effects Mediated by the Modification of GABAergic and Glutamatergic Systems.
AB  - Phytosterols are a kind of natural component including sitosterol, campesterol,
      avenasterol, ergosterol (Er) and others. Their main natural sources are vegetable
      oils and their processed products, followed by grains, by-products of cereals and
      nuts, and small amounts of fruits, vegetables and mushrooms. In this study, three
      new Er monoester derivatives were obtained from the reflux reaction with Er:
      organic acids (furoic acid, salicylic acid and 2-naphthoic acid), 1-Ethylethyl-3
      (3-dimethyllaminopropyl) carbodiimide hydrochloride (EDCI) and 4
      dimethylaminopyridine (DMAP) in dichloromethane. Their chemical structures were
      defined by IR and NMR. The present study was also undertaken to investigate the
      antidepressant-like effects of Er and its derivatives in male adult mice models
      of depression, and their probable involvement of GABAergic and glutamatergic
      systems by the forced swim test (FST). The results indicated that Er and its
      derivatives display antidepressant effects. Moreover, one derivative of Er,
      ergosteryl 2-naphthoate (ErN), exhibited stronger antidepressant activity in vivo
      compared to Er. Acute administration of ErN (5 mg/kg, i.p.) and a combination of
      ErN (0.5 mg/kg, i.p.), reboxetine (2.5 mg/kg, i.p.), and tianeptine (15 mg/kg,
      i.p.) reduced the immobility time in the FST. Pretreatment with bicuculline (a
      competitive gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) antagonist, 4 mg/kg, i.p.) and N
      methyl-d-aspartic acid (NMDA, an agonist at the glutamate site, 75 mg/kg, i.p.)
      effectively reversed the antidepressant-like effect of ErN (5 mg/kg, i.p.).
      However, prazosin (a alpha1-adrenoceptor antagonist, 1 mg/kg, i.p.) and
      haloperidol (a non-selective D2 receptor antagonist, 0.2 mg/kg, i.p.) did not
      eliminate the reduced immobility time. Altogether, these results indicated that
      ErN produced antidepressant-like activity, which might be mediated by GABAergic
      and glutamatergic systems.

PMID- 28362354
TI  - Socio-Economic Position and Suicidal Ideation in Men.
AB  - People in low socio-economic positions are over-represented in suicide statistics
      and are at heightened risk for non-fatal suicidal thoughts and behaviours. Few
      studies have tried to tease out the relationship between individual-level and
      area-level socio-economic position, however. We used data from Ten to Men (the
      Australian Longitudinal Study on Male Health) to investigate the relationship
      between individual-level and area-level socio-economic position and suicidal
      thinking in 12,090 men. We used a measure of unemployment/employment and
      occupational skill level as our individual-level indicator of socio-economic
      position. We used the Index of Relative Socio-Economic Disadvantage (a composite
      multidimensional construct created by the Australian Bureau of Statistics that
      combines information from a range of area-level variables, including the
      prevalence of unemployment and employment in low skilled occupations) as our area
      level indicator. We assessed suicidal thinking using the Patient Health
      Questionnaire (PHQ-9). We found that even after controlling for common predictors
      of suicidal thinking; low individual-level and area-level socio-economic position
      heightened risk. Individual-level socio-economic position appeared to exert the
      greater influence of the two; however. There is an onus on policy makers and
      planners from within and outside the mental health sector to take individual- and
      area-level socio-economic position into account when they are developing
      strategic initiatives.

PMID- 28362356
TI  - Severe Pneumonia Caused by Influenza A (H1N1) Virus Successfully Managed with
      Extracorporeal Life Support in a Comorbid Former Preterm Infant.
AB  - Influenza A (H1N1) virus infection is a global health burden, leading to
      significant pediatric morbidity and mortality. Prematurity, young age and
      comorbidities are important risk factors for unfavorable outcomes. Preventive
      strategies, such as healthcare workers and household contacts vaccination as well
      as the implementation of infection control practices during the epidemic season,
      are crucial to protect the most vulnerable populations. Early diagnosis, timely
      administration of antiviral drugs and supportive therapy are crucial to lead to a
      complete recovery. When conventional treatment fails, extracorporeal life support
      (ECLS) may be employed. In neonates and young infants, this high-tech support is
      burdened by specific technical complexity. Despite the potential risks related to
      this aggressive approach, ECLS is a life-saving procedure in 65% of pediatric
      viral pneumonia and in 73% of sepsis cases. Here, we report the successful
      outcome of a 51-day formerly preterm infant, suffering from a surgical
      necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC), complicated with hospital-acquired pneumonia due
      to influenza A (H1N1) virus. She developed a severe respiratory failure,
      unresponsive to conventional therapy, and successfully treated with ECLS. To our
      knowledge, this is the first report on the use of ECLS in a formerly preterm
      infant, suffering from NEC complicated by influenza A (H1N1) virus infection.

PMID- 28362355
TI  - Daily Intake of Grape Powder Prevents the Progression of Kidney Disease in Obese
      Type 2 Diabetic ZSF1 Rats.
AB  - Individuals living with metabolic syndrome (MetS) such as diabetes and obesity
      are at high risk for developing chronic kidney disease (CKD). This study
      investigated the beneficial effect of whole grape powder (WGP) diet on MetS
      associated CKD. Obese diabetic ZSF1 rats, a kidney disease model with MetS, were
      fed WGP (5%, w/w) diet for six months. Kidney disease was determined using blood
      and urine chemical analyses, and histology. When compared to Vehicle controls,
      WGP intake did not change the rat bodyweight, but lowered their kidney, liver and
      spleen weight, which were in parallel with the lower serum glucose and the higher
      albumin or albumin/globin ratio. More importantly, WGP intake improved the renal
      function as urination and proteinuria decreased, or it prevented kidney tissue
      damage in these diabetic rats. The renal protection of WGP diet was associated
      with up-regulation of antioxidants (Dhcr24, Gstk1, Prdx2, Sod2, Gpx1 and Gpx4)
      and downregulation of Txnip (for ROS production) in the kidneys. Furthermore,
      addition of grape extract reduced H2O2-induced cell death of cultured podocytes.
      In conclusion, daily intake of WGP reduces the progression of kidney disease in
      obese diabetic rats, suggesting a protective function of antioxidant-rich grape
      diet against CKD in the setting of MetS.

PMID- 28362357
TI  - Targeting MYC Dependence by Metabolic Inhibitors in Cancer.
AB  - Abstract:MYC is a critical growth regulatory gene that is commonly overexpressed
      in a wide range of cancers. Therapeutic targeting of MYC transcriptional activity
      has long been a goal, but it has been difficult to achieve with drugs that
      directly block its DNA-binding ability. Additional approaches that exploit
      oncogene addiction are promising strategies against MYC-driven cancers. Also,
      drugs that target metabolic regulatory pathways and enzymes have potential for
      indirectly reducing MYC levels. Glucose metabolism and oxidative phosphorylation,
      which can be targeted by multiple agents, promote cell growth and MYC expression.
      Likewise, modulation of the signaling pathways and protein synthesis regulated by
      adenosine monophosphate-activated protein kinase (AMPK) and mechanistic target of
      rapamycin (mTOR) can also be an effective route for suppressing MYC translation.
      Furthermore, recent data suggest that metabolism of nucleotides, fatty acids and
      glutamine are exploited to alter MYC levels. Combination therapies offer
      potential new approaches to overcome metabolic plasticity caused by single
      agents. Although potential toxicities must be carefully controlled, new
      inhibitors currently being tested in clinical trials offer significant promise.
      Therefore, as both a downstream target of metabolism and an upstream regulator,
      MYC is a prominent central regulator of cancer metabolism. Exploiting metabolic
      vulnerabilities of MYC-driven cancers is an emerging research area with
      translational potential.

PMID- 28362358
TI  - Distal Proton Shuttle Mechanism of Ribosome Catalysed Peptide Bond Formation-A
      Theoretical Study.
AB  - In this work, we have investigated a novel distal proton shuttle mechanism of
      ribosome catalyzed peptide bond formation reaction. The reaction was found to
      follow a two-step mechanism. A distal water molecule located about 6.1 A away
      from the attacking amine plays as a proton acceptor and results in a charge
      separated intermediate that is stabilized by the N terminus of L27 and the A-site
      A76 5'-phosphate. The ribose A2451 bridges the proton shuttle pathway, thus plays
      critical role in the reaction. The calculated 27.64 kcal*mol-1 free energy
      barrier of the distal proton shuttle mechanism is lower than that of eight
      membered ring transition state. The distal proton shuttle mechanism studied in
      this work can provide new insights into the important biological peptide
      synthesis process.

PMID- 28362360
TI  - A Risk Assessment Matrix for Public Health Principles: The Case for E-Cigarettes.
AB  - Besides nicotine replacement therapies, a realistic alternative for smoking
      cessation or for smoking substitution may come from electronic cigarettes (ECs),
      whose popularity has been steadily growing. As for any emerging behaviour
      associated with exposure to inhalational agents, there is legitimate cause for
      concern and many health organizations and policy makers have pushed for
      restrictive policy measures ranging from complete bans to tight regulations of
      these products. Nonetheless, it is important to reframe these concerns in context
      of the well-known harm caused by cigarette smoking. In this article, we discuss
      key public health principles that should be considered when regulating ECs. These
      include the concept of tobacco harm reduction, importance of relative risk and
      risk continuum, renormalization of smoking, availability of low-risk product,
      proportionate taxation, and reassessment of the role of non-tobacco flavours.
      These public health principles may be systematically scrutinized using a risk
      assessment matrix that allows: (1) to determine the measure of certainty that a
      risk will occur; and (2) to estimate the impact of such a risk on public health.
      Consequently, the ultimate goal of responsible ECs regulation should be that of
      maximizing the favourable impact of these reduced-risk products whilst minimizing
      further any potential risks. Consumer perspectives, sound EC research, continuous
      post-marketing surveillance and reasonable safety and quality product standards
      should be at the very heart of future regulatory schemes that will address
      concerns while minimizing unintended consequences of ill-informed regulation.

PMID- 28362361
TI  - Time Trend and Demographic and Geographic Disparities in Childhood Obesity
      Prevalence in China-Evidence from Twenty Years of Longitudinal Data.
AB  - Childhood overweight and obesity (ow/ob) has become a serious threat to many
      countries, including China. However, limited evidence was obtained from
      longitudinal data in China. This study examined the secular trends and geographic
      variation in the prevalence of ow/ob and obesity only, and age, gender, and urban
      rural disparities among school-aged children across China. Data from children
      aged 6-17 surveyed in China Health and Nutrition Survey (CHNS) from 1991 (n =
      2712) to 2011 (n = 1054) were used. Overweight and obesity were defined based on
      the International Obesity Task Force (IOTF) recommended Asian age-sex-specific
      BMI cut-off-points. We found that: (1) childhood ow/ob and obesity prevalence
      increased from 11.7% to 25.2% and from 2.8% to 10.1% during 1991-2011,
      respectively; (2) children aged 6-12 experienced a 1.3 and 1.6 times increase in
      ow/ob and obesity prevalence than children aged 13-17, respectively; (3) the
      urban-rural gap in ow/ob prevalence widened; (4) ow/ob prevalence in boys was
      higher and increased faster than in girls, especially in an urban setting; and
      (5) geographic variation was observed with faster increases in more economically
      developed east, central and northeast regions than in the less developed west.
      The findings added more nuances to the picture of temporal changes in ow/ob
      prevalence among Chinese children.

PMID- 28362359
TI  - Self-Organized TiO2-MnO2 Nanotube Arrays for Efficient Photocatalytic Degradation
      of Toluene.
AB  - Vertically oriented, self-organized TiO2-MnO2 nanotube arrays were successfully
      obtained by one-step anodic oxidation of Ti-Mn alloys in an ethylene glycol-based
      electrolyte. The as-prepared samples were characterized by scanning electron
      microscopy (SEM), energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX), UV-Vis absorption,
      photoluminescence spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction (XRD), and micro-Raman
      spectroscopy. The effect of the applied potential (30-50 V), manganese content in
      the alloy (5-15 wt. %) and water content in the electrolyte (2-10 vol. %) on the
      morphology and photocatalytic properties was investigated for the first time. The
      photoactivity was assessed in the toluene removal reaction under visible light,
      using low-powered LEDs as an irradiation source (lambdamax = 465 nm). Morphology
      analysis showed that samples consisted of auto-aligned nanotubes over the surface
      of the alloy, their dimensions were: diameter = 76-118 nm, length = 1.0-3.4 MUm
      and wall thickness = 8-11 nm. It was found that the increase in the applied
      potential led to increase the dimensions while the increase in the content of
      manganese in the alloy brought to shorter nanotubes. Notably, all samples were
      photoactive under the influence of visible light and the highest degradation
      achieved after 60 min of irradiation was 43%. The excitation mechanism of TiO2
      MnO2 NTs under visible light was presented, pointing out the importance of MnO2
      species for the generation of e- and h+.

PMID- 28362363
TI  - Determining the Chemical Composition of Corrosion Inhibitor/Metal Interfaces with
      XPS: Minimizing Post Immersion Oxidation.
AB  - An approach for acquiring more reliable X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy data
      from corrosion inhibitor/metal interfaces is described. More specifically, the
      focus is on metallic substrates immersed in acidic solutions containing organic
      corrosion inhibitors, as these systems can be particularly sensitive to oxidation
      following removal from solution. To minimize the likelihood of such degradation,
      samples are removed from solution within a glove box purged with inert gas,
      either N2 or Ar. The glove box is directly attached to the load-lock of the ultra
      high vacuum X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy instrument, avoiding any exposure to
      the ambient laboratory atmosphere, and thus reducing the possibility of post
      immersion substrate oxidation. On this basis, one can be more certain that the X
      ray photoelectron spectroscopy features observed are likely to be representative
      of the in situ submerged scenario, e.g. the oxidation state of the metal is not
      modified.

PMID- 28362362
TI  - Combined Intravital Microscopy and Contrast-enhanced Ultrasonography of the Mouse
      Hindlimb to Study Insulin-induced Vasodilation and Muscle Perfusion.
AB  - It has been demonstrated that insulin's vascular actions contribute to regulation
      of insulin sensitivity. Insulin's effects on muscle perfusion regulate
      postprandial delivery of nutrients and hormones to insulin-sensitive tissues. We
      here describe a technique for combining intravital microscopy (IVM) and contrast
      enhanced ultrasonography (CEUS) of the adductor compartment of the mouse hindlimb
      to simultaneously visualize muscle resistance arteries and perfusion of the
      microcirculation in vivo. Simultaneously assessing insulin's effect at multiple
      levels of the vascular tree is important to study relationships between insulin's
      multiple vasoactive effects and muscle perfusion. Experiments in this study were
      performed in mice. First, the tail vein cannula is inserted for the infusion of
      anesthesia, vasoactive compounds and ultrasound contrast agent (lipid
      encapsulated microbubbles). Second, a small incision is made in the groin area to
      expose the arterial tree of the adductor muscle compartment. The ultrasound probe
      is then positioned at the contralateral upper hindlimb to view the muscles in
      cross-section. To assess baseline parameters, the arterial diameter is assessed
      and microbubbles are subsequently infused at a constant rate to estimate muscle
      blood flow and microvascular blood volume (MBV). When applied before and during a
      hyperinsulinemic-euglycemic clamp, combined IVM and CEUS allow assessment of
      insulin-induced changes of arterial diameter, microvascular muscle perfusion and
      whole-body insulin sensitivity. Moreover, the temporal relationship between
      responses of the microcirculation and the resistance arteries to insulin can be
      quantified. It is also possible to follow-up the mice longitudinally in time,
      making it a valuable tool to study changes in vascular and whole-body insulin
      sensitivity.

PMID- 28362364
TI  - A Method for Evaluating Insecticide Efficacy against Bed Bug, Cimex lectularius,
      Eggs and First Instars.
AB  - Standard toxicity evaluations of insecticides against insect pests are primarily
      conducted on adult insects. Evaluations are based on a dose-response or
      concentration-response curve, where mortality increases as the dose or
      concentration of an insecticide is increased. Standard lethal concentration
      (LC50) and lethal dose (LD50) tests that result in 50% mortality of a test
      population can be challenging for evaluating toxicity of insecticides against non
      adult insect life stages, such as eggs and early instar or nymphal stages.
      However, this information is essential for understanding insecticide efficacy in
      all bed bug life stages, which affects control and treatment efforts. This
      protocol uses a standard dipping bioassay modified for bed bug eggs and a contact
      insecticidal assay for treating nymphal first instars. These assays produce a
      concentration-response curve to further quantify LC50 values for insecticide
      evaluations.

PMID- 28362365
TI  - A Mouse Model of Fatigue Induced by Peripheral Irradiation.
AB  - Cancer-related fatigue (CRF) is a distressing and costly condition that often
      affects patients receiving cancer treatments, including radiation therapy. Here
      we describe a method using targeted peripheral irradiation to induce fatigue-like
      behavior in mice. With appropriate shielding, the irradiation targets the lower
      abdominal/pelvic region of the mouse, sparing the brain, in an effort to model
      radiation treatment received by individuals with pelvic cancers. We deliver an
      irradiation dose that is sufficient to induce fatigue-like behavior in mice,
      measured by voluntary wheel-running activity (VWRA), without causing obvious
      morbidity. Since wheel running is a normal, voluntary behavior in mice, its use
      should have little confounding effect on other behavioral tests or biological
      measures. Hence, wheel running can be used as a feasible outcome measure in
      understanding the behavioral and biological correlates of fatigue. CRF is a
      complex condition with frequent comorbidities, and likely has causes related both
      to cancer and its various treatments. The methods described in this paper are
      useful for investigating radiation-induced changes that contribute to the
      development of CRF and, more generally, to explore the biological networks that
      can explain the development and persistence of a peripherally-triggered but
      centrally-driven behavior like fatigue.

PMID- 28362366
TI  - Flow Cytometric Analysis of Natural Killer Cell Lytic Activity in Human Whole
      Blood.
AB  - NK cell cytotoxicity is a widely used measure to determine the effect of outside
      intervention on NK cell function. However, the accuracy and reproducibility of
      this assay can be considered unstable, either because of user's errors or because
      of the sensitivity of NK cells to experimental manipulation. To eliminate these
      issues, a workflow that reduces them to a minimum was established and is
      presented here. To illustrate, we obtained blood samples, at various time points,
      from runners (n = 4) that were submitted to an intense bout of exercise. First,
      NK cells are simultaneously identified and isolated through CD56 tagging and
      magnetic-based sorting, directly from whole blood and from as little as one
      milliliter. The sorted NK cells are removed of any reagent or capping antibodies.
      They can be counted in order to establish an accurate NK cell count per
      milliliter of blood. Secondly, the sorted NK cells (effectors cells or E) can be
      mixed with 3,3'-Diotadecyloxacarbocyanine Perchlorate (DiO) tagged K562 cells
      (target cells or T) at an assay-optimal 1:5 T:E ratio, and analyzed using an
      imaging flow-cytometer that allows for the visualization of each event and the
      elimination of any false positive or false negatives (such as doublets or
      effector cells). This workflow can be completed in about 4 h, and allows for very
      stable results even when working with human samples. When available, research
      teams can test several experimental interventions in human subjects, and compare
      measurements across several time points without compromising the data's
      integrity.

PMID- 28362367
TI  - Sublimation of DAN Matrix for the Detection and Visualization of Gangliosides in
      Rat Brain Tissue for MALDI Imaging Mass Spectrometry.
AB  - Sample preparation is key for optimal detection and visualization of analytes in
      Matrix-assisted Laser Desorption/Ionization (MALDI) Imaging Mass Spectrometry
      (IMS) experiments. Determining the appropriate protocol to follow throughout the
      sample preparation process can be difficult as each step must be optimized to
      comply with the unique characteristics of the analytes of interest. This process
      involves not only finding a compatible matrix that can desorb and ionize the
      molecules of interest efficiently, but also selecting the appropriate matrix
      deposition technique. For example, a wet matrix deposition technique, which
      entails dissolving a matrix in solvent, is superior for desorption of most
      proteins and peptides, whereas dry matrix deposition techniques are particularly
      effective for ionization of lipids. Sublimation has been reported as a highly
      efficient method of dry matrix deposition for the detection of lipids in tissue
      by MALDI IMS due to the homogeneity of matrix crystal deposition and minimal
      analyte delocalization as compared to many wet deposition methods 1,2. Broadly,
      it involves placing a sample and powdered matrix in a vacuum-sealed chamber with
      the samples pressed against a cold surface. The apparatus is then lowered into a
      heated bath (sand or oil), resulting in sublimation of the powdered matrix onto
      the cooled tissue sample surface. Here we describe a sublimation protocol using
      1,5-diaminonaphthalene (DAN) matrix for the detection and visualization of
      gangliosides in the rat brain using MALDI IMS.

PMID- 28362368
TI  - Peptide Scanning-assisted Identification of a Monoclonal Antibody-recognized
      Linear B-cell Epitope.
AB  - The identification of an antigenic epitope by the immune system allows for the
      understanding of the protective mechanism of neutralizing antibodies that may
      facilitate the development of vaccines and peptide drugs. Peptide scanning is a
      simple and efficient method that straightforwardly maps the linear epitope
      recognized by a monoclonal antibody (mAb). Here, the authors present an epitope
      determination methodology involving serially truncated recombinant proteins,
      synthetic peptide design, and dot-blot hybridization for the antigenic
      recognition of nervous necrosis virus coat protein using a neutralizing mAb. This
      technique relies on the dot-blot hybridization of synthetic peptides and mAbs on
      a polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) membrane. The minimum antigenic region of a
      viral coat protein recognized by the RG-M56 mAb can be narrowed down by step-by
      step trimmed peptide mapping onto a 6-mer peptide epitope. In addition, alanine
      scanning mutagenesis and residue substitution can be performed to characterize
      the binding significance of each amino acid residue making up the epitope. The
      residues flanking the epitope site were found to play critical roles in peptide
      conformation regulation. The identified epitope peptide may be used to form
      crystals of epitope peptide-antibody complexes for an x-ray diffraction study and
      functional competition, or for therapeutics.

PMID- 28362369
TI  - Monovalent Cation Doping of CH3NH3PbI3 for Efficient Perovskite Solar Cells.
AB  - Here, we demonstrate the incorporation of monovalent cation additives into
      CH3NH3PbI3 perovskite in order to adjust the optical, excitonic, and electrical
      properties. The possibility of doping was investigated by adding monovalent
      cation halides with similar ionic radii to Pb2+, including Cu+, Na+, and Ag+. A
      shift in the Fermi level and a remarkable decrease of sub-bandgap optical
      absorption, along with a lower energetic disorder in the perovskite, was
      achieved. An order-of-magnitude enhancement in the bulk hole mobility and a
      significant reduction of transport activation energy within an additive-based
      perovskite device was attained. The confluence of the aforementioned improved
      properties in the presence of these cations led to an enhancement in the
      photovoltaic parameters of the perovskite solar cell. An increase of 70 mV in
      open circuit voltage for AgI and a 2 mA/cm2 improvement in photocurrent density
      for NaI- and CuBr-based solar cells were achieved compared to the pristine
      device. Our work paves the way for further improvements in the optoelectronic
      quality of CH3NH3PbI3 perovskite and subsequent devices. It highlights a new
      avenue for investigations on the role of dopant impurities in crystallization and
      controls the electronic defect density in perovskite structures.

PMID- 28362371
TI  - A Device for Performing Cell Migration/Wound Healing in a 96-Well Plate.
AB  - The cell migration/wounding assay is a commonly used method to study cell
      migration and other biological processes, such as angiogenesis and tumor
      metastasis. In this assay, cells are grown to form a confluent monolayer and a
      mechanical wound is created by scratching with a device. Then the migration rate
      of the cells towards the denuded area can be monitored by imaging. Our 8-channel
      mechanical wounder is designed to tackle most of the problems associated with the
      cell migration assay. Firstly, our wounder can be easily sterilized by
      autoclaving or with common disinfectants. Secondly, the individual adjustable
      pins allow even contact with the cell culture plate so that sharp and
      reproducible wounds can be created. Thirdly, the guiding bars on both sides of
      the wounder ensure consistent wounding position in each well. The use of
      disposable plastic pipette tips for wounding can further provide better handling
      of the wounder as well as to minimize cross-contamination. In conclusion, our
      cell wounder can provide researchers with a user friendly and reproducible device
      for performing the cell migration assay using the standard 96-well culture plate.

PMID- 28362370
TI  - Transmission of Multiple Signals through an Optical Fiber Using Wavefront
      Shaping.
AB  - The transmission of multiple independent optical signals through a multimode
      fiber is accomplished using wavefront shaping in order to compensate for the
      light distortion during the propagation within the fiber. Our methodology is
      based on digital optical phase conjugation employing only a single spatial light
      modulator, where the optical wavefront is individually modulated at different
      regions of the modulator, one region per light signal. Digital optical phase
      conjugation approaches are considered to be faster than other wavefront shaping
      approaches, where (for example) a complete determination of the wave propagation
      behavior of the fiber is performed. In contrast, the presented approach is time
      efficient since it only requires one calibration per light signal. The proposed
      method is potentially appropriate for spatial division multiplexing in
      communications engineering. Further application fields are endoscopic light
      delivery in biophotonics, especially in optogenetics, where single cells in
      biological tissue have to be selectively illuminated with high spatial and
      temporal resolution.

PMID- 28362373
TI  - Proximal Cadaveric Femur Preparation for Fracture Strength Testing and
      Quantitative CT-based Finite Element Analysis.
AB  - Cadaveric fracture testing is routinely used to understand factors that affect
      proximal femur strength. Because ex vivo biological tissues are prone to lose
      their mechanical properties over time, specimen preparation for experimental
      testing must be performed carefully to obtain reliable results that represent in
      vivo conditions. For that reason, we designed a protocol and a set of fixtures to
      prepare the femoral specimens such that their mechanical properties experienced
      minimal changes. The femora were kept in a frozen state except during preparation
      steps and mechanical testing. The relevant clinical measures of total hip and
      femoral neck bone mineral density (BMD) were obtained with a clinical dual X-ray
      absorptiometry (DXA) bone densitometer, and the 3D geometry and distribution of
      bone mineral were obtained using CT with a calibration phantom for quantitative
      estimations based on the greyscale values. Any possible bone disease, fracture,
      or the presence of implants or artifacts affecting the bone structure, was ruled
      out with X-ray scans. For preparation, all bones were carefully cleaned of excess
      soft tissue, and were cut and potted at the internal rotation angle of interest.
      A cutting fixture allowed the distal end of the bone to be cut off leaving the
      proximal femur at a desired length. To allow positioning of the femoral neck at
      prescribed angles during later CT scanning and mechanical testing, the proximal
      femoral shafts were potted in polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA) using a fixture
      designed specifically for desired orientations. The data collected from our
      experiments were then used for validation of quantitative computed tomography
      (QCT)-based finite element analysis (FEA), as described in a different protocol.
      In this manuscript, we present the protocol for the precise bone preparation for
      mechanical testing and subsequent QCT/FEA modeling. The current protocol was
      successfully applied to prepare about 200 cadaveric femora over a 6-year time
      period.

PMID- 28362372
TI  - Using Synthetic Biology to Engineer Living Cells That Interface with Programmable
      Materials.
AB  - We have developed an abiotic-biotic interface that allows engineered cells to
      control the material properties of a functionalized surface. This system is made
      by creating two modules: a synthetically engineered strain of E. coli cells and a
      functionalized material interface. Within this paper, we detail a protocol for
      genetically engineering selected behaviors within a strain of E. coli using
      molecular cloning strategies. Once developed, this strain produces elevated
      levels of biotin when exposed to a chemical inducer. Additionally, we detail
      protocols for creating two different functionalized surfaces, each of which is
      able to respond to cell-synthesized biotin. Taken together, we present a
      methodology for creating a linked, abiotic-biotic system that allows engineered
      cells to control material composition and assembly on nonliving substrates.

PMID- 28362375
TI  - Protocols for Quantifying Transferable Pesticide Residues in Turfgrass Systems.
AB  - Plant canopies in established turfgrass systems can intercept an appreciable
      amount of sprayed pesticides, which can be transferred through various routes
      onto humans. For this reason, transferable pesticide residue experiments are
      required for registration and re-registration by the United States Environmental
      Protection Agency (USEPA). Although such experiments are required, limited
      specificity is required pertaining to experimental approach. Experimental
      approaches used to assess pesticide transfer to humans including hand wiping with
      cotton gloves, modified California roller (moving a roller of known mass over
      cotton cloth) and soccer ball roll (ball wrapped with sorbent strip) over three
      treated turfgrass species (creeping bentgrass, hybrid bermudagrass and tall
      fescue maintained at 0.4, 5 and 9 cm, respectively) are presented. The modified
      California roller is the most extensively utilized approach to date, and is best
      suited for use at low mowing heights due to its reproducibility and large
      sampling area. The soccer ball roll is a less aggressive transfer approach;
      however, it mimics a very common occurrence in the most popular international
      sport, and has many implications for nondietary pesticide exposure from hand-to
      mouth contact. Additionally, this approach may be adjusted for other athletic
      activities with limited modification. Hand wiping is the best approach to
      transfer pesticides at higher mowing heights, as roller-based approaches can lay
      blades over; however, it is more subjective due to more variable sampling
      pressure. Utility of these methods across turfgrass species is presented, and
      additional considerations to conduct transferable pesticide residue research in
      turfgrass systems are discussed.

PMID- 28362374
TI  - A G-quadruplex DNA-affinity Approach for Purification of Enzymatically Active G4
      Resolvase1.
AB  - Higher-order nucleic acid structures called G-quadruplexes (G4s, G4 structures)
      can form in guanine-rich regions of both DNA and RNA and are highly thermally
      stable. There are >375,000 putative G4-forming sequences in the human genome, and
      they are enriched in promoter regions, untranslated regions (UTRs), and within
      the telomeric repeat. Due to the potential for these structures to affect
      cellular processes, such as replication and transcription, the cell has evolved
      enzymes to manage them. One such enzyme is G4 Resolvase 1 (G4R1), which was
      biochemically co-characterized by our laboratory and Nagamine et al. and found to
      bind extremely tightly to both G4-DNA and G4-RNA (Kd in the low-pM range). G4R1
      is the source of the majority of G4-resolving activity in HeLa cell lysates and
      has since been implicated to play a role in telomere metabolism, lymph
      development, gene transcription, hematopoiesis, and immune surveillance. The
      ability to efficiently express and purify catalytically active G4R1 is of
      importance for laboratories interested in gaining further insight into the
      kinetic interaction of G4 structures and G4-resolving enzymes. Here, we describe
      a detailed method for the purification of recombinant G4R1 (rG4R1). The described
      procedure incorporates the traditional affinity-based purification of a C
      terminal histidine-tagged enzyme expressed in human codon-optimized bacteria with
      the utilization of the ability of rG4R1 to bind and unwind G4-DNA to purify
      highly active enzyme in an ATP-dependent elution step. The protocol also includes
      a quality-control step where the enzymatic activity of rG4R1 is measured by
      examining the ability of the purified enzyme to unwind G4-DNA. A method is also
      described that allows for the quantification of purified rG4R1. Alternative
      adaptations of this protocol are discussed.

PMID- 28362376
TI  - A Comparative Study of Drug Delivery Methods Targeted to the Mouse Inner Ear:
      Bullostomy Versus Transtympanic Injection.
AB  - We present two minimally invasive microsurgical techniques in rodents for
      specific drug delivery into the middle ear so that it may reach the inner ear.
      The first procedure consists of perforation of the tympanic bulla, termed
      bullostomy; the second one is a transtympanic injection. Both emulate human
      clinical intratympanic procedures. Chitosan-glycerophosphate (CGP) and Ringer's
      Lactate buffer (RL) were used as biocompatible vehicles for local drug delivery.
      CGP is a nontoxic biodegradable polymer widely used in pharmaceutical
      applications. It is a viscous liquid at RT but it congeals to a semi solid phase
      at body temperature. RL is an isotonic solution used for intravenous
      administrations in humans. A small volume of this vehicle is precisely placed on
      the Round Window (RW) niche by means of a bullostomy. A transtympanic injection
      fills the middle ear and allows less control but broader access to the inner ear.
      The safety profiles of both techniques were studied and compared by using
      functional and morphological tests. Hearing was evaluated by registering the
      Auditory Brainstem Response (ABR) before and several times after microsurgery.
      The cytoarchitecture and preservation level of cochlear structures were studied
      by conventional histological techniques in paraformaldehyde-fixed and decalcified
      cochlear samples. In parallel, unfixed cochlear samples were taken and
      immediately frozen to analyze gene expression profiles of inflammatory markers by
      quantitative Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction (qRT-PCR). Both
      procedures are suitable as drug delivery methods into the mouse middle ear,
      although transtympanic injection proved to be less invasive compared to
      bullostomy.

PMID- 28362377
TI  - A Fluorescence-based Lymphocyte Assay Suitable for High-throughput Screening of
      Small Molecules.
AB  - High-throughput screening (HTS) is currently the mainstay for the identification
      of chemical entities capable of modulating biochemical reactions or cellular
      processes. With the advancement of biotechnologies and the high translational
      potential of small molecules, a number of innovative approaches in drug discovery
      have evolved, which explains the resurgent interest in the use of HTS. The
      oncology field is currently the most active research area for drug screening,
      with no major breakthrough made for the identification of new immunomodulatory
      compounds targeting transplantation-related complications or autoimmune ailments.
      Here, we present a novel in vitro murine fluorescent-based lymphocyte assay
      easily adapted for the identification of new immunomodulatory compounds. This
      assay uses T or B cells derived from a transgenic mouse, in which the Nur77
      promoter drives GFP expression upon T- or B-cell receptor stimulation. As the GFP
      intensity reflects the activation/transcriptional activity of the target cell,
      our assay defines a novel tool to study the effect of given compound(s) on
      cellular/biological responses. For instance, a primary screening was performed
      using 4,398 compounds in the absence of a "target hypothesis", which led to the
      identification of 160 potential hits displaying immunomodulatory activities.
      Thus, the use of this assay is suitable for drug discovery programs exploring
      large chemical libraries prior to further in vitro/in vivo validation studies.

PMID- 28362378
TI  - Combining Intravital Fluorescent Microscopy (IVFM) with Genetic Models to Study
      Engraftment Dynamics of Hematopoietic Cells to Bone Marrow Niches.
AB  - Increasing evidence indicates that normal hematopoiesis is regulated by distinct
      microenvironmental cues in the BM, which include specialized cellular niches
      modulating critical hematopoietic stem cell (HSC) functions1,2. Indeed, a more
      detailed picture of the hematopoietic microenvironment is now emerging, in which
      the endosteal and the endothelial niches form functional units for the regulation
      of normal HSC and their progeny3,4,5. New studies have revealed the importance of
      perivascular cells, adipocytes and neuronal cells in maintaining and regulating
      HSC function6,7,8. Furthermore, there is evidence that cells from different
      lineages, i.e. myeloid and lymphoid cells, home and reside in specific niches
      within the BM microenvironment. However, a complete mapping of the BM
      microenvironment and its occupants is still in progress. Transgenic mouse strains
      expressing lineage specific fluorescent markers or mice genetically engineered to
      lack selected molecules in specific cells of the BM niche are now available.
      Knock-out and lineage tracking models, in combination with transplantation
      approaches, provide the opportunity to refine the knowledge on the role of
      specific "niche" cells for defined hematopoietic populations, such as HSC, B
      cells, T-cells, myeloid cells and erythroid cells. This strategy can be further
      potentiated by merging the use of two-photon microscopy of the calvarium. By
      providing in vivo high resolution imaging and 3-D rendering of the BM calvarium,
      we can now determine precisely the location where specific hematopoietic subsets
      home in the BM and evaluate the kinetics of their expansion over time. Here, Lys
      GFP transgenic mice (marking myeloid cells)9 and RBPJ knock-out mice (lacking
      canonical Notch signaling)10 are used in combination with IVFM to determine the
      engraftment of myeloid cells to a Notch defective BM microenvironment.

PMID- 28362379
TI  - Microfluidic Platform with Multiplexed Electronic Detection for Spatial Tracking
      of Particles.
AB  - Microfluidic processing of biological samples typically involves differential
      manipulations of suspended particles under various force fields in order to
      spatially fractionate the sample based on a biological property of interest. For
      the resultant spatial distribution to be used as the assay readout, microfluidic
      devices are often subjected to microscopic analysis requiring complex
      instrumentation with higher cost and reduced portability. To address this
      limitation, we have developed an integrated electronic sensing technology for
      multiplexed detection of particles at different locations on a microfluidic chip.
      Our technology, called Microfluidic CODES, combines Resistive Pulse Sensing with
      Code Division Multiple Access to compress 2D spatial information into a 1D
      electrical signal. In this paper, we present a practical demonstration of the
      Microfluidic CODES technology to detect and size cultured cancer cells
      distributed over multiple microfluidic channels. As validated by the high-speed
      microscopy, our technology can accurately analyze dense cell populations all
      electronically without the need for an external instrument. As such, the
      Microfluidic CODES can potentially enable low-cost integrated lab-on-a-chip
      devices that are well suited for the point-of-care testing of biological samples.

PMID- 28362380
TI  - Production and Administration of Therapeutic Mesenchymal Stem/Stromal Cell (MSC)
      Spheroids Primed in 3-D Cultures Under Xeno-free Conditions.
AB  - Mesenchymal stem/stromal cells (MSCs) hold great promise in bioengineering and
      regenerative medicine. MSCs can be isolated from multiple adult tissues via their
      strong adherence to tissue culture plastic and then further expanded in vitro,
      most commonly using fetal bovine serum (FBS). Since FBS can cause MSCs to become
      immunogenic, its presence in MSC cultures limits both clinical and experimental
      applications of the cells. Therefore, studies employing chemically defined xeno
      free (XF) media for MSC cultures are extremely valuable. Many beneficial effects
      of MSCs have been attributed to their ability to regulate inflammation and
      immunity, mainly through secretion of immunomodulatory factors such as tumor
      necrosis factor-stimulated gene 6 (TSG6) and prostaglandin E2 (PGE2). However,
      MSCs require activation to produce these factors and since the effect of MSCs is
      often transient, great interest has emerged to discover ways of pre-activating
      the cells prior to their use, thus eliminating the lag time for activation in
      vivo. Here we present protocols to efficiently activate or prime MSCs in three
      dimensional (3D) cultures under chemically defined XF conditions and to
      administer these pre-activated MSCs in vivo. Specifically, we first describe
      methods to generate spherical MSC micro-tissues or 'spheroids' in hanging drops
      using XF medium and demonstrate how the spheres and conditioned medium (CM) can
      be harvested for various applications. Second, we describe gene expression
      screens and in vitro functional assays to rapidly assess the level of MSC
      activation in spheroids, emphasizing the anti-inflammatory and anti-cancer
      potential of the cells. Third, we describe a novel method to inject intact MSC
      spheroids into the mouse peritoneal cavity for in vivo efficacy testing. Overall,
      the protocols herein overcome major challenges of obtaining pre-activated MSCs
      under chemically defined XF conditions and provide a flexible system to
      administer MSC spheroids for therapies.

PMID- 28362381
TI  - Vasodilation of Isolated Vessels and the Isolation of the Extracellular Matrix of
      Tight-skin Mice.
AB  - The interferon regulatory factor 5 (IRF5) is crucial for cells to determine if
      they respond in a pro-inflammatory or anti-inflammatory fashion. IRF5's ability
      to switch cells from one pathway to another is highly attractive as a therapeutic
      target. We designed a decoy peptide IRF5D with a molecular modeling software for
      designing small molecules and peptides. IRF5D inhibited IRF5, reduced alterations
      in extracellular matrix, and improved endothelial vasodilation in the tight-skin
      mouse (Tsk/+). The Kd of IRF5D for recombinant IRF5 is 3.72 +/- 0.74 x 10-6 M as
      determined by binding experiments using biolayer interferometry experiments.
      Endothelial cells (EC) proliferation and apoptosis were unchanged using
      increasing concentrations of IRF5D (0 to 100 ug/mL, 24 h). Tsk/+ mice were
      treated with IRF5D (1 mg/kg/d subcutaneously, 21 d). IRF5 and ICAM expressions
      were decreased after IRF5D treatment. Endothelial function was improved as
      assessed by vasodilation of facialis arteries from Tsk/+ mice treated with IRF5D
      compared to Tsk/+ mice without IRF5D treatment. As a transcription factor, IRF5
      traffics from the cytosol to the nucleus. Translocation was assessed by
      immunohistochemistry on cardiac myocytes cultured on the different cardiac
      extracellular matrices. IRF5D treatment of the Tsk/+ mouse resulted in a reduced
      number of IRF5 positive nuclei in comparison to the animals without IRF5D
      treatment (50 ug/mL, 24 h). These findings demonstrate the important role that
      IRF5 plays in inflammation and fibrosis in Tsk/+ mice.

PMID- 28362383
TI  - Methodology for the Study of Horizontal Gene Transfer in Staphylococcus aureus.
AB  - One important feature of the major opportunistic human pathogen Staphylococcus
      aureus is its extraordinary ability to rapidly acquire resistance to antibiotics.
      Genomic studies reveal that S. aureus carries many virulence and resistance genes
      located in mobile genetic elements, suggesting that horizontal gene transfer
      (HGT) plays a critical role in S. aureus evolution. However, a full and detailed
      description of the methodology used to study HGT in S. aureus is still lacking,
      especially regarding natural transformation, which has been recently reported in
      this bacterium. This work describes three protocols that are useful for the in
      vitro investigation of HGT in S. aureus: conjugation, phage transduction, and
      natural transformation. To this aim, the cfr gene (chloramphenicol/florfenicol
      resistance), which confers the Phenicols, Lincosamides, Oxazolidinones,
      Pleuromutilins, and Streptogramin A (PhLOPSA)-resistance phenotype, was used.
      Understanding the mechanisms through which S. aureus transfers genetic materials
      to other strains is essential to comprehending the rapid acquisition of
      resistance and helps to clarify the modes of dissemination reported in
      surveillance programs or to further predict the spreading mode in the future.

PMID- 28362384
TI  - A Simple and Scalable Fabrication Method for Organic Electronic Devices on
      Textiles.
AB  - Today, wearable electronics devices combine a large variety of functional,
      stretchable, and flexible technologies. However, in many cases, these devices
      cannot be worn under everyday conditions. Therefore, textiles are commonly
      considered the best substrate to accommodate electronic devices in wearable use.
      In this paper, we describe how to selectively pattern organic electroactive
      materials on textiles from a solution in an easy and scalable manner. This
      versatile deposition technique enables the fabrication of wearable organic
      electronic devices on clothes.

PMID- 28362382
TI  - Video Movement Analysis Using Smartphones (ViMAS): A Pilot Study.
AB  - The use of smartphones in clinical practice is steadily increasing with the
      availability of low cost/freely available "apps" that could be used to assess
      human gait. The primary aim of this manuscript is to test the concurrent validity
      of kinematic measures recorded by a smartphone application in comparison to a 3D
      motion capture system in the sagittal plane. The secondary aim was to develop a
      protocol for clinicians on the set up of the smartphone camera for video movement
      analysis. The sagittal plane knee angle was measured during heel strike and toe
      off events using the smart phone app and a 3D motion-capture system in 32 healthy
      subjects. Three trials were performed at near (2-m) and far (4-m) smartphone
      camera distances. The order of the distances was randomized. Regression analysis
      was performed to estimate the height of the camera based on either the subject's
      height or leg length. Absolute measurement errors were least during toe off (3.12
      +/- 5.44 degrees) compared to heel strike (5.81 +/- 5.26 degrees). There were
      significant (p < 0.05) but moderate agreements between the application and 3D
      motion capture measures of knee angles. There were also no significant (p > 0.05)
      differences between the absolute measurement errors between the two camera
      positions. The measurement errors averaged between 3 - 5 degrees during toe off
      and heel strike events of the gait cycle. The use of smartphone apps can be a
      useful tool in the clinic for performing gait or human movement analysis. Further
      studies are needed to establish the accuracy in measuring movements of the upper
      extremity and trunk.

PMID- 28362385
TI  - Induction of an Inflammatory Response in Primary Hepatocyte Cultures from Mice.
AB  - The liver plays a decisive role in the regulation of systemic inflammation. In
      chronic kidney disease in particular, the liver reacts in response to the uremic
      milieu, oxidative stress, endotoxemia and the decreased clearance of circulating
      proinflammatory cytokines by producing a large number of acute-phase reactants.
      Experimental tools to study inflammation and the underlying role of hepatocytes
      are crucial to understand the regulation and contribution of hepatic cytokines to
      a systemic acute phase response and a prolonged pro-inflammatory scenario,
      especially in an intricate setting such as chronic kidney disease. Since studying
      complex mechanisms of inflammation in vivo remains challenging, resource
      intensive and usually requires the usage of transgenic animals, primary isolated
      hepatocytes provide a robust tool to gain mechanistic insights into the hepatic
      acute-phase response. Since this in vitro technique features moderate costs, high
      reproducibility and common technical knowledge, primary isolated hepatocytes can
      also be easily used as a screening approach. Here, we describe an enzymatic-based
      method to isolate primary murine hepatocytes, and we describe the assessment of
      an inflammatory response in these cells using ELISA and quantitative real-time
      PCR.

PMID- 28362387
TI  - Analysis of Termination of Transcription Using BrUTP-strand-specific
      Transcription Run-on (TRO) Approach.
AB  - This manuscript describes a protocol for detecting transcription termination
      defect in vivo. The strand-specific TRO protocol using BrUTP described here is a
      powerful experimental approach for analyzing the transcription termination defect
      under physiological conditions. Like the traditional TRO assay, it relies on the
      presence of a transcriptionally active polymerase beyond the 3' end of the gene
      as an indicator of a transcription termination defect1. It overcomes two major
      problems encountered with the traditional TRO assay. First, it can detect if the
      polymerase reading through the termination signal is the one that initiated
      transcription from the promoter-proximal region, or if it is simply representing
      a pervasively transcribing polymerase that initiated non-specifically from
      somewhere in the body or the 3' end of the gene. Secondly, it can distinguish if
      the transcriptionally active polymerase signal beyond the terminator region is
      truly the readthrough sense mRNA transcribing polymerase or a terminator
      initiated non-coding anti-sense RNA signal. Briefly, the protocol involves
      permeabilizing the exponentially growing yeast cells, allowing the transcripts
      that initiated in vivo to elongate in the presence of the BrUTP nucleotide,
      purifying BrUTP-labelled RNA by the affinity approach, reverse transcribing the
      purified nascent RNA and amplifying the cDNA using strand-specific primers
      flanking the promoter and the terminator regions of the gene2.

PMID- 28362386
TI  - In Vitro Differentiation of Human Pluripotent Stem Cells into Trophoblastic
      Cells.
AB  - The placenta is the first organ to develop during embryogenesis and is required
      for the survival of the developing embryo. The placenta is comprised of various
      trophoblastic cells that differentiate from the extra-embryonic trophectoderm
      cells of the preimplantation blastocyst. As such, our understanding of the early
      differentiation events of the human placenta is limited because of ethical and
      legal restrictions on the isolation and manipulation of human embryogenesis.
      Human pluripotent stem cells (hPSCs) are a robust model system for investigating
      human development and can also be differentiated in vitro into trophoblastic
      cells that express markers of the various trophoblast cell types. Here, we
      present a detailed protocol for differentiating hPSCs into trophoblastic cells
      using bone morphogenic protein 4 and inhibitors of the Activin/Nodal signaling
      pathways. This protocol generates various trophoblast cell types that can be
      transfected with siRNAs for investigating loss-of-function phenotypes or can be
      infected with pathogens. Additionally, hPSCs can be genetically modified and then
      differentiated into trophoblast progenitors for gain-of-function analyses. This
      in vitro differentiation method for generating human trophoblasts starting from
      hPSCs overcomes the ethical and legal restrictions of working with early human
      embryos, and this system can be used for a variety of applications, including
      drug discovery and stem cell research.

PMID- 28362389
TI  - Accessing Valuable Ligand Supports for Transition Metals: A Modified,
      Intermediate Scale Preparation of 1,2,3,4,5-Pentamethylcyclopentadiene.
AB  - A reliable, intermediate scale preparation of 1,2,3,4,5
      pentamethylcyclopentadiene (Cp*H) is presented, based on modifications of
      existing protocols that derive from initial 2-bromo-2-butene lithiation followed
      by acid mediated dienol cyclization. The revised synthesis and purification of
      the ligand avoids the use of mechanical stirring while still permitting access to
      significant quantities (39 g) of Cp*H in good yield (58%). The procedure offers
      other additional benefits, including a more controlled quench of excess lithium
      during the production of the intermediate heptadienols and a simplified isolation
      of Cp*H of sufficient purity for metallation with transition metals. The ligand
      was subsequently used to synthesize [Cp*MCl2]2 complexes of both iridium and
      ruthenium to demonstrate the utility of the Cp*H prepared and purified by our
      method. The procedure outlined herein affords substantial quantities of a
      ubiquitous ancillary ligand support used in organometallic chemistry while
      minimizing the need for specialized laboratory equipment, thus providing a
      simpler and more accessible entry point into the chemistry of 1,2,3,4,5
      pentamethylcyclopentadiene.

PMID- 28362388
TI  - Analyzing Dendritic Morphology in Columns and Layers.
AB  - In many regions of the central nervous systems, such as the fly optic lobes and
      the vertebrate cortex, synaptic circuits are organized in layers and columns to
      facilitate brain wiring during development and information processing in
      developed animals. Postsynaptic neurons elaborate dendrites in type-specific
      patterns in specific layers to synapse with appropriate presynaptic terminals.
      The fly medulla neuropil is composed of 10 layers and about 750 columns; each
      column is innervated by dendrites of over 38 types of medulla neurons, which
      match with the axonal terminals of some 7 types of afferents in a type-specific
      fashion. This report details the procedures to image and analyze dendrites of
      medulla neurons. The workflow includes three sections: (i) the dual-view imaging
      section combines two confocal image stacks collected at orthogonal orientations
      into a high-resolution 3D image of dendrites; (ii) the dendrite tracing and
      registration section traces dendritic arbors in 3D and registers dendritic traces
      to the reference column array; (iii) the dendritic analysis section analyzes
      dendritic patterns with respect to columns and layers, including layer-specific
      termination and planar projection direction of dendritic arbors, and derives
      estimates of dendritic branching and termination frequencies. The protocols
      utilize custom plugins built on the open-source MIPAV (Medical Imaging
      Processing, Analysis, and Visualization) platform and custom toolboxes in the
      matrix laboratory language. Together, these protocols provide a complete workflow
      to analyze the dendritic routing of Drosophila medulla neurons in layers and
      columns, to identify cell types, and to determine defects in mutants.

PMID- 28362391
TI  - Absolute Quantification of Abeta1-42 in CSF Using a Mass Spectrometric Reference
      Measurement Procedure.
AB  - Alzheimer's disease (AD) is the most common neurodegenerative disease among the
      elderly and accounts for 60-80% of all cases of dementia. Currently, the
      diagnosis of AD is based on cognitive tests and mental state exams, but the
      peptide amyloid-beta (Abeta) in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) is increasingly used in
      clinical trials and settings. As for most protein and peptide biomarkers,
      quantification is performed using antibody-based techniques, such as enzyme
      linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). However, intra- and inter-laboratory
      variability in these assays hamper its use as a diagnostic marker in clinical
      routine. An antibody-independent Reference Measurement Procedure (RMP) was
      developed based on solid-phase extraction (SPE) and liquid chromatography (LC)
      tandem mass spectrometry (MS/MS), where stable, isotope-labeled Abeta peptides
      were used as internal standards, enabling absolute quantification. A high
      resolution quadrupole-orbitrap hybrid instrument was used for the measurements.
      The method allows for the quantification of CSF Abeta1-42 between 150-4,000
      pg/mL.

PMID- 28362390
TI  - Blue-hazard-free Candlelight OLED.
AB  - A candlelight-style organic light emitting diode (OLED) is a human-friendly type
      of lighting because it is blue-hazard-free and has a low correlated color
      temperature (CCT) illumination. The low CCT lighting is deprived of high-energy
      blue radiation, and it can be used for a longer duration before causing retinal
      damage. This work presents the comprehensive protocols for the fabrication of
      blue-hazard-free candlelight OLEDs. The emission spectrum of the OLED was
      characterized by the maximum exposure time limit of the retina and the melatonin
      suppression sensitivity. The devices can be fabricated using dry and wet
      processes. The dry-processed OLED resulted in a CCT of 1,940 K and exhibited a
      maximum retinal exposure limit of 1,287 s at a brightness of 500 lx. It showed
      2.61% melatonin suppression sensitivity relative to 480 nm blue light. The wet
      processed OLED, where the spin coating is used to deposit hole injection, hole
      transport, and emissive layers, making fabrication fast and economical, produced
      a CCT of 1,922 K and showed a maximum retinal exposure limit of 7,092 at a
      brightness of 500 lx. The achieved relative melatonin suppression sensitivity of
      1.05% is 86% and 96% less than that of the light emitting diode (LED) and compact
      fluorescent lamp (CFL), respectively. Wet-processed blue-hazard-free candlelight
      OLED exhibited a power efficiency of 30 lm/W, which is 2 times that of the
      incandescent bulb and 300 times that of the candle.

PMID- 28362392
TI  - Fabrication of Nanopillar-Based Split Ring Resonators for Displacement Current
      Mediated Resonances in Terahertz Metamaterials.
AB  - Terahertz (THz) split ring resonator (SRR) metamaterials (MMs) has been studied
      for gas, chemical, and biomolecular sensing applications because the SRR is not
      affected by environmental characteristics such as the temperature and pressure
      surrounding the resonator. Electromagnetic radiation in THz frequencies is
      biocompatible, which is a critical condition especially for the application of
      the biomolecular sensing. However, the quality factor (Q-factor) and frequency
      responses of traditional thin-film based split ring resonator (SRR) MMs are very
      low, which limits their sensitivities and selectivity as sensors. In this work,
      novel nanopillar-based SRR MMs, utilizing displacement current, are designed to
      enhance the Q-factor up to 450, which is around 45 times higher than that of
      traditional thin-film-based MMs. In addition to the enhanced Q-factor, the
      nanopillar-based MMs induce a larger frequency shifts (17 times compared to the
      shift obtained by the traditional thin-film based MMs). Because of the
      significantly enhanced Q-factors and frequency shifts as well as the property of
      biocompatible radiation, the THz nanopillar-based SRR are ideal MMs for the
      development of biomolecular sensors with high sensitivity and selectivity without
      inducing damage or distortion to biomaterials. A novel fabrication process has
      been demonstrated to build the nanopillar-based SRRs for displacement current
      mediated THz MMs. A two-step gold (Au) electroplating process and an atomic layer
      deposition (ALD) process are used to create sub-10 nm scale gaps between Au
      nanopillars. Since the ALD process is a conformal coating process, a uniform
      aluminum oxide (Al2O3) layer with nanometer-scale thickness can be achieved. By
      sequentially electroplating another Au thin film to fill the spaces between Al2O3
      and Au, a close-packed Au-Al2O3-Au structure with nano-scale Al2O3 gaps can be
      fabricated. The size of the nano-gaps can be well defined by precisely
      controlling the deposition cycles of the ALD process, which has an accuracy of
      0.1 nm.

PMID- 28362394
TI  - Techniques of Sleeve Gastrectomy and Modified Roux-en-Y Gastric Bypass in Mice.
AB  - Obesity is a major public health issue, with a prevalence of 4 to 28% for men and
      6.2 to 36.5% for women in Europe (from 2003 to 2008). Morbid obesity is
      frequently associated with metabolic complications, such as type 2 diabetes,
      hypertension, and dyslipidemia, reducing life expectancy and quality. In the
      absence of any effective noninvasive treatments, bariatric surgery is a valuable
      therapeutic option for patients with morbid obesity (body mass index (BMI) >40
      kg/m2), leading to long-term, sustained weight loss and improvements in metabolic
      complications. However, the underlying cellular and molecular mechanisms
      sustaining the beneficial effects of bariatric surgery are not yet fully
      understood. Due to the numerous genetically-modified strains available, the mouse
      model is the most convenient animal model to explore the molecular mechanisms
      behind the pleiotropic beneficial effects of bariatric surgeries. Here, we
      detailed the optimized healthcare methods and surgical protocols in mice for the
      two most widely-used bariatric surgeries: the sleeve gastrectomy and the modified
      Roux-en-Y gastric bypass. Deciphering the molecular mechanisms underlying the
      therapeutic effects of bariatric surgeries offers the promise of identifying new
      therapeutics targets.

PMID- 28362393
TI  - Two Techniques to Create Hypoparathyroid Mice: Parathyroidectomy Using GFP Glands
      and Diphtheria-Toxin-Mediated Parathyroid Ablation.
AB  - Hypoparathyroidism (HP) is a disorder characterized by low levels of PTH which
      lead to hypocalcemia, hyperphosphatemia, and low bone turnover. The most common
      cause of the disease is accidental removal of the parathyroid glands during
      thyroid surgery. Novel therapies for HP are needed, but testing them requires
      reliable animal models of acquired HP. Here, we demonstrate the generation of two
      mouse models of acquired HP. In the GFP-PTX model, mice with green fluorescent
      protein (GFP) expressed specifically in the parathyroids (PTHcre-mTmG) were
      created by crossing PTHcre+ mice with Rosa-mTmGfl/fl mice. Green fluorescing
      parathyroid glands are easily identified under a fluorescence dissecting
      microscope and parathyroidectomy is performed in less than 20 min. After
      fluorescence-guided surgery, mice are profoundly hypocalcemic. Contrary to the
      traditional thyro-parathyroidectomy, this precise surgical approach leaves
      thyroid glands and thyroid function intact. The second model, which does not
      require surgery, is based on a diphtheria-toxin approach. PTHcre-iDTR mice, which
      express the diphtheria toxin (DT) receptor specifically in the parathyroids, were
      generated by crossing the inducible DTR mouse with the PTHcre mouse. Parathyroid
      cells are thus rendered sensitive to diphtheria toxin (DT) and can be selectively
      destroyed by systemically injecting mice with DT. The resulting hypocalcemic
      phenotype is stable.

PMID- 28362395
TI  - A Novel Technique for Generating and Observing Chemiluminescence in a Biological
      Setting.
AB  - Intraoperative imaging techniques have the potential to make surgical
      interventions safer and more effective; for these reasons, such techniques are
      quickly moving into the operating room. Here, we present a new approach that
      utilizes a technique not yet explored for intraoperative imaging:
      chemiluminescent imaging. This method employs a ruthenium-based chemiluminescent
      reporter along with a custom-built nebulizing system to produce ex vivo or in
      vivo images with high signal-to-noise ratios. The ruthenium-based reporter
      produces light following exposure to an aqueous oxidizing solution and re
      reduction within the surrounding tissue. This method has allowed us to detect
      reporter concentrations as low as 6.9 pmol/cm2. In this work, we present a visual
      guide to our proof-of-concept in vivo studies involving subdermal and intravenous
      injections in mice. The results suggest that this technology is a promising
      candidate for further preclinical research and might ultimately become a useful
      tool in the operating room.

PMID- 28362396
TI  - Fabrication of Three-dimensional Paper-based Microfluidic Devices for
      Immunoassays.
AB  - Paper wicks fluids autonomously due to capillary action. By patterning paper with
      hydrophobic barriers, the transport of fluids can be controlled and directed
      within a layer of paper. Moreover, stacking multiple layers of patterned paper
      creates sophisticated three-dimensional microfluidic networks that can support
      the development of analytical and bioanalytical assays. Paper-based microfluidic
      devices are inexpensive, portable, easy to use, and require no external equipment
      to operate. As a result, they hold great promise as a platform for point-of-care
      diagnostics. In order to properly evaluate the utility and analytical performance
      of paper-based devices, suitable methods must be developed to ensure their
      manufacture is reproducible and at a scale that is appropriate for laboratory
      settings. In this manuscript, a method to fabricate a general device architecture
      that can be used for paper-based immunoassays is described. We use a form of
      additive manufacturing (multi-layer lamination) to prepare devices that comprise
      multiple layers of patterned paper and patterned adhesive. In addition to
      demonstrating the proper use of these three-dimensional paper-based microfluidic
      devices with an immunoassay for human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG), errors in the
      manufacturing process that may result in device failures are discussed. We expect
      this approach to manufacturing paper-based devices will find broad utility in the
      development of analytical applications designed specifically for limited-resource
      settings.

PMID- 28362397
TI  - Analyzing Cell Surface Adhesion Remodeling in Response to Mechanical Tension
      Using Magnetic Beads.
AB  - Mechanosensitive cell surface adhesion complexes allow cells to sense the
      mechanical properties of their surroundings. Recent studies have identified both
      force-sensing molecules at adhesion sites, and force-dependent transcription
      factors that regulate lineage-specific gene expression and drive phenotypic
      outputs. However, the signaling networks converting mechanical tension into
      biochemical pathways have remained elusive. To explore the signaling pathways
      engaged upon mechanical tension applied to cell surface receptor,
      superparamagnetic microbeads can be used. Here we present a protocol for using
      magnetic beads to apply forces to cell surface adhesion proteins. Using this
      approach, it is possible to investigate not only force-dependent cytoplasmic
      signaling pathways by various biochemical approaches, but also adhesion
      remodeling by magnetic isolation of adhesion complexes attached to the ligand
      coated beads. This protocol includes the preparation of ligand-coated
      superparamagnetic beads, and the application of define tensile forces followed by
      biochemical analyses. Additionally, we provide a representative sample of data
      demonstrating that tension applied to integrin-based adhesion triggers adhesion
      remodeling and alters protein tyrosine phosphorylation.

PMID- 28362398
TI  - Automatic Detection of Highly Organized Theta Oscillations in the Murine EEG.
AB  - Theta activity is generated in the septohippocampal system and can be recorded
      using deep intrahippocampal electrodes and implantable electroencephalography
      (EEG) radiotelemetry or tether system approaches. Pharmacologically, hippocampal
      theta is heterogeneous (see dualistic theory) and can be differentiated into type
      I and type II theta. These individual EEG subtypes are related to specific
      cognitive and behavioral states, such as arousal, exploration, learning and
      memory, higher integrative functions, etc. In neurodegenerative diseases such as
      Alzheimer's, structural and functional alterations of the septohippocampal system
      can result in impaired theta activity/oscillations. A standard quantitative
      analysis of the hippocampal EEG includes a Fast-Fourier-Transformation (FFT)
      based frequency analysis. However, this procedure does not provide details about
      theta activity in general and highly-organized theta oscillations in particular.
      In order to obtain detailed information on highly-organized theta oscillations in
      the hippocampus, we have developed a new analytical approach. This approach
      allows for time- and cost-effective quantification of the duration of highly
      organized theta oscillations and their frequency characteristics.

PMID- 28362399
TI  - Methods to Study Epithelial Transport Protein Function and Expression in Native
      Intestine and Caco-2 Cells Grown in 3D.
AB  - The intestinal epithelium has important transport and barrier functions that play
      key roles in normal physiological functions of the body while providing a barrier
      to foreign particles. Impaired epithelial transport (ion, nutrient, or drugs) has
      been associated with many diseases and can have consequences that extend beyond
      the normal physiological functions of the transporters, such as by influencing
      epithelial integrity and the gut microbiome. Understanding the function and
      regulation of transport proteins is critical for the development of improved
      therapeutic interventions. The biggest challenge in the study of epithelial
      transport is developing a suitable model system that recapitulates important
      features of the native intestinal epithelial cells. Several in vitro cell culture
      models, such as Caco-2, T-84, and HT-29-Cl.19A cells are typically used in
      epithelial transport research. These cell lines represent a reductionist approach
      to modeling the epithelium and have been used in many mechanistic studies,
      including their examination of epithelial-microbial interactions. However, cell
      monolayers do not accurately reflect cell-cell interactions and the in vivo
      microenvironment. Cells grown in 3D have shown to be promising models for drug
      permeability studies. We show that Caco-2 cells in 3D can be used to study
      epithelial transporters. It is also important that studies in Caco-2 cells are
      complemented with other models to rule out cell specific effects and to take into
      account the complexity of the native intestine. Several methods have been
      previously used to assess the functionality of transporters, such as everted sac
      and uptake in isolated epithelial cells or in isolated plasma membrane vesicles.
      Taking into consideration the challenges in the field with respect to models and
      the measurement of transport function, we demonstrate here a protocol to grow
      Caco-2 cells in 3D and describe the use of an Ussing chamber as an effective
      approach to measure serotonin transport, such as in intact polarized intestinal
      epithelia.

PMID- 28362400
TI  - Minimally Invasive Transverse Aortic Constriction in Mice.
AB  - Minimally invasive transverse aortic constriction (MTAC) is a more desirable
      method for the constriction of the transverse aorta in mice than standard open
      chest transverse aortic constriction (TAC). Although transverse aortic
      constriction is a highly functional method for the induction of high pressure in
      the left ventricle, it is a more difficult and lengthy procedure due to its use
      of artificial ventilation with tracheal intubation. TAC is oftentimes also less
      survivable, as the newer method, MTAC, neither requires the cutting of the ribs
      and intercostal muscles nor tracheal intubation with a ventilation setup. In
      MTAC, as opposed to a thoracotomy to access to the chest cavity, the aortic arch
      is reached through a midline incision in the anterior neck. The thyroid is pulled
      back to reveal the sternal notch. The sternum is subsequently cut down to the
      second rib level, and the aortic arch is reached simply by separating the
      connective tissues and thymus. From there, a suture can be wrapped around the
      arch and tied with a spacer, and then the sternal cut and skin can be closed.
      MTAC is a much faster and less invasive way to induce left ventricular
      hypertension and enables the possibility for high-throughput studies. The success
      of the constriction can be verified using high-frequency trans-thoracic
      echocardiography, particularly color Doppler and pulsed-wave Doppler, to
      determine the flow velocities of the aortic arch and left and right carotid
      arteries, the dimension of the blood vessels, and the left ventricular function
      and morphology. A successful constriction will also trigger significant
      histopathological changes, such as cardiac muscle cell hypertrophy with
      interstitial and perivascular fibrosis. Here, the procedure of MTAC is described,
      demonstrating how the resulting flow changes in the carotid arteries can be
      examined with echocardiography, gross morphology, and histopathological changes
      in the heart.

PMID- 28362401
TI  - Optimized Analysis of In Vivo and In Vitro Hepatic Steatosis.
AB  - Establishing a system of procedures to qualitatively and quantitatively
      characterize in vivo and in vitro hepatic steatosis is important for metabolic
      study in the liver. Here, numerous assays are described to comprehensively
      measure the phenotype and parameters of hepatic steatosis in mouse and hepatocyte
      models. Combining the physiological, histological, and biochemical methods, this
      system can be used to assess the progress of hepatic steatosis. In vivo, the
      measurements of body weight and nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) provide a
      general understanding of mice in a non-invasive manner. Hematoxylin and Eosin
      (H&E) and Oil Red O staining determine the histological morphology and lipid
      deposition of liver tissue under nutrient overload conditions, such as high-fat
      diet feeding. Next, the total lipid contents are isolated by chloroform/methanol
      extraction, which are followed by a biochemical analysis for triglyceride and
      cholesterol. Moreover, mouse primary hepatocytes are treated with high glucose
      plus insulin to stimulate lipid accumulation, an efficient in vitro model to
      mimic diet-induced hyperglycemia and hyperinsulinemia in vivo. Then, the lipid
      deposition is measured by Oil Red O staining and chloroform/methanol extraction.
      Oil Red O staining determines intuitive hepatic steatotic phenotypes, while the
      lipid extraction analysis determines the parameters that can be analyzed
      statistically. The present protocols are of interest to scientists in the fields
      of fatty liver diseases, insulin resistance, and type 2 diabetes.

PMID- 28362402
TI  - Evaporation-reducing Culture Condition Increases the Reproducibility of
      Multicellular Spheroid Formation in Microtiter Plates.
AB  - Tumor models that closely imitate in vivo conditions are becoming increasingly
      popular in drug discovery and development for the screening of potential anti
      cancer drugs. Multicellular tumor spheroids (MCTSes) effectively mimic the
      physiological conditions of solid tumors, making them excellent in vitro models
      for lead optimization and target validation. Out of the various techniques
      available for MCTS culture, the liquid-overlay method on agarose is one of the
      most inexpensive methods for MCTS generation. However, the reliable transfer of
      MCTS cultures using liquid-overlay for high-throughput screening may be
      compromised by a number of limitations, including the coating of microtiter
      plates (MPs) with agarose and the irreproducibility of uniform MCTS formation
      across wells. MPs are significantly prone to edge effects that result from
      excessive evaporation of medium from the exterior of the plate, preventing the
      use of the entire plate for drug tests. This manuscript provides detailed
      technical improvements to the liquid-overlay technique to increase the
      scalability and reproducibility of uniform MCTS formation. Additionally, details
      on a simple, semi-automatic, and universally applicable software tool for the
      evaluation of MCTS features after drug treatment is presented.

PMID- 28362403
TI  - 3D Printing of Biomolecular Models for Research and Pedagogy.
AB  - The construction of physical three-dimensional (3D) models of biomolecules can
      uniquely contribute to the study of the structure-function relationship. 3D
      structures are most often perceived using the two-dimensional and exclusively
      visual medium of the computer screen. Converting digital 3D molecular data into
      real objects enables information to be perceived through an expanded range of
      human senses, including direct stereoscopic vision, touch, and interaction. Such
      tangible models facilitate new insights, enable hypothesis testing, and serve as
      psychological or sensory anchors for conceptual information about the functions
      of biomolecules. Recent advances in consumer 3D printing technology enable, for
      the first time, the cost-effective fabrication of high-quality and scientifically
      accurate models of biomolecules in a variety of molecular representations.
      However, the optimization of the virtual model and its printing parameters is
      difficult and time consuming without detailed guidance. Here, we provide a guide
      on the digital design and physical fabrication of biomolecule models for research
      and pedagogy using open source or low-cost software and low-cost 3D printers that
      use fused filament fabrication technology.

PMID- 28362404
TI  - A Customizable Chamber for Measuring Cell Migration.
AB  - Cell migration is a vital part of immune responses, growth, and wound healing.
      Cell migration is a complex process that involves interactions between cells, the
      extracellular matrix, and soluble and non-soluble chemical factors (e.g.,
      chemoattractants). Standard methods for measuring the migration of cells, such as
      the Boyden chamber assay, work by counting cells on either side of a divider.
      These techniques are easy to use; however, they offer little geometric
      modification for different applications. In contrast, microfluidic devices can be
      used to observe cell migration with customizable concentration gradients of
      soluble factors1,2. However, methods for making microfluidics based assays can be
      difficult to learn. Here, we describe an easy method for creating cell culture
      chambers to measure cell migration in response to chemical concentration
      gradients. Our cell migration chamber method can create different linear
      concentration gradients in order to study cell migration for a variety of
      applications. This method is relatively easy to use and is typically performed by
      undergraduate students. The microchannel chamber was created by placing an
      acrylic insert in the shape of the final microchannel chamber well into a Petri
      dish. After this, poly(dimethylsiloxane) (PDMS) was poured on top of the insert.
      The PDMS was allowed to harden and then the insert was removed. This allowed for
      the creation of wells in any desired shape or size. Cells may be subsequently
      added to the microchannel chamber, and soluble agents can be added to one of the
      wells by soaking an agarose block in the desired agent. The agarose block is
      added to one of the wells, and time-lapse images can be taken of the microchannel
      chamber in order to quantify cell migration. Variations to this method can be
      made for a given application, making this method highly customizable.

PMID- 28362405
TI  - Local Field Fluorescence Microscopy: Imaging Cellular Signals in Intact Hearts.
AB  - In the heart, molecular signaling studies are usually performed in isolated
      myocytes. However, many pathological situations such as ischemia and arrhythmias
      can only be fully understood at the whole organ level. Here, we present the
      spectroscopic technique of local field fluorescence microscopy (LFFM) that allows
      the measurement of cellular signals in the intact heart. The technique is based
      on a combination of a Langendorff perfused heart and optical fibers to record
      fluorescent signals. LFFM has various applications in the field of cardiovascular
      physiology to study the heart under normal and pathological conditions. Multiple
      cardiac variables can be monitored using different fluorescent indicators. These
      include cytosolic [Ca2+], intra-sarcoplasmic reticulum [Ca2+] and membrane
      potentials. The exogenous fluorescent probes are excited and the emitted
      fluorescence detected with three different arrangements of LFFM epifluorescence
      techniques presented in this paper. The central differences among these
      techniques are the type of light source used for excitation and on the way the
      excitation light is modulated. The pulsed LFFM (PLFFM) uses laser light pulses
      while continuous wave LFFM (CLFFM) uses continuous laser light for excitation.
      Finally, light-emitting diodes (LEDs) were used as a third light source. This non
      coherent arrangement is called pulsed LED fluorescence microscopy (PLEDFM).

PMID- 28362407
TI  - A High-throughput Compatible Assay to Evaluate Drug Efficacy against Macrophage
      Passaged Mycobacterium tuberculosis.
AB  - The early drug development process for anti-tuberculosis drugs is hindered by the
      inefficient translation of compounds with in vitro activity to effectiveness in
      the clinical setting. This is likely due to a lack of consideration for the
      physiologically relevant cellular penetration barriers that exist in the infected
      host. We recently established an alternative infection model that generates large
      macrophage aggregate structures containing densely packed M. tuberculosis (Mtb)
      at its core, which was suitable for drug susceptibility testing. This infection
      model is inexpensive, rapid, and most importantly BSL-2 compatible. Here, we
      describe the experimental procedures to generate Mtb/macrophage aggregate
      structures that would produce macrophage-passaged Mtb for drug susceptibility
      testing. In particular, we demonstrate how this infection system could be
      directly adapted to the 96-well plate format showing throughput capability for
      the screening of compound libraries against Mtb. Overall, this assay is a
      valuable addition to the currently available Mtb drug discovery toolbox due to
      its simplicity, cost effectiveness, and scalability.

PMID- 28362406
TI  - Efficient Differentiation of Pluripotent Stem Cells to NKX6-1+ Pancreatic
      Progenitors.
AB  - Pluripotent stem cells have the ability to self renew and differentiate to
      multiple lineages, making them an attractive source for the generation of
      pancreatic progenitor cells that can be used for the study of and future
      treatment of diabetes. This article outlines a four-stage differentiation
      protocol designed to generate pancreatic progenitor cells from human embryonic
      stem cells (hESCs). This protocol can be applied to a number of human pluripotent
      stem cell (hPSC) lines. The approach taken to generate pancreatic progenitor
      cells is to differentiate hESCs to accurately model key stages of pancreatic
      development. This begins with the induction of the definitive endoderm, which is
      achieved by culturing the cells in the presence of Activin A, basic Fibroblast
      Growth Factor (bFGF) and CHIR990210. Further differentiation and patterning with
      Fibroblast Growth Factor 10 (FGF10) and Dorsomorphin generates cells resembling
      the posterior foregut. The addition of Retinoic Acid, NOGGIN, SANT-1 and FGF10
      differentiates posterior foregut cells into cells characteristic of pancreatic
      endoderm. Finally, the combination of Epidermal Growth Factor (EGF), Nicotinamide
      and NOGGIN leads to the efficient generation of PDX1+/NKX6-1+ cells. Flow
      cytometry is performed to confirm the expression of specific markers at key
      stages of pancreatic development. The PDX1+/NKX6-1+ pancreatic progenitors at the
      end of stage 4 are capable of generating mature beta cells upon transplantation
      into immunodeficient mice and can be further differentiated to generate insulin
      producing cells in vitro. Thus, the efficient generation of PDX1+/NKX6-1+
      pancreatic progenitors, as demonstrated in this protocol, is of great importance
      as it provides a platform to study human pancreatic development in vitro and
      provides a source of cells with the potential of differentiating to beta cells
      that could eventually be used for the treatment of diabetes.

PMID- 28362408
TI  - In Vitro Imaging and Quantification of the Drug Targeting Efficiency of
      Fluorescently Labeled GnRH Analogues.
AB  - GnRH analogues are effective targeting moieties and able to deliver anticancer
      agents selectively into malignant tumor cells which highly express GnRH
      receptors. However, the quantitative analysis of GnRH analogues' cellular uptake
      and the investigated cell types in GnRH-based drug delivery systems are currently
      limited. Previously introduced, selectively labeled fluorescent GnRH I, -II and 
      III derivatives provide great detectability, and they have suitable chemical
      properties for reproducible and robust experiments. We also found that the
      appropriate up-to-date methods with these labeled GnRH analogues could offer
      novel information about the GnRH-based drug delivery systems. This manuscript
      introduces some simple and fast experiments regarding the cellular uptake of [D
      Lys6(FITC)]-GnRH-I, [D-Lys6(FITC)]-GnRH-II and [Lys8(FITC)]-GnRH-III on the EBC-1
      (lung), the BxPC-3 (pancreas) and on the Detroit-562- (pharynx) malignant tumor
      cells. In parallel with these GnRH-FITC conjugates, the cell surface level of
      GnRH-I receptors was also examined on these cell lines before and after the GnRH
      treatment by confocal laser scanning microscopy. The cellular uptake of GnRH-FITC
      conjugates was quantified by fluorescence-activated cell sorting. In these
      experiments minor differences among GnRH analogues and major differences among
      cell types was observed. The significant differences among cell lines are
      correlated with their distinct level of cell surface GnRH-I receptors. The
      introduced experiments contain practical methods to visualize, quantify and
      compare the uptake efficiency of GnRH-FITC conjugates in a time- and
      concentration-dependent manner on various adherent cell cultures. These results
      could predict the drug targeting efficiency of GnRH conjugates on the given cell
      culture, and offer a good basis for further experiments in the examination of
      GnRH-based drug delivery systems.

PMID- 28362410
TI  - Evaluation of Drug Sorption to PVC- and Non-PVC-based Tubes in Administration
      Sets Using a Pump.
AB  - Administration sets are delivery tools for the direct application of drugs into
      the body and are composed of a spike, a drip chamber, tubes, Luer adapters
      (connectors), a needle cover for protection, and other accessories. Drug sorption
      to tubes of administration sets is a critical issue in terms of safety and
      efficacy. Although drug sorption is an important factor in the quality of an
      administration set, there are no standard evaluation methods for the regulation
      of drug sorption to the tubes. Here, we describe an evaluation protocol for drug
      sorption to tubes of administration sets. Tubes made of polyvinyl chloride (PVC)-
      and non-PVC-based polymeric materials were cut to 1 m in length. Diazepam and
      tacrolimus were used as model drugs. In the kinetic sorption study, we selected
      the drug concentration and flow rate based on the clinical usage of these drugs.
      After the dilution of each drug in a glass bottle, the diluted drug solution was
      delivered through tubes of administration sets using a pump. Samples were
      collected in amber vials at appropriate time points and the drugs were analyzed
      using high-performance liquid chromatography. Drug concentrations and sorption
      levels to tubes of the administration sets were calculated. Acceptable criteria
      to ensure the quality of administration sets are recommended.

PMID- 28362409
TI  - Intraductal Delivery to the Rabbit Mammary Gland.
AB  - Localized intraductal treatments for breast cancer offer potential advantages,
      including efficient delivery to the tumor and reduced systemic toxicity and
      adverse effects1,2,3,4,5,6,7. However, several challenges remain before these
      treatments can be applied more widely. The development and validation of
      intraductal therapeutics in an appropriate animal model facilitate the
      development of intraductal therapeutic strategies for patients. While the mouse
      mammary gland has been widely used as a model system of mammary development and
      tumorigenesis, the anatomy is distinct from the human gland. A larger animal
      model, such as the rabbit, may serve as a better model for mammary gland
      structure and intraductal therapeutic development. In contrast to mice, in which
      ten ductal trees are spatially distributed along the body axis, each terminating
      in a separate teat, the rabbit mammary gland more closely resembles the human
      gland, with multiple overlapping ductal systems that exit through separate
      openings in one teat. Here, we present minimally invasive methods for the
      delivery of reagents directly into the rabbit mammary duct and for visualization
      of the delivery itself with high-resolution ultrasound imaging.

PMID- 28362411
TI  - Continuous Manual Exchange Transfusion for Patients with Sickle Cell Disease: An
      Efficient Method to Avoid Iron Overload.
AB  - Children with sickle cell anemia (SCA) may be at risk of cerebral vasculopathy
      and strokes, which can be prevented by chronic transfusion programs. Repeated
      transfusions of packed red blood cells (PRBCs) is currently the simplest and most
      used technique for chronic transfusion programs. However, iron overload is one of
      the major side effects of this therapy. More developed methods exist, notably the
      apheresis of RBC (erythrapheresis), which is currently the safest and most
      efficient method. However, it is costly, complicated, and cannot be implemented
      everywhere, nor is it suitable for all patients. Manual exchange transfusions
      combine one or more manual phlebotomies with a PRBC transfusion. At the Reference
      Center of Sickle Cell Disease, we set up a continuous method of manual exchange
      transfusion that is feasible for all hospital settings, demands no specific
      equipment, and is widely applicable. In terms of HbS decrease, stroke prevention,
      and iron overload prevention, this method showed comparable efficiency to
      erythrapheresis. In cases where erythrapheresis is not available, this method can
      be a good alternative for patients and care centers.

PMID- 28362412
TI  - Conditional Reprogramming of Pediatric Human Esophageal Epithelial Cells for Use
      in Tissue Engineering and Disease Investigation.
AB  - Identifying and expanding patient-specific cells in culture for use in tissue
      engineering and disease investigation can be very challenging. Utilizing various
      types of stem cells to derive cell types of interest is often costly, time
      consuming and highly inefficient. Furthermore, undesired cell types must be
      removed prior to using this cell source, which requires another step in the
      process. In order to obtain enough esophageal epithelial cells to engineer the
      lumen of an esophageal construct or to screen therapeutic approaches for treating
      esophageal disease, native esophageal epithelial cells must be expanded without
      altering their gene expression or phenotype. Conditional reprogramming of
      esophageal epithelial tissue offers a promising approach to expanding patient
      specific esophageal epithelial cells. Furthermore, these cells do not need to be
      sorted or purified and will return to a mature epithelial state after removing
      them from conditional reprogramming culture. This technique has been described in
      many cancer screening studies and allows for indefinite expansion of these cells
      over multiple passages. The ability to perform esophageal screening assays would
      help revolutionize the treatment of pediatric esophageal diseases like
      eosinophilic esophagitis by identifying the trigger mechanism causing the
      patient's symptoms. For those patients who suffer from congenital defect, disease
      or injury of the esophagus, this cell source could be used as a means to seed a
      synthetic construct for implantation to repair or replace the affected region.

PMID- 28362413
TI  - Assessing Cardiomyocyte Subtypes Following Transcription Factor-mediated
      Reprogramming of Mouse Embryonic Fibroblasts.
AB  - Direct reprogramming of one cell type into another has recently emerged as a
      powerful paradigm for regenerative medicine, disease modeling, and lineage
      specification. In particular, the conversion of fibroblasts into induced
      cardiomyocyte-like myocytes (iCLMs) by Gata4, Hand2, Mef2c, and Tbx5 (GHMT)
      represents an important avenue for generating de novo cardiac myocytes in vitro
      and in vivo. Recent evidence suggests that GHMT generates a greater diversity of
      cardiac subtypes than previously appreciated, thus underscoring the need for a
      systematic approach to conducting additional studies. Before direct reprogramming
      can be used as a therapeutic strategy, however, the mechanistic underpinnings of
      lineage conversion must be understood in detail to generate specific cardiac
      subtypes. Here we present a detailed protocol for generating iCLMs by GHMT
      mediated reprogramming of mouse embryonic fibroblasts (MEFs). We outline methods
      for MEF isolation, retroviral production, and MEF infection to accomplish
      efficient reprogramming. To determine the subtype identity of reprogrammed cells,
      we detail a step-by-step approach for performing immunocytochemistry on iCLMs
      using a defined set of compatible antibodies. Methods for confocal microscopy,
      identification, and quantification of iCLMs and individual atrial (iAM),
      ventricular (iVM), and pacemaker (iPM) subtypes are also presented. Finally, we
      discuss representative results of prototypical direct reprogramming experiments
      and highlight important technical aspects of our protocol to ensure efficient
      lineage conversion. Taken together, our optimized protocol should provide a
      stepwise approach for investigators to conduct meaningful cardiac reprogramming
      experiments that require identification of individual CM subtypes.

PMID- 28362414
TI  - Preparation and Observation of Thick Biological Samples by Scanning Transmission
      Electron Tomography.
AB  - This report describes a protocol for preparing thick biological specimens for
      further observation using a scanning transmission electron microscope. It also
      describes an imaging method for studying the 3D structure of thick biological
      specimens by scanning transmission electron tomography. The sample preparation
      protocol is based on conventional methods in which the sample is fixed using
      chemical agents, treated with a heavy atom salt contrasting agent, dehydrated in
      a series of ethanol baths, and embedded in resin. The specific imaging conditions
      for observing thick samples by scanning transmission electron microscopy are then
      described. Sections of the sample are observed using a through-focus method
      involving the collection of several images at various focal planes. This enables
      the recovery of in-focus information at various heights throughout the sample.
      This particular collection pattern is performed at each tilt angle during
      tomography data collection. A single image is then generated, merging the in
      focus information from all the different focal planes. A classic tilt-series
      dataset is then generated. The advantage of the method is that the tilt-series
      alignment and reconstruction can be performed using standard tools. The
      collection of through-focal images allows the reconstruction of a 3D volume that
      contains all of the structural details of the sample in focus.

PMID- 28362415
TI  - Physiological Preparation of Hair Cells from the Sacculus of the American
      Bullfrog (Rana catesbeiana).
AB  - The study of hearing and balance rests upon insights drawn from biophysical
      studies of model systems. One such model, the sacculus of the American bullfrog,
      has become a mainstay of auditory and vestibular research. Studies of this organ
      have revealed how sensory cells hair can actively detect signals from the
      environment. Because of these studies, we now better understand the mechanical
      gating and localization of a hair cell's transduction channels, calcium's role in
      mechanical adaptation, and the identity of hair cell currents. This highly
      accessible organ continues to provide insight into the workings of hair cells.
      Here we describe the preparation of the bullfrog's sacculus for biophysical
      studies on its hair cells. We include the complete dissection procedure and
      provide specific protocols for the preparation of the sacculus in specific
      contexts. We additionally include representative results using this preparation,
      including the calculation of a hair bundle's instantaneous force-displacement
      relation and measurement of a bundle's spontaneous oscillation.

PMID- 28362416
TI  - A Straightforward Method for Glucosinolate Extraction and Analysis with High
      pressure Liquid Chromatography (HPLC).
AB  - Glucosinolates are a well-studied and highly diverse class of natural plant
      compounds. They play important roles in plant resistance, rapeseed oil quality,
      food flavoring, and human health. The biological activity of glucosinolates is
      released upon tissue damage, when they are mixed with the enzyme myrosinase. This
      results in the formation of pungent and toxic breakdown products, such as
      isothiocyanates and nitriles. Currently, more than 130 structurally different
      glucosinolates have been identified. The chemical structure of the glucosinolate
      is an important determinant of the product that is formed, which in turn
      determines its biological activity. The latter may range from detrimental (e.g.,
      progoitrin) to beneficial (e.g., glucoraphanin). Each glucosinolate-containing
      plant species has its own specific glucosinolate profile. For this reason, it is
      important to correctly identify and reliably quantify the different
      glucosinolates present in brassicaceous leaf, seed, and root crops or, for
      ecological studies, in their wild relatives. Here, we present a well-validated,
      targeted, and robust method to analyze glucosinolate profiles in a wide range of
      plant species and plant organs. Intact glucosinolates are extracted from ground
      plant materials with a methanol-water mixture at high temperatures to disable
      myrosinase activity. Thereafter, the resulting extract is brought onto an ion
      exchange column for purification. After sulfatase treatment, the
      desulfoglucosinolates are eluted with water and the eluate is freeze-dried. The
      residue is taken up in an exact volume of water, which is analyzed by high
      pressure liquid chromatography (HPLC) with a photodiode array (PDA) or
      ultraviolet (UV) detector. Detection and quantification are achieved by
      conducting comparisons of the retention times and UV spectra of commercial
      reference standards. The concentrations are calculated based on a sinigrin
      reference curve and well-established response factors. The advantages and
      disadvantages of this straightforward method, when compared to faster and more
      technologically advanced methods, are discussed here.

PMID- 28362418
TI  - Utilizing pHluorin-tagged Receptors to Monitor Subcellular Localization and
      Trafficking.
AB  - Understanding membrane protein trafficking, assembly, and expression requires an
      approach that differentiates between those residing in intracellular organelles
      and those localized on the plasma membrane. Traditional fluorescence-based
      measurements lack the capability to distinguish membrane proteins residing in
      different organelles. Cutting edge methodologies transcend traditional methods by
      coupling pH-sensitive fluorophores with total internal reflection fluorescence
      microscopy (TIRFM). TIRF illumination excites the sample up to approximately 150
      nm from the glass-sample interface, thus decreasing background, increasing the
      signal to noise ratio, and enhancing resolution. The excitation volume in TIRFM
      encompasses the plasma membrane and nearby organelles such as the peripheral ER.
      Superecliptic pHluorin (SEP) is a pH sensitive version of GFP. Genetically
      encoding SEP into the extracellular domain of a membrane protein of interest
      positions the fluorophore on the luminal side of the ER and in the extracellular
      region of the cell. SEP is fluorescent when the pH is greater than 6, but remains
      in an off state at lower pH values. Therefore, receptors tagged with SEP
      fluoresce when residing in the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) or upon insertion in
      the plasma membrane (PM) but not when confined to a trafficking vesicle or other
      organelles such as the Golgi. The extracellular pH can be adjusted to dictate the
      fluorescence of receptors on the plasma membrane. The difference in fluorescence
      between TIRF images at neutral and acidic extracellular pH for the same cell
      corresponds to a relative number of receptors on the plasma membrane. This allows
      a simultaneous measurement of intracellular and plasma membrane resident
      receptors. Single vesicle insertion events can also be measured when the
      extracellular pH is neutral, corresponding to a low pH trafficking vesicle fusing
      with the plasma membrane and transitioning into a fluorescent state. This
      versatile technique can be exploited to study localization, expression, and
      trafficking of membrane proteins.

PMID- 28362417
TI  - Application of Genetically Encoded Fluorescent Nitric Oxide (NO*) Probes, the
      geNOps, for Real-time Imaging of NO* Signals in Single Cells.
AB  - Nitric Oxide (NO*) is a small radical, which mediates multiple important cellular
      functions in mammals, bacteria and plants. Despite the existence of a large
      number of methods for detecting NO* in vivo and in vitro, the real-time
      monitoring of NO* at the single-cell level is very challenging. The physiological
      or pathological effects of NO* are determined by the actual concentration and
      dwell time of this radical. Accordingly, methods that allow the single-cell
      detection of NO* are highly desirable. Recently, we expanded the pallet of NO*
      indicators by introducing single fluorescent protein-based genetically encoded
      nitric oxide (NO*) probes (geNOps) that directly respond to cellular NO*
      fluctuations and, hence, addresses this need. Here we demonstrate the usage of
      geNOps to assess intracellular NO* signals in response to two different chemical
      NO*-liberating molecules. Our results also confirm that freshly prepared 3-(2
      hydroxy-1-methyl-2-nitrosohydrazino)-N-methyl-1-propanamine (NOC-7) has a much
      higher potential to evoke change in intracellular NO* levels as compared with the
      inorganic NO* donor sodium nitroprusside (SNP). Furthermore, dual-color live-cell
      imaging using the green geNOps (G-geNOp) and the chemical Ca2+ indicator fura-2
      was performed to visualize the tight regulation of Ca2+-dependent NO* formation
      in single endothelial cells. These representative experiments demonstrate that
      geNOps are suitable tools to investigate the real-time generation and degradation
      of single-cell NO* signals in diverse experimental setups.

PMID- 28362420
TI  - Isolation of Intact Mitochondria from Skeletal Muscle by Differential
      Centrifugation for High-resolution Respirometry Measurements.
AB  - Mitochondria are involved in cellular energy metabolism and use oxygen to produce
      energy in the form of adenosine triphosphate (ATP). Differential centrifugation
      at low- and high-speed is commonly used to isolate mitochondria from tissues and
      cultured cells. Crude mitochondrial fractions obtained by differential
      centrifugation are used for respirometry measurements. The differential
      centrifugation technique is based on the separation of organelles according to
      their size and sedimentation velocity. The isolation of mitochondria is performed
      immediately after tissue harvesting. The tissue is immersed in an ice-cold
      homogenization medium, minced using scissors and homogenized in a glass
      homogenizer with a loose-fitting pestle. The differential centrifugation
      technique is efficient, fast and inexpensive and the mitochondria obtained by
      differential centrifugation are pure enough for respirometry assays. Some of the
      limitations and disadvantages of isolated mitochondria, based on differential
      centrifugation, are that the mitochondria can be damaged during the
      homogenization and isolation procedure and that large amounts of the tissue
      biopsy or cultured cells are required for the mitochondrial isolation.

PMID- 28362419
TI  - The CApillary FEeder Assay Measures Food Intake in Drosophila melanogaster.
AB  - For most animals, feeding is an essential behavior for securing survival, and it
      influences development, locomotion, health and reproduction. Ingestion of the
      right type and quantity of food therefore has a major influence on quality of
      life. Research on feeding behavior focuses on the underlying processes that
      ensure actual feeding and unravels the role of factors regulating internal energy
      homeostasis and the neuronal bases of decision-making. The model organism
      Drosophila melanogaster, with its great variety of genetically traceable tools
      for labeling and manipulating single neurons, allows mapping of neuronal networks
      and identification of molecular signaling cascades involved in the regulation of
      food intake. This report demonstrates the CApillary FEeder assay (CAFE) and shows
      how to measure food intake in a group of flies for time spans ranging from hours
      to days. This easy-to-use assay consists of glass capillaries filled with liquid
      food that flies can freely access and feed on. Food consumption in the assay is
      accurately determined using simple measurement tools. Herein we describe step-by
      step the method from setup to successful execution of the CAFE assay, and provide
      practical examples to analyze the food intake of a group of flies under
      controlled conditions. The reader is guided through possible limitations of the
      assay, and advantages and disadvantages of the method compared to other feeding
      assays in D. melanogaster are evaluated.

PMID- 28362421
TI  - A Protocol for Rapid Post-mortem Cell Culture of Diffuse Intrinsic Pontine Glioma
      (DIPG).
AB  - Diffuse Intrinsic Pontine Glioma (DIPG) is a childhood brainstem tumor that
      carries a universally fatal prognosis. Because surgical resection is not a viable
      treatment strategy and biopsy is not routinely performed, the availability of
      patient samples for research is limited. Consequently, efforts to study this
      disease have been challenged by a paucity of faithful disease models. To address
      this need, we describe here a protocol for the rapid processing of post-mortem
      autopsy tissue samples in order to generate durable patient-derived cell culture
      models that can be used in in vitro assays or in vivo orthotopic xenograft
      experiments. These models can be used to screen for potential drug targets and to
      study fundamental pathobiological processes within DIPG. This protocol can
      further be extended to analyze and isolate tumor and microenvironmental cells
      using Fluorescence-activated Cell Sorting (FACS), which enables subsequent
      analysis of gene expression, protein expression, or epigenetic modifications of
      DNA at the bulk cell or single cell level. Finally, this protocol can also be
      adapted to generate patient-derived cultures for other central nervous system
      tumors.

PMID- 28362422
TI  - In Vivo Imaging of Transgenic Gene Expression in Individual Retinal Progenitors
      in Chimeric Zebrafish Embryos to Study Cell Nonautonomous Influences.
AB  - The genetic and technical strengths have made the zebrafish vertebrate a key
      model organism in which the consequences of gene manipulations can be traced in
      vivo throughout the rapid developmental period. Multiple processes can be studied
      including cell proliferation, gene expression, cell migration and morphogenesis.
      Importantly, the generation of chimeras through transplantations can be easily
      performed, allowing mosaic labeling and tracking of individual cells under the
      influence of the host environment. For example, by combining functional gene
      manipulations of the host embryo (e.g., through morpholino microinjection) and
      live imaging, the effects of extrinsic, cell nonautonomous signals (provided by
      the genetically modified environment) on individual transplanted donor cells can
      be assessed. Here we demonstrate how this approach is used to compare the onset
      of fluorescent transgene expression as a proxy for the timing of cell fate
      determination in different genetic host environments. In this article, we provide
      the protocol for microinjecting zebrafish embryos to mark donor cells and to
      cause gene knockdown in host embryos, a description of the transplantation
      technique used to generate chimeric embryos, and the protocol for preparing and
      running in vivo time-lapse confocal imaging of multiple embryos. In particular,
      performing multiposition imaging is crucial when comparing timing of events such
      as the onset of gene expression. This requires data collection from multiple
      control and experimental embryos processed simultaneously. Such an approach can
      easily be extended for studies of extrinsic influences in any organ or tissue of
      choice accessible to live imaging, provided that transplantations can be targeted
      easily according to established embryonic fate maps.

PMID- 28362423
TI  - Ice Generation and the Heat and Mass Transfer Phenomena of Introducing Water to a
      Cold Bath of Brine.
AB  - We demonstrate a method for the study of the heat and mass transfer and of the
      freezing phenomena in a subcooled brine environment. Our experiment showed that,
      under the proper conditions, ice can be produced when water is introduced to a
      bath of cold brine. To make ice form, in addition to having the brine and water
      mix, the rate of heat transfer must bypass that of mass transfer. When water is
      introduced in the form of tiny droplets to the brine surface, the mode of heat
      and mass transfer is by diffusion. The buoyancy stops water from mixing with the
      brine underneath, but as the ice grows thicker, it slows down the rate of heat
      transfer, making ice more difficult to grow as a result. When water is introduced
      inside the brine in the form of a flow, a number of factors are found to
      influence how much ice can form. Brine temperature and concentration, which are
      the driving forces of heat and mass transfer, respectively, can affect the water
      to-ice conversion ratio; lower bath temperatures and brine concentrations
      encourage more ice to form. The flow rheology, which can directly affect both the
      heat and mass transfer coefficients, is also a key factor. In addition, the flow
      rheology changes the area of contact of the flow with the bulk fluid.

PMID- 28362424
TI  - Dissection, MicroCT Scanning and Morphometric Analyses of the Baculum.
AB  - Modern morphometrics provides powerful methods to quantify size and shape
      variation. A basic requirement is a list of coordinates that define landmarks;
      however such coordinates must represent homologous structures across specimens.
      While many biological objects consist of easily identified landmarks to satisfy
      the assumption of homology, many lack such structures. One potential solution is
      to mathematically place semi-landmarks on an object that represent the same
      morphological region across specimens. Here, we illustrate a recently developed
      pipeline to mathematically define semi-landmarks from the mouse baculum (penis
      bone). Our methods should be applicable to a wide range of objects.

PMID- 28362425
TI  - Role of magnetic resonance imaging in heavy eye syndrome.
AB  - PurposeThe aim of this study is to assess the importance of magnetic resonance
      imaging (MRI) before surgery in highly myopic patients, evaluating the capability
      of imaging to identify muscles displacement and orbital pulley abnormalities and
      their role in the pathogenesis of heavy eye syndrome (HES).MethodsWe reviewed the
      medical records and high-resolution orbital MRIs of highly myopic adults with
      HES, who underwent surgery for strabismus at the Sant'Orsola-Malpighi University
      Hospital of Bologna from January 2007 to June 2016. The measure of the angle of
      dislocation between lateral rectus and superior rectus and lateral rectus
      superior rectus band (LR-SR band) were evaluated on coronal MRI imaging.ResultsA
      total of 54 patients with HES were evaluated by MRI. Mean axial length was 30.5+/
      3 mm. Mean distance esotropia was 49.2+/-14.4 prism diopters (PD) and the mean
      hypotropia was 4.3+/-4.4 PD. All subjects exhibited severe superotemporal globe
      prolapse that displaced the lateral rectus inferiorly and the superior rectus
      muscle medially with mean angle of dislocation of 167.5+/-12.9 degrees  on MRI.
      The LR-SR band was thinned in 56 eyes, ruptured in 8 and not evaluable in 1
      case.ConclusionsIn our study, we detected muscles displacement in all subjects
      and we discovered alteration of the LR-SR band in patients with HES, suggesting a
      possible role in the pathogenesis of this disease. The evaluation of preoperative
      orbital MRI imaging in patients with highly myopic strabismus is helpful to
      detect different anatomical etiology and eventually to drive the choice of
      appropriate surgery.

PMID- 28362426
TI  - Bispectral index monitoring in vitrectomy surgery under local anaesthetic block
      with sedation: a single surgeon, single anaesthetist review.

PMID- 28362427
TI  - Anti-apoptotic proteins BCL-2, MCL-1 and A1 summate collectively to maintain
      survival of immune cell populations both in vitro and in vivo.
AB  - Survival of various immune cell populations has been proposed to preferentially
      rely on a particular anti-apoptotic BCL-2 family member, for example, naive T
      cells require BCL-2, while regulatory T cells require MCL-1. Here we examined the
      survival requirements of multiple immune cell subsets in vitro and in vivo, using
      both genetic and pharmacological approaches. Our findings support a model in
      which survival is determined by quantitative participation of multiple anti
      apoptotic proteins rather than by a single anti-apoptotic protein. This model
      provides both an insight into how the sum of relative levels of anti-apoptotic
      proteins BCL-2, MCL-1 and A1 influence survival of T cells, B cells and dendritic
      cells, and a framework for ascertaining how these different immune cells can be
      optimally targeted in treatment of immunopathology, transplantation rejection or
      hematological cancers.

PMID- 28362428
TI  - Delta133p53 represses p53-inducible senescence genes and enhances the generation
      of human induced pluripotent stem cells.
AB  - p53 functions to induce cellular senescence, which is incompatible with self
      renewal of pluripotent stem cells such as induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSC)
      and embryonic stem cells (ESC). However, p53 also has essential roles in these
      cells through DNA damage repair for maintaining genomic integrity and high
      sensitivity to apoptosis for eliminating severely damaged cells. We hypothesized
      that Delta133p53, a physiological inhibitory p53 isoform, is involved in the
      balanced regulation of self-renewing capacity, DNA damage repair and apoptosis.
      We examined 12 lines of human iPSC and their original fibroblasts, as well as
      three ESC lines, for endogenous protein levels of Delta133p53 and full-length p53
      (FL-p53), and mRNA levels of various p53 target genes. While FL-p53 levels in
      iPSC and ESC widely ranged from below to above those in the fibroblasts, all iPSC
      and ESC lines expressed elevated levels of Delta133p53. The p53-inducible genes
      that mediate cellular senescence (p21WAF1, miR-34a, PAI-1 and IGFBP7), but not
      those for apoptosis (BAX and PUMA) and DNA damage repair (p53R2), were
      downregulated in iPSC and ESC. Consistent with these endogenous expression
      profiles, overexpression of Delta133p53 in human fibroblasts preferentially
      repressed the p53-inducible senescence mediators and significantly enhanced their
      reprogramming to iPSC. The iPSC lines derived from Delta133p53-overexpressing
      fibroblasts formed well-differentiated, benign teratomas in immunodeficient mice
      and had fewer numbers of somatic mutations than an iPSC derived from p53-knocked
      down fibroblasts, suggesting that Delta133p53 overexpression is non- or less
      oncogenic and mutagenic than total inhibition of p53 activities. Overexpressed
      Delta133p53 prevented FL-p53 from binding to the regulatory regions of p21WAF1
      and miR-34a promoters, providing a mechanistic basis for its dominant-negative
      inhibition of a subset of p53 target genes. This study supports the hypothesis
      that upregulation of Delta133p53 is an endogenous mechanism that facilitates
      human somatic cells to become self-renewing pluripotent stem cells with
      maintained apoptotic and DNA repair activities.

PMID- 28362429
TI  - PU.1 supports TRAIL-induced cell death by inhibiting NF-kappaB-mediated cell
      survival and inducing DR5 expression.
AB  - The hematopoietic Ets-domain transcription factor PU.1/SPI1 orchestrates myeloid,
      B- and T-cell development, and also supports hematopoietic stem cell maintenance.
      Although PU.1 is a renowned tumor suppressor in acute myeloid leukemia (AML), a
      disease characterized by an accumulation of immature blast cells, comprehensive
      studies analyzing the role of PU.1 during cell death responses in AML treatment
      are missing. Modulating PU.1 expression in AML cells, we found that PU.1 supports
      tumor necrosis factor-related apoptosis-inducing ligand (TRAIL)-mediated
      apoptosis via two mechanisms: (a) by repressing NF-kappaB activity via a novel
      direct PU.1-RelA/p65 protein-protein interaction, and (b) by directly inducing
      TRAIL receptor DR5 expression. Thus, expression of NF-kappaB-regulated
      antiapoptotic genes was sustained in PU.1-depleted AML cells upon TRAIL treatment
      and DR5 levels were decreased. Last, PU.1 deficiency significantly increased AML
      cell resistance to anthracycline treatment. Altogether, these results reveal a
      new facet of PU.1's tumor suppressor function during antileukemic therapies.

PMID- 28362430
TI  - CYLD, A20 and OTULIN deubiquitinases in NF-kappaB signaling and cell death: so
      similar, yet so different.
AB  - Polyubiquitination of proteins has a pivotal role in the regulation of numerous
      cellular functions such as protein degradation, DNA repair and cell signaling. As
      deregulation of these processes can result in pathological conditions such as
      inflammatory diseases, neurodegeneration or cancer, tight regulation of the
      ubiquitin system is of tremendous importance. Ubiquitination by E3 ubiquitin
      ligases can be counteracted by the activity of several deubiquitinating enzymes
      (DUBs). CYLD, A20 and OTULIN have been implicated as key DUBs in the negative
      regulation of NF-kappaB transcription factor-mediated gene expression upon
      stimulation of cytokine receptors, antigen receptors and pattern recognition
      receptors, by removing distinct types of polyubiquitin chains from specific NF
      kappaB signaling proteins. In addition, they control TNF-induced cell death
      signaling leading to apoptosis and necroptosis via similar mechanisms. In the
      case of A20, also catalytic-independent mechanisms of action have been
      demonstrated to have an important role. CYLD, A20 and OTULIN have largely
      overlapping substrates, suggesting at least partially redundant functions.
      However, mice deficient in one of the three DUBs show significant phenotypic
      differences, indicating also non-redundant functions. Here we discuss the
      activity and polyubiquitin chain-type specificity of CYLD, A20 and OTULIN, their
      specific role in NF-kappaB signaling and cell death, the molecular mechanisms
      that regulate their activity, their role in immune homeostasis and the
      association of defects in their activity with inflammation, autoimmunity and
      cancer.

PMID- 28362434
TI  - Nanopore sequencing meets epigenetics.

PMID- 28362435
TI  - A guide to light-sheet fluorescence microscopy for multiscale imaging.
AB  - The impact of light-sheet fluorescence microscopy (LSFM) is visible in fields as
      diverse as developmental and cell biology, anatomical science, biophysics and
      neuroscience. Although adoption among biologists has been steady, LSFM has not
      displaced more traditional imaging methods despite its often-superior
      performance. One reason for this is that the field has largely conformed to a do
      it-yourself ethic, although the challenges of big image data cannot be
      overstated. With the most powerful implementations of LSFM available to only a
      few groups worldwide, the scope of this technique is unnecessarily limited. Here
      we elucidate the key developments and define a simple set of underlying
      principles governing LSFM. In doing so, we aim to clarify the decisions to be
      made for those who wish to develop and use bespoke light-sheet systems and to
      assist in identifying the best approaches to apply this powerful technique to
      myriad biological questions.

PMID- 28362433
TI  - IL-2 prevents deletion of developing T-regulatory cells in the thymus.
AB  - In the thymus, strongly self-reactive T cells may undergo apoptotic deletion or
      differentiate into Foxp3+ T-regulatory (T-reg) cells. Mechanisms that partition T
      cells into these two fates are unclear. Here, we show that IL-2 signalling is
      required to prevent deletion of CD4+ CD8- CCR7+ Helios+ thymocytes poised to
      upregulate Foxp3. The deletion prevented by IL-2 signalling is Foxp3 independent
      and occurs later in thymocyte development than the deletion that is prevented by
      Card11 signalling. Our results distinguish two bottlenecks at which strongly self
      reactive thymocytes undergo deletion or progress to the next stage of T-reg
      differentiation; Card11 regulates the first bottleneck and IL-2 regulates the
      second.

PMID- 28362431
TI  - Killers creating new life: caspases drive apoptosis-induced proliferation in
      tissue repair and disease.
AB  - Apoptosis is a carefully orchestrated and tightly controlled form of cell death,
      conserved across metazoans. As the executioners of apoptotic cell death, cysteine
      dependent aspartate-directed proteases (caspases) are critical drivers of this
      cellular disassembly. Early studies of genetically programmed cell death
      demonstrated that the selective activation of caspases induces apoptosis and the
      precise elimination of excess cells, thereby sculpting structures and refining
      tissues. However, over the past decade there has been a fundamental shift in our
      understanding of the roles of caspases during cell death-a shift precipitated by
      the revelation that apoptotic cells actively engage with their surrounding
      environment throughout the death process, and caspases can trigger a myriad of
      signals, some of which drive concurrent cell proliferation regenerating damaged
      structures and building up lost tissues. This caspase-driven compensatory
      proliferation is referred to as apoptosis-induced proliferation (AiP). Diverse
      mechanisms of AiP have been found across species, ranging from planaria to
      mammals. In this review, we summarize the current knowledge of AiP and we
      highlight recent advances in the field including the involvement of reactive
      oxygen species and macrophage-like immune cells in one form of AiP, novel
      regulatory mechanisms affecting caspases during AiP, and emerging clinical data
      demonstrating the critical importance of AiP in cancer.

PMID- 28362432
TI  - Regulation of transcriptional activators by DNA-binding domain ubiquitination.
AB  - Ubiquitin is a key component of the regulatory network that maintains gene
      expression in eukaryotes, yet the molecular mechanism(s) by which non-degradative
      ubiquitination modulates transcriptional activator (TA) function is unknown. Here
      endogenous p53, a stress-activated transcription factor required to maintain
      health, is stably monoubiquitinated, following pathway activation by IR or Nutlin
      3 and localized to the nucleus where it becomes tightly associated with
      chromatin. Comparative structure-function analysis and in silico modelling
      demonstrate a direct role for DNA-binding domain (DBD) monoubiquitination in TA
      activation. When attached to the DBD of either p53, or a second TA IRF-1,
      ubiquitin is orientated towards, and makes contact with, the DNA. The contact is
      made between a predominantly cationic surface on ubiquitin and the anionic DNA.
      Our data demonstrate an unexpected role for ubiquitin in the mechanism of TA
      activity enhancement and provides insight into a new level of transcriptional
      regulation.

PMID- 28362437
TI  - Automatic tracing of ultra-volumes of neuronal images.

PMID- 28362438
TI  - Adaptive optical fluorescence microscopy.
AB  - The past quarter century has witnessed rapid developments of fluorescence
      microscopy techniques that enable structural and functional imaging of biological
      specimens at unprecedented depth and resolution. The performance of these methods
      in multicellular organisms, however, is degraded by sample-induced optical
      aberrations. Here I review recent work on incorporating adaptive optics, a
      technology originally applied in astronomical telescopes to combat atmospheric
      aberrations, to improve image quality of fluorescence microscopy for biological
      imaging.

PMID- 28362439
TI  - Choosing CRISPR-based screens in cancer.

PMID- 28362436
TI  - In vivo imaging of neural activity.
AB  - Since the introduction of calcium imaging to monitor neuronal activity with
      single-cell resolution, optical imaging methods have revolutionized neuroscience
      by enabling systematic recordings of neuronal circuits in living animals. The
      plethora of methods for functional neural imaging can be daunting to the
      nonexpert to navigate. Here we review advanced microscopy techniques for in vivo
      functional imaging and offer guidelines for which technologies are best suited
      for particular applications.

PMID- 28362440
TI  - Prognostic relevance of lymphocytopenia, monocytopenia and lymphocyte-to-monocyte
      ratio in primary myelodysplastic syndromes: a single center experience in 889
      patients.
AB  - Current prognostic models for myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS), including the
      Revised International Prognostic Scoring System (IPSS-R), do not account for host
      immunity. We retrospectively examined the prognostic relevance of monocytopenia,
      lymphocytopenia and lymphocyte-to-monocyte ratio (LMR) in a cohort of 889
      patients with primary MDS. After a median follow-up of 27 months, 712 (80%)
      deaths and 116 (13%) leukemic transformation were documented. In univariate
      analysis, subnormal absolute lymphocyte count (ALC) <0.9 * 109/l; P=0.001),
      ALC<1.2 * 109/l (P=0.0002), subnormal absolute monocyte count (AMC) <0.3 * 109/l
      (P=0.0003), LMR (P?0.0001) and LMR?5 (P=0.03) were all associated with inferior
      overall survival. In multivariable analysis that included other risk factors,
      significance was retained for LMR (P=0.02) and became borderline for ALC <1.2 *
      109/l (P=0.06). Analysis in the context of IPSS-R resulted in P-values of 0.06
      for ALC<1.2 * 109/l, 0.7 for monocytopenia and 0.2 for LMR. Leukemia-free
      survival was not affected by ALC, AMC or LMR. The observations from the current
      study suggest a possible detrimental role for altered host immunity in primary
      MDS, which might partly explain the therapeutic benefit of immune-directed
      therapy, including the use of immune modulators; however, IPSS-R-independent
      prognostic value for either ALC or AMC was limited.

PMID- 28362443
TI  - Correction: Programmable RNA microstructures for coordinated delivery of siRNAs.
AB  - Correction for 'Programmable RNA microstructures for coordinated delivery of
      siRNAs' by Jaimie Marie Stewart et al., Nanoscale, 2016, 8, 17542-17550.

PMID- 28362442
TI  - Prevalence of hepatitis B and hepatitis C viral infections in various subtypes of
      B-cell non-Hodgkin lymphoma: confirmation of the association with splenic
      marginal zone lymphoma.

PMID- 28362444
TI  - A water-soluble pillar[5]arene as a new carrier for an old drug.
AB  - The remarkable affinity of deca-carboxylatopillar[5]arene WP5 towards the
      aminoglycoside antibiotic, amikacin, in aqueous media is reported; in vitro
      studies on Gram-positive bacteria (Staphylococcus aureus) show that drug
      entrapment inside WP5 also takes place in the presence of the microrganisms, thus
      pointing to WP5 as an appealing carrier for amikacin targeted delivery.

PMID- 28362441
TI  - Overexpression of EZH2 in multiple myeloma is associated with poor prognosis and
      dysregulation of cell cycle control.
AB  - Myeloma is heterogeneous at the molecular level with subgroups of patients
      characterised by features of epigenetic dysregulation. Outcomes for myeloma
      patients have improved over the past few decades except for molecularly defined
      high-risk patients who continue to do badly. Novel therapeutic approaches are,
      therefore, required. A growing number of epigenetic inhibitors are now available
      including EZH2 inhibitors that are in early-stage clinical trials for treatment
      of haematological and other cancers with EZH2 mutations or in which
      overexpression has been correlated with poor outcomes. For the first time, we
      have identified and validated a robust and independent deleterious effect of high
      EZH2 expression on outcomes in myeloma patients. Using two chemically distinct
      small-molecule inhibitors, we demonstrate a reduction in myeloma cell
      proliferation with EZH2 inhibition, which leads to cell cycle arrest followed by
      apoptosis. This is mediated via upregulation of cyclin-dependent kinase
      inhibitors associated with removal of the inhibitory H3K27me3 mark at their gene
      loci. Our results suggest that EZH2 inhibition may be a potential therapeutic
      strategy for the treatment of myeloma and should be investigated in clinical
      studies.

PMID- 28362445
TI  - Semi-continuous multi-step synthesis of lamivudine.
AB  - We report the first continuous flow synthesis of lamivudine, an antiretroviral
      drug used in the treatment of HIV/AIDS and hepatitis B. The key intermediate (5
      acetoxy oxathiolane) was prepared by an integrated two step continuous flow
      process from l-menthyl glyoxalate hydrate in a single solvent, in 95% overall
      conversion. For the crucial glycosidation reaction, using pyridinium triflate as
      the novel catalyst, an improved conversion of 95% was obtained. The overall
      isolated yield of the desired isomer of lamivudine (40%) was improved in the flow
      synthesis compared to the batch process.

PMID- 28362446
TI  - Novel chemoenzymatic oxidation of amines into oximes based on hydrolase-catalysed
      peracid formation.
AB  - The efficient transformation of benzylamines into the corresponding oximes has
      been described by means of a chemoenzymatic process. This strategy is based on a
      two-step sequence developed in one-pot at 30  degrees C and atmospheric pressure.
      First, the formation of a reactive peracid intermediate occurs by means of a
      lipase-catalysed perhydrolysis reaction, and then this peracid acts as a chemical
      oxidising agent of the amines. A total of nine ketoximes were isolated in high
      purity after a simple extraction protocol (90-98% isolated yield), while for the
      eleven synthesised aldoximes a further column chromatography purification was
      required (71-82% isolated yield). In all cases excellent selectivities were
      attained, offering a practical method for amine oxidation in short reaction times
      (1 hour). The environmental impact of the process was analysed and compared with
      a recently published alternative chemical synthesis, finding for this metric a
      good E-factor value.

PMID- 28362447
TI  - Nonadiabatic dynamics of injected holes in conjugated polymers.
AB  - The dynamics of injected holes in short transient times that precede polaron
      formation is numerically studied in the framework of a tight-binding electron
      phonon interacting approach aimed at describing organic one-dimensional lattices.
      In particular, the direct impact of internal and external factors on the
      conversion of injected holes into polarons is carefully investigated. The results
      show that a hole injected at levels lower than the highest occupied molecular
      orbital forms self-trapped bound structures that can merge spontaneously to form
      a polaron after, at least, one picosecond. On the other hand, the life-time of
      such structures substantially decreases (up to a few hundreds of femtoseconds)
      when the influence of external electric fields, temperature effects and
      impurities is considered. Importantly, the critical values of the aforementioned
      factors in promoting the quenching of the self-trapped structures are obtained.
      These findings may enlighten the understanding of the mechanism of charge carrier
      generation in Polymer Light Emitting Diodes when several kinds of excitations are
      present.

PMID- 28362449
TI  - Synthesis and magnetic properties of new tellurate compounds Na4MTeO6 (M = Co and
      Ni) with a ferromagnetic spin-chain structure.
AB  - New tellurate compounds Na4MTeO6 (M = Co and Ni) were synthesized by a
      conventional high-temperature solid-state reaction. The title compounds
      crystallize in the monoclinic system of a space group P2/c and the triclinic
      system of a space group P1[combining macron], respectively. Both compounds
      exhibit a zigzag spin-chain structure, in which Na4CoTeO6 shows uniform chains
      built by Co2+ ions and Na4NiTeO6 shows alternating chains built by Ni2+ ions.
      Magnetic measurements confirm that Na4CoTeO6 and Na4NiTeO6 possess an
      antiferromagnetic ordering at TN = ~3 K and ~6.5 K, respectively, while a
      metamagnetic transition can be observed in the magnetization curve with an
      increasing field at 2 K.

PMID- 28362450
TI  - Multivariate quantification of mebendazole polymorphs by terahertz time domain
      spectroscopy (THZ-TDS).
AB  - This work presents an analytical method based on terahertz-time domain
      spectroscopy (THz-TDS) and partial least squares (PLS) regression models to
      quantify mebendazole (MBZ) polymorphs (forms A, B and C) in pharmaceutical raw
      material. Mebendazole polymorphs A, B and C were quantified with RMSEP values of
      1.5% w/w, 1.2% w/w and 1.8% w/w, respectively. The limits of detection (LOD)
      ranges obtained with the best PLS regression models were 2.7-4.3% w/w, 2.9-4.0%
      w/w and 2.4-3.1% w/w, for polymorphs A, B and C, respectively. This analytical
      performance is better than those for the methods described in the literature
      using near (NIR) and middle (MIR) infrared spectroscopies. The main advantage of
      THz spectroscopy is its ability to access directly information related to crystal
      lattices. According to the results, the developed method is a powerful technique
      for the quantification of MBZ polymorphs in raw material. This methodology can be
      implemented as a Process Analytical Technology (PAT) tool for quality control of
      pharmaceutical feedstock.

PMID- 28362448
TI  - Synthesis of coenzyme Q0 through divanadium-catalyzed oxidation of 3,4,5
      trimethoxytoluene with hydrogen peroxide.
AB  - The selective oxidation of methoxy/methyl-substituted arenes to the corresponding
      benzoquinones has been first realized using aqueous hydrogen peroxide as a green
      oxidant, acid tetrabutylammonium salts of the gamma-Keggin divanadium-substituted
      phosphotungstate [gamma-PW10O38V2(MU-O)2]5- (I) as a catalyst, and MeCN as a
      solvent. The presence of the dioxovanadium core in the catalyst is crucial for
      the catalytic performance. The reaction requires an acid co-catalyst or,
      alternatively, a highly protonated form of I can be prepared and employed. The
      industrially relevant oxidation of 3,4,5-trimethoxytoluene gives 2,3-dimethoxy-5
      methyl-1,4-benzoquinone (ubiquinone 0 or coenzyme Q0, the key intermediate for
      coenzyme Q10 and other essential biologically active compounds) with 73%
      selectivity at 76% arene conversion. The catalyst retains its structure under
      turnover conditions and can be easily recycled and reused without significant
      loss of activity and selectivity.

PMID- 28362451
TI  - Kinetic investigation into the chemoselective hydrogenation of alpha,beta
      unsaturated carbonyl compounds catalyzed by Ni(0) nanoparticles.
AB  - A series of Ni(0) nanocatalysts was prepared from a Ni(COD)2 complex in the
      presence of different stabilizers (hexadecylamine, polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP),
      PVP/triphenylphosphine, octanoic acid and stearic acid) for their evaluation in
      the selective hydrogenation reaction of alpha,beta-unsaturated carbonyl compounds
      by H2 under mild reaction conditions, i.e., low H2 pressure, temperature and
      catalyst loading. All nanocatalysts were active in reducing only the C[double
      bond, length as m-dash]C bond and this chemoselectivity was attributed to the
      reduced nature of the Ni-NPs surface. Moreover, the hydrogenation reaction rate
      appeared to be sensitive to ligand type, with the carboxylic acid-stabilized
      systems showing the best performances. A full kinetic investigation into the t
      chalcone chemoselective reduction of the C[double bond, length as m-dash]C bond,
      with the best catalyst (Ni-octanoic acid) revealed that the rate-determining step
      is the hydrogenation of the adsorbed substrate on the NPs surface, following a
      Horiuti-Polanyi type of mechanism. Regarding sustainable chemistry concerns, the
      best catalyst could be reused up to 10 times without significant loss of
      activity.

PMID- 28362452
TI  - Cleavage of 1,3-dicarbonyls through oxidative amidation.
AB  - A mild and convenient protocol for the oxidative cleavage of 1,3-diketone
      compounds is described. Under metal-free conditions, the method converts the 1,3
      dicarbonyls into amides when treated with (nBu4N)N3 and iodine in the presence of
      an amine at room temperature. Using this method, a range of 1,3-dicarbonyls with
      various structural motifs including sterically demanding substituents and
      ordinary functional groups were easily fragmented, and it is demonstrated that
      cyclic 1,3-dicarbonyls can be directly transformed into acyclic diamides through
      ring-opening. Initial mechanistic studies show that diazidation of the enol form
      is followed by nucleophilic substitution with the amine.

PMID- 28362453
TI  - The origin of the measured chemical shift of 129Xe in UiO-66 and UiO-67 revealed
      by DFT investigations.
AB  - The NMR chemical shift of the xenon isotope 129Xe inside the metal-organic
      frameworks (MOFs) UiO-66 and UiO-67 (UiO - University of Oslo) has been
      investigated both with density functional theory (DFT) and in situ high-pressure
      129Xe NMR measurements. The experiments reveal a decrease of the total chemical
      shift comparing the larger isoreticular MOF (UiO-67) with the smaller one (UiO
      66), even though one may expect an increase due to the higher amount of adsorbed
      Xe atoms. We are able to calculate contributions to the chemical shift
      individually. This allows us to evaluate the shift inside the different pores
      independently. To compare the theoretical results with the experimental ones, we
      performed molecular dynamics simulations of Xe in the MOFs. For this purpose, the
      pores were completely filled with Xe to gain insight into the distribution of Xe
      at high pressures. The resulting trend of the total shift agrees well between the
      theoretical predictions and the experiments. Moreover, we are able to describe
      specific contributions to the total shift per pore, explaining the experimental
      behavior at an atomistic level.

PMID- 28362454
TI  - BODIPY blocked anthroxyl radicals: the substituent effect on reactivity and
      fluorescence turn-on detection of a hydroxyl radical.
AB  - Two BODIPY-substituted anthroxyl radicals were investigated. The one with two
      ethyl substituents (2Et-BO-An-O) is sensitive to air and silica gel due to the
      lack of sufficient kinetic blocking, while another one with four methyl
      substituents (4Me-BO-An-O) shows high stability. The structure of the latter was
      fully characterized by X-ray crystallographic analysis and electron-spin
      resonance spectra. 4Me-BO-An-O was subjected to react with various reactive
      oxygen/nitrogen species (ROS/RNS) and selective fluorescence turn-on detection of
      a hydroxyl radical was achieved, validating the concept of "using stable radicals
      to detect ROS/RNS".

PMID- 28362455
TI  - Positron insight into evolution of pore volume and penetration of the polymer
      network by n-heptane molecules in mesoporous XAD4.
AB  - The adsorption and desorption of n-heptane on the mesoporous polymer resin
      Amberlite XAD4 were investigated in situ by positron annihilation lifetime
      spectroscopy (PALS). This technique allows the monitoring of porosity and
      subnanometer free volume changes as well as the amount of liquid adsorbate
      captured within an investigated sorbent, without causing any interference with
      the course of adsorption/desorption. In consequence, the conducted studies
      provide microscale insight into the sorption processes of n-heptane (which is a
      significant component of volatile organic compounds - VOCs) on the polymeric
      material. The total pore volume decreases parabolically with n-heptane pressure
      until it reaches zero just below the saturated vapor pressure. Simultaneously,
      the average pore size increases linearly until it has approximately doubled.
      However, much faster rates of change in both these parameters occur at relative
      pressures below 0.05. The PALS results can be properly explained only if the
      swelling of the polymer skeleton is taken into account during the alkane
      adsorption process. This is confirmed by long-term pumping, which was required to
      achieve stabilization of PAL spectra during the final phase of desorption. In
      addition, the evolution of subnanometer free volumes (located between polymer
      chains and formed in liquid n-heptane) support this interpretation of the
      results.

PMID- 28362456
TI  - The non-Gaussian tops and tails of diffusing boomerangs.
AB  - Experiments involving the two-dimensional passive diffusion of colloidal
      boomerangs tracked off their centre of mobility have shown striking non-Gaussian
      tails in their probability distribution function [Chakrabarty et al., Soft
      Matter, 2016, 12, 4318]. This in turn can lead to anomalous diffusion
      characteristics, including mean drift. In this paper, we develop a general
      theoretical explanation for these measurements. The idea relies on calculating
      the two-dimensional probability densities at the centre of mobility of the
      particle, where all distributions are Gaussian, and then transforming them to a
      different reference point. Our model clearly captures the experimental results,
      without any fitting parameters, and demonstrates that the one-dimensional
      probability distributions may also exhibit strongly non-Gaussian tops. These
      results indicate that the choice of tracking point can cause a considerable
      departure from Gaussian statistics, potentially causing some common modelling
      techniques to fail.

PMID- 28362457
TI  - Shift work and cognitive aging: a longitudinal study.
AB  - Objectives The few studies of shift work and late life cognitive functioning have
      yielded mixed findings. The aim of the present study is to estimate the
      association between shift-work experience and change in cognitive performance
      before and after retirement age among older adults who were gainfully employed.
      Methods Five hundred and ninety five participants with no dementia were followed
      up for a mean of 17.6 standard deviation (SD) 8.8 years from a Swedish population
      based sample. Participants had self-reported information on any type of shift
      work experience (ever/never) in 1984 and measures of cognitive performance
      (verbal, spatial, memory, processing speed, and general cognitive ability) from
      up to 9 waves of cognitive assessments during 1986-2012. Night work history
      (ever/never) from 1998-2002 was available from a subsample (N=320). Early adult
      cognitive test scores were available for 77 men. Results In latent growth curve
      modeling, there were no main effects of "any-type" or night shift work on the
      mean scores or rate of change in any of the cognitive domains. An interaction
      effect between any-type shift work and education on cognitive performance at
      retirement was noted. Lower-educated shift workers performed better on cognitive
      tests than lower-educated day workers at retirement. Sensitivity analyses,
      however, indicated that the interactions appeared to be driven by selection
      effects. Lower-educated day workers demonstrated poorer cognitive ability in
      early adulthood than lower-educated shift workers, who may have selected jobs
      entailing higher cognitive demand. Conclusion There was no difference in late
      life cognitive aging between individuals with a history of working shifts
      compared to those who had typical day work schedules during midlife.

PMID- 28362458
TI  - Registered Nurses in Primary Care: What Will They Do?

PMID- 28362459
TI  - Individual and Collective Competence.
AB  - Concepts of competence and competency management continue to challenge and stress
      nursing professional development practitioners. A shift from focusing on
      individual competence to building the competence of a team is one strategy to
      meet the increasing needs of the current health care environment. J Contin Educ
      Nurs. 2017;48(4):148-150.

PMID- 28362460
TI  - Improvisation for Leadership Development.
AB  - Leaders are required to demonstrate agility, creativity, and innovation.
      Professional development educators can help leaders to develop the skills to
      listen carefully, be present in the moment, and contribute to any conversation by
      using improvisation. J Contin Educ Nurs. 2017;48(4):151-153.

PMID- 28362461
TI  - Let's Cooperate! Integrating Cooperative Learning Into a Lesson on Ethics.
AB  - Cooperative learning is an effective teaching strategy that promotes active
      participation in learning and can be used in academic, clinical practice, and
      professional development settings. This article describes that strategy and
      provides an example of its use in a lesson about ethics. J Contin Nurs Educ.
      2017;48(4):154-156.

PMID- 28362462
TI  - Impact of Accreditation Standards on the Quality of Continuing Nursing Education
      Activities as Perceived by the Learner.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Continuing nursing education (CNE) activities are increasingly
      becoming a requirement for RNs to maintain licensure or certification and to
      remain competent in practice in the fast-changing health care environment.
      Regardless of the health care profession, continuing education should be a
      quality educational experience to positively influence practice and patient
      outcomes. METHOD: A 15-item matrix based on the 2013 American Nurses
      Credentialing Center Primary Accreditation criteria was used to evaluate CNE
      activities. The matrix reflected the characteristics that a learner should be
      able to identify when participating in a Web-based CNE activity. RESULTS: A
      measurable learner-perceived difference was observed in the quality of the
      educational experience between educational activities developed by organizations
      using accreditation criteria, compared with those that did not. CONCLUSION:
      Learners can use accreditation criteria as one method to discriminate high
      quality educational activities that are designed to positively influence practice
      and patient outcomes. J Contin Educ Nurs. 2017;48(4):157-164.

PMID- 28362464
TI  - Experience of Novice Clinical Adjunct Faculty: A Qualitative Study.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Despite the adjunct instructor's central role in the clinical
      training of nursing students, little research exists on the perspective of the
      clinical experts assuming this role. This qualitative study aimed to better
      understand how novice clinical adjunct faculty described their lived experiences
      in their significant role transition. METHOD: The sample consisted of nine novice
      adjunct clinical nursing faculty who provided direct clinical supervision of
      prelicensure students in the United States (i.e., Texas). The interview
      narratives were collected using an in-depth semi-structured approach.
      Conventional content analysis was used. RESULTS: Four key themes emerged from the
      data: Unpreparedness; Facilitators and Barriers in the Transition; New Learning
      Needs and Processes; and Salient Recommendations to Pass On. CONCLUSION: Nursing
      programs that use adjunct faculty to sustain clinical education must support
      their vital contribution and fresh perspective. Targeted, organized, and
      consistent efforts will optimally integrate this group into the academe. J Contin
      Nurs Educ. 2017;48(4):167-174.

PMID- 28362465
TI  - Increasing RN Perceived Competency With Substance Use Disorder Patients.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Although behavioral health and substance use disorder patients visit
      hospitals in significant numbers, nurses are often ill-prepared to care for them.
      METHOD: The purpose of this quasi-experimental preclass-postclass design was to
      determine the effects of an educational intervention on the perceived competency
      of 57 nurses who care for patients with behavioral and substance abuse disorders.
      The nurses who chose to participate were asked to respond to a demographic
      questionnaire and a survey designed to measure perceived competency. Survey data
      were analyzed to determine whether any differences (alpha = .05) existed between
      participants' attitudes and knowledge preclass and postclass. RESULTS:
      Immediately following the educational intervention, a statistically significant
      increase was found in perceived competency related to self-confidence, attitudes,
      communication, and knowledge of resource availability among participating nurses.
      CONCLUSION: Nurses working in acute care hospitals, particularly those without
      addiction and psychiatric services, may benefit from continuing education on this
      important topic. J Contin Nurs Educ. 2017;48(4):175-183.

PMID- 28362466
TI  - Using Research Findings to Design an Evidence-Based Practice Curriculum.
AB  - Evidence from a system-wide research study highlighted strengths and weaknesses
      in evidence-based practice (EBP) implementation, beliefs, and organizational
      readiness. To address this evidence, a curriculum was developed within the
      context of the shared governance and EBP models for nursing practice. The
      curriculum, Evidence-Based Practice: Clinical Applications in Professional
      Nursing Practice, consists of five modules that provide the knowledge, skills,
      and abilities relative to each step of EBP. The learning approach incorporates
      classroom- and unit-based education, facilitated by EBP curriculum mentors. Each
      module is rolled out quarterly for a 15-month curriculum cycle. Outcome data
      include pre- and post-learning assessments, in addition to EBP projects. This
      seamless approach to nursing education, based on research findings and
      established shared governance and EBP models, can be undertaken by community
      hospital systems. J Contin Nurs Educ. 2017;48(4):184-189.

PMID- 28362467
TI  - Exploring Discrepancies in Perceived Nursing Competence Between Postgraduate-Year
      Nurses and Their Preceptors.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Postgraduate clinical training programs improve the core competence
      of nurses. How postgraduate-year (PGY) nurses perceive their clinical competence
      and their preceptors' perceptions may affect program effectiveness. This study
      compared the perspectives of clinical competencies of PGY nurses engaged in a
      residency program in Taiwan with their preceptors' perspectives. METHOD: A cross
      sectional study was conducted at a medical center in Taiwan. The Nursing
      Competence Questionnaire was used to obtain data from 99 pairs of PGY nurses and
      preceptors. RESULTS: PGY nurses' scores were higher than their preceptors' for
      communication, patient education, and management competencies (p <.05).
      Preceptors with more years of clinical experience exhibited greater assessment
      discrepancies for clinical care, communication, patient education, research
      awareness, and overall competence (p <.05). CONCLUSION: Preceptor development
      courses should be grounded in a strong pedagogical framework. An assessment tool
      with explicit behavioral indicators would be needed for objective evaluation from
      both perspectives. J Contin Educ Nurs. 2017;48(4):190-196.

PMID- 28362468
TI  - Galactomyces geotrichum - moulds from dairy products with high biotechnological
      potential.
AB  - The article reviews the properties of the Galactomyces geotrichum species, the
      mould that is most important for the dairy industry. G. geotrichum mould has been
      isolated from milk, cheeses and alcoholic beverage. Its presence in food products
      makes it possible to obtain a characteristic aroma and taste, which corresponds
      to the needs and preferences of consumers. G. geotrichum plays an important role
      in ecology, where the mould is employed for the degradation of various hazardous
      substances and wastewater treatment. It has also been found to have potential for
      biofuel production. In addition to this, G. geotrichum can be applicable in two
      further major areas: agriculture and health protection.

PMID- 28362469
TI  - Control of natural microorganisms in chamomile (Chamomilla recutita L.) by gamma
      ray and electron beam irradiation.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Microbial contamination levels and corresponding sensitivities to
      gamma rays (GR) and elec- tron beam (EB) irradiation were tested in chamomile
      (Chamomile recutta L.). METHODS: Chamomile powders were treated with 10 and 20
      kGy by GR and EB, respectively. Microbiological and chemical analyses were
      performed on controls and treated samples immediately after irradiation, and
      after 12 months of storage. RESULTS: The control samples of chamomile exhibited
      rather high microbiological contamination, exceeding the levels of 4 log10 CFU g
      1   (CFU - colony forming units) reported by national and international
      authorities as the maximum permissible total count level. Irradiation with GR and
      EB was found to cause a reduction in microbial contamination proportionate to the
      dose delivered. The sterilizing effect of EB on microorganisms was higher than
      the GR one. A dose of 10 kGy of GR and EB significantly (p < 0.05) reduced the
      total bacte- rial, total coliform and total fungal contamination. A dose of 20
      kGy of GR significantly (p < 0.05) reduced the total bacterial and total fungal
      contamination, while a 20 kGy dose of EB reduced the initial bacterial, total
      coliform and total fungal contamination to below detection level when the
      analysis was carried out im- mediately after irradiation treatment or after 12
      months of storage. CONCLUSIONS: The comparative study demonstrated that electron
      beam was more effective for decontamination of chamomile powder than gamma
      irradiation.

PMID- 28362470
TI  - Impact of green tea extract addition on oxidative changes in the lipid fraction
      of pastry products.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Alongside flour, fat is the key ingredient of sponge cakes, including
      those with long shelf lives. It is an unstable food component, whose quality and
      nutritional safety depend on the composition and pres- ence of oxidation
      products. Consumption of fat oxidation products adversely affects the human body
      and contributes to the incidence of a number of medical conditions. Qualitative
      changes in fats extracted from thermostat sponge cakes with and without
      antioxidant additions were determined in this study. METHODS: In the study, two
      types of antioxidant were used: natural - green tea extract in three doses
      (0.02%; 0.2% and 1.0%) and synthetic BHA (0.02%) and 100%, solid bakery
      shortening. Sponge-cakes were thermostatted at temperatures 63 degrees C after
      twenty-eight days. In this study, the quality of the lipid fraction was analyzed.
      The amount of primary (PV) and secondary (AnV) oxidation products was determined,
      and   a Rancimat test was performed. RESULTS: Adding antioxidants to fats varied
      in the degree to which oxidation processes of lipids fractions were inhibited.
      The peroxide value after twenty-eight days of thermostatting ranged from 3.57 meq
      O/kg (BHA) and 11.14 O meq/kg (extract content - 1%) to 62.85 meq O/kg (control
      sample). In turn, the value of AnV after the storage period ranged from 4.84
      (BHA) and 6.71 (extract content - 1%) to 16.83 (control sample). CONCLUSIONS: The
      best protective effects in the process of oxidation was achieved by BHA. The
      longest in- duction time and the lowest peroxide value and anisidine value were
      obtained for this antioxidant. It was achieved after twenty-eight days of fat
      thermostatting. Nonetheless, the results demonstrated it is possible to use the
      commercially available green tea extract to slow the adverse process of fat
      oxidation in sponge cake products.

PMID- 28362471
TI  - Identification of suspected hazardous chemical contaminants in recycled pastry
      packaging.
AB  - BACKGROUND: The safe use of recycled paper and cardboard material for food
      packaging applications is     an important area of investigation. Therefore, the
      aim of this study was to determine which hazardous chemi- cal pollutants were
      found in paper and cardboard samples used for pastry packaging, and to measure
      the migration of pollutants over time into the pastries. METHODS: In this study,
      the presence of some organic pollutants in common confectionery packaging, and
      the effects of storage time and type of pastry on pollutant migration, were
      investigated. RESULTS: The results of the study indicate that harmful compounds
      such as benzophenone, pentachlorophenol, bis(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate and dibutyl
      phthalate are present at high concentrations in most recycled boxes used for
      pastry packaging. CONCLUSIONS: Since the migration of some of the hazardous
      compounds from the packaging materials into the pastries under normal conditions
      was indicated, it is recommended that the procedure for preparing pastry
      packaging materials should be reconsidered and improved.

PMID- 28362472
TI  - Nutritional value and chemical composition of Sudanese millet-based fermented
      foods as affected by fermentation and method of preparation.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Although kissra and hulu-mur are well known millet-based foods in
      Sudan, the effect of fer- mentation and methods of preparation on their chemical
      compositions has not been thoroughly investigated. The aim of this study was to
      investigate the method of preparation and the composition of kisra, and hulu-mur.
      METHODS: The effect of fermentation and method of preparation on the composition,
      and mi- crobiological load were examined in millet flour during the preparation
      of Sudanese fermented foods (kisra & hulu-mur). RESULTS: A significant (P < 0.05)
      difference in the composition of millet flour and millet-based fermented foods
      was observed. Protein was significantly increased as a result of fermentation,
      while oil and carbo- hydrates were decreased. Most minerals increased
      significantly after the addition of spices to the hulu-mur batter. The total
      amino acid in millet flour (97.98 g 100 g-1 protein) was influenced by
      fermentation and preparation method, as it decreased to 86.09 and 88.7 g 100 g-1
      protein, in millet batter and kisra, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: Kisra, and hulu
      mur were found to have apparent dietary qualities, in spite of some compounds
      being lost during their production.

PMID- 28362473
TI  - The effect of antioxidants on quantitative changes of lysine and methionine in
      linoleic acid emulsions at different pH conditions.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Plants are an important source of phenolic compounds. The antioxidant
      capacities of green tea, thyme and rosemary extracts that contain these compounds
      have been reported earlier. However, there is a lack of accessible information
      about their activity against lipid oxidation in emulsions and inhibit the
      interaction of lipid oxidation products with amino acids. Therefore, the
      influence of green tea, thyme and rosemary extracts and BHT (butylated
      hydroxytoluene) on quantitative changes in lysine and methionine in linoleic acid
      emulsions at a pH of isoelectric point and a pH lower than the isoelectric point
      of amino acids was investigated. METHODS: Total phenolic contents in plant
      extracts were determined spectrophotometrically by using Folin-Ciocalteu's
      reagent, and individual phenols by using HPLC. The level of oxidation of emulsion
      was determined using the measurement of peroxides and TBARS (thiobarbituric acid
      reactive substances). Methionine and lysine in the system were reacted with
      sodium nitroprusside and trinitrobenzenesulphonic acid respectively, and the
      absorbance of the complexes was measured. RESULTS: Extract of green tea had the
      highest total polyphenol content. The system containing antioxidants and amino
      acid protected linoleic acid more efficiently than by the addition of
      antioxidants only. Lysine and methionine losses in samples without the addition
      of antioxidants were lower in their isoelectric points than below these points.
      Antioxidants decrease the loss of amino acids. The protective properties of
      antioxidants towards methionine were higher in a pH of isoelectric point whereas
      towards lysine in pH below this point. CONCLUSIONS: Green tea, thyme and rosemary
      extracts exhibit antioxidant activity in linoleic acid emulsions. Moreover, they
      can be utilized to inhibit quantitative changes in amino acids in lipid
      emulsions. However, the antioxidant efficiency of these extracts seems to depend
      on pH conditions. Further investigations should be carried out to clarify this
      issue.

PMID- 28362474
TI  - Cold-pressed and hot-pressed rapeseed oil: The effects of roasting and seed
      moisture on the antioxi- dant activity, canolol, and tocopherol level.
AB  - BACKGROUND: The paper looks at the levels of canolol, tocopherols and antioxidant
      activity in cold-pressed and hot-pressed rapeseed oils produced from seeds of
      various moisture levels (5%, 7.5%, and 10%). The paper also considers the effects
      of seed roasting on the levels of these compounds. METHODS: The material used for
      the tests was rapeseed cv. Adrianna. The quality of the oils obtained is
      determined using peroxide and acid values. The levels of canolol and tocopherols
      are analyzed using HPLC. The DPPH radical-scavenging activity method for oil
      samples and phenolic extract from oils was used. RESULTS: It has been
      demonstrated that the oils produced from rapeseeds with a 5% moisture content,
      and   in particular from cold-pressed oils, were characterized by the lowest
      peroxide values. Cold-pressed oils produced from rapeseeds with a 5% moisture
      content were characterized by higher levels of tocopherols and plastochromanol-8.
      In the case of hot-pressed oils, the highest levels of tocopherols were found in
      oils pro- duced from seeds with a 7.5% moisture content, and the greatest amount
      of PC-8 (more than 4 mg/100 g) was found in oils produced from seeds with a 10%
      moisture content. Hot-pressed oils have been shown to have higher levels of these
      compounds than cold-pressed oils. Both roasting and hot pressing led to an
      increase in the amount of canolol in the oils investigated. When analysing the
      antioxidant activity of the oils and phenolic extracts it was shown that phenolic
      compounds are responsible for approx. 10% of total antioxidant activity.
      CONCLUSIONS: Various levels of biologically active compounds were shown to be
      present in the rapeseed oil obtained from raw materials of a varying moisture
      content. The type of pressing process (cold-pressing or hot-pressing) and whether
      the seeds have undergone roasting has also been shown to affect the resulting oil
      and the level of native antioxidants it contains.

PMID- 28362477
TI  - Conditions of honey consumption in selected regions of Poland.
AB  - BACKGROUND: The nutritional value of honey is a factor that encourages the
      increase of its consumption. The aim of the study was to identify consumers'
      behaviours and preferences towards honey and their determinants. METHODS:
      Quantitative (PAPI method) survey was carried out in 2015 on a sample of 690
      respondents from Mazowieckie, Podkarpackie and Zachodniopomorskie voivodeships.
      The data analyzed were: the frequency of and reasons for honey consumption,
      preferred buying locations, preferred types of honey, factors considered during
      purchase and different uses of honey. RESULTS: The study showed that Poles
      consume honey several times per month. The main incentives for honey consumption
      were: health benefits, a wide range of culinary uses, flavour and habits. It was
      established that Polish consumers buy honey mainly in apiaries and open-air
      markets. Primary factors considered during purchase were the type of honey
      (preferred types being lime, polyfloral and acacia), price and colour. Honey was
      chiefly used for consumption, most commonly as a sandwich spread and sweetener.
      Less popular ap- plications included medical and cosmetic purposes. Some socio
      demographic characteristics (gender, age, place of residence, income), self
      assessment of nutritional knowledge and, to a lesser extent, education sig-
      nificantly differentiated consumer behaviours in the honey market. CONCLUSIONS:
      The study has shown that Poles consume honey relatively seldom. For the increase
      of honey consumption nutritional education is needed. Further studies will allow
      a more detailed diagnosis, which is required for the development of effective
      information and marketing strategies.

PMID- 28362475
TI  - The genetic basis of obesity complications.
AB  - Intensive research is currently being performed into the genetic background of
      excess body mass compli- cations such as diabetes, cardiovascular disorders,
      especially atherosclerosis and coronary heart disease. Chronic inflammation is an
      important process in the pathogenesis of obesity, wherein there is an aberrant ex
      pression of genes encoding adipokines. Visceral tissue is characterized by a
      higher expression and secretion of interleukin-8, interleukin-1beta and
      plasminogen activator inhibitor 1 in the subcutaneous tissue secretion of leptin
      prevails. An important complication of obesity is obstructive sleep apnea, often
      observed in Prader- Willi syndrome. The genetic background of sleep apnea may be
      a polymorphism of the SREBF1 gene. The consequence of excess body mass is
      metabolic syndrome, which may be related to the occurrence of the rs926198
      variant of gene encoding caveolin-1. The genes of transcription factor TCF7L2 and
      PPAR-gamma2 take part in the pathogenesis of diabetes development. It has been
      demonstrated that oncogenes FOS, FOSB, and JUN may be co-responsible not only for
      obesity but also for osteoporosis and colorectal cancer. It has been shown that
      weight loss causes a modification in the expression of about 100 genes involvedt
      in the production of substances such as cytokines and other responsible for
      chronic inflammation in obesity. In future studies on the complications of
      obesity, such scientific disciplines as proteomics, peptidomics, metabolomics and
      transcriptomics should be used. The aim of this study is to present the current
      state of knowledge about the genetic basis of obesity complications.

PMID- 28362478
TI  - Amorphous and Crystalline Vanadium Oxides as High-Energy and High-Power Cathodes
      for Three-Dimensional Thin-Film Lithium Ion Batteries.
AB  - Flexible wearable electronics and on-chip energy storage for wireless sensors
      drive rechargeable batteries toward thin-film lithium ion batteries. To enable
      more charge storage on a given surface, higher energy density materials are
      required, while faster energy storage and release can be obtained by going to
      thinner films. Vanadium oxides have been examined as cathodes in classical and
      thin-film lithium ion batteries for decades, but amorphous vanadium oxide thin
      films have been mostly discarded. Here, we investigate the use of atomic layer
      deposition, which enables electrode deposition on complex three-dimensional (3D)
      battery architectures, to obtain both amorphous and crystalline VO2 and V2O5, and
      we evaluate their thin-film cathode performance. Very high volumetric capacities
      are found, alongside excellent kinetics and good cycling stability. Better
      kinetics and higher volumetric capacities were observed for the amorphous
      vanadium oxides compared to their crystalline counterparts. The conformal
      deposition of these vanadium oxides on silicon micropillar structures is
      demonstrated. This study shows the promising potential of these atomic layer
      deposited vanadium oxides as cathodes for 3D all-solid-state thin-film lithium
      ion batteries.

PMID- 28362476
TI  - Dietary intake of boiled breadfruit (Treculia africana) seeds did not improve
      hyperglycemia in streptozotocin induced diabetic rats: Effect on the oral glucose
      tolerance of normoglycemic rats.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Although African breadfruit (Treculia africana) is said to be useful
      in the dietary management of diabetes, the effect of cooking on its glycemic
      index has not been reported. Hence this study has investi- gated the effect of a
      dietary intake of boiled breadfruit on the serum glucose, glucose tolerance, body
      weights and relative organ weights of streptozotocin (STZ) induced diabetic rats.
      METHODS: Twenty albino rats were used and were divided into four groups of five
      rats. Groups 1 (normal control) and 2 (diabetic control) received standard rat
      pellets while groups 3 (diabetic-test group) and 4 (non-diabetic) rats received
      breadfruit. RESULTS: The blood glucose of the normoglycemic rats fed standard rat
      feeds peaked at 30 min (149.75 +/-11.12 mg/dl) following oral glucose loading (3
      g/kg) but reduced to 85.25 +/-21.05 mg/dl after another 90 min, while the blood
      glucose of the normoglycemic rats fed breadfruit peaked at 30 min (146.25 +/
      15.22 mg/dl) follow- ing oral glucose loading, but elevated (130.75 +/-36.69
      mg/dl) after another 90 min. There was significant elevation (P < 0.05) of the
      serum glucose, relative liver weight (RLW) and relative kidney weight (RKW) but a
      significant decrease in the body weights of the diabetic control compared with
      the normal control; no sig- nificant difference (P > 0.05) in the serum glucose,
      body weights, RLW and RKW of the test group compared with the diabetic control,
      and no significant differences (P > 0.05) in the serum glucose, body weights, RLW
      and RKW of the normal rats fed the breadfruit diet compared to the normal
      control. CONCLUSIONS: The study showed that the traditional method of cooking
      African breadfruit negatively affects its hypoglycemic property.

PMID- 28362479
TI  - Studies on the Activation and Hydrosilylation Catalysis of RhCl3(Bu2S)3.
AB  - RhCl3(Bu2S)3 is an industrial precatalyst utilized in the curing of some
      solventless silicone-release coatings formulations. The catalyst requires no
      additional inhibitor, in contrast to typical Pt formulations, and so questions
      arose about how fast the catalyst could trigger curing if it were used in a more
      activated form. Studies on the activation of RhCl3(Bu2S)3 revealed multiple
      intermediates, of which [RhCl(Bu2S)2]2 and [RhHCl(SiMe(OSiMe3)2) (Bu2S)2]2 were
      isolated. [RhHCl(SiMe(OSiMe3)2)(Bu2S)2]2 is the most activated form of the
      precatalyst, showing a brief induction period. Various experiments were performed
      to analyze the nature of the catalyst, including Hg poisoning, addition of poison
      ligands, and comparisons versus Rh nanoparticles. The data tend to be more
      consistent with a molecular catalyst than Rh nanoparticles. Data are also
      provided that support the active catalyst containing a RhxClx(Bu2S)2x fragment,
      although the exact identity of the active catalyst is not yet determined.

PMID- 28362480
TI  - Flexible Light Emission Diode Arrays Made of Transferred Si Microwires-ZnO
      Nanofilm with Piezo-Phototronic Effect Enhanced Lighting.
AB  - Due to the fragility and the poor optoelectronic performances of Si, it is
      challenging and exciting to fabricate the Si-based flexible light-emitting diode
      (LED) array devices. Here, a flexible LED array device made of Si microwires-ZnO
      nanofilm, with the advantages of flexibility, stability, lightweight, and energy
      savings, is fabricated and can be used as a strain sensor to demonstrate the two
      dimensional pressure distribution. Based on piezo-phototronic effect, the
      intensity of the flexible LED array can be increased more than 3 times (under 60
      MPa compressive strains). Additionally, the device is stable and energy saving.
      The flexible device can still work well after 1000 bending cycles or 6 months
      placed in the atmosphere, and the power supplied to the flexible LED array is
      only 8% of the power of the surface-contact LED. The promising Si-based flexible
      device has wide range application and may revolutionize the technologies of
      flexible screens, touchpad technology, and smart skin.

PMID- 28362481
TI  - CN-Modified Host Materials for Improved Efficiency and Lifetime in Blue
      Phosphorescent and Thermally Activated Delayed Fluorescent Organic Light-Emitting
      Diodes.
AB  - CN-modified host materials, 9-(2-(9-phenyl-9H-carbazol-3-yl)phenyl)-9H-carbazole
      3-carbonitrile (o-CzCN) and 9-(3-(9-phenyl-9H-carbazol-3-yl)phenyl)-9H-carbazole
      3-carbonitrile (m-CzCN), which can improve the external quantum efficiency and
      lifetime of both blue phosphorescent and thermally activated delayed fluorescent
      (TADF) emitters were developed. A molecular design approach to stabilize the
      molecular structure and reduce the energy gap produced two high triplet energy
      host materials of o-CzCN and m-CzCN compatible with the phosphorescent and TADF
      emitters. The new host materials lowered operation voltage, increased quantum
      efficiency, and elongated lifetime of both phosphorescent and TADF devices.

PMID- 28362482
TI  - Synthesis, Characterization, and Device Application of Antimony-Substituted
      Violet Phosphorus: A Layered Material.
AB  - Two-dimensional (2D) nanoflakes have emerged as a class of materials that may
      impact electronic technologies in the near future. A challenging but rewarding
      work is to experimentally identify 2D materials and explore their properties.
      Here, we report the synthesis of a layered material, P20.56(1)Sb0.44(1), with a
      systematic study on characterizations and device applications. This material
      demonstrates a direct band gap of around 1.67 eV. Using a laser-cutting method,
      the thin flakes of this material can be separated into multiple segments. We have
      also fabricated field effect transistors based on few-layer P20.56(1)Sb0.44(1)
      flakes with a thickness down to a few nanometers. Interestingly, these field
      effect transistors show strong photoresponse within the wavelength range of
      visible light. At room temperature, we have achieved good mobility values (up to
      58.96 cm2/V.s), a reasonably high on/off current ratio (~103), and intrinsic
      responsivity up to 10 MUA/W. Our results demonstrate the potential of
      P20.56(1)Sb0.44(1) thin flakes as a two-dimensional material for applications in
      visible light detectors.

PMID- 28362484
TI  - Reduction of Bromate by Cobalt-Impregnated Biochar Fabricated via Pyrolysis of
      Lignin Using CO2 as a Reaction Medium.
AB  - In this study, pyrolysis of lignin impregnated with cobalt (Co) was conducted to
      fabricate a Co-biochar (i.e., Co/lignin biochar) for use as a catalyst for
      bromate (BrO3-) reduction. Carbon dioxide (CO2) was employed as a reaction medium
      in the pyrolysis to induce desired effects associated with CO2; (1) the enhanced
      thermal cracking of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) evolved from the thermal
      degradation of biomass, and (2) the direct reaction between CO2 and VOCs, which
      resulted in the enhanced generation of syngas (i.e., H2 and CO). This study
      placed main emphases on three parts: (1) the role of impregnated Co in pyrolysis
      of lignin in the presence of CO2, (2) the characterization of Co/lignin biochar,
      and (3) evaluation of catalytic capability of Co-lignin biochar in BrO3-
      reduction. The findings from the pyrolysis experiments strongly evidenced that
      the desired CO2 effects were strengthened due to catalytic effect of impregnated
      Co in lignin. For example, the enhanced generation of syngas from pyrolysis of
      Coimpregnated lignin in CO2 was more significant than the case without Co
      impregnation. Moreover, pyrolysis of Coimpregnated lignin in CO2 led to
      production of biochar of which surface area (599 m2 g-1) is nearly 100 times
      greater than the biochar produced in N2 (6.6 m2 g-1). Co/lignin biochar produced
      in CO2 also showed a great performance in catalyzing BrO3- reduction as compared
      to the biochar produced in N2.

PMID- 28362486
TI  - Substituent Effects That Control Conjugated Oligomer Conformation through Non
      covalent Interactions.
AB  - Although understanding the conformations and arrangements of conjugated materials
      as solids is key to their prospective applications, predictive power over these
      structural factors remains elusive. In this work, substituent effects tune non
      covalent interactions between side-chain fluorinated benzyl esters and main-chain
      terminal arenes, in turn controlling the conformations and interchromophore
      aggregation of three-ring phenylene-ethynylenes (PEs). Cofacial fluoroarene-arene
      (ArF-ArH) interactions cause twisting in the PE backbone, interrupting
      intramolecular conjugation as well as blocking chromophore aggregation, both of
      which prevent the typically observed bathochromic shift observed upon
      transitioning PEs from solution to solid. This work highlights two structural
      factors that determine whether the ArF-ArH interactions, and the resulting
      twisted, unaggregated chromophores, occur in these solids: (i) the electron
      releasing characteristic of substituents on ArH, with more electron-releasing
      character favoring ArF-ArH interactions, and (ii) the fluorination pattern of the
      ArF ring, with 2,3,4,5,6-pentafluorophenyl favoring ArF-ArH interactions over
      2,4,6-trifluorophenyl. These trends indicate that considerations of electrostatic
      complementarity, whether through a polar-pi or substituent-substituent mechanism,
      can serve as an effective design principle in controlling the interaction
      strengths, and therefore the optoelectronic properties, of these molecules as
      solids.

PMID- 28362485
TI  - Nitrogen-Doped Nanoporous Carbon Membranes with Co/CoP Janus-Type Nanocrystals as
      Hydrogen Evolution Electrode in Both Acidic and Alkaline Environments.
AB  - Self-supported electrocatalysts being generated and employed directly as
      electrodes for energy conversion has been intensively pursued in the fields of
      materials chemistry and energy. Herein, we report a synthetic strategy to prepare
      freestanding hierarchically structured, nitrogen-doped nanoporous graphitic
      carbon membranes functionalized with Janus-type Co/CoP nanocrystals (termed as
      HNDCM-Co/CoP), which were successfully applied as a highly efficient, binder-free
      electrode in the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER). Benefited from multiple
      structural merits, such as a high degree of graphitization, three-dimensionally
      interconnected micro/meso/macropores, uniform nitrogen doping, well-dispersed
      Co/CoP nanocrystals, as well as the confinement effect of the thin carbon layer
      on the nanocrystals, HNDCM-Co/CoP exhibited superior electrocatalytic activity
      and long-term operation stability for HER under both acidic and alkaline
      conditions. As a proof-of-concept of practical usage, a 5.6 cm * 4 cm * 60 MUm
      macroscopic piece of HNDCM-Co/CoP was prepared in our laboratory. Driven by a
      solar cell, electroreduction of water in alkaline conditions (pH 14) was
      performed, and H2 was produced at a rate of 16 mL/min, demonstrating its
      potential as real-life energy conversion systems.

PMID- 28362483
TI  - Exploring the Influence of Domain Architecture on the Catalytic Function of
      Diterpene Synthases.
AB  - Terpenoid synthases catalyze isoprenoid cyclization reactions underlying the
      generation of more than 80,000 natural products. Such dramatic chemodiversity
      belies the fact that these enzymes generally consist of only three domain folds
      designated as alpha, beta, and gamma. Catalysis by class I terpenoid synthases
      occurs exclusively in the alpha domain, which is found with alpha, alphaalpha,
      alphabeta, and alphabetagamma domain architectures. Here, we explore the
      influence of domain architecture on catalysis by taxadiene synthase from Taxus
      brevifolia (TbTS, alphabetagamma), fusicoccadiene synthase from Phomopsis
      amygdali (PaFS, (alphaalpha)6), and ophiobolin F synthase from Aspergillus
      clavatus (AcOS, alphaalpha). We show that the cyclization fidelity and catalytic
      efficiency of the alpha domain of TbTS are severely compromised by deletion of
      the betagamma domains; however, retention of the beta domain preserves
      significant cyclization fidelity. In PaFS, we previously demonstrated that one
      alpha domain similarly influences catalysis by the other alpha domain [ Chen , M.
      , Chou , W. K. W. , Toyomasu , T. , Cane , D. E. , and Christianson , D. W. (
      2016 ) ACS Chem. Biol. 11 , 889 - 899 ]. Here, we show that the hexameric
      quaternary structure of PaFS enables cluster channeling. We also show that the
      alpha domains of PaFS and AcOS can be swapped so as to make functional chimeric
      alphaalpha synthases. Notably, both cyclization fidelity and catalytic efficiency
      are altered in all chimeric synthases. Twelve newly formed and uncharacterized
      C20 diterpene products and three C25 sesterterpene products are generated by
      these chimeras. Thus, engineered alphabetagamma and alphaalpha terpenoid cyclases
      promise to generate chemodiversity in the greater family of terpenoid natural
      products.

PMID- 28362487
TI  - Mesoporous, Three-Dimensional Wood Membrane Decorated with Nanoparticles for
      Highly Efficient Water Treatment.
AB  - Wood, an earth-abundant material, is widely used in our everyday life. With its
      mesoporous structure, natural wood is comprised of numerous long, partially
      aligned channels (lumens) as well as nanochannels that stretch along its growth
      direction. This wood mesostructure is suitable for a range of emerging
      applications, especially as a membrane/separation material. Here, we report a
      mesoporous, three-dimensional (3D) wood membrane decorated with palladium
      nanoparticles (Pd NPs/wood membrane) for efficient wastewater treatment. The 3D
      Pd NPs/wood membrane possesses the following advantages: (1) the uniformly
      distributed lignin within the wood mesostructure can effectively reduce Pd(II)
      ions to Pd NPs; (2) cellulose, with its abundant hydroxyl groups, can immobilize
      Pd NPs; (3) the partially aligned mesoporous wood channels as well as their inner
      ingenious microstructures increase the likelihood of wastewater contacting Pd NPs
      decorating the wood surface; (4) the long, Pd NP-decorated channels facilitate
      bulk treatment as water flows through the entire mesoporous wood membrane. As a
      proof of concept, we demonstrated the use and efficiency of a Pd NPs/wood
      membrane to remove methylene blue (MB, C16H18N3ClS) from a flowing aqueous
      solution. The turnover frequency of the Pd NPs/wood membrane, ~2.02 molMB.molPd
      1.min-1, is much higher than the values reported in the literature. The water
      treatment rate of the 3D Pd NPs/wood membrane can reach 1 * 105 L.m-2.h-1 with a
      high MB removal efficiency (>99.8%). The 3D mesoporous wood membrane with
      partially aligned channels exhibits promising results for wastewater treatment
      and is applicable for an even wider range of separation applications.

PMID- 28362489
TI  - Catalytic Enolate Arylation with 3-Bromoindoles Allows the Formation of beta
      Carbolines.
AB  - Synthesis of substituted beta-carbolines was accomplished by utilizing the
      catalytic enolate arylation reaction of ketones in conjunction with several 3
      bromoindole derivatives. Quenching of the arylation reaction in situ with an
      electrophile allowed ready incorporation of functionality at the carboline C-4
      position in an efficient one-pot protocol.

PMID- 28362488
TI  - Serotonin Transporter Associated Protein Complexes Are Enriched in Synaptic
      Vesicle Proteins and Proteins Involved in Energy Metabolism and Ion Homeostasis.
AB  - The serotonin transporter (SERT) mediates Na+-dependent high-affinity serotonin
      uptake and plays a key role in regulating extracellular serotonin concentration
      in the brain and periphery. To gain novel insight into SERT regulation, we
      conducted a comprehensive proteomics screen to identify components of SERT
      associated protein complexes in the brain by employing three independent
      approaches. In vivo SERT complexes were purified from rat brain using an
      immobilized high-affinity SERT ligand, amino-methyl citalopram. This approach was
      combined with GST pulldown and yeast two-hybrid screens using N- and C-terminal
      cytoplasmic transporter domains as bait. Potential SERT associated proteins
      detected by at least two of the interaction methods were subjected to gene
      ontology analysis resulting in the identification of functional protein clusters
      that are enriched in SERT complexes. Prominent clusters include synaptic vesicle
      proteins, as well as proteins involved in energy metabolism and ion homeostasis.
      Using subcellular fractionation and electron microscopy we provide further
      evidence that SERT is indeed associated with synaptic vesicle fractions, and
      colocalizes with small vesicular structures in axons and axon terminals. We also
      show that SERT is found in close proximity to mitochondrial membranes in both,
      hippocampal and neocortical regions. We propose a model of the SERT interactome,
      in which SERT is distributed between different subcellular compartments through
      dynamic interactions with site-specific protein complexes. Finally, our protein
      interaction data suggest novel hypotheses for the regulation of SERT activity and
      trafficking, which ultimately impact on serotonergic neurotransmission and
      serotonin dependent brain functions.

PMID- 28362490
TI  - Convergence of Computed Aqueous Absorption Spectra with Explicit Quantum
      Mechanical Solvent.
AB  - For reliable condensed phase simulations, an accurate model that includes both
      short- and long-range interactions is required. Short- and long-range
      interactions can be particularly strong in aqueous solution, where hydrogen
      bonding may play a large role at short range and polarization may play a large
      role at long range. Although short-range solute-solvent interactions such as
      charge transfer, hydrogen bonding, and solute-solvent polarization can be taken
      into account with a quantum mechanical (QM) treatment of the solvent, it is
      unclear how much QM solvent is necessary to accurately model interactions with
      different solutes. In this work, we investigate the effect of explicit QM solvent
      on absorption spectra computed for a series of solutes with decreasing polarity.
      By adjusting the boundary between QM and classical molecular mechanical solvent
      to include up to 400 QM water molecules, convergence of the calculated absorption
      spectra with respect to the size of the QM region is achieved. We find that the
      rate of convergence does not correlate with solute polarity when excitation
      energies are calculated using time-dependent density functional theory with a
      range-separated hybrid functional, but it does correlate with solute polarity
      when using configuration interaction singles. We also find that larger basis sets
      converge the computed spectrum with fewer QM solvent molecules. To optimize the
      computational cost with respect to convergence, we test a mixed basis set with
      more basis functions for atoms of the chromophore and the solvent molecules that
      are nearest to it and fewer basis functions for the atoms of the remaining
      solvent molecules in the QM region. Our results show that using a mixed basis set
      is a potentially effective way to significantly lower the computational cost
      while reproducing the results computed with larger basis sets.

PMID- 28362491
TI  - Efficient, "On-the-Fly", Born-Oppenheimer and Car-Parrinello-type Dynamics with
      Coupled Cluster Accuracy through Fragment Based Electronic Structure.
AB  - We recently developed two fragment based ab initio molecular dynamics methods,
      and in this publication we have demonstrated both approaches by constructing
      efficient classical trajectories in agreement with trajectories obtained from "on
      the-fly" CCSD. The dynamics trajectories are obtained using both Born-Oppenheimer
      and extended Lagrangian (Car-Parrinello-style) options, and hence, here, for the
      first time, we present Car-Parrinello-like AIMD trajectories that are accurate to
      the CCSD level of post-Hartree-Fock theory. The specific extended Lagrangian
      implementation used here is a generalization to atom-centered density matrix
      propagation (ADMP) that provides post-Hartree-Fock accuracy, and hence the new
      method is abbreviated as ADMP-pHF; whereas the Born-Oppenheimer version is called
      frag-BOMD. The fragmentation methodology is based on a set-theoretic, inclusion
      exclusion principle based generalization of the well-known ONIOM method. Thus,
      the fragmentation scheme contains multiple overlapping "model" systems, and
      overcounting is compensated through the inclusion-exclusion principle. The energy
      functional thus obtained is used to construct Born-Oppenheimer forces (frag-BOMD)
      and is also embedded within an extended Lagrangian (ADMP-pHF). The dynamics is
      tested by computing structural and vibrational properties for protonated water
      clusters. The frag-BOMD trajectories yield structural and vibrational properties
      in excellent agreement with full CCSD-based "on-the-fly" BOMD trajectories, at a
      small fraction of the cost. The asymptotic (large system) computational scaling
      of both frag-BOMD and ADMP-pHF is inferred as [Formula: see text], for on-the-fly
      CCSD accuracy. The extended Lagrangian implementation, ADMP-pHF, also provides
      structural features in excellent agreement with full "on-the-fly" CCSD
      calculations, but the dynamical frequencies are slightly red-shifted.
      Furthermore, we study the behavior of ADMP-pHF as a function of the electronic
      inertia tensor and find a monotonic improvement in the red-shift as we reduce the
      electronic inertia. In all cases a uniform spectral scaling factor, that in our
      preliminary studies appears to be independent of system and independent of level
      of theory (same scaling factor for both MP2 and CCSD implementations ADMP-pHF and
      for ADMP DFT), improves on agreement between ADMP-pHF and full CCSD calculations.
      Hence, we believe both frag-BOMD and ADMP-pHF will find significant utility in
      modeling complex systems. The computational power of frag-BOMD and ADMP-pHF is
      demonstrated through preliminary studies on a much larger protonated 21-water
      cluster, for which AIMD trajectories with "on-the-fly" CCSD are not feasible.

PMID- 28362492
TI  - Synthesis of Low Pt-Based Quaternary PtPdRuTe Nanotubes with Optimized
      Incorporation of Pd for Enhanced Electrocatalytic Activity.
AB  - Improving heteroatomic interactions via alloying or forming heterogeneous
      catalysts is of importance to the enhancement in terms of electrocatalytic
      activity and stability. In this work, a simple galvanic replacement reaction was
      utilized to synthesize low Pt-based quaternary nanotubes (NTs). It is easy to
      obtain PtPdRuTe NTs with different composition and controlled shape using
      ultrathin Te nanowires (NWs) as sacrificial templates for its high activity. The
      NT wall thickness and formed NPs on the surface are closely related with the
      composition, especially Pd content. The optimized incorporation of Pd atoms into
      ternary PtRuTe NTs formed a uniform protecting PtPd surface and modified the Pt
      electronic structure to improve the methanol oxidation reaction (MOR)
      performance. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) reveals a larger extent of
      electron transfer from neighboring atoms to Pt on PtPdRuTe, consequently leading
      to a weaker bonding of the intermediate on Pt. As a result, the quaternary
      PtPdRuTe NTs exhibit enhanced activity and stability toward efficient MOR.

PMID- 28362493
TI  - Effect of Major Royal Jelly Proteins on Spatial Memory in Aged Rats: Metabolomics
      Analysis in Urine.
AB  - Royal jelly (RJ) produced by worker honeybees is the sole food for the queen bee
      throughout her life as well as the larvae of worker bees for the first 3 days
      after hatching. Supplementation of RJ in the diet has been shown to increase
      spatial memory in rodents. However, the key constituents in RJ responsible for
      improvement of cognitive function are unknown. Our objective was to determine if
      the major royal jelly proteins (MRJPs) extracted from RJ can improve the spatial
      memory of aged rats. The spatial memory assay using the Morris water maze test
      was administered once to rats after a 14-week feeding. Metabolomics analysis
      based on quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry was conducted to examine the
      differences in compounds from urine. Aged male rats fed MRJPs showed improved
      spatial memory up to 48.5% when compared to the control male aged rats fed
      distilled water. The metabolite pattern of the MRJPs-fed aged rats was regressed
      to that of the young rats. Compounds altered by MRJPs were mapped to nicotinate
      and nicotinamide metabolism, cysteine taurine metabolism, and energy metabolism
      pathways. In summary, MRJPs may improve spatial memory and possess the potential
      for prevention of cognitive impairment via the cysteine and taurine metabolism
      and energy metabolism pathways in aged rats.

PMID- 28362494
TI  - Constructive and Destructive Interference in Nonadiabatic Tunneling via Conical
      Intersections.
AB  - As a manifestation of the molecular Aharonov-Bohm effect, tunneling-facilitated
      dissociation under a conical intersection (CI) requires the inclusion of the
      geometric phase (GP) to ensure a single-valued adiabatic wave function encircling
      the CI. In this work, we demonstrate using a simple two-dimensional model that
      the GP induces destructive interference for vibrational states with even quanta
      in the coupling mode, but it leads to constructive interference for those with
      odd quanta. The interference patterns are manifested in tunneling wave functions
      and clearly affect the tunneling lifetime. It is further shown that the inclusion
      of the diagonal Born-Oppenheimer correction is necessary for agreement with exact
      results.

PMID- 28362495
TI  - Mechanistic Studies on a Cu-Catalyzed Asymmetric Allylic Alkylation with Cyclic
      Racemic Starting Materials.
AB  - Mechanistic studies on Cu-catalyzed asymmetric additions of alkylzirconocene
      nucleophiles to racemic allylic halide electrophiles were conducted using a
      combination of isotopic labeling, NMR spectroscopy, kinetic modeling, structure
      activity relationships, and new reaction development. Kinetic and dynamic NMR
      spectroscopic studies provided insight into the oligomeric Cu-ligand complexes,
      which evolve during the course of the reaction to become faster and more highly
      enantioselective. The Cu-counterions play a role in both selecting different
      pathways and in racemizing the starting material via formation of an allyl iodide
      intermediate. We quantify the rate of Cu-catalyzed allyl iodide isomerization and
      identify a series of conditions under which the formation and racemization of the
      allyl iodide occurs. We developed reaction conditions where racemic allylic
      phosphates are suitable substrates using new phosphoramidite ligand D. D also
      allows highly enantioselective addition to racemic seven-membered-ring allyl
      chlorides for the first time. 1H and 2H NMR spectroscopy experiments on reactions
      using allylic phosphates showed the importance of allyl chloride intermediates,
      which form either by the action of TMSCl or from an adventitious chloride source.
      Overall these studies support a mechanism where complex oligomeric catalysts both
      racemize the starting material and select one enantiomer for a highly
      enantioselective reaction. It is anticipated that this work will enable extension
      of copper-catalyzed asymmetric reactions and provide understanding on how to
      develop dynamic kinetic asymmetric transformations more broadly.

PMID- 28362497
TI  - Intramolecular Light-Driven Accumulation of Reduction Equivalents by Proton
      Coupled Electron Transfer.
AB  - The photochemistry of a molecular pentad composed of a central anthraquinone (AQ)
      acceptor flanked by two Ru(bpy)32+ photosensitizers and two peripheral
      triarylamine (TAA) donors was investigated by transient IR and UV-vis
      spectroscopies in the presence of 0.2 M p-toluenesulfonic acid (TsOH) in
      deaerated acetonitrile. In ~15% of all excited pentad molecules, AQ is converted
      to its hydroquinone form (AQH2) via reversible intramolecular electron transfer
      from the two TAA units (tau = 65 ps), followed by intermolecular proton transfer
      from TsOH (tau ~ 3 ns for the first step). Although the light-driven accumulation
      of reduction equivalents occurs through a sequence of electron and proton
      transfer steps, the resulting photoproduct decays via concerted PCET (tau = 4.7
      MUs) with an H/D kinetic isotope effect of 1.4 +/- 0.2. Moreover, the reoxidation
      of AQH2 seems to take place via a double electron transfer step involving both
      TAA+ units rather than sequential single electron transfer events. Thus, the
      overall charge-recombination reaction seems to involve a concerted proton-coupled
      two-electron oxidation of AQH2. The comparison of experimental data obtained in
      neat acetonitrile with data from acidic solutions suggests that the inverted
      driving-force effect can play a crucial role for obtaining long-lived
      photoproducts resulting from multiphoton, multielectron processes. Our pentad
      provides the first example of light-driven accumulation of reduction equivalents
      stabilized by PCET in artificial molecular systems without sacrificial reagents.
      Our study provides fundamental insight into how light-driven multielectron redox
      chemistry, for example the reduction of CO2 or the oxidation of H2O, can
      potentially be performed without sacrificial reagents.

PMID- 28362496
TI  - Near-Infrared-Triggered Photodynamic Therapy with Multitasking Upconversion
      Nanoparticles in Combination with Checkpoint Blockade for Immunotherapy of
      Colorectal Cancer.
AB  - While immunotherapy has become a highly promising paradigm for cancer treatment
      in recent years, it has long been recognized that photodynamic therapy (PDT) has
      the ability to trigger antitumor immune responses. However, conventional PDT
      triggered by visible light has limited penetration depth, and its generated
      immune responses may not be robust enough to eliminate tumors. Herein,
      upconversion nanoparticles (UCNPs) are simultaneously loaded with chlorin e6
      (Ce6), a photosensitizer, and imiquimod (R837), a Toll-like-receptor-7 agonist.
      The obtained multitasking UCNP-Ce6-R837 nanoparticles under near-infrared (NIR)
      irradiation with enhanced tissue penetration depth would enable effective
      photodynamic destruction of tumors to generate a pool of tumor-associated
      antigens, which in the presence of those R837-containing nanoparticles as the
      adjuvant are able to promote strong antitumor immune responses. More
      significantly, PDT with UCNP-Ce6-R837 in combination with the cytotoxic T
      lymphocyte-associated protein 4 (CTLA-4) checkpoint blockade not only shows
      excellent efficacy in eliminating tumors exposed to the NIR laser but also
      results in strong antitumor immunities to inhibit the growth of distant tumors
      left behind after PDT treatment. Furthermore, such a cancer immunotherapy
      strategy has a long-term immune memory function to protect treated mice from
      tumor cell rechallenge. This work presents an immune-stimulating UCNP-based PDT
      strategy in combination with CTLA-4 checkpoint blockade to effectively destroy
      primary tumors under light exposure, inhibit distant tumors that can hardly be
      reached by light, and prevent tumor reoccurrence via the immune memory effect.

PMID- 28362498
TI  - Sterically Protected N2O-Type Benzopyrromethene Boron Complexes from Boronic
      Acids with Intense Red/Near-Infrared Fluorescence.
AB  - A series of N2O-type benzopyrromethene boron complexes have been synthesized from
      the condensation of pyrrole, formylisoindole, and various boronic acids. These
      dyes have red/near-infrared absorption, high solution- and solid-state
      fluorescence, as well as good solubility in a variety of solvents due to the
      presence of axial-substituted groups that provide steric protection and prevent
      their possible aggregations. Two water-soluble derivatives with pyridinium ions
      were developed as near-infrared excitable mitochondrially localizing fluorescent
      probes.

PMID- 28362499
TI  - Two-Step, One-Flask Synthesis of an N-Confused Porphyrin Bearing
      Pentafluorophenyl Substituents.
AB  - A two-step, one-flask reaction of pyrrole and pentafluorobenzaldehyde was
      investigated as a streamlined synthetic route to an N-confused porphyrin bearing
      pentafluorophenyl substituents previously prepared by a stepwise route. A survey
      of acid catalysts, acid catalyst concentration, DDQ quantity, and reaction time
      was performed with monitoring by HPLC. The targeted N-confused porphyrin was
      observed from many reaction conditions. The best condition afforded the N
      confused porphyrin in an isolated yield of 10-12% (245-281 mg), providing
      improved access to this interesting porphyrinoid.

PMID- 28362500
TI  - Antibacterial Compounds from Marine Bacteria, 2010-2015.
AB  - This review summarizes the reports on antibacterial compounds that have been
      obtained from marine-derived bacteria during the period 2010-2015. Over 50 active
      compounds were isolated during this period, most of which (69%) were obtained
      from Actinobacteria. Several compounds were already known, such as etamycin A
      (11) and nosiheptide (65), and new experiments with them showed some previously
      undetected antibacterial activities, highlighting the fact that known natural
      products may be an important source of new antibacterial leads. New broad
      spectrum antibacterial compounds were reported with activity against antibiotic
      resistant Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria. Anthracimycin (33), kocurin
      (66), gageotetrins A-C (72-74), and gageomacrolactins 1-3 (86-88) are examples of
      compounds that display promising properties and could be leads to new
      antibiotics. A number of microbes produced mixtures of metabolites sharing
      similar chemical scaffolds, and structure-activity relationships are discussed.

PMID- 28362502
TI  - Testing Exact Upper Bounds to Exact Exchange.
AB  - The exact exchange energy and its energy density are useful but computationally
      expensive ingredients in density functional approximations for Kohn-Sham density
      functional theory. We present detailed tests of some exact nonempirical upper
      bounds to exact exchange. These "Rung 3.5" upper bounds contract the Kohn-Sham
      one-particle density matrix with model density matrices used to construct
      semilocal model exchange holes and invoke the Cauchy-Schwarz inequality. The
      contraction automatically eliminates the computationally expensive long-range
      component of the exact exchange hole. Numerical tests show that the exchange
      upper bounds underestimate total exchange energies while predicting other
      properties with accuracy approaching standard hybrid approximations.

PMID- 28362503
TI  - Direct Catalytic Asymmetric Reductive Amination of Aliphatic Ketones Utilizing
      Diphenylmethanamine as Coupling Partner.
AB  - The highly efficient direct catalytic reductive amination of ketones with
      diphenylmethanamine catalyzed by iridium-phosphoramidite complexes is described.
      As an effective coupling partner, diphenylmethanamine is suitable for a wide
      range of ketones to provide chiral amines in high yields and enantioselectivity.
      The chiral monodentate phosphoramidite ligands are tunable and competent to
      accommodate substrates with different structures.

PMID- 28362501
TI  - Indole Alkaloids from Hunteria zeylanica.
AB  - Six new bisindole alkaloids, hunterizeylines A-F (1-6), three new monomers,
      hunterizeylines G-I (7-9), and 13 known alkaloids were isolated from an aqueous
      MeOH extract of the twigs and leaves of Hunteria zeylanica. Hunterizeyline H,
      geissoschizol, and dihydrocorynantheol displayed weak insecticidal activity
      against the aphid Rhodobium porosum, with IC50 values of 168.2, 360.5, and 290.6
      MUM, respectively.

PMID- 28362504
TI  - Synthesis of Indolizines via Reaction of 2-Substitued Azaarenes with Enals by an
      Amine-NHC Relay Catalysis.
AB  - A metal-free catalytic strategy for the facile synthesis of biologically relevant
      molecular architectures indolizines and imidazopyridines has been developed. The
      process is promoted by amine and N-heterocyclic carbene (NHC) relay catalysis via
      Michael addition-[3 + 2] fusion of simple azaarenes and alpha,beta-unsaturated
      aldehydes. The preparative power is demonstrated in the synthesis of anxiolytic
      drug saripidem via two simple one-pot operations with overall 45% yield.

PMID- 28362505
TI  - Radiation and Internal Loss Engineering of High-Stress Silicon Nitride Nanobeams.
AB  - High-stress Si3N4 nanoresonators have become an attractive choice for electro-
      and optomechanical devices. Membrane resonators can achieve quality factor (Q)
      frequency (f) products exceeding 1013 Hz, enabling (in principle) quantum
      coherent operation at room temperature. String-like beam resonators possess
      smaller Q * f products; however, on account of their significantly lower mass and
      mode density, they remain a canonical choice for precision force, mass, and
      charge sensing, and have recently enabled Heisenberg-limited position
      measurements at cryogenic temperatures. Here we explore two techniques to enhance
      the Q of a nanomechanical beam. The techniques relate to two main loss
      mechanisms: internal loss, which dominates for high aspect ratios and f ? 100
      MHz, and radiation loss, which dominates for low aspect ratios and f ? 100 MHz.
      First, we show that by embedding a nanobeam in a 1D phononic crystal (PnC), it is
      possible to localize its flexural motion and shield it against radiation loss.
      Using this method, we realize f > 100 MHz modes with Q ~ 104, consistent with
      internal loss and contrasting sharply with unshielded beams of similar
      dimensions. We then study the Q * f product of high-order modes of millimeter
      long nanobeams. Taking advantage of the mode-shape dependence of stress-induced
      "loss dilution", we realize a f ~ 4 MHz mode with Q * f ~ 9 * 1012 Hz. Our
      results complement recent work on PnC-based "soft-clamping" of nanomembranes, in
      which mode localization is used to enhance loss dilution. Combining these
      strategies should enable ultra-low-mass nanobeam oscillators that operate deep in
      the quantum coherent regime at room temperature.

PMID- 28362506
TI  - Bias in Association between FEV1/FVC% Predicted at 7 Years and Asthma-Chronic
      Obstructive Pulmonary Disease Overlap Syndrome.

PMID- 28362507
TI  - Diagnostic errors when interpreting abdominopelvic computed tomography: a
      pictorial review.
AB  - Diagnostic errors remain an inevitable occurrence during abdominopelvic CT (APCT)
      interpretation, despite advances in imaging technology. The main cause of error
      is failure to identify a lesion (i.e. perceptual error) and failure to recognize
      a finding's significance (i.e. interpretive or cognitive error). Awareness and
      understanding of the causes of errors can reduce their occurrence and may lead to
      a reduction in morbidity and mortality. This pictorial essay highlights various
      causes of error in interpreting APCT scans and briefly discusses possible
      solutions for minimizing these errors.

PMID- 28362510
TI  - Apoptosis in Primary Hyperparathyroidism.
AB  - Primary hyperparathyroidism (PHPT) is defined by inappropriate elevation of
      parathormone, caused by parathyroid hyperplasia, also known as multi-gland
      disease (MGD), parathyroid adenoma (PA), or parathyroid carcinoma (PC). Although
      several studies have already been conducted, there is a lack of a definite
      diagnostic marker, which could unambiguously distinguish MGD from PA or PC. The
      accurate and prompt diagnosis has the key meaning for effective treatment and
      follow-up. This review paper presents the role of apoptosis in PHPT. The
      comparison of the expression of Fas, TRAIL, BCL-2 family members, p53 in MGD, PA,
      and PC, among others, was described. The expression of described factors varies
      among proliferative lesions of parathyroid gland; therefore, these could serve as
      additional markers to assist in the diagnosis.

PMID- 28362508
TI  - CT angiography for acute gastrointestinal bleeding: what the radiologist needs to
      know.
AB  - Acute gastrointestinal (GI) bleeding is a common cause of both emergency
      department visits and hospitalizations in the USA and can have a high morbidity
      and mortality if not treated rapidly. Imaging is playing an increasing role in
      both the diagnosis and management of GI bleeding. In particular, CT angiography
      (CTA) is a promising initial test for acute GI bleeding as it is universally
      available, can be performed rapidly and may provide diagnostic information to
      guide management. The purpose of this review was to provide an overview of the
      uses of imaging in the diagnosis and management of acute GI bleeding, with a
      focus on CTA.

PMID- 28362512
TI  - Prognostic Role of Cardiopulmonary Exercise Testing in Clinical Practice.
AB  - Risk stratification is a mainstay in the care of cardiac and pulmonary disorders,
      as the identification of adverse outcomes helps provide measures to improve
      survival and quality of life. The cardiopulmonary exercise test is a useful
      prognostic tool in the clinical evaluation of several pathological conditions,
      such as heart diseases, respiratory disorders, and pulmonary hypertension. If not
      contraindicated, a cardiopulmonary exercise test should always be performed and
      integrated with clinical, laboratory, and hemodynamic parameters to better
      stratify patient risk. In heart failure, the cardiopulmonary exercise test is
      important in all the stages of patient management, from diagnosis to risk
      assessment. Different exercise variables have been advocated as prognostic
      indicators in this condition, including peak oxygen uptake, ventilatory
      efficiency, respiratory patterns, and identification of the anaerobic threshold.
      The prognostic role of the cardiopulmonary exercise test in heart failure is
      amplified when included in multiparametric risk stratification methodology,
      currently considered the best method to assess patient outcome. In respiratory
      disorders and in pulmonary hypertension, cardiopulmonary exercise test
      parameters, focusing on ventilatory performance during exercise, may help
      evaluate the risk of adverse events. Finally, the cardiopulmonary exercise test
      may help define the presence of coexisting cardiac and respiratory disorders, a
      combination that leads to increased rates of disability and mortality.

PMID- 28362511
TI  - Effect of accurate heart delineation on cardiac dose during the CONVERT trial.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: This study investigated the effect of deviation from protocol in heart
      delineation for the Concurrent Once-daily Versus twice-daily Radiotherapy
      (CONVERT) Trial ( ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier NCT00433563) quality assurance
      (QA) programme and the effect of that on mean cardiac dose and percentage of
      heart volume receiving >=5 Gy (V5%) and percentage of heart volume receiving >=30
      Gy (V30%). METHODS: Patients with limited-stage small-cell lung cancer in the
      CONVERT trial were randomized to receive 45 Gy in 30# twice daily or 66 Gy in 33#
      once daily radiotherapy, with concurrent chemotherapy in both arms. Of the 100
      trial patient cases reviewed by the QA team [for patient selection,
      disease/organs at risk (OARs) outlining and treatment planning], 50 patient cases
      were selected, and the heart was reoutlined according to the "gold standard"
      trial protocol. Dose-volume histogram (DVH) data were extracted. The impact of
      change in heart volume on cardiac DVH is presented. RESULTS: For gold standard
      cardiac outlines, an increase in V5% and V30% was seen in 77.3% and 81.8% of
      cases, respectively, in the control arm (45 Gy) and in 78.6% and 82.1% of cases,
      respectively, in the experimental arm (66 Gy). The median increase in V5% was
      1.4% and in V30%, it was 3.4%. The average of the mean cardiac dose for the
      control arm increased by 2.1 Gy (from 15.2 Gy for the centres outline to 17.3 Gy
      for the gold standard outline) and for the experimental arm by 2.4 Gy (from 16.2
      to 18.6 Gy). CONCLUSION: This study demonstrates the importance of having a
      robust QA programme in place to ensure accuracy of cardiac delineation to
      facilitate future studies investigating the impact of cardiac dose on toxicity.
      Advances in knowledge: This study highlights the importance of ensuring accurate
      delineation of OARs in clinical trials, where conclusions about normal tissue
      toxicity are to be drawn.

PMID- 28362513
TI  - Birth Weight and Lung Function in Adulthood: A Systematic Review and Meta
      analysis.
AB  - RATIONALE: There is evidence suggesting that birth weight may influence lung
      function in adulthood, but it is unclear whether it might differentially affect
      restrictive (FVC) and obstructive (FEV1/FVC) patterns. OBJECTIVES: To summarize
      evidence available on the association of birth weight, weight at 1 year, and
      weight gain in the first year of life with FVC and FEV1/FVC in adulthood.
      METHODS: We performed a systematic review of the literature by searching MEDLINE,
      EMBASE, and Web of Science through January 2015. Data were combined using inverse
      variance weighted meta-analysis with random effects models and between-study
      heterogeneity evaluated. We conducted a priori subgroup or sensitivity analyses
      by age, country wealth, ethnicity, sex, and smoking. We evaluated risk of bias
      using the Newcastle Ottawa Scale and reporting bias using funnel plots. RESULTS:
      Eighteen articles were included in the review and 13 in the meta-analyses. Most
      studies were from high-income countries, and all had a low risk of bias. We found
      strong evidence of an association of birth weight with adult FVC, a 59.4 ml
      higher FVC in adulthood per kilogram increase in birth weight (95% confidence
      interval, 43.3-75.5), with no evidence of heterogeneity. Evidence of an
      association of birth weight with FEV1/FVC was weaker and showed some
      inconsistency across studies. Only one study investigated weight at 1 year, and
      another one reported weight gain in the first year. CONCLUSIONS: Our meta
      analyses show strong and consistent evidence of an association of birth weight
      with adult FVC, a measure of restrictive impairment, with much weaker evidence
      for airflow obstruction.

PMID- 28362514
TI  - Preclinical to phase II amyloid beta (Abeta) peptide modulators under
      investigation for Alzheimer's disease.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: Alzheimer disease (AD) is the most common form of dementia and its
      incidence is increasing at an alarming rate all over the world. The
      pathophysiology of AD is characterized by chronic, progressive neurodegeneration
      which involves early synaptotoxicity. One of the most obvious pathological
      feature of AD is the accumulation of amyloid-beta (Abeta) in the brain. Since
      current treatment options only provide symptomatic help and Abeta is thought to
      underlie early synaptic pathology, Abeta reduction or modulation in the brain may
      be a promising therapeutic strategy in preventing and /or reversing AD-related
      dysfunction. Areas covered: This paper outlines and evaluates the current
      landscape of preclinical and clinical studies focusing on modulating Abeta
      pathophysiology. Data and analysis for this review were procured from PubMed,
      clinicaltrials.gov and Alzforum. Expert opinion: According to current knowledge,
      reducing Abeta production offers numerous treatment options. However, targeting
      the initial steps by pharmacological interference with secretases is challenging
      due to the emergence of various side effects. The most promising approach seems
      to be the prevention of early Abeta oligomerization. Combination approaches
      targeting both Abeta and tau would seem to be another promising strategy that
      could have beneficial effects through the course of the disease.

PMID- 28362515
TI  - FBP1 is highly expressed in human hypertrophic scars and increases fibroblast
      proliferation, apoptosis, and collagen expression.
AB  - PURPOSE: FBP1, one of the far-upstream element binding proteins(FBPs), is a
      distal upstream binding protein of c-myc, which is highly expressed in tumor
      tissues. This study aimed to investigate FBP1 expression in human hypertrophic
      scars and to determine the effects of FBP1 on fibroblasts. MATERIALS AND METHODS:
      Human normal skin and scar specimens were collected during clinical surgery. One
      portion of each tissue specimen was embedded in paraffin and sliced to observe
      differences in histological features and FBP1 expression by immunohistochemistry
      and western blotting. The other portion of each tissue specimen was cultured to
      obtain fibroblasts. Fibroblasts from the second to the sixth passage were used
      for the experiments, which were divided into the following two groups: an
      experimental group, whose cells were transfected with an siRNA targeting FBP1,
      and a control group, whose cells where not transfected. MTT and TUNEL assays were
      performed, respectively, to assess fibroblast proliferation and apoptosis, and
      western blotting was performed to assess protein expression. RESULTS: We obtained
      fibroblasts by primary tissue culture and found that FBP1 was highly expressed in
      hypertrophic scars. MTT assay showed that an siRNA targeting FBP1 significantly
      reduced fibroblast proliferation in siRNA-treated cells compared to control
      cells. TUNEL assay showed that there was no difference in apoptosis between the
      two groups; however, western blotting showed that collagen I, collagen III, c
      myc, caspase-3, and caspase-9 expression levels were all decreased in the
      experimental group. CONCLUSION: FBP1 is highly expressed in human hypertrophic
      scars and increases fibroblast proliferation, apoptosis and collagen expression.

PMID- 28362516
TI  - Reply: Bias in Association between FEV1/FVC% Predicted at 7 Years and Asthma
      Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease Overlap Syndrome.

PMID- 28362517
TI  - Long-Term Functional Outcome after Internal Delorme's Procedure for Obstructed
      Defecation Syndrome, and the Role of Postoperative Rehabilitation.
AB  - PURPOSE: To evaluate long-term functional outcomes of Internal Delorme's
      Procedure (IDP) in patients refractory to conservative treatment for Obstructed
      Defecation Syndrome (ODS), and to compare those who received postoperative
      rehabilitation with those who did not. MATERIALS AND METHODS: All patients with
      ODS refractory to nonoperative therapy were identified across three regional
      pelvic floor referral hospitals, and IDP was performed. Postoperatively selected
      patients received biofeedback therapy. Functional outcomes were established using
      the Cleveland Clinic Constipation (CCC) score and obstructed defecation score (OD
      score) preoperatively at 12 months and at the last available follow-up. Patient
      satisfaction was assessed with a visual analogue score. RESULTS: From October
      2006 to September 2013, IDP was performed in 170 patients: 77 received
      postoperative biofeedback and 93 did not. Mean follow-up was 6.3 years (range 1-8
      years). CCC and OD scores improved significantly in both groups after 12 months
      and at the last follow-up (p > 0.05). When comparing two groups while there was
      no significant difference between CCC and OD scores at 12 months, score was
      significantly better in the group that received rehabilitation at the last follow
      up (p = 0.001). Patient satisfaction was higher in the rehabilitation group (67%)
      compared with those without rehabilitation (55%). Clinical recurrence was
      recorded in nine patients who did not have postoperative rehabilitation.
      CONCLUSIONS: It has been demonstrated that IDP is associated with good long-term
      functional outcomes. Patients receiving rehabilitation had a better long-term
      follow-up, a higher overall satisfaction, and lower recurrence rate when compared
      with the patients who did not receive postoperative rehabilitation.

PMID- 28362518
TI  - Role of Angiography in Systemic Lupus Erythematosus-Induced Choroiditis.
AB  - PURPOSE: To report a case of systemic lupus erythematosus-induced choroidal
      vasculitis. METHODS: A 34-year-old woman with a long-standing history of systemic
      lupus erythematosus had a sudden painless loss of vision in the right eye over 12
      hours. Ocular examination revealed a visual acuity of counting fingers of 1 foot
      on the right eye and 20/20 on the left. There was a relative afferent pupillary
      defect on the right side with a pink, distinct optic disk margin. RESULTS:
      Optical coherence tomography of the macula and fundus fluorescein angiogram for
      the eyes were normal. The MRI brain and orbit with the cerebral MRA did not show
      signs of optic neuritis or occipital vasculitic changes. However, the indocyanine
      green angiography revealed patches of ill-defined areas of choroidal
      hypofluorescence in the early- to mid-phase in the macula region. CONCLUSION:
      ICGA becomes the crucial tool in unmasking the presence of choroidal vasculitis.

PMID- 28362519
TI  - Salvage of Combat Hindfoot Fractures in 2003-2014 UK Military.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Hindfoot fractures pose a considerable challenge to military
      orthopaedic surgeons, as combat injuries are typically the result of energy
      transfers not seen in civilian practice. This study aimed to characterize the
      pattern of hindfoot injuries sustained by UK military casualties in recent
      conflicts, define the early amputation and infection rate, and identify factors
      associated with poor early outcomes. METHODS: The UK Joint Theatre Trauma
      Registry was searched for British military casualties sustaining a hindfoot
      fracture from Iraq and Afghanistan between 2003 and 2014. Data on the injury
      pattern and management were obtained along with 18-month follow-up data.
      Statistical analysis was performed with the chi-square test and binomial logistic
      regression analysis. The threshold for significance was set at P < .05. One
      hundred fourteen patients sustained 134 hindfoot injuries. Eighteen-month follow
      up was available for 92 patients (81%) and 114 hindfeet (85%). RESULTS: The
      calcaneus was fractured in 116 cases (87%): 54 (47%) were managed conservatively,
      32 (28%) underwent K-wire fixation, and 30 (26%) underwent internal fixation.
      Nineteen patients (17%) required transtibial amputation during this time. A deep
      infection requiring operative treatment occurred in 13 cases (11%) with
      Staphylococcus aureus, the most common infectious organism (46%). A deep
      infection was strongly associated with operative fracture management ( P =
      .0016). When controlling for multiple variables, the presence of a deep infection
      was significantly associated with a requirement for amputation at 18 months ( P =
      .023). There was no association between open fractures and a requirement for
      amputation at 18 months ( P = .640), nor was conservative management associated
      with a requirement for amputation ( P = .999). Thirty-six fractures (32%)
      required unplanned revision surgery within the first 18 months following salvage,
      of which 19 (53%) involved amputation. CONCLUSION: A deep infection was the sole
      variable significantly associated with a requirement for amputation by 18 months.
      These results suggest that attempts at salvaging these injuries are at the limits
      of orthopaedic technical feasibility. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Level III, comparative
      series.

PMID- 28362520
TI  - A Systematic Review on Oral Isotretinoin Therapy and Clinically Observable Wound
      Healing in Acne Patients.
AB  - The association between isotretinoin and atypical wound healing remains
      controversial. It is common practice to delay elective procedures for 6 to 24
      months after oral isotretinoin therapy. The studies supporting common practices
      (SCP) recommend extending this period to include the 6 to 24 months preceding
      treatment. The opposing studies (challenging common practices; CCP) state that
      the rate of scarring in isotretinoin patients is low and that delaying elective
      procedures is unnecessary. These practices impact a large number of dermatology
      patients undergoing acne treatment. This systematic review compiled articles
      obtained from online databases and examined data from both SCP and CCP studies.
      The inconsistencies in the reported data and the methodological flaws in the
      literature preclude any firm conclusions that can resolve the controversy. As
      such, this review demonstrates that there is insufficient evidence to either
      corroborate or refute delaying elective procedures in isotretinoin acne patients.
      Although the recent literature trends toward removing the procedural delay, we
      advocate for clinicians to consider the research presented in this review in the
      context of their own clinical experience and each individual patient's situation.
      The possible negative procedural outcomes must be weighed against the severity of
      the patient's acne scarring and the psychosocial impact of this scarring on the
      patient.

PMID- 28362523
TI  - A Man with Sleep-associated Symptomatic Bradycardia.

PMID- 28362525
TI  - Did Video Kill the Direct Laryngoscopy Star? Not Yet!

PMID- 28362521
TI  - A nationwide study on parathyroid carcinoma.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Parathyroid carcinoma (PC) is rare and diagnostically challenging.
      Reported outcomes are rather poor and the incidence might be increasing. MATERIAL
      AND METHODS: We performed a nationwide study on all cases (n= 32) diagnosed in
      2000-2011 in Finland, and compared clinical and histopathological characteristics
      and outcome to atypical parathyroid (APA; n= 28) and parathyroid adenomas (PA; n=
      72). The incidence in years 1955-1999 was compared to that in 2000-2013. RESULTS:
      Preoperatively, calcium and parathyroid hormone concentrations were higher in PC
      compared to APA and PA (1.76, 1.56 and 1.44 mmol/l, p < .001; and 989, 355 and
      160 MUmol/l, p < .001, respectively). Calcium was <=1.77 mmol/l for all PAs.
      Hospitalization (44% vs. 22% and 3%, respectively, p = .01), renal (50% vs. 48%
      vs. 22%, respectively, p = .01) and bone (47% vs. 15% vs. 38%, respectively p =
      .002) manifestations were more common. PC and APA tumors were larger than PA (p <
      .001). Histopathological characteristics of PC compared to PA are increased
      mitotic activity (p= .001), chief cells (p = .003), diffuse growth pattern (p <
      .001), higher Ki67 (p< .001) and negative parafibromin (p < .001). One PC (1/18)
      and one APA (1/16) patient had a CDC73 mutation. After 6.7 (2-13.9) years of
      follow-up, 9.4% of PC had residual, 21% recurrent disease and 12.5% died of
      disease. Overall mortality did not differ between subgroups (p = .094). Recurrent
      PC was characterized by vascular invasion, lymph node metastases, high mitotic
      activity, necrosis and negative parafibromin. Incidence increased from 1.42
      (range 0.52-2.14) to 7.14 (range 3.42-10.38)/10.000.000/years; (p < .001).
      CONCLUSIONS: PC associates with severe primary hyperparathyroidism and must be
      suspected if calcium >=1.77 mmol/l. The prevalence of CDC73 germline mutations in
      PC and APA in Finland is 6%. PC has distinct histopathological characteristics
      and its incidence has increased over the past decades.

PMID- 28362522
TI  - Multiple sclerosis update: use of MRI for early diagnosis, disease monitoring and
      assessment of treatment related complications.
AB  - MRI has long been established as the most sensitive in vivo technique for
      detecting multiple sclerosis (MS) lesions. The 2010 revisions of the McDonald
      Criteria have simplified imaging criteria, such that a diagnosis of MS can be
      made on a single contrast-enhanced MRI scan in the appropriate clinical context.
      New disease-modifying therapies have proven effective in reducing relapse rate
      and severity. Several of these therapies, most particularly natalizumab, but also
      dimethyl fumarate and fingolimod, have been associated with progressive
      multifocal leukoencephalopathy (PML). PML-immune reconstitution inflammatory
      syndrome (IRIS) has been recognized in patients following cessation of
      natalizumab owing to PML, and discontinuation for other reasons can lead to the
      phenomenon of rebound MS. These complications often provide a diagnostic dilemma
      and have implications for imaging surveillance of patients. We demonstrate how
      the updated McDonald Criteria aid the diagnosis of MS and describe the imaging
      characteristics of conditions such as PML and PML-IRIS in the context of MS.
      Potential imaging surveillance protocols are considered for the diagnosis and
      assessment of complications. We will explain how changes in MS treatment are
      leading to new imaging demands in order to monitor patients for disease
      progression and treatment-related complications.

PMID- 28362524
TI  - Multicenter Validation of a Customizable Scoring Tool for Selection of Trainees
      for a Residency or Fellowship Program. The EAST-IST Study.
AB  - RATIONALE: Few data have been published regarding scoring tools for selection of
      postgraduate medical trainee candidates that have wide applicability. OBJECTIVES:
      The authors present a novel scoring tool developed to assist postgraduate
      programs in generating an institution-specific rank list derived from selected
      elements of the U.S. Electronic Residency Application System (ERAS) application.
      METHODS: The authors developed and validated an ERAS and interview day scoring
      tool at five pulmonary and critical care fellowship programs: the ERAS
      Application Scoring Tool-Interview Scoring Tool. This scoring tool was then
      tested for intrarater correlation versus subjective rankings of ERAS
      applications. The process for development of the tool was performed at four other
      institutions, and it was performed alongside and compared with the "traditional"
      ranking methods at the five programs and compared with the submitted National
      Residency Match Program rank list. RESULTS: The ERAS Application Scoring Tool
      correlated highly with subjective faculty rankings at the primary institution
      (average Spearman's r = 0.77). The ERAS Application Scoring Tool-Interview
      Scoring Tool method correlated well with traditional ranking methodology at all
      five institutions (Spearman's r = 0.54, 0.65, 0.72, 0.77, and 0.84). CONCLUSIONS:
      This study validates a process for selecting and weighting components of the ERAS
      application and interview day to create a customizable, institution-specific tool
      for ranking candidates to postgraduate medical education programs. This scoring
      system can be used in future studies to compare the outcomes of fellowship
      training.

PMID- 28362526
TI  - By Expanding the Color Palette, CO-Oximetry Overcomes Some, but Not All, of the
      Uncommon Limitations of Pulse Oximetry.

PMID- 28362527
TI  - Three Years of Medical Education at the American Thoracic Society.

PMID- 28362528
TI  - Interpreting "Do Not Resuscitate": A Cautionary Tale of Physician Influence.

PMID- 28362529
TI  - Unilateral Pulmonary Edema after Visiting High Altitude.

PMID- 28362530
TI  - Pulmonary Cryptococcosis Developed from a Nodule after Treatment with Infliximab
      for Arthritis Associated with Ulcerative Colitis.

PMID- 28362532
TI  - Acute Orthodeoxia: Evaluation Using Point-of-Care Ultrasound Imaging.

PMID- 28362531
TI  - Comparison between Simulation-based Training and Lecture-based Education in
      Teaching Situation Awareness. A Randomized Controlled Study.
AB  - RATIONALE: Situation awareness has been defined as the perception of the elements
      in the environment within volumes of time and space, the comprehension of their
      meaning, and the projection of their status in the near future. Intensivists
      often make time-sensitive critical decisions, and loss of situation awareness can
      lead to errors. It has been shown that simulation-based training is superior to
      lecture-based training for some critical scenarios. Because the methods of
      training to improve situation awareness have not been well studied in the medical
      field, we compared the impact of simulation vs. lecture training using the
      Situation Awareness Global Assessment Technique (SAGAT) score. OBJECTIVES: To
      identify an effective method for teaching situation awareness. METHODS: We
      randomly assigned 17 critical care fellows to simulation vs. lecture training.
      Training consisted of eight cases on airway management, including topics such as
      elevated intracranial pressure, difficult airway, arrhythmia, and shock. During
      the testing scenario, at random times between 4 and 6 minutes into the
      simulation, the scenario was frozen, and the screens were blanked. Respondents
      then completed the 28 questions on the SAGAT scale. Sample items were categorized
      as Perception, Projection, and Comprehension of the situation. Results were
      analyzed using SPSS Version 21. RESULTS: Eight fellows from the simulation group
      and nine from the lecture group underwent simulation testing. Sixty-four SAGAT
      scores were recorded for the simulation group and 48 scores were recorded for the
      lecture group. The mean simulation vs. lecture group SAGAT score was 64.3 +/-
      10.1 (SD) vs. 59.7 +/- 10.8 (SD) (P = 0.02). There was also a difference in the
      median Perception ability between the simulation vs. lecture groups (61.1 vs.
      55.5, P = 0.01). There was no difference in the median Projection and
      Comprehension scores between the two groups (50.0 vs. 50.0, P = 0.92, and 83.3
      vs. 83.3, P = 0.27). CONCLUSIONS: We found a significant, albeit modest,
      difference between simulation training and lecture training on the total SAGAT
      score of situation awareness mainly because of the improvement in perception
      ability. Simulation may be a superior method of teaching situation awareness.

PMID- 28362534
TI  - Reply: Did Video Kill the Direct Laryngoscopy Star? Not Yet!

PMID- 28362533
TI  - Modified Potts Shunt in an Adult with Idiopathic Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension.

PMID- 28362535
TI  - Diffuse Large B-Cell Lymphoma Presenting as Diffuse Bilateral Ground-Glass
      Opacities and Diagnosed on Transbronchial Lung Biopsy.

PMID- 28362536
TI  - What Baseball and Capitalism Can Teach Us about Selecting Residents and Fellows.

PMID- 28362537
TI  - Good Teaching and Good Teachers: The Role of Medical Education Research.

PMID- 28362538
TI  - Implementation of a Coaching Program for Peer Feedback on Large-Group Teaching.

PMID- 28362539
TI  - Whither the Pulmonary Ward Attending? Preserving Subspecialty Exposure in United
      States Internal Medicine Residency Training.
AB  - Twenty years ago, the term "hospitalist" was coined at the University of
      California-San Francisco (San Francisco, CA), heralding a new specialty focused
      on the care of inpatients. There are now more than 50,000 hospitalists practicing
      in the United States. At many academic medical centers, hospitalists are largely
      replacing subspecialists as attendings on the inpatient medicine wards. At
      University of California-San Francisco, this has been accompanied by declining
      percentages of residency graduates who enter subspecialty training in internal
      medicine. The decline in subspecialty medicine interest can be attributed to many
      factors, including differences in compensation, decreased subspecialist exposure,
      and a changing research funding landscape. Although there has not been systematic
      documentation of this trend in pulmonary and critical care medicine, we have
      noted previously pulmonary and critical care-bound trainees switching to hospital
      medicine instead. With our broad, multiorgan system perspective, pulmonary and
      critical care faculty should embrace teaching general medicine. Residency
      programs have instituted creative solutions to encourage more internal medicine
      residents to pursue careers in subspecialty medicine. Some solutions include
      creating rotations that promote more contact with subspecialists and physician
      scientists, creating clinician-educator tracks within fellowship programs, and
      appointing subspecialists to internal medicine residency leadership positions. We
      need more rigorous research to track the trends and implications of the
      generalist-specialist balance of inpatient ward teams on resident career choices,
      and learn what interventions affect those choices.

PMID- 28362540
TI  - Treatment of Acute Dyspnea with Morphine to Avert Respiratory Failure.

PMID- 28362541
TI  - Can neurophysiologic measures serve as biomarkers for the efficacy of repetitive
      transcranial magnetic stimulation treatment of major depressive disorder?
AB  - Repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) is an effective treatment for
      Major Depressive Disorder (MDD). There are clinical data that support the
      efficacy of many different approaches to rTMS treatment, and it remains unclear
      what combination of stimulation parameters is optimal to relieve depressive
      symptoms. Because of the costs and complexity of studies that would be necessary
      to explore and compare the large number of combinations of rTMS treatment
      parameters, it would be useful to establish reliable surrogate biomarkers of
      treatment efficacy that could be used to compare different approaches to
      treatment. This study reviews the evidence that neurophysiologic measures of
      cortical excitability could be used as biomarkers for screening different rTMS
      treatment paradigms. It examines evidence that: (1) changes in excitability are
      related to the mechanism of action of rTMS; (2) rTMS has consistent effects on
      measures of excitability that could constitute reliable biomarkers; and (3)
      changes in excitability are related to the outcomes of rTMS treatment of MDD. An
      increasing body of evidence indicates that these neurophysiologic measures have
      the potential to serve as reliable biomarkers for screening different approaches
      to rTMS treatment of MDD.

PMID- 28362542
TI  - Visualization of Photoreceptors in Birdshot Chorioretinopathy Using Adaptive
      Optics Scanning Laser Ophthalmoscopy: A Pilot Study.
AB  - PURPOSE: Adaptive optics scanning laser ophthalmoscopy (AOSLO) allows en face
      visualization of specific layers of the retina. This pilot study evaluated the
      ability of AOSLO to visualize photoreceptor integrity in patients with birdshot
      chorioretinopathy (BCR). METHOD: A total of 16 consecutive patients with HLA-A29+
      BCR were imaged using the prototype Apaeros retinal imaging system. Images of
      high quality were aligned with infrared reflectance photos and correlated with
      spectral domain optical coherence tomography (SD-OCT). RESULTS: Images of four
      eyes of three patients were of sufficient quality to allow posterior pole montage
      and point-to-point correlation with SD-OCT. Areas of photoreceptor disruption on
      SD-OCT were seen as patchy areas of loss on AOSLO, whereas areas of intact
      interdigitation zone and inner segment/outer segment junction correlated with
      normal appearing photoreceptors on AOSLO. CONCLUSIONS: Using AOSLO, we found one
      instance of subclinical photoreceptor disruption not seen on SD-OCT. Ultimately,
      there are unique challenges associated with imaging BCR patients using AOSLO.

PMID- 28362543
TI  - A Botanical Composition Mitigates Cartilage Degradations and Pain Sensitivity in
      Osteoarthritis Disease Model.
AB  - Osteoarthritis (OA) is a degenerative joint disease characterized by a
      progressive articular cartilage degradation manifested with significant
      functional impairment in consort with signs and symptoms of inflammation,
      stiffness, and loss of mobility. Current OA management is inadequate due to the
      lack of nominal therapies proven to be effective in hampering disease progression
      where symptomatic therapy focused intervention masks the primary etiology leading
      to irreversible structural damage. In this study, we describe the effect of
      UP1306, a composition containing a proprietary blend of two standardized extracts
      from the heartwood of Acacia catechu and the root bark of Morus alba, in
      maintaining joint structural integrity and alleviating OA associated symptoms in
      monosodium-iodoacetate (MIA)-induced rat OA disease model. Data from pain
      sensitivity, histopathology, and glycosaminoglycan (GAG) level were analyzed.
      Diclofenac at 10 mg/kg was used as a reference compound. Ex vivo proteoglycan
      protection model demonstrated 31.5%, 50.0%, and 54.8% inhibitions of proteoglycan
      degradations from UP1306 at concentrations of 50, 100, and 200 MUg/mL,
      respectively. The merit of combining two bioflavonoid standardized extracts from
      A. catechu and M. alba was demonstrated in their Ex vivo synergistic proteoglycan
      protection activity. In the MIA in vivo OA model, administered orally at 500
      mg/kg, UP1306 resulted in reductions of 17.5%, 29.0%, 34.4%, 33.5%, and 40.9%
      through week 1-5 in pain sensitivity, statistically significant improvements in
      articular cartilage matrix integrity, and minimal subchondral bone damage.
      Therefore, UP1306 could potentially be considered as an alternative remedy from
      natural sources for the management of OA and/or its associated symptoms.

PMID- 28362545
TI  - Remote orbital recurrence of olfactory neuroblastoma (esthesioneuroblastoma).
AB  - Olfactory neuroblastoma is a rare and often locally aggressive malignancy that
      invades the orbit via local destruction. It is known to recur in a delayed
      fashion, particularly to the neck lymph nodes. This is a case of a 65-year-old
      gentleman who presents with recurrence in the orbit and a neck lymph node 19
      years after treatment for his initial disease. This report describes the longest
      known interval in orbital recurrence and should alert the monitoring physician
      that extreme delays in recurrence can occur.

PMID- 28362544
TI  - What arguments on vaccinations run through YouTube videos in Italy? A content
      analysis.
AB  - BACKGROUND: The suspension of compulsory scheduling of some pediatric vaccines
      has been discussed for a long time by health authorities in Italy but the current
      decrease of vaccination rates is a matter of concern. YouTube is the most popular
      video-based social media website. Considering the demonstrated impact of internet
      on vaccination decision-making and the increasing use of social media to share
      and disseminate health information, the aim of this study was to explore the
      message available on YouTube videos about vaccination. METHODS: An observational
      study was conducted searching for YouTube videos in September 2015 and updated in
      January 2016, by using the keyword "vaccinations." We included recently posted
      videos in Italian on child vaccination (2014-2015). Videos were classified
      according to the message tone. RESULTS: A total of 123 videos were selected. Pro
      vaccination videos were 62 (50%), anti-vaccination 28 (23%), neutral or without a
      clear position in favor or against vaccination 33 (27%). Focusing on the first 2
      groups, pro-vaccination videos had a higher number of views compared with those
      unfavorable (1602 +/- 6544 vs 1482 +/- 2735) (p < 0.001). However, anti
      vaccination videos were liked more by viewers (17.8 +/- 31.3) than positive ones
      (13.2 +/- 44.7) (p < 0.001) in addition to being more shared (23 +/- 22.6 vs 3.8
      +/- 5.5, p < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: Most of the videos were positive in tone, but
      those that disapproved of immunization were the most liked and shared.
      Considering the growing number of viewers, it is important to monitor the web to
      understand audience characteristics and what influences public opinions to use
      communication strategies more effectively.

PMID- 28362546
TI  - The knowledge, attitudes and practices on influenza among medical college
      students in Northwest China.
AB  - Objective This study aimed to understand the knowledge, attitudes and practices
      (KAP) on seasonal influenza among medical college students in a low-income
      multiethnic society. Methods A cross-sectional questionnaire survey collected
      information of KAP related to influenza. A knowledge score was calculated
      according to the total number of correct points out of 9 questions. Logistic
      regression was used to identify factors associated with influenza vaccine uptake.
      Results 856 valid questionnaires were obtained. The average knowledge score was
      14.8 +/- 3.1 out of 22 correct points. Han Chinese got higher score than
      minorities (p < 0.001). Knowledge score increased with grade (p < 0.001).
      Students majoring in pharmacy had lower score than others. Questions on mode of
      transmission, symptoms, precautions, high risk groups and vaccination schedule
      had a correct rate lower than 50%. Hand hygiene was practiced by less than 40% of
      students after touching objects in public areas or sneezing. The proportion of
      participants received influenza vaccine in the past 3 y was 4.1%, 9.2% and 6.1%
      respectively. Willingness to receive free vaccine (OR = 2.49, 95% CI 1.31~4.28),
      and awareness of the vaccine effectiveness (OR = 1.67, 95% CI 1.08~2.56) were
      significantly associated with vaccine uptake, while the general knowledge about
      influenza, perceived susceptibility and severity, and demographic factors were
      not. The top 3 reasons for not being vaccinated were poor knowledge of the
      vaccine (46%), no perceived need due to good health (45%) and worry about adverse
      reactions (33%). Conclusion Health education is needed to improve the awareness
      of basic facts about influenza and vaccine, and more attention should be paid to
      minority groups. The coverage of seasonal influenza vaccine is quite low. Besides
      individual level behavior change, social and structural factors should be
      considered to increase the uptake of influenza vaccine.

PMID- 28362547
TI  - Acute and chronic disease caused by enteroviruses.

PMID- 28362548
TI  - Immune infiltration of tumor microenvironment following immunotherapy for
      glioblastoma multiforme.
AB  - Autologous dentritic cell immunotherapy has been proven effective in treating
      tumors outside the central nervous system. Current evidence from phase I and II
      trials suggest a similar efficacy for central nervous system tumors as well and
      that an active immune response against these tumors can be generated. We aim to
      review the literature to identify the types of immune responses against gliomas
      found to be generated by dendritic cell vaccinations and the types of immune
      cells subsequently infiltrating the glioma microenvironment. A systematic review
      of the literature was performed by searching the online databases PubMEd, Google
      Scholar, and EMBASE with use of the keywords intratumoral, infiltration,
      lymphocytic, vaccination and gliomas. Seven studies reporting lymphocytic
      infiltration of gliomas microenvironment were identified. Three studies (42.8%)
      reported presence of tumor infiltrating lymphocytes in 50%, 50% and 28.6% of
      included patients respectively in the post-vaccination specimens that were not
      present in the pre-vaccination samples. The remaining 4 (57.2%) reported an up to
      6-fold increase in the number of pre-existing lymphocytes following vaccination.
      Present data indicate that tumor infiltration by lymphocytes can be induced by
      dentritic cell immunotherapy and that this may positively affect clinical
      outcome. It still remains unclear which factors influence the above reaction and
      therefore prediction of response to treatment is still not possible.

PMID- 28362549
TI  - CD8+ T-cell mediated anti-malaria protection induced by malaria vaccines;
      assessment of hepatic CD8+ T cells by SCBC assay.
AB  - Malaria is a severe infectious disease with relatively high mortality, thus
      having been a scourge of humanity. There are a few candidate malaria vaccines
      that have shown a protective efficacy in humans against malaria. One of the
      candidate human malaria vaccines, which is based on human malaria sporozoites and
      called PfSPZ Vaccine, has been shown to protect a significant proportion of
      vaccine recipients from getting malaria. PfSPZ Vaccine elicits a potent response
      of hepatic CD8+ T cells that are specific for malaria antigens in non-human
      primates. To further characterize hepatic CD8+ T cells induced by the sporozoite
      based malaria vaccine in a mouse model, we have used a cutting-edge Single-cell
      Barcode (SCBC) assay, a recently emerged approach/method for investigating the
      nature of T-cells responses during infection or cancer. Using the SCBC
      technology, we have identified a population of hepatic CD8+ T cells that are
      polyfunctional at a single cell level only in a group of vaccinated mice upon
      malaria challenge. The cytokines/chemokines secreted by these polyfunctional CD8+
      T-cell subsets include MIP-1alpha, RANTES, IFN-gamma, and/or IL-17A, which have
      shown to be associated with protective T-cell responses against certain
      pathogens. Therefore, a successful induction of such polyfunctional hepatic CD8+
      T cells may be a key to the development of effective human malaria vaccine. In
      addition, the SCBC technology could provide a new level of diagnostic that will
      allow for a more accurate determination of vaccine efficacy.

PMID- 28362552
TI  - Vaccination campaign at a temporary camp for victims of the earthquake in Lorca
      (Spain).
AB  - Outbreaks in temporary camps are an important risk for the health of the
      displaced population. The town of Lorca (Murcia, Spain) suffered 2 earthquakes on
      May 2011 that required the re-housing of 1,424 victims in a temporary camp.
      Following 4 cases of chickenpox control measures were adopted among the displaced
      population. These measures included vaccination against chickenpox; due to the
      existence of cases of measles in adjacent regions, it was decided to offer
      measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) vaccination as well. The immunization campaign
      was performed during 2 d (3 to 4 d after the first case). The immunity status of
      1,041 (73,1%) of the residents was reviewed. Being vaccinated 523 (67%) against
      chickenpox and MMR, 133 (17%) against only MMR and 124 (16%) against only
      chickenpox. We consider the action taken was a success, as only 4 additional
      cases of chickenpox were subsequently recorded in the campsite, being avoidable
      only one of them. There is a major risk of outbreaks in a disaster situation.
      Because of this, conducting preventive actions are indicated to avoid doing worse
      this critical.

PMID- 28362550
TI  - Are children's vitamin D levels and BMI associated with antibody titers produced
      in response to 2014-2015 influenza vaccine?
AB  - BACKGROUND: Vitamin D is an immunomodulating hormone, which has been associated
      with susceptibility to infectious diseases. METHODS: Serum vitamin D levels in
      135 children ages 3-17 y were measured at baseline and hemagglutinin influenza
      antibody titers were measured pre- and 21 d post influenza vaccination with live
      attenuated influenza vaccine (LAIV) or inactivated influenza vaccine (IIV).
      Height and weight were derived from the electronic medical record and were used
      to calculate body mass index (BMI). RESULTS: Thirty-nine percent of children were
      ages 3-8 years; 75% were black, 34% were obese (BMI >= 95th percentile); vitamin
      D levels were >20 ng/ml in 55%. In linear regression analyses, post vaccination
      antibody titers for LAIV B lineages (B Brisbane and B Massachusetts) were
      significantly higher among those with lower vitamin D levels and among younger
      participants (P < 0.05). No associations between vitamin D levels and responses
      to LAIV A strains (A/H1N1 and A/H3N2) or to any IIV strains or lineages were
      found. CONCLUSION: Low vitamin D levels were associated with higher response to
      LAIV B lineages in the 2014-2015 LAIV, but not related to LAIV A or any IIV
      strains.

PMID- 28362553
TI  - Agronomic performance of insect-protected and herbicide-tolerant MON 89034 *
      TC1507 * NK603 * DAS-40278-9 corn is equivalent to that of conventional corn.
AB  - Agronomic characteristics of genetically modified (GM) MON 89034 * TC1507 * NK603
      * DAS-40278-9 (PowerCoreTM EnlistTM), MON 89034 * TC1507 * NK603 (PowerCoreTM),
      and DAS-40278-9 (EnlistTM) corn, a non-GM near-isogenic hybrid, and 2 commercial
      non-GM hybrids were assessed in a field study to determine if the agronomic
      performance of the GM corn hybrids is equivalent to that of non-transgenic hybrid
      corn. The MON 89034 * TC1507 * NK603 * DAS-40278-9 hybrid corn was developed
      through stacking of 4 individual transgenic events, MON 89034, TC1507, NK603, and
      DAS-40278-9 by traditional breeding and contains the cry1A.105 and cry2Ab2 (MON
      89034), cry1F and pat (TC1507), cp4 epsps (NK603) and aad-1 (DAS-40278-9)
      transgenes. These transgenes encode the proteins Cry1A.105, Cry2Ab2, and Cry1F,
      which confer insect resistance, PAT, CP4 EPSPS, and AAD-1, which confer herbicide
      tolerance. The following agronomic characteristics were assessed in the study:
      initial and final stand count, seedling vigor, time to silk, time to pollen shed,
      pollen viability, plant height, ear height, stalk lodging, root lodging, days to
      maturity, stay green, disease incidence, insect damage, herbicide injury, and
      yield. The agronomic assessment was conducted in 2 regions of Brazil
      (Indianopolis-MG; Cravinhos-SP). The agronomic attributes for all GM entries were
      statistically indistinguishable from the non-GM near-isogenic hybrid. In
      addition, most of the agronomic assessments fell within the range of the
      commercial varieties included in the study. Taken together, MON 89034 * TC1507 *
      NK603 * DAS-40278, MON 89034 * TC1507 * NK603, and DAS-40278-9 were found to be
      agronomically equivalent to non-GM corn.

PMID- 28362551
TI  - The double life of the ribosome: When its protein folding activity supports prion
      propagation.
AB  - It is no longer necessary to demonstrate that ribosome is the central machinery
      of protein synthesis. But it is less known that it is also key player of the
      protein folding process through another conserved function: the protein folding
      activity of the ribosome (PFAR). This ribozyme activity, discovered more than 2
      decades ago, depends upon the domain V of the large rRNA within the large subunit
      of the ribosome. Surprisingly, we discovered that anti-prion compounds are also
      potent PFAR inhibitors, highlighting an unexpected link between PFAR and prion
      propagation. In this review, we discuss the ancestral origin of PFAR in the light
      of the ancient RNA world hypothesis. We also consider how this ribosomal activity
      fits into the landscape of cellular protein chaperones involved in the appearance
      and propagation of prions and other amyloids in mammals. Finally, we examine how
      drugs targeting the protein folding activity of the ribosome could be active
      against mammalian prion and other protein aggregation-based diseases, making PFAR
      a promising therapeutic target for various human protein misfolding diseases.

PMID- 28362554
TI  - Detection of a new 20-bp insertion/deletion (indel) within sheep PRND gene using
      mathematical expectation (ME) method.
AB  - Prion-related protein doppel gene (PRND), as an essential member of the mammalian
      prion gene family, is associated with the scrapie susceptibility as well as
      phenotype traits, so the genetic variation of the PRND has been highly concerned
      recently, including the single nucleiotide polymorphism (SNP) and
      insertion/deletion (indel). Therefore, the objective of present study was to
      examine the possible indel variants by mathematical expectation (ME) detection
      method as well as explore its associations with phenotype traits. A novel 20-bp
      indel was verified in 623 tested individuals representing 4 diversity sheep
      breeds. The results showed that 3 genotypes were detected and the minor allelic
      frequency were 0.008 (Lanzhou Fat-Tail sheep, LFTS), 0.084 (Small Tail Han sheep,
      STHS), 0.021(Tong sheep, TS) and 0.083 (Hu sheep, HS), respectively. Comparing
      with the traditional method of detecting samples one by one, the reaction times
      with ME method was decreased by 36.22% (STHS), 37.00% (HS), 68.67% (TS) and
      83.33% (LFTS), respectively. Besides, this locus was significantly associated to
      cannon circumference index (P = 0.012) and trunk index (P = 0.037) in the Hu
      sheep breed. Notably, it was not concordance with the present result of DNA
      sequencing (GCTGTCCCTGCAGGGCTTCT) and dbSNPase of NCBI (NC_443194: g.46184887-
      46184906delCTGCTGTCCCTGCAGGGCTT). Consequently, it was the first time to detect
      the new 20-bp indel of sheep PRND gene by ME strategy, which might provide a
      valuable theoretical basis for marker-assisted selection in sheep genetics and
      breeding.

PMID- 28362555
TI  - Invited Commentary on "Chemoembolization of Hepatocellular Carcinoma with
      Extrahepatic Collateral Blood Supply".

PMID- 28362556
TI  - Bronchiolitis: A Practical Approach for the General Radiologist.
AB  - Radiologists consciously or unconsciously encounter bronchiolitis on images
      frequently. The purpose of this article is to simplify the concept of
      bronchiolitis to facilitate the formulation of a succinct and accurate
      differential diagnosis and suggest potential causes for the imaging findings.
      Direct and indirect signs of bronchiolitis that are seen on computed tomographic
      images are detailed. The most common causes of bronchiolitis are covered,
      including several distinct entities to be considered in specific clinical
      scenarios. In order of prevalence, the top two causes of bronchiolitis are
      infection and aspiration. Less common entities include respiratory bronchiolitis
      and hypersensitivity pneumonitis, which tend to manifest with ground-glass
      centrilobular nodules. Some types of bronchiolitis affect specific ethnic groups
      or are associated with a characteristic clinical history. For example, diffuse
      panbronchiolitis typically affects Japanese subjects. Constrictive bronchiolitis
      should be considered in lung transplant recipients with ongoing rejection. Given
      the high frequency of bronchiolitis, radiologists should develop a systematic
      approach to both cellular and constrictive bronchiolitis. Recognition of specific
      clinical or imaging characteristics may be sufficient for providing a relevant
      differential diagnosis. (c)RSNA, 2017.

PMID- 28362558
TI  - Ramped Up.

PMID- 28362557
TI  - Chemoembolization of Hepatocellular Carcinoma with Extrahepatic Collateral Blood
      Supply: Anatomic and Technical Considerations.
AB  - Transarterial chemoembolization (TACE) is considered a standard local-regional
      treatment for intermediate-stage hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and the most
      common bridging therapy. This treatment is offered to more than 70% of patients
      who are on the waiting list for liver transplantation in the United States. HCC
      typically receives its blood supply from the hepatic artery; however, it can
      recruit a parasitic supply from extrahepatic collateral (EHC) arteries. The
      development of an EHC arterial blood supply can interfere with the therapeutic
      efficacy of TACE and result in treatment failure and poor outcome. Cross
      sectional imaging-specifically computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging
      has some limitations in depicting the presence or absence of an EHC arterial
      supply during the pre-TACE evaluation. Catheterization and angiography of every
      possible EHC artery during a routine TACE procedure would be time consuming and
      technically challenging and would not always be feasible. Therefore, the
      prediction of a potential EHC arterial supply on the basis of tumor location
      before, during, and after TACE is fundamental to achieving optimal therapeutic
      efficacy. To perform TACE through EHC arteries, special considerations are
      necessary to avoid potentially serious complications. The authors review the
      factors influencing the development of an EHC arterial blood supply to HCC and
      describe a systematic approach to enhance the ability to predict the presence of
      EHC arteries. They also describe the proper technique for TACE of each EHC artery
      and how to avoid potential technique-related complications. (c)RSNA, 2017.

PMID- 28362561
TI  - Spring.

PMID- 28362560
TI  - Comparing outcomes of pediatric and adult external dacryocystorhinostomy in
      Nepal: Is age a prognostic factor?
AB  - We determine whether age is a prognostic factor for surgical outcomes of external
      dacryocystorhinostomy (Ex-DCR). This retrospective cohort study conducted at
      Tilganga Institute of Ophthalmology (Kathmandu, Nepal) compared pediatric Ex-DCR
      procedures (age <= 15 years) to adult Ex-DCR procedures (age > 15 years) and was
      performed between January 2013 and December 2013, with a minimum follow-up period
      of 6 months. Primary outcome measure was rate of success, defined as complete
      resolution of subjective symptom(s) of epiphora (subjective success), combined
      with patent lacrimal passage on syringing (anatomical success) at last follow-up
      visit. Other outcome measures included clinical presentation, diagnosis,
      intraoperative complications and post-operative complications. In total, 154 Ex
      DCR procedures were included, with an age range of 8 months to 81 years (mean age
      36.4 +/- 21.0 years). In all, 38 pediatric Ex-DCR procedures were compared to 116
      adult procedures. Success rates were 97% in the pediatric group and 95% in the
      adult group, with no clinically or statistically significant difference in
      success rate or complication rate between groups (p > 0.05). Our study yielded
      high success rates of Ex-DCR in both pediatric and adult age groups suggesting
      that Ex-DCR remains an optimal treatment choice for all age groups. With no
      difference in surgical outcomes between pediatric and adult patients, including
      complication rate, we conclude that age is not a prognostic factor for Ex-DCR
      failure. We do not recommend adjuvant therapy for pediatric patients.

PMID- 28362562
TI  - Ten-Year Progression-Free and Overall Survival in Patients With Unresectable or
      Metastatic GI Stromal Tumors: Long-Term Analysis of the European Organisation for
      Research and Treatment of Cancer, Italian Sarcoma Group, and Australasian
      Gastrointestinal Trials Group Intergroup Phase III Randomized Trial on Imatinib
      at Two Dose Levels.
AB  - Purpose To report on the long-term results of a randomized trial comparing a
      standard dose (400 mg/d) versus a higher dose (800 mg/d) of imatinib in patients
      with metastatic or locally advanced GI stromal tumors (GISTs). Patients and
      Methods Eligible patients with advanced CD117-positive GIST from 56 institutions
      in 13 countries were randomly assigned to receive either imatinib 400 mg or 800
      mg daily. Patients on the 400-mg arm were allowed to cross over to 800 mg upon
      progression. Results Between February 2001 and February 2002, 946 patients were
      accrued. Median age was 60 years (range, 18 to 91 years). Median follow-up time
      was 10.9 years. Median progression-free survival times were 1.7 and 2.0 years in
      the 400- and 800-mg arms, respectively (hazard ratio, 0.91; P = .18), and median
      overall survival time was 3.9 years in both treatment arms. The estimated 10-year
      progression-free survival rates were 9.5% and 9.2% for the 400- and 800-mg arms,
      respectively, and the estimated 10-year overall survival rates were 19.4% and
      21.5%, respectively. At multivariable analysis, age (< 60 years), performance
      status (0 v >= 1), size of the largest lesion (smaller), and KIT mutation (exon
      11) were significant prognostic factors for the probability of surviving beyond
      10 years. Conclusion This trial was carried out on a worldwide intergroup basis,
      at the beginning of the learning curve of the use of imatinib, in a large
      population of patients with advanced GIST. With a long follow-up, 6% of patients
      are long-term progression free and 13% are survivors. Among clinical prognostic
      factors, only performance status, KIT mutation, and size of largest lesion
      predicted long-term outcome, likely pointing to a lower burden of disease.
      Genomic and/or immune profiling could help understand long-term survivorship.
      Addressing secondary resistance remains a therapeutic challenge.

PMID- 28362564
TI  - Posttraumatic Stress in Mothers Related to Giving Birth Prematurely: A Mixed
      Research Synthesis.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Globally the preterm birth rate for 184 countries in 2010 was 11.1%.
      Preterm births can be a traumatic experience for mothers. OBJECTIVE: This article
      provides a mixed research synthesis of the quantitative and qualitative studies
      on posttraumatic stress in mothers who have given birth prematurely. DESIGN:
      Narrative synthesis was the mixed research synthesis approach used. RESULTS:
      Included in this narrative synthesis were quantitative prevalence studies ( n =
      19), quantitative intervention studies ( n = 6), and qualitative studies ( n =
      5). Prevalence rates ranged from 14% to 79%. Four of the intervention studies had
      significant results and two did not. Qualitative data synthesis revealed five
      themes: (a) shocked and horrified, (b) consuming guilt, (c) pervasive anxiety and
      hypervigilance, (d) intrusive thoughts, and (e) numbing and avoiding reminders.
      CONCLUSIONS: Women's traumatic experiences of preterm birth are clearly important
      issues for psychiatric nurses to address.

PMID- 28362565
TI  - Hunter-Prey Discourse: A Critical Discourse Analysis of the Online Posts of Men
      Who Buy Sex.
AB  - BACKGROUND: The Internet has emerged as a major expediter of the commercial sex
      (CS) industry. While use of web-based CS industry sites is brisk, the full extent
      of their impact remains unclear particularly how they influence users' views of
      the CS industry. OBJECTIVE: This research study sought to uncover the nuances of
      buyers' interactions on an online CS website. DESIGN: Six hundred sixty-six
      online posts from 363 unique members were collected and analyzed using critical
      discourse analysis. RESULTS: Via the use of language and dialogue, particular
      ways of thinking about and talking about buying sex are normalized and
      reinforced. Evident within these discursive patterns are mechanisms by which
      assumptions are forwarded, perceptions shaped, and authority established.
      CONCLUSIONS: Information about how CS industry websites establish beliefs,
      relationships, and practices among its users may increase understanding of how
      the CS industry seeks to gain acceptance in the American culture and normalize
      its activities.

PMID- 28362563
TI  - Immunogenicity and safety of a novel MMR vaccine (live, freeze-dried) containing
      the Edmonston-Zagreb measles strain, the Hoshino mumps strain, and the RA 27/3
      rubella strain: Results of a randomized, comparative, active controlled phase III
      clinical trial.
AB  - This phase III clinical trial was conducted to evaluate the immunogenicity and
      safety of the single-dose and multi-dose formulations of a novel MMR vaccine
      (live, freeze-dried) developed by M/s Cadila Healthcare Limited, India (Cadila
      MMR vaccine), containing the Hoshino mumps strain, compared to that of an
      existing MMR vaccine (live, freeze-dried) developed by M/s Serum Institute of
      India Limited, India (Serum MMR vaccine). These two vaccines have similar measles
      and rubella strains, but different mumps strains (Hoshino in Cadila MMR vaccine,
      and L-Zagreb in Serum MMR vaccine). Three hundred and twenty-eight subjects of
      either sex, aged 15-18 months, were randomized in a 2:1 ratio to receive either
      the Cadila or Serum MMR vaccine. Immunogenicity assessments (IgG antibodies
      against measles, mumps, and rubella viruses) were done at baseline and 42 d after
      vaccination. Solicited (local and systemic) and unsolicited adverse events were
      recorded for up to 42 d following vaccination. The Cadila MMR vaccine was found
      to be non-inferior to the Serum MMR vaccine in terms of end-of-study proportion
      of subjects seropositive for anti-measles antibodies (100.0% in both groups),
      anti-mumps antibodies (94.5% vs. 94.0%), and anti-rubella antibodies (95.5% vs.
      91.0%). Both vaccines were well tolerated by all study participants; the most
      common adverse event reported in both groups was fever, followed by rash. The
      results of this phase III clinical trial show that the novel Cadila MMR vaccine
      is non-inferior to the Serum MMR vaccine.

PMID- 28362567
TI  - Psychologically Informed Implementations of Sugary-Drink Portion Limits.
AB  - In 2012, the New York City Board of Health prohibited restaurants from selling
      sugary drinks in containers that would hold more than 16 oz. Although a state
      court ruled that the Board of Health did not have the authority to implement such
      a policy, it remains a legally viable option for governments and a voluntary
      option for restaurants. However, there is very limited empirical data on how such
      a policy might affect the purchasing and consumption of sugary drinks. We report
      four well-powered, incentive-compatible experiments in which we evaluated two
      possible ways that restaurants might comply with such a policy: bundling (i.e.,
      dividing the contents of oversized cups into two regulation-size cups) and
      providing free refills (i.e., offering a regulation-size cup with unlimited
      refills). Bundling caused people to buy less soda. Free refills increased
      consumption, especially when a waiter served the refills. This perverse effect
      was reduced in self-service contexts that required walking just a few steps to
      get a refill.

PMID- 28362566
TI  - Impact of air temperature variation on the ixodid ticks habitat and tick-borne
      encephalitis incidence in the Russian Arctic: the case of the Komi Republic.
AB  - BACKGROUND: The causes of the recent rise of tick-borne encephalitis (TBE)
      incidence in Europe are discussed. Our objective was to estimate the impact of
      air temperature change on TBE incidence in the European part of the Russian
      Arctic. METHODS: We analysed the TBE incidence in the Komi Republic (RK) over a
      42-year period in relation to changes in local annual average air temperature,
      air temperature during the season of tick activity, tick abundance, TBE
      prevalence in ticks, tick-bite incidence rate, and normalised difference
      vegetation index within the area under study. RESULTS: In 1998-2011 in RK a
      substantial growth of TBE virus (TBEV) prevalence both in questing and feeding
      ticks was observed. In 1992-2011 there was 23-fold growth of the tick-bite
      incidence rate in humans, a northward shift of the reported tick bites, and the
      season of tick bites increased from 4 to 6 months. In 1998-2011 there was more
      than 6-fold growth of average annual TBE incidence compared with 1970-1983 and
      1984-1997 periods. This resulted both from the northward shift of TBE, and its
      growth in the south. In our view it was related to local climate change as both
      the average annual air temperature, and the air temperature during the tick
      activity season grew substantially. We revealed in RK a strong correlation
      between the change in the air temperature and that in TBE incidence. The
      satellite data showed NDVI growth within RK, i.e. alteration of the local
      ecosystem under the influence of climate change. CONCLUSIONS: The rise in TBE
      incidence in RK is related considerably to the expansion of the range of Ixodes
      persulcatus. The territory with reported TBE cases also expanded northward.
      Climate change is an important driver of TBE incidence rate growth.

PMID- 28362569
TI  - Calorie and Protein Content of Parenteral Amino Acid Solutions.

PMID- 28362568
TI  - Political Orientation Predicts Credulity Regarding Putative Hazards.
AB  - To benefit from information provided by other people, people must be somewhat
      credulous. However, credulity entails risks. The optimal level of credulity
      depends on the relative costs of believing misinformation and failing to attend
      to accurate information. When information concerns hazards, erroneous incredulity
      is often more costly than erroneous credulity, given that disregarding accurate
      warnings is more harmful than adopting unnecessary precautions. Because no
      equivalent asymmetry exists for information concerning benefits, people should
      generally be more credulous of hazard information than of benefit information.
      This adaptive negatively biased credulity is linked to negativity bias in general
      and is more prominent among people who believe the world to be more dangerous.
      Because both threat sensitivity and beliefs about the dangerousness of the world
      differ between conservatives and liberals, we predicted that conservatism would
      positively correlate with negatively biased credulity. Two online studies of
      Americans supported this prediction, potentially illuminating how politicians'
      alarmist claims affect different portions of the electorate.

PMID- 28362570
TI  - Editor's Note.

PMID- 28362571
TI  - Transpyloric Feeding Tube Placement Using Electromagnetic Placement Device in
      Children.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Transpyloric feeding tubes (TPT) are often recommended in critically
      ill children. Blind tube placement, however, can be difficult, be time-consuming,
      and incur multiple radiation exposures. An electromagnetic device (EMD) is
      available for confirmation of successful placement of TPTs. We conducted a
      retrospective cohort study to evaluate the efficacy of an EMD for TPT placement
      in children and determine its impact on placement success, radiation exposure,
      confirmation time, and cost for tube placement compared with traditional blind
      TPT placement. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Retrospective data were collected in
      patients receiving a TPT before (pre-EMD group) and after implementation of an
      EMD (EMD group). RESULTS: Need for radiographic exposure decreased significantly
      in the EMD group (n = 40) compared with the pre-EMD group (n = 38) (0.6 vs 1.6 x
      rays, P < .001). TPTs were placed and confirmed without abdominal x-ray in 21 of
      40 patients in the EMD group. There were no serious adverse events such as
      misplacement into the lung or pneumothorax or perforation injury of the stomach.
      Successful tube confirmation took a significantly shorter time in the EMD group
      than in the pre-EMD group (1.45 vs 4.59 hours, P < .0001). There was an estimated
      cost savings of $245.10 per placement associated with decreased x-ray and
      fluoroscopy. CONCLUSION: The use of an EMD in children significantly decreased
      radiation exposure and confirmation time while maintaining TPT placement success.
      The use of an EMD can potentially offer large cost savings. Elimination of
      abdominal x-ray with EMD during TPT placement was achieved without any serious
      complications in approximately half of the children.

PMID- 28362572
TI  - Indicators for Enteral Nutrition Use and Prophylactic Percutaneous Endoscopic
      Gastrostomy Placement in Patients With Head and Neck Cancer Undergoing
      Chemoradiotherapy.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Chemoradiotherapy (CRT) is a major risk factor for malnutrition and
      dehydration in patients with head and neck cancer. Enteral support is often
      needed, and a percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy (PEG) is frequently placed.
      Specific indicators for PEG placement remain unclear. This study retrospectively
      determined which factors contributed to enteral nutrition (EN) use and PEG
      placement in a large patient group to gain insight on potential indicators for
      PEG placement protocol creation. METHODS: A retrospective chart review of 240
      patients with head and neck cancer who underwent CRT in 2012-2015 was conducted.
      Lifestyle, oncological, treatment, and nutrition outcome characteristics were
      examined and compared between patients who used EN and those who did not, as well
      as between patients who received a PEG and those who did not. RESULTS: In total,
      195 patients used EN (via PEG or nasogastric tube). Multivariate analysis showed
      that nodal disease presence ( P = .01) and bilateral neck irradiation ( P = .01)
      were significantly related to EN use while increased age ( P = .01), nodal
      disease presence ( P = .02), reconstruction extent other than primary closure ( P
      = .02), bilateral neck irradiation ( P < .01), and an adapted intake consistency
      prior to treatment ( P = .03) were significantly related to PEG placement.
      CONCLUSION: Important factors for EN usage and PEG placement consideration
      include nodal disease and planned bilateral neck irradiation. Results from this
      study in combination with existing literature can be taken into consideration in
      the design of a PEG placement protocol. A better understanding of predictive
      indicators to PEG placement should be explored in further prospective studies.

PMID- 28362573
TI  - Ultrasound-Assessed Gastric Antral Area Correlates With Aspirated Tube Feed
      Volume in Enterally Fed Critically Ill Patients.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Enteral tube feed (ETF) intolerance occurs frequently in hospitalized
      patients and more so in critically ill patients. Most critical care nurses
      continue to assess gastric residual volume (GRV), especially among those with a
      history of ETF intolerance. We hypothesized that ultrasound assessment of GRV
      correlates directly with aspirated tube feed volume. METHODS: This was a
      prospective cohort study of a convenience sample of critically ill mechanically
      ventilated patients admitted to an intensive care unit receiving ETF. The gastric
      antrum was imaged using the aorta and inferior vena cava (IVC) as landmarks
      concurrently and simultaneously using a curvilinear probe in the midline. All
      ultrasound measurements were performed at 30 degrees head up, in the supine
      position, and prior to the assessment of GRV by nursing staff blinding the
      ultrasonographer to gastric volume aspirated. Gastric antral area was determined
      by assessing anteroposterior (AP) and craniocaudal (CC) diameters of the gastric
      antrum. RESULTS: Gastric cross-sectional area (CSA) using IVC as a landmark ( R2
      = 0.92, P < .0001) and aorta as a landmark ( R2 = 0.86, P < .0001) correlated
      with aspirated volume. CC diameter of the stomach measured using the aorta as a
      landmark correlated with aspirated volume and increased linearly with increasing
      GRV ( R2 = 0.78, P < .0001). A CC diameter of <10 cm using the aorta as a
      landmark predicted a gastric volume of <500 mL. CONCLUSIONS: Ultrasound
      assessment provides accurate assessment of gastric volume in real-life settings,
      and the CC diameter of the gastric antrum provides a simple surrogate of GRV.

PMID- 28362574
TI  - Enteral Feeding Set Handling Techniques.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Enteral nutrition therapy is common practice in pediatric clinical
      settings. Often patients will receive a pump-assisted bolus feeding over 30
      minutes several times per day using the same enteral feeding set (EFS). This
      study aims to determine the safest and most efficacious way to handle the EFS
      between feedings. METHODS: Three EFS handling techniques were compared through
      simulation for bacterial growth, nursing time, and supply costs: (1) rinsing the
      EFS with sterile water after each feeding, (2) refrigerating the EFS between
      feedings, and (3) using a ready-to-hang (RTH) product maintained at room
      temperature. Cultures were obtained at baseline, hour 12, and hour 21 of the 24
      hour cycle. A time-in-motion analysis was conducted and reported in average
      number of seconds to complete each procedure. Supply costs were inventoried for 1
      month comparing the actual usage to our estimated usage. RESULTS: Of 1080
      cultures obtained, the overall bacterial growth rate was 8.7%. The rinse and
      refrigeration techniques displayed similar bacterial growth (11.4% vs 10.3%, P =
      .63). The RTH technique displayed the least bacterial growth of any method (4.4%,
      P = .002). The time analysis in minutes showed the rinse method was the most time
      consuming (44.8 +/- 2.7) vs refrigeration (35.8 +/- 2.6) and RTH (31.08 +/- 0.6)
      ( P < .0001). CONCLUSIONS: All 3 EFS handling techniques displayed low bacterial
      growth. RTH was superior in bacterial growth, nursing time, and supply costs.
      Since not all pediatric formulas are available in RTH, we conclude that
      refrigerating the EFS between uses is the next most efficacious method for
      handling the EFS between bolus feeds.

PMID- 28362575
TI  - Review of Copper Provision in the Parenteral Nutrition of Adults [Formula: see
      text].
AB  - The essential trace element copper (Cu) is required for a range of physiologic
      processes, including wound healing and functioning of the immune system. The
      correct amount of Cu must be provided in parenteral nutrition (PN) if deficiency
      and toxicity are to be avoided. While provision in line with the standard
      recommendations should suffice for most patients, Cu requirements may be higher
      in patients with increased gastrointestinal losses and severe burns and lower in
      those with cholestasis. The tests of Cu status that are currently available for
      clinical use are unreliable. Serum Cu concentration is the most commonly ordered
      test but is insensitive to Cu deficiency and toxicity and is misleadingly
      increased during the acute phase response. These limitations make it difficult
      for prescribers to assess Cu status and to decide how much Cu to provide. There
      is a need for better tests of Cu status to be developed to decrease uncertainty
      and improve individualization of Cu dosing. More information is needed on Cu
      requirements in disease and Cu contamination of PN components and other
      intravenous fluids. New multi-trace element products should be developed that
      provide Cu doses in line with the 2012 American Society for Parenteral and
      Enteral Nutrition recommendations. This article discusses the evaluation and
      treatment of Cu deficiency and toxicity in patients treated with PN.

PMID- 28362577
TI  - Coming soon to a screen near you.
AB  - As eLife starts to publish the accepted versions of certain Research Articles, we
      explain what happens once a manuscript has been accepted for publication.

PMID- 28362576
TI  - Ambra1 spatially regulates Src activity and Src/FAK-mediated cancer cell invasion
      via trafficking networks.
AB  - Here, using mouse squamous cell carcinoma cells, we report a completely new
      function for the autophagy protein Ambra1 as the first described 'spatial
      rheostat' controlling the Src/FAK pathway. Ambra1 regulates the targeting of
      active phospho-Src away from focal adhesions into autophagic structures that
      cancer cells use to survive adhesion stress. Ambra1 binds to both FAK and Src in
      cancer cells. When FAK is present, Ambra1 is recruited to focal adhesions,
      promoting FAK-regulated cancer cell direction-sensing and invasion. However, when
      Ambra1 cannot bind to FAK, abnormally high levels of phospho-Src and phospho-FAK
      accumulate at focal adhesions, positively regulating adhesion and invasive
      migration. Spatial control of active Src requires the trafficking proteins
      Dynactin one and IFITM3, which we identified as Ambra1 binding partners by
      interaction proteomics. We conclude that Ambra1 is a core component of an
      intracellular trafficking network linked to tight spatial control of active Src
      and FAK levels, and so crucially regulates their cancer-associated biological
      outputs.

PMID- 28362578
TI  - Automated Catheter Navigation With Electromagnetic Image Guidance.
AB  - This paper describes a novel method of controlling an endoscopic catheter by
      using an automated catheter tensioning system with the objective of providing
      clinicians with improved manipulation capabilities within the patient. Catheters
      are used in many clinical procedures to provide access to the cardiopulmonary
      system. Control of such catheters is performed manually by the clinicians using a
      handle, typically actuating a single or opposing set of pull wires. Such
      catheters are generally actuated in a single plane, requiring the clinician to
      rotate the catheter handle to navigate the system. The automation system
      described here allows closed-loop control of a custom bronchial catheter in
      tandem with an electromagnetic tracking of the catheter tip and image guidance by
      using a 3D Slicer. An electromechanical drive train applies tension to four pull
      wires to steer the catheter tip, with the applied force constantly monitored
      through force sensing load cells. The applied tension is controlled through a PC
      connected joystick. An electromagnetic sensor embedded in the catheter tip
      enables constant real-time position tracking, whereas a working channel provides
      a route for endoscopic instruments. The system is demonstrated and tested in both
      a breathing lung model and a preclinical animal study. Navigation to predefined
      targets in the subject's airways by using the joystick while using virtual image
      guidance and electromagnetic tracking was demonstrated. Average targeting times
      were 29 and 10 s, respectively, for the breathing lung and live animal studies.
      This paper presents the first reported remote controlled bronchial working
      channel catheter utilizing electromagnetic tracking and has many implications for
      future development in endoscopic and catheter-based procedures.

PMID- 28362579
TI  - Structured Learning for 3-D Perivascular Space Segmentation Using Vascular
      Features.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: The goal of this paper is to automatically segment perivascular spaces
      (PVSs) in brain from high-resolution 7T magnetic resonance (MR) images. METHODS:
      We propose a structured-learning-based segmentation framework to extract the PVSs
      from high-resolution 7T MR images. Specifically, we integrate three types of
      vascular filter responses into a structured random forest for classifying voxels
      into two categories, i.e., PVS and background. In addition, we propose a novel
      entropy-based sampling strategy to extract informative samples in the background
      for training an explicit classification model. Since the vascular filters can
      extract various vascular features, even thin and low-contrast structures can be
      effectively extracted from noisy backgrounds. Moreover, continuous and smooth
      segmentation results can be obtained by utilizing patch-based structured labels.
      RESULTS: The performance of our proposed method is evaluated on 19 subjects with
      7T MR images, with the Dice similarity coefficient reaching 66%. CONCLUSION: The
      joint use of entropy-based sampling strategy, vascular features, and structured
      learning can improve the segmentation accuracy. SIGNIFICANCE: Instead of manual
      annotation, our method provides an automatic way for PVS segmentation. Moreover,
      our method can be potentially used for other vascular structure segmentation
      because of its data-driven property.

PMID- 28362581
TI  - Non-invasive Fetal ECG Signal Quality Assessment for Multichannel Heart Rate
      Estimation.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: The noninvasive fetal ECG (NI-FECG) from abdominal recordings offers
      novel prospects for prenatal monitoring. However, NI-FECG signals are corrupted
      by various nonstationary noise sources, making the processing of abdominal
      recordings a challenging task. In this paper, we present an online approach that
      dynamically assess the quality of NI-FECG to improve fetal heart rate (FHR)
      estimation. METHODS: Using a naive Bayes classifier, state-of-the-art and novel
      signal quality indices (SQIs), and an existing adaptive Kalman filter, FHR
      estimation was improved. For the purpose of training and validating the proposed
      methods, a large annotated private clinical dataset was used. RESULTS: The
      suggested classification scheme demonstrated an accuracy of Krippendorff's alpha
      in determining the overall quality of NI-FECG signals. The proposed Kalman filter
      outperformed alternative methods for FHR estimation achieving accuracy.
      CONCLUSION: The proposed algorithm was able to reliably reflect changes of signal
      quality and can be used in improving FHR estimation. SIGNIFICANCE: NI-ECG signal
      quality estimation and multichannel information fusion are largely unexplored
      topics. Based on previous works, multichannel FHR estimation is a field that
      could strongly benefit from such methods. The developed SQI algorithms as well as
      resulting classifier were made available under a GNU GPL open-source license and
      contributed to the FECGSYN toolbox.

PMID- 28362582
TI  - Multiview Rectification of Folded Documents.
AB  - Digitally unwrapping images of paper sheets is crucial for accurate document
      scanning and text recognition. This paper presents a method for automatically
      rectifying curved or folded paper sheets from a few images captured from multiple
      viewpoints. Prior methods either need expensive 3D scanners or model deformable
      surfaces using over-simplified parametric representations. In contrast, our
      method uses regular images and is based on general developable surface models
      that can represent a wide variety of paper deformations. Our main contribution is
      a new robust rectification method based on ridge-aware 3D reconstruction of a
      paper sheet and unwrapping the reconstructed surface using properties of
      developable surfaces via conformal mapping. We present results on several
      examples including book pages, folded letters and shopping receipts.

PMID- 28362580
TI  - Numerical Model Study of In Vivo Magnetic Nanoparticle Tumor Heating.
AB  - : Iron oxide nanoparticles are currently under investigation as heating agents
      for hyperthermic treatment of tumors. Major determinants of effective heating
      include the biodistribution and minimum iron oxide loading required to achieve
      adequate heating at practically achievable magnetic field strengths. These inter
      related criteria ultimately determine the practicality of this approach to tumor
      treatment. Further, in our experience the currently used treatment assessment
      criterion for hyperthermia treatment-cumulative equivalent minutes at 43  degrees
      C, CEM43 -provides an inadequate description of the expected treatment
      effectiveness. OBJECTIVES: Couple numerical models to experimental measurements
      to study the relative heating effectiveness described by cell death predictions.
      METHODS: FEM numerical models were applied to increase the understanding of a
      carefully calibrated series of experiments in mouse mammary adenocarcinoma.
      RESULTS: The numerical model results indicate that minimum tumor loadings between
      approximately 1.3 to 1.8 mg of Fe per cm3 of tumor tissue are required to achieve
      the experimentally observed temperatures in magnetic field strengths of 32 kA/m
      (rms) at 162 kHz. CONCLUSION: We show that including multiple cell death
      processes operating in parallel within the numerical models provides valuable
      perspective on the likelihood of successful treatment. SIGNIFICANCE: We show and
      believe that these assessment methods are more accurate than a single assessment
      figure of merit based only on the comparison of thermal histories, such as the
      CEM method.

PMID- 28362583
TI  - Back-Projection Cortical Potential Imaging: Theory and Results.
AB  - Electroencephalography (EEG) is the single brain monitoring technique that is non
      invasive, portable, passive, exhibits high-temporal resolution, and gives a
      directmeasurement of the scalp electrical potential. Amajor disadvantage of the
      EEG is its low-spatial resolution, which is the result of the low-conductive
      skull that "smears" the currents coming from within the brain. Recording brain
      activity with both high temporal and spatial resolution is crucial for the
      localization of confined brain activations and the study of
      brainmechanismfunctionality, whichis then followed by diagnosis of brain-related
      diseases. In this paper, a new cortical potential imaging (CPI) method is
      presented. The new method gives an estimation of the electrical activity on the
      cortex surface and thus removes the "smearing effect" caused by the skull. The
      scalp potentials are back-projected CPI (BP-CPI) onto the cortex surface by
      building a well-posed problem to the Laplace equation that is solved by means of
      the finite elements method on a realistic head model. A unique solution to the
      CPI problem is obtained by introducing a cortical normal current estimation
      technique. The technique is based on the same mechanism used in the well-known
      surface Laplacian calculation, followed by a scalp-cortex back-projection
      routine. The BP-CPI passed four stages of validation, including validation on
      spherical and realistic head models, probabilistic analysis (Monte Carlo
      simulation), and noise sensitivity tests. In addition, the BP-CPI was compared
      with the minimum norm estimate CPI approach and found superior for multi-source
      cortical potential distributions with very good estimation results (CC >0.97) on
      a realistic head model in the regions of interest, for two representative cases.
      The BP-CPI can be easily incorporated in different monitoring tools and help
      researchers by maintaining an accurate estimation for the cortical potential of
      ongoing or event-related potentials in order to have better neurological
      inferences from the EEG.

PMID- 28362584
TI  - Automated Anatomy-Based Tracking of Systemic Arteries in Arbitrary Field-of-View
      CTA Scans.
AB  - We propose an automated pipeline for vessel centerline extraction in 3-D computed
      tomography angiography (CTA) scans with arbitrary fields of view. The principal
      steps of the pipeline are body part detection, candidate seed selection, segment
      tracking, which includes centerline extraction, and vessel tree growing. The
      final tree-growing step can be instantiated in either a semi- or fully automated
      fashion. The fully automated initialization is carried out using a vessel
      position regression algorithm. Both semi-and fully automated methods were
      evaluated on 30 CTA scans comprising neck, abdominal, and leg arteries in
      multiple fields of view. High detection rates and centerline accuracy values for
      38 distinct vessels demonstrate the effectiveness of our approach.

PMID- 28362585
TI  - Affine Non-Local Means Image Denoising.
AB  - This paper presents an extension of the Non-Local Means denoising method, that
      effectively exploits the affine invariant self-similarities present in the images
      of real scenes. Our method provides a better image denoising result by grounding
      on the fact that in many occasions similar patches exist in the image but have
      undergone a transformation. The proposal uses an affine invariant patch
      similarity measure that performs an appropriate patch comparison by automatically
      and intrinsically adapting the size and shape of the patches. As a result, more
      similar patches are found and appropriately used. We show that this image
      denoising method achieves top-tier performance in terms of PSNR, outperforming
      consistently the results of the regular Non-Local Means, and that it provides
      state-of-the-art qualitative results.

PMID- 28362586
TI  - Toward a Reliable Collection of Eye-Tracking Data for Image Quality Research:
      Challenges, Solutions, and Applications.
AB  - Image quality assessment potentially benefits from the addition of visual
      attention. However, incorporating aspects of visual attention in image quality
      models by means of a perceptually optimized strategy is largely unexplored.
      Fundamental challenges, such as how visual attention is affected by the
      concurrence of visual signals and their distortions; whether visual attention
      affected by distortion or that driven by the original scene only should be
      included in an image quality model; and how to select visual attention models for
      the image quality application context, remain. To shed light on the above
      unsolved issues, designing and performing eye-tracking experiments are essential.
      Collecting eye-tracking data for the purpose of image quality study is so far
      confronted with a bias due to the involvement of stimulus repetition. In this
      paper, we propose a new experimental methodology to eliminate such inherent bias.
      This allows obtaining reliable eye-tracking data with a large degree of stimulus
      variability. In fact, we first conducted 5760 eye movement trials that included
      160 human observers freely viewing 288 images of varying quality. We then made
      use of the resulting eye-tracking data to provide insights into the optimal use
      of visual attention in image quality research. The new eye-tracking data are made
      publicly available to the research community.

PMID- 28362587
TI  - Bayesian K-SVD Using Fast Variational Inference.
AB  - Recent work in signal processing in general and image processing in particular
      deals with sparse representation related problems. Two such problems are of
      paramount importance: an overriding need for designing a well-suited overcomplete
      dictionary containing a redundant set of atoms-i.e., basis signals-and how to
      find a sparse representation of a given signal with respect to the chosen
      dictionary. Dictionary learning techniques, among which we find the popular K
      singular value decomposition algorithm, tackle these problems by adapting a
      dictionary to a set of training data. A common drawback of such techniques is the
      need for parameter-tuning. In order to overcome this limitation, we propose a
      fully-automated Bayesian method that considers the uncertainty of the estimates
      and produces a sparse representation of the data without prior information on the
      number of non-zeros in each representation vector. We follow a Bayesian approach
      that uses a three-tiered hierarchical prior to enforce sparsity on the
      representations and develop an efficient variational inference framework that
      reduces computational complexity. Furthermore, we describe a greedy approach that
      speeds up the whole process. Finally, we present experimental results that show
      superior performance on two different applications with real images: denoising
      and inpainting.

PMID- 28362588
TI  - Evaluating Interactive Graphical Encodings for Data Visualization.
AB  - User interfaces for data visualization often consist of two main components:
      control panels for user interaction and visual representation. A recent trend in
      visualization is directly embedding user interaction into the visual
      representations. For example, instead of using control panels to adjust
      visualization parameters, users can directly adjust basic graphical encodings
      (e.g., changing distances between points in a scatterplot) to perform similar
      parameterizations. However, enabling embedded interactions for data visualization
      requires a strong understanding of how user interactions influence the ability to
      accurately control and perceive graphical encodings. In this paper, we study the
      effectiveness of these graphical encodings when serving as the method for
      interaction. Our user study includes 12 interactive graphical encodings. We
      discuss the results in terms of task performance and interaction effectiveness
      metrics.

PMID- 28362589
TI  - Observability of Automata Networks: Fixed and Switching Cases.
AB  - Automata networks are a class of fully discrete dynamical systems, which have
      received considerable interest in various different areas. This brief addresses
      the observability of automata networks and switched automata networks in a
      unified framework, and proposes simple necessary and sufficient conditions for
      observability. The results are achieved by employing methods from symbolic
      computation, and are suited for implementation using computer algebra systems.
      Several examples are presented to demonstrate the application of the results.

PMID- 28362590
TI  - Discriminative Sparse Neighbor Approximation for Imbalanced Learning.
AB  - Data imbalance is common in many vision tasks where one or more classes are rare.
      Without addressing this issue, conventional methods tend to be biased toward the
      majority class with poor predictive accuracy for the minority class. These
      methods further deteriorate on small, imbalanced data that have a large degree of
      class overlap. In this paper, we propose a novel discriminative sparse neighbor
      approximation (DSNA) method to ameliorate the effect of class-imbalance during
      prediction. Specifically, given a test sample, we first traverse it through a
      cost-sensitive decision forest to collect a good subset of training examples in
      its local neighborhood. Then, we generate from this subset several class
      discriminating but overlapping clusters and model each as an affine subspace.
      From these subspaces, the proposed DSNA iteratively seeks an optimal
      approximation of the test sample and outputs an unbiased prediction. We show that
      our method not only effectively mitigates the imbalance issue, but also allows
      the prediction to extrapolate to unseen data. The latter capability is crucial
      for achieving accurate prediction on small data set with limited samples. The
      proposed imbalanced learning method can be applied to both classification and
      regression tasks at a wide range of imbalance levels. It significantly
      outperforms the state-of-the-art methods that do not possess an imbalance
      handling mechanism, and is found to perform comparably or even better than recent
      deep learning methods by using hand-crafted features only.

PMID- 28362591
TI  - Preconditioned Stochastic Gradient Descent.
AB  - Stochastic gradient descent (SGD) still is the workhorse for many practical
      problems. However, it converges slow, and can be difficult to tune. It is
      possible to precondition SGD to accelerate its convergence remarkably. But many
      attempts in this direction either aim at solving specialized problems, or result
      in significantly more complicated methods than SGD. This paper proposes a new
      method to adaptively estimate a preconditioner, such that the amplitudes of
      perturbations of preconditioned stochastic gradient match that of the
      perturbations of parameters to be optimized in a way comparable to Newton method
      for deterministic optimization. Unlike the preconditioners based on secant
      equation fitting as done in deterministic quasi-Newton methods, which assume
      positive definite Hessian and approximate its inverse, the new preconditioner
      works equally well for both convex and nonconvex optimizations with exact or
      noisy gradients. When stochastic gradient is used, it can naturally damp the
      gradient noise to stabilize SGD. Efficient preconditioner estimation methods are
      developed, and with reasonable simplifications, they are applicable to large
      scale problems. Experimental results demonstrate that equipped with the new
      preconditioner, without any tuning effort, preconditioned SGD can efficiently
      solve many challenging problems like the training of a deep neural network or a
      recurrent neural network requiring extremely long-term memories.

PMID- 28362592
TI  - Global Pinning Synchronization of Complex Networks With Sampled-Data
      Communications.
AB  - This paper investigates the global pinning synchronization problem for a class of
      complex networks with aperiodic samplings. Combined with the Writinger-based
      integral inequality, a new less conservative criterion is presented to guarantee
      the global pinning synchronization of the complex network. Furthermore, a novel
      condition is proposed under which the complex network is globally pinning
      synchronized with a given performance index. It is shown that the performance
      index has a positive correlation with the upper bound of the sampling intervals.
      Finally, the validity and the advantage of the theoretic results obtained are
      verified by means of the applications in Chua's circuit and pendulum.

PMID- 28362593
TI  - Stability Analysis and Application for Delayed Neural Networks Driven by
      Fractional Brownian Noise.
AB  - This paper deals with two types of the stability problem for the delayed neural
      networks driven by fractional Brownian noise (FBN). The existence and the
      uniqueness of the solution to the main system with respect to FBN are proved via
      fixed point theory. Based on Hilbert-Schmidt operator theory and analytic
      semigroup principle, the mild solution of the stochastic neural networks is
      obtained. By applying the stochastic analytic technique and some well-known
      inequalities, the asymptotic stability criteria and the exponential stability
      condition are established. Both numerical example and practical application for
      synchronization control of multiagent system are provided to illustrate the
      effectiveness and potential of the proposed techniques.

PMID- 28362594
TI  - Robust Finite-Time Stabilization of Fractional-Order Neural Networks With
      Discontinuous and Continuous Activation Functions Under Uncertainty.
AB  - This paper is concerned with robust finite-time stabilization for a class of
      fractional-order neural networks (FNNs) with two types of activation functions
      (i.e., discontinuous and continuous activation function) under uncertainty. It is
      worth noting that there exist few results about FNNs with discontinuous
      activation functions, which is mainly because classical solutions and theories of
      differential equations cannot be applied in this case. Especially, there is no
      relevant finite-time stabilization research for such system, and this paper makes
      up for the gap. The existence of global solution under the framework of Filippov
      for such system is guaranteed by limiting discontinuous activation functions.
      According to set-valued analysis and Kakutani's fixed point theorem, we obtain
      the existence of equilibrium point. In particular, based on differential
      inclusion theory and fractional Lyapunov stability theory, several new sufficient
      conditions are given to ensure finite-time stabilization via a novel
      discontinuous controller, and the upper bound of the settling time for
      stabilization is estimated. In addition, we analyze the finite-time stabilization
      of FNNs with Lipschitz-continuous activation functions under uncertainty. The
      results of this paper improve corresponding ones of integer-order neural networks
      with discontinuous and continuous activation functions. Finally, three numerical
      examples are given to show the effectiveness of the theoretical results.

PMID- 28362595
TI  - Epileptic Seizure Classification of EEGs Using Time-Frequency Analysis Based
      Multiscale Radial Basis Functions.
AB  - The automatic detection of epileptic seizures from electroencephalography (EEG)
      signals is crucial for the localization and classification of epileptic seizure
      activity. However, seizure processes are typically dynamic and nonstationary, and
      thus, distinguishing rhythmic discharges from nonstationary processes is one of
      the challenging problems. In this paper, an adaptive and localized time-frequency
      representation in EEG signals is proposed by means of multiscale radial basis
      functions (MRBF) and a modified particle swarm optimization (MPSO) to improve
      both time and frequency resolution simultaneously, which is a novel MRBF-MPSO
      framework of the time-frequency feature extraction for epileptic EEG signals. The
      dimensionality of extracted features can be greatly reduced by the principle
      component analysis algorithm before the most discriminative features selected are
      fed into a support vector machine (SVM) classifier with the radial basis function
      (RBF) in order to separate epileptic seizure from seizure-free EEG signals. The
      classification performance of the proposed method has been evaluated by using
      several state-of-art feature extraction algorithms and other five different
      classifiers like linear discriminant analysis, and logistic regression. The
      experimental results indicate that the proposed MRBF-MPSO-SVM classification
      method outperforms competing techniques in terms of classification accuracy, and
      shows the effectiveness of the proposed method for classification of seizure
      epochs and seizure-free epochs.

PMID- 28362596
TI  - A Method of Signal Scrambling to Secure Data Storage for Healthcare Applications.
AB  - A body sensor network that consists of wearable and/or implantable biosensors has
      been an important front-end for collecting personal health records. It is
      expected that the full integration of outside-hospital personal health
      information and hospital electronic health records will further promote
      preventative health services as well as global health. However, the integration
      and sharing of health information is bound to bring with it security and privacy
      issues. With extensive development of healthcare applications, security and
      privacy issues are becoming increasingly important. This paper addresses the
      potential security risks of healthcare data in Internet-based applications and
      proposes a method of signal scrambling as an add-on security mechanism in the
      application layer for a variety of healthcare information, where a piece of tiny
      data is used to scramble healthcare records. The former is kept locally and the
      latter, along with security protection, is sent for cloud storage. The tiny data
      can be derived from a random number generator or even a piece of healthcare data,
      which makes the method more flexible. The computational complexity and security
      performance in terms of theoretical and experimental analysis has been
      investigated to demonstrate the efficiency and effectiveness of the proposed
      method. The proposed method is applicable to all kinds of data that require extra
      security protection within complex networks.

PMID- 28362597
TI  - Medical Device for Automated Prick Test Reading.
AB  - Allergy tests are routinely performed in most hospitals everyday. However,
      measuring the outcomes of these tests is still a very laborious manual task.
      Current methods and systems lack of precision and repeatability. This paper
      presents a novel mechatronic system that is able to scan a patient's entire arm
      and provide allergists with precise measures of wheals for diagnosis. The device
      is based on 3-D laser technology and specific algorithms have been developed to
      process the information gathered. This system aims to automate the reading of
      skin prick tests and make gains in speed, accuracy, and reliability. Several
      experiments have been performed to evaluate the performance of the system.

PMID- 28362598
TI  - An OAIS-Based Hospital Information System on the Cloud: Analysis of a NoSQL
      Column-Oriented Approach.
AB  - The Open Archive Information System (OAIS) is a reference model for organizing
      people and resources in a system, and it is already adopted in care centers and
      medical systems to efficiently manage clinical data, medical personnel, and
      patients. Archival storage systems are typically implemented using traditional
      relational database systems, but the relation-oriented technology strongly limits
      the efficiency in the management of huge amount of patients' clinical data,
      especially in emerging cloud-based, that are distributed. In this paper, we
      present an OAIS healthcare architecture useful to manage a huge amount of HL7
      clinical documents in a scalable way. Specifically, it is based on a NoSQL column
      oriented Data Base Management System deployed in the cloud, thus to benefit from
      a big tables and wide rows available over a virtual distributed infrastructure.
      We developed a prototype of the proposed architecture at the IRCCS, and we
      evaluated its efficiency in a real case of study.

PMID- 28362599
TI  - Adaptive Neural Control of Uncertain Nonlinear Systems Using Disturbance
      Observer.
AB  - This paper studies the problem of prescribed performance adaptive neural control
      for a class of uncertain multi-input and multi-output (MIMO) nonlinear systems in
      the presence of external disturbances and input saturation based on a disturbance
      observer. The system uncertainties are tackled by neural network (NN)
      approximation. To handle unknown disturbances, a Nussbaum disturbance observer is
      presented. By incorporating the disturbance observer and NNs, an adaptive
      prescribed performance neural control scheme is further developed. Then, the
      expected asymptotically convergent tracking errors between system output signals
      and desired signals are achieved. Numerical simulation results demonstrate the
      effectiveness of the proposed control scheme.

PMID- 28362600
TI  - FUIQA: Fetal Ultrasound Image Quality Assessment With Deep Convolutional
      Networks.
AB  - The quality of ultrasound (US) images for the obstetric examination is crucial
      for accurate biometric measurement. However, manual quality control is a labor
      intensive process and often impractical in a clinical setting. To improve the
      efficiency of examination and alleviate the measurement error caused by improper
      US scanning operation and slice selection, a computerized fetal US image quality
      assessment (FUIQA) scheme is proposed to assist the implementation of US image
      quality control in the clinical obstetric examination. The proposed FUIQA is
      realized with two deep convolutional neural network models, which are denoted as
      L-CNN and C-CNN, respectively. The L-CNN aims to find the region of interest
      (ROI) of the fetal abdominal region in the US image. Based on the ROI found by
      the L-CNN, the C-CNN evaluates the image quality by assessing the goodness of
      depiction for the key structures of stomach bubble and umbilical vein. To further
      boost the performance of the L-CNN, we augment the input sources of the neural
      network with the local phase features along with the original US data. It will be
      shown that the heterogeneous input sources will help to improve the performance
      of the L-CNN. The performance of the proposed FUIQA is compared with the
      subjective image quality evaluation results from three medical doctors. With
      comprehensive experiments, it will be illustrated that the computerized
      assessment with our FUIQA scheme can be comparable to the subjective ratings from
      medical doctors.

PMID- 28362601
TI  - Constrained Superpixel Tracking.
AB  - In this paper, we propose a constrained graph labeling algorithm for visual
      tracking where nodes denote superpixels and edges encode the underlying spatial,
      temporal, and appearance fitness constraints. First, the spatial smoothness
      constraint, based on a transductive learning method, is enforced to leverage the
      latent manifold structure in feature space by investigating unlabeled superpixels
      in the current frame. Second, the appearance fitness constraint, which measures
      the probability of a superpixel being contained in the target region, is
      developed to incrementally induce a long-term appearance model. Third, the
      temporal smoothness constraint is proposed to construct a short-term appearance
      model of the target, which handles the drastic appearance change between
      consecutive frames. All these three constraints are incorporated in the proposed
      graph labeling algorithm such that induction and transduction, short- and long
      term appearance models are combined, respectively. The foreground regions
      inferred by the proposed graph labeling method are used to guide the tracking
      process. Tracking results, in turn, facilitate more accurate online update by
      filtering out potential contaminated training samples. Both quantitative and
      qualitative evaluations on challenging tracking data sets show that the proposed
      constrained tracking algorithm performs favorably against the state-of-the-art
      methods.

PMID- 28362602
TI  - Adaptive Differential Evolution With Sorting Crossover Rate for Continuous
      Optimization Problems.
AB  - Differential evolution (DE) is one of the best evolutionary algorithms (EAs). The
      effort of improving its performance has received great research attentions, such
      as adaptive DE (JADE). Based on the analysis on the aspects that may improve the
      performance of JADE, we introduce a modified JADE version with sorting crossover
      rate (CR). In JADE, CR values are generated based on mean value and Gaussian
      distribution. In the proposed algorithm, a smaller CR value is assigned to
      individual with better fitness value. Therefore, the components of the
      individuals, which have better fitness values, can appear in the offspring with
      higher possibility. In addition, the better offspring generated from last
      iteration are supposed to have better schemes, hence these schemes are preserved
      in next offspring generation procedure. This modified version is called as JADE
      algorithm with sorting CR (JADE_sort). The experiments results with several
      excellent algorithms show the effectiveness of JADE_sort.

PMID- 28362603
TI  - Scale-Limited Lagrange Stability and Finite-Time Synchronization for Memristive
      Recurrent Neural Networks on Time Scales.
AB  - The existed results of Lagrange stability and finite-time synchronization for
      memristive recurrent neural networks (MRNNs) are scale-free on time evolvement,
      and some restrictions appear naturally. In this paper, two novel scale-limited
      comparison principles are established by means of inequality techniques and
      induction principle on time scales. Then the results concerning Lagrange
      stability and global finite-time synchronization of MRNNs on time scales are
      obtained. Scaled-limited Lagrange stability criteria are derived, in detail, via
      nonsmooth analysis and theory of time scales. Moreover, novel criteria for
      achieving the global finite-time synchronization are acquired. In addition, the
      derived method can also be used to study global finite-time stabilization. The
      proposed results extend or improve the existed ones in the literatures. Two
      numerical examples are chosen to show the effectiveness of the obtained results.

PMID- 28362605
TI  - Low-Cost 3-D Flow Estimation of Blood With Clutter.
AB  - Volumetric flow rate estimation is an important ultrasound medical imaging
      modality that is used for diagnosing cardiovascular diseases. Flow rates are
      obtained by integrating velocity estimates over a cross-sectional plane. Speckle
      tracking is a promising approach that overcomes the angle dependency of
      traditional Doppler methods, but suffers from poor lateral resolution. Recent
      work improves lateral velocity estimation accuracy by reconstructing a synthetic
      lateral phase (SLP) signal. However, the estimation accuracy of such approaches
      is compromised by the presence of clutter. Eigen-based clutter filtering has been
      shown to be effective in removing the clutter signal; but it is computationally
      expensive, precluding its use at high volume rates. In this paper, we propose low
      complexity schemes for both velocity estimation and clutter filtering. We use a
      two-tiered motion estimation scheme to combine the low complexity sum-of-absolute
      difference and SLP methods to achieve subpixel lateral accuracy. We reduce the
      complexity of eigen-based clutter filtering by processing in subgroups and
      replacing singular value decomposition with less compute-intensive power
      iteration and subspace iteration methods. Finally, to improve flow rate
      estimation accuracy, we use kernel power weighting when integrating the velocity
      estimates. We evaluate our method for fast- and slow-moving clutter for beam-to
      flow angles of 90 degrees  and 60 degrees  using Field II simulations,
      demonstrating high estimation accuracy across scenarios. For instance, for a beam
      to-flow angle of 90 degrees  and fast-moving clutter, our estimation method
      provides a bias of -8.8% and standard deviation of 3.1% relative to the actual
      flow rate.

PMID- 28362606
TI  - Semi-Supervised Sparse Representation Based Classification for Face Recognition
      With Insufficient Labeled Samples.
AB  - This paper addresses the problem of face recognition when there is only few, or
      even only a single, labeled examples of the face that we wish to recognize.
      Moreover, these examples are typically corrupted by nuisance variables, both
      linear (i.e., additive nuisance variables, such as bad lighting and wearing of
      glasses) and non-linear (i.e., non-additive pixel-wise nuisance variables, such
      as expression changes). The small number of labeled examples means that it is
      hard to remove these nuisance variables between the training and testing faces to
      obtain good recognition performance. To address the problem, we propose a method
      called semi-supervised sparse representation-based classification. This is based
      on recent work on sparsity, where faces are represented in terms of two
      dictionaries: a gallery dictionary consisting of one or more examples of each
      person, and a variation dictionary representing linear nuisance variables (e.g.,
      different lighting conditions and different glasses). The main idea is that: 1)
      we use the variation dictionary to characterize the linear nuisance variables via
      the sparsity framework and 2) prototype face images are estimated as a gallery
      dictionary via a Gaussian mixture model, with mixed labeled and unlabeled samples
      in a semi-supervised manner, to deal with the non-linear nuisance variations
      between labeled and unlabeled samples. We have done experiments with insufficient
      labeled samples, even when there is only a single labeled sample per person. Our
      results on the AR, Multi-PIE, CAS-PEAL, and LFW databases demonstrate that the
      proposed method is able to deliver significantly improved performance over
      existing methods.

PMID- 28362607
TI  - Partial Hash Update via Hamming Subspace Learning.
AB  - Hashing technique has become an effective method for information retrieval due to
      the fast calculation of the Hamming distance. However, with the continuous growth
      of data coming from the Internet, the online update of hashing on the massive
      social data becomes very time-consuming. To alleviate this issue, in this paper,
      we propose a novel updating technique for hashing methods, namely Hamming
      Subspace Learning (HSL). The motivation of HSL is to generate a low-dimensional
      Hamming subspace from a high-dimensional Hamming space by selecting
      representative hash functions. Through HSL, we aim to improve the speed of
      updating binary codes for all samples. We present a method for Hamming subspace
      learning based on greedy selection strategy and the Distribution Preserving
      Hamming Subspace learning (DHSL) algorithm by designing a novel loss function.
      The experimental results demonstrate that the HSL is effective to improve the
      speed of online updating and the performance of hashing algorithm.

PMID- 28362608
TI  - TMAGIC: A Model-Free 3D Tracker.
AB  - Significant effort has been devoted within the visual tracking community to rapid
      learning of object properties on the fly. However, state-of-the-art approaches
      still often fail in cases such as rapid out-of-plane rotation, when the
      appearance changes suddenly. One of the major contributions of this paper is a
      radical rethinking of the traditional wisdom of modeling 3D motion as appearance
      changes during tracking. Instead, 3D motion is modeled as 3D motion. This
      intuitive but previously unexplored approach provides new possibilities in visual
      tracking research. First, 3D tracking is more general, as large out-of-plane
      motion is often fatal for 2D trackers, but helps 3D trackers to build better
      models. Second, the tracker's internal model of the object can be used in many
      different applications and it could even become the main motivation, with
      tracking supporting reconstruction rather than vice versa. This effectively
      bridges the gap between visual tracking and structure from motion. A new
      benchmark data set of sequences with extreme out-of-plane rotation is presented
      and an online leader-board offered to stimulate new research in the relatively
      underdeveloped area of 3D tracking. The proposed method, provided as a baseline,
      is capable of successfully tracking these sequences, all of which pose a
      considerable challenge to 2D trackers (error reduced by 46%).

PMID- 28362609
TI  - Object Category Understanding via Eye Fixations on Freehand Sketches.
AB  - The study of eye gaze fixations on photographic images is an active research
      area. In contrast, the image sub-category of freehand sketches has not received
      as much attention for such studies. In this paper, we analyze the results of a
      free-viewing gaze fixation study conducted on 3904 freehand sketches distributed
      across 160 object categories. Our analysis shows that fixation sequences exhibit
      marked consistency within a sketch, across sketches of a category and even across
      suitably grouped sets of categories. This multi-level consistency is remarkable
      given the variability in depiction and extreme image content sparsity that
      characterizes hand-drawn object sketches. In this paper, we show that the multi
      level consistency in the fixation data can be exploited to 1) predict a test
      sketch's category given only its fixation sequence and 2) build a computational
      model which predicts part-labels underlying fixations on objects. We hope that
      our findings motivate the community to deem sketch-like representations worthy of
      gaze-based studies vis-a-vis photographic images.

PMID- 28362610
TI  - A Qualitative and Quantitative Evaluation of 8 Clear Sky Models.
AB  - We provide a qualitative and quantitative evaluation of 8 clear sky models used
      in Computer Graphics. We compare the models with each other as well as with
      measurements and with a reference model from the physics community. After a short
      summary of the physics of the problem, we present the measurements and the
      reference model, and how we "invert" it to get the model parameters. We then give
      an overview of each CG model, and detail its scope, its algorithmic complexity,
      and its results using the same parameters as in the reference model. We also
      compare the models with a perceptual study. Our quantitative results confirm that
      the less simplifications and approximations are used to solve the physical
      equations, the more accurate are the results. We conclude with a discussion of
      the advantages and drawbacks of each model, and how to further improve their
      accuracy.

PMID- 28362611
TI  - Sequential Monte Carlo Instant Radiosity.
AB  - Instant Radiosity and its derivatives are interactive methods for efficiently
      estimating global (indirect) illumination. They represent the last indirect
      bounce of illumination before the camera as the composite radiance field emitted
      by a set of virtual point light sources (VPLs). In complex scenes, current
      algorithms suffer from a difficult combination of two issues: it remains a
      challenge to distribute VPLs in a manner that simultaneously gives a high-quality
      indirect illumination solution for each frame, and to do so in a temporally
      coherent manner. We address both issues by building, and maintaining over time,
      an adaptive and temporally coherent distribution of VPLs in locations where they
      bring indirect light to the image. We introduce a novel heuristic sampling method
      that strives to only move as few of the VPLs between frames as possible. The
      result is, to the best of our knowledge, the first interactive global
      illumination algorithm that works in complex, highly-occluded scenes, suffers
      little from temporal flickering, supports moving cameras and light sources, and
      is output-sensitive in the sense that it places VPLs in locations that matter
      most to the final result.

PMID- 28362612
TI  - Neural Probes with Integrated Temperature Sensors for Monitoring Retina and Brain
      Implantation and Stimulation.
AB  - Gold (Au) resistive temperature sensors were integrated on flexible polyimide
      based neural probes to monitor temperature changes during neural probe
      implantation and stimulation. Temperature changes were measured as neural probes
      were implanted to infer the positions of the neural probes, and as the retina or
      the deep brain region was stimulated electrically. The temperature sensor
      consisted of a serpentine Au resistor and surrounded by four Au electrodes with
      200 and [Formula: see text] diameter (dia.). The Au temperature sensors had
      temperature coefficient of 0.32%, and they were biocompatible and small in size.
      In vivo measurements of temperature changes during implantation and stimulation
      were carried out in the retina and deep brain region in rats. The desired
      implantation position was reached when temperature measured by the sensor
      increased to the calibrated level and became stable. There was no temperature
      increase when low level stimulation current of 8 and [Formula: see text] each for
      the two 200- and 400- [Formula: see text]-dia. electrodes, respectively, were
      applied. When higher level stimulation current of 100 and [Formula: see text]
      each were applied to the two 200- and 400- [Formula: see text]-dia. electrodes,
      respectively, maximum temperature increases of 1.2  degrees C in retina and 1 
      degrees C in deep brain region were found.

PMID- 28362613
TI  - Oscillatory Behaviors in Genetic Regulatory Networks Mediated by MicroRNA With
      Time Delays and Reaction-Diffusion Terms.
AB  - In this paper, we investigate the oscillatory expression in Escherichia coli
      mediated by microRNA with time delays and reaction-diffusion terms. First of all,
      the integrated effects of delays and diffusions are first introduced into the
      genetic regulatory networks involving microRNAs, and a general model of genetic
      regulatory networks is then formulated. Second, two functional issues on gene
      regulatory networks, i.e. stability and oscillation of such model, are addressed
      in detail, and an explicit algorithm determining the properties of periodic
      oscillation is also presented. We demonstrate that the oscillatory expression of
      Escherichia coli is not only crucially dependent on the transcriptional and
      translational delays, but also heavily influenced by the diffusion coefficients.
      The conclusion is practically verified by a lot of biological experiments and
      observations. We also find that if the diffusion coefficients of miRNA, mRNA, and
      protein are suitably small, it can predict that inhomogeneous periodic
      oscillations can occur unless there only exhibits spatially homogeneous periodic
      oscillations. The obtained results indicate that the effects of transcriptional
      and translational delays are essential factors for designing or controlling
      genetic regulatory networks, in the meantime the functions of reaction-diffusion
      must beconsidered. Finally, numerical examples are presented to illustrate and
      visualize theoretical results.

PMID- 28362615
TI  - Simultaneous Bayesian Clustering and Feature Selection Through Student's ${t}$
      Mixtures Model.
AB  - In this paper, we proposed a generative model for feature selection under the
      unsupervised learning context. The model assumes that data are independently and
      identically sampled from a finite mixture of Student's distributions, which can
      reduce the sensitiveness to outliers. Latent random variables that represent the
      features' salience are included in the model for the indication of the relevance
      of features. As a result, the model is expected to simultaneously realize
      clustering, feature selection, and outlier detection. Inference is carried out by
      a tree-structured variational Bayes algorithm. Full Bayesian treatment is adopted
      in the model to realize automatic model selection. Controlled experimental
      studies showed that the developed model is capable of modeling the data set with
      outliers accurately. Furthermore, experiment results showed that the developed
      algorithm compares favorably against existing unsupervised probability model
      based Bayesian feature selection algorithms on artificial and real data sets.
      Moreover, the application of the developed algorithm on real leukemia gene
      expression data indicated that it is able to identify the discriminating genes
      successfully.

PMID- 28362614
TI  - HTM Spatial Pooler With Memristor Crossbar Circuits for Sparse Biometric
      Recognition.
AB  - Hierarchical Temporal Memory (HTM) is an online machine learning algorithm that
      emulates the neo-cortex. The development of a scalable on-chip HTM architecture
      is an open research area. The two core substructures of HTM are spatial pooler
      and temporal memory. In this work, we propose a new Spatial Pooler circuit design
      with parallel memristive crossbar arrays for the 2D columns. The proposed design
      was validated on two different benchmark datasets, face recognition, and speech
      recognition. The circuits are simulated and analyzed using a practical memristor
      device model and 0.18 MUm IBM CMOS technology model. The databases AR, YALE, ORL,
      and UFI, are used to test the performance of the design in face recognition.
      TIMIT dataset is used for the speech recognition.

PMID- 28362616
TI  - Neural-Network-Based Robust Optimal Tracking Control for MIMO Discrete-Time
      Systems With Unknown Uncertainty Using Adaptive Critic Design.
AB  - This paper is concerned with the robust optimal tracking control strategy for a
      class of nonlinear multi-input multi-output discrete-time systems with unknown
      uncertainty via adaptive critic design (ACD) scheme. The main purpose is to
      establish an adaptive actor-critic control method, so that the cost function in
      the procedure of dealing with uncertainty is minimum and the closed-loop system
      is stable. Based on the neural network approximator, an action network is applied
      to generate the optimal control signal and a critic network is used to
      approximate the cost function, respectively. In contrast to the previous methods,
      the main features of this paper are: 1) the ACD scheme is integrated into the
      controllers to cope with the uncertainty and 2) a novel cost function, which is
      not in quadric form, is proposed so that the total cost in the design procedure
      is reduced. It is proved that the optimal control signals and the tracking errors
      are uniformly ultimately bounded even when the uncertainty exists. Finally, a
      numerical simulation is developed to show the effectiveness of the present
      approach.

PMID- 28362617
TI  - Discrete-Time Stable Generalized Self-Learning Optimal Control With Approximation
      Errors.
AB  - In this paper, a generalized policy iteration (GPI) algorithm with approximation
      errors is developed for solving infinite horizon optimal control problems for
      nonlinear systems. The developed stable GPI algorithm provides a general
      structure of discrete-time iterative adaptive dynamic programming algorithms, by
      which most of the discrete-time reinforcement learning algorithms can be
      described using the GPI structure. It is for the first time that approximation
      errors are explicitly considered in the GPI algorithm. The properties of the
      stable GPI algorithm with approximation errors are analyzed. The admissibility of
      the approximate iterative control law can be guaranteed if the approximation
      errors satisfy the admissibility criteria. The convergence of the developed
      algorithm is established, which shows that the iterative value function is
      convergent to a finite neighborhood of the optimal performance index function, if
      the approximate errors satisfy the convergence criterion. Finally, numerical
      examples and comparisons are presented.

PMID- 28362618
TI  - Adaptive Fuzzy Neural Network Control for a Constrained Robot Using Impedance
      Learning.
AB  - This paper investigates adaptive fuzzy neural network (NN) control using
      impedance learning for a constrained robot, subject to unknown system dynamics,
      the effect of state constraints, and the uncertain compliant environment with
      which the robot comes into contact. A fuzzy NN learning algorithm is developed to
      identify the uncertain plant model. The prominent feature of the fuzzy NN is that
      there is no need to get the prior knowledge about the uncertainty and a
      sufficient amount of observed data. Also, impedance learning is introduced to
      tackle the interaction between the robot and its environment, so that the robot
      follows a desired destination generated by impedance learning. A barrier Lyapunov
      function is used to address the effect of state constraints. With the proposed
      control, the stability of the closed-loop system is achieved via Lyapunov's
      stability theory, and the tracking performance is guaranteed under the condition
      of state constraints and uncertainty. Some simulation studies are carried out to
      illustrate the effectiveness of the proposed scheme.

PMID- 28362619
TI  - Classification With Truncated Distance Kernel.
AB  - This brief proposes a truncated distance (TL1) kernel, which results in a
      classifier that is nonlinear in the global region but is linear in each
      subregion. With this kernel, the subregion structure can be trained using all the
      training data and local linear classifiers can be established simultaneously. The
      TL1 kernel has good adaptiveness to nonlinearity and is suitable for problems
      which require different nonlinearities in different areas. Though the TL1 kernel
      is not positive semidefinite, some classical kernel learning methods are still
      applicable which means that the TL1 kernel can be directly used in standard
      toolboxes by replacing the kernel evaluation. In numerical experiments, the TL1
      kernel with a pregiven parameter achieves similar or better performance than the
      radial basis function kernel with the parameter tuned by cross validation,
      implying the TL1 kernel a promising nonlinear kernel for classification tasks.

PMID- 28362620
TI  - Finite-Horizon $H_{?infty }$ Tracking Control for Unknown Nonlinear Systems With
      Saturating Actuators.
AB  - In this paper, a neural network (NN)-based online model-free integral
      reinforcement learning algorithm is developed to solve the finite-horizon optimal
      tracking control problem for completely unknown nonlinear continuous-time systems
      with disturbance and saturating actuators (constrained control input). An
      augmented system is constructed with the tracking error system and the command
      generator system. A time-varying Hamilton-Jacobi-Isaacs (HJI) equation is
      formulated for the augmented problem, which is extremely difficult or impossible
      to solve due to its time-dependent property and nonlinearity. Then, an actor
      critic-disturbance NN structure-based scheme is proposed to learn the time
      varying solution to the HJI equation in real time without using the knowledge of
      system dynamics. Since the solution to the HJI equation is time-dependent, the
      form of NNs representation with constant weights and time-dependent activation
      functions is considered. Furthermore, an extra error is incorporated in order to
      satisfy the terminal constraints in the weight update law. Convergence and
      stability proofs are given based on the Lyapunov theory for nonautonomous
      systems. Two simulation examples are provided to demonstrate the effectiveness of
      the designed algorithm.

PMID- 28362621
TI  - Optimizing Evaluation Metrics for Multitask Learning via the Alternating
      Direction Method of Multipliers.
AB  - Multitask learning (MTL) aims to improve the generalization performance of
      multiple tasks by exploiting the shared factors among them. Various metrics
      (e.g., -score, area under the ROC curve) are used to evaluate the performances of
      MTL methods. Most existing MTL methods try to minimize either the misclassified
      errors for classification or the mean squared errors for regression. In this
      paper, we propose a method to directly optimize the evaluation metrics for a
      large family of MTL problems. The formulation of MTL that directly optimizes
      evaluation metrics is the combination of two parts: 1) a regularizer defined on
      the weight matrix over all tasks, in order to capture the relatedness of these
      tasks and 2) a sum of multiple structured hinge losses, each corresponding to a
      surrogate of some evaluation metric on one task. This formulation is challenging
      in optimization because both of its parts are nonsmooth. To tackle this issue, we
      propose a novel optimization procedure based on the alternating direction scheme
      of multipliers, where we decompose the whole optimization problem into a
      subproblem corresponding to the regularizer and another subproblem corresponding
      to the structured hinge losses. For a large family of MTL problems, the first
      subproblem has closed-form solutions. To solve the second subproblem, we propose
      an efficient primal-dual algorithm via coordinate ascent. Extensive evaluation
      results demonstrate that, in a large family of MTL problems, the proposed MTL
      method of directly optimization evaluation metrics has superior performance gains
      against the corresponding baseline methods.

PMID- 28362622
TI  - Programming the Future: Epigenetics in the Context of DOHaD.

PMID- 28362623
TI  - Erratum: "Microcystis Rising: Why Phosphorus Reduction Isn't Enough to Stop
      CyanoHABs".

PMID- 28362624
TI  - Erratum: "Telomere Length, Long-Term Black Carbon Exposure, and Cognitive
      Function in a Cohort of Older Men: The VA Normative Aging Study".

PMID- 28362625
TI  - A Blend of Old and New: Biomonitoring Methods to Study the Exposome.

PMID- 28362626
TI  - The Forest and the Trees: How Population-Level Health Protections Sometimes Fail
      the Individual.

PMID- 28362627
TI  - Retraction: "A Case-Cohort Study of Cadmium Body Burden and Gestational Diabetes
      Mellitus in American Women".

PMID- 28362628
TI  - Way to Go: Identifying Routes for Walkers and Cyclists to Avoid Air Pollutants.

PMID- 28362629
TI  - A Satellite-Ground Hybrid Approach: Relative Risks for Exposures to PM2.5
      Estimated from a Combination of Data Sources.

PMID- 28362631
TI  - The undulatory swimming gait of elongated swimmers revisited.
AB  - An undulatory swimming gait is characterized by short lateral displacement waves
      that propagate backwards along the body of the swimmer faster than it swims.
      Hydrodynamic theory of elongated bodies predicts that if the amplitude of the
      displacement waves does not increase toward the caudal end, the part of the
      swimmer posteriad of the dorso-ventrally widest point takes no part in
      propulsion. It also predicts that if the amplitude does increase, then the
      hydrodynamic propulsion efficiency suffers. Cusk eels have their widest point
      located in the anterior half of the body with the bulk of their locomotive
      muscles located posteriad of it; indeed, they swim so that the amplitude of the
      propulsion wave increases toward the caudal end. Anguillid eels have their widest
      point posteriad of the mid-body, and their locomotive muscles are distributed
      along their entire length-but they swim as cusk eels, using the posterior half
      only. Apparently, both use hydrodynamically inefficient gaits. The paper
      questions the definition of propulsion efficiency and shows that biomechanical
      considerations are more important than hydrodynamic, and that most probably fish
      adjust their gait to maximize the ratio between the energy made good (the product
      of thrust and distance) and the chemical energy consumed by the muscles. The role
      of body shape is discussed.

PMID- 28362633
TI  - Terahertz plasmonic excitations in Bi2Se3 topological insulator.
AB  - After the discovery of Dirac electrons in condensed matter physics, more
      specifically in graphene and its derivatives, their potentialities in the fields
      of plasmonics and photonics have been readily recognized, leading to a plethora
      of applications in active and tunable optical devices. Massless Dirac carriers
      have been further found in three-dimensional topological insulators. These exotic
      quantum systems have an insulating gap in the bulk and intrinsic Dirac metallic
      states at any surface, sustaining not only single-particle excitations but also
      plasmonic collective modes. In this paper we will review the plasmon excitations
      in different microstructures patterned on Bi2Se3 topological insulator thin films
      as measured by terahertz spectroscopy. We discuss the dependence of the plasmon
      absorption versus the microstructure shape, wavevector, and magnetic field.
      Finally we will discuss the topological protection of both the Dirac single
      particle and plasmon excitations.

PMID- 28362634
TI  - Site-selective conjugation of an anticoagulant aptamer to recombinant albumins
      and maintenance of neonatal Fc receptor binding.
AB  - Aptamers are an attractive molecular medicine that offers high target
      specificity. Nucleic acid-based aptamers, however, are prone to nuclease
      degradation and rapid renal excretion that require blood circulatory half-life
      extension enabling technologies. The long circulatory half-life, predominately
      facilitated by engagement with the cellular recycling neonatal Fc receptor
      (FcRn), and ligand transport properties of albumin promote it as an attractive
      candidate to improve the pharmacokinetic profile of aptamers. This study
      investigates the effect of Cys34 site-selective covalent attachment of a factor
      IXa anticoagulant aptamer on aptamer functionality and human FcRn (hFcRn)
      engagement using recombinant human albumin (rHA) of either a wild type (WT) or an
      engineered human FcRn high binding variant (HB). Albumin-aptamer conjugates,
      connected covalently through a heterobifunctional succinimidyl 4-(N
      maleimidomethyl)cyclohexane-1-carboxylate linker, were successfully prepared and
      purified by high performance liquid chromatography as confirmed by gel
      electrophoresis band-shift analysis and matrix-assisted laser
      desorption/ionization time of flight. Minimal reduction (~25%) in activity of WT
      linked aptamer to that of aptamer alone was found using an anticoagulant activity
      assay measuring temporal levels of activated partial thrombin. Covalent albumin
      aptamer conjugation, however, substantially compromized binding to hFcRn, to 10%
      affinity of that of non-conjugated WT, determined by biolayer interferometry.
      Binding could be rescued by aptamer conjugation to recombinant albumin engineered
      for higher FcRn affinity (HB) that exhibited an 8-fold affinity compared to WT
      alone. This work describes a novel albumin-based aptamer delivery system whose
      hFcRn binding can be increased using a HB engineered albumin.

PMID- 28362635
TI  - Carbon nanotube radio-frequency electronics.
AB  - Carbon nanotube (CNT) is considered a promising material for radio-frequency (RF)
      applications, owing to its high carrier mobility and saturated drift velocity, as
      well as ultra-small intrinsic gate capacitance. Here, we review progress on CNT
      based devices and integrated circuits for RF applications, including theoretical
      projection of RF performance of CNT-based devices, preparation of CNT materials,
      fabrication, optimization of RF field-effect transistors (FETs) structures, and
      ambipolar FET-based RF applications, and we outline challenges and prospects of
      CNT-based RF applications.

PMID- 28362630
TI  - Measurement invariance of the Depression Anxiety Stress Scales-21 across medical
      student genders.
AB  - Objectives: This study aimed to assess whether male and female Iranian medical
      students perceived the meaning of the items in the Depression Anxiety Stress
      Scales-21 consistently. Methods: A convenience sample of 783 preclinical medical
      students from the first to sixth semester was invited to this cross-sectional
      study. Of the 477 respondents, 238 were male and 239 were female. All
      participants completed the Persian version of the Depression Anxiety Stress
      Scales-21. The graded response model was used to assess measurement invariance of
      the instrument across the gender groups. Categorical confirmatory factor analysis
      was used to evaluate the construct validity of the measure. Moreover, internal
      consistency was assessed via Cronbach's Alpha. Results: Statistically significant
      differential item functioning was flagged for just item 6 in the depression
      subscales (c2=6.5, df=1, p=0.011). However, removing or retaining the item 6 in
      the stress subscale did not change our findings significantly, when we compared
      stress scores across two genders. The results of categorical confirmatory factor
      analysis supported the fit of the three-factor model of Depression Anxiety Stress
      Scales-21. Moreover, Cronbach's alpha was greater than 0.7 in depression, anxiety
      and stress subscales. Conclusions: This study revealed that Depression Anxiety
      Stress Scales-21 is an invariant measure across male and female medical students.
      Hence, this reliable and valid instrument can be used for meaningful comparison
      of distress scores between medical student genders. Gender comparisons of medical
      students' psychological profiles provide a better insight into gender influences
      on the outcome of medical education and medical practice.

PMID- 28362636
TI  - An aerodynamic model for insect flapping wings in forward flight.
AB  - This paper proposes a semi-empirical quasi-steady aerodynamic model of a flapping
      wing in forward flight. A total of 147 individual cases, which consisted of
      advance ratios J of 0 (hovering), 0.125, 0.25, 0.5, 0.75, 1 and  infinity, and
      angles of attack alpha of  -5 to 95 degrees  at intervals of 5 degrees , were
      examined to extract the aerodynamic coefficients. The Polhamus leading-edge
      suction analogy and power functions were then employed to establish the
      aerodynamic model. In order to preserve the existing level of simplicity, K P and
      K V, the correction factors of the potential and vortex force models, were
      rebuilt as functions of J and alpha. The estimations were nearly identical to
      direct force/moment measurements which were obtained from both artificial and
      practical wingbeat motions of a hawkmoth. The model effectively compensated for
      the influences of J, particularly showing outstanding moment estimation
      capabilities. With this model, we found that using a lower value of alpha during
      the downstroke would be an effective strategy for generating adequate lift in
      forward flight. The rotational force and moment components had noticeable
      portions generating both thrust and counteract pitching moment during pronation.
      In the upstroke phase, the added mass component played a major role in generating
      thrust in forward flight. The proposed model would be useful for a better
      understanding of flight stability, control, and the dynamic characteristics of
      flapping wing flyers, and for designing flapping-wing micro air vehicles.

PMID- 28362637
TI  - Method for determining optimal supercell representation of interfaces.
AB  - The geometry and structure of an interface ultimately determines the behavior of
      devices at the nanoscale. We present a generic method to determine the possible
      lattice matches between two arbitrary surfaces and to calculate the strain of the
      corresponding matched interface. We apply this method to explore two relevant
      classes of interfaces for which accurate structural measurements of the interface
      are available: (i) the interface between pentacene crystals and the (1 1 1)
      surface of gold, and (ii) the interface between the semiconductor indium-arsenide
      and aluminum. For both systems, we demonstrate that the presented method predicts
      interface geometries in good agreement with those measured experimentally, which
      present nontrivial matching characteristics and would be difficult to guess
      without relying on automated structure-searching methods.

PMID- 28362639
TI  - Enhancing performances of a resistivity-type hydrogen sensor based on Pd/SnO2/RGO
      nanocomposites.
AB  - Palladium/tin oxide/reduced graphene oxide (Pd/SnO2/RGO) nanocomposites with Pd
      and SnO2 crystalline nanoparticles of high density and uniformity coated on RGO
      have been synthesized by a two-step reduction process. A novel hydrogen (H2)
      sensor based on Pd/SnO2/RGO nanocomposites was fabricated by placing Pd/SnO2/RGO
      nanocomposites onto a pair of gold electrodes. The Pd/SnO2/RGO nanocomposite
      based sensor exhibited higher responses than Pd/RGO to H2 because the
      introduction of SnO2 nanoparticles enhances H2 adsorption and forms a P-N
      junction with RGO. The sensor shows a high response of 55% to 10 000 ppm H2, and
      a low detection limit, fast response, good selectivity and repeatability due to a
      combination effect of the Pd and SnO2 nanoparticles. The studies provide a novel
      strategy for great potential applications of graphene-based gas sensors.

PMID- 28362638
TI  - Task-driven optimization of CT tube current modulation and regularization in
      model-based iterative reconstruction.
AB  - Tube current modulation (TCM) is routinely adopted on diagnostic CT scanners for
      dose reduction. Conventional TCM strategies are generally designed for filtered
      backprojection (FBP) reconstruction to satisfy simple image quality requirements
      based on noise. This work investigates TCM designs for model-based iterative
      reconstruction (MBIR) to achieve optimal imaging performance as determined by a
      task-based image quality metric. Additionally, regularization is an important
      aspect of MBIR that is jointly optimized with TCM, and includes both the
      regularization strength that controls overall smoothness as well as directional
      weights that permits control of the isotropy/anisotropy of the local noise and
      resolution properties. Initial investigations focus on a known imaging task at a
      single location in the image volume. The framework adopts Fourier and analytical
      approximations for fast estimation of the local noise power spectrum (NPS) and
      modulation transfer function (MTF)-each carrying dependencies on TCM and
      regularization. For the single location optimization, the local detectability
      index (d') of the specific task was directly adopted as the objective function. A
      covariance matrix adaptation evolution strategy (CMA-ES) algorithm was employed
      to identify the optimal combination of imaging parameters. Evaluations of both
      conventional and task-driven approaches were performed in an abdomen phantom for
      a mid-frequency discrimination task in the kidney. Among the conventional
      strategies, the TCM pattern optimal for FBP using a minimum variance criterion
      yielded a worse task-based performance compared to an unmodulated strategy when
      applied to MBIR. Moreover, task-driven TCM designs for MBIR were found to have
      the opposite behavior from conventional designs for FBP, with greater fluence
      assigned to the less attenuating views of the abdomen and less fluence to the
      more attenuating lateral views. Such TCM patterns exaggerate the intrinsic
      anisotropy of the MTF and NPS as a result of the data weighting in MBIR.
      Directional penalty design was found to reinforce the same trend. The task-driven
      approaches outperform conventional approaches, with the maximum improvement in d'
      of 13% given by the joint optimization of TCM and regularization. This work
      demonstrates that the TCM optimal for MBIR is distinct from conventional
      strategies proposed for FBP reconstruction and strategies optimal for FBP are
      suboptimal and may even reduce performance when applied to MBIR. The task-driven
      imaging framework offers a promising approach for optimizing acquisition and
      reconstruction for MBIR that can improve imaging performance and/or dose
      utilization beyond conventional imaging strategies.

PMID- 28362640
TI  - Multi-isotope SPECT imaging of the 225Ac decay chain: feasibility studies.
AB  - Effective use of the [Formula: see text] decay chain in targeted internal
      radioimmunotherapy requires the retention of both [Formula: see text] and progeny
      isotopes at the target site. Imaging-based pharmacokinetic tests of these
      pharmaceuticals must therefore separately yet simultaneously image multiple
      isotopes that may not be colocalized despite being part of the same decay chain.
      This work presents feasibility studies demonstrating the ability of a
      microSPECT/CT scanner equipped with a high energy collimator to simultaneously
      image two components of the [Formula: see text] decay chain: [Formula: see text]
      (218 keV) and [Formula: see text] (440 keV). Image quality phantoms were used to
      assess the performance of two collimators for simultaneous [Formula: see text]
      and [Formula: see text] imaging in terms of contrast and noise. A hotrod
      resolution phantom containing clusters of thin rods with diameters ranging
      between 0.85 and 1.70 mm was used to assess resolution. To demonstrate ability to
      simultaneously image dynamic [Formula: see text] and [Formula: see text] activity
      distributions, a phantom containing a [Formula: see text] generator from
      [Formula: see text] was imaged. These tests were performed with two collimators,
      a high-energy ultra-high resolution (HEUHR) collimator and an ultra-high
      sensitivity (UHS) collimator. Values consistent with activity concentrations
      determined independently via gamma spectroscopy were observed in high activity
      regions of the images. In hotrod phantom images, the HEUHR collimator resolved
      all rods for both [Formula: see text] and [Formula: see text] images. With the
      UHS collimator, no rods were resolvable in [Formula: see text] images and only
      rods  ?1.3 mm were resolved in [Formula: see text] images. After eluting the
      [Formula: see text] generator, images accurately visualized the reestablishment
      of transient equilibrium of the [Formula: see text] decay chain. The feasibility
      of evaluating the pharmacokinetics of the [Formula: see text] decay chain in vivo
      has been demonstrated. This presented method requires the use of a high
      performance high-energy collimator.

PMID- 28362641
TI  - Mesoscopic quantum effects in a bad metal, hydrogen-doped vanadium dioxide.
AB  - The standard treatment of quantum corrections to semiclassical electronic
      conduction assumes that charge carriers propagate many wavelengths between
      scattering events, and succeeds in explaining multiple phenomena (weak
      localization magnetoresistance (WLMR), universal conductance fluctuations,
      Aharonov-Bohm oscillations) observed in polycrystalline metals and doped
      semiconductors in various dimensionalities. We report apparent WLMR and
      conductance fluctuations in H x VO2, a poor metal (in violation of the Mott-Ioffe
      Regel limit) stabilized by the suppression of the VO2 metal-insulator transition
      through atomic hydrogen doping. Epitaxial thin films, single-crystal nanobeams,
      and nanosheets show similar phenomenology, though the details of the apparent
      WLMR seem to depend on the combined effects of the strain environment and
      presumed doping level. Self-consistent quantitative analysis of the WLMR is
      challenging given this and the high resistivity of the material, since the
      quantitative expressions for WLMR are derived assuming good metallicity. These
      observations raise the issue of how to assess and analyze mesoscopic quantum
      effects in poor metals.

PMID- 28362643
TI  - Simulation of a Novel Schedule for Intensivist Staffing to Improve Continuity of
      Patient Care and Reduce Physician Burnout.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: Despite widespread adoption of in-house call for ICU attendings, there
      is a paucity of research on optimal scheduling of intensivists to provide
      continuous on-site coverage. Overnight call duties have traditionally been added
      onto 7 days of continuous daytime clinical service. We designed an alternative
      ICU staffing model to increase continuity of attending physician care for
      patients while also decreasing interruptions to attendings' nonclinical weeks.
      DESIGN: Computer-based simulation of a 1-year schedule. SETTING: A simulated ICU
      divided into two daytime teams each covered by a different attending and both
      covered by one overnight on-call attending. SUBJECTS: Simulated patients were
      randomly admitted on different service days to assess continuity of care.
      INTERVENTIONS: A "shared service schedule" was compared to a standard "7 days on
      schedule." For the 7 days on schedule, an attending covered a team for 7
      consecutive days and off-service attendings cross-covered each night. For the
      shared schedule, four attendings shared the majority of daytime and nighttime
      service for two teams over 2 weeks, with recovery periods built into the
      scheduled service time. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: Continuity of care as
      measured by the Continuity of Attending Physician Index increased by 9% with the
      shared schedule. Annually, the shared service schedule was predicted to increase
      free weekends by 3.4 full weekends and 1.3 weekends with either Saturday or
      Sunday off. Full weeks without clinical obligations increased by 4 weeks. Mean
      time between clinical obligations increased by 5.8 days. CONCLUSIONS: A shared
      service schedule is predicted to improve continuity of care while increasing free
      weekends and continuity of uninterrupted nonclinical weeks for attendings.
      Computer-based simulation allows assessment of benefits and tradeoffs of the
      alternative schedule without disturbing existing clinical systems.

PMID- 28362645
TI  - Validation of the A&D UM-201 device for office blood pressure measurement
      according to the European Society of Hypertension International Protocol Revision
      2010.
AB  - The aim of this study was to determine the accuracy of the A&D UM-201 device
      coupled to several cuffs for different arm sizes for office blood pressure (BP)
      measurement according to the International Protocol of the European Society of
      Hypertension. Evaluation was carried out in 33 individuals. The mean age of the
      individuals was 59.3+/-13.2 years, systolic BP was 145.4+/-20.6 mmHg (range: 109
      186 mmHg), diastolic BP was 87.3+/-18.0 mmHg (range: 50-124 mmHg), and arm
      circumference was 30.4+/-4.2 cm (range: 23-39 cm). The protocol requirements were
      followed precisely. The UM-201 monitor passed all requirements, fulfilling the
      standards of the protocol. On average, the device overestimated systolic BP by
      3.0+/-2.1 mmHg and diastolic BP by 2.6+/-2.0 mmHg. These data show that the A&D
      UM-201 device coupled to several cuffs for different ranges of arm circumference
      fulfilled the requirements for validation by the International Protocol and can
      be recommended for clinical use in the adult population.

PMID- 28362642
TI  - Assessment of Virus Interference in a Test-negative Study of Influenza Vaccine
      Effectiveness.
AB  - BACKGROUND: The observational test-negative study design is used to estimate
      vaccine effectiveness against influenza virus infection. An important assumption
      of the test-negative design is that vaccination does not affect the risk of
      infection with another virus. If such virus interference occurred, detection of
      other respiratory viruses would be more common among influenza vaccine recipients
      and vaccine effectiveness estimates could differ. We evaluated the potential for
      virus interference using data from the Influenza Incidence Surveillance Project.
      METHODS: From 2010 to 2013, outpatients presenting to clinics in 13 US
      jurisdictions with acute respiratory infections were tested for influenza and
      other respiratory viruses. We investigated whether virus interference might
      affect vaccine effectiveness estimates by first evaluating the sensitivity of
      estimates using alternative control groups that include or exclude patients with
      other respiratory virus detections by age group and early/middle/late stage of
      influenza seasons. Second, we evaluated the association between influenza
      vaccination receipt and other respiratory virus detection among influenza test
      negative patients. RESULTS: Influenza was detected in 3,743/10,650 patients
      (35%), and overall vaccine effectiveness was 47% (95% CI: 42%, 52%). Estimates
      using each control group were consistent overall or when stratified by age
      groups, and there were no differences among early, middle, or late phase during
      influenza season. We found no associations between detection of other respiratory
      viruses and receipt of influenza vaccination. CONCLUSIONS: In this 3-year test
      negative design study in an outpatient setting in the United States, we found no
      evidence of virus interference or impact on influenza vaccine effectiveness
      estimation.

PMID- 28362644
TI  - Using Clinically Accessible Tools to Measure Sound Levels and Sleep Disruption in
      the ICU: A Prospective Multicenter Observational Study.
AB  - OBJECTIVES: To use clinically accessible tools to determine unit-level and
      individual patient factors associated with sound levels and sleep disruption in a
      range of representative ICUs. DESIGN: A cross-sectional, observational study.
      SETTING: Australian and New Zealand ICUs. PATIENTS: All patients 16 years or over
      occupying an ICU bed on one of two Point Prevalence study days in 2015.
      INTERVENTIONS: Ambient sound was measured for 1 minute using an application
      downloaded to a personal mobile device. Bedside nurses also recorded the total
      time and number of awakening for each patient overnight. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN
      RESULTS: The study included 539 participants with sound level recorded using an
      application downloaded to a personal mobile device from 39 ICUs. Maximum and mean
      sound levels were 78 dB (SD, 9) and 62 dB (SD, 8), respectively. Maximum sound
      levels were higher in ICUs with a sleep policy or protocol compared with those
      without maximum sound levels 81 dB (95% CI, 79-83) versus 77 dB (95% CI, 77-78),
      mean difference 4 dB (95% CI, 0-2), p < 0.001. There was no significant
      difference in sound levels regardless of single room occupancy, mechanical
      ventilation status, or illness severity. Clinical nursing staff in all 39 ICUs
      were able to record sleep assessment in 15-minute intervals. The median time
      awake and number of prolonged disruptions were 3 hours (interquartile range, 1-4)
      and three (interquartile range, 2-5), respectively. CONCLUSIONS: Across a large
      number of ICUs, patients were exposed to high sound levels and substantial sleep
      disruption irrespective of factors including previous implementation of a sleep
      policy. Sound and sleep measurement using simple and accessible tools can
      facilitate future studies and could feasibly be implemented into clinical
      practice.

PMID- 28362646
TI  - The De Winter ECG pattern: morphology and accuracy for diagnosing acute coronary
      occlusion: systematic review.
AB  - The De Winter ECG pattern has been reported to indicate acute left anterior
      descending coronary artery occlusion and is often considered to be an 'ST
      elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) equivalent'. We aimed to investigate the
      morphology of the 'De Winter ECG pattern' and evaluate the test characteristics
      of the De Winter pattern for the diagnosis of acute coronary occlusion. We
      identified papers through the Medline, EMBASE and COCHRANE databases and screened
      for bias using QUADAS-2. First, measurements were recorded from every ECG
      reported in the literature and aggregated. Second, diagnostic accuracy data from
      eligible cohort studies were extracted. The primary outcome was defined as at
      least 70% angiographic stenosis of a major epicardial vessel. Thirteen papers
      reported data relevant to question 1 and three papers reported data relevant to
      question 2. All ECGs showed maximal up-sloping ST depression in lead V3 with a
      median amplitude of 0.3 mV (interquartile range: 0.2-4 mV). T-wave height peaked
      in lead V3 with a median amplitude 0.9 mV (interquartile range: 0.8-1.1 mV). The
      De Winter pattern had positive predictive values of 95.2% (95% confidence
      interval: 76.2-99.9%), 100% (69.2-100.0%) and 100% (51.7-100%) in the three
      respective diagnostic studies. There is limited evidence that the De Winter ECG
      pattern is a 'STEMI equivalent'. The available data suggest that the pattern has
      high positive predictive value for acute occlusion. Further research is required
      to evaluate specificity and to determine whether rapid revascularization improves
      mortality.

PMID- 28362647
TI  - Validity of the Pediatric Canadian Triage Acuity Scale in a tertiary children's
      hospital in Israel.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: In 2015, the Israeli Ministry of Health issued national guidelines
      demanding the use of a five-level triage system in pediatric emergency
      departments (EDs). The present study aimed to evaluate the validity of the
      Pediatric Canadian Triage Acuity Scale (PedCTAS) in the ED of a tertiary
      children's hospital in Israel. METHODS: A retrospective cohort study of all
      patients admitted between January 2011 and December 2015 was carried out. The
      proportion of hospitalization was the primary outcome measure. The secondary
      outcomes were proportion of admissions to the ICU, proportions of patients who
      left without being seen (LWBS), and length of stay (LOS) in the ED. RESULTS: A
      total of 83 609 patients were included in our analysis. Triage levels 1-5
      included 533 (0.6%), 4428 (5.3%), 46 461 (55.6%), 28 510 (34.1%), and 3677 (4.4%)
      patients, respectively. Hospitalization proportions were 70, 51, 28, 15, and 12%
      for triage levels 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5, respectively. Admission proportions to ICU
      were 24.2, 3.05, 0.24, 0.05, and 0.05% for PedCTAS levels 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5,
      respectively. The proportions of LWBS were 0.001, 0.002, and 0.005% for triage
      levels 3, 4, and 5, respectively. LOS was shorter as the triage level increased
      from 2 to 5. CONCLUSION: Triage level was predictive of hospitalization,
      admission to the ICU, and proportions of LWBS and LOS in the ED. The findings
      suggest validity of the PedCTAS in this cohort. This is the first report of the
      performance of a triage tool in an Israeli ED.

PMID- 28362648
TI  - Abnormal angiogenesis in blood outgrowth endothelial cells derived from von
      Willebrand disease patients.
AB  - : Bleeding associated with angiodysplasia is a common, often intractable
      complication in patients with von Willebrand disease (VWD). von Willebrand factor
      (VWF), the protein deficient or defective in VWD, is a negative regulator of
      angiogenesis, which may explain the pathologic blood vessel growth in VWD. This
      study explores the normal range of angiogenesis in blood outgrowth endothelial
      cells (BOECs) derived from healthy donors and compares this to angiogenesis in
      BOECs from VWD patients of all types and subtypes. BOECs were assessed for VWF
      and angiopoietin-2 (Ang-2) gene expression, secretion, and storage. To explore
      angiogenic potential, we characterized cellular proliferation, matrix protein
      adhesion, migration, and tubule formation. We found great angiogenic variability
      in VWD BOECs with respect to each of the angiogenesis parameters. However, type 1
      and 3 VWD BOECs had higher Ang-2 secretion associated with impaired endothelial
      cell migration velocity and enhanced directionality. Type 2A and 2B BOECs were
      the most proliferative and multiple VWD BOECs had impaired tubule formation in
      Matrigel. This study highlights the angiogenic variability in BOECs derived from
      VWD patients. Abnormal cell proliferation, migration, and increased Ang-2
      secretion are common features of VWD BOECs. Despite the many abnormalities of VWD
      BOECs, significant heterogeneity among individual VWD phenotypes precludes a
      simple description of relationship between VWD type and in vitro surrogates for
      angiodysplasia.

PMID- 28362649
TI  - Rapid and well tolerated action of idarucizumab for antagonizing dabigatran in a
      patient needing urgent thrombolysis: a case report.
AB  - : Dabigatran is a direct oral anticoagulant drug exhibiting clinical benefits
      over vitamin K antagonists. A procedure for reversing the anticoagulant effect of
      direct oral anticoagulants may be needed in emergency clinical settings, and is
      traditionally accomplished by using plasma products or hemostatic physical
      interventions. Idarucizumab, a specific antidote for dabigatran, has recently
      become available. This compound can be rapidly administered by intravenous
      injection and is effective in reversing anticoagulation in few minutes. We
      describe here the case of a 78-year-old woman taking dabigatran for atrial
      fibrillation, who was admitted to the emergency department with a diagnosis of
      acute cerebral ischemia. Dabigatran plasma levels on admission (74 ng/ml) were
      measured with diluted thrombin time. Idarucizumab was immediately administered
      and dabigatran plasma concentration suddenly decreased to less than 2 ng/ml.
      Successful systemic thrombolysis could hence be performed with full recovery.

PMID- 28362651
TI  - Breast cancer education for schoolgirls: an exploratory study.
AB  - Adolescent girls are an important target group for breast cancer education and
      promoting breast awareness. However, research has not established schoolgirls'
      perceived importance of breast cancer education or explored factors that may
      impact engagement. This study aimed to identify schoolgirls' concerns about
      breast cancer, desire to know more and perceived importance of breast cancer
      education, and explored associations with demographic factors. Of 2089
      schoolgirls (11-18 years) surveyed, 1958 completed all relevant breast cancer
      questions and demographic factors (ethnicity, school type, breast size, physical
      activity level and age). chi-Tests assessed associations between demographics,
      desire to know more and perceived importance of breast cancer. Overall, 44% of
      schoolgirls reported concerns about breast cancer, 72% wanted to know more and
      77% rated the topic as extremely important. Breast size was not associated with
      wanting to know more about breast cancer. Schoolgirls who wanted to know more
      about breast cancer were White, from single-sex schools with boys at sixth form,
      more physically active and older. However, among other ethnic groups, school
      types and physical activity levels, the proportion of girls who wanted to know
      more about breast cancer was still high (>=61%). This study provides evidence of
      the need for breast cancer education for schoolgirls across all school types,
      irrespective of breast size or physical activity levels. The results highlight
      the need to be inclusive and engage schoolgirls from all ethnic groups and to
      promote breast awareness at a young age to ensure effective breast cancer
      education.

PMID- 28362650
TI  - Placental transfer of antibody and its relationship to vaccination in pregnancy.
AB  - PURPOSE OF REVIEW: Vaccination in pregnancy boosts maternal vaccine-specific
      antibody concentration and therefore increases transplacental transfer of
      antibody to optimize protection of the infant. The purpose of this review is to
      describe what is known about placental transfer of antibody in the context of
      vaccination in pregnancy, focussing on the recent literature and areas of debate,
      particularly about the timing of vaccination. RECENT FINDINGS: There is a debate
      about the timing of pertussis vaccination in pregnancy with some studies
      reporting that vaccination in the third trimester results in higher pertussis
      antigen-specific IgG concentrations in cord blood and others finding that the
      concentration is higher following vaccination in the second trimester. The impact
      of timing of vaccination on antibody avidity in cord blood has also been
      investigated and one study suggests that avidity may be increased following
      vaccination at 27-30 gestational weeks compared with later vaccination. SUMMARY:
      Understanding placental transfer of antibody is vital in informing maternal
      vaccination strategy. There has been recent research about the timing of
      pertussis vaccination in pregnancy that has implications for the timing of both
      current and future vaccines to be used in pregnancy.

PMID- 28362652
TI  - The association between plasma C-peptide concentration and the risk of prostate
      cancer: a nested case-control study within a Japanese population-based
      prospective study.
AB  - The association between plasma C-peptide concentration and prostate cancer is
      unclear. Inconsistency of results from previous studies motivates this study.
      Using the Japan Public Health Center-based Prospective study, 201 prostate cancer
      cases and 402 controls were matched by age, public health center area, residence,
      date and time of blood collection, and fasting duration before blood collection.
      Odds ratios (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were estimated by conditional
      logistic regression models. Out of 201 cases, 144 were localized and 48 were
      advanced. The overall association between median plasma C-peptide concentration
      and prostate cancer was not significant (OR for the highest tertile=0.81, 95% CI:
      0.43-1.56, P-trend=0.54). Although stratification of prostate cancer by stage
      indicated different effects of plasma C-peptide on localized and advanced cases,
      there was no association between plasma C-peptide concentration and advanced
      prostate cancer (OR=2.82, 95% CI: 0.30-26.36 for the highest category, P
      trend=0.37) and localized cases (OR=0.49, 95% CI: 0.23-1.04 for the highest
      category, P-trend=0.06) for patients fasting at the time of blood collection. The
      association between plasma C-peptide concentration and prostate cancer risk
      differed by cancer stage. Differentiation of localized and advanced prostate
      cancer cases is crucial when investigating the association between plasma C
      peptide concentration and the risk of prostate cancer.

PMID- 28362653
TI  - Population-based organized cervical cancer screening pilot program in France.
AB  - In France, cervical cancer screening is recommended every 3 years for women aged
      25-65 years. With the exception of a few local organized programs, screening is
      mainly opportunistic. In view of setting up a nationwide population-based
      organized screening program, a pilot intervention was implemented in nine
      geographic areas using a common protocol. Women aged 25-65 years who had not
      undergone a cytological screening in the past 3 years were invited for screening
      during 2010-2012 and reminded up to 1 year after the initial invitation.
      Cytological results and follow-up data were collected up to the end of 2014 for
      all women screened irrespective of whether spontaneously or following invitation.
      Aggregate data were centralized nationally. Among the 2.4 million women from the
      total target population aged 25-65 years, 1.3 million were invited for screening.
      The overall screening coverage during 2010-2012 was 62.3%, with wide variations
      across geographic areas, ranging from 41.6 to 72.5%. Initial invitations and
      reminders enabled nearly 280 000 women to be screened, corresponding to an
      estimated increase in coverage of 12% points. Overall, 4.2% of the women screened
      had an abnormal smear. A total of 5180 high-grade cervical precancers and 323
      invasive cervical cancers were reported, corresponding to detection rates of,
      respectively, 623 and 39 per 100 000 women screened 3-yearly. This study
      indicates that such organized screening may markedly improve the uptake of
      cervical cancer screening. On the basis of this pilot program, nationwide
      organized cervical cancer screening is currently being rolled out in France.

PMID- 28362655
TI  - Burn Care of the Elderly.
AB  - As part of the State of Science Meeting, care in elderly was one of the foci.
      This "white paper" deriving from this meeting indicates advances in the field of
      burn injuries in the elderly but more importantly areas that are in need of novel
      insights and investigations. The group created specific segments of a patient's
      course pre- and postinjury to selectively identify specifics we need to improve
      on. Tasks were created that were assigned to volunteers of the group and are
      given in detail in this article. The overarching aim is to initiate substantial
      momentum among the members of the American Burn Association to improve the
      outcomes in the elderly burn patients.

PMID- 28362654
TI  - Nursing and Focal Dyscognitive Seizures: A Clinical Update When Managing Risk
      Using Advanced Nursing Skills.
AB  - Focal seizures are divided into simple and dyscognitive, with the latter
      resulting in the alteration of consciousness. In the ictal and postictal stages,
      patients may present with confusion, delirium, and psychosis, presenting a risk
      of safety to themselves and others. This article presents 3 case studies where
      patients have been admitted for visual and electroencephalographic monitoring.
      Seizure activity is provoked for the diagnosis and development of a management
      plan. These cases illustrate the unique nursing implications when caring for
      patients experiencing focal dyscognitive seizures, highlighting the unique
      circumstances for the neuroscience nurse regarding risk management, safe
      administration of radioactive isotopes, detection of subtle seizure
      manifestation, and use of family as experts in patient-centered care. Through a
      deliberate onset of seizures, neuroscience nurses are placed in nontypical
      nursing situations, thus managing risk in unpredictable conditions and displaying
      advanced and distinctive nursing skills.

PMID- 28362656
TI  - North America Wound, Ostomy, and Continence and Enterostomal Therapy Nurses
      Current Ostomy Care Practice Related to Peristomal Skin Issues.
AB  - PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to describe the practice of 796 ostomy
      nurses in North America in 2014 related to peristomal skin issues. DESIGN:
      Descriptive study. SUBJECTS AND SETTING: Participants were 796 wound, ostomy, and
      continence (WOC) and enterostomal therapy (ET) nurses currently practicing in the
      United States or Canada and caring for patients with ostomies. The collection of
      data occurred in conjunction with an educational program on peristomal skin
      complications and practice issues and solicited the participant's perception on
      the incidence and frequency of peristomal skin issues as well as on practice
      patterns. METHODS: Participants attended an educational program. They were also
      asked to anonymously respond to multiple-choice questions on ostomy care
      management via an audience response system followed by discussion of each item
      and their responses. This descriptive study reports on the answers to the
      questions as well as the pertinent discussion points. RESULTS: Participants
      estimated that approximately 77.70% of their patients developed peristomal skin
      issues. The most commonly encountered problem was irritant contact dermatitis
      (peristomal moisture-associated skin damage). Contributing factors were
      inappropriate use of a pouching system owing to lack of follow-up after hospital
      discharge. Reported interventions for the prevention and management of peristomal
      skin issues included preoperative stoma site marking, use of a convex pouching
      system, and barrier rings. However, subsequent discussion revealed that the
      frequency of use of these products varied considerably. Participants identified
      shortened hospital stays, absence of preoperative stoma marking, and limited
      outpatient follow-up as contributing to development of peristomal skin problems.
      CONCLUSION: WOC and ET nurses estimate that more than three-quarters of persons
      living with an ostomy develop peristomal skin problems. Multiple interventions
      for managing these problems were identified, but some variability in management
      approaches emerged.

PMID- 28362657
TI  - Epigenetics of CD4+ T cells in autoimmune diseases.
AB  - PURPOSE OF REVIEW: Autoimmune disorders are a group of overactive symptoms
      because of abnormal immune responses. Progress of novel mechanisms for autoimmune
      diseases has been restrained by incomplete understanding of immune disturbance.
      Recent advances in autoimmune diseases have been well documented by epigenetic
      alterations (DNA methylation, histone modification, and microRNAs), which alter
      the transcription activity of genes that are involved in autoimmune responses.
      RECENT FINDINGS: Multiple environmental factors (trichloroethylene, breast milk,
      and vitamin C) initiate aberrant epigenetic modifications in CD4 T cells, leading
      to a list of transcriptional deregulations in several genes (Ifng, Cd70, Tnf,
      Dnmt3a, and Foxp3) that determine T-cell identity. In addition, epigenetics
      target regulatory genes (Tim-3, cereblon, protein kinase C theta, octamer
      transcription factor 1, basic leucine zipper transcription factor ATF-like, p70
      kinase, and lactate dehydrogenase A) to influence T-cell activation,
      differentiation, and metabolism. SUMMARY: In this review, we decipher findings
      that identify how epigenetic regulates CD4 T-cell functions and the advancement
      of novel epigenetic mechanisms in systemic lupus erythematosus, rheumatoid
      arthritis, and multiple sclerosis. Further researches could be conducted to
      explore new clinical application of epigenetic regulation based on T cells in
      autoimmune diseases.

PMID- 28362658
TI  - CALLING ALL READERS: OPPORTUNITIES FOR SERVICE.

PMID- 28362660
TI  - Role of Nutrition and Feeding for the Chronically Ill Pediatric Liver Patient
      Awaiting Liver Transplant.
AB  - This article reviews the essential role of nutrition in optimizing care for
      pediatric patients with liver disease awaiting liver transplant. A review of
      growth and overall principles of feeding for pediatric patients, from infancy
      through childhood and into adolescence, is provided including the role of macro-
      and micronutrients, nutrient distribution, and nutrition supplementation. The
      importance of a thorough nutrition assessment is reviewed, including focus areas
      the nurse can address with patients and families such as diet histories, growth,
      and dietary modifications. Suggestions for monitoring and implementing nutrition
      strategies are provided.

PMID- 28362659
TI  - Neuroleptic Malignant Syndrome Secondary to Metoclopramide Use in an Elderly
      Gastroenterologic Surgery Patient.
AB  - An 84-year-old African American woman was admitted to the hospital secondary to
      severe abdominal pain accompanied by septic shock. She underwent exploratory
      laparotomy, which revealed extensive small bowel necrosis likely due to small
      bowel torsion. A small bowel resection was performed with primary anastomoses and
      the patient was subsequently transferred to the intensive care unit (ICU). She
      recovered from shock but had a persistent gastroparesis interfering with enteral
      feeding, for which metoclopramide was prescribed. She was then transferred to a
      general medical-surgical unit in a stable condition where she received a total of
      four 10-mg oral doses of metoclopramide administered every 8 hours. Approximately
      32 hours after receiving the first dose of metoclopramide, the patient was
      subsequently transferred back to the ICU because of fever and inability to
      maintain respirations. Neuroleptic malignant syndrome was suspected, and the
      patient was intubated and received supportive care. After a week in the ICU, she
      was discharged back to the medical-surgical unit in a stable condition and
      recovered completely. The patient was later discharged home.

PMID- 28362661
TI  - A Study Comparing Colorectal Cancer Screening Techniques.
AB  - Colorectal cancer is in the top 3 of both diagnosed cancers and deaths related to
      cancer in the United States. Despite this, Americans are continuing to forgo
      colorectal cancer screening as part of their preventive health maintenance.
      Screening helps identify precancerous and early cancerous lesions so they can be
      easily treated and cured. The purpose of this study was to compare the rates of
      detection of adenomatous (precursors to colorectal cancer) polyps and colorectal
      cancer in 2 groups of asymptomatic patients: one group undergoing standard
      colonoscopy and the other group undergoing standard colonoscopy in conjunction
      with fecal occult blood testing. A pilot study was performed using a total of 63
      patients who were randomly allocated into 2 groups: those receiving standard
      colonoscopy as the control group and those receiving standard colonoscopy in
      conjunction with fecal occult blood testing as the intervention group. Research
      participants also completed demographic information as well as a survey
      evaluating their perceptions regarding colorectal cancer screening. This survey
      was adopted from a previous study that evaluates colorectal cancer disease
      awareness and patients' perceptions following a Health Belief Model. The results
      show that despite a detection rate of 41% of adenomatous polyps in the
      intervention group, there were no positive fecal occult blood testing specimens.
      The Health Belief Model survey revealed that most participants were appropriately
      aware of the seriousness and treatability of colorectal cancer. They also agreed
      that colorectal cancer screening guidelines were important and beneficial to
      follow.

PMID- 28362662
TI  - The Social Stigma Experience in Patients With Hepatitis B Infection: A
      Qualitative Study.
AB  - The social stigma in patients with hepatitis B virus infection has caused several
      complications for both the patients and the associated medical system. This study
      aimed at demonstrating the social stigma experienced by these patients in Iran.
      This is a qualitative study using a content analysis approach with references to
      primary and secondary sources. The data were collected through 15 unstructured
      and in-depth interviews conducted in 2014. By analyzing the data, two main themes
      were noted: extrinsic concepts of social stigma (causing reprehension,
      embarrassment, and discrimination) and intrinsic concepts of social stigma (sense
      of rejection, isolation, and frustration). The analysis of participants'
      experiences showed that social stigma is a simple lack of knowledge among the
      patients and society and it is more intense in the first days after the
      diagnosis. Stigma is prevalent among patients with hepatitis B virus, causes them
      to hide the disease, and provokes various complications for them as well as
      society. This study emphasizes the necessity of implementing health education
      programs about hepatitis B and its associated stigma, especially considering the
      potential impact of a mass media campaign.

PMID- 28362664
TI  - DISCUSSION OF COLONOSCOPY PREPARATION.

PMID- 28362665
TI  - Comparing mortality between fibrinolysis and primary percutaneous coronary
      intervention in patients with acute myocardial infarction: a systematic review
      and meta-analysis of 27 randomized-controlled trials including 11 429 patients.
AB  - OBJECTIVES: We aimed to improve the limitations encountered in previously
      published studies and then compare mortality in patients with acute myocardial
      infarction (AMI) who were treated with either fibrinolysis or a primary
      percutaneous coronary intervention (PPCI). METHODS: EMBASE, MEDLINE, and the
      Cochrane databases were searched for trials comparing fibrinolysis with PPCI in
      patients with AMI. The only endpoint that was assessed in this analysis was all
      cause mortality. Therefore, in-hospital, short-term, mid-term, and long-term
      mortality were analyzed, whereby odds ratios (OR) with 95% confidence intervals
      (CIs) were calculated using the RevMan 5.3. RESULTS: A total of 11 429 patients
      obtained from 37 studies (involving 27 trials) were included. The results of this
      analysis showed that fibrinolytic therapy was associated with significantly
      higher in-hospital and mid-term mortality (OR: 0.61; 95% CI: 0.46-0.82, P=0.001
      and OR: 0.73; 95% CI: 0.54-0.99, P=0.04, respectively). Short-term and long-term
      mortality were also significantly higher in the fibrinolytic group (OR: 0.76; 95%
      CI: 0.65-0.90, P=0.001, and OR: 0.82; 95% CI: 0.71-0.96, P=0.01, respectively)
      compared with PPCI. CONCLUSION: This analysis of 11 429 patients showed a
      significantly higher mortality rate to be associated with fibrinolysis compared
      with PPCI in these patients with AMI. Hence, compared with fibrinolysis, PPCI is
      expected to be the preferred method of revascularization in patients with AMI,
      especially in PCI-capable centers.

PMID- 28362663
TI  - RECURRENT GASTRIC POLYPOSIS IN A PATIENT USING ANTIEPILEPTIC DRUGS FOR A LONG
      TIME.

PMID- 28362666
TI  - Dyslipidaemia in type 2 diabetes mellitus: bad for the heart.
AB  - PURPOSE OF REVIEW: Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) is associated with increased
      coronary heart disease (CHD) morbidity and mortality. These patients are also
      more prone to heart failure, arrhythmias and sudden cardiac death. Furthermore,
      coronary interventions performed in such high-risk patients have worse outcomes.
      In this narrative review, we discuss the role of diabetic dyslipidaemia on the
      risk of CHD in patients with T2DM. The effects of hypolipidaemic,
      antihypertensive and antidiabetic drugs on lipid and glucose metabolism in T2DM
      are also considered. RECENT FINDINGS: Among CHD risk factors, diabetic
      dyslipidaemia characterized by moderately elevated low-density lipoprotein (LDL)
      cholesterol, increased triglycerides and small, dense LDL particles as well as
      decreased high-density lipoprotein cholesterol levels may contribute to the
      increased CHD risk associated with T2DM. Hypolipidaemic, antihypertensive and
      antidiabetic drugs can affect lipid and glucose parameters thus potentially
      influencing CHD risk. Such drugs may improve not only the quantity, but also the
      quality of LDL as well as postprandial lipaemia. SUMMARY: Current data highlight
      the importance of treating diabetic dyslipidaemia in order to minimize CHD risk.
      Both fasting and postprandial lipids are influenced by drugs in patients with
      T2DM; physicians should take this into consideration in clinical decision making.

PMID- 28362667
TI  - Implementation strategies in pediatric neurocritical care.
AB  - PURPOSE OF REVIEW: Brain-directed critical care for children is a relatively new
      area of subspecialization in pediatric critical care. Pediatric neurocritical
      care teams combine the expertise of neurology, neurosurgery, and critical care
      medicine. The positive impact of delivering specialized care to pediatric
      patients with acute neurological illness is becoming more apparent, but the
      optimum way to implement and sustain the delivery of this is complicated and
      poorly understood. We aim to provide emerging evidence supporting that effective
      implementation of pediatric neurocritical care pathways can improve patient
      survival and outcomes. We also provide an overview of the most effective
      strategies across the field of implementation science that can facilitate
      deployment of neurocritical care pathways in the pediatric ICU. RECENT FINDINGS:
      Implementation strategies can broadly be grouped according to six categories:
      planning, educating, restructuring, financing, managing quality, and attending to
      the policy context. Using a combination of these strategies in the last decade,
      several institutions have improved patient morbidity and mortality. Although much
      work remains to be done, emerging evidence supports that implementation of
      evidence-based care pathways for critically ill children with two common
      neurological diagnoses - status epilepticus and traumatic brain injury - improves
      outcomes. SUMMARY: Pediatric and neonatal neurocritical care programs that
      support evidence-based care can be effectively structured using appropriately
      sequenced implementation strategies to improve outcomes across a variety of
      patient populations and in a variety of healthcare settings.

PMID- 28362668
TI  - New role of ventricular assist devices as bridge to transplantation: European
      perspective.
AB  - PURPOSE OF REVIEW: Progress of ventricular assist devices (VAD) technology led to
      improved survival and apparently low morbidity. However, from the European
      perspective, updated analysis of EUROMACS reveals a somewhat less impressive
      picture with respect to mortality and morbidity. RECENT FINDINGS: We describe the
      great demand of cardiac allografts versus the lack of donors, which is larger in
      Europe than in the United States. Technical progress of VADs made it possible to
      work out a modern algorithm of bridge-to-transplant, which is tailored to the
      need of the particular patient. We analyze the burden of patients undergoing
      bridge-to-transplant therapy. They are condemned to an intermediate step, coupled
      with additional major surgery and potential adverse events during heart
      transplantation. SUMMARY: Based on current registry data, we do have to question
      the increasingly popular opinion, that the concept of heart transplantation is
      futureless, which seems to be for someone who treats and compares both patients
      (VAD and heart transplantation) in daily practice, questionable. Up to now, left
      ventricular assist device therapy remains a bridge to a better future, which
      means a bridge to technical innovations or to overcome the dramatic lack of
      donors in Europe.

PMID- 28362669
TI  - Retrospective Assessment of Follicular Unit Density in Asian Men With
      Androgenetic Alopecia.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Hair density, together with hair diameter has a tremendous impact on
      the cosmetic outcome of hair transplantation surgery. OBJECTIVE: This
      retrospective study aims to assess the average number of follicular unit (FU)
      grafts in the donor area of Asian men with androgenetic alopecia. METHODS:
      Seventy patients (ages 24-65 years old) with virgin scalp who had their first
      hair transplantation were included. During the harvesting procedure, a 2- to 3-cm
      wide area of the donor site was shaved from ear to ear with 5 specific areas
      assigned as reference points for the study namely the central occipital area,
      left and right parietal and temporal areas. A video microscope was used to
      capture the field of each reference point. Follicular units in each area were
      counted and the number of 1-hair, 2-hair, and 3-hair follicular groupings was
      recorded. RESULTS: East and Southeast Asians had an average of 61.1 FU/cm (111.2
      hairs/cm); West Asians had an average density of 63.6 FU/cm (126.8 hairs/cm);
      South Asians were noted to have an average density of 63.5 FU/cm (126.8
      hairs/cm). CONCLUSION: Asian hair density has slight variations in the number of
      FU grafts in each donor area.

PMID- 28362670
TI  - The Effectiveness of Matrix Cauterization With Bichloracetic Acid in the
      Treatment of Ingrown Toenails.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Chemical matricectomy is performed mainly by 2 agents, phenol and
      sodium hydroxide. Chemical matricectomy with phenol has a low recurrence rate and
      good cosmetic results, but it produces extensive tissue destruction and can
      result in drainage and a delayed healing time. These adverse effects have brought
      forward the use of chemical agents such as sodium hydroxide and trichloroacetic
      acid for matricectomy. OBJECTIVE: This prospective study aimed mainly to evaluate
      the efficacy of partial nail avulsion and selective chemical cauterization of the
      matrix using 90% bichloracetic acid (BCA) in the treatment of the ingrown nails.
      MATERIALS AND METHODS: A total of 30 patients with 58 ingrown toenail edges were
      included in this study. All of the patients underwent chemical matricectomy with
      90% BCA after partial nail avulsion. Adverse effects such as postoperative pain
      and drainage were minimal in most of the patients. RESULTS: One patient who
      underwent matricectomy had recurrence in a single nail edge (1.8%) at the 12th
      month of the follow-up. No recurrence was observed in 29 patients during mean
      follow-up period. This was considered to be statistically significant (p < .001).
      CONCLUSION: This is the first study to use BCA for the treatment of ingrown
      toenail. Partial nail avulsion followed by BCA matricectomy is a safe, simple,
      and effective method with low rates of postoperative morbidity and high rates of
      success. Therefore, partial nail avulsion and BCA matricectomy can be used as an
      alternative treatment method for the treatment of ingrown toenails.

PMID- 28362671
TI  - Effects of Cryolipolysis on Testosterone.

PMID- 28362672
TI  - Photography in Dermatologic Surgery: Selection of an Appropriate Camera Type for
      a Particular Clinical Application.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Photographs are an essential tool for the documentation and sharing
      of findings in dermatologic surgery, and various camera types are available.
      OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the currently available camera types in view of the
      special functional needs of procedural dermatologists. METHODS: Mobile phone,
      point and shoot, digital single-lens reflex (DSLR), digital medium format, and 3
      dimensional cameras were compared in terms of their usefulness for dermatologic
      surgeons. For each camera type, the image quality, as well as the other practical
      benefits and limitations, were evaluated with reference to a set of ideal camera
      characteristics. Based on these assessments, recommendations were made regarding
      the specific clinical circumstances in which each camera type would likely be
      most useful. RESULTS: Mobile photography may be adequate when ease of use,
      availability, and accessibility are prioritized. Point and shoot cameras and DSLR
      cameras provide sufficient resolution for a range of clinical circumstances,
      while providing the added benefit of portability. Digital medium format cameras
      offer the highest image quality, with accurate color rendition and greater color
      depth. Three-dimensional imaging may be optimal for the definition of skin
      contour. CONCLUSION: The selection of an optimal camera depends on the context in
      which it will be used.

PMID- 28362673
TI  - Fixed-Level Frequency Threshold Testing for Ototoxicity Monitoring.
AB  - OBJECTIVES: Hearing loss from ototoxicity is often most pronounced at high
      frequencies. To improve patient monitoring and compliance, high-frequency testing
      methods should be short and easy to administer. We evaluated the repeatability
      and accuracy of a Bekesy-like, fixed-level frequency threshold (FLFT) technique.
      This test takes less than a minute and could provide a rapid and effective way to
      determine the highest audible frequency. We hypothesized the FLFT test would be
      repeatable in normal-hearing subjects, and accurate when compared with Bekesy
      fixed-frequency audiometry in the sensitive region for ototoxicity (SRO). DESIGN:
      Twenty-nine normal-hearing subjects (20 females, 9 males) performed 2 different
      automated audiometry tests at least 4 times over a period of no less than 3
      weeks. Ages ranged from 23 to 35 years (average = 28 years). Subjects completed
      testing under Sennheiser HDA-200 headsets. Initial fixed-frequency audiometry
      thresholds were obtained at frequencies ranging from 0.5 to 20 kHz to identify
      each subject's highest audible frequency, which was used to determine the SRO.
      The SRO was defined as the seven frequencies at and below the highest audible
      frequency in 1/6-octave steps. These frequencies were monitored with fixed
      frequency audiometry. At each session, the FLFT test was administered at 80 dB
      SPL. Subjects used a Bekesy-style tracking method to determine the frequency
      threshold. All testing was completed in a sound booth (single wall, Industrial
      Acoustics Company) using a computerized, laptop-based, system. FLFT repeatability
      was calculated as the root mean square difference from the first test session.
      FLFT accuracy was calculated as the difference from the highest audible frequency
      determined from fixed-frequency audiometry interpolated to 80 dB SPL level.
      RESULTS: The FLFT average RMSD for intersession variability was 0.05 +/- 0.05
      octaves. The test showed no learning effect [F(3,78) = 0.7; p = 0.6]. The overall
      intersession variability for SRO fixed-frequency audiometry thresholds at all
      frequencies was within clinically acceptable test-retest variability (10 dB) at
      5.8 dB (range 2.7 to 9.9 dB). The SRO fixed-frequency audiometry therefore served
      as a repeatable basis of comparison for accuracy of the FLFT test. The mean
      absolute difference between the fixed-frequency audiometry and FLFT-determined
      highest audible frequency was 0.03 octaves. The FLFT and the highest audible
      frequency via fixed-frequency audiometry at 80 dB SPL were not different
      statistically (p = 0.12). The FLFT took approximately 30 seconds to complete,
      compared with approximately 4.5 min for fixed-frequency audiometry SRO and 20 to
      25 min for a traditional ototoxic audiometric assessment. CONCLUSIONS: The Bekesy
      style FLFT was repeatable within 1/12 octave (1 step size in the testing
      procedure). The FLFT agreed well with the highest audible frequency determined
      via fixed-frequency audiometry at 80 dB SPL. The FLFT test is amenable to
      automatic and self-administration and may enable quick, accurate, noise-tolerant
      ototoxicity, and high-frequency hearing monitoring.

PMID- 28362675
TI  - Novel immunotherapy and treatment modality for severe food allergies.
AB  - PURPOSE OF REVIEW: In recent years, many studies on oral immunotherapy (OIT) have
      been conducted; however, few have focused on severe food allergies. The purpose
      of this review was to assess the efficacy and safety of oral immunotherapies for
      patients with severe food allergy. RECENT FINDINGS: We reviewed multiple
      immunotherapy reports published within a few years or reports focusing on severe
      food allergies. We also investigated recent studies on OIT and novel food allergy
      management. SUMMARY: Immunotherapies targeting low-dose antigen exposure and oral
      food challenges using low-dose target volumes may be safer than conventional OIT.
      It is necessary to consider which immunotherapy regimen is appropriate based on
      allergy severity of the patient.

PMID- 28362674
TI  - Human Frequency Following Responses to Vocoded Speech.
AB  - OBJECTIVES: Vocoders offer an effective platform to simulate the effects of
      cochlear implant speech processing strategies in normal-hearing listeners.
      Several behavioral studies have examined the effects of varying spectral and
      temporal cues on vocoded speech perception; however, little is known about the
      neural indices of vocoded speech perception. Here, the scalp-recorded frequency
      following response (FFR) was used to study the effects of varying spectral and
      temporal cues on brainstem neural representation of specific acoustic cues, the
      temporal envelope periodicity related to fundamental frequency (F0) and temporal
      fine structure (TFS) related to formant and formant-related frequencies, as
      reflected in the phase-locked neural activity in response to vocoded speech.
      DESIGN: In experiment 1, FFRs were measured in 12 normal-hearing, adult listeners
      in response to a steady state English back vowel /u/ presented in an unaltered,
      unprocessed condition and six sine-vocoder conditions with varying numbers of
      channels (1, 2, 4, 8, 16, and 32), while the temporal envelope cutoff frequency
      was fixed at 500 Hz. In experiment 2, FFRs were obtained from 14 normal-hearing,
      adult listeners in response to the same English vowel /u/, presented in an
      unprocessed condition and four vocoded conditions where both the temporal
      envelope cutoff frequency (50 versus 500 Hz) and carrier type (sine wave versus
      noise band) were varied separately with the number of channels fixed at 8. Fast
      Fourier Transform was applied to the time waveforms of FFR to analyze the
      strength of brainstem neural representation of temporal envelope periodicity (F0)
      and TFS-related peaks (formant structure). RESULTS: Brainstem neural
      representation of both temporal envelope and TFS cues improved when the number of
      channels increased from 1 to 4, followed by a plateau with 8 and 16 channels, and
      a reduction in phase-locking strength with 32 channels. For the sine vocoders,
      peaks in the FFRTFS spectra corresponded with the low-frequency sine-wave
      carriers and side band frequencies in the stimulus spectra. When the temporal
      envelope cutoff frequency increased from 50 to 500 Hz, an improvement was
      observed in brainstem F0 representation with no change in brainstem
      representation of spectral peaks proximal to the first formant frequency (F1).
      There was no significant effect of carrier type (sine- versus noise-vocoder) on
      brainstem neural representation of F0 cues when the temporal envelope cutoff
      frequency was 500 Hz. CONCLUSIONS: While the improvement in neural representation
      of temporal envelope and TFS cues with up to 4 vocoder channels is consistent
      with the behavioral literature, the reduced neural phase-locking strength noted
      with even more channels may be because of the narrow bandwidth of each channel as
      the number of channels increases. Stronger neural representation of temporal
      envelope cues with higher temporal envelope cutoff frequencies is likely a
      reflection of brainstem neural phase-locking to F0-related periodicity
      fluctuations preserved in the 500-Hz temporal envelopes, which are unavailable in
      the 50-Hz temporal envelopes. No effect of temporal envelope cutoff frequency was
      seen for neural representation of TFS cues, suggesting that spectral side band
      frequencies created by the 500-Hz temporal envelopes did not improve neural
      representation of F1 cues over the 50-Hz temporal envelopes. Finally, brainstem
      F0 representation was not significantly affected by carrier type with a temporal
      envelope cutoff frequency of 500 Hz, which is inconsistent with previous results
      of behavioral studies examining pitch perception of vocoded stimuli.

PMID- 28362676
TI  - Behavioral interventions to improve asthma outcomes: a systematic review of
      recent publications.
AB  - PURPOSE OF REVIEW: Asthma outcomes are influenced by factors at multiple
      ecological levels: the individual and his/her family, home, medical care, and
      community. This systematic review describes recently published single-level and
      multilevel behavioral interventions to improve asthma outcomes. RECENT FINDINGS:
      Of the 23 total title/abstracts reviewed in the original systematic search of
      PubMed, Ovid, Scopus, PsychINFO, and CIHAHL reference review databases, six met
      inclusion criteria. Five of the studies focused on low-income and/or minority
      populations. Promising interventions include culturally tailored online asthma
      self-management programs and family-centered asthma education delivered at the
      bedside during hospitalization for an acute asthma exacerbation. SUMMARY:
      Culturally, tailored online self-management programs offer difficult-to-reach
      populations asthma support that can be completed at the time and pace most
      convenient for the individual user. Family-focused asthma education, delivered at
      the bedside during an acute asthma hospitalization by highly motivated lay
      volunteers, is an efficacious and low-cost approach to improving pediatric asthma
      self-management.

PMID- 28362677
TI  - Medial approach open reduction with ligamentum teres partial excision and
      plication for the management of congenital hip dislocation.
AB  - : Because of the known tendency for early redislocation following open reduction,
      we developed surgical methods for shortening the ligamentum teres to improve
      immediate postoperative stability when performing medial approach open reduction
      (MAOR) for the management of developmental dysplasia of the hip. Between 2004 and
      2014, 32 patients with dysplasia of the hip were managed by MAOR with partial
      excision and plication of ligamentum teres. The patients were followed up for an
      average of 6.9 years. At the final follow-up, clinical outcomes achieved were
      categorized as excellent and good in 39 (39/40; 97.5%) hips. At the latest follow
      up, 97.5% (39 hips) were classified as good or excellent on the basis of the
      Severin classification (Severin grade 1 or 2). In conclusion, this series of
      MAOR, in which ligamentum teres partial excision and plication was utilized, we
      found stable reduction in all hips. On the basis of these positive results, we
      recommend this method for children treated with MAOR. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Level
      IV: case series.

PMID- 28362678
TI  - The Behavior Pain Assessment Tool for critically ill adults: a validation study
      in 28 countries.
AB  - Many critically ill adults are unable to communicate their pain through self
      report. The study purpose was to validate the use of the 8-item Behavior Pain
      Assessment Tool (BPAT) in patients hospitalized in 192 intensive care units from
      28 countries. A total of 4812 procedures in 3851 patients were included in data
      analysis. Patients were assessed with the BPAT before and during procedures by 2
      different raters (mostly nurses and physicians). Those who were able to self
      report were asked to rate their pain intensity and pain distress on 0 to 10
      numeric rating scales. Interrater reliability of behavioral observations was
      supported by moderate (0.43-0.60) to excellent (>0.60) kappa coefficients. Mixed
      effects multilevel logistic regression models showed that most behaviors were
      more likely to be present during the procedure than before and in less sedated
      patients, demonstrating discriminant validation of the tool use. Regarding
      criterion validation, moderate positive correlations were found during procedures
      between the mean BPAT scores and the mean pain intensity (r = 0.54) and pain
      distress (r = 0.49) scores (P < 0.001). Regression models showed that all
      behaviors were significant predictors of pain intensity and pain distress,
      accounting for 35% and 29% of their total variance, respectively. A BPAT cut
      point score >3.5 could classify patients with or without severe levels (>=8) of
      pain intensity and distress with sensitivity and specificity findings ranging
      from 61.8% to 75.1%. The BPAT was found to be reliable and valid. Its feasibility
      for use in practice and the effect of its clinical implementation on patient pain
      and intensive care unit outcomes need further research.

PMID- 28362679
TI  - Blood pressure and risk of breast cancer, overall and by subtypes: a prospective
      cohort study.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: Blood pressure (BP) and breast cancer may share a common
      pathophysiologic pathway involving chronic inflammation, hormone synthesis and
      metabolism. Previous studies investigating the association between BP and breast
      cancer measured BP at a single time point and did not examine associations by
      breast cancer molecular subtypes. METHODS: We used data from 22 833 female
      participants in the Melbourne Collaborative Cohort Study. BP was objectively
      measured at baseline (1990-1994) and a follow-up visit (2003-2007). Cox
      regression was used to estimate hazard ratios for baseline BP and temporal
      changes in BP in relation to risk of breast cancer, overall and by molecular
      subtypes. RESULTS: We did not observe any associations between BP measured at
      baseline and breast cancer risk overall (per 5 mmHg SBP, hazard ratio = 1.00, 95%
      confidence interval: 0.99-1.02), nor by subtype (per 5 mmHg SBP: estrogen
      receptor-negative: hazard ratio = 0.99, 0.96-1.03, progesterone-receptor
      negative: hazard ratio = 1.01, 0.99-1.04, human epidermal growth factor receptor
      2 negative: hazard ratio = 1.00, 0.98-1.01). Temporal changes in BP were not
      associated with risk of breast cancer (per 5 mmHg change in SBP, hazard ratio =
      1.00, 0.97-1.03). Increased DBP over time was associated with higher risk of
      triple-negative breast cancer (P = 0.04), based on a small number of cases (N =
      41). CONCLUSION: Our study supports previous findings of no association between
      BP and breast cancer. Similar conclusions were reached when assessing BP over
      time and when examining specific tumor subtypes.

PMID- 28362680
TI  - Telemonitoring in IVF/ICSI.
AB  - PURPOSE OF REVIEW: Traditionally, ovarian stimulation for IVF/intracytoplasmic
      sperm injection is performed by healthcare professionals, requiring the patient
      to make frequent visits to these centres. We describe the rationale, research
      findings and early clinical experience with home-based sonography for IVF
      patients. RECENT FINDINGS: Published experience indicates that selected patients
      are able to procure video sequences themselves; they value the empowerment,
      discretion and decreased stress involved in these visits; partner involvement
      increases as well. SUMMARY: Experience is still limited but consistently indicate
      patients' willingness and competence to procure sonograms; home sonography is
      positive from the patients' perspective but may be disruptive form the healthcare
      provider's point of view.

PMID- 28362681
TI  - Dual ovarian stimulation and random start in assisted reproductive technologies:
      from ovarian biology to clinical application.
AB  - PURPOSE OF REVIEW: The opportunity to use gonadotropins to stimulate the growth
      of antral follicles coming from different follicular waves available in different
      moment of the menstrual cycle allowed the implementation of innovative protocols
      in assisted reproductive technologies. The purpose of this review is to explore
      the possible advantages related to these new controlled ovarian stimulation (COS)
      strategies. RECENT FINDINGS: Women exhibit major and minor wave patterns of
      ovarian follicular development during the menstrual cycle, as it is in animal
      species. These observations led to the introduction of two new strategies for
      COS: the random start and the double ovarian stimulation within a single
      menstrual cycle. SUMMARY: The use of gonadotropin-releasing hormone antagonist
      COS protocols, started randomly at any day of the menstrual cycle, is today a
      standard procedure in those cases where obtaining oocytes is an urgent task, such
      as in case of fertility preservation for malignant diseases or other medical
      indications.On the other hand, in poor prognosis patients, double ovarian
      stimulation has been suggested with the aim of maximizing the number of oocytes
      retrieved within a single menstrual cycle and, in turn increasing the chance to
      obtain a reproductively competent embryo. Randomized control trials are necessary
      to confirm these preliminary findings.

PMID- 28362684
TI  - Editors' Preface.

PMID- 28362682
TI  - Genetic Determinants of Circulating Lipoproteins in Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver
      Disease.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Recent genome-wide association studies have identified 2 genetic
      polymorphisms in association with nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD):
      patatin-like phospholipase domain containing 3 (PNPLA3) and transmembrane 6
      superfamily member 2 (TM6SF2), both of which appear to influence the production
      of very low density lipoprotein (VLDL). The impact of these genetic variations on
      lipoprotein metabolism in the setting of nonalcoholic steatohepatitis and liver
      fibrosis are not fully characterized. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We measured
      comprehensive lipoprotein profiles by nuclear magnetic resonance among 170
      serially recruited patients in an NAFLD registry, and determined their
      relationships with PNPLA3 and TM6SF2 genotypes. RESULTS: In this cohort, 72%
      patients had at least 1 allele of either PNPLA3 I148M or TM6SF2 E167K, and 30%
      carried 2 alleles. In multivariate models adjusting for histologic features of
      nonalcoholic steatohepatitis and liver fibrosis, PNPLA3 I148M is associated with
      a decrease in VLDL particle size. Both PNPLA3 I148M and TM6SF2 E167K genotypes
      were associated with increases in the size of low density lipoprotein (LDL) and
      high density lipoprotein particles, phenotypes considered atheroprotective. When
      adjusted for both genotypes, NAFLD activity score, in particular the degree of
      hepatic steatosis was strongly associated with increases in the size of VLDL
      particles, the concentration of LDL, especially small LDL particles, and a
      decrease in the size of high density lipoprotein particles, all of which are
      linked with a proatherogenic phenotype. CONCLUSIONS: PNPLA3 and TM6SF2 are common
      genetic variants among NAFLD patients and impact lipoprotein profiles in slightly
      different ways. The interactions between genotypes, hepatic steatosis, and
      lipoprotein metabolism shed lights on the pathophysiology of NAFLD, and provide
      opportunities for personalized treatment in the era of emerging NAFLD
      therapeutics.

PMID- 28362683
TI  - Thrombin generation profiles as predictors of symptomatic venous thromboembolism
      after trauma: A prospective cohort study.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Reliable biomarkers predictive of venous thromboembolism (VTE) after
      acute trauma are uncertain. The objective of the study was to identify risk
      factors for symptomatic VTE after trauma, including individual plasma coagulome
      characteristics as reflected by thrombin generation. METHODS: In a prospective,
      case-cohort study, trauma patients were enrolled over the 4.5-year period, 2011
      to 2015. Blood was collected by venipuncture into 3.2% trisodium citrate at 0, 6,
      12, 24, and 72 hours after injury and at hospital discharge. Platelet poor plasma
      was stored at -80  degrees C until analysis. Thrombin generation, as determined
      by the calibrated automated thrombogram (CAT) using 5 pM tissue factor (TF)/4 MUM
      phospholipid (PS), was reported as peak height (nM thrombin) and time to peak
      height (ttPeak [minutes]). Data are presented as median [IQR] or hazard ratio
      with 95% CI. RESULTS: Among 453 trauma patients (injury severity score = 13.0
      [6.0, 22.0], hospital length of stay = 4.0 [2.0, 10.0] days, age = 49 [28, 64]
      years, 71% male, 96% with blunt mechanism, mortality 3.2%), 83 developed
      symptomatic VTE within 92 days after injury (35 [42%] after hospital discharge).
      In a weighted, multivariate Cox model that included clinical and CAT
      characteristics available within 24 hours of admission, increased patient age
      (1.35 [1.19,1.52] per 10 years, p < 0.0001), body mass index >=30 kg/m (4.45
      [2.13,9.31], p < 0.0001), any surgery requiring general anesthesia (2.53
      [1.53,4.19], p = 0.0003) and first available ttPeak (1.67 [1.29, 2.15], p <
      0.00001) were independent predictors of incident symptomatic VTE within 92 days
      after trauma (C-statistic = 0.799). CONCLUSION: The individual's plasma coagulome
      (as reflected by thrombin generation) is an independent predictor of VTE after
      trauma. Clinical characteristics and ttPeak can be used to stratify acute trauma
      patients into high and low risk for VTE. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Prognostic, level
      III.

PMID- 28362685
TI  - An Innovative Approach to Experiential Education and Interprofessional
      Collaboration Between Nursing and Software Engineering.

PMID- 28362686
TI  - 2017 is Year of the Healthy Nurse.

PMID- 28362687
TI  - Crossing Boarders: An Online Interdisciplinary Course in Health Informatics for
      Students From Two Countries.

PMID- 28362688
TI  - Morse Taper Implants Immediately Loaded in Fresh Extraction Sockets: A
      Prospective Cohort Study.
AB  - PURPOSE: To evaluate survival rate and bone response around immediate loaded
      Morse taper implants installed in fresh sockets on the anterior area of the
      maxilla. MATERIAL AND METHODS: The sample comprised 16 patients in whom 16 single
      implants were installed. All the teeth were extracted in a flapless surgery.
      Radiographic and tomographic evaluations were performed immediately after surgery
      (T1) and after 12 months (T2). The variables studied were height of the buccal
      wall (HBW), buccal wall width (BW) at 3 levels, and proximal bone height at 2
      different areas: the alveolar crest level (CLH) and at the point where bone
      tissue meets the implant surface (BIS). RESULTS: Statistically significant
      differences were observed. The buccal plate showed bone loss in height (HBW = 
      0.50 +/- 0.42 mm) and in width (BW-1 = -0.71 +/- 0.48 mm; BW-2 = -0.48 +/- 0.34
      mm; BW-3 = -0.48 +/- 0.34 mm). In the proximal areas, there was also bone loss in
      height (CLH-M = -0.85 +/- 0.89 mm; BIS-M = -0.91 +/- 0.70 mm; CLH-D = -0.64 +/-
      0.57 mm; and BIS-D = -0.68 +/- 0.62 mm). CONCLUSION: There was 100% survival rate
      after a 12-month period, but bone loss was observed in all evaluated areas.

PMID- 28362689
TI  - Collaboration Patterns and Processes Between Dentists and Dental Laboratories
      When Planning and Fabricating Implant-Supported Restorations.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: The success of implant-supported restorations is dependent on
      proper treatment planning, effective communication within the clinical team, and
      the use of appropriate methods and materials in the dental laboratory. The
      objective of this study was to determine collaboration trends between dentists
      and laboratories and to assess the common methods and materials involved in
      fabricating implant-supported restorations. METHODS: Questionnaires were
      distributed to dental laboratories and technicians. Seventy questionnaires were
      answered and were included in the data analyses. RESULTS: Most of the impressions
      (87%) were taken using an individual custom-made open tray. In 83% of
      impressions, screw-retained transfer units were used, and in 61% of cases, the
      units were splinted. Bite registration was recorded in 91% of the cases. In 80%
      of cases, articulator setup was done. When matching the shade of a restoration in
      the anterior, 57% of the technicians do so in collaboration with the dentist, and
      39% match the shade independently. Type of restoration and abutment selection
      were done mainly by the technicians. Abutment selection was reported to be
      carried out by 72% of the technicians. CONCLUSIONS: Generally, dentists and
      technicians follow the standards recommended in the contemporary literature,
      especially, in major procedures such as impression taking, bite registration, and
      articulator setup. However, principal decisions, such as abutment and color shade
      are done mainly by technicians.

PMID- 28362690
TI  - Perianal Pediatric Crohn Disease Is Associated With a Distinct Phenotype and
      Greater Inflammatory Burden.
AB  - OBJECTIVES: Data on the outcomes of children with perianal Crohn disease (pCD)
      are limited, although its presence is often used for justifying early use of
      biologics. We aimed to assess whether pCD in children is associated with more
      severe outcomes as found in adults. METHODS: Data were extracted from the
      ImageKids database, a prospective, multicenter, longitudinal cohort study. The
      study enrolled 246 children at disease onset or thereafter. All patients
      underwent comprehensive clinical, endoscopic, and radiologic evaluation at
      enrollment; 98 children had repeat evaluation at 18 months. RESULTS: Of the 234
      included patients (mean age 14.2 +/- 2.4 years; 131 [56%] boys), 57 (24%) had
      perianal findings, whereas only 21 (9%) had fistulizing perianal disease.
      Children with pCD had reduced weight and height z scores compared with non-pCD
      patients (-0.9 vs -0.35, P = 0.03 and -0.68 vs -0.23, respectively; P = 0.04),
      higher weighted pediatric CD activity index (32 [interquartile range 16-50] vs 20
      [8-37]; P = 0.004), lower serum albumin (3.6 +/- 0.7 vs 4.5 +/- 0.8, P = 0.016),
      and higher magnetic resonance enterography global inflammatory score (P = 0.04).
      Children with pCD had more rectal (57% vs 38%, P = 0.04), and jejunal involvement
      (31% vs 11% P = 0.003) and a higher prevalence of granulomas (64% vs 23%, P =
      0.0001). Magnetic resonance enterography-based damage scores did not differ
      between groups. Patients with skin tags/fissures only, had similar clinical,
      endoscopic, and radiologic characteristics as patients with no perianal findings.
      CONCLUSIONS: Pediatric patients with pCD with fistulizing disease have distinct
      phenotypic features and a predisposition to a greater inflammatory burden.

PMID- 28362691
TI  - Increase of Intra-abdominal Adipose Tissue in Pediatric Crohn Disease.
AB  - BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: Recent evidence points toward an active immunological
      role of intra-abdominal adipose tissue in Crohn disease (CD). We quantified the
      abdominal adipose tissue compartments using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in
      27 pediatric patients with CD compared with 14 controls undergoing MRI
      examination for other reasons. METHODS: Total (TAAT), subcutaneous (SCAT) and
      intra-abdominal (IAAT) adipose tissue areas were measured by semiautomatic
      segmentation on a transverse slice centered on the umbilicus (mean +/- standard
      deviation in square centimeter) using standard T1-weighted sequences. IAAT/TAAT
      and IAAT/height ratios were calculated and analyzed for associations with disease
      duration, phenotype, or therapy. RESULTS: Patients with CD (median age 15.0
      years, range 7.7-17.9, 18/27 boys, median disease duration 29 months, range 0
      136) compared to controls (median age 13.9 years, range 3.3-17.8, 4/14 boys) had
      higher IAAT area (42.3 +/- 21.0 vs 28.7 +/- 11.6, P = 0.0494) but similar SCAT
      and TAAT areas (104.6 +/- 72.8 vs 96.5 +/- 50.8, P = 0.8170 and 146.9 +/- 87.3 vs
      125.3 +/- 61.5, P = 0.7417, respectively). IAAT/TAAT ratio was higher in patients
      with CD compared to controls (0.32 +/- 0.10 vs 0.24 +/- 0.04, P = 0.0081).
      Patients with disease duration >2 years (n = 14) had higher IAAT/TAAT ratio than
      those with shorter disease and controls (0.35 +/- 0.10 vs 0.28 +/- 0.08, P =
      0.0288 and 0.24 +/- 0.04, P = 0.0009, respectively). In these patients, increased
      IAAT/height ratio was associated with complicated disease (P = 0.043, r = 0.573).
      No association was found between IAAT/TAAT ratio and actual disease activity or
      therapy. CONCLUSIONS: IAAT is increased in pediatric CD and correlates with
      disease duration. Assessment of IAAT accumulation may be considered in future MRI
      scores for inflammation and bowel damage in CD and during follow-up of different
      therapeutic interventions.

PMID- 28362694
TI  - The Challenge of Treating Children With Hepatitis C Virus Infection.
AB  - The development of oral hepatitis C virus (HCV) direct-acting antivirals (DAAs)
      has revolutionized the therapeutic field. Nowadays, multiple safe and highly
      effective antiviral regimens are commercially available to treat adults with
      hepatitis C infection. These new regimens for the first time genuinely raise the
      prospects of eradicating HCV. Many challenges, however, remain from identifying
      infected individuals to optimizing treatment and ensuring global access to
      antiviral therapy to all population groups, including children. Recently, in
      April 2017, the association of sofosbuvir with ribavirin and the fixed-dose
      combination sofosbuvir/ledipasvir have been approved by the Food and Drug
      Administration for treatment of children with chronic HCV infection 12 years of
      age and older. The only drugs currently approved for children younger than 12
      years are pegylated interferon and ribavirin. There are 6 registered ongoing
      pediatric trials assessing safety and efficacy of DAAs, but their current
      completion timelines are years away. Herein, we summarize the state of the art of
      DAAs' development for adult and children and highlight the crucial importance of
      overcoming barriers to treating children with HCV.

PMID- 28362695
TI  - Anxiety Associated With High-resolution Anorectal Manometry in Pediatric Patients
      and Parents.
AB  - High-resolution anorectal manometry is an increasingly common procedure performed
      in pediatric patients to rule out Hirschsprung and assess anorectal function and
      sensation. The purpose of the present study was to evaluate anxiety of patients
      and their parents associated with high-resolution anorectal manometry.
      Preprocedural anxiety was assessed by standardized questionnaire in all parents
      and children older than 8 years and observed behavioral distress was recorded by
      the attending pediatric gastroenterologist. Thirty-five children (mean age = 7.2
      years, +/-2.8) and their parents completed the study. Patient anxiety was found
      to be markedly elevated. Observed behavioral distress was elevated compared to
      more invasive procedures. Self-reported parental anxiety was comparable to adults
      undergoing endoscopic procedures themselves. Despite the low risk of this
      procedure, healthcare providers should be aware of the high levels of anxiety and
      distress that occur in patients and their parents associated with anorectal
      manometry.

PMID- 28362696
TI  - Why Write a Letter to the Editor?

PMID- 28362699
TI  - Implementation of Feeding Guidelines Hastens the Time to Initiation of Enteral
      Feeds and Improves Growth Velocity in Very Low Birth-Weight Infants.

PMID- 28362698
TI  - NANN Approaches Changing Political Landscape With Vision, Fortitude, and
      Conviction.

PMID- 28362700
TI  - Dermatofibrosarcoma Protuberans: An Immunomarker Study of 57 Cases That Included
      Putative Mesenchymal Stem Cell Markers.
AB  - Dermatofibrosarcoma protuberans (DFSP) is a low-grade fibroblastic sarcoma with a
      superficial location that has been suggested to potentially be a type of
      mesenchymal stem cell tumor. We studied the expression of various immunomarkers,
      including putative stem cell markers, in a series of 57 DFSPs including variants,
      and 12 dermatofibromas (DFs). CD105, a mesenchymal stem cell marker, was weakly
      expressed in 24 DFSPs, whereas other stem cell markers, including CD133, ALK-1,
      and Oct3/4, were completely negative in all samples. The expression rates of
      CD105 and CD34 were significantly higher in DFSP (42% and 93%) than in DF (0% and
      17%), and CD10 and D2-40 were significantly lower in DFSP (40% and 3.5%) than in
      DF (100% and 33%), respectively. CD99, CD117, PDGFB, and PDGFRbeta expression was
      comparable between the groups. CD105 mesenchymal cells were not observed in non
      neoplastic dermis. In summary, we did not obtain sufficient immunohistochemical
      evidence to support the DFSP as a cutaneous mesenchymal stem cell tumor. CD34
      alone was the most consistent marker of DFSP, irrespective of its variants.
      Because CD34 non-neoplastic mesenchymal cells were distributed in a location
      similar to that of DFSP, we suggest that DFSP might have originated from CD34
      mesenchymal cells in the dermis.

PMID- 28362701
TI  - Acute Myeloid Leukemia (AML): Upregulation of BAALC/MN1/MLLT11/EVI1 Gene Cluster
      Relate With Poor Overall Survival and a Possible Linkage With Coexpression of
      MYC/BCL2 Proteins.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Molecular heterogeneity accounts for the variable and often poor
      prognosis in acute myeloid leukemia (AML). The current risk stratification
      strategy in clinical practice is limited to karyotyping and limited molecular
      studies screening for genetic mutations such as FLT-3 and NPM1. There is
      opportunity to identify further molecular prognostic markers, which may also lay
      the groundwork for the development of novel targeted therapies. Complex molecular
      technologies require transition into widely available laboratory platforms, for
      better integration into routine clinical practice. METHOD: In a defined subset
      (MYC/BCL2 or MYC/BCL2) of AML patients (n=20), we examined expression signature
      of several genes (n=12) of established prognostic value in AML. RNA expression
      and MYC/BCL2 protein pattern was correlated with 3 cytogenetic risk groups and
      overall survival. RESULTS: K-means++ unsupervised clustering defined 2 distinct
      groups with high and low transcript levels of BAALC/MN1/MLLT11/EVI1/SOCS2 genes
      (>2.5-fold difference; P<0.001). This mRNA signature trended with higher
      prevalence of MYC/BCL2 coexpression (P<0.057) and poor overall survival
      (P<0.036), but did not correlate with conventional cytogenetic risk groups
      (P<0.084). CONCLUSIONS: This pilot study provides useful data, which may help
      further refine the prognostic scheme of AML patients outside conventional
      cytogenetic risk groups. It also presents some biological rationale for future
      studies to explore the use of novel agents targeting MYC and/or BCL2 genes in
      combination with conventional chemotherapy protocols for AML.

PMID- 28362702
TI  - The Usefulness of Phospholipase A2 Receptor and IgG4 Detection in Differentiation
      Primary Membranous Nephropathy From Secondary Membranous Nephropathy in Renal
      Biopsy.
AB  - Membranous nephropathy (MGN) is the most common cause of the nephrotic syndrome
      in adults. Most cases of MGN are primary, but secondary MGN are frequently
      encountered. Determination of secondary MGN is crucial for initiation of
      appropriate treatment. The diagnostic performance of the phospholipase A2
      receptor (PLA2R) and immunoglobulin G4 (IgG4) detection based on
      immunohistochemistry were evaluated using biopsy tissues of 59 primary and 56
      secondary MGN cases for discrimination between primary MGN and secondary MGN. The
      PLA2R and IgG4 detection based on immunohistochemistry were dominantly positive
      in primary MGN cases. Sensitivity and specificity values for identification of
      primary MGN were 83% and 88% for PLA2R, and 76% and 86% for IgG4. Both PLA2R and
      IgG4 positivity showed a high specificity of 96.4% for identifying primary MGN. A
      meta-analysis was performed for analysis of the diagnostic accuracy of histologic
      PLA2R and IgG4 deposition for differentiation of primary from secondary MGN. The
      overall sensitivity, specificity, and area under curve of summary receiver
      operating characteristics were 76%, 86%, 0.93 for histologic PLA2R deposition,
      and 80%, 69%, 0.82 for histologic IgG4 deposition. PLA2R and IgG4 detection based
      on immunohistochemistry can be useful for differentiation of primary MGN from
      secondary MGN.

PMID- 28362703
TI  - An Epithelioid Gastrointestinal Stromal Tumor of the Stomach With Strong
      Expression of Keratin: Clinicopathologic Correlation and Follow-up Post-Imatinib
      Therapy.
AB  - Gastrointestinal stromal tumors (GIST) are the most common mesenchymal neoplasms
      of the digestive tract. They are relatively rare neoplasms compared with
      gastrointestinal carcinomas and usually can readily be differentiated from
      carcinomas based on the morphology of the neoplastic cells that are typically
      spindled (70%), pure epithelioid, or mixed type. GISTs in general lack expression
      of cytokeratin and exhibit immunoreactivity toward CD117, CD34, or DOG1. GISTs
      can demonstrate a pure epithelioid morphology that can appear similar
      histologically to a carcinoma. Very few epithelioid GISTs have been reported to
      express cytokeratin, which can lead to diagnostic challenges especially in cases
      with pure epithelioid morphology. Epithelioid GISTs should be considered in the
      differential diagnosis when evaluating gastrointestinal neoplasms with
      overlapping epithelioid and carcinoma-like morphology. An accurate diagnosis can
      be made using additional immunohistochemical studies directed against CD117,
      CD34, or DOG1. Advanced investigations such as mutation analysis of KIT using
      molecular pathology methods can further assist in confirming the diagnosis.

PMID- 28362704
TI  - Downregulation of ADAMTS18 May Serve as a Poor Prognostic Biomarker for Cervical
      Cancer Patients.
AB  - ADAMTS18 is a member of ADAMTS (A Disintegrin and Metalloproteinase with
      Thrombospondin motifs) family proteins which have been found to play important
      roles in cancer progression and metastasis in different cancer types. The present
      study aims at evaluating the prognostic significance of ADAMTS18 in cervical
      cancer. The expression levels of ADAMTS18 was evaluated by real-time PCR in
      normal (N=28) and cervical cancer tissues from patients at different stages as
      well as in tumor tissues from 35 cervical cancer patients with primary cancer and
      29 patients with metastasis. The correlation between serum ADAMTS18 expression
      levels and clinicopathologic features or overall survival of cervical cancer
      patients was analyzed. ADAMTS18 expression levels were significantly decreased in
      cervical cancer tissues compared with normal tissues and it decreased gradually
      from early stage to late stage. Low expression of ADAMTS18 was positively
      associated with high tumor stage (P=0.0239), positive lymph node metastasis
      (P=0.0388), and distant metastasis (P=0.0004). Tissue levels of ADAMTS18 in
      patients with primary cancer were significantly lower compared with those with
      metastasis. Moreover, patients with low ADAMTS18 expression levels had shorter
      overall survival (P=0.0119) or disease-free survival (P=0.0033). Multivariate
      analysis demonstrated that ADAMTS18 was an independent prognostic factor for
      cervical cancer. Our study suggests that ADAMTS18 is downregulated in cervical
      cancer and ADAMTS18 may serve as a potential prognostic biomarker for cervical
      cancer.

PMID- 28362705
TI  - Loss of BAP1 Expression Occurs Rarely to Never in Colorectal Adenocarcinoma.

PMID- 28362706
TI  - Prostate Ductal Adenocarcinoma.
AB  - Prostate ductal adenocarcinoma (PDA) is a rare subtype of prostate adenocarcinoma
      that shows more aggressive behavior than conventional prostatic acinar
      adenocarcinoma. PDA demonstrates similar clinical and paraclinical features such
      as prostatic acinar adenocarcinoma; therefore, clinical distinction of the 2
      entities is very difficult (if not impossible) and histopathology plays an
      important role in the diagnosis of the disease. This review discusses all the
      necessary information needed for the diagnosis and prognosis of PDA including the
      morphologic features of PDA, an introduction about the known variants of PDA with
      helpful hints in grading of each variant, tips on differential diagnosis of PDA
      from the common morphologic mimickers, a detailed discussion on the value of
      immunohistochemistry in the diagnosis of PDA, and pathologic features that are
      helpful in determining the outcome.

PMID- 28362707
TI  - Differential Expression of Cytochrome C Oxidase Subunit I Along the Colorectal
      Adenoma: Carcinoma Progression.
AB  - Loss in apoptosis competence often results in augmented genomic instability
      contributing to carcinogenesis. Cytochrome c oxidase subunit I (CcOI) can help
      assess apoptosis resistance in paraffin-embedded biopsies. In total, 50
      colorectal cases including 10 control cases of colectomy for non-neoplastic
      condition, 15 cases of adenomatous colorectal polyps, and 25 cases of colorectal
      carcinoma were investigated in this retrospective study for immunohistochemical
      expression of CcOI. The staining pattern of CcOI was assessed and indices of
      aberrant expression were calculated as crypt-restricted loss and overall
      decreased immunostaining (ODI). ODI calculated in the adenocarcinoma tumor tissue
      was designated as Tr ODI. The crypt-restricted loss and ODI indices of the
      aberrant CcOI expression are significantly higher in the adenomatous polyps group
      (2.5% and 47.54%) and in the non-neoplastic mucosa among adenocarcinoma group
      (2.78% and 49.1%) when they are compared with the control group (0.55% and 7.32%)
      (P<0.001). A highly significant correlation was noted between Tr ODI and the
      tumor grade, the nodal status, and the stage among adenocarcinomas. In
      conclusion, colonic tumors arise in a field of crypts with aberrations in CcOI
      expression. This aberration is linked to biologically aggressive tumors. CcOI
      immunostaining may be applied on mucosal samples from patients with colonic
      adenomatous polyps and patients with previous cancer colon resection to determine
      individuals who are in need for frequent colonoscopies and/or chemopreventive
      strategies. Future follow-up studies are warranted to determine the level of
      expression predictive of recurrence or progression.

PMID- 28362708
TI  - Napsin-A, a Possible Diagnostic Marker for Differentiating Clear Cell Ovarian
      Carcinoma From Other High-grade Ovarian Carcinomas.
AB  - Ovarian clear cell carcinoma (CCC) is divergent from other types of epithelial
      ovarian carcinoma in terms of clinicopathologic and molecular features. It should
      be separated from other high-grade carcinomas of the ovary for appropriate
      treatment. Napsin A is a reliable marker for adenocarcinoma of the lungs, but its
      role in ovarian epithelial carcinomas is vague. We investigated the expression of
      a panel of TTF-1, paired box 8, estrogen receptor, Wilms tumor 1, and Napsin A in
      100 cases of high-grade ovarian carcinomas. All the examined cases were TTF-1
      negative and paired box 8 positive. The 2 biomarkers estrogen receptor together
      with Wilms tumor 1 can separate CCC from endometriod carcinoma, yet this cannot
      be carried out in the case of serous and mucinous carcinomas of high grade.
      Napsin A can differentiate CCC with high sensitivity and specificity. It can be
      concluded that Napsin A is a sensitive and specific marker for CCC of the ovary.
      However, an entire marker panel may be useful for distinguishing ovarian CCC from
      other mimics.

PMID- 28362709
TI  - A Diagnostic Algorithm Combining Immunohistochemistry and Molecular Cytogenetics
      to Diagnose Challenging Melanocytic Tumors.
AB  - Some melanocytic tumors are diagnostic challenges and require ancillary tools in
      helping the pathologists to determine their potential of malignancy. We intend to
      propose a diagnostic algorithm in helping to classify challenging melanocytic
      tumors combining histology, immunohistochemistry, and cytogenetics. We report on
      24 spitzoid and/or misdiagnosed melanocytic tumors studied with a triple p16, Ki
      67, and HMB45 immunohistochemistry score, fluorescent in situ hybridization
      (FISH) with melanoma-dedicated and non-melanoma-dedicated probes and comparative
      genomic hybridization on DNA microarray (CGH array). Melanoma-dedicated FISH
      probe classified as favor malignant 8/8 melanomas, 1/2 atypical spitzoid tumor,
      and 4/14 nevi with polyploidy. Only 10 CGH array assays were contributive and
      concluded in complex chromosomal patterns as hallmarks of malignancy in 5
      melanomas, single isolated imbalances in 3 nevi, and no chromosomal gain or loss
      in 2 nevi. The p16-Ki-67-HMB45 immunohistochemistry score was favor benign (ie, 0
      to 3) in 13/14 nevi and in the favor benign atypical spitzoid tumor according to
      FISH analyses. The FISH-favor malignant atypical spitzoid tumor, 8/8 melanomas,
      and 1 tumor initially diagnosed as a Spitz nevus had favor malignant p16-Ki-67
      HMB45 immunohistochemistry scores (ie, 4 to 9). Additional FISH analyses detected
      a 9p21/CDKN2A double deletion, frequently reported in melanomas but not in nevi,
      in the tumor initially diagnosed as a Spitz nevus with a favor malignant p16-Ki
      67-HMB45 score. To conclude, in our opinion, histology and p16-Ki-67-HMB45
      immunohistochemistry could consist in first-line tools to diagnose a difficult
      melanocytic tumor, followed by cytogenetics analyses in cases of discrepancies
      between histology and immunohistochemistry.

PMID- 28362710
TI  - Detection of Loss of Heterozygosity (LOH) Using Circulating Cell-free DNA (cfDNA)
      by Fluorescence-based Multiplex PCR for Identification of Patients With Prostate
      Cancer.
AB  - Several lines of evidence suggest that loss of heterozygosity (LOH) in specific
      chromosomal regions is a common mechanism for the inactivation of tumor
      suppressor genes that are implicated in the pathogenesis of prostate cancer
      (PCa). Short tandem repeat (STR) sequences are extremely reliable genetic markers
      for the detection of LOH associated with cancers. Hence, in the current study, we
      investigated the detection of LOH at 6 STR markers (D8S360, D9S1748, D9S171,
      D8S137, D6S1631, and THRB) using blood circulating cell-free DNA (cfDNA), which
      can be used to distinguish PCa from benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH). A total
      of 136 individuals were included in the study, 76 male patients diagnosed with
      PCa (50 male patients with localized PCa and 26 male patients with metastatic
      PCa) as experimental subjects and 60 male patients with BPH as controls.
      Circulating cfDNA was extracted from plasma samples and amplified with
      fluorescence-labeled primers specific for known STR markers. We also evaluated
      the serum prostate-specific antigen in both groups. Our findings revealed that
      the frequency of LOH at D8S360, D9S1748, D9S171, D8S137, and D6S1631 was
      significantly higher in PCa subjects than in controls (P<0.05). Of the 6 STR
      markers, LOH at D8S360 could discriminate metastatic PCa from localized PCa. We
      found that 71.05% of patients with PCa and 1.66% of BPH subjects had LOH at least
      at 3 of the markers in cfDNA. Our findings provide additional evidence to support
      the hypothesis that analysis of LOH at D8S360, D9S1748, D9S171, D8S137, and
      D6S1631 STR markers using cfDNA can be applied as a noninvasive diagnostic
      approach for the detection of PCa.

PMID- 28362711
TI  - Ectopic Thyroid Tissue: Immunohistochemistry and Molecular Analysis.
AB  - Ectopic thyroid tissue is rare and controversial. Some experts consider it to
      always be metastatic thyroid carcinoma, whereas others consider it benign as long
      as it is restricted to few follicles without cytoarchitectural features of
      papillary thyroid carcinoma. Immunohistochemistry (IHC) and molecular studies
      have not yet been performed to further characterize this entity. We
      retrospectively searched our pathology files for all ectopic thyroid inclusions
      and reviewed clinicopathologic characteristics and concurrent thyroid pathologic
      findings. We identified 8 cases from 7 patients. Ectopic thyroid tissue was
      present in the following locations: neck soft tissue: 3, thymus: 2, neck lymph
      nodes: 2, perihilar soft tissue: 1. All patients had histologically benign
      thyroid specimens. BRAFV600E (VE1) IHC, HBME-1 IHC, galectin-3 IHC, BRAFV600E
      allele-specific polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and NRAS/KRAS pyrosequencing were
      performed. To assess the sensitivity and specificity of BRAFV600E IHC compared
      with PCR; we tested 13 cases of primary and metastatic papillary and follicular
      thyroid carcinomas. All the ectopic cases were HBME-1, galectin-3, BRAFV600E
      (IHC, PCR), and NRAS/KRAS mutation negative (specificity=100%). Compared with
      PCR, BRAF IHC had 89% sensitivity and 100% specificity. Lack of common carcinoma
      associated mutations supports benign nature of this entity. BRAF, HBME-1, and
      galectin-3 IHC are accurate and helpful when not enough tissue is available for
      molecular studies. IHC and molecular studies are more helpful than morphology
      alone in identifying benign thyroid rests.

PMID- 28362712
TI  - Vascular Endothelial Growth Inhibitor, a Cytokine of the Tumor Necrosis Factor
      Family, is Associated With Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transition in Renal Cell
      Carcinoma.
AB  - Previous studies have revealed that the activation of the epithelial-mesenchymal
      transition (EMT) endows metastatic properties upon cancer cells to promote
      invasion and migration. In this study, immunohistochemical analysis was performed
      in 50 cases of clear cell renal cell carcinoma (RCC) and paired normal kidney
      tissues. We detected the expression of vascular endothelial growth inhibitor
      (VEGI) and EMT markers (E-cadherin, fibronectin, and Slug) and recorded the
      clinical, pathologic, and follow-up (median follow-up: 79.0 mo) information. The
      expression of VEGI and E-cadherin was significantly lower in RCC tissues compared
      with normal kidney tissues (P<0.001). However, the expression of fibronectin and
      Slug was higher in RCC tissues (P<0.05). VEGI and EMT marker expression
      marginally differed in tumor size and stage. Significant differences were found
      in the pathologic grade (P<0.05). The Spearman correlation analysis suggested a
      positive correlation between VEGI and E-cadherin (r=0.451, P<0.01). A negative
      correlation was shown between VEGI and fibronectin (r=-0.465, P<0.01). There was
      also a negative correlation between VEGI and Slug (r=-0.758, P<0.01). During the
      79.0 months (range, 7 to 119 mo) of follow-up, 6 patients died due to RCC, and
      the tumor-free survival rate was 88% (44/50). We did not find a significant
      correlation between VEGI/EMT markers (E-cadherin, fibronectin, and Slug) and
      overall survival (P>0.05). Our findings indicate that VEGI plays an important
      role in EMT in RCC. It suggests that VEGI may be investigated as a disease
      biomarker and therapeutic target in RCC.

PMID- 28362713
TI  - Relative Adrenal Insufficiency in Cardiogenic Shock: Is There a Need for Action?

PMID- 28362714
TI  - Iloprost, Prostaglandin E1, and Papaverine Relax Human Mesenteric Arteries With
      Similar Potency.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: Nonocclusive mesenteric ischemia (NOMI) is accompanied by mesenteric
      artery spasms that are at least in part due to endothelin system activation.
      Acute treatment includes intra-arterial infusion of vasodilators such as
      iloprost, prostaglandin E1 (PGE1), and papaverine. Their effectiveness is not
      well characterized in human mesenteric arteries. We directly compared their
      potency to relax isolated human mesenteric arteries. To explore the potential of
      Rock inhibition to treat mesenteric artery spasms, we tested if endothelin-1 (ET
      1)-induced mesenteric artery constrictions depend on rho kinase (Rock). METHODS:
      Mesenteric artery segments were obtained from patients who underwent elective
      abdominal surgery. Vasodilator concentration-response curves were recorded from
      ET-1-preconstricted vessels by small vessel myography. Rock expression was
      investigated by Western blot and the potency of Rock inhibition to blunt ET-1
      induced mesenteric artery constriction was tested. RESULTS: Iloprost, PGE1, and
      papaverine similarly reduced vascular tone to 20% to 30% of ET-1-induced wall
      tension. In human mesenteric arteries, logEC50 was significantly less for
      iloprost than for PGE1 or papaverine. Respective logEC50 values were -7.72 +/-
      0.08 mol/L, -6.58 +/- 0.17 mol/L, and -6.73 +/- 0.19 mol/L in 150 MUm to 300 MUm
      lumen diameter arteries. These vessels were also more sensitive to iloprost than
      500 MUm to 1,000 MUm lumen diameter arteries (logEC50 -7.29 +/- 0.07 mol/L).
      Rock1 and Rock2 were expressed in human mesenteric arteries but Rock inhibition
      did not significantly affect ET-1-induced vasoconstrictions. CONCLUSIONS:
      Iloprost, PGE1, and papaverine have a similar potency to relax mesenteric
      arteries. Our data suggest that iloprost but not Rock inhibition may be
      particularly useful to treat ET-1-induced spasms of distal mesenteric arteries.

PMID- 28362715
TI  - Phenotypic Changes and Impaired Function of Peripheral gammadelta T Cells in
      Patients With Sepsis.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: Recent studies demonstrated the significant loss of gamma delta T
      (gammadelta T) cells in patients with sepsis. Given the distinct functions of
      gammadelta T cells in human anti-infection immunity, we are interested in
      evaluating the phenotype and function of peripheral gammadelta T cells in septic
      patients and determining their prognostic implication. METHOD: This prospective
      study has been conducted in three intensive care units of a university hospital.
      During the period from October 2014 to June 2015, we enrolled 107 patients who
      were consecutively admitted and diagnosed with severe sepsis or septic shock
      (excluding previous immunosuppression) and 45 healthy controls. Using flow
      cytometry, we analyzed the in vivo percentage of gammadelta T cells in cluster of
      differentiation (CD)3 cells from peripheral blood mononuclear cells as well as
      their expression of surface markers (CD69, natural-killer group 2 member D
      [NKG2D], programmed death receptor 1 [PD-1]) and intracellular cytokines
      (interferon-gamma [IFN-gamma], interleukin [IL]-17, IL-10, transforming growth
      factor-beta [TGF-beta]). Then we further evaluated the different responses of
      gammadelta T cells after the antigen stimulation ex vivo by measuring CD69 and
      IFN-gamma expression. Lastly, we conducted the multiple logistic regressions to
      analyze the risk factor for prognosis. RESULTS: Compared with control group,
      gammadelta T cells in septic patients displayed a decrease in percentage,
      increase in CD69, decrease in NKG2D, and increase in cytokine expression (pro
      inflammatory IFN-gamma, IL-17, anti-inflammatory IL-10, TGF-beta) in vivo. After
      the antigen stimulation ex vivo, both CD69 and IFN-gamma expression in gammadelta
      T cells were significantly lower in septic patients than control group.
      Importantly, the decrease in CD69 and IFN-gamma expression was more pronounced in
      non-survivors than survivors. Multiple logistic regression analysis revealed that
      lower expression of IFN-gamma after stimulation is a dependent risk factor that
      associated with patient 28-day death in septic patients (OR: 0.908 [95% CI: 0.853
      0.966]). CONCLUSION: Septic patients showed altered phenotype and function of
      gammadelta T cells. The impaired IFN-gamma expression by gammadelta T cells after
      the antigen stimulation is associated with mortality in septic patients.

PMID- 28362717
TI  - Low activity versus high activity: noninferior response to radioiodine therapy in
      differentiated patients with extrathyroid extension.
AB  - OBJECTIVES: Radioactive iodine (RAI) therapy is recommended for differentiated
      thyroid cancer (DTC) patients with microscopic extrathyroid extension (ETE).
      Patients with a low preablative stimulated thyroglobulin (ps-Tg) level have a
      more favorable prognosis. It remains uncertain whether low-activity RAI could
      have the same efficacy in patients with low ps-Tg. This study aimed to evaluate
      the effectiveness of low-activity RAI therapy in low-level ps-Tg DTC with ETE.
      PATIENTS AND METHODS: The inclusion criteria for this retrospective study were as
      follows: (a) age 18 years or older, (b) DTC after total or near-total
      thyroidectomy of DTC, (c) no distant metastasis after thyroidectomy and before
      RAI therapy, (d) American Joint Committee on Cancer pT3 stage (with microscopic
      ETE) with any American Joint Committee on Cancer N stage, (e) ps-Tg level of 5
      ng/ml or less, and (f) after the first time of RAI therapy. The response of
      patients was assessed at 20-24 months after RAI therapy and considered an
      excellent response (ER) or non-ER. RESULTS: A total of 132 patients were
      included, 69 patients in low activity (1100 MBq) and 63 in high activity (>=3700
      MBq). ER was observed in 86.9% of patients in the low-activity group (60/69),
      which did not differ from the high-activity group (P=0.165) at 20-24 months'
      assessment. For patients with different N statuses (N0, N1a, N1b), a noninferior
      response could also be achieved under low-activity RAI therapy compared with the
      high-activity group (P=1.000, 0.286, 0.722, respectively). CONCLUSION: Low
      activity RAI therapy is not inferior to high-activity therapy in achieving an ER
      in microscopic ETE DTC with ps-Tg less than 5 ng/ml irrespective of the lymph
      node metastases.

PMID- 28362718
TI  - Radioactive seed localization is the preferred technique in nonpalpable breast
      cancer compared with wire-guided localization and radioguided occult lesion
      localization.
AB  - OBJECTIVES: Three commonly used techniques for localization of nonpalpable breast
      cancer are radioactive seed localization (RSL), wire-guided localization (WGL)
      and radioguided occult lesion localization (ROLL). In this study, we analysed the
      surgical margins of these three techniques. METHODS: Women diagnosed with
      nonpalpable breast cancer undergoing breast-conserving surgery with one of the
      above-mentioned techniques were retrospectively included. The primary outcome
      parameter was tumour-free margin rate. Secondary outcomes were re-excision rate,
      recurrence of disease and volume of removed tissue. RESULTS: In total, 272 women
      were included in whom RSL (n=69), WGL (n=76) or ROLL (n=137) was performed. RSL
      showed a higher tumour-free margin rate [64 (92.8%)] compared with WGL [51
      (67.1%)] and ROLL [113 (82.5%)] (P=0.001). In our multivariable analysis, RSL
      showed a higher tumour-free margin rate as well compared with WGL (P=0.036) and
      ROLL (P=0.049). Also, fewer re-excisions were encountered using RSL [5 (7.2%)]
      compared with WGL [13 (17.1%)] and ROLL [15 (10.9%)] (P=0.171). In 11 patients
      (WGL n=2, ROLL n=9), recurrence of disease occurred, despite a radical excision.
      The mean resection volumes were comparable within the three groups. CONCLUSION:
      RSL results in a higher tumour-free margin rate in nonpalpable breast tumours
      compared with WGL and ROLL. Therefore, we prefer using RSL in nonpalpable breast
      tumours.

PMID- 28362716
TI  - PharmGKB summary: sorafenib pathways.

PMID- 28362719
TI  - Imaging markers of multiple sclerosis prognosis.
AB  - PURPOSE OF REVIEW: Studies of large longitudinal cohorts of patients with
      multiple sclerosis (MS) have emphasized the prognostic value of conventional MRI
      markers, at least during early stages. Advanced imaging metrics derived from
      quantitative MRI and PET provide relevant information about microstructural
      damage within and outside visible lesions that may be more sensitive to predict
      long-term disability. Here, we summarize the most recent findings regarding the
      prognostic value of imaging markers throughout MS stages. RECENT FINDINGS: In
      clinically isolated syndrome, the presence of at least one brain or spinal cord
      T2 lesion strongly increases the risk of conversion to clinically definite MS
      (hazard ratio ranging from 5 to 11). Similarly, the occurrence of new white
      matter lesions is strongly predictive of subsequent relapse rate and response to
      current disease modifying therapies. Beyond white matter lesions, volumetric
      changes in the grey matter and normal-appearing tissue damage are more sensitive
      prognostic markers for physical and cognitive disability, especially in
      progressive MS. SUMMARY: Although white matter lesion number and volume still
      remains the imaging metric used in daily clinical practice, further development
      of advanced imaging predictors of long-term disability should allow a better
      stratification of patients in future clinical trials aimed at promoting repair or
      neuroprotection.

PMID- 28362720
TI  - Diagnostic Value of Semiquantitative Analysis of 99mTechnetium
      Methoxyisobutylisonitrile (99mTc-MIBI) Imaging in Predicting Early-Stage Cervical
      Lymph Node Metastasis of Thyroid Carcinoma.
AB  - BACKGROUND The aim of this study was to evaluate the value of semiquantitative
      analysis (SQA) of 99mTc-MIBI imaging in predicting early-stage cervical lymph
      node metastasis (CLNM) in thyroid carcinoma (TC). MATERIAL AND METHODS TC
      patients (n =106) undergoing surgical resection and histopathological examination
      were enrolled. All patients received 99mTc-MIBI imaging prior to surgery. P
      glycoprotein (P-gp) expression was detected by PT-PCR and immunohistochemistry.
      With pathological results as the criterion standard, the diagnostic efficiency of
      99mTc-MIBI imaging in predicting early-stage CLNM was evaluated. The correlation
      of P-gp with 99mTc-MIBI imaging was investigated. Logistic regression analysis
      was applied for analyzing the factors affecting early-stage CLNM. RESULTS The
      detection rate and misdiagnosis rate of 99mTc-MIBI imaging for early-stage CLNM
      diagnosis were 87.3% and 12.7%, respectively. Receiver operating characteristic
      (ROC) curve analysis showed an accuracy of 99mTc-MIBI imaging of 85.85%.
      Preoperative 99mTc-MIBI scan showed statistical differences between metastasis
      and non-metastasis groups in early and delayed T/NT and washout rate (all
      P<0.05). The percentage of P-gp-expressing cells and the expression rate of P-gp
      gene both exhibited statistical differences between metastasis and no-metastasis
      groups (both P<0.05). Tumor diameter, lesion distribution, the percentage of P-gp
      expressing cells, and the expression rate of P-gp gene were risk factors for CLNM
      (all P<0.05). CONCLUSIONS 99mTc-MIBI imaging has value in qualitative diagnosis
      of early-stage CLNM in TC. Tumor diameter, lesion distribution, the percentage of
      P-gp-expressing cells, and the expression rate of P-gp gene were risk factors for
      CLNM.

PMID- 28362721
TI  - Hidden diversity revealed by genome-resolved metagenomics of iron-oxidizing
      microbial mats from Lo'ihi Seamount, Hawai'i.
AB  - The Zetaproteobacteria are ubiquitous in marine environments, yet this class of
      Proteobacteria is only represented by a few closely-related cultured isolates. In
      high-iron environments, such as diffuse hydrothermal vents, the
      Zetaproteobacteria are important members of the community driving its structure.
      Biogeography of Zetaproteobacteria has shown two ubiquitous operational taxonomic
      units (OTUs), yet much is unknown about their genomic diversity. Genome-resolved
      metagenomics allows for the specific binning of microbial genomes based on
      genomic signatures present in composite metagenome assemblies. This resulted in
      the recovery of 93 genome bins, of which 34 were classified as
      Zetaproteobacteria. Form II ribulose 1,5-bisphosphate carboxylase genes were
      recovered from nearly all the Zetaproteobacteria genome bins. In addition, the
      Zetaproteobacteria genome bins contain genes for uptake and utilization of
      bioavailable nitrogen, detoxification of arsenic, and a terminal electron
      acceptor adapted for low oxygen concentration. Our results also support the
      hypothesis of a Cyc2-like protein as the site for iron oxidation, now detected
      across a majority of the Zetaproteobacteria genome bins. Whole genome comparisons
      showed a high genomic diversity across the Zetaproteobacteria OTUs and genome
      bins that were previously unidentified by SSU rRNA gene analysis. A single
      lineage of cosmopolitan Zetaproteobacteria (zOTU 2) was found to be monophyletic,
      based on cluster analysis of average nucleotide identity and average amino acid
      identity comparisons. From these data, we can begin to pinpoint genomic
      adaptations of the more ecologically ubiquitous Zetaproteobacteria, and further
      understand their environmental constraints and metabolic potential.

PMID- 28362722
TI  - Prokaryote genome fluidity is dependent on effective population size.
AB  - Many prokaryote species are known to have fluid genomes, with different strains
      varying markedly in accessory gene content through the combined action of gene
      loss, gene gain via lateral transfer, as well as gene duplication. However, the
      evolutionary forces determining genome fluidity are not yet well understood. We
      here for the first time systematically analyse the degree to which this
      distinctive genomic feature differs between bacterial species. We find that
      genome fluidity is positively correlated with synonymous nucleotide diversity of
      the core genome, a measure of effective population size Ne. No effects of genome
      size, phylogeny or homologous recombination rate on genome fluidity were found.
      Our findings are consistent with a scenario where accessory gene content turnover
      is for a large part dictated by neutral evolution.

PMID- 28362723
TI  - Chirality in microbial biofilms is mediated by close interactions between the
      cell surface and the substratum.
AB  - From microbial biofilms to human migrations, spatial competition is central to
      the evolutionary history of many species. The boundary between expanding
      populations is the focal point of competition for space and resources and is of
      particular interest in ecology. For all Escherichia coli strains studied here,
      these boundaries move in a counterclockwise direction even when the competing
      strains have the same fitness. We find that chiral growth of bacterial colonies
      is strongly suppressed by the expression of extracellular features such as
      adhesive structures and pili. Experiments with other microbial species show that
      chiral growth is found in other bacteria and exclude cell wall biosynthesis and
      anisotropic shape as the primary causes of chirality. Instead, intimate contact
      with the substratum is necessary for chirality. Our results demonstrate that
      through a handful of surface molecules cells can fundamentally reorganize their
      migration patterns, which might affect intra- and interspecific competitions
      through colony morphology or other mechanisms.

PMID- 28362725
TI  - Lorenz Poellinger MD, PhD (1957-2016).

PMID- 28362724
TI  - Gene mobility promotes the spread of resistance in bacterial populations.
AB  - Theory predicts that horizontal gene transfer (HGT) expands the selective
      conditions under which genes spread in bacterial populations. Whereas vertically
      inherited genes can only spread by positively selected clonal expansion, mobile
      genetic elements can drive fixation of genes by infectious HGT. We tested this
      using populations of Pseudomonas fluorescens and the conjugative mercury
      resistance (HgR) plasmid pQBR57. HGT expanded the selective conditions allowing
      the spread of HgR: Chromosomal HgR only increased in frequency under positive
      selection, whereas plasmid-encoded HgR reached fixation with or without positive
      selection. Tracking plasmid dynamics over time revealed that the mode of HgR
      inheritance varied across mercury environments. Under mercury selection, the
      spread of HgR was driven primarily by clonal expansion while in the absence of
      mercury HgR dynamics were dominated by infectious transfer. Thus, HGT is most
      likely to drive the spread of resistance genes in environments where resistance
      is useless.

PMID- 28362727
TI  - High-power 1018  nm ytterbium-doped fiber laser with output of 805  W.
AB  - This Letter presents a high-power 1018 nm ytterbium-doped fiber laser (YDFL) with
      optimized parameters. A record output power reaching 805 W was achieved, along
      with a light-to-light efficiency of 64.9% and a beam quality factor of
      M<sup>2</sup>=1.80. Further, a higher efficiency of 82.8% of 1018 nm YDFL pumped
      by wavelength-stabilized laser diodes for the first time, to the best of our
      knowledge, was shown. At last some attempts were made in bidirectional pumping
      structure. In this Letter, all the measured spectra showed strong amplified
      spontaneous emission suppression, and the power curves indicated the potential
      for further power scaling.

PMID- 28362728
TI  - Dielectric metasurfaces solve differential and integro-differential equations.
AB  - Leveraging subwavelength resonant nanostructures, plasmonic metasurfaces have
      recently attracted much attention as a breakthrough concept for engineering
      optical waves both spatially and spectrally. However, inherent ohmic losses
      concomitant with low coupling efficiencies pose fundamental impediments over
      their practical applications. Not only can all-dielectric metasurfaces tackle
      such substantial drawbacks, but also their CMOS-compatible configurations support
      both Mie resonances that are invariant to the incident angle. Here, we report on
      a transmittive metasurface comprising arrayed silicon nanodisks embedded in a
      homogeneous dielectric medium to manipulate phase and amplitude of incident light
      locally and almost independently. By taking advantage of the interplay between
      the electric/magnetic resonances and employing general concepts of spatial
      Fourier transformation, a highly efficient metadevice is proposed to perform
      mathematical operations including solution of ordinary differential and integro
      differential equations with constant coefficients. Our findings further
      substantiate dielectric metasurfaces as promising candidates for miniaturized,
      two-dimensional, and planar optical analog computing systems that are much
      thinner than their conventional lens-based counterparts.

PMID- 28362726
TI  - 'Hints' in the killer protein gasdermin D: unveiling the secrets of gasdermins
      driving cell death.
AB  - Pyroptosis is a lytic form of cell death distinguished from apoptosis,
      ferroptosis, necrosis, necroptosis, NETosis, oncosis, pyronecrosis and autophagy.
      Proinflammatory caspases cleave a gasdermin D (GSDMD) protein to generate a 31
      kDa N-terminal domain. The cleavage relieves the intramolecular inhibition on the
      gasdermin-N domain, which then moves to the plasma membrane to exhibit pore
      forming activity. Thus, GSDMD acts as the final and direct executor of pyroptotic
      cell death. Owing to the selective targeting of the inner leaflet of the plasma
      membrane with the pore-forming that determines pyroptotic cell death, GSDMD could
      be a potential target to control cell death or extracellular bacterial
      infections. Intriguingly, other gasdermin family members also share similar N
      terminal domains, but they present different cell death programs. Herein, we
      summarize features and functions of the novel player proteins in cell death,
      including GSDMD triggering pyroptosis, Gsdma3/GSDMA initiating
      autophagy/apoptosis and DFNA5 inducing apoptosis/secondary necrosis. The
      gasdermin N terminus appears to be a novel pore-forming protein. This provides
      novel insight into the underlying roles and mechanisms of lytic or nonlytic forms
      of programmed cell death, as well as their potential applications in inflammation
      associated diseases.

PMID- 28362729
TI  - Experimental observation of quantum correlations in four-wave mixing with a
      conical pump.
AB  - Generation of multimode quantum states has drawn much attention recently due to
      its importance for both fundamental science and the future development of quantum
      technologies. Here, by using a four-wave mixing process with a conical pump beam,
      we have experimentally observed about -3.8  dB of intensity-difference squeezing
      between a single-axial probe beam and a conical conjugate beam. The multi-spatial
      mode nature of the generated quantum-correlated beams has been shown by comparing
      the variation tendencies of the intensity-difference noise of the probe and
      conjugate beams under global attenuation and local cutting attenuation. Due to
      its compactness, phase-insensitive nature, and easy scalability, our scheme may
      find potential applications in quantum imaging, quantum information processing,
      and quantum metrology.

PMID- 28362730
TI  - Influenza virus immunosensor with an electro-active optical waveguide under
      potential modulation.
AB  - Here we report the development of a novel immunosensor-based strategy for label
      free detection of viral pathogens by incorporating a sandwich bioassay onto a
      single-mode, electro-active, integrated optical waveguide (EA-IOW). Our strategy
      begins with the functionalization of the electro-active waveguide surface with a
      capture antibody aimed at a specific virus antigen. Once the target antigen is
      bound to the photonic interface, it promotes the binding of a secondary antibody
      that has been labeled with a methylene blue (MB) dye. The MB is a redox-active
      probe whose optical absorption can be electrically modulated and interrogated
      with high sensitivity by a propagating waveguide mode. In this effort, we have
      targeted the hemagglutinin (HA) protein from the H5N1 avian influenza A virus to
      demonstrate the capabilities of the EA-IOW device for detection and
      quantification of an important antigen. Our initial results for the HA H5N1
      influenza virus show a remarkable limit of detection in the pico-molar range.

PMID- 28362731
TI  - Microwave-assisted frequency domain measurement of fiber-loop ring-down system.
AB  - A new frequency domain measurement method for a fiber-loop ring-down system is
      proposed in this Letter. Compared to traditional time domain measurement, this
      method uses a microwave modulated continuous wave (CW) laser as a light source,
      making full use of the duty cycle to achieve enhanced measurement efficiency. By
      measuring the amplitude modulation over a frequency span, this technique can be
      used to determine the ring-down time in the frequency domain, which will then be
      used to calculate the loss in the ring.

PMID- 28362732
TI  - Direct measurement of the negative Goos-Hanchen shift of single reflection in a
      two-dimensional photonic crystal with negative refractive index.
AB  - The negative Goos-Hanchen shift (GHS) on a two-dimensional photonic crystal with
      an effective negative refractive index is investigated by simulation and
      experiment. The measured refractive index of the fabricated photonic crystal is
      nearly -0.44. The difference between the Goos-Hanchen shift of the transverse
      electric wave G<sub>TE</sub> and that of the transverse magnetic wave
      G<sub>TM</sub> (DGHS) in the height direction of a silicon rod is measured at
      three incident angles. The result shows that DGHS is always smaller than 
      G<sub>TM</sub>, thus G<sub>TE</sub><0; therefore, the negative GHS does occur on
      the surface of the photonic crystal with a negative refractive index.

PMID- 28362733
TI  - Phase noise characterization of sub-hertz linewidth lasers via digital cross
      correlation.
AB  - Phase noise or frequency noise is a key metric to evaluate the short-term
      stability of a laser. This property is of great interest for the applications but
      delicate to characterize, especially for narrow linewidth lasers. In this Letter,
      we demonstrate a digital cross-correlation scheme to characterize the absolute
      phase noise of sub-hertz linewidth lasers. Three 1542 nm ultra-stable lasers are
      used in this approach. For each measurement, two lasers act as references to
      characterize a third one. Phase noise power spectral density from 0.5 Hz to 0.8
      MHz Fourier frequencies can be derived for each laser by a mere change in the
      configuration of the lasers. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first time
      showing the phase noise of sub-hertz linewidth lasers with no reference
      limitation. We also present an analysis of the laser phase noise performance.

PMID- 28362734
TI  - Dimensional variation tolerant mode converter/multiplexer fabricated in SOI
      technology for two-mode transmission at 1550  nm.
AB  - The use of an integrated asymmetrical directional coupler for two-mode
      transmission at 1550 nm is analyzed. The design is based on silicon-on-insulator
      (SOI) technology and permits mode conversion and mode
      multiplexing/demultiplexing. In the nominal design, mode conversion and mode
      (de)multiplexing are achieved with 97% efficiency and a 23.4 dB crosstalk level
      in the 1540-1560 nm band using a 0.1 MUm gap. The dimension tolerance of the SOI
      process has been taken into account in the selection of the optimum design, and
      the coupling efficiency would remain above 82.3% (corresponding to 0.8 dB excess
      loss) with 3sigma accuracy. A 90% efficiency has been experimentally obtained.

PMID- 28362735
TI  - Silicon-gold core-shell nanowire array for an optically and electrically
      characterized refractive index sensor based on plasmonic resonance and Schottky
      junction.
AB  - This work reports the plasmonically enhanced refractive index sensor consisting
      of silicon nanowire array (Si-NWA) coated by a conformal gold (Au) nanoshell.
      Compared to the pure Si or Au NWA system, the Si-Au core-shell setup leads to
      substantially enhanced optical in-coupling to excite strong surface plasmon
      resonance (SPR) for highly sensitive sensors. Results indicate that the SPR
      wavelength can be subtly tuned by manipulating the nanowire radius, and it shows
      a strong shift with very small variation of the refractive index of the analyte.
      Furthermore, we configure the system into the Schottky junction, which can
      separate the photogenerated hot electrons so that the electrical outputs under
      various incident wavelengths can be measured. The capabilities of optical and
      electrical measurements ensure a high flexibility of the sensing system. Through
      our optoelectronic evaluation, the optimally designed system shows a sensitivity
      up to 1008 nm per refractive index unit and a full width at half-maximum of 9.89
      nm; moreover, the high sensing performance can be sustained in a relatively large
      range of the incident angle.

PMID- 28362736
TI  - Single-longitudinal-mode ring diamond Raman laser.
AB  - We demonstrate a single-longitudinal-mode ring diamond Raman laser, pumped by a
      tunable single-mode Ti:sapphire laser. Two methods to achieving unidirectional
      operation have been demonstrated: increasing gain for one direction using a
      reinjecting mirror and increasing loss for one direction using sum frequency
      mixing in BBO. Both methods result in a stable single-longitudinal-mode
      operation.

PMID- 28362737
TI  - Depth-encoded optical coherence elastography for simultaneous volumetric imaging
      of two tissue faces.
AB  - Depth-encoded optical coherence elastography (OCE) enables simultaneous
      acquisition of two three-dimensional (3D) elastograms from opposite sides of a
      sample. By the choice of suitable path-length differences in each of two
      interferometers, the detected carrier frequencies are separated, allowing depth
      ranging from each interferometer to be performed simultaneously using a single
      spectrometer. We demonstrate depth-encoded OCE on a silicone phantom and a
      freshly excised sample of mouse liver. This technique minimizes the required
      spectral detection hardware and halves the total scan time. Depth-encoded OCE may
      expedite clinical translation in time-sensitive applications requiring rapid 3D
      imaging of multiple tissue surfaces, such as tumor margin assessment in breast
      conserving surgery.

PMID- 28362738
TI  - Self-eclipsing: alignment-free vortex coronagraphy.
AB  - We report on a self-induced strategy to achieve high-contrast optical imaging,
      without the need for any man-made optical masks, which relies on the self-induced
      spin-to-orbital angular momentum conversion phenomenon. This is experimentally
      demonstrated by realizing a laboratory demonstration of self-eclipsing of a light
      source following the generation of a self-adapted vectorial optical vortex
      transmission mask. The proposed concept, namely the realization of an alignment
      free optical vortex coronagraph, may inspire the development of future
      generations of smart astronomical imaging instruments.

PMID- 28362739
TI  - Wide-field imaging combined with confocal microscopy using a miniature f/5 camera
      integrated within a high NA objective lens.
AB  - Wide-field (WF) imaging paired with reflectance confocal microscopy can
      noninvasively detect skin cancer with high accuracy. However, two separate
      devices are required to perform each imaging procedure. We describe a new concept
      that integrates the two into one device: a miniature WF color camera within the
      objective lens used for confocal microscopy, providing simultaneous sub-surface
      cellular imaging and WF surface morphologic imaging. The camera, inserted between
      a hyperhemisphere front lens and a back lens group of the objective, commands a
      field of view of 4.0 mm, with a resolution better than 30 MUm, while confocal
      optical sectioning is preserved at sharper than 2.5 MUm.

PMID- 28362740
TI  - Fully suspended slot waveguides for high refractive index sensitivity.
AB  - A fully suspended mid-infrared (FSMIR) slot waveguide is proposed and
      experimentally demonstrated on a silicon-on-insulator (SOI) platform for the
      first time. The slotted waveguide core is mechanically supported by lateral
      subwavelength grating claddings. The fabricated waveguides possess low
      propagation loss, which is measured to be 7.9  dB/cm at the wavelength of 2.25
      MUm. With the underlying buried oxide (BOX) removed, the FSMIR slot waveguide has
      a broad spectral range of transparency that is limited only by the absorption of
      silicon. Numerical simulation shows that its sensitivity, defined as the ratio
      between the change of the effective index and the ambient refractive index, can
      reach 1.123, which is 9.7% higher than the maximal sensitivity of conventional
      SOI slot waveguides on BOX.

PMID- 28362741
TI  - Microresonator-stabilized extended-cavity diode laser for supercavity frequency
      stabilization.
AB  - We demonstrate a simple, compact, and cost-effective laser noise reduction method
      for stabilizing an extended-cavity diode laser to a 3*10<sup>5</sup> finesse
      mirror Fabry-Perot (F-P) cavity, corresponding to a resonance linewidth of 10
      kHz, by using a crystalline MgF<sub>2</sub> whispering gallery mode
      microresonator. The laser linewidth is reduced to sub-kilohertz such that a
      stable Pound-Drever-Hall error signal is built up. The wavelength of the pre
      stabilized laser is tunable within a large bandwidth covering the high-reflection
      mirror coating of an F-P supercavity.

PMID- 28362742
TI  - Single-wavelength excited photoacoustic-fluorescence microscopy for in vivo pH
      mapping.
AB  - The balance between radiative and non-radiative decay is affected by various
      factors at the excitation state. A simultaneous acquisition of the fluorescence
      and photoacoustic signals from an appropriate probe provides an efficient, high
      resolution means to monitor such a balance in a biological target, and thus may
      render its physiological information. Acidity plays an important role in tissue
      physiology. Here, we report an integrated photoacoustic-fluorescence microscopy
      (PA-FLM) for high-resolution (<3  MUm) image mapping of interstitial pH by
      detecting the shift in the signal balance of a pH-sensitive probe. The hypothesis
      and the technical feasibility are validated with an in vivo tumor model. The
      results show that the technique can effectively monitor pH changes within the
      range of biological acidity and are independent of the excitation source
      fluctuation and local probe concentration. We thus propose that, with further
      research and selection of proper probes, PA-FLM may provide a potential
      alternative for monitoring tissue physiology.

PMID- 28362743
TI  - Characterizing a 14 * 14 OAM mode transfer matrix of a ring-core fiber based on
      quadrature phase-shift interference.
AB  - The transfer matrix of light propagating in fibers can quantitatively elucidate
      the mechanisms of mode coupling, thus having important implications for the
      knowledge such as the mode division multiplexing communication link
      characteristics in fibers. However, most methods for measuring the transfer
      matrix require a prior knowledge of the launched modes at the input and a complex
      optical system for the characterization at the output of the fiber. In this
      Letter, we use an interferometric approach for decomposing orbital angular
      momentum (OAM) modes of the output beams from a ring-core fiber, thereby
      processing a 14*14 OAM mode transfer matrix of the fiber with merely a camera
      imaging the mode field at the output of the fiber. The suitability of such a
      method is validated by the beam reconstruction. Thus, this method is crucial for
      characterizing the fiber transfer matrix with promising features of fast response
      and simple operation.

PMID- 28362744
TI  - Dual field-of-view step-zoom metalens.
AB  - A conventional optical zoom system is bulky, expensive, and complicated for real
      time adjustment. Recent progress in metasurface research has provided a new
      solution to achieve innovative compact optical systems. In this Letter, we
      propose a highly integrated step-zoom lens with dual field of view (FOV) based on
      double-sided metasurfaces. With silicon nanobrick arrays of spatially varying
      orientations sitting on both sides of a transparent substrate, this ultrathin
      step-zoom metalens can be designed to focus an incident circular polarized beam
      with handedness-dependent FOVs without varying the focal plane, which is
      important for practical applications. The proposed dual FOV step-zoom metalens,
      with advantages such as ultracompactness, flexibility, and replicability, can
      find applications in fields that require ultracompact zoom imaging and beam
      focusing.

PMID- 28362745
TI  - Fabrication of long period fiber gratings of subnanometric bandwidth.
AB  - This Letter reports on the fabrication of long period fiber gratings having
      subnanometric bandwidths in the 1500 nm spectral region. Large gratings have been
      photo inscribed in a high NA fiber; the grating pitch and the order of the HE
      cladding mode are optimized to produce gratings with a large number of periods
      and prevent the coupling to TE, TM, or EH modes. Resonances with a FWHM of 0.83
      and 0.68 nm have been achieved for gratings 15 and 20 cm long, respectively; the
      free spectral range between the transmission notches is 125 nm. The polarization
      effects and the sensitivity of the gratings to temperature and to strain
      variations are presented as well.

PMID- 28362746
TI  - CPT-symmetric coupler with intermodal dispersion.
AB  - A dual-core waveguide with balanced gain and loss in different arms and with
      intermodal coupling is considered. The system is not invariant under the
      conventional PT symmetry, but obeys CPT symmetry where an additional spatial
      inversion C corresponds to swapping the coupler arms. We show that second-order
      dispersion of coupling allows for unbroken CPT symmetry and supports propagation
      of stable vector solitons along the coupler. Small-amplitude solitons are found
      in explicit form. The combined effect of gain-and-loss and dispersive coupling
      results in several interesting features which include a separation between the
      components in different arms, nontrivial dependence of stability of a soliton on
      its velocity, and the existence of more complex stationary two-hump solutions.
      Unusual decay dynamics of unstable solitons are also discussed.

PMID- 28362747
TI  - Functional in vivo imaging using fluorescence lifetime light-sheet microscopy.
AB  - Light-sheet microscopy has become an indispensable tool for fast, low
      phototoxicity volumetric imaging of biological samples, predominantly providing
      structural or analyte concentration data in its standard format. Fluorescence
      lifetime imaging microscopy (FLIM) provides functional contrast, but often at
      limited acquisition speeds and with complex implementation. Therefore, we
      incorporate a dedicated frequency domain CMOS FLIM camera and intensity-modulated
      laser into a light-sheet setup to add fluorescence lifetime imaging
      functionality, allowing the rapid acquisition of volumetric data with
      concentration independent contrast. We then apply the system to image live
      transgenic zebrafish, demonstrating the capacity to rapidly collect volumetric
      FLIM data from an in vivo sample.

PMID- 28362748
TI  - Compact, thermal-noise-limited reference cavity for ultra-low-noise microwave
      generation.
AB  - We demonstrate an easy-to-manufacture 25-mm-long ultra-stable optical reference
      cavity for transportable photonic microwave generation systems. Employing a rigid
      holding geometry that is first-order insensitive to the squeezing force and a
      cavity geometry that improves the thermal noise limit at room temperature, we
      observe a laser phase noise that is nearly thermal noise limited for three
      frequency decades (1 Hz to 1 kHz offset) and supports 10 GHz generation with
      phase noise near -100  dBc/Hz at 1 Hz offset and <-173  dBc/Hz for all offsets
      >600  Hz. The fractional frequency stability reaches 2*10<sup>-15</sup> at 0.1 s
      of averaging.

PMID- 28362749
TI  - Self-referenced temperature sensing with a lithium niobate microdisk resonator.
AB  - Self-referenced temperature sensing based on thermo-optic birefringence is
      demonstrated on a Z-cut lithium niobate microdisk resonator. Due to the
      significant difference between thermo-optic coefficients of ordinary and
      extraordinary light, quasi-transverse magnetic (quasi-TM) and quasi-transverse
      electric (quasi-TE) modes in the microdisk show relative cavity resonance shift
      upon temperature change, which acts as a robust self-reference for temperature
      sensing. A temperature sensitivity of 0.834  GHz/K and a measurement uncertainty
      of 0.8 mK are demonstrated with an optical input power of only 1.5 MUW.

PMID- 28362750
TI  - Low-loss single-mode negatively curved square-core hollow fibers.
AB  - We introduce a novel design of anti-resonant fibers with negative-curvature
      square cores to be employed in 1.55 and 2.94 MUm transmission bands. The fibers
      have low losses and single-mode operation via optimizing the negative curvature
      of the guiding walls. The first proposed fiber shows a broadband transmission
      window spanning 0.9-1.7 MUm, with losses of 0.025 and 0.056 dB/m at 1.064 and
      1.55 MUm, respectively. The second proposed fiber has approximately a 0.023 dB/m
      guiding loss at 2.94 MUm with a small cross-sectional area, useful for laser
      micromachining applications.

PMID- 28362751
TI  - Second-order nonlinearity induced transparency.
AB  - In analogy to electromagnetically induced transparency, optomechanically induced
      transparency was proposed recently in [Science330, 1520 (2010)SCIEAS0036
      807510.1126/science.1195596]. In this Letter, we demonstrate another form of
      induced transparency enabled by second-order nonlinearity. A practical
      application of the second-order nonlinearity induced transparency is to measure
      the second-order nonlinear coefficient. Our scheme might find applications in
      quantum optics and quantum information processing.

PMID- 28362752
TI  - Far-detuned cascaded intermodal four-wave mixing in a multimode fiber.
AB  - We demonstrate far-detuned parametric frequency conversion processes in a few
      mode graded-index optical fibers pumped by a Q-switched picosecond laser at 1064
      nm. Through a detailed analytical and numerical analysis, we show that the
      multiple sidebands are generated through a complex cascaded process involving
      inter-modal four-wave mixing. The resulting parametric wavelength detuning spans
      in the visible down to 405 nm and in the near-infrared up to 1355 nm.

PMID- 28362753
TI  - Fluorescent color centers in laser ablated 4H-SiC nanoparticles.
AB  - Nanostructured and bulk silicon carbide (SiC) has recently emerged as a novel
      platform for quantum nanophotonics due to its harboring of paramagnetic color
      centers, having immediate applications as a single photon source and spin optical
      probes. Here, using ultra-short pulsed laser ablation, we fabricated from
      electron irradiated bulk 4H-SiC, 40-50 nm diameter SiC nanoparticles, fluorescent
      at 850-950 nm. This photoluminescence is attributed to the silicon vacancy color
      centers. We demonstrate that the original silicon vacancy color centers from the
      target sample were retained in the final nanoparticles solution, exhibiting
      excellent colloidal stability in water over several months. Our work is relevant
      for quantum nanophotonics, magnetic sensing, and biomedical imaging applications.

PMID- 28362754
TI  - Optically switchable directional invisibility.
AB  - It is shown that a scatterer can be designed to be directionally invisible for an
      incident field composed of a given sum of plane waves. These scatterers are
      invisible only when all plane waves are present with the given amplitudes and
      directions of incidence, which suggests a new type of "switchable" invisibility.
      Such objects could find application in optical devices such as couplers,
      switches, and optical position sensors. It is also demonstrated that the designed
      scatterers have balanced gain-loss profiles that are more general than most PT
      symmetric objects considered so far.

PMID- 28362755
TI  - High-speed optical sensor interrogator with a silicon-ring-resonator-based
      thermally tunable filter.
AB  - On-chip optical interrogators employing a silicon-ring-resonator-based thermally
      tunable filter (SRRTF) offer a promising solution for realizing portable, compact
      optical sensing systems. However, the slow interrogation speed of conventional
      SRRTF-based interrogators (less than a few Hz) hinders real-time sensing of
      dynamic parameters. In this Letter, we report a 100 kHz of high-speed optical
      interrogation system based on the SRRTF. The speed enhancement is achieved by
      using the nonlinear transient response of the SRRTF to a square-wave input
      voltage. The entire spectral range of the SRRTF is scanned twice during its
      thermal response cycle. The time-domain sensor output signal, which is obtained
      by scanning the SRRTF over the sensor spectrum, is converted into spectrum domain
      based on the experimentally characterized, time-dependent resonance wavelength
      shifts of the SRRTF. With this system, we demonstrate high-speed interrogation of
      a fiber Bragg grating sensor under dynamic temperature change (200 Hz).

PMID- 28362756
TI  - Single-mode unidirectional-emission circular-side hexagonal resonator
      microlasers.
AB  - Circular-side hexagonal resonator (CSHR) microlasers connecting an output
      waveguide are proposed and demonstrated for enhancing the mode Q factor and
      realizing single-mode operation. Three-dimensional simulation results indicate
      that the CSHRs with an optimized deformation can greatly enhance mode Q factors.
      The CSHR microlasers with output waveguides are fabricated using a planar
      technology process. For a CSHR microlaser with a side length of 7.5 MUm and an
      output waveguide width of 2 MUm, single-mode operation is realized with a side
      mode suppression ratio of 43 dB and a threshold current of 2.5 mA. Furthermore,
      flat small-signal modulation responses are obtained with a 3 dB bandwidth of 13
      GHz.

PMID- 28362758
TI  - Electro-holographic display using a ZBLAN glass as the image space.
AB  - An Er<sup>3+</sup>-doped ZBLAN glass is used to display a 360 degrees  viewable
      reconstructed image from a hologram on a DMD. The reconstructed image, when the
      hologram is illuminated by a 852 nm wavelength laser beam, is situated at the
      inside of the glass, and then a 1530 nm wavelength laser beam is crossed through
      the image to light it with an upconversion green light, which is viewable at all
      surrounding directions. This enables us to eliminate the limitation of the
      viewing zone angle imposed by the finite size of pixels in electro-holographic
      displays based on digital display chips/panels. The amount of the green light is
      much higher than that known previously. This is partly caused by the upconversion
      luminescence induced by 852 and 1530 nm laser beams.

PMID- 28362757
TI  - Chip-based Brillouin radio frequency photonic phase shifter and wideband time
      delay.
AB  - We report a chip-based true-time-delay unit based on stimulated Brillouin
      scattering that uses an on-off Brillouin gain of 52 dB to enable 4 ns delay over
      a bandwidth of 100 MHz and a phase shift of ~200 degrees . To verify these
      operations, we use a two-tap microwave filter configuration and observed changes
      in the free spectral range of the filter and shift in the spectrum of the filter.
      The realization of these functionalities on chip-scale devices is critical for
      phased-array antennas, multibeam satellites, delay lines, arbitrary waveform
      generation, and reconfigurable microwave photonic filters.

PMID- 28362759
TI  - Optically driven full-angle sample rotation for tomographic imaging in digital
      holographic microscopy.
AB  - This study presents a novel tomographic imaging technique for living biomedical
      samples using an optically driven full-angle rotation scheme based on digital
      holographic microscopy, in which the three-dimensional refractive index
      distribution inside the sample can be measured and analyzed. To accomplish the
      full-angle sample rotation, two optical traps are driven by highly focused spots
      on the top and bottom of the sample. The rim image of the sample outside the
      focal depth at the different rotation angles and propagation distances can be
      corrected and compensated, respectively, via numerical focusing; therefore,
      tomographic imaging of the sample can be conducted. The proposed approach shows
      that an entire symmetric spectrum can be acquired for tomographic reconstruction
      without the missing apple core problem as in traditional sample-rotation schemes.
      The three-dimensional refractive index of living yeast in a fluid medium is
      measured and verified.

PMID- 28362760
TI  - Direct mapping and characterization of dry etch damage-induced PN junction for
      long-wavelength HgCdTe infrared detector arrays.
AB  - Mercury cadmium telluride is the standard material to fabricate high-performance
      infrared focal plane array (FPA) detectors. However, etch-induced damage is a
      serious obstacle for realizing highly uniform and damage-free FPA detectors. In
      this Letter, the high signal-to-noise ratio and high spatial resolution scanning
      photocurrent microscopy (SPCM) is used to characterize the dry etch-induced
      inversion layer of vacancy-doped p-type Hg<sub>1-x</sub>Cd<sub>x</sub>Te (x=0.22)
      material under different etching temperatures. It is found that the peak-to-peak
      magnitude of the SPCM profile decreases with a decrease in etching temperature,
      showing direct proof of controlling dry etch-induced type conversion. Our work
      paves the way toward seeking optimal etching processes in large-scale infrared
      FPAs.

PMID- 28362761
TI  - General analytic expression and numerical approach for the Kerr nonlinear
      coefficient of optical waveguides.
AB  - The Kerr nonlinear coefficient gamma is a key parameter that quantifies the
      nonlinear strength of an optical waveguide. For lossy waveguides such as
      plasmonic waveguides, the literature is confusing because various expressions
      derived by different groups have generally not been validated, and the conditions
      when they apply are not explicitly specified. Here we derive a rigorous and full
      vectorial model, leading to both a general analytic expression and a general
      numerical approach for finding gamma, as well as to their underlying
      relationship. Our results, exemplified by lossless and lossy waveguides, are
      consistent not only with each other, but also with the results in literature
      under appropriate limiting conditions. This work provides a benchmarked framework
      to understand and engineer nonlinear nanophotonic devices.

PMID- 28362762
TI  - Phase-noise analysis of swept-source optical coherence tomography systems.
AB  - We propose a new model to characterize the phase noise in swept-source optical
      coherence tomography (SS-OCT). The new model explicitly incorporates scanning
      variability, timing jitter, and sample location in addition to intensity noise
      (shot noise). The model was analyzed and validated by using both Monte Carlo
      methods and experiments. We suggest that the proposed model can be used as a
      guideline for future SS-OCT experimental designs.

PMID- 28362763
TI  - Observation of whispering gallery modes through electron beam-induced deposition.
AB  - Surprisingly intense spectra of whispering gallery modes were observed in polymer
      microbeads after illumination with electrons in a scanning electron microscope
      and subsequent laser illumination and spectral analysis. It will be proposed that
      whispering gallery mode resonances became visible after local deposition of
      hydrocarbon material through electron beam-induced deposition. The illumination
      of deposited material with a near infrared laser generates a broad light
      spectrum, acting as a local "white light" source that couples, for favorable
      wavelengths, with the WGM sustained by the sphere. This facilitates a
      spectroscopic analysis of the WGM and provides the Q-factor and free spectral
      range for all investigated particles. The analysis by an integrated SEM and Raman
      micro-spectrometer offers a direct approach to the analysis of WGM resonators as
      they are, for instance, used in sensing.

PMID- 28362764
TI  - Optomechanical characterization of silicon nitride membrane arrays.
AB  - We report on the optical and mechanical characterization of arrays of parallel
      micromechanical membranes. Pairs of high-tensile stress, 100 nm thick silicon
      nitride membranes are assembled parallel to each other with separations ranging
      from 8.5 to 200 MUm. Their optical properties are accurately determined using
      transmission measurements under broadband and monochromatic illuminations, and
      the lowest vibrational mode frequencies and mechanical quality factors are
      determined interferometrically. The results and techniques demonstrated are
      promising for investigations of collective phenomena in optomechanical arrays.

PMID- 28362765
TI  - Paired leaky mode spatial light modulators with a 28 degrees  total deflection
      angle.
AB  - In this Letter, we present a paired set of waveguide spatial light modulators
      (SLMs) capable of a maximum light deflection nearing 28 degrees  for red. This
      deflection, which is several times larger than the angular sweep of current,
      state-of-the-art modulators, is made possible by the unilateral, near-collinear
      waveguide nature of the leaky mode interaction. The ability to double angular
      output in this way, which is either not possible or not practical in other SLMs,
      is possible in leaky mode devices, thanks to the absence of zero-order light and
      the lack of high-order outputs. This combined structure has angular deflection
      high enough to enable color holographic video monitors that do not require
      angular magnification. Furthermore, the low cost and high angular deflection of
      these devices may make it possible to make large arrays for flat-screen video
      holography.

PMID- 28362766
TI  - Selective suppression of high-order harmonics within phase-matched spectral
      regions.
AB  - Phase matching in high-harmonic generation leads to enhancement of multiple
      harmonics. It is sometimes desired to control the spectral structure within the
      phase-matched spectral region. We propose a scheme for selective suppression of
      high-order harmonics within the phase-matched spectral region while weakly
      influencing the other harmonics. The method is based on addition of phase
      mismatched segments within a phase-matched medium. We demonstrate the method
      numerically in two examples. First, we show that one phase-mismatched segment can
      significantly suppress harmonic orders 9, 15, and 21. Second, we show that two
      phase-mismatched segments can efficiently suppress circularly polarized harmonics
      with one helicity over the other when driven by a bi-circular field. The new
      method may be useful for various applications, including the generation of highly
      helical bright attosecond pulses.

PMID- 28362767
TI  - Highly sensitive fiber random-grating-based random laser sensor for ultrasound
      detection.
AB  - A novel highly sensitive ultrasound sensor based on a random fiber laser is
      proposed and demonstrated for the first time, to the best of our knowledge. The
      random fiber laser is constructed with the erbium-doped fiber gain. A fiber
      random grating provides random-distributed feedback for the random laser and acts
      as an ultrasound sensing head. The random laser can operate in a single-mode
      lasing scenario, which offers linear and pure temporal responses to the broadband
      ultrasonic acoustic emission from 20 kHz to 0.8 MHz. The multiple-interfering
      reflection spectrum of the random grating provides a large number of steep peak
      areas over a broad spectral range, which significantly enhances the sensitivity
      of the random laser sensor and makes it an ideal sensor in harsh environments
      with large temperature or strain variations. The proposed laser sensor offers
      signal-to-noise ratio improvement up to 20 dB and higher sensitivity compared
      with conventional piezoelectric acoustic sensors.

PMID- 28362768
TI  - Adopting higher-order similarity relations for improved estimation of optical
      properties from subdiffusive reflectance.
AB  - Estimation of optical properties from subdiffusive reflectance acquired at short
      source-detector separations is challenging due to the sensitivity to the
      underlying scattering phase function. In recent studies, a second-order
      similarity parameter gamma has been increasingly used alongside the absorption
      and reduced scattering coefficients to account for some of the phase function
      variability. By using Monte Carlo simulations, we show that the influence of the
      scattering phase function on the subdiffusive reflectance for the biologically
      relevant variations can be captured sufficiently well by considering gamma and a
      third-order similarity parameter delta. Utilizing this knowledge, we construct an
      inverse model that estimates the absorption and reduced scattering coefficients,
      gamma and delta, from spatially resolved reflectance. Nearly an order of
      magnitude smaller errors of the estimated optical properties are obtained in
      comparison to the inverse model that only composes gamma.

PMID- 28362770
TI  - Pupil segmentation adaptive optics for invivo mouse retinal fluorescence imaging.
AB  - Adaptive Optics (AO) for scanning laser ophthalmoscopy enables high-resolution
      retinal imaging that can be used for preclinical research of diseases causing
      vision loss. Pupil Segmentation (PS) is an approach to wavefront-sensorless AO
      that acquires images within subregions across the imaging pupil to measure the
      wavefront slopes at the corresponding locations of the beam. We present PS-AO as
      an approach to correct ocular aberrations in ~7  s, implemented to minimize
      respiratory motion from an anesthetized mouse. We demonstrated an improvement in
      resolution and an image intensity increase of ~25% across all results using PS-AO
      for in vivo fluorescence retinal imaging in mice using a MEMS-based segmented
      deformable mirror.

PMID- 28362769
TI  - Ultracompact x-ray dosimeter based on scintillators coupled to a nano-optical
      antenna.
AB  - We show that nano-optical antennas are capable of controlling the luminescence
      induced by the absorption of x rays into matter. The x-ray-excited luminescence
      from a tiny scintillation cluster coupled to a horn nano-optical antenna is
      highly directed and determined by the antenna's geometrical parameters.
      Directionality is sufficiently high to efficiently outcouple the x-ray-excited
      luminescence to a narrow single-mode optical fiber, thus enabling ultracompact
      fiber-integrated x-ray sensors. Our nano-optically driven approach offers the
      possibility of x-ray profiling and dosimetry in ultra-confined environments,
      opening up new avenues in the fields of x-ray imaging, as well as medical and
      industrial endoscopy. With this study, to the best of our knowledge, nano-optical
      antennas make a first key contribution to the development of x-ray sensing
      protocols and architectures.

PMID- 28362771
TI  - Rapid localized heating of graphene coating on a silicon mold by induction for
      precision molding of polymer optics.
AB  - In compression molding of polymer optical components with micro/nanoscale surface
      features, rapid heating of the mold surface is critical for the implementation of
      this technology for large-scale applications. In this Letter, a novel method of a
      localized rapid heating process is reported. This process is based on induction
      heating of a thin conductive coating deposited on a silicon mold. Since the
      graphene coating is very thin (~45  nm), a high heating rate of 10~20 degrees C/s
      can be achieved by employing a 1200 W 30 kHz electrical power unit. Under this
      condition, the graphene-coated surface and the polymer substrate can be heated
      above the polymer's glass transition temperature within 30 s and subsequently
      cooled down to room temperature within several tens of seconds after molding,
      resulting in an overall thermal cycle of about 3 min or shorter. The feasibility
      of this process was validated by fabrication of optical gratings, micropillar
      matrices, and microlens arrays on polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA) substrates with
      very high precision. The uniformity and surface geometries of the replicated
      optical elements are evaluated using an optical profilometer, a diffraction test
      setup, and a Shack-Hartmann wavefront sensor built with a molded PMMA microlens
      array. Compared with the conventional bulk heating molding process, this novel
      rapid localized induction heating process could improve replication efficiency
      with better geometrical fidelity.

PMID- 28362772
TI  - Split in phase singularities of an optical vortex by off-axis diffraction through
      a simple circular aperture.
AB  - Diffraction patterns of an optical vortex through several shaped apertures reveal
      its topological charge. In this Letter, we theoretically and experimentally show
      that diffraction of a Laguerre Gaussian beam through a circular aperture at an
      off-axis position can be used to determine the magnitude and sign of the
      topological charge. To our knowledge, this is the first time that a simple
      circular aperture has been used to detect orbital angular momentum of an incident
      optical vortex.

PMID- 28362773
TI  - Dual-channel recording based on the null reconstruction effect of orthogonal
      linear polarization holography.
AB  - We report on dual-channel recording within polarization holography written by
      orthogonal linear polarization waves. The null reconstruction effect (NRE) of
      linear polarization holography was experimentally achieved at a large cross-angle
      of pi/2 inside the polarization-sensitive media. Based on the NRE, two
      polarization encoded holograms were recorded in a dual-channel recording system
      with negligible inter-channel crosstalk. The two polarization multiplexed
      holograms could then be sequentially or simultaneously readout by shifting the
      polarization state of reference wave with the best signal-to-noise of 18:1
      obtained within the experiment.

PMID- 28362774
TI  - 1  kW, 200  mJ picosecond thin-disk laser system.
AB  - We report on a laser system based on thin-disk technology and chirped pulse
      amplification, providing output pulse energies of 200 mJ at a 5 kHz repetition
      rate. The amplifier contains a ring-type cavity and two thin Yb:YAG disks, each
      pumped by diode laser systems providing up to 3.5 kW power at a 969 nm
      wavelength. The average output power of more than 1 kW is delivered in an
      excellent output beam characterized by M<sup>2</sup>=1.1. The output pulses are
      compressed to 1.1 ps at full power with a pair of dielectric gratings.

PMID- 28362775
TI  - Quasi-needle-like focus synthesized by optical coherence tomography.
AB  - It is known that lateral resolution and depth of focus (DOF) in an optical
      imaging system are coupled, and a compromise between them has to be made. In this
      Letter, we propose to resolve the trade-off between lateral resolution and the
      DOF by a synthetic effective point spread function in optical path length (OPL)
      domain. A quasi-needle-like focus is synthesized by optical coherence tomography.
      We demonstrate that the synthesized quasi-needle-like focus provides a four-fold
      extension of a conventional DOF, while maintaining a high lateral resolution of
      2.5 MUm over a depth range of approximately 240 MUm. The focal range can be
      further extended with more optical path length coded beams for synthesis
      involved.

PMID- 28362776
TI  - Borrmann effect in photonic crystals.
AB  - We present the experimental observation of the optical Borrmann effect in 1D
      porous silica-based photonic crystals (PhC) composed of several hundreds of
      dielectric layers with different porosity. Two mechanisms of the effect are
      demonstrated, which involve the optical losses associated with light scattering
      and absorption in nanoporous layers. Absorption is introduced by a small amount
      of silicon in partially annealed porous silicon PhC. We show that the PhC
      transmittance increases substantially under the Bragg diffraction condition,
      which is a manifestation of the Borrmann effect. The observed effects along with
      their polarization sensitivity are confirmed by numerical calculations.

PMID- 28362777
TI  - Optical concatenation of a large number of beads with a single-beam optical
      tweezer.
AB  - Optical tweezers consist of the spatial confinement of microscopic dielectric
      particles by the action of forces produced by the change in momentum of the
      photons of a highly focused laser beam that are deviated by the particle. In
      experiments that use a single laser beam, it is common to capture not only one
      but a few particles in the optical trap. However, to our knowledge, the formation
      of a long chain of beads optically confined with a single laser beam has never
      been reported. In this work, up to 73 silica spheres immersed in water are seen
      concatenated along the propagation direction of a 976-nm wavelength Gaussian
      laser of 300 mW of power. This long chain of beads is obtained when the laser is
      focused through an oil-immersion DIN microscope objective with 100* magnification
      and a numerical aperture of 1.25. When performing the same experiment using an
      infinity-corrected UplanFLN 100* objective with a numerical aperture of 1.3, the
      maximum number of concatenated beads is only 14. Our results suggest that the
      mechanisms responsible for the observed phenomena involve successive refocusing
      of the laser beam by each trapped sphere, optically induced dipole coupling
      (commonly referred to as optical binding), and aberrations generated by the DIN
      microscope objective.

PMID- 28362778
TI  - Ultra-wideband microwave photonic filter with a high Q-factor using a
      semiconductor optical amplifier.
AB  - An ultra-wideband microwave photonic filter (MPF) with a high quality (Q)-factor
      based on the birefringence effects in a semiconductor optical amplifier (SOA) is
      presented, and the theoretical fundamentals of the design are explained. The
      proposed MPF along orthogonal polarization in an active loop operates at up to a
      Ku-band and provides a tunable free spectral range from 15.44 to 19.44 GHz by
      controlling the SOA injection current. A prototype of the equivalent second-order
      infinite impulse response filter with a Q-factor over 6300 and a rejection ration
      exceeding 41 dB is experimentally demonstrated.

PMID- 28362779
TI  - Fluorescence intensity ratio thermometer methodology of eliminating the
      "decoupling" effect of a pair of thermally coupled energy levels of rare-earth
      ions.
AB  - By separating the thermal and nonradiative relaxation population, the
      fluorescence intensity ratio (FIR) of a pair of thermally coupled energy levels
      of rare-earth ion is reformulated. For a pair of thermally coupled levels, if the
      ratio of the thermal population in the upper level to the total population of the
      lower level abides by the Boltzmann distribution law, the general FIR would be
      modulated by the proportion of the total population to the thermal population in
      the upper level. By defining the reciprocal of the proportion as the thermal
      population degree (eta), the product etaFIR will follow the pure Boltzmann
      distribution law. Considering the fluorescent transient process, the eta values
      may be obtained from the weights of the fluorescent dynamic components of the
      upper level. A method to calculate this eta factor is presented.

PMID- 28362780
TI  - Femtosecond pulse generation from a Ti<sup>3+</sup>:sapphire laser near 800  nm
      with voltage reconfigurable graphene saturable absorbers.
AB  - We experimentally show that a voltage-controlled graphene-gold supercapacitor
      saturable absorber (VCG-gold-SA) can be operated as a fast saturable absorber
      with adjustable linear absorption at wavelengths as low as 795 nm. This was made
      possible by the use of a novel supercapacitor architecture, consisting of a high
      dielectric electrolyte sandwiched between a graphene and a gold electrode. The
      high-dielectric electrolyte allowed continuous, reversible adjustment of the
      Fermi level and, hence, the optical loss of the VCG-gold-SA up to the visible
      wavelengths at low bias voltages of the order of a few volts (0-2 V). The fast
      saturable absorber action of the VCG-gold-SA and the bias-dependent reduction of
      its loss were successfully demonstrated inside a femtosecond
      Ti<sup>3+</sup>:sapphire laser operating near 800 nm. Dispersion compensation was
      employed by using dispersion control mirrors and a prism pair. At a bias voltage
      of 1.2 V, the laser operated with improved power performance in comparison with
      that at zero bias, and the VCG-gold-SA initiated the generation of nearly
      transform-limited pulses as short as 48 fs at a pulse repetition rate of 131.7
      MHz near 830 nm. To the best of our knowledge, this represents the shortest
      wavelength where a VCG-gold-SA has been employed as a mode locker with adjustable
      loss.

PMID- 28362781
TI  - F/Yb-codoped sol-gel silica glasses: toward tailoring the refractive index for
      the achievement of high-power fiber lasers.
AB  - Accurate control of both the doping distribution inside the fiber core and the
      low refractive index contrast between the fiber core and cladding materials is
      essential for the development of high-power fiber lasers based on the use of
      single-mode large-mode-area (LMA) optical fibers. Herein, sol-gel monolithic
      F/Yb<sup>3+</sup>-codoped silica glasses were prepared from porous large silica
      xerogels doped with ytterbium salt solution, which had been subjected to
      fluorination with hexafluoroethane gas, before subsequent sintering. The fluorine
      content inside the doped glass has been varied by adjusting the fluorination
      duration. The space homogeneity of fluorine and ytterbium concentrations in the
      cylindrical preforms has been checked by chemical analysis and Raman
      spectroscopy. Moreover, the glass with the lowest fluorine content has been
      successfully integrated as a core material in a microstructured optical fiber
      made using the stack-and-draw method. This fiber was tested in an all-fiber
      cavity laser architecture to evaluate potential lasing performances of the
      F/Yb<sup>3+</sup>-codoped silica glass. It presents a maximum efficiency of
      70.4%, achieved at 1031 nm from a 1.16 m length fiber. These results confirm the
      potentialities of the obtained F/Yb<sup>3+</sup>-codoped glasses for the
      fabrication of LMA optical fiber lasers.

PMID- 28362782
TI  - Self-gauged fiber-optic micro-heater with an operation temperature above 1000
      degrees C.
AB  - We report a fiber-optic micro-heater based on a miniature crystalline silicon
      Fabry-Perot interferometer (FPI) fusion spliced to the endface of a single-mode
      fiber. The silicon FPI, having a diameter of 100 MUm and a length of 10 or 200
      MUm, is heated by a 980 nm laser diode guided through the lead-in fiber, leading
      to a localized hot spot with a temperature that can be conveniently tuned from
      the ambient temperature to >1000 degrees C in air. In the meantime, using a white
      light system operating in the 1550 nm wavelength window where the silicon is
      transparent, the silicon FPI itself also serves as a thermometer with high
      resolution and high speed for convenient monitoring and precise control of the
      heater temperature. Due to its small size, high temperature capability, and easy
      operation, the micro-heater is attractive for applications in a variety of
      fields, such as biology, microfluidics system, mechanical engineering, and high
      temperature optical sensing. As an example, the application of this micro-heater
      as a micro-boiler and micro-bubble generator has been demonstrated.

PMID- 28362783
TI  - Asymptotically stable compensation of the soliton self-frequency shift.
AB  - We report on the stable cancellation of the soliton self-frequency shift (SSFS)
      in nonlinear optical fibers. A soliton, which scatters a group velocity matched
      pump wave in a so-called optical event horizon regime, may experience a blueshift
      in frequency, which counteracts the SSFS induced by Raman scattering. The SSFS
      can easily be compensated by a suitably prepared pump wave, but usually the
      compensation is unstable and is destroyed after a certain propagation length. We
      study this kind of soliton-pump wave interaction by an adiabatic approach and
      quantify the parameter range in which the stable SSFS compensation is possible.
      The theory enjoys agreement with numerical simulations of soliton propagation.

PMID- 28362784
TI  - Pseudo actinometry for the measurement of reactive species density.
AB  - To compensate for the effect of plasma parameters in the signal of optical
      emission spectroscopy, we should normalize the emission intensity from the
      species against that of an inert gas (i.e., the actinometer). In many plasma
      processes in the semiconductor industry, plasma etching without using a neutral
      gas for the actinometer has become popular to achieve better critical dimension
      uniformity. We propose "pseudo actinometry" for normalization in the absence of
      an inert gas in the process plasma. Based on the theory of optical actinometry,
      we define a correction factor as the ratio of the emission intensity to the
      number density of the inert gas. As we reduced the density of the inert gas, we
      experimentally determined the correction factor by taking its convergence when
      the concentration of the inert gas was zero. As proof of concept, we applied
      pseudo actinometry to measure the density distribution of atomic chlorine in a
      photomask etching process without an inert gas. By comparing the distributions of
      chlorine radicals and the etch rate as measured by an ellipsometer, we calculated
      the correlation coefficient between the distributions. The correlation
      coefficient rapidly decreased to 0.60 when we used the correction factor
      determined at a flow rate for the inert gas of 20 standard cubic centimeters per
      minute at STP. By using pseudo actinometry, we successfully determined the
      distribution of chlorine radicals with a correlation coefficient of 0.98 in a
      plasma etching process without an inert gas.

PMID- 28362785
TI  - Step-scan differential Fourier transform infrared photoacoustic spectroscopy
      (DFTIR-PAS): a spectral deconvolution method for weak absorber detection in the
      presence of strongly overlapping background absorptions.
AB  - The determination of small absorption coefficients of trace gases in the
      atmosphere constitutes a challenge for analytical air contaminant measurements,
      especially in the presence of strongly absorbing backgrounds. A step-scan
      differential Fourier transform infrared photoacoustic spectroscopy (DFTIR-PAS)
      method was developed to suppress the coherent external noise and spurious
      photoacoustic (PA) signals caused by strongly absorbing backgrounds. The infrared
      absorption spectra of acetylene (C<sub>2</sub>H<sub>2</sub>) and local air were
      used to verify the performance of the step-scan DFTIR-PAS method. A linear
      amplitude response to C<sub>2</sub>H<sub>2</sub> concentrations from 100 to 5000
      ppmv was observed, leading to a theoretical detection limit of 5 ppmv. The
      differential mode was capable of eliminating the coherent noise and dominant
      background gas signals, thereby revealing the presence of the otherwise hidden
      C<sub>2</sub>H<sub>2</sub> weak absorption. Thus, the step-scan DFTIR-PAS
      modality was demonstrated to be an effective approach for monitoring weakly
      absorbing gases with absorption bands overlapped by strongly absorbing background
      species.

PMID- 28362786
TI  - Dark-field Brillouin microscopy.
AB  - Brillouin microscopy is a non-contact and label-free technique for mapping
      fundamental micro-mechanical properties in the volume of biological systems.
      Specular reflections and elastic scattering easily overwhelm the weak Brillouin
      spectra due to the limited extinction of virtually imaged phased array
      spectrometers, thereby affecting the image acquisition. In this Letter, a dark
      field method was demonstrated to reject the elastic background light using an
      annular illumination and a confocal detection. To validate the method, images of
      polystyrene and liquid samples were obtained using both a confocal and the dark
      field system. An extinction ratio of 30 dB was readily achieved.

PMID- 28362787
TI  - Dynamics of an optically bound structure made of particles of unequal sizes.
AB  - This theoretical study based on the coupled dipoles model focuses on the dynamics
      of two optically bound dielectric spheres of unequal sizes confined in counter
      propagating incoherent Bessel beams. We analyzed the relative motion of the
      particles with respect to each other and defined conditions where they form a
      stable optically bound structure (OBS). We also investigated the motion of the
      center of mass of the OBS and found that its direction depends on the particle
      separation in the structure. Besides the optical interaction between objects, we
      also considered a hydrodynamic coupling in order to obtain more precise results
      for moving an OBS.

PMID- 28362788
TI  - Creation of a longitudinally polarized photonic nanojet via an engineered
      microsphere.
AB  - Dielectric microspheres exhibit the ability to focus an incident beam to a
      subwavelength spot with strong localized field intensity. In this Letter, a high
      beam quality of a longitudinally polarized electromagnetic component is created
      by decorating the surface of the microsphere with engineered structures. By
      changing the design of the engineered microspheres, the relative contribution of
      the longitudinal and radial components of a radially polarized incident beam to
      the photonic nanojet can be modified efficiently, leading to a sharp spot size
      which exceeds the optical diffraction limit. More importantly, a high conversion
      efficiency of 0.89 is achieved. At a wavelength of 633 nm, a focal spot of 266 nm
      (0.42lambda) is achieved numerically by illuminating the engineered microsphere
      with a focusing beam at a numerical aperture of 0.7.

PMID- 28362789
TI  - Digital micromirror device-based common-path quantitative phase imaging.
AB  - We propose a novel common-path quantitative phase imaging (QPI) method based on a
      digital micromirror device (DMD). The DMD is placed in a plane conjugate to the
      objective back-aperture plane for the purpose of generating two plane waves that
      illuminate the sample. A pinhole is used in the detection arm to filter one of
      the beams after sample to create a reference beam. Additionally, a transmission
      type liquid crystal device, placed at the objective back-aperture plane,
      eliminates the specular reflection noise arising from all the "off" state DMD
      micromirrors, which is common in all DMD-based illuminations. We have
      demonstrated high sensitivity QPI, which has a measured spatial and temporal
      noise of 4.92 nm and 2.16 nm, respectively. Experiments with calibrated
      polystyrene beads illustrate the desired phase measurement accuracy. In addition,
      we have measured the dynamic height maps of red blood cell membrane fluctuations,
      showing the efficacy of the proposed system for live cell imaging. Most
      importantly, the DMD grants the system convenience in varying the interference
      fringe period on the camera to easily satisfy the pixel sampling conditions. This
      feature also alleviates the pinhole alignment complexity. We envision that the
      proposed DMD-based common-path QPI system will allow for system miniaturization
      and automation for a broader adaption.

PMID- 28362790
TI  - 2  MHz multi-wavelength pulsed laser for functional photoacoustic microscopy.
AB  - Fast functional photoacoustic microscopy requires multi-wavelength pulsed laser
      sources with high pulse repetition rates, short wavelength switching time, and
      sufficient pulse energies. Here, we report the development of a stimulated-Raman
      scattering-based multi-wavelength pulsed laser source for fast functional
      photoacoustic imaging. The new laser source is pumped with a 532 nm 1 MHz pulsed
      laser. The 532 nm laser beam is split into two: one pumps a 5 m optical fiber to
      excite a 558 nm wavelength via stimulated Raman scattering; the other goes
      through a 50 m optical fiber to delay the 532 nm pulse by 220 ns. The two beams
      are combined and coupled into an optical fiber for photoacoustic excitation. As a
      result, the new laser source can generate 2 million pulses per second, switch
      wavelengths in 220 ns, and provide hundreds of nanojoules pulse energy for each
      wavelength. Using this laser source, we demonstrate optical-resolution
      photoacoustic imaging of microvascular structures and oxygen saturation in the
      mouse ear. The ultrashort wavelength switching time enables oxygen saturation
      imaging of flowing red blood cells, which is valuable for high-resolution
      functional imaging.

PMID- 28362791
TI  - In vivo photoacoustic imaging of vasculature with a low-cost miniature light
      emitting diode excitation.
AB  - In this Letter, we present a photoacoustic imaging (PAI) system based on a low
      cost high-power miniature light emitting diode (LED) that is capable of in vivo
      mapping vasculature networks in biological tissue. Overdriving with 200 ns pulses
      and operating at a repetition rate of 40 kHz, a 1.2 W 405 nm LED with a radiation
      area of 1000  MUm*1000  MUm and a size of 3.5  mm*3.5  mm was used to excite
      photoacoustic signals in tissue. Phantoms including black stripes, lead, and hair
      were used to validate the system in which a volumetric PAI image was obtained by
      scanning the transducer and the light beam in a two-dimensional x-y plane over
      the object. In vivo imaging of the vasculature of a mouse ear shows that LED
      based PAI could have great potential for label-free biomedical imaging
      applications where the use of bulky and expensive pulsed lasers is impractical.

PMID- 28362793
TI  - Tilted fiber Bragg gratings in multicore optical fibers for optical sensing.
AB  - We have inscribed a tilted fiber Bragg grating (TFBG) in selected cores of a
      multicore optical fiber. The presence of the TFBG permits to couple light from
      the incident-guided mode to the cladding modes and to the neighbor cores, and
      this interaction can be used for optical sensing. We measured different
      magnitudes: strain, curvature magnitude and direction, and external refractive
      index. The curvature results show a linear dependence of the maximum crosstalk
      with the curvature magnitude with a sensitivity of 2.5  dB/m<sup>-1</sup> as the
      curvature magnitude increases and at the same time a wavelength shift of 70 
      pm/m<sup>-1</sup>. Changes in the external refractive index gradually vanish the
      cladding modes resonances and the crosstalk between the different cores,
      obtaining a reduction of the 90% of the optical spectra integral area for
      refractive indexes between 1.398 and 1.474.

PMID- 28362792
TI  - Demonstration of a compressive-sensing Fourier-transform on-chip spectrometer.
AB  - We demonstrate compressive-sensing (CS) spectroscopy in a planar-waveguide
      Fourier-transform spectrometer (FTS) device. The spectrometer is implemented as
      an array of Mach-Zehnder interferometers (MZIs) integrated on a photonic chip.
      The signal from a set of MZIs is composed of an undersampled discrete Fourier
      interferogram, which we invert using l<sub>1</sub>-norm minimization to retrieve
      a sparse input spectrum. To implement this technique, we use a subwavelength
      engineered spatial heterodyne FTS on a chip composed of 32 independent MZIs. We
      demonstrate the retrieval of three sparse input signals by collecting data from
      restricted sets (8 and 14) of MZIs and applying common CS reconstruction
      techniques to this data. We show that this retrieval maintains the full
      resolution and bandwidth of the original device, despite a sampling factor as low
      as one-fourth of a conventional (non-compressive) design.

PMID- 28362794
TI  - Study of extra wide coherent optical combs generated by a QW-based integrated
      passively mode-locked ring laser.
AB  - We present an investigation of an InP quantum-well-based integrated extended
      cavity passively mode-locked laser which shows extra broad frequency comb
      generation. The ring laser was characterized in frequency and time domains for a
      range of the current levels injected in the semiconductor optical amplifier. The
      study showed an increase of the bandwidth to over 40 nm at the -20  dB level. The
      coherence between the longitudinal modes in the wide comb is demonstrated by the
      characterization of a spectrally filtered signal in time and RF domains. The
      relative time delay across the optical comb was measured.

PMID- 28362795
TI  - Linearly chirped tapered fiber-Bragg-grating-based Fabry-Perot cavity and its
      application in simultaneous strain and temperature measurement.
AB  - A novel concept of a Fabry-Perot (F-P) cavity composed of two linearly chirped
      fiber Bragg gratings written in a thermally fused fiber taper is presented. Both
      chirped gratings are written in counter-directional chirp configuration, where
      chirps resulting from the optical fiber taper profile and linearly increasing
      grating periods cancel each other out, forming a high-quality F-P resonator. A
      new strain-sensing mechanism is proposed in the presented structure, which is
      based on strain-induced detuning of the F-P resonator. Due to the different
      strain and temperature responses of the cavity, the resonator can be used for the
      simultaneous measurement of these physical quantities, or it can be used as a
      temperature-independent strain sensor.

PMID- 28362796
TI  - Robustness of meta-analyses in finding gene * environment interactions.
AB  - Meta-analyses that synthesize statistical evidence across studies have become
      important analytical tools for genetic studies. Inspired by the success of genome
      wide association studies of the genetic main effect, researchers are searching
      for gene * environment interactions. Confounders are routinely included in the
      genome-wide gene * environment interaction analysis as covariates; however, this
      does not control for any confounding effects on the results if covariate *
      environment interactions are present. We carried out simulation studies to
      evaluate the robustness to the covariate * environment confounder for meta
      regression and joint meta-analysis, which are two commonly used meta-analysis
      methods for testing the gene * environment interaction or the genetic main effect
      and interaction jointly. Here we show that meta-regression is robust to the
      covariate * environment confounder while joint meta-analysis is subject to the
      confounding effect with inflated type I error rates. Given vast sample sizes
      employed in genome-wide gene * environment interaction studies, non-significant
      covariate * environment interactions at the study level could substantially
      elevate the type I error rate at the consortium level. When covariate *
      environment confounders are present, type I errors can be controlled in joint
      meta-analysis by including the covariate * environment terms in the analysis at
      the study level. Alternatively, meta-regression can be applied, which is robust
      to potential covariate * environment confounders.

PMID- 28362797
TI  - Characterizing the spatial distribution of brown marmorated stink bug,
      Halyomorpha halys Stal (Hemiptera: Pentatomidae), populations in peach orchards.
AB  - Geospatial analyses were used to investigate the spatial distribution of
      populations of Halyomorpha halys, an important invasive agricultural pest in mid
      Atlantic peach orchards. This spatial analysis will improve efficiency by
      allowing growers and farm managers to predict insect arrangement and target
      management strategies. Data on the presence of H. halys were collected from five
      peach orchards at four farms in New Jersey from 2012-2014 located in different
      land-use contexts. A point pattern analysis, using Ripley's K function, was used
      to describe clustering of H. halys. In addition, the clustering of damage
      indicative of H. halys feeding was described. With low populations early in the
      growing season, H. halys did not exhibit signs of clustering in the orchards at
      most distances. At sites with low populations throughout the season, clustering
      was not apparent. However, later in the season, high infestation levels led to
      more evident clustering of H. halys. Damage, although present throughout the
      entire orchard, was found at low levels. When looking at trees with greater than
      10% fruit damage, damage was shown to cluster in orchards. The Moran's I
      statistic showed that spatial autocorrelation of H. halys was present within the
      orchards on the August sample dates, in relation to both populations density and
      levels of damage. Kriging the abundance of H. halys and the severity of damage to
      peaches revealed that the estimations of these are generally found in the same
      region of the orchards. This information on the clustering of H. halys
      populations will be useful to help predict presence of insects for use in
      management or scouting programs.

PMID- 28362798
TI  - Interrogating the topological robustness of gene regulatory circuits by
      randomization.
AB  - One of the most important roles of cells is performing their cellular tasks
      properly for survival. Cells usually achieve robust functionality, for example,
      cell-fate decision-making and signal transduction, through multiple layers of
      regulation involving many genes. Despite the combinatorial complexity of gene
      regulation, its quantitative behavior has been typically studied on the basis of
      experimentally verified core gene regulatory circuitry, composed of a small set
      of important elements. It is still unclear how such a core circuit operates in
      the presence of many other regulatory molecules and in a crowded and noisy
      cellular environment. Here we report a new computational method, named random
      circuit perturbation (RACIPE), for interrogating the robust dynamical behavior of
      a gene regulatory circuit even without accurate measurements of circuit kinetic
      parameters. RACIPE generates an ensemble of random kinetic models corresponding
      to a fixed circuit topology, and utilizes statistical tools to identify generic
      properties of the circuit. By applying RACIPE to simple toggle-switch-like
      motifs, we observed that the stable states of all models converge to
      experimentally observed gene state clusters even when the parameters are strongly
      perturbed. RACIPE was further applied to a proposed 22-gene network of the
      Epithelial-to-Mesenchymal Transition (EMT), from which we identified four
      experimentally observed gene states, including the states that are associated
      with two different types of hybrid Epithelial/Mesenchymal phenotypes. Our results
      suggest that dynamics of a gene circuit is mainly determined by its topology, not
      by detailed circuit parameters. Our work provides a theoretical foundation for
      circuit-based systems biology modeling. We anticipate RACIPE to be a powerful
      tool to predict and decode circuit design principles in an unbiased manner, and
      to quantitatively evaluate the robustness and heterogeneity of gene expression.

PMID- 28362799
TI  - Organic cation transporter 1 (OCT1) is involved in pentamidine transport at the
      human and mouse blood-brain barrier (BBB).
AB  - Pentamidine is an effective trypanocidal drug used against stage 1 Human African
      Trypanosomiasis (HAT). At the blood-brain barrier (BBB), it accumulates inside
      the endothelial cells but has limited entry into the brain. This study examined
      transporters involved in pentamidine transport at the human and mouse BBB using
      hCMEC/D3 and bEnd.3 cell lines, respectively. Results revealed that both cell
      lines expressed the organic cation transporters (OCT1, OCT2 and OCT3), however, P
      gp was only expressed in hCMEC/D3 cells. Polarised expression of OCT1 was also
      observed. Functional assays found that ATP depletion significantly increased
      [3H]pentamidine accumulation in hCMEC/D3 cells (***p<0.001) but not in bEnd.3
      cells. Incubation with unlabelled pentamidine significantly decreased
      accumulation in hCMEC/D3 and bEnd.3 cells after 120 minutes (***p<0.001).
      Treating both cell lines with haloperidol and amantadine also decreased
      [3H]pentamidine accumulation significantly (***p<0.001 and **p<0.01
      respectively). However, prazosin treatment decreased [3H]pentamidine accumulation
      only in hCMEC/D3 cells (*p<0.05), and not bEnd.3 cells. Furthermore, the presence
      of OCTN, MATE, PMAT, ENT or CNT inhibitors/substrates had no significant effect
      on the accumulation of [3H]pentamidine in both cell lines. From the data, we
      conclude that pentamidine interacts with multiple transporters, is taken into
      brain endothelial cells by OCT1 transporter and is extruded into the blood by ATP
      dependent mechanisms. These interactions along with the predominant presence of
      OCT1 in the luminal membrane of the BBB contribute to the limited entry of
      pentamidine into the brain. This information is of key importance to the
      development of pentamidine based combination therapies which could be used to
      treat CNS stage HAT by improving CNS delivery, efficacy against trypanosomes and
      safety profile of pentamidine.

PMID- 28362800
TI  - An in vitro model of intestinal infection reveals a developmentally regulated
      transcriptome of Toxoplasma sporozoites and a NF-kappaB-like signature in
      infected host cells.
AB  - Toxoplasmosis is a zoonotic infection affecting approximately 30% of the world's
      human population. After sexual reproduction in the definitive feline host,
      Toxoplasma oocysts, each containing 8 sporozoites, are shed into the environment
      where they can go on to infect humans and other warm-blooded intermediate hosts.
      Here, we use an in vitro model to assess host transcriptomic changes that occur
      in the earliest stages of such infections. We show that infection of rat
      intestinal epithelial cells with mature sporozoites primarily results in higher
      expression of genes associated with Tumor Necrosis Factor alpha (TNFalpha)
      signaling via NF-kappaB. Furthermore, we find that, consistent with their
      biology, these mature, invaded sporozoites display a transcriptome intermediate
      between the previously reported day 10 oocysts and that of their tachyzoite
      counterparts. Thus, this study uncovers novel host and pathogen factors that may
      be critical for the establishment of a successful intracellular niche following
      sporozoite-initiated infection.

PMID- 28362801
TI  - Exposure to secondhand smoke and asthma severity among children in Connecticut.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: To determine whether secondhand smoke (SHS) exposure is associated
      with greater asthma severity in children with physician-diagnosed asthma living
      in CT, and to examine whether area of residence, race/ethnicity or poverty
      moderate the association. METHODS: A large childhood asthma database in CT (Easy
      Breathing) was linked by participant zip code to census data to classify
      participants by area of residence. Multinomial logistic regression models,
      adjusted for enrollment date, sex, age, race/ethnicity, area of residence,
      insurance type, family history of asthma, eczema, and exposure to dogs, cats, gas
      stove, rodents and cockroaches were used to examine the association between self
      reported exposure to SHS and clinician-determined asthma severity (mild,
      moderate, and severe persistent vs. intermittent asthma). RESULTS: Of the 30,163
      children with asthma enrolled in Easy Breathing, between 6 months and 18 years
      old, living in 161 different towns in CT, exposure to SHS was associated with
      greater asthma severity (adjusted relative risk ratio (aRRR): 1.07 [1.00, 1.15]
      and aRRR: 1.11 [1.02, 1.22] for mild and moderate persistent asthma,
      respectively). The odds of Black and Puerto Rican/Hispanic children with asthma
      being exposed to SHS were twice that of Caucasian children. Though the odds of
      SHS exposure for publicly insured children with asthma were three times greater
      than the odds for privately insured children (OR: 3.02 [2.84,3,21]), SHS exposure
      was associated with persistent asthma only among privately insured children
      (adjusted odds ratio (aOR): 1.23 [1.11,1.37]). CONCLUSION: This is the first
      large-scale pragmatic study to demonstrate that children exposed to SHS in
      Connecticut have greater asthma severity, clinically determined using a
      systematic approach, and varies by insurance status.

PMID- 28362803
TI  - PCR artifact in testing for homologous recombination in genomic editing in
      zebrafish.
AB  - We report a PCR-induced artifact in testing for homologous recombination in
      zebrafish. We attempted to replace the lnx2a gene with a donor cassette, mediated
      by a TALEN induced double stranded cut. The donor construct was flanked with
      homology arms of about 1 kb at the 5' and 3' ends. Injected embryos (G0) were
      raised and outcrossed to wild type fish. A fraction of the progeny appeared to
      have undergone the desired homologous recombination, as tested by PCR using
      primer pairs extending from genomic DNA outside the homology region to a site
      within the donor cassette. However, Southern blots revealed that no recombination
      had taken place. We conclude that recombination happened during PCR in vitro
      between the donor integrated elsewhere in the genome and the lnx2a locus. We
      conclude that PCR alone may be insufficient to verify homologous recombination in
      genome editing experiments in zebrafish.

PMID- 28362804
TI  - Fishing for adaptive epistasis using mitonuclear interactions.

PMID- 28362802
TI  - Comparison of independent screens on differentially vulnerable motor neurons
      reveals alpha-synuclein as a common modifier in motor neuron diseases.
AB  - The term "motor neuron disease" encompasses a spectrum of disorders in which
      motor neurons are the primary pathological target. However, in both patients and
      animal models of these diseases, not all motor neurons are equally vulnerable, in
      that while some motor neurons are lost very early in disease, others remain
      comparatively intact, even at late stages. This creates a valuable system to
      investigate the factors that regulate motor neuron vulnerability. In this study,
      we aim to use this experimental paradigm to identify potential transcriptional
      modifiers. We have compared the transcriptome of motor neurons from healthy wild
      type mice, which are differentially vulnerable in the childhood motor neuron
      disease Spinal Muscular Atrophy (SMA), and have identified 910 transcriptional
      changes. We have compared this data set with published microarray data sets on
      other differentially vulnerable motor neurons. These neurons were differentially
      vulnerable in the adult onset motor neuron disease Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis
      (ALS), but the screen was performed on the equivalent population of neurons from
      neurologically normal human, rat and mouse. This cross species comparison has
      generated a refined list of differentially expressed genes, including CELF5,
      Col5a2, PGEMN1, SNCA, Stmn1 and HOXa5, alongside a further enrichment for
      synaptic and axonal transcripts. As an in vivo validation, we demonstrate that
      the manipulation of a significant number of these transcripts can modify the
      neurodegenerative phenotype observed in a Drosophila line carrying an ALS causing
      mutation. Finally, we demonstrate that vector-mediated expression of alpha
      synuclein (SNCA), a transcript decreased in selectively vulnerable motor neurons
      in all four screens, can extend life span, increase weight and decrease
      neuromuscular junction pathology in a mouse model of SMA. In summary, we have
      combined multiple data sets to identify transcripts, which are strong candidates
      for being phenotypic modifiers, and demonstrated SNCA is a modifier of pathology
      in motor neuron disease.

PMID- 28362805
TI  - Effects of contact structure on the transient evolution of HIV virulence.
AB  - Early in an epidemic, high densities of susceptible hosts select for relatively
      high parasite virulence; later in the epidemic, lower susceptible densities
      select for lower virulence. Thus over the course of a typical epidemic the
      average virulence of parasite strains increases initially, peaks partway through
      the epidemic, then declines again. However, precise quantitative outcomes, such
      as the peak virulence reached and its timing, may depend sensitively on
      epidemiological details. Fraser et al. proposed a model for the eco-evolutionary
      dynamics of HIV that incorporates the tradeoffs between transmission and
      virulence (mediated by set-point viral load, SPVL) and their heritability between
      hosts. Their model used implicit equations to capture the effects of partnership
      dynamics that are at the core of epidemics of sexually transmitted diseases. Our
      models combine HIV virulence tradeoffs with a range of contact models, explicitly
      modeling partnership formation and dissolution and allowing for individuals to
      transmit disease outside of partnerships. We assess summary statistics such as
      the peak virulence (corresponding to the maximum value of population mean log10
      SPVL achieved throughout the epidemic) across models for a range of parameters
      applicable to the HIV epidemic in sub-Saharan Africa. Although virulence
      trajectories are broadly similar across models, the timing and magnitude of the
      virulence peak vary considerably. Previously developed implicit models predicted
      lower virulence and slower progression at the peak (a maximum of 3.5 log10 SPVL)
      compared both to more realistic models and to simple random-mixing models with no
      partnership structure at all (both with a maximum of ~ 4.7 log10 SPVL). In this
      range of models, the simplest random-mixing structure best approximates the most
      realistic model; this surprising outcome occurs because the dominance of extra
      pair contact in the realistic model swamps the effects of partnership structure.

PMID- 28362807
TI  - Role of keratin 24 in human epidermal keratinocytes.
AB  - Keratin 24 (K24) is a new kind of keratin genes, which encodes a novel keratin
      protein, K24 that bears high similarity to the type I keratins and displays a
      unique expression profile. However, the role of K24 is incompletely understood.
      In our study, we investigated the localization of K24 within the epidermis and
      possible functions. Keratin 24 was found to be modestly overexpressed in
      senescent keratinocytes and was mainly restricted to the upper stratum spinosum
      of epidermis. The protein was required for terminal differentiation upon CaCl2
      induced differentiation. In vitro results showed that increased K24 in
      keratinocytes dramatically changed the differentiation of primary keratinocytes.
      It also inhibited cell survival by G1/S phase cell cycle arrest and induced
      senescence, autophagy and apoptosis of keratinocytes. In addition, K24 activated
      PKCdelta signal pathway involving in cellular survival. In summary, K24 may be
      suggested as a potential differentiation marker and anti-proliferative factor in
      the epidermis.

PMID- 28362808
TI  - Comparison of laser in situ ketatomileusis and photorefractive keratectomy for
      myopia using a mixed-effects model.
AB  - PURPOSE: To compare the results of laser in situ keratomileusis (LASIK) and
      photorefractive keratectomy (PRK) for myopia using a mixed-effects model.
      METHODS: This comparative retrospective study was conducted in 1,127 eyes of 579
      patients after LASIK and 270 eyes of 144 patients after PRK who had two or more
      postoperative follow-ups after 3 months. Uncorrected visual acuity (UCVA), best
      spectacle-corrected visual acuity (BSCVA), manifest refractive spherical
      equivalent (MRSE), percentage of eyes within +/- 0.5 diopters (D) and +/- 1.0 D
      of targeted refraction, and central corneal thickness were compared between PRK
      and LASIK groups using a mixed-effects model. RESULTS: Compared with the LASIK
      group, UCVA in the PRK group was significantly worse in the initial year but was
      significantly better after 4 years. The average BSCVA was not significantly
      different between the LASIK and PRK groups after 4 years. The average gain of
      BSCVA in the PRK group was significantly larger than that of the LASIK group
      after 2 years. MRSE in the LASIK and PRK groups showed a gradual myopic shift
      until 6 years after surgery. After 6 years, MRSE in the PRK group remained stable
      whereas MRSE in the LASIK group continued a myopic shift. The percentages of eyes
      within +/- 0.5 D or +/- 1.0 D in the LASIK group were significantly higher than
      those in the PRK group at 3 months but were significantly lower than those in the
      PRK group at 10 years. CONCLUSIONS: PRK for myopia shows better efficacy than
      LASIK for myopia after 4 years.

PMID- 28362809
TI  - Antigen capsid-display on human adenovirus 35 via pIX fusion is a potent vaccine
      platform.
AB  - Durable protection against complex pathogens is likely to require immunity that
      comprises both humoral and cellular responses. While heterologous prime-boost
      regimens based on recombinant, replication-incompetent Adenoviral vectors (AdV)
      and adjuvanted protein have been able to induce high levels of concomitant
      humoral and cellular responses, complex manufacturing and handling in the field
      may limit their success. To combine the benefits of genetic and protein-based
      vaccination within one vaccine construct and to facilitate their use, we
      generated Human Adenovirus 35 (HAdV35) vectors genetically encoding a model
      antigen based on the Plasmodium falciparum (P. falciparum) circumsporozoite (CS)
      protein and displaying a truncated version of the same antigen (CSshort) via
      protein IX on the capsid, with or without a flexible glycine-linker and/or a 45A
      spacer. The four tested pIX-antigen display variants were efficiently
      incorporated and presented on the HAdV35 capsid irrespective of whether a
      transgene was encoded or not. Transgene-expression and producibility of the
      display-/expression vectors were not impeded by the pIX-display. In mice, the pIX
      modified vectors induced strong humoral antigen-specific immunity that increased
      with the inclusion of the linker-/spacer molecules, exceeded the responses
      induced by the genetic, transgene-expressing HAdV35 vector, and surpassed
      recombinant protein in potency. In addition, the pIX- display/expression vectors
      elicited high antigen-specific cellular immune responses that matched those of
      the genetic HAdV35 vector expressing CS. pIX-modified display-/expression HAdV
      vectors may therefore be a valuable technology for the development of vaccines
      against complex pathogens, especially in resource-limited settings.

PMID- 28362806
TI  - Evolved genetic and phenotypic differences due to mitochondrial-nuclear
      interactions.
AB  - The oxidative phosphorylation (OxPhos) pathway is responsible for most aerobic
      ATP production and is the only pathway with both nuclear and mitochondrial
      encoded proteins. The importance of the interactions between these two genomes
      has recently received more attention because of their potential evolutionary
      effects and how they may affect human health and disease. In many different
      organisms, healthy nuclear and mitochondrial genome hybrids between species or
      among distant populations within a species affect fitness and OxPhos functions.
      However, what is less understood is whether these interactions impact individuals
      within a single natural population. The significance of this impact depends on
      the strength of selection for mito-nuclear interactions. We examined whether mito
      nuclear interactions alter allele frequencies for ~11,000 nuclear SNPs within a
      single, natural Fundulus heteroclitus population containing two divergent
      mitochondrial haplotypes (mt-haplotypes). Between the two mt-haplotypes, there
      are significant nuclear allele frequency differences for 349 SNPs with a p-value
      of 1% (236 with 10% FDR). Unlike the rest of the genome, these 349 outlier SNPs
      form two groups associated with each mt-haplotype, with a minority of individuals
      having mixed ancestry. We use this mixed ancestry in combination with mt
      haplotype as a polygenic factor to explain a significant fraction of the
      individual OxPhos variation. These data suggest that mito-nuclear interactions
      affect cardiac OxPhos function. The 349 outlier SNPs occur in genes involved in
      regulating metabolic processes but are not directly associated with the 79
      nuclear OxPhos proteins. Therefore, we postulate that the evolution of mito
      nuclear interactions affects OxPhos function by acting upstream of OxPhos.

PMID- 28362811
TI  - Phylogenetic reassessment of tribe Anemoneae (Ranunculaceae): Non-monophyly of
      Anemone s.l. revealed by plastid datasets.
AB  - Morphological and molecular evidence strongly supported the monophyly of tribe
      Anemoneae DC.; however, phylogenetic relationships among genera of this tribe
      have still not been fully resolved. In this study, we sampled 120 specimens
      representing 82 taxa of tribe Anemoneae. One nuclear ribosomal internal
      transcribed spacer (nrITS) and six plastid markers (atpB-rbcL, matK, psbA-trnQ,
      rpoB-trnC, rbcL and rps16) were amplified and sequenced. Both Maximum likelihood
      and Bayesian inference methods were used to reconstruct phylogenies for this
      tribe. Individual datasets supported all traditional genera as monophyletic,
      except Anemone and Clematis that were polyphyletic and paraphyletic,
      respectively, and revealed that the seven single-gene datasets can be split into
      two groups, i.e. nrITS + atpB-rbcL and the remaining five plastid markers. The
      combined nrITS + atpB-rbcL dataset recovered monophyly of subtribes Anemoninae
      (i.e. Anemone s.l.) and Clematidinae (including Anemoclema), respectively.
      However, the concatenated plastid dataset showed that one group of subtribes
      Anemoninae (Hepatica and Anemone spp. from subgenus Anemonidium) close to the
      clade Clematis s.l. + Anemoclema. Our results strongly supported a close
      relationship between Anemoclema and Clematis s.l., which included Archiclematis
      and Naravelia. Non-monophyly of Anemone s.l. using the plastid dataset indicates
      to revise as two genera, new Anemone s.l. (including Pulsatilla, Barneoudia,
      Oreithales and Knowltonia), Hepatica (corresponding to Anemone subgenus
      Anemonidium).

PMID- 28362810
TI  - A comparison of sampling methods for examining the laryngeal microbiome.
AB  - Shifts in healthy human microbial communities have now been linked to disease in
      numerous body sites. Noninvasive swabbing remains the sampling technique of
      choice in most locations; however, it is not well known if this method samples
      the entire community, or only those members that are easily removed from the
      surface. We sought to compare the communities found via swabbing and biopsied
      tissue in true vocal folds, a location that is difficult to sample without
      causing potential damage and impairment to tissue function. A secondary aim of
      this study was to determine if swab sampling of the false vocal folds could be
      used as proxy for true vocal folds. True and false vocal fold mucosal samples
      (swabbed and biopsied) were collected from six pigs and used for 454
      pyrosequencing of the V3-V5 region of the 16S rRNA gene. Most of the alpha and
      beta measures of diversity were found to be significantly similar between swabbed
      and biopsied tissue samples. Similarly, the communities found in true and false
      vocal folds did not differ considerably. These results suggest that samples taken
      via swabs are sufficient to assess the community, and that samples taken from the
      false vocal folds may be used as proxies for the true vocal folds. Assessment of
      these techniques opens an avenue to less traumatic means to explore the role
      microbes play in the development of diseases of the vocal folds, and perhaps the
      rest of the respiratory tract.

PMID- 28362812
TI  - Extensive telomere erosion is consistent with localised clonal expansions in
      Barrett's metaplasia.
AB  - Barrett's oesophagus is a premalignant metaplastic condition that predisposes
      patients to the development of oesophageal adenocarcinoma. However, only a minor
      fraction of Barrett's oesophagus patients progress to adenocarcinoma and it is
      thus essential to determine bio-molecular markers that can predict the
      progression of this condition. Telomere dysfunction is considered to drive clonal
      evolution in several tumour types and telomere length analysis provides
      clinically relevant prognostic and predictive information. The aim of this work
      was to use high-resolution telomere analysis to examine telomere dynamics in
      Barrett's oesophagus. Telomere length analysis of XpYp, 17p, 11q and 9p,
      chromosome arms that contain key cancer related genes that are known to be
      subjected to copy number changes in Barrett's metaplasia, revealed similar
      profiles at each chromosome end, indicating that no one specific telomere is
      likely to suffer preferential telomere erosion. Analysis of patient matched
      tissues (233 samples from 32 patients) sampled from normal squamous oesophagus, Z
      line, and 2 cm intervals within Barrett's metaplasia, plus oesophago-gastric
      junction, gastric body and antrum, revealed extensive telomere erosion in
      Barrett's metaplasia to within the length ranges at which telomere fusion is
      detected in other tumour types. Telomere erosion was not uniform, with distinct
      zones displaying more extensive erosion and more homogenous telomere length
      profiles. These data are consistent with an extensive proliferative history of
      cells within Barrett's metaplasia and are indicative of localised clonal growth.
      The extent of telomere erosion highlights the potential of telomere dysfunction
      to drive genome instability and clonal evolution in Barrett's metaplasia.

PMID- 28362813
TI  - A novel adjustable automated system for inducing chronic intermittent hypoxia in
      mice.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Sleep apnea is a chronic, widely underdiagnosed condition
      characterized by disruption of sleep architecture and intermittent hypoxia due to
      short cessations of breathing. It is a major independent risk factor for
      myocardial infarction, congestive heart failure and stroke as well as one of the
      rare modifiable risk factors for Alzheimer's Dementia. Reliable animal disease
      models are needed to understand the link between sleep apnea and the various
      clinically linked disorders. NEW METHOD: An automated system for inducing hypoxia
      was developed, in which the major improvement was the possibility to efficiently
      adjust the length and intensity of hypoxia in two different periods. The chamber
      used a small volume of gas allowing for fast exchanges of different oxygen
      levels. The mice were kept in their cages adapted with the system on the cage
      lid. As a proof of principle, they were exposed to a three week period of
      intermittent hypoxia for 8 hours a day, with 90 s intervals of 5, 7% and 21%
      oxygen to validate the model. Treated (n = 8) and control mice (no hypoxia, n =
      7) were handled in the same manner and their hippocampal brain regions compared
      by histology. RESULTS: The chamber provided a fast, reliable and precise
      intermittent hypoxia, without inducing noticeable side effects to the animals.
      The validation experiment showed that apoptotic neurons in the hippocampus were
      more numerous in the mice exposed to intermittent hypoxia than in the control
      group, in all tested hippocampal regions (cornu ammonis 1 (CA1) P <0.001; cornu
      ammonis 3 (CA3) P <0.001; and dentate gyrus (DG) P = 0.023). In both, control and
      hypoxic conditions, there was a significantly higher number of apoptotic neurons
      in the DG compared to the CA1 and CA3 subfields (P <0.001). CONCLUSION: The new
      design of a hypoxic chamber provides a fast, adjustable and reliable model of
      obstructive sleep apnea, which was validated by apoptosis of hippocampal neurons.

PMID- 28362814
TI  - Atypical protein disulfide isomerases (PDI): Comparison of the molecular and
      catalytic properties of poplar PDI-A and PDI-M with PDI-L1A.
AB  - Protein disulfide isomerases are overwhelmingly multi-modular redox catalysts
      able to perform the formation, reduction or isomerisation of disulfide bonds. We
      present here the biochemical characterization of three different poplar PDI
      isoforms. PDI-A is characterized by a single catalytic Trx module, the so-called
      a domain, whereas PDI-L1a and PDI-M display an a-b-b'-a' and a degrees -a-b
      organisation respectively. Their activities have been tested in vitro using
      purified recombinant proteins and a series of model substrates as insulin, NADPH
      thioredoxin reductase, NADP malate dehydrogenase (NADP-MDH), peroxiredoxins or
      RNase A. We demonstrated that PDI-A exhibited none of the usually reported
      activities, although the cysteines of the WCKHC active site signature are able to
      form a disulfide with a redox midpoint potential of -170 mV at pH 7.0. The fact
      that it is able to bind a [Fe2S2] cluster upon Escherichia coli expression and
      anaerobic purification might indicate that it does not have a function in dithiol
      disulfide exchange reactions. The two other proteins were able to catalyze
      oxidation or reduction reactions, PDI-L1a being more efficient in most cases,
      except that it was unable to activate the non-physiological substrate NADP-MDH,
      in contrast to PDI-M. To further evaluate the contribution of the catalytic
      domains of PDI-M, the dicysteinic motifs have been independently mutated in each
      a domain. The results indicated that the two a domains seem interconnected and
      that the a degrees  module preferentially catalyzed oxidation reactions whereas
      the a module catalyzed reduction reactions, in line with the respective redox
      potentials of -170 mV and -190 mV at pH 7.0. Overall, these in vitro results
      illustrate that the number and position of a and b domains influence the redox
      properties and substrate recognition (both electron donors and acceptors) of PDI
      which contributes to understand why this protein family expanded along evolution.

PMID- 28362815
TI  - Metabolic profiling of two maize (Zea mays L.) inbred lines inoculated with the
      nitrogen fixing plant-interacting bacteria Herbaspirillum seropedicae and
      Azospirillum brasilense.
AB  - Maize roots can be colonized by free-living atmospheric nitrogen (N2)-fixing
      bacteria (diazotrophs). However, the agronomic potential of non-symbiotic N2
      fixation in such an economically important species as maize, has still not been
      fully exploited. A preliminary approach to improve our understanding of the
      mechanisms controlling the establishment of such N2-fixing associations has been
      developed, using two maize inbred lines exhibiting different physiological
      characteristics. The bacterial-plant interaction has been characterized by means
      of a metabolomic approach. Two established model strains of Nif+ diazotrophic
      bacteria, Herbaspirillum seropedicae and Azospirillum brasilense and their Nif-
      couterparts defficient in nitrogenase activity, were used to evaluate the impact
      of the bacterial inoculation and of N2 fixation on the root and leaf metabolic
      profiles. The two N2-fixing bacteria have been used to inoculate two genetically
      distant maize lines (FV252 and FV2), already characterized for their contrasting
      physiological properties. Using a well-controlled gnotobiotic experimental system
      that allows inoculation of maize plants with the two diazotrophs in a N-free
      medium, we demonstrated that both maize lines were efficiently colonized by the
      two bacterial species. We also showed that in the early stages of plant
      development, both bacterial strains were able to reduce acetylene, suggesting
      that they contain functional nitrogenase activity and are able to efficiently fix
      atmospheric N2 (Fix+). The metabolomic approach allowed the identification of
      metabolites in the two maize lines that were representative of the N2 fixing
      plant-bacterial interaction, these included mannitol and to a lesser extend
      trehalose and isocitrate. Whilst other metabolites such as asparagine, although
      only exhibiting a small increase in maize roots following bacterial infection,
      were specific for the two Fix+ bacterial strains, in comparison to their Fix-
      counterparts. Moreover, a number of metabolites exhibited a maize-genotype
      specific pattern of accumulation, suggesting that the highly diverse maize
      genetic resources could be further exploited in terms of beneficial plant
      bacterial interactions for optimizing maize growth, with reduced N fertilization
      inputs.

PMID- 28362816
TI  - Livestock-associated risk factors for pneumonia in an area of intensive animal
      farming in the Netherlands.
AB  - Previous research conducted in 2009 found a significant positive association
      between pneumonia in humans and living close to goat and poultry farms. However,
      as this result might have been affected by a large goat-related Q fever epidemic,
      the aim of the current study was to re-evaluate this association, now that the Q
      fever epidemic had ended. In 2014/15, 2,494 adults (aged 20-72 years) living in a
      livestock-dense area in the Netherlands participated in a medical examination and
      completed a questionnaire on respiratory health, lifestyle and other items. We
      retrieved additional information for 2,426/2,494 (97%) participants from
      electronic medical records (EMR) from general practitioners. The outcome was self
      reported, physician-diagnosed pneumonia or pneumonia recorded in the EMR in the
      previous three years. Livestock license data was used to determine exposure to
      livestock. We quantified associations between livestock exposures and pneumonia
      using odds ratios adjusted for participant characteristics and comorbidities
      (aOR). The three-year cumulative frequency of pneumonia was 186/2,426 (7.7%).
      Residents within 2,000m of a farm with at least 50 goats had an increased risk of
      pneumonia, which increased the closer they lived to the farm (2,000m aOR 1.9, 95%
      CI 1.4-2.6; 500m aOR 4.4, 95% CI 2.0-9.8). We found no significant associations
      between exposure to other farm animals and pneumonia. However, when conducting
      sensitivity analyses using pneumonia outcome based on EMR only, we found a weak
      but statistically significant association with presence of a poultry farm within
      1,000m (aOR: 1.7, 95% CI 1.1-2.7). Living close to goat and poultry farms still
      constitute risk factors for pneumonia. Individuals with pneumonia were not more
      often seropositive for Coxiella burnetii, indicating that results are not
      explained by Q fever. We strongly recommend identification of pneumonia causes by
      the use of molecular diagnostics and investigating the role of non-infectious
      agents such as particulate matter or endotoxins.

PMID- 28362817
TI  - Cis-eQTL-based trans-ethnic meta-analysis reveals novel genes associated with
      breast cancer risk.
AB  - Breast cancer is the most common solid organ malignancy and the most frequent
      cause of cancer death among women worldwide. Previous research has yielded
      insights into its genetic etiology, but there remains a gap in the understanding
      of genetic factors that contribute to risk, and particularly in the biological
      mechanisms by which genetic variation modulates risk. The National Cancer
      Institute's "Up for a Challenge" (U4C) competition provided an opportunity to
      further elucidate the genetic basis of the disease. Our group leveraged the seven
      datasets made available by the U4C organizers and data from the publicly
      available UK Biobank cohort to examine associations between imputed gene
      expression and breast cancer risk. In particular, we used reference datasets
      describing the breast tissue and whole blood transcriptomes to impute expression
      levels in breast cancer cases and controls. In trans-ethnic meta-analyses of U4C
      and UK Biobank data, we found significant associations between breast cancer risk
      and the expression of RCCD1 (joint p-value: 3.6x10-06) and DHODH (p-value: 7.1x10
      06) in breast tissue, as well as a suggestive association for ANKLE1 (p-value:
      9.3x10-05). Expression of RCCD1 in whole blood was also suggestively associated
      with disease risk (p-value: 1.2x10-05), as were expression of ACAP1 (p-value:
      1.9x10-05) and LRRC25 (p-value: 5.2x10-05). While genome-wide association studies
      (GWAS) have implicated RCCD1 and ANKLE1 in breast cancer risk, they have not
      identified the remaining three genes. Among the genetic variants that contributed
      to the predicted expression of the five genes, we found 23 nominally (p-value <
      0.05) associated with breast cancer risk, among which 15 are not in high linkage
      disequilibrium with risk variants previously identified by GWAS. In summary, we
      used a transcriptome-based approach to investigate the genetic underpinnings of
      breast carcinogenesis. This approach provided an avenue for deciphering the
      functional relevance of genes and genetic variants involved in breast cancer.

PMID- 28362819
TI  - Hydrogen gas alleviates oxygen toxicity by reducing hydroxyl radical levels in
      PC12 cells.
AB  - Hyperbaric oxygen (HBO) therapy through breathing oxygen at the pressure of above
      1 atmosphere absolute (ATA) is useful for varieties of clinical conditions,
      especially hypoxic-ischemic diseases. Because of generation of reactive oxygen
      species (ROS), breathing oxygen gas at high pressures can cause oxygen toxicity
      in the central nervous system, leading to multiple neurological dysfunction,
      which limits the use of HBO therapy. Studies have shown that Hydrogen gas (H2)
      can diminish oxidative stress and effectively reduce active ROS associated with
      diseases. However, the effect of H2 on ROS generated from HBO therapy remains
      unclear. In this study, we investigated the effect of H2 on ROS during HBO
      therapy using PC12 cells. PC12 cells cultured in medium were exposed to oxygen
      gas or mixed oxygen gas and H2 at 1 ATA or 5 ATA. Cells viability and oxidation
      products and ROS were determined. The data showed that H2 promoted the cell
      viability and inhibited the damage in the cell and mitochondria membrane, reduced
      the levels of lipid peroxidation and DNA oxidation, and selectively decreased the
      levels of *OH but not disturbing the levels of O2*-, H2O2, or NO* in PC12 cells
      during HBO therapy. These results indicated that H2 effectively reduced *OH,
      protected cells against oxygen toxicity resulting from HBO therapy, and had no
      effect on other ROS. Our data supported that H2 could be potentially used as an
      antioxidant during HBO therapy.

PMID- 28362818
TI  - VivaxGEN: An open access platform for comparative analysis of short tandem repeat
      genotyping data in Plasmodium vivax populations.
AB  - BACKGROUND: The control and elimination of Plasmodium vivax will require a better
      understanding of its transmission dynamics, through the application of genotyping
      and population genetics analyses. This paper describes VivaxGEN
      (http://vivaxgen.menzies.edu.au), a web-based platform that has been developed to
      support P. vivax short tandem repeat data sharing and comparative analyses.
      RESULTS: The VivaxGEN platform provides a repository for raw data generated by
      capillary electrophoresis (FSA files), with fragment analysis and standardized
      allele calling tools. The query system of the platform enables users to filter,
      select and differentiate samples and alleles based on their specified criteria.
      Key population genetic analyses are supported including measures of population
      differentiation (FST), expected heterozygosity (HE), linkage disequilibrium
      (IAS), neighbor-joining analysis and Principal Coordinate Analysis. Datasets can
      also be formatted and exported for application in commonly used population
      genetic software including GENEPOP, Arlequin and STRUCTURE. To date, data from 10
      countries, including 5 publicly available data sets have been shared with
      VivaxGEN. CONCLUSIONS: VivaxGEN is well placed to facilitate regional overviews
      of P. vivax transmission dynamics in different endemic settings and capable to be
      adapted for similar genetic studies of P. falciparum and other organisms.

PMID- 28362821
TI  - Does gamification increase engagement with online programs? A systematic review.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Engagement in online programs is difficult to maintain. Gamification
      is the recent trend that offers to increase engagement through the inclusion of
      game-like features like points and badges, in non-game contexts. This review will
      answer the following question, 'Are gamification strategies effective in
      increasing engagement in online programs?' METHOD: Eight databases (Web of
      Science, PsycINFO, Medline, INSPEC, ERIC, Cochrane Library, Business Source
      Complete and ACM Digital Library) were searched from 2010 to the 28th of October
      2015 using a comprehensive search strategy. Eligibility criteria was based on the
      PICOS format, where "population" included adults, "intervention" involved an
      online program or smart phone application that included at least one gamification
      feature. "Comparator" was a control group, "outcomes" included engagement and
      "downstream" outcomes which occurred as a result of engagement; and "study
      design" included experimental studies from peer-reviewed sources. Effect sizes
      (Cohens d and 95% confidence intervals) were also calculated. RESULTS: 1017
      studies were identified from database searches following the removal of
      duplicates, of which 15 met the inclusion criteria. The studies involved a total
      of 10,499 participants, and were commonly undertaken in tertiary education
      contexts. Engagement metrics included time spent (n = 5), volume of contributions
      (n = 11) and occasions visited to the software (n = 4); as well as downstream
      behaviours such as performance (n = 4) and healthy behaviours (n = 1). Effect
      sizes typically ranged from medium to large in direct engagement and downstream
      behaviours, with 12 out of 15 studies finding positive significant effects in
      favour of gamification. CONCLUSION: Gamification is effective in increasing
      engagement in online programs. Key recommendations for future research into
      gamification are provided. In particular, rigorous study designs are required to
      fully examine gamification's effects and determine how to best achieve sustained
      engagement.

PMID- 28362820
TI  - A large-scale stochastic spatiotemporal model for Aedes albopictus-borne
      chikungunya epidemiology.
AB  - Chikungunya is a viral disease transmitted to humans primarily via the bites of
      infected Aedes mosquitoes. The virus caused a major epidemic in the Indian Ocean
      in 2004, affecting millions of inhabitants, while cases have also been observed
      in Europe since 2007. We developed a stochastic spatiotemporal model of Aedes
      albopictus-borne chikungunya transmission based on our recently developed
      environmentally-driven vector population dynamics model. We designed an
      integrated modelling framework incorporating large-scale gridded climate datasets
      to investigate disease outbreaks on Reunion Island and in Italy. We performed
      Bayesian parameter inference on the surveillance data, and investigated the
      validity and applicability of the underlying biological assumptions. The model
      successfully represents the outbreak and measures of containment in Italy,
      suggesting wider applicability in Europe. In its current configuration, the model
      implies two different viral strains, thus two different outbreaks, for the two
      stage Reunion Island epidemic. Characterisation of the posterior distributions
      indicates a possible relationship between the second larger outbreak on Reunion
      Island and the Italian outbreak. The model suggests that vector control measures,
      with different modes of operation, are most effective when applied in
      combination: adult vector intervention has a high impact but is short-lived,
      larval intervention has a low impact but is long-lasting, and quarantining
      infected territories, if applied strictly, is effective in preventing large
      epidemics. We present a novel approach in analysing chikungunya outbreaks
      globally using a single environmentally-driven mathematical model. Our study
      represents a significant step towards developing a globally applicable Ae.
      albopictus-borne chikungunya transmission model, and introduces a guideline for
      extending such models to other vector-borne diseases.

PMID- 28362823
TI  - News exposure predicts anti-Muslim prejudice.
AB  - News coverage of Islamic extremism is reigniting debates about the media's role
      in promoting prejudice toward Muslims. Psychological theories of media-induced
      prejudice date to the 1950's, and find support from controlled experiments.
      However, national-scale studies of media effects on Muslim prejudice are lacking.
      Orthogonal research investigating media-induced prejudice toward immigrants has
      failed to establish any link. Moreover, it has been found that people interpret
      the news in ways that confirm pre-existing attitudes, suggesting that media
      induced Muslim prejudice in liberal democracies is unlikely. Here, we test the
      association between news exposure and anti-Muslim prejudice in a diverse national
      sample from one of the world's most tolerant societies, where media effects are
      least likely to hold (N = 16,584, New Zealand). In support of media-induced
      Islamophobia, results show that greater news exposure is associated with both
      increased anger and reduced warmth toward Muslims. Additionally, the relationship
      between media exposure and anti-Muslim prejudice does not reliably vary with
      political ideology, supporting claims that it is widespread representations of
      Muslims in the news, rather than partisan media biases, that drives anti-Muslim
      prejudice.

PMID- 28362822
TI  - Fasciola hepatica reinfection potentiates a mixed Th1/Th2/Th17/Treg response and
      correlates with the clinical phenotypes of anemia.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Fascioliasis is a severe zoonotic disease of worldwide extension
      caused by liver flukes. In human fascioliasis hyperendemic areas, reinfection and
      chronicity are the norm and anemia is the main sign. Herein, the profile of the
      Th1/Th2/Th17/Treg expression levels is analyzed after reinfection, correlating
      them with their corresponding hematological biomarkers of morbidity.
      METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: The experimental design reproduces the usual
      reinfection/chronicity conditions in human fascioliasis endemic areas and
      included Fasciola hepatica primo-infected Wistar rats (PI) and rats reinfected at
      8 weeks (R8), and at 12 weeks (R12), and negative control rats. In a cross
      sectional study, the expression of the genes associated with Th1 (Ifng, Il12a,
      Il12b, Nos2), Th2 (Il4, Arg1), Treg (Foxp3, Il10, Tgfb, Ebi3), and Th17 (Il17) in
      the spleen and thymus was analyzed. After 20 weeks of primary infection, PI did
      not present significant changes in the expression of those genes when compared to
      non-infected rats (NI), but an increase of Il4, Arg1 and Ifng mRNA in the spleen
      was observed in R12, suggesting the existence of an active mixed Th1/Th2 systemic
      immune response in reinfection. Foxp3, Il10, Tgfb and Ebi3 levels increased in
      the spleen in R12 when compared to NI and PI, indicating that the Treg gene
      expression levels are potentiated in chronic phase reinfection. Il17 gene
      expression levels in R12 in the spleen increased when compared to NI, PI and R8.
      Gene expression levels of Il10 in the thymus increased when compared to NI and PI
      in R12. Ifng expression levels in the thymus increased in all reinfected rats,
      but not in PI. The clinical phenotype was determined by the fluke burden, the rat
      body weight and the hemogram. Multivariate mathematical models were built to
      describe the Th1/Th2/Th17/Treg expression levels and the clinical phenotype. In
      reinfection, two phenotypic patterns were detected: i) one which includes only
      increased splenic Ifng expression levels but no Treg expression, correlating with
      severe anemia; ii) another which includes increased splenic Ifng and Treg
      expression levels, correlating with a less severe anemia.
      CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE: In animals with established F. hepatica infection a
      huge increase in the immune response occurs, being a mixed Th2/Treg associated
      gene expression together with an expression of Ifng. Interestingly, a Th17
      associated gene expression is also observed. Reinfection in the chronic phase is
      able to activate a mixed immune response (Th1/Th2/Th17/Treg) against F. hepatica
      but T and B proliferation to mitogens is strongly suppressed in all infected rats
      vs control in the advanced chronic phase independently of reinfection The
      systemic immune response is different in each group, suggesting that suppression
      is mediated by different mechanisms in each case. Immune suppression could be due
      to the parasite in PI and R8 rats and the induction of suppressive cells such as
      Treg in R12. This is the first study to provide fundamental insight into the
      immune profile in fascioliasis reinfection and its relation with the clinical
      phenotypes of anemia.

PMID- 28362824
TI  - Targeted high throughput sequencing in hereditary ataxia and spastic paraplegia.
AB  - Hereditary ataxia and spastic paraplegia are heterogeneous monogenic
      neurodegenerative disorders. To date, a large number of individuals with such
      disorders remain undiagnosed. Here, we have assessed molecular diagnosis by gene
      panel sequencing in 105 early and late-onset hereditary ataxia and spastic
      paraplegia probands, in whom extensive previous investigations had failed to
      identify the genetic cause of disease. Pathogenic and likely-pathogenic variants
      were identified in 20 probands (19%) and variants of uncertain significance in
      ten probands (10%). Together these accounted for 30 probands (29%) and involved
      18 different genes. Among several interesting findings, dominantly inherited
      KIF1A variants, p.(Val8Met) and p.(Ile27Thr) segregated in two independent
      families, both presenting with a pure spastic paraplegia phenotype. Two
      homozygous missense variants, p.(Gly4230Ser) and p.(Leu4221Val) were found in
      SACS in one consanguineous family, presenting with spastic ataxia and isolated
      cerebellar atrophy. The average disease duration in probands with pathogenic and
      likely-pathogenic variants was 31 years, ranging from 4 to 51 years. In
      conclusion, this study confirmed and expanded the clinical phenotypes associated
      with known disease genes. The results demonstrate that gene panel sequencing and
      similar sequencing approaches can serve as efficient diagnostic tools for
      different heterogeneous disorders. Early use of such strategies may help to
      reduce both costs and time of the diagnostic process.

PMID- 28362826
TI  - Depression-related difficulties disengaging from negative faces are associated
      with sustained attention to negative feedback during social evaluation and
      predict stress recovery.
AB  - The present study aimed to clarify: 1) the presence of depression-related
      attention bias related to a social stressor, 2) its association with depression
      related attention biases as measured under standard conditions, and 3) their
      association with impaired stress recovery in depression. A sample of 39
      participants reporting a broad range of depression levels completed a standard
      eye-tracking paradigm in which they had to engage/disengage their gaze with/from
      emotional faces. Participants then underwent a stress induction (i.e., giving a
      speech), in which their eye movements to false emotional feedback were measured,
      and stress reactivity and recovery were assessed. Depression level was associated
      with longer times to engage/disengage attention with/from negative faces under
      standard conditions and with sustained attention to negative feedback during the
      speech. These depression-related biases were associated and mediated the
      association between depression level and self-reported stress recovery,
      predicting lower recovery from stress after giving the speech.

PMID- 28362828
TI  - Geospatial analysis of emergency department visits for targeting community-based
      responses to the opioid epidemic.
AB  - The opioid epidemic in the United States carries significant morbidity and
      mortality and requires a coordinated response among emergency providers,
      outpatient providers, public health departments, and communities. Anecdotally,
      providers across the spectrum of care at Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) in
      Boston, MA have noticed that Charlestown, a community in northeast Boston, has
      been particularly impacted by the opioid epidemic and needs both emergency and
      longer-term resources. We hypothesized that geospatial analysis of the home
      addresses of patients presenting to the MGH emergency department (ED) with opioid
      related emergencies might identify "hot spots" of opioid-related healthcare needs
      within Charlestown that could then be targeted for further investigation and
      resource deployment. Here, we present a geospatial analysis at the United States
      census tract level of the home addresses of all patients who presented to the MGH
      ED for opioid-related emergency visits between 7/1/2012 and 6/30/2015, including
      191 visits from 100 addresses in Charlestown, MA. Among the six census tracts
      that comprise Charlestown, we find a 9.5-fold difference in opioid-related ED
      visits, with 45% of all opioid-related visits from Charlestown originating in
      tract 040401. The signal from this census tract remains strong after adjusting
      for population differences between census tracts, and while this tract is one of
      the higher utilizing census tracts in Charlestown of the MGH ED for all cause
      visits, it also has a 2.9-fold higher rate of opioid-related visits than the
      remainder of Charlestown. Identifying this hot spot of opioid-related emergency
      needs within Charlestown may help re-distribute existing resources efficiently,
      empower community and ED-based physicians to advocate for their patients, and
      serve as a catalyst for partnerships between MGH and local community groups. More
      broadly, this analysis demonstrates that EDs can use geospatial analysis to
      address the emergency and longer-term health needs of the communities they are
      designed to serve.

PMID- 28362827
TI  - Alzheimer's amyloid-beta A2T variant and its N-terminal peptides inhibit amyloid
      beta fibrillization and rescue the induced cytotoxicity.
AB  - Alzheimer's disease (AD) is the most common dementia affecting tens of million
      people worldwide. The primary neuropathological hallmark in AD is amyloid plaques
      composed of amyloid-beta peptide (Abeta). Several familial mutations found in
      Abeta sequence result in early onset of AD. Previous studies showed that the
      mutations located at N-terminus of Abeta, such as the English (H6R) and Tottori
      (D7N) mutations, promote fibril formation and increase cytotoxicity. However, A2T
      mutant located at the very N-terminus of Abeta shows low-prevalence incidence of
      AD, whereas, another mutant A2V causes early onset of AD. To understand the
      molecular mechanism of the distinct effect and develop new potential therapeutic
      strategy, here, we examined the effect of full-length and N-terminal A2V/T
      variants to wild type (WT) Abeta40 by fibrillization assays and NMR studies. We
      found that full-length and N-terminal A2V accelerated WT fibrillization and
      induced large chemical shifts on the N-terminus of WT Abeta, whereas, full-length
      and N-terminal A2T retarded the fibrillization. We further examined the
      inhibition effect of various N-terminal fragments (NTFs) of A2T to WT Abeta. The
      A2T NTFs ranging from residue 1 to residue 7 to 10, but not 1 to 6 or shorter,
      are capable to retard WT Abeta fibrillization and rescue cytotoxicity. The
      results suggest that in the presence of full-length or specific N-terminal A2T
      can retard Abeta aggregation and the A2T NTFs can mitigate its toxicity. Our
      results provide a novel targeting site for future therapeutic development of AD.

PMID- 28362825
TI  - The preferred nucleotide contexts of the AID/APOBEC cytidine deaminases have
      differential effects when mutating retrotransposon and virus sequences compared
      to host genes.
AB  - The AID / APOBEC genes are a family of cytidine deaminases that have evolved in
      vertebrates, and particularly mammals, to mutate RNA and DNA at distinct
      preferred nucleotide contexts (or "hotspots") on foreign genomes such as viruses
      and retrotransposons. These enzymes play a pivotal role in intrinsic immunity
      defense mechanisms, often deleteriously mutating invading retroviruses or
      retrotransposons and, in the case of AID, changing antibody sequences to drive
      affinity maturation. We investigate the strength of various hotspots on their
      known biological targets by evaluating the potential impact of mutations on the
      DNA coding sequences of these targets, and compare these results to hypothetical
      hotspots that did not evolve. We find that the existing AID / APOBEC hotspots
      have a large impact on retrotransposons and non-mammalian viruses while having a
      much smaller effect on vital mammalian genes, suggesting co-evolution with AID /
      APOBECs may have had an impact on the genomes of the viruses we analyzed. We
      determine that GC content appears to be a significant, but not sole, factor in
      resistance to deaminase activity. We discuss possible mechanisms AID and APOBEC
      viral targets have adopted to escape the impacts of deamination activity,
      including changing the GC content of the genome.

PMID- 28362830
TI  - Patterns of cetacean vaginal folds yield insights into functionality.
AB  - Complex foldings of the vaginal wall are unique to some cetaceans and
      artiodactyls and are of unknown function(s). The patterns of vaginal length and
      cumulative vaginal fold length were assessed in relation to body length and to
      each other in a phylogenetic context to derive insights into functionality. The
      reproductive tracts of 59 female cetaceans (20 species, 6 families) were
      dissected. Phylogenetically-controlled reduced major axis regressions were used
      to establish a scaling trend for the female genitalia of cetaceans. An
      unparalleled level of vaginal diversity within a mammalian order was found.
      Vaginal folds varied in number and size across species, and vaginal fold length
      was positively allometric with body length. Vaginal length was not a significant
      predictor of vaginal fold length. Functional hypotheses regarding the role of
      vaginal folds and the potential selection pressures that could lead to evolution
      of these structures are discussed. Vaginal folds may present physical barriers,
      which obscure the pathway of seawater and/or sperm travelling through the vagina.
      This study contributes broad insights to the evolution of reproductive morphology
      and aquatic adaptations and lays the foundation for future functional morphology
      analyses.

PMID- 28362829
TI  - OAZ1 knockdown enhances viability and inhibits ER and LHR transcriptions of
      granulosa cells in geese.
AB  - An increasing number of studies suggest that ornithine decarboxylase antizyme 1
      (OAZ1), which is regarded as a tumor suppressor gene, regulates follicular
      development, ovulation, and steroidogenesis. The granulosa cells in the ovary
      play a critical role in these ovarian functions. However, the action of OAZ1
      mediating physiological functions of granulosa cells is obscure. OAZ1 knockdown
      in granulosa cells of geese was carried out in the current study. The effect of
      OAZ1 knockdown on polyamine metabolism, cell proliferation, apoptosis, and
      hormone receptor transcription of primary granulosa cells in geese was measured.
      The viability of granulosa cells transfected with the shRNA OAZ1 at 48 h was
      significantly higher than the control (p<0.05). The level of putrescine and
      spermidine in granulosa cells down-regulating OAZ1 was 7.04- and 2.11- fold
      higher compared with the control, respectively (p<0.05). The CCND1, SMAD1, and
      BCL-2 mRNA expression levels in granulosa cells down-regulating OAZ1 were each
      significantly higher than the control, respectively (p<0.05), whereas the PCNA
      and CASPASE 3 expression levels were significantly lower than the control
      (p<0.05). The estradiol concentration, ER and LHR mRNA expression levels were
      significantly lower in granulosa cells down-regulating OAZ1 compared with the
      control (p<0.05). Taken together, our results indicated that OAZ1 knockdown
      elevated the putrescine and spermidine contents and enhanced granulosa cell
      viability and inhibited ER and LHR transcriptions of granulosa cells in geese.

PMID- 28362832
TI  - Effects of p53-knockout in vascular smooth muscle cells on atherosclerosis in
      mice.
AB  - In vitro and in vivo evidence has indicated that the tumor suppressor, p53, may
      play a significant role in the regulation of atherosclerotic plaque formation. In
      vivo studies using global knockout mice models, however, have generated
      inconclusive results that do not address the roles of p53 in various cell types
      involved in atherosclerosis. In this study, we have specifically ablated p53 in
      vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMC) in the ApoE-/- mouse model to investigate the
      roles of p53 in VSMC in atherosclerotic plaque formation and stability. We found
      that p53 deficiency in VSMC alone did not affect the overall size of
      atherosclerotic lesions. However, there was a significant increase in the number
      of p53-/- VSMC in the fibrous caps of atherosclerotic plaques in the early stages
      of plaque development. Loss of p53 results in migration of VSMC at a faster rate
      using wound healing assays and augments PDGF-induced formation of circular dorsal
      ruffles (CDR), known to be involved in cell migration and internalization of
      surface receptors. Furthermore, aortic VSMC from ApoE-/- /p53-/- mice produce
      significantly more podosomes and are more invasive. We conclude that p53-/- VSMC
      are enriched in the fibrous caps of lesions at early stages of plaque formation,
      which is caused in part by an increase in VSMC migration and invasion as shown by
      p53-/- VSMC in culture having significantly higher rates of migration and
      producing more CDRs and invasive podosomes.

PMID- 28362833
TI  - Are health sciences students who sit at the back of the lecture hall not
      motivated?
AB  - OBJECTIVES: Motivation is a crucial determinant in learning and performance. It
      would therefore be advantageous for teachers to use strategies intended to have a
      positive effect on their students' motivation. With this in mind, the first thing
      to do is to identify students with motivation problems, which can be a complex
      exercise when there are large groups. We wanted to explore whether the place
      chosen by health sciences students in a classroom or lecture hall showed any
      correlation with their motivation. METHODS: We carried out a multicentre,
      prospective, observational study of 596 health sciences students in 9 training
      institutes. The students filled in a self-administered questionnaire to measure
      the different components of their motivation to take part in a mandatory lesson.
      These components were correlated with the row in which they sat in a classroom or
      lecture hall, when they had a free choice of where to sit. RESULTS: Apart from
      extrinsic motivation, all the components of motivation for the health sciences
      students recruited were significantly correlated with the row. The further the
      students were from the first row, the less they were motivated. CONCLUSION: In
      accordance with teachers' views, the level of motivation of the students was less
      the further their position in a classroom or lecture hall was from the first row.
      A student's position in the classroom could provide a useful indicator for
      teachers looking to target their motivational strategies for students with
      potential motivation problems in the environment, where identifying student
      motivation levels is impossible.

PMID- 28362831
TI  - The genetic evolution of canine parvovirus - A new perspective.
AB  - To trace the evolution process of CPV-2, all of the VP2 gene sequences of CPV-2
      and FPV (from 1978 to 2015) from GenBank were analyzed in this study. Then,
      several new ideas regarding CPV-2 evolution were presented. First, the VP2 amino
      acid 555 and 375 positions of CPV-2 were first ruled out as a universal mutation
      site in CPV-2a and amino acid 101 position of FPV feature I or T instead of only
      I in existing rule. Second, the recently confusing nomenclature of CPV-2 variants
      was substituted with a optional nomenclature that would serve future CPV-2
      research. Third, After check the global distribution of variants, CPV-2a is the
      predominant variant in Asia and CPV-2c is the predominant variant in Europe and
      Latin America. Fourth, a series of CPV-2-like strains were identified and deduced
      to evolve from modified live vaccine strains. Finally, three single VP2 mutation
      (F267Y, Y324I, and T440A) strains were caught concern. Furthermore, these three
      new VP2 mutation strains may be responsible for vaccine failure, and the strains
      with VP2 440A may become the novel CPV sub-variant. In conclusion, a summary of
      all VP2 sequences provides a new perspective regarding CPV-2 evolution and the
      correlative biological studies needs to be further performed.

PMID- 28362835
TI  - Numerical analysis of the slipstream development around a high-speed train in a
      double-track tunnel.
AB  - Analysis of the slipstream development around the high-speed trains in tunnels
      would provide references for assessing the transient gust loads on trackside
      workers and trackside furniture in tunnels. This paper focuses on the
      computational analysis of the slipstream caused by high-speed trains passing
      through double-track tunnels with a cross-sectional area of 100 m2. Three
      dimensional unsteady compressible Reynolds-averaged Navier-Stokes equations and a
      realizable k-epsilon turbulence model were used to describe the airflow
      characteristics around a high-speed train in the tunnel. The moving boundary
      problem was treated using the sliding mesh technology. Three cases were simulated
      in this paper, including two tunnel lengths and two different configurations of
      the train. The train speed in these three cases was 250 km/h. The accuracy of the
      numerical method was validated by the experimental data from full-scale tests,
      and reasonable consistency was obtained. The results show that the flow field
      around the high-speed trains can be divided into three distinct regions: the
      region in front of the train nose, the annular region and the wake region. The
      slipstream development along the two sides of train is not in balance and offsets
      to the narrow side in the double-track tunnels. Due to the piston effect, the
      slipstream has a larger peak value in the tunnel than in open air. The tunnel
      length, train length and length ratio affect the slipstream velocities; in
      particular, the velocities increase with longer trains. Moreover, the propagation
      of pressure waves also induces the slipstream fluctuations: substantial velocity
      fluctuations mainly occur in front of the train, and weaken with the decrease in
      amplitude of the pressure wave.

PMID- 28362834
TI  - The impact of inspired oxygen levels on calibrated fMRI measurements of M, OEF
      and resting CMRO2 using combined hypercapnia and hyperoxia.
AB  - Recent calibrated fMRI techniques using combined hypercapnia and hyperoxia allow
      the mapping of resting cerebral metabolic rate of oxygen (CMRO2) in absolute
      units, oxygen extraction fraction (OEF) and calibration parameter M (maximum
      BOLD). The adoption of such technique necessitates knowledge about the precision
      and accuracy of the model-derived parameters. One of the factors that may impact
      the precision and accuracy is the level of oxygen provided during periods of
      hyperoxia (HO). A high level of oxygen may bring the BOLD responses closer to the
      maximum M value, and hence reduce the error associated with the M interpolation.
      However, an increased concentration of paramagnetic oxygen in the inhaled air may
      result in a larger susceptibility area around the frontal sinuses and nasal
      cavity. Additionally, a higher O2 level may generate a larger arterial blood T1
      shortening, which require a bigger cerebral blood flow (CBF) T1 correction. To
      evaluate the impact of inspired oxygen levels on M, OEF and CMRO2 estimates, a
      cohort of six healthy adults underwent two different protocols: one where 60% of
      O2 was administered during HO (low HO or LHO) and one where 100% O2 was
      administered (high HO or HHO). The QUantitative O2 (QUO2) MRI approach was
      employed, where CBF and R2* are simultaneously acquired during periods of
      hypercapnia (HC) and hyperoxia, using a clinical 3 T scanner. Scan sessions were
      repeated to assess repeatability of results at the different O2 levels. Our T1
      values during periods of hyperoxia were estimated based on an empirical ex-vivo
      relationship between T1 and the arterial partial pressure of O2. As expected, our
      T1 estimates revealed a larger T1 shortening in arterial blood when administering
      100% O2 relative to 60% O2 (T1LHO = 1.56+/-0.01 sec vs. T1HHO = 1.47+/-0.01 sec,
      P < 4*10-13). In regard to the susceptibility artifacts, the patterns and number
      of affected voxels were comparable irrespective of the O2 concentration. Finally,
      the model-derived estimates were consistent regardless of the HO levels,
      indicating that the different effects are adequately accounted for within the
      model.

PMID- 28362837
TI  - Conversion coefficients for determination of dispersed photon dose during
      radiotherapy: NRUrad input code for MCNP.
AB  - Radiotherapy is a common cancer treatment module, where a certain amount of dose
      will be delivered to the targeted organ. This is achieved usually by photons
      generated by linear accelerator units. However, radiation scattering within the
      patient's body and the surrounding environment will lead to dose dispersion to
      healthy tissues which are not targets of the primary radiation. Determination of
      the dispersed dose would be important for assessing the risk and biological
      consequences in different organs or tissues. In the present work, the concept of
      conversion coefficient (F) of the dispersed dose was developed, in which F =
      (Dd/Dt), where Dd was the dispersed dose in a non-targeted tissue and Dt is the
      absorbed dose in the targeted tissue. To quantify Dd and Dt, a comprehensive
      model was developed using the Monte Carlo N-Particle (MCNP) package to simulate
      the linear accelerator head, the human phantom, the treatment couch and the
      radiotherapy treatment room. The present work also demonstrated the feasibility
      and power of parallel computing through the use of the Message Passing Interface
      (MPI) version of MCNP5.

PMID- 28362836
TI  - Numerical study on the hydrodynamics of thunniform bio-inspired swimming under
      self-propulsion.
AB  - Numerical simulations are employed to study the hydrodynamics of self-propelled
      thunniform swimming. The swimmer is modeled as a tuna-like flexible body
      undulating with kinematics of thunniform type. The wake evolution follows the
      vortex structures arranged nearly vertical to the forward direction, vortex
      dipole formation resulting in the propulsion motion, and finally a reverse Karman
      vortex street. We also carry out a systematic parametric study of various aspects
      of the fluid dynamics behind the freely swimming behavior, including the swimming
      speed, hydrodynamic forces, power requirement and wake vortices. The present
      results show that the fin thrust as well as swimming velocity is an increasing
      function of both tail undulating amplitude Ap and oscillating amplitude of the
      caudal fin thetam. Whereas change on the propulsive performance with Ap is
      associated with the strength of wake vortices and the area of suction region on
      the fin, the swimming performance improves with thetam due to the favorable
      tilting of the fin that make the pressure difference force more oriented toward
      the thrust direction. Moreover, the energy loss in the transverse direction and
      the power requirement increase with Ap but decrease with thetam, and this
      indicates that for achieving a desired swimming speed increasing thetam seems
      more efficiently than increasing Ap. Furthermore, we have compared the current
      simulations with the published experimental studies on undulatory swimming.
      Comparisons show that our work tackles the flow regime of natural thunniform
      swimmers and follows the principal scaling law of undulatory locomotion reported.
      Finally, this study enables a detailed quantitative analysis, which is difficult
      to obtain by experiments, of the force production of the thunniform mode as well
      as its connection to the self-propelled swimming kinematics and vortex wake
      structure. The current findings help provide insights into the swimming
      performance and mechanisms of self-propelled thunniform locomotion.

PMID- 28362838
TI  - Biosorption of silver cations onto Lactococcus lactis and Lactobacillus casei
      isolated from dairy products.
AB  - The current work deals with the phenomenon of silver cations uptake by two kinds
      of bacteria isolated from dairy products. The mechanism of sorption of silver
      cations by Lactococcus lactis and Lactobacillus casei bacteria was investigated.
      Inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) was used for determination
      of silver concentration sorbed by bacteria. Analysis of charge distribution was
      conducted by diffraction light scattering method. Changes in the ultrastructure
      of Lactococcus lactis and Lactobacillus casei cells after treatment with silver
      cations were investigated using transmission electron microscopy observation.
      Molecular spectroscopy methods, namely Fourier transform-infrared spectroscopy
      (FT-IR) and matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization mass spectrometry (MALDI
      MS) were employed for description of the sorption mechanism. Moreover, an
      analysis of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) extracted from bacterial cells was
      performed.

PMID- 28362839
TI  - Histopathological and prognostic significance of the expression of sex hormone
      receptors in bladder cancer: A meta-analysis of immunohistochemical studies.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: Emerging preclinical evidence suggests the involvement of sex hormones
      and their receptor signals in the development and progression of bladder cancer.
      Meanwhile, previous studies have demonstrated conflicting results on the
      relationship between the status of sex hormone receptors in urothelial tumors and
      histopathological characteristics of the tumors or patient outcomes. We therefore
      conducted this meta-analysis to assess the clinicopathological impact of the
      expression of androgen receptor (AR) and estrogen receptors (ERs) in bladder
      cancer. METHODS: A comprehensive literature search in databases (i.e. PubMed, Web
      of Science, Cochrane) was performed for all immunohistochemical studies stained
      for AR, ERalpha, and/or ERbeta in surgically resected bladder cancer specimens
      and analyzed for patient outcomes. We selected eligible studies in accordance
      with the PRISMA guidelines and analyzed data using R software. RESULTS: A total
      of 2,049 patients from 13 retrospective studies were included in this meta
      analysis. The difference in ERalpha expression between non-tumors and tumors was
      significant [odds ratio (OR) = 0.412; P<0.001], while those of AR (OR = 3.256; P
      = 0.336) or ERbeta (OR = 0.580; P = 0.674) were not statistically significant. AR
      positivity in tumors was strongly correlated with gender (male vs. female: OR =
      0.658; P = 0.027) or tumor grade (low-grade vs. high-grade: OR = 0.575; P<0.001).
      ERbeta positive rates were significantly higher in high-grade (OR = 2.169;
      P<0.001) and muscle-invasive (OR = 3.104; P<0.001) tumors than in low-grade and
      non-muscle-invasive tumors, respectively. Survival analysis in patients with non
      muscle-invasive bladder cancer revealed associations between AR expression and
      better recurrence-free survival [hazard ration (HR) = 0.593; P = 0.006) as well
      as between ERbeta expression and worse recurrence-free (HR = 1.573; P = 0.013) or
      progression-free (HR = 4.148; P = 0.089) survivals. CONCLUSIONS: These data
      suggest down-regulation of ERalpha expression in bladder tumors, compared with
      non-neoplastic urothelial tissues. AR or ERbeta expression was down- or up
      regulated, respectively, in high-grade and/or muscle-invasive bladder cancers.
      Moreover, immunohistochemistry of AR/ERbeta in surgical specimens may serve as
      prognosticators in patients with non-muscle-invasive bladder tumor.

PMID- 28362840
TI  - Aspirin-triggered resolvin D1 attenuates PDGF-induced vascular smooth muscle cell
      migration via the cyclic adenosine monophosphate/protein kinase A (cAMP/PKA)
      pathway.
AB  - BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Resolvin D1 (RvD1) is a specialized pro-resolving
      lipid mediator that has been previously shown to attenuate vascular smooth muscle
      cell (VSMC) migration, a key process in the development of intimal hyperplasia.
      We sought to investigate the role of the cAMP/PKA pathway in mediating the
      effects of the aspirin-triggered epimer 17R-RvD1 (AT-RvD1) on VSMC migration.
      METHODS: VSMCs were harvested from human saphenous veins. VSMCs were analyzed for
      intracellular cAMP levels and PKA activity after exposure to AT-RvD1. Platelet
      derived growth factor (PDGF)-induced migration and cytoskeletal changes in VSMCs
      were observed through scratch, Transwell, and cell shape assays in the presence
      or absence of a PKA inhibitor (Rp-8-Br-cAMP). Further investigation of the
      pathways involved in AT-RvD1 signaling was performed by measuring Rac1 activity,
      vasodilator stimulated phosphoprotein (VASP) phosphorylation and paxillin
      translocation. Finally, we examined the role of RvD1 receptors (GPR32 and
      ALX/FPR2) in AT-RvD1 induced effects on VSMC migration and PKA activity. RESULTS:
      Treatment with AT-RvD1 induced a significant increase in cAMP levels and PKA
      activity in VSMCs at 5 minutes and 30 minutes, respectively. AT-RvD1 attenuated
      PDGF-induced VSMC migration and cytoskeletal rearrangements. These effects were
      attenuated by the PKA inhibitor Rp-8-Br-cAMP, suggesting cAMP/PKA involvement.
      Treatment of VSMC with AT-RvD1 inhibited PDGF-stimulated Rac1 activity, increased
      VASP phosphorylation, and attenuated paxillin localization to focal adhesions;
      these effects were negated by the addition of Rp-8-Br-cAMP. The effects of AT
      RvD1 on VSMC migration and PKA activity were attenuated by blocking ALX/FPR2,
      suggesting an important role of this G-protein coupled receptor. CONCLUSIONS: Our
      results suggest that AT-RvD1 attenuates PDGF-induced VSMC migration via ALX/FPR2
      and cAMP/PKA. Interference with Rac1, VASP and paxillin function appear to
      mediate the downstream effects of AT-RvD1 on VSMC migration.

PMID- 28362841
TI  - Alteration of the alpha1beta2/alpha2beta1 subunit interface contributes to the
      increased hemoglobin-oxygen affinity of high-altitude deer mice.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Deer mice (Peromyscus maniculatus) that are native to high altitudes
      in the Rocky Mountains have evolved hemoglobins with an increased oxygen-binding
      affinity relative to those of lowland conspecifics. To elucidate the molecular
      mechanisms responsible for the evolved increase in hemoglobin-oxygen affinity,
      the crystal structure of the highland hemoglobin variant was solved and compared
      with the previously reported structure for the lowland variant. RESULTS: Highland
      hemoglobin yielded at least two crystal types, in which the longest axes were 507
      and 230 A. Using the smaller unit cell crystal, the structure was solved at 2.2 A
      resolution. The asymmetric unit contained two tetrameric hemoglobin molecules.
      CONCLUSIONS: The analyses revealed that alphaPro50 in the highland hemoglobin
      variant promoted a stable interaction between alphaHis45 and heme that was not
      seen in the alphaHis50 lowland variant. The alphaPro50 mutation also altered the
      nature of atomic contacts at the alpha1beta2/alpha2beta1 intersubunit interfaces.
      These results demonstrate how affinity-altering changes in intersubunit
      interactions can be produced by mutations at structurally remote sites.

PMID- 28362842
TI  - Virioplankton dynamics are related to eutrophication levels in a tropical
      urbanized bay.
AB  - Virioplankton are an important and abundant biological component of marine and
      freshwater ecosystems. Often overlooked, aquatic viruses play an important role
      in biogeochemical cycles on a global scale, infecting both autotrophic and
      heterotrophic microbes. Viral diversity, abundance, and viral interactions at
      different trophic levels in aqueous environments are not well understood.
      Tropical ecosystems are less frequently studied than temperate ecosystems, but
      could provide new insights into how physical and chemical variability can shape
      or force microbial community changes. In this study, we found high viral
      abundance values in Guanabara Bay relative to other estuaries around the world.
      Viral abundance was positively correlated with bacterioplankton abundance and
      chlorophyll a concentrations. Moreover, prokaryotic and viral abundance were
      positively correlated with eutrophication, especially in surface waters. These
      results provide novel baseline data on the quantitative distribution of aquatic
      viruses in tropical estuaries. They also provide new information on a complex and
      dynamic relationship in which environmental factors influence the abundance of
      bacterial hosts and consequently their viruses. Guanabara Bay is characterized by
      spatial and seasonal variations, and the eutrophication process is the most
      important factor explaining the structuring of virioplankton abundance and
      distribution in this tropical urbanized bay.

PMID- 28362843
TI  - The (non-)replicability of regulatory resource depletion: A field report
      employing non-invasive brain stimulation.
AB  - Cognitive effort and self-control are exhausting. Although evidence is ambiguous,
      behavioural studies have repeatedly suggested that control-demanding tasks seem
      to deplete a limited cache of self-regulatory resources leading to performance
      degradations and fatigue. While resource depletion has indirectly been associated
      with a decline in right prefrontal cortex capacity, its precise neural
      underpinnings have not yet been revealed. This study consisted of two independent
      experiments, which set out to investigate the causal role of the right
      dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) in a classic dual phase depletion paradigm
      employing non-invasive brain stimulation. In Experiment 1 we demonstrated a
      general depletion effect, which was significantly eliminated by anodal
      transcranial Direct Current Stimulation to the right DLPFC. In Experiment 2,
      however, we failed to replicate the basic psychological depletion effect within a
      second independent sample. The dissimilar results are discussed in the context of
      the current 'replication crisis' and suggestions for future studies are offered.
      While our current results do not allow us to firmly argue for or against the
      existence of resource depletion, we outline why it is crucial to further clarify
      which specific external and internal circumstances lead to limited replicability
      of the described effect. We showcase and discuss the current inter-lab
      replication problem based on two independent samples tested within one research
      group (intra-lab).

PMID- 28362844
TI  - Division of overall duration of stay into operative stay and postoperative stay
      improves the overall estimate as a measure of quality of outcome in burn care.
AB  - PATIENTS AND METHODS: Surgically managed burn patients admitted between 2010-14
      were included. Operative stay was defined as the time from admission until the
      last operation, postoperative stay as the time from the last operation until
      discharge. The difference in variation was analysed with F-test. A retrospective
      review of medical records was done to explore reasons for extended postoperative
      stay. Multivariable regression was used to assess factors associated with
      operative stay and postoperative stay. RESULTS: Operative stay/TBSA% showed less
      variation than total duration/TBSA% (F test = 2.38, p<0.01). The size of the
      burn, and the number of operations, were the independent factors that influenced
      operative stay (R2 0.65). Except for the size of the burn other factors were
      associated with duration of postoperative stay: wound related, psychological and
      other medical causes, advanced medical support, and accommodation arrangements
      before discharge, of which the two last were the most important with an increase
      of (mean) 12 and 17 days (p<0.001, R2 0.51). CONCLUSION: Adjusted operative stay
      showed less variation than total hospital stay and thus can be considered a more
      accurate outcome measure for surgically managed burns. The size of burn and
      number of operations are the factors affecting this outcome measure.

PMID- 28362845
TI  - Clinicopathologic implication of meticulous pathologic examination of regional
      lymph nodes in gastric cancer patients.
AB  - BACKGROUND: We aimed to investigate effect of increased number of examined lymph
      nodes (LNs) to pN category, and compare various N categories in gastric cancer:
      American Joint Committee on Cancer (AJCC) 7th edition, metastatic LN ratio (MLR),
      and log odds of positive LNs (LODDS). METHODS: Four cohorts with a total of 2,309
      gastric cancer patients were enrolled. For cohort 1 and 2, prognostic
      significance of each method by disease-specific survival was analyzed using
      Akaike and Bayesian information criterion (AIC and BIC). RESULTS: The total LNs
      in four cohorts significantly differed [median (range), 28 (6-97) in cohort 1, 37
      (8-120) in cohort 2, 48 (7-122) in cohort 3, and 54 (4-221) in cohort 4;
      p<0.001]. The numbers of negative LNs increased with increase of total LN
      (p<0.001), but the numbers of metastatic LNs did not increase from cohort 1 to 4.
      MLR and LODDS in four cohorts had decreasing tendency with increase of total LNs
      in each pT3 and pT4 category (p<0.001), while the numbers of metastatic LNs did
      not differ significantly in any pT category (p>0.05). The AIC and BIC varied
      according to different cut-off values for MLR; model by cut-offs of 0.2 and 0.5
      being better for cohort 1, while cut-offs 0.1 and 0.25 was better for cohort 2.
      CONCLUSION: Our study showed that the number of metastatic LNs did not increase
      with maximal pathologic examination of regional LNs. AJCC 7th system is suggested
      as the simplest method with single cut-off value, but prognostic significance of
      MLR may be influenced by various cut-offs.

PMID- 28362846
TI  - Literature-based condition-specific miRNA-mRNA target prediction.
AB  - miRNAs are small non-coding RNAs that regulate gene expression by binding to the
      3'-UTR of genes. Many recent studies have reported that miRNAs play important
      biological roles by regulating specific mRNAs or genes. Many sequence-based
      target prediction algorithms have been developed to predict miRNA targets.
      However, these methods are not designed for condition-specific target predictions
      and produce many false positives; thus, expression-based target prediction
      algorithms have been developed for condition-specific target predictions. A
      typical strategy to utilize expression data is to leverage the negative control
      roles of miRNAs on genes. To control false positives, a stringent cutoff value is
      typically set, but in this case, these methods tend to reject many true target
      relationships, i.e., false negatives. To overcome these limitations, additional
      information should be utilized. The literature is probably the best resource that
      we can utilize. Recent literature mining systems compile millions of articles
      with experiments designed for specific biological questions, and the systems
      provide a function to search for specific information. To utilize the literature
      information, we used a literature mining system, BEST, that automatically
      extracts information from the literature in PubMed and that allows the user to
      perform searches of the literature with any English words. By integrating omics
      data analysis methods and BEST, we developed Context-MMIA, a miRNA-mRNA target
      prediction method that combines expression data analysis results and the
      literature information extracted based on the user-specified context. In the
      pathway enrichment analysis using genes included in the top 200 miRNA-targets,
      Context-MMIA outperformed the four existing target prediction methods that we
      tested. In another test on whether prediction methods can re-produce
      experimentally validated target relationships, Context-MMIA outperformed the four
      existing target prediction methods. In summary, Context-MMIA allows the user to
      specify a context of the experimental data to predict miRNA targets, and we
      believe that Context-MMIA is very useful for predicting condition-specific miRNA
      targets.

PMID- 28362847
TI  - Sexual and individual foraging segregation in Gentoo penguins Pygoscelis papua
      from the Southern Ocean during an abnormal winter.
AB  - Knowledge about sexual segregation and gender-specific, or indeed individual
      specialization, in marine organisms has improved considerably in the past decade.
      In this context, we tested the "Intersexual Competition Hypothesis" for penguins
      by investigating the feeding ecology of Gentoo penguins during their austral
      winter non-breeding season. We considered this during unusual environmental
      conditions (i.e. the year 2009 had observations of high sea surface and air
      temperatures) in comparison with the long term average at Bird Island, South
      Georgia. Through conventional (i.e. stomach contents) and stable isotopic values
      from red blood cells, plasma and feathers of both male and female Gentoo
      penguins, we showed that there were significant differences between sexes, with
      males feeding mainly on fish (54% by mass) followed by crustaceans (38%) whereas
      females fed mainly on crustaceans (89% by mass) followed by fish (4%). Themisto
      gaudichaudii was the most important crustacean prey for males (64% by mass; 82%
      by number; 53% by frequency of occurrence) and females (63% by mass; 77% by
      number; 89% by frequency of occurrence), contrasting with all previous studies
      that found Antarctic krill Euphausia superba were generally the main prey. Stable
      isotopic data showed that, in terms of habitat use (based on delta 13C), there
      were significant differences in short-term carbon signatures between males and
      females (based on plasma and red blood cells), suggesting that both sexes
      explored different habitats, with females exploring more offshore pelagic waters
      and males feeding more in coastal benthic waters. Based on delta 15N, males fed
      on significantly higher trophic level than females (based on plasma and red blood
      cells), in agreement with our diet results., Thus, Gentoo penguins behave in a
      similar manner to other non-breeding penguins species (e.g. king, macaroni and
      rockhopper penguins), albeit at a smaller spatial scale (as they do not disperse
      as these other penguins do), in that they have a wider habitat and trophic niche
      during the Antarctic Winter (in comparison to Summer). We also detected
      individual specialization in feeding/trophic levels for each gender, with certain
      males feeding mainly on fish and certain females mainly on crustaceans, which may
      be driven the prevailing environmental conditions that lead individuals to search
      for alternative prey, and cause sexual diet segregation. Our results provide
      further information to help improve understanding about sexual segregation and
      individual specialization of marine organisms, while contributing valuable
      information on the winter diet for Antarctic monitoring programs and for
      modelling Antarctic marine food webs.

PMID- 28362848
TI  - Epidemiology of alcohol dependence in UK primary care: Results from a large
      observational study using the Clinical Practice Research Datalink.
AB  - This study aims to investigate the incidence and annual presentation rates of
      alcohol dependence in general practice in the UK, and examine age-, gender-,
      socioeconomic-, and region-specific variation. We conducted a retrospective
      'open' cohort study using the Clinical Practice Research Datalink (CPRD), an
      anonymised primary care database. Prior to data extraction, a case definition for
      alcohol dependence in CPRD was established using 47 Read codes, which included
      primary alcohol dependence and consequences of alcohol dependence. Directly
      standardised rates for incidence and annual presentation were calculated for each
      year between 1990 and 2013. Rates were compared by gender, age, UK home nation,
      and practice-level Index of Multiple Deprivation. The directly standardised
      annual incidence rates were 8.3 and 3.7 per 10,000 male and female patients,
      respectively. The estimated annual rates of presentation per 10,000 were 17.1 for
      males and 7.6 for females. Female to male rate ratios were: 0.40 (95% CI: 0.39
      0.41) for incident cases; and 0.37 (95% CI: 0.36-0.39) for annual presentation.
      Rates were highest in those aged 35-54 for both measures and across genders, and
      lowest in those aged over 75 years. With England as the reference nation,
      Northern Ireland and Scotland had significantly higher rates for both measures.
      Patients from the most deprived areas had the highest incidence and annual
      presentation rates. There is unequal distribution of patients with severe alcohol
      dependence across population subgroups in general practice. Given the health and
      economic burden associated with dependent drinking, these data will be useful in
      informing future public health initiatives.

PMID- 28362849
TI  - Incidence, risk, and associated factors of depression in adults with physical and
      sensory disabilities: A nationwide population-based study.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Physical disability has been associated with the risk of depression.
      We examined the incidence, risk, and associated factors of depression in
      Taiwanese adults with physical/sensory disabilities. METHODS: Two national
      databases were used to retrospectively analyze 749,491 >=20-year-old Taiwanese
      with physical/sensory disabilities in 2002-2008. The incidence of depression was
      analyzed by univariate Poisson regression. Risk factors of depression were
      followed up through 2014 and examined with a Cox proportional hazards model.
      RESULTS: Among the study subjects, the incidence of depression was 6.29 per 1000
      person-years, with 1.83 per 1000 person-years corresponding to major depression.
      The subjects' depression risk was affected by disability type, disability
      severity, gender, age, education, marital status, aboriginal status, monthly
      salary, residence urbanization level, and Charlson comorbidity index (CCI).
      Subjects with rare diseases, mild disability, female gender, age 35-44 years, a
      high school education level, divorced/widowed status, non-aboriginal status, a
      NT$22,801-28,800 monthly salary, a highly urbanized residence area, or a CCI>=3
      were at higher risk for depression. CONCLUSIONS AND IMPLICATIONS: Adults with
      physical/sensory disabilities have a 3.7-fold higher incidence of depression than
      the general population. Social services departments and family members should
      take extra measures toward preventing and treating depression in this
      subpopulation.

PMID- 28362850
TI  - Chemical property based sequence characterization of PpcA and its homolog
      proteins PpcB-E: A mathematical approach.
AB  - Periplasmic c7 type cytochrome A (PpcA) protein is determined in Geobacter
      sulfurreducens along with its other four homologs (PpcB-E). From the crystal
      structure viewpoint the observation emerges that PpcA protein can bind with
      Deoxycholate (DXCA), while its other homologs do not. But it is yet to be
      established with certainty the reason behind this from primary protein sequence
      information. This study is primarily based on primary protein sequence analysis
      through the chemical basis of embedded amino acids. Firstly, we look for the
      chemical group specific score of amino acids. Along with this, we have developed
      a new methodology for the phylogenetic analysis based on chemical group
      dissimilarities of amino acids. This new methodology is applied to the cytochrome
      c7 family members and pinpoint how a particular sequence is differing with
      others. Secondly, we build a graph theoretic model on using amino acid sequences
      which is also applied to the cytochrome c7 family members and some unique
      characteristics and their domains are highlighted. Thirdly, we search for unique
      patterns as subsequences which are common among the group or specific individual
      member. In all the cases, we are able to show some distinct features of PpcA that
      emerges PpcA as an outstanding protein compared to its other homologs, resulting
      towards its binding with deoxycholate. Similarly, some notable features for the
      structurally dissimilar protein PpcD compared to the other homologs are also
      brought out. Further, the five members of cytochrome family being homolog
      proteins, they must have some common significant features which are also
      enumerated in this study.

PMID- 28362851
TI  - Clinical role, optimal timing and frequency of serum infliximab and anti
      infliximab antibody level measurements in patients with inflammatory bowel
      disease.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Serum infliximab (IFX) and antibody-to-infliximab (ATI) levels are
      objective parameters, that may have a great role in the therapeutic decisions
      during maintenance biological therapy. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS: 48
      inflammatory bowel disease patients receiving maintenance IFX therapy were
      prospectively enrolled and divided into adequate (complete remission N = 20) and
      inadequate responder (partial response, loss of response, dose escalation; N =
      28) groups. Blood samples were collected just before (trough level, TL) and two
      (W2aTL) and six weeks (W6aTL) after the administration of IFX. RESULTS: Single
      measurement of ATI titer was insufficient for predicting therapeutic response due
      to transient expression of ATI, however, using the three points' measurements,
      significant difference has been detected between the adequate and inadequate
      responder group (5.0% vs 35.7%; p = 0.016). The mean value of TL was
      significantly higher in the adequate responder group (3.11+/-1.64 vs.1.19+/-1.11;
      p<0.001) without further difference on the second and sixth week. Sensitivity and
      specificity for predicting the therapeutic response were 85.0% and 71.4% based on
      the cut-off value of TL 2.0 MUg/ml. CONCLUSION: Simultaneous measurement of serum
      IFX level prior to administration of regular IFX infusion and ATI titers
      significantly increase the diagnostic accuracy for the therapeutic decision in
      patients uncertainly responding to the therapy. The measurement of W2aTL and
      W6aTL levels did not result in further improvement in the prediction of
      therapeutic response.

PMID- 28362852
TI  - Novel phosphate-activated macrophages prevent ectopic calcification by increasing
      extracellular ATP and pyrophosphate.
AB  - PURPOSE: Phosphorus is an essential nutrient involved in many pathobiological
      processes. Less than 1% of phosphorus is found in extracellular fluids as
      inorganic phosphate ion (Pi) in solution. High serum Pi level promotes ectopic
      calcification in many tissues, including blood vessels. Here, we studied the
      effect of elevated Pi concentration on macrophage polarization and calcification.
      Macrophages, present in virtually all tissues, play key roles in health and
      disease and display remarkable plasticity, being able to change their physiology
      in response to environmental cues. METHODS AND RESULTS: High-throughput
      transcriptomic analysis and functional studies demonstrated that Pi induces
      unpolarized macrophages to adopt a phenotype closely resembling that of
      alternatively-activated M2 macrophages, as revealed by arginine hydrolysis and
      energetic and antioxidant profiles. Pi-induced macrophages showed an anti
      calcifying action mediated by increased availability of extracellular ATP and
      pyrophosphate. CONCLUSION: We conclude that the ability of Pi-activated
      macrophages to prevent calcium-phosphate deposition is a compensatory mechanism
      protecting tissues from hyperphosphatemia-induced pathologic calcification.

PMID- 28362853
TI  - Mouse blastomeres acquire ability to divide asymmetrically before compaction.
AB  - The mouse preimplantation embryo generates the precursors of trophectoderm (TE)
      and inner cell mass (ICM) during the 8- to 16-cell stage transition, when the
      apico-basal polarized blastomeres undergo divisions that give rise to cells with
      different fate. Asymmetric segregation of polar domain at 8-16 cell division
      generate two cell types, polar cells which adopt an outer position and develop in
      TE and apolar cells which are allocated to inner position as the precursors of
      ICM. It is still not know when the blastomeres of 8-cell stage start to be
      determined to undergo asymmetric division. Here, we analyze the frequency of
      symmetric and asymmetric divisions of blastomeres isolated from 8-cell stage
      embryo before and after compaction. Using p-Ezrin as the polarity marker we found
      that size of blastomeres in 2/16 pairs cannot be used as a criterion for
      distinguishing symmetric and asymmetric divisions. Our results showed that at
      early 8-cell stage, before any visible signs of cortical polarity, a subset of
      blastomeres had been already predestined to divide asymmetrically. We also showed
      that almost all of 8-cell stage blastomeres isolated from compacted embryo divide
      asymmetrically, whereas in intact embryos, the frequency of asymmetric divisions
      is significantly lower. Therefore we conclude that in intact embryo the frequency
      of symmetric and asymmetric division is regulated by cell-cell interactions.

PMID- 28362854
TI  - Molecular and cellular responses of the pathogenic fungus Lomentospora
      prolificans to the antifungal drug voriconazole.
AB  - The filamentous fungus Lomentospora (Scedosporium) prolificans is an emerging
      opportunistic pathogen associated with fatal infections in patients with
      disturbed immune function. Unfortunately, conventional therapies are hardly of
      any use against this fungus due to its intrinsic resistance. Therefore, we
      performed an integrated study of the L. prolificans responses to the first option
      to treat these mycoses, namely voriconazole, with the aim of unveiling mechanisms
      involved in the resistance to this compound. To do that, we used a wide range of
      techniques, including fluorescence and electron microscopy to study morphological
      alterations, ion chromatography to measure changes in cell-wall carbohydrate
      composition, and proteomics-based techniques to identify the proteins
      differentially expressed under the presence of the drug. Significantly, we showed
      drastic changes occurring in cell shape after voriconazole exposure, L.
      prolificans hyphae being shorter and wider than under control conditions.
      Interestingly, we proved that the architecture and carbohydrate composition of
      the cell wall had been modified in the presence of the drug. Specifically, L.
      prolificans constructed a more complex organelle with a higher presence of
      glucans and mannans. In addition to this, we identified several differentially
      expressed proteins, including Srp1 and heat shock protein 70 (Hsp70), as the most
      overexpressed under voriconazole-induced stress conditions. The mechanisms
      described in this study, which may be directly related to L. prolificans
      antifungal resistance or tolerance, could be used as targets to improve existing
      therapies or to develop new ones in order to successfully eliminate these
      mycoses.

PMID- 28362855
TI  - Inhibition of ANO1 by luteolin and its cytotoxicity in human prostate cancer PC-3
      cells.
AB  - Anoctamin 1 (ANO1), a calcium-activated chloride channel, is highly amplified in
      prostate cancer, the most common form of cancer and leading causes of cancer
      death in men, and downregulation of ANO1 expression or its functional activity is
      known to inhibit cell proliferation, migration and invasion in prostate cancer
      cells. Here, we performed a cell-based screening for the identification of ANO1
      inhibitors as potential anticancer therapeutic agents for prostate cancer.
      Screening of ~300 selected bioactive natural products revealed that luteolin is a
      novel potent inhibitor of ANO1. Electrophysiological studies indicated that
      luteolin potently inhibited ANO1 chloride channel activity in a dose-dependent
      manner with an IC50 value of 9.8 MUM and luteolin did not alter intracellular
      calcium signaling in PC-3 prostate cancer cells. Luteolin inhibited cell
      proliferation and migration of PC-3 cells expressing high levels of ANO1 more
      potently than that of ANO1-deficient PC-3 cells. Notably, luteolin not only
      inhibited ANO1 channel activity, but also strongly decreased protein expression
      levels of ANO1. Our results suggest that downregulation of ANO1 by luteolin is a
      potential mechanism for the anticancer effect of luteolin.

PMID- 28362856
TI  - GABAA receptor-expressing neurons promote consumption in Drosophila melanogaster.
AB  - Feeding decisions are highly plastic and bidirectionally regulated by neurons
      that either promote or inhibit feeding. In Drosophila melanogaster, recent
      studies have identified four GABAergic interneurons that act as critical brakes
      to prevent incessant feeding. These GABAergic neurons may inhibit target neurons
      that drive consumption. Here, we tested this hypothesis by examining GABA
      receptors and neurons that promote consumption. We find that Resistance to
      dieldrin (RDL), a GABAA type receptor, is required for proper control of
      ingestion. Knockdown of Rdl in a subset of neurons causes overconsumption of
      tastants. Acute activation of these neurons is sufficient to drive consumption of
      appetitive substances and non-appetitive substances and acute silencing of these
      neurons decreases consumption. Taken together, these studies identify GABAA
      receptor-expressing neurons that promote Drosophila ingestive behavior and
      provide insight into feeding regulation.

PMID- 28362857
TI  - A novel synaptic junction preparation for the identification and characterization
      of cleft proteins.
AB  - Identification of synaptic cleft components has been hampered by the lack of a
      suitable preparation enriched in synaptic junctions devoid of adjoining
      peripheral membranes. Prior strategies for the isolation of synaptic junctions,
      relying on detergents for the removal of peripheral membranes, resulted in
      substantial loss of membranes lining the cleft. Here, a novel, detergent-free
      method is described for the preparation of a synaptic junction (SJ) fraction,
      using phospholipase A2. Limited digestion of synaptic plasma membrane (SPM)
      fraction with phospholipase A2 followed by centrifugation over a sucrose cushion
      results in selective removal of membranes peripheral to the cleft while
      junctional membranes remain relatively intact as observed by electron microscopy.
      Enrichment in synaptic junctional structures and loss of membranes peripheral to
      the junctional area are further verified by demonstrating enrichment in PSD-95
      and loss in mGluR5, respectively. The SJ fraction is enriched in neuroligins and
      neurexins, in agreement with immuno-electron microscopy data showing their
      selective localization to the junctional area. Among additional cell adhesion
      molecules tested, N-cadherin and specific isoforms of the SynCAM and SALM
      families also show marked enrichment in the SJ fraction, suggesting preferential
      localization at the synaptic cleft while others show little enrichment or
      decrease, suggesting that they are not restricted to or concentrated at the
      synaptic cleft. Treatment of the SJ fraction with glycosidases results in
      electrophoretic mobility shifts of all cell adhesion molecules tested, indicating
      glycosylation at the synaptic cleft. Biochemical and ultrastructural data
      presented indicate that the novel synaptic junction preparation can be used as a
      predictive tool for the identification and characterization of the components of
      the synaptic cleft.

PMID- 28362859
TI  - Impact of experimental hypercalcemia on routine haemostasis testing.
AB  - BACKGROUND: The blood to anticoagulant ratio is standardized according to the
      physiological calcium concentration in blood samples conventionally used for
      hemostasis testing. Specifically, one fixed volume of 0.109 mmol/L sodium citrate
      is added to 9 volumes of blood. Since little is known about the impact of
      hypercalcemia on the calcium-binding capacity of citrate, this study was planned
      to investigate the effect of experimental hypercalcemia on routine hemostasis
      testing. METHODS: Fifteen pooled citrated plasmas with matching lithium-heparin
      pooled plasma from patients with different values of prothrombin time (PT) were
      divided in three aliquots of 0.6mL each. The first paired aliquots of both
      citrate and lithium-heparin plasma were supplemented with 60MUL of saline, the
      second paired aliquots with 30MUL of saline and 30MUL of calcium chloride and the
      third paired aliquots with 60MUL of calcium chloride. Total and ionized calcium
      was measured in all aliquots of citrate and lithium-heparin plasma, whereas PT,
      activated partial thromboplastin time (APTT) and fibrinogen were measured in
      citrate plasma aliquots. RESULTS: Total calcium concentration gradually increased
      in both lithium-heparin and citrate plasma aliquots 2 and 3 compared to baseline
      aliquot 1. The concentration of ionized calcium also gradually increased in
      lithium-heparin plasma aliquots 2 and 3, whereas it remained immeasurable (i.e.,
      <0.10 mmol/L) in all citrate plasma aliquots. No significant differences were
      observed for values of PT, APTT and fibrinogen in citrate plasma aliquots 2 and 3
      compared to the baseline aliquot 1, with a mean bias was always comprised within
      the desirable quality specifications derived from biological variability data.
      CONCLUSION: Hypercalcemia, up to severe hypercalcemia does not generate
      significant bias in results of first-line coagulations tests, so that
      hypothetical consideration of adjusting citrate-blood ratio is unjustified in
      hypercalcemic patients.

PMID- 28362858
TI  - 3-bromopyruvate and buthionine sulfoximine effectively kill anoikis-resistant
      hepatocellular carcinoma cells.
AB  - BACKGROUND & AIMS: Acquisition of anoikis resistance is a prerequisite for
      metastasis in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). However, little is known about how
      energy metabolism and antioxidant systems are altered in anoikis-resistant (AR)
      HCC cells. We evaluated anti-tumor effects of a combination treatment of 3
      bromopyruvate (3-BP) and buthionine sulfoximine (BSO) in AR HCC cells. METHODS:
      We compared glycolysis, reactive oxygen species (ROS) production, and
      chemoresistance among Huh-BAT, HepG2 HCC cells, and the corresponding AR cells.
      Expression of hexokinase II, gamma-glutamylcysteine synthetase (rGCS), and
      epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) markers in AR cells was assessed. Anti
      tumor effects of a combination treatment of 3-BP and BSO were evaluated in AR
      cells and an HCC xenograft mouse model. RESULTS: AR HCC cells showed
      significantly higher chemoresistance, glycolysis and lower ROS production than
      attached cells. Expression of hexokinase II, rGCS, and EMT markers was higher in
      AR HCC cells than attached cells. A combination treatment of 3-BP/BSO effectively
      suppressed proliferation of AR HCC cells through apoptosis by blocking glycolysis
      and enhancing ROS levels. In xenograft mouse models, tumor growth derived from AR
      HCC cells was significantly suppressed in the group treated with 3-BP/BSO
      compared to the group treated with 3-BP or sorafenib. CONCLUSIONS: These results
      demonstrated that a combination treatment of 3-BP/BSO had a synergistic anti
      tumor effect in an AR HCC model. This strategy may be an effective adjuvant
      therapy for patients with sorafenib-resistant HCC.

PMID- 28362860
TI  - Hyperlipidemia and statins use for the risk of new-onset anxiety/depression in
      patients with head and neck cancer: A population-based study.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: Anxiety/depression is common among patients with head and neck cancer
      (HNC), and can negatively affect treatment compliance and outcome. The aim of
      this study was to assess the association between hyperlipidemia and the risk of
      new-onset anxiety/depression after the diagnosis of HNC and the influence of
      administering statins. METHODS: A matched longitudinal cohort study of 1632
      subjects (408 HNC patients with preexisting hyperlipidemia and 1224 age- and sex
      matched HNC patients without hyperlipidemia) was included and analyzed by using
      data from Taiwan's National Health Insurance Research Database from January 1996
      to December 2012. The incidence and hazard ratios (HRs) for the development of
      new-onset anxiety/depression were examined between the two groups. Cox
      proportional hazard regression was applied to estimate the relative risks of
      anxiety/depressive disorders adjusted for potential confounding factors. To
      estimate the risks of anxiety/depression in different sub-groups, a stratified
      analysis was also used. RESULTS: HNC patients with preexisting hyperlipidemia had
      a higher risk for comorbidities such as hypertension, diabetes mellitus, and
      cardiovascular disease (P <0.001). The incidence rate of anxiety/depression in
      the HNC patients with preexisting hyperlipidemia was also significantly higher
      than that among patients without hyperlipidemia (10.78% vs 7.27%, respectively; P
      = 0.03). A Cox regression model revealed that preexisting hyperlipidemia was an
      independent risk factor for anxiety/depression (aHR, 1.96; 95% CI, 1.30-2.94).
      Statins use was protective against anxiety/depression among HNC patients with
      hyperlipidemia (aHR, 0.85; 95% CI, 0.46-1.57), especially for individuals older
      than 65 years and for females. CONCLUSIONS: Preexisting hyperlipidemia was
      associated with increased risk of new-onset anxiety/depression in the HNC
      patients. Statins use for HNC patients with hyperlipidemia could decrease the
      risk of anxiety/depression, especially for those older than 65 years and for
      female patients.

PMID- 28362861
TI  - Depression, distress and self-efficacy: The impact on diabetes self-care
      practices.
AB  - The prevalence of type 2 diabetes is increasing in Malaysia, and people with
      diabetes have been reported to suffer from depression and diabetes distress which
      influences their self-efficacy in performing diabetes self-care practices. This
      interviewer administered, cross sectional study, conducted in the district of
      Hulu Selangor, Malaysia, involving 371 randomly selected patients with type 2
      diabetes, recruited from 6 health clinics, aimed to examine a conceptual model
      regarding the association between depression, diabetes distress and self-efficacy
      with diabetes self-care practices using the partial least square approach of
      structural equation modeling. In this study, diabetes self-care practices were
      similar regardless of sex, age group, ethnicity, education level, diabetes
      complications or type of diabetes medication. This study found that self-efficacy
      had a direct effect on diabetes self-care practice (path coefficient = 0.438,
      p<0.001). Self-care was not directly affected by depression and diabetes
      distress, but indirectly by depression (path coefficient = -0.115, p<0.01) and
      diabetes distress (path coefficient = -0.122, p<0.001) via self-efficacy. In
      conclusion, to improve self-care practices, effort must be focused on enhancing
      self-efficacy levels, while not forgetting to deal with depression and diabetes
      distress, especially among those with poorer levels of self-efficacy.

PMID- 28362862
TI  - Intimate partner violence in the post-war context: Women's experiences and
      community leaders' perceptions in the Eastern Province of Sri Lanka.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Exposure to armed conflict and/or war have been linked to an increase
      in intimate partner violence (IPV) against women. A substantial body of work has
      focused on non-partner rape and sexual violence in war and post-war contexts, but
      research about IPV is limited, particularly in Asian settings. This paper
      presents the finding of a study conducted in the Eastern Province of Sri Lanka.
      The study explored women's experiences of and responses to IPV as well as how
      health and social service providers perceive the problem. It also explored the
      IPV-related services and supports available after the end of a 30-year civil war.
      METHOD: We conducted in-depth, qualitative interviews with 15 women who had
      experienced IPV and 15 service providers who were knowledgeable about IPV in the
      Eastern Province of Sri Lanka. Interviews were translated into English, coded and
      organized using NVivo8, and analyzed using inductive thematic analysis. RESULTS:
      Participants described IPV as a widespread but hidden problem. Women had
      experienced various forms of abusive and controlling behaviours, some of which
      reflect the reality of living in the post-war context. The psychological effects
      of IPV were common, but were often attributed to war-related trauma. Some men
      used violence to control women and to reinstate power when their gender roles
      were reversed or challenged due to war and post-war changes in livelihoods. While
      some service providers perceived an increase in awareness about IPV and more
      services to address it, this was discordant with women's fears, feelings of
      oppression, and perception of a lack of redress from IPV within a highly
      militarized and ethnically-polarized society. Most women did not consider leaving
      an abusive relationship to be an option, due to realistic fears about their
      vulnerability to community violence, the widespread social norms that would cast
      them as outsiders, and the limited availability of related services and supports.
      IMPLICATIONS: These findings revealed the need for more research about IPV in
      post-war contexts. Women's experiences in such contexts are influenced and may be
      masked by a complex set of factors that intersect to produce IPV and entrap women
      in violence. A more nuanced understanding of the context-specific issues that
      shape women's experiences of IPV- and community responses to it-is needed to
      develop more comprehensive solutions that are relevant to the local context.

PMID- 28362863
TI  - Bacteriophage preparation lytic for Shigella significantly reduces Shigella
      sonnei contamination in various foods.
AB  - ShigaShieldTM is a phage preparation composed of five lytic bacteriophages that
      specifically target pathogenic Shigella species found in contaminated waters and
      foods. In this study, we examined the efficacy of various doses (9x105-9x107
      PFU/g) of ShigaShieldTM in removing experimentally added Shigella on deli meat,
      smoked salmon, pre-cooked chicken, lettuce, melon and yogurt. The highest dose
      (2x107 or 9x107 PFU/g) of ShigaShieldTM applied to each food type resulted in at
      least 1 log (90%) reduction of Shigella in all the food types. There was
      significant (P<0.01) reduction in the Shigella levels in all phage treated foods
      compared to controls, except for the lowest phage dose (9x105 PFU/g) on melon
      where reduction was only ca. 45% (0.25 log). The genomes of each component phage
      in the cocktail were fully sequenced and analyzed, and they were found not to
      contain any "undesirable genes" including those listed in the US Code for Federal
      Regulations (40 CFR Ch1). Our data suggest that ShigaShieldTM (and similar phage
      preparations with potent lytic activity against Shigella spp.) may offer a safe
      and effective approach for reducing the levels of Shigella in various foods that
      may be contaminated with the bacterium.

PMID- 28362865
TI  - Towards an efficient compression of 3D coordinates of macromolecular structures.
AB  - The size and complexity of 3D macromolecular structures available in the Protein
      Data Bank is constantly growing. Current tools and file formats have reached
      limits of scalability. New compression approaches are required to support the
      visualization of large molecular complexes and enable new and scalable means for
      data analysis. We evaluated a series of compression techniques for coordinates of
      3D macromolecular structures and identified the best performing approaches. By
      balancing compression efficiency in terms of the decompression speed and
      compression ratio, and code complexity, our results provide the foundation for a
      novel standard to represent macromolecular coordinates in a compact and useful
      file format.

PMID- 28362864
TI  - Epidemiological study of relapsing fever borreliae detected in Haemaphysalis
      ticks and wild animals in the western part of Japan.
AB  - The genus Borrelia comprises arthropod-borne bacteria, which are infectious
      agents in vertebrates. They are mainly transmitted by ixodid or argasid ticks. In
      Hokkaido, Japan, Borrelia spp. were found in deer and Haemaphysalis ticks between
      2011 and 2013; however, the study was limited to a particular area. Therefore, in
      the present study, we conducted large-scale surveillance of ticks and wild
      animals in the western part of the main island of Japan. We collected 6,407 host
      seeking ticks from two regions and 1,598 larvae obtained from 32 engorged female
      ticks and examined them to elucidate transovarial transmission. In addition, we
      examined whole blood samples from 190 wild boars and 276 sika deer, as well as
      sera from 120 wild raccoons. We detected Borrelia spp. in Haemaphysalis flava,
      Haemaphysalis megaspinosa, Haemaphysalis kitaokai, Haemaphysalis longicornis, and
      Haemaphysalis formosensis. In addition, we isolated a strain from H. megaspinosa
      using Barbour-Stoenner-Kelly medium. The minimum infection rate of ticks was less
      than 5%. Transovarial transmission was observed in H. kitaokai. Phylogenetic
      analysis of the isolated strain and DNA fragments amplified from ticks identified
      at least four bacterial genotypes, which corresponded to the tick species
      detected. Bacteria were detected in 8.4%, 15%, and 0.8% of wild boars, sika deer,
      and raccoons, respectively. In this study, we found seasonal differences in the
      prevalence of bacterial genotypes in sika deer during the winter and summer. The
      tick activity season corresponds to the season with a high prevalence of animals.
      The present study suggests that a particular bacterial genotype detected in this
      study are defined by a particular tick species in which they are present.

PMID- 28362867
TI  - Working memory test battery for young adults: Computerized working memory
      assessment.
AB  - This study developed a battery of computerized working memory (WM) tests and a
      scoring system suitable for young adult users. The tests comprised five classic
      tasks derived from Baddeley's model of WM, reflecting each of the five WM
      functions. We recruited 115 undergraduate and graduate students from various
      academic fields and constructed a preliminary WM scoring norm for young adults.
      The scoring norm was used as a basis for developing a computerized assessment
      system. The results of correlation analysis show that the fluid intelligence of
      young adults is related to the memory function of WM, but not to the central
      executive system. The proposed working memory test battery for young adults
      comprehensively reflects the WM capacity of adults.

PMID- 28362866
TI  - Thoraco-abdominal coordination and performance during uphill running at altitude.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: Running races on mountain trails at moderate-high altitude with
      large elevation changes throughout has become increasingly popular. During
      exercise at altitude, ventilatory demands increase due to the combined effects of
      exercise and hypoxia. AIM: To investigate the relationships between thoraco
      abdominal coordination, ventilatory pattern, oxygen saturation (SpO2), and
      endurance performance in runners during high-intensity uphill exercise. METHODS:
      Fifteen participants (13 males, mean age 42+/-9 yrs) ran a "Vertical Kilometer,"
      i.e., an uphill run involving a climb of approximately 1000 m with a slope
      greater than 30%. The athletes were equipped with a portable respiratory
      inductive plethysmography system, a finger pulse oximeter and a global
      positioning unit (GPS). The ventilatory pattern (ventilation (VE), tidal volume
      (VT), respiratory rate (RR), and VE/VT ratio), thoraco-abdominal coordination,
      which is represented by the phase angle (PhA), and SpO2 were evaluated at rest
      and during the run. Before and after the run, we assessed respiratory function,
      respiratory muscle strength and the occurrence of interstitial pulmonary edema by
      thoracic ultrasound. RESULTS: Two subjects were excluded from the respiratory
      inductive plethysmography analysis due to motion artifacts. A quadratic
      relationship between the slope and the PhA was observed (r = 0.995, p = 0.036).
      When the slope increased above 30%, the PhA increased, indicating a reduction in
      thoraco-abdominal coordination. The reduced thoraco-abdominal coordination was
      significantly related to reduced breathing efficiency (i.e., an increased VE/VT
      ratio; r = 0.961, p = 0.038) and SpO2 (r = -0.697, p<0.001). Lower SpO2 values
      were associated with lower speeds at 20%>=slope<=40% (r = 0.335, p<0.001 for
      horizontal and r = 0.36, p<0.001 for vertical). The reduced thoraco-abdominal
      coordination and consequent reduction in SpO2 were associated with interstitial
      pulmonary edema. CONCLUSION: Reductions in thoraco-abdominal coordination are
      associated with a less efficient ventilatory pattern and lower SpO2 during uphill
      running. This fact could have a negative effect on performance.

PMID- 28362868
TI  - A socioeconomic related 'digital divide' exists in how, not if, young people use
      computers.
AB  - Government initiatives have tried to ensure uniform computer access for young
      people; however a divide related to socioeconomic status (SES) may still exist in
      the nature of information technology (IT) use. This study aimed to investigate
      this relationship in 1,351 Western Australian children between 6 and 17 years of
      age. All participants had computer access at school and 98.9% at home.
      Neighbourhood SES was related to computer use, IT activities, playing musical
      instruments, and participating in vigorous physical activity. Participants from
      higher SES neighbourhoods were more exposed to school computers, reading, playing
      musical instruments, and vigorous physical activity. Participants from lower SES
      neighbourhoods were more exposed to TV, electronic games, mobile phones, and non
      academic computer activities at home. These patterns may impact future economic,
      academic, and health outcomes. Better insight into neighbourhood SES influences
      will assist in understanding and managing the impact of computer use on young
      people's health and development.

PMID- 28362869
TI  - High prevalence of curable sexually transmitted infections among pregnant women
      in a rural county hospital in Kilifi, Kenya.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Women attending antenatal care (ANC) in resource-limited countries
      are frequently screened for syphilis and HIV, but rarely for other sexually
      transmitted infections (STIs). We assessed the prevalence of curable STIs,
      defined as infection with either Chlamydia trachomatis or Neisseria gonorrhoeae
      or Trichomonas vaginalis, from July to September 2015. METHODS: In a cross
      sectional study, women attending ANC at the Kilifi County Hospital, Kenya, had a
      urine sample tested for C. trachomatis/N. gonorrhoeae by GeneXpert(r) and a
      vaginal swab for T. vaginalis by culture. Bacterial vaginosis (BV) was defined as
      a Nugent score of 7-10 of the Gram stain of a vaginal smear in combination with
      self-reported vaginal discharge. Genital ulcers were observed during collection
      of vaginal swabs. All women responded to questions on socio-demographics and
      sexual health and clinical symptoms of STIs. Predictors for curable STIs were
      assessed in multivariable logistic regression. RESULTS: A total of 42/202 (20.8%,
      95% confidence interval (CI):15.4-27.0) women had a curable STI. The prevalence
      was 14.9% for C. trachomatis (95% CI:10.2-20.5), 1.0% for N. gonorrhoeae (95% CI:
      0.1-3.5), 7.4% for T. vaginalis (95% CI:4.2-12.0), 19.3% for BV (95% CI: 14.1
      25.4) and 2.5% for genital ulcers (95% CI: 0.8-5.7). Predictors for infection
      with curable STIs included women with a genital ulcer (adjusted odds ratio (AOR)
      = 35.0, 95% CI: 2.7-461.6) compared to women without a genital ulcer, women who
      used water for cleaning after visiting the toilet compared to those who used
      toilet paper or other solid means (AOR = 4.1, 95% CI:1.5-11.3), women who
      reported having sexual debut <= 17 years compared to women having sexual debut
      >=18 years (AOR = 2.7, 95% CI:1.1-6.6), and BV-positive women (AOR = 2.7, 95%
      CI:1.1-6.6) compared to BV-negative women. CONCLUSION: One in five women
      attending ANC had a curable STI. These infections were associated with genital
      ulcers, hygiene practices, early sexual debut and bacterial vaginosis.

PMID- 28362870
TI  - Gender differences in first and secondhand smoke exposure, spirometric lung
      function and cardiometabolic health in the old order Amish: A novel population
      without female smoking.
AB  - Due to their relatively homogeneous lifestyle and living environment, the Amish
      offer a novel opportunity to study the health associations of tobacco smoke
      exposure, particularly secondhand smoke. We hypothesized that secondhand smoke
      exposure is associated with worse pulmonary and cardiometabolic health. We
      examined cross-sectional data on 3568 Amish study participants, including tobacco
      use and secondhand smoke exposure from family members included in the study.
      Thirty-four percent of Amish men reported ever smoking. Of this proportion, 64%
      used cigars, 46% cigarettes, and 21% pipes. Less than 1% of women reported ever
      smoking. Smoking was associated with lower spirometric lung function, higher body
      mass index, lower HDL cholesterol, higher heart rate, lower ankle-brachial index,
      and larger aortic diameter in men. A greater number of sources of secondhand
      smoke exposure (defined from the total of spouses, parents, and siblings who
      smoke) was associated with higher body mass index (p = 0.03) and with higher
      fasting glucose in men (p = 0.01), but not in women (p = 0.007 for sex*secondhand
      smoke interaction). Secondhand smoke exposure was also associated with reduced
      HDL cholesterol only in women (p = 0.002) and a lower heart rate only in men (p =
      0.006). Smoking habits among the Old Order Amish are notable for the absence of
      female participation and a high proportion of cigar and pipe use. Smoking is
      associated with decreased spirometric indices of lung function and increased
      cardiovascular risk in this population and secondhand smoke exposure is
      associated with a greater burden of risk factors for cardiovascular disease. Sex
      differences in correlations could reflect differences in exposure patterns,
      mechanisms, or susceptibilities.

PMID- 28362871
TI  - Establishing a small animal model for evaluating protective immunity against
      mumps virus.
AB  - Although mumps vaccines have been used for several decades, protective immune
      correlates have not been defined. Recently, mumps outbreaks have occurred in
      vaccinated populations. To better understand the causes of the outbreaks and to
      develop means to control outbreaks in mumps vaccine immunized populations,
      defining protective immune correlates will be critical. Unfortunately, no small
      animal model for assessing mumps immunity exists. In this study, we evaluated use
      of type I interferon (IFN) alpha/beta receptor knockout mice (IFN-alpha/betaR-/-)
      for such a model. We found these mice to be susceptible to mumps virus
      administered intranasally and intracranially. Passive transfer of purified IgG
      from immunized mice protected naive mice from mumps virus infection, confirming
      the role of antibody in protection and demonstrating the potential for this model
      to evaluate mumps immunity.

PMID- 28362872
TI  - Evaluating methods for estimating home ranges using GPS collars: A comparison
      using proboscis monkeys (Nasalis larvatus).
AB  - The development of GPS tags for tracking wildlife has revolutionised the study of
      home ranges, habitat use and behaviour. Concomitantly, there have been rapid
      developments in methods for estimating habitat use from GPS data. In combination,
      these changes can cause challenges in choosing the best methods for estimating
      home ranges. In primatology, this issue has received little attention, as there
      have been few GPS collar-based studies to date. However, as advancing technology
      is making collaring studies more feasible, there is a need for the analysis to
      advance alongside the technology. Here, using a high quality GPS collaring data
      set from 10 proboscis monkeys (Nasalis larvatus), we aimed to: 1) compare home
      range estimates from the most commonly used method in primatology, the grid-cell
      method, with three recent methods designed for large and/or temporally correlated
      GPS data sets; 2) evaluate how well these methods identify known physical
      barriers (e.g. rivers); and 3) test the robustness of the different methods to
      data containing either less frequent or random losses of GPS fixes. Biased random
      bridges had the best overall performance, combining a high level of agreement
      between the raw data and estimated utilisation distribution with a relatively low
      sensitivity to reduced fixed frequency or loss of data. It estimated the home
      range of proboscis monkeys to be 24-165 ha (mean 80.89 ha). The grid-cell method
      and approaches based on local convex hulls had some advantages including
      simplicity and excellent barrier identification, respectively, but lower overall
      performance. With the most suitable model, or combination of models, it is
      possible to understand more fully the patterns, causes, and potential
      consequences that disturbances could have on an animal, and accordingly be used
      to assist in the management and restoration of degraded landscapes.

PMID- 28362873
TI  - Chitosan-propolis nanoparticle formulation demonstrates anti-bacterial activity
      against Enterococcus faecalis biofilms.
AB  - Propolis obtained from bee hives is a natural substance with antimicrobial
      properties. It is limited by its insolubility in aqueous solutions; hence ethanol
      and ethyl acetate extracts of Malaysian propolis were prepared. Both the extracts
      displayed antimicrobial and anti-biofilm properties against Enterococcus
      faecalis, a common bacterium associated with hospital-acquired infections. High
      performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) analysis of propolis revealed the
      presence of flavonoids like kaempferol and pinocembrin. This study investigated
      the role of propolis developed into nanoparticles with chitosan for its
      antimicrobial and anti-biofilm properties against E. faecalis. Bacteria that grow
      in a slimy layer of biofilm are resistant to penetration by antibacterial agents.
      The use of nanoparticles in medicine has received attention recently due to
      better bioavailability, enhanced penetrative capacity and improved efficacy. A
      chitosan-propolis nanoformulation was chosen based on ideal physicochemical
      properties such as particle size, zeta potential, polydispersity index,
      encapsulation efficiency and the rate of release of the active ingredients. This
      formulation inhibited E. faecalis biofilm formation and reduced the number of
      bacteria in the biofilm by ~90% at 200 MUg/ml concentration. When tested on pre
      formed biofilms, the formulation reduced bacterial number in the biofilm by ~40%
      and ~75% at 200 and 300 MUg/ml, respectively. The formulation not only reduced
      bacterial numbers, but also physically disrupted the biofilm structure as
      observed by scanning electron microscopy. Treatment of biofilms with chitosan
      propolis nanoparticles altered the expression of biofilm-associated genes in E.
      faecalis. The results of this study revealed that chitosan-propolis
      nanoformulation can be deemed as a potential anti-biofilm agent in resisting
      infections involving biofilm formation like chronic wounds and surgical site
      infections.

PMID- 28362874
TI  - Plasma complement and vascular complement deposition in patients with coronary
      artery disease with and without inflammatory rheumatic diseases.
AB  - PURPOSE: Inflammatory rheumatic diseases (IRD) are associated with accelerated
      coronary artery disease (CAD), which may result from both systemic and vascular
      wall inflammation. There are indications that complement may be involved in the
      pathogenesis of CAD in Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (SLE) and Rheumatoid
      Arthritis (RA). This study aimed to evaluate the associations between circulating
      complement and complement activation products with mononuclear cell infiltrates
      (MCI, surrogate marker of vascular inflammation) in the aortic media and
      adventitia in IRDCAD and non-IRDCAD patients undergoing coronary artery bypass
      grafting (CABG). Furthermore, we compared complement activation product
      deposition patterns in rare aorta adventitial and medial biopsies from SLE, RA
      and non-IRD patients. METHODS: We examined plasma C3 (p-C3) and terminal
      complement complexes (p-TCC) in 28 IRDCAD (SLE = 3; RA = 25), 52 non-IRDCAD
      patients, and 32 IRDNo CAD (RA = 32) from the Feiring Heart Biopsy Study. Aortic
      biopsies taken from the CAD only patients during CABG were previously evaluated
      for adventitial MCIs. The rare aortic biopsies from 3 SLE, 3 RA and 3 non-IRDCAD
      were assessed for the presence of C3 and C3d using immunohistochemistry. RESULTS:
      IRDCAD patients had higher p-TCC than non-IRDCAD or IRDNo CAD patients
      (p<0.0001), but a similar p-C3 level (p = 0.42). Circulating C3 was associated
      with IRD duration (rho, p-value: 0.46, 0.03). In multiple logistic regression
      analysis, IRD remained significantly related to the presence and size of MCI
      (p<0.05). C3 was present in all tissue samples. C3d was detected in the media of
      all patients and only in the adventitia of IRD patients (diffuse in all SLE and
      focal in one RA). CONCLUSION: The independent association of IRD status with MCI
      and the observed C3d deposition supports the unique relationship between
      rheumatic disease, and, in particular, SLE with the complement system.
      Exaggerated systemic and vascular complement activation may accelerate CVD, serve
      as a CVD biomarker, and represent a target for new therapies.

PMID- 28362875
TI  - Identification and validation of reference genes for quantitative real-time PCR
      studies in long yellow daylily, Hemerocallis citrina Borani.
AB  - Gene expression analysis using reverse transcription quantitative real-time PCR
      (RT-qPCR) requires the use of reference gene(s) in the target species. The long
      yellow daylily, Hemerocallis citrina Baroni. is rich in beneficial secondary
      metabolites and is considered as a functional vegetable. It is widely cultivated
      and consumed in East Asian countries. However, reference genes for use in RT-qPCR
      in H. citrina are not available. In the present study, six potential reference
      genes, actin (ACT), AP-4 complex subunit (AP4), tubulin (TUB), ubiquitin (UBQ),
      18S and 60S ribosomal RNA, were selected and their expression stability in
      different developmental stages, organs and accessions was evaluated using four
      statistical software packages (geNorm, NormFinder, BestKeeper, and RefFinder).
      For commercial flower buds of different landraces, the combination of 60S, TUB,
      and AP4 was appropriate whereas ACT and 60S was suitable for normalization of
      different organs. In addition, AP4 exhibited the most stable expression in flower
      buds among different developmental stages. UBQ was less stable than the other
      reference genes under the experimental conditions except under different organs
      was 18S. The relative expression levels of two genes, primary-amine oxidase
      (HcAOC3) and tyrosine aminotransferase (HcTAT) which play important roles in
      alkaloid biosynthesis were also examined in different organs of the 'Datong'
      landrace, which further confirmed the results of selected reference genes. This
      is the first report to evaluate the stability of reference genes in the long
      yellow daylily that can serve as a foundation for RT-qPCR analysis of gene
      expression in this species.

PMID- 28362876
TI  - Supervised exercise training versus usual care in ambulatory patients with left
      ventricular assist devices: A systematic review.
AB  - Implantation of left ventricular assist devices (LVAD) has increased because of
      improved safety profile and limited availability of heart transplantation.
      Although supervised exercise training (ET) programs are known to improve exercise
      capacity and quality of life (QoL) in heart failure (HF) patients, similar data
      is inconclusive in LVAD patients. Thus, we performed a systematic review on
      studies that incorporated supervised ET and measured peak oxygen uptake in LVAD
      patients. A total of 150 patients in exercise and 55 patients in control groups
      were included from 8 studies selected from our predefined criteria. Our
      systematic review suggests supervised ET has an inconsistent effect on exercise
      capacity and QoL when compared to control groups undergoing usual care. A
      quantitative sub-analysis was performed with 4 studies that provided enough data
      to compare peak oxygen uptake and QoL at baseline and at follow-up. After at
      least 6 weeks of training, LVAD patients undergoing supervised ET demonstrated
      significant improvement in exercise capacity (standardized mean difference [SMD]
      = 0.735, 95% Confidence Interval-[CI], 0.31-1.15 units of the standard deviation,
      P = 0.001) and QoL scores (SMD = 1.58, 95% CI 0.97-2.20 units of the standard
      deviation, P <0.001) when compared to the usual care group, with no serious
      adverse events with exercise. These results suggest that supervised ET is safe
      and can improve patient outcomes in LVAD patients when compared to the usual
      care.

PMID- 28362877
TI  - ARACHNE: A neural-neuroglial network builder with remotely controlled parallel
      computing.
AB  - Creating and running realistic models of neural networks has hitherto been a task
      for computing professionals rather than experimental neuroscientists. This is
      mainly because such networks usually engage substantial computational resources,
      the handling of which requires specific programing skills. Here we put forward a
      newly developed simulation environment ARACHNE: it enables an investigator to
      build and explore cellular networks of arbitrary biophysical and architectural
      complexity using the logic of NEURON and a simple interface on a local computer
      or a mobile device. The interface can control, through the internet, an optimized
      computational kernel installed on a remote computer cluster. ARACHNE can combine
      neuronal (wired) and astroglial (extracellular volume-transmission driven)
      network types and adopt realistic cell models from the NEURON library. The
      program and documentation (current version) are available at GitHub repository
      https://github.com/LeonidSavtchenko/Arachne under the MIT License (MIT).

PMID- 28362878
TI  - Deep sequencing is an appropriate tool for the selection of unique Hepatitis C
      virus (HCV) variants after single genomic amplification.
AB  - Hepatitis C virus (HCV) evolves rapidly in a single host and circulates as a
      quasispecies wich is a complex mixture of genetically distinct virus's but
      closely related namely variants. To identify intra-individual diversity and
      investigate their functional properties in vitro, it is necessary to define their
      quasispecies composition and isolate the HCV variants. This is possible using
      single genome amplification (SGA). This technique, based on serially diluted cDNA
      to amplify a single cDNA molecule (clonal amplicon), has already been used to
      determine individual HCV diversity. In these studies, positive PCR reactions from
      SGA were directly sequenced using Sanger technology. The detection of non-clonal
      amplicons is necessary for excluding them to facilitate further functional
      analysis. Here, we compared Next Generation Sequencing (NGS) with De Novo
      assembly and Sanger sequencing for their ability to distinguish clonal and non
      clonal amplicons after SGA on one plasma specimen. All amplicons (n = 42)
      classified as clonal by NGS were also classified as clonal by Sanger sequencing.
      No double peaks were seen on electropherograms for non-clonal amplicons with
      position-specific nucleotide variation below 15% by NGS. Altogether, NGS
      circumvented many of the difficulties encountered when using Sanger sequencing
      after SGA and is an appropriate tool to reliability select clonal amplicons for
      further functional studies.

PMID- 28362879
TI  - Prediction of diuretic response to tolvaptan by a simple, readily available spot
      urine Na/K ratio.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Tolvaptan is vasopressin type 2 receptor antagonist that inhibits
      water reabsorption. It is used in combination with standard diuretics to treat
      ascites unresponsive to standard diuretic therapy or hyponatremia because of
      liver cirrhosis. This study evaluated the effectiveness and safety of tolvaptan
      in clinical practice and aimed to determine the factors related to its
      effectiveness. METHODS: Tolvaptan was administered to 88 consecutive cirrhotic
      patients with ascites unresponsive to standard diuretic therapy. An effective
      treatment response was a >=2% reduction in body weight on day 7. The association
      of patient pretreatment characteristics with therapeutic effects was analyzed.
      RESULTS: Mean weight reduction on day 7 of tolvaptan therapy was -2.9% +/- 3.2%,
      and treatment was effective in 52% of patients. Multivariate analysis revealed
      that spot urine Na/K ratio >=2.5 at baseline was the only factor independently
      related to therapeutic effect, with an odds ratio of 7.85 (95% confidence
      interval 2.64-23.40, p = 0.0002). Weight reduction percentage on day 7 was -4.0%
      +/- 2.8% in patients with spot urine Na/K >=2.5, which was significantly greater
      than the 0.7% +/- 2.7% loss in those with urine Na/K < 2.5 (p < 0.05). A spot
      urine Na/K ratio >=2.5 had a sensitivity of 85% and specificity of 60% for
      predicting effective treatment. No adverse events of treatment led to treatment
      discontinuation. CONCLUSIONS: Baseline spot urine Na/K was predictive of an
      effective response to tolvaptan therapy. It is simple to perform and readily
      available and might serve as an indicator of optimal timing of tolvaptan
      administration in patients with inadequate response to conventional Na diuretic
      therapy.

PMID- 28362880
TI  - Exploring drivers for safe male circumcision: Experiences with health education
      and understanding of partial HIV protection among newly circumcised men in
      Wakiso, Uganda.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: About 2.5 million men have voluntarily been circumcised since
      Uganda started implementing the WHO recommendation to scale up safe male
      circumcision to reduce HIV transmission. This study sought to understand what
      influences men's circumcision decisions, their experiences with health education
      at health facilities and their knowledge of partial HIV risk reduction in Wakiso
      district. METHODS: Data were collected in May and June 2015 at five public health
      facilities in Wakiso District. Twenty-five in-depth interviews were held with
      adult safe male circumcision clients. Data were analysed using thematic network
      analysis. FINDINGS: Safe male circumcision decisions were mainly influenced by
      sexual partners, a perceived need to reduce the risk of HIV/STIs, community
      pressure and other benefits like hygiene. Sexual partners directly requested men
      to circumcise or indirectly influenced them in varied ways. Health education at
      facilities mainly focused on the surgical procedure, circumcision benefits
      especially HIV risk reduction, wound care and time to resumption of sex, with
      less focus on post-circumcision sexual behaviour. Five men reported no health
      education. All men reported that circumcision only reduces and does not eliminate
      HIV risk, and could mention ways it protects, although some extended the benefit
      to direct protection for women and prevention of other STIs. Five men thought
      social marketing messages were 'misleading' and feared risk compensation within
      the community. CONCLUSIONS: Participants reported positive community perception
      about safe male circumcision campaigns, influencing men to seek services and
      enabling female partners to impact this decision-making process. However, there
      seemed to be gaps in safe male circumcision health education, although all
      participants correctly understood that circumcision offers only partial
      protection from HIV. Standard health education procedures, if followed at health
      facilities offering safe male circumcision, would ensure all clients are well
      informed, especially about post-circumcision sexual behaviour that is key to
      prevention of risk compensation.

PMID- 28362881
TI  - The period effect in the prevalence of proliferative diabetic retinopathy, gross
      proteinuria, and peripheral neuropathy in type 1 diabetes: A longitudinal cohort
      study.
AB  - AIMS: To investigate whether, for a specific duration of type 1 diabetes, there
      is a significant change in the prevalence of proliferative diabetic retinopathy,
      gross proteinuria and peripheral neuropathy in those more recently diagnosed with
      diabetes (a period effect), in the Wisconsin Epidemiologic Study of Diabetic
      Retinopathy. Where present, to determine how common risk factors for diabetic
      complications might be associated with it, and what might be driving it.
      MATERIALS AND METHODS: Longitudinal cohort study with seven examination phases
      between 1980 and 2014. Multivariate logistic regression models and ordinal
      parameterization were used to test for and evaluate any period effect. RESULTS:
      There is a period effect in the prevalence of gross proteinuria and peripheral
      neuropathy (decreasing), as seen with proliferative diabetic retinopathy (p <
      0.001). Adjusting for changing levels of common risk factors attenuates the
      period effect, particularly for proliferative diabetic retinopathy. For gross
      proteinuria and peripheral neuropathy, however there is a persistent period
      effect in spite of adjusting for the major risk factors. CONCLUSIONS: There are
      period effects in the prevalence of proliferative diabetic retinopathy, gross
      proteinuria and peripheral neuropathy that cannot be fully explained by changes
      in common risk factors for complications of type 1 diabetes in this cohort. The
      role of other potential confounders warrants further exploration.

PMID- 28362882
TI  - Sex Disparity in Survival of Patients With Uveal Melanoma: Better Survival Rates
      in Women Than in Men in South Korea.
AB  - Purpose: The purpose of this study was to determine the survival rate of patients
      with uveal melanoma and sex disparity in this rate in South Korea. Methods: We
      extracted incident uveal melanoma patients using the Korea Central Cancer
      Registry (KCCR) database, which covered the entire population from 1999 to 2012
      in South Korea. We estimated all-cause survival probabilities and cancer-specific
      survival probabilities of patients with uveal melanoma and compared these
      probabilities between subgroups (sex, tumor site, age at diagnosis, etc.) using
      Kaplan-Meier methods and log-rank tests. We fitted the Cox-proportional hazards
      models for all-cause death and cancer death to determine sex disparities in
      survival. Results: A total of 344 uveal melanoma patients (175 women, 51%) were
      ascertained. They comprised 283 patients with choroidal melanoma (82%) and 61
      patients with ciliary body/iris melanoma (18%). The observed 5-year survival
      probability from all-cause death was 75% (95% confidence interval [CI]: 69%-79%);
      women with uveal melanoma showed higher survival probability (83% [95% CI: 76%
      89%]) compared with men (66% [95% CI: 58%-73%], P < 0.01). After adjusting for
      age, year of diagnosis, tumor sites, and diagnostic verification method, the
      hazards for all-cause death and cancer death in women with uveal melanoma were
      lower than those in men (hazards ratio for cancer death = 0.50 [95% CI: 0.30
      0.81]; hazards ratio for all-cause death = 0.39 [95% CI: 0.25-0.61]).
      Conclusions: Women with uveal melanoma have better survival probabilities
      relative to men with uveal melanoma. Our findings show a comprehensive picture of
      survival probability in uveal melanoma cancer patients in Korea, which requires
      further investigation of mechanism of the sex disparity in uveal melanoma.

PMID- 28362883
TI  - Use of Aspirin and P2Y12 Response Assays in Detecting Reversal of Platelet
      Inhibition With Platelet Transfusion in Patients With Traumatic Brain Injury on
      Antiplatelet Therapy.
AB  - BACKGROUND: At present, guidelines are lacking on platelet transfusion in
      patients with a traumatic intracranial bleed and history of antiplatelet therapy.
      The aspirin and P2Y 12 response unit (ARU and PRU, respectively) assays detect
      the effect of aspirin and P2Y 12 inhibitors in the cardiac population. OBJECTIVE:
      To describe the reversal of platelet inhibition after platelet transfusion using
      the ARU and PRU assays in patients with traumatic brain injury. METHODS: Between
      2010 and 2015, we conducted a prospective comparative cohort study of patients
      presenting with a positive head computed tomography and a history of antiplatelet
      therapy. ARU and PRU assays were performed on admission and 6 hours after
      transfusion, with a primary end point of detection of disinhibition after
      platelet transfusion. RESULTS: One hundred seven patients were available for
      analysis. Seven percent of patients taking aspirin and 27% of patients taking
      clopidogrel were not therapeutic on admission per the ARU and PRU, respectively.
      After platelet transfusion, 51% of patients on any aspirin and 67% of patients on
      any clopidogrel failed to be reversed. ARU increased by 71 +/- 76 per unit of
      apheresis platelets for patients taking any aspirin, and PRU increased by 48 +/-
      46 per unit of apheresis platelets for patients taking any clopidogrel.
      CONCLUSION: A significant percentage of patients taking aspirin or clopidogrel
      were not therapeutic and thus would be unlikely to benefit from a platelet
      transfusion. In patients with measured platelet inhibition, a single platelet
      transfusion was not sufficient to reverse platelet inhibition in almost half.

PMID- 28362884
TI  - Utility of the Aspirin and P2Y12 Response Assays to Determine the Effect of
      Antiplatelet Agents on Platelet Reactivity in Traumatic Brain Injury.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Premorbid antithrombotic medication may worsen intracranial injury
      and outcome after traumatic brain injury (TBI). Routine laboratory tests are
      insufficient to evaluate platelet activity. OBJECTIVE: To profile the spectrum of
      platelet inhibition, as measured by aspirin and P2Y12 response unit assays, in a
      TBI population on antiplatelet therapy. METHODS: This single-center, prospective
      cohort study included patients presenting to our institution between November
      2010 and January 2015 with a clinical history of TBI. Serum platelet reactivity
      levels were determined immediately on admission and analyzed using the aspirin
      and P2Y12 response unit assays; test results were reported as aspirin response
      units and P2Y12 response units. We report congruence between assay results and
      clinical history as well as differences in assay results between types of
      antiplatelet therapy. RESULTS: A sample of 317 patients was available for
      analysis, of which 87% had experienced mild TBI, 7% moderate, and 6% severe; the
      mean age was 71.5 years. The mean aspirin response units in patients with a
      history of any aspirin use was 456 +/- 67 (range, 350-659), with 88%
      demonstrating therapeutic platelet inhibition. For clopidogrel, the mean P2Y12
      response unit was 191 +/- 70 (range, 51-351); 77% showed therapeutic response.
      CONCLUSION: Rapid measurement of antiplatelet function using the aspirin and
      P2Y12 response assays indicated as many as one fourth of patients on antiplatelet
      therapy do not have platelet dysfunction. Further research is required to develop
      guidelines for the use of these assays to guide platelet transfusion in the
      setting of TBI.

PMID- 28362885
TI  - Long-Term Clinical and Angiographic Outcomes Following Pipeline Embolization
      Device Treatment of Complex Internal Carotid Artery Aneurysms: Five-Year Results
      of the Pipeline for Uncoilable or Failed Aneurysms Trial.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Early and mid-term safety and efficacy of aneurysm treatment with the
      Pipeline Embolization Device (PED) has been well demonstrated in prior studies.
      OBJECTIVE: To present 5-yr follow-up for patients treated in the Pipeline for
      Uncoilable or Failed Aneurysms clinical trial. METHODS: In our prospective,
      multicenter trial, 109 complex internal carotid artery (ICA) aneurysms in 107
      subjects were treated with the PED. Patients were followed per a standardized
      protocol at 180 d and 1, 3, and 5 yr. Aneurysm occlusion, in-stent stenosis,
      modified Rankin Scale scores, and complications were recorded. RESULTS: The
      primary endpoint of complete aneurysm occlusion at 180 d (73.6%) was previously
      reported. Aneurysm occlusion for those patients with angiographic follow-up
      progressively increased over time to 86.8% (79/91), 93.4% (71/76), and 95.2%
      (60/63) at 1, 3, and 5 yr, respectively. Six aneurysms (5.7%) were retreated. New
      serious device-related events at 1, 3, and 5 yr were noted in 1% (1/96), 3.5%
      (3/85), and 0% (0/81) of subjects. There were 4 (3.7%) reported deaths in our
      trial. Seventy-eight (96.3%) of 81 patients with 5-yr clinical follow-up had
      modified Rankin Scale scores <=2. No delayed neurological deaths or hemorrhagic
      or ischemic cerebrovascular events were reported beyond 6 mo. No recanalization
      of a previously occluded aneurysm was observed. CONCLUSION: Our 5-yr findings
      demonstrate that PED is a safe and effective treatment for large and giant wide
      necked aneurysms of the intracranial ICA, with high rates of complete occlusion
      and low rates of delayed adverse events.

PMID- 28362887
TI  - Commentary: Ten-Year Follow-up on Tumor Growth and Hearing in Patients Observed
      With an Intracanalicular Vestibular Schwannoma.

PMID- 28362886
TI  - Concomitant Primary CNS Lymphoma and FSH-Pituitary Adenoma Arising Within the
      Sella. Entirely Coincidental?
AB  - BACKGROUND AND IMPORTANCE: Collision tumors are the simultaneous occurrence of
      more than one type of neoplasm within an anatomic space. In the pituitary sella,
      collision tumors are exceedingly rare, and not much is known about their etiology
      and prognosis. CLINICAL PRESENTATION: A 74-year-old man presented with a
      concomitant primary pituitary lymphoma (diffuse large B-cell non-Hodgkin's
      lymphoma; DLBCL) and follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH)-adenoma diagnosed
      histologically after clinical features of apoplexy prompted urgent surgical
      decompression and resection. Strong immunoreactivity for FSH by the lymphoma was
      evident. Full-body workup demonstrated no other source for the lymphoma. He
      subsequently underwent 4 cycles of chemotherapy and has been in remission for
      over 32 months. His ophthalmoplegia at presentation persisted with no further
      deficits. CONCLUSIONS: Four cases of collision tumors of primary pituitary
      lymphoma and adenoma have previously been reported. This case represents the
      first combination of an FSH-adenoma and a DLBCL in the literature. Prompt
      involvement of the hematology-oncology team contributed to the good outcome seen
      in this case. The putative role played by pituitary hormones in tumorigenesis is
      reviewed in this case report. The association is either a chance occurrence or
      due to the induction of lymphoma cell proliferation by the binding of FSH
      produced by the adenoma to the FSH receptors on the lymphoma cells.

PMID- 28362888
TI  - Carotid Stenting Without Protection: When is it Worth the Risk?

PMID- 28362889
TI  - Carotid Artery Angioplasty and Stenting Without Distal Embolic Protection
      Devices.

PMID- 28362890
TI  - A History of the Council of State Neurosurgical Societies.
AB  - As neurological surgery evolved into its own subspecialty early in the 20th
      century, a need arose to create an environment for communication and education
      among those surgeons working in this burgeoning surgical discipline. As the
      socioeconomic climate in health care began to change in the United States, an
      unforeseen need arose that was outside the scope of the American Association of
      Neurological Surgeons, Congress of Neurological Surgeons, and Society of
      Neurological Surgeons. The capacity to understand and address the evolving
      socioeconomic landscape and to offer a platform for advocacy required a new
      entity. Grassroots efforts of neurosurgeons at the state level ultimately yielded
      a formal organization of state neurosurgical societies to fill this void by
      recognizing, understanding, and addressing socioeconomic factors affecting the
      practice of neurological surgery. This formal organization became the Council of
      State Neurosurgical Societies (CSNS). The CSNS provides a forum in which state
      societies can meet to identify, understand, and advocate for policies on behalf
      of organized neurosurgery. The purpose of this paper is to detail the history of
      the formation of the CSNS. By understanding this history and the need for the
      development of the CSNS, it is hoped that its evolving role as a voice for
      neurological surgeons in the modern era of health care will be made clear.

PMID- 28362891
TI  - The Response of Cystic Acoustic Neuromas to Radiosurgery.

PMID- 28362892
TI  - Sellar and Parasellar Imaging.
AB  - The skull base is a complex anatomical region that harbors many important
      neurovascular structures in a relatively confined space. The pathology that can
      develop at this site is varied, and many disease processes may present with
      similar clinical and neuroimaging findings. While computed tomography maintains a
      role in the evaluation of many entities and can, for instance, delineate osseous
      erosion with great detail and characterize calcified tumor matrices, magnetic
      resonance imaging (MRI) is the mainstay in the neuroimaging assessment of most
      pathology occurring at the skull base. Various MRI sequences have proven to be
      robust tools for tissue characterization and can provide information on the
      presence of lipids, paramagnetic and diamagnetic elements, and tumor cellularity,
      among others. In addition, currently available MRI techniques are able to
      generate high spatial resolution images that allow visualization of cranial
      nerves and their involvement by adjacent pathology. The information obtained from
      such examinations may aid in the distinction of these disease processes and in
      the accurate delineation of their extent prior to biopsy or treatment planning.

PMID- 28362893
TI  - Letter: Comparison of 10-kHz High-Frequency and Traditional Low-Frequency Spinal
      Cord Stimulation for the Treatment of Chronic Back and Leg Pain: 24-Month Results
      From a Multicenter Randomized Controlled Pivotal Trial.

PMID- 28362894
TI  - Occipitocervical Instability After Far-Lateral Transcondylar Surgery: A
      Biomechanical Analysis.
AB  - BACKGROUND: After a far-lateral transcondylar approach, patients may maintain
      neutral alignment in the immediate postoperative period, but severe
      occipitoatlantal subluxation may occur gradually with cranial settling and
      possible neurological injury. Previous research is based on assumptions regarding
      the extent of condylar resection and the change in biomechanics that produces
      instability. OBJECTIVE: To quantify the extent of bone removal during a far
      lateral transcondylar approach, determine the changes in range of motion (ROM)
      and stiffness that occur after condylar resection, and identify the threshold of
      condylar resection that predicts alterations in occipitocervical biomechanics.
      METHODS: Nine human cadaveric specimens were biomechanically tested before and
      after far-lateral transcondylar resection extending into the hypoglossal canal
      (HC). The extent of condylar resection was quantified using volumetric comparison
      between pre- and postresection computed tomography scans. ROM and stiffness
      testing were performed in intact and resected states. The extent of resection
      that produced alterations in occipitocervical biomechanics was assessed with
      sensitivity analysis. RESULTS: Bone removal during condylar resection into the HC
      was 15.4%-63.7% (mean 35.7%). Sensitivity analysis demonstrated that changes in
      biomechanics may occur when just 29% of the occipital condyle was resected (area
      under the curve 0.80-1.00). CONCLUSION: Changes in occipitocervical biomechanics
      may be observed if one-third of the occipital condyle is resected. During
      surgery, the HC may not be a reliable landmark to guide the extent of resection.
      Patients who undergo condylar resections extending into or beyond the HC require
      close surveillance for occipitocervical instability.

PMID- 28362895
TI  - From Russian Refugee to Iowa's First Neurosurgeon and Pioneer of Cranial
      Hemostasis: The Legacy of Anatole Kolodny (1892-1948).
AB  - After immigrating to the United States from Russia in the wake of the First World
      War, Anatole Kolodny became the first surgeon in Iowa to specialize in
      neurological surgery. Kolodny was vital to the initial practice of neurosurgery
      in the state of Iowa and to the specific development of academic neurosurgery at
      the University of Iowa. In an effort to improve his surgical outcomes, Kolodny
      invented a hemostat that bears his name and is still used for cranial hemostasis.
      He also provided early outcomes of myelomenigocele repair and wrote extensively
      on bone sarcoma. Kolodny's achievements brought favorable attention to the
      university and altered the course of neurosurgery at the University of Iowa. Of
      significant importance, Kolodny influenced and trained Iowa's second
      neurosurgeon, Olan Hyndman, and this action led the way to the eventual
      recruitment of the university's first division head of neurosurgery. The purpose
      of this manuscript is to shed light on Kolodny's important contributions to the
      development of neurosurgery not only at Iowa, but also in the profession as a
      whole.

PMID- 28362896
TI  - Editorial: See One, Do One, Teach One? Paradigm Shift with Three-Dimensional
      Printing.

PMID- 28362897
TI  - Distinct perceptual rhythms for feature and conjunction searches.
AB  - Feature and conjunction searches are widely used to study attentional deployment.
      However, the spatiotemporal behavior of attention integration in these tasks
      remains under debate. Are multiple search stimuli processed in parallel or
      sequentially? Does sampling of visual information and attentional deployment
      differ between these two types of search? If so, how? We used an innovative
      methodology to estimate the distribution of attention on a single-trial basis for
      feature and conjunction searches. Observers performed feature- and conjunction
      search tasks. They had to detect and discriminate a tilted low-spatial-frequency
      grating among three low-spatial-frequency vertical gratings (feature search) or
      low-spatial-frequency vertical gratings and high-spatial-frequency tilted
      gratings (conjunction search). After a variable delay, two probes were flashed at
      random locations. Performance in reporting the probes was used to infer
      attentional deployment to those locations. By solving a second-degree equation,
      we determined the probability of probe report at the most (P1) and least (P2)
      attended locations on a given trial. Were P1 and P2 equal, we would conclude that
      attention had been uniformly distributed across all four locations. Otherwise, we
      would conclude that visual information sampling and attentional deployment had
      been nonuniformly distributed. Our results show that processing was nonuniformly
      distributed across the four locations in both searches, and was modulated
      periodically over time at ~5 Hz for the conjunction search and ~12 Hz for the
      feature search. We argue that the former corresponds to the periodicity of
      attentional deployment during the search, whereas the latter corresponds to
      ongoing sampling of visual information. Because different locations were not
      simultaneously processed, this study rules out a strict parallel model for both
      search types.

PMID- 28362899
TI  - Davida Teller Award Lecture 2016: Prologue.

PMID- 28362898
TI  - Dynamic modulation of illusory and physical target size on separate and
      coordinated eye and hand movements.
AB  - In everyday behavior, two of the most common visually guided actions-eye and hand
      movements-can be performed independently, but are often synergistically coupled.
      In this study, we examine whether the same visual representation is used for
      different stages of saccades and pointing, namely movement preparation and
      execution, and whether this usage is consistent between independent and
      naturalistic coordinated eye and hand movements. To address these questions, we
      used the Ponzo illusion to dissociate the perceived and physical sizes of visual
      targets and measured the effects on movement preparation and execution for
      independent and coordinated saccades and pointing. During independent movements,
      we demonstrated that both physically and perceptually larger targets produced
      faster preparation for both effectors. Furthermore, participants who showed a
      greater influence of the illusion on saccade preparation also showed a greater
      influence on pointing preparation, suggesting that a shared mechanism involved in
      preparation across effectors is influenced by illusions. However, only physical
      but not perceptual target sizes influenced saccade and pointing execution. When
      pointing was coordinated with saccades, we observed different dynamics: pointing
      no longer showed modulation from illusory size, while saccades showed illusion
      modulation for both preparation and execution. Interestingly, in independent and
      coordinated movements, the illusion modulated saccade preparation more than
      pointing preparation, with this effect more pronounced during coordination. These
      results suggest a shared mechanism, dominated by the eyes, may underlie visually
      guided action preparation across effectors. Furthermore, the influence of
      illusions on action may operate within such a mechanism, leading to dynamic
      interactions between action modalities based on task demands.

PMID- 28362901
TI  - Separate banks of information channels encode size and aspect ratio.
AB  - Size and aspect ratio are ecologically important visual attributes. Relative size
      confers depth, and aspect ratio is a size-invariant cue to object identity. The
      mechanisms of their analyses by the visual system are uncertain. In a series of
      three psychophysical experiments we show that adaptation causes perceptual
      repulsion in these properties. Experiment 1 shows that adaptation to a square
      causes a subsequently viewed smaller (larger) test square to appear smaller
      (larger) still. Experiment 2 reveals that a test rectangle with an aspect ratio
      (height/width) of two appears more slender after adaptation to rectangles with
      aspect ratios less than two, while the same test stimulus appears more squat
      after adaptation to a rectangle with an aspect ratio greater than two.
      Significantly, aftereffect magnitudes peak and then decline as the sizes or
      aspect ratios of adaptor and test diverge. Experiment 3 uses the results of
      Experiments 1 and 2 to show that the changes in perceived aspect ratio are due to
      adaptation to aspect ratio rather than adaptation to the height and width of the
      stimuli. The results are consistent with the operation of distinct banks of
      information channels tuned for different values of each property. The necessary
      channels have log-Gaussian sensitivity profiles, have equal widths when expressed
      as ratios, are labeled with their preferred magnitudes, and are distributed at
      exponentially increasing intervals. If an adapting stimulus reduces each
      channel's sensitivity in proportion to its activation then the displacement of
      the centroid of activity due to a subsequently experienced test stimulus predicts
      the measured size or aspect ratio aftereffect.

PMID- 28362902
TI  - Variation of axial and oblique astigmatism with accommodation across the visual
      field.
AB  - In this study we investigated the impact of accommodation on axial and oblique
      astigmatism along 12 meridians of the central 30 degrees  of visual field and
      explored the compensation of corneal first-surface astigmatism by the remainder
      of the eye's optical system. Our experimental evidence revealed no systematic
      effect of accommodation on either axial or oblique astigmatism for two adult
      populations (myopic and emmetropic eyes). Although a few subjects exhibited
      systematic changes in axial astigmatism during accommodation, the dioptric value
      of these changes was much smaller than the amount of accommodation. For most
      subjects, axial and oblique astigmatism of the whole eye are both less than for
      the cornea alone, which indicates a compensatory role for internal optics at all
      accommodative states in both central and peripheral vision. A new method for
      determining the eye's optical axis based on visual field maps of oblique
      astigmatism revealed that, on average, the optical axis is 4.8 degrees  temporal
      and 0.39 degrees  superior to the foveal line-of-sight in object space, which
      agrees with previous results obtained by different methodologies and implies that
      foveal astigmatism includes a small amount of oblique astigmatism (0.06 D on
      average). Customized optical models of each eye revealed that oblique astigmatism
      of the corneal first surface is negligible along the pupillary axis for
      emmetropic and myopic eyes. Individual variation in the eye's optical axis is due
      in part to misalignment of the corneal and internal components that is consistent
      with tilting of the crystalline lens relative to the pupillary axis.

PMID- 28362904
TI  - Erratum.

PMID- 28362903
TI  - Schistosomal MicroRNAs Isolated From Extracellular Vesicles in Sera of Infected
      Patients: A New Tool for Diagnosis and Follow-up of Human Schistosomiasis.
AB  - Background: Schistosomiasis traditionally has been diagnosed by detecting eggs in
      stool or urine. However, the sensitivity of these examinations is limited,
      especially in travelers with a low worm burden. Serologic tests have a greater
      sensitivity, but their results remain positive regardless of treatment and thus
      cannot be used for follow-up of patients. We hypothesized that detection of worm
      microRNAs (miRNAs) in serum can overcome the drawbacks of the existing diagnostic
      methods. Methods and Results: Twenty-six returning travelers with schistosomiasis
      (based on positive results of serologic tests or detection of ova) and 17 healthy
      controls were included in the study. Quantitative reverse transcription
      polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) amplification of miRNA extracted directly
      from 500 uL of serum had limited sensitivity and specificity. However, qRT-PCR
      analysis of RNA extracted from 200 MUL of serum extracellular vesicles detected 4
      schistosomal miRNAs; the sensitivity and specificity of the 2 highest expressed
      miRNAs (bantam and miR-2c-3p) were 86% and 84%, respectively. In 7 patients with
      posttreatment serum available for analysis, we observed outcomes ranging from a
      reduction in the schistosomal miRNA level to full recovery from disease.
      Conclusions: qRT-PCR of pathogen miRNAs isolated from extracellular vesicles in
      sera from infected individuals may provide a new tool for diagnosing
      schistosomiasis in patients with a low parasite burden. This assay could also be
      used for evaluating the outcome of therapy, as well as disease-control programs.

PMID- 28362900
TI  - The Davida Teller Award Lecture, 2016: Visual Brain Development: A review of
      "Dorsal Stream Vulnerability"-motion, mathematics, amblyopia, actions, and
      attention.
AB  - Research in the Visual Development Unit on "dorsal stream vulnerability' (DSV)
      arose from research in two somewhat different areas. In the first, using cortical
      milestones for local and global processing from our neurobiological model, we
      identified cerebral visual impairment in infants in the first year of life. In
      the second, using photo/videorefraction in population refractive screening
      programs, we showed that infant spectacle wear could reduce the incidence of
      strabismus and amblyopia, but many preschool children, who had been significantly
      hyperopic earlier, showed visuo-motor and attentional deficits. This led us to
      compare developing dorsal and ventral streams, using sensitivity to global motion
      and form as signatures, finding deficits in motion sensitivity relative to form
      in children with Williams syndrome, or perinatal brain injury in hemiplegia or
      preterm birth. Later research showed that this "DSV" was common across many
      disorders, both genetic and acquired, from autism to amblyopia. Here, we extend
      DSV to be a cluster of problems, common to many disorders, including poor motion
      sensitivity, visuo-motor spatial integration for planning actions, attention, and
      number skills. In current research, we find that individual differences in motion
      coherence sensitivity in typically developing children are correlated with MRI
      measures of area variations in parietal lobe, fractional anisotropy (from TBSS)
      of the superior longitudinal fasciculus, and performance on tasks of mathematics
      and visuo-motor integration. These findings suggest that individual differences
      in motion sensitivity reflect decision making and attentional control rather than
      integration in MT/V5 or V3A. Its neural underpinnings may be related to Duncan's
      "multiple-demand" (MD) system.

PMID- 28362905
TI  - Nitazoxanide Is an Ineffective Treatment of Chronic Norovirus in Patients With X
      Linked Agammaglobulinemia and May Yield False-Negative Polymerase Chain Reaction
      Findings in Stool Specimens.

PMID- 28362907
TI  - Erratum.

PMID- 28362906
TI  - Reply to Kempf et al.

PMID- 28362908
TI  - Erratum.

PMID- 28362909
TI  - Erratum.

PMID- 28362910
TI  - Treatment of Chronic Asymptomatic Plasmodium falciparum Infection Does Not
      Increase the Risk of Clinical Malaria Upon Reinfection.
AB  - Background: Chronic asymptomatic Plasmodium falciparum infections are common in
      endemic areas and are thought to contribute to the maintenance of malaria
      immunity. Whether treatment of these infections increases the subsequent risk of
      clinical episodes of malaria is unclear. Methods: In a 3-year study in Mali,
      asymptomatic individuals with or without P. falciparum infection at the end of
      the 6-month dry season were identified by polymerase chain reaction (PCR), and
      clinical malaria risk was compared during the ensuing 6-month malaria
      transmission season. At the end of the second dry season, 3 groups of
      asymptomatic children were identified: (1) children infected with P. falciparum
      as detected by rapid diagnostic testing (RDT) who were treated with antimalarials
      (n = 104), (2) RDT-negative children whose untreated P. falciparum infections
      were detected retrospectively by PCR (n = 55), and (3) uninfected children
      (RDT/PCR negative) (n = 434). Clinical malaria risk during 2 subsequent malaria
      seasons was compared. Plasmodium falciparum-specific antibody kinetics during the
      dry season were compared in children who did or did not harbor asymptomatic P.
      falciparum infections. Results: Chronic asymptomatic P. falciparum infection
      predicted decreased clinical malaria risk during the subsequent malaria
      season(s); treatment of these infections did not alter this reduced risk.
      Plasmodium falciparum-specific antibodies declined similarly in children who did
      or did not harbor chronic asymptomatic P. falciparum infection during the dry
      season. Conclusions: These findings challenge the notion that chronic
      asymptomatic P. falciparum infection maintains malaria immunity and suggest that
      mass drug administration during the dry season should not increase the subsequent
      risk of clinical malaria.

PMID- 28362911
TI  - Socioeconomic Factors Explain Racial Disparities in Invasive Community-Associated
      Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus Disease Rates.
AB  - Background: Invasive community-associated methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus
      aureus (MRSA) incidence in the United States is higher among black persons than
      white persons. We explored the extent to which socioeconomic factors might
      explain this racial disparity. Methods: A retrospective cohort was based on the
      Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Emerging Infections Program
      surveillance data for invasive community-associated MRSA cases (isolated from a
      normally sterile site of an outpatient or on hospital admission day <=3 in a
      patient without specified major healthcare exposures) from 2009 to 2011 in 33
      counties of 9 states. We used generalized estimating equations to determine
      census tract-level factors associated with differences in MRSA incidence and
      inverse odds ratio-weighted mediation analysis to determine the proportion of
      racial disparity mediated by socioeconomic factors. Results: Annual invasive
      community-associated MRSA incidence was 4.59 per 100000 among whites and 7.60 per
      100000 among blacks (rate ratio [RR], 1.66; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.52
      1.80). In the mediation analysis, after accounting for census tract-level
      measures of federally designated medically underserved areas, education, income,
      housing value, and rural status, 91% of the original racial disparity was
      explained; no significant association of black race with community-associated
      MRSA remained (RR, 1.05; 95% CI, .92-1.20). Conclusions: The racial disparity in
      invasive community-associated MRSA rates was largely explained by socioeconomic
      factors. The specific factors that underlie the association between census tract
      level socioeconomic measures and MRSA incidence, which may include modifiable
      social (eg, poverty, crowding) and biological factors (not explored in this
      analysis), should be elucidated to define strategies for reducing racial
      disparities in community-associated MRSA rates.

PMID- 28362912
TI  - Trends in Thyroid Cancer Incidence and Mortality in the United States, 1974-2013.
AB  - Importance: Thyroid cancer incidence has increased substantially in the United
      States over the last 4 decades, driven largely by increases in papillary thyroid
      cancer. It is unclear whether the increasing incidence of papillary thyroid
      cancer has been related to thyroid cancer mortality trends. Objective: To compare
      trends in thyroid cancer incidence and mortality by tumor characteristics at
      diagnosis. Design, Setting, and Participants: Trends in thyroid cancer incidence
      and incidence-based mortality rates were evaluated using data from the
      Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results-9 (SEER-9) cancer registry program,
      and annual percent change in rates was calculated using log-linear regression.
      Exposure: Tumor characteristics. Main Outcomes and Measures: Annual percent
      changes in age-adjusted thyroid cancer incidence and incidence-based mortality
      rates by histologic type and SEER stage for cases diagnosed during 1974-2013.
      Results: Among 77 276 patients (mean [SD] age at diagnosis, 48 [16] years; 58 213
      [75%] women) diagnosed with thyroid cancer from 1974-2013, papillary thyroid
      cancer was the most common histologic type (64 625 cases), and 2371 deaths from
      thyroid cancer occurred during 1994-2013. Thyroid cancer incidence increased, on
      average, 3.6% per year (95% CI, 3.2%-3.9%) during 1974-2013 (from 4.56 per 100
      000 person-years in 1974-1977 to 14.42 per 100 000 person-years in 2010-2013),
      primarily related to increases in papillary thyroid cancer (annual percent
      change, 4.4% [95% CI, 4.0%-4.7%]). Papillary thyroid cancer incidence increased
      for all SEER stages at diagnosis (4.6% per year for localized, 4.3% per year for
      regional, 2.4% per year for distant, 1.8% per year for unknown). During 1994
      2013, incidence-based mortality increased 1.1% per year (95% CI, 0.6%-1.6%) (from
      0.40 per 100 000 person-years in 1994-1997 to 0.46 per 100 000 person-years in
      2010-2013) overall and 2.9% per year (95% CI, 1.1%-4.7%) for SEER distant stage
      papillary thyroid cancer. Conclusions and Relevance: Among patients in the United
      States diagnosed with thyroid cancer from 1974-2013, the overall incidence of
      thyroid cancer increased 3% annually, with increases in the incidence rate and
      thyroid cancer mortality rate for advanced-stage papillary thyroid cancer. These
      findings are consistent with a true increase in the occurrence of thyroid cancer
      in the United States.

PMID- 28362914
TI  - Understanding Hospital Volume-Outcome Relationship in Severe Traumatic Brain
      Injury.
AB  - BACKGROUND: The hospital volume-outcome relationship in severe traumatic brain
      injury (TBI) population remains unclear. OBJECTIVE: To examine the relationship
      between volume of patients with severe TBI per hospital and in-hospital
      mortality, major complications, and mortality following a major complication (ie,
      failure to rescue). METHODS: In a multicenter cohort study, data on 9255 adults
      with severe TBI were derived from 111 hospitals participating in the American
      College of Surgeons Trauma Quality Improvement Program over 2009-2011. Hospitals
      were ranked into quartiles based on their volume of severe TBI during the study
      period. Random-intercept multilevel models were used to examine the association
      between hospital quartile of severe TBI volume and in-hospital mortality, major
      complications, and mortality following a major complication after adjusting for
      patient and hospital characteristics. In sensitivity analyses, we examined these
      associations after excluding transferred cases. RESULTS: Overall mortality was
      37.2% (n = 3447). Two thousand ninety-eight patients (22.7%) suffered from 1 or
      more major complication. Among patients with major complications, 27.8% (n = 583)
      died. Higher-volume hospitals were associated with lower mortality; the adjusted
      odds ratio of death was 0.50 (95% confidence interval: 0.29-0.85) in the highest
      volume quartile compared to the lowest. There was no significant association
      between hospital-volume quartile and the odds of a major complication or the odds
      of death following a major complication. After excluding transferred cases,
      similar results were found. CONCLUSION: High-volume hospitals might be associated
      with lower in-hospital mortality following severe TBI. However, this mortality
      reduction was not associated with lower risk of major complications or death
      following a major complication.

PMID- 28362913
TI  - Intramedullary Lesion Length on Postoperative Magnetic Resonance Imaging is a
      Strong Predictor of ASIA Impairment Scale Grade Conversion Following
      Decompressive Surgery in Cervical Spinal Cord Injury.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Evidence indicates that, over time, patients with spinal cord injury
      (SCI) improve neurologically in various degrees. We sought to further investigate
      indicators of grade conversion in cervical SCI. OBJECTIVE: To detect predictors
      of ASIA impairment scale (AIS) grade conversion in SCI following surgical
      decompression. METHODS: In a retrospective study, demographics, clinical,
      imaging, and surgical data from 100 consecutive patients were assessed for
      predictors of AIS grade conversion. RESULTS: American Spinal Injury Association
      motor score was 17.1. AIS grade was A in 52%, B in 29%, and C in 19% of patients.
      Surgical decompression took place on an average of 17.6 h following trauma (<=12
      h in 51 and >12 h in 49). Complete decompression was verified by magnetic
      resonance imaging (MRI) in 73 patients. Intramedullary lesion length (IMLL) on
      postoperative MRI measured 72.8 mm, and hemorrhage at the injury epicenter was
      noted in 71 patients. Grade conversion took place in 26.9% of AIS grade A
      patients, 65.5% of AIS grade B, and 78.9% of AIS grade C. AIS grade conversion
      had statistical relationship with injury severity score, admission AIS grade,
      extent of decompression, presence of intramedullary hemorrhage, American Spinal
      Injury Association motor score, and IMLL. A stepwise multiple logistic regression
      analysis indicated IMLL was the sole and strongest indicator of AIS grade
      conversion (odds ratio 0.950, 95% CI 0.931-0.969). For 1- and 10-mm increases in
      IMLL, the model indicates 4% and 40% decreases, respectively, in the odds of AIS
      grade conversion. CONCLUSION: Compared with other surrogates, IMLL remained as
      the only predictor of AIS grade conversion.

PMID- 28362916
TI  - Letter: Distraction, Compression, Extension, and Reduction Combined With Joint
      Remodeling and Extra-articular Distraction: Description of 2 New Modifications
      for Its Application in Basilar Invagination and Atlantoaxial Dislocation:
      Prospective Study in 79 Cases.

PMID- 28362915
TI  - The Influence of Perioperative Seizure Prophylaxis on Seizure Rate and Hospital
      Quality Metrics Following Glioma Resection.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Antiepileptic drugs (AEDs) are frequently administered
      prophylactically to mitigate seizures following craniotomy for brain tumor
      resection. However, conflicting evidence exists regarding the efficacy of AEDs,
      and their influence on surgery-related outcomes is limited. OBJECTIVE: To
      evaluate the influence of perioperative AEDs on postoperative seizure rate and
      hospital-reported quality metrics. METHODS: A retrospective cohort study was
      conducted, incorporating all adult patients who underwent craniotomy for glioma
      resection at our institution between 1999 and 2014. Patients in 2 cohorts-those
      receiving and those not receiving prophylactic AEDs-were compared on the
      incidence of postoperative seizures and several hospital quality metrics
      including length of stay, discharge status, and use of hospital resources.
      RESULTS: Among 342 patients with glioma undergoing cytoreductive surgery, 301
      (88%) received AED prophylaxis and 41 (12%) did not. Seventeen patients (5.6%) in
      the prophylaxis group developed a seizure within 14 days of surgery, compared
      with 1 (2.4%) in the standard group (OR = 2.2, 95% CI [0.3-17.4]). Median
      hospital and intensive care unit lengths of stay were similar between the
      cohorts. There was also no difference in the rate at which patients presented
      within 90 days postoperatively to the emergency department or required hospital
      readmission. In addition, the rate of hospital resource consumption, including
      electroencephalogram and computed tomography scan acquisition, and neurology
      consultation, was similar between both groups. CONCLUSION: The administration of
      prophylactic AEDs following glioma surgery did not influence the rate of
      perioperative seizures, nor did it reduce healthcare resource consumption. The
      role of perioperative seizure prophylaxis should be closely reexamined, and
      reconsideration given to this commonplace practice.

PMID- 28362917
TI  - In Reply: ORACLE Stroke Study: Opinion Regarding Acceptable Outcome Following
      Decompressive Hemicraniectomy for Ischemic Stroke.

PMID- 28362918
TI  - Letter: The History of Kernohan's Notch Revisited.

PMID- 28362919
TI  - Activation of Nuclear Factor-kappa B in Endothelial Cells of Chronic Subdural
      Hematoma Outer Membranes.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Chronic subdural hematoma (CSDH) is considered an angiogenic and
      inflammatory disease. Nuclear factor-kappa B (NF-kappaB) induces the production
      of inflammatory cytokines and adhesion molecules, which play an essential role in
      angiogenesis and inflammation. Recently, the double-stranded RNA-activated
      protein kinase (PKR) was shown to directly interact with NF-kappaB subunits to
      influence its transcriptional activity. OBJECTIVE: To examine the expression of
      NF-kappaB signaling pathway components and PKR in CSDH outer membranes. METHODS:
      Eight patients whose outer membranes were successfully obtained during
      trepanation surgery were included in this study. The IkappaBalpha, IKKbeta,
      IKKgamma, NF-kappaB, phosphorylated ( p )-NF-kappaB, and PKR expression levels
      were examined using western blotting analysis. NF-kappaB expression was also
      examined using immunohistochemistry. We investigated whether CSDH fluid could
      activate NF-kappaB in cultured endothelial cells in Vitro. RESULTS: The
      IkappaBalpha, IKKbeta, IKKgamma, and NF-kappaB levels were approximately the
      same. Additionally, p -NF-kappaB and PKR were detected at similar levels.
      Immunostaining showed that NF-kappaB was expressed in the vascular endothelium. p
      -NF-kappaB expression in endothelial cells was significantly induced immediately
      after treatment with CSDH fluid. Furthermore, NF-kappaB activation was
      significantly inhibited by treatment with antibodies directed against vascular
      endothelial growth factor. CONCLUSION: PKR might activate NF-kappaB through
      vascular endothelial growth factor in endothelial cells, which might be
      associated with endothelial cell proliferation in the CSDH outer membrane. Thus,
      the NF-kappaB signaling pathway could play a critical role in CSDH growth.

PMID- 28362920
TI  - In Reply: The History of the Kernohan Notch Revisited.

PMID- 28362921
TI  - Readmission After Craniotomy for Tumor: A National Surgical Quality Improvement
      Program Analysis.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Although readmission has become a common quality indicator, few
      national studies have examined this metric in patients undergoing cranial
      surgery. OBJECTIVE: To utilize the prospective National Surgical Quality
      Improvement Program 2011-2013 registry to evaluate the predictors of unplanned 30
      d readmission and postdischarge mortality after cranial tumor resection. METHODS:
      Multivariable logistic regression was applied to screen predictors, which
      included patient age, sex, tumor location and histology, American Society of
      Anesthesiologists class, functional status, comorbidities, and complications from
      the index hospitalization. RESULTS: Of the 9565 patients included, 10.7% (n =
      1026) had an unplanned readmission. Independent predictors of unplanned
      readmission were male sex, infratentorial location, American Society of
      Anesthesiologists class 3 designation, dependent functional status, a bleeding
      disorder, and morbid obesity (all P <= .03). Readmission was not associated with
      operative time, length of hospitalization, discharge disposition, or
      complications from the index admission. The most common reasons for readmission
      were surgical site infections (17.0%), infectious complications (11.0%), venous
      thromboembolism (10.0%), and seizures (9.4%). The 30-d mortality rate was 3.2% (n
      = 367), of which the majority (69.7%, n = 223) occurred postdischarge.
      Independent predictors of postdischarge mortality were greater age, metastatic
      histology, dependent functional status, hypertension, discharge to institutional
      care, and postdischarge neurological or cardiopulmonary complications (all P <
      .05). CONCLUSION: Readmissions were common after cranial tumor resection and
      often attributable to new postdischarge complications rather than exacerbations
      of complications from the initial hospitalization. Moreover, the majority of 30-d
      deaths occurred after discharge from the index hospitalization. The preponderance
      of postdischarge mortality and complications requiring readmission highlights the
      importance of posthospitalization management.

PMID- 28362922
TI  - Factors Leading to a Poor Functional Outcome in Spinal Meningioma Surgery:
      Remarks on 173 Cases.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Spinal meningiomas are common spinal tumors, in most cases benign and
      with a good surgical prognosis. However, specific location, infiltration of
      spinal cord, vascular encasement, or spinal root involvement can bring a less
      favorable prognosis. OBJECTIVE: To correlate these data with clinical/functional
      outcome. METHODS: Two hundred twenty-four consecutive patients with spinal
      meningiomas treated from 1976 to 2013 in our institution were analyzed; among
      these, 51 were excluded for incomplete clinical data or follow-up. The remaining
      173 cases were classified in regards to sex, age, symptoms, axial location,
      Simpson grade resection, and functional pre-/postoperative status. RESULTS: Most
      recurring onset symptoms were pain (32.9%) and motor deficit (31.8%); thoracic
      spine was the most severely affected (69.8%). Functional improvement on the
      follow-up was observed in 86.7% of cases; 6.4% of patients resulted stable and
      6.9% worsened. A low functional grade before surgery was connected to a lesser
      improvement after. Anterolateral meningiomas were the most represented (42.2%); a
      gross total resection (Simpson grades I and II) was conducted in 98.8%, and a
      macroscopically complete removal without dural resection or coagulation (Simpson
      grade III) was performed in 1.2%. Of the meningiomas, 98.3% were classified as
      WHO grade I. Recurrence rate was 2.3%, and 7 cases presented complications (4 of
      7 required surgical procedure). CONCLUSION: We can affirm that negative
      prognostic factors in our study were anterior or anterolateral axial location,
      prolonged presentation before diagnosis, WHO grade >I, Simpson grade resections
      II and III, sphincter involvement, and worse functional grade at onset.

PMID- 28362923
TI  - Volume-Staged Stereotactic Radiosurgery for Intracranial Arteriovenous
      Malformations: Outcomes Based on an 18-Year Experience.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Radiation-based treatment options of large intracranial arteriovenous
      malformations (AVM) must balance the likelihood of obliteration with the risk of
      adverse radiation effects (ARE). OBJECTIVE: To analyze the efficacy and risks of
      volume-staged stereotactic radiosurgery (VS-SRS) for AVM. METHODS: Retrospective
      study of 34 AVM patients having VS-SRS between 1997 and 2012. A median of 2
      stages (range, 2-4) was used to treat a median AVM volume of 22.2 cm 3 (range,
      7.4-56.7). The median AVM margin dose was 16 Gy (range, 14-18); the median
      radiosurgery-based AVM score was 2.81 (range, 1.54-6.45). The median follow-up
      after VS-SRS was 8.2 years (range, 3-13.3). RESULTS: Nidus obliteration was noted
      in 18 patients (53%) after VS-SRS. The rate of obliteration was 14% at 3 years,
      54% at 5 years, and 75% at 7 years. Six patients (18%) had 11 bleeds after VS
      SRS. Two patients (6%) remained neurologically stable, 2 (6%) patients had
      significant deficits, and 2 patients (6%) died. The actuarial risk of a first
      bleed after VS-SRS was 6% at 1 year, 12% at 3 years, and 19% at 7 years. Six
      patients (18%) underwent repeat SRS; all achieved nidus obliteration for an
      overall cure rate of 71%. Two patients (6%) had a permanent ARE after VS-SRS or
      repeat SRS. CONCLUSION: VS-SRS permitted large volume intracranial AVM to be
      treated with a low rate of ARE. Further study is needed on dose escalation and
      decreasing the treatment volume per stage to determine if this will increase the
      rate of obliteration with this technique.

PMID- 28362924
TI  - In Reply: Distraction, Compression, Extension, and Reduction Combined With Joint
      Remodeling and Extra-articular Distraction: Description of 2 New Modifications
      for Its Application in Basilar Invagination and Atlantoaxial Dislocation:
      Prospective Study in 79 Cases.

PMID- 28362925
TI  - Spontaneous Bilateral Carotid-Cavernous Fistulas Secondary to Cavernous Sinus
      Thrombosis.
AB  - Bilateral carotid cavernous fistulas are rare entities that can cause
      debilitating symptoms and can lead to more severe consequences if left untreated.
      Therefore, the recognition and adequate treatment of these pathologies is very
      important. We present 2 cases of bilateral carotid cavernous fistulas that arose
      as a result of cavernous sinus thrombosis. We review the literature and discuss
      the pathophysiology, symptomatology, management, and treatment of bilateral
      carotid cavernous fistulas. Within our own cases, treatment of the patients was
      varied. The patient in case 1 was successfully treated with endovascular therapy
      after a failed trial of anticoagulation. The patient in case 2 demonstrated
      resolution of bilateral carotid cavernous fistulas after anticoagulation therapy.
      Case 2 highlights the fact that certain cases of bilateral carotid cavernous
      fistulas due to cavernous sinus thrombosis may benefit from extensive
      anticoagulation therapy. If anticoagulation therapy is unsuccessful, endovascular
      therapy may prove beneficial in resolving the fistulous shunt.

PMID- 28362927
TI  - Understanding the Pathophysiology of Intracranial Aneurysm: The ICAN Project.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Understanding the pathophysiologic mechanism of intracranial aneurysm
      (IA) formation is a prerequisite to assess the potential risk of rupture.
      Nowadays, there are neither reliable biomarkers nor diagnostic tools to predict
      the formation or the evolution of IA. Increasing evidence suggests a genetic
      component of IA but genetics studies have failed to identify genetic variation
      causally related to IA. OBJECTIVE: To develop diagnostic and predictive tools for
      the risk of IA formation and rupture. METHODS: The French ICAN project is a
      noninterventional nationwide and multicentric research program. Each typical IA
      of bifurcation will be included. For familial forms, further IA screening will be
      applied among first-degree relatives. By accurate phenotype description with high
      throughput genetic screening, we aim to identify new genes involved in IA. These
      potential genetic markers will be tested in large groups of patients. Any
      relevant pathway identified will be further explored in a large cohort of
      sporadic carriers of IA, which will be well documented with clinical, biological,
      and imaging data. EXPECTED OUTCOMES: Discovering genetic risk factors, better
      understanding the pathophysiology, and identifying molecular mechanisms
      responsible for IA formation will be essential bases for the development of
      biomarkers and identification of therapeutic targets. DISCUSSION: Our protocol
      has many assets. A nationwide recruitment allows for the inclusion of large
      pedigrees with familial forms of IA. It will combine accurate phenotyping and
      comprehensive imaging with high-throughput genetic screening. Last, it will
      enable exploiting metadata to explore new pathophysiological pathways of interest
      by crossing clinical, genetic, biological, and imaging information.

PMID- 28362926
TI  - Launching Effectiveness Research to Guide Practice in Neurosurgery: A National
      Institute Neurological Disorders and Stroke Workshop Report.
AB  - This workshop addressed challenges of clinical research in neurosurgery.
      Randomized controlled clinical trials (RCTs) have high internal validity, but
      often insufficiently generalize to real-world practice. Observational studies are
      inclusive but often lack sufficient rigor. The workshop considered possible
      solutions, such as (1) statistical methods for demonstrating causality using
      observational data; (2) characteristics required of a registry supporting
      effectiveness research; (3) trial designs combining advantages of observational
      studies and RCTs; and (4) equipoise, an identified challenge for RCTs. In the
      future, advances in information technology potentially could lead to creation of
      a massive database where clinical data from all neurosurgeons are integrated and
      analyzed, ending the separation of clinical research and practice and leading to
      a new "science of practice."

PMID- 28362928
TI  - In Reply: Effect of Early Surgery, Material, and Method of Flap Preservation on
      Cranioplasty Infections: A Systematic Review.

PMID- 28362929
TI  - Metastatic Liposarcoma of the Skull Base: A Case Report and Review of Literature.
AB  - BACKGROUND AND IMPORTANCE: Myxoid liposarcoma is not an uncommon form of sarcoma.
      However, it usually affects the lower extremity long bones. Scapular involvement
      is extremely rare, as is a metastasis to the parasellar region. We present a case
      of liposarcoma of the skull base originating in the scapular region and
      metastasizing to the sellar and parasellar regions and provide a review of the
      pertinent literature. CLINICAL PRESENTATION: A 43-year-old female patient
      diagnosed with left scapular myxoid liposarcoma was treated with surgical
      resection. She had clear resection margins and was treated pre- and
      postoperatively with radiotherapy to the region. She remained asymptomatic for 2
      years following surgery, after which she abruptly developed diplopia with right
      lateral gaze. There were no symptoms of raised intracranial pressure or impaired
      vision. Her examination was normal apart from complete right sixth nerve palsy.
      Imaging studies of the brain showed a large mass in the clivus eroding into the
      floor of the sella, encircling the right internal carotid artery in the cavernous
      sinus. The mass also displaced the sellar contents superiorly. An endonasal,
      endoscopic skull base approach was undertaken, and a subtotal resection was
      performed in an effort to avoid multiple cranial nerve pareses. CONCLUSION: Our
      literature search revealed that this case report is the first to document
      liposarcoma metastasis to the skull base originating from the scapular region.
      Subtotal surgical resection resulted in minimal improvement of the patient's
      sixth nerve palsy. Postoperative radiation was undertaken. A multidisciplinary
      approach on an individual patient basis is recommended.

PMID- 28362931
TI  - Outcome of Finger Extension After Nerve Transfer to Repair C7-T1 Brachial Plexus
      Palsy in Rats: Comparative Study of the Supinator Motor Branch Transfer to the
      Posterior Interosseous Nerve and the Contralateral C7 Transfer to the Lower
      Trunk.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Functional recovery following supinator motor branch transfer
      requires further investigation. OBJECTIVE: To compare the outcome of finger
      extension after supinator motor branch transfer or contralateral C7 (cC7)
      transfer in C7-T1 brachial plexus palsies in rats. METHODS: In this study, 120
      adult rats underwent C7-T1 nerve root avulsion and received different nerve
      transfer repairs: group A, cC7 nerve transfer to the lower trunk; group B,
      supinator motor branch nerve transfer to the posterior interosseous nerve (PIN);
      and group C, no repair. The ethology of the rats, latency and amplitude of the
      compound muscle action potential from the PIN, muscle mass and muscle fiber cross
      sectional area of the extensor digitorum communis and extensor carpi ulnaris, and
      number of myelinated nerve fibers in the PIN were examined postoperatively.
      RESULTS: There was no finger extension in group C. We observed finger extension
      in groups A and B 50.2 +/- 5.66 and 13.1 +/- 2.08 days postoperatively,
      respectively. Finger extension restoration in group B was greater than that in
      group A at 4, 8, and 12 weeks postoperatively ( P < .05). Sixteen weeks after
      surgery, the recovery rate of the myelinated nerve fibers in group A was
      marginally higher than that in group B, but the difference was not significant.
      Of the other measured values, group B showed a greater and significant
      improvement compared to group A ( P < .05). CONCLUSION: Supinator motor branch
      transfer allows for faster recovery and is a more effective procedure for
      restoring finger extension in C7-T1 brachial plexus palsies.

PMID- 28362930
TI  - Past, Present, and Future of Neurosurgery in Uganda.
AB  - Neurosurgery in Uganda was virtually non-existent up until late 1960s. This
      changed when Dr. Jovan Kiryabwire spearheaded development of a neurosurgical unit
      at Mulago Hospital in Kampala. His work ethic and vision set the stage for rapid
      expansion of neurosurgical care in Uganda.At the beginning of the 2000s, Uganda
      was a country of nearly 30 million people, but had only 4 neurosurgeons.
      Neurosurgery's progress was plagued by challenges faced by many developing
      countries, such as difficulty retaining specialists, lack of modern hospital
      resources, and scarce training facilities. To combat these challenges 2 distinct
      programs were launched: 1 by Dr. Benjamin Warf in collaboration with CURE
      International, and the other by Dr. Michael Haglund from Duke University. Dr.
      Warf's program focused on establishing a facility for pediatric neurosurgery. Dr.
      Haglund's program to increase neurosurgical capacity was founded on a "4 T's
      Paradigm": Technology, Twinning, Training, and Top-Down. Embedded within this
      paradigm was the notion that Uganda needed to train its own people to become
      neurosurgeons, and thus Duke helped establish the country's first neurosurgery
      residency training program.Efforts from overseas, including the tireless work of
      Dr. Benjamin Warf, have saved thousands of children's lives. The influx of the
      Duke Program caused a dynamic shift at Mulago Hospital with dramatic effects, as
      evidenced by the substantial increase in neurosurgical capacity. The future looks
      bright for neurosurgery in Uganda and it all traces back to a rural village where
      1 man had a vision to help the people of his country.

PMID- 28362932
TI  - Commentary: Pipeline Embolization Device for Small Intracranial Aneurysms:
      Evaluation of Safety and Efficacy in a Multicenter Cohort.

PMID- 28362933
TI  - In Reply: Surfer's Myelopathy: A Rare Form of Spinal Cord Infarction in Novice
      Surfers: A Systematic Review.

PMID- 28362934
TI  - Three-Dimensional Printed Modeling of Diffuse Low-Grade Gliomas and Associated
      White Matter Tract Anatomy.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Diffuse low-grade gliomas (DLGGs) represent several pathological
      entities that infiltrate and invade cortical and subcortical structures in the
      brain. OBJECTIVE: To describe methods for rapid prototyping of DLGGs and
      surgically relevant anatomy. METHODS: Using high-definition imaging data and
      rapid prototyping technologies, we were able to generate 3 patient DLGGs to scale
      and represent the associated white matter tracts in 3 dimensions using advanced
      diffusion tensor imaging techniques. RESULTS: This report represents a novel
      application of 3-dimensional (3-D) printing in neurosurgery and a means to model
      individualized tumors in 3-D space with respect to subcortical white matter tract
      anatomy. Faculty and resident evaluations of this technology were favorable at
      our institution. CONCLUSION: Developing an understanding of the anatomic
      relationships existing within individuals is fundamental to successful
      neurosurgical therapy. Imaging-based rapid prototyping may improve on our ability
      to plan for and treat complex neuro-oncologic pathology.

PMID- 28362935
TI  - Evolution and Transmission of Carbapenem-Resistant Klebsiella pneumoniae
      Expressing the blaOXA-232 Gene During an Institutional Outbreak Associated With
      Endoscopic Retrograde Cholangiopancreatography.
AB  - Background: Whole-genome sequencing (WGS) is an emerging and powerful technique
      by which to perform epidemiological studies in outbreak situations. Methods: WGS
      was used to identify and evaluate an outbreak of OXA-232-expressing carbapenem
      resistant Klebsiella pneumoniae (CRKP) transmitted to 16 patients over the course
      of 40 weeks via endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography procedures at a
      single institution. WGS was performed on 32 OXA-232 CRKP isolates (1-7 per
      patient) and single-nucleotide variants (SNVs) were analyzed, with reference to
      the index patient's isolate. Results: Interhost genetic diversity of isolates was
      between 0 and 15 SNVs during the outbreak; molecular clock calculations estimated
      12.31 substitutions per genome per year (95% credibility interval, 7.81-17.05).
      Both intra- and interpatient diversification at the plasmid and transposon level
      was observed, significantly impacting the antibiogram of outbreak isolates. The
      majority of isolates evaluated (n = 27) harbored a blaCTX-M-15 gene, but some (n
      = 5) lacked the transposon carrying this gene, which resulted in susceptibility
      to aztreonam and third- and fourth-generation cephalosporins. Similarly, an
      isolate from a colonized patient lacked the transposon carrying rmtF and
      aac(6')lb genes, resulting in susceptibility to aminoglycosides. Conclusions:
      This study broadens the understanding of how bacteria diversify at the genomic
      level over the course of a defined outbreak and provides reference for future
      outbreak investigations.

PMID- 28362936
TI  - High Frequency of Blackwater Fever Among Children Presenting to Hospital With
      Severe Febrile Illnesses in Eastern Uganda.
AB  - Background: In the Fluid Expansion as a Supportive Treatment (FEAST) trial, an
      unexpectedly high proportion of participants from eastern Uganda presented with
      blackwater fever (BWF). Methods: We describe the prevalence and outcome of BWF
      among trial participants and compare the prevalence of 3 malaria-protective red
      blood cell polymorphisms in BWF cases vs both trial (non-BWF) and population
      controls. Results: Of 3170 trial participants, 394 (12.4%) had BWF. The majority
      (318 [81.0%]) presented in eastern Uganda and were the subjects of further
      analysis. BWF cases typically presented with both clinical jaundice (254/318
      [80%]) and severe anemia (hemoglobin level <5 g/dL) (238/310 [77%]). Plasmodium
      falciparum parasitemia was less frequent than in non-BWF controls, but a higher
      proportion were positive for P. falciparum histidine rich protein 2 (192/246
      [78.0%]) vs 811/1154 [70.3%]; P = .014), suggesting recent antimalarial
      treatment. Overall, 282 of 318 (88.7%) received transfusions, with 94 of 282
      (33.3%) and 9 of 282 (3.4%) receiving 2 or 3 transfusions, respectively. By day
      28, 39 of 318 (12.3%) BWF cases and 154 of 1554 (9.9%) non-BWF controls had died
      (P = .21), and 7 of 255 (3.0%) vs 13/1212 (1%), respectively, had severe anemia
      (P = .036). We found no association with G6PD deficiency. The prevalence of both
      the sickle cell trait (10/218 [4.6%]) and homozygous alpha+thalassemia (8/216
      [3.7%]) were significantly lower among cases than among population controls
      (334/2123 [15.7%] and 141/2114 [6.6%], respectively), providing further support
      for the role of malaria. Conclusions: We report the emergence of BWF in eastern
      Uganda, a condition that, according to local investigators, was rare until the
      last 7 years. We speculate that this might relate to the introduction of
      artemisinin-based combination therapies. Further studies investigating this
      possibility are urgently required.

PMID- 28362937
TI  - Diagnostic Performance of Tuberculosis-Specific IgG Antibody Profiles in Patients
      with Presumptive Tuberculosis from Two Continents.
AB  - Background: Development of rapid diagnostic tests for tuberculosis is a global
      priority. A whole proteome screen identified Mycobacterium tuberculosis antigens
      associated with serological responses in tuberculosis patients. We used World
      Health Organization (WHO) target product profile (TPP) criteria for a detection
      test and triage test to evaluate these antigens. Methods: Consecutive patients
      presenting to microscopy centers and district hospitals in Peru and to outpatient
      clinics at a tuberculosis reference center in Vietnam were recruited. We tested
      blood samples from 755 HIV-uninfected adults with presumptive pulmonary
      tuberculosis to measure IgG antibody responses to 57 M. tuberculosis antigens
      using a field-based multiplexed serological assay and a 132-antigen bead-based
      reference assay. We evaluated single antigen performance and models of all
      possible 3-antigen combinations and multiantigen combinations. Results: Three
      antigen and multiantigen models performed similarly and were superior to single
      antigens. With specificity set at 90% for a detection test, the best sensitivity
      of a 3-antigen model was 35% (95% confidence interval [CI], 31-40). With
      sensitivity set at 85% for a triage test, the specificity of the best 3-antigen
      model was 34% (95% CI, 29-40). The reference assay also did not meet study
      targets. Antigen performance differed significantly between the study sites for
      7/22 of the best-performing antigens. Conclusions: Although M. tuberculosis
      antigens were recognized by the IgG response during tuberculosis, no single
      antigen or multiantigen set performance approached WHO TPP criteria for clinical
      utility among HIV-uninfected adults with presumed tuberculosis in high-volume,
      urban settings in tuberculosis-endemic countries.

PMID- 28362939
TI  - Primary Prophylaxis for Cryptococcosis With Fluconazole in Human Immunodeficiency
      Virus-Infected Patients With CD4 T-Cell Counts <100 Cells/uL and Receiving
      Antiretroviral Therapy.
AB  - A prospective observational cohort study was conducted in 302 human
      immunodeficiency virus-infected patients who had a CD4 T-cell count <100 cells/uL
      and negative serum cryptococcal antigen initiating antiretroviral therapy in a
      resource-limited setting. During 2-year follow-up, there were no differences of
      survival rates and occurrences of newly diagnosed cryptococcosis between patients
      with and without fluconazole for primary prophylaxis of cryptococcosis.

PMID- 28362940
TI  - Different Epidemiology of Hospital-Acquired Bloodstream Infections Between Small
      Community Hospitals and Large Community Hospitals.

PMID- 28362941
TI  - Reply to Buetti et al.

PMID- 28362938
TI  - The Use of Noncarbapenem beta-Lactams for the Treatment of Extended-Spectrum beta
      Lactamase Infections.
AB  - The continued rise in infections caused by extended-spectrum beta-lactamase
      (ESBL)-producing pathogens is recognized globally as one of the most pressing
      concerns facing the healthcare community. Carbapenems are widely regarded as the
      antibiotics of choice for the treatment of ESBL-producing infections, even when
      in vitro activity to other beta-lactams has been demonstrated. However,
      indiscriminant carbapenem use is not without consequence, and carbapenem overuse
      has contributed to the emergence of carbapenem-resistant Enterobacteriaceae. The
      use of non-carbapenem beta-lactams for the treatment of ESBL infections has
      yielded conflicting results. In this review, we discuss the available data for
      the use of cephamycins, cefepime, piperacillin-tazobactam, ceftolozane
      tazobactam, and ceftazidime-avibactam for the treatment of ESBL infections.

PMID- 28362942
TI  - Old Antibiotics for Tuberculosis.

PMID- 28362943
TI  - Reply to Raoult.

PMID- 28362944
TI  - Zika Virus Infects Human Fetal Brain Microglia and Induces Inflammation.
AB  - Background: The unprecedented reemergence of Zika virus (ZIKV) has startled the
      world with reports of increased microcephaly in Brazil. ZIKV can infect human
      neural progenitors and impair brain growth. However, direct evidence of ZIKV
      infection in human fetal brain tissues remains elusive. Methods: Investigations
      were performed with brain cell preparations obtained from 9 donors. Virus
      infectivity was assessed by detection of virus antigen by flow cytometry together
      with various hematopoietic cell surface markers. Virus replication was determined
      by viral RNA quantification. Cytokine levels in supernatant obtained from virus
      infected fetal brain cells were measured simultaneously in microbead-based
      immunoassays. Results: We also show that ZIKV infection was particularly evident
      in hematopoietic cells with microglia, the brain-resident macrophage population
      being one of the main targets. Infection induces high levels of proinflammatory
      immune mediators such as interleukin 6 (IL-6), tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF
      alpha), interleukin 1beta (IL-1beta), and monocyte chemotactic protein 1 (MCP-1).
      Conclusions: Our results highlight an important role for microglia and
      neuroinflammation during congenital ZIKV pathogenesis.

PMID- 28362946
TI  - Invasive Candidiasis in Very Premature Neonates: Tiny Tots With Big Problems.

PMID- 28362945
TI  - Complex Routes of Nosocomial Vancomycin-Resistant Enterococcus faecium
      Transmission Revealed by Genome Sequencing.
AB  - Background: Vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus faecium (VREfm) is a leading cause
      of nosocomial infection. Here, we describe the utility of whole-genome sequencing
      in defining nosocomial VREfm transmission. Methods: A retrospective study at a
      single hospital in the United Kingdom identified 342 patients with E. faecium
      bloodstream infection over 7 years. Of these, 293 patients had a stored isolate
      and formed the basis for the study. The first stored isolate from each case was
      sequenced (200 VREfm [197 vanA, 2 vanB, and 1 isolate containing both vanA and
      vanB], 93 vancomycin-susceptible E. faecium) and epidemiological data were
      collected. Genomes were also available for E. faecium associated with bloodstream
      infections in 15 patients in neighboring hospitals, and 456 patients across the
      United Kingdom and Ireland. Results: The majority of infections in the 293
      patients were hospital-acquired (n = 249) or healthcare-associated (n = 42).
      Phylogenetic analysis showed that 291 of 293 isolates resided in a hospital
      associated clade that contained numerous discrete clusters of closely related
      isolates, indicative of multiple introductions into the hospital followed by
      clonal expansion associated with transmission. Fine-scale analysis of 6 exemplar
      phylogenetic clusters containing isolates from 93 patients (32%) identified
      complex transmission routes that spanned numerous wards and years, extending
      beyond the detection of conventional infection control. These contained both
      vancomycin-resistant and -susceptible isolates. We also identified closely
      related isolates from patients at Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Foundation
      Trust and regional and national hospitals, suggesting interhospital transmission.
      Conclusions: These findings provide important insights for infection control
      practice and signpost areas for interventions. We conclude that sequencing
      represents a powerful tool for the enhanced surveillance and control of
      nosocomial E. faecium transmission and infection.

PMID- 28362948
TI  - Spatial Analysis of the Human Immunodeficiency Virus Epidemic among Men Who Have
      Sex with Men in China, 2006-2015.
AB  - Background: Studies have shown a recent upsurge in human immunodeficiency virus
      (HIV) burden among men who have sex with men (MSM) in China, especially in urban
      areas. For intervention planning and resource allocation, spatial analyses of
      HIV/AIDS case-clusters were required to identify epidemic foci and trends among
      MSM in China. Methods: Information regarding MSM recorded as HIV/AIDS cases
      during 2006-2015 were extracted from the National Case Reporting System.
      Demographic trends were determined through Cochran-Armitage trend tests.
      Distribution of case-clusters was examined using spatial autocorrelation. Spatial
      temporal scan was used to detect disease clustering. Spatial correlations between
      cases and socioenvironmental factors were determined by spatial regression.
      Results: Between 2006 and 2015, in China, 120 371 HIV/AIDS cases were identified
      among MSM. Newly identified HIV/AIDS cases among self-reported MSM increased from
      487 cases in 2006 to >30 000 cases in 2015. Among those HIV/AIDS cases recorded
      during 2006-2015, 47.0% were 20-29 years old and 24.9% were aged 30-39 years.
      Based on clusters of HIV/AIDS cases identified through spatial analysis, the
      epidemic was concentrated among MSM in large cities. Spatial-temporal clusters
      contained municipalities, provincial capitals, and main cities such as Beijing,
      Shanghai, Chongqing, Chengdu, and Guangzhou. Spatial regression analysis showed
      that sociodemographic indicators such as population density, per capita gross
      domestic product, and number of county-level medical institutions had
      statistically significant positive correlations with HIV/AIDS among MSM.
      Conclusions: Assorted spatial analyses revealed an increasingly concentrated HIV
      epidemic among young MSM in Chinese cities, calling for targeted health education
      and intensive interventions at an early age.

PMID- 28362947
TI  - Geographic Differences in Temporal Incidence Trends of Hepatitis C Virus
      Infection Among People Who Inject Drugs: The InC3 Collaboration.
AB  - Background: We determined temporal trends (1985-2011) in hepatitis C virus (HCV)
      incidence and associated behavioral exposures for people who inject drugs (PWID)
      from the United States (Boston, Baltimore, and San Francisco), Canada (Montreal),
      the Netherlands (Amsterdam), and Australia (Sydney and Melbourne). Methods: Using
      population-based cohort data from HCV-negative PWID, we calculated overall and
      within-city HCV incidence trends, HCV rates by study enrollment period (1985
      2011), and temporal trends in exposure behaviors. Poisson regression models
      estimated trends in HCV incidence over calendar-time. Survival models identified
      risk factors for HCV incidence across cities and estimated independent effects of
      city and calendar period on HCV infection risk. Results: Among 1391 initially HCV
      negative participants followed prospectively (1644.5 person-years of observation
      [PYO]), 371 HCV incident infections resulted in an overall incidence of 22.6 per
      100 PYO (95% confidence interval [CI], 20.4-25.0). Incidence was highest and
      remained elevated in Baltimore (32.6/100 PYO), San Francisco (24.7/100 PYO), and
      Montreal (23.5/100 PYO), lowest in Melbourne and Amsterdam (7.5/100 PYO and
      13.1/100 PYO, respectively), and moderate (21.4/100 PYO) in Sydney. Higher rates
      of syringe and equipment sharing and lower prevalence of opioid agonist therapy
      were associated with HCV incidence in cities with the highest incidence. Risk for
      infection dropped by 18% for every 3-year increase in calendar-time (adjusted
      hazard ratio, 0.8 [95% CI, .8-.9]) in the multivariable model. Conclusions:
      Differences in prevention strategies and injecting contexts may explain the
      ongoing high HCV incidence in these North American cities and emphasize the need
      for scale-up of opioid agonist therapy and increased coverage of needle and
      syringe programs in North America.

PMID- 28362951
TI  - Treatment of Early Syphilis in HIV: What Do We Really Know?

PMID- 28362949
TI  - Two Doses of Inactivated Influenza Vaccine Improve Immune Response in Solid Organ
      Transplant Recipients: Results of TRANSGRIPE 1-2, a Randomized Controlled
      Clinical Trial.
AB  - Background: Influenza vaccine effectiveness is not optimal in solid organ
      transplant recipients (SOTR). We hypothesized that a booster dose might increase
      it. Methods: TRANSGRIPE 1-2 is a phase 3, randomized, controlled, multicenter,
      open-label clinical trial. Patients were randomly assigned (1:1 stratified by
      study site, type of organ, and time since transplantation) to receive 1 dose
      (control group) or 2 doses (booster group) of the influenza vaccine 5 weeks
      apart. Results: A total of 499 SOTR were enrolled. Although seroconversion at 10
      weeks did not meet significance in the modified intention-to-treat population,
      seroconversion rates were significantly higher in the booster arm for the per
      protocol population (53.8% vs 37.6% for influenza A(H1N1)pdm; 48.1% vs 32.3% for
      influenza A(H3N2); and 90.7% vs 75% for influenza B; P < .05). Furthermore,
      seroprotection at 10 weeks was higher in the booster group: 54% vs 43.2% for
      A(H1N1)pdm; 56.9% vs 45.5% for A(H3N2); and 83.4% vs 71.8% for influenza B (P <
      .05). The number needed to treat to seroprotect 1 patient was <10. The clinical
      efficacy (99.2% vs 98.8%) and serious adverse events (6.4% vs 7.5%) were similar
      for both groups. Conclusions: In SOTR, a booster strategy 5 weeks after standard
      influenza vaccination is safe and effective and induces an increased antibody
      response compared with standard influenza vaccination consisting of a single
      dose. Clinical Trials Registration: EudraCT (2011-003243-21).

PMID- 28362952
TI  - Timing of Prenatal Tdap Immunization and Protection Against Pertussis.

PMID- 28362950
TI  - Crisis in Infectious Diseases: 2 Decades Later.

PMID- 28362953
TI  - Reply to Abu Raya and Giles.

PMID- 28362956
TI  - Herpes Zoster Vaccine and the Medicare Population.

PMID- 28362955
TI  - Effectiveness and Duration of Protection Provided by the Live-attenuated Herpes
      Zoster Vaccine in the Medicare Population Ages 65 Years and Older.
AB  - Background: Tens of millions of seniors are at risk of herpes zoster (HZ) and its
      complications. Live attenuated herpes zoster vaccine (HZV) reduces that risk,
      although questions regarding effectiveness and durability of protection in
      routine clinical practice remain. We used Medicare data to investigate HZV
      effectiveness (VE) and its durability. Methods: This retrospective cohort study
      included beneficiaries ages >=65 years during January 2007 through July 2014.
      Multiple adjustments to account for potential bias were made. HZV-vaccinated
      beneficiaries were matched to unvaccinated beneficiaries (primary analysis) and
      to HZV-unvaccinated beneficiaries who had received pneumococcal vaccination
      (secondary analysis). HZ outcomes in community and hospital settings were
      analyzed, including ophthalmic zoster (OZ) and postherpetic neuralgia (PHN).
      Results: Among eligible beneficiaries (average age 77 years), the primary
      analysis found VE for community HZ of 33% (95% CI: 32%-35%) and 19% (95% CI: 17%
      22%), for the first 3, and subsequent 4+ years postvaccination, respectively. In
      the secondary analysis, VE was, respectively, 37% (95% CI: 36%-39%) and 22% (95%
      CI: 20%-25%). In the primary analysis, VE for PHN was 57% (95% CI: 52%-61%) and
      45% (95% CI: 36%-53%) in the first 3 and subsequent 4+ years, respectively; VE
      for hospitalized HZ was, respectively, 74% (95% CI: 67%-79%) and 55% (95% CI: 39%
      67%). Differences in VE by age group were not significant. Conclusions: In both
      the primary and secondary analyses, HZV provided protection against HZ across all
      ages, but effectiveness declined over time. VE was higher and better preserved
      over time for PHN and HZ-associated hospitalizations than for community HZ.

PMID- 28362954
TI  - Chronic Granulomatous Disease in Patients Reaching Adulthood: A Nationwide Study
      in France.
AB  - Background: Although prognosis of Chronic Granulomatous Disease (CGD) has greatly
      improved, few studies have focused on its long-term outcome. We studied the
      clinical course and sequelae of CGD patients diagnosed before age 16, at various
      adult time points. Method: Cross-sectional French nationwide retrospective study
      of patients screened through the National Reference Center for Primary
      Immunodeficiencies (CEREDIH) registry. Results: Eighty CGD patients (71 males
      [88.7%], 59 X-linked [73.7%], median age 23.9 years [minimum, 16.6; maximum,
      59.9]) were included, Median ages at diagnosis and last follow-up were 2.52 and
      23.9 years, respectively. Seven patients underwent hematopoietic stem cell
      transplantation. A total of 553 infections requiring hospitalization occurred in
      2017 patient-years. The most common site of infection was pulmonary (31%).
      Aspergillus spp. (17%) and Staphylococcus aureus (10.7%) were the commonest
      pathogens. A total of 224 inflammatory episodes occurred in 71 patients, mainly
      digestive (50%). Their characteristics as well as their annual frequency did not
      vary before and after age 16. Main sequelae were a small adult height and weight
      and mild chronic restrictive respiratory failure. At age 16, only 53% of patients
      were in high school. After age 30 years, 9/13 patients were working. Ten patients
      died during adulthood. Conclusions: Adult CGD patients displayed similar
      characteristics and rates of severe infections and inflammatory episodes that
      those of childhood. The high rate of handicap has become a matter of medical and
      social consideration. Careful follow-up in centers of expertise is strongly
      recommended and an extended indication of curative treatment by HSCT should be
      considered.

PMID- 28362957
TI  - Low-pressure Hydrocephalus in Children: A Case Series and Review of the
      Literature.
AB  - Background: Low-pressure hydrocephalus (LPH) is a rare phenomenon characterized
      by a clinical picture consistent with elevated intracranial pressure (ICP) and
      ventricular enlargement, but also a well-functioning shunt and low or negative
      ICP. Objective: To report our experience in evaluating this challenging problem.
      Methods: Patients with LPH were identified from several sources, including
      institutional procedural databases and personal case logs. Electronic medical
      records were reviewed to collect demographic, clinical, surgical, and
      radiographic data to determine the presence of LPH. Each patient's clinical
      course, including presentation, management, and outcome, is reported. Results:
      Thirty instances of LPH were identified in 29 patients. Eleven cases (37.9%) of
      LPH were after lumbar puncture (LP), and 19 cases (62.1%) occurred without any
      preceding spinal procedure. Among the post-LP patients, conservative measures
      alone were successful in 3 cases (27%); lumbar blood patch was successful in 2
      cases (18%); and 6 cases (55%) required external cerebrospinal fluid (CSF)
      drainage. Of the spontaneous cases, 5 patients did not receive the full spectrum
      of treatment because of terminal prognosis. Of the remaining 14 patients, 11
      (78.6%) required external CSF drainage. Post-LP patients required fewer days of
      external CSF drainage (median, 4 [range, 0-12] vs median, 11 [range, 0-90]) and
      had a shorter hospital stay (median, 2 [range, 2-16] vs median, 8 [range, 0-26]).
      Conclusion: This study represents the largest series of LPH. Although its
      pathophysiology remains a mystery, there are a variety of management options.
      Multiple procedures and a protracted hospital stay are often required to
      successfully treat LPH.

PMID- 28362958
TI  - Outcomes of Transferring a Healthy Motor Fascicle From the Radial Nerve to a
      Branch for the Triceps to Recover Elbow Extension in Partial Brachial Plexus
      Palsy.
AB  - Background: Triceps reinnervation is an important objective to pursue when
      repairing the brachial plexus for cases with upper roots injuries, and a number
      of different techniques have been developed in order to restore elbow extension
      in such cases. Objective: To demonstrate the surgical outcomes associated with
      the technique of transferring a single healthy motor fascicle from the radial
      nerve of the affected arm to a branch innervating 1 of the 3 heads of the
      triceps. Methods: A retrospective study of 13 adult patients sustaining an upper
      trunk syndrome associated with total elbow extension palsy who underwent the
      proposed technique as part of the surgical planning for reconstruction of the
      brachial plexus. Results: Outcomes scored as M4 for elbow extension were noted in
      9 cases (70%), M3 in 3 (23%), and M1 in 1 subject (7%). No patient considered the
      postoperative strength for carpal or finger extension as impaired. There were no
      differences in outcomes by using a fascicle activating carpal or finger extension
      as donor, as well as regarding the use of the branch to the medial or lateral
      head of the triceps as the recipient. Conclusion: The technique of transferring a
      healthy motor fascicle from the radial nerve of the affected side to one of its
      nonfunctional motor branches to the triceps is an effective and safe procedure
      for recovering elbow extension function in patients sustaining partial injuries
      of the brachial plexus.

PMID- 28362959
TI  - Cubital Tunnel Syndrome: Incidence and Demographics in a National Administrative
      Database.
AB  - Background: Compressive neuropathy of the ulnar nerve at the elbow, or cubital
      tunnel syndrome (CuTS), is the second most common entrapment neuropathy of the
      upper extremity after carpal tunnel syndrome. While several studies have reported
      risk factors and outcomes for select populations (mostly surgical), it is
      difficult to interpret these data without an accurate measure of CuTS disease
      burden in the general population. Objective: To estimate the incidence of CuTS
      among US health plan enrollees, using a large administrative health care claims
      database comprised of individuals from all 50 states. Methods: An administrative
      database of commercial insurance beneficiaries was queried for diagnosis and
      treatment of CuTS over a 6-yr period. We examined subsequent claims to determine
      frequency of subsequent surgical treatment. Descriptive statistics were used to
      determine the association of incident cases and surgical treatment with age and
      gender. Results: The estimated adjusted incidence rate of CuTS is 30.0 per 100
      000 person-years. Of the 53 401 identified new cases within this cohort from 2006
      to 2012, 41.3% were treated surgically. Incident cases were identified more
      frequently in men than in women (31.2 vs 28.8 cases per 100 000 person-years),
      though we observed more cases in women than in men below 50 yr of age (20.9 vs
      19.5 cases per 100 000 person-years). Overall, incident cases increase with age
      in both men and women. In addition to incident cases being more common with
      increasing age, the percentage of cases treated surgically also increases with
      age (surgery in 34.4% of cases in the 18-30 yr group vs 48.8% of cases in the 60
      65 yr group). Conclusion: The purpose of this study was to estimate the incidence
      of CuTS among US health plan enrollees. This is the largest published study on
      the incidence of CuTS, and the first to look at a US population. The overall
      adjusted incidence of CuTS was 30.0 per 100 000 person-years. Of patients who
      developed CuTS, 41.3% were treated surgically during the study period. Our
      results corroborate previously reported literature suggesting incidence increases
      significantly with age, with a slightly higher incidence in males. A high
      percentage of people who were diagnosed with CuTS and ended up receiving surgical
      intervention (41.3%) were older males. These results may aid practitioners in
      providing some basic prognostic information to patients who develop CuTS.

PMID- 28362960
TI  - Ipsilateral Motor Innervation Discovered Incidentally on Intraoperative
      Monitoring: A Case Report.
AB  - Background and importance: Lesions in the corticospinal tract above the
      decussation at the medullary pyramids almost universally produce contralateral
      deficits. Rare cases of supratentorial lesions causing ipsilateral motor deficits
      have been reported previously, but only ever found secondary to stroke or
      congenital pyramidal tract malformations. Clinical presentation: Herein, we
      report a case of ipsilateral corticospinal tract innervation discovered
      incidentally with intraoperative monitoring during a microsurgical resection of a
      vestibular schwannoma. Intraoperative monitoring with electrical transcranial
      stimulation of the frontal scalp triggered motor-evoked potentials in the
      ipsilateral arms. The uncrossed pathways were later confirmed with MRI
      tractography using diffusion tensor imaging. Conclusion: To the best of our
      knowledge, this is the first case of isolated ipsilateral motor innervation of
      the corticospinal tract discovered incidentally during a neurosurgical procedure.
      Given the increasing use of intraoperative monitoring, this case underscores the
      importance of cautious interpretation of seemingly discordant neurophysiological
      findings. Once technical issues have been ruled out, ipsilateral motor
      innervation may be considered as a possible explanation and neurosurgeons should
      be aware of the existence of this rare anatomic variant.

PMID- 28362961
TI  - Audiovestibular Handicap and Quality of Life in Patients With Vestibular
      Schwannoma and "Excellent" Hearing.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Studies examining patient-reported outcomes in subjects with
      vestibular schwannoma (VS) and "excellent" hearing are lacking. OBJECTIVE: To
      assess patient-reported audiovestibular handicap and overall quality of life
      (QoL) in VS patients with class A hearing in both ears. METHODS: Among 539 VS
      patients treated during 1998 to 2008, we identified 296 patients with either
      bilateral class A (AA) hearing or 1 good ear and 1 deaf ear (AD) according to the
      American Academy of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery classification. Patients
      responded to validated hearing, tinnitus, and dizziness handicap inventories and
      2 QoL questionnaires, and the 2 groups were compared. A reference group of 103
      adults filled out the same questionnaires. RESULTS: Forty-nine patients (16.6%)
      had class AA and 247 patients (83.4%) had class AD hearing. AA patients scored
      poorer than control subjects without tumor on all handicap questionnaires ( P <
      .001) and a VS-specific QoL instrument ( P = .006). Con-versely, AA patients
      scored significantly better than patients with AD on the hearing inventory and
      the disease-specific QoL instrument ( P < .001), but no difference was found
      between these groups with regard to tinnitus and dizziness. The hearing
      disability score was approximately 3 times poorer for AA patients compared with
      control subjects without tumor; a third of AA patients reported a hearing
      handicap. CONCLUSION: Patients with VS and bilateral class A hearing report
      significantly poorer hearing handicap than control subjects without tumor but
      better hearing than those with unilateral deafness. When patients with bilateral
      class A hearing are counseled, it should be noted that one-third of patients
      experience self-perceived hearing handicap.

PMID- 28362962
TI  - Correlation of Subjective Hospital Compare Metrics With Objective Outcomes of
      Cranial Neurosurgical Procedures in New York State.
AB  - Background: Public reporting is at the forefront of health care reform.
      Objective: To investigate whether patient satisfaction as expressed in a public
      reporting platform correlates with objective outcomes for cranial neurosurgery
      patients. Methods: We performed a cohort study involving patients undergoing
      cranial neurosurgery from 2009 to 2013 who were registered in the Statewide
      Planning and Research Cooperative System database. This cohort was merged with
      the corresponding data from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services
      Hospital Compare website. The association of patient satisfaction metrics with
      outcomes was examined with the use of a propensity-adjusted regression model.
      Results: Overall, 19 591 patients underwent cranial neurosurgery during the
      study. Using a propensity-adjusted multivariable regression analysis, we
      demonstrated that hospitals with a greater percentage of patient-assigned "high"
      scores had decreased mortality (OR, 0.60; 95% CI, 0.53-0.67), rate of discharge
      to rehabilitation (OR, 0.93; 95% CI, 0.88-0.98), length of stay (adjusted
      difference, -1.29; 95% CI, -1.46 to -1.13), and hospitalization charges (adjusted
      difference, -23%; 95% CI, -36% to -9%) after cranial neurosurgery. Similar
      associations were identified for hospitals with a higher percentage of patients,
      who would recommend these institutions to others. Conclusion: In a Centers for
      Medicare and Medicaid Services Hospital Compare-Statewide Planning and Research
      Cooperative System merged dataset, we observed an association of higher
      performance in patient satisfaction measures with decreased mortality, rate of
      discharge to rehabilitation, hospitalization charges, and length of stay.

PMID- 28362964
TI  - Commentary: An Introduction to Leadership Self-Assessment at the Society of
      Neurological Surgeons Post-Graduate Year 1 Boot Camp: Observations and
      Commentary.
AB  - Recent trends in graduate medical education have emphasized the mastery of
      nontechnical skills, especially leadership, for neurosurgical trainees.
      Accordingly, we introduced leadership development and self-awareness training to
      interns attending the Society of Neurological Surgeons Post-Graduate Year 1 Boot
      Camp in the Northeast (New England/New York/New Jersey) region in 2015. Feedback
      about the session was collected from interns. While neurosurgical interns
      conveyed a desire to receive more information on improving their leadership
      skills, most indicated that guidance seemed to be lacking in this critical area.
      We discuss some of the professional development needs uncovered during this
      process.

PMID- 28362963
TI  - Lumbar Spinal Stenosis Associated With Degenerative Lumbar Spondylolisthesis: A
      Systematic Review and Meta-analysis of Secondary Fusion Rates Following Open vs
      Minimally Invasive Decompression.
AB  - Background: Decompression without fusion is a treatment option in patients with
      lumbar spinal stenosis (LSS) associated with stable low-grade degenerative
      spondylolisthesis (DS). A minimally invasive unilateral laminotomy (MIL) for
      "over the top" decompression might be a less destabilizing alternative to
      traditional open laminectomy (OL). Objective: To review secondary fusion rates
      after open vs minimally invasive decompression surgery. Methods: We performed a
      literature search in Pubmed/MEDLINE using the keywords "lumbar spondylolisthesis"
      and "decompression surgery." All studies that separately reported the outcome of
      patients with LSS+DS that were treated by OL or MIL (transmuscular or
      subperiosteal route) were included in our systematic review and meta-analysis.
      The primary end point was secondary fusion rate. Secondary end points were total
      reoperation rate, postoperative progression of listhetic slip, and patient
      satisfaction. Results: We identified 37 studies (19 with OL, 18 with MIL), with a
      total of 1156 patients, that were published between 1983 and 2015. The studies'
      evidence was mostly level 3 or 4. Secondary fusion rates were 12.8% after OL and
      3.3% after MIL; the total reoperation rates were 16.3% after OL and 5.8% after
      MIL. In the OL cohort, 72% of the studies reported a slip progression compared to
      0% in the MIL cohort, respectively. After OL, satisfactory outcome was 62.7%
      compared to 76% after MIL. Conclusion: In patients with LSS and DS, minimally
      invasive decompression is associated with lower reoperation and fusion rates,
      less slip progression, and greater patient satisfaction than open surgery.

PMID- 28362965
TI  - Transsylvian Selective Amygdalohippocampectomy for Mesiotemporal Epilepsy:
      Experience with 162 Procedures.
AB  - Background: Mesial temporal lobe epilepsy (MTLE) is one of the most common forms
      of epilepsy refractory to medical therapy. Among different surgical approaches,
      selective amygdalohippocampectomy has gained increasing interest for its
      rationale of isolated removal of the epileptogenic mesiotemporal area. Objective:
      To summarize our experience with surgical treatment of MTLE in 162 patients using
      the transsylvian approach and to analyze possible effects of length of
      hippocampal resection and postoperative gliosis on seizure and cognitive outcome.
      Methods: Clinical, radiological, histopathological and neuropsychological
      findings of 162 patients with MTLE who were operated by the senior author between
      1993 and 2012 were retrospectively evaluated. Postoperative follow-up mounted up
      to 240 months (59 +/- 56 months). Seizure outcome was available in 156 patients
      with minimum follow-up of 3 months. Extent of hippocampal resection was evaluated
      in 70 and postoperative gliosis in 62 of the 92 patients. Results were then
      correlated with seizure and cognitive outcome. Results: Of 134 patients with a
      follow-up of at least 1 year, 85 (63.4%) remained completely seizure free (Engel
      Ia) and 118 (88.0%) had a worthwhile improvement after surgery (Engel I+II).
      There was no perioperative death. Permanent morbidity was encountered in 4
      patients (2.5%). Neither the extent of hippocampal resection nor postoperative
      gliosis correlated with seizure outcome or postoperative memory performance.
      Conclusion: Transsylvian selective amygdalohippocampectomy can be recommended as
      an adequate procedure for the surgical treatment of mesiotemporal epilepsy with
      favorable epileptological results and acceptable morbidity.

PMID- 28362966
TI  - Does MIS Surgery Allow for Shorter Constructs in the Surgical Treatment of Adult
      Spinal Deformity?
AB  - Background: The length of construct can potentially influence perioperative risks
      in adult spinal deformity (ASD) surgery. A head-to-head comparison between open
      and minimally invasive surgery (MIS) techniques for treatment of ASD has yet to
      be performed. Objective: To examine the impact of MIS approaches on construct
      length and clinical outcomes in comparison to traditional open approaches when
      treating similar ASD profiles. Methods: Two multicenter databases for ASD, 1
      involving MIS procedures and the other open procedures, were propensity matched
      for clinical and radiographic parameters in this observational study. Inclusion
      criteria were ASD and minimum 2-year follow-up. Independent t -test and chi
      square test were used to evaluate and compare outcomes. Results: A total of 1215
      patients were identified, with 84 patients matched in each group. Statistical
      significance was found for mean levels fused (4.8 for circumferential MIS [cMIS]
      and 10.1 for open), mean interbody fusion levels (3.6 cMIS and 2.4 open), blood
      loss (estimated blood loss 488 mL cMIS and 1762 mL open), and hospital length of
      stay (6.7 days cMIS and 9.7 days open). There was no significant difference in
      preoperative radiographic parameters or postoperative clinical outcomes (Owestry
      Disability Index and visual analog scale) between groups. There was a significant
      difference in postoperative lumbar lordosis (43.3 degrees  cMIS and 49.8 degrees 
      open) and pelvic incidence-lumbar lordosis correction (10.6 degrees  cMIS and 5.2
      degrees  open) in the open group. There was no significant difference in
      reoperation rate between the 2 groups. Conclusion: MIS techniques for ASD may
      reduce construct length, reoperation rates, blood loss, and length of stay
      without affecting clinical and radiographic outcomes when compared to a similar
      group of patients treated with open techniques.

PMID- 28362967
TI  - Anticoagulation vs Antiplatelet Treatment in Patients with Carotid and Vertebral
      Artery Dissection: A Study of 370 Patients and Literature Review.
AB  - Background: Dissection of the carotid and vertebral arteries is an important
      cause of stroke in young patients. Objective: The objective of this study is to
      compare antithrombotic treatments in patients with carotid and vertebral
      dissections. Methods: Three hundred seventy patients with carotid and vertebral
      artery dissections were included. Univariate and multivariate analyses were
      conducted to analyze the association between treatment and new or recurrent
      events and clinical outcome. Results: Mean follow-up was 24.3 months. In patients
      with spontaneous dissection, 55% received antiplatelets, 29.4% anticoagulation,
      and 12.6% combined treatment. New or recurrent ischemic and hemorrhagic events
      occurred in 9.6% of patients on antiplatelets, 10.4% on anticoagulation, and
      13.3% on combined treatment. For traumatic dissection, 58.3% received
      antiplatelets, 26.9% anticoagulation, and 10.2% combined treatment. New or
      recurrent ischemic and hemorrhagic events occurred in 6.9% on antiplatelets,
      11.1% on anticoagulation, and 20% on combined treatment. In patients with
      intracranial dissection, 63.1% were started on antiplatelets, 19.7% on
      anticoagulation, and 14.5% on combined treatment. Ischemic and hemorrhagic events
      occurred in 8.5% on antiplatelet treatment, 15.4% on anticoagulation, and 18.2%
      on combined treatment. In patients with extracranial dissection, 54.4% were on
      antiplatelets, 28.9% on anticoagulation, and 11.2% on combined treatment.
      Ischemic and hemorrhagic events occurred in 10.1% on antiplatelet treatment, 9.3%
      on anticoagulation, and 13.8% on combined treatment. The association between
      antithrombotic treatment and ischemic/hemorrhagic events and clinical outcome was
      not significant for all subtypes of dissection. Conclusion: The rate of new or
      recurrent events is similar with antiplatelet and anticoagulation treatment in
      treating intracranial and extracranial carotid and vertebral artery dissection.

PMID- 28362968
TI  - Letter: ORACLE Stroke Study: Opinion Regarding Acceptable Outcome Following
      Decompressive Hemicraniectomy for Ischemic Stroke.

PMID- 28362969
TI  - Letter: Effect of Early Surgery, Material, and Method of Flap Preservation on
      Cranioplasty Infections: A Systematic Review.

PMID- 28362970
TI  - Commentary: Appropriate Use Criteria for Lumbar Degenerative Scoliosis:
      Developing Evidence-based Guidance for Complex Treatment Decisions.
AB  - Lumbar degenerative scoliosis is a relatively common problem, and is being
      treated more frequently due to the confluence of an aging population and an
      increased capacity and willingness to manage difficult problems in older
      patients. Lumbar degenerative scoliosis is a complex pathology as it often
      involves the intersection of degenerative spinal stenosis and spinal deformity.
      While previous studies provide an indication that these patients may benefit from
      surgical treatment, the substantial variability in treatment underscores the
      opportunity for improvement. Optimizing treatment for lumbar degenerative
      scoliosis is critical as surgical intervention, while potentially providing
      substantial clinical benefit also entails measurable risk and significant
      expense. In light of these issues, evidence-based guidance generated through
      Appropriate Use Criteria (AUC) development offers the potential to improve both
      the quality and cost effectiveness of care.The lumbar degenerative scoliosis AUC
      represents a significant step toward evidence-based treatment in spinal surgery.
      This is the first time that spine societies and industry partners have
      collaborated to support evidence development. The willingness of all involved to
      support a completely independent process underlines a commitment to trust the
      evidence. Subsequent studies may validate and/or refine the AUC recommendations,
      but the most important result is that the standard for evidence quality has been
      raised.

PMID- 28362971
TI  - Stabilization, Rolling, and Addition of Other Extracellular Matrix Proteins to
      Collagen Hydrogels Improve Regeneration in Chitosan Guides for Long Peripheral
      Nerve Gaps in Rats.
AB  - Background: Autograft is still the gold standard technique for the repair of long
      peripheral nerve injuries. The addition of biologically active scaffolds into the
      lumen of conduits to mimic the endoneurium of peripheral nerves may increase the
      final outcome of artificial nerve devices. Furthermore, the control of the
      orientation of the collagen fibers may provide some longitudinal guidance
      architecture providing a higher level of mesoscale tissue structure. Objective:
      To evaluate the regenerative capabilities of chitosan conduits enriched with
      extracellular matrix-based scaffolds to bridge a critical gap of 15 mm in the rat
      sciatic nerve. Methods: The right sciatic nerve of female Wistar Hannover rats
      was repaired with chitosan tubes functionalized with extracellular matrix-based
      scaffolds fully hydrated or stabilized and rolled to bridge a 15 mm nerve gap.
      Recovery was evaluated by means of electrophysiology and algesimetry tests and
      histological analysis 4 months after injury. Results: Stabilized constructs
      enhanced the success of regeneration compared with fully hydrated scaffolds.
      Moreover, fibronectin-enriched scaffolds increased muscle reinnervation and
      number of myelinated fibers compared with laminin-enriched constructs.
      Conclusion: A mixed combination of collagen and fibronectin may be a promising
      internal filler for neural conduits for the repair of peripheral nerve injuries,
      and their stabilization may increase the quality of regeneration over long gaps.

PMID- 28362972
TI  - Prevention of Axonal Degeneration by Perineurium Injection of Mitochondria in a
      Sciatic Nerve Crush Injury Model.
AB  - Background: Axon degeneration leads to cytoskeletal disassembly, metabolism
      imbalance, and mitochondrial dysfunction during neurodegeneration or nerve
      injury. Objective: In this study, we assess the possibility of mitigating axon
      degeneration by local injection of mitochondria in a crushed sciatic nerve.
      Methods: Sciatic nerve explants cocultured with mitochondria were assessed for
      the optimal dosage in local injection and nerve regeneration potential. The left
      sciatic nerve was crushed in Sprague-Dawley rats and then local injection of
      mitochondria into the distal end of the injured nerve was conducted for further
      assessment. Results: Mitochondrial coculture attenuated cytoskeletal loss and
      oxidative stress in isolated nerve explants. In Vivo analyses also showed that
      mitochondrial transplantation improved animal neurobehaviors, electrophysiology
      of nerve conduction, and muscle activities. Mitochondria injection significantly
      attenuated the oxidative stress and increased the expression of neurotrophic
      factors both in injured nerves and denervated muscles, as well as restored
      muscular integrity, and increased the pool of muscular progenitor cells and total
      muscle weight. Conclusion: Mitochondria injection can protect injured nerves from
      axonal degeneration both in Vitro and in Vivo. This improvement was accompanied
      with the expression of neurotrophic factors as well as the reduction of oxidative
      stress, which may account for the functional recovery of both injured nerves and
      denervated muscles.

PMID- 28362973
TI  - Letter: Surfer's Myelopathy: A Rare Form of Spinal Cord Infarction in Novice
      Surfers: A Systematic Review.

PMID- 28362974
TI  - Effect of Whole Brain Radiation Therapy on Cognitive Function

PMID- 28362975
TI  - GSTM1 polymorphism in patients with clinical manifestations of atherosclerosis.
AB  - Atherosclerosis is characterized by lesions, called atheroma or atheromatous
      plaques, in the inner layer of blood vessels, which block the vascular lumen and
      weaken the underlying tunica media. Several modifiable and non-modifiable risk
      factors for the development of atherosclerosis exist. The modifiable risk factors
      include hypertension, smoking, obesity, high LDL and low HDL cholesterol levels,
      sedentary lifestyle, and stress; the non-modifiable factors include diabetes
      mellitus, family history of hypertension and heart disease, thrombophilia, sex,
      age, and genetic factors. The association of polymorphisms in GST with coronary
      artery disease has been studied since the polymorphisms can affect enzyme
      activity and contribute to the onset of atherosclerosis. We analyzed
      polymorphisms in GSTM1 in individuals diagnosed with atherosclerosis as well as
      in healthy individuals (control group). The frequency of the GSTM1 present
      genotype in the atherosclerosis group was 1.2 times higher than that observed in
      the control group. We found no sex- or alcohol-consumption-dependent differences
      between the occurrences of the present and null genotypes. However, the GSTM1
      present genotype occurred in 52.6% individuals with atherosclerosis who reported
      smoking 20 or more cigarettes per day and in 60% individuals who smoked 10 to 20
      cigarettes per day (P = 0.0035). In addition, the GSTM1 present genotype was more
      frequent in individuals who reported being former smokers - 45.5% in individuals
      with atherosclerosis who smoked for more than 20 years and 50% each for
      individuals in the control group who smoked for less than 10 years or for 10 to
      20 years, respectively (P = 0.0240).

PMID- 28362976
TI  - Paracrine effect of bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells on proliferation,
      apoptosis, and alpha-actin-2 expression in hepatic stellate cells.
AB  - We investigated the paracrine effects of bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells
      (BMSCs) on the proliferation, apoptosis, and alpha-actin-2 (ACTA2) expression of
      hepatic stellate cells (HSCs), and explored the possible mechanisms of hepatocyte
      growth factor (HGF). We established a co-culture system by culturing BMSCs on the
      upper layer and HSCs on the lower layer of a 6-well Transwell plate. Normal HSCs
      were cultured alone as a control. Cell apoptosis was determined by flow
      cytometry. We detected the expression of ACTA2 mRNA and ACTA2 protein in HSC
      using quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) and
      western blotting, respectively. ACTA2 in HSCs was detected by fluorescent
      staining, and HGF in the co-culture supernatant was detected by enzyme-linked
      immunosorbent assay (ELISA). The apoptotic rate of HSCs in the experiment group
      was 2.6 times that in the control group (P < 0.05). The expression levels of
      ACTA2 mRNA and ACTA2 protein were significantly inhibited in HSCs compared with
      the control group (P < 0.05). HGF concentration in the co-culture supernatant was
      0.43 +/- 0.47 mM in the experimental group, which was significantly higher than
      in the control group (0.16 +/- 0.43 mM) (P < 0.05). The paracrine effect of
      BMSCs, which was caused by the suppression of ACTA2 and HGF expression, induced
      HSC apoptosis.

PMID- 28362977
TI  - Anti-inflammatory effects of essential oils from Mangifera indica.
AB  - Mangifera indica is widely found in Brazil, and its leaves are used as an anti
      inflammatory agent in folk medicine. The aim of this study is to perform
      composition analysis of essential oils from the M. indica varieties, espada
      (EOMIL1) and coracao de boi (EOMIL2), and confirm their anti-inflammatory
      properties. Twenty-three volatile compounds were identified via gas
      chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) in two essential oils from the leaves.
      Paw edema and myeloperoxidase (MPO) activity were evaluated using the carrageenan
      induced paw model, while leukocyte migration was analyzed using the pleurisy
      model. At oral doses of 100 and 300 mg/kg, the essential oils significantly
      reduced edema formation and the increase in MPO activity induced by carrageenan
      in rat paws. For a dose of 300 mg/kg EOMIL1, 62 +/- 8% inhibition of edema was
      observed, while EOMIL2 led to 51 +/- 7% inhibition of edema. At a dose of 100
      mg/kg, the inhibition was 54 +/- 9% for EOMIL1 and 37 +/- 7% for EOMIL2. EOMIL1
      and EOMIL2 significantly reduced MPO activity at doses of 100 mg/kg (47 +/- 5 and
      23 +/- 8%, respectively) and 300 mg/kg (50 +/- 9 and 31 +/- 7%, respectively). In
      the pleurisy model, inhibitions were also observed for EOMIL1 and EOMIL2 in the
      leukocyte migration test. The results of the present study show that essential
      oils from M. indica differ in chemical composition and anti-inflammatory activity
      in rats.

PMID- 28362978
TI  - Dynamic relationship between SIPA1 gene and protein expression and the
      development of gastric cancer.
AB  - Association of signal-induced proliferation-associated 1 (SIPA) gene and protein
      expression with gastric cancer development was examined. SIPA1 mRNA and protein
      levels were determined by real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction and
      western blot, respectively, in 40 gastric tumor and tumor-adjacent normal
      tissues. SIPA1, VEGF-A, and FVIII levels in 60 gastric tumor and 40 tumor
      adjacent normal tissues were examined by immunohistochemical staining.
      Correlations between SIPA1, VEGF-A, and microvessel density (MVD) were analyzed.
      SIPA1 mRNA levels were significantly lower in tumor tissues than in tumor
      adjacent normal tissues (P < 0.05). Similarly, protein levels were significantly
      lower in tumor tissues (0.3043 +/- 0.1062) than in tumor-adjacent normal tissues
      (0.5423 +/- 0.0682, P < 0.05). Positive staining rates of SIPA1 (48.3%) and VEGF
      A (36.7%) were lower and higher, respectively, in tumor tissues than in tumor
      adjacent normal tissues (65.0 and 2.5%, P < 0.05). Positive protein staining
      rates in tumor tissues correlated with the degree of differentiation, lymph node
      metastases, and clinical grading (P < 0.05) and not with sex, age, or tumor size
      (P > 0.05). Significantly higher MVD (57.4 +/- 9.3) was observed in tumor tissues
      displaying positive SIPA1 staining than in tumor-adjacent normal tissues (41.2 +/
      5.7, P < 0.05). SIPA1 and VEGF-A expression in tumor tissues were negatively
      correlated (r = -0.736, P < 0.05). SIPA1 and its protein may play important roles
      in gastric cancer invasion, metastasis, and biological behavior. Low SIPA1 levels
      in gastric cancer may accelerate tumor development and progression by promoting
      VEGF-A expression to increase vascular density.

PMID- 28362979
TI  - Nramp1 gene expression in different tissues of Meishan piglets from newborn to
      weaning.
AB  - Natural resistance-associated macrophage protein gene 1 (Nramp1) plays an
      important role in the innate immune response of swine, and is believed to
      influence disease resistance. In this study, a real-time quantitative polymerase
      chain reaction technique was used to investigate Nramp1 expression in 12
      different tissues in newborn and 7-, 14-, 21-, 28-, and 35-day-old Meishan
      piglets. Results indicated that Nramp1 was expressed to varying degrees in all
      sample tissues, although expression differed among growth stages. For example,
      Nramp1 was highly expressed in the spleen, but minimally expressed in heart,
      liver, and muscle tissues among the various piglet age classes. Overall, Nramp1
      expression increased with age, reaching significant levels in 21- and 28-day-old
      animals. Nramp1 was expressed in all 12 tissues tested; however, expression in
      spleen, lung, kidney, and thymus tissues was highest among newborns, which is
      consistent with this gene's role in innate immunity improvement. Before and after
      weaning, Nramp1 was highly expressed in digestive (stomach) and intestinal
      (duodenum, jejunum, and ileum) tissues, further indicating a genetic role in both
      immune regulation to compensate for weaning stress and enhanced development of
      intestinal immunity.

PMID- 28362980
TI  - Role of Th1/Th2 cytokines in the diagnosis and prognostic evaluation of
      ankylosing spondylitis.
AB  - Ankylosing spondylitis (AS), a progressive disease of the spine, manifests as
      peripheral arthritis with tendon and ligament inflammation that restricts
      activity. AS is a rheumatoid autoimmune disease although the rheumatoid factor is
      absent in patients with AS. It is characterized by inflammatory changes such as
      elevated levels of serum inflammatory factors. The roles of Th1 and Th2 cytokines
      in autoimmune diseases are well known. However, the roles of these cytokines in
      the diagnosis and prognosis of AS is poorly understood. The aim of this study was
      to investigate the roles of Th1/Th2 cytokines in the diagnosis and prognosis of
      AS. The BASDAI activity, BASFI functional index, BASMI measurement score, and the
      levels of CRP and ESR were measured during the treatment of patients with active
      AS. The levels of IFN-gamma and TNF-alpha (Th1 cytokines) and IL-4 and IL-10 (Th2
      cytokines) were quantified. The levels of IL-4 and IL-10 were significantly low
      in the serum of patients with active AS, who also had high IFN-gamma and TNF
      alpha levels compared to those in the control individuals (P < 0.05). After
      treatment, the levels of IL-4 and IL-10 increased while those of IFN-gamma and
      TNF-alpha decreased compared to those in individuals with active AS (P < 0.05).
      The disease activity index correlated positively with levels of IFN-gamma and TNF
      alpha and negatively with levels of IL-4 and IL-10, but not with that of CRP or
      ESR. Changes in the levels of Th1/2 cytokines in patients with AS may reflect
      disease activity and prognosis.

PMID- 28362981
TI  - Effect of propolis ethanol extract on myostatin gene expression and muscle
      morphometry of Nile tilapia in net cages.
AB  - Propolis can be used as growth enhancer due to its antimicrobial, antioxidant,
      and immune-stimulant properties, but its effects on morphometry and muscle gene
      expression are largely unknown. The present study evaluates the influence of
      propolis on muscle morphometry and myostatin gene expression in Nile tilapia
      (Oreochromis niloticus) bred in net cages. Reversed males (GIFT strain) with an
      initial weight of 170 +/- 25 g were distributed in a (2 x 4) factorial scheme,
      with two diets (DPRO, commercial diet with 4% propolis ethanol extract and DCON,
      commercial diet without propolis, control) and four assessment periods (0, 35,
      70, and 105 experimental days). Muscles were evaluated at each assessment period.
      Histomorphometric analysis classified the fiber diameters into four groups: <20
      MUm; 20-30 MUm; 30-50 MUm; and > 50 MUm. RT-qPCR was performed to assess
      myostatin gene expression. Fibers < 20 um diameter were more frequent in DPRO
      than in DCON at all times. Fiber percentages >30 um (30-50 and > 50 um) at 70
      days were 25.39% and 40.07% for DPRO and DCON, respectively. There was greater
      myostatin gene expression at 105 days, averaging 1.93 and 1.89 for DCON and DPRO,
      respectively, with no significant difference in any of the analyzed periods.
      Propolis ethanol extract did not affect the diameter of muscle fibers or the gene
      expression of myostatin. Future studies should describe the mechanisms of natural
      products' effects on muscle growth and development since these factors are highly
      relevant for fish production performance.

PMID- 28362982
TI  - Morphology and muscle gene expression in GIFT and Supreme Nile tilapia varieties
      reared in two cultivation systems.
AB  - Tissue growth in most fishes occurs by muscular hyperplasia and hypertrophy,
      which are influenced by different regulatory factors, such as myostatin. The
      current study evaluated the influence of cultivation in hapas and earthen ponds
      on the diameter of white muscle fibers and on the myostatin (MSTN-1) gene in GIFT
      and Supreme varieties of tilapia. Fish of both varieties were reared for 204 days
      and then divided into four developmental stages. White muscle samples,
      corresponding to 100 fibers per slide, were collected from the middle region of
      fish of each variety and cultivation system, and were measured and divided into
      two classes representing hyperplasia and hypertrophy. Samples were subjected to
      real-time PCR to analyze gene expression. Hyperplasia decreased during the
      developing stages, coupled with increased hypertrophy. There was a higher rate of
      hypertrophy in fish raised in earthen ponds when compared to those raised in
      hapas, during juvenile and developing phases, and greater hypertrophic growth was
      observed in GIFT specimens when compared to Supreme specimens in earthen ponds.
      Since increased MSTN-1 gene expression was observed in GIFT specimens during the
      developing phase in pond cultivations, and in Supreme tilapia in hapas, MSTN-1
      expression is related to greater hypertrophy. These results demonstrate the
      capacity for increased muscle growth in earthen pond cultivation in which the
      GIFT variety developed best. How the environment affects the growth of different
      tilapia varieties may be employed to optimize culture management and genetic
      improvement programs. Further investigations should aim to describe mechanisms
      affecting muscle growth and development.

PMID- 28362983
TI  - Association between C807T(C/T) polymorphism of platelet glycoprotein gene and
      sensitivity to ischemic stroke: a meta-analysis.
AB  - Ischemic stroke can lead to loss of neurologic functions. It occurs due to
      obstruction in blood supply to the brain. It has been proposed that C807T(C/T)
      polymorphism within the platelet glycoprotein gene may be associated with density
      and function of glycoprotein Ia/IIa receptors and contributes to the pathogenesis
      of thrombotic disease. We assessed the association between C807T(C/T) and risk of
      ischemic stroke. Databases such as PubMed, Medline, Springer, Elsevier Science
      Direct, Cochrane Library, Google scholar, Wanfang Data (Chinese), and Chinese
      National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI, Chinese) were used to search for
      relevant studies. We found 16 eligible studies, which totaled to 4897 (case group
      2340; control group 2557) participants. Overall, our results showed significant
      associations between C807T(C/T) polymorphism and risk of ischemic stroke based on
      T-allele comparisons (T vs C, pooled OR = 0.78, 95%CI = 0.68-0.90, P < 0.01), TT
      vs CC comparisons (pooled OR = 0.58, 95%CI = 0.42-0.81, P < 0.01), recessive
      models (TT vs TC + CC, pooled OR = 0.72, 95%CI = 0.59-0.87, P < 0.01) and
      dominant models (TT + TC vs CC, pooled OR = 0.70, 95%CI = 0.54-0.92, P < 0.05).
      There was no association in TC vs CC comparisons (pooled OR = 0.81, 95%CI = 0.63
      1.04, P > 0.05). Subgroup analyses stratified according to Hardy-Weinberg
      equilibrium, sample size, and ethnicity also demonstrated significant
      associations between the two variables. Therefore, C807T(C/T) polymorphism in the
      platelet glycoprotein gene may be associated with susceptibility to ischemic
      stroke, and the T allele at this locus may decrease risk to ischemic stroke.

PMID- 28362984
TI  - Multivariate statistics applied to the reaction of common bean plants to
      parasitism by Meloidogyne javanica.
AB  - The availability of common bean cultivars tolerant to Meloidogyne javanica is
      limited in Brazil. Thus, the present study aimed to evaluate the reactions of 33
      common bean genotypes (23 landrace, 8 commercial, 1 susceptible standard and 1
      resistant standard) to M. javanica, employing multivariate statistics to
      discriminate the reaction of the genotypes. The experiment was conducted in a
      greenhouse using a completely randomized design with seven replicates. The seeds
      were sown in 1-L pots containing autoclaved soil and sand in a 1:1 ratio (v:v).
      On day 19, after emergence of the seedlings, the plants were treated with
      inoculum containing 4000 eggs + second-stage juveniles (J2). At 60 days after
      inoculation, the seedlings were evaluated based on biometric and parasitism
      related traits, such as number of galls, final nematode population per root
      system, reproduction factor, and percent reduction in the reproduction factor of
      the nematode (%RRF). The data were subjected to analysis of variance using the F
      test. The Mahalanobis generalized distance was used to obtain the dissimilarity
      matrix, and the average linkage between groups was used for clustering. The use
      of multivariate statistics allowed groups to be separated according to the
      resistance levels of genotypes, as observed in the %RRF. The landrace genotypes
      FORT-09, FORT-17, FORT-31, FORT-32, FORT-34 and FORT-36 presented resistance to
      M. javanica; thus, these genotypes can be considered potential sources of
      resistance.

PMID- 28362985
TI  - Relationship between Psidium species (Myrtaceae) by resistance gene analog
      markers: focus on nematode resistance.
AB  - Guava (Psidium guajava L.) crop is severely affected by the nematode Meloidogyne
      enterolobii. Native Psidium species have been reported as sources of resistance
      against this nematode. Knowledge on the molecular relationship between Psidium
      species based on plant resistance gene analogs (RGA) can be useful in the genetic
      breeding of guava for resistance to M. enterolobii. In this study, RGA markers
      from conserved domains, and structural features of plant R genes, were employed
      to characterize Psidium species and establish genetic proximity, with a focus on
      nematode resistance. SSR markers were also applied owing to their neutral nature,
      thus differing from RGA markers. For this, species reported as sources of
      resistance to M. enterolobii, such as P. cattleianum and P. friedrichsthalianum,
      as well as species occurring in the Atlantic Rainforest and susceptible
      genotypes, were investigated. In 10 evaluated Psidium species, high interspecific
      genetic variability was verified through RGA and SSR markers, with intraspecific
      variation in P. guajava higher with SSR, as was expected. Resistant species were
      clustered by RGA markers, and differential amplicons among genotypes resistant
      and susceptible to M. enterolobii were identified. Knowledge on the molecular
      relationships between Psidium species constitutes useful information for breeding
      of the guava tree, providing direction for hybridization and material for
      rootstocks. Additionally, the genetic relationship between native species, which
      have been little studied, and P. guajava were estimated by RGAs, which were
      confirmed as important markers for genetic diversity related to pathogen
      resistance.

PMID- 28362986
TI  - Genetic diversity of mitochondrial control region (D-Loop) polymorphisms in
      Coilia ectenes taihuensis inhabiting Taihu Lake, China.
AB  - Coilia ectenes is a commercially important fishery species in China. C. ectenes
      taihuensis is an endemic and dominant species found in Taihu Lake of China. When
      compared with C. ectenes, C. ectenes taihuensis lacks anadromous behavior, and
      can independently grow and reproduce in Taihu Lake. In this study, the
      mitochondrial DNA control region (D-loop) sequences were employed to investigate
      the genetic diversity and population structure of C. ectenes taihuensis. Sixty
      eight individuals collected from 4 localities in Taihu Lake were examined.
      Results indicated that in the 887-bp D-loop region, seventy-seven (8.68%) sites
      were variant, contributing to 53 distinct haplotypes. Although the population
      haplotype diversity (Hd = 0.971 to 1.000) was generally high, the nucleotide
      diversity (pi = 0.616 to 0.731%) was relatively low among the 4 populations.
      Additionally, the genetic distances ranged from 0.62 to 0.74% within the
      populations and from 0.67 to 0.74% between the populations. The neighbor-joining
      tree indicated that a distinct distribution of phylogenetic structure existed
      among haplotypes. Analysis of molecular variance and FST statistics suggested
      that a divergence existed among populations in 4 localities, indicating that gene
      communication might have occurred among those populations. Furthermore, neutral
      tests and analysis of mismatch distribution reflected that C. ectenes taihuensis
      might have undergone a population expansion during the evolution process. Our
      study showed the population genetic diversity and structure of C. ectenes
      taihuensis. Results from this study might be helpful in the development and
      protection of fishery resource within the localities in Taihu Lake in future.

PMID- 28362987
TI  - Effects of alendronate on osteoporosis treatment and levels of related cytokines.
AB  - Alendronate regulates the activity of osteoclasts and healing of osteoporosis.
      This study investigated the effect of alendronate on bone healing and changes in
      the levels of cytokines. Bilateral ovaries of 10 adult female rabbits were
      removed surgically in aseptic condition to establish the animal model of
      osteoporosis. Five rabbits in group A were treated with alendronate (1.15 mg.kg
      1.week-1) once a week by a stomach tube, whereas the remaining 5 in group B were
      treated with physiological saline. The success of the animal model establishment
      and the efficacy of alendronate treatment were evaluated by the sports ability
      score and the Basso, Beattie, and Bresnahan (BBB) score; the healing degree of
      osteoporosis was determined by X-ray analysis and measurement of biomechanical
      properties; the changes in the levels of related cytokines were measured by
      enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and immunohistochemical staining.
      Treatment improved dyskinesia of the animals in group A than that in group B,
      with significant improvement occurring in the 4th week of treatment. The BBB
      score of the group A animals revealed movements similar to normal, but that of
      the group B animals exhibited significant motor disturbance (P < 0.01). X-ray
      examination showed that with time, the X-ray ratings increased. Measurement of
      the biomechanical properties further showed that alendronate had a positive
      effect on osteoporosis healing. The results of ELISA and immunohistochemistry
      showed that the levels of ALP, BMP-2, bFGF, and IGF-1 were upregulated in group
      A. In conclusion, alendronate accelerated osteoporosis healing probably via
      certain cytokine-related mechanism.

PMID- 28362988
TI  - Expression of metallothionein type 2 and 3 genes in Prosopis glandulosa leaves
      treated with copper.
AB  - For a better understanding of the strategies that are used by Prosopis glandulosa
      in heavy metal tolerance, the present study evaluated the gene expression of
      three metallothioneins (MTs; PgMt2-1, PgMt2, and PgMt3) in plants exposed to sub
      lethal concentrations of copper. The PgMt2-1, PgMt2, and PgMt3 sequences were
      homologous to the MT type 2 (isoform 1), Mt2, and Mt3 sequences of other plant
      species found in GenBank. A reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction
      showed that treatment with 100 mM Cu2+ induced a significant increase in PgMt2
      and PgMt3 expression during the first 4 h of exposure compared to that of PgMt2
      1. However, after 8 h of exposure, the expression levels of PgMt2 and PgMt3 were
      significantly lower than those of PgMt2-1. PgMt transcript levels only increased
      significantly during the first hour after exposure to copper, suggesting that
      PgMts could play a key role in the plant's detoxification mechanism. However,
      additional studies are required to confirm MTs as a mechanism of heavy metal
      tolerance and accumulation in this species.

PMID- 28362989
TI  - Effects of Moquiniastrum polymorphum ssp floccosum ethnolic extract on colorectal
      carcinogenesis induced by 1,2-dimethylhydrazine.
AB  - The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of Moquiniastrum
      polymorphum ssp floccosum ethanolic extract (MPEE) on 1,2 dimethylhydrazine (DMH)
      induced colorectal carcinogenesis in mice. Forty-two male Swiss mice (Mus
      musculus) were subdivided into six groups (N = 7/group): negative control, DMH,
      MPEE, pre-treatment, simultaneous, and post-treatment. Results showed that MPEE
      has antigenotoxic potential on the tested protocols pre- and silmultaneous
      treatment, and the percent damage reductions (%DRs) were 81.88 and 93.12%,
      respectively. The micronucleus test demonstrated that MPEE has great
      antimutagenic activity, with %DRs higher than 77.09 in the associated groups. The
      aberrant crypt focus assay demonstrated anticarcinogenic potential of MPEE as the
      associated groups showed %DRs that ranged from 62.13 to 95.14%. The study shows
      that MPEE is nontoxic and has chemopreventive and anticarcinogenic activity, thus
      it may prove to be a promising medicinal plant in view of its demonstrated
      properties.

PMID- 28362990
TI  - Path analysis of the energy density of wood in eucalyptus clones.
AB  - Path analysis has been used for establishing selection criteria in genetic
      breeding programs for several crops. However, it has not been used in eucalyptus
      breeding programs yet. In the present study, we aimed to identify the wood
      technology traits that could be used as the criteria for direct and indirect
      selection of eucalyptus genotypes with high energy density of wood. Twenty-four
      eucalyptus clones were evaluated in a completely randomized design with five
      replications. The following traits were assessed: basic wood density, total
      extractives, lignin content, ash content, nitrogen content, carbon content,
      hydrogen content, sulfur content, oxygen content, higher calorific power,
      holocellulose, and energy density. After verifying the variability of all
      evaluated traits among the clones, a two-dimensional correlation network was used
      to determine the phenotypic patterns among them. The obtained coefficient of
      determination (0.94) presented a higher magnitude in relation to the effect of
      the residual variable, and it served as an excellent model for explaining the
      genetic effects related to the variations observed in the energy density of wood
      in all eucalyptus clones. However, for future studies, we recommend evaluating
      other traits, especially the morphological traits, because of the greater ease in
      their measurement. Selecting clones with high basic density is the most promising
      strategy for eucalyptus breeding programs that aim to increase the energy density
      of wood because of its high heritability and magnitude of the cause-and-effect
      relationship with this trait.

PMID- 28362991
TI  - Antifungal activity, yield, and composition of Ocimum gratissimum essential oil.
AB  - Ocimum gratissimum L. or clove basil, belongs to the Lamiaceae family, has
      various desirable uses and applications. Beyond its aromatic, seasoning, and
      medicinal applications, this plant also has antimicrobial activity. This study
      was aimed at assessing the antifungal activity, yield, and composition of the
      essential oil (EO) of O. gratissimum. The species was cultivated in garden beds
      with dystrophic red latosol soil type containing high organic-matter content. The
      EO was obtained by hydrodistillation of dried leaves in a modified Clevenger
      apparatus, followed by determination of its content. Chemical characterization
      was carried out by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). Microbial
      activity was assessed using the broth microdilution method, by determining the
      minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC), in order to compare the antimicrobial
      effect of EO in 10 isolates-Fusarium oxysporum f. sp tracheiphilum (CMM-0033), F.
      oxysporum f. sp. cubense (CMM-0813 and CMM-2819), F. oxysporum f. sp lycopersici
      (CMM-1104), F. solani (CMM-3828), Rhizoctonia solani (CMM-3274), and Macrophomina
      phaseolina (CMM-2715, CMM-3875, CMM-3615, and CMM-3650). The EO was a highly
      effective inhibitor of the studied phytopathogenic fungi, with MICs varying from
      31.25 to 125 ug/mL. F. oxysporum f. sp lycopersici and R. solani were the most
      sensitive; both were inhibited at an MIC of 31.25 ug/mL. The EO content in the
      plant extract was 0.18%. Thirty chemical compounds were detected via GC-MS, with
      linalool (32.9%) being the major compound followed by 1,8-cineole (21.9%), both
      oxygenated monoterpenes. It can be concluded that clove basil EO is a highly
      effective antifungal agent, and therefore, a potential alternative for the
      control of plant pathogenic diseases.

PMID- 28362992
TI  - Comparative transcriptome analysis of self-incompatible flower stigmas and self
      compatible bud stigmas following self-pollination in broccoli.
AB  - DH07 is a DH line of Class I S-haplotype in broccoli (Brassica oleracea var.
      italica), in which stigmas of flowers show self-incompatibility (SI) and stigmas
      of buds show self-compatibility (SC). The molecular mechanisms that lead to
      stigmas at different developmental stages having different responses to self
      pollination are yet unknown. In the present study, comparative transcriptome
      profiling of the stigmas of flowers and buds before and after self-pollination
      was performed by RNA-sequencing using an Illumina HiSeqTM 2000. A total of
      80,102,897 reads were generated for further analysis in four libraries.
      Comparisons of the transcriptome profiles before and after self-pollination
      revealed 579 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) in the stigmas of buds (SBs);
      of these, 431 DEGs showed increased and 148 DEGs showed decreased transcript
      abundance after self-pollination in SBs. There were a total of 686 DEGs between
      unpollinated stigmas of flowers (SFs) and pollinated SFs, among which, 517 DEGs
      were up regulated and 169 DEGs were down regulated. Following the self
      pollination, 379 identified DEGs were common in both SBs and SFs. It was found
      that ARR7-like and oxysterol-binding family protein related DEGs could play key
      roles in SI or SC signal transduction. The results obtained in this study would
      form the foundation for further studies on investigating the molecular mechanisms
      of SI and SC in Brassica.

PMID- 28362993
TI  - Association between interleukin-17 gene polymorphisms and the risk of laryngeal
      cancer in a Chinese population.
AB  - IL-17 is associated with the occurrence and development of laryngeal cancer.
      However, no study has reported the association between IL-17 polymorphisms and
      laryngeal cancer susceptibility. Therefore, we analyzed the association of three
      polymorphism loci (rs2275913, 197 G/A; rs3748067, 383 A/G; and rs763780, 7488
      T/C) of IL-17A and IL-17F with laryngeal cancer in the Chinese population. A case
      control study was performed with 325 patients and 325 controls. Polymorphisms
      were detected by polymerase chain reaction and sequencing methods. SPSS17.0
      software was used for statistical analysis. Allele and genotype frequencies of IL
      17A rs2275913 were significantly different between patients and controls (P <
      0.05). Frequencies of rs2275913 (197 G/A) AA and GA+AA genotypes compared to the
      GG genotype were significantly higher in patients than in controls, indicating
      the association of these genes with laryngeal cancer susceptibility; adjusted OR
      values were 2.54 (1.50-4.23) and 1.62 (1.19-2.17), respectively. Furthermore,
      individuals with the GA+AA genotype, compared to the GG genotype, aged <=60
      years, with smoking and alcohol consumption habits, and without a family history
      of cancer showed a higher cancer risk (OR = 2.74, 95%CI = 1.41-5.23; OR = 2.11,
      95%CI = 1.21-3.55; OR = 1.91, 95%CI = 1.02-3.70; OR = 1.99, 95%CI = 1.08-3.39,
      respectively). In conclusion, the rs2275913 IL-17A (197 G/A) is associated with
      the incidence and development of laryngeal cancer in the Chinese population, and
      the AA and GA+AA genotypes harbor a high laryngeal cancer risk.

PMID- 28362994
TI  - Identification of genes related to floral organ development in pak choi by
      expression profiling.
AB  - Pak choi is a highly nutritious vegetable that is widely grown in China,
      Southeast Asia, and other parts of the world. Because it reproduces by seed, it
      is very important to understand the mechanism of floral organ development.
      Therefore, using the Chinese cabbage genome as a reference, this study analyzed
      the expression profiles of shoot apex genes at flower bud differentiation stages
      1 and 5, in order to identify genes related to floral organ development. The
      results showed that the proportion of mapped genes was high, with 84.25 and
      83.80% of clean reads from the two sample saligned to the reference genome,
      respectively. A total of 525 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were
      identified, 224 of which were upregulated and 301 were downregulated. The
      expression levels of genes homologous to Chinese cabbage flowering genes were
      also analyzed at stages 1 and 5; the expression levels of Bra012997 (ap1),
      Bra000393 (SOC1), and Bra004928 (SOC1) were significantly upregulated at stage 5,
      suggesting that these three genes positively regulate floral development in pak
      choi. DEGs involved in floral organ development were analyzed with homologous
      genes from Arabidopsis thaliana; the homologous genes Bra029281 (AGL42),
      Bra026577 (ARPN), Bra022954 (SPL3), Bra029293 (ARF2), Bra007978 (AtRLP12),
      Bra033221 (SPL8), Bra008037 (LOX4), Bra001598 (IAA19), Bra003892 (PATL1),
      Bra038778 (AT4G21323), Bra025315 (KLCR2), and Bra013906 (DTX35) are directly
      related to floral organ development in Arabidopsis, suggesting that these genes
      have corresponding functions during flower organ development in pak choi, and
      could be candidates for further genetic research. These results provide a
      foundation for research on the molecular mechanism of flower organ development in
      pak choi and other Brassica rapa vegetables.

PMID- 28362995
TI  - Targeting effect of microRNA on CD133 and its impact analysis on proliferation
      and invasion of glioma cells.
AB  - MiR-200b, a member of the microRNA-200 family, has been identified to be capable
      of suppressing glioma cell growth through targeting CREB1 or CD133. However,
      whether miR-200b affects the biological behavior (proliferation, invasion, and
      migration) of glioma cells is poorly understood. The aim of this study was to
      evaluate the effect of miR-200b on the biological behavior of glioma cells in
      vitro. MiRNA-200b mimics, miRNA-200b inhibitor, and mimic control were
      transfected into conventionally cultured glioma U251 cells, followed by measuring
      the expression of miR-200b and CD133 in transfected cells by RT-PCR; effect of
      miR-200b on CD133 mRNA 3'-UTR luciferase activity by luciferase reporter assay;
      proliferation activity of transfected U251 cells by MTT method; and changes in
      U251 cell invasion and migration by Transwell method after transfection. Compared
      to that in the miRNA-200b inhibitor, mimic control, and blank control groups,
      miRNA-200b expression was significantly increased and CD133 mRNA expression was
      significantly decreased in the mimic miRNA-200b group in a time-dependent manner
      (P < 0.05). Meanwhile, dual luciferase reporter assay showed that miR-200b could
      inhibit CD133 activity through binding to the 3'-UTR of CD133 mRNA (P < 0.05).
      Furthermore, the proliferation activity and invasion and migration abilities of
      U251 cells transfected with miRNA-200b mimic were significantly decreased (P <
      0.05). In conclusion, overexpression of miR-200b inhibited the proliferation,
      invasion, and migration of glioma cells possibly through targeting CD133.

PMID- 28362997
TI  - Transforming growth factor beta-1 expression in macrophages of human chronic
      periapical diseases.
AB  - The objective of this study was to observe the distribution of macrophages (MPs)
      expressing transforming growth factor beta-1 (TGF-beta1) in tissue samples from
      patients with different human chronic periapical diseases. In this study, samples
      were collected from 75 volunteers, who were divided into three groups according
      to classified standards, namely, healthy control (N = 25), periapical granuloma
      (N = 25), and periapical cyst (N = 25). The samples were fixed in 10% buffered
      formalin for more than 48 h, dehydrated, embedded, and stained with hematoxylin
      and eosin for histopathology. Double immunofluorescence was conducted to analyze
      the expression of TGF-beta-CD14 double-positive MPs in periapical tissues. The
      number of double-positive cells (cells/mm2) were significantly higher in the
      chronic periapical disease tissues (P < 0.01) compared to that in the control
      tissue; in addition, the density of TGF-beta1-CD14 double positive cells was
      significantly higher in the periapical cyst group than in the periapical
      granuloma group (P < 0.01). The number of TGF-beta1 expressing macrophages varied
      with human chronic periapical diseases. The TGF-beta1-CD14 double-positive cells
      might play an important role in the pathology of human chronic periapical
      diseases.

PMID- 28362996
TI  - Effect of overexpression of citrus 9-cis-epoxycarotenoid dioxygenase 3 (CsNCED3)
      on the physiological response to drought stress in transgenic tobacco.
AB  - 9-cis-epoxycarotenoid dioxygenase (NCED) encodes a key enzyme in abscisic acid
      (ABA) biosynthesis. Little is known regarding the regulation of stress response
      by NCEDs at physiological levels. In the present study, we generated transgenic
      tobacco overexpressing an NCED3 ortholog from citrus (CsNCED3) and investigated
      its relevance in the regulation of drought stress tolerance. Wild-type (WT) and
      transgenic plants were grown under greenhouse conditions and subjected to drought
      stress for 10 days. Leaf predawn water potential (Psiwleaf), stomatal conductance
      (gs), net photosynthetic rate (A), transpiration rate (E), instantaneous (A/E)
      and intrinsic (A/gs) water use efficiency (WUE), and in situ hydrogen peroxide
      (H2O2) and abscisic acid (ABA) production were determined in leaves of irrigated
      and drought-stressed plants. The Psiwleaf decreased throughout the drought stress
      period in both WT and transgenic plants, but was restored after re-watering. No
      significant differences were observed in gs between WT and transgenic plants
      under normal conditions. However, the transgenic plants showed a decreased (P <=
      0.01) gs on the 4th day of drought stress, which remained lower (P <= 0.001) than
      the WT until the end of the drought stress. The A and E levels in the transgenic
      plants were similar to those in WT; therefore, they exhibited increased A/gs
      under drought conditions. No significant differences in A, E, and gs values were
      observed between the WT and transgenic plants after re-watering. The transgenic
      plants had lower H2O2 and higher ABA than the WT under drought conditions. Our
      results support the involvement of CsNCED3 in drought avoidance.

PMID- 28362998
TI  - Characterization of maize genotypes for genetic diversity on the basis of inter
      simple sequence repeats.
AB  - Genetic diversity in crops is essential to make improvements related to superior
      germplasms. Implementation of molecular markers to identify suitable genotypes
      speeds up the breeding progress by enhancing selection efficiency. This study was
      carried out to probe genetic diversity among 21 maize genotypes using 20 inter
      simple sequence repeat (ISSR) markers. We identified a total of 190 polymorphic
      bands with an average of 9.5 alleles per primer. The highest number of
      polymorphic bands (17) was found using ISSR marker UBC-10, whereas the lowest
      number of polymorphic bands (4) was found using UBC-809. The coefficient of
      genetic similarity ranged from 0.888 to 0.118%. The highest similarity was found
      between accessions 12 (015224) and 9 (015114), whereas the lowest similarity was
      found between genotypes 20 (EV-5098) and 14 (015030). The polymorphism
      information content ranged from 0.17 to 0.47. A dendrogram was generated based on
      Jaccard's distance matrix. The genotypes were found to group into two major
      clusters that could be further partitioned into two sub-clusters. Genotypes
      located within the same cluster are genetically more closely related to each
      other. The present study efficiently identified diverse genotypes that may be
      used for creating new varieties with distinct characteristics. The identified
      genotypes could be used as parents for future development of diverse populations.

PMID- 28363000
TI  - Association between single nucleotide polymorphisms in AKT1 and the risk of
      prostate cancer in the Chinese Han population.
AB  - AKT1, also known as v-akt murine thymoma viral oncogene homolog 1, is involved in
      the regulation of cell-survival and anti-apoptotic activities, which may affect
      the pathogenesis of various cancers. However, the association between genetic
      variants of AKT1 and the risk of developing prostate cancer has not been
      investigated before. This study investigated the associations between three
      polymorphisms (rs1130214, rs3730358, and rs2494732) in AKT1 and the risk of
      development of prostate cancer in the Chinese Han population. Sequenom MassARRAY
      & iPLEX technology were used to genotype these polymorphisms in 493 Chinese Han
      patients with prostate cancer and 309 age-matched healthy individuals. Compared
      to the CC genotype of the rs3730358 polymorphism, the CT genotype of the same
      polymorphism was strongly associated with a decreased risk of prostate cancer (OR
      = 0.617, 95%CI = 0.390-0.976, P = 0.037). However, there was no significant
      difference between the allele frequency of the rs3730358 polymorphism and those
      of the other two polymorphisms (P > 0.05). Moreover, no significant difference
      was found in the haplotype analysis (P > 0.05). Our study found that the variant
      genotype CT of rs3730358 of AKT1 was associated with a decreased risk of prostate
      cancer, which suggested that this polymorphism could play an important role in
      the development of the disease.

PMID- 28363001
TI  - Effect of everolimus on the expression of Ki-67 and caspase-3 in patients with
      neuroendocrine tumors.
AB  - Tumors, especially neuroendocrine tumors (NETs), can cause adverse effects on
      human health. The expression and significance of Ki-67 and caspase-3 in NET
      remain to be further explored. Everolimus is an important drug used for the
      treatment of NETs. In this study, we aimed to investigate whether everolimus
      exerts anti-tumor effects by suppressing the expression of Ki-67 and caspase-3 in
      NET. Tumor (different developmental stages) and adjacent tissues were collected
      from patients with NET. The expression of Ki-67 and caspase-3 were detected in
      244 paraffin sections of NET using immunohistochemistry. RT-PCR and western blot
      were used to detect the expression of Ki-67 and caspase-3 at mRNA and protein
      levels, respectively. The patients (N = 244) were randomly divided into
      everolimus-intervention and control groups. RT-PCR and western blot were used to
      measure the expression changes of Ki-67 and caspase-3 before and after everolimus
      treatment. The rates of Ki-67 expression in NET grades 1-6 were 14.2, 22.1, 37.5,
      59.9, 69.9, and 77.8%, respectively. The difference between the groups was
      significant. The rates of caspase-3 expression in NET grades 1-6 were 28.6, 33.3,
      31.3, 60.0, 80.0, and 88.9%, respectively, and the difference between groups was
      significant. Moreover, the expression of Ki-67 and caspase-3 showed a significant
      negative correlation. The expression of Ki-67 decreased while that of caspase-3
      increased after everolimus treatment. In conclusion, the decrease in Ki-67
      expression and increase in caspase-3 expression after everolimus treatment
      indicated that everolimus exerted its anti-cancer effect by regulating the
      expression of Ki-67 and caspase-3.

PMID- 28362999
TI  - Effects of ginsenoside Rg1 on glucose metabolism and liver injury in
      streptozotocin-induced type 2 diabetic rats.
AB  - Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2-DM) is a chronic metabolic disorder characterized by
      high blood glucose levels. T2-DM patients suffer from many complications, such as
      diabetic fatty liver and diabetic nephropathy. The liver, the pivotal organ
      involved in both glucose and lipid metabolism, is primarily damaged in T2-DM
      patients, especially in those with high levels of blood lipid. In this study, the
      hepatoprotective activity of ginsenoside Rg1 was investigated in a T2-DM rat
      model. The results revealed a potent hepatoprotective effect of ginsenoside Rg1.
      This effect was primarily mediated by the antiapoptotic effect, inhibition of JNK
      activity, and suppression of inflammation after ginsenoside Rg1 treatment.
      Ginsenoside Rg1 also lowered the blood glucose level and insulin resistance index
      in T2-DM rats. Moreover, the blood lipid profile (total cholesterol,
      triglycerides, and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol levels) and liver function
      (aspartate transaminase and alanine transaminase levels) improved after
      ginsenoside Rg1 treatment. The aforementioned hepatoprotective effects of
      ginsenoside Rg1 in the T2-DM rat model suggests its clinical potential as an
      adjuvant drug for T2-DM therapy, especially for T2-DM patients with fatty liver
      disease.

PMID- 28363002
TI  - Leptin (rs7799039) and solute carrier family 30 zinc transporter (rs13266634)
      polymorphisms in Euro-Brazilian pregnant women with gestational diabetes.
AB  - Leptin (LEP), a protein that plays a fundamental role in the metabolism of energy
      reserves, and the solute carrier family 30 A8 zinc transporter (SLC30A8) have
      been consistently associated with diabetes. Women with gestational diabetes are
      at moderate risk of developing diabetes type 1 and 2 after pregnancy, in addition
      to complications to the fetus. We investigated the association of the
      polymorphisms rs7799039 (LEP) and rs13266634 (SLC30A8) in a case-control study in
      Euro-Brazilians with gestational diabetes (GDM, N = 134) and healthy pregnant
      women (control, N = 180). Real-time PCR with fluorescent probes (TaqMan system)
      was applied to genotyping. All polymorphisms were in Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium.
      The minor allele frequencies, for healthy and GDM, respectively, for the A-allele
      (LEP gene rs7799039) were 40.3% (95%CI = 35-45%) vs 36.6% (95%CI = 31-42%), P =
      0.345; and for the T-allele (SLC30A8 gene rs13266634) were 27.8% (95%CI = 23-32%)
      vs 23.5% (95%CI = 18-29%), P = 0.227. Genotype comparisons for both polymorphisms
      showed no significant difference (P > 0.05). The polymorphisms rs7799039 and
      rs13266634 were not associated with GDM in the population studied (P > 0.05). The
      minor allele frequencies for both polymorphisms were similar to those of other
      Caucasian populations.

PMID- 28363003
TI  - Genetic progress in homogeneous regions of wheat cultivation in Rio Grande do Sul
      State, Brazil.
AB  - The State of Rio Grande do Sul (RS) stands out as the largest wheat producer in
      Brazil. Wheat is the most emphasized winter cereal in RS, attracting public and
      private investments directed to wheat genetic breeding. The study of genetic
      progress should be performed routinely at breeding programs to study the behavior
      of cultivars developed for homogeneous regions of cultivation. The objectives of
      this study were: 1) to evaluate the genetic progress of wheat grain yield in RS;
      2) to evaluate the influence of cultivar competition trial stratification in
      homogeneous regions of cultivation on the study of genetic progress. Grain yield
      data of 122 wheat cultivars evaluated in 137 trials arranged in randomized block
      design with three or four replications were used. Field trials were carried out
      in 23 locations in RS divided into two homogeneous regions during the period from
      2002 to 2013. Genetic progress for RS and homogeneous regions was studied
      utilizing the method proposed by Vencovsky. Annual genetic progress for wheat
      grain yield during the period of 12 years in the State of RS was 2.86%,
      oscillating between homogeneous regions of cultivation. The difference of annual
      genetic progress in region 1 (1.82%) in relation to region 2 (4.38%) justifies
      the study of genetic progress by homogeneous regions of cultivation.

PMID- 28363004
TI  - Direct effects on scenarios and types of path analyses in corn hybrids.
AB  - The objective of this study was to estimate the direct effects of explanatory
      variables on the grain yield of corn in the combinations formed by three types of
      hybrids x two harvests x nine scenarios of explanatory variables x two types of
      path analyses. Eleven explanatory variables were measured in 361, 373, and 416
      single-, triple-, and double-cross hybrid plants from the 2008/2009 harvest,
      respectively, and in 1777, 1693, and 1720 single-, triple-, and double-cross
      hybrid plants from the 2009/2010 harvest, respectively: plant height at harvest
      (PH), ear insertion height (EIH), ear weight (EW), number of grain rows per ear
      (NR), ear length (EL), ear diameter (ED), cob weight (CW), cob diameter (CD), 100
      grain mass (HGM), number of grains per ear (NGE), grain length (GL) and, the main
      variable, grain yield (YIELD). Before conducting the traditional and ridge path
      analyses, 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, and 8 explanatory variables were excluded from
      scenarios 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, and 9, respectively. Next, the direct effects
      of explanatory variables on YIELD were estimated for each hybrid, harvest,
      scenario, and type of path analysis. The variables EW, NGE, and HGM had stronger
      direct effects on YIELD in the first three scenarios and the variables EL and ED
      had stronger direct effects on YIELD in the other scenarios regardless of hybrid
      or harvest. The use of the ninth scenario of path analysis is recommended
      regardless of hybrid and harvest given the ease of explanatory variable
      measurement (EIH, EL, and ED), the low degree of multicollinearity and the good
      prediction of the path analysis (R2 >= 0.78).

PMID- 28363005
TI  - Multicollinearity in canonical correlation analysis in maize.
AB  - The objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of multicollinearity
      under two methods of canonical correlation analysis (with and without elimination
      of variables) in maize (Zea mays L.) crop. Seventy-six maize genotypes were
      evaluated in three experiments, conducted in a randomized block design with three
      replications, during the 2009/2010 crop season. Eleven agronomic variables
      (number of days from sowing until female flowering, number of days from sowing
      until male flowering, plant height, ear insertion height, ear placement, number
      of plants, number of ears, ear index, ear weight, grain yield, and one thousand
      grain weight), 12 protein-nutritional variables (crude protein, lysine,
      methionine, cysteine, threonine, tryptophan, valine, isoleucine, leucine,
      phenylalanine, histidine, and arginine), and 6 energetic-nutritional variables
      (apparent metabolizable energy, apparent metabolizable energy corrected for
      nitrogen, ether extract, crude fiber, starch, and amylose) were measured. A
      phenotypic correlation matrix was first generated among the 29 variables for each
      of the experiments. A multicollinearity diagnosis was later performed within each
      group of variables using methodologies such as variance inflation factor and
      condition number. Canonical correlation analysis was then performed, with and
      without the elimination of variables, among groups of agronomic and protein
      nutritional, and agronomic and energetic-nutritional variables. The canonical
      correlation analysis in the presence of multicollinearity (without elimination of
      variables) overestimates the variability of canonical coefficients. The
      elimination of variables is an efficient method to circumvent multicollinearity
      in canonical correlation analysis.

PMID- 28363006
TI  - Genetic diversity and relatedness between Caninde and British Alpine goat breeds
      in Northeastern Brazil accessed by microsatellite markers.
AB  - The aim of this study was to access the genetic diversity and relatedness between
      Caninde and British Alpine goat breeds in the States of Piaui and Ceara using
      microsatellite markers. Genomic DNA was isolated from hair samples of 99 goats
      belonging to six different flocks. A panel of polymorphic heterologous
      microsatellite loci was used to genotype individuals. The microsatellite markers
      resulted in a total number of 145 alleles, with an average of 8.5 alleles per
      locus. The observed and expected heterozygosities were >=0.687 and >=0.627,
      respectively, for all loci. The polymorphic information content showed that all
      loci were highly informative with an overall mean of 0.757. Overall FST across
      all populations and loci was 18%, which was consistent with the coefficient of
      gene differentiation (GST = 0.104). AMOVA revealed that 12.8% of the variation
      was captured between breeds. The Bayesian STRUCTURE clustering detected the
      maximum likelihood for a model of two genetically distinct groups, in agreement
      with the number of predefined studied breeds and the two-dimensional plot from
      the PCoA analysis. The exotic British Alpine breed and the naturalized Brazilian
      Caninde breed were clearly differentiated by the microsatellite markers,
      indicating that these two breeds have distant genetic identities, despite the
      phenotypic similarity.

PMID- 28363007
TI  - Genetic divergence in the common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) in the Cerrado
      Pantanal ecotone.
AB  - Evaluating genetic diversity among genotypes is important for providing
      parameters for the identification of superior genotypes, because the choice of
      parents that form segregating populations is crucial. Our objectives were to i)
      evaluate agronomic performance; ii) compare clustering methods; iii) ascertain
      the relative contributions of the variables evaluated; and iv) identify the most
      promising hybrids to produce superior segregating populations. The trial was
      conducted in 2015 at the State University of Mato Grosso do Sul, Brazil. We used
      a randomized block design with three replications, and recorded the days to
      emergence, days to flowering, days to maturity, plant height, number of branches,
      number of pods, number of seeds per pod, weight of 100 grains, and productivity.
      The genetic diversity of the genotypes was determined by cluster analysis using
      two dissimilarity measures: the Euclidean distance and the standardized mean
      Mahalanobis distance using the Ward hierarchical method. The genotypes 'CNFC
      10762', 'IAC Dawn', and 'BRS Style' had the highest grain yields, and clusters
      that were based on the Euclidean distance differed from those based on the
      Mahalanobis distance, the second being more precise. The yield grain character
      has greater relevance to the dispute. Hybrids with a high heterotic effect can be
      obtained by crossing 'IAC Alvorada' with 'CNFC 10762', 'IAC Alvorada' with 'CNFC
      10764', and 'BRS Style' with 'IAC Alvorada'.

PMID- 28363008
TI  - Analysis of the 19 Y-STR and 16 X-STR loci system in the Han population of
      Shandong province, China.
AB  - The sex-linked short tandem repeats (STR), Y-STR and X-STR, are important for
      autosomal STRs in forensic paternity testing. We evaluated the forensic
      parameters of 19 Y-STRs and 16 X-STRs in the Han population of Shandong province,
      China. A Goldeneye 20Y kit (DYS391, DYS389I, DYS390, DYS389II, DYS348, DYS456, Y
      GATA-H4, DYS447, DYS19, DYS392, DYS393, DYS388, DYS439, DYS635, DYS448, DYS460,
      DYS458, DYS437, DYS385 a/b) was used to analyze the forensic parameters of 534
      unrelated males. A Goldeneye17X system (DXS6795, DXS9902, DXS8378, HPRTB,
      GATA165B12, DXS7132, DXS7424, DXS6807, DXS6803, GATA172D05, DXS6800, DXS10134,
      GATA31E08, DXS10159, DXS6789, DXS6810, amelogenin) was used to analyze 97
      unrelated males and 214 females. In addition, we used the kits to examine 5 cases
      with abnormal amelogenin test results, as well as a male child with agenosomia
      typed by autosomal STR. We found 203 Y-STR haplotypes with allele frequencies
      ranging from 0.0019 to 0.7959, and GD ranging from 0.3429 to 0.9667. Expect in
      DXS6803, the allele frequencies of the other 15 X-STR loci showed no differences
      between females and males. PDF ranged from 0.5504 to 0.9638, while PDM ranged
      from 0.3176 to 0.8377. With the exception of DXS6803 and DXS6810, the allele
      frequencies of other X-STR loci were in accordance with Hardy-Weinberg
      equilibrium in females. One amelogenin negative case was characterized as a
      deletion of Y-DYS458. This paper provided data regarding the genetic polymorphism
      of Y-STRs and X-STRs in the Han population, and demonstrated the importance of Y
      STR and X-STR in forensic autosomal STR analysis.

PMID- 28363009
TI  - TNFR1 -383 A?C polymorphism and ankylosing spondylitis in a Russian Caucasian
      population: a preliminary study.
AB  - The aim of this study was to assess the association between the TNFR1 rs2234649
      polymorphism and ankylosing spondylitis susceptibility in a Russian Caucasian
      population. A total of 41 ankylosing spondylitis patients and 43 healthy
      controls, matched according to age and sex, were enrolled, and polymerase chain
      reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism analysis was used to genotype
      the rs2234649 variant. We evaluated genotype distributions in the patient and
      control groups with the chi-square test, and assessed the relationship between
      genotypes and ankylosing spondylitis using the odds ratio. Our analysis showed
      that the rs2234649 polymorphism does not increase ankylosing spondylitis risk. In
      conclusion, the TNFR1 gene polymorphism tested does not appear to be useful for
      assessing predisposition to this disease or for its diagnosis or prognosis.

PMID- 28363010
TI  - Genetic and molecular characterization of multiflorous spikelet in oat.
AB  - Multiflorous spikelets are found in several grass species of agricultural and
      economic interest. In oat, this morphological characteristic is associated with
      the production of naked grains. Although many genetic studies have been performed
      over the past century, the inheritance of the multiflorous spikelet trait is not
      fully understood in oat. The objectives of this study were to evaluate
      environmental effects on the multiflorous spikelet trait, to estimate the number
      of genes controlling the trait, and to clone and characterize sequences of the
      AP2 gene in oat. Two genetic populations of recombinant inbreed lines were
      screened for the multiflorous spikelet trait from different years and sowing
      dates under field experiments. Normal, multiflorous, and mosaic spikelets were
      analyzed in the whole panicle for both years and sowing dates. Specific primer
      pairs for the AP2 gene was utilized to amplify and clone oat sequences. The
      results demonstrate that under higher temperature and day-length conditions, the
      variable expressivity of the multiflorous spikelet trait was less pronounced in
      both populations. Genetic analyses indicated the action of one major gene and two
      or three modifying genes controlling the expression of the multiflorous spikelet
      trait in oat, depending on the genetic background. Sequences with similarity to
      the AP2 gene were isolated from the oat lines UFRGS 017004-2 and URS Taura, and
      genetic polymorphisms were identified, which are valuable to confirm the action
      of AP2 on the multiflorous spikelet trait. Our results provide information to
      assist in the development of future studies of the multiflorous spikelet trait in
      oat.

PMID- 28363011
TI  - SHORT-COMMUNICATION Evaluation of perfused bovine udder for gene expression
      studies in dairy cows.
AB  - Intramammary infections are one of the main causes of productivity loss in dairy
      cows. To better understand the immune system response and to avoid the use of
      live animals, we validated the use of isolated bovine udder as an ex situ model.
      Six mammary glands were collected from cows ready for culling. Three udders were
      perfused with Tyrode's solution and three were not-perfused. During six hours, we
      collected perfusate samples for biochemical analysis. We also collected alveolar
      and teat canal tissue to evaluate gene expression. The biochemical parameters
      indicated that the perfused udders remained viable for the entire period of the
      experiment. A real-time polymerase chain reaction showed an increase in 18S rRNA
      gene expression in the alveolar tissue at 3 and 4 h after perfusion. There was
      also an increase in the Ubiquitin gene in the teat canal from not-perfused udders
      at 1, 3, and 4 h after slaughter. In general, gene expression was stable during
      the experiment. Our results indicated that the isolated perfused bovine udder
      model is appropriate for genetic studies, opening a new perspective in animal
      experimentation methods.

PMID- 28363012
TI  - Fluorescence Image Analyzer - FLIMA: software for quantitative analysis of
      fluorescence in situ hybridization.
AB  - The Fluorescence Image Analyzer (FLIMA) software was developed for the
      quantitative analysis of images generated by fluorescence in situ hybridization
      (FISH). Currently, the images of FISH are examined without a coefficient that
      enables a comparison between them. Through GD Graphics Library, the FLIMA
      software calculates the amount of pixels on image and recognizes each present
      color. The coefficient generated by the algorithm shows the percentage of marks
      (probes) hybridized on the chromosomes. This software can be used for any type of
      image generated by a fluorescence microscope and is able to quantify digoxigenin
      probes exhibiting a red color, biotin probes exhibiting a green color, and double
      FISH probes (digoxigenin and biotin used together), where the white color is
      displayed.

PMID- 28363013
TI  - Probing Evolution of Twist-Angle-Dependent Interlayer Excitons in MoSe2/WSe2 van
      der Waals Heterostructures.
AB  - Interlayer excitons were observed at the heterojunctions in van der Waals
      heterostructures (vdW HSs). However, it is not known how the excitonic phenomena
      are affected by the stacking order. Here, we report twist-angle-dependent
      interlayer excitons in MoSe2/WSe2 vdW HSs based on photoluminescence (PL) and vdW
      corrected density functional theory calculations. The PL intensity of the
      interlayer excitons depends primarily on the twist angle: It is enhanced at
      coherently stacked angles of 0 degrees  and 60 degrees  (owing to strong
      interlayer coupling) but disappears at incoherent intermediate angles. The
      calculations confirm twist-angle-dependent interlayer coupling: The states at the
      edges of the valence band exhibit a long tail that stretches over the other layer
      for coherently stacked angles; however, the states are largely confined in the
      respective layers for intermediate angles. This interlayer hybridization of the
      band edge states also correlates with the interlayer separation between MoSe2 and
      WSe2 layers. Furthermore, the interlayer coupling becomes insignificant,
      irrespective of twist angles, by the incorporation of a hexagonal boron nitride
      monolayer between MoSe2 and WSe2.

PMID- 28363014
TI  - Chromosomal Aberrations in Large Japanese Field Mice (Apodemus speciosus)
      Captured near Fukushima Dai-ichi Nuclear Power Plant.
AB  - Since the Fukushima Dai-ichi Nuclear Power Plant accident, radiation effects on
      nonhuman biota in the contaminated areas have been a major concern. Here, we
      analyzed the frequencies of chromosomal aberrations (translocations and
      dicentrics) in the splenic lymphocytes of large Japanese field mice (Apodemus
      speciosus) inhabiting Fukushima Prefecture. A. speciosus chromosomes 1, 2, and 5
      were flow-sorted in order to develop A. speciosus chromosome-specific painting
      probes, and FISH (fluorescence in situ hybridization) was performed using these
      painting probes to detect the translocations and dicentrics. The average
      frequency of the translocations and dicentrics per cell in the heavily
      contaminated area was significantly higher than the frequencies in the case of
      the noncontaminated control area and the slightly and moderately contaminated
      areas, and this aberration frequency in individual mice tended to roughly
      increase with the estimated dose rates and accumulated doses. In all four
      sampling areas, the proportion of aberrations occurring in chromosome 2 was
      approximately >3 times higher than that in chromosomes 1 and 5, which suggests
      that A. speciosus chromosome 2 harbors a fragile site that is highly sensitive to
      chromosome breaks induced by cellular stress such as DNA replication. The
      elevated frequency of chromosomal aberrations in A. speciosus potentially
      resulting from the presence of a fragile site in chromosome 2 might make it
      challenging to observe the mild effect of chronic low-dose-rate irradiation on
      the induction of chromosomal aberrations in A. speciosus inhabiting the
      contaminated areas of Fukushima.

PMID- 28363015
TI  - Solution-Assembled Blends of Regioregularity-Controlled Polythiophenes for
      Coexistence of Mechanical Resilience and Electronic Performance.
AB  - Considering all the potential applications of organic electronics in portable,
      wearable, and implantable devices, it is of great importance to develop
      electroactive materials that possess mechanical reliability along with excellent
      electronic performance. The coexistence of these two attributes, however, is very
      difficult to achieve because there is an inverse relationship between the
      electrical properties and the mechanical flexibility, both of which are
      associated with the conjugation length and intermolecular ordering of the
      polymers. Herein, we demonstrate a simple and robust approach based on solution
      assembly of two different poly(3-hexylthiophene)s (P3HTs) with regioregularity
      (RR) contents of 97% and 66% to impart both electrical and mechanical properties
      to films for organic electronic applications. The 97% RR P3HT exhibits high
      electronic performance but poor mechanical resilience, and vice versa for the 66%
      RR P3HT. Selective crystallization of high RR P3HT induced by solution assembly
      allows the use of a one-step process to construct percolated networks of high RR
      P3HT nanowires (NWs) in a low RR P3HT matrix. Only 5 wt % of high RR P3HT NWs in
      a 95 wt % low RR P3HT matrix was required to produce hole mobilities comparable
      to that of pure high RR P3HT, and this blend film exhibited improvements by
      factors of 20 and 60 in elongation at break and toughness, respectively.
      Selective self-assembly of RR-controlled polymers allowed us to overcome the
      fragile nature of highly crystalline conjugated polymer films without sacrificing
      their electronic properties.

PMID- 28363016
TI  - Photochemical Reaction of OCSe with ClF in Argon Matrix: A Light-Driven Formation
      of XC(O)SeY (X, Y = F or Cl) Species.
AB  - The photochemistry of OCSe with ClF trapped together in argon matrices at
      cryogenic temperatures has been explored and the first interhalogen
      representatives of the elusive XC(O)SeY family, namely syn-ClC(O)SeF, anti
      ClC(O)SeF, syn-FC(O)SeCl, and anti-FC(O)SeCl, as well as the hitherto triatomic
      species ClSeF complexed by a CO molecule, were obtained. Both ClC(O)SeF
      conformers appear to be produced independently by photolysis of the respective
      precursors; while formation of both FC(O)SeCl structures is ruled by the presence
      of an angular molecular complex OCSe...Cl-F formed prior to photolysis. This
      latter photochemical pathway seems to favor the formation of the less stable anti
      FC(O)SeCl structure instead of the more stable syn- one. With the aid of quantum
      chemical calculations, using ab initio, DFT, TDDFT, and CASSCF methods, the
      mechanism for this photochemical reaction is rationalized both in terms of
      radical processes as well as a photoinduced electron transfer occurring into the
      OCSe...Cl-F complex. Also a singlet-triplet conical intersection between anti and
      syn rotamers of the FC(O)SeCl molecule is theoretically explored.

PMID- 28363017
TI  - Cell and Protein Fouling Properties of Polymeric Mixtures Containing
      Supramolecular Poly(ethylene glycol) Additives.
AB  - Fouling properties of new biomaterials are important for the performance of a
      material in a biological environment. Here, a set of three supramolecular
      polymeric additives consisting of ureidopyrimidinone (UPy)-functionalized
      poly(ethylene glycol) (UPyPEG) were formulated with UPy-modified polycaprolactone
      into thin supramolecular material films. The antifouling properties of these
      material films were determined by investigation of the relation of cell adhesion
      and protein adsorption on these materials films. The presence of the UPyPEG
      additives at the surface of the films was evident by an increased hydrophilicity.
      Adhesion of human epithelial and endothelial cells was strongly reduced for two
      of the UPyPEG-containing films. Analysis of adsorption of the first three
      proteins from the Vroman series, albumin, gamma-globulin, and fibrinogen, using
      quartz crystal microbalance with dissipation in combination with viscoelastic
      modeling, revealed that the surfaces containing the UPyPEG additives had a
      limited effect on adsorption of these proteins. Despite a limited reduction of
      protein adsorption, UPyPEG-containing mixtures were non-cell-adhesive, which
      shows that non-cell-adhesive properties of supramolecular polymer surfaces are
      not always directly correlated to protein adsorption.

PMID- 28363018
TI  - Single-Cell Mass Spectrometry of Metabolites Extracted from Live Cells by Fluidic
      Force Microscopy.
AB  - Single-cell metabolite analysis provides valuable information on cellular
      function and response to external stimuli. While recent advances in mass
      spectrometry reached the sensitivity required to investigate metabolites in
      single cells, current methods commonly isolate and sacrifice cells, inflicting a
      perturbed state and preventing complementary analyses. Here, we propose a two
      step approach that combines nondestructive and quantitative withdrawal of
      intracellular fluid with subpicoliter resolution using fluidic force microscopy,
      followed by matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass
      spectrometry. The developed method enabled the detection and identification of 20
      metabolites recovered from the cytoplasm of individual HeLa cells. The approach
      was further validated in 13C-glucose feeding experiments, which showed
      incorporation of labeled carbon atoms into different metabolites. Metabolite
      sampling, followed by mass spectrometry measurements, enabled the preservation of
      the physiological context and the viability of the analyzed cell, providing
      opportunities for complementary analyses of the cell before, during, and after
      metabolite analysis.

PMID- 28363019
TI  - Low-Temperature Synchrotron Photoionization Study of 2-Methyl-3-buten-2-ol (MBO)
      Oxidation Initiated by O(3P) Atoms in the 298-650 K Range.
AB  - This work studies the oxidation of 2-methyl-3-buten-2-ol initiated by O(3P)
      atoms. The oxidation was investigated at room temperature, 550, and 650 K. Using
      the synchrotron radiation from the Advanced Light Source (ALS) of the Lawrence
      Berkley National Laboratory, reaction intermediates and products were studied by
      multiplexed photoionization mass spectrometry. Mass-to-charge ratios, kinetic
      time traces, photoionization spectra, and adiabatic ionization energies for each
      primary reaction species were obtained and used to characterize their identity.
      Using electronic structure calculations, potential energy surface scans of the
      different species produced throughout the oxidation were examined and presented
      in this paper to further validate the primary chemistry occurring. Branching
      fractions of primary products at all three temperatures were also provided. At
      room temperature only three primary products formed: ethenol (26.6%),
      acetaldehyde (4.2%), and acetone (53.4%). At 550 and 650 K the same primary
      products were observed in addition to propene (5.1%, 11.2%), ethenol (18.1%,
      2.8%), acetaldehyde (8.9%, 5.7%), cyclobutene (1.6%, 10.8%), 1-butene (2.0%,
      10.9%), trans-2-butene (3.2%, 23.1%), acetone (50.4%, 16.8%), 3-penten-2-one
      (1.0%, 11.5%), and 3-methyl-2-butenal (0.9%, 2.5%), where the first branching
      fraction value in parentheses corresponds to the 550 K data. At the highest
      temperature, a small amount of propyne (1.0%) was also observed.

PMID- 28363020
TI  - Highly efficient Blue-Emitting CdSe-derived Core/Shell Gradient Alloy Quantum
      Dots with Improved Photoluminescent Quantum Yield and Enhanced Photostability.
AB  - Highly efficient blue-emitting CdSe-derived core/shell gradient alloy quantum
      dots (CSGA QDs) with photoluminescence quantum yield (PL QY) of ca. 90% have been
      synthesized through a facile "one-pot" approach. CdSe nuclei are initially formed
      as core and gradient alloy shells such as CdSexS1-x/ZnSeyS1-y simultaneously
      encapsulate the preformed CdSe core in an energy-gradient fashion eventually
      followed by coating with ZnS shells due to the faster precursor reaction kinetics
      of Cd and Se compared to analog of Zn and S. During the formation of core/shell
      structure, red-shifting of absorption/emission peaks followed by blue-shifting of
      analogues were observed due to the intradiffusion of sulfur anion to CdSe
      luminescent center. In this gradient architecture, interfacial lattice strain can
      be effectively alleviated, and thus high PL QY (ca. 90%) and enhanced
      photochemical stability can be achieved. The synthesized blue-emitting gradient
      alloy QDs with superior optical properties tunable in the range of 450-490 nm can
      be used for highly efficient blue-emitters and potentially applicable for the
      fabrication of white-light LEDs.

PMID- 28363021
TI  - A Spinning Umbrella: Carbon Monoxide and Dinitrogen Bound MB12- Clusters (M = Co,
      Rh, Ir).
AB  - Strong binding of carbon monoxide (CO) and dinitrogen (N2) by MB12- (M = Co, Rh,
      Ir) clusters results in a spinning umbrella-like structure. For OCMB12- and
      NNMB12- complexes, the bond dissociation energy values range within 50.3-67.7
      kcal/mol and 25.9-35.7 kcal/mol, respectively, with the maximum value obtained in
      Ir followed by that in Co and Rh analogues. COMB12- complex is significantly less
      stable than the corresponding C-side bonded isomer. The associated dissociation
      processes for OCMB12- and NNMB12- into CO or N2 and MB12- are highly endergonic
      in nature at 298 K, implying their high thermochemical stability with respect to
      dissociation. In OCMB12- and NNMB12- complexes, the C-O and N-N bonds are found
      to be elongated by 0.022-0.035 A along with a large red-shift in the
      corresponding stretching frequencies, highlighting the occurrence of bond
      activation therein toward further reactivity due to complexation. The obtained
      red-shift is explained by the dominance of L<-M pi-back-donation (L = CO, OC, NN)
      over L->M sigma-donation. The binding of L enhances the energy barrier for the
      rotation of the inner B3 unit within the outer B9 ring by 0.4-1.8 kcal/mol, which
      can be explained by a reduction in the distance of the longest bond between inner
      B3 and outer B9 rings upon complexation. A good correlation is found between the
      change in rotational barrier relative to that in MB12- and the energy associated
      with the L->M sigma-donation. Born-Oppenheimer molecular dynamics simulations
      further support that the M-L bonds in the studied systems are kinetically stable
      enough to retain the original forms during the internal rotation of inner B3
      unit.

PMID- 28363022
TI  - Molecular Dynamics Simulation of a RNA Aptasensor.
AB  - Single-stranded RNA aptamers have emerged as novel biosensor tools. However, the
      immobilization procedure of the aptamer onto a surface generally induces a loss
      of affinity. To understand this molecular process, we conducted a complete
      simulation study for the Flavin mononucleotide aptamer for which experimental
      data are available. Several molecular dynamics simulations (MD) of the Flavin in
      complex with its RNA aptamer were conducted in solution, linked with six
      thymidines (T6) and, finally, immobilized on an hexanol-thiol-functionalized gold
      surface. First, we demonstrated that our MD computations were able to reproduce
      the experimental solution structure and to provide a meaningful estimation of the
      Flavin free energy of binding. We also demonstrated that the T6 linkage, by
      itself, does not generate a perturbation of the Flavin recognition process. From
      the simulation of the complete biosensor system, we observed that the aptamer
      stays oriented parallel to the surface at a distance around 36 A avoiding, this
      way, interaction with the surface. We evidenced a structural reorganization of
      the Flavin aptamer binding mode related to the loss of affinity and induced by an
      anisotropic distribution of sodium cationic densities. This means that ionic
      diffusion is different between the surface and the aptamer than above this last
      one. We suggest that these findings might be extrapolated to other nucleic acids
      systems for the future design of biosensors with higher efficiency and
      selectivity.

PMID- 28363023
TI  - Reconstructing Early Industrial Contributions to Legacy Trace Metal Contamination
      in Southwestern Pennsylvania.
AB  - Early industrial trace metal loadings are poorly characterized but potentially
      substantial sources of trace metals to the landscape. The magnitude of legacy
      contamination in southwestern Pennsylvania, the cradle of North American fossil
      fuel industrialization, is reconstructed from trace metal concentrations in a
      sediment core with proxies including major and trace metal chemistry, bulk
      density, and magnetic susceptibility. Trace metal chemistry in this sediment
      record reflects 19th and 20th century land use and industry. In particular, early
      19th century arsenic loadings to the lake are elevated from pesticides used by
      early European settlers at a lakeside tannery. Later, sediment barium
      concentrations rise, likely reflecting the onset of acidic mine drainage from
      coal operations. Twentieth century zinc, cadmium, and lead concentrations are
      dominated by emissions from the nearby, infamous Donora Zinc Works yet record
      both the opening of a nearby coal-fired power plant and amendments to the Clean
      Air Act. The impact of early industry is substantial and rivals more recent metal
      fluxes, resulting in a significant potential source of contaminated sediments.
      Thus, modern assessments of trace metal contamination cannot ignore early
      industrial inputs, as the potential remobilization of legacy contamination would
      impact ecosystem and human health.

PMID- 28363024
TI  - Phase Diagram of Fatty Acid Langmuir Monolayers from Rheological Measurements.
AB  - Langmuir monolayers of fatty acids and alcohols are two-dimensional systems with
      a rich equilibrium phase diagram. We have explored the temperature and surface
      pressure-dependent shear response of monolayers formed by fatty acids of
      different chain lengths and a fatty alcohol. This has been accomplished with an
      interfacial shear rheometer utilizing magnetic tweezers and equipped with a
      refined temperature control and acquisition system. Our rheological results have
      allowed us to draw a phase diagram from the viscoelastic properties of these 2-D
      systems and show new phenomena that strongly depend on temperature: the existence
      of a maximum in viscosity at the L2' phase, the behavior of the elastic modulus
      to the storage modulus ratio at the L2 phase, and the increase or decrease in
      viscosity at the L2-LS phase transition. In addition, we unambiguously show that
      the LS phase displays a counterintuitive behavior in which the loss modulus
      increases with temperature. We demonstrate, through isothermal surface pressure
      sweeps and isobaric temperature sweeps, that the exponential dependence of the
      loss modulus on temperature at the LS phase appears for all hydrophobic tail
      lengths studied and for both acid and alcohol head groups.

PMID- 28363025
TI  - Channeling through Two Stacked Guanine Quartets of One and Two Alkali Cations in
      the Li+, Na+, K+, and Rb+ Series. Assessment of the Accuracy of the SIBFA
      Anisotropic Polarizable Molecular Mechanics Potential.
AB  - Stacking of guanine quartets (GQs) can trigger the formation of DNA or RNA
      quadruple helices, which play numerous biochemical roles. The GQs are stabilized
      by alkali cations, mainly K+ and Na+, which can reside in, or channel through,
      the central axis of the GQ stems. Further, ion conduction through GQ wires can be
      leveraged for nanochemistry applications. G-quadruplex systems have been
      extensively studied by classical molecular dynamics (MD) simulations using pair
      additive force fields or by quantum-chemical (QC) calculations. However, the non
      polarizable force fields are very approximate, while QC calculations lack the
      necessary sampling. Thus, ultimate description of GQ systems would require long
      enough simulations using advanced polarizable molecular mechanics (MM). However,
      to perform such calculations, it is first mandatory to evaluate the method's
      accuracy using benchmark QC. We report such an evaluation for SIBFA polarizable
      MM, bearing on the channeling (movement) of an alkali cation (Li+, Na+, K+, or
      Rb+) along the axis of two stacked G quartets interacting with either one or two
      ions. The QC energy profiles display markedly different features depending upon
      the cation but can be retrieved in the majority of cases by the SIBFA profiles.
      An appropriate balance of first-order (electrostatic and short-range repulsion)
      and second-order (polarization, charge-transfer, and dispersion) contributions
      within DeltaE is mandatory. With two cations in the channel, the relative weights
      of the second-order contributions increase steadily upon increasing the ion size.
      In the G8 complexes with two K+ or two Rb+ cations, the sum of polarization and
      charge-transfer exceeds the first order terms for all ion positions.

PMID- 28363026
TI  - Hydroxypyridinone and 5-Aminolaevulinic Acid Conjugates for Photodynamic Therapy.
AB  - Photodynamic therapy (PDT) is a promising treatment strategy for malignant and
      nonmalignant lesions. 5-Aminolaevulinic acid (ALA) is used as a precursor of the
      photosensitizer, protoporphyrin IX (PpIX), in dermatology and urology. However,
      the effectiveness of ALA-PDT is limited by the relatively poor bioavailability of
      ALA and rapid conversion of PpIX to haem. The main goal of this study was to
      prepare and investigate a library of single conjugates designed to coadminister
      the bioactive agents ALA and hydroxypyridinone (HPO) iron chelators. A
      significant increase in intracellular PpIX levels was observed in all cell lines
      tested when compared to the administration of ALA alone. The higher PpIX levels
      observed using the conjugates correlated well with the observed phototoxicity
      following exposure of cells to light. Passive diffusion appears to be the main
      mechanism for the majority of ALA-HPOs investigated. This study demonstrates that
      ALA-HPOs significantly enhance phototherapeutic metabolite formation and
      phototoxicity.

PMID- 28363027
TI  - Exchange Phenomena in the Electron Paramagnetic Resonance Spectra of the Nitroxyl
      and Trityl Radicals: Multifunctional Spectroscopy and Imaging of Local Chemical
      Microenvironment.
AB  - This Feature overviews the basic principles of using stable organic radicals
      involved in reversible exchange processes as functional paramagnetic probes. We
      demonstrate that these probes in combination with electron paramagnetic resonance
      (EPR)-based spectroscopy and imaging techniques provide analytical tools for
      quantitative mapping of critical parameters of local chemical microenvironment.
      The Feature is written to be understandable to people who are laymen to the EPR
      field in anticipation of future progress and broad application of these tools in
      biological systems, especially in vivo, over the next years.

PMID- 28363028
TI  - Spectroscopic Investigation of the Formation and Disruption of Hydrogen Bonds in
      Pharmaceutical Semicrystalline Dispersions.
AB  - We recently found that indomethacin (IMC) can effectively act as a powerful
      crystallization inhibitor for polyethylene glycol 6000 (PEG) despite the fact
      that the absence of interactions between the drug and the carrier in the solid
      state was reported in the literature. However, in the present study, we
      investigate the possibility of drug-carrier interactions in the liquid state to
      explain the polymer crystallization inhibition effect of IMC. We also aim to
      discover other potential PEG crystallization inhibitors. Drug-carrier
      interactions in both liquid and solid state are characterized by variable
      temperature Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and cross-polarization
      magic angle spinning 13C nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy (CP/MAS NMR). In
      the liquid state, FTIR data show evidence of the breaking of hydrogen bonding
      between IMC molecules to form interactions of the IMC monomer with PEG. The drug
      carrier interactions are disrupted upon storage and polymer crystallization,
      resulting in segregation of IMC from PEG crystals that can be observed under
      polarized light microscopy. This process is further confirmed by 13C NMR since in
      the liquid state, when the IMC/PEG monomer units ratio is below 2:1, IMC signals
      are undetectable because of the loss of cross-polarization efficiency in the
      mobile IMC molecules upon attachment to PEG chains via hydrogen bonding. This
      suggests that each ether oxygen of the PEG unit can form hydrogen bonds with two
      IMC molecules. The NMR spectrum of IMC shows no change in solid dispersions with
      PEG upon storage, indicating the absence of interactions in the solid state,
      hence confirming previous studies. The drug-carrier interactions in the liquid
      state elucidate the crystallization inhibition effect of IMC on PEG as well as
      other semicrystalline polymers such as poloxamer and Gelucire. However, hydrogen
      bonding is a necessary but apparently not a sufficient condition for the polymer
      crystallization inhibition. Screening of crystallization inhibitors of
      semicrystalline polymers discovers numerous candidates that exhibit the same
      behavior as IMC, demonstrating a general pattern of polymer crystallization
      inhibition rather than a particular case. Furthermore, the crystallization
      inhibition effect of drugs on PEG is independent of the carrier molecular weight.
      These mechanistic findings on the formation and disruption of hydrogen bonds in
      semicrystalline dispersions can be extended to amorphous dispersions and are of
      significant importance for preparation of solid dispersions with consistent and
      reproducible physicochemical properties.

PMID- 28363031
TI  - Recurring Giant Mediastinal Cystic Lymphangioma.

PMID- 28363032
TI  - Poor Response to Periodontal Treatment May Predict Future Cardiovascular Disease.
AB  - Periodontal disease has been associated with cardiovascular disease (CVD), but
      whether the response to the treatment of periodontal disease affects this
      association has not been investigated in any large prospective study. Periodontal
      data obtained at baseline and 1 y after treatment were available in 5,297
      individuals with remaining teeth who were treated at a specialized clinic for
      periodontal disease. Poor response to treatment was defined as having >10% sites
      with probing pocket depth >4 mm deep and bleeding on probing at >=20% of the
      sites 1 y after active treatment. Fatal/nonfatal incidence rate of CVD (composite
      end point of myocardial infarction, stroke, and heart failure) was obtained from
      the Swedish cause-of-death and hospital discharge registers. Poisson regression
      analysis was performed to analyze future risk of CVD. During a median follow-up
      of 16.8 y (89,719 person-years at risk), those individuals who did not respond
      well to treatment (13.8% of the sample) had an increased incidence of CVD ( n =
      870) when compared with responders (23.6 vs. 15.3%, P < 0.001). When adjusting
      for calendar time, age, sex, educational level, smoking, and baseline values for
      bleeding on probing, probing pocket depth >4 mm, and number of teeth, the
      incidence rate ratio for CVD among poor responders was 1.28 (95% CI, 1.07 to
      1.53; P = 0.007) as opposed to good responders. The incidence rate ratio among
      poor responders increased to 1.39 (95% CI, 1.13 to 1.73; P = 0.002) for those
      with the most remaining teeth. Individuals who did not respond well to
      periodontal treatment had an increased risk for future CVD, indicating that
      successful periodontal treatment might influence progression of subclinical CVD.

PMID- 28363030
TI  - Integrated Stress Response Mediates Epithelial Injury in Mechanical Ventilation.
AB  - Ventilator-induced lung injury (VILI) is a severe complication of mechanical
      ventilation that can lead to acute respiratory distress syndrome. VILI is
      characterized by damage to the epithelial barrier with subsequent pulmonary edema
      and profound hypoxia. Available lung-protective ventilator strategies offer only
      a modest benefit in preventing VILI because they cannot impede alveolar
      overdistension and concomitant epithelial barrier dysfunction in the inflamed
      lung regions. There are currently no effective biochemical therapies to mitigate
      injury to the alveolar epithelium. We hypothesize that alveolar stretch activates
      the integrated stress response (ISR) pathway and that the chemical inhibition of
      this pathway mitigates alveolar barrier disruption during stretch and mechanical
      ventilation. Using our established rat primary type I-like alveolar epithelial
      cell monolayer stretch model and in vivo rat mechanical ventilation that mimics
      the alveolar overdistension seen in acute respiratory distress syndrome, we
      studied epithelial responses to mechanical stress. Our studies revealed that the
      ISR signaling pathway is a key modulator of epithelial permeability. We show that
      prolonged epithelial stretch and injurious mechanical ventilation activate the
      ISR, leading to increased alveolar permeability, cell death, and proinflammatory
      signaling. Chemical inhibition of protein kinase RNA-like endoplasmic reticulum
      kinase, an upstream regulator of the pathway, resulted in decreased injury
      signaling and improved barrier function after prolonged cyclic stretch and
      injurious mechanical ventilation. Our results provide new evidence that
      therapeutic targeting of the ISR can mitigate VILI.

PMID- 28363033
TI  - Using an Internet-Based Breast Cancer Risk Assessment Tool to Improve Social
      Cognitive Precursors of Physical Activity.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Internet-based cancer risk assessment tools might serve as a strategy
      for translating epidemiological risk prediction research into public health
      practice. Understanding how such tools affect key social-cognitive precursors of
      behavior change is crucial for leveraging their potential into effective
      interventions. PURPOSE: To test the effects of a publicly available, Internet
      based, breast cancer risk assessment tool on social-cognitive precursors of
      physical activity. METHODS: Women (N = 132) aged 40-78 with no personal cancer
      history indicated their perceived risk of breast cancer and were randomly
      assigned to receive personalized ( www.yourdiseaserisk.wustl.edu ) or
      nonpersonalized breast cancer risk information. Immediately thereafter, breast
      cancer risk perceptions and physical activity-related behavioral intentions, self
      efficacy, and response efficacy were assessed. RESULTS: Personalized information
      elicited higher intentions, self-efficacy, and response efficacy than
      nonpersonalized information, P values < 0.05. Self-efficacy and response efficacy
      mediated the effect of personalizing information on intentions. Women who
      received personalized information corrected their inaccurate risk perceptions to
      some extent, P values < 0.05, but few fully accepted the information. CONCLUSION:
      Internet-based risk assessment tools can produce beneficial effects on important
      social-cognitive precursors of behavior change, but lingering skepticism,
      possibly due to defensive processing, needs to be addressed before the effects
      can be maximized.

PMID- 28363035
TI  - The Benefits and Risks of CrossFit: A Systematic Review.
AB  - With the increase in popularity of the CrossFit exercise program, occupational
      health nurses may be asked questions about the appropriateness of CrossFit
      training for workers. This systematic literature review was conducted to analyze
      the current research on CrossFit, and assess the benefits and risks of this
      exercise strategy. Thirteen studies ( N = 2,326 participants) examined the use of
      CrossFit training among adults; CrossFit is comparable to other exercise programs
      with similar injury rates and health outcomes. Occupational health nurses should
      assess previous injuries prior to recommending this form of exercise. Ideal
      candidates for CrossFit are adults who seek high-intensity exercise with a wide
      variety of exercise components.

PMID- 28363034
TI  - Machine-Learning Algorithms to Code Public Health Spending Accounts.
AB  - OBJECTIVES: Government public health expenditure data sets require time- and
      labor-intensive manipulation to summarize results that public health policy
      makers can use. Our objective was to compare the performances of machine-learning
      algorithms with manual classification of public health expenditures to determine
      if machines could provide a faster, cheaper alternative to manual classification.
      METHODS: We used machine-learning algorithms to replicate the process of manually
      classifying state public health expenditures, using the standardized public
      health spending categories from the Foundational Public Health Services model and
      a large data set from the US Census Bureau. We obtained a data set of 1.9 million
      individual expenditure items from 2000 to 2013. We collapsed these data into 147
      280 summary expenditure records, and we followed a standardized method of
      manually classifying each expenditure record as public health, maybe public
      health, or not public health. We then trained 9 machine-learning algorithms to
      replicate the manual process. We calculated recall, precision, and coverage rates
      to measure the performance of individual and ensembled algorithms. RESULTS:
      Compared with manual classification, the machine-learning random forests
      algorithm produced 84% recall and 91% precision. With algorithm ensembling, we
      achieved our target criterion of 90% recall by using a consensus ensemble of >=6
      algorithms while still retaining 93% coverage, leaving only 7% of the summary
      expenditure records unclassified. CONCLUSIONS: Machine learning can be a time-
      and cost-saving tool for estimating public health spending in the United States.
      It can be used with standardized public health spending categories based on the
      Foundational Public Health Services model to help parse public health expenditure
      information from other types of health-related spending, provide data that are
      more comparable across public health organizations, and evaluate the impact of
      evidence-based public health resource allocation.

PMID- 28363036
TI  - Shrimp oil extracted from the shrimp processing waste reduces the development of
      insulin resistance and metabolic phenotypes in diet-induced obese rats.
AB  - Diet-induced obesity, insulin resistance, impaired glucose tolerance, chronic
      inflammation, and oxidative stress represent the main features of type 2 diabetes
      mellitus. The present study was conducted to examine the efficacy and mechanisms
      of shrimp oil on glucose homeostasis in obese rats. Male CD rats fed a high-fat
      diet (52 kcal% fat) and 20% fructose drinking water were divided into 4 groups
      and treated with the dietary replacement of 0%, 10%, 15%, or 20% of lard with
      shrimp oil for 10 weeks. Age-matched rats fed a low-fat diet (10 kcal% fat) were
      used as the normal control. Rats on the high-fat diet showed impaired (p < 0.05)
      glucose tolerance and insulin resistance compared with rats fed the low-fat diet.
      Shrimp oil improved (p < 0.05) oral glucose tolerance, insulin response, and
      homeostatic model assessment-estimated insulin resistance index; decreased serum
      insulin, leptin, hemoglobin A1c, and free fatty acids; and increased adiponectin.
      Shrimp oil also increased (p < 0.05) antioxidant capacity and reduced oxidative
      stress and chronic inflammation. The results demonstrated that shrimp oil dose
      dependently improved glycemic control in obese rats through multiple mechanisms.

PMID- 28363037
TI  - THE PASSAGE AND DURATION OF ANTIBODIES TO WEST NILE VIRUS IN HUMBOLDT PENGUINS
      (SPHENISCUS HUMBOLDTI).
AB  - West Nile virus (genus Flavivirus) outbreaks and mortality events have been
      documented in both wild and captive avian species, including penguins. Serologic
      response to vaccination in avian species has varied and appears to be largely
      species dependent; however, Humboldt penguins ( Spheniscus humboldti ) previously
      showed excellent rates of seroconversion. The goal of this study was to determine
      virus neutralization titers of 17 Humboldt penguin hens and their subsequent
      eggs, chicks, or both following vaccination with a killed West Nile vaccine.
      Chicks were also vaccinated at 56, 70, and 84 days old. Titers were measured from
      10-346 days prior to lay as well as serially in seven chicks. Data collected
      showed positive rank correlation between maternal titers and yolk titers (rho =
      0.90, P < 0.0001, n = 14) but no association between booster vaccination and yolk
      titers. All seven chicks had detectable antibody on days 14 and 28, and antibody
      levels had increased (relative to day 56) in 3 of 6 chicks (50%; 95% confidence
      interval 14-86%) by day 112. Further information is provided on a suggested
      vaccination schedule for Humboldt penguin chicks based on a time-dependent
      decline in maternal antibody titers. Cell-mediated immunity and experimental
      challenge following vaccination have not yet been investigated in this species.

PMID- 28363038
TI  - BAYLISASCARIS PROCYONIS LARVA MIGRANS IN TWO CAPTIVE NORTH AMERICAN BEAVERS
      (CASTOR CANADENSIS).
AB  - Baylisascaris procyonis larva migrans was diagnosed in two North American beavers
      ( Castor canadensis ) belonging to a zoological park in Clarke County, Georgia.
      Both beavers presented with neurological signs. One beaver died naturally and
      despite attempted treatment, the other beaver was euthanatized because of severe
      clinical signs and poor prognosis. Histologic evaluation of the beavers revealed
      evidence of parasitic migration characterized by several lesions, including
      eosinophilic granulomas in various organs, as well as necrotizing eosinophilic
      and lymphoplasmacytic to granulomatous polioencephalitis, leukoencephalitis and
      cervical leukomyelitis. This represents the first confirmed case of B. procyonis
      larva migrans in beaver and the first non-raccoon ( Procyon lotor ) host in the
      southeastern United States. This report highlights the need for clinicians and
      diagnosticians to consider baylisascariasis in animals with compatible clinical
      signs. Preventative measures should be considered for captive animals, because
      early diagnosis of B. procyonis is challenging, and treatment is often
      unrewarding.

PMID- 28363039
TI  - GRANULOMATOUS FILARIAL ENCEPHALOMYELITIS CAUSED BY CHANDLERELLA QUISCALI IN A
      NORTHERN CRESTED CARACARA (CARACARA CHERIWAY).
AB  - A northern crested caracara (Caracara cheriway) was presented after being found
      nonambulatory in a field. On physical examination, the bird had severe hind-limb
      paresis. The bird did not improve after 10 days of hospitalization and was
      euthanized. Histologic examination of the cerebrum and spinal cord revealed
      multiple adult filarial nematodes surrounded by granulomatous inflammation with
      several multinucleated giant cells. These parasites were confirmed to be
      Chandlerella quiscali with polymerase chain reaction. This is the first report of
      C. quiscali in a bird of prey.

PMID- 28363040
TI  - TREATMENT OF PULMONICOLA COCHLEOTREMA INFECTION WITH IVERMECTIN-PRAZIQUANTEL
      COMBINATION IN AN ANTILLEAN MANATEE (TRICHECHUS MANATUS MANATUS).
AB  - The aim of this study was to report the use of an oral combination of ivermectin
      plus praziquantel in the treatment of a Pulmonicola cochleotrema in an Antillean
      manatee ( Trichechus manatus manatus). A female manatee was found exhibiting
      respiratory changes and the presence of parasites in the nares. Based on clinical
      manifestations presented by the manatee, a symptomatic therapeutic protocol was
      employed, which included an anthelmintic treatment using a combination of
      ivermectin plus praziquantel. The parasites retrieved were identified as P.
      cochleotrema. The fourth day after the onset of the therapeutic protocol, the
      clinical signs declined and on the seventh day posttreatment no clinical signs
      were observed. This is the first time a therapeutic protocol of ivermectin plus
      praziquantel has been used in the treatment of P. cochleotrema in manatees.

PMID- 28363041
TI  - DECLINE OF GAME BIRDS (PHASIANUS COLCHICUS AND PERDIX PERDIX) IN BAVARIA: A
      SURVEY ON PATHOGENIC BACTERIA, PARASITES, PESTICIDE RESIDUES, AND INFLUENCE OF
      SET-ASIDE LAND AND MAIZE CULTIVATION.
AB  - Due to a Europe-wide decline of grey partridge ( Perdix perdix ) and pheasant (
      Phasianus colchicus ) populations, this study was conducted focusing on the
      county of Bavaria, south Germany. The aim was to assess the health status of game
      birds and identify possible causes of decline. For this purpose 203 pheasants and
      11 partridges were examined during the 2011 hunting season. Pathologic
      examinations were conducted including examinations for parasites and bacteria.
      Due to public health significance, a screening for Salmonella sp., as well as
      real-time polymerase chain reaction examinations for Campylobacter sp. and
      Mycobacterium avium ssp. avium, were done. Because pesticides and land-usage can
      possibly influence bird numbers, the birds were screened for environmental toxin
      residues, including neonicotinoid insecticides, and land-usage data were
      correlated with the hunting bags. The result was a very-strong positive
      correlation of set-aside areas and a less-strong negative correlation of maize
      cultivation acreage. More than 90% of the birds had a good health status; only
      individuals showed pathologic alterations. For example, avian tuberculosis was
      found in two pheasants and a severe capillariosis in two partridges. A possible
      role of female reproductive disorders has to be confirmed in further
      investigations. In conclusion, results suggest the decrease of set-aside areas
      could be a possible reason for decline.

PMID- 28363044
TI  - AAZV PUBLICATIONS AVAILABLE.

PMID- 28363042
TI  - CLINICAL MANAGEMENT OF THIRD PHALANX FRACTURES IN LESSER (TRAGELAPHUS IMBERBIS)
      AND GREATER KUDU (TRAGELAPHUS STREPSICEROS).
AB  - Two greater kudu ( Tragelaphus strepsiceros ) and one lesser kudu ( T. imberbis )
      from two zoological institutions presented with overgrown front hooves, and were
      diagnosed with fractures of the third phalanges in the affected digits. Both
      greater kudu had milder lamenesses at diagnosis, and were managed conservatively
      with hoof trims, stall rest, and nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory medications.
      Ongoing management through regular hoof trims led to improvement and eventual
      resolution of lameness. The more severely lame lesser kudu received hoof blocks
      on the front claws not associated with fractured phalanges. This therapy was well
      tolerated and resulted in resolution of lameness immediately after application.
      Radiographic evidence of healing was present 8 wk posttherapy. Diagnosis of these
      fractures was greatly aided by radiographic views obtained at a 45 degrees 
      oblique angle with the claws distracted.

PMID- 28363045
TI  - ASSESSMENT OF SERUM 25-HYDROXYVITAMIN D CONCENTRATIONS IN TWO COLLECTIONS OF
      CAPTIVE GORILLAS (GORILLA GORILLA GORILLA).
AB  - Serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D concentrations were assessed in subadult to adult
      captive lowland gorillas ( Gorilla gorilla gorilla) (n = 26) at two institutions
      with different husbandry and management practices. Serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D
      (25[OH]D) concentrations for gorillas managed predominantly indoors was low (14.2
      +/- 5.9 ng/ml), despite consuming commercial biscuits fortified with vitamin D3.
      Concentrations of 25(OH)D in gorillas with near daily outdoor access were
      significantly higher than gorillas managed indoors, although many individuals
      still had serum values below concentrations recommended for adult humans.
      Consideration should be given to assessing 25(OH)D concentrations in all captive
      gorillas and providing specific supplementation, particularly to juveniles
      without access to direct sunlight.

PMID- 28363046
TI  - STRESS INFLUENCE ON PLASMA PROTEIN ELECTROPHORESIS IN THE RED-BREASTED GOOSE
      (BRANTA RUFICOLLIS) AND HAWAIIAN GOOSE (BRANTA SANDVICENSIS).
AB  - The objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of stress (as measured by
      total heterophil + eosinophil counts [THECs] and plasma corticosterone [PC]
      levels) on plasma protein electrophoresis (PPE) in two Anseriform species. Ten
      red-breasted geese ( Branta ruficollis ) and eight Hawaiian geese (Branta
      sandvicensis) were received into quarantine at Beauval Zoo and housed together
      with other Anseriformes. Two days later, all were examined as part of routine
      quarantine procedures, and blood was collected. THECs were performed using a
      Malassez hemocytometer after a 1 : 200 dilution with an eosinophil dilution
      liquid containing phloxine B. PPE, as well as total protein and PC assays, was
      performed on lithium heparin plasma. Twenty days after arrival, all birds were
      similarly restrained, examined, and sampled. Pododermatitis lesions were
      identified on four geese that were excluded from statistical analysis. For each
      goose, THECs and PC values were sorted by value (lower or higher) independently
      from the day of sampling. A Wilcoxon signed rank test showed no significant
      differences between lower and higher values of THECs for any of the PPE
      fractions. Higher values of corticosterone were associated with higher values of
      prealbumin, but none of the other fractions were significantly different. A
      Spearman rank correlation coefficient showed that THECs and PC were not
      correlated; this suggested differences in kinetics between these stress markers.
      Results did not show significant alterations of electrophoresis patterns
      associated with stress as measured with THECs and PC. The results also highlight
      the complexity of precisely assessing acute and chronic stress in avian species.

PMID- 28363048
TI  - CLINICAL CHALLENGE.

PMID- 28363047
TI  - PHARMACOKINETICS OF A SINGLE DOSE OF ORAL AND SUBCUTANEOUS ENROFLOXACIN IN
      CARIBBEAN FLAMINGOS (PHOENICOPTERUS RUBER RUBER).
AB  - Enrofloxacin is a fluoroquinolone antimicrobial that is widely used in veterinary
      medicine because of its bactericidal activity and safety in a broad range of
      species. Caribbean flamingos, a member of the order Phoenicopteriformes, are
      popular in zoological collections and suffer from a variety of conditions that
      can result from or lead to bacterial infection. In this study, two groups of 7
      adult captive Caribbean flamingos received a single dose of 15 mg/kg
      enrofloxacin, administered either orally or subcutaneously. Plasma concentrations
      of enrofloxacin and its metabolite, ciprofloxacin, were measured using liquid
      chromatography and mass spectrometry. Pharmacokinetic analysis was performed
      using noncompartmental methods. The pharmacokinetic parameters for both routes of
      administration were similar, with a mean peak plasma concentration (Cmax) of 5.25
      and 5.77 MUg/ml, a mean time to peak plasma concentration (Tmax) of 1.49 and 1.1
      hr, a mean area under the curve (AUC) of 49.9 and 47.3 hr.MUg/ml, and a mean
      terminal half-life (t1/2) of 5.83 and 6.46 hr for oral and subcutaneous dosing,
      respectively. Conversion to ciprofloxacin was minimal, with the AUC of
      ciprofloxacin representing <3% of the enrofloxacin AUC for both routes of
      administration. Based on the results of the present study, a dose of 15 mg/kg
      enrofloxacin delivered either orally or subcutaneously in the Caribbean flamingo
      every 24 hr is recommended for susceptible bacterial pathogens with a minimal
      inhibitory concentration <= 0.25 MUg/ml.

PMID- 28363049
TI  - THE USE OF THE LIGASURETM DEVICE FOR SCROTAL ABLATION IN MARSUPIALS.
AB  - Five sugar gliders ( Petaurus breviceps ), ranging in age from 3 mo to 3.5 yr of
      age, and one opossum ( Didelphis virginianus ), age 4.5 mo, presented for
      elective orchiectomy and scrotal ablation. The LigaSureTM device was safely used
      for orchiectomy and scrotal ablation in both species. Surgical time with the
      LigaSure was approximately 4 sec. No grooming of the incision site or self
      mutilation was seen in the first 72 hr postoperatively. One sugar glider required
      postoperative wound care approximately 10 days postoperatively following incision
      site grooming by a conspecific. The LigaSure provides a rapid, technologically
      simple and safe surgical technique for scrotal ablation and orchiectomy in the
      marsupial patient that minimizes surgical, anesthetic, and recovery times.

PMID- 28363050
TI  - INTRAVENOUS REGIONAL ANTIBIOTIC PERFUSION THERAPY AS AN ADJUNCTIVE TREATMENT FOR
      DIGITAL LESIONS IN SEABIRDS.
AB  - Foot infections are a common problem among seabirds in wildlife rehabilitation.
      Pododermatitis and digital infections are often challenging to treat because of
      the presence of suboptimal substrates, abnormal weight-bearing due to injuries,
      and suboptimal nutritional or health status. Seabirds represent the majority of
      animals requiring rehabilitation after oil spills, and foot problems are a common
      reason for euthanasia among these birds. Antibiotic intravenous regional
      perfusion therapy is frequently used in humans and other species to treat
      infections of the distal extremities, but it has not been evaluated in seabirds.
      During the 2015 Refugio oil spill response, four birds with foot lesions
      (pododermatitis, osteomyelitis, or both) were treated with ampicillin/sulbactam
      administered intravenously to the affected limb(s) in addition to systemic
      antibiotics and anti-inflammatories. Three of the birds, all brown pelicans (
      Pelecanus occidentalis ) recovered rapidly and were released. Two of these birds
      had acute pododermatitis and were treated once with intravenous regional
      perfusion. They were released approximately 3 wk after the perfusion therapy. The
      third pelican had osteomyelitis of a digit. It was treated twice with intravenous
      regional perfusion and was released about 1 mo after the initial perfusion
      therapy. The fourth bird, a Pacific loon ( Gavia pacifica ), was treated once
      with perfusion therapy but did not respond to treatment and was euthanatized. No
      serious adverse effects were observed. This technique should be explored further
      in avian species.

PMID- 28363051
TI  - EFFECTS OF PLANT PROTEIN DIETS ON THE HEALTH OF FARMED AMERICAN ALLIGATORS
      (ALLIGATOR MISSISSIPPIENSIS).
AB  - The objective of this prospective, blinded study was to compare plasma
      biochemical values and gross and histologic evaluation of kidney and liver from
      American alligators ( Alligator mississippiensis ) fed extruded diets with
      protein derived from animal or plant sources. Alligators in two treatment groups
      were fed an extruded diet with protein derived primarily from plant products for
      7 (n = 20) or 10 (n = 20) mo prior to harvest. A control group (n = 20) was fed a
      commercial diet with protein derived from animal products for the duration of the
      study. Plasma biochemistry panels were obtained and gross and histologic
      examination of kidney and liver tissues was conducted for each animal. No
      differences were found between alligators fed diets with animal or plant protein
      in terms of either biochemistry profiles or gross or histologic examination of
      kidney and liver. Plant-based diets, fed for up to 10 mo, do not appear to have
      any ill effects on the kidney or liver of American alligators.

PMID- 28363052
TI  - TERATOMA OF THE OVARY IN A FREE-RANGING JAPANESE RACCOON DOG (NYCTEREUTES
      PROCYONOIDES VIVERRINUS).
AB  - A young adult, female, free-ranging Japanese raccoon dog ( Nyctereutes
      procyonoides viverrinus) with scabies infection was found dead as a result of
      traumatic injuries presumed to reflect vehicular trauma. Necropsy showed a large
      solid mass located on the left ovarian region, occupying a third of the abdominal
      cavity. Histologically, the mass contained complex tissues derived from three
      germinal layers, with areas of cuboidal or columnar epithelium, keratinized
      squamous epithelium, bone, cartilage, and adipose tissue. This paper presents the
      first morphologic description of ovarian teratoma in a raccoon dog.

PMID- 28363053
TI  - ATYPICAL PRESENTATION OF CRYPTOCOCCUS NEOFORMANS IN A KOALA (PHASCOLARCTOS
      CINEREUS): A MAGNETIC RESONANCE IMAGING AND COMPUTED TOMOGRAPHY STUDY.
AB  - Cryptococcosis is a worldwide and potentially fatal mycosis documented in wild
      and captive koalas ( Phascolarctos cinereus ) caused by Cryptococcus neoformans .
      Though mainly a subclinical disease, when the nasal cavity is affected,
      epistaxis, mucopurulent nasal discharge, dyspnea, and facial distortion may
      occur. This report describes a case of cryptococcosis in a koala where unilateral
      exophthalmos was the only evident clinical sign and magnetic resonance imaging
      and computed tomography findings are described. Both advanced imaging techniques
      should be considered as standard and complementary techniques for nasal cavity
      evaluation in koalas.

PMID- 28363054
TI  - ANESTHETIC MANAGEMENT OF AN INDO-PACIFIC BOTTLENOSE DOLPHIN (TURSIOPS ADUNCUS)
      REQUIRING SURGICAL DEBRIDEMENT OF A TAIL ABSCESS.
AB  - This report describes the anesthetic management of a 14-yr-old, 160-kg, female
      Indo-Pacific bottlenose dolphin ( Tursiops aduncus ) that underwent surgical
      debridement for a refractory subcutaneous abscess twice within a 6-mo interval.
      The animal was otherwise in good physical condition at each anesthetic procedure.
      Following premedication with intramuscular midazolam and butorphanol, anesthesia
      was induced with propofol and maintained with sevoflurane by intubation. During
      surgery ventilation was controlled. Blood pressure was indirectly estimated using
      either oscillometric or pulse oximetry. Presumed hypotension was managed by
      adjusting the sevoflurane concentration and infusion of dopamine. During
      recovery, the dolphin regained adequate spontaneous respiration following
      intravenous administration of flumazenil and doxapram. The dolphin was extubated
      at 85 min and 53 min after the first and second surgeries, respectively.
      Successful weaning from the ventilator and initiation of spontaneous respiration
      was the most important complication encountered. Establishment of a reliable
      blood pressure measurement technique is critical to success for anesthesia in
      this species.

PMID- 28363055
TI  - CARDIORESPIRATORY EFFECTS OF DEXMEDETOMIDINE-BUTORPHANOL-MIDAZOLAM (DBM): A FULLY
      REVERSIBLE ANESTHETIC PROTOCOL IN CAPTIVE AND SEMI-FREE-RANGING CHEETAHS
      (ACINONYX JUBATUS).
AB  - Multiple anesthesia protocols have been used in the cheetah ( Acinonyx jubatus ).
      Twenty healthy, captive cheetahs were immobilized with dexmedetomidine (15.8 +/-
      1.9 MUg/kg), butorphanol (0.22 +/- 0.03 mg/kg), and midazolam (0.18 +/- 0.03
      mg/kg) by intramuscular injection. Induction, recumbency, and recovery times were
      recorded, and physiologic parameters were monitored. Anesthesia was antagonized
      with atipamezole (0.125 +/- 0.02 mg/kg) and naltrexone (0.1 +/- 0.014 mg/kg)
      intramuscularly. All cheetahs were safely anesthetized with this protocol.
      Cheetahs were laterally recumbent by 8 +/- 3.5 min. Cardiorespiratory values were
      stable throughout the length of anesthesia. Moderate hypertension, with systolic
      blood pressure ranging from 178 +/- 19.8 mm Hg, was initially observed but
      decreased over time. There was a statistical decreasing trend in temperature;
      SpO2; and systolic, mean, and diastolic blood pressure, but not in heart rate and
      end-tidal CO2. Recoveries were rapid, with cheetahs standing by 11.3 +/- 5.7 min
      postreversal administration. This is the first report of a dexmedetomidine
      butorphanol-midazolam anesthetic combination in cheetahs. Overall, this
      anesthetic protocol proved to be safe and effective.

PMID- 28363056
TI  - NOVEL RADIOGRAPHIC TECHNIQUE FOR PREGNANCY DETECTION IN THE MANED WOLF
      (CHRYSOCYON BRACHYURUS) WITHOUT ANESTHESIA.
AB  - Maned wolves ( Chrysocyon brachyurus ) maintained in ex situ populations
      challenge veterinarians and managers with high neonatal mortality and parental
      incompetence. These challenges led to the development of a novel diagnostic
      approach for pregnancy detection using radiographic imaging without anesthesia or
      sedation. To do this, a specialized crate was constructed to easily contain a
      single maned wolf, allowing the capture of lateral projection radiographic images
      of the abdomen prior to and throughout a 66-day pregnancy (days 20, 34, 48, and
      55 of 66). Radiographs taken at days 48 and 55 postbreeding showed evidence of
      neonatal skeleton mineralization, confirming pregnancy with two pups. The dam
      gave birth at day 66 to two pups. This technical report describes a novel
      approach without anesthesia for successful radiographic pregnancy detection and
      determination of litter size in the maned wolf, a midsize carnivore, using a
      specially constructed crate.

PMID- 28363057
TI  - A PRELIMINARY ASSESSMENT OF THE EFFECTS OF REPRODUCTIVE SEASONALITY ON SEMINAL
      PLASMA CHARACTERISTICS IN NORTH AMERICAN BISON (BISON BISON).
AB  - The two subspecies of the North American bison, plains ( Bison bison bison) and
      wood ( Bison bison athabascae) bison, are seasonal breeders. The objective of
      this study was to conduct a preliminary investigation into the effects of season
      on semen. To test the hypothesis that there are seasonal effects on seminal
      plasma, protein profiles of seminal plasma from plains and wood bison (n = 2 of
      each subspecies) were compared between breeding and nonbreeding seasons. Using
      two-dimensional gel electrophoresis of seminal plasma proteins, 54 of 170 spots
      (plains bison) and 19 of 153 spots (wood bison) had differential expression (>=2
      fold; P < 0.01) between seasons. Based on immunoblotting, BSP5 and TIMP-2 (two
      fertility-associated proteins in cattle) were higher during the breeding vs.
      nonbreeding season. Furthermore, epididymal sperm incubated with seminal plasma
      from the nonbreeding season had lower postthaw progressive motility (17.33 +/-
      7.47 vs. 22.09 +/- 6.67%; mean +/- SD) and an increased ability to undergo a
      lysophosphatidylcholine-induced acrosome reaction (77.83 +/- 8.47 vs. 52.67 +/-
      7.76%; mean +/- SD) as compared to epididymal sperm incubated with seminal plasma
      from the breeding season. In a heterologous in vitro fertilization system (using
      bovine oocytes), cleavage rate was higher for sperm exposed to seminal plasma
      from the breeding vs. the nonbreeding season (75.35 +/- 16.55 vs. 33.63 +/-
      12.44%; mean +/- SD). This study suggested that differential expression of
      seminal plasma characteristics modulating sperm function is one of the mechanisms
      by which reproductive seasonality affects sperm function in the North American
      bison.

PMID- 28363058
TI  - INVESTIGATION OF THE PRESENCE OF ATOXOPLASMA SPP. IN BLUE-CROWNED LAUGHINGTHRUSH
      (DRYONASTES COURTOISI) ADULTS AND NEONATES.
AB  - Between 1996 and 2013, 71 blue-crowned laughingthrush (Dryonastes courtoisi)
      chicks, a small passerine bird endemic to China, were born at Mulhouse Zoo in
      northeast France. None of them survived past 1 yr, and 82% died between 0 and 6
      days old of an unidentified cause and despite an attempt to establish an
      artificial breeding protocol. Atoxoplasma spp., causing a disease known as
      systemic isosporosis, is a coccidian parasite that can infect several species of
      birds. Mulhouse's adult birds were suspected to be infected with Atoxoplasma spp.
      and to transmit this parasite to their offspring. A treatment with toltrazuril
      (Baycox(r) 2.5%) was implemented in the four adult birds. Coprologic examinations
      were performed before, during, and after the treatment to quantify the parasite
      load in feces. Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assays were used to test blood
      samples from the adult and liver, lung, gizzard, and kidney samples from 10
      chicks to detect Atoxoplasma spp. Five of the 10 chicks had some tissue samples
      positive for Atoxoplasma spp. in at least one of the three repeats of the
      atoxoplasmosis PCR. An average of 181 Isospora spp. oocysts per gram of feces
      were found in the group of adults before treatment. This number was reduced to
      zero 1 wk after the beginning of the toltrazuril treatment. The PCR results
      suggest a transovarian transmission of Atoxoplasma spp., but further
      investigation is needed for confirmation. The treatment with toltrazuril appears
      to allow a significant reduction of the parasite excretion.

PMID- 28363059
TI  - EVALUATION OF FEEDING BEHAVIOR AS AN INDICATOR OF PAIN IN SNAKES.
AB  - The necessity to prevent and manage pain in reptiles is becoming increasingly
      important, as their use in scientific research and popularity as exotic pets
      continues to rise. It was hypothesized that feeding behavior would provide an
      adequate indicator of pain perception in the ball python (Python regius). Normal
      feeding was defined the previous week, where a dead rodent was struck within 12
      sec (n = 10). Eighteen pythons were randomly assigned to one of three treatments:
      anesthesia only (AO), chemical noxious stimulus (CS; capsaicin injection), or
      surgical noxious stimulus (SS; surgical incision). The time to strike was
      recorded 4 hr after the procedure and weekly during the subsequent 3 wk. Delayed
      feeding was observed in animals in the CS and SS groups, and normal feeding
      resumed after 1 and 3 wk, respectively. Spontaneous feeding remained
      uninterrupted for the AO group. These findings demonstrate feeding behavior as a
      potential model to assess pain in snakes.

PMID- 28363060
TI  - LAPAROSCOPIC OVARIECTOMY IN THE ASIATIC BLACK BEAR (URSUS THIBETANUS) WITH THE
      USE OF THE SONICISIONTM DEVICE.
AB  - Laparoscopic ovariectomy was performed in two Asiatic black bears ( Ursus
      thibetanus ). Bears were placed in a 20 degrees  Trendelenburg position on a
      surgical table. A three-portal technique was used. A camera port was established
      10 cm caudal to the umbilicus with a 5-mm cannula. Two instrument ports were made
      1 cm caudal to the umbilicus with a 5-mm cannula and 8 cm caudal to the camera
      port with a 12-mm cannula, respectively. The suspensory ligament, ovarian
      vasculature, and uterine horn tip were progressively dissected following
      coagulation with the SonicisionTM cordless ultrasonic dissection device. The
      resected ovary was exteriorized through the 12-mm instrument portal site but
      enlarged to a 2-cm incision length. The abdominal musculature, subcutaneous
      tissue, and skin of the portal sites were closed separately. Total surgical time
      was 113 min (Bear A) and 49 min (Bear B), and no postoperative complications were
      encountered. This is the first report of laparoscopic ovariectomy in the Asiatic
      black bear.

PMID- 28363062
TI  - INTRAMUSCULAR EPINEPHRINE RESULTS IN REDUCED ANESTHETIC RECOVERY TIME IN AMERICAN
      ALLIGATORS (ALLIGATOR MISSISSIPPIENSIS) UNDERGOING ISOFLURANE ANESTHESIA.
AB  - Inhalants are commonly used to anesthetize reptiles, but volatile anesthetics
      have been associated with prolonged recovery times. The objective of this study
      was to determine the effects of intramuscular (IM) epinephrine on anesthetic
      recovery times following isoflurane anesthesia in a population of subadult
      American alligators ( Alligator mississippiensis ). In this prospective
      randomized crossover study, five clinically healthy alligators were anesthetized
      for 90 min with the use of isoflurane. Alligators were randomly assigned into one
      of two treatment groups: Group E received IM epinephrine (0.1 mg/kg), and Group S
      received an equal volume of 0.9% saline administered after isoflurane was
      discontinued. Time from the end of inhalant administration to return of
      spontaneous ventilation, return of the palpebral reflex, movement in response to
      a standardized toe pinch, and spontaneous movement was recorded. The time of
      extubation was noted and occurred following the return of spontaneous ventilation
      and movement. Pulse rate, surface body temperature, and airway gases including
      expiratory and inspiratory isoflurane concentrations and end-tidal carbon dioxide
      were measured every 5 min throughout the study. The time from the end of
      anesthesia to extubation was significantly faster in Group E (51.2 +/- 16.7 min)
      compared to Group S (107.4 +/- 43.7 min). Pulse rate was significantly higher
      within the first 15 min following epinephrine injection compared to the saline
      group at these time points. Therefore, IM epinephrine administered at the end of
      general anesthesia can significantly hasten anesthetic recovery from isoflurane
      in alligators.

PMID- 28363061
TI  - COMPROMISED FERTILITY IN FREE FEEDING OF WILD-CAUGHT NORWAY RATS (RATTUS
      NORVEGICUS) WITH A LIQUID BAIT CONTAINING 4-VINYLCYCLOHEXENE DIEPOXIDE AND
      TRIPTOLIDE.
AB  - Wild rat pests in the environment cause crop and property damage and carry
      disease. Traditional methods of reducing populations of these pests involve
      poisons that can cause accidental exposures in other animals and humans.
      Fertility management with nonlethal chemicals would be an improved method of rat
      pest population control. Two chemicals known to target ovarian function in female
      rats are 4-vinylcyclohexene diepoxide (VCD) and triptolide. Additionally,
      triptolide impairs spermatogenesis in males. A liquid bait containing no active
      ingredients (control), or containing triptolide (0.001%) and VCD (0.109%; active)
      was prepared to investigate the potential use of these agents for wild rat pest
      population control. Liquid bait was made available to male (n = 8 control; n = 8
      active) and female (n = 8 control; n = 8 active) Sprague Dawley rats ( Rattus
      norvegicus ) for oral consumption prior to breeding. Whereas, control bait
      treated females produced normal-sized litters (10.0 +/- 1.7 pups/litter), treated
      females delivered no pups. Wild Norway male (n = 20) and female (n = 20) rats (
      Rattus norvegicus ) were trapped, individually housed, and one group given free
      access to control bait, one group to active bait. Following three cycles of
      treatment-matched mating pairs, females consuming control bait (control) produced
      normal litter sizes (9.73 +/- 0.73 pups/litter). Females who had consumed active
      bait (treated) produced no litters on breeding cycles one and two; however, 2 of
      10 females produced small litters on the third mating cycle. In a fourth breeding
      cycle, control females were crossmated with treated males, and treated females
      were crossmated with control males. In both groups, some dams produced litters,
      while others did not. The differences in response reflect a heterogeneity in
      return to cyclicity between females. These results suggest a potential approach
      to integrated pest management by compromising fertility, and could provide a
      novel alternative to traditional poisons for reducing populations of wild rat
      pests.

PMID- 28363063
TI  - FATAL ACINETOBACTER BAUMANNII INFECTION IN THE CRITICALLY ENDANGERED EUROPEAN
      MINK (MUSTELA LUTREOLA).
AB  - The present study reports the first case of fatal Acinetobacter baumannii
      infection in the critically endangered European mink ( Mustela lutreola ). Gross
      examination revealed a severe, diffuse hemorrhagic pneumonia and generalized
      congestion as main features. Microscopically, the main lesions were an acute,
      severe fibrinous-hemorrhagic pneumonia associated with proliferation of
      coccobacilli and generalized acute-subacute congestion. Cultures yielded A.
      baumannii ; the species was confirmed by matrix-assisted laser
      desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry and the strain presented a
      multidrug-resistant pattern. The results are not only of conservation concern but
      also of public health concern given A. baumannii is one of the most important
      pathogens implicated in nosocomial infections in humans.

PMID- 28363064
TI  - CONJUNCTIVAL BACTERIAL FLORA, ANTIBIOGRAM, AND LACRIMAL PRODUCTION TESTS OF
      COLLARED ANTEATER (TAMANDUA TETRADACTYLA).
AB  - The collared anteater ( Tamandua tetradactyla ) is adapted to a variety of
      habitats. It is a solitary species for which no reference values for ophthalmic
      tests have been established. Eight animals ranging from 1 to 4 yr of age, two
      males and six females, were manually restrained for assessment. Ophthalmic tests
      included evaluation of tear production by Schirmer tear test 1 (STT1), endodontic
      absorbent paper point tear test (EAPPTT), palpebral fissure length (PFL), culture
      of the conjunctival bacterial flora, and antimicrobial susceptibility test.
      Median +/- semi-interquartile range (S-IQR) STT1, EAPPTT, and PFL were 8.50 +/-
      4.13 mm/min, 14.13 +/- 3.24 mm/min, and 15.91 +/- 2.51 mm, respectively.
      Bacterial growth was present in 100% of the samples, with predominance of Gram
      positive bacteria (70.27%). Staphylococcus spp. was the most frequently isolated
      genus. Antimicrobial susceptibility test showed sensitivity of Staphylococcus
      epidermidis and Staphylococcus spp. to neomycin, tobramycin, and gentamicin. The
      results in this study can benefit the determination of reference values for
      different diagnostic techniques, and may be used as a guide for diagnosis and
      treatment of ocular diseases in collared anteaters.

PMID- 28363066
TI  - CONGESTIVE HEART FAILURE ASSOCIATED WITH PREGNANCY IN OKAPI (OKAPIA JOHNSTONI).
AB  - Acute signs associated with cardiovascular disease occurred in three pregnant
      okapi ( Okapia johnstoni ) during early to midgestation and progressed to
      congestive heart failure. Congestive heart failure was diagnosed antemortem using
      echocardiography and plasma cardiac troponin levels. Clinical signs included
      decreased activity, hyporexia, tachypnea, dyspnea, flared nostrils, and
      productive coughing with copious amounts of foamy nasal discharge. Parenteral and
      oral treatment with furosemide, enalapril, and spironolactone controlled clinical
      signs in the three okapi allowing each to carry out one pregnancy to term. Two
      okapi carried the first pregnancy to term after showing signs, while one okapi
      aborted the first calf and gave birth to a healthy calf in a subsequent
      pregnancy. Subsequent pregnancy in one okapi ended with abortion and associated
      dystocia and endometritis. Following parturition, clinical signs associated with
      heart failure resolved in all three individuals; serial echocardiography in two
      individuals showed improvement in fractional shortening and left atrial size and
      all three okapi showed markedly decreased pleural effusion and resolution of
      pulmonary edema. However, subsequent pregnancies in all three okapi induced
      respiratory distress and recurrence of congestive heart failure; one okapi died
      from congestive heart failure associated with subsequent pregnancy. This case
      series describes the clinical presentation and pathologic findings of congestive
      heart failure during pregnancy in adult okapi.

PMID- 28363065
TI  - ULCERATIVE AND NECROTIZING GASTRITIS IN A CAPTIVE SLOTH (BRADYPUS VARIEGATUS,
      XENARTHRA, BRADYPODIDAE) DUE TO SEVERE PARASITISM WITH PARALEIURIS LOCCHII
      (NEMATODA, SPIROCERCIDAE).
AB  - This is the first reported case of lethal gastric parasitism by the nematode
      Paraleiuris locchii in a captive sloth ( Bradypus variegatus ). There were more
      than 600 parasites in the stomach of the sloth, associated with extensive areas
      of ulceration and necrosis. The animal developed emaciation, dehydration, and
      anemia that progressed to death.

PMID- 28363067
TI  - UTERINE RUPTURE AND CESAREAN SURGERY IN THREE RIO CAUCA CAECILIANS (TYPHLONECTES
      NATANS).
AB  - A uterine rupture of unknown etiology during gestation causing the death in a Rio
      Cauca caecilian ( Typhlonectes natans ) and successful anesthesia using tricaine
      methanesulfonate and cesarean section in three occasions in two other specimens
      because of suspected dystocia are described. One of the surgeries was performed
      at an early stage of embryo development, thereby preventing the survival of the
      neonates.

PMID- 28363068
TI  - ISOLATION OF STREPTOCOCCI FROM A FATAL CASE OF MYOCARDITIS IN A CAPTIVE BROWN
      BEAR (URSUS ARCTOS).
AB  - A 10-yr-old, male brown bear ( Ursus arctos ) from Bursa Zoo in Turkey died
      without any apparent signs. Severe purulent pericarditis and myocarditis with
      mild ascites, lung edema, and moderate liver congestion were observed during
      necropsy. Microscopically, there were severe neutrophilic infiltrations in the
      myocardium and thoracic lymph nodes. A member of the Streptococcus bovis -
      Streptococcus equinus complex (SBSEC) was isolated and identified phenotypically.

PMID- 28363069
TI  - MAMMARY GLAND ADENOCARCINOMA IN A MALE BORNEAN ORANGUTAN (PONGO PYGMAEUS).
AB  - An adult male Bornean orangutan ( Pongo pygmaeus ) was diagnosed with invasive,
      poorly differentiated grade 9/9 mammary gland adenocarcinoma from a subcutaneous
      mass that was surgically removed during a routine preventative health
      examination. The tumor was tested for estrogen and progesterone receptors, human
      epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2), and HER2 fluorescence in situ
      hybridization (HER2 FISH). Whole blood was tested for breast cancer 1 (BRCA1) and
      breast cancer 2 (BRCA2) genes. The orangutan was treated orally with two common
      human breast cancer drugs; tamoxifen and anastrozole. The orangutan lived for 4.5
      yr postdetection, dying from an unrelated cause. This is the first reported case
      of mammary gland adenocarcinoma in a male great ape.

PMID- 28363070
TI  - MULTIHORMONAL ISLET CELL CARCINOMAS IN THREE KOMODO DRAGONS (VARANUS
      KOMODOENSIS).
AB  - Multihormonal pancreatic islet cell carcinomas were found in one female and two
      male captive geriatric Komodo dragons (Varanus komodoensis). Gross changes in the
      pancreas were visible in two of the cases. Clinical signs noted in the Komodo
      dragons were lethargy, weakness, and anorexia. Histologically, the tumors were
      comprised of nests and cords of well-differentiated neoplastic islet cells with
      scant amounts of eosinophilic cytoplasm and round, euchromatic nuclei, with rare
      mitoses. Infiltration by the islet cell tumor into the surrounding acinar tissue
      was observed in all cases, but no metastatic foci were seen. Multihormone
      expression was observed in all tumors, which labeled strongly positive for
      glucagon and somatostatin and focally positive for polypeptide. Pancreatic islet
      cell neoplasms should be considered in the differential diagnosis for geriatric
      Komodo dragons presenting with weakness, lethargy, and poor appetite.

PMID- 28363071
TI  - CALVARIAL OSTEOSARCOMA WITH CEREBRAL COMPRESSION IN A FREE-RANGING POWERFUL OWL
      (NINOX STRENUA).
AB  - A free-ranging powerful owl (Ninox strenua) presented in a dull state with
      extensive bruising of the skin overlying the skull, due to suspected trauma.
      Supportive care was provided, which resulted in the return to a normal state,
      although intermittent subtle neurologic abnormalities remained. One month from
      original presentation, intermittent episodes of head turning and a possible
      seizure were noted, but behavior and appetite were otherwise normal. The owl was
      referred to Taronga Wildlife Hospital for evaluation. On presentation, the owl
      exhibited severe neurologic abnormalities, prompting euthanasia. At necropsy the
      dorsum of the skull exhibited marked osseous proliferation, extending ventrally
      and compressing the cerebrum. The skull was radiographed and submitted for
      histopathology. A diagnosis of osteoblastic osteosarcoma was made. This is the
      first report of a calvarial osteosarcoma in a powerful owl.

PMID- 28363072
TI  - RADIOGRAPHY IN THE FIELD: ASSESSING A LIGHTWEIGHT, HANDHELD, BATTERY-POWERED
      DENTISTRY UNIT FOR FIELD DIAGNOSTIC APPLICATIONS.
AB  - Radiography units are not used commonly in wildlife medicine field settings,
      primarily because of their weight and requirement for a power supply. In this
      study, a portable, battery-powered, and lightweight radiography unit, originally
      developed for dentistry, was assessed for its potential field applications.
      Radiographs of various animal species (ranging in weight from 14 g to 1,000 kg)
      were imaged using varying source image distance (SID) and exposure time. The
      quality of these images was evaluated for their resolution, image noise, and
      motion blur. When required, image resolutions were further enhanced using
      computed radiography postprocessing. Other parameters evaluated were the freehand
      use of the device, its battery durability, the maximum obtainable image size, and
      multiple use of a single computed radiography cassette. Using an SID of 60 cm,
      radiographs delivered adequate image quality. The quality, however, was found
      deteriorated in images of larger animals (>50 kg) or thicker tissues (>15 cm).
      The use of a tripod proved unnecessary in most cases, and its exclusion greatly
      facilitated equipment handling. Under field conditions, the battery was depleted
      after a total running time of 1.6 hr or 36 radiographs. The maximum size of a
      radiographic image reached a diameter of 40 cm, and radiation shielding allowed
      the multiple use of a single computed radiography cassette. Taken together, the
      radiography unit evaluated in this study presented a balanced compromise between
      portability and radiograph quality for field use. However, the unit image
      resolution cannot replace those of the fixed standard radiography units commonly
      used in veterinary medicine.

PMID- 28363073
TI  - THE MANAGEMENT OF AN ORAL ANAPLASTIC SARCOMA IN A PYGMY HIPPOPOTAMUS (CHOEROPSIS
      LIBERIENSIS) USING INTRALESIONAL CHEMOTHERAPY.
AB  - An adult female captive pygmy hippopotamus (Choeropsis liberiensis) was diagnosed
      with an oral anaplastic sarcoma. The tumor was surgically debulked and
      intralesional chemotherapy with mitomycin C (0.4 mg/cm3 of tumor) and cisplatin
      (1 mg/cm3 of tumor) was administered. Chemotherapeutic treatment proved difficult
      due to the risks of repeated anesthetics and unknown drug efficacies. Marked
      proliferation of the mass was observed during estrus, and chemotherapy was
      repeated as an experimental treatment to slow tumor progression in order for the
      animal to remain in the species breeding program. Tumor proliferation was
      detected during the first trimester of pregnancy; however, in the lactation
      period, the mass became quiescent. No adverse reactions to chemotherapeutic drugs
      were observed and the animal continues to be monitored for tumor progression.
      This is the first report of an anaplastic sarcoma and of chemotherapy use in a
      pygmy hippopotamus and it highlights logistical considerations for treating
      neoplasia in this species.

PMID- 28363074
TI  - PROPOFOL AS AN IMMERSION ANESTHETIC AND IN A MINIMUM ANESTHETIC CONCENTRATION
      (MAC) REDUCTION MODEL IN GOLDFISH (CARASSIUS AURATUS).
AB  - Propofol is a novel immersion anesthetic in goldfish ( Carassius auratus ).
      Objectives were to characterize propofol as an anesthetic and assess its
      suitability in a minimum anesthetic concentration (MAC) reduction model. Using a
      crossover design, eight goldfish were submerged in 1, 5, or 10 mg/L propofol.
      Data included induction time, recovery time, heart rate, opercular rate, and
      response to supramaximal stimulation. Baseline MAC (Dixon's up-and-down method)
      was determined, and 15 fish were anesthetized with propofol on 4 consecutive days
      with MAC determination on the fifth day, weekly, for 1 mo. Using a crossover
      design, MAC of propofol (n = 15) was determined 1 hr following administration of
      i.m. butorphanol 0.05, 0.5, and 1 mg/kg, dexmedetomidine 0.01, 0.02, and 0.04
      mg/kg, ketoprofen 0.5, 1, and 2 mg/kg, morphine 5, 10, and 15 mg/kg, or saline 1
      ml/kg. Comparisons were performed with Wilcoxon signed-rank tests (P < 0.05) and
      Tango's score confidence interval. Propofol at 1 mg/L did not produce anesthesia.
      Induction time with 10 mg/L (112, 84-166 s) was faster than 5 mg/L (233, 150-289
      s; P = 0.0078). Heart and opercular rates for 5 and 10 mg/L were 36 (24-72)
      beats/min, 58 (44-68) operculations/min and 39 (20-48) beats/min, 57 (48-80)
      operculations/min, respectively. Recovery time was 249 (143-396) s and 299 (117
      886) s with 5 and 10 mg/L, respectively. Response to supramaximal stimulation was
      not significantly different with 5 mg/L (1/8) compared with 10 mg/L (0/8).
      Baseline and weekly MAC following daily exposure was 8.4 and 9.0, 8.1, 8.1, and
      8.7 mg/L, respectively. MAC reduction was no more than 8% following any drug or
      dosage. Propofol at 5 and 10 mg/L produced anesthesia, and anesthetic needs were
      similar following repeated exposure. Propofol was not suitable to test MAC
      reduction in goldfish in this study.

PMID- 28363075
TI  - MASTICATORY MUSCLE MYOSITIS IN A GRAY WOLF (CANIS LUPUS).
AB  - A 10-yr-old male, neutered gray wolf ( Canis lupus ) was presented for atrophy of
      the temporalis and masseter muscles. Clinical signs and magnetic resonance
      imaging were consistent with a myopathy. Positive serology for antibody titers
      directed against Type 2M myofibers, and the observation of a mixed mononuclear
      inflammatory cell infiltrate along with eosinophils and neutrophils within the
      temporalis muscle, were diagnostic for masticatory muscle myositis. Importantly,
      protozoal myositis was excluded based on other clinicopathologic data. The case
      highlights the potential for immune-mediated polymyositis in canids other than
      the domesticated dog ( Canis lupus familaris). Additionally, awareness of a diet
      in which raw meat is used should prompt a thorough investigation for an
      underlying infectious myositis in the gray wolf.

PMID- 28363078
TI  - PLASMA THYROXINE (T4) CONCENTRATION IN ZOO-KEPT BLACK-TAILED PRAIRIE DOGS
      (CYNOMYS LUDOVICIANUS).
AB  - This study was conducted to determine plasma thyroxine (T4) concentrations in zoo
      kept black-tailed prairie dogs ( Cynomys ludovicianus ). Thirty-one healthy
      prairie dogs of both sexes were studied as part of their annual clinical health
      evaluation, performed under general isoflurane anesthesia. Each animal underwent
      a complete physical examination, complete blood count, plasma biochemistry, and
      venous blood gas analysis. Heparinized venous blood samples were collected
      individually and processed for plasma T4 analysis using a veterinary biochemistry
      analyzer. The median plasma T4 concentration for the prairie dogs in this study
      was 4.1 MUg/dl (minimum = 0.6 MUg/dl; maximum = 8.0 MUg/dl). The mean +/-
      standard deviation plasma T4 concentration was 4.49 +/- 2.39 MUg/dl. No
      significant differences were found for varying ages, sexes, weights, or housing
      systems. The data presented in this report can promote better physiologic
      understanding and improve clinical management of this rodent species.

PMID- 28363076
TI  - CONTINUOUS INTRAVENOUS INFUSION ANESTHESIA WITH MEDETOMIDINE, KETAMINE, AND
      MIDAZOLAM AFTER INDUCTION WITH A COMBINATION OF ETORPHINE, MEDETOMIDINE, AND
      MIDAZOLAM OR WITH MEDETOMIDINE, KETAMINE, AND BUTORPHANOL IN IMPALA (AEPYCEROS
      MELAMPUS).
AB  - In order to develop a long-term anesthesia for flighty antelope species in field
      situations, two different protocols for induction and maintenance with an
      intravenous infusion were evaluated in wild-caught impala ( Aepyceros melampus ).
      Ten adult female impala were induced with two induction protocols: one consisted
      of 0.2 mg/kg medetomidine, 4 mg/kg ketamine, and 0.15 mg/kg butorphanol (MKB) and
      one consisted of 0.375 mg/kg etorphine, 0.2 mg/kg medetomidine, and 0.2 mg/kg
      midazolam (EMM). In both treatments, anesthesia was maintained with a continuous
      intravenous infusion (CII) at an initial dose rate of 1.2 MUg/kg per hr
      medetomidine, 2.4 mg/kg per hr ketaminen and 36 MUg/kg per hr midazolam. Partial
      reversal was achieved with naltrexone (2 : 1 mg butorphanol; 20 : 1 mg etorphine)
      and atipamezole (5 : 1 mg medetomidine). Evaluation of anesthesia included
      respiratory rate, heart rate, rectal temperature, arterial blood pressure, oxygen
      saturation, end tidal carbon dioxide tension, and tidal volume at 5-min
      intervals, palpebral reflex and response to painful stimuli at 15-min intervals,
      and arterial blood gases at 30-min intervals. Plasma cortisol concentration was
      determined after induction and before reversal. Duration and quality of induction
      and recovery were evaluated. EMM caused a faster induction of 9.5 +/- 2.9 min
      compared to 11.0 +/- 6.4 min in MKB. Recovery was also quicker in EMM (EMM: 6.3
      +/- 5.4 min; MKB: 9.8 +/- 6.0 min). However, EMM also produced more
      cardiopulmonary side effects, including hypoxemia and hypercapnia, and calculated
      oxygenation indices (PaCO2-PETCO2) were worse than in MKB. One animal died after
      induction with EMM. The CII provided surgical anesthesia in 7 of 10 animals in
      MKB and in 9 of 9 animals in EMM for 120 min. In conclusion, the MKB induction
      protocol had advantages for prolonged anesthesia in impala with significantly
      less cardiopulmonary depression compared to EMM. The comparably decreased
      anesthetic depth could easily be adjusted by an increase of the CII.

PMID- 28363077
TI  - EXAMINING THE PREFERENCE FOR SHADE STRUCTURES IN FARMED GREEN SEA TURTLES
      (CHELONIA MYDAS) AND SHADE'S EFFECT ON GROWTH AND TEMPERATURES.
AB  - The Cayman Turtle Farm raises thousands of green sea turtles ( Chelonia mydas )
      annually under aquaculture conditions. Historically, the turtles have been raised
      in tanks without routine access to a shade structure. The purpose of this study
      was to determine the effects of adding a shade structure on curved carapace
      length (CCL) and weight gain of green sea turtles. In addition, water and cloacal
      temperatures were compared across treatment groups and shade cover preferences
      observed. Ninety turtles were split equally into three treatment groups for this
      8-wk study. In the first group turtles were kept in tanks in full sun, the second
      group in half-shaded tanks, and the third group in tanks completely covered with
      shade cloth. Time-lapse cameras mounted above half-shaded tanks were used to
      determine turtle shade structure preferences throughout the day. There were no
      differences in CCL among treatment groups. Significant increases in weights were
      noted in turtles kept in full sun and half-shaded tanks versus the fully shaded
      tanks. Significantly higher water and cloacal turtle temperatures were noted in
      the full-sun tank compared with the half-shaded or completely shaded tanks. A
      significantly lower number of turtles was observed in the sun in the half-shaded
      tanks, indicating a possible preference by turtles for a shade structure. Results
      suggest that providing shade structures for sea turtles results in a significant
      decrease in both overall water temperature as well as a reduction in maximum high
      daily temperatures. Results also suggest that turtles exhibit a preference for
      shade structures when it is provided as an option. From these results, we
      recommend that a shade structure be provided when housing green sea turtles in
      outdoor enclosures.

PMID- 28363079
TI  - IDENTIFICATION OF BACTERIA IN BLOOD CULTURES FROM CLINICALLY ILL CAPTIVE
      ANTILLEAN MANATEES (TRICHECHUS MANATUS MANATUS).
AB  - Between September 2001 and March 2013, 62 bacterial cultures (37 aerobic and 25
      anaerobic) were performed on 37 blood samples from 23 Antillean manatees (
      Trichechus manatus manatus) that were kept in captivity at the Brazilian National
      Center for Research and Conservation of Aquatic Mammals (CMA) in Pernambuco (CMA
      PE) and Alagoas (CMA-AL), Brazil. All of the animals sampled exhibited clinical
      signs at the time of sampling including abscesses (n = 8), debilitation and
      anorexia (n = 22), and profound lethargy-moribundity (n = 7). The 4 animals with
      profound lethargy-moribundity died shortly after sampling of unknown causes.
      Bacteria were isolated from 15/37 (40.5%) and aerobic blood cultures from 13/23
      animals (56.5%). None of the anaerobic cultures were positive. Aeromonas caviae ,
      Aeromonas hydrophila , Aeromonas sp., Escherichia coli , Leclercia adecarboxylata
      , Pantoea agglomerans , Pseudomonas aeruginosa , Pseudomonas stutzeri ,
      Pseudomonas sp., Sphingomonas paucimobilis , coagulase-negative Staphylococcus,
      and Staphylococcus epidermidis were each found in only one animal; Staphylococcus
      spp. was found in two; and Vibrio fluvialis in four. Thirteen samples had only
      one bacteria isolated, one sample had two bacteria, and one sample had three
      bacteria isolated. Regarding sex, age group, and origin among the manatees
      examined, 54.5% (6/11) of the females, 58.3% (7/12) of the males, 40% (2/5) of
      the calves, 66.7% (8/12) of the juveniles, 50% (3/6) of the adults, 55.5% (10/18)
      at CMA-PE, and 60% (3/5) at CMA-AL were found to be positive for bacterial growth
      during at least one sampling time. All Antillean manatees were clinically ill.
      Regarding clinical signs, bacteria were found in 50% (11/22) of blood samples of
      the animals showing debilitation and anorexia, 1 of 8 (12.5%) of blood samples of
      the animals showing abscesses, and 3 of 7 (42.9%) of blood samples of the animals
      showing profound lethargy-moribundity.

PMID- 28363080
TI  - HEMATOLOGY AND PLASMA CHEMISTRY OF THE PLOUGHSHARE TORTOISE (ASTROCHELYS
      YNIPHORA) IN A CAPTIVE BREEDING PROGRAM.
AB  - Blood samples from 172 captive and 40 wild, healthy, juvenile and adult,
      ploughshare tortoises ( Astrochelys yniphora ) were analyzed to determine
      hematological and biochemical reference intervals. Hematological analytes
      included packed cell volume (PCV), white blood cell count (WBC), and WBC
      differential estimates. Biochemical analysis included total protein measured by
      photometry (TP) and by refractometry (TPr), albumin (ALB), creatine kinase (CK),
      aspartate aminotransferase (AST), glutamate dehydrogenase (GLDH), bile acids
      (BA), calcium (Ca), phosphorus (P), urea (UREA), and uric acid (UA). The jugular
      vein was identified as the preferred venipuncture site as subcarapacial vein
      venipuncture resulted in regular hemodilution. In due consideration of small
      sample sizes in some of the groups studied, adult tortoises had significantly
      higher plasma GLDH activity and TPr, TP, ALB, BA, and UREA concentrations and
      significantly lower AST activity and P concentration than juveniles. Captivity
      had a significant influence in some reference intervals, with captive adults
      presenting significantly higher WBC, and estimated counts of all white cell types
      as well as UREA and TPr than wild counterparts. Captive juveniles also showed
      significantly higher estimated monocyte and lower estimated eosinophil and
      basophil counts. Although these differences most likely reflect local
      environmental or dietary differences, without representing pathology or a
      deviation from the normal, they question the applicability of reference values
      from captive animals to wild animals and vice versa. Significant sex differences
      were only observed for PCV and UA. The reported reference intervals may serve as
      benchmarks for clinical assessment and conservation of this critically endangered
      species.

PMID- 28363081
TI  - PROPOSAL AND APPLICATION OF A NOVEL DISSEMINATED INTRAVASCULAR COAGULATION
      SCORING SYSTEM IN THE FLORIDA MANATEE (TRICHECHUS MANATUS LATIROSTRIS).
AB  - Disseminated intravascular coagulopathy (DIC) is an acquired disorder of
      hemostasis resulting in activation of the coagulation and fibrinolytic pathways.
      It is reported secondarily to multiple disease processes and can be associated
      with increased mortality. Previous research at Tampa's Lowry Park Zoo (LPZ)
      demonstrated that Florida manatees ( Trichechus manatus latirostris) with cold
      stress syndrome (CSS) demonstrated thromboembolic disease. The object of this
      retrospective study was to establish the presence and clinical relevance of DIC
      in Florida manatees admitted to LPZ for rehabilitation from 07 March 2010 to 15
      August 2015. A coagulation panel, including prothrombin time, partial
      thromboplastin time, platelet count, fibrinogen level, and D-dimer level was used
      to diagnose DIC. There were 100 cases identified in the study period: 35 trauma,
      43 CSS, 17 secondary to harmful algae blooms (HAB), and five miscellaneous.
      Manatees with CSS had the highest incidence of DIC with 24 of 43 cases (56%)
      affected, followed by trauma with 18 of 35 cases (52%) affected. None of the
      manatees with HAB were found to have DIC. Manatees that developed DIC during
      rehabilitation or when DIC progressed did not survive. Due to the clinical
      implications of DIC, identifying its presence and recognizing its severity could
      improve clinical outcomes by enabling more intensive treatment protocols.

PMID- 28363082
TI  - Corrigendum to "Variants of estrogen receptor alpha and beta genes modify the
      severity of sporadic breast cancer" [Gene 608C (2017) 73-78].

PMID- 28363083
TI  - Nanomaterial scaffolds to regenerate musculoskeletal tissue: signals from within
      for neovessel formation.
AB  - Current treatments for musculoskeletal disease and injury are restricted with the
      usage of autografts and allografts. Tissue engineering that applies the
      principles of biology and engineering to develop functional substitutes has
      potential promise of therapeutic regeneration for musculoskeletal tissues.
      However, engineering sizable tissues needs a vascular network to supply cells
      with nutrients, oxygen and signals after implantation. For this purpose, recent
      developments on therapeutic nanomaterials have been explored in delivering
      different vessel-inductive growth factors, small biomolecules and ions for
      scalable engineering into vascularizable scaffolds. Here, we provide an overview
      on the current efforts, and propose future perspectives for precise regulation on
      vascularization processes and musculoskeletal tissue functionality.

PMID- 28363085
TI  - Population-based stroke and dementia incidence trends: Age and sex variations.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: We discovered a concomitant decline in stroke and dementia
      incidence rates at a whole population level in Ontario, Canada. This study
      explores these trends within demographic subgroups. METHODS: We analyzed
      administrative data sources using validated algorithms to calculate stroke and
      dementia incidence rates from 2002 to 2013. RESULTS: For more than 12 years,
      stroke incidence remained unchanged among those aged 20 to 49 years and decreased
      for those aged 50 to 64, 65 to 79, and 80+ years by 22.7%, 36.9%, and 37.9%,
      respectively. Dementia incidence increased by 17.3% and 23.5% in those aged 20 to
      49 and 50 to 64 years, respectively, remained unchanged in those aged 65 to 79
      years, and decreased by 15.4% in those aged 80+ years. DISCUSSION: The
      concomitant decline in stroke and dementia incidence rates may depict how
      successful stroke prevention has targeted shared risk factors of both conditions,
      especially at advanced ages where such risk factors are highly prevalent. We lend
      support for the development of an integrated system of stroke and dementia
      prevention.

PMID- 28363084
TI  - The metabolic syndrome induces early changes in the swine renal medullary
      mitochondria.
AB  - The metabolic syndrome (MetS) is associated with nutrient surplus and kidney
      hyperfiltration, accelerating chronic renal failure. Mitochondria can be
      overwhelmed by substrate excess, leading to inefficient energy production and
      thereby tissue hypoxia. Mitochondrial dysfunction is emerging as an important
      determinant of renal damage, but whether it contributes to MetS-induced renal
      injury remains unknown. We hypothesized that early MetS induces kidney
      mitochondrial abnormalities and dysfunction, which would be notable in the
      vulnerable renal medulla. Pigs were studied after 16 weeks of diet-induced MetS,
      MetS treated for the last 4 weeks with the mitochondria-targeted peptide
      elamipretide (0.1 mg/kg SC q.d), and Lean controls (n = 7 each). Single-kidney
      renal blood flow, glomerular filtration rate, and oxygenation were measured in
      vivo, whereas cortical and medullary mitochondrial structure and function and
      renal injurious pathways were studied ex-vivo. Blood pressure was slightly
      elevated in MetS pigs, and their renal blood flow and glomerular filtration rate
      were elevated. Blood oxygen level-dependent magnetic resonance imaging
      demonstrated that this was associated with medullary hypoxia, whereas cortical
      oxygenation remained intact. MetS decreased renal content of the inner
      mitochondrial membrane cardiolipin, particularly the tetra-linoleoyl (C18:2)
      cardiolipin species, and altered mitochondrial morphology and function,
      particularly in the medullary thick ascending limb. MetS also increased renal
      cytochrome-c-induced apoptosis, oxidative stress, and tubular injury. Chronic
      mitoprotection restored mitochondrial structure, ATP synthesis, and antioxidant
      defenses and decreased mitochondrial oxidative stress, medullary hypoxia, and
      renal injury. These findings implicate medullary mitochondrial damage in renal
      injury in experimental MetS, and position the mitochondria as a therapeutic
      target.

PMID- 28363086
TI  - Phenomenology of hoarding in children with comorbid attention
      deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD): The perceptions of parents.
AB  - Individuals with ADHD and comorbid hoarding disorder are vulnerable to severe
      consequences from hoarding symptoms. Despite this, and the early onset of
      hoarding disorder, the nature of hoarding symptoms in children with comorbid ADHD
      is unknown. We therefore explored the phenomenology of hoarding symptoms among
      ten 8-12year olds with ADHD and clinically significant hoarding symptoms through
      parental perceptions. Parents completed in-depth semi-structured interviews. The
      data was analyzed using Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis. Six
      superordinate themes were identified: emotional distress; parental avoidance and
      accommodating behaviors; family impacts of hoarding; excessive acquisition and
      saving; executive functioning; parental insight and intervention. In contrast to
      previous suggestions that emotional distress was not associated with hoarding in
      ADHD, these findings highlight that emotional distress appeared to be core to the
      hoarding disorder profile of the present sample of children with ADHD. This has
      important implications for health practitioners who may consider conceptualizing,
      assessing, and treating hoarding symptoms in children with comorbid ADHD using a
      cognitive behavioral model of hoarding disorder.

PMID- 28363087
TI  - Geolocalization of HIV-1 subtypes and resistance mutations of patients failing
      antiretroviral therapy in Salvador - Brazil.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Geographical distribution of HIV variants is an important way to
      understand the circulation and spread of such viral strains. OBJECTIVES: To
      evaluate the spatial distribution of HIV-1 variants in patients failing
      antiretroviral therapy, in Salvador, Brazil. METHODS: We performed a cross
      sectional evaluation of HIV resistance test reports of patients who underwent
      genotyping tests in a referral center in Salvador, Brazil, for the years 2008
      2014. The laboratory database contains around 2500 resistance reports of patients
      failing antiretroviral therapy. Genotypic tests were performed by sequencing of
      HIV-1 POL region (TrueGene, Siemens). We assessed HIV-1 resistance mutations and
      subtype, as well as residential address, age, and gender of patients. RESULTS: We
      evaluated 1300 reports, 772 (59.4%) of them from male patients. As expected,
      subtype B predominated (79%) followed by subtypes F1 (6.7%) and BF (6.5%). The
      most frequent mutations in HIV-1 reverse transcriptase were 184V (79.1%), 41L
      (33.5%), 67N (30.4%), 103N (42.4%), and 108I (11.1%). Most frequent mutations in
      HIV-1 protease were 63P (52.4%), 36I (47.9%), 15 V (33.0%), 62 V (28.1%) and 13 V
      (25.8%). Some mutations (41L, 215Y, 210W) were significantly more frequent among
      men. We detected a significantly higher accumulation of 103N mutation in specific
      areas of Salvador. We identified a more restricted circulation pattern for
      subtype FB (more frequent in some regions), and F1 (almost absent in a specific
      region). CONCLUSION: Our results suggest that specific subtypes/resistance
      mutations present a distinct frequency rate in specific areas of Salvador,
      probably due to a restricted circulation pattern. This trend to clustering was
      observed in regions covered by AIDS referral centers, suggesting that pattern of
      care for such patients can interfere in virological outcomes.

PMID- 28363089
TI  - Comparison of metal-binding strength between methionine and cysteine residues:
      Implications for the design of metal-binding motifs in proteins.
AB  - Metals play vital role in various physiological processes and are bound to
      biomolecules. Although cysteine sulfur is more frequently found as metal-binding
      ligand, methionine prefers to occur in copper-binding motifs of some proteins. To
      address methionine's lower preference in copper-binding sites in comparison to
      cysteine, we have considered copper-binding motifs (His-Cys-His-Met) from seven
      different high-resolution protein structures. We performed quantum chemical
      calculations to find out the strength of interactions between sulfur and metal
      ion in both Met and Cys residues. In the case of Cys, both neutral (CysH) and the
      deprotonated form (Cys-) were considered. We used two different levels of theory
      (B3LYP and M06-2X) and the model compounds methyl propyl sulfide, ethanethiol and
      ethanethiolate were used to represent Met, CysH and Cys- respectively. To compare
      the metal-binding strength, we mutated Met in silico to CysH/Cys- and performed
      the calculations. We also carried out calculations with wild-type Cys present in
      the same metal-binding motif. On average, interactions of Met with copper ion are
      stronger by 13-35kcal/mol compared to CysH. However, Cys- interactions with
      copper is stronger than that of Met by ~250kcal/mol. We then considered the
      entire metal-binding motif with four residues and calculated the interaction
      energies with the copper ion. We also considered Met->Cys- mutation in the motif
      and repeated the calculations. Interaction of the wild-type motif with the copper
      ion is ~160kcal/mol weaker than that of mutated motif. Our studies suggest the
      factors that could explain why Met is not as frequently observed as Cys in the
      metal-binding motifs. Results of these studies will help in designing metal
      binding motifs in proteins with varying interaction strengths.

PMID- 28363088
TI  - Permeability and microstructure of model stratum corneum lipid membranes
      containing ceramides with long (C16) and very long (C24) acyl chains.
AB  - The Stratum corneum (SC) prevents water loss from the body and absorption of
      chemicals. SC intercellular spaces contain ceramides (Cer), free fatty acids
      (FFA), cholesterol (Chol) and cholesteryl sulfate (CholS). Cer with "very long"
      acyl chains (for example, N-lignoceroyl-sphingosine, CerNS24) are important for
      skin barrier function, whereas increased levels of "long" acyl Cer (for example,
      N-palmitoyl-sphingosine, CerNS16) occur in patients suffering from atopic eczema
      or psoriasis. We studied the impact of the replacement of CerNS24 by CerNS16 on
      the barrier properties and microstructure of model SC lipid membranes composed of
      Cer/FFA/Chol/CholS. Membranes containing the long CerNS16 were significantly more
      permeable to water (by 38-53%), theophylline (by 50-55%) and indomethacin (by 83
      120%) than those containing the very long CerNS24 (either with lignoceric acid or
      a mixture of long to very long chain FFA). Langmuir monolayers with CerNS24 were
      more condensed than with CerNS16 and atomic force microscopy showed differences
      in domain formation. X-ray powder diffraction revealed that CerNS24-based
      membranes formed one lamellar phase and separated Chol, whereas the CerNS16-based
      membranes formed up to three phases and Chol. These results suggest that
      replacement of CerNS24 by CerNS16 has a direct negative impact on membrane
      structure and permeability.

PMID- 28363090
TI  - A case of urinary retention in the early stages of herpes simplex virus type-1
      encephalitis.
AB  - A 70-year-old man developed urinary retention in the early stages of herpes
      simplex virus (HSV) type-1 encephalitis. A nerve conduction study suggested
      latent myeloradiculitis. This is the first report of human herpes simplex virus-1
      encephalitis followed by urinary retention at early stage from the onset like the
      Elsberg syndrome. Although relatively few similar cases have been reported, we
      consider that urinary retention is common in HSV-1 encephalitis, in which
      disturbances of consciousness usually require bladder catheterization from the
      onset. We further emphasize that urinary retention may occasionally occur in
      early stages of HSV-1 encephalitis, with a significant possibility of recovery.

PMID- 28363091
TI  - Corrigendum to 'AFM nanoindentation detection of the elastic modulus of tongue
      squamous carcinoma cells with different metastatic potentials' [Nanomedicine 9
      (2013) 864-874].

PMID- 28363092
TI  - Vehicles as outdoor BFR sources: Evidence from an investigation of BFR occurrence
      in road dust.
AB  - The distribution of brominated flame retardants (BFRs) including ?8PBDEs, DBDPE,
      BTBPE, EH-TBB, BEH-TEBP and PBEB in road dust (RD) collected in Xinxiang, China
      was characterized. Analysis of RD samples indicated that the BFR abundance
      declined as traffic density decreased, with total mean levels of 292, 184, 163,
      104 and 70 ng g-1 dust at sites from traffic intersections, main roads, collector
      streets, bypasses and parks, respectively. A possible explanation for this
      phenomenon is that the majority of BFRs may be emitted from the interior of
      vehicles via their ventilation systems. Of the 13 analyzed substances, BDE-209
      and BEH-TEBP were the most abundant components in RD from Xinxiang. Similar
      amounts of ?BDEs excluding BDE-209 were found at different types of sampling
      sites, and thus, atmospheric deposition is also a probable source of BFRs in RD
      which can be subject to air transportation. The main PBDE sources were traced to
      commercial products including DE-71, Bromkal 79-8DE, Saytex 201E and Bromkal 82
      DE mixtures. Our results confirm that the use of deca-BDE commercial mixture is a
      major source of PBDE contamination in RD. Risk assessment indicated the
      concentrations of BFRs in RD in this study do not constitute a non-cancer or
      cancer risk to humans through ingestion. Annual emission fluxes of the commonly
      detected BFRs via RD in China were estimated to be up to 4980 kg year-1.

PMID- 28363093
TI  - Accumulation of toxic metals and organic micro-pollutants in sediments from
      tropical urban rivers, Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo.
AB  - The increasing contamination of fresh water resource by toxic metals and
      Persistence Organic Pollutants (POPs) is a major environmental concern globally.
      In the present investigation, surface sediments collected from three main rivers
      named, Makelele, Kalamu and Nsanga, draining through the city of Kinshasa,
      Democratic Republic of the Congo, were characterized for grain size, organic
      matter, toxic metals, POPs (including organochlorine pesticides (OCPs),
      polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs)), and
      polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). Furthermore, enrichment factor (EF) and
      geoaccumulation index (Igeo) were performed to determine metal source and
      pollution status. The results highlighted high concentration of toxic metals in
      all sediment samples, reaching the values (mg kg-1) of 325 (Cu), 549 (Zn), 165
      (Pb) and 1.5 (Cd). High values of PCBs and OCPs were detected in sediment
      samples, e.g. in Makelele river, PCB values ranged from 0.9 to 10.9 with total
      PCBs (?7 PCBs * 4.3): 169.3 MUg kg-1; OCPs from 21.6 to 146.8 with ?OCPs: 270.6
      MUg kg-1. The PBDEs concentrations were higher in investigated rivers
      comparatively with values detected in many rivers from Sub-Saharan Africa. The
      SigmaPAHs value ranged from 22.6 to 1011.9 MUg kg-1. River contamination may be
      explained by local intense domestic activities, urban and agricultural runoff,
      industrial and hospital wastewaters discharge into the rivers without prior
      treatment. This research provides not only a first baseline information on the
      extent of contamination in this tropical ecosystem but also represents useful
      tools incorporated to evaluate sediment quality in the river receiving systems
      which can be applied to similar aquatic environments.

PMID- 28363094
TI  - Quantitative structure-activity relationships for green algae growth inhibition
      by polymer particles.
AB  - After use and disposal of chemical products, many types of polymer particles end
      up in the aquatic environment with potential toxic effects to primary producers
      like green algae. In this study, we have developed Quantitative Structure
      Activity Relationships (QSARs) for a set of highly structural diverse polymers
      which are capable to estimate green algae growth inhibition (EC50). The model (N
      = 43, R2 = 0.73, RMSE = 0.28) is a regression-based decision tree using one
      structural descriptor for each of three polymer classes separated based on
      charge. The QSAR is applicable to linear homo polymers as well as copolymers and
      does not require information on the size of the polymer particle or underlying
      core material. Highly branched polymers, non-nitrogen cationic polymers and
      polymeric surfactants are not included in the model and thus cannot be evaluated.
      The model works best for cationic and non-ionic polymers for which cellular
      adsorption, disruption of the cell wall and photosynthesis inhibition were the
      mechanisms of action. For anionic polymers, specific properties of the polymer
      and test characteristics need to be known for detailed assessment. The data and
      QSAR results for anionic polymers, when combined with molecular dynamics
      simulations indicated that nutrient depletion is likely the dominant mode of
      toxicity. Nutrient depletion in turn, is determined by the non-linear interplay
      between polymer charge density and backbone flexibility.

PMID- 28363095
TI  - Microwave-assisted solvothermal synthesis of hierarchical TiO2 microspheres for
      efficient electro-field-assisted-photocatalytic removal of tributyltin in tannery
      wastewater.
AB  - Organotin compounds have been widely used in recent decades, however, the
      residential tributyltin (TBT) in environment has potential harmful effects on
      human health due to the disruption of endocrine system even at trace level.
      Herein, this work reports on an effective electro-field-assisted-photocatalytic
      technique for removal of TBT by applying an electric field to photocatalysis of
      as-prepared hierarchical TiO2 microspheres. The synthesis of catalytic materials
      is based on a self-assembly process induced by microwave-assisted solvothermal
      reaction. Hierarchical TiO2 microspheres consisting of nanowires can be obtained
      in short time with this facile method and possess high surface area and superior
      optical properties. As the catalyst, it was found that the reaction rate constant
      of electro-field-assisted-photocatalytic removal (0.0488 min-1) of TBT exhibited
      almost a 9 fold improvement as compared to that of photocatalysis (0.0052 min-1).
      The proposed mechanism of electro-field-assisted-photocatalytic removal of TBT
      was verified by using 117Sn-enriched TBT spike solution as an isotopic tracer. In
      addition, varying impacts from some key reaction conditions, such as voltage of
      potential, pH value and the presence of Cr and formaldehyde were also discussed.
      The overall satisfactory TBT removal performance of the proposed electro-field
      assisted-photocatalysis procedure with hierarchical TiO2 microspheres, which was
      validated using actual tannery wastewater samples from three different kinds of
      tanning procedures. These attributes suggest that this electro-field-assisted
      photocatalysis may have broad applications for the treatment of tannery
      wastewater.

PMID- 28363096
TI  - Associations of long-term exposure to air pollution and road traffic noise with
      cognitive function-An analysis of effect measure modification.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Adverse effects of traffic-related air pollution (AP) and noise on
      cognitive functions have been proposed, but little is known about their
      interactions and the combined effect of co-exposure. METHODS: Cognitive
      assessment was completed by 4086 participants of the population-based Heinz
      Nixdorf Recall cohort study using five neuropsychological subtests and an
      additively calculated global cognitive score (GCS). We assessed long-term
      residential concentrations for size-fractioned particulate matter (PM) and
      nitrogen oxides with land use regression. Road traffic noise (weighted 24-h
      (LDEN) and night-time (LNIGHT) means) was assessed according to the EU directive
      2002/49/EC. Linear regression models adjusted for individual-level
      characteristics were calculated to estimate effect modification of associations
      between AP and noise with cognitive function. We used multiplicative interaction
      terms and categories of single or double high exposure, dichotomizing the
      potential effect modifier at the median (AP) or at an a priori defined threshold
      (road traffic noise). RESULTS: In fully adjusted models, high noise exposure
      increased the association of AP with cognitive function. For example, for an
      interquartile range increase of PM2.5 (IQR 1.43), association s with GCS were:
      estimate (beta)=-0.16 [95% confidence interval: -0.33; 0.01] and beta=-0.48 [
      0.72; -0.23] for low and high LDEN, respectively. The association of noise with
      GCS was restricted to highly AP-exposed participants. We observed stronger
      negative associations in those participants with double exposure compared to the
      addition of effect estimates of each single exposure. CONCLUSIONS: Our study
      suggests that AP and road traffic noise might act synergistically on cognitive
      function in adults.

PMID- 28363097
TI  - Gastrointestinal emergencies in critically ill cancer patients.
AB  - PURPOSE: To describe gastrointestinal emergencies in cancer patients. METHODS:
      All cancer patients admitted to the medical ICU of Saint-Louis Hospital for an
      acute abdominal syndrome during the study period (1997-2011) were included.
      RESULTS: A total of 164 patients were included. The most common diagnoses were:
      neutropenic enterocolitis (NE) (n=54, 33%), infectious colitis and peritonitis
      (n=51, 31%), bowel infiltration by malignancy (n=14, 9%), and mucosal toxicity of
      chemotherapy (n=12, 7%). Microbiologically documented infections were reported in
      82 patients (50%), including 12 fungal infections. Twenty-seven patients (16%)
      underwent urgent surgery. The hospital mortality rate was 35%. Five factors were
      independently associated with hospital mortality: the Simplified Acute Physiology
      Score II (SAPS II) score on day 1 (OR 1.03/SAPS II point, 95% CI 1.01 to 1.05),
      microbiological documentation (OR 0.27, 95% CI 0.11 to 0.64), neutropenia (OR
      0.42, 95% CI 0.19 to 0.95), allogenic hematopoietic stem-cell transplantation
      (HSCT) (OR 5.13, 95% CI 1.71 to 15.4), and mechanical ventilation (OR 3.42, 95%
      CI 1.37 to 8.51). CONCLUSIONS: Gastrointestinal emergencies in cancer patients
      are associated with significant mortality. Mortality correlated both with the
      severity of organ failure upon ICU admission and the underlying diagnosis.
      Interestingly, patients admitted to the ICU with neutropenia had better survival.

PMID- 28363099
TI  - Effect of aquifer storage and recovery (ASR) on recovered stormwater quality
      variability.
AB  - Aquifer Storage and Recovery (ASR) is increasingly being considered as a means of
      reusing urban stormwater to supplement available urban water resources. Storage
      of stormwater in an aquifer has been shown to affect water quality but it has
      also been claimed that storage will also decrease the stormwater quality
      variability making for improved predictability and management. This study is the
      first to document the changes in stormwater quality variability as a result of
      subsurface storage at four full scale ASR sites using advanced statistical
      techniques. New methods to examine water quality are required as data is often
      highly left censored and so traditional measures of variability such as the
      coefficient of variation are inappropriate. It was observed that for some water
      quality parameters (most notably E. coli) there was a marked improvement of water
      quality and a significant decrease in variability at all sites. This means that
      aquifer storage prior to engineered treatment systems may be advantageous in
      terms of system design to avoid over engineering. For other parameters such as
      metal(loids)s and nutrients the trend was less clear due to the numerous
      processes occurring during storage leading to an increase in variability,
      especially for geogenic metals and metalloids such as iron and arsenic. Depending
      upon the specific water quality parameters and end use, use of ASR may not have a
      dampening effect on stormwater quality variability.

PMID- 28363100
TI  - Strategies for liquid-liquid extraction of oxide particles for applications in
      supercapacitor electrodes and thin films.
AB  - Bottom-up and top-down liquid-liquid extraction methods have been developed for
      the transfer of colloidal metal oxide particles, synthesized in an aqueous phase,
      to organic phases. In such methods the agglomeration of the particles during the
      drying stage was avoided. Hexadecylamine was used as an extractor for MnO2
      particles in the bottom-up extraction to the 1-butanol phase and top-down
      extraction to the dichloromethane phase. The reduction of particle agglomeration
      facilitated the fabrication of MnO2-carbon nanotube composite electrodes for
      electrochemical supercapacitors with enhanced mixing of the individual components
      and active mass as high as 35mgcm-2. Electrochemical testing results showed
      superior performance of the composite MnO2-carbon nanotube electrodes, prepared
      by the bottom-up strategy. The new strategies allowed the fabrication of advanced
      electrodes, which showed a capacitance of 5.48Fcm-2 at a scan rate of 2mVs-1,
      good capacitance retention at high scan rates and low resistance. In another
      conceptually new bottom-up strategy colloidal titania particles were modified
      during synthesis with 2,3,4-trihydroxybenzaldehyde, which allowed strong
      catecholate-type bonding to the Ti atoms on the particle surface. The Schiff base
      reaction with hexadecylamine at the liquid-liquid interface allowed for particle
      extraction. The extraction strategies developed in this investigation pave the
      way for agglomerate-free processing of advanced films, coatings and devices by
      colloidal methods.

PMID- 28363098
TI  - Brand-to-generic levetiracetam switch in patients with epilepsy in a routine
      clinical setting.
AB  - PURPOSE: The therapeutic equivalence of generic and brand antiepileptic drugs,
      based on studies performed on healthy volunteers, has been questioned. We
      compare, in a routine clinical setting, brand versus generic levetiracetam (LEV)
      bioequivalence in patients with epilepsy and also the clinical efficacy and
      tolerability of the substitution. METHODS: A prospective, open-label, non
      randomized, steady-state, multiple-dose, bioequivalence study was conducted in 12
      patients with epilepsy (5 females), with a mean age of 38.4+/-16.2 years.
      Patients treated with the brand LEV (Keppra; UCB Pharma) were closely followed
      for a four-week period and subsequently switched to a generic LEV (Pharmaten) and
      followed for another four-week period. Blood samples were collected at the end of
      each 4-week period, during a dose interval for each formulation, for LEV
      concentration measurements by liquid chromatography mass spectrometry. Steady
      state area under the curve (AUC) and peak plasma concentration (Cmax) data were
      subjected to conventional average bioequivalence analysis. Secondary clinical
      outcomes, including seizure frequency and adverse events, were recorded. RESULTS:
      Patients had epilepsy for a mean period of 14.1+/-10.6years and the mean daily
      LEV dose was 2583.3+/-763.7mg. The mean AUC+/-SD and Cmax+/-SD was 288.4+/
      86.3(mg/L)h and 37.8+/-10.4mg/L respectively for brand LEV and 319.2+/
      104.7(mg/L)h and 41.6+/-12.3mg/L respectively for the generic LEV. Statistic
      analysis showed no statistical significant difference in bioequivalence. Also, no
      change in seizures frequency and/or adverse events was recorded. CONCLUSIONS: In
      our clinical setting, generic LEV was determined to be bioequivalent to brand
      LEV. Furthermore, seizures frequency or/and adverse events were not affected upon
      switching from brand to generic LEV.

PMID- 28363101
TI  - Two-dimensional layered compound based anode materials for lithium-ion batteries
      and sodium-ion batteries.
AB  - Rechargeable batteries, such as lithium-ion and sodium-ion batteries, have been
      considered as promising energy conversion and storage devices with applications
      ranging from small portable electronics, medium-sized power sources for
      electromobility, to large-scale grid energy storage systems. Wide implementations
      of these rechargeable batteries require the development of electrode materials
      that can provide higher storage capacities than current commercial battery
      systems. Within this greater context, this review will present recent progresses
      in the development of the 2D material as anode materials for battery applications
      represented by studies conducted on graphene, molybdenum disulfide, and MXenes.
      This review will also discuss remaining challenges and future perspectives of 2D
      materials in regards to a full utilization of their unique properties and
      interactions with other battery components.

PMID- 28363103
TI  - Customized tuning of aggregation-induced emission of a napthalimide dye by
      surfactants and cyclodextrin.
AB  - The aggregation-induced emission behaviour of an environment sensitive 2,3
      substituted napthalimide dye has been investigated at neutral pH in presence of
      three different surfactants i.e., cationic, anionic, and neutral. The changes
      observed in the excitation spectrum of the dye compared to its absorption spectra
      in water in presence of the surfactants above their micellar concentration
      reveals the transformation of the H-aggregates of the dye to the monomeric form.
      The alteration of the dye aggregates to its monomeric form and its consequence on
      emission properties has been utilized to estimate the surfactant concentration
      parameter for pre-micellar to micellar transformation. The aggregation of the dye
      molecules has been made reversible by removal of the surfactant molecules from
      the system upon host-guest complexation with alpha-cyclodextrin. This switchable
      aggregation-deaggregation phenomenon of DMN-Bu by employing surfactants and alpha
      cyclodextrin at neutral pH in water is utilized for determining their critical
      micellar concentration.

PMID- 28363102
TI  - Green synthesized nano silver: Synthesis, physicochemical profiling,
      antibacterial, anticancer activities and biological in vivo toxicity.
AB  - Green synthesis of nanoparticles using plants is gaining much interest in recent
      years. Anyway, intricate details on the role of phytochemicals involved in
      capping and stabilization of nanoparticles in diminishing toxicity and enhancing
      therapeutic potential are required. In this study, Ficus religiosa silver
      nanoparticles (FRAgNPs) were synthesized using Ficus religiosa leaf extract
      (FRLE) and characterized. The FRAgNPs showed good antibacterial activity and also
      cytotoxic effect in different cancer cell lines. Induction of apoptotic cell
      death was confirmed by various staining techniques, increased expression of
      cleaved caspases-8, 9, 3, lamin, PARP and oxidative stress markers in A549 and
      Hep2 cells. The in vivo studies performed in rats revealed significant increase
      in serum levels of AST, ALT, and LDH, TNF-alpha and IL-6 on day 29 following oral
      administration of FRAgNPs. However, these levels reverted back to normal at the
      end of wash out period on day 89. ICP-OES analysis revealed accumulation of
      silver in liver, brain and lungs on day 29 with respective concentration of 4.77,
      3.94 and 3.043MUg/g tissue. However, complete elimination of silver was observed
      on day 89. Histological analysis performed in vital organs indicated pathological
      changes only in liver which was also normalized after 89days.

PMID- 28363104
TI  - Preparation of concave magnetoplasmonic core-shell supraparticles of gold-coated
      iron oxide via ion-reducible layer-by-layer method for surface enhanced Raman
      scattering.
AB  - Preparation of suprastructure assemblies with unique colloidal and optical
      properties remains challenging. Non-uniform covering of magnetic nanoparticles
      (NPs) with an external inert Au shell has been attempted to protect the magnetic
      core against oxidation as well as to produce multifunctional supraparticles (SPs)
      possessing respective optical and magnetic properties. In this study, a concave
      Au NP coating was deposited on magnetic nanoparticles (MNPs) with precise control
      of the shell thickness and roughness through a layer-by-layer (LbL) assisted
      ionic reduction method termed ion-reducible LbL (IR-LbL) method. Surface enhanced
      Raman spectra were obtained using graphene quantum dots (GQDs) on the
      magnetically aligned structure of the prepared core-shell SPs. It is probable
      that this synthesis method and the generated SPs are essential for characterizing
      the merge of electronics and magnetism in the nano-regime and may be applicable
      for further electronics, magnetic storage, and biomedical applications.

PMID- 28363105
TI  - Liquid phase high shear exfoliated graphene nanoplatelets as counter electrode
      material for dye-sensitized solar cells.
AB  - Graphene nanoplatelets (GNPs) are prepared from natural graphite by a simple and
      low-cost liquid phase high shear exfoliation method. The as-prepared GNPs are
      used as a counter electrode (CE) material for dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs).
      To confirm the Exfoliated GNPs, structural and morphological studies are carried
      out using X-ray diffraction (XRD), Raman spectroscopy, X-ray photoelectron
      spectroscopy (XPS), transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and selected area
      electron diffraction (SAED) studies. The electrochemical behaviour of GNPs as a
      counter electrode material is evaluated and compared with standard Platinum (Pt)
      electrode using cyclic-voltammetry (CV) and electrochemical impedance
      spectroscopy (EIS). These studies indicated that electrocatalytic activity
      towards I-/I3- redox mediator exhibited by the GNPs based electrode is comparable
      to standard Pt counter electrodes. DSSCs are fabricated using the counter
      electrodes made of GNPs and the photo-conversion efficiency is found to be 6.23%
      under standard test conditions, which is comparable to Pt based DSSCs proving
      them as potential alternative materials for counter electrodes.

PMID- 28363106
TI  - Individual differences in the Simon effect are underpinned by differences in the
      competitive dynamics in the basal ganglia: An experimental verification and a
      computational model.
AB  - Cognitive control is thought to be made possible by the activity of the
      prefrontal cortex, which selectively uses task-specific representations to bias
      the selection of task-appropriate responses over more automated, but
      inappropriate, ones. Recent models have suggested, however, that prefrontal
      representations are in turn controlled by the basal ganglia. In particular,
      neurophysiological considerations suggest that the basal ganglia's indirect
      pathway plays a pivotal role in preventing irrelevant information from being
      incorporated into a task, thus reducing response interference due to the
      processing of inappropriate stimuli dimensions. Here, we test this hypothesis by
      showing that individual differences in a non-verbal cognitive control task (the
      Simon task) are correlated with performance on a decision-making task (the
      Probabilistic Stimulus Selection task) that tracks the contribution of the
      indirect pathway. Specifically, the higher the effect of the indirect pathway,
      the smaller was the behavioral costs associated with suppressing interference in
      incongruent trials. Additionally, it was found that this correlation was driven
      by individual differences in incongruent trials only (with little effect on
      congruent ones) and specific to the indirect pathway (with almost no correlation
      with the effect of the direct pathways). Finally, it is shown that this pattern
      of results is precisely what is predicted when competitive dynamics of the basal
      ganglia are added to the selective attention component of a simple model of the
      Simon task, thus showing that our experimental results can be fully explained by
      our initial hypothesis.

PMID- 28363107
TI  - Do online reviews diminish physician authority? The case of cosmetic surgery in
      the U.S.
AB  - This article analyzes the substance and perception of online physician reviews,
      which are qualitative and quantitative assessments of physicians written and
      shared by patients, in the case of U.S. cosmetic surgery. Like other cash-pay
      medical specialties, cosmetic surgery is elective and paid for largely out of
      pocket, with patients having latitude in their choice of surgeon. Drawing on
      qualitative data from interviews, observations of an American Society of
      Aesthetic Plastic Surgery professional meeting, and online reviews from the
      platforms RealSelf and Yelp, I identify two interdependent contributors to
      physician authority: reputation and expertise. I argue that surgeons see reviews
      overwhelmingly as a threat to their reputation, even as actual review content
      often positively reinforces physician expertise and enhances physician
      reputation. I show that most online reviews linked to interview participants are
      positive, according considerable deference to surgeons. Reviews add patients'
      embodied and consumer expertise as a circumscribed supplement to surgeons'
      technical expertise. Moreover, reviews change the doctor-patient relationship by
      putting it on display for a larger audience of prospective patients, enabling
      patients and review platforms to affect physician reputation. Surgeons report
      changing how they practice to establish and maintain their reputations. This
      research demonstrates how physician authority in medical consumerist contexts is
      a product of reputation as well as expertise. Consumerism changes the doctor
      patient relationship and makes surgeons feel diminished authority by dint of
      their reputational vulnerability to online reviews.

PMID- 28363108
TI  - A novel small molecule compound possesses immunomodulatory properties on bone
      marrow-derived dendritic cells via TLR7 signaling pathway and alleviates the
      development of SLE.
AB  - Dendritic cells (DCs) play an important role in the development and maintenance
      of immune tolerance. Activation of TLR7, which is expressed in DCs, is thought to
      contribute to the complex pathophysiology of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE).
      In this study, we analyzed the in vitro and in vivo function of a novel small
      molecule compound, FC-99, which was previously reported to have immunomodulatory
      functions. We found that FC-99 inhibited the expression of CD40 and inflammatory
      mediators (IL-6, IL-12, and CXCL-10), as well as R848-induced phosphorylation of
      IkappaB-alpha. We also present evidence that FC-99 is remarkably efficacious in
      the treatment of murine lupus. Interestingly, FC-99 affected the maturation and
      percentage of DCs in lupus-prone mice. Therefore, FC-99 may serve as a potential
      drug candidate for treatment of SLE.

PMID- 28363109
TI  - Platycodin D protects against cigarette smoke-induced lung inflammation in mice.
AB  - Cigarette smoke is the one of the major factors that leads to chronic obstructive
      pulmonary disease (COPD). Inflammation and oxidant stress have been known to play
      critical roles in the development of COPD. Platycodin D (PLD) has been reported
      to have anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidant effects. In this study, we aimed to
      investigate the protective effects of PLD on cigarette smoke (CS)-induced lung
      inflammation in mice. PLD was adminstrated i.p. to mice 2h before CS exposure
      daily for five consecutive days. The production of inflammatory cytokines TNF
      alpha and IL-1beta were measured by ELISA. The levels of malonaldehyde (MDA) and
      nitric oxide (NO) were also detected in this study. The expression of nuclear
      factor-erythroid 2-related factor 2 (Nrf2), heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1), NF-kappaB,
      and IkappaBalpha were detected by western blot analysis. The results showed that
      PLD significantly attenuated CS-induced lung pathological changes, inflammatory
      cells infiltration, as well as TNF-alpha and IL-1beta production. CS-induced MDA
      and NO production were also inhibited by treatment of PLD. Western blot analysis
      showed that PLD significantly suppressed CS-induced NF-kappaB activation. In
      addition, PLD was found to increase the expression of Nrf2 and HO-1. Taken
      together, these results indicated that PLD protected against CS-induced lung
      inflammation by inhibiting inflammatory and oxidative response through activating
      Nrf2 signaling pathway. PLD might be an effective treatment for CS-induced lung
      inflammation.

PMID- 28363110
TI  - 'I was told not to do it but...': Infant feeding practices amongst HIV-positive
      women in southern Thailand.
AB  - BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: mothers living with HIV are encouraged not to
      breastfeed as it can transmit HIV to their infants. However, there is little
      known about how Thai women with HIV perceive and experience their infant feeding
      practices. This paper explores the breastfeeding experiences among Thai women
      living with HIV in southern Thailand. METHODS: semi-structured interviews and
      drawing methods were used with 30 HIV-positive women in rural communities of
      southern Thailand. Thematic analysis was used for data analysis. FINDINGS: HIV
      positive mothers had ambivalent feelings about not being able to breastfeed their
      infants. They perceived themselves as a 'contaminated mother'. Healthcare centres
      and hospitals supply free infant formula for HIV-positive mothers up to one and a
      half years. Despite this, many mothers had to deal with some difficulties. Some
      infants developed an allergy to the infant formula. The free infant formula was
      not sufficient for some infants and the mothers had to find alternative means for
      the well-being of their infants: many mothers relied on condensed milk whereas
      some fed mashed banana. The women made every effort to fulfill their ideology of
      being a good and responsible mother. CONCLUSION: this paper contributes a
      conceptual understanding about the lived experiences of breastfeeding among women
      living with HIV in southern Thailand. The findings have implications for
      midwifery care and health policy. The provision of different options of feeding
      should be made available to infants along with accessible resources and
      professional support and guidance.

PMID- 28363112
TI  - Ribosome profiling and dynamic regulation of translation in mammals.
AB  - Protein synthesis is an energy-demanding cellular process. Consequently, a well
      timed, fine-tuned and plastic regulation of translation is needed to adjust and
      maintain cell states under dynamically changing environments. Genome-wide
      monitoring of translation was recently facilitated by ribosome profiling, which
      uncovered key features of translation regulation. In this review, we summarize
      recent ribosome profiling studies in mammals providing novel insight in dynamic
      translation regulation, notably related to circadian rhythms, diurnal
      feeding/fasting cycles, cell cycle progression, stress responses, and tRNA
      landscapes. In particular, recent results show that regulating translation
      initiation and elongation represent important mechanisms used in mammalian cells
      to rapidly modulate protein expression in dynamically changing environments.

PMID- 28363113
TI  - The attractor recurrent neural network based on fuzzy functions: An effective
      model for the classification of lung abnormalities.
AB  - The respiratory system dynamic is of high significance when it comes to the
      detection of lung abnormalities, which highlights the importance of presenting a
      reliable model for it. In this paper, we introduce a novel dynamic modelling
      method for the characterization of the lung sounds (LS), based on the attractor
      recurrent neural network (ARNN). The ARNN structure allows the development of an
      effective LS model. Additionally, it has the capability to reproduce the
      distinctive features of the lung sounds using its formed attractors. Furthermore,
      a novel ARNN topology based on fuzzy functions (FFs-ARNN) is developed. Given the
      utility of the recurrent quantification analysis (RQA) as a tool to assess the
      nature of complex systems, it was used to evaluate the performance of both the
      ARNN and the FFs-ARNN models. The experimental results demonstrate the
      effectiveness of the proposed approaches for multichannel LS analysis. In
      particular, a classification accuracy of 91% was achieved using FFs-ARNN with
      sequences of RQA features.

PMID- 28363111
TI  - 3T hippocampal glutamate-glutamine complex reflects verbal memory decline in
      aging.
AB  - The hippocampus is a critical site for alterations that are responsible for age
      related changes in memory. Here, we present a relatively novel approach of
      examining the relationship between memory performance and glutamate-glutamine
      levels using short echo time magnetic resonance spectroscopy. Specifically, we
      investigated the relationship between Glx (a composite of glutamate and
      glutamine) levels in the hippocampus, performance on a word-recall task, and
      resting-state functional connectivity. While there was no overall difference in
      Glx intensity between young and aging adults, we identified a positive
      correlation between delayed word-list recall and Glx, bilaterally in older
      adults, but not in young adults. Collapsed across age, we also discovered a
      negative relationship between Glx intensity and resting-state functional
      connectivity between the anterior hippocampus and regions in the subcallosal
      gyrus. These findings demonstrate the possible utility of Glx in identifying age
      related changes in the brain and behavior and provide encouragement that magnetic
      resonance spectroscopy can be useful in predicting age-related decline before any
      physical abnormalities are present.

PMID- 28363114
TI  - Mechanical mandible competence in rats with nutritional growth retardation.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: In order to provide a better understanding of the sympathetic nervous
      system as a negative regulator of bone status, the aim of the study was to
      establish the biomechanical mandible response to different doses of a beta
      adrenergic antagonist such as propranolol (P) in a stress-induced food
      restriction model of growth retardation. METHODS: Rats were assigned to eight
      groups: Control (C), C+P3.5 (CP3.5), C+P7 (CP7), C+P14 (CP14), NGR, NGR+P3.5
      (NGRP3.5), NGR+P7 (NGRP7) and NGR+P14 (NGRP14). C, CP3.5, CP7 and CP14 rats were
      freely fed with the standard diet. NGR, NGRP3.5, NGRP7 and NGRP14 rats received,
      for 4 weeks (W4), 80% of the amount of controls food consumed. Propranolol 3.5, 7
      and 14mg/kg/day was injected ip 5days per week in CP3.5 and NGRP3.5, CP7 and
      NGRP7, CP14 and NGRP14, respectively. At W4, zoometry, mandible morphometry,
      static histomorphometric and biomechanical competence were performed. RESULTS: A
      dose of Propranolol 7mg/kg/day induced interradicular bone volume accretion
      reaching a mandible stiffness according to chronological age. CONCLUSION: These
      findings evidenced that sympathetic nervous system activity is a negative
      regulator of mandible mechanical competence in the nutritional growth retardation
      model. Propranolol 7mg/kg/day, under the regimen usage, seems to be appropriate
      to blockade SNS activity on mandible mechanical performance in NGR rats, probably
      associated to an effect on bone mechanostat system ability to detect disuse mode
      as an error.

PMID- 28363115
TI  - The effect of childrens' eating behaviors and parental feeding style on childhood
      obesity.
AB  - In is important to determine the factors that affect obesity in childhood, in
      order to raise generations of healthy children. This study aims to determine the
      effect of primary school students' eating behaviors and parental feeding styles
      on obesity in childhood. This descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted
      with 1201 children and their parents between September 2014 and March 2015. The
      data were collected using the socio-demographic data collection form for children
      and parents, the Children's Eating Behavior Questionnaire and the Parental
      Feeding Style Questionnaire. The data were analyzed using percentage calculators,
      mean, Spearman's correlation analysis, Pearson's correlation analysis and
      multiple regression analysis. Of the children, 16.9% were found to be obese.
      Three models were created considering the relationships between the variables in
      this study and the occurrence of obesity. In the first model, the factors that
      affect childhood obesity were found to be enjoyment of food, emotional
      overeating, food responsiveness, satiety responsiveness and food fussiness. In
      the second model, the factors were prompting/encouragement and control over
      eating. Enjoyment of food, emotional overeating, food responsiveness, satiety
      responsiveness, emotional feeding and food fussiness were also found to be the
      factors in the third model (p<0.05). This study showed that children's eating
      behaviors and parental feeding style affect the occurrence of obesity in
      childhood.

PMID- 28363116
TI  - Clinical significance of anti-domain 1 beta2-glycoprotein I antibodies in
      antiphospholipid syndrome.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Antiphospholipid syndrome (APS) is characterized by the presence of
      circulating antiphospholipid antibodies (aPL) in patients with thrombosis and/or
      pregnancy morbidity. In APS patients anti-domain 1 beta2-glycoprotein I (anti-D1
      beta2GPI) IgG antibodies correlate strongly with thrombosis and to the lesser
      extent, with pregnancy complications. The aim of this study was to assess
      clinical utility of the anti-D1 beta2GPI antibodies in the diagnosis and risk
      stratification of antiphospholipid syndrome. PATIENTS/METHODS: In this
      retrospective study 202 autoimmune patients were studied (primary APS - 58,
      secondary - 45 SLE - 99). Anticardiolipin (aCL) and anti-beta2GPI (abeta2GPI
      antibodies) (IgG and IgM class) together with anti-D1 IgG were tested with QUANTA
      Flash chemiluminescent immunoassay and lupus anticoagulant (LA) with
      coagulometric methods. RESULTS: The highest anti-D1 values were observed in
      triple positive patients as compared to patients with other antiphospholipid
      antibody profiles. A strong correlation was found between levels of anti-D1 IgG
      and a beta2GPI IgG antibodies for all patients analyzed (Spearman's rho=0.87;
      p<0.0001). Anti-D1 IgG antibodies increase specificity resulting from classic aPL
      positivity but at the expense of sensitivity. Anti-D1 test does not add accuracy
      in predicting APS thrombotic complications on the top of accuracy offered by
      classic aPL tests and their profiles. CONCLUSIONS: Anti-D1 IgG antibodies did not
      add diagnostic power to the standard laboratory aPL tests as assessed by this
      retrospective study. A true clinical significance of anti-D1 antibodies in
      thrombotic risk stratification of aPL positive patients will require a properly
      designed clinical prospective trials.

PMID- 28363117
TI  - Evaluation of tissue factor bearing microparticles in the cord blood of preterm
      and term newborns.

PMID- 28363118
TI  - Gender differences in automatic thoughts and cortisol and alpha-amylase responses
      to acute psychosocial stress in patients with obsessive-compulsive personality
      disorder.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: Obsessive-compulsive personality disorder (OCPD) has a pervasive
      pattern of preoccupation with orderliness, perfection, and mental and
      interpersonal control at the expense of flexibility, openness, and efficiency.
      The aims of the present study were to explore the relationship between OCPD and
      psychological stress and psychological tests. METHODS: We evaluated 63 OCPD
      patients and 107 healthy controls (HCs). We collected saliva samples from
      patients and controls before and after a social stress procedure, the Trier
      Social Stress Test (TSST), to measure the concentrations of salivary alpha
      amylase (sAA) and salivary cortisol. The Childhood Trauma Questionnaire (CTQ),
      Profile of Mood State (POMS), State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI), Beck
      Depression Inventory (BDI), Social Adaptation Self-Evaluation Scale (SASS), and
      Depression and Anxiety Cognition Scale (DACS) were administered to patients and
      HCs. RESULTS: Following TSST exposure, the salivary amylase and cortisol levels
      were significantly decreased in male patients compared with controls.
      Additionally, OCPD patients had higher CTQ, POMS, STAI, and BDI scores than HCs
      and exhibited significantly higher anxiety and depressive states. OCPD patients
      scored higher on future denial and threat prediction as per the DACS tool.
      According to a stepwise regression analysis, STAI, POMS, and salivary cortisol
      responses were independent predictors of OCPD. CONCLUSIONS: Our results suggested
      that attenuated sympathetic and parasympathetic reactivity in male OCPD patients
      occurs along with attenuated salivary amylase and cortisol responses to the TSST.
      In addition, there was a significant difference between OCPD patients and HCs in
      child trauma, mood, anxiety, and cognition. The finding support the modeling role
      of cortisol (20min) on the relationships between STAI trait and depression among
      OCPD.

PMID- 28363119
TI  - Diagnosis of Grave's disease with pulmonary hypertension on chest CT.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the diagnostic accuracy of chest CT findings to diagnose
      Grave's disease in pulmonary hypertension. METHODS: We retrospectively evaluated
      chest CT and the medical records of 13 patients with Grave's disease with (n=6)
      or without pulmonary hypertension (n=7) and in 17 control patients. RESULTS:
      Presence of iso-attenuation of diffusely enlarged thyroid glands compared with
      adjacent neck muscle on non-enhanced CT as a diagnostic clue of Grave's disease,
      and assessment of pulmonary hypertension on CT has high diagnostic accuracy.
      CONCLUSION: Chest CT has the potential to diagnose Grave's disease with pulmonary
      hypertension in the absence of other information.

PMID- 28363121
TI  - Excitation of hypersonic acoustic waves in diamond-based piezoelectric layered
      structure on the microwave frequencies up to 20GHz.
AB  - First ultrahigh frequency (UHF) investigation of quality factor Q for the
      piezoelectric layered structure "Al/(001)AlN/Mo/(100) diamond" has been executed
      in a broad frequency band from 1 up to 20GHz. The record-breaking Q.f quality
      parameter up to 2.7.1014Hz has been obtained close to 20GHz. Frequency dependence
      of the form factor m correlated with quality factor has been analyzed by means of
      computer simulation, and non-monotonic frequency dependence can be explained by
      proper features of thin-film piezoelectric transducer (TFPT). Excluding the
      minimal Q magnitudes measured at the frequency points associated with minimal
      TFPT effectiveness, one can prove a rule of Qf~f observed for diamond on the
      frequencies above 1GHz and defined by Landau-Rumer's acoustic attenuation
      mechanism. Synthetic IIa-type diamond single crystal as a substrate material for
      High-overtone Bulk Acoustic Resonator (HBAR) possesses some excellent acoustic
      properties in a wide microwave band and can be successfully applied for design of
      acoustoelectronic devices, especially the ones operating at a far UHF band.

PMID- 28363120
TI  - Awareness and understanding of HIV non-disclosure case law among people living
      with HIV who use illicit drugs in a Canadian setting.
AB  - BACKGROUND: In 2012, the Supreme Court of Canada (SCC) ruled that people living
      with HIV (PLWH) could face criminal charges if they did not disclose their
      serostatus before sex posing a "realistic possibility" of HIV transmission.
      Condom-protected vaginal sex with a low (i.e., <1500copies/mL) HIV viral load
      (VL) incurs no duty to disclose. Awareness and understanding of this ruling
      remain uncharacterized, particularly among marginalized PLWH. METHODS: We used
      data from ACCESS, a community-recruited cohort of PLWH who use illicit drugs in
      Vancouver. The primary outcome was self-reported awareness of the 2012 SCC
      ruling, drawn from cross-sectional survey data. Participants aware of the ruling
      were asked how similar their understanding was to a provided definition. Sources
      of information from which participants learned about the ruling were determined.
      Multivariable logistic regression identified factors independently associated
      with ruling awareness. RESULTS: Among 249 participants (39% female), median age
      was 50 (IQR: 44-55) and 80% had a suppressed HIV VL (<50copies/mL). A minority
      (112, 45%) of participants reported ruling awareness, and 44 (18%) had a complete
      understanding of the legal obligation to disclose. Among those aware (n=112),
      newspapers/media (46%) was the most frequent source from which participants
      learned about the ruling, with 51% of participants reporting that no healthcare
      providers had talked to them about the ruling. Ruling awareness was negatively
      associated with VL suppression (AOR:0.51, 95% CI:0.27,0.97) and positively
      associated with recent condomless sex vs. no sex (AOR:2.00, 95% CI:1.03,3.92).
      CONCLUSION: Most participants were not aware of the 2012 SCC ruling, which may
      place them at risk of prosecution. Discussions about disclosure and the law were
      lacking in healthcare settings. Advancing education about HIV disclosure and the
      law is a key priority. The role of healthcare providers in delivering information
      and support to PLWH in this legal climate should be further explored.

PMID- 28363122
TI  - Trace DNA evidence dynamics: An investigation into the deposition and persistence
      of directly- and indirectly-transferred DNA on regularly-used knives.
AB  - Empirical data on the transfer and persistence of trace DNA are crucial to the
      evaluation of forensic DNA evidence. This evaluation can be complicated by the
      occurrence of indirect DNA transfer; the possibility of which is well
      established, but research into such transfer is often focussed on unrealistic
      situations, e.g. handling of DNA-free items after participants have shaken hands
      for 1-2min. To simulate more realistic scenarios, this study investigated the
      deposition and persistence of both directly- and indirectly-transferred DNA on
      knives that had been artificially set up as 'regularly-used'. Each knife was
      handled in a prescribed manner by a specific participant over two consecutive
      days to simulate regular use. Each participant then shook hands for 10s with a
      fellow volunteer and immediately stabbed one of their knives into a foam block
      repeatedly for 60s. DNA was recovered by mini-taping from triplicate sets of
      knife handles from four pairings of volunteers after regular use, and at one
      hour, one day and one week after the handshaking and stabbing events. Total
      amounts of DNA recovered from the knives, regularly used by a single person,
      varied among individuals; one volunteer consistently deposited significantly
      greater amounts than the others, whilst another volunteer did not always leave
      complete profiles. DNA attributed to the regular user persisted for at least a
      week, declining with increasing time between DNA deposition and recovery. Non
      donor DNA was co-deposited at <5% of the profiles recovered, except for one
      volunteer, who consistently left DNA from their romantic partner on their knives
      at ~25% and ~11% of the profiles before and after the handshaking and stabbing
      events, respectively. In three pairings of volunteers, after the handshaking and
      stabbing events, alleles that could be attributed to the respective handshakers'
      profiles were detected as partial minor profiles, equating to ~10% of the
      profiles recovered. For the fourth pairing of volunteers, only complete single
      source DNA profiles matching the regular user's profile were recovered. However,
      it is important to note that, when indirectly-transferred handshaker DNA was
      detected, it declined with increasing time between DNA deposition and recovery.
      These data provide an initial insight into the detection and persistence of
      directly- and indirectly-transferred DNA that extend the data already available
      on forensic DNA transfer. The results herein suggest that the sooner an item is
      sampled after an offence has occurred, the greater the chance of recovering
      indirectly-transferred DNA, which has implications for forensic reconstructions.

PMID- 28363123
TI  - The implications of shedder status and background DNA on direct and secondary
      transfer in an attack scenario.
AB  - In court questions are often raised related to how trace DNA was deposited,
      directly during the crime or innocently for instance by secondary transfer. It is
      therefore of interest to have knowledge of the probability of transfer or
      secondary transfer in different situations. Factors that could influence transfer
      probabilities are background DNA and the shedder status of the involved persons.
      In this study, we have classified participants as high or low DNA shedders. We
      observed DNA transfer in a simulated attack scenario, and demonstrated that
      shedder status has a significant influence of transfer rates. We have examined
      the background DNA in samples from T-shirts worn in an area with frequent human
      traffic and detected multiple contributors. We further demonstrated that DNA from
      co-workers of a T-shirt wearer can be secondarily transferred from the
      environment and detected in samples, and that the composition of background DNA
      is correlated with the shedder status of the wearer. Finally, we have illustrated
      the inference with the results of transfer probabilities and a fictive case with
      the use of a Bayesian network.

PMID- 28363124
TI  - Structural principles controlling HIV envelope glycosylation.
AB  - The heavily glycosylated, trimeric HIV-1 envelope (Env) protein is the sole viral
      protein exposed on the HIV-1 virion surface and is thus a main focus of antibody
      mediated vaccine development. Dense glycosylation at the outer domain of Env
      constrains normal enzymatic processing, stalling the glycans at immature
      oligomannose-type structures. Furthermore, native trimerization imposes
      additional steric constraints, which generate an extensive 'trimer-induced
      mannose patch'. Importantly, the immature glycans present a highly conserved
      feature of the virus that is targeted by broadly neutralizing antibodies.
      Quantitative mass spectrometry of glycopeptides together with structures of the
      trimeric viral-spike define the steric principles controlling processing and
      provide a detailed map of the glycan shield.

PMID- 28363126
TI  - Interaction between the zebrafish (Danio rerio) organic cation transporter 1
      (Oct1) and endo- and xenobiotics.
AB  - Organic cation transporters (OCTs) serve as uptake transporters of numerous endo-
      and xenobiotics. They have been in the focus of medical toxicological research
      for more than a decade due to their key role in absorption, distribution,
      metabolism and excretion due to their expression on basolateral membranes of
      various barrier tissues. OCTs belong to the SLC22A family within the SLC (Solute
      carrier) protein superfamily, with three co-orthologs identified in humans (OCT1,
      2 and 3), and two Oct orthologs in zebrafish (Oct1 and Oct2). The structural and
      functional properties of zebrafish Octs, along with their toxicological
      relevance, have still not been explored. In this study, we performed a functional
      characterization of zebrafish Oct1 using transient and stable heterologous
      expression systems and model fluorescent substrates as the basis for interaction
      studies with a wide range of endo- and xenobiotics. We also conducted a basic
      topology analysis and homology modeling to determine the structure and membrane
      localization of Oct1. Finally, we performed an MTT assay to evaluate the toxic
      effects of the seven interactors identified - oxaliplatin, cisplatin, berberine,
      MPP+, prazosin, paraquat and mitoxantrone - in human embryonic kidney cells
      (HEK293T) stably expressing zebrafish Oct1 (HEK293T-drOct1 cells). Our results
      show that the zebrafish Oct1 structure consists of 12 transmembrane alpha
      helices, which form the active region with more than one active site. Five new
      fluorescent substrates of Oct1 were identified: ASP+ (Km=26MUM), rhodamine 123
      (Km=103.7nM), berberine (Km=3.96MUM), DAPI (Km=780nM), and ethidium bromide
      (Km=97nM). Interaction studies revealed numerous interactors that inhibited the
      Oct1-dependent uptake of fluorescent substrates. The identified interactors
      ranged from physiological compounds (mainly steroid hormones) to different
      classes of xenobiotics, with IC50 values in nanomolar (e.g., pyrimethamine and
      prazosin) to millimolar range (e.g., cimetidine). Cytotoxicity experiments with
      HEK293T-drOct1 cells enabled us to identify berberine, oxaliplatin and MPP+ as
      substrates of Oct1. The data presented in this study provide the first insights
      into the functional properties of zebrafish Oct1 and offer an important basis for
      more detailed molecular and ecotoxicological characterizations of this
      transporter.

PMID- 28363125
TI  - Pause & go: from the discovery of RNA polymerase pausing to its functional
      implications.
AB  - The synthesis of nascent RNA is a discontinuous process in which phases of
      productive elongation by RNA polymerase are interrupted by frequent pauses.
      Transcriptional pausing was first observed decades ago, but was long considered
      to be a special feature of transcription at certain genes. This view was
      challenged when studies using genome-wide approaches revealed that RNA polymerase
      II pauses at promoter-proximal regions in large sets of genes in Drosophila and
      mammalian cells. High-resolution genomic methods uncovered that pausing is not
      restricted to promoters, but occurs globally throughout gene-body regions,
      implying the existence of key-rate limiting steps in nascent RNA synthesis
      downstream of transcription initiation. Here, we outline the experimental
      breakthroughs that led to the discovery of pervasive transcriptional pausing,
      discuss its emerging roles and regulation, and highlight the importance of
      pausing in human development and disease.

PMID- 28363128
TI  - Toxic effect of cadmium adsorbed by different sizes of nano-hydroxyapatite on the
      growth of rice seedlings.
AB  - Information regarding the toxic effects of cadmium (Cd) adsorbed by nano
      hydroxyapatite (NHAP-Cd) on the growth of crop plants remain limited. We
      investigated the mechanism of NHAP-Cd (diameters, 20 and 40nm; NHAP20-Cd and
      NHAP40-Cd, respectively) phytotoxicity. Rice seedlings treated with Cd and NHAP20
      Cd showed more severe growth retardation compared to those treated with NHAP40
      Cd, for the same Cd concentration. Transmission electron microscopy revealed NHAP
      in the seedlings. The nanoparticles entered the rice seedlings with no Cd2+
      signals in the NHAP treatments compared to -0.47pmolcm-2s-1 of Cd2+ fluxes in the
      Cd treatment. The higher Cd2+ content in the leaves and mesocotyl of NHAP20-Cd
      treated rice seedlings suggested that smaller NHAP-Cd can translocate easily to
      the aboveground parts. Further, NHAP-Cd increased oxidative stress, which was
      determined as catalase activity changes in this study. Thus, NHAP-Cd particles in
      the growth medium can be transported to rice seedlings and cause toxicity.

PMID- 28363127
TI  - Tissue uptake, distribution and excretion of brevetoxin-3 after oral and
      intratracheal exposure in the freshwater turtle Trachemys scripta and the
      diamondback terrapin Malaclemys terrapin.
AB  - Harmful algal blooms (HABs) occur nearly annually off the west coast of Florida
      and can impact both humans and wildlife, resulting in morbidity and increased
      mortality of marine animals including sea turtles. The key organism in Florida
      red tides is the dinoflagellate Karenia brevis that produces a suite of potent
      neurotoxins referred to as the brevetoxins (PbTx). Despite recent mortality
      events and rehabilitation efforts, still little is known about how the toxin
      directly impacts sea turtles, as they are not amenable to experimentation and
      what is known about toxin levels and distribution comes primarily from post
      mortem data. In this study, we utilized the freshwater turtle Trachemys scripta
      and the diamondback terrapin, Malaclemys terrapin as model organisms to determine
      the distribution, clearance, and routes of excretion of the most common form of
      the toxin, brevetoxin-3, in turtles. Turtles were administered toxin via
      esophageal tube to mimic ingestion (33.48MUg/kg PbTx-3, 3*/week for two weeks for
      a total of 7 doses) or by intratracheal instillation (10.53MUg/kg, 3*/week for
      four weeks for a total of 12 doses) to mimic inhalation. Both oral and
      intratracheal administration of the toxin produced a suite of behavioral
      responses symptomatic of brevetoxicosis. The toxin distributed to all organ
      systems within 1h of administration but was rapidly cleared out over 24-48h,
      corresponding to a decline in clinical symptoms. Excretion appears to be
      primarily through conjugation to bile salts. Histopathological study revealed
      that the frequency of lesions varied within experimental groups with some turtles
      having no significant lesions at all, while similar lesions were found in a low
      number of control turtles suggesting another common factor(s) could be
      responsible. The overall goal of this research is better understand the impacts
      of brevetoxin on turtles in order to develop better treatment protocols for sea
      turtles exposed to HABs.

PMID- 28363129
TI  - Severe camphor poisoning, a seven-year observational study.
AB  - In a retrospective case series from 2007 to 2014, we searched for any
      accidental/intentional, and recreational cases of pure camphor poisoning through
      hospital records. Epidemiological data, as well as factors correlated with
      seizure, were evaluated. Thirty cases including 29 males were recruited with a
      median age of 18 years (range; 0.2-87). Patient's reported ingestion rate of
      camphor was 1.5-15 grams. Almost all of the patients (96.7%) were conscious on
      arrival time and the ingestion to the presentation time ratio was 7+/-5h. It was
      observed that in a majority of the cases (53.4%), decreasing libido was the main
      intent of Camphor ingestion. Nausea and vomiting occurred in 22 (73.3%) cases and
      tonic-clonic seizure was seen in 12 (40%) patients. Mean presentation time was
      significantly longer in patients who experienced seizure (9.1+/-6.1h vs. 5.2+/
      2.8h, p=0.05). No correlation was found between the amount of ingested camphor
      (grams or mg/kg) and vital signs along with the bio-chemistry results. Not only
      did all of our cases survive but also they exclusively received supportive care.

PMID- 28363130
TI  - Comparison of pseudorabies virus China reference strain with emerging variants
      reveals independent virus evolution within specific geographic regions.
AB  - Pseudorabies virus (PRV) China reference strain Ea is genetically closely related
      to newly emerged variants; however, there is limited information about PRV Ea.
      Here, we compared PRV Ea with new variant strains by growth kinetics, genome
      sequencing, and protein expression analysis. Growth analysis showed that strain
      Ea forms smaller plaques than strain HNX. The full-length genome sequence of Ea
      revealed that it is clustered in the same subgroup as HNX. Ea and HNX strains
      exhibited similar extracellular virion protein polymorphisms, whereas strain
      Bartha expressed less VP26 and more GAPDH. In infected cells, strain Ea expressed
      high levels of IE180 protein, and Ea and HNX produced higher levels of UL21
      protein than strain Bartha. These findings provide evidence that PRV China
      reference strain Ea is genetically closely related to the newly emerged variant
      strains, indicating that strain PRV China may have evolved independently leading
      to the emergence of a variant strain.

PMID- 28363132
TI  - Separate and unequal: Structural racism and infant mortality in the US.
AB  - We examined associations between state-level measures of structural racism and
      infant mortality among black and white populations across the US. Overall and
      race-specific infant mortality rates in each state were calculated from national
      linked birth and infant death records from 2010 to 2013. Structural racism in
      each state was characterized by racial inequity (ratio of black to white
      population estimates) in educational attainment, median household income,
      employment, imprisonment, and juvenile custody. Poisson regression with robust
      standard errors estimated infant mortality rate ratios (RR) and 95% confidence
      intervals (CI) associated with an IQR increase in indicators of structural racism
      overall and separately within black and white populations. Across all states,
      increasing racial inequity in unemployment was associated with a 5% increase in
      black infant mortality (RR=1.05, 95% CI=1.01, 1.10). Decreasing racial inequity
      in education was associated with an almost 10% reduction in the black infant
      mortality rate (RR=0.92, 95% CI=0.85, 0.99). None of the structural racism
      measures were significantly associated with infant mortality among whites.
      Structural racism may contribute to the persisting racial inequity in infant
      mortality.

PMID- 28363131
TI  - Preoperative cervical carotid artery contrast-enhanced ultrasound findings are
      associated with development of microembolic signals on transcranial Doppler
      during carotid exposure in endarterectomy.
AB  - BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Emboli from the surgical site during exposure of the carotid
      arteries cause new cerebral ischemic lesions or neurological deficits after
      carotid endarterectomy (CEA). The purpose of the present study was to determine
      whether preoperative contrast-enhanced ultrasound findings of the cervical
      carotid arteries are associated with the development of microembolic signals
      (MES) on transcranial Doppler, during exposure of the arteries in CEA, and to
      compare the predictive accuracy of contrast-enhanced ultrasound findings with
      that of gray-scale median (GSM). METHODS: Seventy patients with internal carotid
      artery stenosis (>=70%) underwent preoperative cervical carotid artery ultrasound
      and CEA under transcranial Doppler monitoring of MES in the ipsilateral middle
      cerebral artery. Maximally enhanced intensities on the intraplaque and lumen time
      intensity curves, respectively, were obtained from contrast-enhanced
      ultrasonography data, and the ratio of the maximal intensity (EIp) of the
      intraplaque curve to that (EIl) of the lumen curve was calculated. The GSM value
      of the plaque was also measured. RESULTS: The area under the receiver operating
      characteristic curve to discriminate between the presence and absence of MES
      during exposure of the carotid arteries was significantly greater for EIp/EIl
      than for GSM (p = 0.0108). Multivariate statistical analysis demonstrated that
      only EIp/EIl was significantly associated with the development of MES during
      exposure of the carotid arteries (p = 0.0002). CONCLUSIONS: Preoperative contrast
      enhanced ultrasound findings of the cervical carotid arteries are associated with
      development of MES on transcranial Doppler during exposure of the arteries in
      CEA, and the predictive accuracy of contrast-enhanced ultrasound is greater than
      that of GSM.

PMID- 28363133
TI  - The use of step aerobics and the stability ball to improve balance and quality of
      life in community-dwelling older adults - a randomized exploratory study.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: To explore the use of step aerobics (SA) and the stability ball (SB)
      as tools for balance improvement in community-dwelling older adults. METHOD:
      Forty-two women (age: 72.2+/-5.8 years) who attended a community day center
      volunteered to participate in the study. Following the first assessment session,
      28 women were assigned randomly to one of two experimental groups (the use of
      either SA or SB). The other 14 participants, who were engaged in a ceramic class,
      served as the control group. The study design was based on four assessment
      sessions and eight weeks of intervention. Assessment included four balance tests:
      Timed Up and Go (TUG), One-Leg Stand, Functional Reach, and the Performance
      Oriented Assessment of Mobility (POMA). Quality of life was assessed by the use
      of the Short Form-36 Health Survey questionnaire. RESULTS: The TUG and POMA
      intervention improved significantly (d=.83 and d=.95, respectively) following the
      SA. In addition, general health perception following both the SA and SB
      interventions improved significantly relative to the control condition (d=.62 and
      d=.22, respectively). DISCUSSION: The findings of this study may imply that
      trainers should consider the inclusion of SA and SB as components of physical
      activity programs for seniors, aimed at improving balance ability and quality of
      life.

PMID- 28363134
TI  - Dissociable effects of age and testosterone on adolescent impatience.
AB  - The onset of adolescence is associated with an increase in transgressive
      behaviours-from juvenile delinquency to substance use and unprotected sex-that
      are often attributed to increased impulsiveness. In the past, this increase was
      ascribed to "raging hormones"; more recently, to an imbalance in the maturation
      of different brain regions. However, it remains unclear how these large-scale
      biological changes impact specific processes that result in impulsive decisions,
      namely, sensitivity to immediate rewards and general discounting of future
      options. To gain further insight into these questions, we used an intertemporal
      choice task to investigate the role of testosterone in impatient decision-making
      in boys at the developmental transition to adolescence (N=72, ages 11-14). Our
      results suggest that increased testosterone (but not age) is related to increased
      sensitivity to immediate rewards, whereas increased age (but not testosterone) is
      related to a reduction in general impatience. These results are discussed in the
      context of recent neurobiological models of adolescent development.

PMID- 28363135
TI  - Mesoporous silica nanoparticles incorporated hybrid monolithic stationary phase
      immobilized with pepsin for enantioseparation by capillary electrochromatography.
AB  - In this study, a novel mesoporous silica nanoparticles incorporated chiral hybrid
      monolithic stationary phase was developed. The stationary phase was firstly
      prepared by an in situ copolymerization of amino-modified mesoporous silica
      nanoparticles (NH2-MSN), glycidyl methacrylate (GMA), and ethylene dimethacrylate
      (EDMA) and then functionalized with pepsin as chiral selector. The incorporated
      mesoporous silica nanoparticles provided additional interactions sites, and in
      turn yielded different enantioselectivity thus enhancing the overall separation.
      The column was successfully employed for enantioseparation of fifteen basic
      chiral drugs in capillary electrochromatography. Effects of nanoparticles
      percentage, pepsin concentration, the pH of running buffer and the applied
      voltage were investigated. All the analytes could be eluted in less than ten
      minutes and nine of them could achieve baseline separation. Satisfactory
      repeatabilities with relative standard deviations less than 4.2% were achieved
      through intraday, interday, column-to-column and batch-to-batch investigations.
      These results indicated that the simultaneous utilization of the unique
      properties of mesoporous silica nanoparticles and versatile features of monoliths
      could be a promising strategy for enantioseparation.

PMID- 28363137
TI  - Structures related to attachment and motility in the marine eugregarine
      Cephaloidophora cf. communis (Apicomplexa).
AB  - Gregarines represent a highly diversified group of ancestral apicomplexans, with
      various modes of locomotion and host-parasite interactions. The eugregarine
      parasite of the barnacle Balanus balanus, Cephaloidophora cf. communis, exhibits
      interesting organisation of its attachment apparatus along with unique motility
      modes. The pellicle covered gregarine is arranged into longitudinal epicytic
      folds. The epimerite is separated from the protomerite by a septum consisting of
      tubulin-rich filamentous structures and both are packed with microneme-like
      structures suggestive of their function in the production of adhesives important
      for attachment and secreted through the abundant epimerite pores. Detached
      trophozoites and gamonts are capable of gliding motility, enriched by jumping and
      rotational movements with rapid changes in gliding direction and cell flexions.
      Actin in its polymerised form (F-actin) is distributed throughout the entire
      gregarine, while myosin, detected in the cortical region of the cell, follows the
      pattern of the epicytic folds. Various motility modes exhibited by individuals of
      C. cf. communis, together with significant changes in their cell shape during
      locomotion, are not concordant with the gliding mechanisms generally described in
      apicomplexan zoites and indicate that additional structures must be involved
      (e.g. two 12-nm filaments; the specific dentate appearance of internal lamina
      inside the epicytic folds).

PMID- 28363136
TI  - Urinary metabonomics study of the hepatoprotective effects of total alkaloids
      from Corydalis saxicola Bunting on carbon tetrachloride-induced chronic
      hepatotoxicity in rats using 1H NMR analysis.
AB  - Chronic liver injury has been shown to cause liver fibrosis due to the sustained
      pathophysiological wound healing response of the liver, and eventually progresses
      to cirrhosis. The total alkaloids of Corydalis saxicola Bunting (TACS), a
      collection of important bioactive ingredients derived from the traditional
      Chinese folk medicine Corydalis saxicola Bunting (CS), have been reported to have
      protective effects on the liver. However, the underlying molecular mechanisms
      need further elucidation. In this study, the urinary metabonomics and the
      biochemical changes in rats with carbon tetrachloride (CCl4)-induced chronic
      liver injury due to treatment TACS or administration of the positive control drug
      bifendate were studied via proton nuclear magnetic resonance (1H NMR) analysis.
      Partial least squares-discriminate analysis (PLS-DA) suggested that metabolic
      perturbation caused by CCl4 damage was recovered with TACS and bifendate
      treatment. A total of seven metabolites including 2-oxoglutarate, citrate,
      dimethylamine, taurine, phenylacetylglycine, creatinine and hippurate were
      considered as potential biomarkers involved in the development of CCl4-induced
      chronic liver injury. According to pathway analysis using identified metabolites
      and correlation network construction, the tricarboxylic acid (TCA) cycle, gut
      microbiota metabolism and taurine and hypotaurine metabolism were recognized as
      the most affected metabolic pathways associated with CCl4 chronic hepatotoxicity.
      Notably, the changes in 2-oxoglutarate, citrate, taurine and hippurate during the
      process of CCl4-induced chronic liver injury were significantly restored by TACS
      treatment, which suggested that TACS synergistically mediated the regulation of
      multiple metabolic pathways including the TCA cycle, gut microbiota metabolism
      and taurine and hypotaurine metabolism. This study could bring valuable insight
      to evaluating the efficacy of TACS intervention therapy, help deepen the
      understanding of the hepatoprotective mechanisms of TACS and enable optimal
      diagnosis of chronic liver injury.

PMID- 28363138
TI  - Origin and diversity of testate amoebae shell composition: Example of
      Bullinularia indica living in Sphagnum capillifolium.
AB  - Testate amoebae are free-living shelled protists that build a wide range of
      shells with various sizes, shapes, and compositions. Recent studies showed that
      xenosomic testate amoebae shells could be indicators of atmospheric particulate
      matter (PM) deposition. However, no study has yet been conducted to assess the
      intra-specific mineral, organic, and biologic grain diversity of a single
      xenosomic species in a natural undisturbed environment. This study aims at
      providing new information about grain selection to develop the potential use of
      xenosomic testate amoebae shells as bioindicators of the multiple-origin
      mineral/organic diversity of their proximal environment. To fulfil these
      objectives, we analysed the shell content of 38 Bullinularia indica individuals,
      a single xenosomic testate amoeba species living in Sphagnum capillifolium, by
      scanning electron microscope (SEM) coupled with X-ray spectroscopy. The shells
      exhibited high diversities of mineral, organic, and biomineral grains, which
      confirms their capability to recycle xenosomes. Mineral grain diversity and size
      of B. indica matched those of the atmospheric natural mineral PM deposited in the
      peatbog. Calculation of grain size sorting revealed a discrete selection of
      grains agglutinated by B. indica. These results are a first step towards
      understanding the mechanisms of particle selection by xenosomic testate amoebae
      in natural conditions.

PMID- 28363139
TI  - Ophryocystis anatoliensis sp. nov., a new neogregarine pathogen of the
      chrysomelid beetle Chrysomela populi.
AB  - Chrysomela populi (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae) is the most abundant and most
      important pest species that causes damage to poplar trees. Members of the family
      Chrysomelidae are frequently infected by protist pathogens but no neogregarine
      has been reported to date at the species level. In the present study we identify
      a new neogregarine pathogen from the chrysomelid C. populi. The infection was
      observed in the Malpighian tubules of adult beetles. A reddening of the
      Malpighian tubules was the most distinctive symptom of the infection. Single
      fusiform oocysts (9.8*4.7MUm) were formed within a gamontocyst. The polar plugs
      were very thin, varying from 380 to 525nm in thickness. The oocyst wall was
      smooth and also quite thin (90-120nm). Morphological and ultrastructural
      characteristics of the pathogen indicate that the described neogregarine in C.
      populi is clearly different from known Ophryocystis species which infect
      coleopterans. Therefore, the neogregarine pathogen was determined to be a newly
      discovered species and named Ophryocystis anatoliensis sp. nov.

PMID- 28363140
TI  - Knowledge training and the change of fertilizer use intensity: Evidence from
      wheat farmers in China.
AB  - High fertilizer use intensity is a serious issue throughout China, with adverse
      environmental and economic impacts. The lack of knowledge of Chinese farmers has
      been found to be the primary constraint. Using a propensity score matching (PSM)
      method to create a credible counterfactual analysis, this study examines the
      causal effects of two kinds of knowledge training approaches, traditional one
      time training and in-field guidance, on the change of fertilizer use intensity of
      wheat farmers in China. The estimated results provide evidence that the
      traditional one-time training approach has a small effect on fertilizer use
      intensity reduction (only a 4% average), while the in-field guidance has a larger
      effect on fertilizer use intensity reduction (a 17% average). Moreover, we also
      found knowledge training has heterogeneous treatment effects. The reduction in
      fertilizer use intensity is larger for the farmers who are male and middle aged,
      have acquired a middle level of education, receive a lower share of off-farm
      income, collect a lower income, and operate a larger farm.

PMID- 28363142
TI  - Local co-administration of gene-silencing RNA and drugs in cancer therapy: State
      of-the art and therapeutic potential.
AB  - Gene-silencing miRNA and siRNA are emerging as attractive therapeutics with
      potential to suppress any genes, which could be especially useful in combination
      cancer therapy to overcome multidrug resistant (MDR) cancer. Nanomedicine aims to
      advance cancer treatment through functional nanocarriers that delivers one or
      more therapeutics to cancer tissue and cells with minimal off-target effects and
      suitable release kinetics and dosages. Although much effort has gone into
      developing circulating nanocarriers with targeting functionality for systemic
      administration, another alternative and straightforward approach is to utilize
      formulations to be administered directly to the site of action, such as pulmonary
      and intratumoral delivery. The combination of gene-silencing RNA with drugs in
      nanocarriers for localized delivery is emerging with promising results. In this
      review, the current progress and strategies for local co-administration of RNA
      and drug for synergistic effects and future potential in cancer treatment are
      presented and discussed. Key advances in RNA-drug anticancer synergy and
      localized delivery systems were combined with a review of the available
      literature on local co-administration of RNA and drug for cancer treatment. It is
      concluded that advanced delivery systems for local administration of gene
      silencing RNA and drug hold potential in treatment of cancer, depending on
      indication. In particular, there are promising developments using pulmonary
      delivery and intratumoral delivery in murine models, but further research should
      be conducted on other local administration strategies, designs that achieve
      effective intracellular delivery and maximize synergy and feasibility for
      clinical use.

PMID- 28363141
TI  - Antimony and sleep-related disorders: NHANES 2005-2008.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Antimony is used as a flame-retardant in textiles and plastics, in
      semiconductors, pewter, and as pigments in paints, lacquers, glass and pottery.
      Subacute or chronic antimony poisoning has been reported to cause sleeplessness.
      The prevalence of short sleep duration (<7h/night) has been reported to be 37.1%
      in the general US population, and obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) affects 12-28
      million US adults. Insufficient sleep and OSA have been linked to the development
      of several chronic conditions including diabetes, cardiovascular disease, obesity
      and depression, conditions that pose serious public health threats. OBJECTIVE: To
      investigate whether there is an association between antimony exposure and sleep
      related disorders in the US adult population using the National Health and
      Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) 2005-2008. METHODS: We performed
      multivariate logistic regression to analyze the association of urinary antimony
      with several sleep disorders, including insufficient sleep and OSA, in adult
      (ages 20 years and older) participants of NHANES 2005-2008 (n=2654). RESULT: We
      found that participants with higher urinary antimony levels had higher odds to
      experience insufficient sleep (<=6h/night) (OR 1.73; 95%CI; 1.04, 2.91) as well
      as higher odds to have increased sleep onset latency (>30min/night). Furthermore,
      we found that higher urinary antimony levels in participants were associated with
      OSA (OR 1.57; 95%CI; 1.05, 2.34), sleep problems, and day-time sleepiness.
      CONCLUSION: In this study, we found that urinary antimony was associated with
      higher odds to have insufficient sleep and OSA. Because of the public health
      implications of sleep disorders, further studies, especially a prospective cohort
      study, are warranted to evaluate the association between antimony exposure and
      sleep-related disorders.

PMID- 28363144
TI  - Influence of the electronic structures on the heterogeneous photoelectrocatalytic
      performance of Ti/RuxSn1-xO2 electrodes.
AB  - DSA-type Ti/RuxSn1-xO2 electrodes were prepared by thermal decomposition method
      as photoelectrocatalysts (PECs) and extensively characterized by various
      sophisticated techniques. First-principles calculations was employed to study the
      effects of Ru content on the electronic structures of the RuxSn1-xO2 coatings.
      The photoelectric-synergistic catalytic activity of the Ti/RuxSn1-xO2 electrodes
      was evaluated for the degradation of methyl orange (MO) in aqueous solution. The
      results show that the RuO2-SnO2 solid solution could be formed. The band gaps of
      the RuxSn1-xO2 coatings gradually decreased and eventually turned into metallic
      conductivity with the increase of ruthenium content. As a PEC electrode, reducing
      band gap is helpful to improve electronic conductivity and the electrocatalytic
      activity, but not always advantageous to increase the photocatalytic activity.
      Because too narrow band gap will sacrifice the photogenerated charge carriers and
      thus reduce photocatalytic activity of the electrode. In our experiments, the
      rate constant of Ti/Ru0.05Sn0.95O2 electrode increased with increasing Ru content
      and exhibited the maximum rate for 5% Ru loading. The stability test showed the
      photoelectrocatalytic activity of the Ti/Ru0.05Sn0.95O2 electrode almost had no
      attenuation after 100h photoelectrolysis, revealing that this electrode has good
      long-term stability.

PMID- 28363143
TI  - Nanotoxicity of graphene oxide: Assessing the influence of oxidation debris in
      the presence of humic acid.
AB  - This study sought to evaluate the toxicological effects of graphene oxide (GO)
      through tests with Danio rerio (zebrafish) embryos, considering the influence of
      the base washing treatment and the interaction with natural organic matter (i.e.,
      humic acid, HA). A commercial sample of GO was refluxed with NaOH to remove
      oxidation debris (OD) byproducts, which resulted in a base washed GO sample (bw
      GO). This process decreased the total oxygenated groups in bw-GO and its
      stability in water compared to GO. When tested in the presence of HA, both GO and
      bw-GO stabilities were enhanced in water. Although the embryo exposure showed no
      acute toxicity or malformation, the larvae exposed to GO showed a reduction in
      their overall length and acetylcholinesterase activity. In the presence of HA, GO
      also inhibited acid phosphatase activity. Our findings indicate a mitigation of
      material toxicity after OD removal. The difference in the biological effects may
      be related to the materials' bioavailability and biophysicochemical interactions.
      This study reports for the first time the critical influence of OD on the GO
      material biological reactivity and HA interaction, providing new data for
      nanomaterial environmental risk assessment and sustainable nanotechnology.

PMID- 28363145
TI  - Removal of sulfamethoxazole by electrochemically activated sulfate: Implications
      of chloride addition.
AB  - Electrochemical oxidation is considered to be an attractive alternative to
      chemical oxidation for the treatment of polluted water. Given the of ability of
      boron-doped diamond (BDD) electrodes to generate hydroxyl radicals (OH), they are
      often selected for the degradation of persistent organic contaminants. Recently,
      BDD anodes have been demonstrated to form strong oxidants, sulfate radicals (SO4
      ), directly from sulfate ions. In this study, electrochemical activation of
      sulfate to SO4- at BDD anodes enhanced the removal of an antibiotic
      sulfamethoxazole (SMX). The rate of SMX oxidation was 6 times higher in sulfate
      anolyte compared to inert nitrate anolyte. Addition of chloride accelerated the
      disappearance of SMX in both anolytes due to electrochlorination. Yet,
      mineralization efficiency was decreased, particularly in Na2SO4 anolyte due to
      the scavenging of SO4- by Cl-. Electrogenerated SO4- yielded nitroso- and nitro
      derivatives, which were not observed in the absence of sulfate. The peak
      intensities of chlorinated TPs were three orders of magnitude lower in Na2SO4
      than in NaNO3 anolyte, suggesting that addition of sulfate may lower the
      formation of chlorinated organics. However, attention should be paid to the
      formation of inorganic byproducts, as the formation rates of toxic chlorate and
      in particular perchlorate were higher in Na2SO4 anolyte.

PMID- 28363146
TI  - A simple post-synthesis conversion approach to Zn(OH)F and the effects of
      fluorine and hydroxyl on the photodegradation properties of dye wastewater.
AB  - In this work, Zn(OH)F is prepared by an initiative, simple post-synthesis method,
      in which the molar ratio of F/Zn (RF) was varied to investigate the effect of the
      NH4F amounts added on the samples. Further, we have mainly investigated their
      energy bands and photochemical properties. Under UV light irradiation
      (lambdaL420nm), the samples (RF=0,1,2) show the high degradation activities of
      methylene blue (MB) dye, namely, 80% of MB can be degraded after 8min. It is
      found that the hydroxyl and fluorine have greatly down shifted the conduction
      band (CB, 0.99eV) and valence band (VB, 4.17eV) of Zn(OH)F, compared with ZnO
      (CB=-0.31eV, VB=2.89eV), but with the nearly same band gap. For the degradation
      of MB dye, the main oxidative species are holes and hydroxyl radicals for ZnO and
      Zn(OH)F, respectively. This study suggests that this simple post-synthesis
      fluorination approach could be extended to develop the other photocatalysts;
      moreover, we can facilely tune the band structure and photocatalytic activity by
      introducing or removing hydroxyl and fluorine, which could benefit to develop new
      photocatalysts.

PMID- 28363147
TI  - Renewable energy production by photoelectrochemical oxidation of organic wastes
      using WO3 photoanodes.
AB  - The present work has studied renewable hydrogen production by
      photoelectrocatalytic degradation of model organic substances representing
      biomass derived organic wastes. Its purpose was to show that renewable energy can
      be produced by consuming wastes. The study has been carried out by employing
      nanoparticulate WO3 photoanodes in the presence of ethanol, glycerol or sorbitol,
      i.e. three substances which are among typical biomass products. In these
      substances, the molecular weight and the number of hydroxyl groups increases from
      ethanol to sorbitol. The photocurrent produced by the cell was the highest in the
      presence of ethanol, smaller in the case of glycerol and further decreased in the
      presence of sorbitol. The photocurrent was roughly the double of that produced in
      the absence of an organic additive thus demonstrating current doubling phenomena.
      Hydrogen was produced only under illumination and was monitored at two forward
      bias, 0.8 and 1.6V vs Ag/AgCl. Hydrogen production rates followed the same order
      as the photocurrent thus indicating that hydrogen production by reduction of
      protons mainly depends on the current flowing through the external circuit
      connecting photoanode with cathode. The maximum solar-to-hydrogen efficiency
      reached by the present system was 2.35%.

PMID- 28363148
TI  - Beyond the tendon: Experiences and perceptions of people with persistent Achilles
      tendinopathy.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Achilles tendinopathy (AT) is associated with persistent pain leading
      to a significant physical and psychological burden. Psychosocial factors are
      considered to be important mediators following exercise interventions. Despite
      the recognition of the importance of psychosocial variables in persistent MSK
      disorders, there is a distinct lack of qualitative research investigating
      psychosocial factors in AT. PURPOSE: To qualitatively explore the perceptions and
      experiences of people with AT prior to an intervention study. METHODOLOGY: A
      qualitative, interpretive description design was performed using semi-structured
      telephone interviews. The questioning route covered history of AT, perceived
      cause of AT, effect of AT pain, experience in managing AT, and perspective on
      prognosis of AT pain. Interviews were transcribed verbatim. The study has been
      reported in accordance with the consolidated criteria for reporting qualitative
      research (COREQ) checklist. To facilitate the rigor of methodology and the
      transparency of the research process an audit trail was created. RESULTS: Eight
      participant's (Five male and three female). Four main themes were identified in
      the data: (i) pain as a feature of everyday life; (ii) experience with the
      management process; (iii) identifying with and self-managing AT, and (iv) looking
      to the future. CONCLUSIONS: This study suggests that persistent AT is associated
      with a significant psychosocial impact, particularly in terms of participation in
      daily life and valued activities. Better understanding the experiences and
      personal impacts of AT may enhance management of this persistent disorder, and
      facilitate individuals with AT complying with evidence-based approaches including
      exercise and pain reconceptualization.

PMID- 28363149
TI  - Chemical principles additive model aligns low consensus DNA targets of p53 tumor
      suppressor protein.
AB  - Computational prediction of the interaction between protein transcription factors
      and their cognate DNA binding sites in genomic promoters constitutes a formidable
      challenge in two situations: when the number of discriminatory interactions is
      small compared to the length of the binding site, and when DNA binding sites
      possess a poorly conserved consensus binding motif. The transcription factor p53
      tumor suppressor protein and its target DNA exhibit both of these issues. From
      crystal structure analysis, only three discriminatory amino acid side chains
      contact the DNA for a binding site spanning ten base pairs. Furthermore, our
      analysis of a dataset of genome wide fragments binding to p53 revealed many
      sequences lacking the expected consensus. The low information content leads to an
      overestimation of binding sites, and the lack of conservation equates to a
      computational alignment problem. Within a fragment of DNA known to bind to p53,
      computationally locating the position of the site equates to aligning the DNA
      with the binding interface. From a molecular perspective, that alignment implies
      a specification of which DNA bases are interacting with which amino acid side
      chains, and aligning many sequences to the same protein interface concomitantly
      produces a multiple sequence alignment. From this vantage, we propose to cast
      prediction of p53 binding sites as an alignment to the protein binding surface
      with the novel approach of optimizing the alignment of DNA fragments to the p53
      binding interface based on chemical principles. A scoring scheme based on this
      premise was successfully implemented to score a dataset of biological DNA
      fragments known to contain p53 binding sites. The results illuminate the
      mechanism of recognition for the protein-DNA system at the forefront of cancer
      research. These findings implicate that p53 may recognize its target binding
      sites via several different mechanisms which may include indirect readout.

PMID- 28363150
TI  - Osteophyte induced lung fibrosis prevalence and osteophyte qualities predicting
      disease.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: To determine the prevalence of osteophyte induced lung fibrosis (OIF)
      and its relationship to osteophyte size, location, and surrounding fat. METHODS:
      94 CT scans of the chest were reviewed, size of the largest osteophyte and the
      presence of fibrosis were recorded. RESULTS: Presence of fibrosis was higher
      among patient with large (>10 mm) osteophytes compared to those with small (1
      10mm) osteophytes. Age and presence of periosteophyte fat were significantly
      associated with presence of fibrosis. CONCLUSIONS: As the size of an osteophyte
      increases, there is a greater likelihood of lung fibrosis. Subpleural fat
      protects the lung from OIF.

PMID- 28363151
TI  - Irritability in ADHD: Associations with depression liability.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Irritability and the new DSM-5 diagnostic category of Disruptive Mood
      Dysregulation Disorder (DMDD) have been conceptualised as related to mood
      disorder. Irritability is common in Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder
      (ADHD) but little is known about its association with depression risk in this
      group. This study aims to establish levels of irritability and prevalence of DMDD
      in a clinical sample of children with ADHD, and examine their association with
      anxiety, depression and family history of depression. METHODS: The sample
      consisted of 696 children (mean age 10.9 years) with a diagnosis of ADHD,
      recruited from UK child psychiatry and paediatric clinics. Parents completed the
      Child and Adolescent Psychiatric Assessment, a semi-structured diagnostic
      interview, about their child. This was used to establish prevalence of DMDD,
      anxiety disorder and depressive disorder, as well as obtain symptom scores for
      irritability, anxiety and depression. Questionnaires assessed current parental
      depression, and family history of depression. RESULT: Irritability was common,
      with 91% endorsing at least one irritable symptom. 3-month DMDD prevalence was
      31%. Children with higher levels of irritability or DMDD were more likely to have
      comorbid symptoms of anxiety, depression and a family history of depression.
      LIMITATIONS: Results are based on a clinical sample, so may not be generalizable
      to children with ADHD in the general population. CONCLUSIONS: Irritability and
      DMDD were common, and were associated with markers of depression liability.
      Longitudinal studies are needed to examine the association between irritability
      and depression in youth with ADHD as they get older.

PMID- 28363152
TI  - Placebo and nocebo reactions in randomized trials of pharmacological treatments
      for persistent depressive disorder. A meta-regression analysis.
AB  - BACKGROUND: We aimed to investigate placebo and nocebo reactions in randomized
      controlled trials (RCT) of pharmacological treatments for persistent depressive
      disorder (PDD). METHODS: We conducted a systematic electronic search and included
      RCTs investigating antidepressants for the treatment of PDD. Outcomes were the
      number of patients experiencing response and remission in placebo arms (=placebo
      reaction). Additional outcomes were the incidence of patients experiencing
      adverse events and related discontinuations in placebo arms (=nocebo reaction). A
      priori defined effect modifiers were analyzed using a series of meta-regression
      analyses. RESULTS: Twenty-three trials were included in the analyses. We found a
      pooled placebo response rate of 31% and a placebo remission rate of 22%. The
      pooled adverse event rate and related discontinuations were 57% and 4%,
      respectively. All placebo arm outcomes were positively associated with the
      corresponding medication arm outcomes. Placebo response rate was associated with
      a greater proportion of patients with early onset depression, a smaller chance to
      receive placebo and a larger sample size. The adverse event rate in placebo arms
      was associated with a greater proportion of patients with early onset depression,
      a smaller proportion of females and a more recent publication. CONCLUSIONS:
      Pooled placebo and nocebo reaction rates in PDD were comparable to those in
      episodic depression. The identified effect modifiers should be considered to
      assess unbiased effects in RCTs, to influence placebo and nocebo reactions in
      practice. LIMITATIONS: Limitations result from the methodology applied, the fact
      that we conducted only univariate analyses, and the number and quality of
      included trials.

PMID- 28363153
TI  - Structure activity study of carbonic anhydrase IX: Selective inhibition with
      ureido-substituted benzenesulfonamides.
AB  - Ureido-substituted benzenesulfonamides (USBs) show great promise as selective and
      potent inhibitors for human carbonic anhydrase hCA IX and XII, with one such
      compound (SLC-0111/U-F) currently in clinical trials (clinical trials.gov,
      NCT02215850). In this study, the crystal structures of both hCA II (off-target)
      and an hCA IX-mimic (target) in complex with selected USBs (U-CH3, U-F, and U
      NO2), at resolutions of 1.9 A or better, are presented, and demonstrate
      differences in the binding modes within the two isoforms. The presence of residue
      Phe 131 in hCA II causes steric hindrance (U-CH3, 1765 nM; U-F, 960 nM; U-NO2, 15
      nM) whereas in hCA IX (U-CH3, 7 nM; U-F, 45 nM; U-NO2, 1 nM) and hCA XII (U-CH3,
      6 nM; U-F, 4 nM; U-NO2, 6 nM), 131 is a Val and Ala, respectively, allows for
      more favorable binding. Our results provide insight into the mechanism of USB
      selective inhibition and useful information for structural design and drug
      development, including synthesis of hybrid USB compounds with improved
      physiochemical properties.

PMID- 28363154
TI  - Synthesis, stability and mechanistic studies of potent anticryptococcal
      hexapeptides.
AB  - The growing incidents of cryptococcosis in immuno-compromised patients have
      created a need for novel drug therapies capable of eradicating the disease. The
      peptide-based drug therapy offers many advantages over the traditional
      therapeutic agents, which has been exploited in the present study by synthesizing
      a series of hexapeptides that exhibits promising activity against a panel of Gram
      negative and Gram-positive bacteria and various pathogenic fungal strains; the
      most exemplary activity was observed against Cryptococcus neoformans. The
      peptides 3, 24, 32 and 36 displayed potent anticryptococcal activity (IC50 = 0.4
      0.46 MUg/mL, MIC = 0.63-1.25 MUg/mL, MFC = 0.63-1.25 MUg/mL), and stability under
      proteolytic conditions. Besides this, several other peptides displayed promising
      inhibition of pathogenic bacteria. The prominent ones include peptides 18-20, and
      26 that exhibited IC50 values ranged between 2.1 and 3.6 MUg/mL, MICs of 5-20
      MUg/mL and MBCs of 10-20 MUg/mL against Staphylococcus aureus and methicillin
      resistant S. aureus. The detailed mechanistic study on selected peptides
      demonstrated absolute selectivity towards the bacterial membranes and fungal
      cells by causing perturbations in the cell membranes, confirmed by the scanning
      electron microscopy and transmission electron microscopy studies.

PMID- 28363155
TI  - Novel aryl piperazines for alleviation of 'andropause' associated prostatic
      disorders and depression.
AB  - A series of seventeen piperazine derivatives have been synthesized and
      biologically evaluated for the management of andropause-associated prostatic
      disorders and depression. Five compounds 16, 19, 20, 21 and 22 significantly
      inhibited proliferation of androgen-sensitive LNCaP prostatic cell line with EC50
      values of 12.4 MUM, 15.6 MUM, 11.8 MUM, 10.4 MUM, 12.2 MUM respectively and
      decreased Ca2+ entry through adrenergic-receptor alpha1A blocking activity. Anti
      androgenic behaviour of compound 19 and 22 was evident by decreased luciferase
      activity. The high EC50 value in AR-negative cells PC3 and DU145 suggested that
      the cytotoxicity of compounds was due to AR down regulation. Compound 19 reduced
      the prostate weight of rats by 53.8%. Further, forced-swimming and tail
      suspension tests revealed antidepressant-like activity of compound 19, lacking
      effects on neuromuscular co-ordination. In silico ADMET predictions revealed that
      the compound 19 had good oral absorption, aqueous solubility, non-hepatotoxic and
      good affinity for plasma protein binding. Pharmacokinetic and tissue uptake of 19
      at 10 mg/kg demonstrated an oral bioavailability of 35.4%. In silico docking
      studies predicted similar binding pattern of compound 19 on androgen receptor as
      hydroxyflutamide. Compound 19 appears to be a unique scaffold with promising
      activities against androgen associated prostatic disorders in males like prostate
      cancer and BPH and associated depression.

PMID- 28363156
TI  - F-actin reorganization upon de- and rehydration in the aeroterrestrial green alga
      Klebsormidium crenulatum.
AB  - Filamentous actin (F-actin) is a dynamic network involved in many cellular
      processes like cell division and cytoplasmic streaming. While many studies have
      addressed the involvement of F-actin in different cellular processes in cultured
      cells, little is known on the reactions to environmental stress scenarios, where
      this system might have essential regulatory functions. We investigated here the
      de- and rehydration kinetics of breakdown and reassembly of F-actin in the
      streptophyte green alga Klebsormidium crenulatum. Measurements of the chlorophyll
      fluorescence (effective quantum yield of photosystem II [DeltaF/Fm']) via pulse
      amplitude modulation were performed as a measure for dehydration induced shut
      down of physiological activity, which ceased after 141+/-15min at ~84% RH. We
      hypothesized that there is a link between this physiological parameter and the
      status of the F-actin system. Indeed, 20min of dehydration (DeltaF/Fm'=0) leads
      to a breakdown of the fine cortical F-actin network as visualized by Atto 488
      phalloidin staining, and dot-like structures remained. Already 10min after
      rehydration a beginning reassembly of F-actin is observed, after 25min the F
      actin network appeared similar to untreated controls, indicating a full recovery.
      These results demonstrate the fast kinetics of F-actin dis- and reassembly likely
      contributing to cellular reorganization upon rehydration.

PMID- 28363157
TI  - Memory B cells: total recall.
AB  - Immunological memory is a cornerstone of adaptive immune responses in higher
      vertebrates. The remarkable ability to generate memory cells following Ag
      exposure, in the context of natural infection or immunization, provides long
      lived protection against infectious diseases, often for the hosts' lifetime.
      Indeed, the generation of memory B cells and long-lived plasma cells underpins
      the success of most vaccines. The concept of immunological memory is not new-it
      was first proposed nearly 2500 years ago. While our understanding of the
      complexities of humoral and cell-mediated memory continues to evolve, important
      aspects of this process remain unresolved. Here, we will provide an overview of
      recent advances in B-cell memory in mice and humans, and in health and disease.

PMID- 28363158
TI  - Evaluation of the separation and purification of 227Th from its decay progeny by
      anion exchange and extraction chromatography.
AB  - Thorium-227 is currently undergoing evaluation as a potential radionuclide for
      targeted cancer therapy, and as such a high chemical purity of the material is
      required. To establish a reliable procedure for radiochemical isolation of 227Th
      from the parent 227Ac and decay progeny, which includes the radiotherapeutic
      223Ra, the performance of three different separation schemes based on ion
      exchange and extraction chromatography have been evaluated. The results suggest
      that both ion exchange and extraction chromatographic techniques can be
      successfully used for the separation of 227Th from its decay progeny, however
      extraction chromatographic resins demonstrate favourable performance in terms of
      Th recovery and purification from radionuclide impurities.

PMID- 28363159
TI  - Toolmarks made by lathe chuck jaws.
AB  - This paper presents a forensic method to evidentially tie a workpiece with a
      specific lathe. Examining using this method can prove or exclude a connection
      between the two. The importance of this method is mostly due to the growing trend
      among lawbreakers of manufacturing improvised firearm parts using machining
      processes. This method is based on comparing jaw impressions made by the chuck on
      a workpiece.

PMID- 28363160
TI  - Ion channelopathies associated genetic variants as the culprit for sudden
      unexplained death.
AB  - Forensic identification of sudden unexplained death (SUD) has always been a
      ticklish issue because it used to be defined as sudden death without a conclusive
      diagnosis after autopsy. However, benefiting from the developments in genome
      research, a growing body of evidence points to the importance of ion
      channelopathies associated genetic variants in the pathogenesis of SUD. Genetic
      diagnosis of the deceased is also a new trend in epidemiological studies, for it
      enables the undertaking for preventive approach in individuals with high risks.
      In this review, we briefly discuss the molecular structure of ion channels and
      the role of genetic variants in regulating their functions as well as the diverse
      mechanisms underlying the ion channelopathies at gene level.

PMID- 28363161
TI  - Family history of cancer and the risk of bladder cancer: A case-control study
      from Italy.
AB  - BACKGROUND: A family history of bladder cancer has been associated with the risk
      of bladder cancer, but quantification of the excess risk in different populations
      is still a relevant issue. Further, the role of a family history of other cancers
      on the risk of bladder cancer remains unclear. METHODS: We analyzed data from an
      Italian case-control study, including 690 bladder cancer cases and 665 hospital
      controls. Odds ratios (ORs) were estimated through unconditional logistic
      regression models, adjusted for sex, age, study center, year of interview and
      further for education, smoking and sibling's number. RESULTS: The OR for family
      history of bladder cancer was 2.13 (95% confidence intervals (95%CIs) 1.02-4.49)
      from the model with partial adjustment, and 1.99 (95%CI 0.91-4.32) after
      additional adjustment for smoking and siblings' number, based on 23 cases (3.3%)
      and 11 controls (1.7%) with a family history of bladder cancer. The fully
      adjusted OR was 3.77 when the relative was diagnosed at age below 65years.
      Smokers with a family history of bladder cancer had a four-fold increased risk
      compared to non-smokers without a family history. Bladder cancer risk was
      significantly increased among subjects with a family history of hemolymphopoietic
      cancers (OR=2.97, 95%CI 1.35-6.55). Family history of cancer at other sites
      showed no significant association with bladder cancer risk. CONCLUSION: This
      study confirms an approximately two-fold increased risk of bladder cancer for
      family history of bladder cancer, and indicates a possible familial clustering of
      bladder cancer with cancers of the hemolymphopoietic system.

PMID- 28363162
TI  - Non-invasive characterization of colorants by portable diffuse reflectance
      infrared Fourier transform (DRIFT) spectroscopy and chemometrics.
AB  - During the last years the need for non-invasive and non-destructive analytical
      methods brought to the development and application of new instrumentation and
      analytical methods for the in-situ analysis of cultural heritage objects. In this
      work we present the application of a portable diffuse reflectance infrared
      Fourier transform (DRIFT) method for the non-invasive characterization of
      colorants prepared according to ancient recipes and using egg white and Gum
      Arabic as binders. Approximately 50 colorants were analyzed with the DRIFT
      spectroscopy: we were able to identify and discriminate the most used yellow
      (i.e. yellow ochres, Lead-tin Yellow, Orpiment, etc.), red (i.e. red ochres,
      Hematite) and blue (i.e. Lapis Lazuli, Azurite, indigo) colorants, creating a
      complete DRIFT spectral library. The Principal Component Analysis-Discriminant
      Analysis (PCA-DA) was then employed for the colorants classification according to
      the chemical/mineralogical composition. The DRIFT analysis was also performed on
      a gouache painting of the artist Sutherland" and the colorants used by the
      painter were identified directly in-situ and in a non-invasive manner.

PMID- 28363163
TI  - Catalase as a regulator of reactive sulfur metabolism; a new interpretation
      beyond hydrogen peroxide?.

PMID- 28363164
TI  - Effect of naturally acquired type-specific serum antibodies against human
      papillomavirus type 16 infection.
AB  - BACKGROUND: While vaccine-induced antibodies are known to confer protection
      against incident human papillomavirus (HPV) infection, there is inconsistent data
      regarding the protective effect of naturally acquired anti-HPV antibodies.
      OBJECTIVES: To estimate the protective effect of naturally acquired anti-HPV16
      serum antibodies against incident anogenital infection with HPV16 in females aged
      20-64 years and to assess whether antibodies influence the persistence/clearance
      of anogenital HPV16 infection. STUDY DESIGN: 4432 women attending the organized
      national cervical cancer screening program in Slovenia were initially enrolled.
      2199 and 1848 women had valid HPV DNA results obtained using PCR-based assays and
      HPV antibody serotyping results obtained using pseudovirion-based serological
      assay, at baseline and at three-year follow-up, respectively. RESULTS: Baseline
      HPV16 seroprevalence was 2.4-fold higher among HPV16 DNA-positive women (55.7%
      vs. 23.2%; p<0.01). Baseline HPV16 DNA-positive/seronegative women frequently
      acquired anti-HPV16 antibodies during follow-up (OR=8.2; 95% CI: 3.8-17.8).
      Baseline anti-HPV16 antibodies persisted at follow-up, irrespective of baseline
      HPV16 DNA status (OR=40.6; 95% CI: 30.3-54.5). Baseline HPV16 DNA
      negative/seropositive women were less likely to acquire HPV16 infection at follow
      up (unadjusted OR=0.2; 0.1-0.9). However, the age-adjusted association was non
      significant (adjusted OR=0.3; 0.1-1.2). The tendency for protective effect was
      stronger among women older than 25 years (OR=0.2; 0.03-1.8). Baseline anti-HPV16
      antibodies were not associated with persistence/clearance of HPV16 infection at
      follow-up (OR=0.8; 0.3-1.9). CONCLUSIONS: Naturally acquired anti-HPV16 serum
      antibodies appeared to protect against anogenital HPV16 infection, but this
      association was at least partially confounded by age. Baseline anti-HPV16 serum
      antibodies did not influence persistence/clearance of HPV16 infection at follow
      up.

PMID- 28363165
TI  - Hepatoprotective activity of Rhus oxyacantha root cortex extract against DDT
      induced liver injury in rats.
AB  - The present investigation aimed to study the antioxidant activity and
      hepatoprotective effects of ethyl acetate extract of R. oxyacantha root cortex
      (RE) against DDT-induced liver injury in male rats. The RE exhibited high total
      phenolic, flavonoid and condensed tannins contents. The antioxidant activity in
      vitro systems showed a significant potent free radical scavenging activity of the
      extract. The HPLC finger print of R. oxyacantha active extract showed the
      presence of five phenolic compounds with higher amounts of catechol and gallic
      acid. The in vivo results showed that a single intraperitoneal administration of
      DDT enhanced levels of hepatic markers (ALT, AST and LDH) in serum of
      experimental animals. It also increased the oxidative stress markers resulting in
      increased levels of the lipid peroxidation with a significant induction of SOD
      and GPx, metallothioneins (MTs) and a concomitant decrease of non protein thiols
      (NPSH) in liver. However, pretreatment of rats with RE at a dose of 150 and
      300mg/kg body weight significantly lowered serum transaminases and LDH in treated
      rats. A significant reduction in hepatic thiobarbituric reactive substances and a
      decrease in antioxidant enzymes activities and hepatic MTs levels by treatment
      with plant extract against DDT, were observed. These biochemical changes were
      consistent with histopathological observations, suggesting marked
      hepatoprotective effect of RE with the two doses used. These results strongly
      suggest that treatment with ethyl acetate extract normalizes various biochemical
      parameters and protects the liver against DDT-induced oxidative damage in rats
      and thus help in evaluation of traditional claim on this plant.

PMID- 28363166
TI  - Insight into anti-diabetic effect of low dose of stevioside.
AB  - Diabetes mellitus is a chronic disease characterized by abnormal carbohydrate,
      lipid and protein metabolism due to a lack of insulin or reduced target cell
      sensitivity to insulin. Stevia rebaudiana is an important source of biochemically
      active substances with proven anti-diabetic effect. The aim of this study was to
      determine anti-diabetic effects of the low dose of stevioside in NMRI Haan mice.
      Aqueous stevioside solution (20mg/kg body weight) was administered by oral route
      of administration. Anti-diabetic effect of stevioside was estimated by oral
      glucose tolerance test, adrenaline test after a 10day stevioside treatment, and
      alloxan induced hyperglycaemia in mice (two experimental groups, 10day stevioside
      treatment before and after alloxan administration). Aqueous stevioside solution
      prevented significant increase in glycaemia in oral glucose tolerance test
      (9.22+/-1.13 to 9.85+/-1.32mmol/l, P<0.05), and not in adrenaline test.
      Significant difference in glycaemia was detected in mice pre-treated with saline
      and stevioside in alloxan induced hyperglycaemia (saline 23.32+/-2.14, stevioside
      14.70+/-4.95mmol/l, P<0.05). In mice pre-treated with stevioside, smallest beta
      cells loss was found compared to other alloxan treated groups. Preserved normal
      cytoarchitectonic arrangement in islets was detected. Based on the given results
      we presume there exist a potential therapeutic use of low dose stevioside in
      diabetes.

PMID- 28363168
TI  - Gut microbiota and renal transplant outcome.
AB  - Gaining long-term graft function and patient survival remain a critical challenge
      following kidney transplantation. Genetic and environmental factors do not
      completely account for the individual's graft outcome. Recently, it is reported
      that gut microbial community (microbiota) is associated with complications in
      kidney allograft recipients, as well. Commensal microbiota plays a significant
      role in the immunomodulation of transplant recipient responses. Different factors
      can disrupt the reciprocal interaction between microbiota and the host immune
      responses and lead to infection and rejection complications in the organ
      recipient. In this review, we address the relation between microbiota and immune
      system along with their possible roles in renal graft outcome. We next highlight
      the beneficial effects of probiotics on the management of kidney diseases and
      solid organ transplantation. Finally, we reflect on the potential impacts of
      probiotics on host physiology. Hopefully, a deeper understanding of the function
      and composition of microbiota can help clinics develop strategies to restore the
      normal microbiota and facilitate the clinical management of grafts in the
      forthcoming future.

PMID- 28363167
TI  - Emodin targets mitochondrial cyclophilin D to induce apoptosis in HepG2 cells.
AB  - Emodin has demonstrated potent anticancer activity in human hepatocarcinoma cells
      and animal models, however, the cellular targets of emodin have not been fully
      defined. Here we report that emodin induces the dysfunction of mitochondria and
      the apoptosis in HepG2 cells through an enrichment in mitochondria. Specifically,
      A mitochondrial matrix protein (cyclophilin D, CyPD) is involved in emodin
      induced apoptosis, and the inhibitor of CyPD (cyclosporin A) could almost
      completely suppressing the apoptosis; Moreover, as the expression of CyPD could
      be effectively inhibited by antioxidant N-acetyl-l-cysteine and epidermal growth
      factor (the activator of ERK), reactive oxygen species and ERK might be involved
      in the relevant role of CyPD. A further molecule-docking discloses the existence
      of three hydrogen-bonds in CyPD-emodin complex. Thus, target localization and
      CyPD in mitochondria provides an insight into the action of emodin in the
      treatment of liver cancer.

PMID- 28363169
TI  - Glucocorticoid-induced leucine zipper may play an important role in icariin by
      suppressing osteogenesis inhibition induced by glucocorticoids in osteoblasts.
AB  - BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Icariin is a potent stimulator of osteogenic
      differentiation; however, the mechanism underlying its osteogenic effect remains
      unclear. The osteogenic effect of icariin is related to the upstream
      glucocorticoid-induced leucine zipper (GILZ) signaling pathway, and antagonism
      with dexamethasone-induced osteoblast inhibition was noted. METHODS: MC3T3-E1
      cells were cultured in induced medium treated with icariin with or without
      dexamethasone. After short interfering RNA (siRNA) were used to silence GILZ
      expression, the degree of mineralization, proliferation, and GILZ expression as
      well as the levels of osteogenic (OPG, RANKL, ALP, OC and RUNX2) markers were
      tested. RESULTS: Dexamethasone inhibited, while icariin increased, osteogenic
      activity, as indicated by ALP activity and calcium nodules. Meanwhile,
      dexamethasone dose-dependently (10-6M-10-4M) increased GILZ and RANKL expression
      and reduced ALP, OPG and OC, but the pattern of mRNA expression was reversed when
      icariin was added. Furthermore, GILZ (dexamethasone-induced) inhibition caused by
      icariin or moderately silenced by GILZ siRNA abolished the osteogenesis
      inhibition effect of dexamethasone, as indicated by the changes in the GILZ, ALP,
      OPG and RANKL expression levels; ALP activity; and calcium nodule. CONCLUSIONS:
      These results indicate that the GILZ-mediated osteogenic signal pathway is
      involved in the osteogenic effect induced by icariin.

PMID- 28363170
TI  - Anti-coagulative and gastrointestinal motility regulative activities of Fructus
      Aurantii Immaturus and its effective fractions.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: Fructus Aurantii Immaturus (FAI) has been used in the treatment of
      gastrointestinal disorders (GIDs) in traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) for
      thousands of years, which also has been found to have effects on cardiovascular
      diseases (CVDs) in recent years. The current study aimed at investigating the
      anti-coagulative and gastrointestinal motility regulative activities of different
      fractions isolated from FAI, which may have both effects on gastrointestinal and
      cardiovascular systems, in the manners of network pharmacology analysis and
      experiments in vivo and in vitro. METHODS: We obtained water decoction, volatile
      oils, alkaloids and flavonoids from FAI, which were identified by gas
      chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) and high performance liquid
      chromatography (HPLC). Network pharmacological analysis was used to explore the
      relationship between the various types of chemical constituents, gene target and
      biological pathways of FAI. Then, the effective fractions in terms of anti
      coagulative and gastrointestinal motility regulative activities were investigated
      by the experiment of rabbit intestinal smooth muscles contraction, mice small
      intestine propulsion rate and blood-clotting time, and verified by the blood
      stasis model. RESULTS: From the Network pharmacological analysis, the flavonoids
      were predicted to be the main active ingredients on gastrointestinal and
      cardiovascular systems. Experimental results also showed that flavonoids could
      significantly increase the small intestine propulsion rate and extend the blood
      clotting time of mice. The Flavonoids could alleviate the increased fractional
      shortening (FS), left ventricular outflow, hematocrit and fibrinogen, and
      ameliorate the pathological changes of myocardial tissues caused by blood stasis.
      CONCLUSION: These findings indicated that flavonoids in FAI might be the main
      effective fractions on gastrointestinal motility and anti-coagulation.

PMID- 28363171
TI  - Severe soft tissue injuries of the upper extremity in motor vehicle crashes
      involving partial ejection: the protective role of side curtain airbags.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: Partial ejection (PE) of the upper extremity (UE) can occur in a
      motor vehicle crash (MVC) resulting in complex and severe soft tissue injuries
      (SSTI). This study evaluated the relationship between partial ejection and UE
      injuries, notably SSTIs, in MVCs focusing on crash types and characteristics, and
      further examined the role of side curtain airbags (SCABs) in the prevention of
      partial ejection and reducing SSTI of the UE. METHODS: Weighted data was analyzed
      from the National Automotive Sampling System Crashworthiness Data System (NASS
      CDS) from 1993 to 2012. Logistic regression models were used to assess the
      relationship of PE with SSTI of the UE and the effect of SCABs in both nearside
      impacts and rollover collisions. Crash Injury Research and Engineering Network
      (CIREN) case studies illustrated PE involving SSTI of the UE, and long term
      treatment. RESULTS: Rollover and nearside impact collisions had the highest
      percentages of partial ejection, with over half occurring in rollover collisions.
      Annually over 800 SSTIs of the UE occurred in all MVCs. For nearside lateral
      force impacts, a multivariable analysis adjusting for belt use and delta V showed
      a 15 times (OR 15.35, 95% CI 4.30, 54.79) greater odds of PE for occupants
      without SCABs compared to those with a SCAB deployment. No occupants (0 of
      51,000) sustained a SSTI of the UE when a SCAB deployed in nearside impacts,
      compared to 0.01% (114 of 430,000) when SCABs were unavailable or did not deploy.
      In rollover collisions, a multivariable analysis adjusted for number of quarter
      turns and belt use showed 3 times the odds (OR 3.02, 95% CI 1.22, 7.47) of PE for
      occupants without SCABs compared to those with a SCAB deployment. Just 0.17% (32
      of 19,000) of the occupants sustained a SSTI of the UE in rollovers with a SCAB
      deployment, compared to 0.53% (2294 of 431,000) of the occupants when SCABs were
      unavailable or did not deploy. CIREN case studies illustrated the injury
      causation of SSTI of the UE due to partial ejection, and the long term treatment
      and medical costs associated with a SSTI to the UE. CONCLUSIONS: The majority of
      severe soft tissue injuries (SSTI) of the upper extremity (UE) involved partial
      ejection out the nearside window of outboard seated occupants in nearside impacts
      and rollover collisions. Real world case studies showed that SSTIs of the upper
      extremity require extensive treatment, extended hospitalization and are costly.
      Occupants without a side curtain airbag (SCAB) deployment had an increase in the
      odds of partial ejection. SCAB deployments provided protection against partial
      ejection and prevented SSTIs of the UE, with none occurring in nearside impacts,
      and a small percentage and reduction occurring in rollover collisions compared to
      those where SCABs were unavailable or did not deploy.

PMID- 28363172
TI  - Response of phenolic metabolism to cadmium and phenanthrene and its influence on
      pollutant translocations in the mangrove plant Aegiceras corniculatum (L.) Blanco
      (Ac).
AB  - Polyphenolic compounds are abundant in mangrove plants, playing a pivotal role in
      the detoxification of pollutants extruded from surrounding environments into
      plant tissues. The present study aimed to examine the variations of phenolic
      compounds, namely total polyphenolics, soluble tannins, condensed tannins and
      lignin, in the mangrove plant Aegiceras corniculatum (L.) due to the presence of
      exogenous cadmium and phenanthrene and to explore the influence of phenolic
      metabolism on biological translocation of these pollutants from roots to leaves.
      After a 6-week exposure to cadmium and phenanthrene, significant accumulations of
      both pollutants were observed. All determined phenolic compounds in both leaves
      and roots at high dosage levels were enhanced compared to the uncontaminated
      plant. Elevations of polyphenols in both treatments are possibly a result of
      stimulation in the activity of phenylalanine ammonia-lyase (PAL) and the
      enrichment of soluble sugar. Additionally, a significantly positive dosage
      relationship between polyphenolic metabolism intensity and phenanthrene
      contamination levels was found, while the trend observed in cadmium treatment was
      weak since cadmium at high levels inhibited phenolic production. The enrichment
      of polyphenols led to a decline in the biological translocation of these
      pollutants from roots to leaves. The immobilization of pollutants in the plant
      roots is possibly linked to the adsorption potential of polyphenols. These
      results will improve the understanding of the tolerance of mangrove plants to
      exogenous pollutants and will guide the selection of plants in phytoremediation
      because of the variability of polyphenol concentrations among species.

PMID- 28363173
TI  - Soil Cd, Cr, Cu, Ni, Pb and Zn sorption and retention models using SVM: Variable
      selection and competitive model.
AB  - The aim of this study was to model the sorption and retention of Cd, Cu, Ni, Pb
      and Zn in soils. To that extent, the sorption and retention of these metals were
      studied and the soil characterization was performed separately. Multiple stepwise
      regression was used to produce multivariate models with linear techniques and
      with support vector machines, all of which included 15 explanatory variables
      characterizing soils. When the R-squared values are represented, two different
      groups are noticed. Cr, Cu and Pb sorption and retention show a higher R-squared;
      the most explanatory variables being humified organic matter, Al oxides and, in
      some cases, cation-exchange capacity (CEC). The other group of metals (Cd, Ni and
      Zn) shows a lower R-squared, and clays are the most explanatory variables,
      including a percentage of vermiculite and slime. In some cases, quartz,
      plagioclase or hematite percentages also show some explanatory capacity. Support
      Vector Machine (SVM) regression shows that the different models are not as
      regular as in multiple regression in terms of number of variables, the regression
      for nickel adsorption being the one with the highest number of variables in its
      optimal model. On the other hand, there are cases where the most explanatory
      variables are the same for two metals, as it happens with Cd and Cr adsorption. A
      similar adsorption mechanism is thus postulated. These patterns of the
      introduction of variables in the model allow us to create explainability
      sequences. Those which are the most similar to the selectivity sequences obtained
      by Covelo (2005) are Mn oxides in multiple regression and change capacity in SVM.
      Among all the variables, the only one that is explanatory for all the metals
      after applying the maximum parsimony principle is the percentage of sand in the
      retention process. In the competitive model arising from the aforementioned
      sequences, the most intense competitiveness for the adsorption and retention of
      different metals appears between Cr and Cd, Cu and Zn in multiple regression; and
      between Cr and Cd in SVM regression.

PMID- 28363174
TI  - Distinction, quantification and mapping of potential and realized supply-demand
      of flow-dependent ecosystem services.
AB  - This study addresses and conceptualizes the possible dependence of ecosystem
      services on prevailing air and/or water flow processes and conditions, and
      particularly on the trajectories and associated spatial reach of these flows in
      carrying services from supply to demand areas in the landscape. The present
      conceptualization considers and accounts for such flow-dependence in terms of
      potential and actually realized service supply and demand, which may generally
      differ and must therefore be distinguished due to and accounting for the
      prevailing conditions of service carrier flows. We here concretize and quantify
      such flow-dependence for a specific landscape case (the Stockholm region, Sweden)
      and for two examples of regulating ecosystem services: local climate regulation
      and storm water regulation. For these service and landscape examples, we
      identify, quantify and map key areas of potential and realized service supply and
      demand, based for the former (potential) on prevailing relatively static types of
      landscape conditions (such as land-cover/use, soil type and demographics), and
      for the latter (realized) on relevant carrier air and water flows. These first
      order quantification examples constitute first steps towards further development
      of generally needed such flow-dependence assessments for various types of
      ecosystem services in different landscapes over the world.

PMID- 28363175
TI  - Energy demand analysis via small scale hydroponic systems in suburban areas - An
      integrated energy-food nexus solution.
AB  - The study is a qualitative approach and looks into new ways for the effective
      energy management of a wind farm (WF) operation in a suburban or near-urban
      environment in order the generated electricity to be utilised for hydroponic
      farming purposes as well. Since soilless hydroponic indoor systems gain more and
      more attention one basic goal, among others, is to take advantage of this not
      typical electricity demand and by managing it, offering to the grid a less
      fluctuating electricity generation signal. In this paper, a hybrid business model
      is presented where the Distributed Energy Resources (DER) producer is
      participating in the electricity markets under competitive processes (spot
      market, real-time markets etc.) and at the same time acts as a retailer offering 
      based on the demand - to the hydroponic units for their mass deployment in an
      area, putting forward an integrated energy-food nexus approach.

PMID- 28363176
TI  - An approach of habitat degradation assessment for characterization on coastal
      habitat conservation tendency.
AB  - Coastal zones are population and economy highly intensity regions all over the
      world, and coastal habitat supports the sustainable development of human society.
      The accurate assessment of coastal habitat degradation is the essential
      prerequisite for coastal zone protection. In this study, an integrated framework
      of coastal habitat degradation assessment including landuse classification,
      habitat classifying and zoning, evaluation criterion of coastal habitat
      degradation and coastal habitat degradation index has been established for better
      regional coastal habitat assessment. Through establishment of detailed three
      class landuse classification, the fine landscape change is revealed, the
      evaluation criterion of coastal habitat degradation through internal comparison
      based on the results of habitat classifying and zoning could indicate the levels
      of habitat degradation and distinguish the intensity of human disturbances in
      different habitat subareas under the same habitat classification. Finally, the
      results of coastal habitat degradation assessment could be achieved through
      coastal habitat degradation index (CHI). A case study of the framework is carried
      out in the Circum-Bohai-Sea-Coast, China, and the main results show the
      following: (1) The accuracy of all land use classes are above 90%, which
      indicates a satisfactory accuracy for the classification map. (2) The Circum
      Bohai-Sea-Coast is divided into 3 kinds of habitats and 5 subareas. (3) In the
      five subareas of the Circum-Bohai-Sea-Coast, the levels of coastal habitat
      degradation own significant difference. The whole Circum-Bohai-Sea-Coast
      generally is in a worse state according to area weighting of each habitat
      subarea. This assessment framework of coastal habitat degradation would
      characterize the landuse change trend, realize better coastal habitat degradation
      assessment, reveal the habitat conservation tendency and distinguish intensity of
      human disturbances. Furthermore, it would support for accurate coastal zone
      protection measures for the specific coastal area.

PMID- 28363177
TI  - Petroleum oil and mercury pollution from shipwrecks in Norwegian coastal waters.
AB  - Worldwide there are tens of thousands of sunken shipwrecks lying on the coastal
      seabed. These potentially polluting wrecks (PPW) are estimated to hold 3
      25milliont of oil. Other hazardous cargo in PPW includes ordnance, chemicals and
      radioactive waste. Here, we present and discuss studies on mercury (Hg) and oil
      pollution in coastal marine sediment caused by two of the >2100 documented PPW in
      Norwegian marine waters. The German World War II (WWII) submarine (U-864) lies at
      about 150m below the sea surface, near the Norwegian North Sea island of Fedje.
      The submarine is estimated to have been carrying 67t of elemental Hg, some of
      which has leaked on to surrounding sediment. The total Hg concentration in bottom
      surface sediment within a 200m radius of the wreckage decreases from 100g/kgd.w.
      at the wreckage hotspot to about 1mg/kgd.w. at 100m from the hotspot. The second
      wreck is a German WWII cargo ship (Nordvard), that lies at a depth of ca. 30m
      near the Norwegian harbor of Moss. Oil leakage from Nordvard has contaminated the
      bottom coastal sediment with polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH). The findings
      from this study provide useful insight to coastal administration authorities
      involved in assessing and remediating wreck-borne pollution from any of the tens
      of thousands of sunken shipwrecks.

PMID- 28363178
TI  - Characterization of non-methane hydrocarbons and their sources in an
      industrialized coastal city, Yangtze River Delta, China.
AB  - Ningbo is a highly industrialized city in the coastal area of the Yangtze River
      Delta (YRD), China. Large emissions and transport of non-methane hydrocarbons
      (NMHCs) may contribute to regional ozone (O3) and particulate matter (PM)
      pollution; however, the concentrations and sources of ambient NMHCs have not yet
      been investigated in Ningbo. In this study, ambient NMHCs were measured at two
      residential (SZ and CX) and two industrial (ZH and BL) sites and one suburban
      (XS) site over ten consecutive days in each season (10-20 December 2012 in
      winter, 14-23 April 2013 in spring, 15-24 July 2013 in summer, 22-31 October
      2013, in autumn). A positive matrix factorization (PMF) model using multiple site
      data was deployed to explore the source contributions and their spatial and
      seasonal characteristics. The measurement results showed obvious seasonal
      variations in ambient NMHC concentrations (ranging from 17.89-28.48ppbv);
      chemical compositions were similar among the five sampling sites. PMF analysis
      showed that the petrochemical industry was the largest contributor (an average of
      35.64%) to ambient NMHCs, while contributions of smaller sources (i.e., chemical
      and paint industries [14.34%], fuel and tank evaporation [16.02%], and
      residential solvent usage [7.24%]) showed spatial variations. Liquefied petroleum
      gas and fuel and tank evaporation contributed more in summer and autumn, while
      the contribution of the chemical and paint industries was greater in spring and
      winter. An evaluation of the ozone formation potential and secondary organic
      aerosol potential suggested that petrochemical and solvent-related sources were
      key parameters in mitigation of secondary pollutant formation. Seasonal
      variations in source contributions should be considered when formulating an
      effective NMHC abatement strategy.

PMID- 28363179
TI  - Integrated socio-hydrogeological approach to tackle nitrate contamination in
      groundwater resources. The case of Grombalia Basin (Tunisia).
AB  - Nitrate contamination still remains one of the main groundwater quality issues in
      several aquifers worldwide, despite the perduring efforts of the international
      scientific community to effectively tackle this problem. The classical
      hydrogeological and isotopic investigations are obviously of paramount importance
      for the characterization of contaminant sources, but are clearly not sufficient
      for the correct and long-term protection of groundwater resources. This paper
      aims at demonstrating the effectiveness of the socio-hydrogeological approach as
      the best tool to tackle groundwater quality issues, while contributing bridging
      the gap between science and society. An integrated survey, including land use,
      hydrochemical (physicochemical parameters and major ions) and isotopic
      (delta15NNO3 and delta18ONO3) analyses, coupled to capacity building and
      participatory activities was carried out to correctly attribute the nitrate
      origin in groundwater from the Grombalia Basin (North Tunisia), a region where
      only synthetic fertilizers have been generally identified as the main source of
      such pollution. Results demonstrates that the basin is characterized by high
      nitrate concentrations, often exceeding the statutory limits for drinking water,
      in both the shallow and deep aquifers, whereas sources are associated to both
      agricultural and urban activities. The public participation of local actors
      proved to be a fundamental element for the development of the hydrogeological
      investigation, as it permitted to obtain relevant information to support data
      interpretation, and eventually guaranteed the correct assessment of contaminant
      sources in the studied area. In addition, such activity, if adequately
      transferred to regulators, will ensure the effective adoption of management
      practices based on the research outcomes and tailored on the real needs of the
      local population, proving the added value to include it in any integrated
      investigation.

PMID- 28363180
TI  - Influence of seasonality, air mass origin and particulate matter chemical
      composition on airborne bacterial community structure in the Po Valley, Italy.
AB  - The integration of chemical and biological data in aerosol studies represents a
      new challenge in atmospheric science. In this perspective it will be possible to
      gain a clearer and deeper comprehension of biogeochemical cycles in the
      atmosphere. In this view, this study aimed to investigate the relationships
      occurring between bacterial populations and PM chemical composition in one of the
      most polluted and urbanized areas in Europe: the Po Valley (Italy). Moreover,
      seasonality, long- and short-range transports were also evaluated to investigate
      the influence on airborne bacterial communities. PM samples were collected in two
      cities of the Po Valley (Milan and Venice) characterized by different
      meteorological conditions and atmospheric pollutant sources. Samples were
      analysed for water-soluble inorganic ions (WSIIs) and bacterial community
      structure. Chemical and biological data were jointly processed by using
      redundancy discriminate analysis (RDA), while the influence of atmospheric
      circulation was evaluated by using wind ground data and back-trajectories
      analysis. Results showed strong seasonal shifts of bacterial community structure
      in both cities, while a different behaviour was observed for air mass circulation
      at Milan ad Venice sites: long-range transport significantly affected bacterial
      populations in Milan whereas local ground wind had more influence in the Venice
      area. Moreover, difference in taxonomic composition can be mostly addressed to
      the characteristics of sampling sites. This evidence could suggest that, while PM
      composition is influenced by long-range transport, bacterial populations are
      affected, besides transport, by other factors (i.e., season and sampling site
      location). This perspective allow to better understand and explain airborne
      bacterial community behaviour.

PMID- 28363181
TI  - The effective migration of Massilia sp. WF1 by Phanerochaete chrysosporium and
      its phenanthrene biodegradation in soil.
AB  - Pollutant-degrading bacteria migrated by fungi may enhance the contacts between
      microorganisms and pollutants and improve the bioremediation efficiency of
      persistent organic pollutants in soil. Here, the migration of phenanthrene (PHE)
      degrading bacteria Massilia sp. WF1 and Mycobacterium sp. WY10 by the hydrophobic
      fungi Phanerochaete chrysosporium (P. chrysosporium) and its effects on the PHE
      biodegradation in soil were investigated. Migration of the hydrophilic bacterium
      WF1 was better than that of the hydrophobic bacterium WY10 by P. chrysosporium
      mycelia since strain WF1 possesses flagellum and the type III secretion system.
      The interaction energy change of P. chrysosporium-WF1 was lower, but the
      interaction forces (van der Waals attractions, capillary forces, and cross
      linking effects) were stronger than those of P. chrysosporium-WY10. Thus, the
      adhesive attraction between strain WF1 and P. chrysosporium was stronger, and
      consequently, strain WF1 was migrated by P. chrysosporium to a greater extent
      than WY10. The corresponding migration mechanism was inferred to be a bacterial
      'passive' method: bacteria adhered to mycelia before they migrated with the
      growing mycelia. Moreover, migrated strain WF1 via P. chrysosporium showed
      effective PHE biodegradation in soil. Fungus-mediated migration of pollutant
      degrading bacteria may play an important role in the bioremediation of pollutants
      in soil.

PMID- 28363182
TI  - Sulfate radical-based oxidation of antibiotics sulfamethazine, sulfapyridine,
      sulfadiazine, sulfadimethoxine, and sulfachloropyridazine: Formation of SO2
      extrusion products and effects of natural organic matter.
AB  - The widespread occurrence of sulfonamide antibiotics in the environment has
      raised great concerns about their potential to proliferate antibacterial
      resistance. Sulfate radical (SO4*-) based advanced oxidation processes (SR-AOPs)
      are promising in-situ chemical oxidation (ISCO) technologies for remediation of
      soil and groundwater contaminated by antibiotics. The present study reported that
      thermally activated persulfate oxidation of sulfonamides (SAs) bearing six
      membered heterocyclic rings, e.g., sulfamethazine (SMZ), sulfapyridine (SPD),
      sulfadiazine (SDZ), sulfadimethoxine (SDM), and sulfachloropyridazine (SCP), all
      produced SO2 extrusion products (SEPs), a phenomenon that is of potential
      importance, but not systematically studied. As an electrophilic oxidant, SO4*-
      tends to attack the aniline moiety, the reactive site of SAs, via electro
      transfer mechanism. The resulting anilinyl radical cations are subjected to
      further intermolecular Smiles-type rearrangement to produce SEPs. Formation of
      SEPs is expected to occur in other SR-AOPs as well. The temperature-dependent
      evolution pattern of SEP of SMZ, 4-(2-imino-4,6-dimethylpyrimidin-1(2H)
      yl)aniline, can be well fitted by kinetic modeling concerning sequential
      formation and transformation of intermediate product. The presence of natural
      organic matter (NOM) influenced the evolution patterns of 4-(2-imino-4,6
      dimethylpyrimidin-1(2H)-yl)aniline significantly. Toxicological effects of SEPs
      on ecosystem and human health remain largely unknown, thus, further monitoring
      studies are highly desirable.

PMID- 28363183
TI  - Progrip self-gripping mesh in Rives-Stoppa repair: Are there any differences in
      outcomes versus a retromuscular polypropylene mesh fixed with sutures? A "case
      series" study.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Rives-Stoppa repair is widely accepted technique in large midline IH,
      and appears to be advantageous compared to other surgical techniques concerning
      complications and recurrence rates. The aim of this case series study was to
      analyze 1-year outcomes in patients with IH treated with Progrip self-gripping
      mesh compared to polypropylene (PPL) mesh fixed with sutures during the Rives
      Stoppa technique. METHODS: Between June 2014 and June 2015, we performed a
      prospective comparative non-randomized (case series) analysis between 25 patients
      with IH using retromuscular Progrip self-gripping mesh and 25 patients with
      retromuscular PPL mesh fixed with sutures, under Rives-Stoppa repair. All
      intraoperative and perioperative morbidities were reported with particular
      attention to wound infection, seroma or hematoma formation, duration of hospital
      stay, presence of abdominal wall pain (VAS) and recurrence during long-term
      follow-up. RESULTS: Mean operative time in Progrip group was shorter than Non
      Progrip group (101+/-29.5 versus 121+/-39.8min). In Progrip group, the only
      postoperative complication was seroma in two patients; however, in Non-Progrip
      group, we reported seroma in three patients, and hematoma in 4 patients (p=0.03).
      The median hospital stay was shorter in Progrip group (5.8+/-2.2days versus 6.6+/
      2.9days). Mean VAS score in the first 48h was higher in Non-Progrip group than
      Progrip group (4.9+/-2.1 versus 8.1+/-2)(p=0.01). The median follow-up was 13
      months (range 12-20 months) and none of the 50 patients had a hernia recurrence.
      CONCLUSIONS: In Rives-Stoppa repair, retromuscular Progrip mesh causes less
      postoperative pain in the first 48h and lower rate of hematoma than PPL mesh
      fixed with sutures in the short term follow-up.

PMID- 28363184
TI  - Treatment with platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF) and rock inhibitors is
      related to declined nerve growth factor (NGF) signaling in an experimental model
      of rat pulmonary hypertension.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Recent studies reveal that nerve growth factor (NGF) plays a critical
      role in the pathobiology of pulmonary hypertension (PH). The aim of the present
      study is to clarify the relationship between NGF signaling and treatment with
      PDGF or ROCK inhibitors in an animal model of PH. METHODS: Lung tissues were
      obtained from animals with monocrotaline (MCT)-challenged PH which had been
      administered long term imatinib, fasudil or statin. Reversal of disease was
      indicated by decreases in right ventricle pressure (RVP) and hypertrophy. NGF
      expression was examined at the mRNA and protein levels using quantitative real
      time PCR reaction and ELISA. RESULTS: MCT significantly increased NGF mRNA and
      protein content in lung tissue. ROCK inhibitor (fasudil) and PDGF inhibitor
      (imatinib) caused significant decreases in NGF mRNA and protein content when
      administered alone, with no further effects noted when used in combination.
      CONCLUSION: The beneficial reversal of MCT-mediated effects in PH caused by PDGF
      or ROCK inhibition may be also partially mediated by decreased NGF signaling.

PMID- 28363186
TI  - A model to evaluate the costs and clinical effectiveness of human papilloma virus
      screening compared with annual papanicolaou cytology in Germany.
AB  - OBJECTIVES: We modelled human papilloma virus (HPV) primary screening scenarios
      compared with Pap cytology to evaluate clinical effectiveness and projected
      annual costs in Germany. STUDY DESIGN: A Markov cohort model was built to compare
      the budget impact of annual Pap cytology with different 5-yearly HPV screening
      scenarios: (1) a positive HPV test followed by Pap cytology; (2) a positive HPV
      test followed by p16/Ki-67 dual-stained cytology; (3) a positive HPV test
      followed by colposcopy if HPV-16/18-positive or p16/Ki-67 dual-stained cytology
      if positive for other subtypes; (4) co-testing with HPV and Pap. Screening
      scenarios were based on a 10-year horizon. RESULTS: All HPV screening scenarios
      in the model were associated with fewer deaths from missed diagnosis of cervical
      cancer compared with Pap screening; 10-year totals n=172-344 (1.5-3 per 100,000)
      versus n=477 (4.1 per 100,000), respectively. Total annual costs were lower with
      HPV screening than Pap cytology. The projected average annual cost for HPV
      screening ranged from ?117 million to ?136 million compared with ?177 million for
      Pap screening, representing annual savings of ?41-60 million. The greatest
      clinical impact was achieved with primary HPV screening (with genotyping)
      followed by colposcopy for HPV 16/18-positive women or p16/Ki-67 dual-stained
      cytology for women positive for other HPV subtypes. CONCLUSION: Screening
      strategies including primary HPV testing for high-risk subtypes (HPV-16/18) in
      conjunction with p16/Ki-67 dual-stained cytology can improve the detection of
      cervical cancer at a lower total annual cost than conventional Pap cytology
      screening.

PMID- 28363185
TI  - Associations of C677T polymorphism in methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase (MTHFR)
      gene with male infertility risk: A meta-analysis.
AB  - PURPOSE: Methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase is one of the key enzymes in folate
      metabolism. But the association between polymorphism and the risk of male
      infertility is still controversial. Therefore, this study used a meta-analysis on
      the collection of data to analyze MTHFR gene C677T polymorphism (known as c.665
      C>T, rs1801133, p.Ala222Val). METHODS: PubMed, EMBASE, China National Knowledge
      Infrastructure (CNKI), and Wan fang. Data were searched to identify eligible
      studies. We sifted the data collection by Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium calculator
      and used odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (95% CIs) to conduct data
      through RevMan5.0 and StataSE12.0 software. RESULTS: A total of 15 studies have
      3853 patients with infertility and 3613 healthy controls in this meta-analysis.
      Our results showed that T variant of MTHFR C677T gene polymorphism was
      significantly associated with an increased risk of male infertility (forT vs. C:
      OR=1.38, 95% CI=1.18-1.63; for TT vs. CC: OR=1.86, 95% CI=1.36-2.54; for CT vs.
      CC: OR=1.34, 95% CI=1.03-1.74; for TT vs. CT: OR=1.52, 95% CI=1.26-1.84; for TT
      vs. CT+CC: OR=1.42, 95% CI=1.19-1.70; for TT+CT versus CC: OR=1.46, 95%CI=1.05
      2.04). In addition, the results indicated that T allele had the positive
      association which was driven by East-asian populations (random: OR=1.44, 95%
      CI=1.2-1.74; fixed: OR=1.39, 95% CI=1.20-1.61), Middle-eastern populations
      (random: OR=1.30, 95% CI=1.05-1.63; fixed: OR=1.30, 95% CI=1.05-1.63) and Mixed
      race (random: OR=1.96, 95% CI=1.35-2.85; fixed: OR=1.31, 95% CI=1.20-1.43).
      CONCLUSION: This meta-analysis suggests that MTHFR C677T polymorphism is
      associated with male infertility.

PMID- 28363187
TI  - The impact of anal sphincter injury on perceived body image.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: Obstetric anal sphincter injury is common but the effect on body image
      is unreported. The aim of this study was to explore patient perceived changes in
      body image and other psychological aspects in women attending a perineal follow
      up clinic. STUDY DESIGN: This retrospective study analysed women's responses to a
      self-reported questionnaire. Consecutive women with anal sphincter injury who
      attended a United Kingdom Maternity Hospital perineal follow-up clinic between
      January 1999 and January 2012 were identified and the records obtained and
      reviewed. Multivariate regression analyses were performed to examine variables
      influencing self-reported change in body image. RESULTS: Questionnaires and
      operation notes were analysed from 422 women who attended at a median of four
      months after delivery. 222 (53%) reported a change in body image with 80 (19%)
      reporting lower self-esteem and 75 (18%) a change in their personality due to the
      change in body image. 248 (59%) perceived an anatomical change due to the
      delivery. Factors associated with increased likelihood of reporting a change in
      body image were reporting a perceived change in anatomy due to the delivery,
      adjusted OR 6.11 (3.56-10.49), anal incontinence, OR 1.97 (1.16-3.36), and
      delivery by forceps, OR 2.59 (1.23-5.43). CONCLUSIONS: This is the first study to
      quantify body image changes in women after anal sphincter injury sustained in
      childbirth. These were found to be very common, affecting up to 50% of women. The
      study has several limitations but it does highlight the significant psychosocial
      problems of negative self-esteem and personality changes associated with a
      perceived change in body image that has not previously been reported. It also
      outlines the further research questions that need to be addressed.

PMID- 28363188
TI  - Delivery mode and intraventricular hemorrhage risk in very-low-birth-weight
      infants: Observational data of the German Neonatal Network.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Very-low-birth-weight infants (VLBWI) are frequently delivered by
      cesarean section (CS). However, it is unclear at what gestational age the
      benefits of spontaneous delivery outweigh the perinatal risks, i.e.
      intraventricular hemorrhage (IVH) or death. OBJECTIVES: To assess the short-term
      outcome of VLBWI on IVH according to mode of delivery in a population-based
      cohort of the German Neonatal Network (GNN). STUDY DESIGN: A total cohort of 2203
      singleton VLBWI with a birth weight <1500g and gestational age between 22 0/7 and
      36 6/7 weeks born and discharged between 1st of January 2009 and 31st of December
      2015 was available for analysis. VLBWI were stratified into three categories
      according to mode of delivery: (1) planned cesarean section (n=1381), (2) vaginal
      delivery (n=632) and (3) emergency cesarean section (n=190). Outcome was assessed
      in univariate and logistic regression analyses. RESULTS: Prevalence of IVH was
      significantly higher in the vaginal delivery (VD) (26.6%) and emergency CS group
      (31.1%) as compared to planned CS (17.2%), respectively. In a logistic regression
      analysis including known risk factors for IVH, vaginal delivery (OR 1.725 [1.325
      2.202], p<=0.001) and emergency cesarean section (OR 1.916 [1.338-2.746],
      p<=0.001) were independently associated with IVH risk. In the subgroup of infants
      >30 weeks of gestation prevalence for IVH was not significantly different in VD
      and planned CS (5.3% vs. 4.4%). CONCLUSIONS: Our observational data demonstrate
      that elective cesarean section is associated with a reduced risk of IVH in
      preterm infants <30 weeks gestational age when presenting with preterm labor.

PMID- 28363189
TI  - Identification and expression analysis of photoreceptor genes in kiwifruit leaves
      under natural daylength conditions and their relationship with other genes that
      regulate photoperiodic flowering.
AB  - Kiwifruit (Actinidia chinensis var. deliciosa (A. Chev) A. Chev.) is a dioecious
      vine highly dependent on pollination, which is limited by a lack of synchrony of
      flowering time between male and female plants. In many plant species, the
      regulation of the timing of flowering depends largely on seasonal cues such as
      photoperiod, which is detected by photoreceptors. In this report, we determined
      the full sequences of the PHYB (AcPHYB) and PHYA (AcPHYA) genes and a partial
      sequence of the CRY2 (AcCRY2) gene in kiwifruit. Next, we monitored the
      expression patterns of these photoreceptor genes (AcPHYA, AcPHYB and AcCRY2) as
      well as other genes involved in flowering regulation (AcCO-like and AcFT) in the
      leaves of kiwifruit plants grown under natural photoperiods in the field. The
      annual expression patterns of AcPHYB, AcPHYA and AcCRY2 genes showed that they
      were significantly highly expressed from late flower development until full bloom
      and fitting with floral evocation, closely matching the peaks of expression
      detected for the AcFT and AcCO-like genes. In addition, the daily expression
      patterns of AcPHYB, AcPHYA and AcCRY2 were analyzed in leaves collected under
      different daylength conditions. Under long-day (LD) conditions, maximum
      expression levels were detected in the middle of the day in April (before full
      bloom), while their expression lost their daily rhythmic patterns in June (after
      full bloom) and were consistently expressed at low levels. Under short-day (SD)
      conditions, AcPHYB, AcPHYA and AcCRY2 gene expression patterns were the opposite
      of those observed in April. With respect to AcFT, no expression was detected in
      SD conditions. In contrast, the AcCO-like gene oscillated for all daylength
      conditions with the same daily rhythm. Our results seem to indicate the
      involvement of photoreceptor genes in kiwifruit flowering regulation. The
      different daily expression patterns detected for AcPHYA, AcPHYB, AcCRY2 and AcFT
      under different daylength conditions suggest that photoperiod regulates their
      expression, while the uniform expression of the AcCO-like gene is in agreement
      with its reported regulation by the circadian clock.

PMID- 28363190
TI  - Nose to brain delivery in rats: Effect of surface charge of rhodamine B labeled
      nanocarriers on brain subregion localization.
AB  - Nose to brain delivery and nanotechnology are the combination of innovative
      strategies for molecules to reach the brain and to bypass blood brain barriers.
      In this work we investigated the fate of two rhodamine B labeled polymeric
      nanoparticles (Z-ave <250nm) of opposite surface charge in different areas of the
      brain after intranasal administration in rats. A preliminary screening was
      carried out to select the suitable positive (chitosan/poly-l-lactide-co
      glycolide) nanocarrier through photon correlation spectroscopy and turbiscan.
      Physico-chemical and technological characterizations of poly-l-lactide-co
      glycolide (negative) and chitosan/poly-l-lactide-co-glycolide (positive)
      fluorescent labeled nanoparticles were performed. The animals were allocated to
      three groups receiving negative and positive polymeric nanoparticles via single
      intranasal administration or no treatment. The localization of both nanocarriers
      in different brain areas was detected using fluorescent microscopy. Our data
      revealed that both nanocarriers reach the brain and are able to persist in the
      brain up to 48h after intranasal administration. Surface charge influenced the
      involved pathways in their translocation from the nasal cavity to the central
      nervous system. The positive charge of nanoparticles slows down brain reaching
      and the trigeminal pathway is involved, while the olfactory pathway may be
      responsible for the transport of negatively charged nanoparticles, and systemic
      pathways are not excluded.

PMID- 28363192
TI  - Rifampicin loaded chitosan nanoparticle dry powder presents an improved
      therapeutic approach for alveolar tuberculosis.
AB  - Current treatment therapeutic approach for tuberculosis is the administration of
      first line drugs in the form of tablets and capsules for 4-6 months. However,
      this approach leads to severe adverse effects. Therefore, present study was
      designed to achieving local and sustained targeting of anti-tubercular drugs in
      order to reduce dose and frequency. The nanoparticle based dry powder formulation
      of rifampicin was developed and analyzed with respect to its direct targeting
      potential of lungs. Rifampicin loaded nanoparticles were formulated by ionic
      gelation probe sonication method, and characterized with respect to particle
      size, zeta potential, entrapment and drug loading efficiency. The range of size
      and entrapment efficiency of prepared nanoparticles was estimated from 124.1+/
      0.2 to 402.3+/-2.8nm and 72.00+/-0.1%, respectively. The freeze-dried powder of
      nanoparticle formulation was used to carry out in vitro lung deposition studies
      through Andersen cascade impactor. The cumulative in vitro drug release studies
      with developed nanoparticle formulation showed sustained release up to 24h. Our
      in vitro sustained drug release results were corroborated by the extended
      residence and slow clearance of rifampicin from the lungs. Furthermore, our
      results suggest the minimum lung distribution of drug in treated rats which
      confirms the negligible toxicity rendered by nanoparticle dry powder formulation.
      Moreover, pharmacokinetic and toxicity studies carried out with prepared NPs dry
      powder inhalation (DPI) formulations and compared with conventional DPI.

PMID- 28363191
TI  - Ruthenium bipyridine sensitized MoO3 multifunctional nanostructures: Study of
      opto-electrochemical properties, biocompatibility and bioimaging.
AB  - Simple and versatile methodology to synthesize hybrid nanostructures with multi
      functionality for device application is advantageous. Herein, we report the
      synthesis of MoO3 nanostructures integrated with [Ru(bpy)3]2+ and PEGylation to
      obtain hybrid MoO3-[Ru(bpy)3]2+ nanostructures. Chemically interacted
      [Ru(bpy)3]2+ provides optical and electrochemical properties to the hybrid
      structures. PEG3k enhances the aqueous solubility of the hybrid system.
      Morphology, chemical structure, optical and electrochemical properties of hybrid
      nanostructures were studied from electron microscopic, spectroscopic and
      voltammetric techniques. The synthesized hybrid nanostructures exhibited a metal
      to-ligand charge transfer absorbance and emission bands in the range of 450nm and
      605nm, respectively. Electrode modified with MoO3-[Ru(bpy)3]2+ and MoO3
      [Ru(bpy)3]2+/PEG3k exhibit improved voltammetric properties than pristine MoO3.
      Confocal cellular imaging supported that these hybrid particles were easily
      uptaken by endothelial cells with minimal cytotoxic effects. The hybrid
      nanocomplex displayed unique opto-electrochemical, cellular biocompatibility and
      imaging features that may be an ideal platform for electrochemical biosensor
      devices with simultaneous bioimaging function.

PMID- 28363193
TI  - Dual-mode electrochemical analysis of microRNA-21 using gold nanoparticle
      decorated MoS2 nanosheet.
AB  - The detection of microRNA plays an important role in early cancer diagnosis.
      Herein, a dual-mode electronic biosensor was developed for microRNA-21 (miRNA-21)
      detection based on gold nanoparticle-decorated MoS2 nanosheet (AuNPs@MoS2). A
      classical DNA "sandwich" structure was employed to construct MoS2-based
      electrochemical sensor, including capture DNA, target miRNA-21 and DNA-modified
      nanoprobe. [Fe(CN)6]3-/4- and [Ru(NH3)6]3+ were selected as electrochemical
      indicators to monitor the preparation process and evaluate the performance of
      MoS2-based electrochemical biosensor by electrochemical impedance spectroscopy
      (EIS) and differential pulse voltammetry (DPV), respectively. Such MoS2-based
      biosensor exhibited excellent performance for miRNA-21 detection in the range
      from 10 fM to 1nM with detection limit of 0.78fM and 0.45fM for DPV and EIS
      technique, respectively. Furthermore, the proposed MoS2-based biosensor displayed
      high selectivity and stability, which could be used to determine miRNA-21 in
      human serum samples with satisfactory results. All data suggested that such MoS2
      based nanocomposite may be a potential candidate for biosensing ranging from
      nucleic acid to protein detection.

PMID- 28363195
TI  - Promoting Breast Milk Nutrition in Infants With Cleft Lip and/or Palate.

PMID- 28363196
TI  - Parent Support Programs and Coping Mechanisms in NICU Parents.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Many neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) parents experience emotional
      distress leading to adverse infant outcomes. Parents may not cope positively in
      stressful situations, and support programs often are underutilized. PURPOSE: To
      determine coping mechanisms utilized by NICU parents, and types of support
      programs parents are likely to attend. To determine whether sociodemographic and
      length-of-stay differences impact coping mechanisms utilized, and types of
      support programs preferred. METHODS: A correlational cross-sectional survey
      design was used. The 28-item Brief COPE tool, questions about demographics and
      preferred support program styles, was distributed to a convenience sample of NICU
      parents in a level IV NICU in the southeastern United States. RESULTS: One
      hundred one NICU parents used coping mechanisms, with acceptance emotional
      support, active coping, positive reframing, religion, planning, and instrumental
      support being the most common. Preferred support classes were infant development
      and talking with other NICU parents. Caucasians more commonly coped using active
      coping, planning, emotional support, acceptance, instrumental support, and
      venting compared with other races. Women utilized self-blame coping mechanisms
      more often compared with men. Younger parents were more likely to use venting and
      denial coping mechanisms. Parents with a shorter stay utilized self-distraction
      coping and preferred the class of talking with other parents. IMPLICATIONS FOR
      PRACTICE: Support program preference, type of coping mechanism utilized, and
      sociodemographic factors may be used to guide the creation of NICU support
      programs. IMPLICATIONS FOR RESEARCH: Additional studies are needed to determine
      whether support program offering according to preferences and sociodemographic
      characteristics increases attendance and decreases emotional distress.

PMID- 28363194
TI  - Small molecule modulation of voltage gated sodium channels.
AB  - Voltage gated sodium channels are fundamental players in animals physiology. By
      triggering the depolarization of the lipid membrane they enable generation and
      propagation of the action potential. The involvement of these channels in
      numerous pathological conditions makes them relevant target for pharmaceutical
      intervention. Therefore, modulation of sodium conductance via small molecule
      binding constitutes a promising strategy to treat a large variety of diseases.
      However, this approach entails significant challenges: voltage gated sodium
      channels are complex nanomachines and the details of their workings have only
      recently started to become clear. Here we review - with emphasis on the
      computational studies - some of the major milestones in the long-standing search
      of a quantitative microscopic description of the molecular mechanism and
      modulation of voltage-gated sodium channels.

PMID- 28363197
TI  - The Effects of Postdischarge Telephone Counseling and Short Message Service on
      the Knee Function, Activities of Daily Living, and Life Satisfaction of Patients
      Undergoing Total Knee Replacement.
AB  - BACKGROUND: No study comparing short message service (SMS) texts and telephone
      counseling for patients undergoing total knee replacement (TKR) has been
      reported. PURPOSE: The purpose of the study was to provide postdischarge
      telephone counseling and SMS texts to TKR patients and to analyze the effects of
      these services on their knee function (KF), activities of daily living (ADL), and
      life satisfaction (LS). METHODS: This study used a randomized clinical trial
      design. This study was conducted with 40 patients (counseling group: 21; SMS
      group: 19). In the telephone counseling group and the SMS group, KF, ADL, and LS
      were assessed before surgery and 1 and 3 months after TKR. RESULTS: Telephone
      counseling and SMS texts have the same effects on KF, ADL, and LS of TKR
      patients. CONCLUSION: Future research is needed to determine optimal frequency
      and duration of post-TKR SMS to support patients who have undergone TKR.

PMID- 28363198
TI  - Hemostatic Changes Associated With Increased Mortality Rates in Hospitalized
      Patients With HIV-Associated Tuberculosis: A Prospective Cohort Study.
AB  - Background: Mortality rates remain high for human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)
      associated tuberculosis, and our knowledge of contributing mechanisms is limited.
      We aimed to determine whether hemostatic changes in HIV-tuberculosis were
      associated with mortality or decreased survival time and the contribution of
      mycobacteremia to these effects. Methods: We conducted a prospective study in
      Khayelitsha, South Africa, in hospitalized HIV-infected patients with CD4 cell
      counts <350/uL and microbiologically proved tuberculosis. HIV-infected
      outpatients without tuberculosis served as controls. Plasma biomarkers reflecting
      activation of procoagulation and anticoagulation, fibrinolysis, endothelial cell
      activation, matricellular protein release, and tissue damage were measured at
      admission. Cox proportional hazard models were used to assess variables
      associated with 12-week mortality rates. Results: Of 59 patients with HIV
      tuberculosis, 16 (27%) died after a median of 12 days (interquartile range, 0-24
      days); 29 (64%) of the 45 not receiving anticoagulants fulfilled criteria for
      disseminated intravascular coagulation. Decreased survival time was associated
      with higher concentrations of markers of fibrinolysis, endothelial activation,
      matricellular protein release, and tissue damage and with decreased
      concentrations for markers of anticoagulation. In patients who died, coagulation
      factors involved in the common pathway were depleted (factor II, V, X), which
      corresponded to increased plasma clotting times. Mycobacteremia modestly
      influenced hemostatic changes without affecting mortality. Conclusions: Patients
      with severe HIV-tuberculosis display a hypercoagulable state and activation of
      the endothelium, which is associated with mortality.

PMID- 28363199
TI  - Longitudinal changes in adolescents with TOF: implications for care.
AB  - Background: We sought to identify predictors of change in right ventricular
      function and exercise capacity in adolescents following repair for tetralogy of
      Fallot. Methods and 
results: We performed a longitudinal study with serial
      cardiac magnetic resonance imaging and/or exercise stress tests. Patients with
      interim intervention on the pulmonary valve were excluded. Paired t-test was used
      to detect longitudinal changes and multivariable regression models were built to
      identify predictors of change. Initial and follow up magnetic resonance and
      exercise stress test studies were available for 65 and 63 subjects, respectively.
      Age at initial testing was 11.7 +/- 2.7 years. Average follow up time was 4.5 +/-
      1.8 (magnetic resonance) and 4.0 +/- 1.6 (exercise test) years. There was a
      significant increase in right ventricular end diastolic and systolic volume (119
      +/- 34 to 128 +/- 35 ml/m2, P = 0.006; 49 +/- 20 to 56 +/- 23 ml/m2, P = 0.001,
      respectively), and a decrease in right ventricular ejection fraction (60 +/- 7 to
      56 +/- 8%, P = 0.001), with no significant change in pulmonary regurgitant
      fraction or right ventricular cardiac index. Predictors of right ventricular
      dilation over time included: time elapsed from surgical repair, severity of
      pulmonary insufficiency and right ventricular dilation at the initial magnetic
      resonance imaging. Of those, time elapsed from surgical repair had the most
      significant effect. There was no change in exercise capacity. Discussion: In the
      adolescent with tetralogy of Fallot, longer time from surgery, more pulmonary
      insufficiency and greater right ventricular dilation at initial magnetic
      resonance imaging are associated with progressive right ventricular dilation.
      These results suggest early monitoring with magnetic resonance imaging might
      identify those at highest risk for progressive disease.

PMID- 28363200
TI  - Evolution of right ventricular size over time after tetralogy of Fallot repair: a
      longitudinal cardiac magnetic resonance study.
AB  - Aims: It is commonly believed that pulmonary regurgitation (PR) after surgical
      repair of tetralogy of Fallot (TOF) leads to progressive right ventricular (RV)
      enlargement. However, progressive RV dilatation has never clearly been documented
      in this patient population. Therefore, we studied the size of the RV over time in
      patients after surgical TOF repair. Methods and results: Fifty-one consecutive
      patients after surgical TOF repair underwent at least two cardiovascular magnetic
      resonance (CMR) exams using a single CMR scanner. Patients with RV outflow tract
      obstruction, interventions other than the initial repair and CMR exams with use
      of sedation were excluded. Three subgroups with different repair techniques were
      studied: transannular patch repair [n = 22, age 17 +/- 10 years], subvalvular
      patch repair [n = 15, age 22 +/- 8 years], or non-patch repair/infundibulectomy
      (n = 14, age 28 +/- 11 years). Right ventricular end-diastolic volume index
      (RVEDVI) and PR fraction did not change during the 37 +/- 21 months follow-up
      between first and last CMR in the whole group (RVEDVI: 118 +/- 23 mL/m2 vs. 119
      +/- 23 mL/m2, P = 0.720; PR fraction: 33% (23-40%) vs. 32% (24-39%), P = 0.268).
      RVEDVI remained stable in all subgroups (transannular patch: 120 +/- 21 mL/m2 vs.
      122 +/- 22 mL/m2, subvalvular patch: 112 +/- 23 mL/m2 vs. 111 +/- 23 mL/m2, non
      patch: 123 +/- 28 mL/m2 vs. 123 +/- 23 mL/m2, P = 0.827). RVEDVI at last CMR did
      not differ between groups (P = 0.301). Conclusions: This study shows no
      progression of RV dilatation in patients after surgical repair of TOF with
      moderately dilated RVs and significant PR during a 3-year follow-up. RV
      dilatation in our patient group seems to be independent from surgical repair
      techniques.

PMID- 28363201
TI  - Bilateral coronary ostial stenosis after a Bentall procedure.

PMID- 28363202
TI  - Right ventricular remodelling after tetralogy of Fallot repair: new insights from
      longitudinal follow-up data.

PMID- 28363204
TI  - Recommendations on the echocardiographic assessment of aortic valve stenosis: a
      focused update from the European Association of Cardiovascular Imaging and the
      American Society of Echocardiography.
AB  - Echocardiography is the key tool for the diagnosis and evaluation of aortic
      stenosis. Because clinical decision-making is based on the echocardiographic
      assessment of its severity, it is essential that standards are adopted to
      maintain accuracy and consistency across echocardiographic laboratories. Detailed
      recommendations for the echocardiographic assessment of valve stenosis were
      published by the European Association of Echocardiography and the American
      Society of Echocardiography in 2009. In the meantime, numerous new studies on
      aortic stenosis have been published with particular new insights into the
      difficult subgroup of low gradient aortic stenosis making an update of
      recommendations necessary. The document focuses in particular on the optimization
      of left ventricular outflow tract assessment, low flow, low gradient aortic
      stenosis with preserved ejection fraction, a new classification of aortic
      stenosis by gradient, flow and ejection fraction, and a grading algorithm for an
      integrated and stepwise approach of artic stenosis assessment in clinical
      practice.

PMID- 28363205
TI  - Visit-to-visit blood pressure variability: an epiphenomenon or a risk for the
      progression of carotid artery remodelling: reply.

PMID- 28363203
TI  - Improved 5-year prediction of all-cause mortality by coronary CT angiography
      applying the CONFIRM score.
AB  - Aims: To investigate the long-term performance of the CONFIRM score for
      prediction of all-cause mortality in a large patient cohort undergoing coronary
      computed tomography angiography (CCTA). Methods and results: Patients with a 5
      year follow-up from the international multicentre CONFIRM registry were included.
      The primary endpoint was all-cause mortality. The predictive value of the CONFIRM
      score over clinical risk scores (Morise, Framingham, and NCEP ATP III score) was
      studied in the entire patient population as well as in subgroups. Improvement in
      risk prediction and patient reclassification were assessed using categorical net
      reclassification index (NRI) and integrated discrimination improvement (IDI).
      During a median follow-up period of 5.3 years, 982 (6.5%) of 15 219 patients
      died. The CONFIRM score outperformed the prognostic value of the studied three
      clinical risk scores (c-indices: CONFIRM score 0.696, NCEP ATP III score 0.675,
      Framingham score 0.610, Morise score 0.606; c-index for improvement CONFIRM score
      vs. NCEP ATP III score 0.650, P < 0.0001). Application of the CONFIRM score
      allowed reclassification of 34% of patients when compared with the NCEP ATP III
      score, which was the best clinical risk score. Reclassification was significant
      as revealed by categorical NRI (0.06 with 95% CI 0.02 and 0.10, P = 0.005) and
      IDI (0.013 with 95% CI 0.01 and 0.015, P < 0.001). Subgroup analysis revealed a
      comparable performance in a variety of patient subgroups. Conclusions: The
      CONFIRM score permits a significantly improved prediction of mortality over
      clinical risk scores for >5 years after CCTA. These findings are consistent in a
      large variety of patient subgroups.

PMID- 28363206
TI  - Recent developments in the science of proarrhythmic cardiac safety of new drugs.
AB  - Following marketing withdrawals of several drugs due to proarrhythmic safety
      concerns, the ICH Guidelines S7B and E14 were released in 2005 and have guided
      pre-approval cardiac safety assessments in multiple regulatory jurisdictions.
      While this S7B-E14 paradigm has successfully prevented drugs with unanticipated
      potential for inducing Torsades de Pointes entering the market, it has
      unintentionally resulted in the termination of development programs for
      potentially important compounds that could have exhibited a favourable benefit
      risk balance. The Comprehensive In vitro Proarrhythmia Assay paradigm is
      currently attracting considerable attention as a solution to this problem. While
      much evaluative work in this new paradigm will be conducted in the non-clinical
      domain, human electrocardiographic assessments will remain an important component
      of the overall investigational strategy, possibly being conducted in Phase I
      trials employing exposure-response modelling. This article reviews recent
      developments in proarrhythmic cardiac safety assessments of new drugs, their
      rationales, and current limitations.

PMID- 28363207
TI  - A commentary on the new ESC guidelines on dyslipidaemias.

PMID- 28363208
TI  - Coronary artery disease and arrhythmias.

PMID- 28363209
TI  - Successful transvenous cardiac resynchronisation therapy in a case of coronary
      sinus ostial atresia.

PMID- 28363210
TI  - Neutrophil contributions to ischaemic heart disease.

PMID- 28363211
TI  - Coronary artery disease in diabetes.

PMID- 28363212
TI  - The e-health revolution.

PMID- 28363213
TI  - Social media: a powerful tool for physicians and patients.

PMID- 28363214
TI  - Big data: big promise.

PMID- 28363216
TI  - Dr Calum MacRae and research team receive $75M investment award.

PMID- 28363218
TI  - Multiple bacterial aneurysms caused by stent infections.

PMID- 28363217
TI  - ACC/AHA guidelines superior to ESC/EAS guidelines for primary prevention with
      statins in non-diabetic Europeans: the Copenhagen General Population Study.
AB  - Aim: We compared the 2013 American College of Cardiology/American Heart
      Association (ACC/AHA) and the 2016 European Society of Cardiology/European
      Atherosclerosis Society (ESC/EAS) guidelines on prevention of atherosclerotic
      cardiovascular disease (ASCVD) using different risk prediction models [US Pooled
      Cohort Equations (US-PCE for any ASCVD) and European Systematic COronary Risk
      Evaluation system (European-SCORE for fatal ASCVD)] and different statin
      eligibility criteria. Methods and results: We examined 44 889 individuals aged 40
      75 recruited in 2003-09 in the Copenhagen General Population Study, all free of
      ASCVD, diabetes, and statin use at baseline. We detected 2217 any ASCVD events
      and 199 fatal ASCVD events through 2014. The predicted-to-observed event ratio
      was 1.2 using US-PCE for any ASCVD and 5.0 using European-SCORE for fatal ASCVD.
      The US-PCE, but not the European-SCORE, was well-calibrated around decision
      thresholds for statin therapy. For a Class I recommendation, 42% of individuals
      qualified for statins using the ACC/AHA guidelines vs. 6% with the ESC/EAS
      guidelines. Using ACC/AHA- vs. ESC/EAS-defined statin eligibility led to a
      substantial gain in sensitivity (+62% for any ASCVD and +76% for fatal ASCVD)
      with a smaller loss in specificity (-35% for any ASCVD and -36% for fatal ASCVD).
      Similar differences between the ACC/AHA and ESC/EAS guidelines were found for men
      and women separately, and for Class IIa recommendations. The sensitivity and
      specificity of a US-PCE risk of 5% were similar to those of a European-SCORE risk
      of 1.4%, whereas a US-PCE risk of 7.5% was similar to a European-SCORE risk of
      2.4%. Conclusions: The ACC/AHA guidelines were superior to the ESC/EAS guidelines
      for primary prevention of ASCVD, that is, for accurately assigning statin therapy
      to those who would benefit.

PMID- 28363220
TI  - Time to change the SCORE?

PMID- 28363219
TI  - Associations between single and multiple cardiometabolic diseases and cognitive
      abilities in 474 129 UK Biobank participants.
AB  - Aims: Cardiometabolic diseases (hypertension, coronary artery disease [CAD] and
      diabetes are known to associate with poorer cognitive ability but there are
      limited data on whether having more than one of these conditions is associated
      with additive effects. We aimed to quantify the magnitude of their associations
      with non-demented cognitive abilities and determine the extent to which these
      associations were additive. Methods and results: We examined cognitive test
      scores in domains of reasoning, information processing speed and memory, included
      as part of the baseline UK Biobank cohort assessment (N = 474 129 with relevant
      data), adjusting for a range of potentially confounding variables. The presence
      of hypertension, CAD and diabetes generally associated with poorer cognitive
      scores on all tests, compared with a control group that reported none of these
      diseases. There was evidence of an additive deleterious dose effect of an
      increasing number of cardiometabolic diseases, for reasoning scores
      (unstandardized additive dose beta per disease = -0.052 score points out of 13,
      95% CI [confidence intervals] -0.063 to - 0.041, P < 0.001), log reaction time
      scores (exponentiated beta = 1.005, i.e. 0.5% slower, 95% CI 1.004-1.005, P <
      0.001) and log memory errors (exponentiated beta = 1.005 i.e. 0.5% more errors;
      95% CI 1.003-1.008). Conclusion: Cardiometabolic diseases are associated with
      worse cognitive abilities, and the potential effect of an increasing number of
      cardiometabolic conditions appears additive. These results reinforce the notion
      that preventing or delaying cardiovascular disease or diabetes may delay
      cognitive decline and possible dementia.

PMID- 28363221
TI  - The challenge of risk estimation in cardiovascular prevention.

PMID- 28363223
TI  - First, do no (irreparable) harm: infarction, bleeding, and subsequent risk of
      death. The dangers of false equivalency.

PMID- 28363224
TI  - Improving outcome in acute coronary syndromes: ischaemic conditioning,
      antithrombosis and bleeding, and inflammasome antagonism.

PMID- 28363225
TI  - Percutaneous transvenous direct annuloplasty of a human tricuspid valve using the
      Valtech Cardioband.

PMID- 28363226
TI  - Frontiers of valvular heart disease: from aortic stenosis to the tricuspid valve
      and congenital anomalies.

PMID- 28363222
TI  - Trade-off of myocardial infarction vs. bleeding types on mortality after acute
      coronary syndrome: lessons from the Thrombin Receptor Antagonist for Clinical
      Event Reduction in Acute Coronary Syndrome (TRACER) randomized trial.
AB  - Aims: Dual antiplatelet therapy reduces non-fatal ischaemic events after acute
      coronary syndrome (ACS) but increases bleeding to a similar extent. We sought to
      determine the prognostic impact of myocardial infarction (MI) vs. bleeding during
      an extended follow-up period to gain insight into the trade-off between efficacy
      and safety among patients after ACS. Methods and results: In 12 944 patients with
      non-ST-segment elevation ACS from the Thrombin Receptor Antagonist for Clinical
      Event Reduction in Acute Coronary Syndrome (TRACER) trial, we investigated the
      relative impact of MI and bleeding occurring >30 days post-ACS and subsequent all
      cause mortality. Bleeding was graded according to Bleeding Academic Research
      Consortium (BARC) criteria. MI was associated with a five-fold increase in
      mortality. BARC type 2 and 3, but not type 1, bleeding had a significant impact
      on mortality. MI was associated with a greater risk of mortality compared with
      BARC 2 [relative risk (RR) 3.5; 95% confidence interval (CI) 2.08-4.77; P <
      0.001] and BARC 3a bleeding (RR 2.23; 95% CI 1.36-3.64; P = 0.001), and a risk
      similar to BARC 3b bleeding (RR 1.37; 95% CI 0.81-2.30; P = 0.242). Risk of death
      after MI was significantly lower than after BARC 3c bleeding (RR 0.22; 95% CI
      0.13-0.36; P < 0.001). MI and bleeding had similar time-associations with
      mortality, which remained significant for several months, still being higher
      early after the event. Conclusion: In patients treated with antiplatelet therapy
      after ACS, both MI and bleeding significantly impacted mortality with similar
      time-dependency. Although BARC 2 and 3a bleeding were less prognostic for death
      than MI, the risk of mortality was equivalent between BARC 3b bleeding and MI,
      and was higher following BARC 3c bleeding.

PMID- 28363228
TI  - Super-Thin and Suprafascial Anterolateral Thigh Perforator Flaps for Extremity
      Reconstruction.
AB  - Background The anterolateral thigh (ALT) flap remains a workhorse for soft tissue
      reconstruction. However, the traditional ALT flap is often too bulky for
      resurfacing shallow, distal extremity defects, prohibiting adequate function, or
      well-fitted orthotics. This study evaluates extremity reconstruction using ALT
      flaps elevated in the suprafascial or super-thin plane. Methods Retrospective
      review of ALT free flap reconstruction from October 2014 to July 2016 was
      performed. Suprafascial and super-thin flaps were those elevated just above the
      crural fascia and within the superficial scarpal plane, respectively. Adjunct
      operative procedures, demographics, and complications were recorded. Results A
      total of 25 patients underwent suprafascial (n = 14) or super-thin (n = 11) ALT
      flap reconstruction for primarily lower extremity wounds (n = 19), with an
      average age and body mass index of 53.8 years and 26.3 kg/m2, respectively.
      Follow-up was 6.3 months. Comorbidities included smoking (n = 7), diabetes (n =
      8), peripheral vascular disease (n = 6), and hypertension (n = 8). The presence
      of hardware (n = 9), trauma (n = 10), and chronic infection (n = 12) were common
      risk factors. Average flap size was 8.2 * 21.5 cm, with 64% (n = 16) taken on one
      perforator. Forty-eight percent (n = 12) were end-to-side anastomoses and 62% (n
      = 13) utilized one venous anastomosis. Mean hospital stay was 7.8 days with a 24%
      (n = 6) complication rate. There were no partial or complete flap losses.
      Conclusion The ALT flap, elevated in a suprafascial or super-thin plane, is a
      safe, effective option for extremity soft tissue reconstruction. The decreased
      flap volume and bulk provides the improved contour and pliability necessary for
      appropriate distal extremity function. The potential versatility of super-thin
      flaps reinforces the importance of continued innovation by reconstructive
      microsurgeons.

PMID- 28363229
TI  - [A Projection of the Need for Rehabilitation in Germany Till 2040 Based on
      Demographic Factors].
AB  - The demographic changes in Germany leads to a significant shift in the
      composition of the population and the workforce, this affecting the future need
      for medical rehabilitation. This paper estimates the future change in
      rehabilitation demand based on a forecast for demographic changes till 2040.
      First, the sensitivity of the rehabilitation demand with respect to demographic
      factors is estimated. Second, the demographic factors are projected by stochastic
      methods, resulting in forecasts for the future need for medical rehabilitation.
      The projections show that the short-term demand is likely to rise. Theoretically,
      yearly wage increases of about 2.2% are needed for covering the increasing
      medical rehabilitation costs from 2010 till 2017. For the mid-term demand, the
      model predicts a slight decline in rehabilitation cases. Considering all these
      facts, the budget for rehabilitation will probably not cover the future costs for
      rehabilitation. However, the long-term forecast is subject to considerable
      uncertainty.

PMID- 28363230
TI  - Ovarian Manson's Schistosomiasis: Rare Diagnosis or Underestimated Prevalence?
AB  - The occurrence of Manson's schistosomiasis in organs of the female reproductive
      tract is an uncommon event, given that the etiological agent for this disease is
      a blood parasite that inhabits the mesenteric veins. In this case report, a 45
      year-old female patient reported that her first symptoms had been strong pain in
      the left iliac region around two years earlier. An endovaginal pelvic
      ultrasonography showed that the left ovary was enlarged, and the report suggested
      that this finding might be correlated with clinical data and tumor markers. After
      being examined at several healthcare services, the patient was referred to an
      oncology service due to suspected neoplasia, where she underwent a left
      ovariectomy. The result from the histopathological examination showed the
      presence of granulomatous inflammatory processes surrounding both viable and
      calcified eggs of Schistosoma mansoni. There was no evidence of any neoplastic
      tissue. The patient was medicated and followed-up as an outpatient.

PMID- 28363231
TI  - [Management of adverse effects of opioid therapy].
AB  - More than 6 million people in Germany suffer from chronic pain which greatly
      impairs their wellbeing. Often the only therapeutic option is to use class 2 or 3
      analgesic opioids in the WHO classification, as class 1 analgesics may be toxic
      or of limited efficacy. However, the high incidence of opioid side effects leads
      to high discontinuation rates. Thus, the success of opioid treatment is also
      highly dependent on the management of the safety and tolerability of the
      treatment. Most opioid side effects, such as nausea and sedation, predominantly
      occur in the initial phase of therapy. In contrast, opioid-induced constipation
      can last throughout opioid therapy. First-line treatment with laxatives does not
      solve the problem in all patients. Possible second-line therapies include opioid
      receptor antagonists, such as Naloxone, oral-administered Naloxegol, or
      subcutaneously given Methylnaltrexone. The discussion also covers the management
      of other common side effects of opioids, such as nausea, vomiting, sedation,
      pruritus, micturition disorder, and further symptoms.

PMID- 28363233
TI  - ?

PMID- 28363234
TI  - ["Die Plazenta ist die Lunge des Feten"].

PMID- 28363236
TI  - X-ray Study of Structural Formation and Thermomechanical Properties of Silver
      Containing Polymer Nanocomposites.
AB  - The structural organization and thermomechanical properties of nanocomposites
      prepared from interpolyelectrolyte-metal complex (IMC) involving anionic
      polyelectrolyte, pectin and AgNO3, and cationic polyelectrolyte, poly(4
      vinylpyridine), have been investigated using the methods of wide- and small-angle
      X-ray scattering and thermomechanical analysis. It is established that chemical
      reduction of Ag+ ions in the IMC by sodium borohydride results in formation of
      the nanocomposite based on the "pectin-poly(4-vinylpyridine)"
      interpolyelectrolyte complex (IPEC) and Ag0 nanoparticles as well. At the same
      time, the level of nanocomposites' structural heterogeneity is substantially
      enhancing, while effective size of the heterogeneity regions decreases. The
      nanocomposites IPEC-Ag0 prepared are shown much bigger T g value and enhanced
      ability for deformation than those for IMC.

PMID- 28363235
TI  - The Synthesis of Size-Adjustable Superparamagnetism Fe3O4 Hollow Microspheres.
AB  - One hundred fifty to 300-nm-sized monodisperse iron oxide (Fe3O4) hollow
      microspheres were synthesized by the one-pot hydrothermal method. The morphology
      and crystal structure of the as-prepared hollow microspheres was characterized by
      scanning electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction, transmission electron
      microscopy, and high-resolution transmission electron microscopy, while the
      magnetic property was investigated by vibrating sample magnetometer. We found
      that the particle size of the hollow microspheres was related to the amount of
      sodium citrate, polyacrylamide (PAM), and urea. The hollow structure of Fe3O4
      microspheres has high magnetization saturation values ranging in 49.10-75.41
      emu/g.

PMID- 28363237
TI  - Quantum Entanglement in Double Quantum Systems and Jaynes-Cummings Model.
AB  - In the paper, we proposed a new approach to producing the qubits in electron
      transport in low-dimensional structures such as double quantum wells or double
      quantum wires (DQW). The qubit could arise as a result of quantum entanglement of
      two specific states of electrons in DQW structure. These two specific states are
      the symmetric and antisymmetric (with respect to inversion symmetry) states
      arising due to tunneling across the structure, while entanglement could be
      produced and controlled by means of the source of nonclassical light. We examined
      the possibility to produce quantum entanglement in the framework of Jaynes
      Cummings model and have shown that at least in principle, the entanglement can be
      achieved due to series of "revivals" and "collapses" in the population inversion
      due to the interaction of a quantized single-mode EM field with a two-level
      system.

PMID- 28363238
TI  - Preparation and Properties of Nanocellulose from Organosolv Straw Pulp.
AB  - The object of this work is to present a study of nanocellulose preparation from
      organosolv straw pulp (OSP) and its properties. OSP was obtained through thermal
      treatment in the system of isobutyl alcohol-H2O-KOH-hydrazine followed by
      processing in the mixture of acetic acid and hydrogen peroxide for bleaching and
      removal of residual non-cellulosic components. We have obtained nanocellulose
      from OSP through acid hydrolysis with lower consumption of sulfuric acid and
      followed by ultrasound treatment. The structural change and crystallinity degree
      of OSP and nanocellulose were studied by means of SEM and XRD techniques. It has
      been established that nanocellulose has a density up to 1.3 g/cm3, transparency
      up to 70%, crystallinity degree 72.5%. The TEM and AFM methods shown that
      nanocellulose have diameter of particles in the range from 10 to 40 nm.
      Thermogravimetric analysis confirmed that nanocellulose films have more dense
      structure and smaller mass loss in the temperature range 220-260  degrees C
      compared with OSP. The obtained nanocellulose films had high Young's modulus up
      to 11.45 GPa and tensile strength up to 42.3 MPa. The properties of obtained
      nanocellulose from OSP exhibit great potential in its application for the
      preparation of new nanocomposite materials.

PMID- 28363239
TI  - Influence of Fabrication Processes and Annealing Treatment on the Minority
      Carrier Lifetime of Silicon Nanowire Films.
AB  - Surface passivation and bulk carrier lifetime of silicon nanowires (SiNWs) are
      essential for their application in solar cell devices. The effective minority
      carrier lifetime of a semiconductor material is influenced by both its surface
      passivation and bulk carrier lifetime. We found that the effective carrier
      lifetime of SiNWs passivated with aluminum oxide (Al2O3) was significantly
      influenced by the fabrication process of SiNWs. We could not measure the
      effective lifetime of SiNWs fabricated by thermal annealing of amorphous silicon
      nanowires. Nevertheless, the SiNWs fabricated by metal-assisted chemical etching
      of polycrystalline silicon displayed an effective lifetime of 2.86 MUs. Thermal
      annealing of SiNWs at 400  degrees C in a forming gas improved the effective
      carrier lifetime from 2.86 to 15.9 MUs because of the improvement in surface
      passivation at the interface between the SiNWs and Al2O3 layers.

PMID- 28363240
TI  - Sol-gel Synthesis, Photo- and Electrocatalytic Properties of Mesoporous TiO2
      Modified with Transition Metal Ions.
AB  - Mesoporous nanosized titania films modified with Co2+, Ni2+, Mn3+, and Cu2+ ions
      have been produced by templated sol-gel method and characterized by optical
      spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction (XRD), and Brunauer, Emmett, and Teller (BET)
      surface area measurement. Band gap energy and the position of flat band
      potentials were estimated by photoelectrochemical measurements. The films doped
      with transition metals possessed higher photocurrent quantum yield, as well as
      photo- and electrochemical activity compared to undoped samples. Mn+/TiO2 (M-Co,
      Ni, Mn, Cu) electrodes with low dopant content demonstrate high efficiency in
      electrocatalytic reduction of dissolved oxygen. Polarization curves of TiO2,
      TiO2/Ni2+, TiO2/Co2+/3+, and TiO2/Mn3+ electrodes contain only one current wave
      (oxygen reduction current). It means that reaction proceeds without the formation
      of an intermediate product H2O2.

PMID- 28363241
TI  - Composition, Microstructure, and Electrical Properties Control of the Powders
      Synthesized by Sol-Gel Auto-Combustion Method Using Citric Acid as the Fuel.
AB  - Nanocrystalline lithium ferrite Li 0.5 Fe 1.7 Mg 0.8 O 4 powders were synthesized
      by the sol-gel auto-combustion method from the corresponding metal nitrates using
      citric acid as fuel.The results from XRD, SEM, and AC electrical conductivity
      studies are summarized as follows: The results of XRD analysis showed that all
      the samples were formed in single-phase cubic spinel structure at different
      annealing temperatures from 300 to 700  degrees C for 2 h. The lattice parameter
      was found to decrease on increasing the temperature. The microstructure of
      lithium ferrite powders was temperature dependent. The particle size was
      increased with the annealing temperature. AC electrical properties were
      investigated using the super-linear power law and activation energies were
      calculated for all compositions. The electron mobility in Li 0.5 Fe 1.7 Mg 0.8 O
      4 samples ranged from 0.05 to 0.29 eV, which clearly indicated that the present
      lithium ferrites have semiconductor-like behavior. The frequency exponent "s" of
      lithium ferrite lies in the range 0.5 < s < 1, which confirms the electron
      hopping between Fe 2 + and Fe 3 + ions.

PMID- 28363242
TI  - Enhanced Performance of Planar Perovskite Solar Cells Using Low-Temperature
      Solution-Processed Al-Doped SnO2 as Electron Transport Layers.
AB  - Lead halide perovskite solar cells (PSCs) appear to be the ideal future candidate
      for photovoltaic applications owing to the rapid development in recent years. The
      electron transport layers (ETLs) prepared by low-temperature process are
      essential for widespread implementation and large-scale commercialization of
      PSCs. Here, we report an effective approach for producing planar PSCs with Al3+
      doped SnO2 ETLs prepared by using a low-temperature solution-processed method.
      The Al dopant in SnO2 enhanced the charge transport behavior of planar PSCs and
      increased the current density of the devices, compared with the undoped SnO2
      ETLs. Moreover, the enhanced electrical property also improved the fill factors
      (FF) and power conversion efficiency (PCE) of the solar cells. This study has
      indicated that the low-temperature solution-processed Al-SnO2 is a promising ETL
      for commercialization of planar PSCs.

PMID- 28363243
TI  - Pd Nanoparticles and MOFs Synergistically Hybridized Halloysite Nanotubes for
      Hydrogen Storage.
AB  - Natural halloysite nanotubes (HNTs) were hybridized with metal-organic frameworks
      (MOFs) to prepare novel composites. MOFs were transformed into carbon by
      carbonization calcination, and palladium (Pd) nanoparticles were introduced to
      build an emerging ternary compound system for hydrogen adsorption. The hydrogen
      adsorption capacities of HNT-MOF composites were 0.23 and 0.24 wt%, while those
      of carbonized products were 0.24 and 0.27 wt% at 25  degrees C and 2.65 MPa,
      respectively. Al-based samples showed higher hydrogen adsorption capacities than
      Zn-based samples on account of different selectivity between metal and hydrogen
      and approximate porous characteristics. More pore structures are generated by the
      carbonization reaction from metal-organic frameworks into carbon; high specific
      surface area, uniform pore size, and large pore volume benefited the hydrogen
      adsorption ability of composites. Moreover, it was also possible to promote
      hydrogen adsorption capacity by incorporating Pd. The hydrogen adsorption
      capacity of ternary compound, Pd-C-H3-MOFs(Al), reached 0.32 wt% at 25  degrees C
      and 2.65 MPa. Dissociation was assumed to take place on the Pd particles, then
      atomic and molecule hydrogen spilled over to the structure of carboxylated HNTs,
      MOFs, and the carbon products for enhancing the hydrogen adsorption capacity.

PMID- 28363244
TI  - Optical Constants and Band Gap Evolution with Phase Transition in Sub-20-nm-Thick
      TiO2 Films Prepared by ALD.
AB  - Titanium dioxide (TiO2) ultrathin films with different thicknesses below 20 nm
      were grown by atomic layer deposition (ALD) on silicon substrates at 300  degrees
      C. Spectroscopic ellipsometry (SE) measurements were operated to investigate the
      effect of thickness on the optical properties of ultrathin films in the spectra
      range from 200 to 1000 nm with Forouhi-Bloomer (F-B) dispersion relation. It has
      been found that the refractive index and extinction coefficient of the
      investigated TiO2 ultrathin film increase while the band gap of TiO2 ultrathin
      film decreases monotonically with an increase in film thickness. Furthermore,
      with the purpose of studying the temperature dependence of optical properties of
      TiO2 ultrathin film, the samples were annealed at temperature from 400 to 900 
      degrees C in N2 atmosphere. The crystalline structure of deposited and annealed
      films was deduced by SE and supported by X-ray diffraction (XRD). It was revealed
      that the anatase TiO2 film started to transform into rutile phase when the
      annealing temperature was up to 800  degrees C. In this paper, a constructive and
      effective method of monitoring the phase transition in ultrathin films by SE has
      been proposed when the phase transition is not so obvious analyzed by XRD.

PMID- 28363245
TI  - An Experimental Study of the Kinetics of OH/OD(v = 1,2,3) + SO2: The Limiting
      High-Pressure Rate Coefficients as a Function of Temperature.
AB  - The kinetics of the reaction OH/OD(v = 1,2,3) + SO2 were studied using a
      photolysis/laser-induced fluorescence technique. The rate coefficients OH/OD(v =
      1,2,3) + SO2, k1, over the temperature range of 295-810 K were used to determine
      the limiting high-pressure limit k1infinity. This method is usually applicable if
      the reaction samples the potential well of the adduct HOSO2 and if intramolecular
      vibrational relaxation is fast. In the present case, however, the rate
      coefficients showed an additional fast removal contribution as evidenced by the
      increase in k1 with vibrational level; this behavior together with its
      temperature dependence is consistent with the existence of a weakly bound complex
      on the potential energy surface prior to adduct formation. The data were analyzed
      using a composite mechanism that incoporates energy-transfer mechanisms via both
      the adduct and the complex, and yielded a value of k1infinity(295 K) equal to
      (7.2 +/- 3.3) * 10-13 cm3 molecule-1 s-1 (errors at 1sigma), a factor of between
      2 and 3 smaller than the current recommended IUPAC and JPL values of (2.0
      1.0+2.0) and (1.6 +/- 0.4) * 10-12 cm3 molecule-1 s-1 at 298 K, respectively,
      although the error bars do overlap. k1infinity was observed to only depend weakly
      on temperature. Further evidence for a smaller k1infinity is presented in the
      companion paper.

PMID- 28363246
TI  - Results From a Tailored SMS and Behavior-Tracking Pilot Study on Sun-Safe
      Behaviors in Young Women.
AB  - BACKGROUND: The elevated rates of ultraviolet radiation (UVR) exposure and low
      rates of sun protection in young adult women indicate a need for age- and gender
      appropriate interventions that address these behaviors. AIMS: To examine the
      effects of daily behavior tracking and individually tailored text messages on sun
      protection and UVR exposure behaviors in young adult women at moderate to high
      risk of developing skin cancer. METHOD: One hundred and four young adult women at
      risk of skin cancer were randomized to receive the behavior-tracking intervention
      only, tailored text messages only, both interventions, or neither. Outcomes were
      self-reported UVR exposure and sun protection behaviors. RESULTS: Those who
      received the behavior-tracking intervention reported significantly fewer UVR
      exposure behaviors at 4-week follow-up, relative to those who did not receive
      behavior tracking. At 4-week follow-up, those who received daily tailored text
      messages reported significantly greater UVR exposure behaviors but were more
      likely to report wearing a hat as a form of sun protection, relative to those who
      did not receive tailored messages. DISCUSSION: Daily behavior tracking may be
      repetitive, but repetition may facilitate cognitive processing and the
      development of healthy habits. Health messages that are less interactive, on the
      other hand, need to be adequately tailored and delivered with the most
      advantageous timing to be impactful. CONCLUSION: Future research should continue
      to examine how these interventions differentially affect behavior and how they
      can be adapted to apply to other health behaviors.

PMID- 28363249
TI  - Applying proteomics to detect early signs of chronic kidney disease: where has
      the magic gone?

PMID- 28363247
TI  - Gene Delivery of Calreticulin Anti-Angiogenic Domain Attenuates the Development
      of Choroidal Neovascularization in Rats.
AB  - Choroidal neovascularization (CNV) is a common pathological feature in
      neovascular age-related macular degeneration, which is the leading cause of
      vision loss among elderly populations in developed countries. This study
      evaluated the effect of a novel endogenous inhibitor of angiogenesis,
      calreticulin anti-angiogenic domain (CAD), subconjunctivally delivered by an
      adenoviral vector (Ad-CAD) in a rat model of laser-induced CNV. CAD was expressed
      in Ad-CAD-infected cells and inhibited the angiogenic activity in human umbilical
      vein endothelial cells in vitro. CAD expression was also found in various ocular
      tissues after in vivo subconjunctival Ad-CAD injection. Via bioluminescence
      imaging it is shown that a single subconjunctival injection of Ad-luciferase
      induced the expression of the transgene in the injected eyes within 24 h, which
      lasted for at least 112 days. Forty-two days after subconjunctival injection of
      Ad-CAD, retinal structure and function were unaffected, as measured using optical
      coherence tomography and electroretinography, respectively. After laser injury,
      subconjunctival Ad-CAD gene delivery significantly inhibited CNV lesions as
      measured via choroid flat-mounts (51% reduction at 21 days; p < 0.001), as well
      as by fundus fluorescein angiography (19.3%, 28.2%, 31%, and 27.5% reductions at
      days 21, 28, 35, and 42, respectively; p < 0.05) in rats. The data suggest that
      subconjunctival Ad-CAD gene therapy could effectively inhibit laser-induced CNV
      and might be an attractive therapeutic approach for the management of choroidal
      neovascularization.

PMID- 28363250
TI  - Prevalence of ADHD in Publicly Insured Adults.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: To estimate the prevalence of adult ADHD diagnosis and treatment in
      U.S. Medicaid beneficiaries. METHOD: Using outpatient, inpatient, and pharmacy
      billing records for patients eligible for Medicaid fee-for-service benefits
      within 29 states from 1999 to 2010, we estimated the annual prevalence of ADHD
      diagnosis and treatment. RESULTS: The prevalence of ADHD diagnosis increased from
      2.20 per 1,000 patients in 1999 to 10.57 in 2010. Likewise, prevalence of ADHD
      treatment increased from 1.95 per 1,000 patients in 1999 to 13.16 in 2010.
      Between 40% and 65%, patients had ADHD drug prescription fills 6 months after
      ADHD diagnosis, whereas 45% to 55% of the beneficiaries with an ADHD drug
      prescription fill had ADHD diagnoses within 6 months before the prescription.
      CONCLUSION: In publicly insured adults, the prevalence of ADHD diagnosis and
      treatment increased dramatically over the years. Approximately half of the
      diagnosed patients are not treated, whereas half of the treated adults are not
      diagnosed.

PMID- 28363248
TI  - The Resting-State Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging Regional Homogeneity
      Metrics-Kendall's Coefficient of Concordance-Regional Homogeneity and Coherence
      Regional Homogeneity-Are Valid Indicators of Tumor-Related Neurovascular
      Uncoupling.
AB  - The aim of this study is to determine whether regional homogeneity (ReHo) of
      resting-state blood oxygenation level-dependent (BOLD) functional magnetic
      resonance imaging (rsfMRI) data based on Kendall's coefficient of concordance
      (KCC-ReHo) and coherence (Cohe-ReHo) metrics may allow detection of brain tumor
      induced neurovascular uncoupling (NVU) in the sensorimotor network similar to
      findings in standard motor task-based BOLD fMRI (tbfMRI) activation. Twelve de
      novo brain tumor patients undergoing clinical fMRI exams (tbfMRI and rsfMRI) were
      included in this Institutional Review Board (IRB)-approved study. Each patient
      displayed decreased/absent tbfMRI activation in the primary ipsilesional
      sensorimotor cortex in the absence of corresponding motor deficit or suboptimal
      task performance, consistent with NVU. Z-score maps for motor tasks were obtained
      from the general linear model (GLM) analysis (reflecting motor activation vs.
      rest). KCC-ReHo and Cohe-ReHo maps were calculated from rsfMRI data. Precentral
      and postcentral gyri in contralesional (CL) and ipsilesional (IL) hemispheres
      were parcellated using an automated anatomical labeling (AAL) template for each
      patient. Similar region of interest (ROI) analysis was performed on tbfMRI, KCC
      ReHo, and Cohe-ReHo maps to allow direct comparison of results. Voxel values in
      CL and IL ROIs of each map were divided by the corresponding global mean of KCC
      ReHo and Cohe-ReHo in bihemispheric cortical brain tissue. Group analysis
      revealed significantly decreased IL mean KCC-ReHo (p = 0.02) and Cohe-ReHo (p =
      0.04) metrics compared with respective values in the CL ROIs, consistent with
      similar findings of significantly decreased ipsilesional BOLD signal for tbfMRI
      (p = 0.0005). Ipsilesional abnormalities in ReHo derived from rsfMRI may serve as
      potential indicators of NVU in patients with brain tumors and other resectable
      brain lesions; as such, ReHo findings may complement findings on tbfMRI used for
      presurgical planning.

PMID- 28363251
TI  - Assessment of air sampling methods and size distribution of virus-laden aerosols
      in outbreaks in swine and poultry farms.
AB  - Swine and poultry viruses, such as porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome
      virus (PRRSV), porcine epidemic diarrhea virus (PEDV), and highly pathogenic
      avian influenza virus (HPAIV), are economically important pathogens that can
      spread via aerosols. The reliability of methods for quantifying particle
      associated viruses as well as the size distribution of aerosolized particles
      bearing these viruses under field conditions are not well documented. We compared
      the performance of 2 size-differentiating air samplers in disease outbreaks that
      occurred in swine and poultry facilities. Both air samplers allowed
      quantification of particles by size, and measured concentrations of PRRSV, PEDV,
      and HPAIV stratified by particle size both within and outside swine and poultry
      facilities. All 3 viruses were detectable in association with aerosolized
      particles. Proportions of positive sampling events were 69% for PEDV, 61% for
      HPAIV, and 8% for PRRSV. The highest virus concentrations were found with PEDV,
      followed by HPAIV and PRRSV. Both air collectors performed equally for the
      detection of total virus concentration. For all 3 viruses, higher numbers of RNA
      copies were associated with larger particles; however, a bimodal distribution of
      particles was observed in the case of PEDV and HPAIV.

PMID- 28363252
TI  - First Published Study with Embryonated Hen Egg Infected with Zika Virus Is Dated
      from 1952.

PMID- 28363253
TI  - The Traumatic Brain Injury Endpoints Development (TED) Initiative: Progress on a
      Public-Private Regulatory Collaboration to Accelerate Diagnosis and Treatment of
      Traumatic Brain Injury.
AB  - The Traumatic Brain Injury Endpoints Development (TED) Initiative is a 5-year,
      Department of Defense (DoD) funded project that is working toward the ultimate
      goal of developing better designed clinical trials, leading to more precise
      diagnosis, and effective treatments for traumatic brain injury (TBI). TED is
      comprised of leading academic clinician-scientists, along with innovative
      industry leaders in biotechnology and imaging technology, patient advocacy
      organizations, and philanthropists, working collaboratively with regulatory
      authorities, specifically the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The goals of
      the TED Initiative are to gain consensus and validation of TBI clinical outcome
      assessment measures and biomarkers for endorsement by global regulatory agencies
      for use in drug and device development processes. This manuscript summarizes the
      Initiative's Stage 1 progress over the first 18 months, including intensive
      engagement with a number of FDA divisions responsible for review and validation
      of biomarkers and clinical outcome assessments, progression into the
      prequalification phase of FDA's Medical Device Development Tool program for a
      candidate set of neuroimaging biomarkers, and receipt of FDA's Recognition of
      Research Importance Letter regarding TBI. Other signal achievements relate to the
      creation of the TED Metadataset, harmonizing study measures across eight major
      TBI studies, and the leadership role played by TED investigators in the
      conversion of the NINDS TBI Common Data Elements (CDEs) to Clinical Data
      Interchange Standards Consortium (CDISC) standards. This paper frames both the
      near-term expectations and the Initiative's long-term vision to accelerate
      approval of treatments for patients affected by TBI in urgent need of effective
      therapies.

PMID- 28363254
TI  - Pancreatic neuroendocrine carcinoma with exocrine differentiation in a young cat.
AB  - A 35-mo-old spayed female mixed-breed cat with continuous vomiting, emaciation,
      and abdominal distention for 2 wk was presented to a private veterinary clinic
      for evaluation. At 71 d after the initial visit, the cat died with anemia,
      jaundice, and hypoalbuminemia, and was subjected to autopsy. Grossly, numerous
      firm masses, 0.5-2.5 cm diameter, were randomly located in the left lobe of the
      pancreas. Histologic examination revealed that the pancreatic mass consisted of 2
      tumor cell types: mostly small round cells with a minority of epithelial cells.
      The small cells were arranged in nests of various sizes, which were separated by
      thin fibrous stroma, and had small, round, hyperchromatic nuclei, scant cytoplasm
      containing argyrophilic granules, and often formed rosettes. The epithelial cells
      formed luminal structures. Metastases were observed in the liver, greater
      omentum, and pancreatic, gastric, pulmonary, and mediastinal lymph nodes.
      Immunohistochemical examination revealed that the small cells were positive for
      vimentin, neuron-specific enolase, chromogranin A, cytokeratin (CK) AE1/AE3, and
      trypsin, whereas the epithelial cells were positive for AE1/AE3, trypsin, CK19,
      and nestin. Ultrastructurally, the small cells contained abundant electron-dense
      granules, ~200 nm diameter, whereas the epithelial cells had apical microvilli
      and numerous zymogen granules, ~300 nm diameter. These findings indicated that
      the tumor was a pancreatic neuroendocrine carcinoma with exocrine differentiation
      and systemic metastases.

PMID- 28363256
TI  - Transplantation of Amniotic Scaffold-Seeded Mesenchymal Stem Cells and/or
      Endothelial Progenitor Cells From Bone Marrow to Efficiently Repair 3-cm
      Circumferential Urethral Defect in Model Dogs.
AB  - The treatment options for patients with a urethral defect are limited by the
      availability of autologous tissues. We hypothesized that transplantation of
      decellularized human amniotic scaffolds (dHAS) seeded with allogeneic bone marrow
      mesenchymal cells (BMSCs) and/or endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs) may serve as
      a promising repair strategy for long segment of circumferential urethral defect.
      To verify the hypothesis, with urinary catheterization, a 3-cm segment of whole
      urethra in 25 male mongrel dogs was excised and replaced by dHAS seeded with
      allogeneic BMSCs and/or EPCs. Postoperative observation and ascending urethrogram
      found that dHAS+BMSCs+EPCs and dHAS+EPCs groups demonstrated unhindered urination
      and capacious urethral caliber, which were similar to the normal group, while
      urethrostenosis was revealed in dHAS+BMSCs, dHAS, and sham-operated groups, with
      the shortest narrow section in dHAS+BMSCs group and the longest in sham-operated
      group. Urethral anatomy check and histological analyses showed that new urethral
      mucosa composed of stratified columnar epithelium completely covered on the inner
      surface of the graft site in dHAS+BMSCs+EPCs and dHAS+EPCs groups, but the middle
      epithelium was thin in dHAS+EPCs group, while incompletely covered in dHAS+BMSCs,
      dHAS, and sham-operated groups, and there were monolayer epithelial cells at the
      urethrostenosis in dHAS+BMSCs and dHAS groups. In addition, abundant new vessel
      and blood sinus showed at submucosa in dHAS+BMSCs+EPCs and dHAS+EPCs groups,
      instead of the scar tissue of collagen deposition and structural distortion at
      the urethrostenosis in dHAS+BMSCs, dHAS, and sham-operated groups. This study
      demonstrates that dHAS seeded with BMSCs+EPCs or EPCs can successfully repair a 3
      cm circumferential urethral defect in model dogs, but the former works best. This
      technology may provide some references for human clinical trials on long segment
      of circumferential urethral defect repair.

PMID- 28363255
TI  - Glycyrrhizin, a Direct HMGB1 Antagonist, Ameliorates Inflammatory Infiltration in
      a Model of Autoimmune Thyroiditis via Inhibition of TLR2-HMGB1 Signaling.
AB  - BACKGROUND: High mobility group box-1 (HMGB1), a non-histone protein, plays an
      important role in autoimmune diseases. However, the significance of HMGB1 in the
      pathogenesis of autoimmune thyroiditis has not been reported. The purpose of this
      study was to explore whether HMGB1 participates in the pathogenesis of autoimmune
      thyroiditis, and whether glycyrrhizin (GL), a direct inhibitor of HMGB1,
      attenuates the severity of thyroid inflammatory infiltration in a murine model of
      autoimmune thyroiditis. METHODS: A total of 80 male NOD.H-2h4 mice were randomly
      divided into a control or iodine supplement (NaI) group at four weeks of age, and
      the control group was fed with regular water, whereas the NaI group was supplied
      with 0.005% sodium iodine water. Another 24 male NOD.H-2h4 mice were also
      randomized into three groups (eight mice per group) as follows: control, NaI, and
      GL treatment after iodine supplementation (NaI + GL). The NOD.H-2h4 mice were fed
      with 0.005% sodium iodide water for eight weeks to enhance autoimmune
      thyroiditis. After iodine treatment, the mice received intraperitoneal injections
      of GL for four weeks. The severity of lymphocytic infiltration in the thyroid
      gland was measured by histopathological studies. The serum levels of HMGB1, tumor
      necrosis factor alpha, interleukin (IL)-6, IL-1beta, and thyroglobulin antibody
      titers were measured using an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. HMGB1 expression
      was measured by immunohistochemical staining and real-time polymerase chain
      reaction. TLR2, HMGB1, MyD88, and nuclear transcription factor kappaB were
      measured by Western blot. RESULTS: The mRNA expression of HMGB1 was significantly
      higher at 8 and 16 weeks in the NaI group than it was in the control group. Serum
      levels of thyroglobulin antibodies, HMGB1, tumor necrosis factor alpha, IL-6, and
      IL-1beta were significantly increased in the NaI group, but they were
      dramatically attenuated with GL injection. The prevalence of thyroiditis and the
      infiltration of lymphocytes were significantly decreased in the NaI + GL group.
      GL administration also significantly reduced the protein expression of TLR2,
      MyD88, HMGB1 and nuclear transcription factor kappaB in the thyroid gland and
      attenuated the severity of thyroiditis. CONCLUSION: HMGB1 may play a crucial role
      in autoimmune thyroiditis by causing inflammatory infiltration, thus increasing
      the severity of autoimmune thyroiditis. GL effectively attenuated thyroiditis in
      the iodine-induced NOD.H-2h4 mice via a molecular mechanism related to the
      inhibition of TLR2-HMGB1 signaling.

PMID- 28363257
TI  - Brain lesions associated with acute toxic hepatopathy in cattle.
AB  - Samples of the liver, telencephalon, brainstem, and cerebellum were obtained from
      22 bovids suffering from spontaneous or experimental acute toxic liver disease.
      Perreyia flavipes larvae, and leaves of Cestrum corymbosum, Cestrum intermedium,
      Dodonaea viscosa, Trema micrantha, and Xanthium cavanillesii were the causal
      agents in the disorders studied. Hematoxylin and eosin and periodic acid-Schiff
      staining, as well as anti-S100 protein (anti-S100), anti-glial fibrillary acidic
      protein (anti-GFAP), and anti-vimentin immunostaining were used to evaluate the
      brain sections. Astrocytic changes were observed in all samples and were
      characterized by swollen vesicular nuclei in gray (Alzheimer type II astrocytes)
      and white matter; and by abundant eosinophilic or vacuolated cytoplasm with
      pyknotic nuclei in the white matter. These changes were evidenced by anti-S100
      and anti-GFAP immunostaining. Our study demonstrates major changes in astrocytes
      of cattle that died with neurologic clinical signs as the result of acute toxic
      liver disease.

PMID- 28363259
TI  - Suicide Prevention Involves All of Us, Together.

PMID- 28363258
TI  - Peripheral Hypoarousal but Not Preparation-Vigilance Impairment Endures in ADHD
      Remission.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: This study investigates whether impairments associated with persistent
      ADHD-impaired attention allocation (P3 amplitude), peripheral hypoarousal (skin
      conductance level [SCL]), and adjustment in preparatory state (contingent
      negative variation [CNV])-reflect enduring deficits unrelated to ADHD outcome or
      are markers of ADHD remission. METHOD: Young people with childhood ADHD (73
      persisters and 18 remitters) and 144 controls were compared on neurophysiological
      measures during two conditions (baseline and fast-incentive) of a four-choice
      reaction time task. RESULTS: ADHD remitters differed from persisters, and were
      indistinguishable from controls, on baseline P3 amplitude and fast-incentive CNV
      amplitude ( p <= .05). ADHD remitters differed from controls ( p <= .01), and
      were indistinguishable from persisters ( p > .05), on baseline SCL. CONCLUSION:
      Preparation-vigilance measures were markers of ADHD remission, confirming
      previous findings with other measures. Yet, SCL-measured peripheral hypoarousal
      emerges as an enduring deficit unrelated to ADHD improvement. Future studies
      should explore potential compensatory mechanisms that enable efficient
      preparation-vigilance processes in ADHD remitters.

PMID- 28363260
TI  - Suicide Prevention.

PMID- 28363261
TI  - Age of Onset of Mental Disorders.

PMID- 28363262
TI  - Psychometric Evaluation of the Mental Health Continuum-Short Form in French
      Canadian Young Adults.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: To examine the factor structure, internal consistency, reliability,
      sex invariance, and discriminant validity of the French Canadian version of the
      Mental Health Continuum-Short Form (MHC-SF). METHOD: A total of 1485 French
      speaking postsecondary students in Quebec, Canada (58% female; mean age = 18.4,
      SD = 2.4), completed the MHC-SF. Confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) was used to
      assess the factorial structure of the MHC-SF. Internal consistency was assessed
      with Cronbach's alpha, and reliability was assessed with the rho reliability
      coefficient. Invariance testing across sex was conducted using multigroup CFA
      comparing 4 increasingly restrictive models, and discriminant validity was
      examined against the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS) using Pearson
      correlation coefficients and CFA. RESULTS: CFA supported the correlated 3-factor
      structure of the MHC-SF, with emotional, social, and psychological well-being
      subscales. The scale and each subscale items had internal consistency
      coefficients (Cronbach's alphas) above .70 and reliability coefficients
      (Joreskog's rho) ranging from .79 to .90. Based on the multigroup CFA,
      configural, metric, scalar, and error variance invariance of the MHC-SF was
      observed across sex. Finally, the 2-continua model, suggesting that mental health
      and mental illness are distinct but related dimensions, was supported by both
      moderate inverse correlations between MHC-SF and HADS subscale scores and the 2
      factor structure in CFA. CONCLUSIONS: These data support the multidimensional
      structure of the MHC-SF and provide evidence of internal consistency,
      reliability, and invariance across sex. The MHC-SF is a valid and reliable
      measure of mental health that is distinct from mental illness among French
      Canadian young adults.

PMID- 28363263
TI  - Child and Youth Mental Health.

PMID- 28363264
TI  - Evaluating Community-Academic Partnerships of the South Carolina Healthy Brain
      Research Network.
AB  - Community-academic partnerships have a long history of support from public health
      researchers and practitioners as an effective way to advance research and
      solutions to issues that are of concern to communities and their citizens. Data
      on the development and evaluation of partnerships focused on healthy aging and
      cognitive health were limited. The purpose of this article is to examine how
      community partners view the benefits and barriers of a community-academic partner
      group established to support activities of the South Carolina Healthy Brain
      Research Network (SC-HBRN). The SC-HBRN is part of the national Healthy Brain
      Research Network, a thematic research network funded by the Centers for Disease
      Control and Prevention (CDC). It is focused on improving the scientific and
      research translation agenda on cognitive health and healthy aging. Semistructured
      interviews, conducted at end of Year 2 of the 5-year partnership, were used to
      collect data from partners of the SC-HBRN. Reported benefits of the partnership
      were information sharing and networking, reaching a broader audience, and
      humanizing research. When asked to describe what they perceived as barriers to
      the collaborative, partners described some lack of clarity regarding goals of the
      network and opportunities to contribute to the partnership. Study results can
      guide and strengthen other public health-focused partnerships.

PMID- 28363265
TI  - Two-Stage Biomarker Protocols for Improving the Precision of Early Detection of
      Prostate Cancer.
AB  - BACKGROUND: New cancer biomarkers are being discovered at a rapid pace; however,
      these tests vary in their predictive performance characteristics, and it is
      unclear how best to use them. METHODS: We investigated 2-stage biomarker-based
      screening strategies in the context of prostate cancer using a partially
      observable Markov model to simulate patients' progression through prostate cancer
      states to mortality from prostate cancer or other causes. Patients were screened
      every 2 years from ages 55 to 69. If the patient's serum prostate-specific
      antigen (PSA) was over a specified threshold in the first stage, a second stage
      biomarker test was administered. We evaluated design characteristics for these 2
      stage strategies using 7 newly discovered biomarkers as examples. Monte Carlo
      simulation was used to estimate the number of screening biopsies, prostate cancer
      deaths, and quality-adjusted life-years (QALYs) per 1000 men. RESULTS: The all
      cancer biomarkers significantly underperformed the high-grade cancer biomarkers
      in terms of QALYs. The screening strategy that used a PSA threshold of 2 ng/mL
      and a second biomarker test with high-grade sensitivity and specificity of 0.86
      and 0.62, respectively, maximized QALYs. This strategy resulted in a prostate
      cancer death rate within 1% of using PSA alone with a threshold of 2 ng/mL, while
      reducing the number of biopsies by 20%. Sensitivity analysis suggests that the
      results are robust with respect to variation in model parameters. CONCLUSIONS:
      Two-stage biomarker screening strategies using new biomarkers with risk
      thresholds optimized for high-grade cancer detection may increase quality
      adjusted survival and reduce unnecessary biopsies.

PMID- 28363266
TI  - A Qualitative assessment of the impact of handedness among left-handed surgeons
      in Saudi Arabia.
AB  - Among Muslims, the use of the left hand in daily activities is discouraged; many
      people believe that left-handed physicians lack the competency for surgery. The
      study aim was to document the experience of left-handed surgeons in Saudi Arabia
      and the impact of handedness on their training, job performance, collegial
      relationships, and career progression. This qualitative study included 9 left
      handed physicians in various surgical specialties from 4 major hospitals in Al
      Qassim, Saudi Arabia. Face-to-face interviews using a semi-structured
      questionnaire were conducted. Interview transcripts were analysed with
      Qualitative Content Analysis Method. Of the participants, 78% were male and the
      mean age was 40 years. Twenty-two per cent were consultants, 67% were
      specialists, and 11% were resident physicians. Participants reported the
      following: (a) a lack of training programmes specific to handedness in
      undergraduate and postgraduate medical training, (b) inconvenience while being
      assisted by a right-handed colleague, (c) stress, fatigue, and physical pain due
      to the use of right-handed instruments, and (d) training of the right hand being
      the most common adaptation technique for a left-handed surgeon. It was concluded
      that left-handed surgeons experience difficulty with right-handed instruments and
      right-handed colleagues during surgery. It is recommended that clinical
      curriculum incorporate hand-specific training in surgery.

PMID- 28363267
TI  - Identification and prevalence of swine pasivirus 1 in eastern Romanian pig farms.
AB  - Swine pasivirus 1 (SPaV-1) was first detected in the feces of healthy pigs in
      France as a new species in family Picornaviridae. We investigated the presence,
      distribution, and genetic variability of this virus in 7 geographic areas with
      intensive pig breeding farms in eastern Romania. A total of 564 porcine
      specimens, including 82 fecal specimens and 482 pools of organs, were collected
      from healthy pigs in different stages of production from pathogen-free swine
      farming units. The virus was found in 6 of 7 areas investigated. Of the 564
      samples analyzed, 218 were positive for SPaV-1, with the highest prevalence of
      the virus in organ homogenates (39% positive) followed by feces (37% positive).
      The highest susceptibility to infection was found in nurseries (50% positive in
      both the first and second months of feeding). Sequencing analysis of VP0 revealed
      3 different Romanian sequences. The phylogenetic investigations suggest that the
      Romanian sequences cluster with other Pasivirus strains selected from the GenBank
      database, forming a separate clade from other Picornaviridae genera and defining
      the described Pasivirus.

PMID- 28363270
TI  - Hip Pain: Dry Needling Versus Cortisone Injections.
AB  - Greater trochanteric pain syndrome (GTPS) is chronic, intermittent pain and
      tenderness on the outside of the hip. The medical community once thought that a
      swollen hip bursa was the source of such pain, which led to the use of
      corticosteroid injections to the bursa to help decrease swelling and pain.
      However, researchers now believe that injuries to the muscles and tendons around
      the hip are the actual cause of this pain, and that inflammation is often not
      involved. A study published in the April 2017 issue of JOSPT explores dry
      needling as an alternative to cortisone injections to reduce pain and improve
      function in patients with GTPS. J Orthop Sports Phys Ther 2017;47(4):240.
      doi:10.2519/jospt.2017.0504.

PMID- 28363268
TI  - MicroRNA-183-5p Increases with Age in Bone-Derived Extracellular Vesicles,
      Suppresses Bone Marrow Stromal (Stem) Cell Proliferation, and Induces Stem Cell
      Senescence.
AB  - Microvesicle- and exosome-mediated transport of microRNAs (miRNAs) represents a
      novel cellular and molecular pathway for cell-cell communication. In this study,
      we tested the hypothesis that these extracellular vesicles (EVs) and their miRNAs
      might change with age, contributing to age-related stem cell dysfunction. EVs
      were isolated from the bone marrow interstitial fluid (supernatant) of young (3-4
      months) and aged (24-28 months) mice to determine whether the size,
      concentration, and miRNA profile of EVs were altered with age in vivo. Results
      show that EVs isolated from bone marrow are CD63 and CD9 positive, and the
      concentration and size distribution of bone marrow EVs are similar between the
      young and aged mice. Bioanalyzer data indicate that EVs from both young and aged
      mice are highly enriched in miRNAs, and the miRNA profile of bone marrow EVs
      differs significantly between the young and aged mice. Specifically, the miR-183
      cluster (miR-96/-182/-183) is highly expressed in aged EVs. In vitro assays
      demonstrate that aged EVs are endocytosed by primary bone marrow stromal cells
      (BMSCs), and these aged EVs inhibit the osteogenic differentiation of young
      BMSCs. Transfection of BMSCs with miR-183-5p mimic reduces cell proliferation and
      osteogenic differentiation, increases senescence, and decreases protein levels of
      the miR-183-5p target heme oxygenase-1 (Hmox1). In vitro assays utilizing H2O2
      induced oxidative stress show that H2O2 treatment of BMSCs increases the
      abundance of miR-183-5p in BMSC-derived EVs, and Amplex Red assays demonstrate
      that H2O2 is elevated in the bone marrow microenvironment with age. Together,
      these data indicate that aging and oxidative stress can significantly alter the
      miRNA cargo of EVs in the bone marrow microenvironment, which may in turn play a
      role in stem cell senescence and osteogenic differentiation by reducing Hmox1
      activity.

PMID- 28363269
TI  - Establishing a Large-Animal Model for In Vivo Reprogramming of Bile Duct Cells
      into Insulin-Secreting Cells to Treat Diabetes.
AB  - Type 1 diabetes manifests as autoimmune destruction of beta cells requiring
      metabolic management with an exogenous replacement of insulin, either by repeated
      injection of recombinant insulin or by transplantation of allogeneic islets from
      cadaveric donors. Both of these approaches have severe limitations. Repeated
      insulin injection requires intensive blood glucose monitoring, is expensive, and
      is associated with decreased quality-of-life measures. Islet transplantation,
      while highly effective, is severely limited by shortage of donor organs. Clinical
      translation of beta cells derived from pluripotent stem cells is also not yet a
      reality, and alternative approaches to solving the replacement of lost beta cell
      function are required. In vivo direct reprogramming offers an attractive approach
      to generating new endogenous insulin-secreting cells by permanently altering the
      phenotype of somatic cells after transient expression of transcription factors.
      Previously, we have successfully restored control of blood glucose in diabetic
      mice by reprogramming liver cells into glucose-sensitive insulin-secreting cells
      after the transient, simultaneous delivery of three transcription factors (Pdx1,
      Ngn3, and MafA) to the liver of diabetic mice, using an adenoviral vector (Ad
      PNM). Establishing a clinically relevant, large-animal model is a critical next
      step in translating this approach beyond the proof-of-principle stage in rodents
      and allowing investigation of vector design, dose and delivery, host response to
      vector infusion, and establishment of suitable criteria for measuring safety and
      efficacy. In this feasibility study we infused Ad-PNM into the liver of three
      diabetic cynomolgus macaques via portal vein catheter. Vector presence and cargo
      gene and protein expression were detected in liver tissue after infusion with no
      adverse effects. Refinement of immune suppression significantly extended the
      period of exogenous PNM expression. This pilot study establishes the suitability
      of this large-animal model to examine the translation of this approach for
      treating diabetes.

PMID- 28363271
TI  - Prediction of Future Injury in Sport: Primary and Secondary Anterior Cruciate
      Ligament Injury Risk and Return to Sport as a Model.
AB  - Can we predict future events? Biostatisticians might answer with an unequivocal
      yes and state that logistic regression models do exactly that: they predict the
      relative risk of an outcome on the basis of logistic regression of multiple
      independent variables. If this is the case, then which approaches improve
      predictive capability? We are not attempting to predict individual events in
      individual athletes. However, certain approaches can improve predictive power. J
      Orthop Sports Phys Ther 2017;47(4):228-231. doi:10.2519/jospt.2017.0603.

PMID- 28363272
TI  - Left Knee Synovial Osteochondromatosis.
AB  - A 28-year-old male military service member reported to a physical therapist with
      progressively worsening left knee pain during impact activity and with work
      duties. Following examination, he physical therapist ordered radiographs of the
      knee, which revealed severe osteochondromatosis and tricompartmental arthritis. J
      Orthop Sports Phys Ther 2017;47(4):294. doi:10.2519/jospt.2017.7016.

PMID- 28363273
TI  - Intra-articular Focal Nodular Synovitis of the Knee.
AB  - A 32-year-old woman was referred to physical therapy by her primary care provider
      (PCP) for complaints of limited right knee extension and pain. Radiographs of her
      right knee ordered by her PCP prior to physical therapy evaluation were
      noncontributory. To rule out intra-articular pathology, the physical therapist
      ordered magnetic resonance imaging, which revealed an intra-articular mass. The
      radiologist recommended contrast imaging to further characterize the mass, which
      was found to be consistent with focal nodular synovitis. J Orthop Sports Phys
      Ther 2017;47(4):293. doi:10.2519/jospt.2017.7221.

PMID- 28363275
TI  - 2016 JOSPT Awards: Additive Effects and Biological Mechanisms of Interventions
      Offer Important Insights.
AB  - During the American Physical Therapy Association's Combined Sections Meeting in
      San Antonio, TX in February 2017, JOSPT recognized the authors of the most
      outstanding research and clinical practice manuscripts published in JOSPT during
      2016. The 2016 JOSPT Excellence in Research Award was presented to Carol A.
      Courtney, Alana D. Steffen, Cesar Fernandez-de-las-Penas, John Kim, and Samuel J.
      Chmell, MD, for their March 2016 article "Joint Mobilization Enhances Mechanisms
      of Conditioned Pain Modulation in Individuals With Osteoarthritis of the Knee."
      The 2016 George J. Davies-James A. Gould Excellence in Clinical Inquiry Award was
      presented to Seyda Toprak Celenay, Turkan Akbayrak, and Derya Ozer Kaya for their
      February 2016 article "A Comparison of the Effects of Stabilization Exercises
      Plus Manual Therapy to Those of Stabilization Exercises Alone in Patients With
      Nonspecific Mechanical Neck Pain: A Randomized Clinical Trial." J Orthop Sports
      Phys Ther 2017;47(4):225-227. doi:10.2519/jospt.2017.0104.

PMID- 28363274
TI  - April 2017 Letter to the Editor-in-Chief.
AB  - Letter to the Editor-in-Chief of JOSPT as follows: "Subgrouping Patients With Low
      Back Pain" with Authors' Response J Orthop Sports Phys Ther 2017;47(4):295.
      doi:10.2519/jospt.2017.0203.

PMID- 28363277
TI  - Erratum to: Pharmaceutical cost management in an ambulatory setting using a risk
      adjustment tool.

PMID- 28363276
TI  - Relationship between serum bilirubin concentrations and diabetic nephropathy in
      Shanghai Han's patients with type 1 diabetes mellitus.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Recent studies highlight a negative association between total
      bilirubin concentrations and albuminuria in patients with type 2 diabetes
      mellitus. Our study evaluated the relationship between bilirubin concentrations
      and the prevalence of diabetic nephropathy (DN) in Chinese patients with type 1
      diabetes mellitus (T1DM). METHODS: A total of 258 patients with T1DM were
      recruited and bilirubin concentrations were compared between patients with or
      without diabetic nephropathy. Multiple stepwise regression analysis was used to
      examine the relationship between bilirubin concentrations and 24 h urinary
      microalbumin. Binary logistic regression analysis was performed to assess
      independent risk factors for diabetic nephropathy. Participants were divided into
      four groups according to the quartile of total bilirubin concentrations (Q1, 0.20
      0.60; Q2, 0.60-0.80; Q3, 0.80-1.00; Q4, 1.00-1.90 mg/dL) and the chi-square test
      was used to compare the prevalence of DN in patients with T1DM. RESULTS: The
      median bilirubin level was 0.56 (interquartile: 0.43-0.68 mg/dL) in the DN group,
      significantly lower than in the non-DN group (0.70 [interquartile: 0.58-0.89
      mg/dL], P < 0.001). Spearman's correlational analysis showed bilirubin
      concentrations were inversely correlated with 24 h urinary microalbumin (r = 
      0.13, P < 0.05) and multiple stepwise regression analysis showed bilirubin
      concentrations were independently associated with 24 h urinary microalbumin. In
      logistic regression analysis, bilirubin concentrations were significantly
      inversely associated with nephropathy. In addition, in stratified analysis, from
      the first to the fourth quartile group, increased bilirubin concentrations were
      associated with decreased prevalence of DN from 21.90% to 2.00%. CONCLUSION: High
      bilirubin concentrations are independently and negatively associated with
      albuminuria and the prevalence of DN in patients with T1DM.

PMID- 28363278
TI  - Erratum to: A mixed methods feasibility study of nicotine-assisted smoking
      reduction programmes delivered by community pharmacists - The RedPharm study.

PMID- 28363280
TI  - Erratum to: Is pre-operative haemoglobin A1c level a successful predictor of
      adverse outcome after cardiac surgery?

PMID- 28363279
TI  - Blood markers of fibrinolysis and endothelial activation in canine babesiosis.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Canine babesiosis is a tick-borne disease caused by hemoprotozoan
      parasites of the genus Babesia. The disease can be clinically classified into
      uncomplicated and complicated forms. The aim of this study was to assess the
      level of endothelial activation and alterations in the fibrinolytic pathway
      during canine babesiosis. RESULTS: Blood samples were collected on the day of
      admission and on the 6th day after treatment with imidocarb propionate, from 30
      dogs of various breeds and of both sexes with naturally occurring babesiosis
      caused by B. canis. In this prospective study, plasminogen activity was assessed
      using a chromogenic assay, and concentrations of high mobility group box-1
      protein (HMGB-1), intercellular adhesive molecule-1 (ICAM-1), vascular adhesive
      molecule-1 (VCAM-1), soluble urokinase receptor of plasminogen activator (suPAR),
      thrombin activatable fibrinolysis inhibitor (TAFI), soluble thrombomodulin (TM)
      and plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 (PAI-1) were determined using a canine
      specific ELISA. Concentrations of TM, HMGB-1, VCAM-1 and suPAR were increased in
      dogs with babesiosis at admission compared to healthy dogs. After treatment,
      concentrations of TM were lower in infected dogs compared to healthy dogs. Dogs
      with babesiosis also had increased concentrations of TM, ICAM-1 and HMGB-1 and
      decreased plasminogen and PAI-1 at presentation compared to day 6 after
      treatment. Dogs with complicated babesiosis had higher concentrations of TM,
      HMGB1 and TAFI at admission compared to the 6th day. CONCLUSIONS: Biomarkers of
      endothelial activation and fibrinolysis were altered in dogs with babesiosis.
      Further studies into their usefulness as biomarkers of disease severity or
      prognosis is warranted.

PMID- 28363281
TI  - Thoracic spondylolisthesis and spinal cord compression in diffuse idiopathic
      skeletal hyperostosis: a case report.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Diffuse idiopathic skeletal hyperostosis has long been regarded as a
      benign asymptomatic clinical entity with an innocuous clinical course.
      Neurological complications are rare in diffuse idiopathic skeletal hyperostosis.
      However, if they do occur, the consequences are often significant enough to
      warrant major neurosurgical intervention. Neurological complications occur when
      the pathological process of ossification in diffuse idiopathic skeletal
      hyperostosis extends to other vertebral ligaments, causing ossification of the
      posterior longitudinal ligaments and/or ossification of the ligamentum flavum.
      Thoracic spondylolisthesis with spinal cord compression in diffuse idiopathic
      skeletal hyperostosis has not previously been reported in the literature. CASE
      PRESENTATION: A 78-year-old Japanese man presented with a 6-month history of gait
      disturbance. A magnetic resonance imaging scan of his cervical and thoracic spine
      revealed anterior spondylolisthesis and severe cord compression at T3 to T4 and
      T10 to T11, as well as high signal intensity in a T2-weighted image at T10/11.
      Computed tomography revealed diffuse idiopathic skeletal hyperostosis at T4 to
      T10. He underwent partial laminectomy of T10 and posterior fusion of T9 to T12.
      The postoperative magnetic resonance imaging revealed resolution of the spinal
      cord compression and an improvement in the high signal intensity on the T2
      weighted image. CONCLUSIONS: We report the first case of thoracic
      spondylolisthesis and spinal cord compression in diffuse idiopathic skeletal
      hyperostosis. Neurosurgical intervention resulted in a significant improvement of
      our patient's neurological symptoms.

PMID- 28363282
TI  - Inhaled nitric oxide and acute kidney injury: new insights from observational
      data.

PMID- 28363283
TI  - The future of percutaneous renal ablation.

PMID- 28363284
TI  - Protein coding gene CRNKL1 as a potential prognostic biomarker in esophageal
      adenocarcinoma.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Esophageal adenocarcinoma (EAC) is one of the most aggressive
      gastroesophageal cancers. PTGS2, EGFR, ERBB2 and TP53 are the traditional EAC
      prognostic biomarkers, but they are still limited in their ability to effectively
      predict the overall survival. OBJECTIVES: To identify an improved biomarker for
      predicting the prognosis of EAC by using the expression profile. MATERIALS AND
      METHODS: Differential co-expression analysis and differential expression analysis
      were performed to identify the related genes of EAC. The 5-fold cross-validation
      was used to select a prognostic biomarker from the 532 EAC related genes.
      RESULTS: CRNKL1 was identified as a prognostic biomarker to predict the survival
      of EAC patients. It could significantly stratify EAC patients into high-risk and
      low-risk groups and was much better than the traditional biomarkers. Furthermore,
      ROC curve also verified that CRNKL1 with the highest area under the curve (AUC),
      reaching a sensitivity of 83.33% and a specificity of 78.57%. CONCLUSIONS: Our
      research proposed that CRNKL1 might be a novel prognostic biomarker with better
      predictive ability by comparing with the traditional biomarkers, which provided a
      preferable opportunity in the clinical applications of EAC.

PMID- 28363286
TI  - Analysis of cancer-related lncRNAs using gene ontology and KEGG pathways.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Cancer is a disease that involves abnormal cell growth and can invade
      or metastasize to other tissues. It is known that several factors are related to
      its initiation, proliferation, and invasiveness. Recently, it has been reported
      that long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) can participate in specific functional
      pathways and further regulate the biological function of cancer cells. Studies on
      lncRNAs are therefore helpful for uncovering the underlying mechanisms of cancer
      biological processes. METHODS: We investigated cancer-related lncRNAs using gene
      ontology (GO) terms and KEGG pathway enrichment scores of neighboring genes that
      are co-expressed with the lncRNAs by extracting important GO terms and KEGG
      pathways that can help us identify cancer-related lncRNAs. The enrichment theory
      of GO terms and KEGG pathways was adopted to encode each lncRNA. Then, feature
      selection methods were employed to analyze these features and obtain the key GO
      terms and KEGG pathways. RESULTS: The analysis indicated that the extracted GO
      terms and KEGG pathways are closely related to several cancer associated
      processes, such as hormone associated pathways, energy associated pathways, and
      ribosome associated pathways. And they can accurately predict cancer-related
      lncRNAs. CONCLUSIONS: This study provided novel insight of how lncRNAs may affect
      tumorigenesis and which pathways may play important roles during it. These
      results could help understanding the biological mechanisms of lncRNAs and
      treating cancer.

PMID- 28363285
TI  - DisTeam: A decision support tool for surgical team selection.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: Surgical service providers play a crucial role in the healthcare
      system. Amongst all the influencing factors, surgical team selection might affect
      the patients' outcome significantly. The performance of a surgical team not only
      can depend on the individual members, but it can also depend on the synergy among
      team members, and could possibly influence patient outcome such as surgical
      complications. In this paper, we propose a tool for facilitating decision making
      in surgical team selection based on considering history of the surgical team, as
      well as the specific characteristics of each patient. METHODS: DisTeam (a
      decision support tool for surgical team selection) is a metaheuristic framework
      for objective evaluation of surgical teams and finding the optimal team for a
      given patient, in terms of number of complications. It identifies a ranked list
      of surgical teams personalized for each patient, based on prior performance of
      the surgical teams. DisTeam takes into account the surgical complications
      associated with teams and their members, their teamwork history, as well as
      patient's specific characteristics such as age, body mass index (BMI) and
      Charlson comorbidity index score. RESULTS: We tested DisTeam using intra
      operative data from 6065 unique orthopedic surgery cases. Our results suggest
      high effectiveness of the proposed system in a health-care setting. The proposed
      framework converges quickly to the optimal solution and provides two sets of
      answers: a) The best surgical team over all the generations, and b) The best
      population which consists of different teams that can be used as an alternative
      solution. This increases the flexibility of the system as a complementary
      decision support tool. CONCLUSION: DisTeam is a decision support tool for
      assisting in surgical team selection. It can facilitate the job of scheduling
      personnel in the hospital which involves an overwhelming number of factors
      pertaining to patients, individual team members, and team dynamics and can be
      used to compose patient-personalized surgical teams with minimum (potential)
      surgical complications.

PMID- 28363287
TI  - Editorial from the new Editor-in-Chief: Artificial Intelligence in Medicine and
      the forthcoming challenges.

PMID- 28363288
TI  - Temporal detection and analysis of guideline interactions.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Clinical practice guidelines (CPGs) are assuming a major role in the
      medical area, to grant the quality of medical assistance, supporting physicians
      with evidence-based information of interventions in the treatment of single
      pathologies. The treatment of patients affected by multiple diseases (comorbid
      patients) is one of the main challenges for the modern healthcare. It requires
      the development of new methodologies, supporting physicians in the treatment of
      interactions between CPGs. Several approaches have started to face such a
      challenging problem. However, they suffer from a substantial limitation: they do
      not take into account the temporal dimension. Indeed, practically speaking,
      interactions occur in time. For instance, the effects of two actions taken from
      different guidelines may potentially conflict, but practical conflicts happen
      only if the times of execution of such actions are such that their effects
      overlap in time. OBJECTIVES: We aim at devising a methodology to detect and
      analyse interactions between CPGs that considers the temporal dimension. METHODS:
      In this paper, we first extend our previous ontological model to deal with the
      fact that actions, goals, effects and interactions occur in time, and to model
      both qualitative and quantitative temporal constraints between them. Then, we
      identify different application scenarios, and, for each of them, we propose
      different types of facilities for user physicians, useful to support the temporal
      detection of interactions. RESULTS: We provide a modular approach in which
      different Artificial Intelligence temporal reasoning techniques, based on
      temporal constraint propagation, are widely exploited to provide users with such
      facilities. We applied our methodology to two cases of comorbidities, using
      simplified versions of CPGs. CONCLUSION: We propose an innovative approach to the
      detection and analysis of interactions between CPGs considering different sources
      of temporal information (CPGs, ontological knowledge and execution logs), which
      is the first one in the literature that takes into account the temporal issues,
      and accounts for different application scenarios.

PMID- 28363289
TI  - Identification of adverse drug-drug interactions through causal association rule
      discovery from spontaneous adverse event reports.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: Drug-drug interaction (DDI) is of serious concern, causing over 30% of
      all adverse drug reactions and resulting in significant morbidity and mortality.
      Early discovery of adverse DDI is critical to prevent patient harm. Spontaneous
      reporting systems have been a major resource for drug safety surveillance that
      routinely collects adverse event reports from patients and healthcare
      professionals. In this study, we present a novel approach to discover DDIs from
      the Food and Drug Administration's adverse event reporting system. METHODS: Data
      driven discovery of DDI is an extremely challenging task because higher-order
      associations require analysis of all combinations of drugs and adverse events and
      accurate estimate of the relationships between drug combinations and adverse
      event require cause-and-effect inference. To efficiently identify causal
      relationships, we introduce the causal concept into association rule mining by
      developing a method called Causal Association Rule Discovery (CARD). The
      properties of V-structures in Bayesian Networks are utilized in the search for
      causal associations. To demonstrate feasibility, CARD is compared to the
      traditional association rule mining (AR) method in DDI identification. RESULTS:
      Based on physician evaluation of 100 randomly selected higher-order associations
      generated by CARD and AR, CARD is demonstrated to be more accurate in identifying
      known drug interactions compared to AR, 20% vs. 10% respectively. Moreover, CARD
      yielded a lower number of drug combinations that are unknown to interact, i.e.,
      50% for CARD and 79% for AR. CONCLUSION: Evaluation analysis demonstrated that
      CARD is more likely to identify true causal drug variables and associations to
      adverse event.

PMID- 28363290
TI  - Acute Management of Hand Burns.
AB  - The hand is extremely susceptible to burn injuries, and hand burns can occur in
      up to 90% of all major burns. A thorough neurovascular examination of the hand
      should be performed in the acute setting. Escharotomies are required in patients
      with full-thickness or circumferential burns, when perfusion of the upper
      extremity is compromised. The decision for excision and grafting is based on
      whether the wound will heal in the first 2 to 3 weeks after the burn injury.
      Acute care and resuscitation are always importance in this patient population;
      subsequent care leads to optimal hand functionality and cosmetic long-term
      outcomes.

PMID- 28363292
TI  - A 3-Phase Approach for the Management of Upper Extremity Electrical Injuries.
AB  - Upper extremity electrical injuries present with unique pathophysiologic
      considerations due to the differing mechanisms of injury produced by the
      electromagnetic field. The initial phase of treatment consists of recognition of
      other life-threatening injuries, stabilization of patients, and multisystem
      resuscitation. The second phase of treatment consists of excising devitalized
      tissue, appropriate wound care to prevent delayed infection, providing temporary
      and definitive coverage over vital structures, and preventing contracture and
      joint stiffness via aggressive therapy. The final phase of treatment consists of
      sensorimotor functional reconstruction via nerve grafting and tendon transfers
      available based on patients' deficits and available redundant sources.

PMID- 28363291
TI  - Management of Acute Pediatric Hand Burns.
AB  - Worldwide, approximately 500,000 children are admitted to the hospital with burn
      injuries every year. Referral to an accredited burn center is required for burns
      that involve the hand regardless of age. As with most burn injuries, a
      multidisciplinary approach is important; however, in the younger pediatric
      patient, extra resources such as child life services, pediatric psychotherapy,
      and music therapy all play major roles alongside the nurse, physical therapists,
      and psychiatrists so that together with the appropriate support for the family
      involved, a successful outcome can be achieved.

PMID- 28363293
TI  - Cold Injuries.
AB  - New treatments of frostbite have led to unprecedented salvage of extremities
      including fingers and toes. Success is predicated on prompt institution of time
      sensitive protocols initiated soon after rewarming, particularly the use of
      thombolytics. Unfortunately, in the urban setting, most patients are not
      candidates for these treatment modalities. Triple-phase bone scans have allowed
      for early determination of devitalized parts that need amputation. Reconstructive
      surgical techniques are typically used to salvage limb length in these
      devastating injuries.

PMID- 28363294
TI  - The Use of Dermal Skin Substitutes for the Treatment of the Burned Hand.
AB  - The hand is commonly affected in burn injuries. Joints and extensor tendons are
      vulnerable given their superficial location. Durable coverage that permits
      relative frictionless tendon gliding and minimizes scar contracture is required
      to optimize functional outcomes. When soft tissue donor sites are limited, the
      use of dermal skin substitutes provides stable coverage with minimal scarring,
      good mobility, and acceptable appearance. A comprehensive review of dermal skin
      substitutes and their use with burn reconstruction of the hand is provided.

PMID- 28363295
TI  - Biological Principles of Scar and Contracture.
AB  - Hypertrophic scar and contracture in burn patients is a complex process.
      Contributing factors include critical injury depth and activation of key cell
      subpopulations, including deep dermal fibroblasts, myofibroblasts, fibrocytes,
      and T-helper cells, which cause scarring rather than regeneration. These cells
      influence each other via cellular profibrotic and antifibrotic signals, which
      help to determine the outcome. These cells also both modify and interact with
      extracellular matrix of the wound, ultimately forming hypertrophic scar. Current
      treatments reduce hypertrophic scar formation or improve remodeling by targeting
      these pathways and signals.

PMID- 28363296
TI  - Postburn Upper Extremity Occupational Therapy.
AB  - Upper extremity burns can result in lifelong complications. A comprehensive
      occupational therapy program is imperative for restoration of arm function. Edema
      management, splinting, exercise, scar management, and activities of daily living
      are key treatment elements to achieve optimal postburn outcomes. Proper patient
      and family education are essential for therapeutic success. Burn recovery
      requires a commitment to therapeutic techniques that can progress a patient to
      their maximal independence.

PMID- 28363298
TI  - Postburn Contractures of the Hand.
AB  - Postburn contractures are a common occurrence after severe burn injuries. It is
      important to understand the pathologic condition and anatomy of specific postburn
      deformities in order to provide comprehensive surgical care. Postburn
      contractures can result in a flexion contracture, boutonniere deformity, burn
      syndactyly, metacarpophalangeal extension contracture, wrist contracture, or claw
      hand. A patient evaluation is performed before proceeding to the operating room.
      Surgery sequences require proper incision design, release of the skin, and deeper
      contracted structures and coverage with an appropriate flap or graft.
      Postoperative splinting, scar care, and therapy are equally important for a
      successful outcome.

PMID- 28363297
TI  - Scar Management of the Burned Hand.
AB  - Burn injury can result in hypertrophic scar formation that can lead to
      debilitating functional deficits and poor aesthetic outcomes. Although
      nonoperative modalities in the early phase of scar maturation are critical to
      minimize hypertrophic scar formation, surgical management is often indicated to
      restore hand function. The essential tenant of operative scar management is
      release of tension, which can often be achieved through local tissue
      rearrangement. Laser therapy has emerged as a central pillar of subsequent scar
      rehabilitation. These treatment tools provide an effective resource for the
      reconstructive surgeon to treat hypertrophic hand scars.

PMID- 28363299
TI  - Reconstruction of the Adult and Pediatric Burned Hand.
AB  - Thermal injuries of the hand can have a great impact on function. Initial
      treatment should focus on the prevention of contracture through the use of tissue
      sparing techniques and optimized occupational therapy. Surgical intervention
      should follow the standard reconstructive ladder and can involve several
      techniques from simple to complex including minimally invasive techniques, such
      as laser and steroid injection, contracture release and skin grafting, and local
      tissue rearrangement and regional flaps as well as distant pedicled and free
      flaps. Reconstructive surgery of the hand, when performed well, can lead to
      meaningful functional improvement in severe burns.

PMID- 28363300
TI  - Microsurgical Reconstruction of the Burned Hand and Upper Extremity.
AB  - Improvements in critical care and burn victim resuscitation have led to increased
      survival of burned patients. Initial resuscitation, early excision of burned
      tissues, prevention of burn wound sepsis, and wound coverage remain mainstays of
      care. Many burn wounds require complex reconstruction. This is particularly
      important in the hand. Coverage of tendons, ligaments, joints, vessels, nerves,
      and bones of the hand requires healthy vascularized tissue to maintain viability
      and function. Local flaps or regional flaps may be within the burn zone of
      injury. Refined microvascular free tissue transfer techniques offer free tissue
      transfer as a procedure that can be safely performed.

PMID- 28363302
TI  - Postburn Contractures of the Elbow and Heterotopic Ossification.
AB  - Postburn contractures of the elbow are uncommon debilitating sequelae of severe
      burn injuries, which result from thermal injury to both deep and superficial
      tissues. When periarticular heterotopic bone forms in association with burn
      injuries, severe and rigid contractures may develop that prohibit basic functions
      of daily living and are often refractory to nonoperative intervention. Surgical
      intervention is aimed at releasing or excising all pathologic anatomy limiting
      elbow motion. In patients with proper indications, surgical intervention can
      result in substantial improvement in elbow motion, allowing patients to return to
      activities of daily living, employment, and recreational activities.

PMID- 28363301
TI  - Heterotopic Ossification Following Upper Extremity Injury.
AB  - Heterotopic ossification (HO) presents a substantial barrier to rehabilitation
      for patients with severe burns or trauma. Although surgical excision is a
      mainstay of management for this condition, this is unable to address the chronic
      sequelae of HO, including chronic pain, joint contractures, nerve dysfunction,
      and open wounds. Current therapeutic modalities are aimed at excision and the
      prevention of recurrence using nonsteroidal antiinflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) or
      radiation therapy. Research is now focused on identifying alternative strategies
      to prevent the initial occurrence of HO through NSAIDs and novel inhibitors of
      the bone morphogenetic protein signaling pathway.

PMID- 28363304
TI  - International Disease Burden of Hand Burns: Perspective from the Global Health
      Arena.
AB  - Measuring the extent and impact of a health problem is key to being able to
      address it appropriately. This review uses available information within the
      framework of the Global Burden of Disease studies to estimate the disease burden
      due to burn injuries of the hands. The GBD indicates that since 1990 there has
      been an approximately 30% decrease in the disease burden related to burn
      injuries. The GBD methods have not been applied specifically to hand burns, but
      from available data, it is estimated that about 18 million people in the world
      suffer from sequelae of burns to the hands.

PMID- 28363305
TI  - Optimizing the Treatment of Burn Injuries of the Upper Extremity.

PMID- 28363303
TI  - Outcomes Assessment After Hand Burns.
AB  - Accurately assessing function and disability after hand burns is imperative to
      improving the management of patients. The biological, social, and psychological
      impact of these injuries should be considered. The International Classification
      of Functioning Disability (ICF) and Health Core Sets for Hand Conditions provides
      a guide to what should be measured and reported. Although many outcomes measures
      instruments are available to assess patients with hand or burn injuries, few are
      validated in the subpopulation of hand burns. Further efforts are required to
      investigate the ability of current assessment instruments to evaluate hand burn
      outcomes within the ICF framework.

PMID- 28363306
TI  - High-pressure NMR techniques for the study of protein dynamics, folding and
      aggregation.
AB  - High-pressure is a well-known perturbation method used to destabilize globular
      proteins and dissociate protein complexes or aggregates. The heterogeneity of the
      response to pressure offers a unique opportunity to dissect the thermodynamic
      contributions to protein stability. In addition, pressure perturbation is
      generally reversible, which is essential for a proper thermodynamic
      characterization of a protein equilibrium. When combined with NMR spectroscopy,
      hydrostatic pressure offers the possibility of monitoring at an atomic resolution
      the structural transitions occurring upon unfolding and determining the kinetic
      properties of the process. The recent development of commercially available high
      pressure sample cells greatly increased the potential applications for high
      pressure NMR experiments that can now be routinely performed. This review
      summarizes the recent applications and future directions of high-pressure NMR
      techniques for the characterization of protein conformational fluctuations,
      protein folding and the stability of protein complexes and aggregates.

PMID- 28363307
TI  - Being a professional in a tumultuous environment.

PMID- 28363308
TI  - Shaping policy in an antipolicy environment.

PMID- 28363309
TI  - Improving maternal and infant outcomes by promoting normal physiologic birth on
      hospital birthing units.

PMID- 28363310
TI  - Position statement: Political interference in sexual and reproductive health
      research and health professional education.

PMID- 28363311
TI  - Council happenings.

PMID- 28363313
TI  - Honorary note to celebrate the 80th birthday of professor Sandor Barany.

PMID- 28363312
TI  - High-dose acyclovir combined with foscavir (foscarnet) in the management of
      severe herpes simplex virus meningoencephalitis.

PMID- 28363314
TI  - Prescription opioids: New perspectives and research on their role in chronic pain
      management and addiction.

PMID- 28363317
TI  - Validation of prescriber risk indicators obtained from prescription drug
      monitoring program data.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Prescription opioids are commonly overprescribed. However, validated
      measures of inappropriate controlled substance prescribing are lacking. This
      study examined associations between prescriber risk indicators developed as part
      of a public health surveillance project and medical board disciplinary actions
      against prescribers. METHODS: We compiled 12 prescriber risk indicators using
      data from the Maine prescription drug monitoring program (PDMP) for 2010. We used
      logistic regression models to assess the relative likelihood of the top 1%, 2%,
      5%, and 10% of prescribers on each risk indicator having been subject to medical
      board disciplinary actions, those citing inappropriate prescribing, or those
      involving license suspension or revocation, during 2010-2014, controlling for
      prescriber medical specialty and gender. RESULTS: The top 1% of prescribers for
      number of patients, opioid prescriptions per day, and opioid dosage prescribed
      per day had a greater likelihood of medical board disciplinary actions citing
      inappropriate prescribing, relative to a matched sample of other (non-top 1%)
      prescribers. Of the 56 prescribers in the top 1% for opioid prescriptions per
      day, nine (16.1%) were sanctioned for inappropriate prescribing, compared with 11
      of 224 (0.5%) in the comparison group. The top 2% of prescribers for opioid
      dosage per day, and average distance patients travel to prescriber, had a greater
      likelihood of actions involving license suspension, revocation, or denial for
      renewal. CONCLUSIONS: Measures derived from PDMP data may be useful in assessing
      levels of inappropriate prescribing of controlled substances in a population of
      prescribers, and in evaluating changes associated with efforts to influence
      prescriber behavior.

PMID- 28363315
TI  - Providing chronic pain management in the "Fifth Vital Sign" Era: Historical and
      treatment perspectives on a modern-day medical dilemma.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Over 100 million Americans are living with chronic pain, and pain is
      the most common reason that patients seek medical attention. Despite the
      prevalence of pain, the practice of pain management and the scientific discipline
      of pain research are relatively new fields compared to the rest of medicine -
      contributing to a twenty-first century dilemma for health care providers asked to
      relieve suffering in the "Fifth Vital Sign" era. METHODS: This manuscript
      provides a narrative review of the basic mechanisms of chronic pain and history
      of chronic pain management in the United States - including the various
      regulatory, health system and provider factors that contributed to the decline of
      multidisciplinary pain treatment in favor of the predominant opioid treatment
      strategy seen today. Multiple non-opioid pain treatment strategies are then
      outlined. The manuscript concludes with three key questions to help guide future
      research at the intersection of pain and addiction. CONCLUSIONS: The assessment
      and treatment of chronic pain will continue to be one of the most common
      functions of a health care provider. To move beyond an over reliance on opioid
      medications, the addiction and pain research communities must unite with chronic
      pain patients to increase the evidence base supporting non-opioid analgesic
      strategies.

PMID- 28363316
TI  - Targeting practitioners: A review of guidelines, training, and policy in pain
      management.
AB  - This paper reviews the current literature on clinical guidelines, practitioner
      training, and government/payer policies that have come forth in response to the
      national rise in prescription opioid overdoses. A review of clinical opioid
      prescribing guidelines highlights the need for more research on safe and
      effective treatment options for chronic pain, improved guidance for the best
      management of post-operative pain, and evaluation of the implementation and
      impact of guideline recommendations on patient risk and outcomes. Although there
      is increasing attention to training in pain management in medical schools and
      medical residency programs, educational opportunities remain highly variable, and
      the need for additional clinician training in the recognition and treatment of
      pain as well as opioid use disorder has been recognized. Mandated use of private,
      federal and state educational and clinical initiatives such as Risk Evaluation
      and Mitigation Strategies (REMS) and Prescription Drug Monitoring Programs
      (PDMPs) generally increase utilization of these initiatives, but more research is
      needed to determine the impact of these initiatives on provider behaviors,
      treatment access, and patient outcomes. Finally, there is an acute need for more
      research on safe and effective treatments for chronic pain as well as an
      increased multi-level focus on improving training and access to evidence-based
      treatment for opioid use disorder as well as non-pharmacologic and non
      interventional chronic pain treatments, so that these guideline-recommended
      interventions can become mainstream, accessible, first-line interventions for
      chronic pain and/or opioid use disorders.

PMID- 28363319
TI  - Understanding the demand side of the prescription opioid epidemic: Does the
      initial source of opioids matter?
AB  - BACKGROUND: These studies were carried out to examine whether the onset and
      progression of an opioid substance use disorder (SUD) differed in those who first
      used opioids to get "high" compared to those who received a prescription from a
      doctor to relieve pain (Non-Rx vs. Rx groups, respectively). METHODS: A subset of
      patients (N=214) from an ongoing larger study of patients entering one of 125
      drug treatment programs for opioid use disorder across the country agreed to give
      up their anonymity and participate in structured and open-ended online interviews
      examining drug abuse patterns. RESULTS: With the exception that the Non-Rx group
      began their opioid abuse at a younger age than the Rx group and more quickly
      evolved from initial exposure to regular opioid abuse, there were relatively few
      differences in the characteristics, patterns and trajectories of opioid abuse.
      The vast majority of patients in both groups, most of whom had serious,
      antecedent psychiatric disorders, indicated that they used opioids to self
      medicate psychological problems (67-73%) and/or stated that opioids provided a
      means to "escape" from the stresses of everyday life (79-85%). As the SUD
      progressed, for many individuals any "positive" attributes of opioids waned and
      avoidance of withdrawal became the overriding concern, often serving as the
      impetus for treatment. CONCLUSIONS: Our results suggest that self-treatment of co
      morbid psychiatric disturbances is a powerful motivating force to initiate and
      sustain abuse of opioids and that the initial source of drugs-a prescription or
      experimentation-is largely irrelevant in the progression to a SUD.

PMID- 28363318
TI  - Randomized controlled trial of a computerized opioid overdose education
      intervention.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Opioid overdose (OD) has become a significant public health problem
      in need of effective interventions. The majority of existing educational
      interventions target provision of naloxone and are conducted in-person; these
      elements present logistical barriers that may limit wide-spread implementation.
      This study developed and evaluated an easily disseminated opioid OD educational
      intervention and compared computerized versus pamphlet delivery METHODS:
      Participants (N=76) undergoing opioid detoxification were randomly assigned to
      receive OD education via a Pamphlet (N=25), Computer (N=24), or Computer+Mastery
      (N=27) with identical content for all delivery modalities. Primary outcomes were
      changes from pre- to post-intervention in knowledge of opioid effects, opioid OD
      symptoms, and recommended opioid OD responses, as well as intervention
      acceptability. Also assessed at 1 and 3-month follow-ups were retention of
      knowledge and change in reported OD risk behaviors. RESULTS: Knowledge increased
      following all three intervention-delivery modalities with few between-group
      differences observed in knowledge gain or acceptability ratings. Largest gains
      were in the domain of opioid OD response (from 41.8% to 73.8% mean correct
      responses; p<0.001). Knowledge was well sustained at the 1 and 3-month follow-ups
      among completers, where a significant reduction was seen in the critical
      behavioral risk factor of using opioids while alone. CONCLUSION: Opioid overdose
      education delivered by computer or written pamphlet produced sustained increases
      in knowledge and reduction in a key behavioral risk factor. RESULTS: Results
      support further evaluation of this educational intervention that can be used
      alone or to complement naloxone-training programs.

PMID- 28363320
TI  - The Prescription Opioid Addiction Treatment Study: What have we learned.
AB  - BACKGROUND: The multi-site Prescription Opioid Addiction Treatment Study (POATS),
      conducted by the National Drug Abuse Treatment Clinical Trials Network, was the
      largest clinical trial yet conducted with patients dependent upon prescription
      opioids (N=653). In addition to main trial results, the study yielded numerous
      secondary analyses, and included a 3.5-year follow-up study, the first of its
      kind with this population. This paper reviews key findings from POATS and its
      follow-up study. METHODS: The paper summarizes the POATS design, main outcomes,
      predictors of outcome, subgroup analyses, the predictive power of early treatment
      response, and the long-term follow-up study. RESULTS: POATS examined combinations
      of buprenorphine-naloxone of varying duration and counseling of varying
      intensity. The primary outcome analysis showed no overall benefit to adding drug
      counseling to buprenorphine-naloxone and weekly medical management. Only 7% of
      patients achieved a successful outcome (abstinence or near-abstinence from
      opioids) during a 4-week taper and 8-week follow-up; by comparison, 49% of
      patients achieved success while subsequently stabilized on buprenorphine
      naloxone. Long-term follow-up results were more encouraging, with higher
      abstinence rates than in the main trial. Patients receiving opioid agonist
      treatment at the time of follow-up were more likely to have better outcomes,
      though a sizeable number of patients succeeded without agonist treatment. Some
      patients initiated risky use patterns, including heroin use and drug injection. A
      limitation of the long-term follow-up study was the low follow-up rate.
      CONCLUSIONS: POATS was the first large-scale study of the treatment of
      prescription opioid dependence; its findings can influence both treatment
      guidelines and future studies.

PMID- 28363321
TI  - Buprenorphine physician supply: Relationship with state-level prescription opioid
      mortality.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Buprenorphine is an effective treatment for opioid use disorder but
      the supply of buprenorphine physicians is currently inadequate to address the
      nation's prescription opioid crisis. Perception of need due to rising opioid
      overdose rates is one possible reason for physicians to adopt buprenorphine. This
      study examined associations between rates of growth in buprenorphine physicians
      and prescription opioid overdose mortality rates in US states. METHODS: The total
      buprenorphine physician supply and number of physicians approved to treat 100
      patients (per 100,000 population) were measured from June 2013 to January 2016.
      States were divided into two groups: those with rates of prescription opioid
      overdose mortality in 2013 at or above the median (>5.5 deaths per 100,000
      population) and those with rates below the median. State-level growth curves were
      estimated using mixed-effects regression to compare rates of growth between high
      and low overdose states. RESULTS: The total supply and the supply of 100-patient
      buprenorphine physicians grew significantly (total supply from 7.7 to 9.9 per
      100,000 population, p<0.001; 100-patient supply from 2.2 to 3.4 per 100,000
      population, p<0.001). Rates of growth were significantly greater in high overdose
      states when compared to low overdose states (total supply b=0.033, p<0.01; 100
      patient b=0.022, p<0.01). CONCLUSIONS: The magnitude of the US prescription
      opioid crisis, as measured by the rate of prescription opioid overdose mortality,
      is associated with growth in the number of buprenorphine physicians. Because this
      observational design cannot establish causality, further research is needed to
      elucidate the factors influencing physicians' decisions to begin prescribing
      buprenorphine.

PMID- 28363323
TI  - Prescription opioid addiction and chronic pain: More than a feeling.
AB  - A patient, long before becoming the subject of medical scrutiny is, at first
      simply a storyteller, a narrator of suffering-a traveler who has visited the
      kingdom of the ill. "To relieve an illness one must begin, then, by understanding
      the story." The Emperor of All Maladies; Siddhartha Mukherjee.

PMID- 28363322
TI  - Pain, hedonic regulation, and opioid misuse: Modulation of momentary experience
      by Mindfulness-Oriented Recovery Enhancement in opioid-treated chronic pain
      patients.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Given the risk of opioid misuse among chronic pain patients being
      treated with long-term opioid pharmacotherapy, non-pharmacological treatments are
      needed. Further, in light of hedonic deficits in this population, therapies that
      enhance positive affect may be useful. The purpose of this study was to examine
      effects of a Mindfulness-Oriented Recovery Enhancement (MORE) intervention on
      ecological momentary assessments (EMA) of pain and positive affective experience,
      and to determine if changes in pain, affect, and their interaction were
      associated with opioid misuse at post-treatment. METHODS: This study examined
      unpublished EMA data from a subset of participants (N=55) in a previously
      published RCT (NCT01505101) of MORE versus a support group (SG) control. Across 8
      weeks of treatment, patients completed up to 224 EMA measures of pain and affect.
      Multilevel models and generalized estimating equations examined effects of
      treatment on momentary pain and positive affect, and generalized linear models
      examined associations between pain and affect and changes in opioid misuse by
      post-treatment. RESULTS: Patients in MORE reported significantly greater
      improvements in momentary pain (p=0.01) and positive affect (p=0.004) than
      patients in the SG. Further, over the entire course of treatment, patients in
      MORE were significantly more likely to exhibit positive affect regulation
      (OR=2.75) than patients in the SG. Finally, improvements in positive affect (but
      not pain) over the course of intervention were associated with reduced risk of
      misusing opioids by post-treatment (p=0.02). CONCLUSION: MORE may be a useful non
      pharmacological treatment for pain and hedonic deficits among chronic pain
      patients at risk for opioid misuse.

PMID- 28363325
TI  - Highlighting Abstracts from the 2016 American Society of Pain Management Nursing
      Conference: Taking the Next Steps.

PMID- 28363324
TI  - Sociodemographic predictors of variation in coverage of the national shingles
      vaccination programme in England, 2014/15.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: In September 2013, England introduced a shingles vaccination
      programme to reduce incidence and severity of shingles in the elderly. This study
      aims to assess variation in vaccine coverage with regards to selected
      sociodemographic factors to inform activities for improving equity of the
      programme. METHODS: Eligible 70year-olds were identified from a national vaccine
      coverage dataset in 2014/15 that includes 95% of GPs in England. NHS England
      Local Team (LT) and index of multiple deprivation (IMD) scores were assigned to
      patients based on GP-postcode. Vaccine coverage (%) with 95% confidence intervals
      (CIs), were calculated overall and by LT, ethnicity and IMD, using binomial
      regression. RESULTS: Of 502,058 eligible adults, 178,808 (35.6%) had ethnicity
      recorded. Crude vaccine coverage was 59.5% (95%CI: 59.3-59.7). Coverage was
      lowest in London (49.6% coverage, 95%CI: 49.0-50.2), and compared to this
      coverage was significantly higher in all other LTs (+6.3 to +10.4, p<0.001) after
      adjusting for ethnicity and IMD. Coverage decreased with increasing deprivation
      and was 8.2% lower in the most deprived (95%CI: 7.3-9.1) compared with the least
      deprived IMD quintile (64.1% coverage, 95%CI: 63.6-64.6), after adjustment for
      ethnicity and LT. Compared with White-British (60.7% coverage, 95%CI: 60.5-61.0),
      other ethnic groups had between 4.0% (Indian) and 21.8% (Mixed: White and Black
      African) lower coverage. After adjusting for IMD and LT, significantly lower
      coverage by ethnicity persisted in all groups, except in Mixed: Other, Indian and
      Bangladeshi compared with White-British. CONCLUSIONS: After taking geography and
      deprivation into account, shingles vaccine coverage varied by ethnicity. White
      British, Indian and Bangladeshi groups had highest coverage; Mixed: White and
      Black African, and Black-other ethnicities had the lowest. Patients' ethnicity
      and IMD are predictors of coverage which contribute to, but do not wholly account
      for, geographical variation coverage. Interventions to address service-related,
      sociodemographic and ethnic inequalities in shingles vaccine coverage are
      required.

PMID- 28363326
TI  - Can A Complex Online Intervention Improve Cancer Nurses' Pain Screening and
      Assessment Practices? Results from a Multicenter, Pre-post Test Pilot Study.
AB  - Unrelieved cancer pain has an adverse impact on quality of life. While routine
      screening and assessment forms the basis of effective cancer pain management, it
      is often poorly done, thus contributing to the burden of unrelieved cancer pain.
      The aim of this study was to test the impact of an online, complex, evidence
      based educational intervention on cancer nurses' pain assessment capabilities and
      adherence to cancer pain screening and assessment guidelines. Specialist
      inpatient cancer nurses in five Australian acute care settings participated in an
      intervention combining an online spaced learning cancer pain assessment module
      with audit and feedback of pain assessment practices. Participants' self
      perceived pain assessment competencies were measured at three time points.
      Prospective, consecutive chart audits were undertaken to appraise nurses'
      adherence with pain screening and assessment guidelines. The differences in
      documented pre-post pain assessment practices were benchmarked and fed back to
      all sites post intervention. Data were analyzed using inferential statistics.
      Participants who completed the intervention (n = 44) increased their pain
      assessment knowledge, assessment tool knowledge, and confidence undertaking a
      pain assessment (p < .001). The positive changes in nurses' pain assessment
      capabilities translated into a significant increasing linear trend in the
      proportion of documented pain assessments in patients' charts at the three time
      points (chi2 trend = 18.28, df = 1, p < .001). There is evidence that learning
      content delivered using a spaced learning format, augmented with pain assessment
      audit and feedback data, improves inpatient cancer nurses' self-perceived pain
      screening and assessment capabilities and strengthens cancer pain guideline
      adherence.

PMID- 28363327
TI  - Prevalence and characterization of postoperative pain in the Postanaesthesia Care
      Unit.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: Immediate postoperative pain occurs initially after surgery, while
      the patient is in the Post-Anaesthesia Recovery Unit. Very few studies assess
      this pain in this most immediate phase. OBJECTIVE: Cross-sectional study of the
      prevalence and characteristics of immediate postoperative pain in patients after
      surgery. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Between August 2014 and February 2015, a sample of
      503 patients from the Post-Anaesthesia Recovery Unit was followed. Immediate
      postoperative pain was assessed (by the patient and the researcher) using the
      visual analogue scale (VAS; range 0-10) on 5 occasions after surgery. The impact
      of numerous factors (age, gender, type of surgery, type of anaesthesia and
      analgesic) on the pain, as well as variation in vital signs and the presence of
      side effects, were analysed. RESULTS: Assessment of the pain showed overall VAS
      values of 2.2+/-2.8 on all occasions. Pain was reported to be of greatest
      intensity 20min after the patients' arrival in the Post-Anaesthesia Recovery Unit
      (P<.001). The VAS values reported by the researcher (1.4+/-2.0) were lower than
      those reported by the patients. Although there was a very strong correlation
      (R2=0.82; P<.001) and they followed a parallel distribution, there was moderate
      concordance (kappa=0.4). Plastic surgery and neurosurgery were the specialties
      with the highest percentages of VAS values in the strong intensity range (8-10).
      Patients with regional block techniques (with or without general anaesthesia) had
      lower VAS values than other general anaesthesia groups. Male patients and older
      patients displayed less pain than female and young patients, respectively
      (P<.001). CONCLUSIONS: Studying the characteristics of postoperative pain at such
      an early stage allows for improved management. It helps to predict, according to
      the type of surgery and the anaesthesia used, those patients in which higher VAS
      values may be seen and to better adapt analgesic therapy.

PMID- 28363328
TI  - Cerebrospinal fluid cutaneous fistula following obstetric epidural analgaesia.
      Case report.
AB  - Cutaneous fistula of cerebrospinal fluid is a rare complication of neuroaxial
      blockade. We report the case of a parturient in whom an epidural catheter was
      placed for labour analgesia and 12h after the catheter was removed, presented an
      abundant asymptomatic fluid leak from the puncture site, compatible in the cyto
      chemical analysis with cerebrospinal fluid. She was treated with acetazolamide,
      compression of skin orifice of the fluid leakage, antibiotic prophylaxis,
      hydration and rest, and progressed satisfactorily without requiring blood patch.

PMID- 28363329
TI  - Rupture of aneurysm of sinus of Vasalva.

PMID- 28363330
TI  - Reply.

PMID- 28363331
TI  - Sensitizing pathogens to antibiotics using the CRISPR-Cas system.
AB  - The extensive use of antibiotics over the last century has resulted in a
      significant artificial selection pressure for antibiotic-resistant pathogens to
      evolve. Various strategies to fight these pathogens have been introduced
      including new antibiotics, naturally-derived enzymes/peptides that specifically
      target pathogens and bacteriophages that lyse these pathogens. A new tool has
      recently been introduced in the fight against drug-resistant pathogens-the
      prokaryotic defense mechanism-clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic
      repeats-CRISPR associated (CRISPR-Cas) system. The CRISPR-Cas system acts as a
      nuclease that can be guided to cleave any target DNA, allowing sophisticated, yet
      feasible, manipulations of pathogens. Here, we review pioneering studies that use
      the CRISPR-Cas system to specifically edit bacterial populations, eliminate their
      resistance genes and combine these two strategies in order to produce an
      artificial selection pressure for antibiotic-sensitive pathogens. We suggest that
      intelligent design of this system, along with efficient delivery tools into
      pathogens, may significantly reduce the threat of antibiotic-resistant pathogens.

PMID- 28363332
TI  - The importance of breast cancer resistance protein to the kidneys excretory
      function and chemotherapeutic resistance.
AB  - The relevance of membrane transporters gained momentum in recent years and it is
      now widely recognized that transporters are key players in drug disposition and
      chemoresistance. As such, the kidneys harbor a variety of drug transporters and
      are one of the main routes for xenobiotic excretion. The breast cancer resistance
      protein (BCRP/ABCG2) is widely accepted as a key mediator of anticancer drug
      resistance and is a prominent renal drug transporter. Here, we review the role of
      BCRP in both processes and present a multitude of variables that can influence
      its activity. An increasing number of renally cleared chemotherapeutics,
      including tyrosine kinase inhibitors, described as BCRP substrates can modulate
      its activity via transcription factors and cellular signaling pathways, such as
      the phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3K) pathway. In addition to pharmacological
      actions, genetic variations, as well as differences between species and gender
      can affect BCRP function, which are also discussed. Furthermore, the role of BCRP
      in light of cancer treatments and the implications for novel therapeutic
      interventions that take into account renal function are discussed.

PMID- 28363333
TI  - Inverse correlation between the metastasis suppressor RKIP and the metastasis
      inducer YY1: Contrasting roles in the regulation of chemo/immuno-resistance in
      cancer.
AB  - Several gene products have been postulated to mediate inherent and/or acquired
      anticancer drug resistance and tumor metastasis. Among these, the metastasis
      suppressor and chemo-immuno-sensitizing gene product, Raf Kinase Inhibitor
      Protein (RKIP), is poorly expressed in many cancers. In contrast, the metastasis
      inducer and chemo-immuno-resistant factor Yin Yang 1 (YY1) is overexpressed in
      many cancers. This inverse relationship between RKIP and YY1 expression suggests
      that these two gene products may be regulated via cross-talks of molecular
      signaling pathways, culminating in the expression of different phenotypes based
      on their targets. Analyses of the molecular regulation of the expression patterns
      of RKIP and YY1 as well as epigenetic, post-transcriptional, and post
      translational regulation revealed the existence of several effector mechanisms
      and crosstalk pathways, of which five pathways of relevance have been identified
      and analyzed. The five examined cross-talk pathways include the following loops:
      RKIP/NF-kappaB/Snail/YY1, p38/MAPK/RKIP/GSK3beta/Snail/YY1,
      RKIP/Smurf2/YY1/Snail, RKIP/MAPK/Myc/Let-7/HMGA2/Snail/YY1, as well as
      RKIP/GPCR/STAT3/miR-34/YY1. Each loop is comprised of multiple interactions and
      cascades that provide evidence for YY1's negative regulation of RKIP expression
      and vice versa. These loops elucidate potential prognostic motifs and targets for
      therapeutic intervention. Chiefly, these findings suggest that targeted
      inhibition of YY1 by specific small molecule inhibitors and/or the specific
      induction of RKIP expression and activity are potential therapeutic strategies to
      block tumor growth and metastasis in many cancers, as well as to overcome
      anticancer drug resistance. These strategies present potential alternatives for
      their synergistic uses in combination with low doses of conventional chemo
      immunotherapeutics and hence, increasing survival, reducing toxicity, and
      improving quality of life.

PMID- 28363334
TI  - Novel immune check point inhibiting antibodies in cancer therapy-Opportunities
      and challenges.
AB  - Drug resistance of tumor cells to chemotherapy is limiting the therapeutic
      efficacy of most anticancer drugs and represents a major obstacle in medical
      oncology. However, treatment of various human malignancies with biologics, mostly
      monoclonal antibodies (mAbs), is not limited by such chemoresistance mechanisms.
      However, other resistance or evasion mechanisms limit the efficacy to anticancer
      therapeutic mAbs that engage tumor-associated antigens on the surface of the
      malignant cells. Immune checkpoint blocking monoclonal antibodies are heralded as
      a promising therapeutic approach in clinical oncology. These mAbs do not directly
      attack the malignant cells as most anticancer mAbs; rather, they enhance the anti
      tumor response of the immune system by targeting immune regulatory pathways.
      Three mAbs targeting immune checkpoint molecules are currently used in the clinic
      and new mAbs that target other potential inhibitory targets are being actively
      investigated. This therapeutic approach, while proving as highly beneficial for
      many patients, is prone to toxicities and side effects of an autoimmune nature.
      Defining suitable management algorithms and biomarkers that predict therapeutic
      effects and adverse toxicity are required to provide survival benefit for larger
      numbers of cancer patients. Overcoming these challenges, along with opportunities
      for new agents and combinatorial strategies are the main focus of immune
      checkpoint blockade research today.

PMID- 28363335
TI  - Drug-biomarker co-development in oncology - 20 years and counting.
AB  - Predictive biomarkers for oncology are necessary to accurately identify patients
      who will benefit from anticancer treatment. Recently approved oncology drugs
      target discrete molecular aberrations or pathways in tumor cells and consequently
      are active on a subset of patient population, yet clinical studies have shown
      that not all biomarker-positive patients respond. The advancement of predictive
      biomarkers needs to detect novel and evolving drug resistance mechanisms, not
      only to guide the selection of patient subsets for specific treatments, but to
      identify new therapeutic targets. Going beyond the "one marker, one drug" model
      to incorporate genomics, transcriptomics, and receptor status assessments during
      biomarker-drug co-development can aid in the successful application of molecular
      marker-based cancer therapy. This review provides the latest update of biomarker
      based cancer therapeutics approved by the US Food and Drug Administration. We
      provide case studies of therapeutics selectively targeting HER2, EGFR, or PD-1/PD
      L1 signaling pathways. We also discuss the challenges and promising future
      directions in the co-development of targeted cancer therapeutics and paired
      predictive biomarkers.

PMID- 28363336
TI  - Active efflux in dormant bacterial cells - New insights into antibiotic
      persistence.
AB  - Bacterial persisters are phenotypic variants of an isogenic cell population that
      can survive antibiotic treatment and resume growth after the antibiotics have
      been removed. Cell dormancy has long been considered the principle mechanism
      underlying persister formation. However, dormancy alone is insufficient to
      explain the full range of bacterial persistence. Our recent work revealed that in
      addition to 'passive defense' via dormancy, persister cells employ 'active
      defense' via enhanced efflux activity to expel drugs. This finding suggests that
      persisters combine two seemingly contradictory mechanisms to tolerate antibiotic
      attack. Here, we review the passive and active aspects of persister formation,
      discuss new insights into the process, and propose new techniques that can
      facilitate the study of bacterial persistence.

PMID- 28363337
TI  - [Gardner-Diamond syndrome in a young man: A case report and literature review].
AB  - INTRODUCTION: Gardner-Diamond syndrome is a rare condition secondary to a
      sensitization to self-erythrocytes. It is predominantly seen in women and
      presents as a painful ecchymotic disorder. An underlying psychiatric disease or a
      triggering psychological stress is of important diagnostic value. CASE REPORT: We
      report a 24-year-old patient who presented with intermittent spontaneous painful
      ecchymosis since 5 years. Complementary investigations failed to identify an
      organic disorder. Gardner-Diamond syndrome was retained because of the clinical
      presentation, the negativity of diagnostic work-up and the identification of a
      psychological trauma. Patient management (pain, psychological support) is
      difficult, justifying a multidisciplinary approach. CONCLUSION: Gardner-Diamond
      syndrome is a rare and unrecognized disorder, which should be discussed in the
      presence of ecchymotic or purpuric lesions that do not have a diagnostic
      orientation. Early recognition of this disorder enables initiation of an
      appropriate management, but also limits unnecessary additional explorations.

PMID- 28363338
TI  - Phase 1 clinical trials and toxicity.

PMID- 28363339
TI  - Anticoagulant therapy for symptomatic calf deep vein thrombosis.

PMID- 28363340
TI  - Anticoagulant therapy for symptomatic calf deep vein thrombosis - Authors' reply.

PMID- 28363341
TI  - Risk of secondary cancers: Bridging epidemiology and modeling.
AB  - Epidemiological studies of long term radiotherapy survivors provide useful
      insights into dose-response relationships for secondary cancer induction risk at
      high doses. There are uncertainties involved in estimating the dose to the
      location of the second malignancy, because the dose distributions in radiotherapy
      patients can be spatially highly heterogeneous and the size of the diagnosed
      tumor is on the order of a few cm. Therefor it is nearly impossible to obtain the
      exact dose corresponding to the exact tumor induction location and so organ
      specific dose-response relationships have large errors not only in the reported
      risk, but also in the estimated dose. In this work two alternative methods are
      proposed for future applications involving investigations into dose response
      relationships for second cancer induction risk, the method of organ sub-division
      and the method of risk equivalent dose. The method of organ sub-division takes
      the inevitable inhomogeneous dose distribution into account by applying
      epidemiological methods to organ sub-divisions which have a nearly homogenous
      dose. The method of risk equivalent dose combines risk modeling and
      epidemiological data analysis. Risk models can be optimized by using an iterative
      procedure assuming a variation of organ specific dose-responses. The advantage of
      the alternative methods is that the inhomogeneity of the dose in the organs at
      risk is taken into account. The second method has the additional advantage that
      the dose to the location of the tumor site must not be known and that
      epidemiologically obtained risks that were not stratified by organ specific risk
      can be used.

PMID- 28363342
TI  - Chance-constrained multi-objective optimization of groundwater remediation design
      at DNAPLs-contaminated sites using a multi-algorithm genetically adaptive method.
AB  - In this paper, a multi-algorithm genetically adaptive multi-objective (AMALGAM)
      method is proposed as a multi-objective optimization solver. It was implemented
      in the multi-objective optimization of a groundwater remediation design at sites
      contaminated by dense non-aqueous phase liquids. In this study, there were two
      objectives: minimization of the total remediation cost, and minimization of the
      remediation time. A non-dominated sorting genetic algorithm II (NSGA-II) was
      adopted to compare with the proposed method. For efficiency, the time-consuming
      surfactant-enhanced aquifer remediation simulation model was replaced by a
      surrogate model constructed by a multi-gene genetic programming (MGGP) technique.
      Similarly, two other surrogate modeling methods-support vector regression (SVR)
      and Kriging (KRG)-were employed to make comparisons with MGGP. In addition, the
      surrogate-modeling uncertainty was incorporated in the optimization model by
      chance-constrained programming (CCP). The results showed that, for the problem
      considered in this study, (1) the solutions obtained by AMALGAM incurred less
      remediation cost and required less time than those of NSGA-II, indicating that
      AMALGAM outperformed NSGA-II. It was additionally shown that (2) the MGGP
      surrogate model was more accurate than SVR and KRG; and (3) the remediation cost
      and time increased with the confidence level, which can enable decision makers to
      make a suitable choice by considering the given budget, remediation time, and
      reliability.

PMID- 28363343
TI  - Early analysis of laparoscopic common bile duct exploration simulation.
AB  - BACKGROUND: We developed a laparoscopic common bile duct exploration (LCBDE)
      simulation course for resident surgeons (RS) and practicing surgeons (PS). We
      hypothesized that course completion would provide LCBDE procedural skills and
      increase procedure utilization. METHODS: RS and PS were prospectively enrolled.
      Pre- and post-course ability were assessed with written examinations and LCBDE
      simulations. PS completed pre-course, post-course, and 1-year follow-up surveys
      (5-point Likert-type scale). RESULTS: 17 RS and 8 PS were enrolled. Median
      written test scores improved (70.0%-80.0%, p < 0.001) and median LCBDE simulation
      times (seconds) improved (585-314, p = 0.001) among all participants. Comparing
      RS and PS, median written assessment scores pre-course (70% vs 72.5%, p = 0.953)
      and post-course (77.5% vs 80.0%, p = 0.198) were not significantly different.
      Simulation completion times (seconds) improved similarly from pre-course (608.0
      vs 521.5, p = 0.885) to post-course (314.0 vs 373.0, p = 0.287) between groups.
      PS comfort with LCBDE improved (2-4, p = 0.03). All PS reported LCBDE utilization
      1 year post-course. CONCLUSIONS: The LCBDE course is appropriate for RS and PS.
      PS also reported increased comfort with LCBDE and procedure utilization.

PMID- 28363344
TI  - Development of a multimedia tutorial to educate how to assess the critical view
      of safety in laparoscopic cholecystectomy using expert review and crowd-sourcing.
AB  - We sought to determine the feasibility of developing a multimedia educational
      tutorial to teach learners to assess the critical view of safety using input from
      expert surgeons, non-surgeons and crowd-sourcing. We intended to develop a
      tutorial that would teach learners how to identify the basic anatomy and
      physiology of the gallbladder, identify the components of the critical view of
      safety criteria, and understand its significance for performing a safe
      gallbladder removal. Using rounds of assessment with experts, laypersons and
      crowd-workers we developed an educational video with improving comprehension
      after each round of revision. We demonstrate that the development of a multimedia
      educational tool to educate learners of various backgrounds is feasible using an
      iterative review process that incorporates the input of experts and crowd
      sourcing. When planning the development of an educational tutorial, a step-wise
      approach as described herein should be considered.

PMID- 28363345
TI  - Advanced laparoscopic bariatric surgery Is safe in general surgery training.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Bariatric surgery makes up an increasing percentage of general
      surgery training. The safety of resident involvement in these complex cases has
      been questioned. We evaluated patient outcomes in resident performed laparoscopic
      bariatric procedures. METHODS: Retrospective review of patients undergoing a
      laparoscopic bariatric procedure over seven years at a tertiary care single
      center. Procedures were primarily performed by a general surgery resident and
      proctored by an attending surgeon. Primary outcomes included operative volume,
      operative time and leak rate with perioperative outcomes evaluated as secondary
      outcomes. RESULTS: A total of 1649 bariatric procedures were evaluated.
      Operations included laparoscopic bypass (690) and laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy
      (959). Average operating time was 136 min. Eighteen leaks (0.67%) were
      identified. Graduating residents performed an average of 89 laparoscopic
      bariatric cases during their training. There were no significant differences
      between resident levels with concern to operative time or leak rate (p 0.97 and p
      = 0.54). CONCLUSIONS: General surgery residents can safely perform laparoscopic
      bariatric surgery. When proctored by a staff surgeon, a resident's level of
      training does not significantly impact leak rate.

PMID- 28363346
TI  - Formal thought disorder and neurocognition in schizophrenia: The question of
      individual mechanisms.

PMID- 28363348
TI  - Primary anetoderma: A cutaneous predictor of autoimmunity.

PMID- 28363347
TI  - Increased serum levels of cysteine in patients with schizophrenia: A potential
      marker of cognitive function preservation.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Oxidative stress has been implicated in the psychopathology of
      schizophrenia. Cysteine, a semi-essential amino acid, is the precursor of the
      antioxidant glutathione. The aim of this study was to investigate the differences
      in serum levels of cysteine between patients with schizophrenia and healthy
      controls. The relationships between levels of cysteine, psychopathology and
      cognitive function were also explored. METHODS: We recruited 65 patients with
      schizophrenia and 65 age- and gender-matched healthy controls. Blood samples were
      collected to determine the serum levels of cysteine and plasma levels of
      metabolic parameters. The cognitive function of participants was assessed using
      the Brief Assessment of Cognition in Schizophrenia (BACS). The psychopathology of
      schizophrenic patients was evaluated using the Positive and Negative Syndrome
      Scale. RESULTS: Serum cysteine levels were significantly higher in schizophrenic
      patients than in controls (P<0.001). In patients with schizophrenia, serum levels
      of cysteine were positively correlated with cognitive function in terms of verbal
      memory (P=0.013), working memory (P=0.004), verbal fluency (P=0.027), attention
      and processing speed (P=0.025), executive function (P=0.024) and the composite
      score on the BACS (P=0.013). In healthy controls, no significant correlation was
      observed between cysteine level and cognitive function. CONCLUSIONS: These
      findings suggest that oxidative stress may be involved in the pathogenesis of
      schizophrenia, and compensatory elevated levels of cysteine may serve as an
      indicator of cognition preservation. Further prospective studies are warranted to
      investigate the dynamic alterations in cysteine and the underlying
      pathophysiology of schizophrenia.

PMID- 28363349
TI  - Intestinal Burkitt lymphoma in a patient with coeliac disease.

PMID- 28363350
TI  - Should Environmental Filtering be Abandoned?
AB  - Environmental filtering, where the environment selects against certain species,
      is thought to be a major mechanism structuring communities. However, recent
      criticisms cast doubt on our ability to accurately infer filtering because
      competition can give rise to patterns identical to those caused by environmental
      filtering. While experiments can distinguish mechanisms, observational patterns
      are especially problematic. The environment determines community composition not
      only directly via survival, but also by influencing competition. If species
      population growth rates covary with environmental gradients, then outcomes of
      competitive exclusion will also vary with the environment. Here, we argue that
      observational studies remain valuable, but inferences about the importance of the
      environment cannot rely on compositional data alone, and that species abundances,
      population growth, or traits must be correlated with the environment.

PMID- 28363351
TI  - Comparison of Ventricular Septal Measurements in Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy
      Patients Who Underwent Surgical Myectomy Using Multimodality Imaging and
      Implications for Diagnosis and Management.
AB  - Accurate and reproducible quantification of ventricular septal (VS) thickness in
      hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HC) is essential for diagnosis, surgical planning,
      and risk stratification. We sought to compare VS thickness measurements using
      transthoracic echocardiography (TTE), transesophageal echocardiography (TEE), and
      cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) in patients with HC. Prospectively reported
      measurements of VS thickness were compared using analysis of variance and Bland
      Altman plots in 90 consecutive patients with HC who underwent a TTE, TEE, and CMR
      within 3 months. A subset was re-measured on 2 separate occasions by 2 readers to
      assess inter- and intraobserver variability. There was modest correlation between
      modalities, with CMR and TTE measurements of VS thickness showing the greatest
      correlation (CMR vs TTE, r = 0.70; CMR vs TEE, r = 0.60; TTE vs TEE, r = 0.56).
      Smaller measurements were seen using CMR versus either echocardiographic
      technique (13% smaller vs TEE, 8% smaller vs TTE, p <0.001 for both). The
      variability of measurement between modalities was not correlated with the degree
      of VS thickness. There was significantly lower intraobserver variability with CMR
      versus echocardiography (p = 0.01 for both), but no difference in interobserver
      variability. CMR delineated a different area of maximal VS thickness other than
      the basal anteroseptum more frequently than echocardiography (44% of cases vs 24%
      for TTE and 11% for TEE). In conclusion, CMR assessment of VS thickness differs
      significantly from echocardiography in patients with HC, with a systemic bias
      toward lower measurements seen with CMR.

PMID- 28363352
TI  - Impact of Left Ventricular Diastolic Property on Left Atrial Function from
      Simultaneous Left Atrial and Ventricular Three-Dimensional Echocardiographic
      Volume Measurement.
AB  - Simultaneous left atrial (LA) and left ventricular (LV) 3-dimensional (3D)
      echocardiographic volume measurements enable the quantifying of precise LA
      function, by virtue of their independence on any geometric assumption and
      capability of measurement for net LA conduit volume. We sought to elucidate the
      impact of conventional Doppler LV diastolic property on LA volume and function
      derived from this method. Our study subjects consisted of 381 patients who
      underwent 3D echocardiography. From LA time-volume curve, maximum and minimum
      volume index (VI) and VI before atrial contraction (LAVIpre-c) were determined;
      subsequently, active emptying volume was calculated as LAVIpre-c - minimum LAVI.
      From LA and LV volume measurement, conduit volume was calculated as LV stroke VI 
      (maximum LAVI - minimum LAVI). LA volume increased depending on the severity of
      diastolic dysfunction. Compared with patients with normal diastolic function, LA
      booster pump function, as the contribution of active emptying volume to LV
      filling, was higher in those with mild diastolic dysfunction. Additionally, it
      gradually decreased as diastolic dysfunction was advanced from mild to moderate
      and moderate to severe degree (23.2 +/- 15.5%, 29.5 +/- 15.1%, 25.1 +/- 16.2%,
      14.9 +/- 14.1%, respectively; p <0.001). Contrarily, conduit contribution was
      significantly higher in patients with severe diastolic dysfunction than in those
      with mild diastolic dysfunction; furthermore, conduit function tended to
      increase, reciprocally to booster pump function, as diastolic dysfunction grade
      was advanced (39.1 +/- 28.8%, 36.8 +/- 26.2%, 42.7 +/- 25.6%, 52.9 +/- 26.2%,
      respectively; p = 0.034). In conclusion, simultaneous LA and LV volumetric
      analyses through 3D echocardiography clearly demonstrate the characteristic LA
      functional alterations following LA dilation caused by LV diastolic dysfunction.

PMID- 28363353
TI  - Propranolol Versus Digoxin in the Neonate for Supraventricular Tachycardia (from
      the Pediatric Health Information System).
AB  - Conflicting data exist for the appropriate management of a neonate with
      supraventricular tachycardia (SVT). We sought to assess postnatal prescribing
      trends for neonates with SVT and to evaluate if there were therapy-specific
      mortality and resource utilization benefits. Nationally distributed data from 44
      pediatric hospitals in the 2004 to 2015 Pediatric Health Information System
      database were used to identify patients admitted at <=2 days of age with
      structurally normal hearts and treated with an antiarrhythmic medication. Outcome
      variables were mortality, cost, and length of stay (LOS). Multivariable models
      and propensity score matching were used. There were 2,657 neonates identified
      with a median gestational age of 37 weeks (interquartile range 34 to 39). Digoxin
      and propranolol were most commonly prescribed; digoxin use steadily decreased to
      23% of antiarrhythmic medication administrations over the study period, whereas
      propranolol increased to 77%. Multivariable comparisons revealed that the odds of
      mortality for neonates on propranolol were 0.32 times those on digoxin (95%
      confidence interval 0.17 to 0.59; p <0.001); hospital costs were $16,549 lower
      for propranolol versus digoxin (95% confidence interval $5,502 to $27,596, p =
      0.003). No difference was found for LOS. Propensity score matching and subset
      analyses of patients with only arrhythmia diagnostic codes confirmed mortality
      benefits for propranolol, although longer LOS was observed. In conclusion,
      propranolol use for the neonate with SVT is associated with lower in-hospital
      mortality and hospital costs compared with digoxin.

PMID- 28363354
TI  - Management of Major Bleeding in Patients With Atrial Fibrillation Treated With
      Non-Vitamin K Antagonist Oral Anticoagulants Compared With Warfarin in Clinical
      Practice (from Phase II of the Outcomes Registry for Better Informed Treatment of
      Atrial Fibrillation [ORBIT-AF II]).
AB  - Non-vitamin K antagonist oral anticoagulants (NOACs) are effective at preventing
      stroke in patients with atrial fibrillation (AF). However, little is known about
      the management of bleeding in contemporary, clinical use of NOACs. We aimed to
      assess the frequency, management, and outcomes of major bleeding in the setting
      of community use of NOACs. Using the Outcomes Registry for Better Informed
      Treatment of Atrial Fibrillation II registry, we analyzed rates of International
      Society on Thrombosis and Haemostasis major bleeding and subsequent outcomes in
      patients treated with NOACs versus warfarin. Outcomes of interest included acute
      and chronic bleeding management, recurrent bleeding, thromboembolic events, and
      death. In total, 344 patients with atrial fibrillation experienced major bleeding
      events over a median follow-up of 360 days follow-up: n = 273 on NOAC (3.3 per
      100 patient-years) and n = 71 on warfarin (3.5 per 100 patient-years).
      Intracranial bleeding was uncommon but similar (0.34 per 100 patient-years for
      NOAC vs 0.44 for warfarin, p = 0.5), as was gastrointestinal bleeding (1.8 for
      NOAC vs 1.3 for warfarin, p = 0.1). Blood products and correction agents were
      less commonly used in NOAC patients with major bleeds compared with warfarin
      treated patients (53% vs 76%, p = 0.0004 for blood products; 0% vs 1.5% for
      recombinant factor; p = 0.0499); no patients received pharmacologic hemostatic
      agents (aminocaproic acid, tranexamic acid, desmopressin, aprotinin). Within 30
      days, 23 NOAC-treated patients (8.4%) died versus 5 (7.0%) on warfarin (p = 0.7).
      At follow-up, 126 NOAC-treated (46%) and 29 warfarin-treated patients (41%) were
      not receiving any anticoagulation. In conclusion, rates of major bleeding are
      similar in warfarin and NOAC-treated patients in clinical practice. However, NOAC
      related bleeds require less blood product administration and rarely require
      factor replacement.

PMID- 28363355
TI  - Association of Obesity With In-Hospital Mortality of Cardiogenic Shock
      Complicating Acute Myocardial Infarction.
AB  - Several previous studies have shown obesity to be counterintuitively associated
      with more favorable mortality in patients with acute myocardial infarction (AMI);
      however, the association of obesity with in-hospital mortality of cardiogenic
      shock complicating AMI has not been previously examined. We queried the 2004 to
      2013 National Inpatient Sample databases to identify all patients >=18 years
      hospitalized with the principal diagnosis of AMI. Multivariable regression models
      adjusting for demographics, hospital characteristics, and co-morbidities were
      used to examine differences in incidence and in-hospital mortality of cardiogenic
      shock complicating AMI between obese and nonobese patients. Of 6,097,817 patients
      with AMI, 290,894 (4.8%) had cardiogenic shock. There was no difference in risk
      adjusted incidence of cardiogenic shock between obese and nonobese patients
      (adjusted odds ratio 1.00, 95% CI 0.98 to 1.01; p = 0.46). Of the patients with
      cardiogenic shock complicating AMI, 8.9% had a documented diagnosis of obesity.
      Obese patients were on average 6 years younger and had higher prevalence of most
      cardiovascular co-morbidities. Obese patients were more likely to receive
      revascularization (73.0% vs 63.4%, p <0.001) and had lower risk-adjusted in
      hospital mortality compared with nonobese patients (28.2% vs 36.5%; adjusted odds
      ratio 0.89, 95% CI 0.86 to 0.92; p <0.001). Similar findings were seen in
      subgroups of patients with cardiogenic shock complicating ST elevation or non-ST
      elevation MI. In conclusion, this large retrospective analysis of a nationwide
      cohort of patients with cardiogenic shock complicating AMI demonstrated that
      obese patients were younger, more likely to receive revascularization, and had
      modestly lower risk-adjusted in-hospital mortality compared with nonobese
      patients.

PMID- 28363356
TI  - Diversity dynamics: The experience of male Robert Wood Johnson Foundation nurse
      faculty scholars.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Managing diversity dynamics in academic or clinical settings for men
      in nursing has unique challenges resulting from their minority status within the
      profession. PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to share challenges and
      lessons learned identified by male scholars in the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation
      Nurse Faculty Scholars program and suggest strategies for creating positive
      organizations promoting inclusive excellence. METHODS: Multiple strategies
      including informal mentored discussions and peer-to-peer dialogue throughout the
      program, formal online surveys of scholars and National Advisory Committee
      members, and review of scholar progress reports were analyzed as part of the
      comprehensive evaluation plan of the program. DISCUSSION: Diversity dynamic
      issues include concerns with negative stereotyping, microaggression, gender
      intelligence, and differences in communication and leadership styles. CONCLUSION:
      Male nurse faculty scholars report experiencing both opportunities and challenges
      residing in a predominately female profession. This article attempts to raise
      awareness and suggest strategies to manage diversity dynamics in service of
      promoting the development of a culture of health that values diversity and
      inclusive excellence for both men and women in academic, research, and practice
      contexts.

PMID- 28363358
TI  - An educational video program to increase aging services technology awareness
      among older adults.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: Aging services technologies (ASTs), health technology that meets the
      needs of seniors, are being underutilized due to a lack of awareness. This study
      evaluated a video-based educational program to increase AST awareness. METHODS:
      Two hundred and thirty-one older adults completed AST measures pre- and post
      program. RESULTS: Participants endorsed significantly improved AST knowledge and
      attitude and a lower level of perceived stigma post-program. Hierarchical
      regression analyses showed that a greater reduction in stigma post-program and a
      higher number of physical/cognitive needs supported by ASTs at baseline were
      significant predictors of a greater increase in expressed intention to use ASTs
      following the video program. Furthermore, individuals living in their own homes,
      with a lower level of education, fewer physical and/or cognitive needs supported
      by ASTs at baseline, and greater functional limitations were found to be more
      likely to report a significant reduction in perceived stigma post-program. Four
      week follow-up data from 75 individuals showed stable program gains. Program
      feedback was positive. CONCLUSION: The current findings provide support for the
      utility of the AST videos. PRACTICAL IMPLICATIONS: The educational materials used
      in this study can be used clinically or for public health education to increase
      awareness and adoption of ASTs.

PMID- 28363357
TI  - Variation in Placebo Effect Sizes in Clinical Trials of Oral Interventions for
      Management of the Behavioral and Psychological Symptoms of Dementia (BPSD): A
      Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.
AB  - Increasing placebo effect sizes over time have been reported in randomized
      controlled trials (RCTs) for outcomes related to psychiatric symptoms. The
      Neuropsychiatric Inventory (NPI) is a key outcome measure in clinical trials of
      the behavioral and psychological symptoms of dementia (BPSD). Accurate placebo
      effect size estimates for NPI are needed for sample size calculations in order to
      adequately power future studies. This study investigated variation in placebo
      effect sizes for NPI in RCTs testing oral interventions for BPSD. A search of
      PubMed was conducted in April 2016 for two-armed, double-blinded, placebo
      controlled RCTs testing any oral intervention for management of BPSD using the
      NPI. Meta-analysis was conducted of baseline versus end of treatment placebo
      group data of included studies. Twenty-five RCTs published from 2000 to 2015 were
      included. Substantial variation in placebo effect sizes was detected.
      Participants in placebo groups showed greater improvements in recent studies
      compared with earlier studies. Subgroup analyses indicated robustness of this
      finding. From 2000 to 2008 there was no significant change in total NPI scores
      within placebo groups (12 studies; 1,056 participants), whereas from 2009 to 2015
      there was significant improvement (mean difference: -2.68; 95% confidence
      interval: -4.38, -0.99; z = 3.10; p = 0.002, random effects; I2 = 76%; 13
      studies; 1,170 participants). This increase in NPI effect sizes in placebo groups
      has important implications for power calculations for future clinical trials of
      BPSD. Effect size estimates for NPI need to be based on more recent studies.

PMID- 28363359
TI  - The most important needs and preferences of patients for support from health care
      professionals: A reflective practice on (transitional) care for young adults with
      Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis.
AB  - In this manuscript, presented as a Reflective Practice, the learning experiences
      and reflections of a healthcare team on redeveloping the transitional care for
      young adults with a juvenile rheumatic disease are described. In this process of
      redeveloping care, the healthcare team experienced that small step, driven by
      patient stories and involvement of patients in all phases from development to
      evaluation, led to meaningful results. The eHealth interventions, developed to
      support the transition and to increase self-management were found to be feasible
      and evaluated positively by the young adult group. But the healthcare team also
      experienced that the focus on the patient alone, is not enough to implement self
      management interventions and sustain patient centered care in daily practice. How
      healthcare professionals personally think and feel about patient centered care is
      essential and needs to be discussed in daily care.It determines the way of being
      present with attention and commitment in daily health care. It affects the hands,
      head and heart. A daily reflection on shared answers of the patient and the
      health care professional to the question 'what is the most important to you?'may
      help to implement patient centered care in health practice.

PMID- 28363360
TI  - [A prospective study to assess the burden of influenza-related hospitalizations
      and emergency department visits among children in Bilbao, Spain (2010-2011)].
AB  - INTRODUCTION: This study was undertaken to estimate the burden of morbidity
      associated with laboratory-confirmed influenza in children below 15 years of age.
      PATIENTS AND METHODS: Children presenting with acute respiratory infection and/or
      isolated fever at the Basurto University Hospital, Bilbao, Spain between November
      2010 and May 2011 were included in this study (NCT01592799). Two nasopharyngeal
      secretion samples were taken from each; one for a rapid influenza diagnostic test
      in the emergency department, and the second for laboratory analysis using real
      time polymerase chain reaction and viral culture. RESULTS: A total of 501
      children were recruited, of whom 91 were hospitalized. Influenza diagnosis was
      confirmed in 131 children (26.1%); 120 of 410 (29.3%) treated as outpatients and
      11 of 91 (12.1%) hospitalized children. A total of 370 of 501 children (73.9%)
      had no laboratory test positive for influenza. The proportion of subjects with
      other respiratory viruses was 145/501 (28.9%) cases and co-infection with the
      influenza virus plus another respiratory virus was detected in 7/501 (1.4%)
      cases. Influenza virus types were: A (H1N1 and H3N2) 53.2% (67/126); B (Victoria
      and Yamagata) 46.0% (58/126); A+B 0.8% (1/126). The median direct medical costs
      associated with each case of laboratory-confirmed influenza was ?177.00 (N=131).
      No significant differences were observed between the medical costs associated
      with influenza A and B. CONCLUSION: Almost half of the cases were influenza virus
      B type. The administration of a vaccine containing influenza A and B types to
      children below 15 years of age might reduce the overall burden of the illness.

PMID- 28363361
TI  - Parent Participation in Pediatric Intensive Care Unit Rounds via Telemedicine:
      Feasibility and Impact.
AB  - OBJECTIVES: To evaluate feasibility and impact of telemedicine for remote parent
      participation in pediatric intensive care unit (PICU) rounds when parents are
      unable to be present at their child's bedside. STUDY DESIGN: Parents of patients
      admitted to a 14-bed PICU were approached, and those unable to attend rounds were
      eligible subjects. Nurse and physician caregivers were also surveyed. Parents
      received an iPad (Apple Inc, Cupertino, California) with an application enabling
      audio-video connectivity with the care team. At a predetermined time for bedside
      rounds with the PICU team, parents entered a virtual meeting room to participate.
      Following each telemedicine encounter, participants (parent, physician, nurse)
      completed a brief survey rating satisfaction (0?=?not satisfied, 10?=?completely
      satisfied) and disruption (0?=?no disruption at all, 10?=?very disruptive).
      RESULTS: A total of 153 surveys were completed following 51 telemedicine
      encounters involving 13 patients. Parents of enrolled patients cited work demands
      (62%), care for other dependents (46%), and transportation difficulties (31%) as
      reasons for study participation. The median levels of satisfaction and disruption
      were 10 (range 5-10) and 0 (range 0-5), respectively. All parents reported that
      telemedicine encounters had a positive effect on their level of reassurance
      regarding their child's care and improved communication with the care team.
      CONCLUSIONS: This proof-of-concept study indicates that remote parent
      participation in PICU rounds is feasible, enhances parent-provider communication,
      and offers parents reassurance. Providers reported a high level of satisfaction
      with minimal disruption. Technological advancements to streamline
      teleconferencing workflow are needed to ensure program sustainability.

PMID- 28363362
TI  - Congenital Chylothorax as the Initial Presentation of PTPN11-Associated Noonan
      Syndrome.

PMID- 28363364
TI  - Maintenance of Certification Part 4: From Trial to Tribute.

PMID- 28363365
TI  - Chest Wall Trauma.
AB  - Chest wall trauma is common, and contributes significantly to morbidity and
      mortality of trauma patients. Early identification of major chest wall and
      concomitant intrathoracic injuries is critical. Generalized management of
      multiple rib fractures and flail chest consists of adequate pain control
      (including locoregional modalities); management of pulmonary dysfunction by
      invasive and noninvasive means; and, in some cases, surgical fixation. Multiple
      studies have shown that patients with flail chest have substantial benefit
      (decreased ventilator and intensive care unit days, improved pulmonary function,
      and improved long-term functional outcome) when they undergo surgery compared
      with nonoperative management.

PMID- 28363366
TI  - Minimal Invasive Repair of Pectus Excavatum and Carinatum.
AB  - Minimal invasive surgery has become the gold standard for surgical repair of
      pectus excavatum. The procedure can be performed as fast-track surgery and
      cosmetic results are excellent. In addition, cardiac performance improves after
      correction. With increased awareness on the Internet, the number of patients who
      seek help continues to rise, primarily for cosmetic reasons. Pectus carinatum is
      much less frequent than pectus excavatum. Over the past decade surgery has
      largely been replaced by compression techniques that use a brace, and cosmetic
      results are good. Rare combinations of pectus excavatum and carinatum may be
      treated by newer surgical methods.

PMID- 28363367
TI  - Straight Back Syndrome.
AB  - Straight back syndrome is a rare condition usually associated with mitral valve
      prolapse and "pseudo-heart disease" caused by a very narrow anterior-posterior
      chest due to the loss of the normal dorsal curvature of the thoracic spine. More
      rarely, the narrowed upper chest may compress the trachea causing extrinsic
      tracheal obstruction. If severe enough, this requires operative repair by
      effectively opening up the upper chest by a variety of techniques to allow the
      trachea enough room to avoid compression.

PMID- 28363363
TI  - Dexamethasone for Parapneumonic Pleural Effusion: A Randomized, Double-Blind,
      Clinical Trial.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: To assess whether dexamethasone (DXM) decreases the time to recovery
      in patients with parapneumonic pleural effusion. STUDY DESIGN: This was a
      multicenter, randomized, double blind, parallel-group, placebo-controlled
      clinical trial of 60 children, ranging in age from 1 month to 14 years, with
      community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) and pleural effusion. Patients received either
      intravenous DXM (0.25?mg/kg/dose) or placebo every 6 hours over a period of 48
      hours, along with antibiotics. The primary endpoint was the time to recovery in
      hours, defined objectively. We also evaluated complications and adverse events.
      RESULTS: Among the 60 randomized patients (mean age, 4.7 years; 58% female), 57
      (95%) completed the study. Compared with placebo recipients, the patients
      receiving DXM had a shorter time to recovery, after adjustment by severity group
      and stratification by center (hazard ratio, 1.95; 95% CI, 1.10-3.45; P?=?.021).
      The median time to recovery for patients receiving DXM was 68 hours (2.8 days)
      shorter than patients receiving placebo (109 hours vs 177 hours; P?=?.037). In
      exploratory subgroup analysis, the median time to recovery for patients with
      simple effusion receiving DXM was 76 hours (3.1 days) shorter than for patients
      with simple effusion receiving placebo (P?=?.017). The median time to recovery
      for patients with complicated effusion receiving DXM was 14 hours (0.5 days)
      shorter than for patients with complicated effusion receiving placebo (P?=?.66).
      The difference in the effect of DXM in the 2 severity groups was not
      statistically significant (P?=?.138 for interaction). There were no significant
      differences in complications or adverse events attributable to the study drugs,
      except for hyperglycemia. CONCLUSION: In this trial, DXM seemed to be a safe and
      effective adjunctive therapy for parapneumonic pleural effusion. TRIAL
      REGISTRATION: ClinicalTrials.gov: NCT01261546.

PMID- 28363368
TI  - Management of Primary Soft Tissue Tumors of the Chest Wall.
AB  - Primary chest wall tumors are rare and represent a challenging clinical entity.
      Preoperative work-up includes a thorough history, radiographic imaging, and a
      biopsy approach that does not make a future definitive resection more difficult.
      Treatment decisions are based on tumor histology, stage, local aggressiveness,
      and responsiveness to chemotherapy and radiation. Wide excision is the foundation
      of treatment of most malignant primary chest wall tumors. The role of radiation
      therapy in the neoadjuvant or adjuvant setting is to reduce local recurrence. The
      use of adjuvant chemotherapy is more controversial. For most primary chest wall
      malignancies, margin-negative resection remains the best chance of cure.

PMID- 28363369
TI  - Management of Lung Cancer Invading the Superior Sulcus.
AB  - Superior sulcus tumors have posed a formidable therapeutic challenge since their
      original description by Pancoast and Tobias in the early twentieth century.
      Initial therapeutic efforts with radiotherapy were associated with high rates of
      relapse and mortality. Bimodality therapy with complete surgical resection in the
      1960s paved the way for trimodality therapy as the current standard of care in
      the treatment of superior sulcus tumors. The evolution of treatment approaches
      over time has provided outcomes that come increasingly closer to rivaling those
      of similarly staged nonapical lung cancer.

PMID- 28363370
TI  - Management of Breast Cancer Invading Chest Wall.
AB  - Surgical treatment of locally advanced or recurrent breast cancer involving the
      chest wall continues to play a role in the therapeutic armamentarium as part of
      the multidisciplinary treatment regimen. Significant progress has been made in
      chest wall resections and reconstructions, thanks to the availability of novel
      materials and tissue transfer methods. The understanding of cancer biology and
      behavior, and novel drugs further improved the field. Patient selection and
      superb knowledge of the most recent and effective treatment options are necessary
      to maximize the survival benefit and quality of life for patients affected with
      breast cancer involving the chest wall.

PMID- 28363371
TI  - Chest Wall Reconstruction Without Prosthetic Material.
AB  - The surgical resection of primary and secondary tumors involving the chest wall
      often requires reconstruction with prosthetic and soft tissues, such as muscle
      flaps. There are situations when a soft tissue reconstruction of the chest wall
      is preferable. Prosthetic material can become infected and require reoperation
      for removal of the infected material. Rigid prosthetic materials can result in
      chest wall pain and deformity. Muscle is the soft tissue of choice for coverage
      of full-thickness chest wall defects with or without prosthetic material. Muscle
      flaps can be transferred to chest wall defects with either pedicle muscle
      transposition or free muscle transfer.

PMID- 28363373
TI  - Primary Tumors of the Osseous Chest Wall and Their Management.
AB  - Primary osseous tumors of the chest wall are uncommon neoplasms. They occur in a
      wide variety of pathologic forms, most of which can be distinguished by unique
      radiologic appearance. Management of these tumors depends on the diagnosis and
      stage. Adequate surgical resection is critical in achieving the best outcomes for
      most of these tumors. Chemotherapy and radiation may have an adjuvant role.
      Surgeons considering resection of any chest wall tumor should have a sound
      knowledge of the principles of resection and reconstruction.

PMID- 28363374
TI  - Surgical Management of Lung Cancer Involving the Chest Wall.
AB  - The prevalence of chest wall invasion by non-small cell lung cancer is < 10% in
      published surgical series. The role of radiation or chemotherapy around the
      complete resection of lung cancer invading the chest wall, excluding the superior
      sulcus of the chest, is poorly defined. Survival of patients with lung cancer
      invading the chest wall is dependent on lymph node involvement and completeness
      of en-bloc resection. In some patients harboring T3N0 disease, 5-year survival in
      excess of 50% can be achieved. Offering en-bloc resection of lung cancer invading
      chest wall to patients with T3N1 or T3N2 disease is controversial.

PMID- 28363372
TI  - Surgical Management of the Radiated Chest Wall and Its Complications.
AB  - Radiation to the chest wall is common before resection of tumors.
      Osteoradionecrosis can occur after radiation treatment. Radical resection and
      reconstruction can be lifesaving. Soft tissue coverage using myocutaneous or
      omental flaps is determined by the quality of soft tissue available and the
      status of the vascular pedicle supplying available myocutaneous flaps. Radiation
      induced sarcomas of the chest wall occur most commonly after radiation therapy
      for breast cancer. Although angiosarcomas are the most common radiation-induced
      sarcomas, osteosarcoma, myosarcomas, rhabdomyosarcoma, and undifferentiated
      sarcomas also occur. The most effective treatment is surgical resection.
      Inoperable tumors are treated with chemotherapy, with low response rates.

PMID- 28363375
TI  - Prosthetic Reconstruction of the Chest Wall.
AB  - Large chest wall resections can result in skeletal instability, altered
      respiratory mechanics, and significant cosmetic defects. Here the authors review
      a variety of prostheses that can be used to reconstruct these defects, the
      indications for their use, the technique for implantation, and the available data
      regarding their clinical outcomes.

PMID- 28363376
TI  - Acute Chest Wall Infections: Surgical Site Infections, Necrotizing Soft Tissue
      Infections, and Sternoclavicular Joint Infection.
AB  - Acute chest wall infections are uncommon and share similar risk factors for
      infection at other surgical sites. Smoking cessation has been shown to decrease
      the risk of surgical site infection. Depending on the depth of infection and/or
      involvement of the organ space, adequate therapy involves antibiotics and
      drainage. Early diagnosis and debridement of necrotizing soft tissue infections
      is essential to reduce mortality. Sternoclavicular joint infections require
      surgical debridement, en bloc resection, and antibiotic therapy. A standard
      approach to wound closure after resection has yet to be established. Vacuum
      assisted closure is a valuable adjunct to standard therapy.

PMID- 28363377
TI  - Chronic Infections of the Chest Wall.
AB  - Chronic chest wall infections may occur in soft tissue, cartilage, and bone. They
      may present as localized chest wall pain, a discrete mass initially mistaken for
      neoplasm, a superficial infection, or a draining sinus. Chronic chest wall
      infections are typically non-necrotizing and associated with lower morbidity than
      their more acute and necrotizing counterparts. Effective management of chest wall
      infections ranges from antimicrobial administration to wide surgical resection
      and subsequent reconstruction.

PMID- 28363379
TI  - Preface.

PMID- 28363378
TI  - Thoracoplasty for Tuberculosis in the Twenty-first Century.
AB  - A new modification of osteoplastic collapse thoracoplasty performed with a
      minimally invasive approach has been proposed. This operation is a variant of
      extrapleural thoracoplasty used in the treatment of destructive tuberculosis. The
      benefits of the proposed method, the surgical techniques, and the results of the
      authors' research are described. Compared with the conventional variant of
      osteoplastic thoracoplasty, the rates of bacteriologic conversion (odds ratio
      [OR], 1.84; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.72-1.97) and of the closure of
      cavities (OR, 2.13; 95% CI, 1.98-2.28) have been proved to be higher when the
      operation is performed with a minimally invasive approach.

PMID- 28363380
TI  - Malnutrition in the elderly and Wernicke encephalopathy.

PMID- 28363381
TI  - Professional identity development: Learning and journeying together.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Pharmacy students start to develop their professional values through
      engagement with the course, practice exposure, staff and fellow students. Group
      working is an element of pedagogy which draws on the social aspects of learning
      to facilitate knowledge and skills development, but its potential role in
      facilitating professional identity formation has as yet been under researched.
      OBJECTIVES: This study aimed to explore the potential of mutual learning through
      group work to contribute not only to academic knowledge and understanding, but
      also to the development of students' professional values and selves. METHODS:
      Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 17 home and international first
      year undergraduate pharmacy students in a UK School of Pharmacy, to explore their
      experiences of interacting for learning with other students on the course.
      FINDINGS: Thematic analysis of the interview data highlighted four main benefits
      of mutual learning, which are that it: promotes friendly interactions; aids
      learning about the subject and the profession; opens the mind through different
      opinions and ways of thinking; and enables learning about other people. Through
      working together students developed their communication skills and confidence;
      reflectively considered their own stance in the light of others' experiences and
      healthcare perspectives; and started to gain a wider worldview, potentially
      informing their future interactions with patients and colleagues. Some
      difficulties arose when group interactions functioned less well. CONCLUSIONS:
      Opportunity for collaboration and exchange can positively influence development
      of students' professional outlook and values. However, careful management of
      group working is required, in order to create a mutually supportive environment
      wherein students feel able to interact, share and develop together.

PMID- 28363382
TI  - The biomechanical consequences of longirostry in crocodilians and odontocetes.
AB  - Unrelated clades of aquatic tetrapod have evolved a similar range of skull
      shapes, varying from longirostrine (elongate and narrow rostrum) to brevirostrine
      (short rostrum). However, it is unclear which aspects of organismal performance
      are associated with this convergence in the range of skull shapes. Furthermore,
      it is not known how fundamental anatomical differences between groups influence
      these relationships. Here we address this by examining the load bearing
      capabilities of the skulls of two of the most diverse groups of living aquatic
      tetrapod: crocodilians and odontocetes. We use finite element analysis to examine
      the abilities of different cranial morphologies to resist a range of biologically
      relevant feeding loads including biting, shaking and twisting. The results allow
      for form/function relationships to be compared and contrasted between the two
      groups. We find that cranial shape has similar influences on performance during
      biting, shaking or twisting load cases at the anterior tooth positions, e.g.
      brevirostrine species experienced less strain than longirostrine species. The
      pattern of this form/function relationship is similar for both crocodilians and
      odontocetes, despite their fundamentally different anatomies. However, when
      loading teeth at the posterior end or middle of the tooth row the results do not
      follow the same pattern. Behavioural differences in bite location plays a key
      role in determining functional abilities in aquatic tetrapod taxa.

PMID- 28363383
TI  - Becoming Inclusive: A Code of Conduct for Inclusion and Diversity.
AB  - There are increasing concerns about exclusionary behaviors and lack of diversity
      in the nursing profession. Exclusionary behaviors, which may include incivility,
      bullying, and workplace violence, discriminate and isolate individuals and groups
      who are different, whereas inclusive behaviors encourage diversity. To address
      inclusion and diversity in nursing, this article offers a code of conduct. This
      code of conduct builds on existing nursing codes of ethics and applies to nursing
      students and nurses in both educational and practice settings. Inclusive
      behaviors that are demonstrated in nurses' relationships with patients,
      colleagues, the profession, and society are described. This code of conduct
      provides a basis for measureable change, empowerment, and unification of the
      profession. Recommendations, implications, and a pledge to action are discussed.

PMID- 28363384
TI  - Dedicated Educational Nursing Unit: Clinical Instructors Role Perceptions and
      Learning Needs.
AB  - Over the past decade, health care leaders have called for a radical
      transformation in health care and nursing education. Patient care has become
      complex, demanding succinct interprofessional communication and collaboration to
      optimize the care of the patient, and the nurse at the bedside is the optimal
      leader at the point of care. Assistance with the clinical reasoning and critical
      thinking with nursing students is pivotal for successful patient outcomes. The
      expert clinical nurse at the bedside is the premier faculty to guide the young
      practitioner in the care of the patient. A dedicated educational unit (DEU) is an
      example of an academic-practice partnership designed to provide students with a
      positive clinical learning environment. The purpose of this qualitative research
      study was to identify the role perceptions of staff nurse's participating as
      clinical instructors on a DEU and the perceived educational learning needs of the
      experienced staff nurses. After Veterans Affairs Boston Healthcare System
      Institutional Review Board approval, a total of 8 nurses serving in the role of
      clinical instructor on a DEU participated in the study. Content analyses were
      used to code and synthesize common theses from the interviews. The themes that
      emerged related to role perception were mentoring, ensuring competency with basic
      skills and tasks, and development of critical thinking in nursing clinical
      education. The themes related to perceived learning needs of staff nurses related
      to the role of clinical instructor were the need for clear objectives from the
      academic affiliate, more coordination and acknowledgement by the academic
      affiliate, and addition education in dealing with students with diverse learning
      needs and accommodations.

PMID- 28363385
TI  - Lateral Violence in Nursing: Implications and Strategies for Nurse Educators.
AB  - Lateral violence among nurses persists as a prevalent problem, contributing to
      psychological distress, staff turnover, and attrition. Newly graduated nurses are
      at particular risk for being targets of lateral violence and experiencing its
      negative sequelae. Preparing student nurses to respond to lateral violence prior
      to entering the nursing may alter this scenario. A review of the literature was
      conducted to determine the potential for nursing faculty to change the cycle of
      lateral violence. Based on this review, we recommend 3 main strategies,
      specifically for nursing faculty, aimed at reducing incidences of lateral
      violence and preparing students to manage this phenomenon. First, curricular
      content can address integrating lateral violence content into simulation
      experiences and facilitating this knowledge into clinical experiences. Second,
      codes of conduct should guide behaviors for both students and faculty. Finally,
      as role models, faculty should be aware of their own behaviors, role model
      respectful communication, facilitate a courteous academic environment, and
      develop nurses capable of identifying and appropriately responding to lateral
      violence.

PMID- 28363386
TI  - Using Objective Structured Clinical Examination (OSCE) as Education in Advanced
      Practice Registered Nursing Education.
AB  - Approximately 3 million nurses make up the U.S. health care workforce. The Robert
      Wood Johnson Foundation and the Institute of Medicine (2011) supported the call
      to strengthen the nursing profession by establishing global standards of
      educational criteria and outcomes. Throughout the world, health education is
      affected by fundamental inadequacies related to static, fragmented, and content
      oriented curricula. There are inadequacies in our curricula, and nursing
      faculties are facing challenges with clinical placements (both the number and
      quality of these placements); therefore, alternative methods of providing
      practice to students need to be considered. A transformative agenda comprising
      changes in the way students are taught fully harnessing the potential of
      information and communications technology (i.e., simulation) is necessary.
      Simulated patient encounters and Objective Structured Clinical Examinations are 2
      means to achieve needed practice in a safe environment. The purpose of this
      article is to show, by using simulation, how students can practice and be
      evaluated within their clinical practice role in a safe, controlled environment.
      In addition, this practice can (a) enable students to increase the complexity of
      their understanding and their autonomy and (b) educate students about social
      accountability, health and gender equity, social justice, and human rights.

PMID- 28363387
TI  - Promoting the Future of Nursing by Increasing Zest for Research in Undergraduate
      Nursing Students.
AB  - Nurses are expected to deliver cost-effective, high-quality care. In order to
      provide this care, nurse researchers are needed to evaluate and research
      effective health care models and interventions. By including research concepts
      within a baccalaureate nursing program, interest in nursing research can be
      increased. The purpose of this article is to present a case study of strategies
      used in an undergraduate liberal arts nursing program to promote zest in research
      and increase the pursuit of graduate studies among baccalaureate nursing
      students. Using the Bronfenbrenner ecological framework, the promotion of
      research is categorized into microsystems (individual), mesosystems (multiple
      setting), exosystems (program), and macrosystem (institutional culture) levels.
      The microsystem level includes engagement in the classroom, engagement in one-on
      one meetings, and faculty members as role models. The mesosystem involves
      engagement outside the classroom and encouragement from faculty members. The
      exosystem level describes specific learning activities and programs the nursing
      department utilizes such as community assessments, preconception reproductive
      knowledge promotion, and women supporting women. Finally, the macrosystem
      includes a supportive and encouraging environment. By working together, each
      system contributes to the students' zest for nursing research and interest in
      graduate studies in nursing to pursue the role of a nurse researcher.

PMID- 28363388
TI  - An Integrative Review of Flipped Classroom Teaching Models in Nursing Education.
AB  - Nursing care is changing dramatically given the need for students to address
      complex and multiple patient comorbidities. Students experience difficulties
      applying knowledge gained from didactic instruction to make important clinical
      decisions for optimal patient care. To optimize nursing education pedagogy,
      innovative teaching strategies are required to prepare future nurses for
      practice. This integrative review synthesized the state of the science on flipped
      classroom models from 13 empirical studies published through May 2016. The
      purpose of the review was to evaluate studies conducted on flipped classroom
      models among nursing students using a validated framework by Whittemore and
      Knafl. Multiple academic databases were searched, ranging in scope including
      PubMed, Embase (Elsevier), CINAHL (Ebsco), Scopus, Web of Science, and Google
      Scholar, resulting in 95 unique records. After screening and full-text reviews,
      82 papers were removed. Thirteen empirical studies were included in the final
      analysis and results provided (a) design and process information on flipped
      classroom models in nursing education, (b) a summary of the state of the evidence
      to inform the implementation of flipped classrooms, and (c) a foundation to build
      future research in this area of nursing education. To develop sound evidence
      based teaching strategies, rigorous scientific methods are needed to inform the
      implementation of flipped classroom approaches.

PMID- 28363389
TI  - Joining Forces: The Status of Military and Veteran Health Care in Nursing
      Curricula.
AB  - According to the Department of Veterans Affairs, there are approximately 23
      million veterans living in the United States. In 2012, the Joining Forces
      initiative highlighted the need to enhance nursing education for the military and
      veteran population. With the drawdown of 2 long, large-scale conflicts, a young
      cohort of veterans presented new challenges in health care. Although not
      necessarily a traditional vulnerable population, given their emergent health care
      needs, they are vulnerable. Purnell's Model for Cultural Competence provided a
      framework for this exploratory descriptive study. A national on-line survey of
      123 nursing programs that pledged to support Joining Forces responded as to how
      they addressed the initiatives, curricular content, and facilitators and barriers
      to the process. The findings suggest that some schools/colleges of nursing have
      exceeded the initiative goals, some who have implemented little, whereas most are
      in the process. Respondents shared approaches used to enhance courses and
      curricula. Faculty who were veterans were a strength to program enhancement. The
      majority felt that incorporating this content was important, although lack of
      time and a content-laden curriculum were common barriers. Nurse educators have an
      ethical obligation to teach culturally sensitive care. Making the pledge was only
      the first step.

PMID- 28363391
TI  - Male Nurses in Israel: Barriers, Motivation, and How They Are Perceived by
      Nursing Students.
AB  - The current worldwide nursing shortage remains a challenge for the nursing
      profession. Encouraging men to become nurses and, thereby, increasing the number
      of practitioners are crucial factors in facing this challenge. The historiography
      of nursing presents nursing as "women's work," based on the assumption that it is
      inherently appropriate for women only. Although men were employed as nurses even
      before nursing was recognized as a profession, male nurses were always a minority
      in the field. Over the years, the proportion of male nurses has increased, but
      they still comprise only 5 to 10% of the nursing workforce in the western world.
      This study examined men's motives for a career choice of nursing, how male nurses
      are perceived, and the barriers that they face. The study was conducted among 336
      nursing students studying in a co-educational program in various academic tracks
      at a public, nonsectarian university in the south of Israel. Participants
      completed the following questionnaires in one study session: sociodemographic
      questionnaire; Attitudes Towards Men in Nursing Scale; motives for career choice
      questionnaire; and the questionnaire of the perceptions of the professional
      status of nursing. Study findings revealed that men tended to choose nursing
      because of financial constraints significantly more frequently than women
      (P=.001). Among the participants, there was no significant between-sex difference
      in the perception nursing as women's work (P=.002) or in perception of male
      nurses as homosexuals. Results of the study showed that the status of the nursing
      profession is considered low, and the low status deters men from choosing nursing
      as a career. The motivation for men's career choice must be understood, and men
      must be empowered to improve their work conditions and financial remuneration in
      order to recruit men to the field and to improve the perception of the profession
      and its public status.

PMID- 28363392
TI  - Have You Ever Considered Being a Journal Manuscript Reviewer?

PMID- 28363390
TI  - Factors Associated With Nursing Students' Resilience: Communication Skills
      Course, Use of Social Media and Satisfaction With Clinical Placement.
AB  - The purpose of this study was to explore the (a) associations between students'
      personal and group resilience to their utilization of social networking platforms
      and formally taught communication skills, (b) students' personal and clinical
      characteristics that are related to personal and group resilience and the
      perceived helpfulness of communication course, and (c) factors that contribute to
      students' satisfaction with their clinical placement. Data were collected from
      149 second year nursing students learning in a major university in the country of
      Israel with the use of a self-administered structured questionnaire. Students'
      satisfaction from their clinical placement was measured using 1 open-ended
      question, analyzed through qualitative methods. Results demonstrated positive
      correlations between students' use of social networking to their personal and
      group resilience (P<.05). Moreover, social media use, religion, and clinical
      placement characteristics were related to resilience and to the perceived
      helpfulness of the communication course (P<.01). Students' satisfaction with
      their clinical placement was based primarily on the clinical instructors'
      personal and professional skills. In conclusion, social networking can and should
      be used as a learning tool to promote resilience among nursing students. Faculty
      and nurse managers should be aware of the central role of the clinical instructor
      and initiate collaborative and supporting initiatives.

PMID- 28363393
TI  - An Academic-Practice Partnership to Advance DNP Education and Practice.
AB  - During the past decade, the growth of doctor of nursing practice (DNP) programs
      in the United States has been phenomenal, with most focusing on the preparation
      of advanced practice registered nurses. Simultaneously, academic-practice
      partnerships have been a frequent subject of discussion for nursing's leading
      academic, administrative, and practice organizations. Numerous reports about
      academic-practice partnerships concerning aspects of baccalaureate nursing
      education exist, but partnership accounts for DNP programs are essentially
      nonexistent. The purpose of this article is to describe the initial phase of an
      academic-practice partnership between a multisystem health care organization and
      a college of nursing in a public land-grant university in the southeastern United
      States. The 7-year partnership agreement between Norton Healthcare and the
      University of Kentucky College of Nursing was designed to prepare 5 cohorts of 20
      to 30 baccalaureate-prepared staff nurses as DNP graduates for advanced practice
      registered nurse eligibility. The description of partnering institution
      characteristics frames an emphasis on elements of the partnership proposal,
      contractual agreement, and partner responsibilities along with the logic model
      evaluation plan. Lessons learned include the importance of proposals and
      contracts to sustain the partnership, frequent communication to build trust, and
      strategic analysis for rapid response to challenging situations.

PMID- 28363394
TI  - Imagine Something Different: How a Group Approach to Scholarly Faculty
      Development Can Turn Joy-Stealing Competition Into Scholarly Productivity.
AB  - As academic institutions across the country raise the scholarly bar for
      retention, promotion, and tenure, academic leaders are being asked to scholar
      ready nursing faculty. With the retirement of senior scholars and too few scholar
      mentors to go around, leaders often find themselves squeezed between scholarly
      expectations on the rise and faculty groups less than ready to meet those
      expectations. Today's nursing faculty present a formidable scholarly development
      challenge. A diverse mix of master's-prepared clinicians and recent graduates
      from doctor of philosophy and doctor of nursing practice programs, they come with
      a broad range of scholarly learning needs. These inequities not only leave many
      faculty feeling like scholar-impostors but also they can breed competitions that
      erode collegial bonds and sow the seeds of incivilities that steal scholarly joy,
      slow scholarly progress, and stress academic workplaces. What if leaders began
      imagining something different for themselves and with faculty groups? This is
      what can happen when leaders expand their perspective on scholarly faculty
      development from individual challenge to collective responsibility. More essay
      than research paper, this article describes how scholarly joy-stealing patterns
      can infiltrate faculty groups, shares thought leaders' visions for supportive
      scholarly communities, and offers strategies leaders can use to invite faculty
      groups to co-create cultures of scholarly caring.

PMID- 28363395
TI  - Is denitrifying anaerobic methane oxidation-centered technologies a solution for
      the sustainable operation of wastewater treatment Plants?
AB  - With the world's increasing energy crisis, society is growingly considered that
      the operation of wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) should be shifted in
      sustainable paradigms with low energy input, or energy-neutral, or even energy
      output. There is a lack of critical thinking on whether and how new paradigms can
      be implemented in WWTPs based on the conventional process. The denitrifying
      anaerobic methane oxidation (DAMO) process, which uses methane and nitrate (or
      nitrite) as electron donor and acceptor, respectively, has recently been
      discovered. Based on critical analyses of this process, DAMO-centered
      technologies can be considered as a solution for sustainable operation of WWTPs.
      In this review, a possible strategy with DAMO-centered technologies was outlined
      and illustrated how this applies for the existing WWTPs energy-saving and newly
      designed WWTPs energy-neutral (or even energy-producing) towards sustainable
      operations.

PMID- 28363396
TI  - The requirement of integrins for breast epithelial proliferation.
AB  - Epithelial cells forming mammary gland ducts and alveoli require adhesion to the
      extracellular matrix for their function. Mammary epithelial cells need beta1
      integrins for normal cell cycle regulation. However, the role of beta1-integrins
      in tumorigenesis has not been fully resolved. beta1-integrin is necessary for
      tumour formation in transgenic mice expressing the Polyomavirus Middle T antigen,
      but it is dispensable in those overexpressing ErbB2. This suggests that some
      oncogenes can manage without beta1-integrin to proliferate and form tumours,
      while others still require it. Here we have developed a model to test whether
      expression of an oncogene can surpass the need for beta1-integrin to drive
      proliferation. We co-expressed the ErbB2 or Akt oncogenes with shRNA to target
      beta1-integrin in mammary epithelial cells, and found that they show a
      differential dependence on beta1-integrin for cell division. Moreover, we
      identified a key proliferative role of the Rac1-Pak axis downstream of beta1
      integrin signalling. Our data suggest that, in mammary epithelial cells,
      oncogenes with the ability to signal to Pak surpass the requirement of integrins
      for malignant transformation. This highlights the importance of using the correct
      combination therapy for breast cancer, depending on the oncogenes expressed in
      the tumour.

PMID- 28363397
TI  - Can an Out-of-Hospital Medication History Save Lives for Injured Older Adults?

PMID- 28363398
TI  - Corrigendum to ''Modelling cross-reactivity and memory in the cellular adaptive
      immune response to influenza infection in the host'' [J.Theor. Biol. 413 (2017)
      34-49].

PMID- 28363399
TI  - Identification of the larval serum proteins as major fruit fly (Drosophila
      melanogaster) occupational allergens.

PMID- 28363400
TI  - Eosinophilic Esophagitis: A Primary Disease of the Esophageal Mucosa.

PMID- 28363402
TI  - Effect of Roux-en-Y gastric bypass on carotid intima-media thickness in Chinese
      obese patients with type 2 diabetes.
AB  - BACKGROUND: The effect of Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (RYGB) on carotid intima-media
      thickness (C-IMT) in obese patients with type 2 diabetes (T2D) has not been well
      studied. OBJECTIVE: To investigate the effect of RYGB on C-IMT and the
      relationship between C-IMT and some cardiovascular risk factors 12 months after
      surgery on Chinese obese patients with T2D. SETTING: University hospital, China.
      METHODS: Thirty-three consecutive obese patients with T2D and 18 healthy
      volunteers matched in age and sex were enrolled in this retrospective study. The
      anthropometric data, metabolism variables, and C-IMT were recorded before and 12
      months after RYGB. RESULTS: The patient group had significantly higher C-IMT than
      the control group before surgery (589.5+/-96.9 MUm versus 457.9+/-48.6 MUm,
      respectively; P<.01). C-IMT had significant positive relationships with age, body
      mass index, systolic blood pressure, visceral fat area (VFA), and serum leptin (r
      = .56, .44, .38, .42, and .38, respectively; P<.01). Twelve months after RYGB,
      the anthropometric data, metabolism variables, and C-IMT had improved
      significantly. The change in C-IMT was positively correlated with changes in VFA
      and leptin level (r = .39 and .36, respectively; P<.01). CONCLUSION: RYGB surgery
      seems to be effective on C-IMT for obese patients with T2D in China. VFA and
      leptin level are related to improvement of C-IMT.

PMID- 28363401
TI  - Neutrophilic Steroid-Refractory Recurrent Wheeze and Eosinophilic Steroid
      Refractory Asthma in Children.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Little is known about inflammatory pathways of severe recurrent
      wheeze in preschool children and severe asthma in children. OBJECTIVES: The aim
      of the Severe Asthma Molecular Phenotype cohort was to characterize phenotypes of
      severe recurrent wheeze and severe asthma during childhood in terms of triggers
      (allergic or not), involved cells (eosinophil or neutrophil), and corticoid
      responsiveness. METHODS: Children with moderate-to-severe asthma and preschool
      children with moderate-to-severe recurrent wheeze were enrolled prospectively.
      They underwent standardized clinical and blood workup, and bronchoalveolar lavage
      (BAL) evaluation. Cluster analysis was applied to 350 children with 34 variables.
      RESULTS: Three clusters were identified: cluster 1, Neutrophilic steroid
      refractory recurrent wheeze phenotype, with 138 children uncontrolled despite
      high-dose inhaled corticosteroids (ICS) (92%, P < .001), with more history of
      pneumonia (31%, P < .001), more gastroesophageal reflux disease (37%, P < .001),
      and the highest blood neutrophil count (mean 4.524 cells/mm3, P = .05); cluster
      2, Severe recurrent wheeze with sensitization to a single aeroallergen (12%, P =
      .002), with 104 children controlled with high-dose ICS (63%, P < .001); cluster
      3, Eosinophilic steroid-refractory asthma phenotype, with 108 children
      uncontrolled despite high-dose ICS (76%, P < .001) with more allergic rhinitis,
      atopic dermatitis, and food allergies (82%, 40%, 31%, P < .001, respectively).
      They also had a higher blood eosinophil count and a higher percentage of BAL
      eosinophil (506/mm3, 2.6%, P < .001 respectively). CONCLUSIONS: Inflammation
      pathway of asthma and recurrent wheeze are related to eosinophil cells in older
      children and neutrophil cells in younger children. These results could improve
      personalized treatments.

PMID- 28363403
TI  - Metabolic signatures in an adolescent with Silver-Russell syndrome and outcomes
      after bariatric surgery.

PMID- 28363405
TI  - How can we treat postbariatric hypoglycemia by medical nutrition therapy?

PMID- 28363404
TI  - Acute antibody mediated rejection following sleeve gastrectomy in a kidney
      transplant recipient treated with a belatacept-Mycophenolate mofetil based
      therapy.

PMID- 28363406
TI  - Are Next-Generation Sequencing Tools Ready for the Cloud?
AB  - Cloud-based next-generation sequencing (NGS) tools are currently at an early
      stage. In this Forum article, we provide a clear picture of the current cloud
      based NGS solutions and highlight what is still missing, along with future
      challenges for the achievement of an ecosystem of biotechnology clouds.

PMID- 28363407
TI  - Endolichenic Fungi: A Hidden Reservoir of Next Generation Biopharmaceuticals.
AB  - Endolichenic fungi (ELF) offer an opportunity to discover emerging natural drugs.
      ELF are promising bioresources given their ability to produce bioactive
      metabolites that represent unique and diverse structural classes. Here, we assess
      the potential of recent technologies to provide insight into the chemical
      diversity of ELF for biopharmaceutical development.

PMID- 28363408
TI  - Bioproduction of Antibody-Drug Conjugate Payload Precursors by Engineered Cell
      Factories.
AB  - Antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs), which combine the exquisite specificity of
      antibodies with the cell-killing ability of cytotoxic drug payloads, have emerged
      as an attractive means for treating cancers. All (pre)clinical ADCs employ
      biosynthesized cytotoxins as their ADC payload precursors (APPs). The cost
      effective bioproduction of APPs is receiving great interest from both academia
      and industry. Given the lack of systematic overviews of the topic, we provide the
      current status of APPs and focus on their state-of-the-art bioproduction
      strategies, illustrated with typical examples and critical analyses. Challenges
      in further enhancing the bioproduction efficiency of APPs and other cytotoxins
      are also discussed. This research has implications for bioprocess and metabolic
      engineering, systems and synthetic biology, and biopharmaceutical drug discovery,
      development, and industrialization.

PMID- 28363409
TI  - An Ounce of Prevention: Deaths Averted From Primary Prevention Interventions.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: The U.S. lags in the nationwide implementation of primary
      prevention interventions that have been shown to be efficacious. However, the
      potential population health benefit of widespread implementation of these primary
      prevention interventions remains unclear. METHODS: The meta-analytic literature
      from October 2013 to March 2014 of primary prevention interventions published
      between January 2000 and March 2014 was reviewed. The authors then estimated the
      number of deaths that could have been averted in the U.S. in 2010 if all
      rigorously studied, efficacious primary prevention interventions for which
      population attributable risk proportions could be estimated were implemented
      nationwide. RESULTS: A total of 372,054 (15.1%) of all U.S. deaths in 2010 would
      have been averted if all rigorously studied, efficacious primary prevention
      interventions were implemented. Two in three averted deaths would have been from
      cardiovascular disease or malignancy. CONCLUSIONS: A substantial proportion of
      deaths in the U.S. in 2010 could have been averted if efficacious primary
      prevention interventions were implemented nationwide. Further investment in the
      implementation of efficacious interventions is warranted to maximize population
      health in the U.S.

PMID- 28363410
TI  - Factors Related to Pre-exposure Prophylaxis Prescription by U.S. Primary Care
      Physicians.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: Although pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) greatly reduces risk of
      HIV infection in HIV-negative individuals, use is not widespread enough to impact
      HIV incidence. Involvement of primary care physicians (PCPs) in PrEP prescription
      is essential, but previous research has shown low rates of prescription among
      PCPs. To identify targets for interventions, the information-motivation
      behavioral skills model for PrEP discussion and prescription was tested in a ten
      city sample of PCPs. METHODS: PCPs from ZIP codes with high HIV incidence in ten
      U.S. cities (N=280, 52% male, 56% white) completed a survey online between July
      2014 and May 2015. Information items assessed knowledge, motivation items
      evaluated attitudes, and behavioral skills items measured comfort with behaviors
      involved in prescribing PrEP. Providers indicated whether they had discussed PrEP
      with or prescribed PrEP to patients. Data were analyzed in 2015 and 2016.
      RESULTS: One third of PCPs had discussed and 17% had prescribed PrEP. A
      structural equation model with good fit supported the information-motivation
      behavioral skills model. Information and motivation predicted behavioral skills
      (b=0.35, 95% CI=0.13, 0.57; and b=0.31, 95% CI=0.14, 0.47, respectively).
      Behavioral skills predicted prescription (b=0.27, 95% CI=0.12, 0.42).
      Furthermore, behavioral skills mediated effects of information and motivation on
      prescription (b=0.10, 95% CI=0.03, 0.19; and b=0.08, 95% CI=0.03, 0.16,
      respectively). CONCLUSIONS: The information-motivation-behavioral skills model
      can be applied to PCPs' PrEP discussion and prescription. Its constructs
      represent potential targets for PCP-directed interventions to increase PrEP use
      in high-risk populations.

PMID- 28363411
TI  - Recommendations on surveillance and management of biallelic mismatch repair
      deficiency (BMMRD) syndrome: a consensus statement by the US Multi-Society Task
      Force on Colorectal Cancer.

PMID- 28363412
TI  - FTY720-derivatives do not induce FTY720-like lymphopenia.
AB  - FTY720 is an immunosuppressive multiple sclerosis (MS) drug that stimulates the
      expression of neuroprotective brain-derived-neurotrophic-factor (BDNF). In vivo
      preclinical data suggest that FTY720 could be beneficial for treating Parkinson's
      patients, though its immunosuppressive effects might limit its efficacy. Two
      novel FTY720-derivatives, FTY720-C2 and FTY720-Mitoxy, also stimulate BDNF
      expression and enter brain like FTY720 but are not phosphorylated, suggesting
      they will not produce FTY720-like immunosuppression. Using FTY720 as a positive
      control, we measured low and high dose FTY720-derivatives, which did not
      stimulate FTY720-like lymphopenia or immunosuppressive signaling. These findings
      support the further preclinical assessment of the derivatives as potential novel
      Parkinson's therapies.

PMID- 28363413
TI  - Action of Bacopa monnieri to antagonize cisplatin-induced emesis in Suncus
      murinus (house musk shrew).
AB  - Bacopa monnieri (BM, family Scrophulariaceae) is used in several traditional
      systems of medicine for the management of epilepsy, depression, neuropathic pain,
      sleep disorders and memory deficits. The present study investigated the potential
      of BM methanol (BM-MetFr) and BM n-butanol fractions (BM-ButFr) to reduce
      chemotherapy-induced emesis in Suncus murinus (house musk shrew). Cisplatin (30
      mg/kg, i.p.) reliably induced retching and/or vomiting over a 2 day period. BM
      MetFr (10-40 mg/kg, s.c.) and BM-ButFr (5-20 mg/kg, s.c.) antagonized the
      retching and/or vomiting response by ~59.4% (p < 0.05) and 78.9% (p < 0.05),
      respectively, while the 5-HT3 receptor antagonist, palonosetron (0.5 mg/kg,
      s.c.), reduced the response by ~71% (p < 0.05). The free radical
      scavenger/antioxidant, N-(2-mercaptopropionyl)-glycine (30-300 mg/kg, s.c.)
      reduced the retching and/or vomiting response occurring on day one non
      significantly by 44% (p > 0.05). In conclusion, the n-butanol fractions of BM
      have anti-emetic activity comparable with palonosetron and MPG. BM may be useful
      alone or in combination with other anti-emetic drugs for the treatment of
      chemotherapy-induced emesis in man.

PMID- 28363414
TI  - A multidimensional liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry platform to
      improve protein identification in high-throughput shotgun proteomics.
AB  - A new on-line multidimensional system for sequential trapping and individual
      elution and separation of peptides based on their molecular weight is described.
      By sequentially using two chemically different trapping columns, a
      polymethacrylate monolith and a packed C18 one, peptides from complex samples can
      be on-line trapped and divided into two fractions, containing respectively mainly
      medium-large peptides and smaller peptides. Then, by means of two switching
      valves working in parallel, the two fractions were individually separated by
      reversed phase chromatography. The whole gradient consisted of two subgradients,
      with the first one dedicated to the separation of smaller peptides and the second
      one to the separation of larger peptides. Such configuration allowed to identify
      up to 1476 proteins in a standard E. coli tryptic digest, with improved
      performance, increased average sequence coverage and reduced single unique
      peptide identifications compared to a conventional shotgun proteomics
      configuration comprising only the C18 trapping column and the analytical column.

PMID- 28363415
TI  - Graphitic carbon nitride nanofibers in seaweed-like architecture for gas
      chromatographic separations.
AB  - Seaweed-like graphitic carbon nitride (g-C3N4) has a unique porous architecture
      composed of interlocking g-C3N4 nanofibers (NF-C3N4) with much higher surface
      area than bulk g-C3N4 and shows good potential in separation science. This work
      investigated the separation performance of NF-C3N4 as stationary phase for
      capillary gas chromatographic (GC) separations. The NF-C3N4 column exhibits weak
      polarity and high column efficiency of 4728 plates/m for n-dodecane. Importantly,
      it displays good separation performance for a wide range of analytes and shows
      different retention behaviors from the bulk g-C3N4 column and commercial HP-5MS
      column with 5% phenylpolysiloxane. Particularly, it shows high resolving
      capability for both aliphatic and aromatic isomers. In addition, NF-C3N4 column
      has high thermal stability up to 280 degrees C and good separation repeatability
      with relative standard deviation (RSD) values in the range of 0.29-0.61% for
      intra-day, 0.56-1.1% for inter-day and 2.0-4.9% for between-column, respectively.
      Moreover, it was applied for the determination of isomer impurities in real
      samples, showing good potential in GC applications.

PMID- 28363416
TI  - Trapping multiple dual mode centrifugal partition chromatography for the
      separation of intermediately-eluting components: Operating parameter selection.
AB  - The preparative separation of intermediately-eluting components in liquid-liquid
      chromatography is commonly performed with isocratic batch injections, a technique
      which often leads to low yield and/or purity as a result of peak overlap. Two
      column trapping multiple dual mode centrifugal partition chromatography, an
      alternative discontinuous method for the separation of a mixture into three
      product fractions (early-, intermediately-, and late-eluting components) at full
      recovery, is presented in this work. A mathematical shortcut method based on
      equilibrium theory assumptions is derived for the determination of the key
      operating parameters (i.e., step durations and number of steps). The feasibility
      of the technique and the accompanying short-cut method is demonstrated by proof
      of-concept experiments for the separation of two paraben model mixtures.

PMID- 28363417
TI  - Multiresidue determination of estrogens in different dairy products by ultra-high
      performance liquid chromatography triple quadrupole mass spectrometry.
AB  - In this work, a simple and fast methodology has been validated and applied for
      the analysis of a group of 22 estrogenic compounds including eight phytoestrogens
      (i.e. daidzein, enterodiol, glycitein, enterolactone, genistein, formononetin,
      prunetin, biochanin A), six mycotoxins (beta-zearalanol, beta-zearalenol, alpha
      zearalanol, alpha-zearalenol, zearalanone, zearalenone) as well as four synthetic
      (i.e. ethynylestradiol, diethylstilbestrol, dienestrol, hexestrol) and four
      natural estrogens (i.e. estriol, 17beta-estradiol, 17alpha-estradiol, estrone) in
      different dairy products. Extraction was carried out using the QuEChERS method
      while separation, determination and quantification of the target analytes were
      achieved by ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography coupled to triple
      quadrupole mass spectrometry with an electrospray ionization interface. The
      methodology was validated for four dairy product samples with relevant interest
      for the population including skimmed and whole cheese and goat and cow kefir,
      using 17beta-estradiol-2,4,16,16,17-d5 as internal standard for natural and
      synthetic estrogens and beta-zeralanol-10,10,11,12,12-d5 as internal standard for
      mycotoxins and phytoestrogens. Recovery ranged from 70 to 119% for the four types
      of matrices with RSD values lower than 14% and the limits of quantification of
      the method achieved were in the range 0.025-2.50MUg/kg for all samples. Finally,
      the analysis of commercially available products was carried out finding the
      presence of daidzein, glycitein enterolactone and genistein in some of the
      studied samples.

PMID- 28363418
TI  - The use of Oscik's equation to describe the retention in reversed phase liquid
      chromatography.
AB  - The Oscik's equation based on the theory of conformal solutions was used to
      describe the chromatographic process in RP-HPLC. Theoretically calculated values
      of the logarithms of retention factors (logk) were compared with experimental
      values for a group of aromatic substances, i.e. alkylbenzenes, PAHs, and polar
      benzene derivatives. Studies were conducted using two columns: RP-18 and RP-4, as
      well as water-methanol and water-acetonitrile mixtures as mobile phases. The
      applicability of Everett's equation to describe the composition of surface phase
      was also verified. For this purpose, the excess methanol adsorption isotherm on
      LiChrospher RP-18e, was experimentally determined.

PMID- 28363419
TI  - The importance of ion-pairing in peptide purification by reversed-phase liquid
      chromatography.
AB  - The adsorption mechanism for three peptides was studied under overloaded
      conditions through adsorption isotherm measurements in the presence of an ion
      pairing reagent, trifluoroacetic acid (TFA), on an end-capped C18-bonded
      stationary phase. The overall aim of the study was to obtain a better
      understanding of how the acetonitrile and the TFA fractions in the eluent
      affected the overloaded elution profiles and the selectivity between peptides
      using mechanistic modelling and multivariate design of experiments. When studying
      the effect of TFA, direct evidence for ion pair formation between a peptide and
      TFA in acetonitrile-water solutions was provided by fluorine-proton nuclear
      Overhauser NMR enhancement experiments and the adsorption of TFA on the
      stationary phase was measured by frontal analysis. The adsorption isotherms for
      each peptide were then determined by the inverse method at eight TFA
      concentrations ranging from 2.6mM to 37.3mM (0.02-0.29vol-%) in isocratic
      elution. The equilibrium between the peptide ion and the peptide-TFA complex was
      modelled by coupling the mass-balance to reaction kinetics and determining
      separate adsorption isotherms for the two species. We found that a Langmuir
      isotherm described the elution profile of peptide-TFA complex well while the
      peptide ion was described by a bi-Langmuir adsorption isotherm since it exhibited
      strong secondary interactions. The elution profiles had an unfavorable shape at
      low TFA concentrations consisting of a spike in their front and a long tailing
      rear due to the secondary interactions for the peptide ion having very low
      saturation capacity. The acetonitrile dependence on the adsorption isotherms was
      studied by determination of adsorption isotherms directly from elution profiles
      obtained in gradient elution which enabled a broad acetonitrile interval to be
      studied. Here, it was found that the column saturation capacity was quickly
      reached at very low acetonitrile fractions and that there were significant
      variations in adsorption with the molecular weight. Finally, practical
      implications for method development are discussed based on an experimental design
      where gradient slope and TFA concentrations are used as factors.

PMID- 28363420
TI  - Patient Understanding, Expectations, Outcomes, and Satisfaction Regarding
      Anterior Cruciate Ligament Injuries and Surgical Management.
AB  - Patient satisfaction has become an increasingly important outcome metric in
      orthopaedics and medicine in general as many initiatives at both the state and
      national levels aim to improve the efficiency and quality of health care.
      Anterior cruciate ligament injuries are among the most common injuries in
      orthopaedics, with anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction (ACLR) surgery
      consistently reported as one of the most frequently performed procedures by
      orthopaedic surgeons. Patient-reported outcomes are frequently used to evaluate
      outcomes from the patient's perspective, and many physicians also ask patients
      about their satisfaction with treatment. A growing volume of literature has
      investigated the relation between preoperative patient expectations and
      postoperative patient satisfaction. The quality of online resources, patient
      expectations for ACLR, and factors associated with and/or predictive of either
      poor or good to excellent outcomes after surgery are described. This article
      critically reviews the orthopaedic literature on this important topic and
      identifies variables that influence patient expectations and satisfaction to help
      treating physicians better counsel and evaluate patients and ultimately improve
      outcomes of and satisfaction with ACLR surgery.

PMID- 28363421
TI  - The Effect of Femoral Nerve Block on Quadriceps Strength in Anterior Cruciate
      Ligament Reconstruction: A Systematic Review.
AB  - PURPOSE: To assess the isokinetic, functional, and patient-reported outcomes of
      femoral nerve block (FNB) compared with traditional multimodal anesthesia for FNB
      in anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) reconstruction. METHODS: A systematic search
      of PubMed, Scopus, Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature,
      Cochrane Reviews, and Google Scholar was conducted according to the 2009
      Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines.
      Effects of FNB on quadriceps function were evaluated by isokinetic testing,
      functional scoring systems, range of motion, and patient self-report
      questionnaires. Heterogeneous reporting of outcomes precluded a formal meta
      analysis. The methodologic merit of all studies included was evaluated by the
      Coleman Methodology Score. RESULTS: Six studies were identified with outcome
      measures reported between 7 days and 6 months postoperatively. At 6 months, 2 of
      4 studies that reported isokinetic testing found significantly greater deficits
      among patients who received a nerve block; one of the remaining studies showed a
      deficit at 6 weeks but not 6 months. Limited data showed no significant
      differences in functional or patient-reported outcomes at 6 months after
      reconstruction, and data regarding the impact of FNB on return to sport were
      inconclusive. The mean Coleman Methodology Score for the included studies was 53,
      indicating poor overall methodologic quality of the available literature.
      CONCLUSIONS: The limited data available suggest that FNB causes a measurable
      deficit in quadriceps isokinetic strength during the early postoperative period
      but has no effect on functional outcomes or return to sport at 6 months after ACL
      reconstruction. However, current clinical evidence is not sufficient to draw any
      valid or definitive conclusions regarding the effect of FNB on postoperative
      outcomes after ACL reconstruction. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Level IV, systemic review
      of Level I through IV studies.

PMID- 28363422
TI  - The triangle inequality constraint in similarity judgments.
AB  - Since Tversky's (1977) seminal investigation, the triangle inequality, along with
      symmetry and minimality, have had a central role in investigations of the
      fundamental constraints on human similarity judgments. The meaning of minimality
      and symmetry in similarity judgments has been straightforward, but this is not
      the case for the triangle inequality. Expressed in terms of dissimilarities, and
      assuming a simple, linear function between dissimilarities and distances, the
      triangle inequality constraint implies that human behaviour should be consistent
      with Dissimilarity (A,B) + Dissimilarity (B,C) >= Dissimilarity (A,C), where A,
      B, and C are any three stimuli. We show how we can translate this constraint into
      one for similarities, using Shepard's (1987) generalization law, and so derive
      the multiplicative triangle inequality for similarities,
      Sim(A,C)>=Sim(A,B)?Sim(B,C) where 0<=Sim(x,y)<=1. Can humans violate the
      multiplicative triangle inequality? An empirical demonstration shows that they
      can.

PMID- 28363423
TI  - New technique for nephron-sparing surgery in polar tumours. A modification of the
      Kim technique.
AB  - INTRODUCTION AND OBJECTIVES: Nephron-sparing surgery (NSS) is the indication,
      provided it is feasible and meets the international treatment guidelines. One of
      the objectives of performing NSS is to reduce the ischemia time as much as
      possible. We propose a surgical technique for treating polar renal tumours and
      those larger than 4cm based on the principle of the technique described by Kim in
      1964. METHOD: The technique performs a continuous circular suture on the base of
      the tumour, achieving compression of the renal pole without vascular clamping,
      facilitating haemostasis and avoiding the blind transfixion performed in Kim's
      original technique. We selected 28 patients for the implementation of the
      technique. RESULTS: The patients' mean age was 56 years (30-69). The R.E.N.A.L.
      scores were as follows: 12 of low complexity, 12 of moderate complexity and 4 of
      high complexity. The mean surgical time was 109minutes (75-140), and the mean
      estimated blood loss was 120mL (50-300mL). No positive margins were identified,
      and no patients required blood transfusions. The mean stay was 3.7 days (2-6).
      There were no Clavien grade 2 or higher complications. There were 3 Clavien 1
      complications (fever). The difference in glomerular filtration rate was 
      0.71mL/min/m2. The pathology was malignant in 26 cases, 19 of them clear-cell
      carcinomas. Two cases were reported as oncocytomas. CONCLUSION: The proposed
      technique showed acceptable results, with a low rate of complications in the
      patient group.

PMID- 28363424
TI  - Higher PKD3 expression in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) tissues predicts poorer
      prognosis for HCC patients.
AB  - AIM: Protein kinase D (PKD) acts as a key mediator in several cancer development
      signaling pathways. The aim of this study was to investigate the clinical
      significance and prognostic value of PKD3 expression in hepatocellular carcinoma
      (HCC) patients after hepatectomy. METHODS: PKD3 mRNA and protein expression
      levels in tumor and matched non-tumoral (NT) tissues, HCC cell lines were
      evaluated by quantitative PCR (qRT-PCR), western blotting and immunohistochemical
      staining (IHC). Additionally, PKD3 mRNA expression in HCC tissues correlated with
      clinicopathological characteristics and survival. RESULTS: PKD3 mRNA and protein
      expression was elevated in HCC tissues and HCC cell lines. Our data also showed
      that in HCC patients after resection, a high-expression of PKD3 mRNA and protein
      significantly correlated with multiple tumor nodules (P=0.009, P=0.020,
      respectively), poor tumor differentiation (P=0.001, P=0.004, respectively), high
      serum AFP level (P=0.005, P=0.002, respectively), vascular invasion (P=0.006,
      P=0.009, respectively) and advanced AJCC stage (P=0.001, P=0.022, respectively).
      A Kaplan-Meier analysis indicated that an elevated PKD3 mRNA expression
      correlated with shorter overall survival (OS) (P<0.001) and disease-free survival
      (DFS) (P=0.008). Moreover, multivariate analysis showed that a high-expression of
      PKD3 was an independent prognostic factor for three-year overall survival rate.
      CONCLUSIONS: Our findings suggest that abnormal PKD3 expression might contribute
      to HCC progression. Furthermore, high PKD3 expression predicts a poor prognosis
      in HCC patients after hepatectomy.

PMID- 28363425
TI  - The prevalence of hypertension in relation with the normal albuminuria range in
      type 2 diabetes mellitus within the South Korean population: The Korean National
      Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, 2011-2012.
AB  - AIMS: The coexistence of hypertension (HTN) and diabetes mellitus (DM) increases
      the risk of cardiovascular disease. In some studies, normal albuminuria has also
      been associated with cardiovascular disease and HTN. Therefore, we examined the
      relationships between albuminuria and the prevalence of HTN and its control rate
      in type 2 DM patients. RESULTS: We analyzed data from the 2011-2012 Korea
      National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, and 1188 subjects with type 2
      DM were included in the study. We divided albuminuria into 3 albuminuria tertiles
      (T): T1: <4.82mg/g; T2: 4.82-17.56mg/g; and T3: >=17.56mg/g. The systolic and
      diastolic blood pressure were positively correlated with the albumin to
      creatinine ratio (ACR) after adjusting for all covariates (P<0.001). Type 2 DM
      subjects with hypertension had more ACR T3 (odds ratio=2.018, 95% confidence
      interval=1.445-2.818) than subjects without HTN. Subjects with controlled HTN had
      less ACR T3 than subjects without controlled HTN (odds ratio=0.566, 95%
      confidence interval=0.384-0.836). When, we redivided albuminuria by <10, 10-30
      (high normal albuminuria), 30-300mg/g (microalbuminuria), and
      300mg/g<=(macroalbuminuria), the odds ratio for high normal albuminuria and
      microalbuminuria was 1.52 and 2.24, respectively in the presence of HTN, however,
      high normal albuminuria was not associated with HTN control. CONCLUSIONS: In
      conclusion, albuminuria within the high normal range was associated with the
      prevalence of HTN in South Korean patients with type 2 DM.

PMID- 28363426
TI  - Molecular pathology of skeletal growth anomalies in the brain coral Platygyra
      carnosa: A meta-transcriptomic analysis.
AB  - Coral skeletal growth anomaly (GA) is a common coral disease. Although extensive
      ecological characterizations of coral GA have been performed, the molecular
      pathology of this disease remains largely unknown. We compared the meta
      transcriptome of normal and GA-affected polyps of Platygyra carnosa using RNA
      Seq. Approximately 50 million sequences were generated from four pairs of normal
      and GA-affected tissue samples. There were 109 differentially expressed genes
      (DEGs) in P. carnosa and 31 DEGs in the coral symbiont Symbiodinium sp. These
      differentially expressed host genes were enriched in GO terms related to
      osteogenesis and oncogenesis. There were several differentially expressed immune
      genes, indicating the presence of both bacteria and viruses in GA-affected
      tissues. The differentially expressed Symbiodinium genes were enriched in
      reproduction, nitrogen metabolism and pigment formation, indicating that GA
      affects the physiology of the symbiont. Our results have provided new insights
      into the molecular pathology of coral GA.

PMID- 28363427
TI  - Coastal and inland water monitoring using a portable hyperspectral laser
      fluorometer.
AB  - The potential for a ship-mounted laser fluorometer to provide rapid, non
      intrusively measurements in both coastal and lake conditions are investigated.
      The instrument consists of a high pulse repetition frequency (10-kHz) microchip
      laser for fluorescence excitation, a broadband hyperspectral micro spectrometer
      for spectral detection, and a confocal reflective fluorescent probe for signal
      collection; it weighs only about 1.7kg. Chlorophyll a (chl-a) and colored
      dissolved organic matter (CDOM) measured by the new instrument were observed to
      agree well with those measured by traditional time-consuming laboratory methods
      in Hangzhou Bay seawater and Qiandao Lake inland water. Subsequently, laser
      fluorescence distribution and characteristics of chl-a and CDOM in these regions
      were analyzed, which will improve our understanding of biogeochemical processes
      in these optically complex aquatic systems. The portable system is promising for
      water environment monitoring, especially in coastal and inland water.

PMID- 28363428
TI  - Triclosan alterations of estuarine phytoplankton community structure.
AB  - Antimicrobial additives in pharmaceutical and personal care products are a major
      environmental concern due to their potential ecological impacts on aquatic
      ecosystems. Triclosan (TCS) has been used as an antiseptic, disinfectant, and
      preservative in various media. The sublethal and lethal effects of TCS on
      estuarine phytoplankton community composition were investigated using bioassays
      of natural phytoplankton communities to measure phytoplankton responses to
      different concentrations of TCS ranging from 1 to 200MUgl-1. The EC50 (the
      concentration of an inhibitor where the growth is reduced by half) for
      phytoplankton groups (diatoms, chlorophytes, cryptophytes) examined in this
      ranged from 10.7 to 113.8MUg TCS l-1. Exposures resulted in major shifts in
      phytoplankton community composition at concentrations as low as 1.0MUg TCS l-1.
      This study demonstrates estuarine ecosystem sensitivity to TCS exposure and
      highlights potential alterations in phytoplankton community composition at what
      are typically environmental concentrations of TCS in urbanized estuaries.

PMID- 28363429
TI  - Silver nanoparticles uptake by salt marsh plants - Implications for
      phytoremediation processes and effects in microbial community dynamics.
AB  - : This study investigated the uptake of silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) by a salt
      marsh plant, Phragmites australis, as well as AgNPs effects on rhizospheric
      microbial community, evaluating the implications for phytoremediation processes.
      Experiments were carried out with elutriate solution doped with Ag, either in
      ionic form or in NP form. Metal uptake was evaluated in plant tissues, elutriate
      solutions and sediments (by AAS) and microbial community was characterized in
      terms of bacterial community structure (evaluated by ARISA). Results showed Ag
      accumulation but only in plant belowground tissues and only in the absence of
      rhizosediment, the presence of sediment reducing Ag availability. But in plant
      roots Ag accumulation was higher when Ag was in NP form. Multivariate analysis of
      ARISA profiles showed significant effect of the absence/presence of Ag either in
      ionic or NP form on microbial community structure, although without significant
      differences among bacterial richness and diversity. Overall, P. australis can be
      useful for phytoremediation of medium contaminated with Ag, including with AgNPs.
      However, the presence of Ag in either forms affected the microbial community
      structure, which may cause disturbances in ecosystems function and compromise
      phytoremediation processes. Such considerations need to be address regarding
      environmental management strategies applied to the very important estuarine
      areas. CAPSULE: The form in which the metal was added affected metal uptake by
      Phragmites australis and rhizosediment microbial community structure, which can
      affect phytoremediation.

PMID- 28363430
TI  - Benthic habitat health assessment using macrofauna communities of a sub-tropical
      semi-enclosed bay under excess nutrients.
AB  - This research was conducted to assess the ecosystem health of Daya Bay benthic
      habitat, investigate the effects of anthropogenic nutrients, and evaluate the
      application of ecological indicators for benthic health assessment. Environmental
      indicators and macrobenthic communities, were investigated during summer and
      winter 2015. Results indicated a strong seasonality in biotope of intertidal and
      subtidal zones. Lower macrobenthic diversity were calculated from subtidal inner
      bay, reflecting the effects of anthropogenic nutrients. However, intertidal sites
      in that part were indicated to be in a relatively healthier ecological status.
      Seasonal effects of excess nutrients on benthic habitat were reflected in
      ecological indicators. It is concluded that the excess nutrients at
      spatiotemporal scales, influences on the health of benthic habitat. Eventually,
      it is recommended by this research that, with considering the
      natural/anthropogenic circumstances, the taxonomic and phylogenetic ecological
      indicators would be helpful tools to evaluate the benthic health of a typical sub
      tropical semi-enclosed bay.

PMID- 28363431
TI  - Restenosis after Carotid Interventions and Its Relationship with Recurrent
      Ipsilateral Stroke: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: Do asymptomatic restenoses > 70% after carotid endarterectomy (CEA)
      and carotid stenting (CAS) increase the risk of late ipsilateral stroke? METHODS:
      Systematic review identified 11 randomised controlled trials (RCTs) reporting
      rates of restenosis > 70% (and/or occlusion) in patients who had undergone
      CEA/CAS for the treatment of primary atherosclerotic disease, and nine RCTs
      reported late ipsilateral stroke rates. Proportional meta-analyses and odds
      ratios (OR) at end of follow-up were performed. RESULTS: The weighted incidence
      of restenosis > 70% was 5.8% after "any" CEA, median 47 months (11 RCTs; 4249
      patients); 4.1% after patched CEA, median 32 months (5 RCTs; 1078 patients), and
      10% after CAS, median 62 months (5 RCTs; 2716 patients). In four RCTs (1964
      patients), one of 125 (0.8%) with restenosis > 70% (or occlusion) after CAS
      suffered late ipsilateral stroke over a median 50 months, compared with 37 of
      1839 (2.0%) in CAS patients with no significant restenosis (OR 0.87; 95% CI 0.24
      3.21; p = .8339). In seven RCTs (2810 patients), 13 out of 141 (9.2%) with
      restenosis > 70% (or occlusion) after CEA suffered late ipsilateral stroke over a
      median 37 months, compared with 33 out of 2669 (1.2%) in patients with no
      significant restenoses (OR 9.02; 95% CI 4.70-17.28; p < .0001). Following data
      correction to exclude patients whose surveillance scan showed no evidence of
      restenosis > 70% before stroke onset, the prevalence of stroke ipsilateral to an
      untreated asymptomatic > 70% restenosis was seven out of 135 (5.2%) versus 40 out
      of 2704 (1.5%) in CEA patients with no significant restenosis (OR 4.77; 95% CI
      2.29-9.92). CONCLUSIONS: CAS patients with untreated asymptomatic > 70%
      restenosis had an extremely low rate of late ipsilateral stroke (0.8% over 50
      months). CEA patients with untreated, asymptomatic > 70% restenosis had a
      significantly higher risk of late ipsilateral stroke (compared with patients with
      no restenosis), but this was only 5% at 37 months. Overall, 97% of all late
      ipsilateral strokes after CAS and 85% after CEA occurred in patients without
      evidence of significant restenosis or occlusion.

PMID- 28363432
TI  - [Syndrome of irreversible lithium-effectuated neurotoxicity or SILENT: A case
      report].

PMID- 28363434
TI  - Switching biologics in the treatment of psoriatic arthritis.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: Psoriatic arthritis (PsA) is a heterogeneous inflammatory disorder
      that requires targeted treatment based on clinical manifestations, symptom
      severity, comorbidities, and other factors. Moderate or severe peripheral
      arthritis symptoms are typically treated with disease-modifying antirheumatic
      drugs (DMARDs) or biologic DMARDs (bDMARDs), and early and aggressive treatment
      is recommended in order to prevent permanent damage. Although rheumatologists are
      now able to choose between several bDMARDs for PsA that have different chemical
      structures, pharmacokinetic properties, dosing regimens, immunogenicity, safety
      profiles, and mechanisms of action, there is a lack of typical patient profiles
      or detailed treatment algorithms that can be followed when patients require
      alterations in their therapeutic regimens. METHODS: PsA treatment recommendations
      were evaluated to identify consensus guidelines on switching between bDMARD
      therapies. PubMed literature searches were then conducted using the terms
      psoriatic arthritis, switch/switching, biologic, and TNF/tumor necrosis factor.
      Articles were deemed relevant if they presented data on switching between
      different bDMARDs in patients with PsA. RESULTS: Data from the clinical
      literature on switching bDMARD therapies in PsA are limited. Evidence suggests
      that response to adalimumab, etanercept, and ustekinumab is lower after previous
      tumor necrosis factor inhibitor (TNFi) therapy and the efficacy of infliximab is
      independent of previous bDMARD treatment. Trials of ustekinumab and secukinumab
      showed efficacy responses were greater compared with placebo in patients who
      failed to respond to >=1 TNFi. CONCLUSION: Switching bDMARD therapies is a
      recommended strategy for patients who experience treatment failure. Many factors
      must be considered for determining which agent to switch to including PsA disease
      characteristics, comorbidities, cardiometabolic risk factors, treatment history,
      and patient preference. Switching between TNFis can be effective for many
      patients, but bDMARDs with different mechanisms of action may be superior
      alternatives.

PMID- 28363433
TI  - Improved skeletal muscle mass and strength after heavy strength training in very
      old individuals.
AB  - Age-related loss of muscle mass and function represents personal and
      socioeconomic challenges. The purpose of this study was to determine the
      adaptation of skeletal musculature in very old individuals (83+ years) performing
      12weeks of heavy resistance training (3*/week) (HRT) compared to a non-training
      control group (CON). Both groups received similar protein supplementations. We
      studied 26 participants (86.9+/-3.2 (SD) (83-94, range) years old) per-protocol.
      Quadriceps cross-sectional area (CSA) differed between groups at post-test
      (P<0.05) and increased 1.5+/-0.7cm2 (3.4%) (P<0.05) in HRT only. The increase in
      CSA is correlated inversely with the baseline level of CSA (R2=0.43, P<0.02).
      Thigh muscle isometric strength, isokinetic peak torque and power increased
      significantly only in HRT by 10-15%, whereas knee extension one-repetition
      maximum (1 RM) improved by 91%. Physical functional tests, muscle fiber type
      distribution and size did not differ significantly between groups. We conclude
      that in protein supplemented very old individuals, heavy resistance training can
      increase muscle mass and strength, and that the relative improvement in mass is
      more pronounced when initial muscle mass is low.

PMID- 28363435
TI  - Caffeic acid phenethyl ester protects against glucocorticoid-induced osteoporosis
      in vivo: Impact on oxidative stress and RANKL/OPG signals.
AB  - Glucocorticoid-induced osteoporosis (GIO) is one of the most common causes of
      secondary osteoporosis. Given that glucocorticoids are considered as a main
      component of the treatment protocols for a variety of inflammation and immune
      mediated diseases besides its use as adjuvant to several chemotherapeutic agents,
      it is crucial to find ways to overcome this critical adverse effect. Caffeic acid
      phenethyl ester (CAPE), which is a natural compound derived from honeybee
      propolis displayed promising antiosteoporotic effects against mechanical bone
      injury in various studies. The current work aimed at investigating the potential
      protective effect of CAPE against GIO in vivo with emphasis on the modulation of
      oxidative status and receptor activator of NF-kB ligand (RANKL)/osteoprotegrin
      (OPG) signaling. The results showed that CAPE opposed dexamethasone (DEX)
      mediated alterations in bone histology and tartarate-resistant acid phosphatase
      (TRAP) activity. In addition, CAPE restored oxidative balance, Runt-related
      transcription factor 2 (RunX2) expression and reduced caspase-3 activity in femur
      tissues. Co-administration of CAPE with DEX normalized RANKL/OPG ratio and Akt
      activation indicating a reduction in DEX-osteoclastogenesis. In conclusion,
      concurrent treatment of CAPE with DEX exhibited promising effects in the
      protection against DEX-induced osteoporosis through opposing osteoclastogenesis
      and protecting osteoblasts. The potent antioxidant activity of CAPE is, at least
      in part, involved in its anti-apoptotic effects and modulation of RunX2 and
      RANKL/OPG signals. The use of CAPE-enriched propolis formulas is strongly
      recommended for patients on chronic glucocorticoid therapy to help in the
      attenuation of GIO.

PMID- 28363436
TI  - Brain activity associated with selective attention, divided attention and
      distraction.
AB  - Top-down controlled selective or divided attention to sounds and visual objects,
      as well as bottom-up triggered attention to auditory and visual distractors, has
      been widely investigated. However, no study has systematically compared brain
      activations related to all these types of attention. To this end, we used
      functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) to measure brain activity in
      participants performing a tone pitch or a foveal grating orientation
      discrimination task, or both, distracted by novel sounds not sharing frequencies
      with the tones or by extrafoveal visual textures. To force focusing of attention
      to tones or gratings, or both, task difficulty was kept constantly high with an
      adaptive staircase method. A whole brain analysis of variance (ANOVA) revealed
      fronto-parietal attention networks for both selective auditory and visual
      attention. A subsequent conjunction analysis indicated partial overlaps of these
      networks. However, like some previous studies, the present results also suggest
      segregation of prefrontal areas involved in the control of auditory and visual
      attention. The ANOVA also suggested, and another conjunction analysis confirmed,
      an additional activity enhancement in the left middle frontal gyrus related to
      divided attention supporting the role of this area in top-down integration of
      dual task performance. Distractors expectedly disrupted task performance.
      However, contrary to our expectations, activations specifically related to the
      distractors were found only in the auditory and visual cortices. This suggests
      gating of the distractors from further processing perhaps due to strictly focused
      attention in the current demanding discrimination tasks.

PMID- 28363437
TI  - Effect of Systemic Inflammation on Survival in Patients With Metastatic Renal
      Cell Carcinoma Receiving Second-line Molecular-targeted Therapy.
AB  - BACKGROUND: The role of systemic inflammatory markers, including C-reactive
      protein (CRP), the neutrophil/lymphocyte ratio (NLR), and the platelet/lymphocyte
      ratio (PLR), in predicting survival for patients with metastatic renal cell
      carcinoma receiving second-line molecular-targeted therapy (mTT) after first-line
      tyrosine kinase inhibitor failure remains unclear. Thus, we investigated the
      relationship between systemic inflammation and survival in such patients.
      PATIENTS AND METHODS: Sixty-three patients were evaluated. Progression-free
      survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) after second-line mTT initiation were
      evaluated according to the inflammatory marker levels. In addition, the
      prognostic factors for survival were examined. RESULTS: The receiver operating
      characteristic curves for CRP, NLR, and PLR had areas under the curve of 0.779,
      0.619, and 0.655, respectively; no significant differences were noted. The
      corresponding cutoff values were 0.48, 2.53, and 183. Patients with higher CRP (n
      = 40), NLR (n = 32), and PLR (n = 22) levels had significantly lower PFS and OS
      than those with lower CRP, NLR, and PLR levels. Multivariate analyses showed that
      CRP was the sole independent predictor for PFS and OS. CONCLUSION: Systemic
      inflammation is associated with survival after second-line mTT. In particular,
      CRP was a strong independent predictive biomarker of prognosis.

PMID- 28363439
TI  - Patient satisfaction and informed consent for surgery.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Informed consent is a process that necessitates time and effort.
      Underlying this investment is the belief that informing patients about the
      surgery promotes patient satisfaction with the decision for surgery and
      potentially satisfaction more broadly. OBJECTIVE: The objective of the study was
      to investigate the extent to which preoperative satisfaction with a decision to
      pursue surgery is associated with understanding after an informed consent
      discussion. STUDY DESIGN: We performed an observational study of adult women
      seeking surgical treatment for pelvic floor disorders. Study participants were
      recruited after routine preoperative counseling by board-certified or board
      eligible urogynecologists. In our practice, the preoperative informed consent
      process typically includes a discussion of the indications, risks, benefits,
      alternatives, and chance of success of the procedures. Participants completed a
      35 question survey preoperatively at one setting. The primary outcome,
      satisfaction with decision, was measured with a validated 6 item Satisfaction
      with Decision Scale-Pelvic Floor Disorder. Participants were classified as highly
      satisfied if they indicated the highest level of satisfaction for all items. The
      primary exposure was patient knowledge of the planned surgery, measured using a
      newly adapted 20 item Informed Consent Questionnaire including 15 yes/no
      questions and 5 free-text questions. Additionally, the survey included a
      validated 3 item tool for health literacy, a single-item anxiety measure, and
      demographic data. Analyses were performed with a chi2 test, a Student t test, and
      a multivariable logistic regression using the binary outcome variable, highly
      satisfied or not highly satisfied. RESULTS: A total of 150 participants were
      enrolled, with a mean age of 57.5 years. The majority were non-Hispanic (97.3%)
      or white (87.3%), with at least some college education (51.0%). The median number
      of days between the informed consent discussion and the survey was 35. The mean
      total Satisfaction with Decision score was 27.9 (SD, 2.6; range, 19-30),
      indicating overall high satisfaction with the decision. A patient's preoperative
      satisfaction with her decision was strongly associated with increased knowledge
      of the planned surgery, as measured on the Informed Consent Questionnaire (P =
      .003). The mean score for the highly satisfied group was 17.8 (n = 70; SD, 3.6;
      range, 6-20) and for the not highly satisfied group was 16.1 (n = 77; SD, 2.8;
      range, 9-20). There were no significant differences between the highly satisfied
      and not highly satisfied groups with respect to age, race, education level,
      anxiety score, or health literacy. The odds of being highly satisfied increased
      for every 1 point increase in the Informed Consent Questionnaire score (odds
      ratio, 1.28; 95% confidence interval, 1.06-1.32; P = .003). The association
      between decisional satisfaction and knowledge persisted after controlling for
      demographic and clinical variables including education level, health literacy,
      race/ethnicity, age, surgeon years since completing fellowship, diagnosis,
      surgery category, number of visits in the past 6 months, and number of days
      between informed consent discussion and survey. CONCLUSION: This study found that
      patient knowledge and understanding of surgery are important components of a
      patient's satisfaction with her decision to proceed with pelvic floor surgery. By
      measuring patient understanding after informed consent discussions, clinicians
      may be able to better manage preoperative expectations, increase patient
      satisfaction, and improve the informed consent process.

PMID- 28363438
TI  - Reducing surgical site infections after hysterectomy: metronidazole plus
      cefazolin compared with cephalosporin alone.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Organisms that are isolated from vaginal cuff infections and pelvic
      abscesses after hysterectomy frequently include anaerobic vaginal flora.
      Metronidazole has outstanding coverage against nearly all anaerobic species,
      which is superior to both cefazolin and second-generation cephalosporins.
      Cefazolin plus metronidazole has been demonstrated to reduce infectious morbidity
      compared with either cefazolin or second-generation cephalosporins in other clean
      contaminated procedures, which include both as colorectal surgery and cesarean
      delivery. OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to evaluate whether the
      combination of cefazolin plus metronidazole before hysterectomy was more
      effective in the prevention of surgical site infection than existing
      recommendations of cefazolin or second-generation cephalosporin. STUDY DESIGN:
      This was a retrospective cohort study of patients in the Michigan Surgical
      Quality Collaborative from July 2012 through February 2015. The primary outcome
      was surgical site infection. Patients who were >18 years old and who underwent
      abdominal, vaginal, laparoscopic, or robotic hysterectomy for benign or malignant
      indications were included if they received 1 of the following prophylactic
      antibiotic regimens: cefazolin, second-generation cephalosporin, or cefazolin
      plus metronidazole. Multivariate logistic regression modeling was performed to
      evaluate the independent effect of an antibiotic regimen, and propensity score
      matching was used to validate the findings. RESULTS: The study included 18,255
      hysterectomies. The overall rate of surgical site infection was 1.8% (n=329). The
      unadjusted rate of surgical site infection was 1.8% (n=267) for cefazolin, 2.1%
      (n=49) for second-generation cephalosporin, and 1.4% (n=13) for cefazolin plus
      metronidazole. After adjustment for differences in patient and operative factors
      among the antibiotic cohorts, compared with cefazolin plus metronidazole, we
      found the risk of surgical site infection was significantly higher for patients
      who received cefazolin (odds ratio, 2.30; 95% confidence interval, 1.06-4.99) or
      second-generation cephalosporin (odds ratio, 2.31; 95% confidence interval, 1.21
      4.41). CONCLUSION: In this large cohort, the use of prophylactic cefazolin plus
      metronidazole resulted in lower surgical site infection rates after hysterectomy
      compared with cefazolin or second-generation cephalosporin.

PMID- 28363440
TI  - SucStruct: Prediction of succinylated lysine residues by using structural
      properties of amino acids.
AB  - Post-Translational Modification (PTM) is a biological reaction which contributes
      to diversify the proteome. Despite many modifications with important roles in
      cellular activity, lysine succinylation has recently emerged as an important PTM
      mark. It alters the chemical structure of lysines, leading to remarkable changes
      in the structure and function of proteins. In contrast to the huge amount of
      proteins being sequenced in the post-genome era, the experimental detection of
      succinylated residues remains expensive, inefficient and time-consuming.
      Therefore, the development of computational tools for accurately predicting
      succinylated lysines is an urgent necessity. To date, several approaches have
      been proposed but their sensitivity has been reportedly poor. In this paper, we
      propose an approach that utilizes structural features of amino acids to improve
      lysine succinylation prediction. Succinylated and non-succinylated lysines were
      first retrieved from 670 proteins and characteristics such as accessible surface
      area, backbone torsion angles and local structure conformations were
      incorporated. We used the k-nearest neighbors cleaning treatment for dealing with
      class imbalance and designed a pruned decision tree for classification. Our
      predictor, referred to as SucStruct (Succinylation using Structural features),
      proved to significantly improve performance when compared to previous predictors,
      with sensitivity, accuracy and Mathew's correlation coefficient equal to 0.7334
      0.7946, 0.7444-0.7608 and 0.4884-0.5240, respectively.

PMID- 28363441
TI  - Has the primary care oral surgery service reduced the activity in secondary care
      oral and maxillofacial units?
AB  - To find out if the devolution of some dentoalveolar services into primary care in
      2007 was having an effect on the workload of oral and maxillofacial units, I
      reviewed the workload of two units in 2011-13.

PMID- 28363442
TI  - Transatlantic flight: Not only jet lag.

PMID- 28363443
TI  - Atrophy of Swallowing Muscles Is Associated With Severity of Dysphagia and Age in
      Patients With Acute Stroke.
AB  - IMPORTANCE: Sarcopenia has been identified as an independent risk factor for
      dysphagia. Dysphagia is one of the most important and prognostically relevant
      complications of acute stroke. The role of muscle atrophy as a contributing
      factor for the occurrence of poststroke dysphagia is yet unclear. OBJECTIVE: To
      assess whether there is a correlation between age and muscle volume and whether
      muscle volume is related to dysphagia in acute stroke patients. DESIGN, SETTING,
      AND PARTICIPANTS: This retrospective, single-center study included 73 patients
      with acute ischemic or hemorrhagic stroke who underwent computed tomography
      angiography on admission and an objective dysphagia assessment by Fiberoptic
      Endoscopic Evaluation of Swallowing within 72 hours from admission. With the help
      of semiautomated muscle segmentation and 3-dimensional reconstruction volumetry
      of the digastric, temporal, and geniohyoid muscles was performed. For further
      analysis, participants were first divided into 4 groups according to their age
      (<61 years, n = 12; 61-75 years, n = 16; 76-85 years, n = 28; >=86 years, n =
      17), secondly into 3 different groups according to their dysphagia severity using
      the Fiberoptic Endoscopic Dysphagia Severity Scale (FEDSS) (FEDSS 1 and 2, n =
      25; FEDSS 3 and 4, n = 32; FEDSS 5 and 6, n = 16). MAIN OUTCOME AND MEASURE:
      Correlation of muscle volumes with age and dysphagia severity. RESULTS: Muscle
      volumes of single muscles (except for geniohyoid and the right digastric muscles)
      as well as the sum muscle volume were significantly and inversely related to
      dysphagia severity. We found a significant decline of muscle volume with
      advancing age for most muscle groups and, in particular, for the total muscle
      volume. CONCLUSIONS: Apart from features being determined by the acute stroke
      itself (eg, site and size of stroke), also premorbid conditions, in particular
      age-related muscle atrophy, have an impact on the complex pathophysiology of
      swallowing disorders poststroke.

PMID- 28363444
TI  - Discovery of a series of 1,3,4-oxadiazole-2(3H)-thione derivatives containing
      piperazine skeleton as potential FAK inhibitors.
AB  - Focal adhesion kinase (FAK) is an important drug target that plays a fundamental
      role in mediating signal transduction system. We report herein the discovery of a
      novel class of 1,3,4-oxadiazole-2(3H)-thione derivatives containing piperazine
      skeleton with improved potency toward FAK. All of the 17 new synthesized
      compounds were assayed for the anticancer activities against four cancer cells,
      HepG2, Hela, SW116 and BGC823. Because of the combination of 1,4-benzodioxan,
      1,3,4-oxadiazole and piperazine ring, most of them exhibited remarkable antitumor
      activities. Notably, compound 5m showed the most potent biological activities
      (IC50=5.78MUM for HepG2, and IC50=47.15MUM for SW1116), and its anti-FAK
      inhibitory activity (IC50=0.78MUM) was also the best. Computational docking
      studies also showed that compound 5m has interaction with FAK key residues in the
      active site.

PMID- 28363445
TI  - Erratum to "Synthesis, biological evaluation, and physicochemical property
      assessment of 4-substituted 2-phenylaminoquinazolines as Mer tyrosine kinase
      inhibitors" [Bioorg. Med. Chem. 24 (2016) 3083-3092].

PMID- 28363446
TI  - Spatial distribution and source identification of heavy metals in surface soils
      in a typical coal mine city, Lianyuan, China.
AB  - In this study, we investigated the pollution degree and spatial distribution of
      heavy metals and determined their sources in topsoil in a typical coal mine city,
      Lianyuan, Hunan Province, China. We collected 6078 soil surface samples in
      different land use types. And the concentrations of Zn, Cd, Cu, Hg, Pb, Sb, As,
      Mo, V, Mn, Fe and Cr were measured. The average contents of all heavy metals were
      lower than their corresponding Grade II values of Chinese Soil Quality Standard
      with the exception of Hg. However, average contents of twelve heavy metals,
      except for Mn, exceeded their background level in soils in Hunan Province. Based
      on one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA), the contents of Cu, Zn, Cd, Pb, Hg, Mo
      and V were related to the anthropogenic source and there were statistically
      significant differences in their concentrations among different land use
      patterns. The spatial variation of heavy metal was visualized by GIS. The PMF
      model was used to ascertain contamination sources of twelve heavy metals and
      apportion their source contributions in Lianyuan soils. The results showed that
      the source contributions of the natural source, atmospheric deposition,
      industrial activities and agricultural activities accounted for 33.6%, 26.05%,
      23.44% and 16.91%, respectively.

PMID- 28363447
TI  - Calculation of controllability and observability matrices for special case of
      continuous-time multi-order fractional systems.
AB  - In this paper, controllability and observability matrices for pseudo upper or
      lower triangular multi-order fractional systems are derived. It is demonstrated
      that these systems are controllable and observable if and only if their
      controllability and observability matrices are full rank. In other words, the
      rank of these matrices should be equal to the inner dimension of their
      corresponding state space realizations. To reduce the computational complexities,
      these matrices are converted to simplified matrices with smaller dimensions.
      Numerical examples are provided to show the usefulness of the mentioned matrices
      for controllability and observability analysis of this case of multi-order
      fractional systems. These examples clarify that the duality concept is not
      necessarily true for these special systems.

PMID- 28363448
TI  - Trauma associated sleep disorder: A parasomnia induced by trauma.
AB  - Nightmares and disruptive nocturnal behaviors that develop after traumatic
      experiences have long been recognized as having different clinical
      characteristics that overlap with other established parasomnia diagnoses. The
      inciting experience is typically in the setting of extreme traumatic stress
      coupled with periods of sleep disruption and/or deprivation. The limited number
      of laboratory documented cases and symptomatic overlap with rapid eye movement
      sleep behavior disorder (RBD) and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) have
      contributed to difficulties in identifying what is a unique parasomnia. Trauma
      associated sleep disorder (TSD) incorporates the inciting traumatic experience
      and clinical features of trauma related nightmares and disruptive nocturnal
      behaviors as a novel parasomnia. The aims of this theoretical review are to 1)
      summarize the known cases and clinical findings supporting TSD, 2) differentiate
      TSD from clinical disorders with which it has overlapping features, 3) propose
      criteria for the diagnosis of TSD, and 4) present a hypothetical neurobiological
      model for the pathophysiology of TSD. Hyperarousal, as opposed to
      neurodegenerative changes in RBD, is a component of TSD that likely contributes
      to overriding atonia during REM sleep and the comorbid diagnosis of insomnia.
      Lastly, a way forward to further establish TSD as an accepted sleep disorder is
      proposed.

PMID- 28363449
TI  - Medication induced sleepwalking: A systematic review.
AB  - Medications that trigger sleepwalking may inadvertently put the patient at risk
      of injury to themselves and/or others, and contribute to poor treatment
      adherence. The aim of this study was to systematically review the literature to
      identify drugs that may increase the risk of sleepwalking. A search of CINAHL,
      EMBASE, PsycINFO, PubMed, and ScienceDirect was conducted with the keywords
      'sleepwalking' OR 'somnambulism'. Of the original 83 sourced papers, 62 met the
      inclusion criteria and were subsequently included for review. Twenty-nine drugs,
      primarily in four classes-benzodiazepine receptor agonists and other gamma
      aminobutyric acid (GABA) modulators, antidepressants and other serotonergic
      agents, antipsychotics, and beta-blockers-were identified as possible triggers
      for sleepwalking. The strongest evidence for medication-induced sleepwalking was
      for zolpidem and sodium oxybate. All other associations were based on case
      reports. This research highlights the importance of considering sleepwalking in
      risk profiles in clinical trials, particularly for drugs that enhance GABA
      activity at the GABAA receptor, enhance serotonergic activity, or block the
      activity of noradrenaline at beta receptors. The results also have implications
      for prescribers to consider sleepwalking as a potential adverse effect and ensure
      that: 1) the patient is educated about a safe sleep environment; 2) they are
      encouraged to report the onset or exacerbation of sleepwalking, and 3)
      alternative treatments are considered if sleepwalking occurs.

PMID- 28363450
TI  - A new method for independent component analysis with priori information based on
      multi-objective optimization.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Currently the problem of incorporating priori information into an
      independent component analysis (ICA) model is often solved under the framework of
      constrained ICA, which utilizes the priori information as a reference signal to
      form a constraint condition and then introduce it into classical ICA. However, it
      is difficult to pre-determine a suitable threshold parameter to constrain the
      closeness between the output signal and the reference signal in the constraint
      condition. NEW METHOD: In this paper, a new model of ICA with priori information
      as a reference signal is established on the framework of multi-objective
      optimization, where an adaptive weighted summation method is introduced to solve
      this multi-objective optimization problem with a new fixed-point learning
      algorithm. RESULTS: The experimental results of fMRI hybrid data and task-related
      data on the single-subject level have demonstrated that the proposed method has a
      better overall performance on the recover abilities of both spatial source and
      time course. COMPARISON WITH EXISTING METHODS: At the same time, compared with
      traditional ICA with reference methods and classical ICA method, the experimental
      results of resting-state fMRI data on the group-level have showed that the group
      independent component calculated by the proposed method has a higher correlation
      with the corresponding independent component of each subject through T-test.
      CONCLUSIONS: The proposed method does not need us to select a threshold parameter
      to constrain the closeness between the output signal and the reference signal. In
      addition, the performance of functional connectivity detection has a great
      improvement in comparison with traditional methods.

PMID- 28363451
TI  - Characterization of three commercial ELISA kits for detection of BOHV-1 gE
      specific antibodies in serum and milk samples and applicability of bulk milk for
      determination of herd status.
AB  - Vaccination of animals with gE-deleted vaccine strains (gE- marker vaccines) and
      differential detection of vaccinated vs infected animals with antibody ELISA
      targeting the gE or the gB proteins have been proved to be useful tools in
      programs for control and eradication of the bovine herpesvirus 1 (BoHV-1)
      responsible for infectious bovine rhinotracheitis (IBR), a major pathogen of
      cattle. The diagnostic sensitivity (DSe) and specificity (DSp) of three
      commercial gE ELISA kits from IDEXX, IDVet and CIV-HIPRA were compared for serum
      and milk matrices. Limiting the analysis to 198 individual with concordant ELISA
      results in serum (91 naive, 37 vaccinated and 70 infected) the DSe of gE kits was
      estimated to 0,97 for IDEXX, 0,93 for CIV-HIPRA and 0,53 for IDVet using milk
      samples and the DSp to 0,95 for IDEXX, 1,00 for IDVet and CIV-HIPRA. The
      applicability of gE ELISA for individual or bulk milk testing as an additional
      tool in control programs dedicated to the certification and control of vaccinated
      herds was evaluated. Two of the three evaluated gE ELISA kits presented
      substantial to good agreement individual milk and serum samples. The bulk-tank
      milk also proved to be suitable for the detection of BoHV-1 in vaccinated herds
      provided that gE prevalence is superior to 10% as false negative results are
      often observed at lower gE herd prevalence. This limitation could be reduced to
      8% of prevalence when a prior concentration step was applied to bulk milk
      samples.

PMID- 28363452
TI  - An algorithm for direct causal learning of influences on patient outcomes.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: This study aims at developing and introducing a new algorithm, called
      direct causal learner (DCL), for learning the direct causal influences of a
      single target. We applied it to both simulated and real clinical and genome wide
      association study (GWAS) datasets and compared its performance to classic causal
      learning algorithms. METHOD: The DCL algorithm learns the causes of a single
      target from passive data using Bayesian-scoring, instead of using independence
      checks, and a novel deletion algorithm. We generate 14,400 simulated datasets and
      measure the number of datasets for which DCL correctly and partially predicts the
      direct causes. We then compare its performance with the constraint-based path
      consistency (PC) and conservative PC (CPC) algorithms, the Bayesian-score based
      fast greedy search (FGS) algorithm, and the partial ancestral graphs algorithm
      fast causal inference (FCI). In addition, we extend our comparison of all five
      algorithms to both a real GWAS dataset and real breast cancer datasets over
      various time-points in order to observe how effective they are at predicting the
      causal influences of Alzheimer's disease and breast cancer survival. RESULTS: DCL
      consistently outperforms FGS, PC, CPC, and FCI in discovering the parents of the
      target for the datasets simulated using a simple network. Overall, DCL predicts
      significantly more datasets correctly (McNemar's test significance: p<<0.0001)
      than any of the other algorithms for these network types. For example, when
      assessing overall performance (simple and complex network results combined), DCL
      correctly predicts approximately 1400 more datasets than the top FGS method, 1600
      more datasets than the top CPC method, 4500 more datasets than the top PC method,
      and 5600 more datasets than the top FCI method. Although FGS did correctly
      predict more datasets than DCL for the complex networks, and DCL correctly
      predicted only a few more datasets than CPC for these networks, there is no
      significant difference in performance between these three algorithms for this
      network type. However, when we use a more continuous measure of accuracy, we find
      that all the DCL methods are able to better partially predict more direct causes
      than FGS and CPC for the complex networks. In addition, DCL consistently had
      faster runtimes than the other algorithms. In the application to the real
      datasets, DCL identified rs6784615, located on the NISCH gene, and rs10824310,
      located on the PRKG1 gene, as direct causes of late onset Alzheimer's disease
      (LOAD) development. In addition, DCL identified ER category as a direct predictor
      of breast cancer mortality within 5 years, and HER2 status as a direct predictor
      of 10-year breast cancer mortality. These predictors have been identified in
      previous studies to have a direct causal relationship with their respective
      phenotypes, supporting the predictive power of DCL. When the other algorithms
      discovered predictors from the real datasets, these predictors were either also
      found by DCL or could not be supported by previous studies. CONCLUSION: Our
      results show that DCL outperforms FGS, PC, CPC, and FCI in almost every case,
      demonstrating its potential to advance causal learning. Furthermore, our DCL
      algorithm effectively identifies direct causes in the LOAD and Metabric GWAS
      datasets, which indicates its potential for clinical applications.

PMID- 28363453
TI  - A high-order representation and classification method for transcription factor
      binding sites recognition in Escherichia coli.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Identifying transcription factors binding sites (TFBSs) plays an
      important role in understanding gene regulatory processes. The underlying
      mechanism of the specific binding for transcription factors (TFs) is still poorly
      understood. Previous machine learning-based approaches to identifying TFBSs
      commonly map a known TFBS to a one-dimensional vector using its physicochemical
      properties. However, when the dimension-sample rate is large (i.e., number of
      dimensions/number of samples), concatenating different physicochemical properties
      to a one-dimensional vector not only is likely to lose some structural
      information, but also poses significant challenges to recognition methods.
      MATERIALS AND METHOD: In this paper, we introduce a purely geometric
      representation method, tensor (also called multidimensional array), to represent
      TFs using their physicochemical properties. Accompanying the multidimensional
      array representation, we also develop a tensor-based recognition method, tensor
      partial least squares classifier (abbreviated as TPLSC). Intuitively,
      multidimensional arrays enable borrowing more information than one-dimensional
      arrays. The performance of each method is evaluated by average F-measure on 51
      Escherichia coli TFs from RegulonDB database. RESULTS: In our first experiment,
      the results show that multiple nucleotide properties can obtain more power than
      dinucleotide properties. In the second experiment, the results demonstrate that
      our method can gain increased prediction power, roughly 33% improvements more
      than the best result from existing methods. CONCLUSION: The representation method
      for TFs is an important step in TFBSs recognition. We illustrate the benefits of
      this representation on real data application via a series of experiments. This
      method can gain further insights into the mechanism of TF binding and be of great
      use for metabolic engineering applications.

PMID- 28363454
TI  - Piecewise-linear criterion functions in oblique survival tree induction.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: Recursive partitioning is a common, assumption-free method of survival
      data analysis. It focuses mainly on univariate trees, which use splits based on a
      single variable in each internal node. In this paper, I provide an extension of
      an oblique survival tree induction technique, in which axis-parallel splits are
      replaced by hyperplanes, dividing the feature space into areas with a homogeneous
      survival experience. METHOD AND MATERIALS: The proposed tree induction algorithm
      consists of two steps. The first covers the induction of a large tree with
      internal nodes represented by hyperplanes, whose positions are calculated by the
      minimization of a piecewise-linear criterion function, the dipolar criterion. The
      other phase uses a split-complexity algorithm to prune unnecessary tree branches
      and a 10-fold cross-validation technique to choose the best tree. The terminal
      nodes of the final tree are characterised by Kaplan-Meier survival functions. A
      synthetic data set was used to test the performance, while seven real data sets
      were exploited to validate the proposed method. RESULTS: The evaluation of the
      method was focused on two features: predictive ability and tree size. These were
      compared with two univariate tree models: the conditional inference tree and
      recursive partitioning for survival trees, respectively. The comparison of the
      predictive ability, expressed as an integrated Brier score, showed no
      statistically significant differences (p=0.486) among the three methods. Similar
      results were obtained for the tree size (p=0.11), which was calculated as a
      median value over 20 runs of a 10-fold cross-validation. CONCLUSIONS: The
      predictive ability of trees generated using piecewise-linear criterion functions
      is comparable to that of univariate tree-based models. Although a similar
      conclusion may be drawn from the analysis of the tree size, in the majority of
      the studied cases, the number of nodes of the dipolar tree is one of the smallest
      among all the methods.

PMID- 28363455
TI  - The evaluation of trustworthiness to identify health insurance fraud in
      dentistry.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: According to the investigations of the U.S. Government Accountability
      Office (GAO), health insurance fraud has caused an enormous pecuniary loss in the
      U.S. In Taiwan, in dentistry the problem is getting worse if dentists (authorized
      entities) file fraudulent claims. Several methods have been developed to solve
      health insurance fraud; however, these methods are like a rule-based mechanism.
      Without exploring the behavior patterns, these methods are time-consuming and
      ineffective; in addition, they are inadequate for managing the fraudulent
      dentists. METHODS: Based on social network theory, we develop an evaluation
      approach to solve the problem of cross-dentist fraud. The trustworthiness score
      of a dentist is calculated based upon the amount and type of dental operations
      performed on the same patient and the same tooth by that dentist and other
      dentists. RESULTS: The simulation provides the following evidence. (1) This
      specific type of fraud can be identified effectively using our evaluation
      approach. (2) A retrospective study for the claims is also performed. (3) The
      proposed method is effective in identifying the fraudulent dentists. CONCLUSIONS:
      We provide a new direction for investigating the genuineness of claims data. If
      the insurer can detect fraudulent dentists using the traditional method and the
      proposed method simultaneously, the detection will be more transparent and
      ultimately reduce the losses caused by fraudulent claims.

PMID- 28363456
TI  - Handling limited datasets with neural networks in medical applications: A small
      data approach.
AB  - MOTIVATION: Single-centre studies in medical domain are often characterised by
      limited samples due to the complexity and high costs of patient data collection.
      Machine learning methods for regression modelling of small datasets (less than 10
      observations per predictor variable) remain scarce. Our work bridges this gap by
      developing a novel framework for application of artificial neural networks (NNs)
      for regression tasks involving small medical datasets. METHODS: In order to
      address the sporadic fluctuations and validation issues that appear in regression
      NNs trained on small datasets, the method of multiple runs and surrogate data
      analysis were proposed in this work. The approach was compared to the state-of
      the-art ensemble NNs; the effect of dataset size on NN performance was also
      investigated. RESULTS: The proposed framework was applied for the prediction of
      compressive strength (CS) of femoral trabecular bone in patients suffering from
      severe osteoarthritis. The NN model was able to estimate the CS of osteoarthritic
      trabecular bone from its structural and biological properties with a standard
      error of 0.85MPa. When evaluated on independent test samples, the NN achieved
      accuracy of 98.3%, outperforming an ensemble NN model by 11%. We reproduce this
      result on CS data of another porous solid (concrete) and demonstrate that the
      proposed framework allows for an NN modelled with as few as 56 samples to
      generalise on 300 independent test samples with 86.5% accuracy, which is
      comparable to the performance of an NN developed with 18 times larger dataset
      (1030 samples). CONCLUSION: The significance of this work is two-fold: the
      practical application allows for non-destructive prediction of bone fracture
      risk, while the novel methodology extends beyond the task considered in this
      study and provides a general framework for application of regression NNs to
      medical problems characterised by limited dataset sizes.

PMID- 28363457
TI  - Social cognitive correlates of physical activity among persons with multiple
      sclerosis: Influence of depressive symptoms.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Physical inactivity and elevated depressive symptoms are both highly
      prevalent and correlated among persons with multiple sclerosis (MS). Variables
      from Social Cognitive Theory (SCT) might be differentially correlated with
      physical activity in persons with MS who have elevated depressive symptoms.
      PURPOSE: This study investigated the influence of elevated depressive symptoms on
      correlates of physical activity based on SCT in persons with MS. METHODS:
      Participants (mean age = 50.3 years, 87% female, 69% Caucasian) completed
      questionnaires on physical activity, depressive symptoms, self-efficacy, social
      support, outcome expectations, functional limitations, and goal setting. The
      questionnaires were delivered and returned through the U.S. Postal Service. The
      sample (N = 551) was divided into 2 subgroups (i.e., elevated vs non-elevated
      levels of depressive symptoms) for statistical analyses. Bivariate correlations
      and stepwise multiple regressions were conducted using SPSS. RESULTS: Self
      efficacy (r = 0.16), functional limitations (r = 0.22) and goal-setting (r =
      0.42) were significantly (p < 0.05) associated with physical activity among the
      elevated depressive sample. The regression analysis indicated that self-efficacy
      predicted physical activity in Step 1 (beta = 0.16, p < 0.05), but was no longer
      significant when goal-setting (beta = 0.06, p > 0.05) entered the model. All
      social cognitive variables were significantly associated with physical activity
      levels (r = 0.16-0.40, p < 0.001) among the non-elevated depressive sample. Self
      efficacy predicted physical activity in Step 1 (beta = 0.24, p < 0.001), but it
      was no longer significant once goal-setting, functional limitations, and self
      evaluative outcome expectations entered the model. CONCLUSION: Based on SCT, self
      efficacy and goal-setting represent possible targets of behavior interventions
      for increasing physical activity among persons with MS who have elevated
      depressive symptoms. There is a larger set of targets among those with MS who do
      not have elevated symptoms.

PMID- 28363458
TI  - Ardipithecus ramidus and the evolution of language and singing: An early origin
      for hominin vocal capability.
AB  - In this paper we analyse the possibility that the early hominin Ardipithecus
      ramidus had vocal capabilities far exceeding those of any extant non-human
      primate. We argue that erect posture combined with changes in craniofacial
      morphology, such as reduced facial and jaw length, not only provide evidence for
      increased levels of pro-sociality, but also increased vocal ability. Reduced
      length of the face and jaw, combined with a flexed cranial base, suggests the
      larynx in this species was situated deeper in the neck than in chimpanzees, a
      trait which may have facilitated increased vocal ability. We also provide
      evidence that Ar. ramidus, by virtue of its erect posture, possessed a degree of
      cervical lordosis significantly greater than chimpanzees. This is indicative of
      increased mobility of the larynx within the neck and hence increased capacity to
      modulate vocalisations. In the paleoanthropological literature, these changes in
      early hominin skull morphology have to date been analysed in terms of a shift in
      mating and social behaviour, with little consideration given to vocally mediated
      sociality. Similarly, in the literature on language evolution there is a distinct
      lacuna regarding links between craniofacial correlates of social and mating
      systems and vocal ability. These are surprising oversights given that pro
      sociality and vocal capability require identical alterations to the common
      ancestral skull and skeletal configuration. We therefore propose a model which
      integrates data on whole organism morphogenesis with evidence for a potential
      early emergence of hominin socio-vocal adaptations. Consequently, we suggest
      vocal capability may have evolved much earlier than has been traditionally
      proposed. Instead of emerging in the Homo genus, we suggest the palaeoecological
      context of late Miocene and early Pliocene forests and woodlands facilitated the
      evolution of hominin socio-vocal capability. We also propose that paedomorphic
      morphogenesis of the skull via the process of self-domestication enabled
      increased levels of pro-social behaviour, as well as increased capacity for
      socially synchronous vocalisation to evolve at the base of the hominin clade.

PMID- 28363459
TI  - Primary gastric small cell carcinoma.

PMID- 28363460
TI  - A bone of contention.

PMID- 28363461
TI  - HSV1 latent transcription and non-coding RNA: A critical retrospective.
AB  - Virologists have invested great effort into understanding how the herpes simplex
      viruses and their relatives are maintained dormant over the lifespan of their
      host while maintaining the poise to remobilize on sporadic occasions. Piece by
      piece, our field has defined the tissues in play (the sensory ganglia), the
      transcriptional units (the latency-associated transcripts), and the responsive
      genomic region (the long repeats of the viral genomes). With time, the observed
      complexity of these features has compounded, and the totality of viral factors
      regulating latency are less obvious. In this review, we compose a comprehensive
      picture of the viral genetic elements suspected to be relevant to herpes simplex
      virus 1 (HSV1) latent transcription by conducting a critical analysis of about
      three decades of research. We describe these studies, which largely involved
      mutational analysis of the notable latency-associated transcripts (LATs), and
      more recently a series of viral miRNAs. We also intend to draw attention to the
      many other less characterized non-coding RNAs, and perhaps coding RNAs, that may
      be important for consideration when trying to disentangle the multitude of
      phenotypes of the many genetic modifications introduced into recombinant HSV1
      strains.

PMID- 28363462
TI  - Neurodevelopmental and cardiometabolic outcome in 4-year-old twins and singletons
      born after IVF.
AB  - This prospective cohort study evaluated whether the cognitive development,
      neurological condition, anthropometrics and blood pressure of 4-year-old IVF
      twins differed from those of 4-year-old IVF singletons; 103 IVF singletons and 48
      IVF twins born after conventional IVF treatment were included. Primary outcome
      was total intelligence quotient (IQ). Secondary outcomes were minor neurological
      dysfunction, anthropometrics and blood pressure. Unadjusted analyses found that
      the total IQ score of twins was lower than that of singletons, with a mean
      difference of -5.4 (-9.7 to -1.0). Weight (singletons: 18.6 [18.1 to 19.1] kg;
      twins: 16.9 [16.0 to 17.9] kg) and height (singletons: 108.8 [107.9 to 109.8] cm;
      twins: 105.9 [104.0 to 107.7] cm) of twins were lower than those of singletons
      (mean values [95% CI]). All differences disappeared after adjusting for mediators
      and confounders. Neurological outcome, systolic and diastolic blood pressure of
      twins and singletons were similar. Four-year-old IVF twins had a lower total IQ (
      5.4 points), lowerbodyweight (-1.7 kg) and were shorter (-2.9 cm) than 4-year-old
      IVF singletons. After adjustment, the adverse twin effect disappeared, implying
      that increased risk for impaired health and development in twins also holds true
      for IVF twins, and is not altered by IVF.

PMID- 28363464
TI  - Circulating Cell-free DNA Utility for the Surveillance of Patients with Treated
      Diffuse Large B-cell Lymphoma.

PMID- 28363463
TI  - Dietary patterns and the phenotype of polycystic ovary syndrome: the chance of
      ongoing pregnancy.
AB  - Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is generally considered a complex disorder
      caused by interactions between genetic and environmental factors. In a sub-cohort
      of women with PCOS visiting the preconception outpatient clinic of a tertiary
      hospital with follow-up in a periconception cohort, we identified specific
      dietary patterns and adherence in patients with PCOS with and without
      hyperandrogenism and the chance of ongoing pregnancy. Food frequency
      questionnaires were available from 55 patients diagnosed with PCOS during follow
      up in routine clinical practice, including 25 with hyperandrogenism and 30
      without hyperandrogenism. Strong adherence to the healthy dietary pattern was
      inversely associated with the hyperandrogenic PCOS phenotype (Adjusted OR 0.27;
      95% CI 0.07 to 0.99). In women with PCOS overall, a strong adherence to the
      healthy dietary pattern showed a three-fold higher chance of ongoing pregnancy
      (adjusted OR 3.38; 95% CI 1.01 to 11.36) and an association with anti-Mullerian
      hormone concentration (beta -0.569 ug/L; 95% CI -0.97 to -0.17). The effect of
      this dietary pattern on the chance of ongoing pregnancy and AMH suggests
      causality, which needs further investigation in prospective studies in the
      general population.

PMID- 28363465
TI  - Targeting Stem Cells in Radiation Oncology.

PMID- 28363466
TI  - Primary prophylaxis in haemophilia care: Guideline update 2016.
AB  - This paper reviews the current status on recommendations or guidelines for
      primary prophylaxis based on recent published papers from organizations or group
      of experts as well as some original key papers. A rather uniform view exists that
      prophylaxis should be initiated at an early age before or after no more than a
      single joint bleed and, if possible, preferably be continued for life. The dose
      and dose frequency of prophylaxis is dependent on the goal of treatment, bleeding
      phenotype, compliance, venous access and economic resources in the health care
      system and should be tailored individually based on clinical outcome and
      pharmacokinetics. For children, the effectiveness of prophylaxis is more
      dependent on maintaining minimum trough levels than in adults. Novel extended
      half-life products are being introduced, which should not affect the decision on
      when to start prophylaxis nor the initial dose, but which may be helpful for
      patients with difficult venous access and which may enable higher trough levels
      of factor VIII.

PMID- 28363468
TI  - Donor mesenchymal stem cells home to maternal wounds after transamniotic stem
      cell therapy (TRASCET) in a rodent model.
AB  - PURPOSE: Transamniotic stem cell therapy (TRASCET) with amniotic fluid-derived
      MSCs (afMSCs) has emerged experimentally as a practical treatment strategy for
      congenital anomalies. In this study, we sought to determine whether afMSCs
      migrate to the mother following TRASCET. METHODS: Pregnant rat dams were divided
      into three groups. Two groups received volume-matched injections into all
      amniotic cavities of either a suspension of afMSCs labeled with a luciferase
      reporter gene or the luciferase protein alone. In a third group, a suspension of
      labeled cells was aliquoted onto the serosal surface of the uterus. Maternal
      samples from the laparotomy scar (fascia and skin separately), bone marrow, and
      peripheral blood were procured, along with placenta and umbilical cord. Specimens
      were screened for luminescence via microplate luminometry. RESULTS: Luminescence
      was detected in 60% (9/15) of the fascial scars from the group receiving
      intraamniotic injection of afMSCs, but in none of the other groups (P<0.001).
      There was a direct correlation between the presence of donor cells in the
      placenta and their presence in maternal fascia (Wald test=10.2; P=0.001).
      CONCLUSIONS: Amniotic mesenchymal stem cells migrate to maternal sites of injury
      after intraamniotic injection. Maternal homing of donor cells must be considered
      in the setting of transamniotic stem cell therapy. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: N/A (animal
      and laboratory study).

PMID- 28363467
TI  - Investigation of the electrostatic and hydration properties of DNA minor groove
      binding by a heterocyclic diamidine by osmotic pressure.
AB  - Previous investigations of sequence-specific DNA binding by model minor groove
      binding compounds showed that the ligand/DNA complex was destabilized in the
      presence of compatible co-solutes. Inhibition was interpreted in terms of osmotic
      stress theory as the uptake of significant numbers of excess water molecules from
      bulk solvent upon complex formation. Here, we interrogated the AT-specific DNA
      complex formed with the symmetric heterocyclic diamidine DB1976 as a model for
      minor groove DNA recognition using both ionic (NaCl) and non-ionic cosolutes
      (ethylene glycol, glycine betaine, maltose, nicotinamide, urea). While the non
      ionic cosolutes all destabilized the ligand/DNA complex, their quantitative
      effects were heterogeneous in a cosolute- and salt-dependent manner. Perturbation
      with NaCl in the absence of non-ionic cosolute showed that preferential hydration
      water was released upon formation of the DB1976/DNA complex. As salt probes
      counter-ion release from charged groups such as the DNA backbone, we propose that
      the preferential hydration uptake in DB1976/DNA binding observed in the presence
      of osmolytes reflects the exchange of preferentially bound cosolute with
      hydration water in the environs of the bound DNA, rather than a net uptake of
      hydration waters by the complex.

PMID- 28363469
TI  - Down-regulation of N-deacetylase-N-sulfotransferase-1 signaling in the developing
      diaphragmatic vasculature of nitrofen-induced congenital diaphragmatic hernia.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Congenital diaphragmatic hernia (CDH) has been attributed to various
      developmental abnormalities of the underlying tissue components. N-deacetylase-N
      sulfotransferase-1 (Ndst1) is a strongly expressed biosynthetic enzyme in
      endothelial cells, which has recently been identified as an important factor
      during diaphragmatic vascularization. Loss of endothelial Ndst1 has been
      demonstrated to cause angiogenic defects in the developing diaphragm and disrupt
      normal diaphragmatic development. Furthermore, deficiency of Ndst1 diminishes the
      expression of slit homolog 3 (Slit3), a known CDH-related gene that has been
      associated with reduced vascular density and muscle defects in the diaphragm of
      Slit3-/- mice. We hypothesized that expression of Ndst1 and Slit3 is decreased in
      the diaphragmatic vasculature of fetal rats with nitrofen-induced CDH. METHODS:
      Time-mated rats received either nitrofen or vehicle on gestational day 9 (D9).
      Fetal diaphragms were microdissected on D13, D15 and D18, and divided into
      control and nitrofen-exposed specimens. Gene expression levels of Ndst1 and Slit3
      were assessed using qRT-PCR. Immunofluorescence-double-staining for Ndst1 and
      Slit3 was performed to evaluate protein expression and localization. RESULTS:
      Relative mRNA expression of Ndst1 and Slit3 was significantly decreased in
      pleuroperitoneal folds (D13), developing diaphragms (D15) and fully muscularized
      diaphragms (D18) of nitrofen-exposed fetuses compared to controls. Confocal-laser
      scanning-microscopy revealed markedly diminished Ndst1 and Slit3 expression in
      endothelial cells within the diaphragmatic vasculature on D13, D15 and D18
      compared to controls. CONCLUSIONS: Down-regulation of Ndst1 signaling in the
      developing diaphragm may impair endothelial cell migration and angiogenesis, thus
      leading to defective diaphragmatic vascular development and CDH. LEVEL OF
      EVIDENCE: Ib.

PMID- 28363470
TI  - Time-driven activity-based costing: A dynamic value assessment model in pediatric
      appendicitis.
AB  - OBJECTIVES: Healthcare reform policies are emphasizing value-based healthcare
      delivery. We hypothesize that time-driven activity-based costing (TDABC) can be
      used to appraise healthcare interventions in pediatric appendicitis. METHODS:
      Triage-based standing delegation orders, surgical advanced practice providers,
      and a same-day discharge protocol were implemented to target deficiencies
      identified in our initial TDABC model. Post-intervention process maps for a
      hospital episode were created using electronic time stamp data for simple
      appendicitis cases during February to March 2016. Total personnel and consumable
      costs were determined using TDABC methodology. RESULTS: The post-intervention
      TDABC model featured 6 phases of care, 33 processes, and 19 personnel types. Our
      interventions reduced duration and costs in the emergency department (-41min, 
      $23) and pre-operative floor (-57min, -$18). While post-anesthesia care unit
      duration and costs increased (+224min, +$41), the same-day discharge protocol
      eliminated post-operative floor costs (-$306). Our model incorporating all three
      interventions reduced total direct costs by 11% ($2753.39 to $2447.68) and
      duration of hospitalization by 51% (1984min to 966min). CONCLUSION: Time-driven
      activity-based costing can dynamically model changes in our healthcare delivery
      as a result of process improvement interventions. It is an effective tool to
      continuously assess the impact of these interventions on the value of
      appendicitis care. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: II, Type of study: Economic Analysis.

PMID- 28363471
TI  - Hypotension and the need for transfusion in pediatric blunt spleen and liver
      injury: An ATOMAC+ prospective study.
AB  - PURPOSE: Children with blunt liver or spleen injury (BLSI) requiring early
      transfusion may present without hypotension despite significant hypovolemia. This
      study sought to determine the relationship between early transfusion in pediatric
      BLSI and hypotension. METHODS: Secondary analysis of a 10-institution prospective
      observational study was performed of patients 18years and younger presenting with
      BLSI. Patients with central nervous system (CNS) injury were excluded. Children
      receiving blood transfusion within 4h of injury were evaluated. Time to first
      transfusion, vital signs, and physical exams were analyzed. Patients with
      hypotension were compared to those without hypotension. RESULTS: Of 1008 patients
      with BLSI, 47 patients met inclusion criteria. 22 (47%) had documented
      hypotension. There was no statistical difference in median time to first
      transfusion for those with or without hypotension (2h vs. 2.5h, p=0.107). The
      hypotensive group was older (median 15.0 versus 9.5years; p=0.007). Median
      transfusion volume in the first 24h was 18.2mL/kg (IQR: 9.6, 25.7) for those with
      hypotension and 13.9mL/kg (IQR: 8.3, 21.0) for those without (p=0.220). Mortality
      was 14% (3/22) in children with hypotension and 0% (0/25) in children without
      hypotension. CONCLUSION: Hypotension occurred in less than half of patients
      requiring early transfusion following pediatric BLSI suggesting that hypotension
      does not consistently predict the need for early transfusion. TYPE OF STUDY:
      Secondary analysis of a prospective observational study. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Level
      IV cohort study.

PMID- 28363472
TI  - Surgical management and surveillance of pediatric appendiceal carcinoid tumor.
AB  - PURPOSE: Appendiceal carcinoid tumors are rare neuroendocrine neoplasms. The aim
      of this study was to determine if postoperative oncologic follow-up was necessary
      for this tumor. METHODS: A retrospective review was performed of patients with
      appendiceal carcinoid 2000-2015. RESULTS: 8382 patients underwent appendectomy
      2000-2015. 30 (0.3%) had appendiceal carcinoid. 70% were female (n=21) with an
      average age of 13.5+/-2.8 years (range 8-18). Most presented with abdominal pain
      (n=29, 97%). 20% (n=6) had appendiceal perforation. Mean tumor size was 5.4+/-4mm
      (range microscopic - 15mm) with most at the appendiceal tip (n=18, 60%). No node
      infiltration was found, although 10% (n=3) had perineural and 3% (n=1) had
      lymphovascular invasion. Five were transmural (17%). Most patients were referred
      to oncology (n=19, 63%) for staging and surveillance including ultrasonography
      (n=11, 65%), MRI (n=7, 41%), and CT (n=6, 35%). The majority (79%, n=15)
      underwent serial 5-HIAA testing. All surveillance was found to be normal, and no
      patients required further treatment. Mean follow-up was 36+/-34 months, with 58%
      (n=11) continuing surveillance. Medical charges ranged $8500-$44,000. No
      recurrences have been identified. CONCLUSION: Appendectomy is an adequate
      treatment for pediatric appendiceal carcinoid <16 mm despite presence of
      histological risk factors. More aggressive surgery and extensive oncologic follow
      up are of limited value. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: III. TYPE OF STUDY: Retrospective
      comparative study.

PMID- 28363474
TI  - Disparity between pre-existing management of penile cancer and NCCN guidelines.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: To determine the locoregional management of penile cancer before the
      introduction of NCCN guidelines and how much shift in practice patterns is
      required to meet the guidelines. METHODS: The National Cancer Data Base was
      queried to identify 6,396 patients with squamous cell carcinoma of the penis
      diagnosed between 2004 and 2013. The cohort was divided into management groups
      based on the NCCN guidelines: cTa and cTis (cTa/is), pT1 low grade (T1LG), pT1
      high grade (T1HG), and pT2 or greater (T234). These groups were analyzed to
      determine if management of locoregional disease complies with the 2016 NCCN
      guidelines and logistic regression analyses were performed to determine factors
      associated with adherence. RESULTS: Nationwide management of the primary tumor
      closely follows the NCCN guidelines, with 96.9% adherence for cTa/is, 91.4% for
      T1LG, and 94.2% for T234. Management of regional lymph nodes (LNs) was inadequate
      with only 62.9% of patients with clinical N1 or N2 disease undergoing regional LN
      dissection (LND). The percentage of patients with known LN metastases who
      received regional LND increased over time (46.2% in 2004 to 69.4% in 2013, P =
      0.034). Patients treated at community cancer programs (odds ratio [OR] = 0.26,
      95% CI: 0.19-0.35), comprehensive community cancer programs (OR = 0.34, 95% CI:
      0.29-0.41), and integrated network cancer programs (OR = 0.36, 95% CI: 0.25-0.52)
      were significantly less likely to receive LND compared with patients treated at
      academic comprehensive cancer programs. CONCLUSIONS: Before the introduction of
      NCCN guidelines, national practice patterns for the management of the primary
      tumor were consistent with the recommendations. However, the management of
      regional LNs deviated from the guidelines, reflecting an area for improvement.

PMID- 28363475
TI  - Clin Cancer Res. 2004 Sep 15; 10(18 Pt 2):6371S-6376S.
AB  - Current standard treatments for patients with metastatic (stage IV) renal cell
      carcinoma involve both surgical removal of tumors and treatment with biological
      agents such as interleukin 2 or IFN-alpha. Unfortunately, such approaches are
      inadequate for most patients with stage IV disease; the result is a median time
      to progression of 2 to 4 months and an overall survival of 6 to 17 months.
      Standard chemotherapy has been uniformly disappointing in this disorder. It is
      clear that new therapies are needed to approach these patients. Recently, a
      greater understanding of cancer genetics has led to the successful development of
      novel therapeutics directed against targets linked to specific types of cancer.
      During the past decade, researchers have identified the von Hippel-Lindau (VHL)
      gene as an important tumor suppressor in clear cell carcinoma of the kidney.
      Elucidation of the VHL gene product (pVHL) and its regulation of hypoxia
      inducible factor signaling have created a potential genetic basis for growth
      factor-targeted strategies in this disease. This review will focus on the
      potential growth factor targets in clear cell carcinoma, their relation to VHL
      and hypoxia-inducible factor, and the clinical challenges that face their
      development.

PMID- 28363473
TI  - End-stage renal disease secondary to renal malignancy: Epidemiologic trends and
      survival outcomes.
AB  - OBJECTIVES: Loss of renal parenchyma after surgery may contribute to chronic
      kidney disease; however, the long-term consequences of chronic kidney disease may
      differ by cause. We analyzed the outcomes of patients with end-stage renal
      disease (ESRD) based on various medical and surgical causes. MATERIALS AND
      METHODS: In the United States Renal Data System from the period 1983 to 2007,
      patients with renal tumors, traumatic surgical loss, diabetes, or other known
      causes were identified. The annual incidence, prevalence, and influence of age,
      race, sex, and primary cause on survival were evaluated. RESULTS: Of 1.3 million
      patients, 6,812 (0.49%) had renal malignancy-related ESRD (RM-ESRD). An increased
      over time was noted in the standardized incidence rates of patients with RM-ESRD
      (R2 = 0.973, P<0.0001). Patients with RM-ESRD had a worse median survival (1.9
      vs. 3.4 y, P<0.0001), whereas those with ESRD related to nonmalignant surgical
      loss had improved survival (3.8 y) compared to diabetic ESRD (P<0.0001). The 5
      year cancer-specific mortality was higher for RM-ESRD (30.9% vs. 5.5%, P<0.0001)
      compared to ESRD from other known causes; however, the non-cancer-specific
      mortality was improved compared to patients with ESRD with diabetic causes
      (P<0.0001). Limitations include retrospective analysis and lack of specific
      clinical data, such as cancer grade. CONCLUSIONS: The incidence of RM-ESRD is
      increasing, possibly owing to the increased rate of renal cell carcinoma
      treatment. Although overall survival for RM-ESRD was worse than either that of
      nonmalignant surgical loss or other known causes, non-cancer-specific mortality
      was decreased compared to diabetic causes, likely due to systemic effects by
      cause of ESRD.

PMID- 28363476
TI  - Frozen section during partial nephrectomy: Does it predict positive margins?
      Gordetsky J, Gorin MA, Canner J, Ball MW, Pierorazio PM, Allaf ME, Epstein JI.
      BJU Int. 2015 Dec; 116(6):868-72. [Epub 2015 Mar 23]. doi: 10.1111/bju.13011.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: To investigate the clinical utility of frozen section (FS) analysis
      performed during partial nephrectomy (PN) and its influence on intra-operative
      management. PATIENTS AND METHODS: We performed a retrospective analysis of
      consecutive PN cases from 2010 to 2013. We evaluated the concordance between the
      intra-operative FS diagnosis and the FS control diagnosis, a postoperative
      quality assurance measure performed on all FS diagnoses after formalin fixation
      of the tissue. We also evaluated the concordance between the intra-operative FS
      diagnosis and the final specimen margin. Operating reports were reviewed for
      change in intra-operative management for cases with a positive or atypia FS
      diagnosis, or if the mass was sent for FS. RESULTS: A total of 576 intra
      operative FSs were performed in 351 cases to assess the PN tumor bed margin, 19
      (5.4%) of which also had a mass sent for FS to assess the tumor type. The
      concordance rate between the FS diagnosis and the FS control diagnosis was 98.3%.
      There were 30 (8.5%) final positive specimen margins, of which four (13.3%) were
      classified as atypia, 17 (56.7%) as negative and nine (30%) as positive on FS
      diagnosis. Intra-operative management was influenced in six of nine cases with a
      positive FS diagnosis and in one of nine cases with an FS diagnosis of atypia.
      CONCLUSIONS: The relatively high false-negative rate, controversy over the
      prognosis of a positive margin, and inconsistency in influencing intra-operative
      management are arguments against the routine use of FS in PN cases.

PMID- 28363477
TI  - The Significance of Memory in Sensory Cortex.
AB  - Early sensory cortex is typically investigated in response to sensory
      stimulation, masking the contribution of internal signals. Recently, van
      Kerkoerle and colleagues reported that attention and memory signals segregate
      from sensory signals within specific layers of primary visual cortex, providing
      insight into the role of internal signals in sensory processing.

PMID- 28363478
TI  - Influence of gender on the QT interval variability and duration in different wake
      sleep stages in non-sleep apneic individuals: Analysis of polysomnographic
      recordings.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: The aim of the study was to determine the influence of gender and
      sleep stages, especially rapid eye movement sleep (REM), on QT interval
      variability and duration in normal subjects. METHODS: Polysomnographic recordings
      of 24 male and 24 female patients without obstructive sleep apnea were analyzed.
      In each patient, the QT interval variability index (QTVI) and the corrected QT
      interval (QTc) values were calculated as means of 2 awake, 4 non-rapid eye
      movement sleep (NREM) and 3 REM episodes, 300s each. For the QTc calculation,
      five different correction formulas were used. RESULTS: Gender-related differences
      in the QT interval variability and duration were detected between all sleep
      stages (P<0.05). In males, mean values of QTVI while awake, in NREM and REM sleep
      were -1.1+/-0.2, -1.1+/-0.3, -1.3+/-0.2. In females, mean values of QTVI were 
      0.9+/-0.4, -0.9+/-0.4, and -1.1+/-0.3, respectively. No difference between sleep
      stages was detected in the mean values of QTVI and QTc in both groups (P>0.05).
      CONCLUSION: The results of our study demonstrate no significant overall impact of
      sleep stages on ventricular repolarization variability and duration during
      physiological sleep in both genders. We found gender differences in the mean
      values of QTVI and QTc during different sleep stages, which confirm that gender
      is a modulating factor of ventricular repolarization.

PMID- 28363479
TI  - Seven scientists win the 2017 Gairdner Awards.

PMID- 28363481
TI  - Reaching again: a glimpse of the future with neuroprosthetics.

PMID- 28363482
TI  - Are we ready for targeted therapy for IgA nephropathy?

PMID- 28363480
TI  - Targeted-release budesonide versus placebo in patients with IgA nephropathy
      (NEFIGAN): a double-blind, randomised, placebo-controlled phase 2b trial.
AB  - BACKGROUND: IgA nephropathy is thought to be associated with mucosal immune
      system dysfunction, which manifests as renal IgA deposition that leads to
      impairment and end-stage renal disease in 20-40% of patients within 10-20 years.
      In this trial (NEFIGAN) we aimed to assess safety and efficacy of a novel
      targeted-release formulation of budesonide (TRF-budesonide), designed to deliver
      the drug to the distal ileum in patients with IgA nephropathy. METHODS: We did a
      randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled phase 2b trial, comprised of 6-month
      run-in, 9-month treatment, and 3-month follow-up phases at 62 nephrology clinics
      across ten European countries. We recruited patients aged at least 18 years with
      biopsy-confirmed primary IgA nephropathy and persistent proteinuria despite
      optimised renin-angiotensin system (RAS) blockade. We randomly allocated patients
      with a computer algorithm, with a fixed block size of three, in a 1:1:1 ratio to
      16 mg/day TRF-budesonide, 8 mg/day TRF-budesonide, or placebo, stratified by
      baseline urine protein creatinine ratio (UPCR). Patients self-administered masked
      capsules, once daily, 1 h before breakfast during the treatment phase. All
      patients continued optimised RAS blockade treatment throughout the trial. Our
      primary outcome was mean change from baseline in UPCR for the 9-month treatment
      phase, which was assessed in the full analysis set, defined as all randomised
      patients who took at least one dose of trial medication and had at least one post
      dose efficacy measurement. Safety was assessed in all patients who received the
      intervention. This trial is registered with ClinicalTrials.gov, number
      NCT01738035. FINDINGS: Between Dec 11, 2012, and June 25, 2015, 150 randomised
      patients were treated (safety set) and 149 patients were eligible for the full
      analysis set. Overall, at 9 months TRF-budesonide (16 mg/day plus 8 mg/day) was
      associated with a 24.4% (SEM 7.7%) decrease from baseline in mean UPCR (change in
      UPCR vs placebo 0.74; 95% CI 0.59-0.94; p=0.0066). At 9 months, mean UPCR had
      decreased by 27.3% in 48 patients who received 16 mg/day (0.71; 0.53-0.94;
      p=0.0092) and 21.5% in the 51 patients who received 8 mg/day (0.76; 0.58-1.01;
      p=0.0290); 50 patients who received placebo had an increase in mean UPCR of 2.7%.
      The effect was sustained throughout followup. Incidence of adverse events was
      similar in all groups (43 [88%] of 49 in the TRF-budesonide 16 mg/day group, 48
      [94%] of 51 in the TRF-budesonide 8 mg/day, and 42 [84%] of 50 controls). Two of
      13 serious adverse events were possibly associated with TRF-budesonide-deep vein
      thrombosis (16 mg/day) and unexplained deterioration in renal function in follow
      up (patients were tapered from 16 mg/day to 8 mg/day over 2 weeks and follow-up
      was assessed 4 weeks later). INTERPRETATION: TRF-budesonide 16 mg/day, added to
      optimised RAS blockade, reduced proteinuria in patients with IgA nephropathy.
      This effect is indicative of a reduced risk of future progression to end-stage
      renal disease. TRF-budesonide could become the first specific treatment for IgA
      nephropathy targeting intestinal mucosal immunity upstream of disease
      manifestation. FUNDING: Pharmalink AB.

PMID- 28363484
TI  - Radiobiological parameters of liver and lung metastases derived from tumor
      control data of 3719 metastases.
AB  - BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: The radiobiological parameters for liver and lung
      metastases treated with stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT) are poorly
      defined. This project aimed at estimating these parameters from published tumor
      control probability (TCP) data, and separately for metastases with colorectal
      cancer (CRC) and non-CRC histology. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A total of 62 studies
      with 89 different treatment prescriptions for a total of 3719 metastases were
      analyzed in a Bayesian framework using four different radiobiological models: The
      LQ, mLQ, LQ-L and the regrowth model which accounts for tumor regrowth after
      SBRT. RESULTS: Depending on the particular model, alpha/beta ratios in the range
      13-23Gy for pulmonary metastases and 16-28Gy for hepatic metastases were
      estimated. For CRC metastases the estimated alpha/beta ratio was 43.1+/-4.7Gy
      compared to 21.6+/-7.8Gy for non-CRC metastases. Typical isocenter dose
      prescriptions of 3*12Gy, 3*14.5Gy and 3*17Gy applied within 5days were predicted
      sufficient to control 90% of lung, liver and CRC metastases after 1yr,
      respectively. CONCLUSIONS: alpha/beta ratios for liver and lung metastases are
      higher than the usually assumed 10Gy. Differences between CRC and non-CRC
      histology were found. Future studies confirming these findings in individual
      patient data are needed.

PMID- 28363485
TI  - Re: Ipsilateral axillary recurrence after breast conservative surgery: The
      protective effect of whole breast radiotherapy.

PMID- 28363486
TI  - Magnitude and variability of respiratory-induced diaphragm motion in children
      during image-guided radiotherapy.
AB  - BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: To analyse the variability of respiratory motion during
      image-guided radiotherapy in paediatric cancer patients and to investigate
      possible relationships thereof with patient-specific factors. MATERIAL AND
      METHODS: Respiratory-induced diaphragm motion was retrospectively analysed on 480
      cone beam CTs acquired during the treatment course of 45 children (<18years). The
      cranial-caudal positions of the top of the right diaphragm in exhale and inhale
      phases were manually selected in the projection images. The difference in
      position between both phases defines the amplitude. The cycle time equalled
      inspiratory plus expiratory time. We analysed the variability of the intra- and
      interfractional respiratory motion and studied possible correlations between
      respiratory-induced diaphragm motion and age, height, and weight. RESULTS: Over
      all patients, mean amplitude and cycle time were 10.7mm (range 4.1-17.4mm) and
      2.9s (range 2.1-3.9s). Intrafractional variability was larger than
      interfractional variability (2.4mmvs. 1.4mm and 0.5svs. 0.4s for amplitude and
      cycle time, respectively). Correlations between mean amplitude and patient
      specific factors were significant but weak (p<0.05, rho<=0.45). CONCLUSIONS:
      Large ranges of amplitude and cycle time and weak correlations confirm that
      respiratory motion is patient-specific and requires an individualized approach to
      account for. Since interfractional variability was small, we suggest that a pre
      treatment 4DCT in children could be sufficiently predictive to quantify the
      respiratory motion.

PMID- 28363483
TI  - Restoration of reaching and grasping movements through brain-controlled muscle
      stimulation in a person with tetraplegia: a proof-of-concept demonstration.
AB  - BACKGROUND: People with chronic tetraplegia, due to high-cervical spinal cord
      injury, can regain limb movements through coordinated electrical stimulation of
      peripheral muscles and nerves, known as functional electrical stimulation (FES).
      Users typically command FES systems through other preserved, but unrelated and
      limited in number, volitional movements (eg, facial muscle activity, head
      movements, shoulder shrugs). We report the findings of an individual with
      traumatic high-cervical spinal cord injury who coordinated reaching and grasping
      movements using his own paralysed arm and hand, reanimated through implanted FES,
      and commanded using his own cortical signals through an intracortical brain
      computer interface (iBCI). METHODS: We recruited a participant into the
      BrainGate2 clinical trial, an ongoing study that obtains safety information
      regarding an intracortical neural interface device, and investigates the
      feasibility of people with tetraplegia controlling assistive devices using their
      cortical signals. Surgical procedures were performed at University Hospitals
      Cleveland Medical Center (Cleveland, OH, USA). Study procedures and data analyses
      were performed at Case Western Reserve University (Cleveland, OH, USA) and the US
      Department of Veterans Affairs, Louis Stokes Cleveland Veterans Affairs Medical
      Center (Cleveland, OH, USA). The study participant was a 53-year-old man with a
      spinal cord injury (cervical level 4, American Spinal Injury Association
      Impairment Scale category A). He received two intracortical microelectrode arrays
      in the hand area of his motor cortex, and 4 months and 9 months later received a
      total of 36 implanted percutaneous electrodes in his right upper and lower arm to
      electrically stimulate his hand, elbow, and shoulder muscles. The participant
      used a motorised mobile arm support for gravitational assistance and to provide
      humeral abduction and adduction under cortical control. We assessed the
      participant's ability to cortically command his paralysed arm to perform simple
      single-joint arm and hand movements and functionally meaningful multi-joint
      movements. We compared iBCI control of his paralysed arm with that of a virtual
      three-dimensional arm. This study is registered with ClinicalTrials.gov, number
      NCT00912041. FINDINGS: The intracortical implant occurred on Dec 1, 2014, and we
      are continuing to study the participant. The last session included in this report
      was Nov 7, 2016. The point-to-point target acquisition sessions began on Oct 8,
      2015 (311 days after implant). The participant successfully cortically commanded
      single-joint and coordinated multi-joint arm movements for point-to-point target
      acquisitions (80-100% accuracy), using first a virtual arm and second his own arm
      animated by FES. Using his paralysed arm, the participant volitionally performed
      self-paced reaches to drink a mug of coffee (successfully completing 11 of 12
      attempts within a single session 463 days after implant) and feed himself (717
      days after implant). INTERPRETATION: To our knowledge, this is the first report
      of a combined implanted FES+iBCI neuroprosthesis for restoring both reaching and
      grasping movements to people with chronic tetraplegia due to spinal cord injury,
      and represents a major advance, with a clear translational path, for clinically
      viable neuroprostheses for restoration of reaching and grasping after paralysis.
      FUNDING: National Institutes of Health, Department of Veterans Affairs.

PMID- 28363487
TI  - Treatment options for patients with brain metastases from EGFR/ALK-driven lung
      cancer.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: Brain metastases in EGFR/ALK-driven NSCLC frequently pose treatment
      dilemmas. Tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) can control extracranial disease, but
      radiotherapy is often required for intracranial control. We aimed to evaluate the
      impact of first-line whole brain radiotherapy (WBRT), stereotactic radiotherapy
      (SRS) or TKI alone on outcomes of patients with brain metastases from EGFR/ALK
      driven NSCLC. METHODS: This single center retrospective review included 184
      patients with brain metastases from EGFR/ALK-driven NSCLC, and analyzed effect of
      treatment choice on time to intracranial progression (TTIP) and overall survival
      (OS). RESULTS: First-line treatment for brain metastases consisted of WBRT in 120
      patients, SRS in 37 and TKI alone in 27. WBRT-treated patients had more brain
      metastases, and more baseline symptoms. Median TTIP was longer in the WBRT group
      at 50.5months than SRS or TKI groups at 12 and 15months (p=0.0038). No
      significant difference was seen in median OS: 21.6months in the WBRT group,
      23.9months in the SRS group and 22.6months in the TKI group (p=0.67). In
      multivariable analysis, age>65years (HR 2.2, p=0.0014), greater number of brain
      metastases (HR 2.48, p=0.0002) and greater number of extracranial metastatic
      sites (2 vs 0-1 HR=2.05, p=0.014 and 3+ vs 0-1 HR=2.95, p=0.0001 were associated
      with shorter OS. No independent effect was seen from first-line CNS treatment
      choice. CONCLUSIONS: First-line WBRT for brain metastases from EGFR/ALK-driven
      NSCLC was associated with longer TTIP than SRS or TKI alone, with no difference
      in OS. These results could support deferral of WBRT until intracranial
      progression in selected patients who are closely monitored.

PMID- 28363488
TI  - [Kerion of the vulva: A common pathology in an unusual location].

PMID- 28363489
TI  - Recommendations on Surveillance and Management of Biallelic Mismatch Repair
      Deficiency (BMMRD) Syndrome: A Consensus Statement by the US Multi-Society Task
      Force on Colorectal Cancer.
AB  - The US Multi-Society Task Force on Colorectal Cancer, with invited experts,
      developed a consensus statement and recommendations to assist health care
      providers with appropriate management of patients with biallelic mismatch repair
      deficiency (BMMRD) syndrome, also called constitutional mismatch repair
      deficiency syndrome. This position paper outlines what is known about BMMRD, the
      unique genetic and clinical aspects of the disease, and reviews the current
      management approaches to this disorder. This article represents a starting point
      from which diagnostic and management decisions can undergo rigorous testing for
      efficacy. There is a lack of strong evidence and a requirement for further
      research. Nevertheless, providers need direction on how to recognize and care for
      BMMRD patients today. In addition to identifying areas of research, this article
      provides guidance for surveillance and management. The major challenge is that
      BMMRD is rare, limiting the ability to accumulate unbiased data and develop
      controlled prospective trials. The formation of effective international consortia
      that collaborate and share data is proposed to accelerate our understanding of
      this disease.

PMID- 28363490
TI  - Geniposide improves insulin production and reduces apoptosis in high glucose
      induced glucotoxic insulinoma cells.
AB  - Our previous work revealed that in the pancreatic beta cell line, geniposide
      modulated ATP production and glucose-stimulated insulin secretion (GSIS) induced
      by the acute stimulation of high glucose concentration. However, the effects of
      geniposide on functional impairment and the mass of beta-cells exposed to
      elevated levels of glucose remains unknown. In the present study, impaired GSIS
      and restrained proliferation were observed in the prolonged culture of insulinoma
      INS-1 cells with 33mM of glucose (high glucose). Our results indicate that the
      glucose-induced impairment of insulin release was significantly reverted by the
      inclusion of 1 or 10MUM of geniposide. Moreover, induction of the phosphorylation
      of AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) was observed, which promoted the
      utilization of nutrient stores for energy production. AMPK phosphorylation was
      enhanced by an increased number of INS-1 cells, and the increased expression of
      AMPK downstream target heme oxygenase 1 (HO-1), under high glucose concentration.
      Furthermore, geniposide protected rat insulinoma cells from apoptosis in high
      glucose concentrations. We have shown that these effects were associated with an
      increased apoptosis-related Bcl-2/BAX protein ratio. In conclusion, geniposide
      dose dependently improves beta-cell function and increases the proliferation of
      beta-cells exposed to prolonged hyperglycemia.

PMID- 28363491
TI  - Dendrimer pre-treatment enhances the skin permeation of chlorhexidine
      digluconate: Characterisation by in vitro percutaneous absorption studies and
      Time-of-Flight Secondary Ion Mass Spectrometry.
AB  - Skin penetration and localisation of chlorhexidine digluconate (CHG) within the
      skin have been investigated in order to better understand and optimise the
      delivery using a nano polymeric delivery system of this topically-applied
      antimicrobial drug. Franz-type diffusion cell studies using in vitro porcine skin
      and tape stripping procedures were coupled with Time-of-Flight Secondary Ion Mass
      Spectrometry (ToF-SIMS) to visualise the skin during various treatments with CHG
      and polyamidoamine dendrimers (PAMAM). Pre-treatment of the skin with PAMAM
      dendrimers significantly increased the amount and depth of permeation of CHG into
      the skin in vitro. The effect observed was not concentration dependant in the
      range 0.5-10mM PAMAM. This could be important in terms of the efficiency of
      treatment of bacterial infection in the skin. It appears that the mechanism of
      enhancement is due to the PAMAM dendrimer disrupting skin barrier lipid
      conformation or by occluding the skin surface. Franz-type diffusion cell
      experiments are complimented by the detailed visualisation offered by the semi
      quantitative ToF-SIMS method which provides excellent benefits in terms of
      sensitivity and fragment ion specificity. This allows a more accurate depth
      profile of chlorhexidine permeation within the skin to be obtained and
      potentially affords the opportunity to map the co-localisation of permeants with
      skin structures, thus providing a greater ability to characterise skin absorption
      and to understand the mechanism of permeation, providing opportunities for new
      and more effective therapies.

PMID- 28363492
TI  - Commentary on "Accelerated partial breast irradiation consensus statement: Update
      of an ASTRO Evidence-Based Consensus Statement".

PMID- 28363493
TI  - [Adequacy of the referrals from primary care to pneumology].

PMID- 28363494
TI  - Clinical and endoscopic features in patients with hospital-acquired diarrhea
      associated with Clostridium difficile infection.
AB  - INTRODUCTION AND AIMS: Clostridium difficile infection is the main cause of
      hospital-acquired diarrhea, and the clinical and endoscopic findings in those
      patients have been studied very little in Mexico. The aim of the present study
      was to describe those findings. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A prospective cohort study
      was conducted that included patients with hospital-acquired diarrhea associated
      with Clostridium difficile diagnosed through polymerase chain reaction. The
      hypervirulent NAP027 strain was also determined. The clinical and endoscopic
      findings in the study patients, as well as the variables associated with
      severity, were analyzed. RESULTS: Of the 127 patients with hospital-acquired
      diarrhea, 97 were excluded from the study due to lack of colonoscopy. The
      remaining 39 study patients had a mean age of 48 years, and their most common
      signs/symptoms were abdominal pain (49%), mucus in stools (41%), and blood in
      stools (10%). The most common alterations in the laboratory results were
      leukocytosis in 49%, fecal leukocytes (61%), and hypoalbuminemia (67%). The main
      risk factor was antibiotic use in 62%, and ceftriaxone was the most widely used.
      The hypervirulent strain was present in 54% of the cases. Endoscopic
      abnormalities were found in 87% of the patients. Thirty-eight percent presented
      with pseudomembranous colitis, with lesions in the left colon in 53%, and in the
      right colon in 13%. No association was found between proton-pump inhibitor use
      and Clostridium difficile-associated diarrhea. There was a significant
      association between hypoalbuminemia (< 3.3g/dL) and a greater risk for severe
      colitis, with a RR of 8.2 (p=0.008). CONCLUSIONS: Pseudomembranous colitis
      lesions associated with the hypervirulent Clostridium difficile strain were
      predominant in the left colon. Hypoalbuminemia was a significant severity
      predictor.

PMID- 28363496
TI  - Therapeutic progenitor cell application for tissue regeneration: Analyzing the
      impact of toll-like receptor signaling on c-kit+ cell migration following
      ischemia-reperfusion injury in vivo.
AB  - OBJECTIVES: Toll-like-receptor (TLR) mediated immune response has been shown to
      regulate myocardial damage following cardiac ischemia-reperfusion (IR). It has
      not been described conclusively so far whether migration of therapeutically
      applied progenitor cells following an IR event depends on TLR-signaling. METHODS:
      In vivo migratory capacity murine c-kit+ cells following IR injury was quantified
      by intravital fluorescence microscopy, utilizing the mouse cremaster muscle model
      and analyzing early (rolling) and late (adhesion) c-kit+ cell interaction with
      the local endothelium. The role of TLR-2 and TLR-4, as well as MyD88 and TRIF was
      analyzed by applying specific knock-out models. RESULTS: A sequence of 15min
      ischemia followed by 15min of reperfusion induced firm endothelial c-kit+ cell
      adhesion (5.6+/-1.3cells/mm2 in Control vs. 30.2+/-10.1cells/mm2 in IR, p<0.05).
      Knock-out of TLR-2 and TLR-4 diminished both IR induced early c-kit+ cell
      endothelial cell interactions (67.6+/-2.3% c-kit+ cell rolling in IR vs. 46.3+/
      4.8% c-kit+ cell rolling in IR-TLR-2-ko vs. 45.3+/-4.8% c-kit+ cell rolling in IR
      TLR-4-ko, p<0.05) as well as firm endothelial c-kit+ cell adhesion (30.2+/
      10.1cells/mm2 in IR vs. 16.3+/-3.9cells/mm2 in IR-TLR-2-ko vs. 14.5+/
      4.4cells/mm2 in IR-TLR-4-ko, p<0.05). Adaptor protein knock-out resulted in a
      significantly decreased firm endothelial c-kit+ cell adhesion only in MyD88 knock
      out but not in TRIF knock-out (9.2+/-2.2cells/mm2 in IR-MyD88-ko vs. 30.1+/
      9.9cells/mm2 in IR-WT, p<0.05). CONCLUSION: Artificially applied c-kit+ cells
      interact with the target organ endothelium following IR injury. This interaction
      seems to depend on TLR-MyD88 signaling. Therapeutic blockade of TLR signaling for
      anti-inflammatory purposes might interfere with regenerative cell-based therapy
      protocols.

PMID- 28363497
TI  - The effects of social exclusion on response inhibition in borderline personality
      disorder and major depression.
AB  - It is a prevalent notion that borderline personality disorder (BPD) is
      characterized by deficits in executive functions (EF) like inhibition. Yet
      experimental studies yield inconsistent results. However, despite emotional
      dysregulation being a core feature of BPD, most paradigms did not control for
      emotional state or comorbid mental disorders. In the present study, subjects with
      BPD and comorbid MDD (BPD+MDD), with major depression (MDD) and healthy controls
      (HC) partook in a social exclusion paradigm combined with an inhibition task. We
      expected inhibition to be more strongly impaired in BPD+MDD than in depression
      and HC when experiencing negative emotions. Respecting inhibition, depressed
      patients performed best while (BPD+MDD) patients performed worst. Surprisingly,
      MDD & HC participants' performance improved during social exclusion, but this was
      not the case for BPD+MDD. Inhibition deficits were correlated with childhood
      trauma. These results challenge the hypothesis that an induction of negative
      emotion results in inferior inhibition in (BPD+MDD). Instead, patients with
      (BPD+MDD) seem to suffer from a more general inhibitory dysfunction. Importantly,
      (BPD+MDD) patients were not able to improve their performance during social
      exclusion like HC and MDD patients did. These findings need to be investigated
      further, particularly regarding the efficiency of neural networks regulating
      inhibition and effects of trauma.

PMID- 28363495
TI  - Nitric oxide release by deoxymyoglobin nitrite reduction during cardiac ischemia:
      A mathematical model.
AB  - Interactions between cardiac myoglobin (Mb), nitrite, and nitric oxide (NO) are
      vital in regulating O2 storage, transport, and NO homeostasis. Production of NO
      through the reduction of endogenous myocardial nitrite by deoxygenated myoglobin
      has been shown to significantly reduce myocardial infarction damage and ischemic
      injury. We developed a mathematical model for a cardiac arteriole and surrounding
      myocardium to examine the hypothesis that myoglobin switches functions from being
      a strong NO scavenger to an NO producer via the deoxymyoglobin nitrite reductase
      pathway. Our results predict that under ischemic conditions of flow, blood oxygen
      level, and tissue pH, deoxyMb nitrite reduction significantly elevates tissue and
      smooth muscle cell NO. The size of the effect is consistent at different flow
      rates, increases with decreasing blood oxygen and tissue pH and, in extreme
      pathophysiological conditions, NO can even be elevated above the normoxic levels.
      Our simulations suggest that cardiac deoxyMb nitrite reduction is a plausible
      mechanism for preserving or enhancing NO levels using endogenous nitrite despite
      the rate-limiting O2 levels for endothelial NO production. This NO could then be
      responsible for mitigating deleterious effects under ischemic conditions.

PMID- 28363498
TI  - T cell metabolism in metabolic disease-associated autoimmunity.
AB  - This review discusses the relevant metabolic pathways and their regulators which
      show potential for T cell metabolism-based immunotherapy in diseases hallmarked
      by both metabolic disease and autoimmunity. Multiple therapeutic approaches using
      existing pharmaceuticals are possible from a rationale in which T cell metabolism
      forms the hub in dampening the T cell component of autoimmunity in metabolic
      diseases. Future research into the effects of a metabolically aberrant micro
      environment on T cell metabolism and its potential as a therapeutic target for
      immunomodulation could lead to novel treatment strategies for metabolic disease
      associated autoimmunity.

PMID- 28363499
TI  - Expression and secretory profile of buffalo fetal fibroblasts and Wharton's jelly
      feeder layers.
AB  - The present study examined the comparative expression and secretory profile of
      vital signaling molecules in buffalo fetal fibroblasts (BFF) and Wharton's jelly
      (BWJ) feeder layers at different passages. Both feeder layers were expanded up to
      8th passage. Signaling molecules viz. bone morphogenetic protein 4 (BMP4),
      fibroblast growth factor 2 (FGF2), leukemia inhibitory factor (LIF) and
      transforming growth factor beta 1 (TGFB1) and pluripotency-associated
      transcriptional factors (POU5F1, SOX2, NANOG, KLF4, MYC and FOXD3) were
      immunolocalized in the both feeder types. A clear variation in the expression
      pattern of key signaling molecules with passaging was registered in both feeders
      compared to primary culture (0 passage). The conditioned media (CM) was collected
      from different passages (2, 4, 6, 8) of both the feeder layers and was quantified
      using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Concomitant to expression
      profile, protein quantification also revealed differences in the concentration of
      signaling molecules at different time points. Conjointly, expression and
      secretory profile revealed that 2nd passage of BFF and 6th passage of BWJ exhibit
      optimal levels of key signaling molecules thus may be selected as best passages
      for embryonic stem cells (ESCs) propagation. Further, the effect of mitomycin-C
      (MMC) treatment on the expression profile of signaling molecules in the selected
      passages of BFF and BWJ revealed that MMC modulates the expression profile of
      these molecules. In conclusion, the results indicate that feeder layers vary in
      expression and secretory pattern of vital signaling molecules with passaging.
      Based on these findings, the appropriate feeder passages may be selected for the
      quality propagation of buffalo ESCs.

PMID- 28363500
TI  - Corrigendum to "Metformin affects macrophages' phenotype and improves the
      activity of glutathione peroxidase, superoxide dismutase, catalase and decreases
      malondialdehyde concentration in a partially AMPK-independent manner in LPS
      stimulated human monocytes/macrophages" [Pharmacol. Rep. 66 (2014) 418-429].

PMID- 28363501
TI  - Corrigendum to "Partial depletion of natural gut flora by antibiotic aggravates
      collagen induced arthritis (CIA) in mice" [Pharmacol. Rep. 66 (2014) 250-255].

PMID- 28363502
TI  - Bovine sperm separation by Swim-up and density gradients (Percoll and BoviPure):
      Effect on sperm quality, function and gene expression.
AB  - This study assesses the effect of bovine sperm (obtained from three bulls)
      separation using density gradients (Percoll and BoviPure) and Swim-up on sperm
      function and gene expression. Sperm evaluations included the plasma membrane
      integrity (SYBR14/PI), acrosomal integrity (PNA-FITC/PI), oxidative stress (ROS;
      CH2FDDA), DNA fragmentation (TUNEL assay) and mitochondrial membrane potential
      (DeltaYm; TMRM) using flow cytometry. Sperm motility was evaluated by computer
      assisted sperm analysis (CASA) and gene expression using RT-qPCR. The results
      showed that separation by Percoll achieves a higher proportion of sperm with
      intact plasma and acrosomal membranes (89.8 and 87.5%, respectively) than the
      unseparated control (70.3 and 62.4%, respectively), as well as by Swim-up (74.9
      and 63.3%, respectively) and BoviPure (83.3 and 80.4%, respectively). No
      differences were observed in the proportion of spermatozoa with high DeltaPsim
      between Percoll and BoviPure (84.3% and 83.5%, respectively), which were higher
      than Swim-up and the unseparated control (72.8% and 43.8%, respectively). The ROS
      levels were higher in the spermatozoa separated by Percoll and no differences
      were observed in the sperm DNA integrity between all groups. The motility
      analysis showed that the separation methods improve (p<0.05) total and
      progressive motility compared to the control, with Percoll proving the most
      efficient in this regard. Finally, the gene expression analysis of leptin (LEP),
      aromatase cytochrome P450 (CYP19) and protamine I (PRM1), after validation of 6
      reference genes, showed no differences between groups. In conclusion, bovine
      sperm separation using density gradient improves the parameters of motility and
      sperm function without affecting the gene expression.

PMID- 28363503
TI  - The impact of the fabrication method on the three-dimensional accuracy of an
      implant surgery template.
AB  - PURPOSE: The use of a surgical template is a well-established method in advanced
      implantology. In addition to conventional fabrication, computer-aided design and
      computer-aided manufacturing (CAD/CAM) work-flow provides an opportunity to
      engineer implant drilling templates via a three-dimensional printer. In order to
      transfer the virtual planning to the oral situation, a highly accurate surgical
      guide is needed. The aim of this study was to evaluate the impact of the
      fabrication method on the three-dimensional accuracy. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The
      same virtual planning based on a scanned plaster model was used to fabricate a
      conventional thermo-formed and a three-dimensional printed surgical guide for
      each of 13 patients (single tooth implants). Both templates were acquired
      individually on the respective plaster model using an optical industrial white
      light scanner (ATOS II, GOM mbh, Braunschweig, Germany), and the virtual datasets
      were superimposed. Using the three-dimensional geometry of the implant sleeve,
      the deviation between both surgical guides was evaluated. RESULTS: The mean
      discrepancy of the angle was 3.479 degrees  (standard deviation, 1.904 degrees )
      based on data from 13 patients. Concerning the three-dimensional position of the
      implant sleeve, the highest deviation was in the Z-axis at 0.594 mm. The mean
      deviation of the Euclidian distance, dxyz, was 0.864 mm. CONCLUSION: Although the
      two different fabrication methods delivered statistically significantly different
      templates, the deviations ranged within a decimillimeter span. Both methods are
      appropriate for clinical use.

PMID- 28363504
TI  - Perioral soft tissue change after isolated mandibular surgery for asymmetry
      patients.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: This study was intended to determine whether isolated mandibular
      surgery for the correction of asymmetry could also change perioral soft tissue
      asymmetry. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Skeletal class III patients who had undergone
      mandibular set-back surgery were included. The subjects were composed of two
      groups with (n = 20) or without (n = 30) menton (Me) deviation over 4 mm. The
      perioral lip landmarks were analyzed on three-dimensional image from cone-beam
      computed tomography taken before and 6 months after the operation. The bilateral
      and inter-group differences and pre- and post-operative changes were
      statistically analyzed. RESULTS: The corner of mouth on the deviated side was 1.9
      mm shorter vertically than that on the contralateral side in patients with
      asymmetry. After mandibular surgery, the deviated Me moved 5.5 mm to the
      contralateral side and the lip canting was corrected by 2.4 degrees  in the
      asymmetry group. The degree of Me deviation was significantly correlated with the
      degree of midline asymmetry in perioral soft tissue landmarks including
      subnasale, upper and lower lip midline. The predictor variable that affected the
      changes in lip cant was the surgical correction of Me deviation. DISCUSSION: The
      correction of chin deviation by isolated mandibular surgery could significantly
      improve the subnasal and lip asymmetry.

PMID- 28363505
TI  - A different scintigraphic approach to evaluate the glomerular filtration rate.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: Multiple nuclear medicine techniques for measuring renal glomerular
      filtration rate (GFR) are available but some of them are not practical in daily
      routine use and others have some accuracy issues. Hence the aim of the study was
      to design a new camera-based approach to measure the GFR and to compare our
      results with other measured GFR (mGFR) and estimated GFRs (eGFRs) derived from
      available measurements and equations used in daily clinical practice. MATERIAL
      AND METHODS: 34 patients were included in the study. ~74MBq (2mCi) Technetium 99m
      diethylene-triamine-pentaacetic acid (99mTc-DTPA) was administered to the
      patients during 5min. A simple formula based on a dilution principle was used to
      measure GFR (ScinGFR). RESULTS: Our formula provided similar mGFR results in
      narrower range as creatinine clearance did and our results correlated well with
      results derived from other equations. When ScinGFR values were compared to
      others, there was a significant difference among them (p=0.031) due to difference
      between the ScinGFR and Cockroft-Gault. When the results of the ScinGFR compared
      to others without Cockroft-Gault, the difference among them was not significant
      (p=0.164). CONCLUSION: A simple formula considering the extracellular fluid
      volume was used to predict the split and global kidney functions and despite some
      discrepancies, good correlation among our results and those derived from
      available formulas was detected.

PMID- 28363506
TI  - Three novel indole alkaloids from Kopsia officinalis.
AB  - Three new indole alkaloids, named kopsioffines A-C (1-3), possessing relatively
      novel ten-membered lactam ring, and one known compound (11,12-demethoxy-16
      deoxypauciflorine, 4) were isolated from the leaves and stems of Kopsia
      officinalis. Their structures were elucidated by means of spectroscopic methods.
      The absolute configuration of 1 was determined by calculated electronic circular
      dichroism data. The hypothetical biosynthetic pathway of 1 was postulated. All
      these isolates were evaluated for their inhibitory effects on alpha-glucosidase.
      None of them showed activity with IC50 far beyond 50MUM.

PMID- 28363508
TI  - Risk factors associated with the onset and progression of Alzheimer's disease: A
      systematic review of the evidence.
AB  - A systematic review was conducted to identify risk factors associated with the
      onset and progression of Alzheimer's disease (AD). Moderate and high quality
      systematic reviews were eligible for inclusion. Primary studies reporting on non
      genetic risk factors associated with neuropathologically or clinically confirmed
      AD were considered. Eighty one systematic reviews reporting on AD onset and 12
      reporting on progression satisfied the eligibility criteria. Four hundred and
      thirty-two relevant primary studies reporting on onset were identified; however,
      only those published between 2010 and 2012 (n=65) were included in the
      qualitative synthesis. Several factors including statins, light-to-moderate
      alcohol consumption, compliance with a Mediterranean diet, higher educational
      attainment, physically and cognitively stimulating activities, and APOE epsilon2
      appeared to be associated with a decreased risk of AD onset. The evidence was
      suggestive of an increased risk of AD associated with head injury in males, age,
      diabetes mellitus, conjugated equine estrogen use with medroxyprogesterone
      acetate, current smoking, and lower social engagement. With respect to genetic
      factors, APOE epsilon4 remained the strongest predictor of AD. Physical and
      cognitive activities were associated with a beneficial effect on cognitive
      function and other indicators of dementia progression while higher educational
      attainment was associated with faster cognitive decline. Although suggestive of
      an association, the current evidence for a majority of the identified putative
      factors for AD onset and progression was weak, at best due to conflicting
      findings across studies or inadequate evidence. Further research is required to
      confirm the etiological or protective role of a number of risk factors.

PMID- 28363509
TI  - Response to: "Teleophthalmology for the screening of diabetic retinopathy: Value
      of continuing education".

PMID- 28363507
TI  - A new cineol derivative, polyphenols and norterpenoids from Saharan myrtle tea
      (Myrtus nivellei): Isolation, structure determination, quantitative determination
      and antioxidant activity.
AB  - The phytochemical profile of decoction and infusion, obtained from the dried
      leaves of M. nivellei, consumed as tea in Saharan region, was characterized by
      UHPLC-PDA-HRMS. Fourteen compounds were characterized and, to confirm the
      proposed structures a preparative procedure followed by NMR spectroscopy was
      applied. Compound 3 (2-hydroxy-1,8-cineole disaccharide) was a never reported
      whereas a bicyclic monoterpenoid glucoside (2), two ionol glucosides (1 and 12),
      a tri-galloylquinic acid (4), two flavonol glycosides (5 and 9), and a tetra
      galloylglucose (7), were reported in Myrtus spp. for the first time. Five
      flavonol O-glycosides (6, 8, 10-11, and 14) togheter a flavonol (13) were also
      identified. Quantitative determination of phenolic constituents from decoction
      and infusion has been performed by HPLC-UV-PDA. The phenolic content was found to
      be 150.5 and 102.6mg/g in decoction and infusion corresponding to 73.8 and
      23.6mg/100mL of a single tea cup, respectively. Myricetin 3-O-beta-d-(6"
      galloyl)glucopyranoside (5), isomyricitrin (6) and myricitrin (8) were the
      compounds present in the highest concentration. The free-radical scavenging
      activities of teas and isolated compounds was measured by the DPPH assay and
      compared with the values of other commonly used herbal teas (green and black
      teas). Decoction displayed higher potency in scavenging free-radicals than the
      infusion and green and black teas.

PMID- 28363510
TI  - X-Linked Cobalamin Disorder (HCFC1) Mimicking Nonketotic Hyperglycinemia With
      Increased Both Cerebrospinal Fluid Glycine and Methylmalonic Acid.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Autosomal recessive or X-linked inborn errors of intracellular
      cobalamin metabolism can lead to methylmalonic aciduria and homocystinuria. In
      neonates, both increased cerebrospinal fluid glycine and cerebrospinal
      fluid/plasma glycine ratio are biochemical features of nonketotic
      hyperglycinemia. METHODS: We describe a boy presenting in the neonatal period
      with hypotonia, tonic, clonic, and later myoclonic seizures, subsequently
      evolving into refractory epilepsy and severe neurocognitive impairment. RESULTS:
      Increased cerebrospinal fluid glycine and cerebrospinal fluid to plasma glycine
      ratio were indicative of nonketotic hyperglycinemia. Early magnetic resonance
      imaging showed restricted diffusion and decreased apparent diffusion coefficient
      values in posterior limb of internal capsules and later in entire internal
      capsules and posterior white matter. Sequencing did not show a mutation in AMT,
      GLDC, or GCSH. Biochemical analysis identified persistently increased
      cerebrospinal fluid levels of glycine and methylmalonic acid and increased
      urinary methylmalonic acid and plasma homocysteine levels, which improved on
      higher parenteral hydroxocobalamin dose. Exome sequencing identified a known
      pathogenic sequence variant in X-linked cobalamin (HCFC1), c.344C>T, p.
      Ala115Val. In addition, a hemizygous mutation was found in the ATRX (c. 2728A>G,
      p. Lys910Glu). Retrospective review of two other patients with X-linked cobalamin
      deficiency also identified increased cerebrospinal fluid glycine levels.
      CONCLUSIONS: This boy had X-linked cobalamin deficiency (HCFC1) with increased
      cerebrospinal fluid glycine and methylmalonic acid and increased cerebrospinal
      fluid to plasma glycine ratio suggesting a brain hyperglycinemia. Putative
      binding sites for HCFC1 and its binding partner THAP11 were identified near genes
      of the glycine cleavage enzyme, providing a potential mechanistic link between
      HCFC1 mutations and increased glycine.

PMID- 28363511
TI  - Risk Factors for Malnutrition Among Children With Cerebral Palsy in Botswana.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Children with cerebral palsy in low-resource settings are at high
      risk of malnutrition, which further increases their risk of poor health outcomes.
      However, there are few available data on specific risk factors for malnutrition
      among children with cerebral palsy in the developing world. METHODS: We performed
      a case-control study among children with cerebral palsy receiving care at a
      tertiary care hospital in Gaborone, Botswana. Children with cerebral palsy and
      malnutrition were identified according to World Health Organization growth curves
      and compared with subjects with cerebral palsy without malnutrition. Risk factors
      for malnutrition were identified using multivariable logistic regression models.
      These risk factors were then used to generate a Malnutrition Risk Score, and
      Receiver Operating Characteristic curves were used to identify optimal cutoffs to
      identify subjects at high risk of malnutrition. RESULTS: We identified 61
      children with cerebral palsy, 26 of whom (43%) met criteria for malnutrition.
      Nonambulatory status (odds ratio 13.8, 95% confidence interval [CI] 3.8-50.1, P <
      0.001) and a composite measure of socioeconomic status (odds ratio 1.6, 95% CI
      1.0-2.5, P = 0.03) were the strongest risk factors for malnutrition. A
      Malnutrition Risk Score was constructed based on these risk factors, and receiver
      operating characteristic curve analysis demonstrated excellent performance
      characteristics of this score (area under the curve 0.92, 95% CI 0.89-0.94).
      CONCLUSIONS: Malnutrition is common among children with cerebral palsy in
      Botswana, and a simple risk score may help identify children with the highest
      risk. Further studies are needed to validate this screening tool and to determine
      optimal nutritional interventions in this population.

PMID- 28363512
TI  - Diffusion-weighted magnetic resonance imaging in locally advanced rectal cancer
      treated with neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy.
AB  - PURPOSE: To analyze diffusion-weighted magnetic resonance imaging (DW-MRI) for
      treatment response assessment in locally advanced rectal cancer (LARC). PATIENTS
      AND METHODS: Patients with histologically proven rectal adenocarcinoma, stage II
      III disease, were enrolled and underwent surgery following neoadjuvant
      chemoradiotherapy (nCRT). All patients were referred for a DW-MRI protocol on a 3
      Tesla MR-system, consisting of axial T2-weighted and DWI sequences prior (I),
      during (II) and after (III) nCRT. Corresponding apparent diffusion coefficient
      (ADC) values were calculated. RESULTS: Between February 2011 and June 2015, 37
      patients participated in the study. All patients completed programmed treatment.
      Overall, 11 patients (29.7%) had pathologic complete response (pCR). No
      correlation between the mean pre- (ADC-I), during (ADC-II), post- (ADC-III) ADC
      and the reduction in tumor size after nCRT was recorded. No substantial
      difference in the ADC distribution was found between pCR and no-pCR patients. The
      ADC-II level significantly increased in the pCR cases (T = 1.675; p < 0.05).
      CONCLUSION: ADC value could be useful for discriminating between the pCR patients
      and the no-pCR patients. Further studies are necessary to identify the optimal
      MRI parameters combination to predict tumor response to nCRT. It is hoped that
      these data will provide the basis for a more solid scientific evidence.

PMID- 28363513
TI  - Measuring Iran's success in achieving Millennium Development Goal 4: a systematic
      analysis of under-5 mortality at national and subnational levels from 1990 to
      2015.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Child mortality as one of the key Millennium Development Goals (MDG 4
      to reduce child mortality by two-thirds from 1990 to 2015), is included in the
      Sustainable Development Goals (SDG 3, target 2-to reduce child mortality to fewer
      than 25 deaths per 1000 livebirths for all countries by 2030), and is a key
      indicator of the health system in every country. In this study, we aimed to
      estimate the level and trend of child mortality from 1990 to 2015 in Iran, to
      assess the progress of the country and its provinces toward these goals. METHODS:
      We used three different data sources: three censuses, a Demographic and Health
      Survey (DHS), and 5-year data from the death registration system. We used the
      summary birth history data from four data sources (the three censuses and DHS)
      and used maternal age cohort and maternal age period methods to estimate the
      trends in child mortality rates, combining the estimates of these two indirect
      methods using Loess regression. We also used the complete birth history method to
      estimate child mortality rate directly from DHS data. Finally, to synthesise
      different trends into a single trend and calculate uncertainty intervals (UI), we
      used Gaussian process regression. FINDINGS: Under-5 mortality rates (deaths per
      1000 livebirths) at the national level in Iran in 1990, 2000, 2010, and 2015 were
      63.6 (95% UI 63.1-64.0), 38.8 (38.5-39.2), 24.9 (24.3-25.4), and 19.4 (18.6
      20.2), respectively. Between 1990 and 2015, the median annual reduction and total
      overall reduction in these rates were 4.9% and 70%, respectively. At the
      provincial level, the difference between the highest and lowest child mortality
      rates in 1990, 2000, and 2015 were 65.6, 40.4, and 38.1 per 1000 livebirths,
      respectively. Based on the MDG 4 goal, five provinces had not decreased child
      mortality by two-thirds by 2015. Furthermore, six provinces had not reached SDG 3
      (target 2). INTERPRETATION: Iran and most of its provinces achieved MDG 4 and SDG
      3 (target 2) goals by 2015. However, at the subnational level in some provinces,
      there is substantial inequity. Local policy makers should use effective
      strategies to accelerate the reduction of child mortality for these provinces by
      2030. Possible recommendations for such strategies include enhancing the level of
      education and health literacy among women, tackling sex discrimination, and
      improving incomes for families. FUNDING: Iran Ministry of Health and Education.

PMID- 28363514
TI  - Voxel-Based Lesion Mapping of Cryptogenic Stroke in Patients with Advanced
      Cancer: A Detailed Magnetic Resonance Imaging Analysis of Distribution Pattern.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Ischemic stroke is one form of cancer-associated thrombosis that can
      greatly worsen a patient's performance status. The present investigation aimed to
      elucidate the characteristic distribution pattern(s) of cryptogenic stroke
      lesions using a voxel-based lesion-mapping technique and examine the differences
      in clinical manifestations between cryptogenic and conventional strokes in
      patients with advanced cancer. METHODS: Data from 43 patients with advanced
      cancer who developed acute ischemic stroke were retrospectively collected. Stroke
      etiology was grouped into either cryptogenic or conventional stroke etiology
      according to the ASCO stroke score. Clinical data were reviewed, and voxel-based
      lesion mapping using diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI) was performed to visualize
      the cross-patient spatial distribution of the lesions. RESULTS: Of the 43
      patients, 25 were classified as having cryptogenic stroke etiology and 18 were
      classified as having conventional stroke etiology. Median survival time of
      patients from stroke onset was 96 days for cryptogenic stroke etiology and 570
      days for conventional stroke etiology (P = .01). D-dimer of patients was
      significantly higher in cryptogenic stoke etiology than in conventional stroke
      etiology (P = .006). Voxel-based lesion mapping showed that DWI hyperintense
      lesions accumulated at cortical and internal watershed areas of the cerebrum and
      at the vascular border zone of the superior cerebellar and posterior inferior
      cerebellar arteries at the cerebellum. CONCLUSIONS: Voxel-based lesion mapping
      for cryptogenic stroke in patients with advanced cancer showed that lesions
      accumulated at vascular border zones within the brain both at the cerebrum and at
      the cerebellum, but not at perforating arterial territories.

PMID- 28363515
TI  - Mosquitoes of the Caatinga: 2. Species from periodic sampling of bromeliads and
      tree holes in a dry Brazilian forest.
AB  - The Caatinga is a dry tropical forest, located in the Brazilian semiarid region
      and rich in phytotelmata. This study investigated the culicid fauna of
      phytotelmata of the caatinga by sampling for 19 consecutive months aquatic
      immatures from tree holes and bromeliads. A total of 127L of water was taken from
      the plants, containing 6764 immature culicids of 16 species, of which 11 (69%)
      are undescribed and respond to 90% of the total abundance of the specimens
      collected. Epiphytic bromeliads harbor a large number of immature Culicidae,
      although terrestrial bromeliads are the most abundant and widely distributed in
      the region. The richness of culicid species was similar between terrestrial and
      epiphytic bromeliads and lower in habitats represented by tree hole phytotelmata.
      There was no similarity in the composition of culicid species that developed in
      bromeliads or tree holes. Temperature and humidity were the environmental
      parameters most strongly associated with the proportion of positive plants. The
      Caatinga has a great number of endemic species that remain unknown to science and
      many additional culicid species may await discovery from there.

PMID- 28363518
TI  - Laying in silico pipelines for drug repositioning: a paradigm in ensemble
      analysis for neurodegenerative diseases.
AB  - When faced with time- and money-consuming problems, new practices in
      pharmaceutical R&D arose when trying to alleviate them. Drug repositioning has
      great promise and when combined with today's computational power and intelligence
      it becomes more precise and potent. This work showcases current approaches of
      creating a computational pipeline for drug repositioning, along with an extensive
      example of how researchers can influence therapeutic approaches and further
      understanding, through either single or multiple disease studies. This paradigm
      is based on three neurodegenerative diseases with pathophysiological
      similarities. It is our goal to provide the readers with all the information
      needed to enrich their research and note expectations along the way.

PMID- 28363517
TI  - Assessment of mechanism, type and severity of injury in multiple trauma patients:
      A cross sectional study of a trauma center in Iran.
AB  - PURPOSE: To accurately assess the mechanism, type and severity of injury in
      Iranian multiple trauma patients of a trauma center. METHODS: Patients with
      multiple traumas referring to the emergency department of Hasheminejad University
      Hospital in Mashhad, Iran, entered this cross sectional study from March 2013 to
      December 2013. All the patients with injury severity score (ISS) > 9 were
      included in this study. Data analysis was performed by SPSS software (Version
      11.5) and P values less than 0.05 were considered as significant differences.
      RESULTS: Among the 6306 hospitalized trauma patients during this period, 148 had
      ISS>9. The male female ratio was 80%. The mean age of the patients was (33.5 +/-
      19.3) years. And 71% of the patients were younger than 44 years old. There were
      19 (13%) deaths from which 68.5% were older than 44 years old. The mean transfer
      time from the injury scene to hospital was (55 +/- 26) minutes. The most frequent
      mechanisms of injury were motorcycle crashes and falling from height, which
      together included 66.2% of all the injuries. A total of 84% of hospital deaths
      occurred after the first 24 h of hospitalization. Head and neck were the most
      common body injured areas with a prevalence of 111 cases (75%). CONCLUSION:
      Motorcycle crashes have high frequency in Iran. Since most victims are young
      males, injury prevention strategies should be considered to reduce the burden of
      injuries.

PMID- 28363519
TI  - Pretargeting with bispecific fusion proteins facilitates delivery of
      nanoparticles to tumor cells with distinct surface antigens.
AB  - Tumor heterogeneity, which describes the genetically and phenotypically distinct
      subpopulations of tumor cells present within the same tumor or patient, presents
      a major challenge to targeted delivery of diagnostic and/or therapeutic agents.
      An ideal targeting strategy should deliver a given nanocarrier to the full
      diversity of cancer cells, which is difficult to achieve with conventional ligand
      conjugated nanoparticles. We evaluated pretargeting (i.e., multistep targeting)
      as a strategy to facilitate nanoparticle delivery to multiple target cells by
      measuring the uptake of biotinylated nanoparticles by lymphoma cells with
      distinct surface antigens pretreated with different bispecific streptavidin-scFv
      fusion proteins. Fusion proteins targeting CD20 or tumor-associated glycoprotein
      72 (TAG-72) mediated the specific in vitro uptake of 100nm biotin-functionalized
      nanoparticles by Raji and Jurkat lymphoma cells (CD20-positive and TAG-72
      positive cells, respectively). Greater uptake was observed for pretargeted
      nanoparticles with increasing amounts of surface biotin, with 6- to 18-fold
      higher uptake vs. non-biotinylated nanoparticle and fusion protein controls.
      Fully biotin-modified particles remained resistant to cultured macrophage cell
      uptake, although they were still quickly cleared from systemic circulation in
      vivo (t1/2<1h). For single Raji tumor-bearing mice, pretargeting with CD20
      specific FP significantly increased nanoparticle tumor targeting. In mice bearing
      both Raji and Jurkat tumors, pretargeting with both fusion proteins markedly
      increased nanoparticle targeting to both tumor types, compared to animals dosed
      with nanoparticles alone. These in vitro and in vivo observations support further
      evaluations of pretargeting fusion protein cocktails as a strategy to enhance
      nanoparticle delivery to a diverse array of molecularly distinct target cells.

PMID- 28363516
TI  - Vascular disease in cocaine addiction.
AB  - Cocaine, a powerful vasoconstrictor, induces immune responses including cytokine
      elevations. Chronic cocaine use is associated with functional brain impairments
      potentially mediated by vascular pathology. Although the Crack-Cocaine epidemic
      has declined, its vascular consequences are increasingly becoming evident among
      individuals with cocaine use disorder of that period, now aging. Paradoxically,
      during the period when prevention efforts could make a difference, this
      population receives psychosocial treatment at best. We review major postmortem
      and in vitro studies documenting cocaine-induced vascular toxicity. PubMed and
      Academic Search Complete were used with relevant terms. Findings consist of the
      major mechanisms of cocaine-induced vasoconstriction, endothelial dysfunction,
      and accelerated atherosclerosis, emphasizing acute, chronic, and secondary
      effects of cocaine. The etiology underlying cocaine's acute and chronic vascular
      effects is multifactorial, spanning hypertension, impaired homeostasis and
      platelet function, thrombosis, thromboembolism, and alterations in blood flow.
      Early detection of vascular disease in cocaine addiction by multimodality imaging
      is discussed. Treatment may be similar to indications in patients with
      traditional risk-factors, with few exceptions such as enhanced supportive care
      and use of benzodiazepines and phentolamine for sedation, and avoiding beta
      blockers. Given the vascular toxicity cocaine induces, further compounded by
      smoking and alcohol comorbidity, and interacting with aging of the crack
      generation, there is a public health imperative to identify pre-symptomatic
      markers of vascular impairments in cocaine addiction and employ preventive
      treatment to reduce silent disease progression.

PMID- 28363520
TI  - Sequence segregation improves non-covalent protein delivery.
AB  - The impermeability of the plasma membrane towards large, hydrophilic biomolecules
      is a major obstacle in their use and development against intracellular targets.
      To overcome such limitations, protein transduction domains (PTDs) have been used
      as protein carriers, however they often require covalent fusion to the protein
      for efficient delivery. In an effort to develop more efficient and versatile
      biological vehicles, a series of PTD-inspired polyoxanorbornene-based synthetic
      mimics with identical chemical compositions but different hydrophobic/hydrophilic
      segregation were used to investigate the role of sequence segregation on protein
      binding and uptake into Jurkat T cells and HEK293Ts. This series was composed of
      a strongly segregated block copolymer, an intermediately segregated gradient
      copolymer, and a non-segregated homopolymer. Among the series, the block
      copolymer maximized both protein binding and translocation efficiencies, closely
      followed by the gradient copolymer, resulting in two protein transporter
      molecules more efficacious than currently commercially available agents. These
      two polymers were also used to deliver the biologically active Cre recombinase
      into a loxP-reporter T cell line. Since exogenous Cre must reach the nucleus and
      retain its activity to induce gene recombination, this in vitro experiment better
      exemplifies the broad applicability of this synthetic system. This study shows
      that increasing segregation between hydrophobic and cationic moieties in these
      polymeric mimics improves non-covalent protein delivery, providing crucial design
      parameters for the creation of more potent biological delivery agents for
      research and biomedical applications.

PMID- 28363521
TI  - Effectiveness of tissue engineered chitosan-gelatin composite scaffold loaded
      with human platelet gel in regeneration of critical sized radial bone defect in
      rat.
AB  - Although many strategies have been utilized to accelerate bone regeneration, an
      appropriate treatment strategy to regenerate a new bone with optimum morphology
      and mechanical properties has not been invented as yet. This study investigated
      the healing potential of a composite scaffold consisting of chitosan (CS),
      gelatin (Gel) and platelet gel (PG), named CS-Gel-PG, on a bilateral critical
      sized radial bone defect in rat. Eighty radial bone defects were bilaterally
      created in 40 Sprague-Dawley rats and were randomly divided into eight groups
      including untreated, autograft, CS, Gel, CS-PG, Gel-PG, CS-Gel, and CS-Gel-PG
      treated defects. The bone defects were evaluated clinically and radiologically
      during the study and their bone samples were assessed by gross and
      histopathology, histomorphometry, CT-scan, scanning electron microscopy, and
      biomechanical testing after 8weeks of bone injury. The autograft and CS-Gel-PG
      groups showed significantly higher new bone formation, density of osseous and
      cartilaginous tissues, bone volume, and mechanical performance than the defect,
      CS and Gel-PG groups (P?0.05). In addition, bone volume, density of osseous and
      cartilaginous tissues, and numbers of osteons in the CS-Gel-PG group were
      significantly superior to the CS-PG, CS-Gel and Gel groups (P?0.05). Increased
      mRNA levels of alkaline phosphatase, runt-related transcription factor 2,
      osteocalcin, collagen type 1 and CD31, vascular endothelial growth factor as
      osteogenic and angiogenic differentiation markers were found with the CS-Gel-PG
      scaffold by quantitative real-time PCR in vitro after 30days of culturing on bone
      marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells. In conclusion, the healing potential of CS
      Gel scaffold embedded with PG was comparable to autografting and therefore, it
      can be offered as an appropriate scaffold in bone tissue engineering and
      regenerative applications.

PMID- 28363523
TI  - Cordycepin-enriched WIB-801C from Cordyceps militaris improves functional
      recovery by attenuating blood-spinal cord barrier disruption after spinal cord
      injury.
AB  - ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE: Cordyceps militaris is an ingredient of
      traditional Chinese medicine and have been widely used for inflammatory diseases
      and cancer. Cordycepin is one of the major bioactive components of Cordyceps
      militaris, and has been known to have anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidant effects.
      AIM OF THIS STUDY: In the present study, we examined whether WIB-801C, a
      standardized and cordycepin-enriched extract of caterpillar fungus (Cordyceps
      militaris), would attenuate blood-spinal cord barrier (BSCB) disruption by
      inhibiting matrix metalloprotease (MMP)-9 activity, leading to improvement of
      functional outcomes after spinal cord injury (SCI). MATERIALS AND METHODS: Male
      Sprague-Dawley rats were subjected to contusive SCI using a New York University
      (NYU) impactor, and WIB-801C (50mg/kg) was administered at 2h and 8h after injury
      orally and further treated once a day for indicated time points. BSCB disruption,
      MMP-9 activity, blood infiltration, inflammation, neuronal apoptosis, axonal
      loss, demyelination, and neurological deficit were evaluated. RESULTS: We found
      that WIB-801C significantly attenuated BSCB disruption by inhibiting MMP-9
      expression and activation after injury. The infiltration of neutrophils at 1 d
      and macrophage at 5 d after SCI was also ameliorated by WIB-801C as compared with
      vehicle control. In addition, the expression of inflammatory cytokines and
      mediators such as Tnf-alpha, IL-1beta, IL-6, Cox-2, and inos as well as
      chemokines such as Gro-alpha and Mip-2alpha was significantly inhibited by WIB
      801C. Furthermore, WIB-801C inhibits p38MAPK activation and proNGF production in
      microglia after injury. These events eventually led to the inhibition of
      apoptotic cell death of neurons and oligodendrocytes, improved functional
      recovery and attenuated demyelination and axon loss after SCI. CONCLUSION: Our
      results suggest that WIB-801C can be used as a therapeutic agent after SCI by
      attenuating BSCB disruption followed inflammation.

PMID- 28363522
TI  - Reversal of multidrug resistance by Marsdenia tenacissima and its main active
      ingredients polyoxypregnanes.
AB  - ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE: Multidrug resistance (MDR) of cancer is often
      associated with the overexpression of ATP-binding cassette (ABC) transporters,
      such as P-glycoprotein (P-gp), multidrug resistance-associated protein-1 (MRP-1)
      and breast cancer resistance protein (BCRP or ABCG2), in cancer cells, which
      facilitates the active efflux of a wide variety of chemotherapeutic drugs out of
      the cells. Marsdenia tenacissima is a traditional Chinese medicinal herb that has
      long been clinically used for treatment of cancers, particularly in combinational
      use with anticancer drugs. Polyoxypregnanes (POPs) are identified as main
      constituents of this herb, and three of them have been reported to exhibit P-gp
      modulatory effect and thus reverse MDR. Therefore, it is of great necessity to
      investigate more POPs that have potential to reverse transporters-mediated MDR.
      AIM OF THE STUDY: We aimed to identify POPs as the chemical basis responsible for
      circumventing ABC transporters-mediated MDR by M. tenacissima. MATERIALS AND
      METHODS: The MDR reversal effects of M. tenacissima crude extract together with a
      series of isolated POPs were evaluated on several MDR cancer cell lines that
      overexpress P-gp, MRP1 or ABCG2. The activities of P-gp, MRP1 and ABCG2 were
      determined by the flow cytometry-based substrate efflux assay. Molecular docking
      of POPs to a three-dimensional human P-gp homology structure was also performed.
      RESULTS: The crude extract of M. tenacissima was firstly found to circumvent P-gp
      mediated MDR. Then, 11 polyoxypregnane compounds (POPs) isolated from this herb
      were found to overcome P-gp-, MRP1- and/or ABCG2-mediated MDR. Further
      mechanistic study delineated that the reversal of MDR by these POPs was due to
      significant increase in the intracellular concentrations of the substrate
      anticancer drugs via their inhibition of different ABC transporter-mediated
      efflux activities. Furthermore, molecular docking revealed that POPs with P-gp
      modulatory effect bound to P-gp and fitted well into the cavity between the alpha
      and beta subunit of P-gp via forming hydrogen bonds. In addition, several key
      structural determinants for inhibition of P-gp, MRP1 or ABCG2 by POPs were
      illustrated. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings advocated the rational use of M.
      tenacissima to enhance efficacies of conventional anticancer drugs in tumors with
      ABC drug transporters-mediated MDR. Furthermore, 11 POPs were found to contribute
      to MDR reversal effect of M. tenacissima via inhibition of different ABC efflux
      transporters.

PMID- 28363524
TI  - An overview on Leucosidea sericea Eckl. & Zeyh.: A multi-purpose tree with
      potential as a phytomedicine.
AB  - ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE: Leucosidea sericea (the sole species in this
      genus) is a tree species found in southern Africa and possesses several
      therapeutical effects against infectious diseases in humans and livestock. This
      review aims to document and summarize the botany, phytochemical and biological
      properties of Leucosidea sericea. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Using the term
      'Leucosidea sericea', we systematically searched literature including library
      catalogues, academic dissertations and databases such as PubMed, SciFinder, Web
      of Science, Google Scholar and Wanfang. Taxonomy of the species was validated
      using 'The Plant List' (www.theplantlist.org). RESULTS: Leucosidea sericea
      remains a widely used species among the different ethnic groups in southern
      Africa. The species is a rich source of approximately 50 essential oils and
      different classes of phytochemicals (phenolics, phloroglucinols, cholestane
      triterpenoids, alkaloids and saponins) which may account for their diverse
      biological properties. Documented biological activities which were mainly
      observed under in vitro systems included antimicrobial, anti-parasitic,
      antioxidant, acetylcholinesterase (AChE) inhibition and anti-inflammatory
      properties. Preliminary safety tests on Leucosidea sericea extracts suggest
      moderate cytotoxic effects based on a few cell lines that were investigated.
      CONCLUSIONS: Leucosidea sericea possesses diverse medicinal potential with the
      antimicrobial, anti-parasitic, antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activities being
      the most prominent. The relative abundance and tendency of Leucosidea sericea to
      evade in nature suggest an abundant reservoir of raw materials for potential
      commercialization (upon validation of its pharmacological potential). However,
      more stringent investigations on the extracts (and isolated bioactive compounds)
      focusing on the mode of actions, which will inevitably unravel their
      pharmacokinetics, pharmacodynamics and clinical relevance remain pertinent.

PMID- 28363525
TI  - Protective effect of a phenolic extract containing indoline amides from Portulaca
      oleracea against cognitive impairment in senescent mice induced by large dose of
      D-galactose /NaNO2.
AB  - ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE: Portulaca oleracea L. is a potherb and also a
      widely used traditional Chinese medicine. In accordance with its nickname
      "longevity vegetable", pharmacological study demonstrated that this plant
      possessed antioxidant, anti-aging, and cognition-improvement function. Active
      principles pertaining to these functions of P. oleracea need to be elucidated.
      AIM OF THE STUDY: The present study evaluated the effect of a phenolic extract
      (PAAs) from P. oleracea which contained specific antioxidant indoline amides on
      cognitive impairment in senescent mice. MATERIALS AND METHODS: PAAs was prepared
      through AB-8 macroporous resin column chromatography. Total phenol content was
      determined using colorimetric method, and contents of indoline amides were
      determined using HPLC-UV method. Senescent Kunming mice with cognitive
      dysfunction were established by intraperitoneal injection of D-galactose (D-gal,
      1250mg/kg/day) and NaNO2 (90mg/kg/day) for 8 weeks, L-PAAs (360mg/kg/day), H-PAAs
      (720mg/kg/day), and nootropic drug piracetam (PA, 400mg/kg/day) as the positive
      control were orally administered. Spatial learning and memory abilities were
      evaluated by Morris water maze experiment. Activities of AChE, SOD, CAT, and
      levels of GSH and MDA in the brain or plasma were measured. Hippocampal
      morphology was observed by HE staining. RESULTS: Chronic treatment of large dose
      of D-gal/NaNO2 significantly reduced lifespan, elevated AChE activity, decreased
      CAT activity, compensatorily up-regulated SOD activity and GSH level, increased
      MDA level, induced neuronal damage in hippocampal CA1, CA3 and CA4 regions, and
      impaired cognitive function. Similar to PA, PAAs prolonged the lifespan and
      improved spatial memory ability. Moreover, PAAs improved learning ability. H-PAAs
      significantly reversed compensatory increase in SOD activity to the normal level,
      elevated serum CAT activity, and reduced MDA levels in brain and plasma, more
      potent than L-PAAs. Besides these, PAAs evidently inhibited hippocampal neuronal
      damage. However, it had no effect on brain AChE activity. CONCLUSION: PAAs as the
      bioactive principles of P. oleracea attenuated oxidative stress, improved
      survival rate, and enhanced cognitive function in D-gal/NaNO2-induced senile
      mice, similar to piracetam. This phenolic extract provides a promising candidate
      for prevention of aging and aging-related cognitive dysfunction in clinic.

PMID- 28363527
TI  - Elevated levels of soluble humanleukocyte antigen-G in the airways are a marker
      for a low-inflammatory endotype of asthma.

PMID- 28363526
TI  - A randomised, double-blind, phase 3 study comparing the efficacy and safety of
      ceftazidime/avibactam plus metronidazole versus meropenem for complicated intra
      abdominal infections in hospitalised adults in Asia.
AB  - Ceftazidime/avibactam comprises the broad-spectrum cephalosporin ceftazidime and
      the non-beta-lactam beta-lactamase inhibitor avibactam. This phase 3, randomised,
      double-blind study (NCT01726023) assessed the efficacy and safety of
      ceftazidime/avibactam plus metronidazole compared with meropenem in patients with
      complicated intra-abdominal infection (cIAI) in Asian countries. Subjects aged 18
      90 years and hospitalised with cIAI requiring surgical intervention were
      randomised 1:1 to receive every 8 h either: ceftazidime/avibactam (2000/500 mg, 2
      h infusion) followed by metronidazole (500 mg, 60-min infusion); or meropenem
      (1000 mg, 30-min infusion). Non-inferiority of ceftazidime/avibactam plus
      metronidazole to meropenem was concluded if the lower limit of the 95% confidence
      interval (CI) for the between-group difference in clinical cure rate was greater
      than -12.5% at the test-of-cure (TOC) visit (28-35 days after randomisation) in
      the clinically evaluable (CE) population. Safety was also evaluated. Of 441
      subjects randomised, 432 received at least one dose of study medication
      (ceftazidime/avibactam plus metronidazole, n = 215; meropenem, n = 217). In the
      CE population at the TOC visit, non-inferiority of ceftazidime/avibactam plus
      metronidazole to meropenem was demonstrated, with clinical cure reported for
      93.8% (166/177) and 94.0% (173/184) of subjects, respectively (between-group
      difference, -0.2, 95% CI -5.53 to 4.97). The clinical cure rate with
      ceftazidime/avibactam plus metronidazole was comparable in subjects with
      ceftazidime-non-susceptible and ceftazidime-susceptible isolates (95.7% vs.
      92.1%, respectively). Adverse events were similar between the study groups.
      Ceftazidime/avibactam plus metronidazole was non-inferior to meropenem in the
      treatment of cIAIs in Asian populations and was effective against ceftazidime-non
      susceptible pathogens. No new safety concerns were identified.

PMID- 28363528
TI  - Determination of carrageenan by means of photometric titration with Methylene
      Blue and Toluidine Blue dyes.
AB  - A new approach to carrageenan quantitation was described. The method consists in
      titration of carrageenan solution by Methylene Blue dye or Toluidine Blue dye
      solution until a certain absorbance value. The optimal wavelengths are 660nm and
      640nm when titrating with Methylene Blue dye and Toluidine Blue dye,
      respectively. Rectilinear calibration plots (R2>0.996) provide carrageenan
      determination in the concentration range from 2 to 60mg/L with relative standard
      deviation from 1 to 5%. The proposed method is simple and feasible in use due to
      optical dip probe providing in situ absorbance measurements. The proposed way of
      end-point recognition as pre-set voltage is applicable with any automatic
      titrator. The method was tested on model jelly dessert sachet. No interference
      was registered from typical ingredients of jellies such as sucrose, citric acid,
      sodium citrate, malic acid, potassium sorbate as well as blue colorant. The
      neutral polysaccharides such as guar gum and locust bean gum have insignificant
      interference when their content is fivefold as compared to that of carrageenan.

PMID- 28363529
TI  - Potential of glucans as vaccine adjuvants: A review of the alpha-glucans case.
AB  - alpha-Glucans are present in virtually all domains of life, and these glucose
      chains linked by alpha-1,4- and alpha-1,6-linked branches form the most important
      storage carbohydrates in cells. It is likely for this reason that alpha-glucans
      are not generally considered as bioactive molecules as beta-glucans are.
      Nevertheless, it is known that depending on their source, many alpha-glucans play
      important roles as modulators of immune response. Recent efforts have attempted
      to elucidate the mechanisms through which alpha-glucans exert their
      immunostimulant effects; however, the main challenge is the accurate
      identification of the receptors of immune cells involved in their recognition.
      Here, we review the adjuvant properties reported for some polysaccharides and
      ultimately focus on alpha-glucans and how their structural characteristics, such
      as molecular weight, solubility and derivatization, influence their
      immunostimulatory properties. As a final point, we discuss the potential and
      associated challenges of using these polysaccharides as adjuvants, particularly
      in mucosal vaccination.

PMID- 28363530
TI  - Chitin nanowhisker (ChNW)-functionalized electrospun PVDF membrane for enhanced
      removal of Indigo carmine.
AB  - In this study, an active functional adsorbent membrane developed by combining
      both hydrophilic bio polymer filler such as chitin nanowhiskers (ChNW) which
      contains two functional groups and a hydrophobic polymer matrix such as
      polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) using electrospinning technique. Here ChNW were
      successfully extracted by excluding proteins and mineral and well characterized
      using FTIR, XRD, SEM and TEM. The optimized combination of PVDF/ChNW (15%:1%)
      membrane was fabricated and well characterized using SEM, water contact angle and
      FTIR spectroscopy. There was a remarkable difference in contact angle observed
      for PVDF/ChNW (22.72 degrees ) compared to neat PVDF (93.1 degrees ) membrane.
      Ultimately the membrane used for indigo carmine (IC) adsorption and an enhanced
      removal efficiency (88.9%) and adsorption capacity (72.6mgg-1) were observed
      compared to neat PVDF. In the future, the overall idea can make leads to various
      applications such as proteins, virus and hormones adsorption from the
      contaminated sources.

PMID- 28363531
TI  - Solid polymer electrolyte production from 2-hydroxyethyl cellulose: Effect of
      ammonium nitrate composition on its structural properties.
AB  - Addition of doping materials can possibly enhance the ionic conduction of solid
      polymer electrolyte (SPE). In this work, a new SPE using 2-hydroxyethyl cellulose
      (2-HEC) incorporated with different ammonium nitrate (NH4NO3) composition was
      prepared via solution casting method. Studies of structural properties were
      conducted to correlate the ionic conductivity of 2-HECNH4NO3 SPE using X-ray
      diffraction (XRD) and Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy. Encouraging
      result was obtained as the ionic conductivity increased about two orders of
      magnitude upon addition of 12wt% of NH4NO3. XRD analysis shows the most amorphous
      SPE was obtained at 12-NH4NO3. From FTIR spectra, the interactions between 2-HEC
      and NH4NO3 were observed by the shifts of COH peak from 1355cm-1 to 1330cm-1 and
      the presence of new NH peak in the OH region. The spectrum has been validated
      theoretically using Gaussian software. The results obtained from this study
      corroborate that the complexes of 2-HEC and NH4NO3 responsible to promote the
      ionic conductivity to the higher value.

PMID- 28363532
TI  - Stabilizing alkenyl succinic anhydride (ASA) emulsions with starch nanocrystals
      and fluorescent carbon dots.
AB  - Stabilizing alkenyl succinic anhydride (ASA) emulsions using fine particles
      instead of cationic starch have attracted much attention in recent years. Herein,
      starch nanocrystals (SNCs) made from maize starch by H2SO4 hydrolysis were used
      to co-stabilize ASA emulsions with fluorescent carbon dots (CDs) made
      hydrothermally from gelatin. The introduction of CDs can significantly enhance
      the stability and reduce the droplet size of SNC-stabilized ASA-in-water
      emulsions. Consequently, the sizing performance of the SNC-stabilized ASA
      emulsion is significantly improved by increasing the CD-to-SNC mass ratio. SNC
      and CD co-stabilized ASA emulsions show much better sizing performance than
      starch and CD co-stabilized ASA emulsions, achieving their best sizing
      performance at a CD-to-SNC mass ratio of 80%. Meanwhile, the morphology of
      SNC/starch and CD co-stabilized ASA emulsions can be traced under UV excitation.

PMID- 28363534
TI  - Effects of amadumbe starch nanocrystals on the physicochemical properties of
      starch biocomposite films.
AB  - The influence of amadumbe starch nanocrystals (SNCs) at varying concentrations
      (2.5, 5 and 10%) on the physicochemical properties of biocomposite films prepared
      using two starch matrices, amadumbe and potato starches were investigated.
      Amadumbe SNCs exhibited square-like platelets morphology, typical of SNC derived
      from A-type starches. In general, the inclusion of SNCs significantly decreased
      water vapour permeability (WVP) of composite films whilst thermal stability and
      opacity were increased. Amadumbe starch films showed substantially high tensile
      strength (TS) compared to potato starch in the presence of SNCs. At 2.5% SNCs, TS
      of composite amadumbe film (8MPa) was about four times that of composite potato
      films. However, SNCs>=5% generally decreased TS of both potato and amadumbe
      films. Amadumbe SNCs can potentially be used as fillers to improve the properties
      of biodegradable starch films. Amadumbe starch has better film forming properties
      compared to potato starch.

PMID- 28363533
TI  - Multi-layer mucilage of Plantago ovata seeds: Rheological differences arise from
      variations in arabinoxylan side chains.
AB  - Mucilages are hydrocolloid solutions produced by plants for a variety of
      functions, including the creation of a water-holding barrier around seeds. Here
      we report our discovery of the formation of three distinct mucilage layers around
      Plantago ovata seeds upon their hydration. Each layer is dominated by different
      arabinoxylans (AXs). These AXs are unusual because they are highly branched and
      contain beta-1,3-linked xylose in their side chains. We show that these AXs have
      similar monosaccharide and linkage composition, but vary in their polymer
      conformation. They also exhibit distinct rheological properties in aqueous
      solution, despite analytical techniques including NMR showing little difference
      between them. Using enzymatic hydrolysis and chaotropic solvents, we reveal that
      hydrogen bonding and side chain distribution are key factors underpinning the
      distinct rheological properties of these complex AXs.

PMID- 28363535
TI  - Sulfated chitosan/PVA absorbent membrane for removal of copper and nickel ions
      from aqueous solutions-Fabrication and sorption studies.
AB  - Novel absorbents for the removal of Cu2+ and Ni2+ ions from aqueous solutions
      were prepared from solution cast sulfated chitosan/polyvinyl alcohol membranes
      (SCS/PVA) and their properties were investigated. FTIR, SEM, XRD and TGA analyses
      were used to determine membrane structure. The effect of environmental parameters
      on absorption was studied, including pH, contact time, temperature and the
      initial concentration of Ni2+ and Cu2+ ions. Freundlich and Langmuir absorption
      isotherms were fitted to experimental data and a pseudo-second order rate
      equation was employed to model the kinetics of uptake for several copper and
      nickel ion concentrations. The results indicate that the affinity of an SCS/PVA
      membrane for Cu2+ ions was higher than that for Ni2+ ions. The study demonstrated
      that the SCS/PVA system can be utilized as highly efficient sorbents, to extract
      Ni2+ and Cu2+ from aqueous feed solutions.

PMID- 28363536
TI  - Synthesis and characterization of polyvinyl alcohol- carboxymethyl tamarind gum
      based composite films.
AB  - The present study delineates the synthesis of novel composite films using
      polyvinyl alcohol and carboxymethyl tamarind gum. The microscopic study results
      confirmed the formation of composite matrices. FTIR spectroscopy suggested the
      occurrence of hydrogen-bonding amongst the components of the films. The extent of
      hydrogen bonding was composition-dependent which reached a critical higher limit
      at a particular composition. At the critical composition, the instantaneous and
      the intermediate polymer relaxation time were longer. All the films were found to
      be viscoelastic in nature. The melting endotherm was also highest for the
      composition described above. Ciprofloxacin loaded films showed excellent
      antimicrobial property against E. coli, suggesting that the drug was released in
      its active form. Cell proliferation study using human keratinocytes suggested
      better cell proliferation in the CMT containing films as compared to the control
      (PVA only) film. In gist, the developed films can be explored for skin tissue
      engineering and drug delivery applications.

PMID- 28363537
TI  - Surface and nutraceutical properties of edible films made from starchy sources
      with and without added blackberry pulp.
AB  - The surface and nutraceutical properties have been poorly studied on edible
      films. The aim of this study was to investigate the surface properties and
      potential health effects in terms of in vitro digestibility and anti-inflammatory
      activity. The materials were developed from native plantain starch and pre
      gelatinized plantain flour with and without added blackberry pulp using casting
      methodology. Thermogravimetric analysis, contact angle, scanning electron
      microscopy, atomic force microscopy, resistant starch, in vitro digestibility,
      cell viability, reactive oxygen species, anti-inflammatory activity and sensory
      evaluation were the tests carried out in this study. Films containing blackberry
      pulp had more compact and smooth morphologies, which were related to the lower in
      vitro digestibility rate and the higher resistant starch content. In addition,
      these materials had higher anti-inflammatory activity, higher cell viability, and
      better acceptance by the panelists, thus suggesting potential health effects of
      consumers with special feeding regimes such as obese, diabetics and celiacs.

PMID- 28363538
TI  - Biophysical features of cereal endosperm that decrease starch digestibility.
AB  - The influence of the physical structure of cereal endosperm on the natural
      structural integrity (intact cells) and starch bioaccessibility of the resultant
      flours was studied using maize as example. Endosperm hardness, defined by its
      intracellular (protein matrix) and extracellular (cell walls) constituents,
      affected the granular and molecular damage of the starch of the resultant flours
      leading to higher digestibility of raw hard than soft endosperm flours, but
      comparatively lower digestibility after cooking. After milling, hard endosperm
      possessed more damaged starch (radial splitting of amylopectin clusters) in the
      periphery of the resultant particles that increased in vitro starch digestibility
      of raw flours. Conversely, the hard endosperm plant tissue matrix significantly
      limited water availability and heat transfer on starch gelatinisation, thereby
      decreasing the digestion rate after hydrothermal processing (in particle size
      flours >80MUm). This study provides a unique mechanistic understanding to obtain
      cereal flours with slow digestion property for commercial utilisation.

PMID- 28363539
TI  - In vitro and in vivo immunomodulatory activity of sulfated polysaccharide from
      Porphyra haitanensis.
AB  - The immunoregulatory activity of sulfated polysaccharide from Porphyra
      haitanensis (PHPS) was investigated in a RAW264.7 macrophages cell model and a
      BALB/c murine model. The subpopulation of dendritic cells (DCs) and regulatory T
      cells (Tregs) from PHPS-treated mice splenocytes were also measured by flow
      cytometry. Consistent with previous reports, we showed that PHPS increased the
      phagocytosis of RAW264.7 macrophages, and enhanced the secretion of interleukin
      (IL)-6, IL-10 and tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha). Meanwhile, PHPS
      induced the production of nitric oxide via the Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK) and
      the Janus kinase (JAK2) signaling pathways in RAW264.7 macrophages. Furthermore,
      PHPS promoted the proliferation of mice lymphocytes, inducing the generation of
      TNF-alpha and IL-10 in vivo, as well as the subpopulation of CD4+ splenic T
      lymphocytes, DCs, and Tregs. These results indicated that PHPS plays key roles in
      immunoregulation and may be apply to develop new health foods.

PMID- 28363540
TI  - The characteristic and dispersion stability of nanocellulose produced by mixed
      acid hydrolysis and ultrasonic assistance.
AB  - Axiolitic shape nanocellulose particles were prepared using a combined mixed acid
      hydrolysis and ultrasonic treatment. The crystallinity, morphology and stability
      properties of cellulose were characterized to investigate the mechanism of
      nanocellulose formation and stability. It was found the hydrodynamic radius
      decreased from 205nm to 89nm, and the crystallinity index of the nanocellulose
      increased from 62.90% to 72.31% with an increase in hydrolysis time from 2 to
      10h. Sulfate esters and sulfonate group were present in the nanocellulose, and
      released more COH groups after hydrolysis. The zeta-potential of cellulose
      decreased from -11.5 to -43.8mV after 10h of hydrolysis. These results
      illustrated the amorphous characteristic of cellulose was removed after acid
      hydrolysis and ultrasonic treatment. The higher zeta-potential and relatively
      small cellulose particles caused a more stable suspension, suggesting that
      electrostatic interactions played an important role in maintaining the stability
      and dispersibility of the nanocellulose particles.

PMID- 28363541
TI  - Estimation of uronic acids using diverse approaches and monosaccharide
      composition of alkali soluble polysaccharide from Vitex negundo Linn.
AB  - Vitex negundo L. is one of the most important species in traditional system of
      medicine to cure various ailments. Alkali soluble polysaccharide (ASP) from V.
      negundo stems was isolated and purified in 0.61% yield. Complete hydrolysis of
      ASP followed by paper chromatography and GLC analysis indicated the presence of l
      rhamnose, l-arabinose, d-xylose, d-galactose and d-glucose in mole percent of
      1.28, 2.25, 73.49, 8.08, 8.11 along with 2.48 d-galacturonic acid and 4.27 d
      glucuronic acid. Uronic acids were also estimated by spectrophotometric methods
      using carbazole, m-hydroxydiphenyl and 3, 5-dimethyl phenol (DMP) as colorimetric
      reagents. Estimation of uronic acids using DMP corroborated the results of GLC
      analysis. The study evaluated the utility of colorimetric methods for uronic acid
      estimation in polysaccharide having interferences from neutral sugars especially
      xylose, glucose and galactose. The analysis also resulted in composition of
      constituent monosaccharides of ASP and co-relation analysis of uronic acids
      content. The results may divulge the structural moiety of the polysaccharide
      responsible for its bio-efficacy.

PMID- 28363542
TI  - Alkalization of dissolving cellulose pulp with highly concentrated caustic at low
      NaOH stoichiometric excess.
AB  - We present a quantitative study, using Raman spectroscopy combined with
      multivariate data analysis, to determine the degree of activation of softwood
      sulphite dissolving cellulose pulp by aqueous sodium hydroxide. We have chosen
      industrially relevant conditions, including low stoichiometric ratio of
      NaOH/Anhydroglucose Unit (AGU)<2 and highly concentrated caustic (>=45% w/w
      [NaOH]). A design of experiments is used to investigate the effects of
      simultaneous variation of a set of key parameters on the degree of activation
      (i.e. transformation to alkali cellulose, denoted as DoA): (a) the NaOH/AGU
      stoichiometric ratio, denoted (r); (b) the concentration of NaOH, denoted [NaOH];
      (c) temperature, denoted (T); and (d) reaction time, denoted (t). Solid-state 13C
      CP/MAS NMR spectroscopy was applied to investigate the reproducibility of the
      experiments and to select the range for (t). According to the model, (r) is found
      to have a statistically significant effect on DoA (increasing from DoA=6-30% at
      the lowest (r)=0.8, to DoA=48-87% at the highest (r)=1.8), together with [NaOH].
      The influence of [NaOH] depends strongly on (r). The other studied variables are
      found to be insignificant in the model and has a complicated influence on the
      activation. In particular, (T) is found to be unimportant in the studied range
      (30-60 degrees C), but increasing (t) from 5 to 25min shows a positive influence
      on DoA, depending on both (r) and [NaOH]. A mercerisation mechanism that is
      controlled by diffusion is proposed to explain these phenomena.

PMID- 28363543
TI  - Submicrometric hypromellose acetate succinate particles as carrier for soy
      isoflavones extract with improved skin penetration performance.
AB  - In this study, hypromellose acetate succinate (HPMCAS) stable submicronic
      particles loaded with a soy isoflavones extract have been obtained by nano spray
      drying technology. HPMCAS has been used as excipient able to increase both
      stability and supersaturation levels of the active ingredients hence able to
      enhance skin penetration performance of genistein and daidzein. The influence of
      polymer/extract ratio as other process variables, on particle size, morphology
      and permeation performance, have been investigated. Particles in submicronic
      range (mean size around 550nm) and narrow size distribution with high
      encapsulation efficiency (up to 86%) were obtained. HPMCAS was able to improve
      amorphization of genistein during the atomization process and avoid
      recrystallization during storage, even in harsh environmental condition.
      Moreover, the enhanced affinity of the optimized formulations with aqueous media,
      strongly increased isoflavones penetration through membrane with diffusive
      properties well-correlated to human skin, up to 10-fold higher than pure soy
      isoflavones extract raw material.

PMID- 28363544
TI  - Compositional and structural characteristics of sulfated polysaccharide from
      Enteromorpha prolifera.
AB  - Polysaccharide from Enteromorpha prolifera (PE) has been reported to have
      biological activities such as anticancer, antioxidant and immunomodulatory
      activities, but the structural characteristics of PE remain unclear. In this
      study, the composition of PE was characterized using chemical methods, IR
      spectroscopy and HPLC. PE was identified as a sulfated polysaccharide mainly
      composed of rhamnose (Rha), glucuronic (GlcUA), xylose (Xyl) at a molar ratio of
      3.2: 1.1: 1, and the average molecular weight was 620.3kDa. An enzymatic
      hydrolysis method was used to obtain three carbohydrate products. The MS and NMR
      results of these residues revealed that the backbone of PE consisted of D-GlcUAp
      alpha-(1->4)-3-sulfate-l-Rha p-beta-(1->4)-d-Xyl p-beta-(1->4)-3-sulfate-l-Rha p
      units. In this study, specific carbohydrate residues rich in sulfated rhamnose
      were prepared from E. prolifera. The structural determination of these sulfated
      carbohydrates may contribute to future studies on the relationship between
      structure and bioactivities.

PMID- 28363545
TI  - Development of an infusion method for encapsulating ascorbyl palmitate in V-type
      granular cold-water swelling starch.
AB  - Certain lipophilic components can be inserted very efficiently as guest molecule
      in the existing single helical amylose cavities in VH-type crystalline granular
      cold-water swelling starch (GCWSS). In the present study, ascorbyl palmitate
      (AscP) was used as a model guest compound. The impacts of temperature (20 and 60
      degrees C) and ethanol [48 and 68% (v/v)] and AscP [1.0, 2.5, 5.0, 10.0% (w/w)]
      concentrations on encapsulation performance were investigated. First, native
      maize and potato starches were converted into VH-type GCWSS by aqueous ethanol
      [48% (v/v)] treatment at 95 degrees C. Exposing GCWSS to AscP induced the
      formation of inclusion complexes when a particular solvent (and temperature)
      environment was met. In 48% (v/v) ethanol, raising the treatment temperature to
      60 degrees C did not significantly impact on the encapsulation performance.
      Maximum degrees of AscP encapsulation were 2.9 and 1.5% (w/w) for maize and
      potato starch, respectively, as determined by proton nuclear magnetic resonance
      measurements. As maize GCWSS contained more 'parent' VH-type crystals, it was
      capable of entrapping more AscP than potato GCWSS.

PMID- 28363546
TI  - Optimized pH-responsive film based on a eutectic mixture-plasticized chitosan.
AB  - Chitosan (CS, 2g/100mL)/curcumin 1g/100mL in acetic acid aqueous solution were
      used to prepare films to be used as food indicator. Microcrystalline cellulose
      (MCC) and a eutectic mixture (DES) were incorporated as reinforcing and
      plasticizing agents, respectively. The MCC content (133 mas%) and DES composition
      (7.93 mass%), based on CS dry mass, were optimized. The properties of the DES
      plasticized film were compared to those for the unplasticized and glycerol (G)
      plasticized CS films. The DES-plasticized film presented initial temperature of
      thermal decomposition at 267.7 degrees C, dynamic glass transition at 149.3
      degrees C, water vapor permeability of 7.21*10-10gs-1m-1Pa-1, water solubility of
      3.07% and stress at break of 20.1MPa. The incorporation of MCC contributed to
      increase the crystallinity of the composite films. Colorimetric tests, carried
      out in aqueous environments for the DES-plasticized film, revealed accentuated
      color changes, mainly at pHs higher than pH 8.

PMID- 28363547
TI  - Fabrication of phosphate microcrystalline rice husk based cellulose particles and
      their electrorheological response.
AB  - As a dry-based electrorheological (ER) material, phosphate microcrystalline
      cellulose (MCC), which exhibits ER properties under anhydrous conditions, was
      fabricated by the phosphorylation of MCC particles. The MCC particles were
      initially synthesized by the three step preparation of an alkali treatment,
      bleaching, and hydrolysis of cellulose particles from rice husk. The phosphate
      MCC was then synthesized via the phosphoric ester reaction of urea with
      phosphoric acid and MCC, and its chemical characteristics were examined by energy
      dispersive X-ray spectroscopy and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. The
      phosphate MCC particles were dispersed in silicone oil to produce an ER fluid
      (10vol%), and its chain structure was observed directly by optical microscopy.
      The rheological behavior of the ER fluid was tested using a rotational rheometer
      under a range of electric fields, showing a polarization mechanism with a slope
      of 2.0 for the yield stress as a function of the applied electric field
      strengths.

PMID- 28363548
TI  - In-situ deposition of Cu2O micro-needles for biologically active textiles and
      their release properties.
AB  - Metal/metal oxide containing fibres are gradually increasing in textile
      industrialization recently, owing to their high potential for application as
      antimicrobial textiles. In this study, the reducing properties of cellulose were
      applied to synthesize cuprous oxide in-situ. The direct formation of Cu2O on
      viscose fabrics was achieved via quite simple technique in two subsequent steps:
      alkalization and sorption. Cu contents in fabrics before and after rinsing ranged
      between 45.2-86.4mmol/kg and 18.1-67.7mmol/kg, respectively. Uniform micro
      needles of Cu2O were obtained with regular size and dimensions of 1.60+/-0.20MUm
      in length and 0.13+/-0.03MUm in width. Release of Cu1+/2+ ions from selected
      samples was studied in water, physiological fluid and artificial sweat. Copper
      containing fabrics exhibited a percent of 96.8-97.8% and 85.5-89.0% for reduction
      in microbial viability, which was tested for S. aureus (as gram positive
      bacteria), E. coli (as gram-negative bacteria) and C. albicans and A. niger (as
      fungal species), respectively after 24h contact time.

PMID- 28363550
TI  - Energy efficient facile extraction process of cellulose nanofibres and their
      dimensional characterization using light scattering techniques.
AB  - A chemi-mechanical approach was used to extract cellulose nanofibres (CNFs) from
      waste mango wood scraps using a mild chemical treatment ensuring no acid
      hydrolysis. The dimensional analysis for CNFs has been done by taking into
      account both the microscopic and light scattering techniques. The FESEM (field
      emission scanning electron microscopy) analysis revealed the diameter of obtained
      CNFs in the range of 5-40nm with an average diameter of approximately 12nm. The
      AFM (atomic force microscopy) analysis gave a more precise average diameter value
      of 5nm for the obtained CNFs. The aspect ratio as determined by applying
      mathematical calculations on the data revealed through dynamic and static light
      scattering techniques (DLS, SLS) was approximately 200. The characteristic shape
      determined by fractal dimension investigation from SLS measurement revealed the
      rod/thread like shape of CNFs at lower concentrations.

PMID- 28363549
TI  - Exploration of zwitterionic cellulose acetate antifouling ultrafiltration
      membrane for bovine serum albumin (BSA) separation.
AB  - This study focused on the preparation of a new kind of membrane material,
      zwitterionic cellulose acetate (ZCA), via a three-step procedure consist of
      oxidization, Schiff base and quaternary amination reaction, and the fabrication
      of antifouling ZCA ultrafiltration membrane by the non-solvent-induced phase
      separation method (NIPS). The morphologies, surface chemical structures and
      compositions of the obtained CA and ZCA membranes were thoroughly characterized
      by field emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM) with energy dispersive X
      ray (EDX) spectroscopy, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and X-ray
      photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), respectively. Meanwhile, the thermal stability,
      porosity and average pore size of two investigated membranes were also studied.
      As a result, the ZCA membrane displayed significantly improved hydrophilicity and
      water permeability compared with those of the reference CA membrane, despite a
      slight decrease in the protein rejection ratio. According to the cycle
      ultrafiltration performance of bovine serum albumin (BSA) solution and protein
      adsorption experiment, ZCA membrane exhibited better flux recovery property and
      fouling resistant ability, especially irreversible fouling resistant ability,
      suggesting superior antifouling performance. This new approach gives polymer
      based membrane a long time life and excellent ultrafiltration performance, and
      seems promising for potential applications in the protein separation.

PMID- 28363551
TI  - Sustainable hydroxypropyl methylcellulose/xyloglucan/gentamicin films with
      antimicrobial properties.
AB  - Hydroxypropyl methylcellulose (HPMC) and xyloglucan (XG) crosslinked with citric
      acid over a range of HPMC/XG weight ratios formed sustainable blend films
      characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, thermogravimetric
      analysis, scanning electron microscopy, tensile tests, circular dichroism and
      determination of inhibitory activity against Staphylococcus aureus and
      Escherichia coli. Both in solution and in the crosslinked films, HPMC chains lost
      the original ordered conformation upon interacting with XG, giving rise to an
      entropic gain. The highest values of tensile strength (25MPa) and Young's modulus
      (689MPa) occurred for the 50:50 HPMC/XG blend films. In vitro loading of
      gentamicin sulfate (GS) in the films amounted to 0.18+/-0.05 -0.37+/-0.05g of GS
      per g polymer. At pH 7.4 and 37 degrees C, the GS release kinetics from the films
      fitted with the Korsmeyer-Peppas model revealed a non-Fickian release mechanism
      with diffusional coefficient n~0.7. The cross-linked films of HPMC, XG and their
      blends loaded with GS showed outstanding antibacterial activity against
      Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli, disclosing their potential for novel
      biomedical applications.

PMID- 28363552
TI  - Acacia gum polysaccharide based hydrogel wound dressings: Synthesis,
      characterization, drug delivery and biomedical properties.
AB  - Keeping in view the importance of polysaccharide gums for wound care, in the
      present article, an attempt has been made to explore antioxidant nature of gum
      acacia in designing hydrogel wound dressing to improve its wound healing
      potential. These polymers were prepared by using acacia gum
      polyvinylpyrollidone/carbopol and were characterized by 13C NMR, FTIR, SEM, AFM,
      cryo-SEM, XRD, TGA, DSC and elemental analysis techniques. Some important
      biomaterial properties of wound dressings such as wound fluid absorption, haemo
      compatibility, bioactive assessment, gaseous/water/microbial permeability,
      mechanical properties, bio-adhesion, drug release, and histology of wound healing
      were also determined. Hydrogel wound dressings were found non-haemolytic,
      antioxidant and mucoadhesive in nature. Release of drug occurred through non
      Fickian diffusion mechanism and release profile best fitted in Higuchi model.

PMID- 28363553
TI  - Reinforced collagen with oxidized microcrystalline cellulose shows improved
      hemostatic effects.
AB  - Sponges composed of different levels of composite collagen/oxidized
      microcrystalline cellulose (collagen/OMCC), denoted M1-M4, were studied to
      improve the hemostatic effect of single-collagen sponges. Surface morphological
      observations showed that structural combinations and intermolecular interactions
      occurred between collagen and OMCC in the composites. M2 presented the best
      physical properties and platelet activation and was thus selected for the
      investigations of the in vitro coagulation time and hemostatic and biological
      effects on animals. The results illustrated that M2 could reduce the length of
      the activated partial thromboplastin time (APTT) and thrombin time (TT) and
      presented rapid hemostatic efficiency in the two injury models (P<0.05). These
      findings were used to evaluate the hemostatic mechanism of M2, which can promote
      blood absorption and platelet activation and could be directly involved in the
      intrinsic coagulation pathway to accelerate hemostasis. Furthermore, M2 was not
      cytotoxic and was completely biodegraded in subcutaneous tissue within 28days.

PMID- 28363554
TI  - Electrospun alginate nanofibres impregnated with silver nanoparticles:
      Preparation, morphology and antibacterial properties.
AB  - Silver nanoparticles are amongst the most valuable nanoparticles with interesting
      properties, such as a non-toxic nature and high antibacterial efficiency, making
      them applicable for tissue scaffold, protective clothing and wound dressing. In
      this study, silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) have been synthesized using chitosan as
      reducing and stabilizing agent. The formation of silver nanoparticles was
      confirmed by UV-vis, and the TEM showed that different shapes were obtained
      depending on the heating duration. The chitosan/AgNPs was coated onto an
      electrospun alginate membrane to produce stable polyelectrolyte complex (PEC)
      nanofibre composites with high antibacterial efficiency. These composites were
      characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), Fourier transform infrared
      spectroscopy (FTIR) and X-ray diffraction (XRD). AgNPs were successfully
      impregnated into the PEC nanofibre composite, while there was complexation
      between the electrospun alginate and the chitosan/AgNPs composite. PEC
      demonstrated a good antibacterial activity against both gram negative and gram
      positive bacteria with acceptable water vapour transmission within the range
      required for the treatment of injuries or wounds.

PMID- 28363555
TI  - Synthesis and antimicrobial properties of Zn-mineralized alginate nanocomposites.
AB  - New bioactive and antimicrobial biomaterials were produced by alginate-mediated
      biomineralization with Zn-mineral phase. The synthesis procedure is simple, cost
      effective and resulted in two different Zn-mineralized alginate nanocomposites,
      Zn-carbonate/Zn-alginate and Zn-phosphate/Zn-alginate. The presence of Zn-mineral
      phase and its type, have significantly affected nanocomposite morphology,
      stability, total metallic loading and potential to release Zn(II) in
      physiological environment. Antimicrobial experiments showed that both types of Zn
      mineralized nanocomposites exhibit strong antimicrobial effect against
      Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus and Candida albicans. These results
      suggest that alginate biomineralization, where minerals are salts of essential
      metallic ions like Zn(II), represents a good strategy for designing
      multifunctional biomaterials for potential biomedical applications.

PMID- 28363556
TI  - Preparation and characterization of metformin surface modified cellulose
      nanofiber gel and evaluation of its anti-metastatic potentials.
AB  - Metastasis is the main problem in successful treatment of many types of cancer
      such as melanoma. The extracellular matrix degradation has a crucial role in the
      cancer metastasis. Nanofibers can mimic the structure of extracellular matrix and
      limit the cancer cells migration if they are implanted in and around the tumors.
      Moreover, local delivery of anti-metastatic drugs such as metformin to tumor can
      be useful. In this study, Metformin surface modified cellulose nanofibers (Met
      Cel-NFs) were successfully prepared by attachment of metformin on the surface of
      cellulose nanofibers through electrostatic interaction. FTIR spectroscopy and
      zeta potential of Met-Cel-NFs proved the occurrence of this attachment. SEM
      images showed the nanofibrous structure of Met-Cel-NFs. Met-Cel-NFs significantly
      suppressed the migration of melanoma cells. Additionally the sufficient adhesion
      of the melanoma cells on the Met-Cel-NFs can decrease melanoma cells invasion.
      Therefore, Met-Cel-NFs present a promising approach to the prevention of melanoma
      metastasis.

PMID- 28363557
TI  - Effect of O-chitosan nanoparticles on the development and membrane permeability
      of Verticillium dahliae.
AB  - Verticillium dahliae, which causes wilting in over 300 woody and herbaceous plant
      species, is a representative of fungal plant diseases for which effective
      controls are still needed. In this study, the antifungal action of oleoyl
      chitosan nanoparticles was investigated against V. dahliae. Media containing
      oleoyl-chitosan nanoparticles dramatically decreased the mycelium growth. The
      highest antifungal indexes were observed on media amended with 2mg/mL
      nanoparticles. Optical microscopy showed that spore germination and hyphae
      morphology were affected. Scanning electron microscopy and transmission electron
      microscopy demonstrated degenerative alterations including crumpled hyphae and
      spores, thickened cell walls, disappeared membranous organelles, massive
      vacuolation of the cytoplasm, and cell wall-plasmalemma separation. Fluorescence
      microscopy showed that nanoparticles were internalized by fungal cells. The sharp
      increase in the release of intracellular components and decrease of total
      cellular protein concentration demonstrated damaged cell membranes. Overall, the
      results indicate that oleoyl-chitosan nanoparticles have the potential to control
      phytopathogens in agriculture.

PMID- 28363558
TI  - Effect of selenylation modification on antitumor activity of peptidoglycan from
      Lactobacillus acidophilus.
AB  - Selenium is an essential trace element for human with the antitumor properties.
      In the present study, the peptidoglycan (PG) derived from Lactobacillus
      acidophilus was modified by selenylation with the HNO3-Na2SeO3 method. Reaction
      temperature, reaction duration and the selenide content were optimized according
      to orthogonal design of three-factors. In addition, the molecular structure of
      selenizing peptidoglycan (Se-PG) was determined by infrared spectroscopy
      analysis. Furthermore, the antitumor activity of Se-PG was also investigated in
      HT-29 cells. The results showed that Se-PG exerted a greater antitumor activity
      than non-modified PG in a dose-dependent manner. These findings indicated that
      selenylation modification can enhance the antitumor activity of PG, and Se-PG
      could achieve its potential in antitumor activity.

PMID- 28363559
TI  - Lipopolysaccharide of Pantoea agglomerans 7969: Chemical identification, function
      and biological activity.
AB  - Lipopolysaccharide (LPS) of Pantoea agglomerans 7969 isolated from apple tree was
      purified and characterized chemically by sugar and fatty acid analysis. Lipid A
      was analysed by negative-ion mode ESI MS and found to consist mainly of hexa- and
      tetra-acyl species typical of E. coli lipid A. The O-specific polysaccharide of
      the LPS was studied by sugar analysis, Smith degradation, and one- and two
      dimensional 1H and 13C NMR spectroscopy. The polysaccharide is built up of linear
      tetrasaccharide repeating units, and about ~25% repeats contain glycerol 1
      phosphate on the GlcNAc residue: ->3)-alpha-l-Rha p-(1->6)-alpha-d-Man p-(1->3)
      alpha-d-Fuc p-(1->3)-beta-d-Glc pNAc-(1->~25% Gro-1-P-(O->6)? The LPS showed low
      levels of toxic and pyrogenic activities and reduced the average adhesion and the
      index of adhesiveness.

PMID- 28363560
TI  - Nanocellulose crystals derivative-silica hybrid sol open tubular capillary column
      for enantioseparation.
AB  - Broad spectrum separation of chiral compounds is a challenge task for analysts.
      It is significant for preparation of chiral stationary phase and selection of
      separation technology in the field. Here, we present a novel nanocellulose
      crystals (NCCs) which were derivation with 3,5-dimethylphenyl isocynate (DMPC)
      and silane with 3-triethoxysilylpropylisocyanate form sol in
      tetraethylorthosilicate (TEOS) and layer-by-layer self-assembly in the inner of
      capillary to fabricate the organic-inorganic hybrid open tubular capillary column
      (DMPC/NCCs-OTC) for enantiomers separation by capillary electrochromatography
      technology (CEC). The experimental results verified that this coating column has
      the broad spectrum separation ability and high resolution efficiency for thirteen
      different enantiomers at the optimal CEC conditions. The mechanizations of
      DMPC/NCCs-OTC modified layer numbers and structure effect on chiral separation
      performance have been investigated and compared. Although the limitation and
      difficulty in fabrication of open tubular coating column, this work provided the
      preparation method of stability, controlled, long column life, adequate
      repeatability and satisfied enantioseparation performance.

PMID- 28363561
TI  - A kinetic model of the gelation of konjac glucomannan induced by deacetylation.
AB  - The gelation of konjac glucomannan (KGM) often involves an induction period
      featured by an initial drop in modulus. The gelation kinetics recorded as a time
      dependent modulus change is composed of an initial drop followed by a steady
      increase in modulus until an equilibrium stage is reached. In this work, the time
      dependent modulus curve is described by a kinetic model which incorporates the
      cascade theory with the kinetic equations consisting of sequential reactions of
      deacetylation and cross-link formation. The proposed model is capable of
      predicting the presence of the induction period and the kinetic parameters can be
      extracted from the concentration dependence of the initial drop. A rheological
      experiment of KGM gelation using sodium carbonate as deacetylation agent was
      conducted to illustrate the feasibility of the proposed fitting approach, which
      yields kinetic curves agreeing satisfactorily with the experimental results.

PMID- 28363562
TI  - Preparation and properties of a novel macro porous Ni2+-imprinted chitosan foam
      adsorbents for adsorption of nickel ions from aqueous solution.
AB  - In this study, novel macro porous Ni2+-imprinted chitosan foam adsorbents (F-IIP)
      were prepared using sodium bicarbonate and glycerine to obtain a porogen for
      adsorbing nickel ions from aqueous solutions. The use of the ion-imprinting
      technique for adsorbents preparation improved the nickel ion selectivity and
      adsorption capacity. We characterised the imprinted porous foam adsorbents in
      terms of the effects of the initial pH value, initial metal ion concentration,
      and contact time on the adsorption of nickel ions. The adsorption process was
      described best by Langmuir monolayer adsorption models, and the maximum
      adsorption capacity calculated from the Langmuir equation was 69.93mgg-1. The
      kinetic data could be fitted to a pseudo-second-order equation. Our analysis of
      selective adsorption demonstrated the excellent preference of the F-IIP foams for
      nickel ions compared with other coexisting metal ions. Furthermore, tests over
      five cycle runs suggested that the F-IIP foam adsorbents had good durability and
      efficiency.

PMID- 28363563
TI  - Tethering antimicrobial peptides onto chitosan: Optimization of azide-alkyne
      "click" reaction conditions.
AB  - Antimicrobial peptides (AMP) are promising alternatives to classical antibiotics,
      due to their high specificity and potency at low concentrations, and low
      propensity to elicit pathogen resistance. Immobilization of AMP onto biomaterials
      is an emergent field of research, towards creation of novel antimicrobial
      materials able to avoid formation of biofilms on the surfaces of medical devices.
      Herein, we report the chemical route towards one such material, where chitosan
      was used as biocompatible carrier for the covalent grafting of Dhvar-5, a well
      known potent AMP, via the chemoselective ("click") Cu(I)-catalyzed azide-alkyne
      cycloaddition (CuAAC). The material's structure, as well as peptide loading, were
      confirmed by Fourier-transformed infra-red (FT-IR) and X-ray photoelectron (XPS)
      spectroscopies, and by Amino Acid Analysis (AAA), respectively. Results herein
      reported demonstrate that, with proper optimization, the "click" CuAAC is an
      attractive approach for the tethering of AMP onto chitosan, in order to create
      novel antimicrobial materials potentially valuable for biomedical applications.

PMID- 28363564
TI  - Salicyl-imine-chitosan hydrogels: Supramolecular architecturing as a crosslinking
      method toward multifunctional hydrogels.
AB  - Hydrogels based on chitosan and salicyladehyde were obtained by dynamic covalent
      chemistry. The unusual chitosan gelling in the presence of the monoaldehyde has
      been deciphered following and correlating data of NMR, FTIR, single crystal and
      wide angle XRD, POM and optical measurements. Of significant importance in
      understanding the crosslinking features was the synthesis of a model compound and
      the successfully growth as single crystal allowing the study of its
      supramolecular peculiarities. The hydrogels exhibited in SEM a porous or fibrous
      morphology, in good correlation with the crosslinking degree. They swelled very
      fast, similar to the superporous hydrogels of third generation and exhibited self
      healing properties. Rheological investigation demonstrated good mechanical
      properties, thermosensitivity and thixotropy. The paper revealed a hydrogel with
      suitable properties for use in bio-medical applications, and moreover, revealed a
      new concept of obtaining chitosan hydrogels using monoaldehydes - which are
      widespread in nature, cheap and beneficial to the human body.

PMID- 28363565
TI  - Zinc complexed chitosan/TPP nanoparticles: A promising micronutrient nanocarrier
      suited for foliar application.
AB  - Cultivation of cereals in zinc deficient soils leads to declined nutritional
      quality of grain. Zinc deficiency in humans is a consequence of consumption of
      micronutrient deficient cereals as staple food. To achieve an increase in zinc
      density in grain, we evaluated zinc complexed chitosan nanoparticles (Zn-CNP) as
      a potential 'nanocarrier' suited for foliar fertilization. Zn-CNP were
      synthesized using tri-polyphosphate as a cross-linker. Spherical Zn-CNP (diameter
      250-300nm) were positively charged (zeta potential, +42.34mV) and contained ~20mg
      Zn/g (w/w). Plant growth in zinc deficient sand media, followed by foliar
      application of Zn-CNP (twice-a-week, for 5 weeks) after anthesis resulted in 27
      and 42% increase in grain zinc content of MACS 3125 and UC1114 (durum wheat
      cultivars) respectively. Translocation of zinc ions from foliar applied Zn-CNP
      into the leaf and seed tissue was demonstrated using zinquin and dithizone
      stains, respectively. The study indicates the suitability of chitosan-based
      nanocarriers in agronomic biofortification.

PMID- 28363566
TI  - Encapsulation of the antioxidant ascorbyl palmitate in V-type granular cold-water
      swelling starch affects the properties of both.
AB  - This study reports on the functionality of V-type crystalline granular cold-water
      swelling starch (GCWSS) in complex with lipid (functionalized) molecules. Maize
      and potato GCWSS contain (empty) single helical amylose (AM) crystals which can
      serve as lipid complexing matrices. Different concentrations of ascorbyl
      palmitate (AscP) were inserted in the hydrophobic cavities of the GCWSS AM
      helices by a low temperature infusion method. Volumetric particle size
      distributions of the ensuing products in water were determined using laser light
      scattering. Upon contact with water, the parent maize GCWSS formed lumps more
      than did the parent potato GCWSS. It is hypothesized that variations in the
      spatial distribution of cold-water soluble V-type crystals are at the origin of
      this difference. In contrast, GCWSS-AscP inclusion complexes formed homogenous
      dispersions in water. Furthermore, the impact of inclusion complex formation on
      cold-water swelling properties was investigated. The close packing concentration
      increased and the swelling power and carbohydrate leaching decreased when the
      level of encapsulated AscP increased. Finally, in a Trolox equivalent antioxidant
      capacity test, encapsulated AscP still had up to 70% of the antioxidant capacity
      of free AscP.

PMID- 28363567
TI  - Development of a new type of multifunctional fucoidan-based nanoparticles for
      anticancer drug delivery.
AB  - Fucoidan, a sulfated marine polysaccharide, has many potential biological
      functions, including anticancer activity. Recently, fucoidan has been reported to
      target P-selectin expressed on metastatic cancer cells. Increasing research
      attention has been devoted to the developments of fucoidan-based nanomedicine.
      However, the application of traditional chitosan/fucoidan nanoparticles in
      anticancer drug delivery may be limited due to the deprotonation of chitosan at a
      pH greater than 6.5. In this study, a mutli-stimuli-responsive nanoparticle self
      assembled by fucoidan and a cationic polypeptide (protamine) was developed, and
      their pH-/enzyme-responsive properties were characterized by circular dichroism
      (CD) spectroscopy, dynamic light scattering (DLS), and zeta potential analysis.
      Enzymatic digestion and acidic intracellular microenvironment (pH 4.5-5.5) in
      cancer cells triggered the release of an anticancer drug (doxorubicin) from the
      nanoparticles. The protamine/fucoidan complex nanoparticles with P-selectin
      mediated endocytosis, charge conversion and stimuli-tunable release properties
      showed an improved inhibitory effect against a metastatic breast cancer cell line
      (MDA-MB-231).

PMID- 28363568
TI  - Enhancement the thermo-regulating property of cellulosic fabric using
      encapsulated paraffins in modified pectin.
AB  - Synthesis of smart hosting materials from solvent free modified pectin with fatty
      acid (have different molecular weight) have been occurred and characterised.
      Modified pectin with phase change material (PCM) have been prepared and applied
      to textile material. Smart composite matrix based on modified pectin was produce
      thermo-regulating characteristics which play the main role to control body
      temperature for various daily wear. The microcapsules (pectin/PCM) and treated
      fabric were characterized using SEM, DSC and FT-IR. The results confirmed the
      synthesis of modified pectin using solvent free method, and also confirmed its
      reaction with cotton surface. DSC result confirmed that, the treated fabrics have
      a thermo-regulating property.

PMID- 28363569
TI  - Surface lignin removal on coir fibers by plasma treatment for improved adhesion
      in thermoplastic starch composites.
AB  - The high lignin to cellulose ratio of coir fibers results in low compatibility
      between these fibers and natural polymers like starch, leading to poor mechanical
      properties in the composites. Plasma treatment using either air or oxygen proved
      to be an effective in removing the lignin rich amorphous layer on coir fibers, as
      it was clearly observed by SEM. The ratio of the FTIR signal related to lignin
      (1508cm-1) and cellulose (1317cm-1) decreases 10 times for air plasma treated
      fibers and 20 times for oxygen plasma treated samples. Composites of plasma
      treated short coir fibers and thermoplastic starch presented considerable
      increase in mechanical properties in comparison to composites made with untreated
      fibers. Tensile strength increased by up to 300% and elastic modulus improved by
      a factor of nearly 20 times, which was associated with enhanced fiber-matrix
      adhesion after plasma treatment with oxygen for 7.2min at 80W power.

PMID- 28363570
TI  - Transparent nanostructured cellulose acetate films based on the self assembly of
      PEO-b-PPO-b-PEO block copolymer.
AB  - In this study fabrication and characterization of transparent nanostructured
      composite films based on cellulose triacetate (CTA) and poly(ethylene oxide)-b
      poly(propylene oxide)-b-poly(ethylene oxide) (EPE) triblock copolymer were
      presented. The effect of the addition of EPE triblock copolymer on the thermal
      stability, morphology, and mechanical properties of cellulose triacetate films
      was investigated. The triblock EPE was chosen since PEO blocks interact favorably
      with CTA, whereas, PPO blocks remain immiscible which provokes a microphase
      separation. This allows to obtain EPE/CTA composite films with ordered microphase
      separated structures where PPO spherical microdomains are well-dispersed in
      PEO/CTA matrix by simple solvent-evaporation process. During this process, PEO
      block chains selectively interact with CTA by strong interpolymer hydrogen
      bonding while PPO block microseparated. The addition even 40wt% of EPE leads to
      nanostructured EPE/CTA composite. The cytotoxicity assay of CTA and EPE/CTA
      composite films confirm non-toxic character of designed transparent
      nanostructured composites based on sustainable matrices.

PMID- 28363571
TI  - Preparation, characterization and in vitro biological evaluation of (1:2)
      phenoxodiol-beta-cyclodextrin complex.
AB  - Phenoxodiol is an isoflavone analogue that possesses potent anticancer
      properties. However, the poor water solubility of phenoxodiol limits its overall
      efficacy as an anticancer agent. To overcome this, beta-cyclodextrin was used to
      encapsulate phenoxodiol. The phenoxodiol-beta-cyclodextrin complex was prepared
      via a modified co-evaporation method and characterized by 1H NMR and X-ray
      crystallography, revealing a 1:2 stoichiometry. The 2D ROESY NMR spectroscopy
      suggested the limited motion of phenoxodiol within the cavity of beta
      cyclodextrin while the X-ray crystal data displays by far the best 'ship-in-a
      bottle' case of 1:2 inclusion complex. The aqueous solubility of the phenoxodiol
      in beta-cyclodextrin had improved and the in vitro biological evaluation revealed
      enhanced anti-proliferative activity against three cancer cell lines.
      Additionally, the toxicity of the complex against normal human cell line was 2.5
      times lower. These data indicates that the encapsulation of phenoxodiol into beta
      cyclodextrin leads to an improvement in its overall water solubility and
      biological activity.

PMID- 28363573
TI  - Effects of fucoidans and heparin on reactions of neutrophils induced by IL-8 and
      C5a.
AB  - Fucose-containing sulfated polysaccharides (fucoidans) from brown algae exhibit
      anti-inflammatory activity in vivo, however, there is only limited knowledge
      about their mode of action. Potential targets may be the chemokine interleukin 8
      (IL-8) and the anaphylatoxin C5a, as they are closely linked to inflammatory
      processes. In this study, two fucoidans from Saccharina latissima and Fucus
      vesiculosus, and unfractionated heparin (UFH) were examined for their binding
      properties to IL-8 and C5a and their effects on IL-8- and C5a-induced reactions
      of polymorphonuclear neutrophils (PMN). As proved by a competitive sulfated
      polysaccharide-coating-ELISA, both fucoidans bind to IL-8 and C5a, whereby they
      showed higher affinity to IL-8. Whereas UFH displayed only moderate effects, the
      fucoidans concentration-dependently reduced the IL-8- and C5a-induced
      intracellular calcium release, Erk1/2 phosphorylation and chemotaxis of PMN.
      Their inhibitory potency is dependent on the target protein, but also other
      aspects than the binding turned out to play a role.

PMID- 28363572
TI  - Facile fabrication of moldable antibacterial carboxymethyl chitosan
      supramolecular hydrogels cross-linked by metal ions complexation.
AB  - Herein, carboxymethyl chitosan (CMCh) supramolecular hydrogels cross-linked by
      metal ions (Ag+, Cu2+ and Zn2+) are reported. The hydrogels were formed within a
      few seconds by simple mixing of CMCh solution with metallic salt solutions at an
      appropriate pH. The prepared hydrogels were characterized by using FT-IR, XRD,
      SEM and rotational rheometery. FT-IR measurements suggested that the facile
      complexation of metal ions with carboxylic, amino and hydroxyl groups of CMCh
      chains promoted the rapid hydrogelation. SEM images revealed a cross-linked
      structure of hydrogels, while microstructural openings were observed by cross
      sectional studies of the freeze-dried hydrogels. Moreover, the hydrogels showed a
      remarkable moldability to form free standing objects. The antibacterial
      activities of the hydrogels were also studied against Escherichia coli and
      Staphylococcus aureus by agar well diffusion method. The results demonstrated an
      excellent antibacterial activity of the supramolecular hydrogels. Therefore, the
      developed CMCh supramolecular hydrogels might be used effectively in biomedical
      field.

PMID- 28363574
TI  - Corrigendum to "Antimicrobial and antioxidant activities of Flammulina velutipes
      polysacchrides and polysacchride-iron(III) complex" [Carbohydrate Polymers 161
      (2017) 26-32].

PMID- 28363575
TI  - Processing and characterization of nanocomposite based on
      poly(butylene/triethylene succinate) copolymers and cellulose nanocrystals.
AB  - A new class of biodegradable materials developed by a combination of random eco
      friendly copolyesters containing butylene succinate (BS) and triethylene
      succinate (TES) sequences with cellulose nanocrystals (CNC), is proposed and
      studied. Polymers and nanocomposite films were prepared by an optimized extrusion
      process to improve the processability and mechanical response for flexible film
      manufacturing. Poly(butylene succinate) (PBS) homopolymer and two random
      copolyesters containing different amounts of TES co-units, P(BS85TES15) and
      P(BS70TES30), were synthesized by melt polycondensation. The effect of TES and
      CNC presence and content on the microstructure, tensile properties, thermal
      characteristics and disintegration under composting conditions, as well as on the
      toughening mechanism of the blends was investigated. Material properties were
      modulated by varying the chemical composition. CNC were used as reinforcement
      additive and their effect is modulated by the interaction with the three
      polymeric matrices. The extruded films displayed tunable degradation rates,
      mechanical properties and wettability, and showed promising results for different
      industrial applications.

PMID- 28363576
TI  - Novel levan and pNIPA temperature sensitive hydrogels for 5-ASA controlled
      release.
AB  - Levan based cross-linker was successfully synthesized and used to prepare a
      series of more biocompatible and temperature responsive levan/N-isopropyl
      acrylamide (levan/pNIPA) hydrogels by redox polymerization at room temperature.
      Volume phase transition temperature (VPTT) of the hydrogels were precisely
      determined by derivative differential scanning calorimetry (DDSC). Incorporation
      of levan into the pNIPA hydrogel increased the VPTT from 32.8 degrees C to 35.09
      degrees C, approaching to body temperature. Swelling behavior and 5
      aminosalicylic acid (5-ASA) release of the hydrogels were found to vary
      significantly with temperature and composition. Moreover, a remarkable increase
      in thermal stability of levan within hydrogel with increase of pNIPA content was
      recorded. The biocompatibility of the hydrogels were tested against mouse
      fibroblast L929 cell line in phosphate buffer saline (PBS, pH 7.4). The hydrogels
      showed increasing biocompatibility with increasing levan ratio, indicating levan
      enhanced the hydrogel surface during swelling.

PMID- 28363577
TI  - The structure of a fucosylated chondroitin sulfate from the sea cucumber
      Cucumaria frondosa.
AB  - A fucosylated chondroitin sulfate (FCS) CF was isolated from the sea cucumber
      Cucumaria frondosa and purified by anion-exchange chromatography. Chemical and
      NMR spectroscopic methods were applied for the structural characterization of
      this biopolymer. The backbone of CF was found to consist of chondroitin sulfate A
      and E fragments together with rather uncommon disaccharide repeating units ->3)
      beta-d-GalNAc4S6S-(1->4)-beta-d-GlcA3S-(1-> and ->3)-beta-d-GalNAc4S-(1->4)-beta
      d-GlcA3S-(1->. Three types of branches were found in molecules of CF. Two of them
      were identified as alpha-l-Fuc p3S4S and alpha-l-Fuc p2S4S attached to O-3 of Glc
      pA residues, while the third one was per-O-sulfated alpha-l-Fuc p linked to O-6
      of Gal pNAc residue. The ratio of these branches was 5:2:1. According to these
      data, CF has more complicated structure than the corresponding FCS, isolated from
      the same holothurian species and described previously (Liu et al., 2016). The
      presence of new structural features both in the backbone and in branches of CF
      gives an additional example of structural variability within holothurian FCS.

PMID- 28363578
TI  - TEMPO-mediated oxidation of polysaccharides: An ongoing story.
AB  - The oxidation of natural polysaccharides by TEMPO has become by now an "old
      chemical reaction" which led to numerous studies mainly conducted on cellulose.
      This regioselective oxidation of primary alcohol groups of neutral
      polysaccharides has generated a new class of polyuronides not identified before
      in nature, even if the discovery of enzymes promoting an analogous oxidation has
      been more recently reported. Around the same time, the scientific community
      discovered the surprising biological and techno-functional properties of these
      anionic macromolecules with a high potential of application in numerous
      industrial fields. The objective of this review is to establish the state of the
      art of TEMPO chemistry applied to polysaccharide oxidation, its history, the
      resulting products, their applications and the associated modifying enzymes.

PMID- 28363579
TI  - Smart nanopaper based on cellulose nanofibers with hybrid PEDOT:PSS/polypyrrole
      for energy storage devices.
AB  - In the current work, flexible, lightweight, and strong conductive nanopapers
      based on cellulose nanofibers (CNFs) with poly(3,4
      ethylenedioxythiophene):polystyrene sulfonate (PEDOT:PSS) and/or polypyrrole
      (PPy) were prepared by following a mixing and in situ chemical polymerization
      method. A successful homogeneous coating of PEDOT:PSS on cellulose nanofibers
      occurred by means hydrogen-bonding interactions between the hydroxyl
      functionalized CNF and the electronically charged PEDOT:PSS, as shown by FTIR
      spectra. The electrical conductivity and the specific capacitance of CNF
      PEDOT:PSS nanopapers were 2.58Scm-1 and 6.21Fg-1, respectively. Further coating
      of PPy produced a substantial improvement on the electrical conductivity
      (10.55Scm-1) and the specific capacitance (315.5Fg-1) of the resulting CNF
      PEDOT:PSS-PPy nanopaper. A synergistic phenomenon between both conductive
      polymers supported the high electrical conductivity and specific capacitance of
      the ternary formulation. Moreover, CNF-PEDOT:PSS-PPy nanopaper showed higher
      mechanical properties and it was more flexible than the nanopaper containing only
      polypyrrole conducting polymer (CNF-PPy). It is concluded that the good
      mechanical, electrical and electrochemical properties of the ternary formulation
      can apply for smart nanopaper in flexible electronics and energy storage devices.

PMID- 28363581
TI  - The Effect of Triglyceride Concentration on Attainment of Lipid Targets in
      Patients with Diabetes.
AB  - OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the effects of triglyceride (TG) and glycated hemoglobin
      (A1C) concentrations in the percentage of patients with diabetes who are within
      target (WT) for low-density lipoprotein-cholesterol (LDL-C), non-high-density
      lipoprotein-cholesterol (non-HDL-C) and apolipoprotein B (ApoB), as defined by
      the Canadian Lipid Guidelines, in a cohort of outpatients presenting at a 350-bed
      community hospital. METHODS: Laboratory samples from 1919 patients, 18 years or
      older, who had A1C levels of 6.5% or above were used. Fasting lipid profiles were
      retrieved, and ApoB was measured. RESULTS: We found no significant difference in
      the percentage of those WT for LDL-C as TG increased from normal to intermediate
      and high levels. For non-HDL-C, we saw a substantial decrease in the percentage
      of patients WT as TG levels increased from normal (61%) to intermediate (30.4%)
      and high levels (14.0%). ApoB showed a similar pattern to non-HDL-C: decreasing
      from normal (68.8%) to intermediate (40.7%) and high levels (21.0%). No
      significant difference was seen in the percentage of patients WT for the 3 lipid
      parameters studied with the increase in A1C levels. CONCLUSIONS: As TG increases,
      we saw discordance in the percentage of patients WT for LDL-C in relation to non
      HDL-C and ApoB. Alternative targets to LDL-C should preferentially be used when
      the TG concentration is elevated.

PMID- 28363580
TI  - Rhein functionalized magnetic chitosan as a selective solid phase extraction for
      determination isoflavones in soymilk.
AB  - A new solid-phase extraction mode was developed for separation some flavones from
      the complex interference system. In the experiment, rhein anchored on magnetic
      chitosan microparticles, prepared facilely without removal of the template
      molecule, was used as sorbents for the extraction of target analytes; after
      completion of the extraction process, Fe3O4 particles acted as carrier to
      retrieve rhein functionalized magnetic chitosan microparticles (RMCMPs) from the
      sample solution. RMCMPs showed excellent selective adsorption capacity of
      isoflavones. The result suggested that the method was useful for fast
      determination and quantification of isoflavones in soymilk. The RMCMPs were
      characterized by scanning electron microscope (SEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD) and
      Fourier transforms infrared spectrometer (FTIR).

PMID- 28363582
TI  - Depressive Symptoms, Diabetes Distress and Serum Hemoglobin A1C in South Asians
      With Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus Living in Canada.

PMID- 28363583
TI  - Foreword.

PMID- 28363584
TI  - Upper Gastrointestinal Toxicity Associated With Long-Term Aspirin Therapy:
      Consequences and Prevention.
AB  - Antiplatelet therapy represents a fundamental part of preventive management for
      patients who are at risk of a secondary cardiovascular disease (CVD) event. In
      most cases, the antiplatelet regimen is based on low-dose aspirin, a drug that is
      highly effective in reducing the incidence of CVD events, but is associated with
      a substantial risk of gastrointestinal (GI) toxicity. The dyspeptic symptoms,
      which can result from aspirin administration, and which may occur with or without
      associated ulceration and bleeding, may lead patients to discontinue therapy,
      thus increasing their CVD risk. For patients in whom aspirin is indicated and who
      are deemed to be at increased risk of upper GI events, concomitant therapy with a
      proton pump inhibitor (PPI) is currently recommended. These agents are highly
      effective in reducing the upper GI lesions associated with aspirin therapy and
      have been associated with increased aspirin adherence. However, widespread under
      prescribing of PPIs and potential noncompliance with their use means that
      substantial numbers of patients are at unnecessary risk of upper GI toxicity and
      if aspirin therapy is discontinued-CVD events. Provision of aspirin and an
      immediate-release PPI as a coordinated-delivery combination tablet has been shown
      to both reduce the risk of gastric ulcer formation and improve patient
      compliance. This strategy, which may ultimately reduce the incidence of CVD
      outcomes because of the associated reduction in GI symptoms and the potential for
      greater patient adherence to aspirin, warrants further investigation under both
      randomized controlled conditions (explanatory trials), and in real-life settings
      (pragmatic trials).

PMID- 28363585
TI  - Comparison of anal HPV natural history among men by country of residence: Brazil,
      Mexico, and the United States.
AB  - OBJECTIVES: Globally, anal cancer incidence is rare, but is increasing in some
      world regions. Our objective was to assess differences in anal HPV natural
      history in three countries. METHODS: Men aged 18-70 years were recruited from the
      US (n = 634), Mexico (n = 665), and Brazil (n = 731). Anal specimens were
      collected every six-months. HPV genotyping was assessed by Linear Array. Anal HPV
      prevalence was compared using the Fisher's exact test. HPV infection incidence
      rates (IR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) were calculated. RESULTS: Any anal
      HPV prevalence was highest among men from Brazil (24%) compared to Mexico (15%)
      and the US (15%). When stratified by sexual history, the prevalence of any HPV
      among MSM/MSMW was 43%, 37%, and 45% and 9%, 12%, and 10% for MSW from Brazil,
      Mexico, and US, respectively. Any HPV incidence was significantly higher among
      men from Brazil compared to US men (IRR = 2.4, 95% CI = 1.7-3.4) and comparable
      between men from Mexico and the US (IRR = 1.2, 95% CI = 0.8-1.8). CONCLUSION: Men
      in Brazil and Mexico often have similar, if not higher incidence of anal HPV
      compared to men from the U.S., and may benefit from gender neutral HPV vaccine
      policies.

PMID- 28363586
TI  - Increase in tear film lipid layer thickness after instillation of 3% diquafosol
      ophthalmic solution in healthy human eyes.
AB  - PURPOSE: To evaluate the effect of 3% diquafosol ophthalmic solution on tear film
      lipid layer thickness (LLT) in normal human eyes by tear interferometry. METHODS:
      Forty-seven healthy men (mean age of 42.4 years) randomly received one drop of
      artificial tears in one eye and one drop of 3% diquafosol ophthalmic solution in
      the other. LLT of each eye was quantified by tear interferometry before and 15,
      30, and 60 min after instillation. Ocular symptoms were assessed before and 30
      min after instillation. Baseline LLT, tear film breakup time (TBUT), meibomian
      gland area (meiboscore) of the upper and lower eyelids, and Schirmer test value
      were evaluated on a different day before treatment. RESULTS: LLT before and 15,
      30, and 60 min after diquafosol instillation was 62.3 +/- 31.1, 77.0 +/- 39.5,
      79.3 +/- 40.5, and 77.7 +/- 43.6 nm, respectively, with the diquafosol-induced
      increase in LLT being significant at each time point. Artificial tears did not
      result in a significant increase in LLT. TBUT (rho = 0.32, P = 0.026), meiboscore
      of the lower eyelid (rho = -0.33, P = 0.022), and the maximum difference in LLT
      between before and after diquafosol instillation (DeltaLLTmax) (rho = 0.35, P =
      0.016) were significantly correlated with baseline LLT in the diquafosol group.
      Age was not significantly related to baseline LLT or DeltaLLTmax. Symptoms did
      not differ significantly between the two groups. CONCLUSIONS: Topical
      instillation of 3% diquafosol ophthalmic solution increased LLT for up to 60 min
      in normal human eyes regardless of age.

PMID- 28363587
TI  - A PP2C-1 Allele Underlying a Quantitative Trait Locus Enhances Soybean 100-Seed
      Weight.
AB  - Cultivated soybeans may lose some useful genetic loci during domestication.
      Introgression of genes from wild soybeans could broaden the genetic background
      and improve soybean agronomic traits. In this study, through whole-genome
      sequencing of a recombinant inbred line population derived from a cross between a
      wild soybean ZYD7 and a cultivated soybean HN44, and mapping of quantitative
      trait loci for seed weight, we discovered that a phosphatase 2C-1 (PP2C-1) allele
      from wild soybean ZYD7 contributes to the increase in seed weight/size. PP2C-1
      may achieve this function by enhancing cell size of integument and activating a
      subset of seed trait-related genes. We found that PP2C-1 is associated with
      GmBZR1, a soybean ortholog of Arabidopsis BZR1, one of key transcription factors
      in brassinosteroid (BR) signaling, and facilitate accumulation of
      dephosphorylated GmBZR1. In contrast, the PP2C-2 allele with variations of a few
      amino acids at the N-terminus did not exhibit this function. Moreover, we showed
      that GmBZR1 could promote seed weight/size in transgenic plants. Through analysis
      of cultivated soybean accessions, we found that 40% of the examined accessions do
      not have the PP2C-1 allele, suggesting that these accessions can be improved by
      introduction of this allele. Taken together, our study identifies an elite allele
      PP2C-1, which can enhance seed weight and/or size in soybean, and pinpoints that
      manipulation of this allele by molecular-assisted breeding may increase
      production in soybean and other legumes/crops.

PMID- 28363588
TI  - Effects of synbiotics on immunity and disease resistance of narrow-clawed
      crayfish, Astacus leptodactylus leptodactylus (Eschscholtz, 1823).
AB  - The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of prebiotics
      (mannanoligosaccharide and xylooligosaccharide), probiotics (Enterococcus
      faecalis and Pediococcus acidilactici) and synbiotics for 126 days on the immune
      responses, hemolymph indices, antioxidant enzymes, and biological responses after
      a 48-hour Aeromonas hydrophila exposure of sub-adult crayfish (11.45 +/- 1.87 g).
      Most antibacterial activities were observed in the shell mucus of crayfish fed a
      diet containing xylooligosaccharide + E. faecalis and mannanoligosaccharide +
      Pediococcus acidilactici against Nocardia brasilience and Vibrio harveyi (p <
      0.05). Feeding crayfish a xylooligosaccharide + E. faecalis diet increased
      protein levels and the activities of alkaline phosphatase and lysozyme in the
      shell mucus after the feeding trial and 48 h after the A. hydrophila-injection
      challenge (p < 0.05). The highest ratio of the lactobacillus count to the total
      viable count was observed in synbiotic diets (p < 0.05). Feeding crayfish a
      xylooligosaccharide + E. faecalis diet increased the growth rate and the
      resistance to the A. hydrophila-injection challenge (p < 0.05). These results
      revealed that feeding crayfish with synbiotic diets was more effective than a
      single administration with prebiotics and probiotics.

PMID- 28363590
TI  - Evolving concepts of the RBC storage lesion using Omics and other novel
      diagnostic tools.

PMID- 28363591
TI  - Extracellular vesicle characteristics in stored red blood cell concentrates are
      influenced by the method of detection.
AB  - Extracellular vesicles (EVs), including microvesicles and exosomes, are small
      phospholipid vesicles (<=1MUm in diameter) that are present in blood products,
      accumulate during storage, and have a potential transfusion-related
      immunomodulatory role. Knowledge of EVs in stored blood products is limited due
      to the challenges and difficulties in detecting these heterogeneous submicron
      sized vesicles. The aim of this study was to assess the impact of different
      approaches to characterize EVs in stored RBC products. Quantification and size
      profiling of EVs in leukoreduced red cell concentrates (RCCs) were examined on
      day 3, 7, 21, and 42 of storage using tunable resistive plus sensing (TRPS), flow
      cytometer (FC), and dynamic light scatting (DLS) methods. Using the TRPS method,
      the concentration of EVs<200nm significantly increased throughout storage
      (p<0.05). This change in exosome concentration was not detectable with FC or DLS
      due to limitations in their ability to resolve particles <200nm and/or accurately
      determine EV concentration. Both the TRPS and FC demonstrate that the
      concentration of EVs>=200nm significantly increases in RCCs by day 42/43 compared
      to EVs present on day 3 (p<0.001). As the DLS measures the average size of
      particles in suspension, only an increase in the zeta-average size was observed
      during storage. EV size and concentration in RBC products is significantly
      influenced by the length of storage. Overall, this study shows that combining
      technologies may be important to improve the characterization and study of EVs in
      stored RCCs.

PMID- 28363589
TI  - The Extended-Synaptotagmins.
AB  - The extended-synaptotagmins (tricalbins in yeast) derive their name from their
      partial domain structure similarity to the synaptotagmins, which are
      characterized by an N-terminal membrane anchor and cytosolically exposed C2
      domains. However, they differ from the synaptotagmins in localization and
      function. The synaptotagmins tether secretory vesicles, including synaptic
      vesicles, to the plasma membrane (PM) via their C2 domains and regulate their
      Ca2+ triggered exocytosis. In contrast, the extended-synaptotagmins are resident
      proteins of the endoplasmic reticulum (ER), which tether this organelle to the
      plasma membrane via their C2 domains, but not as a premise to fusion of the two
      membranes. They transport glycerolipids between the two bilayers via their lipid
      harboring SMP domains and Ca2+ regulates their membrane tethering and lipid
      transport function. Additionally, the extended-synaptotagmins are more widely
      expressed in different organisms, as they are present not only in animal cells,
      but also in fungi and plants, which do not express the synaptotagmins. Thus, they
      have a more general function than the synaptotagmins, whose appearance in animal
      species correlated with the occurrence of Ca2+ triggered exocytosis. This article
      is part of a Special Issue entitled: Membrane Contact Sites edited by Christian
      Ungermann and Benoit Kornmann.

PMID- 28363592
TI  - A survey of critical care nurses' practices and perceptions surrounding early
      intravenous antibiotic initiation during septic shock.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Delays in antibiotic administration after severe sepsis recognition
      increases mortality. While physician and pharmacy-related barriers to early
      antibiotic initiation have been well evaluated, those factors that affect the
      speed by which critical care nurses working in either the emergency department or
      the intensive care unit setting initiate antibiotic therapy remains poorly
      characterized. AIM: To evaluate the knowledge, practices and perceptions of
      critical care nurses regarding antibiotic initiation in patients with newly
      recognised septic shock. METHODS: A validated survey was distributed to 122
      critical care nurses at one 320-bed academic institution with a sepsis protocol
      advocating intravenous(IV) antibiotic initiation within 1hour of shock
      recognition. RESULTS: Among 100 (82%) critical care nurses responding, nearly all
      (98%) knew of the existence of the sepsis protocol. However, many critical care
      nurses stated they would optimise blood pressure [with either fluid (38%) or both
      fluid and a vasopressor (23%)] before antibiotic initiation. Communicated
      barriers to rapid antibiotic initiation included: excessive patient workload
      (74%), lack of awareness IV antibiotic(s) ordered (57%) or delivered (69%), need
      for administration of multiple non-antibiotic IV medications (54%) and no IV
      access (51%). CONCLUSIONS: Multiple nurse-related factors influence IV
      antibiotic(s) initiation speed and should be incorporated into sepsis quality
      improvement efforts.

PMID- 28363593
TI  - Seeing beyond monitors-Critical care nurses' multiple skills in patient
      observation: Descriptive qualitative study.
AB  - OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study was to provide a comprehensive description of
      multiple skills in patient observation in critical care nursing. RESEARCH
      METHODOLOGY: Data from semi-structured interviews were analysed using thematic
      analysis. SETTING: Experienced critical care nurses (n=20) from three intensive
      care units in two university hospitals in Finland. FINDINGS: Patient observation
      skills consist of: information gaining skills, information processing skills,
      decision-making skills and co-operation skills. The first three skills are
      integrated in the patient observation process, in which gaining information is a
      prerequisite for processing information that precedes making decisions. Co
      operation has a special role as it occurs throughout the process. CONCLUSION:
      This study provided a comprehensive description of patient observation skills
      related to the three-phased patient observation process. The findings contribute
      to clarifying this part of the competence. The description of patient observation
      skills may be applied in both clinical practice and education as it may serve as
      a framework for orientation, ensuring clinical skills and designing learning
      environments. Based on this study, patient observation skills can be recommended
      to be included in critical care nursing education, orientation and as a part of
      critical care nurses' competence evaluation.

PMID- 28363594
TI  - Thematic Analysis: How do patient diaries affect survivors' psychological
      recovery?
AB  - AIM: This review aims to use thematic analysis to explore and synthesise evidence
      of the actual or potential reported effects of diaries on the psychological
      rehabilitation and recovery of discharged critical care patients. BACKGROUND:
      Evidence suggests that whilst admission to critical care may save patient lives,
      the psychological aftermath can damage a patient's recovery and these needs must
      be met. Patient diaries are one potential intervention to aid patients understand
      their critical illness and fill memory gaps caused by sedation, thus reducing
      psychological distress post-discharge. Prospective patient diaries are increasing
      in popularity amongst critical care units in the United Kingdom, however there is
      little evidence base to support their use or understand their effects. METHOD: A
      literature review using systematic methods was undertaken of studies relating to
      the effects of diaries on discharged patients. Thematic analysis enabled the
      generation and synthesis of themes. RESULTS: Three themes arose from the
      generated codes: 1) Reclaiming ownership of lost time. 2) Emphasising personhood.
      3) Fear and frustration. The diary intervention was shown to have a largely
      positive impact on survivors' psychological rehabilitation. However, caution
      should be exercised as recipients could find the contents painful and emotional.
      Diaries should be embedded within a robust critical care follow-up plan.
      CONCLUSION: This review suggests that diaries have the potential to form one
      aspect of rehabilitation and make a positive impact on patients' recovery. More
      research is indicated to fully evaluate the effects of diaries on their
      recipients.

PMID- 28363595
TI  - Gastric incarceration in a peristomal hernia.

PMID- 28363596
TI  - "Iliac hernia", an original form of ventral hernia that is probably not so
      uncommon.

PMID- 28363597
TI  - The cytotoxic effects of VE-3N, a novel 1,4-dihydropyridine derivative, involve
      the mitochondrial bioenergetic disruption via uncoupling mechanisms.
AB  - Several 1,4-dihydropyridine derivatives overcome the multidrug resistance in
      tumors, but their intrinsic cytotoxic mechanisms remain unclear. Here we
      addressed if mitochondria are involved in the cytotoxicity of the novel 1,4
      dihydropyridine derivative VE-3N [ethyl 6-chloro-5-formyl-2-methyl-4-(3
      nitrophenyl)-1,4-dihydropyridine-3-carboxylate] towards cancer cells by employing
      hepatic carcinoma (HepG2) cells and isolated rat liver mitochondria. In HepG2
      cells, VE-3N induced mitochondrial membrane potential dissipation, ATP depletion,
      annexin V/propidium iodide double labeling, and Hoechst staining; events
      indicating apoptosis induction. In isolated rat liver mitochondria, VE-3N
      promoted mitochondrial uncoupling by exerting protonophoric actions and by
      increasing membrane fluidity. Mitochondrial uncoupling was evidenced by an
      increase in resting respiration, dissipation of mitochondrial membrane potential,
      inhibition of Ca2+ uptake, stimulation of Ca2+ release, decrease in ATP
      synthesis, and swelling of valinomycin-treated organelles in hyposmotic potassium
      acetate media. Furthermore, uncoupling concentrations of VE-3N in the presence of
      Ca2+ plus ruthenium red induced the mitochondrial permeability transition
      process. These results indicate that mitochondrial uncoupling is potentially
      involved in the VE-3N cytotoxic actions towards HepG2 cells. Considering that
      hepatocellular carcinoma is the most common form of liver cancer, our findings
      may open a new avenue for the development of VE-3N-based cancer therapies, and
      help to unravel the cytotoxic mechanisms of 1,4-dihydropyridines towards cancer
      cells.

PMID- 28363598
TI  - p,p'-Methoxyl-diphenyl diselenide-loaded polymeric nanocapsules are chemically
      stable and do not induce toxicity in mice.
AB  - Organoselenium compounds have been targeted to new therapeutic tools development
      due to their pharmacological actions. However, some toxicity issues and
      physicochemical limitations delay the clinical application of these compounds.
      The incorporation of organoselenium molecules into nanostructured systems arises
      as a promising alternative to overcome such restrictions. The current study
      proposed the characterization of the polymeric nanocapsules of p,p'-methoxyl
      diphenyl diselenide [(OMePhSe)2] as well as the evaluation of the in vivo
      toxicity and biodistribution profile. The nanocapsules, which were composed by
      medium-chain triglycerides as the oil core and poly(epsilon-caprolactone) as the
      polymeric wall, showed nanometric size (236+/-4), low polydispersity (<0.2),
      negative zeta potential (-5.4+/-0.06), neutral pH values (7.2+/-0.08) and a high
      encapsulation efficiency (98%). Besides, the nanoencapsulation process increased
      the (OMePhSe)2 stability. The repeated intragastric administration of (OMePhSe)2
      nanoencapsulated (25mg/kg/day during 7days) did not cause any alteration in the
      oxidative status, hematological parameters, and plasma biochemical markers of
      cellular damage. Moreover, the (OMePhSe)2 incorporation into nanocapsules
      increased the selenium concentrations in the tissues (kidneys, liver and plasma)
      suggesting an improvement in its oral bioavailability.

PMID- 28363599
TI  - Fluorescent carbon dot-gated multifunctional mesoporous silica nanocarriers for
      redox/enzyme dual-responsive targeted and controlled drug delivery and real-time
      bioimaging.
AB  - A distinctive and personalized nanocarrier is described here for controlled and
      targeted antitumor drug delivery and real-time bioimaging by combining a
      redox/enzyme dual-responsive disulfide-conjugated carbon dot with mesoporous
      silica nanoparticles (MSN-SS-CDHA). The carbon dot with controlling and targeting
      abilities was prepared through a polymerizing reaction by applying citric acid
      and HA as starting materials (named CDHA). The as-prepared MSN-SS-CDHA exhibited
      not only superior photostability and excellent biocompatibility, but also the
      ability to target A549 cells with overexpression of CD44 receptors. Upon loading
      the antitumor drug, doxorubicin (DOX), into the mesoporous channels of MSN
      nanoparticles, CDHA with a diameter size of 3nm completely blocked the pore
      entrance of DOX-encapsulated MSN nanoparticles with a pore size of about 3nm,
      thus preventing the premature leakage of DOX and increasing the antitumor
      activity until being triggered by specific stimuli in the tumor environment. The
      results of the cell imaging and cytotoxicity studies demonstrated that the
      redox/enzyme dual-responsive DOX-encapsulated MSN-SS-CDHA nanoparticles can
      selectively deliver and control the release of DOX into tumor cells. Ex vivo
      fluorescence images showed a much stronger fluorescence of MSN-SS-CDHA-DOX in the
      tumor site than in normal tissues, greatly facilitating the accumulation of DOX
      in the target tissue. However, its counterpart, MSN-SH-DOX exhibited no or much
      lower tumor cytotoxicity and drug accumulation in tumor tissue. In addition, MSN
      SS-CD was also used as a control to investigate the ability of MSN-SS-CDHA to
      target A549 cells. The results obtained indicated that MSN-SS-CDHA possessed a
      higher cellular uptake through the CD44 receptor-mediated endocytosis compared
      with MSN-SS-CD in the A549 cells. Such specific redox/enzyme dual-responsive
      targeted nanocarriers are a useful strategy achieving selective controlled and
      targeted delivery of therapeutic reagents with real-time bioimaging, and may also
      facilitate the development of drug delivery systems for a number of clinical
      applications.

PMID- 28363600
TI  - Heme modulates Trypanosoma cruzi bioenergetics inducing mitochondrial ROS
      production.
AB  - Trypanosoma cruzi is the causative agent of Chagas disease and has a single
      mitochondrion, an organelle responsible for ATP production and the main site for
      the formation of reactive oxygen species (ROS). T. cruzi is an obligate
      intracellular parasite with a complex life cycle that alternates between
      vertebrate and invertebrate hosts, therefore the development of survival
      strategies and morphogenetic adaptations to deal with the various environments is
      mandatory. Over the years our group has been studying the vector-parasite
      interactions using heme as a physiological oxidant molecule that triggered
      epimastigote proliferation however, the source of ROS induced by heme remained
      unknown. In the present study we demonstrate the involvement of heme in the
      parasite mitochondrial metabolism, decreasing oxygen consumption leading to
      increased mitochondrial ROS and membrane potential. First, we incubated
      epimastigotes with carbonyl cyanide p-(trifluoromethoxy) phenylhydrazone (FCCP),
      an uncoupler of oxidative phosphorylation, which led to decreased ROS formation
      and parasite proliferation, even in the presence of heme, correlating
      mitochondrial ROS and T. cruzi survival. This hypothesis was confirmed after the
      mitochondria-targeted antioxidant ((2-(2,2,6,6 Tetramethylpiperidin-1-oxyl-4
      ylamino)-2-oxoethyl) triphenylphosphonium chloride (MitoTEMPO) decreased both
      heme-induced ROS and epimastigote proliferation. Furthermore, heme increased the
      percentage of tetramethylrhodamine methyl ester (TMRM) positive parasites
      tremendously-indicating the hyperpolarization and increase of potential of the
      mitochondrial membrane (DeltaPsim). Assessing the mitochondrial functional
      metabolism, we observed that in comparison to untreated parasites, heme-treated
      epimastigotes decreased their oxygen consumption, and increased the complex II
      III activity. These changes allowed the electron flow into the electron transport
      system, even though the complex IV (cytochrome c oxidase) activity decreased
      significantly, showing that heme-induced mitochondrial ROS appears to be a
      consequence of the enhanced mitochondrial physiological modulation. Finally, the
      parasites that were submitted to high concentrations of heme presented no
      alterations in the ultrastructure. Consequently, our results suggest that heme
      released by the insect vector after the blood meal, modify epimastigote
      mitochondrial physiology to increase ROS as a metabolic mechanism to maintain
      epimastigote survival and proliferation.

PMID- 28363602
TI  - Zinc regulates Nox1 expression through a NF-kappaB and mitochondrial ROS
      dependent mechanism to induce senescence of vascular smooth muscle cells.
AB  - AIMS: The role of oxidative stress and inflammation in the development and
      progression of cardiovascular diseases (CVD) is well established. Increases in
      oxidative stress can further exacerbate the inflammatory response and lead to
      cellular senescence. We previously reported that angiotensin II (Ang II) and zinc
      increase reactive oxygen species (ROS) and cause senescence of vascular smooth
      muscle cells (VSMCs) and that senescence induced by Ang II is a zinc-dependent
      process. Zinc stimulated NADPH oxidase (Nox) activity; however, the role of Nox
      isoforms in zinc effects was not determined. RESULTS: Here, we show that
      downregulation of Nox1, but not Nox4, by siRNA prevented both Ang II- and zinc
      induced senescence in VSMCs. On the other hand, overexpression of Nox1 induced
      senescence, which was associated with reduced proliferation, reduced expression
      of telomerase and increased DNA damage. Zinc increased Nox1 protein expression,
      which was inhibited by chelation of zinc with TPEN and by overexpression of the
      zinc exporters ZnT3 and ZnT10. These transporters work to reduce cytosolic zinc,
      suggesting that increased cytosolic zinc mediates Nox1 upregulation. Other metals
      including copper, iron, cobalt and manganese failed to upregulate Nox1,
      suggesting that this pathway is zinc specific. Nox1 upregulation was inhibited by
      actinomycin D (ACD), an inhibitor of transcription, by inhibition of NF-kappaB, a
      known Nox1 transcriptional regulator and by N-acetyl cysteine (NAC) and
      MitoTEMPO, suggesting that NF-kappaB and mitochondrial ROS mediate zinc effects.
      Supporting this idea, we found that zinc increased NF-kappaB activation in the
      cytosol, stimulated the translocation of the p65 subunit to the nucleus, and that
      zinc accumulated in mitochondria increasing mitochondrial ROS, measured using
      MitoSox. Further, zinc-induced senescence was reduced by inhibition of NF-kappaB
      or reduction of mitochondrial ROS with MitoTEMPO. NF-kappaB activity was also
      reduced by MitoTEMPO, suggesting that mitochondrial ROS is upstream of NF-kappaB.
      INNOVATION AND CONCLUSION: Our data demonstrate that altered zinc distribution
      leading to accumulation of zinc in the mitochondria increases mitochondrial ROS
      production causing NF-kappaB activation which in turn upregulates Nox1 expression
      inducing senescence of VSMCs.

PMID- 28363601
TI  - Methylglyoxal-induced AMPK activation leads to autophagic degradation of
      thioredoxin 1 and glyoxalase 2 in HT22 nerve cells.
AB  - Methylglyoxal (MGO) is a major glycating agent that reacts with basic residues of
      proteins and promotes the formation of advanced glycation end products which are
      believed to play key roles in a number of pathologies, such as diabetes,
      Alzheimer's disease, and inflammation. We previously showed that MGO treatment
      targets the thioredoxin and the glyoxalase systems, leading to a decrease in Trx1
      and Glo2 proteins in immortalized mouse hippocampal HT22 nerve cells. Here, we
      propose that autophagy is the underlying mechanism leading to Glo2 and Trx1 loss
      induced by MGO. The autophagic markers p62, and the lipidated and active form of
      LC3, were increased by MGO (0.5mM). Autophagy inhibition with bafilomycin or
      chloroquine prevented the decrease in Trx1 and Glo2 at 6 and 18h after MGO
      treatment. Proteasome inhibition by MG132 exacerbated the effect of MGO on Trx1
      and Glo2 degradation (18h), further suggesting a role for autophagy. ATG5 small
      interfering RNA protected Trx1 and Glo2 from MGO-induced degradation, confirming
      Trx1 and Glo2 loss is mediated by autophagy. In the search for the signals that
      control autophagy, we found that AMPK activation, a known autophagy inducer, was
      markedly increased by MGO treatment. AMPK activation was confirmed by increased
      acetyl coenzyme A carboxylase phosphorylation, a direct AMPK substrate and by
      decreased mTOR phosphorylation, an indirect marker of AMPK activation. To confirm
      that MGO-mediated Trx1 and Glo2 degradation was AMPK-dependent, AMPK-deficient
      mouse embryonic fibroblasts (MEFs) were treated with MGO. Wildtype MEFs presented
      the expected decrease in Trx1 and Glo2, while MGO was ineffective in decreasing
      these proteins in AMPK-deficient cells. Overall, the data indicate that MGO
      activates autophagy in an AMPK-dependent manner, and that autophagy was
      responsible for Trx1 and Glo2 degradation, confirming that Trx1 and Glo2 are
      molecular targets of MGO.

PMID- 28363604
TI  - The endoplasmic reticulum: A hub of protein quality control in health and
      disease.
AB  - One third of the eukaryotic proteome is synthesized at the endoplasmic reticulum
      (ER), whose unique properties provide a folding environment substantially
      different from the cytosol. A healthy, balanced proteome in the ER is maintained
      by a network of factors referred to as the ER quality control (ERQC) machinery.
      This network consists of various protein folding chaperones and modifying
      enzymes, and is regulated by stress response pathways that prevent the build-up
      as well as the secretion of potentially toxic and aggregation-prone misfolded
      protein species. Here, we describe the components of the ERQC machinery,
      investigate their response to different forms of stress, and discuss the
      consequences of ERQC break-down.

PMID- 28363606
TI  - Observational Study of Neonatal Safety for Outpatient Labour Induction Priming
      with Dinoprostone Vaginal Insert.
AB  - OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the safety of outpatient induction with dinoprostone
      insert in low-risk labour inductions for premature rupture of membranes or
      postdates gestation. METHODS: This retrospective cohort study compared outpatient
      labour induction priming with inpatient induction in terms of neonatal safety,
      mode of delivery, and obstetrical parameters. The sample included all inductions
      for premature rupture of membranes or postdate gestation. The analysis used
      logistic regression. The statistical power of the sample was 80% to detect a
      difference of 5.6% for the composite neonatal safety outcome (5-minute Apgar
      score <7 and NICU admission for >12 hours or transfer to a level III nursery).
      RESULTS: Compared with the inpatient cohort (n = 568), the outpatient cohort (n =
      611) included more postdate gestations (93% vs. 67%) with less cervical
      dilatation (0.5 cm vs. 1.0 cm) and larger infants (3705 g vs. 3551 g). There were
      no differences in measures of neonatal safety or mode of delivery. The outpatient
      cohort required more dinoprostone inserts (1.59 vs. 1.23) and were less likely to
      deliver within 24 hours (OR 0.24, 95% CI 0.17 to 0.34) but were also less likely
      to deliver by CS (OR 0.71, 95% CI 0.54 to 0.95), after adjusting for obstetrical
      parameters. CONCLUSION: An outpatient model of labour induction using
      dinoprostone inserts is feasible and safe.

PMID- 28363605
TI  - Genetic or pharmacological depletion of cannabinoid CB1 receptor protects against
      dopaminergic neurotoxicity induced by methamphetamine in mice.
AB  - Accumulating evidence suggests that cannabinoid ligands play delicate roles in
      cell survival and apoptosis decisions, and that cannabinoid CB1 receptors (CB1R)
      modulate dopaminergic function. However, the role of CB1R in methamphetamine (MA)
      induced dopaminergic neurotoxicity in vivo remains elusive. Multiple high doses
      of MA increased phospho-ERK and CB1R mRNA expressions in the striatum of CB1R
      (+/+) mice. These increases were attenuated by CB1R antagonists (i.e., AM251 and
      rimonabant), an ERK inhibitor (U0126), or dopamine D2R antagonist (sulpiride). In
      addition, treatment with MA resulted in dopaminergic impairments, which were
      attenuated by CB1R knockout or CB1R antagonists (i.e., AM251 and rimonabant).
      Consistently, MA-induced oxidative stresses (i.e., protein oxidation, lipid
      peroxidation and reactive oxygen species) and pro-apoptotic changes (i.e.,
      increases in Bax, cleaved PKCdelta- and cleaved caspase 3-expression and decrease
      in Bcl-2 expression) were observed in the striatum of CB1R (+/+) mice. These
      toxic effects were attenuated by CB1R knockout or CB1R antagonists. Consistently,
      treatment with four high doses of CB1R agonists (i.e., WIN 55,212-2 36mg/kg and
      ACEA 16mg/kg) also resulted in significant oxidative stresses, pro-apoptotic
      changes, and dopaminergic impairments. Since CB1R co-immunoprecipitates PKCdelta
      in the presence of MA or CB1R agonists, we applied PKCdelta knockout mice to
      clarify the role of PKCdelta in the neurotoxicity elicited by CB1Rs. CB1R agonist
      induced toxic effects were significantly attenuated by CB1R knockout, CB1R
      antagonists or PKCdelta knockout. Therefore, our results suggest that interaction
      between D2R, ERK and CB1R is critical for MA-induced dopaminergic neurotoxicity
      and that PKCdelta mediates dopaminergic damage induced by high-doses of CB1R
      agonist.

PMID- 28363603
TI  - Oxidative DNA damage & repair: An introduction.
AB  - This introductory article should be viewed as a prologue to the Free Radical
      Biology & Medicine Special Issue devoted to the important topic of Oxidatively
      Damaged DNA and its Repair. This special issue is dedicated to Professor Tomas
      Lindahl, co-winner of the 2015 Nobel Prize in Chemistry for his seminal
      discoveries in the area repair of oxidatively damaged DNA. In the past several
      years it has become abundantly clear that DNA oxidation is a major consequence of
      life in an oxygen-rich environment. Concomitantly, survival in the presence of
      oxygen, with the constant threat of deleterious DNA mutations and deletions, has
      largely been made possible through the evolution of a vast array of DNA repair
      enzymes. The articles in this Oxidatively Damaged DNA & Repair special issue
      detail the reactions by which intracellular DNA is oxidatively damaged, and the
      enzymatic reactions and pathways by which living organisms survive such assaults
      by repair processes.

PMID- 28363607
TI  - End-of-Rotation Examinations in Canadian Obstetrics and Gynaecology Residency
      Programs: The Perspectives of Faculty Members and Residents.
AB  - The Royal College Competence by Design curriculum in obstetrics and gynaecology
      will launch in 2019, and it will depend heavily on multiple tools for accurate
      resident assessment. Several Canadian obstetrics and gynaecology residency
      programs use rotation-specific examinations at the end of various rotations for
      formative feedback. The obstetrics and gynaecology residency program at the
      University of Toronto adopted end-of-rotation examinations (EOREs) in 2014. We
      conducted a national survey to assess the current use of EOREs across Canada and
      to examine the attitudes and beliefs of residents and program directors regarding
      their use. We discuss faculty and resident experiences with EOREs and their
      perceptions of them. We also consider the role and benefit of these examinations
      in the context of the educational literature, and how they may integrate with
      future competency-based medical education frameworks.

PMID- 28363608
TI  - Interpregnancy Interval and Adverse Perinatal Outcomes: A Record-Linkage Study
      Using the Manitoba Population Research Data Repository.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: To examine the association between the interpregnancy interval (IPI)
      and preterm birth, low birth weight, and SGA birth in a developed country with
      universal health coverage. METHODS: We conducted a secondary analysis of data
      housed at the Manitoba Centre for Health Policy. All live births in Manitoba
      hospitals over a 29-year period were identified and consecutive births to the
      same mother were grouped into sibling pairs to calculate the IPI for the younger
      siblings. Logistic regression models were fit to examine the association between
      the IPI and adverse perinatal outcomes, adjusted for potentially confounding
      sociodemographic and clinical factors. RESULTS: In a cohort of more than 171 000
      births and relative to IPIs of 18 to 23 months, IPIs shorter than 12 and longer
      than 23 months were associated with significantly increased odds of preterm birth
      overall and both medically indicated and spontaneous preterm births, low birth
      weight, and SGA birth. The strongest association observed was for intervals
      shorter than 6 months and spontaneous preterm birth (adjusted OR 1.83, 95% CI
      1.65-2.03). When the outcome was modelled as GA categories, the strongest
      association observed was for intervals shorter than 6 months and early preterm
      birth (<34 weeks' GA; adjusted OR 2.47, 95% CI 2.07-2.94). CONCLUSION: If the
      associations observed between the IPI and adverse perinatal outcomes in this
      large, population-based cohort are causal, birth spacing could form an important
      target of public health messaging in Canada.

PMID- 28363609
TI  - Maternal-Fetal Monitoring of Opioid-Exposed Pregnancies: Analysis of a Pilot
      Community-Based Protocol and Review of the Literature.
AB  - OBJECTIVES: To describe/analyse a novel, community-based prenatal monitoring
      protocol for opioid-exposed pregnancies developed by our centre in 2014 to
      optimize prenatal care for this population. A literature review of published
      monitoring protocols for this population is also presented. METHODS:
      Retrospective comparison of pre-protocol (n = 215) and post-protocol (n = 251)
      cohorts. Medline and Embase were searched between 2000-2016 using MeSH terms:
      [fetal monitoring OR prenatal care] AND [opioid-related disorders OR substance
      related disorders] in Medline and [fetal monitoring OR prenatal care] AND [opiate
      addiction OR substance abuse] in Embase, producing 518 results. Thirteen studies
      included protocols for monitoring opioid-exposed pregnancies. No comprehensive
      monitoring protocols with high-quality supporting evidence were found. RESULTS:
      We evaluated 466 opioid-exposed pregnancies, 215 before and 251 after
      introduction of the protocol. Since implementation, there was a significant
      increase in the number of opioid-exposed patients who have underwent urine drug
      screening (72.6% to 89.2%, P < 0.0001); a significant reduction in the number of
      urine drug screenings positive for illicit opioids (50.2% to 29.1%, P < 0.0001);
      and a significant increase in the number of patients who discontinued illicit
      opioid use by the time of delivery (24.7% to 39.4%, P < 0.01). There was no
      difference in the CS rate (27.4% vs. 26.3%, P > 0.05). There were no observed
      differences in the rate of preterm birth, birth weight <2500 g, or Apgar score <7
      (P > 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Care of women with increased opioid use during pregnancy
      is an important but under-studied health issue. A novel protocol for focused
      antenatal care provision for women with opioid-exposed pregnancies improves
      standard of care and maternal/fetal outcomes.

PMID- 28363610
TI  - Unnecessary overuse. Study of "inadvisable practices" for patients with atrial
      fibrillation.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: To identify overuse (diagnostic, therapeutic and self-care practices
      that represent risks that outweigh the potential benefits) in patients with
      atrial fibrillation. METHOD: The study was based on qualitative research
      techniques. Using the "Metaplan" technique, we identified and ordered potentially
      inappropriate, ineffective and inefficient practices. By means of a consensus
      conference, we then established a number of "inadvisable practice" measures
      (relatively common practices that should be eliminated based on the scientific
      evidence or clinical experience). Professionals from the specialties of
      cardiology, haematology, neurology, internal medicine, family medicine and
      nursing participated in the consensus. RESULTS: We developed a catalogue of 19
      "inadvisable practices" related to the diagnosis, treatment and care of
      anticoagulated patients that were inappropriate, had questionable effectiveness
      or were ineffective, as well as 13 beliefs or behaviours for anticoagulated
      patients that could result in injury or were useless or inefficient. CONCLUSION:
      The "inadvisable practices" approach helps identify practices that represent
      greater risks than benefits for patients. It seems appropriate to include
      algorithms in the clinical decision-making support systems that consider this
      information for the diagnosis, treatment and for home care. For this last case,
      recommendations have also been prepared that define specific contents for the
      healthcare education of these patients.

PMID- 28363611
TI  - New Insight in a New Entity: NIFTPS and Valuable Role of Ancillary Techniques.
      The Role of PD-L1.

PMID- 28363612
TI  - Programmed Death - Ligand 1 Expression Distinguishes Invasive Encapsulated
      Follicular Variant of Papillary Thyroid Carcinoma from Noninvasive Follicular
      Thyroid Neoplasm with Papillary-like Nuclear Features.
AB  - BACKGROUND: The noninvasive Encapsulated follicular variant of papillary thyroid
      cancer (EFVPTC) has been reclassified as Noninvasive follicular thyroid neoplasm
      with papillary-like nuclear features (NIFTP) without a significant risk for
      malignant behavior. However the evaluation remains a challenge for clinicians. We
      sought to determine whether programmed death-ligand 1 (PD-L1) expression may
      serve as a biomarker to predict invasiveness of EFVPTC and assist to distinguish
      these neoplasms from NIFTP. METHODS: Immunohistochemical staining of PD-L1
      expression was performed in sections of 174 Formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded
      (FFPE) tissue blocks from surgery removed thyroid nodules. RESULTS: Cytoplasmic
      PD-L1 expression was significantly increased in invasive EFVPTC (4.76+/-1.49) as
      compared to NIFTP (3.06+/-2.16, p<0.001). Increased cytoplasmic PD-L1 expression
      was associated with invasiveness in EFVPTC (p<0.001); PD-L1 positive EFVPTC cases
      were at 3.16 folds higher risk in developing invasion than the PD-L1 negative
      cases. No significant difference in cytoplasmic PD-L1 expression was observed
      between NIFTP and benign nodules. CONCLUSION: PD-L1 expression may serve as a
      useful biomarker in predicting invasiveness of EFVPTC and distinguishing NIFTP
      from invasive EFVPTC. To our knowledge this is the first report suggesting the
      application of a protein biomarker to confirm NIFTP as benign indolent neoplasms.

PMID- 28363613
TI  - "Determining fluid responsiveness in sepsis: The quest continues".

PMID- 28363615
TI  - Retrospective comparison of the Low Risk Ankle Rules and the Ottawa Ankle Rules
      in a pediatric population.
AB  - BACKGROUND: A recent multicenter prospective Canadian study presented prospective
      evidence supporting the Low Risk Ankle Rules (LRAR) as a means of reducing the
      number of ankle radiographs ordered for children presenting with an ankle injury
      while maintaining nearly 100% sensitivity. This is in contrast to a previous
      prospective study which showed that this rule yielded only 87% sensitivity.
      OBJECTIVE: It is important to further investigate the LRAR and compare them with
      the already validated Ottawa Ankle Rules (OAR) to potentially curb healthcare
      costs and decrease unnecessary radiation exposure without compromising diagnostic
      accuracy. METHODS: We conducted a retrospective chart review of 980 qualifying
      patients ages 12months to 18years presenting with ankle injury to a commonly
      staffed 310 bed children's hospital and auxiliary site pediatric emergency
      department. RESULTS: There were 28 high-risk fractures identified. The Ottawa
      Ankle Rules had a sensitivity of 100% (95% CI 87.7-100), specificity of 33.1%
      (95% CI 30.1-36.2), and would have reduced the number of ankle radiographs
      ordered by 32.1%. The Low Risk Ankle Rules had a sensitivity of 85.7% (95% CI
      85.7-96), specificity of 64.9% (95% CI 61.8-68), and would have reduced the
      number of ankle radiographs ordered by 63.1%. The latter rule missed 4 high-risk
      fractures. CONCLUSION: The Low Risk Ankle Rules may not be sensitive enough for
      use in Pediatric Emergency Departments, while the Ottawa Ankle Rules again
      demonstrated 100% sensitivity. Further research on ways to implement the Ottawa
      Ankle Rules and maximize its ability to decrease wait times, healthcare costs,
      and improve patient satisfaction are needed.

PMID- 28363614
TI  - Acute symptomatic hypocalcemia from immune checkpoint therapy-induced
      hypoparathyroidism.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Ipilimumab (a monoclonal antibody against CTLA-4) and nivolumab (a
      humanized antibody against PD-1) target these immune checkpoint pathways and are
      used for treatment of melanoma and an increasing number of other cancers.
      However, they may cause immune-related adverse effects (IRAEs). Although many
      endocrinopathies are known to be IRAEs, primary hypoparathyroidism with severe
      hypocalcemia has never been reported. This is the first case of
      hypoparathyroidism as an IRAE presenting to an Emergency Department with acute
      hypocalcemia. CASE DESCRIPTION: A 73-year-old man with metastatic melanoma
      presented to the Emergency Department for the chief complaints of imbalance,
      general muscle weakness, abdominal pain and tingling in extremities. He had wide
      spread metastasis, and begun immunotherapy with concurrent ipilimumab and
      nivolumab 1.5months ago. At presentation, he had ataxia, paresthesia in the hands
      and feet, and abdominal cramping. Magnetic resonance imaging of the brain was
      unremarkable. He was found to be hypocalcemic with undetectable plasma
      parathyroid hormone. He was admitted for treatment of symptomatic hypocalcemia
      and was diagnosed with primary hypoparathyroidism. Shortly afterwards, he had
      thyrotoxicosis manifesting as tachycardia and anxiety, followed by development of
      primary hypothyroidism. At 4months after the Emergency Department visit, his
      parathyroid function and thyroid function had not recovered, and required
      continued thyroid hormone replacement and calcium and vitamin D treatment for
      hypocalcemia. CONCLUSIONS: Primary hypoparathyroidism caused by ipilimumab and
      nivolumab may acute manifest with severe symptomatic hypocalcemia. Emergency care
      providers should be aware of hypoparathyroidism as a new IRAE in this new era of
      immuno-oncology.

PMID- 28363616
TI  - An end-user's guide to the HEART score and pathway.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Chest pain accounts for a significant percentage of emergency
      department (ED) presentations. The HEART score and pathway have demonstrated an
      ability to appropriately risk stratify and discharge from the ED a significant
      proportion of patients. OBJECTIVE: This review evaluates vital components of the
      HEART score and pathway, while discussing important considerations for current
      and future use. DISCUSSION: Chest pain is a common ED presentation, and several
      conditions associated with chest pain result in patient morbidity and mortality.
      One major disease is acute coronary syndrome (ACS). Despite the fear associated
      with this disease, it accounts for a minority of patients with chest pain in the
      ED. Emergency physicians rarely miss myocardial infarction (MI) or ACS, with miss
      rates<1%. Many have sought a score and pathway that allow physicians to safely
      and reliably risk stratify patients. The HEART score and pathway have
      revolutionized chest pain evaluation, as they can risk stratify a significant
      number of patients accurately into separate categories based on history,
      electrocardiogram (ECG), troponin, age, and risk factors while displaying high
      sensitivity for MACE. Several intricacies must be considered in the use of this
      score including risk factors, ECG, troponin, age, history, gestalt, follow up,
      borderline score, and shared decision making. The HEART pathway can supplement
      clinician decision making. CONCLUSIONS: Appropriate use of the HEART pathway
      reliably risk stratifies patients. Physicians must consider several key
      components when utilizing the HEART pathway, and future directions may
      incorporate other patient factors.

PMID- 28363617
TI  - Exploring the best predictors of fluid responsiveness in patients with septic
      shock.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: To evaluate respiratory variations in carotid and brachial peak
      velocity and other hemodynamic parameters to predict responsiveness to fluid
      challenge. METHODS: A prospective observational study was performed on
      mechanically ventilated patients with septic shock. Outcomes included the
      measurements of central venous pressure, intrathoracic blood volume index, stroke
      volume variation (SVV), pleth variability index(PVI), and ultrasound assessments
      of respiratory variations in inferior vena cava diameter (DeltaIVC), carotid
      Doppler peak velocity (DeltaCDPV), and brachial artery peak velocity (DeltaVpeak
      brach). RESULTS: All patients received 200 mL normal saline challenge. There were
      27 responders and 22 non-responders. Responders had higher SVV, PVI, DeltaIVC,
      DeltaCDPV, and DeltaVpeak brach measurements. In addition, all these measurements
      had statistically significant linear correlations with changes in cardiac index
      (CI).When responders were defined by DeltaCI>=10%, receiver operating
      characteristics (ROC) curve analysis showed that fluid responsiveness could be
      predicted:11.5% optimal cut-off 1evels of SVV with sensitivity of 75% and
      specificity of 85%, 15.5% optimal cut-off 1evels of PVI with sensitivity of 65%
      and specificity of 80%, 20.5% optimal cut-off 1evels of DeltaIVC with sensitivity
      of 67% and specificity of 77%, 13% optimal cut-off 1evels of DeltaCDPV with
      sensitivity of 78%% and specificity of 90%, 11.7% optimal cut-off 1evels of
      DeltaVpeak brach with sensitivity of 70% and specificity of 80%. CONCLUSION:
      Ultrasound assessment of DeltaIVC and DeltaVpeak brach, especially DeltaCDPV,
      could predict fluid responsiveness and might be recommended as a continuous and
      noninvasive method to monitor functional hemodynamic parameter in mechanically
      ventilated patients with septic shock.

PMID- 28363618
TI  - Extracorporeal CPR and intra-aortic balloon pumping in tachycardia-induced
      cardiomyopathy complicating cardiac arrest.
AB  - Although tachycardia-induced cardiomyopathy (TIC) due to atrial fibrillation
      occurs frequently, it is under-recognized in clinical settings. TIC has a wide
      range of clinical manifestations, from asymptomatic tachycardia to cardiomyopathy
      leading to end stage heart failure. We present a case of a 48year-old-woman who
      presented as cardiogenic shock, and rapidly progressed to cardiac arrest from
      recently diagnosed but undertreated atrial fibrillation, resulting TIC in the
      emergency department (ED). She was rescued by extracorporeal cardiopulmonary
      resuscitation (E-CPR) for refractory cardiac arrest in the ED, and received
      concomitant intra-aortic balloon counterpulsation (IABP) support for severe left
      ventricular failure. Cardiogenic shock can present as an initial manifestation of
      TIC, and E-CPR and subsequent IABP support can be a valuable rescue therapy for
      severe TIC.

PMID- 28363619
TI  - Body mass index and outcome of out-of-hospital cardiac arrest patients not
      treated by targeted temperature management.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Obesity has been demonstrated to increase the risk of out-of-hospital
      cardiac arrest (OHCA) and may influence the quality and effectiveness of
      cardiopulmonary resuscitation. Our aim was to investigate the association between
      body mass index (BMI) and the outcome of OHCA victims not treated by targeted
      temperature management. METHODS: This was a prospective observational study of
      OHCA patients. The patients were categorized according to BMI into two groups:
      the normal BMI group (nBMI) and the elevated BMI group (eBMI). The primary
      endpoint was return of spontaneous circulation (ROSC), while secondary outcomes
      were survival to intensive care unit (ICU) admission and survival to ICU
      discharge. RESULTS: Of the initial 99 patients who were transported to the
      Emergency Department, 84 (85%) were included in the study. Mean BMI was
      29.8kg/m2. Thirteen (15.5%) patients achieved ROSC and were admitted to the ICU,
      with the mean duration of ICU length of stay being 6.7+/-4.9days. Survival to ICU
      admission and ICU discharge were higher in the eBMI group (17.6% vs. 6.25%,
      p=0.010 and 10.3% vs. 6.25%, p=0.021, respectively). Survival to ICU discharge
      was higher in ventricular fibrillation patients compared to patients with non
      shockable rhythms, irrespectively of their BMI (p=0.002). All patients that
      survived to ICU discharge did so with a cerebral performance category score of 2.
      CONCLUSIONS: Survival to ICU admission and ICU discharge were higher in the eBMI
      group.

PMID- 28363621
TI  - The utility of Tdap in the Emergency Department.

PMID- 28363620
TI  - Usefulness of glycated hemoglobin A1c-based adjusted glycemic variables in
      diabetic patients presenting with acute ischemic stroke.
AB  - Acute hyperglycemia is a common condition among patients with diabetes who are
      admitted to the emergency department (ED) for acute ischemic stroke (AIS).
      Previous findings regarding the association between hyperglycemia at admission
      and adverse outcomes among patients with diabetes and AIS have been inconsistent.
      When investigating this association, it is necessary to consider premorbid blood
      glucose control. The objective of the current study was to assess whether HbA1c
      based adjusted glycemic variables were associated with unfavorable outcomes among
      patients admitted to the hospital for AIS. We retrospectively analyzed data from
      309 patients who were hospitalized for AIS at a single medical center in Taiwan
      between January 1, 2013, and October 31, 2015. We found that 1) HbA1c-based
      adjusted glycemic variables, including the glycemic gap and stress hyperglycemia
      ratio, were associated with both AIS severity and neurological status at
      discharge; additionally, 2) HbA1c-based adjusted glycemic variables showed
      superior discriminative power compared with acute hyperglycemia regarding the
      development of severe AIS. We conclude that both the glycemic gap and stress
      hyperglycemia ratio might be useful in assessing the disease severity and
      prognosis of patients presenting with AIS. Further prospective long-term follow
      up studies should be performed to validate these findings.

PMID- 28363622
TI  - Response to: Students' participation in collaborative research should be
      recognised.

PMID- 28363623
TI  - External hernia of the supravesical fossa: Rare or simply misidentified?
AB  - BACKGROUND: External hernias of the supravesical fossa are considered rare,
      perhaps wrongly. Highlighting clinical and anatomical features could be useful
      for correct, preoperative diagnosis, thus avoiding the risk of complications such
      as incarceration. The study aims to demonstrate that the incidence of external
      protrusions of the supravesical fossa is higher that supposed. Probably, being
      mistaken for direct hernias, these hernia types are misidentified and not
      included in current classifications. This issue deserves attention due to the
      elevated risk of incarceration related to its distinctive structure. MATERIAL AND
      METHODS: 249 consecutive open anterior inguinal hernia procedures were analyzed.
      Hernias were categorized according to the Nyhus classification. A subgroup of
      direct hernias involved true hernias of the supravesical fossa. Multiple
      ipsilateral, as well as combined hernias having a multi-component structure, were
      also considered. RESULTS: 13 true hernias of the supravesical fossa and 19
      multiple ipsilateral or combined hernias composed of direct and/or indirect
      hernia, together with one hernia of the supravesical fossa were identified. 4
      true hernias of the supravesical fossa presented signs of incarceration. In three
      other combined protrusions, the herniated component of the supravesical fossa
      also showed incarceration of the visceral content. CONCLUSIONS: Hernias of the
      supravesical fossa would appear to be more frequent than imagined. These
      protrusions show a diverticular shape and the base is often tightened by the
      stiffer medial umbilical fold. This explains the apparently higher tendency to
      incarceration that distinguishes this hernia type. Preoperative signs of inguinal
      pain and irreducibility are pathognomonic for correct diagnosis. In these cases,
      surgical treatment in the short term is recommended.

PMID- 28363624
TI  - Surgical management of hydatid Bilio-bronchial fistula by exclusive thoracotomy.
AB  - In the industrialized countries, most of Bilio-bronchial fistula are secondary to
      hepatobiliary trauma, hepatic resection surgery or in the case of congenital
      malformation of the biliary tract, Bilio-bronchial fistula is recognized as the
      complication of a number of infectious pathologies such as hydatidosis and
      hepatic amoebiasis. Among the causes, the Bilio-bronchial fistula of hydatic
      origin is by far the most frequent especially in the zones of hydatid endemic as
      Morocco. It is a serious complication of liver hydatid cysts. The surgical
      management has long been believed to be difficult, and often associated with a
      very pejorative prognosis due to the simultaneous attack of the thoracic and
      abdominal stage through the diaphragm. This tripartite involvement reflects the
      difficulty of choosing the first approach between the thoracic, abdominal or a
      combination of both approaches. However, progress, especially in the possibility
      of carrying out adequate preoperative preparation with the increasing
      introduction of retrograde endoscopic cholangiography with sphincterotomy, has
      made possible this exclusive thoracotomy surgery with acceptable outcomes.

PMID- 28363625
TI  - Quantifying neuromuscular ultrasound in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis.

PMID- 28363626
TI  - Validating Signs and Symptoms From An Actual Mass Casualty Incident to
      Characterize An Irritant Gas Syndrome Agent (IGSA) Exposure: A First Step in The
      Development of a Novel IGSA Triage Algorithm.
AB  - CONTRIBUTION TO EMERGENCY NURSING PRACTICE: * Chemical exposures daily pose a
      significant threat to life. Rapid assessment by first responders/emergency nurses
      is required to reduce death and disability. Currently, no informatics tools for
      Irritant Gas Syndrome Agents (IGSA) exposures exist to process victims
      efficiently, continuously monitor for latent signs/symptoms, or make triage
      recommendations. * This study uses actual patient data from a chemical incident
      to characterize and validate signs/symptoms of an IGSA Syndrome. Validating
      signs/symptoms is the first step in developing new emergency department
      informatics tools with the potential to revolutionize the process by which
      emergency nurses manage triage victims of chemical incidents.
      ABSTRACTINTRODUCTION: Chemical exposures can pose a significant threat to life.
      Rapid assessment by first responders/emergency nurses is required to reduce death
      and disability. Currently, no informatics tools for irritant gas syndrome agents
      (IGSA) exposures exist to process victims efficiently, continuously monitor for
      latent signs/symptoms, or make triage recommendations. This study describes the
      first step in developing ED informatics tools for chemical incidents: validation
      of signs/symptoms that characterize an IGSA syndrome. METHODS: Data abstracted
      from 146 patients treated for chlorine exposure in one emergency department
      during a 2005 train derailment and 152 patients not exposed to chlorine (a
      comparison group) were mapped to 93 possible signs/symptoms within 2 tools (WISER
      and CHEMM-IST) designed to assist emergency responders/emergency nurses with
      managing hazardous material exposures. Inferential statistics (chi2/Fisher's
      exact test) and diagnostics tests were used to examine mapped signs/symptoms of
      persons who were and were not exposed to chlorine. RESULTS: Three clusters of
      signs/symptoms are statistically associated with an IGSA syndrome (P < .01):
      respiratory (shortness of breath, wheezing, coughing, and choking); chest
      discomfort (tightness, pain, and burning), and eye, nose and/or throat (pain,
      irritation, and burning). The syndrome requires the presence of signs/symptoms
      from at least 2 of these clusters. The latency period must also be considered for
      exposed/potentially exposed persons. DISCUSSION: This study uses actual patient
      data from a chemical incident to characterize and validate signs/symptoms of an
      IGSA syndrome. Validating signs/symptoms is the first step in developing new ED
      informatics tools with the potential to revolutionize the process by which
      emergency nurses manage triage victims of chemical incidents.

PMID- 28363627
TI  - Evaluation of a Nurse-Initiated Acute Gastroenteritis Pathway in the Pediatric
      Emergency Department.
AB  - PROBLEM: Acute gastroenteritis (AGE) is a common illness treated in the emergency
      department. Delays in initiating rehydration for children with mild or moderate
      dehydration from AGE can lead to prolonged ED visits and increased resource
      utilization that do not provide prognostic value or support family-centered care.
      The purpose of this quality improvement project was to promote early oral
      rehydration therapy (ORT) for persons with AGE in an attempt to reduce
      unnecessary resource utilization and length of stay (LOS). METHODS: This
      prospective quality improvement project used a nurse-initiated waiting room ORT
      pathway for patients 6 months to 21 years of age who presented to the emergency
      department with diarrhea with or without vomiting. Outcomes related to nurse
      initiated ORT, intravenous fluid use, laboratory studies or diagnostic imaging,
      and LOS were measured before and after implementation. RESULTS: Of 643 patients
      for whom the pathway was initiated, 392 received nurse-initiated care. The
      proportion of intravenous fluid use was 10.2% lower (odds ratio [OR], 0.43; 95%
      confidence interval [CI], 0.27-0.68) and laboratory test ordering was 7.4% lower
      (OR, 0.64; 95% CI, 0.43-0.94) in patients receiving nurse-initiated care. Time to
      discharge after provider examination was 46 minutes faster in the nurse-initiated
      care group (P < .001), resulting in an overall LOS reduction by 40 minutes (P <
      .001). IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTICE: Nurse autonomy in using an AGE pathway
      facilitates evidence-based practice, improves ED efficiency, and decreases
      resource utilization and LOS. Future research should focus on family satisfaction
      and ED revisits within 72 hours of discharge.

PMID- 28363628
TI  - Semiquantitative Assessment of Tumor Spread through Air Spaces (STAS) in Early
      Stage Lung Adenocarcinomas.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: Tumor spread through air spaces (STAS) has recently been reported
      as a form of tumor invasion having an unfavorable prognosis, but the significance
      of a small amount of STAS is not known. The aim of this study was to perform a
      semiquantitative assessment of STAS. METHODS: Small (<=2 cm) stage I lung
      adenocarcinomas surgically resected at our institution between 2003 and 2009 were
      assessed semiquantitatively in the most prominent area as no STAS, low STAS (1-4
      single cells or clusters of STAS), or high STAS (>=5 single cells or clusters of
      STAS) by using a 20* objective and a 10* ocular lens. A statistical analysis was
      performed to determine the impact of clinicopathologic parameters on STAS and to
      clarify the relationship between STAS and patient survival. RESULTS: STAS was
      assessed as no STAS in 109 of 208 cases (52.4%), as low STAS in 38 cases (18.3%),
      and as high STAS in 61 cases (29.3%). There were statistically significant
      associations between higher STAS and solid predominant invasive adenocarcinoma (p
      < 0.001), pleural invasion (p < 0.001), lymphatic invasion (p < 0.001), vascular
      invasion (p < 0.001), and tumor size of 10 mm or more (p = 0.037). There was a
      significant association between increasing STAS and shorter recurrence-free
      survival (RFS) in univariate analysis (no STAS, 154.2 months; low STAS, 147.6
      months; and high STAS, 115.6 months). In a multivariate Cox proportional hazards
      model, only STAS (p = 0.015) remained a significant predictor of RFS.
      CONCLUSIONS: We found that one-third of resected small adenocarcinomas had high
      STAS. Higher STAS was predictive of worse RFS.

PMID- 28363631
TI  - Erratum to (421) a novel, non-opioid, conesnail peptide-based analgesic as a
      therapeutic alternative for the treatment of chronic pain. J Pain 17:S79-S80,
      2016.

PMID- 28363630
TI  - Erratum to Archer KR, Devin CJ, Vanston SW, Koyama T, Phillips SE, Mathis SL,
      George SZ, McGirt MJ, Spengler DM, Aaronson OS, Cheng JS, Wegener ST: Cognitive
      Behavioral-Based Physical Therapy for Patients With Chronic Pain Undergoing
      Lumbar Spine Surgery: A Randomized Controlled Trial. J Pain 17:76-89, 2016.

PMID- 28363629
TI  - Juvenile hemochromatosis and hepatocellular carcinoma in a patient with a novel
      mutation in the HJV gene.
AB  - Juvenile hemochromatosis is a rare but the most severe form of hereditary
      hemochromatosis which develops due to mutations in the HJV or HAMP genes. It
      presents in the early adulthood mainly as cardiomyopathy, hypogonadism and liver
      fibrosis. Unlike hereditary hemochromatosis due to HFE mutation, hepatocellular
      carcinoma is not known to be associated with juvenile hemochromatosis. Here, we
      report a patient of Arab ancestry who presented with severe cardiomyopathy.
      Sequence analysis of the HJV gene followed by homozygosity mapping, identified a
      previously undescribed homozygous missense variation in exon 3 (c.497A > G;
      p.H166R) in both the proband and his clinically asymptomatic brother. The former,
      later developed hepatocellular carcinoma. To the best of our knowledge, neither
      the mutation identified in our patient, nor a case of juvenile hemochromatosis
      with hepatocellular carcinoma has been reported before.

PMID- 28363632
TI  - Regional localization of activin-betaA, activin-betaC, follistatin,
      proliferation, and apoptosis in adult and developing mouse prostate ducts.
AB  - Activins and inhibins, members of the TGF-beta superfamily, are growth and
      differentiation factors involved in the regulation of several biological
      processes, including reproduction, development, and fertility. Previous studies
      have shown that the activin-betaA subunit plays a pivotal role in prostate
      development. Activin-A inhibits branching morphogenesis in the developing
      prostate, and its expression is associated with increased apoptosis in the adult
      prostate. Follistatin, a structurally unrelated protein to activins, is an
      antagonist of activin-A. A balance between endogenous activin-A and follistatin
      is required to maintain prostatic branching morphogenesis. Deregulation of this
      balance leads to branching inhibition or excessive branching and increased
      maturation of the stroma surrounding the differentiating epithelial ducts. Recent
      work identified another member of the TGF-beta superfamily, the activin-betaC
      subunit, as a novel antagonist of activin-A. Over-expression of activin-C (betaC
      betaC) alters prostate homeostasis, by interfering with the activin-A signaling.
      The current study characterized the spatiotemporal localization of activin-A,
      activin-C and follistatin in the adult and developing mouse prostate using
      immunohistochemical analysis. Results showed activin-C and follistatin are
      differentially expressed during prostate development and suggested that the
      antagonistic property of follistatin is secondary to the action of activin-C. In
      conclusion, the present study provides evidence to support a role of activin-C in
      prostate development and provides new insights in the spatiotemporal localization
      of activins and their antagonists during mouse prostate development.

PMID- 28363633
TI  - High resolution methylation analysis of the HoxA5 regulatory region in different
      somatic tissues of laboratory mouse during development.
AB  - Homeobox genes encode a group of DNA binding regulatory proteins whose key
      function occurs in the spatial-temporal organization of genome during embryonic
      development and differentiation. The role of these Hox genes during ontogenesis
      makes it an important model for research. HoxA5 is a member of Hox gene family
      playing a central role during axial body patterning and morphogenesis. DNA
      modification studies have shown that the function of Hox genes is partly governed
      by the methylation-mediated gene expression regulation. Therefore the study aimed
      to investigate the role of epigenetic events in regulation of tissue-specific
      expression pattern of HoxA5 gene during mammalian development. The methodology
      adopted were sodium bisulfite genomic DNA sequencing, quantitative real-time PCR
      and chromatin-immunoprecipitation (ChIP). Methylation profiling of HoxA5 gene
      promoter shows higher methylation in adult as compared to fetus in various
      somatic tissues of mouse being highest in adult spleen. However q-PCR results
      show higher expression during fetal stages being highest in fetal intestine
      followed by brain, liver and spleen. These results clearly indicate a strict
      correlation between DNA methylation and tissue-specific gene expression. The
      findings of chromatin-immunoprecipitation (ChIP) have also reinforced that
      epigenetic event like DNA methylation plays important role in the regulation of
      tissue specific expression of HoxA5.

PMID- 28363634
TI  - Diffuse Abdominal Pain and Fever in an Elderly Man.

PMID- 28363635
TI  - Glycogen synthase kinase-3 (GSK3) regulates TNF production and haemocyte
      phagocytosis in the immune response of Chinese mitten crab Eriocheir sinensis.
AB  - Glycogen synthase kinase-3 (GSK3) is a serine/threonine protein kinase firstly
      identified as a regulator of glycogen synthesis. Recently, it has been proved to
      be a key regulator of the immune reaction. In the present study, a GSK3 homolog
      gene (designated as EsGSK3) was cloned from Chinese mitten crab, Eriocheir
      sinensis. The open reading frame (ORF) was 1824 bp, which encoded a predicted
      polypeptide of 607 amino acids. There was a conserved Serine/Threonine Kinase
      domain and a DNA binding domain found in EsGSK3. Phylogenetic analysis showed
      that EsGSK3 was firstly clustered with GSK3-beta from oriental river prawn
      Macrobrachium nipponense in the invertebrate branch, while GSK3s from vertebrates
      formed the other distinct branch. EsGSK3 mRNA transcripts could be detected in
      all tested tissues of the crab including haepatopancreas, eyestalk, muscle,
      gonad, haemocytes and haematopoietic tissue with the highest expression level in
      haepatopancreas. And EsGSK3 protein was mostly detected in the cytoplasm of
      haemocyte by immunofluorescence analysis. The expression levels of EsGSK3 mRNA
      increased significantly at 6 h after Aeromonas hydrophila challenge (p < 0.05) in
      comparison with control group, and then gradually decreased to the initial level
      at 48 h (p > 0.05). The mRNA expression of lipopolysaccharide-induced tumor
      necrosis factor (TNF)-alpha factor (EsLITAF) was also induced by A. hydrophila
      challenge. However, the mRNA expression of EsLITAF and TNF-alpha production was
      significantly suppressed after EsGSK3 was blocked in vivo with specific inhibitor
      lithium, while the phagocytosis of crab haemocytes was significantly promoted.
      These results collectively demonstrated that EsGSK3 could regulate the innate
      immune responses of E. sinensis by promoting TNF-alpha production and inhibiting
      haemocyte phagocytosis.

PMID- 28363636
TI  - Safety, tolerability, pharmacokinetics, and activity of the novel long-acting
      antimalarial DSM265: a two-part first-in-human phase 1a/1b randomised study.
AB  - BACKGROUND: DSM265 is a novel antimalarial that inhibits plasmodial
      dihydroorotate dehydrogenase, an enzyme essential for pyrimidine biosynthesis. We
      investigated the safety, tolerability, and pharmacokinetics of DSM265, and tested
      its antimalarial activity. METHODS: Healthy participants aged 18-55 years were
      enrolled in a two-part study: part 1, a single ascending dose (25-1200 mg),
      double-blind, randomised, placebo-controlled study, and part 2, an open-label,
      randomised, active-comparator controlled study, in which participants were
      inoculated with Plasmodium falciparum induced blood-stage malaria (IBSM) and
      treated with DSM265 (150 mg) or mefloquine (10 mg/kg). Primary endpoints were
      DSM265 safety, tolerability, and pharmacokinetics. Randomisation lists were
      created using a validated, automated system. Both parts were registered with the
      Australian New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry, number ACTRN12613000522718 (part
      1) and number ACTRN12613000527763 (part 2). FINDINGS: In part 1, 73 participants
      were enrolled between April 12, 2013, and July 14, 2015 (DSM265, n=55; placebo,
      n=18). In part 2, nine participants were enrolled between Sept 30 and Nov 25,
      2013 (150 mg DSM265, n=7; 10 mg/kg mefloquine, n=2). In part 1, 117 adverse
      events were reported; no drug-related serious or severe events were reported. The
      most common drug-related adverse event was headache. The mean DSM265 peak plasma
      concentration (Cmax) ranged between 1310 ng/mL and 34 800 ng/mL and was reached
      in a median time (tmax) between 1.5 h and 4 h, with a mean elimination half-life
      between 86 h and 118 h. In part 2, the log10 parasite reduction ratio at 48 h in
      the DSM265 (150 mg) group was 1.55 (95% CI 1.42-1.67) and in the mefloquine (10
      mg/kg) group was 2.34 (2.17-2.52), corresponding to a parasite clearance half
      life of 9.4 h (8.7-10.2) and 6.2 h (5.7-6.7), respectively. The median minimum
      inhibitory concentration of DSM265 in blood was estimated as 1040 ng/mL (range
      552-1500), resulting in a predicted single efficacious dose of 340 mg. Parasite
      clearance was significantly faster in participants who received mefloquine than
      in participants who received DSM265 (p<0.0001). INTERPRETATION: The good safety
      profile, long elimination half-life, and antimalarial effect of DSM265 supports
      its development as a partner drug in a single-dose antimalarial combination
      treatment. FUNDING: Wellcome Trust, UK Department for International Development,
      Global Health Innovative Technology Fund, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.

PMID- 28363638
TI  - Investment in antimalarial drug development is bearing fruit.

PMID- 28363637
TI  - DSM265 for Plasmodium falciparum chemoprophylaxis: a randomised, double blinded,
      phase 1 trial with controlled human malaria infection.
AB  - BACKGROUND: A drug for causal (ie, pre-erythrocytic) prophylaxis of Plasmodium
      falciparum malaria with prolonged activity would substantially advance malaria
      control. DSM265 is an experimental antimalarial that selectively inhibits the
      parasite dihydroorotate dehydrogenase. DSM265 shows in vitro activity against
      liver and blood stages of P falciparum. We assessed the prophylactic activity of
      DSM265 against controlled human malaria infection (CHMI). METHODS: At the
      Institute of Tropical Medicine, Eberhard Karls University (Tubingen, Germany),
      healthy, malaria-naive adults were allocated to receive 400 mg DSM265 or placebo
      either 1 day (cohort 1A) or 7 days (cohort 2) before CHMI by direct venous
      inoculation (DVI) of 3200 aseptic, purified, cryopreserved P falciparum
      sporozoites (PfSPZ Challenge; Sanaria Inc, Rockville, MD, USA). An additional
      group received daily atovaquone-proguanil (250-100 mg) for 9 days, starting 1 day
      before CHMI (cohort 1B). Allocation to DSM265, atovaquone-proguanil, or placebo
      was randomised by an interactive web response system. Allocation to cohort 1A and
      1B was open-label, within cohorts 1A and 2, allocation to DSM265 and placebo was
      double-blinded. All treatments were given orally. Volunteers were treated with an
      antimalarial on day 28, or when parasitaemic, as detected by thick blood smear
      (TBS) microscopy. The primary efficacy endpoint was time-to-parasitaemia,
      assessed by TBS. All participants receiving at least one dose of chemoprophylaxis
      or placebo were considered for safety, those receiving PfSPZ Challenge for
      efficacy analyses. Log-rank test was used to compare time-to-parasitemia between
      interventions. The trial was registered with ClinicalTrials.gov, number
      NCT02450578. FINDINGS: 22 participants were enrolled between Oct 23, 2015, and
      Jan 18, 2016. Five participants received 400 mg DSM265 and two participants
      received placebo 1 day before CHMI (cohort 1A), six participants received daily
      atovaquone-proguanil 1 day before CHMI (cohort 1B), and six participants received
      400 mg DSM265 and two participants received placebo 7 days before CHMI (cohort
      2). Five of five participants receiving DSM265 1 day before CHMI and six of six
      in the atovaquone-proguanil cohort were protected, whereas placebo recipients
      (two of two) developed malaria on days 11 and 14. When given 7 days before CHMI,
      three of six volunteers receiving DSM265 became TBS positive on days 11, 13, and
      24. The remaining three DSM265-treated, TBS-negative participants of cohort 2
      developed transient submicroscopic parasitaemia. Both participants receiving
      placebo 7 days before CHMI became TBS positive on day 11. The only possible
      DSM265-related adverse event was a moderate transient elevation in serum
      bilirubin in one participant. INTERPRETATION: A single dose of 400 mg DSM265 was
      well tolerated and had causal prophylactic activity when given 1 day before CHMI.
      Future trials are needed to investigate further the use of DSM265 for the
      prophylaxis of malaria. FUNDING: Global Health Innovative Technology Fund,
      Wellcome Trust, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation through Medicines for Malaria
      Venture, and the German Center for Infection Research.

PMID- 28363641
TI  - Our New President- Sheila E. Crowe, MD.

PMID- 28363642
TI  - Hepatocellular Carcinoma After Sustained Virologic Response: Leave No One Behind.

PMID- 28363639
TI  - Increased Expression of Cytotoxic T-Lymphocyte-Associated Protein 4 by T Cells,
      Induced by B7 in Sera, Reduces Adaptive Immunity in Patients With Acute Liver
      Failure.
AB  - BACKGROUND & AIMS: Patients with acute liver failure (ALF) have defects in innate
      immune responses to microbes (immune paresis) and are susceptible to sepsis.
      Cytotoxic T-lymphocyte-associated protein 4 (CTLA4), which interacts with the
      membrane receptor B7 (also called CD80 and CD86), is a negative regulator of T
      cell activation. We collected T cells from patients with ALF and investigated
      whether inhibitory signals down-regulate adaptive immune responses in patients
      with ALF. METHODS: We collected peripheral blood mononuclear cells from patients
      with ALF and controls from September 2013 through September 2015 (45 patients
      with ALF, 20 patients with acute-on-chronic liver failure, 15 patients with
      cirrhosis with no evidence of acute decompensation, 20 patients with septic shock
      but no cirrhosis or liver disease, and 20 healthy individuals). Circulating CD4+
      T cells were isolated and analyzed by flow cytometry. CD4+ T cells were incubated
      with antigen, or agonist to CD3 and dendritic cells, with or without antibody
      against CTLA4; T-cell proliferation and protein expression were quantified. We
      measured levels of soluble B7 molecules in supernatants of isolated primary
      hepatocytes, hepatic sinusoidal endothelial cells, and biliary epithelial cells
      from healthy or diseased liver tissues. We also measured levels of soluble B7
      serum samples from patients and controls, and mice with acetaminophen-induced
      liver injury using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays. RESULTS: Peripheral blood
      samples from patients with ALF had a higher proportion of CD4+ CTLA4+ T cells
      than controls; patients with infections had the highest proportions. CD4+ T cells
      from patients with ALF had a reduced proliferative response to antigen or CD3
      stimulation compared to cells from controls; incubation of CD4+ T cells from
      patients with ALF with an antibody against CTLA4 increased their proliferative
      response to antigen and to CD3 stimulation, to the same levels as cells from
      controls. CD4+ T cells from controls up-regulated expression of CTLA4 after 24-48
      hours culture with sera from patients with ALF; these sera were found to have
      increased concentrations of soluble B7 compared to sera from controls. Necrotic
      human primary hepatocytes exposed to acetaminophen, but not hepatic sinusoidal
      endothelial cells and biliary epithelial cells from patients with ALF, secreted
      high levels of soluble B7. Sera from mice with acetaminophen-induced liver injury
      contained high levels of soluble B7 compared to sera from mice without liver
      injury. Plasma exchange reduced circulating levels of soluble B7 in patients with
      ALF and expression of CTLA4 on T cells. CONCLUSIONS: Peripheral CD4+ T cells from
      patients with ALF have increased expression of CTLA4 compared to individuals
      without ALF; these cells have a reduced response to antigen and CD3 stimulation.
      We found sera of patients with ALF and from mice with liver injury to have high
      concentrations of soluble B7, which up-regulates CTLA4 expression by T cells and
      reduces their response to antigen. Plasma exchange reduces levels of B7 in sera
      from patients with ALF and might be used to restore antimicrobial responses to
      patients.

PMID- 28363640
TI  - Sphingosine-1-Phosphate Prevents Egress of Hematopoietic Stem Cells From Liver to
      Reduce Fibrosis.
AB  - BACKGROUND & AIMS: There is growing interest in the use of bone marrow cells to
      treat liver fibrosis, however, little is known about their antifibrotic efficacy
      or the identity of their effector cell(s). Sphingosine-1-phosphate (S1P) mediates
      egress of immune cells from the lymphoid organs into the lymphatic vessels; we
      investigated its role in the response of hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) to liver
      fibrosis in mice. METHODS: Purified (c-kit+/sca1+/lin-) HSCs were infused
      repeatedly into mice undergoing fibrotic liver injury. Chronic liver injury was
      induced in BoyJ mice by injection of carbon tetrachloride (CCl4) or placement on
      a methionine-choline-deficient diet. Some mice were irradiated and given
      transplants of bone marrow cells from C57BL6 mice, with or without the S1P
      antagonist FTY720; we then studied HSC mobilization and localization. Migration
      of HSC lines was quantified in Transwell assays. Levels of S1P in liver, bone
      marrow, and lymph fluid were measured using an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay.
      Liver tissues were collected and analyzed by immunohistochemical quantitative
      polymerase chain reaction and sphingosine kinase activity assays. We performed
      quantitative polymerase chain reaction analyses of the expression of sphingosine
      kinase 1 and 2, sphingosine-1-phosphate lyase 1, and sphingosine-1-phosphate
      phosphatase 1 in normal human liver and cirrhotic liver from patients with
      alcohol-related liver disease (n = 6). RESULTS: Infusions of HSCs into mice with
      liver injury reduced liver scarring based on picrosirius red staining (49.7%
      reduction in mice given HSCs vs control mice; P < .001), and hepatic
      hydroxyproline content (328 mg/g in mice given HSCs vs 428 mg/g in control mice;
      P < .01). HSC infusion also reduced hepatic expression of alpha-smooth muscle
      actin (0.19 +/- 0.007-fold compared with controls; P < .0001) and collagen type I
      alpha 1 chain (0.29 +/- 0.17-fold compared with controls; P < .0001). These
      antifibrotic effects were maintained with infusion of lymphoid progenitors that
      lack myeloid potential and were associated with increased numbers of recipient
      neutrophils and macrophages in liver. In studies of HSC cell lines, we found HSCs
      to recruit monocytes, and this process to require C-C motif chemokine receptor 2.
      In fibrotic liver tissue from mice and patients, hepatic S1P levels increased
      owing to increased hepatic sphingosine kinase-1 expression, which contributed to
      a reduced liver:lymph S1P gradient and limited HSC egress from the liver. Mice
      given the S1P antagonist (FTY720) with HSCs had increased hepatic retention of
      HSCs (1697 +/- 247 cells in mice given FTY720 vs 982 +/- 110 cells in controls; P
      < .05), and further reductions in fibrosis. CONCLUSIONS: In studies of mice with
      chronic liver injury, we showed the antifibrotic effects of repeated infusions of
      purified HSCs. We found that HSCs promote recruitment of endogenous macrophages
      and neutrophils. Strategies to reduce SIP signaling and increase retention of
      HSCs in the liver could increase their antifibrotic activities and be developed
      for treatment of patients with liver fibrosis.

PMID- 28363644
TI  - Juan Rodes-In Memoriam.

PMID- 28363643
TI  - Genetic Features of Aflatoxin-Associated Hepatocellular Carcinoma.
AB  - BACKGROUND & AIMS: Dietary exposure to aflatoxin is an important risk factor for
      hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). However, little is known about the genomic
      features and mutations of aflatoxin-associated HCCs compared with HCCs not
      associated with aflatoxin exposure. We investigated the genetic features of
      aflatoxin-associated HCC that can be used to differentiate them from HCCs not
      associated with this carcinogen. METHODS: We obtained HCC tumor tissues and
      matched non-tumor liver tissues from 49 patients, collected from 1990 through
      2016, at the Qidong Liver Cancer Hospital Institute in China-a high-risk region
      for aflatoxin exposure (38.2% of food samples test positive for aflatoxin
      contamination). Somatic variants were identified using GATK Best Practices
      Pipeline. We validated part of the mutations from whole-genome sequencing and
      whole-exome sequencing by Sanger sequencing. We also analyzed genomes of 1072
      HCCs, obtained from 5 datasets from China, the United States, France, and Japan.
      Mutations in 49 aflatoxin-associated HCCs and 1072 HCCs from other regions were
      analyzed using the Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute mutational signatures
      framework with non-negative matrix factorization. The mutation landscape and
      mutational signatures from the aflatoxin-associated HCC and HCC samples from
      general population were compared. We identified genetic features of aflatoxin
      associated HCC, and used these to identify aflatoxin-associated HCCs in datasets
      from other regions. Tumor samples were analyzed by immunohistochemistry to
      determine microvessel density and levels of CD34 and CD274 (PD-L1). RESULTS:
      Aflatoxin-associated HCCs frequently contained C>A transversions, the sequence
      motif GCN, and strand bias. In addition to previously reported mutations in TP53,
      we found frequent mutations in the adhesion G protein-coupled receptor B1 gene
      (ADGRB1), which were associated with increased capillary density of tumor tissue.
      Aflatoxin-associated HCC tissues contained high-level potential mutation
      associated neoantigens, and many infiltrating lymphocytes and tumors cells that
      expressed PD-L1, compared to HCCs not associated with aflatoxin. Of the HCCs from
      China, 9.8% contained the aflatoxin-associated genetic features, whereas 0.4%
      3.5% of HCCs from other regions contained these genetic features. CONCLUSIONS: We
      identified specific genetic and mutation features of HCCs associated with
      aflatoxin exposure, including mutations in ADGRB1, compared to HCCs from general
      populations. We associated these mutations with increased vascularization and
      expression of PD-L1 in HCC tissues. These findings might be used to identify
      patients with HCC due to aflatoxin exposure, and select therapies.

PMID- 28363646
TI  - Characterisation of acid-soluble and pepsin-solubilised collagen from frog (Rana
      nigromaculata) skin.
AB  - As the first vertebrates connecting water and land, frogs must have evolved
      certain specialisations. To find the difference among the collagens from
      amphibian, fish and mammal animals, acid-soluble collagen (ASC) and pepsin
      solubilised collagen (PSC) from frog skin were isolated and characterised. The
      yield of PSC (19.59%, dry weight) was higher than that of ASC (1.83%, dry
      weight). The hydroxyproline-to-protein ratio of frog skin was 8.37%, which was
      higher than that of carp skin ASC (7.83%) but significantly lower than that of
      calf skin collagen (10.16%), which was in accordance with the living environment
      of frog. The denaturation temperature of frog skin collagens was approximately
      31.5 degrees C. The SDS-PAGE electrophoresis revealed that ASC and PSC were type
      I collagens. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy proved that the ASC and PSC
      retained their helical structures. The results indicated the properties of frog
      skin collagen were close to those of skin collagen from freshwater fish. The frog
      skin collagens can potentially be used in biomaterial and other fields.

PMID- 28363645
TI  - Kinetics and mechanics of photo-polymerized triazole-containing thermosetting
      composites via the copper(I)-catalyzed azide-alkyne cycloaddition.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: Several features necessary for polymer composite materials in
      practical applications such as dental restorative materials were investigated in
      photo-curable CuAAC (copper(I)-catalyzed azide-alkyne cycloaddition)
      thermosetting resin-based composites with varying filler loadings and compared to
      a conventional BisGMA/TEGDMA based composite. METHODS: Tri-functional alkyne and
      di-functional azide monomers were synthesized for CuAAC resins and incorporated
      with alkyne-functionalized glass microfillers for CuAAC composites.
      Polymerization kinetics, in situ temperature change, and shrinkage stress were
      monitored simultaneously with a tensometer coupled with FTIR spectroscopy and a
      data-logging thermocouple. The glass transition temperature was analyzed by
      dynamic mechanical analysis. Flexural modulus/strength and flexural toughness
      were characterized in three-point bending on a universal testing machine.
      RESULTS: The photo-CuAAC polymerization of composites containing between 0 and
      60wt% microfiller achieved ~99% conversion with a dramatic reduction in the
      maximum heat of reaction (~20 degrees C decrease) for the 60wt% filled CuAAC
      composites as compared with the unfilled CuAAC resin. CuAAC composites with 60wt%
      microfiller generated more than twice lower shrinkage stress of 0.43+/-0.01MPa,
      equivalent flexural modulus of 6.1+/-0.7GPa, equivalent flexural strength of
      107+/-9MPa, and more than 10 times higher energy absorption of 10+/-1MJm-3 when
      strained to 11% relative to BisGMA-based composites at equivalent filler
      loadings. SIGNIFICANCE: Mechanically robust and highly tough, photo-polymerized
      CuAAC composites with reduced shrinkage stress and a modest reaction exotherm
      were generated and resulted in essentially complete conversion.

PMID- 28363647
TI  - Chitosan/gelatin/platelet gel enriched by a combination of hydroxyapatite and
      beta-tricalcium phosphate in healing of a radial bone defect model in rat.
AB  - This study compared the regeneration potentials of the hydroxyapatite (HA) and
      beta-tricalcium phosphate (beta-TCP) alone or in combination with a HA:TCP ratio
      of 30:70 in the critical-sized radial bone defects of rats. Bilateral 60 radial
      bone defects created were randomly divided into six equal groups (n=10
      defects/group) including autograft, untreated or defect, chitosan-gelatin
      platelet gel (CGP), CGP-HA, CGP-TCP and CGP-HA/TCP. The defects were evaluated by
      radiography, morphology, histopathology, histomorphometry, CT scan, scanning
      electron microscopy and biomechanical testing after eight weeks. Compared with
      the untreated and CGP-HA groups, the CGP and CGP-HA/TCP groups showed
      significantly higher new bone formation, bone volume, and mechanical properties.
      The CGP-HA and CGP-TCP scaffolds showed low biodegradability, whereas the CGP
      scaffolds were completely degraded. Osteoconductivity and osteoinductivity of the
      CGP and CGP-HA/TCP scaffolds were superior to the CGP-HA ones. The untreated and
      CGP-HA groups repaired mostly through fibrosis, while there were evidence of
      higher bone formation in the autograft, CGP and CGP-HA/TCP groups. In conclusion,
      addition of HA or beta-TCP alone into the CGP scaffolds impaired bone
      regeneration, while bone regeneration with the CGP and CGP-HA/TCP scaffolds was
      comparable with the autograft. Therefore, the CGP-HA/TCP scaffold can be a
      possible option to substitute the autologous bone grafting.

PMID- 28363648
TI  - Studies on electrochemical glucose sensing, antimicrobial activity and
      cytotoxicity of fabricated copper nanoparticle immobilized chitin nanostructure.
AB  - In this study, copper nanoparticle immobilized chitin nanocomposite (CNP/CuNP)
      was synthesized and used for the development of non-enzymatic electrochemical
      sensor. The CNP/CuNP was characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), fourier
      transform infra red (FTIR) spectroscopy and high resolution transmission electron
      microscopy (HRTEM) analysis. The glucose sensing property of CNP/CuNP was
      investigated by cyclic voltammetry (CV) and chronoamperometry (CA). As a result
      of the synergistic effect of CNP and CuNP, the modified electrode displayed
      effective electro-oxidation of glucose in 0.1M NaOH solution. At 0.45V potential
      the modified electrode showed response towards glucose in the linear range of 1
      1000MUM with a lowest detection limit of 0.776MUM with better selectivity and
      stability. In addition, the antimicrobial activity of CNP/CuNP was evaluated
      against bacterial and fungal strains. CNP/CuNP displayed enhanced antimicrobial
      activity when compared to CNP and CuNP alone. Similarly, cytotoxicity of CNP/CuNP
      was tested against Artemia salina, which showed no toxic effect in the tested
      concentration.

PMID- 28363649
TI  - Immobilization of Euphorbia tirucalli peroxidase onto chitosan-cobalt oxide
      magnetic nanoparticles and optimization using response surface methodology.
AB  - Euphorbia tirucalli peroxidase (ETP) was immobilized on chitosan beads having
      magnetic properties for the ease of separation and increasing the reusability of
      ETP for cost effective assay conditions. The present work reports immobilization
      of ETP on polymeric support chitosan-cobalt oxide beads subsequently activated
      with 0.05% cynuric chloride. The magnetic immobilized enzyme was characterized by
      Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis
      and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The immobilized ETP can be reused up to
      10 cycles with retention of more than 60% activity. The optimum pH was shifted
      from 6.0 to 5.5 for soluble ETP to immobilized ETP and optimum temperature from
      50 degrees C and 55 degrees C for the immobilized ETP. Based on response surface
      methodology, the optimal immobilization conditions obtained were: enzyme
      concentration, 2mg/286mg beads; optimal pH, 4.93; temperature, 28.88; cynuric
      chloride concentration, 0.17%; reaction time, 14.4h, which resulted 74.51%
      maximum immobilization. The enzyme magnetic nanoparticles could be separated
      magnetically for easy reuse. Immobilization of ETP onto the magnetic
      nanoparticles could be useful for biotechnological applications and bioassay due
      to its reusability and improved stability.

PMID- 28363650
TI  - Role of phosphorylation of phosvitin in the phase transformation of
      mineralization.
AB  - Phosvitin is a unique highly phosphorylated protein that plays a role in the
      regulation of mineralization. This study investigated the role of phosphorylation
      of phosvitin in the phase transformation of calcium phosphate in the
      mineralization solution. Partially dephosphorylated phosvitins (T1, T2, T3 and
      T4) were prepared with 2.98, 19.46, 43.39 and 71.07% of phosphate released from
      native phosvitin, respectively. And their effect on regulating the phase
      transformation was investigated, the characterization and composition analysis
      was performed by circular dichroism, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, X
      ray diffraction and scanning electron microscopy. Results showed that phosvitin
      in the acceleration effect of phase transformation was dose-concentration effect
      by pH-stat titration. With lower dephosphorylation degree of phosvitin (<20%),
      the acceleration effect was weaker than native phosvitin, since phosphorylation
      and random structure of phosvitin were reduced. However, with higher
      dephosphorylation degree of phosvitin (>40%), the acceleration effect was
      enhanced compared to native phosvitin, in which the beta-sheet structure was
      increased and phosvitin was partially hydrolyzed to phosphopeptides. The
      acceleration effect of phase transformation was as follows:
      T4>T3>phosvitin>T1>T2> Control. This study clearly demonstrated that
      phosphorylation of phosvitin played an important role in the regulation of
      mineralization.

PMID- 28363651
TI  - Effects of extraction methods on molecular characteristics, antioxidant
      properties and immunomodulation of alginates from Sargassum angustifolium.
AB  - The relationship between molecular structure and bioactivity was evaluated for
      alginates obtained under different extraction methods (water, acid, alcalase and
      cellulase) from Sargassum angustifolium. The use of enzymes considerably reduced
      protein (from 14.58% to <0.4%) and polyphenol (from 16.0% to <1.7mg GA/g sample)
      contaminations of alginates compared to those of water and acid. The FT-IR
      spectrum revealed that extraction method did not affect the structure of the
      recovered alginates. The highest molecular weight (Mw) (557.1*103g/mol) was found
      in acid treated alginate while the Mw of cellulase assistant alginate
      (356.2*103g/mol) was the minimum. The SVg values varied from 2.79-5.17cm3/g
      revealing the loosed conformational structures of alcalase and cellulase
      assistant alginates. Alcalase assistant alginate stimulated RAW264.7 cells to
      release nitric oxide and inflammatory cytokines TNF-alpha, IL-1, IL-6, IL-10 and
      IL-12. Enzyme treated alginates showed maximum DPPH radical scavenging activity
      and reducing power. Therefore, the present results showed the determinant effect
      of pretreatment during the extraction process of alginate and the beneficial
      influence of enzymatic process when biological functions of alginates are of high
      interest in the industry.

PMID- 28363652
TI  - FTIR, XRD and DSC studies of nanochitosan, cellulose acetate and polyethylene
      glycol blend ultrafiltration membranes.
AB  - In the present work, a series of novel nanochitosan/cellulose
      acetate/polyethylene glycol (NCS/CA/PEG) blend flat sheet membranes were
      fabricated in different ratios (1:1:1, 1:1:2, 2:1:1, 2:1:2, 1:2:1, 2:2:1) in a
      polar solvent of N,N'-dimethylformamide (DMF) using the most popular phase
      inversion method. Nanochitosan was prepared by the ionotropic gelation method and
      its average particle size has been analyzed using Dynamic Light Scattering (DLS)
      method. The effect of blending of the three polymers was investigated using FTIR
      and XRD studies. FTIR results confirmed the formation of well-blended membranes
      and the XRD analysis revealed enhanced amorphous nature of the membrane ratio
      2:1:2. DSC study was conducted to find out the thermal behavior of the blend
      membranes and the results clearly indicated good thermal stability and single
      glass transition temperature (Tg) of all the prepared membranes. Asymmetric
      nature and rough surface morphology was confirmed using SEM analysis. From the
      results it was evident that the blending of the polymers with higher
      concentration of nanochitosan can alter the nature of the resulting membranes to
      a greater extent and thus amorphous membranes were obtained with good miscibility
      and compatibility.

PMID- 28363653
TI  - Dithiocarbamate to modify magnetic graphene oxide nanocomposite (Fe3O4-GO): A new
      strategy for covalent enzyme (lipase) immobilization to fabrication a new
      nanobiocatalyst for enzymatic hydrolysis of PNPD.
AB  - Immobilization of lipase was successfully achieved on the surface of magnetically
      separable Fe3O4/graphene oxide (GO) via a post-modification. This post
      modification was achieved in alternation to glutaraldehyde post-modification. The
      activity of immobilized lipase had not a significant loss in the activity while
      on the other hand, it is simply extractable (by keeping its major activity) from
      reaction crude by a magnet. Each step of immobilization was carefully monitored
      by characterization and all were successfully proved. SEM, TEM, XRD, EDX, and
      FTIR were used to characterize the support and immobilization process.

PMID- 28363654
TI  - Production of exopolysaccharides by selected Bacillus strains: Optimization of
      media composition to maximize the yield and structural characterization.
AB  - Selected Bacillus strains were investigated for the production of
      exopolysaccharides (EPS) by fermentation in three different culture media: (i)
      mineral base-medium with added yeast extract (M1), (ii) succinate-containing
      mineral base-medium with added yeast extract (M2) and (iii) tryptone and yeast
      extract-containing base-medium (M3). Modest EPS yield of 6.7g/L was recorded for
      Bacillus amyloliquefaciens 23350 grown on M1, where the EPS produced was
      characterized by a low MW (<5kDa) and of being mainly glucans. The most
      significant yield (48.57g/L) was obtained with Bacillus licheniformis 14580 in
      M2; the EPS produced was 5-30kDa in size and characterized by an exceptionally
      heterogeneous monosaccharide profile with galactose, fructose and glucose as the
      predominating monomers. The use of M1 medium for the growth of B. licheniformis
      14580 resulted in low yield; however, the obtained heteropolymers EPS were
      characterized by a higher MW 30-100kDa. The effect of the concentrations of yeast
      extract, sodium succinate and sucrose on the EPS production by B. licheniformis
      14580 were studied using response surface methodology analysis. Greater EPS
      yields were achieved with increased concentrations of sodium succinate and
      sucrose and with decreased concentrations of yeast extract in the mineral media.

PMID- 28363655
TI  - Structural effect of quaternary ammonium chitin derivatives on their bactericidal
      activity and specificity.
AB  - The effect of the quaternary ammonium chitin structure on the bactericidal
      activity and specificity against Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus was
      investigated. Quaternary ammonium chitins were synthesized by the separate
      acylation of chitin (CT) with carboxymethyl trimethylammonium chloride (CMA), 3
      carboxypropyl trimethylammonium chloride (CPA) and N-dodecyl-N,N
      (dimethylammonio)butyrate (DDMAB). The successful acylation was confirmed by
      newly formed ester linkage. All three derivatives had a higher surface charge
      than chitin due to the additional positively charged quaternary ammonium groups.
      The N-short alkyl substituent (methyl) of CTCMA and CTCPA increased the
      hydrophilicity whilst the N-long alkyl substituent (dodecyl) of CTDDMAB increased
      the hydrophobicity compared to chitin. Chitin did not exhibit any bactericidal
      activity, while CTCMA and CTCPA completely killed E. coli and S. aureus in 30 and
      60min, respectively, and CTDDMAB completely killed S. aureus in 10min but did not
      kill E. coli after a 2-h exposure. Therefore, the N-short alkyl substituent was
      more effective for killing E. coli and the N-long alkyl substituent conferred
      specific bactericidal activity against S. aureus.

PMID- 28363656
TI  - Structural variations of lignin macromolecule from different growth years of
      Triploid of Populus tomentosa Carr.
AB  - To better understand the variations of structural characteristics of lignin
      macromolecules during different growth years of Triploid of Populus tomentosa
      Carr, a novel lignin isolation procedure based on double ball-milling and
      enzymatic hydrolysis (DEL) was proposed in this study. The morphological
      distributions of lignin in the plant cell wall of these poplar wood samples were
      monitored by Confocal Raman Microscopy (CRM). The ultrahigh yields (105.1%
      111.2%) of DELs were significantly higher than those (24.4-31.8%) of
      corresponding cellulolytic enzyme lignins (CELs). DELs and CELs were elaborately
      characterized by HPAEC, GPC, 2D-HSQC NMR and 31P NMR techniques, and NMR results
      showed that DEL samples possess similar structural features as compared to CEL
      counterparts except for the decreased S/G ratio and p-hydroxybenzoate (PB) as
      well as increased p-hydroxyphenyl units (H). There are no obvious differences in
      the structural characteristics except for high contents of PB and H units in DEL
      1, as well as high S/G ratio and beta-O-4' linkages in DEL-5. It is believed that
      the DEL proposed in the present study can be used for characterizing the entire
      structural features of lignin macromolecules in the plant cell wall of different
      kinds of lignocellulosic biomass.

PMID- 28363657
TI  - Sulfated modification, characterization, and antioxidant and moisture
      absorption/retention activities of a soluble neutral polysaccharide from
      Enteromorpha prolifera.
AB  - A purified polysaccharide from Enteromorpha prolifera (PEP) with a molecular mass
      of 147.8kDa, was prepared by hot-water extraction method and purified by anion
      exchange chromatography and gel filtration chromatography. Low Mw polysaccharide
      of E. prolifera (LEP, 44.8kDa) was obtained by enzymatic degradation. Sulfated
      derivatives of the two different Mw polysaccharides were synthesized by
      chlorosulfonic acid/pyridine method, and the degrees of substitution of SPEP and
      SLEP were 0.57 and 0.81, respectively. Physicochemical properties and FT-IR
      spectra showed that enzymatic degradation and sulfated modification of
      polysaccharides were successful. 13C NMR analysis showed that the sulfate groups
      mainly attached to C-6 of rhamnose. Moreover, the study revealed that enzymatic
      degradation and sulfated modification of polysaccharides improved significantly
      superoxide, hydroxyl and DPPH radicals scavenging activities in vitro, and
      enhanced obviously moisture absorption/retention capacities. Therefore, these
      results demonstrated that molecular weight and sulfate groups had obvious effects
      on antioxidant activities and moisture absorption/retention abilities of the
      polysaccharides from E. prolifera.

PMID- 28363658
TI  - Polysaccharides from the peels of Citrus aurantifolia induce apoptosis in
      transplanted H22 cells in mice.
AB  - In this study, an acidic polysaccharide (CAs) was extracted and purified from the
      peels of Citrus aurantifolia by Sephadex G-150. HPGPC showed the molecular weight
      of CAs was about 7.94*106Da. Ion chromatography (IC) analysis showed CAs was
      mainly composed of rhamnose (Rha), arabinose (Ara), galactose (Gal), glucose
      (Glu), mannose (Man) and galacturonic acid (GalA), with the molar ratio of 0.67:
      7.67: 10.83: 3.83: 4.00: 1.00. 1H and 13C NMR spectra of CAs also identified the
      presence of five kinds of monosaccharides and galacturonic acid. Moreover, the
      antitumor activity of CAs was evaluated in mice transplanted H22 hepatoma cells.
      It was shown that CAs dose-dependently suppressed tumor cells growth with few
      toxic effects on host. Further investigations revealed that CAs increased the
      levels of tumor infiltrating CD8+ T lymphocytes, blocked tumor cell cycle in S
      phase, down-regulated anti-apoptotic protein Bcl-xL and Mcl-1 expression, and led
      to the activation of caspase 3. These results suggested that CAs had capacity of
      inducing tumor cells apoptosis in vivo, and it supported considering CAs as an
      adjuvant reagent in hepatocellular carcinoma treatment.

PMID- 28363660
TI  - Expanding role of percutaneous ablative and consolidative treatments for
      musculoskeletal tumours.
AB  - Interventional approaches to musculoskeletal tumours have significantly changed
      over the last several years, and new treatments continue to be developed. All
      ablative modalities are currently applied to the treatment of bone tumours,
      including radiofrequency, cryo-, microwave, and laser ablation devices.
      Indications for ablation of bone and soft-tissue tumours have expanded beyond
      palliation of painful bone metastases and eradication of osteoid osteomas to the
      local control of oligometastatic disease from a number of primary tumours and
      ablation of desmoid tumours. In addition, tools for consolidation of bone tumours
      at risk of pathological fracture have also expanded. With these developments,
      ablation has become the primary treatment for osteoid osteomas and, at some
      institutions, desmoid tumours. It may be the primary or secondary treatment for
      palliation of painful bone tumours, frequently used in patients with pain
      refractory to or recurrent after radiation therapy. It is used as a treatment for
      limited metastatic disease or for metastases that grow disproportionately in
      patients with multifocal metastases, either in combination with systemic therapy
      or to reserve systemic therapy and its toxicity for more widespread disease
      progression. Moreover, percutaneous methods to consolidate bone at risk of
      fracture have become more commonplace, aided by techniques using materials beyond
      typical bone cement.

PMID- 28363659
TI  - Accuracy of contemporary oesophageal cancer lymph node staging with radiological
      pathological correlation.
AB  - AIM: To evaluate the accuracy of contemporary N-staging and provide radiological
      pathological correlation in patients with lymph node metastases (LNMs) that were
      radiologically staged N0. MATERIALS AND METHODS: One hundred and twelve patients
      were included who underwent surgery alone (n=41) or neoadjuvant therapy (n=71)
      between October 2010 and December 2015. Contrast-enhanced computed tomography
      (CECT), endoscopic ultrasound (EUS), and combined positron-emission tomography
      (PET) and CT N-stage were compared to pathological N-stage [node-negative (N0)
      versus node-positive (N+) groups]. Fifty LNMs from 15 patients preoperatively
      staged as N0 were measured and the maximum size recorded. RESULTS: Accuracy,
      sensitivity, and specificity of N0 versus N+ disease with CECT, EUS, and PET/CT
      was 54.5%, 39.7% and 77.3%, 55.4%, 42.6% and 75%, and 57.1% 35.3%, and 90.9%,
      respectively. All techniques were more likely to under-stage nodal disease; CECT
      (X2 32.890, df=1, p<0.001), EUS (X2 28.471, df=1, p<0.001), and PET/CT (X2
      50.790, df=1, p<0.001). PET/CT was more likely to under-stage nodal disease than
      EUS (p=0.031). Median LNM size was 3 mm, with 41 (82%) of LNMs measuring <6 mm
      and 22 (44%) classified as micro-metastases (<=2 mm). CONCLUSION: This study has
      demonstrated poor N-staging accuracy in the modern era of radiological staging.
      Eighty-two percent of LNMs measured <6 mm, making direct identification extremely
      challenging on medical imaging. Future research should focus on investigating and
      developing alternative surrogate markers to predict the likelihood of LNMs.

PMID- 28363661
TI  - Breast fat volume measurement using wide-bore 3 T MRI: comparison of traditional
      mammographic density evaluation with MRI density measurements using automatic
      segmentation.
AB  - AIM: To compare magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)-derived breast density
      measurements using automatic segmentation algorithms with radiologist estimations
      using the Breast Imaging Reporting and Data Systems (BI-RADS) density
      classification. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Forty women undergoing mammography and
      dynamic breast MRI as part of their clinical management were recruited. Fat-water
      separated MRI images derived from a two-point Dixon technique, phase-sensitive
      reconstruction, and atlas-based segmentation were obtained before and after
      intravenous contrast medium administration. Breast density was assessed using
      software from Advanced MR Analytics (AMRA), Linkoping, Sweden, with results
      compared to the widely used four-quartile quantitative BI-RADS scale. RESULTS:
      The proportion of glandular tissue in the breast on MRI was derived from the AMRA
      sequence. The mean unenhanced breast density was 0.31+/-0.22 (mean+/-SD; left)
      and 0.29+/-0.21 (right). Mean breast density on post-contrast images was 0.32+/
      0.19 (left) and 0.32+/-0.2 (right). There was "almost perfect" correlation
      between pre- and post-contrast breast density quantification: Spearman's
      correlation rho=0.98 (95% confidence intervals [CI]: 0.97-0.99; left) and
      rho=0.99 (95% CI: 0.98-0.99; right). The 95% limits of agreement were -0.11-0.08
      (left) and -0.08-0.03 (right). Interobserver reliability for BI-RADS was
      "substantial": weighted Kappa k=0.8 (95% CI: 0.74-0.87). The Spearman correlation
      coefficient between BI-RADS and MRI breast density was rho=0.73 (95% CI: 0.60
      0.82; left) and rho=0.75 (95% CI: 0.63-0.83; right) which was also "substantial".
      CONCLUSION: The AMRA sequence provides a fully automated, reproducible, objective
      assessment of fibroglandular breast tissue proportion that correlates well with
      mammographic assessment of breast density with the added advantage of avoidance
      of ionising radiation.

PMID- 28363662
TI  - Response to Letter to the Editor: "Blood transfusions in severe burn patients:
      Epidemiology and predictive factors; Methodological issues".

PMID- 28363663
TI  - Enzymatic debridement of deeply burned faces: Healing and early scarring based on
      tissue preservation compared to traditional surgical debridement.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: Facial burns occur frequently and depending on the injured skin
      layers often heal with scars which may cause permanent functional and cosmetic
      sequelae. Preservation of the sensitive facial skin layers, especially of the
      dermis is essential for scarless epithelialisation. Enzymatic debridement of deep
      thermal burns has already been shown to assist with preserving viable dermis.
      However, up to date, there are no published reports on wound healing and in the
      long term aesthetic outcome after enzymatic debridement of facial burns. METHODS:
      Therefore we performed a-single centre clinical trial that included 26 subjects
      aged 18-78 years with facial burns clinically evaluated as deep dermal or deeper.
      Burns were treated either with enzymatic debridement or excisional surgical
      debridement. Then we compared both groups regarding debridement selectivity,
      wound closure and scar quality after more than 12 months. RESULTS: Enzymatic
      debridement significantly reduced time to complete wound closure after admission
      (19.85 days versus 42.23 days, p=0.002), and after enzymatic eschar removal
      (18.92 days versus 35.62 days, p=0.042). The number of procedures to complete
      debridement were significantly lower in the enzymatic debridement group (1.00
      versus 1.77, p=0.003). 77% of facial burns that had been debrided enzymatically
      were found to be more superficially burned than initially estimated. Wounds
      undergoing autografting of any size were significantly reduced by enzymatic
      debridement (15% versus 77%, p=0.002). Scar quality after enzymatic debridement
      was superior compared to surgical debridement after 12 months regarding
      pigmentation (p=0.016), thickness (p=0.16), relief (p=0.10), pliability (p=0.01),
      surface area (p=0.004), stiffness (p=0.023), thickness (0.011) and scar
      irregularity (p=0.011). Regarding erythema and melanin, viscoelasticity and
      pliability, trans-epidermal water loss or laser tissue oxygen saturation,
      haemoglobin level and microcirculation we found no significant differences for
      treated and untreated skin in the EDNX group. CONCLUSION: In our current study we
      found Bromelain based enzymatic debridement better in some aspects of tissue
      preservation in deep dermal facial burn.

PMID- 28363664
TI  - Evaluating accuracy and reliability of active stereophotogrammetry using MAVIS
      III Wound Camera for three-dimensional assessment of hypertrophic scars.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: Current strategies for estimating positive scar volume following burns
      is limited to employing subjective scar scales. This study assesses the accuracy
      and reliability of Measurement of Area and Volume Instrument System (MAVIS) III,
      a portable 3D active stereophotogrammetric imaging system, for non-invasive
      assessment of hypertrophic scar volume and elucidates factors that leads to
      inaccurate volume determination. METHODS: To determine accuracy, hypertrophic
      scars arising in various skin and wound types were modeled using moldable putty
      substance. Volumetric measurements calculated by the camera's software were
      compared to measurements determined by fluid displacement. To assess inter-rater
      reliability, 25 images of patients with hypertrophic scars on various anatomical
      regions (hand, arm, leg, and flank area) were assessed by three blind evaluators.
      RESULTS: Volumetric measurements obtained from MAVIS III ranged from adequate to
      excellent accuracy (Pearson's correlation coefficient of 0.54-0.90) compared to
      measurements determined by fluid displacement. The reliability of volume
      determination of human hypertrophic scars was rated excellent (overall Intraclass
      correlation coefficient of 0.95). CONCLUSIONS: This study finds that MAVIS III is
      accurate in its volumetric measurements and is reliable between users; making it
      a potential candidate for non-invasive assessment of hypertrophic scars. Further
      considerations for refining active stereo-photogrammetry and the user interface
      of the software are also highlighted to allow superior evaluation of scar volume.

PMID- 28363665
TI  - [Extension of the thoracodorsal artery perforator flap's pedicle: Anatomical
      study].
AB  - PURPOSE: In recent years, the indications of latissimus dorsi myocutaneous flap
      decreased in favor of its version preserving muscle: the thoracodorsal artery
      perforator flap (TDAP). The intramuscular dissection reduce donor site morbidity
      but also allows an extension of the pedicle compared to conventional latissimus
      dorsi flap pedicle. The purpose of this study was to quantify objectively
      elongation of the pedicle when the perforator is dissected through the muscle.
      METHOD: Sixteen TDAP flap were dissected in 9 cadavers. The pedicle was divided
      into 4 distinct parts: (1) hypodermis, (2) subcutaneous fat, (3) intramuscular,
      (4) conventional pedicle. RESULTS: The length of the pedicle is significantly
      increased when the pedicle is dissected through the muscle. This extends the
      theoretical length from 5.25cm up to 9.19cm if the dissection is extended to the
      deep fat. Indeed, this results in a potentially exploitable TDAP pedicle length
      of 20.66cm. CONCLUSION: The dissection of the perforator allows an extension of
      the pedicle of about 5 or 9cm if we continue the dissection in the subcutaneous
      fat. A long pedicle may be interesting in lower limb reconstructive surgery and
      facial reconstruction where microsurgery is not feasible.

PMID- 28363666
TI  - Risk factors for mortality after surgery of osteoporotic hip fracture in patients
      over 65 years of age.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: To evaluate, from a clinical perspective, and with easily identifiable
      variables, those factors that influence the survival of patients admitted to a
      care unit designed for the comprehensive treatment of patients with hip fracture
      after being surgically treated. MATERIAL AND METHODS: A prospective study was
      conducted on a cohort of patients (n=202) aged 65 years or older with a low
      impact hip fracture, who were surgically intervened in a tertiary hospital. An
      analysis was performed to determine mortality at 90 days, and at one and 2years
      after surgery using demographic, clinical, analytical, and functional variables.
      RESULTS: The independent risk factors of mortality in the 3periods analysed were
      age (P=.047, P=.016, and P=.000 at 90 days, 1, and 2 years, respectively) and a
      low Barthel index (P=.014, P=.005, and P=.004 to 90 days, 1, and 2 years,
      respectively). Male sex (P=.004) and a high risk for anaesthesia (P=.011) were
      only independent risk factors of mortality at 2years after surgery. DISCUSSION
      AND CONCLUSION: Age and dependency were the major determining factors of
      mortality at 30 days, 1, and 2 years after surgery for hip fracture. Both are
      easily measurable to identify patients susceptible to poor outcomes, and could
      benefit from a more thorough care plan.

PMID- 28363667
TI  - Stop or Go? Endosome Positioning in the Establishment of Compartment
      Architecture, Dynamics, and Function.
AB  - The endosomal system constitutes a key negotiator between the environment of a
      cell and its internal affairs. Comprised of a complex membranous network, wherein
      each vesicle can in principle move autonomously throughout the cell, the
      endosomal system operates as a coherent unit to optimally face external
      challenges and maintain homeostasis. Our appreciation of how individual endosomes
      are controlled in time and space to best serve their collective purpose has
      evolved dramatically in recent years. In light of these efforts, the endoplasmic
      reticulum (ER) - with its expanse of membranes permeating the cytoplasmic space -
      has emerged as a potent spatiotemporal organizer of endosome biology. We review
      the latest advances in our understanding of the mechanisms underpinning endosomal
      transport and positioning, with emphasis on the contributions from the ER, and
      offer a perspective on how the interplay between these aspects shapes the
      architecture and dynamics of the endosomal system and drives its myriad cellular
      functions.

PMID- 28363669
TI  - Characteristics, Trends, and Quality of Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis in
      General Radiology between 2007 and 2015.
AB  - RATIONALE AND OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the trends, characteristics, and quality of
      systematic review and meta-analysis in general radiology journals. MATERIALS AND
      METHODS: We performed a PubMed search to identify systematic reviews and meta
      analyses that had been carried out in the field of radiology between 2007 and
      2015. The following data were extracted: journal, impact factor, type of
      research, year of publication, radiological subspecialty, imaging modalities
      used, number of authors, affiliated department of the first and corresponding
      authors, presence of a radiologist and a statistician among the authors,
      discordance between the first and corresponding authors, funding, country of
      first author, methodological quality, methods used for quality assessment, and
      statistics. RESULTS: Ultimately, we included 210 articles from nine general
      radiology journals. The European Journal of Radiology was the most common journal
      represented (47 of 210; 22.4%). Meta-analyses (n = 177; 84.3%) were published
      about five times more than systematic reviews without meta-analysis (n = 33;
      15.7%). Radiology of the gastrointestinal tract was the most commonly represented
      subspecialty (n = 49, 23.3%). The first authors were most frequently located in
      China (n = 64; 30.3%). In terms of modality, magnetic resonance imaging was used
      most often (n = 59; 28.1%). The number of authors tended to progressively
      increase over time, and the ratio of discordance between the first and
      corresponding authors also increased significantly, as did the proportion of
      research that has received funding from an external source. The mean AMSTAR
      assessment score improved over time (5.87/11 in 2007-2009, 7.11/11 in 2010-2012,
      and 7.49/11 in 2013-2015). In this regard, the journal Radiology had the highest
      score (7.59/11). CONCLUSIONS: The quantity and quality of radiological meta
      analyses have significantly increased over the past 9 years; however, specific
      weak areas remain, providing the opportunity for quality improvement.

PMID- 28363671
TI  - Role of Health Services Research in Radiology.

PMID- 28363670
TI  - Using the Analytic Hierarchy Process for Prioritizing Imaging Tests in Diagnosis
      of Suspected Appendicitis.
AB  - RATIONALE AND OBJECTIVES: In clinical guideline or criteria development
      processes, such as those used in developing American College of Radiology
      Appropriateness Criteria (ACR AC), experts subjectively evaluate benefits and
      risks associated with imaging tests and make complex decisions about imaging
      recommendations. The analytic hierarchy process (AHP) decomposes complex
      decisions into structured smaller decisions, incorporates quantitative evidence
      and qualitative expert opinion, and promotes structured consensus building. AHP
      may supplement and/or improve the transparency of expert opinion contributions to
      developing guidelines or criteria. MATERIALS AND METHODS: To conduct an empirical
      test using health services research tools, we convened a mock ACR AC panel of
      emergency department radiology and nonradiology physicians to evaluate by
      multicriteria decision analysis, the relative appropriateness of imaging tests
      for diagnosing suspected appendicitis. Panel members selected benefit-risk
      criteria via an online survey and assessed contrast-enhanced computed tomography,
      magnetic resonance imaging, and ultrasound using an AHP-based software.
      Participants were asked whether the process was manageable, transparent, and
      improved shared understanding. Priority scores were converted to rankings and
      compared to the rank order of ACR AC ratings. RESULTS: When compared to magnetic
      resonance and ultrasound imaging, participants agreed with the ACR AC that
      contrast-enhanced computed tomography is the most appropriate test. Contrary to
      the ACR AC ratings, study results suggest that magnetic resonance is preferable
      to ultrasound. When compared to nonradiologists, radiologists' priority scores
      reflect a stronger preference for computed tomography. CONCLUSIONS: Study
      participants addressed decision-making challenges using a relatively efficient
      data collection mechanism, suggesting that AHP may benefit the ACR AC guideline
      development process in identifying the relative appropriateness of imaging tests.
      With additional development, AHP may improve transparency when expert opinion is
      used in clinical guideline or appropriateness criteria development.

PMID- 28363668
TI  - Methylphenidate alleviates manganese-induced impulsivity but not distractibility.
AB  - Recent studies from our lab have demonstrated that postnatal manganese (Mn)
      exposure in a rodent model can cause lasting impairments in fine motor control
      and attention, and that oral methylphenidate (MPH) treatment can effectively
      treat the dysfunction in fine motor control. However, it is unknown whether MPH
      treatment can alleviate the impairments in attention produced by Mn exposure.
      Here we used a rodent model of postnatal Mn exposure to determine whether (1)
      oral MPH alleviates attention and impulse control deficits caused by postnatal Mn
      exposure, using attention tasks that are variants of the 5-choice serial reaction
      time task, and (2) whether these treatments affected neuronal dendritic spine
      density in the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) and dorsal striatum. Male Long
      Evans rats were exposed orally to 0 or 50Mn/kg/d throughout life starting on PND
      1, and tested as young adults (PND 107-115) on an attention task that
      specifically tapped selective attention and impulse control. Animals were treated
      with oral MPH (2.5mg/kg/d) throughout testing on the attention task. Our findings
      show that lifelong postnatal Mn exposure impaired impulse control and selective
      attention in young adulthood, and that a therapeutically relevant oral MPH
      regimen alleviated the Mn-induced dysfunction in impulse control, but not
      selective attention, and actually impaired focused attention in the Mn group. In
      addition, the effect of MPH was qualitatively different for the Mn-exposed versus
      control animals across a range of behavioral measures of inhibitory control and
      attention, as well as dendritic spine density in the mPFC, suggesting that
      postnatal Mn exposure alters catecholaminergic systems modulating these
      behaviors. Collectively these findings suggest that MPH may hold promise for
      treating the behavioral dysfunction caused by developmental Mn exposure, although
      further research is needed with multiple MPH doses to determine whether a dose
      can be identified that ameliorates the dysfunction in both impulse control and
      selective attention, without impairing focused attention.

PMID- 28363672
TI  - Sentinel lymph node mapping reduces practice pattern variations in surgical
      staging for endometrial adenocarcinoma: A before and after study.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: To examine the effects of universal sentinel lymph node mapping on the
      use of nodal staging in endometrial adenocarcinoma. METHODS: Two approaches to
      laparoscopic staging for endometrial adenocarcinoma were compared using a before
      and after study design. The before cohort underwent selective lymphadenectomy
      from January 1, 2014-October 1, 2015 while the after cohort underwent universal
      sentinel lymph node (SLN) mapping from October 2, 2015-September 29, 2016.
      RESULTS: The before cohort comprised 215 patients and the after cohort 166
      patients. In women undergoing SLN mapping, a sentinel node was identified at
      least unilaterally in 146/153 cases (95.4%), and bilaterally in 114/153 (74.5%)
      of cases. Pelvic nodes were removed in 35.8% of the before cohort versus 92.2% of
      the after cohort (p<0.0001) with more nodal evaluation among both low risk (9.6%
      vs. 91%, p<0.0001) and high risk cases (66% vs. 94%, p<0.0001). While the
      proportion of low risk cases diagnosed with nodal involvement did not
      significantly change (0.9% to 3.1%, p=0.32), there was a trend toward more
      diagnoses of nodal involvement in high risk cases (5% to 13.2%, p=0.06). Mean
      number of pelvic lymph nodes removed (15 vs. 4, p<0.0001), mean operative time
      (181min vs. 137min, p<0.0001), estimated blood loss (80ml vs. 56ml, p=0.004), and
      rate of post-operative complications (13% vs. 5.2%, p=0.04) all decreased after
      the adoption of SLN dissection. CONCLUSIONS: Universal sentinel lymph node
      dissection for laparoscopic endometrial cancer staging reduces heterogeneity in
      surgeon staging practice, increases nodal detection, and lowers post-operative
      complications.

PMID- 28363673
TI  - Lipids Can Make Them Stick Together.
AB  - To be active, membrane proteins often need to assemble into multimers either
      transiently or permanently. Using high-end mass spectrometry (MS), Robinson and
      colleagues show that the formation of transient multimers may require lipids at
      the interface while stable oligomers appear not to require such help.

PMID- 28363674
TI  - Assessment of Female Medical Students' Interest in Careers in Cardiothoracic
      Surgery.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: Although over half of medical students are females, women comprise
      only 21% of cardiothoracic (CT) surgery residency applicants and 5% of the CT
      workforce. We sought to gain insight into female medical students' perceptions of
      CT surgery and identify targets to increase interest. DESIGN: A 33-question
      survey queried career selection factors, perceptions of CT surgery, and ways to
      increase interest in the field. Responses were stratified by sex and preclinical
      versus clinical years. SETTING: Women at 13 US medical schools were compared to
      men at a Midwest medical school. PARTICIPANTS: Surveys were distributed to
      approximately 4400 women and were completed by 372 (8.5%) women. Comparison
      surveys were distributed to approximately 170 preclinical men and were completed
      by 98 (57.6%) men. RESULTS: Preclinical woman had broad interests, whereas
      clinical women were more interested in primary care (p = 0.0124). Intellectual
      interest and lifestyle were important in specialty selection for men and women
      (91% versus 90%; 78% versus 86%). Although preclinical men valued perceived
      prestige and salary significantly more than preclinical women (39% versus 20%, p
      = 0.0014; 64% versus 48%, p = 0.0173), preclinical women valued caring for
      specific ethnicities and addressing health disparities significantly more than
      preclinical men (26% versus 15%, p = 0.0173; 53% versus 33%, p = 0.0019). Making
      family plans was cited by 83% of women as difficult if they choose to become a CT
      surgeon. Women thought that attaining their career interests and life goals (76%)
      or access to female CT surgery mentors (63%) would make the field more appealing.
      Over 70% of preclinical women were interested in shadowing a CT surgeon. Of these
      women, 12% attempted to shadow. CONCLUSIONS: Although baseline interest in CT
      surgery is low among women, there are many targets for increasing interest
      especially during preclinical years. Residency programs have the opportunity to
      entice women to the field by addressing their priorities of lifestyle, family
      planning, and addressing health disparities.

PMID- 28363675
TI  - Effect of Ongoing Assessment of Resident Operative Autonomy on the Operating Room
      Environment.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: We have previously demonstrated the feasibility and validity of a
      smartphone-based system called Procedural Autonomy and Supervision System (PASS),
      which uses the Zwisch autonomy scale to facilitate assessment of the operative
      performances of surgical residents and promote progressive autonomy. To determine
      whether the use of PASS in a general surgery residency program is associated with
      any negative consequences, we tested the null hypothesis that PASS implementation
      at our institution would not negatively affect resident or faculty satisfaction
      in the operating room (OR) nor increase mean OR times for cases performed
      together by residents and faculty. METHODS: Mean OR times were obtained from the
      electronic medical record at Northwestern Memorial Hospital for the 20 procedures
      most commonly performed by faculty members with residents before and after PASS
      implementation. OR times were compared via two-sample t-test. The OR Educational
      Environment Measure tool was used to assess OR satisfaction with all clinically
      active general surgery residents (n = 31) and full-time general surgery faculty
      members (n = 27) before and after PASS implementation. Results were compared
      using the Mann-Whitney rank sum test. RESULTS: A significant prolongation in mean
      OR time between control and study period was found for only 1 of the 20 operative
      procedures performed at least 20 times by participating faculty members with
      residents. Based on the overall survey score, no significant differences were
      found between resident and faculty responses to the OR Educational Environment
      Measure survey before and after PASS implementation. When individual survey items
      were compared, while no differences were found with resident responses,
      differences were noted with faculty responses for 7 of the 35 items addressed
      although after Bonferroni correction none of these differences remained
      significant. CONCLUSIONS: Our data suggest that PASS does not increase mean OR
      times for the most commonly performed procedures. Resident OR satisfaction did
      not significantly change during PASS implementation, whereas some changes in
      faculty satisfaction were noted suggesting that PASS implementation may have had
      some negative effect with them. Although the effect on faculty satisfaction
      clearly requires further investigation, our findings support that use of an
      autonomy-based OR performance assessment system such as PASS does not appear to
      have a major negative influence on OR times nor OR satisfaction.

PMID- 28363676
TI  - Variable Operative Experience in Hand Surgery for Plastic Surgery Residents.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Efforts to standardize hand surgery training during plastic surgery
      residency remain challenging. We analyze the variability of operative hand
      experience at U.S. plastic surgery residency programs. METHODS: Operative case
      logs of chief residents in accredited U.S. plastic surgery residency programs
      were analyzed (2011-2015). Trends in fold differences of hand surgery case volume
      between the 10th and 90th percentiles of residents were assessed graphically.
      Percentile data were used to calculate the number of residents achieving case
      minimums in hand surgery for 2015. RESULTS: Case logs from 818 plastic surgery
      residents were analyzed of which a minority were from integrated (35.7%) versus
      independent/combined (64.3%) residents. Trend analysis of fold differences in
      case volume demonstrated decreasing variability among procedure categories over
      time. By 2015, fold differences for hand reconstruction, tendon cases, nerve
      cases, arthroplasty/arthrodesis, amputation, arterial repair, Dupuytren release,
      and neoplasm cases were below 10-fold. Congenital deformity cases among
      independent/combined residents was the sole category that exceeded 10-fold by
      2015. Percentile data suggested that approximately 10% of independent/combined
      residents did not meet case minimums for arterial repair and congenital deformity
      in 2015. CONCLUSIONS: Variable operative experience during plastic surgery
      residency may limit adequate exposure to hand surgery for certain residents.
      Future studies should establish empiric case minimums for plastic surgery
      residents to ensure hand surgery competency upon graduation.

PMID- 28363677
TI  - Large Rotation of the N-terminal Domain of Hsp90 Is Important for Interaction
      with Some but Not All Client Proteins.
AB  - The 90-kDa heat shock protein (Hsp90) chaperones the late folding steps of many
      protein kinases, transcription factors, and a diverse set of other protein
      clients not related in sequence and structure. Hsp90's interaction with clients
      appears to be coupled to a series of conformational changes. How these
      conformational changes contribute to its chaperone activity is currently unclear.
      Using crosslinking, hydrogen exchange mass spectrometry, and fluorescence
      experiments, we demonstrate here that the N-terminal domain of Hsp90 rotates by
      approximately 180 degrees  as compared to the crystal structure of yeast Hsp90 in
      complex with Sba1 and AMPPNP. Surprisingly, Aha1 but not Sba1 suppresses this
      rotation in the presence of AMPPNP but not in its absence. A minimum length of
      the largely unstructured linker between N-terminal and middle domain is necessary
      for this rotation, and interfering with the rotation strongly affects the
      interaction with Aha1 and the intrinsic and Aha1-stimulated ATPase activity.
      Surprisingly, suppression of the rotation only affects the activity of some
      clients and does not compromise yeast viability.

PMID- 28363678
TI  - Transcription-Coupled DNA Double-Strand Break Repair: Active Genes Need Special
      Care.
AB  - For decades, it has been speculated that specific loci on eukaryotic chromosomes
      are inherently susceptible to breakage. The advent of high-throughput genomic
      technologies has now paved the way to their identification. A wealth of data
      suggests that transcriptionally active loci are particularly fragile and that a
      specific DNA damage response is activated and dedicated to their repair. Here, we
      review current understanding of the crosstalk between transcription and double
      strand break repair, from the reasons underlying the intrinsic fragility of genes
      to the mechanisms that restore the integrity of damaged transcription units.

PMID- 28363679
TI  - Tumor infiltrating lymphocytes in early breast cancer.
AB  - Immunoediting represents a complex and dynamic process involving cancer and
      immune system cells, composed by three intertwined phases: elimination,
      equilibrium and escape. A large number of immune cell subtypes are involved, each
      playing a peculiar role in interacting with cancer cells: cytotoxic CD8+ T cells
      play a main role in cancer killing by inducing tumor cell death, while FOXP3+ T
      regulatory cells represent an immune-inhibitory cell subtype. The evaluation of
      tumor infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs) in H&E routine samples has been shown to
      represent a reliable surrogate of the immune anti-tumor activity and a robust
      independent prognostic biomarker in breast cancer (BC) patients, especially in
      the Tripe Negative and HER2+ subtypes. The present review addresses the
      mechanisms of breast cancer immunoediting, its cell complexity and
      prognostic/predictive relevance, providing evidence that TILs represent one the
      most promising biomarkers for BC patients.

PMID- 28363680
TI  - Exercising Control Over Memory Consolidation.
AB  - Exercise can improve human cognition. A mechanistic connection between exercise
      and cognition has been revealed in several recent studies. Exercise increases
      cortical excitability and this in turn leads to enhanced memory consolidation.
      Together these studies dovetail with our growing understanding of memory
      consolidation and how it is regulated through changes in motor cortical
      excitability.

PMID- 28363681
TI  - A Network Model of the Emotional Brain.
AB  - Emotion is often understood in terms of a circumscribed set of cortical and
      subcortical brain regions. I propose, instead, that emotion should be understood
      in terms of large-scale network interactions spanning the entire neuroaxis. I
      describe multiple anatomical and functional principles of brain organization that
      lead to the concept of 'functionally integrated systems', cortical-subcortical
      systems that anchor the organization of emotion in the brain. The proposal is
      illustrated by describing the cortex-amygdala integrated system and how it
      intersects with systems involving the ventral striatum/accumbens, septum,
      hippocampus, hypothalamus, and brainstem. The important role of the thalamus is
      also highlighted. Overall, the model clarifies why the impact of emotion is wide
      ranging, and how emotion is interlocked with perception, cognition, motivation,
      and action.

PMID- 28363683
TI  - Validity of thoracic respiratory inductive plethysmography in high body mass
      index subjects.
AB  - We aim to evaluate thoracic respiratory inductive plethysmography (RIP) in high
      body mass index (BMI) subjects with a pneumotachometer (PT) as a reference. We
      simultaneously evaluated spontaneous breathing by RIP and PT in 10 low and 10
      high BMI subjects at rest and in moderate exercise. We then recorded RIP
      amplitude with different excursions mimicking respiratory thoracic deformation,
      with different sizes of RIP belts surrounding cylinders of different perimeters
      with or without deformable foam simulating adipose tissue. RIP responses
      correlated with PT values in low and high BMI groups for inspiratory time (r=0.86
      and r=0.91, respectively), expiratory time (r=0.96 and r=0.91, respectively) and
      amplitude (r=0.82 for both) but with a bias (-0.23+/-0.25L) for high BMI
      subjects. ANOVA revealed the effects of perimeter and simulated adiposity
      (p<0.001 for both). We concluded that thoracic perimeter and deformity of adipose
      tissue are responsible for biases in RIP response in high BMI subjects.

PMID- 28363684
TI  - Effect of spironolactone on the risks of mortality and hospitalization for heart
      failure in pre-dialysis advanced chronic kidney disease: A nationwide population
      based study.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Spironolactone has been shown to reduce cardiovascular death in
      patients with mild-to-moderate chronic kidney disease (CKD), but its risks and
      benefits in advanced CKD remain unsettled. We aimed to assess whether
      spironolactone reduces cardiovascular mortality and morbidity in pre-dialysis
      stage 5 CKD patients. METHODS: Using Taiwan's National Health Insurance Research
      Database from January 2000 to June 2009, we enrolled 27,213 pre-dialysis stage 5
      CKD adult patients, in whom 1363 patients were treated with spironolactone (user)
      and 25,850 were not (nonuser). Outcomes were all-cause mortality, hospitalization
      for heart failure (HHF) and major adverse cardiac event (MACE, the composite of
      acute myocardial infarction and ischemic stroke). Patients were followed up till
      December 31, 2009. RESULTS: Over 85,758 person-years of follow-up, spironolactone
      users had higher incidence for all-cause mortality (24.7/100 person-years vs.
      10.6/100 person-years), infection-related death (4.4/100 person-years vs. 1.7/100
      person-years) and HHF (4.0/100 person-years vs. 1.4/100 person-years).
      Multivariable Cox hazards model showed that spironolactone users were associated
      with higher risks of all-cause mortality (adjusted hazard ratio [aHR] 1.35, 95%
      confidence interval [CI] 1.24-1.46), infection-related death (aHR 1.42, CI 1.16
      1.73) and HHF (aHR 1.35, CI 1.08-1.67) as compared to nonusers. The risks for
      cardiovascular mortality, MACE and hyperkalemia-associated hospitalization were
      similar between two groups. After matching users and nonusers (1:3 ratio) by
      propensity scores, the results were consistent in matched cohort and across
      subgroups. CONCLUSIONS: Spironolactone may be associated with higher risks for
      all-cause and infection-related mortality and HHF in pre-dialysis stage 5 CKD
      patients. Spironolactone should be used with caution in advanced CKD patients.

PMID- 28363682
TI  - Twelve-month outcome of patients with an established indication for oral
      anticoagulation undergoing coronary artery stenting and stratified by the
      baseline risk of bleeding: Insights from the Warfarin and Coronary Stenting (War
      Stent) Registry.
AB  - PURPOSE: To evaluate the outcome of patients with an established indication for
      oral anticoagulation (OAC) undergoing coronary stent implantation (PCI-S) and
      stratified by the baseline risk of bleeding. MATERIAL AND METHODS: The database
      of the prospective, multicentre, observational WAR-STENT registry
      (ClinicalTrials.gov identifier NCT00722319) was analyzed and patients with atrial
      fibrillation and CHA2DS2-VASc score >=2, mechanical heart valve, prior cardiac
      embolism, intra-cardiac thrombus and recent venous thromboembolism who were
      treated with either triple (warfarin, aspirin and clopidogrel) or dual (warfarin
      and clopidogrel) or dual antiplatelet (aspirin and clopidogrel) therapy,
      identified. Patients were then sorted into two groups at non-low and low risk of
      bleeding, as defined by an ATRIA score >3 and <=3 respectively, and compared
      regarding major adverse cardiac and vascular events (MACVE) and bleeding.
      RESULTS: At 12-month follow up, MACVE were comparable in the two groups, whereas
      total, major and minor bleeding, as well as combined MACVE and total bleeding,
      were significantly more frequent in the non-low bleeding risk group. Upon Cox
      univariate and multivariable analysis, non-low bleeding risk category confirmed
      as an independent predictor of major bleeding. The choice of antithrombotic
      therapy however, appeared not to be influenced by the bleeding risk category at
      baseline. CONCLUSIONS: In patients with an established indication for OAC
      undergoing PCI-S, non-low bleeding risk category is the most potent independent
      predictor of major bleeding. Stratification of the bleeding risk at baseline
      should therefore be regarded as an indispensable process to be carried out before
      selection of the antithrombotic therapy.

PMID- 28363685
TI  - Direct oral anticoagulants for the prevention of thromboembolic complications of
      atrial fibrillation: The more you pay, the less you spend?

PMID- 28363686
TI  - Treatment and outcomes of acute coronary syndromes in women: An analysis of a
      multicenter quality improvement Chinese study.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Variations in care and outcomes by sex in patients with acute
      coronary syndrome (ACS) have been reported worldwide. The aims of this study are
      to describe ACS management according to sex in China and the effects of a quality
      improvement program in Chinese male and female ACS patients. METHODS AND RESULTS:
      Clinical Pathways for Acute Coronary Syndromes - Phase 2 (CPACS-2) was a cluster
      randomized trial to test whether a clinical pathways-based intervention would
      improve ACS management in China. The study enrolled 15,141 hospitalized patients
      [4631 (30.6%) were women] from 75 hospitals throughout China between October 2007
      and August 2010. The intervention included clinical pathway implementation and
      performance measurement using standardized indicators with 6 monthly audit
      feedback cycles. Eight key performance indicators reflecting in hospital
      management of ACS were measured. After adjustment for differences in patient
      characteristics and comorbidities at presentation, women were significantly less
      likely to undergo coronary angiography when indicated (RR 0.88 [0.85 to 0.92],
      P<0.001), less likely to receive guideline recommended medical therapies at
      discharge (RR 0.94 [0.91 to 0.98], P=0.003) and more likely to be hospitalized
      for shorter (mean difference -0.42 [-0.73 to -0.12] days, P=0.007). However, in
      hospital clinical outcomes did not differ by sex. There was no evidence of
      heterogeneity in the relative effects of the quality improvement initiative by
      sex. CONCLUSIONS: Sex disparities were apparent in some key quality of care
      indicators for patients with suspected with ACS presenting to hospitals in China.
      The beneficial effect of the quality improvement program was consistent in women
      and men. CLINICAL TRIAL REGISTRATION: http://www.anzctr.org.au/default.aspx.
      Unique identifier: ACTRN12609000491268.

PMID- 28363687
TI  - Conservative versus aggressive treatment strategy with angiographic guidance
      alone in patients with intermediate coronary lesions: The SMART-CASE randomized,
      non-inferiority trial.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Although coronary angiography is still the technique most widely used
      to guide percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI), the appropriate angiographic
      indication of revascularization for intermediate coronary lesions remains
      controversial. The aim of this study was to compare conservative versus
      aggressive strategies with angiographic guidance alone in patients with
      intermediate coronary lesions. METHODS AND RESULTS: A total of 899 patients with
      intermediate coronary lesions between 50% and 70% diameter stenosis by
      quantitative coronary analysis were randomly assigned to the conservative group
      (n=449) or the aggressive group (n=450). For intermediate lesions, PCI was
      performed using everolimus-eluting stents in the aggressive group, but was
      deferred in the conservative group. The primary end point was a composite of all
      cause death, myocardial infarction, or any revascularization at 1year. The number
      of treated lesions per patient was 0.8+/-0.9 in the conservative group and 1.7+/
      0.9 in the aggressive group (p<0.001). The cumulative rate of the primary
      endpoint was 7.3% in the conservative group and 6.8% in the aggressive group (the
      upper limit of the one-sided 95% confidence interval [CI], 3.4%; p=0.006 for non
      inferiority with a predefined non-inferiority margin of 5.0%). The risk of death
      or myocardial infarction (hazard ratio [HR] 0.50; 95% CI, 0.19-1.33; p=0.17) and
      revascularization (HR 1.42; 95% CI, 0.80-2.52; p=0.23) was not significantly
      different between the 2 groups. CONCLUSIONS: Conservative revascularization was
      non-inferior to aggressive revascularization for intermediate coronary lesions.
      Revascularization of intermediate lesions can be safely deferred in patients
      undergoing PCI with angiographic guidance alone. CLINICAL TRIAL REGISTRATION:
      URL: http://ClinicalTrials.gov. Unique identifier: NCT00743899.

PMID- 28363688
TI  - Pharmacological treatment changes of chronic heart failure during cardiac
      resynchronization therapy: A 1-year follow-up study.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT) is associated with improved
      morbidity and mortality in patients with chronic heart failure (HF) on optimal
      medical therapy. We aimed to evaluate changes of medical therapy during CRT and
      its influence on the CRT response. METHODS: We evaluated 85 HF patients'
      pharmacological treatment changes during 1-year follow-up of CRT. Statistical
      analysis was performed using IBM SPSS statistical software (SPSS v.21.0 for Mac
      OS X). RESULTS: Beta-blockers (BAB) were used in 81.2% of patients before CRT,
      and consumption increased after CRT implantation (96.5% at 1-year follow-up
      visit) (p<0.002). Angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors (ACEI) and angiotensin
      receptor blockers (ARB) consumption and dose didn't significantly change
      statistically during the study. 55.3% of patients were taking spironolactone
      before CRT, and this number increased at discharge till 76.5% (p<0.001) and till
      70.6% (p=0.01) at 1-year follow-up visit. The average dose of spironolactone
      during the study significantly decreased statistically. The use of diuretics was
      higher after CRT device implantation, compared with the period before CRT 80% to
      84.7% (p<0.001), but torasemide dose hadn't significantly changed statistically
      and remained almost the same. Cardiovascular medication consumption was
      significantly lower before CRT, compared with discharge (p<0.001) and follow-up
      (p<0.001) periods. However, no statistically significant relation between
      pharmacological treatment and echocardiographic response was found. CONCLUSIONS:
      The present study confirmed that pharmacological treatment has changed during the
      period before and after CRT. But no statistically significant relation between
      pharmacological treatment and echocardiographic response was found.

PMID- 28363689
TI  - Medication and Supplement Use in Disability Football World Championships.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Individuals with an impairment comprise more than 15% of the world's
      population, many of whom can benefit greatly from participation in sport. The
      provision of medical services in disability sport is a challenging area with a
      lack of scientific evidence. Given the positive impact that sport can have on the
      people with an impairment, it is vital that measures are taken to better
      understand the medical issues posed by disability sport. It is well established
      that medications and supplements are overused in sport, particularly within
      professional football, but there is no current evidence on medication or
      supplement use in elite disability football. OBJECTIVE: To examine and describe
      the use of medication and supplements in disability football, before and during
      international tournaments, and to identify the profile of substances used by
      category. DESIGN: Prospective, descriptive, cohort study. SETTING: International
      Blind Sport Association Football World Cup 2015 and the International Federation
      of Cerebral Palsy Football World Cup 2015. PARTICIPANTS: Two hundred forty-two
      elite-level disability footballers, classified with B1 visual impairment or
      cerebral palsy. METHODS: Team clinicians were asked to document all medication
      and supplements taken in the 48 hours before each match. RESULTS: This study
      recorded the use of 1648 substances in 242 players, with more than one half
      (53.1%) classified as supplements. There was an overall rate of 1.26 substances
      used per player per match and a medication use rate of 0.59 medications per
      player per match. Seventy percent (170/242) of players reported using at least
      one substance per tournament, with 57.9% (140/242) using at least one prescribed
      medication (63.6% of players at International Blind Sports Association World
      Games and 57.7% of players at International Federation of Cerebral Palsy World
      Cup). The most commonly prescribed category of medications was nonsteroidal anti
      inflammatory drugs, representing 39.3% of all reported medications. CONCLUSION:
      This study highlights the potential overuse of medication and supplements in
      disability football, particularly in the use of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory
      drugs. These trends are comparable to previous research in Federation
      Internationale de Football Association World Cup competitions. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE:
      Not applicable.

PMID- 28363690
TI  - An Update of the American Urological Association White Paper on the Prevention
      and Treatment of the More Common Complications Related to Prostate Biopsy.
AB  - PURPOSE: In this white paper update we identify and discuss the prevalence and
      prevention of common complications of prostate needle biopsy. MATERIALS AND
      METHODS: A literature review was performed on prostate biopsy complications via
      queries of PubMed and EMBASE(r) databases for prostate biopsy complications from
      January 1, 2010 until June 1, 2015. We focused on infection, bleeding, urinary
      retention, needle tract seeding and erectile dysfunction. A total of 346 articles
      were identified for full text review and 119 are included in the final data
      synthesis. RESULTS: Infection is the most common complication of prostate biopsy
      with fluoroquinolone resistant Escherichia coli having a prominent role. Reported
      rates of infectious complications range from 0.1% to 7.0%, and sepsis rates range
      from 0.3% to 3.1% depending on antibiotic prophylaxis regimens. Mild, self
      limiting and transient bleeding is also a common complication. Other
      complications are extremely rare. CONCLUSIONS: This white paper provides a
      concise reference document for the more common prostate biopsy complications and
      prevention strategies. Risk assessment should be performed for all patients to
      identify known risk factors for harboring fluoroquinolone resistance. If
      infection incidence increases check the local antibiogram, current equipment and
      cleaning practices, and consider alternate approaches to antibiotic prevention
      such as needle cleaning, risk basked augmentation, rectal culture with targeted
      prophylaxis and transperineal biopsy. If infection occurs, actively re-situate
      the patient and start empiric intravenous treatment with carbapenems, amikacin or
      second and third generation cephalosporins.

PMID- 28363691
TI  - MYC and HIF in shaping immune response and immune metabolism.
AB  - Upon antigen stimulation, quiescent naive T cells undergo a phase of cell mass
      accumulation followed by cell cycle entry, clonal expansion, differentiation into
      functional subsets and back again to a quiescent state as they develop into
      memory cells. The transitions between these distinct cellular states place unique
      metabolic demands on energy, redox and biosynthesis. To fulfill these demands, T
      cells switch back and forth between their primary catabolic pathways. While
      quiescent naive and memory T cells largely rely on the oxidation of fatty acids
      and glucose, active T cells rely on glycolysis and glutaminolysis to sustain cell
      growth, proliferation and differentiation. Beyond several key signaling kinase
      cascades, the hypoxia inducible factor 1 (HIF-1) and the proto-oncogene MYC, act
      alone or in concert, to coordinate T cell metabolic reprogramming, cell
      proliferation, functional differentiation and apoptosis, enabling a robust T cell
      mediated adaptive immune response.

PMID- 28363692
TI  - IL-6 signaling in diabetic nephropathy: From pathophysiology to therapeutic
      perspectives.
AB  - Diabetic nephropathy (DN) is a leading cause of chronic kidney disease (CKD).
      Interleukin-6 (IL-6) signaling participates in inflammation responses central to
      the progression of DN. Current evidence suggests that these IL-6 responses are
      mediated via gp130-STAT3 dependent mechanisms which, on one hand, trigger
      globally the transition from innate to adaptive immune response, and on the other
      hand act locally for tissue remodeling and immune cell infiltration. In diabetic
      conditions the role of IL-6 is not well elucidated. Both IL-6 classical signaling
      pathway via receptor IL-6R (IL-6R) and IL-6 trans-signaling pathway via soluble
      IL-6R (sIL-6R) were shown to participate in the pathogenesis and progression of
      DN, and IL-6 appears to influence renal cells also in an autocrine manner. To
      date, evidence is limited. The goal of this review is to provide an overview of
      our current understanding on the role of IL-6 signaling in DN and to delineate
      challenges for future research. Putative sequential events related to IL-6
      secretion by different cell populations in diabetic conditions are outlined.
      Further, we discuss potential applications of anti-IL-6 therapy in the context of
      DN.

PMID- 28363693
TI  - Structural optimization of an aptamer generated from Ligand-Guided Selection
      (LIGS) resulted in high affinity variant toward mIgM expressed on Burkitt's
      lymphoma cell lines.
AB  - Aptamers are synthetic, short nucleic acid molecules capable of specific target
      recognition. Aptamers are selected using a screening method termed Systematic
      Evolution of Ligands by Exponential enrichment (SELEX). We recently have
      introduced a variant of SELEX called "Ligand-Guided-Selection" (LIGS) that allows
      the identification of specific aptamers against known cell-surface proteins.
      Utilizing LIGS, we introduced three specific aptamers against membrane-bound IgM
      (mIgM), which is the hallmark of B cells. Out of the three aptamers selected
      against mIgM, an aptamer termed R1, in particular, was found to be interesting
      due to its ability to recognize mIgM on target cells and then block anti-IgM
      antibodies binding their antigen. We systematically truncated parent aptamer R1
      to design shorter variants with enhanced affinity. Importantly, herein we show
      that the specificity of the most optimized variant of R1 aptamer is similar to
      that of anti-IgM antibody, indicating that the specificity of the ligand utilized
      in selective elution of the aptamer determines the specificity of the LIGS
      generated aptamer. Furthermore, we report that truncated variants of R1 are able
      to recognize mIgM-positive human B lymphoma BJAB cells at physiological
      temperature, demonstrating that LIGS-generated aptamers could be re-optimized
      into higher affinity variants. Collectively, these findings show the significance
      of LIGS in generating highly specific aptamers with potential applications in
      biomedicine.

PMID- 28363694
TI  - Cost-effectiveness of EOB-MRI for Hepatocellular Carcinoma in Japan.
AB  - PURPOSE: The objective of the study was to evaluate the cost-effectiveness of
      gadoxetic acid-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging (EOB-MRI) in the diagnosis and
      treatment of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) in Japan compared with extracellular
      contrast media-enhanced MRI (ECCM-MRI) and contrast media-enhanced computed
      tomography (CE-CT) scanning. METHODS: A 6-stage Markov model was developed to
      estimate lifetime direct costs and clinical outcomes associated with EOB-MRI.
      Diagnostic sensitivity and specificity, along with clinical data on HCC survival,
      recurrence, treatment patterns, costs, and health state utility values, were
      derived from predominantly Japanese publications. Parameters unavailable from
      publications were estimated in a Delphi panel of Japanese clinical experts who
      also confirmed the structure and overall approach of the model. Sensitivity
      analyses, including one-way, probabilistic, and scenario analyses, were conducted
      to account for uncertainty in the results. FINDINGS: Over a lifetime horizon, EOB
      MRI was associated with lower direct costs (Y2,174,869) and generated a greater
      number of quality-adjusted life years (QALYs) (9.502) than either ECCM-MRI
      (Y2,365,421, 9.303 QALYs) or CE-CT (Y2,482,608, 9.215 QALYs). EOB-MRI was
      superior to the other diagnostic strategies considered, and this finding was
      robust over sensitivity and scenario analyses. A majority of the direct costs
      associated with HCC in Japan were found to be costs of treatment. The model
      results revealed the superior cost-effectiveness of the EOB-MRI diagnostic
      strategy compared with ECCM-MRI and CE-CT. IMPLICATIONS: EOB-MRI could be the
      first-choice imaging modality for medical care of HCC among patients with
      hepatitis or liver cirrhosis in Japan. Widespread implementation of EOB-MRI could
      reduce health care expenditures, particularly downstream treatment costs,
      associated with HCC.

PMID- 28363695
TI  - In Vitro Anaerobic Pharmacokinetic/Pharmacodynamic Model to Simulate the
      Bactericidal Activity of Levornidazole Against Bacteroides fragilis.
AB  - PURPOSE: This study was designed to correlate the pharmacokinetic/pharmacodynamic
      (PK/PD) parameters with PD indices of levornidazole against Bacteroides fragilis
      and to calculate the PK/PD target value for levornidazole to attain its expected
      maximal bactericidal effect using an in vitro anaerobic dynamic PK/PD model.
      METHODS: An anaerobic dynamic PK/PD model was developed in vitro. The scheme for
      PK modeling was designed according to the PK parameters of levornidazole in the
      human body. The device of 2-compartment PK/PD model was constructed by using
      digital control of flow rate to simulate 4 regimens of single-dose intravenous
      infusion of levornidazole to determine the bactericidal activity of levornidazole
      against the 3 strains of B fragilis within 72 hours. PD parameters such as
      reduction of colony count within 24 hours (?Log24h), area under bactericidal
      curve (AUBC), and 2-hour initial killing rate (IKR) were calculated and
      correlated with PK/PD parameters. Sigmoid Emax model of levornidazole was
      established to calculate PK/PD target values to attain corresponding PD effect.
      FINDINGS: PK and PD validation proved the stability of the model in simulating
      levornidazole against B fragilis and the precision and accuracy in the results of
      PK modeling. Cmax and AUC0-24h found only -1.46% and -6.72% differences from the
      values in vivo. Our study found that ?Log24h, AUBC, and IKR were more correlated
      with AUC0-24h/MIC and Cmax/MIC than with %T>MIC. According to ?Log24h, the PK/PD
      target values of AUC0-24h/MIC, Cmax/MIC, and %T>MIC of levornidazole against B
      fragilis were 157.6%, 14.1%, and 56.4%, respectively. IMPLICATIONS: Our findings
      are useful for optimizing the clinical dosing regimen of levornidazole sodium
      chloride injection to attain maximal bactericidal effect.

PMID- 28363696
TI  - Clinical Outcomes Associated with Switching or Discontinuation from Anti-TNF
      Inhibitors for Nonmedical Reasons.
AB  - PURPOSE: This study evaluated clinical outcomes and health care resource
      utilization associated with nonmedical switching from or discontinuation of anti
      tumor necrosis factor (TNF) therapies in US clinical practice. METHODS:
      Responding physicians extracted data from the medical charts of patients with
      Crohn's disease, ulcerative colitis, rheumatoid arthritis, ankylosing
      spondylitis, psoriasis, or psoriatic arthritis who achieved response on an anti
      TNF therapy. Physicians selected 2 cohorts of patients that were matched on
      diagnosis: patients who were switched/discontinued, for nonmedical reasons, from
      the anti-TNF therapy on which they achieved response (switchers/discontinuers),
      and patients who continued on their anti-TNF (continuers).
      Switchers/discontinuers were followed up for 12 months from the date of
      discontinuation (index date); continuers were followed up for 12 months from the
      date of an office visit within 2 months of the matched switcher/discontinuer's
      index date. Multivariate regression was used to compare disease flares, disease
      control, and health care resource utilization between cohorts, with adjustment
      for baseline characteristics. Subgroup analyses compared data from the continuer
      cohort to those from (1) patients who were switched to another biologic therapy
      and (2) patients who were switched to conventional therapy or discontinued from
      all therapy. FINDINGS: A total of 377 matched pairs of continuers and
      switchers/discontinuers were analyzed (N = 754), with the latter cohort
      comprising 284 patients (73.3%) who were and 93 (24.7%) who did not switch to
      another treatment (biologic or conventional treatment) immediately after
      discontinuation. Switchers/discontinuers had more frequent flares than did
      continuers, across severity levels (adjusted incidence rate ratios = 1.67, 2.36,
      and 3.48 for mild, moderate, and severe flares, respectively; all, P < 0.05).
      Switchers/discontinuers had a lower rate of well-controlled disease symptoms
      (46.9% vs 88.1%; adjusted odds ratio = 0.11; P < 0.001). Switchers/discontinuers
      also had more frequent inpatient hospitalizations, emergency department visits,
      and outpatient visits (adjusted incidence rate ratios = 3.58, 5.73, and 1.12,
      respectively; all, P < 0.001). Findings from the subgroup analyses of data from
      the 183 patients who switched to a biologic therapy and 194 who switched to
      conventional therapy or discontinued from all therapy were largely consistent
      with the overall analysis. IMPLICATIONS: In this study, switching/discontinuation
      from an anti-TNF therapy for nonmedical reasons was associated with significantly
      worse clinical outcomes and increased health care resource utilization-factors
      that should be considered when developing treatment algorithms.

PMID- 28363698
TI  - Dihydromyricetin prevents obesity-induced slow-twitch-fiber reduction partially
      via FLCN/FNIP1/AMPK pathway.
AB  - Obesity is often accompanied by decreases in the proportion of skeletal muscle
      slow-twitch fibers and insulin sensitivity. Increased plasma non-esterified fatty
      acids (NEFA) levels are responsible for obesity-associated insulin resistance.
      Palmitate, one of the most elevated plasma NEFA in obesity, has been recognized
      as the principle inducer of insulin resistance. The present study showed that
      increased plasma NEFA levels were negatively linked to slow-twitch fiber
      proportion and insulin sensitivity, while slow-twitch fiber proportion was
      positively correlated to insulin sensitivity in high fat diet (HFD)-fed and ob/ob
      mice. Dihydromyricetin (DHM) intervention increased slow-twitch fiber proportion
      and improved insulin resistance. In cultured C2C12 myotubes, palmitate treatment
      resulted in decrease of slow-twitch fiber specific Myh7 expression and insulin
      resistance, concomitant with folliculin (FLCN) and folliculin-interacting protein
      1 (FNIP1) expression increase, AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) inactivation
      and peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-gamma coactivator-1alpha (PGC
      1alpha) expression decrease. Those palmitate-induced effects could be blocked by
      knock-down of FLCN expression or DHM intervention. Meanwhile, the protective
      effects of DHM were alleviated by over-expression of FLCN. In addition, the
      changes in AMPK activity and expression of FLCN and FNIP1 in vivo were consistent
      with those occurring in vitro. These findings suggest that DHM treatment prevents
      palmitate-induced slow-twitch fibers decrease partially via FLCN-FNIP1-AMPK
      pathway thereby improving insulin resistance in obesity.

PMID- 28363697
TI  - Polymorphisms and mutations in the melanocortin-3 receptor and their relation to
      human obesity.
AB  - Inactivating mutations in the melanocortin 3 receptor (Mc3r) have been described
      as causing obesity in mice, but the physiologic effects of MC3R mutations in
      humans have been less clear. Here we review the MC3R polymorphisms and mutations
      identified in humans, and the in vitro, murine, and human cohort studies
      examining their putative effects. Some, but not all, studies suggest that the
      common human MC3R variant T6K+V81I, as well as several other rare, function
      altering mutations, are associated with greater adiposity and hyperleptinemia
      with altered energy partitioning. In vitro, the T6K+V81I variant appears to
      decrease MC3R expression and therefore cAMP generation in response to ligand
      binding. Knockin mouse studies confirm that the T6K+V81I variant increases
      feeding efficiency and the avidity with which adipocytes derived from bone or
      adipose tissue stem cells store triglycerides. Other MC3R mutations occur too
      infrequently in the human population to make definitive conclusions regarding
      their clinical effects. This article is part of a Special Issue entitled:
      Melanocortin Receptors - edited by Ya-Xiong Tao.

PMID- 28363700
TI  - Caregivers: Do They Make a Difference to Patient Recovery in Subacute Stroke?
AB  - OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the relationship between caregiver nature and
      availability, and rehabilitation outcomes in subacute stroke. DESIGN:
      Retrospective cohort study. SETTING: Four community rehabilitation hospitals.
      PARTICIPANTS: Patients with subacute, first-time stroke (N=4042; 48.5% men; mean
      age +/- SD, 70.12+/-10.4y; 51.5% women; mean age +/- SD, 72.54 +/-10.0y).
      INTERVENTIONS: Not applicable. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Rehabilitation
      effectiveness, defined as the percentage of potential improvement eventually
      achieved with rehabilitation; and rehabilitation efficiency, defined as the rate
      of functional improvement during rehabilitation. RESULTS: In our cohort, 96.7%
      had available caregiver(s), of which 42.0% were primarily supported by foreign
      domestic workers (FDWs), 25.9% by spouses, 19.3% by first-degree relatives, 7.8%
      by other relatives, and 5.1% by other caregivers. Using quantile regression, we
      found that having a caregiver was independently associated with rehabilitation
      efficiency (beta=-3.83; 95% confidence interval [CI], -6.99 to -0.66; P=.018).
      The relationship between caregiver availability and rehabilitation effectiveness
      was modified by patient sex in that the negative association was significantly
      greater in men (beta=-22.81; 95% CI, -32.70 to -12.94; P<.001) than women (beta=
      5.64; 95% CI, -14.72 to 3.44; P=.223). Having a FDW as a caregiver compared with
      a spousal caregiver was negatively associated with rehabilitation effectiveness
      (beta=-3.95; 95% CI, -6.94 to -0.95; P=.01) and rehabilitation efficiency (beta=
      1.83; 95% CI, -3.14 to -0.53; P=.006). The number of potential caregivers was
      only significantly associated with rehabilitation effectiveness at the bivariate
      level (P=.006). CONCLUSIONS: Caregiver identity, and possibly availability,
      appears to negatively affect rehabilitation outcomes in subacute stroke. A better
      understanding of these relationships has potential implications on clinical
      practice and policy directions.

PMID- 28363701
TI  - Measuring Inpatient Rehabilitation Facility Quality of Care: Discharge Self-Care
      Functional Status Quality Measure.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: To describe the calculation and psychometric properties of the
      discharge self-care functional status quality measure implemented in the Centers
      for Medicare & Medicaid Services' (CMS) Inpatient Rehabilitation Facility (IRF)
      Quality Reporting Program on October 1, 2016. DESIGN: Medicare fee-for-service
      (FFS) patients from 38 IRFs that participated in the CMS Post-Acute Care Payment
      Reform Demonstration were included in this cohort study. Data came from the
      Continuity Assessment Record and Evaluation Item Set, IRF-Patient Assessment
      Instrument, and Medicare claims. For each patient, we calculated an expected
      discharge self-care score, risk-adjusted for demographic and baseline clinical
      characteristics. The performance score of each IRF equaled the percentage of
      patient stays where the observed discharge self-care score met or exceeded the
      expected score. We assessed the measure's discriminatory ability across IRFs and
      reliability. SETTING: IRFs. PARTICIPANTS: Medicare FFS patients aged >=21 years
      (N=4769). INTERVENTIONS: Not applicable. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Facility-level
      discharge self-care quality measure performance score. RESULTS: A total of 4769
      patient stays were included; 57% of stays were in women, and 12.1% were in
      patients aged <65 years. Stroke was the most common diagnosis (21.8%). The mean+/
      SD performance score was 55.1%+/-16.6% (range, 25.8%-100%). About 54% of IRFs had
      scores significantly different from the percentage of stays that met or exceeded
      the expected discharge self-care score in the overall demonstration sample. The
      quality measure showed strong reliability, with intraclass correlation
      coefficients of .91. CONCLUSIONS: The discharge self-care quality measure showed
      strong discriminatory ability and reliability, representing an important initial
      step in evaluation of IRF self-care outcomes. A wide range in performance scores
      suggested a gap in quality of care across IRFs. Future work should include
      testing the measure with nationwide data from all IRFs.

PMID- 28363702
TI  - Communication Skills Training for Practitioners to Increase Patient Adherence to
      Home-Based Rehabilitation for Chronic Low Back Pain: Results of a Cluster
      Randomized Controlled Trial.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: To assess the effect of an intervention designed to enhance
      physiotherapists' communication skills on patients' adherence to recommendations
      regarding home-based rehabilitation for chronic low back pain. DESIGN: Cluster
      randomized controlled trial. SETTING: Publicly funded physiotherapy clinics.
      PARTICIPANTS: A sample (N=308) of physiotherapists (n=53) and patients with
      chronic low back pain (n=255; 54% female patients; mean age, 45.3y).
      INTERVENTIONS: Patients received publicly funded individual physiotherapy care.
      In the control arm, care was delivered by a physiotherapist who had completed a 1
      hour workshop on evidence-based chronic low back pain management. Patients in the
      experimental arm received care from physiotherapists who had also completed 8
      hours of communication skills training. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: (1) Patient
      reported adherence to their physiotherapists' recommendations regarding home
      based rehabilitation measured at 1, 4, 12, and 24 weeks after the initial
      treatment session. (2) Pain and pain-related function measured at baseline and at
      4, 12, and 24 weeks. RESULTS: A linear mixed model analysis revealed that the
      experimental arm patients' ratings of adherence were higher than those of
      controls (overall mean difference, .41; 95% confidence interval, .10-.72; d=.28;
      P=.01). Moderation analyses revealed that men, regardless of the intervention,
      showed improvements in pain-related function over time. Only women in the
      experimental arm showed functional improvements; female controls showed little
      change in function over time. The Communication Style and Exercise Compliance in
      Physiotherapy intervention did not influence patients' pain, regardless of their
      sex. CONCLUSIONS: Communication skills training for physiotherapists had short
      term positive effects on patient adherence. This training may provide a
      motivational basis for behavior change and could be a useful component in complex
      interventions to promote adherence. Communication skills training may also
      improve some clinical outcomes for women, but not for men.

PMID- 28363703
TI  - Carers' Experiences, Needs, and Preferences During Inpatient Stroke
      Rehabilitation: A Systematic Review of Qualitative Studies.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: To report and synthesize the experiences, needs, and preferences of
      carers of stroke survivors undergoing inpatient rehabilitation. DATA SOURCES:
      MEDLINE, CINAHL, Embase, PsycINFO, and Web of Science were searched to March
      2016. Reference lists of relevant publications were searched. No language
      restrictions were applied. STUDY SELECTION: Eligible qualitative studies reported
      the experiences of carers of stroke survivors who underwent inpatient
      rehabilitation. The search yielded 3532 records; 93 full-text publications were
      assessed for eligibility, and 34 documents (33 studies) were included.
      Comprehensiveness of reporting was assessed using the Consolidated Criteria for
      Reporting Qualitative Health Research framework. DATA EXTRACTION: Data on the
      characteristics of included studies were independently extracted by 2 authors.
      Differences in data extraction between authors were resolved through discussion
      or by a third author. All text in studies' results and discussion sections were
      extracted for analysis. DATA SYNTHESIS: Extracted texts were analyzed inductively
      using thematic synthesis. Seven analytical themes were developed that related to
      the carers' experiences, needs, and preferences: (1) overwhelmed with emotions;
      (2) recognition as a stakeholder in recovery; (3) desire to be heard and
      informed; (4) persisting for action and outcomes; (5) being legitimate clients;
      (6) navigating an alien culture and environment; and (7) managing the transition
      home. CONCLUSIONS: This systematic review provides new insights into the
      experiences, needs, and preferences of carers of stroke survivors undergoing
      inpatient rehabilitation. Carers experienced distress as they navigated a foreign
      culture and environment without adequate communication and processes in place for
      their inclusion. We recommend deliberate efforts to provide a more inclusive
      environment that better supports and prepares carers for their new role.

PMID- 28363704
TI  - Measuring Participation of Rehabilitation Patients: Test-Retest Reliability and
      Mode of Administration Concordance of the Participation Measure-3 Domains, 4
      Dimensions (PM-3D4D).
AB  - OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the test-retest reliability and the concordance between
      the interviewer-administered version and the self-administered version of a newly
      developed participation measure, Participation Measure-3 Domains, 4 Dimensions
      (PM-3D4D). DESIGN: Multicenter observational study. SETTING: Outpatient
      rehabilitation programs. PARTICIPANTS: Rehabilitation outpatients (N=262)
      participated in the study, including those (n=202) who participated in the test
      retest study and those (n=60) who participated in the 2 modes of the
      administration study. INTERVENTIONS: Not applicable. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: The
      PM-3D4D includes 19 items measuring participation in productivity, social, and
      community domains across 4 dimensions: diversity of participation, frequency of
      participation, desire for change, and difficulty in participation. RESULTS: The
      test-retest reliability was good across domains and dimensions (intraclass
      correlation coefficients, .76-.96) as well as in neurological and nonneurological
      groups. The test-retest reliability was also mostly good at the item level. A
      high concordance was found between the 2 administration modes (intraclass
      correlation coefficients, 0.96-1.00). CONCLUSIONS: The study results lend support
      to the use of the PM-3D4D to reliably assess participation of rehabilitation
      patients. The high concordance between the 2 administration modes suggests the
      potential use of the instrument in population-based research.

PMID- 28363705
TI  - Relationship between plasma adropin levels and body composition and lipid
      characteristics amongst young adolescents in Taiwan.
AB  - Adropin is a 76 amino acid peptide hormone with a molecular weight of 4999.9Da
      that may be associated with energy homeostasis, insulin resistance and lipid
      metabolism in mice and human. There is only a few studies that examine plasma
      adropin levels and body composition in children. This study is to evaluate the
      relationship between plasma adropin levels, body composition and lipid variables
      amongst young adolescents in Taiwan. We examined 492 adolescents (269 females and
      223 males) ranging from 12 to 15 years old, with a mean age of 13.6 years. Body
      composition was measured using impedance method by Tanita-BC418. Plasma lipid
      variables were measured using standard methods and plasma adropin levels were
      measured using the ELISA method. There was no significant difference in plasma
      adropin levels between males and females (3.52 vs. 3.58ng/ml). Plasma adropin
      levels were negatively correlated with fat free mass (r=-0.12, p<0.01). More
      interestingly, children with higher plasma adropin levels had lower waist-to-hip
      ratios (WHR) and lower body fat percentage by mass. Furthermore, there is no
      difference in lipid profiles in high vs. low adropin subjects. Plasma adropin
      levels are not consistency associated with body composition and no association
      with lipid variables amongst Taiwanese adolescents. The role of adropin in the
      development of obesity is still not clear, and further studies are need
      especially for children.

PMID- 28363706
TI  - Do All Patients With Heart Failure Benefit From a Program for Early Follow-up
      After Hospital Discharge?

PMID- 28363699
TI  - Bench-top to clinical therapies: A review of melanocortin ligands from 1954 to
      2016.
AB  - The discovery of the endogenous melanocortin agonists in the 1950s have resulted
      in sixty years of melanocortin ligand research. Early efforts involved
      truncations or select modifications of the naturally occurring agonists leading
      to the development of many potent and selective ligands. With the identification
      and cloning of the five known melanocortin receptors, many ligands were improved
      upon through bench-top in vitro assays. Optimization of select properties
      resulted in ligands adopted as clinical candidates. A summary of every
      melanocortin ligand is outside the scope of this review. Instead, this review
      will focus on the following topics: classic melanocortin ligands, selective
      ligands, small molecule (non-peptide) ligands, ligands with sex-specific effects,
      bivalent and multivalent ligands, and ligands advanced to clinical trials. Each
      topic area will be summarized with current references to update the melanocortin
      field on recent progress. This article is part of a Special Issue entitled:
      Melanocortin Receptors - edited by Ya-Xiong Tao.

PMID- 28363707
TI  - Effects of Ivabradine on Heart Rate and Hemodynamic Parameters in a Swine Model
      of Cardiogenic Shock.

PMID- 28363709
TI  - Radiation Exposure to the Pregnant Interventional Cardiologist. Is It Really
      Necessary?

PMID- 28363708
TI  - Trends and Characteristics of Hospitalization for Heart Failure in a Population
      Setting From 2003 to 2013.
AB  - INTRODUCTION AND OBJECTIVES: Population-based studies in other countries have
      reported a reduction of standardized rates of hospitalization for heart failure
      (HF) but data from a well-defined population are lacking in Spain. METHODS: All
      hospitalizations with a principal diagnosis of HF between 2003 and 2013 were
      obtained from the Minimum Basic Data Set, which includes all hospitals in the
      Region of Murcia. Health care episodes were identified by the individual health
      card (27 158 episodes). For each year, we studied the following parameters:
      crude, age-standardized and sex-standardized hospitalization rates for HF, length
      of stay, mortality, clinical variables, and the Elixhauser index. Time trends
      were analyzed using joinpoint regression. RESULTS: Hospitalization rates
      increased by 76.7%, from 1.280/00 to 2.260/00 (crude) and 1.060/00 to 1.770/00
      (standardized); the mean annual percentage of change (APC) was 8.2% until 2007
      and was subsequently 1.9% (P < .05). Rates doubled in persons >= 75 years,
      reaching 19.90/00 in those aged 75 to 84 years (APC, 5.4%) and 32.50/00 in those
      aged >= 85 years (APC, 11.7%) but were unchanged in persons aged < 75 years. The
      hospitalization rate was 36% higher in women than in men but was equal after age
      standardization and showed no temporal change. The Elixhauser comorbidity index
      increased by almost 1 point during the study period and episodes > 6 points
      increased by 2-fold. Length of stay and mortality were unchanged during the study
      period. CONCLUSIONS: Between 2003 and 2013, there was a sustained increase in
      standardized rates of hospitalization for HF, which affected persons >= 75 years
      and was associated with a rise in comorbidity. There is a need for strategies
      focused on this population.

PMID- 28363710
TI  - Heart Failure Programs / Units. A Multidisciplinary Approach.

PMID- 28363711
TI  - Prevalence of Electrocardiographic Patterns Associated With Sudden Cardiac Death
      in the Spanish Population Aged 40 Years or Older. Results of the OFRECE Study.
AB  - INTRODUCTION AND OBJECTIVES: Some electrocardiographic patterns are associated
      with an increased risk of sudden cardiac death due to ventricular arrhythmias.
      There is no information on the prevalence of these patterns in the general
      population in Spain. The objective of this study was to analyze the prevalence of
      these patterns and associated clinical and epidemiological factors. METHODS: This
      subanalysis of the OFRECE study selected a representative sample of the Spanish
      population aged >= 40 years. We studied the presence or absence of
      electrocardiographic patterns of Brugada syndrome and QT interval abnormalities.
      Clinical data and electrocardiograms were available in all participants.
      Electrocardiograms were evaluated by 2 cardiologists and a third cardiologist was
      consulted if there was disagreement in the diagnosis. We calculated the weighted
      prevalence and clinical factors associated with the presence of Brugada-type
      patterns or QT segment abnormalities. RESULTS: Overall, 8343 individuals were
      evaluated (59.2 years, 52.4% female). There were 12 Brugada cases (type 1, 2
      cases; type 2, 10 cases; weighted prevalence, 0.13%). For corrected QT (QTc)
      analysis, we excluded participants with left bundle branch block or without sinus
      rhythm. Weighted prevalences were as follows: short QTc (< 340ms) 0.18%,
      borderline QTc (441-469ms) 8.33%, long QTc (>= 470ms criterion) 1.01% and long
      QTc (>= 480 criterion) 0.42%. CONCLUSIONS: A total of 0.6% to 1.1% of the Spanish
      population aged >= 40 years has an electrocardiographic pattern associated with a
      higher risk of sudden death (Brugada syndrome, long QT, or short QT).

PMID- 28363712
TI  - Partial cricotracheal resection for severe upper tracheal stenosis: Potential
      impacts on the outcome.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to investigate the potential impact of
      multiple preoperative and intraoperative variables on the outcome of partial
      cricotracheal resection and tracheal resection anastomosis (PCTR/TRA). METHODS:
      The study was conducted on 35 consecutive patients of grade III and IV upper
      tracheal stenosis with or without subglottic involvement. The indication of
      PCTR/TRA was post intubation stenosis in all patients. Overall complications
      (major and minor) occurred in 18 patients. Perioperative mortality occurred in 1
      patient. Anastomotic complications do not always mean failure of surgery. They
      may indicate one or more interventions; such as removal of granulation tissue or
      dilatation of restenosis, with good results in most cases. RESULTS: At the end of
      treatment, 30 (85.7%) patients were decannulated successfully with effortless
      breathing and with good phonation and swallowing. Several perioperative factors
      were found to have a significant impact on the outcome of PCTR/TRA. Of these
      factors, comorbidities had the most significant negative impact, and indeed all
      the three patients who had comorbidities, were not successfully decannulated.
      Duration of intubation, length of resected segment and previous open airway
      interventions was reported to have a significant negative impact on the outcome
      of surgery. CONCLUSION: PCTR/TRA for treatment of post traumatic subglottic or
      upper tracheal stenosis has a high success rate, especially in healthy patients
      without comorbidities, and without previous open airway interventions.

PMID- 28363713
TI  - The indication for endoscopic butterfly cartilage myringoplasty in children.

PMID- 28363714
TI  - The Effects of Requiring Parental Consent for Research on Adolescents' Risk
      Behaviors: A Meta-analysis.
AB  - PURPOSE: Requiring parental consent may result in sampling biases that confound
      scientific conclusions and stifle the representation of children most at risk for
      adverse outcomes. This study aims to investigate whether active parental consent,
      compared with passive parental consent, creates a bias in response rate,
      demographic makeup, and adverse outcomes in adolescent samples. METHODS: A meta
      analysis was performed on peer-reviewed articles and unpublished dissertations
      from 1975 to 2016 in five computerized databases ERIC, PsycINFO, MEDLINE, PubMed
      and ProQuest. Quantitative studies were retained if they included the following
      keywords: active consent (or informed consent or parental consent), passive
      consent (or waiver of consent), risk behavior, adolescen*. RESULTS: Fifteen
      studies were identified with a total number of 104,074 children. Results showed
      (1) response rates were significantly lower for studies using active consent
      procedure than those using passive consent procedure (Z = 3.05, p = .002); (2)
      more females, younger participants, and less African-Americans were included in
      studies using active consent procedures than studies using passive procedures (Z
      = -2.73, p = .006; Z = -12.06, p < .00001; Z = 2.19, p = .03, respectively); (3)
      studies with passive consent procedures showed higher rates of self-reported
      substance use than studies using active consent procedures (Z = 3.07, p = .002).
      CONCLUSIONS: Requiring active parental consent can lead to a systematic bias in
      the sample where the population under study is misrepresented. Institutional
      review board committees should collaborate with researchers to find solutions
      that protect minors without silencing the voice of high-risk youth in the
      literature.

PMID- 28363715
TI  - Why Are Orphaned Adolescents More Likely to Be HIV Positive? Distinguishing
      Between Maternal and Sexual HIV Transmission Using 17 Nationally Representative
      Data Sets in Africa.
AB  - PURPOSE: Why do orphans have higher rates of HIV infection than nonorphaned
      peers? Research consistently assumes that orphans acquire HIV primarily through
      sexual behavior, but infections may instead be due to maternal transmission.
      Although these two pathways have very different implications for HIV programs and
      policies, their relative contribution has not been previously examined. In this
      research, we compare the contribution of maternal and sexual transmission to HIV
      infection among orphans in Africa. METHODS: We use Demographic and Health Survey
      data for 21,463 women and 18,359 men from 17 countries. We propose a conceptual
      framework linking orphanhood to HIV, and use mediation analysis and structural
      equation modeling to compare the potential contribution of maternal transmission
      (measured through direct pathways from orphanhood to HIV) and sexual transmission
      (measured through reports of risky sexual behavior) to orphan HIV infection.
      RESULTS: Our results suggest that maternal transmission is the predominant
      pathway of HIV infection among orphaned adolescents: there is strong evidence for
      a direct pathway from maternal (odds ratio [OR]: 2.45; 95% confidence interval
      [CI]: 1.72-3.51 for females and OR: 2.45; 95% CI: 1.53-3.90 for males) and double
      orphanhood (OR: 2.69; 95% CI: 1.97-3.66 and OR: 2.53; 95% CI: 1.68-3.82,
      respectively) to HIV; greater excess HIV risk in maternal versus paternal
      orphans. The contribution of sexual behavior is largely not significant. We do
      not observe correspondingly high orphan disparities in other sexually transmitted
      diseases. CONCLUSIONS: Maternal transmission is a more likely explanation than
      sexual transmission for heightened HIV infection among orphans. These results
      suggest that programs designed to address HIV infection among adolescents should
      focus on reducing maternal transmission and on identifying and testing
      undiagnosed HIV among orphans.

PMID- 28363716
TI  - Fertility Preservation for Transgender Adolescents.
AB  - PURPOSE: To describe fertility preservation (FP) utilization by transgender
      adolescents within a pediatric gender clinic between July 2013 and July 2016.
      METHODS: A retrospective chart review was conducted to abstract demographic and
      clinical information among adolescents initiating gender-affirming hormones,
      including patient age at initial FP consultation, birth-assigned sex,
      race/ethnicity, and outcome of FP consultation. RESULTS: In our sample of 105
      transgender adolescents, a total of 13 (seven transgender men and six transgender
      women) between the age of 14.2 and 20.6 years were seen in formal consultation
      for FP before initiating hormones. Of these adolescents, four completed sperm
      cryopreservation and one completed oocyte cryopreservation. CONCLUSIONS: Rates of
      FP utilization among transgender youth were low, which is consistent with a
      recently published report of FP utilization among transgender youth at another
      pediatric institution. Identified barriers to FP in our sample included cost,
      invasiveness of procedures, and desire not to delay medical transition.

PMID- 28363717
TI  - Prevalence of Metabolically Healthy but Overweight/Obese Phenotype and Its
      Association With Sedentary Time, Physical Activity, and Fitness.
AB  - PURPOSE: Childhood obesity is one of the major concerns in the last years due to
      the association with future health problems and all-cause mortality. However,
      there is a subset of adolescents with overweight/obesity who present a metabolic
      healthy profile. Therefore, the aim of this study was to examine the prevalence
      of metabolically healthy but overweight/obese adolescents and whether sedentary
      time, physical activity, and fitness differ between metabolically healthy and
      nonmetabolically healthy phenotypes. METHODS: A subsample of 237 European
      adolescents from the HEalthy Lifestyle in Europe by Nutrition in Adolescence
      study (n = 3,528, participation rate: 61.3%) with overweight/obesity were
      included. The study sample was not fully representative for the European
      adolescent population. Based on sex- and age-specific metabolic syndrome cutoff
      points for triglycerides, glucose, blood pressure, and high-density cholesterol
      participants were classified as metabolically healthy or nonmetabolically
      healthy. Sedentary time, physical activity, and fitness were assessed by
      accelerometry and the Alpha battery, respectively. RESULTS: The prevalence of
      metabolically healthy status in adolescents with overweight and obesity was
      higher in girls (87%) than in boys (74%, p = .019), being similar when only
      obesity was considered. Sedentary time was lower in metabolically healthy
      overweight/obese than in nonmetabolically healthy participants (mean difference =
      48.0 minutes, p = .012). Moderate and moderate-to-vigorous physical activity were
      higher (p's < .05) in metabolically healthy than in nonmetabolically healthy
      adolescents with overweight/obesity (mean difference = 7.9 min/day and 10.9
      min/day, respectively). No significant differences were found in fitness.
      Overall, these results persisted when only adolescents with obesity were included
      in the analyses. CONCLUSIONS: Metabolically healthy adolescents with
      overweight/obesity are less sedentary and more active than their nonmetabolically
      healthy peers with overweight/obesity, yet consistent differences in fitness were
      not observed.

PMID- 28363718
TI  - Adolescent Tobacco Use in Urban Versus Rural Areas of the United States: The
      Influence of Tobacco Control Policy Environments.
AB  - PURPOSE: Adults and adolescents who reside in rural areas of the United States
      are traditionally more likely to be tobacco users. This urban-rural disparity
      remains largely unexplained and, more recently, it is unclear what impact the
      emergence of electronic cigarettes (e-cigarettes) has had on adolescent tobacco
      use in urban and rural areas. Our objective is to evaluate the influence of
      sociodemographics and tobacco control policy environments on adolescent tobacco
      use in urban versus rural areas, as well as to identify the effect of e
      cigarettes on traditional patterns of urban-rural tobacco use. METHODS: This
      study analyzes repeated cross-sectional data from the National Youth Tobacco
      Survey for the years 2011-2014. We estimate the associations between rural
      residence, cigarette taxes, tobacco advertisement exposure, and ease of access to
      tobacco with six tobacco use outcomes: current (past 30-day) use of cigarettes, e
      cigarettes, cigars, smokeless tobacco, multiple tobacco products, and any
      tobacco. RESULTS: E-cigarette use among urban youths aged 11-17 years in the
      United States increased from .82% in 2011 to 8.62% in 2014 (p < .001). Tobacco
      advertisement exposure was significantly positively associated with all current
      tobacco use outcomes (p < .001) except for e-cigarettes. Our predictors account
      for approximately 40% of the difference in urban-rural cigarette use.
      CONCLUSIONS: Sociodemographics, cigarette taxes, and tobacco advertisement
      exposure are significant predictors of adolescent tobacco use in the United
      States but do not entirely explain urban-rural disparities. In addition, e
      cigarettes appear to be rapidly changing traditional patterns of tobacco use,
      particularly in urban areas.

PMID- 28363719
TI  - Teen Dating Violence Victimization, Trauma Symptoms, and Revictimization in Early
      Adulthood.
AB  - PURPOSE: This research examined whether experiencing physical teen dating
      violence (TDV) relates to trauma symptoms, which in turn, predict future physical
      dating violence victimization in early adulthood. METHODS: Adolescents (N = 843)
      recruited from high schools reported on their experiences of physical TDV
      victimization and trauma symptoms. The sample was followed over a 5-year period
      to assess for revictimization in early adulthood. RESULTS: Trauma symptoms
      functioned as a mediator between experiences of physical TDV victimization during
      adolescence and later revictimization in early adulthood, even in a conservative
      test of mediation that controlled for baseline trauma symptoms. Multigroup
      analyses testing for gender differences suggest that this mediation model is
      significant for females but not for males. CONCLUSIONS: The present findings
      suggest that the mental health consequences of experiencing physical TDV are an
      important factor contributing to future victimization in early adulthood. This
      holds potentially important implications for school-based efforts for reducing
      physical TDV. Specifically, school-based efforts to reduce victimization may be
      enhanced by supplementing existing efforts with empirically supported programs
      for addressing trauma symptoms.

PMID- 28363722
TI  - Skunkworks project for Big Pharma.

PMID- 28363721
TI  - Prevalence of Adolescent Gender Experiences and Gender Expression in Germany.
AB  - PURPOSE: Adolescence marks a transition period in the development of gender
      experience and expression. Although there is growing awareness about various
      gender identities in health research, only limited data on the prevalence of
      adolescent gender variance in the general population exist. METHODS: German
      female and male adolescents (n = 940) aged 10-16 years participating in the
      nationally representative "Health Behaviour in School-aged Children" Hamburg
      survey were asked to report their current gender experience (identification as
      both feminine and masculine) and gender expression (gender role as a girl or
      boy). Two overall categories and five subcategories on gender experience and
      expression were established based on previous research. RESULTS: In total, 4.1%
      of the adolescents' responses were rated as variant in gender experience and 3.0%
      as nonconforming in expression. Both variant experiences and nonconforming
      expression together were present in only .9% of adolescents. Gender variance was
      more strongly present in girls and in younger age groups. In detail, 1.6%
      reported an incongruent, 1.1% an ambivalent, and 1.5% no gender identification.
      Another 8.0% of the responses could be rated as only somewhat congruent.
      CONCLUSIONS: Fluidity between clearly congruent or incongruent pathways is
      present in adolescence, including variant as well as possibly still developing
      (only somewhat clear) gender experiences, whereas clearly incongruent
      identification and nonconforming expression were less frequent. Understanding
      adolescent gender development as multidimensional is important to identify the
      needs of those who do not fit into the current understanding of either female or
      male.

PMID- 28363720
TI  - Engagement With Online Tobacco Marketing and Associations With Tobacco Product
      Use Among U.S. Youth.
AB  - PURPOSE: Youth who engage with online tobacco marketing may be more susceptible
      to tobacco use than unengaged youth. This study examines online engagement with
      tobacco marketing and its association with tobacco use patterns. METHODS: Cross
      sectional analysis of youths aged 12-17 years who participated in wave 1 of the
      Population Assessment of Tobacco and Health Study (N = 13,651). Engagement with
      tobacco marketing was based on 10 survey items including signing up for email
      alerts about tobacco products in the past 6 months. Logistic regression was used
      to examine the association of online engagement with tobacco marketing and
      susceptibility to use any tobacco product among never-tobacco users, ever having
      tried tobacco, and past 30-day tobacco use. RESULTS: An estimated 2.94 million
      U.S. youth (12%) engaged with >= one forms of online tobacco marketing. Compared
      with no engagement, the odds of susceptibility to the use of any tobacco product
      among never-tobacco users was independently associated with the level of online
      engagement: adjusted odds ratio (AOR) = 1.48 (95% confidence interval [CI], 1.24
      1.76) for one form of engagement and AOR = 2.37 (95% CI, 1.53-3.68) for >= two
      forms of engagement. The odds of ever having tried tobacco were also
      independently associated with the level of online engagement: AOR = 1.33 (95% CI:
      1.11-1.60) for one form of engagement and AOR = 1.54 (95% CI, 1.16-2.03) for >=
      two forms of engagement. The level of online engagement was not independently
      associated with past 30-day tobacco use. CONCLUSIONS: Online engagement with
      tobacco marketing may represent an important risk factor for the onset of tobacco
      use in youth.

PMID- 28363723
TI  - Regulation of PCSK9 by nutraceuticals.
AB  - PCSK9 (proprotein convertase subtilisin kexin type 9) is a liver secretory enzyme
      that regulates plasma low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol (LDL-C) levels
      through modulation of LDL receptor (LDLR) density on the surface of hepatocytes.
      Inhibition of PCSK9 using monoclonal antibodies can efficiently lower plasma LDL
      C, non-high-density lipoprotein cholesterol and lipoprotein (a). PCSK9 inhibition
      is also an effective adjunct to statin therapy; however, the cost-effectiveness
      of currently available PCSK9 inhibitors is under question. Nutraceuticals offer a
      safe and cost-effective option for PCSK9 inhibition. Several nutraceuticals have
      been reported to modulate PCSK9 levels and exert LDL-lowering activity.
      Mechanistically, those nutraceuticals that inhibit PCSK9 through a SREBP (sterol
      responsive element binding protein)-independent pathway can be more effective in
      lowering plasma LDL-C levels compared with those inhibiting PCSK9 through the
      SREBP pathway. The present review aims to collect available data on the
      nutraceuticals with PCSK9-inhibitory effect and the underlying mechanisms.

PMID- 28363724
TI  - Hidden targets of ubiquitin proteasome system: To prevent diabetic nephropathy.
AB  - Diabetic nephropathy (DN) is the major cause of end stage renal failure.
      Although, several therapeutic targets have emerged to prevent the progression of
      DN, the number of people with DN still continues to rise worldwide, suggesting an
      urgent need of novel targets to prevent DN completely. Currently, the role of
      ubiquitin proteasome system (UPS) has been highlighted in the pathogenesis and
      progression of various diseases like obesity, insulin resistance,
      atherosclerosis, cancers, neurodegerative disorders and including secondary
      complications of diabetes. UPS mainly involves in protein homeostatis through
      ubiquitination (post translational modification) and proteasomal degradation of
      various proteins. Ubiquitination, not only involves in proteasomal degradation,
      but also directs the substrate proteins to participate in multitude of cell
      signalling pathways. However, very little is known about ubiquitination and UPS
      in the progression of DN. This review mainly focuses on UPS and its components
      including E2 conjugating enzymes, E3 ligases and deubiquitinases (DUBs) in the
      development of DN and thus may help us to find novel therapeutic targets with in
      UPS to prevent DN completely in future.

PMID- 28363726
TI  - Time for a paradigm shift in paediatric anaesthesia in Europe.

PMID- 28363727
TI  - Re: Clinicopathological Features and Prognostic Value of Incidental Prostatic
      Adenocarcinoma in Radical Cystoprostatectomy Specimens: A Systematic Review and
      Meta-analysis of 13 140 Patients.

PMID- 28363728
TI  - Pelvic radiotherapy in the setting of rheumatoid arthritis: Refining the
      paradigm.
AB  - PURPOSE: Conflicting results concerning the toxicity of radiotherapy in the
      setting of rheumatoid arthritis were reported in literature. This work describes
      the toxicity profiles of patients with rheumatoid arthritis undergoing pelvic
      radiotherapy for gynecologic malignancies at our institution. PATIENTS AND
      METHODS: Charts of patients with rheumatoid arthritis who underwent pelvic
      radiotherapy for cervical or endometrial cancer in a curative intent at the
      Gustave-Roussy Cancer Campus between 1990 and 2015 were reviewed for treatment
      related toxicities. Acute and late effects were graded as per the Common
      Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events version 4.0 scoring system. RESULTS:
      Eight patients with cervical cancer and three with endometrial cancer were
      identified. Median follow-up was 56 months. Median external beam radiotherapy
      dose was 45Gy. All patients received a brachytherapy boost using either pulse- or
      low-dose rate technique. Concomitant chemotherapy was used in seven cases. Median
      time from rheumatoid arthritis diagnosis to external beam radiation therapy was 5
      years. No severe acute gastrointestinal or genitourinary toxicity was reported.
      One patient had grade 3 dermatitis. Any late toxicity occurred in 7 /11 patients,
      and one patient experienced severe late toxicities. One patient with overt
      systemic rheumatoid arthritis symptoms at the time of external beam radiation
      therapy experienced late grade 3 ureteral stenosis, enterocolitis and lumbar
      myelitis. CONCLUSION: Pelvic radiotherapy, in the setting of rheumatoid
      arthritis, appears to be feasible, with potentially slight increase in low grade
      late events compared to other anatomic sites. Patients with overt systemic
      rheumatoid arthritis manifestation at the time of radiotherapy might be at risk
      of potential severe toxicities.

PMID- 28363729
TI  - Independent correlates of chronic kidney disease awareness among adults with type
      2 diabetes.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD) is usually silent until advanced stages.
      Awareness of CKD is important to mitigate poorer outcomes. This study aims to
      understand the relationship(s) between CKD self-awareness and diagnosed CKD.
      METHODS: The study included 345 adults with type 2 diabetes from two primary care
      settings. Participants completed surveys assessing demographic information, self
      care behaviors and co-morbidities. Biological data were taken from medical
      records. CKD was diagnosed as eGFR=<59ml/min. CKD awareness was defined by a
      positive response to "has a doctor, nurse or other health professional ever told
      you that you have a kidney disease?" and/or "have you ever had kidney failure
      that required dialysis or a kidney transplant?" Logistic regression models were
      used to examine the association between CKD awareness and clinical/socio
      demographic variables. RESULTS: 31% of study patients had CKD based on eGFR (of
      which only 63% were aware). Stepwise regression showed that non-Hispanic blacks
      (OR=3.49, p=0.04), those with college education (OR=8.02, p=0.01), history of
      myocardial infarction (OR=10.12, p=0.002) or hypertension (OR=23.25, p=0.02), and
      those with Medicare, VA insurance, or other insurance (OR=8.08, 8.72, 101.47,
      respectively, p<0.01) were significantly more likely to be aware of CKD. Those
      with a history of stroke or depression (OR=0.21, 0.28, respectively, p=0.03,
      p=0.04) were significantly less likely to be aware of CKD. CONCLUSION: CKD
      awareness was found to be lower than diagnosed CKD rates. Factors associated with
      awareness include race, educational status and cardiovascular disease. Targeted
      strategies to increase CKD awareness may lead to improved health outcomes.

PMID- 28363730
TI  - What factors influence uptake of retinal screening among young adults with type 2
      diabetes? A qualitative study informed by the theoretical domains framework.
AB  - AIMS: Young adults with type 2 diabetes (T2D, 18-39years) face increased risk of
      vision loss from diabetic retinopathy (DR). Retinal screening is essential to
      detect DR, yet screening rates for this group are low and little is known about
      the underlying factors influencing this important behavior. Using the theoretical
      domains framework (TDF) to guide data collection and analysis, we explored
      screening barriers and facilitator, contrasting them with a comparator group of
      older adults with T2D (40+ years). METHODS: Thirty semi-structured telephone
      interviews (10 younger, 20 older adults) were conducted. Data were coded into TDF
      domains with salience identified by "frequency" of reference. Screening
      facilitators and barriers were systematically compared between groups. RESULTS:
      Although many screening facilitators and barriers were shared by younger and
      older adults, additional factors highly relevant to the former included: social
      comparison with others ('social influences'); concern for the impact on the
      family unit, unrealistic optimism and perceived invulnerability ('beliefs about
      consequences'); lack of time and financial resources ('environmental context and
      resources'), and DR misconceptions ('knowledge'). CONCLUSIONS: This study
      demonstrated that young adult retinal screening behavior was influenced by
      additional social cognitive factors compared to older adults, providing a first
      step evidence base for clinicians and other health professionals, and potential
      targets for future eye health and retinal screening interventions.

PMID- 28363731
TI  - Kidney Injury and Repair Biomarkers in Marathon Runners.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Investigation into strenuous activity and kidney function has gained
      interest given increasing marathon participation. STUDY DESIGN: Prospective
      observational study. SETTING & PARTICIPANTS: Runners participating in the 2015
      Hartford Marathon. PREDICTOR: Completing a marathon. OUTCOMES: Acute kidney
      injury (AKI) as defined by AKI Network (AKIN) criteria. Stage 1 AKI was defined
      as 1.5- to 2-fold or 0.3-mg/dL increase in serum creatinine level within 48 hours
      of day 0 and stage 2 was defined as a more than 2- to 3-fold increase in
      creatinine level. Microscopy score was defined by the number of granular casts
      and renal tubular epithelial cells. MEASUREMENTS: Samples were collected 24 hours
      premarathon (day 0), immediately postmarathon (day 1), and 24 hours postmarathon
      (day 2). Measurements of serum creatinine, creatine kinase, and urine albumin
      were completed, as well as urine microscopy analysis. 6 injury urine biomarkers
      (IL-6, IL-8, IL-18, kidney injury molecule 1, neutrophil gelatinase-associated
      lipocalin, and tumor necrosis factor alpha) and 2 repair urine biomarkers (YKL-40
      and monocyte chemoattractant protein 1) were measured. RESULTS: 22 marathon
      runners were included. Mean age was 44 years and 41% were men. 82% of runners
      developed an increase in creatinine level equivalent to AKIN-defined AKI stages 1
      and 2. 73% had microscopy diagnoses of tubular injury. Serum creatinine, urine
      albumin, and injury and repair biomarker levels peaked on day 1 and were
      significantly elevated compared to day 0 and day 2. Serum creatine kinase levels
      continued to significantly increase from day 0 to day 2. LIMITATIONS: Small
      sample size and limited clinical data available at all time points. CONCLUSIONS:
      Marathon runners developed AKI and urine sediment diagnostic of tubular injury.
      An increase in injury and repair biomarker levels suggests structural damage to
      renal tubules occurring after marathon. The results of our study should be
      validated in larger cohorts with longer follow-up of kidney function.

PMID- 28363733
TI  - Quasi-experimental study designs series-paper 12: strengthening global capacity
      for evidence synthesis of quasi-experimental health systems research.
AB  - Evidence from quasi-experimental studies is often excluded from systematic
      reviews of health systems research despite the fact that such studies can provide
      strong causal evidence when well conducted. This article discusses global
      coordination of efforts to institutionalize the inclusion of causal evidence from
      quasi-experiments in systematic reviews of health systems research. In
      particular, we are concerned with identifying opportunities for strengthening
      capacity at the global and local level for implementing protocols necessary to
      ensure that reviews that include quasi-experiments are consistently of the
      highest quality. We first describe the current state of the global infrastructure
      that facilitates the production of systematic reviews of health systems research.
      We identify five important types of actors operating within this infrastructure:
      review authors; synthesis collaborations that facilitate the review process;
      synthesis interest groups that supplement the work of the larger collaborations;
      review funders; and end users, including policymakers. Then, we examine
      opportunities for intervening to build the capacity of each type of actors to
      support the inclusion of quasi-experiments in reviews. Finally, we suggest
      practical next steps for proceeding with capacity building efforts. Because of
      the complexity and relative nascence of the field, we recommend a carefully
      planned and executed approach to strengthening global capacity for the inclusion
      of quasi-experimental studies in systematic reviews.

PMID- 28363732
TI  - Race, Serum Potassium, and Associations With ESRD and Mortality.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Recent studies suggest that potassium levels may differ by race. The
      basis for these differences and whether associations between potassium levels and
      adverse outcomes differ by race are unknown. STUDY DESIGN: Observational study.
      SETTING & PARTICIPANTS: Associations between race and potassium level and the
      interaction of race and potassium level with outcomes were investigated in the
      Racial and Cardiovascular Risk Anomalies in Chronic Kidney Disease (RCAV) Study,
      a cohort of US veterans (N=2,662,462). Associations between African ancestry and
      potassium level were investigated in African Americans in the Atherosclerosis
      Risk in Communities (ARIC) Study (N=3,450). PREDICTORS: Race (African American vs
      non-African American and percent African ancestry) for cross-sectional analysis;
      serum potassium level for longitudinal analysis. OUTCOMES: Potassium level for
      cross-sectional analysis; mortality and end-stage renal disease for longitudinal
      analysis. RESULTS: The RCAV cohort was 18% African American (N=470,985).
      Potassium levels on average were 0.162mmol/L lower in African Americans compared
      with non-African Americans, with differences persisting after adjustment for
      demographics, comorbid conditions, and potassium-altering medication use. In the
      ARIC Study, higher African ancestry was related to lower potassium levels (
      0.027mmol/L per each 10% African ancestry). In both race groups, higher and lower
      potassium levels were associated with mortality. Compared to potassium level of
      4.2mmol/L, mortality risk associated with lower potassium levels was lower in
      African Americans versus non-African Americans, whereas mortality risk associated
      with higher levels was slightly greater. Risk relationships between potassium and
      end-stage renal disease were weaker, with no difference by race. LIMITATIONS: No
      data for potassium intake. CONCLUSIONS: African Americans had slightly lower
      serum potassium levels than non-African Americans. Consistent associations
      between potassium levels and percent African ancestry may suggest a genetic
      component to these differences. Higher and lower serum potassium levels were
      associated with mortality in both racial groups.

PMID- 28363734
TI  - The Dutch-Flemish PROMIS Physical Function item bank exhibited strong
      psychometric properties in patients with chronic pain.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study was to assess the psychometric properties
      of the Dutch-Flemish Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System
      (PROMIS) Physical Function item bank in Dutch patients with chronic pain. STUDY
      DESIGN AND SETTING: A bank of 121 items was administered to 1,247 Dutch patients
      with chronic pain. Unidimensionality was assessed by fitting a one-factor
      confirmatory factor analysis and evaluating resulting fit statistics. Items were
      calibrated with the graded response model and its fit was evaluated. Cross
      cultural validity was assessed by testing items for differential item functioning
      (DIF) based on language (Dutch vs. English). Construct validity was evaluated by
      calculation correlations between scores on the Dutch-Flemish PROMIS Physical
      Function measure and scores on generic and disease-specific measures. RESULTS:
      Results supported the Dutch-Flemish PROMIS Physical Function item bank's
      unidimensionality (Comparative Fit Index = 0.976, Tucker Lewis Index = 0.976) and
      model fit. Item thresholds targeted a wide range of physical function construct
      (threshold-parameters range: -4.2 to 5.6). Cross-cultural validity was good as
      four items only showed DIF for language and their impact on item scores was
      minimal. Physical Function scores were strongly associated with scores on all
      other measures (all correlations <= -0.60 as expected). CONCLUSION: The Dutch
      Flemish PROMIS Physical Function item bank exhibited good psychometric
      properties. Development of a computer adaptive test based on the large bank is
      warranted.

PMID- 28363735
TI  - Evolution of tenofovir-resistant HIV-1 isolates exposed to tenofovir alafenamide
      dose escalation.
AB  - Resistance selection experiments using HIV-1 isolates harboring pre-existing
      tenofovir (TFV)-resistance (K65R, 3TAMs, and Q151M complex) were carried out with
      the novel tenofovir prodrug tenofovir alafenamide (TAF) as well as with tenofovir
      (TFV), to investigate the potential for additional resistance development in the
      presence of TAF or TFV. Extended resistance selection of these TFV resistance
      associated mutations (RAMs)-containing viruses with TAF or TFV did not lead to
      the accumulation of additional known RAMs, or significant additional phenotypic
      resistance, after 6 months in culture. Two new mutations were found during the
      selections (L429I, T69I) that were further characterized, and found to have very
      limited or no role in resistance to TAF or TFV. Notably, viral survival in the
      presence of drug increases could not be sustained and led to viral cure in cell
      culture, suggesting a lack of alternative resistance pathways for the mutant
      viruses.

PMID- 28363738
TI  - Ex vivo lung perfusion: The makings of a game changer.

PMID- 28363737
TI  - Coordinated development of the limb musculoskeletal system: Tendon and muscle
      patterning and integration with the skeleton.
AB  - Functional movement and stability of the limb depends on an organized and fully
      integrated musculoskeletal system composed of skeleton, muscle, and tendon. Much
      of our current understanding of musculoskeletal development is based on studies
      that focused on the development and differentiation of individual tissues.
      Likewise, research on patterning events have been largely limited to the primary
      skeletal elements and the mechanisms that regulate soft tissue patterning, the
      development of the connections between tissues, and their interdependent
      development are only beginning to be elucidated. This review will therefore
      highlight recent exciting discoveries in this field, with an emphasis on tendon
      and muscle patterning and their integrated development with the skeleton and
      skeletal attachments.

PMID- 28363740
TI  - The First Filmed Prostatectomy, 1917: 100 Years of Movies in Urological
      Education.

PMID- 28363736
TI  - Systems biology of facial development: contributions of ectoderm and mesenchyme.
AB  - The rapid increase in gene-centric biological knowledge coupled with analytic
      approaches for genomewide data integration provides an opportunity to develop
      systems-level understanding of facial development. Experimental analyses have
      demonstrated the importance of signaling between the surface ectoderm and the
      underlying mesenchyme are coordinating facial patterning. However, current
      transcriptome data from the developing vertebrate face is dominated by the
      mesenchymal component, and the contributions of the ectoderm are not easily
      identified. We have generated transcriptome datasets from critical periods of
      mouse face formation that enable gene expression to be analyzed with respect to
      time, prominence, and tissue layer. Notably, by separating the ectoderm and
      mesenchyme we considerably improved the sensitivity compared to data obtained
      from whole prominences, with more genes detected over a wider dynamic range. From
      these data we generated a detailed description of ectoderm-specific developmental
      programs, including pan-ectodermal programs, prominence- specific programs and
      their temporal dynamics. The genes and pathways represented in these programs
      provide mechanistic insights into several aspects of ectodermal development. We
      also used these data to identify co-expression modules specific to facial
      development. We then used 14 co-expression modules enriched for genes involved in
      orofacial clefts to make specific mechanistic predictions about genes involved in
      tongue specification, in nasal process patterning and in jaw development. Our
      multidimensional gene expression dataset is a unique resource for systems
      analysis of the developing face; our co-expression modules are a resource for
      predicting functions of poorly annotated genes, or for predicting roles for genes
      that have yet to be studied in the context of facial development; and our
      analytic approaches provide a paradigm for analysis of other complex
      developmental programs.

PMID- 28363739
TI  - Functional status of United States children supported with a left ventricular
      assist device at heart transplantation.
AB  - BACKGROUND: As survival with pediatric left ventricular assist devices (LVADs)
      has improved, decisions regarding the optimal support strategy may depend more on
      quality of life and functional status (FS) rather than mortality alone. Limited
      data are available regarding the FS of children supported with LVADs. We sought
      to compare the FS of children supported with LVADs vs vasoactive infusions to
      inform decision making around support strategies. METHODS: Organ Procurement and
      Transplant Network data were used to identify all United States children aged
      between 1 and 21 years at heart transplant (HT) between 2006 and 2015 for dilated
      cardiomyopathy and supported with an LVAD or vasoactive infusions alone at HT. FS
      was measured using the 10-point Karnofsky and Lansky scale. RESULTS: Of 701
      children who met the inclusion criteria, 430 (61%) were supported with vasoactive
      infusions, and 271 (39%) were supported with an LVAD at HT. Children in the LVAD
      group had higher median FS scores at HT than children in the vasoactive infusion
      group (6 vs 5, p < 0.001) but lower FS scores at listing (4 vs 6, p < 0.001). The
      effect persisted regardless of patient location at HT (home, hospital, intensive
      care) or device type. Discharge by HT occurred in 46% of children in the LVAD
      group compared with 26% of children in the vasoactive infusion cohort (p =
      0.001). Stroke was reported at HT in 3% of children in the LVAD cohort and in 1%
      in the vasoactive infusion cohort (p = 0.04). CONCLUSIONS: Among children with
      dilated cardiomyopathy undergoing HT, children supported with LVADs at HT have
      higher FS than children supported with vasoactive infusions at HT, regardless of
      device type or hospitalization status. Children supported with LVADs at HT were
      more likely to be discharged from the hospital but had a higher prevalence of
      stroke at HT.

PMID- 28363741
TI  - Intraductal Carcinoma of the Prostate: A Risk for Rapid Recurrence.
AB  - Intraductal carcinoma of the prostate (IDC-P), recently defined by the World
      Health Organization in 2016, is a distinct histologic entity associated with an
      aggressive clinical course, including increased risk of biochemical recurrence,
      metastasis, and mortality. Differential diagnosis includes intraductal spread of
      urothelial carcinoma, prostatic ductal carcinoma, and high-grade prostatic
      intraepithelial neoplasia. BRCA mutations are associated with an increased risk
      of IDC-P. The presence of IDC-P on initial biopsy or radical prostatectomy should
      trigger aggressive treatment and should be considered a contraindication to
      active surveillance, regardless of tumor volume.

PMID- 28363742
TI  - Liraglutide relieves myocardial damage by promoting autophagy via AMPK-mTOR
      signaling pathway in zucker diabetic fatty rat.
AB  - Liraglutide, a glucose-lowering agent used to treat type 2 diabetic mellitus is
      reported to exert cardioprotective effects in clinical trials and animal
      experiments. However, the cardioprotective mechanism of liraglutide on diabetic
      cardiomyopathy has not been fully illustrated. The present study was performed to
      investigate whether liraglutide alleviates diabetic myocardium injury by
      promoting autophagy and its underlying mechanisms. Our results show that
      liraglutide significantly reduced the levels of creatine kinase (CK) and lactate
      dehydrogenase (LDH), improved left ventricular functional status and alleviated
      myocardial fibrosis in the Zucker diabetic fatty (ZDF) rat model. Liraglutide
      also mitigated high glucose-induced injury in NRCs. However these effects were
      partly reversed by the autophagic inhibitor chloroquine (CQ). Liraglutide
      promoted myocardial autophagy in the vivo and in the vitro models. Furthermore,
      liraglutide-induced enhancement of autophagy was related to increased AMPK
      phosphorylation and decreased mTOR phosphorylation, which was partially abolished
      by the AMPK inhibitor compound C (Comp C). Collectively, our data provide
      evidence that liraglutide mediated diabetic myocardium injury by promoting AMPK
      dependent autophagy.

PMID- 28363743
TI  - Xenopus metamorphosis as a model to study thyroid hormone receptor function
      during vertebrate developmental transitions.
AB  - A hormone-dependent developmental transition from aquatic to terrestrial
      existence occurs in all tetrapod vertebrates, such as birth, hatching, and
      metamorphosis. Thyroid hormones (TH) and their receptors (TRs) are key players in
      the tissue transformations comprising vertebrate developmental transitions. The
      African clawed frog, Xenopus, is a premier model for the role of TRs in
      developmental transitions because of the numerous and dramatic TH-dependent
      tissue transformations during metamorphosis and because of the endocrine,
      molecular, and genomic resources available. TRs are nuclear receptors that
      repress TH-response genes when plasma TH is minimal and that activate those same
      genes to induce tissue-specific gene regulation cascades when TH plasma levels
      increase. Tissue-specific TR expression levels help determine tissue sensitivity
      and responsivity to TH thereby regulating the initiation and rate of
      developmental change in TH-sensitive tissues which govern the tissue
      developmental asynchrony observed during metamorphosis. This review highlighting
      Xenopus presents the key experimental findings underpinning the roles TRs play in
      control of vertebrate developmental transitions.

PMID- 28363744
TI  - DREF plays multiple roles during Drosophila development.
AB  - DREF was originally identified as a transcription factor that coordinately
      regulates the expression of DNA replication- and proliferation-related genes in
      Drosophila. Subsequent studies demonstrated that DREF is involved in tumor
      suppressor pathways including p53 and Hippo signaling. DREF also regulates the
      expression of genes encoding components of the JNK and EGFR pathways during
      Drosophila development. DREF itself is under the control of the TOR pathway
      during cell and tissue growth responding to nutrition. Recent studies revealed
      that DREF plays a role in chromatin organization including insulator function,
      chromatin remodeling, and telomere maintenance. DREF is also involved in the
      regulation of genes related to mitochondrial biogenesis, linking it to cellular
      proliferation. Thus, DREF is now emerging as not only a transcription factor, but
      also a multi-functional protein. In this review, we summarize current advances in
      studies on the novel functions of Drosophila DREF.

PMID- 28363745
TI  - NKT cells in cardiovascular diseases.
AB  - Despite life-style advice and the prescription of cholesterol-lowering and anti
      thrombotic drugs, cardiovascular diseases are still the leading cause of death
      worldwide. Therefore, there is an urgent need for new therapeutic strategies
      focussing on atherosclerosis, the major underlying pathology of cardiovascular
      diseases characterized by an accumulation of lipids in an inflamed
      arterial/vessel wall. CD1d-restricted lipid-sensing natural killer T (NKT) cells,
      bridging the innate and adaptive immunity, and CD1d-expressing antigen-presenting
      cells are detected in atherosclerotic lesions of mice and humans. In this review
      we will summarize studies that point to a critical role for NKT cells in the
      pathogenesis of atherosclerosis and other cardiovascular diseases by the
      secretion of pro-atherogenic cytokines and cytotoxins. These pro-atherogenic NKT
      cells are potential targets for new therapeutic strategies in the prevention and
      treatment of cardiovascular diseases. Additionally, proteins transferring lipids
      during atherosclerosis, which are also important in the loading of lipids onto
      CD1d and possible endogenous ligands responsible for the activation of NKT cells
      during atherosclerosis will be discussed.

PMID- 28363746
TI  - A novel urotensin II receptor antagonist, KR-36676, prevents ABCA1 repression via
      ERK/IL-1beta pathway.
AB  - Urotensin II (U-II), the most potent vasoconstrictor peptide known to date, is
      expressed at a high level in vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMC) and endothelial
      cells, whereas its receptor, urotensin (UT) receptor, is abundant in monocytes
      and macrophages of atherosclerotic lesions. U-II is highly present in the
      coronary arteries of the atherosclerotic patients compared to normal subjects.
      Recently, U-II was shown to down-regulate ATP binding cassette transporter-A1
      (ABCA1) expression, which is responsible for reverse cholesterol transport in
      macrophages of atherosclerotic lesions. However, the mechanism of this
      observation was not clearly elucidated. Previous studies also revealed that the
      proinflammatory cytokine interleukin-1beta (IL-1beta) repressed ABCA1 expression.
      To clarify the signaling pathway involved with respect to U-II-induced ABCA1 down
      regulation, we investigated whether IL-1beta was involved. Our results provided
      that U-II repressed ABCA1 through an ERK/ IL-1beta pathway. We further
      demonstrated that U-II receptor antagonist KR-36676 decreased IL-1beta production
      and significantly led to a recovery of ABCA1 expression at both mRNA and protein
      levels. In previous investigations, U-II receptor antagonists have been shown to
      protect atherosclerosis in cell and animal models. Our results imply that U-II
      receptor antagonist KR-36676 might be a potent candidate for treating
      atherosclerosis, and leading to a recovery of ABCA1 expression, affected by the
      ERK/IL-1beta pathway.

PMID- 28363747
TI  - Corrigendum to "The 2',4'-dihydroxychalcone could be explored to develop new
      inhibitors against the glycerol-3-phosphate dehydrogenase from Leishmania
      species" [Bioorg. Med. Chem. Lett. 25 (2015) 3564-3568].

PMID- 28363749
TI  - Antimycobacterial N-alkoxyphenylhydroxynaphthalenecarboxamides affecting
      photosystem II.
AB  - N-(Alkoxyphenyl)-2-hydroxynaphthalene-1-carboxamides (series A) and N
      (alkoxyphenyl)-1-hydroxynaphthalene-2-carboxamides (series B) affecting
      photosystem (PS) II inhibited photosynthetic electron transport (PET) in spinach
      chloroplasts. Their inhibitory activity depended on the compound lipophilicity as
      well as on the position of the alkoxy substituent. The most potent PET inhibitors
      were 2-hydroxy-N-phenylnaphthalene-1-carboxamide and N-[3-(but-2-yloxy)phenyl]-2
      hydroxynaphthalene-1-carboxamide within series A (IC50=28.9 and 42.5uM,
      respectively) and 1-hydroxy-N-(3-propoxyphenyl)naphthalene-2-carboxamide and 1
      hydroxy-N-(3-ethoxyphenyl)-naphthalene-2-carboxamide (IC50=2.0 and 3.1uM,
      respectively) within series B. The inhibitory activity of C'(3) or C'(4) alkoxy
      substituted compounds of series B was considerably higher than that of C'(2) ones
      within series A. The PET-inhibiting activities of both series were compared with
      the PET inhibition of isomeric N-alkoxyphenyl-3-hydroxynaphthalene-2-carboxamides
      (series C) reported recently. Interactions of the studied compounds with
      chlorophyll a and aromatic amino acids present in pigment-protein complexes
      mainly in PS II were documented by fluorescence spectroscopy. The section between
      P680 and plastoquinone QB in the PET chain occurring on the acceptor side of PSII
      can be suggested as the site of action of the compounds.

PMID- 28363748
TI  - Synthesis and biological evaluation of novel selective androgen receptor
      modulators (SARMs). Part II: Optimization of 4-(pyrrolidin-1-yl)benzonitrile
      derivatives.
AB  - We recently reported a class of novel tissue-selective androgen receptor
      modulators (SARMs), represented by a naphthalene derivative A. However, their
      pharmacokinetic (PK) profiles were poor due to low metabolic stability. To
      improve the PK profiles, we modified the hydroxypyrrolidine and benzonitrile
      substituents of 4-(pyrrolidin-1-yl)benzonitrile derivative B, which had a
      comparable potency as that of compound A. This optimization led us to further
      modifications, which improved metabolic stability while maintaining potent
      androgen agonistic activity. Among the synthesized compounds, (2S,3S)-2,3
      dimethyl-3-hydroxylpyrrolidine derivative 1c exhibited a suitable PK profile and
      improved metabolic stability. Compound 1c demonstrated significant efficacy in
      levator ani muscle without increasing the weight of the prostate in an in vivo
      study. In addition, compound 1c showed agonistic activity in the CNS, which was
      detected using sexual behavior induction assay.

PMID- 28363751
TI  - Laboratory medicine - A hidden treasure in healthcare.

PMID- 28363750
TI  - Synthesis of PET probe O6-[(3-[11C]methyl)benzyl]guanine by Pd0-mediated rapid C
      [11C]methylation toward imaging DNA repair protein O6-methylguanine-DNA
      methyltransferase in glioblastoma.
AB  - O6-Benzylguanine (O6-BG) is a substrate of O6-methylguanine-DNA methyltransferase
      (MGMT), which is involved in drug resistance of chemotherapy in the majority of
      glioblastoma multiform. For clinical diagnosis, it is hoped that the MGMT
      expression level could be determined by a noninvasive method to understand the
      detailed biological properties of MGMT-specific tumors. We synthesized 11C
      labeled O6-[(3-methyl)benzyl]guanine ([11C]mMeBG) as a positron emission
      tomography probe. Thus, a mixed amine-protected stannyl precursor, N9-(tert
      butoxycarbonyl)-O6-[3-(tributylstannyl)benzyl]-N2-(trifluoroacetyl)guanine, was
      subjected to rapid C-[11C]methylation under [11C]CH3I/[Pd2(dba)3]/P(o
      CH3C6H4)3/CuCl/K2CO3 in NMP, followed by quick deprotection with LiOH/H2O, giving
      [11C]mMeBG with total radioactivity of 1.34GBq and >=99% radiochemical and
      chemical purities.

PMID- 28363752
TI  - Are prehospital deaths from trauma and accidental injury preventable? A direct
      historical comparison to assess what has changed in two decades.
AB  - BACKGROUND & OBJECTIVES: In 1994, Hussain and Redmond revealed that up to 39% of
      prehospital deaths from accidental injury might have been preventable had basic
      first aid care been given. Since then there have been significant advances in
      trauma systems and care. The exclusion of prehospital deaths from the analysis of
      trauma registries, giv en the high rate of those, is a major limitation in
      prehospital research on preventable death. We have repeated the 1994 study to
      identify any changes over the years and potential developments to improve patient
      outcomes. METHODS: We examined the full Coroner's inquest files for prehospital
      deaths from trauma and accidental injury over a three-year period in Cheshire.
      Injuries were scored using the Abbreviated-Injury-Scale (AIS-1990) and Injury
      Severity Score (ISS), and probability of survival estimated using Bull's probits
      to match the original protocol. RESULTS: One hundred and thirty-four deaths met
      our inclusion criteria; 79% were male, average age at death was 53.6 years. Sixty
      two were found dead (FD), fifty-eight died at scene (DAS) and fourteen were dead
      on arrival at hospital (DOA). The predominant mechanism of injury was fall (39%).
      The median ISS was 29 with 58 deaths (43%) having probability of survival of
      >50%. Post-mortem evidence of head injury was present in 102 (76%) deaths. A
      bystander was on scene or present immediately after injury in 45% of cases and
      prior to the Emergency Medical Services (EMS) in 96%. In 93% of cases a bystander
      made the call for assistance, in those DAS or DOA, bystander intervention of any
      kind was 43%. CONCLUSIONS: The number of potentially preventable prehospital
      deaths remains high and unchanged. First aid intervention of any kind is
      infrequent. There is a potentially missed window of opportunity for bystander
      intervention prior to the arrival of the ambulance service, with simple first-aid
      manoeuvres to open the airway, preventing hypoxic brain injury and cardiac
      arrest.

PMID- 28363753
TI  - The use of external fixators in the definitive stabilisation of the pelvis in
      polytrauma patients: Safety, efficacy and clinical outcomes.
AB  - OBJECTIVES: To analyse the complications and outcomes (functional/radiographic)
      of Pelvic External Fixators applied as part of the definitive fixation in
      polytrauma patients. DESIGN: A single center retrospective chart review. SETTING:
      A level-1 trauma center. PATIENTS AND METHODS: We reviewed all the polytrauma
      patients (ISS>16) between 2007 and 2012 that had a PEF applied more than 30days.
      Complications including infection, aseptic loosening, neurological injury, loss
      of reduction, non-union and mal-union were recorded. Pelvic asymmetry and
      Deformity Index (DI) were measured at the immediate postoperative radiographs and
      final follow-up. The functional outcome at final follow up was estimated using a
      scale previously reported by Chiou et al. RESULTS: 59 patients with mean age of
      38.4 (16 - 81) years and mean ISS score 28 (16- 66) were included. The PEFs were
      applied for mean duration of 56 (30-104) days. The average follow-up was 403days.
      22 injuries were type B and 37 type C (AO/OTA). The most common symptomatic
      complications were pin site infection in 11 (18.6%) and loosening in 5 (8.5%)
      cases. 44 (74.5%) patients had satisfactory functional outcome. The immediate
      post-operative and final asymmetry and DI were compared between the two pelvic
      injury groups (type B and C fractures). The difference in displacement
      progression was more for type C injuries (p=0.034) but no correlation to the
      functional outcome was evident. CONCLUSION: PEF can be used as definitive
      alternative stabilization method in specific situations at polytrauma setting.
      Radiological displacement occurred in both type B and C injuries but the clinical
      outcome was not correlated to this displacement. Complications related to PEF do
      not affect the final clinical outcome. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Therapeutic Level III.

PMID- 28363754
TI  - Intrathecal insulin-like growth factor 1 but not insulin enhances myelin repair
      in young and aged rats.
AB  - One main pathological hallmark of multiple sclerosis (MS) is demyelination. Novel
      therapies which enhance myelin repair are urgently needed. Insulin and insulin
      like growth factor 1 (IGF-1) have strong functional relationships. Here, we
      addressed the potential capacity of IGF-1 and insulin to enhance remyelination in
      an animal demyelination model in vivo. We found that chronic intrathecal infusion
      of IGF-1 enhanced remyelination after lysolecithin-induced demyelination in the
      spinal cord of young and aged rats. Aged rats showed a weaker innate
      remyelination capacity and are therefore a good model for progressive MS which is
      defined by chronic demyelination. In contrast to IGF-1, Insulin had no effect on
      remyelination in either age group. Our findings highlight the potential use of
      IGF-1 as remyelinating therapy for MS, particularly the progressive stage in
      which chronic demyelination is the hallmark.

PMID- 28363755
TI  - An investigation of gene expression in single cells derived from Nestin
      expressing cells in the adult mouse midbrain in vivo.
AB  - Generation of new dopamine (DA) neurons in the adult midbrain is a controversial
      issue in development of better treatments for Parkinson's disease (PD). Previous
      research suggests Nestin-expressing neural precursor cells (NPCs) have a
      propensity to differentiate into neurons here, including DA neurons. In the
      present study we sought confirmation of this by studying gene expression in
      single Nestin-expressing cells and their progeny/ontogeny within the adult mouse
      midbrain. Cells were identified by administering a pulse of Tamoxifen to adult
      Nestin-CreERT2*R26eYFP transgenic mice. Samples of cytoplasm were harvested 4
      days to 8 months later from individual eYFP+ cells in acutely prepared midbrain
      slices and analysed by RT-qPCR for gene expression. Remarkably, most eYFP+ cells
      co-expressed genes associated with mature (including DA) neurons (i.e. NeuN,
      Gad1, Gad2, vGlut2, TH and/or D2R) and neurogenesis (i.e. Ki67, Dcx, Ncam, Pax6,
      Ngn2 and/or Msx1), and this was true at all time-points following Tamoxifen.
      Indeed, cell proliferation genes (Nestin, Ki67) were exclusively expressed by
      eYFP+ cells with mature neuronal morphology and gene expression, and only at
      early time-points after Tamoxifen. Expression of proneuronal genes (Pax6, Msx1,
      Ngn2) was, however, higher in eYFP+ cells with immature morphology compared with
      mature morphology. Gene expression bore no relationship to cell location
      indicating that, in contrast to development, Nestin-expressing cells arise
      throughout the midbrain parenchyma and do not migrate long distances. On the
      other hand, gene expression did change with time after Tamoxifen, although not in
      a way consistent with neurogenesis. Overall, our results suggest that Nestin
      expression in the adult midbrain occurs in mature neurons, casting doubt on the
      premise of neurogenesis from Nestin+ NPCs here.

PMID- 28363756
TI  - HER2 as an Emerging Oncotarget for Colorectal Cancer Treatment After Failure of
      Anti-Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor Therapy.
AB  - Amplification of the HER2 gene is an indicator of poor prognosis for several
      kinds of malignancies such as breast and gastric cancer, and anti-HER2 targeting
      therapies provide clinical benefits in these patients. In 2011, HER2 was
      identified as a resistance molecule for de novo and secondary anti-epidermal
      growth factor receptor (EGFR) antibody therapy. HER2 activation provides a bypass
      signaling pathway after anti-EGFR antibody treatment of colorectal cancer. Cell
      line-based screening revealed that HER2 genomic amplification induces resistance
      to the anti-EGFR antibody cetuximab in colorectal cancer. Recently, HER2 itself
      has been recognized as a target for oncotherapy in colorectal cancer. The first
      part of this review provides an update on the present state of knowledge about
      the role of HER2 in colorectal cancer, including its prognostic relevance and
      role in resistance to anti-EGFR antibody treatment. In the second part of the
      review, we discuss the results of preclinical and clinical studies that examined
      the potential utility of anti-HER2 targeted therapy in colorectal cancer.
      Although it acts as a barrier for other molecular targeting agents such as
      cetuximab, HER2 itself is a promising target for oncotherapy. Current research
      indicates that anti-HER2 drugs will be developed further and introduced into
      clinical practice for the treatment of patients with HER2-positive colorectal
      cancer.

PMID- 28363757
TI  - Bactericidal effect of the photocatalystic reaction of titanium dioxide using
      visible wavelengths on Streptococcus mutans biofilm.
AB  - BACKGROUND: The aim of this study was to determine the effect of titanium dioxide
      (TiO2) photocatalysis induced by the application of clinically acceptable visible
      light at 405nm on the growth of Streptococcus mutans biofilms. METHODS: S. mutans
      biofilms were grown on a hydroxyapatite (HA) disk and deposited in a rutile-type
      TiO2 solution at a concentration of 0.1mg/mL. TiO2 photocatalysis was measured
      for exposure to visible light (405nm) and ultraviolet (UV) light (254nm) produced
      by light-emitting diodes for 10, 20, 30, and 40min. After two treatments, the
      number of colonies formed in the final S. mutans biofilm on the HA disk were
      measured to confirm their viability, and the morphological changes of S. mutans
      were evaluated using scanning electronic microscopy. RESULTS: The bactericidal
      effects of 254- and 405-nm light resulted in > 5-log and 4-log reductions,
      respectively (p<0.05), after 20min of treatment and a>7-log reduction after 40min
      of treatment in both treatment groups relative to the control group. CONCLUSION:
      It was confirmed that the antibacterial effect could be shown by causing the
      photocatalytic reaction of TiO2 in S. mutans biofilm even at the wavelength of
      visible light (405nm) as at the wavelength of ultraviolet light (254nm).

PMID- 28363758
TI  - Fluorescence spectroscopy as a tool to in vivo discrimination of distinctive skin
      disorders.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Fast and non-invasive analytical methods, as in fluorescence
      spectroscopy, have potential applications to detect modifications of biochemical
      and morphologic properties of malignant tissues. In this study, we propose to
      analyze the fluorescence spectra using k-Nearest Neighbours algorithm (k-NN) and
      ratio of the fluorescence intensity (FI) to differentiate skin disorders of
      distinctive etiologies and morphologies. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Laser-induced
      autofluorescence spectra upon excitation at 408nm were collected from basal cell
      carcinoma (BCC) subtypes (n=45/212 spectra), psoriasis (PS) (n=37/193 spectra)
      and Bowen's disease (BD) (n=04/19 spectra) lesions and respective normal skin at
      sun-exposed (EXP) and non-exposed (NEXP) sites of the same patient. RESULTS: The
      mean ratios of FI values at selected wavelengths of emission (FI600nm/FI500nm)
      were significantly lower in BCC and PS lesions compared to EXP [P=0.0001;
      P=0.0002, respectively]; but there were no significant differences between
      abnormal conditions. The analysis of fluorescence spectra using k-NN can
      discriminate normal or abnormal skin conditions (EXP, BCC, BD, PS) of distinctive
      etiology, neoplastic or inflammatory (BCC, BD and PS) and morphologies (nodular
      and superficial BCC, BD and PS) as high as 88% and 93% sensitivity and
      specificity means, respectively; also, similar erythematous-squamous features
      (superficial BCC, BD and PS) with 98% and 97% sensitivity and specificity means,
      respectively. The k-NN computational analysis appears to be a promising approach
      to distinguish skin disorders.

PMID- 28363759
TI  - Moving From One to Many.

PMID- 28363761
TI  - T1rho mapping improvement using stretched-type adiabatic locking pulses for
      assessment of human liver function at 3T.
AB  - PURPOSE: The purpose of this study is to investigate the performance of stretched
      type adiabatic spin lock pulses for homogeneous spin locking with a flexible spin
      lock time (TSL) setting. METHODS: T1rho values were obtained from 61 patients and
      five normal volunteers who were categorized using the Child-Pugh classification
      and scanned using each spin lock pulse type. The pulses used were the block and
      two kinds of hyperbolic secant (HS); HS8_10, and HS8_5. Visual scoring was
      categorized using a four point scale (1:Severe, 2:Moderate, 3:Mild and 4:None) to
      evaluate the homogeneity of the T1rho map and the source images obtained by each
      spin lock pulse. Mean T1rho values among the patient groups with different Child
      Pugh classification were compared. RESULTS: The visual assessment scores were
      1.98 +/- 1.05 for block pulse locking, 3.87 +/- 0.39 for HS8_10 pulse locking,
      and 3.83 +/- 0.45 for HS8_5 pulse locking, respectively. The scores between block
      pulse and HS8_10 were significantly different (p < 0.001), as were those between
      block pulse and HS8_5 (p < 0.001). The median T1rho values of normal liver
      function, Child-Pugh A, and Child-Pugh B or C were 37.00 ms, 40.77 ms, and 42.20
      ms for block pulse, 46.75 ms, 50.78 ms, and 55.60 ms for HS8_10, and 48.80 ms,
      55.42 ms, and 57.80 ms for HS8_5, respectively. CONCLUSION: The spin locking
      sequence using stretched-type adiabatic pulses provides homogeneous liver T1rho
      maps with reduced artifact and is necessary for a robust evaluation of liver
      function using T1rho.

PMID- 28363725
TI  - Incidence of severe critical events in paediatric anaesthesia (APRICOT): a
      prospective multicentre observational study in 261 hospitals in Europe.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Little is known about the incidence of severe critical events in
      children undergoing general anaesthesia in Europe. We aimed to identify the
      incidence, nature, and outcome of severe critical events in children undergoing
      anaesthesia, and the associated potential risk factors. METHODS: The APRICOT
      study was a prospective observational multicentre cohort study of children from
      birth to 15 years of age undergoing elective or urgent anaesthesia for diagnostic
      or surgical procedures. Children were eligible for inclusion during a 2-week
      period determined prospectively by each centre. There were 261 participating
      centres across 33 European countries. The primary endpoint was the occurence of
      perioperative severe critical events requiring immediate intervention. A severe
      critical event was defined as the occurrence of respiratory, cardiac, allergic,
      or neurological complications requiring immediate intervention and that led (or
      could have led) to major disability or death. This study is registered with
      ClinicalTrials.gov, number NCT01878760. FINDINGS: Between April 1, 2014, and Jan
      31, 2015, 31 127 anaesthetic procedures in 30 874 children with a mean age of
      6.35 years (SD 4.50) were included. The incidence of perioperative severe
      critical events was 5.2% (95% CI 5.0-5.5) with an incidence of respiratory
      critical events of 3.1% (2.9-3.3). Cardiovascular instability occurred in 1.9%
      (1.7-2.1), with an immediate poor outcome in 5.4% (3.7-7.5) of these cases. The
      all-cause 30-day in-hospital mortality rate was 10 in 10 000. This was
      independent of type of anaesthesia. Age (relative risk 0.88, 95% CI 0.86-0.90;
      p<0.0001), medical history, and physical condition (1.60, 1.40-1.82; p<0.0001)
      were the major risk factors for a serious critical event. Multivariate analysis
      revealed evidence for the beneficial effect of years of experience of the most
      senior anaesthesia team member (0.99, 0.981-0.997; p<0.0048 for respiratory
      critical events, and 0.98, 0.97-0.99; p=0.0039 for cardiovascular critical
      events), rather than the type of health institution or providers. INTERPRETATION:
      This study highlights a relatively high rate of severe critical events during the
      anaesthesia management of children for surgical or diagnostic procedures in
      Europe, and a large variability in the practice of paediatric anaesthesia. These
      findings are substantial enough to warrant attention from national, regional, and
      specialist societies to target education of anaesthesiologists and their teams
      and implement strategies for quality improvement in paediatric anaesthesia.
      FUNDING: European Society of Anaesthesiology.

PMID- 28363762
TI  - An integrated network analysis reveals that nitric oxide reductase prevents
      metabolic cycling of nitric oxide by Pseudomonas aeruginosa.
AB  - Nitric oxide (NO) is a chemical weapon within the arsenal of immune cells, but is
      also generated endogenously by different bacteria. Pseudomonas aeruginosa are
      pathogens that contain an NO-generating nitrite (NO2-) reductase (NirS), and NO
      has been shown to influence their virulence. Interestingly, P. aeruginosa also
      contain NO dioxygenase (Fhp) and nitrate (NO3-) reductases, which together with
      NirS provide the potential for NO to be metabolically cycled (NO->NO3-->NO2-
      >NO). Deeper understanding of NO metabolism in P. aeruginosa will increase
      knowledge of its pathogenesis, and computational models have proven to be useful
      tools for the quantitative dissection of NO biochemical networks. Here we
      developed such a model for P. aeruginosa and confirmed its predictive accuracy
      with measurements of NO, O2, NO2-, and NO3- in mutant cultures devoid of Fhp or
      NorCB (NO reductase) activity. Using the model, we assessed whether NO was
      metabolically cycled in aerobic P. aeruginosa cultures. Calculated fluxes
      indicated a bottleneck at NO3-, which was relieved upon O2 depletion. As cell
      growth depleted dissolved O2 levels, NO3- was converted to NO2- at near
      stoichiometric levels, whereas NO2- consumption did not coincide with NO or NO3-
      accumulation. Assimilatory NO2- reductase (NirBD) or NorCB activity could have
      prevented NO cycling, and experiments with DeltanirB, DeltanirS, and DeltanorC
      showed that NorCB was responsible for loss of flux from the cycle. Collectively,
      this work provides a computational tool to analyze NO metabolism in P.
      aeruginosa, and establishes that P. aeruginosa use NorCB to prevent metabolic
      cycling of NO.

PMID- 28363763
TI  - Systematic Review of the Effectiveness of Physical Therapy Modalities in Women
      With Provoked Vestibulodynia.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: Pelvic floor muscle physical therapy is recommended in clinical
      guidelines for women with provoked vestibulodynia (PVD). Including isolated or
      combined treatment modalities, physical therapy is viewed as an effective first
      line intervention, yet no systematic review concerning the effectiveness of
      physical therapy has been conducted. AIM: To systematically appraise the current
      literature on the effectiveness of physical therapy modalities for decreasing
      pain during intercourse and improving sexual function in women with PVD. METHODS:
      A systematic literature search using PubMed, Scopus, CINHAL, and PEDro was
      conducted until October 2016. Moreover, a manual search from reference lists of
      included articles was performed. Ongoing trials also were reviewed using
      clinicaltrial.gov and ISRCTNregistry. Randomized controlled trials, prospective
      and retrospective cohorts, and case reports evaluating the effect of isolated or
      combined physical therapy modalities in women with PVD were included in the
      review. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Main outcome measures were pain during
      intercourse, sexual function, and patient's perceived improvement. RESULTS: The
      literature search resulted in 43 eligible studies including 7 randomized
      controlled trials, 20 prospective studies, 5 retrospective studies, 6 case
      reports, and 6 study protocols. Most studies had a high risk of bias mainly
      associated with the lack of a comparison group. Another common bias was related
      to insufficient sample size, non-validated outcomes, non-standardized
      intervention, and use of other ongoing treatment. The vast majority of studies
      showed that physical therapy modalities such as biofeedback, dilators, electrical
      stimulation, education, multimodal physical therapy, and multidisciplinary
      approaches were effective for decreasing pain during intercourse and improving
      sexual function. CONCLUSION: The positive findings for the effectiveness of
      physical therapy modalities in women with PVD should be investigated further in
      robust and well-designed randomized controlled trials. Morin M, Carroll M-S,
      Bergeron S. Systematic Review of the Effectiveness of Physical Therapy Modalities
      in Women With Provoked Vestibulodynia. Sex Med Rev 2017;5:295-322.

PMID- 28363760
TI  - Interstitial lung disease in newborns.
AB  - The term 'interstitial lung disease' (ILD) refers to a group of disorders
      involving both the airspaces and tissue compartments of the lung, and these
      disorders are more accurately termed diffuse lung diseases. Although rare, they
      are associated with significant morbidity and mortality, with the prognosis
      depending upon the specific diagnosis. The major categories of ILD in children
      that present in the neonatal period include developmental disorders, growth
      disorders, surfactant dysfunction disorders, and specific conditions of unknown
      etiology unique to infancy. Whereas lung histopathology has been the gold
      standard for the diagnosis of ILD, as many of the disorders have a genetic basis,
      non-invasive diagnosis is feasible, and characteristic clinical and imaging
      features may allow for specific diagnosis in some circumstances. The underlying
      mechanisms, clinical, imaging, and lung pathology features and outcomes of ILD
      presenting in newborns are reviewed with an emphasis on genetic mechanisms and
      diagnosis.

PMID- 28363766
TI  - The brain's spontaneous activity and its psychopathological symptoms -
      "Spatiotemporal binding and integration".
AB  - Neuroimaging provided much insight into the neural activity of the brain and its
      alterations in psychiatric disorders. However, despite extensive research, the
      exact neuronal mechanisms leading to the various psychopathological symptoms
      remain unclear, yet. In addition to task-evoked activity during affective,
      cognitive, or other challenges, the brain's spontaneous or resting state activity
      has come increasingly into the focus. Basically all psychiatric disorders show
      abnormal resting state activity with the relation to psychopathological symptoms
      remaining unclear though. I here suggest to conceive the brain's spontaneous
      activity in spatiotemporal terms that is, by various mechanisms that are based on
      its spatial, i.e., functional connectivity, and temporal, i.e., fluctuations in
      different frequencies, features. I here point out two such spatiotemporal
      mechanisms, i.e., "spatiotemporal binding and integration". Alterations in the
      resting state's spatial and temporal features lead to abnormal "spatiotemporal
      binding and integration" which results in abnormal contents in cognition as in
      the various psychopathological symptoms. This, together with concrete empirical
      evidence, is demonstrated in depression and schizophrenia. I therefore conclude
      that we need to develop a spatiotemporal approach to psychopathology,
      "spatiotemporal psychopathology:" as I call it.

PMID- 28363764
TI  - Ferroptosis Inhibition: Mechanisms and Opportunities.
AB  - The past decade has yielded tremendous insights into how cells die. This has come
      with our understanding that several distinct forms of cell death are encompassed
      under the umbrella term necrosis. Among these distinct forms of regulated
      necrotic cell death, ferroptosis has attracted considerable attention owing to
      its putative involvement in diverse pathophysiological processes. A key feature
      of the ferroptosis process is the requirement of phospholipid peroxidation, a
      process that has been linked with several human pathologies. Now with the
      establishment of a connection between lipid peroxidation and a distinctive cell
      death pathway, the search for new small molecules able to suppress lipid
      peroxidation has gained momentum and may yield novel cytoprotective strategies.
      We review here advances in our understanding of the ferroptotic process and
      summarize the development of lipid peroxidation inhibitors with the ultimate goal
      of suppressing ferroptosis-relevant cell death and related pathologies.

PMID- 28363767
TI  - Time-scaling based sliding mode control for Neuromuscular Electrical Stimulation
      under uncertain relative degrees.
AB  - This paper addresses the application of the sliding mode approach to control the
      arm movements by artificial recruitment of muscles using Neuromuscular Electrical
      Stimulation (NMES). Such a technique allows the activation of motor nerves using
      surface electrodes. The goal of the proposed control system is to move the upper
      limbs of subjects through electrical stimulation to achieve a desired elbow
      angular displacement. Since the human neuro-motor system has individual
      characteristics, being time-varying, nonlinear and subject to uncertainties, the
      use of advanced robust control schemes may represent a better solution than
      classical Proportional-Integral (PI) controllers and model-based approaches,
      being simpler than more sophisticated strategies using fuzzy logic or neural
      networks usually applied in this control problem. The objective is the
      introduction of a new time-scaling base sliding mode control (SMC) strategy for
      NMES and its experimental evaluation. The main qualitative advantages of the
      proposed controller via time-scaling procedure are its independence of the
      knowledge of the plant relative degree and the design/tuning simplicity. The
      developed sliding mode strategy allows for chattering alleviation due to the
      impact of the integrator in smoothing the control signal. In addition, no
      differentiator is applied to construct the sliding surface. The stability
      analysis of the closed-loop system is also carried out by using singular
      perturbation methods. Experimental results are conducted with healthy volunteers
      as well as stroke patients. Quantitative results show a reduction of 45% in terms
      of root mean square (RMS) error (from 5.9 degrees  to [Formula: see text] ) in
      comparison with PI control scheme, which is similar to that obtained in the
      literature.

PMID- 28363765
TI  - Investigating the link between drug-naive first episode psychoses (FEPs), weight
      gain abnormalities and brain structural damages: Relevance and implications for
      therapy.
AB  - Evidence suggests that obesity and overweight may be associated with severe brain
      structural abnormalities and poor cognitive and functional outcomes in the
      general population. Despite these observations and the high prevalence of weight
      gain abnormalities in patients with psychosis spectrum disorders (PSDs), no
      studies have investigated the impact that these metabolic disturbances may have
      on brain structures and development in the earliest stages of PSDs. In the
      present review we shed light on the association between weight gain and brain
      structural abnormalities that may affect the course of illness in drug-naive
      FEPs. Given the lack of studies directly investigating this issue, we firstly
      identified and critically evaluated the literature assessing weight gain
      abnormalities and gray or white matter (GM, WM) volumes (either globally or in
      specific regions of interest) in otherwise healthy obese/overweight adolescents
      and young adults. We then compared the results of this systematic review with
      those of two recent meta-analysis investigating GM and WM abnormalities in drug
      naive FEPs. Weight gain in otherwise healthy subjects was consistently associated
      with frontal and temporal GM atrophy and with reduced integrity of WM in the
      corpus callosum. Of relevance, all these brain regions are affected in drug-naive
      FEPs, and their integrity is associated with clinical, cognitive and functional
      outcomes. The underlying mechanisms that may explain the association between
      weight gain, adiposity, and brain damage in both healthy subjects and drug-naive
      FEPs are widely discussed. On the basis of this knowledge, we tried: a) to deduce
      an integrative model for the development of obesity in psychosis spectrum
      disorders; b) to identify the key vulnerability factors underlying the
      association between weight gain and psychosis; c) to provide information on new
      potential targets of intervention.

PMID- 28363768
TI  - Serum Galectin-3 and ST2 as predictors of unfavorable outcome in stable dilated
      cardiomyopathy patients.
AB  - Dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) is the third cause of heart failure and the most
      frequent cause of heart transplantation (HT). The value of biomarkers in
      prognostic stratification may be important to identification the patients for
      more advanced treatment. Assessment of serum Galectin-3 (Gal-3) and ST2 as
      biomarkers of unfavorable outcome (death and combined endpoint: HT or death or
      left ventricular assist device implantation) in stable DCM patients. 107 DCM
      patients age 39-56 years were included into the study and followed-up for mean
      4.8 years. Gal-3 and ST2 concentrations were measured ELISA tests. Clinical data,
      treatment, laboratory parameters, NT-proBNP, Gal-3 and ST2 measured at time of
      inclusion were assessed as risk factors for reaching the study endpoints using
      log rank test and Cox proportional-hazards model. During follow-up 27 patients
      died, 40 achieved combined endpoint. ROC curves indicated cut-off value of ST2
      17.53 ng/ml, AUC-0.65 (0.53-0.76) and of NT-proBNP-669 pg/ml, AUC 0.61 (0.50
      0.73) for prediction of death. In multivariate analysis ST2 was predictor of
      death (HR per unit increase in log ST2 2.705, 95 % CI 1.324-5.528, P=0.006) and
      combined endpoint (HR per unit increase in log ST2 2.753, 95 % CI 1.542-4.914,
      P<0.001). NT-proBNP was predictive variable only for death in multivariate
      analysis. Gal-3 concentration was not associated with adverse outcome. ST2 but
      not Gal-3 may be useful for predicting adverse outcome in stable dilated
      cardiomyopathy patients.

PMID- 28363769
TI  - Pancreatico-gastric fistula complicating an intraductal papillary mucinous
      neoplasm.
AB  - Fistula as a complication of pancreatic intraductal papillary mucinous neoplasms
      (IPMN) is rare and may involve different adjacent organs, sometimes, several
      organs at the same time. Our patient had a pancreatico-gastric fistula,
      discovered at work-up for IPMN, which required extensive surgery.

PMID- 28363770
TI  - Lectin-functionalized mesoporous silica nanoparticles for endoscopic detection of
      premalignant colonic lesions.
AB  - Colorectal cancer (CRC) is one of the leading causes of cancer-deaths worldwide.
      Methods for the early in situ detection of colorectal adenomatous polyps and
      their precursors - prior to their malignancy transformation into CRC - are
      urgently needed. Unfortunately at present, the primary diagnostic method,
      colonoscopy, can only detect polyps and carcinomas by shape/morphology; with
      sessile polyps more likely to go unnoticed than polypoid lesions. Here we
      describe our development of polyp-targeting, fluorescently-labeled mesoporous
      silica nanoparticles (MSNs) that serve as targeted endoscopic contrast agents for
      the early detection of colorectal polyps and cancer. In vitro cell studies, ex
      vivo histopathological analysis, and in vivo colonoscopy and endoscopy of murine
      colorectal cancer models, demonstrate significant binding specificity of our
      nanoconstructs to pathological lesions via targeting aberrant alpha-L-fucose
      expression. Our findings strongly suggest that lectin-functionalized fluorescent
      MSNs could serve as a promising endoscopic contrast agent for in situ diagnostic
      imaging of premalignant colonic lesions.

PMID- 28363771
TI  - Gold nanoshell-based betulinic acid liposomes for synergistic chemo-photothermal
      therapy.
AB  - A novel synthesis approach is first developed to fabricate a multifunctional
      smart nanodrug delivery system: gold nanoshell-coated betulinic acid liposomes
      (AuNS-BA-Lips) mediated by a glutathione. The AuNS-BA-Lips exhibited good size
      distribution (149.4+/-2.4nm), preferable photothermal conversion ability and
      synergistic chemo-photothermal therapy. Additionally, the absorption wavelength
      of AuNS-BA-Lips showed a significantly red-shifted to near infrared (NIR) region,
      which can strongly absorbed NIR laser and efficiently convert it into localized
      heat, thus providing controlled drug release and antitumor thermotherapy.
      Moreover, the nanocarriers excited by NIR light significantly promoted cell
      uptake compared to those without irradiation, resulting in an enhanced
      intracellular drug accumulation. Upon NIR irradiation, the AuNS-BA-Lips showed
      highly efficient antitumor effects on tumor-bearing mice with an inhibition rate
      of 83.02%, thus demonstrating a remarkable synergistic therapeutic effect of
      chemotherapy and thermotherapy. Therefore, this work provides new insight into
      developing a multifunctional antitumor drug.

PMID- 28363772
TI  - Characterization of signal bias at the GLP-1 receptor induced by backbone
      modification of GLP-1.
AB  - The glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor (GLP-1R) is a class B G protein-coupled
      receptor that is a major therapeutic target for the treatment of type 2 diabetes.
      Activation of this receptor promotes insulin secretion and blood glucose
      regulation. The GLP-1R can initiate signaling through several intracellular
      pathways upon activation by GLP-1. GLP-1R ligands that preferentially stimulate
      subsets among the natural signaling pathways ("biased agonists") could be useful
      as tools for elucidating the consequences of specific pathways and might engender
      therapeutic agents with tailored effects. Using HEK-293 cells recombinantly
      expressing human GLP-1R, we have previously reported that backbone modification
      of GLP-1, via replacement of selected alpha-amino acid residues with beta-amino
      acid residues, generates GLP-1 analogues with distinctive preferences for
      promoting G protein activation versus beta-arrestin recruitment. Here, we have
      explored the influence of cell background across these two parameters and
      expanded our analysis to include affinity and other key signaling pathways
      (intracellular calcium mobilization and ERK phosphorylation) using recombinant
      human GLP-1R expressed in a CHO cell background, which has been used extensively
      to demonstrate biased agonism of GLP-1R ligands. The new data indicate that
      alpha/beta-peptide analogues of GLP-1 exhibit a range of distinct bias profiles
      relative to GLP-1 and that broad assessment of signaling endpoints is required to
      reveal the spectrum of behavior of modified peptides. These results support the
      view that backbone modification via alpha->beta amino acid replacement can enable
      rapid discovery of peptide hormone analogues that display substantial signal bias
      at a cognate GPCR.

PMID- 28363774
TI  - Patients' experience of trauma care in the emergency department of a major trauma
      centre in the UK.

PMID- 28363773
TI  - Amylin receptor ligands reduce the pathological cascade of Alzheimer's disease.
AB  - Amylin is an important gut-brain axis hormone. Since amylin and amyloid-beta
      peptide (Abeta) share similar beta sheet secondary structure despite not having
      the same primary sequences, we hypothesized that the accumulation of Abeta in the
      brains of subjects with Alzheimer's disease (AD) might compete with amylin for
      binding to the amylin receptor (AmR). If true, adding exogenous amylin type
      peptides would compete with Abeta and reduce the AD pathological cascade,
      improving cognition. Here we report that a 10-week course of peripheral treatment
      with human amylin significantly reduced multiple different markers associated
      with AD pathology, including reducing levels of phospho-tau, insoluble tau, two
      inflammatory markers (Iba1 and CD68), as well as cerebral Abeta. Amylin treatment
      also led to improvements in learning and memory in two AD mouse models.
      Mechanistic studies showed that an amylin receptor antagonist successfully
      antagonized some protective effects of amylin in vivo, suggesting that the
      protective effects of amylin require interaction with its cognate receptor.
      Comparison of signaling cascades emanating from AmR suggest that amylin
      electively suppresses activation of the CDK5 pathway by Abeta. Treatment with
      amylin significantly reduced CDK5 signaling in a receptor dependent manner,
      dramatically decreasing the levels of p25, the active form of CDK5 with a
      corresponding reduction in tau phosphorylation. This is the first report
      documenting the ability of amylin treatment to reduce tauopathy and inflammation
      in animal models of AD. The data suggest that the clinical analog of amylin,
      pramlintide, might exhibit utility as a therapeutic agent for AD and other
      neurodegenerative diseases.

PMID- 28363775
TI  - The human meibomian gland epithelial cell line as a model to study meibomian
      gland dysfunction.
AB  - The meibomian gland dysfunction (MGD) is the leading cause of dry eye disease
      (DED) throughout the world. The investigation of MGD lacks suitable in vivo and
      in vitro models. In 2010 a human meibomian gland epithelial cell line (HMGEC) was
      established, so far the only available meibomian gland cell line. The
      characterization of HMGEC is of major importance to clarify its suitability for
      studying the meibomian gland (patho)physiology in vitro. The current culture
      protocol and new concepts of HMGEC culture will be compared. Hormones are
      believed to be a key factor in meibomian gland dysfunction thus HMGEC
      responsiveness to hormone stimulation is crucial to elucidate the hormonal
      influence on the meibomian gland. This review will summarize current findings
      about HMGEC and discuss its role in the meibomian gland dysfunction research.

PMID- 28363776
TI  - Facilitating trypanosome imaging.
AB  - Research on trypanosomes as a model organism has provided a substantial
      contribution to a detailed understanding of basic cellular processes within the
      last few years. At the same time, major advances in super-resolution microscopy
      have been achieved, facilitating the resolution of biological structures in
      living cells at a scale of a few nm. However, the motility of trypanosomes has
      prevented access to high resolution microscopy of live cells. Here, we present a
      hydrogel based on poly(ethylene glycol) functionalized with either norbornene or
      thiol moieties for UV induced thiol-ene crosslinking for the embedding and
      imaging of live trypanosomes. The resulting gel exhibits low autofluorescence
      properties, immobilizes the cells efficiently on the nanometer scale and is
      compatible with cell viability for up to one hour at 24  degrees C. We applied
      super-resolution imaging to the inner plasma membrane leaflet using lipid
      anchored eYFP as a probe. We find specific domains within the membrane where the
      fluorescence either accumulates or appears diluted rather than being homogenously
      distributed. Based on a Ripley's analysis, the size of the domains was determined
      to be raccumulated=170+/-5 nm and rdilute>115+/-15 nm. We hypothesize that this
      structuring of the membrane is associated with the underlying cytoskeleton.

PMID- 28363778
TI  - Aminopeptidase N is not required for porcine epidemic diarrhea virus cell entry.
AB  - Porcine epidemic diarrhea virus (PEDV) is an emerging pathogenic coronavirus that
      causes a significant economic burden to the swine industry. The virus infects the
      intestinal epithelium and causes villous atrophy, resulting in diarrhea and
      dehydration. Interaction of the viral spike (S) surface glycoprotein - through
      its S1 subunit - with the host cell receptor is the first step in infection and
      the main determinant for virus tropism. As for several other alphacoronaviruses
      including the porcine transmissible gastroenteritis virus (TGEV) and the human
      coronavirus 229E (HCoV-229E), the aminopeptidase N (APN) protein was reported to
      be a functional receptor for PEDV. In this study we examined the role of APN as a
      receptor. We show that overexpression of porcine APN renders MDCK cells
      susceptible to TGEV, but not to PEDV. Consistently, unlike TGEV-S1, PEDV-S1
      exhibited no binding to cell-surface expressed APN or to a soluble version of
      APN. Moreover, preincubation of these viruses with soluble APN or pretreatment of
      APN expressing ST cells with soluble TGEV-S1 blocked TGEV infection, but had no
      effect on infection by PEDV. The combined observations indicated that APN is not
      required for PEDV infection. To definitively prove this conclusion, we applied
      CRISPR/Cas9 genome engineering to knock out APN expression in PEDV-susceptible
      porcine (ST) and human cell lines (Huh7 and HeLa). As a consequence these cells
      no longer bound TGEV-S1 and HCoV-229E-S1 at their surface and were resistant to
      infection by the corresponding viruses. However, genetic ablation of APN
      expression had no effect on their infectability by PEDV, demonstrating that APN
      is not essential for PEDV cell entry.

PMID- 28363777
TI  - Dual genetic absence of STAT6 and IL-10 does not abrogate anti-hyperglycemic
      effects of Schistosoma mansoni in streptozotocin-treated diabetic mice.
AB  - Schistosoma mansoni (Sm) is known to exert protective effects against various
      allergic and autoimmune disorders. It has been reported that this parasite
      protects NOD mice from spontaneous type 1 diabetes (T1D) and ameliorates
      streptozotocin (STZ)-induced T1D in wild-type mice. Here, we tried to clarify the
      anti-diabetic mechanisms of Sm in the latter model. Sm infection partially
      prevented the degradation of pancreatic islets and hyperglycemia in multiple low
      dose (MLD) STZ-treated mice. Neither Treg cell depletion nor genetic absences of
      IL-10 and/or STAT6 abrogated the anti-hyperglycemic effects of Sm. Among M2
      macrophage markers, Arg-1 and Ym1, but not Retnla, remained up-regulated in the
      pancreatic lymph nodes and in the spleens of STAT6/IL-10 double deficient (DKO)
      mice. Collectively, it is suggested that Sm exerts anti-diabetic effects on this
      experimental T1D model via Treg/IL-4/IL-13/IL-10-independent mechanisms.
      Augmented expressions of Arg-1 and Ym1 in the lymphoid organs adjacent to
      pancreas may be relevant to the anti-diabetic effects of Sm.

PMID- 28363779
TI  - Genome-wide analysis and expression profiling of the GRF gene family in oilseed
      rape (Brassica napus L.).
AB  - Growth regulating-factors (GRFs) are plant-specific transcription factors that
      help regulate plant growth and development. Genome-wide identification and
      evolutionary analyses of GRF gene families have been performed in Arabidopsis
      thaliana, Zea mays, Oryza sativa, and Brassica rapa, but a comprehensive analysis
      of the GRF gene family in oilseed rape (Brassica napus) has not yet been
      reported. In the current study, we identified 35 members of the BnGRF family in
      B. napus. We analyzed the chromosomal distribution, phylogenetic relationships
      (Bayesian Inference and Neighbor Joining method), gene structures, and motifs of
      the BnGRF family members, as well as the cis-acting regulatory elements in their
      promoters. We also analyzed the expression patterns of 15 randomly selected BnGRF
      genes in various tissues and in plant varieties with different harvest indices
      and gibberellic acid (GA) responses. The expression levels of BnGRFs under GA
      treatment suggested the presence of possible negative feedback regulation. The
      evolutionary patterns and expression profiles of BnGRFs uncovered in this study
      increase our understanding of the important roles played by these genes in
      oilseed rape.

PMID- 28363780
TI  - miR-199a-5p and miR-495 target GRP78 within UPR pathway of lung cancer.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: Non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) is the most common subtype of
      lung cancer. One of the signal transduction pathways related to NSCLC is Unfolded
      Protein Response (UPR), which is mainly regulated by GRP78 (HSPA5, Gene ID:
      3309). The aim of this study was to employ bioinformatics tools to predict
      microRNAs (miRNAs) affecting GRP78 expression, experimentally validate
      interaction of these miRNAs with GRP78 and also evaluating the expression
      correlation of GRP78 and its predicted miRNAs in clinical samples. MATERIALS AND
      METHODS: Various software were used to predict miRNAs that simultaneously target
      all upstream and downstream components of GRP78 in the UPR, as well as the main
      components of PI3K/AKT, MAPK, ErbB and calcium pathways. For experimental
      analysis, 36 pairs of Formalin-Fixed Paraffin-Embedded (FFPE) lung tumor and non
      tumor tissue samples were obtained. Additionally, A549 and QU-DB lung cancer cell
      lines were used for expression determination of GRP78 and its predicted targeting
      miRNAs. We also employed a luciferase assay to evaluate interactions between
      candidate miRNAs with the 3'-UTR of GRP78. RESULTS: hsa-miR-495 and hsa-miR-199
      5p were chosen based on several criteria including thermodynamic binding features
      of miRNAs to the target transcripts, number of recognition sites, and
      conservation of binding sites within the 3'-UTR of GRP78. RT-qPCR data revealed a
      significant up-regulation of GRP78 (3.87 times, P=0.002) and down-regulation of
      miR-199a-5p (0.13 times, P=0.0001) and miR-495 (0.085 times, P=0.0001) in tumor
      samples. Luciferase assay confirmed an interaction of hsa-miR-199a-5p and hsa-miR
      495 with the 3'-UTR of GRP78 transcript. In addition, over-expression and
      competitive inhibition of the aforementioned miRNAs, significantly altered the
      expression of GRP78 and spliced XBP1 level. CONCLUSION: Our data revealed a
      significant up-regulation of GRP78 and a concomitant down-regulation of miR-495
      and miR-199a-5p in NSCLC. Accordingly, our data suggest a causative role for miR
      199-5p and miR-495 in tumorgenesis of lung and probably other cancer types.

PMID- 28363781
TI  - Hyperpolarization-activated current Ih in mouse trigeminal sensory neurons in a
      transgenic mouse model of familial hemiplegic migraine type-1.
AB  - Transgenic knock-in (KI) mice that express CaV2.1 channels containing an R192Q
      gain-of-function mutation in the alpha1A subunit known to cause familial
      hemiplegic migraine type-1 in patients, exhibit key disease characteristics and
      provide a useful tool to investigate pathophysiological mechanisms of pain
      transduction. Previously, KI trigeminal sensory neurons were shown to exhibit
      constitutive hyperexcitability due to up-regulation of ATP-gated P2X3 receptors
      that trigger spike activity at a more negative threshold. This implies that
      intrinsic neuronal conductances may shape action potential generation in response
      to ATP, which could act as a mediator of migraine headache. Here we investigated
      whether the hyperpolarization-activated conductance Ih, mediated by
      hyperpolarization activated cyclic nucleotide-gated channels (HCN), contributes
      to sub-threshold behavior and firing in wild-type (WT) and KI trigeminal ganglia
      (TG) neurons. Whereas most WT and KI trigeminal neurons expressed Ih current,
      blocked by the specific inhibitor ZD7288, it was smaller in KI neurons despite
      similar activation and deactivation kinetics. HCN1 and HCN2 were the most
      abundantly expressed subunits in TG, both in situ and in culture. In KI TG
      neurons, HCN2 subunits were predominantly present in the cytoplasm, not at the
      plasma membrane, likely accounting for the smaller Ih of such cells. ZD7288
      hyperpolarized the membrane potential, thereby raising the firing threshold, and
      prolonging the spike trajectory to generate fewer spikes due to P2X3 receptor
      activation. The low amplitude of Ih in KI TG neurons suggests that down
      regulation of Ih current in sub-threshold behavior acts as a compensatory
      mechanism to limit sensory hyperexcitability, manifested under certain stressful
      stimuli.

PMID- 28363783
TI  - Depletion of rostral ventrolateral medullary catecholaminergic neurons impairs
      the hypoxic ventilatory response in conscious rats.
AB  - The stimuli that commonly activate the catecholaminergic C1 neurons (nociception,
      hypotension, and hypoxia) also increase breathing. Pharmacogenetic evidence
      suggests that catecholaminergic neurons regulate breathing. Therefore, we
      evaluated whether the loss of C1 cells affects cardiorespiratory control during
      resting, hypoxic (8% O2) and hypercapnic (7% CO2) conditions. A bilateral
      injection of the immunotoxin anti-dopamine beta-hydroxylase-saporin (anti-DbetaH
      SAP; 2.4ng/100nl) or saline was performed in adult male Wistar rats (270-300g,
      N=5-8/group). Histology revealed a 60-75% loss of C1 neurons in anti-DbetaH-SAP
      treated rats, but no significant changes or C1 cell loss was observed in sham
      treated rats or those with off-target injection sites. Bilateral depletion of C1
      neurons did not alter cardiorespiratory variables during rest and hypercapnia (7%
      CO2), but it did affect the response to hypoxia. Specifically, the increase in
      ventilation, the number of sighs, and the tachycardia were reduced, but
      unexpectedly, the mean arterial pressure increased during hypoxia (8% O2). The
      present study indicates that C1 neurons contribute to cardiorespiratory control
      during hypoxia rather than at rest or during hypercapnia.

PMID- 28363782
TI  - Fyn regulates multipolar-bipolar transition and neurite morphogenesis of
      migrating neurons in the developing neocortex.
AB  - Fyn is a non-receptor protein tyrosine kinase that belongs to Src family kinases.
      Fyn plays a critical role in neuronal migration, but the mechanism remains
      unclear. Here, we reported that suppression of Fyn expression in mouse cerebral
      cortex led to migration defects of both early-born and late-born neurons.
      Morphological analysis showed that loss of Fyn function impaired multipolar
      bipolar transition of newly generated neurons and neurite formation in the early
      phase of migration. Moreover, Fyn inhibition increased the length of leading
      process and decreased the branching number of the migrating cortical neurons.
      Together, these results indicate that Fyn controls neuronal migration by
      regulating the cytoskeletal dynamics and multipolar-bipolar transition of newly
      generated neurons during cortical development.

PMID- 28363784
TI  - The effect of cannabinoid receptor 1 blockade on hepatic free fatty acid profile
      in mice with nonalcoholic fatty liver disease.
AB  - We used rimonabant to investigate the role of CB1 receptor on hepatic FFAs
      profile during NAFLD. Male mice C57BL/6 were divided into: control group fed with
      control diet 20 weeks (C; n=6); group fed with HFD 20 weeks (HF; n=6); group fed
      with control diet and treated with rimonabant after 18 weeks (R; n=9); group fed
      with HFD and treated with rimonabant after 18 weeks (HFR; n=10). Rimonabant
      (10mg/kg) was administered daily to HFR and R group by oral gavage. Rimonabant
      decreased liver palmitic acid proportion in HFR group compared to HF group
      (p<0.05). Liver stearic and oleic acid proportions were decreased in R group
      compared to control (p<0.01 respectively). Rimonabant increased liver linoleic
      and arachidonic acid proportions in HFR group compared to HF group (p<0.01
      respectively). CB1 blockade may be useful in the treatment of HFD-induced NAFLD
      due to modulation of plasma lipid and hepatic FFA profile.

PMID- 28363785
TI  - Targeted delivery of hyaluronic acid to the ocular surface by a polymer-peptide
      conjugate system for dry eye disease.
AB  - : Hyaluronic acid (HA) solutions effectively lubricate the ocular surface and are
      used for the relief of dry eye related symptoms. However, HA undergoes rapid
      clearance due to limited adhesion, which necessitates frequent instillation.
      Conversely, highly viscous artificial tear formulations with HA blur vision and
      interfere with blinking. Here, we developed an HA-eye drop formulation that
      selectively binds and retains HA for extended periods of time on the ocular
      surface. We synthesized a heterobifunctional polymer-peptide system with one end
      binding HA while the other end binding either sialic acid-containing glycosylated
      transmembrane molecules on the ocular surface epithelium, or type I collagen
      molecule within the tissue matrix. HA solution was mixed with the polymer-peptide
      system and tested on both ex vivo and in vivo models to determine its ability to
      prolong HA retention. Furthermore, rabbit ocular surface tissues treated with
      binding peptides and HA solutions demonstrated superior lubrication with reduced
      kinetic friction coefficients compared to tissues treated with conventional HA
      solution. The results suggest that binding peptide-based solution can keep the
      ocular surface enriched with HA for prolonged times as well as keep it
      lubricated. Therefore, this system can be further developed into a more effective
      treatment for dry eye patients than a standard HA eye drop. STATEMENT OF
      SIGNIFICANCE: Eye drop formulations containing HA are widely used to lubricate
      the ocular surface and relieve dry eye related symptoms, however its low
      residence time remains a challenge. We designed a polymer-peptide system for the
      targeted delivery of HA to the ocular surface using sialic acid or type I
      collagen as anchors for HA immobilization. The addition of the polymer-peptide
      system to HA eye drop exhibited a reduced friction coefficient, and it can keep
      the ocular surface enriched with HA for prolonged time. This system can be
      further developed into a more effective treatment for dry eye than a standard HA
      eye drop.

PMID- 28363786
TI  - Non-invasive monitoring of in vivo degradation of a radiopaque thermoreversible
      hydrogel and its efficacy in preventing post-operative adhesions.
AB  - : In vivo behavior of hydrogel-based biomaterials is very important for rational
      design of hydrogels for various biomedical applications. Herein, we developed a
      facile method for in situ fabrication of radiopaque hydrogel. An iodinated
      functional diblock copolymer of poly(ethylene glycol) and aliphatic polyester was
      first synthesized by coupling the hydroxyl end of the diblock copolymer with
      2,3,5-triiodobenzoic acid (TIB) and then a radiopaque thermoreversible hydrogel
      was obtained by mixing it with the virgin diblock copolymer. A concentrated
      aqueous solution of the copolymer blend was injectable at room temperature and
      spontaneously turned into an in situ hydrogel at body temperature after
      injection. The introduction of TIB moieties affords the capacity of X-ray
      opacity, enabling in vivo visualization of the hydrogel using Micro-CT. A rat
      model with cecum and abdominal defects was utilized to evaluate the efficacy of
      the radiopaque hydrogel in the prevention of post-operative adhesions, and a
      significant reduction of the post-operative adhesion formation was confirmed.
      Meanwhile, the maintenance of the radiopaque hydrogel in the abdomen after
      administration was non-destructively detected via Micro-CT scanning. The
      reconstructed three-dimensional images showed that the radiopaque hydrogel with
      an irregular morphology was located on the injured abdominal wall. The time
      dependent profile of the volume of the radiopaque hydrogel determined by Micro-CT
      imaging was well consistent with the trend obtained from the dissection
      observation. Therefore, the radiopaque thermoreversible hydrogel can serve as a
      potential visualized biomedical implant and this practical mixing approach is
      also useful for further extension into the in vivo monitoring of other
      biomaterials. STATEMENT OF SIGNIFICANCE: While a variety of biomaterials have
      been extensively studied, it is rare to monitor in vivo degradation and medical
      efficacy of a material after being implanted deeply into the body. Herein, the
      radiopaque thermoreversible hydrogel developed by us not only holds desirable
      performance on the prevention of post-operative abdominal adhesions, but also
      allows non-invasive monitoring of its in vivo degradation with CT imaging in a
      real-time, quantitative and three-dimensional manner. The methodology based on CT
      imaging provides important insights into the in vivo fate of the hydrogel after
      being deeply implanted into mammals for different biomedical applications and
      significantly reduces the amount of animals sacrificed.

PMID- 28363787
TI  - Comparative analysis of biological effect of corannulene and graphene on
      developmental and sleep/wake profile of zebrafish larvae.
AB  - : Little is known about the biological effect of non-planar polycyclic aromatic
      hydrocarbons (PAH) such as corannulene on organisms. In this study, we compared
      the effect of corannulene (non-planar PAH) and graphene (planar PAH) on embryonic
      development and sleep/wake behaviors of larval zebrafish. First, the toxicity of
      graded doses of corannulene (1, 10, and 50MUg/mL) was tested in developing
      zebrafish embryos. Corannulene showed minimal developmental toxicity only induced
      an epiboly delay. Further, a significant decrease in locomotion/increase in sleep
      was observed in larvae treated with the highest dose (50MUg/mL) of corannulene
      while no significant locomotion alterations were induced by graphene. Finally,
      the effect of corannulene or graphene on the hypocretin (hcrt) system and
      sleep/wake regulators such as hcrt, hcrt G-protein coupled receptor (hcrtr), and
      arylalkylamine N-acetyltransferase-2 (aanat2) was evaluated. Corannulene
      increased sleep and reduced locomotor activity and the expression of hcrt and
      hcrtr mRNA while graphene did not obviously disturb the sleep behavior and gene
      expression patterns. These results suggest that the corannulene has the potential
      to cause hypnosis-like behavior in larvae and provides a fundamental comparative
      understanding of the effects of corannulene and graphene on biology systems.
      STATEMENT OF SIGNIFICANCE: Little is known about the biological effect of non
      planar polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) such as corannulene on organisms.
      Here, we compare the effect of corannulene (no-planar PAH) and graphene (planar
      PAH) on embryonic development and sleep/wake behaviors of larval zebrafish. And
      we aim to investigate the effect of curvature on biological system. First,
      toxicity of corannulene over the range of doses (1MUg/mL, 10MUg/mL and 50MUg/mL)
      was tested in developing zebrafish embryos. Corannulene has minimal developmental
      toxicity, only incurred epiboly delay. Subsequently, a significant decrease in
      locomotion/increase in sleep at the highest dose (50MUg/mL) was detected in
      corannulene treated larvae while no significant locomotion alterations was
      induced by graphene. Finally, the impact of corannulene or graphene on hypocretin
      system and sleep/wake regulator such as hcrt, hcrtr and aanat2 was evaluated.
      Corannulene increased sleep, reduced locomotor activity and the expression of
      hcrt and hcrtr mRNA while graphene did not obviously disturb the sleep behaviors
      and gene expression patterns. This result may indicate the potential effect of
      corannulene to cause hypnosia-like behavior in larvae and provide the fundamental
      understanding for the biological effect of curvature on biology system.

PMID- 28363788
TI  - Mesenchymal stem cell fate following non-viral gene transfection strongly depends
      on the choice of delivery vector.
AB  - : Controlling the phenotype of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) through the delivery
      of regulatory genes is a promising strategy in tissue engineering (TE). Essential
      to effective gene delivery is the choice of gene carrier. Non-viral delivery
      vectors have been extensively used in TE, however their intrinsic effects on MSC
      differentiation remain poorly understood. The objective of this study was to
      investigate the influence of three different classes of non-viral gene delivery
      vectors: (1) cationic polymers (polyethylenimine, PEI), (2) inorganic
      nanoparticles (nanohydroxyapatite, nHA) and (3) amphipathic peptides (RALA
      peptide) on modulating stem cell fate after reporter and therapeutic gene
      delivery. Despite facilitating similar reporter gene transfection efficiencies,
      these nanoparticle-based vectors had dramatically different effects on MSC
      viability, cytoskeletal morphology and differentiation. After reporter gene
      delivery (pGFP or pLUC), the nHA and RALA vectors supported an elongated MSC
      morphology, actin stress fibre formation and the development of mature focal
      adhesions, while cells appeared rounded and less tense following PEI
      transfection. These changes in MSC morphology correlated with enhanced
      osteogenesis following nHA and RALA transfection and adipogenesis following PEI
      transfection. When therapeutic genes encoding for transforming growth factor beta
      3 (TGF-beta3) and/or bone morphogenic protein 2 (BMP2) were delivered to MSCs,
      nHA promoted osteogenesis in 2D culture and the development of an endochondral
      phenotype in 3D culture, while RALA was less osteogenic and appeared to promote a
      more stable hyaline cartilage-like phenotype. In contrast, PEI failed to induce
      robust osteogenesis or chondrogenesis of MSCs, despite effective therapeutic
      protein production. Taken together, these results demonstrate that the
      differentiation of MSCs through the application of non-viral gene delivery
      strategies depends not only on the gene delivered, but also on the gene carrier
      itself. STATEMENT OF SIGNIFICANCE: Nanoparticle-based non-viral gene delivery
      vectors have been extensively used in regenerative medicine, however their
      intrinsic effects on mesenchymal stem cell (MSC) differentiation remain poorly
      understood. This paper demonstrates that different classes of commonly used non
      viral vectors are not inert and they have a strong effect on cell morphology,
      stress fiber formation and gene transcription in MSCs, which in turn modulates
      their capacity to differentiate towards osteogenic, adipogenic and chondrogenic
      lineages. These results also point to the need for careful and tissue-specific
      selection of nanoparticle-based delivery vectors to prevent undesired phenotypic
      changes and off-target effects when delivering therapeutic genes to damaged or
      diseased tissues.

PMID- 28363789
TI  - pH-responsive pHLIP (pH low insertion peptide) nanoclusters of superparamagnetic
      iron oxide nanoparticles as a tumor-selective MRI contrast agent.
AB  - : Superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles (SPION) are contrast agents used for
      noninvasive tumor magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). SPION with active targeting
      by tumor-specific ligands can effectively enhance the MRI sensitivity and
      specificity of tumors. However, the challenge remains when the tumor specific
      markers are yet to be determined, especially in the case of early tumor
      detection. In this study, the effectiveness of pH-responsive SPION via a pH low
      insertion peptide (pHLIP) to target tumor acidic microenvironments was
      investigated. Polylysine polymers were first successfully modified with pHLIP to
      have the pH-responsive capability. SPION pHLIP nanoclusters of 64, 82, 103, and
      121nm size were then assembled by the pH-responsive polymers in a size-controlled
      manner. The pH-responsive SPION nanoclusters of the 64nm size exhibited the most
      effective pH-responsive retention in cells and tumor selective imaging in MRI.
      More importantly, the unique contrast enhancement of tumor inner core by the pH
      responsive SPION in three different tumor models demonstrated the clinical
      potential to target tumor acidic microenvironment through pHLIP for tumor early
      detection and diagnosis by MRI. STATEMENT OF SIGNIFICANCE: Detection and
      diagnosis of tumors at early stage are critical for the improvement of the
      survival rate of cancer patients. However, the challenge remains when the tumor
      specific markers are yet to be determined, especially in early tumor detection.
      pH low insertion peptide (pHLIP) has been used as a specific ligand to target the
      tumor acidic microenvironment for tumors at early and metastatic stages.
      Superparamagnetic iron nanoparticles (SPION) are contrast enhancing agents used
      in the noninvasive magnetic resonance imaging for tumors. This research has
      demonstrated that pH-responsive pHLIP nanoclusters of SPION were able to target
      different tumors and facilitate the noninvasive diagnosis of tumors by MRI.

PMID- 28363791
TI  - Inhibition of long noncoding RNA BDNF-AS rescues cell death and apoptosis in
      hypoxia/reoxygenation damaged murine cardiomyocyte.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Hypoxia/reoxygenation (H/R)-induced cardiomyocyte damage in vitro
      bears many similarities to myocardial infraction in vivo. In this study, we
      investigated whether long noncoding RNA (lncRNA) BDNF-AS has functional role in
      rescuing H/R-induced damage in cardiomyocyte in vitro. METHOD: Murine neonatal
      cardiomyocytes were cultured in vitro, and treated with either long (Hypoxia (L))
      or short (Hypoxia (S)) H/R conditions. Viability and TUNEL assays were conducted
      to assess cardiomyocyte death or apoptosis. QRT-PCR was used to examine BDNF-AS
      mRNA expression. Endogenous BDNF-AS was downregulated by siRNA in cardiomyocyte.
      Its effect on H/R-induced cardiomyocyte damage was then examined. In addition,
      survival-associated proteins, including BDNF, VEGF and Akt were examined by
      western blot in siRNA-transfected cardiomyocytes. RESULTS: Hypoxia (S) induced
      apoptosis whereas Hypoxia (L) induced cell death in murine neonatal cardiomyocyte
      in vitro. Under both conditions, endogenous cardiomyocyte BDNF-AS was
      significantly upregulated. SiRNA-mediated BDNF-AS downregulation rescued
      cardiomyocyte death under Hypoxia (L) condition, and reduced cardiomyocyte
      apoptosis under Hypoxia (L) condition. Moreover, BDNF-AS downregulation activated
      BDNF and VEGF through upregulation, and activated Akt through phosphorylation in
      H/R-damaged cardiomyocyte. CONCLUSION: Inhibition of lncRNA BDNF-AS may be an
      efficient way to rescue cardiomyocyte from H/R-induced apoptosis or cell death.

PMID- 28363790
TI  - A fungal catalase reacts selectively with the 13S fatty acid hydroperoxide
      products of the adjacent lipoxygenase gene and exhibits 13S-hydroperoxide
      dependent peroxidase activity.
AB  - The genome of the fungal plant pathogen Fusarium graminearum harbors six
      catalases, one of which has the sequence characteristics of a fatty acid peroxide
      metabolizing catalase. We cloned and expressed this hemoprotein (designated as Fg
      cat) along with its immediate neighbor, a 13S-lipoxygenase (cf. Brodhun et al.,
      PloS One, e64919, 2013) that we considered might supply a fatty acid
      hydroperoxide substrate. Indeed, Fg-cat reacts abruptly with the 13S
      hydroperoxide of linoleic acid (13S-HPODE) with an initial rate of 700-1300s-1.
      By comparison there was no reaction with 9R- or 9S-HPODEs and extremely weak
      reaction with 13R-HPODE (~0.5% of the rate with 13S-HPODE). Although we
      considered Fg-cat as a candidate for the allene oxide synthase of the jasmonate
      pathway in fungi, the main product formed from 13S-HPODE was identified by UV,
      MS, and NMR as 9-oxo-10E-12,13-cis-epoxy-octadecenoic acid (with no traces of AOS
      activity). The corresponding analog is formed from the 13S-hydroperoxide of alpha
      linolenic acid along with novel diepoxy-ketones and two C13 aldehyde derivatives,
      the reaction mechanisms of which are proposed. In a peroxidase assay monitoring
      the oxidation of ABTS, Fg-cat exhibited robust activity (kcat 550s-1) using the
      13S-hydroperoxy-C18 fatty acids as the oxidizing co-substrate. There was no
      detectable peroxidase activity using the corresponding 9S-hydroperoxides, nor
      with t-butyl hydroperoxide, and very weak activity with H2O2 or cumene
      hydroperoxide at micromolar concentrations of Fg-cat. Fg-cat and the associated
      lipoxygenase gene are present together in fungal genera Fusarium, Metarhizium and
      Fonsecaea and appear to constitute a partnership for oxidations in fungal
      metabolism or defense.

PMID- 28363792
TI  - Analysing the outcome of CRISPR-aided genome editing in embryos: Screening,
      genotyping and quality control.
AB  - The application of CRISPR/Cas9 technology has revolutionised genetics by greatly
      enhancing the efficacy of genome editing in the early embryo. Furthermore, the
      system has enabled the generation of allele types previously incompatible with in
      vivo mutagenesis. Despite its versatility and ease of implementation, CRISPR/Cas9
      editing outcome is unpredictable and can generate mosaic founders. Therefore,
      careful genotyping and characterisation of new mutants is proving essential. The
      literature presents a wide range of protocols for molecular characterisation,
      each representing different levels of investment. We present strategies and
      protocols for designing, producing and screening CRISPR/Cas9 edited founders and
      genotyping their offspring according to desired allele type (indel, point
      mutation and deletion).

PMID- 28363793
TI  - Adiponectin: Serum-saliva associations and relations with oral and systemic
      markers of inflammation.
AB  - This study addresses gaps in our understanding about the validity and utility of
      using salivary adiponectin to index serum adiponectin levels. Matched blood and
      saliva samples were collected on a single occasion from healthy adults (n=99; age
      18-36 years, 53% male). Serum and saliva was assayed for adiponectin and
      inflammatory cytokines (IL-1beta, IL-6, IL-8, TNFalpha), and saliva was also
      assayed for markers of blood contamination (transferrin), total protein (salivary
      flow rate) and matrix metalloproteinase-8 (MMP-8). We examined the extent to
      which salivary adiponectin was associated with serum adiponectin, and the
      influence of potential confounders on the serum-saliva correlation, including
      age, sex, body mass index, and markers of inflammation, oral health, salivary
      blood contamination, and flow rate. Findings revealed a modest serum-saliva
      association for adiponectin, and strong positive associations between salivary
      adiponectin and salivary levels of inflammatory cytokines, MMP-8, transferrin,
      and total protein. By contrast, salivary adiponectin was not related to serum
      levels of inflammatory activity. The magnitude of the serum-saliva association
      was strengthened when controlling for total protein in saliva, blood leakage into
      oral fluid, salivary inflammatory cytokines, and MMP-8. The pattern of findings
      extends our understanding of salivary adiponectin and its potential use as an
      index of circulating adiponectin levels.

PMID- 28363794
TI  - Adaptive evolution of insect selective excitatory beta-type sodium channel
      neurotoxins from scorpion venom.
AB  - Insect selective excitatory beta-type sodium channel neurotoxins from scorpion
      venom (beta-NaScTxs) are composed of about 70-76 amino acid residues and share a
      common scaffold stabilized by four unique disulfide bonds. The phylogenetic
      analysis of these toxins was hindered by limited sequence data. In our recent
      study, two new insect selective excitatory beta-NaScTxs, LmIT and ImIT, were
      isolated from Lychas mucronatus and Isometrus maculatus, respectively. With the
      sequences previously reported, we examined the adaptive molecular evolution of
      insect selective excitatory beta-NaScTxs by estimating the nonsynonymous-to
      synonymous rate ratio (omega=dN/dS). The results revealed 12 positively selected
      sites in the genes of insect selective excitatory beta-NaScTxs. Moreover, these
      positively selected sites match well with the sites important for interacting
      with sodium channels, as demonstrated in previous mutagenesis study. These
      results reveal that adaptive evolution after gene duplication is one of the most
      important genetic mechanisms of scorpion neurotoxin diversification.

PMID- 28363795
TI  - Glucagon-like petide-2 acts on colon cancer myofibroblasts to stimulate
      proliferation, migration and invasion of both myofibroblasts and cancer cells via
      the IGF pathway.
AB  - Glucagon-like peptide (GLP)-2 stimulates intestinal epithelial proliferation by
      acting, in part, via IGF release from sub-epithelial myofibroblasts. The response
      of myofibroblasts to GLP-2 remains incompletely understood. We studied the action
      of GLP-2 on myofibroblasts from colon cancer and adjacent tissue, and the effects
      of conditioned medium from these cells on epithelial cell proliferation,
      migration and invasion. GLP-2 stimulated proliferation, migration and invasion of
      myofibroblasts and the proliferative and invasive responses of cancer-associated
      myofibroblasts were greater than those of myofibroblasts from adjacent tissue.
      The responses were inhibited by an IGF receptor inhibitor, AG1024. Conditioned
      medium from GLP-2 treated myofibroblasts increased proliferation, migration and
      invasion of SW480, HT29, LoVo epithelial cells and these responses were inhibited
      by AG1024; GLP-2 alone had no effect on these cells. In addition, when
      myofibroblasts and epithelial cells were co-cultured in Ibidi chambers there was
      mutual stimulation of migration in response to GLP-2. The latter increased both
      IGF-1 and IGF-2 transcript abundance in myofibroblasts. Moreover, a number of IGF
      binding proteins (IGFBP-4, -5, -7) were identified in myofibroblast medium; in
      the presence of GLP-2 there was increased abundance of the cleavage products of
      IGBBP-4 and IGFBP-5 suggesting activation of a degradation mechanism that might
      increase IGF bioavailability. The data suggest that GLP-2 stimulates cancer
      myofibroblast proliferation, migration and invasion; GLP-2 acts indirectly on
      epithelial cells partly via increased IGF expression in myofibroblasts and
      partly, perhaps, by increased bioavailability through degradation of IGFBPs.

PMID- 28363796
TI  - Structure-constrained endomorphin analogs display differential antinociceptive
      mechanisms in mice after spinal administration.
AB  - We previously reported a series of novel endomorphin analogs with unnatural amino
      acid modifications. These analogs display good binding affinity and functional
      activity toward the MU opioid receptor (MOP). In the present study, we further
      investigated the spinal antinociceptive activity of these compounds. The analogs
      were potent in several nociceptive models. Opioid antagonists and antibodies
      against several endogenous opioid peptides were used to determine the mechanisms
      of action of these peptides. Intrathecal pretreatment with naloxone and beta
      funaltrexamine (beta-FNA) effectively inhibited analog-induced analgesia,
      demonstrating that activity of the analogs is regulated primarily through MOP.
      Antinociception induced by analog 2 through 4 was not reversed by delta opioid
      receptor (DOP) or kappa opioid receptor (KOP) antagonist; antibodies against
      dynorphin-A (1-17), dynorphin-B (1-13), and Leu5/Met5-enkephalin had no impact on
      the antinociceptive effects of these analogs. In contrast, antinociceptive
      effects induced by a spinal injection of the fluorine substituted analog 1 were
      significantly reversed by KOP antagonism. Furthermore, intrathecal pretreatment
      with antibodies against dynorphin-B (1-13) attenuated the antinociceptive effect
      of analog 1. These results indicate that the antinociceptive activity exerted by
      intrathecally-administered analog 1 is mediated, in part, through KOP with
      increased release of dynorphin-B (1-13). The chemical modifications used in the
      present study may serve as a useful tool to gain insight into the mechanisms of
      endomorphins activity.

PMID- 28363797
TI  - Scavenger receptor class B member 1 (SCARB1) variants modulate hepatitis C virus
      replication cycle and viral load.
AB  - BACKGROUND & AIMS: There are numerous coding and non-coding variants in the
      SCARB1 gene that encodes scavenger receptor class B member 1 (SR-BI), a key
      receptor for both high density lipoproteins and hepatitis C virus (HCV). Many
      have been linked to clinical phenotypes, yet their impact on the HCV replication
      cycle is incompletely understood. The aim of this study was to analyze the impact
      of these variants on the molecular biology and clinical course of HCV. METHODS:
      We analyzed key coding non-synonymous as well as non-coding SCARB1 variants using
      virological in vitro and human genetics approaches. RESULTS: Non-synonymous
      variants: S112F and T175A have greatly reduced HCV receptor function. When
      present on the cell surface, these variants are impaired in their ability to
      interact with HCV E2. Non-coding variants: The G allele in rs3782287 is
      associated with decreased viral load. Haplotype analysis confirmed these findings
      and identified haplotype rs3782287 A/rs5888 C as a risk allele associated with
      increased viral load. We also detected a trend towards lower hepatic SR-BI
      expression in individuals with the rs3782287 GG genotype associated with low
      viral load suggesting a potential underlying mechanism. CONCLUSION: Coding and
      non-coding genetic SCARB1 variants modulate the HCV replication cycle and
      possibly clinical features of hepatitis C. These findings underscore the
      relevance of SR-BI as an HCV receptor and contribute to our understanding of
      inter-individual variation in HCV infection. LAY SUMMARY: The cell surface
      receptor SR-BI (scavenger receptor class B member 1), is essential for hepatitis
      C virus (HCV) entry into hepatocytes. Variations in the gene coding this receptor
      influence infectivity and viral load. We analyzed these variations to gain a
      better understanding of inter-individual differences over the course of HCV
      infection.

PMID- 28363798
TI  - How to unveil chronic respiratory diseases in clinical practice? A model of
      alliance between general practitioners and pulmonologists.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: Asthma and COPD are under-diagnosed and undertreated in adult
      populations, mainly due to the discrepancy between guideline recommendations and
      clinicians' practices. One of the reasons of this discrepancy is the difficulty
      encountered in real life in sharing the management of chronic respiratory
      diseases between general practitioners (GPs) and respiratory physicians. METHODS:
      An explorative, population-based investigation was performed to test whether, and
      to what extent, an active collaboration between GPs and pulmonologists increases
      the diagnosis and proper treatment of chronic obstructive airway diseases. The
      "COPD action" involved an in-house intervention by pulmonologists who trained GPs
      on how to diagnose the disease and interpret the spirometry, yielding a final
      agreed diagnosis. RESULTS: A total of 210 subjects (M/F: 156/54; age: 62.5 +/-
      13.8, mean +/- SD) were consecutively invited by 20 GPs and classified in a)
      healthy, b) symptomatic with no airway obstruction, and 3) affected by chronic
      respiratory diseases. 11% of previously defined "healthy" subjects were diagnosed
      with COPD, and symptomatic subjects were diagnosed with asthma (20%) or COPD
      (23%). In addition, in those who already carried a diagnosis of chronic
      respiratory diseases as judged by GPs, the diagnosis of COPD decreased
      significantly after respiratory specialist intervention (p = 0.001), in favor of
      asthma and chronic bronchitis. Furthermore, following the clinical and lung
      function assessments performed by the respiratory physicians, changes in inhaled
      treatments were statistically significant for each therapeutic category (test
      retest reliability: r = 0.42; p < 0.001). CONCLUSION: In conclusion, the
      collaboration between GPs and pulmonologists based on a pro-active approach to
      the individuals attending the primary care offices followed by an in-house
      intervention by specialists may largely improve the diagnosis and management of
      chronic respiratory diseases.

PMID- 28363800
TI  - How the shapes of seeds can influence pathology.
AB  - It is widely accepted that the loss of function of different cellular proteins
      following their aggregation into highly stable aggregates or the gain of
      pathologic function of the resulting macromolecular assemblies or both processes
      are tightly associated to distinct debilitating neurodegenerative diseases such
      as Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, Creutzfeldt-Jacob, Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis and
      Huntington's diseases. How the aggregation of one given protein leads to distinct
      diseases is unclear. Here, a structural-molecular explanation based on the
      ability of proteins such as alpha-synuclein or tau to form assemblies that differ
      by their intrinsic architecture, stability, seeding capacity, and surfaces is
      proposed to account for distinct synucleinopathies and tauopathies. The shape and
      surfaces of the seeds is proposed to define at the same time their seeding
      capacity, interactome and tropism for defined neuronal cells within the central
      nervous system.

PMID- 28363799
TI  - Neuroserpin polymers cause oxidative stress in a neuronal model of the dementia
      FENIB.
AB  - The serpinopathies are human pathologies caused by mutations that promote
      polymerisation and intracellular deposition of proteins of the serpin
      superfamily, leading to a poorly understood cell toxicity. The dementia FENIB is
      caused by polymerisation of the neuronal serpin neuroserpin (NS) within the
      endoplasmic reticulum (ER) of neurons. With the aim of understanding the toxicity
      due to intracellular accumulation of neuroserpin polymers, we have generated
      transgenic neural progenitor cell (NPC) cultures from mouse foetal cerebral
      cortex, stably expressing the control protein GFP (green fluorescent protein), or
      human wild type, G392E or delta NS. We have characterised these cell lines in the
      proliferative state and after differentiation to neurons. Our results show that
      G392E NS formed polymers that were mostly retained within the ER, while wild type
      NS was correctly secreted as a monomeric protein into the culture medium. Delta
      NS was absent at steady state due to its rapid degradation, but it was easily
      detected upon proteasomal block. Looking at their intracellular distribution,
      wild type NS was found in partial co-localisation with ER and Golgi markers,
      while G392E NS was localised within the ER only. Furthermore, polymers of NS were
      detected by ELISA and immunofluorescence in neurons expressing the mutant but not
      the wild type protein. We used control GFP and G392E NPCs differentiated to
      neurons to investigate which cellular pathways were modulated by intracellular
      polymers by performing RNA sequencing. We identified 747 genes with a significant
      upregulation (623) or downregulation (124) in G392E NS-expressing cells, and we
      focused our attention on several genes involved in the defence against oxidative
      stress that were up-regulated in cells expressing G392E NS (Aldh1b1, Apoe, Gpx1,
      Gstm1, Prdx6, Scara3, Sod2). Inhibition of intracellular anti-oxidants by
      specific pharmacological reagents uncovered the damaging effects of NS polymers.
      Our results support a role for oxidative stress in the cellular toxicity
      underlying the neurodegenerative dementia FENIB.

PMID- 28363801
TI  - Continuous cerebroventricular administration of dopamine: A new treatment for
      severe dyskinesia in Parkinson's disease?
AB  - In Parkinson's disease (PD) depletion of dopamine in the nigro-striatal pathway
      is a main pathological hallmark that requires continuous and focal restoration.
      Current predominant treatment with intermittent oral administration of its
      precursor, Levodopa (l-dopa), remains the gold standard but pharmacological
      drawbacks trigger motor fluctuations and dyskinesia. Continuous
      intracerebroventricular (i.c.v.) administration of dopamine previously failed as
      a therapy because of an inability to resolve the accelerated dopamine oxidation
      and tachyphylaxia. We aim to overcome prior challenges by demonstrating treatment
      feasibility and efficacy of continuous i.c.v. of dopamine close to the striatum.
      Dopamine prepared either anaerobically (A-dopamine) or aerobically (O-dopamine)
      in the presence or absence of a conservator (sodium metabisulfite, SMBS) was
      assessed upon acute MPTP and chronic 6-OHDA lesioning and compared to peripheral
      l-dopa treatment. A-dopamine restored motor function and induced a dose dependent
      increase of nigro-striatal tyrosine hydroxylase positive neurons in mice after
      7days of MPTP insult that was not evident with either O-dopamine or l-dopa. In
      the 6-OHDA rat model, continuous circadian i.c.v. injection of A-dopamine over
      30days also improved motor activity without occurrence of tachyphylaxia. This
      safety profile was highly favorable as A-dopamine did not induce dyskinesia or
      behavioral sensitization as observed with peripheral l-dopa treatment. Indicative
      of a new therapeutic strategy for patients suffering from l-dopa related
      complications with dyskinesia, continuous i.c.v. of A-dopamine has greater
      efficacy in mediating motor impairment over a large therapeutic index without
      inducing dyskinesia and tachyphylaxia.

PMID- 28363802
TI  - Sociocultural Factors Influencing Eating Practices Among Office Workers in Urban
      South Korea.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: To understand the sociocultural factors affecting the eating behaviors
      of South Korean employees. DESIGN: In-depth individual interviews. SETTING: Two
      metropolitan areas of South Korea. PARTICIPANTS: Thirteen male and 9 female
      office workers. PHENOMENON OF INTEREST: The effects of sociocultural factors on
      office workers' eating behaviors. ANALYSIS: The researchers transcribed and
      analyzed audio-recorded interviews using thematic analysis. RESULTS: Among social
      and economic factors, participants with a family described a connection between
      female employment and lower frequency of home-cooked family meals. Working
      parents felt guilty about their need to depend on eating outside the home and
      eating processed foods because of their schedules. In addition, competitive and
      stressful working environments negatively affected workers' nutritional choices.
      Regarding cultural factors, given the powerful influences of collectivism and
      Confucianism on daily life, hierarchy and group harmony clearly had an important
      role in workers' everyday food choices. These included choosing menus that were
      most suitable for group meals and having to miss dinnertime while waiting until
      higher-position workers to leave work in the evening. CONCLUSIONS AND
      IMPLICATIONS: In this sociocultural setting, targeting office workers and
      changing social norms for healthy eating may be more effective than providing
      individualized interventions. These findings may be transferable to other,
      similar Asian countries.

PMID- 28363803
TI  - Testing a Beverage and Fruit/Vegetable Education Intervention in a University
      Dining Hall.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: To test the effect of a nutrition intervention that included education
      and 2 labeling components on students' food choices. DESIGN: Repeat cross
      sectional study taking place on 6 dinner occasions before and 6 afterward.
      SETTING: The study was conducted during dinner meals in a buffet-style dining
      hall in a university campus residence, where students paid a set price and
      consumed all they cared to eat. PARTICIPANTS: University students (n = 368 to
      510) visited the cafeteria on each of the data collection dates. INTERVENTION:
      Fruit and vegetable consumption were encouraged; sugar-sweetened beverage
      consumption was discouraged using physical activity calorie equivalent labeling.
      MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Beverage choices and vegetable/fruit bar visits. ANALYSIS:
      Logistic regression was used to compare the proportion of student who selected
      each beverage, fruit, or vegetable before and after the intervention, while
      controlling for menu and gender as covariates. RESULTS: There was a significant
      decrease in the proportion of students selecting a sugar-sweetened beverage
      before vs after the intervention (49% vs 41%, respectively; P = .004) and an
      increase in students choosing water (43% vs 54%, respectively; P < .001). There
      was a significant increase in students who took fruit after the intervention
      (36%; P < .001) vs before (30%). The number of students visiting the vegetable
      bar significantly increased from 60% to 72% (P < .001). CONCLUSIONS: This
      intervention may be a way to encourage healthy dietary choices in campus dining
      halls.

PMID- 28363804
TI  - Clusters of Healthy and Unhealthy Eating Behaviors Are Associated With Body Mass
      Index Among Adults.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: To identify eating styles from 6 eating behaviors and test their
      association with body mass index (BMI) among adults. DESIGN: Cross-sectional
      analysis of self-report survey data. SETTING: Twelve primary care and specialty
      clinics in 5 states. PARTICIPANTS: Of 11,776 adult patients who consented to
      participate, 9,977 completed survey questions. VARIABLES MEASURED: Frequency of
      eating healthy food, frequency of eating unhealthy food, breakfast frequency,
      frequency of snacking, overall diet quality, and problem eating behaviors. The
      primary dependent variable was BMI, calculated from self-reported height and
      weight data. ANALYSIS: k-Means cluster analysis of eating behaviors was used to
      determine eating styles. A categorical variable representing each eating style
      cluster was entered in a multivariate linear regression predicting BMI,
      controlling for covariates. RESULTS: Four eating styles were identified and
      defined by healthy vs unhealthy diet patterns and engagement in problem eating
      behaviors. Each group had significantly higher average BMI than the healthy
      eating style: healthy with problem eating behaviors (beta = 1.9; P < .001),
      unhealthy (beta = 2.5; P < .001), and unhealthy with problem eating behaviors
      (beta = 5.1; P < .001). CONCLUSIONS AND IMPLICATIONS: Future attempts to improve
      eating styles should address not only the consumption of healthy foods but also
      snacking behaviors and the emotional component of eating.

PMID- 28363805
TI  - Evidence of Cognitive Bias in Decision Making Around Implantable-Cardioverter
      Defibrillators: A Qualitative Framework Analysis.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Studies have demonstrated that patients with primary prevention
      implantable cardioverter-defibrillators (ICDs) often misunderstand the ICD.
      Advances in behavioral economics demonstrate that some misunderstandings may be
      due to cognitive biases. We aimed to explore the influence of cognitive bias on
      ICD decision making. METHODS AND RESULTS: We used a qualitative framework
      analysis including 9 cognitive biases: affect heuristic, affective forecasting,
      anchoring, availability, default effects, halo effects, optimism bias, framing
      effects, and state dependence. We interviewed 48 patients from 4 settings in
      Denver. The majority were male (n = 32). Overall median age was 61 years. We
      found frequent evidence for framing, default, and halo effects; some evidence of
      optimism bias, affect heuristic, state dependence, anchoring and availability
      bias; and little or no evidence of affective forecasting. Framing effects were
      apparent in overestimation of benefits and downplaying or omitting potential
      harms. CONCLUSIONS: We found evidence of cognitive bias in decision making for
      ICD implantation. The majority of these biases appeared to encourage ICD
      treatment.

PMID- 28363807
TI  - Repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation reduces anxiety symptoms, drug
      cravings, and elevates 1H-MRS brain metabolites: A case report.

PMID- 28363806
TI  - Novel role of insulin in the regulation of glucose excretion by mourning doves
      (Zenaida macroura).
AB  - In mammals, insulin primarily lowers plasma glucose (PGlu) by increasing its
      uptake into tissues. Studies have also shown that insulin lowers PGlu in mammals
      by modulating glomerular filtration rate (GFR). Birds have naturally high PGlu
      and, although insulin administration significantly decreases glucose
      concentrations, birds are resistant to insulin-mediated glucose uptake into
      tissues. Since prior work has not examined the effects of insulin on GFR in
      birds, the purpose of the present study was to assess whether insulin can augment
      renal glucose excretion and thereby lower PGlu. Therefore, the hypothesis of the
      present study was that insulin lowers PGlu in birds by augmenting GFR, as
      estimated by inulin clearance (CIn). Adult mourning doves (Zenaida macroura) were
      used as experimental animals. Doves were anesthetized and the brachial vein was
      cannulated for administration of [14C]-inulin and insulin and the brachial artery
      was cannulated for blood collections. Ureteral urine was collected via a catheter
      inserted into the cloaca. Ten minutes following administration of exogenous
      insulin (400MUg/kg body mass, i.v.) plasma glucose was significantly decreased
      (p=0.0003). Twenty minutes following insulin administration, increases in GFR
      (p=0.016) were observed along with decreases in urine glucose concentrations
      (p=0.008), glucose excretion (p=0.028), and the fractional excretion of glucose
      (p=0.003). Urine flow rate (p=0.051) also tended to increase after administration
      of insulin. These data demonstrate a significant role for insulin in modulating
      GFR in mourning doves, which may in part explain the lower PGlu measured
      following insulin administration.

PMID- 28363809
TI  - Vaginismus Treatment: Clinical Trials Follow Up 241 Patients.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: Vaginismus is mostly unknown among clinicians and women. Vaginismus
      causes women to have fear, anxiety, and pain with penetration attempts. AIM: To
      present a large cohort of patients based on prior published studies approved by
      an institutional review board and the Food and Drug Administration using a
      comprehensive multimodal vaginismus treatment program to treat the physical and
      psychologic manifestations of women with vaginismus and to record successes,
      failures, and untoward effects of this treatment approach. METHODS: Assessment of
      vaginismus included a comprehensive pretreatment questionnaire, the Female Sexual
      Function Index (FSFI), and consultation. All patients signed a detailed informed
      consent. Treatment consisted of a multimodal approach including intravaginal
      injections of onabotulinumtoxinA (Botox) and bupivacaine, progressive dilation
      under conscious sedation, indwelling dilator, follow-up and support with office
      visits, phone calls, e-mails, dilation logs, and FSFI reports. MAIN OUTCOME
      MEASURES: Logs noting dilation progression, pain and anxiety scores, time to
      achieve intercourse, setbacks, and untoward effects. Post-treatment FSFI scores
      were compared with preprocedure scores. RESULTS: One hundred seventy-one patients
      (71%) reported having pain-free intercourse at a mean of 5.1 weeks (median =
      2.5). Six patients (2.5%) were unable to achieve intercourse within a 1-year
      period after treatment and 64 patients (26.6%) were lost to follow-up. The change
      in the overall FSFI score measured at baseline, 3 months, 6 months, and 1 year
      was statistically significant at the 0.05 level. Three patients developed mild
      temporary stress incontinence, two patients developed a short period of temporary
      blurred vision, and one patient developed temporary excessive vaginal dryness.
      All adverse events resolved by approximately 4 months. One patient required
      retreatment followed by successful coitus. CONCLUSION: A multimodal program that
      treated the physical and psychologic aspects of vaginismus enabled women to
      achieve pain-free intercourse as noted by patient communications and serial
      female sexual function studies. Further studies are indicated to better
      understand the individual components of this multimodal treatment program. Pacik
      PT, Geletta S. Vaginismus Treatment: Clinical Trials Follow Up 241 Patients. Sex
      Med 2017;5:e114-e123.

PMID- 28363808
TI  - Validation of cortical bone mineral density distribution using micro-computed
      tomography.
AB  - Changes in the bone mineral density distribution (BMDD), due to disease or drugs,
      can alter whole bone mechanical properties such as strength, stiffness and
      toughness. The methods currently available for assessing BMDD are destructive and
      two-dimensional. Micro-computed tomography (MUCT) has been used extensively to
      quantify the three-dimensional geometry of bone and to measure the mean degree of
      mineralization, commonly called the tissue mineral density (TMD). The TMD
      measurement has been validated to ash density; however parameters describing the
      frequency distribution of TMD have not yet been validated. In the current study
      we tested the ability of MUCT to estimate six BMDD parameters: mean,
      heterogeneity (assessed by the full-width-at-half-maximum (FWHM) and the
      coefficient of variation (CoV)), the upper and lower 5% cutoffs of the frequency
      distribution, and peak mineralization) in rat sized femoral cortical bone
      samples. We used backscatter scanning electron microscopy (bSEM) as the standard.
      Aluminum and hydroxyapatite phantoms were used to identify optimal scanner
      settings (70kVp, and 57MUA, with a 1500ms integration time). When using
      hydroxyapatite samples that spanned a broad range of mineralization levels, high
      correlations were found between MUCT and bSEM for all BMDD parameters (R2>=0.92,
      p<0.010). When using cortical bone samples from rats and various species machined
      to mimic rat cortical bone geometry, significant correlations between MUCT and
      bSEM were found for mean mineralization (R2=0.65, p<0.001), peak mineralization
      (R2=0.61, p<0.001) the lower 5% cutoff (R2=0.62, p<0.001) and the upper 5% cutoff
      (R2=0.33, p=0.021), but not for heterogeneity, measured by FWHM (R2=0.05,
      p=0.412) and CoV (R2=0.04, p=0.469). Thus, while mean mineralization and most
      parameters used to characterize the BMDD can be assessed with MUCT in rat sized
      cortical bone samples, caution should be used when reporting the heterogeneity.

PMID- 28363811
TI  - Australian consumers' insights into potatoes - Nutritional knowledge, perceptions
      and beliefs.
AB  - BACKGROUND: There has been a decline in the consumption of potatoes in developed
      countries worldwide due to many factors including the introduction of new foods
      and meal trends. In turn, this shift in eating patterns has dramatically affected
      the Australian potato industry which represents the largest horticulture
      contributor to gross food revenue. Many factors may influence consumers' food
      preferences, including the individual's nutrition knowledge, lifestyle factors,
      personal preferences, attitudes and beliefs. The present study aimed to capture
      an understanding of the consumer's level of nutritional knowledge and what
      currently drives consumer decision making. METHODS: Participants aged between 25
      and 54 years responded to an online survey which included 52 questions
      specifically looking at potatoes, nutritional knowledge, views, eating habits and
      lifestyle factors, preferences and beliefs. Questions in the survey included
      multiple choice, rank and scale responses and free answers. RESULTS: A total of
      1208 males and females (males n = 598, females n = 610) were included in the
      final analysis. The results show that the majority (88.5%) of the participants
      consume potatoes (not including hot chips/french fries) 4 times per week or less
      (41.6% <= 1 week; 46.9% 2-4 times/week). Overall, 33% of the participants stated
      that their potato consumption over the last five years had decreased. The main
      reasons stated for this decrease were that potatoes were high in carbohydrates
      (30%) and that starchy vegetables were not a healthy option (23%). CONCLUSIONS:
      Results showed that consumers believe that potatoes are good for all ages, are
      versatile, convenient, good value for money and delicious. However, the results
      indicate the majority of people have limited knowledge regarding the nutrient
      composition of potatoes and associate them negatively with carbohydrates.

PMID- 28363812
TI  - Changes in sucrose and quinine taste reactivity patterns in infant rat pups after
      exposure to the other tastant.
AB  - The taste reactivity test is considered as an objective measure to assess the
      hedonic impact of tastes. Both the appetitive and aversive pattern of responses
      are plastic and can change based on previous experience. The present study
      assessed the repertoire of taste responses elicited by sucrose and quinine in
      preweanling rats, and described changes in these taste reactivity patterns after
      exposure to the other tastant. We exposed infant rats (17 days old at the start
      of training) to sweet (2% sucrose) or bitter (0.01% quinine) tastants during 4,
      10-min trials in two different random sequences. The subjects were weighed before
      and after each trial to provide a measure of percent body weight gained. The
      following taste reactivity responses were registered: duration of mouthing and
      paw lick, frequency of chin rub, head shake and flailing of the forelimbs,
      frequency and duration of face washing, wall climbing and paw tread. The
      consummatory and affective taste responses changed depending on the order in
      which the solutions were administered. The order of exposure to the tastants did
      not affect the levels of sucrose intake. Conversely, rat pups showed more
      ingestive, and fewer aversive, responses to the sweet tastant when access to the
      solution followed the intraoral infusion of quinine. Likewise, intraoral delivery
      of quinine elicited a more aversive taste reactivity pattern when delivered after
      the access to sucrose than when presented to sucrose-naive pups. This research
      contributes to the analysis of taste reactivity responses during the early
      ontogeny of the rat and highlights the importance of previous experiences on the
      subsequent assessment of rewards.

PMID- 28363810
TI  - A Meta-Analysis Detailing Overall Sexual Function and Orgasmic Function in Women
      Undergoing Midurethral Sling Surgery for Stress Incontinence.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: More than 200,000 midurethral slings are placed yearly for stress
      urinary incontinence. Approximately 14% to 20% of women experience worsening
      sexual function overall after these procedures. We postulated that sling
      placement injures neural pathways regulating "female prostate" tissue within the
      anterior vaginal wall. AIM: To perform a meta-analysis for overall sexual
      function and orgasm using validated questionnaires for transvaginal tape,
      transobturator tape, and their variants. METHODS: Effect sizes of preoperative
      and postoperative questionnaire scores for overall sexual function and orgasm
      were calculated. Random-effects models were selected for meta-analyses.
      Statistical analysis involved determination of the ratio of total heterogeneity
      to total variability. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Differences of overall sexual and
      orgasm functions were calculated by subtracting postoperative sling scores from
      preoperative sling scores. Forest plots of effect sizes were performed. RESULTS:
      Sixty-seven percent of midurethral sling procedures analyzed showed no change or
      improvement in overall sexual function postoperatively, whereas 33% of studies
      analyzed for orgasm function showed improvement after the procedure. For
      transvaginal tape, mean total sexual function and orgasm postoperative scores
      were significantly higher than preoperative scores. For transobturator tape, mean
      total postoperative score was significantly higher than the preoperative score;
      however, the mean orgasm postoperative score was not significantly higher than
      the preoperative score, possibly because of variability in transobturator tape
      data. CONCLUSION: There is a discrepancy between postoperative sexual
      satisfaction and orgasmic function after midurethral sling surgery. Although
      overall sexual function remained the same or improved for most women, orgasmic
      function in only one third of cases improved overall, with most women
      experiencing no change or deterioration in orgasmic function. Dissection for, and
      placement of, the midurethral sling can compromise the neural integrity of the
      anterior vaginal wall, thereby detrimentally affecting the periurethral prostate
      tissue that is essential to the orgasmic response. We propose that this surgical
      procedure can compromise orgasmic function in some women. Szell N, Komisaruk B,
      Goldstein SW, et al. A Meta-Analysis Detailing Overall Sexual Function and
      Orgasmic Function in Women Undergoing Midurethral Sling Surgery for Stress
      Incontinence. Sex Med 2017;5:e84-e93.

PMID- 28363813
TI  - The social image of food: Associations between popularity and eating behavior.
AB  - One factor that determines what we eat and why we eat is our social environment.
      In the present research, two online studies examined the relationship between
      food intake and social images. Specifically, the present research assessed the
      relationship between the food intake university students ascribed to peers who
      varied in popularity and own self-reported food intake, and whether this
      relationship was moderated by identification with the peer group. Participants (N
      = 97 in Study 1; N = 402 in Study 2) were randomly presented with one of four
      (Study 1) or two of eight (Study 2) vignettes describing a popular or unpopular
      student (male or female) from their university without receiving any information
      about the peer's eating behavior. Subsequently, healthy and unhealthy eating
      ascribed to the peers and own self-reported eating behavior were assessed.
      Results indicated that popular peers were perceived to eat more healthily than
      unpopular peers. Moreover, eating behavior ascribed to popular peers were
      associated with own healthy and unhealthy eating. Importantly, the relationship
      between healthy eating behavior ascribed to popular peers and own healthy eating
      behavior was moderated by identification with the student group - the more
      participants identified with their peers, the more their own eating was aligned
      with the healthy eating ascribed to a popular peer. Hence, the popularity of
      others seems to shape perceptions of the food they eat and may facilitate healthy
      eating via social influence.

PMID- 28363814
TI  - The impact of video technology on learning: A cooking skills experiment.
AB  - This study examines the role of video technology in the development of cooking
      skills. The study explored the views of 141 female participants on whether video
      technology can promote confidence in learning new cooking skills to assist in
      meal preparation. Prior to each focus group participants took part in a cooking
      experiment to assess the most effective method of learning for low-skilled cooks
      across four experimental conditions (recipe card only; recipe card plus video
      demonstration; recipe card plus video demonstration conducted in segmented
      stages; and recipe card plus video demonstration whereby participants freely
      accessed video demonstrations as and when needed). Focus group findings revealed
      that video technology was perceived to assist learning in the cooking process in
      the following ways: (1) improved comprehension of the cooking process; (2) real
      time reassurance in the cooking process; (3) assisting the acquisition of new
      cooking skills; and (4) enhancing the enjoyment of the cooking process. These
      findings display the potential for video technology to promote motivation and
      confidence as well as enhancing cooking skills among low-skilled individuals
      wishing to cook from scratch using fresh ingredients.

PMID- 28363815
TI  - Proteomic profiling of isogenic primary and metastatic medulloblastoma cell lines
      reveals differential expression of key metastatic factors.
AB  - : Medulloblastoma is the most common malignant brain tumor in children. Around
      30% of medulloblastoma patients are diagnosed with metastasis, which often
      results in a poor prognosis. Unfortunately, molecular mechanisms of
      medulloblastoma metastasis remain largely unknown. In this study, we employed the
      recently developed deep proteome analysis approach to quantitatively profile the
      expression of >10,000 proteins from CHLA-01-MED and CHLA-01R-MED isogenic cell
      lines derived from the primary and metastatic tumor of the same patient diagnosed
      with a group IV medulloblastoma. Using statistical analysis, we identified ~1400
      significantly altered proteins between the primary and metastatic cell lines
      including known factors such as placental growth factor (PLGF), LIM homeobox 1
      (LHX1) and prominim 1 (PROM1), as well as the negative regulator secreted protein
      acidic and cysteine rich (SPARC). Additional transwell experiments and
      immunohistochemical analysis of clinical medulloblastoma samples implicated yes
      associated protein 1 (YAP1) as a potential key factor contributing to metastasis.
      Taken together, our data broadly defines the metastasis-relevant regulated
      proteome and provides a precious resource for further investigating potential
      mechanisms of medulloblastoma metastasis. SIGNIFICANCE: This study represented
      the first deep proteome analysis of metastatic medulloblastomas and provided a
      valuable candidate list of altered proteins in metastatic medulloblastomas. The
      primary data suggested YAP1 as a potential driver for the metastasis of
      medulloblastoma. These results open up numerous avenues for further investigating
      the underlying mechanisms of medulloblastoma metastasis and improving the
      prognosis of medulloblastoma patients.

PMID- 28363816
TI  - Paecilomyces variotii peritonitis in a patient on continuous ambulatory
      peritoneal dialysis.
AB  - Paecilomyces variotii (P. variotii) is an extremely rare cause of continuous
      ambulatory peritoneal dialysis (CAPD) peritonitis. When diagnosed, it usually
      portends poor prognosis. Patient's survival depends on early laboratory diagnosis
      and proper treatment. We herein report a P. variotii peritonitis in a patient on
      CAPD which is a quite rare clinical entity. Laboratory diagnosis was confirmed
      via both morphological analysis and DNA sequencing. Antifungal susceptibility
      tests were performed and interpreted according to the Clinical Laboratory
      Standards Institute M38-A2 guidelines. After laboratory diagnosis, the patient
      was treated succesfully with liposomal amphotericin B and itraconazole
      combination and the peritoneal catheter was removed. This case is worthy of
      reporting since P. variotii is an uncommon cause of peritonitis and leads to
      dilemmas in both laboratory diagnosis and treatment strategies.

PMID- 28363817
TI  - Regression analysis and categorical agreement of fluconazole disk zone diameters
      and minimum inhibitory concentration by broth microdilution of clinical isolates
      of Candida.
AB  - AIM AND OBJECTIVES: Rampant use of fluconazole in Candida infections has led to
      predominance of less susceptible non-albicans Candida over Candida albicans. The
      aim of the study was to determine if zone diameters around fluconazole disk can
      be used to estimate the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) for clinical
      isolates of Candida species and vice versa. Categorical agreement between the
      Clinical & Laboratory Standards Institute (CLSI) recommended disk diffusion and
      CLSI broth microdilution method was sought for. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Antifungal
      susceptibility testing by disk diffusion and Broth microdilution was done as per
      CLSI document M44-S3 and CLSI document M27-S4 for Candida isolates respectively.
      Regression analysis correlating zone diameters to MIC value was done. Pearson's
      correlation coefficient was calculated to determine correlation between disk zone
      diameters and MICs. RESULTS: Candida albicans (33.3%) was clearly outnumbered by
      other non-albicans species predominantly Candida tropicalis (42.5%) and Candida
      glabrata (18.4%). Ten percent of the strains were resistant to fluconazole by
      disk diffusion and 13% by broth microdilution. MIC range for Candida albicans and
      Candida tropicalis ranged from<=0.25-64MUg/ml while that of Candida glabrata
      ranged from<=0.25-128MUg/ml. Categorical agreement between disk diffusion and
      broth microdilution was 86.8%. Pearson's coefficient of correlation was -0.5975
      indicating moderate negative correlation between the two variables. CONCLUSION:
      Zone sizes can be used to estimate the MIC values, although with limited
      accuracy. There should be a constant effort to upgrade the guidelines in view of
      new clinical data, and laboratories should make an active effort to incorporate
      them.

PMID- 28363818
TI  - Ancient DNA analysis of the extinct North American flat-headed peccary
      (Platygonus compressus).
AB  - The geographical range of extant peccaries extends from the southwestern United
      States through Central America and into northern Argentina. However, from the
      Miocene until the Pleistocene now-extinct peccary species inhabited the entirety
      of North America. Relationships among the living and extinct species have long
      been contentious. Similarly, how and when peccaries moved from North to South
      America is unclear. The North American flat-headed peccary (Platygonus
      compressus) became extinct at the end of the Pleistocene and is one of the most
      abundant subfossil taxa found in North America, yet despite this extensive fossil
      record its phylogenetic position has not been resolved. This study is the first
      to present DNA data from the flat-headed peccary and full mitochondrial genome
      sequences of all the extant peccary species. We performed a molecular
      phylogenetic analysis to determine the relationships among ancient and extant
      peccary species. Our results suggested that the flat-headed peccary is sister
      taxon to a clade comprising the extant peccary species. Divergence date estimates
      from our molecular dating analyses suggest that if extant peccary diversification
      occurred in South America then their common ancestor must have dispersed from
      North America to South America well before the establishment of the Isthmus of
      Panama. We also investigated the genetic diversity of the flat-headed peccary by
      performing a preliminary population study on specimens from Sheriden Cave, Ohio.
      Flat-headed peccaries from Sheriden Cave appear to be genetically diverse and
      show no signature of population decline prior to extinction. Including additional
      extinct Pleistocene peccary species in future phylogenetic analyses will further
      clarify peccary evolution.

PMID- 28363819
TI  - Association between bystander cardiopulmonary resuscitation and redeemed
      prescriptions for antidepressants and anxiolytics in out-of-hospital cardiac
      arrest survivors.
AB  - AIM: This study aimed to examine rates of redeemed prescriptions of
      antidepressants and anxiolytics, used as markers for cerebral dysfunction in out
      of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) survivors, and examine the association between
      bystander CPR and these psychoactive drugs. METHODS: We included all 30-day
      survivors of OHCA in Denmark between 2001 and 2011, who had not redeemed
      prescriptions for antidepressants or anxiolytics in the last six months prior to
      OHCA. Main outcome measures were redeemed prescriptions of antidepressants and
      anxiolytics within one year after OHCA. RESULTS: Among 2,001 30-day survivors,
      174 (8.6% died and 12.0% redeemed a first prescription for an antidepressant and
      8.2% for an anxiolytic drug within one year after arrest. The corresponding
      frequencies for redeemed prescribed drugs among age- and sex-matched population
      controls were 7.5% and 5.2%, respectively. Among survivors who received bystander
      CPR, prescriptions for antidepressants and anxiolytics were redeemed in 11.1%
      [95% CI 9.2-13.3%] and 6.3% [95% CI 4.9-8.0%] of the cases, respectively, versus
      17.2% [95% CI 13.9-21.1%] and 13.4% [95% CI 10.5-17.0%], respectively, among
      patients who had not received bystander CPR. Adjusted for age, sex, year of
      arrest, comorbidity, witnessed status and socioeconomic status, bystander CPR was
      associated with significant reductions in redeemed prescriptions for
      antidepressants, Hazard Ratio (HR) 0.71 [95% CI 0.52-0.98], P=0.031; and
      anxiolytics, HR 0.55 [95% CI 0.38-0.81], P=0.002. CONCLUSION: Relative to no
      bystander CPR, redeemed prescriptions for antidepressants and anxiolytics were
      significantly lower among 30-day survivors of OHCA who received bystander CPR,
      suggesting a cerebral dysfunction-lowering potential of bystander CPR.

PMID- 28363820
TI  - Ventricular fibrillation waveform characteristics of the surface ECG: Impact of
      the left ventricular diameter and mass.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Despite a promising association between VF waveform characteristics
      and prognosis after resuscitation, studies with VF-guided treatment have so far
      not improved outcomes. While driven by the idea that the VF waveform reflects
      arrest duration, increasing evidence suggests that pre-existent disease-related
      changes of the myocardium affect ECG-characteristics of VF as well. In this
      context, we studied the impact of the left ventricular (LV) diameter and mass.
      METHODS: Cohort of 193 ICD-patients with defibrillation testing at the Radboudumc
      (2010-2014). Surface ECG-recordings (leads I,II,aVF,V1,V3,V6) were analysed to
      study amplitude and frequency characteristics of the induced VF. Both for LV
      diameter and mass, patients were categorised in two groups, using
      echocardiographic data (ASE-guidelines). RESULTS: In all ECG-leads, dominant and
      median frequencies were significantly lower in patients with (n=40) than in
      patients without (n=151) an increased LV diameter. The mean amplitude and
      amplitude spectrum area (AMSA) did not differ. In contrast, we observed no
      differences in frequency characteristics in relation to the LV mass, whereas mean
      amplitude (I,aVF,V3) and AMSA (I,V3) were significantly higher in patients with
      (n=57) than in patients without (n=120) an increased LV mass. CONCLUSIONS:
      Frequency characteristics of VF were consistently lower in case of an increased
      LV diameter. Whereas LV mass does not affect the frequency of the VF waveform,
      amplitudes seem higher with increasing mass. These findings add to the current
      knowledge of factors that modulate VF characteristics of the surface ECG and
      provide insight into factors which may be accounted for in future studies on VF
      guided resuscitative interventions.

PMID- 28363821
TI  - Accurate Neuroprognostication in Cardiac Arrest Survivors: Details Matter!

PMID- 28363822
TI  - Lewis-Sumner syndrome in a patient with rheumatoid arthritis: Link between
      rheumatoid arthritis and demyelinating polyradiculoneuropathies.
AB  - Chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyradiculoneuropathies are a group of
      autoimmune neuropathies with a chronic course. Lewis-Sumner syndrome is a variant
      of this disease, characterized by an asymmetrical distal and mostly motor
      involvement, predominating at upper limb. We report the case of a patient who
      developed almost currently rheumatoid arthritis and Lewis-Sumner syndrome, which
      raised the problem of therapeutic intensification for his rheumatism when
      methotrexate proved to be ineffective. Finally, rituximab had been introduced by
      common consent with neurologists, and the patient noticed an improvement fifteen
      days after the first infusion. Even if it is striking that both dysimmune
      diseases had declared within a few months, the association between chronic
      inflammatory demyelinating polyradiculoneuropathies and rheumatoid arthritis is
      exceptional, since the only cases reported in the literature are secondary to TNF
      alpha inhibitors. Given the potential demyelinating impact of some biologics,
      rituximab and perhaps abatacept seem to be the best therapeutic options when
      DMARDs had proven insufficient to control the rheumatism activity.

PMID- 28363823
TI  - Sustained tocilizumab-induced hypofibrinogenemia and thrombocytopenia. Comment
      on: "Tocilizumab-induced hypofibrinogenemia: A report of 7 cases" by Martis et
      al., Joint Bone Spine 2016, doi: 10.1016/j.jbspin.2016.04.008.

PMID- 28363824
TI  - Muscular calcified cysticercosis.

PMID- 28363825
TI  - Monitoring of Epstein-Barr virus (EBV)/cytomegalovirus (CMV)/varicella-zoster
      virus (VZV) load in patients receiving tocilizumab for rheumatoid arthritis.

PMID- 28363826
TI  - Precision and sources of variability in the assessment of rheumatoid arthritis
      erosions by HRpQCT.
AB  - OBJECTIVES: To assess the precision and the sources of variation due to
      repositioning of the manual measurement of erosions located on the
      metacarpophalangeal joints (MCP) with High-Resolution peripheral Quantitative
      Computed Tomography (HRpQCT) in rheumatoid arthritis (RA). METHODS: RA patients
      with at least one erosion on the 2nd, 3rd or 4th MCP on conventional radiographs
      were included. Two scans were performed the same day with repositioning. The main
      outcome was to calculate the short-term precision of the width, depth, and volume
      of erosions. Secondary outcomes were intra-operator and inter-operator precision,
      the least significant change, and the sources of variability of the measurement.
      RESULTS: Twenty-nine patients were included, allowing analysis of 406 erosions
      from 0.9 to 3mm of diameter. Intraclass correlation coefficients (ICC) for the
      precision of the measurement of the axial width, axial depth, and volume after
      repositioning were 0.80, 0.96, and 0.99, respectively. RMS CV and RMS SD were
      16%, 0.26mm; 17.5%, 0.32mm; and 19.7%, 0.93mm3, respectively. For intra-operator
      precision, ICCs were 0.92, 0.97, and 0.99 with RMS CV of 16%, 16.4%, and 18.7%,
      respectively. Inter-operator precision of the volume was 0.99 with RMS CV of 14%.
      Least significant change of width, depth, and volume were 0.3mm, 0.2mm, and
      0.3mm3. There was no significant correlation with bone microarchitecture
      parameters. CONCLUSION: HRpQCT analysis is a reproducible method to characterize
      and measure erosions, without effect of the repositioning. However, we showed
      weak precision in manual measurement due to intra-operator variability.

PMID- 28363827
TI  - A multi-parameter response prediction model for rituximab in rheumatoid
      arthritis.
AB  - OBJECTIVES: To validate the IFN response gene (IRG) set for the prediction of non
      response to rituximab in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and assess the predictive
      performance upon combination of this gene set with clinical parameters. METHODS:
      In two independent cohorts of 93 (cohort I) and 133 (cohort II) rituximab
      starting RA patients, baseline peripheral blood expression of eight IRGs was
      determined, and averaged into an IFN score. Predictive performance of IFN score
      and clinical parameters was assessed by logistic regression. A multivariate
      prediction model was developed using a forward stepwise selection procedure.
      Patients with a decrease in disease activity score (DeltaDAS28)>=1.8 after 6
      months of therapy were considered responders. RESULTS: The mean IFN score was
      higher in non-responders compared to responders in both cohorts, but this
      difference was most pronounced in patients who did not use prednisone, as
      described before. Univariate analysis in cohort I showed that baseline DAS28, IFN
      score, DMARD use and negativity for IgM-RF and/or ACPA were associated with
      rituximab non-response. The multivariate model consisted of DAS28, IFN score and
      DMARD use, which showed an area under the curve (AUC) of 0.82. In cohort II, this
      model revealed a comparable AUC in PREDN-negative patients (0.78), but AUC in
      PREDN-positive patients was significantly lower (0.63), which seemed due to
      effect modification of the IFN score by prednisone. CONCLUSIONS: Combination of
      predictive parameters provided a promising model for the prediction of non
      response to rituximab, with possibilities for optimization via definition of the
      exact interfering effect of prednisone on IFN score. TRIAL REGISTRATION (COHORT
      II, SMART TRIAL): NCT01126541, registered 18 May 2010.

PMID- 28363830
TI  - Hedgehog signaling contributes to basic fibroblast growth factor-regulated
      fibroblast migration.
AB  - Fibroblast migration is a central process in skin wound healing, which requires
      the coordination of several types of growth factors. bFGF, a well-known
      fibroblast growth factor (FGF), is able to accelerate fibroblast migration;
      however, the underlying mechanism of bFGF regulation fibroblast migration remains
      unclear. Through the RNA-seq analysis, we had identified that the hedgehog (Hh)
      canonical pathway genes including Smoothened (Smo) and Gli1, were regulated by
      bFGF. Further analysis revealed that activation of the Hh pathway via up
      regulation of Smo promoted fibroblast migration, invasion, and skin wound
      healing, but which significantly reduced by GANT61, a selective antagonist of
      Gli1/Gli2. Western blot analyses and siRNA transfection assays demonstrated that
      Smo acted upstream of phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3K)-c-Jun N-terminal kinase
      (JNK)-beta-catenin to promote cell migration. Moreover, RNA-seq and qRT-PCR
      analyses revealed that Hh pathway genes including Smo and Gli1 were under control
      of beta-catenin, suggesting that beta-catenin turn feedback activates Hh
      signaling. Taken together, our analyses identified a new bFGF-regulating
      mechanism by which Hh signaling regulates human fibroblast migration, and the
      data presented here opens a new avenue for the wound healing therapy.

PMID- 28363829
TI  - Integrin signaling potentiates transforming growth factor-beta 1 (TGF-beta1)
      dependent down-regulation of E-Cadherin expression - Important implications for
      epithelial to mesenchymal transition (EMT) in renal cell carcinoma.
AB  - Signal transduction through the transforming growth factor-beta 1 (TGF-beta1)
      pathway affects epithelial to mesenchymal transition (EMT), partly by modulation
      of E-Cadherin expression. The concurrent impact of extracellular matrix driven
      regulation of integrin signaling on EMT has not been well characterized. We
      assessed the cumulative effect and molecular mechanisms of TGF-beta1 and integrin
      signal transduction on E-Cadherin in a renal cell cancer (RCC) model. Stimulation
      of RCC cells with TGF-beta1 demonstrated a three-fold increased expression of
      integrin alphav. A ligand of integrin alphav-beta3, (cyclopentapeptide containing
      Arginyl-Glycyl-Aspartic acid motif, RGD), was used to mimic integrin signaling.
      Treatment of cells with RGD and TGF-beta1 demonstrated significantly greater E
      cadherin depletion than either ligand alone. This cooperative action on E
      Cadherin expression is regulated by transcription factor Snai1 and is followed on
      a cellular level by increased cellular mobility as evidenced in a wound healing
      assay. Subsequent silencing of potential downstream mediators of the cumulative
      action of RGD and TGF-beta1 was carried out by small interfering RNA transfection
      and confirmed by Western blotting and/or RT-PCR. SiRNA mediated silencing of FAK
      and PINCH1 independently abrogated the cumulative effect of RGD and TGF-beta1 on
      E-Cadherin expression. We have identified a novel mechanism through which
      extracellular matrix event transduction by integrins further augments TGF-beta1
      related effects on EMT. Molecular machinery involved in the integrin alphav-TGF
      beta1 interplay may represent a therapeutic target in RCC.

PMID- 28363828
TI  - Rho GTPases and actomyosin: Partners in regulating epithelial cell-cell junction
      structure and function.
AB  - Epithelial tissues are defined by polarized epithelial cells that are integrated
      into tissues and exhibit barrier function in order to regulate what is allowed to
      pass between cells. Cell-cell junctions must be stable enough to promote barrier
      function and tissue integrity, yet plastic enough to remodel when necessary. This
      remarkable ability to dynamically sense and respond to changes in cell shape and
      tissue tension allows cell-cell junctions to remain functional during events that
      disrupt epithelial homeostasis including morphogenesis, wound healing, and cell
      division. In order to achieve this plasticity, both tight junctions and adherens
      junctions are coupled to the underlying actomyosin cytoskeleton. Here, we discuss
      the importance of the junctional linkage to actomyosin and how a localized zone
      of active RhoA along with other Rho GTPases work together to orchestrate
      junctional actomyosin dynamics. We focus on how scaffold proteins help coordinate
      Rho GTPases, their upstream regulators, and their downstream effectors for
      efficient, localized Rho GTPase signaling output. Additionally, we highlight
      important roles junctional actin-binding proteins play in addition to their
      traditional roles in organizing actin. Together, Rho GTPases, their regulators,
      and effectors form compartmentalized signaling modules that regulate actomyosin
      structure and contractility to achieve proper cell-cell adhesion and tissue
      barriers.

PMID- 28363831
TI  - Constant-Current Deep Brain Stimulation of the Globus Pallidus Internus in the
      Treatment of Primary Dystonia by a Novel 8-Contact (Octrode) Lead.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: To evaluate bilateral constant-current globus pallidus internus (GPi)
      deep brain stimulation using an 8-contact lead. METHODS: This prospective, open
      label, single-center pilot study of 10 patients assessed the feasibility of
      delivering bilaterally constant-current GPi deep brain stimulation with a novel 8
      channel lead to treat primary dystonia using standard scales as outcome measures.
      RESULTS: Patients included 4 men and 6 women with a mean age of 35.8 years +/-
      9.2 (range, 27-49 years). Mean age of onset was 18.5 years +/- 9.1 (range, 8-35
      years), and mean disease duration was 17.3 years (range, 7-27 years). All had
      primary dystonia (8 generalized dystonia, 1 segmental dystonia, 1 focal
      dystonia). The primary variable was determined as 50% reduction in dystonia
      symptoms from baseline to the 6-month follow-up, as defined by the Burke-Fahn
      Marsden Dystonia Rating Scale. Six patients (60.0%) achieved >50% reduction in
      Burke-Fahn-Marsden Dystonia Rating Scale score and were classified as responders
      at the 6-month follow-up. Five of these 6 responders (83.3%) sustained that
      response through the assessment at the end of the first year. Constant-current
      stimulation was associated with significant improvement in pain and quality of
      life in all patients. Nearly 84% of the overall improvement occurred by the end
      of first month after stimulation onset, documenting an early response to
      treatment. Axial symptoms responded the best. CONCLUSIONS: Constant-current GPi
      deep brain stimulation proved safe and efficacious for treatment of primary
      dystonia. Motor scores improved by 54%, mostly within the first month. No
      phenotype-specific stimulation could be achieved, despite the capability of the
      new lead to stimulate specific loci within the GPi.

PMID- 28363832
TI  - Primary Central Nervous System Lymphomas of the Brain: A Retrospective Analysis
      in a Single Institution.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Primary central nervous system lymphomas (PCNSLs) are relatively rare
      brain tumors. Accurate diagnosis is usually made by surgical biopsy. In addition
      to surgical biopsy and decompression, treatment options include high-dose
      methotrexate and chemotherapy, radiation therapy, and stem cell therapy. Because
      of the rarity of this disease, guidelines for PCNSL diagnosis and treatment
      usually are formed from a large series of experiences. METHODS: We
      retrospectively reviewed 79 patients in our tertiary referral center during a 13
      year period. All patients with PCNSL underwent surgical or bone marrow biopsy
      procedures, and diagnoses were confirmed by hematologists or neuropathologists.
      At the time of diagnosis, 44 patients presented with a single lesion. Human
      immunodeficiency virus was confirmed positive in 1 patient. The standard therapy
      protocol included high-dose methotrexate (intravenous and intrathecal) and
      chemotherapy with cytosine arabinoside, followed by external irradiation of the
      brain. RESULTS: Significant prognostic factors in these patients were low serum
      lactate dehydrogenase levels and radiation therapy. Multiplicity of lesions at
      time of diagnosis did not imply a worse outcome, and surgical resection and
      debulking did not show a significant survival benefit. CONCLUSIONS: PCNSL has a
      poor prognosis. Further clinical trials and diagnostic tools are needed to reveal
      the complexity of this disease.

PMID- 28363833
TI  - Postoperative Neurosurgical Infection Rates After Shared-Resource Intraoperative
      Magnetic Resonance Imaging: A Single-Center Experience with 195 Cases.
AB  - OBJECTIVES: To determine the rate of surgical-site infections (SSI) in
      neurosurgical procedures involving a shared-resource intraoperative magnetic
      resonance imaging (ioMRI) scanner at a single institution derived from a
      prospective clinical quality management database. METHODS: All consecutive
      neurosurgical procedures that were performed with a high-field, 2-room ioMRI
      between April 2013 and June 2016 were included (N = 195; 109 craniotomies and 86
      endoscopic transsphenoidal procedures). The incidence of SSIs within 3 months
      after surgery was assessed for both operative groups (craniotomies vs.
      transsphenoidal approach). RESULTS: Of the 109 craniotomies, 6 patients developed
      an SSI (5.5%, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.2-9.8%), including 1 superficial
      SSI, 2 cases of bone flap osteitis, 1 intracranial abscess, and 2 cases of
      meningitis/ventriculitis. Wound revision surgery due to infection was necessary
      in 4 patients (4%). Of the 86 transsphenoidal skull base surgeries, 6 patients
      (7.0%, 95% CI 1.5-12.4%) developed an infection, including 2 non-central nervous
      system intranasal SSIs (3%) and 4 cases of meningitis (5%). Logistic regression
      analysis revealed that the likelihood of infection significantly decreased with
      the number of operations in the new operational setting (odds ratio 0.982, 95% CI
      0.969-0.995, P = 0.008). CONCLUSIONS: The use of a shared-resource ioMRI in
      neurosurgery did not demonstrate increased rates of infection compared with the
      current available literature. The likelihood of infection decreased with the
      accumulating number of operations, underlining the importance of surgical staff
      training after the introduction of a shared-resource ioMRI.

PMID- 28363834
TI  - Endovascular Stenting for Symptomatic Carotid Dissection with Hemodynamic
      Insufficiency.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: To date, no controlled studies on the treatment of carotid artery
      dissection (CAD) have been reported. The purpose of this study was to demonstrate
      the technical feasibility and clinical efficacy of stent-supported angioplasty
      (SSA) as primary treatment for acute stroke due to CAD. METHODS: A review of
      medical records identified 21 patients who underwent SSA as primary treatment for
      acute stroke related to CAD between 2008 and 2014. The inclusion criteria were
      recent transient ischemic attack (n = 7, 33.3%) or acute infarct (n = 14, 66.7%)
      due to CAD (>=70% narrowing) with hemodynamic impairment. Technical success
      rates, complications, and angiographic and clinical outcomes were analyzed
      retrospectively. RESULTS: SSA was technically successful in all patients. Of 21
      patients, 8 (38.1%) showed an additional intracranial occlusion. Intracranial
      recanalization to a thrombolysis in cerebral infarction >=2b flow was achieved in
      50% of the cases. Procedure-related mortality was 4.8%, and morbidity was 9.5%.
      Five (35.7%) of 14 patients presenting with an acute infarct showed significant
      improvement (decrease in National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale score of >=4
      points compared with admission score) at 7 days after SSA. During the observation
      period (mean, 20.5 months), stroke recurrence occurred in only 1 patient (5%),
      resulting in an annual stroke risk of 2.9%. A favorable outcome (modified Rankin
      Scale score <=2) was achieved in all 7 patients with a transient ischemic attack
      (100%) and in 7 of 14 patients with an acute infarct (50%) at the 90-day follow
      up. CONCLUSION: Our results provide evidence that SSA is a feasible and effective
      strategy as primary treatment for steno-occlusive CAD patients with significant
      hypoperfusion or a large penumbra.

PMID- 28363837
TI  - When math operations have visuospatial meanings versus purely symbolic
      definitions: Which solving stages and brain regions are affected?
AB  - How does processing differ during purely symbolic problem solving versus when
      mathematical operations can be mentally associated with meaningful (here,
      visuospatial) referents? Learners were trained on novel math operations (?, ?),
      that were defined strictly symbolically or in terms of a visuospatial
      interpretation (operands mapped to dimensions of shaded areas, answer = total
      area). During testing (scanner session), no visuospatial representations were
      displayed. However, we expected visuospatially-trained learners to form mental
      visuospatial representations for problems, and exhibit distinct activations.
      Since some solution intervals were long (~10s) and visuospatial representations
      might only be instantiated in some stages during solving, group differences were
      difficult to detect when treating the solving interval as a whole. However, an
      HSMM-MVPA process (Anderson and Fincham, 2014a) to parse fMRI data identified
      four distinct problem-solving stages in each group, dubbed: 1) encode; 2) plan;
      3) compute; and 4) respond. We assessed stage-specific differences across groups.
      During encoding, several regions implicated in general semantic processing and/or
      mental imagery were more active in visuospatially-trained learners, including:
      bilateral supramarginal, precuneus, cuneus, parahippocampus, and left middle
      temporal regions. Four of these regions again emerged in the computation stage:
      precuneus, right supramarginal/angular, left supramarginal/inferior parietal, and
      left parahippocampal gyrus. Thus, mental visuospatial representations may not
      just inform initial problem interpretation (followed by symbolic computation),
      but may scaffold on-going computation. In the second stage, higher activations
      were found among symbolically-trained solvers in frontal regions (R. medial and
      inferior and L. superior) and the right angular and middle temporal gyrus.
      Activations in contrasting regions may shed light on solvers' degree of use of
      symbolic versus mental visuospatial strategies, even in absence of behavioral
      differences.

PMID- 28363836
TI  - Multi-echo fMRI: A review of applications in fMRI denoising and analysis of BOLD
      signals.
AB  - In recent years the field of fMRI research has enjoyed expanded technical
      abilities related to resolution, as well as use across many fields of brain
      research. At the same time, the field has also dealt with uncertainty related to
      many known and unknown effects of artifact in fMRI data. In this review we
      discuss an emerging fMRI technology, called multi-echo (ME)-fMRI, which focuses
      on improving the fidelity and interpretability of fMRI. Where the essential
      problem of standard single-echo fMRI is the indeterminacy of sources of signals,
      whether BOLD or artifact, this is not the case for ME-fMRI. By acquiring multiple
      echo images per slice, the ME approach allows T2* decay to be modeled at every
      voxel at every time point. Since BOLD signals arise by changes in T2* over time,
      an fMRI experiment sampling the T2* signal decay can be analyzed to distinguish
      BOLD from artifact signal constituents. While the ME approach has a long history
      of use in theoretical and validation studies, modern MRI systems enable whole
      brain multi-echo fMRI at high resolution. This review covers recent multi-echo
      fMRI acquisition methods, and the analysis steps for this data to make fMRI at
      once more principled, straightforward, and powerful. After a brief overview of
      history and theory, T2* modeling and applications will be discussed. These
      applications include T2* mapping and combining echoes from ME data to increase
      BOLD contrast and mitigate dropout artifacts. Next, the modeling of fMRI signal
      changes to detect signal origins in BOLD-related T2* versus artifact-related S0
      changes will be reviewed. A focus is on the use of ME-fMRI data to extract and
      classify components from spatial ICA, called multi-echo ICA (ME-ICA). After
      describing how ME-fMRI and ME-ICA lead to a general model for analysis of fMRI
      signals, applications in animal and human imaging will be discussed. Applications
      include removing motion artifacts in resting state data at subject and group
      level. New imaging methods such as multi-band multi-echo fMRI and imaging at 7T
      are demonstrated throughout the review, and a practical analysis pipeline is
      described. The review culminates with evidence from recent studies of major
      boosts in statistical power from using multi-echo fMRI for detecting activation
      and connectivity in healthy individuals and patients with neuropsychiatric
      disease. In conclusion, the review shows evidence that the multi-echo approach
      expands the range of experiments that is practicable using fMRI. These findings
      suggest a compelling future role of the multi-echo approach in subject-level and
      clinical fMRI.

PMID- 28363835
TI  - Functional dynamics of hippocampal glutamate during associative learning assessed
      with in vivo 1H functional magnetic resonance spectroscopy.
AB  - fMRI has provided vibrant characterization of regional and network responses
      associated with associative learning and memory; however, their relationship to
      functional neurochemistry is unclear. Here, we introduce a novel application of
      in vivo proton functional magnetic resonance spectroscopy (1H fMRS) to
      investigate the dynamics of hippocampal glutamate during paired-associated
      learning and memory in healthy young adults. We show that the temporal dynamics
      of glutamate differed significantly during processes of memory consolidation and
      retrieval. Moreover, learning proficiency was predictive of the temporal dynamics
      of glutamate such that fast learners were characterized by a significant increase
      in glutamate levels early in learning, whereas this increase was only observed
      later in slow learners. The observed functional dynamics of glutamate provides a
      novel in vivo marker of brain function. Previously demonstrated N-methyl-D
      aspartate (NMDA) receptor mediated synaptic plasticity during associative memory
      formation may be expressed in glutamate dynamics, which the novel application of
      1H MRS is sensitive to. The novel application of 1H fMRS can provide highly
      innovative vistas for characterizing brain function in vivo, with significant
      implications for studying glutamatergic neurotransmission in health and disorders
      such as schizophrenia.

PMID- 28363839
TI  - Selection for high aerobic capacity has no protective effect against obesity in
      laboratory mice.
AB  - Aerobic capacity (VO2max measured during intensive physical exercise) both
      trained and intrinsic (i.e. genetically determined) has recently been deemed a
      good predictor of cardiometabolic risks. However, the underlying mechanisms
      linking VO2max and health risk factors are not entirely clear, as it seems that
      not VO2max per se, but rather some correlated traits, like spontaneous physical
      activity (SPA) are responsible for sustaining the lean phenotype. Here we
      investigated the link between genetically determined aerobic capacity, SPA and
      resistance to diet-induced health risks using replicated lines of mice selected
      for high aerobic capacity during swimming in mid-cold water (25 degrees C) and
      Randomly Bred control mice. After four months of consumption of the western type
      HFat and HCarb diets and no forced nor voluntary training, we found no evidence
      of protective effects of intrinsic high VO2max. The Selected mice displayed
      similar levels of blood glucose, cholesterol, triglycerides and body fat as the
      Random Bred control animals. Most notably we found no correlation between VO2max
      and SPA levels. Our results therefore call into question the ubiquity of VO2max
      as a predictor of metabolic health and leanness, at least in animal models.

PMID- 28363838
TI  - Orexin activation counteracts decreases in nonexercise activity thermogenesis
      (NEAT) caused by high-fat diet.
AB  - Overweight and obesity result from an imbalance between caloric intake and energy
      expenditure, including expenditure from spontaneous physical activity (SPA).
      Changes in SPA and resulting changes in non-exercise activity thermogenesis
      (NEAT) likely interact with diet to influence risk for obesity. However, previous
      research on the relationship between diet, physical activity, and energy
      expenditure has been mixed. The neuropeptide orexin is a driver of SPA, and
      orexin neuron activity can be manipulated using DREADDs (Designer Receptors
      Exclusively Activated by Designer Drugs). We hypothesized that HFD decreases SPA
      and NEAT, and that DREADD-mediated activation of orexin neuron signaling would
      abolish this decrease and produce an increase in NEAT instead. To test these
      ideas, we characterized behaviors to determine the extent to which access to a
      high-fat diet (HFD) influences the proportion and probability of engaging in food
      intake and activity. We then measured NEAT following access to HFD and following
      a DREADD intervention targeting orexin neurons. Two cohorts of orexin-cre male
      mice were injected with an excitatory DREADD virus into the caudal hypothalamus,
      where orexin neurons are concentrated. Mice were then housed in continuous
      metabolic phenotyping cages (Sable Promethion). Food intake, indirect
      calorimetry, and SPA were automatically measured every second. For cohort 1
      (n=8), animals were given access to chow, then switched to HFD. For cohort 2
      (n=4/group), half of the animals were given access to HFD, the other access to
      chow. Then, among animals on HFD, orexin neurons were activated following
      injections of clozapine n-oxide (CNO). Mice on HFD spent significantly less time
      eating (p<0.01) and more time inactive compared to mice on chow (p<0.01).
      Following a meal, mice on HFD were significantly more likely to engage in periods
      of inactivity compared to those on chow (p<0.05). NEAT was decreased in animals
      on HFD, and was increased to the NEAT level of control animals following
      activation of orexin neurons with DREADDs. Food intake (kilocalories) was not
      significantly different between mice on chow and HFD, yet mice on chow expended
      more energy per unit of SPA, relative to that in mice consuming HFD. These
      results suggest that HFD consumption reduces SPA and NEAT, and increases
      inactivity following a meal. Together, the data suggest a change in the
      efficiency of energy expenditure based upon diet, such that SPA during HFD burns
      fewer calories compared to SPA on a standard chow diet.

PMID- 28363842
TI  - Potential of angiotensin II receptor blockers in the treatment of diabetic
      retinopathy.
AB  - Impairments in renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system during diabetes mellitus,
      leading to its dysfunction, have been known since a decade. Hyperglycemia induces
      several pathological alterations which upregulate this system, accounting for
      overexpression of its downstream signaling molecules, amongst which angiotensin
      II (Ang II) and aldosterone hold prime pathological notoriety. Although it is
      well known that elevated plasma levels of Ang II play a crucial role in the
      pathophysiology of type-II diabetic mellitus, by inducing and aggravating insulin
      resistance, it is not quite much known that it equally elevates the
      possibility/risk of development of diabetic complications. Also, amongst the
      various diabetic complications, the effects of Ang II upregulation are more
      widely acknowledged in studies concerning the pathophysiology of diabetic
      nephropathy; however, its role in exacerbating diabetic retinopathy has not
      received much attention. Ang II, indeed, plays a detrimental role in the
      progression of diabetic retinopathy by augmenting the principal events involved
      in its pathogenesis, namely oxidative stress, angiogenesis and inflammation. The
      utility of angiotensin receptor blockers has shown positive results in research
      studies and hence, might potentially provide a novel adjuvant therapy for
      treating this complication and preventing the associated vision-loss in diabetic
      patients.

PMID- 28363841
TI  - ACA, an inhibitor phospholipases A2 and transient receptor potential melastatin-2
      channels, attenuates okadaic acid induced neurodegeneration in rats.
AB  - AIM: In recent studies, it has been shown that the Transient Receptor Potential
      Melastatin-2 Channels (TRPM2) and Phospholipases A2 (PLA2) inhibitors may have a
      protective effect on neurons. This study was aimed to investigate the protective
      effect of TRPM2 and PLA2 inhibitor N-(p-amylcinnamoyl) Anthranilic Acid (ACA) in
      a neurodegenerative model induced by Okadaic Acid (OKA). MAIN METHODS: OKA
      (200ng/10MUl) was administered bilateral intracerebroventricularly as a single
      injection. KEY FINDINGS: OKA-treated rats showed significant impairments of
      spatial memory in Morris Water Maze Test. OKA-induced memory-impaired rats showed
      increased numbers of degenerated neurons and Caspase-3, tau phosphorylated
      ser396, beta-amyloid positive cells in the hippocampus and cerebral cortex.
      Furthermore, OKA-treated rats exhibited significantly increased MDA, TNF-alpha
      levels, and decreased SOD, GSH-PX enzyme activates and GSH levels of the tissues.
      ACA administration ameliorated OKA-induced memory impairment in rats. The ACA
      treatment also increased SOD and GSH-PX enzyme activation and GSH levels, and
      conversely decreased the levels of MDA, TNF-alpha. It was found that the numbers
      of the degenerated neurons and Caspase-3 positive cells of cortex and hippocampus
      regions were significantly reduced. SIGNIFICANCE: ACA administration attenuates
      the oxidative stress and neuroinflammation of OKA-induced neurodegeneration; and
      ameliorates the cognitive decline and neurodegeneration.

PMID- 28363843
TI  - Toll-like receptor 9 mediates paraquat-induced acute lung injury: an in vitro and
      in vivo study.
AB  - AIMS: This study aimed to investigate the role of Toll-like receptor 9 in
      paraquat-induced acute lung injury (ALI). MAIN METHODS: For in vivo study,C57BL
      mice were randomly assigned into the vehicle control group, paraquat group,
      paraquat + TLR9 antagonist (ODN2088) group, and TLR9 antagonist (ODN2088) group
      (n=36 per group). After paraquat 30mg/kg ip for 2, 24 and 48h, serum samples and
      lung tissues were collected to evaluate ALI and TLR9 signaling by lung injury
      score, protein levels of TLR9, MyD88, p-IRAK4, p-p65, and serum TNF-alpha and IL
      1beta levels. As for in vitro research A549 cells were randomly divided into the
      control group, paraquat group, paraquat + TLR9 siRNA group, and TLR9 siRNA group.
      After paraquat treatment for 24h, the cells and supernatant were collected to
      measureTLR9, TNF-alpha, IL-1 mRNA expression, and detect activation of NF-kappaB,
      caspase-3. KEY FINDINGS: In vivo, the lung injury score, the TLR9, MyD88, p-IRAK4
      and p-p65 protein levels, and cytokines TNF-alpha and IL-1beta levels in paraquat
      group were significantly higher than that in the control group;TLR9 blocker
      ODN2088 pretreatment attenuated lung injury, inhibited MyD88 and NF-kappaB
      activation, and reduced TNF-alpha and IL-1beta in serum. In vitro result shows
      that the gene silencing of TLR9 reduced the mRNA expression of TLR9, TNF-alpha
      and IL-1, inhibited NF-kappaB and caspase-3 activation, attenuated cell
      apoptosis. SIGNIFICANCE: TLR9 mediates paraquat-induced ALI, antagonizing TLR9 or
      silencing TLR9gene may attenuate paraquat-induced ALI.

PMID- 28363845
TI  - The expression of the clock gene cycle has rhythmic pattern and is affected by
      photoperiod in the moth Sesamia nonagrioides.
AB  - To obtain clues to the link between the molecular mechanism of circadian and
      photoperiod clocks, we have cloned the circadian clock gene cycle (Sncyc) in the
      corn stalk borer, Sesamia nonagrioides, which undergoes facultative diapause
      controlled by photoperiod. Sequence analysis revealed a high degree of
      conservation among insects for this gene. SnCYC consists of 667 amino acids and
      structural analysis showed that it contains a BCTR domain in its C-terminal in
      addition to the common domains found in Drosophila CYC, i.e. bHLH, PAS-A, PAS-B
      domains. The results revealed that the sequence of Sncyc showed a similarity to
      that of its mammalian orthologue, Bmal1. We also investigated the expression
      patterns of Sncyc in the brain of larvae growing under long-day 16L: 8D (LD),
      constant darkness (DD) and short-day 10L: 14D (SD) conditions using qRT-PCR
      assays. The mRNAs of Sncyc expression was rhythmic in LD, DD and SD cycles. Also,
      it is remarkable that the photoperiodic conditions affect the expression patterns
      and/or amplitudes of circadian clock gene Sncyc. This gene is associated with
      diapause in S. nonagrioides, because under SD (diapause conditions) the
      photoperiodic signal altered mRNA accumulation. Sequence and expression analysis
      of cyc in S. nonagrioides shows interesting differences compared to Drosophila
      where this gene does not oscillate or change in expression patterns in response
      to photoperiod, suggesting that this species is an interesting new model to study
      the molecular control of insect circadian and photoperiodic clocks.

PMID- 28363840
TI  - Behind binge eating: A review of food-specific adaptations of neurocognitive and
      neuroimaging tasks.
AB  - Recurrent binge eating, or overeating accompanied by a sense of loss of control,
      is a major public health concern. Identifying similarities and differences among
      individuals with binge eating and those with other psychiatric symptoms and
      characterizing the deficits that uniquely predispose individuals to eating
      problems are essential to improving treatment. Research suggests that altered
      reward and control-related processes may contribute to dysregulated eating and
      other impulsive behaviors in binge-eating populations, but the best methods for
      reliably assessing the contributions of these processes to binge eating are
      unclear. In this review, we summarize standard neurocognitive and neuroimaging
      tasks that assess reward and control-related processes, describe adaptations of
      these tasks used to study eating and food-specific responsivity and deficits, and
      consider the advantages and limitations of these tasks. Future studies
      integrating both general and food-specific tasks with neuroimaging will improve
      understanding of the neurocognitive processes and neural circuits that contribute
      to binge eating and could inform novel interventions that more directly target or
      prevent this transdiagnostic behavior.

PMID- 28363844
TI  - Identification and functional analysis of chitinase 7 gene in white-backed
      planthopper, Sogatella furcifera.
AB  - Chitinase is used to degrade chitin in insect cuticles and the peritrophic
      matrix. In this study, the full-length cDNA sequence of a Cht gene (SfCht7) was
      identified and characterized from the white-black planthopper, Sogatella
      furcifera. The SfCht7 cDNA was 3148bp, contained an open reading frame of 2877bp
      and encoded 958 amino acids with a predicted molecular weight of 107.9kDa.
      Homology analysis indicated that SfCht7 has typical chitinase features include a
      chitin-binding domain, two catalytic domains and a signal peptide region.
      Phylogenetic analysis suggested that SfCht7 belonged to the group III chitinases.
      Quantitative real-time PCR analyses showed that SfCht7 was highly expressed
      before molting. After injecting SfCht7 double-stranded RNA in the nymph stage,
      insects exhibited phenotypes of difficulty in molting and wing development. A
      lethal phenotype was that nymph bodies exuviated from the head but the old
      cuticle did not detach completely from the body. Another lethal phenotype was
      that elongated distal wing pads of fifth-instar nymphs with junctions between the
      thorax and abdomen in the treatment group that were thinner than in the control
      group, giving a "wasp-waisted" appearance. In another phenotype that was not
      lethal, nymphs exuviated and old cuticles detached completely from the body, but
      the wings of adults did not stretch normally.

PMID- 28363847
TI  - Ridge augmentation with titanium mesh: A case report.
AB  - : Insufficient bone volume for dental implant placement in the maxillary anterior
      segment is a constant challenge in oral surgery. Several techniques have been
      suggested to reconstruct deficient alveolar ridges and to facilitate dental
      implant placement. These techniques include bone splitting osteotomy, distraction
      osteogenesis, inlay and onlay bone grafting. Guided bone regeneration (GBR) is
      also a promising alternative that increases the bone volume by the use of a
      subperiosteal barrier. AIM: The aim of this case was to demonstrate that the use
      of rigid titanium occlusive barrier is a reliable alternative to perform a
      lateral alveolar bone augmentation and treat localized ridge deformities before
      reaching an ideal implant placement. OBSERVATION: A 25-year-old healthy male was
      referred for implant placement in the maxillary central incisor. The alveolar
      bone width at the implant site 21 was less than 5mm. Hard tissue augmentation was
      accomplished using guided bone regeneration. A rigid titanium occlusive barrier
      was customized to desired shape of future alveolar ridge then secured with tent
      and fixing screws. Autogenous bone graft harvested with an auto-chip-maker
      adjacent to the surgical site were mixed with a xenograft and putted under the
      barrier. The wound was closed using a vestibular mucoperiosteal flap. At 4
      months, the rigid barrier was removed, and a 7mm crestal width transversal bone
      was observed. At the same time, a fixture (4*10mm) was placed. A definitive
      ceramometal crown was completed after full osseointegration with periodical
      clinical maintenance. The exposure of the titanium mesh occurred in this case and
      was visible with a circular flap dehiscence at 1-month follow-up visit. This
      exposure did not affect the successful regenerative outcomes. After removal of
      the titanium mesh from the grafted defects, the space beneath the membrane
      enclosure was seen to be almost completely filled with new hard tissue covered by
      a thin layer of soft tissue. The postoperative follow-ups revealed that the
      implant was stable with excellent osseointegration and the buccal depression of
      the surgical area was reconstructed. CONCLUSION: The use of rigid titanium
      occlusive screwed barrier with autogenous and bovine bone graft might be a
      reliable technique for alveolar ridge reconstruction. This approach achieve
      excellent final esthetic outcome of the implant-supported restoration.

PMID- 28363848
TI  - Perioperative use of gabapentinoids in France. Mismatch between clinical practice
      and scientific evidence.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Gabapentinoids have governmental health agency approval for "chronic
      neuropathic pain." Over the last decade, however, the perioperative prescription
      of gabapentinoids has become more popular among anaesthesiologists due to their
      anxiolytic and antihyperalgesic proprieties, despite weak scientific evidence
      supporting the risk/benefit ratio for this indication. METHODS: Our aim was to
      extensively describe the use of perioperative gabapentinoids by French
      anaesthesiologists. An online questionnaire was sent to the French Society of
      Anaesthesiology members. The questionnaire, focusing on gabapentinoid
      prescriptions, included questions on demographic data, patient conditions and
      types of surgeries, mode of prescription, motives and presumed side effects
      (dizziness, confusion, desaturation and visual disorders). RESULTS: Five hundred
      and eight questionnaires were analysed, among which 70% reported gabapentinoid
      use. Twenty-five percent of prescribers stated using gabapentinoids in all types
      of surgeries, 30% in outpatient surgeries and 46% in combination with regional
      anaesthesia. In 66% of the cases, preoperative and postoperative prescriptions
      were combined. Sedation, dizziness and visual disturbance were expected side
      effects according to 68%, 45% and 20% of anaesthesiologists, respectively.
      Reported reasons in favor of gabapentinoid prescription were prevention of
      chronic pain (93%), expected high postoperative acute pain, i.e. painful
      surgeries (91%), a history of chronic pain (72%) and patient opioid dependence
      (72%). DISCUSSION: French anaesthesiologists have recently included
      gabapentinoids in the multimodal management of postoperative pain but they are
      unaware of certain frequent side effects. Moreover, their expectations about the
      prevention of chronic pain are not validated. Our survey is a call to moderate
      the systematic prescription of these drugs in the perioperative period.

PMID- 28363849
TI  - Unravelling the genetics of inherited retinal dystrophies: Past, present and
      future.
AB  - The identification of the genes underlying monogenic diseases has been of
      interest to clinicians and scientists for many years. Using inherited retinal
      dystrophies as an example of monogenic disease we describe the history of
      molecular genetic techniques that have been pivotal in the discovery of disease
      causing genes. The methods that were developed in the 1970's and 80's are still
      in use today but have been refined and improved. These techniques enabled the
      concept of the Human Genome Project to be envisaged and ultimately realised. When
      the successful conclusion of the project was announced in 2003 many new tools
      and, as importantly, many collaborations had been developed that facilitated a
      rapid identification of disease genes. In the post-human genome project era
      advances in computing power and the clever use of the properties of DNA
      replication has allowed the development of next-generation sequencing
      technologies. These methods have revolutionised the identification of disease
      genes because for the first time there is no need to define the position of the
      gene in the genome. The use of next generation sequencing in a diagnostic setting
      has allowed many more patients with an inherited retinal dystrophy to obtain a
      molecular diagnosis for their disease. The identification of novel genes that
      have a role in the development or maintenance of retinal function is opening up
      avenues of research which will lead to the development of new pharmacological and
      gene therapy approaches. Neither of which can be used unless the defective gene
      and protein is known. The continued development of sequencing technologies also
      holds great promise for the advent of truly personalised medicine.

PMID- 28363846
TI  - Enteric glia regulate gut motility in health and disease.
AB  - The enteric nervous system, often referred to as the second brain, is the largest
      assembly of neurons and glia outside the central nervous system. The enteric
      nervous system resides within the wall of the digestive tract and regulates local
      gut reflexes involved in gastrointestinal motility and fluid transport; these
      functions can be accomplished in the absence of the extrinsic innervation from
      the central nervous system. It is neurons and their circuitry within the enteric
      nervous system that govern the gut reflexes. However, it is becoming clear that
      enteric glial cells are also actively involved in this process through the
      bidirectional signaling with neurons and other cells in the gut wall. We
      synthesize the recently discovered modulatory roles of enteric gliotransmission
      in gut motility and provide our perspective for future lines of research.

PMID- 28363850
TI  - Di-n-butyl phthalate exposure negatively influences structural and functional
      neuroplasticity via Rho-GTPase signaling pathways.
AB  - Di-n-butyl phthalate (DBP) has been reported to cause disruptions in hippocampal
      plasticity, but its specific mechanism has not yet been ascertained. In this
      research, a mouse model of chronic DBP exposure was generated by intragastric
      administration of DBP (10, 50, or 250 degrees mg/kg/d) for 5 weeks. Chronic
      exposure to high concentrations of DBP (250 degrees mg/kg/d) induced a spatial
      learning deficit in the Morris water maze in male mice. By determining the
      activity of Rho-GTPase signaling pathways in the hippocampal tissues, we found
      that DBP exposure inhibited the activity of Rac1/PAK1/LIMK1 but activated
      RhoA/ROCK/LIMK2 signaling and eventually suppressed cofilin activity by
      phosphorylation. Consistent with this, the differential activation was also
      observed in the acute exposure model of neuronal cells generated by incubation
      with DBP (100 degrees ng/ml, 1, 10, or 100 degrees MUg/ml) for 72 hours.
      Moreover, acute exposure to high concentrations of DBP (100 degrees MUg/ml)
      altered cell morphology by inhibiting neurite outgrowth. A ROCK inhibitor, but
      not inhibitors of Rac1 or PAK1, reversed the inhibition of DBP to the activity of
      cofilin and neurite outgrowth in cells. These findings provide the first evidence
      that DBP exposure results in impairment of neuroplasticity by differential
      regulation of Rho-GTPase signaling pathways.

PMID- 28363851
TI  - An overview of anticancer activity of Garcinia and Hypericum.
AB  - Cancer is one of the leading causes of death worldwide (approximately 8.2 million
      cases/year) and, over the next two decades, a 70% increase in new cancer cases is
      expected. Through analysis of the available drugs between the years of 1930 and
      2014, it was found that 48% were either natural products or their derivatives.
      This proportion increased to 66% when semi-synthetic products were included. The
      family Clusiaceae Juss. (Malpighiales) includes approximately 1000 species
      distributed throughout all tropical and temperate regions. The phytochemical
      profile of this family includes many chemicals with interesting pharmacological
      activities, including anticancer activities. This study includes an overview of
      the in vitro and in vivo anticancer activity of secondary metabolites from
      Garcinia and Hypericum and the mechanisms involved in this activity. Hypericum no
      longer belong to Clusiaceae family, but was considered in the past by
      taxonomists, due to similarities with this family. Research in the area has shown
      that several compounds belonging to different chemical classes exhibit activity
      in several tumor cell lines in different experimental models. This review shows
      the significant antineoplasic activity of these compounds, in particular of these
      two genera and validates the importance of natural products in the search for
      anticancer drugs.

PMID- 28363852
TI  - Understanding the role of 3-O-Acetyl-11-keto-beta-boswellic acid in conditions of
      oxidative-stress mediated hepatic dysfunction during benzo(a)pyrene induced
      toxicity.
AB  - The present study was planned to see whether 3-O-Acetyl-11- keto-beta-boswellic
      acid has any protective effects against benzo(a)pyrene (BaP) induced toxicity or
      not. In vitro studies show concentration dependent linear association of radical
      scavenging activity of AK which is comparable to ascorbic acid taken as reference
      compound. For in vivo studies, the animals were divided randomly into five groups
      which included a) normal control, b) vehicle treated (olive oil), c) BaP treated,
      d) AK treated and e) AK + BaP (combined treated). BaP was administered at a dose
      of 50mg/kg in olive oil twice a week orally for 4 weeks and AK (50mg/kg) was
      given in olive oil thrice a week for 4 weeks before and after BaP exposure. BaP
      treated animals showed a significant increase (p < 0.001) in lipid peroxidation
      (LPO) and protein carbonyl contents (PCC) in hepatic tissue. Further, a
      significant increase (p < 0.001) in the liver marker enzymes as well as
      citrulline and nitric oxide levels in the hepatic tissue was also observed.
      Interestingly, AK when supplemented to BaP treated animals ameliorated the above
      said biochemical indices appreciately. The histopathological observations also
      showed appreciable improvement when BaP treated animals were supplemented with
      AK, thus emphasing the protective potential of AK.

PMID- 28363853
TI  - Cytotoxic triterpenoids isolated from sweet chestnut heartwood (Castanea sativa)
      and their health benefits implication.
AB  - For centuries wood containers have been used in aging of wines and spirits, due
      to the pleasant flavors they give to the beverages. Together with oak, sweet
      chestnut wood (Castanea sativa) have been often used for such purpose. The
      maturation process involves the transfer of secondary metabolites, mainly
      phenolics, from the wood to the liquid. At the same time, other metabolites, such
      as triterpenoids and their glycosides, can also be released. Searching for the
      extractable triterpenoids from sweet chestnut heartwood (C. sativa), two new
      ursane-type triterpenoid saponins named chestnoside A (1) and chestnoside B (2),
      together with two known oleanen-type analogs (3 and 4) were isolated and
      characterized. The cytotoxicity of isolated compounds was tested against two
      cancer cell lines (PC3 and MCF-7), and normal lymphocytes. Breast cancer cells
      (MCF-7) were more affected by tested compounds than prostate cancer cells (PC3).
      Chestnoside B (2) exhibited the strongest cytotoxicity with an IC50 of 12.3 MUM
      against MCF-7 cells, lower than those of positive controls, while it was
      moderately active against normal lymphocytes (IC50 = 67.2 MUM). These results
      highlight the occurrence of triterpenoid saponins in sweet chestnut heartwood and
      their potential for the chemoprevention of breast cancer.

PMID- 28363854
TI  - Effects of individual and combined toxicity of bisphenol A, dibutyl phthalate and
      cadmium on oxidative stress and genotoxicity in HepG 2 cells.
AB  - Bisphenol A, dibutyl phthalate and cadmium can be found in environment
      simultaneously. Several studies suggested that they had genotoxic effect. In this
      study, mono-exposure and co-exposure treatments, designed by 3 * 3 full
      factorial, were established to determine the individual toxicity and binary
      mixtures' combined effects on the oxidative stress and genotoxicity in HepG 2
      cells. The highest oxidative damage was observed in the Cd treatments groups.
      Compared with control groups, the maximum level of reactive oxygen species and
      malondialdehyde were ~1.4 fold and ~2.22 fold respectively. And a minimum level
      of superoxide dismutase activity was found with the decrease of 43%. The
      mechanism that excessive oxidative stress led to the DNA damage was inferred.
      However, cells treated with BPA showed the worst DNA damage rather than Cd, which
      may because Cd mainly damages DNA repairing mechanism. For the joint effect,
      different interactions can be found in different biological endpoints for
      different combinations since different mechanisms have been clarified in mixture
      toxicity studies. It is sure that the co-exposure groups enhanced cytotoxicity,
      oxidative stress and genotoxicity compared to the mono-exposures. Synergistic and
      additive interactions were considered, which means greater threat to organisms
      when exposed to multiple estrogenic endocrine disruptors.

PMID- 28363855
TI  - Planetary ball milling and supercritical fluid technology as a way to enhance
      dissolution of bicalutamide.
AB  - Dissolution of bicalutamide processed with polyvinylpyrrolidone by either
      supercritical carbon dioxide or ball milling has been investigated. Various
      compositions as well as process parameters were used to obtain binary systems of
      the drug with the carrier. Thermal analysis and powder X-ray diffractometry
      confirmed amorphization of bicalutamide mechanically activated by ball milling
      and the decrease in crystallinity of the supercritical carbon dioxide-treated
      drug. Both methods led to reduction of particles size what was confirmed by
      scanning electron microscopy and laser diffraction measurements. Moreover, the
      effect of micronisation was found to depend on the parameters of applied process.
      Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy revealed the appearance of intermolecular
      interactions between drug and carrier molecules that play an important role in
      the stabilization of amorphous form of the active compound. Changes in crystal
      structure combined with reduced size of particles of bicalutamide dispersed
      within polymer matrix were found to improve dissolution of bicalutamide by 4 to
      10-fold in comparison to untreated drug. It is of particular importance as poor
      dissolution profiles are considered to be the major limitation in bioavailability
      of the drug.

PMID- 28363856
TI  - Bitterness prediction in-silico: A step towards better drugs.
AB  - Bitter taste is innately aversive and thought to protect against consuming
      poisons. Bitter taste receptors (Tas2Rs) are G-protein coupled receptors,
      expressed both orally and extra-orally and proposed as novel targets for several
      indications, including asthma. Many clinical drugs elicit bitter taste,
      suggesting the possibility of drugs re-purposing. On the other hand, the bitter
      taste of medicine presents a major compliance problem for pediatric drugs. Thus,
      efficient tools for predicting, measuring and masking bitterness of active
      pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) are required by the pharmaceutical industry.
      Here we highlight the BitterDB database of bitter compounds and survey the main
      computational approaches to prediction of bitter taste based on compound's
      chemical structure. Current in silico bitterness prediction methods provide
      encouraging results, can be constantly improved using growing experimental data,
      and present a reliable and efficient addition to the APIs development toolbox.

PMID- 28363857
TI  - Oil-in-water microemulsions stabilized by 3-(N,N-
      dimethylalkylammonio)propanesulfonate surfactants of varying alkyl chain length:
      Solubilisation of testos-terone propionate.
AB  - Solubilisation of the poorly-water soluble drug, testosterone propionate, in co
      surfactant-free, dilutable, oil-in-water microemulsions stabilized by
      zwitterionic surfactants of varying alkyl chain length, namely 3-(N,N
      dimethyloctylammonio)propanesulfonate and 3-(N,N
      dimethyldodecylammonio)propanesulfonate and containing one of four ethyl ester
      oils, has been investigated. Both 3-(N,N-dimethyloctylammonio)propanesulfonate
      and 3-(N,N-dimethyldodecylammonio)propanesulfonate-stabilized microemulsions
      containing two short chain length oils, ethyl butyrate and ethyl caprylate, while
      only 3-(N,N-dimethyldodecylammonio)propanesulfonate formed microemulsions
      incorporating the longer chain length oils, ethyl palmitate and ethyl oleate,
      albeit to a very much reduced extent. Significantly the microemulsions containing
      the short chain length oils, ethyl butyrate and ethyl caprylate solubilised more
      testosterone propionate than the corresponding micelles. However, an inverse
      correlation existed between testosterone propionate solubility in the bulk oil
      and solubilisation in the microemulsions, in that ethyl caprylate containing
      microemulsions solubilised more testosterone propionate than those containing an
      equivalent amount of ethyl butyrate, despite the drug being more soluble in ethyl
      butyrate. These results suggest that drug solubility in bulk oil is a poor
      indicator of drug solubility in microemulsions containing that oil, and whether
      or not the addition of oil improves drug solubility is dependent upon on how it
      is incorporated within the microemulsion. The longer the chain length of the oil,
      the more likely the oil is to form a core in the microemulsion droplet, resulting
      in an additional locus of drug solubilisation and the possibility of an enhanced
      solubilisation capacity.

PMID- 28363858
TI  - Influence of controlled ice nucleation on the freeze-drying of pharmaceutical
      products: the secondary drying step.
AB  - Vacuum Induced Nucleation is often discussed in the context of primary drying
      performances and its tunability, with the potential to tailor the nucleation
      temperature to the desired porous structure. Instead, here we investigate its
      influence on secondary drying dynamics and, in particular, on rate of desorption
      and vial-to-vial inhomogeneity. So as to track the evolution of residual moisture
      during secondary drying, vials were regularly collected through a vacuum-tight
      sampling device; the residual moisture and the morphology of the porous cake was
      then determined by Karl Fischer titration and Scanning Electron Microscopy,
      respectively. The control of freezing promotes the formation of larger ice
      crystals and, as a result, accelerates the sublimation of ice and slows down the
      desorption process. Overall, we found that it reduces the total (primary and
      secondary) drying time and produces much more uniform batches than those obtained
      by the conventional freezing, and this positive effect was observed since the end
      of primary drying. In conclusion, the control of freezing was beneficial to the
      total drying time reduction, vial-to-vial homogeneity and allowed a better
      control of product inhomogeneity.

PMID- 28363859
TI  - Assessment of decision-making capacity for research participation: When, how and
      why to do it.

PMID- 28363860
TI  - Person centered-care and recovery: Could it be used for obtaining a humanized
      health care?

PMID- 28363862
TI  - Limited mobility of target pests crucially lowers controllability when sterile
      insect releases are spatiotemporally biased.
AB  - The sterile insect technique (SIT) is a genetic pest control method wherein mass
      reared sterile insects are periodically released into the wild, thereby impeding
      the successful reproduction of fertile pests. In Okinawa Prefecture, Japan, the
      SIT has been implemented to eradicate the West Indian sweet potato weevil
      Euscepes postfasciatus (Fairmaire), which is a flightless agricultural pest of
      sweet potatoes. It is known that E. postfasciatus is much less mobile than other
      insects to which the SIT has been applied. However, previous theoretical studies
      have rarely examined effects of low mobility of target pests and variation in the
      spatiotemporal evenness of sterile insect releases. To theoretically examine the
      effects of spatiotemporal evenness on the regional eradication of less mobile
      pests, we constructed a simple two-patch population model comprised of a pest and
      sterile insect moving between two habitats, and numerically simulated different
      release strategies (varying the number of released sterile insects and release
      intervals). We found that spatially biased releases allowed the pest to spatially
      escape from the sterile insect, and thus intensively lowered its controllability.
      However, we showed that the temporally counterbalancing spatially biased releases
      by swapping the number of released insects in the two habitats at every release
      (called temporal balancing) could greatly mitigate this negative effect and
      promote the controllability. We also showed that the negative effect of
      spatiotemporally biased releases was a result of the limited mobility of the
      target insect. Although directed dispersal of the insects in response to habitats
      of differing quality could lower the controllability in the more productive
      habitat, the temporal balancing could promote and eventually maximize the
      controllability as released insects increased.

PMID- 28363861
TI  - Prevalence and Predictors of Chronic Postsurgical Pain in Children: A Systematic
      Review and Meta-Analysis.
AB  - : Emerging research suggests that pain may persist longer-term for many children
      after major surgery, with significant effects on their health outcomes. This
      systematic review identified the prevalence of chronic postsurgical pain (CPSP)
      in children after surgery, and determined presurgical biomedical and psychosocial
      risk factors associated with CPSP prevalence or severity. Prospective studies
      assessing CPSP 3 to 12 months after surgery in children 6 to 18 years of age
      published in English in MedLine, EMBASE, PsycINFO, and Cochrane Database of
      Systematic Reviews since 1996 were eligible for inclusion. Of 16,084 abstracts
      yielded by the search, 123 full articles were assessed for eligibility, and 12
      studies were included in the review. Overall quality of included studies assessed
      using the Quality in Prognostic Studies tool was low. On the basis of 4 studies
      with a total of 628 participants across all surgery types, median prevalence of
      CPSP across studies was 20% (25th percentile = 14.5%, 75th percentile = 38%) at
      12 months after surgery. Presurgical pain intensity, child anxiety, child pain
      coping efficacy, and parental pain catastrophizing were the only presurgical
      factors identified as predictive of CPSP. Biological and medical factors assessed
      were not associated with CPSP in any study. Well designed studies examining
      prevalence and predictors of CPSP are critically needed in children. PERSPECTIVE:
      In this systematic review, the median prevalence of CPSP in children was 20%
      across studies. Presurgical pain intensity, and child and parent psychosocial
      factors predicted CPSP. Additional resources and interventions are needed for
      youth who report persistent pain after surgery.

PMID- 28363863
TI  - Evolution of stinginess and generosity in finite populations.
AB  - In iterated continuous games, the cooperative investment in a given round is
      determined by the initial investment and the reciprocation rate, which describe
      the investment in the first round and the dependence of current investment on the
      partner's last move, respectively. These two traits usually intertwine during
      evolution. However, their coevolution is not fully explored. In this paper, we
      thereby study their coevolution in the iterated continuous public goods games. We
      find that the reciprocation rate plays a dominant role during the coevolution in
      both finite and infinite populations. If it exceeds a threshold, a stingy
      population where individuals invest no more than their partner's last investment
      evolves to full cooperation, and a generous population where individuals invest
      more than their partner's last investment decreases to a moderate cooperative
      state, investing a portion in the first round and then escalating investment in
      the following rounds. Otherwise, the stingy population evolves to full defection,
      and the generous one rises to another moderate cooperative state.

PMID- 28363865
TI  - High affinity binding of amyloid beta-peptide to calmodulin: Structural and
      functional implications.
AB  - Amyloid beta-peptides (Abeta) are a major hallmark of Alzheimer's disease (AD)
      and their neurotoxicity develop with cytosolic calcium dysregulation. On the
      other hand, calmodulin (CaM), a protein which plays a major multifunctional role
      in neuronal calcium signaling, has been shown to be involved in the regulation of
      non-amyloidogenic processing of amyloid beta precursor protein (APP). Using
      fluorescent 6-bromoacetyl-2-dimethylaminonaphthalene derivatives of CaM, Badan
      CaM, and human amyloid beta(1-42) HiLyteTM-Fluor555, we show in this work that
      Abeta binds with high affinity to CaM through the neurotoxic Abeta25-35 domain.
      In addition, the affinity of Abeta for calcium-saturated CaM conformation is
      approximately 20-fold higher than for CaM conformation in the absence of calcium
      (apo-CaM). Moreover, the value of Kd of 0.98 +/- 0.11 nM obtained for Abeta1-42
      dissociation from CaM saturated by calcium points out that CaM is one of the
      cellular targets with highest affinity for neurotoxic Abeta peptides. A major
      functional consequence of Abeta-CaM interaction is that it slowdowns Abeta
      fibrillation. The novel and high affinity interaction between calmodulin and
      Abeta shown in this work opens a yet-unexplored gateway to further understand the
      neurotoxic effect of Abeta in different neural cells and also to address the
      potential of calmodulin and calmodulin-derived peptides as therapeutic agents in
      AD.

PMID- 28363864
TI  - Alveolar septal patterning during compensatory lung growth: Part II the effect of
      parenchymal pressure gradients.
AB  - In most mammals, compensatory lung growth occurs after the removal of one lung
      (pneumonectomy). Although the mechanism of alveolar growth is unknown, the
      patterning of complex alveolar geometry over organ-sized length scales is a
      central question in regenerative lung biology. Because shear forces appear
      capable of signaling the differentiation of important cells involved in
      neoalveolarization (fibroblasts and myofibroblasts), interstitial fluid mechanics
      provide a potential mechanism for the patterning of alveolar growth. The movement
      of interstitial fluid is created by two basic mechanisms: 1) the non-uniform
      motion of the boundary walls, and 2) parenchymal pressure gradients external to
      the interstitial fluid. In a previous study (Haber et al., Journal of Theoretical
      Biology 400: 118-128, 2016), we investigated the effects of non-uniform
      stretching of the primary septum (associated with its heterogeneous mechanical
      properties) during breathing on generating non-uniform Stokes flow in the
      interstitial space. In the present study, we analyzed the effect of parenchymal
      pressure gradients on interstitial flow. Dependent upon lung microarchitecture
      and physiologic conditions, parenchymal pressure gradients had a significant
      effect on the shear stress distribution in the interstitial space of primary
      septa. A dimensionless parameter delta described the ratio between the effects of
      a pressure gradient and the influence of non-uniform primary septal wall motion.
      Assuming that secondary septa are formed where shear stresses were the largest,
      it is shown that the geometry of the newly generated secondary septa was governed
      by the value of delta. For delta smaller than 0.26, the alveolus size was halved
      while for higher values its original size was unaltered. We conclude that the
      movement of interstitial fluid, governed by parenchymal pressure gradients and
      non-uniform primary septa wall motion, provides a plausible mechanism for the
      patterning of alveolar growth.

PMID- 28363866
TI  - Interferon induces interleukin 8 and bone marrow stromal cell antigen 2
      expression, inhibiting the production of hepatitis B virus surface antigen from
      human hepatocytes.
AB  - Hepatitis B virus (HBV) surface antigen (HBsAg) loss is one of the treatment
      goals of chronic HBV infection. Bone marrow stromal cell antigen 2 (BST2) is one
      of the interferon (IFN)-stimulated genes (ISGs) and inhibits the release of
      various enveloped viruses. Here we examined the effects of antiviral treatment on
      HBsAg levels and its intracellular mechanism in HBsAg-producing hepatocytes. In
      PLC/PRF/5 and Huh1, IFNalpha-2a treatment decreased HBsAg levels in their
      conditioned media. Upregulation of interleukin 8 (IL8), toll-like receptor 2
      (TLR2) and interferon gamma-induced protein 10 (IP10) mRNAs was associated with
      the reduction of HBsAg in both PLC/PRF/5 and Huh1. The HBsAg level was
      upregulated by knockdown of IL8, TLR2 or IP10. Exogenous addition of IL8 enhanced
      BST2 promoter activity and BST2 mRNA expression. Additionally, knockdown of IL8
      could lead to the downregulation of BST2 mRNA. Transfection of poly(I-C) enhanced
      IL8 and BST2 mRNA expression and inhibited HBsAg secretion from PLC/PRF/5 cells.
      In conclusion, IL8 might play an important role in the enhancement of BST2 and be
      involved in HBsAg eradication.

PMID- 28363867
TI  - Developmentally regulated GTP-binding protein 2 depletion leads to mitochondrial
      dysfunction through downregulation of dynamin-related protein 1.
AB  - Mitochondrial dynamics, including constant fusion and fission, play critical
      roles in maintaining mitochondrial morphology and function. Here, we report that
      developmentally regulated GTP-binding protein 2 (DRG2) regulates mitochondrial
      morphology by modulating the expression of the mitochondrial fission gene dynamin
      related protein 1 (Drp1). shRNA-mediated silencing of DRG2 induced mitochondrial
      swelling, whereas expression of an shRNA-resistant version of DRG2 decreased
      mitochondrial swelling in DRG2-depleted cells. Analysis of the expression levels
      of genes involved in mitochondrial fusion and fission revealed that DRG2
      depletion significantly decreased the level of Drp1. Overexpression of Drp1
      rescued the defect in mitochondrial morphology induced by DRG2 depletion. DRG2
      depletion reduced the mitochondrial membrane potential, oxygen consumption rate
      (OCR), and amount of mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA), whereas it increased reactive
      oxygen species (ROS) production and apoptosis. Taken together, our data
      demonstrate that DRG2 acts as a regulator of mitochondrial fission by controlling
      the expression of Drp1.

PMID- 28363868
TI  - Neoagarooligosaccharides prevent septic shock by modulating A20-and
      cyclooxygenase-2-mediated interleukin-10 secretion in a septic-shock mouse model.
AB  - Analysis of the signaling mechanism triggered by endotoxin-mediated toll-like
      receptor-4 activation using immune cell systems or rodent models may help
      identify potential agents for the prevention of Gram-negative bacteria infection.
      beta-agarase cleaves the beta-1,4-linkages of agar to produce
      neoagarooligosaccharides (NAOs), which have various physiological functions. The
      aim of this study was to investigate the efficacy of NAOs in preventing
      experimental sepsis caused by the administration of endotoxin or Gram-negative
      bacteria. Organ damage and neutrophil infiltration in an endotoxemia and septic
      shock mouse model were suppressed by NAOs. Pro-inflammatory cytokine level was
      decreased, but IL-10 level was increased by NAO-treatment. Further induction by
      NAOs in the presence of endotoxin was associated with a significant induction of
      A20 and cyclooxygenase (COX)-2 expressions. Our data suggest that NAOs have a
      beneficial preventive effect in septic shock correlated with the enhancement of
      IL-10 via the induction of A20 and COX-2.

PMID- 28363870
TI  - Transformation of crustacean pathogenic bacterium Spiroplasma eriocheiris and
      expression of yellow fluorescent protein.
AB  - Spiroplasma eriocheiris, the cause of crab trembling disease, is a wall-less
      bacterium, related to Mycoplasmas, measuring 2.0-10.0 MUm long. It features a
      helical cell shape and a unique swimming mechanism that does not use flagella;
      instead, it moves by switching the cell helicity at a kink traveling from the
      front to the tail. S. eriocheiris seems to use a novel chemotactic system that is
      based on the frequency of reversal swimming behaviors rather than the
      conventional two-component system, which is generally essential for bacterial
      chemotaxis. To identify the genes involved in these novel mechanisms, we
      developed a transformation system by using oriC plasmid harboring the
      tetracycline resistant gene, tetM, which is under the control of a strong
      promoter for an abundant protein, elongation factor-Tu. The transformation
      efficiency achieved was 1.6 * 10-5 colony forming unit (CFU) for 1 MUg DNA,
      enabling the expression of the enhanced yellow fluorescent protein (EYFP).

PMID- 28363869
TI  - A simple comparison of the extrinsic noise in gene expression between native and
      foreign regulations in Escherichia coli.
AB  - Living cells reorganize their gene expression through regulatory machineries in
      response to external perturbations. The contribution of the regulation to the
      noise in gene expression is of great interest. In this study, we evaluate the
      contribution of both native and foreign regulations to the extrinsic noise in
      gene expression. We analyzed the gene expression data of a mini-library
      containing 70 genetic constructs of 136 clones into which the gfp gene had been
      chromosomally incorporated under the control of either native or foreign
      regulation. We found that the substitution of native by foreign regulation, i.e.,
      the insertion of the Ptet promoter, triggered a decrease in the extrinsic noise,
      which was independent of the protein abundance. The reanalyses of varied genomic
      data sets verified that the noisy gene expression mediated by native regulations
      is a common feature, regardless of the diversity in the genetic approaches used.
      Disturbing native regulations by a synthetic promoter reduced the extrinsic noise
      in gene expression in Escherichia coli. It indicated that the extrinsic noise in
      gene expression caused by the native regulation could be further repressed. These
      results suggest a tendency of released regulation leading to reduced noise and a
      linkage between noise and plasticity in the regulation of gene expression.

PMID- 28363871
TI  - Impact of antibody subclass and disulfide isoform differences on the biological
      activity of CD200R and betaklotho agonist antibodies.
AB  - Agonism of cell surface receptors by monoclonal antibodies is dependent not only
      on its ability to bind the target, but also to deliver a biological signal
      through receptors to the cell. Immunoglobulin G2 antibodies (IgG2s) are made up
      of a mixture of distinct isoforms (IgG2-A, -B and A/B), which differ by the
      disulfide connectivity at the hinge region. When evaluating panels of agonistic
      antibodies against CD200 receptor (CD200R) or betaklotho receptor (betaklotho),
      we noticed striking activity differences of IgG1 or IgG2 antibodies with the same
      variable domains. For the CD200R antibody, the IgG2 antibody demonstrated higher
      activity than the IgG1 or IgG4 antibody. More significantly, for betaklotho,
      agonist antibodies with higher biological activity as either IgG2 or IgG1 were
      identified. In both cases, ion exchange chromatography was able to isolate the
      bioactivity to the IgG2-B isoform from the IgG2 parental mixture. The subclass
      related increase in agonist activity was not correlated with antibody aggregation
      or binding affinity, but was driven by enhanced avidity for the CD200R antibody.
      These results add to the growing body of evidence that show that conformational
      differences in the antibody hinge region can have a dramatic impact on the
      antibody activity and must be considered when screening and engineering
      therapeutic antibody candidates. The results also demonstrate that the IgG1 (IgG2
      A like) or the IgG2-B form may provide the most active form of agonist antibodies
      for different antibodies and targets.

PMID- 28363872
TI  - Novel therapeutic strategies to target leukemic cells that hijack
      compartmentalized continuous hematopoietic stem cell niches.
AB  - Acute myeloid leukemia and acute lymphoblastic leukemia cells hijack
      hematopoietic stem cell (HSC) niches in the bone marrow and become leukemic stem
      cells (LSCs) at the expense of normal HSCs. LSCs are quiescent and resistant to
      chemotherapy and can cause relapse of the disease. HSCs in niches are needed to
      generate blood cell precursors that are committed to unilineage differentiation
      and eventually production of mature blood cells, including red blood cells,
      megakaryocytes, myeloid cells and lymphocytes. Thus far, three types of HSC
      niches are recognized: endosteal, reticular and perivascular niches. However, we
      argue here that there is only one type of HSC niche, which consists of a
      periarteriolar compartment and a perisinusoidal compartment. In the
      periarteriolar compartment, hypoxia and low levels of reactive oxygen species
      preserve the HSC pool. In the perisinusoidal compartment, hypoxia in combination
      with higher levels of reactive oxygen species enables proliferation of progenitor
      cells and their mobilization into the circulation. Because HSC niches offer
      protection to LSCs against chemotherapy, we review novel therapeutic strategies
      to inhibit homing of LSCs in niches for the prevention of dedifferentiation of
      leukemic cells into LSCs and to stimulate migration of leukemic cells out of
      niches. These strategies enhance differentiation and proliferation and thus
      sensitize leukemic cells to chemotherapy. Finally, we list clinical trials of
      therapies that tackle LSCs in HSC niches to circumvent their protection against
      chemotherapy.

PMID- 28363873
TI  - Production of recombinant human acid alpha-glucosidase with high-mannose glycans
      in gnt1 rice for the treatment of Pompe disease.
AB  - Lysosomal storage diseases are a group of inherited metabolic disorders. Patients
      are treated with enzyme replacement therapy (ERT), in which the replacement
      enzymes are required to carry terminal mannose or mannose 6-phosphate residues to
      allow efficient uptake into target cells and tissues. N
      acetylglucosaminyltransferase-I (GnTI) mediates N-glycosylation in the cis
      cisternae of the Golgi apparatus by adding N-acetylglucosamine to the exposed
      terminal mannose residue of core N-glycan structures for further processing.
      Mutant rice lacking GnTI produces only high mannosylated glycoproteins. In this
      study, we introduced a gene encoding recombinant human acid alpha-glucosidase
      (rhGAA), which is used in ERT for Pompe disease, into gnt1 rice callus by
      particle bombardment. Integration of the target gene into the genome of the gnt1
      rice line and its mRNA expression were confirmed by PCR and Northern blot,
      respectively. Western blot analysis was performed to confirm secretion of the
      target proteins into the culture media. Using an indirect enzyme linked
      immunosorbent assay, we determined the maximum expression of rhGAA to be
      approximately 45mg/L, 13days after induction. To assay the enzymatic activity and
      determine the N-glycan profile of rhGAA, we purified the protein using a
      6*histidine tag. The in vitro alpha-glucosidase activity of rhGAA from gnt1 rice
      callus (gnt1-GAA) was 3.092U/mg, similar to the activity of the Chinese hamster
      ovary cell-derived GAA (3.154U/mg). N-glycan analysis revealed the presence of
      high-mannose N-glycans on gnt1-GAA. In addition, the production of high-mannose
      GAA using gnt1 rice calli as an expression host was characterized, which may aid
      the future development of therapeutic enzymes for the treatment of Pompe disease.

PMID- 28363874
TI  - Label-free protein quantification of sodium butyrate treated CHO cells by ESI-UHR
      TOF-MS.
AB  - Effects of butyrate on CHO producer cells are contradictory, promoting
      productivity and at the same time repressing proliferation. Though in previous
      omics studies the background of butyrate impact on producer cells has been
      investigated, the knowledge about the mechanism is still very limited. As
      previous proteomic results on this field are mainly based on 2DE-gels, we
      conducted a label-free MS quantification, based on fast high resolution ESI-MS
      and a straight forward software solution, to gain insight in shifted cellular
      processes of CHO cells 25h after butyrate treatment. 118 proteins or subunits
      with significantly altered abundances were identified suggesting changes in
      carbohydrate, protein metabolic and cell cycle processes. Effects of butyrate on
      the nucleosome assembly as a known direct epigenetic influence on HDAC activity
      turned out to be unexpectedly fast and persistent, as confirmed by Western blots
      of histone-H4 acetylation. Contradictory to increased cell specific productivity,
      most elements of protein metabolism exhibited decreased levels after butyrate
      treatment. In comparison to published results some overlap of our label free MS
      data could be observed but also apparently diverging findings, showing the need
      for complementary omics techniques for a holistic view on cellular processes such
      as response to butyrate.

PMID- 28363875
TI  - Improvement of a continuous ethanol fermentation from sweet sorghum stem juice
      using a cell recycling system.
AB  - The process variables (aeration rate and recycle ratio) of a continuous ethanol
      fermentation with a cell recycling system (CRS) by Saccharomyces cerevisiae NP 01
      from sweet sorghum stem juice were optimized using response surface methodology
      (RSM). The relationship between intracellular composition and fermentation
      efficiency was also investigated. RSM results revealed that the optimum aeration
      rate and recycle ratio were 0.25vvm and 0.625, respectively. The validation
      experiment under the optimum conditions indicated high precision and reliability
      of the experiment, achieving an actual ethanol concentration (PE) of 99.28g/l,
      which was very close to the predicted value (98.01g/l), and a very high ethanol
      productivity (QP) of 7.94g/lh. The intracellular composition of the yeast cells
      (i.e., unsaturated fatty acids (UFAs), total fatty acids (TFAs), ergosterol and
      trehalose) was positively related to the fermentation efficiency and yeast
      adaptive response under ethanol stress. A higher ratio of UFAs/TFAs and
      ergosterol strongly promoted yeast viability and ethanol fermentation.
      Additionally, high trehalose content was observed when the yeast was subjected to
      stress conditions.

PMID- 28363876
TI  - Neuronal polarization: From spatiotemporal signaling to cytoskeletal dynamics.
AB  - Neuronal polarization establishes distinct molecular structures to generate a
      single axon and multiple dendrites. Studies over the past years indicate that
      this efficient separation is brought about by a network of feedback loops. Axonal
      growth seems to play a major role in fueling those feedback loops and thereby
      stabilizing neuronal polarity. Indeed, various effectors involved in feedback
      loops are pivotal for axonal growth by ultimately acting on the actin and
      microtubule cytoskeleton. These effectors have key roles in interconnecting actin
      and microtubule dynamics - a mechanism crucial to commanding the growth of axons.
      We propose a model connecting signaling with cytoskeletal dynamics and neurite
      growth to better describe the underlying processes involved in neuronal
      polarization. We will discuss the current views on feedback loops and highlight
      the current limits of our understanding.

PMID- 28363878
TI  - Interest of the "compress test" in diagnosis of nerve injury in hand wounds.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: Hand wounds are a common cause of emergency department admission.
      Digital nerve lesions are found in 5% of palm wounds. Early diagnosis reduces the
      risk of morbidity, sequelae and litigation. Screening for digital nerve injury by
      the usual tests is difficult in an emergency context. We assessed the diagnostic
      value of the simple "compress test" to screen for pulp sensibility disorder and
      the factors that may influence the value of this examination, with a view to
      validating routine use. MATERIAL AND METHOD: A retrospective study included 821
      palm wounds treated between January 2014 and May 2016. There were 605 male and
      216 patients; mean age, 42.8 years (range: 18-90 years). The dominant hand was
      involved in 307 cases (37.4%). Sensitivity, specificity, positive and negative
      predictive values, and positive and negative likelihood ratios of the compress
      test were calculated. Diagnostic value was also calculated according to age,
      gender, affected digit, dominant side and examiner's experience. RESULTS:
      Clinical deficit was found in 412 cases (50.2%). A digital nerve lesion was found
      intraoperatively in 277 cases (33.6%). Test sensitivity was 87.3%, specificity
      68.6%, positive predictive value 58.5%, negative predictive value 91.4%, positive
      likelihood ratio 2.78 and negative likelihood ratio 0.18. The test was more
      effective for thumb wounds and for examination by a junior surgeon. There were no
      differences according to injured side, innervation territory or gender.
      CONCLUSION: This clinical test is reliable, with very good negative predictive
      value and good sensitivity, allowing its use in routine clinical practice.
      Nevertheless, surgical exploration of deep palm injuries should remain the rule.

PMID- 28363877
TI  - Subacromial temperature profile during bipolar radiofrequency use in shoulder
      arthroscopy. Comparison of Coblation(r) vs. VAPR(r).
AB  - BACKGROUND: The use of bipolar electrodes for arthroscopic procedures carries a
      theoretical ex vivo risk of inducing burn injuries. Few studies have measured the
      in vivo temperatures produced by bipolar electrodes during arthroscopy, and their
      results are conflicting. The objective of this study was to evaluate the
      temperature profile within the subacromial space during shoulder arthroscopy with
      two different electrode systems. HYPOTHESIS: The primary hypothesis was that the
      two electrode systems produced similar temperature variations and peak
      temperatures. The secondary hypothesis was that neither electrode system produced
      irrigation-fluid temperatures above the tissue-damage threshold. MATERIAL AND
      METHODS: A comparative, prospective, single-centre, single-surgeon, single-blind
      study was conducted to compare the Coblation(r) system (Smith&Nephew, Andover,
      MA, USA) and the VAPR(r) system (DePuy Synthes Mitek Sports Medicine, Raynham,
      MA, USA) in 13 patients undergoing shoulder arthroscopy. A temperature probe
      inserted into the subacromial space was used to record temperatures at 10-second
      intervals for 60seconds during continuous radiofrequency application. RESULTS:
      Mean baseline temperature was 21.4+/-0.7 degrees C with VAPR(r) and 23.0+/-2.2
      degrees C with Coblation(r). No significant between-group differences were found
      during the first 40seconds. The mean peak temperature reached after 60seconds was
      25.0+/-1.9 degrees C with VAPR(r) and 27.9+/-2.8 degrees C with Coblation(r)
      (P<0.05). DISCUSSION: Few studies have compared the in vivo temperatures produced
      during arthroscopy by different electrode systems. In vivo studies have
      established that temperature increases can cause tissue damage, particularly to
      chondrocytes, and that the irrigation flow rate plays a key role in lowering the
      in vivo temperatures. Our study showed a significant difference between the two
      electrode systems after 50seconds of use, with lower temperatures with the
      VAPR(r). Nevertheless, neither system increased the irrigation-fluid temperatures
      above the tissue-damage threshold. Both systems can be used safely, provided the
      manufacturer instructions are followed and the irrigation system is effective.
      LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: II (prospective randomized trial).

PMID- 28363879
TI  - Get+Connected: Development and Pilot Testing of an Intervention to Improve
      Computer and Internet Attitudes and Internet Use Among Women Living With HIV.
AB  - BACKGROUND: For persons living with chronic medical conditions, the Internet can
      be a powerful tool for health promotion, and allow for immediate access to
      medical information and social support. However, women living with human
      immunodeficiency virus (HIV) in the United States face numerous barriers to
      computer and Internet use. Health behavior change models suggest that the first
      step towards adopting a new health behavior is to improve attitudes towards that
      behavior. OBJECTIVE: To develop and pilot test Get+Connected, an intervention to
      improve computer and Internet attitudes and Internet use among women living with
      HIV. METHODS: To develop Get+Connected, we reviewed the extant literature,
      adapted an existing curriculum, and conducted a focus group with HIV-positive
      women (n=20) at a community-based organization in the Bronx, New York.
      Get+Connected was comprised of five weekly sessions covering the following
      topics: basic computer knowledge and skills, identifying reliable health-related
      websites, setting up and using email and Facebook accounts, and a final review
      session. We recruited 12 women to participate in pilot testing. At baseline, we
      collected data about participants' sociodemographic information, clinical
      characteristics, and technology device ownership and use. At baseline,
      intervention completion, and three months postintervention, we collected data
      regarding attitudes towards computers and the Internet (Attitudes Towards
      Computers and the Internet Questionnaire [ATCIQ]; possible scores range from 5
      50) as well as frequency of Internet use (composite measure). To examine changes
      in ATCIQ scores and Internet use over time, we used generalized estimating
      equations. We also collected qualitative data during intervention delivery.
      RESULTS: Among women in our sample, the median age was 56 years (interquartile
      range=52-63). All participants were black/African American and/or Latina. Seven
      participants (7/12, 58%) had a high school diploma (or equivalent) or higher
      degree. Ten participants (10/12, 83%) reported owning a mobile phone, while only
      one (1/12, 8%) reported owning a computer or tablet. Only one participant (1/12,
      8%) reported having ever used the Internet or email. Internet nonusers cited lack
      of computer/Internet knowledge (6/11, 54%) and lack of access to a computer or
      similar device (4/11, 36%) as the main barriers to use. Over time, we observed an
      improvement in attitudes towards computers and the Internet (ATCIQ scores: 33.5
      at baseline, 35 at intervention completion, and 36 at three months
      postintervention; P=.008). No significant increase in Internet use was observed
      (P=.61). Qualitative findings indicated excitement and enthusiasm for the
      intervention. CONCLUSIONS: In our sample of urban, technology-inexperienced HIV
      positive women, participation in Get+Connected was associated with an improvement
      in attitudes towards computers and the Internet, but not Internet use. Changing
      attitudes is the first step in many health behavior change models, indicating
      that with improved access to computer and Internet resources, frequency of
      Internet use may also have increased. Future studies should consider addressing
      issues of access to technology in conjunction with Get+Connected.

PMID- 28363880
TI  - Effectiveness of a Web-Based Health Education Program to Promote Oral Hygiene
      Care Among Stroke Survivors: Randomized Controlled Trial.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Oral hygiene care is of key importance among stroke patients to
      prevent complications that may compromise rehabilitation or potentially give rise
      to life-threatening infections such as aspiration pneumonia. OBJECTIVE: The aim
      of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of a Web-based continuing
      professional development (CPD) program on "general intention" of the health
      carers to perform daily mouth cleaning for stroke patients using the theory of
      planned behavior (TPB). METHODS: A double-blind cluster randomized controlled
      trial was conducted among 547 stroke care providers across 10 hospitals in
      Malaysia. The centers were block randomized to receive either (1) test
      intervention (a Web-based CPD program on providing oral hygiene care to stroke
      patients using TPB) or (2) control intervention (a Web-based CPD program not
      specific to oral hygiene). Domains of TPB: "attitude," "subjective norm" (SN),
      "perceived behavior control" (PBC), "general intention" (GI), and "knowledge"
      related to providing oral hygiene care were assessed preintervention and at 1
      month and 6 months postintervention. RESULTS: The overall response rate was 68.2%
      (373/547). At 1 month, between the test and control groups, there was a
      significant difference in changes in scores of attitude (P=.004) and subjective
      norm (P=.01), but not in other TPB domains (GI, P=.11; PBC, P=.51; or knowledge,
      P=.08). At 6 months, there were significant differences in changes in scores of
      GI (P=.003), attitude (P=.009), SN (P<.001) and knowledge (P=.001) between the
      test and control groups. Regression analyses identified that the key factors
      associated with a change in GI at 6 months were changes in SN (beta=.36, P<.001)
      and changes in PBC (beta=.23, P<.001). CONCLUSIONS: The Web-based CPD program
      based on TPB increased general intention, attitudes, subjective norms, and
      knowledge to provide oral hygiene care among stroke carers for their patients.
      Changing subjective norms and perceived behavioral control are key factors
      associated with changes in general intention to provide oral hygiene care. TRIAL
      REGISTRATION: National Medical Research Register, Malaysia NMRR-13-1540-18833
      (IIR); https://www.nmrr.gov.my/ fwbLoginPage.jsp.

PMID- 28363881
TI  - Trajectories of Depressive Symptoms Among Web-Based Health Risk Assessment
      Participants.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Health risk assessments (HRAs), which often screen for depressive
      symptoms, are administered to millions of employees and health plan members each
      year. HRA data provide an opportunity to examine longitudinal trends in
      depressive symptomatology, as researchers have done previously with other
      populations. OBJECTIVE: The primary research questions were: (1) Can we observe
      longitudinal trajectories in HRA populations like those observed in other study
      samples? (2) Do HRA variables, which primarily reflect modifiable health risks,
      help us to identify predictors associated with these trajectories? (3) Can we
      make meaningful recommendations for population health management, applicable to
      HRA participants, based on predictors we identify? METHODS: This study used
      growth mixture modeling (GMM) to examine longitudinal trends in depressive
      symptomatology among 22,963 participants in a Web-based HRA used by US employers
      and health plans. The HRA assessed modifiable health risks and variables such as
      stress, sleep, and quality of life. RESULTS: Five classes were identified: A
      "minimal depression" class (63.91%, 14,676/22,963) whose scores were consistently
      low across time, a "low risk" class (19.89%, 4568/22,963) whose condition
      remained subthreshold, a "deteriorating" class (3.15%, 705/22,963) who began at
      subthreshold but approached severe depression by the end of the study, a
      "chronic" class (4.71%, 1081/22,963) who remained highly depressed over time, and
      a "remitting" class (8.42%, 1933/22,963) who had moderate depression to start,
      but crossed into minimal depression by the end. Among those with subthreshold
      symptoms, individuals who were male (P<.001) and older (P=.01) were less likely
      to show symptom deterioration, whereas current depression treatment (P<.001) and
      surprisingly, higher sleep quality (P<.001) were associated with increased
      probability of membership in the "deteriorating" class as compared with "low
      risk." Among participants with greater symptomatology to start, those in the
      "severe" class tended to be younger than the "remitting" class (P<.001). Lower
      baseline sleep quality (P<.001), quality of life (P<.001), stress level (P<.001),
      and current treatment involvement (P<.001) were all predictive of membership in
      the "severe" class. CONCLUSIONS: The trajectories identified were consistent with
      trends in previous research. The results identified some key predictors: we
      discuss those that mirror prior studies and offer some hypotheses as to why
      others did not. The finding that 1 in 5 HRA participants with subthreshold
      symptoms deteriorated to the point of clinical distress during succeeding years
      underscores the need to learn more about such individuals. We offer additional
      recommendations for follow-up research, which should be designed to reflect
      changes in health plan demographics and HRA delivery platforms. In addition to
      utilizing additional variables such as cognitive style to refine predictive
      models, future research could also begin to test the impact of more aggressive
      outreach strategies aimed at participants who are likely to deteriorate or remain
      significantly depressed over time.

PMID- 28363885
TI  - Canada announces plans to legalise recreational marijuana.

PMID- 28363882
TI  - Designing Health Apps to Support Dietetic Professional Practice and Their
      Patients: Qualitative Results From an International Survey.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Dietitians are engaging with mobile health (mHealth) technologies,
      particularly with diet and nutrition apps in their patient care. Despite the
      plethora of apps available, the majority are not designed with a dietitian's
      input. OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to identify the user preferences of
      dietitians in relation to tools, resources, and design features for smartphone
      health apps that would support their dietetic professional practice and their
      patients. METHODS: As part of a larger international Web-based survey of health
      app use among dietitians, three open-ended responses were included for specific
      exploration of app design features and additional resources or tools that could
      guide the development of apps for use in dietetic practice and patient care.
      Inductive thematic analysis of responses was conducted using the qualitative data
      analysis program, NVivo version 11 (QSR International Pty Ltd), to understand the
      design preferences and features valued by dietitians. RESULTS: The responses from
      381 dietitian respondents were analyzed. Five key themes were identified.
      Dietitians wanted access to credible apps, suggesting that dietetic associations
      should have greater involvement in reviewing and endorsing evidence-based apps
      for use in dietary counseling. Improvements to the usability of apps, relating to
      their ease of use and design, were also raised, as self-monitoring of dietary
      behaviors using existing nutrition apps was deemed to be burdensome. Furthermore,
      apps providing dietitian-oriented support were favored, for example, those with
      the ability to streamline the dietary assessment process, so that dietitians
      could spend more time on dietary counseling and negotiating patient goals for
      dietary and lifestyle behavior change. Provision of patient-oriented support,
      such as functionality to tailor apps to patient-specific needs, was also
      considered important. Finally, respondents valued apps that could integrate into
      their work systems to enhance the quality of the dietitian-patient relationship.
      CONCLUSIONS: App developers should draw upon the features and characteristics
      valued by dietitians to guide their development of apps that support dietetic
      practice and enhance patient care. Moreover, to achieve better dietitian and
      patient-centered app design, it is imperative that app developers take a
      collaborative approach with dietitians, their professional associations, and
      their patients.

PMID- 28363883
TI  - Methods for Coding Tobacco-Related Twitter Data: A Systematic Review.
AB  - BACKGROUND: As Twitter has grown in popularity to 313 million monthly active
      users, researchers have increasingly been using it as a data source for tobacco
      related research. OBJECTIVE: The objective of this systematic review was to
      assess the methodological approaches of categorically coded tobacco Twitter data
      and make recommendations for future studies. METHODS: Data sources included
      PsycINFO, Web of Science, PubMed, ABI/INFORM, Communication Source, and Tobacco
      Regulatory Science. Searches were limited to peer-reviewed journals and
      conference proceedings in English from January 2006 to July 2016. The initial
      search identified 274 articles using a Twitter keyword and a tobacco keyword. One
      coder reviewed all abstracts and identified 27 articles that met the following
      inclusion criteria: (1) original research, (2) focused on tobacco or a tobacco
      product, (3) analyzed Twitter data, and (4) coded Twitter data categorically. One
      coder extracted data collection and coding methods. RESULTS: E-cigarettes were
      the most common type of Twitter data analyzed, followed by specific tobacco
      campaigns. The most prevalent data sources were Gnip and Twitter's Streaming
      application programming interface (API). The primary methods of coding were hand
      coding and machine learning. The studies predominantly coded for relevance,
      sentiment, theme, user or account, and location of user. CONCLUSIONS: Standards
      for data collection and coding should be developed to be able to more easily
      compare and replicate tobacco-related Twitter results. Additional recommendations
      include the following: sample Twitter's databases multiple times, make a
      distinction between message attitude and emotional tone for sentiment, code
      images and URLs, and analyze user profiles. Being relatively novel and widely
      used among adolescents and black and Hispanic individuals, Twitter could provide
      a rich source of tobacco surveillance data among vulnerable populations.

PMID- 28363887
TI  - Hip surgery - state of the art: Totally Hip 2017: Gothenburg.

PMID- 28363888
TI  - Prevention of periprosthetic joint infection: new guidelines.
AB  - The World Health Organization (WHO) and the Centre for Disease Control and
      Prevention (CDC) recently published guidelines for the prevention of surgical
      site infection. The WHO guidelines, if implemented worldwide, could have an
      immense impact on our practices and those of the CDC have implications for
      healthcare policy in the United States. Our aim was to review the strategies for
      prevention of periprosthetic joint infection in light of these and other recent
      guidelines. Cite this article: Bone Joint J 2017;99-B(4 Supple B):3-10.

PMID- 28363889
TI  - Hip revision arthroplasty for failed osteosynthesis in periprosthetic Vancouver
      type B1 fractures using a cementless, modular, tapered revision stem.
AB  - AIMS: To evaluate the hypothesis that failed osteosynthesis of periprosthetic
      Vancouver type B1 fractures can be treated successfully with stem revision using
      a transfemoral approach and a cementless, modular, tapered revision stem with
      reproducible rates of fracture healing, stability of the revision stem, and
      clinically good results. PATIENTS AND METHODS: A total of 14 patients (11 women,
      three men) with a mean age of 72.4 years (65 to 90) undergoing revision hip
      arthroplasty after failed osteosynthesis of periprosthetic fractures of Vancouver
      type B1 were treated using a transfemoral approach to remove the well-fixed stem
      before insertion of a modular, fluted titanium stem which obtained distal
      fixation. These patients were clinically and radiologically followed up for a
      mean 52.2 months (24 to 144). RESULTS: After a mean of 15.5 weeks (standard
      deviation (sd) 5.7) all fractures had healed. No stems subsided and bony-ingrowth
      fixation had occurred according to the classification of Engh et al. The mean
      Harris Hip Score increased from a pre-operative score of 22.2 points (sd 9.7) to
      81.5 points (sd 16.8) 24 months post-operatively. All hips had obtained an
      excellent result according to the classification of Beals and Tower. CONCLUSIONS:
      The technique described here for stem revision provides reproducibly good results
      in the treatment of failed osteosynthesis for Vancouver types B1 periprosthetic
      fractures of the hip. Cite this article: Bone Joint J 2017;99-B(4 Supple B):11
      16.

PMID- 28363890
TI  - A systematic review of Vancouver B2 and B3 periprosthetic femoral fractures.
AB  - AIMS: The aim of this study was to investigate the outcomes of Vancouver type B2
      and B3 fractures by performing a systematic review of the methods of surgical
      treatment which have been reported. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A systematic search
      was performed in Ovid MEDLINE, Embase and the Cochrane Central Register of
      Controlled Trials. For inclusion, studies required a minimum of ten patients with
      a Vancouver type B2 and/or ten patients with a Vancouver type B3 fracture, a
      minimum mean follow-up of two years and outcomes which were matched to the type
      of fracture. Studies were also required to report the rate of re-operation as an
      outcome measure. The protocol was registered in the PROSPERO database. RESULTS: A
      total of 22 studies were included based on the eligibility criteria, including
      343 B2 fractures and 167 B3 fractures. The mean follow-up ranged from 32 months
      to 74 months. Of 343 Vancouver B2 fractures, the treatment in 298 (86.8%)
      involved revision arthroplasty and 45 (12.6%) were treated with internal fixation
      alone. A total of 37 patients (12.4%) treated with revision arthroplasty and six
      (13.3%) treated by internal fixation only underwent further re-operation. Of 167
      Vancouver B3 fractures, the treatment in 160 (95.8%) involved revision
      arthroplasty and eight (4.8%) were treated with internal fixation without
      revision. A total of 23 patients (14.4%) treated with revision arthroplasty and
      two (28.6%) treated only with internal fixation required re-operation.
      CONCLUSION: A significant proportion, particularly of B2 fractures, were treated
      without revision of the stem. These were associated with a higher rate of re
      operation. The treatment of B3 fractures without revision of the stem resulted in
      a high rate of re-operation. This demonstrates the importance of careful
      evaluation and accurate characterisation of the fracture at the time of
      presentation to ensure the correct management. There is a need for improvement in
      the reporting of data in case series recording the outcome of the surgical
      treatment of periprosthetic fractures. We have suggested a minimum dataset to
      improve the quality of data in studies dealing with these fractures. Cite this
      article: Bone Joint J 2017;99-B(4 Supple B):17-25.

PMID- 28363891
TI  - Cement-in-cement revision of the femoral stem: analysis of 1179 first-time
      revisions in the Swedish Hip Arthroplasty Register.
AB  - AIMS: Compared with primary total hip arthroplasty (THA), revision surgery can be
      challenging. The cement-in-cement femoral revision technique involves removing a
      femoral component from a well-fixed femoral cement mantle and cementing a new
      stem into the original mantle. This technique is widely used and when carried out
      for the correct indications, is fast, relatively inexpensive and carries a
      reduced short-term risk for the patient compared with the alternative of removing
      well-fixed cement. We report the outcomes of this procedure when two commonly
      used femoral stems are used. PATIENTS AND METHODS: We identified 1179 cement-in
      cement stem revisions involving an Exeter or a Lubinus stem reported to the
      Swedish Hip Arthroplasty Register (SHAR) between January 1999 and December 2015.
      Kaplan-Meier survival analysis was performed. RESULTS: Survivorship is reported
      up to six years and was better in the Exeter group (91% standard deviation (sd)
      2.8% versus 85% sd 5.0%) (p = 0.02). There was, however, no significant
      difference in the survival of the stem and risk of re-revision for any reason (p
      = 0.58) and for aseptic loosening (p = 0.97), between revisions in which the
      Exeter stem (94% sd 2.2%; 98% sd 1.6%) was used compared with those in which the
      Lubinus stem (95% sd 3.2%; 98% sd 2.2%) was used. The database did not allow
      identification of whether a further revision was indicated for loosening of the
      acetabular or femoral component or both. CONCLUSION: The cement-in-cement
      technique for revision of the femoral component gave promising results using both
      designs of stem, six years post-operatively. Cite this article: Bone Joint J
      2017;99-B(4 Supple B):27-32.

PMID- 28363892
TI  - Mid-term changes in blood metal ion levels after Articular Surface Replacement
      arthroplasty of the hip.
AB  - AIMS: Our first aim was to determine whether there are significant changes in the
      level of metal ions in the blood at mid-term follow-up, in patients with an
      Articular Surface Replacement (ASR) arthroplasty. Secondly, we sought to identify
      risk factors for any increases. PATIENTS AND METHODS: The study involved 435
      patients who underwent unilateral, metal-on-metal (MoM) hip resurfacing (HRA) or
      total hip arthroplasty (THA). These patients all had one measurement of the level
      of metal ions in the blood before seven years had passed post-operatively (early
      evaluation) and one after seven years had passed post-operatively (mid-term
      evaluation). Changes in ion levels were tested using a Wilcoxon signed-rank test.
      We identified subgroups at the highest risk of increase using a multivariable
      linear logistic regression model. RESULTS: There were significant increases in
      the levels of metal ions for patients who underwent both MoM HRA (Chromium (Cr):
      0.5 parts per billion (ppb); Cobalt (Co): 1.1 ppb) and MoM THA (Cr: 0.5 ppb; Co:
      0.7 ppb). In a multivariable model considering MoM HRAs, the change in the levels
      of metal ions was influenced by female gender (Co: Odds Ratio (OR) 1.42; p =
      0.002 and Cr: OR 1.08; p = 0.006). The change was found to be irrespective of the
      initial level for the MoM HRAs, whereas there was a negative relationship between
      the initial level and the change in the level for those with a MoM THA (Co: OR 
      0.43; p < 0.001 and Cr: OR -0.14; p = 0.033). CONCLUSION: The levels of metal
      ions in the blood increase significantly over the period until mid-term follow-up
      in patients with both a MoM HRA and those with a MoM THA. We recommend that the
      levels of metal ions be measured most frequently for women with a MoM HRA. While
      those with a MoM THA appear to stabilise at a certain level, the accuracy of this
      trend is not yet clear. Vigilant follow-up is still recommended. Cite this
      article: Bone Joint J 2017;99-B(4 Supple B):33-40.

PMID- 28363893
TI  - Osseous impingement occurs early in flexion in cam-type femoroacetabular
      impingement: a 4D CT model.
AB  - AIMS: The aim of this study was to examine the real time in vivo kinematics of
      the hip in patients with cam-type femoroacetabular impingement (FAI). PATIENTS
      AND METHODS: A total of 50 patients (83 hips) underwent 4D dynamic CT scanning of
      the hip, producing real time osseous models of the pelvis and femur being moved
      through flexion, adduction, and internal rotation. The location and size of the
      cam deformity and its relationship to the angle of flexion of the hip and pelvic
      tilt, and the position of impingement were recorded. RESULTS: In these patients
      with cam-type FAI, there was significant correlation between the alpha angle and
      flexion to the point of impingement (mean 41.36 degrees ; 14.32 degrees  to 57.95
      degrees ) (R = -0.5815 and p = < 0.001). Patients with a large cam deformity
      (alpha angle > 78 degrees ) had significantly less flexion to the point of
      impingement (mean 36.30 degrees ; 14.32 degrees  to 55.18 degrees ) than patients
      with a small cam deformity (alpha angle 60 degrees  to 78 degrees ) (mean 45.34
      degrees ; 27.25 degrees  to 57.95 degrees ) (p = < 0.001). CONCLUSION: This study
      has shown that cam-type impingement can occur early in flexion (40 degrees ),
      particularly in patients with large anterior deformities. These patients risk
      chondrolabral damage during routine activities such as walking, and going up
      stairs. These findings offer important insights into the cause of the symptoms,
      the mechanisms of screening and the forms of treatment available for these
      patients. Cite this article: Bone Joint J 2017;99-B(4 Supple B):41-8.

PMID- 28363894
TI  - Early performance-based and patient-reported outcomes of a contemporary taper fit
      bone-conserving short stem femoral component in total hip arthroplasty.
AB  - AIMS: The aim of this study was to compare early functional and health related
      quality of life outcomes (HRQoL) in patients who have undergone total hip
      arthroplasty (THA) using a bone conserving short stem femoral component and those
      in whom a conventional length uncemented component was used. Outcome was assessed
      using a validated performance based outcome instrument as well as patient
      reported outcome measures (PROMs). PATIENTS AND METHODS: We prospectively
      analysed 33 patients whose THA involved a contemporary proximally porous coated
      tapered short stem femoral component and 53 patients with a standard conventional
      femoral component, at a minimum follow-up of two years. The mean follow-up was
      31.4 months (24 to 39). Patients with poor proximal femoral bone quality were
      excluded. The mean age of the patients was 66.6 years (59 to 77) and the mean
      body mass index was 30.2 kg/m2 (24.1 to 41.0). Outcome was assessed using the
      Oxford Hip Score (OHS) and the University College Hospital (UCH) hip score which
      is a validated performance based instrument. HRQoL was assessed using the EuroQol
      5D (EQ-5D). RESULTS: There were no major peri-operative complications. There was
      no difference in the mean post-operative OHS, EQ-5D or function subscale of the
      UCH hip scores between the two groups. The mean pre-operative OHS and EQ-5D
      scores improved significantly (all p < 0.001). The mean functional component of
      the UCH hip score at final follow-up was 42.5 and 40.6 in the short stem and
      conventional stem groups, respectively. There was no statistically significant
      difference between the groups (p = 0.42). A total of seven patients (21.2%) in
      the short stem group and nine (16.98%) in the conventional group achieved a
      ceiling effect using the OHS; none did using the function subscale of the UCH hip
      score. CONCLUSION: The proximally porous coated tapered short stem femoral
      component achieves comparable short-term functional outcomes when compared with a
      conventional longer stem uncemented femoral component when THA is undertaken in
      patients with good bone quality. Cite this article: Bone Joint J 2017;99-B(4
      Supple B):49-55.

PMID- 28363895
TI  - Clarification of RCOG advice on obese women in pregnancy.

PMID- 28363896
TI  - Author's reply.

PMID- 28363897
TI  - Differentiation of germinal center B cells into plasma cells is initiated by high
      affinity antigen and completed by Tfh cells.
AB  - Plasma cells (PCs) derived from germinal centers (GCs) secrete the high-affinity
      antibodies required for long-term serological immunity. Nevertheless, the process
      whereby GC B cells differentiate into PCs is uncharacterized, and the mechanism
      underlying the selective PC differentiation of only high-affinity GC B cells
      remains unknown. In this study, we show that differentiation into PCs is induced
      among a discrete subset of high-affinity B cells residing within the light zone
      of the GC. Initiation of differentiation required signals delivered upon
      engagement with intact antigen. Signals delivered by T follicular helper cells
      were not required to initiate differentiation but were essential to complete the
      differentiation process and drive migration of maturing PCs through the dark zone
      and out of the GC. This bipartite or two-signal mechanism has likely evolved to
      both sustain protective immunity and avoid autoantibody production.

PMID- 28363899
TI  - Spontaneous coronary artery dissection.

PMID- 28363898
TI  - There is still a role for cytology in the 'liquid biopsy' era. A lesson from a
      TKI-treated patient showing adenocarcinoma to squamous cell carcinoma transition
      during disease progression.
AB  - Non-small cell lung carcinoma harbouring epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR)
      mutation, usually progress after an initial response to tyrosine-kinase
      inhibitors (TKI). Liquid biopsy enables with a simple blood draw the accurate
      detection of EGFR p.T790M mutation, the most common resistance mechanism,
      avoiding the more invasive tissue re-biopsy. However, in a subset of cases,
      resistance mechanisms are more complex featuring both genetic and morphological
      changes. Here we report the case of a 67 years-old woman, affected by an EGFR
      mutated lung adenocarcinoma and treated by TKI. At disease progression, the
      patient developed a morphological transition to squamous cell carcinoma in
      association to the arising of a PIK3CA p.E542K mutant subclone. This case
      illustrates that, even in the "liquid biopsy" era, cytology can have still a role
      by providing an overall assessment of both morphology and genetic TKI resistance
      mechanisms.

PMID- 28363901
TI  - Time to ReSPECT personal resuscitation plans for adults?

PMID- 28363900
TI  - Computational analysis of nascent peptides that induce ribosome stalling and
      their proteomic distribution in Saccharomyces cerevisiae.
AB  - Interactions between the ribosomal exit tunnel and the nascent peptide can affect
      translation elongation rates. While previous studies have already demonstrated
      the feasibility of such interactions, little is known about the nature of the
      stalling peptide sequences and their distribution in the proteome. Here we ask
      which peptide sequences tend to occupy the tunnel of stalled ribosomes and how
      they are distributed in the proteome. Using computational analysis of ribosome
      profiling data from S. cerevisiae, we identified for the first time dozens of
      short stalling peptide sequences and studied their statistical properties. We
      found that short peptide sequences associated with ribosome stalling tend
      significantly to be either over- or underrepresented in the proteome. We then
      showed that the stalling interactions may occur at different positions along the
      length of the tunnel, prominently close to the P-site. Our findings throw light
      on the determinants of nascent peptide-mediated ribosome stalling during
      translation elongation and support the novel conjecture that mRNA translation
      affects the proteomic distribution of short peptide sequences.

PMID- 28363902
TI  - Ontogeny of bite force in a validated biomechanical model of the American
      alligator.
AB  - Three-dimensional computational modeling offers tools with which to investigate
      forces experienced by the skull during feeding and other behaviors. American
      alligators (Alligator mississippiensis) generate some of the highest measured
      bite forces among extant tetrapods. A concomitant increase in bite force
      accompanies ontogenetic increases in body mass, which has been linked with
      dietary changes as animals increase in size. Because the flattened skull of
      crocodylians has substantial mediolaterally oriented muscles, crocodylians are an
      excellent model taxon in which to explore the role of mediolateral force
      components experienced by the feeding apparatus. Many previous modeling studies
      of archosaur cranial function focused on planar analysis, ignoring the
      mediolateral aspects of cranial forces. Here, we used three-dimensionally
      accurate anatomical data to resolve 3D muscle forces. Using dissection, imaging
      and computational techniques, we developed lever and finite element models of an
      ontogenetic series of alligators to test the effects of size and shape on cranial
      loading and compared estimated bite forces with those previously measured in vivo
      in A. mississippiensis We found that modeled forces matched in vivo data well for
      intermediately sized individuals, and somewhat overestimated force in smaller
      specimens and underestimated force in larger specimens, suggesting that
      ontogenetically static muscular parameters and bony attachment sites alone cannot
      account for all the variation in bite force. Adding aponeurotic muscle
      attachments would likely improve force predictions, but such data are challenging
      to model and integrate into analyses of extant taxa and are generally unpreserved
      in fossils. We conclude that anatomically accurate modeling of muscles can be
      coupled with finite element and lever analyses to produce reliable, reasonably
      accurate estimate bite forces and thus both skeletal and joint loading, with
      known sources of error, which can be applied to extinct taxa.

PMID- 28363903
TI  - IFN Regulatory Factor 3 Potentiates Emphysematous Aggravation by
      Lipopolysaccharide.
AB  - Acute exacerbation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is often
      induced by infection and often has a poor prognosis. Bacterial LPS activates
      innate immune receptor TLR4 followed by activation of a transcriptional factor
      IFN regulatory factor-3 (IRF3) as well as NF-kappaB, resulting in upregulation of
      various inflammatory mediators. To clarify the role of IRF3 in the pathogenesis
      of LPS-triggered COPD exacerbation, porcine pancreatic elastase (PPE) followed by
      LPS was administered intranasally to wild-type (WT) or IRF3-/- male mice.
      Sequential quantitative changes in emphysema were evaluated by microcomputed
      tomography, and lung histology was evaluated at the sixth week. WT mice treated
      with PPE and LPS exhibited enlarged alveolar spaces, whereas this feature was
      attenuated in similarly treated IRF3-/- mice. Moreover, LPS-induced emphysema
      aggravation was detected only in WT mice. Analysis of acute inflammation induced
      by PPE plus LPS revealed that the lungs of treated IRF3-/- mice had decreased
      mRNA transcripts for MCP-1, MIP-1alpha, TNF-alpha, and IFN-gamma-inducible
      protein-10 but had increased neutrophils. IRF3 was involved in the production of
      mediators from macrophages, alveolar epithelial cells, and neutrophils.
      Furthermore, compared with isolated WT neutrophils from inflamed lung, those of
      IRF3-/- neutrophils exhibited impaired autophagic activation, phagocytosis, and
      apoptosis. These results suggest that IRF3 accelerated emphysema formation based
      on distinct profiles of mediators involved in LPS-induced COPD exacerbation.
      Regulation of the IRF3 pathway can affect multiple cell types and contribute to
      ameliorate pathogenesis of infection-triggered exacerbation of COPD.

PMID- 28363904
TI  - Hydrogen Peroxide Triggers a Dual Signaling Axis To Selectively Suppress
      Activated Human T Lymphocyte Migration.
AB  - H2O2 is an early danger cue required for innate immune cell recruitment to
      wounds. To date, little is known about whether H2O2 is required for the migration
      of human adaptive immune cells to sites of inflammation. However, oxidative
      stress is known to impair T cell activity, induce actin stiffness, and inhibit
      cell polarization. In this study, we show that low oxidative concentrations of
      H2O2 also impede chemokinesis and chemotaxis of previously activated human T
      cells to CXCL11, but not CXCL10 or CXCL12. We show that this deficiency in
      migration is due to a reduction in inflammatory chemokine receptor CXCR3 surface
      expression and cellular activation of lipid phosphatase SHIP-1. We demonstrate
      that H2O2 acts through an Src kinase to activate a negative regulator of PI3K
      signaling, SHIP-1 via phosphorylation, providing a molecular mechanism for H2O2
      induced chemotaxis deficiency. We hypothesize that although H2O2 serves as an
      early recruitment trigger for innate immune cells, it appears to operate as an
      inhibitor of T lymphocyte immune adaptive responses that are not required until
      later in the repair process.

PMID- 28363905
TI  - CD137 Plays Both Pathogenic and Protective Roles in Type 1 Diabetes Development
      in NOD Mice.
AB  - We previously reported that CD137 (encoded by Tnfrsf9) deficiency suppressed type
      1 diabetes (T1D) progression in NOD mice. We also demonstrated that soluble CD137
      produced by regulatory T cells contributed to their autoimmune-suppressive
      function in this model. These results suggest that CD137 can either promote or
      suppress T1D development in NOD mice depending on where it is expressed. In this
      study, we show that NOD.Tnfrsf9-/- CD8 T cells had significantly reduced
      diabetogenic capacity, whereas absence of CD137 in non-T and non-B cells had a
      limited impact on T1D progression. In contrast, NOD.Tnfrsf9-/- CD4 T cells highly
      promoted T1D development. We further demonstrated that CD137 was important for
      the accumulation of beta cell-autoreactive CD8 T cells but was dispensable for
      their activation in pancreatic lymph nodes. The frequency of islet-infiltrating
      CD8 T cells was reduced in NOD.Tnfrsf9-/- mice in part because of their decreased
      proliferation. Furthermore, CD137 deficiency did not suppress T1D development in
      NOD mice expressing the transgenic NY8.3 CD8 TCR. This suggests that increased
      precursor frequency of beta cell-autoreactive CD8 T cells in NY8.3 mice obviated
      a role for CD137 in diabetogenesis. Finally, blocking CD137-CD137 ligand
      interaction significantly delayed T1D onset in NOD mice. Collectively, our
      results indicate that one important diabetogenic function of CD137 is to promote
      the expansion and accumulation of beta cell-autoreactive CD8 T cells, and in the
      absence of CD137 or its interaction with CD137 ligand, T1D progression is
      suppressed.

PMID- 28363908
TI  - Nonspecific DNA Binding of cGAS N Terminus Promotes cGAS Activation.
AB  - The cytosolic DNA sensor cyclic GMP-AMP synthase (cGAS) mediates innate immune
      responses against invading pathogens, or against self-dsDNA, which causes
      autoimmune disorders. Upon nonspecific binding of cytosolic B-form DNA, cGAS
      synthesizes the second messenger 2'3'-cGAMP and triggers STING-dependent
      signaling to produce type I IFNs. The cGAS comprises less-conserved N-terminal
      residues and highly conserved nucleotidyltransferase/Mab21 domains. The function
      and structure of the well-conserved domains have been extensively studied,
      whereas the physiological function of the N-terminal domain of cGAS is largely
      uncharacterized. In this study we used a single-molecule technique combined with
      traditional biochemical and cellular assays to demonstrate that binding of
      nonspecific dsDNA by the N-terminal domain of cGAS promotes its activation. We
      have observed that the N terminus of human cGAS (hcGAS-N160) undergoes secondary
      structural change upon dsDNA binding in solution. Furthermore, we showed that the
      hcGAS-N160 helps full length hcGAS to expand the binding range on lambdaDNA and
      facilitates its binding efficiency to dsDNA compared with hcGAS without the 160 N
      terminal residues (hcGAS-d160). More importantly, hcGAS-N160 endows full length
      hcGAS relatively higher enzyme activity and stronger activation of STING/IRF3
      mediated cytosolic DNA signaling. These findings strongly indicate that the N
      terminal domain of cGAS plays an important role in enhancing its function.

PMID- 28363910
TI  - Pembrolizumab Approved for Hodgkin Lymphoma.
AB  - The FDA has approved pembrolizumab for adults and children with classical Hodgkin
      lymphoma whose disease is refractory to or has relapsed after at least three
      prior therapies. The approval marks the first time that a PD-1 inhibitor has been
      indicated for blood cancers-and for children.

PMID- 28363906
TI  - Varied Role of Ubiquitylation in Generating MHC Class I Peptide Ligands.
AB  - CD8+ T cell immunosurveillance is based on recognizing oligopeptides presented by
      MHC class I molecules. Despite decades of study, the importance of protein
      ubiquitylation to peptide generation remains uncertain. In this study, we
      examined the ability of MLN7243, a recently described ubiquitin-activating enzyme
      E1 inhibitor, to block overall cytosolic peptide generation and generation of
      specific peptides from vaccinia- and influenza A virus-encoded proteins. We show
      that MLN7243 rapidly inhibits ubiquitylation in a variety of cell lines and can
      profoundly reduce the generation of cytosolic peptides. Kinetic analysis of
      specific peptide generation reveals that ubiquitylation of defective ribosomal
      products is rate limiting in generating class I peptide complexes. More
      generally, our findings demonstrate that the requirement for ubiquitylation in
      MHC class I-restricted Ag processing varies with class I allomorph, cell type,
      source protein, and peptide context. Thus, ubiquitin-dependent and -independent
      pathways robustly contribute to MHC class I-based immunosurveillance.

PMID- 28363907
TI  - Retinoic Acid Regulates Immune Responses by Promoting IL-22 and Modulating S100
      Proteins in Viral Hepatitis.
AB  - Although large amounts of vitamin A and its metabolite all-trans retinoic acid
      (RA) are stored in the liver, how RA regulates liver immune responses during
      viral infection remains unclear. In this study, we demonstrated that IL-22,
      mainly produced by hepatic gammadelta T cells, attenuated liver injury in
      adenovirus-infected mice. RA can promote gammadelta T cells to produce mTORC1
      dependent IL-22 in the liver, but inhibits IFN-gamma and IL-17. RA also affected
      the aptitude of T cell responses by modulating dendritic cell (DC) migration and
      costimulatory molecule expression. These results suggested that RA plays an
      immunomodulatory role in viral infection. Proteomics data revealed that RA
      downregulated S100 family protein expression in DCs, as well as NF-kappaB/ERK
      pathway activation in these cells. Furthermore, adoptive transfer of S100A4
      repressed, virus-pulsed DCs into the hind foot of naive mice failed to prime T
      cell responses in draining lymph nodes. Our study has demonstrated a crucial role
      for RA in promoting IL-22 production and tempering DC function through
      downregulating S100 family proteins during viral hepatitis.

PMID- 28363916
TI  - Analysis of CTG repeat length variation in the DMPK gene in the general
      population and the molecular diagnosis of myotonic dystrophy type 1 in Malaysia.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: The lack of epidemiological data and molecular diagnostic services in
      Malaysia has hampered the setting-up of a comprehensive management plan for
      patients with myotonic dystrophy type 1 (DM1), leading to delayed diagnosis,
      treatment and support for patients and families. The aim of this study was to
      estimate the prevalence of DM1 in the 3 major ethnic groups in Malaysia and
      evaluate the feasibility of a single tube triplet-primed PCR (TP-PCR) method for
      diagnosis of DM1 in Malaysia. DESIGN, SETTING AND PARTICIPANTS: We used PCR to
      determine the size of CTG repeats in 377 individuals not known to be affected by
      DM and 11 DM1 suspected patients, recruited from a tertiary hospital in Kuala
      Lumpur. TP-PCR was performed on selected samples, followed by Southern blot
      hybridisation of PCR amplified fragments to confirm and estimate the size of CTG
      expansion. OUTCOME MEASURES: The number of individuals not known to be affected
      by DM with (CTG)>18 was determined according to ethnic group and as a whole
      population. The chi2 test was performed to compare the distribution of (CTG)>18
      with 12 other populations. Additionally, the accuracy of TP-PCR in detecting CTG
      expansion in 11 patients with DM1 was determined by comparing the results with
      that from Southern blot hybridisation. RESULTS: Of the 754 chromosomes studied,
      (CTG)>18 frequency of 3.60%, 1.57% and 4.00% in the Malay, Chinese and Indian
      subpopulations, respectively, was detected, showing similarities to data from
      Thai, Taiwanese and Kuwaiti populations. We also successfully detected CTG
      expansions in 9 patients using the TP-PCR method followed by the estimation of
      CTG expansion size via Southern blot hybridisation. CONCLUSIONS: The results show
      a low DM1 prevalence in Malaysia with the possibility of underdiagnosis and
      demonstrates the feasibility of using a clinical and TP-PCR-based approach for
      rapid and cost-effective DM1 diagnosis in developing countries.

PMID- 28363909
TI  - A Phase Ib Dose-Escalation Study of Encorafenib and Cetuximab with or without
      Alpelisib in Metastatic BRAF-Mutant Colorectal Cancer.
AB  - Preclinical evidence suggests that concomitant BRAF and EGFR inhibition leads to
      sustained suppression of MAPK signaling and suppressed tumor growth in BRAFV600E
      colorectal cancer models. Patients with refractory BRAFV600-mutant metastatic CRC
      (mCRC) were treated with a selective RAF kinase inhibitor (encorafenib) plus a
      monoclonal antibody targeting EGFR (cetuximab), with (n = 28) or without (n = 26)
      a PI3Kalpha inhibitor (alpelisib). The primary objective was to determine the
      maximum tolerated dose (MTD) or a recommended phase II dose. Dose-limiting
      toxicities were reported in 3 patients receiving dual treatment and 2 patients
      receiving triple treatment. The MTD was not reached for either group and the
      phase II doses were selected as 200 mg encorafenib (both groups) and 300 mg
      alpelisib. Combinations of cetuximab and encorafenib showed promising clinical
      activity and tolerability in patients with BRAF-mutant mCRC; confirmed overall
      response rates of 19% and 18% were observed and median progression-free survival
      was 3.7 and 4.2 months for the dual- and triple-therapy groups,
      respectively.Significance: Herein, we demonstrate that dual- (encorafenib plus
      cetuximab) and triple- (encorafenib plus cetuximab and alpelisib) combination
      treatments are tolerable and provide promising clinical activity in the difficult
      to-treat patient population with BRAF-mutant mCRC. Cancer Discov; 7(6); 610-9.
      (c)2017 AACR.See related commentary by Sundar et al., p. 558This article is
      highlighted in the In This Issue feature, p. 539.

PMID- 28363917
TI  - Funnel plots and choropleth maps in cancer risk communication: a comparison of
      tools for disseminating population-based incidence data to stakeholders.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Population-based cancer registries provide epidemiological cancer
      information, but the indicators are often too complex to be interpreted by local
      authorities and communities, due to numeracy and literacy limitations. The aim of
      this paper is to compare the commonly used visual formats to funnel plots to
      enable local public health authorities and communities to access valid and
      understandable cancer incidence data obtained at the municipal level. METHODS: A
      funnel plot representation of standardised incidence ratio (SIR) was generated
      for the 82 municipalities of the Palermo Province with the 2003-2011 data from
      the Palermo Province Cancer Registry (Sicily, Italy). The properties of the
      funnel plot and choropleth map methodologies were compared within the context of
      disseminating epidemiological data to stakeholders. RESULTS: The SIRs of all the
      municipalities remained within the control limits, except for Palermo city area
      (SIR=1.12), which was sited outside the upper control limit line of 99.8%. The
      Palermo Province SIRs funnel plot representation was congruent with the
      choropleth map generated from the same data, but the former resulted more
      informative as shown by the comparisons of the weaknesses and strengths of the 2
      visual formats. CONCLUSIONS: Funnel plot should be used as a complementary
      valuable tool to communicate epidemiological data of cancer registries to
      communities and local authorities, visually conveying an efficient and simple way
      to interpret cancer incidence data.

PMID- 28363918
TI  - Accuracy of a step counter during treadmill and daily life walking by healthy
      adults and patients with cardiac disease.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Step counters have been used to observe activity and support physical
      activity, but there is limited evidence on their accuracy. OBJECTIVE: The purpose
      was to investigate the step accuracy of the Fitbit Zip (Zip) in healthy adults
      during treadmill walking and in patients with cardiac disease while hospitalised
      at home. METHODS: Twenty healthy adults aged 39+/-13.79 (mean +/-SD) wore four
      Zips while walking on a treadmill at different speeds (1.7-6.1 km/hour), and 24
      patients with cardiac disease (age 67+/-10.03) wore a Zip for 24 hours during
      hospitalisation and for 4 weeks thereafter at home. A Shimmer3 device was used as
      a criterion standard. RESULTS: At a treadmill speed of 3.6 km/hour, the relative
      error (+/-SD) for the Zips on the upper body was -0.02+/-0.67 on the right side
      and -0.09 (0.67) on the left side. For the Zips on the waist, this was 0.08+/
      0.71 for the right side and -0.08 (0.47) on the left side. At a treadmill speed
      of 3.6 km/hour and higher, the average per cent of relative error was <3%. The 24
      hour test for the hospitalised patients showed a relative error of -47.15+/-24.11
      (interclass correlation coefficient (ICC): 0.60), and for the 24-hour test at
      home, the relative error was -27.51+/-28.78 (ICC: 0.87). Thus, none of the 24
      hour tests had less than the expected 20% error. In time periods of evident
      walking during the 24 h test, the Zip had an average per cent relative error of
      <3% at 3.6 km/hour and higher speeds. CONCLUSIONS: A speed of 3.6 km/hour or
      higher is required to expect acceptable accuracy in step measurement using a Zip,
      on a treadmill and in real life. Inaccuracies are directly related to slow
      speeds, which might be a problem for patients with cardiac disease who walk at a
      slow pace.

PMID- 28363919
TI  - Impact of changes in pill appearance in the adherence to angiotensin receptor
      blockers and in the blood pressure levels: a retrospective cohort study.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: To assess the level of adherence to angiotensin receptor blockers
      (ARBs) in patients regularly attending a community pharmacy and the influence of
      a change in patients' adherence to pharmacological treatment. DESIGN:
      Retrospective cohort study of a random sample of consecutive patients collecting
      their medication. SETTING: 40 community pharmacies in Alicante (Southeast Spain).
      PARTICIPANTS: 602 consecutive >=18 years old patients following treatment with
      ARBs at least 3 previous refills were included. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Prevalence
      of uncontrolled blood pressure (BP) and adherence to prescribed pharmacological
      treatment (measured through both the Batalla and the Morisky-Green tests). A
      multivariate Poisson regression model was used to estimate the adjusted risk
      ratio (RRa) for non-adherence to pharmacological treatment by the presence of a
      change in patient's adherence and other significant variables. RESULTS: 161/602
      (13.7%) patients presented uncontrolled BP. According to the Morisky test,
      410/602 (68.2%) patients were considered adherent to pharmacological treatment
      and 231/602 (38.4%) patients according to the Batalla test. According to the
      Morisky-Green test, in the multivariable analysis, patients with a previous
      change in pill appearance were less likely to be adherent than those patients
      with no change in their pharmacological treatment (RRa 0.45; CI 95% 0.22 to 0.90;
      p=0.024). Systolic BP was higher in patients with a change in pill appearance in
      the previous 3 refills (median BP 142 mm Hg; IQR 136-148) than in those who did
      not have a change (median BP 127 mm Hg; IQR 118-135; p<0.001). CONCLUSIONS: There
      was a low percentage of adherence and nearly 15% of uncontrolled BP in patients
      who regularly collected their medication. Switching between pills of different
      appearances was associated with lower patient adherence to pharmacological
      treatment and a higher uncontrolled BP than no change in pharmacological
      treatment or change only in package but not in pill appearance.

PMID- 28363922
TI  - Awareness and attitudes of the Lebanese population with regard to physician
      pharmaceutical company interaction: a survey study.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: To assess the awareness and attitudes of the general public in Lebanon
      regarding the interactions between physicians and pharmaceutical companies.
      SETTING: Primary healthcare clinics and shopping malls in the Greater Beirut
      Area. PARTICIPANTS: 263 participants completed the questionnaire, of whom 62%
      were female and 38% were male. Eligible participants were Arabic-speaking or
      English-speaking adults (age>=18 years) residing in Lebanon for at least 5 years.
      PRIMARY AND SECONDARY OUTCOME MEASURES: Awareness, attitudes and beliefs of the
      general public. RESULTS: 263 out of 295 invited individuals (89% completion rate)
      completed the questionnaire. While the majority of participants were aware of
      pharmaceutical company presence (or absence) in physicians' offices (range of 71
      76% across questions), smaller percentages were aware of gift-related practices
      of physicians (range of 26-69% across questions). 40% thought that the acceptance
      of small gifts or meals by physicians is wrong/unethical. The percentage of
      participants reporting lower trust in physicians due to their participation in
      various pharmaceutical company-related activities ranged from 12% to 45% (the
      highest percentage being for large gifts). Participants who reported receiving
      free medication samples were significantly more likely to consider physicians'
      acceptance of small gifts as 'not a problem' than 'unethical' (OR=1.53; p=0.044).
      CONCLUSIONS: Participants in our survey were generally more aware of
      pharmaceutical company presence (or absence) in physicians' offices than of gift
      related practices of physicians. While the level of trust was not affected for
      the majority of participants for various types of interactions, it was affected
      the most for accepting large gifts.

PMID- 28363920
TI  - Design and rationale of a matched cohort study to assess the effectiveness of a
      combined household-level piped water and sanitation intervention in rural Odisha,
      India.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: Government efforts to address massive shortfalls in rural water and
      sanitation in India have centred on construction of community water sources and
      toilets for selected households. However, deficiencies with water quality and
      quantity at the household level and community coverage and actual use of toilets
      have led Gram Vikas, a local non-governmental organization in Odisha, India, to
      develop an approach that provides household-level piped water connections
      contingent on full community-level toilet coverage. METHODS: This matched cohort
      study was designed to assess the effectiveness of a combined piped water and
      sanitation intervention. Households with children <5 years in 45 randomly
      selected intervention villages and 45 matched control villages will be followed
      over 17 months. The primary outcome is prevalence of diarrhoeal diseases;
      secondary health outcomes include soil-transmitted helminth infection,
      nutritional status, seroconversion to enteric pathogens, urogenital infections
      and environmental enteric dysfunction. In addition, intervention effects on
      sanitation and water coverage, access and use, environmental fecal contamination,
      women's empowerment, as well as collective efficacy, and intervention cost and
      cost-effectiveness will be assessed. ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION: The study protocol
      has been reviewed and approved by the ethics boards of the London School of
      Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, UK and KIIT University, Bhubaneswar, India.
      Findings will be disseminated via peer-reviewed literature and presentation to
      stakeholders, government officials, implementers and researchers. TRIAL
      REGISTRATION NUMBER: NCT02441699.

PMID- 28363921
TI  - Evidence of potential bias in a comparison of beta blockers and calcium channel
      blockers in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and acute
      coronary syndrome: results of a multinational study.
AB  - OBJECTIVES: A number of observational studies have reported that, in patients
      with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), beta blockers (BBs) decrease
      risk of mortality and COPD exacerbations. To address important methodological
      concerns of these studies, we compared the effectiveness and safety of
      cardioselective BBs versus non-dihydropyridine calcium channel blockers (non-DHP
      CCBs) in patients with COPD and acute coronary syndromes (ACS) using a propensity
      score (PS)-matched, active comparator, new user design. We also assessed for
      potential unmeasured confounding by examining a short-term COPD hospitalisation
      outcome. SETTING AND PARTICIPANTS: We identified 22 985 patients with COPD and
      ACS starting cardioselective BBs or non-DHP CCBs across 5 claims databases from
      the USA, Italy and Taiwan. PRIMARY AND SECONDARY OUTCOME MEASURES: Stratified Cox
      regression models were used to estimate HRs for mortality, cardiovascular (CV)
      hospitalisations and COPD hospitalisations in each database after variable-ratio
      PS matching. Results were combined with random-effects meta-analyses. RESULTS:
      Cardioselective BBs were not associated with reduced risk of mortality (HR, 0.90;
      95% CI 0.78 to 1.02) or CV hospitalisations (HR, 1.06; 95% CI 0.91 to 1.23),
      although statistical heterogeneity was observed across databases. In contrast, a
      consistent, inverse association for COPD hospitalisations was identified across
      databases (HR, 0.54; 95% CI 0.47 to 0.61), which persisted even within the first
      30 days of follow-up (HR, 0.55; 95% CI 0.37 to 0.82). Results were similar across
      a variety of sensitivity analyses, including PS trimming, high dimensional-PS
      matching and restricting to high-risk patients. CONCLUSIONS: This multinational
      study found a large inverse association between cardioselective BBs and short
      term COPD hospitalisations. The persistence of this bias despite state-of-the-art
      pharmacoepidemiologic methods calls into question the ability of claims data to
      address confounding in studies of BBs in patients with COPD.

PMID- 28363923
TI  - Interactive web-based pulmonary rehabilitation programme: a randomised controlled
      feasibility trial.
AB  - OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study was to determine if an interactive web-based
      pulmonary rehabilitation (PR) programme is a feasible alternative to conventional
      PR. DESIGN: Randomised controlled feasibility trial. SETTING: Participants with a
      diagnosis of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease were recruited from PR
      assessments, primary care and community rehabilitation programmes. Patients
      randomised to conventional rehabilitation started the programme according to the
      standard care at their referred site on the next available date. PARTICIPANTS:
      103 patients were recruited to the study and randomised: 52 to conventional
      rehabilitation (mean (+/-SD) age 66 (+/-8) years, Medical Research Council (MRC)
      3 (IQR2-4)); 51 to the web arm (mean (+/-SD) age 66 (+/-10) years, MRC 3 (IQR2
      4)). Participants had to be willing to participate in either arm of the trial,
      have internet access and be web literate. INTERVENTIONS: Patients randomised to
      the web-based programme worked through the website, exercising and recording
      their progress as well as reading educational material. Conventional PR consisted
      of twice weekly, 2 hourly sessions (an hour for exercise training and an hour for
      education). OUTCOME MEASURES: Recruitment rates, eligibility, patient preference
      and dropout and completion rates for both programmes were collected. Standard
      outcomes for a PR assessment including measures of exercise capacity and quality
      of life questionnaires were also evaluated. RESULTS: A statistically significant
      improvement (p<=0.01) was observed within each group in the endurance shuttle
      walk test (WEB: mean change 189+/-211.1; PR classes: mean change 184.5+/-247.4 s)
      and Chronic Respiratory disease Questionnaire-Dyspnoea (CRQ-D; WEB: mean change
      0.7+/-1.2; PR classes: mean change 0.8+/-1.0). However, there were no significant
      differences between the groups in any outcome. Dropout rates were higher in the
      web-based programme (57% vs 23%). CONCLUSIONS: An interactive web-based PR
      programme is feasible and acceptable when compared with conventional PR. Future
      trials maybe around choice-based PR programmes for select patients enabling
      stratification of patient care. TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER: ISRCTN03142263;
      Results.

PMID- 28363924
TI  - Tobacco control environment: cross-sectional survey of policy implementation,
      social unacceptability, knowledge of tobacco health harms and relationship to
      quit ratio in 17 low-income, middle-income and high-income countries.
AB  - OBJECTIVES: This study examines in a cross-sectional study 'the tobacco control
      environment' including tobacco policy implementation and its association with
      quit ratio. SETTING: 545 communities from 17 high-income, upper-middle, low
      middle and low-income countries (HIC, UMIC, LMIC, LIC) involved in the
      Environmental Profile of a Community's Health (EPOCH) study from 2009 to 2014.
      PARTICIPANTS: Community audits and surveys of adults (35-70 years, n=12 953).
      PRIMARY AND SECONDARY OUTCOME MEASURES: Summary scores of tobacco policy
      implementation (cost and availability of cigarettes, tobacco advertising,
      antismoking signage), social unacceptability and knowledge were associated with
      quit ratios (former vs ever smokers) using multilevel logistic regression models.
      RESULTS: Average tobacco control policy score was greater in communities from
      HIC. Overall 56.1% (306/545) of communities had >2 outlets selling cigarettes and
      in 28.6% (154/539) there was access to cheap cigarettes (<5cents/cigarette) (3.2%
      (3/93) in HIC, 0% UMIC, 52.6% (90/171) LMIC and 40.4% (61/151) in LIC). Effective
      bans (no tobacco advertisements) were in 63.0% (341/541) of communities (81.7%
      HIC, 52.8% UMIC, 65.1% LMIC and 57.6% LIC). In 70.4% (379/538) of communities,
      >80% of participants disapproved youth smoking (95.7% HIC, 57.6% UMIC, 76.3% LMIC
      and 58.9% LIC). The average knowledge score was >80% in 48.4% of communities
      (94.6% HIC, 53.6% UMIC, 31.8% LMIC and 35.1% LIC). Summary scores of policy
      implementation, social unacceptability and knowledge were positively and
      significantly associated with quit ratio and the associations varied by gender,
      for example, communities in the highest quintile of the combined scores had 5.0
      times the quit ratio in men (Odds ratio (OR) 5.0, 95% CI 3.4 to 7.4) and 4.1
      times the quit ratio in women (OR 4.1, 95% CI 2.4 to 7.1). CONCLUSIONS: This
      study suggests that more focus is needed on ensuring the tobacco control policy
      is actually implemented, particularly in LMICs. The gender-related differences in
      associations of policy, social unacceptability and knowledge suggest that
      different strategies to promoting quitting may need to be implemented in men
      compared to women.

PMID- 28363925
TI  - Methods to decrease variability in histological scoring in placentas from a
      cohort of preterm infants.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: Reliable semiquantitative assessment of histological placental acute
      inflammation is problematic, even among experts. Tissue samples in histology
      slides often show variability in the extent and location of neutrophil
      infiltrates. We sought to determine whether the variability in pathologists'
      scoring of neutrophil infiltrates in the placenta could be reduced by the use of
      'regions of interest' (ROIs) that break the sample into smaller components.
      DESIGN: ROIs were identified within stained H&E slides from a cohort of 56 women.
      ROIs were scored using a semiquantitative scale (0-4) for the average number of
      neutrophils by at least two independent raters. SETTING: Preterm singleton births
      at Yale New Haven Hospital. PARTICIPANTS: This study used stained H&E placental
      slides from a cohort of 56 women with singleton pregnancies who had a clinically
      indicated amniocentesis within 24 hours of delivery. PRIMARY AND SECONDARY
      OUTCOME MEASURES: Interrater agreement was assessed with the intraclass
      correlation coefficient (ICC) and log-linear regression. Predictive validity was
      assessed using amniotic fluid protein profile scores (neutrophil defensin-2,
      neutrophil defensin-1, calgranulin C and calgranulin A). RESULTS: Excellent
      agreement by the ICC was found for the average neutrophil scores within a region
      of interest. Log-linear analyses suggest that even where there is disagreement,
      responses are positively associated along the diagonal. There was also strong
      evidence of predictive validity comparing pathologists' scores with amniotic
      fluid protein profile scores. CONCLUSIONS: Agreement among observers of
      semiquantitative neutrophil scoring through the use of digitised ROIs was
      demonstrated to be feasible with high reliability and validity.

PMID- 28363926
TI  - Measles outbreaks in the UK, is it when and where, rather than if? A database
      cohort study of childhood population susceptibility in Liverpool, UK.
AB  - OBJECTIVES: There was a large outbreak of measles in Liverpool, UK, in 2012-2013,
      despite measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) immunisation uptake rates that were
      higher than the national average. We estimated measles susceptibility of a cohort
      of children born in Liverpool between 1995 and 2012 to understand whether there
      was a change in susceptibility before and after the outbreak and to inform
      vaccination strategy. DESIGN: Retrospective cohort study. SETTING: The city of
      Liverpool, North West UK. PARTICIPANTS: All children born in Liverpool (72 101)
      between 1995 and 2012 inclusive who were identified using the Child Health
      Information System (CHIS) and were still resident within Liverpool in 2014.
      PRIMARY AND SECONDARY OUTCOME MEASURES: We estimated cohort age-disaggregated and
      neighbourhood-disaggregated measles susceptibility according to WHO thresholds
      before and after the outbreak for children aged 1-17 years. RESULTS:
      Susceptibility to measles was above WHO elimination thresholds before and after
      the measles outbreak in the 10+ age group. The proportion of children susceptible
      before and after outbreak, respectively: age 1-4 years 15.0% before and 14.9%
      after; age 5-9 years 9.9% before and 7.7% after; age 10+ years 8.6% before and
      8.5% after. Despite an intensive MMR immunisation catch-up campaign after the
      2012-2013 measles outbreak, the overall proportion of children with no MMR
      remains high at 6.1% (4390/72 351). Across all age groups and before and after
      the outbreak, measles susceptibility was clustered by neighbourhood, with
      deprived areas having the greatest proportion of susceptible children.
      CONCLUSIONS: The risk of sustained measles outbreaks remains, especially as large
      pools of susceptible older children will start leaving secondary education and
      continue to aggregate in higher education, employment and other community
      settings and institutions resulting in the potential for a propagated measles
      outbreak.

PMID- 28363927
TI  - Ongoing university studies and the risk of suicide: a register-based nationwide
      cohort study of 5 million young and middle-aged individuals in Sweden, 1993-2011.
AB  - OBJECTIVES: To investigate the risk of suicide, unnatural death and all-cause
      death in university students compared with non-students, taking previous
      educational attainment into account. DESIGN: Open cohort study of all residents
      aged 18-39 and living in Sweden at any time between 1 January 1993 and 31
      December 2011. SETTING: We linked data from national registers and calculated
      person-years during university studies for three time periods (1993-1999, 2000
      2005 and 2006-2011). Time as non-student was calculated and categorised according
      to attained educational level. Incidence rate ratios (IRR) with 95% CIs were
      calculated with Poisson regression models, controlling for age and period.
      PARTICIPANTS: The cohort consisted of 5 039 419 individuals, 51% men and 49%
      women. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Incidence of suicide (International Classification
      of Diseases (ICD)-9: E950-E959, ICD-10: X60-X84) or death with undetermined
      intent (ICD-9: E980-E989, ICD-10: Y10-Y34), unnatural death (ICD-9: E800-E999 and
      ICD-10: V01-Y99) and all-cause death. RESULTS: A total of 7316 deaths due to
      suicide were identified, of which 541 were registered among university students.
      The risk of suicide was twofold during ongoing university studies compared with
      when having attained university education, IRR 2.37 (95% CI 2.07 to 2.72) in men
      and IRR 2.15 (95% CI 1.77 to 2.61) in women. CONCLUSIONS: Having ongoing
      university studies was associated with a higher risk of suicide compared with
      having attained university-level education. This finding highlights the
      importance of achieving a deeper understanding of suicidal behaviour during years
      at university. Further studies should assess risk factors for suicide and
      suicidal behaviour in university students.

PMID- 28363928
TI  - Atraumatic versus traumatic lumbar puncture needles: a systematic review and meta
      analysis protocol.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: Lumbar puncture is one of the oldest and most commonly performed
      procedures in medicine, used to diagnose and treat disease. Headache following
      lumbar puncture remains a frequent complication, causing significant patient
      discomfort and often requiring narcotic analgesia or invasive therapy. Needle tip
      design has been proposed to affect the incidence of headache postlumbar puncture,
      with pencil-point 'atraumatic' needles thought to reduce its incidence in
      comparison to bevelled 'traumatic' needles. Despite this, the use of atraumatic
      needles and knowledge of their existence remains significantly limited among
      clinicians. This study will systematically review the evidence on atraumatic
      lumbar puncture needles and compare them with traumatic needles across a variety
      of clinical outcomes. METHODS AND ANALYSES: We will include published randomised
      controlled trials (RCTs), observational studies and abstracts, with no
      publication type or language restrictions. Search strategies will be designed to
      peruse the MEDLINE, EMBASE, Web of Science, ClinicalTrials.gov, CINAHL, WHO
      Clinical Trials Database and Cochrane Library databases. We will also implement
      strategies to search the grey literature. 3 reviewers will thoroughly and
      independently examine the search results, complete data abstraction and conduct
      quality assessment. Included RCTs will be assessed using the Cochrane risk of
      bias assessment tool and eligible observational studies will be examined using
      the Newcastle-Ottawa Scale. We will examine the outcomes of: headache and its
      type, intensity, duration and treatment; backache; success rate; hearing
      disturbance and nerve root irritation. The primary outcome will be the incidence
      of postdural puncture headache. We will calculate pooled estimates, relative
      risks for dichotomous outcomes and weighted mean differences for continuous
      outcomes, with corresponding 95% CIs. Statistical heterogeneity will be measured
      using Cochran's Q test and quantified using the I2 statistic. We will also
      conduct prespecified subgroup and sensitivity analyses to examine if covariates
      exist and to explore potential heterogeneity. ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION: Research
      ethics board approval is not required for this study as it draws from published
      data and raises no concerns related to patient privacy. This review will provide
      a comprehensive assessment of the evidence on atraumatic needles for lumbar
      puncture and is directed to a wide audience. Results from the review will be
      disseminated extensively through conferences and submitted to a peer-reviewed
      journal for publication. TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER: CRD42016047546.

PMID- 28363929
TI  - Tobacco and alcohol use among drug users receiving methadone maintenance
      treatment: a cross-sectional study in a rural prefecture of Yunnan Province,
      Southwest China.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: To estimate the prevalence of ever, current and heavy tobacco and
      alcohol use and their correlates among patients undergoing methadone maintenance
      treatment (MMT). DESIGN: Cross-sectional study. SETTING: The study was conducted
      in all of the 5 MMT clinics in Dehong Prefecture, China. PARTICIPANTS: 2121
      (81.6%) eligible MMT participants were included in the study population.
      ANALYSIS: Ordinal logistic regression was used to estimate the ORs and their 95%
      CIs. RESULTS: The overall prevalence of ever, current and heavy smoking was
      98.6%, 97.8% and 66.3%, respectively; while that of ever, current and hazardous
      alcohol drinking was 86.6%, 58.6% and 16.6%, respectively. Among HIV-infected
      participants, the proportions of those experiencing harmful effects of tobacco
      and alcohol on AIDS were 53.6% and 72.5%, respectively, and 16.9% and 49.3% had
      ever tried to quit after diagnosis with HIV. After adjusting for potential
      confounders, heavier smokers and more hazardous drinkers were more likely to be
      men, older and less educated. Ethnic minorities were less likely to heavily
      smoke, but more likely to engage in hazardous drinking. In addition, hazardous
      drinking was negatively associated with longer years of MMT and HIV infection.
      Moreover, heavier smoking (OR>=2=2.08, 95% CI 1.16 to 3.73) and more hazardous
      drinking (OR>=2=2.46, 95% CI 1.53 to 3.97) were positively associated with having
      multiple sexual partners, and both were positively associated with each other.
      CONCLUSIONS: The prevalence of tobacco and alcohol consumption was
      extraordinarily high among MMT participants in China, suggesting the urgent need
      of enhancing MMT patients' awareness of the harmful effects of tobacco and
      alcohol consumption and implementing comprehensive education and effective
      intervention programmes.

PMID- 28363931
TI  - Adult children's socioeconomic resources and mothers' survival after a breast
      cancer diagnosis: a Swedish population-based cohort study.
AB  - OBJECTIVES: Socioeconomic inequalities in survival after breast cancer persist
      worldwide. We aim to determine whether adult offspring's socioeconomic resources
      contribute to inequalities in mothers' survival after breast cancer. METHODS: 14
      231 women, aged 65-79 years, with a child aged >=30 years and a first primary
      diagnosis of breast cancer in the National Cancer Register between 2001 and 2010
      were followed until death, 10 years after diagnosis, or end of study (December
      2015). Relative survival proportions and excess mortality within 10 years of
      diagnosis by strata of offspring's education level and disposable income were
      estimated using flexible parametric models accounting for measures of mothers'
      socioeconomic position and expected mortality in the general population. RESULTS:
      4292 women died during 102 236 person-years of follow-up. Crude 10-year relative
      survival proportions for mothers of children with >14, 12-14 and <12 years of
      education were 0.89 (0.87 to 0.91), 0.87 (0.85 to 0.89) and 0.79 (0.76 to 0.81),
      respectively. Compared with mothers of children with >14 years of education,
      mothers of children with <12 or 12-14 years of education had substantially higher
      excess mortality (excess HR 1.69 (1.38 to 2.07) and 1.22 (1.00 to 1.48),
      respectively). Higher mortality did not differ between tertiles of offspring's
      disposable income. CONCLUSIONS: Adult offspring's education level may contribute
      to inequalities in mothers' survival after breast cancer. Clinicians should be
      aware of the educational context beyond the individual and women with less
      educated offsprings may require extra support. This should be considered in
      future research, policy frameworks and interventions aimed at reducing survival
      inequalities.

PMID- 28363930
TI  - What are the physical and psychological health effects of suicide bereavement on
      family members? Protocol for an observational and interview mixed-methods study
      in Ireland.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: Research indicates that experiencing the suicide of a relative can
      have a significant impact on family members' emotional health. However, research
      incorporating the impact of suicide bereavement on family members' physical
      health is sparse. This paper details the protocol for a mixed-methods study of
      suicide-bereaved family members. The study will primarily examine the physical
      and mental health needs of those bereaved by suicide. A secondary objective of
      the study is to describe the support service needs of family members bereaved by
      suicide. METHODS AND ANALYSIS: A mixed-methods approach, using semistructured
      interviews and self-report questionnaires, will be used. Interviews will be
      conducted with a group of 15-20 relatives who experienced suicide bereavement.
      This protocol will follow the COREQ checklist criteria for the reporting of
      qualitative research interviews. Thematic analysis will be used to examine
      experiences and impact of bereavement on psychological and physical health. Self
      report quantitative data on well-being will be analysed using descriptive
      statistics. ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION: Ethical approval to conduct this study has
      been granted from the Clinical Research Ethics Committee of the Cork Teaching
      Hospitals. Pseudonyms will be given to participants to protect anonymity. It will
      be explained to participants that participation in the study is voluntary and
      they have to right to withdraw at any time. The findings of this research will be
      disseminated to regional, national and international audiences through
      publication in peer-reviewed international journals and presentations at
      scientific conferences. This research also forms part of a PhD thesis.

PMID- 28363932
TI  - Patient-reported outcome measures for monitoring primary care patients with
      depression: PROMDEP feasibility randomised trial.
AB  - OBJECTIVES: To determine the feasibility of a trial of patient-reported outcome
      measures (PROMs) for monitoring primary care patients with depression. DESIGN:
      Partly individually randomised, partly cluster-randomised controlled trial.
      SETTING: Nine general practices in Southern England. PARTICIPANTS: 47 adults with
      new episodes of depression: 22 intervention, 25 control. RANDOMISATION: Remote
      computerised sequence generation and allocation. INTERVENTIONS: Patient Health
      Questionnaire, Distress Thermometer Analogue Scale and PSYCHLOPS problem profile
      for monitoring depression, following diagnosis and at 10-35 days later. Feedback
      of scores to patients was determined by practitioners. BLINDING: Non-blinded,
      using self-completed measures. PRIMARY OUTCOME: Beck Depression Inventory (BDI
      II). SECONDARY OUTCOME MEASURES: Work and Social Adjustment Scale (WSAS), EuroQol
      Five-item, Five-level (EQ-5D-5L) Scale for quality of life, modified Client
      Service Receipt Inventory for costs, Medical Informant Satisfaction Scale (MISS),
      qualitative interviews with 14 patients and 13 practice staff about feasibility
      and acceptability of trial design. RESULTS: Three practices failed to recruit the
      target of six patients in 12 months. Follow-up rates were intervention patients:
      18 (82%) at 12 weeks and 15 (68%) at 26 weeks; controls: 18 (72%) and 15 (60%),
      respectively. At 12 weeks, mean BDI-II score was lower among intervention group
      patients than controls by 5.8 points (95% CI -11.1 to -0.5), adjusted for
      baseline differences and clustering. WSAS scores were not significantly
      different. At 26 weeks, there were no significant differences in symptoms, social
      functioning, quality of life or costs, but mean satisfaction score was higher
      among controls by 22.0 points (95% CI -40.7 to -3.29). Intervention patients
      liked completing PROMs, but were disappointed when practitioners did not use the
      results to inform management. CONCLUSIONS: PROMs may improve depression outcome
      in the short term, even if PROM scores do not inform practitioners' management.
      Challenges in recruiting and following up patients need addressing for a
      definitive trial of relatively brief measures which can potentially inform
      management. https://www.isrctn.com/search?q=97492541 TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER:
      ISRCTN 97492541; Pre-results.

PMID- 28363934
TI  - Positive and negative roles of p85alpha and p85beta regulatory subunits of
      phosphoinositide 3-kinase in insulin signaling.

PMID- 28363935
TI  - POZ-, AT-hook-, and zinc finger-containing protein (PATZ) interacts with the
      human oncogene B cell lymphoma 6 (BCL6) and is required for its negative
      autoregulation.

PMID- 28363933
TI  - Feasibility of melatonin for prevention of delirium in critically ill patients: a
      protocol for a multicentre, randomised, placebo-controlled study.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: Delirium is highly prevalent in the intensive care unit (ICU) and
      is associated with adverse clinical outcomes. At this time, there is no drug that
      effectively prevents delirium in critically ill patients. Alterations in
      melatonin secretion and metabolism may contribute to the development of delirium.
      Administration of exogenous melatonin has been shown to prevent delirium in non
      critically ill surgical and medical patients. This trial will demonstrate the
      feasibility of a planned multicentre, randomised controlled trial to test the
      hypothesis that melatonin can prevent delirium in critically ill patients
      compared with placebo. METHODS AND ANALYSIS: This feasibility trial is a
      randomised, 3-arm, placebo-controlled study of melatonin (2 vs 0.5 mg vs placebo,
      administered for a maximum of 14 days) for the prevention of delirium in
      critically ill patients. A total of 69 patients aged 18 years and older with an
      expected ICU length of stay >48 hours will be recruited from 3 Canadian ICUs. The
      primary outcome is protocol adherence (ie, overall proportion of study drug doses
      administered in the prescribed administration window). Secondary outcomes include
      pharmacokinetic parameters, incidence, time to onset, duration of delirium,
      number of delirium-free days, adverse events, self-reported sleep quality, rest
      activity cycles measured by wrist actigraphy, duration of mechanical ventilation,
      ICU length of stay and mortality. Data will be analysed using an intention-to
      treat approach. ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION: The study has been approved by Health
      Canada and the research ethics board of each study site. Trial results will be
      presented at international conferences and published in a peer-reviewed journal.
      TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER: NCT02615340: Pre-results.

PMID- 28363936
TI  - omega- versus (omega-1)-hydroxylation: Cytochrome P450 4B1 sterics make the call.
AB  - Many family 4 cytochrome P450s play key roles in fatty acid hydroxylation at the
      terminal, or omega, carbon, but the mechanistic basis for this energetically
      disfavored regiostereochemistry has been less clear. A co-crystal structure of
      the rabbit family 4 enzyme CYP4B1 with its substrate octane reveals that the
      propensity for omega-hydroxylation is orchestrated by active-site sterics,
      partially mediated by an unusual heme-polypeptide ester bond.

PMID- 28363937
TI  - Elective surgery targets scrapped in favour of better cancer and A&E services.

PMID- 28363940
TI  - Government "must get tough" on food companies that miss sugar reduction targets.

PMID- 28363938
TI  - Somatic mosaicism containing double mutations in PTCH1 revealed by generation of
      induced pluripotent stem cells from nevoid basal cell carcinoma syndrome.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Nevoid basal cell carcinoma syndrome (NBCCS) is an autosomal dominant
      disorder characterised by developmental defects and tumorigenesis, such as
      medulloblastomas and basal cell carcinomas, caused by mutations of the patched-1
      (PTCH1) gene. In this article, we seek to demonstrate a mosaicism containing
      double mutations in PTCH1 in an individual with NBCCS. METHODS AND RESULTS: A de
      novo germline mutation of PTCH1 (c.272delG) was detected in a 31-year-old woman
      with NBCCS. Gene analysis of two out of four induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC)
      clones established from the patient unexpectedly revealed an additional mutation,
      c.274delT. Deep sequencing confirmed a low-prevalence somatic mutation (5.5%
      15.6% depending on the tissue) identical to the one found in iPSC clones.
      CONCLUSIONS: This is the first case of mosaicism unequivocally demonstrated in
      NBCCS. Furthermore, the mosaicism is unique in that the patient carries one
      normal and two mutant alleles. Because these mutations are located in close
      proximity, reversion error is likely to be involved in this event rather than a
      spontaneous mutation. In addition, this study indicates that gene analysis of
      iPSC clones can contribute to the detection of mosaicism containing a minor
      population carrying a second mutation.

PMID- 28363939
TI  - Nasopharyngeal microbiome in premature infants and stability during rhinovirus
      infection.
AB  - RATIONALE: The nasopharyngeal (NP) microbiota of newborns and infants plays a key
      role in modulating airway inflammation and respiratory symptoms during viral
      infections. Premature (PM) birth modifies the early NP environment and is a major
      risk factor for severe viral respiratory infections. However, it is currently
      unknown if the NP microbiota of PM infants is altered relative to full-term (FT)
      individuals. OBJECTIVES: To characterize the NP microbiota differences in preterm
      and FT infants during rhinovirus (RV) infection. METHODS: We determined the NP
      microbiota of infants 6 months to <=2 years of age born FT (n=6) or severely
      PM<32 weeks gestation (n=7). We compared microbiota composition in healthy NP
      samples and performed a longitudinal analysis during naturally occurring RV
      infections to contrast the microbiota dynamics in PM versus FT infants. RESULTS:
      We observed significant differences in the NP bacterial community of PM versus
      FT. NP from PM infants had higher within-group dissimilarity (heterogeneity)
      relative to FT infants. Bacterial composition of NP samples from PM infants
      showed increased Proteobacteria and decreased in Firmicutes. There were also
      differences in the major taxonomic groups identified, including Streptococcus,
      Moraxella, and Haemophilus. Longitudinal data showed that these prematurity
      related microbiota features persisted during RV infection. CONCLUSIONS: PM is
      associated with NP microbiota changes beyond the neonatal stage. PM infants have
      an NP microbiota with high heterogeneity relative to FT infants. These
      prematurity-related microbiota features persisted during RV infection, suggesting
      that the NP microbiota of PM may play an important role in modulating airway
      inflammatory and immune responses in this vulnerable group.

PMID- 28363944
TI  - Patient safety test will be part of NHS staff appraisals from 2018.

PMID- 28363943
TI  - Rae1/YacP, a new endoribonuclease involved in ribosome-dependent mRNA decay in
      Bacillus subtilis.
AB  - The PIN domain plays a central role in cellular RNA biology and is involved in
      processes as diverse as rRNA maturation, mRNA decay and telomerase function.
      Here, we solve the crystal structure of the Rae1 (YacP) protein of Bacillus
      subtilis, a founding member of the NYN (Nedd4-BP1/YacP nuclease) subfamily of PIN
      domain proteins, and identify potential substrates in vivo Unexpectedly,
      degradation of a characterised target mRNA was completely dependent on both its
      translation and reading frame. We provide evidence that Rae1 associates with the
      B. subtilis ribosome and cleaves between specific codons of this mRNA in vivo
      Critically, we also demonstrate translation-dependent Rae1 cleavage of this
      substrate in a purified translation assay in vitro Multiple lines of evidence
      converge to suggest that Rae1 is an A-site endoribonuclease. We present a docking
      model of Rae1 bound to the B. subtilis ribosomal A-site that is consistent with
      this hypothesis and show that Rae1 cleaves optimally immediately upstream of a
      lysine codon (AAA or AAG) in vivo.

PMID- 28363946
TI  - Emergence of new-onset psychotic disorder following recovery from LGI1 antibody
      associated limbic encephalitis.
AB  - Neuronal autoantibodies targeting cell surface antigens have been described in
      association with autoimmune encephalitides which frequently feature psychosis and
      other psychiatric disturbances alongside neurological signs and symptoms. Little
      has been written however about the long-term psychiatric status of individuals
      following recovery from the acute phase of autoimmune encephalitis, despite case
      series and anecdotal evidence suggesting this may be a cause of considerable
      disability. Here, we describe a man aged 58 years with no psychiatric history who
      developed a severe and acute psychotic disorder following resolution of a
      protracted course of limbic encephalitis associated with antibodies to leucine
      rich glioma inactivated 1 protein. No indications of a gross ongoing inflammatory
      or encephalopathic process were present at presentation of his psychosis.
      Possible aetiologies of his acute psychosis are discussed. This case highlights
      the importance of ongoing psychiatric follow-up of patients following an episode
      of autoimmune encephalitis.

PMID- 28363945
TI  - Successful treatment of multidrug-resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa pubic
      symphysis osteomyelitis with ceftolozane/tazobactam.
AB  - New antibiotic options are needed for the treatment of multidrug-resistant (MDR)
      Pseudomonas infections. We present a case of a man aged 64 years with a bladder
      fistula due to radiation, ultimately causing osteomyelitis of the pubic
      symphysis. Repeated antibiotic courses, without correcting the fistula, resulted
      in infection with MDR Pseudomonas aeruginosa. He was successfully treated for his
      osteomyelitis through cystectomy, aggressive debridement and a prolonged course
      of antimicrobials directed at the MDR Pseudomonas isolate.

PMID- 28363947
TI  - Antimitochondrial antibodies-positive myositis accompanied by cardiac
      involvement.
AB  - We report a 55-year-old man who experienced proximal muscle weakness accompanied
      by the atrial flutter (AFL) with 1:1 conduction. Detailed examination revealed
      elevated antimitochondrial antibodies (AMA) and creatine kinase (CK). AFL was
      converted to sinus rhythm by cardioversion. He was diagnosed as AMA-positive
      myositis-associated AFL and was treated by prednisolone. Although his muscle
      weakness and CK level improved, AFL with 1:1 conduction reappeared. Therefore,
      radiofrequency catheter ablation (RFCA) was needed to treat the AFL, resulting in
      maintenance of sinus rhythm. This case report describes cardiac involvement in a
      patient with AMA-positive myositis.

PMID- 28363942
TI  - USP49 negatively regulates tumorigenesis and chemoresistance through FKBP51-AKT
      signaling.
AB  - The AKT pathway is a fundamental signaling pathway that mediates multiple
      cellular processes, such as cell proliferation and survival, angiogenesis, and
      glucose metabolism. We recently reported that the immunophilin FKBP51 is a
      scaffolding protein that can enhance PHLPP-AKT interaction and facilitate PHLPP
      mediated dephosphorylation of AKT at Ser473, negatively regulating AKT
      activation. However, the regulation of FKBP51-PHLPP-AKT pathway remains unclear.
      Here we report that a deubiquitinase, USP49, is a new regulator of the AKT
      pathway. Mechanistically, USP49 deubiquitinates and stabilizes FKBP51, which in
      turn enhances PHLPP's capability to dephosphorylate AKT Furthermore, USP49
      inhibited pancreatic cancer cell proliferation and enhanced cellular response to
      gemcitabine in a FKBP51-AKT-dependent manner. Clinically, decreased expression of
      USP49 in patients with pancreatic cancer was associated with decreased FKBP51
      expression and increased AKT phosphorylation. Overall, our findings establish
      USP49 as a novel regulator of AKT pathway with a critical role in tumorigenesis
      and chemo-response in pancreatic cancer.

PMID- 28363948
TI  - False-negative contrast-enhanced spectral mammography: use of more than one
      imaging modality and application of the triple test avoids misdiagnosis.
AB  - A 50-year-old woman presented with chest tenderness. On examination, both breasts
      were lumpy. Bilateral mammography showed heterogeneously dense parenchyma, with
      possible stromal distortion laterally on the right at the 0900 position. On
      ultrasound (US), a corresponding 13*9*10 mm irregular hypoechoic mass with
      internal vascularity was noted and both breasts had a complex heterogeneous
      fibroglandular background pattern. US-guided core biopsy with marker clip
      insertion was performed with the diagnosis of a grade 2 invasive ductal carcinoma
      (IDC). In view of the parenchymal pattern on mammography and US, contrast
      enhanced spectral mammography (CESM) was performed for local staging. Mild
      background enhancement was noted, but there was no enhancement at the lesion
      site. The patient elected to have bilateral mastectomies and sentinel node
      biopsies. Final histopathology showed a node negative 11 mm grade 2 oestrogen and
      progesterone receptor positive, IDC.

PMID- 28363949
TI  - Incidental finding of anomalous circumflex coronary artery from right coronary
      sinus prior to aortic valve surgery.
AB  - Anomalous origin of the left circumflex (Cx) artery is a common and mostly benign
      coronary artery anomaly. We report the case of a man aged 52 years who presented
      to his local hospital with progressive breathlessness on exertion and syncopal
      episodes. His admission transthoracic echocardiography (TTE) showed bicuspid
      aortic valve, severe aortic stenosis with a valve area of 0.5 cm2 and his left
      ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) was 27%. His coronary angiogram showed
      normal coronary arteries but anomalous origin of the Cx artery from the right
      coronary. He underwent elective bioprosthetic aortic valve replacement. His
      postoperative recovery was uneventful and he was discharged on day 5
      postoperatively. His TTE postoperatively showed well-seated aortic valve,
      improved LVEF to 51%. We here report a case of incidental finding of anomalous Cx
      artery arising from the right coronary while the patient is being worked up for
      aortic valve replacement for congenital bicuspid aortic valve.

PMID- 28363952
TI  - CD73-derived adenosine and tenascin-C control cytokine production by epicardium
      derived cells formed after myocardial infarction.
AB  - Epicardium-derived cells (EPDCs) play a fundamental role in embryonic cardiac
      development and are reactivated in the adult heart in response to myocardial
      infarction (MI). In this study, EPDCs from post-MI rat hearts highly expressed
      the ectoenzyme CD73 and secreted the profibrotic matricellular protein tenascin-C
      (TNC). CD73 on EPDCs extensively generated adenosine from both extracellular ATP
      and NAD. This in turn stimulated the release of additional nucleotides from a
      Brefeldin A-sensitive intracellular pool via adenosine-A2BR signaling, forming a
      positive-feedback loop. A2BR activation, in addition, strongly promoted the
      release of major regulatory cytokines, such as IL-6, IL-11, and VEGF. TNC was
      found to stimulate EPDC migration and, together with ATP-P2X7R signaling, to
      activate inflammasomes in EPDCs via TLR4. Our results demonstrate that EPDCs are
      an important source of various proinflammatory factors in the post-MI heart
      controlled by purinergic and TNC signaling.-Hesse, J., Leberling, S., Boden, E.,
      Friebe, D., Schmidt, T., Ding, Z., Dieterich, P., Deussen, A., Roderigo, C.,
      Rose, C. R., Floss, D. M., Scheller, J., Schrader, J. CD73-derived adenosine and
      tenascin-C control cytokine production by epicardium-derived cells formed after
      myocardial infarction.

PMID- 28363953
TI  - Avathrin: a novel thrombin inhibitor derived from a multicopy precursor in the
      salivary glands of the ixodid tick, Amblyomma variegatum.
AB  - Tick saliva is a rich source of antihemostatic compounds. We amplified a cDNA
      from the salivary glands of the tropical bont tick (Amblyomma variegatum) using
      primers based on the variegin sequence, which we previously identified as a novel
      thrombin inhibitor from the same tick species. The transcript encodes a precursor
      protein comprising a signal peptide and 5 repeats of variegin-like sequences that
      could be processed into multiple short peptides. These peptides share 31 to 34%
      identity with variegin. Here, we structurally and functionally characterized one
      of these peptides named "avathrin." Avathrin is a fast, tight binding competitive
      inhibitor with an affinity of 545 pM for thrombin and is 4 orders of magnitude
      more selective towards thrombin than to the other serine proteases of the
      coagulation cascade. The crystal structure of thrombin-avathrin complex at 2.09 A
      revealed that avathrin interacts with the thrombin active site and exosite-I.
      Although avathrin is cleaved by thrombin, the C-terminal cleavage product
      continues to exert prolonged inhibition. Avathrin is more potent than hirulog-1
      in a murine carotid artery thrombosis model. Such precursor proteins that could
      be processed into multiple thrombin inhibiting peptides appear to be widespread
      among Amblyomminae, providing an enormous library of molecules for development as
      potent antithrombotics.-Iyer, J. K., Koh, C. Y., Kazimirova, M., Roller, L.,
      Jobichen, C., Swaminathan, K., Mizuguchi, J., Iwanaga, S., Nuttall, P. A., Chan,
      M. Y., Kini, R. M. Avathrin: a novel thrombin inhibitor derived from a multicopy
      precursor in the salivary glands of the ixodid tick, Amblyomma variegatum.

PMID- 28363954
TI  - Estrogen deficiency attenuates fluid flow-induced [Ca2+]i oscillations and
      mechanoresponsiveness of MLO-Y4 osteocytes.
AB  - It has been proposed that estrogen regulates the mechanosensitivity of
      osteocytes; however, the effects of estrogen deficiency that arises during
      postmenopausal osteoporosis on mechanical stimulation-induced calcium signaling
      in osteocytes remain elusive. Here, we pretreated MLO-Y4 osteocytes with 10 nM E2
      for 2, 3 and 5 d, then simulated postmenopausal conditions either by estrogen
      withdrawal (EW) from culture medium, or by inhibiting the estrogen receptor by
      using fulvestrant and estrogen (FE; ICI 182,780) in vitro We investigated [Ca2+]i
      oscillations and mechanobiologic responses of osteocytes (EW and FE) that were
      exposed to oscillatory fluid flow (OFF; 1 Pa, 0.5 Hz). We demonstrated that
      estrogen treatment enhanced OFF-induced [Ca2+]i oscillations and that this effect
      was abrogated both by FE and EW. Moreover, osteocytes in both estrogen-depleted
      groups (EW and FE) had reduced levels of NO and prostaglandin E2 release, down
      regulated dentin matrix protein-1, sclerostin, osteopontin, osteocalcin, and
      alkaline phosphatase mRNA expression, and reduced F-actin fiber formation after
      OFF stimulation compared with estrogen-treated cells. We propose a link between
      estrogen deficiency and alterations in [Ca2+]i-mediated mechanosensitivity of
      osteocytes, which ultimately alter osteocyte function and differentiation.
      Deepak, V., Kayastha, P., McNamara, L. M. Estrogen deficiency attenuates fluid
      flow-induced [Ca2+]i oscillations and mechanoresponsiveness of MLO-Y4 osteocytes.

PMID- 28363956
TI  - Facial palsy in a baby with acute otitis media.

PMID- 28363955
TI  - Dendritic cells, engineered to overexpress 25-hydroxyvitamin D 1alpha-hydroxylase
      and pulsed with a myelin antigen, provide myelin-specific suppression of ongoing
      experimental allergic encephalomyelitis.
AB  - Multiple sclerosis (MS) is caused by immune-mediated damage of myelin sheath.
      Current therapies aim to block such immune responses. However, this blocking is
      not sufficiently specific and hence compromises immunity, leading to severe side
      effects. In addition, blocking medications usually provide transient effects and
      require frequent administration, which further increases the chance to compromise
      immunity. In this regard, myelin-specific therapy may provide the desired
      specificity and a long-lasting therapeutic effect by inducing myelin-specific
      regulatory T (Treg) cells. Tolerogenic dendritic cells (TolDCs) are one such
      therapy. However, ex vivo generated TolDCs may be converted into immunogenic DCs
      in a proinflammatory environment. In this study, we identified a potential novel
      myelin-specific therapy that works with immunogenic DCs, hence without the in
      vivo conversion concern. We showed that immunization with DCs, engineered to
      overexpress 25-hydroxyvitamin D 1alpha-hydroxylase for de novo synthesis of a
      focally high 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D concentration in the peripheral lymphoid
      tissues, induced Treg cells. In addition, such engineered DCs, when pulsed with a
      myelin antigen, led to myelin-specific suppression of ongoing experimental
      allergic encephalomyelitis (an MS animal model), and the disease suppression
      depended on forkhead-box-protein-P3(foxp3)+ Treg cells. Our data support a novel
      concept that immunogenic DCs can be engineered for myelin-specific therapy for
      MS.-Li, C.-H., Zhang, J., Baylink, D. J., Wang, X., Goparaju, N. B., Xu, Y.,
      Wasnik, S., Cheng, Y., Berumen, E. C., Qin, X., Lau, K.-H. W., Tang, X. Dendritic
      cells, engineered to overexpress 25-hydroxyvitamin D 1alpha-hydroxylase and
      pulsed with a myelin antigen, provide myelin-specific suppression of ongoing
      experimental allergic encephalomyelitis.

PMID- 28363957
TI  - Structure-Based Engineering of an Artificially Generated NADP+-Dependent d-Amino
      Acid Dehydrogenase.
AB  - A stable NADP+-dependent d-amino acid dehydrogenase (DAADH) was recently created
      from Ureibacillus thermosphaericusmeso-diaminopimelate dehydrogenase through site
      directed mutagenesis. To produce a novel DAADH mutant with different substrate
      specificity, the crystal structure of apo-DAADH was determined at a resolution of
      1.78 A, and the amino acid residues responsible for the substrate specificity
      were evaluated using additional site-directed mutagenesis. By introducing a
      single D94A mutation, the enzyme's substrate specificity was dramatically
      altered; the mutant utilized d-phenylalanine as the most preferable substrate for
      oxidative deamination and had a specific activity of 5.33 MUmol/min/mg at 50
      degrees C, which was 54-fold higher than that of the parent DAADH. In addition,
      the specific activities of the mutant toward d-leucine, d-norleucine, d
      methionine, d-isoleucine, and d-tryptophan were much higher (6 to 25 times) than
      those of the parent enzyme. For reductive amination, the D94A mutant exhibited
      extremely high specific activity with phenylpyruvate (16.1 MUmol/min/mg at 50
      degrees C). The structures of the D94A-Y224F double mutant in complex with NADP+
      and in complex with both NADPH and 2-keto-6-aminocapronic acid (lysine oxo
      analogue) were then determined at resolutions of 1.59 A and 1.74 A, respectively.
      The phenylpyruvate-binding model suggests that the D94A mutation prevents the
      substrate phenyl group from sterically clashing with the side chain of Asp94. A
      structural comparison suggests that both the enlarged substrate-binding pocket
      and enhanced hydrophobicity of the pocket are mainly responsible for the high
      reactivity of the D94A mutant toward the hydrophobic d-amino acids with bulky
      side chains.IMPORTANCE In recent years, the potential uses for d-amino acids as
      source materials for the industrial production of medicines, seasonings, and
      agrochemicals have been growing. To date, several methods have been used for the
      production of d-amino acids, but all include tedious steps. The use of NAD(P)+
      dependent d-amino acid dehydrogenase (DAADH) makes single-step production of d
      amino acids from oxo-acid analogs and ammonia possible. We recently succeeded in
      creating a stable DAADH and demonstrated that it is applicable for one-step
      synthesis of d-amino acids, such as d-leucine and d-isoleucine. As the next step,
      the creation of an enzyme exhibiting different substrate specificity and higher
      catalytic efficiency is a key to the further development of d-amino acid
      production. In this study, we succeeded in creating a novel mutant exhibiting
      extremely high catalytic activity for phenylpyruvate amination. Structural
      insight into the mutant will be useful for further improvement of DAADHs.

PMID- 28363958
TI  - Toxicity and Binding Studies of Bacillus thuringiensis Cry1Ac, Cry1F, Cry1C, and
      Cry2A Proteins in the Soybean Pests Anticarsia gemmatalis and Chrysodeixis
      (Pseudoplusia) includens.
AB  - Anticarsia gemmatalis (velvetbean caterpillar) and Chrysodeixis includens
      (soybean looper, formerly named Pseudoplusia includens) are two important
      defoliating insects of soybeans. Both lepidopteran pests are controlled mainly
      with synthetic insecticides. Alternative control strategies, such as
      biopesticides based on the Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) toxins or transgenic
      plants expressing Bt toxins, can be used and are increasingly being adopted.
      Studies on the insect susceptibilities and modes of action of the different Bt
      toxins are crucial to determine management strategies to control the pests and to
      delay outbreaks of insect resistance. In the present study, the susceptibilities
      of both soybean pests to the Bt toxins Cry1Ac, Cry1Fa, Cry1Ca, and Cry2Aa have
      been investigated. Bioassays performed in first-instar larvae showed that both
      insects are susceptible to all these toxins. Competition-binding studies carried
      out with Cry1Ac and Cry1Fa 125-iodine labeled proteins demonstrated the presence
      of specific binding sites for both of them on the midgut brush border membrane
      vesicles (BBMVs) of both A. gemmatalis and C. includens Competition-binding
      experiments and specific-binding inhibition studies performed with selected
      sugars and lectins indicated that Cry1Ac and Cry1Fa share some, but not all,
      binding sites in the midguts of both insects. Also, the Cry1Ac- or Cry1Fa-binding
      sites were not shared with Cry1Ca or Cry2Aa in either soybean pest. This study
      contributes to the knowledge of Bt toxicity and midgut toxin binding sites in A.
      gemmatalis and C. includens and sheds light on the cross-resistance potential of
      Cry1Ac, Cry1Fa, Cry1Ca, and Cry2Aa Bt proteins as candidate proteins for Bt
      pyramided crops.IMPORTANCE In the present study, the toxicity and the mode of
      action of the Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) toxins Cry1Ac, Cry1Fa, Cry1Ca, and
      Cry2Aa in Anticarsia gemmatalis and Chrysodeixis includens (important defoliating
      pests of soybeans) have been investigated. These studies are crucial for
      determining management strategies for pest control. Bioassays showed that both
      insects were susceptible to the toxins. Competition-binding studies demonstrated
      the presence of Cry1Fa- and Cry1Ac-specific binding sites in the midguts of both
      pests. These results, together with the results from binding inhibition studies
      performed with sugars and lectins, indicated that Cry1Ac and Cry1Fa share some,
      but not all, binding sites, and that they were not shared with Cry1Ca or Cry2Aa
      in either soybean pest. This study contributes to the knowledge of Bt toxicity in
      A. gemmatalis and C. includens and sheds light on the cross-resistance potential
      of Cry1Ac, Cry1Fa, Cry1Ca, and Cry2Aa Bt proteins as candidate proteins for Bt
      pyramided crops.

PMID- 28363959
TI  - Microbiota Analysis of an Environmental Slurry and Its Potential Role as a
      Reservoir of Bovine Digital Dermatitis Pathogens.
AB  - At present, very little information exists regarding what role the environmental
      slurry may play as an infection reservoir and/or route of transmission for bovine
      digital dermatitis (DD), a disease which is a global problem in dairy herds. To
      investigate whether DD-related bacteria belong to the indigenous microbiota of
      the dairy herd environment, we used deep amplicon sequencing of the 16S rRNA gene
      in 135 slurry samples collected from different sites in 22 dairy farms, with and
      without DD-infected cows. Both the general bacterial populations and digital
      dermatitis-associated Treponema were targeted in this study. The results revealed
      significant differences in the bacterial communities between the herds, with only
      12 bacterial taxa shared across at least 80% of all the individual samples. These
      differences in the herd microbiota appeared to reflect mainly between-herd
      variation. Not surprisingly, the slurry was dominated by ubiquitous
      gastrointestinal bacteria, such as Ruminococcaceae and Lachnospiraceae Despite
      the low relative abundance of spirochetes, which ranged from 0 to 0.6%, we were
      able to detect small amounts of bacterial DNA from DD-associated treponemes in
      the slurry. However, the DD-associated Treponema spp. were detected only in
      samples from herds with reported DD problems. These data indicate that treponemes
      involved in the pathogenesis of DD are not part of the normal environmental
      microflora in dairy herds without clinical DD and, consequently, that slurry is
      not a primary reservoir of infection.IMPORTANCE Bovine digital dermatitis (DD), a
      dermal disease which causes lameness in dairy cattle, is a serious problem
      worldwide. To control this disease, the infection reservoirs and transmission
      routes of DD pathogens need to be clarified. The dairy herd slurry may be a
      pathogen reservoir of DD-associated bacteria. The rationale for the present study
      was, therefore, to examine whether DD-associated bacteria are always present in
      slurry or if they are found only in DD-afflicted herds. The results strongly
      indicated that DD Treponema spp. are not part of the indigenous slurry and,
      therefore, do not comprise an infection reservoir in healthy herds. This study
      applied next-generation sequencing technology to decipher the microbial
      compositions of environmental slurry of dairy herds with and without digital
      dermatitis.

PMID- 28363960
TI  - Genetic (In)stability of 2,6-Dichlorobenzamide Catabolism in Aminobacter sp.
      Strain MSH1 Biofilms under Carbon Starvation Conditions.
AB  - Aminobacter sp. strain MSH1 grows on and mineralizes the groundwater
      micropollutant 2,6-dichlorobenzamide (BAM) and is of interest for BAM removal in
      drinking water treatment plants (DWTPs). The BAM-catabolic genes in MSH1 are
      located on plasmid pBAM1, carrying bbdA, which encodes the conversion of BAM to
      2,6-dichlorobenzoic acid (2,6-DCBA) (BbdA+ phenotype), and plasmid pBAM2,
      carrying gene clusters encoding the conversion of 2,6-DCBA to tricarboxylic acid
      (TCA) cycle intermediates (Dcba+ phenotype). There are indications that MSH1
      easily loses its BAM-catabolic phenotype. We obtained evidence that MSH1 rapidly
      develops a population that lacks the ability to mineralize BAM when grown on
      nonselective (R2B medium) and semiselective (R2B medium with BAM) media. Lack of
      mineralization was explained by loss of the Dcba+ phenotype and corresponding
      genes. The ecological significance of this instability for the use of MSH1 for
      BAM removal in the oligotrophic environment of DWTPs was explored in lab and
      pilot systems. A higher incidence of BbdA+ Dcba- MSH1 cells was also observed
      when MSH1 was grown as a biofilm in flow chambers under C and N starvation
      conditions due to growth on nonselective residual assimilable organic carbon.
      Similar observations were made in experiments with a pilot sand filter reactor
      bioaugmented with MSH1. BAM conversion to 2,6-DCBA was not affected by loss of
      the DCBA-catabolic genes. Our results show that MSH1 is prone to BAM-catabolic
      instability under the conditions occurring in a DWTP. While conversion of BAM to
      2,6-DCBA remains unaffected, BAM mineralization activity is at risk, and
      monitoring of metabolites is warranted.IMPORTANCE Bioaugmentation of dedicated
      biofiltration units with bacterial strains that grow on and mineralize
      micropollutants was suggested as an alternative for treating micropollutant
      contaminated water in drinking water treatment plants (DWTPs). Organic-pollutant
      catabolic genes in bacteria are often easily lost, especially under nonselective
      conditions, which affects the bioaugmentation success. In this study, we provide
      evidence that Aminobacter sp. strain MSH1, which uses the common groundwater
      micropollutant 2,6-dichlorobenzamide (BAM) as a C source, shows a high frequency
      of loss of its BAM-mineralizing phenotype due to the loss of genes that convert
      2,6-DCBA to Krebs cycle intermediates when nonselective conditions occur.
      Moreover, we show that catabolic-gene loss also occurs in the oligotrophic
      environment of DWTPs, where growth of MSH1 depends mainly on the high fluxes of
      low concentrations of assimilable organic carbon, and hence show the ecological
      relevance of catabolic instability for using strain MSH1 for BAM removal in
      DWTPs.

PMID- 28363961
TI  - The Tale of a Neglected Energy Source: Elevated Hydrogen Exposure Affects both
      Microbial Diversity and Function in Soil.
AB  - The enrichment of H2-oxidizing bacteria (HOB) by H2 generated by nitrogen-fixing
      nodules has been shown to have a fertilization effect on several different crops.
      The benefit of HOB is attributed to their production of plant growth-promoting
      factors, yet their interactions with other members of soil microbial communities
      have received little attention. Here we report that the energy potential of H2,
      when supplied to soil, alters ecological niche partitioning of bacteria and
      fungi, with multifaceted consequences for both generalist and specialist
      microbial functions. We used dynamic microcosms to expose soil to the typical
      atmospheric H2 mixing ratio (0.5 ppmv) permeating soils, as well as mixing ratios
      comparable to those found at the soil-nodule interface (10,000 ppmv). Elevated H2
      exposure exerted direct effects on two HOB subpopulations distinguished by their
      affinity for H2 while enhancing community level carbon substrate utilization
      potential and lowering CH4 uptake activity in soil. We found that H2 triggered
      changes in the abundance of microorganisms that were reproducible yet
      inconsistent across soils at the taxonomic level and even among HOB. Overall, H2
      exposure altered microbial process rates at an intensity that depends upon soil
      abiotic and biotic features. We argue that further examination of direct and
      indirect effects of H2 on soil microbial communities will lead to a better
      understanding of the H2 fertilization effect and soil biogeochemical
      processes.IMPORTANCE An innovative dynamic microcosm chamber system was used to
      demonstrate that H2 diffusing in soil triggers changes in the distribution of HOB
      and non-HOB. Although the response was uneven at the taxonomic level, an
      unexpected coordinated response of microbial functions was observed, including
      abatement of CH4 oxidation activity and stimulation of carbon turnover. Our work
      suggests that elevated H2 rewires soil biogeochemical structure through a
      combination of direct effects on the growth and persistence of HOB and indirect
      effects on a variety of microbial processes involving HOB and non-HOB.

PMID- 28363951
TI  - Heterotrimeric G proteins in the control of parathyroid hormone actions.
AB  - Parathyroid hormone (PTH) is a key regulator of skeletal physiology and calcium
      and phosphate homeostasis. It acts on bone and kidney to stimulate bone turnover,
      increase the circulating levels of 1,25 dihydroxyvitamin D and calcium and
      inhibit the reabsorption of phosphate from the glomerular filtrate. Dysregulated
      PTH actions contribute to or are the cause of several endocrine disorders. This
      calciotropic hormone exerts its actions via binding to the PTH/PTH-related
      peptide receptor (PTH1R), which couples to multiple heterotrimeric G proteins,
      including Gs and Gq/11 Genetic mutations affecting the activity or expression of
      the alpha-subunit of Gs, encoded by the GNAS complex locus, are responsible for
      several human diseases for which the clinical findings result, at least partly,
      from aberrant PTH signaling. Here, we review the bone and renal actions of PTH
      with respect to the different signaling pathways downstream of these G proteins,
      as well as the disorders caused by GNAS mutations.

PMID- 28363962
TI  - Mechanisms for Pseudoalteromonas piscicida-Induced Killing of Vibrios and Other
      Bacterial Pathogens.
AB  - Pseudoalteromonas piscicida is a Gram-negative gammaproteobacterium found in the
      marine environment. Three strains of pigmented P. piscicida were isolated from
      seawater and partially characterized by inhibition studies, electron microscopy,
      and analysis for proteolytic enzymes. Growth inhibition and death occurred around
      colonies of P. piscicida on lawns of the naturally occurring marine pathogens
      Vibrio vulnificus, Vibrio parahaemolyticus, Vibrio cholerae, Photobacterium
      damselae, and Shewanella algae Inhibition also occurred on lawns of
      Staphylococcus aureus but not on Escherichia coli O157:H7 or Salmonella enterica
      serovar Typhimurium. Inhibition was not pH associated, but it may have been
      related to the secretion of a cysteine protease with strong activity, as detected
      with a synthetic fluorogenic substrate. This diffusible enzyme was secreted from
      all three P. piscicida strains. Direct overlay of the Pseudoalteromonas colonies
      with synthetic fluorogenic substrates demonstrated the activity of two
      aminopeptidase Bs, a trypsin-like serine protease, and enzymes reactive against
      substrates for cathepsin G-like and caspase 1-like proteases. In seawater
      cultures, scanning electron microscopy revealed numerous vesicles tethered to the
      outer surface of P. piscicida and a novel mechanism of direct transfer of these
      vesicles to V. parahaemolyticus Vesicles digested holes in V. parahaemolyticus
      cells, while the P. piscicida congregated around the vibrios in a predatory
      fashion. This transfer of vesicles and vesicle-associated digestion of holes were
      not observed in other bacteria, suggesting that vesicle binding may be mediated
      by host-specific receptors. In conclusion, we show two mechanisms by which P.
      piscicida inhibits and/or kills competing bacteria, involving the secretion of
      antimicrobial substances and the direct transfer of digestive vesicles to
      competing bacteria.IMPORTANCEPseudoalteromonas species are widespread in nature
      and reduce competing microflora by the production of antimicrobial compounds. We
      isolated three strains of P. piscicida and characterized secreted and cell
      associated proteolytic enzymes, which may have antimicrobial properties. We
      identified a second method by which P. piscicida kills V. parahaemolyticus It
      involves the direct transfer of apparently lytic vesicles from the surface of the
      Pseudoalteromonas strains to the surface of Vibrio cells, with subsequent
      digestion of holes in the Vibrio cell walls. Enzymes associated with these
      vesicles are likely responsible for the digestion of holes in the cell walls.
      Pseudoalteromonas piscicida has potential applications in aquaculture and food
      safety, in control of the formation of biofilms in the environment, and in food
      processing. These findings may facilitate the probiotic use of P. piscicida to
      inactivate pathogens and may lead to the isolation of enzymes and other
      antimicrobial compounds of pharmacological value.

PMID- 28363963
TI  - Improved Xylose Metabolism by a CYC8 Mutant of Saccharomyces cerevisiae.
AB  - Engineering Saccharomyces cerevisiae for the utilization of pentose sugars is an
      important goal for the production of second-generation bioethanol and
      biochemicals. However, S. cerevisiae lacks specific pentose transporters, and in
      the presence of glucose, pentoses enter the cell inefficiently via endogenous
      hexose transporters (HXTs). By means of in vivo engineering, we have developed a
      quadruple hexokinase deletion mutant of S. cerevisiae that evolved into a strain
      that efficiently utilizes d-xylose in the presence of high d-glucose
      concentrations. A genome sequence analysis revealed a mutation (Y353C) in the
      general corepressor CYC8, or SSN6, which was found to be responsible for the
      phenotype when introduced individually in the nonevolved strain. A transcriptome
      analysis revealed altered expression of 95 genes in total, including genes
      involved in (i) hexose transport, (ii) maltose metabolism, (iii) cell wall
      function (mannoprotein family), and (iv) unknown functions (seripauperin
      multigene family). Of the 18 known HXTs, genes for 9 were upregulated, especially
      the low or nonexpressed HXT10, HXT13, HXT15, and HXT16 Mutant cells showed
      increased uptake rates of d-xylose in the presence of d-glucose, as well as
      elevated maximum rates of metabolism (Vmax) for both d-glucose and d-xylose
      transport. The data suggest that the increased expression of multiple hexose
      transporters renders d-xylose metabolism less sensitive to d-glucose inhibition
      due to an elevated transport rate of d-xylose into the cell.IMPORTANCE The yeast
      Saccharomyces cerevisiae is used for second-generation bioethanol formation.
      However, growth on xylose is limited by pentose transport through the endogenous
      hexose transporters (HXTs), as uptake is outcompeted by the preferred substrate,
      glucose. Mutant strains were obtained with improved growth characteristics on
      xylose in the presence of glucose, and the mutations mapped to the regulator
      Cyc8. The inactivation of Cyc8 caused increased expression of HXTs, thereby
      providing more capacity for the transport of xylose, presenting a further step
      toward a more robust process of industrial fermentation of lignocellulosic
      biomass using yeast.

PMID- 28363964
TI  - Enhanced Antimicrobial Activity Based on a Synergistic Combination of Sublethal
      Levels of Stresses Induced by UV-A Light and Organic Acids.
AB  - The reduction of microbial load in food and water systems is critical for their
      safety and shelf life. Conventionally, physical processes such as heat or light
      are used for the rapid inactivation of microbes, while natural compounds such as
      lactic acid may be used as preservatives after the initial physical process. This
      study demonstrates the enhanced and rapid inactivation of bacteria based on a
      synergistic combination of sublethal levels of stresses induced by UV-A light and
      two food-grade organic acids. A reduction of 4.7 +/- 0.5 log CFU/ml in
      Escherichia coli O157:H7 was observed using a synergistic combination of UV-A
      light, gallic acid (GA), and lactic acid (LA), while the individual treatments
      and the combination of individual organic acids with UV-A light resulted in a
      reduction of less than 1 log CFU/ml. Enhanced inactivation of bacteria on the
      surfaces of lettuce and spinach leaves was also observed based on the synergistic
      combination. Mechanistic investigations suggested that the treatment with a
      synergistic combination of GA plus LA plus UV-A (GA+LA+UV-A) resulted in
      significant increases in membrane permeability and intracellular thiol oxidation
      and affected the metabolic machinery of E. coli In addition, the antimicrobial
      activity of the synergistic combination of GA+LA+UV-A was effective only against
      metabolically active E. coli O157:H7. In summary, this study illustrates the
      potential of simultaneously using a combination of sublethal concentrations of
      natural antimicrobials and a low level of physical stress in the form of UV-A
      light to inactivate bacteria in water and food systems.IMPORTANCE There is a
      critical unmet need to improve the microbial safety of the food supply, while
      retaining optimal nutritional and sensory properties of food. Furthermore, there
      is a need to develop novel technologies that can reduce the impact of food
      processing operations on energy and water resources. Conventionally, physical
      processes such as heat and light are used for inactivating microbes in food
      products, but these processes often significantly reduce the sensory and
      nutritional properties of food and are highly energy intensive. This study
      demonstrates that the combination of two natural food-grade antimicrobial agents
      with a sublethal level of physical stress in the form of UV-A light can greatly
      increase microbial load inactivation. In addition, this report elucidates the
      potential mechanisms for this synergistic interaction among physical and chemical
      stresses. Overall, these results provide a novel approach to develop
      antimicrobial solutions for food and water systems.

PMID- 28363965
TI  - Contamination of Fresh Produce by Microbial Indicators on Farms and in Packing
      Facilities: Elucidation of Environmental Routes.
AB  - To improve food safety on farms, it is critical to quantify the impact of
      environmental microbial contamination sources on fresh produce. However, studies
      are hampered by difficulties achieving study designs with powered sample sizes to
      elucidate relationships between environmental and produce contamination. Our goal
      was to quantify, in the agricultural production environment, the relationship
      between microbial contamination on hands, soil, and water and contamination on
      fresh produce. In 11 farms and packing facilities in northern Mexico, we applied
      a matched study design: composite samples (n = 636, equivalent to 11,046 units)
      of produce rinses were matched to water, soil, and worker hand rinses during two
      growing seasons. Microbial indicators (coliforms, Escherichia coli, Enterococcus
      spp., and somatic coliphage) were quantified from composite samples. Statistical
      measures of association and correlations were calculated through Spearman's
      correlation, linear regression, and logistic regression models. The
      concentrations of all microbial indicators were positively correlated between
      produce and hands (rho range, 0.41 to 0.75; P < 0.01). When E. coli was present
      on hands, the handled produce was nine times more likely to contain E. coli (P <
      0.05). Similarly, when coliphage was present on hands, the handled produce was
      eight times more likely to contain coliphage (P < 0.05). There were relatively
      low concentrations of indicators in soil and water samples, and a few sporadic
      significant associations were observed between contamination of soil and water
      and contamination of produce. This methodology provides a foundation for future
      field studies, and results highlight the need for interventions surrounding
      farmworker hygiene and sanitation to reduce microbial contamination of
      farmworkers' hands.IMPORTANCE This study of the relationships between microbes on
      produce and in the farm environment can be used to support the design of targeted
      interventions to prevent or reduce microbial contamination of fresh produce with
      associated reductions in foodborne illness.

PMID- 28363966
TI  - Evolution of a Biomass-Fermenting Bacterium To Resist Lignin Phenolics.
AB  - Increasing the resistance of plant-fermenting bacteria to lignocellulosic
      inhibitors is useful to understand microbial adaptation and to develop candidate
      strains for consolidated bioprocessing. Here, we study and improve inhibitor
      resistance in Clostridium phytofermentans (also called Lachnoclostridium
      phytofermentans), a model anaerobe that ferments lignocellulosic biomass. We
      survey the resistance of this bacterium to a panel of biomass inhibitors and then
      evolve strains that grow in increasing concentrations of the lignin phenolic,
      ferulic acid, by automated, long-term growth selection in an anaerobic GM3
      automat. Ultimately, strains resist multiple inhibitors and grow robustly at the
      solubility limit of ferulate while retaining the ability to ferment cellulose. We
      analyze genome-wide transcription patterns during ferulate stress and genomic
      variants that arose along the ferulate growth selection, revealing how cells
      adapt to inhibitors through changes in gene dosage and regulation, membrane fatty
      acid structure, and the surface layer. Collectively, this study demonstrates an
      automated framework for in vivo directed evolution of anaerobes and gives insight
      into the genetic mechanisms by which bacteria survive exposure to chemical
      inhibitors.IMPORTANCE Fermentation of plant biomass is a key part of carbon
      cycling in diverse ecosystems. Further, industrial biomass fermentation may
      provide a renewable alternative to fossil fuels. Plants are primarily composed of
      lignocellulose, a matrix of polysaccharides and polyphenolic lignin. Thus, when
      microorganisms degrade lignocellulose to access sugars, they also release
      phenolic and acidic inhibitors. Here, we study how the plant-fermenting bacterium
      Clostridium phytofermentans resists plant inhibitors using the lignin phenolic,
      ferulic acid. We examine how the cell responds to abrupt ferulate stress by
      measuring changes in gene expression. We evolve increasingly resistant strains by
      automated, long-term cultivation at progressively higher ferulate concentrations
      and sequence their genomes to identify mutations associated with acquired
      ferulate resistance. Our study develops an inhibitor-resistant bacterium that
      ferments cellulose and provides insights into genomic evolution to resist
      chemical inhibitors.

PMID- 28363967
TI  - Reexamination of the Physiological Role of PykA in Escherichia coli Revealed that
      It Negatively Regulates the Intracellular ATP Levels under Anaerobic Conditions.
AB  - Pyruvate kinase is one of the three rate-limiting glycolytic enzymes that
      catalyze the last step of glycolysis, conversion of phosphoenolpyruvate (PEP)
      into pyruvate, which is associated with ATP generation. Two isozymes of pyruvate
      kinase, PykF and PykA, are identified in Escherichia coli PykF is considered
      important, whereas PykA has a less-defined role. Prior studies inactivated the
      pykA gene to increase the level of its substrate, PEP, and thereby increased the
      yield of end products derived from PEP. We were surprised when we found a
      pykA::Tn5 mutant in a screen for increased yield of an end product derived from
      pyruvate (n-butanol), suggesting that the role of PykA needs to be reexamined. We
      show that the pykA mutant exhibited elevated intracellular ATP levels, biomass
      concentrations, glucose consumption, and n-butanol production. We also discovered
      that the pykA mutant expresses higher levels of a presumed pyruvate transporter,
      YhjX, permitting the mutant to recapture and metabolize excreted pyruvate.
      Furthermore, we demonstrated that the nucleotide diphosphate kinase activity of
      PykA leads to negative regulation of the intracellular ATP levels. Taking the
      data together, we propose that inactivation of pykA can be considered a general
      strategy to enhance the production of pyruvate-derived metabolites under
      anaerobic conditions.IMPORTANCE This study showed that knocking out pykA
      significantly increased the intracellular ATP level and thus significantly
      increased the levels of glucose consumption, biomass formation, and pyruvate
      derived product formation under anaerobic conditions. pykA was considered to be
      encoding a dispensable pyruvate kinase; here we show that pykA negatively
      regulates the anaerobic glycolysis rate through regulating the energy
      distribution. Thus, knocking out pykA can be used as a general strategy to
      increase the level of pyruvate-derived fermentative products.

PMID- 28363968
TI  - Benign Rabbit Calicivirus in New Zealand.
AB  - The Czech v351 strain of rabbit hemorrhagic disease virus (RHDV1) is used in
      Australia and New Zealand as a biological control agent for rabbits, which are
      important and damaging introduced vertebrate pests in these countries. However,
      nonpathogenic rabbit caliciviruses (RCVs) can provide partial immunological cross
      protection against lethal RHDV infection and thus interfere with effective rabbit
      biocontrol. Antibodies that cross-reacted against RHDV antigens were found in
      wild rabbits before the release of RHDV1 in New Zealand in 1997, suggesting that
      nonpathogenic RCVs were already present in New Zealand. The aim of this study was
      to confirm the presence of nonpathogenic RCV in New Zealand and describe its
      geographical distribution. RCV and RHDV antibody assays were used to screen serum
      samples from 350 wild rabbits from 14 locations in New Zealand. The serological
      survey indicated that both RCV and RHDV are widespread in New Zealand wild
      rabbits, with antibodies detected in 10 out of 14 and 12 out of 14 populations,
      respectively. Two closely related RCV strains were identified in the duodenal
      tissue from a New Zealand wild rabbit (RCV Gore-425A and RCV Gore-425B). Both
      variants are most closely related to Australian RCV strains, but with 88%
      nucleotide identity, they are genetically distinct. Phylogenetic analysis
      revealed that the New Zealand RCV strains fall within the genetic diversity of
      the Australian RCV isolates, indicating a relatively recent movement of RCVs
      between Australia and New Zealand.IMPORTANCE Wild rabbits are important and
      damaging introduced vertebrate pests in Australia and New Zealand. Although RHDV1
      is used as a biological control agent, some nonpathogenic RCVs can provide
      partial immunological cross-protection against lethal RHDV infection and thus
      interfere with its effectiveness for rabbit control. The presence of
      nonpathogenic RCVs in New Zealand wild rabbits has been long hypothesized, but
      earlier attempts to isolate a New Zealand RCV strain have been unsuccessful.
      Therefore, it is important to determine if such nonpathogenic viruses exist in
      New Zealand rabbits, especially considering the proposed introduction of new RHDV
      strains into New Zealand as biocontrols.

PMID- 28363969
TI  - Simulated rRNA/DNA Ratios Show Potential To Misclassify Active Populations as
      Dormant.
AB  - The use of rRNA/DNA ratios derived from surveys of rRNA sequences in RNA and DNA
      extracts is an appealing but poorly validated approach to infer the activity
      status of environmental microbes. To improve the interpretation of rRNA/DNA
      ratios, we performed simulations to investigate the effects of community
      structure, rRNA amplification, and sampling depth on the accuracy of rRNA/DNA
      ratios in classifying bacterial populations as "active" or "dormant." Community
      structure was an insignificant factor. In contrast, the extent of rRNA
      amplification that occurs as cells transition from dormant to growing had a
      significant effect (P < 0.0001) on classification accuracy, with
      misclassification errors ranging from 16 to 28%, depending on the rRNA
      amplification model. The error rate increased to 47% when communities included a
      mixture of rRNA amplification models, but most of the inflated error was false
      negatives (i.e., active populations misclassified as dormant). Sampling depth
      also affected error rates (P < 0.001). Inadequate sampling depth produced various
      artifacts that are characteristic of rRNA/DNA ratios generated from real
      communities. These data show important constraints on the use of rRNA/DNA ratios
      to infer activity status. Whereas classification of populations as active based
      on rRNA/DNA ratios appears generally valid, classification of populations as
      dormant is potentially far less accurate.IMPORTANCE The rRNA/DNA ratio approach
      is appealing because it extracts an extra layer of information from high
      throughput DNA sequencing data, offering a means to determine not only the
      seedbank of taxa present in communities but also the subset of taxa that are
      metabolically active. This study provides crucial insights into the use of
      rRNA/DNA ratios to infer the activity status of microbial taxa in complex
      communities. Our study shows that the approach may not be as robust as previously
      supposed, particularly in complex communities composed of populations employing
      different growth strategies, and identifies factors that inflate the erroneous
      classification of active populations as dormant.

PMID- 28363971
TI  - The bacterial virulence factors VopL and VopF nucleate actin from the pointed
      end.
AB  - VopL and VopF (VopL/F) are tandem WH2-domain actin assembly factors used by
      infectious Vibrio species to induce actin assembly in host cells. There is
      disagreement about the filament assembly mechanism of VopL/F, including whether
      they associate with the filament barbed or pointed end. Here, we used multicolor
      total internal reflection fluorescence microscopy to directly observe actin
      assembly with fluorescently labeled VopL/F. In actin monomer assembly reactions,
      VopL/F exclusively nucleate actin filament assemblies, remaining only briefly
      associated with the pointed end. VopL/F do not associate with the ends of
      preassembled filaments. In assembly reactions with saturating profilin, ~85% of
      VopL/F molecules also promote nucleation from the pointed end, whereas a smaller
      fraction (<15%) associate for ~25 s with the barbed end of preassembled
      filaments, inhibiting their elongation. We conclude that VopL/F function
      primarily as actin nucleation factors that remain briefly (~100 s) associated
      with the pointed end.

PMID- 28363974
TI  - A model for predicting the growth of unruptured intracranial aneurysms: Beyond
      fortune telling.

PMID- 28363970
TI  - Hedgehog signaling establishes precursors for germline stem cell niches by
      regulating cell adhesion.
AB  - Stem cells require different types of supporting cells, or niches, to control
      stem cell maintenance and differentiation. However, little is known about how
      those niches are formed. We report that in the development of the Drosophila
      melanogaster ovary, the Hedgehog (Hh) gradient sets differential cell affinity
      for somatic gonadal precursors to specify stromal intermingled cells, which
      contributes to both germline stem cell maintenance and differentiation niches in
      the adult. We also report that Traffic Jam (an orthologue of a large Maf
      transcription factor in mammals) is a novel transcriptional target of Hh
      signaling to control cell-cell adhesion by negative regulation of E-cadherin
      expression. Our results demonstrate the role of Hh signaling in niche
      establishment by segregating somatic cell lineages for differentiation.

PMID- 28363973
TI  - Electrical and structural adaptations of the paediatric athlete's heart: a
      systematic review with meta-analysis.
AB  - AIM: To describe the electrocardiographic (ECG) and echocardiographic
      manifestations of the paediatric athlete's heart, and examine the impact of age,
      race and sex on cardiac remodelling responses to competitive sport. DESIGN:
      Systematic review with meta-analysis. DATA SOURCES: Six electronic databases were
      searched to May 2016: MEDLINE, PubMed, EMBASE, Web of Science, CINAHL and
      SPORTDiscus. INCLUSION CRITERIA: (1) Male and/or female competitive athletes, (2)
      participants aged 6-18 years, (3) original research article published in English
      language. RESULTS: Data from 14 278 athletes and 1668 non-athletes were included
      for qualitative (43 articles) and quantitative synthesis (40 articles).
      Paediatric athletes demonstrated a greater prevalence of training-related and
      training-unrelated ECG changes than non-athletes. Athletes >=14 years were 15.8
      times more likely to have inferolateral T-wave inversion than athletes <14 years.
      Paediatric black athletes had significantly more training-related and training
      unrelated ECG changes than Caucasian athletes. Age was a positive predictor of
      left ventricular (LV) internal diameter during diastole, interventricular septum
      thickness during diastole, relative wall thickness and LV mass. When age was
      accounted for, these parameters remained significantly larger in athletes than
      non-athletes. Paediatric black athletes presented larger posterior wall thickness
      during diastole (PWTd) than Caucasian athletes. Paediatric male athletes also
      presented larger PWTd than females. CONCLUSIONS: The paediatric athlete's heart
      undergoes significant remodelling both before and during 'maturational years'.
      Paediatric athletes have a greater prevalence of training related and training
      unrelated ECG changes than non-athletes, with age, race and sex mediating factors
      on cardiac electrical and LV structural remodelling.

PMID- 28363972
TI  - Myosin II promotes the anisotropic loss of the apical domain during Drosophila
      neuroblast ingression.
AB  - Epithelial-mesenchymal transitions play key roles in development and cancer and
      entail the loss of epithelial polarity and cell adhesion. In this study, we use
      quantitative live imaging of ingressing neuroblasts (NBs) in Drosophila
      melanogaster embryos to assess apical domain loss and junctional disassembly.
      Ingression is independent of the Snail family of transcriptional repressors and
      down-regulation of Drosophila E-cadherin (DEcad) transcription. Instead, the
      posttranscriptionally regulated decrease in DEcad coincides with the reduction of
      cell contact length and depends on tension anisotropy between NBs and their
      neighbors. A major driver of apical constriction and junctional disassembly are
      periodic pulses of junctional and medial myosin II that result in progressively
      stronger cortical contractions during ingression. Effective contractions require
      the molecular coupling between myosin and junctions and apical relaxation of
      neighboring cells. Moreover, planar polarization of myosin leads to the loss of
      anterior-posterior junctions before the loss of dorsal-ventral junctions. We
      conclude that planar-polarized dynamic actomyosin networks drive apical
      constriction and the anisotropic loss of cell contacts during NB ingression.

PMID- 28363975
TI  - Fine particulate matter exposure and incidence of stroke: A cohort study in Hong
      Kong.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: We aimed to assess the association of long-term residential exposure
      to fine particulate matter (PM) with aerodynamic diameter less than 2.5 MUm
      (PM2.5) with the incidence of stroke and its major subtypes. METHODS: We
      ascertained the first occurrence of emergency hospital admission for stroke in a
      Hong Kong Chinese cohort of 66,820 older people (65+ years) who enrolled during
      1998-2001 (baseline) and were followed up to December 31, 2010. High-resolution
      (1 * 1 km) yearly mean concentrations of PM2.5 were predicted from local
      monitoring data and US National Aeronautics and Space Administration satellite
      data using linear regression. Baseline residential PM2.5 exposure was used as a
      proxy for long-term exposure. We used Cox proportional hazards to evaluate the
      risk of incident stroke associated with PM2.5 exposure adjusted for potential
      confounders, including individual and neighborhood factors. RESULTS: Over a mean
      follow-up of 9.4 years, we ascertained 6,733 cases of incident stroke, of which
      3,526 (52.4%) were ischemic and 1,175 (17.5%) were hemorrhagic. The hazard ratio
      for every 10 MUg/m3 higher PM2.5 concentration was statistically significant at
      1.21 (95% confidence interval [CI] 1.04-1.41) for ischemic and non-statistically
      significant at 0.90 (95% CI 0.70-1.17) for hemorrhagic stroke in fully adjusted
      model 3. The estimates for ischemic stroke were higher in older participants (>70
      years), less educated participants, and in men for current smokers. CONCLUSION:
      Long-term PM2.5 exposure was associated with higher risk of incident ischemic
      stroke, but the association with incident hemorrhagic stroke was less clear.

PMID- 28363976
TI  - ELAPSS score for prediction of risk of growth of unruptured intracranial
      aneurysms.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: To develop a risk score that estimates 3-year and 5-year absolute
      risks for aneurysm growth. METHODS: From 10 cohorts of patients with unruptured
      intracranial aneurysms and follow-up imaging, we pooled individual data on sex,
      population, age, hypertension, history of subarachnoid hemorrhage, and aneurysm
      location, size, aspect ratio, and shape but not on smoking during follow-up and
      family history of intracranial aneurysms in 1,507 patients with 1,909 unruptured
      intracranial aneurysms and used aneurysm growth as outcome. With aneurysm-based
      multivariable Cox regression analysis, we determined predictors for aneurysm
      growth, which were presented as a risk score to calculate 3-year and 5-year risks
      for aneurysm growth by risk factor status. RESULTS: Aneurysm growth occurred in
      257 patients (17%) and 267 aneurysms (14%) during 5,782 patient-years of follow
      up. Predictors for aneurysm growth were earlier subarachnoid hemorrhage, location
      of the aneurysm, age >60 years, population, size of the aneurysm, and shape of
      the aneurysm (ELAPSS). The 3-year growth risk ranged from <5% to >42% and the 5
      year growth risk from <9% to >60%, depending on the risk factor status.
      CONCLUSIONS: The ELAPSS score consists of 6 easily retrievable predictors and can
      help physicians in decision making on the need for and timing of follow-up
      imaging in patients with unruptured intracranial aneurysms.

PMID- 28363978
TI  - Genetic Architecture of Phenomic-Enabled Canopy Coverage in Glycine max.
AB  - Digital imagery can help to quantify seasonal changes in desirable crop
      phenotypes that can be treated as quantitative traits. Because limitations in
      precise and functional phenotyping restrain genetic improvement in the
      postgenomic era, imagery-based phenomics could become the next breakthrough to
      accelerate genetic gains in field crops. Whereas many phenomic studies focus on
      exploratory analysis of spectral data without obvious interpretative value, we
      used field images to directly measure soybean canopy development from
      phenological stage V2 to R5. Over 3 years, we collected imagery using ground and
      aerial platforms of a large and diverse nested association panel comprising 5555
      lines. Genome-wide association analysis of canopy coverage across sampling dates
      detected a large quantitative trait locus (QTL) on soybean (Glycine max, L.
      Merr.) chromosome 19. This QTL provided an increase in yield of 47.3 kg ha-1
      Variance component analysis indicated that a parameter, described as average
      canopy coverage, is a highly heritable trait (h2 = 0.77) with a promising genetic
      correlation with grain yield (0.87), enabling indirect selection of yield via
      canopy development parameters. Our findings indicate that fast canopy coverage is
      an early season trait that is inexpensive to measure and has great potential for
      application in breeding programs focused on yield improvement. We recommend using
      the average canopy coverage in multiple trait schemes, especially for the early
      stages of the breeding pipeline (including progeny rows and preliminary yield
      trials), in which the large number of field plots makes collection of grain yield
      data challenging.

PMID- 28363977
TI  - Facilitating Neuron-Specific Genetic Manipulations in Drosophila melanogaster
      Using a Split GAL4 Repressor.
AB  - Efforts to map neural circuits have been galvanized by the development of genetic
      technologies that permit the manipulation of targeted sets of neurons in the
      brains of freely behaving animals. The success of these efforts relies on the
      experimenter's ability to target arbitrarily small subsets of neurons for
      manipulation, but such specificity of targeting cannot routinely be achieved
      using existing methods. In Drosophila melanogaster, a widely-used technique for
      refined cell type-specific manipulation is the Split GAL4 system, which augments
      the targeting specificity of the binary GAL4-UAS (Upstream Activating Sequence)
      system by making GAL4 transcriptional activity contingent upon two enhancers,
      rather than one. To permit more refined targeting, we introduce here the "Killer
      Zipper" (KZip+), a suppressor that makes Split GAL4 targeting contingent upon a
      third enhancer. KZip+ acts by disrupting both the formation and activity of Split
      GAL4 heterodimers, and we show how this added layer of control can be used to
      selectively remove unwanted cells from a Split GAL4 expression pattern or to
      subtract neurons of interest from a pattern to determine their requirement in
      generating a given phenotype. To facilitate application of the KZip+ technology,
      we have developed a versatile set of LexAop-KZip+ fly lines that can be used
      directly with the large number of LexA driver lines with known expression
      patterns. KZip+ significantly sharpens the precision of neuronal genetic control
      available in Drosophila and may be extended to other organisms where Split GAL4
      like systems are used.

PMID- 28363979
TI  - Densin-180 Controls the Trafficking and Signaling of L-Type Voltage-Gated Cav1.2
      Ca2+ Channels at Excitatory Synapses.
AB  - Voltage-gated Cav1.2 and Cav1.3 (L-type) Ca2+ channels regulate neuronal
      excitability, synaptic plasticity, and learning and memory. Densin-180 (densin)
      is an excitatory synaptic protein that promotes Ca2+-dependent facilitation of
      voltage-gated Cav1.3 Ca2+ channels in transfected cells. Mice lacking densin
      (densin KO) exhibit defects in synaptic plasticity, spatial memory, and increased
      anxiety-related behaviors-phenotypes that more closely match those in mice
      lacking Cav1.2 than Cav1.3. Therefore, we investigated the functional impact of
      densin on Cav1.2. We report that densin is an essential regulator of Cav1.2 in
      neurons, but has distinct modulatory effects compared with its regulation of
      Cav1.3. Densin binds to the N-terminal domain of Cav1.2, but not that of Cav1.3,
      and increases Cav1.2 currents in transfected cells and in neurons. In transfected
      cells, densin accelerates the forward trafficking of Cav1.2 channels without
      affecting their endocytosis. Consistent with a role for densin in increasing the
      number of postsynaptic Cav1.2 channels, overexpression of densin increases the
      clustering of Cav1.2 in dendrites of hippocampal neurons in culture. Compared
      with wild-type mice, the cell surface levels of Cav1.2 in the brain, as well as
      Cav1.2 current density and signaling to the nucleus, are reduced in neurons from
      densin KO mice. We conclude that densin is an essential regulator of neuronal
      Cav1 channels and ensures efficient Cav1.2 Ca2+ signaling at excitatory
      synapses.SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT The number and localization of voltage-gated Cav
      Ca2+ channels are crucial determinants of neuronal excitability and synaptic
      transmission. We report that the protein densin-180 is highly enriched at
      excitatory synapses in the brain and enhances the cell surface trafficking and
      postsynaptic localization of Cav1.2 L-type Ca2+ channels in neurons. This
      interaction promotes coupling of Cav1.2 channels to activity-dependent gene
      transcription. Our results reveal a mechanism that may contribute to the roles of
      Cav1.2 in regulating cognition and mood.

PMID- 28363982
TI  - Deficiency in Neuronal TGF-beta Signaling Leads to Nigrostriatal Degeneration and
      Activation of TGF-beta Signaling Protects against MPTP Neurotoxicity in Mice.
AB  - Transforming growth factor-beta (TGF-beta) plays an important role in the
      development and maintenance of embryonic dopaminergic (DA) neurons in the
      midbrain. To study the function of TGF-beta signaling in the adult nigrostriatal
      system, we generated transgenic mice with reduced TGF-beta signaling in mature
      neurons. These mice display age-related motor deficits and degeneration of the
      nigrostriatal system. Increasing TGF-beta signaling in the substantia nigra
      through adeno-associated virus expressing a constitutively active type I receptor
      significantly reduces 1-methyl-4-phenyl-1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine-induced
      dopaminergic neurodegeneration and motor deficits. These results suggest that TGF
      beta signaling is critical for adult DA neuron survival and that modulating this
      signaling pathway has therapeutic potential in Parkinson disease.SIGNIFICANCE
      STATEMENT We show that reducing Transforming growth factor-beta (TGF-beta)
      signaling promotes Parkinson disease-related pathologies and motor deficits, and
      increasing TGF-beta signaling reduces neurotoxicity of 1-methyl-4-phenyl-1,2,3,6
      tetrahydropyridine, a parkinsonism-inducing agent. Our results provide a
      rationale to pursue a means of increasing TGF-beta signaling as a potential
      therapy for Parkinson's disease.

PMID- 28363981
TI  - Alcohol Dependence Disrupts Amygdalar L-Type Voltage-Gated Calcium Channel
      Mechanisms.
AB  - L-type voltage-gated calcium channels (LTCCs) are implicated in several
      psychiatric disorders that are comorbid with alcoholism and involve amygdala
      dysfunction. Within the amygdala, the central nucleus (CeA) is critical in acute
      alcohol's reinforcing actions, and its dysregulation in human alcoholics drives
      their negative emotional state and motivation to drink. Here we investigated the
      specific role of CeA LTCCs in the effects of acute alcohol at the molecular,
      cellular physiology, and behavioral levels, and their potential neuroadaptation
      in alcohol-dependent rats. Alcohol increases CeA activity (neuronal firing rates
      and GABA release) in naive rats by engaging LTCCs, and intra-CeA LTCC blockade
      reduces alcohol intake in nondependent rats. Alcohol dependence reduces CeA LTCC
      membrane abundance and disrupts this LTCC-based mechanism; instead, corticotropin
      releasing factor type 1 receptors (CRF1s) mediate alcohol's effects on CeA
      activity and drive the escalated alcohol intake of alcohol-dependent rats.
      Collectively, our data indicate that alcohol dependence functionally alters the
      molecular mechanisms underlying the CeA's response to alcohol (from LTCC- to CRF1
      driven). This mechanistic switch contributes to and reflects the prominent role
      of the CeA in the negative emotional state that drives excessive
      drinking.SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT The central amygdala (CeA) plays a critical role
      in the development of alcohol dependence. As a result, much preclinical alcohol
      research aims to identify relevant CeA neuroadaptions that promote the transition
      to dependence. Here we report that acute alcohol increases CeA neuronal activity
      in naive rats by engaging L-type calcium channels (LTCCs) and that intra-CeA LTCC
      blockade reduces alcohol intake in nondependent rats. Alcohol dependence disrupts
      this LTCC-based mechanism; instead, corticotropin-releasing factor type 1
      receptors (CRF1s) mediate alcohol's effects on CeA activity and drive the
      escalated alcohol intake of alcohol-dependent rats. This switch reflects the
      important role of the CeA in the pathophysiology of alcohol dependence and
      represents a new potential avenue for therapeutic intervention during the
      transition period.

PMID- 28363980
TI  - A Presynaptic Group III mGluR Recruits Gbetagamma/SNARE Interactions to Inhibit
      Synaptic Transmission by Cone Photoreceptors in the Vertebrate Retina.
AB  - G-protein betagamma subunits (Gbetagamma) interact with presynaptic proteins and
      regulate neurotransmitter release downstream of Ca2+ influx. To accomplish their
      roles in sensory signaling, photoreceptor synapses use specialized presynaptic
      proteins that support neurotransmission at active zone structures known as
      ribbons. While several G-protein coupled receptors (GPCRs) influence synaptic
      transmission at ribbon synapses of cones and other retinal neurons, it is unknown
      whether Gbetagamma contributes to these effects. We tested whether activation of
      one particular GPCR, a metabotropic glutamate receptor (mGluR), can reduce cone
      synaptic transmission via Gbetagamma in tiger salamander retinas. In recordings
      from horizontal cells, we found that an mGluR agonist (L-AP4) reduced cone-driven
      light responses and mEPSC frequency. In paired recordings of cones and horizontal
      cells, L-AP4 slightly reduced cone ICa (~10%) and caused a larger reduction in
      cone-driven EPSCs (~30%). Proximity ligation assay revealed direct interactions
      between SNAP-25 and Gbetagamma subunits in retinal synaptic layers. Pretreatment
      with the SNAP-25 cleaving protease BoNT/A inhibited L-AP4 effects on synaptic
      transmission, as did introduction of a peptide derived from the SNAP-25 C
      terminus. Introducing Gbetagamma subunits directly into cones reduced EPSC
      amplitude. This effect was inhibited by BoNT/A, supporting a role for
      Gbetagamma/SNAP-25 interactions. However, the mGluR-dependent reduction in ICa
      was not mimicked by Gbetagamma, indicating that this effect was independent of
      Gbetagamma. The finding that synaptic transmission at cone ribbon synapses is
      regulated by Gbetagamma/SNAP-25 interactions indicates that these mechanisms are
      shared by conventional and ribbon-type synapses. Gbetagamma liberated from other
      photoreceptor GPCRs is also likely to regulate synaptic transmission.SIGNIFICANCE
      STATEMENT Dynamic regulation of synaptic transmission by presynaptic G-protein
      coupled receptors shapes information flow through neural circuits. At the first
      synapse in the visual system, presynaptic metabotropic glutamate receptors
      (mGluRs) regulate cone photoreceptor synaptic transmission, although the
      mechanisms and functional impact of this are unclear. We show that mGluRs
      regulate light response encoding across the cone synapse, accomplished in part by
      triggering G-protein betagamma subunits (Gbetagamma) interactions with SNAP-25, a
      core component of the synaptic vesicle fusion machinery. In addition to revealing
      a role in visual processing, this provides the first demonstration that
      Gbetagamma/SNAP-25 interactions regulate synaptic function at a ribbon-type
      synapse, contributing to an emerging picture of the ubiquity of Gbetagamma/SNARE
      interactions in regulating synaptic transmission throughout the nervous system.

PMID- 28363983
TI  - Synaptotagmin2 (Syt2) Drives Fast Release Redundantly with Syt1 at the Output
      Synapses of Parvalbumin-Expressing Inhibitory Neurons.
AB  - Parvalbumin-expressing inhibitory neurons in the mammalian CNS are specialized
      for fast transmitter release at their output synapses. However, the Ca2+
      sensor(s) used by identified inhibitory synapses, including the output synapses
      of parvalbumin-expressing inhibitory neurons, have only recently started to be
      addressed. Here, we investigated the roles of Syt1 and Syt2 at two types of fast
      releasing inhibitory connections in the mammalian CNS: the medial nucleus of the
      trapezoid body to lateral superior olive glycinergic synapse, and the
      basket/stellate cell-Purkinje GABAergic synapse in the cerebellum. We used
      conditional and conventional knock-out (KO) mouse lines, with viral expression of
      Cre-recombinase and a light-activated ion channel for optical stimulation of the
      transduced fibers, to produce Syt1-Syt2 double KO synapses in vivo Surprisingly,
      we found that KO of Syt2 alone had only minor effects on evoked transmitter
      release, despite the clear presence of the protein in inhibitory nerve terminals
      revealed by immunohistochemistry. We show that Syt1 is weakly coexpressed at
      these inhibitory synapses and must be genetically inactivated together with Syt2
      to achieve a significant reduction and desynchronization of fast release. Thus,
      our work identifies the functionally relevant Ca2+ sensor(s) at fast-releasing
      inhibitory synapses and shows that two major Syt isoforms can cooperate to
      mediate release at a given synaptic connection.SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT During
      synaptic transmission, the influx of Ca2+ into the presynaptic nerve terminal
      activates a Ca2+ sensor for vesicle fusion, a crucial step in the activity
      dependent release of neurotransmitter. Synaptotagmin (Syt) proteins, and
      especially Syt1 and Syt2, have been identified as the Ca2+ sensor at excitatory
      synapses, but the Ca2+ sensor(s) at inhibitory synapses in native brain tissue
      are not well known. We found that both Syt1 and Syt2 need to be genetically
      inactivated to cause a significant reduction of activity-evoked release at two
      types of fast inhibitory synapses in mouse brain. Thus, we identify Syt2 as a
      functionally important Ca2+ sensor at fast-releasing inhibitory synapses, and
      show that Syt1 and Syt2 can redundantly control transmitter release at specific
      brain synapses.

PMID- 28363984
TI  - Blood Pressure Regulation by the Rostral Ventrolateral Medulla in Conscious Rats:
      Effects of Hypoxia, Hypercapnia, Baroreceptor Denervation, and Anesthesia.
AB  - Current understanding of the contribution of C1 neurons to blood pressure (BP)
      regulation derives predominantly from experiments performed in anesthetized
      animals or reduced ex vivo preparations. Here, we use ArchaerhodopsinT3.0 (ArchT)
      loss-of-function optogenetics to explore BP regulation by C1 neurons in intact,
      unanesthetized rats. Using a lentivirus that expresses ArchT under the Phox2b
      activated promoter PRSx8 (PRSx8-ArchT), ~65% of transduced neurons were C1
      (balance retrotrapezoid nucleus, RTN). Other rats received CaMKII-ArchT3.0 AAV2
      (CaMKII-ArchT), which transduced C1 neurons and larger numbers of unidentified
      glutamatergic and GABAergic cells. Under anesthesia, ArchT photoactivation
      reduced sympathetic nerve activity and BP and silenced/strongly inhibited most
      (7/12) putative C1 neurons. In unanesthetized PRSx8-ArchT-treated rats breathing
      room air, bilateral ArchT photoactivation caused a very small BP reduction that
      was only slightly larger under hypercapnia (6% FiCO2), but was greatly enhanced
      during hypoxia (10 and 12% FiO2), after sino-aortic denervation, or during
      isoflurane anesthesia. The degree of hypotension correlated with percentage of
      ArchT-transduced C1 neurons. ArchT photoactivation produced similar BP changes in
      CaMKII-ArchT-treated rats. Photoactivation in PRSX8-ArchT rats reduced breathing
      frequency (FR), whereas FR increased in CaMKII-ArchT rats. We conclude that the
      BP drop elicited by ArchT activation resulted from C1 neuron inhibition and was
      unrelated to breathing changes. C1 neurons have low activity under normoxia, but
      their activation is important to BP stability during hypoxia or anesthesia and
      contributes greatly to the hypertension caused by baroreceptor deafferentation.
      Finally, C1 neurons are marginally activated by hypercapnia and the large
      breathing stimulation caused by this stimulus has very little impact on resting
      BP.SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT C1 neurons are
      glutamatergic/peptidergic/catecholaminergic neurons located in the medulla
      oblongata, which may operate as a switchboard for differential, behavior
      appropriate activation of selected sympathetic efferents. Based largely on
      experimentation in anesthetized or reduced preparations, a rostrally located
      subset of C1 neurons may contribute to both BP stabilization and dysregulation
      (hypertension). Here, we used Archaerhodopsin-based loss-of-function optogenetics
      to explore the contribution of these neurons to BP in conscious rats. The results
      suggest that C1 neurons contribute little to resting BP under normoxia or
      hypercapnia, C1 neuron discharge is restrained continuously by arterial
      baroreceptors, and C1 neuron activation is critical to stabilize BP under hypoxia
      or anesthesia. This optogenetic approach could also be useful to explore the role
      of C1 neurons during specific behaviors or in hypertensive models.

PMID- 28363985
TI  - Structure and Dynamics of the Liver Receptor Homolog 1-PGC1alpha Complex.
AB  - Peroxisome proliferator-activated gamma coactivator 1-alpha (PGC1alpha) regulates
      energy metabolism by directly interacting with transcription factors to modulate
      gene expression. Among the PGC1alpha binding partners is liver receptor homolog 1
      (LRH-1; NR5A2), an orphan nuclear hormone receptor that controls lipid and
      glucose homeostasis. Although PGC1alpha is known to bind and activate LRH-1,
      mechanisms through which PGC1alpha changes LRH-1 conformation to drive
      transcription are unknown. Here, we used biochemical and structural methods to
      interrogate the LRH-1-PGC1alpha complex. Purified, full-length LRH-1, as well as
      isolated ligand binding domain, bound to PGC1alpha with higher affinity than to
      the coactivator, nuclear receptor coactivator-2 (Tif2), in coregulator peptide
      recruitment assays. We present the first crystal structure of the LRH-1-PGC1alpha
      complex, which depicts several hydrophobic contacts and a strong charge clamp at
      the interface between these partners. In molecular dynamics simulations,
      PGC1alpha induced correlated atomic motion throughout the entire LRH-1 activation
      function surface, which was dependent on charge-clamp formation. In contrast,
      Tif2 induced weaker signaling at the activation function surface than PGC1alpha
      but promoted allosteric signaling from the helix 6/beta-sheet region of LRH-1 to
      the activation function surface. These studies are the first to probe mechanisms
      underlying the LRH-1-PGC1alpha interaction and may illuminate strategies for
      selective therapeutic targeting of PGC1alpha-dependent LRH-1 signaling pathways.

PMID- 28363986
TI  - Gender and international clinician educators.
AB  - OBJECTIVES: To describe gender differences of international clinician educators
      (CEs) and leaders, and CEs' perceptions by gender of preparation, roles, rewards
      and factors affecting job satisfaction and retention in emerging international
      competency-based residency programmes. METHODS: Cross-sectional surveys of CEs
      and leadership were conductedJune 2013-June 2014 at institutions that had adopted
      competency-based graduate medical education and were accredited by the
      Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education-International. RESULTS: 274
      (76.3%) of 359 eligible participants responded; 69 (25.2%) were female. Two (18%)
      of 11 chief executive officers and 1 (9%) of 11 chief medical officers were
      women. Female CEs were younger, more likely to be single and childless. They were
      less likely to hold academic appointments, despite no gender differences in
      length of time at current institution or in current position. A greater
      proportion of female CEs felt they were 'never' rewarded by academic promotion.
      Satisfaction rates were similar between the genders. Single female CEs were five
      times as likely to report being 'extremely likely' to stay in the country. Female
      CEs with children <21 were less likely to report high likelihood of staying in
      academia. Marital status and children were not associated with outcomes for male
      CEs. CONCLUSIONS: In the international academic medicine programmes studied,
      there were fewer female CEs in the pipeline and they perceived a gender gap in
      appointment and advancement. Stakeholders at international programmes need to
      develop contextualised strategies to expand entry and decrease attrition of women
      into CE tracks, and promote gender equity.

PMID- 28363988
TI  - Implementing tools to support evidence-based practice: a survey and brief
      intervention study of the National Elf Service across Oxford Health NHS
      Foundation Trust.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Technology and the internet has enabled rapid access to research but
      most mental health professionals do not have time to keep up with the vast and
      growing scientific literature. Secondary information sources, such as the
      National Elf Service (NES), aim to summarise the most important and up-to-date
      research to improve mental health professionals' access to information to support
      evidence-based medicine (EBM). OBJECTIVE: To explore mental health professionals'
      attitudes towards evidence-based practice and methods used to keep up-to-date
      with research. To promote use of a digital evidence-based platform (the National
      Elf Service), assess its use and explore its potential to impact clinical
      practice. METHODS: Baseline and follow-up surveys were distributed among staff of
      5 adult mental health community teams and 2 early intervention services (n=331)
      in Oxford Health Foundation Trust (OHFT) prior to and following an intervention
      raising awareness of the National Elf Service. FINDINGS: Of 133 baseline survey
      responders, the majority of staff reported their clinical practice was informed
      by evidence, mostly using existing clinical guidelines and online resources. Few
      had used the National Elf Service. 122 staff members completed the follow-up
      survey. Postintervention, 42 staff members indicated they had used the National
      Elf Service (compared with 13 preintervention) and that it had improved access to
      research. Lack of time was most often the barrier restricting evidence-based
      practice. CONCLUSIONS: Mental health professionals are engaged with EBM and those
      that used the National Elf Service felt it did, or could have the potential to
      impact on their clinical practice. CLINICAL IMPLICATIONS: Barriers and challenges
      to implement EBM more widely suggest targeted efforts should be made to embed
      evidence-based practice into the working culture.

PMID- 28363989
TI  - Reporting guidance considerations from a statistical perspective: overview of
      tools to enhance the rigour of reporting of randomised trials and systematic
      reviews.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: Research waste has received considerable attention from the biomedical
      community. One noteworthy contributor is incomplete reporting in research
      publications. When detailing statistical methods and results, ensuring analytic
      methods and findings are completely documented improves transparency. For
      publications describing randomised trials and systematic reviews, guidelines have
      been developed to facilitate complete reporting. This overview summarises aspects
      of statistical reporting in trials and systematic reviews of health
      interventions. METHODS: A narrative approach to summarise features regarding
      statistical methods and findings from reporting guidelines for trials and reviews
      was taken. We aim to enhance familiarity of statistical details that should be
      reported in biomedical research among statisticians and their collaborators.
      RESULTS: We summarise statistical reporting considerations for trials and
      systematic reviews from guidance documents including the Consolidated Standards
      of Reporting Trials (CONSORT) Statement for reporting of trials, the Standard
      Protocol Items: Recommendations for Interventional Trials (SPIRIT) Statement for
      trial protocols, the Statistical Analyses and Methods in the Published Literature
      (SAMPL) Guidelines for statistical reporting principles, the Preferred Reporting
      Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) Statement for systematic
      reviews and PRISMA for Protocols (PRISMA-P). Considerations regarding sharing of
      study data and statistical code are also addressed. CONCLUSIONS: Reporting
      guidelines provide researchers with minimum criteria for reporting. If followed,
      they can enhance research transparency and contribute improve quality of
      biomedical publications. Authors should employ these tools for planning and
      reporting of their research.

PMID- 28363987
TI  - Progesterone induces neuroprotection following reperfusion-promoted mitochondrial
      dysfunction after focal cerebral ischemia in rats.
AB  - Organelle damage and increases in mitochondrial permeabilization are key events
      in the development of cerebral ischemic tissue injury because they cause both
      modifications in ATP turnover and cellular apoptosis/necrosis. Early restoration
      of blood flow and improvement of mitochondrial function might reverse the
      situation and help in recovery following an onset of stroke. Mitochondria and
      related bioenergetic processes can be effectively used as pharmacological
      targets. Progesterone (P4), one of the promising neurosteroids, has been found to
      be neuroprotective in various models of neurological diseases, through a number
      of mechanisms. This influenced us to investigate the possible role of P4 in the
      mitochondria-mediated neuroprotective mechanism in an ischemic stroke model of
      rat. In this study, we have shown the positive effect of P4 administration on
      behavioral deficits and mitochondrial health in an ischemic stroke injury model
      of transient middle cerebral artery occlusion (tMCAO). After induction of tMCAO,
      the rats received an initial intraperitoneal injection of P4 (8 mg/kg body
      weight) or vehicle at 1 h post-occlusion followed by subcutaneous injections at
      6, 12 and 18 h. Behavioral assessment for functional deficits included grip
      strength, motor coordination and gait analysis. Findings revealed a significant
      improvement with P4 treatment in tMCAO animals. Staining of isolated brain slices
      from P4-treated rats with 2,3,5-triphenyltetrazolium chloride (TTC) showed a
      reduction in the infarct area in comparison to the vehicle group, indicating the
      presence of an increased number of viable mitochondria. P4 treatment was also
      able to attenuate mitochondrial reactive oxygen species (ROS) production, as well
      as block the mitochondrial permeability transition pore (mPTP), in the tMCAO
      injury model. In addition, it was also able to ameliorate the altered
      mitochondrial membrane potential and respiration ratio in the ischemic animals,
      thereby suggesting that P4 has a positive effect on mitochondrial bioenergetics.
      In conclusion, these results demonstrate that P4 treatment is beneficial in
      preserving the mitochondrial functions that are altered in cerebral ischemic
      injury and thus can help in defining better therapies.

PMID- 28363990
TI  - A dirty little secret: stigma, shame and hepatitis C in the health setting.
AB  - While recent medical innovation shows great promise in treating hepatitis C
      (HCV), it remains a condition associated with profound stigma. HCV is a
      bloodborne virus (BBV) most commonly transmitted in high-income countries by
      injecting drug use, and it is the stigmatising association between the two which
      is deeply problematic for those with HCV. A qualitative study undertaken in 2002
      found that disclosure in health settings places those with HCV in positions of
      pronounced vulnerability. Disclosure is a primal scene, an interface, where the
      stigma of HCV, replete with connotations of disease and deviance, potentially
      transforms those affected into shamed subjects. Standard precautions protect
      health workers and minimise the transmission of contagion, measures which, in
      theory, also mitigate the requirement of those with BBVs to unnecessarily
      disclose their blood status. However, questions on pre-employment health checks,
      concerns that health treatments might adversely affect the liver and an ethical
      need to pre-emptively inform healthcare professionals undertaking exposure prone
      procedures are occasions when those with HCV confront the decision to disclose
      their blood status. This paper employs Goffman's model of actual and virtual
      social identities, along with Douglas' notion of dirt and pollution, to examine
      the dilemmas around disclosure those with HCV negotiate within the health
      setting. Discriminatory responses by healthcare professionals elucidate the
      stigmatising potential HCV carries. The subsequent reticence by those with HCV to
      disclose their blood status risks less than optimum healthcare. Recent studies
      indicate that stigma occurring in health settings remains a perennial concern for
      those with HCV.

PMID- 28363991
TI  - Regulatory Phosphorylation of Bacterial-Type PEP Carboxylase by the Ca2+
      Dependent Protein Kinase RcCDPK1 in Developing Castor Oil Seeds.
AB  - Phosphoenolpyruvate carboxylase (PEPC) is a tightly controlled cytosolic enzyme
      situated at a crucial branch point of central plant metabolism. In developing
      castor oil seeds (Ricinus communis) a novel, allosterically desensitized 910-kD
      Class-2 PEPC hetero-octameric complex, arises from a tight interaction between
      107-kD plant-type PEPC and 118-kD bacterial-type (BTPC) subunits. The native Ca2+
      dependent protein kinase (CDPK) responsible for in vivo inhibitory
      phosphorylation of Class-2 PEPC's BTPC subunit's at Ser-451 was highly purified
      from COS and identified as RcCDPK1 (XP_002526815) by mass spectrometry.
      Heterologously expressed RcCDPK1 catalyzed Ca2+-dependent, inhibitory
      phosphorylation of BTPC at Ser-451 while exhibiting: (i) a pair of Ca2+ binding
      sites with identical dissociation constants of 5.03 MUM, (ii) a Ca2+-dependent
      electrophoretic mobility shift, and (iii) a marked Ca2+-independent
      hydrophobicity. Pull-down experiments established the Ca2+-dependent interaction
      of N-terminal GST-tagged RcCDPK1 with BTPC. RcCDPK1-Cherry localized to the
      cytosol and nucleus of tobacco bright yellow-2 cells, but colocalized with
      mitochondrial-surface associated BTPC-enhanced yellow fluorescent protein when
      both fusion proteins were coexpressed. Deletion analyses demonstrated that
      although its N-terminal variable domain plays an essential role in optimizing
      Ca2+-dependent RcCDPK1 autophosphorylation and BTPC transphosphorylation
      activity, it is not critical for in vitro or in vivo target recognition.
      Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana) CPK4 and soybean (Glycine max) CDPKbeta are
      RcCDPK1 orthologs that effectively phosphorylated castor BTPC at Ser-451.
      Overall, the results highlight a potential link between cytosolic Ca2+ signaling
      and the posttranslational control of respiratory CO2 refixation and anaplerotic
      photosynthate partitioning in support of storage oil and protein biosynthesis in
      developing COS.

PMID- 28363994
TI  - Validating the Manchester Acute Coronary Syndromes (MACS) and Troponin-only
      Manchester Acute Coronary Syndromes (T-MACS) rules for the prediction of acute
      myocardial infarction in patients presenting to the emergency department with
      chest pain.
AB  - BACKGROUND: The Manchester Acute Coronary Syndromes (MACS) rule and the Troponin
      only MACS (T-MACS) rule risk stratify patients with suspected acute coronary
      syndrome (ACS). This observational study sought to validate and compare the MACS
      and T-MACS rules for assessment of acute myocardial infarction (AMI). METHODS:
      Prospectively collected data from twoEDs in Australia and New Zealand were
      analysed. Patients were assigned a probability of ACS based on the MACS and T
      MACS rules, incorporating high-sensitivity troponin T, heart-type fatty acid
      binding protein, ECG results and clinical symptoms. Patients were then deemed
      very low risk, low risk, intermediate or high risk if their MACS probability was
      less than 2%, between 2% and 5%, between 5% and 95% and greater than 95%,
      respectively. The primary endpoint was 30-day diagnosis of AMI. The secondary
      endpoint was 30-day major adverse cardiac event (MACE) including AMI,
      revascularisation or coronary stenosis (>70%). Sensitivity, specificity and
      predictive values were calculated to assess the accuracy of the MACS and T-MACS
      rules. RESULTS: Of the 1244 patients, 114 (9.2%) were diagnosed with AMI and 163
      (13.1%) with MACE. The MACS and T-MACS rules categorised 133 (10.7%) and 246
      (19.8%) patients, respectively, as very low risk and potentially suitable for
      early discharge from the ED. There was one false negative case for both rules
      making sensitivity 99.1% (95.2%-100%). CONCLUSIONS: MACS and T-MACS accurately
      risk stratify very low risk patients. The T-MACS rule would allow for more
      patients to be discharged early. The potential for missed MACE events means that
      further outpatient testing for coronary artery disease may be required for
      patients identified as very low risk.

PMID- 28363992
TI  - MtLAX2, a Functional Homologue of the Arabidopsis Auxin Influx Transporter AUX1,
      Is Required for Nodule Organogenesis.
AB  - Most legume plants can form nodules, specialized lateral organs that form on
      roots, and house nitrogen-fixing bacteria collectively called rhizobia. The
      uptake of the phytohormone auxin into cells is known to be crucial for
      development of lateral roots. To test the role of auxin influx in nodulation we
      used the auxin influx inhibitors 1-naphthoxyacetic acid (1-NOA) and 2-NOA, which
      we found reduced nodulation of Medicago truncatula. This suggested the possible
      involvement of the AUX/LAX family of auxin influx transporters in nodulation.
      Gene expression studies identified MtLAX2, a paralogue of Arabidopsis
      (Arabidopsis thaliana) AUX1, as being induced at early stages of nodule
      development. MtLAX2 is expressed in nodule primordia, the vasculature of
      developing nodules, and at the apex of mature nodules. The MtLAX2 promoter
      contains several auxin response elements, and treatment with indole-acetic acid
      strongly induces MtLAX2 expression in roots. mtlax2 mutants displayed root
      phenotypes similar to Arabidopsis aux1 mutants, including altered root
      gravitropism, fewer lateral roots, shorter root hairs, and auxin resistance. In
      addition, the activity of the synthetic DR5-GUS auxin reporter was strongly
      reduced in mtlax2 roots. Following inoculation with rhizobia, mtlax2 roots
      developed fewer nodules, had decreased DR5-GUS activity associated with infection
      sites, and had decreased expression of the early auxin responsive gene ARF16a Our
      data indicate that MtLAX2 is a functional analog of Arabidopsis AUX1 and is
      required for the accumulation of auxin during nodule formation in tissues
      underlying sites of rhizobial infection.

PMID- 28363996
TI  - miR-34a and miR-34b/c Suppress Intestinal Tumorigenesis.
AB  - The p53-inducible miR-34a and miR-34b/c genes are frequently silenced in
      colorectal cancer. To address the in vivo relevance of miR-34a/b/c function for
      suppression of intestinal tumor formation, we generated ApcMin/+ mice with
      deletions of the miR-34a and/or miR-34b/c genes separately or in combination.
      Combined deletion of miR-34a/b/c increased the number of intestinal stem cells as
      well as Paneth and Goblet cells, resulting in enlarged intestinal crypts. miR
      34a/b/c-deficient ApcMin/+ mice displayed an increased tumor burden and grade and
      decreased survival. miR-34a/b/c-deficient adenomas showed elevated proliferation
      and decreased apoptosis and displayed pronounced bacterial infiltration, which
      may be due to an observed decrease in infiltrating immune cells and
      downregulation of barrier proteins. mRNA induction in miR-34a/b/c-deficient
      tumors was enriched for miR-34a/b/c seed-matching sites and for mRNAs encoding
      proteins related to epithelial-mesenchymal transition, stemness, and Wnt
      signaling. Accordingly, cells explanted from miR-34a/b/c-deficient adenomas
      formed tumor organoids at an increased rate. Several upregulated miR-34 targets
      displayed elevated expression in primary human colorectal cancers that was
      associated with lymph-node metastases (INHBB, AXL, FGFR1, and PDFGRB) and
      upregulation of INHBB and AXL in primary colorectal cancer was associated with
      poor patient survival. In conclusion, our results show that miR-34a/b/c suppress
      tumor formation caused by loss of Apc and control intestinal stem cell and
      secretory cell homeostasis by downregulation of multiple target mRNAs. Cancer
      Res; 77(10); 2746-58. (c)2017 AACR.

PMID- 28363993
TI  - Temporal Dynamics of Stomatal Behavior: Modeling and Implications for
      Photosynthesis and Water Use.

PMID- 28363995
TI  - Response Heterogeneity of EGFR and HER2 Exon 20 Insertions to Covalent EGFR and
      HER2 Inhibitors.
AB  - Insertion mutations in EGFR and HER2 both occur at analogous positions in exon
      20. Non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients with tumors harboring these
      mutations seldom achieve clinical responses to dacomitinib and afatinib, two
      covalent quinazoline-based inhibitors of EGFR or HER2, respectively. In this
      study, we investigated the effects of specific EGFR and HER2 exon 20 insertion
      mutations from NSCLC patients that had clinically achieved a partial response
      after dacomitinib treatment. We identified Gly770 as a common feature among the
      drug-sensitive mutations. Structural modeling suggested that this mutation may
      facilitate inhibitor binding to EGFR. Introduction of Gly770 into two dacomitinib
      resistant EGFR exon 20 insertion mutants restored sensitivity to dacomitinib.
      Based on these findings, we used afatinib to treat an NSCLC patient whose tumor
      harbored the HER2 V777_G778insGSP mutation and achieved a durable partial
      response. We further identified secondary mutations in EGFR (T790M or C797S) and
      HER2 (C805S) that mediated acquired drug resistance in drug-sensitive EGFR or
      HER2 exon 20 insertion models. Overall, our findings identified a subset of EGFR
      and HER2 exon 20 insertion mutations that are sensitive to existing covalent
      quinazoline-based EGFR/HER2 inhibitors, with implications for current clinical
      treatment and next-generation small-molecule inhibitors. Cancer Res; 77(10); 2712
      21. (c)2017 AACR.

PMID- 28363997
TI  - Development of a T-cell Receptor Mimic Antibody against Wild-Type p53 for Cancer
      Immunotherapy.
AB  - The tumor suppressor p53 is widely dysregulated in cancer and represents an
      attractive target for immunotherapy. Because of its intracellular localization,
      p53 is inaccessible to classical therapeutic monoclonal antibodies, an
      increasingly successful class of anticancer drugs. However, peptides derived from
      intracellular antigens are presented on the cell surface in the context of MHC I
      and can be bound by T-cell receptors (TCR). Here, we report the development of a
      novel antibody, T1-116C, that acts as a TCR mimic to recognize an HLA-A*0201
      presented wild-type p53 T-cell epitope, p5365-73(RMPEAAPPV). The antibody
      recognizes a wide range of cancers, does not bind normal peripheral blood
      mononuclear cells, and can activate immune effector functions to kill cancer
      cells in vitroIn vivo, the antibody targets p5365-73 peptide-expressing breast
      cancer xenografts, significantly inhibiting tumor growth. This represents a
      promising new agent for future cancer immunotherapy. Cancer Res; 77(10); 2699
      711. (c)2017 AACR.

PMID- 28363998
TI  - E3 Ligase cIAP2 Mediates Downregulation of MRE11 and Radiosensitization in
      Response to HDAC Inhibition in Bladder Cancer.
AB  - The MRE11/RAD50/NBS1 (MRN) complex mediates DNA repair pathways, including double
      strand breaks induced by radiotherapy. Meiotic recombination 11 homolog (MRE11)
      is downregulated by histone deacetylase inhibition (HDACi), resulting in reduced
      levels of DNA repair in bladder cancer cells and radiosensitization. In this
      study, we show that the mechanism of this downregulation is posttranslational and
      identify a C-terminally truncated MRE11, which is formed after HDAC inhibition as
      full-length MRE11 is downregulated. Truncated MRE11 was stabilized by proteasome
      inhibition, exhibited a decreased half-life after treatment with panobinostat,
      and therefore represents a newly identified intermediate induced and degraded in
      response to HDAC inhibition. The E3 ligase cellular inhibitor of apoptosis
      protein 2 (cIAP2) was upregulated in response to HDAC inhibition and was
      validated as a new MRE11 binding partner whose upregulation had similar effects
      to HDAC inhibition. cIAP2 overexpression resulted in downregulation and altered
      ubiquitination patterns of MRE11 and mediated radiosensitization in response to
      HDAC inhibition. These results highlight cIAP2 as a player in the DNA damage
      response as a posttranscriptional regulator of MRE11 and identify cIAP2 as a
      potential target for biomarker discovery or chemoradiation strategies in bladder
      cancer. Cancer Res; 77(11); 3027-39. (c)2017 AACR.

PMID- 28363999
TI  - ATM Deficiency Is Associated with Sensitivity to PARP1- and ATR Inhibitors in
      Lung Adenocarcinoma.
AB  - Defects in maintaining genome integrity are a hallmark of cancer. The DNA damage
      response kinase ATM is frequently mutated in human cancer, but the significance
      of these events to chemotherapeutic efficacy has not been examined deeply in
      whole organism models. Here we demonstrate that bi-allelic Atm deletion in mouse
      models of Kras-mutant lung adenocarcinoma does not affect cisplatin responses. In
      marked contrast, Atm-deficient tumors displayed an enhanced response to the
      topoisomerase-II poison etoposide. Moreover, Atm-deficient cells and tumors were
      sensitive to the PARP inhibitor olaparib. This actionable molecular addiction to
      functional PARP1 signaling was preserved in models that were proficient or
      deficient in p53, resembling standard or high-risk genetic constellations,
      respectively. Atm deficiency also markedly enhanced sensitivity to the ATR
      inhibitor VE-822. Taken together, our results provide a functional rationale to
      profile human tumors for disabling ATM mutations, particularly given their impact
      on PARP1 and ATR inhibitors. Cancer Res; 77(11); 3040-56. (c)2017 AACR.

PMID- 28364001
TI  - Morphoproteomic Characterization of Lung Squamous Cell Carcinoma Fragmentation, a
      Histological Marker of Increased Tumor Invasiveness.
AB  - Accurate stratification of tumors is imperative for adequate cancer management.
      In addition to staging, morphologic subtyping allows stratification of patients
      into additional prognostic groups. In this study, we used an image-based
      computational method on pan-cytokeratin IHC stainings to quantify tumor
      fragmentation (TF), a measure of tumor invasiveness of lung squamous cell
      carcinoma (LSCC). In two independent clinical cohorts from tissue microarrays
      (TMA: n = 208 patients) and whole sections (WS: n = 99 patients), TF was
      associated with poor prognosis and increased risk of blood vessel infiltration. A
      third cohort from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA: n = 335 patients) confirmed the
      poor prognostic value of TF using a similar human-based score on hematoxylin
      eosin staining. Integration of RNA-seq data from TCGA and LC-MS/MS proteomics
      from WS revealed an upregulation of extracellular matrix remodeling and focal
      adhesion processes in tumors with high TF, supporting their increased invasive
      potential. This proposed histologic parameter is an independent and unfavorable
      prognostic marker that could be established as a new grading parameter for LSCC.
      Cancer Res; 77(10); 2585-93. (c)2017 AACR.

PMID- 28364000
TI  - Anti-PD-L1 Efficacy Can Be Enhanced by Inhibition of Myeloid-Derived Suppressor
      Cells with a Selective Inhibitor of PI3Kdelta/gamma.
AB  - Checkpoint inhibitors are relatively inefficacious in head and neck cancers,
      despite an abundance of genetic alterations and a T-cell-inflamed phenotype. One
      significant barrier to efficacy may be the recruitment of myeloid-derived
      suppressor cells (MDSC) into the tumor microenvironment. Here we demonstrate
      functional inhibition of MDSC with IPI-145, an inhibitor of PI3Kdelta and
      PI3Kgamma isoforms, which enhances responses to PD-L1 blockade. Combination
      therapy induced CD8+ T lymphocyte-dependent primary tumor growth delay and
      prolonged survival only in T-cell-inflamed tumor models of head and neck cancers.
      However, higher doses of IPI-145 reversed the observed enhancement of anti-PD-L1
      efficacy due to off-target suppression of the activity of tumor-infiltrating T
      lymphocytes. Together, our results offer a preclinical proof of concept for the
      low-dose use of isoform-specific PI3Kdelta/gamma inhibitors to suppress MDSC to
      enhance responses to immune checkpoint blockade. Cancer Res; 77(10); 2607-19.
      (c)2017 AACR.

PMID- 28364002
TI  - Tissue-Specific Signaling Networks Rewired by Major Somatic Mutations in Human
      Cancer Revealed by Proteome-Wide Discovery.
AB  - Massive somatic mutations discovered by large cancer genome sequencing projects
      provide unprecedented opportunities in the development of precision oncology.
      However, deep understanding of functional consequences of somatic mutations and
      identifying actionable mutations and the related drug responses currently remain
      formidable challenges. Dysfunction of protein posttranslational modification
      plays critical roles in tumorigenesis and drug responses. In this study, we
      proposed a novel computational oncoproteomics approach, named kinome-wide network
      module for cancer pharmacogenomics (KNMPx), for identifying actionable mutations
      that rewired signaling networks and further characterized tumorigenesis and
      anticancer drug responses. Specifically, we integrated 746,631 missense mutations
      in 4,997 tumor samples across 16 major cancer types/subtypes from The Cancer
      Genome Atlas into over 170,000 carefully curated nonredundant phosphorylation
      sites covering 18,610 proteins. We found 47 mutated proteins (e.g., ERBB2, TP53,
      and CTNNB1) that had enriched missense mutations at their phosphorylation sites
      in pan-cancer analysis. In addition, tissue-specific kinase-substrate interaction
      modules altered by somatic mutations identified by KNMPx were significantly
      associated with patient survival. We further reported a kinome-wide landscape of
      pharmacogenomic interactions by incorporating somatic mutation-rewired signaling
      networks in 1,001 cancer cell lines via KNMPx. Interestingly, we found that cell
      lines could highly reproduce oncogenic phosphorylation site mutations identified
      in primary tumors, supporting the confidence in their associations with
      sensitivity/resistance of inhibitors targeting EGF, MAPK, PI3K, mTOR, and Wnt
      signaling pathways. In summary, our KNMPx approach is powerful for identifying
      oncogenic alterations via rewiring phosphorylation-related signaling networks and
      drug sensitivity/resistance in the era of precision oncology. Cancer Res; 77(11);
      2810-21. (c)2017 AACR.

PMID- 28364004
TI  - Acute Cytotoxic and Vasogenic Edema after Subarachnoid Hemorrhage: A Quantitative
      MRI Study.
AB  - BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: The mechanism of early brain injury following
      subarachnoid hemorrhage is not well understood. We aimed to evaluate if cytotoxic
      and vasogenic edema are contributing factors. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A
      retrospective analysis was conducted in patients with SAH undergoing diffusion
      weighted MR imaging within 72 hours of onset. Apparent diffusion coefficient
      values derived from DWI were evaluated by using whole-brain histograms and 19
      prespecified ROIs in patients with SAH and controls with normal findings on MRI.
      Cytotoxic edema observed outside the ROIs was assessed in patients with SAH. The
      average median ADC values were compared between patients with SAH and controls
      and patients with SAH with mild (Hunt and Hess 1-3) versus severe early brain
      injury (Hunt and Hess 4-5). RESULTS: We enrolled 33 patients with SAH and 66
      controls. The overall average median whole-brain ADC was greater for patients
      with SAH (808 * 10-6 mm2/s) compared with controls (788 * 10-6 mm2/s, P < .001)
      and was higher in patients with SAH across ROIs after adjusting for age: cerebral
      gray matter (826 versus 803 * 10-6 mm2/s, P = .059), cerebral white matter (793
      versus 758 * 10-6 mm2/s, P = .023), white matter tracts (797 versus 739 * 10-6
      mm2/s, P < .001), and deep gray matter (754 versus 713 * 10-6 mm2/s, P = .016).
      ADC values trended higher in patients with Hunt and Hess 4-5 versus those with
      Hunt and Hess 1-3. Early cytotoxic edema was observed in 13 (39%) patients with
      SAH and was more prevalent in those with severe early brain injury (87.5% of
      patients with Hunt and Hess 4-5 versus 24.0% of those with Hunt and Hess 1-3, P =
      .001). CONCLUSIONS: Age-adjusted ADC values were globally increased in patients
      with SAH compared with controls, even in normal-appearing brain regions,
      suggesting diffuse vasogenic edema. Cytotoxic edema was also present in patients
      with SAH and correlated with more severe early brain injury.

PMID- 28364003
TI  - Multidrug Analyses in Patients Distinguish Efficacious Cancer Agents Based on
      Both Tumor Cell Killing and Immunomodulation.
AB  - The vision of a precision medicine-guided approach to novel cancer drug
      development is challenged by high intratumor heterogeneity and interpatient
      diversity. This complexity is rarely modeled accurately during preclinical drug
      development, hampering predictions of clinical drug efficacy. To address this
      issue, we developed Comparative In Vivo Oncology (CIVO) arrayed microinjection
      technology to test tumor responsiveness to simultaneous microdoses of multiple
      drugs directly in a patient's tumor. Here, in a study of 18 canine patients with
      soft tissue sarcoma (STS), CIVO captured complex, patient-specific tumor
      responses encompassing both cancer cells and multiple immune infiltrates
      following localized exposure to different chemotherapy agents. CIVO also
      classified patient-specific tumor resistance to the most effective agent,
      doxorubicin, and further enabled assessment of a preclinical autophagy inhibitor,
      PS-1001, to reverse doxorubicin resistance. In a CIVO-identified subset of
      doxorubicin-resistant tumors, PS-1001 resulted in enhanced antitumor activity,
      increased infiltration of macrophages, and skewed this infiltrate toward M1
      polarization. The ability to evaluate and cross-compare multiple drugs and drug
      combinations simultaneously in living tumors and across a diverse immunocompetent
      patient population may provide a foundation from which to make informed drug
      development decisions. This method also represents a viable functional approach
      to complement current precision oncology strategies. Cancer Res; 77(11); 2869-80.
      (c)2017 AACR.

PMID- 28364005
TI  - Presurgical Brain Mapping of the Ventral Somatomotor Network in Patients with
      Brain Tumors Using Resting-State fMRI.
AB  - BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Resting-state fMRI readily identifies the dorsal but less
      consistently the ventral somatomotor network. Our aim was to assess the relative
      utility of resting-state fMRI in the identification of the ventral somatomotor
      network via comparison with task-based fMRI in patients with brain tumor.
      MATERIALS AND METHODS: We identified 26 surgically naive patients referred for
      presurgical fMRI brain mapping who had undergone both satisfactory ventral motor
      activation tasks and resting-state fMRI. Following standard preprocessing for
      task-based fMRI and resting-state fMRI, general linear model analysis of the
      ventral motor tasks and independent component analysis of resting-state fMRI were
      performed with the number of components set to 20, 30, 40, and 50. Visual overlap
      of task-based fMRI and resting-state fMRI at different component levels was
      assessed and categorized as full match, partial match, or no match. Rest-versus
      task-fMRI concordance was calculated with Dice coefficients across varying fMRI
      thresholds before and after noise removal. Multithresholded Dice coefficient
      volume under the surface was calculated. RESULTS: The ventral somatomotor network
      was identified in 81% of patients. At the subject level, better matches between
      resting-state fMRI and task-based fMRI were seen with an increasing order of
      components (53% of cases for 20 components versus 73% for 50 components). Noise
      removed group-mean volume under the surface improved as component numbers
      increased from 20 to 50, though ANOVA demonstrated no statistically significant
      difference among the 4 groups. CONCLUSIONS: In most patients, the ventral
      somatomotor network can be identified with an increase in the probability of a
      better match at a higher component number. There is variable concordance of the
      ventral somatomotor network at the single-subject level between resting-state and
      task-based fMRI.

PMID- 28364006
TI  - Detection of Focal Longitudinal Changes in the Brain by Subtraction of MR Images.
AB  - BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: The detection of new subtle brain pathology on MR imaging
      is a time-consuming and error-prone task for the radiologist. This article
      introduces and evaluates an image-registration and subtraction method for
      highlighting small changes in the brain with a view to minimizing the risk of
      missed pathology and reducing fatigue. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We present a fully
      automated algorithm for highlighting subtle changes between multiple serially
      acquired brain MR images with a novel approach to registration and MR imaging
      bias field correction. The method was evaluated for the detection of new lesions
      in 77 patients undergoing cardiac surgery, by using pairs of fluid-attenuated
      inversion recovery MR images acquired 1-2 weeks before the operation and 6-8
      weeks postoperatively. Three radiologists reviewed the images. RESULTS: On the
      basis of qualitative comparison of pre- and postsurgery FLAIR images,
      radiologists identified 37 new ischemic lesions in 22 patients. When these images
      were accompanied by a subtraction image, 46 new ischemic lesions were identified
      in 26 patients. After we accounted for interpatient and interradiologist
      variability using a multilevel statistical model, the likelihood of detecting a
      lesion was 2.59 (95% CI, 1.18-5.67) times greater when aided by the subtraction
      algorithm (P = .017). Radiologists also reviewed the images significantly faster
      (P < .001) by using the subtraction image (mean, 42 seconds; 95% CI, 29-60
      seconds) than through qualitative assessment alone (mean, 66 seconds; 95% CI, 46
      96 seconds). CONCLUSIONS: Use of this new subtraction algorithm would result in
      considerable savings in the time required to review images and in improved
      sensitivity to subtle focal pathology.

PMID- 28364008
TI  - Striving for the Best: How Far Should We Go? Regarding "Impact of Modified TICI 3
      versus Modified TICI 2b Reperfusion Score to Predict Good Outcome following
      Endovascular Therapy".

PMID- 28364007
TI  - Combined Diffusion Tensor Imaging and Apparent Transverse Relaxation Rate
      Differentiate Parkinson Disease and Atypical Parkinsonism.
AB  - BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Both diffusion tensor imaging and the apparent transverse
      relaxation rate have shown promise in differentiating Parkinson disease from
      atypical parkinsonism (particularly multiple system atrophy and progressive
      supranuclear palsy). The objective of the study was to assess the ability of DTI,
      the apparent transverse relaxation rate, and their combination for
      differentiating Parkinson disease, multiple system atrophy, progressive
      supranuclear palsy, and controls. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A total of 106 subjects
      (36 controls, 35 patients with Parkinson disease, 16 with multiple system
      atrophy, and 19 with progressive supranuclear palsy) were included. DTI and the
      apparent transverse relaxation rate measures from the striatal, midbrain, limbic,
      and cerebellar regions were obtained and compared among groups. The
      discrimination performance of DTI and the apparent transverse relaxation rate
      among groups was assessed by using Elastic-Net machine learning and receiver
      operating characteristic curve analysis. RESULTS: Compared with controls,
      patients with Parkinson disease showed significant apparent transverse relaxation
      rate differences in the red nucleus. Compared to those with Parkinson disease,
      patients with both multiple system atrophy and progressive supranuclear palsy
      showed more widespread changes, extending from the midbrain to striatal and
      cerebellar structures. The pattern of changes, however, was different between the
      2 groups. For instance, patients with multiple system atrophy showed decreased
      fractional anisotropy and an increased apparent transverse relaxation rate in the
      subthalamic nucleus, whereas patients with progressive supranuclear palsy showed
      an increased mean diffusivity in the hippocampus. Combined, DTI and the apparent
      transverse relaxation rate were significantly better than DTI or the apparent
      transverse relaxation rate alone in separating controls from those with Parkinson
      disease/multiple system atrophy/progressive supranuclear palsy; controls from
      those with Parkinson disease; those with Parkinson disease from those with
      multiple system atrophy/progressive supranuclear palsy; and those with Parkinson
      disease from those with multiple system atrophy; but not those with Parkinson
      disease from those with progressive supranuclear palsy, or those with multiple
      system atrophy from those with progressive supranuclear palsy. CONCLUSIONS: DTI
      and the apparent transverse relaxation rate provide different but complementary
      information for different parkinsonisms. Combined DTI and apparent transverse
      relaxation rate may be a superior marker for the differential diagnosis of
      parkinsonisms.

PMID- 28364009
TI  - Imaging Findings in Patients with Zoster-Associated Plexopathy.
AB  - Herpes zoster is a reactivation of the latent varicella zoster virus. Among the
      complications of herpes zoster is zoster-associated limb paresis. The clinical
      and imaging features of patients with zoster-associated limb paresis due to
      plexopathies (zoster-associated plexopathy) have had limited description in the
      literature. The Mayo Clinic patient data base was searched by diagnostic code for
      patients diagnosed with herpes zoster between January 1, 1996, and September 30,
      2012. Patients who met the inclusion criteria for zoster-associated limb paresis
      or herpes zoster with MRIs obtained were reviewed. Ten patients with zoster
      associated plexopathy were identified. Imaging abnormalities were found in 70% of
      patients. Secondary denervation changes in shoulder girdle muscles and nerve T2
      signal hyperintensity were the most frequent abnormalities (50%), followed by
      nerve enlargement (20%). Enhancement was not evident in any cases despite early
      imaging in 80% of the cohort. These results demonstrate the clinical utility of
      MR imaging in confirming the diagnosis of zoster-associated plexopathy.

PMID- 28364010
TI  - Initial Performance of NI-RADS to Predict Residual or Recurrent Head and Neck
      Squamous Cell Carcinoma.
AB  - BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: The Head and Neck Imaging Reporting and Data System (NI
      RADS) surveillance template for head and neck cancer includes a numeric
      assessment of suspicion for recurrence (1-4) for the primary site and neck.
      Category 1 indicates no evidence of recurrence; category 2, low suspicion of
      recurrence; category 3, high suspicion of recurrence; and category 4, known
      recurrence. Our purpose was to evaluate the performance of the NI-RADS scoring
      system to predict local and regional disease recurrence or persistence. MATERIALS
      AND METHODS: This study was classified as a quality-improvement project by the
      institutional review board. A retrospective database search yielded 500
      consecutive cases interpreted using the NI-RADS template. Cases without a numeric
      score, non-squamous cell carcinoma primary tumors, and primary squamous cell
      carcinoma outside the head and neck were excluded. The electronic medical record
      was reviewed to determine the subsequent management, pathology results, and
      outcome of clinical and radiologic follow-up. RESULTS: A total of 318 scans and
      618 targets (314 primary targets and 304 nodal targets) met the inclusion
      criteria. Among the 618 targets, 85.4% were scored NI-RADS 1; 9.4% were scored NI
      RADS 2; and 5.2% were scored NI-RADS 3. The rates of positive disease were 3.79%,
      17.2%, and 59.4% for each NI-RADS category, respectively. Univariate association
      analysis demonstrated a strong association between the NI-RADS score and ultimate
      disease recurrence, with P < .001 for primary and regional sites. CONCLUSIONS:
      The baseline performance of NI-RADS was good, demonstrating significant
      discrimination among the categories 1-3 for predicting disease.

PMID- 28364012
TI  - Reply.

PMID- 28364011
TI  - Spectrum of Spinal Cord, Spinal Root, and Brain MRI Abnormalities in Congenital
      Zika Syndrome with and without Arthrogryposis.
AB  - BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Arthrogryposis is among the malformations of congenital
      Zika syndrome. Similar to the brain, there might exist a spectrum of spinal cord
      abnormalities. The purpose of this study was to explore and describe in detail
      the MR imaging features found in the spinal cords, nerve roots, and brains of
      children with congenital Zika syndrome with and without arthrogryposis. MATERIALS
      AND METHODS: Twelve infants with congenital Zika syndrome (4 with arthrogryposis
      and 8 without) who had undergone brain and spinal cord MR imaging were
      retrospectively selected. Qualitative and quantitative analyses were performed
      and compared between groups. RESULTS: At visual inspection, both groups showed
      reduced thoracic spinal cord thickness: 75% (6/8) of the group without
      arthrogryposis and 100% (4/4) of the arthrogryposis group. However, the latter
      had the entire spinal cord reduced and more severely reduced conus medullaris
      anterior roots (respectively, P = .002 and .007). Quantitative differences were
      found for conus medullaris base and cervical and lumbar intumescences diameters
      (respectively, P = .008, .048, .008), with more prominent reduction in
      arthrogryposis. Periventricular calcifications were more frequent in infants with
      arthrogryposis (P = .018). CONCLUSIONS: Most infants had some degree of spinal
      cord thickness reduction, predominant in the thoracic segment (without
      arthrogryposis) or in the entire spinal cord (with arthrogryposis). The conus
      medullaris anterior roots were reduced in both groups (thinner in
      arthrogryposis). A prominent anterior median fissure of the spinal cord was
      absent in infants without arthrogryposis. Brain stem hypoplasia was present in
      all infants with arthrogryposis, periventricular calcifications, in the majority,
      and polymicrogyria was absent.

PMID- 28364013
TI  - 3D Ultrasound for Imaging and Quantifying Carotid Ulcers.

PMID- 28364015
TI  - Clinically Relevant Concentrations of Anticancer Drugs: A Guide for Nonclinical
      Studies.
AB  - Approved and marketed drugs are frequently studied in nonclinical models to
      evaluate the potential application to additional disease indications or to gain
      insight about molecular mechanisms of action. A survey of the literature reveals
      that nonclinical experimental designs (in vitro or in vivo) often include
      evaluation of drug concentrations or doses that are much higher than what can be
      achieved in patients (i.e., above the maximally tolerated dose or much higher
      than the clinically relevant exposures). The results obtained with these high
      concentrations may be particularly helpful in elucidating off-target effects and
      toxicities, but it is critical to have a dose-response curve that includes the
      minimally effective or clinically effective concentration for comparison. We have
      reviewed the clinical literature and drug product labels for all small molecules
      and biological agents approved by the FDA for use in oncology to identify and
      compile the available pharmacokinetic parameters. The data summarized here can
      serve as a guide for selection of in vitro concentrations and in vivo plasma
      exposures for evaluation of drug effects in nonclinical studies. Inclusion of
      drug concentrations or exposures that are relevant to those observed in clinical
      practice can improve translation of nonclinical mechanism of action findings into
      potentially relevant clinical effects. Clin Cancer Res; 23(14); 3489-98. (c)2017
      AACR.

PMID- 28364014
TI  - Radium-223 Inhibits Osseous Prostate Cancer Growth by Dual Targeting of Cancer
      Cells and Bone Microenvironment in Mouse Models.
AB  - Purpose: Radium-223 dichloride (radium-223, Xofigo), a targeted alpha therapy, is
      currently used for the treatment of patients with castration-resistant prostate
      cancer (CRPC) with bone metastases. This study examines the mode-of-action and
      antitumor efficacy of radium-223 in two prostate cancer xenograft
      models.Experimental Design: Mice bearing intratibial LNCaP or LuCaP 58 tumors
      were randomized into groups (n = 12-17) based on lesion grade and/or serum PSA
      level and administered radium-223 (300 kBq/kg) or vehicle, twice at 4-week
      intervals. X-rays and serum samples were obtained biweekly. Soft tissue tumors
      were observed macroscopically at sacrifice. Tibiae were analyzed by gamma
      counter, micro-CT, autoradiography and histology.Results: Radium-223 inhibited
      tumor-induced osteoblastic bone growth and protected normal bone architecture,
      leading to reduced bone volume in LNCaP and abiraterone-resistant LuCaP 58
      models. Furthermore, radium-223 resulted in lower PSA values and reduced total
      tissue and tumor areas, indicating that treatment constrains prostate cancer
      growth in bone. In addition, radium-223 suppressed abnormal bone metabolic
      activity as evidenced by decreased number of osteoblasts and osteoclasts and
      reduced level of the bone formation marker PINP. Mode-of-action studies revealed
      that radium-223 was deposited in the intratumoral bone matrix. DNA double-strand
      breaks were induced in cancer cells within 24 hours after radium-223 treatment,
      and PSA levels were significantly lower 72 hours after treatment, providing
      further evidence of the antitumor effects.Conclusions: Taken together, radium-223
      therapy exhibits a dual targeting mode-of-action that induces tumor cell death
      and suppresses tumor-induced pathologic bone formation in tumor microenvironment
      of osseous CRPC growth in mice. Clin Cancer Res; 23(15); 4335-46. (c)2017 AACR.

PMID- 28364016
TI  - Reduced membrane cholesterol limits pulmonary endothelial Ca2+ entry after
      chronic hypoxia.
AB  - Chronic hypoxia (CH)-induced pulmonary hypertension is associated with diminished
      production of endothelium-derived Ca2+-dependent vasodilators such as nitric
      oxide. Interestingly, ATP-induced endothelial Ca2+ entry as well as membrane
      cholesterol (Chol) are decreased in pulmonary arteries from CH rats (4 wk,
      barometric pressure = 380 Torr) compared with normoxic controls. Store-operated
      Ca2+ entry (SOCE) and depolarization-induced Ca2+ entry are major components of
      the response to ATP and are similarly decreased after CH. We hypothesized that
      membrane Chol facilitates both SOCE and depolarization-induced pulmonary
      endothelial Ca2+ entry and that CH attenuates these responses by decreasing
      membrane Chol. To test these hypotheses, we administered Chol or epicholesterol
      (Epichol) to acutely isolated pulmonary arterial endothelial cells (PAECs) from
      control and CH rats to either supplement or replace native Chol, respectively.
      The efficacy of membrane Chol manipulation was confirmed by filipin staining.
      Epichol greatly reduced ATP-induced Ca2+ influx in PAECs from control rats.
      Whereas Epichol similarly blunted endothelial SOCE in PAECs from both groups,
      Chol supplementation restored diminished SOCE in PAECs from CH rats while having
      no effect in controls. Similar effects of Chol manipulation on PAEC Ca2+ influx
      were observed in response to a depolarizing stimulus of KCl. Furthermore, KCl
      induced Ca2+ entry was inhibited by the T-type Ca2+ channel antagonist mibefradil
      but not the L-type Ca2+ channel inhibitor diltiazem. We conclude that PAEC
      membrane Chol is required for ATP-induced Ca2+ entry and its two components, SOCE
      and depolarization-induced Ca2+ entry, and that reduced Ca2+ entry after CH may
      be due to loss of this key regulator.NEW & NOTEWORTHY This research is the first
      to examine the direct role of membrane cholesterol in regulating pulmonary
      endothelial agonist-induced Ca2+ entry and its components. The results provide a
      potential mechanism by which chronic hypoxia impairs pulmonary endothelial Ca2+
      influx, which may contribute to pulmonary hypertension.

PMID- 28364019
TI  - Arterial viscoelasticity: role in the dependency of pulse wave velocity on heart
      rate in conduit arteries.
AB  - Experimental investigations have established that the stiffness of large arteries
      has a dependency on acute heart rate (HR) changes. However, the possible
      underlying mechanisms inherent in this HR dependency have not been well
      established. This study aimed to explore a plausible viscoelastic mechanism by
      which HR exerts an influence on arterial stiffness. A multisegment transmission
      line model of the human arterial tree incorporating fractional viscoelastic
      components in each segment was used to investigate the effect of varying
      fractional order parameter (alpha) of viscoelasticity on the dependence of aortic
      arch to femoral artery pulse wave velocity (afPWV) on HR. HR was varied from 60
      to 100 beats/min at a fixed mean flow of 100 ml/s. PWV was calculated by
      intersecting tangent method (afPWVTan) and by phase velocity from the transfer
      function (afPWVTF) in the time and frequency domain, respectively. PWV was
      significantly and positively associated with HR for alpha >= 0.6; for alpha =
      0.6, 0.8, and 1, HR-dependent changes in afPWVTan were 0.01 +/- 0.02, 0.07 +/-
      0.04, and 0.22 +/- 0.09 m/s per 5 beats/min; HR-dependent changes in afPWVTF were
      0.02 +/- 0.01, 0.12 +/- 0.00, and 0.34 +/- 0.01 m/s per 5 beats/min,
      respectively. This crosses the range of previous physiological studies where the
      dependence of PWV on HR was found to be between 0.08 and 0.10 m/s per 5
      beats/min. Therefore, viscoelasticity of the arterial wall could contribute to
      mechanisms through which large artery stiffness changes with changing HR.
      Physiological studies are required to confirm this mechanism.NEW & NOTEWORTHY
      This study used a transmission line model to elucidate the role of arterial
      viscoelasticity in the dependency of pulse wave velocity on heart rate. The model
      uses fractional viscoelasticity concepts, which provided novel insights into
      arterial hemodynamics. This study also provides a means of assessing the clinical
      manifestation of the association of pulse wave velocity and heart rate.

PMID- 28364018
TI  - Ultrasound detection of altered placental vascular morphology based on
      hemodynamic pulse wave reflection.
AB  - Abnormally pulsatile umbilical artery (UA) Doppler ultrasound velocity waveforms
      are a hallmark of severe or early onset placental-mediated intrauterine growth
      restriction (IUGR), whereas milder late onset IUGR pregnancies typically have
      normal UA pulsatility. The diagnostic utility of these waveforms to detect
      placental pathology is thus limited and hampered by factors outside of the
      placental circulation, including fetal cardiac output. In view of these
      limitations, we hypothesized that these Doppler waveforms could be more clearly
      understood as a reflection phenomenon and that a reflected pulse pressure wave is
      present in the UA that originates from the placenta and propagates backward along
      the UA. To investigate this, we developed a new ultrasound approach to isolate
      that portion of the UA Doppler waveform that arises from a pulse pressure wave
      propagating backward along the UA. Ultrasound measurements of UA lumen diameter
      and flow waveforms were used to decompose the observed flow waveform into its
      forward and reflected components. Evaluation of CD1 and C57BL/6 mice at embryonic
      day (E)15.5 and E17.5 demonstrated that the reflected waveforms diverged between
      the strains at E17.5, mirroring known changes in the fractal geometry of
      fetoplacental arteries at these ages. These experiments demonstrate the
      feasibility of noninvasively measuring wave reflections that originate from the
      fetoplacental circulation. The observed reflections were consistent with
      theoretical predictions based on the area ratio of parent to daughters at
      bifurcations in fetoplacental arteries suggesting that this approach could be
      used in the diagnosis of fetoplacental vascular pathology that is prevalent in
      human IUGR. Given that the proposed measurements represent a subset of those
      currently used in human fetal surveillance, the adaptation of this technology
      could extend the diagnostic utility of Doppler ultrasound in the detection of
      placental vascular pathologies that cause IUGR.NEW & NOTEWORTHY Here, we describe
      a novel approach to noninvasively detect microvascular changes in the
      fetoplacental circulation using ultrasound. The technique is based on detecting
      reflection pulse pressure waves that travel along the umbilical artery. Using a
      proof-of-principle study, we demonstrate the feasibility of the technique in two
      strains of experimental mice.

PMID- 28364017
TI  - Recording sympathetic nerve activity in conscious humans and other mammals:
      guidelines and the road to standardization.
AB  - Over the past several decades, studies of the sympathetic nervous system in
      humans, sheep, rabbits, rats, and mice have substantially increased mechanistic
      understanding of cardiovascular function and dysfunction. Recently, interest in
      sympathetic neural mechanisms contributing to blood pressure control has grown,
      in part because of the development of devices or surgical procedures that treat
      hypertension by manipulating sympathetic outflow. Studies in animal models have
      provided important insights into physiological and pathophysiological mechanisms
      that are not accessible in human studies. Across species and among laboratories,
      various approaches have been developed to record, quantify, analyze, and
      interpret sympathetic nerve activity (SNA). In general, SNA demonstrates
      "bursting" behavior, where groups of action potentials are synchronized and
      linked to the cardiac cycle via the arterial baroreflex. In humans, it is common
      to quantify SNA as bursts per minute or bursts per 100 heart beats. This type of
      quantification can be done in other species but is only commonly reported in
      sheep, which have heart rates similar to humans. In rabbits, rats, and mice, SNA
      is often recorded relative to a maximal level elicited in the laboratory to
      control for differences in electrode position among animals or on different study
      days. SNA in humans can also be presented as total activity, where normalization
      to the largest burst is a common approach. The goal of the present paper is to
      put together a summary of "best practices" in several of the most common
      experimental models and to discuss opportunities and challenges relative to the
      optimal measurement of SNA across species.Listen to this article's corresponding
      podcast at https://ajpheart.podbean.com/e/guidelines-for-measuring-sympathetic
      nerve-activity/.

PMID- 28364020
TI  - Facilitated dissociation of transcription factors from single DNA binding sites.
AB  - The binding of transcription factors (TFs) to DNA controls most aspects of
      cellular function, making the understanding of their binding kinetics imperative.
      The standard description of bimolecular interactions posits that TF off rates are
      independent of TF concentration in solution. However, recent observations have
      revealed that proteins in solution can accelerate the dissociation of DNA-bound
      proteins. To study the molecular basis of facilitated dissociation (FD), we have
      used single-molecule imaging to measure dissociation kinetics of Fis, a key
      Escherichia coli TF and major bacterial nucleoid protein, from single dsDNA
      binding sites. We observe a strong FD effect characterized by an exchange rate
      [Formula: see text], establishing that FD of Fis occurs at the single-binding
      site level, and we find that the off rate saturates at large Fis concentrations
      in solution. Although spontaneous (i.e., competitor-free) dissociation shows a
      strong salt dependence, we find that FD depends only weakly on salt. These
      results are quantitatively explained by a model in which partially dissociated
      bound proteins are susceptible to invasion by competitor proteins in solution. We
      also report FD of NHP6A, a yeast TF with structure that differs significantly
      from Fis. We further perform molecular dynamics simulations, which indicate that
      FD can occur for molecules that interact far more weakly than those that we have
      studied. Taken together, our results indicate that FD is a general mechanism
      assisting in the local removal of TFs from their binding sites and does not
      necessarily require cooperativity, clustering, or binding site overlap.

PMID- 28364021
TI  - Lateral Segregation of Photosystem I in Cyanobacterial Thylakoids.
AB  - Photosystem I (PSI) is the dominant photosystem in cyanobacteria and it plays a
      pivotal role in cyanobacterial metabolism. Despite its biological importance, the
      native organization of PSI in cyanobacterial thylakoid membranes is poorly
      understood. Here, we use atomic force microscopy (AFM) to show that ordered,
      extensive macromolecular arrays of PSI complexes are present in thylakoids from
      Thermosynechococcus elongatus, Synechococcus sp PCC 7002, and Synechocystis sp
      PCC 6803. Hyperspectral confocal fluorescence microscopy and three-dimensional
      structured illumination microscopy of Synechocystis sp PCC 6803 cells visualize
      PSI domains within the context of the complete thylakoid system. Crystallographic
      and AFM data were used to build a structural model of a membrane landscape
      comprising 96 PSI trimers and 27,648 chlorophyll a molecules. Rather than
      facilitating intertrimer energy transfer, the close associations between PSI
      primarily maximize packing efficiency; short-range interactions with Complex I
      and cytochrome b6f are excluded from these regions of the membrane, so PSI
      turnover is sustained by long-distance diffusion of the electron donors at the
      membrane surface. Elsewhere, PSI-photosystem II contact zones provide sites for
      docking phycobilisomes and the formation of megacomplexes. PSI-enriched domains
      in cyanobacteria might foreshadow the partitioning of PSI into stromal lamellae
      in plants, similarly sustained by long-distance diffusion of electron carriers.

PMID- 28364022
TI  - The phosphorylation status of T522 modulates tissue-specific functions of SIRT1
      in energy metabolism in mice.
AB  - SIRT1, the most conserved mammalian NAD+-dependent protein deacetylase, is an
      important metabolic regulator. However, the mechanisms by which SIRT1 is
      regulated in vivo remain unclear. Here, we report that phosphorylation
      modification of T522 on SIRT1 is crucial for tissue-specific regulation of SIRT1
      activity in mice. Dephosphorylation of T522 is critical for repression of its
      activity during adipogenesis. The phospho-T522 level is reduced during
      adipogenesis. Knocking-in a constitutive T522 phosphorylation mimic activates the
      beta-catenin/GATA3 pathway, repressing PPARgamma signaling, impairing
      differentiation of white adipocytes, and ameliorating high-fat diet-induced
      dyslipidemia in mice. In contrast, phosphorylation of T522 is crucial for
      activation of hepatic SIRT1 in response to over-nutrition. Hepatic SIRT1 is
      hyperphosphorylated at T522 upon high-fat diet feeding. Knocking-in a SIRT1
      mutant defective in T522 phosphorylation disrupts hepatic fatty acid oxidation,
      resulting in hepatic steatosis after high-fat diet feeding. In addition, the T522
      dephosphorylation mimic impairs systemic energy metabolism. Our findings unveil
      an important link between environmental cues, SIRT1 phosphorylation, and energy
      homeostasis and demonstrate that the phosphorylation of T522 is a critical
      element in tissue-specific regulation of SIRT1 activity in vivo.

PMID- 28364024
TI  - Angiotensin II Peptide Vaccine Protects Ischemic Brain Through Reducing Oxidative
      Stress.
AB  - BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Medication nonadherence is one of major risk factors for
      the poor outcome in ischemic stroke. Vaccination is expected to solve such a
      problem because of its long-lasting effects, but its effect on ischemic brain
      damage is still unknown. Here, we focused on vaccination for renin-angiotensin
      system and examined the effects of angiotensin II (Ang II) peptide vaccine in
      permanent middle cerebral artery occlusion model in rats. METHODS: Male Wistar
      rats were exposed to permanent middle cerebral artery occlusion after 3*
      injections of Ang II peptide vaccine, and the serum or brain level of anti-Ang II
      antibody was examined. The effects of the vaccine were evaluated by differences
      in infarction volume, brain renin-angiotensin system components, and markers for
      neurodegeneration and oxidative stress. RESULTS: Ang II vaccination successfully
      produced anti-Ang II antibodies in serum without concomitant change in blood
      pressure. Sufficient production of serum anti-Ang II antibody led to reduction of
      infarct volume and induced the penetration of anti-Ang II antibody in ischemic
      hemisphere, with suppressed expression of Ang II type 1 receptor mRNA. Vaccinated
      rats with sufficient antibody production showed the reduction of Fluoro-Jade B
      positive cells, spectrin fragmentation, 4-hydroxynonenal-positive cells, and Nox
      2 mRNA expression. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings indicate that Ang II vaccination
      exerts neuroprotective and antioxidative effects in cerebral ischemia, with renin
      angiotensin system blockade by penetration of anti-Ang II antibodies into
      ischemic brain lesion. Ang II peptide vaccination could be a promising approach
      to treat ischemic stroke.

PMID- 28364023
TI  - RNA activation-independent DNA targeting of the Type III CRISPR-Cas system by a
      Csm complex.
AB  - The CRISPR-Cas system is an adaptive and heritable immune response that destroys
      invading foreign nucleic acids. The effector complex of the Type III CRISPR-Cas
      system targets RNA and DNA in a transcription-coupled manner, but the exact
      mechanism of DNA targeting by this complex remains elusive. In this study, an
      effector Csm holocomplex derived from Thermococcus onnurineus is reconstituted
      with a minimalistic combination of Csm1121334151, and shows RNA targeting and RNA
      activated single-stranded DNA (ssDNA) targeting activities. Unexpectedly, in the
      absence of an RNA transcript, it cleaves ssDNA containing a sequence
      complementary to the bound crRNA guide region in a manner dependent on the HD
      domain of the Csm1 subunit. This nuclease activity is blocked by a repeat tag
      found in the host CRISPR loci. The specific cleavage of ssDNA without a target
      RNA suggests a novel ssDNA targeting mechanism of the Type III system, which
      could facilitate the efficient and complete degradation of foreign nucleic acids.

PMID- 28364025
TI  - Cortical Superficial Siderosis in Different Types of Cerebral Small Vessel
      Disease.
AB  - BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Cortical superficial siderosis (cSS) has emerged as a
      clinically relevant imaging feature of cerebral amyloid angiopathy (CAA).
      However, it remains unknown whether cSS is also present in nonamyloid-associated
      small vessel disease and whether patients with cSS differ in terms of other small
      vessel disease imaging features. METHODS: Three hundred sixty-four CADASIL
      (cerebral autosomal dominant arteriopathy with subcortical infarcts and
      leukoencephalopathy) patients, 372 population-based controls, and 100 CAA
      patients with cSS (fulfilling the modified Boston criteria for possible/probable
      CAA) were included. cSS and cerebral microbleeds were visually rated on T2*
      weighted magnetic resonance imaging. White matter hyperintensities were segmented
      on fluid-attenauted inversion recovery images, and their spatial distribution was
      compared between groups using colocalization analysis. Cerebral microbleeds
      location was determined in an observer-independent way using an atlas in standard
      space. RESULTS: cSS was absent in CADASIL and present in only 2 population-based
      controls (0.5%). Cerebral microbleeds were present in 64% of CAA patients with
      cSS, 34% of patients with CADASIL, and 12% of population-based controls. Among
      patients with cerebral microbleeds, lobar location was found in 95% of CAA
      patients with cSS, 48% of CADASIL patients, and 69% of population-based controls.
      The spatial distribution of white matter hyperintensities was comparable between
      CAA with cSS and CADASIL as indicated by high colocalization coefficients.
      CONCLUSIONS: cSS was absent in CADASIL, whereas other small vessel disease
      imaging features were similar to CAA patients with cSS. Our findings suggest that
      cSS in combination with other small vessel disease imaging markers is highly
      indicative of CAA.

PMID- 28364027
TI  - Skeletal muscle myopenia in mice model of bile duct ligation and carbon
      tetrachloride-induced liver cirrhosis.
AB  - Skeletal muscle myopathy is universal in cirrhotic patients, however, little is
      known about the main mechanisms involved. The study aims to investigate skeletal
      muscle morphological, histological, and functional modifications in experimental
      models of cirrhosis and the principal molecular pathways responsible for skeletal
      muscle myopathy. Cirrhosis was induced by bile duct ligation (BDL) and carbon
      tetrachloride (CCl4) administration in mice. Control animals (CTR) underwent bile
      duct exposure or vehicle administration only. At sacrifice, peripheral muscles
      were dissected and weighed. Contractile properties of extensor digitorum longus
      (EDL) were studied in vitro. Muscle samples were used for histological and
      molecular analysis. Quadriceps muscle histology revealed a significant reduction
      in cross-sectional area of muscle and muscle fibers in cirrhotic mice with
      respect to CTR. Kinetic properties of EDL in both BDL and CCl4 were reduced with
      respect to CTR; BDL mice also showed a reduction in muscle force and a decrease
      in the resistance to fatigue. Increase in myostatin expression associated with a
      decrease in AKT-mTOR expressions was observed in BDL mice, together with an
      increase in LC3 protein levels. Upregulation of the proinflammatory citochines
      TNF-a and IL6 and an increased expression of NF-kB and MuRF-1 were observed in
      CCl4 mice. In conclusion, skeletal muscle myopenia was present in experimental
      models of BDL and CCl4-induced cirrhosis. Moreover, reduction in protein
      synthesis and activation of protein degradation were the main mechanisms
      responsible for myopenia in BDL mice, while activation of ubiquitin-pathway
      through inflammatory cytokines seems to be the main potential mechanism involved
      in CCl4 mice.

PMID- 28364029
TI  - Intact blood pressure, but not sympathetic, responsiveness to sympathoexcitatory
      stimuli in a patient with unilateral carotid body resection.
AB  - Despite rapidly growing interest in the therapeutic resection of the carotid body
      (CB) chemoreceptors, few physiologic studies exist on the consequences of
      unilateral CB resection. We present a case of an otherwise healthy postmenopausal
      female who underwent unilateral CB resection for a paraganglioma. Approximately 4
      years postoperatively, she underwent analysis of her sympathetic and hemodynamic
      responses to hypoxia, lower body negative pressure, cold pressor test (CPT), and
      ischemic hand grip exercise and postexercise ischemia (IHE/PEI). Hypoxic
      ventilatory response and baroreflex sensitivity were relatively normal.
      Hemodynamic responses to IHE/PEI and CPT showed characteristic increases in
      cardiac output (from 3.9 L/min to 5.2 L/min [IHE/PEI] and 4.9 L/min [CPT]) and
      blood pressure (from 126/72 mmHg to 161/87 mmHg [IHE/PEI] and 171/93 mmHg [CPT]).
      However, muscle sympathetic nerve activity (microneurography of the peroneal
      nerve) decreased from baseline during IHE/PEI and CPT (burst incidence nadir of
      45% and 40% of baseline, respectively) and there was no observable change in
      total peripheral resistance (from 24 mmHg*min/L to 22 mmHg*min/L [IHE/PEI] and 25
      mmHg*min/L [CPT]). These findings illustrate intact blood pressure responsiveness
      despite attenuated sympathoexcitation, possibly due to an increase in cardiac
      output and/or adaptive inhibitory effect of the baroreflex on peripheral
      sympathetic activity.

PMID- 28364028
TI  - Methanosphaera stadtmanae induces a type IV hypersensitivity response in a mouse
      model of airway inflammation.
AB  - Despite improved awareness of work-related diseases and preventive measures, many
      workers are still at high risk of developing occupational hypersensitivity airway
      diseases. This stems from a lack of knowledge of bioaerosol composition and their
      potential effects on human health. Recently, archaea species were identified in
      bioaerosols, raising the possibility that they play a major role in exposure
      related pathology. Specifically, Methanosphaera stadtmanae (MSS) and
      Methanobrevibacter smithii (MBS) are found in high concentrations in agricultural
      environments and respiratory exposure to crude extract demonstrates
      immunomodulatory activity in mice. Nevertheless, our knowledge of the specific
      impact of methanogens exposure on airway immunity and their potential to induce
      airway hypersensitivity responses in workers remains scant. Analysis of the lung
      mucosal response to methanogen crude extracts in mice demonstrated that MSS and
      MBS predominantly induced TH17 airway inflammation, typical of a type IV
      hypersensitivity response. Furthermore, the response to MSS was associated with
      antigen-specific IgG1 and IgG2a production. However, despite the presence of
      eosinophils after MSS exposure, only a weak TH2 response and no airway
      hyperresponsiveness were observed. Finally, using eosinophil and mast cell
      deficient mice, we confirmed that these cells are dispensable for the TH17
      response to MSS, although eosinophils likely contribute to the exacerbation of
      inflammatory processes induced by MSS crude extract exposure. We conclude that,
      as MSS induces a clear type IV hypersensitivity lung response, it has the
      potential to be harmful to workers frequently exposed to this methanogen, and
      that preventive measures should be taken to avoid chronic hypersensitivity
      disease development in workers.

PMID- 28364030
TI  - Exercise performance and physiological responses: the potential role of redox
      imbalance.
AB  - Increases in oxidative stress or decreases in antioxidant capacity, or redox
      imbalance, are known to alter physiological function and has been suggested to
      influence performance. To date, no study has sought to manipulate this balance in
      the same participants and observe the impact on physiological function and
      performance. Using a single-blind, placebo-controlled, and counterbalanced
      design, this study examined the effects of increasing free radicals, via
      hyperoxic exposure (FiO2 = 1.0), and/or increasing antioxidant capacity, through
      consuming an antioxidant cocktail (AOC; vitamin-C, vitamin-E, alpha-lipoic acid),
      on 5-kilometer (km) cycling time-trial performance, and the physiological and
      fatigue responses in healthy college-aged males. Hyperoxic exposure prior to the
      5 km TT had no effect on performance, fatigue, or the physiological responses to
      exercise. The AOC significantly reduced average power output (222 +/- 11 vs. 214
      +/- 12 W), increased 5 km time (516 +/- 17 vs. 533 +/- 18 sec), suppressed
      ventilation (VE; 116 +/- 5 vs. 109 +/- 13 L/min), despite similar oxygen
      consumption (VO2; 43.1 +/- 0.8 vs. 44.9 +/- 0.2 mL/kg per min), decreased VE/VO2
      (35.9 +/- 2.0 vs. 32.3 +/- 1.5 L/min), reduced economy (VO2/W; 0.20 +/- 0.01 vs.
      0.22 +/- 0.01), increased blood lactate (10 +/- 0.7 vs. 11 +/- 0.7 mmol), and
      perception of fatigue (RPE; 7.39 +/- 0.4 vs. 7.60 +/- 0.3) at the end of the TT,
      as compared to placebo (main effect, placebo vs. AOC, respectively). Our data
      demonstrate that prior to exercise, ingesting an AOC, but not exposure to
      hyperoxia, likely disrupts the delicate balance between pro- and antioxidant
      forces, which negatively impacts ventilation, blood lactate, economy, perception
      of fatigue, and performance (power output and 5 km time) in young healthy males.
      Thus, caution is warranted in athletes taking excess exogenous antioxidants.

PMID- 28364031
TI  - The effect of acute maximal exercise on postexercise hemodynamics and central
      arterial stiffness in obese and normal-weight individuals.
AB  - Central arterial stiffness is associated with incident hypertension and negative
      cardiovascular outcomes. Obese individuals have higher central blood pressure
      (BP) and central arterial stiffness than their normal-weight counterparts, but it
      is unclear whether obesity also affects hemodynamics and central arterial
      stiffness after maximal exercise. We evaluated central hemodynamics and arterial
      stiffness during recovery from acute maximal aerobic exercise in obese and normal
      weight individuals. Forty-six normal-weight and twenty-one obese individuals
      underwent measurements of central BP and central arterial stiffness at rest and
      15 and 30 min following acute maximal exercise. Central BP and normalized
      augmentation index (AIx@75) were derived from radial artery applanation
      tonometry, and central arterial stiffness was obtained via carotid-femoral pulse
      wave velocity (cPWV) and corrected for central mean arterial pressure
      (cPWV/cMAP). Central arterial stiffness increased in obese individuals but
      decreased in normal-weight individuals following acute maximal exercise, after
      adjusting for fitness. Obese individuals also exhibited an overall higher central
      BP (P < 0.05), with no exercise effect. The increase in heart rate was greater in
      obese versus normal-weight individuals following exercise (P < 0.05), but there
      was no group differences or exercise effect for AIx@75 In conclusion, obese (but
      not normal-weight) individuals increased central arterial stiffness following
      acute maximal exercise. An assessment of arterial stiffness response to acute
      exercise may serve as a useful detection tool for subclinical vascular
      dysfunction.

PMID- 28364032
TI  - Sodium glucose transporter-2 inhibition has no renoprotective effects on non
      diabetic chronic kidney disease.
AB  - Sodium glucose transporter (SGLT)-2 inhibition has renoprotective effects in
      diabetic kidney disease. Whether similar effects can be achieved also in non
      diabetic kidney disease is speculative. Chronic kidney disease was induced in
      C57BL/6N mice by feeding an oxalate-rich diet for 14 days, known to induce
      nephrocalcinosis-related tubular atrophy and interstitial fibrosis without
      directly affecting the glomerular compartment. Empagliflozin treatment started
      from day 0 of oxalate feeding had no effect on the decline of glomerular
      filtration rate, crystal deposition, blood urea nitrogen or serum creatinine
      levels on day 7 and 14. Tissue morphometry of tubular injury and kidney mRNA
      levels of kidney injury molecule-1 or tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinase-2
      were comparable between empagliflozin- and vehicle-treated mice with oxalate
      nephropathy on day 7 and 14. Similarly, empagliflozin did not affect markers of
      interstitial fibrosis, including silver, alpha smooth muscle actin (alphaSMA) and
      collagen 1 staining, and mRNA levels of fibronectin-1, collagen 1alpha1,
      fibroblast-specific protein-1, and transforming growth factor (TGF)-beta2 on day
      7 and 14. Thus, the specific renoprotective mechanisms-of-action of SGLT2
      inhibition in diabetic kidney disease do not apply to chronic oxalosis, a non
      diabetic form of chronic kidney disease.

PMID- 28364033
TI  - Case report: acute facial swelling in a recreational technical diver.
AB  - A recreational scuba diver wore a second scuba regulator against his face during
      a scuba dive, attached by an elastic rubber cord necklace. After surfacing, the
      diver's left face became swollen. Through a process of elimination all other
      items of scuba equipment were excluded as potential causes. A dive with the same
      equipment minus the necklace confirmed the involvement of the necklace in the
      pathogenesis of the hypersensitive reaction. In vitro ImmunoCap IgE assay was
      positive to latex (1.30 kUa/L), subsequent patch testing for contact dermatitis
      provoked a reaction for benzophenone-4, (a UV stabalizer) and Fourier Transform
      Infra Red spectroscopy identified the elastic as ethylene propylene rubber,
      containing additional unidentified compounds. Allergy to natural rubber latex
      occurs in as many as 6% of Americans and Australians. Around three million
      American residents are thought to scuba dive each year. Recreational divers are,
      therefore, advised to check such necklaces, which are typically worn around the
      throat, for frayed ends and exposed rubber filaments.

PMID- 28364035
TI  - Distinct Patterns of Gene Gain and Loss: Diverse Evolutionary Modes of NBS
      Encoding Genes in Three Solanaceae Crop Species.
AB  - Plant resistance conferred by nucleotide binding site (NBS)-encoding resistance
      genes plays a key role in the defense against various pathogens throughout the
      entire plant life cycle. However, comparative analyses for the systematic
      evaluation and determination of the evolutionary modes of NBS-encoding genes
      among Solanaceae species are rare. In this study, 447, 255, and 306 NBS-encoding
      genes were identified from the genomes of potato, tomato, and pepper,
      respectively. These genes usually clustered as tandem arrays on chromosomes; few
      existed as singletons. Phylogenetic analysis indicated that three subclasses
      [TNLs (TIR-NBS-LRR), CNLs (CC-NBS-LRR), and RNLs (RPW8-NBS-LRR)] each formed a
      monophyletic clade and were distinguished by unique exon/intron structures and
      amino acid motif sequences. By comparing phylogenetic and systematic
      relationships, we inferred that the NBS-encoding genes in the present genomes of
      potato, tomato, and pepper were derived from 150 CNL, 22 TNL, and 4 RNL ancestral
      genes, and underwent independent gene loss and duplication events after
      speciation. The NBS-encoding genes therefore exhibit diverse and dynamic
      evolutionary patterns in the three Solanaceae species, giving rise to the
      discrepant gene numbers observed today. Potato shows a "consistent expansion"
      pattern, tomato exhibits a pattern of "first expansion and then contraction," and
      pepper presents a "shrinking" pattern. The earlier expansion of CNLs in the
      common ancestor led to the dominance of this subclass in gene numbers. However,
      RNLs remained at low copy numbers due to their specific functions. Along the
      evolutionary process of NBS-encoding genes in Solanaceae, species-specific tandem
      duplications contributed the most to gene expansions.

PMID- 28364037
TI  - A Bayesian Poisson-lognormal Model for Count Data for Multiple-Trait Multiple
      Environment Genomic-Enabled Prediction.
AB  - When a plant scientist wishes to make genomic-enabled predictions of multiple
      traits measured in multiple individuals in multiple environments, the most common
      strategy for performing the analysis is to use a single trait at a time taking
      into account genotype * environment interaction (G * E), because there is a lack
      of comprehensive models that simultaneously take into account the correlated
      counting traits and G * E. For this reason, in this study we propose a multiple
      trait and multiple-environment model for count data. The proposed model was
      developed under the Bayesian paradigm for which we developed a Markov Chain Monte
      Carlo (MCMC) with noninformative priors. This allows obtaining all required full
      conditional distributions of the parameters leading to an exact Gibbs sampler for
      the posterior distribution. Our model was tested with simulated data and a real
      data set. Results show that the proposed multi-trait, multi-environment model is
      an attractive alternative for modeling multiple count traits measured in multiple
      environments.

PMID- 28364036
TI  - Genotyping-by-Sequencing Facilitates a High-Density Consensus Linkage Map for
      Aegilops umbellulata, a Wild Relative of Cultivated Wheat.
AB  - High-density genetic maps are useful to precisely localize QTL or genes that
      might be used to improve traits of nutritional and/or economical importance in
      crops. However, high-density genetic maps are lacking for most wild relatives of
      crop species, including wheat. Aegilops umbellulata is a wild relative of wheat
      known for its potential as a source of biotic and abiotic stress resistance
      genes. In this work, we have developed a framework consensus genetic map using
      two biparental populations derived from accessions PI 298905, PI 542369, PI
      5422375, and PI 554395. The framework map comprised 3009 genotype-by-sequence
      SNPs with a total map size of 948.72 cM. On average, there were three SNPs per
      centimorgan for each chromosome. Chromosome 1U was the shortest (66.5 cM), with
      only 81 SNPs, whereas the remaining chromosomes had between 391 and 591 SNP
      markers. A total of 2395 unmapped SNPs were added to the linkage maps through a
      recombination frequency approach, and increased the number of SNPs placed on the
      consensus map to a total of 5404 markers. Segregation distortion was
      disproportionally high for chromosome 1U for both populations used to construct
      component linkage maps, and thus segregation distortion could be one of the
      probable reasons for the exceptionally reduced linkage size for chromosome 1U.
      From comparative analysis, Aeumbellulata chromosomes except 4U showed moderate to
      strong collinearity with corresponding homeologous chromosomes of hexaploid wheat
      and barley. The present consensus map may serve as a reference map in QTL mapping
      and validation projects, and also in genome assembly to develop a reference
      genome sequence for Ae. umbellulata.

PMID- 28364038
TI  - How Changes in Anti-SD Sequences Would Affect SD Sequences in Escherichia coli
      and Bacillus subtilis.
AB  - The 3' end of the small ribosomal RNAs (ssu rRNA) in bacteria is directly
      involved in the selection and binding of mRNA transcripts during translation
      initiation via well-documented interactions between a Shine-Dalgarno (SD)
      sequence located upstream of the initiation codon and an anti-SD (aSD) sequence
      at the 3' end of the ssu rRNA. Consequently, the 3' end of ssu rRNA (3'TAIL) is
      strongly conserved among bacterial species because a change in the region may
      impact the translation of many protein-coding genes. Escherichia coli and
      Bacillus subtilis differ in their 3' ends of ssu rRNA, being GAUCACCUCCUUA3' in
      E. coli and GAUCACCUCCUUUCU3' or GAUCACCUCCUUUCUA3' in B. subtilis Such
      differences in 3'TAIL lead to species-specific SDs (designated SDEc for E. coli
      and SDBs for B. subtilis) that can form strong and well-positioned SD/aSD pairing
      in one species but not in the other. Selection mediated by the species-specific
      3'TAIL is expected to favor SDBs against SDEc in B. subtilis, but favor SDEc
      against SDBs in E. coli Among well-positioned SDs, SDEc is used more in E. coli
      than in B. subtilis, and SDBs more in B. subtilis than in E. coli Highly
      expressed genes and genes of high translation efficiency tend to have longer SDs
      than lowly expressed genes and genes with low translation efficiency in both
      species, but more so in B. subtilis than in E. coli Both species overuse SDs
      matching the bolded part of the 3'TAIL shown above. The 3'TAIL difference
      contributes to the host specificity of phages.

PMID- 28364039
TI  - Identification of QTLs for 14 Agronomically Important Traits in Setaria italica
      Based on SNPs Generated from High-Throughput Sequencing.
AB  - Foxtail millet (Setaria italica) is an important crop possessing C4
      photosynthesis capability. The S. italica genome was de novo sequenced in 2012,
      but the sequence lacked high-density genetic maps with agronomic and yield trait
      linkages. In the present study, we resequenced a foxtail millet population of 439
      recombinant inbred lines (RILs) and developed high-resolution bin map and high
      density SNP markers, which could provide an effective approach for gene
      identification. A total of 59 QTL for 14 agronomic traits in plants grown under
      long- and short-day photoperiods were identified. The phenotypic variation
      explained ranged from 4.9 to 43.94%. In addition, we suggested that there may be
      segregation distortion on chromosome 6 that is significantly distorted toward
      Zhang gu. The newly identified QTL will provide a platform for sequence-based
      research on the S. italica genome, and for molecular marker-assisted breeding.

PMID- 28364040
TI  - Hypoxia reduces HNF4alpha/MODY1 protein expression in pancreatic beta-cells by
      activating AMP-activated protein kinase.
AB  - Hypoxia plays a role in the deterioration of beta-cell function. Hepatocyte
      nuclear factor 4alpha (HNF4alpha) has an important role in pancreatic beta-cells,
      and mutations of the human HNF4A gene cause a type of maturity-onset diabetes of
      the young (MODY1). However, it remains unclear whether hypoxia affects the
      expression of HNF4alpha in beta-cells. Here, we report that hypoxia reduces
      HNF4alpha protein expression in beta-cells. Hypoxia-inducible factor was not
      involved in the down-regulation of HNF4alpha under hypoxic conditions. The down
      regulation of HNF4alpha was dependent on the activation of AMP-activated protein
      kinase (AMPK), and the reduction of HNF4alpha protein expression by metformin, an
      AMPK activator, and hypoxia was inhibited by the overexpression of a kinase-dead
      (KD) form of AMPKalpha2. In addition, hypoxia decreased the stability of the
      HNF4alpha protein, and the down-regulation of HNF4alpha was sensitive to
      proteasome inhibitors. Adenovirus-mediated overexpression of KD-AMPKalpha2
      improved insulin secretion in metformin-treated islets, hypoxic islets, and ob/ob
      mouse islets. These results suggest that down-regulation of HNF4alpha could be of
      importance in beta-cell dysfunction by hypoxia.

PMID- 28364041
TI  - Galectin-3 interacts with the cell-surface glycoprotein CD146 (MCAM, MUC18) and
      induces secretion of metastasis-promoting cytokines from vascular endothelial
      cells.
AB  - The galactoside-binding protein galectin-3 is increasingly recognized as an
      important player in cancer development, progression, and metastasis via its
      interactions with various galactoside-terminated glycans. We have shown
      previously that circulating galectin-3, which is increased up to 30-fold in
      cancer patients, promotes blood-borne metastasis in an animal cancer model. This
      effect is partly attributable to the interaction of galectin-3 with unknown
      receptor(s) on vascular endothelial cells and causes endothelial secretion of
      several metastasis-promoting cytokines. Here we sought to identify the galectin-3
      binding molecule(s) on the endothelial cell surface responsible for the galectin
      3-mediated cytokine secretion. Using two different galectin-3 affinity
      purification processes, we extracted four cell membrane glycoproteins,
      CD146/melanoma cell adhesion molecule (MCAM)/MUC18, CD31/platelet endothelial
      cell adhesion molecule-1 (PECAM-1), CD144/VE-cadherin, and CD106/Endoglin, from
      vascular endothelial cells. CD146 was the major galectin-3-binding ligand and
      strongly co-localized with galectin-3 on endothelial cell surfaces treated with
      exogenous galectin-3. Moreover, galectin-3 bound to N-linked glycans on CD146 and
      induced CD146 dimerization and subsequent activation of AKT signaling. siRNA
      mediated suppression of CD146 expression completely abolished the galectin-3
      induced secretion of IL-6 and G-CSF cytokines from the endothelial cells. Thus,
      CD146/MCAM is the functional galectin-3-binding ligand on endothelial cell
      surfaces responsible for galectin-3-induced secretion of metastasis-promoting
      cytokines. We conclude that CD146/MCAM interactions with circulating galectin-3
      may have an important influence on cancer progression and metastasis.

PMID- 28364042
TI  - Kinetic-based trapping by intervening sequence variants of the active sites of
      protein-disulfide isomerase identifies platelet protein substrates.
AB  - Thiol isomerases such as protein-disulfide isomerase (PDI) direct disulfide
      rearrangements required for proper folding of nascent proteins synthesized in the
      endoplasmic reticulum. Identifying PDI substrates is challenging because PDI
      catalyzes conformational changes that cannot be easily monitored (e.g. compared
      with proteolytic cleavage or amino acid phosphorylation); PDI has multiple
      substrates; and it can catalyze either oxidation, reduction, or isomerization of
      substrates. Kinetic-based substrate trapping wherein the active site motif CGHC
      is modified to CGHA to stabilize a PDI-substrate intermediate is effective in
      identifying some substrates. A limitation of this approach, however, is that it
      captures only substrates that are reduced by PDI, whereas many substrates are
      oxidized by PDI. By manipulating the highly conserved -GH- residues in the CGHC
      active site of PDI, we created PDI variants with a slowed reaction rate toward
      substrates. The prolonged intermediate state allowed us to identify protein
      substrates that have biased affinities for either oxidation or reduction by PDI.
      Because extracellular PDI is critical for thrombus formation but its
      extracellular substrates are not known, we evaluated the ability of these
      bidirectional trapping PDI variants to trap proteins released from platelets and
      on the platelet surface. Trapped proteins were identified by mass spectroscopy.
      Of the trapped substrate proteins identified by mass spectroscopy, five proteins,
      cathepsin G, glutaredoxin-1, thioredoxin, GP1b, and fibrinogen, showed a bias for
      oxidation, whereas annexin V, heparanase, ERp57, kallekrein-14, serpin B6,
      tetranectin, and collagen VI showed a bias for reduction. These bidirectional
      trapping variants will enable more comprehensive identification of thiol
      isomerase substrates and better elucidation of their cellular functions.

PMID- 28364044
TI  - High serum thrombospondin-1 concentration is associated with slower abdominal
      aortic aneurysm growth and deficiency of thrombospondin-1 promotes angiotensin II
      induced aortic aneurysm in mice.
AB  - Abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) is a common age-related vascular disease
      characterized by progressive weakening and dilatation of the aortic wall.
      Thrombospondin-1 (TSP-1; gene Thbs1) is a member of the matricellular protein
      family important in the control of extracellular matrix (ECM) remodelling. In the
      present study, the association of serum TSP-1 concentration with AAA progression
      was assessed in 276 men that underwent repeated ultrasound for a median 5.5
      years. AAA growth was negatively correlated with serum TSP-1 concentration
      (Spearman's rho -0.129, P=0.033). Men with TSP-1 in the highest quartile had a
      reduced likelihood of AAA growth greater than median during follow-up (OR: 0.40;
      95% confidence interval (CI): 0.19-0.84, P=0.016, adjusted for other risk
      factors). Immunohistochemical staining for TSP-1 was reduced in AAA body tissues
      compared with the relatively normal AAA neck. To further assess the role of TSP-1
      in AAA initiation and progression, combined TSP-1 and apolipoprotein deficient
      (Thbs1-/-ApoE-/-, n=20) and control mice (ApoE-/-, n=20) were infused
      subcutaneously with angiotensin II (AngII) for 28 days. Following AngII infusion,
      Thbs1-/- ApoE-/- mice had larger AAAs by ultrasound (P=0.024) and ex vivo
      morphometry measurement (P=0.006). The Thbs1-/-ApoE-/- mice also showed increased
      elastin filament degradation along with elevated systemic levels and aortic
      expression of matrix metalloproteinase (MMP)-9. Suprarenal aortic segments and
      vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs) isolated from Thbs1-/-ApoE-/- mice showed
      reduced collagen 3A1 gene expression. Furthermore, Thbs1-/-ApoE-/- mice had
      reduced aortic expression of low-density lipoprotein (LDL) receptor-related
      protein 1. Collectively, findings from the present study suggest that TSP-1
      deficiency promotes maladaptive remodelling of the ECM leading to accelerated AAA
      progression.

PMID- 28364043
TI  - Unraveling the structural basis for the unusually rich association of human
      leukocyte antigen DQ2.5 with class-II-associated invariant chain peptides.
AB  - Human leukocyte antigen (HLA)-DQ2.5 (DQA1*05/DQB1*02) is a class-II major
      histocompatibility complex protein associated with both type 1 diabetes and
      celiac disease. One unusual feature of DQ2.5 is its high class-II-associated
      invariant chain peptide (CLIP) content. Moreover, HLA-DQ2.5 preferentially binds
      the non-canonical CLIP2 over the canonical CLIP1. To better understand the
      structural basis of HLA-DQ2.5's unusual CLIP association characteristics, better
      insight into the HLA-DQ2.5.CLIP complex structures is required. To this end, we
      determined the X-ray crystal structure of the HLA-DQ2.5. CLIP1 and HLA
      DQ2.5.CLIP2 complexes at 2.73 and 2.20 A, respectively. We found that HLA-DQ2.5
      has an unusually large P4 pocket and a positively charged peptide-binding groove
      that together promote preferential binding of CLIP2 over CLIP1. An alpha9-alpha22
      alpha24-alpha31-beta86-beta90 hydrogen bond network located at the bottom of the
      peptide-binding groove, spanning from the P1 to P4 pockets, renders the residues
      in this region relatively immobile. This hydrogen bond network, along with a
      deletion mutation at alpha53, may lead to HLA-DM insensitivity in HLA-DQ2.5. A
      molecular dynamics simulation experiment reported here and recent biochemical
      studies by others support this hypothesis. The diminished HLA-DM sensitivity is
      the likely reason for the CLIP-rich phenotype of HLA-DQ2.5.

PMID- 28364046
TI  - Neonatal Hypoglycemia.
AB  - Lower blood glucose values are common in the healthy neonate immediately after
      birth as compared to older infants, children, and adults. These transiently lower
      glucose values improve and reach normal ranges within hours after birth. Such
      transitional hypoglycemia is common in the healthy newborn. A minority of
      neonates experience a more prolonged and severe hypoglycemia, usually associated
      with specific risk factors and possibly a congenital hypoglycemia syndrome.
      Despite the lack of a specific blood glucose value that defines hypoglycemia,
      concern for substantial neurologic morbidity in the neonatal population has led
      to the generation of guidelines by both the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP)
      and the Pediatric Endocrine Society (PES). Similarities between the 2 guidelines
      include recognition that the transitional form of neonatal hypoglycemia likely
      resolves within 48 hours after birth and that hypoglycemia that persists beyond
      that duration may be pathologic. One major difference between the 2 sets of
      guidelines is the goal blood glucose value in the neonate. This article reviews
      transitional and pathologic hypoglycemia in the neonate and presents a framework
      for understanding the nuances of the AAP and PES guidelines for neonatal
      hypoglycemia.

PMID- 28364045
TI  - Diagnostic Accuracy of 3.0-T Magnetic Resonance T1 and T2 Mapping and T2-Weighted
      Dark-Blood Imaging for the Infarct-Related Coronary Artery in Non-ST-Segment
      Elevation Myocardial Infarction.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Patients with recent non-ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction
      commonly have heterogeneous characteristics that may be challenging to assess
      clinically. METHODS AND RESULTS: We prospectively studied the diagnostic accuracy
      of 2 novel (T1, T2 mapping) and 1 established (T2-weighted short tau inversion
      recovery [T2W-STIR]) magnetic resonance imaging methods for imaging the ischemic
      area at risk and myocardial salvage in 73 patients with non-ST-segment elevation
      myocardial infarction (mean age 57+/-10 years, 78% male) at 3.0-T magnetic
      resonance imaging within 6.5+/-3.5 days of invasive management. The infarct
      related territory was identified independently using a combination of
      angiographic, ECG, and clinical findings. The presence and extent of infarction
      was assessed with late gadolinium enhancement imaging (gadobutrol, 0.1 mmol/kg).
      The extent of acutely injured myocardium was independently assessed with native
      T1, T2, and T2W-STIR methods. The mean infarct size was 5.9+/-8.0% of left
      ventricular mass. The infarct zone T1 and T2 times were 1323+/-68 and 57+/-5 ms,
      respectively. The diagnostic accuracies of T1 and T2 mapping for identification
      of the infarct-related artery were similar (P=0.125), and both were superior to
      T2W-STIR (P<0.001). The extent of myocardial injury (percentage of left
      ventricular volume) estimated with T1 (15.8+/-10.6%) and T2 maps (16.0+/-11.8%)
      was similar (P=0.838) and moderately well correlated (r=0.82, P<0.001). Mean
      extent of acute injury estimated with T2W-STIR (7.8+/-11.6%) was lower than that
      estimated with T1 (P<0.001) or T2 maps (P<0.001). CONCLUSIONS: In patients with
      non-ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction, T1 and T2 magnetic resonance
      imaging mapping have higher diagnostic performance than T2W-STIR for identifying
      the infarct-related artery. Compared with conventional STIR, T1 and T2 maps have
      superior value to inform diagnosis and revascularization planning in non-ST
      segment elevation myocardial infarction. CLINICAL TRIAL REGISTRATION: URL:
      http://www.clinicaltrials.gov. Unique identifier: NCT02073422.

PMID- 28364048
TI  - Pleural Effusions and Pneumothoraces.

PMID- 28364047
TI  - Meningococcal Disease.

PMID- 28364050
TI  - Case 2: Bacteremia with an Inconsistently Abnormal Newborn Screen.

PMID- 28364049
TI  - Case 1: Vertigo and Episodes of Slurred Speech in a 5-year-old Girl.

PMID- 28364051
TI  - Case 3: Hypotonia, Respiratory Distress, and Cardiomegaly in a 3-month-old Boy.

PMID- 28364052
TI  - Case 4: Frontal Headache, Photophobia, Fever and Vomiting in a 10-year-old Girl.

PMID- 28364053
TI  - Case 5: Right Upper Quadrant Abdominal Pain in an Otherwise Healthy 8-year-old
      Girl.

PMID- 28364054
TI  - Case 6: Failure to Thrive with Congenital Glaucoma in a 2-month-old Girl.

PMID- 28364055
TI  - Hemangiomas.

PMID- 28364056
TI  - Visual Diagnosis: 9-month-old Boy with Coarse Facial Features and
      Hepatosplenomegaly.

PMID- 28364058
TI  - From polyformacy to formacology.

PMID- 28364057
TI  - Acute lymphoblastic leukemia of the central nervous system: on the role of PBX1.

PMID- 28364064
TI  - Campaigning to amend air gun licensing laws.

PMID- 28364061
TI  - Pig industry fears withdrawal of zinc oxide from this summer.

PMID- 28364071
TI  - UK to get a centralised national database for horses this summer.

PMID- 28364072
TI  - Do cats serve as good sentinels for Bartonella species infection risk in people
      and animals?

PMID- 28364073
TI  - Canine synovial fluid biomarkers for early detection and monitoring of
      osteoarthritis.

PMID- 28364080
TI  - Improving pedigree dog health.

PMID- 28364081
TI  - Improving pedigree dog health.

PMID- 28364082
TI  - Reclassification of monepantel.

PMID- 28364083
TI  - Dogs needed for soft tissue sarcoma trial.

PMID- 28364084
TI  - New BVA Working Groups get under way.
AB  - BVA's new working groups are looking at a range of issues, including
      surveillance, farm assurance and antimicrobial resistance. The role of the new
      groups - which were developed following a review by the BVA Policy Committee -
      will be to have a proactive approach to policymaking.

PMID- 28364085
TI  - Northern Ireland's young vets host impressive YVN event.
AB  - Laura Carleton, BVA member services and policy support officer, reports on a
      recent CPD event held in Northern Ireland for young graduates in the region.

PMID- 28364087
TI  - BVA at the London Vet Show.
AB  - BVA marketing manager Zoe Davies describes what BVA has in store for members at
      the London Vet Show.

PMID- 28364088
TI  - Nominate an outstanding vet for a BVA award.
AB  - One of the highlights of the BVA year is the presentation of our awards at
      Members' Day. Public affairs manager Helena Cotton invites members to nominate
      outstanding vets to be considered for a BVA award.

PMID- 28364089
TI  - Feeling a part of the veterinary family.
AB  - Becky Richardson, Young Vet Network representative on BVA Council, jointly hosted
      a meeting attended by BVA President Gudrun Ravetz.

PMID- 28364090
TI  - My career - from a youth training scheme to practice manager.
AB  - Renay Rickard is practice manager of Kernow Veterinary Group in Cornwall. Her
      entry to the veterinary profession was as a veterinary nurse, but her role
      evolved into a management one as the practice grew into a group. She is president
      of the Veterinary Practice Management Association.

PMID- 28364092
TI  - Use of beta-Blockers in Pulmonary Hypertension.
AB  - Contrasting with the major attention that left heart failure has received, right
      heart failure remains understudied both at the preclinical and clinical levels.
      However, right ventricle failure is a major predictor of outcomes in patients
      with precapillary pulmonary hypertension because of pulmonary arterial
      hypertension, and in patients with postcapillary pulmonary hypertension because
      of left heart disease. In pulmonary hypertension, the status of the right
      ventricle is one of the most important predictors of both morbidity and
      mortality. Paradoxically, there are currently no approved therapies targeting the
      right ventricle in pulmonary hypertension. By analogy with the key role of beta
      blockers in the management of left heart failure, some authors have proposed to
      use these agents to support the right ventricle function in pulmonary
      hypertension. In this review, we summarize the current knowledge on the use of
      beta-blockers in pulmonary hypertension.

PMID- 28364091
TI  - Effect of Intensive Blood Pressure Treatment on Heart Failure Events in the
      Systolic Blood Pressure Reduction Intervention Trial.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Acute decompensated heart failure (ADHF) was a frequent common
      outcome in SPRINT (Systolic Blood Pressure Intervention Trial). We examined
      whether there was differential reduction in ADHF events from intensive blood
      pressure [BP] treatment among the 6 key, prespecified subgroups in SPRINT: age
      >=75 years, prior cardiovascular disease, chronic kidney disease, women, black
      race, and 3 levels of baseline systolic BP (<=132 versus >132 to <145 versus
      >=145 mm Hg). METHODS AND RESULTS: ADHF was defined as hospitalization for ADHF,
      confirmed and formally adjudicated by a blinded events committee using
      standardized protocols. At 3.29 years follow-up, there were 103 ADHF events
      (2.2%) among 4683 standard arm participants and 65 ADHF events (1.4%) among 4678
      intensive arm participants (Cox proportional hazards ratio, 0.63; 95% confidence
      interval, 0.46-0.85; P value =0.003). In multivariable analyses, including
      treatment arm, baseline covariates that were significant predictors for ADHF
      included chronic kidney disease, cardiovascular disease, age>=75 years, body mass
      index, and higher systolic BP. The beneficial effect of the intervention on
      incident ADHF was consistent across all prespecified subgroups. Participants who
      had incident ADHF had markedly increased risk of subsequent cardiovascular
      events, including a 27-fold increase (P<0.001) in cardiovascular death.
      CONCLUSIONS: Targeting a systolic BP<120 mm Hg, compared with <140 mm Hg,
      significantly reduced ADHF events, and the benefit was similar across all key,
      prespecified subgroups. Participants who developed ADHF had markedly increased
      risk for subsequent cardiovascular events and death, highlighting the importance
      of strategies aimed at prevention of ADHF, especially intensive BP reduction.
      CLINICAL TRIAL REGISTRATION: URL: http://www.clinicaltrials.gov. Unique
      identifier: NCT01206062.

PMID- 28364094
TI  - [Effect of nucleolin on cardiac cell apoptosis in Type 2 diabetic cardiomyopathy
      mice].
AB  - OBJECTIVE: To investigate the effect of nucleolin on cardiac cell apoptosis in
      Type 2 diabetic cardiomyopathy mice.? Methods: Mice were fed with high-fat and
      high-sugar food for 20 weeks (mice were injected intraperitoneally with 60 mg/kg
      streptozotocin in the 5th and 6th weeks) to establish a mouse model of Type 2
      diabetes. The mice were divided into 4 groups: a wild type (WT) control group, a
      nucleolin transgenic (TG) control group, a WT diabetic group, a TG diabetic
      group. Diabetes-related indicators were detected at the end of the 8th week. At
      the end of the 20th week, HE staining was used to observe myocardial
      morphological changes; TUNEL staining and caspase-3 activity were used to detect
      the extent of apoptosis of cardiac myocytes.? Results: The level of fasting blood
      glucose was significantly increased in the diabetic group than that in the
      control group. In WT diabetic group, myocardial disarrangement, fragmentation and
      dissolution were observed (determined by HE staining); cellular apoptosis
      (determined by TUNEL staining and caspase-3 activity) also increased markedly in
      the WT diabetic group. Compared with the wild mice in the diabetic group,
      myocardial morphological changes and cardiac myocytes apoptosis were alleviated
      significantly. ? Conclusion: Nucleolin overexpression affectes the occurrence and
      development of diabetic cardiomyopathy through inhibition of cardiac myocyte
      apoptosis.

PMID- 28364093
TI  - Spatial distribution and molecular dynamics of dystrophin glycoprotein components
      at the neuromuscular junction in vivo.
AB  - A bimolecular fluorescence complementation (BiFC) approach was used to study the
      molecular interactions between different components of the postsynaptic protein
      complex at the neuromuscular junction of living mice. We show that rapsyn forms
      complex with both alpha-dystrobrevin and alpha-syntrophin at the crests of
      junctional folds. The linkage of rapsyn to alpha-syntrophin and/or alpha
      dystrobrevin is mediated by utrophin, a protein localized at acetylcholine
      receptor (AChR)-rich domains. In mice deficient in alpha-syntrophin, in which
      utrophin is no longer present at the synapse, rapsyn interaction with alpha
      dystrobrevin was completely abolished. This interaction was completely restored
      when either utrophin or alpha-syntrophin was introduced into muscles deficient in
      alpha-syntrophin. However, in neuromuscular junctions deficient in alpha
      dystrobrevin, in which utrophin is retained, complex formation between rapsyn and
      alpha-syntrophin was unaffected. Using fluorescence recovery after
      photobleaching, we found that alpha-syntrophin turnover is 5-7 times faster than
      that of AChRs, and loss of alpha-dystrobrevin has no effect on rapsyn and alpha
      syntrophin half-life, whereas the half-life of AChR was significantly altered.
      Altogether, these results provide new insights into the spatial distribution of
      dystrophin glycoprotein components and their dynamics in living mice.

PMID- 28364095
TI  - [Association of Toll-like receptor 2 and 4 gene polymorphisms with risk of
      coronary atherosclerotic artery disease in Hunan Han population].
AB  - OBJECTIVE: To explore Toll-like receptor 2 (TLR2) and TLR4 polymorphism in Han
      people from Hunan region and its association with coronary atherosclerotic heart
      disease.? Methods: Sanger sequence and statistical analysis were performed to
      identify the polymorphism of TLR2 and TLR4 genes in 347 unrelated Hunan Han
      subjects, including 180 healthy people (control group) and 167 patients with
      coronary atherosclerotic heart disease (coronary atherosclerotic heart disease
      group).? Results: There was no significant difference in the genotype frequency
      and allelic frequency for TLR2 SNP2258G>A and TLR4 SNP896A>G between the 2 groups
      (P>0.05), while there was significant difference in the TLR4 SNP1196C>T between
      the 2 groups (P<0.05).? Conclusion: TLR4 SNP1196C>T polymorphism is associated
      with coronary atherosclerotic heart disease in Chinese Han populationin in Hunan
      region.

PMID- 28364096
TI  - [Effects of dexamethasone on MRL/lpr mice with systemic lupus erythematosus
      complicated with cognitive dysfunction].
AB  - OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the effects of dexamethasone on systemic lupus
      erythematosus complicated with cognitive dysfunction.? Methods: Ten wild type
      mice and 20 MRL/lpr mice were applied for the research. MRL/lpr mice were
      randomly assigned to a MRL/lpr group and a MRL/lpr + dexamethasone (1.5 mg/kg)
      group. Interleukin-6 (IL-6), IL-1beta, and tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF
      alpha) in serum and hippocampus were detected. The protein phosphorylation levels
      of phosphoinositide 3-kinase (P-PI3K), protein kinase B (P-Akt), NF-kappa-B
      inhibitor alpha (P-IkappaBa) and nuclear transcription factor ?kappa-B p65 (P-NF
      kappaB p65) were detected by Western blot, the level of P-NF-kappaB p65 also was
      detected by immunohistochemistry. ? Results: Treatment with dexamethasone (1.5
      mg/kg) alleviated the cognitive dysfunction and decreased the levels of IL-6, IL
      1beta and TNF-alpha in serum and hippocampus, and reduced the levels of P-PI3K, P
      Akt, P-IkappaBa and P-NF-kappaB p65 in hippocampus in MRL/lpr mice.? Conclusion:
      Dexamethasone may play a protective role in the cognitive function by decreasing
      the levels of TNF-alpha and IL-1beta in the hippocampus of MRL/lpr lupus mice.

PMID- 28364097
TI  - [Effect of lamivudine and silymarin on liver fibrosis-relevant factors in HBV
      transgenic mice with alcohol drinking].
AB  - OBJECTIVE: To observe the role of lamividine and silymarin preventing and curing
      liver fibrosis-relevant factors induced by alcohol drinking in hepatitis B virus
      (HBV) transgenic mice (Tg mice).? Methods: Forty HBV-Tg BALB/C mice with 1.3 copy
      were randomly divided into 4 groups: a control group, a model group, a lamivudine
      group and a silymarin group. Tg mice in control group were treated with normal
      saline via intragastric administration; Tg-mice in the model group were treated
      with 50% alcohol (5 mL/kg) once a day via intragastric administration; while Tg
      mice in lamivudine group and silymarin group were treated with alcohol (5 mL/kg)
      plus laminvudine (100 mg/kg) and silymarin (200 mg/kg) once a day via
      intragastric administration respectively. All groups were raised for 10 weeks.
      The levels of HBV-DNA copy number, ALT, AST in serum, the degree of inflammation,
      the degree of fibrosis, the mRNA expression levels of TGF-beta1, Smad3, Smad7 and
      connective tissue growth factor (CTGF), and the protein expression levels of TGF
      beta1, CTGF and alpha-SMA in liver tissue were detected. All the images were
      scanned with electronic computer and the data were analyzed with SPSS13.0
      software.? Results: Compared with the control group, liver injury were
      significantly aggravated, while HBV-DNA copies, mRNA levels of TGF-beta1, Smad3,
      Smad7 and CTGF as well as the protein levels of TGF-beta1, CTGF and alpha-SMA
      were significantly increased (P<0.05). Compared with the model group, liver
      injury were significantly attenuated in silymarine group and lamivudine group,
      while mRNA levels of TGF-beta1, Smad3 and CTGF as well as the protein levels of
      TGF-beta1, CTGF and alpha-SMA were significantly decreased; mRNA level of Smad7
      was further increased (P<0.05); the levels of ALT and AST in serum were decreased
      in the silymarine group (P<0.05).? Conclusion: Lamivudine and silymarin relieve
      the histological damage in the liver of alcohol-fed Tg mice. The mechanisms for
      the beneficial effects of lamivudine or silymarin might be related to inhibiting
      the expression of TGF-beta1, Smad3 and CTGF, modulating the expression of Smads
      and suppressing the activation of HSC.

PMID- 28364098
TI  - [Delphinidin induces autophagy in HER-2+ breast cancer cells via inhibition of
      AKT/mTOR pathway].
AB  - OBJECTIVE: To explore the effect of delphinidin on breast cancer and the
      underlying mechanisms.? Methods: Human epidermal growth factor receptor-2 (HER-2)
      positive breast cancer cells MDA-MB-453 were treated by delphinidin.
      Proliferation of MDA-MB-453 cells was detected by CCK-8 after 48 h. TdT-mediated
      dUTP nick end labeling (TUNEL) assay and Western blot were used to explore
      apoptotic status for MDA-MB-453 cells. Fluorescence dot assay,
      immunofluorescence, and Western blot were used to identify autophagy in breast
      cancer cells.? Results: Delphinidin suppressed proliferation of MDA-MB-453 cells.
      Delphinidin increased the number of TUNEL positive cells. Delphinidin
      downregulated the expression of caspase-3 and caspase-9, while upregulated the
      expression of cleaved caspase-3 and cleaved caspase-9 in a dose-dependent manner.
      Delphinidin enhanced the number of GFP-LC3 punctate dots, LC3 immunofluorescence
      dots and the expression of LC3-II and ATG5. Delphinidin inhibited the expression
      of proteins in mTOR signaling pathway, including AKT, mTOR, eIF4E and p70s6k.?
      Conclusion: Delphinidin induced apoptosis and autophagy by inhibition of AKT/mTOR
      pathway in HER positive breast cancer cells.

PMID- 28364100
TI  - [Expression of matrix Gla protein and bone morphogenetic protein 2 in renal
      papillary tissues in patients with calcium oxalate kidney stones].
AB  - OBJECTIVE: To compare expression levels of matrix Gla protein (MGP) and bone
      morphogenetic protein 2 (BMP-2) in Randall's plaque of renal papillary tissues in
      patients with calcium oxalate kidney stones and the underlying mechanism for
      stone formation.? Methods: A total of 30 samples of Randall's plaque in renal
      papillary tissues from patients with calcium oxalate kidney stones were collected
      from the Department of Urology of Xiangya Hospital of Central South University
      from April, 2015 to December, 2015 and served as an experimental group. Ten
      samples of renal papillary tissues in patients undergone renal tumor nephrectomy
      were collected from the same hospital and served as a control group. The
      expressions of MGP and BMP-2 mRNA and protein were detected by quantitative real
      time PCR and Western blot.Meanwhile, immunohistochemical technique was used to
      observe the expressions of MGP and BMP-2 in different parts of renal papillary
      tissues in the 2 groups.? Results: 1) The mRNA expression levels of MGP in the
      experimental group and the control group were 0.760+/-0.804 and 1.365+/-0.348,
      respectively, with significant difference between them (P<0.05). Them RNA levels
      of BMP-2 in the experimental group and the control group were 2.500+/-0.725 and
      1.485+/-0.870, respectively, with significant difference between them (P<0.05).
      The expression levels of MGP protein in the experimental group and the control
      group were 0.130+/-0.424 and 0.202+/-0.704, respectively, with no significant
      difference between them (P>0.05). The expression levels of BMP-2 protein in the
      experimental group and the control group were 0.885+/-0.220 and 0.682+/-0.272,
      respectively, with significant difference between them (P<0.05). The
      immunohistochemistry showed that the protein expression of MGP in the
      experimental group was lower than that in the control group, while the protein
      expression of BMP-2 in the experimental group was higher than that in the control
      group (both P<0.05).? Conclusion: The BMP-2 expression is increased while MGP
      expression is decreased in renal papillary tissues in patients with calcium
      oxalate kidney stones, and the formation of calcium oxalate kidney stone might be
      a kind of osteogenetic reaction or ectopic calcification.

PMID- 28364099
TI  - [Dexmedetomidine improves function of lung oxygenation in patients with moderate
      chronic obstructive pulmonary disease underwent lung cancer surgery].
AB  - OBJECTIVE: To determine whether dexmedetomidine (Dex) improves oxygenation and
      lung mechanics in patients with moderate chronic obstructive pulmonary disease
      (COPD) during lung cancer surgery.? Methods: Fifty-six patients with moderate
      COPD were randomly allocated to a control group and a Dex group (n=28 each). In
      the Dex group, dexmedetomidine was given as an initial loading dose at 1.0 MUg/kg
      lasting for 10 min followed by a maintenance dose at 0.5 MUg/(kg.h) during OLV
      while the control group was administered an equal volume of 0.9% saline
      accordingly.? Results: Patients in the Dex group had a significantly higher
      oxygenation index (P<0.05) and higher dynamic lung compliance at Dex-30 and Dex
      60 (P<0.05) compared with those in the control group. In the Dex group,
      oxygenation index in the postoperative period was significantly higher (P= 0.025)
      and postoperative complications were lower than those in the control group.?
      Conclusion: Dex administration may provide clinically relevant benefits by
      improving o xygenation index and lung mechanics, and reducing postoperative
      pulmonary complications in patients with moderate COPD underwent lung cancer
      surgery.

PMID- 28364101
TI  - [Expression levels of ubiquitin C-terminal hydrolase-L1 and serum glial
      fibrillary acidic protein and its clinical significance in patients with acute
      cerebral infarction].
AB  - OBJECTIVE: To determine expression levels of ubiquitin C-terminal hydrolase-L1
      (UCH-L1) and serum glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) in patients with acute
      cerebral infarction and their clinical significance.? Methods: A total of 80
      patients with acute cerebral infarction in Chongqing Cancer Hospital from January
      2014 to February 2016 were enrolled as an observation group. Another 80 healthy
      people served as a control group. The expression levels of UCH-L1 and GFAP in the
      2 groups were detected.? Results: Sensibility and specificity for UCH-L1 and GFAP
      were 75.0%, 87.5% and 81.3%, 90.0%, respectively. Receiver operating
      characteristic curve areas of UCH-L1 and GFAP were 0.670 and 0.757, respectively.
      There were no significant significance in age, gender, drinking, smoke, diabetes,
      and hyperlipidemia in the 2 groups (P>0.05). High blood pressure rate in the
      observation group was higher than that in the control group (P<0.05).
      Spearson/Pearson analysis showed that serum UCH-L1 and GFAP levels were
      positively correlated with hypertension, but they were negatively correlated with
      sex, age, diabetes, hyperlipidemia, alcohol consumption, smoking, and other
      factors. General data at different time in the observation group was not
      statistically different (P>0.05). The expression levels of UCH-L1 and GFAP in the
      observation group was higher than that in the control group (P<0.05). UCH-L1 and
      GFAP levels at different time in the 2 groups were not statistically different
      (P>0.05). UCH-L1 and GFAP levels in the light, medium, and heavy groups were
      higher than those in the control group (P<0.05), while UCH-L1 and GFAP levels in
      the medium and heavy groups were higher than those in the light group (P<0.05).
      There was significant difference between levels of UCH-L1 or GFAP and infarction
      size at different time in the observation group (P<0.05). The results of Pearson
      correlation analysis showed that the levels of serum UCH-L1 and GFAP were
      positively correlated (r=0.634, P=0.001).? Conclusion: The levels of serum UCH-L1
      and GFAP are significantly increased at the early stage of acute cerebral
      infarction, and they have a certain correlation with the severity of cerebral
      infarction, which can provide a basis for early clinical diagnosis and treatment.

PMID- 28364103
TI  - [Association between loneliness and risks of depressive episode among rural older
      people].
AB  - OBJECTIVE: To investigate association between loneliness and depressive episode
      among rural older people.? Methods: A total of 839 rural adults (aged over 60
      years) from Liuyang in Hunan were enrolled by using multi-stage cluster sampling
      method. The Short-form of the UCLA Loneliness Scale, the Social Support Rating
      Scale, the Life Events Scale for the Elderly, Quality of Life Scale, and the
      Activity of Daily Living Scale were used to assess loneliness, the social support
      condition, the stimulating quantity of negative life events, the quality of life,
      and the abilities of daily life activities, respectively. The Structured Clinical
      Interview for DSM-IV-TR Axis I Disorders questionnaire survey was performed by a
      face-to-face interview.? Results: The prevalence rate of depressive episode among
      the rural older people was 6.8%. Multivariable analysis showed that the elderly
      who were with stronger loneliness were the risk factor of depression (OR=1.126,
      95%CI 1.038 to 1.221).? Conclusion: Loneliness is positively associated with an
      increased risk of depressive episode.

PMID- 28364102
TI  - [Value of 1H-MRS on SCA3/MJD diagnosis and clinical course].
AB  - OBJECTIVE: To investigate the value of proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy (1H
      MRS) on the diagnosis of SCA3/MJD, and to calculate the correlation between 1H
      MRS ratio and the clinical score.? Methods: Sixteen patients with SCA3/MJD and 19
      healthy volunteers were scanned with 1H-MRS. The data of N-acetyl aspartate,
      creatine, choline-containing compounds, myoinositol, NAA/Cr, Cho/Cr, and mI/Cr
      ratio were collected, which were grouped for comparative study. The onset
      patients with SCA3/MJD were evaluated with the International Cooperative Ataxia
      Rating Scale and Scale for the Assessment and Rating of Ataxia, the correlation
      between NAA/Cr, Cho/Cr or mI/Cr ratio and the clinical score was calculated.?
      Results: The NAA/Cr in the pons and cerebellar dentate nucleus from the onset
      patients with SCA3/MJD was significantly reduced compared to that in the normal
      control group. The NAA/Cr in the cerebellar dentate nucleus of onset patients
      with SCA3/MJD was obviously correlated with ICARS.? Conclusion: SCA3/MJD lesions
      are mainly located in the cerebellum and brainstem, where gray and white mater
      are also involved. The cerebellar dentate nucleus may be the earliest involved
      area. There is a correlation between the ICARS and the cerebellar lesion degree.
      The ICARS reflects the severity of clinical manifestations. 1H-MRS is useful in
      the diagnosis of SCA3/MJD.

PMID- 28364104
TI  - [Space-time analysis of over-limit of sodium nitrite in cooked meat products from
      Hunan Province in 2010-2014].
AB  - OBJECTIVE: To determine over-limit status of sodium nitrite in cooked meat
      products in Hunan Province, and to provide scientific evidence for making health
      supervision.? Methods: In accordance with the national standards for sampling and
      testing, data were analyzed by classical and spatial statistic methods.? Results:
      The total over-limit rate of sodium nitrite was 5.5% in 731 samples. The relative
      higher sodium nitrite over-limit rates were Xiangxi Tujia and Miao autonomous
      prefecture and Zhangjiajie. October and February were the main months in nitrite
      over-limit. Five regions with over-limit of sodium nitrite in cooked meat
      products were detected in Hunan.? Conclusion: With obvious space-time clustering,
      over-limit of sodium nitrite in cooked meat products is a common problem
      particularly in northwest Hunan and Zhuzhou City. Supervision in October should
      be further strengthened in above-mentioned areas to guarantee the consumers
      health.

PMID- 28364105
TI  - [Effect of telephone follow-up on compliance and Helicobacter pylori eradication
      in patients with Helicobacter pylori infection].
AB  - OBJECTIVE: To evaluate effect of telephone follow-up combined with written
      instruction on compliance and Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) eradication in
      patients with H. pylori infection.? Methods: A total of 160 H. pylori positive
      patients were randomly divided into an experimental group and a control group
      (n=80 in each group). All the patients got the guide instruction named "the
      guidance of clinical medication for H. pylori infection patients" before the
      treatment. The patients in the experimental group were added individualized
      follow-up with telephone. The compliance, eradication of H. pylori, adverse
      events, and satisfaction were compared between the 2 groups.? Results: The
      eradication rate of H. pylori in the perprotocol analysis for the experimental
      group and control group were 64.4% (47/73) and 56.5%(35/62), respectively
      (P=0.380), while in the intention-to-treat analysis, the rates were 58.8% (47/80)
      and 43.8% (35/80, P=0.082), respectively. The compliance rate in the experimental
      group was significantly higher than that in the control group (91.3% vs 77.5%,
      P<0.05). There was significant difference in patients' satisfaction in good ones
      (75.3% vs 51.6%) and poor ones (5.5% vs 21.0%) between the 2 groups (P<0.05).
      There were 11 patients in the experimental group and 36 patients in the control
      group, who appeared adverse reactions such as nausea, bad breath, abdominal
      distention, poor appetite, and defecation habit change during the process of
      eradicating H. pylori, but the occurrence rate in the experimental group was
      obviously lower than that in the control group (15.1% vs 58.1%, P<0.05).?
      Conclusion: The telephone follow-up cannot increase the H. pylori eradication
      rate, but it can improve compliance and satisfaction for the patients and relieve
      adverse effects.

PMID- 28364106
TI  - Efficacy of temporary ligation of infrarenal abdominal aorta during cesarean
      section in pernicious placenta previa.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the efficacy and safety of temporary loop ligation of the
      infrarenal abdominal aorta for control of intraoperative blood loss in patients
      with pernicious placenta previa.? Methods: We retrospectively analyzed the
      clinical data of 14 patients with pernicious placenta previa, who underwent
      temporary loop ligation of the infrarenal abdominal aorta for control of blood
      loss during cesarean section between July 2013 and December 2014.? Results: Eight
      patients received conservative management to preserve the uterus and 6 patients
      underwent cesarean hysterectomy. The occlusion time of the abdominal aorta was
      (31.42+/-12.67) min. The average estimated intraoperative blood loss was (1
      117.85+/-745.13) mL. The volume of packed red blood cell transfusion was (3.91+/
      3.24) units, and the volume of fresh frozen plasma transfusion was (192.85+/
      156.71) mL. Post-operative histologic diagnosis revealed 6 cases of placenta
      percreta, 4 of increta, 3 of accreta and 1 non-creta. All patients experienced an
      uneventful postoperative recovery.? Conclusion: In patients with pernicious
      placenta previa, temporary ligation of the infrarenal abdominal aorta provide a
      safe and effective means for controlling intraoperative hemorrhage during
      cesarean section. Additionally, the procedure may provide an opportunity to
      preserve fertility by avoiding a cesarean hysterectomy.

PMID- 28364108
TI  - [Bactericidal effects and smear layer removal of Er:YAG-laser radiation against
      Enterococcus faecalis in root canals].
AB  - OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the cleaning ability of Er:YAG laser against Enterococcus
      faecalis in root canals.? Methods: The single-rooted human teeth were sterilized
      and inoculated with Enterococcus faecalis and were randomly assigned into 2
      groups. A group of teeth was irrigated with saline during root canal preparation
      while another group with NaClO. After mechanical preparation, the two groups were
      randomly divided into 3 subgroups according to the different treatments: Samples,
      laser radiation, and calcium hydroxide intracanal medication for 7 days.
      Bactericical effects were compared among groups. Root canal walls and dental
      tubules were observed under scanning electron microscope.? Results: Er:YAG laser
      was the most efficient way for anti-bacteria among the groups (P<0.05), but there
      was no significant difference between the 2 laser groups (P>0.05). Meanwhile the
      smear laser was efficiently removed by laser compared with other treatments, and
      the laser could open the dentinal tubules.? Conclusion: Er:YAG laser can be
      effectively used for root canal disinfection without NaClO and Ca(OH)2.

PMID- 28364107
TI  - [Advantage of extralevator abdominoperineal excision comparing to the
      conventional abdominoperineal excision for low rectal cancer: a Meta-analysis].
AB  - OBJECTIVE: Whether extralevator abdominoperineal excision (ELAPE) improves
      survival and safety remains controversial. Systematic review of all comparative
      studies to define the superiority of ELAPE to conventional abdominoperineal
      excision (APE).? Methods: Corresponding data, with case-control studies or
      cohorts regarding intraoperative perforation rate, the local recurrence rate and
      postoperative complications in the ELAPE group and the APE group, were retrieved
      from PubMed, Embase, the Cochrane Library, Chinese Biomedical Literature (CMB),
      VIP, China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI), and Wanfang Database. Meta
      analysis was performed by using RenMan 5.2.? Results: A total of 10 articles were
      included. Intraperative perforation rate (MD=0.54, 95% CI 0.31 to 1.39, P=0.03),
      local recurrence rate (MD=0.30, 95% CI 0.21 to 0.42, P<0.001) in the ELAPE group
      was significantly lower than that in the APE group. The difference in positive
      margin rate between the 2 groups was not statistically significant (P=0.07).?
      Conclusion: Through gap repair of episiotomy and individualized therapy can
      improve ELAPE postoperative quality of life. ELAPE shows certain advantages in
      treating lower rectal cancer comparing to APE, but it should pay attention to
      individualized treatment. More studies through large sample multi-center, medium
      and long term randomized design are necessary to determine the effect of surgery
      on tumor.

PMID- 28364109
TI  - [Role of substance P and calcitonin gene-related peptide in bone metabolism].
AB  - Substance P (SP) and calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP) are the neuropeptides
      released from the sensory nerve endings. Neuropeptides play a role in bone and
      the relevant organs. It exerts functions in regulation of the bone metabolism,
      fracture healing and pain by a certain way. The biological properties and
      distributions of SP and CGRP are closely related to the pathogenesis and
      development of bone metabolism, fracture healing and pain.

PMID- 28364110
TI  - [Role of cannabinoid receptor 1-mediated synaptic plasticity in neuropathic pain
      and associated depression].
AB  - Neuropathic pain is a class of pain caused by an injury or diseases of the
      somatosensory system and characterized by spontaneous pain, allodynia, and
      hyperalgesia. It is well established that central sensitization is one of the key
      mechanisms underlying the development and maintenance of neuropathic pain.
      Cannabinoid receptor 1 (CB1R) of endocannabinoid system modulates synaptic
      transmission, regulates synaptic plasticity, inhibits central sensitization, and
      thus attenuates neuropathic pain. Recent studies have shown that activation of
      CB1R also involves in the relief of neuropathic pain-induced depression.

PMID- 28364112
TI  - [Research progress in endoscopic incision in treating gastrointestinal benign
      stricture].
AB  - Gastrointestinal benign stricture is a common disease with symptoms of dysphagia,
      abdominal pain and difficult defecation, which severely impair the quality of
      life for patients. Endoscopic intervention is the first-line treatment, and the
      available methods include balloon dilation, local drug injection and stent
      insertion, etc. Endoscopic incision was first used for the treatment of
      Schatzki's rings, and later it was used for the treatment of other
      gastrointestinal benign strictures, and the promising results were achieved.

PMID- 28364111
TI  - [Inhibitory effects of melatonin on breast cancer].
AB  - Melatonin has a significant inhibitory effect on various cancers, especially on
      breast cancer. In estrogen receptor (ER)-positive human breast cancer, anti
      cancer effects of melatonin on breast cancer cells and transplanted tumors mainly
      achieve by suppressing ER mRNA expression and ER transcriptional activity via the
      MT1 receptor. In addition, melatonin regulates the transactivation of other
      members of the nuclear receptor super-family, estrogen metabolizing enzymes, and
      the expression of related genes. Furthermore, melatonin also suppresses tumor
      aerobic metabolism, critical cell-signaling pathways relevant to cell
      proliferation, survival, metastasis, and drug resistance. Melatonin demonstrates
      both cytostatic and cytotoxic activity in breast cancer cells that appears to be
      cell-type specific. Studies on animal and human models indicate that disruption
      of the circadian nocturnal melatonin signal promotes the growth, metabolism, and
      signaling of human breast cancer, resulting in invalid hormone therapy and
      chemotherapeutic resistance in breast tumors.

PMID- 28364113
TI  - [Research progress in vasculogenic mimicry in ?multiple tumors].
AB  - Vasculogenic mimicry (VM) is a brand-new tumor vascular pattern with the ability
      to form vessel-like networks without participation of endothelial cells and
      independent on angiogenesis. It can provide adequate blood supply for tumor
      growth. The formation of VM involves multiple molecule mechanisms and signal
      pathways, including cancer stem cell and epithelial-mesenchymal transition. As a
      unique blood-supply pattern, VM is associated with cancer invasion, metastasis
      and poor prognosis. Because of its important role in cancer progression, VM will
      become a new target for therapy of cancers.

PMID- 28364115
TI  - An Eye Popping Case of Orbital Necrotizing Fasciitis Treated with Antibiotics,
      Surgery, and Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy.
AB  - BACKGROUND Necrotizing fasciitis (NF) of the orbit is a rare and deadly condition
      that requires prompt surgical and medical management to decrease morbidity and
      mortality.  CASE REPORT Here we present an interesting case of an individual who
      developed fulminant NF of the left orbit requiring emergent surgical
      intervention, antibiotics, and subsequent hyperbaric oxygen therapy in an attempt
      to save the eye.  CONCLUSIONS With an early and aggressive multifaceted approach
      using antibiotics, surgery, and hyperbaric oxygen it may be possible to preserve
      eye structure and function. Without treatment NF is a rapidly progressive
      condition and can result in significant morbidity.

PMID- 28364116
TI  - Chasing the thermodynamical noise limit in whispering-gallery-mode resonators for
      ultrastable laser frequency stabilization.
AB  - Ultrastable high-spectral-purity lasers have served as the cornerstone behind
      optical atomic clocks, quantum measurements, precision optical microwave
      generation, high-resolution optical spectroscopy, and sensing. Hertz-level lasers
      stabilized to high-finesse Fabry-Perot cavities are typically used for these
      studies, which are large and fragile and remain laboratory instruments. There is
      a clear demand for rugged miniaturized lasers with stabilities comparable to
      those of bulk lasers. Over the past decade, ultrahigh-Q optical whispering
      gallery-mode resonators have served as a platform for low-noise microlasers but
      have not yet reached the stabilities defined by their fundamental noise. Here, we
      show the noise characteristics of whispering-gallery-mode resonators and
      demonstrate a resonator-stabilized laser at this limit by compensating the
      intrinsic thermal expansion, allowing a sub-25 Hz linewidth and a 32 Hz Allan
      deviation. We also reveal the environmental sensitivities of the resonator at the
      thermodynamical noise limit and long-term frequency drifts governed by random
      walk-noise statistics.High-quality optical resonators have the potential to
      provide a miniaturized frequency reference for metrology and sensing but they
      often lack stability. Here, Lim et al. experimentally characterize the stability
      of whispering-gallery resonators at their fundamental noise limits.

PMID- 28364114
TI  - Cross-Cultural Adaptation and Psychometric Properties Testing of the Arabic
      Anterior Knee Pain Scale.
AB  - BACKGROUND PFPS is one of the most frequently occurring overuse injuries
      affecting the lower limbs. A variety of functional and self-reported outcome
      measures have been used to assess clinical outcomes of patients with PFPS,
      however, only the Anterior Knee Pain Scale (AKPS) has been designed for PFPS
      patients. MATERIAL AND METHODS We followed international recommendations to
      perform a cross-cultural adaptation of the AKPS. The Arabic AKPS and the Arabic
      RAND 36-item Health Survey were administered to 40 patients who were diagnosed
      with PFPS. Participants were assessed at baseline and after 2 to 3 days assessed
      with the Arabic AKPS only. The measurements tested were reliability, validity,
      and feasibility. RESULTS The Arabic AKPS showed high reliability for both
      temporal stability, internal consistency (Cronbach's alpha was 0.81 for the first
      assessment and 0.75 for the second), excellent test-retest reliability
      (Intraclass Correlation Coefficients ICC=0.96; 95% confidence interval (CI):
      0.93, 0.98) and good agreement (standard error of measurement SEM=1.8%). The
      Arabic AKPS was significantly correlated with physical components of the RAND 36
      Item Health Survey (Spearman's rho=0.69: p<0.001). No ceiling or floor effects
      were observed. CONCLUSIONS The Arabic AKPS is a valid and reliable tool and is
      comparable to the original English version and other translated versions.

PMID- 28364117
TI  - Positive affect, surprise, and fatigue are correlates of network flexibility.
AB  - Advances in neuroimaging have made it possible to reconstruct functional networks
      from the activity patterns of brain regions distributed across the cerebral
      cortex. Recent work has shown that flexible reconfiguration of human brain
      networks over short timescales supports cognitive flexibility and learning.
      However, modulating network flexibility to enhance learning requires an
      understanding of an as-yet unknown relationship between flexibility and brain
      state. Here, we investigate the relationship between network flexibility and
      affect, leveraging an unprecedented longitudinal data set. We demonstrate that
      indices associated with positive mood and surprise are both associated with
      network flexibility - positive mood portends a more flexible brain while
      increased levels of surprise portend a less flexible brain. In both cases, these
      relationships are driven predominantly by a subset of brain regions comprising
      the somatomotor system. Our results simultaneously suggest a network-level
      mechanism underlying learning deficits in mood disorders as well as a potential
      target - altering an individual's mood or task novelty - to improve learning.

PMID- 28364119
TI  - Transition from Anomalous Hall Effect to Topological Hall Effect in Hexagonal Non
      Collinear Magnet Mn3Ga.
AB  - We report experimental observation of large anomalous Hall effect exhibited in
      non-collinear triangular antiferromagnet D019-type Mn3Ga with coplanar spin
      structure at temperatures higher than 100 K. The value of anomalous Hall
      resistivity increases with increasing temperature, which reaches 1.25 MUOmega .
      cm at a low field of ~300 Oe at room temperature. The corresponding room
      temperature anomalous Hall conductivity is about 17 (Omega . cm)-1. Most
      interestingly, as temperature falls below 100 K, a temperature-independent
      topological-like Hall effect was observed. The maximum peak value of topological
      Hall resistivity is about 0.255 MUOmega . cm. The appearance of the topological
      Hall effect is attributed to the change of spin texture as a result of weak
      structural distortion from hexagonal to orthorhombic symmetry in Mn3Ga. Present
      study suggests that Mn3Ga shows promising possibility to be antiferromagnetic
      spintronics or topological Hall effect-based data storage devices.

PMID- 28364118
TI  - Enablers and determinants of the provision of written action plans to patients
      with asthma: a stratified survey of Canadian physicians.
AB  - : Despite national recommendations, most patients with asthma are not given a
      written action plan . The objectives were to ascertain physicians' endorsement of
      potential enablers to providing a written action plan, and the determinants and
      proportion, of physician-reported use of a written action plan. We surveyed 838
      family physicians, paediatricians, and emergency physicians in Quebec. The mailed
      questionnaire comprised 102 questions on asthma management, 11 of which pertained
      to written action plan and promising enablers. Physicians also selected a case
      vignette that best corresponded to their practice and reported their management.
      The survey was completed by 421 (56%) physicians (250 family physicians, 115
      paediatricians and 56 emergency physicians); 43 (5.2%) reported providing a
      written action plan to >=70% of their asthmatic patients and 126 (30%) would have
      used a written action plan in the selected vignette. Most (>60%) physicians
      highly endorsed the following enablers: patients requesting a written action
      plan, adding a blank written action plan to the chart, receiving a copy of the
      written action plan completed by a consultant, receiving a monetary compensation
      for its completion, and having another healthcare professional explain the
      completed written action plan to patients. Four determinants were significantly
      associated with providing a written action plan: being a paediatrician (RR:2.1),
      treating a child (RR:2.0), aiming for long-term asthma control (RR:2.5), and
      being aware of national recommendations to provide a written action plan to
      asthmatic patients (RR:2.9). A small minority of Quebec physicians reported
      providing a written action plan to most of their patients, revealing a huge care
      gap. Several enablers to improve uptake, highly endorsed by physicians, should be
      prioritised in future implementation efforts. ASTHMA: ENCOURAGING DOCTORS TO
      PROVIDE WRITTEN ACTION PLANS: Changes to practice organization and doctors'
      perceptions should encourage the provision of written action plans for all asthma
      patients. International guidelines state that effective long-term treatment of
      asthma requires educated self-management, regular reviews and provision of a
      written action plan (WAP). However, many patients have poor asthma control and as
      few as 30 per cent have a WAP. Fabienne Djandji at the Saint-Justine University
      Central Hospital in Montreal, Canada, and co-workers conducted a survey of 421
      doctors to determine their attitudes and provision of WAPs. Only 5.2 per cent of
      respondents provided WAPs to patients; those treating children or aiming for long
      term asthma control were more likely to do so. The doctors said that incentives
      to provide WAPs would include requests from patients themselves, being paid to
      complete WAPs and having extra support from specialists or other health care
      professionals such as pharmacists.

PMID- 28364120
TI  - Lateral Antimicrobial Resistance Genetic Transfer is active in the open
      environment.
AB  - Historically, the environment has been viewed as a passive deposit of
      antimicrobial resistance mechanisms, where bacteria show biological cost for
      maintenance of these genes. Thus, in the absence of antimicrobial pressure, it is
      expected that they disappear from environmental bacterial communities. To test
      this scenario, we studied native IntI1 functionality of 11 class 1 integron
      positive environmental strains of distant genera collected in cold and
      subtropical forests of Argentina. We found natural competence and successful site
      specific insertion with no significant fitness cost of both aadB and bla VIM-2
      antimicrobial resistance gene cassettes, in a model system without antibiotic
      pressure. A bidirectional flow of antimicrobial resistance gene cassettes between
      natural and nosocomial habitats is proposed, which implies an active role of the
      open environment as a reservoir, recipient and source of antimicrobial resistance
      mechanisms, outlining an environmental threat where novel concepts of rational
      use of antibiotics are extremely urgent and mandatory.

PMID- 28364121
TI  - Local delivery of novel MRTF/SRF inhibitors prevents scar tissue formation in a
      preclinical model of fibrosis.
AB  - The myocardin-related transcription factor/serum response factor (MRTF/SRF)
      pathway represents a promising therapeutic target to prevent fibrosis. We have
      tested the effects of new pharmacological inhibitors of MRTF/SRF signalling in a
      preclinical model of fibrosis. CCG-222740, a novel MRTF/SRF inhibitor, markedly
      decreased SRF reporter gene activity and showed a greater inhibitory effect on
      MRTF/SRF target genes than the previously described MRTF-A inhibitor CCG-203971.
      CCG-222740 was also five times more potent, with an IC50 of 5 MUM, in a
      fibroblast-mediated collagen contraction assay, was less cytotoxic, and a more
      potent inhibitor of alpha-smooth muscle actin protein expression than CCG-203971.
      Local delivery of CCG-222740 and CCG-203971 in a validated and clinically
      relevant rabbit model of scar tissue formation after glaucoma filtration surgery
      increased the long-term success of the surgery by 67% (P < 0.0005) and 33% (P <
      0.01), respectively, and significantly decreased fibrosis and scarring
      histologically. Unlike mitomycin-C, neither CCG-222740 nor CCG-203971 caused any
      detectable epithelial toxicity or systemic side effects with very low drug levels
      measured in the aqueous, vitreous, and serum. We conclude that inhibitors of
      MRTF/SRF-regulated gene transcription such as CCG-222740, potentially represent a
      new therapeutic strategy to prevent scar tissue formation in the eye and other
      tissues.

PMID- 28364122
TI  - A Convenient Cas9-based Conditional Knockout Strategy for Simultaneously
      Targeting Multiple Genes in Mouse.
AB  - The most powerful way to probe protein function is to characterize the
      consequence of its deletion. Compared to conventional gene knockout (KO),
      conditional knockout (cKO) provides an advanced gene targeting strategy with
      which gene deletion can be performed in a spatially and temporally restricted
      manner. However, for most species that are amphiploid, the widely used Cre-flox
      conditional KO (cKO) system would need targeting loci in both alleles to be loxP
      flanked, which in practice, requires time and labor consuming breeding. This is
      considerably significant when one is dealing with multiple genes. CRISPR/Cas9
      genome modulation system is advantaged in its capability in targeting multiple
      sites simultaneously. Here we propose a strategy that could achieve conditional
      KO of multiple genes in mouse with Cre recombinase dependent Cas9 expression. By
      transgenic construction of loxP-stop-loxP (LSL) controlled Cas9 (LSL-Cas9)
      together with sgRNAs targeting EGFP, we showed that the fluorescence molecule
      could be eliminated in a Cre-dependent manner. We further verified the efficacy
      of this novel strategy to target multiple sites by deleting c-Maf and MafB
      simultaneously in macrophages specifically. Compared to the traditional Cre-flox
      cKO strategy, this sgRNAs-LSL-Cas9 cKO system is simpler and faster, and would
      make conditional manipulation of multiple genes feasible.

PMID- 28364123
TI  - Anomalous evolution of broadband optical absorption reveals dynamic solid state
      reorganization during eumelanin build-up in thin films.
AB  - The origin of eumelanin optical properties remains a formidable conundrum
      preventing a detailed understanding of the complex photo-protective role of these
      widespread natural pigments and the rational design of innovative bioinspired
      materials for optoelectronic applications. Here we report the unusual kinetic and
      thickness-dependent evolution of the optical properties of black eumelanin
      polymers generated by spontaneous aerial polymerization of 5,6-dihydroxyindole
      (DHI) thin films (0.1-1 MUm), consistent with peculiar solid state reorganization
      mechanisms governing broadband absorption. The complete reversal of eumelanin UV
      visible transmittance spectrum curvature on passing from 0.2 to 0.5 MUm thick
      films, the marked increase in visible extinction coefficients with increasing
      film thickness and the higher UV extinction coefficients in slowly vs. rapidly
      generated polymers concur to support distinct dynamic regimes of solid-state
      molecular reorganization at the nanoscale level and to do affect the development
      of broadband visible absorption. Solid state control of molecular reorganization
      disclosed herein may delineate new rational strategies for tuning optical
      properties in eumelanin thin films for optoelectronic applications.

PMID- 28364124
TI  - A Circulating MicroRNA Signature Capable of Assessing the Risk of Hepatocellular
      Carcinoma in Cirrhotic Patients.
AB  - With the availability of potent antiviral therapies, complete suppression of
      hepatitis B virus (HBV) replication and total eradication of hepatitis C virus
      (HCV) can now be achieved. Despite these advances, hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC)
      still develops in a substantial proportion of cirrhotic patients, suggesting that
      host factors remain critical. Dysregulation of miRNAs is noted in many cancers,
      and circulating miRNAs can be readily assayed. In this study, we aimed to develop
      a circulating miRNA signature to assess the risk of HCC in cirrhotic patients. We
      first discovered that HBV- and HCV-related cirrhotic patients had distinguishable
      circulating miRNA profiles. A cohort of 330 cirrhotic patients was then compared
      against a cohort of 42 early HCC patients with complete remission. A score
      comprising 5 miRNAs and a binary etiology variable was established that was
      capable of differentiating between these two groups (AUC = 72.5%, P < 0.001). The
      330 cirrhotic patients were further stratified into high- and low-risk groups,
      and all patients were longitudinally followed for 752 (11-891) days. Of them, 19
      patients developed HCC. The high-risk group had significantly higher cumulative
      HCC incidence (P = 0.038). In summary, a circulating miRNA-based score was
      developed that is capable of assessing HCC risks in cirrhotic patients.

PMID- 28364125
TI  - Molecular Characteristics and Serodiagnostic Potential of Dihydrofolate Reductase
      from Echinococcus granulosus.
AB  - The larval stage of Echinococcus granulosus causes cystic echinococcosis (CE), a
      neglected tropical disease that leads to morbidity and mortality in humans and
      livestock worldwide. Here, we identified and characterized dihydrofolate
      reductase (Eg-DHFR) from E. granulosus, and evaluated its potential as a
      diagnostic antigen for sheep CE. Comparison between mammalian (host) DHFR and Eg
      DHFR indicates that 45.7% of the 35 active site residues are different.
      Immunolocalisation analysis showed that native Eg-DHFR was widely distributed in
      all life-cycle stages of E. granulosus. Recombinant Eg-DHFR (rEg-DHFR) showed
      typical DHFR enzymatic parameters towards substrate, and was very sensitive to
      inhibition by methotrexate (IC50 = 27.75 +/- 1.03 nM) and aminopterin (IC50 =
      63.67 +/- 6.76 nM). However, inhibition of DHFR exhibited little protoscolicidal
      effect in vitro. As there is no reliable method to monitor sheep CE, the
      immunogenicity of rEg-DHFR was detected, and we developed an indirect ELISA
      (iELISA) for CE serodiagnosis. The iELISA exhibited diagnostic specificity of
      89.58%, diagnostic sensitivity of 95.83%, and the diagnostic accuracy was 91.67%
      compared with necropsy. Cross-reactivity assay showed analytical specificity of
      85.7%. These suggest that rEg-DHFR is an effective antigen for the diagnosis of
      sheep CE.

PMID- 28364126
TI  - Carbon Dots' Antiviral Functions Against Noroviruses.
AB  - This study reported the first assessment of carbon dots' (CDots) antiviral
      activity to human norovirus virus-like-particles (VLPs), GI.1 and GII.4 VLPs.
      CDots with different surface passivation molecules, 2,2'
      (ethylenedioxy)bis(ethylamine) (EDA)-CDots and 3-ethoxypropylamine (EPA)-CDots,
      were synthesized and evaluated. The results indicated both EDA- and EPA- CDots
      were highly effective to inhibit both strains of VLPs' bindings to histo-blood
      group antigens (HBGA) receptors on human cells at CDots concentration of 5 ug/mL,
      with EDA-CDots achieving 100% inhibition and EPA CDots achieving 85-99%
      inhibition. At low CDots concentration (2 ug/mL), positively charged EDA-CDots
      exhibited higher inhibitory effect (~82%) than non-charged EPA-CDots (~60%),
      suggesting the surface charge status of CDots played a role in the interactions
      between CDots and the negatively charged VLPs. Both types of CDots also exhibited
      inhibitory effect on VLP's binding to their respective antibodies, but much less
      effective than those to HBGA binding. After CDots treatments, VLPs remained
      intact, and no degradation was observed on VLPs' capsid proteins. Taken together,
      the observed antiviral effects of CDots on noroviruses were mainly through the
      effective inhibition of VLPs' binding to HBGA receptors and moderate inhibition
      of VLPs' binding to their antibodies, without affecting the integrity of viral
      capsid protein and the viral particle.

PMID- 28364127
TI  - 'Two-level' measurements of processing speed as cognitive markers in the
      differential diagnosis of DSM-5 mild neurocognitive disorders (NCD).
AB  - Processing speed is an updated diagnostic factor for neurocognitive disorders
      (NCD) in DSM-5. This study investigated the characteristics of processing speed
      and their diagnostic values in NCD patients. A flanker test was conducted in 31
      adults with NCD due to vascular disease (NCD-vascular), 36 patients with NCD due
      to Alzheimer's disease (NCD-AD), and 137 healthy controls. The processing speed
      was evaluated using two measurements: mean reaction time (RT) and intra
      individual variability of RT. Mean RT represents the global processing speed.
      Intra-individual variability of RT is the short-term fluctuation of RT and
      consists of two indices, which are intra-individual coefficient of variation of
      reaction time (ICV-RT) and intra-individual standard deviations (iSD). We
      observed elevated ICV-RT and iSD in NCD-AD and NCD-vascular patients.
      Additionally, there was a slowed RT in NCD-AD patients. The intra-individual
      variability of RT had a moderate power to differentiate NCD subgroups. The mean
      RT was able to discriminate the NCD-AD from NCD-vascular patients. Our findings
      highlight the clinical utility of the combined 'two-level' measurements of
      processing speed to distinguish between individuals with different cognitive
      status. Furthermore, the 'two-level' features of processing speed embedded in the
      psychometric property may also reflect the diverse aetiology underlying certain
      'disease-specific' neurocognitive disorders.

PMID- 28364128
TI  - SNPs in bone-related miRNAs are associated with the osteoporotic phenotype.
AB  - Biogenesis and function of microRNAs can be influenced by genetic variants in the
      pri-miRNA sequences leading to phenotypic variability. This study aims to
      identify single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) affecting the expression levels
      of bone-related mature microRNAs and thus, triggering an osteoporotic phenotype.
      An association analysis of SNPs located in pri-miRNA sequences with bone mineral
      density (BMD) was performed in the OSTEOMED2 cohort (n = 2183). Functional
      studies were performed for assessing the role of BMD-associated miRNAs in bone
      cells. Two SNPs, rs6430498 in the miR-3679 and rs12512664 in the miR-4274, were
      significantly associated with femoral neck BMD. Further, we measured these BMD
      associated microRNAs in trabecular bone from osteoporotic hip fractures comparing
      to non-osteoporotic bone by qPCR. Both microRNAs were found overexpressed in
      fractured bone. Increased matrix mineralization was observed after miR-3679-3p
      inhibition in human osteoblastic cells. Finally, genotypes of rs6430498 and
      rs12512664 were correlated with expression levels of miR-3679 and miR-4274,
      respectively, in osteoblasts. In both cases, the allele that generated higher
      microRNA expression levels was associated with lower BMD values. In conclusion,
      two osteoblast-expressed microRNAs, miR-3679 and miR-4274, were associated with
      BMD; their overexpression could contribute to the osteoporotic phenotype. These
      findings open new areas for the study of bone disorders.

PMID- 28364129
TI  - The scavenging capacity of DMBT1 is impaired by germline deletions.
AB  - The Scavenger Receptor Cysteine-Rich (SRCR) proteins are an archaic group of
      proteins characterized by the presence of multiple SRCR domains. They are
      membrane-bound or secreted proteins, which are generally related to host defense
      systems in animals. Deleted in Malignant Brain Tumors 1 (DMBT1) is a SRCR protein
      which is secreted in mucosal fluids and involved in host defense by pathogen
      binding by its SRCR domains. Genetic polymorphism within DMBT1 leads to DMBT1
      alleles giving rise to polypeptides with interindividually different numbers of
      SRCR domains, ranging from 8 SRCR domains (encoded by 6 kb DMBT1 variant) to 13
      SRCR domains (encoded by the 8 kb DMBT1 variant). In the present study, we have
      investigated whether reduction from 13 to 8 amino-terminal SRCR domains leads to
      reduction of bacterial binding. The 6 kb variant bound ~20-45% less bacteria
      compared to the 8 kb variant. These results support the hypothesis that genetic
      variation in DMBT1 may influence microbial defense.

PMID- 28364131
TI  - Comparative analysis of overall cost and rate of healthcare utilization among
      apical prolapse procedures.
AB  - INTRODUCTION AND HYPOTHESIS: The annual cost of prolapse surgeries is expected to
      grow at twice the rate of population growth. Understanding the economic impact of
      apical prolapse procedures, including sacrospinous fixation (SSF), abdominal
      sacrocolpopexy (ASC), and laparoscopic sacrocolpopexy (LSC), is crucial. We aimed
      to compare overall cost of SSF versus ASC and LSC, as well as health resource
      utilization, up to 90-day follow-up. METHODS: Truven Marketscan Commercial Claims
      and Encounter databases 2008-2012 were used to calculate index and 90-day follow
      up costs for SSF, ASC, and LSC with/without hysterectomy. Rates of inpatient
      readmissions, outpatient visits, and emergency room (ER) visits were also
      calculated during the follow-up period. Statistical analyses were performed using
      SAS 9.3. RESULTS: There were 17,549 SSF, 6126 ASC, and 10,708 LSC procedures.
      Mean index cost was lower for SSF (US$10,993) than ASC ($12,763, p < 0.0001) and
      LSC ($13,647, p < 0.0001). Concurrent hysterectomy impacted costs. Follow-up
      costs were likewise lower for SSF ($13,916) than ASC ($15,716, p < 0.0001) and
      LSC ($16,838, p < 0.0001). Lower rates of readmission were reported in SSF
      (4.22%) than ASC (5.40%, p = 0.0001) and LSC (4.64%, p = 0.0411). The rate of at
      least one ER visit was also lower for SSF (10.9%) than for ASC (12.0%, p =
      0.0170) and comparable with LSC (10.6%, p = 0.0302). CONCLUSIONS: Overall mean
      costs are significantly lower for SSF than ASC/LSC, as are those for health
      resource utilization. Besides lower morbidity rates being associated with vaginal
      procedures, our results demonstrate another reason to consider the increased use
      of SSF over sacrocolpopexies in apical prolapse surgery.

PMID- 28364130
TI  - Bacterial Signatures of "Red-Operculum" Disease in the Gut of Crucian Carp
      (Carassius auratus).
AB  - Fish gut microbiota play important roles in fish immunity, nutrition, and the
      adaptation to environmental changes. To date, few studies have focused on the
      interactions among environmental factors, fish diseases, and gut microbiota
      compositions. We compared the gut bacterial communities of healthy crucian carps
      (Carassius auratus) with those of individuals affected by "red-operculum" disease
      and corresponding water and sediment microbiota in four fish farm ponds. Distinct
      gut bacterial communities were observed in healthy and diseased fish. The
      bacterial communities of diseased fish were less diverse and stable than those of
      healthy individuals. The differences in bacterial community compositions between
      diseased and healthy fish were explained by the changes in the relative
      abundances of some specific bacterial OTUs, which belonged to the genera such as
      Vibrio, Aeromonas, and Shewanella, and they were prevalent in diseased fish, but
      rare or even absent in environmental samples. Water temperature and ammonia
      concentration were the two most important environmental factors that impacted gut
      microbiota in diseased fish. These results highlighted the surge of some
      potential pathogens as bacterial signatures that were associated with "red
      operculum" disease in crucian carps.

PMID- 28364134
TI  - Evaluating the Dimensionality of Pornography.
AB  - Pornography may be a construct with a single trait or one with many traits.
      Research in the past was inconsistent in this regard with most researchers
      assuming that pornography was unidimensional (with one single trait of
      pornography). However, the considerable amounts of residual variation found in
      these studies beyond that explained by the single trait hints at what might be a
      multidimensional construct (with multiple traits such as sensitization and
      differentiation). Consequently, in this study, we intended to address the
      question of whether pornography consisted of a single trait or if it was
      multidimensional. Using MTurk, 2173 participants from the United States and the
      Commonwealth of Nations (in which pornography is not strictly illegal) were
      recruited and asked to rate how pornographic they thought a list of different
      depictions were. The data were analyzed utilizing the cross-validation procedure
      in which two subsamples were created from the main sample and one was used to
      establish the model building and the other to validate the model. Various models,
      including first-order and higher-order exploratory and confirmatory factor
      models, were tested. Results indicated that a bi-factor (multidimensional) model
      generated the best model fit, and that it was most appropriate to consider
      pornography multidimensional. The final model contained two dimensions
      ("Sensitization" and "Differentiation"). While sensitization revealed the
      participants' general tendency to rate all items to be more or less pornographic,
      differentiation revealed the participants' tendency to differentiate highly
      pornographic items from less pornographic items. Based on the findings of this
      study, we suggest that future research on the usage and effects of pornography be
      conducted while taking into consideration the multidimensional nature of
      pornography.

PMID- 28364132
TI  - Challenges in establishing genotype-phenotype correlations in ARPKD: case report
      on a toddler with two severe PKHD1 mutations.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Autosomal recessive polycystic kidney disease (ARPKD) constitutes an
      important cause of pediatric end stage renal disease and is characterized by a
      broad phenotypic variability. The disease is caused by mutations in a single
      gene, Polycystic Kidney and Hepatic Disease 1 (PKHD1), which encodes a large
      transmembrane protein of poorly understood function called fibrocystin. Based on
      current knowledge of genotype-phenotype correlations in ARPKD, two truncating
      mutations are considered to result in a severe phenotype with peri- or neonatal
      mortality. Infants surviving the neonatal period are expected to carry at least
      one missense mutation. CASE-DIAGNOSIS/TREATMENT: We report on a female patient
      with two truncating PKHD1 mutations who survived the first 30 months of life
      without renal replacement therapy. Our patient carries not only a known stop
      mutation, c.8011C>T (p.Arg2671*), but also the previously reported c.51A>G PKHD1
      sequence variant of unknown significance in exon 2. Using functional in vitro
      studies we have confirmed the pathogenic nature of c.51A>G, demonstrating
      activation of a new donor splice site in intron 2 that results in a frameshift
      mutation and generation of a premature stop codon. CONCLUSIONS: This case
      illustrates the importance of functional mutation analyses and also raises
      questions regarding the current belief that the presence of at least one missense
      mutation is necessary for perinatal survival in ARPKD.

PMID- 28364133
TI  - In Brachypodium a complex signaling is actuated to protect cells from proteotoxic
      stress and facilitate seed filling.
AB  - MAIN CONCLUSION: A conserved UPR machinery is required for Brachypodium ER stress
      resistance and grain filling. Human and livestock diets depend on the
      accumulation of cereal storage proteins and carbohydrates, including mixed
      linkage glucan (MLG), in the endosperm during seed development. Storage proteins
      and proteins responsible for the production of carbohydrates are synthesized in
      the endoplasmic reticulum (ER). Unfavorable conditions during growth that hamper
      the ER biosynthetic capacity, such as heat, can cause a potentially lethal
      condition known as ER stress, which activates the unfolded protein response
      (UPR), a signaling response designed to mitigate ER stress. The UPR relies
      primarily on a conserved ER-associated kinase and ribonuclease, IRE1, which
      splices the mRNA of a transcription factor (TF), such as bZIP60 in plants, to
      produce an active TF that controls the expression of ER resident chaperones.
      Here, we investigated activation of the UPR in Brachypodium, as a model to study
      the UPR in seeds of a monocotyledon species, as well as the consequences of heat
      stress on MLG deposition in seeds. We identified a Brachypodium bZIP60 orthologue
      and determined a positive correlation between bZIP60 splicing and ER stress
      induced by chemicals and heat. Each stress condition led to transcriptional
      modulation of several BiP genes, supporting the existence of condition-specific
      BiP regulation. Finally, we found that the UPR is elevated at the early stage of
      seed development and that MLG production is negatively affected by heat stress
      via modulation of MLG synthase accumulation. We propose that successful
      accomplishment of seed filling is strongly correlated with the ability of the
      plant to sustain ER stress via the UPR.

PMID- 28364135
TI  - Sexual Closeness Discrepancies: What They Are and Why They Matter for Sexual Well
      Being in Romantic Relationships.
AB  - This study examined the impact of sexual closeness on sexual well-being. We
      developed a nuanced and multifaceted conceptualization of sexual closeness in the
      form of a constellation of ideal sexual closeness with a partner, actual sexual
      closeness, and the discrepancy between the two. Data were obtained from a diverse
      sample of N = 619 participants who took part in the Lives and Relationships
      Study: A longitudinal survey of men and women in relationships living in the U.S.
      and Canada. Increases in sexual closeness discrepancies over a period of 1 year
      predicted concomitant decreases in two indicators of sexual well-being: sexual
      satisfaction and orgasm frequency evaluations. Decreases in sexual closeness
      discrepancies resulted in improvement in sexual well-being. Individuals who
      reported no sexual closeness discrepancies and experienced no changes in sexual
      closeness discrepancies tended to have the highest levels of sexual well-being.
      Importantly, sexual closeness discrepancies were robust predictors of sexual well
      being, above and beyond individuals' actual sexual closeness, general
      relationship closeness, and other demographic and relationship characteristics
      known to be associated with sexual well-being. The present findings demonstrate
      that how close people feel sexually to their relationship partners is part of a
      general constellation of factors related to relationship closeness that, only
      when considered together, sufficiently explain the ways in which experiences of
      closeness impact sexual well-being in romantic relationships.

PMID- 28364137
TI  - Hypoattenuation on CTA images with large vessel occlusion: timing affects
      conspicuity.
AB  - PURPOSE: Parenchymal hypoattenuation distal to occlusions on CTA source images
      (CTASI) is perceived because of the differences in tissue contrast compared to
      normally perfused tissue. This difference in conspicuity can be measured
      objectively. We evaluated the effect of contrast timing on the conspicuity of
      ischemic areas. METHODS: We collected consecutive patients, retrospectively,
      between 2012 and 2014 with large vessel occlusions that had dynamic multiphase CT
      angiography (CTA) and CT perfusion (CTP). We identified areas of low cerebral
      blood volume on CTP maps and drew the region of interest (ROI) on the
      corresponding CTASI. A second ROI was placed in an area of normally perfused
      tissue. We evaluated conspicuity by comparing the absolute and relative change in
      attenuation between ischemic and normally perfused tissue over seven time points.
      RESULTS: The median absolute and relative conspicuity was greatest at the peak
      arterial (8.6 HU (IQR 5.1-13.9); 1.15 (1.09-1.26)), notch (9.4 HU (5.8-14.9);
      1.17 (1.10-1.27)), and peak venous phases (7.0 HU (3.1-12.7); 1.13 (1.05-1.23))
      compared to other portions of the time-attenuation curve (TAC). There was a
      significant effect of phase on the TAC for the conspicuity of ischemic vs
      normally perfused areas (P < 0.00001). CONCLUSION: The conspicuity of ischemic
      areas distal to a large artery occlusion in acute stroke is dependent on the
      phase of contrast arrival with dynamic CTASI and is objectively greatest in the
      mid-phase of the TAC.

PMID- 28364138
TI  - Erratum to: Oculo-auriculo-vertebral spectrum: going beyond the first and second
      pharyngeal arch involvement.

PMID- 28364136
TI  - Relapsing polychondritis: a chameleon among orphan diseases.
AB  - Relapsing polychondritis (RPC) is a rare disease with recurrent episodes of
      inflammation of cartilage tissue leading to fibrosis and organ damage. Despite
      unknown etiology, there is some evidence of a genetic predisposition. The
      clinical presentation is heterogeneous and an association with other autoimmune
      disorders such as rheumatoid arthritis or different forms of vasculitis has been
      described. All organ systems containing cartilage can be affected, such as ear,
      nose, joints, trachea, aorta, and coronary arteries. Given the broad spectrum of
      potential manifestations, a variety of medical specialists may be involved in the
      management of RPC patients. As establishing the diagnosis of RPC may be
      difficult, an interdisciplinary approach may be preferable. Treatment options
      include glucocorticoids, dapsone, disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs, and
      biologics. Prognosis is as heterogeneous as the clinical picture, depending on
      the severity of organ damage. In this paper we give an overview of the current
      knowledge with regard to pathogenesis, clinical picture, diagnosis, and therapy
      of RPC.

PMID- 28364139
TI  - Exercise affects biological characteristics of mesenchymal stromal cells derived
      from bone marrow and adipose tissue.
AB  - Both bone marrow mesenchymal stromal cells (BMSCs) and adipose-derived
      mesenchymal stromal cells (ADSCs) are good sources for tissue engineering. To
      maximize therapeutic efficacy of MSCs, an appropriate source of MSCs should be
      selected according to their own inherent characteristics for future clinical
      application. Hence, this study was conducted to compare proliferative,
      differential and antiapoptosis abilities of both MSCs derived from exercised and
      sedentary rats under normal and hypoxia/serum deprivation conditions (H/SD). Our
      results showed that exercise may enhance proliferative ability and decrease
      adipogenic ability of BMSCs and ADSCs. However, positive effect of exercise on
      osteogenesis was only observed for BMSCs in either environment. Little effect was
      observed on the antiapoptotic ability of both MSC types. It was also suggested
      that biological characteristics of both types were partly changed. It is
      therefore believed that BMSCs derived from exercised rat on early passage may be
      a good cell source for bone tissue engineering.

PMID- 28364141
TI  - Long-Term Neuropsychological Outcomes of Childhood Onset Acute Disseminated
      Encephalomyelitis (ADEM): a Meta-Analysis.
AB  - The long-term neurocognitive prognosis of childhood onset acute disseminated
      encephalomyelitis (ADEM) is unclear. This review and quantitative synthesis of
      the available literature examined whether there are long-term impacts of
      childhood ADEM on neurocognitive functioning. A search of online databases
      (MEDLINE, EMBASE, EBSCO CINAHL, PsycINFO and the Cochrane Database of Systematic
      Reviews) from their inception to October 2015 and reference lists identified 13
      papers eligible for inclusion in the systematic review; seven of these were
      eligible for inclusion in meta-analyses. The systematic review indicated that, at
      a group level there is a positive long-term neuropsychological outcome from
      childhood onset ADEM. However, despite the apparent absence of long-term negative
      impacts of ADEM at a group level, at an individual level impairments in the areas
      of IQ, attention, executive functioning, processing speed, learning and memory,
      visuospatial skills and internalising symptoms were found in up to 43% of
      patients when aggregated across the studies. No significant negative effect of
      ADEM for any of the neuropsychological domains examined was found in meta
      analyses. However, the effects for Processing Speed (r mean = -0.296 (CI 95% = 
      0.605-0.013)) and Internalising symptoms (r mean = 0.242 (CI 95% = -0.014-0.564))
      approached significance (p = 0.06), suggesting a trend towards ADEM leading to
      long-term reduced processing speed and elevated internalising symptoms. Together,
      our findings suggest that despite a generally positive neurocognitive outcome
      post childhood ADEM there are a subset of individuals who can suffer from ongoing
      specific cognitive impairments. Clinical implications and research priorities are
      discussed.

PMID- 28364142
TI  - Pioneering particle-based strategy for isolating viable bacteria from multipart
      soil samples compatible with Raman spectroscopy.
AB  - The study of edaphic bacteria is of great interest, particularly for evaluating
      soil remediation and recultivation methods. Therefore, a fast and simple strategy
      to isolate various bacteria from complex soil samples using poly(ethyleneimine)
      (PEI)-modified polyethylene particles is introduced. The research focuses on the
      binding behavior under different conditions, such as the composition, pH value,
      and ionic strength, of the binding buffer, and is supported by the
      characterization of the surface properties of particles and bacteria. The results
      demonstrate that electrostatic forces and hydrophobicity are responsible for the
      adhesion of target bacteria to the particles. Distinct advantages of the particle
      based isolation strategy include simple handling, enrichment efficiency, and the
      preservation of viable bacteria. The presented isolation method allows a
      subsequent identification of the bacteria using Raman microspectroscopy in
      combination with chemometrical methods. This is demonstrated with a dataset of
      five different bacteria (Escherichia coli, Bacillus subtilis, Pseudomonas
      fluorescens, Streptomyces tendae, and Streptomyces acidiscabies) which were
      isolated from spiked soil samples. In total 92% of the Raman spectra could be
      identified correctly.

PMID- 28364140
TI  - Insights into Jumonji C-domain containing protein 6 (JMJD6): a multifactorial
      role in foot-and-mouth disease virus replication in cells.
AB  - The Jumonji C-domain containing protein 6 (JMJD6) has had a convoluted history,
      and recent reports indicating a multifactorial role in foot-and-mouth disease
      virus (FMDV) infection have further complicated the functionality of this
      protein. It was first identified as the phosphatidylserine receptor on the cell
      surface responsible for recognizing phosphatidylserine on the surface of
      apoptotic cells resulting in their engulfment by phagocytic cells. Subsequent
      study revealed a nuclear subcellular localization, where JMJD6 participated in
      lysine hydroxylation and arginine demethylation of histone proteins and other non
      histone proteins. Interestingly, to date, JMDJ6 remains the only known arginine
      demethylase with a growing list of known substrate molecules. These conflicting
      associations rendered the subcellular localization of JMJD6 to be quite nebulous.
      Further muddying this area, two different groups illustrated that JMJD6 could be
      induced to redistribute from the cell surface to the nucleus of a cell. More
      recently, JMJD6 was demonstrated to be a host factor contributing to the FMDV
      life cycle, where it was not only exploited for its arginine demethylase
      activity, but also served as an alternative virus receptor. This review attempts
      to coalesce these divergent roles for a single protein into one cohesive account.
      Given the diverse functionalities already characterized for JMJD6, it is likely
      to continue to be a confounding protein resulting in much contention going into
      the near future.

PMID- 28364143
TI  - Clump formation in mouse pituitary-derived non-endocrine cell line Tpit/F1
      promotes differentiation into growth-hormone-producing cells.
AB  - The adenohypophysis comprises six types of endocrine cells, including PIT1
      lineage cells such as growth hormone (GH)-producing cells and heterogeneous non
      endocrine cells, such as pituitary stem/progenitor cells as a source of endocrine
      cells. We determine the expression of characteristic stem cell marker genes,
      including sex-determining region Y-box 2 (Sox2), in mouse pituitary-derived non
      endocrine cell lines Tpit/E, Tpit/F1 and TtT/GF. We observed high expression of
      fibroblast growth factor (FGF) receptors in Tpit/F1 cells, which we characterised
      by cultivation in medium containing a basic FGF and B27 supplement as used for
      neural stem-cell differentiation. A 4-day cultivation of Tpit/F1 produced
      floating embryonic stem-cell-like clumps accompanied by a three-fold increase in
      Sox2 expression. Passages in these clumps maintained the proliferative activity
      and Sox2 expression levels. After 10 days of cultivation, Tpit/F1 cell clumps
      were immuno-positive for SOX2 and Ki67 (proliferation marker) and loosely
      attached to the well bottom. An additional 10 days of cultivation induced the
      emergence of GH-positive/pituitary-specific transcription factor (PIT1)-negative
      cells showing migration from the clumps. Pit1 overexpression in attached cells
      could not induce GH production. Finally, we confirmed the presence of PIT1
      negative GH-producing cells (3.2-7.7 % of all GH-positive cells) in rat
      pituitary. Thus, we demonstrate that Tpit/F1 has the plasticity to differentiate
      into one type of hormone-producing cell.

PMID- 28364145
TI  - Deep anesthesia: too much of a good thing?

PMID- 28364146
TI  - Bundled payments in total joint arthroplasty and spine surgery.
AB  - PURPOSE OF REVIEW: The goal of this manuscript is to provide an overview and
      analysis of bundled payment models for joint replacement and select spine
      procedures. Advantages and disadvantages of bundled payment models will be
      discussed. RECENT FINDINGS: In select populations, bundled payment models have
      been shown to reduce costs while maintaining satisfactory outcomes. These models
      have not been tested with complex patient cohorts, such as older adults with
      fragility hip fractures, and limited data exist with bundled payment analysis in
      spine procedures. The reduction of healthcare costs, satisfactory patient
      outcomes, and favorable payments to healthcare systems can be achieved through
      bundled payments. Modifications of existing bundled payment models should be
      critically tested prior to implementation across higher risk populations. Bundled
      payment models will also require healthcare systems to define what services are
      necessary for an episode of care regarding a specific condition or disease.

PMID- 28364144
TI  - Current advances in the development of natural meniscus scaffolds: innovative
      approaches to decellularization and recellularization.
AB  - The increasing rate of injuries to the meniscus indicates the urgent need to
      develop effective repair strategies. Irreparably damaged menisci can be replaced
      and meniscus allografts represent the treatment of choice; however, they have
      several limitations, including availability and compatibility. Another approach
      is the use of artificial implants but their chondroprotective activities are
      still not proved clinically. In this situation, tissue engineering offers
      alternative natural decellularized extracellular matrix (ECM) scaffolds, which
      have shown biomechanical properties comparable to those of native menisci and are
      characterized by low immunogenicity and promising regenerative potential. In this
      article, we present an overview of meniscus decellularization methods and discuss
      their relative merits. In addition, we comparatively evaluate cell types used to
      repopulate decellularized scaffolds and analyze the biocompatibility of the
      existing experimental models. At present, acellular ECM hydrogels, as well as
      slices and powders, have been explored, which seems to be promising for partial
      meniscus regeneration. However, their inferior biomechanical properties
      (compressive and tensile stiffness) compared to natural menisci should be
      improved. Although an optimal decellularized meniscus scaffold still needs to be
      developed and thoroughly validated for its regenerative potential in vivo, we
      believe that decellularized ECM scaffolds are the future biomaterials for
      successful structural and functional replacement of menisci.

PMID- 28364147
TI  - SAGES clinical spotlight review: intraoperative cholangiography.

PMID- 28364148
TI  - Robotic valvuloplastic esophagogastrostomy using double flap technique following
      proximal gastrectomy: technical aspects and short-term outcomes.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Valvuloplastic esophagogastrostomy by double flap technique (VEG-DFT)
      is a promising procedure to prevent reflux after proximal gastrectomy (PG), and
      is achieved by the burial of the abdominal esophagus into the gastric submucosa;
      however, laparoscopic VEG-DFT is technically demanding due to complicated
      suturing and ligation maneuvers. The present study was designed to determine the
      feasibility and safety of robotic VEG-DFT. METHODS: After robotic PG,
      seromuscular flaps were extracorporeally created at the anterior wall of the
      remnant stomach through a small umbilical incision. Then, using a robot, the
      posterior wall of the esophagus was fixed to the cranial end of the mucosal
      window, and layer-to-layer sutures were placed between the anterior aspects of
      esophagus and the remnant stomach. Finally, the anastomosis was covered by
      seromuscular flaps. Short-term outcomes of 12 consecutive patients who underwent
      VEG-DFT between January 2014 and December 2015 were assessed. RESULTS: Operations
      were successfully completed using robotic assistance in all patients. Median
      operative, surgeon console, and anastomosis times were 406 (324-613 min), 267
      (214-483), and 104 (76-186) min, respectively, and median estimated blood loss
      was 31 (5-130) ml. The first six cases were required to reach a learning plateau.
      Both mortality and morbidity rates within 30 days after surgery were 0%.
      Postoperative hospital stay was 10 (9-30) days. No postoperative reflux
      esophagitis was observed, whereas anastomotic stenosis, which required endoscopic
      balloon dilation, developed in three patients (25%) in postoperative month 2.
      There was a significant association between the total number of stitches used for
      VEG-DFT and anastomotic stenosis (p < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: Robotic assistance may
      be useful for VEG-DFT with a short learning curve. Attention is required to
      prevent postoperative anastomotic stenosis possibly caused by an excessive number
      of stitches for esophagogastrostomy.

PMID- 28364149
TI  - The use of expanding ports in laparo-endoscopic single-site surgery may cause
      more pain: a meta-analysis of randomized clinical trials.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Previous meta-analyses on the clinical outcome after laparo
      endoscopic single-site surgery (LESS) versus conventional laparoscopic surgery
      (CLS) have not revealed any major differences in postoperative pain between the
      two procedures. This meta-analysis aims to evaluate the difference in
      postoperative pain between the two procedures, focusing on whether LESS was
      conducted with a non-expanding port (LESSnonex) or a port expanding (LESSex)
      within the incision. METHOD: EMBASE, Medline, PubMed, Science Citation Index
      Expanded, and Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials were searched for
      randomized clinical trials (RCTs) on LESS versus CLS for general abdominal
      procedures. Weighted mean difference (WMD) and Odds ratios (OR) were calculated
      with 95% confidence intervals (CI). RESULTS: A total of 29 RCTs with 2999
      procedures were included. Pain (VAS 0-10) 6 h after surgery was significantly
      lower in the group where LESS was conducted with LESSnonex compared to CLS, WMD=
      0.72 (- 1.10 to - 0.33). Pain 18-24 h was significantly higher in the group where
      LESS was conducted with LESSex compared to CLS, WMD = 0.38 (0.01-0.75). Wound
      related complications were significantly more frequent in LESSex procedures
      compared to CLS, OR = 1.94 (1.03-3.63). CONCLUSION: The present meta-analysis
      indirectly indicates that the type of access device that is used for an abdominal
      LESS procedure may contribute to the development of early postoperative pain as
      the use of a non-expanding model was associated with a more advantageous outcome.
      Direct randomized comparison of LESSnonex and LESSex is warranted to confirm if
      the use of expanding access devices generates more pain and wound complications.

PMID- 28364150
TI  - Repair of symptomatic paraesophageal hernias in elderly (>70 years) patients
      results in sustained quality of life at 5 years and beyond.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Paraesophageal hernias (PEHs) involve herniation of stomach and/or
      other viscera into the mediastinum. These commonly occur in the elderly and can
      severely limit quality of life. Short term outcomes of repaired PEH demonstrated
      low morbidity and significant improvement in quality of life, but long-term data
      for all patients, especially the elderly, are lacking. METHODS: Retrospective
      chart review of a prospectively collected database of patients aged 70 or greater
      with a symptomatic PEH repaired 5+ years ago. Quality of life data were assessed
      preoperatively, at 12-24 months, and at 5+ years using QOLRAD, GERD-HRQL, and
      DSS. RESULTS: We identified 137 patients who met the age criteria, with 69
      patients undergoing surgery 5+ years ago. With ten patients were lost to follow
      up, 59 patients were analyzed, including 24 males and 35 females. Median age at
      repair was 77 years. There were two 90-day mortalities, with one occurring within
      30 days of surgery. Patients alive at evaluation had a median age of 74 years and
      were followed a median 7.4 years. From baseline, QOLRAD improved from 4 to 6.5,
      GERD-HRQL improved from 11 to 5, and swallowing improved from 11 to 38. During
      follow-up, 21 patients died. Deceased patients lived a median of 4 years after
      repair, with a median age at repair of 80 years. At a median time follow-up of 2
      years, this group's QOLRAD improved from 5.1 to 7, GERD-HRQL improved from 16 to
      4, and swallowing improved from 14.5 to 35. CONCLUSIONS: In elderly patients with
      symptomatic PEH undergoing surgical repair more than 5 years ago, there was
      sustained improvement in quality of life. This justifies surgical repair of
      symptomatic PEH in elderly patients.

PMID- 28364152
TI  - Sleeve gastrectomy revision by endoluminal sleeve plication gastroplasty: a small
      pilot case series.
AB  - BACKGROUND: The necessity for reoperation due to insufficient weight loss after
      bariatric surgery has led to a novel endoluminal plication of the gastric sleeve
      using a endoscopic suturing device. Advances in endoluminal endoscopy and other
      minimally invasive bariatric surgeries have inspired innovative techniques and
      have produced reliable suturing tools for gastric volume reduction. METHODS:
      Retrospective pilot case series of 5 patients with an enlarged gastric sleeve.
      RESULTS: The data show a sustained weight loss for all patients ranging from 19
      to 36 lbs at 1 year, with the greatest average weight loss (27 lbs) observed at 6
      months. At 1 year post-op, the mean body mass index was 33 kg/m2. Four of the
      patients were considered successful, with a excess weight loss (EWL) sustained at
      1 year post-procedure, ranging from 21 to 61% with a mean of 38%. One patient
      experienced a EWL of only 13%, which was attributed to failed lifestyle
      modification. The mean EWL of the series is 33%. The percent total weight loss
      (%WL) ranged from 6.7 to 17.2%. CONCLUSIONS: The endoluminal approach with an
      endoscopic suturing device for sleeve revision by plication is showing early
      promising results and expands the management of weight gain following
      laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy. This simple approach may offer a significant
      option for these patients as an interventional strategy in the early phases of
      weight regain, and prior to reaching a BMI of 40 kg/m2, such as the traditional
      surgical approach.

PMID- 28364151
TI  - Evolution of a laparoscopic liver resection program: an analysis of 203 cases.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Techniques for laparoscopic liver resection (LLR) have been developed
      over the past two decades. The aim of this study is to analyze the outcomes and
      trends of LLR. METHODS: 203 patients underwent LLR between 2006 and 2015. Trends
      in techniques and outcomes were assessed dividing the experience into 2 periods
      (before and after 2011). RESULTS: Tumor type was malignant in 62%, and R0
      resection was achieved in 87.7%. Procedures included segmentectomy/wedge
      resection in 64.5%. Techniques included a purely laparoscopic approach in 59.1%
      and robotic 12.3%. Conversion to open surgery was necessary in 6.4% cases. Mean
      hospital stay was 3.7 +/- 0.2 days. 90-day mortality was 0% and morbidity 20.2%.
      Pre-coagulation and the robot were used less often, while the performance of
      resections for posteriorly located tumors increased in the second versus the
      first period. CONCLUSION: This study confirms the safety and efficacy of LLR,
      while describing the evolution of a program regarding patient and technical
      selection. With building experience, the number of resections performed for
      posteriorly located tumors have increased, with less reliance on pre-coagulation
      and the robot.

PMID- 28364153
TI  - Comparative study of safety and efficacy of synthetic surgical glue for mesh
      fixation in ventral rectopexy.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Ventral mesh rectopexy (VMR) is a surgical option to treat rectal
      prolapse with pelvic floor dysfunction (PFD). Using synthetic surgical glue to
      fix the mesh to the anterior rectal wall after ventral dissection could be
      advantageous in comparison with sutured or stapled fixation. This study aimed to
      evaluate the safety and efficacy of synthetic surgical glue for mesh fixation
      compared with suture mesh fixation in VMR. METHODS: This observational cohort
      study is a retrospective analysis conducted in a University Hospital Pelvic
      Surgery Center. All consecutive female patients (n = 176) who underwent
      laparoscopic or laparotomic VMR between January 2009 and December 2014 were
      included. Two groups were defined based on mesh fixation technique of the rectal
      wall: VMR with synthetic glue (n = 66) and VMR with suture (n = 110). The
      recurrence-free survival after VMR was determined by Kaplan-Meier method and
      multivariate analysis by Cox regression. Short-term postoperative complications,
      postoperative symptom improvement, the need for complementary treatment
      postoperatively, and procedure length were evaluated. RESULTS: A total of 176
      females patients (mean age, 58.6 +/- 13.7 years) underwent VMR with synthetic
      mesh. Mean recurrence-free survivals after VMR were 17.16 (CI 95% 16.54-17.80)
      and 17.33 (CI 95% 16.89-17.77) months in the glue group and the suture group,
      respectively (p > 0.05). Cox regression identified an independent effect on the
      recurrence risk of the external rectal prolapse, alone, or in combination with
      other anatomical abnormalities (HR = 0.37; CI 95% 0.14-0.93; p = 0.03). There was
      no significant difference of short-term postoperative morbidity, procedure
      length, postoperative symptom improvement, or need for complementary treatment
      postoperatively between suture versus glue groups (all p > 0.05). CONCLUSIONS:
      Use of glue to fix the mesh in VMR was safe and had no impact on outcomes.
      External prolapse was the unique significant predictive factor for recurrence.

PMID- 28364154
TI  - Impact of intraoperative blood loss on the short-term outcomes of laparoscopic
      liver resection.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Intraoperative blood loss is one of the predictors of outcome of open
      hepatectomy. But the impact of blood loss in laparoscopic hepatectomy (LH) on
      postoperative outcomes is poorly understood. The aim of this study is to analyze
      the association between blood loss and postoperative outcomes after LH. METHODS:
      A retrospective analysis of prospectively maintained database of patients
      undergoing LH from 1995 to 2016 was performed. The data were divided into two
      groups based on the extent of blood loss: Group 1 (<250 ml) and Group 2 (>=250
      ml). The basic characteristics and postoperative outcomes were compared between
      these groups. RESULTS: A total of 504 patients underwent 611 LH (Group 1: 414 and
      Group 2: 197). The mean age was 62.4 years. The most common indication was liver
      secondaries (71.7%). Major hepatectomy was performed in 37% cases. Mean operative
      time was 225 +/- 110.5 min and estimated blood loss was 239 +/- 399.4 ml (range 0
      4500 ml). Group 2 had significantly higher number of patients with malignant
      lesions undergoing major hepatectomy, anatomical resection with higher
      requirement for blood transfusion, and longer hospital stay. The incidence of
      conversion rate, overall complications including liver failure, renal failure,
      and postoperative mortality, was significantly higher in Group 2. However, the
      bile leak rate was similar in the two groups. CONCLUSION: Intraoperative blood
      loss is most frequent in patients undergoing major LH. Blood loss >=250 ml during
      LH may adversely affect the postoperative outcomes.

PMID- 28364155
TI  - Impact of minimally invasive surgery on healthcare utilization, cost, and
      workplace absenteeism in patients with Incisional/Ventral Hernia (IVH).
AB  - BACKGROUND: Incisional hernia repair is one of the most common general surgery
      operations being performed today. With the advancement of laparoscopy since the
      1990s, we have seen vast improvements in faster return to normal activity,
      shorter hospital stays and less post-operative narcotic use, to name a few.
      OBJECTIVE: The key aims of this review were to measure the impact of minimally
      invasive surgery versus open surgery on health care utilization, cost, and work
      place absenteeism in the patients undergoing inpatient incisional/ventral hernia
      (IVH) repair. METHODS: We analyzed data from the Truven Health Analytics
      MarketScan(r) Commercial Claims and Encounters Database. Total of 2557 patients
      were included in the analysis. RESULTS: Of the patient that underwent IVH
      surgery, 24.5% (n = 626) were done utilizing minimally invasive surgical (MIS)
      techniques and 75.5% (n = 1931) were done open. Ninety-day post-surgery outcomes
      were significantly lower in the MIS group compared to the open group for total
      payment ($19,288.97 vs. $21,708.12), inpatient length of stay (3.12 vs. 4.24
      days), number of outpatient visit (5.48 vs. 7.35), and estimated days off (11.3
      vs. 14.64), respectively. At 365 days post-surgery, the total payment ($27,497.96
      vs. $30,157.29), inpatient length of stay (3.70 vs. 5.04 days), outpatient visits
      (19.75 vs. 23.42), and estimated days off (35.71 vs. 41.58) were significantly
      lower for MIS group versus the open group, respectively. CONCLUSION: When
      surgical repair of IVH is performed, there is a clear advantage in the MIS
      approach versus the open approach in regard to cost, length of stay, number of
      outpatient visits, and estimated days off.

PMID- 28364157
TI  - Increased identification of parathyroid glands using near infrared light during
      thyroid and parathyroid surgery.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Parathyroid gland (PG) identification during thyroid and parathyroid
      surgery is challenging. Accidental parathyroidectomy increases the rate of
      postoperative hypocalcaemia. Recently, autofluorescence with near infrared light
      (NIRL) has been described for PG visualization. The aim of this study is to
      analyze the increased rate of visualization of PGs with the use of NIRL compared
      to white light (WL). MATERIALS AND METHODS: All patients undergoing thyroid and
      parathyroid surgery were included in this study. PGs were identified with both
      NIRL and WL by experienced head and neck surgeons. The number of PGs identified
      with NIRL and WL were compared. The identification of PGs was correlated to age,
      sex, and histopathological diagnosis. RESULTS: Seventy-four patients were
      included in the study. The mean age was 48.4 (SD +/-13.5) years old. Mean PG
      fluorescence intensity (47.60) was significantly higher compared to the thyroid
      gland (22.32) and background (9.27) (p < 0.0001). The mean number of PGs
      identified with NIRL and WL were 3.7 and 2.5 PG, respectively (p < 0.001). The
      difference in the number of PGs identified with NIRL and WL and fluorescence
      intensity was not related to age, sex, or histopathological diagnosis, with the
      exception of the diagnosis of thyroiditis, in which there was a significant
      increase in the number of PGs visualized with NIRL (p = 0.026). CONCLUSION: The
      use of NIRL for PG visualization significantly increased the number of PGs
      identified during thyroid and parathyroid surgery, and the differences in
      fluorescent intensity among PGs, thyroid glands, and background were not affected
      by age, sex, and histopathological diagnosis.

PMID- 28364158
TI  - Angiogenesis Review Commentary.

PMID- 28364156
TI  - Predicting postoperative complications after bariatric surgery: the Bariatric
      Surgery Index for Complications, BASIC.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Around 20% of bariatric surgery patients develop a short- or long
      term complication. OBJECTIVE: Aim of this study was to develop a risk model
      predicting complications: the Bariatric Surgery Index for Complications (BASIC).
      SETTING: The Obesity Center Amsterdam, located in a large teaching hospital, in
      Amsterdam, The Netherlands. METHODS: A prospective consecutive database including
      patients operated between November 2007 and February 2015 was used. For the
      BASIC, analysis according to the TRIPOD statement was performed to identify risk
      factors for complications. Class I included patients with zero to one risk
      factor, class II patients with two risk factors, and class III patients with
      three or more risk factors. RESULTS: Of 1709 analyzed patients, mean age was 45
      years (+/-SD 10.7), 1393 (81.5%) were female; mean body mass index was 44.5 kg/m2
      (6.8). Overall, 271 (15.9%) patients developed a complication of which 197
      (72.5%) occurred within 30 days. Predictors in multivariable analysis were use of
      anticoagulants (odd's ratio (OR) 1.5); chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (OR
      2.3); dyslipidemia (OR 1.4); gender (OR 1.4); psychiatric history (OR 1.3); and
      revisional surgery (OR 1.5). In class I, 13.5% (181 out of 1338) experienced
      complications, in class II 58 (21.6%) of the 269 patients and in class III 32
      (31.4%) of the 102 patients, respectively. There was a significant difference (p
      < 0.001) in both overall and 30 day complications. CONCLUSION: The BASIC uses six
      preoperative variables to classify patients in a low-, intermediate-, or high
      risk group for postoperative complications after bariatric surgery.

PMID- 28364159
TI  - Modulation of aberrant splicing in human RNA diseases by chemical compounds.
AB  - Pre-mRNA splicing is an essential step for gene expression in higher eukaryotes.
      Alternative splicing contributes to diversity of the expressed proteins from the
      limited number of genes. Disruption of splicing regulation often results in
      hereditary and sporadic diseases called as 'RNA diseases'. Modulation of splicing
      by small chemical compounds and nucleic acids has been tried to target aberrant
      splicing in those diseases. Several RNA diseases and splicing-target therapeutic
      approaches will be briefly introduced in this review. Accumulating knowledge
      about molecular mechanism of aberrant splicing and their correction by chemical
      compounds is important not only for RNA biologists, but also for clinicians who
      desire therapies for those diseases.

PMID- 28364161
TI  - Comparison of CT and PET/CT for biopsy guidance in oncological patients.
AB  - PURPOSE: To compare FDG PET/CT and CT for the guidance of percutaneous biopsies
      with histological confirmation of lesions. METHODS: We prospectively evaluated
      323 patients of whom 181 underwent FDG PET/CT-guided biopsy (total 188 biopsies)
      and 142 underwent CT-guided biopsy (total 146 biopsies). Biopsies were performed
      using the same PET/CT scanner with a fluoroscopic imaging system. Technical
      feasibility, clinical success and complication rates in the two groups were
      evaluated. RESULTS: Of the 188 biopsies with PET/CT guidance, 182 (96.8%) were
      successful with conclusive tissue samples obtained and of the 146 biopsies with
      CT guidance, 137 (93.8%) were successful. Therefore, 6 of 188 biopsies (3.1%)
      with PET/CT guidance and 9 of 146 (6.1%) with CT guidance were inconclusive (p =
      0.19). Due to inconclusive histological results, 4 of the 188 lesions (2.1%) were
      rebiopsied with PET/CT guidance and 3 of 146 lesions (2.0%) were rebiopsied with
      CT guidance. Histology demonstrated that 142 of 188 lesions (75.5%) were
      malignant, and 40 (21.2%) were benign in the PET/CT-guided group, while 89 of 146
      lesions (60.9%) were malignant and 48 (32.8%) were benign in the CT-guided group
      (p = 0.004 and 0.01, respectively). Patients with a histological diagnosis of
      benign lesion had no recurrence of disease with a minimum of 6 months follow-up.
      Of the 188 PET/CT-guided biopsies, 6 (3.1%) were repeat biopsies due to a
      previous nondiagnostic CT-guided biopsy performed in a different diagnostic
      centre. The interval between the two biopsies was less than a month in all cases.
      Histology revealed five malignant lesions and one benign lesion among these. The
      complication rate in the PET/CT-guided biopsy group was 12.7% (24 of 188), while
      in the CT-guided group, was 9.5% (14 of 146, p = 0.26). Therefore, there was no
      significant difference in complication rates between PET/CT and CT guidance.
      CONCLUSION: PET/CT-guided biopsy is already known to be a feasible and accurate
      method in the diagnostic work-up of suspected malignant lesions. This prospective
      analysis of a large number of patients demonstrated the feasibility and
      advantages of using PET/CT as the imaging method of choice for biopsy guidance,
      especially where FDG-avid foci do not show corresponding lesions on the CT scan.
      There were no significant differences in the ability to obtain a diagnostic
      specimen or in the complication rates between PET/CT and CT guidance.

PMID- 28364162
TI  - 18F-FDG PET/CT in Erdheim-Chester disease.

PMID- 28364160
TI  - The clinical application of angiostatic therapy in combination with radiotherapy:
      past, present, future.
AB  - Although monotherapy with angiostatic drugs is still far from effective, there is
      abundant evidence that angiostatic therapy can improve the efficacy of
      conventional treatments like radiotherapy. This has instigated numerous efforts
      to optimize and clinically implement the combination of angiostatic drugs with
      radiation treatment. The results from past and present clinical trials that
      explored this combination therapy indeed show encouraging results. However,
      current findings also show that the combination has variable efficacy and is
      associated with increased toxicity. This indicates that combining radiotherapy
      with angiostatic drugs not only holds opportunities but also provides several
      challenges. In the current review, we provide an update of the most recent
      insights from clinical trials that evaluated the combination of angiostatic drugs
      with radiation treatment. In addition, we discuss the outstanding questions for
      future studies in order to improve the clinical benefit of combining angiostatic
      therapy with radiation therapy.

PMID- 28364163
TI  - Envisaging an alpha therapy programme in the atomic energy establishments: the
      priorities and the nuances.

PMID- 28364164
TI  - Individual Placement and Support (IPS): Possible Avenues to Maximize its
      Potential Benefits.

PMID- 28364167
TI  - New Austrian medical training regulations : Will they encourage young Austrian
      medical graduates to stay at home?

PMID- 28364166
TI  - An ignored and potential source of taste and odor (T&O) issues-biofilms in
      drinking water distribution system (DWDS).
AB  - It is important for water utilities to provide esthetically acceptable drinking
      water to the public, because our consumers always initially judge the quality of
      the tap water by its color, taste, and odor (T&O). Microorganisms in drinking
      water contribute largely to T&O production and drinking water distribution
      systems (DWDS) are known to harbor biofilms and microorganisms in bulk water,
      even in the presence of a disinfectant. These microbes include T&O-causing
      bacteria, fungi, and algae, which may lead to unwanted effects on the
      organoleptic quality of distributed water. Importantly, the understanding of
      types of these microbes and their T&O compound-producing mechanisms is needed to
      prevent T&O formation during drinking water distribution. Additionally, new
      disinfection strategies and operation methods of DWDS are also needed for better
      control of T&O problems in drinking water. This review covers: (1) the microbial
      species which can produce T&O compounds in DWDS; (2) typical T&O compounds in
      DWDS and their formation mechanisms by microorganisms; (3) several common factors
      in DWDS which can influence the growth and T&O generation of microbes; and (4)
      several strategies to control biofilm and T&O compound formation in DWDS. At the
      end of this review, recommendations were given based on the conclusion of this
      review.

PMID- 28364168
TI  - Expression of caveolin-1 in breast cancer stroma as a potential prognostic
      biomarker of survival and progression: a meta-analysis.
AB  - BACKGROUND: It has been shown that caveolin-1 plays a potential role as a
      diagnostic and prognostic biomarker in various cancer types. The aim of the
      present study was to clarify whether caveolin-1 expressed in the breast cancer
      stroma could be a prognostic factor for breast cancer patients. METHODS: We
      searched the PubMed, ScienceDirect and Web of Science databases for published
      literature investigating associations between stromal caveolin-1 expression and
      survival outcome in breast cancer patients. With respect to survival outcomes,
      the pooled hazard ratios (HRs) of caveolin-1 and the 95% confidence intervals
      (CI) were calculated. RESULTS: Our meta-analysis identified a total of 10 studies
      involving 2072 cases. Further investigation demonstrated that a lack of caveolin
      1 expression in the breast cancer stroma is a hazard for overall survival (OS)
      (HR = 2.33, 95% CI: 1.57-3.46) and disease-free/progression-free survival
      (DFS/PFS) (HR = 3.05, 95% CI: 2.26-4.12) in breast cancer patients. Moreover,
      lack of caveolin-1 expression in the cancer-associated fibroblasts was a
      significant predictor of DFS/PFS (HR = 2.79, 95% CI: 1.75-4.46). CONCLUSION: Our
      results indicated that lack of expression of caveolin-1 in the breast cancer
      stroma is associated with a poor prognosis.

PMID- 28364165
TI  - Post-mastectomy cancer recurrence with and without a continuous paravertebral
      block in the immediate postoperative period: a prospective multi-year follow-up
      pilot study of a randomized, triple-masked, placebo-controlled investigation.
AB  - PURPOSE: Retrospective studies have associated perioperative regional
      anesthesia/analgesia during mastectomy for breast cancer with a decreased
      incidence of cancer recurrence. However, to date, no prospective data from a
      randomized controlled trial have been reported. In a previous study we found that
      extending a single-injection paravertebral block with a multiple-day perineural
      local anesthetic infusion improves analgesia. This follow-up study investigates
      the rates of cancer recurrence for the single-injection and multiple-day infusion
      treatments. METHODS: Patients undergoing unilateral (n = 24) or bilateral
      mastectomy (n = 36) were included in the study. All patients had been diagnosed
      with breast cancer or tumor in situ, except for six patients who were receiving
      prophylactic bilateral mastectomy and were excluded from analyses. Patients
      received unilateral or bilateral single-injection thoracic paravertebral block(s)
      corresponding to their surgical site(s) with ropivacaine and perineural
      catheter(s). Subsequently, patients were randomized to receive either ropivacaine
      0.4% (n = 30) or normal saline (n = 30) via their catheter(s) until catheter
      removal on postoperative day 3. Cancer recurrence from the date of surgery until
      at least 2 years post surgery was investigated via chart review. RESULTS: Five of
      the 54 (9.2%) patients experienced a cancer recurrence following mastectomy-3 of
      26 (11.5%) of the patients with perineural ropivacaine and 2 of 28 (7.1%) of the
      patients with perineural saline. CONCLUSIONS: This pilot study found no evidence
      that extending a single-injection paravertebral block with a multi-day perineural
      local anesthetic infusion decreases the risk of post-mastectomy cancer
      recurrence. However, due to the small sample size of this investigation, further
      research is needed to draw definitive conclusions.

PMID- 28364169
TI  - Changes in brain microstructure during infancy and childhood using clinical
      feasible ADC-maps.
AB  - PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to examine age-related changes in apparent
      diffusion coefficient (ADC) during infancy and childhood using routine MRI data.
      METHODS: A total of 112 investigations of patients aged 0 to 17.2 years showing a
      normal degree of myelination and no signal abnormalities on conventional MRI were
      retrospectively selected from our pool of pediatric MRI examinations at 1.5T. ADC
      maps based on our routinely included axial diffusion weighted sequence were
      created from the scanner. ADC values were measured in 35 different brain regions
      investigating normal age-related changes during the maturation of the human brain
      in infancy and childhood using clinical feasible sequences at 1.5T. RESULTS: The
      relationship between ADC values and age in infancy and childhood can be described
      as an exponential function. With increasing age, the ADC values decrease
      significantly in all brain regions, especially during the first 2 years of life.
      Except in the peritrigonal white matter, no significant differences were found
      between both hemispheres. Between 0 and 2 years of life, no significant gender
      differences were detected. CONCLUSIONS: Using ADC maps based on a routinely
      performed axial diffusion weighted sequence, it was possible first to describe
      the relationship between ADC values and age in infancy and childhood as
      exponential function in the whole brain and second to determine normative age
      related ADC values in multiple brain regions.

PMID- 28364170
TI  - Factors contributing to spinal cord infarction occurring in surgery performed in
      the prone position.

PMID- 28364171
TI  - [Relaxation techniques and behavioural therapy for the treatment of migraine :
      Guidelines from the German Migraine and Headache Society].
AB  - Besides pharmacological and interventional possibilities nonpharmacological
      options, deriving from behavioural approaches may be helpful in the treatment of
      migraine. Already consulting a patient reduces frequency of attacks. Relaxation
      (especially progressive muscle relaxation), endurance sports, and biofeedback as
      well as cognitive behavioural therapy are effective in treatment of migraine. The
      combination of these treatment options also with pharmacological treatment
      increase the positive effects.

PMID- 28364172
TI  - Mapping French people and health professionals' positions regarding the
      circumstances of morphine use to relieve cancer pain.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Cancer patients suffer in part because some health professionals
      prescribe or administer amounts of analgesics, namely opioids, which are too
      small or too widely spaced to be fully effective. Patients' reluctance to use
      opioids for pain treatment is often mentioned as a reason not to apply the
      official guidelines, but very few studies have been conducted on people's
      attitudes about opioid use to relieve cancer pain. METHODS: One hundred twenty
      lay participants and 30 health professionals (7 physicians and 23 nurses) were
      presented with a set of vignettes describing a terminally ill woman with cancer
      who is in pain. The vignettes were composed according to a four within-subject
      factor design: (a) level of pain reported by the patient, (b) patient's explicit
      request for additional administration of analgesics, (c) the physicians' final
      decision (e.g., to use a stronger analgesic combining paracetamol and codeine),
      and (d) the way the decision was made (collectively or not). Participants were
      asked to assess the extent to which the physician's decision was, in their view,
      acceptable. RESULTS: Seven qualitatively different positions were found among
      participants. They were called as follows: tend to disagree with any decision
      (9%), increase the strength of the painkiller in any case (16%), give morphine
      preferentially (9%), partly depends on pain level (23%), fully depends on pain
      level (6%), depends on decision process and on pain level (22%), and tend not to
      disagree with any collective decision (25%). CONCLUSIONS: Overall, 91% of
      participants agreed with the use of morphine in terminally ill cancer patients
      when the pain level was high (score of 7) and the decision to increase the
      strength of the painkiller was taken collectively. This percentage dropped to 69%
      when the team was not involved in the decision and to 40% when the pain level was
      lower (score of 4). If opposition to the use of morphine exists, it is not
      opposition to morphine itself but opposition to the circumstances of its use.

PMID- 28364174
TI  - Primate beta oscillations and rhythmic behaviors.
AB  - The study of non-human primates in complex behaviors such as rhythm perception
      and entrainment is critical to understand the neurophysiological basis of human
      cognition. Next to reviewing the role of beta oscillations in human beat
      perception, here we discuss the role of primate putaminal oscillatory activity in
      the control of rhythmic movements that are guided by a sensory metronome or
      internally gated. The analysis of the local field potentials of the behaving
      macaques showed that gamma-oscillations reflect local computations associated
      with stimulus processing of the metronome, whereas beta-activity involves the
      entrainment of large putaminal circuits, probably in conjunction with other
      elements of cortico-basal ganglia-thalamo-cortical circuit, during internally
      driven rhythmic tapping. Thus, this review emphasizes the need of parametric
      neurophysiological observations in non-human primates that display a well
      controlled behavior during high-level cognitive processes.

PMID- 28364173
TI  - A systematic review of methodologies, endpoints, and outcome measures in
      randomized trials of radiation therapy-induced nausea and vomiting.
AB  - PURPOSE: Clinical trials in radiation therapy-induced nausea and vomiting (RINV)
      appear to have varied methodologies, endpoints, and outcome measures. This
      complicates trial comparisons, weakens practice guideline recommendations, and
      contributes to variability in supportive care patterns of practice. We
      systematically reviewed RINV trials to describe and compare their pertinent
      design features. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Ovid versions of the Cochrane Central
      Register of Controlled Trials, the Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews,
      EMBASE, and MEDLINE to January/February 2017 were searched for adult phase III
      trials of RINV management strategies. Key abstracted data included trial
      interventions and eligibility criteria, standard radiation therapy (RT) metrics,
      symptom assessment procedures, symptom definitions and grading systems, pre
      specified and reported endpoints, and other outcome measures. RESULTS: From 1166
      references identified in the initial database search, we selected 34 trials for
      analysis that collectively randomized 4529 patients (median 61, range 11-1492).
      Twenty-eight trials (82%) were published prior to the year 2000. Twenty-seven
      trials (79%) involved multiple fraction RT and 7 (21%) single fraction RT. Twenty
      four trials (71%) evaluated prophylactic interventions, 9 (26%) rescue
      interventions, and 1 trial did not specify. Thirty-three trials (97%) evaluated
      pharmacologic interventions. Twenty trials (59%) had patient report symptoms, 5
      (15%) healthcare professionals or researchers, and 10 (29%) did not specify.
      Nausea was not defined in any trial but was reported as a stand-alone symptom in
      26 trials (76%) and was graded in 20 (59%), with categorical qualitative scales
      being the most common method. Vomiting was defined in 3 trials (9%), was reported
      as a stand-alone symptom in 17 (47%), and was graded in 7 (21%), with continuous
      numerical scales being the most common method. Retching was defined in 3 trials,
      was not reported as a stand-alone symptom in any trial, and was graded in 1 (3%).
      Twenty-one trials (62%) created compound symptom measures that combined
      individual symptoms. Fifteen trials (44%) reported "emetic episode/event"
      measures but only 9 defined them. Seventeen trials (50%) reported complicated
      endpoints (e.g., "response," "control," "success") that combined multiple symptom
      or compound symptom measures, but 7 did not define them comprehensively. Ten
      trials (29%) defined a primary endpoint a priori. CONCLUSIONS: Methodologies,
      endpoints, and outcome measures varied considerably among 34 randomized trials in
      RINV.

PMID- 28364175
TI  - Evaluation of radiological risk during coronary angioplasty procedures:
      comparison of transradial and transfemoral approaches.
AB  - Increasing operator experience and newer available interventional cardiology
      devices require reassessment of radiological risk related to percutaneous
      coronary interventions (PCI). We aimed at comparison of radiological risk and
      procedural data of PCIs performed by radial (RA) and femoral (FA) approach in
      real life patients. Detailed retrospective analysis of 1500 consecutive PCIs with
      the use of radial or femoral access was performed. Comparison between RA and FA
      groups included procedural time (PT), fluoroscopy time (FT), radiation dose and
      contrast volume usage. There was no significant differences between RA and FA
      procedures in FT (12.6 +/- 13.5 vs. 11.7 +/- 9.5 min), X-ray dose generated
      during PCI (805.9 +/- 615.9 vs. 792.2 +/- 633.9 mGy) and use of contrast medium
      (145.2 +/- 62.2 vs. 152.5 +/- 64.2 ml). Mean total PT was shorter in RA (43.7 +/-
      24.5 min) than in FA group (47.2 +/- 30.13 min, p < 0.02). Patients' age
      positively correlated with FT (r = 0.14, p < 0.05) and PT (r = 0.07, p < 0.05) in
      RA but not in FA group (r = 0.05; r = -0.06, respectively). Despite younger age,
      PCIs in males needed higher usage of contrast medium (151.7 +/- 69.2 vs. 139.1 +/
      49.3 ml; p < 0.001), and higher X-ray dose (887.0 +/- 660.4 vs. 657.8 +/- 515.2
      mGy; p < 0.001). Age significantly correlated with PT only in female (r = 0.093,
      p < 0.05) but not in male patients (r = 0.015). We conclude that fluoroscopy
      times, X-ray dose and use of contrast medium were similar in RA and FA, but mean
      total procedural time was significantly shorter in RA than in FA group. However,
      older patients in RA group needed longer fluoroscopy and procedural times to
      complete PCI and this was not seen in FA.

PMID- 28364176
TI  - Reproducibility of echocardiographic assessment of 2D-derived longitudinal strain
      parameters in a population-based study (the STANISLAS Cohort study).
AB  - Global peak systolic longitudinal strain (PLS) derived from speckle tracking
      echocardiography (STE) is a widely used left ventricular deformation parameter.
      Modern ultrasound systems with improved temporal resolution and new software now
      allow automated multilayer analysis; however, there is limited evidence regarding
      its reproducibility. We performed intra- and inter-observer analyses within a
      population-based cohort study using conventional quantitative strain analysis (GE
      Healthcare). Fifty patients (49 +/- 14 years) were randomly selected among the
      fourth visit of the STANISLAS Cohort. Multilayer PLS (transmural, subendocardial,
      and subepicardial), and strain rate (peak systolic, early and late diastolic)
      were evaluated. Peak systolic shortening (PSS) and early positive systolic strain
      (EPS) were calculated, as well as post-systolic index (PSI) and pre-stretch index
      (PST), two additional strain-derived parameters. Intra-observer intraclass
      correlation coefficients (ICC) were >0.75 for all analyzed parameters. The mean
      relative intra-observer differences were <5% for all considered parameters, and
      their 1.96 SDs were <15% for multilayer PLS, strain rate and PSS, but not for
      EPS, PSI and PST. Inter-observer ICCs were >0.70 (the majority being >0.80). The
      mean relative inter-observer differences were <7.5% for all considered
      parameters, with 1.96 SDs of relative differences being <21% for multilayer PLS,
      strain rate and PSS, but not for EPS, PSI and PST. In this population-based
      study, in subjects without or with a limited number of cardiovascular risk
      factors and no previous cardiovascular events, deformation parameters were found
      to be highly reproducible, except for EPS, PSI and PST, which showed moderately
      higher variability. Quantitative strain analysis appears to be an effective
      clinical and research tool, providing insights regarding longitudinal deformation
      using a simple three-step post-processing procedure.

PMID- 28364178
TI  - Optimizing left anterior oblique (LAO) caudal imaging in coronary angiography
      using the Taguchi method: A phantom study with clinical verification.
AB  - The aim of this work tried to optimize the spider view of the coronary angiograph
      for the clinical diagnosis of cardiac artery disease by cardiologists. A
      qualified spider view in coronary angiography must be exactly a "quasi-spider"
      image, which can help to diagnose a lesion in left main coronary artery and
      related regions. Coronary artery phantom was placed in a 75 mm-thick acrylic box
      to model a 70 kg human thorax. Eighteen groups of various combinations of
      operating factors of the X-ray facility were organized based on a Taguchi
      analysis. The six factors that govern the imaging quality of X-ray were (A)
      whether the X-rays emitted through a filter, (B, C) the Left Anterior Oblique
      (LAO) and Caudal Angulation (CAU) projection angles, (D) X-ray peak voltage
      (kVp), (E) X-ray pulse duration and current (mAs) and (F) distance between X-ray
      source and intensifying plate (SID). The obtained X-ray spider view images of
      each group were graded to determine the optimal settings; X-ray emitted without
      filter, 70 degrees  LAO, 30 degrees  CAU, 110 kVp, 1.5 mAs and 108 cm of SID. X
      ray imaging quality optimal result was confirmed based on a clinical diagnosis of
      43 patients, to prove the effectiveness of this study.

PMID- 28364179
TI  - Applications and theory of electrokinetic enrichment in micro-nanofluidic chips.
AB  - This review reports the progress on the recent development of electrokinetic
      enrichment in micro-nanofluidic chips. The governing equations of electrokinetic
      enrichment in micro-nanofluidic chips are given. Various enrichment applications
      including protein analysis, DNA analysis, bacteria analysis, viruses analysis and
      cell analysis are illustrated and discussed. The advantages and difficulties of
      each enrichment method are expatiated. This paper will provide a particularly
      convenient and valuable reference to those who intend to research the
      electrokinetic enrichment based on micro-nanofluidic chips.

PMID- 28364180
TI  - Combined small cell lung carcinoma and giant cell carcinoma: a case report.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Combined small cell lung carcinoma (SCLC) is defined as SCLC combined
      with elements of non-small cell lung carcinoma (NSCLC), accounting for
      approximately 30% of cases of SCLC. However, combined SCLC and giant cell
      carcinoma (GC) is very rare. CASE PRESENTATION: A 50-year-old woman with a 45
      pack-year smoking history was referred to our hospital for further investigation
      of an abnormal left hilar shadow. Chest computed tomography (CT) revealed a 28-mm
      solid pulmonary nodule in the left lower lobe and an enlarged left hilar lymph
      node adjacent to the left main pulmonary artery. CT-guided biopsy of the
      pulmonary nodule led to the diagnosis of high-grade neuroendocrine carcinoma. The
      preoperative clinical stage was defined as cT1bN1M0. Thus, the patient underwent
      left lower lobectomy with ND2a-2 lymph node dissection via thoracotomy.
      Pathological investigation revealed a 22-mm tumor and dense sheet-like growth of
      small tumor cells with scant cytoplasm and finely granular nuclear chromatin.
      Moreover, there was a sheet-like growth of bizarre, highly pleomorphic mono- or
      occasionally multinucleated giant cells, accounting for approximately 40% of the
      tumor. Both the small and giant cell components were thyroid transcription factor
      1-positive and p40-negative and exhibited neuroendocrine differentiation, as
      indicated by positivity for synaptophysin and CD56 and negativity for
      chromogranin A. While the small cell component was E-cadherin-positive and
      vimentin-negative, the giant cell component was E-cadherin-negative and vimentin
      positive, indicating an epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition. Only the small cell
      component was found within the mediastinal and hilar lymph nodes. The final
      pathological diagnosis was combined SCLC and GC, pT1bN2M0, and pStage IIIA. The
      patient received adjuvant chemotherapy with 4 cycles of cisplatin and irinotecan.
      No sign of recurrence has been noted for 1 year after the surgery. CONCLUSIONS:
      This is the first detailed report of a unique case with combined SCLC and GC. The
      coexistence of SCLC and GC in the presented case might indicate several
      possibilities: (1) GC may arise from SCLC via epithelial-to-mesenchymal
      transition, (2) SCLC may arise from GC through phenotypic conversion, and (3)
      SCLC and GC may have derived from a common neuroendocrine origin. Further
      investigation is necessary to reveal the underlying pathological process.

PMID- 28364181
TI  - Commentary on Anatomy and Aesthetics of the Labia Minora: The Ideal Vulva?

PMID- 28364177
TI  - Magnetic resonance imaging for characterizing myocardial diseases.
AB  - The National Institute of Health defined cardiomyopathy as diseases of the heart
      muscle. These myocardial diseases have different etiology, structure and
      treatment. This review highlights the key imaging features of different
      myocardial diseases. It provides information on myocardial structure/orientation,
      perfusion, function and viability in diseases related to cardiomyopathy. The
      standard cardiac magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) sequences can reveal insight on
      left ventricular (LV) mass, volumes and regional contractile function in all
      types of cardiomyopathy diseases. Contrast enhanced MRI sequences allow
      visualization of different infarct patterns and sizes. Enhancement of myocardial
      inflammation and infarct (location, transmurality and pattern) on contrast
      enhanced MRI have been used to highlight the key differences in myocardial
      diseases, predict recovery of function and healing. The common feature in many
      forms of cardiomyopathy is the presence of diffuse-fibrosis. Currently, imaging
      sequences generating the most interest in cardiomyopathy include myocardial
      strain analysis, tissue mapping (T1, T2, T2*) and extracellular volume (ECV)
      estimation techniques. MRI sequences have the potential to decode the etiology by
      showing various patterns of infarct and diffuse fibrosis in myocarditis,
      amyloidosis, sarcoidosis, hypertrophic cardiomyopathy due to aortic stenosis,
      restrictive cardiomyopathy, arrythmogenic right ventricular dysplasia and
      hypertension. Integrated PET/MRI system may add in the future more information
      for the diagnosis and progression of cardiomyopathy diseases. With the promise of
      high spatial/temporal resolution and 3D coverage, MRI will be an indispensible
      tool in diagnosis and monitoring the benefits of new therapies designed to treat
      myocardial diseases.

PMID- 28364182
TI  - Occlusion-Fit V-Line Guide and Gooseneck Saw for Safe and Accurate
      Mandibuloplasty in Asians.
AB  - BACKGROUND: A slender or slim face with narrow facial features is considered
      esthetically appealing in Asian people. Plastic surgery to obtain an oval face,
      called a 'V-line,' is popular among young people. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A total
      of 20 Korean patients were included in this study. The patients underwent
      mandibular anguloplasty with three-dimensional computer-aided design and
      manufacturing surgical guides that were accurately fitted to the upper and lower
      teeth, allowing for precise replication of a virtual surgery during a real
      surgical procedure. RESULTS: There were no significant complications, including
      severe bleeding, facial nerve injury, or airway obstruction. All patients were
      satisfied with the esthetic and functional results, except for one who was
      neutral toward the result. The mean satisfaction score was 4.75, which was
      between 'satisfied' and 'very satisfied.' CONCLUSION: The V-line guide and
      gooseneck saw allowed for safe and fast resection of bone in the mandibular angle
      area. This technique provides consistent results during surgery as well as
      minimizing surgical complications. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE IV: This journal requires
      that authors assign a level of evidence to each article. For a full description
      of these Evidence-Based Medicine ratings, please refer to the Table of Contents
      or the online Instructions to Authors http://www.springer.com/00266 .

PMID- 28364183
TI  - Comparative performance of the EQ-5D-5L and SF-6D index scores in adults with
      type 2 diabetes.
AB  - PURPOSE: To explore the comparative performance including discriminative and
      longitudinal validity of EQ-5D-5L and SF-6D index scores in adults with type 2
      diabetes. METHODS: Data from an on-going cohort study of adults with type 2
      diabetes in Alberta, Canada, were used. Known-groups approach was used to examine
      discriminative validity. Correlation and agreement indices and scatter and Bland
      Altman plots were used to examine the relationship between the two measures.
      Longitudinal validity was explored using Wilcoxon signed-rank test, effect size,
      and standardized response mean. RESULTS: In 1832 participants at baseline (age
      64.3, standard deviation 10.6 years; 45% female), median EQ-5D-5L score was 0.85
      [interquartile range (IQR) 0.17], and floor and ceiling effects of 0.1 and 16.1%,
      respectively; median SF-6D score was 0.72 (IQR 0.24), and floor and ceiling
      effects of 0.1 and 3.2%, respectively. EQ-5D-5L and SF-6D index scores were
      significantly correlated with an overall Spearman correlation coefficient of
      0.73, and an ICC of 0.62 (95% CI 0.42-0.74). Both EQ-5D-5L and SF-6D scores
      demonstrated statistically significant differences in self-reported chronic
      conditions, depressive symptoms, and diabetes-related distress, and were able to
      detect changes in depressive symptoms and diabetes distress across all change
      groups. CONCLUSIONS: Both EQ-5D-5L and SF-6D index scores provide valid
      measurement in this patient population. Considerable overlap between the measures
      means it is not necessary to include both in surveys, however, the advantages and
      disadvantages of each should be considered.

PMID- 28364184
TI  - Etiology and clinical relevance of elevated platelet count in ICU patients : A
      retrospective analysis.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Thrombocytosis is a common phenomenon in critically ill patients.
      Although thrombocytosis is an independent risk factor for complications, it does
      not seem to influence mortality in intensive care (ICU) patients. OBJECTIVES: Our
      investigation aimed to evaluate the etiological and clinical relevance of a
      platelet count greater than 450 * 109/l in ICU patients. MATERIALS AND METHODS:
      Patients admitted for a minimum of 4 days to an interdisciplinary ICU during a 45
      month period were enrolled in this retrospective observational study.
      Thrombocytopenic patients (platelet count <150 * 109/l in at least one
      measurement) were excluded. The study patients were divided into two groups:
      thrombocytosis group (thrombocytes >450 * 109/l in at least one measurement) and
      control group (thrombocytes = 150 - 450 * 109/l during ICU stay). Univariate and
      multiple regression analysis were used to determine the influence of severe co
      morbidities on the development of thrombocytosis and the association of elevated
      platelet count with thrombotic embolism, length of stay (LOS) in ICU, and
      mortality. RESULTS: A total of 307 patients were analyzed, of whom thrombocytosis
      was observed in 119 cases. Independent risk factors for the development of
      thrombocytosis included SIRS, mechanical ventilation, and acute bleeding.
      Increasing age reduced the risk of thrombocytosis. Thromboembolism occurred in 16
      patients (13.4%) with an elevated platelet count and only in nine patients (4.7%)
      with physiological platelet values (OR: 3.1; 95% CI: 1.3-7.2; p = 0.009). Mean
      duration of LOS was significantly longer in patients with thrombocytosis (25.2
      vs.11.7 days, p < 0.0001). Elevated platelet count showed a negative correlation
      with ICU mortality (OR: 0.32; 95%-CI: 0.12-0.83; p = 0.019). CONCLUSION: In our
      retrospective analysis the occurrence of thrombocytosis in a cohort of
      interdisciplinary ICU patients was associated with a higher rate of complications
      and longer LOS in the ICU. Despite these findings, thrombocytosis seems to reduce
      mortality in critical ill patients.

PMID- 28364186
TI  - Effect of Nerve Growth Factor on Neural Differentiation of Mouse Embryonic Stem
      Cells.
AB  - The cholinergic, GABAergic, and catecholaminergic neurons derived from mouse
      embryonic stem cells in a culture medium supplemented with recombinant NGF were
      phenotyped and scored. NGF stimulated generation of neurons, but not neuronal
      progenitors from embryonic stem cells and affected the proportion of specific
      types of neurons in cultures of differentiating embryonic stem cells. These
      findings open vista to employ NGF for generation of specific neuron types from
      embryonic stem cells for fundamental and toxicological studies.

PMID- 28364185
TI  - Cerebellar Pathology in Familial vs. Sporadic Essential Tremor.
AB  - Familial and sporadic essential tremor (ET) cases differ in several respects.
      Whether they differ with respect to cerebellar pathologic changes has yet to be
      studied. We quantified a broad range of postmortem features (Purkinje cell (PC)
      counts, PC axonal torpedoes, a host of associated axonal changes, heterotopic
      PCs, and hairy basket ratings) in 60 ET cases and 30 controls. Familial ET was
      defined using both liberal criteria (n = 27) and conservative criteria (n = 20).
      When compared with controls, ET cases had lower PC counts, more torpedoes, more
      heterotopic PCs, a higher hairy basket rating, an increase in PC axonal
      collaterals, an increase in PC thickened axonal profiles, and an increase in PC
      axonal branching. Familial and sporadic ET had similar postmortem changes, with
      few exceptions, regardless of the definition criteria. The PC counts were
      marginally lower in familial than sporadic ET (respective p values = 0.059 [using
      liberal criteria] and 0.047 [using conservative criteria]). The PC thickened
      axonal profile count was marginally lower in familial ET than sporadic ET
      (respective p values = 0.037 [using liberal criteria] and 0.17 [using
      conservative criteria]), and the PC axonal branching count was marginally lower
      in familial than sporadic ET (respective p values = 0.045 [using liberal
      criteria] and 0.079 [using conservative criteria]). After correction for multiple
      comparisons, however, there were no significant differences. Overall, familial
      and sporadic ET cases share very similar cerebellar postmortem features. These
      data indicate that pathological changes in the cerebellum are a part of the
      pathophysiological cascade of events in both forms of ET.

PMID- 28364188
TI  - What is This Image? 2017: Image 6 Result : The Cobra Head Sign: A useful sign in
      discrimination between anterior wall myocardial ischemia and soft tissue
      attenuation artifact.

PMID- 28364189
TI  - Lesion contrast recovery for partial-volume averaging: Quantitative correction or
      qualitative enhancement?

PMID- 28364187
TI  - Chrysin Attenuates IL-1beta-Induced Expression of Inflammatory Mediators by
      Suppressing NF-kappaB in Human Osteoarthritis Chondrocytes.
AB  - Osteoarthritis (OA) is a degenerative joint disease characterized by cartilage
      degradation and inflammation. Chrysin, a natural flavonoid extracted from honey
      and propolis, has been reported to have anti-inflammatory effects. However, the
      anti-inflammatory effects of chrysin on OA have not been reported. This study
      aimed to assess the effects of chrysin on human OA chondrocytes. Human OA
      chondrocytes were pretreated with chrysin (1, 5, 10 MUM) for 2 h and subsequently
      stimulated with IL-1beta for 24 h. Production of NO, PGE2, MMP-1, MMP-3, MMP-13,
      ADAMTS-4, and ADAMTS-5 was evaluated by the Griess reaction and ELISAs. The
      messenger RNA (mRNA) expression of COX-2, iNOS, MMP-1, MMP-3, MMP-13, ADAMTS-4,
      ADAMTS-5, aggrecan, and collagen-II was measured by real-time PCR. The protein
      expression of COX-2, iNOS, p65, p-p65, IkappaB-alpha, and p-IkappaB-alpha was
      detected by Western blot. The protein expression of collagen-II and p65 nuclear
      translocation was evaluated by immunofluorescence. We found that chrysin
      significantly inhibited the IL-1beta-induced production of NO and PGE2;
      expression of COX-2, iNOS, MMP-1, MMP-3, MMP-13, ADAMTS-4, and ADAMTS-5; and
      degradation of aggrecan and collagen-II. Furthermore, chrysin dramatically
      blocked IL-1beta-stimulated IkappaB-alpha degradation and NF-kappaB activation.
      Taken together, these results suggest that chrysin may be a potential agent in
      the treatment of OA.

PMID- 28364191
TI  - Extreme Selection Unifies Evolutionary Game Dynamics in Finite and Infinite
      Populations.
AB  - We show that when selection is extreme-the fittest strategy always reproduces or
      is imitated-the unequivalence between the possible evolutionary game scenarios in
      finite and infinite populations resolves, in the sense that the three generic
      outcomes-dominance, coexistence, and mutual exclusion-emerge in well-mixed
      populations of any size. We consider the simplest setting of a 2-player-2
      strategy symmetric game and the two most common microscopic definitions of
      strategy spreading-the frequency-dependent Moran process and the imitation
      process by pairwise comparison-both in the case allowing any intensity of
      selection. We show that of the seven different invasion and fixation scenarios
      that are generically possible in finite populations-fixation being more or less
      likely to occur and rapid compared to the neutral game-the three that are
      possible in large populations are the same three that occur for sufficiently
      strong selection: (1) invasion and fast fixation of one strategy; (2) mutual
      invasion and slow fixation of one strategy; (3) no invasion and no fixation.
      Moreover (and interestingly), in the limit of extreme selection 2 becomes mutual
      invasion and no fixation, a case not possible for finite intensity of selection
      that better corresponds to the deterministic case of coexistence. In the extreme
      selection limit, we also derive the large population deterministic limit of the
      two considered stochastic processes.

PMID- 28364190
TI  - Pu'erh tea extract-mediated protection against hepatosteatosis and insulin
      resistance in mice with diet-induced obesity is associated with the induction of
      de novo lipogenesis in visceral adipose tissue.
AB  - BACKGROUND: White adipose tissue (WAT) is important for the maintenance of
      metabolic homeostasis, and metabolic syndrome is sometimes associated with WAT
      dysfunction in humans and animals. WAT reportedly plays a key, beneficial role in
      the maintenance of glucose and lipid homeostasis during de novo lipogenesis
      (DNL). Pu'erh tea extract (PTE) can inhibit harmful, ectopic DNL in the liver,
      thus protecting against hepatosteatosis, in mice with diet-induced obesity. We
      examined whether PTE could induce DNL in WAT and consequently protect against
      hepatosteatosis. METHODS: C57BL/6 male mice were fed a high-fat diet (HFD)
      with/without PTE for 16 weeks. Systemic insulin sensitivity was determined using
      HOMA-IR, insulin- and glucose-tolerance tests, and WAT adipogenesis was evaluated
      by histological analysis. Adipogenesis-, inflammation-, and DNL-related gene
      expression in visceral AT (VAT) and subcutaneous AT (SAT) was measured using
      quantitative reverse transcription-PCR. Regression analysis was used to
      investigate the association between DNL in WAT and systemic insulin resistance or
      hepatosteatosis. RESULTS: Pu'erh tea extract significantly reduced the gain of
      body weight and SAT, but not VAT adiposity, in mice fed the high-fat diet and
      induced adipogenesis in VAT. The expression of DNL-related genes, including
      Glut4, encoding an important insulin-regulated glucose transporter (GLUT4), were
      highly elevated in VAT. Moreover, PTE inhibited VAT inflammation by
      simultaneously downregulating inflammatory molecules and inducing expression of
      Gpr120 that encodes an anti-inflammatory and pro-adipogenesis receptor (GPR-120)
      that recognizes unsaturated long-chain fatty acids, including DNL products. The
      expression of DNL-related genes in VAT was inversely correlated with
      hepatosteatosis and systemic insulin resistance. CONCLUSIONS: Activation of DNL
      in VAT may explain PTE-mediated alleviation of hepatosteatosis symptoms and
      systemic insulin resistance.

PMID- 28364194
TI  - Carbon Treatment as a Method to Remove Imidacloprid from Agriculture Runoff.
AB  - Use of neonicotinoid pesticides is increasing worldwide and there is growing
      evidence of surface water contamination from this class of insecticide. Due to
      their high solubility, traditional mitigation practices may be less effective at
      reducing neonicotinoid concentrations in agricultural runoff. In the current
      study, laboratory experiments were conducted to determine if granulated activated
      carbon (GAC) reduces concentrations of the neonicotinoid imidacloprid in water
      under simulated flow conditions. Imidacloprid was pumped through columns packed
      with GAC using flow rates scaled to mimic previously reported field studies.
      Treatments were tested at two different flow rates and samples were collected
      after 200 and 2500 mL of treated water were pumped through the column. Chemical
      analysis of the post-column effluent showed the GAC removed all detectable
      imidacloprid from solution at both flow rates and at both sample times. These
      results demonstrate the efficacy of GAC for treating neonicotinoids and the
      results are discussed in the context of incorporating this treatment into
      integrated vegetated treatment systems for mitigating pesticides in agricultural
      runoff. Future studies are being designed to evaluate this technology in full
      scale field trials.

PMID- 28364193
TI  - Radiofrequency Ablation of the Atherosclerotic Plaque: a Proof of Concept Study
      in an Atherosclerotic Model.
AB  - Increased plaque vascularization is causatively associated with the progression
      of unstable atherosclerotic vessel disease. We investigated the safety and
      efficacy of heat-generating radiofrequency ablation (RFA) in reducing the number
      of vessels in the plaque and adventitia and its effect on plaque size and
      composition. To this end, New Zealand White rabbits were fed a cholesterol
      enriched diet and subjected to balloon denudation of the infrarenal aorta to
      induce atherosclerotic plaque formation. After 13 weeks, the proximal or distal
      half of the infrarenal aorta was exposed to transluminal RFA. The untreated half
      served as an intra-individual control. Optical coherence tomography (OCT) was
      performed directly after RFA. We found that RFA on the rabbit atherosclerotic
      plaque is safe and leads to decreased intraplaque vessel density and smooth
      muscle cell content but does not affect other components of plaque composition or
      size.

PMID- 28364192
TI  - Protein arginine methylation: a prominent modification and its demethylation.
AB  - Arginine methylation of histones is one mechanism of epigenetic regulation in
      eukaryotic cells. Methylarginines can also be found in non-histone proteins
      involved in various different processes in a cell. An enzyme family of nine
      protein arginine methyltransferases catalyses the addition of methyl groups on
      arginines of histone and non-histone proteins, resulting in either mono- or
      dimethylated-arginine residues. The reversibility of histone modifications is an
      essential feature of epigenetic regulation to respond to changes in environmental
      factors, signalling events, or metabolic alterations. Prominent histone
      modifications like lysine acetylation and lysine methylation are reversible.
      Enzyme family pairs have been identified, with each pair of lysine
      acetyltransferases/deacetylases and lysine methyltransferases/demethylases
      operating complementarily to generate or erase lysine modifications. Several
      analyses also indicate a reversible nature of arginine methylation, but the
      enzymes facilitating direct removal of methyl moieties from arginine residues in
      proteins have been discussed controversially. Differing reports have been seen
      for initially characterized putative candidates, like peptidyl arginine deiminase
      4 or Jumonji-domain containing protein 6. Here, we review the most recent
      cellular, biochemical, and mass spectrometry work on arginine methylation and its
      reversible nature with a special focus on putative arginine demethylases,
      including the enzyme superfamily of Fe(II) and 2-oxoglutarate-dependent
      oxygenases.

PMID- 28364195
TI  - Historical Characteristics of Contamination and Risk of Heavy Metals in Weishan
      Lake, China.
AB  - Combined with the dating analysis of 210Pb and 137Cs, the historical
      concentration and risk of As, Cd, Cr, Cu, Hg, Ni, Pb and Zn in the core sediment
      of Weishan Lake were determined. Pollution concentrations, enrichment factor, geo
      accumulation index, and ecological risk index of these metals and C/N ratio
      indicate that the natural inputs prevailed till early 1900s. From late 1970s
      onwards, the risk posed by these metals was significantly increased. Cu and Hg
      might cause adverse biological effects. The increase of soil erosion and
      wastewater discharge in the watershed promoted input and accumulation of these
      metals in the lake. The coal and petroleum industry in the catchment led the more
      accumulation of Hg, Cd and Cu in the lake.

PMID- 28364196
TI  - Citizenship, length of stay, and screening for breast, cervical, and colorectal
      cancer in women, 2000-2010.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Two factors jointly account for significant gaps in access to health
      care among immigrants who are present in the U.S.-legal status, and length of
      residence. The objective of this study is to examine the association between
      citizenship and length of residence in the U.S. and cancer screening (breast,
      cervical, and colorectal) among women. METHODS: We analyzed 11 years (2000-2010)
      of consolidated data from the Medical Expenditure Panel Survey linked with the
      National Health Interview Survey. Multivariate analyses compared cancer screening
      among U.S.-born citizens (n = 58,484), immigrant citizens (n = 8,404), and
      immigrant non-citizens (n = 6,564). RESULTS: Immigrant non-citizens living in the
      U.S. for less than 5 years were less likely to receive guideline-concordant
      breast (OR = 0.68 [0.53-0.88]), cervical (OR = 0.65 [0.54-0.78]), and colorectal
      (OR = 0.31 [0.19-0.50]) cancer screening compared to U.S.-born citizens.
      Immigrant citizens and non-citizens living in the U.S. for 5 years or more had
      higher odds of being screened for breast and cervical cancer compared to U.S.
      born citizens; (OR = 1.26 [1.13-1.41] and OR = 1.17 [1.06-1.29]) for immigrant
      citizens, (OR = 1.28 [1.13-1.45] and OR = 1.23 [1.09-1.38]) for non-citizens.
      Immigrant non-citizens living in the U.S. for 5 years or more had lower odds of
      being screened for colorectal cancer compared to U.S.-born citizens (OR = 0.76
      [0.65-0.90]). CONCLUSIONS: Based on these findings, duration mandates in
      immigration policy may indirectly influence future pathways to preventive health
      care and cancer disparities disproportionately affecting immigrant women. We
      suggest that limits of duration mandates be reevaluated, as they may offer
      pathways to preventive health care for this vulnerable population, and prevent
      future cancer disparities.

PMID- 28364197
TI  - The role of particle size of glyburide crystals in improving its oral absorption.
AB  - Currently, nanosizing is becoming increasingly prevalent as an efficient way for
      the improvement of oral drug absorption. This study mainly focuses on two points,
      namely the crystal properties, and the in vitro and in vivo characterizations of
      drug crystals during the nanosizing process. We used glyburide, an oral type 2
      diabetes (T2D) medication, as our model drug. We sought to reduce the crystalline
      size of this drug and evaluate its absorption properties by comparing it with the
      original coarse drug because of previous reports about its gastrointestinal
      absorption insufficiency. Glyburide crystals, ranging from 237.6 to 4473 nm were
      prepared successfully by jet milling and media milling. The particle sizes and
      the crystal morphology were analyzed by characterization of the solid states,
      equilibrium solubility, and dissolution behavior. Additionally, pharmacokinetic
      study was performed in SD rats. The solid state results indicated a loss in
      crystallinity, amide-imidic acid interconversion, and partial amorphization
      during nanosizing. Further, in in vitro tests, nanocrystal formulations
      remarkably increased the solubility and dissolution of the drug (compared to
      microcrystals). In the in vivo test, reducing the particle size from 601.3 to
      312.5 nm showed no improvement on the C max and AUC (0-36 h) values, while a
      profound slowing of the drug elimination occurred with reduction of particle
      size. Further reduction from 312.5 to 237.6 nm lead to a significant increase (p
      < 0.001) of the AUC (0-36 h) from 6857.8 +/- 369.3 ng mL-1 h to 12,928.3 +/-
      1591.4 ng mL-1 h, respectively, in rats. Our present study confirmed that
      nanosizing has a tremendous impact on promoting the oral absorption of glyburide.

PMID- 28364199
TI  - Flow dynamics and energy efficiency of flow in the left ventricle during
      myocardial infarction.
AB  - Cardiovascular disease is a leading cause of death worldwide, where myocardial
      infarction (MI) is a major category. After infarction, the heart has difficulty
      providing sufficient energy for circulation, and thus, understanding the heart's
      energy efficiency is important. We induced MI in a porcine animal model via
      circumflex ligation and acquired multiple-slice cine magnetic resonance (MR)
      images in a longitudinal manner-before infarction, and 1 week (acute) and 4 weeks
      (chronic) after infarction. Computational fluid dynamic simulations were
      performed based on MR images to obtain detailed fluid dynamics and energy
      dynamics of the left ventricles. Results showed that energy efficiency flow
      through the heart decreased at the acute time point. Since the heart was observed
      to experience changes in heart rate, stroke volume and chamber size over the two
      post-infarction time points, simulations were performed to test the effect of
      each of the three parameters. Increasing heart rate and stroke volume were found
      to significantly decrease flow energy efficiency, but the effect of chamber size
      was inconsistent. Strong complex interplay was observed between the three
      parameters, necessitating the use of non-dimensional parameterization to
      characterize flow energy efficiency. The ratio of Reynolds to Strouhal number,
      which is a form of Womersley number, was found to be the most effective non
      dimensional parameter to represent energy efficiency of flow in the heart. We
      believe that this non-dimensional number can be computed for clinical cases via
      ultrasound and hypothesize that it can serve as a biomarker for clinical
      evaluations.

PMID- 28364198
TI  - Drug-induced sleep endoscopy with target-controlled infusion using propofol and
      monitored depth of sedation to determine treatment strategies in obstructive
      sleep apnea.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Drug-induced sleep endoscopy (DISE) has become an important
      diagnostic examination tool in the treatment decision process for surgical
      therapies in the treatment of obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). Currently, there is
      a variety of regimes for the performance of DISE, which renders comparison and
      assessment across results difficult. It remains unclear how the different regimes
      influence the findings of the examination and the resulting conclusions and
      treatment recommendations. This study aimed to investigate the correlation
      between increasing levels of sedation (i.e., light, medium, and deep) induced by
      propofol using a target-controlled infusion (TCI) pump, with the obstruction
      patterns at the levels of the velum, oropharynx, tongue base, and epiglottis
      (i.e., VOTE classification). A second goal was the establishment of a sufficient
      sedation level to enable a reliable decision regarding treatment recommendations.
      MATERIAL AND METHODS: Forty-three patients with OSA underwent a DISE procedure
      using propofol TCI. Three levels of sedation were defined, depending on entropy
      levels and assessment of sedation: light sedation, medium sedation, and deep
      sedation. The evaluation of the upper airway at each level, with increasing
      sedation, was documented using the VOTE classification. The elapsed time at which
      each assessment was performed was recorded. RESULTS: Upper airway changes
      occurred and were measured throughout the DISE procedure. Clinically useful
      determinations of airway closure occurred at medium sedation; this level of
      sedation was most probably achieved with a blood propofol concentration of 3.2
      MUg/ml. In all 43 patients, definite treatment decisions could be made at medium
      sedation level. Increasing sedation did not result in changes in the treatment
      decision. CONCLUSIONS: Changes in upper airway collapse during DISE with propofol
      TCI occur at levels of medium sedation. Decisions regarding surgical treatment
      could be made at this level of sedation. CLINICAL TRIAL NAME: Upper Airway
      Collapse in Patients with Obstructive Sleep Apnea Syndrome by Drug Induced Sleep
      Endoscopy (URL:
      https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/results?term=NCT02588300&Search=Search )
      REGISTRATION NUMBER: NCT02588300.

PMID- 28364201
TI  - Effectiveness of carbon dioxide against different developmental stages of Cadra
      cautella and Tribolium castaneum.
AB  - Methyl bromide is an excellent fumigant but has been banned because it has high
      potential for depleting the ozone layer which leads to many environmental and
      human health hazard issues. In this connection, effectiveness of carbon dioxide
      (CO2, 99.9%) was studied as an alternative to methyl bromide under various
      exposure timings, 25 +/- 1  degrees C, against different developmental stages of
      the almond moth, Cadra cautella, and red flour beetle, Tribolium castaneum. In
      case of C. cautella, the LT99 against adult, pupa, and larval stages was achieved
      after 37.5, 78.1, and 99.9 h of CO2 application, respectively. While for T.
      castaneum, the LT99 values were obtained after exposure timings of 29.3, 153.9,
      and 78.4 h against adult, pupa, and larval stages, respectively. Adults were very
      susceptible; in contrast, pupae and larvae were more tolerant. The susceptibility
      order was observed as follows: T. castaneum adult > C. cautella adult > C.
      cautella pupae > T. castaneum larvae > C. cautella larvae > T. castaneum pupae.
      This study could be useful in developing the management strategies to prevent
      stored dates from C. cautella and T. castaneum infestation.

PMID- 28364200
TI  - Sphingosine-1-phosphate is involved in inflammatory reactions in patients with
      Graves' orbitopathy.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: Graves' orbitopathy (GO) is initiated by excessive amount of various
      inflammatory mediators produced by orbital fibroblasts. This study aimed to
      assess the crucial role of sphingosine-1-phosphate (S1P) in the inflammatory
      process of GO. METHODS: Orbital adipose/connective tissue samples were obtained
      from 10 GO patients and 10 normal control individuals during surgery. Primary
      orbital fibroblast culture was done. After the expression of S1P receptors and
      sphingosine kinase (SphK) was assessed with the treatment of interleukin (IL)
      1beta, we evaluated the expression of pro-inflammatory factors [intercellular
      adhesion molecule-1 (ICAM-1), cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) and IL-6] after treating
      S1P. S1P receptor antagonists and SphK 1 inhibitor were pretreated and the
      expression of the pro-inflammatory factors was assessed. RESULTS: IL-1beta
      exacerbated the inflammatory process by enhancing the expression of S1P receptors
      and SphK in GO orbital fibroblasts. IL-1beta also induced the expressions of ICAM
      1, COX-2, and IL-6 in GO orbital fibroblasts, and these expressions were
      effectively inhibited by S1P receptor antagonists and SphK1 inhibitor.
      CONCLUSION: S1P has an important role in the pathological inflammatory process of
      GO, which is mediated through the SphK1-S1P- S1P receptor pathway. SphK1
      inhibitors and S1P receptors or antagonists could be potential approaches for
      controlling the inflammatory process of GO.

PMID- 28364202
TI  - Microbial profiles of a drinking water resource based on different 16S rRNA V
      regions during a heavy cyanobacterial bloom in Lake Taihu, China.
AB  - Understanding of the bacterial community structure in drinking water resources
      helps to enhance the security of municipal water supplies. In this study,
      bacterial communities were surveyed in water and sediment during a heavy
      cyanobacterial bloom in a drinking water resource of Lake Taihu, China. A total
      of 325,317 high-quality sequences were obtained from different 16S ribosomal RNA
      (rRNA) regions (V3, V4, and V6) using the Miseq sequencing platform. A notable
      difference was shown between the water and sediment samples, as predominated by
      Cyanobacteria, Proteobacteria, and Actinobacteria in the water and
      Proteobacteria, Chloroflexi, and Verrucomicrobia in the sediment, respectively.
      The LD12 family dominated the water surface and was tightly associated with
      related indicators of cyanobacterial propagation, indicating involvement in the
      massive proliferation of cyanobacterial blooms. Alternatively, the genus
      Nitrospira dominated the sediment samples, which indicates that nitrite oxidation
      was very active in the sediment. Although pathogenic bacteria were not detected
      in a large amount, some genera such as Mycobacterium, Acinetobacter, and
      Legionella were still identified but in very low abundance. In addition, the
      effects of different V regions on bacterial diversity survey were evaluated.
      Overall, V4 and V3 were proven to be more promising V regions for bacterial
      diversity survey in water and sediment samples during heavy water blooms in Lake
      Taihu, respectively. As longer, cheaper, and faster DNA sequencing technologies
      become more accessible, we expect that bacterial community structures based on
      16S rRNA amplicons as an indicator could be used alongside with physical and
      chemical indicators, to conduct comprehensive assessments for drinking water
      resource management.

PMID- 28364203
TI  - Subsurface cadmium loss from a stony soil-effect of cow urine application.
AB  - Cadmium (Cd) losses in subsurface flow from stony soils that have received cow
      urine are potentially important, but poorly understood. This study investigated
      Cd loss from a soil under a winter dairy-grazed forage crop that was grazed
      either conventionally (24 h) or with restricted grazing (6 h). This provided an
      opportunity to test the hypothesis that urine inputs could increase Cd
      concentrations in drainage. It was thought this would be a result of cow urine
      either (i) enhancing dissolved organic carbon (DOC) concentrations via an
      increase in soil pH, resulting in the formation of soluble Cd-organic carbon
      complexes and, or (ii) greater inputs of chloride (Cl) via cow urine, promoting
      the formation of soluble Cd-Cl complexes. Cadmium concentrations in subsurface
      flow were generally low, with a spike above the water quality guidelines for a
      month after the 24-h grazing. Cadmium fluxes were on average 0.30 g Cd ha-1 year
      1 (0.27-0.32 g Cd ha-1 year-1), in line with previous estimates for agricultural
      soils. The mean Cd concentration in drainage from the 24-h grazed plots was
      significantly higher (P < 0.05) than 6-h plots. No increase in DOC concentrations
      between the treatments was found. However, Cl concentrations in drainage were
      significantly higher (P < 0.001) from the 24-h than the 6-h grazed treatment
      plots, and positively correlated with Cd concentrations, and therefore, a
      possible mechanism increasing Cd mobility in soil. Further study is warranted to
      confirm the mechanisms involved and quantities of Cd lost from other systems.

PMID- 28364204
TI  - Characteristics and mechanisms of nickel adsorption on biochars produced from
      wheat straw pellets and rice husk.
AB  - The adsorption characteristics and mechanisms of Ni2+ on four-standard biochars
      produced from wheat straw pellets (WSP550, WSP700) and rice husk (RH550, RH700)
      at 550 and 700  degrees C, respectively, were investigated. The kinetic results
      show that the adsorption of Ni2+ on the biochars reached an equilibrium within 5
      min. The increase of the solid to liquid ratio resulted in an increase of Ni2+
      removal percentage but a decrease of the adsorbed amount of Ni2+ per weight unit
      of biochar. The Ni2+ removal percentage increased with the increasing of initial
      solution pH values at the range of 2-4, was relatively constant at the pH range
      of 4-8, and significantly increased to >=98% at pH 9 and stayed constantly at the
      pH range of 9-10. The calculated maximum adsorption capacities of Ni2+ for the
      biochars follow the order of WSP700 > WSP550 > RH700 > RH550. Both cation
      exchange capacity and pH of biochar can be a good indicator of the maximum
      adsorption capacity for Ni2+ showing a positively linear and exponential
      relationship, respectively. This study also suggests that a carefully controlled
      standardised production procedure can make it reliable to compare the adsorption
      capacities between different biochars and investigate the mechanisms involved.

PMID- 28364206
TI  - The problem of dephosphorization using waste recycling.
AB  - The article considers optimizing methods for wastewater treatment systems.
      Nutrients (nitrogen and phosphorus) are discharged from the river basin of the
      northwest Russia. Disruption of ecological safety and healthy state of water
      basins takes place when excess amount of nitrogen and phosphorus is discharged
      from wastewater. This results in eutrophication that is increased growth of
      seaweeds and, therefore, in ecological system disruption. The cities of the
      northwest region are short of funds for renovation of water treatment systems.
      However, the new solution lies in improvement of biological water treatment
      system by means of chemical injection. The main research task is implementation
      of methods for enhanced biological phosphorus removal from domestic sewage. The
      problem of recycling and ecological safety of rivers within the northwest of
      Russia and the Baltic Sea is not solved completely. That is why for wastewater
      dephosphorization, the authors suggest using sulfuric acid production waste at
      chemical plant "Ammophos," Cherepovets (ferrous sulfate FeSO4.7H2O and
      phosphogypsum SaSO4.R2O5), as reagents. The advantage of these reagents is their
      low cost. The authors show the efficiency of the new optimal reagent's
      combination. Filtering the wastewater through sand filters after secondary
      settlers increases the total phosphorus removal efficiency up to 90%. The high
      effect of all types of phosphorus and total nitrogen removal from wastewater can
      be resulted from the features of micelle creation during coagulation.

PMID- 28364205
TI  - Spatial distribution of atmospheric PAHs and their genotoxicity in petrochemical
      industrialized Lanzhou valley, northwest China.
AB  - The present study investigated the spatial and seasonal variations and sources of
      16 priority polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in Lanzhou, a petrochemical
      industrialized and the capital city of Gansu province, northwest China. The human
      health risks to these PAHs were assessed using an in vitro genotoxic bioassay
      technique. Associations among direct genotoxic potency, atmospheric PAH
      concentrations, and potential carcinogen risks were examined. Due to high PAH
      emissions from fossil fuel combustion and petrochemical industries, considerable
      higher PAH levels in the atmosphere were observed in Xigu district, a suburb
      featured by heavy petrochemical industry, compared with those collected at
      downtown and rural sampling sites. Ambient PAH levels at all sampling sites
      during the wintertime were higher than that in the summertime due to the winter
      domestic heating. BaP equivalent (BaPeq) concentrations in winter (41 ng/m3) and
      summer (28 ng/m3) exceeded the China's new national daily BaPeq standard. The
      average excess inhalation cancer risks (ECR) due to human exposure to PAHs during
      winter and summer sampling periods were 45-3540 cancer cases and 31-2451 cases
      per million people, respectively. The average ECR in the industrial area of
      Lanzhou valley was 1.97 (winter) and 1.88 times (summer) higher than that in
      other sampling areas. The higher ECR in the industrial area was resulted
      primarily by industrial activities and insufficient emission control measures.
      Extracts from passive air samples in genotoxicity SOS/umu test demonstrated that
      the genotoxic effect of atmospheric PAHs in Lanzhou was seasonal dependent. PAH
      air samples collected in winter showed more statistically significant
      genotoxicity, as manifested by a strong correlation between in vitro genotoxicity
      and atmospheric PAH concentrations. This indicates that the local residents were
      under higher potential cancer risk through the inhalation of ambient PAH air
      concentrations in Lanzhou valley during the wintertime.

PMID- 28364207
TI  - Effects of applying biosolids to soils on the adsorption and bioavailability of
      17alpha-ethinylestradiol and triclosan in wheat plants.
AB  - Biosolids contain inorganic and organic contaminants, including pharmaceutical
      and personal care products (PPCPs) that have accounted for a series of emerging
      contaminants, such as triclosan (TCS) and the hormone 17alpha-ethinylestradiol
      (EE2). The general aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of biosolid
      application on EE2 and TCS adsorption and bioavailability in soils through
      testing with wheat plants. For the bioavailability study, sand and two soils,
      Lampa and Lo Prado, were used. The sand and soils were treated using two biosolid
      application rates (0 and 90 mg ha-1), and the EE2 and TCS concentrations in the
      biosolids were determined as 0.54 +/- 0.06 and 8.31 +/- 0.19 mg kg-1,
      respectively. The concentration observed in wheat plants indicated that EE2 and
      TCS are mainly concentrated in the roots rather than in the shoots. Furthermore,
      the bioavailability of the compounds in plants depends on the properties of the
      contaminants and the soil. Adsorption studies showed that increasing the soil
      organic matter content increases the adsorption of TCS and EE2 on these
      substrates and that both compounds follow the Freundlich adsorption model. The
      desorption procedure indicated that availability for both TCS and EE2 depended on
      the soil type because TCS and EE2 were small in the Lampa soil with and without
      biosolid application and TCS increased by nearly 50% in the Lo Prado soil. The Lo
      Prado soil had an acidic pH (5.9) and the Lampa soil had a neutral pH of 7.3, and
      the organic carbon content was smaller.

PMID- 28364208
TI  - Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and polychlorinated biphenyls in soils of
      Mayabeque, Cuba.
AB  - Cuba is a country in transition with a considerable potential for economic
      growth. Soils are recipients and integrators of chemical pollution, a frequent
      negative side effect of increasing industrial activities. Therefore, we
      established a soil monitoring network to monitor polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons
      (PAHs) and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) in soils of Mayabeque, a Cuban
      province southeast of Havana. Concentrations of the sum of the 16 US EPA PAHs and
      of the seven IRMM PCBs in soils from 39 locations ranged from 20 to 106 MUg kg-1
      and from 1.1 to 7.6 MUg kg-1, respectively. While such concentrations can be
      considered as low overall, they were in several cases correlated with the
      distance of sampling sites to presumed major emission sources, with some of the
      concomitantly investigated source diagnostic PAH ratios, and with black carbon
      content. The presented data adds to the limited information on soil pollution in
      the Caribbean region and serves as a reference time point before the onset of a
      possible further industrial development in Cuba. It also forms the basis to set
      up and adapt national environmental standards.

PMID- 28364209
TI  - Characteristic comparison of heavy metal contamination between road-deposited and
      roof-deposited sediments in suburban area.
AB  - Surface-deposited sediment in urban area is an essential environmental medium for
      assessing heavy metal contamination. A total of 10 sampling trips were conducted
      to collect road-deposited and roof-deposited sediments for the comparison of
      nickel (Ni), copper (Cu), cadmium (Cd), lead (Pb), zinc (Zn), and chromium (Cr)
      contamination characteristics. Results indicated that roof sediment appeared to
      have a finer size distribution than road sediments. Roof sediment indicated
      higher metal concentration and lower surface loading than road sediment. The
      impact of particle size on heavy metal contamination was quantified by using the
      developed pioneering term of finer particle effect factor; it differed according
      to surface types and grain size fraction. Particles in individual grain size
      fraction showed different contribution to the surface loading for bulk sediments.
      No consistent trend was found for the grain size fraction loading along with
      grain size for the studied heavy metals for road sediments. In contrast, an
      asymmetric "W" trend was observed for the roof sediments, and it had the
      following results: Fraction of <63 and 250-500 MUm showed higher loading, while
      fraction of 90-125 and >850 MUm indicated the smaller loading. Findings above
      facilitated the appropriate management practice selection for the treatment of
      surface-deposited sediments.

PMID- 28364210
TI  - Being Poorer Than the Rest of the Neighborhood: Relative Deprivation and Problem
      Behavior of Youth.
AB  - According to the neighborhood effects hypothesis, there is a negative relation
      between neighborhood wealth and youth's problem behavior. It is often assumed
      that there are more problems in deprived neighborhoods, but there are also
      reports of higher rates of behavioral problems in more affluent neighborhoods.
      Much of this literature does not take into account relative wealth. Our central
      question was whether the economic position of adolescents' families, relative to
      the neighborhood in which they lived, was related to adolescents' internalizing
      and externalizing problem behavior. We used longitudinal data for youth between
      12-16 and 16-20 years of age, combined with population register data (N = 926;
      55% females). We employ between-within models to account for time-invariant
      confounders, including parental background characteristics. Our findings show
      that, for adolescents, moving to a more affluent neighborhood was related to
      increased levels of depression, social phobia, aggression, and conflict with
      fathers and mothers. This could be indirect evidence for the relative deprivation
      mechanism, but we could not confirm this, and we did not find any gender
      differences. The results do suggest that future research should further
      investigate the role of individuals' relative position in their neighborhood in
      order not to overgeneralize neighborhood effects and to find out for whom
      neighborhoods matter.

PMID- 28364211
TI  - Colorectal surgery and surgical site infection: is a change of attitude
      necessary?
AB  - INTRODUCTION: Surgical site infection (SSI) can be as high as 30% in patients
      undergoing colorectal surgery and is associated with an increase in morbidity and
      mortality. The aim of this study is to evaluate the impact of a set of simple
      preventive measures that have resulted in a reduction in surgical site infection
      in colorectal surgery. APPLIED METHOD: Prospective study with two groups of
      patients treated in the colorectal unit of the "Clinico Universitario Lozano
      Blesa" hospital in Zaragoza. One group was subject to our measures from February
      to May 2015. The control group was given conventional treatment within a time
      period of 3 months before the set of measures were implemented. RESULTS: One
      hundred forty-nine patients underwent a major colorectal surgical procedure.
      Seventy (47%) belonged to the control group and were compared to the remaining 79
      patients (53% of the total), who were subject to our treatment bundle in the
      period tested. Comparing the two groups revealed that our set of measures led to
      a general reduction in SSI (31.4 vs. 13.6%, p = 0.010) and in superficial site
      infection (17.1 vs. 2.5%, p = 0.002). As a consequence, the postoperative
      hospital stay was shortened (10.0 vs. 8.0 days, p = 0.048). However, it did not,
      the number of readmissions nor the re-operation rate. SSI was clearly related to
      open surgery. CONCLUSIONS: The preventive set of measures applied in colorectal
      surgery led to a significant reduction of the SSI and of the length of hospital
      stay.

PMID- 28364213
TI  - Sources of practice knowledge among Australian fitness trainers.
AB  - Few studies have examined the sources of practice knowledge fitness trainers use
      to inform their training methods and update knowledge. This study aims to
      describe sources of practice knowledge among Australian fitness trainers. In July
      2014, 9100 Australian fitness trainers were invited to complete an online survey.
      Respondents reported the frequency of use of eight sources of practice knowledge
      (e.g. fitness magazines, academic texts). In a separate survey, exercise science
      experts (n = 27) ranked each source as either (1) 'high-quality' or (2) 'low
      quality'. Proportions of users of 'high-quality' sources were calculated across
      demographic (age, sex) and fitness industry-related characteristics
      (qualification, setting, role). A multivariate logistic regression analysis
      assessed the odds of being classified as a user of high-quality sources,
      adjusting for demographic and fitness industry-related factors. Out of 1185
      fitness trainers (response rate = 13.0%), aged 17-72 years, 47.6% (95% CI, 44.7
      50.4%) were classified as frequent users of high-quality sources of practice
      knowledge. In the adjusted analysis, compared to trainers aged 17-26 years, those
      aged >=61 years (OR, 2.15; 95% CI, 1.05-4.38) and 40-50 years (OR, 1.54; 95% CI,
      1.02-2.31) were more likely to be classified as a user of high-quality sources.
      When compared to trainers working in large centres, those working in outdoor
      settings (OR, 1.81; 95% CI, 1.23-2.65) and medium centres (OR, 1.59; 95% CI, 1.12
      2.29) were more likely to be classified as users of high-quality sources. Our
      findings suggest that efforts should be made to improve the quality of knowledge
      acquisition among Australian fitness trainers.

PMID- 28364212
TI  - Parenchymal-Sparing Versus Anatomic Liver Resection for Colorectal Liver
      Metastases: a Systematic Review.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: Colorectal liver metastases develop in 50% of patients diagnosed
      with colorectal cancer. Surgical resection for colorectal liver metastasis
      typically involves either anatomical resection (AR) or parenchymal-sparing
      hepatectomy (PSH). The objective of the current study was to analyze data on
      parenchymal versus non-parenchymal-sparing hepatic resections for CLM. METHODS: A
      systematic review of the literature regarding parenchymal-sparing hepatectomy was
      performed. MEDLINE/PubMed, Cochrane, and EMBASE databases were searched for
      publications containing the following medical subject headings (MeSH):
      "Colorectal Neoplasms," "Neoplasm Metastasis," "Liver Neoplasms" and
      "Hepatectomy". Besides, the following keywords were used to complete the
      literature search: "Hepatectomy," "liver resection," "hepatic resection,"
      "anatomic/anatomical," "nonanatomic/ nonanatomical," "major," "minor," "limited,"
      "wedge," "CRLM/CLM," and "colorectal liver metastasis." Data was reviewed,
      aggregated, and analyzed. RESULTS: Two thousand five hundred five patients
      included in 12 studies who underwent either PSH (n = 1087 patients) or AR (n =
      1418 patients) were identified. Most patients had a primary tumor that originated
      in the colon (PSH 52.2-74.4% vs. AR 53.9-74.3%) (P = 0.289). The majority of
      studies included a large subset of patients with only a solitary tumor with a
      reported median tumor number of 1-2 regardless of whether the patient underwent
      PSH or AR. Median EBL was no different among patients undergoing PSH (100-896 mL)
      versus AR (200-1489 mL) for CLM (P = 0.248). There was no difference in median
      length-of-stay following PSH (6-17 days) versus AR (7-15 days) (P = 0.747). While
      there was considerable inter-study variability regarding margin status, there was
      no difference in the incidence of R0 resection among patients undergoing PSH
      (66.7-100%) versus AR (71.6-98.6%) (P = 0.58). When assessing overall survival,
      there was no difference whether resection of CLM was performed with PSH (5 years
      OS: mean 44.7%, range 29-62%) or AR (5 years OS: mean 44.6%, range 27-64%) (P =
      0.97). CONCLUSION: PSH had a comparable safety and efficacy profile compared with
      AR and did not compromise oncologic outcomes. PSH should be considered an
      appropriate surgical approach to treatment for patients with CLM that facilitates
      preservation of hepatic parenchyma.

PMID- 28364215
TI  - DNA methylation age is elevated in breast tissue of healthy women.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Limited evidence suggests that female breast tissue ages faster than
      other parts of the body according to an epigenetic biomarker of aging known as
      the "epigenetic clock." However, it is unknown whether breast tissue samples from
      healthy women show a similar accelerated aging effect relative to other tissues,
      and what could drive this acceleration. The goal of this study is to validate our
      initial finding of advanced DNA methylation (DNAm) age in breast tissue, by
      directly comparing it to that of peripheral blood tissue from the same
      individuals, and to do a preliminary assessment of hormonal factors that could
      explain the difference. METHODS: We utilized n = 80 breast and 80 matching blood
      tissue samples collected from 40 healthy female participants of the Susan G.
      Komen Tissue Bank at the Indiana University Simon Cancer Center who donated these
      samples at two time points spaced at least a year apart. DNA methylation levels
      (Illumina 450K platform) were used to estimate the DNAm age. RESULTS: DNAm age
      was highly correlated with chronological age in both peripheral blood (r = 0.94,
      p < 0.0001) and breast tissues (r = 0.86, p < 0.0001). A measure of epigenetic
      age acceleration (age-adjusted DNAm Age) was substantially increased in breast
      relative to peripheral blood tissue (p = 1.6 * 10-11). The difference between
      DNAm age of breast and blood decreased with advancing chronologic age (r = -0.53,
      p = 4.4 * 10-4). CONCLUSIONS: Our data clearly demonstrate that female breast
      tissue has a higher epigenetic age than blood collected from the same subject. We
      also observe that the degree of elevation in breast diminishes with advancing
      age. Future larger studies will be needed to examine associations between
      epigenetic age acceleration and cumulative hormone exposure.

PMID- 28364214
TI  - Frailty and long-term mortality of older breast cancer patients: CALGB 369901
      (Alliance).
AB  - PURPOSE: Breast cancer patients aged 65+ ("older") vary in frailty status. We
      tested whether a deficits accumulation frailty index predicted long-term
      mortality. METHODS: Older patients (n = 1280) with non-metastatic, invasive
      breast cancer were recruited from 78 Alliance sites from 2004 to 2011, with
      follow-up to 2015. Frailty categories (robust, pre-frail, and frail) were based
      on 35 baseline illness and function items. Cox proportional hazards and competing
      risk models were used to calculate all-cause and breast cancer-specific mortality
      for up to 7 years, respectively. Potential covariates included demographic,
      psychosocial, and clinical factors, diagnosis year, and care setting. RESULTS:
      Patients were 65-91 years old. Most (76.6%) were robust; 18.3% were pre-frail,
      and 5.1% frail. Robust patients tended to receive more chemotherapy +/- hormonal
      therapy (vs. hormonal) than pre-frail or frail patients (45% vs. 37 and 36%, p =
      0.06), and had the highest adherence to hormonal therapy. The adjusted hazard
      ratios for all-cause mortality (n = 209 deaths) were 1.7 (95% CI 1.2-2.4) and 2.4
      (95% CI 1.5-4.0) for pre-frail and frail versus robust women, respectively, with
      an absolute mortality difference of 23.5%. The adjusted hazard of breast cancer
      death (n-99) was 3.1 (95% CI 1.6-5.8) times higher for frail versus robust
      patients (absolute difference of 14%). Treatment differences did not account for
      the relationships between frailty and mortality. CONCLUSIONS: Most older breast
      cancer patients are robust and could consider chemotherapy where otherwise
      indicated. Patients who are frail or pre-frail have elevated long-term all-cause
      and breast cancer mortality. Frailty indices could be useful for treatment
      decision-making and care planning with older patients.

PMID- 28364216
TI  - Prolactin/androgen-inducible carboxypeptidase-D increases with nitrotyrosine and
      Ki67 for breast cancer progression in vivo, and upregulates progression markers
      VEGF-C and Runx2 in vitro.
AB  - PURPOSE: Carboxypeptidase-D (CPD) cleaves C-terminal arginine (Arg) to produce
      nitric oxide (NO). Upregulation of CPD and NO by 17beta-estradiol, prolactin
      (PRL), and androgen increases survival of human breast cancer (BCa) cells in
      vitro. To demonstrate similar events in vivo, CPD, nitrotyrosine (NT, hallmark of
      NO action), androgen receptor (AR), prolactin receptor (PRLR), and phospho-Stat5a
      (for activated PRLR) levels were evaluated in benign and malignant human breast
      tissues, and correlated with cell proliferation (Ki67) and BCa progression
      (Cullin-3) biomarkers. METHODS: Paraffin-embedded breast tissues were analyzed by
      immunohistochemistry (IHC). BCa progression markers in human MCF-7 and T47D BCa
      cell lines treated with NO donor SIN-1 or PRL, +/-CPD inhibitors were analyzed by
      RT-qPCR and immunoblotting. RESULTS: IHC showed progressive increases in CPD, NT,
      Ki67, and Cullin-3 from low levels in benign tissues to high levels in ductal
      carcinoma in situ, low-grade, high-grade, and triple-negative BCa. CPD and NT
      staining were closely associated, implicating CPD in NO production. Phospho
      Stat5a increased significantly from benign to high-grade BCa and was mostly
      nuclear. AR and PRLR were abundant in benign breast and BCa, including triple
      negative tumors. SIN-1 and PRL increased VEGF-C and Runx2, but not Cullin-3, in
      BCa cell lines. PRL induction of VEGF-C and Runx2 was inhibited partly by CPD
      inhibitors, implicating NO, produced by PRL-regulated CPD, in BCa progression.
      CONCLUSIONS: The CPD-Arg-NO pathway contributes to BCa progression in vitro and
      in vivo. PRL/androgen activation of the pathway support combined AR and PRLR
      blockade as an additional therapy for BCa.

PMID- 28364217
TI  - The efficacy of mycophenolate mofetil in treating Takayasu arteritis: a
      systematic review and meta-analysis.
AB  - The purpose of this study is to assess the effectiveness of mycophenolate mofetil
      (MMF) in treating Takayasu arteritis (TA) patients. Embase, Cochrane Library,
      Pubmed, Clinicaltrials. Gov and three Chinese literature databases (VIP, CNKI,
      WanFang) were searched; randomized-controlled trials and observational studies
      that compared the efficacy before and after treatment with MMF were included. The
      efficacy outcomes were disease activity, the erythrocyte sedimentation rate
      (ESR), C-reactive protein (CRP) values and steroid dosage. The results were
      expressed as mean differences with 95% confidence intervals. Compared with the
      baseline, there were significant reductions in the ESR (-14.92 [25.35, -4.48]),
      CRP values (-12.99 [-23.29, -2.68]) and the steroid dosage (-17.64 [-24.89, 
      10.4]) after the addition of MMF, and the disease tended to stabilize. Therefore,
      MMF might be an alternative immunosuppressive drug for TA for the control of
      disease activity and to taper the steroid dosage.

PMID- 28364218
TI  - [Memorandum of the German Society for Rheumatology on the quality of treatment in
      rheumatology - Update 2016].
AB  - On behalf of the Steering Committee of the German Society for Rheumatology, in
      2016 the Interdisciplinary Commission on Healthcare Quality updated the 2008
      memorandum on rheumatological healthcare in Germany. The update considers changes
      in therapeutic strategies, treatment targets as well as current structures in
      healthcare and the political framework. It concentrates on examination of the
      need for rheumatologists with a background in internal medicine and determines
      the gap between needs and supply. The internist rheumatologist is responsible for
      the care of patients with inflammatory rheumatic diseases and contributes to the
      care of patients with severe forms of other musculoskeletal diseases. At least 2
      internist rheumatologists are needed for the outpatient care of 100,000 adult
      inhabitants, equivalent to 1350 rheumatologists in Germany. With currently 776
      rheumatologists, we have little more than half of what we need. The German
      Society for Rheumatology calls for specific requirements planning for
      rheumatologists in outpatient care in order to decrease the deficit. In acute
      inpatient care we need specialized hospitals and wards that ensure a high quality
      of treatment for patients with complex diseases. We need up to 50 beds per 1
      million inhabitants. At least 2 full-time internist rheumatologists and 3 further
      physicians are needed per 30 beds. In inpatient and outpatient rehabilitation we
      need 40 beds or outpatient places per 1 million inhabitants with at least 1 full
      time rheumatologist and 1 further physician. In order to reduce the existing
      deficits and to cover the increasing future need for rheumatologists, more
      emphasis has to be laid on primary and secondary education. Chairs for internal
      rheumatology are needed at each medical university and more positions for
      postgraduate training in rheumatology should be provided. In all segments of
      healthcare the treatment aims should be jointly defined between patients and
      physicians. The patients should be treated in an interdisciplinary network,
      comprising other medical specialties, health professionals as well as patient
      organizations.

PMID- 28364224
TI  - Jonathan W. Amy, March 3, 1923-December 4, 2016.

PMID- 28364223
TI  - Remarkable reactivity of alkoxide/acetato-bridged binuclear copper(II) complex as
      artificial carboxylesterase.
AB  - Bromo-containing binuclear Schiff base copper(II) complex, Cu2L(OAc), with an
      alkoxo/acetato-bridged moiety was employed as a model of carboxylesterases to
      promote the hydrolytic cleavage of p-nitrophenyl picolinate (PNPP). Furthermore,
      the reactivity of a mononuclear complex (CuHL) was evaluated for comparing it
      with that of binuclear one. The results reveal that the as-prepared binuclear
      Cu2L(OAc) efficiently accelerated the hydrolysis of PNPP, giving rise to excess
      four orders of magnitude rate enhancement in contrast to the un-catalyzed
      reaction. Cu2L(OAc) represented an enzyme-like bell-shaped pH-responsive kinetic
      behavior. Moreover, the binuclear one is more reactive than its mononuclear
      analogue (CuHL) by two orders of magnitude. The total efficiency of Cu2L(OAc) is
      about 61-fold than that of its mononuclear analogue, CuHL. In addition, a
      contrast experiment reveals that binuclear Cu2L(OAc) displayed good activity in
      the hydrolysis of PNPP as well another active ester, i.e., S-2-benzothiazolyl 2
      amino-alpha-(methoxyimino)-4-thiazolethiolacetate (AE-active ester).
      Noteworthyly, it was found that mononuclear one inspired more obvious rate
      enhancement in the hydrolysis of AE-active ester relative to PNPP hydrolysis. The
      estimated pK a1 of bound water on the binuclear Cu2L(OAc) using second derivative
      method (SDM) is relatively smaller than that for CuHL by a gap of about 0.8 pK
      unit, which facilitates the hydrolysis of PNPP. Four orders of magnitude rate
      enhancement was observed for the catalytic hydrolysis of p-nitrophenyl picolinate
      (PNPP) by one MU-alkoxide/acetato-bridged binuclear copper(II) complex under
      physiological conditions. Substrate specificity of the resulting binuclear
      complexes was observed for the hydrolysis of PNPP and AE-active ester.

PMID- 28364222
TI  - Siderophores and mussel foot proteins: the role of catechol, cations, and metal
      coordination in surface adhesion.
AB  - Metal coordination, hydrogen bonding, redox reactions, and covalent crosslinking
      are seemingly disparate chemical and physicochemical processes that are all
      accomplished in natural materials by the catechol functional group. This review
      focuses on the reactivity of catechols in tris-2,3-dihydroxybenzoyl-containing
      microbial siderophores and synthetic analogs, as well as Dopa-(3,4
      dihydroxyphenylalanine)-containing mussel foot proteins that adhere to surfaces
      in aqueous conditions. Mussel foot proteins with a high content of Dopa and
      cationic amino acids, Lys and Arg, adhere strongly to mica, an aluminosilicate
      mineral, in aqueous conditions. The siderophore cyclic trichrysobactin, tris-(2,3
      dihydroxybenzoyl-D-Lys-L-Ser) and related synthetic analogs in which the tri-Ser
      macrolactone is replaced by Tren, tris-(2-aminoethyl)amine, also adheres strongly
      to mica. Variation in the nature of the catechol and cationic groups in synthetic
      analogs reveals a synergism between the cationic amino acid and the catechol,
      required for strong aqueous adhesion. Autoxidation and iron(III)-catalyzed
      oxidation of 2,3-dihydroxy and 3,4-dihydroxy catechols are also considered. These
      siderophore analogs provide a platform to understand catechol interactions and
      reactivity on surfaces, which may ultimately improve the design of synthetic
      materials that address diverse challenges in medicine, materials science, as well
      as other disciplines, in which surface adhesion in aqueous conditions is
      important.

PMID- 28364225
TI  - Comparison of Ambient and Atmospheric Pressure Ion Sources for Cystic Fibrosis
      Exhaled Breath Condensate Ion Mobility-Mass Spectrometry Metabolomics.
AB  - Cystic fibrosis (CF) is an autosomal recessive disorder caused by mutations in
      the gene that encodes the cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator
      (CFTR) protein. The vast majority of the mortality is due to progressive lung
      disease. Targeted and untargeted CF breath metabolomics investigations via
      exhaled breath condensate (EBC) analyses have the potential to expose metabolic
      alterations associated with CF pathology and aid in assessing the effectiveness
      of CF therapies. Here, transmission-mode direct analysis in real time traveling
      wave ion mobility spectrometry time-of-flight mass spectrometry (TM-DART-TWIMS
      TOF MS) was tested as a high-throughput alternative to conventional direct
      infusion (DI) electrospray ionization (ESI) and atmospheric pressure chemical
      ionization (APCI) methods, and a critical comparison of the three ionization
      methods was conducted. EBC was chosen as the noninvasive surrogate for airway
      sampling over expectorated sputum as EBC can be collected in all CF subjects
      regardless of age and lung disease severity. When using pooled EBC collected from
      a healthy control, ESI detected the most metabolites, APCI a log order less, and
      TM-DART the least. TM-DART-TWIMS-TOF MS was used to profile metabolites in EBC
      samples from five healthy controls and four CF patients, finding that a panel of
      three discriminant EBC metabolites, some of which had been previously detected by
      other methods, differentiated these two classes with excellent cross-validated
      accuracy. Graphical Abstract ?.

PMID- 28364226
TI  - Habitat degradation increases stress-hormone levels during the breeding season,
      and decreases survival and reproduction in adult common lizards.
AB  - The allostatic load model describes how individuals maintain homeostasis in
      challenging environment and posits that costs induced by a chronic perturbation
      (i.e., allostatic load) are correlated to the secretion of glucocorticoids, such
      as corticosterone. Habitat perturbations from anthropogenic activities are
      multiple and functional responses to those are still unclear. Here, we
      manipulated the habitat quality in 24 semi-natural populations of the common
      lizard during 1 year. We tested the predictions of the allostatic load model that
      habitat degradation should increase baseline corticosterone levels, and should
      induce concomitant physiological changes, such as lipid mobilization and lower
      immunocompetence, and demographic changes, such as lower body growth, survival
      and/or reproductive performances. Our results highlight stage-dependent effects
      of habitat degradation on physiological traits during the breeding season: adult
      lizards had higher baseline corticosterone levels and yearling lizards had a
      lower inflammatory response than adults, whereas juveniles had higher circulating
      lipid levels than yearlings and adults without concomitant change in
      corticosterone levels. In addition, habitat degradation reduced the performances
      of adults but not of juveniles: in low habitat quality populations, adult males
      had a lower survival and females had a smaller fecundity. These results are in
      accordance with the allostatic load model given that allostatic load was detected
      only during the season and in life stages of maximal energy expenditure. This
      underlines the importance to account for individual energy requirements to better
      understand demographic responses to habitat perturbation.

PMID- 28364227
TI  - An anti-mycobacterial bisfunctionalized sphingolipid and new bromopyrrole
      alkaloid from the Indonesian marine sponge Agelas sp.
AB  - In the course of our studies on anti-mycobacterial substances from marine
      organisms, the known dimeric sphingolipid, leucettamol A (1), was isolated as an
      active component, together with the new bromopyrrole alkaloid, 5-bromophakelline
      (2), and twelve known congeners from the Indonesian marine sponge Agelas sp. The
      structure of 2 was elucidated based on its spectroscopic data. Compound 1 and its
      bis TFA salt showed inhibition zones of 12 and 7 mm against Mycobacterium
      smegmatis at 50 MUg/disk, respectively, while the N,N'-diacetyl derivative (1a)
      was not active at 50 MUg/disk. Therefore, free amino groups are important for
      anti-mycobacterial activity. This is the first study to show the anti
      mycobacterial activity of a bisfunctionalized sphingolipid. Compound 13 exhibited
      weak PTP1B inhibitory activity (29% inhibition at 35 MUM).

PMID- 28364229
TI  - Invention and Early History of Morpholinos: From Pipe Dream to Practical
      Products.
AB  - Beginning with my concept in 1969 to treat disease at the nucleic acid level
      using antisense nucleic acids, antisense has evolved to the current Morpholino
      oligos. Morpholinos have been the dominant gene knockdown system in developmental
      biology. Lack of delivery technologies has limited their use in adult animals
      (including humans), though alteration in muscles in Duchenne muscular dystrophy
      (DMD) allows delivery into adult muscle. Morpholinos are currently in Phase 3
      clinical trials for DMD and a Morpholino oligo for skipping dystrophin exon 51
      has been approved by the US FDA. With improved delivery techniques, such as those
      in development at Gene Tools, therapeutic Morpholinos for many difficult-to-treat
      diseases will be possible. Initial applications are expected to be custom
      cocktails of delivery-enabled Morpholinos for treating cancers.

PMID- 28364228
TI  - A monoclonal antibody-based immunoassay for the determination of oxyresveratrol
      from Artocarpus lacucha Buch.-Ham.
AB  - Oxyresveratrol is a major active compound in the heartwood of Artocarpus lacucha.
      It plays an important role in anti-tyrosinase, antioxidant, anti-inflammatory,
      antiviral and neuroprotective properties. There are many A. lacucha commercial
      products available on the market for skin whitening and anti-aging effects. To
      evaluate the quality of raw material from the plant, a monoclonal antibody (MAb)
      against oxyresveratrol was generated in this study. The immunogen was prepared by
      the Mannich reaction for the conjugation of oxyresveratrol and cationized bovine
      serum albumin (cBSA). The conjugation of oxyresveratrol-cBSA at a ratio of 1:50
      was used for the immunization. The novel MAb (E4) was specific to oxyresveratrol
      and resveratrol. An indirect competitive enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay
      (ELISA) using the MAb (E4) was developed for the determination of oxyresveratrol.
      The linear range for the measurement of oxyresveratrol was 63-500 ng/mL and the
      precision (% relative standard deviation) was found to be <10% with the
      percentages of recovery from 95.93-103.55%. According to the validation analysis,
      the established ELISA can be applied for the determination of oxyresvertrol in
      the heartwood of A. lacucha and samples of the traditional drug Puag-Haad. With
      reliability and high sensitivity, this assay can provide an alternative approach
      for the quantitative analysis of oxyresveratrol in A. lacucha samples.

PMID- 28364231
TI  - Aggregation and Disaggregation of Morpholino Oligomers in Solution.
AB  - Morpholino oligomers are effective antisense molecules to regulate gene
      expression and the US FDA has approved a Morpholino drug for the treatment of
      Duchenne muscular dystrophy. However, it has been observed that the antisense
      activities of aqueous solutions of some Morpholinos decrease over time. We
      hypothesize that the decreased activity is caused by the formation of soluble
      aggregates of the Morpholinos. Here, we analyzed three Morpholino sequences by
      size exclusion chromatography and found two of them have over time formed soluble
      aggregates in water. The degree of aggregation is sequence-, temperature-, and
      time-dependent. We describe a simple procedure for detecting and breaking down
      the aggregates to return the Morpholinos to their monomeric forms.

PMID- 28364230
TI  - Making a Morpholino Experiment Work: Controls, Favoring Specificity, Improving
      Efficacy, Storage, and Dose.
AB  - A good Morpholino experiment starts with oligos that have been carefully designed
      to minimize off-target RNA binding. Performing a successful, reproducible, and
      well-controlled Morpholino experiment requires oligos that are single stranded
      and in solution at a known concentration. The outcome of treatment with the oligo
      needs to be checked for specificity, that is, that the observed outcome is due to
      interaction with the intended RNA and not an interaction with an unexpected RNA.
      In this chapter, I will discuss Morpholino use mostly in the context of embryonic
      microinjection experiments, though many techniques and warnings will be
      applicable to cell culture or adult animal experiments as well. Controls are
      critical to a good experiment, but good techniques in designing, preparing,
      storing, and using the oligos can improve the strength and specificity of the
      knockdown. Finally, it is important to know the solution concentration of the
      oligo to ensure that the results are reproducible.

PMID- 28364232
TI  - End-Modifications on Morpholino Oligos.
AB  - Modifications at either end, both ends, or in-between the ends of a Morpholino
      oligo provide functional groups for further conjugation. Amino groups are the
      most useful and efficient reactive entities for chemical bonding with other
      molecules. The combination of modifications at both ends, especially with double
      functionalization at the 3'-end, yields myriad opportunities for diverse
      applications. An orthogonally protected diamine for advanced 3'-end double
      modification on the solid phase synthesis support allows the convenient assembly
      of a vast variety of custom-designed molecules. A particular application is the
      assembly of a class of Vis-Vivo-Morpholino where at the 3'-end an optically
      visible fluorophore is installed at one side for fluorescent detection and an in
      vivo delivery moiety is attached at the other side for intracellular activity
      studies.

PMID- 28364233
TI  - Inducible Inhibition of Gene Function with Photomorpholinos.
AB  - Photoactivatable morpholinos (MO) allow specific temporal and spatial inhibition
      of gene function, which is not possible with conventional morpholino or genetic
      global gene knock-out approaches. Here, we describe an application of
      commercially available photoactivatable MO technology for specific gene
      inhibition in a zebrafish embryonic model and discuss the required controls
      related to the specificity and efficacy of this method. A similar approach should
      be also applicable to other model organisms.

PMID- 28364234
TI  - Blocking Zebrafish MicroRNAs with Morpholinos.
AB  - Antisense morpholino oligonucleotides have been commonly used in zebrafish to
      inhibit mRNA function, either by inhibiting pre-mRNA splicing or by blocking
      translation initiation. Even with the advent of genome editing by CRISP/Cas9
      technology, morpholinos provide a useful and rapid tool to knockdown gene
      expression. This is especially true when dealing with multiple alleles and large
      gene families where genetic redundancy can complicate knockout of all family
      members. miRNAs are small noncoding RNAs that are often encoded in gene families
      and can display extensive genetic redundancy. This redundancy, plus their small
      size which can limit targeting by CRISPR/Cas9, makes morpholino-based strategies
      particularly attractive for inhibition of miRNA function. We provide the
      rationale, background, and methods to inhibit miRNA function with antisense
      morpholinos during early development and in the adult retina in zebrafish.

PMID- 28364235
TI  - Using Morpholinos to Examine Gene Function During Fin Regeneration.
AB  - In the zebrafish regenerating fin, specific gene-targeting morpholinos have been
      widely utilized to assess gene function. Unlike in embryos, injection of standard
      morpholinos in the adult regenerating fin is not sufficient for cellular uptake.
      Rather, morpholinos are first injected extracellularly into the blastemal
      compartment, followed by electroporation for cellular uptake. Knockdown
      phenotypes are evaluated 1-4 days post electroporation. This chapter provides a
      description of the reagents, equipment, and procedure for successful injection
      and electroporation of morpholinos into the regenerating fin.

PMID- 28364236
TI  - Using Morpholinos to Probe Gene Networks in Sea Urchin.
AB  - The control processes that underlie the progression of development can be
      summarized in maps of gene regulatory networks (GRNs). A critical step in their
      assembly is the systematic perturbation of network candidates. In sea urchins the
      most important method for interfering with expression in a gene-specific way is
      application of morpholino antisense oligonucleotides (MOs). MOs act by binding to
      their sequence complement in transcripts resulting in a block in translation or a
      change in splicing and thus result in a loss of function. Despite the tremendous
      success of this technology, recent comparisons to mutants generated by genome
      editing have led to renewed criticism and challenged its reliability. As with all
      methods based on sequence recognition, MOs are prone to off-target binding that
      may result in phenotypes that are erroneously ascribed to the loss of the
      intended target. However, the slow progression of development in sea urchins has
      enabled extremely detailed studies of gene activity in the embryo. This wealth of
      knowledge paired with the simplicity of the sea urchin embryo enables careful
      analysis of MO phenotypes through a variety of methods that do not rely on
      terminal phenotypes. This article summarizes the use of MOs in probing GRNs and
      the steps that should be taken to assure their specificity.

PMID- 28364237
TI  - Manipulating Gene Expression in the Chick Embryo.
AB  - The chick embryo is a well-established representative of amniote embryos, which
      has been used to make many discoveries, including many major concepts, which have
      moved our knowledge of developmental biology in hugely important ways. The chick
      has a relatively compact genome and is easily amenable to embryological
      manipulations and in vivo imaging. Morpholino gene manipulations have been used
      in a variety of contexts, and constitute a quick and versatile molecular tool.
      Here we describe methods to deliver morpholinos to chick embryos, allowing
      targeting of specific cell populations at defined developmental stages, using two
      stages as examples: the epiblast of the embryo in the first day of incubation,
      when the primary germ layers of the embryo are specified, and in ovo
      electroporation of the neural tube as an example of a later stage. With slight
      modifications, these general methods can be used to target other embryonic
      tissues.

PMID- 28364238
TI  - Inhibition of Bacterial Growth by Peptide-Conjugated Morpholino Oligomers.
AB  - Morpholino oligomers (MOs) are antisense molecules designed for sequence-specific
      binding of target mRNA. In bacteria, inhibition is hypothesized to occur by
      preventing translation initiation. Cell-penetrating peptides may be conjugated to
      the 5'- or 3'-termini of an MO to enhance cellular entry and therefore
      inhibition. Here we describe the three standard microbiological assays to assess
      in vitro antibacterial MO efficacy.

PMID- 28364239
TI  - Use of Translation Blocking Morpholinos for Gene Knockdown in Giardia lamblia.
AB  - Giardia lamblia, a major parasite, is an emerging model organism due to its
      compact genomic arrangement and composition. The most popular reverse genetic
      technique, RNAi, is ineffective in Giardia. In contrast, protein depletion by
      translation blocking morpholinos is suitable for most gene targets and provides
      up to 80% depletion of the target protein. The method is fast, reliable, and
      specific. After antisense morpholino oligomer delivery into Giardia trophozoites
      by electroporation, the cells can be used for many subsequent analyses 8-48 h
      after treatment. In this chapter, suitable gene tags, plasmids, and techniques
      necessary for proper morpholino targeting are described.

PMID- 28364240
TI  - Regulation of Isoform Expression by Blocking Polyadenylation Signal Sequences
      with Morpholinos.
AB  - Alternative polyadenylation is increasingly being recognized as an important
      layer of gene regulation. Antisense-mediated modulation of alternative
      polyadenylation represents an attractive strategy for the regulation of gene
      expression as well as potential therapeutic applications. In this chapter, we
      describe methods to upregulate the functional Kv11.1 isoform expression by
      blocking intronic polyadenylation signal sequences with antisense morpholinos.

PMID- 28364241
TI  - Targeting Functional Noncoding RNAs.
AB  - Noncoding RNAs have essential biochemical functions in different areas of
      cellular metabolism, including protein synthesis, RNA splicing, protein
      secretion, and DNA replication. We have successfully used Morpholino antisense
      oligonucleotides for the functional inactivation of small noncoding RNAs required
      for DNA replication (Y RNAs in vertebrates and stem-bulge RNAs in nematodes).
      Here we discuss specific issues of targeting functional noncoding RNAs for
      inactivation by Morpholino antisense oligonucleotides. We present protocols for
      the design, preparation, and efficacy controls of Morpholino antisense
      oligonucleotides, as well as brief descriptions for their delivery into
      vertebrate and nematode embryos.

PMID- 28364242
TI  - Use of Morpholino Oligomers for Pretargeting.
AB  - Differing from the conventional direct-targeting strategy in which a probe or
      payload is directly loaded onto a targeting molecule that binds to the native
      target, pretargeting is an improved targeting strategy. It converts the native
      target to an artificial target specific for a secondary targeting molecule loaded
      with the probe or payload (effector). The effector is small and does not
      accumulate in normal tissues, which accelerates the targeting process and
      generates high target to nontarget ratios. DNA/cDNA analogs can serve as the
      recognition pair, i.e., the artificial target and the secondary targeting
      effector. Morpholino oligomers are so far the most investigated and the most
      successful DNA/cDNA analog recognition pairs for pretargeting. Herein, we
      describe the pretargeting principles, the pretargeting strategy using Morpholino
      oligomers, and the preclinical success so far achieved.

PMID- 28364243
TI  - Diagnostic Applications of Morpholinos and Label-Free Electrochemical Detection
      of Nucleic Acids.
AB  - Diagnostic applications of morpholinos take advantage of their unique properties
      including backbone charge neutrality, a weak impact of ionic strength on their
      hybridization behavior, and their resistance to enzymatic degradation. This
      chapter overviews how these properties have advanced transduction and other
      capabilities useful for the analysis of nucleic acids. In many cases, the
      benefits stem from electrostatic mechanisms; for example, use of low ionic
      strengths improves sensitivity of detection while decreasing background signals
      because only the nucleic acid analyte is charged. While most literature reports
      focus on in vitro assays in buffer, morpholinos have been also used for
      biodistribution measurements of species such as fungal rRNA and miRNA. After
      reviewing the diagnostic applications of morpholinos, the chapter describes
      preparation of morpholino monolayers on metal supports for electrochemical
      diagnostics and the procedure for performing label-free detection of DNA from
      changes in surface capacitance.

PMID- 28364244
TI  - Intranasal Delivery of Peptide-Morpholinos to Knockdown Influenza Host Factors in
      Mice.
AB  - Influenza viruses replicate primarily in the lung tissue of different host
      species. For efficient replication the virus utilizes host factors that are
      expressed in target cells. Cell-penetrating peptide-conjugated Morpholino
      oligomers (PPMOs) designed to target viral proteins have shown promising results
      as potential antiviral drugs in tissue culture and animal models. However, since
      viruses tend to have high rates of mutations, targeting viral proteins may result
      in viral escape mutants. An alternative approach to inhibit virus replication
      with PPMOs is to target host factors that are required for virus replication.
      Delivery of PPMO through the intranasal route has been shown to be effective in
      knockdown of host factors or microbial genes leading to protection against
      respiratory pathogens and reduced microbial burden. In addition, protective host
      innate antiviral immune responses in the lung can be studied by knockdown of
      immune signaling factors using PPMOs. Here we describe a successful approach
      using PPMOs to knockdown either proviral or antiviral host factors leading to
      changes in influenza virus replication in the lungs of mice, providing a tool to
      investigate immune responses and host-virus interactions in vivo.

PMID- 28364245
TI  - Systemic Delivery of Morpholinos to Skip Multiple Exons in a Dog Model of
      Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy.
AB  - Exon-skipping therapy is an emerging approach that uses synthetic DNA-like
      molecules called antisense oligonucleotides (AONs) to splice out frame-disrupting
      parts of mRNA, restore the reading frame, and produce truncated yet functional
      proteins. Multiple exon skipping utilizing a cocktail of AONs can theoretically
      treat 80-90% of patients with Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD). The success of
      multiple exon skipping by the systemic delivery of a cocktail of AONs called
      phosphorodiamidate morpholino oligomers (PMOs) in a DMD dog model has made a
      significant impact on the development of therapeutics for DMD, leading to
      clinical trials of PMO-based drugs. Here, we describe the systemic delivery of a
      cocktail of PMOs to skip multiple exons in dystrophic dogs and the evaluation of
      the efficacies and toxicity in vivo.

PMID- 28364246
TI  - In Vivo and Explant Electroporation of Morpholinos in the Developing Mouse
      Retina.
AB  - Neonatal in vivo electroporations and retinal explant electroporations have been
      widely employed in understanding the effects of loss or gain of function of
      protein-coding genes in retinal development. Here, we describe a rapid and
      efficient delivery of morpholinos to add another tool to perturb gene expression
      during mouse retinal development.

PMID- 28364247
TI  - Intracerebroventricular Delivery in Mice for Motor Neuron Diseases.
AB  - The use of antisense oligonucleotides to target specific mRNA sequences
      represents a promising therapeutic strategy for neurological disorders. Recent
      advances in antisense technology enclose the development of phosphorodiamidate
      morpholino oligomers (MO), which is one of the best candidates for molecular
      therapies due to MO's excellent pharmacological profile.Nevertheless, the route
      of administration of antisense compounds represents a critical issue in the
      neurological field. Particularly, as regards motor neuron diseases,
      intracerebroventricular (ICV) injection is undoubtedly the most efficient
      procedure to directly deliver therapeutic molecules in the central nervous system
      (CNS). Indeed, we recently demonstrated the outstanding efficacy of the MO
      antisense approach by its direct administration to CNS of the transgenic mouse
      models of Spinal Muscular Atrophy (SMA) and Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis
      (ALS).Here, we describe methods to perform the ICV delivery of MO in neonatal SMA
      mice and in adult ALS mice.

PMID- 28364249
TI  - Surface Plasmon Resonance-Based Concentration Determination Assay: Label-Free and
      Antibody-Free Quantification of Morpholinos.
AB  - Surface plasmon resonance (SPR) is a physical process that allows label-free and
      real-time detection of biomolecular interactions. SPR provides a rapid and
      quantitative method for studying interactions of macromolecules such as proteins
      and nucleic acids. Antisense Morpholino oligomers are widely used to regulate
      gene expression and the US FDA has approved a Morpholino drug for treatment of
      Duchenne muscular dystrophy. Here, we describe an antibody-free, label-free, high
      throughput, and walk-away SPR method for quantification of Morpholino compounds
      extracted from biological specimens. This provides a valuable way for determining
      pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics of Morpholino oligomers in biological
      matrices for research and therapeutic applications.

PMID- 28364248
TI  - Delivery of Morpholino Antisense Oligonucleotides to a Developing Ovine Conceptus
      via Luminal Injection into a Ligated Uterine Horn.
AB  - In vivo delivery of morpholino antisense oligonucleotides (MAO) directly into the
      uterine lumen of a peri-implantation period pregnant sheep is an effective
      technique for evaluation of gene products for conceptus development. The highly
      phagocytic conceptus is undergoing rapid morphological change, thereby the
      available MAO are readily consumed and delivered to developing cells. Here, we
      describe the method for preparation and surgical delivery of MAO-Endo-Porter
      complex to developing ovine conceptus on day 8 postmating. Also outlined are
      methods for posttreatment sample recovery on day 16 postmating.

PMID- 28364250
TI  - Ultrasensitive Hybridization-Based ELISA Method for the Determination of
      Phosphorodiamidate Morpholino Oligonucleotides in Biological samples.
AB  - Determining the concentration of oligonucleotide in biological samples such as
      tissue lysate and serum is essential for determining the biodistribution and
      pharmacokinetic profile, respectively. ELISA-based assays have shown far greater
      sensitivities compared to other methods such as HPLC and LC/MS. Here, we describe
      a novel ultrasensitive hybridization-based ELISA method for quantitating
      morpholino oligonucleotides in mouse tissue lysate and serum samples. The assay
      has a linear detection range of 5-250 pM (R2 > 0.99).

PMID- 28364252
TI  - The lipopolysaccharide lipid A structure from the marine sponge-associated
      bacterium Pseudoalteromonas sp. 2A.
AB  - Suberites domuncula is a marine demosponge harbouring a large bacterioflora,
      including commensal, opportunistic and pathogenic bacteria, among which, species
      of the Gram-negative genus Pseudoalteromonas were identified. The sponge-bacteria
      interaction mechanisms are still not fully understood. As the main component of
      the Gram-negative bacterial outer membrane, the lipopolysaccharide (LPS) may play
      a role in such a crucial relationship. Moreover, the LPS is known to be the most
      versatile bioactive macromolecule of Gram-negative bacteria and its lipid A
      structure is responsible for the immunological activity of the whole LPS on
      eukaryotic host cells. Here it is reported the structural characterisation of the
      LPS lipid A moiety isolated from the S. domuncula-associated commensal bacterium,
      Pseudoalteromonas sp. 2A. Chemical and MALDI mass spectrometry analyses,
      performed on both the LPS and the isolated lipid A as well as on the intact
      bacterial cells, highlighted a complex family of penta-acylated lipid A species
      carrying two phosphate units on the disaccharide backbone.

PMID- 28364251
TI  - Allosteric modulation model of the mu opioid receptor by herkinorin, a potent not
      alkaloidal agonist.
AB  - Modulation of opioid receptors is the primary choice for pain management and
      structural information studies have gained new horizons with the recently
      available X-ray crystal structures. Herkinorin is one of the most remarkable
      salvinorin A derivative with high affinity for the mu opioid receptor, moderate
      selectivity and lack of nitrogen atoms on its structure. Surprisingly, binding
      models for herkinorin are lacking. In this work, we explore binding models of
      herkinorin using automated docking, molecular dynamics simulations, free energy
      calculations and available experimental information. Our herkinorin D-ICM-1
      binding model predicted a binding free energy of -11.52 +/- 1.14 kcal mol-1 by
      alchemical free energy estimations, which is close to the experimental values 
      10.91 +/- 0.2 and -10.80 +/- 0.05 kcal mol-1 and is in agreement with
      experimental structural information. Specifically, D-ICM-1 molecular dynamics
      simulations showed a water-mediated interaction between D-ICM-1 and the amino
      acid H2976.52, this interaction coincides with the co-crystallized ligands.
      Another relevant interaction, with N1272.63, allowed to rationalize herkinorin's
      selectivity to mu over delta opioid receptors. Our suggested binding model for
      herkinorin is in agreement with this and additional experimental data. The most
      remarkable observation derived from our D-ICM-1 model is that herkinorin reaches
      an allosteric sodium ion binding site near N1503.35. Key interactions in that
      region appear relevant for the lack of beta-arrestin recruitment by herkinorin.
      This interaction is key for downstream signaling pathways involved in the
      development of side effects, such as tolerance. Future SAR studies and medicinal
      chemistry efforts will benefit from the structural information presented in this
      work.

PMID- 28364253
TI  - Women with prior gestational diabetes mellitus and prediabetes are characterised
      by a decreased incretin effect.
AB  - AIMS/HYPOTHESIS: We investigated whether a reduced incretin effect, as observed
      in patients with type 2 diabetes, can be detected in high-risk individuals, such
      as women with prior gestational diabetes mellitus (pGDM). METHODS: In this cross
      sectional study, 102 women without diabetes with pGDM and 15 control participants
      without pGDM and with normal glucose tolerance (NGT) underwent a 4 h 75 g OGTT
      and an isoglycaemic i.v. glucose infusion (IIGI). Women with pGDM were classified
      as having NGT or prediabetes (impaired fasting glucose and/or impaired glucose
      tolerance). Insulin sensitivity was assessed using the Matsuda index and HOMA2-IR
      and the incretin effect was calculated from insulin responses during the study
      (100% * [AUCinsulin,OGTT - AUCinsulin,IIGI]/AUCinsulin,OGTT). RESULTS: Sixty
      three of the 102 women with pGDM (62%) had prediabetes (median [interquartile
      range]: age, 38.3 [6.5] years; BMI, 32.1 [5.8] kg/m2) and 39 women (38%) had NGT
      (age, 39.5 [5.6] years; BMI, 31.0 [6.7] kg/m2). Control participants (n = 15)
      were not significantly different from the pGDM group with regards to age (39.2
      [7.4] years) and BMI (28.8 [9.2] kg/m2). Compared with women with NGT and control
      participants, women with prediabetes had lower insulin sensitivity, as measured
      by the Matsuda index (3.0 [2.4] vs 5.0 [2.6] vs 1.5 [1.8], respectively; p <
      0.001). The incretin effect was 55.3% [27.8], 73.8% [19.0] and 76.7% [24.6] in
      women with prediabetes, women with normal glucose tolerance and control
      participants, respectively (p < 0.01). CONCLUSION/INTERPRETATION: Prediabetes was
      highly prevalent in women with pGDM, and alterations in the incretin effect were
      detected in this group before the development of type 2 diabetes. TRIAL
      REGISTRATION: clinicaltrialsregister.eu 2012-001371-37-DK.

PMID- 28364254
TI  - Characterisation of rapid progressors to type 1 diabetes among children with HLA
      conferred disease susceptibility.
AB  - AIMS/HYPOTHESIS: In this study, we aimed to characterise rapid progressors to
      type 1 diabetes among children recruited from the general population, on the
      basis of HLA-conferred disease susceptibility. METHODS: We monitored 7410 HLA
      predisposed children participating in the Finnish Type 1 Diabetes Prediction and
      Prevention (DIPP) study for the development of beta cell autoimmunity and type 1
      diabetes from birth over a median follow-up time of 16.2 years (range 0.9-21.1
      years). Islet cell antibodies (ICA) and autoantibodies to insulin (IAA), GAD
      (GADA) and islet antigen 2 (IA-2A) were assessed as markers of beta cell
      autoimmunity. Rapid progression was defined as progression to clinical type 1
      diabetes within 1.5 years of autoantibody seroconversion. We analysed the
      association between rapid progression and demographic and autoantibody
      characteristics as well as genetic markers, including 25 non-HLA SNPs
      predisposing to type 1 diabetes. RESULTS: Altogether, 1550 children (21%) tested
      positive for at least one diabetes-associated autoantibody in at least two
      samples, and 248 (16%) of seroconverters progressed to type 1 diabetes by the end
      of 2015. The median time from seroconversion to diagnosis was 0.51 years in rapid
      progressors (n = 42, 17%) and 5.4 years in slower progressors. Rapid progression
      was observed both among young (<5 years) and early pubertal children (>7 years),
      resulting in a double-peak distribution of seroconversion age. Compared with
      slower progressors, rapid progressors had a higher frequency of positivity for
      multiple (>=2) autoantibodies and had higher titres of ICA, IAA and IA-2A at
      seroconversion, and there was a higher prevalence of the secretor genotype in the
      FUT2 gene among those carrying the high-risk HLA genotype. Compared with
      autoantibody-positive non-progressors, rapid progressors were younger, were more
      likely to carry the high-risk HLA genotype and a predisposing SNP in the PTPN22
      gene, had higher frequency of ICA, IAA, GADA and IA-2A positivity and
      multipositivity, and had higher titres of all four autoantibodies at
      seroconversion. CONCLUSIONS/INTERPRETATION: At seroconversion, individuals with
      rapid progression to type 1 diabetes were characterised by a younger age, higher
      autoantibody titres, positivity for multiple autoantibodies and higher prevalence
      of a FUT2 SNP. The double-peak profile for seroconversion age among the rapid
      progressors demonstrates for the first time that rapid progression may take place
      not only in young children but also in children in early puberty. Rapid
      progressors might benefit from careful clinical follow-up and early preventive
      measures.

PMID- 28364256
TI  - Inter-rater and intra-rater reliability of an adapted Wolf motor function test
      for older patients with shoulder injuries.
AB  - BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: The Wolf motor function test (WMFT) evaluates the upper
      extremity performance of patients with neurological disorders and traumatic brain
      injuries by assessing time and functional capacity. It was later modified to also
      measure the quality of the performed movements. This study aimed to adapt the
      WMFT for patients with shoulder injuries and to evaluate the inter-rater and
      intra-rater reliability of this adapted version. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: A total of
      20 individuals with a median age of 80.5 years were assessed using a test-retest
      design after surgical or conservative treatment of shoulder injuries. Two raters
      rated performance to determine inter-rater reliability. One rater rated the
      performance again to determine intra-rater reliability. Both inter-rater and
      intra-rater agreement were determined by weighted Cohen's kappa statistics with
      corresponding confidence intervals. Cronbach's alpha was calculated to determine
      internal consistency. RESULTS: The inter-rater Cohen's kappa values ranged from
      0.84-1.00 for functional capacity and from 0.79-1.00 for quality of movement. For
      intra-rater reliability the Cohen's kappa ranged from 0.71-1.00. Cronbach's alpha
      was >0.94 for functional capacity and >0.96 for quality of movement. CONCLUSION:
      The adapted version of the WMFT shows high intra-rater and inter-rater
      reliability for patients with shoulder injuries.

PMID- 28364255
TI  - MicroRNA-184 is a downstream effector of albuminuria driving renal fibrosis in
      rats with diabetic nephropathy.
AB  - AIMS/HYPOTHESIS: Renal fibrosis is a common complication of diabetic nephropathy
      and is a major cause of end-stage renal disease. Despite the suggested link
      between renal fibrosis and microRNA (miRNA) dysregulation in diabetic
      nephropathy, the identification of the specific miRNAs involved is still
      incomplete. The aim of this study was to investigate miRNA profiles in the
      diabetic kidney and to identify potential downstream targets implicated in renal
      fibrosis. METHODS: miRNA expression profiling was investigated in the kidneys of
      8-month-old Zucker diabetic fatty (ZDF) rats during overt nephropathy.
      Localisation of the most upregulated miRNA was established by in situ
      hybridisation. The candidate miRNA target was identified by in silico analysis
      and its expression documented in the diabetic kidney associated with fibrotic
      markers. Cultured tubule cells served to assess which of the profibrogenic
      stimuli acted as a trigger for the overexpressed miRNA, and to investigate
      underlying epigenetic mechanisms. RESULTS: In ZDF rats, miR-184 showed the
      strongest differential upregulation compared with lean rats (18-fold). Tubular
      localisation of miR-184 was associated with reduced expression of lipid phosphate
      phosphatase 3 (LPP3) and collagen accumulation. Transfection of NRK-52E cells
      with miR-184 mimic reduced LPP3, promoting a profibrotic phenotype. Albumin was a
      major trigger of miR-184 expression. Anti-miR-184 counteracted albumin-induced
      LPP3 downregulation and overexpression of plasminogen activator inhibitor-1. In
      ZDF rats, ACE-inhibitor treatment limited albuminuria and reduced miR-184, with
      tubular LPP3 preservation and tubulointerstitial fibrosis amelioration. Albumin
      induced miR-184 expression in tubule cells was epigenetically regulated through
      DNA demethylation and histone lysine acetylation and was accompanied by binding
      of NF-kappaB p65 subunit to miR-184 promoter. CONCLUSIONS/INTERPRETATION: These
      results suggest that miR-184 may act as a downstream effector of albuminuria
      through LPP3 to promote tubulointerstitial fibrosis, and offer the rationale to
      investigate whether targeting miR-184 in association with albuminuria-lowering
      drugs may be a new strategy to achieve fully anti-fibrotic effects in diabetic
      nephropathy.

PMID- 28364257
TI  - [Geriatric assessment of patients with hematological neoplasms].
AB  - Hematological malignancies are typical diseases of the elderly. The aging of the
      population in the Western World results in a significant increase in the number
      of elderly patients with hematological malignant diseases. This has important
      consequences for medicine. One consequence of this development is that the need
      for tools for the evaluation of both functional and global status of the elderly
      increases. The use of these tools enables the hematologist to better stratify the
      patients, to individualize therapy better, to possibly modify therapy in order to
      improve implementation of supportive measures and interventions, to minimize
      toxicity and side effects and ultimately to tailor the treatment to the
      individual patient. Several tools are available for geriatric assessment (GA) and
      there is strong evidence that an effective GA can detect previously unknown
      problems. The targeted intervention improves the prognosis and compliance of
      therapy in elderly patients with hematological malignant diseases.

PMID- 28364258
TI  - Dementia care management in primary care : Current collaborative care models and
      the case for interprofessional education.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Dementia is one of the most prevalent diseases in the older
      population. Various dementia care models have been developed to address patient's
      healthcare needs. They can be described as "collaborative care" or "person
      centered care". Referring to the needs of the workforce working with persons with
      dementia, a key element is the use of interprofessional education (IPE).
      OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this article is to describe different international
      collaborative care models to define a minimum standard of healthcare professions
      for collaborative dementia care in primary care. This helps to identify
      requirements for IPE to optimize care of people with dementia and to support
      informal caregivers in the future. MATERIAL AND METHODS: In this article six
      dementia care models from 4 different countries (Germany, USA, UK and
      Netherlands) are described and compared regarding aims, interventions and
      healthcare professionals involved. RESULTS: Care teams are minimally comprised of
      general practitioners or primary care providers, nurses, and social workers.
      Additional healthcare disciplines may be involved for specific interventions.
      Mostly, care team members received specific training but such training did not
      necessarily incorporate the IPE approach. To ensure successful collaboration of
      professions, IPE training programs should at least consist of the following core
      topics: (1) early diagnosis, (2) postdiagnostic support, (3) advanced care
      planning for patients and caregivers and (4) effective collaborative care.
      CONCLUSION: The IPE programs for dementia should be expanded and must be widely
      implemented in order to assess the impact on collaborative practice. This study
      will provide the knowledge base for structuring IPE trainings developing
      educational agendas and adapting existing guidelines to improve collaborative
      dementia care in the future.

PMID- 28364259
TI  - The effects of sclerostin antibody plus parathyroid hormone (1-34) on bone
      formation in ovariectomized rats.
AB  - Previous studies have demonstrated the effects of sclerostin antibody (Scl-Ab)
      and parathyroid hormone (1-34, PTH) on healing in osteoporosis; however, reports
      about the combined effects of Scl-Ab plus PTH on osteoporosis are limited. This
      study was designed to investigate the impact of combined treatment with Scl-Ab
      and PTH on osteoporosis healing in ovariectomized (OVX) rats. After bilateral
      ovariectomy, 12 weeks were allowed to pass for the establishment of standard
      conditions for osteoporosis in animal models. The rats then randomly received a
      vehicle (control), Scl-Ab (25 mg/kg body weight, twice weekly), PTH (60 MUg/kg,
      three times per week) or PTH plus Scl-Ab until death at 12 weeks. The blood and
      distal femurs of the rats were harvested for evaluation. The results of treatment
      for osteoporosis were evaluated by serum analysis, histology, microcomputed
      tomography (micro-CT) and biomechanical tests. Results from this study indicated
      that PTH + Scl-Ab had stronger effects on the prevention and treatment of
      osteoporosis than either of the monotherapies in OVX rats. The PTH + Scl-Ab
      produced the strongest effects on bone volume fraction (BV/TV), bone trabecular
      thickness (Tb.Th), trabecular number (Tb.N) and trabecular spacing (Tb.Sp), bone
      mineral density (BMD) and strength of distal femurs and increased the levels of
      procollagen type I N-terminal propeptide (PINP) and osteocalcin. In contrast,
      monotherapy with PTH or Scl-Ab showed no differences between treated groups in
      the assessment of the metaphysis of contralateral femurs by histology, serum,
      biomechanical tests and micro-CT. These results seem to indicate that Scl-Ab plus
      PTH has an additive effect on osteoporosis in OVX rats.

PMID- 28364260
TI  - Optimising care for patients with cognitive impairment and dementia following hip
      fracture.
AB  - The global shift in demographics towards aging populations is leading to a
      commensurate increase in age-related disease and frailty. It is essential to
      optimise health services to meet current needs and prepare for anticipated future
      demands. This paper explores issues impacting on people living with cognitive
      impairment and/or dementia who experience a hip fracture and are cared for in
      acute settings. This is important given the high mortality and morbidity
      associated with this population. Given the current insufficiency of clear
      evidence on optimum rehabilitation of this patient group, this paper explored
      three key themes namely: recognition of cognitive impairment, response by way of
      training and education of staff to optimise care for this patient group and
      review of the importance of outcomes measures. Whilst there is currently
      insufficient evidence to draw conclusions about the optimal ways of caring for
      patients living with dementia following hip fracture, this paper concludes that
      future research should improve understanding of healthcare staff education to
      improve the outcomes for this important group of patients.

PMID- 28364262
TI  - Mitigation of inbreeding while preserving genetic gain in genomic breeding
      programs for outbred plants.
AB  - KEY MESSAGE: Heuristic genomic inbreeding controls reduce inbreeding in genomic
      breeding schemes without reducing genetic gain. Genomic selection is increasingly
      being implemented in plant breeding programs to accelerate genetic gain of
      economically important traits. However, it may cause significant loss of genetic
      diversity when compared with traditional schemes using phenotypic selection. We
      propose heuristic strategies to control the rate of inbreeding in outbred plants,
      which can be categorised into three types: controls during mate allocation,
      during selection, and simultaneous selection and mate allocation. The proposed
      mate allocation measure GminF allocates two or more parents for mating in mating
      groups that minimise coancestry using a genomic relationship matrix. Two types of
      relationship-adjusted genomic breeding values for parent selection candidates
      ([Formula: see text]) and potential offspring ([Formula: see text]) are devised
      to control inbreeding during selection and even enabling simultaneous selection
      and mate allocation. These strategies were tested in a case study using a
      simulated perennial ryegrass breeding scheme. As compared to the genomic
      selection scheme without controls, all proposed strategies could significantly
      decrease inbreeding while achieving comparable genetic gain. In particular, the
      scenario using [Formula: see text] in simultaneous selection and mate allocation
      reduced inbreeding to one-third of the original genomic selection scheme. The
      proposed strategies are readily applicable in any outbred plant breeding program.

PMID- 28364261
TI  - Regulation of Cell Surface CB2 Receptor during Human B Cell Activation and
      Differentiation.
AB  - Cannabinoid receptor type 2 (CB2) is the primary receptor pathway mediating the
      immunologic consequences of cannabinoids. We recently reported that human
      peripheral blood B cells express CB2 on both the extracellular membrane and at
      intracellular sites, where-as monocytes and T cells only express intracellular
      CB2. To better understand the pattern of CB2 expression by human B cells, we
      examined CD20+ B cells from three tissue sources. Both surface and intracellular
      expression were present and uniform in cord blood B cells, where all cells
      exhibited a naive mature phenotype (IgD+/CD38Dim). While naive mature and
      quiescent memory B cells (IgD-/CD38-) from tonsils and peripheral blood exhibited
      a similar pattern, tonsillar activated B cells (IgD-/CD38+) expressed little to
      no surface CB2. We hypothesized that regulation of the surface CB2 receptor may
      occur during B cell activation. Consistent with this, a B cell lymphoma cell line
      known to exhibit an activated phenotype (SUDHL-4) was found to lack cell surface
      CB2 but express intracellular CB2. Furthermore, in vitro activation of human cord
      blood resulted in a down-regulation of surface CB2 on those B cells acquiring the
      activated phenotype but not on those retaining IgD expression. Using a CB2
      expressing cell line (293 T/CB2-GFP), confocal microscopy confirmed the presence
      of both cell surface expression and multifocal intracellular expression, the
      latter of which co-localized with endoplasmic reticulum but not with
      mitochondria, lysosomes, or nucleus. Our findings suggest a dynamic multi
      compartment expression pattern for CB2 in B cells that is specifically modulated
      during the course of B cell activation.

PMID- 28364265
TI  - Molecular characterization and SNP identification in HSPB6 gene in Karan Fries
      (Bos taurus x Bos indicus) cattle.
AB  - Heat shock proteins (HSPs) act as molecular chaperones which are preferentially
      transcribed in response to severe perturbations of the cellular homeostasis such
      as heat stress. The present study was undertaken for molecular characterization
      and detection of genetic polymorphisms of HSPB6 gene in 100 Karan Fries Cattle.
      HSPB6 gene was mapped on Bos taurus autosome 18 (BTA 18), comprising three exons
      and two introns. Four sets of primers for HSPB6 gene were designed using Primer3
      software (version 0.4.0). For detecting single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs),
      sequence data was analyzed using BioEdit software (version 7.2). Comparative
      sequence analysis of HSPB6 gene showed five nucleotide polymorphisms, which
      included three transitions viz. g.161A > G, g.436G > A and g.2152A > G and two
      transversions viz. g.1743C > G and g.2417A > T compared to B. taurus (NCBI
      GenBank: AC_000175.1). HSPB6 gene of Karan Fries cattle exhibited a high
      percentage of nucleotide identity (47.0-100.0%) with the corresponding mammalian
      homologue. The present study indicated a high degree of genetic variability in
      the HSPB6 gene in the Karan Fries cattle populations.

PMID- 28364263
TI  - Development of a text messaging system to improve receipt of survivorship care in
      adolescent and young adult survivors of childhood cancer.
AB  - PURPOSE: This study aimed to develop and examine the acceptability, feasibility,
      and usability of a text messaging, or Short Message Service (SMS), system for
      improving the receipt of survivorship care for adolescent and young adult (AYA)
      survivors of childhood cancer. METHODS: Researchers developed and refined the
      text messaging system based on qualitative data from AYA survivors in an
      iterative three-stage process. In stage 1, a focus group (n = 4) addressed
      acceptability; in stage 2, key informant interviews (n = 10) following a 6-week
      trial addressed feasibility; and in stage 3, key informant interviews (n = 23)
      following a 6-week trial addressed usability. Qualitative data were analyzed
      using a constant comparative analytic approach exploring in-depth themes.
      RESULTS: The final system includes programmed reminders to schedule and attend
      late effect screening appointments, tailored suggestions for community resources
      for cancer survivors, and messages prompting participant feedback regarding the
      appointments and resources. Participants found the text messaging system an
      acceptable form of communication, the screening reminders and feedback prompts
      feasible for improving the receipt of survivorship care, and the tailored
      suggestions for community resources usable for connecting survivors to relevant
      services. Participants suggested supplementing survivorship care visits and
      forming AYA survivor social networks as future implementations for the text
      messaging system. CONCLUSIONS: The text messaging system may assist AYA survivors
      by coordinating late effect screening appointments, facilitating a partnership
      with the survivorship care team, and connecting survivors with relevant community
      resources. IMPLICATIONS FOR CANCER SURVIVORS: The text messaging system has the
      potential to improve the receipt of survivorship care.

PMID- 28364264
TI  - Seagrass metabolism and carbon dynamics in a tropical coastal embayment.
AB  - Net ecosystem metabolism and subsequent changes in environmental variables were
      studied seasonally in the seagrass-dominated Palk Bay, located along the
      southeast coast of India. The results showed that although the water column was
      typically net heterotrophic, the ecosystem as a whole displayed autotrophic
      characteristics. The mean net community production from the seagrass meadows was
      99.31 +/- 45.13 mM C m-2 d-1, while the P/R ratio varied between 1.49 and 1.56.
      Oxygen produced through in situ photosynthesis, exhibited higher dependence over
      dissolved CO2 and available light. Apportionment of carbon stores in biomass
      indicated that nearly three-fourths were available belowground compared to
      aboveground. However, the sediment horizon accumulated nearly 40 times more
      carbon than live biomass. The carbon storage capacities of the sediments and
      seagrass biomass were comparable with the global mean for seagrass meadows. The
      results of this study highlight the major role of seagrass meadows in
      modification of seawater chemistry. Though the seagrass meadows of Palk Bay are
      increasingly subject to human impacts, with coupled regulatory and management
      efforts focused on improved water quality and habitat conservation, these key
      coastal ecosystems will continue to be valuable for climate change mitigation,
      considering their vital role in C dynamics and interactions with the overlying
      water column.

PMID- 28364266
TI  - A study on some reproductive disorders in dromedary camel herds in Saudi Arabia
      with special references to uterine infections and abortion.
AB  - Dromedary camels complaining from conception failure or abortion were
      investigated and their herders interviewed in Al Ahsa province, Kingdom of Saudi
      Arabia (KSA) during 2013 and 2015. The most important reproductive disorder
      according to the responders is uterine infection (60.2%) followed by obesity
      (22.3%) then physiological conditions (hormonal disturbances; 7.8%), adhesions
      (3.9%) and repeat breeders (2.9%). Of the camel herders, 78.6% reported previous
      occurrence of abortion in their herds and 46% reported abortion cases in the last
      season (2015/2016), while 21.4% reported no history of abortion. Most of the
      responders (97.1%) do not call a veterinarian for cases of abortion in their
      herds and 53.4% do not discard aborted materials. The majority of the herders
      (76.7%) deny that handling aborted materials or touching vaginal fluids can
      result in human infection, or replied they do not know. Uterine swab samples were
      collected and tested by PCR for seven potential pathogens and sera tested for
      antibodies against bovine viral diarrhea virus (BVDV) and Brucella. Five
      pathogens were identified in infected uterine samples, namely Coxiella burnetii
      (36%), Campylobacter spp. (27%), Brucella spp. (17%), Salmonella spp. (13%), and
      Chlamydia spp. (7%). Sero-prevalence of Brucella and BVDV was 8.2 and 29.1% in
      overall sera, respectively, and varies with regard to the region. The findings of
      the present study demonstrate that reproductive disorders dominated by uterine
      infections and abortions are widespread in dromedary camels in KSA.

PMID- 28364267
TI  - Utility of 12-lead and signal-averaged Holter electrocardiograms after
      pilsicainide provocation for risk stratification in Brugada syndrome.
AB  - Non-invasive risk stratification for ventricular fibrillation (VF) in Brugada
      syndrome (BrS) has not been fully evaluated. The aim of this study was to assess
      the utility of signal-averaged Holter electrocardiogram (Holter SAECG) and 12
      lead Holter electrocardiogram (Holter ECG) after a pilsicainide provocation test
      for non-invasive risk stratification in BrS. We enrolled 30 consecutive patients
      with BrS [divided into 2 groups: the VF group, those with a previous history of
      VF (n = 10); and the non-VF group, those without a history of VF (n = 20)] and 10
      control subjects without type 1 ECG. We evaluated late potentials [LP: filtered
      QRS (f-QRS), RMS40, and LAS40] on the Holter SAECG for 4 h after the pilsicainide
      provocation and in the same patients on another day without performing the
      pilsicainide provocation. Furthermore, we measured QRS duration and QTc interval
      in leads V2 and V5, and J amplitude in lead V2 on the Holter ECG after the
      pilsicainide provocation. On the Holter SAECG, the f-QRS at 1 h and LAS40 at 3 h
      after the pilsicainide provocation were significantly larger in the VF group than
      in the non-VF group (f-QRS at 1 h: 113.9 +/- 8.9 vs. 104.9 +/- 8 ms; p = 0.01,
      LAS40 at 3 h: 45.4 +/- 5.9 vs. 35.5 +/- 7.4 ms; p < 0.001). The receiver
      operating characteristic curve analysis for a single parameter of VF occurrence
      was determined [f-QRS at 1 h: area under the curve (AUC) 0.8, with sensitivity
      80% and specificity 80%; and LAS40 at 3 h: AUC 0.87, with sensitivity 90% and
      specificity 75%]. On the Holter ECG, there were no significant differences in
      these parameters between the VF and non-VF groups. In conclusion, the LP after
      the pilsicainide provocation using Holter SAECG may be useful for risk
      stratification of VF episodes in patients with BrS.

PMID- 28364269
TI  - Systemic therapies and cognitive impairment for breast cancer: an overview of the
      current literature.
AB  - Both endocrine and chemotherapy can be utilized for breast cancer patients'
      management, in multiple setting (i.e., primary systemic therapy, adjuvant,
      metastatic treatment). Health-related quality of life in breast cancer survivors
      can be significantly influenced by cognitive impairment, which has been related
      in several previously reported experiences to systemic therapies administration.
      However, although the growing body of literature, the impact of both chemo- and
      endocrine therapy on cognitive function is currently unclear, due to many
      confounding factors (i.e., multiple therapies, duration of therapy, comorbidity,
      age). The aim of the present review is to present an overview of the current
      literature concerning the possible influence of endocrine and systemic therapy on
      breast cancer patients' cognitive impairment.

PMID- 28364268
TI  - The dopamine D2 receptor mediates approach-avoidance tendencies in smokers.
AB  - Dopamine D2 receptors (DRD2) have been strongly implicated in reward processing
      of natural stimuli and drugs. Using the approach-avoidance task (AAT), we
      recently demonstrated that smokers show an increased approach-bias toward smoking
      related cues but not toward naturally rewarding stimuli. Here, we examined the
      contribution of the DRD2 Taq1B polymorphism to smokers' and non-smokers'
      responsivity toward smoking versus naturally rewarding stimuli in the AAT.
      Smokers carrying the minor B1 allele of the DRD2 Taq1B polymorphism showed
      reduced approach behavior for food-related pictures compared to non-smokers with
      the same allele. In the group of smokers, a higher approach-bias toward smoking
      related compared to food-related pictures was found in carriers of the B1 allele.
      This pattern was not evident in smokers homozygous for the B2 allele. In
      addition, smokers with the B1 allele reported fewer attempts to quit smoking
      relative to smokers homozygous for the B2 allele. This is the first study
      demonstrating that behavioral shifts in response to smoking relative to natural
      rewards in smokers are mediated by the DRD2 Taq1B polymorphism. Our results
      indicate a reduced natural-reward brain reactivity in smokers with a genetically
      determined decrease in dopaminergic activity (i.e., reduction of DRD2
      availability). It remains to be determined whether this pattern might be related
      to a different outcome after psychological cessation interventions, i.e., AAT
      modification paradigms, in smokers.

PMID- 28364270
TI  - SAFE trial: an ongoing randomized clinical study to assess the role of
      cardiotoxicity prevention in breast cancer patients treated with anthracyclines
      with or without trastuzumab.
AB  - Over the years, thanks to the addition of new generation systemic agents, as well
      as the use of more advanced and precise radiotherapy techniques, it was able to
      obtain a high curability rate for breast cancer. Anthracyclines play a key role
      in the treatment of breast disease, with a well-known benefit on disease-free
      survival of patients with positive nodal status. Trastuzumab have shown a
      significant outcome advantage after 1-year administration in case of HER2
      positive disease. Unfortunately, significant increase in cardiotoxicity has been
      observed after anthracyclines and trastuzumab therapies. Even though the
      cardiology and oncology community strongly recommend a cardiotoxicity prevention
      strategy for this subset of patients, there is still no consensus on the optimal
      patient's approach. We aimed to review the published and ongoing researches on
      cardioprevention strategies and to present the SAFE trial (CT registry ID:
      NCT2236806; EudraCT number: 2015-000914-23). It is a randomized phase 3, four
      arm, single-blind, placebo-controlled study that aims to evaluate the effect of
      bisoprolol, ramipril or both drugs, compared to placebo, on subclinical heart
      damage evaluated by speckle tracking cardiac ultrasound in non-metastatic breast
      cancer patients.

PMID- 28364272
TI  - Vegetation Changes in a Native Forest Produced by Atta vollenweideri Forel 1893
      (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) Nests.
AB  - Herbivory is an important factor to generate spatial mosaics with variations in a
      plant community composition and organization. The objective of this work was to
      determine the impact of Atta vollenweideri Forel 1893 nests on herbaceous and
      shrub vegetation in a degraded native forest of the Espinal ecoregion. The study
      was carried out in the Protected Area and Multiple Use Nature Reserve called
      Estancia "El Caraya" (Entre Rios, Argentina). Ten A. vollenweideri nests were
      selected by simple random sampling through internal roads, and two transects were
      drawn from the center of the nest (0 m) up to 60 m away in opposite directions.
      The line intercept method was used to quantify the percentage of vegetation cover
      of herbaceous and shrub species, while the floristic composition was estimated by
      the Canfield method. Afterwards, a nonparametric test between positions and a
      conglomerate analysis to evaluated distance were applied. Grass species, legumes,
      and sedges fell in the adjacent areas to nests, highlighting the bare soil at the
      crest and base of the nests. Fifteen plant species were identified, and two
      families correspond to monocotyledonous and dicotyledonous species. In
      conclusion, the nests of A. vollenweideri affect the community of herbaceous and
      shrub vegetation of the studied degraded native forest of the Espinal ecoregion
      since these ants perform a high selection of herbaceous species considered as
      pioneers of plant successions.

PMID- 28364273
TI  - Stereotactic MR-guided focused ultrasound deep brain lesioning: the resurrection
      of posteroventral pallidotomy and thalamotomy for Parkinson's disease?

PMID- 28364271
TI  - ALK rearrangement in specific subtypes of lung adenocarcinoma: immunophenotypic
      and morphological features.
AB  - Lung adenocarcinomas are characterized by a variety of genetic and epigenetic
      changes that lead to activation of specific signaling pathways. This allowed the
      classification of lung adenocarcinomas according to genetic alterations and the
      clinical development of novel anticancer agents that affect the activity of
      specific oncoproteins. In such a context, chromosomal rearrangements that cause
      constitutive activation of ALK gene define a category of lung adenocarcinomas
      that is amenable to targeted therapy with ALK inhibitors. Thus, a major issue of
      current research is to define the morphological and immunophenotypic features of
      lung ALK-rearranged adenocarcinomas to improve the selection of tumors suitable
      for molecular genotyping. ALK status was determined, by immunohistochemistry and
      fluorescence in situ hybridization, in 94 surgically resected lung
      adenocarcinomas and correlated with histomorphological parameters. Indeed, ALK
      rearrangement was observed in 10/94 (11%) lung adenocarcinomas and enriched in
      tumors with a predominant mucinous (46%; p < 0.05) and solid (29%; p < 0.05)
      pattern. By contrast, it was lacking or sporadically observed in lung
      adenocarcinomas with predominant acinar, papillary or lepidic pattern. Moreover,
      the presence of signet-ring cells was predominantly observed in ALK-rearranged
      tumors (47%; p < 0.05). These data suggest that ALK rearrangement is associated
      with specific and distinct clinical-pathological characters compared to other
      genotypes. Thus, the knowledge of these characteristics can improve the
      diagnostic accuracy and lead to a better understanding of the behavior of ALK
      rearranged NSCLC.

PMID- 28364274
TI  - Quorum quenching properties of Actinobacteria isolated from Malaysian tropical
      soils.
AB  - In this study, a total of 147 soil actinobacterial strains were screened for
      their ability to inhibit response of Chromobacterium violaceum CV026 to short
      chain N-acyl homoserine lactone (AHL) which is a quorum sensing molecule. Of
      these, three actinobacterial strains showed positive for violacein inhibition. We
      further tested these strains for the inhibition of Pseudomonas aeruginosa PAO1
      quorum sensing-regulated phenotypes, namely, swarming and pyocyanin production.
      The three strains were found to inhibit at least one of the quorum sensing
      regulated phenotypes of PAO1. Phylogenetic analysis of the 16S rRNA gene
      sequences indicated that these strains belong to the genera Micromonospora,
      Rhodococcus and Streptomyces. This is the first report presenting quorum
      quenching activity by a species of the genus Micromonospora. Our data suggest
      that Actinobacteria may be a rich source of active compounds that can act against
      bacterial quorum sensing system.

PMID- 28364275
TI  - Magnetic resonance imaging in diffuse idiopathic skeletal hyperostosis:
      similarities to axial spondyloarthritis.
AB  - Diffuse idiopathic skeletal hyperostosis (DISH) is a non-inflammatory condition
      that involves calcification and ossification of the spinal ligaments and
      entheses. While, characteristic magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) lesions of the
      spine in patients with axial spondyloarthritis, another enthesitis-related
      disease, have been described and defined, there is a paucity of information
      regarding the MRI findings in DISH. The aim of this study was to describe the MRI
      findings of patients with DISH. We collected computed tomography studies with
      findings characteristic of DISH and that also had corresponding and concurrent
      MRI studies of the spine. For each patient, sagittal T1-weighted and STIR MRI
      sequences were evaluated for anterior/posterior vertebral corners of bone marrow
      edema (BME) and fat deposition. In total, we assessed 156 vertebral units in 10
      patients that had both radiographic evidence of DISH and available MRI studies of
      the spine. Lesions consistent with BME corners were detected in five patients,
      and in three of them, three separate sites were involved, a finding that is
      suggestive of axial spondyloarthritis (SpA) according to the ASAS/OMERACT
      consensus statement. Fat deposition corners were detected in eight patients and
      in seven of them, several sites were involved. Spinal MRI lesions that are
      characteristic of axial SpA were commonly observed in a cohort of patients with
      DISH. This bears relevance to cases with diagnostic uncertainty and may imply
      overlapping pathogenetic mechanisms for new bone formation in both SpA and DISH.
      Further study is indicated to better characterize the similarities and
      differences between the MRI lesions of DISH and SpA.

PMID- 28364276
TI  - [Computer-assisted diagnosis of rare diseases].
AB  - To establish a comprehensive diagnosis is by far the most challenging task in a
      physician's daily routine. Especially rare diseases place high demands on
      differential diagnosis, caused by the high number of around 8000 diseases and
      their clinical variability. No clinician can be aware of all the different
      entities and memorizing them all is impossible and inefficient. Specific
      diagnostic decision-supported systems provide better results than standard search
      engines in this context. The systems FindZebra, Phenomizer, Orphanet, and Isabel
      are presented here concisely with their advantages and limitations. An outlook is
      given to social media usage and big data technologies. Due to the high number of
      initial misdiagnoses and long periods of time until a confirmatory diagnosis is
      reached, these tools might be promising in practice to improve the diagnosis of
      rare diseases.

PMID- 28364277
TI  - Pediatric choledochal cysts: diagnosis and current management.
AB  - Choledochal cysts are rare congenital disorders first described by Vater and
      Ezler in 1723. Their exact etiology remains incompletely understood; however, an
      anomalous pancreaticobiliary union (APBDU) and subsequent reflux of biliary
      contents into the biliary tree are thought to play a role. Accordingly, APBDU
      associated choledochal cyst patients are significantly more likely to have
      evidence of hepatitis, cholangitis or pancreatitis and pathologically confirmed
      inflammation. In 1977, Todani and colleagues modified the original Alonso-Lej
      classification to include five types of CC. Type I and IV are the most common and
      most likely to be associated with malignancy. The majority of choledochal cysts
      are diagnosed in childhood. Clinical presentation varies and most often consists
      of nonspecific abdominal pain. Diagnosis is typically accomplished using
      multimodality imaging techniques including computed tomography, magnetic
      resonance imaging, ultrasound and MRCP. The use of diagnostic PTC and ERCP in CC
      has been largely replaced by MRCP. Appropriate management consists of prompt,
      complete cyst excision followed by restoration of biliary enteric continuity when
      necessary. Minimally invasive CC resection in the pediatric population has
      demonstrated acceptable outcomes. Prognosis is generally excellent; however,
      malignancy risk remains higher than the general population even after complete
      surgical excision.

PMID- 28364278
TI  - The development and function of dendritic cell populations and their regulation
      by miRNAs.
AB  - Dendritic cells (DCs) are important immune cells linking innate and adaptive
      immune responses. DCs encounter various self and non-self antigens present in the
      environment and induce different types of antigen specific adaptive immune
      responses. DCs can be classified into lymphoid tissue-resident DCs, migratory
      DCs, non-lymphoid resident DCs, and monocyte derived DCs (moDCs). Recent work has
      also established that DCs consist of developmentally and functionally distinct
      subsets that differentially regulate T lymphocyte function. The development of
      different DC subsets has been found to be regulated by a network of different
      cytokines and transcriptional factors. Moreover, the response of DC is tightly
      regulated to maintain the homeostasis of immune system. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are an
      important class of cellular regulators that modulate gene expression and thereby
      influence cell fate and function. In the immune system, miRNAs act at checkpoints
      during hematopoietic development and cell subset differentiation, they modulate
      effector cell function, and are implicated in the maintenance of homeostasis. DCs
      are also regulated by miRNAs. In the past decade, much progress has been made to
      understand the role of miRNAs in regulating the development and function of DCs.
      In this review, we summarize the origin and distribution of different mouse DC
      subsets in both lymphoid and non-lymphoid tissues. The DC subsets identified in
      human are also described. Recent progress on the function of miRNAs in the
      development and activation of DCs and their functional relevance to autoimmune
      diseases are discussed.

PMID- 28364281
TI  - Dictionaries and distributions: Combining expert knowledge and large scale
      textual data content analysis : Distributed dictionary representation.
AB  - Theory-driven text analysis has made extensive use of psychological concept
      dictionaries, leading to a wide range of important results. These dictionaries
      have generally been applied through word count methods which have proven to be
      both simple and effective. In this paper, we introduce Distributed Dictionary
      Representations (DDR), a method that applies psychological dictionaries using
      semantic similarity rather than word counts. This allows for the measurement of
      the similarity between dictionaries and spans of text ranging from complete
      documents to individual words. We show how DDR enables dictionary authors to
      place greater emphasis on construct validity without sacrificing linguistic
      coverage. We further demonstrate the benefits of DDR on two real-world tasks and
      finally conduct an extensive study of the interaction between dictionary size and
      task performance. These studies allow us to examine how DDR and word count
      methods complement one another as tools for applying concept dictionaries and
      where each is best applied. Finally, we provide references to tools and resources
      to make this method both available and accessible to a broad psychological
      audience.

PMID- 28364280
TI  - Oncogenic miR-19a and miR-19b co-regulate tumor suppressor MTUS1 to promote cell
      proliferation and migration in lung cancer.
AB  - MTUS1 (microtubule-associated tumor suppressor 1) has been identified that can
      function as a tumor suppressor gene in many malignant tumors. However, the
      function and mechanisms underlying the regulation of MTUS1 are unclear. In the
      present study, we reported that miR-19a and miR-19b (miR-19a/b) promote
      proliferation and migration of lung cancer cells by targeting MTUS1. First, MTUS1
      was proved to function as a tumor suppressor in lung cancer and was linked to
      cell proliferation and migration promotion. Second, an inverse correlation
      between miR-19a/b expression and MTUS1 mRNA/protein expression was noted in human
      lung cancer tissues. Third, MTUS1 was appraised as a direct target of miR-19a/b
      by bioinformatics analysis. Fourth, direct MTUS1 regulation by miR-19a/b in lung
      cancer cells was experimentally affirmed by cell transfection assay and
      luciferase reporter assay. Finally, miR-19a/b were shown to cooperatively repress
      MTUS1 expression and synergistically regulate MTUS1 expression to promote lung
      cancer cell proliferation and migration. In conclusion, our findings have
      provided the first clues regarding the roles of miR-19a/b, which appear to
      function as oncomirs in lung cancer by downregulating MTUS1.

PMID- 28364282
TI  - Manipulating perceptual parameters in a continuous performance task.
AB  - Sustained attention (SA) is among the most studied faculties of human cognition,
      and thought to be crucial for many aspects of behavior. Measuring SA often relies
      on performance on a continuous, low-demanding task. Such continuous performance
      tasks (CPTs) have many variations, and sustained attention is typically estimated
      based on variability in reaction times. While relying on reaction times may be
      useful in some cases, it can pose a challenge when working with clinical
      populations. To increase interpersonal variability in task parameters that do not
      rely on speed, researchers have increased demands for memory and response
      inhibition. These approaches, however, may be confounded when used to assess
      populations that suffer from multiple cognitive deficits. In the current study,
      we propose a new approach for increasing task variability by increasing the
      attentional demands. In order to do so, we created a new variation of a CPT - a
      masked version, where inattention is more likely to cause misidentifying a
      target. After establishing that masking indeed decreases target detection, we
      further investigated which task parameter may influence response biases. To do
      so, we contrasted two versions of the CPT with different target/distractor ratio.
      We then established how perceptual parameters can be controlled independently in
      a CPT. Following the experimental manipulations, we tested the MCCPT with aging
      controls and chronic stroke patients to assure the task can be used with target
      populations. The results confirm the MCCPT as a task providing high sensitivity
      without relying on reaction speed, and feasible for patients.

PMID- 28364283
TI  - Lisbon Emoji and Emoticon Database (LEED): Norms for emoji and emoticons in seven
      evaluative dimensions.
AB  - The use of emoticons and emoji is increasingly popular across a variety of new
      platforms of online communication. They have also become popular as stimulus
      materials in scientific research. However, the assumption that emoji/emoticon
      users' interpretations always correspond to the developers'/researchers' intended
      meanings might be misleading. This article presents subjective norms of emoji and
      emoticons provided by everyday users. The Lisbon Emoji and Emoticon Database
      (LEED) comprises 238 stimuli: 85 emoticons and 153 emoji (collected from iOS,
      Android, Facebook, and Emojipedia). The sample included 505 Portuguese
      participants recruited online. Each participant evaluated a random subset of 20
      stimuli for seven dimensions: aesthetic appeal, familiarity, visual complexity,
      concreteness, valence, arousal, and meaningfulness. Participants were
      additionally asked to attribute a meaning to each stimulus. The norms obtained
      include quantitative descriptive results (means, standard deviations, and
      confidence intervals) and a meaning analysis for each stimulus. We also examined
      the correlations between the dimensions and tested for differences between
      emoticons and emoji, as well as between the two major operating systems-Android
      and iOS. The LEED constitutes a readily available normative database (available
      at www.osf.io/nua4x ) with potential applications to different research domains.

PMID- 28364284
TI  - Not every credible interval is credible: Evaluating robustness in the presence of
      contamination in Bayesian data analysis.
AB  - As Bayesian methods become more popular among behavioral scientists, they will
      inevitably be applied in situations that violate the assumptions underpinning
      typical models used to guide statistical inference. With this in mind, it is
      important to know something about how robust Bayesian methods are to the
      violation of those assumptions. In this paper, we focus on the problem of
      contaminated data (such as data with outliers or conflicts present), with
      specific application to the problem of estimating a credible interval for the
      population mean. We evaluate five Bayesian methods for constructing a credible
      interval, using toy examples to illustrate the qualitative behavior of different
      approaches in the presence of contaminants, and an extensive simulation study to
      quantify the robustness of each method. We find that the "default" normal model
      used in most Bayesian data analyses is not robust, and that approaches based on
      the Bayesian bootstrap are only robust in limited circumstances. A simple
      parametric model based on Tukey's "contaminated normal model" and a model based
      on the t-distribution were markedly more robust. However, the contaminated normal
      model had the added benefit of estimating which data points were discounted as
      outliers and which were not.

PMID- 28364285
TI  - Modeling when people quit: Bayesian censored geometric models with hierarchical
      and latent-mixture extensions.
AB  - People often interact with environments that can provide only a finite number of
      items as resources. Eventually a book contains no more chapters, there are no
      more albums available from a band, and every Pokemon has been caught. When
      interacting with these sorts of environments, people either actively choose to
      quit collecting new items, or they are forced to quit when the items are
      exhausted. Modeling the distribution of how many items people collect before they
      quit involves untangling these two possibilities, We propose that censored
      geometric models are a useful basic technique for modeling the quitting
      distribution, and, show how, by implementing these models in a hierarchical and
      latent-mixture framework through Bayesian methods, they can be extended to
      capture the additional features of specific situations. We demonstrate this
      approach by developing and testing a series of models in two case studies
      involving real-world data. One case study deals with people choosing jokes from a
      recommender system, and the other deals with people completing items in a
      personality survey.

PMID- 28364279
TI  - TRPV1 and TRPA1 in cutaneous neurogenic and chronic inflammation: pro
      inflammatory response induced by their activation and their sensitization.
AB  - Cutaneous neurogenic inflammation (CNI) is inflammation that is induced (or
      enhanced) in the skin by the release of neuropeptides from sensory nerve endings.
      Clinical manifestations are mainly sensory and vascular disorders such as
      pruritus and erythema. Transient receptor potential vanilloid 1 and ankyrin 1
      (TRPV1 and TRPA1, respectively) are non-selective cation channels known to
      specifically participate in pain and CNI. Both TRPV1 and TRPA1 are co-expressed
      in a large subset of sensory nerves, where they integrate numerous noxious
      stimuli. It is now clear that the expression of both channels also extends far
      beyond the sensory nerves in the skin, occuring also in keratinocytes, mast
      cells, dendritic cells, and endothelial cells. In these non-neuronal cells, TRPV1
      and TRPA1 also act as nociceptive sensors and potentiate the inflammatory
      process. This review discusses the role of TRPV1 and TRPA1 in the modulation of
      inflammatory genes that leads to or maintains CNI in sensory neurons and non
      neuronal skin cells. In addition, this review provides a summary of current
      research on the intracellular sensitization pathways of both TRP channels by
      other endogenous inflammatory mediators that promote the self-maintenance of CNI.

PMID- 28364286
TI  - Adult height after spontaneous pubertal growth or GnRH analog treatment in girls
      with early puberty: a meta-analysis.
AB  - : Early puberty (EP) has been defined as the onset of puberty in the low-normal
      range; it may be a cause for concern regarding a possible impairment of adult
      height (AH). This paper meta-analysed data on AH after spontaneous growth or
      after gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) analog treatment in girls with EP. A
      computerized literature search was conducted from 1980 to June 30, 2016. Only
      published studies in English were considered. Eight papers were selected (483
      cases). In untreated girls (n = 300), predicted adult height (PAH) at start of
      follow-up (-0.559 SDS (95%CI -1.110 to 0.001); P = 0.050) was close to mid
      parental height (MPH) (-0.557 SDS (95%CI -0.736 to -0.419); P < 0.0001) and AH (
      0.663 SDS (95%CI -0.803 to -0.524); P < 0.0001). In GnRH analog treated girls (n
      = 183), PAH before the start of treatment was slightly reduced (-0.939 SDS (95%CI
      -1.401 to -0.477; P < 0.0001) vs MPH (-0.678 SDS (95%CI -0.942 to -0.414); P <
      0.0000), but AH (-0.604 SDS (95%CI -0.877 to -0.338); P < 0.0000) was close to
      MPH. CONCLUSION: Present meta-analysis indicates that girls with EP spontaneously
      reach their MPH and that GnRH analog treatment does not widely change growth
      outcome. Differences among the selected studies for definition of EP, inclusion
      criteria, treatment duration, age at discontinuation of therapy, definition of AH
      may affect results. What is Known: * Early puberty represents a main cause of
      consultation in paediatric endocrinology offices due to concerns of both
      practitioners and parents. * Treatment with GnRH analogs is sometimes attempted
      with the aim to improve adult height. What is New: * Untreated and GnRH analog
      treated girls with early puberty reached similar adult height. * Adult height was
      consistent with mid-parental height in both untreated and GnRH analog treated
      girls with early puberty.

PMID- 28364290
TI  - Axillary Lymphadenectomy in Sentinel Lymph Node-Positive Breast Cancer.

PMID- 28364288
TI  - Co-administration of proton pump inhibitors ameliorates nephrotoxicity in
      patients receiving chemotherapy with cisplatin and fluorouracil: a retrospective
      cohort study.
AB  - PURPOSE: The nephrotoxicity of cisplatin (CDDP) is its dose-limiting side effect,
      and is caused by renal accumulation of CDDP mainly via organic cation transporter
      2 (OCT2). Because proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) are known to inhibit OCT2
      activity, PPI might ameliorate CDDP-induced nephrotoxicity. In the present study,
      we retrospectively investigated the effect of co-administration of PPI on CDDP
      induced nephrotoxicity. METHODS: We analyzed the impact of PPI on the development
      of nephrotoxicity in 133 patients who received CDDP and fluorouracil (5-FU)
      therapy for the treatment of esophageal cancer or head and neck cancer.
      Nephrotoxicity that developed within 14 days following CDDP administration was
      evaluated in accordance with Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events ver.
      4.0 for acute kidney injury. RESULTS: The rate of nephrotoxicity in patients with
      PPI (12%, n = 33) was significantly lower than that in patients without PPI (30%,
      n = 100). Severe nephrotoxicity greater than Grade 2 was not observed in patients
      with PPI, whereas the rate of hematological toxicity was comparable between
      patients with and without PPI. Kaplan-Meier analysis showed that the time to
      nephrotoxicity following CDDP administration was significantly prolonged in
      patients with PPI. Multivariate analysis revealed that co-administration of PPI
      with CDDP and 5-FU was an independent factor significantly contributing to the
      amelioration of nephrotoxicity (odds ratio 0.239, p = 0.033). CONCLUSIONS: These
      findings indicate that co-administration of clinical doses of PPI could
      ameliorate nephrotoxicity without exacerbation of hematological toxicity in
      patients receiving CDDP and 5-FU therapy.

PMID- 28364291
TI  - Invited comment to: Open retromuscular large mesh reconstruction of lumbar
      incisional hernias including the atrophic muscular area. Y. Renard, L. de
      Mestier, A. Cagniet et al.

PMID- 28364287
TI  - How phenotype guides management of non-conventional squamous cell carcinomas of
      the larynx?
AB  - Although the majority of laryngeal malignancies are the conventional squamous
      cell carcinomas (SCC), a wide variety of malignant epithelial tumors can affect
      the larynx. Current treatment guidelines are designed to guide clinicians in
      management of conventional laryngeal SCC. Less is known about the biological
      behavior and responsiveness to therapy and overall outcomes of other malignant
      epithelial lesions. Because a spectrum of disease biology is represented by these
      rare phenotypes, an understanding of the basic biology can help direct management
      to optimize clinical outcome in this group of patients. This review provides a
      critical analysis of literature relating to the diagnosis, management, and
      outcome of patients with non-conventional squamous malignant epithelial neoplasms
      of the larynx. Particular attention is paid to features which are at variance
      with the conventional SCC and how these impact on management of these rare
      tumors.

PMID- 28364292
TI  - Continuous subcutaneous apomorphine infusion in advanced Parkinson's disease: 10
      year experience with 230 patients.
AB  - Continuous apomorphine infusion (APO) is one of the treatments available for
      advanced Parkinson disease (PD). Over 10 years, we have treated 230 patients with
      APO. Mean age was 66.8 and average evolution time at APO onset was 13.0 years.
      Mean duration of the treatment was 26.3 months. As of June 2016, 93 remained on
      the medication (active group), while 137 had stopped. This active group had mean
      age 67.3 at recruitment and mean evolution 14.2 years. The main indication for
      APO was lack of deep brain stimulation criteria (DBS). Twelve patients were on
      waiting list for DBS. Average time since APO onset was 40.0 months. In the active
      group, APO decreased off-state in 4 h and allowed reducing levodopa and dopamine
      agonists. Dyskinesia and balance did not worsen. Cognitive decline did not change
      within the first 15 months. Hallucinations were the same within the first 39
      months. The presence of subcutaneous nodules was the most frequent adverse event
      in this group. The main reason for discontinuation was side effects, being
      psychosis the most common. Within the first year, 82 patients stopped APO.
      Eighteen of these patients eventually got DBS. APO is a good option for advanced
      PD, since it permits a significant reduction in off-time and other
      antiparkinsonian drugs. This effect is sustained over time. We have treated 132
      patients for over a year. Dyskinesia seems not to worsen. Combining APO with DBS
      simultaneously or alternatively provides good results.

PMID- 28364293
TI  - Parkinsonism in a patient with valosin-containing protein gene mutation showing:
      a case report.

PMID- 28364295
TI  - Objective assessment of visual pursuit in patients with disorders of
      consciousness: an exploratory study.
AB  - Visual pursuit is a key marker of residual consciousness in patients with
      disorders of consciousness (DOC). Currently, its assessment relies on subjective
      clinical decisions. In this study, we explore the variability of such clinical
      assessments, and present an easy-to-use device composed of cameras and video
      processing algorithms that could help the clinician to improve the detection of
      visual pursuit in a clinical context. Visual pursuit was assessed by an
      experienced research neuropsychologist on 31 patients with DOC and on 23 healthy
      subjects, while the device was used to simultaneously record videos of both one
      eye and the mirror. These videos were then scored by three researchers: the
      experienced research neuropsychologist who did the clinical assessment, another
      experienced research neuropsychologist, and a neurologist. For each video, a
      consensus was decided between the three persons, and used as the gold standard of
      the presence or absence of visual pursuit. Almost 10% of the patients were
      misclassified at the bedside according to their consensus. An automatic
      classifier analyzed eye and mirror trajectories, and was able to identify
      patients and healthy subjects with visual pursuit, in total agreement with the
      consensus on video. In conclusion, our device can be used easily in patients with
      DOC while respecting the current guidelines of visual pursuit assessment. Our
      results suggest that our material and our classification method can identify
      patients with visual pursuit, as well as the three researchers based on video
      recordings can.

PMID- 28364298
TI  - Prevalence of Parkinson symptoms in patients with different peripheral vestibular
      disorders.

PMID- 28364297
TI  - Varicella zoster virus encephalitis in a patient with a solid carcinoma: a case
      report.

PMID- 28364296
TI  - Juvenile-onset myasthenia gravis: autoantibody status, clinical characteristics
      and genetic polymorphisms.
AB  - Myasthenia gravis (MG) is an autoimmune disorder mediated by antibodies against
      proteins at the neuromuscular junction. Juvenile-onset MG (JMG) has been reported
      to have special characteristics. It is still unclear whether there are any
      pathogenic and genetic differences between juvenile and adult MG. In this study,
      we evaluated the clinical characteristics, autoantibody status (antibodies
      against AChR, MuSK, LRP4, titin and RyR) and genetic susceptibility (CHRNA1,
      CTLA4 and AIRE) in 114 Chinese JMG patients, and compared with 207 young adult MG
      patients (onset age 18-40 years). JMG patients were classified into two
      subgroups: the very early onset group (<8 years) and puberty onset group (8-18
      years). The very early onset MG patients had a higher proportion of ocular MG and
      thymus hyperplasia, compared with puberty onset MG and young adult MG (P < 0.05).
      AChR antibodies were found in majority of JMG patients and were associated with
      more severe disease (P < 0.05), while other antibodies were rare in JMG.
      Moreover, the very early onset MG had a more prominent genetic predisposition
      than puberty and adult MG, affecting the susceptible genes CHRNA1 and CTLA4. JMG
      has the same pathogenic background as adult MG, but has typical clinical features
      and a prominent genetic predisposition in very early onset patients (<8 years).
      Specific therapeutic considerations are needed.

PMID- 28364299
TI  - Life Satisfaction and Psychological Status of Mothers with Disabled Children: A
      Descriptive Study.
AB  - The purpose of this study is to determine the life satisfaction, general health
      conditions, and depression levels of mothers with disabled children and the
      problems they experienced. This descriptive study was conducted between 1 and 30
      December 2014 in a rehabilitation center that renders services for totally 254
      physically and mentally-disabled children in Turkey. 184 mothers participated in
      the study. The data were collected by using an information form, the life
      satisfaction scale, the general health questionnaire, and the Beck depression
      inventory. General Health Questionnaire scores of the mothers who had another
      disabled child and Beck Depression Inventory scores of the working mothers were
      significantly high. In addition, a significant difference was found between the
      scores of Life Satisfaction Scale, General Health Questionnaire, and Beck
      Depression Inventory by mothers who had difficulties regarding care of their
      children, were worried for their children, and experienced uncertainty with
      regard to the future.

PMID- 28364294
TI  - Intermediate Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease: an electrophysiological reappraisal and
      systematic review.
AB  - Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease (CMT) is the most frequent form of inherited
      neuropathy with great variety of phenotypes, inheritance patterns, and causative
      genes. According to median motor nerve conduction velocity (MNCV), CMT is divided
      into demyelinating (CMT1) with MNCV below 38 m/s, axonal (CMT2) with MNCV above
      38 m/s, and intermediate CMT with MNCV between 25 and 45 m/s. In each category,
      transmission may be autosomal dominant, autosomal recessive, or X-linked. The
      nosology of intermediate CMT is controversial because of concerns about
      electrophysiological delimitation. A systematic computer-based literature search
      was conducted on PubMed, using the following MeSH: (1) intermediate Charcot-Marie
      Tooth; (2) X-linked intermediate Charcot-Marie-Tooth; and (3) X-linked Charcot
      Marie-Tooth and electrophysiology. We retrieved 225 articles reporting X-linked
      CMT or intermediate CMT with electrophysiological information. After eligibility,
      156 papers were used for this review. In assessing median MNCV, compound muscle
      action potential (CMAP) amplitudes were taken into account. In cases with
      attenuated CMAP and wherever possible, proximal median MNCV was used for accurate
      definition of conduction slowing in the intermediate range. In the vast majority
      of males with X-linked CMT associated with GJB1 mutation (CMTX1), median MNCV was
      intermediate. CMT associated with DRP2 mutation is another well-documented X
      linked intermediate disorder. Autosomal dominant intermediate CMT (DI-CMT)
      encompasses 11 different types; six of them with assigned phenotype MIM number
      and the remaining five being unnumbered. Based on available electrophysiological
      information, we wonder if DI-CMTA should be reclassified within CMT2. Autosomal
      recessive intermediate CMT (RI-CMT) covers four numbered MIM phenotypes though,
      in accordance with reported electrophysiology, two of them (RI-CMTB and RI-CMTD)
      should probably be reclassified within AR-CMT2. We conclude that intermediate CMT
      is a complex inherited syndrome, whose characterization requires a specific
      electrophysiological protocol comprising evaluation of upper limb proximal nerve
      trunks when distal CMAP amplitudes are reduced, and that an updated version of
      MIM phenotype numbering is needed.

PMID- 28364301
TI  - Relying on objective data: the glass half empty of high-flow nasal cannula in
      bronchiolitis.

PMID- 28364300
TI  - Providers' Behaviors and Beliefs on Prescribing Antipsychotic Medication to
      Children: A Qualitative Study.
AB  - Fragmentation in behavioral and mental health care to children has resulted in
      suboptimal care and high rates of psychotropic medication use, especially
      antipsychotic medications (APM). A qualitative study, based on the Theory of
      Planned Behavior (TPB), aimed to better understand prescribing practices,
      barriers to optimal treatment, and potential interventions to safeguard the use
      of APM for children in Kentucky. The most common barrier to optimal care was
      access to mental health specialists. Social norms and pressure from families
      contribute to increased medication use. We identify promising interventions to
      safeguard the use of APM through the lens of the TPB.

PMID- 28364302
TI  - Beware the siren's song of novel endotracheal tube designs.

PMID- 28364305
TI  - [International guidelines from the Surviving Sepsis Campaign : 2016 update].
AB  - An update to the international guidelines for sepsis therapy was published by the
      Surviving Sepsis Campaign (SSC) in March 2017. The guidelines have been
      completely restructured and comprehensively deal with new evidence. The
      guidelines discuss sepsis-specific therapeutic measures and provide detailed
      recommendations on general intensive care measures for sepsis. This article
      summarizes the most important amendments and suggests delving deeper into the
      guidelines.

PMID- 28364303
TI  - Acute kidney injury in sepsis.
AB  - Acute kidney injury (AKI) and sepsis carry consensus definitions. The
      simultaneous presence of both identifies septic AKI. Septic AKI is the most
      common AKI syndrome in ICU and accounts for approximately half of all such AKI.
      Its pathophysiology remains poorly understood, but animal models and lack of
      histological changes suggest that, at least initially, septic AKI may be a
      functional phenomenon with combined microvascular shunting and tubular cell
      stress. The diagnosis remains based on clinical assessment and measurement of
      urinary output and serum creatinine. However, multiple biomarkers and especially
      cell cycle arrest biomarkers are gaining acceptance. Prevention of septic AKI
      remains based on the treatment of sepsis and on early resuscitation. Such
      resuscitation relies on the judicious use of both fluids and vasoactive drugs. In
      particular, there is strong evidence that starch-containing fluids are
      nephrotoxic and decrease renal function and suggestive evidence that chloride
      rich fluid may also adversely affect renal function. Vasoactive drugs have
      variable effects on renal function in septic AKI. At this time, norepinephrine is
      the dominant agent, but vasopressin may also have a role. Despite supportive
      therapies, renal function may be temporarily or completely lost. In such
      patients, renal replacement therapy (RRT) becomes necessary. The optimal
      intensity of this therapy has been established, while the timing of when to
      commence RRT is now a focus of investigation. If sepsis resolves, the majority of
      patients recover renal function. Yet, even a single episode of septic AKI is
      associated with increased subsequent risk of chronic kidney disease.

PMID- 28364304
TI  - Inter-Subject Variability in OCT1 Activity in 27 Batches of Cryopreserved Human
      Hepatocytes and Association with OCT1 mRNA Expression and Genotype.
AB  - PURPOSE: OCT1/3 (Organic Cation Transporter-1 and -3; SLC22A1/3) are
      transmembrane proteins localized at the basolateral membrane of hepatocytes. They
      mediate the uptake of cationic endogenous compounds and/or xenobiotics. The
      present study was set up to verify whether the previously observed variability in
      OCT activity in hepatocytes may be explained by inter-individual differences in
      OCT1/3 mRNA levels or OCT1 genotype. METHODS: Twenty-seven batches of
      cryopreserved human hepatocytes (male and female, age 24-88 y) were characterized
      for OCT activity, normalized OCT1/3 mRNA expression, and OCT1 genetic mutation.
      ASP+ (4-[4-(dimethylamino)styryl]-N-methylpyridinium iodide) was used as probe
      substrate. RESULTS: ASP+ uptake ranged between 75 +/- 61 and 2531 +/- 202
      pmol/(min * million cells). The relative OCT1 and OCT3 mRNA expression ranged
      between 0.007-0.46 and 0.0002-0.005, respectively. The presence of one or two
      nonfunctional SLC22A1 alleles was observed in 13 batches and these exhibited
      significant (p = 0.04) association with OCT1 and OCT3 mRNA expression. However,
      direct association between genotype and OCT activity could not be established.
      CONCLUSION: mRNA levels and genotype of OCT only partially explain inter
      individual variability in OCT-mediated transport. Our findings illustrate the
      necessity of in vitro transporter activity profiling for better understanding of
      inter-individual drug disposition behavior.

PMID- 28364307
TI  - A density functional theory study on the interactions between dibenzothiophene
      and tetrafluoroborate-based ionic liquids.
AB  - The interactions between dibenzothiophene (DBT) and N-butyl-N-methylimidazolium
      tetrafluoroborate ([BMIM][BF4]), N-butyl-N-methylmorpholinium tetrafluoroborate
      ([Bmmorpholinium][BF4]), N-butyl-N-methylpiperdinium tetrafluoroborate
      ([BMPiper][BF4]), N-butyl-N-methylpyrrolidinium tetrafluoroborate
      ([BMPyrro][BF4]), and N-butylpyridinium tetrafluoroborate ([BPY][BF4]) were
      investigated using density functional theory approach. Geometric, electron, and
      topological properties were analyzed using natural bond orbital, atoms in
      molecules theory, and noncovalent interaction methods in order to understand
      intermolecular interactions between DBT and ionic liquids. The result shows that
      hydrogen bond and van der Waals interactions are widespread in all the ionic
      liquids-DBT systems. Ion-pi interactions between DBT and cation or anion are also
      observed, while pi+-pi interactions are only found in the [BMIM][BF4]-DBT and
      [BPY][BF4]-DBT systems. The order of interaction energy is [BPY][BF4]-DBT >
      [BMIM][BF4]-DBT >> [BMPiper][BF4]-DBT > [BMPyrro][BF4]-DBT > [BMmorpholinum][BF4]
      DBT. The energies between DBT and the two ionic liquids containing aromatic
      cations are significantly higher.

PMID- 28364306
TI  - [Antipyretics in intensive care patients].
AB  - BACKGROUND: Antipyretics are among the most widely prescribed drugs in German
      hospitals. Despite this widespread use, their role for treatment of critically
      ill patients still remains unclear. In particular, the questionable positive
      effects of reducing fever are discussed. OBJECTIVES: In this review we aimed to
      summarize and discuss current study results covering the use of antipyretics in
      critically ill patients. Suspected effects with regard to fever reduction and
      lethality should be considered. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A selective literature
      search was carried out in the PubMed database. We reviewed the bibliographies of
      all work considered relevant. RESULTS: There are only a few studies on the use of
      antipyretics in intensive care patients, which are difficult to compare
      systematically due to different designs, protocols and endpoints. All in all, the
      decrease in temperature was very low (0.3  degrees C) and showed even adverse
      effects on 28-days mortality in sepsis. In patients with sepsis and ASS
      medication, a decreased mortality has been shown in retrospective analysis.
      CONCLUSIONS: The benefit of fever control using antipyretics in intensive care
      patients with regard to endpoints like lethality remains unclear. Randomized
      controlled trials with suitable protocols and endpoints are needed to provide a
      solid base for development of guidelines.

PMID- 28364308
TI  - DFT study of isomers of the ruthenium dihydride complex RuH2(CO)2(AsMe2Ph)2.
AB  - A density functional theory (DFT) study of cct-As, ccc, and cct-CO isomers of the
      ruthenium dihydride complex RuH2(CO)2(AsMe2Ph)2 is reported (see Scheme for the
      labeling isomer 34 structures of RuH2(CO)2(AsMe2Ph)2). Complex geometries and
      relative energies of different isomers have been calculated with both B3LYP and
      M06-2X functionals. The results show that the B3LYP calculated Boltzmann
      populations of cct-As, ccc, and cct-CO isomers are 65.5, 34.2, and 0.3%,
      respectively. These are in better agreement with the experimental data than those
      calculated at the M06-2X level. However, the calculations of 1H NMR chemical
      shifts were found to be better described with M06-2X than with B3LYP or with HF
      level of theories. In addition, a transition state between the two most stable
      isomers was determined through DFT/(B3LYP or M06-2X) calculations. Graphical
      Abstract Scheme: Labeling structure of RuH2(CO)2(AsMe2Ph)2.

PMID- 28364309
TI  - Modeling zigzag CNT: dependence of structural and electronic properties on
      length, and application to encapsulation of HCN and C2H2.
AB  - Density functional theory (B3LYP, B3LYP-D2 and wB97XD functionals) was used in
      finite models of zigzag carbon nanotubes (CNT), (n,0)*k with n = 6-9 and k = 2-4,
      to systematically investigate the effects of size on their structural and
      electronic properties. We found that the ratio between the length (L t) and the
      diameter (d t) of the pristine CNT has to be larger than 2, i.e., L t/d t > 2, in
      order to provide the observed experimental trends of C=C bond distances, as well
      as to maintain the atomic charges nearly constant and zero around the center of
      the tube. Therefore, the concepts of useful length and volume were developed and
      tested for the encapsulation process of HCN and C2H2 into CNTs. The energies
      involved in these processes, as well as the changes in molecular structure and
      electronic properties of the dopants and the CNTs are discussed and rationalized
      by the amount of charge transferred between dopant and CNT. Graphical Abstract
      Illustration of zigzag CNT length and diameter ratio in order to represent C=C
      bond experimental trend.

PMID- 28364310
TI  - Rate constant calculations of the C2 + HCN -> CCCN+H addition via the Master
      Equation.
AB  - The addition of C2 to HCN is of relevant interest in astrochemistry. We studied
      the pathways of this addition to produce CCCN and estimated its reaction rate
      using the Master Equation in the circumstellar environment. From the results of
      this study, it was possible to show that a different pathway in the Surface
      Potential Energy-PES can also be investigated. In a circumstellar envelop
      environment, with temperatures varying between 1000 K and 2000 K, the abundances
      of these species are favorable to this kind of addition, and our branching ratio
      for the rate constant showed that the new pathway is more favorable in comparison
      with other possibilities for this range of temperatures in this environment, and
      must be taken into account in any computation of the rate constant. Graphical
      Abstract Branching ratios of pathways involved in the C2 + HCN -> CCCN+H
      addition, at a temperature range of 1000-2000 K.

PMID- 28364311
TI  - Erratum to: Sarcopenia and sarcopenic obesity in comparison: prevalence,
      metabolic profile, and key differences. A cross-sectional study in Italian
      hospitalized elderly.

PMID- 28364312
TI  - Physical and social characteristics and support needs of adult female childhood
      cancer survivors who underwent hormone replacement therapy.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Female childhood cancer survivors who develop gonadal dysfunction
      require female hormone replacement therapy (HRT) from puberty until menopause.
      However, the support provided in such cases has not been studied. We investigated
      the physical and social characteristics and support needs of adult female
      childhood cancer survivors who underwent HRT. METHODS: Forty-nine adult female
      childhood cancer survivors completed self-administered questionnaires. We
      compared the clinical characteristics, health status, and social conditions
      between a group that underwent HRT and a group that did not, and we surveyed
      support needs of the group that underwent HRT. RESULTS: The median age of the
      subjects was 25.0 years (range 20-41). Twenty subjects (40.8%) underwent HRT. A
      significantly high number of those who underwent HRT also underwent radiation
      therapy (p < 0.01) and hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (p < 0.001), and
      none of them had a history of pregnancy or childbirth (p < 0.05). There were no
      significant differences in physical symptoms and social characteristics between
      the groups. Those who experienced anxiety regarding fertility required
      information about HRT, a platform to share their concerns, and psychological
      support and cooperation among healthcare providers. CONCLUSIONS: Although the
      subjects of this survey exhibited good social adjustment regardless of whether or
      not they underwent HRT, they were anxious about fertility. It is important to
      understand the concerns and anxieties unique to female childhood cancer survivors
      and to enhance psychological support in addition to providing educational support
      so that HRT can be administered.

PMID- 28364313
TI  - Dominant lymph drainage patterns in the occipital and parietal regions:
      evaluation of lymph nodes in patients with skin cancer of the head.
AB  - BACKGROUND: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the superficial lymph
      drainage patterns of primary skin cancers of the head arising from the occipital
      or parietal region. METHODS: The dominant patterns of lymph drainage were
      retrospectively reviewed in eight patients aged 36-85 years with skin cancers in
      the occipital or parietal region in whom sentinel lymph node biopsy or lymph node
      dissection had been performed at Hokkaido University Hospital between January
      1981 and December 2015. RESULTS: Lymph drainage was mainly to the occipital (6/8,
      75%), level II (5/8, 63%), and level V lymph nodes (5/8, 63%). Of the six
      patients with drainage to the occipital lymph nodes, four (67%) also had drainage
      to level V nodes. CONCLUSION: The dominant lymph drainage pattern in patients
      with skin cancer arising from the occipital or parietal region was to the
      occipital, level II, and level V lymph nodes. Further, lymph tended to drain
      directly from the occipital region to the level V lymph nodes.

PMID- 28364315
TI  - Mucosal healing of Crohn's disease in a patient with concurrent systemic lupus
      erythematosus using infliximab.
AB  - We describe a patient with Crohn's disease (CD) concurrent with systemic lupus
      erythematosus (SLE). Continuous prednisolone and cyclosporine treatment resulted
      in no recurrent symptoms. However, diarrhea, vomiting, and fever occurred for
      approximately 3 months. A colonoscopy was then performed, which showed a
      discontinuous cobblestone appearance and longitudinal ulcers extending from the
      sigmoid colon to the descending colon and distal ileum. A biopsy revealed a
      noncaseating granulomatous lesion in the colonic mucosa. These findings led to a
      diagnosis of CD concurrent with SLE. We first attempted treatment with a full
      elemental diet, mesalazine, and azathioprine, in that order. However, as there
      was no improvement in inflammation, we started infliximab, a tumor necrosis
      factor-alpha inhibitor. Transanal double-balloon enteroscopy performed 4 months
      after starting infliximab showed mucosal healing, suggesting that infliximab was
      effective. There are few reports of treating patients with CD concurrent with SLE
      using a tumor necrosis factor-alpha inhibitor. We report our experience with a
      patient who had mucosal healing with infliximab and review the literature.

PMID- 28364314
TI  - Endoscopic tissue shielding for esophageal perforation caused by endoscopic
      resection.
AB  - In Japan, endoscopic resection (ER), including endoscopic mucosal resection and
      endoscopic submucosal dissection, is widely performed for superficial esophageal
      neoplasms and accepted as a minimally invasive treatment. Perforation is a major
      complication of ER, with an incidence rate of 1-5%. While conservative treatment
      has become a more common choice, surgical treatment of perforations is sometimes
      required, especially for large perforations. Of 1408 cases of esophageal ER that
      have been performed, 17 cases of perforation occurred at the Cancer Institute
      Hospital between 2005 and 2016. Most cases were treated with endoscopic clipping
      and managed conservatively; however, 2 cases were not eligible for endoscopic
      closure. We report two cases of large perforations of 15 and 20 mm, respectively.
      Both cases were treated conservatively with endoscopic tissue shielding, in which
      the perforations were covered with a large polyglycolic acid (PGA) sheet that was
      affixed with fibrin glue. Neither of the cases required open surgery. In both
      cases, feeding started three weeks after the procedure (19 and 21 days), and both
      were discharged within a month (29 and 30 days). In conclusion, tissue shielding
      with PGA sheets in large perforations after esophageal ER is a good choice to
      safely proceed with conservative treatment. On the other hand, endoscopic
      clipping is effective and reasonable for small perforations.

PMID- 28364317
TI  - Herbal Use and Medical Pluralism Among Latinos in Southern California.
AB  - Complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) is often used alongside conventional
      medical care, yet few patients disclose CAM use to medical doctors. Our
      objectives were to (1) assess Latino herbal use, (2) explore the most commonly
      used herbs for common ailments, and (3) examine patients' disclosure of herb use
      to their physicians. Self-administered questionnaires were collected from 318
      Latino patients seeking treatment at community health centers. Descriptive
      statistical analysis was conducted to determine the frequency of stated
      objectives among the participants. Fisher's exact test was used to compare
      differences among CAM users and non-users. Most respondents (90%) reported using
      herbs. Less than a third (31%) of those herb users felt comfortable speaking
      English to their physician. A majority (74.8%) of the respondents utilizing herbs
      reported never disclosing their herbal use to their healthcare providers, and of
      those that did, majority (63%) were under the age of 36 years. Of those that
      disclosed their herbal use, only 31% perceived receiving a positive reaction
      about herbal use from their providers. Chamomile, cinnamon, Aloe vera, spearmint,
      and key lime were the top used herbs in this population. Herbal use disclosure
      reflects a greater sense of trust and communication between patient and provider.
      Therefore, a need exists to increase provider competency for patients using herbs
      in order to improve consistency of care and facilitate healthy patients and
      communities, especially among Spanish-speaking Latinos in Southern California.

PMID- 28364316
TI  - A case of annular pancreas with Wirsung's duct encircling the duodenum:
      embryological hypothesis based on cholangiopancreatographic and
      immunohistochemical findings.
AB  - We present a resected case of annular pancreas in which Wirsung's duct encircled
      the duodenum and continued directly to the main pancreatic duct in the body and
      tail. Furthermore, Wirsung's duct coursed along the right side of the lower bile
      duct near the major duodenal papilla. Histologically, the islets of Langerhans in
      the annular pancreas were irregular in shape and were characterized by a striking
      abundance of pancreatic polypeptide (PP)-positive cells. The PP-rich area that
      encircled the duodenum was fused with the PP-poor area in the head of the
      pancreas. The following embryological hypothesis is proposed. The tip of the
      ventral pancreatic anlage adhered to the duodenal wall and stretched to form a
      ring during clockwise rotation. The rotation was incomplete, and the pancreatic
      duct did not cross over the lower bile duct. Since there was adequate ventral
      anlage in the lower part of the head of the pancreas, fusion between the ducts of
      the ventral and dorsal anlagen did not occur. The tip of the ventral anlage
      overgrew and adhered to the dorsal anlage, and the annular duct fused with the
      main duct of the dorsal anlage.

PMID- 28364318
TI  - Reassessing the Ecology of Medical Care in Japan.
AB  - Studies on ecology of medical care can provide valuable information on how people
      seek healthcare in a specific geographic area. The objective of this study was to
      update a 2003 report on the ecology of medical care in Japan, identifying
      relevant changes in healthcare patterns. We collected information based on a
      prospective health diary recorded for a month in 2013 (n = 4548; 3787 adults and
      797 children) using a population-weighted random sample from a nationally
      representative panel. We compared our overall and stratified findings with a
      similar study conducted in 2003. During a one-month period, per 1000 adults and
      children living in Japan, we estimated that 794 report at least one symptom, 447
      use an over-the-counter (OTC) drug, 265 visit a physician's office, 117 seek help
      from a professional provider of complementary or alternative medicine (CAM), 70
      visit a hospital outpatient clinic (60 community-based and 10 university-based),
      6 are hospitalized, and 4 visit a hospital emergency department. After adjusting
      for demographic variables, we found that healthcare seeking behaviors were
      influenced by age, gender and area of living. Compared with the 2003 study,
      participants in this study had fewer symptoms, fewer physician and emergency room
      visits, and less OTC use, but reported higher frequency of CAM use (p < .01 for
      all). Compared with 2003, reported symptoms, physician visits and OTC use has
      decreased, while CAM use has increased. Our findings may be useful to
      policymakers in Japan in a context where healthcare expenditure and a rapidly
      aging population are two challenging issues.

PMID- 28364319
TI  - Purchases Made with a Fruit and Vegetable Voucher in a Rural Mexican-Heritage
      Community.
AB  - Recent recommendations for US food assistance programs are intended to ensure
      foods provided through these programs help households consume a varied, healthful
      diet. From a policy viewpoint, it is important to examine the impact of economic
      incentives to purchase healthy foods across subpopulations, particularly low
      income Latinos, who comprise 40% of the WIC program nationwide. Our aim was to
      determine how rural, Mexican-heritage households (N = 227) residing in
      California's Central Valley distributed fruit and vegetable (F/V) voucher
      spending among F/V subgroups and specific items over a 1-year period. Households
      contained at least one child who was between 3 and 8 years old at baseline and
      had a parent of Mexican-heritage. F/V voucher purchase data were collected via
      grocery store scanners. Expenditure and frequency shares of subgroups and
      individual items were analyzed to determine purchasing habits. Fruits were the
      most commonly purchased subgroup, representing 55% of spending and 45% of
      frequency. Households allocated low percentages of their voucher to dark green
      and red/orange vegetables-7 and 9% respectively. Approximately 20% of purchases
      were good potassium sources and 30% of purchases were good fiber sources. Many of
      the most frequently purchased items were of cultural significance (tomatillo,
      chayote, chili/jalapeno pepper, and Mexican squash). This study suggests that
      economic incentives can contribute important nutrients to participants' diets and
      targeted vouchers provided by food assistance programs should continue to include
      culturally important foods and be aware of the cultural values of their
      participants.

PMID- 28364320
TI  - Repetitive atrial activation during ongoing atrial fibrillation-comparison using
      different mapping algorithms: preliminary findings.
AB  - PURPOSE: Targeting repetitive sources identified during atrial fibrillation
      (focal impulse and rotor modulation, FIRM) has been used as an ablation strategy
      using specific mapping tools. Aim of this study was to evaluate FIRM mapped
      rotors with a new multipolar mapping algorithm. METHODS: Patients with persistent
      atrial fibrillation undergoing FIRM ablation were included. Mapping of left
      atrial rotors was performed with a 64-pole basket catheter in conjunction with a
      specialized phase mapping algorithm. Subsequently, raw signals were analyzed by a
      novel mapping system (CARTOFINDERTM). Comparison of FIRM identified sources with
      areas of repetitive activation analyzed by CARTOFINDERTM was performed. RESULTS:
      Nine patients were included (5 redo procedures; male n = 6; 66.5 +/- 8.6 years)
      and 28 left atrial rotors were compared with the findings of the novel mapping
      system. CARTOFINDERTM identified repetitive activation patterns in 6 mapping
      sequences at remote sites (2 rotational patterns, 4 linear activation patterns).
      CONCLUSIONS: In this comparative preliminary study, two different mapping
      technologies to detect repetitive atrial activation during ongoing AF were used.
      Whereas rotational activation was documented using FIRM mapping no corresponding
      repetitive activation patterns near sites of FIRM-mapped rotor cores were
      identified using the novel mapping technology even though using the same
      electrogram characteristics and mapping basket position.

PMID- 28364321
TI  - Satisfactory outcomes following combined unicompartmental knee replacement and
      anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction.
AB  - PURPOSE: There exist limited options for treatment of patients with combined
      medial compartment arthritis and anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) deficiency.
      Ideal treatment is one that offers lasting relief of symptoms not compromising
      any future surgery. Unicompartmental knee replacement has shown consistently good
      results in the relatively young and active population, but there is a high
      reported incidence of failure up to 20%, if performed in ACL-deficient knees. One
      of the recognized treatment modality is combined ACL reconstruction and
      unicompartmental arthroplasty. A systematic review was conducted looking at the
      demographics, techniques, complications and outcome of combined ACL
      reconstruction with unicompartmental knee arthroplasty. METHODS: A systematic
      literature search within the online Medline, PubMed Database, EMBASE, Web of
      Science, Cochrane and Google Scholar was carried out until October 2016 to
      identify relevant articles. A study was defined eligible if it met the following
      inclusion criteria: the surgical procedure combined unicompartmental knee
      arthroplasty and anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction; patient's clinical
      and/or functional outcomes were reported; any complications intra-operatively and
      post-operatively were reported; and the full-text articles, written in English,
      German, Italian, Dutch or Spanish, were available. Quality and risk of bias
      assessments were done using standardized criteria set. RESULTS: A total of 8
      studies met the inclusion criteria encompassing 186 patients who were treated
      with simultaneous ACL reconstruction and unicompartmental knee arthroplasty. The
      mean age was 50.5 years (range from 44 to 56) with a mean follow-up of 37.6
      months (range from 24 to 60). There was an improvement in mean Oxford Score from
      27.5 to 36.8. Complications reported included tibial inlay dislocation (n = 3),
      conversion to a total knee arthroplasty (n = 1), infection requiring two-stage
      revision (n = 2), deep-vein thrombosis (n = 1), stiffness requiring manipulation
      under anaesthesia (n = 1), retropatellar pain requiring arthroscopic adhesiolysis
      (n = 1). CONCLUSION: Unicompartmental knee arthroplasty combined with ACL
      reconstruction can be a valid treatment option for selected patients, with
      combined medial unicompartmental knee osteoarthritis and ACL deficiency. LEVEL OF
      EVIDENCE: Systematic Review of Level IV Studies, Level IV.

PMID- 28364322
TI  - Arthroscopic management of lesser tuberosity osteochondroma causing impingement
      and subscapularis tear of the shoulder.
AB  - Although the proximal humerus is a common site of osteochondroma, osteochondroma
      arising from the lesser tuberosity of the proximal humerus is rare. Because of
      the anatomy of the shoulder, mechanical impingement can occur via direct contact
      of the protruding lesser tuberosity against the glenoid rim or coracoid. In
      younger patients, this may cause isolated tearing of the subscapularis. In this
      study, is presented a rare case of osteochondroma on the lesser tuberosity that
      caused a subscapularis tear after shoulder impingement in a 34-year-old male.
      This case was managed using an arthroscopic approach. One year after the surgery,
      the patient had recovered a normal range of motion, with the resolution of
      impingement symptoms and the tearing of the subscapularis. Level of evidence IV.

PMID- 28364323
TI  - Circulating and renal expression of HLA-G prevented chronic renal allograft
      dysfunction in Japanese recipients.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Although the risk of acute rejection has been studied in renal
      transplanted patients, there is little data about the long-term renal survival
      effects of non-classical human leukocyte antigen class I (HLA-G) in Japanese
      patients. METHOD: We investigated the changes in the estimated glomerular
      filtration rate (eGFR) for Japanese, and factors affecting the eGFR in 141 adult
      Japanese subjects whose allografts had survived for at least 1 year. Clinical
      background data, gender, HLA matching status, the total ischemic time, ABO
      incompatibility, immunosuppressive therapy, and the serum soluble(s) HLA-G5 level
      were examined. In addition, renal biopsy specimens from 32 cases, which were
      obtained before, or 2-4 weeks or one year after the transplant were also
      evaluated for HLA-G1/5 expression using monoclonal anti-HLA-G antibodies (clone
      87G or 4H84). RESULTS: The rates of change per year in the median eGFR
      (DeltaeGFR) and sHLA-G5 were -1.5 ml/min/1.73 m2/year and 11.8 ng/ml,
      respectively. A positive correlation was detected between the DeltaeGFR and sHLA
      G5 (r = 0.188, p = 0.025). In multivariate regression analysis, sHLA-G5 and HLA
      matching were significant predictors of an improvement in eGFR (beta for sHLA-G:
      0.374, p = 0.009; beta for mismatching: -1.135, p = 0.045). The renal tubular
      epithelial cells (TEC) in 11 cases showed a perinuclear HLA-G1/5 expression after
      renal transplantation. The renal HLA-G1/5-positive patients displayed much better
      DeltaeGFR (p < 0.05). In conclusion, the sHLA-G5 level and HLA matching status
      are independent predictors of renal allograft function, as determined by the
      DeltaeGFR, in Japanese patients. HLA-G1/5 was also detected on TEC in the
      patients with favorable renal function.

PMID- 28364324
TI  - Primary hyperparathyroidism: insights from the Indian PHPT registry.
AB  - The presentation of primary hyperparathyroidism (PHPT) is variable throughout the
      world. The present study explored retrospective data submitted to the Indian PHPT
      registry ( http://www.indianphptregistry.com ) between July 2005 and June 2015
      from 5 centres covering four different geographical regions. The clinical,
      biochemical, radiological and histopathological characteristics of PHPT patients
      across India were analysed for similarity and variability across the centres. A
      total of 464 subjects (137 men and 327 women) with histopathologically proven
      PHPT were analysed. The mean age was 41 +/- 14 years with a female:male ratio of
      2.4:1. The majority (95%) of patients were symptomatic. Common clinical
      manifestations among all the centres were weakness and fatigability (58.7%), bone
      pain (56%), renal stone disease (31%), pancreatitis (12.3%) and gallstone disease
      (11%). Mean serum calcium, parathyroid hormone and inorganic phosphorus levels
      were 11.9 +/- 1.6 mg/dL, 752.4 +/- 735.2 pg/mL and 2.8 +/- 0.9 mg/dL,
      respectively. Sestamibi scanning had better sensitivity than ultrasonography in
      the localisation of parathyroid adenoma; however, when these two modalities were
      combined, 93% of the cases were correctly localised. Mean parathyroid adenoma
      weight was 5.6 +/- 6.5 g (0.1-54 g). It was concluded that the majority of PHPT
      patients within India are still mainly symptomatic with >50% of patients
      presenting with bone disease and one-third with renal impairment. Compared to
      Western countries, Indian patients with PHPT are younger, biochemical
      abnormalities are more severe, and adenoma weight is higher. As our observation
      is largely derived from a tertiary care hospital (no routine screening of serum
      calcium level), the results do not reflect racial differences in susceptibility
      to PHPT.

PMID- 28364325
TI  - Vitamin D status and abdominal aortic calcification in postmenopausal women.
AB  - Vitamin D has an important role in bone metabolism and may be involved in the
      process of vascular calcification. The objective of this study was to evaluate
      the effect of vitamin D status on the presence of abdominal aortic calcification
      (AAC). We enrolled, in a cross-sectional study, 429 postmenopausal women [mean
      age, weight, and BMI of 59.5 +/- 8.3 (50-83) years, 75.8 +/- 13.3 (35-165) kg,
      and 29.9 +/- 5.2 (14.6-50.8) kg/m2, respectively]. Lateral vertebral fracture
      assessment (VFA) images and scans of the lumbar spine and proximal femur were
      obtained using a Lunar Prodigy densitometer. Vertebral fractures (VFs) were
      defined using the Genant semiquantitative (SQ) approach. We used the Kauppila
      score to assess AAC extension. Clinical risk factors of osteoporosis were
      collected, and 25-hydroxy vitamin D was measured using electrochemiluminescence
      (Roche). Prevalence of osteoporosis and hypovitaminosis D (<20 ng/ml) was 21.0%
      and 78.1%, respectively. VFs grade 2/3 were identified in 76 patients (17.7%).
      Two thirds of the evaluable participants did not have any detectable AAC. The
      prevalence of significant atherosclerotic burden, defined as a radiographic 24
      point AAC score of 5 or higher, was 7.9%. The group of women with extended AAC
      were older and had a statistically significant higher menopause duration and more
      prevalent grade 2/3 VFs. Compared to women with normal values of vitamin D, women
      with vitamin D insufficiency (<20 ng/ml) and deficiency (<10 ng/ml) had a lower
      BMD and more prevalent VFs. No difference was noted with regard to AAC among the
      three groups. Multiple stepwise conditional logistic regression analysis showed
      that the presence of AAC was associated significantly with age and the presence
      of VFs. Extended aortic calcifications are independently associated with
      prevalent VFA-identified VFs but not with serum vitamin D levels in
      postmenopausal women. VFA imaging using DXA may detect at the same time prevalent
      VFs and AAC, an important cardiovascular disease risk factor.

PMID- 28364327
TI  - Assessment of chlorine tolerance profile of Citrobacter species recovered from
      wastewater treatment plants in Eastern Cape, South Africa.
AB  - This present study assessed the chlorine tolerance of some Citrobacter species
      recovered from secondary effluents from the clarifiers of two wastewater
      treatment plants in the Eastern Cape, South Africa. The bacterial survival,
      chlorine lethal dose and inactivation kinetics at lethal doses were examined.
      Inactivation of the test bacteria (n = 20) at the recommended dose of 0.5 mg/l
      for 30 min exposure showed a progressive reduction in bacterial population from 4
      to 5 log reduction and residuals ranged between 0.12 and 0.46 mg/l. The
      bactericidal activity of chlorine increased at higher dosages with a substantial
      reduction in viability of the bacteria and complete inactivation of the bacterial
      population at a lethal dose of 0.75 and 1.0 mg/l in 30 min. For the inactivation
      kinetics, bactericidal activity of chlorine increased with time showing a 3.67
      5.4 log reduction in 10 min, 4.0-5.6 log reduction in 20 min and above 6.3 log
      reductions to complete sterilization of bacterial population over 30 min for all
      the entire test Citrobacter isolates used in this study. Furthermore, there was a
      strong correlation (R 2 > 0.84) between bacteria inactivation and increase in
      contact time. This study appears to have provided support for laboratory evidence
      of bacterial tolerance to chlorine disinfection at current recommended dose (0.5
      mg/l for 30 min), and chlorine concentration between 0.75 and 1.0 mg/l was found
      to have a better disinfecting capacity to check tolerance of Citrobacter species.

PMID- 28364328
TI  - Use of three monitoring approaches to manage a major Chrysosporum ovalisporum
      bloom in the Murray River, Australia, 2016.
AB  - An unusual bloom of Chrysosporum ovalisporum (basionym Aphanizomenon ovalisporum)
      occurred for the first time in the Murray River and distributary rivers in New
      South Wales, Australia, from mid-February to early June 2016. At its greatest
      extent, it contaminated a combined river length of ca. 2360 km. Chrysosporum
      ovalisporum usually comprised >99% of the total bloom biovolume at most locations
      sampled, which at times exceeded 40 mm3 l-1. The origins of the bloom were most
      likely reservoirs on the upper Murray River, with cyanobacterial-infested water
      released from them contaminating the river systems downstream. An integrated
      approach using three analytical methods: (1) identification and enumeration by
      microscopy, (2) multiplex quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR), and (3)
      toxin analysis, was used to obtain data for the assessment of risk to water users
      and management of the bloom. qPCR indicated some cyrA and stxA genes responsible
      for cylindrospermopsin and saxitoxin biosynthesis respectively were present, but
      mostly below the level of quantification. No mcyE genes for microcystin
      biosynthesis were detected. Toxin analysis also revealed that cylindrospermopsin,
      saxitoxin and microcystin were all below detection. Lack of measurable toxicity
      in a species usually considered a cylindrospermopsin producer elsewhere meant the
      possibility of relaxing management guidelines; however, high (Red) alerts needed
      to be maintained due to risk to water users from other biohazards potentially
      produced by the cyanobacteria such as contact irritants. A three-tiered
      monitoring strategy is suggested for monitoring cyanobacterial blooms to provide
      enhanced data for bloom management.

PMID- 28364326
TI  - Of Cytometry, Stem Cells and Fountain of Youth.
AB  - Outlined are advances of cytometry applications to identify and sort stem cells,
      of laser scanning cytometry and ImageStream imaging instrumentation to further
      analyze morphometry of these cells, and of mass cytometry to classify a multitude
      of cellular markers in large cell populations. Reviewed are different types of
      stem cells, including potential candidates for cancer stem cells, with respect to
      their "stemness", and other characteristics. Appraised is further progress in
      identification and isolation of the "very small embryonic-like stem cells"
      (VSELs) and their autogenous transplantation for tissue repair and
      geroprotection. Also assessed is a function of hyaluronic acid, the major stem
      cells niche component, as a guardian and controller of stem cells. Briefly
      appraised are recent advances and challenges in the application of stem cells in
      regenerative medicine and oncology and their future role in different disciplines
      of medicine, including geriatrics.

PMID- 28364329
TI  - Comparing the natural variation of oribatid mite communities with their changes
      associated with anthropogenic disturbance.
AB  - Several organism communities serve as ecological and environmental indicators to
      detect changes in human-impacted habitats. However, the composition of indicator
      communities may vary because of natural variation in addition to the changes
      associated with human disturbances. This meta-analysis compared the natural
      variation of oribatid mite assemblages, a good indicator model group in soil
      ecosystems, with their deviations associated with disturbance using diversity and
      dissimilarity indices and three human disturbance types. Literature data were
      collected about oribatid mite assemblages from natural and disturbed habitats.
      Human disturbances consisted of agriculture, heavy metal pollution and forest
      management. Biodiversity indices (Shannon and Berger-Parker) and dissimilarity
      indices (Jaccard and Bray-Curtis) were calculated among natural habitats and
      between disturbed and control habitats at the species and genus level. We
      considered oribatid mite assemblages as effective community-level indicators when
      the methods separated the differences of assemblages between disturbed and
      control habitats from their varieties among natural habitats. In addition, the
      study analysed the correlation between these indices and environmental variables
      of the study sites. Oribatid mite assemblages performed high indication strength
      with Bray-Curtis index for agricultural disturbances since dissimilarity values
      between disturbed and control habitats were as high as between different natural
      habitats and higher than among the same types of natural habitats. Genus-level
      values showed similar results to the species level. This approach may be useful
      to test the effectiveness of other indicator groups and methods.

PMID- 28364330
TI  - ERP Evidence for the Activation of Syntactic Structure During Comprehension of
      Lexical Idiom.
AB  - The present study used event-related potentials to investigate whether the
      syntactic structure was activated in the comprehension of lexical idioms, and if
      so, whether it varied as a function of familiarity and semantic transparency.
      Participants were asked to passively read the "1+2" structural Chinese lexical
      idioms with each being presented following 3-5 contextual "1+2" (congruent
      structure condition) or "2+1" structural Chinese phrases (incongruent-structure
      condition). The N400 ERP responses showed more positivity in congruent-structure
      condition relative to incongruent-structure condition in idioms with high
      familiarity and high semantic transparency, but less positivity in congruent
      structure condition in idioms with high familiarity but low semantic
      transparency, idioms with low familiarity but high semantic transparency, and
      idioms with low familiarity and low semantic transparency. Our results suggest
      that syntactic structure, as the unnecessarity of lexical idiomatic words, was
      nevertheless activated, independent of familiarity and semantic transparency.

PMID- 28364332
TI  - Repetitive nerve stimulation as a diagnostic aid for distinguishing cervical
      spondylotic amyotrophy from amyotrophic lateral sclerosis.
AB  - PURPOSE: To identify and compare the features of compound muscle action potential
      (CMAP) decrements in repetitive nerve stimulation (RNS) in patients with cervical
      spondylotic amyotrophy (CSA) and in patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis
      (ALS). METHODS: The cohort consisted of 43 CSA (distal-type to proximal-type
      ratio: 27-16) and 35 ALS patients. Five muscles, including abductor pollicis
      brevis (APB), abductor digiti minimi (ADM), biceps brachii (BB), middle deltoid
      (Del), and upper trapezius (Trap), were tested by 3-Hz RNS. Decrements greater
      than cutoff values (APB > 5.8%; ADM > 4.8%; BB > 5.2%; Del > 6%; Trap > 5.1%)
      determined using receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves were defined as
      abnormal, and the conventional criterion (>=10%) was also considered. RESULTS: A
      significant CMAP decrement (>cutoff values) was recorded from at least one tested
      muscle in 91.4% of ALS patients, and was most common in the proximal muscle, a
      finding that differed significantly from CSA patients (32.6%, P < 0.05). The
      application of cutoff values greatly improved the sensitivity of RNS over the
      conventional criterion (>=10%) for the detection of ALS (P < 0.05). The
      specificity of this technique remained higher when performing RNS in the proximal
      muscles, especially in the upper trapezius (AUC = 0.864, sensitivity = 0.643, and
      specificity = 1.000). The decrement percentages were significantly greater in the
      proximal muscles of ALS patients than in those of the CSA patients (P < 0.05). In
      addition, illness duration was not correlated with decrement percentage in either
      patient group, and no difference in the frequency of decrement among different
      ALS diagnostic categories was observed (P > 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: The application
      of RNS, especially in proximal muscles, may provide a simple accurate and
      noninvasive supplementary test for distinguishing CSA from ALS, even in the early
      stage of these diseases. A combination of RNS, needle EMG, clinical features and
      cervical magnetic resonance imaging may yield sufficient diagnostic information
      to differentiate CSA and ALS.

PMID- 28364333
TI  - The effect from different numbers of segmental arteries ligation to the spinal
      cord in the clinical practice of posterior vertebral column resection correction.
AB  - PURPOSE: In using posterior vertebral column resection (PVCR) to treat severe
      kyphoscoliosis, it is unavoidable to ligate and cut off several segmental
      arteries (SAs) of the spinal cord for exposure and hemostasis, but which would
      raise the neurological risks. The aim of this study is to explore the changes of
      intraoperative spinal cord monitoring (IOM) following ligating different numbers
      of SAs in PVCR. METHODS: Twenty-one consecutive patients with severe
      kyphoscoliosis were included and treated by PVCR correction. In operation,
      according to ligate different numbers of SAs, the IOM changes were recorded,
      respectively. Examinations of the covariance between different numbers of SAs
      ligations and IOM changes were performed to reveal the effect to the spinal cord
      by SAs ligations. RESULTS: In all the 21 cases, averaging 1.9 pairs of SAs were
      ligated. With the increased numbers of ligations, SSEP amplitudes and latencies
      were changed more obviously: from 1 to 3 pairs ligations, the mean decreased
      percentages of amplitudes were from 53.20 to 78.15%, the mean increased
      percentages of latency were from 1.23 to 1.40%, and the mean durations of
      decreased SSEP amplitudes were from 3.23 to 5.2 min; but without abnormal MEP
      changes. None occurred postoperative or delayed neurological deficit. Correlation
      analysis identified significant correlations between the number of SAs ligation
      and decreased percentage of SSEP amplitude (r = 0.945, P < 0.0001), and between
      the number of SAs being ligated and the duration of SSEP change (r = 0.945, P =
      0.0002). CONCLUSIONS: Following the increased number of SAs ligation, the
      amplitude of SSEP is decreased more obviously with a much longer duration of
      recovery and the risk to spinal cord will be increased greatly. In the PVCR
      correction on the basis of spinal shortening, the numbers of SAs ligations should
      be as less as possible for neurological safety.

PMID- 28364331
TI  - Senicapoc: Repurposing a Drug to Target Microglia KCa3.1 in Stroke.
AB  - Stroke is the leading cause of serious long-term disability and the fifth leading
      cause of death in the United States. Treatment options for stroke are few in
      number and limited in efficacy. Neuroinflammation mediated by microglia and
      infiltrating peripheral immune cells is a major component of stroke
      pathophysiology. Interfering with the inflammation cascade after stroke holds the
      promise to modulate stroke outcome. The calcium activated potassium channel
      KCa3.1 is expressed selectively in the injured CNS by microglia. KCa3.1 function
      has been implicated in pro-inflammatory activation of microglia and there is
      recent literature suggesting that this channel is important in the
      pathophysiology of ischemia/reperfusion (stroke) related brain injury. Here we
      describe the potential of repurposing Senicapoc, a KCa3.1 inhibitor, to intervene
      in the inflammation cascade that follows ischemia/reperfusion.

PMID- 28364335
TI  - Neurological complications of thoracic posterior vertebral column resection for
      severe congenital spinal deformities.
AB  - PURPOSE: The risk of neurological injury during vertebral column resection is
      high. In this study, we investigated the incidence and risk factors for
      neurological complications when treating spinal deformities by thoracic posterior
      vertebral column resection (PVCR). METHODS: Between 2008 and 2013, there were 62
      consecutive patients (34 female patients and 28 male; the mean age: 16.3 years,
      range 6-46 years) treated with thoracic PVCR. We retrospectively reviewed the
      clinical records to obtain demographic and radiographic data, operative time,
      estimated blood loss (EBL, the ratio between circulating and lost blood),
      bleeding volume (the lost blood), number of vertebrae fused, number of vertebrae
      resected, usage of titanium mesh cage, and intraoperative neuromonitoring data.
      Multi-factor logistic regression was used to find the major risk factors for
      neurological complications. RESULTS: The average follow-up period was 46 months
      (range 24-88 months); no patients were lost to follow up. The average operative
      time was 524.8 +/- 156.8 min (range 165.0-880.0 min), the average bleeding volume
      was 2585 +/- 2210 ml (100-9600 ml), and the average estimated blood loss was
      75.8% (9-278%). Ten patients (16.1%) developed post-operative neurological
      complications (nine transient and one permanent). Multi-factor logistic
      regression revealed that the risk factors for neurological complications were age
      >=18 years, pulmonary dysfunction, and EBL >50%. CONCLUSIONS: Thoracic PVCR can
      lead to satisfactory outcomes in the treatment of severe spinal deformities. Risk
      factors for neurological complications include the age over 18 years, presence of
      pulmonary dysfunction, and EBL greater than 50%. The pulmonary dysfunction can be
      regarded as the most valuable indicator to measure the severity of the spine
      deformity.

PMID- 28364334
TI  - Diagnosis of painful cemented vertebrae from failed vertebroplasty: modified
      dynamic radiographs play an important role.
AB  - PURPOSE: The diagnosis of painful cemented vertebrae resulting from failed PV is
      not clearly defined in literature. This report evaluates the effectiveness of
      modified dynamic radiographs in diagnosing painful cemented vertebrae resulting
      from failed PV. METHODS: From January 2011 to June 2015, 345 patients with a
      total of 399 VCFs underwent PV at our institution. Among the 345 patients, 27
      patients underwent repeated PV at the cemented vertebrae because of persisting or
      recurrent pain after vertebroplasty. The prevertebroplasty examinations included
      routine radiographs, modified dynamic radiographs, and MRI. Kyphotic angles and
      the anterior vertebral body height (AVBH) were measured. The image findings in
      routine radiographs, modified dynamic radiographs, and MRI were compared.
      Finally, a visual analog scale was used to measure the outcome. RESULTS: The
      patients ranged in age from 67 to 90 years. MRI revealed a moderate amount of
      fluid (definite diagnosis of refracture) in the cemented vertebrae in seven
      patients, bone edema without fluid in nine patients, and bone edema with minimal
      fluid in ten patients. The rate of diagnosis of painful cemented vertebrae
      according to MRI was 27% (7/26). The difference in the kyphotic angle between
      sitting and supine cross-table lateral radiographs was -9.36 degrees  +/- 5.20
      degrees  (P < 0.001). The difference in AVBH was 8.08 +/- 3.21 mm (P < 0.001).
      All 27 patients were confirmed to have dynamic mobility according to the modified
      dynamic radiographs. CONCLUSIONS: When the diagnosis of painful cemented
      vertebrae is questionable, modified dynamic radiographs can help diagnose painful
      cemented vertebrae resulting from failed PV.

PMID- 28364337
TI  - Expert's comment concerning Grand Rounds case entitled "Atypical presentation of
      a cervical synovial cyst" by Daniela Linhares et al. (2017) Eur Spine J:
      doi:10.1007/s00586-017-4947-4.

PMID- 28364336
TI  - Reduced instantaneous center of rotation movement in patients with low back pain.
AB  - PURPOSE: The instantaneous center of rotation (ICR) can be used to investigate
      movement coordination and control in patients with low back pain (LBP). Tracking
      of the ICR in LBP patients has not been systematically investigated. This study
      aimed to (1) determine the within-session measurement error of ICR parameters,
      and (2) characterize the change in ICR among three groups of participants (no
      history of LBP = HC; history of LBP = HLBP; and current LBP = LBP). METHODS:
      Ninety-three participants (HC = 31; HLBP = 33; and LBP = 29) were recruited.
      Participants performed two sets of three repetitions of an active forward bend,
      while their lumbar and pelvic movements were recorded with an electromagnetic
      tracking system. Total ICR displacement and the radius of the bounding sphere
      containing the ICR were derived during the forward bending and the return to
      upright phases. Intra-class correlation coefficients (ICC3,3) and minimal
      detectable difference (MDD) were used to determine measurement error and
      interpret findings of the group analysis. One-way ANOVAs and post hoc Bonferroni
      comparisons were used to determine differences among groups. RESULTS: ICC3,3
      demonstrated excellent within-session test-retest reliability of the ICR
      parameters (ICC3,3 = 0.86-0.97). The MDD values were 0.20-3.40 mm. Comparisons
      between the HC and LBP groups and between the HLBP and LBP groups showed
      significant differences (p < 0.05) for all ICR parameters, with medium effect
      sizes (0.51-0.66), except for total displacement during forward bending between
      the HC and LBP groups. CONCLUSION: Less ICR displacement and variability in
      patients with LBP may indicate coping strategies to stiffen the lumbar spine.
      This could result from patients with LBP adopting a strategy of increased muscle
      activation to provide spinal stability during functional tasks.

PMID- 28364338
TI  - Assessment of choroidal osteoma complicating choroidal neovascularization by
      optical coherence tomography angiography.
AB  - PURPOSE: Choroidal osteoma (CO) frequently leads to progressive visual loss due
      to complications of secondary choroidal neovascularization (CNV).We report herein
      the function of optical coherence tomography angiography (OCTA) in observation of
      CO complicating CNV. METHODS: A 25-year-old female presented to our hospital with
      chief complaint of sudden unilateral visual acuity decrease for one week, with
      metamorphopsia in the left eye. Her best corrected visual acuity was 0.12 in the
      left eye. Then complete ophthalmological examinations including fundus
      photography, B-scan ultrasound, fundus fluorescent angiography, and spectral
      domain optical coherence tomography (SD-OCT) were performed. She was diagnosed as
      CO on the basis of these results. But the diagnosis could not explain the sudden
      visual loss and submacular hyperreflective lesion by SD-OCT. Furthermore, she
      underwent OCTA and indocyanine green angiography. RESULTS: A diagnosis of classic
      juxtafoveal CNV secondary to CO was made eventually. Then she was treated with an
      intravitreous injection of ranibizumab twice. The visual acuity got better and
      better during the treatment, and the efficacy was stable, giving rise to both
      subjective and anatomic improvement. CONCLUSIONS: Optical coherence tomography
      angiography has the advantage of varying the segmentation and scrolling through
      the different retinal layers, and layer-specific observation of blood flow in
      each layer. In addition, OCTA can measure the vessel area change of CNV and
      provide a better appreciation of CNV, observing the efficacy more elaboratively
      and quantizedly. OCTA makes promising noninvasive identification of the CO
      related CNV.

PMID- 28364339
TI  - Characteristics of orbital lymphoma: a clinicopathological study of 26 cases.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: Evaluation of the medical data of patients with orbital and adnexal
      lymphoma. DESIGN: Cohort study of all cases diagnosed with orbital or adnexal
      lymphoma at Meir Medical Center between 1993 and 2007. PARTICIPANTS: Twenty-six
      patients, with intraorbital or subconjunctival masses with orbital involvement,
      were examined and followed up between 1 and 8 years. MATERIALS AND METHODS:
      Examined data included: clinical presentation, age, gender, imaging, tumor
      location, surgical management, and pathological diagnosis. RESULTS: Presenting
      signs and symptoms included proptosis, eyelid lesions, tearing, chemosis,
      decreased visual acuity, ptosis, pain, squint, and optic nerve compression. In
      five cases, lymphoma was misdiagnosed on neuroimaging. Bone changes were seen in
      four patients. All cases were B cell lymphomas; with the majority (22 cases) of
      small B cell type; consisting of primary extranodal marginal zone lymphoma of
      mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue and two cases of small cell lymphoma. One small
      cell lymphomas was of follicular type on a background of CLL, and the other was
      CLL/SLL type. Fourteen cases were primary orbital disease, and 12 cases were
      systemic disease. Macroscopic appearance of lymphoma at open biopsy was
      characteristic in most cases. Flow cytometry phenotyping gave rapid reliable
      diagnosis of the disease. CONCLUSIONS: Epiphora or chemosis in the presence of an
      orbital mass should alert the ophthalmologist to suspect lymphoma. Lymphoma may
      be easily misinterpreted on neuroimaging for other diseases. Bone changes seen on
      CT are more common than is generally perceived. Macroscopic appearance at open
      biopsy was characteristic.

PMID- 28364341
TI  - The role of stimulus predictability in the allocation of attentional resources:
      an eye-tracking study.
AB  - By allocating less attention to predictable events we are able to focus on novel,
      unpredictable and unexpected events that require more extensive processing. This
      strategy should result in improved performance by optimizing the use of brain's
      limited resources. Participants' task was to look at two types of stimuli
      presented simultaneously at the opposite sides of a computer screen: "static"
      stimuli, i.e. emotionally neutral photographs; and "dynamic" stimuli, i.e. video
      clips presenting a moving dot. The dot moved along a predictable, semi
      predictable or random trajectory. This was followed by a memory test of the
      static stimuli. Participants spent more time looking at the dynamic stimuli when
      its trajectory was less predictable. Additionally, participants who readily
      adjusted their dwell time allocation to the dot trajectory performed better in
      the memory test, as demonstrated by a positive correlation between memory test
      sensitivity and the rate of eye movement patterns adjustment to stimulus
      predictability. This suggests that people adjust gaze duration to stimulus
      predictability and that doing so optimizes attentional resource allocation and
      improves performance. However, study design did not allow to distinguish between
      spatial and temporal predictability, so it is impossible to estimate the impact
      of each type of predictability specifically.

PMID- 28364342
TI  - In vitro proliferation and osteogenic differentiation of endometrial stem cells
      and dental pulp stem cells.
AB  - Stem-cell-based therapies were introduced aiming to overcome the limitations of
      the existing procedures for regeneration of mineralized tissues. Stem cells
      isolated from the endometrial tissue and dental pulp have the capacity to
      differentiate into various functional cells including osteoblasts. However,
      studies comparing their ability to regenerate mineralized tissue are lacking. The
      purpose of this study was to compare the proliferation and osteogenic
      differentiation potential of endometrial stem cells (EnSCs) and dental pulp stem
      cells (DPSCs) using in vitro cell culture technique. The DPSCs and EnSCs were
      isolated from human dental pulp and endometrium, respectively. Their
      proliferation and osteogenic potential were compared in the same osteogenic
      medium (OM) after 3, 5, 7 and 10 days using the methyl thiazol tetrazolium assay,
      alizarin red staining, and real-time quantitative reverse transcription
      polymerase chain reaction (Real-Time qRT-PCR). The EnSCs showed higher
      proliferation rate compared to DPSCs. Regarding osteogenesis, alizarin red
      positive colonies appeared earlier and in greater amounts in DPSCs group. The
      real-time qRT-PCR demonstrated significantly greater osteogenic potential of
      DPSCs compared to EnSCs. Our findings revealed significant differences in stem
      cell properties based on the tissue source. The EnSCs had greater proliferation
      rate than DPSCs, while DPSCs showed greater osteogenic potential compared to
      EnSCs in the same OM.

PMID- 28364340
TI  - Orbitofrontal and caudate volumes in cannabis users: a multi-site mega-analysis
      comparing dependent versus non-dependent users.
AB  - RATIONALE: Cannabis (CB) use and dependence are associated with regionally
      specific alterations to brain circuitry and substantial psychosocial impairment.
      OBJECTIVES: The objective of this study was to investigate the association
      between CB use and dependence, and the volumes of brain regions critically
      involved in goal-directed learning and behaviour-the orbitofrontal cortex (OFC)
      and caudate. METHODS: In the largest multi-site structural imaging study of CB
      users vs healthy controls (HC), 140 CB users and 121 HC were recruited from four
      research sites. Group differences in OFC and caudate volumes were investigated
      between HC and CB users and between 70 dependent (CB-dep) and 50 non-dependent
      (CB-nondep) users. The relationship between quantity of CB use and age of onset
      of use and caudate and OFC volumes was explored. RESULTS: CB users (consisting of
      CB-dep and CB-nondep) did not significantly differ from HC in OFC or caudate
      volume. CB-dep compared to CB-nondep users exhibited significantly smaller volume
      in the medial and the lateral OFC. Lateral OFC volume was particularly smaller in
      CB-dep females, and reduced volume in the CB-dep group was associated with higher
      monthly cannabis dosage. CONCLUSIONS: Smaller medial OFC volume may be driven by
      CB dependence-related mechanisms, while smaller lateral OFC volume may be due to
      ongoing exposure to cannabinoid compounds. The results highlight a distinction
      between cannabis use and dependence and warrant examination of gender-specific
      effects in studies of CB dependence.

PMID- 28364344
TI  - Giant-cell tumour of proximal radius in a 50-year-old female with wrist drop: a
      rare case report.
AB  - Giant-cell tumour is a locally aggressive tumour of long bones of epiphyseal
      region commonly occurring in adults aged 20-40 years. Most common location is
      distal femur, proximal tibia, and distal radius. Different treatment options
      being used are curettage with bone graft or bone cement, resection with
      arthrodesis, reconstruction, radiation, and chemotherapy. We are reporting a case
      of giant-cell tumour of right proximal radius in a 50-year-old female with
      posterior interosseous nerve palsy. It is very rare, and only four cases have
      been reported in the literature. It was treated by wide margin resection with
      fibular grafting, titanium elastic nail system along with cancellous bone graft
      reconstruction.

PMID- 28364343
TI  - Management of Pediatric Malignant Germ Cell Tumors: ICMR Consensus Document.
AB  - With the introduction of cisplatin, the outcome of children with malignant germ
      cell tumors (MGCT) has improved to nearly 90% 5 year survival. Over the years,
      through the results of various multinational co-operative trials, the
      chemotherapy and surgical guidelines for both the gonadal and extra-gonadal MGCTs
      have been refined to decrease the early and late morbidities and at the same time
      improve survival. Introduction of risk categorization has further added to this
      effort. There has been no recommendation on how the children with malignant germ
      cell tumors should be treated in India. The current manuscript is written with
      the objective of developing a consensus guideline for practitioners at a National
      level. Based on extensively reviewed literature and personal experience of the
      major pediatric oncology centres in India, the ICMR Expert group has made
      recommendations for management of children with MGCT India.

PMID- 28364345
TI  - What is the time course of working memory attentional refreshing?
AB  - One way of maintaining information in working memory is through attentional
      refreshing, a process that was recently shown to be independent from verbal
      rehearsal. In the classical working memory complex span task, the usual
      assumption is that memoranda are refreshed in a cumulative fashion, starting from
      the first item, going in a forward order until the latest one, and cycling until
      there is no time to continue the process. However, there is no evidence that
      refreshing operates in that way. The present study proposes a computational
      modelling study, which constitutes a powerful method to investigate alternative
      hypotheses. Different refreshing schedules are investigated within computational
      implementation of the time-based resource sharing model. Their ability to fit
      three sets of behavioral data and to reproduce the major time-based resource
      sharing predictions were evaluated using standard model selection criteria.
      Besides an already published schedule in which the attentional focus is expanded,
      it appeared that one schedule, the least-activated-first, outperforms the
      classical cumulative one. The memory trace refreshed at a given time is the one
      that is the least activated in working memory at that time. These findings
      characterized the time course of attentional refreshing in working memory and
      specified the contribution of refreshing to primacy and recency effects.
      Moreover, in the light of various fields of cognitive psychology, we propose that
      such refreshing schedules can operate without a homunculus within a general
      framework including cognitive control and strategic considerations.

PMID- 28364347
TI  - CYP1A1 based on metabolism of xenobiotics by cytochrome P450 regulates chicken
      male germ cell differentiation.
AB  - This study aimed to explore the regulatory mechanism of metabolism of xenobiotics
      by cytochrome P450 during the differentiation process of chicken embryonic stem
      cells (ESCs) into spermatogonial stem cells (SSCs) and consummate the induction
      differentiation system of chicken embryonic stem cells (cESCs) into SSCs in
      vitro. We performed RNA-Seq in highly purified male ESCs, male primordial germ
      cells (PGCs), and SSCs that are associated with the male germ cell
      differentiation. Thereinto, the metabolism of xenobiotics by cytochrome P450 was
      selected and analyzed with Venny among male ESC vs male PGC, male PGC vs SSC, and
      male ESC vs SSC groups and several candidates differentially expressed genes
      (DEGs) were excavated. Finally, quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR) detected
      related DEGs under the condition of retinoic acid (RA) induction in vitro, and
      the expressions were compared with RNA-Seq. By knocking down CYP1A1, we detected
      the effect of CYP1A1-mediated metabolism of xenobiotics by cytochrome P450 on
      male germ cell differentiation by qRT-PCR and immunocytochemistry. Results showed
      that 17,742 DEGs were found during differentiation of ESCs into SSCs and enriched
      in 72 differently significant pathways. Thereinto, the metabolism of xenobiotics
      by cytochrome P450 was involved in the whole differentiation process of ESCs into
      SSCs and several candidate DEGs: CYP1A1, CYP3A4, CYP2D6, ALDH3B1, and ALDH1A3
      were expressed with the same trend with RNA-Seq. Knockdown of CYP1A1 caused male
      germ cell differentiation under restrictions. Our findings showed that the
      metabolism of xenobiotics by cytochrome P450 was significantly different during
      the process of male germ cell differentiation and was persistently activated when
      we induced cESCs to differentiate into SSCs with RA in vitro, which illustrated
      that the metabolism of xenobiotics by cytochrome P450 played a crucial role in
      the differentiation process of ESCs into SSCs.

PMID- 28364348
TI  - Analysis of soluble factors in conditioned media derived from primary cultures of
      cirrhotic liver of biliary atresia.
AB  - Biliary atresia (BA) is a rare and serious liver disease in newborn infants.
      Previously, we reported that non-parenchymal cell (NPC) fractions from cirrhotic
      liver of BA may contain hepatic stem/progenitor cells in primary culture of NPC
      fractions. In this study, NPC fractions were subjected to primary or passage
      culture and found that clusters of hepatocyte-like cells appear even without
      adding hepatocyte growth factor (HGF) to the culture medium, but not in their
      passage culture used as a control. Based on these findings, conditioned media
      (CMs) were collected and soluble factors in the CMs were analyzed in order to
      elucidate the mechanism of the appearance of hepatocyte-like cells or their
      clusters. A large amount of active HGF consisting of alpha and beta chains was
      detected in CMs derived from primary culture, but not in CMs from passage
      culture, as determined by western blot analysis, bone morphogenetic protein (BMP)
      4, oncostatin M (OSM), and transforming growth factor (TGF)-beta1 were not
      detected in any of the CMs. The number of hepatocyte-like cells in primary
      culture tended to decrease following treatment with the HGF receptor c-Met
      inhibitor, SU11274 in a dose-dependent manner. Furthermore, the clusters of
      hepatocyte-like cells tended to increase in size and number when freshly isolated
      NPC fractions were cultured in the presence of 10% of CMs collected after 3-4 wk
      of primary culture. In conclusion, these findings indicate that CMs derived from
      primary culture of NPC fractions of BA liver contain a large amount of active
      HGF, which may activate hepatic stem/progenitor cells and promote the appearance
      of hepatocyte-like cells or their clusters through HGF/c-Met signaling. The
      present study would lead to cell therapy using the patient's own cells for the
      treatment of BA.

PMID- 28364350
TI  - [Conservative treatment of hallux valgus : What can be achieved with splints and
      insoles?]
AB  - In hallux valgus syndrome conservative measures can only be applied to relieve
      the symptoms. Insoles, orthoses, and toe alignment splints cannot improve
      forefoot deformity. However, symptoms due to increased local pressure can be
      alleviated with orthotic devices. After surgically realigning the hallux, splints
      are helpful to retain joint congruency and assure proper toe position during soft
      tissue healing.

PMID- 28364349
TI  - Effect of blood biochemical factors on nontraumatic necrosis of the femoral head
      : Logistic regression analysis.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: This case-control study aimed to identify the risk factors of
      nontraumatic necrosis of the femoral head (NONFH). METHODS: In all, 242 patients
      with NONFH treated at the hip disease research center of our hospital between
      March 2012 and October 2015 were included. After excluding 19 patients with tumor
      or tuberculosis, 223 patients were enrolled. Controls comprised 223 healthy
      persons selected from our hospital database. Single-factor variance analysis and
      t test were performed to select the index of statistical significance. The 95%
      confidence interval (95% CI) and normal range of the selected indicators were
      compared, and abnormal related indexes were selected from the femoral head
      necrosis group. The selected indicators were based on the increase or decrease to
      locate the risk indicators and render their corresponding assignment. Logistic
      regression analysis of the risk factors was performed after the assignment.
      RESULTS: The necrotic group of patients with decreased carbon dioxide combining
      power (CO2CP), increased total cholesterol, increased low-density lipoprotein,
      and decreased high-density lipoprotein levels had statistically significant
      partial regression coefficient values and the odds ratios were 73.5 (95% CI 24.59
      219.74), 7.15 (3.51-14.85), 633.07 (121.7-3304.78), and 20.11 (9.36-43.8),
      respectively, indicating that these are strong risk factors for NONFH.
      CONCLUSIONS: Abnormal lipid metabolism is a strong risk factor of NONFH. Lipid
      examination can be used as a screening tool for NONFH in high-risk populations,
      for alcoholism, and many hormone applications. The decreased CO2CP was associated
      with NONFH, and bone microcirculation was considered to possibly lead various
      conditions such as ischemia and hypoxia-related bone metabolic acidosis. However,
      further study is needed.

PMID- 28364346
TI  - The growing world of small heat shock proteins: from structure to functions.
AB  - Small heat shock proteins (sHSPs) are present in all kingdoms of life and play
      fundamental roles in cell biology. sHSPs are key components of the cellular
      protein quality control system, acting as the first line of defense against
      conditions that affect protein homeostasis and proteome stability, from bacteria
      to plants to humans. sHSPs have the ability to bind to a large subset of
      substrates and to maintain them in a state competent for refolding or clearance
      with the assistance of the HSP70 machinery. sHSPs participate in a number of
      biological processes, from the cell cycle, to cell differentiation, from
      adaptation to stressful conditions, to apoptosis, and, even, to the
      transformation of a cell into a malignant state. As a consequence, sHSP
      malfunction has been implicated in abnormal placental development and preterm
      deliveries, in the prognosis of several types of cancer, and in the development
      of neurological diseases. Moreover, mutations in the genes encoding several
      mammalian sHSPs result in neurological, muscular, or cardiac age-related diseases
      in humans. Loss of protein homeostasis due to protein aggregation is typical of
      many age-related neurodegenerative and neuromuscular diseases. In light of the
      role of sHSPs in the clearance of un/misfolded aggregation-prone substrates,
      pharmacological modulation of sHSP expression or function and rescue of defective
      sHSPs represent possible routes to alleviate or cure protein conformation
      diseases. Here, we report the latest news and views on sHSPs discussed by many of
      the world's experts in the sHSP field during a dedicated workshop organized in
      Italy (Bertinoro, CEUB, October 12-15, 2016).

PMID- 28364351
TI  - [Prevention of lateral cortex fractures in open wedge high tibial osteotomies :
      The anteroposterior drill hole approach].
AB  - BACKGROUND: In osteotomies with larger correction angles, the capacity for
      elastic deformation is frequently exceeded, resulting in plastic deformation and
      fracture of the opposite cortex, which may lead to subsequent loss of correction.
      An anteroposterior drill hole at the apex of the horizontal osteotomy (= hinge)
      is supposed to increase the capacity of the bony hinge for elastic deformation
      and ideally to prevent fractures of the opposite cortex. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A
      high tibial osteotomy (HTO) using standard surgical technique was performed in 20
      each of Synbones, Sawbones, and human cadaver tibial specimens. In 10 specimens
      per group, an additional anteroposterior hinge drilling was performed at the apex
      of the horizontal osteotomy. All fractures of the opposite cortex were
      photographically and radiographically documented. All fractures were classified
      according to fracture types 1-3 of the Takeuchi classification. RESULTS:
      Regardless of the study group, all tibial bones with an additional hinge drilling
      achieved larger correction angles during the spreading of the wedge until a
      fracture of the opposite cortex occurred. The average correction angle of all
      specimens without the drill hole was 2.7 degrees , which increased to 4.8 degrees
      with the hinge drill (increase by 77.8%). In correction angles exceeding 5
      degrees , all specimen showed a hinge fracture regardless of the presence or
      absence of a hinge drill. CONCLUSIONS: The hinge-protecting effect is restricted
      to small correction angles, i. e., to unload cartilage repair regions in the
      absence of severe malalignment. For the treatment of varus gonarthrosis, there is
      no fracture-protecting effect from a hinge drill.

PMID- 28364352
TI  - Effects of bufalin on up-regulating methylation of Wilm's tumor 1 gene in human
      erythroid leukemic cells.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: To explore the effects of bufalin on inhibiting proliferation, up
      regulating methylation of Wilm' tumor 1 gene (WT1) as well as its possible
      mechanisms in human erythroid leukemic (HEL) cells. METHODS: The HEL cells were
      treated with bufalin at various concentrations to observe cellular morphology,
      proliferation assay and cell cycle. The mRNA and protein expression levels of WT1
      were detected by reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR),
      Western blot and immunocytochemistry, DNA methylation of WT1 and protein
      expression levels of DNA methyltransferase 3a (DNMT3a) and DNMT3b were analyzed
      by methylation-specific PCR, and Western blot respectively. RESULTS: The bufalin
      was effective to inhibit proliferation of HEL cells in a dose-dependent manner,
      their suppression rates were from 23.4%+/-2.1% to 87.2%+/-5.4% with an half
      maximal inhibit concentration (IC50) of 0.046 MUmol/L. Typical apoptosis
      morphology was observed in bufalin-treated HEL cells. The proliferation index of
      cell cycle decreased from 76.4%+/-1.9% to 49.7%+/-1.3%. The expression levels of
      WT1 mRNA and its protein reduced gradually with increasing doses of bufalin,
      meanwhile, the methylation status of WT1 gene changed from unmethylated into
      partially or totally methylated. While, the expression levels of DNMT3a and
      DNMT3b protein gradually increased by bufalin treatment in a dose-dependent
      manner. CONCLUSIONS: Bufalin can not only significantly inhibit the proliferation
      of HEL cells and arrest cell cycle at G0/G1 phase, but also induce cellular
      apoptosis and down-regulate the expression level of WT1. Our results provide the
      evidence of bufalin for anti-leukemia, its mechanism may involve in increasing
      WT1 methylation status which is related to the up-regulation of DNMT3a and DNMT3b
      proteins in erythroid leukemic HEL cells.

PMID- 28364353
TI  - Mitochondrial Cx43 hemichannels contribute to mitochondrial calcium entry and
      cell death in the heart.
AB  - Mitochondrial connexin 43 (Cx43) plays a key role in cardiac cytoprotection
      caused by repeated exposure to short periods of non-lethal ischemia/reperfusion,
      a condition known as ischemic preconditioning. Cx43 also forms calcium (Ca2+)
      permeable hemichannels that may potentially lead to mitochondrial Ca2+ overload
      and cell death. Here, we studied the role of Cx43 in facilitating mitochondrial
      Ca2+ entry and investigated its downstream consequences. To that purpose, we used
      various connexin-targeting peptides interacting with extracellular (Gap26) and
      intracellular (Gap19, RRNYRRNY) Cx43 domains, and tested their effect on
      mitochondrial dye- and Ca2+-uptake, electrophysiological properties of
      plasmalemmal and mitochondrial Cx43 channels, and cell injury/cell death. Our
      results in isolated mice cardiac subsarcolemmal mitochondria indicate that Cx43
      forms hemichannels that contribute to Ca2+ entry and may trigger permeability
      transition and cell injury/death. RRNYRRNY displayed the strongest effects in all
      assays and inhibited plasma membrane as well as mitochondrial Cx43 hemichannels.
      RRNYRRNY also strongly reduced the infarct size in ex vivo cardiac ischemia
      reperfusion studies. These results indicate that Cx43 contributes to
      mitochondrial Ca2+ homeostasis and is involved in triggering cell injury/death
      pathways that can be inhibited by RRNYRRNY peptide.

PMID- 28364354
TI  - Precision Medicine Approaches to Diabetic Kidney Disease: Tissue as an Issue.
AB  - PURPOSE OF REVIEW: Precision medicine approaches, that tailor medications to
      specific individuals has made paradigm-shifting improvements for patients with
      certain cancer types. RECENT FINDINGS: Such approaches, however, have not been
      implemented for patients with diabetic kidney disease. Precision medicine could
      offer new avenues for novel diagnostic, prognostic and targeted therapeutics
      development. Genetic studies associated with multiscalar omics datasets from
      tissue and cell types of interest of well-characterized cohorts are needed to
      change the current paradigm. In this review, we will discuss precision medicine
      approaches that the nephrology community can take to analyze tissue samples to
      develop new therapeutics for patients with diabetic kidney disease.

PMID- 28364355
TI  - Population Health Management for Diabetes: Health Care System-Level Approaches
      for Improving Quality and Addressing Disparities.
AB  - PURPOSE OF REVIEW: Population care approaches for diabetes have the potential to
      improve the quality of care and decrease diabetes-related mortality and
      morbidity. Population care strategies are particularly relevant as accountable
      care organizations (ACOs), patient-centered medical homes (PCMH), and integrated
      delivery systems are increasingly focused on managing chronic disease care at the
      health system level. This review outlines the key elements of population care
      approaches for diabetes in the current health care environment. RECENT FINDINGS:
      Population care approaches proactively identify diabetes patients through disease
      registries and electronic health record data and utilize multidisciplinary care
      teams, personalized provider feedback, and decision support tools to target and
      care for patients at risk for poor outcomes. Existing evidence suggests that
      these strategies can improve care outcomes and potentially ameliorate existing
      race/ethnic disparities in health care. However, such strategies may be less
      effective for patients who are disengaged from the health care system. As
      population care for diabetes continues to evolve, future initiatives should
      consider ways to tailor population care to meet individual patient needs, while
      leveraging improvements in clinical information systems and care integration to
      optimally manage and prevent diabetes in the future.

PMID- 28364357
TI  - Treatment of Diabetic Ketoacidosis (DKA)/Hyperglycemic Hyperosmolar State (HHS):
      Novel Advances in the Management of Hyperglycemic Crises (UK Versus USA).
AB  - PURPOSE OF REVIEW: Diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA) and hyperglycemic hyperosmolar
      state (HHS) are diabetic emergencies that cause high morbidity and mortality.
      Their treatment differs in the UK and USA. This review delineates the differences
      in diagnosis and treatment between the two countries. RECENT FINDINGS: Large
      scale studies to determine optimal management of DKA and HHS are lacking. The
      diagnosis of DKA is based on disease severity in the USA, which differs from the
      UK. The diagnosis of HHS in the USA is based on total rather than effective
      osmolality. Unlike the USA, the UK has separate guidelines for DKA and HHS.
      Treatment of DKA and HHS also differs with respect to timing of fluid and insulin
      initiation. There is considerable overlap but important differences between the
      UK and USA guidelines for the management of DKA and HHS. Further research needs
      to be done to delineate a unifying diagnostic and treatment protocol.

PMID- 28364356
TI  - Diabetes in Cushing Disease.
AB  - PURPOSE OF REVIEW: This review focuses on the pathophysiological and clinical
      aspects of diabetes mellitus occurring in patients with Cushing disease (CD).
      RECENT FINDINGS: Insulin resistance and impairment in insulin secretion are both
      involved in the pathogenesis of glucocorticoid-induced diabetes. Correction of
      glucocorticoid excess does not always resolve abnormalities of glucose
      homeostasis, and correction of hyperglycaemia is specifically required. In fact,
      insulin resistance may persist even after correction of glucocorticoid excess and
      diabetes needs to be treated for long term. On the other hand, emerging drugs
      used in the treatment of CD, such as the novel somatostatin analog pasireotide,
      may have direct effects on glucose homeostasis regardless of control of cortisol
      excess. Diabetes mellitus is a frequent and early complication of CD with
      important diagnostic, prognostic and therapeutic implications. Specifically,
      diagnosis of CD in patients with diabetes may be difficult due to potential
      misinterpretation of markers of cortisol hypersecretion. Moreover, diabetes
      mellitus is often difficult to be controlled in CD requiring a careful and
      dedicated therapeutic approach. Finally, the coexistence of diabetes may
      influence the therapeutic decision making in CD, since drugs used in this setting
      may variably influence glucose homeostasis regardless of control of
      hypercortisolism.

PMID- 28364358
TI  - A Mutual Authentication Framework for Wireless Medical Sensor Networks.
AB  - Wireless medical sensor networks (WMSN) comprise of distributed sensors, which
      can sense human physiological signs and monitor the health condition of the
      patient. It is observed that providing privacy to the patient's data is an
      important issue and can be challenging. The information passing is done via the
      public channel in WMSN. Thus, the patient, sensitive information can be obtained
      by eavesdropping or by unauthorized use of handheld devices which the health
      professionals use in monitoring the patient. Therefore, there is an essential
      need of restricting the unauthorized access to the patient's medical information.
      Hence, the efficient authentication scheme for the healthcare applications is
      needed to preserve the privacy of the patients' vital signs. To ensure secure and
      authorized communication in WMSN, we design a symmetric key based authentication
      protocol for WMSN environment. The proposed protocol uses only computationally
      efficient operations to achieve lightweight attribute. We analyze the security of
      the proposed protocol. We use a formal security proof algorithm to show the
      scheme security against known attacks. We also use the Automated Validation of
      Internet Security Protocols and Applications (AVISPA) simulator to show protocol
      secure against man-in-the-middle attack and replay attack. Additionally, we adopt
      an informal analysis to discuss the key attributes of the proposed scheme. From
      the formal proof of security, we can see that an attacker has a negligible
      probability of breaking the protocol security. AVISPA simulator also demonstrates
      the proposed scheme security against active attacks, namely, man-in-the-middle
      attack and replay attack. Additionally, through the comparison of computational
      efficiency and security attributes with several recent results, proposed scheme
      seems to be battered.

PMID- 28364359
TI  - mHealth App for iOS to Help in Diagnostic Decision in Ophthalmology to Primary
      Care Physicians.
AB  - Decision support systems (DSS) are increasingly demanded due that diagnosis is
      one of the main activities that physicians accomplish every day. This fact seems
      critical when primary care physicians deal with uncommon problems belonging to
      specialized areas. The main objective of this paper is the development and user
      evaluation of a mobile DSS for iOS named OphthalDSS. This app has as purpose
      helping in anterior segment ocular diseases' diagnosis, besides offering
      educative content about ophthalmic diseases to users. For the deployment of this
      work, firstly it has been used the Apple IDE, Xcode, to develop the OphthalDSS
      mobile application using Objective-C as programming language. The core of the
      decision support system implemented by OphthalDSS is a decision tree developed by
      expert ophthalmologists. In order to evaluate the Quality of Experience (QoE) of
      primary care physicians after having tried the OphthalDSS app, a written inquiry
      based on the Likert scale was used. A total of 50 physicians answered to it,
      after trying the app during 1 month in their medical consultation. OphthalDSS is
      capable of helping to make diagnoses of diseases related to the anterior segment
      of the eye. Other features of OphthalDSS are a guide of each disease and an
      educational section. A 70% of the physicians answered in the survey that
      OphthalDSS performs in the way that they expected, and a 95% assures their trust
      in the reliability of the clinical information. Moreover, a 75% of them think
      that the decision system has a proper performance. Most of the primary care
      physicians agree with that OphthalDSS does the function that they expected, it is
      a user-friendly and the contents and structure are adequate. We can conclude that
      OphthalDSS is a practical tool but physicians require extra content that makes it
      a really useful one.

PMID- 28364360
TI  - Impact of age on efficacy and toxicity of nilotinib in patients with chronic
      myeloid leukemia in chronic phase: ENEST1st subanalysis.
AB  - PURPOSE: Achievement of deep molecular response with a tyrosine kinase inhibitor
      in patients with chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) is required to attempt
      discontinuation of therapy in these patients. The current subanalysis from the
      Evaluating Nilotinib Efficacy and Safety in Clinical Trials as First-Line
      Treatment (ENEST1st) study evaluated whether age has an impact on the achievement
      of deeper molecular responses or safety with frontline nilotinib in patients with
      CML. METHODS: ENEST1st is an open-label, multicenter, single-arm, prospective
      study of nilotinib 300 mg twice daily in patients with newly diagnosed CML in
      chronic phase. The patients were stratified into the following 4 groups based on
      age: young (18-39 years), middle age (40-59 years), elderly (60-74 years), and
      old (>=75 years). The primary end point was the rate of molecular response 4
      ([MR4] BCR-ABL1 <=0.01% on the international scale) at 18 months from the
      initiation of nilotinib. RESULTS: Of the 1091 patients enrolled, 1089 were
      considered in the analysis, of whom, 23% (n = 243), 45% (n = 494), 27% (n = 300),
      and 5% (n = 52) were categorized as young, middle age, elderly, and old,
      respectively. At 18 months, the rates of MR4 were 33.9% (95% confidence interval
      [CI], 27.8-40.0%) in the young, 39.6% (95% CI, 35.3-44.0%) in the middle-aged,
      40.5% (95% CI, 34.8-46.1%) in the elderly, and 35.4% (95% CI, 21.9-48.9%) in the
      old patients. Although the incidence of adverse events was slightly different, no
      new specific safety signals were observed across the 4 age groups. CONCLUSIONS:
      This subanalysis of the ENEST1st study showed that age did not have a relevant
      impact on the deep molecular response rates associated with nilotinib therapy in
      newly diagnosed patients with CML and eventually on the eligibility of the
      patients to attempt treatment discontinuation.

PMID- 28364363
TI  - Preface - Emerging Viruses: From Early Detection to Intervention.
AB  - In the last decades, several viruses emerged, as the consequence of cross-species
      passage from animal reservoirs to human being. Emerging infections always
      represent a significant challenge for public health system as knowledge about
      specific pathogens are generally little while and no/few effective interventions
      are available. In this volume we explored special aspects of emerging infectious
      diseases including: the application of the theory of focality of diseases to
      infective syndrome; the human-animal inter-face focusing on influenza; the role
      of bats as main reservoir of emerging and novel human pathogens; Middle East
      Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus (MERS-CoV) epidemiology and clinical
      presentation; immediate impact on human health of the last Zika virus outbreak
      occurred in Pacific Ocean and the Americas; the role and potential application of
      animal models for the study of emerging infections, to improve disease knowledge
      and for developing therapeutic drugs during ongoing outbreak.

PMID- 28364361
TI  - A novel method to generate single-cell-derived cancer-associated fibroblast
      clones.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) communicate with cancer cells to
      play important roles in tumor progression. However, CAFs have heterogeneous
      phenotypes and functions. To understand how much of this heterogeneity relates to
      different biological responses, a more efficient method of generating single-cell
      derived CAF clones is required. METHOD: We transduced two primary CAF cultures
      (CAFs-608 and CAFs-621) from lung adenocarcinoma with human telomerase reverse
      transcriptase (hTERT), mutant forms of cyclin dependent kinase 4 (CDK4R24C)
      independently and in combination (hTERT/CDK4R24C). After live imaging of each
      sorted-single cell, we evaluated the numbers of successfully established clones
      from CAFs-hTERT, CAFs-CDK4R24C, and CAFs-hTERT/CDK4R24C. Furthermore, we examined
      the expression levels of genes associated with tumor promoting pathways in
      established clones by qRT-PCR. RESULTS: Overexpression of hTERT and CDK4R24C
      efficiently extended the lifespan of both CAFs-608 and CAFs-621. The number of
      established CAF clones was highest for CAFs-hTERT/CDK4R24C, with 57 and 62 clones
      established from CAFs-608 and CAFs-621, respectively. Conversely, 16 and 11 CAFs
      hTERT clones were derived from CAFs-608 and CAFs-621, respectively and 10 and 8
      CAFs-CDK4R24C clones were from CAFs-608 and CAFs-621, respectively. TGF-b, ATCA2,
      and HSF1 mRNA levels differed in individual clones established from CAFs
      hTERT/CDK4R24C. The expression levels of ATCA2 and HSF1 were much higher in one
      clone than in the other established clones and the parental CAFs. CONCLUSION: Our
      results show that combined exogenous expression of hTERT and mutant CDK4 is an
      effective method to generate single-cell-derived CAF clones. This provides an
      innovative and suitable approach to investigate the heterogeneous function and
      phenotype of CAFs.

PMID- 28364362
TI  - Advantages of genome sequencing by long-read sequencer using SMRT technology in
      medical area.
AB  - PacBio RS II is the first commercialized third-generation DNA sequencer able to
      sequence a single molecule DNA in real-time without amplification. PacBio RS II's
      sequencing technology is novel and unique, enabling the direct observation of DNA
      synthesis by DNA polymerase. PacBio RS II confers four major advantages compared
      to other sequencing technologies: long read lengths, high consensus accuracy, a
      low degree of bias, and simultaneous capability of epigenetic characterization.
      These advantages surmount the obstacle of sequencing genomic regions such as
      high/low G+C, tandem repeat, and interspersed repeat regions. Moreover, PacBio RS
      II is ideal for whole genome sequencing, targeted sequencing, complex population
      analysis, RNA sequencing, and epigenetics characterization. With PacBio RS II, we
      have sequenced and analyzed the genomes of many species, from viruses to humans.
      Herein, we summarize and review some of our key genome sequencing projects,
      including full-length viral sequencing, complete bacterial genome and almost
      complete plant genome assemblies, and long amplicon sequencing of a disease
      associated gene region. We believe that PacBio RS II is not only an effective
      tool for use in the basic biological sciences but also in the medical/clinical
      setting.

PMID- 28364364
TI  - Possible Reversal of PTSD-Related DNA Methylation by Sympathetic Blockade.
AB  - Studies have shown that brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) level increase
      is associated with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) risk. BDNF may be a
      "missing-link" that mediates the interaction between genetics, environment, and
      the sympathetic system. Trauma has been shown to induce DNA methylation that in
      turn can increase BDNF concentration due to increased gene expression. Therapies
      that focus on the reduction of beta-NGF (BNGF) levels may impact PTSD symptoms.
      The focus of this paper is to discuss possible effect of stellate ganglion block
      (SGB) on epigenetic changes noted with PTSD mediated by BDNF and NGF. Stellate
      ganglion block has recently shown significant therapeutic efficacy for treatment
      of PTSD symptoms. Previously reported theoretical mechanisms of SGB impact on
      PTSD have focused on likely reduction of NGF, leading to eventual loss of
      extraneous sympathetic nerve growth, eventually leading to reduction of secondary
      norepinephrine level, which in turn is hypothesized to reduce PTSD symptoms. We
      used PUBMED to obtain available data following a search for the following: DNA,
      neurotrophic factors, post-traumatic stress disorder, and demethylation following
      local anesthetic application. A number of articles meeting criteria were found
      and reviewed. Based on the evidence summarized, trauma can lead to DNA
      methylation, as well as BNGF/NGF level increase, which in turn starts a cascade
      of sympathetic sprouting, leading to increased brain norepinephrine, and finally
      symptomatic PTSD. Cascade reversal may occur in part by demethylation of DNA
      caused by application of local anesthetic to the stellate ganglion.

PMID- 28364366
TI  - A new tool-using bird to crow about.
AB  - The Hawaiian crow has been revealed as a skilled tool user, confirmed by testing
      the last members of this endangered species that survive in captivity. The
      finding suggests its behavior is tantalizingly similar to that of the famous tool
      using New Caledonian crow and has implications for the evolution of tool use and
      intelligence in birds.

PMID- 28364365
TI  - Release from proactive interference in rat spatial working memory.
AB  - A three-phase procedure was used to produce proactive interference (PI) in one
      trial on an eight-arm radial maze. Rats were forced to enter four arms for reward
      on an initial interference phase, to then enter the four remaining arms on a
      target phase, and to then choose among all eight arms on a retention test, with
      only the arms not visited in the target phase containing reward. Control trials
      involved only the target phase and the retention test. Lower accuracy was found
      on PI trials than on control trials, but performance on PI trials significantly
      exceeded chance, showing some retention of target memories. Changes in temporal
      and reward variables between the interference, target, and retention test phases
      showed release from PI, but changes in context and pattern of arm entry did not.
      It is suggested that the release from PI paradigm can be used to understand
      spatial memory encoding in rats and other species.

PMID- 28364367
TI  - Effects of task-irrelevant grouping on visual selection in partial report.
AB  - Perceptual grouping modulates performance in attention tasks such as partial
      report and change detection. Specifically, grouping of search items according to
      a task-relevant feature improves the efficiency of visual selection. However, the
      role of task-irrelevant feature grouping is not clearly understood. In the
      present study, we investigated whether grouping of targets by a task-irrelevant
      feature influences performance in a partial-report task. In this task,
      participants must report as many target letters as possible from a briefly
      presented circular display. The crucial manipulation concerned the color of the
      elements in these trials. In the sorted-color condition, the color of the display
      elements was arranged according to the selection criterion, and in the unsorted
      color condition, colors were randomly assigned. The distractor cost was inferred
      by subtracting performance in partial-report trials from performance in a control
      condition that had no distractors in the display. Across five experiments, we
      manipulated trial order, selection criterion, and exposure duration, and found
      that attentional selectivity was improved in sorted-color trials when the
      exposure duration was 200 ms and the selection criterion was luminance. This
      effect was accompanied by impaired selectivity in unsorted-color trials. Overall,
      the results suggest that the benefit of task-irrelevant color grouping of targets
      is contingent on the processing locus of the selection criterion.

PMID- 28364368
TI  - User Fees in General Practice: Willingness to Pay and Potential Substitution
      Patterns-Results from a Danish GP Patient Survey.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Increases in public expenditures to general practitioner (GP)
      services and specialist care have spurred debate over whether to implement user
      fees for healthcare services such as GP consultations in Denmark. OBJECTIVE: The
      objective of this study was to examine Danish patients' attitudes towards user
      fees and their willingness to pay (WTP) for a consultation, and to investigate
      how user charges may impact patients' behaviour. METHODS: A questionnaire survey
      was conducted in a GP clinic. RESULTS: A total of 343 individual persons answered
      the questionnaire. One hundred and seventy (50%) persons were not willing to pay
      for a consultation. Among patients reporting positive WTP values, the mean WTP
      was 137 (standard deviation 140) Danish kroner (DKK). Patients who were 65 years
      old or older were more likely to be willing to pay for a GP consultation than
      patients under the age of 65 years. Furthermore, patients with a personal annual
      income of more than 200,000 DKK were more likely to be willing to pay for a
      consultation than other income groups. With respect to patients with a positive
      WTP value, their own assessment of the seriousness of the consultation and their
      self-assessed health influenced the amount they would be willing to pay. Finally,
      we observed a stated willingness to substitute GP consultations with alternatives
      that are free of charge. CONCLUSION: About half of the patients with an
      appointment for a GP consultation are willing to pay for the consultation. User
      charges may potentially influence the patients' behaviour. ClinicalTrials.gov
      NCT01784731.

PMID- 28364369
TI  - Predicting Productivity Losses from Health-Related Quality of Life Using Patient
      Data.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: This paper estimates productivity loss using the health of the patient
      in order to allow indirect estimation of these costs for inclusion in economic
      evaluation. METHODS: Data from two surveys of inpatients [Health outcomes data
      repository (HODaR) sample (n = 42,442) and health improvement and patient
      outcomes (HIPO) sample (n = 6046)] were used. The number of days off paid
      employment or normal activities (excluding paid employment) was modelled using
      the health of the patients measured by the EQ-5D, international classification of
      diseases (ICD) chapters, and other health and sociodemographic data. Two-part
      models (TPMs) and zero-inflated negative binomial (ZINB) models were identified
      as the most appropriate specifications, given large spikes at the minimum and
      maximum days for the dependent variable. Analysis was undertaken separately for
      the two datasets to account for differences in recall period and identification
      of those who were employed. RESULTS: Models were able to reflect the large spike
      at the minimum (zero days) but not the maximum, with TPMs doing slightly better
      than the ZINB model. The EQ-5D was negatively associated with days off employment
      and normal activities in both datasets, but ICD chapters only had statistically
      significant coefficients for some chapters in the HODaR. CONCLUSIONS: TPMs can be
      used to predict productivity loss associated with the health of the patient to
      inform economic evaluation. Limitations include recall and response bias and
      identification of who is employed in the HODaR, while the HIPO suffers from a
      small sample size. Both samples exclude some patient groups.

PMID- 28364370
TI  - Recommendations for Managing Drug-Drug Interactions with Statins and HIV
      Medications.
AB  - The discovery of antiretroviral therapy (ART) for the treatment of human
      immunodeficiency virus (HIV) has enabled individuals to live longer. As a result,
      HIV is now often considered a chronic condition. However, as a result of the
      increase in longevity or the HIV treatment modalities themselves, individuals
      with HIV are at high risk for the development of atherosclerotic cardiovascular
      disease. Therefore, these patients should be optimized with pharmacologic therapy
      to lower their cardiovascular risk through the addition of statin therapy to
      their regimen. Unfortunately, many medications utilized to treat HIV interact
      with this class of agents, making prescribing of statin therapy in these patients
      challenging. While several classes of ARTs do not pose an increased risk of drug
      drug interactions with statins, HIV treatment often requires several combinations
      of medications, enhancing the complexity and drug-drug interaction risk.
      Clinicians should be aware of interactions with statins and ART and carefully
      review the degree and clinical significance of each particular medication. With
      this understanding, the appropriate statin as well as statin dose can be selected
      in order to optimize the treatment of this patient population, while minimizing
      the potential risk of adverse effects.

PMID- 28364371
TI  - Overcoming Challenges in Recruitment of South Asians for Health Disparities
      Research in the USA.
AB  - South Asians-individuals with origins in the countries of Bangladesh, Bhutan,
      India, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, and other regions of the
      subcontinent-are an understudied and at-risk racial/ethnic minority population
      for disproportionate burden of preventable diseases in the USA. Notwithstanding
      lack of research disaggregating Asian American subgroups, a key factor in this
      paucity of data is the lack of participation and engagement of community members
      in studies which examine distribution and determinants of adverse health
      outcomes. The purpose of this case study series is to elucidate distinct barriers
      in recruitment of South Asians in health disparities research within four diverse
      study designs. These illustrations are followed by a discussion of effective
      strategies and promising practices to increase and enhance the participation of
      community members in health-related studies in order to ultimately understand and
      address disparities among this rapidly growing cultural group in the US
      systematic collection of data which not only is representative of this
      understudied population but also elucidates contextual influences on community
      health and well-being and is pivotal to the reduction and elimination of
      preventable disparities among South Asians in the USA.

PMID- 28364372
TI  - The Latino Physician Shortage: How the Affordable Care Act Increases the Value of
      Latino Spanish-Speaking Physicians and What Efforts Can Increase Their Supply.
AB  - The United States Latino population is growing at a rapid pace and is set to
      reach nearly 30% by 2050. The demand for culturally and linguistically competent
      health care is increasing in lockstep with this growth; however, the supply of
      doctors with skills and experience suited for this care is lagging. In
      particular, there is a major shortage of Latino Spanish-speaking physicians, and
      the gap between demand and supply is widening. The implementation of the
      Affordable Care Act (ACA) has increased the capacity of the US healthcare system
      to care for the growing Latino Spanish-speaking population, through health
      insurance exchanges, increased funding for safety net institutions, and efforts
      to improve efficiency and coordination of care, particularly with Accountable
      Care Organizations and the Hospital Readmissions Reduction Program. With these
      policies in mind, the authors discuss how the value of Latino Spanish-speaking
      physicians to the healthcare system has increased under the environment of the
      ACA. In addition, the authors highlight key efforts to increase the supply of
      this physician population, including the implementation of the Deferred Action
      for Childhood Arrivals Act, premedical pipeline programs, and academic medicine
      and medical school education initiatives to increase Latino representation among
      physicians.

PMID- 28364373
TI  - Longitudinal Changes and High-Risk Subgroups for Obesity and Overweight/Obesity
      Among Refugees in Buffalo, NY, 2004-2014.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: Very few studies have been conducted on non-communicable diseases
      among resettled refugees. The purpose of the study was to examine longitudinal
      changes in obesity and overweight/obesity rates among resettled refugees and
      identify high-risk subgroups. METHODS: Longitudinal health assessment data of 818
      children (2-18 years) and 1055 adults (>=19 years) were used from a refugee
      clinic in Buffalo, NY, during 2004-2014. Univariate and bivariate analyses were
      performed. Risk factors of obesity and overweight/obesity were assessed using
      multivariate regression models. RESULTS: Obesity (8.7 to 12.7%) and
      overweight/obesity (16.9 to 26.7%) rates increased among children over 4.5 years
      (p < 0.01). Over 3.9 years, overweight/obesity rates increased in men (39.6 to
      58.6%, p < 0.01) and women (55.1 to 73.5%, p < 0.01), exceeding the prevalence of
      overweight/obesity of 65.8% in US-born women. Interestingly, longitudinal
      overweight/obesity rates decreased among Middle Eastern (81.4 vs 78.0%, p < 0.01)
      and East European (75.0 vs 70.8%, p < 0.01) women. African children had 2.31
      folds (odds ratio [OR] = 2.31; 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.46-3.67) greater
      overweight/obesity risk than Asians. African girls who were not overweight or
      obese at baseline had the highest risk of becoming obese at follow-up visits (OR
      = 0.21; 95%CI = 0.09-0.52). For each additional year refugees lived in the USA,
      overweight/obesity risk among men (OR = 1.23; 95%CI = 1.09-1.39) and women (OR =
      1.18; 95%CI = 1.04-1.35) increased. CONCLUSION: Obesity and overweight/obesity
      rates increased among refugees, but significant variations existed.
      Overweight/obesity rate among refugee women surpassed the US average. African
      origin, baseline weight, and longer duration of stay in the USA were risk
      factors. Culturally tailored programs are needed to prevent obesity and reduce
      health disparities among refugees.

PMID- 28364374
TI  - Improving Urban Minority Girls' Health Via Community Summer Programming.
AB  - Summertime has emerged as a high-risk period for weight gain among low-income
      minority youth who often experience a lack of resources when not attending
      school. Structured programming may be an effective means of reducing risk for
      obesity by improving obesogenic behaviors among these youth. The current multi
      method study examined sedentary time, physical activity, and dietary intake among
      low-income urban minority girls in two contexts: an unstructured summertime
      setting and in the context of a structured 4-week community-based summer day camp
      program promoting physical activity. Data were analyzed using paired-sample t
      tests and repeated-measure analyses of variance with significance at the p < .05
      level. Results evidenced no significant differences in total calories and fat
      consumed between the unstructured and structured settings. Participants exhibited
      significant increases in fruit consumption and physical activity and significant
      decreases in sedentary time of over 2 h/day and dairy consumption when engaged in
      structured summer programming. All improvements were independent of weight status
      and age, and African-American participants evidenced greater changes in physical
      activity during programming. The study concludes that structured, community-based
      summertime programming may be associated with fewer obesogenic behaviors in low
      income urban youth and may be a powerful tool to address disparities in weight
      gain and obesity among high-risk samples.

PMID- 28364375
TI  - Longitudinal Motion Assessment of the Carotid Artery Using Speckle Tracking and
      Scale-Invariant Feature Transform.
AB  - The purpose of this work is to present and validate a novel approach for ultra
      sound-based speckle tracking to measure the carotid artery longitudinal
      displacement, and to assess the apparent sliding between of Intima-Media Complex
      (IMC) and Adventitia (Ad) layers. This method utilizes feature detectors and
      descriptors to localize and track keypoints for local motion quantification. The
      procedure was tested and validated on an in silico dataset and on 18 heathy
      volunteers and 16 patients. Accuracy measured on in silico data gave a mean +/-
      standard deviation of 23 +/- 15 and 19 +/- 18 MUm for IMC and Ad respectively,
      and thus smaller than the pixel size (0.0925 mm). Robustness analysis was
      performed on in vivo images, obtaining a maximum variation coefficient, over 5
      repeated measures, of 9.5 and 13.8% for IMC and Ad, respectively. The novel
      method capability for detecting the relative motion of IMC vs. Ad was compared
      with visual assessment performed by 2 physicians, leading to a correlation
      coefficient R of 0.7 in the worst case. (Healthy group scored by rater #1.) In
      conclusion, our results provide evidence that the novel method is able to
      accurately and reliably track carotid artery layer motion and that it overcomes
      limitations currently present in the literature, therefore providing an automatic
      tool for clinical evaluation of IMC vs. Ad relative displacement.

PMID- 28364376
TI  - Incidental spade-shaped FDG uptake in the left ventricular apex suggests apical
      hypertrophic cardiomyopathy.
AB  - PURPOSE: Apical wall thickening with an "ace-of-spades" configuration is a unique
      sign of apical hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (AHCM). We investigated spade-shaped
      FDG uptake around the left ventricular apex (SSUA) incidentally found in routine
      oncological FDG PET. METHODS: Cases showing SSUA were selected based on
      retrospective review. The pattern or intensity of SSUA was compared with the
      results of electrocardiogram (ECG), echocardiography, and stress myocardial
      perfusion SPECT. The diagnosis of ACHM was based on the presence of giant
      negative T wave in ECG, thickness of spade-shaped hypertrophy in the apex in
      echocardiography, and increased tracer uptake in the apex in rest SPECT. RESULTS:
      Among the 34 patients in 36 PET scans showing SSUA, SSUA was weak in 17 and
      intense in 17. There were isolated SSUA (n = 29) and SSUA with diffuse or other
      focal left ventricular uptake (n = 5). Three patients with the latter uptake
      pattern turned out to have coexistence of AHCM and asymmetric septal hypertrophy.
      Of the 16 SSUA-positive patients who underwent echocardiography, 13 (81%) were
      diagnosed as AHCM and the remaining 3 were regarded as borderline AHCM (apical
      wall thickness, 14-15 mm). There were 16 patients with SSUA who also underwent
      PET scans after the study period among which 11 (69%) had persistent SSUA in the
      follow-up PET. In the remaining 5, follow-up PET scans showed diffuse left
      ventricular uptake and SSUA was barely visible. The intensity of SSUA was
      significantly or marginally associated with giant negative T wave (p < 0.01),
      apical asynergy (p = 0.08), and impaired coronary flow reserve (p < 0.05). There
      were no other factors correlated with the pattern or intensity of SSUA.
      CONCLUSION: SSUA incidentally found in oncological FDG PET appeared to be
      associated with AHCM, especially in ischemic conditions. The moderate
      repeatability of SSUA was probably due to obscurity by physiological uptake.

PMID- 28364378
TI  - Stoichiometry in aboveground and fine roots of Seriphidium korovinii in desert
      grassland in response to artificial nitrogen addition.
AB  - Nitrogen (N) input by atmospheric deposition and human activity enhances the
      availability of N in various ecosystems, which may further affect N and
      phosphorus (P) cycling and use by plants. However, the internal use of N, P, and
      N:P stoichiometry by plants in response to N supply, particularly for grass
      species in a desert steppe ecosystem, remains unclear. In this work, a field
      experiment was conducted at an infertile area in a desert steppe to investigate
      the effects of N fertilizer addition rates on the stoichiometry of N and P in a
      dominant grass species, Seriphidium korovinii. Results showed that for both
      aboveground and fine roots of S. korovinii, N inputs exponentially increased the
      N concentration and N:P ratios while P concentrations decreased. Meanwhile, the
      relationships between N and P concentrations for both aboveground and fine roots
      were significantly negative. Furthermore, while the N concentrations in the
      plants were relatively low, P concentrations were higher than the global means,
      resulting in a relatively low N:P ratio. These results suggest that the
      stoichiometric characteristics of N were different from that of P for this desert
      plant species. Results also show that the intraspecific variations in the main
      element traits (N, P, and N:P ratios) were consistent at the whole-plant level.
      Our results also suggest that N should be part of any short-term fertilization
      plan that is part of a management strategy designed to restore degraded desert
      grassland. These findings highlight that nutrient addition by atmospheric N
      deposition and human activity can have significant effects on the internal use of
      N and P by plants. Therefore, establishing a nutrient-conservation strategy for
      desert grasslands is important.

PMID- 28364377
TI  - Autophagy, programmed cell death and reactive oxygen species in sexual
      reproduction in plants.
AB  - Autophagy is one of the major cellular processes of recycling of proteins,
      metabolites and intracellular organelles, and plays crucial roles in the
      regulation of innate immunity, stress responses and programmed cell death (PCD)
      in many eukaryotes. It is also essential in development and sexual reproduction
      in many animals. In plants, although autophagy-deficient mutants of Arabidopsis
      thaliana show phenotypes in abiotic and biotic stress responses, their life cycle
      seems normal and thus little had been known until recently about the roles of
      autophagy in development and reproduction. Rice mutants defective in autophagy
      show sporophytic male sterility and immature pollens, indicating crucial roles of
      autophagy during pollen maturation. Enzymatic production of reactive oxygen
      species (ROS) by respiratory burst oxidase homologues (Rbohs) play multiple roles
      in regulating anther development, pollen tube elongation and fertilization.
      Significance of autophagy and ROS in the regulation of PCD of transient cells
      during plant sexual reproduction is discussed in comparison with animals.

PMID- 28364379
TI  - MicroR-545 mediates colorectal cancer cells proliferation through up-regulating
      epidermal growth factor receptor expression in HOTAIR long non-coding RNA
      dependent.
AB  - The functional impact of recently discovered miRNAs in human cancer remains to be
      clarified. One miRNA in colorectal cancer which has attracted attention is miR
      545. In this study, we examined the function of miR-545 in proliferation of
      colorectal cancer cells. Expressions of HOTAIR, miRNA-545, and epidermal growth
      factor receptor (EGFR) mRNA were measured in 100 paired cancerous and non
      cancerous tissues as well as in SW480 and LOVO colorectal cancer cell (CRC) lines
      by quantitative RT-PCR. The relative protein level of EGFR was measured using
      western blotting. Effects of miRNA-545 and HOTAIR on gastric cancer cells were
      studied by overexpression and RNA interference approaches. Insight of mechanism
      of promotion cancer by miR-545 was gained from luciferase reporter assay and gene
      expression analysis. CRC proliferation was evaluated using clone formation and
      MTT assay. Differential expressions of HOTAIR, miR-545, and EGFR were observed in
      cancerous tissues in comparison to non-cancerous tissues. By expressional
      management of miR-545, we observed that miR-545 negatively regulated cell
      proliferation. Also luciferase reporter assay revealed that miR-545 inhibited
      regulated EGFR expression by affecting its 3'-UTR activity. In addition, miR-545
      expression was suppressed by HOTAIR overexpression whereas enhanced by HOTAIR
      silence. Suppression of EGFR expression by miR-545 mimic was abrogated by HOTAIR
      overexpression. Monitoring of tumor growth in mice showed that miR-545
      overexpression suppressed LOVO tumor growth. Our data suggested that HOTAIR long
      non-coding RNA mediates microR-545 regulating colorectal cancer cells
      proliferation.

PMID- 28364381
TI  - Adalimumab with Methotrexate in Treatment-Naive Japanese Patients with Rheumatoid
      Arthritis at Risk of Progressive Structural Joint Damage: A Postmarketing
      Observational Study.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: The objective of this study was to evaluate the real-world safety
      and effectiveness of adalimumab with methotrexate (MTX) in disease-modifying
      antirheumatic drug (DMARD)- and biologic-naive Japanese patients with rheumatoid
      arthritis (RA) at risk of progressive structural joint damage. METHODS: This
      multicenter, prospective, observational, postmarketing surveillance study was
      conducted between February 2013 and April 2015 at 84 centers in Japan. Patients
      with RA at risk of progressive structural joint damage were enrolled and
      initiated treatment with adalimumab and MTX. Adverse events were recorded up to
      week 28. Effectiveness/disease activity was assessed using the Disease Activity
      Score based on a 28-joint count with erythrocyte sedimentation rate and C
      reactive protein (DAS28-4ESR and DAS28-4CRP), Clinical Disease Activity Index,
      and Simplified Disease Activity Index at 0, 4, 12, and 24 weeks. DAS28-4CRP
      response was evaluated in the low-dose (<8 mg/week) and high-dose (>=8 mg to <=16
      mg/week) MTX groups at week 24. RESULTS: One hundred fifty-seven of 163 patients
      comprised the safety cohort: mean (SD) age, 56.5 (13.9) years; females, 65.6%;
      rheumatoid factor positive, 73.2%; anti-cyclic citrullinated peptide antibody
      positive, 66.9%; bone erosions, 51.6%; mean disease duration, 9.5 months. The
      majority of patients (>=80%) had moderate or high disease activity at baseline,
      and >=50% with available data achieved remission or low disease activity at week
      24 (DAS28-4CRP <3.2). Five serious adverse drug reactions occurred in four
      patients, including pyelonephritis, Pneumocystis jiroveci pneumonia, interstitial
      lung disease, pleurisy, and pericarditis; the outcomes were either recovered or
      recovering. Significant improvements/reductions in disease activity over 24 weeks
      were noted in all effectiveness measures (P < 0.0001). Most of the population
      achieved DAS28-4CRP remission (<2.6) at week 24 regardless of the MTX dose.
      CONCLUSION: Adalimumab in combination with MTX could be a beneficial treatment
      option for DMARD- and biologic-naive Japanese patients with RA at risk of
      progressive structural joint damage. FUNDING: AbbVie GK and Eisai. TRIAL
      REGISTRATION: ClinicalTrials.gov identifier, NCT01783730.

PMID- 28364380
TI  - Ubiquitin-specific protease 14 regulates LPS-induced inflammation by increasing
      ERK1/2 phosphorylation and NF-kappaB activation.
AB  - Persistent activation of nuclear factor B (NF-kappaB) is very important in the
      modulation of macrophages cellular response to microbial infections. The
      deubiquitinase USP14, which is critical for ubiquitin-mediated proteasomal
      degradation of proteins, is known to be involved in cancer, neurological
      diseases, and aging. However, the mechanism by which USP14 regulates inflammation
      remains unclear. Here, we demonstrated that decreasing the deubiquitinase
      activity of USP14 resulted in reduced lipopolysaccharides (LPS)-mediated tumor
      necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) and interleukin (IL)-6 release in THP-1 and
      RAW264.7 cells. Meanwhile, USP14 knockdown by siRNA showed the same effects, with
      no cytotoxicity in THP-1 cells. Moreover, inhibiting the deubiquitinase activity
      of USP14 or USP14 knockdown resulted in decreased ERK1/2 and IkappaBalpha
      phosphorylation, increased amounts of the NF-kappaB inhibitor IkappaBalpha, and
      reduced NF-kappaB p65 transport from the cytoplasm into nucleus. These findings
      suggested that USP14 induces NF-kappaB activity and ERK1/2 phosphorylation
      triggered by microbial infection.

PMID- 28364382
TI  - Hypersensitivity to Orthopedic Implants: A Review of the Literature.
AB  - Awareness of rare etiologies for implant failure is becoming increasingly
      important. In addition to the overall increase in joint arthroplasties, revision
      surgeries are projected to increase dramatically in the coming years, with volume
      increasing up to seven-fold between 2005 and 2030. The literature regarding the
      relationship between metal allergy and implant failure is controversial. It has
      proven difficult to determine whether sensitization is a cause or a consequence
      of implant failure. Testing patients with functional implants is not a clinically
      useful approach, as the rate of hypersensitivity is higher in implant recipients
      than in the general population, regardless of the status of the implant. As a
      result of the ineffectiveness of preoperative patch testing for predicting
      adverse outcomes, as well as the high cost of implementing such patch testing as
      standard procedure, most orthopedists and dermatologists agree that an
      alternative prosthesis should only be considered for patients with a history of
      allergy to a metal in the standard implant. In patients with a failed implant
      requiring revision surgery, hypersensitivity to an implant component should be
      considered in the differential diagnosis. Because a metal allergy to implant
      components is currently not commonly considered in the differential for joint
      failure in the orthopedic literature, there should be improved communication and
      collaboration between orthopedists and dermatologists when evaluating joint
      replacement patients with a presentation suggestive of allergy.

PMID- 28364383
TI  - Acridine yellow. A novel use to estimate and measure the plasma membrane
      potential in Saccharomyces cerevisiae.
AB  - Translocation of ions and other molecules across the plasma membrane of yeast
      requires the electric potential generated by a H+-ATPase. We measured under
      different conditions fluorescence changes and accumulation of acridine yellow,
      looking for qualitative and quantitative estimations of the PMP in Saccharomyces
      cerevisiae in various conditions. Fluorescence changes indicated an accumulation
      of the dye requiring a substrate, and accumulation and quenching by mitochondria
      that could be released by an uncoupler. K+ produced a decrease of the
      fluorescence that was much lower upon the addition of Na+. These changes were
      confirmed by images of the cells under the microscope. The dye accumulation under
      different conditions showed changes consistent with the physiological situation
      of the cells. Since it accumulates due to the PMP, but a large part of it binds
      to the internal components, we permeabilized the cells with chitosan to subtract
      this factor and correct the accumulation data. Both raw and corrected values of
      PMP are different to those obtained before by other authors and our group,
      showing acridine yellow as a promising indicator to follow changes of the PMP by
      the fluorescence changes, but also by its accumulation. Under conditions
      described, the dye is a low cost monitor to define and follow qualitative and
      quantitative changes of PMP in yeast. Acridine yellow can also be used to follow
      changes of the mitochondrial membrane potential.

PMID- 28364384
TI  - Speaking Up: How Patient and Physician Voices Shaped a Trial to Improve Goals-of
      Care Discussions.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Patients with advanced cancer benefit from early goals-of-care (GoC)
      conversations, but few facilitators are known. OBJECTIVE: We describe the process
      and outcomes of involving patient and physician stakeholders in the design and
      development of a trial, funded by the Patient-Centered Outcomes Research
      Institute (PCORI), to enhance oncologists' communication skills and their
      propensity to facilitate productive, meaningful GoC discussions with patients
      with advanced cancer. METHODS: We recruited oncologists, palliative care
      physicians, and patient stakeholders to participate in proposal development,
      intervention design and modification, identification of outcome measures, and
      refinement of study tools. Formats for exchange included 1:1 structured
      interviews, workshops, and stakeholder meetings. RESULTS: Patient and physician
      voices helped craft and implement a study of an intervention to enhance
      oncologists' ability to facilitate GoC discussions with patients with advanced
      cancer. Physician inputs guided the creation of an oncologist and palliative care
      physician "joint visit" intervention at a turning point in disease management.
      Patient inputs impacted on the language used, outcome measures assessed, and
      approaches used to introduce patients to the intervention visit. CONCLUSIONS:
      Stakeholder input informed the development of a novel intervention that
      physicians seemed to find both valuable and in sync with their needs and their
      practice schedules. Where communication about difficult subjects and shared
      decision making are involved, including multiple stakeholder groups in study
      design, implementation, and outcomes measurement may have far-reaching effects.

PMID- 28364385
TI  - Patient Preferences for Pain Management in Advanced Cancer: Results from a
      Discrete Choice Experiment.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Pain from advanced cancer remains prevalent, severe and often under
      treated. AIM: The aim of this study was to conduct a discrete choice experiment
      with patients to understand their preferences for pain management services and
      inform service development. METHODS: Focus groups were used to develop the
      attributes and levels of the discrete choice experiment. The attributes were:
      waiting time, type of healthcare professional, out-of-pocket costs, side-effect
      control, quality of communication, quality of information and pain control.
      Patients completed the discrete choice experiment along with clinical and health
      related quality of life questions. Conditional and mixed logit models were used
      to analyse the data. RESULTS: Patients with cancer pain (n = 221) and within
      palliative care services completed the survey (45% were female, mean age 64.6
      years; age range 21-92 years). The most important aspects of pain management
      were: good pain control, zero out-of-pocket costs and good side-effect control.
      Poor or moderate pain control and L30 costs drew the highest negative
      preferences. Respondents preferred control of side effects and provision of
      better information and communication, over access to certain healthcare
      professionals. Those with lower health-related quality of life were less willing
      to wait for treatment and willing to incur higher costs. The presence of a carer
      influenced preferences. CONCLUSIONS: Outcome attributes were more important than
      process attributes but the latter were still valued. Thus, supporting self
      management, for example by providing better information on pain may be a
      worthwhile endeavour. However, service provision may need to account for
      individual characteristics given the heterogeneity in preferences.

PMID- 28364386
TI  - Revolutionizing Informed Consent: Empowering Patients with Certified Decision
      Aids.

PMID- 28364387
TI  - Patients' Preferences for Outcome, Process and Cost Attributes in Cancer
      Treatment: A Systematic Review of Discrete Choice Experiments.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: As several studies have been conducted to elicit patients'
      preferences for cancer treatment, it is important to provide an overview and
      synthesis of these studies. This study aimed to systematically review discrete
      choice experiments (DCEs) about patients' preferences for cancer treatment and
      assessed the relative importance of outcome, process and cost attributes.
      METHODS: A systematic literature review was conducted using PubMed and EMBASE to
      identify all DCEs investigating patients' preferences for cancer treatment
      between January 2010 and April 2016. Data were extracted using a predefined
      extraction sheet, and a reporting quality assessment was applied to all studies.
      Attributes were classified into outcome, process and cost attributes, and their
      relative importance was assessed. RESULTS: A total of 28 DCEs were identified.
      More than half of the studies (56%) received an aggregate score lower than 4 on
      the PREFS (Purpose, Respondents, Explanation, Findings, Significance) 5-point
      scale. Most attributes were related to outcome (70%), followed by process (25%)
      and cost (5%). Outcome attributes were most often significant (81%), followed by
      process (73%) and cost (67%). The relative importance of outcome attributes was
      ranked highest in 82% of the cases where it was included, followed by cost (43%)
      and process (12%). CONCLUSION: This systematic review suggests that attributes
      related to cancer treatment outcomes are the most important for patients. Process
      and cost attributes were less often included in studies but were still (but less)
      important to patients in most studies. Clinicians and decision makers should be
      aware that attribute importance might be influenced by level selection for that
      attribute.

PMID- 28364388
TI  - Erratum to: Online information seeking by patients with bipolar disorder: results
      from an international multisite survey.

PMID- 28364389
TI  - Boron-bridged RG-II and calcium are required to maintain the pectin network of
      the Arabidopsis seed mucilage ultrastructure.
AB  - The structure of a pectin network requires both calcium (Ca2+) and boron (B).
      Ca2+ is involved in crosslinking pectic polysaccharides and arbitrarily induces
      the formation of an "egg-box" structure among pectin molecules, while B
      crosslinks rhamnogalacturonan II (RG-II) side chain A apiosyl residues in primary
      cell walls to generate a borate-dimeric-rhamnogalacturonan II (dRG-II-B) complex
      through a boron-bridge bond, leading to the formation of a pectin network. Based
      on recent studies of dRG-II-B structures, a hypothesis has been proposed
      suggesting that Ca2+is a common component of the dRG-II-B complex. However, no in
      vivo evidence has addressed whether B affects the stability of Ca2+ crosslinks.
      Here, we investigated the L-fucose-deficient dwarf mutant mur1, which was
      previously shown to require exogenous B treatment for phenotypic reversion.
      Imbibed Arabidopsis thaliana seeds release hydrated polysaccharides to form a
      halo of seed mucilage covering the seed surface, which consists of a water
      soluble outer layer and an adherent inner layer. Our study of mur1 seed mucilage
      has revealed that the pectin in the outer layer of mucilage was relocated to the
      inner layer. Nevertheless, the mur1 inner mucilage was more vulnerable to rough
      shaking or ethylene diamine tetraacetic acid (EDTA) extraction than that of the
      wild type. Immunolabeling analysis suggested that dRG-II-B was severely decreased
      in mur1 inner mucilage. Moreover, non-methylesterified homogalacturonan (HG)
      exhibited obvious reassembly in the mur1 inner layer compared with the wild type,
      which may imply a possible connection between dRG-II-B deficiency and pectin
      network transformation in the seed mucilage. As expected, the concentration of B
      in the mur1 inner mucilage was reduced, whereas the distribution and
      concentration of Ca2+in the inner mucilage increased significantly, which could
      be the reason why pectin relocates from the outer mucilage to the inner mucilage.
      Consequently, the disruption of B bridges appears to result in the extreme
      sensitivity of the mur1 mucilage pectin complex to EDTA extraction, despite the
      reinforcement of the pectin network by excessive Ca2+. Therefore, we propose a
      hypothesis that B, in the form of dRG-II-B, works together with Ca2+to maintain
      pectin network crosslinks and ultimately the mucilage ultrastructure in seed
      mucilage. This work may serve to complement our current understanding of mucilage
      configuration.

PMID- 28364390
TI  - In silico analysis of the sequence features responsible for alternatively spliced
      introns in the model green alga Chlamydomonas reinhardtii.
AB  - Alternatively spliced introns are the ones that are usually spliced but can be
      occasionally retained in a transcript isoform. They are the most frequently used
      alternative splice form in plants (~50% of alternative splicing events).
      Chlamydomonas reinhardtii, a unicellular alga, is a good model to understand
      alternative splicing (AS) in plants from an evolutionary perspective as it
      diverged from land plants a billion years ago. Using over 7 million cDNA
      sequences from both pyrosequencing and Sanger sequencing, we found that a much
      higher percentage of genes (~20% of multi-exon genes) undergo AS than previously
      reported (3-5%). We found a full component of SR and SR-like proteins possibly
      involved in AS. The most prevalent type of AS event (40%) was retention of
      introns, most of which were supported by multiple cDNA evidence (72%) while only
      20% of them have coding capacity. By comparing retained and constitutive introns,
      we identified sequence features potentially responsible for the retention of
      introns, in the framework of an "intron definition" model for splicing. We find
      that retained introns tend to have a weaker 5' splice site, more Gs in their poly
      pyrimidine tract and a lesser conservation of nucleotide 'C' at position -3 of
      the 3' splice site. In addition, the sequence motifs found in the potential
      branch-point region differed between retained and constitutive introns.
      Furthermore, the enrichment of G-triplets and C-triplets among the first and last
      50 nt of the introns significantly differ between constitutive and retained
      introns. These could serve as intronic splicing enhancers. All the alternative
      splice forms can be accessed at http://bioinfolab.miamioh.edu/cgi
      bin/PASA_r20140417/cgi-bin/status_report.cgi?db=Chre_AS .

PMID- 28364391
TI  - Histone Deacetylase 2 Inhibition Attenuates Downregulation of Hippocampal
      Plasticity Gene Expression during Aging.
AB  - The brain undergoes several anatomical, biochemical, and molecular changes during
      aging, which subsequently result in downregulation of synaptic plasticity genes
      and decline of memory. However, the regulation of these genes during aging is not
      clearly understood. Previously, we reported that the expression of histone
      deacetylase (HDAC)2 was upregulated in the hippocampus of old mice and negatively
      correlated with the decline in recognition memory. As HDAC2 regulates key
      synaptic plasticity neuronal immediate early genes (IEGs), we have examined their
      expression and epigenetic regulation. We noted that the expression of neuronal
      IEGs decreased both at mRNA and protein level in the hippocampus of old mice. To
      explore the underlying regulation, we analyzed the binding of HDAC2 and level of
      histone acetylation at the promoter of neuronal IEGs. While the binding of HDAC2
      was higher, H3K9 and H3K14 acetylation level was lower at the promoter of these
      genes in old as compared to young and adult mice. Further, we inhibited HDAC2 non
      specifically by sodium butyrate and specifically by antisense oligonucleotide to
      recover epigenetic modification, expression of neuronal IEGs, and memory in old
      mice. Inhibition of HDAC2 increased histone H3K9 and H3K14 acetylation level at
      the promoter of neuronal IEGs, their expression, and recognition memory in old
      mice as compared to control. Thus, inhibition of HDAC2 can be used as a
      therapeutic target to recover decline in memory due to aging and associated
      neurological disorders.

PMID- 28364392
TI  - Burkholderia cepacia complex in cystic fibrosis in the post-epidemic period:
      multilocus sequence typing-based approach.
AB  - Cystic fibrosis (CF) patients in the Czech Republic suffered in the late 1990s
      from an epidemic with ST32 strain of Burkholderia cepacia complex (Bcc). Cohort
      segregation of Bcc and of ST32 positive patients was introduced in 1999 and 2002,
      respectively. We performed a study to evaluate the molecular epidemiology of Bcc
      infection after implementation of these infection control measures. Patients
      attending the Prague CF adult Centre from 2000 to 2015 were included in the
      present study. Demographic data and microbial statuses were collected from
      patient records. All Bcc isolates were analyzed using multilocus sequence typing
      (MLST). The prevalences of epidemic strain ST32 and of other Bcc strains were
      calculated. Ninety out of 227 CF patients were infected with Bcc during the study
      period. The prevalence of ST32 cases significantly decreased from 46.5% in 2000
      2001 to 10.4% in 2014-2015 (P < 0.001) due to occurrence of only one new case in
      2003, as well as to the death of 72% of ST32-infected patients. Conversely, there
      was a significant increase in prevalence of other Bcc strains, which rose from 0
      to 14.9% (P = 0.015) and of transient infections. A micro-epidemic of infection
      with ST630 strain was observed in 2014 in lung transplant patients hospitalized
      in intensive care unit. The prevalence of epidemic strain ST32 decreased, whereas
      that of non-clonal strains of Bcc increased. Routine use of MLST allowed early
      detection of new and potentially epidemic strains.

PMID- 28364393
TI  - Lipid emulsion enhances cardiac performance after ischemia-reperfusion in
      isolated hearts from summer-active arctic ground squirrels.
AB  - Hibernating mammals, like the arctic ground squirrel (AGS), exhibit robust
      resistance to myocardial ischemia/reperfusion (IR) injury. Regulated preference
      for lipid over glucose to fuel metabolism may play an important role. We tested
      whether providing lipid in an emulsion protects hearts from summer-active AGS
      better than hearts from Brown Norway (BN) rats against normothermic IR injury.
      Langendorff-prepared AGS and BN rat hearts were perfused with Krebs solution
      containing 7.5 mM glucose with or without 1% IntralipidTM. After stabilization
      and cardioplegia, hearts underwent 45-min global ischemia and 60-min reperfusion.
      Coronary flow, isovolumetric left ventricular pressure, and mitochondrial redox
      state were measured continuously; infarct size was measured at the end of the
      experiment. Glucose-only AGS hearts functioned significantly better on
      reperfusion than BN rat hearts. IntralipidTM administration resulted in
      additional functional improvement in AGS compared to glucose-only and BN rat
      hearts. Infarct size was not different among groups. Even under non-hibernating
      conditions, AGS hearts performed better after IR than the best-protected rat
      strain. This, however, appears to strongly depend on metabolic fuel: IntralipidTM
      led to a significant improvement in return of function in AGS, but not in BN rat
      hearts, suggesting that year-round endogenous mechanisms are involved in
      myocardial lipid utilization that contributes to improved cardiac performance,
      independent of the metabolic rate decrease during hibernation. Comparative lipid
      analysis revealed four candidates as possible cardioprotective lipid groups. The
      improved function in IntralipidTM-perfused AGS hearts also challenges the current
      paradigm that increased glucose and decreased lipid metabolism are favorable
      during myocardial IR.

PMID- 28364394
TI  - Transcatheter Mitral Valve Interventions: Current Therapies and Future
      Directions.
AB  - OPINION STATEMENT: Transcatheter interventions for the treatment of aortic valve
      stenosis have become commonplace since the advent of transcatheter aortic valve
      implantation. However, transcatheter mitral valve therapies have lagged in
      development due to the complexity of mitral valve anatomy. Transcatheter edge-to
      edge leaflet repair using the MitraClip device provides an option for the
      treatment of severe primary mitral valve regurgitation in high or prohibitive
      surgical risk patients, and multiple novel approaches are evolving to replace or
      repair the mitral valve. Devices for the treatment of calcific mitral stenosis,
      primary mitral regurgitation, and functional mitral regurgitation have been
      developed and are currently either being evaluated in clinical trials or are in
      earlier stages of preclinical development. We are optimistic that our
      armamentarium will soon expand to include a myriad of transcatheter interventions
      for mitral valve disease.

PMID- 28364396
TI  - Interleukin-5 Inhibitors for Severe Asthma: Rationale and Future Outlook.
AB  - In this review, we outline the pathophysiology of severe asthma and discuss the
      role of anti-interleukin (IL)-5 inhibitors for the treatment of asthma. Anti-IL-5
      treatments have shown efficacy in reducing the rate of severe asthma attacks in
      eosinophilic asthma. We review the history of the development of these agents,
      lessons learnt about severe asthma along the way and key clinical trials
      supporting efficacy of the three anti-IL-5 treatments that are clinically
      available or undergoing clinical trials in asthma.

PMID- 28364395
TI  - Severe and Asymptomatic Aortic Stenosis Management Challenge: Knowing That We Do
      Not Really Know.
AB  - OPINION STATEMENT: The clinical management of asymptomatic patients with severe
      aortic valve stenosis (AS) may be challenging. Indeed, there is substantial
      controversy over the optimal timing of intervention for these patients, as some
      advocate early intervention while others urge for a conservative management until
      symptom onset. In the meantime of randomized clinical trials aiming to compare
      both strategies of management, an integrative approach including several imaging
      modalities as well as biomarkers of the myocardial damage may help to improve the
      risk stratification of patients with asymptomatic severe AS and individualize
      strategy of treatment. The extent of aortic valve calcification, semi
      quantitatively assessed by echocardiography but better fully quantitatively
      measured by computed tomography (CT), provides incremental value to predict rapid
      disease progression and adverse event and thus could be a potential trigger for
      early referral to intervention or guide the timing of clinical follow-up. In
      addition, the assessment of disease activity using positron emission tomography,
      combined with CT calcium scoring, may also help to better predict the disease
      progression. The comprehensive assessment of left ventricular (LV) function using
      speckle-tracking echocardiography and/or cardiac magnetic resonance may provide
      useful information regarding the actual repercussion of AS on the myocardium.
      Besides imaging modalities, the measurement of several circulating biomarkers
      associated with the extent of the myocardial damage may also improve the risk
      stratification of asymptomatic patients with severe AS and help guiding
      management. Finally, it should be emphasized that a personalized medicine,
      including this comprehensive integrative approach in heart valve clinics, should
      be advocated for the management of these challenging patients.

PMID- 28364397
TI  - Superior mesenteric artery syndrome after lung transplantation: a rare early
      gastrointestinal complication of lung transplantation.
AB  - Gastrointestinal complications sometimes occur after lung transplantation and
      remain a cause of postoperative morbidity. Superior mesenteric artery syndrome is
      caused by the compression of the duodenum by the superior mesenteric artery, but
      few reports have described superior mesenteric artery syndrome after lung
      transplantation. We herein report two cases of superior mesenteric artery
      syndrome as an early complication after lung transplantation. Both patients were
      emaciated and had lost weight before transplantation. They also lost an
      additional 2-4 kg early after transplantation. They were medically treated with
      enteral nutrition and recovered without recurrence of the syndrome. Since
      critically ill patients with pulmonary disease usually lose weight both before
      and early after lung transplantation, superior mesenteric artery syndrome is
      important to consider in the differential diagnosis of gastrointestinal
      complications after transplantation.

PMID- 28364398
TI  - Risk factors for complications after diverting ileostomy closure in patients who
      have undergone rectal cancer surgery.
AB  - PURPOSE: To clarify the risk factors for complications after diverting ileostomy
      closure in patients who have undergone rectal cancer surgery. METHODS: The study
      group comprised 240 patients who underwent a diverting ileostomy at the time of
      lower anterior resection or internal anal sphincter resection, in our department,
      between 2004 and 2015. Univariate and multivariate analyses of 18 variables were
      performed to establish which of these are risk factors for postoperative
      complications. RESULTS: The most common complications were intestinal obstruction
      and wound infection. Univariate analysis showed that an age of 72 years or older
      (p = 0.0028), an interval between surgery and closure of 6 months or longer (p =
      0.0049), and an operation time of 145 min or longer (p = 0.0293) were significant
      risk factors for postoperative complications. Multivariate analysis showed that
      age (odds ratio, 3.4236; p = 0.0025), the interval between surgery and closure
      (odds ratio, 3.4780; p = 0.0039), and operation time (odds 2.5179; p = 0.0260)
      were independent risk factors. CONCLUSIONS: Age, interval between surgery and
      closure, and operation time were independent risk factors for postoperative
      complications after diverting ileostomy closure. Thus, temporary ileostomy
      closure should be performed within 6 months after surgery for rectal cancer.

PMID- 28364399
TI  - Sphingosine-1-phosphate/sphingosine kinase 1-dependent lymph node metastasis in
      esophageal squamous cell carcinoma.
AB  - PURPOSE: To establish whether Sphingosine-1-phosphate (S1P) and sphingosine
      kinase 1 (SphK1) contribute to lymph node metastasis in esophageal squamous cell
      carcinoma. METHODS: Immunohistochemical analysis of SphK1 expression was
      performed using a tissue microarray containing 177 thoracic squamous cell
      esophageal cancer specimens resected at surgery, to investigate the association
      between intratumoral SphK1 expression and lymph node metastasis. Serum S1P levels
      and intratumoral SphK1 mRNA and protein expression were also evaluated in mice
      with vs. mice without lymph node metastasis in a murine lymph node metastasis
      model. RESULTS: Among 177 esophageal cancer patients, 127 (72%) were defined as
      being SphK1-positive. In univariate and multivariate analyses, SphK1 expression
      status was a significant factor contributing to lymph node metastasis and poorer
      5-year overall survival. In the murine lymph node metastasis model, there was no
      difference in tumor volume or weight between the lymph node metastasis-negative
      and lymph node metastasis-positive groups. However, levels of SphK1 mRNA and
      protein and serum S1P levels were all much higher in the metastasis-positive
      group. CONCLUSIONS: S1P/SphK1 may be novel targets for inhibiting lymph node
      metastasis in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma, and may provide the basis for a
      therapeutic strategy to suppress lymph node metastasis.

PMID- 28364400
TI  - Impact of raking and bioturbation-mediated ecological manipulation on sediment
      water phosphorus diagenesis: a mesocosm study supported with radioactive
      signature.
AB  - The study examined the impact of raking and fish bioturbation on modulating
      phosphorus (P) concentrations in the water and sediment under different trophic
      conditions. An outdoor experiment was set to monitor physicochemical and
      microbiological parameters of water and sediment influencing P diagenesis. A
      pilot study with radioactive 32P was also performed under the agency of raking
      and bacteria (Bacillus sp.). Raking was more effective in release of P under
      unfertilized conditions by significantly enhancing orthophosphate (35%) and
      soluble reactive phosphate (31.8%) over respective controls. Bioturbation
      increased total and available P in sediments significantly as compared to
      control. The rates of increase were higher in the unfertilized conditions (17.6
      28.4% for total P and 12.2 to 23.2% for available P) than the fertilized ones
      (6.5-12.4% for total P and 9.1 to 15% for available P). The combined effects of
      raking and bioturbation on orthophosphate and soluble reactive phosphate were
      also stronger under unfertilized state (54.5 and 81.8%) than fertilized ones (50
      and 70%). The tracer signature showed that coupled action of introduced bacteria
      and repeated raking resulted in 59.2, 23 and 16% higher counts of radioactive P
      than the treatments receiving raking once, repeated raking and bacteria
      inoculation, respectively. Raking alone or in sync with bioturbation exerted
      pronounced impact on P diagenesis through induction of coupled mineralization and
      nutrient release. It has significant implication for performing regular raking of
      fish-farm sediments and manipulation of bottom-grazing fish to regulate
      mineralization of organic matter and release of obnoxious gases from the system.
      Further, they synergistically can enhance the buffering capacity against organic
      overload and help to maintain aquatic ecosystem health.

PMID- 28364401
TI  - Impaired engagement of the ventral attention system in neurofibromatosis type 1.
AB  - Individuals with neurofibromatosis type 1 (NF1) exhibit significant impairments
      in attention across multiple domains. Very little is known about the contributing
      neural networks. We used task-based functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI)
      to examine dorsal and ventral attention networks during auditory oddball
      processing in children and adolescents with NF1 and typically developing
      controls. Significant differences in neural activation patterns were identified
      within brain regions supporting the ventral attention system. Children with NF1
      demonstrated hypoactivation in the temporoparietal junction and the anterior
      cingulate cortex compared to typically developing children. Hypoactivation in the
      anterior cingulate cortex was associated with poorer selective attention and
      attentional control in children with NF1. Results indicate an abnormality in
      bottom-up attention networks in NF1 that may lead to inefficient and faulty
      suppression of stimulus-driven information outside the current attentional set
      that play a significant role in the NF1 behavioral phenotype.

PMID- 28364403
TI  - Before You Send Out that Survey: The Nuts and Bolts of Implementing a Medical
      Student Survey Study.

PMID- 28364402
TI  - A Qualitative Exploration of the Help-Seeking Behaviors of Students Who
      Experience Psychological Distress Around Assessment at Medical School.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: Medical students are at high risk of experiencing psychological
      distress at medical school and developing mental ill-health during professional
      practice. Despite efforts by faculty to raise awareness about this risk, many
      students choose to suffer in silence in the face of psychological distress. The
      aim of this study was to explore drivers that prompted help-seeking behavior and
      barriers that prevented individuals prioritizing their well-being around the time
      of high-stakes assessment at medical school. METHODS: Semi-structured interviews
      were conducted with fifty-seven students who failed high-stakes assessment at two
      UK medical schools, exploring their experience of academic difficulty and
      perceptions about causes. A thematic analysis of twenty transcripts that met
      inclusion criteria was completed to identify key factors that influenced
      participants' decisions around seeking help for their psychological distress, and
      in some cases, mental health problems. Twenty participants who specifically
      described a deterioration in their mental health around the time of assessment
      were included in this study. RESULTS: Barriers to seeking help in these instances
      included: normalization of symptoms or situation; failure to recognize a problem
      existed; fear of stigmatisation; overt symptoms of mental distress; and
      misconceptions about the true nature of the medical school, for example beliefs
      about a punitive response from the school if they failed. Drivers for seeking
      help appropriately included: building trust with someone in order to confide in
      them later on, and self-awareness about the need to maintain good mental health.
      CONCLUSION: There are various drivers and barriers for students' help seeking
      behaviors when experiencing psychological distress around the time of assessment,
      particularly self-awareness about the problem and prioritisation of well-being.
      Students who fail to recognize their own deteriorating mental health are at risk
      of academic failure and medical schools need to develop strategies to tackle this
      problem in order to protect these students from harm.

PMID- 28364404
TI  - DSM-5 Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder Criteria in "Precious" (2009): Media Content
      Analysis for Educational Purposes.

PMID- 28364406
TI  - Component-resolved diagnostics in Thai children with cow's milk and egg allergy.
AB  - BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: Component-resolved diagnostics (CRD) have garnered a
      lot of attention in recent years in the diagnosis of food allergies. We aimed to
      investigate sensitization against cow's milk and egg white components, and to
      study the clinical usefulness of serum food-specific immunoglobulin E (sIgE) to
      cow's milk and egg white components in Thai children with cow's milk and egg
      allergies. METHOD: Children with IgE-mediated cow's milk and/or egg allergy were
      enrolled. Clinical reactions were determined. Specific IgE against cow's milk,
      egg white, alpha-lactalbumin (ALA), beta-lactoglobulin (BLG), casein, ovomucoid,
      ovalbumin and conalbumin were measured. RESULTS: Thirteen cow's milk allergic
      subjects and 32 egg allergic subjects were identified. The sensitization rate to
      BLG and casein was 91.7%, followed by ALA (66.7%) for cow's milk, and the
      sensitization rate to ovalbumin was 93.8%, followed by ovomucoid (81.3%) and
      conalbumin (37.5%) for egg. Patients in the urticaria group had a higher level of
      casein sIgE than the atopic dermatitis (AD) group but this difference was not
      significant (9.8 kUA/L vs. 0.9 kUA/L, p = 0.11). The level of ovomucoid sIgE was
      significantly higher in the non-AD group than in the AD group (3.8 kUA/L vs. 1.3
      kUA/L, p = 0.048). CONCLUSIONS: BLG and casein for cow's milk and ovomucoid and
      ovalbumin for egg were the common components causing sensitization in cow's milk
      and egg allergic patients. Among the patients with cow's milk allergy, the level
      of casein sIgE in the urticaria group tended to be higher than the AD group, and
      in egg allergic patients, the non-AD group had a significantly higher ovomucoid
      sIgE level compared with the AD group.

PMID- 28364405
TI  - Evidence accumulation in the integrated and primed Stroop tasks.
AB  - We report distributional analyses of response times (RT) in two variants of the
      color-word Stroop task using manual keypress responses. In the classic Stroop
      task, in which the color and word dimensions are integrated into a single
      stimulus, the Stroop congruence effect increased across the quantiles. In
      contrast, in the primed Stroop task, in which the distractor word is presented
      ahead of colored symbols, the Stroop congruence effect was manifested solely as a
      distributional shift, remaining constant across the quantiles. The distributional
      shift pattern mirrors the semantic-priming effect that has been reported in
      semantic categorization tasks. The results are interpreted within the framework
      of evidence accumulation, and implications for the roles of task conflict and
      informational conflict are discussed.

PMID- 28364407
TI  - Mosquito allergy in children: Clinical features and limitation of commercially
      available diagnostic tests.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: To determine the clinical features of mosquito allergy in children and
      the ability of commercially available mosquito allergy tests to detect children
      with mosquito allergy in Thailand. METHODS: Patients with mosquito allergy aged 1
      month to 18 years were recruited. Demographic data, history of mosquito allergy
      (onset of the reaction, reaction type) and clinical features were recorded. A
      skin prick test using a commercially available whole body allergen extract from
      Culex pipiens was performed, and serum was tested for specific IgE antibodies to
      Aedes communis whole body extract. RESULTS: A total of 50 patients with mosquito
      allergy were enrolled. The median age of enrolled children was 6.2 years with an
      average age of onset of 2 years [interquartile range (IQR) 1-6]. Half of the
      children were female. The most common skin lesion from mosquito allergy was
      erythematous papules (n = 45, 76.3%). The majority of children (58%) were in
      stage 3 (immediate and delayed type of reactions). One child (2%) was in the
      desensitization stage after 4.6 years of symptoms. The causative mosquito species
      could be identified only in 26 (52%) children: 16 (32%) children were positive
      for Aedes communis, 17 (34%) children were positive for Culex pipiens and 7 (14%)
      children were positive for both Aedes communis and Culex pipiens. Having positive
      IgE antibodies against Aedes communis was significantly more common in boys (n =
      13, 48.1%) than girls (n = 3, 13%) (p < 0.01). CONCLUSIONS: Immediate and delayed
      skin reaction is the most common manifestation in mosquito allergy children.
      Commercially available tests for mosquito allergy can detect only 30-50% of
      children with mosquito allergy.

PMID- 28364408
TI  - Comparison of the efficacy and safety of pollen allergen extracts using skin
      prick testing and serum specific IgE as references.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Allergen extracts may be different due to the difference in
      dissemination of allergen-containing species in various geographical areas.
      Therefore, we wish to develop our own extracts to ensure the precision and
      quality of diagnosis. OBJECTIVES: To compare the efficacy and safety of our
      locally prepared pollen allergen extracts to imported ones, using skin prick
      testing (SPT) and serum specific IgE (sIgE) as references. METHODS: This
      prospective, randomized, double-blinded, self-controlled study was performed in
      respiratory allergic adult volunteers who are sensitized to at least one kind of
      pollen. Each subject was pricked with our Bermuda grass, Johnson grass and
      careless weed pollen allergen extracts, and also with the imported ones. sIgE
      levels were measured by using ImmunoCAP?. RESULTS: In 68 volunteers, our Bermuda,
      Johnson and careless weed extracts showed 91.2%, 45.6% and 54.4% positive SPTs,
      respectively, while for the imported ones 73.5%, 45.6% and 54.4% SPTs were
      positive, respectively. No adverse reaction was found in all procedures. The
      concentration of 10,000 BAU/mL of Bermuda grass, 1 : 20 w/v or 10,000 PNU/mL of
      Johnson grass and 1 : 40 w/v or 10,000 PNU/mL of careless weed yielded the most
      positive SPT results. There was no significant difference in mean wheal diameter
      (MWD) yielded from using local and imported extracts. Significant correlation was
      found between MWDs of imported pollen extracts and serum sIgE levels (p < 0.01).
      CONCLUSIONS: No significant difference between SPT results of local and imported
      pollen allergen extracts was found. Significant correlation was found between
      MWDs of imported pollen extract SPT and serum sIgE levels.

PMID- 28364409
TI  - Metabolomics analysis of anaphylactoid reaction reveals its mechanism in a rat
      model.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Anaphylactoid reactions, accounting for more than 77% of all immune
      mediated immediate hypersensitivity reactions, have become a serious threat to
      public health, but their effect mechanism is not clear and diagnostic tests are
      limited. Comprehensive metabolite analysis may reveal the anaphylactoid effect
      mechanism systematically and provide reference for future diagnostic purposes.
      METHODS: Plasma from Brown Norway rats given intravenous injection of saline,
      compound 48/80 (2.5 mL/kg) or ovalbumin (20 mL/kg) in 20 s for the first time was
      used to study the effect mechanism of anaphylactoid reactions through
      metabolomics (UPLC-qTOF-MS/MS). Metabolomics integrated with proteomics data were
      used to analyze the anaphylactoid pathways by MetaboAnalyst followed by
      integrated pathway analysis. RESULTS: Thirty metabolites were identified through
      the METLIN database by MS/MS and 18 of them were confirmed by authentic
      standards. The results showed that adenosine, histamine, N-acetylhistamine,
      N(alpha)-gamma-glutamylhistamine, malate and xanthine are important indices for
      anaphylactoid reactions. It could be concluded that the effect mechanism is
      mainly composed of histidine metabolism, arachidonic acid metabolism, energy
      metabolism, purine metabolism and other small molecules through 30 metabolites.
      Multiple linear regression analysis indicated that not only histamine but also
      N(alpha)-gamma-glutamylhistamine and arachidonic acid could be used to evaluate
      anaphylactoid symptoms of animals. Furthermore, the citrate cycle, histidine
      metabolism and arachidonic acid metabolism could be the main pathways of
      anaphylactoid reactions as determined by MetaboAnalyst. CONCLUSION: The results
      may provide a reference to improve diagnostic accuracy and predict and monitor
      treatment efficacy in anaphylactoid reactions in the clinical setting.

PMID- 28364410
TI  - Association analyses identify two susceptibility loci 5q31 and 5q22.1 for atopic
      dermatitis in Chinese Han population.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Atopic dermatitis (AD) and other atopic diseases often share some
      common genetic and pathogenic bases. Recent genome-wide association studies
      (GWAS) have identified several loci associated with atopic diseases, allergic
      sensitization and asthma in different populations. The aim of this study was to
      investigate whether these susceptibility loci were related to AD in Chinese Han
      population. METHODS: Eight single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) from recent
      atopic diseases and allergic sensitization GWAS were genotyped in 3,013 AD
      patients and 5,483 healthy controls in Chinese Han population using Sequenom
      MassArray system. Data was analyzed with PLINK 1.07 software. RESULTS: We
      identified that the susceptibility loci at 5q31 (RAD50/IL13, rs2158177, P =
      1.08*10-3, OR = 1.15) and 5q22.1 (TSLP, rs1837253, P = 2.66*10-3, OR = 0.91) were
      significantly associated with AD. Genotype-based association testing revealed
      that the dominant model provided the best fit for both rs2158177 (P = 3.75*10-3)
      and rs1837253 (P = 5.30*10-3). Pathway analysis conformed that both loci were
      associated with the JAK-STAT signaling pathway. CONCLUSIONS: We identified two
      susceptibility loci 5q31 and 5q22.1 for AD that might bear candidate genes
      conferring susceptibility to AD.

PMID- 28364411
TI  - Urinary cysteinyl leukotriene E4 level and therapeutic response to montelukast in
      children with mild obstructive sleep apnea.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Antileukotriene has been used for alleviating disease severity in
      children with adenotonsillar hypertrophy (ATH) and mild obstructive sleep apnea
      (OSA). Previous study showed the relationship between urinary cysteinyl
      leukotriene E4 (uLTE4) level and therapeutic response to montelukast in asthmatic
      adults. However, this relationship has never been investigated in pediatric OSA.
      OBJECTIVES: To determine the relationship between uLTE4 level and therapeutic
      response to montelukast in children with ATH and mild OSA. METHODS: Children aged
      3-15 yrs who had ATH and mild OSA were enrolled. All had quality of life
      (assessed by Thai version OSA-18 QoL questionnaire) and uLTE4 levels measured
      prior to start a 6-week course of montelukast treatment. Overnight
      polysomnography (PSG) and QoL reassessment were performed after completing the
      treatment. Those who demonstrated a large improvement of mean total QoL score or
      >= 50% decrease of obstructive apnea-hypopnea index (OAHI) after the treatment
      were defined as responders. RESULTS: Twenty-six children were enrolled (mean age
      7.5 +/- 2.9 yrs, 38.5% male). After 6-week course of montelukast, nine (34.6%)
      children showed significant improvement. The mean uLTE4 level from the responders
      was higher comparing to the non-responders (2,952.56 +/- 966.9 vs. 978.6 +/-
      460.8 pg/mg creatinine; p < 0.001). uLTE4 level of >= 1,457 pg/mg creatinine had
      100% sensitivity and 88.2% specificity in identifying the responders.
      CONCLUSIONS: We found the association between ULTE4 and therapeutic response to
      monteleukast. The uLTE4 level of >= 1,457 pg/mg creatinine could predict the
      therapeutic response to montelukast in children who had ATH and mild OSA.

PMID- 28364412
TI  - The validation and evaluation of anti-HIV testing algorithm used in mobile clinic
      setting for men who have sex with men in metropolitan Bangkok, Thailand.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Same-day anti-HIV testing algorithm is recommended by Thai National
      Guidelines. We compared performance characteristics of algorithms used in a
      mobile clinic and a facility-based clinic for men who have sex with men (MSM) in
      Bangkok. METHODS: Mobile clinic samples collected from 4 saunas and 2 spa venues
      were tested by Alere DetermineTM HIV 1/2, followed by DoubleCheck GoldTM Ultra
      HIV 1/2 and SD Bioline HIV 1/2 3.0. All samples were re-tested at the Thai Red
      Cross Anonymous Clinic (TRCAC) by Architect HIV Ag/Ab or Elecsys HIV combi PT,
      followed by Alere DetermineTM HIV 1/2 and Serodia HIV 1/2. Non-reactive samples
      were tested by Aptima nucleic acid amplification test (NAAT) and
      reactive/inconclusive samples were tested by less-sensitive immunoassays (IA) and
      HIV-1 RNA to detect acute HIV infection (positive NAAT or non-reactive
      IA/positive HIV-1 RNA). RESULTS: Of 233 MSM, 36 (15.5%) had HIV infection
      diagnosed using mobile clinic algorithm. Two additional acute HIV cases (1
      positive NAAT and 1 reactive Architect with detectable HIV-1 RNA) were diagnosed
      using TRCAC algorithm. The mobile clinic algorithm had a sensitivity of 94.9%
      (95% CI: 82.7, 99.4) and a specificity of 100% (95% CI: 98.1, 100). CONCLUSION:
      Use of whole blood on rapid test kits demonstrated satisfactory performance and
      allowed same-day HIV test result through a mobile clinic model. For populations
      with high HIV incidence, careful history taking to define the window period is
      crucial and repeat testing must be encouraged if the testing algorithm does not
      include 4th generation anti-HIV assay or NAAT.

PMID- 28364413
TI  - Family Income and Material Deprivation: Do They Matter for Sleep Quality and
      Quantity in Early Life? Evidence From a Longitudinal Study.
AB  - Introduction: The aim of this article is to investigate the determinants of
      sleeping patterns in children up to age 9 on a large and geographically
      homogeneous sample of British children and parents, focusing in particular on the
      role of economic and social factors, specifically on income. Aims and Methods:
      The data of this study come from the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and
      Children, a long-term health research project that recruited over 14000 pregnant
      women who were due to give birth between April 1991 and December 1992 in Bristol
      and its surrounding areas, including some of Somerset and Gloucestershire.
      Logistic regression models for the sleep problem dummies and log-linear models
      for the sleep quantity. Results: One additional item in the material deprivation
      index is associated to an increase of around 10-20% in the odds of having at
      least 1 sleep problem. Similarly, children from the richest families are less
      likely to have any sleep problem up to 115 months (around 20% reduction in the
      odds). Mother's characteristics (i.e., education and mental health in the
      pregnancy period) are also significant predictors. Sleep quantity does not vary
      much and is not sensitive to socioeconomic factors. Conclusion: Exposure to
      income-related inequalities affects child sleep. Further research is needed to
      understand if sleep in early life influences future health and economic
      trajectories.

PMID- 28364414
TI  - Orexin and Epilepsy: Potential Role of REM Sleep.
AB  - Interest in orexin receptor antagonism as a novel mechanism of action against
      seizures and epilepsy has increased in recent years. Loss of orexinergic activity
      is associated with rapid eye movement (REM) sleep onset, and REM sleep is
      generally protective against seizures. This paper discusses the dynamic
      modulation of seizure threshold by orexin through a postulated "orexi-cortical"
      axis in which the specific type of orexinergic activity exquisitely regulates
      sleep-wake states to modify ascending subcortical influences on cortical
      synchronization with profound subsequent consequences on seizure threshold. This
      paper also explores the current state of research into experimental orexinergic
      modulation of seizure threshold and suggests possible future research directions
      to fully understand the promise and peril of orexinergic manipulation in seizures
      and epilepsy.

PMID- 28364416
TI  - Periodic Limb Movements During Sleep Mimicking REM Sleep Behavior Disorder: A New
      Form of Periodic Limb Movement Disorder.
AB  - Study Objectives: To describe a group of patients referred because of abnormal
      sleep behaviors that were suggestive of rapid eye movement (REM) sleep behavior
      disorder (RBD) in whom video-polysomnography ruled out RBD and showed the
      reported behaviors associated with vigorous periodic limb movements during sleep
      (PLMS). Aims and Methods: Clinical history and video-polysomnography review of
      patients identified during routine visits in a sleep center. Results: Patients
      were 15 men and 2 women with a median age of 66 (range: 48-77) years. Reported
      sleep behaviors were kicking (n = 17), punching (n = 16), gesticulating (n = 8),
      falling out of bed (n = 5), assaulting the bed partner (n = 2), talking (n = 15),
      and shouting (n = 10). Behaviors resulted in injuries in 3 bed partners and 1
      patient. Twelve (70.6%) patients were not aware of displaying abnormal sleep
      behaviors that were only noticed by their bed partners. Ten (58.8%) patients
      recalled unpleasant dreams such as being attacked or chased. Video
      polysomnography showed (1) frequent and vigorous stereotyped PLMS involving the
      lower limbs, upper limbs, and trunk (median PLMS index 61.2; median PLMS index in
      NREM sleep 61.9; during REM sleep only 8 patients had PLMS and their median PLMS
      index in REM sleep was 39.5); (2) abnormal behaviors (e.g., punching, groaning)
      during some of the arousals that immediately followed PLMS in NREM sleep; and (3)
      ruled out RBD and other sleep disorders such as obstructive sleep apnea.
      Dopaminergic agents were prescribed in 14 out of the 17 patients and resulted in
      improvement of abnormal sleep behaviors and unpleasant dreams in all of them.
      After dopaminergic treatment, follow-up video-polysomnography in 7 patients
      showed a decrease in the median PLMS index from baseline (108.9 vs. 19.2, p =
      .002) and absence of abnormal behaviors during the arousals. Conclusions:
      Abnormal sleep behaviors and unpleasant dreams simulating RBD symptomatology may
      occur in patients with severe PLMS. In these cases, video-polysomnography ruled
      out RBD and identified prominent PLMS followed by arousals containing abnormal
      behaviors. Our cases represent an objectively documented subtype of periodic limb
      movement disorder causing abnormal sleep behaviors.

PMID- 28364415
TI  - Using Oscillating Sounds to Manipulate Sleep Spindles.
AB  - Introduction: EEG oscillations known as sleep spindles have been linked with
      various aspects of cognition, but the specific functions they signal remain
      controversial. Two types of EEG sleep spindles have been distinguished: slow
      spindles at 11-13.5 Hz and fast spindles at 13.5-16 Hz. Slow spindles exhibit a
      frontal scalp topography, whereas fast spindles exhibit a posterior scalp
      topography and have been preferentially linked with memory consolidation during
      sleep. To advance understanding beyond that provided from correlative studies of
      spindles, we aimed to develop a new method to systematically manipulate spindles.
      Aims and Methods: We presented repeating bursts of oscillating white noise to
      people during a 90-min afternoon nap. During stage 2 and slow-wave sleep,
      oscillations were embedded within contiguous 10-s stimulation intervals, each
      comprising 2 s of white noise amplitude modulated at 12 Hz (targeting slow
      spindles), 15 Hz (targeting fast spindles), or 50 Hz followed by 8 s of constant
      white noise. Results: During oscillating stimulation compared to constant
      stimulation, parietal EEG recordings showed more slow spindles in the 12-Hz
      condition, more fast spindles in the 15-Hz condition, and no change in the 50-Hz
      control condition. These effects were topographically selective, and were absent
      in frontopolar EEG recordings, where slow spindle density was highest. Spindles
      during stimulation were similar to spontaneous spindles in standard physiological
      features, including duration and scalp distribution. Conclusions: These results
      define a new method to selectively and noninvasively manipulate spindles through
      acoustic resonance, while also providing new evidence for functional distinctions
      between the 2 types of EEG spindles.

PMID- 28364418
TI  - The Benefit of Directed Forgetting Persists After a Daytime Nap: The Role of
      Spindles and Rapid Eye Movement Sleep in the Consolidation of Relevant Memories.
AB  - Study Objectives: We aimed to investigate the effect of directed forgetting
      instruction on memory retention after a 2-hour delay involving a daytime nap or
      an equivalent amount of time spent awake. We examined the associations between
      sleep-specific oscillations and the retention of relevant and irrelevant study
      materials. Methods: We applied a list-method directed forgetting paradigm
      manipulating the perceived relevance of previously encoded lists of words.
      Participants were randomly assigned to either a nap or an awake group, and to a
      remember or a forget subgroup. The remember and the forget subgroups were both
      instructed to study two consecutive lists of words, although, the forget subgroup
      was manipulated to forget the first list and memorize only the second one.
      Participants were 112 healthy individuals (44 men; Mage = 21.4 years, SD = 2.4).
      Results: A significant directed forgetting effect emerged after a 2-hour delay
      both in the awake and sleep conditions; however, the effect was more pronounced
      within the sleep group. The benefit of directed forgetting, that is, relatively
      enhanced recall of relevant words in the forget group, was evidenced only in
      those participants that reached rapid eye movement (REM) phase. Non-rapid eye
      movement (NREM) sigma power was correlated with memory performance for the
      relevant (second) list, and sleep spindle amplitude was associated with the
      retention of both lists. These associations, however, were detected only within
      the forget subgroup. REM duration correlated with recall performance for the
      relevant (second) list within the forget subgroup, and with recall performance
      for the first list within the remember subgroup. Conclusions: A directed
      forgetting effect persists after a 2-hour delay spent awake or asleep. Spindle
      related activity and subsequent REM sleep might selectively facilitate the
      processing of memories that are considered to be relevant for the future.

PMID- 28364417
TI  - An Aggregate Measure of Sleep Health Is Associated With Prevalent and Incident
      Clinically Significant Depression Symptoms Among Community-Dwelling Older Women.
AB  - Objectives: Sleep can be characterized along multiple dimensions. We investigated
      whether an aggregate measure of sleep health was associated with prevalent and
      incident clinically significant depression symptoms in a cohort of older women.
      Methods: Participants were older women (mean age 80.1 years) who completed
      baseline (n = 6485) and follow-up (n = 3806) visits, approximately 6 years apart,
      in the Study of Osteoporotic Fractures (SOF). Self-reported sleep over the past
      12 months was categorized as "good" or "poor" across 5 dimensions: satisfaction
      with sleep duration, daytime sleepiness, mid-sleep time, sleep onset latency, and
      sleep duration. An aggregate measure of sleep health was calculated by summing
      the number of "poor" dimensions. Clinically significant depression symptoms were
      defined as a score >=6 on the Geriatric Depression Scale. Relationships between
      sleep health and depression symptoms were evaluated with multivariate logistic
      regression, adjusting for health measures and medications. Results: Individual
      sleep health dimensions of sleep satisfaction, daytime sleepiness, mid-sleep
      time, and sleep onset latency were significantly associated with prevalent
      depression symptoms (odds ratios [OR] = 1.26-2.69). Sleep satisfaction, daytime
      sleepiness, and sleep onset latency were significantly associated with incident
      depression symptoms (OR = 1.32-1.79). The number of "poor" sleep health
      dimensions was associated in a gradient fashion with greater odds of prevalent
      (OR = 1.62-5.41) and incident (OR = 1.47-3.15) depression symptoms. Conclusion:
      An aggregate, multidimensional measure of sleep health was associated with both
      prevalent and incident clinically-significant depression symptoms in a gradient
      fashion. Future studies are warranted to extend these findings in different
      populations and with different health outcomes.

PMID- 28364419
TI  - Sleep Perception and Misperception in Chronic Cocaine Users During Abstinence.
AB  - Study Objectives: During abstinence, chronic cocaine users experience an
      objective worsening of sleep that is perceived as qualitatively improving. This
      phenomenon has been termed "occult insomnia." The objective of this study was to
      determine whether chronic cocaine users experience positive sleep state
      misperception during abstinence. Methods: Forty-three cocaine-dependent persons
      were admitted to an inpatient research facility for 12 days and 11 nights to
      participate in a treatment study of modafinil. Polysomnographic sleep recordings
      were performed on study nights 3, 4, 10, and 11, when participants were on
      average 1 and 2 weeks abstinent from cocaine. Participants also completed sleep
      diary questionnaires every evening before bed and every morning upon awakening.
      Polysomnographic and sleep diary measurements of total sleep time, sleep latency,
      time awake after sleep onset, and time in bed after final awakening were
      compared. Results: Chronic cocaine users accurately reported total sleep time
      after 1 week of abstinence but overreported total sleep time by an average of 40
      min after 2 weeks of abstinence. Underestimating sleep latency and time spent
      awake after sleep onset were responsible for this difference. Conclusions:
      Positive sleep state misperception is revealed in chronic cocaine users after 2
      weeks of abstinence and is consistent with the previously identified "occult
      insomnia" in this population.

PMID- 28364422
TI  - Mediterranean Diet and Changes in Sleep Duration and Indicators of Sleep Quality
      in Older Adults.
AB  - Study Objective: To examine the association between adherence to a Mediterranean
      diet (MD) and changes in sleep duration and sleep quality in older adults.
      Methods: We used data from 1596 participants in the Seniors-ENRICA cohort aged >=
      60 years. MD was evaluated in 2012 with the Mediterranean Diet Adherence Screener
      (MEDAS) score. Sleep duration (h) and indicators of poor sleep quality were
      assessed both in 2012 and 2015. Analyses were adjusted for sociodemographic,
      lifestyle and morbidity variables, and for sleep duration and the number of poor
      sleep indicators at baseline. Results: Over a median follow-up of 2.8 years,
      12.2% of individuals increased and 8.8% decreased their sleep duration by >=2
      h/night. Compared with those in the lowest tertile of adherence to the MD in
      2012, those in the highest tertile showed both a lower risk of a >=2 h/night
      increase in sleep duration (odds ratio [OR]: 0.54, 95% confidence interval [CI]
      0.34-0.85, p-trend = .01) and of a >=2 h/night decrease (OR: 0.58, 95% CI 0.35
      0.95, p-trend = 0.02) from 2012 to 2015. Being in the highest tertile of MD in
      2012 was also associated with lower risk of poor sleep quality at follow-up, the
      OR (95% CI) for having 2-3 indicators of poor sleep was 0.70 (0.51-0.97) and for
      >=4 indicators was 0.68 (0.47-0.99, p-trend = .04). High adherence to the MD was
      also associated with 56% lower odds of having large changes in sleep duration and
      >=2 indicators of poor sleep quality simultaneously (OR: 0.44, 95% CI 0.29-0.68,
      p trend < .001). Conclusions: Adherence to a MD pattern was associated with lower
      risk of changes in sleep duration and with better sleep quality in older adults.

PMID- 28364420
TI  - CD4+ T-Cell Reactivity to Orexin/Hypocretin in Patients With Narcolepsy Type 1.
AB  - Introduction: Narcolepsy type 1 is accompanied by a selective loss of
      orexin/hypocretin (hcrt) neurons in the lateral hypothalamus caused by yet
      unknown mechanisms. Epidemiologic and genetic associations strongly suggest an
      immune-mediated pathogenesis of the disease. Methods: We compared specific T-cell
      reactivity to orexin/hcrt peptides in peripheral blood mononuclear cells of
      narcolepsy type 1 patients to healthy controls by a carboxyfluorescein
      succinimidyl ester proliferation assay. Orexin/hcrt-specific T-cell reactivity
      was also determined by cytokine (interferon gamma and granulocyte-macrophage
      colony-stimulating factor) analysis. Individuals were considered as responders if
      the cell division index of CD3+CD4+ T cells and both stimulation indices of
      cytokine secretion exceeded the cutoff 3. Additionally, T-cell reactivity to
      orexin/hcrt had to be confirmed by showing reactivity to single peptides present
      in different peptide pools. Results: Using these criteria, 3/15 patients (20%)
      and 0/13 controls (0%) showed orexin/hcrt-specific CD4+ T-cell proliferation (p =
      .2262). The heterogeneous reactivity pattern did not allow the identification of
      a preferential target epitope. Conclusions: A significant role of orexin/hcrt
      specific T cells in narcolepsy type 1 patients could not be confirmed in this
      study. Further studies are needed to assess the exact role of CD4+ T cells and
      possible target antigens in narcolepsy type 1 patients.

PMID- 28364421
TI  - Development of Circadian Sleep Regulation in the Rat: A Longitudinal Study Under
      Constant Conditions.
AB  - Study Objectives: To better understand the development of sleep, we characterized
      the development of circadian rhythms in sleep and wakefulness in the artificially
      reared, isolated rat pup using an experimental design that minimized the effects
      of maternal separation. Methods: Neonatal rats were reared in constant conditions
      (dim red light) while electroencephalographic and electromyographic signals were
      continuously recorded for up to 3 weeks. This time period spanned the preweaned
      and weaned ages. The distribution of sleep-wake states was analyzed to estimate
      the emergence of circadian rhythms. Results: Overt ~24-hour rhythms in time spent
      awake and asleep appear by postnatal day (P)17. A marked bi-modal sleep-wake
      pattern was also observed, evidenced by the appearance of a pronounced ~12-hour
      component in the periodogram over the subsequent 3 days (P17-P21). This suggested
      the presence of two ~24-hour components consistent with the dual-oscillator
      concept. During this 3-day time window, waking bouts became longer resulting in a
      repartition of the duration of intervals without non-rapid-eye movement (NREM)
      sleep into short (<30 minutes) and longer inter-NREM sleep episodes. These longer
      waking bouts did not immediately result in an increase in NREM sleep delta (0.5
      4.0 Hz) power, which is an index of sleep homeostasis in adult mammals. The sleep
      homeostatic response did not fully mature until P25. Conclusions: These results
      demonstrate that the maturation of circadian organization of sleep-wake behavior
      precedes the expression of mature sleep homeostasis.

PMID- 28364423
TI  - Changes in Sleep Duration, Quality, and Medication Use Are Prospectively
      Associated With Health and Well-being: Analysis of the UK Household Longitudinal
      Study.
AB  - Introduction: Sleep is a plausible target for public health promotion. We
      examined the association of changes in sleep with subsequent health and well
      being in the general population. Aims and Methods: We analyzed data from the UK
      Household Longitudinal Survey, involving 30594 people (aged > 16) who provided
      data on sleep and health and well-being at both Wave 1 (2009-2011) and Wave 4
      (2012-2014) assessments. Predicting variables were changes in sleep quantity,
      sleep quality, and sleep medication use over the 4-year period. Outcome variables
      were the General Health Questionnaire (GHQ-12) and the 12-Item Short-Form Health
      Survey (SF-12) mental (MCS) and physical (PCS) component scores at Wave 4. Linear
      regression on each outcome was fully adjusted for potential confounders and
      baseline values of the relevant predicting and outcome variables. Results: Better
      outcomes were associated with an increase in sleep duration (GHQ: beta = 1.031
      [95% confidence interval {CI}: -1.328, -0.734]; MCS: 1.531 [1.006, 2.055]; PCS: 
      0.071 [-0.419, 0.56]), sleep quality (GHQ: beta = -2.031 [95% CI: -2.218, 
      1.844]; MCS: 3.027 [2.692, 3.361]; PCS: 0.924 [0.604, 1.245]), and a reduction in
      sleep medication use (GHQ: beta = -1.929 [95% CI: -2.400, -1.459]; MCS: 3.106
      [2.279, 3.933]; PCS: 2.633 [1.860, 3.406]). Poorer outcomes were on the other
      hand associated with a reduction in sleep duration, a decrease in sleep quality,
      and an increase in sleep medication use. Changes in sleep quality yielded the
      largest effects on the health and well-being outcomes. Conclusions: Changes in
      sleep were temporally associated with subsequent health and well-being.
      Initiatives that aim to protect a critical amount of sleep, promote sleep
      quality, and reduce sleep medication use may have public health values.

PMID- 28364425
TI  - Sleep Disturbance May Alter White Matter and Resting State Functional
      Connectivities in Parkinson's Disease.
AB  - Study Objectives: To clarify whether sleep disturbance would alter the patterns
      of structural and functional networks underlying cognitive dysfunction in
      patients with Parkinson's disease (PD). Methods: Among the 180 patients with
      nondemented PD in our cohort, 45 patients were classified as the group with sleep
      disturbance according to the 5-item scales for outcomes in Parkinson's disease
      nighttime scale. Based on propensity scores, another 45 PD patients without sleep
      disturbance were matched to this group. We performed a comparative analysis of
      cortical thickness, diffusion tensor imaging-based white matter integrity,
      resting-state functional connectivity, and cognitive performance between PD
      patients with and without sleep disturbance. Results: PD patients with sleep
      disturbance showed poorer performance in attention and working memory and a
      tendency toward a lower score in frontal executive function relative to those
      without sleep disturbance. The PD with sleep disturbance group exhibited
      widespread white matter disintegration compared to the PD without sleep
      disturbance group, although there were no significant differences in cortical
      thickness between the PD subgroups. On functional network analysis, PD patients
      with sleep disturbance exhibited less severely decreased cortical functional
      connectivity within the default mode network, central executive network, and
      dorsal attention network when compared to those without sleep disturbance.
      Conclusions: The present study suggests that sleep disturbance in PD patients
      could be associated with white matter and functional network alterations in
      conjunction with cognitive impairment.

PMID- 28364424
TI  - Symptomless Multi-Variable Apnea Prediction Index Assesses Obstructive Sleep
      Apnea Risk and Adverse Outcomes in Elective Surgery.
AB  - Study Objective: To validate that the symptomless Multi-Variable Apnea Prediction
      index (sMVAP) is associated with Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA) diagnosis and
      assess the relationship between sMVAP and adverse outcomes in patients having
      elective surgery. We also compare associations between Bariatric surgery, where
      preoperative screening for OSA risk is mandatory, and non-Bariatric surgery
      groups who are not screened routinely for OSA. Methods: Using data from 40 432
      elective inpatient surgeries, we used logistic regression to determine the
      relationship between sMVAP and previous OSA, current hypertension, and
      postoperative complications: extended length of stay (ELOS), intensive-care-unit
      stay (ICU-stay), and respiratory complications (pulmonary embolism, acute
      respiratory distress syndrome, and/or aspiration pneumonia). Results: Higher
      sMVAP was associated with increased likelihood of previous OSA, hypertension and
      all postoperative complications (p < .0001). The top sMVAP quintile had increased
      odds of postoperative complications compared to the bottom quintile. For ELOS,
      ICU-stay, and respiratory complications, respective odds ratios (95% CI) were:
      1.83 (1.62, 2.07), 1.44 (1.32, 1.58), and 1.85 (1.37, 2.49). Compared against age
      , gender- and BMI-matched patients having Bariatric surgery, sMVAP was more
      strongly associated with postoperative complications in non-Bariatric surgical
      groups, including: (1) ELOS (Orthopedics [p < .0001], Gastrointestinal [p =
      .024], Neurosurgery [p = .016], Spine [p = .016]); (2) ICU-stay (Orthopedics [p =
      .0004], Gastrointestinal [p < .0001], and Otorhinolaryngology [p = .0102]); and
      (3) respiratory complications (Orthopedics [p =.037] and Otorhinolaryngology [p
      =.011]). Conclusions: OSA risk measured by sMVAP correlates with higher risk for
      select postoperative complications. Associations are stronger for non-Bariatric
      surgeries, where preoperative screening for OSA is not routinely performed. Thus,
      preoperative screening may reduce OSA-related risk for adverse postoperative
      outcomes.

PMID- 28364426
TI  - Long-Term Maintenance of Therapeutic Gains Associated With Cognitive-Behavioral
      Therapy for Insomnia Delivered Alone or Combined With Zolpidem.
AB  - Study objectives: To document the long-term sleep outcomes at 12 and 24 months
      after patients with chronic insomnia were treated with cognitive-behavioral
      therapy (CBT), either singly or combined with zolpidem medication. Methods:
      Participants were 160 adults with chronic insomnia. They were first randomized
      for a six-week acute treatment phase involving CBT alone or CBT combined with
      nightly zolpidem, and randomized for a six-month extended treatment phase
      involving CBT, no additional treatment, CBT combined with zolpidem as needed, or
      CBT with zolpidem tapered. This paper reports results of the 12- and 24-month
      follow-ups on the main outcome measures derived from the Insomnia Severity Index
      and sleep diaries. Results: Clinical improvements achieved 6 months following the
      end of treatment were well-maintained in all four conditions, with insomnia
      remission rates ranging from 48% to 74% at the 12-month follow-up, and from 44%
      to 63% at the 24-month follow-up. Participants receiving CBT with zolpidem taper
      in the extended treatment phase had significantly better results than those
      receiving CBT with continued zolpidem as needed. The magnitude of improvements on
      sleep diary parameters was similar between conditions, with a slight advantage
      for the CBT with zolpidem taper condition. The addition of extended CBT did not
      alter the long-term outcome over improvements obtained during the initial 6-week
      CBT. Conclusions: The results suggest that CBT for insomnia, when delivered alone
      or in combination with medication, produce durable sleep improvements up to two
      years after completion of treatment. These long-term results indicate that even
      if a combined CBT plus medication approach provide an added benefit immediately
      after treatment, extending CBT while tapering medication produce better sustained
      improvements compared to continued use of medication as needed.

PMID- 28364427
TI  - Tourette Syndrome as an Independent Risk Factor for Subsequent Sleep Disorders in
      Children: A Nationwide Population-Based Case-Control Study.
AB  - Study objectives: Tourette syndrome (TS) is associated with a variety of
      neuropsychiatric comorbidities. However, the relationship between TS and sleep
      disorders in children is less investigated. This nationwide population-based case
      control study aimed to determine the correlation of TS and sleep disorders in
      children. Methods: Patients aged less than 18 years with newly diagnosed TS from
      2001 to 2007 were collected (n = 1124) using data from Taiwan's National Health
      Insurance Research Database and were compared with a comparison cohort (n =
      3372). The adjusted hazard ratio (aHR) for developing sleep disorders was
      calculated by multivariate Cox proportional hazards model. Results: TS was more
      prevalent in boys, with a male to female ratio of 3.16:1. TS group also had
      significantly higher urbanization level of residence than controls (p < .001).
      The overall incidence rate of sleep disorders was 7.240/00 in children with TS,
      compared to 3.530/00 in controls. The TS group was associated with a
      significantly higher rate of sleep disorders, with a crude HR of 2.05 (95%
      confidence inerval [CI] = 1.43-2.95, p < .001). Among the comorbidities of TS,
      anxiety disorder was associated with the highest risk for sleep disorders (crude
      HR = 3.26, 95% CI = 1.52-7.00, p < .001). The aHR for TS cohort to develop sleep
      disorders was 1.72 (95% CI = 1.16-2.53, p = .007). Conclusions: The increased
      risk of sleep disorders in children with TS cannot be fully attributed to its
      comorbidities, and TS is an independent risk factor for sleep disorders in
      children.

PMID- 28364428
TI  - Enhanced Memory Consolidation Via Automatic Sound Stimulation During Non-REM
      Sleep.
AB  - Introduction: Slow-wave sleep (SWS) slow waves and sleep spindle activity have
      been shown to be crucial for memory consolidation. Recently, memory consolidation
      has been causally facilitated in human participants via auditory stimuli phase
      locked to SWS slow waves. Aims: Here, we aimed to develop a new acoustic stimulus
      protocol to facilitate learning and to validate it using different memory tasks.
      Most importantly, the stimulation setup was automated to be applicable for
      ambulatory home use. Methods: Fifteen healthy participants slept 3 nights in the
      laboratory. Learning was tested with 4 memory tasks (word pairs, serial finger
      tapping, picture recognition, and face-name association). Additional
      questionnaires addressed subjective sleep quality and overnight changes in mood.
      During the stimulus night, auditory stimuli were adjusted and targeted by an
      unsupervised algorithm to be phase-locked to the negative peak of slow waves in
      SWS. During the control night no sounds were presented. Results: Results showed
      that the sound stimulation increased both slow wave (p = .002) and sleep spindle
      activity (p < .001). When overnight improvement of memory performance was
      compared between stimulus and control nights, we found a significant effect in
      word pair task but not in other memory tasks. The stimulation did not affect
      sleep structure or subjective sleep quality. Conclusions: We showed that the
      memory effect of the SWS-targeted individually triggered single-sound stimulation
      is specific to verbal associative memory. Moreover, the ambulatory and automated
      sound stimulus setup was promising and allows for a broad range of potential
      follow-up studies in the future.

PMID- 28364429
TI  - Patient-Reported Usability of Positive Airway Pressure Equipment Is Associated
      With Adherence in Older Adults.
AB  - Study objectives: To examine the usability of positive airway pressure (PAP)
      devices and its association with PAP adherence among older adults with sleep
      disordered breathing. Methods: We mailed questionnaires to patients aged >=65
      years prescribed PAP therapy during the prior 36 months from two large healthcare
      systems. Survey participants completed the Usability of Sleep Apnea Equipment
      Positive Airway Pressure (USE-PAP) questionnaire, which assessed the usability of
      their PAP device. Other questionnaire items included demographics and self-rated
      health. We also abstracted adherence data (mean nightly hours of PAP use
      available from one site) and interface type from the electronic health record.
      Results: Five hundred sixty-four patients completed the survey (response rate =
      33%). The mean USE-PAP score (0 = best to 100 = worst) was 20 (SD +/- 20). Mean
      duration of PAP use (available in 189 respondents) was 5.2 hours per night (SD +/
      2.0). In a nested regression model predicting nightly hours of PAP use, a 10
      point (0.5 SD) increase in USE-PAP score corresponded to a 0.37 hour/night
      reduction in PAP use. The model including the USE-PAP score explained a
      significant proportion (R2 = 15%) of the variation in nightly hours of PAP use
      above and beyond demographics, self-reported health, and interface type (?R2 =
      12%). Conclusions: Our results demonstrate that PAP usability varies among older
      patients and is associated with PAP adherence, above and beyond other predictors
      of adherence. These results support measuring and improving PAP usability to
      further improve PAP adherence for older patients.

PMID- 28364430
TI  - Signal-to-Noise Ratio in PVT Performance as a Cognitive Measure of the Effect of
      Sleep Deprivation on the Fidelity of Information Processing.
AB  - Study Objectives: There is a long-standing debate about the best way to
      characterize performance deficits on the psychomotor vigilance test (PVT), a
      widely used assay of cognitive impairment in human sleep deprivation studies.
      Here, we address this issue through the theoretical framework of the diffusion
      model and propose to express PVT performance in terms of signal-to-noise ratio
      (SNR). Methods: From the equations of the diffusion model for one-choice,
      reaction-time tasks, we derived an expression for a novel SNR metric for PVT
      performance. We also showed that LSNR-a commonly used log-transformation of SNR
      can be reasonably well approximated by a linear function of the mean response
      speed, LSNRapx. We computed SNR, LSNR, LSNRapx, and number of lapses for 1284 PVT
      sessions collected from 99 healthy young adults who participated in laboratory
      studies with 38 hr of total sleep deprivation. Results: All four PVT metrics
      captured the effects of time awake and time of day on cognitive performance
      during sleep deprivation. The LSNR had the best psychometric properties,
      including high sensitivity, high stability, high degree of normality, absence of
      floor and ceiling effects, and no bias in the meaning of change scores related to
      absolute baseline performance. Conclusions: The theoretical motivation of SNR and
      LSNR permits quantitative interpretation of PVT performance as an assay of the
      fidelity of information processing in cognition. Furthermore, with a conceptual
      and statistical meaning grounded in information theory and generalizable across
      scientific fields, LSNR in particular is a useful tool for systems-integrated
      fatigue risk management.

PMID- 28364431
TI  - Validation of the Sonomat Against PSG and Quantitative Measurement of Partial
      Upper Airway Obstruction in Children With Sleep-Disordered Breathing.
AB  - Study Objectives: To validate the Sonomat against polysomnography (PSG) metrics
      in children and to objectively measure snoring and stertor to produce a
      quantitative indicator of partial upper airway obstruction that accurately
      reflects the pathology of pediatric sleep-disordered breathing (SDB). Methods:
      Simultaneous PSG and Sonomat recordings were performed in 76 children (46 male,
      age 5.8 +/- 2.8, BMI = 18.5 +/- 3.8 kg/m2). Sleep time, individual respiratory
      events and the apnea/hypopnea index (AHI) were compared. Obstructed breathing
      sounds were measured from the unobtrusive non-contact experimental device.
      Results: There was no significant difference in total sleep time (TST),
      respiratory events or AHI values, the latter over-estimated by 0.3 events hr-1 by
      the Sonomat. Poor signal quality was minimal and gender, BMI, and body position
      did not adversely influence event detection. Obstructive and central events were
      classified correctly. The number of runs and duration of snoring (13 399 events,
      20% TST) and stertor (5748 events, 24% TST) were an order of magnitude greater
      than respiratory events (1367 events, 1% TST). Many children defined as normal by
      PSG had just as many or more runs of snoring and stertor as those with mild,
      moderate and severe obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). Conclusions: The Sonomat
      accurately diagnoses SDB in children using current metrics. In addition, it
      permits quantification of partial airway obstruction that can be used to better
      describe pediatric SDB. Its non-contact design makes it ideal for use in
      children.

PMID- 28364432
TI  - Sleep Duration, Snoring Prevalence, Obesity, and Behavioral Problems in a Large
      Cohort of Primary School Students in Japan.
AB  - Study Objectives: Poor or short sleep and the presence of snoring indicative of
      sleep-disordered breathing (SDB) have been associated with behavioral problems in
      school-aged children. We examined the relationship between SDB, sleep duration,
      obesity risk, and behavioral characteristics in Japanese elementary school
      students using a large-scale survey. Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional
      study of children enrolled in all 46 public primary schools in Matsuyama city,
      Japan. The children's parents or guardians completed a questionnaire that covered
      sleep habits, presence of SDB risk, and behavioral characteristics. Results: In
      total, 24 296 responses were received (90% response rate). After excluding
      incomplete responses, we analyzed complete datasets for 17 769 children. Mean
      sleep duration decreased with age, as did the prevalence of pediatric SDB. We
      found an increased risk for the presence of SDB and short sleep among
      overweight/obese children. With SDB or short sleep, we observed significantly
      increased odds of restless behaviors, fidgety behaviors, and poor concentration
      in school. Conclusions: Shorter sleep duration was associated with increased risk
      of obesity, and in turn, obesity increased SDB risk. Both short sleep duration
      and SDB risk were significantly associated with behavioral problems in school.

PMID- 28364433
TI  - The Relationship Between Estrogen and the Decline in Delta Power During
      Adolescence.
AB  - Study Objectives: During adolescence, there is a precipitous decrease in slow
      wave sleep (SWS) and its spectral correlate, delta power, which may reflect
      cortical reorganization. The temporal association between the decrease in delta
      power and puberty suggests that sex steroids may initiate these changes. This
      association has not been previously investigated. Methods: To determine whether
      estrogen triggers the adolescent decline in delta power, we compared delta power
      in 14 girls with central precocious puberty (CPP) and 6 age-matched, prepubertal
      controls. Five CPP participants were re-studied 7-14 months after pubertal
      suppression to determine if the changes in delta power are reversible after
      restoring a prepubertal hormonal milieu. The change in delta power was also
      compared between CPP participants and five historic controls from a longitudinal
      polysomnographic study. Results: CPP participants (6.7-10.5 years) spent 30% of
      the night in SWS. Delta power (3.7 * 106 +/- 2.7 * 105 uV2) predominated in the
      first 2 non-rapid eye movement episodes and decayed exponentially (tau 0.006
      minutes). Age-matched controls demonstrated similar sleep staging (24% SWS) and
      delta dynamics (3.3 * 106 +/- 5.1 * 105 uV2, tau 0.004 minutes). Four out of 5
      CPP participants had a significant decrease (26%) in delta power after hormone
      suppression (p < .05), similar to historic controls. Conclusion: Using an
      innovative model of girls with CPP studied before and after estrogen suppression,
      the effects of puberty on the decline in delta power were dissociated from those
      of chronologic age. The current studies suggest that increased estrogen does not
      cause the adolescent decline in delta power and indicate that neurodevelopmental
      changes per se or other factors associated with puberty drive these sleep
      changes.

PMID- 28364435
TI  - Uniportal middle lobectomy after a previous right upper lobectomy.
AB  - Video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (VATS) using a 3.5 cm single incision
      (uniportal) may not only result in better pain control, earlier mobilization and
      shorter hospital stays, but can also provide safer and clear visualization to
      perform thoracoscopic dissection during complex surgeries. This is a case of a 55
      year-old woman who underwent redo-thoracoscopy through uniportal approach for a
      middle-lobe lobectomy, after a previous right-upper lobectomy.

PMID- 28364436
TI  - Treatment solution by Rivas-Oural et al.

PMID- 28364437
TI  - eComment: Expanding aortic arch pseudoaneurysm in a high-risk patient with
      previous coronary surgery: a treatment strategy.

PMID- 28364434
TI  - The Prevalence of Sleep Apnea in Type B Aortic Dissection: Implications for False
      Lumen Thrombosis.
AB  - Introduction: Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) has been implicated in aortic
      dissection. Thrombosis of the false lumen is associated with a prognosis of type
      B aortic dissection (AoD), and partial thrombosis has been reported to be an
      independent predictor of mortality. This study sought to explore whether the
      severity of OSA is associated with false lumen thrombosis. Aims and Methods: In
      this observational study, 151 type B AoD patients were recruited consecutively
      from 2013 to 2015. The status of the false lumen was classified as patent,
      partially thrombosed, or completely thrombosed based on a computer tomography
      angiography image. Patients were divided into non-OSA group (apnea-hypopnea index
      [AHI] < 5), and mild (5 <= AHI <= 15), moderate (15 < AHI <= 30), and severe OSA
      groups (AHI > 30) using the AHI. Results: The prevalence of OSA in type B
      dissection was 66.2%. Among 151 cases, 51 patients (33.8%) were in the non-OSA
      group, 56 (37.1%) were in the mild group, 21 (13.9%) were in the moderate group,
      and 23 (15.2%) were in the severe group. Additionally, a partially thrombosed
      false lumen was observed in 88 patients (58.3%). Multivariable analysis revealed
      that OSA severity was positively associated with partial thrombosis (odds ratio,
      1.784, 95% confidence interval: 1.182-2.691, P = .006) after adjusting for other
      confounding factors. Conclusions: OSA was present in two-thirds of patients with
      type B AoD. The severity of OSA was significantly associated with an increased
      risk of partial false lumen thrombosis. OSA may therefore be implicated in both
      the etiology and prognosis of AoD.

PMID- 28364438
TI  - Preoperative vascular screening: a novel breakthrough in minimally invasive
      mitral valve surgery.

PMID- 28364439
TI  - Immersing lungs in hydrogen-rich saline attenuates lung ischaemia-reperfusion
      injury.
AB  - Objectives: Anti-oxidant effects of hydrogen have been reported in studies
      examining ischaemia-reperfusion injury (IRI). In this study, we evaluated the
      therapeutic efficacy of immersing lungs in hydrogen-rich saline on lung IRI.
      Methods: Lewis rats were divided into three groups: (i) sham, (ii) normal saline
      and (iii) hydrogen-rich saline. In the first experiment, the left thoracic cavity
      was filled with either normal saline or hydrogen-rich saline for 1 h. Then, we
      measured the hydrogen concentration in the left lung using a sensor gas
      chromatograph ( N = 3 per group). In the second experiment, lung IRI was induced
      by occlusion of the left pulmonary hilum for 1 h, followed by reperfusion for 3
      h. During the ischaemic period, the left thoracic cavity was filled with either
      normal saline or hydrogen-rich saline. After reperfusion, we assessed lung
      function, histological changes and cytokine production ( N = 5-7 per group).
      Results: Immersing lungs in hydrogen-rich saline resulted in an elevated hydrogen
      concentration in the lung (6.9 +/- 2.9 MUmol/1 g lung). After IRI, pulmonary
      function (pulmonary compliance and oxygenation levels) was significantly higher
      in the hydrogen-rich saline group than in the normal saline group ( P  < 0.05).
      Similarly, pro-inflammatory cytokine levels (interleukin-1beta and interleukin-6)
      in the left lung were significantly lower in the hydrogen-rich saline group than
      in the normal saline group ( P  < 0.05). Conclusions: Immersing lungs in hydrogen
      rich saline delivered hydrogen into the lung and consequently attenuated lung
      IRI. Hydrogen-rich solution appears to be a promising approach to managing lung
      IRI.

PMID- 28364440
TI  - Incidence and predictors of vasoplegia after heart failure surgery.
AB  - Objectives: Vasoplegia has been described as a complication after cardiac
      surgery, particularly in patients with a poor left ventricular ejection fraction.
      The aim of this study was to assess the incidence, survival and predictors of
      vasoplegia in patients undergoing heart failure surgery and to propose a risk
      model. Methods: A retrospective study including heart failure patients who
      underwent surgical left ventricular restoration, CorCap implantation or left
      ventricular assist device implantation between 2006 and 2015. Patients were
      classified by the presence or absence of vasoplegia. Results: Two hundred and
      twenty-five patients were included. The incidence of vasoplegia was 29%. The 90
      day survival rate in vasoplegic patients was lower compared with non-vasoplegic
      patients (71% vs 91%, P  <   0.001). After adjusting for age, sex and surgical
      procedure, anaemia (OR 2.195; 95% CI 1.146, 4.204; P  =   0.018) and a higher
      thyroxine level (OR 1.140; 95% CI 1.033, 1.259; P  =   0.009) increased the risk
      of vasoplegia; a higher creatinine clearance (OR 0.980; 95% CI 0.965, 0.994; P  =
      0.006) and beta-blocker use (OR 0.257; 95% CI 0.112, 0.589; P  =   0.001)
      decreased the risk. The risk model consisted of the same variables and could
      adequately identify patients at risk for vasoplegia. Conclusions: Vasoplegia
      after heart failure surgery is common and results in a lower survival rate.
      Anaemia and a higher thyroxine level are associated with an increased risk on
      vasoplegia. In contrast, a higher creatinine clearance and beta-blocker use
      decrease the risk on vasoplegia. These factors are used in the risk model that
      may guide treatment strategy.

PMID- 28364441
TI  - Survival after lung transplantation for cystic fibrosis in Sweden.
AB  - Objectives: In Sweden, lung transplantation has been performed in patients with
      end-stage lung disease since 1990. We assessed survival after lung
      transplantation for cystic fibrosis (CF) with focus on early mortality and
      outcome for patients infected with certain multiresistant bacteria, considered a
      relative contraindication for lung transplantation. Methods: Review of CF and
      transplant databases and patient charts. The Kaplan-Meier method and log-rank
      test were used for survival analysis and group comparison. Results: From November
      1991 to December 2014, 115 transplantations were performed in 106 CF patients (9
      retransplantations): 3 heart-lung, 106 double lung-, 1 double lobar- and 5 single
      lung transplantations, constituting 13% (115/909) of all lung-transplant
      procedures performed in Sweden. The mean age at surgery was 31 (SD 10, range 10
      61) years and there were 48% females. Overall 1-year survival after lung
      transplantation for CF was 86.4%, 5-year survival was 73.7% and 10-year survival
      was 62.4%. The mean and median survival after transplantation were 13.1 (95%
      confidence interval (CI): 11-15.3) and 14.6 (95% CI: 9.3-19.8) years,
      respectively, and there was no significant difference for gender or transplant
      centre. Extracorporeal membrane oxygenation was used as a bridge to
      transplantation in 11 cases and five patients received reconditioned lungs.
      Vascular and infectious complications contributed to eight deaths within the
      first three postoperative months. The mean survival for 14 patients infected
      pretransplant with Mycobacterium abscessus or Burkholderia cepacia complex was
      8.8 (95% CI: 6.1-11.6) years compared to 13.2 (95% CI: 10.9-15.8) years for
      patients negative for these bacteria. Nineteen patients (14% of all listed), of
      whom three were listed for retransplantation, died while waiting a median time of
      94 days (range 4 days-2.5 years) after listing. Conclusions: Survival after lung
      transplantation in Sweden is good, also for patients with pretransplant infection
      with M. abscessus or B. cepacia complex, and comparable to international data.

PMID- 28364442
TI  - Coronary bypass versus percutaneous intervention: sex matters. The impact of
      gender on long-term outcomes of coronary revascularization.
AB  - Objectives: Women have a higher mortality than men following coronary artery
      bypass grafting (CABG). The influence of patient sex on outcomes of percutaneous
      coronary interventions (PCI) is controversial. Since patient selection for
      randomized clinical trials may not reflect clinical practice, we investigated the
      impact of sex on outcomes of CABG versus PCI in a comprehensive registry of
      coronary revascularization (CR). Methods: All patients undergoing CR in a network
      of eight community hospitals were enrolled. Follow-up was obtained after 5 years
      (median, 79.7 months). ST-elevation myocardial infarction (MI) patients were
      excluded. Propensity-score matching accounted for differences between groups.
      Results: There were 2162 men (673 CABG, 1489 PCI) and 991 women (294 CABG, 697
      PCI). Survival free from major adverse cardiac events (MACE)-all cause mortality,
      nonfatal MI, re-intervention at 5 years for PCI versus CABG was 77.1 +/- 1.1 vs.
      83.1 +/- 1.5, hazard ratio (HR) 0.588 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.491-0.704;
      P < 0.001) for men, but 75.0 +/- 1.6 vs. 74.5 +/- 2.5, HR 0.869 (95% CI: 0.687
      1.100; P  = 0.24) for women. After matching, MACE-free survival for men remained
      significantly different, 69.5 +/- 2.2 vs. 79.5 +/- 2.0, HR 0.548 (95% CI: 0.424
      0.682; P < 0.001) but not for women, 68.1 +/- 3.4 vs. 69.4 +/- 3.4, HR 0.752 (95%
      CI: 0.540-1.049; P  = 0.093). Conclusions: In a 'real world' unselected cohort of
      CR patients, men enjoy improved survival and reduced MACE with CABG versus PCI.
      Outcomes for women are worse than for men and are equivalent with either
      procedure, emphasizing importance of accounting for sex in assessing outcomes of
      comparative CR procedures.

PMID- 28364443
TI  - A large aortic valve vegetation: an unusual case of non-bacterial thrombotic
      (marantic) endocarditis.

PMID- 28364444
TI  - Acute type A dissection in octogenarians: does emergency surgery impact in
      hospital outcome or long-term survival?
AB  - Objectives: Surgical therapy for acute aortic dissection type A (AADA) in
      octogenarians carries high morbidity and mortality. The role of isolated medical
      treatment in this setting is controversial. The aim of this study is to determine
      whether risk of surgery for AADA outweighs risk of death from medical treatment
      only. Methods: From 2002 to 2015, 90 consecutive octogenarians (mean age, 83.5 +/
      3 years) were treated for AADA at three institutions: 67 patients underwent
      surgery, 23 patients received medical treatment. Analysis of early and late
      outcome was performed. Results: Patients in the medical treatment group were
      significantly older than in the surgical group (84.9 +/- 3.7 vs 83 +/- 2.5 years,
      P  = 0.008) and in a more critical state. In patients undergoing surgical repair,
      perioperative mortality was 14.9% ( n  = 10). Rate of prolonged ventilation
      (63.2% vs 5.9%; P  < 0.001) and renal failure (35.1% vs 5.9%, P  = 0.029) was
      significantly higher in the surgical group. Thirty-day survival was impaired in
      the medical treatment group (34.8% vs 61.2% in the surgical group; P  = 0.032).
      Coronary artery disease (OR 3.95, 95% CI 1.16-13.49; P  = 0.029) and complicated
      dissections (OR 5.28, 95% CI 1.48-18.88; P  = 0.010)-composite variable of
      preoperative resuscitation, neurological injury and malperfusion-emerged as
      independent risk factors for 30-day mortality in the surgical group. There was no
      difference in long-term survival. Conclusions: Emergency surgery for AADA in
      octogenarians is associated with relatively high intraoperative mortality and may
      reasonably be avoided in patient with complicated presentation. Despite better
      immediate survival after surgery, long-term survival does not differ between
      medical and surgical patients, reflecting the extremely advanced point in life
      cycle octogenarians.

PMID- 28364445
TI  - Surgery for pulmonary metastases: quo vadis?

PMID- 28364447
TI  - Association Between Short Sleep Duration and Risk Behavior Factors in Middle
      School Students.
AB  - Study Objectives: To examine the association between self-reported sleep duration
      (SD) and peer/individual factors predictive of risky behaviors (risk behavior
      factors) in a large socioeconomically diverse school-based sample of early
      adolescents. Design, Setting, and Participants: Survey data collected from 10718
      and 11240 eighth-grade students in 2010 and 2012, respectively, were analyzed.
      Intervention: N/A. Measurements and Results: Self-reported school night SD was
      grouped as <=4 hours, 5 hours, 6 hours, 7 hours, 8 hours, 9 hours, and >=10
      hours. Scores on 10 peer/individual risk behavior factor scales were dichotomized
      according to national eigth-grade cut points. The percentage of students
      reporting an "optimal" SD of 9 hours was 14.8% and 15.6% in 2010 and 2012,
      respectively; 45.6% and 46.1% reported <7 hours. Adjusted for covariates of
      gender, race, and SES, multilevel logistic regression results showed that odds
      ratios (ORs) for 9 of 10 risk factor scales increased with SD <7 hours, with a
      dose-response effect for each hour less sleep compared to an SD of 9 hours. For
      example, ORs for students sleeping <7 hours ranged from 1.3 (early initiation of
      antisocial behavior) to 1.8 (early initiation of drug use). The risk factor scale
      ORs for <5 hours SD ranged from 3.0 (sensation seeking) to 6.4 (gang
      involvement). Conclusions: Middle school students are at high risk of
      insufficient sleep; in particular, an SD <7 hours is associated with increased
      risk behavior factors.

PMID- 28364446
TI  - Randomized, Prospective Study of the Impact of a Sleep Health Program on
      Firefighter Injury and Disability.
AB  - Study Objectives: Firefighters' schedules include extended shifts and long work
      weeks which cause sleep deficiency and circadian rhythm disruption. Many
      firefighters also suffer from undiagnosed sleep disorders, exacerbating fatigue.
      We tested the hypothesis that a workplace-based Sleep Health Program (SHP)
      incorporating sleep health education and sleep disorders screening would improve
      firefighter health and safety compared to standard practice. Design: Prospective
      station-level randomized, field-based intervention. Setting: US fire department.
      Participants: 1189 firefighters. Interventions: Sleep health education,
      questionnaire-based sleep disorders screening, and sleep clinic referrals for
      respondents who screened positive for a sleep disorder. Measurements and Results:
      Firefighters were randomized by station. Using departmental records, in an
      intention-to-treat analysis, firefighters assigned to intervention stations which
      participated in education sessions and had the opportunity to complete sleep
      disorders screening reported 46% fewer disability days than those assigned to
      control stations (1.4 +/- 5.9 vs. 2.6 +/- 8.5 days/firefighter, respectively; p =
      .003). There were no significant differences in departmental injury or motor
      vehicle crash rates between the groups. In post hoc analysis accounting for
      intervention exposure, firefighters who attended education sessions were 24% less
      likely to file at least one injury report during the study than those who did not
      attend, regardless of randomization (OR [95% CI] 0.76 [0.60, 0.98]; chi2 = 4.56;
      p = .033). There were no significant changes pre- versus post-study in self
      reported sleep or sleepiness in those who participated in the intervention.
      Conclusions: A firefighter workplace-based SHP providing sleep health education
      and sleep disorders screening opportunity can reduce injuries and work loss due
      to disability in firefighters.

PMID- 28364448
TI  - Cerebrospinal Fluid Biomarkers of Neurodegeneration Are Decreased or Normal in
      Narcolepsy.
AB  - Objectives: To investigate whether cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) biomarkers of
      neurodegeneration are altered in narcolepsy in order to evaluate whether the
      hypocretin deficiency and abnormal sleep-wake pattern in narcolepsy leads to
      neurodegeneration. Methods: Twenty-one patients with central hypersomnia (10 type
      1 narcolepsy, 5 type 2 narcolepsy, and 6 idiopathic hypersomnia cases), aged 33
      years on average and with a disease duration of 2-29 years, and 12 healthy
      controls underwent CSF analyses of the levels of beta-amyloid, total tau protein
      (T-tau), phosphorylated tau protein (P-tau181), alpha-synuclein, neurofilament
      light chain (NF-L), and chitinase 3-like protein-1 (CHI3L1). Results: Levels of
      beta-amyloid were lower in patients with type 1 narcolepsy (375.4 +/- 143.5
      pg/mL) and type 2 narcolepsy (455.9 +/- 65.0 pg/mL) compared to controls (697.9
      +/- 167.3 pg/mL, p < .05). Furthermore, in patients with type 1 narcolepsy,
      levels of T-tau (79.0 +/- 27.5 pg/mL) and P-tau181 (19.1 +/- 4.3 pg/mL) were
      lower than in controls (162.2 +/- 49.9 pg/mL and 33.8 +/- 9.2 pg/mL, p < .05).
      Levels of alpha-synuclein, NF-L, and CHI3L1 in CSF from narcolepsy patients were
      similar to those of healthy individuals. Conclusion: Six CSF biomarkers of
      neurodegeneration were decreased or normal in narcolepsy indicating that
      taupathy, synucleinopathy, and immunopathy are not prevalent in narcolepsy
      patients with a disease duration of 2-29 years. Lower CSF levels of beta-amyloid,
      T-tau protein, and P-tau181 in narcolepsy may indicate that hypocretin deficiency
      and an abnormal sleep-wake pattern alter the turnover of these proteins in the
      central nervous system.

PMID- 28364449
TI  - Modeling Neurocognitive Decline and Recovery During Repeated Cycles of Extended
      Sleep and Chronic Sleep Deficiency.
AB  - Study Objectives: Intraindividual night-to-night sleep duration is often
      insufficient and variable. Here we report the effects of such chronic variable
      sleep deficiency on neurobehavioral performance and the ability of state-of-the
      art models to predict these changes. Methods: Eight healthy males (mean age +/-
      SD: 23.9 +/- 2.4 years) studied at our inpatient intensive physiologic monitoring
      unit completed an 11-day protocol with a baseline 10-hour sleep opportunity and
      three cycles of two 3-hour time-in-bed (TIB) and one 10-hour TIB sleep
      opportunities. Participants received one of three polychromatic white light
      interventions (200 lux 4100K, 200 or 400 lux 17000K) for 3.5 hours on the morning
      following the second 3-hour TIB opportunity each cycle. Neurocognitive
      performance was assessed using the psychomotor vigilance test (PVT) administered
      every 1-2 hours. PVT data were compared to predictions of five group-average
      mathematical models that incorporate chronic sleep loss functions. Results: While
      PVT performance deteriorated cumulatively following each cycle of two 3-hour
      sleep opportunities, and improved following each 10-hour sleep opportunity,
      performance declined cumulatively throughout the protocol at a more accelerated
      rate than predicted by state-of-the-art group-average mathematical models.
      Subjective sleepiness did not reflect performance. The light interventions had
      minimal effect. Conclusions: Despite apparent recovery following each extended
      sleep opportunity, residual performance impairment remained and deteriorated
      rapidly when rechallenged with subsequent sleep loss. None of the group-average
      models were capable of predicting both the build-up in impairment and recovery
      profile of performance observed at the group or individual level, raising
      concerns regarding their use in real-world settings to predict performance and
      improve safety.

PMID- 28364450
TI  - Detecting the Cognitive Prodrome of Dementia with Lewy Bodies: A Prospective
      Study of REM Sleep Behavior Disorder.
AB  - Study Objectives: Long-term studies in REM sleep behavior disorder (RBD) have
      shown a high rate of conversion into synucleinopathies. We aimed to prospectively
      follow-up a large cohort of RBD patients to identify cognitive markers for early
      detection of prodromal dementia. Methods: Seventy-six idiopathic RBD patients
      underwent polysomnography and a complete neuropsychological and neurological
      assessment and were then followed for a mean of 3.6 years. Cognitive
      characteristics at baseline were compared between patients who remained disease
      free and those who developed a synucleinopathy, and between those who developed
      dementia first and those who developed parkinsonism first. Receiver operating
      characteristic curves were calculated to assess the diagnostic value of cognitive
      tests for detecting prodromal dementia. Results: At follow-up, 34 patients
      developed a neurodegenerative disease: 19 parkinsonism-first and 15 dementia
      first. RBD patients who first developed dementia were impaired at baseline in all
      cognitive domains (attention/executive functions, learning/memory, and
      visuospatial) compared to patients who developed parkinsonism. Moreover, 93% of
      patients who first developed dementia had mild cognitive impairment at baseline
      compared to 42% of patients who developed parkinsonism. RBD patients who
      developed parkinsonism first were similar at baseline to disease-free RBD
      patients on cognition. In dementia-first patients, two cognitive tests assessing
      attention and executive functions (Stroop Color Word Test and Trail Making Test)
      reliably predicted dementia (area under the curve >=0.85) compared to
      parkinsonism-first patients or controls. Conclusions: This study shows that
      cognitive tests assessing attention and executive functions strongly predict
      conversion to dementia in RBD patients, and may be useful endpoints to determine
      the effectiveness of interventions to prevent cognitive deterioration in RBD
      patients.

PMID- 28364451
TI  - Objective Measurements of Energy Balance Are Associated With Sleep Architecture
      in Healthy Adults.
AB  - Study Objectives: We objectively measured body composition, energy expenditure,
      caloric intake, and sleep in a large, diverse sample of healthy men and women and
      determined how energy balance and diet associated with sleep physiology. Methods:
      Healthy adults (n = 50; 21-50 years) participated in an in-laboratory study
      involving two baseline sleep nights (BL1-2, 10 hours time-in-bed/night, 2200-0800
      hours). Polysomnography was recorded on BL2. Demographic information, body
      composition, and energy expenditure measurements were collected at study
      admittance and on BL1. Daily food/drink intake was recorded both before (on BL1)
      and after (on BL2) the sleep measurement. Partial Pearson's correlations assessed
      the relationship between energy balance and sleep physiology variables. Results:
      At baseline, greater fat-free mass associated with lower total sleep time (r = 
      0.52, p = .030), lower sleep efficiency (r = -0.53, p = .004), and greater wake
      after sleep onset (r = 0.55, p = .002). Higher body fat percentage (r = 0.39, p =
      .038) and being overweight (Body Mass Index [BMI] 25-30; p = .026) associated
      with more rapid eye movement (REM) sleep. Higher protein intake (r's = 0.46-0.52;
      p's < .001-.002) and lower carbohydrate intake (r's = -0.31 to -0.34; p's = .027
      .046) on BL1 and BL2 associated with more REM sleep. Greater fiber consumption on
      BL1 and BL2 associated with more slow-wave sleep (SWS; r's = 0.33-0.35; p's = .02
      .03). More SWS related to increased carbohydrate intake the following day (BL2, r
      = 0.32, p = .037). Conclusions: Body composition and diet were related to
      baseline sleep characteristics, including SWS and REM sleep duration and sleep
      maintenance. Future studies should further evaluate the influence of energy
      balance measures on sleep physiology, since dietary interventions may be useful
      in treating insufficient sleep, poor sleep quality, excessive sleepiness or other
      sleep disorders.

PMID- 28364452
TI  - Insomnia Patients With Objective Short Sleep Duration Have a Blunted Response to
      Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Insomnia.
AB  - Study Objectives: This study examined whether individuals with insomnia and
      objective short sleep duration <6 h, a subgroup with greater risks of adverse
      health outcomes, differ in their response to cognitive-behavioral therapy for
      insomnia (CBT-I) when compared to individuals with insomnia and normal sleep
      duration >=6 h. Methods: Secondary analyses of a randomized, clinical trial with
      60 adult participants (n = 31 women) from a single academic medical center.
      Outpatient treatment lasted 8 weeks, with a final follow-up conducted at 6
      months. Mixed-effects models controlling for age, sex, CBT-I treatment group
      assignment, and treatment provider examined sleep parameters gathered via
      actigraphy, sleep diaries, and an Insomnia Symptom Questionnaire (ISQ) across the
      treatment and follow-up period. Results: Six months post-CBT-I treatment,
      individuals with insomnia and normal sleep duration >=6 h fared significantly
      better on clinical improvement milestones than did those with insomnia and short
      sleep duration <6 h. Specifically, individuals with insomnia and normal sleep
      duration had significantly higher insomnia remission (ISQ < 36.5; chi2[1, N = 60]
      = 44.72, p < .0001), more normative sleep efficiency (SE) on actigraphy (SE >
      80%; chi2[1, N = 60] = 21, p < .0001), normal levels of middle of the night wake
      after sleep onset (MWASO) <31 minutes (chi2[1, N = 60] = 37.85, p < .0001), and a
      >50% decline in MWASO (chi2[1, N = 60] = 60, p < .0001) compared to individuals
      with insomnia and short sleep duration. Additionally, those with insomnia and
      normal sleep duration had more success decreasing their total wake time (TWT) at
      the 6-month follow-up compared to those with insomnia and short sleep duration
      (chi2[2, N = 60] = 44.1, p < .0001). Receiver-operating characteristic curve
      analysis found that using a 6-h cutoff with actigraphy provided a 95.7%
      sensitivity and 91.9% specificity for determining insomnia remission, with the
      area under the curve = 0.986. Conclusions: Findings suggest that individuals with
      insomnia and objective short sleep duration <6 h are significantly less
      responsive to CBT-I than those with insomnia and normal sleep duration >=6 h.
      Using an actigraphy TST cutoff of 6 hours to classify sleep duration groups was
      highly accurate and provided good discriminant value for determining insomnia
      remission.

PMID- 28364453
TI  - Characteristics and Consequences of Non-apneic Respiratory Events During Sleep.
AB  - Rationale: Current scoring criteria of non-apneic events (ie, hypopnea) require
      the presence of oxyhemoglobin desaturation and/or arousal. However, other sleep
      study parameters may help to identify abnormal respiratory events (REs) and
      assist in making more accurate diagnosis. Objectives: To investigate whether non
      apneic REs without desaturation or cortical arousal are associated with
      respiratory and cardiac consequences. Methods: Thirteen participants with sleep
      disturbances (snoring and/or excessive day time sleepiness), were screened using
      attended in laboratory polysomnography (PSG) while monitoring pressure and
      airflow via a nasal mask with an attached pneumotach. To separate the
      contribution of the upper airway resistance (RUA) and total pulmonary resistance
      (RL), supraglottic and esophageal pressures were measured using Millar pressure
      catheters. RL and RUA were calculated during baseline and hypopneas. RL was
      defined as the resistive pressure divided by the maximal flow during inspiration
      and expiration. Hypopnea was defined 30% decrease in flow with 3% desaturation
      and/or cortical arousal. REs was defined as 30% decrease in the flow without
      desaturation and/or cortical arousal. In eight subjects continuous positive
      airway pressure (CPAP) was titrated to optimal pressure. R-R interval (RRI) was
      defined as consecutive beat-to-beat intervals on single lead electrocardiograph
      (ECG) during baseline, RE/hypopnea and on optimal CPAP. Results: REs associated
      with increased expiratory RUA (14.6 +/- 11.3 vs. 7.5 +/- 4.5 cmH2O L-1 s-1; p <
      .05), and increased expiratory RL relative to baseline (29.2 +/- 14.6 vs. 20.9 +/
      11.0 and 23.7 +/- 12.1 vs. 14.3 +/- 5.6 cmH2O L-1 s-1 during inspiration and
      expiration, respectively; p < .05). RRI decreased significantly following RE and
      hypopnea relative to baseline (804.8 +/- 33.1 vs. 806.4 +/- 36.3 vs. 934.3 +/-
      45.8 ms; p < .05). Optimal CPAP decreased expiratory RUA (4.0 +/- 2.5 vs. 7.5 +/-
      4.5 cmH2O L-1 s-1; p < .05), decreased inspiratory RL (12.6 +/- 14.1 vs. 7.5 +/-
      4.5 cmH2O L-1 s-1; p < .05), and allowed RRI to return to baseline (p < .05). RRI
      dips index was an independent predictor of sleep-disordered breathing (SDB) when
      non-apneic REs were accounted for in symptomatic patients (p < .05). Conclusions:
      Non-apneic REs without cortical arousal or desaturation are associated with
      significant respiratory and heart rate changes. Optimal CPAP and the reduction of
      resistive load are associated with the normalization of heart rate indicating
      potential clinical benefit.

PMID- 28364455
TI  - Cntnap2 Knockout Rats and Mice Exhibit Epileptiform Activity and Abnormal Sleep
      Wake Physiology.
AB  - Study Objectives: Although recent innovations have enabled modification of the
      rat genome, it is unclear whether enhanced utility of rodents as human disease
      models will result. We compared electroencephalogram (EEG) and behavioral
      phenotypes of rats and mice with homozygous deletion of Cntnap2, a gene
      associated with cortical dysplasia-focal epilepsy (CDFE) and autism spectrum
      disorders (ASD). Methods: Male contactin-associated protein-like 2 (Cntnap2)
      knockout (KO) and wild-type (WT) rats and male Cntnap2 KO and WT mice were
      implanted with telemeters to record EEG, electromyogram, body temperature, and
      locomotor activity. Animals were subjected to a test battery for ASD-related
      behaviors, followed by 24-hr EEG recordings that were analyzed for sleep-wake
      parameters and subjected to spectral analysis. Results: Cntnap2 KO rats exhibited
      severe motor seizures, hyperactivity, and increased consolidation of wakefulness
      and REM sleep. By contrast, Cntnap2 KO mice demonstrated absence seizure-like
      events, hypoactivity, and wake fragmentation. Although seizures observed in
      Cntnap2 KO rats were more similar to those in CDFE patients than in KO mice,
      neither model fully recapitulated the full spectrum of disease symptoms. However,
      KOs in both species had reduced spectral power in the alpha (9-12 Hz) range
      during wake, suggesting a conserved EEG biomarker. Conclusions: Deletion of
      Cntnap2 impacts similar behaviors and EEG measures in rats and mice, but with
      profound differences in nature and phenotypic severity. These observations
      highlight the importance of cross-species comparisons to understand conserved
      gene functions and the limitations of single- species models to provide
      translational insights relevant to human diseases.

PMID- 28364456
TI  - Insomnia, Sleep Duration, Depressive Symptoms, and the Onset of Chronic Multisite
      Musculoskeletal Pain.
AB  - Study objective: The temporal relationships among sleep, depressive symptoms, and
      pain are unclear. This longitudinal study examines whether insomnia and sleep
      duration predict the onset of chronic multisite musculoskeletal pain over 6 years
      and whether this association is mediated by depressive symptoms. Methods: 1860
      subjects of the Netherlands Study of Depression and Anxiety, free from chronic
      multisite musculoskeletal pain at baseline, were followed up for the onset of
      chronic multisite musculoskeletal pain over 6 years (Chronic Pain Grade
      Questionnaire). We determined baseline insomnia (Women's Health Initiative
      Insomnia Rating Scale >=9) and sleep duration (short: <=6 hr, normal: 7-9 hr,
      long: >=10 hr). Depressive symptoms were assessed at baseline and as a change
      score over time (Inventory of Depressive Symptomatology). Results: Insomnia
      (hazard ratio [HR] [95% confidence interval, 95%CI] = 1.60 [1.30-1.96], p < .001)
      and short sleep duration (HR [95%CI] = 1.52 [1.22-1.90], p < .001) were
      associated with chronic pain onset. Adding baseline depressive symptoms as a
      mediator attenuated the associations for insomnia and short sleep with chronic
      pain onset (?B = 40% and 26%, respectively). Adding the change score of
      depressive symptoms further weakened the association for insomnia (?B = 16%) but
      not for short sleep. All direct effects for sleep measures with chronic pain
      onset remained statistically significant (p < .05). Conclusions: This
      longitudinal study shows that insomnia and short sleep duration are risk factors
      for developing chronic pain. Depressive symptoms partially mediate the effect for
      insomnia and short sleep with developing chronic pain.

PMID- 28364454
TI  - Neighborhood Factors as Predictors of Poor Sleep in the Sueno Ancillary Study of
      the Hispanic Community Health Study/Study of Latinos.
AB  - Study Objectives: To evaluate whether an adverse neighborhood environment has
      higher prevalence of poor sleep in a US Hispanic/Latino population. Methods: A
      cross-sectional analysis was performed in 2156 US Hispanic/Latino participants
      aged 18-64 years from the Sueno ancillary study of the Hispanic Community Health
      Study/Study of Latinos (HCHS/SOL). Participants completed surveys of neighborhood
      environment including perceived safety, violence and noise, the Insomnia Severity
      Index (ISI), and 7 days of wrist actigraphy. Results: In age and sex-adjusted
      analyses, short sleep, low sleep efficiency, and late sleep midpoint were all
      more prevalent among those living in an unsafe neighborhood. After adjustment for
      background, site, nativity, income, employment, depressive symptoms, and sleep
      apnea, the absolute risk of sleeping <6 hours was 7.7 (95% CI [0.9, 14.6])
      percentage points greater in those living in an unsafe compared to a safe
      neighborhood. There were no differences in the prevalence of insomnia by level of
      safety or violence. Insomnia was more prevalent among those living in a noisy
      neighborhood. In adjusted analysis, the absolute risk of insomnia was 4.4 (95% CI
      [0.4, 8.4]) percentage points greater in those living in noisy compared to non
      noisy neighborhoods. Conclusion: Using validated measures of sleep duration and
      insomnia, we have demonstrated the existence of a higher prevalence of short
      sleep and insomnia by adverse neighborhood factors. An adverse neighborhood
      environment is an established risk factor for a variety of poor health outcomes.
      Our findings suggest negative effects on sleep may represent one pathway by which
      neighborhood environment influences health.

PMID- 28364458
TI  - Sleep, Cognitive impairment, and Alzheimer's disease: A Systematic Review and
      Meta-Analysis.
AB  - Study Objectives: Mounting evidence implicates disturbed sleep or lack of sleep
      as one of the risk factors for Alzheimer's disease (AD), but the extent of the
      risk is uncertain. We conducted a broad systematic review and meta-analysis to
      quantify the effect of sleep problems/disorders on cognitive impairment and AD.
      Methods: Original published literature assessing any association of sleep
      problems or disorders with cognitive impairment or AD was identified by searching
      PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, and the Cochrane library. Effect estimates of
      individual studies were pooled and relative risks (RR) and 95% confidence
      intervals (CI) were calculated using random effects models. We also estimated the
      population attributable risk. Results: Twenty-seven observational studies (n =
      69216 participants) that provided 52 RR estimates were included in the meta
      analysis. Individuals with sleep problems had a 1.55 (95% CI: 1.25-1.93), 1.65
      (95% CI: 1.45-1.86), and 3.78 (95% CI: 2.27-6.30) times higher risk of AD,
      cognitive impairment, and preclinical AD than individuals without sleep problems,
      respectively. The overall meta-analysis revealed that individuals with sleep
      problems had a 1.68 (95% CI: 1.51-1.87) times higher risk for the combined
      outcome of cognitive impairment and/or AD. Approximately 15% of AD in the
      population may be attributed to sleep problems. Conclusion: This meta-analysis
      confirmed the association between sleep and cognitive impairment or AD and, for
      the first time, consolidated the evidence to provide an "average" magnitude of
      effect. As sleep problems are of a growing concern in the population, these
      findings are of interest for potential prevention of AD.

PMID- 28364457
TI  - Sleep-Wake Concordance in Couples Is Inversely Associated With Cardiovascular
      Disease Risk Markers.
AB  - Aim: To determine whether interdependence in couples' sleep (sleep-wake
      concordance i.e., whether couples are awake or asleep at the same time throughout
      the night) is associated with two markers of cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk,
      ambulatory blood pressure (BP) and systemic inflammation. Methods: This community
      based study is a cross-sectional analysis of 46 adult couples, aged 18-45 years,
      without known sleep disorders. Percent sleep-wake concordance, the independent
      variable, was calculated for each individual using actigraphy. Ambulatory BP
      monitors measured BP across 48 h. Dependent variables included mean sleep
      systolic BP (SBP) and diastolic BP (DBP), mean wake SBP and DBP, sleep-wake SBP
      and DBP ratios, and C-reactive protein (CRP). Mixed models were used and were
      adjusted for age, sex, education, race, and body mass index. Results: Higher
      sleep-wake concordance was associated with lower sleep SBP (b = -.35, SE = .01)
      and DBP (b = -.22, SE = .10) and lower wake SBP (b = -.26, SE = .12; all p values
      < .05). Results were moderated by sex; for women, high concordance was associated
      with lower BP. Men and women with higher sleep-wake concordance also had lower
      CRP values (b = -.15, SE = .03, p < .05). Sleep-wake concordance was not
      associated with wake DBP or sleep/wake BP ratios. Significant findings remained
      after controlling for individual sleep quality, duration, and wake after sleep
      onset. Conclusions: Sleep-wake concordance was associated with sleep BP, and this
      association was stronger for women. Higher sleep-wake concordance was associated
      with lower systemic inflammation for men and women. Sleep-wake concordance may be
      a novel mechanism by which marital relationships are associated with long-term
      CVD outcomes.

PMID- 28364459
TI  - Anti-Tribbles Pseudokinase 2 (TRIB2)-Immunization Modulates Hypocretin/Orexin
      Neuronal Functions.
AB  - Study Objectives: Recent findings showed that 16%-26% of narcolepsy patients were
      positive for anti-tribbles pseudokinase 2 (TRIB2) antibody, and the
      intracerebroventricular administration of immunoglobulin-G purified from anti
      TRIB2 positive narcolepsy patients caused hypocretin/orexin neuron loss. We
      investigated the pathophysiological role of TRIB2 antibody using TRIB2-immunized
      rats and hypocretin/ataxin-3 transgenic (ataxin-3) mice. Methods: Plasma,
      cerebrospinal fluid (CSF), and hypothalamic tissues from TRIB2-immunized rats
      were collected. Anti-TRIB2 titers, hypocretin contents, mRNA expressions, the
      cell count of hypocretin neurons, and immunoreactivity of anti-TRIB2 antibodies
      on hypocretin neurons were investigated. The plasma from ataxin-3 mice was also
      used to determine the anti-TRIB2 antibody titer changes following the loss of
      hypocretin neurons. Results: TRIB2 antibody titers increased in the plasma and
      CSF of TRIB2-immunized rats. The hypothalamic tissue immunostained with the sera
      from TRIB2-immunized rats revealed positive signals in the cytoplasm of hypcretin
      neurons. While no changes were found regarding hypothalamic hypocretin contents
      or cell counts, but there were significant decreases of the hypocretin mRNA level
      and release into the CSF. The plasma from over 26-week-old ataxin-3 mice, at the
      advanced stage of hypocretin cell destruction, showed positive reactions against
      TRIB2 antigen, and positive plasma also reacted with murine hypothalamic
      hypocretin neurons. Conclusions: Our results suggest that the general activation
      of the immune system modulates the functions of hypocretin neurons. The absence
      of a change in hypocretin cell populations suggested that factors other than anti
      TRIB2 antibody play a part in the loss of hypocretin neurons in narcolepsy. The
      increased anti-TRIB2 antibody after the destruction of hypocretin neurons suggest
      that anti-TRIB2 antibody in narcolepsy patients is the consequence rather than
      the inciting cause of hypocretin cell destruction.

PMID- 28364461
TI  - Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled, Crossover Study of Armodafinil Treatment of
      Daytime Sleepiness Associated With Treated Nocturia.
AB  - Study Objectives: Nocturia, voids which disturb sleep, is the most common cause
      of awakenings and is associated with daytime sleepiness. Because the standard
      treatments for the most common causes of nocturia are relatively ineffective,
      many treated patients with nocturia are left with residual sleepiness. We carried
      out this pilot study to evaluate the potential of armodafinil to be an effective
      means of addressing the sleepiness that persists in many nocturia patients,
      despite their receiving standard therapy. Methods: This was a double-blind,
      placebo-controlled, crossover study carried out in 28 patients with nocturia who
      were receiving standard clinical therapy for their nocturia and who had an
      Epworth Sleepiness Scale (ESS) score of at least 10. Subjects received 4 weeks of
      both armodafinil (150-250 mg) and placebo with order randomized. Results:
      Armodafinil led to statistically significant improvement in sleepiness compared
      to placebo as indicated by the ESS (the primary outcome; p < .002) as well as the
      Clinical Global Impression of Improvement in Sleepiness scale (key secondary
      outcome; p = .01). Armodafinil did not increase nocturic events or significantly
      increase adverse effects versus placebo. Conclusions: This pilot study, the first
      double-blind, placebo-controlled trial assessing whether a wake-promoting therapy
      can improve residual daytime sleepiness in patients with treated nocturia,
      indicates the promise of armodafinil for addressing this residual sleepiness and
      provides impetus to carry out a large-scale study to definitively evaluate
      whether armodafinil is an effective therapy for the many patients with nocturia
      who experience daytime sleepiness that persists, despite their receiving standard
      therapy for this condition.

PMID- 28364460
TI  - Estimation of Pharyngeal Collapsibility During Sleep by Peak Inspiratory Airflow.
AB  - Objectives: Pharyngeal critical closing pressure (Pcrit) or collapsibility is a
      major determinant of obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) and may be used to predict the
      success/failure of non-continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) therapies.
      Since its assessment involves overnight manipulation of CPAP, we sought to
      validate the peak inspiratory flow during natural sleep (without CPAP) as a
      simple surrogate measurement of collapsibility. Methods: Fourteen patients with
      OSA attended overnight polysomnography with pneumotachograph airflow. The middle
      third of the night (non-rapid eye movement sleep [NREM]) was dedicated to
      assessing Pcrit in passive and active states via abrupt and gradual CPAP pressure
      drops, respectively. Pcrit is the extrapolated CPAP pressure at which flow is
      zero. Peak and mid-inspiratory flow off CPAP was obtained from all breaths during
      sleep (excluding arousal) and compared with Pcrit. Results: Active Pcrit,
      measured during NREM sleep, was strongly correlated with both peak and mid
      inspiratory flow during NREM sleep (r = -0.71, p < .005 and r = -0.64, p < .05,
      respectively), indicating that active pharyngeal collapsibility can be reliably
      estimated from simple airflow measurements during polysomnography. However, there
      was no significant relationship between passive Pcrit, measured during NREM
      sleep, and peak or mid-inspiratory flow obtained from NREM sleep. Flow
      measurements during REM sleep were not significantly associated with active or
      passive Pcrit. Conclusions: Our study demonstrates the feasibility of estimating
      active Pcrit using flow measurements in patients with OSA. This method may enable
      clinicians to estimate pharyngeal collapsibility without sophisticated equipment
      and potentially aid in the selection of patients for non- positive airway
      pressure therapies.

PMID- 28364462
TI  - The Developmental Course of Sleep Disturbances Across Childhood Relates to Brain
      Morphology at Age 7: The Generation R Study.
AB  - Objectives: Little is known about the impact of sleep disturbances on the
      structural properties of the developing brain. This study explored associations
      between childhood sleep disturbances and brain morphology at 7 years. Methods:
      Mothers from the Generation R cohort reported sleep disturbances in 720 children
      at ages 2 months, 1.5, 2, 3, and 6 years. T1-weighted Magnetic Resonance Imaging
      (MRI) images were used to assess brain structure at 7 years. Associations of
      sleep disturbances at each age and of sleep disturbance trajectories with brain
      volumes (total brain volume, cortical and subcortical grey matter, white matter)
      were tested with linear regressions. To assess regional differences, sleep
      disturbance trajectories were tested as determinants for cortical thickness in
      whole-brain analyses. Results: Sleep disturbances followed a declining trend from
      toddlerhood onwards. Infant sleep was not associated with brain morphology at age
      7. Per SD sleep disturbances (one frequent symptom or two less frequent symptoms)
      at 2 and 3 years of age, children had -6.3 (-11.7 to -0.8) cm3 and -6.4 (-11.7 to
      -1.7) cm3 smaller grey matter volumes, respectively. Sleep disturbances at age 6
      years were associated with global brain morphology (grey matter: -7.3 (-12.1 to 
      2.6), p value = .01). Consistently, trajectory analyses showed that more adverse
      developmental course of childhood sleep disturbances are associated with smaller
      grey matter volumes and thinner dorsolateral prefrontal cortex. Conclusion: Sleep
      disturbances from age 2 years onwards are associated with smaller grey matter
      volumes. Thinner prefrontal cortex in children with adverse sleep disturbance
      trajectories may reflect effects of sleep disturbances on brain maturation.

PMID- 28364463
TI  - Change in Job Strain as a Predictor of Change in Insomnia Symptoms: Analyzing
      Observational Data as a Non-randomized Pseudo-Trial.
AB  - Study objectives: To examine whether change in job strain leads to change in
      insomnia symptoms. Methods: Among 24873 adults (82% women, mean age 44 years) who
      participated in a minimum of three consecutive study waves (2000-2012), job
      strain was assessed at the first and second wave and insomnia symptoms at all
      three waves. We analyzed observational data as a "pseudo-trial" including
      participants with no job strain in the first wave and no insomnia symptoms in the
      first and second wave (n = 7354) to examine whether the onset of job strain
      between the first and second waves predicted the onset of insomnia symptoms in
      the third wave. We used a corresponding approach, including those with job strain
      in the first wave and insomnia symptoms in the first and second wave (n = 2332),
      to examine whether the disappearance of job strain between the first two waves
      predicted remission of insomnia symptoms in the third wave. Results: The onset of
      job strain predicted the onset of subsequent insomnia symptoms after adjustment
      for sex, age, marital status, education, smoking, physical activity, alcohol
      consumption, body mass index, and comorbidities (odds ratio compared to no onset
      of job strain 1.32, 95% CI 1.16-1.51). The disappearance of job strain was
      associated with lower odds of repeated insomnia symptoms (odds ratio compared to
      no disappearance of job strain 0.78, 95% CI 0.65-0.94). Further adjustment for
      shift work or sleep apnea did not change these associations. Conclusions: These
      results suggest that job strain is a modifiable risk factor for insomnia
      symptoms.

PMID- 28364464
TI  - Relationships Between Smoking and Sleep Problems in Black and White Adolescents.
AB  - Study Objectives: The relationship between sleeping and smoking during
      adolescence remains unclear and is likely complex. We aim to evaluate the
      longitudinal reciprocal associations between sleep problems, sleep duration, and
      smoking among non-Hispanic white (NHW) and non-Hispanic black (NHB) youth.
      Design: Prospective cohort study. Setting: NEXT Generation Health Study.
      Participants: A national sample (N = 1394) of NHB and NHW 10th graders were
      surveyed annually between 2009 (Wave 1) and 2012 (Wave 3). Interventions: N/A.
      Measurements and Results: Past 30-day smoking, chronic difficulty falling asleep,
      recent difficulty falling asleep, difficulty staying asleep, and weekday and
      weekend sleep duration were measured at each wave. Using structural equation
      models, we observed significant autocorrelations over time for sleep problems and
      sleep duration. We found significant reciprocal, prospective relationships
      between smoking and sleep problems. The strengths of the relationships differed
      by race, with a stronger association between sleep problems and subsequent
      smoking for NHB than NHW youth. Conversely, a stronger association between
      smoking and subsequent sleep problems for NHW than NHB youth was observed. These
      association were independent of demographics, snoring or sleep apnea, body mass
      index, depressive symptoms, alcohol use, and soda consumption. Conclusions:
      Reciprocal and prospective relationships exist for youth smoking and sleep
      problems and duration in both NHW and NHB youth. Further research is needed to
      unravel the complex relationship between the direct effects of nicotine,
      lifestyle choices that may link smoking and sleep problems, and racial
      differences.

PMID- 28364466
TI  - Chronic Kidney Disease and Sleep Apnea Association of Kidney Disease With
      Obstructive Sleep Apnea in a Population Study of Men.
AB  - Study Objectives: To determine the relationship between obstructive sleep apnea
      (OSA) and chronic kidney disease (CKD). Previous population studies of the
      association are sparse, conflicting and confined largely to studies of
      administrative data. Methods: Cross-sectional analysis in unselected participants
      of the Men Androgens Inflammation Lifestyle Environment and Stress (MAILES)
      study, aged >40 years. Renal data were available for 812 men without a prior OSA
      diagnosis who underwent full in-home polysomnography (Embletta X100) in 2010
      2011. CKD was defined as an estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) <60
      mL/min/1.73m2 or eGFR>=60 and albuminuria (albumin-creatinine ratio >=3.0
      mg/mmol). Results: CKD (10.5%, n = 85 [Stage 1-3, 9.7%; Stage 4-5, 0.7%]) of
      predominantly mild severity showed significant associations with OSA (apnea
      hypoapnea index [AHI] >= 10): odds ratio (OR) = 1.9, 95% confidence interval
      (CI): 1.02-3.5; severe OSA (AHI >= 30/h): OR = 2.6, 95% CI: 1.1-6.2; and
      respiratory-related arousal index: >=7.6/h, OR = 2.3, 95%CI: 1.1-4.7; but not
      measures of hypoxemia after adjustment for age, hypertension, diabetes, smoking,
      obesity, and NSAID use. There was no association of CKD with daytime sleepiness.
      In men with CKD, those with OSA were not significantly more likely to report
      symptoms (sleepiness, snoring, and apneas) or be identified with the STOP OSA
      screening questionnaire, compared to men without OSA. Conclusions: Predominantly
      mild CKD is associated with severe OSA and arousals. Further population studies
      examining the longitudinal relationship between CKD and OSA are warranted. Better
      methods are needed to identify OSA in CKD which may have few symptoms.

PMID- 28364465
TI  - Coordination of Slow Waves With Sleep Spindles Predicts Sleep-Dependent Memory
      Consolidation in Schizophrenia.
AB  - Study Objectives: Schizophrenia patients have correlated deficits in sleep
      spindle density and sleep-dependent memory consolidation. In addition to spindle
      density, memory consolidation is thought to rely on the precise temporal
      coordination of spindles with slow waves (SWs). We investigated whether this
      coordination is intact in schizophrenia and its relation to motor procedural
      memory consolidation. Methods: Twenty-one chronic medicated schizophrenia
      patients and 17 demographically matched healthy controls underwent two nights of
      polysomnography, with training on the finger tapping motor sequence task (MST) on
      the second night and testing the following morning. We detected SWs (0.5-4 Hz)
      and spindles during non-rapid eye movement (NREM) sleep. We measured SW-spindle
      phase-amplitude coupling and its relation with overnight improvement in MST
      performance. Results: Patients did not differ from controls in the timing of SW
      spindle coupling. In both the groups, spindles peaked during the SW upstate. For
      patients alone, the later in the SW upstate that spindles peaked and the more
      reliable this phase relationship, the greater the overnight MST improvement.
      Regression models that included both spindle density and SW-spindle coordination
      predicted overnight improvement significantly better than either parameter alone,
      suggesting that both contribute to memory consolidation. Conclusion:
      Schizophrenia patients show intact spindle-SW temporal coordination, and these
      timing relationships, together with spindle density, predict sleep-dependent
      memory consolidation. These relations were seen only in patients suggesting that
      their memory is more dependent on optimal spindle-SW timing, possibly due to
      reduced spindle density. Interventions to improve memory may need to increase
      spindle density while preserving or enhancing the coordination of NREM
      oscillations.

PMID- 28364468
TI  - Intervening Leg Movements Disrupt PLMS Sequences.
AB  - Study Objectives: Periodic leg movements during sleep (PLMS) occur within a
      subject as a series with a remarkably stable period defined by the intermovement
      interval (IMI). Sometimes a non-PLMS movement occurs intervening between two
      PLMS. PLMS scoring rules totally ignore these intervening leg movements (iLM).
      This implicitly assumes an iLM results from a process sufficiently independent
      from the periodic process producing PLMS that it does not affect the periodicity
      of the surrounding PLMS. This study for the first time tests this basic
      assumption and explores characteristics of iLM as a potentially significant class
      of leg movements during sleep. Methods: Leg movements were analyzed from two
      nights of polysomnography recordings from 27 RLS patients and 22 controls using
      the validated MATPLM1.1 program. All periods (IMI) between PLMS containing an iLM
      were compared to the local PLMS period defined as the immediately preceding PLMS
      IMI using pairwise two-sided Wilcoxon sign-rank tests. Similarly, iLM were tested
      to see if they started a new PLMS series by having the same period as the
      subsequent PLMS. Results: The periods (IMIs) containing iLM were longer than the
      previous periods in RLS subjects, but not controls (p < .05). The periods
      beginning with the iLM were shorter than the subsequent periods in both RLS and
      controls (p < .05). Conclusions: iLM as a separate type of LM distort PLMS
      periodicity and do not restart PLMS series. iLM end PLMS series.

PMID- 28364467
TI  - Partial Sleep Deprivation Attenuates the Positive Affective System: Effects
      Across Multiple Measurement Modalities.
AB  - Objective: Ample behavioral and neurobiological evidence links sleep and
      affective functioning. Recent self-report evidence suggests that the affective
      problems associated with sleep loss may be stronger for positive versus negative
      affective state and that those effects may be mediated by changes in
      electroencepholographically measured slow wave sleep (SWS). In the present study,
      we extend those preliminary findings using multiple measures of affective
      functioning. Design: In a within-subject randomized crossover experiment, we
      tested the effects of one night of sleep continuity disruption via forced
      awakenings (FA) compared to one night of uninterrupted sleep (US) on three
      measures of positive and negative affective functioning: self-reported affective
      state, affective pain modulation, and affect-biased attention. Setting: The study
      was set in an inpatient clinical research suite. Participants: Healthy, good
      sleeping adults (N = 45) were included. Measurement and Results: Results
      indicated that a single night of sleep continuity disruption attenuated positive
      affective state via FA-induced reductions in SWS. Additionally, sleep continuity
      disruption attenuated the inhibition of pain by positive affect as well as
      attention bias to positive affective stimuli. Negative affective state, negative
      affective pain facilitation, nor negative attention bias were altered by sleep
      continuity disruption. Conclusions: The present findings, observed across
      multiple measures of affective function, suggest that sleep continuity disruption
      has a stronger influence on the positive affective system relative to the
      negative affective affective system.

PMID- 28364469
TI  - Chronic Rhinosinusitis Impairs Sleep Quality: Results of the GA2LEN Study.
AB  - Study objectives: To analyze the prevalence of sleep problems in subjects with
      Chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS) and to determine whether the disease severity of CRS
      affects sleep quality. Methods: Questionnaires were sent to a random sample of 45
      000 adults in four Swedish cities. Questions on CRS, asthma, allergic rhinitis,
      co-morbidities, tobacco use, educational level, and physical activity were
      included. CRS was defined according to the European Position Paper on
      Rhinosinusitis and Nasal Polyps (EPOS) epidemiological criteria. The disease
      severity of CRS was defined by the number of reported CRS symptoms. Sleep quality
      was assessed using the Basic Nordic Sleep Questionnaire. Results: Of the 26 647
      subjects, 2249 (8.4%) had CRS. Reported sleep problems were 50%-90% more common
      among subjects with CRS compared with those without or the total population. The
      prevalence of reported sleep problems increased in conjunction with the severity
      of CRS. After adjusting for gender, BMI, age, tobacco use, asthma, somatic
      diseases, physical activity level, and educational level, participants with four
      symptoms of CRS (compared with subjects without CRS symptoms) displayed a higher
      risk of snoring (adj. OR [95% CI]: 3.13 [2.22-4.41]), difficulties inducing sleep
      (3.98 [2.94-5.40]), difficulties maintaining sleep (3.44 [2.55-4.64]), early
      morning awakening (4.71 [3.47-6.38]) and excessive daytime sleepiness (4.56 [3.36
      6.18]). The addition of persistent allergic rhinitis to CRS further increased the
      risk of sleep problems. Conclusions: Sleep problems are highly prevalent among
      subjects with CRS. The disease severity of CRS negatively affects sleep quality.

PMID- 28364471
TI  - Intermittent Short Sleep May Contribute to Orexinergic Signaling Dysregulation in
      Alzheimer's Disease.

PMID- 28364470
TI  - Objective Sleep Duration Is Prospectively Associated With Endothelial Health.
AB  - Study Objectives: The mechanisms linking short sleep duration to cardiovascular
      disease (CVD) are poorly understood. Emerging evidence suggests that endothelial
      dysregulation may lie along the causal pathway linking sleep duration to
      cardiovascular risk, although current evidence in humans is based on cross
      sectional studies. Our objective was to evaluate the prospective association
      between objectively assessed sleep duration and clinical indices of endothelial
      health. Methods: A total of 141 medically healthy adults underwent an overnight
      laboratory sleep study when they were between the ages of 21 and 60 years. Total
      sleep time was objectively assessed by polysomnography at study entry.
      Endothelial health, including brachial artery diameter (BAD) and flow-mediated
      dilation (FMD), was measured 18.9 +/- 4.6 years later. Medical health and
      psychiatric status were assessed at both time points. Approximately half of the
      sample had a lifetime history of major depressive disorder. Results: In
      univariate analyses, shorter sleep duration was associated with increased BAD
      (beta = -0.24, p = .004) and decreased FMD (beta = 0.17, p = .042). BAD, but not
      FMD, remained significantly associated with sleep duration after adjusting for
      sex, age, body mass index (BMI), smoking, diabetes, hypertension, and lifetime
      history of major depressive disorder (MDD) at T2. The association between sleep
      duration and BAD was stronger than the association between BAD and an aggregate
      measure of CVD risk including three or more of the following risk factors: male
      sex, age >= 65 years, smoker, BMI >= 30, diabetes, hypertension, and MDD.
      Conclusions: Objectively assessed short sleep duration was prospectively
      associated with increased BAD over a 12- to 30-year period.

PMID- 28364472
TI  - Transcriptional Signatures of Sleep Duration Discordance in Monozygotic Twins.
AB  - Introduction: Habitual short sleep duration is associated with adverse metabolic,
      cardiovascular, and inflammatory effects. Co-twin study methodologies account for
      familial (eg, genetics and shared environmental) confounding, allowing assessment
      of subtle environmental effects, such as the effect of habitual short sleep
      duration on gene expression. Therefore, we investigated gene expression in
      monozygotic twins discordant for actigraphically phenotyped habitual sleep
      duration. Methods: Eleven healthy monozygotic twin pairs (82% female; mean age
      42.7 years; SD = 18.1), selected based on subjective sleep duration discordance,
      were objectively phenotyped for habitual sleep duration with 2 weeks of wrist
      actigraphy. Peripheral blood leukocyte (PBL) RNA from fasting blood samples was
      obtained on the final day of actigraphic measurement and hybridized to Illumina
      humanHT-12 microarrays. Differential gene expression was determined between
      paired samples and mapped to functional categories using Gene Ontology. Finally,
      a more comprehensive gene set enrichment analysis was performed based on the
      entire PBL transcriptome. Results: The mean 24-hour sleep duration of the total
      sample was 439.2 minutes (SD = 46.8 minutes; range 325.4-521.6 minutes). Mean
      within-pair sleep duration difference per 24 hours was 64.4 minutes (SD = 21.2;
      range 45.9-114.6 minutes). The twin cohort displayed distinctive pathway
      enrichment based on sleep duration differences. Habitual short sleep was
      associated with up-regulation of genes involved in transcription, ribosome,
      translation, and oxidative phosphorylation. Unexpectedly, genes down-regulated in
      short sleep twins were highly enriched in immuno-inflammatory pathways such as
      interleukin signaling and leukocyte activation, as well as developmental
      programs, coagulation cascade, and cell adhesion. Conclusions: Objectively
      assessed habitual sleep duration in monozygotic twin pairs appears to be
      associated with distinct patterns of differential gene expression and pathway
      enrichment. By accounting for familial confounding and measuring real life sleep
      duration, our study shows the transcriptomic effects of habitual short sleep on
      dysregulated immune response and provides a potential link between sleep
      deprivation and adverse metabolic, cardiovascular, and inflammatory outcomes.

PMID- 28364473
TI  - Prevalence of Circadian Misalignment and Its Association With Depressive Symptoms
      in Delayed Sleep Phase Disorder.
AB  - Study Objective: To examine the prevalence of circadian misalignment in
      clinically diagnosed delayed sleep phase disorder (DSPD) and to compare mood and
      daytime functioning in those with and without a circadian basis for the disorder.
      Methods: One hundred and eighty-two DSPD patients aged 16-64 years, engaged in
      regular employment or school, underwent sleep-wake monitoring in the home,
      followed by a sleep laboratory visit for assessment of salivary dim light
      melatonin onset (DLMO). Based on the DLMO assessments, patients were classified
      into two groups: circadian DSPD, defined as DLMO occurring at or after desired
      bedtime (DBT), or non-circadian DSPD, defined as DLMO occurring before DBT.
      Results: One hundred and three patients (57%) were classified as circadian DSPD
      and 79 (43%) as non-circadian DSPD. DLMO occurred 1.66 hours later in circadian
      DSPD compared to non-circadian DSPD (p < .001). Moderate-severe depressive
      symptoms (Beck Depression Inventory-II) were more prevalent in circadian DSPD
      (14.0%) than in non-circadian DSPD (3.8%; p < .05). Relative to non-circadian
      DSPD patients, circadian DSPD patients had 4.31 times increased odds of at least
      mild depressive symptoms (95% CI 1.75 to 10.64; p < .01). No group differences
      were found for daytime sleepiness or function, but DSPD symptoms were rated by
      clinicians to be more severe in those with circadian DSPD. Conclusions: Almost
      half of patients clinically diagnosed with DSPD did not show misalignment between
      the circadian pacemaker and the DBT, suggesting that the reported difficulties
      initiating sleep at the DBT are unlikely to be explained by the (mis)timing of
      the circadian rhythm of sleep propensity. Circadian misalignment in DSPD is
      associated with increased depressive symptoms and DSPD symptom severity.

PMID- 28364474
TI  - The Neighborhood Social Environment and Objective Measures of Sleep in the Multi
      Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis.
AB  - Study objectives: To investigate cross-sectional associations of neighborhood
      social environment (social cohesion, safety) with objective measures of sleep
      duration, timing, and disturbances. Methods: A racially/ethnically diverse
      population of men and women (N = 1949) aged 54 to 93 years participating in the
      Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis Sleep and Neighborhood Ancillary studies.
      Participants underwent 1-week actigraphy between 2010 and 2013. Measures of sleep
      duration, timing, and disruption were averaged over all days. Neighborhood
      characteristics were assessed via questionnaires administered to participants and
      an independent sample within the same neighborhood and aggregated at the
      neighborhood (census tract, N = 783) level using empirical Bayes estimation.
      Multilevel linear regression models were used to assess the association between
      the neighborhood social environment and each sleep outcome. Results: Neighborhood
      social environment characterized by higher levels of social cohesion and safety
      were associated with longer sleep duration and earlier sleep midpoint. Each 1
      standard deviation higher neighborhood social environment score was associated
      with 6.1 minutes longer [95% confidence interval (CI): 2.0, 10.2] sleep duration
      and 6.4 minutes earlier (CI: 2.2, 10.6) sleep midpoint after adjustment for age,
      sex, race, socioeconomic status, and marital status. These associations persisted
      after adjustment for other risk factors. Neighborhood social factors were not
      associated with sleep efficiency or sleep fragmentation index. Conclusions: A
      more favorable neighborhood social environment is associated with longer
      objectively measured sleep duration and earlier sleep timing. Intervening on the
      neighborhood environment may improve sleep and subsequent health outcomes.

PMID- 28364475
TI  - Tailored Behavioral Intervention Among Blacks With Metabolic Syndrome and Sleep
      Apnea: Results of the MetSO Trial.
AB  - Study Objectives: To assess effectiveness of a culturally and linguistically
      tailored telephone-delivered intervention to increase adherence to physician
      recommended evaluation and treatment of obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) among
      blacks. Methods: In a two-arm randomized controlled trial, we evaluated
      effectiveness of the tailored intervention among blacks with metabolic syndrome,
      relative to those in an attention control arm (n = 380; mean age = 58 +/- 13;
      female = 71%). The intervention was designed to enhance adherence using
      culturally and linguistically tailored OSA health messages delivered by a trained
      health educator based on patients' readiness to change and unique barriers
      preventing desired behavior changes. Results: Analysis showed 69.4% of the
      patients in the intervention arm attended initial consultation with a sleep
      specialist, compared to 36.7% in the control arm; 74.7% of those in the
      intervention arm and 66.7% in the control arm completed diagnostic evaluation;
      and 86.4% in the intervention arm and 88.9% in the control arm adhered to PAP
      treatment based on subjective report. Logistic regression analyses adjusting for
      sociodemographic factors indicated patients in the intervention arm were 3.17
      times more likely to attend initial consultation, compared to those in the
      control arm. Adjusted models revealed no significant differences between the two
      arms regarding adherence to OSA evaluation or treatment. Conclusion: The
      intervention was successful in promoting importance of sleep consultation and
      evaluation of OSA among blacks, while there was no significant group difference
      in laboratory-based evaluation and treatment adherence rates. It seems that the
      fundamental barrier to OSA care in that population may be the importance of
      seeking OSA care.

PMID- 28364476
TI  - Sleep and Cognitive Performance From Teens To Old Age: More Is Not Better.
AB  - Objectives: To determine the interaction of age and habitual sleep duration in
      predicting cognitive performance in a large sample of participants aged 15 to 89
      years. Methods: This study is a cross-sectional analysis of performance data
      gathered between January 2012 and September 2013. First-time players (N = 512823)
      of three internet cognitive training games measuring processing speed, working
      memory, visuospatial memory, and arithmetic participated in the study. Results:
      Performance was based on a measure of speed and accuracy for each game. The
      relationship between performance and self-reported habitual sleep duration was
      examined in the sample as a whole and across 10-year age groups starting at age
      15 and ending at 75 and older. Performance peaked at 7 h of sleep duration for
      all three games in the sample as a whole, and the decrements in performance for
      sleep durations greater than 7 h were either comparable or greater in the
      youngest as compared to the oldest age groups. Conclusions: These findings
      challenge the hypothesis that deteriorating cognitive performance with long sleep
      duration is driven by medical comorbidities associated with aging. Further, these
      data are consistent with an optimal dose model of sleep and suggest that the
      model for the homeostatic recovery of cognitive function as a function of sleep
      duration should incorporate a curvilinear decline with longer duration sleep,
      indicating that there may be a cost to increased sleep. Replication and further
      research is essential for clarifying the sleep duration-cognition relationship in
      youth and adults of all ages.

PMID- 28364477
TI  - Temporal Changes in the Cerebrospinal Fluid Level of Hypocretin-1 and Histamine
      in Narcolepsy.
AB  - Study Objectives: To follow the temporal changes of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF)
      biomarker levels in narcoleptic patients with unexpected hypocretin level at
      referral. Methods: From 2007 to 2015, 170 human leukocyte antigen (HLA)
      DQB1*06:02-positive patients with primary narcolepsy and definite (n = 155, 95
      males, 60 females, 36 children) or atypical cataplexy (n = 15, 4 males, 3
      children) were referred to our center. Cerebrospinal hypocretin deficiency was
      found in 95.5% and 20% of patients with definitive and atypical cataplexy,
      respectively. CSF hypocretin-1 (n = 6) and histamine/tele-methylhistamine (n = 5)
      levels were assessed twice (median interval: 14.4 months) in four patients with
      definite and in two with atypical cataplexy and hypocretin level greater than 100
      pg/mL at baseline. Results: CSF hypocretin levels decreased from
      normal/intermediate to undetectable levels in three of the four patients with
      definite cataplexy and remained stable in the other (>250 pg/mL). Hypocretin
      level decreased from 106 to 27 pg/mL in one patient with atypical cataplexy, and
      remained stable in the other (101 and 106 pg/mL). CSF histamine and tele
      methylhistamine levels remained stable, but for one patient showing increased
      frequency of cataplexy and a strong decrease (-72.5%) of tele-methylhistamine
      levels several years after disease onset. No significant association was found
      between relative or absolute change in hypocretin level and demographic/clinical
      features. Conclusions: These findings show that in few patients with narcolepsy
      with cataplexy, symptoms and CSF marker levels can change over time. In these
      rare patients with cataplexy without baseline hypocretin deficiency, CSF markers
      should be monitored over time with potential for immune therapies in early stages
      to try limiting hypocretin neuron loss.

PMID- 28364480
TI  - Treatment solution: treatment of choice in a case of haemodynamic instability
      after endovascular repair of a complicated acute type-B aortic dissection.

PMID- 28364478
TI  - Common Genetic Variation Near Melatonin Receptor 1A Gene Linked to Job-Related
      Exhaustion in Shift Workers.
AB  - Study Objectives: Tolerance to shift work varies; only some shift workers suffer
      from disturbed sleep, fatigue, and job-related exhaustion. Our aim was to explore
      molecular genetic risk factors for intolerance to shift work. Methods: We
      assessed intolerance to shift work with job-related exhaustion symptoms in shift
      workers using the emotional exhaustion subscale of the Maslach Burnout Inventory
      General Survey, and carried out a genome-wide association study (GWAS) using
      Illumina's Human610-Quad BeadChip (n = 176). The most significant findings were
      further studied in three groups of Finnish shift workers (n = 577). We assessed
      methylation in blood cells with the Illumina HumanMethylation450K BeadChip, and
      examined gene expression levels in the publicly available eGWAS Mayo data.
      Results: The second strongest signal identified in the GWAS (p = 2.3 * 10E-6) was
      replicated in two of the replication studies with p < .05 (p = 2.0 * 10E-4 when
      combining the replication studies) and indicated an association of job-related
      exhaustion in shift workers with rs12506228, located downstream of the melatonin
      receptor 1A gene (MTNR1A). The risk allele was also associated with reduced in
      silico gene expression levels of MTNR1A in brain tissue and suggestively
      associated with changes in DNA methylation in the 5' regulatory region of MTNR1A.
      Conclusions: These findings suggest that a variant near MTNR1A may be associated
      with job-related exhaustion in shift workers. The risk variant may exert its
      effect via epigenetic mechanisms, potentially leading to reduced melatonin
      signaling in the brain. These results could indicate a link between melatonin
      signaling, a key circadian regulatory mechanism, and tolerance to shift work.

PMID- 28364479
TI  - Detection of intraoperative myocardial dysfunction by accelerometer during aortic
      valve replacement.
AB  - OBJECTIVES: Myocardial dysfunction may occur during weaning from cardiopulmonary
      bypass (CPB). Epicardial accelerometers have been shown to be useful in
      continuous monitoring of myocardial ischaemia during beating-heart surgery. We
      aimed to investigate whether an accelerometer can detect myocardial dysfunction
      during weaning from CPB. METHODS: In 23 patients undergoing isolated aortic valve
      replacement (AVR), a three-axis accelerometer was attached to the left ventricle
      and 3D velocity was calculated from the signals. Peak early systolic velocity
      (Vsys) and velocity at aortic valve closure (Vavc) were measured. Measurements
      were undertaken during normothermia with 50% bypass flow and atrial pacing (90
      beats/min) before aortic cross-clamping and after cross-clamp removal. Myocardial
      dysfunction was defined as Vsys < Vavc, and patients were classified as having
      normal function or dysfunction. Left ventricular (LV) stroke work via pulmonary
      artery catheter and systolic velocity by echocardiography were compared between
      groups and used as reference methods. RESULTS: The accelerometer identified a
      substantial proportion of patients with myocardial dysfunction during weaning
      from CPB, 56% of patients compared with 11% before aortic cross-clamping.
      Patients classified with normal myocardial function during weaning significantly
      improved their LV stroke work and systolic velocity by echocardiography in
      response to AVR, whereas those classified with dysfunction did not. Accelerometer
      classification of normal function predicted an increase in echocardiographic
      systolic velocity [r = 0.63, regression coefficient 1.98, 95% CI (0.57, 3.40) (P
      < 0.01)]. CONCLUSIONS: The accelerometer detected myocardial dysfunction during
      weaning from CPB in accordance with measures obtained by echocardiography and
      pulmonary artery catheter. Clinical Trials identifier: NCT01926067.
      https://clinicaltrials.gov/.

PMID- 28364482
TI  - Treatment solution by Residual dissected brachiocephalic artery aneurysm after
      the repair of acute type A aortic dissection.

PMID- 28364481
TI  - Postoperative interventricular septal haematoma following tetralogy of Fallot
      repair and perimembranous ventricular septal defect repair.
AB  - Interventricular septal haematoma is a rare postoperative complication in
      congenital heart surgery. We present one case of a 6-month-old after tetralogy of
      Fallot repair and 1 case of a 10-month-old after ventricular septal defect
      repair. Both were noted to have interventricular septal haematoma on
      intraoperative transoesophageal and postoperative echocardiogram. Although
      multiple previous reports, mainly in adults, have suggested aggressive
      intervention, both these cases were managed conservatively, highlighting the
      management and evolution of a rare postoperative complication in the paediatric
      population.

PMID- 28364483
TI  - eComment. The Nuss technique: A track full of hazards.

PMID- 28364484
TI  - eComment: "Repair of an acute type A aortic dissection: how to deal with a
      residual dissected branchiocephalic artery aneurysm ".

PMID- 28364485
TI  - Objective, but Not Subjective, Sleepiness is Associated With Inflammation in
      Sleep Apnea.
AB  - Study objectives: Objective and subjective measures of excessive daytime
      sleepiness (EDS) are only weakly associated. No study, however, has examined
      whether these two measures of EDS differ in terms of underlying mechanisms and
      prognostic value. Pro-inflammatory cytokines, that is, interleukin-6 (IL-6)
      appear to promote sleepiness/fatigue, while the stress hormone cortisol promotes
      vigilance. We hypothesized that objective sleepiness is associated with increased
      levels of IL-6 and decreased levels of cortisol. Methods: We studied 58
      obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) patients with clinical EDS and/or cardiovascular
      comorbidities who underwent 8-hour in-lab polysomnography for four consecutive
      nights. Objective and subjective daytime sleepiness were measured by Multiple
      Sleep Latency Test (MSLT), Epworth Sleepiness Scale (ESS), and Stanford
      Sleepiness Scale (SSS), respectively. Twenty-four-hour profiles of IL-6 and
      cortisol levels were assessed on the fourth day. Results: The agreement between
      objective and subjective EDS in OSA patients was fair (kappa = 0.22). Objective
      EDS (lower MSLT) in OSA patients was associated with significantly elevated 24
      hour (beta = -0.34, p = .01), daytime (beta = -0.30, p = .02) and nighttime (beta
      = -0.38, p < .01) IL-6 levels, and significantly decreased daytime (beta = 0.35,
      p = .01) cortisol levels. In contrast, subjective EDS (higher ESS/SSS) was not
      associated with either elevated IL-6 levels or decreased cortisol levels.
      Conclusions: Our findings suggest that OSA with objective EDS is the more severe
      phenotype of the disorder associated with low-grade inflammation, a link to
      cardiometabolic morbidity and mortality. Compared to subjective EDS, objective
      EDS is a stronger predictor of OSA severity and may be useful in the clinical
      management of the disorder.

PMID- 28364487
TI  - A Population-Based Study on Nighttime Road Traffic Noise and Insomnia.
AB  - Study Objectives: The aims of the present study were to investigate how nighttime
      road traffic noise relates to self-reported symptoms of insomnia and sleep
      medication use. Methods: We used questionnaire data from the population-based
      study Health and Environment in Oslo (HELMILO) (2009-2010; n = 13019). The
      insomnia symptoms difficulties falling asleep, awakenings during the night, and
      waking up too early in the morning as well as self-reported sleep medication use
      were included as outcomes. Modeled noise levels (Lnight) were assigned to each
      participant's home address. For selecting covariates to the statistical model, we
      used a directed acyclic graph. The associations between noise and sleep were
      analyzed using logistic regression models. Results: After adjustment for
      potential confounders, we found an odds ratio (OR) of 1.05 (95% confidence
      interval [CI]: 1.01-1.09) for the association between traffic noise and
      difficulties falling asleep, in the total study population. For the association
      between traffic noise and awakenings during the night, the OR was 1.04 (95% CI:
      1.00-1.08) and for waking up too early, the OR was 1.06 (95% CI: 1.02-1.11). The
      effect estimates are given per 5-dB increase in traffic noise level (Lnight).
      Self-reported sleep medication use was not statistically significantly associated
      with traffic noise exposure. Conclusions: In an adult population from Oslo,
      traffic noise was associated with difficulties falling asleep and waking up too
      early. These findings indicate that sleep quantity may be compromised for
      individuals living in areas highly exposed to nighttime traffic noise.

PMID- 28364486
TI  - Genetic Basis of Chronotype in Humans: Insights From Three Landmark GWAS.
AB  - Study Objectives: Chronotype, or diurnal preference, refers to behavioral
      manifestations of the endogenous circadian system that governs preferred timing
      of sleep and wake. As variations in circadian timing and system perturbations are
      linked to disease development, the fundamental biology of chronotype has received
      attention for its role in the regulation and dysregulation of sleep and related
      illnesses. Family studies indicate that chronotype is a heritable trait, thus
      directing attention toward its genetic basis. Although discoveries from molecular
      studies of candidate genes have shed light onto its genetic architecture, the
      contribution of genetic variation to chronotype has remained unclear with few
      related variants identified. In the advent of large-scale genome-wide association
      studies (GWAS), scientists now have the ability to discover novel common genetic
      variants associated with complex phenotypes. Three recent large-scale GWASs of
      chronotype were conducted on subjects of European ancestry from the 23andMe
      cohort and the UK Biobank. This review discusses the findings of these landmark
      GWASs in the context of prior research. Methods: We systematically reviewed and
      compared methodological and analytical approaches and results across the three
      GWASs of chronotype. Results: A good deal of consistency was observed across
      studies with 9 genes identified in 2 of the 3 GWASs. Several genes previously
      unknown to influence chronotype were identified. Conclusions: GWAS is an
      important tool in identifying common variants associated with the complex
      chronotype phenotype, the findings of which can supplement and guide molecular
      science. Future directions in model systems and discovery of rare variants are
      discussed.

PMID- 28364488
TI  - Short Sleep Duration Is Associated With Eating More Carbohydrates and Less
      Dietary Fat in Mexican American Children.
AB  - Study Objective: Short sleep duration is a risk factor for childhood obesity.
      Mechanisms are unclear, but may involve selection of high carbohydrate foods.
      This study examined the association between estimated sleep duration and
      macronutrient intake as percentages of total energy among Mexican American (MA) 9
      11 year olds. Methods: This cross-sectional study measured diet using two 24-hour
      recalls and estimated sleep duration using hip-worn accelerometry in MA children
      (n = 247) who were part of a cohort study. Child and maternal anthropometry were
      obtained; mothers reported on demographic information. Using linear regression,
      we examined the relationship of sleep duration with energy intake, sugar intake,
      and the percentage of energy intake from carbohydrates, fat, and protein.
      Results: Children were 47% male; mean age was 10 (SD = 0.9) years. Mean sleep
      duration was 9.6 (SD = 0.8) hours; 53% were overweight/obese, with a mean energy
      intake of 1759 (SD = 514) calories. Longer sleep duration was independently
      associated with a lower percentage of energy intake from carbohydrates (beta = 
      0.22, p < .01) and a higher percentage of energy from fat (beta = 0.19, p < .01),
      driven by the percentage of energy from polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA; beta =
      0.17, p < .05). No association was found with the intake of energy or total
      sugars, or the percent of calories from protein. Conclusions: MA children who
      slept longer consumed diets with a lower percentage of calories from
      carbohydrates and a higher percentage from fat, especially from PUFA. Short sleep
      duration may be a risk factor for food cravings that are high in carbohydrate
      content and may displace heart-healthy dietary fat, and thereby increase obesity
      risk among children.

PMID- 28364489
TI  - Sleep Quality and Nocturnal Sleep Duration in Pregnancy and Risk of Gestational
      Diabetes Mellitus.
AB  - Study Objectives: To examine the influence of maternal sleep quality and
      nocturnal sleep duration on risk of gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) in a
      multiethnic Asian population. Methods: A cohort of 686 women (376 Chinese, 186
      Malay, and 124 Indian) with a singleton pregnancy attended a clinic visit at 26
      28 weeks of gestation as part of the Growing Up in Singapore Towards healthy
      Outcomes mother-offspring cohort study. Self-reported sleep quality and sleep
      duration were assessed using the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI). GDM was
      diagnosed based on a 75-g oral glucose tolerance test administered after an
      overnight fast (1999 WHO criteria). Multiple logistic regression was used to
      model separately the associations of poor sleep quality (PSQI score > 5) and
      short nocturnal sleep duration (<6 h) with GDM, adjusting for age, ethnicity,
      maternal education, body mass index, previous history of GDM, and anxiety (State
      Trait Anxiety Inventory score). Results: In the cohort 296 women (43.1%) had poor
      sleep quality and 77 women (11.2%) were categorized as short sleepers; 131 women
      (19.1%) were diagnosed with GDM. Poor sleep quality and short nocturnal sleep
      duration were independently associated with increased risk of GDM (poor sleep,
      adjusted odds ratio [OR] = 1.75, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.11 to 2.76; short
      sleep, adjusted OR = 1.96, 95% CI 1.05 to 3.66). Conclusions: During pregnancy,
      Asian women with poor sleep quality or short nocturnal sleep duration exhibited
      abnormal glucose regulation. Treating sleep problems and improving sleep behavior
      in pregnancy could potentially reduce the risk and burden of GDM.

PMID- 28364490
TI  - Sleep Disturbances in Individuals With Phelan-McDermid Syndrome: Correlation With
      Caregivers' Sleep Quality and Daytime Functioning.
AB  - Study Objectives: The aims of this study were to document sleep disturbances in
      individuals with Phelan-McDermid syndrome (PMS), to assess whether these
      individuals had been evaluated for sleep disorders, and to examine relationships
      between the sleep behavior of these individuals and the sleep behavior and
      daytime functioning of their caregivers. Methods: Participants were 193
      caregivers of individuals with PMS recruited by the Phelan-McDermid Syndrome
      Foundation. Data were collected through a survey comprising 2 questionnaires: the
      Children's Sleep Habits Questionnaire (CSHQ) and the Parents' Sleep Habits
      Questionnaire. Data were analyzed using multiple linear regression analyses,
      Pearson correlation analyses, and independent-samples t-tests. Results: Ninety
      percent of individuals with PMS showed evidence of marked sleep disturbance based
      on caregiver responses to the CSHQ. However, only 22% of individuals had
      undergone a formal sleep assessment. Reported increased sleep disturbance in
      individuals with PMS was a statistically significant predictor of reported
      increased sleep disturbance and daytime sleepiness in their caregivers.
      Conclusions: Sleep disturbance may be present in a substantial proportion of
      individuals with PMS and is negatively associated with caregivers' well-being.
      However, most individuals with PMS have not been evaluated for sleep disorders.
      When properly diagnosed, many sleep disorders can be alleviated with
      intervention. Thus, routine screening for and evaluation of sleep disturbances in
      individuals with PMS may have long-term positive impacts on the well-being of
      these individuals and their caregivers.

PMID- 28364491
TI  - Too Long, Too Short, or Too Variable? Sleep Intraindividual Variability and Its
      Associations With Perceived Sleep Quality and Mood in Adolescents During
      Naturalistically Unconstrained Sleep.
AB  - Introduction: Research has extensively examined the relationship between
      adolescents' mental health and average sleep duration/quality. Using rigorous
      methodology, this study characterized adolescents' objective sleep
      intraindividual variability (IIV) and examined its role on mood beyond the
      effects of their respective individual mean (IIM) values. Aims and Methods: One
      hundred forty-six community-dwelling adolescents (47.3% male) aged 16.2 +/- 1.0
      (M +/- SD) years wore an actigraph that assessed bedtime, risetime, time-in-bed
      (TIB), and sleep onset latency (SOL) throughout a 15-day vacation with relatively
      unconstrained sleep opportunity. Self-report sleep quality (SSQ), negative mood
      (MOOD), and other covariates were assessed using questionnaires. For each sleep
      variable, individuals' mean values (IIM) and IIV were used to simultaneously
      predict MOOD with SSQ as a mediator. Models were estimated in a Bayesian IIV
      framework; both linear and quadratic effects of the IIM and IIV were examined.
      Results: Longer and more variable TIB, as well as more variable SOL (but not mean
      SOL), were associated with poorer SSQ (ps < .01), which in turn, was associated
      with more negative MOOD (ps < .05). The indirect effect of SOL IIV was
      curvilinear, such that as SOL became more variable, the deteriorating effect of
      high SOL IIV accelerated. Neither bedtime nor risetime IIV was significantly
      associated with SSQ or MOOD. Conclusions: During relatively unconstrained sleep
      opportunity, more variable TIB and SOL were associated with more negative mood,
      mediated by poorer perceived sleep quality. Significant effects of IIV were over
      and above that of mean values, suggesting that unique aspects of sleep IIV are
      relevant to how adolescents perceive sleep quality and their mood.

PMID- 28364492
TI  - Neuropsychological Function in Patients With Acute Tetraplegia and Sleep
      Disordered Breathing.
AB  - Study objectives: To investigate the relationship between apnea severity and
      neuropsychological function in patients with acute-onset tetraplegia and sleep
      disordered breathing. Methods: Polysomnography and neuropsychological testing
      were performed on 104 participants (age M = 45.60, SD = 16.38; 10 female) across
      11 international sites, 2 months postinjury (M = 60.70 days, SD = 39.48).
      Neuropsychological tests assessed attention, information processing, executive
      function, memory, learning, mood, and quality of life. Results: More severe sleep
      apnea was associated with poorer attention, information processing, and immediate
      recall. Deficits did not extend to memory. Higher preinjury intelligence and
      being younger reduced the associations with sleep disordered breathing; however,
      these protective factors were insufficient to counter the damage to attention,
      immediate recall, and information processing associated with sleep disordered
      breathing. Conclusions: These data suggest that new spinal cord injury may
      function as a model of "acute sleep apnea" and that more widespread sleep apnea
      related deficits, including memory, may only be seen with longer exposure to
      apnea. These findings have important implications for functioning and skill
      acquisition during rehabilitation and, as such, highlight the importance of sleep
      health following tetraplegia.

PMID- 28364493
TI  - Effects of Melatonin and Bright Light Treatment in Childhood Chronic Sleep Onset
      Insomnia With Late Melatonin Onset: A Randomized Controlled Study.
AB  - Study Objectives: Chronic sleep onset insomnia with late melatonin onset is
      prevalent in childhood, and has negative daytime consequences. Melatonin
      treatment is known to be effective in treating these sleep problems. Bright light
      therapy might be an alternative treatment, with potential advantages over
      melatonin treatment. In this study, we compare the effects of melatonin and
      bright light treatment with a placebo condition in children with chronic sleep
      onset insomnia and late melatonin onset. Methods: Eighty-four children (mean age
      10.0 years, 61% boys) first entered a baseline week, after which they received
      melatonin (N = 26), light (N = 30), or placebo pills (N = 28) for 3 to 4 weeks.
      Sleep was measured daily with sleep diaries and actigraphy. Before and after
      treatment children completed a questionnaire on chronic sleep reduction, and Dim
      Light Melatonin Onset (DLMO) was measured. Results were analyzed with linear
      mixed model analyses. Results: Melatonin treatment and light therapy decreased
      sleep latency (sleep diary) and advanced sleep onset (sleep diary and
      actigraphy), although for sleep onset the effects of melatonin were stronger. In
      addition, melatonin treatment advanced DLMO and had positive effects on sleep
      latency and sleep efficiency (actigraphy data), and sleep time (sleep diary and
      actigraphy data). However, wake after sleep onset (actigraphy) increased with
      melatonin treatment. No effects on chronic sleep reduction were found.
      Conclusions: We found positive effects of both melatonin and light treatment on
      various sleep outcomes, but more and stronger effects were found for melatonin
      treatment.

PMID- 28364494
TI  - Eating Decisions Based on Alertness Levels After a Single Night of Sleep
      Manipulation: A Randomized Clinical Trial.
AB  - Study Objectives: To determine the relationship between an ecologically-relevant
      change in sleep behavior and its subsequent effects on daytime alertness and
      feeding behavior. Methods: Fifty healthy, young participants (10 male, 40 female)
      completed two 3-hour study sessions that were at least five days apart. The first
      session was a baseline evaluation. On the night prior to Session 2, the amount of
      time in bed was manipulated to be 60%-130% of the individual's habitual sleep
      time. Within both sessions, subjective (Stanford Sleepiness Scale) and objective
      (Psychomotor Vigilance Test) alertness were measured. During the middle of each
      session, a 40-minute ad libitum meal opportunity allowed participants to eat from
      eight different food items. Food healthfulness, caloric density, distribution,
      and number of calories were measured and compared to alertness levels. Results:
      The induced variation in time in bed resulted in induced variation in both
      subjective and objective (p < .05) measures of alertness. Decreased subjective
      alertness was associated with increased total caloric consumption (p < .05), and
      a greater number of calories consumed from less healthy food (p < .05), as rated
      by both the investigators and by the participant. Decreased objective alertness
      was associated with less healthy food choices (p < .05), and the consumption of
      more food from the calorically-dense items (p < .05). Conclusions: Ecologically
      relevant impairments in subjective and objective alertness are associated with
      increased caloric intake and dysfunctional eating decisions. People experiencing
      reduced alertness after modest sleep loss may be more willing to eat food they
      recognize as less healthful, and appear to prefer more calorically-dense foods.

PMID- 28364495
TI  - Sexsomnia: A Specialized Non-REM Parasomnia?
AB  - Introduction: To describe patients with sexsomnia and to contrast their clinical
      and sleep measures with those of healthy controls and sleepwalkers. Aims and
      Methods: Subjects referred for sexsomnia and for sleepwalking/night terror were
      interviewed, completed the Paris Arousal Disorder Severity Scale (PADSS), and
      were monitored 1-2 nights with video-polysomnography. Results: Seventeen patients
      (70.6% male, aged 17-76 years) had sexsomnia, with amnestic fondling of the bed
      partner (n = 11), complete sexual intercourse (n = 8), masturbation (n = 8), and
      spontaneous orgasm (n = 1). The sexual behaviors were more direct during sleep
      than during wakefulness (n = 12), leading to 6 sexual assaults, including intra
      conjugal rape (n = 3), assault of a family member (n = 2), rape of a friend (n =
      1), and forensic consequences (n = 2). In 47% of sexsomnia patients, there was a
      history or current occurrences of sleepwalking/night terrors. Patients with
      sexsomnia had more N3 awakenings than healthy matched controls and the same
      amount as regular sleepwalkers. Half of them presented evidence of cortico
      cortical dissociation, including concomitant slow (mostly frontal) and rapid
      (mostly temporal and occipital) electroencephalography (EEG) rhythms, with
      concomitant N3 penile erection in 1 case. Of 89 sleepwalkers, 10% had previous
      episodes of amnestic sexual behaviors, with a higher PADSS-A score and a trend of
      a higher total PADSS score than the 80 sleepwalkers without sexsomnia.
      Conclusion: In this single-center series, we confirmed the male predominance of
      sexsomnias and its potential for severe clinical and forensic consequences. The
      results suggest a continuum of regular sleepwalking, sleepwalking with occasional
      sexsomnia, and quasi-exclusive sexsomnia.

PMID- 28364496
TI  - Pareidolias in REM Sleep Behavior Disorder: A Possible Predictive Marker of Lewy
      Body Diseases?
AB  - Study Objectives: To investigate conditions and clinical significance of
      pareidolias in patients with idiopathic rapid eyemovent (REM) sleep behavior
      disorder (iRBD). Methods: This cross-sectional study examined 202 patients with
      iRBD (66.8 +/- 8.0 yr, 58 female) and 46 healthy control subjects (64.7 +/- 5.8
      years, 14 females). They underwent the Pareidolia test, a newly developed
      instrument for evoking pareidolias, video polysomnography, olfactory tests, and
      Addenbrooke's cognitive examination-revised. Results: Results show that 53.5% of
      iRBD patients exhibited one or more pareidolic responses: The rate was higher
      than control subjects showed (21.7%). The pictures evoking pareidolic responses
      were more numerous for iRBD patients than for control subjects (1.2 +/- 1.8 vs.
      0.4 +/- 0.8, p < .001). Subgroup analyses revealed that iRBD patients with
      pareidolic responses had higher amounts of REM sleep without atonia (RWA), with
      lower sleep efficiency, lower cognitive function, and older age than subjects
      without pareidolic responses. Results of multivariate analyses show the number of
      pareidolic responses as a factor associated with decreased cognitive function in
      iRBD patients with better predictive accuracy. Morbidity length and severity of
      iRBD, olfactory function, and the amount of RWA were not factors associated with
      better predictive accuracy. Conclusions: Half or more of the iRBD patients showed
      pareidolic responses. The responses were proven to be associated more intimately
      with their cognitive decline than clinical or physiological variables related to
      RBD. Pareidolias in iRBD are useful as a predictive marker of future development
      of Lewy body diseases.

PMID- 28364497
TI  - Impact of Multi-Night Experimentally Induced Short Sleep on Adolescent
      Performance in a Simulated Classroom.
AB  - Study Objectives: Investigate whether a realistic "dose" of shortened sleep,
      relative to a well-rested state, causes a decline in adolescents' learning and an
      increase in inattentive and sleepy behaviors in a simulated classroom setting.
      Methods: Eighty-seven healthy 14.0- to 16.9-year olds underwent a 3-week sleep
      manipulation protocol, including two 5-night sleep manipulation conditions
      presented in a randomly counterbalanced within-subjects cross-over design. Wake
      time was held constant. Bedtimes were set to induce Short Sleep (SS; 6.5 hours in
      bed) versus Healthy Sleep (HS; 10 hours in bed). During the morning at the end of
      each condition, participants underwent a simulated classroom procedure in which
      they viewed lecture-based educational videotapes and completed relevant quizzes.
      Their behaviors in the simulated classroom were later coded by condition-blind
      raters for evidence of inattention and sleepiness. Results: Adolescents had a
      longer average sleep period during HS (9.1 hours) than SS (6.5 hours). Compared
      to scores during HS, adolescents scored significantly lower on the quiz, showed
      more behaviors suggestive of inattention and sleepiness in the simulated
      classroom, and were reported by adolescents themselves and by their parents to be
      more inattentive and sleepy during SS. However, the impact of the manipulation on
      quiz scores was not mediated by changes in attention or sleepiness. Conclusions:
      Although effect sizes were modest, these findings suggest that previously
      reported correlations between sleep duration and academic performance reflect
      true cause-effect relationships. Findings add to the growing evidence that the
      chronically shortened sleep experienced by many adolescents on school nights
      adversely impacts their functioning and health.

PMID- 28364498
TI  - Sleep Characteristics and Carotid Atherosclerosis Among Midlife Women.
AB  - Introduction: Midlife, which encompasses the menopause transition in women, can
      be a time of disrupted sleep and accelerated atherosclerosis accumulation. Short
      or poor sleep quality has been associated with cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk;
      few studies have investigated relations among midlife women. We tested whether
      shorter actigraphy sleep time or poorer subjective sleep quality was associated
      with carotid atherosclerosis among midlife women. Aims and Methods: Two hundred
      fifty-six peri- and postmenopausal women aged 40-60 years completed 3 days of
      wrist actigraphy, hot flash monitoring, questionnaires (Pittsburgh Sleep Quality
      Index [PSQI], Berlin), a blood draw, and carotid ultrasound [intima media
      thickness (IMT), plaque]. Associations of objective (actigraphy) and subjective
      (PSQI) sleep with IMT/plaque were tested in regression models (covariates: age,
      race, education, body mass index, blood pressure, lipids, insulin resistance,
      medications, snoring, depressive symptoms, sleep hot flashes, and estradiol).
      Results: Shorter objective sleep time was associated with higher odds of carotid
      plaque (for each hour shorter sleep, plaque score >= 2, odds ratio (OR) [95%
      confidence interval, CI] = 1.58 [1.11-2.27], p = .01; plaque score = 1, OR [95%
      CI] = 0.95 [0.68-1.32], p = .75, vs. no plaque, multivariable). Poorer subjective
      sleep quality was associated with higher mean IMT [beta, b (standard error, SE) =
      0.004 (0.002), p = .03], maximal IMT [b (SE) = 0.009 (0.003), p = .005], and
      plaque [plaque score >= 2, OR (95% CI) = 1.23 (1.09-1.40), p = .001; score = 1,
      OR (95% CI) = 1.06 (0.93-1.21), p = .37, vs. no plaque] in multivariable models.
      Findings persisted additionally adjusting for sleep hot flashes and estradiol.
      Conclusions: Shorter actigraphy-assessed sleep time and poorer subjective sleep
      quality were associated with increased carotid atherosclerosis among midlife
      women. Associations persisted adjusting for CVD risk factors, hot flashes, and
      estradiol.

PMID- 28364499
TI  - Familial Aggregation of Insomnia.
AB  - Study Objectives: There is little information about familial aggregation of
      insomnia; however, this type of information is important to (1) improve our
      understanding of insomnia risk factors and (2) to design more effective treatment
      and prevention programs. This study aimed to investigate evidence of familial
      aggregation of insomnia among first-degree relatives of probands with and without
      insomnia. Methods: Cases (n = 134) and controls (n = 145) enrolled in a larger
      epidemiological study were solicited to invite their first-degree relatives and
      spouses to complete a standardized sleep/insomnia survey. In total, 371 first
      degree relatives (Mage = 51.9 years, SD = 18.0; 34.3% male) and 138 spouses (Mage
      = 55.5 years, SD = 12.2; 68.1% male) completed the survey assessing the nature,
      severity, and frequency of sleep disturbances. The dependent variable was
      insomnia in first-degree relatives and spouses. Familial aggregation was claimed
      if the risk of insomnia was significantly higher in the exposed (relatives of
      cases) compared to the unexposed cohort (relatives of controls). The risk of
      insomnia was also compared between spouses in the exposed (spouses of cases) and
      unexposed cohort (spouses of controls). Results: The risk of insomnia in exposed
      and unexposed biological relatives was 18.6% and 10.4%, respectively, yielding a
      relative risk (RR) of 1.80 (p = .04) after controlling for age and sex. The risk
      of insomnia in exposed and unexposed spouses was 9.1% and 4.2%, respectively;
      however, corresponding RR of 2.13 (p = .28) did not differ significantly.
      Conclusions: Results demonstrate evidence of strong familial aggregation of
      insomnia. Additional research is warranted to further clarify and disentangle the
      relative contribution of genetic and environmental factors in insomnia.

PMID- 28364500
TI  - Antibodies Against Hypocretin Receptor 2 Are Rare in Narcolepsy.
AB  - Study Objectives: Recently, antibodies to the hypocretin receptor 2 (HCRTR2-Abs)
      were reported in a high proportion of narcolepsy patients who developed the
      disease following Pandemrix(r) vaccination. We tested a group of narcolepsy
      patients for the HCRTR2-Abs using a newly established cell-based assay. Methods:
      Sera from 50 narcolepsy type 1 (NT1) and 11 narcolepsy type 2 (NT2) patients, 22
      patients with other sleep disorders, 15 healthy controls, and 93 disease controls
      were studied. Cerebrospinal fluid (CSFs) from three narcoleptic patients were
      subsequently included. Human embryonic kidney cells were transiently transfected
      with human HCRTR2, incubated with patients' sera for 1 hr at 1:20 dilution and
      then fixed. Binding of antibodies was detected by fluorescently labeled secondary
      antibodies to human immunoglobulin G (IgG) and the different IgG subclasses. A
      nonlinear visual scoring system was used from 0 to 4; samples scoring >=1 were
      considered positive. Results: Only 3 (5%) of 61 patients showed a score >=1, one
      with IgG1- and two with IgG3-antibodies, but titers were low (1:40-1:100). CSFs
      from these patients were negative. The three positive patients included one NT1
      case with associated psychotic features, one NT2 patient, and an NT1 patient with
      normal hypocretin CSF levels. Conclusions: Low levels of IgG1 or IgG3 antibodies
      against HCRTR2 were found in 3 of 61 patients with narcolepsy, although only 1
      presented with full-blown NT1. HCRTR2-Abs are not common in narcolepsy unrelated
      to vaccination.

PMID- 28364501
TI  - Comparison Between Automatic and Visual Scorings of REM Sleep Without Atonia for
      the Diagnosis of REM Sleep Behavior Disorder in Parkinson Disease.
AB  - Study Objectives: To compare three different methods, two visual and one
      automatic, for the quantification of rapid eye movement (REM) sleep without
      atonia (RSWA) in the diagnosis of REM sleep behavior disorder (RBD) in
      Parkinson's disease (PD) patients. Methods: Sixty-two consecutive patients with
      idiopathic PD underwent video-polysomnographic recording and showed more than 5
      minutes of REM sleep. The electromyogram during REM sleep was analyzed by means
      of two visual methods (Montreal and SINBAR) and one automatic analysis (REM
      Atonia Index or RAI). RBD was diagnosed according to standard criteria and a
      series of diagnostic accuracy measures were calculated for each method, as well
      as the agreement between them. Results: RBD was diagnosed in 59.7% of patients.
      The accuracy (85.5%), receiver operating characteristic (ROC) area (0.833) and
      Cohen's K coefficient (0.688) obtained with RAI were similar to those of the
      visual parameters. Visual tonic parameters, alone or in combination with phasic
      activity, showed high values of accuracy (93.5-95.2%), ROC area (0.92-0.94), and
      Cohen's K (0.862-0.933). Similarly, the agreement between the two visual methods
      was very high, and the agreement between each visual methods and RAI was
      substantial. Visual phasic measures alone performed worse than all the other
      measures. Conclusion: The diagnostic accuracy of RSWA obtained with both visual
      and automatic methods was high and there was a general agreement between methods.
      RAI may be used as the first line method to detect RSWA in the diagnosis of RBD
      in PD, together with the visual inspection of video-recorded behaviors, while the
      visual analysis of RSWA might be used in doubtful cases.

PMID- 28364502
TI  - Altered CD8+ T-Cell Lymphocyte Function and TC1 Cell Stemness Contribute to
      Enhanced Malignant Tumor Properties in Murine Models of Sleep Apnea.
AB  - Study Objective: The presence of obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) in patients with
      cancer appears to be accompanied by poorer outcomes. However, the mechanisms
      underlying such association are unknown. Tumor infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs),
      including CD8+ T cells, function as cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTLs) and mount
      immune responses to cancer by the release of cytolytic enzymes, including
      granzyme B (GzmB), perforin (Prf), and cytokines such as interferon (IFN)-gamma.
      Methods: Using established in vivo mouse models, we investigated CD8+ T cells and
      cancer stem cells (CSCs) in intermittent hypoxia (IH) and sleep fragmentation
      (SF) in the context of tumor environment. Results: Both IH and SF promoted
      increased tumor growth and invasion toward adjacent tissues compared to controls.
      The number and frequency of GzmB-producing CD8+ T cells per milligram of tumor
      tissue was significantly reduced in IH-exposed mice with impaired cytolytic
      function in both the groups and correlated with tumor weight. We also found that
      Oct4+ and CD44+CD133+ expressing CSCs were considerably increased in IH and SF
      tumors, respectively. Conclusions: Reductions in GzmB in intratumoral CD8+ T
      cells in combination with the changes in tumor microenvironment that maintain the
      ability of CSCs to self-renew and even confer this capability to the nonstem
      population are compatible with reduced immunosurveillance and adverse tumor
      outcomes in animal models of OSA.

PMID- 28364503
TI  - Glutamate Is a Wake-Active Neurotransmitter in Drosophila melanogaster.
AB  - Introduction: In mammals, there is evidence that glutamate has a role as a wake
      active neurotransmitter. So using video-based analysis of Drosophila behavior, we
      undertook a study to examine if glutamate, which has been previously shown to
      have an excitatory role in neuromuscular junctions in Drosophila, may have a
      conserved wake-active role in the adult brain. Aims and Methods: Using 6- to 9
      day-old female flies, we examined the effect of perturbations of the
      glutamatergic signaling on total wakefulness and wake bout architecture. We
      increased and decreased neuronal activity of glutamatergic neurons in the brains
      of adult flies using Upstream Activating Sequence (UAS) NaChBac and UAS EKO,
      respectively. We blocked neurotransmission from glutamatergic neurons in adult
      flies using the UAS-driven temperature-sensitive dynamin mutation shibirets. We
      examined the behavior of flies with loss of function mutations of individual
      subunits of brain-specific ionotropic glutamate receptors. Results: Increasing
      the activity of glutamatergic neurons in the adult brain led to a significant
      increase in wakefulness compared to the control groups both in the daytime and
      nighttime and decreasing the activity of these same neurons reduced wakefulness
      in the nighttime. Blocking neurotransmitter release in glutamatergic neurons
      significantly reduced wake in the nighttime. The ionotropic receptor mutants had
      significantly less wake in the nighttime than their respective genetic background
      controls. Conclusion: The results show the following: glutamate is indeed a wake
      active neurotransmitter in Drosophila; there is a major time of day effect
      associated with loss of glutamatergic neurotransmission; and it is a major wake
      active neurotransmitter in the nighttime.

PMID- 28364505
TI  - Association of Restless Legs Syndrome With Incident Parkinson's Disease.
AB  - Study Objectives: The association between restless legs syndrome (RLS) and
      Parkinson's disease (PD) has been extensively studied with inconclusive results;
      therefore, we prospectively examined the associations of the presence of RLS with
      development of incident PD. Methods: From a nationally representative prospective
      cohort of almost 3.5 million US veterans (age: 60 +/- 14 years, 93% male, median
      follow-up time of 7.8 years [interquartile range: 6.4-8.4 years]), we created a
      propensity-matched cohort of 100882 PD-free patients and examined the association
      between prevalent RLS and incident PD. This association was also assessed in the
      entire cohort. Associations were examined using Cox models. Results: There were
      68 incident PD events (0.13%, incidence rate 1.87 [1.48-2.37]/10000 patient
      years) in the RLS-negative group, and 185 incident PD events (0.37%, incidence
      rate 4.72 [4.09-5.45]/10000 patient-years) in the RLS-positive group in the
      propensity-matched cohort. Prevalent RLS was associated with more than twofold
      higher risk of incident PD (hazard ratio [HR]: 2.57, 95% confidence interval
      [CI]: 1.95-3.39) compared to RLS-negative patients. Qualitatively similar results
      were found when we examined the entire 3.5 million cohort: Prevalent RLS was
      associated with more than twofold higher risk of incident PD (multivariable
      adjusted HR: 2.81, 95%CI: 2.41-3.27). Conclusion: RLS and PD share common risk
      factors. In this large cohort of US veterans, we found that prevalent RLS is
      associated with higher risk of incident PD during 8 years of follow-up,
      suggesting that RLS could be an early clinical feature of incident PD.

PMID- 28364504
TI  - Effects of Tiagabine on Slow Wave Sleep and Arousal Threshold in Patients With
      Obstructive Sleep Apnea.
AB  - Introduction: Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) severity is markedly reduced during
      slow-wave sleep (SWS) even in patients with a severe disease. The reason for this
      improvement is uncertain but likely relates to non-anatomical factors (i.e.
      reduced arousability, chemosensitivity, and increased dilator muscle activity).
      The anticonvulsant tiagabine produces a dose-dependent increase in SWS in
      subjects without OSA. This study aimed to test the hypothesis that tiagabine
      would reduce OSA severity by raising the overall arousal threshold during sleep.
      Aims and Methods: After a baseline physiology night to assess patients' OSA
      phenotypic traits, a placebo-controlled, double-blind, crossover trial of
      tiagabine 12 mg administered before sleep was performed in 14 OSA patients. Under
      each condition, we assessed the effects on sleep and OSA severity using standard
      clinical polysomnography. Results: Tiagabine increased slow-wave activity (SWA)
      of the electroencephalogram (1-4 Hz) compared to placebo (1.8 [0.4] vs. 2.0 [0.5]
      LogMUV2, p = .04) but did not reduce OSA severity (apnea-hypopnea index [AHI]
      41.5 [20.3] vs. 39.1 [16.5], p > .5). SWS duration (25 [20] vs. 26 [43] mins, p >
      .5) and arousal threshold (-26.5 [5.0] vs. -27.6 [5.1] cmH2O, p = .26) were also
      unchanged between nights. Conclusions: Tiagabine modified sleep microstructure
      (increase in SWA) but did not change the duration of SWS, OSA severity, or
      arousal threshold in this group of OSA patients. Based on these findings,
      tiagabine should not be considered as a therapeutic option for OSA treatment.

PMID- 28364506
TI  - Sleep Consolidates Motor Learning of Complex Movement Sequences in Mice.
AB  - Introduction: Sleep-dependent consolidation of motor learning has been
      extensively studied in humans, but it remains unclear why some, but not all,
      learned skills benefit from sleep. Aims and Methods: Here, we compared 2
      different motor tasks, both requiring the mice to run on an accelerating device.
      In the rotarod task, mice learn to maintain balance while running on a small rod,
      while in the complex wheel task, mice run on an accelerating wheel with an
      irregular rung pattern. Results: In the rotarod task, performance improved to the
      same extent after sleep or after sleep deprivation (SD). Overall, using 7
      different experimental protocols (41 sleep deprived mice, 26 sleeping controls),
      we found large interindividual differences in the learning and consolidation of
      the rotarod task, but sleep before/after training did not account for this
      variability. By contrast, using the complex wheel, we found that sleep after
      training, relative to SD, led to better performance from the beginning of the
      retest session, and longer sleep was correlated with greater subsequent
      performance. As in humans, the effects of sleep showed large interindividual
      variability and varied between fast and slow learners, with sleep favoring the
      preservation of learned skills in fast learners and leading to a net offline gain
      in the performance in slow learners. Using Fos expression as a proxy for neuronal
      activation, we also found that complex wheel training engaged motor cortex and
      hippocampus more than the rotarod training. Conclusions: Sleep specifically
      consolidates a motor skill that requires complex movement sequences and strongly
      engages both motor cortex and hippocampus.

PMID- 28364507
TI  - Neurobehavioral Impact of Successive Cycles of Sleep Restriction With and Without
      Naps in Adolescents.
AB  - Study Objectives: To characterize adolescents' neurobehavioral changes during two
      cycles of restricted and recovery sleep and to examine the effectiveness of
      afternoon naps in ameliorating neurobehavioral deficits associated with multiple
      nights of sleep restriction. Methods: Fifty-seven healthy adolescents (aged 15-19
      years; 31 males) participated in a parallel group study. They underwent two
      cycles of sleep restriction (5-hr time in bed [TIB] for five and three nights in
      the first and the second cycles, respectively; 01:00-06:00) and recovery (9-hr
      TIB for two nights per cycle; 23:00-08:00) intended to simulate the weekday sleep
      loss and weekend attempt to "catch up" on sleep. Half of the participants
      received a 1-hr nap opportunity at 14:00 following each sleep-restricted night,
      while the other half stayed awake. Sustained attention, sleepiness, speed of
      processing, executive function, and mood were assessed 3 times each day. Results:
      Participants who were not allowed to nap showed progressive decline in sustained
      attention that did not return to baseline after two nights of recovery sleep.
      Exposure to the second period of sleep restriction increased the rate of
      vigilance deterioration. Similar patterns were found for other neurobehavioral
      measures. Napping attenuated but did not eliminate performance decline. These
      findings contrasted with the stable performance of adolescents, given 9-hr TIB
      each night in our recent study. Conclusions: Adolescents' neurobehavioral
      functions may not adapt to successive cycles of sleep curtailment and recovery.
      In sleep-restricted adolescents, weekend "catch-up sleep," even when combined
      with napping during weekdays, is inferior to receiving a 9-hr sleep opportunity
      each night.

PMID- 28364508
TI  - Financial Analysis of an Intensive Pediatric Continuous Positive Airway Pressure
      Program.
AB  - Study Objectives: Continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) is effective in
      treating obstructive sleep apnea in children, but adherence to therapy is low.
      Our center created an intensive program that aimed to improve adherence. Our
      objective was to estimate the program's efficacy, cost, revenue and break-even
      point in a generalizable manner relative to a standard approach. Methods: The
      intensive program included device consignment, behavioral psychology counseling,
      and follow-up telephone calls. Economic modeling considered the costs, revenue
      and break-even point. Costs were derived from national salary reports and the
      Pediatric Health Information System. The 2015 Medicare reimbursement schedule
      provided revenue estimates. Results: Prior to the intensive CPAP program, only
      67.6% of 244 patients initially prescribed CPAP appeared for follow-up visits and
      only 38.1% had titration polysomnograms. In contrast, 81.4% of 275 patients in
      the intensive program appeared for follow-up visits (p < .001) and 83.6% had
      titration polysomnograms (p < .001). Medicare reimbursement levels would be
      insufficient to cover the estimated costs of the intensive program; break-even
      points would need to be 1.29-2.08 times higher to cover the costs. Conclusions:
      An intensive CPAP program leads to substantially higher follow-up and CPAP
      titration rates, but costs are higher. While affordable at our institution due to
      the local payer mix and revenue, Medicare reimbursement levels would not cover
      estimated costs. This study highlights the need for enhanced funding for
      pediatric CPAP programs, due to the special needs of this population and the long
      term health risks of suboptimally treated obstructive sleep apnea.

PMID- 28364509
TI  - Dual Orexin Receptor Antagonist, Almorexant, in Elderly Patients With Primary
      Insomnia: A Randomized, Controlled Study.
AB  - Objective: Sleep laboratory study to determine the dose-related efficacy and
      safety of almorexant in elderly patients with primary chronic insomnia. Methods:
      Patients aged >=65 years with primary insomnia were enrolled into a prospective,
      randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, multicenter dose-finding study with
      a five-period, five-way Latin square cross-over design. Patients were randomized
      to one of 10 unique sequences of two-night treatment with oral almorexant 25, 50,
      100, or 200 mg capsules, or matching placebo. The primary efficacy endpoint was
      polysomnography (PSG)-determined mean wake time after sleep onset (WASO).
      Secondary and exploratory efficacy endpoints were also assessed. Results: 112
      patients were randomized (mean [SD] age 72.1 [5.0] years; 69.9% female).
      Significant, dose-related improvements (reductions) in mean WASO were observed
      with almorexant. Least-squares mean (95% CI) treatment effects in the almorexant
      200, 100, 50, and 25 mg dose groups versus placebo were -46.5 minutes (-53.0, 
      39.9; p < .0001), -31.4 minutes (-38.0, -24.9; p < .0001), -19.2 minutes (-25.7, 
      12.6; p < .0001), and -10.4 minutes (-17.0, -3.9; p = .0018), respectively. Mean
      total sleep time was significantly increased with each almorexant dose (mean
      increases versus placebo ranged 55.1-14.3 minutes; p < .0001 for each dose).
      Latency to persistent sleep was statistically significantly reduced only with
      almorexant 200 mg versus placebo (mean [95% CI] treatment effect -10.2 minutes, [
      15.4, -5.0]; p = .0001). No unexpected safety concerns were identified. Adverse
      events were similar between all almorexant dose groups and placebo. Conclusions:
      Two-night oral administration of almorexant was effective and well tolerated in
      treating primary insomnia in elderly patients.

PMID- 28364510
TI  - Effectiveness of Benzodiazepine Receptor Agonists in the Treatment of Insomnia:
      An Examination of Response and Remission Rates.
AB  - Study objectives: To examine the real-world effectiveness of benzodiazepine
      receptor agonists (BzRAs) by quantifying response and remission rates in a
      clinical sample receiving chronic BzRA treatment for insomnia. Methods:
      Participants were outpatients (N = 193; 72% female; 55.2 +/- 11.1 year) who had
      an insomnia diagnosis per medical records, and who were taking a therapeutic dose
      of BzRA for their insomnia. Endpoints were nocturnal sleep disturbance and
      Insomnia Severity Index (ISI) scores. A reduction meeting the criterion for the
      minimally important difference in ISI scores (change >= 6) constituted
      "response"; "remission" was inferred when symptoms fell below the clinical cutoff
      (ISI < 11). Results: Most participants (71%) used BzRAs at least 5 nights per
      week. Mean ISI scores were significantly lower (t = 22.31; p < .01) while on
      BzRAs than when untreated, but remained in the clinical range (mean = 11.0;
      standard deviation = 5.7). Although 76.7% responded to treatment, only 47.7%
      remitted. The majority (68.9%) of participants had a sleep-onset latency > 30
      minutes and/or wake-time after sleep onset > 60 minutes while on BzRAs. After
      controlling for gender and insomnia severity when untreated, odds of insomnia
      persistence despite BzRA use were 2 times higher in patients with comorbid
      medical [odds ratio (OR) = 2.39; 95% confidence interval (CI) = 1.20% to 4.77%; p
      < .05] and psychiatric disorders (OR = 2.24; 95% CI = 1.21% to 4.13%; p < .05).
      Conclusions: This is the first study to distinguish between response and
      remission in insomnia patients taking BzRAs. Findings suggest that while many
      insomnia patients respond to chronic BzRA treatment, most do not remit. Remission
      rates are particularly low for comorbid insomnia, the most prevalent phenotype of
      the disorder.

PMID- 28364511
TI  - Mid-Treatment Sleep Duration Predicts Clinically Significant Knee Osteoarthritis
      Pain reduction at 6 months: Effects From a Behavioral Sleep Medicine Clinical
      Trial.
AB  - Study Objectives: To determine the relative influence of sleep continuity (sleep
      efficiency, sleep onset latency, total sleep time [TST], and wake after sleep
      onset) on clinical pain outcomes within a trial of cognitive behavioral therapy
      for insomnia (CBT-I) for patients with comorbid knee osteoarthritis and insomnia.
      Methods: Secondary analyses were performed on data from 74 patients with comorbid
      insomnia and knee osteoarthritis who completed a randomized clinical trial of 8
      session multicomponent CBT-I versus an active behavioral desensitization control
      condition (BD), including a 6-month follow-up assessment. Data used herein
      include daily diaries of sleep parameters, actigraphy data, and self-report
      questionnaires administered at specific time points. Results: Patients who
      reported at least 30% improvement in self-reported pain from baseline to 6-month
      follow-up were considered responders (N = 31). Pain responders and nonresponders
      did not differ significantly at baseline across any sleep continuity measures. At
      mid-treatment, only TST predicted pain response via t tests and logistic
      regression, whereas other measures of sleep continuity were nonsignificant.
      Recursive partitioning analyses identified a minimum cut-point of 382 min of TST
      achieved at mid-treatment in order to best predict pain improvements 6-month
      posttreatment. Actigraphy results followed the same pattern as daily diary-based
      results. Conclusions: Clinically significant pain reductions in response to both
      CBT-I and BD were optimally predicted by achieving approximately 6.5 hr sleep
      duration by mid-treatment. Thus, tailoring interventions to increase TST early in
      treatment may be an effective strategy to promote long-term pain reductions. More
      comprehensive research on components of behavioral sleep medicine treatments that
      contribute to pain response is warranted.

PMID- 28364512
TI  - Nocturnal Dynamics of Sleep-Wake Transitions in Patients With Narcolepsy.
AB  - Introduction: We investigate how characteristics of sleep-wake dynamics in humans
      are modified by narcolepsy, a clinical condition that is supposed to destabilize
      sleep-wake regulation. Subjects with and without cataplexy are considered
      separately. Differences in sleep scoring habits as a possible confounder have
      been examined. Aims and Methods: Four groups of subjects are considered:
      narcolepsy patients from China with (n = 88) and without (n = 15) cataplexy,
      healthy controls from China (n = 110) and from Europe (n = 187, 2 nights each).
      After sleep-stage scoring and calculation of sleep characteristic parameters, the
      distributions of wake-episode durations and sleep-episode durations are
      determined for each group and fitted by power laws (exponent alpha) and by
      exponentials (decay time tau). Results: We find that wake duration distributions
      are consistent with power laws for healthy subjects (China: alpha = 0.88, Europe:
      alpha = 1.02). Wake durations in all groups of narcolepsy patients, however,
      follow the exponential law (tau = 6.2-8.1 min). All sleep duration distributions
      are best fitted by exponentials on long time scales (tau = 34-82 min).
      Conclusions: We conclude that narcolepsy mainly alters the control of wake
      episode durations but not sleep-episode durations, irrespective of cataplexy.
      Observed distributions of shortest wake and sleep durations suggest that
      differences in scoring habits regarding the scoring of short-term sleep stages
      may notably influence the fitting parameters but do not affect the main
      conclusion.

PMID- 28364515
TI  - Prevalence of Sleep-Related Hypermotor Epilepsy-Formerly Named Nocturnal Frontal
      Lobe Epilepsy-in the Adult Population of the Emilia-Romagna Region, Italy.

PMID- 28364513
TI  - Sleep Duration and Adiposity in Early Childhood: Evidence for Bidirectional
      Associations from the Born in Bradford Study.
AB  - Study Objectives: To examine independent associations of sleep duration with
      total and abdominal adiposity, and the bidirectionality of these associations, in
      a young biethnic sample of children from a disadvantaged location. Methods: Child
      sleep duration (h/day) was parent-reported by questionnaire and indices of total
      (body weight, body mass index, percent body fat (%BF), sum of skinfolds) and
      abdominal adiposity (waist circumference) were measured using standard
      anthropometric procedures at approximately 12, 18, 24, and 36 months of age in
      1,338 children (58% South Asian; 42% White). Mixed effects models were used to
      quantify independent associations (expressed as standardised beta-coefficients
      (95% confidence interval (CI)) of sleep duration with adiposity indices using
      data from all four time-points. Factors considered for adjustment in models
      included basic demographics, pregnancy and birth characteristics, and lifestyle
      behaviours. Results: With the exception of the sum of skinfolds, sleep duration
      was inversely and independently associated with indices of total and abdominal
      adiposity in South Asian children. For example, one standard deviation (SD)
      higher sleep duration was associated with reduced %BF by -0.029 (95% CI: -0.053, 
      0.0043) SDs. Higher adiposity was also independently associated with shorter
      sleep duration in South Asian children (for example, %BF: beta = -0.10 (-0.16, 
      0.028) SDs). There were no significant associations in White children.
      Conclusions: Associations between sleep duration and adiposity are bidirectional
      and independent among South Asian children from a disadvantaged location. The
      results highlight the importance of considering adiposity as both a determinant
      of decreased sleep and a potential consequence.

PMID- 28364514
TI  - Actigraphic Sleep Patterns of U.S. Hispanics: The Hispanic Community Health
      Study/Study of Latinos.
AB  - Study objective: To assess the extent to which objective sleep patterns vary
      among U.S. Hispanics/Latinos. Methods: We assessed objective sleep patterns in
      2087 participants of the Hispanic Community Health Study/Study of Latinos from 6
      Hispanic/Latino subgroups aged 18-64 years who underwent 7 days of wrist
      actigraphy. Results: The age- and sex-standardized mean (SE) sleep duration was
      6.82 (0.05), 6.72 (0.07), 6.61 (0.07), 6.59 (0.06), 6.57 (0.10), and 6.44 (0.09)
      hr among individuals of Mexican, Cuban, Dominican, Central American, Puerto
      Rican, and South American heritage, respectively. Sleep maintenance efficiency
      ranged from 89.2 (0.2)% in Mexicans to 86.5 (0.4)% in Puerto Ricans, while the
      sleep fragmentation index ranged from 19.7 (0.3)% in Mexicans to 24.2 (0.7)% in
      Puerto Ricans. In multivariable models adjusted for age, sex, season,
      socioeconomic status, lifestyle habits, and comorbidities, these differences
      persisted. Conclusions: There are important differences in actigraphically
      measured sleep across U.S. Hispanic/Latino heritages. Individuals of Mexican
      heritage have longer and more consolidated sleep, while those of Puerto Rican
      heritage have shorter and more fragmented sleep. These differences may have
      clinically important effects on health outcomes.

PMID- 28364517
TI  - An Integrative Review on Standardized Exams as a Predictive Admission Criterion
      for RN Programs.
AB  - Nursing programs reject qualified applicants due to limited clinical placements
      and faculty. By admitting the strongest candidates, schools of nursing will
      reduce attrition rates, increase NCLEX-RN pass rates, and speed the entry into
      practice of well-prepared nurses to help stem the nursing shortage. This
      integrative review identified the standardized admission exams most predictive of
      student success. Included were articles published between 2005 and 2016 that
      focused on admission criteria, RN programs, specific exams (e. g., HESI-A2, TEAS,
      SAT, CAAP, or ACT), NCLEX-RN performance, or program success. Standardized exams
      are effective predictors of success in programs of nursing and first-attempt
      NCLEX-RN. While predictive accuracy differs between exams, findings suggest that
      the HESI-A2 is currently the best predictor of success. By optimizing the use of
      standardized exams as admission criteria, nursing programs can reduce attrition
      rates and improve NCLEX-RN pass rates. This will maximize program capacity and
      contribute to a greater number of practicing nurses.

PMID- 28364516
TI  - Asleep at the Wheel-The Road to Addressing Drowsy Driving.
AB  - Drowsy driving is a dangerous behavior that leads to thousands of deaths and
      injuries each year. It is also a controllable factor for drivers. Drivers are
      capable of modifying this behavior if given sufficient information and
      motivation. Our goal is to establish a comprehensive and strategic effort to end
      drowsy driving crashes and deaths. This article highlights some of the
      conclusions of a unique recent meeting of sleep experts and highway safety
      professionals and describes the first steps the community has taken and plans to
      take in the future to address this issue.

PMID- 28364520
TI  - Successful Aging 2.0: Resilience and Beyond.

PMID- 28364518
TI  - Interaction Between Ezrin and Cortactin in Promoting Epithelial to Mesenchymal
      Transition in Breast Cancer Cells.
AB  - BACKGROUND Epithelial to mesenchymal transition (EMT) contributes to metastases
      in various types of tumors, and is also the key step in the breast cancer
      metastatic cascade. In our previous study, a mouse model containing human-derived
      normal breast tissue was established and allowed EMT/MET process of human breast
      cancer cells to be mimicked in a humanized mammary microenvironment. MATERIAL AND
      METHODS Two-dimensional electrophoresis (2-DE) and mass spectrometry were used to
      detect different proteins between parental MDA-MB-231 and its variant sub-line
      obtained from tumors grown in transplanted normal human breast tissue (MDA-MB
      231br). We knocked down the ezrin in 2 cell lines (MDA-MB-231 and SUM1315). The
      migration and invasion ability was assessed. EMT markers were examined by real
      time reverse transcription PCR analysis and Western blot analysis. The
      relationship of ezrin with cortactin was tested by tissue microarray and co
      immunoprecipitation. RESULTS Proteomic analysis revealed 81 differentially
      expressed proteins between parental MDA-MB-231 and MDA-MB-231br. Among these
      proteins, the expression of ezrin and cortactin and the phosphorylation of ezrin
      were significantly correlated, accompanied with a group of classic EMT makers.
      Knockdown of ezrin reversed the expression of EMT markers and downregulated
      cortactin and EMT transcription factors. Ezrin silencing inhibited tumor cell
      migration and invasion. Breast cancer tissue microarray and immunohistochemistry
      showed a significant positive association between ezrin and cortactin.
      CONCLUSIONS These findings indicate that ezrin is correlated with cortactin in
      facilitating EMT in breast cancer. The interaction between ezrin and cortactin is
      a novel mechanism contributing to the EMT process in cancer metastases.

PMID- 28364519
TI  - Adapting to Aging: Older People Talk About Their Use of Selection, Optimization,
      and Compensation to Maximize Well-being in the Context of Physical Decline.
AB  - Objectives: Selection, Optimization, and Compensation (SOC) may contribute to
      successful aging by helping older people maximize well-being in the context of
      physical decline. To explore this hypothesis, and to investigate the potential
      for narrative analysis to improve understanding of SOC, we analyze interviews
      conducted with 15 members of the 6-Day Sample, a cohort of Scots born in 1936.
      Method: Interviewees were chosen based on their physical function and well-being
      scores. Interviews were analyzed to investigate "SOC talk," that is, older
      people's talk about SOC behaviors in everyday life. Types and amounts of SOC talk
      were quantified, and talk was narratively analyzed. We hypothesized that older
      people who engaged in more SOC talk would have higher well-being. Results: Older
      people who engaged in high levels of SOC talk had high well-being despite low
      physical function. Those who engaged in little SOC talk had low well-being
      despite higher physical function. Discussion: The concept of successful aging is
      valuable in part because of its narrative quality: One must strive to keep one's
      life story developing despite physical decline and other losses. We provide
      evidence, from the perspectives of older people themselves, of the ways in which
      SOC may play a role in that process.

PMID- 28364521
TI  - RNA immunoprecipitation identifies novel targets of DAZL in human foetal ovary.
AB  - Study question: Can novel meiotic RNA targets of DAZL (deleted in azoospermia
      like) be identified in the human foetal ovary? Summary answer: SYCP1
      (synaptonemal complex protein-1), TEX11 (testis expressed 11) and SMC1B
      (structural maintenance of chromosomes 1B) are novel DAZL targets in the human
      foetal ovary, thus DAZL may have previously unrecognised roles in the
      translational regulation of RNAs involved in chromosome cohesion and DNA
      recombination in the oocyte from the time of initiation of meiosis. What is known
      already: The phenotype of Dazl deficiency in mouse is infertility in both sexes
      and DAZL has also been linked to infertility in humans. Few studies have explored
      targets of this RNA-binding protein. The majority of these investigations have
      been carried out in mouse, and have focussed on the male thus the basis for its
      central function in regulating female fertility is largely unknown. Study design
      size, duration: We carried out RNA sequencing after immunoprecipitation of
      endogenous DAZL from human foetal ovarian tissue (17 weeks of gestation, obtained
      after elective termination of pregnancy) to identify novel DAZL targets involved
      in meiosis (n = 3 biological replicates). Participants/materials, setting,
      methods: Using quantitative RT-PCR, we examined the expression of selected RNAs
      identified by our immunoprecipitation across gestation, and visualised the
      expression of potential target SMC1B in relation to DAZL, with a combination of
      in situ hybridisation and immunohistochemistry. 3' untranslated region (3'UTR)
      luciferase reporter assays and polysome profile analysis were used to investigate
      the regulation of three RNA targets by DAZL, representing key functionalities:
      SYCP1, TEX11 and SMC1B. Main results and the role of chance: We identified 764
      potential RNA targets of DAZL in the human foetal ovary (false discovery rate
      0.05 and log-fold change >= 2), with functions in synaptonemal complex formation
      (SYCP1, SYCP3), cohesin formation (SMC1B, RAD21), spindle assembly checkpoint
      (MAD2L1, TRIP13) and recombination and DNA repair (HORMAD1, TRIP13, TEX11, RAD18,
      RAD51). We demonstrated that the translation of novel targets SYCP1 (P = 0.004),
      TEX11 (P = 0.004) and SMC1B (P = 0.002) is stimulated by the presence of DAZL but
      not by a mutant DAZL with impaired RNA-binding activity. Large scale data: The
      raw data are available at GEO using the study ID: GSE81524. Limitations, reasons
      for caution: This analysis is based on identification of DAZL targets at the time
      when meiosis starts in the ovary: it may have other targets at other stages of
      oocyte development, and in the testis. Representative targets were validated, but
      detailed analysis was not performed on the majority of putative targets. Wider
      implications of the findings: These data indicate roles for DAZL in the
      regulation of several key functions in human oocytes. Through the translational
      regulation of novel RNA targets SMC1B and TEX11, DAZL may have a key role in
      regulating chromosome cohesion and DNA recombination; two processes fundamental
      in determining oocyte quality and whose establishment in foetal life may support
      lifelong fertility. Study funding and competing interest(s): This study was
      supported by the UK Medical Research Council (grant no G1100357 to R.A.A. and an
      intramural MRC programme grant to I.R.A.). The authors declare no competing
      interests.

PMID- 28364524
TI  - Extended Submuscular Implant-Based Breast Reconstruction with Pectoralis-Serratus
      Sling and Acellular Dermal Matrix.

PMID- 28364522
TI  - Spindlin 1 is essential for metaphase II stage maintenance and chromosomal
      stability in porcine oocytes.
AB  - Study question: What is the function of Spindlin 1 (Spin1) in metaphase II stage
      oocytes in pigs? Summary answer: Depletion of Spin1 induces spontaneous oocyte
      activation and overexpression of Spin1 causes multinuclear formation through
      induction of DNA damage in porcine oocytes. What is known already: Little is
      known about the function of Spin1 in oocytes and embryos. In mouse oocytes, Spin1
      is specifically expressed during gametogenesis and is essential for meiotic
      resumption. In somatic cells, Spin1 promotes cancer cell proliferation and
      activates WNT/T-cell factor signaling. Study design size, duration: After
      knockdown (KD) or overexpression of Spin1 in porcine MII-stage oocytes, MII
      maintenance was checked following additional culture for 24 h. Investigated
      parthenotes were cultured up to the four cell (72 h) or blastocyst (7 days)
      stages. Participants/materials, setting, methods: Spin1 was knocked down in
      porcine oocytes and embryos via microinjection of pig Spin1-targeting siRNA. For
      Spin1 overexpression, porcine Spin1-eGFP cRNA was generated. Additionally, for
      rescue experiments, cRNA encoding siRNA-resistant mouse Spin1 was added to the
      pig Spin1-targeting siRNA. For the overexpression and rescue experiments,
      microinjection and culture were performed using the same methods as the KD
      experiments. Main results and the role of chance: KD of Spin1 in MII-stage
      porcine oocytes reduced metaphase-promoting factor and mitogen-activated protein
      kinase activities, resulting in spontaneous pronuclear formation without calcium
      activation. However, the DNA damage response was triggered by Spin1
      overexpression, generating the checkpoint protein gammaH2A.X. Furthermore, Spin1
      overexpression blocked metaphase-anaphase transition and led to multinucleation
      in oocytes and embryos. Large scale data: None. Limitations, reasons for caution:
      This study is based on in vitro investigations with abnormal expression levels of
      Spin1. This may or may not accurately reflect the situation in vivo. Wider
      implications of the findings: Spin1 is essential to maintain MII arrest, but a
      high level of Spin1 induces DNA damage in oocytes and embryos. Thus, a system to
      accurately regulate Spin1 expression operates in porcine MII-stage oocytes and
      embryos. Study funding and competing interest(s): This research was supported by
      Basic Science Research Program through the National Research Foundation of Korea
      (NRF) funded by the Ministry of Education (No. 2015R1D1A1A01057629). The authors
      declare no competing financial interests.

PMID- 28364523
TI  - Adipose Stem Cell Function Maintained with Age: An Intra-Subject Study of Long
      Term Cryopreserved Cells.
AB  - Background: The progressive decline in tissue mechanical strength that occurs
      with aging is hypothesized to be due to a loss of resident stem cell number and
      function. As such, there is concern regarding use of autologous adult stem cell
      therapy in older patients. To abrogate this, many patients elect to cryopreserve
      the adipose stromal-vascular fraction (SVF) of lipoaspirate, which contains
      resident adipose stem cells (ASC). However, it is not clear yet if there is any
      clinical benefit from banking cells at a younger age. Objectives: We performed a
      comparative analysis of SVF composition and ASC function from cells obtained
      under GMP conditions from the same three patients with time gap of 7 to 12 years.
      Methods: SVF, cryobanked under good manufacturing practice (GMP) conditions, was
      thawed and cell yield, viability, and cellular composition were assessed. In
      parallel, ASC proliferation and efficiency of tri-lineage differentiation were
      evaluated. Results: The results showed no significant differences existed in cell
      yield and SVF subpopulation composition within the same patient between harvest
      procedures 7 to 12 years apart. Further, no change in proliferation rates of
      cultured ASCs was found, and expanded cells from all patients were capable of tri
      lineage differentiation. Conclusions: By harvesting fat from the same patient at
      two time points, we have shown that despite the natural human aging process, the
      prevalence and functional activity of ASCs in an adult mesenchymal stem cell, is
      highly preserved. Level of Evidence: 5.

PMID- 28364525
TI  - Complications After Cosmetic Surgery Tourism.
AB  - Background: Cosmetic surgery tourism characterizes a phenomenon of people
      traveling abroad for aesthetic surgery treatment. Problems arise when patients
      return with complications or need of follow-up care. Objectives: To investigate
      the complications of cosmetic surgery tourism treated at our hospital as well as
      to analyze arising costs for the health system. Methods: Between 2010 and 2014,
      we retrospectively included all patients presenting with complications arising
      from cosmetic surgery abroad. We reviewed medical records for patients'
      characteristics including performed operations, complications, and treatment.
      Associated cost expenditure and Diagnose Related Groups (DRG)-related
      reimbursement were analyzed. Results: In total 109 patients were identified. All
      patients were female with a mean age of 38.5 +/- 11.3 years. Most procedures were
      performed in South America (43%) and Southeast (29.4%) or central Europe (24.8%),
      respectively. Favored procedures were breast augmentation (39.4%), abdominoplasty
      (11%), and breast reduction (7.3%). Median time between the initial procedure
      abroad and presentation was 15 days (interquartile range [IQR], 9) for early,
      81.5 days (IQR, 69.5) for midterm, and 4.9 years (IQR, 9.4) for late
      complications. Main complications were infections (25.7%), wound breakdown
      (19.3%), and pain/discomfort (14.7%). The majority of patients (63.3%) were
      treated conservatively; 34.8% became inpatients with a mean hospital stay of 5.2
      +/- 3.8 days. Overall DRG-related reimbursement premiums approximately covered
      the total costs. Conclusions: Despite warnings regarding associated risks,
      cosmetic surgery tourism has become increasingly popular. Efficient patients'
      referral to secondary/tertiary care centers with standardized evaluation and
      treatment can limit arising costs without imposing a too large burden on the
      social healthcare system. Level of Evidence: 4.

PMID- 28364526
TI  - Expanding Role of Orbital Decompression in Aesthetic Surgery.
AB  - Background: Eye prominence is a source of cosmetic "deformity" for many patients
      not afflicted by Graves. Objectives: To report our experience in using customized
      orbital decompression for purely aesthetic reason to reduce eye prominence in non
      thyroid patients. Methods: Retrospective analysis of patients undergoing cosmetic
      orbital decompression by one surgeon. Surgical technique included customized
      graded orbital bony-wall decompression (lateral-wall, basin, medial-wall,
      posterior-strut) and intraconal fat removal using eyelid crease and/or caruncle
      incisions. Inclusion criteria included any patient with relative prominent eye
      due to non-thyroid etiology. Preoperative and postoperative photographs at
      longest follow-up were used for analysis. Outcome measures included patient
      satisfaction (via a written questionnaire) and complication rates. Results:
      Etiologies of prominent eyes included congenital shallow orbits (14), congenital
      hypoplasia of malar-eminence (5), enlarged globe from high myopia (5),
      buphthalmos (1), and relative proptosis from contralateral enophthalmos (1).
      Concurrent procedures included lower eyelid-retractors lysis (5), periocular fat
      injection (3), tear-trough implant (3), canthoplasty (3), and periocular filler
      injection (3). Mean patient age was 33.8 years (range, 19-60 years). The average
      follow-up was 9 months (range, 6 months-4 years). All 26 patients (11 males, 15
      females) had reduction in globe prominence. The mean reduction in axial globe
      position was 3.1 mm (range, 1.5-6.2 mm). Twenty-four of 26 patients were
      satisfied with the surgical outcome, with 2 patients complaining of sunken eyes.
      No case of permanent diplopia occurred. Conclusions: Orbital decompression may be
      done for cosmetic purpose, effectively and safely, to reduce eye prominence in
      non-thyroid patients by an experienced orbital surgeon. Level of Evidence: 4.

PMID- 28364527
TI  - The "Maintenance" Facelift: A Misnomer?

PMID- 28364528
TI  - Commentary on: Role of Macrotextured Shaped Extra Full Projection Cohesive Gel
      Implants in Primary Aesthetic Breast Augmentation.

PMID- 28364529
TI  - Contradictions in Piezosurgery.

PMID- 28364530
TI  - Response to "Comparing a Propofol Infusion with General Endotracheal Anesthesia
      in Plastic Surgery Patients".

PMID- 28364531
TI  - Comparing a Propofol Infusion With General Endotracheal Anesthesia in Plastic
      Surgery Patients.

PMID- 28364532
TI  - Response to "Contradictions in Piezosurgery".

PMID- 28364533
TI  - Drainless Abdominoplasty Using Barbed Progressive Tension Sutures.
AB  - We describe our current technique of drainless abdominoplasty using barbed
      progressive tension sutures. The perioperative management and detailed steps of
      procedure are outlined, including indications for concomitantly performing
      liposuction and repair of diastasis of the rectus abdominis muscles. This
      approach reliably improves abdominal contour, minimizes complications, and is
      straightforward to learn and perform.

PMID- 28364534
TI  - Three-Dimensional (3D) Columellar Strut Graft in Rhinoplasty.
AB  - Background: Nasal tip surgery is the most important and most difficult step of an
      aesthetic rhinoplasty operation. Various suture and grafting techniques have been
      described for adequate tip rotation and projection in nasal tip surgery.
      Objectives: The author describes his technique of "three-dimensional (3D)
      columellar strut graft" in nasal tip surgery. Methods: Each patient is treated
      using the open technique rhinoplasty. The author's technique uses a 3D dorsal
      columellar strut with a special anatomy in the shape of a Y- on a horizontal
      plane. When the dorsal columellar strut is placed in a way to maintain the
      interdomal angle, this technique perfectly stabilizes the lower lateral cruses
      (LLCs) that have been shaped with cephalic dome suture (CDS). Results: A
      retrospective analysis of 78 patients, who underwent 3D columellar strut graft
      technique, were included in the study. The mean follow-up period was 15 months.
      All of the patients were satisfied with their tip shapes. Conclusions: The 3D
      dorsal columellar strut graft technique is an easily administered technique with
      reliable outcomes. The purpose of this graft is to support the reshaped LLCs with
      a perfect anatomic alignment. It does not require any additional cartilaginous
      graft in patients undergoing a reduction of the dorsum. Level of Evidence: 4.

PMID- 28364535
TI  - Commentary on: Three-Dimensional (3D) Columellar Strut Graft in Rhinoplasty.

PMID- 28364536
TI  - Comments on "Simplified Muscle-Suspension Lower Blepharoplasty by Orbicularis
      Hitch".

PMID- 28364537
TI  - Response to "Comments on 'Simplified Muscle-Suspension Lower Blepharoplasty by
      Orbicularis Hitch'".

PMID- 28364538
TI  - Commentary on: The Impact of a Plastic Surgeon's Gender on Patient Choice.

PMID- 28364539
TI  - Commentary on: Expanding Role of Orbital Decompression in Aesthetic Surgery.

PMID- 28364540
TI  - Mitochondrial Mutation Rate, Spectrum and Heteroplasmy in Caenorhabditis elegans
      Spontaneous Mutation Accumulation Lines of Differing Population Size.

PMID- 28364541
TI  - Science, Societies, and Society.

PMID- 28364542
TI  - Defining Aging Phenotypes and Related Outcomes: Clues to Recognize Frailty in
      Hospitalized Older Patients.
AB  - Background: Because frailty is a complex phenomenon associated with poor
      outcomes, the identification of patient profiles with different care needs might
      be of greater practical help than to look for a unifying definition. This study
      aimed at identifying aging phenotypes and their related outcomes in order to
      recognize frailty in hospitalized older patients. Methods: Patients aged 65 or
      older enrolled in internal medicine and geriatric wards participating in the
      REPOSI registry. Relationships among variables associated to sociodemographic,
      physical, cognitive, functional, and medical status were explored using a
      multiple correspondence analysis. The hierarchical cluster analysis was then
      performed to identify possible patient profiles. Multivariable logistic
      regression was used to verify the association between clusters and outcomes (in
      hospital mortality and 3-month postdischarge mortality and rehospitalization).
      Results: 2,841 patients were included in the statistical analyses. Four clusters
      were identified: the healthiest (I); those with multimorbidity (II); the
      functionally independent women with osteoporosis and arthritis (III); and the
      functionally dependent oldest old patients with cognitive impairment (IV). There
      was a significantly higher in-hospital mortality in Cluster II (odds ratio [OR] =
      2.27, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.15-4.46) and Cluster IV (OR = 5.15, 95% CI
      = 2.58-10.26) and a higher 3-month mortality in Cluster II (OR = 1.66, 95% CI =
      1.13-2.44) and Cluster IV (OR = 1.86, 95% CI = 1.15-3.00) than in Cluster I.
      Conclusions: Using alternative analytical techniques among hospitalized older
      patients, we could distinguish different frailty phenotypes, differently
      associated with adverse events. The identification of different patient profiles
      can help defining the best care strategy according to specific patient needs.

PMID- 28364544
TI  - Fear of Life Extension.

PMID- 28364543
TI  - Clinical Trials Targeting Aging and Age-Related Multimorbidity.
AB  - Background: There is growing interest in identifying interventions that may
      increase health span by targeting biological processes underlying aging. The
      design of efficient and rigorous clinical trials to assess these interventions
      requires careful consideration of eligibility criteria, outcomes, sample size,
      and monitoring plans. Methods: Experienced geriatrics researchers and clinical
      trialists collaborated to provide advice on clinical trial design. Results:
      Outcomes based on the accumulation and incidence of age-related chronic diseases
      are attractive for clinical trials targeting aging. Accumulation and incidence
      rates of multimorbidity outcomes were developed by selecting at-risk subsets of
      individuals from three large cohort studies of older individuals. These provide
      representative benchmark data for decisions on eligibility, duration, and
      assessment protocols. Monitoring rules should be sensitive to targeting aging
      related, rather than disease-specific, outcomes. Conclusions: Clinical trials
      targeting aging are feasible, but require careful design consideration and
      monitoring rules.

PMID- 28364545
TI  - Transcranial magnetic stimulation as a biomarker for epilepsy.

PMID- 28364546
TI  - Reply: Transcranial magnetic stimulation as a biomarker for epilepsy.

PMID- 28364547
TI  - Stable functional networks exhibit consistent timing in the human brain.
AB  - Despite many advances in the study of large-scale human functional networks, the
      question of timing, stability, and direction of communication between cortical
      regions has not been fully addressed. At the cellular level, neuronal
      communication occurs through axons and dendrites, and the time required for such
      communication is well defined and preserved. At larger spatial scales, however,
      the relationship between timing, direction, and communication between brain
      regions is less clear. Here, we use a measure of effective connectivity to
      identify connections between brain regions that exhibit communication with
      consistent timing. We hypothesized that if two brain regions are communicating,
      then knowledge of the activity in one region should allow an external observer to
      better predict activity in the other region, and that such communication involves
      a consistent time delay. We examine this question using intracranial
      electroencephalography captured from nine human participants with medically
      refractory epilepsy. We use a coupling measure based on time-lagged mutual
      information to identify effective connections between brain regions that exhibit
      a statistically significant increase in average mutual information at a
      consistent time delay. These identified connections result in sparse, directed
      functional networks that are stable over minutes, hours, and days. Notably, the
      time delays associated with these connections are also highly preserved over
      multiple time scales. We characterize the anatomic locations of these
      connections, and find that the propagation of activity exhibits a preferred
      posterior to anterior temporal lobe direction, consistent across participants.
      Moreover, networks constructed from connections that reliably exhibit consistent
      timing between anatomic regions demonstrate features of a small-world
      architecture, with many reliable connections between anatomically neighbouring
      regions and few long range connections. Together, our results demonstrate that
      cortical regions exhibit functional relationships with well-defined and
      consistent timing, and the stability of these relationships over multiple time
      scales suggests that these stable pathways may be reliably and repeatedly used
      for large-scale cortical communication.

PMID- 28364548
TI  - Distinct brain imaging characteristics of autoantibody-mediated CNS conditions
      and multiple sclerosis.
AB  - Brain imaging characteristics of MOG antibody disease are largely unknown and it
      is unclear whether they differ from those of multiple sclerosis and AQP4 antibody
      disease. The aim of this study was to identify brain imaging discriminators
      between those three inflammatory central nervous system diseases in adults and
      children to support diagnostic decisions, drive antibody testing and generate
      disease mechanism hypotheses. Clinical brain scans of 83 patients with brain
      lesions (67 in the training and 16 in the validation cohort, 65 adults and 18
      children) with MOG antibody (n = 26), AQP4 antibody disease (n = 26) and multiple
      sclerosis (n = 31) recruited from Oxford neuromyelitis optica and multiple
      sclerosis clinical services were retrospectively and anonymously scored on a set
      of 29 predefined magnetic resonance imaging features by two independent raters.
      Principal component analysis was used to perform an overview of patients without
      a priori knowledge of the diagnosis. Orthogonal partial least squares
      discriminant analysis was used to build models separating diagnostic groups and
      identify best classifiers, which were then tested on an independent cohort set.
      Adults and children with MOG antibody disease frequently had fluffy brainstem
      lesions, often located in pons and/or adjacent to fourth ventricle. Children
      across all conditions showed more frequent bilateral, large, brainstem and deep
      grey matter lesions. MOG antibody disease spontaneously separated from multiple
      sclerosis but overlapped with AQP4 antibody disease. Multiple sclerosis was
      discriminated from MOG antibody disease and from AQP4 antibody disease with high
      predictive values, while MOG antibody disease could not be accurately
      discriminated from AQP4 antibody disease. Best classifiers between MOG antibody
      disease and multiple sclerosis were similar in adults and children, and included
      ovoid lesions adjacent to the body of lateral ventricles, Dawson's fingers, T1
      hypointense lesions (multiple sclerosis), fluffy lesions and three lesions or
      less (MOG antibody). In the validation cohort patients with antibody-mediated
      conditions were differentiated from multiple sclerosis with high accuracy. Both
      antibody-mediated conditions can be clearly separated from multiple sclerosis on
      conventional brain imaging, both in adults and children. The overlap between MOG
      antibody oligodendrocytopathy and AQP4 antibody astrocytopathy suggests that the
      primary immune target is not the main substrate for brain lesion characteristics.
      This is also supported by the clear distinction between multiple sclerosis and
      MOG antibody disease both considered primary demyelinating conditions. We
      identify discriminatory features, which may be useful in classifying atypical
      multiple sclerosis, seronegative neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorders and
      relapsing acute disseminated encephalomyelitis, and characterizing cohorts for
      antibody discovery.

PMID- 28364551
TI  - Refining Alzheimer's disease diagnosis with MRI.

PMID- 28364552
TI  - Corrigendum.

PMID- 28364550
TI  - Individual brain structure and modelling predict seizure propagation.
AB  - See Lytton (doi:10.1093/awx018) for a scientific commentary on this
      article.Neural network oscillations are a fundamental mechanism for cognition,
      perception and consciousness. Consequently, perturbations of network activity
      play an important role in the pathophysiology of brain disorders. When structural
      information from non-invasive brain imaging is merged with mathematical
      modelling, then generative brain network models constitute personalized in silico
      platforms for the exploration of causal mechanisms of brain function and clinical
      hypothesis testing. We here demonstrate with the example of drug-resistant
      epilepsy that patient-specific virtual brain models derived from diffusion
      magnetic resonance imaging have sufficient predictive power to improve diagnosis
      and surgery outcome. In partial epilepsy, seizures originate in a local network,
      the so-called epileptogenic zone, before recruiting other close or distant brain
      regions. We create personalized large-scale brain networks for 15 patients and
      simulate the individual seizure propagation patterns. Model validation is
      performed against the presurgical stereotactic electroencephalography data and
      the standard-of-care clinical evaluation. We demonstrate that the individual
      brain models account for the patient seizure propagation patterns, explain the
      variability in postsurgical success, but do not reliably augment with the use of
      patient-specific connectivity. Our results show that connectome-based brain
      network models have the capacity to explain changes in the organization of brain
      activity as observed in some brain disorders, thus opening up avenues towards
      discovery of novel clinical interventions.

PMID- 28364549
TI  - Deleterious variants in TRAK1 disrupt mitochondrial movement and cause fatal
      encephalopathy.
AB  - Cellular distribution and dynamics of mitochondria are regulated by several motor
      proteins and a microtubule network. In neurons, mitochondrial trafficking is
      crucial because of high energy needs and calcium ion buffering along axons to
      synapses during neurotransmission. The trafficking kinesin proteins (TRAKs) are
      well characterized for their role in lysosomal and mitochondrial trafficking in
      cells, especially neurons. Using whole exome sequencing, we identified homozygous
      truncating variants in TRAK1 (NM_001042646:c.287-2A > C), in six lethal
      encephalopathic patients from three unrelated families. The pathogenic variant
      results in aberrant splicing and significantly reduced gene expression at the RNA
      and protein levels. In comparison with normal cells, TRAK1-deficient fibroblasts
      showed irregular mitochondrial distribution, altered mitochondrial motility,
      reduced mitochondrial membrane potential, and diminished mitochondrial
      respiration. This study confirms the role of TRAK1 in mitochondrial dynamics and
      constitutes the first report of this gene in association with a severe
      neurodevelopmental disorder.

PMID- 28364553
TI  - Towards a multi-function mapping of the cerebellar cortex.

PMID- 28364554
TI  - Computers, causality and cure in epilepsy.

PMID- 28364555
TI  - Penumbral salvage and thrombolysis outcome: a drop of brain, a week of life.

PMID- 28364556
TI  - Editorial.

PMID- 28364557
TI  - An essay on the shaking palsy.

PMID- 28364558
TI  - Changing epidemiology of candidaemia in Australia.
AB  - Objectives: Knowledge of contemporary epidemiology of candidaemia is essential.
      We aimed to identify changes since 2004 in incidence, species epidemiology and
      antifungal susceptibilities of Candida spp. causing candidaemia in Australia.
      Methods: These data were collected from nationwide active laboratory-based
      surveillance for candidaemia over 1 year (within 2014-2015). Isolate
      identification was by MALDI-TOF MS supplemented by DNA sequencing. Antifungal
      susceptibility testing was performed using Sensititre YeastOneTM. Results: A
      total of 527 candidaemia episodes (yielding 548 isolates) were evaluable. The
      mean annual incidence was 2.41/105 population. The median patient age was 63
      years (56% of cases occurred in males). Of 498 isolates with confirmed species
      identity, Candida albicans was the most common (44.4%) followed by Candida
      glabrata complex (26.7%) and Candida parapsilosis complex (16.5%). Uncommon
      Candida species comprised 25 (5%) isolates. Overall, C. albicans (>99%) and C.
      parapsilosis (98.8%) were fluconazole susceptible. However, 16.7% (4 of 24) of
      Candida tropicalis were fluconazole- and voriconazole-resistant and were non-WT
      to posaconazole. Of C. glabrata isolates, 6.8% were resistant/non-WT to azoles;
      only one isolate was classed as resistant to caspofungin (MIC of 0.5 mg/L) by
      CLSI criteria, but was micafungin and anidulafungin susceptible. There was no
      azole/echinocandin co-resistance. Conclusions: We report an almost 1.7-fold
      proportional increase in C. glabrata candidaemia (26.7% versus 16% in 2004) in
      Australia. Antifungal resistance was generally uncommon, but azole resistance
      (16.7% of isolates) amongst C. tropicalis may be emerging.

PMID- 28364560
TI  - Towards more accurate HIV testing in sub-Saharan Africa: a multi-site evaluation
      of HIV RDTs and risk factors for false positives.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: Although individual HIV rapid diagnostic tests (RDTs) show good
      performance in evaluations conducted by WHO, reports from several African
      countries highlight potentially significant performance issues. Despite
      widespread use of RDTs for HIV diagnosis in resource-constrained settings, there
      has been no systematic, head-to-head evaluation of their accuracy with specimens
      from diverse settings across sub-Saharan Africa. We conducted a standardized,
      centralized evaluation of eight HIV RDTs and two simple confirmatory assays at a
      WHO collaborating centre for evaluation of HIV diagnostics using specimens from
      six sites in five sub-Saharan African countries. METHODS: Specimens were
      transported to the Institute of Tropical Medicine (ITM), Antwerp, Belgium for
      testing. The tests were evaluated by comparing their results to a state-of-the
      art reference algorithm to estimate sensitivity, specificity and predictive
      values. RESULTS: 2785 samples collected from August 2011 to January 2015 were
      tested at ITM. All RDTs showed very high sensitivity, from 98.8% for First
      Response HIV Card Test 1-2.0 to 100% for Determine HIV 1/2, Genie Fast, SD
      Bioline HIV 1/2 3.0 and INSTI HIV-1/HIV-2 Antibody Test kit. Specificity ranged
      from 90.4% for First Response to 99.7% for HIV 1/2 STAT-PAK with wide variation
      based on the geographical origin of specimens. Multivariate analysis showed
      several factors were associated with false-positive results, including gender,
      provider-initiated testing and the geographical origin of specimens. For simple
      confirmatory assays, the total sensitivity and specificity was 100% and 98.8% for
      ImmunoComb II HIV 12 CombFirm (ImmunoComb) and 99.7% and 98.4% for Geenius HIV
      1/2 with indeterminate rates of 8.9% and 9.4%. CONCLUSION: In this first
      systematic head-to-head evaluation of the most widely used RDTs, individual RDTs
      performed more poorly than in the WHO evaluations: only one test met the
      recommended thresholds for RDTs of >=99% sensitivity and >=98% specificity. By
      performing all tests in a centralized setting, we show that these differences in
      performance cannot be attributed to study procedure, end-user variation, storage
      conditions, or other methodological factors. These results highlight the
      existence of geographical and population differences in individual HIV RDT
      performance and underscore the challenges of designing locally validated
      algorithms that meet the latest WHO-recommended thresholds.

PMID- 28364561
TI  - Comprehensiveness of HIV care provided at global HIV treatment sites in the IeDEA
      consortium: 2009 and 2014.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: An important determinant of the effectiveness of HIV treatment
      programs is the capacity of sites to implement recommended services and identify
      systematic changes needed to ensure that invested resources translate into
      improved patient outcomes. We conducted a survey in 2014 of HIV care and
      treatment sites in the seven regions of the International epidemiologic Database
      to Evaluate AIDS (IeDEA) Consortium to evaluate facility characteristics, HIV
      prevention, care and treatment services provided, laboratory capacity, and trends
      in the comprehensiveness of care compared to data obtained in the 2009 baseline
      survey. METHODS: Clinical staff from 262 treatment sites in 45 countries in IeDEA
      completed a site survey from September 2014 to January 2015, including Asia
      Pacific with Australia (n = 50), Latin America and the Caribbean (n = 11), North
      America (n = 45), Central Africa (n = 17), East Africa (n = 36), Southern Africa
      (n = 87), and West Africa (n = 16). For the 55 sites with complete data from both
      the 2009 and 2014 survey, we evaluated change in comprehensiveness of care.
      RESULTS: The majority of the 262 sites (61%) offered seven essential services
      (ART adherence, nutritional support, PMTCT, CD4+ cell count testing, tuberculosis
      screening, HIV prevention, and outreach). Sites that were publicly funded (64%),
      cared for adults and children (68%), low or middle Human Development Index (HDI)
      rank (68%, 68%), and received PEPFAR support (71%) were most often fully
      comprehensive. CD4+ cell count testing was universally available (98%) but only
      62% of clinics offered it onsite. Approximately two-thirds (69%) of sites
      reported routine viral load testing (44-100%), with 39% having it onsite.
      Laboratory capacity to monitor antiretroviral-related toxicity and diagnose
      opportunistic infections varied widely by testing modality and region. In the
      subgroup of 55 sites with two surveys, comprehensiveness of services provided
      significantly increased across all regions from 2009 to 2014 (5.7 to 6.5, p <
      0.001). CONCLUSION: The availability of viral load monitoring remains suboptimal
      and should be a focus for site capacity, particularly in East and Southern
      Africa, where the majority of those initiating on ART reside. However, the
      comprehensiveness of care provided increased over the past 5 years and was
      related to type of funding received (publicly funded and PEPFAR supported).

PMID- 28364562
TI  - Latent class analysis of acceptability and willingness to pay for self-HIV
      testing in a United States urban neighbourhood with high rates of HIV infection.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: Acceptability and willingness to both take and pay for HIV self
      tests (HIVSTs) in US neighbourhoods with high rates of HIV infection are not well
      understood. METHODS: We surveyed 1,535 individuals about acceptability and
      willingness to take and pay for an HIVST in a predominately African American
      neighbourhood with 3% HIV seroprevalence. We recruited individuals presenting for
      HIV screening services in a community-based programme. Latent class analysis
      (LCA) grouped individuals with similar patterns of HIV-risk behaviours and
      determined which groups would be most willing to use and buy HIVSTs. RESULTS:
      Nearly 90% of respondents were willing to use an HIVST; 55% were willing to buy
      HIVSTs, but only 23% were willing to pay the market price of US $40. Four
      distinct groups emerged and were characterized by risk behaviours: (1) low risk
      (N = 324); (2) concurrent partnerships (N = 346); (3) incarceration and substance
      use (N = 293); and (4) condomless sex/multiple partners (N = 538). Individuals in
      the low-risk class were less willing to self-test compared to concurrent sexual
      partners (OR = 0.39, p = .003) and incarceration and substance use (OR = 0.46, p
      = .011) classes. There were no significant differences across classes in the
      amount individuals were willing to pay for an HIVST. CONCLUSION: HIVSTs were
      overwhelmingly acceptable but cost prohibitive; most participants were unwilling
      to pay the market rate of US $40. Subsidizing and implementing HIVST programmes
      in communities with high rates of infection present a public health opportunity,
      particularly among individuals reporting condomless sex with multiple partners,
      concurrent sexual partnerships and those with incarceration and substance use
      histories.

PMID- 28364563
TI  - Changes in second-line regimen durability and continuity of care in relation to
      national ART guideline changes in South Africa.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: Little is known about the impact of antiretroviral therapy (ART)
      guideline changes on the durability of second-line ART and continuity of care.
      This study examines predictors of early drug substitutions and treatment
      interruptions using a cohort analysis of HIV positive adults switched to second
      line ART between January 2004 and September 2013 in Johannesburg, South Africa.
      METHODS: The main outcomes were having a drug substitution or treatment
      interruption in the first 24 months on second-line ART. Kaplan Meiers analyses
      and Cox proportional hazards regression were used to identify predictors of drug
      substitutions and treatment interruptions. RESULTS: Of 3028 patients on second
      line ART, 353 (11.7%) had a drug substitution (8.6 per 100PY, 95% CI: 7.8-9.6)
      and 260 (8.6%) had a treatment interruption (6.3 per 100PY, 95% CI: 5.6-7.1).
      While treatment interruptions decreased from 32.5 per 100PY for the 2004 cohort
      to 2.3 per 100PY for the 2013 cohort, the rates of drug substitutions steadily
      increased, peaking at an incidence of 26.7 per 100PY for the 2009 cohort and then
      decreased to 4.2 per 100PY in the 2011 cohort. Compared to the 2004 to 2008
      cohorts, the hazard of early drug substitutions was highest among patients
      switched to AZT + ddI + LPVr in 2009 to 2010 (aHR 5.1, 95% CI: 3.4-7.1) but
      remained low over time among patients switched to TDF + 3TC/FTC + LPVr or AZT/ABC
      + 3TC + LPVr. The main common predictor of both treatment interruption and drug
      substitution was drug toxicity. CONCLUSION: Our results show a rapid transition
      between 2004 and 2010 ART guidelines and concurrent improvements in continuity of
      care among second-line ART patients. Drug toxicity reporting and monitoring
      systems need improvements to inform timely regimen changes and ensure that
      patients remain in care. However, reasons for drug substitutions should be
      closely monitored to ensure that patients do not run out of treatment options in
      the future.

PMID- 28364564
TI  - Age-disparate sex and HIV risk for young women from 2002 to 2012 in South Africa.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: Age-disparate sex has long been considered a factor that increases
      HIV risk for young women in South Africa. However, recent studies from specific
      regions in South Africa have found conflicting evidence. Few studies have
      assessed the association between age-disparate partnerships (those involving an
      age gap of 5 years or more) and HIV risk at the national level. This study
      investigates the relationship between age-disparate sex and HIV status among
      young women aged 15-24 in South Africa. METHODS: Nationally representative
      weighted data from the 2002, 2005, 2008, and 2012 South African National HIV
      Surveys were analysed for young women aged 15-24 years using bivariate analyses
      and multiple logistic regressions. RESULTS: After conducting multiple logistic
      regression analyses and controlling for confounders, young women with age
      disparate partners had greater odds of being HIV positive in every survey year:
      2002 (aOR = 1.74, 95%CI: 0.81-3.76, p = 0.16); 2005 (aOR = 2.11, 95%CI: 1.22
      3.66, p < 0.01); 2008 (aOR = 2.02, 95%CI: 1.24-3.29, p < 0.01); 2012 (aOR = 1.53,
      95%CI: 0.92-2.54, p < 0.1). The odds of being HIV positive increased for each
      year increase in their male partner's age in 2002 (aOR = 1.10, 95%CI: 0.98-1.22,
      p = 0.11), 2005 (aOR = 1.10, 95%CI: 1.03-1.17, p < 0.01), 2008 (aOR = 1.08,
      95%CI: 1.01-1.15, p < 0.05), and 2012 (aOR = 1.08, 95%CI: 1.01-1.16, p < 0.05).
      Findings were statistically significant (p < 0.1) for the years 2005, 2008, and
      2012. CONCLUSION: Our findings suggest that age-disparate sex continues to be a
      risk factor for young women aged 15-24 in South Africa at a national level. These
      results may reflect variation in HIV risk at the national level compared to the
      differing results from recent studies in a demographic surveillance system and
      trial contexts. In light of recent contradictory study results, further research
      is required on the relationship between age-disparate sex and HIV for a more
      nuanced understanding of young women's HIV risk.

PMID- 28364567
TI  - Punitive laws, key population size estimates, and Global AIDS Response Progress
      Reports: An ecological study of 154 countries
AB  - INTRODUCTION: UN global plans on HIV/AIDS have committed to reducing the number
      of countries with punitive laws criminalizing key populations. This study
      explores whether punitive laws are associated with countries' performance on
      targets set in the global plans. METHODS: The study used chi-square tests of
      independence to explore associations between legal status, key population size
      estimates, and HIV service coverage for 193 countries from 2007 to 2014. We used
      data reported by countries on United Nations Global AIDS Progress Report (GARPR)
      indicators, and legal data from UNAIDS, UNDP, and civil society organizations.
      Due to lack of sufficiently reliable legal data, only men who have sex with men
      (MSM) could be studied. The study utilized public data aggregated at the national
      level. Correspondence with individual experts in a subset of countries stated the
      purpose of the study, and all responses were anonymized. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION:
      A significantly larger proportion of countries that criminalize same-sex sexual
      behaviour reported implausibly low size estimates or no size estimates for MSM.
      This is consistent with findings in qualitative research that MSMs are
      marginalized and reluctant to be studied in countries where same-sex sexuality is
      criminalized. Size estimates are often used as the denominators for national HIV
      service coverage reports. Initially, countries that criminalized same-sex
      sexuality appeared to have higher HIV testing coverage among MSM than did
      countries where it is not criminalized. However, investigation of a subset of
      countries that have reported 90-100% HIV testing coverage among MSM found that
      most were based on implausibly low or absent size estimates. CONCLUSION:
      Criminalization of same-sex sexuality is associated with implausibly low or
      absent MSM size estimates. Low size estimates may contribute to official denial
      of the existence of MSM; to failure to adequately address their needs; and to
      inflated HIV service coverage reports that paint a false picture of success. To
      enable and measure progress in the HIV response, UN agencies should lead a
      collaborative process to systematically, independently and rigorously gather data
      on laws and their enforcement.

PMID- 28364566
TI  - Identifying gaps in HIV service delivery across the diagnosis-to-treatment
      cascade: findings from health facility surveys in six sub-Saharan countries.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: Despite the rollout of antiretroviral therapy (ART), challenges
      remain in ensuring timely access to care and treatment for people living with
      HIV. As part of a multi-country study to investigate HIV mortality, we conducted
      health facility surveys within 10 health and demographic surveillance system
      sites across six countries in Eastern and Southern Africa to investigate clinic
      level factors influencing (i) use of HIV testing services, (ii) use of HIV care
      and treatment and (iii) patient retention on ART. METHODS: Health facilities (n =
      156) were sampled within 10 surveillance sites: Nairobi and Kisumu (Kenya),
      Karonga (Malawi), Agincourt and uMkhanyakude (South Africa), Ifakara and Kisesa
      (Tanzania), Kyamulibwa and Rakai (Uganda) and Manicaland (Zimbabwe). Structured
      questionnaires were administered to in-charge staff members of HIV testing,
      prevention of mother-to-child transmission (PMTCT) and ART units within the
      facilities. Forty-one indicators influencing uptake and patient retention along
      the continuum of HIV care were compared across sites using descriptive
      statistics. RESULTS: The number of facilities surveyed ranged from six in Malawi
      to 36 in Zimbabwe. Eighty percent were government-run; 73% were lower-level
      facilities and 17% were district/referral hospitals. Client load varied widely,
      from less than one up to 65 HIV testing clients per provider per week. Most
      facilities (>80%) delivered services or interventions that would support patient
      retention in care such as delivering free services, offering PMTCT within
      antenatal care, pre-ART monitoring and adherence counselling. Many facilities
      under-delivered in several areas, however, such as targeted testing for high-risk
      groups (21%) and mobile testing (36%). There were also intra-site and inter-site
      differences, including in the delivery of Option B+ (ranging from 6% in Kisumu to
      93% in Kyamulibwa), and nurse-led ART initiation (ranging from 50% in Kisesa to
      100% in Karonga and Agincourt). Only facilities in Malawi did not require
      additional lab tests for ART initiation. Stock-outs of HIV test kits and
      antiretroviral drugs were particularly common in Tanzania. CONCLUSION: We
      identified a high standard of health facility performance in delivering
      strategies that may support progression through the continuum of HIV care. HIV
      testing policy and practice was particularly weak. Inter- and intra-country
      differences in quality and coverage represent opportunities to improve the
      delivery of comprehensive services to people living with HIV.

PMID- 28364565
TI  - How common and frequent is heterosexual anal intercourse among South Africans? A
      systematic review and meta-analysis.
AB  - BACKGROUND: HIV is transmitted more effectively during anal intercourse (AI) than
      vaginal intercourse (VI). However, patterns of heterosexual AI practice and its
      contribution to South Africa's generalized epidemic remain unclear. We aimed to
      determine how common and frequent heterosexual AI is in South Africa. METHODS: We
      searched for studies reporting the proportion practising heterosexual AI
      (prevalence) and/or the number of AI and unprotected AI (UAI) acts (frequency) in
      South Africa from 1990 to 2015. Stratified random-effects meta-analysis by sub
      groups was used to produce pooled estimates and assess the influence of
      participant and study characteristics on AI prevalence. We also estimated the
      fraction of all sex acts which were AI or UAI and compared condom use during VI
      and AI. RESULTS: Of 41 included studies, 31 reported on AI prevalence and 14 on
      frequency, over various recall periods. AI prevalence was high across different
      recall periods for sexually active general-risk populations (e.g. lifetime =
      18.4% [95%CI:9.4-27.5%], three-month = 20.3% [6.1-34.7%]), but tended to be even
      higher in higher-risk populations such as STI patients and female sex workers
      (e.g. lifetime = 23.2% [0.0-47.4%], recall period not stated = 40.1% [36.2
      44.0%]). Prevalence was higher in studies using more confidential interview
      methods. Among general and higher-risk populations, 1.2-40.0% and 0.7-21.0% of
      all unprotected sex acts were UAI, respectively. AI acts were as likely to be
      condom protected as vaginal acts. CONCLUSION: Reported heterosexual AI is common
      but variable among South Africans. Nationally and regionally representative
      sexual behaviour studies that use standardized recall periods and confidential
      interview methods, to aid comparison across studies and minimize reporting bias,
      are needed. Such data could be used to estimate the extent to which AI
      contributes to South Africa's HIV epidemic.

PMID- 28364570
TI  - Excessive Fragmentary Myoclonus: What Do We Know?
AB  - Excessive fragmentary myoclonus (EFM) is a polysomnographic finding registered by
      the surface electromyography (EMG) and characterized as a result of the muscle
      activity consisting of sudden, isolated, arrhythmic, asynchronous and asymmetric
      brief twitches. The EMG potentials are defined by the exact criteria in The
      International Classification of the Sleep Disorders, 3rd edition and they appear
      with high intensity in all sleep stages. Clinical significance of EFM is unclear.
      It was observed in combination with other diseases and features such as
      obstructive and central sleep apnea, narcolepsy, periodic limb movements,
      insomnia, neurodegenerative disorders and peripheral nerve dysfunction. Relation
      to such wide range of diseases supports the opinion that EFM is nor a specific
      sleep disorder nor a specific polysomnographic sign. The option that EFM is a
      normal variant has also not been ruled out so far.

PMID- 28364571
TI  - 3D Multislice and Cone-beam Computed Tomography Systems for Dental
      Identification.
AB  - 3D Multislice and Cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT) in forensic odontology has
      been shown to be useful not only in terms of one or a few of dead bodies but also
      in multiple fatality incidents. 3D Multislice and Cone-beam computed tomography
      and digital radiography were demonstrated in a forensic examination form. 3D
      images of the skull and teeth were analysed and validated for long ante
      mortem/post mortem intervals. The image acquisition was instantaneous; the images
      were able to be optically enlarged, measured, superimposed and compared prima
      vista or using special software and exported as a file. Digital radiology and
      computer tomography has been shown to be important both in common criminalistics
      practices and in multiple fatality incidents. Our study demonstrated that CBCT
      imaging offers less image artifacts, low image reconstruction times, mobility of
      the unit and considerably lower equipment cost.

PMID- 28364568
TI  - Spatial patterns of HIV prevalence and service use in East Zimbabwe: implications
      for future targeting of interventions.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: Focusing resources for HIV control on geographic areas of greatest
      need in countries with generalized epidemics has been recommended to increase
      cost-effectiveness. However, socioeconomic inequalities between areas of high and
      low prevalence could raise equity concerns and have been largely overlooked. We
      describe spatial patterns in HIV prevalence in east Zimbabwe and test for
      inequalities in accessibility and uptake of HIV services prior to the
      introduction of spatially-targeted programmes. METHODS: 8092 participants in an
      open-cohort study were geo-located to 110 locations. HIV prevalence and HIV
      testing and counselling (HTC) uptake were mapped with ordinary kriging. Clusters
      of high or low HIV prevalence were detected with Kulldorff statistics, and the
      socioeconomic characteristics and sexual risk behaviours of their populations,
      and levels of local HIV service availability (measured in travel distance) and
      uptake were compared. Kulldorff statistics were also determined for HTC,
      antiretroviral therapy (ART), and voluntary medical male circumcision (VMMC)
      uptake. RESULTS: One large and one small high HIV prevalence cluster (relative
      risk [RR] = 1.78, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.53-2.07; RR = 2.50, 95% CI =
      2.08-3.01) and one low-prevalence cluster (RR = 0.70, 95% CI = 0.60-0.82) were
      detected. The larger high-prevalence cluster was urban with a wealthier
      population and more high-risk sexual behaviour than outside the cluster. Despite
      better access to HIV services, there was lower HTC uptake in the high-prevalence
      cluster (odds ratio [OR] of HTC in past three years: OR = 0.80, 95% CI = 0.66
      0.97). The low-prevalence cluster was predominantly rural with a poorer
      population and longer travel distances to HIV services; however, uptake of HIV
      services was not reduced. CONCLUSION: High-prevalence clusters can be identified
      to which HIV control resources could be targeted. To date, poorer access to HIV
      services in the poorer low-prevalence areas has not resulted in lower service
      uptake, whilst there is significantly lower uptake of HTC in the high-prevalence
      cluster where health service access is better. Given the high levels of risky
      sexual behaviour and lower uptake of HTC services, targeting high-prevalence
      clusters may be cost-effective in this setting. If spatial targeting is
      introduced, inequalities in HIV service uptake may be avoided through mobile
      service provision for lower prevalence areas.

PMID- 28364572
TI  - Comparison of Cold Technique Tonsillectomy and Thermal Welding Tonsillectomy at
      Different Age Groups.
AB  - The aim of this study is to compare objectively advantages and disadvantages of
      cold technique tonsillectomy and thermal welding tonsillectomy at the same case.
      A total of 100 patients, 53 patients younger than 12 years of age and 47 patients
      elder than 12 years of age, were included in this study. Tonsillectomy was
      performed by using cold technique on the right side of the palatine tonsils and
      thermal welding on the left side. Right and left sides were compared regarding
      perioperative bleeding, surgical dissection time, postoperative pain scale at the
      1st and 7th day and postoperative bleeding parameters. Perioperative bleeding was
      found to be higher in cold technique side in patients younger than 12 years of
      age (p<0.001). Postoperative pain score on the day 1 was significantly higher in
      cold technique side, whereas it was found to be higher in thermal welding side at
      postoperative day 7 (p<0.001). Perioperative bleeding was found to be
      significantly higher in cold technique side (p<0.001) and surgical dissection
      time of thermal welding was found to be longer (p<0.001) in patients elder than
      12 years of age. Postoperative pain score at the day 1 and day 7 was found to be
      higher in thermal welding side (p<0.001). Postoperative pain score at the day 1
      and day 7 were statistically significantly higher in patients elder than 12 years
      of age. As a result, both techniques have its unique superior aspects and both
      can be applied as a routine tonsillectomy technique.

PMID- 28364573
TI  - Quantitative Parameters of Interdental Gingiva in Chronic Periodontitis Patients
      with IFN-gamma Gene Polymorphism.
AB  - Chronic periodontitis (CP), an infectious disease resulting in inflammation
      within the periodontal tissue, is the main cause of adult tooth loss. CP is a
      multi-factorial disorder and the interaction between multiple genetic and
      environmental factors results in the manifestation of this disease. Recent
      researches in periodontitis has focused on cytokine gene polymorphisms that play
      important role in periodontal inflammation, but few studies investigated
      histological change that occur during CP in the supporting tissue of teeth. The
      aims of this study were to investigate the association of IFN-gamma +874 A/T
      polymorphisms and quantitative parameters of interdental gingiva in CP patients.
      The study samples were interdental gingiva biopsies from 60 individuals including
      38 patients and 22 healthy subjects. After determination of IFN-gamma +874 A/T
      gene polymorphism by amplification refractory mutation system-polymerase chain
      reaction (ARMS-PCR), patients were divided in three subgroups: 10 AA, 18 AT and
      10 TT. After slides preparation, quantitative parameters were estimated by
      Cavalieri's point-counting method. Statistical analyses were performed using Mann
      Whitney and Kruskal-Wallis test to compare differences between groups. The volume
      density (Vv) of epithelium, connective tissue and its components were
      significantly different between the control and CP groups (P<0.05). Statistically
      significant differences in the Vv of collagenous and non-collagenous matrix of
      interdental gingiva between AA, AT and TT groups were found (P<0.05). Result of
      present study shows that IFN-gamma +874 A/T is strongly associated with some
      quantitative parameters of connective tissue constituents of interdental papilla
      in CP patients.

PMID- 28364575
TI  - Morphological awareness and reading comprehension: Examining mediating factors.
AB  - The relation between morphological awareness-defined as the awareness of and
      ability to manipulate the smallest units of meaning in language-and reading
      comprehension remains in need of specification. In this study, we evaluated four
      potential intervening variables through which morphological awareness may
      contribute indirectly to reading comprehension. We assessed word reading and
      vocabulary as well as children's ability to read and analyze the meaning of
      morphologically complex words (morphological decoding and morphological analysis,
      respectively). Controls of phonological awareness and nonverbal ability were
      included in the model. Participants were 221 English-speaking children in Grade
      3. Multivariate path analyses revealed evidence of two indirect relations and one
      direct relation between morphological awareness and reading comprehension. In the
      first indirect path, morphological awareness contributed to morphological
      decoding, which then influenced word reading and finally reading comprehension.
      In a second indirect path, morphological awareness contributed to morphological
      analysis, which contributed to reading comprehension. Finally, in a direct path,
      morphological awareness contributed to reading comprehension beyond all other
      variables. These findings inform as to the potential mechanisms underlying the
      relation between morphological awareness and reading comprehension in children.

PMID- 28364574
TI  - Can Platelet and Leukocyte Indicators Give Us an Idea about Distant Metastasis in
      Nasopharyngeal Cancer?
AB  - This study aimes to evaluate platelet and leucocyte indicators, such as the mean
      platelet volume, platelet distribution width, plateletcrit, white blood cell
      count, neutrophil to lymphocyte ratio in nasopharyngeal cancer patients and also
      to evaluate the relationship between these indicators and nasopharyngeal cancer
      with distant metastasis. The medical records of 118 patients diagnosed with
      nasopharyngeal cancer in our hospital between January 2006 and August 2015 were
      reviewed. The nasopharyngeal cancer group was further sub grouped according to
      the presence or absence of distant metastasis and TNM (tumour - T, node - N,
      metastasis - M) classification. A control group consisted of 120 healthy
      patients. The platelet and leucocyte values at the time of the initial diagnosis
      were recorded. Neutrophil to lymphocyte ratio and platelet distribution width
      values were significantly higher in the nasopharyngeal cancer group. But only
      platelet distribution width values were significantly higher in the
      nasopharyngeal cancer group with distant metastasis compared to the
      nasopharyngeal cancer group without distant metastasis. Neutrophil to lymphocyte
      ratio and platelet distribution width values may increase in nasopharyngeal
      cancer. But only the platelet distribution width values may give us an idea about
      the distant metastasis in nasopharyngeal cancer.

PMID- 28364576
TI  - Different methods used to form oxygen reducing biocathodes lead to different
      biomass quantities, bacterial communities, and electrochemical kinetics.
AB  - Six biocathodes catalyzing oxygen reduction were designed from the same
      environmental inoculum but using three different methods. Two were formed freely
      at open circuit potential, two using conventional aerobic polarization at 
      0.2V/SCE and two by reversion of already established acetate-fed bioanodes.
      Observation of the biofilms by SEM and epifluorescence microscopy revealed that
      reversible bioelectrodes had the densest biofilms. Electrochemical
      characterization revealed two different redox systems for oxygen reduction, at 
      0.30 and +0.23V/SCE. The biocathodes formed under aerobic polarization gave
      higher electrocalatytic performance for O2 reduction, due to production of the
      redox systems at +0.23V/SCE. Analyses of the bacterial communities on the
      biocathodes by 16S-rRNA pyrosequencing showed different selection (or enrichment)
      of microorganisms depending on the method used. This study highlights how the
      method chosen for designing oxygen biocathodes can affect the cathode coverage,
      the selection of bacterial populations and the electrochemical performance.

PMID- 28364577
TI  - The role of city income inequality, sex ratio and youth mortality rates in the
      effect of violent victimization on health-risk behaviors in Brazilian
      adolescents.
AB  - This study integrates insights from evolutionary psychology and social
      epidemiology to present a novel approach to contextual effects on health-risk
      behaviors (unprotected sex, drunkenness episodes, drugs and tobacco
      experimentation) among adolescents. Using data from the 2012 Brazilian National
      Survey of Adolescent Health (PeNSE), we first analyzed the effects of self
      reported violent victimization on health-risk behaviors of 47,371 adolescents
      aged 10-19 nested in the 26 Brazilian state capitals and the Federal District. We
      then explored whether the magnitude of these associations was correlated with
      cues of environmental harshness and unpredictability (youth external mortality
      and income inequality) and mating competition (sex ratio) from the city level.
      Results indicated that self-reported violent victimization is associated with an
      increased chance of engagement in health-risk behaviors in all Brazilian state
      capitals, for both males and females, but the magnitude of these associations
      varies in relation to broader environmental factors, such as the cities' age
      specific mortality rates, and specifically for females, income inequality and sex
      ratio. In addition to introducing a novel theoretical and empirical approach to
      contextual effects on adolescent health-risk behaviors, our findings reinforce
      the need to consider synergies between people's life experiences and the
      conditions where they live, when studying health-risk behaviors in adolescence.

PMID- 28364578
TI  - Physician associates in primary health care in England: A challenge to
      professional boundaries?
AB  - Like other health care systems, the National Health Service (NHS) in England has
      looked to new staffing configurations faced with medical staff shortages and
      rising costs. One solution has been to employ physician associates (PAs). PAs are
      trained in the medical model to assess, diagnose and commence treatment under the
      supervision of a physician. This paper explores the perceived effects on
      professional boundaries and relationships of introducing this completely new
      professional group. It draws on data from a study, completed in 2014, which
      examined the contribution of PAs working in general practice. Data were gathered
      at macro, meso and micro levels of the health care system. At the macro and meso
      level data were from policy documents, interviews with civil servants, senior
      members of national medical and nursing organisations, as well as regional level
      NHS managers (n = 25). At the micro level data came from interviews with General
      Practitioners, nurse practitioners and practice staff (n = 30) as well as
      observation of clinical and professional meetings. Analysis was both inductive
      and also framed by the existing theories of a dynamic system of professions. It
      is argued that professional boundaries become malleable and subject to
      negotiation at the micro level of service delivery. Stratification within
      professional groups created differing responses between those working at macro,
      meso and micro levels of the system; from acceptance to hostility in the face of
      a new and potentially competing, occupational group. Overarching this state
      agency was the requirement to underpin legislatively the shifts in jurisdictional
      boundaries, such as prescribing required for vertical substitution for some of
      the work of doctors.

PMID- 28364579
TI  - Frequency of prescription opioid misuse and suicidal ideation, planning, and
      attempts.
AB  - The goal of this study was to examine the relationship between past-year
      frequency of prescription opioid misuse and past-year suicidal ideation, suicide
      planning, and suicide attempts. Secondary data analyses were conducted using data
      from 41,053 participants of the 2014 National Survey of Drug Use and Health. Past
      year frequency of prescription opioid misuse was grouped into 4 categories: none,
      less than monthly (1-11 times), monthly to weekly (12-51 times), and weekly or
      more (52 times or more). Binomial logistic regression analyses adjusted for
      demographics, overall health rating, depression, anxiety, and substance use
      disorders to test the associations between frequency of prescription opioid
      misuse and suicide-related variables. Compared to those who did not endorse
      prescription opioid misuse in the past year, prescription opioid misuse was
      significantly associated with suicidal ideation, suicide planning, and suicide
      attempts for each frequency of use category in unadjusted models (p < 0.05). In
      adjusted models, frequency of prescription opioid misuse remained significantly
      associated with suicidal ideation (p < 0.05 for each frequency category);
      however, only the group reporting weekly or more use on average was associated
      with suicide planning and attempts (p < 0.05). The findings provide novel
      specificity regarding prescription opioid use in relation to suicide-related
      outcomes further supporting enhanced access to suicide prevention and
      nonpharmacological approaches to pain management across various settings.

PMID- 28364580
TI  - End-organ radiographic manifestations of cranial neuropathies: A concise review.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Cranial neuropathies are a spectrum of disorders associated with
      dysfunction of one or more of the twelve cranial nerves and the subsequent
      anatomic structures they innervate. OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this article is to
      review radiographic imaging findings of end-organ aberrations secondary to
      cranial neuropathies. METHOD: All articles related to cranial neuropathies were
      retrieved through the PubMed MEDLINE NCBI database from January 1, 1991 to August
      31, 2014. These manuscripts were analyzed for their relation to cranial nerve end
      organ disease pathogenesis and radiographic imaging. RESULTS: The present review
      reveals detectable end-organ changes on CT and/or MRI for the following cranial
      nerves: olfactory nerve, optic nerve, oculomotor nerve, trochlear nerve,
      trigeminal nerve, abducens nerve, facial nerve, vestibulocochlear nerve,
      glossopharyngeal nerve, vagus nerve, accessory nerve, and hypoglossal nerve.
      CONCLUSION: Radiographic imaging can assist in the detailed evaluation of end
      organ involvement, often revealing a corresponding cranial nerve injury with high
      sensitivity and diagnostic accuracy. A thorough understanding of the distal
      manifestations of cranial nerve disease can optimize early pathologic detection
      as well as dictate further clinical management.

PMID- 28364581
TI  - Self-reported confidence in patient safety knowledge among Australian
      undergraduate nursing students: A multi-site cross-sectional survey study.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Patient safety is critical to the provision of quality health care
      and thus is an essential component of nurse education. OBJECTIVE: To describe
      first, second and third year Australian undergraduate nursing students'
      confidence in patient safety knowledge acquired in the classroom and clinical
      settings across the three years of the undergraduate nursing program. DESIGN: A
      cross-sectional online survey conducted in 2015. SETTING: Seven Australian
      universities with campuses across three states (Queensland, New South Wales,
      South Australia). PARTICIPANTS: A total of 1319 Australian undergraduate nursing
      students. METHODS: Participants were surveyed using the 31-item Health
      Professional Education in Patient Safety Survey (H-PEPSS). Descriptive statistics
      summarised the sample and survey responses. Paired t-tests, ANOVA and generalized
      estimating-equations models were used to compare responses across learning
      settings (classroom and clinical), and year of nursing course. RESULTS:
      Participants were most confident in their learning of clinical safety skills and
      least confident in learning about the sociocultural dimensions of working in
      teams with other health professionals, managing safety risks and understanding
      human and environmental factors. Only 59% of students felt confident they could
      approach someone engaging in unsafe practice, 75% of students agreed it was
      difficult to question the decisions or actions of those with more authority, and
      78% were concerned they would face disciplinary action if they made a serious
      error. One patient safety subscale, Recognising and responding to remove
      immediate safety risks, was rated significantly higher by third year nursing
      students than by first and second year students. Two broader aspects of patient
      safety scales, Consistency in how patient safety issues are dealt with by
      different preceptors, and System aspects of patient safety are well covered in
      our program, were rated significantly higher by first year nursing students than
      by second and third year students. One scale, Understanding that reporting
      adverse events and close calls can lead to change and can reduce recurrence of
      events, was rated significantly higher by third year students than first and
      second year students. CONCLUSIONS: In order are to achieve meaningful
      improvements in patient safety, and create harm free environments for patients,
      it is crucial that nursing students develop confidence communicating with others
      to improve patient safety, particularly in the areas of challenging poor
      practice, and recognising, responding to and disclosing adverse events, including
      errors and near misses.

PMID- 28364582
TI  - Clinical relevance of TP53 polymorphic genetic variations in chronic lymphocytic
      leukemia.
AB  - OBJECTIVES: To analyze the distribution of single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs)
      in the TP53 gene in chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) patients and to evaluate
      their associations with clinical behavior of the disease. METHODS: SNPs in exons
      and parts of adjacent introns of the TP53 gene were analyzed in 235 CLL patients
      observed during 2005-2012 years. Data on individuals of European descent from the
      1000 Genomes Project data set were used as a reference. RESULTS: In the recessive
      model of inheritance, we found borderline associations between CLL risk and C/C
      genotype of rs1642785 (p=0.048); G/G genotype of rs2909430 (in men only; p=0.036)
      and Pro72Pro genotype of rs1042522 (in men only; p=0.045). Risk of CLL was
      increased also in carriers of rare haplotypes (p=0.0049). Besides, genotypes
      Pro72Pro of rs1042522, C/C of rs1642785, and G/G of rs2909430 were associated
      with an increased incidence of TP53 mutations. Median of overall survival in
      rs1800372 carriers was comparable to that of patients with TP53 mutations. Other
      evaluated SNPs were not associated with survival. CONCLUSION: Our data suggest
      that some TP53 variants may affect the risk of CLL. rs1800372 polymorphism might
      be the marker of unfavorable prognosis of the disease.

PMID- 28364583
TI  - Creatine kinase in human erythrocytes: A genetic anomaly reveals presence of
      soluble brain-type isoform.
AB  - For maintaining energy homeostasis, creatine kinase (CK) is present at elevated
      levels in tissues with high and/or fluctuating energy requirements such as
      muscle, brain, and epithelia, while there is very few CK, if any, in peripheral
      blood cells. However, an ectopic expression of brain-type creatine kinase (BCK)
      has been reported for platelets and leukocytes in an autosomal dominant inherited
      anomaly named CKBE. Here we investigated CK in erythrocytes of CKBE individuals
      from eight unrelated families. The data revealed a varying but significant
      increase of CK activity in CKBE individuals as compared to controls, reaching an
      almost 800-fold increase in two CKBE individuals which also had increased
      erythrocyte creatine. Immunoblotting with highly specific antibodies confirmed
      that the expressed CK isoform is BCK. Cell fractionation evidenced soluble BCK,
      suggesting cytosolic and not membrane localization of erythrocyte CK as reported
      earlier. These results are discussed in the context of putative CK energy
      buffering and transfer functions in red blood cells.

PMID- 28364584
TI  - Follistatin during pregnancy and its potential role as an ovarian suppressing
      agent.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: Ovarian quiescence is a common condition during pregnancy. In vitro,
      follistatin, an antagonist of follicle-stimulating hormone, blocks follicular
      development at early stages, and its serum levels increase during pregnancy. A
      possible surrogate biomarker of ovarian arrest during pregnancy is a decrease in
      anti-mullerian hormone (AMH) levels followed by an increase in these levels on
      the second day after labor. The purpose of this study was to determine whether
      follistatin could act as an ovarian-suppressing agent during pregnancy.
      Follistatin levels and AMH levels were determined at various stages of pregnancy
      and postpartum. STUDY DESIGN: The follistatin and AMH levels of 69 patients were
      retrospectively determined with the AMH Gen II ELISA and with the Human
      Follistatin Quantikine ELISA Kit. For 49 patients, samples were available from
      various trimesters for cross-sectional analysis; for the other 20, samples were
      available longitudinally from day one before labor and then daily on days 1
      through 4 after labor. Statistical significance was determined with linear
      regression, the Friedman rank sum test and the Wilcoxon-Nemenyi-McDonald-Thompson
      post hoc test. RESULTS: The behavior of follistatin levels was exactly opposite
      that of AMH levels: Follistatin levels increased significantly during pregnancy
      and on the first day after parturition but declined afterwards, whereas AMH
      levels decreased significantly during pregnancy and increased after labor.
      CONCLUSION: Follistatin can induce ovarian arrest during pregnancy.

PMID- 28364585
TI  - Network analysis and in silico prediction of protein-protein interactions with
      applications in drug discovery.
AB  - Protein-protein interactions (PPIs) are vital to maintaining cellular
      homeostasis. Several PPI dysregulations have been implicated in the etiology of
      various diseases and hence PPIs have emerged as promising targets for drug
      discovery. Surface residues and hotspot residues at the interface of PPIs form
      the core regions, which play a key role in modulating cellular processes such as
      signal transduction and are used as starting points for drug design. In this
      review, we briefly discuss how PPI networks (PPINs) inferred from experimentally
      characterized PPI data have been utilized for knowledge discovery and how in
      silico approaches to PPI characterization can contribute to PPIN-based biological
      research. Next, we describe the principles of in silico PPI prediction and survey
      the existing PPI and PPI site prediction servers that are useful for drug
      discovery. Finally, we discuss the potential of in silico PPI prediction in drug
      discovery.

PMID- 28364586
TI  - Imperfect information on physical activity and caloric intake.
AB  - Using the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey Data, I find that
      individuals who overestimate their activity level by one standard deviation
      consume 40-60 extra calories per day, or enough to gain five pounds per year.
      These extra calories are composed mainly of sugar and carbohydrate, and are
      concentrated among individuals in the 75th and 90th percentiles of caloric
      intake. The link between overeating and inaccurate estimation of physical
      activity is strongest among less educated individuals and individuals with high
      variance in their physical activity, suggesting that imperfect recall or
      information gaps explain at least part of the relationship of interest. These
      results imply the existence of a necessary condition for physical activity-based
      information treatments to be effective in changing health behaviors and obesity
      rates.

PMID- 28364587
TI  - Obsessive-compulsive disorder and family accommodation: A 3-year follow-up.
AB  - The present study assessed 3-year maintenance of family accommodation (FA)
      reduction in a sample from a randomized clinical trial that assessed the impact
      of 12 sessions of cognitive-behavioral group therapy (CBGT) for obsessive
      compulsive disorder (OCD), with the involvement of family members in two
      sessions. Of the 46 original pairs of patients/family members, 35 were assessed
      at 3 years. Demographic and clinical characteristics remained similar. Post-CBGT
      improvement of OCD symptoms remained significant; FA reduced 39% after the
      therapy and 51% at follow-up. FA reduction remained over time, underscoring the
      importance of permanently assessing FA and involving family members when treating
      OCD.

PMID- 28364588
TI  - A latent profile analysis of schizotypal dimensions: Associations with
      psychopathology and personality.
AB  - The main goal of the present study was to explore the latent structure of
      schizotypal traits in non-clinical young adults, and compare the latent profiles
      in clinical and personality characteristics: mental distress, psychosis
      proneness, hypomanic experiences, and anticipatory and consummatory pleasure. A
      large sample of college students (N =1002; mean age =21.11 years; SD =3.92) were
      administered the Schizotypal Personality Questionnaire-Brief Revised, the Mood
      Disorder Questionnaire, the short version of the Oxford-Liverpool Inventory of
      Feelings and Experiences, the General Health Questionnaire-12, and the Temporal
      Experience of Pleasure Scale. Using latent profile analysis, four latent classes
      (LC) were identified: "low schizotypy" (62.4%), "average schizotypy" (17.6%),
      "interpersonal schizotypy" (17.1%), and "high schizotypy" (2.9%). The "high
      schizotypy" class scored higher on most psychometric indicators of
      psychopathology and personality (i.e., mental distress, schizotypy, hypomanic
      experiences, and anticipatory and consummatory pleasure) relative to other three
      latent classes. The other three schizotypal latent profiles also varied in terms
      of these psychopathology and personality factors. The identification of
      homogeneous subgroups of individuals potentially at-risk for psychosis based on
      schizotypal latent profiles may improve early identification and prevention
      efforts aimed at reducing the burden associated with psychotic-spectrum disorders
      and mental health problems.

PMID- 28364590
TI  - Hyperarousal during sleep in untreated primary insomnia sufferers: A
      polysomnographic study.
AB  - Because some evidence favors the hyperarousal model of insomnia, we sought to
      learn more about the dynamics of this phenomenon during sleep. Polysomnographic
      data from 30 normative subjects and 86 untreated primary insomnia sufferers
      recruited from the database of the sleep laboratory were studied for whole nights
      and in terms of thirds of the night. Untreated primary insomnia sufferers had an
      increased sleep latency and excess of WASO, together with a deficit in REM and
      NREM sleep during the entire night. In terms of thirds of the night, they
      presented a major excess of WASO during the first and last thirds of the night
      but an excess of lesser importance during the middle third. A deficit in SWS was
      found during the first third of the night, but for REM, the deficit was present
      during both the first and last thirds. Primary insomnia sufferers had no SWS or
      REM deficit during the second third of the night. We found that the hyperarousal
      phenomenon occurs mainly during the sleep-onset period of the first and last
      thirds of the night and is less important during the middle third. These results
      open new avenues for understanding the pathophysiology of primary insomnia.

PMID- 28364591
TI  - Seasonal affective disorder and alcohol abuse disorder in a population-based
      study.
AB  - Seasonal affective disorder (SAD) is a recurrent major depressive disorder with a
      seasonal pattern, which is characterized by sad mood, low energy, longer sleep
      duration and carbohydrate craving. Furthermore, seasonal changes in mood and
      behavior may be closely related to alcohol use disorder (AUD). Nevertheless,
      there is scarce research on the study of cognitive impairments in SAD and AUD. We
      aimed to examine the relationship between the prevalence between SAD and AUD
      patients, and how cognitive functioning might be related to these variables. To
      do this, a sample of 8135 Finnish subjects was invited to take part in the
      population-based Health 2011 Survey, of whom 5903 did participate and 4554 were
      interviewed for mental health status with the Munich version of Composite
      International Diagnostic Interview. They also completed the modified Seasonal
      Pattern Assessment Questionnaire, the Mini-Mental State Examination, the category
      (animals) verbal fluency test, and the Rey Auditory Verbal Learning Test. Our
      results reveal the existence of a strong link between SAD and AUD in a large
      sample of Finnish population, as well as association between SAD and short-term
      memory problems.

PMID- 28364589
TI  - Investigating insomnia as a cross-sectional and longitudinal predictor of
      loneliness: Findings from six samples.
AB  - Loneliness has been repeatedly associated with sleep problems; however, there is
      a dearth of research examining the prospective relationship between insomnia and
      loneliness, as well as this association controlling for other psychiatric
      symptoms. This study evaluated the cross-sectional and prospective relationship
      between insomnia and loneliness using six samples: 666 undergraduates; 2785 Army
      recruiters; 208 adults with a history of suicidality and/or depression; 343 adult
      psychiatric outpatients; 326 young adults at elevated suicide risk; and 183
      undergraduates. A meta-analysis also was conducted to examine the magnitude of
      the relationship between insomnia and loneliness across the six studies. More
      severe insomnia symptoms were significantly associated with greater feelings of
      loneliness while accounting for some (e.g., anxiety, nightmares) but not all
      (i.e., depression) psychiatric covariates. Findings underscore the strength of
      the association between insomnia and loneliness and suggest that depression may
      account for this relationship. Additional studies are needed to further establish
      the temporal relationship between these variables, delineate the role of
      depression in the association between insomnia and loneliness, and test whether
      insomnia may confer unique risk for subsequent loneliness.

PMID- 28364592
TI  - Social cognitive impairment in 22q11 deletion syndrome: A review.
AB  - Individuals with 22q11.2 deletion syndrome (22q11DS) exhibit a broad array of
      physical and psychiatric features, of which impaired social cognition and poor
      social functioning are common. This review seeks to (1) characterize the current
      understanding of impairment across social cognitive domains in the context of
      22q11DS, and (2) synthesize the relevant literature on social cognition and
      psychosis, given that the prevalence of psychosis in 22q11DS is especially high
      compared to the general population. A total of 16 papers examining social
      cognition in 22q11DS were identified through a comprehensive literature search
      conducted using electronic databases such as PubMed and PSYCInfo. Results suggest
      that individuals with 22q11DS exhibit impaired emotion processing and complex
      theory of mind relative to their typically developing peers, though some findings
      were accounted for by neurocognitive and intellectual abilities. Further, no
      studies have examined the domains of attribution bias or social perception in
      22q11DS, highlighting a critical gap in the extant literature. More research is
      needed to better elucidate the trajectory of how and why social cognitive
      impairment develops in 22q11DS, and to explore possible relationships to
      psychiatric comorbidities like psychosis. Treatment implications and future steps
      are considered.

PMID- 28364593
TI  - Household adoption of energy and water-efficient appliances: An analysis of
      attitudes, labelling and complementary green behaviours in selected OECD
      countries.
AB  - Using a household-based data set of more than 12,000 households from 11 OECD
      countries, we analyse the factors underlying the decision by households to adopt
      energy-efficient and water-efficient equipment. We evaluate the roles of both
      attitudes and labelling schemes on the adoption of energy and water-efficient
      equipment, and also the interaction and complementarity between energy and water
      conservation behaviours. Our findings show: one, 'green' social norms and
      favourable attitudes towards the environment are associated with an increased
      likelihood of households' adoption of energy and water-efficient appliances; two,
      households' purchase decisions are positively affected by their awareness,
      understanding, and trust of labelling schemes; and three, there is evidence of
      complementarity between energy conservation and water conservation behaviours.

PMID- 28364594
TI  - Heteroatoms doped porous carbon derived from hydrothermally treated sewage
      sludge: Structural characterization and environmental application.
AB  - The heteroatoms (N and S) doped porous carbons (HAPCs) were prepared from sewage
      sludge by hydrothermal carbonization and chemical activation for the first time.
      The porous structures and surface properties of HAPCs were characterized by
      multiple techniques including SEM-EDS, TEM, BET, XRD, Raman spectroscopy and
      Boehm's titration. The resultant materials were showed to be naturally N and S
      dual-doped porous carbons (HAPCs), especially for HAPCHCl+HF obtained by HCl-HF
      washing, which was typical 3D hierarchically porous structure with abundant
      mesopores as well as big pore diameter. Then the performance of HAPCHCl+HF on AO7
      removal was determined through Response surface methodology. The results showed
      the adsorption behavior obeyed Langmuir isotherm model and the maximum adsorption
      capacity was up to 440.53 mg g-1 at 25  degrees C. Kinetics study revealed that
      the adsorption followed pseudo second-order kinetic and intra-particle diffusion
      was the main control step. The high removal rate of AO7 was ascribed to the
      unique properties of HAPCHCl+HF. The great Vmes and big pore diameter facilitated
      the diffusion of AO7 into the intra surface of particle. Meanwhile, the basic
      groups and doping of N and S made HAPCHCl+HF surface had positive charges, then
      strong pi-pi stacking interaction and electrostatic attraction contributed to the
      highly effective adsorption. This study indicated hydrothermal carbonization
      coupled with chemical activation was a cost-effective approach to prepare
      efficient heteroatoms doped porous carbon from sewage sludge towards azo dye
      contaminated wastewater treatment.

PMID- 28364595
TI  - Hippocampal development in youth with a history of childhood maltreatment.
AB  - Childhood maltreatment (CM) is associated with enhanced risk of psychiatric
      illness and reduced subcortical grey matter in adulthood. The hippocampus and
      amygdala, due to their involvement in stress and emotion circuitries, have been
      subject to extensive investigations regarding the effect of CM. However, the
      complex relationship between CM, subcortical grey matter and mental illness
      remains poorly understood partially due to a lack of longitudinal studies. Here
      we used segmentation and linear mixed effect modelling to examine the impact of
      CM on hippocampal and amygdala development in young people with emerging mental
      illness. A total of 215 structural magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans were
      acquired from 123 individuals (age: 14-28 years, 79 female), 52 of whom were
      scanned twice or more. Hippocampal and amygdala volumes increased linearly with
      age, and their developmental trajectories were not moderated by symptom severity.
      However, exposure to CM was associated with significantly stunted right
      hippocampal growth. This finding bridges the gap between child and adult research
      in the field and provides novel evidence that CM is associated with disrupted
      hippocampal development in youth. Although CM was associated with worse symptom
      severity, we did not find evidence that CM-induced structural abnormalities
      directly underpin psychopathology. This study has important implications for the
      psychiatric treatment of individuals with CM since they are clinically and
      neurobiologically distinct from their peers who were not maltreated.

PMID- 28364596
TI  - Cardioprotective effects of calcitonin gene-related peptide in isolated rat heart
      and in H9c2 cells via redox signaling.
AB  - The calcitonin-gene-related-peptide (CGRP) release is coupled to the signaling of
      Angeli's salt in determining vasodilator effects. However, it is unknown whether
      CGRP is involved in Angeli's salt cardioprotective effects and which are the
      mechanisms of protection. We aimed to determine whether CGRP is involved in
      myocardial protection induced by Angeli's salt. We also analyzed the
      intracellular signaling pathway activated by CGRP. Isolated rat hearts were pre
      treated with Angeli's salt or Angeli's salt plus CGRP8-37, a specific CGRP
      receptor antagonist, and subjected to ischemia (30-min) and reperfusion (120
      min). Moreover, we studied CGRP-induced protection during oxidative stress (H2O2)
      and hypoxia/reoxygenation protocols in H9c2 cardiomyocytes. Cell vitality and
      mitochondrial membrane potential (DeltaYm, MMP) were measured using MTT and JC-1
      dyes. Angeli's salt reduced infarct size and ameliorated post-ischemic cardiac
      function via a CGRP-receptor-dependent mechanism. Pre-treatment with CGRP
      increased H9c2 survival upon challenging with either H2O2 (redox stress) or
      hypoxia/reoxygenation (H/R stress). Under these stress conditions, reduction in
      MMP and cell death were partly prevented by CGRP. These CGRP beneficial effects
      were blocked by CGRP8-37. During H/R stress, pre-treatment with either CGRP
      receptor, protein kinase C (PKC) or mitochondrial KATP channel antagonists, and
      pre-treatment with an antioxidant (2-mercaptopropionylglycine) blocked the
      protection mediated by CGRP. In conclusion, CGRP is involved in the
      cardioprotective effects of Angeli's salt. In H9c2 cardiomyocytes, CGRP elicits
      PKC-dependent and mitochondrial-KATP-redox-dependent mechanisms. Hence, CGRP is
      an important factor in the redox-sensible cardioprotective effects of Angeli's
      salt.

PMID- 28364597
TI  - A new acridine derivative induces cell cycle arrest and antiangiogenic effect on
      Ehrlich ascites carcinoma model.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Acridine derivatives, including amsacrine, have antitumor activity.
      However, side effects, development of resistance and their low bioavailability,
      have limited their use. Herein, we described the synthesis, and evaluated the
      toxicity and antitumor activity of a new amsacrine analogous, the N'-(2-chloro-6
      methoxy-acridin-9-yl)-2-cyano-3-(4-dimethylaminophenyl)-acrilohidrazida (ACS
      AZ10). METHODS: The compound was obtained in a linear pathway where the ASC-Az
      intermediate was obtained by coupling of 6,9-dichloro-3-methoxy-acridine and 2
      ciany-acethohidrazide followed by condensation with the corresponding aldehyde.
      The toxicity of ACS-AZ10 was evaluated in mice using acute toxicity and
      micronucleus assays. Ehrlich ascites carcinoma model was used to investigate the
      antitumor activity and toxicity of ACS-AZ10 (7.5, 15 or 30mg/kg, i.p.), after
      nine days of treatment. Cell cycle and angiogenesis were also evaluated. RESULTS:
      The ASC-AZ10 was obtained with satisfactory yields and its structure was
      confirmed by spectroscopic and spectrometric techniques. On acute toxicity study,
      ACS-AZ10 (2000mg/kg, i.p.) induced transient depressant effects on central
      nervous system. The LD50 was approximately 2500mg/kg. ACS-AZ10 (15 or 30mg/kg)
      displayed significant antitumor activity considering the tumor weight and volume,
      cell viability, and total Ehrlich cell count. ACS-AZ10 (7.5mg/kg) induced an
      increase in sub-G1 peak, suggesting apoptosis. At 15mg/kg ACS-AZ10 induced cell
      cycle arrest in G2/M phase and a reduction in the percentage of cells in G0/G1
      and S phases, suggesting a pre-mitotic blockade. ACS-AZ10 reduced the microvessel
      density, indicating an antiangiogenic effect. Weak hematological, biochemical and
      histopathological toxicity were observed. The compound doesn't show genotoxicity
      in micronucleus assay. CONCLUSIONS: ACS-AZ10 has potent antitumor activity in
      vivo along with low toxicity.

PMID- 28364598
TI  - An in vitro evaluation of anti-aging effect of guluronic acid (G2013) based on
      enzymatic oxidative stress gene expression using healthy individuals PBMCs.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Aging is usually associated with increased levels of oxidants, and
      may result in damages caused by oxidative stress. There is a direct relationship
      between aging and increased incidence of inflammatory diseases. The present
      research intended to study the anti-aging and anti-inflammatory effects of the
      drug G2013 (guluronic acid) at low and high doses on the genes expression of a
      number of enzymes involved in oxidative stress (including SOD2, GPX1, CAT, GST,
      iNOS, and MPO) in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) of healthy
      individuals under in vitro conditions. METHODS: Venous blood samples were taken
      from 20 healthy individuals, the PBMCs were isolated and their RNAs extracted and
      their cDNAs were synthesized, and the genes expression levels were measured using
      the qRT-PCR technique. RESULTS: Our results indicated that this drug could, at
      both low and high doses, significantly reduce the expression of the genes for
      SOD2, GPX1, CAT, and GST compared to the LPS group (p<0.0001). Moreover, it was
      noticed that the drug is able to significantly reduce gene expression levels at
      the high dose and at both doses (low and high), for iNOS and MPO compared to the
      LPS group (p<0.0001), respectively. CONCLUSIONS: The present research showed that
      G2013, as a novel NSAID drug with immunomodulatory properties, could modulate the
      expression levels of the genes for SOD2, GPX1, CAT, GST, iNOS, and MPO, to the
      level of healthy gene expression, and possibly it might reduce the pathological
      process of aging and age-related inflammatory diseases.

PMID- 28364599
TI  - Flavonoids from Enicostema littorale blume enhances glucose uptake of cells in
      insulin resistant human liver cancer (HepG2) cell line via IRS-1/PI3K/Akt
      pathway.
AB  - Diabetes mellitus has spread over the world with 347 million people affected.
      Insulin resistance is a main pathogenic event in Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus (T2DM)
      leading to a reduction in glucose uptake by peripheral tissue and increased
      hepatic glucose output. In this study, we have isolated four flavonoid rich
      fractions fraction A (FA), fraction B (FB), fraction C (FC) and fraction D (FD)
      from Enicostema littorale. All the fractions were preliminary screened for TLC
      fingerprinting, total flavonoid content. Total eight flavonoids were identified
      by LC/MS. Insulin resistant HepG2 (IR/HepG2) model was established by inducing
      insulin resistance in HepG2 cells to investigate the effect of these fractions on
      IR/HepG2 cell line for their glucose uptake. The results showed the significant
      dose dependant increase in glucose uptake of cells treated with FD. It showed
      significant activity at a concentration of 10MUg/ml. The LC/MS results of FD
      demonstrated the presence of C-glycoside Swertisin which could be responsible for
      the effect. Further, to investigate the mechanism of action, gene expression for
      insulin receptor substrate 1 (IRS-1), protein kinase B (Akt-2) and glucose
      transporter 4 (GLUT-4) genes were evaluated by real time PCR. A significant
      upregulation of these genes was observed in FD treated samples, thereby
      indicating the enhancement of glucose uptake rate of cells via IRS-1/PI3K/Akt
      pathway.

PMID- 28364600
TI  - MiR-370 functions as oncogene in melanoma by direct targeting pyruvate
      dehydrogenase B.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Accumulating evidence has shown that miR-370 play an important role
      in the development and progression of tumor. However, the role of miR-370 in
      melanoma remains largely unknown. The present study is designed to investigate
      the function of miR-370 in melanoma and to explore the molecular mechanism
      underlying its function. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The expression level of miR-370
      was detected in melanoma tissues and cell lines by real-time quantitative
      polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR). The effect of overexpression of miR-370 on
      in vitro cell proliferation, apoptosis, invasion as well as glyclolysis was
      examined. Western blotting analysis was used to detect the influence of miR-370
      on the expression of target genes, and Pearson analysis was used to calculate the
      correlation between the expression of targets gene and miR-370 in melanoma
      tissues. RESULTS: Our study showed that miR-370 was upregulated in melanoma
      tissues compared with non-cancerous tissues (P<0.01). In addition, the expression
      of miR-370 in melanoma cell lines was also significantly higher (P<0.01).
      Enforced expression of miR-370 promotes melanoma cell proliferation, inhibits
      apoptosis and enhances invasion and glycolysis and led to downregulation of the
      PDHB protein. Moreover, the expression level of miR-370 in melanoma tissues
      showed inverse relationship with the expression level of PDHB protein.
      CONCLUSIONS: In conclusion, our findings suggested that miR-370 represents a
      potential oncogenic miRNA and plays an important role in melanoma progression by
      directly targeting PDHB.

PMID- 28364601
TI  - Pro-apoptotic activity of nano-escheriosome based oleic acid conjugate against
      7,12-dimethylbenz(a)anthracene (DMBA) induced cutaneous carcinogenesis.
AB  - AIM: 2,6-Diisopropylphenol-oleic acid (2,6P-OLA) is an ester conjugate of oleic
      acid that has displayed a strong anticancer activity on different types of cancer
      cell lines (Khan et al., 2012). The present study is focused on the development
      of a nano-liposome-based approach for the delivery of 2,6P-OLA on 7,12
      dimethylbenz(a)anthracene (DMBA) induced cutaneous papilloma in experimental
      mice. For effective and specific delivery of the conjugate to the tumor site, it
      was incorporated into escheriosome (EC); an Escherichia coli lipid nanoparticle.
      MATERIALS AND METHODS: I determined the size, zeta-potential, entrapment and
      release efficacy of 2,6P-OLA-EC nano-formulation. The consequence of 2,6P-OLA-EC
      treatment was initially analyzed by regression in tumor volume, inhibition of
      cutaneous papilloma and survival of treated mice. Its anticancer activity was
      further examined by histopathology, fluorescence microscopy, flow cytometry and
      electroblot-immuno assay of apoptotic factors. RESULTS: Distinct disperse
      circular shaped EC nanoparticles showed slow and sustained release of therapeutic
      concentration of 2,6P-OLA in the surrounding milieu. 2,6P-OLA-EC significantly
      reduced tumor volume and inhibited onset of new papilloma. Treatment with nano
      formulation revealed induced caspase-9 activity and noteworthy apoptotic response
      as visualized by fluorescence microscopy and TUNEL assay. Electroblot-immuno
      analysis revealed significant modulation of p53wt and p53mut expression levels.
      CONCLUSION: The results suggest the therapeutic potential of 2,6P-OLA entrapped
      in nano-escheriosomes against cutaneous papilloma and can become a promising
      system against various forms of cancer as well.

PMID- 28364602
TI  - MicroRNA-485-5p represses melanoma cell invasion and proliferation by suppressing
      Frizzled7.
AB  - MicroRNAs (miRNAs) have emerged as critical regulators for malignant melanoma
      development. miR-485-5p has been suggested as a tumor-suppressive miRNA in many
      types of human malignancies. However, the role of miR-485-5p in melanoma remains
      unknown. In this study, we aimed to explore the potential role and underlying
      mechanism of miR-485-5p in the regulation of melanoma development. Here, we
      showed that miR-485-5p was significantly decreased in melanoma tissues and cell
      lines compared with their corresponding controls. Transwell invasion assay showed
      that miR-485-5p overexpression markedly inhibited melanoma cell invasion. WST-1
      and cell cycle assays exhibited that miR-485-5p overexpression significantly
      suppressed melanoma cell proliferation. By contrast, miR-485-5p suppression
      promoted the invasion and proliferation of melanoma cells. Using bioinformatics
      analysis, we observed that miR-485-5p potentially targets the 3'-untranslated
      region (3'-UTR) of Frizzled7 (FZD7). Dual-luciferase assay confirmed the direct
      binding between miR-485-5p and FZD7 3'-UTR. Meanwhile, real-time quantitative
      polymerase chain reaction and Western blot analysis showed that miR-485-5p
      overexpression suppressed FZD7 expression, whereas miR-485-5p suppression
      resulted in the opposite effect. Moreover, miR-485-5p expression was observed to
      be inversely correlated with FZD7 mRNA expression in melanoma tissues. Further
      experiments showed that miR-485-5p regulated Wnt signaling. The restoration of
      FZD7 expression markedly reversed the antitumor effects induced by miR-485-5p
      overexpression in melanoma cells. Taken together, our study suggests that miR-485
      5p represses melanoma cell invasion and proliferation by suppressing FZD7,
      indicating a new tumor-suppressive role for miR-485-5p in melanoma. The miR-485
      5p/FZD7 axis may provide novel insights into understanding the molecular
      pathogenesis of melanoma and may be a promising therapeutic target for melanoma.

PMID- 28364603
TI  - Ampelopsin attenuates the atrophy of skeletal muscle from d-gal-induced aging
      rats through activating AMPK/SIRT1/PGC-1alpha signaling cascade.
AB  - The atrophy of skeletal muscle is highly correlated with oxidative damage,
      excessive apoptosis and dysfunctional autophagy. Ampelopsin, a natural flavonoid,
      has multiple biological functions including anti-inflammatory, anti-oxidative,
      and hepatoprotective functions. Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats subjected to
      intraperitoneal injection of d-galactose (d-gal) at the dose of 150mg/kg.d
      revealed an obvious atrophy of skeletal muscle with significantly reduced muscle
      mass/body mass ratio, cross-sectional area and fiber diameter of skeletal muscle
      in d-gal-induced aging rats when compared to normal control rats without d-gal
      administration for 6 consecutive weeks. In contrast, the combinatorial
      administration of d-gal at the identical dose and DHM at the dose of 100 or
      200mg/kg.d could alleviate the reduction of these hallmarks associated with the
      atrophy of skeletal muscle. In addition, d-gal administration could result in
      obvious apoptosis and impaired autophagy in skeletal muscle, which could be
      mitigated upon DHM treatment due to its role in decreasing ubiquitin and Atrogin
      1/MAFbx and up-regulating AMPK and SIRT1 signal pathways. Therefore, DHM may be a
      potential candidate for the prevention and treatment of skeletal muscle atrophy
      associated aging process.

PMID- 28364604
TI  - Elucidating environmental dimensions of neurological disorders and disease:
      Understanding new tools from federal chemical testing programs.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Federal agencies are making significant investments to advance
      predictive approaches to evaluate chemical hazards and risks. Environmental
      Defense Fund (EDF) believes that engagement with the broader scientific community
      is critical to building and maintaining a strong biological foundation for these
      approaches. OBJECTIVES: On June 18-19, 2015, EDF organized a meeting to 1) foster
      a conversation between federal scientists advancing predictive approaches and
      environmental health researchers investigating environmental exposures and
      neurological outcomes, and 2) explore opportunities and challenges for the use of
      federal chemical high-throughput in vitro screening (HTS) data in hypothesis
      driven research toward, ultimately, improved data for public health decision
      making. DISCUSSION: The meeting achieved its objectives. Government scientists
      showcased their chemical testing programs and vision for how emerging data may be
      used to meet agency missions. Environmental health researchers shared their
      experiences using federal HTS data, offered recommendations for strengthening
      federal HTS platforms, and expressed great interest in continued engagement with
      evolving federal chemical testing initiatives. CONCLUSIONS: The meeting provided
      an invaluable exchange between two scientific communities with a shared interest
      in protecting public health from harmful environmental exposures, but who have
      not sufficiently engaged with each other. Discussions identified opportunities
      and work ahead for the use of HTS data in hypothesis-driven research. Though the
      meeting focused on neurological outcomes, the purpose, objectives and experience
      of the meeting are broadly applicable. EDF strongly encourages more discourse and
      collaboration between federal and non-government scientists working to understand
      environmental influences on health outcomes.

PMID- 28364605
TI  - Changes in soil characteristics and C dynamics after mangrove clearing (Vietnam).
AB  - Of the blue carbon sinks, mangroves have one of the highest organic matter (OM)
      storage capacities in their soil due to low mineralization processes resulting
      from waterlogging. However, mangroves are disappearing worldwide because of
      demographic increases. In addition to the loss of CO2 fixation, mangrove clearing
      can strongly affect soil characteristics and C storage. The objectives of the
      present study were to quantify the evolution of soil quality, carbon stocks and
      carbon fluxes after mangrove clearing. Sediment cores to assess physico-chemical
      properties were collected and in situ CO2 fluxes were measured at the soil-air
      interface in a mangrove of Northern Vietnam. We compared a Kandelia candel
      mangrove forest with a nearby zone that had been cleared two years before the
      study. Significant decrease of clay content and an increase in bulk density for
      the upper 35cm in the cleared zone were observed. Soil organic carbon (OC)
      content in the upper 35cm decreased by >65% two years after clearing. The
      quantity and the quality of the carbon changed, with lower carbon to nitrogen
      ratios, indicating a more decomposed OM, a higher content of dissolved organic
      carbon, and a higher content of inorganic carbon (three times higher). This
      highlights the efficiency of mineralization processes following clearing. Due to
      the rapid decrease in the soil carbon content, CO2 fluxes at sediment interface
      were >50% lower in the cleared zone. Taking into account carbonate precipitation
      after OC mineralization, the mangrove soil lost ~10MgOCha-1yr-1 mostly as CO2 to
      the atmosphere and possibly as dissolved forms towards adjacent ecosystems. The
      impacts on the carbon cycle of mangrove clearing as shown by the switch from a C
      sink to a C source highlight the importance of maintaining these ecosystems,
      particularly in a context of climate change.

PMID- 28364606
TI  - Atmospheric removal of PM2.5 by man-made Three Northern Regions Shelter Forest in
      Northern China estimated using satellite retrieved PM2.5 concentration.
AB  - Atmospheric removal of PM2.5 by the Three Northern Regions Shelter Forest (TNRSF)
      - the so called Green Great Wall (GGW) in northern China through dry deposition
      process was estimated using a bulk big-leaf model and a vegetation collection
      model. Decadal trend of PM2.5 dry deposition flux from 1999 to 2010 was
      calculated from modeled dry deposition velocity and air concentration retrieved
      from the satellite remote sensing. Dry deposition velocities of PM2.5 calculated
      using the two deposition models increased in many places of the TNRSF over the
      last decade due to increasing vegetation coverage of the TNRSF. Both increasing
      deposition velocity due to forest expansion and PM2.5 atmospheric level
      contributed to the increasing deposition flux of PM2.5. The highest atmospheric
      deposition flux of PM2.5 was found in the Central-north region covering Beijing
      Tianjin-Hebei area, followed by the Northwestern and the Northeastern regions of
      the TNRSF. While greater collection of PM2.5 by vegetation was identified in the
      Northeastern region of the TNRSF due to higher forest coverage over this region,
      the most significant incline of the PM2.5 atmospheric removal due to vegetation
      collection was discerned in the Central-north region because of the most rapid
      increase in the vegetation coverage in this region. A total mass of 2.85*107t
      PM2.5 was estimated to be removed from the atmosphere through dry deposition
      process over the TNRSF from 1999 to 2010. The two deposition models simulated
      similar magnitude and spatial patterns of PM2.5 dry deposition fluxes. Our
      results suggest that the TNRSF plays a moderate role in PM2.5 uptake, but
      enhances PM2.5 atmospheric removal by 30% in 2010 than in 1980.

PMID- 28364607
TI  - Passive sampling as a tool for identifying micro-organic compounds in
      groundwater.
AB  - The paper presents the use of a simple and cost efficient passive sampling device
      with integrated active carbon with which to test the possibility of determining
      the presence of micro-organic compounds (MOs) in groundwater and identifying the
      potential source of pollution as well as the seasonal variability of
      contamination. Advantage of the passive sampler is to cover a long sampling
      period by integrating the pollutant concentration over time, and the consequently
      analytical costs over the monitoring period can be reduced substantially. Passive
      samplers were installed in 15 boreholes in the Maribor City area in Slovenia,
      with two sampling campaigns covered a period about one year. At all sampling
      sites in the first series a total of 103 compounds were detected, and 144 in the
      second series. Of all detected compounds the 53 most frequently detected were
      selected for further analysis. These were classified into eight groups based on
      the type of their source: Pesticides, Halogenated solvents, Non-halogenated
      solvents, Domestic and personal, Plasticizers and additives, Other industrial,
      Sterols and Natural compounds. The most frequently detected MO compounds in
      groundwater were tetrachloroethene and trichloroethene from the Halogenated
      solvents group. The most frequently detected among the compound's groups were
      pesticides. Analysis of frequency also showed significant differences between the
      two sampling series, with less frequent detections in the summer series. For the
      analysis to determine the origin of contamination three groups of compounds were
      determined according to type of use: agriculture, urban and industry. Frequency
      of detection indicates mixed land use in the recharge areas of sampling sites,
      which makes it difficult to specify the dominant origin of the compound. Passive
      sampling has proved to be useful tool with which to identify MOs in groundwater
      and for assessing groundwater quality.

PMID- 28364608
TI  - Cerium negatively impacts the nutritional status in rapeseed.
AB  - Cerium (Ce) has been reported to be both beneficial and harmful to plants. This
      contradiction deserves explanation in the light of increased anthropogenic
      release of Ce in the environment. Ce tolerance and accumulation were evaluated in
      hydroponically cultivated Brassica napus L. (rapeseed). Ce and other nutrient
      concentrations were measured with increasing Ce concentration in the nutrient
      solution. Moreover, Ce and calcium (Ca) accumulation were evaluated at different
      Ca and Ce concentrations in nutrient solution and a Michaelis-Menten type
      inhibition model considering Ce and Ca competition was tested. Plants were also
      sprayed with Ce solution in Ca-deficient media. Ce decreased the growth and root
      function, which affected shoot nutritional status. Calcium was the most severely
      inhibited nutrient in both roots and shoots. High Ca concentrations in the
      nutrient solution inhibited Ce accumulation in a non-competitive way. Moreover,
      phosphorus (P) precipitated Ce inside root cells. Ce spraying did not alleviate
      Ca deficiency symptoms and the results were critically compared to the available
      literature.

PMID- 28364609
TI  - Anthropogenic 236U and 129I in the Mediterranean Sea: First comprehensive
      distribution and constrain of their sources.
AB  - The first basin-wide distribution of 236U/238U atom ratios and 129I
      concentrations is presented for the Mediterranean Sea. During the GEOTRACES GA04S
      MedSeA expedition in 2013 seawater was collected from 10 vertical profiles
      covering the principal sub-basins of the Mediterranean Sea. The main objective
      was to understand the distributions of 236U and 129I in relation to the water
      masses, and to constrain their sources in this region. The 236U/238U atom ratios
      and the 129I concentrations ranged from (710+/-40)*10-12 to (2220+/-60)*10-12 and
      from (4.0+/-0.1)*107 to (13.8+/-0.3)*107at.kg-1, respectively. The results show
      that radionuclide-poor Atlantic Water is entering at the surface through the
      Strait of Gibraltar whereas comparably radionuclide-enriched Levantine
      Intermediate Water is sinking in the Eastern Basin and flowing westward at
      intermediate depths. Low radionuclide levels were found in the oldest water
      masses at about 1000-2000m depth in the Eastern Basin. At greater depths, waters
      were relatively enriched in 236U and 129I due to dense water formation occurring
      in both, the Eastern and Western Basins. The inventories of 236U and 129I cannot
      be explained only by global fallout from atmospheric nuclear bomb testings
      carried out in the 1950s and 1960s. We estimate that the liquid input of 236U
      from the nuclear reprocessing facility of Marcoule (France), via the Rhone river,
      was of the same order of magnitude than the contribution from global fallout,
      whereas liquid and gaseous releases of 129I from Marcoule were up to two orders
      of magnitude higher than global fallout. For both radionuclides, the contribution
      from the Chernobyl accident is found to be minor.

PMID- 28364610
TI  - Groundwater discharge in high-mountain watersheds: A valuable resource for
      downstream semi-arid zones. The case of the Berchules River in Sierra Nevada
      (Southern Spain).
AB  - Aquifers in permeable formations developed in high-mountain watersheds slow down
      the transfer of snowmelt to rivers, modifying rivers' flow pattern. To gain
      insight into the processes that control the hydrologic response of such systems
      the role played by groundwater in an alpine basin located at the southeastern
      part of the Iberian Peninsula is investigated. As data in these environments is
      generally scarce and its variability is high, simple lumped parameter
      hydrological models that consider the groundwater component and snow accumulation
      and melting are needed. Instead of using existing models that use many
      parameters, the Temez lumped hydrological model of common use in Spain and Ibero
      American countries is selected and modified to consider snow to get a simplified
      tool to separate hydrograph components. The result is the TDD model (Temez-Degree
      Day) which is applied in a high mountain watershed with seasonal snow cover in
      Southern Spain to help in quantifying groundwater recharge and determining the
      groundwater contribution to the outflow. Average groundwater recharge is about
      23% of the precipitation, and groundwater contribution to total outflow ranges
      between 70 and 97%. Direct surface runoff is 1% of precipitation. These values
      depend on the existence of snow. Results are consistent with those obtained with
      chloride atmospheric deposition mass balances by other authors. They highlight
      the important role of groundwater in high mountain areas, which is enhanced by
      seasonal snow cover. Results compare well with other areas. This effect is often
      neglected in water planning, but can be easily taken into account just by
      extending the water balance tool in use, or any other, following the procedure
      that has being developed.

PMID- 28364611
TI  - The association between human perceived heat and early-stage syphilis and its
      variance: Results from a case-report system.
AB  - BACKGROUND: The relationship between temperature and syphilis is poorly
      understood despite clues and suggestions from previous studies. We examined the
      association between human perceived temperature (humidex) and the relative risk
      of early-stage syphilis in the most affected area of China, as well as its
      variance across social-economic status and age groups. METHODS: Information
      regarding early-stage (primary and secondary) syphilis cases reported to the
      China Case Report System between 2005-2013 from Guangdong province was analyzed
      in this study. Weather data were obtained from the National Meteorological
      Information Center. Distributed lag nonlinear models were applied to assess the
      relationship between humidex and the relative risk of early-stage syphilis.
      Results were further stratified by social-economic status and age groups.
      RESULTS: The relative risks of early-stage syphilis mainly increased with
      increased humidex, and were elevated when the humidex was around 30 or greater
      than 38. The humidex-RR association for the 15-40 age group was similar to the
      scenario pooled across the age groups, particularly in the Pearl-River Delta
      Region. The relative risk of syphilis in the elderly for the non-Pearl-River
      Delta Region did not show a clear change with humidex, whereas that in the Pearl
      River Delta Region substantially increased, particularly when humidex was above
      25. CONCLUSIONS: Human perceived temperature was positively related to the
      relative risk of early-stage syphilis. People in the Pearl-River Delta Region
      tended to be more sensitive, with relative risk elevated at potential comfortable
      times or under excessively hot conditions. The vulnerability of the elderly in
      the Pearl-River Delta Region is concerning.

PMID- 28364612
TI  - Human exposure to HBCD and TBBPA via indoor dust in Korea: Estimation of external
      exposure and body burden.
AB  - Human exposure to brominated flame retardants (BFRs) such as
      hexabromocyclododecane (HBCD) and tetrabromobisphenol A (TBBPA) mainly occurs
      through diet and dust ingestion. In this study, the BFR concentrations in 124
      vacuum dust samples of six categories of indoor environments (homes, offices,
      kindergartens, cars, schools, and public indoor environments) and 32 surface dust
      samples were investigated. The median SigmaHBCD concentrations ranged from
      106.30ngg-1 in home dust to 496.13ngg-1 in office dust. The TBBPA concentrations
      in indoor dust (from 78.87 to 463.81ngg-1) were among the highest compared to
      other countries because of the high market demand for this flame retardant in
      Korea. The TBBPA concentrations in surface dust of living rooms were
      significantly higher (p<0.05) than sleeping rooms, due to the presence of more
      electrical equipment in living rooms. The estimated daily intakes (EDI) of
      SigmaHBCD and TBBPA (dust+diet) for toddlers were 6.18ngkg-1bwd-1 and 2.54ngkg
      1bwd-1, respectively. In general, the SigmaHBCD estimated body burden of Korean
      adults showed good agreement with the reported SigmaHBCD median concentrations in
      their sera. Since the developmental health effect of exposure to HBCD was
      categorized as "high hazard" by the US Environmental Protection Agency, the
      estimated high body burden of SigmaHBCD in Korean toddlers (7.91ngg-1 lw) warns
      us of possible adverse effects on the development of essential systems in their
      bodies.

PMID- 28364613
TI  - Behaviour of glyphosate in a reservoir and the surrounding agricultural soils.
AB  - Glyphosate (GPS) is an herbicide currently used on olive crops in Spain, and can
      be transported to the nearby reservoirs currently used for human consumption. The
      purpose of this work was to study the behaviour and environmental fate of GPS in
      water and sediments of the Vibora Reservoir, its tributary river, and the
      surrounding agricultural soils to assess the risk of water pollution of this
      reservoir. The adsorption of GPS by different matrices was as follows: heading of
      the reservoir sediment (Cabecera)>tail sediment (Cola)>soils>Vibora sediment. The
      highest amount of oxides (especially Fe oxides) was observed in sediments from
      Cabecera and Cola whereas the lowest values were recorded on Vibora sediment.
      Results indicate that the highest GPS adsorption is due to the amorphous oxides
      and the edge sites of the clay minerals. Glyphosate adsorption increased with
      decreasing pH from 8 to 7. The desorption percentage of GPS from the four soils
      studied ranged only from 0.40 to 1.22%. Desorption was almost irreversible for
      Cabecera and Cola sediments, with values between 0 and 1.1%. Conversely, Vibora
      sediment presented about 20% desorption, probably due to its coarse texture and
      lower levels of amorphous oxides. Hockey-stick first-order kinetics was the best
      descriptor for water glyphosate dissipation at the Cabecera and Cola locations,
      and simple first-order kinetic for the water from the tributary Vibora River. The
      half-lives (DT50) were between 6.3 and 11.0days. The rapid degradation of GPS in
      surface waters and its practically irreversible sorption on these soils and
      sediments implies that GPS use in similar agricultural areas is of very low
      environmental risk. This manuscript also outlines the importance of the presence
      of photo-sensitizers in waters in the degradation routes of GPS in reservoirs.

PMID- 28364614
TI  - Life history and point prevalence of low back pain in pre-professional and
      professional dancers.
AB  - OBJECTIVES: To investigate lifetime history and point prevalence of low back pain
      (LBP) in pre-professional and professional dancers and to identify any
      demographic or physical factors associated with LBP in dancers. DESIGN: Cross
      sectional study. SETTING: One pre-professional ballet school, two pre
      professional university dance programs, and a professional nationally touring
      ballet company. PARTICIPANTS: Male and female classical ballet and contemporary
      dancers aged 12 years old and above. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Lifetime history and
      point prevalence of LBP. RESULTS: A total of 110 (n = 19 male) dancers (mean (SD)
      17.8 (2.9) years old) participated in the study, which represented 50% of the
      population invited to participate. A 74% lifetime prevalence of LBP was reported
      by dancers. Point and 12 month prevalence were 24 and 64%, respectively. No
      significant association was observed between LBP and any demographic or physical
      variables. CONCLUSION: Pre-professional and professional dancers have an
      increased vulnerability to LBP. The development of LBP within this population is
      complex and may not be associated with individual factors measured in this study.

PMID- 28364615
TI  - Strength and endurance training reduces the loss of eccentric hamstring torque
      observed after soccer specific fatigue.
AB  - OBJECTIVES: To investigate the effect of two hamstring training protocols on
      eccentric peak torque before and after soccer specific fatigue. PARTICIPANTS:
      Twenty-two university male soccer players. DESIGN: Isokinetic strength tests were
      performed at 60 degrees /s pre and post fatigue, before and after 2 different
      training interventions. A 45-min soccer specific fatigue modified BEAST protocol
      (M-BEAST) was used to induce fatigue. Players were randomly assigned to a 4 week
      hamstrings conditioning intervention with either a maximum strength (STR) or a
      muscle endurance (END) emphasis. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: The following parameters
      were evaluated: Eccentric peak torque (EccPT), angle of peak torque (APT), and
      angle specific torques at knee joint angles of 10 degrees , 20 degrees , 30
      degrees , 40 degrees , 50 degrees , 60 degrees , 70 degrees , 80 degrees  and 90
      degrees . RESULTS: There was a significant effect of the M-BEAST on the Eccentric
      torque angle profile before training as well as significant improvements in post
      fatigue torque angle profile following the effects of both strength and muscle
      endurance interventions. CONCLUSIONS: Forty-five minutes of simulated soccer
      activity leads to reduced eccentric hamstring torque at longer muscle lengths.
      Short-term conditioning programs (4-weeks) with either a maximum strength or a
      muscular endurance emphasis can equally reduce fatigue induced loss of strength
      over this time period.

PMID- 28364616
TI  - New tris(dopamine) derivative as an iron chelator. Synthesis, solution
      thermodynamic stability, and antioxidant research.
AB  - A new tris(dopamine) derivative, containing three dopamine chelate moieties which
      were attached to a trimesic acid molecular scaffold, has been prepared and fully
      characterized by NMR, FTIR and HRMS. The solution thermodynamic stability of the
      chelator with Fe(III), Mg(II), Zn(II) and Fe(II) ions was investigated. Results
      demonstrated that the chelator exhibited effective binding ability and improved
      selectivity to Fe(III) ion. The chelator possessed affinity similar to that of
      diethylenetriaminepentaacetic acid chelator for Fe(III) ion. The high affinity
      could be attributed to the favorable geometric arrangement between the chelator
      and Fe(III) ion coordination preference. The chelator also exhibited high
      antioxidant activity and nontoxicity to neuron-like rat pheochromocytoma cells.
      Hence, the chelator could be used as chelating agent for iron overload situations
      without depleting essential metal ions, such as Mg(II) and Zn(II) ions.

PMID- 28364617
TI  - Synthesis, crystal structure and hydrolysis activity of a novel heterobinuclear
      cobalt(III) sodium(I) Schiff base complex.
AB  - A novel heterobinuclear complex [CoNa(C15H10NO4F)2(CH3OH)]2 with Schiff base
      (C15H10NO4F: 2-amino-4-fluorobenzoic acid-3-methoxysalicylaldehyde) was
      synthesized and characterized by IR and 1H NMR spectroscopy, elemental analysis
      and single crystal X-ray diffraction. X-ray crystallography reveals that the
      cobalt atom is six-coordinated by two nitrogen atoms from -CN-, two carboxylate
      oxygen atoms and two hydroxyl oxygen atoms in different ligands, while the sodium
      atom is seven-coordinated by two methoxy oxygen atoms, two hydroxyl oxygen atoms
      in different ligands, two oxygen atoms in the same carboxylate and one oxygen
      atom of solvent methanol. The reaction results of the complex with the p
      nitrophenylphosphate (pNPP) and the adenosine monophosphate (AMP) reveal that the
      complex can hydrolyze phosphoester bonds. Then the DNA-hydrolysis activity is
      studied experimentally and theoretically, indicating that the complex can
      effectively hydrolyze the pBR322 supercoiled plasmid DNA. The molecular docking
      technology predicts the best binding site and binding affinity between the
      complex and DNA, and then the catalytic mechanism of hydrolysis is supposed. The
      study results suggest that the Schiff base metal complex, as a potent artificial
      enzyme, may find its applications in catalytic hydrolysis and biotechnological
      areas.

PMID- 28364618
TI  - Effect of the protein ligand in DMSO reductase studied by computational methods.
AB  - The DMSO reductase family is the largest and most diverse family of mononuclear
      molybdenum oxygen-atom-transfer proteins. Their active sites contain a Mo ion
      coordinated to two molybdopterin ligands, one oxo group in the oxidised state,
      and one additional, often protein-derived ligand. We have used density-functional
      theory to evaluate how the fourth ligand (serine, cysteine, selenocysteine, OH-,
      O2-, SH-, or S2-) affects the geometries, reaction mechanism, reaction energies,
      and reduction potentials of intermediates in the DMSO reductase reaction. Our
      results show that there are only small changes in the geometries of the reactant
      and product states, except from the elongation of the MoX bond as the ionic
      radius of XO, S, Se increases. The five ligands with a single negative charge
      gave an identical two-step reaction mechanism, in which DMSO first binds to the
      reduced active site, after which the SO bond is cleaved, concomitantly with the
      transfer of two electrons from Mo in a rate-determining second transition state.
      The five models gave similar activation energies of 69-85kJ/mol, with SH- giving
      the lowest barrier. In contrast, the O2- and S2- ligands gave much higher
      activation energies (212 and 168kJ/mol) and differing mechanisms (a more
      symmetric intermediate for O2- and a one-step reaction without any intermediate
      for S2-). The high activation energies are caused by a less exothermic reaction
      energy, 13-25kJ/mol, and by a more stable reactant state owing to the strong MoO2
      or MoS2- bonds.

PMID- 28364619
TI  - Reducing the rehospitalization risk after a manic episode: A population based
      cohort study of lithium, valproate, olanzapine, quetiapine and aripiprazole in
      monotherapy and combinations.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Data on real-world rehospitalization risks in patients using
      different drugs and combination therapies for relapse prevention after a manic
      episode is limited. METHODS: We conducted a nationwide population based cohort
      study using data from Swedish national registers. Swedish residents aged 18-75
      years who were hospitalized for a manic episode between July 1, 2006 and December
      2, 2014 were included. Prescription fills of lithium, valproate, olanzapine,
      quetiapine and aripiprazole were recorded throughout the first four weeks after
      hospital discharge, after which the patients were followed for up to one year.
      General and treatment specific rehospitalization risks were determined and
      results were adjusted for clinical and sociodemographic factors. RESULTS: The
      study included follow-up data from 6 502 hospitalizations for mania.
      Pharmacologic relapse prevention was used after 78% of these hospitalizations.
      Monotherapies and combination therapies were equally common. The average one-year
      rehospitalization risk for patients who did versus did not initiate prophylactic
      treatment was 39% and 46%, respectively. The lowest rehospitalization risks were
      seen in patients on combination therapy with olanzapine and valproate or
      olanzapine and lithium, experiencing one year rehospitalization risks of 32% and
      34% (adjusted hazard ratios 0.76 (95% confidence interval [CI] 0.62-0.93) and
      0.83 (95% CI 0.70-0.98), compared to lithium monotherapy). LIMITATIONS: Register
      data does not provide information on all clinical parameters affecting treatment
      choices. CONCLUSIONS: One-year rehospitalization rates after a manic episode are
      considerable also for patients who initiate prophylactic treatment. Combination
      therapies including olanzapine and a classic mood-stabilizer may be beneficial
      for reducing rehospitalization risks after a manic episode.

PMID- 28364620
TI  - A personality-based latent class typology of outpatients with major depressive
      disorder: association with symptomatology, prescription pattern and social
      function.
AB  - BACKGROUND: While major depressive disorder (MDD) is considered to be a
      heterogeneous disorder, the nature of the heterogeneity remains unclear. Studies
      have attempted to classify patients with MDD using latent variable techniques,
      yet the empirical approaches to symptom-based subtyping of MDD have not provided
      conclusive evidence. Here we aimed to identify homogeneous classes of MDD based
      on personality traits, using a latent profile analysis. METHODS: We studied 238
      outpatients with DSM-IV MDD recruited from our specialized depression outpatient
      clinic and assessed their dimensional personality traits with the Temperament and
      Character Inventory. Latent profile analysis was conducted with 7 dimensions of
      the Temperament and Character Inventory as indicators. Relationships of the
      identified classes with symptomatology, prescription pattern, and social function
      were then examined. RESULTS: The latent profile analysis indicated that a 3-class
      solution best fit the data. Of the sample, 46.2% was classified into a "neurotic"
      group characterized by high harm avoidance and low self-directedness; 30.3% into
      an "adaptive" group characterized by high self-directedness and cooperativeness;
      and 23.5% into a "socially-detached" group characterized by low reward dependence
      and cooperativeness and high self-transcendence. The 2 maladaptive groups, namely
      neurotic and socially-detached groups, demonstrated unique patterns of symptom
      expression, different classes of psychotropic medication use, and lower social
      functioning. LIMITATIONS: Generalizability of the findings was limited since our
      patients were recruited from the specialized depression outpatient clinic.
      CONCLUSIONS: Our personality-based latent profile analysis identified clinically
      meaningful 3 MDD groups that were markedly different in their personality
      profiles associated with distinct symptomatology and functioning.

PMID- 28364621
TI  - "Working towards being ready": A grounded theory study of how practising midwives
      maintain their ongoing competence to practise their profession.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: to present a grounded theory research study explaining how New Zealand
      midwives maintain their ongoing competence to practise their profession. DESIGN:
      grounded theory, an interpretive emergent research methodology was used to
      examine the process of maintaining competence in midwifery practice. SETTING: New
      Zealand urban and rural practice settings. PARTICIPANTS: twenty-six midwives from
      across New Zealand were interviewed and asked about maintaining their competence
      to practise. Five midwives were interviewed twice, to explore the emerging
      findings and as one method of member checking. FINDINGS: the grounded theory of
      'working towards being ready' describes a continuous process in which midwives
      engage as they work to maintain practice competence. The component parts comprise
      professional positioning, identifying needs, strategizing solutions and
      reflecting on practice. The process is contextual, diverse and is influenced by
      the practice setting where the salient conditions of resourcing, availability and
      opportunity for engagement in activities are significant. KEY CONCLUSIONS: across
      the midwifery profession, midwives in New Zealand are currently working under the
      generic umbrella of midwifery practice. Midwives work across a range of practice
      arenas in diverse ways focussed on providing safe care and require a range of
      professional development activities germane to their area of practice. When the
      midwife has access to professional development pertinent to their practice, women
      and the profession benefit. As there is diversity of practice, then mandated
      processes for ongoing competence need to have flexibility to reflect that
      diversity. IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTICE: midwives engage in development that allows
      them to remain current in practice and that enables them to provide appropriate
      care to women and their babies. As a consequence they can develop expertise in
      certain aspects of midwifery. Mandated processes that require engagement in
      activities aimed at demonstration of competence should be evaluated and tailored
      to ensure they meet the needs of the developing profession.

PMID- 28364622
TI  - Identification and characterization of lactic acid bacteria and yeasts of PDO
      Tuscan bread sourdough by culture dependent and independent methods.
AB  - Sourdough fermentation has been increasingly used worldwide, in accordance with
      the demand of consumers for tasty, natural and healthy food. The high diversity
      of lactic acid bacteria (LAB) and yeast species, detected in sourdoughs all over
      the world, may affect nutritional, organoleptic and technological traits of
      leavened baked goods. A wide regional variety of traditional sourdough breads,
      over 200 types, has been recorded in Italy, including special types selected as
      worthy of either Protected Geographical Indication (PGI) or Protected Designation
      of Origin (PDO), whose sourdough microbiota has been functionally and molecularly
      characterized. As, due to the very recent designation, the microbiota of Tuscan
      bread sourdough has not been investigated so far, the aim of the present work was
      to isolate and characterize the species composition of LAB and yeasts of PDO
      Tuscan bread sourdough by culture-independent and dependent methods. A total of
      130 yeasts from WLN medium and 193 LAB from both mMRS and SDB media were isolated
      and maintained to constitute the germplasm bank of PDO Tuscan bread. Ninety six
      LAB from mMRS medium and 68 yeasts from WLN medium were randomly selected and
      molecularly identified by ARDRA (Amplified Ribosomal DNA Restriction Analysis)
      and PCR-RFLP analysis of the ITS region, respectively, and sequencing. The yeast
      identity was confirmed by 26S D1/D2 sequencing. All bacterial isolates showed 99%
      identity with Lactobacillus sanfranciscensis, 65 yeast isolates were identified
      as Candida milleri, and 3 as Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Molecular characterization
      of PDO Tuscan bread sourdough by PCR-DGGE confirmed such data. The distinctive
      tripartite species association, detected as the microbiota characterizing the
      sourdough used to produce PDO Tuscan bread, encompassed a large number of L.
      sanfranciscensis and C. milleri strains, along with a few of S. cerevisiae. The
      relative composition and specific physiological characteristics of such
      microbiota could potentially affect the nutritional features of PDO Tuscan bread,
      as suggested by the qualitative functional characterization of the isolates.
      Investigations on the differential functional traits of such LAB and yeast
      isolates could lead to the selection of the most effective single strains and of
      the best performing strain combinations to be used as starters for the production
      of baked goods.

PMID- 28364623
TI  - African fermented dairy products - Overview of predominant technologically
      important microorganisms focusing on African Streptococcus infantarius variants
      and potential future applications for enhanced food safety and security.
AB  - Milk is a major source of nutrients, but can also be a vehicle for zoonotic
      foodborne diseases, especially when raw milk is consumed. In Africa, poor
      processing and storage conditions contribute to contamination, outgrowth and
      transmission of pathogens, which lead to spoilage, reduced food safety and
      security. Fermentation helps mitigate the impact of poor handling and storage
      conditions by enhancing shelf life and food safety. Traditionally-fermented sour
      milk products are culturally accepted and widely distributed in Africa, and rely
      on product-specific microbiota responsible for aroma, flavor and texture.
      Knowledge of microbiota and predominant, technologically important microorganisms
      is critical in developing products with enhanced quality and safety, as well as
      sustainable interventions for these products, including Africa-specific starter
      culture development. This narrative review summarizes current knowledge of
      technologically-important microorganisms of African fermented dairy products
      (FDP) and raw milk, taking into consideration novel findings and taxonomy when re
      analyzing data of 29 publications covering 25 products from 17 African countries.
      Technologically-important lactic acid bacteria such as Lactococcus lactis and
      Streptococcus infantarius subsp. infantarius (Sii), Lactobacillus spp. and yeasts
      predominated in raw milk and FDP across Africa. Re-analysis of data also suggests
      a much wider distribution of Sii and thus a potentially longer history of use
      than previously expected. Therefore, evaluating the role and safety of African
      Sii lineages is important when developing interventions and starter cultures for
      FDP in Africa to enhance food safety and food security. In-depth functional
      genomics, epidemiologic investigations and latest identification approaches
      coupled with stakeholder involvement will be required to evaluate the possibility
      of African Sii lineages as novel food-grade Streptococcus lineage.

PMID- 28364624
TI  - Biocontrol of the internalization of Salmonella enterica and Enterohaemorrhagic
      Escherichia coli in mung bean sprouts with an endophytic Bacillus subtilis.
AB  - Internalization of Salmonella enterica and enterohaemorrhagic Escherichia coli
      (EHEC) in seed sprouts poses a health risk to consumers, and the conventional
      sanitization methods are not always effective to reduce this risk. This study
      initiated a biocontrol approach to limit the internalization using endophytic
      Bacillus subtilis strains, which were isolated from the inner tissue of mung bean
      seeds or lettuce stems. By using the deferred agar method, 12 strains of B.
      subtilis out of 94 putative Bacillus isolates displayed inhibitory activity
      against at least one of the pathogenic indicators, S. enterica Typhimurium ATCC
      14028 and E. coli O157:H7 505B. Two B. subtilis isolates (LCA1 and M24) showed a
      broad inhibitory spectrum against multiple strains of S. enterica and EHEC,
      Staphylococcus aureus sp., Klebsiella pneumoniae ATCC 700603, and Listeria
      monocytogenes Scott A, while the laboratory B. subtilis strain 168 was only
      moderately inhibitory against L. monocytogenes. To facilitate the tracking of the
      three B. subtilis strains (LCA1, M24, and 168) in the mung bean sprouts, the
      three strains were genetically engineered to carry the chloramphenicol
      acetyltransferase (cat), generating the strains LCA1-cat, M24-cat, and 168-cat,
      respectively. Data of the study using the cat-tagged strains demonstrated that
      both the two vegetable-associated and the laboratory B. subtilis strains could
      internalize in mung bean sprouts during the sprouting, but the latter displayed
      about 1.2 lg CFU/g of seeds lower in internalization. Overall, the presence of
      the three B. subtilis strains could significantly reduce the internalization of
      S. enterica or EHEC cocktail in mung bean sprouts during the sprouting. Among
      them, LCA1 showed the greatest inhibition against the EHEC cocktails with a
      reduction of about 2.0lg CFU/g of seeds by the end of sprouting (day 5), while
      168 had the smallest reduction at about 0.6lg CFU/g of seeds. In addition, the
      three strains demonstrated a similar inhibition against the S. enterica cocktails
      by a reduction of about 1.1-1.4lg CFU/g of seeds by day 5. Results of this study
      suggest that the source (native vs. alien) of B. subtilis isolates may not affect
      the efficacy of the inhibition, but it might be affected by the production of
      antimicrobial substance and/or nutrition/space competition. The results also
      indicate that strain LCA1 may be useful as a biocontrol agent to reduce
      Salmonella and EHEC contamination in seed sprouts.

PMID- 28364625
TI  - Study of temperature effects on the electrical behavior of polypropylene-clay
      nanocomposites submitted to electron beam irradiation in a SEM.
AB  - Charge transport and electron emission properties in polypropylene and its
      nanocomposites filled with nanoclay particles submitted to an electron
      irradiation, in a Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM), are investigated using
      induced displacement and leakage currents. The measurements have been performed
      at various temperatures ranging from 20 degrees C to 75 degrees C at a primary
      beam energy of 20keV and a primary beam current of 1nA with the aim to highlight
      the effect of temperature and nanoclay content on these properties. The results
      show, at a given temperature, that the incorporation of clay in polypropylene
      (PP) matrix paradoxically leads to a concomitant increase in the electrical
      conductivity and the charge accumulated. In contrast, if the clay content is
      fixed, there is an increase in conductivity and a reduction of the charge
      accumulated when the temperature increases. The mobility of charge carriers and
      the corresponding activation energy are deduced from the measured leakage current
      during discharging step. The mobility was found to be an order of magnitude
      higher for the nanocomposites. The study of the influence of the temperature and
      nanoclay concentration on electron emission yield is also addressed.

PMID- 28364626
TI  - Schisantherin A protects against liver ischemia-reperfusion injury via inhibition
      of mitogen-activated protein kinase pathway.
AB  - Schisantherin A (SchA) is a dibenzocyclooctadiene lignan isolated from the fruit
      of Schisandra sphenanthera. The role of SchA in liver injury induced by ischemia
      and reperfusion (I/R) has not yet been elucidated. The present study hypothesized
      the protective effects of SchA in hepatic I/R model. Either sham laparotomy or
      hepatic I/R was induced in C57BL/6 male mice after SchA or vehicle
      administration. Liver function, histological damage, oxidative/nitrosative
      stress, inflammatory infiltration, cytokine production, cell apoptosis, cell
      autophagy, and I/R-associated intracellular signaling pathway were assessed to
      evaluate the impact of SchA pretreatment on I/R-induced liver injury. After liver
      I/R injury, the mice pretreated with appropriate SchA displayed significantly
      preserved liver function, less histological damage, ameliorated
      oxidative/nitrosative stress, attenuated inflammatory state, and reduced cell
      apoptosis. However, no differences in the autophagic response were detected after
      SchA pretreatment. The underlying protective mechanism putatively involves the
      inhibition of mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) signaling pathway. Based on
      the beneficial effects, SchA pretreatment may serve as a potential prophylactic
      measure to prevent liver I/R injury related to various clinical conditions.

PMID- 28364627
TI  - Protective role of rhapontin in experimental pulmonary fibrosis in vitro and in
      vivo.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Pulmonary fibrosis is a scaring process related to chronic lung
      injury of all causes. The treatment options for pulmonary fibrosis are very
      limited. Rhapontin has anti-inflammatory effect and anti-proliferative activity
      which is widely distributed in the medicinal plants of Rheum genus in China.
      However, the anti-fibrotic activities of rhapontin have not been previously
      investigated. METHODS: The effect of rhapontin on TGF-beta1-mediated
      extracellular matrix (ECM) deposition in primary lung fibroblast (PLF) cells, on
      TGF-beta1 secretion in LPS-stimulated human THP-1 derived macrophages in vitro,
      and on bleomycin (BLM)-induced pulmonary fibrosis was investigated in vivo.
      Fibrotic mice were induced by intratracheal instillation of bleomycin, and then
      treated with rhapontin (25, 50, or 100mg/kg/day) or prednisone (6.5mg/kg/day,
      positive drug) for 2weeks. RESULTS: In TGF-beta1 stimulated PLFs, treatment with
      rhapontin resulted in a reduction of ECM with a decrease in Lox2 and p-Smad2/3.
      In LPS activated macrophages, treatment with rhapontin reduced TGF-beta1
      production. However, in vitro the attenuated ECM deposition and inflammatory
      response by rhapontin were closely associated with AMPK activation, and these
      suppression of rhapontin were significantly abolished by the AMPK inhibitor.
      Treatment with rhapontin for 2weeks resulted in an amelioration of the BLM
      induced pulmonary fibrosis in rats with a lower Lox2, whereas a higher AMPK
      expression, with reductions of the pathological score, collagen deposition, TGF
      beta1, alpha-SMA, Lox2, and HIF-1alpha expressions in lung tissues at fibrotic
      stage at 100mg/kg. CONCLUSION: In summary, rhapontin reversed ECM, as well as
      Lox2 proliferation in vitro and prevented pulmonary fibrosis in vivo by
      modulating AMPK activation and suppressing the TGF-beta/Smad pathway.

PMID- 28364628
TI  - Human adipose tissue-derived mesenchymal stem cells in rheumatoid arthritis:
      Regulatory effects on peripheral blood mononuclear cells activation.
AB  - BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) are multipotent adult
      stem cells with immunomodulatory properties. The mechanisms by which MSCs inhibit
      the proliferation of pro-inflammatory T cells have not been fully elucidated yet.
      It is assumed that pro-inflammatory T-cells play an important role in the
      development of autoimmune diseases. We investigated the potential therapeutic
      effects of human adipose tissue derived (Ad)-MSCs on the peripheral blood
      mononuclear cells (PBMCs) of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients and healthy
      individuals, with a particular focus on Th17-associated cytokines. MATERIALS AND
      METHODS: PBMCs from RA patients and healthy donors were co-cultured with Ad-MSCs
      and HeLa with or without Phytohemagglutinin (PHA). Finally, IL-6, IL-17, IL-21,
      IL-23 and TGF-beta levels were determined by ELISA and quantitative real-time RT
      PCR on co-culture supernatants and PBMCs, respectively. RESULTS: In co-culture
      interaction, Ad-MSCs inhibited IL-17 secretion by PBMCs compared to unstimulated
      PBMCs cultured alone. In addition, IL-21 expressions in PBMCs of the patient
      group, and IL-17 and IL-21 in healthy group were inhibited by Ad-MSCs compared to
      PBMCs cultured alone. TGF-beta expression in healthy individuals remarkably
      increased in both MSC-treated groups with and without PHA in comparison to PHA
      stimulated and -unstimulated PBMCs. CONCLUSIONS: This study demonstrates that
      human Ad-MSCs act as key regulators of immune tolerance by inhibiting the
      inflammation. Therefore, they can be attractive candidates for immunomodulatory
      cell-based therapy in RA.

PMID- 28364629
TI  - Relations between mental health diagnoses, mental health treatment, and substance
      use in homeless youth.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Youth experiencing homelessness have elevated rates of mental illness
      and substance use compared to the general population. However, the extent to
      which underlying mental health issues may contribute to substance use as a way to
      manage symptoms and whether mental health treatment may reduce risk for substance
      use is unclear. This paper investigated these relations in a community sample of
      homeless youth. METHODS: Youth ages 13-24 (N=416) were interviewed as part of a
      community count and survey of homeless youth in Houston, Texas. A path analysis
      examined relations among lifetime diagnoses of ADHD, bipolar disorder, and
      depression; past-month marijuana, alcohol, and synthetic marijuana use, and
      hypothesized mediators of past-year mental health treatment and perceived unmet
      need for treatment. RESULTS: Rates of prior mental disorder diagnoses were high,
      with extensive comorbidity across the three diagnoses (n=114, 27.3% had all three
      diagnoses). Relations varied by diagnoses and substances. ADHD was positively
      related to current marijuana use (beta=0.55 (0.16), p<0.001), a relation that
      mental health treatment did not mediate. Depression was positively related to
      synthetic marijuana use through unmet need (beta=0.25 (0.09), p=0.004) and to
      alcohol use through unmet need (beta=0.20 (0.10), p=0.04) CONCLUSIONS: This study
      provides new information about relations between prior mental health diagnoses
      and substance use in homeless youth. Findings support the need to consider prior
      mental disorder diagnoses in relation to current substance use and to assess for
      whether youth perceive they have unmet needs for mental health treatment.

PMID- 28364630
TI  - Charge convertibility and near infrared photon co-enhanced cisplatin chemotherapy
      based on upconversion nanoplatform.
AB  - Optimal nano-sized drug carrier requires long blood circulation, selective
      extravasation, and efficient cell uptake. Here we develop a charge-convertible
      nanoplatform based on Pt(IV) prodrug loaded NaYF4:Yb,Tm upconversion
      nanoparticles (UCNs), followed by coating a layer of PEG-PAH-DMMA polymer (UCNs
      Pt(IV)@PEG-PAH-DMMA). The polymer endows the platform with high biocompatibility,
      initial nano-size for prolonged blood circulation and selective extravasation.
      Especially, the anionic polymer can response to the mild acidic stimulus (pH
      ~6.5) of tumor extracellular microenvironment and experience charge-shifting to a
      cationic polymer, resulting in electrostatic repulsion and releases of positive
      UCNs-Pt(IV). The positive UCNs-Pt(IV) nanoparticles have high affinity to
      negative cell membrane, leading to efficacious cell internalization.
      Simultaneously, the ultraviolet (UV) light emitted from UCNs upon near-infrared
      (NIR) light irradiation, together with the reductive glutathione (GSH) in cancer
      cells efficiently activate the Pt(IV) prodrug to highly cytotoxic Pt(II),
      realizing NIR photon improved chemotherapy. The experimental results reveal the
      charge convertibility, low adverse effect and markedly enhanced tumor ablation
      efficacy upon NIR laser irradiation of this smart nanoplatform. Moreover,
      combining the inherent upconversion luminescence (UCL) and computed tomography
      (CT) imaging capabilities, an alliance of cancer diagnosis and therapy has been
      achieved.

PMID- 28364631
TI  - Synthetic vaccine nanoparticles target to lymph node triggering enhanced innate
      and adaptive antitumor immunity.
AB  - In this study, synthetic vaccine nanoparticles (SVNPs) that efficiently targeted
      lymph nodes, where immune responses against foreign antigens are primed, were
      developed to enhance antitumor immunity. The size (20-70 nm) and surface
      character (amination) of poly(gamma-glutamic acid)-based SVNPs were selected for
      effective loading and delivery (i.e., migration and retention) of model tumor
      antigen (OVA) and toll-like receptor 3 agonist (poly (I:C)) to immune cells in
      lymph nodes. Antigen-presenting cells treated with SVNP-OVA and SVNP-IC showed
      higher uptake of OVA and poly (I:C) and higher secretion of inflammatory
      cytokines (TNF-alpha, IL-6) and type I interferon (IFN-alpha, IFN-beta) than
      those treated with OVA and poly (I:C) alone. In vivo analysis revealed higher
      levels of activation markers, inflammatory cytokines, and type I IFNs in the
      lymph nodes of mice immunized with SVNP-IC compared to those of mice in other
      groups. SVNP-IC-treated mice showed significantly greater in vivo natural killer
      cell expansion/activation (NK1.1+ cells) and CD8+ T cell response (CD8+ INF
      gamma+ cells) in innate and adaptive immunity, respectively. Both preventive and
      therapeutic vaccination of EG7-OVA tumor-bearing mice using the simultaneous
      injection of both SVNP-OVA and SVNP-IC induced higher antitumor immunity and
      inhibited tumor growth.

PMID- 28364632
TI  - Testicular organoid generation by a novel in vitro three-layer gradient system.
AB  - A system that models the testicular microenvironment and spermatogonial stem-cell
      (SSC) niche in vitro has not been produced yet. Here, we developed and
      characterized a novel three-dimensional multilayer model, the Three-Layer
      Gradient System (3-LGS), which permits the generation of rat testicular organoids
      with a functional blood-testis barrier (BTB) and germ cell establishment and
      proliferation. The model is unique as regards the formation of cellular
      organizations that more closely represent the in vivo germ-to-somatic cell
      associations in vitro. Moreover, we also verified the roles of retinoic acid
      (RA), IL-1alpha, TNFalpha and RA inhibitors in germ cell maintenance and BTB
      organization in vitro. Treatment with RA was beneficial for germ cell
      maintenance, while IL-1alpha and TNFalpha were observed to impair the formation
      of testicular organoids and germ cell maintenance. Taking in account our
      characterization and validation results, we propose the 3-LGS as a new platform
      to investigate the SSC niche in vitro and to search for novel unknown factors
      involved in germ cell proliferation and differentiation. Moreover, we suggest
      that this model can be used in other scientific fields to study organogenesis and
      development by the generation of organoids.

PMID- 28364633
TI  - Improved xylitol production by expressing a novel d-arabitol dehydrogenase from
      isolated Gluconobacter sp. JX-05 and co-biotransformation of whole cells.
AB  - In the present study, a novel ardh gene encoding d-arabitol dehydrogenase (ArDH)
      was cloned and expressed in Escherichia coli from a new isolated strain of
      Gluconobacter sp. JX-05. Sequence analysis revealed that ArDH containing a NAD(P)
      binding motif and a classical active site motif belongs to the short-chain
      dehydrogenase family. Subsequently, the optimal pH and temperature, specific
      activities and kinetic parameter of ArDH were determined. In the co
      biotransformation by the whole cells of BL21-ardh and BL21-xdh, 26.1g/L xylitol
      was produced from 30g/L d-arabitol in 22h with a yield of 0.87g/g. The xylitol
      production was increased by more than two times as compared with that of
      Gluconobacter sp. alone, and was improved 10.1% than that of Gluconobacter sp.
      mixed with BL21-xdh.

PMID- 28364634
TI  - Isolation of a bacterial strain, Acinetobacter sp. from centrate wastewater and
      study of its cooperation with algae in nutrients removal.
AB  - Algae were able to grow healthy on bacteria-containing centrate wastewater in a
      pilot-scale bioreactor. The batch experiment indicated that the co-cultivation of
      algae and wastewater-borne bacteria improved the removal efficiencies of chemical
      oxygen demand and total phosphorus in centrate wastewater to 93.01% and 98.78%,
      respectively. A strain of beneficial aerobic bacteria, Acinetobacter sp., was
      isolated and its biochemical characteristics were explored. Synergistic
      cooperation was observed in the growth of algae and Acinetobacter sp. Removal
      efficiencies of some nutrients were improved significantly by the co-cultivation
      of algae and Acinetobacter sp. After treatment, residual nutrients in centrate
      wastewater reached the permissible discharge limit. The cooperation between algae
      and Acinetobacter sp. was in part attributed to the exchange of carbon dioxide
      and oxygen between the algae and bacteria. This synergetic relationship between
      algae and Acinetobacter sp. provided a promising way to treat the wastewater by
      improving the nutrients removal and biomass production.

PMID- 28364635
TI  - Hydrothermal treatment followed by enzymatic hydrolysis and hydrothermal
      carbonization as means to valorise agro- and forest-based biomass residues.
AB  - The suitability of several abundant but underutilized agro and forest based
      biomass residues for hydrothermal treatment followed by enzymatic hydrolysis as
      well as for hydrothermal carbonization was studied. The selected approaches
      represent simple biotechnical and thermochemical treatment routes suitable for
      wet biomass. Based on the results, the hydrothermal pre-treatment followed by
      enzymatic hydrolysis seemed to be most suitable for processing of carbohydrate
      rich corn leaves, corn stover, wheat straw and willow. High content of thermally
      stable components (i.e. lignin) and low content of ash in the biomass were
      advantageous for hydrothermal carbonization of grape pomace, coffee cake, Scots
      pine bark and willow.

PMID- 28364636
TI  - Associations of maternal obesity and excessive weight gain during pregnancy with
      subcutaneous fat mass in infancy.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Not much is known about the associations of maternal obesity and
      excessive gestational weight gain with body fat in infancy. OBJECTIVE: To examine
      the associations of maternal pre-pregnancy body mass index and gestational weight
      gain with infant subcutaneous fat. METHODS: In a population-based prospective
      cohort study among 845 mothers and their infants, we obtained maternal pre
      pregnancy body mass index and measured maternal weight during pregnancy. At 1.5,
      6 and 24months, we estimated infant total subcutaneous fat (sum of biceps,
      triceps, suprailiacal and subscapular skinfold thicknesses) and central-to-total
      subcutaneous fat ratio (sum of suprailiacal and subscapular skinfold
      thicknesses/total subcutaneous fat). RESULTS: Maternal body mass index was
      positively associated with higher infant body mass index from 6months onwards.
      Maternal body mass index was not associated with infant subcutaneous fat measures
      at 1.5 or 6months. A 1-standard deviation scores (SDS) higher maternal body mass
      index was associated with a 0.09 (95% Confidence Interval 0.01, 0.17) SDS higher
      infant total subcutaneous fat at 24months, but not with central-to-total
      subcutaneous fat ratio. No associations were present for maternal total or period
      specific gestational weight gain with infant fat. CONCLUSION: Maternal body mass
      index was positively associated with infant body mass index and total
      subcutaneous fat in late infancy. Maternal total and period-specific gestational
      weight gain were not associated with infant body fat mass measures.

PMID- 28364637
TI  - Industrial release of fluoroquinolones (FQs) in the waste water bodies with their
      associated ecological risk in Pakistan.
AB  - The unchecked production and use of fluoroquinolones (FQs) for the treatment of
      infections in human and livestock has increased in Pakistan, which resulted in
      large amount of antibiotics in water bodies. In the current study, the prevalence
      and associated ecological risk of three FQs were investigated in waste-water
      bodies and sludge samples of Kahuta and Hattar industrial zones. The average
      concentrations of ciprofloxacin (CIP), enrofloxacin (ENR) and levofloxacin (LEV)
      in the waste-water samples were slightly higher in Kahuta (i.e. 58, 32.9, and
      36.7MUgL-1 respectively), than those in Hattar sites (i.e. 42.1, 41.2, and
      48.9MUgL-1 respectively). However, the concentrations of CIP, ENR and LEV in the
      sludge samples were significantly higher (i.e. 159; 153 and 164MUgkg-1
      respectively) in Hattar sites, compared to those in Kahuta sites (i.e. 129, 58
      and 91MUgkg-1 respectively). The uses of FQs in the health sector resulted in
      water pollution and poses the ecological risk to aquatic organisms. The
      individual risk associated with CIP was highest in Kahuta industrial sites for
      green algae ranging (2900-9100) followed by M. aeruginosa (5800-18200),
      cyanobacteria (580-18204) and invertebrates (24.2-75.8). These values suggested
      that the prevalence of antibiotics in the waste-disposal sites could be potential
      risk for the aquatic ecosystem, and harmful to biodiversity.

PMID- 28364638
TI  - Nrf2 is crucial for the down-regulation of Cyp7a1 induced by arachidonic acid in
      Hepg2 cells.
AB  - In former research, cyp7a1 expression was decreased but Nrf2 transcription and
      hepatic arachidonic acid (AA) concentration were increased in high-fat diet fed
      mice. This study aims to investigate the influence of AA in CYP7A1 expression and
      the role of Nrf2 in regulating CYP7A1 in the process. HepG2 cells were
      administered with different concentrations of AA. Nrf2 and CYP7A1 expressions
      were analyzed by real-time PCR and western blot. Nrf2 silenced and over-expressed
      cell models were constructed by Nrf2 siRNA and eukaryotic expression vector
      transient transfections and were used to investigate the role of Nrf2 in
      regulating CYP7A1 following AA administration. The results showed that Nrf2 was
      increased dose-dependently but CYP7A1 was decreased dose-dependently in cells
      treated with increasing concentrations of AA. The expression of CYP7A1 was
      increased by Nrf2 silence and was decreased by Nrf2 over-expression in HepG2
      cells treated with different concentrations of AA. In conclusion, Nrf2 plays a
      significant role in the down-regulation of CYP7A1 induced by AA in HepG2 cells.

PMID- 28364639
TI  - The impacts of emergent pollutants on Ruditapes philippinarum: biochemical
      responses to carbon nanoparticles exposure.
AB  - Multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) are one of the most important carbon
      Nanoparticles (NPs). The production and use of these NPs are increasing rapidly
      and, therefore, the need to assess their presence in the environment and
      associated risks has become of prime importance. Recent studies demonstrated the
      impacts of different NPs on bivalves, a taxonomic group where species tolerance
      to anthropogenic stressors, such as pollutants, is widely variable. The Manila
      clam Ruditapes philippinarum is one of the most commonly used bivalve species in
      environmental monitoring studies and ecotoxicology tests, however, to our
      knowledge, no information is available on biochemical alterations on this species
      due to MWCNTs exposure. Thus, the present study aimed to assess the toxic effects
      of different MWCNT concentrations (0.01; 0.10 and 1.00mg/L) in R. philippinarum
      biochemical (energy reserves, metabolic capacity, oxidative status and
      neurotoxicity) performance, after 28days of exposure. The results obtained
      revealed that exposure to MWCNTs altered energy-related responses, with higher
      metabolic capacity and lower glycogen and protein concentrations in clams exposed
      to these carbon NPs. Moreover, R. philippinarum exposed to MWCNTs showed
      oxidative stress expressed in higher lipid peroxidation and lower ratio between
      reduced and oxidized glutathione, despite the activation of defence mechanisms in
      exposed clams. Additionally, neurotoxicity was observed by inhibition of
      cholinesterases activity in organisms exposed to MWCNTs. The present study
      provides valuable information regarding how these emerging pollutans could become
      a potential risk for the environment and living organisms.

PMID- 28364640
TI  - Blue light differentially represses mesophyll conductance in high vs low latitude
      genotypes of Populus trichocarpa Torr. & Gray.
AB  - To explore what role chloroplast positioning might have in relation to
      latitudinal variation in mesophyll conductance (gm) of Populus trichocarpa Torr.
      & Gray (black cottonwood), we examined photosynthetic response to different blue
      light treatments in six representative genotypes (three northern and three
      southern). The proportion of blue (B) to red light was varied from 0:100, 10:90,
      20:80, 40:60, and 60:40 while keeping the total photosynthetic photon flux
      density constant. Mesophyll conductance was estimated by monitoring chlorophyll
      fluorescence in combination with gas exchange. Compared to the control (10% B),
      gm was significantly lower with increasing blue light. Consistent with a change
      in chloroplast positioning, there was a simultaneous but reversible decrease in
      chlorophyll content index (CCI), as measured by foliar greenness, while the
      extracted, actual chlorophyll content (ACC) remained unchanged. Blue-light
      induced decreases in gm and CCI were greater in northern genotypes than in
      southern genotypes, both absolutely and proportionally, consistent with their
      inherently higher photosynthetic rate. Treatment of leaves with cytochalasin D,
      an inhibitor of actin-based chloroplast motility, reduced both CCI and ACC but
      had no effect on the CCI/ACC ratio and fully blocked any effect of blue light on
      CCI. Cytochalasin D reduced gm by ~56% under 10% B, but did not block the effect
      of 60% B on gm, which was reduced a further 20%. These results suggest that the
      effect of high blue light on gm is at least partially independent of chloroplast
      repositioning. High blue light reduced carbonic anhydrase activity by 20%
      (P<0.05), consistent with a possible reduction in protein-mediated facilitation
      of CO2 diffusion.

PMID- 28364642
TI  - In custody deaths of men related to mental illness and substance use: A cross
      sectional analysis of administrative records in Ontario, Canada.
AB  - Highly publicized incidents of in-custody deaths have drawn attention to the well
      being of individuals who are held in custodial settings and have contributed to
      questions surrounding the role played by mental illness and substance use. The
      data for this descriptive study consist of administrative records from the Office
      of the Chief Coroner of Ontario. Section 10(4) jury verdicts filed from January
      1, 1996 through December 31, 2010 were drawn for analysis. The final sample
      includes 478 males who died while in custody. Logistic and multinomial
      regressions were conducted to assess how a history of mental illness and
      substance use is related to deaths in custody and how those deaths vary across
      custodial jurisdictions. Approximately half of all deaths in custody occurred
      among those with a history of mental illness or substance use and those deaths
      disproportionately occurred in local police or provincial custody, compared to
      those held in federal custody. Further, the joint effects of a co-occurring
      history of mental illness and substance use were found to be statistically
      significant with the strongest effects observed in local police custody. The
      results from this study underscore concerns surrounding the well-being of
      individuals with a history of mental illness or substance use and who come into
      contact with the criminal justice system. With more offenders presenting with
      complex mental-health and substance-use problems, the implications for local
      police become apparent in the context of developing policies and practices
      directed towards preventing deaths.

PMID- 28364641
TI  - Tracking reorganization of large-scale effective connectivity in aphasia
      following right hemisphere stroke.
AB  - In this paper we demonstrate the application of new effective connectivity
      analyses to characterize changing patterns of task-related directed interaction
      in large (25-55 node) cortical networks following the onset of aphasia. The
      subject was a left-handed woman who became aphasic following a right-hemisphere
      stroke. She was tested on an auditory word-picture verification task administered
      one and seven months after the onset of aphasia. MEG/EEG and anatomical MRI data
      were used to create high spatiotemporal resolution estimates of task-related
      cortical activity. Effective connectivity analyses of those data showed a
      reduction of bilateral network influences on preserved right-hemisphere
      structures, and an increase in intra-hemispheric left-hemisphere influences. She
      developed a connectivity pattern that was more left lateralized than that of
      right-handed control subjects. Her emergent left hemisphere network showed a
      combination of increased functional subdivision of perisylvian language areas and
      recruitment of medial structures.

PMID- 28364644
TI  - Effects of cellular electromechanical coupling on functional heterogeneity in a
      one-dimensional tissue model of the myocardium.
AB  - Based on the experimental evidence, we developed a one-dimensional (1D) model of
      heterogeneous myocardial tissue consisting of in-series connected cardiomyocytes
      from distant transmural regions using mathematical models of subendocardial and
      subepicardial cells. The regional deformation patterns produced by our 1D model
      are consistent with the transmural regional strain patterns obtained
      experimentally in the normal heart in vivo. The modelling results suggest that
      the mechanical load may essentially affect the transmural gradients in the
      electrical and mechanical properties of interacting myocytes within a tissue,
      thereby regulating global myocardial output.

PMID- 28364643
TI  - A multi-resolution approach for spinal metastasis detection using deep Siamese
      neural networks.
AB  - Spinal metastasis, a metastatic cancer of the spine, is the most common malignant
      disease in the spine. In this study, we investigate the feasibility of automated
      spinal metastasis detection in magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) by using deep
      learning methods. To accommodate the large variability in metastatic lesion
      sizes, we develop a Siamese deep neural network approach comprising three
      identical subnetworks for multi-resolution analysis and detection of spinal
      metastasis. At each location of interest, three image patches at three different
      resolutions are extracted and used as the input to the networks. To further
      reduce the false positives (FPs), we leverage the similarity between neighboring
      MRI slices, and adopt a weighted averaging strategy to aggregate the results
      obtained by the Siamese neural networks. The detection performance is evaluated
      on a set of 26 cases using a free-response receiver operating characteristic
      (FROC) analysis. The results show that the proposed approach correctly detects
      all the spinal metastatic lesions while producing only 0.40 FPs per case. At a
      true positive (TP) rate of 90%, the use of the aggregation reduces the FPs from
      0.375 FPs per case to 0.207 FPs per case, a nearly 44.8% reduction. The results
      indicate that the proposed Siamese neural network method, combined with the
      aggregation strategy, provide a viable strategy for the automated detection of
      spinal metastasis in MRI images.

PMID- 28364645
TI  - Laboratory investigation of PCB bake-out from tertiary contaminated concrete for
      remediation of buildings.
AB  - Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) have been used in flexible construction products
      from the 1950s to the 1970s. Despite a relatively low vapour pressure, PCBs have
      over the years emitted to the indoor air and adsorbed to other surfaces, creating
      tertiary sources. While necessary to protect the environment and health of
      building occupants, remediation of the contaminated buildings is an expensive and
      difficult process. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of bake
      out as a method for removing PCB from contaminated indoor surfaces. Four painted
      and four sandblasted samples of concrete wall were kept at 50 or 65  degrees C
      for 10 or 20 days in small scale chambers, which were ventilated with clean air
      at area specific rates comparable to full scale rooms. The air concentrations
      were measured several times during the bake-out. Concentrations of PCB in paint,
      plaster and concrete were measured before and after the experiment. For the
      painted samples, PCB28 and PCB52 followed by PCB138 and PCB153 were the
      predominant congeners measured in air. A significant reduction of the PCB
      concentration was only found for more volatile congeners in paint, while no
      significant effects were observed in the plaster or concrete. For the most
      effective setting (65  degrees C, 20 days), the concentration of PCB?7 in the
      paint was reduced by 40%. For the sandblasted samples, the less volatile
      congeners PCB138 and PCB153 were predominant in the air during bake-out. No
      effect was observed on the initially low concentrations of the sandblasted
      samples, possibly due to analytical limitations.

PMID- 28364646
TI  - The influences of Cr-tolerant rhizobacteria in phytoremediation and attenuation
      of Cr (VI) stress in agronomic sunflower (Helianthus annuus L.).
AB  - Chromium contamination of agronomic soil has to turn into a serious global
      problem. This research was pointed to assess the effects of three Cr-tolerant
      rhizobacteria (SS1, SS3, and SS6) on sunflower growth and heavy metal uptake
      under Cr smog i.e. 20, 30 and 40 ppm using K2Cr2O7. Root promotion assay and pot
      experiment were conducted to investigate and evaluate the effects of Cr tolerance
      rhizobacteria and Cr accumulation capacity of sunflower. From root promotion
      assay non-significant variation was observed in the root length between SS1 and
      SS3 compared with un-inoculated whereas SS6 enhanced the root length in the
      absence and presence of chromium. In addition, inoculation with rhizobacteria
      alleviated the Cr concentration and endorsed plant growth by enhancing Cr
      accumulation in sunflower. At different Cr levels, the Cr concentration in shoot
      was improved by each rhizobacterium though their difference was non-significant
      with each other, while the percentage increase was half as the Cr level doubled.
      Different rhizobacterium inoculation significantly (P < 0.05) affected the
      physiological and morphological characteristics of sunflower and increased the
      plant height, stem diameter, head diameter, grain yield, oil content of seeds,
      and total biomass, and among them, SS6 observed best followed by SS1 and SS3
      comparing with un-inoculated. Our study illustrates an assessment about Cr
      tolerant bacteria and their influences and recommends that these bacteria can
      effectively be used for crop improvement which provides a potential approach for
      Cr phytoremediation.

PMID- 28364647
TI  - Trace elements in loggerhead turtles (Caretta caretta) stranded in mainland
      Portugal: Bioaccumulation and tissue distribution.
AB  - Pollution is among the most significant threats that endanger sea turtles
      worldwide. Waters off the Portuguese mainland are acknowledged as important
      feeding grounds for juvenile loggerheads. However, there is no data on trace
      element concentrations in marine turtles occurring in these waters. We present
      the first assessment of trace element concentrations in loggerhead turtles
      (Caretta caretta) occurring off the coast of mainland Portugal. Also, we compare
      our results with those from other areas and discuss parameters that may affect
      element concentrations. Trace element concentrations (As, Cd, Cu, Pb, Mn, Hg, Ni,
      Se, Zn) were determined in kidney, liver and muscle samples from 38 loggerheads
      stranded between 2011 and 2013. As was the only element with higher
      concentrations in muscle (14.78 MUg g-1 ww) than in liver or kidney. Considering
      non-essential elements, Cd presented the highest concentrations in kidney (34.67
      MUg g-1) and liver (5.03 MUg g-1). Only a weak positive link was found between
      renal Cd and turtle size. Inter-elemental correlations were observed in both
      liver and kidney tissues. Hepatic Hg values (0.30 +/- 0.03 MUg g-1) were higher
      than values reported in loggerheads in the Canary Islands but lower than in
      Mediterranean loggerheads. Cd concentrations in the present study were only
      exceeded by values found in turtles from the Pacific. Although many endogenous
      and exogenous parameters related with complex life cycle changes and wide
      geographic range may influence trace element accumulation, the concentrations of
      Cd are probably related to the importance of crustaceans in loggerhead diet in
      the Portuguese coast.

PMID- 28364648
TI  - Retardation of uranium and thorium by a cementitious backfill developed for
      radioactive waste disposal.
AB  - The solubility of uranium and thorium has been measured under the conditions
      anticipated in a cementitious, geological disposal facility for low and
      intermediate level radioactive waste. Similar solubilities were obtained for
      thorium in all media, comprising NaOH, Ca(OH)2 and water equilibrated with a
      cement designed as repository backfill (NRVB, Nirex Reference Vault Backfill). In
      contrast, the solubility of U(VI) was one order of magnitude higher in NaOH than
      in the remaining solutions. The presence of cellulose degradation products (CDP)
      results in a comparable solubility increase for both elements. Extended X-ray
      Absorption Fine Structure (EXAFS) data suggest that the solubility-limiting phase
      for uranium corresponds to a becquerelite-type solid whereas thermodynamic
      modelling predicts a poorly crystalline, hydrated calcium uranate phase. The
      solubility-limiting phase for thorium was ThO2 of intermediate crystallinity. No
      breakthrough of either uranium or thorium was observed in diffusion experiments
      involving NRVB after three years. Nevertheless, backscattering electron
      microscopy and microfocus X-ray fluorescence confirmed that uranium had
      penetrated about 40 MUm into the cement, implying active diffusion governed by
      slow dissolution-precipitation kinetics. Precise identification of the uranium
      solid proved difficult, displaying characteristics of both calcium uranate and
      becquerelite.

PMID- 28364649
TI  - Biochar and enhanced phosphate capture: Mapping mechanisms to functional
      properties.
AB  - A multi-technique analysis was performed on a range of biochar materials derived
      from secondary organic resources and aimed at sustainable recovery and re-use of
      wastewater phosphorus (P). Our purpose was to identify mechanisms of P capture in
      biochar and thereby inform its future optimisation as a sustainable P fertiliser.
      The biochar feedstock comprised pellets of anaerobically digested sewage sludge
      (PAD) or pellets of the same blended in the ratio 9:1 with ochre sourced from
      minewater treatment (POCAD), components which have limited alternative economic
      value. In the present study the feedstocks were pyrolysed at two highest
      treatment temperatures of 450 and 550  degrees C. Each of the resulting biochars
      were repeatedly exposed to a 20 mg l-1 PO4-P solution, to produce a parallel set
      of P-exposed biochars. Biochar exterior and/or interior surfaces were
      quantitatively characterised using laser-ablation (LA)-ICP-MS, X-ray diffraction,
      X-ray photo-electron spectroscopy (XPS) and scanning electron microscopy coupled
      with energy dispersive X-ray. The results highlighted the general importance of
      Fe minerals in P capture. XPS analysis of POCAD550 indicated lower oxidation
      state Fe2p3 bonding compared to POCAD450, and LA-ICP-MS indicated stronger
      covariation of Fe and S, even after P exposure. This suggests that low-solubility
      Fe/S compounds are formed during pyrolysis, are affected by process parameters
      and impact on P capture. Other data suggested capture roles for aluminium,
      calcium and silicon. Overall, our analyses suggest that a range of mechanisms for
      P capture are concurrently active in biochar. We highlighted the potential to
      manipulate these through choice of form and composition of feedstock as well as
      pyrolysis processing, so that biochar may be increasingly tailored towards
      specific functionality.

PMID- 28364650
TI  - Developing polyetherimide/graphitic carbon nitride floating photocatalyst with
      good photodegradation performance of methyl orange under light irradiation.
AB  - Polyetherimide-graphitic carbon nitride (PEI-g-C3N4) floating photocatalyst has
      been synthesized by using polyetherimide (PEI) as linker to bind graphitic carbon
      nitride (g-C3N4) together. XRD and XPS analysis for PEI-g-C3N4 show that the
      interaction between PEI and g-C3N4 does not disturb the structure of g-C3N4.
      FTIR, TEM and theoretical results suggest that the long chain PEI binds g-C3N4
      particles together to form PEI-g-C3N4 via hydrogen bonding interaction. Based on
      photodegradation results of methyl orange (MO), PEI can not photodegrade MO and
      just works as linker in PEI-g-C3N4, while the photodegradation performance of PEI
      g-C3N4 is from the contribution of g-C3N4. Total organic carbon (TOC) analysis
      show that nearly 47% organic carbon has been converted into inorganic carbon
      after photodegradation, suggesting that PEI-g-C3N4 can destroy both NN bond and
      aromatic rings in MO under light irradiation. The photodegradation efficiency
      (91%) of MO by g-C3N4 is higher than that (80%) by PEI-g-C3N4 with stirring. But,
      the photodegradation efficiency (37%) of MO by g-C3N4 is lower than that (55%) by
      PEI-g-C3N4 without stirring. This is the advantage of floating photocatalyst with
      respect to the powder photocatalyst since the former can utilize more solar
      energy than the latter when stirring is not available.

PMID- 28364651
TI  - Influence of soil characteristics on rare earth fingerprints in mosses and
      mushrooms: Example of a pristine temperate rainforest (Slavonia, Croatia).
AB  - The present study aims to investigate levels and distribution of rare earth
      elements (REE) in soils, mosses and mushrooms of a pristine temperate rainforest,
      a non-polluted natural system, in order to characterise their environmental
      availability and mobility. The multielement analysis of digested soil, moss and
      mushroom samples was performed by High Resolution Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass
      Spectrometry. The distribution of rare earths in mosses and mushrooms was found
      primarily affected by local pedological setting. Mosses displayed a consistent
      lithological signature with an almost insignificant REE fractionation compared to
      soils. Mushrooms showed differences in REE concentrations in certain parts of the
      fruiting body with regard to their main physiological function and indicated a
      significant impact of soil organic content on the overall REEs uptake. Results of
      our work highlight the importance of substrate characteristics on the initial
      levels of REEs in mosses and mushrooms. Moreover, this study provides baseline
      data on the rare earth element levels in mosses and mushrooms growing in a
      pristine forest area characterised by naturally elevated REE levels in the soil.

PMID- 28364652
TI  - Sequential solid entrapment and in situ electrolytic alkaline hydrolysis
      facilitated reagent-free bioelectrochemical treatment of particulate-rich
      municipal wastewater.
AB  - We introduce here a novel process for the treatment of particulate-rich
      wastewater. A two-stage combined treatment process, consisting of an electrolysis
      filter and a bioelectrochemical system (BES) configuration was designed and
      evaluated to remove particulate and soluble organic matter from municipal
      wastewater. The system was designed such that the electrolysis step was used as a
      filter, enabling physical removal and in situ alkaline hydrolysis of the
      entrapped particulate matter. The alkaline effluent enriched with the hydrolysed
      soluble compounds (soluble chemical oxygen demand, SCOD) was subsequently loaded
      into the BES for removal via bioanodic oxidation. The coupled system was
      continuously operated with a primary sedimentation tank effluent (suspended
      solids (SS) ~200 mg/L) for over 160 days, during which SCOD and total COD (TCOD),
      SS removal and current production were evaluated. With no sign of clogging the
      process was able to capture near 100% of the SS loaded. A high Coulombic
      efficiency (CE) of 93% (based on overall TCOD removed) was achieved. The results
      also suggest that the SCOD-laden alkaline liquor from the electrolysis step
      compensated for the acidification in the bioanode and a final effluent containing
      low COD with neutral pH was achieved. Overall, since the system can effectively
      entrap, in situ hydrolyse and oxidise organic matter without external dosing of
      chemicals for pH control, it has desirable features for practical application.

PMID- 28364653
TI  - Genetic characterization of fecal impacts of seagull migration on an urban
      scenery lake.
AB  - A microbial source tracking scheme was devised to differentiate fecal impacts of
      seagulls from that of human activities on an urban scenery lake in southern
      China, which is a major wintering ground for the black-headed seagull. Fecal
      contamination of seagulls was characterized by quantifying a novel genetic marker
      targeting Catellicoccus marimamalium. Quantification of this marker was combined
      with those of Escherichia coli, human-associated Bacteroidales, thermophilic
      Campylobacter and Helicobacter. Findings of a year-round study indicate that C.
      marimamalium levels correlated strongly, both spatially and temporally, with
      seagull migration. A steady increase in C. marimammalium concentrations was
      recorded between October 2014 and March 2015, which peaked at about 5-log
      copies/100 mL in January. However, a background level of about 2.1-log copies/100
      mL was noticeable from April through September when seagulls were absent,
      probably due to other host sources or secondary habitats for C. marimammalium.
      Seagull migration also caused an apparent elevation of E. coli concentrations
      (86% and 60%, respectively for qPCR and culture method; p < 0.001) as well as
      Campylobacter and Helicobacter (66% and 68%, respectively; p < 0.001).
      Nonetheless, in contrast to the declining levels of E. coli, Campylobacter and
      Helicobacter, the human-specific Bacteroidales marginally increased in the
      seagull-absent season, indicating a limited influence of human activities,
      compared with seagull migration, on the seasonal variations in microbial water
      quality of the lake. The elevated levels of FIB, Campylobacter and Helicobacter
      along with C. marimammalium may imply human health risk of the lake water due to
      seasonal seagull migration, which requires further investigation for risk
      assessment.

PMID- 28364654
TI  - Microbial fuel cells for inexpensive continuous in-situ monitoring of groundwater
      quality.
AB  - Online monitoring of groundwater quality in shallow wells to detect faecal or
      organic pollution could dramatically improve understanding of health risks in
      unplanned peri-urban settlements. Microbial fuel cells (MFC) are devices able to
      generate electricity from the organic matter content in faecal pollution making
      them suitable as biosensors. In this work, we evaluate the suitability of four
      microbial fuel cell systems placed in different regions of a groundwater well for
      the low-cost monitoring of a faecal pollution event. Concepts created include the
      use of a sediment/bulk liquid MFC (SED/BL), a sediment/sediment MFC (SED/SED), a
      bulk liquid/air MFC (BL/Air), and a bulk liquid/bulk liquid MFC (BL/BL). MFC
      electrodes assembly aimed to use inexpensive, durable, materials, which would
      produce a signal after a contamination event without external energy or chemical
      inputs. All MFC configurations were responsive to a contamination event, however
      SED/SED and BL/Air MFC concepts failed to deliver a reproducible output within
      the tested period of time. BL/BL MFC and SED/BL MFCs presented an increase in the
      average current after contamination from -0.75 +/- 0.35 MUA to -0.66 +/- 0.41
      MUA, and 0.07 +/- 0.2 mA to 0.11 +/- 0.03 mA, respectively. Currents produced by
      the SED/BL MFC (SMFC) were considerably higher than for the BL/BL MFCs, making
      them more responsive, readable and graphically visible. A factorial design of
      experiments (DOE) was applied to evaluate which environmental and design factors
      had the greatest effect on current response in a contamination event. Within the
      ranges of variables tested, salinity, temperature and external resistance, only
      temperature presented a statistically significant effect (p = 0.045). This showed
      that the biosensor response would be sensitive to fluctuations in temperature but
      not to changes in salinity, or external resistances produced from placing
      electrodes at different distances within a groundwater well.

PMID- 28364655
TI  - Real-life experience with brivaracetam in 101 patients with difficult-to-treat
      epilepsy-A monocenter survey.
AB  - PURPOSE: To assess the efficiency of brivaracetam under real-world conditions in
      a tertiary referral epilepsy center. METHODS: We consecutively collected patients
      treated at our center with brivaracetam (BRV). After a minimum observation period
      of six months we retrospectively analyzed the efficiency of BRV. RESULTS: Data of
      101 patients (mean age 42 years, range 18-81 years, 54 females,) were analyzed.
      The median number of antiepileptic drugs (AEDs) used prior to BRV was 10 (range 2
      18). The initial dose of BRV was at least 50mg per day, the mean maintenance dose
      at cut-off was 168.6mg (median 200mg, range 50-400mg). Efficacy data were
      assessed for the last three months or at the time of the last observation carried
      forward if BRV had been discontinued prematurely. Responder rate was 27.8% (n=28)
      with 7% seizure-free patients. Adverse events (AEs) occurred in 37 patients
      (37%). Most frequent AEs were dizziness (16%) and somnolence (11%). Psychiatric
      adverse events comprised irritability, aggression, depression and psychosis in
      single cases. Retention rate after six months was 51.5%. Main reason for
      discontinuation was a lack of efficacy. In 43 cases LEV and BRV were switched.
      The switch was performed abruptly without complications. In 26 cases (60%) BRV
      was discontinued and re-switched to LEV within weeks, mainly due to a lack of
      better efficacy. After the switch from LEV to BRV we even saw an aggravation both
      of seizure frequency and severity in 5 cases. Retention rate in patients who had
      not been on LEV was 57%. CONCLUSION: In our hands BRV appeared to be well
      tolerated and easy to handle. The retention rate was influenced by patients who
      were switched from LEV and re-switched because BRV was not more efficient.
      Switching from and re-switching to LEV was easy.

PMID- 28364656
TI  - Effects of antiepileptic drugs on thyroid hormone function in epilepsy patients.
AB  - PURPOSE: Patients with epilepsy are frequently required to take antiepileptic
      drugs (AEDs) for a long period of time. Many studies have shown that AEDs have a
      negative influence on endocrine function including the thyroid gland, however the
      risk factors for the development of low thyroid function in these patients are
      unclear. This study aimed to determine the potential risk factors of low thyroid
      function in patients with epilepsy. METHOD: This was a cross-sectional study
      including 298 patients with epilepsy. Patients with previous thyroid disease were
      excluded. Epidemiologic data, type of epilepsy, etiology, the age of seizure
      onset, duration of epilepsy, intractable epilepsy, and number and dosage of AEDs
      were recorded. Levels of free thyroxine (fT4) and thyroid stimulating hormone
      (TSH) were measured. RESULTS: Fifty-two of the 298 (17.4%) patients had low fT4.
      Older age (P=0.004), female sex (P=0.014), longer duration of epilepsy (P=0.001),
      and intractable epilepsy (P=0.009) were significantly associated with low fT4.
      Regarding individual AEDs, carbamazepine (30.1%), topiramate (28.6%), and
      levetiracetam (24.3%) were significantly associated with the presence of low fT4.
      After stepwise logistic regression of all significant variables, female sex,
      older age, three or more AEDs, and carbamazepine were independent risk factors
      for low fT4. CONCLUSIONS: Female patients with epilepsy and an older age, AED
      polytherapy, and carbamazepine treatment had a higher risk of low fT4. Thyroid
      function in these patients should be monitored closely.

PMID- 28364657
TI  - Genetic models of C9orf72: what is toxic?
AB  - A hexanucleotide repeat expansion in the gene C9orf72 is the most common genetic
      cause of both amyotrophic lateral sclerosis and frontotemporal dementia.
      Pathogenesis may occur either due to loss of function of the C9orf72 gene, or a
      toxic gain of function, via the production of repetitive sense and antisense RNA
      and/or repetitive dipeptide repeat proteins. Recently, mouse knockouts have
      suggested that a loss of function of C9orf72 alone is insufficient to lead to
      neurodegeneration, whilst overexpression of hexanucleotide DNA is sufficient in a
      wide range of model systems. Additionally, models have now been created to
      attempt to study the effects of repetitive RNA and dipeptide proteins in
      isolation and thus determine their relevance to disease.

PMID- 28364658
TI  - Novel 2-benzylthio-5-(1,3,4-oxadiazol-2-yl)benzenesulfonamides with anticancer
      activity: Synthesis, QSAR study, and metabolic stability.
AB  - A series of novel 2-benzylthio-4-chloro-5-(5-substituted 1,3,4-oxadiazol-2
      yl)benzenesulfonamides (4-27) have been synthesized as potential anticancer
      agents. MTT assay was carried out to determine the cytotoxic activity against
      three human cancer cell lines: colon cancer HCT-116, breast cancer MCF-7 and
      cervical cancer HeLa as well as to determine the influence on human keratinocyte
      cell line HaCaT. Relatively high (IC50: 7-17 MUM) cytostatic activity and
      selectivity against HeLa cell line was found for compounds 6, 7, 9-11 and 16.
      While compounds 23-27 bearing styryl moieties attached to a 1,3,4-oxadiazole ring
      at position 5, exhibited significant activity against two and/or three cancer
      cell lines with IC50: 11-29 MUM. Further quantitative structure-activity
      relationships based on molecular descriptors calculated by DRAGON software, were
      investigated by Orthogonal Projections to Latent Structures (OPLS) technique and
      Variable Influence on Projection (VIP) analysis. Considering molecular
      descriptors with the highest influence on projection (highest VIP values)
      lipophilicity of tested compounds was pointed as main factor affecting activity
      towards HCT-116 cell line, while structural parameters associated with presence
      of styryl substituent in position 5 of 1,3,4-oxadiazole ring were identified as
      essential for activity towards MCF-7 breast cancer. In vitro tests for metabolic
      stability in the presences of pooled human liver microsomes and NADPH showed that
      some of the most active compounds 26 and 27 presented favorable metabolic
      stability with t1/2 in the range of 28.1-36.0 min.

PMID- 28364659
TI  - An in vitro and in vivo evaluation of new potential trans-sialidase inhibitors of
      Trypanosoma cruzi predicted by a computational drug repositioning method.
AB  - Chagas disease is one of the most important neglected parasitic diseases
      afflicting developed and undeveloped countries. There are currently limited
      options for inexpensive and secure pharmacological treatment. In this study, we
      employed a structure-based virtual screening protocol for 3180 FDA-approved drugs
      for repositioning of them as potential trans-sialidase inhibitors. In vitro and
      in vivo evaluations were performed for the selected drugs against trypomastigotes
      from the INC-5 and NINOA strains of T. cruzi. Also, inhibition of sialylation by
      the trans-sialidase enzyme reaction was evaluated using high-performance anion
      exchange chromatography with pulse amperometric detection to confirm the
      mechanism of action. Results from the computational study showed 38 top drugs
      with the best binding-energies. Four compounds with antihistaminic, anti
      hypertensive, and antibiotic properties showed better trypanocidal effects (LC50
      range = 4.5-25.8 MUg/mL) than the reference drugs, nifurtimox and benznidazole
      (LC50 range = 36.1-46.8 MUg/mL) in both strains in the in vitro model. The anti
      inflammatory, sulfasalazine showed moderate inhibition (37.6%) of sialylation in
      a trans-sialidase enzyme inhibition reaction. Sulfasalazine also showed the best
      trypanocidal effects in short-term in vivo experiments on infected mice. This
      study suggests for the first time that the anti-inflammatory sulfasalazine could
      be used as a lead compound to develop new trans-sialidase inhibitors.

PMID- 28364660
TI  - Hinfinity state estimation for discrete-time neural networks with distributed
      delays and randomly occurring uncertainties through Fading channels.
AB  - In this paper, the Hinfinity state estimation problem is investigated for a class
      of uncertain discrete-time neural networks subject to infinitely distributed
      delays and fading channels. Randomly occurring uncertainties (ROUs) are
      introduced to reflect the random nature of the network condition fluctuations,
      and the channel fading phenomenon is considered to account for the possibly
      unreliable network medium on which the measurement signal is transmitted. A set
      of Bernoulli-distributed white sequences are employed to govern the ROUs and the
      L-th Rice fading model is utilized where channel coefficients are mutually
      independent random variables with certain probability density function on [0,1].
      We aim to design a state estimator such that the dynamics of the estimation error
      is asymptotically stable while satisfying the prescribed Hinfinity performance
      constraint. By adopting the Lyapunov-Krasovskii functional and the stochastic
      analysis theory, sufficient conditions are established to ensure the existence of
      the desired state estimators and the explicit expression of such estimators is
      acquired. A simulation example is provided to verify the usefulness of the
      proposed approach.

PMID- 28364661
TI  - Fixed-time stability of dynamical systems and fixed-time synchronization of
      coupled discontinuous neural networks.
AB  - In this paper, the fixed-time stability of dynamical systems and the fixed-time
      synchronization of coupled discontinuous neural networks are investigated under
      the framework of Filippov solution. Firstly, by means of reduction to absurdity,
      a theorem of fixed-time stability is established and a high-precision estimation
      of the settling-time is given. It is shown by theoretic proof that the estimation
      bound of the settling time given in this paper is less conservative and more
      accurate compared with the classical results. Besides, as an important
      application, the fixed-time synchronization of coupled neural networks with
      discontinuous activation functions is proposed. By designing a discontinuous
      control law and using the theory of differential inclusions, some new criteria
      are derived to ensure the fixed-time synchronization of the addressed coupled
      networks. Finally, two numerical examples are provided to show the effectiveness
      and validity of the theoretical results.

PMID- 28364662
TI  - LogP, a yesterday's value?
AB  - INTRODUCTION: There is an increasing demand for high throughput methods at early
      stages of preclinical radioligand development, in order to predict
      pharmacokinetic properties (e.g., biodistribution) and blood brain barrier (BBB)
      penetration. One of the most important physicochemical properties is the
      lipophilicity, measured by means of shake-flask (logP) or HPLC methods. Yet, a
      plethora of experimental methods are described in the literature for the
      determination of logP values. These varying methods often lead to different
      results for one identical compound, which complicates any comparison or
      prediction for subsequent preclinical studies. However, a standardized and
      internationally applied and accepted database with logP values for a reliable
      comparison of the lipophilic character of radiotracers is still missing. METHOD:
      Lipophilicity measurements were performed with 121 molecules using a high
      throughput HPLC method and ClogP values were calculated using ChemBioDraw(r).
      Furthermore, logP measurements for six representative radiotracers were performed
      with the conventional shake-flask method and the results were statistically
      compared to the ClogP and HPLC logP results. Different logP thresholds,
      suggesting optimal BBB penetration according to literature, were selected and put
      into relation with the acquired HPLC logP and ClogP values of cerebral tracers.
      RESULTS: The results of the tested compounds ranged from -2.1 to 5.4 with the
      applied HPLC method. The acquired database comprises ClogP values of the whole
      set of compounds ranging from -4.11 to 6.12. LogP data from different methods
      were not comparable. The correlation of the obtained logP data to thresholds
      suggesting an optimal brain uptake resulted in a high number of false positive
      classifications. CONCLUSION: The logP determination for prediction of BBB
      penetration is obsolete. The extensive database, including clinical relevant
      radiotracers, can be used as comparative set of values for preclinical studies,
      and serves as a basis for further critical discussions concerning the eligibility
      of logP.

PMID- 28364663
TI  - Tissue growth and tumorigenesis in Drosophila: cell polarity and the Hippo
      pathway.
AB  - Cell polarity regulation is critical for defining membrane domains required for
      the establishment and maintenance of the apical-basal axis in epithelial cells
      (apico-basal polarity), asymmetric cell divisions, planar organization of tissues
      (planar cell polarity), and the formation of the front-rear axis in cell
      migration (front-rear polarity). In the vinegar fly, Drosophila melanogaster,
      cell polarity regulators also interact with the Hippo tissue growth control
      signaling pathway. In this review we survey the recent Drosophila literature
      linking cell polarity regulators with the Hippo pathway in epithelial tissue
      growth, neural stem cell asymmetric divisions and in cell migration in
      physiological and tumorigenic settings.

PMID- 28364664
TI  - Contribution of neuroinflammation to changes in [11C]flumazenil binding in the
      rat brain: Evaluation of the inflamed pons as reference tissue.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: [11C]Flumazenil is a well-known PET tracer for GABAA receptors and
      is mainly used as an imaging biomarker for neuronal loss. Recently, GABAA
      receptors on immune cells have been investigated as target for modulation of
      inflammation. Since neuronal loss is often accompanied by neuroinflammation, PET
      imaging with [11C]flumazenil is potentially affected by infiltrating immune
      cells. This may also compromise the validity of using the pons as reference
      tissue in quantitative pharmacokinetic analysis. This study aims to evaluate
      whether inflammatory processes in the brain can influence [11C]flumazenil uptake
      and affect the outcome of pharmacokinetic modeling when the pons is used as
      reference tissue. METHODS: The herpes simplex encephalitis (HSE) rat model is
      known to cause neuroinflammation in the brainstem. Dynamic [11C]flumazenil PET
      scans of 60-min, accompanied by arterial blood sampling and metabolite analysis,
      were acquired at day 6-7days post-infection of male Wistar rats (HSE, n=5 and
      control, n=6). Additionally, the GABAA receptor was saturated by injection of
      unlabeled flumazenil prior to the tracer injection in 4 rats per group. PET data
      were analyzed by pharmacokinetic modeling. RESULTS: No statistically significant
      differences were found in the volume of distribution (VT) or non-displaceable
      binding potential (BPND) between control and HSE rats in any of the brain
      regions. Pre-saturation with unlabeled flumazenil resulted in a statistically
      significant reduction in [11C]flumazenil VT in all brain regions. The BPND
      obtained from SRTM exhibited a good correlation to DVR - 1 values from the two
      tissue compartment model, coupled with some level of underestimation. CONCLUSION:
      Reliable quantification of [11C]flumazenil binding in rats can be obtained by
      pharmacokinetic analysis using the pons as a pseudo-reference tissue even in the
      presence of strong acute neuroinflammation.

PMID- 28364665
TI  - Doppler-limited high-resolution spectrum and VPT2 assisted assignment of the C-H
      stretch of CH2Br2.
AB  - The Doppler limited non-saturated rotationally resolved infrared spectra of the
      symmetric and asymmetric CH-stretch bands of CH2Br2 have been measured. A
      continuous wave cavity ringdown setup with a widely tunable Mid-IR-OPO laser
      light source yielded a single-shot minimum absorption of 4.9*10-8cm-1. In
      contrast to the heavily congested nu1 band, the nu6 band showed partially
      resolved rotational features that may serve as suitable absorption targets in
      future environmental detection schemes for CH2Br2. A straightforward, VPT2
      (second-order vibrational perturbation theory) assisted quantum-chemical approach
      for assigning the rotational structure has been tested using different model
      chemistries. The molecular structures, anharmonic frequencies and the structural
      changes upon vibrational excitation of CH2Br2 have been investigated. The
      predicted changes of the anharmonic rotational constants have been used together
      with available spectroscopic ground state constants to simulate the rovibrational
      structures of the nu1 and nu6 bands of CH2Br2. A refined analysis of the nu6 band
      is presented yielding accurate values for the band origin and the rotational
      constants. A fit of the line positions of 312 prominent transitions of the three
      isotopologues revealed a low standard error of 0.00056cm-1, hence within the
      absolute 0.0009cm-1 wavelength accuracy of the used spectrometer setup. A
      combined analysis of the predicted line strengths and positions of the strong Q
      sub-branches of the nu6 band has been performed to test the ability of the
      different density functionals for VPT2 prediction of anharmonic molecular
      constants. The M06/6-311++G(d,p) model chemistry turned out to yield reliable
      state-dependent rotational constants that are accurate enough to reproduce the
      overall rotational structure even without fitting.

PMID- 28364667
TI  - SERS spectroelectrochemical study of electrode processes at copper
      hexacyanoferrate modified electrode.
AB  - Electrochemical redox processes taking place at copper hexacyanoferrate (CuHCF)
      modified electrode have been investigated by near-infrared laser (785nm) induced
      surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS). Raman bands observed within the
      spectral ranges of 2200-2000cm-1 and 500-100cm-1, as well as their dependence on
      electrode potential, have been analysed. The most characteristic Raman bands,
      related to triple CN bond vibrations and centered at 2187 and 2127cm-1 were
      assigned to the oxidised and the reduced forms of CuHCF, respectively. Time
      resolved Raman spectroelectrochemical study shows that the electrochemical redox
      interconversions between these two forms proceed relatively slow, thus resembling
      the behaviour of structurally related cobalt hexacyanoferrate, and differing
      essentially from that of Prussian blue layer studied previously. It has been
      shown by the time-resolved Raman spectroelectrochemistry that the rate of some
      redox processes of solute species like the anodic oxidation of ascorbate or
      cathodic reduction of hydrogen peroxide at CuHCF modified electrode appears to be
      limited by the slow electrochemical redox transformations within the modifier
      layer itself rather than by the redox interactions of a modifier with the solute
      species.

PMID- 28364666
TI  - Biomolecular dynamics studied with IR-spectroscopy using quantum cascade lasers
      combined with nanosecond perturbation techniques.
AB  - Early events of protein folding can be studied with fast perturbation techniques
      triggering non-equilibrium relaxation dynamics. A nanosecond laser-excited pH
      jump or temperature-jump (T-jump) was applied to initiate helix folding or
      unfolding of poly-l-glutamic acid (PGA). PGA is a homopolypeptide with titratable
      carboxyl side-chains whose protonation degree determines the PGA conformation. A
      pH-jump was realized by the photochemical release of protons and induces PGA
      folding due to protonation of the side-chains. Otherwise, the helical
      conformation can be unfolded by a T-jump. We operated under conditions where PGA
      does not aggregate and temperature and pH are the regulatory properties of its
      conformation. The experiments were performed in such a manner that the
      folding/unfolding jump proceeded to the same PGA conformation. We quantified the
      increase/decrease in helicity induced by the pH-/T-jump and demonstrated that the
      T-jump results in a relatively small change in helical content in contrast to the
      pH-jump. This is caused by the strong pH-dependence of the PGA conformation. The
      conformational changes were detected by time-resolved single wavelength IR
      spectroscopy using quantum cascade lasers (QCL). We could independently observe
      the kinetics for alpha-helix folding and unfolding in PGA by using different
      perturbation techniques and demonstrate the high sensitivity of time-resolved IR
      spectroscopy to study protein folding mechanisms.

PMID- 28364668
TI  - Towards designing polymers for photovoltaic applications: A DFT and experimental
      study of polyazomethines with various chemical structures.
AB  - Theoretical studies of polyazomethines (PAZs) with various chemical structures
      designated for photovoltaic applications are presented. PAZ energy levels and
      optical properties were calculated within density-functional theory (DFT and
      TDDFT) framework for 28 oligomers (monomer, dimer and trimer) of PAZs. The
      correlations between chemical structure of PAZ and location of its highest
      occupied molecular orbital (HOMO) and lowest unoccupied molecular orbital (LUMO)
      energy levels were examined. It turned out that the presence of
      triaminophenylene, dimethoxydiphenylene and fluorine group raises the orbital
      energies. As a consequence, it is a factor which improves the photovoltaic
      efficiency of solar cell built on the base of the corresponding PAZ and [6,6]
      phenyl C61 butyric acid methyl ester (PCBM). On the contrary, quinone, 1,3,5
      triazine and perfluorophenylene groups lower orbital energies and have negative
      influence on the photovoltaic efficiency. Moreover, calculations for methyl,
      ethyl and butyl analogs of P3HT as well as polythiophenes were performed and
      compared with the results obtained for PAZs. In addition experimental data are
      presented, which cover optical, electrochemical and electrical transport
      properties of the studied PAZs, allowing to determine HOMO and LUMO energies of
      the polymers and their conductivity. Finally, comparison between calculated and
      experimental results were made and discussed.

PMID- 28364669
TI  - Suggestion of BRCA1 c.5339T>C (p.L1780P) variant confer from 'unknown
      significance' to 'Likely pathogenic' based on clinical evidence in Korea.
AB  - PURPOSE: We describe a rationale for the re-classification of the BRCA1 c.5539T>C
      (L1780P) variant using a clinical evidence. METHODS: A retrospective review was
      conducted to identify all patients with breast or ovarian cancer and the L1780P
      variant between 2002 and 2015 at a single institution. RESULTS: We identified the
      BRCA1/2 genetic mutation test results of 1223 breast cancer patients and 174
      patients with ovarian cancer. Of the 160 BRCA 1/2 variant unknown significance,
      16 (10.0%) patients were identified as having the L1780P variant. Among them, 10
      had breast cancer, 4 had ovarian cancer, and 2 had both breast and ovarian
      cancer. Thirteen (81.3%) patients with this variant had family histories of
      breast or ovarian cancer. Two (16.7%) also had comorbid ovarian cancer. Two
      patients with this variant showed that co-segregation of the disease in multiple
      family members and family histories of breast and ovarian cancer. This variant
      was found to be either absent or at extremely low frequency in general population
      databases. CONCLUSION: The L1780P variant might confer to "Likely pathogenic"
      according to a clinical evidence and the ACMG standards and guidelines. A nation
      wide or global survey and a functional analysis are needed to confirm the
      pathogenicity of the L1780P variant.

PMID- 28364670
TI  - Alcohol consumption and risk of upper-tract urothelial cancer.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Upper-tract urothelial cancer (UTUC), which includes renal pelvic
      cancer and ureter cancer, is a rare cancer and its prognosis is poor. Smoking and
      high-risk occupations (e.g., printing and dyestuff working which involves
      exposure to aniline dyes) are well-known risk factors for UTUC. However, the risk
      of alcohol consumption in UTUC remains unclear. This study aimed to determine
      whether alcohol consumption is an independent risk factor for UTUC. METHODS: The
      study was a case-control study which used the nationwide clinical inpatient
      database of the Rosai Hospital group in Japan. We identified 1569 cases and
      506,797 controls between 1984 and 2014. We estimated the odds ratio (OR) and 95%
      confidence interval (95%CI) of alcohol consumption for UTUC - never, up to
      15g/day, >15-30g/day, or >30g/day - using unconditional logistic regression. We
      adjusted for the following covariates: age, sex, study period, hospital, history
      of smoking, and high-risk occupation. RESULTS: The risk of UTUC was significantly
      higher in ever-drinkers compared with never-drinkers (OR=1.23, 95%CI, 1.08-1.40;
      P=0.001). Compared with never-drinkers, the risk threshold for UTUC was >15g of
      alcohol consumption per day (equivalent to 6 ounces of Japanese sake containing
      23g of alcohol). A dose-response was observed (P<0.001). CONCLUSION: Alcohol
      consumption may be an independent risk factor for UTUC, with a low-risk threshold
      of 15g of alcohol per day.

PMID- 28364671
TI  - Social disparities in survival after diagnosis with colorectal cancer:
      Contribution of race and insurance status.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Both minority race and lack of health insurance are risk factors for
      lower survival in colorectal cancer (CRC) but the interaction between the two
      factors has not been explored in detail. METHODS: One to 5-year survival by
      race/ethnic group and insurance type for patients with CRC diagnosed in 2007-13
      and registered in the Surveillance Epidemiology, and End RESULTS: database were
      explored. Shared frailty models were computed to further explore the association
      between CRC specific survival and insurance status after adjustment for
      demographic and treatment variables. RESULTS: Age-adjusted 5-year survival
      estimates were 70.4% for non-Hispanic whites (nHW), 62.7% for non-Hispanic blacks
      (nHB), 70.2% for Hispanics, 64.7% for Native Americans, and 73.1% for
      Asian/Pacific Islanders (API). Survival was greater for patients with insurance
      other than Medicaid for all races, but the differential in survival varied with
      race, with the greatest difference being seen for nHW at +25.0% and +20.2%,
      respectively, for Medicaid and uninsured versus other insurance. Similar results
      were observed for stage- and age-specific analyses, with survival being
      consistently higher for nHW and API compared to other groups. After confounder
      adjustment, hazard ratios of 1.53 and 1.50 for CRC-specific survival were
      observed for Medicaid and uninsured. Racial/ethnic differences remained
      significant only for nHB compared to nHW. CONCLUSIONS: Race/ethnic group and
      insurance type are partially independent factors affecting survival expectations
      for patients diagnosed with CRC. NHB had lower than expected survival for all
      insurance types.

PMID- 28364672
TI  - Efficacy of a mouthrinse based on hydroxyapatite to reduce initial bacterial
      colonisation in situ.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: The present in situ - investigation aimed to specify the impact of
      pure hydroxyapatite microclusters on initial bioadhesion and bacterial
      colonization at the tooth surface. DESIGN: Pellicle formation was carried out in
      situ on bovine enamel slabs (9 subjects). After 1min of pellicle formation rinses
      with 8ml of hydroxyapatite (HA) microclusters (5%) in bidestilled water or
      chlorhexidine 0.2% were performed. As negative control no rinse was adopted. In
      situ biofilm formation was promoted by the intraoral slab exposure for 8h
      overnight. Afterwards initial bacterial adhesion was quantified by DAPI staining
      and bacterial viability was determined in vivo/in vitro by live/dead-staining
      (BacLight). SEM analysis evaluated the efficacy of the mouthrinse to accumulate
      hydroxyapatite microclusters at the specimens' surface and spit-out samples of
      the testsolution were investigated by TEM. RESULTS: Compared to the control
      (2.36*106+/-2.01*106bacteria/cm2), significantly reduced amounts of adherent
      bacteria were detected on specimens rinsed with chlorhexidine 0.2% (8.73*104+/
      1.37*105bacteria/cm2) and likewise after rinses with the hydroxyapatite
      testsolution (2.08*105+/-2.85*105bacteria/cm2, p<0.001). No demonstrable effect
      of HA-particles on Streptococcus mutans viability could be shown. SEM analysis
      confirmed the temporary adsorption of hydroxyapatite microclusters at the tooth
      surface. Adhesive interactions of HA-particles with oral bacteria were shown by
      TEM. CONCLUSION: Hydroxyapatite microclusters reduced initial bacterial adhesion
      to enamel in situ considerably and could therefore sensibly supplement current
      approaches in dental prophylaxis.

PMID- 28364673
TI  - Effect of iRoot SP and mineral trioxide aggregate (MTA) on the viability and
      polarization of macrophages.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: This study was performed to investigate the effect of iRoot SP and
      mineral trioxide aggregate (MTA) on the viability and polarization of
      macrophages. METHODS: The effect of iRoot SP and MTA on the viability of RAW
      264.7 macrophages was tested using the 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5
      diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay after 1 and 2days of culture. The gene
      expression levels of interleukin 1beta (IL-1beta), tumor necrosis factor alpha
      (TNF-alpha), interleukin 10 (IL-10), interleukin 12p40 (IL-12p40) were measured
      by quantitative real time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) after stimulation
      of the RAW 264.7 macrophages with iRoot SP and MTA. The expression levels of
      CD11c and CD206 in RAW 264.7 macrophages were examined by immunofluorescence and
      flow cytometry after stimulation with iRoot SP and MTA. The data were analyzed by
      one-way analysis of variance and the Tukey test. RESULTS: Both iRoot SP and MTA
      were non-toxic to the RAW 264.7 macrophages. The use of iRoot SP and MTA
      increased the expression of IL-1beta, TNF-alpha, IL-10, IL-12p40 on the first day
      of culture and could promote macrophage M1 and M2 polarization. CONCLUSIONS: MTA
      and iRoot SP have good biocompatibility with macrophages, and they induced both
      M1 and M2 polarization of the RAW 264.7 macrophages.

PMID- 28364674
TI  - Static postural sway of women with and without fibromyalgia syndrome: A cross
      sectional study.
AB  - BACKGROUND: There is a frequent complaint about balance problems among
      fibromyalgia syndrome patients; however, there are not enough studies that have
      shown static postural sway of women with fibromyalgia syndrome. This study aimed
      to compare static postural sway of women with and without fibromyalgia syndrome.
      METHODS: This is a cross-sectional study in which twenty-nine women with
      fibromyalgia syndrome and 20 without took part. A posturography evaluation was
      performed in six different situations (bipedal, right tandem and left tandem,
      with eyes opened and closed), and questionnaires for clinical depression
      symptoms, clinical anxiety symptoms, sleep quality, and Visual Analogue Scales
      for Pain and Fatigue were applied. Mann-Whitney U test was used to check
      differences among groups; Wilcoxon matched-pair test was used to check
      differences intragroup; Cohen d coefficient was used to measure effect sizes and
      Pearson Correlation Coefficient was used for correlations among variables. Level
      of significance adopted was 5%. FINDINGS: Women with fibromyalgia syndrome have
      presented worse postural sway than women without fibromyalgia syndrome in all
      situations (P<0.05), and worse scores in all questionnaires (P<0.05). In the eyes
      closed situations, women with fibromyalgia syndrome presented worse postural sway
      than women without in the same conditions. INTERPRETATION: Women with
      fibromyalgia syndrome have worse performance in the static posture test, more
      prominent in reduced support bases with eyes closed. Pain, fatigue, depression
      and anxiety may have directly influenced postural sway in fibromyalgia syndrome
      patients.

PMID- 28364675
TI  - Correlation between gait analysis and clinical questionnaires in patients with
      spontaneous osteonecrosis of the knee.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Spontaneous osteonecrosis of the knee is usually verified by magnetic
      resonance imaging accompanied by clinical questionnaires to assess the level of
      pain and functional limitation. There is a lack however, in an objective
      functional test that will reflect the functional severity of spontaneous
      osteonecrosis of the knee. The purpose of the current study was to examine the
      correlation between spatiotemporal gait parameters and clinical questionnaires in
      patients with spontaneous osteonecrosis of the knee. METHODS: 28 patients (16
      females and 12 males) were included in the analysis. Patients had unilateral
      spontaneous osteonecrosis of the knee of the medial femoral condyle confirmed by
      magnetic resonance imaging. All patients performed a computerized spatiotemporal
      gait analysis and completed the Western Ontario and McMaster University
      Osteoarthritis Index and the Short-Form 36. Relationships between selected
      spatiotemporal gait measures and self-assessment questionnaires were assessed by
      Spearman non-parametric correlations. FINDINGS: Significant correlations were
      found between selected spatiotemporal gait parameters and clinical questionnaires
      (r ranged between 0.28 and 0.79). Single limb support was the gait measure with
      the strongest correlation to pain (r=0.58), function (r=0.56) and quality of
      life. INTERPRETATION: Spatiotemporal gait assessment for patients with
      spontaneous osteonecrosis of the knee correlates with the patient's level of pain
      and functional limitation there by adding objective information regarding the
      functional condition of these patients.

PMID- 28364676
TI  - A time-delay neural network for solving time-dependent shortest path problem.
AB  - This paper concerns the time-dependent shortest path problem, which is difficult
      to come up with global optimal solution by means of classical shortest path
      approaches such as Dijkstra, and pulse-coupled neural network (PCNN). In this
      study, we propose a time-delay neural network (TDNN) framework that comes with
      the globally optimal solution when solving the time-dependent shortest path
      problem. The underlying idea of TDNN comes from the following mechanism: the
      shortest path depends on the earliest auto-wave (from start node) that arrives at
      the destination node. In the design of TDNN, each node on a network is considered
      as a neuron, which comes in the form of two units: time-window unit and auto-wave
      unit. Time-window unit is used to generate auto-wave in each time window, while
      auto-wave unit is exploited here to update the state of auto-wave. Whether or not
      an auto-wave leaves a node (neuron) depends on the state of auto-wave. The
      evaluation of the performance of the proposed approach was carried out based on
      online public Cordeau instances and New York Road instances. The proposed TDNN
      was also compared with the quality of classical approaches such as Dijkstra and
      PCNN.

PMID- 28364677
TI  - Forecasting stochastic neural network based on financial empirical mode
      decomposition.
AB  - In an attempt to improve the forecasting accuracy of stock price fluctuations, a
      new one-step-ahead model is developed in this paper which combines empirical mode
      decomposition (EMD) with stochastic time strength neural network (STNN). The EMD
      is a processing technique introduced to extract all the oscillatory modes
      embedded in a series, and the STNN model is established for considering the
      weight of occurrence time of the historical data. The linear regression performs
      the predictive availability of the proposed model, and the effectiveness of EMD
      STNN is revealed clearly through comparing the predicted results with the
      traditional models. Moreover, a new evaluated method (q-order multiscale
      complexity invariant distance) is applied to measure the predicted results of
      real stock index series, and the empirical results show that the proposed model
      indeed displays a good performance in forecasting stock market fluctuations.

PMID- 28364679
TI  - What do patients rate as most important when cared for in the ICU and how often
      is this met? - An empowerment questionnaire survey.

PMID- 28364678
TI  - Effect of neuromuscular stimulation and individualized rehabilitation on muscle
      strength in Intensive Care Unit survivors: A randomized trial.
AB  - PURPOSE: Intensive Care Unit (ICU) survivors experience muscle weakness leading
      to restrictions in functional ability. Neuromuscular electrical stimulation
      (NMES) has been an alternative to exercise in critically ill patients. The aim of
      our study was to investigate its effects along with individualized rehabilitation
      on muscle strength of ICU survivors. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Following ICU
      discharge, 128 patients (age: 53+/-16years) were randomly assigned to daily NMES
      sessions and individualized rehabilitation (NMES group) or to control group.
      Muscle strength was assessed by the Medical Research Council (MRC) score and hand
      grip at hospital discharge. Secondary outcomes were functional ability and
      hospital length of stay. RESULTS: MRC, handgrip, functional status and hospital
      length of stay did not differ at hospital discharge between groups (p>0.05).
      DeltaMRC% one and two weeks after ICU discharge tended to be higher in NMES
      group, while it was significant higher in NMES group of patients with ICU
      acquired weakness at two weeks (p=0.05). CONCLUSIONS: NMES and personalized
      physiotherapy in ICU survivors did not result in greater improvement of muscle
      strength and functional status at hospital discharge. However, in patients with
      ICU-aw NMES may be effective. The potential benefits of rehabilitation strategies
      should be explored in larger number of patients in future studies. CLINICAL TRIAL
      REGISTRATION: www.Clinicaltrials.gov: NCT01717833.

PMID- 28364681
TI  - Specific language impairment in a morphologically complex agglutinative Indian
      language-Kannada.
AB  - Specific Language Impairment (SLI) remains an underinvestigated disorder in
      morphologically complex agglutinative languages such as Kannada. Currently, only
      a few case reports are available on SLI in Dravidian languages. The morphological
      complexity inherent to Dravidian languages such as Kannada provides a potential
      avenue to verify one of the two prevailing accounts of SLI: the morphological
      richness theory and CGC (Computational Grammatical Complexity) hypothesis. While
      the previous theory predicts the relatively spared performance of children with
      SLI (CwSLI) on syntactic morphology in morphologically complex languages, the
      latter predicts a diametrically opposite performance. Data from a group of 15
      Kannada-speaking CwSLI supported the morphological richness theory, and further
      revealed five distinct profiles of SLI. The results of this study reflected that
      CwSLI learning the agglutinative language (Kannada) as compared with language
      matched children without SLI, displayed some shared deficits (e.g., in
      phonological processing on a non-word repetition task) with CwSLI learning
      English. However, CwSLI learning the morphosyntactically rich language Kannada
      differed remarkably from English-learning CwSLI by not showing deficits in
      syntactic morphology relative to language-matched peers (e.g., PNG, verb, tense,
      case, and pronoun).

PMID- 28364680
TI  - Assessment of macro- and micro-oxygenation parameters during fractional fluid
      infusion: A pilot study.
AB  - PURPOSE: The main goal of this study was to assess whether maximal fluid infusion
      improves both oxygen delivery (DO2) and micro-circulatory parameters during
      hemodilution. The secondary objective was to assess the ability of baseline micro
      circulatory parameters to predict oxygen consumption (VO2) response following
      fluid infusion. MATERIALS AND METHODS: In a postoperative cardiac ICU, patients
      received repeated fluid infusion until stroke volume (SV) was maximized. Before
      and after each fluid expansion, macro- (DO2, VO2) and micro-circulatory
      oxygenation parameters were recorded [central venous oxygen saturation (ScVO2),
      blood lactate, difference in veno-arterial carbon dioxide tension (P(v-a)CO2),
      somatic and cerebral oxygen saturation (rSO2)]. Patients were classified as VO2
      Responders or VO2-Non-Responders according to an increase in VO2 above or below
      15%, respectively. RESULTS: After maximal fluid infusion, all patients showed
      improved macro- and micro-circulatory oxygenation parameters, but VO2-Responders
      had lower values (especially for ScVO2 and cerebral rSO2). Only baseline ScVO2
      and cerebral rSO2 were useful to predict the VO2 response to maximal fluid
      infusion (ROCAUC 0.80 (95% CI: 0.54-0.95, P=0.012) and 0.83 (95% CI: 0.57-0.96,
      P=0.001). CONCLUSIONS: Maximal fluid infusion improves macro- and micro
      circulatory oxygenation parameters. For VO2-Responders, only ScVO2 and cerebral
      rSO2 could serve as markers of tissue hypoxia.

PMID- 28364682
TI  - Super-resolved 3-D imaging of live cells' organelles from bright-field photon
      transmission micrographs.
AB  - Current biological and medical research is aimed at obtaining a detailed
      spatiotemporal map of a live cell's interior to describe and predict cell's
      physiological state. We present here an algorithm for complete 3-D modelling of
      cellular structures from a z-stack of images obtained using label-free wide-field
      bright-field light-transmitted microscopy. The method visualizes 3-D objects with
      a volume equivalent to the area of a camera pixel multiplied by the z-height. The
      computation is based on finding pixels of unchanged intensities between two
      consecutive images of an object spread function. These pixels represent strongly
      light-diffracting, light-absorbing, or light-emitting objects. To accomplish
      this, variables derived from Renyi entropy are used to suppress camera noise.
      Using this algorithm, the detection limit of objects is only limited by the
      technical specifications of the microscope setup-we achieve the detection of
      objects of the size of one camera pixel. This method allows us to obtain 3-D
      reconstructions of cells from bright-field microscopy images that are comparable
      in quality to those from electron microscopy images.

PMID- 28364683
TI  - EMCD with an electron vortex filter: Limitations and possibilities.
AB  - We discuss the feasibility of detecting spin polarized electronic transitions
      with a vortex filter. This approach does not rely on the principal condition of
      the standard electron energy-loss magnetic chiral dichroism (EMCD) technique, the
      precise alignment of the crystal in order to use it as a beam splitter, and thus
      would pave the way for the application of EMCD to new classes of materials and
      problems, like amorphous magnetic alloys and interface magnetism. The dichroic
      signal strength at the L2, 3-edge of ferromagnetic Cobalt (Co) is estimated on
      theoretical grounds using a single atom scattering approach. To justify this
      approach, multi-slice simulations were carried out in order to confirm that
      orbital angular momentum (OAM) is conserved in amorphous materials over an
      extended range of sample thickness and also in very thin crystalline specimen,
      which is necessary for the detection of EMCD. Also artefact sources like spot
      size, mask tilt and astigmatism are discussed. In addition, the achievable SNR
      under typical experimental conditions is assessed.

PMID- 28364684
TI  - Biophysical and molecular docking approaches for the investigation of
      biomolecular interactions between amphotericin B and bovine serum albumin.
AB  - Exogenous drug as an antidote to treat various infections get absorbed in the
      blood circulatory system of a human can directly contact with transporter
      proteins such as serum albumin. Therefore, for rational drug discovery,
      understanding the biomolecular interaction between drugs and protein is highly
      important. In this contribution, we describe the possible interactions between an
      antifungal drug Amphotericin B (AmB) and Bovine Serum Albumin (BSA) using multi
      spectroscopic techniques and further confirmed through in-silico approaches.
      Binding effects of AmB on BSA conformation, surface morphology, topology, and
      stability were determined by Ultraviolet-visible spectroscopy (UV), Fourier
      transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), Circular Dichroism (CD), Transmission
      Electron Microscopy (TEM), Dynamic Light Scattering (DLS), Fluorescence
      Spectroscopy and Molecular dynamic simulations. The Stern-Volmer equation was
      used to determine the binding site (0.4) and binding constant (8.16*105M-1). The
      intrinsic intensity of the native BSA was quenched by AmB through static
      quenching mechanism. The calculated Gibbs free energy value (-8.70kcal/mol)
      indicated the involvement of hydrogen bonding and hydrophobic contacts in BSA-AmB
      interaction. The hydrodynamic radii and surface contact area of BSA-AmB molecules
      are decreasing which can strongly support the stabilizing action of complex
      particles. Moreover, the finding of this work will provide information for the
      drug designers to further study the AmB binding mechanism and their
      pharmacodynamics and pharmacokinetics features in order to achieve better
      therapeutic efficacy.

PMID- 28364685
TI  - Effectiveness of one-to-one peer support for patients with severe mental illness 
      a randomised controlled trial.
AB  - BACKGROUND: One-to-one peer support is a resource-oriented approach for patients
      with severe mental illness. Existing trials provided inconsistent results and
      commonly have methodological shortcomings, such as poor training and role
      definition of peer supporters, small sample sizes, and lack of blinded outcome
      assessments. METHODS: This is a randomised controlled trial comparing one-to-one
      peer support with treatment as usual. Eligible were patients with severe mental
      illnesses: psychosis, major depression, bipolar disorder or borderline
      personality disorder of more than two years' duration. A total of 216 patients
      were recruited through in- and out-patient services from four hospitals in
      Hamburg, Germany, with 114 allocated to the intervention group and 102 to the
      control group. The intervention was one-to-one peer support, delivered by trained
      peers and according to a defined role specification, in addition to treatment as
      usual over the course of six months, as compared to treatment as usual alone.
      Primary outcome was self-efficacy measured on the General Self-Efficacy Scale at
      six-month follow-up. Secondary outcomes included quality of life, social
      functioning, and hospitalisations. RESULTS: Patients in the intervention group
      had significantly higher scores of self-efficacy at the six-month follow-up.
      There were no statistically significant differences on secondary outcomes in the
      intention to treat analyses. CONCLUSIONS: The findings suggest that one-to-one
      peer support delivered by trained peer supporters can improve self-efficacy of
      patients with severe mental disorders over a one-year period. One-to-one peer
      support may be regarded as an effective intervention. Future research should
      explore the impact of improved self-efficacy on clinical and social outcomes.

PMID- 28364686
TI  - Childhood trauma and psychotic experiences in a general population sample: A
      prospective study on the mediating role of emotion regulation.
AB  - BACKGROUND: The causal role of childhood trauma for psychosis is well
      established, but the mechanisms that link trauma to psychosis are largely
      unknown. Since childhood trauma is known to cause difficulties in emotion
      regulation (ER) and patients with psychosis show impaired ER, we hypothesize that
      impaired ER explains why people with a background of trauma are prone to
      psychotic experiences. METHODS: The study used a longitudinal cohort design based
      on a community sample (N=562) from Germany, Indonesia, and the United States.
      Childhood trauma was assessed at baseline. ER and psychotic experiences (defined
      as positive symptom frequency and related distress) were measured repeatedly at a
      4-, 8-, and 12-month follow-up. Cross-lagged panel and longitudinal mediation
      analyses with structural equation modeling were used to test the predictive value
      of ER on psychotic experiences and its mediating role in the association of
      childhood trauma and psychotic experiences. RESULTS: The cross-lagged paths from
      impaired ER to symptom distress (but not frequency) were significant. However,
      there was also evidence for the reverse causation from symptom frequency and
      distress to impaired ER. ER partially mediated the significant prospective paths
      from childhood trauma to symptom distress. CONCLUSION: The findings demonstrate
      that ER plays a role in translating childhood trauma into distressing psychotic
      experiences in later life. Moreover, the findings point to a maintenance
      mechanism in which difficulties in ER and symptom distress exacerbate each other.
      Thus, ER could be a promising target for interventions aimed at prevention of
      psychosis.

PMID- 28364687
TI  - Comorbidity, family history and personality traits in pathological gamblers
      compared with healthy controls.
AB  - BACKGROUND: While DSM-5 classified pathological gambling as an addictive
      disorder, there is debate as to whether ICD-11 should follow suit. The debate
      hinges on scientific evidence such as neurobiological findings, family history of
      psychiatric disorders, psychiatric comorbidity, and personality variables.
      METHODS: In the "Baden-Wurttemberg Study of Pathological Gambling", we compared a
      group of 515 male pathological gamblers receiving treatment with 269 matched
      healthy controls. We studied differences in sociodemographic characteristics,
      gambling-related variables, psychiatric comorbidity (lifetime), family history of
      psychiatric conditions, as well as personality traits such as impulsivity
      (Barratt Impulsiveness Scale), sensation seeking (Zuckerman's Sensation Seeking
      Scale) and the NEO-FFI big five. Personality traits were validated in an age- and
      ethnicity-matched subsample of "pure" gamblers without any psychiatric
      comorbidity (including nicotine dependence). Data were analyzed using two-sample
      t-tests, Chi2 analyses, Fisher's exact test and Pearson correlation analysis, as
      appropriate. Bonferroni correction was applied to correct for multiple
      comparisons. RESULTS: Only 1% of the gamblers had been diagnosed with an impulse
      control disorder other than gambling (ICD-10). Notably, 88% of the gamblers in
      our sample had a comorbid diagnosis of substance dependence. The highest axis I
      comorbidity rate was for nicotine dependence (80%), followed by alcohol
      dependence (28%). Early age of first gambling experience was correlated with
      gambling severity. Compared to first-degree relatives of controls, first-degree
      relatives of pathological gamblers were more likely to suffer from alcohol
      dependence (27.0% vs. 7.4%), pathological gambling (8.3% vs. 0.7%) and suicide
      attempts (2.7% vs. 0.4%). Significant group differences were observed for the NEO
      FFI factors neuroticism, agreeableness and conscientiousness. Gamblers were also
      more impulsive than controls, but did not differ from controls in terms of
      sensation seeking. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings support classifying pathological
      gambling as a behavioural addiction in the ICD-11. This decision will have a
      significant impact on the approaches available for prevention (e.g. age limits)
      and treatment.

PMID- 28364688
TI  - The relationship between deinstitutionalization and quality of care in longer
      term psychiatric and social care facilities in Europe: A cross-sectional study.
AB  - BACKGROUND: The process of deinstitutionalization (community-based care) has been
      shown to be associated with better quality of life for those with longer-term
      mental health problems compared to long stay hospitals. This project aimed to
      investigate the relationship between national progress towards
      deinstitutionalization and (1) quality of longer-term mental health care (2)
      service users' ratings of that care in nine European countries. METHODS: Quality
      of care was assessed in 193 longer-term hospital- and community-based facilities
      in Bulgaria, Germany, Greece, Italy, the Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Spain and
      the UK. Data on users' ratings of care were collected from 1579 users of these
      services. Country level variables were compiled from publicly available data.
      Multilevel models were fit to assess associations with quality of care and
      service user experiences of care. RESULTS: Significant positive associations were
      found between deinstitutionalization and (1) five of seven quality of care
      domains; and (2) service user autonomy. A 10% increase in expenditure was
      associated with projected clinically important improvements in quality of care.
      CONCLUSIONS: Greater deinstitutionalization of mental health mental health
      services is associated with higher quality of care and better service user
      autonomy.

PMID- 28364689
TI  - Label-free pharmacological profiling based on dynamic mass redistribution for
      characterization and authentication of hazardous natural products.
AB  - Natural products are becoming increasingly popular in multiple fields involving
      medicines, foods and beverages. However, due to the frequent occurrence of
      poisoning incidents, their toxicity and safety have caused a serious concern.
      Here we report a method of biosensor-based two-phase pharmacological profiling
      (BTPP) for discovery, monitor and control of receptor-targeted natural products.
      BTPP uses a resonant waveguide grating biosensor for label-free and non-invasive
      detection of intracellular dynamic mass redistribution (DMR), a phenomenon caused
      by protein relocalization after receptors receiving stimulation from toxicants.
      The method can not only facilitate the identification of hazardous materials but
      also quantify their bioactivity by EC50. As a proof of concept, the method was
      successfully applied to recognize Daturae Flos (DF), an herb that can antagonize
      muscarinic acetylcholine M2 receptor and further cause poisoning, from other
      easily confused species. BTPP combined with high performance liquid
      chromatography revealed that scopolamine and hyoscyamine in DF were the key
      marker compounds. Moreover, the method accurately picked out 2 M2 receptor
      antagonists from 25 natural compounds, displaying its potential in high
      throughput screening. This study provides a systematic illustration about the
      establishment, applicability and advantages of BTPP, which contributes to the
      safety assessment of natural products in related fields.

PMID- 28364690
TI  - Recanalization rate in patients with proximal vein thrombosis treated with the
      direct oral anticoagulants.
AB  - BACKGROUND: The recanalization rate in patients with deep venous thrombosis (DVT)
      of the legs treated with the direct oral anticoagulants (DOAC) is unknown.
      METHODS: In an Italian cohort, we investigated the rate of residual vein
      thrombosis (RVT) after three and/or six months in 352 patients with proximal DVT
      who had been treated with the DOACs as a stand-alone therapy or lead-in
      parenteral anticoagulants, and compared it to that recorded in a historical
      cohort of 1094 patients in which vitamin K antagonists (VKAs) had been employed.
      In both cohorts, RVT was defined as the ultrasound persistence of thrombotic
      material resulting in a diameter of at least 4mm of incompressibility of the
      proximal veins. RESULTS: RVT was detected in 143 patients treated with DOACs
      (41.2%) after three months and in 58 patients (21.1%) after six months; the
      corresponding figure in patients treated with conventional anticoagulation was
      52.3% and 54.5%, respectively. After adjusting for the baseline characteristics,
      the odds ratio of RVT in patients treated with the DOACs as compared with those
      treated with conventional anticoagulation was 0.63 (95% CI, 0.48-0.81) after
      three months, and 0.17 (95% CI; 0.11-0.26) after six months. CONCLUSIONS: In
      patients with proximal DVT treated with the DOACs, the persistence of ultrasound
      detectable RVT is likely to occur less frequently than in patients treated with
      conventional anticoagulation. These results may have implications for the
      prognosis of patients with DVT.

PMID- 28364691
TI  - Incidence of seizures following initial ischemic stroke in a community-based
      cohort: The Framingham Heart Study.
AB  - PURPOSE: We examined the incidence of seizures following ischemic stroke in a
      community-based sample. METHODS: All subjects with incident ischemic strokes in
      the Framingham Original and Offspring cohorts between 1982 and 2003 were
      identified and followed for up to 20 years to determine incidence of seizures.
      Seizure-type was based on the 2010 International League Against Epilepsy (ILAE)
      classification. Disability was stratified into mild/none, moderate and severe,
      based on post-stroke neurological deficit documentation according to the
      Framingham Heart Study (FHS) protocol and functional status was determined using
      the Barthel Index. RESULTS: An initial ischemic stroke occurred in 469 subjects
      in the cohort and seizures occurred in 25 (5.3%) of these subjects. Seizure
      incidence was similar in both large artery atherosclerosis (LAA) (6.8%) and
      cardio-embolic (CE) (6.2%) strokes. No seizures occurred following lacunar
      strokes. The predominant seizure type was focal seizure with or without evolution
      to bilateral convulsive seizure. One third of participants had seizures within
      the first 24h from stroke onset and half of all seizures occurred within the
      first 30days. On multivariate analysis, moderate and severe disability following
      stroke was associated with increased risk of incident seizure. CONCLUSIONS:
      Seizures occurred in approximately 5% of subjects after an ischemic stroke. One
      third of these seizures occurred in the first 24h after stroke and none followed
      lacunar strokes. Focal seizures with or without evolution in bilateral convulsive
      seizures were the most common seizure type. Moderate and severe disability was
      predictive of incident seizures.

PMID- 28364692
TI  - The effect of three angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors on kynurenic acid
      production in rat kidney in vitro.
AB  - BACKGROUND: The renin-angiotensin system (RAS) is commonly known to regulate
      blood pressure, water and electrolyte homeostasis, however it also exerts
      paracrine and autocrine actions on the kidney. Angiotensin-converting enzyme
      inhibitors (ACE-Is), alongside their hypotensive properties, have been shown to
      decrease kidney function decline in animal models of nephropathy. Glutamate (GLU)
      is the main stimulatory neurotransmitter in the central nervous system, however
      its importance in the periphery should also be considered. Activation of renal
      GLU receptors has been linked to normal kidney function and also renal injury.
      The wide spectrum GLU receptor antagonist kynurenic acid (KYNA) possesses
      neuroprotective and central hypotensive effects, however its actions outside the
      brain are less well recognized. KYNA is a tryptophan metabolite synthesized from
      kynurenine by kynurenine aminotransferases (KATs). The purpose of this study was
      to examine the influence of three ACE-Is: lisinopril, perindopril and ramipril on
      KYNA production and KATs activity in rat kidney in vitro. METHODS: The effect of
      ACE-Is on KYNA production and KATs activity was examined in rat kidney
      homogenates. KYNA was detected by high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC)
      and quantified fluorometrically. RESULTS: All examined ACE-Is: lisinopril,
      perindopril and ramipril decreased KYNA production in rat kidney in vitro. KAT I
      activity was decreased by lisinopril and ramipril whereas the activity of KAT II
      was lowered by ramipril. CONCLUSION: Our study shows that ACE-Is can decrease
      KYNA production in rat kidney in vitro. Further studies are required to determine
      the clinical importance of the inhibitory action of ACE-Is on KYNA synthesis in
      the kidney.

PMID- 28364693
TI  - The sigma1 receptor agonist (+)-pentazocine increases store-operated Ca2+ entry
      in MCF7sigma1 and SK-N-SH cell lines.
AB  - BACKGROUND: The intracellular [Ca2+] is modulated by sigma receptors. An
      important component of the cellular machinery governing the intracellular [Ca2+]
      is Store-Operated Calcium Entry (SOCE). Here we want to investigate whether
      ligands of sigma receptors affect SOCE. METHODS: The intracellular [Ca2+] was
      monitored, with the fluorescent Ca2+-sensitive probe Fura-2, in four cell lines
      with a different expression of sigma receptors, namely MCF7 (expressing sigma1
      receptors with a low density and overexpressing sigma2 receptors), MCF7sigma1
      (overexpressing sigma1 receptors), SK-N-SH, and HT-29. RESULTS: When thapsigargin
      was used to deplete intracellular Ca2+ stores, in a Ca2+-free incubation medium,
      the Ca2+ influx (following Ca2+ re-addition) was significantly increased by 1MUM
      (+)-pentazocine (sigma1 receptor agonist) in MCF7sigma1 (by 22.5%) and SK-N-SH
      (by 45.6%), but not in HT-29 and MCF7 cells. We have used, as a second approach,
      the "Mn2+ quenching" protocol. In MCF7sigma1 cells, after thapsigargin treatment,
      the fluorescence quenching induced by Mn2+ influx (evidence of Ca2+ influx) was
      significantly increased (by 25.8%) by 1MUM (+)-pentazocine, significantly
      decreased (by 18.0%) by BD1063 (sigma1 receptor antagonist), and not affected by
      the presence of both ligands. These effects were not observed in MCF7 cells.
      Finally, in MCF7 cells, 1MUM PB28 (sigma2 receptor agonist), did not affect both
      the Ca2+ response after Ca2+ re-addition and the fluorescence quenching induced
      by Mn2+ influx. CONCLUSIONS: We propose that the sigma1 receptor agonist (+)
      pentazocine increases SOCE in MCF7sigma1 and SK-N-SH cell lines. The sigma2
      receptor agonist PB28 does not affect SOCE in MCF7 cells.

PMID- 28364694
TI  - The role of melatonin, neurokinin, neurotrophic tyrosine kinase and
      glucocorticoid receptors in antidepressant-like effect.
AB  - Over the last few decades, depression has become one of the major public health
      problems in our society. This problem is connected not only with morbidity, but
      also with treatment, specifically with the effectiveness of the therapy as well
      as the concomitant side effects of available antidepressants. Major depressive
      disorder is a complex clinical entity, including different molecular mechanisms
      and neurological processes. This complexity is a challenge for scientists seeking
      to discover an innovatory antidepressant drug with multiple and complementary
      mechanisms of action. In this review, we discuss the role of melatonin,
      neurokinin, neurotrophic tyrosine kinase and glucocorticoid receptors in
      depression and antidepressant-like effects.

PMID- 28364695
TI  - The influence of a single and chronic administration of venlafaxine on tramadol
      pharmacokinetics in a rabbit model.
AB  - BACKGROUND: The combined use of tramadol with selective serotonin and
      norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors e.g. venlafaxine may be associated with
      serotonin syndrome. No previous studies exist examining the influence of a weak
      CYP2D6 inhibitor venlafaxine on the pharmacokinetics of tramadol. Therefore, the
      aim of this study was to determine the effect of a single and chronic
      administration of venlafaxine on the pharmacokinetics of tramadol using a rabbit
      model. METHODS: Adult New Zealand white rabbits of both sexes (n=21) were used.
      Animals received 100mg of tramadol per os (one slow release tablet) and 75mg of
      venlafaxine (one prolonged release capsule), and were divided into four groups:
      control group - a single dose of tramadol alone, 1day group - a single dose of
      tramadol and venlafaxine, 7 and 14days groups - seven and fourteen days
      administration of venlafaxine once daily plus a single dose of tramadol on the
      last day of the study. RESULTS: Venlafaxine administration over a period of 7 and
      14days resulted in faster elimination of tramadol compared to the control group:
      significantly higher values of k el, and lower values of t1/2kel and MRT for the
      7 and 14days group were observed. Although no differences in bioavailability of
      tramadol were obtained. CONCLUSION: Using a rabbit model, there is no evidence
      that the combined administration of tramadol and venlafaxine may increase the
      plasma exposure of tramadol and therefore increase the risk of serotonin
      syndrome.

PMID- 28364696
TI  - Differential effects of liver steatosis on pharmacokinetic profile of two closely
      related hepatoselective NO-donors; V-PYRRO/NO and V-PROLI/NO.
AB  - PURPOSE: To analyze the effect of liver steatosis and obesity on pharmacokinetic
      profile of two structurally-related liver-selective NO-donors - V-PYRRO/NO and V
      PROLI/NO. METHODS: C57BL/6 mice were fed control or high-fat diet for 15 weeks to
      induced liver steatosis and obesity (HFD mice). Pharmacokinetics and renal
      elimination studies were conducted in vivo following iv dosing of V-PYRRO/NO and
      V-PROLI/NO (0.03mmol/kg). Hepatic clearance was evaluated ex vivo in the isolated
      perfused mice liver and in vitro with the use of liver microsomes. RESULTS: V
      PYRRO/NO and V-PROLI/NO, despite similar structure, displayed different
      pharmacokinetic properties. V-PYRRO/NO was uptaken and metabolized by the liver,
      while V-PROLI/NO was eliminated unchanged with urine. In HFD mice, despite
      increased CYP450 metabolism of V-PYRRO/NO the elimination rate was slower most
      likely due to the impairment of hepatic microcirculation caused by liver fat
      accumulation. In turn, in HFD mice renal clearence of V-PROLI/NO was accelerated
      and volume of distribution was increased most likely due to additional
      intracellular water in HFD mice. CONCLUSIONS: The pharmacokinetics of V-PROLI/NO,
      the novel proline-based analog of V-PYRRO/NO with additional single carboxylic
      acid moiety, attached to the molecule of V-PYRRO/NO to improve the water
      solubility, was differently affected by liver steatosis and obesity as compared
      with the parent compound V-PYRRO/NO.

PMID- 28364697
TI  - Antidepressant-like effect of 1,2,3,4-tetrahydroisoquinoline and its methyl
      derivative in animal models of depression.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Most of the currently used antidepressant drugs are monoamine-based
      compounds, acting by the inhibition of re-uptake or metabolism of noradrenaline
      (NA) and/or serotonin (5-HT), because these neurotransmitters play a key role in
      the pathophysiology of depression. The aim of this study was to investigate the
      potential antidepressant-like activity of an endogenous amine, 1,2,3,4
      tetrahydroisoquinoline (TIQ) and its close derivative, 1-methyl-1,2,3,4
      tetrahydroisoquinoline (1MeTIQ). METHODS: The experiments were carried out on
      male C57BL6J mice. The antidepressant-like activity of TIQs was evaluated in the
      behavioral tests: the forced swim test (FST) and tail suspension test (TST) and
      neurochemical analysis. TIQ and 1MeTIQ were administrated in three differences
      doses of 10, 25 or 50mg/kg. Imipramine (IMI; 15 or 30mg/kg) was used as a
      reference drug. In the neurochemical ex vivo study, the levels of NA, 5-HT and
      their metabolites, the rate of monoamine metabolism and their neuronal activity
      in different mouse brain structures were determined by HPLC with electrochemical
      detection. RESULTS: The results of this study have demonstrated that TIQ and
      1MeTIQ produced antidepressant-like effect in the FST and TST because they
      significantly decreased the immobility time comparably to IMI. Biochemical data
      have demonstrated that administration of TIQs led to the activation of NA and 5
      HT systems. CONCLUSIONS: The results reported in this paper indicate that TIQ and
      1MeTIQ possess a distinct antidepressant activity. In the light of these
      findings, we suggest that both tested compounds may be effective for the
      depression therapy in a clinical setting with better tolerance of side effects.

PMID- 28364698
TI  - N-Heterocyclic choline analogues based on 1,2,3,4-tetrahydro(iso)quinoline
      scaffold with anticancer and anti-infective dual action.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Pharmacological effects of biologically active "small molecules" can
      be improved by their targeted modification, which affects drug delivery and
      interaction with tumor cells and microorganisms. We aimed to evaluate anticancer
      and antimicrobial activity of lipid-like choline derivatives modified via
      simultaneous introduction of tetrahydro(iso)quinoline based pharmacophore system
      at nitrogen atom and long chain alkyl substituent at oxygen atom. METHODS: Target
      compounds were synthesized under phase-transfer catalysis conditions followed by
      quaternization, and evaluated for cytotoxicity and NO-generation ability on HT
      1080 and MG-22A tumor cell lines and NIH 3T3 normal mouse fibroblasts, and
      screened for antimicrobial activity against gram-positive (Staphylococcus aureus
      and Bacillus cereus) and gram-negative bacteria (Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas
      aeruginosa and Proteus mirabilis) and fungi (Candida albicans and Aspergillus
      niger). Inhibitory action of active compounds towards E. coli DNA gyrase was
      investigated. RESULTS: Target compounds exhibit high selective cytotoxicity
      (LC50<1MUg/mL) and NO-induction ability, and reveal strong antimicrobial activity
      with MIC and MBC/MFC values of 0.5-32MUg/mL, predominantly vs. gram-positive
      bacteria and fungi. Tested substances displayed inhibitory effect towards E. coli
      DNA gyrase, though less than ciprofloxacin. Tetrahydroisoquinoline derivatives
      and compounds possessing substituents with chain length of 10 and 11 carbon atoms
      have highest indices of activities. CONCLUSIONS: Lipid-like N-heterocyclic
      choline analogues based on 1,2,3,4-tetrahydro(iso)quinoline scaffold, possessing
      very high cytotoxicity with attendant strong antimicrobial activity are the leads
      for developing effective dual action therapeutics.

PMID- 28364699
TI  - Deciphering the influence of column chemistry and mass spectrometry settings for
      the analyses of geometrical isomers of L-chicoric acid.
AB  - Resolving the chemo-diversity of plant extract samples is an essential step for
      in-depth analyses of natural products which often exhibit promising biological
      activities. One of the challenges in this endeavor has been the confident
      differentiation of geometrical isomers. In this study, we investigated these
      aspects in chromatography (column chemistry and mobile phase composition) and
      mass spectrometry settings with regards to better differentiation of geometrical
      isomers. A standard of a hydroxycinnamic acid (HCA) derivative, L-chicoric acid
      (L-CA) - a di-acylated caffeoyltartaric acid ester found in a number of plant
      families - was used. Geometrical isomers of L-CA were formed by exposing the
      compound to ultraviolet (UV) radiation, to mimic the natural environment. The
      high performance liquid chromatography photo-diode array (HPLC-PDA) and ultra
      high performance liquid chromatography mass spectrometry (UHPLC-MS) platforms
      were used to analyze the trans and cis geometrical isomers of L-CA. The HPLC-PDA
      results confirmed the generation of two cis geometrical isomers following UV
      exposure of the authentic trans-L-CA standard. Furthermore, the HPLC-PDA analyses
      demonstrated that the changes in both column chemistry (reverse-phase: C18,
      biphenyl, phenyl-hexyl and pentafluorophenyl propyl) and mobile phase composition
      (aqueous acetonitrile and aqueous methanol) affect the chromatographic elution
      profiles of the L-CA isomers. The MS results, on the other hand, revealed
      undisputed fragmentation differences between the geometrical isomers of L-CA.
      Thus, this study demonstrates that the identification of the L-CA isomers can be
      achieved more efficiently and confidently with good chromatography coupled to
      well-optimized mass spectrometry conditions, a requirement which has been proven
      impossible with other types of HCA derivatives. Moreover, differences in the
      binding modes of L-CA geometrical isomers to the HIV type 1 integrase enzyme were
      observed, suggesting a synergistic anti-HIV-1 activity of these isomers.

PMID- 28364700
TI  - Pharmacokinetic study of representative anti-oxidative compounds from Denshen
      Chuanxiong-Honghua following oral administration in rats.
AB  - Almost no pharmacokinetic compounds to date have been precisely linked with the
      activity of their herbal or Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) formula. This
      creates challenges for pharmacokinetic significance and application of the TCM.
      In our study, a sensitive and selective liquid chromatography-tandem mass
      spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) method was developed to quantitatively or qualitatively
      determine multiple-components (tanshinol, ferulic acid, protocatechuic acid,
      rosmarinic acid, salvianolic acid B, baicalin and 9'-methyl lithospermate B) in
      rat plasma following the oral administration of Denshen-Chuanxiong-Honghua (DCH)
      extract (20g/kg). Chromatographic separation was carried out on a 300SB-C18
      column using a gradient elution with a mobile phase composed of acetonitrile
      water (containing 0.1% formic acid) at a flow rate of 1.0mL/min. Determination by
      mass spectrometry (MS) was conducted in multiple reaction monitoring (MRM) mode
      with negative electrospray ionization. The validated method exhibited good
      linearity, with correlation coefficients greater than 0.9949 over a wide
      concentration range, and the lower limits of quantification were 2.09-12.2ng/mL
      for the 5 analytes. This assay was successfully applied to investigate the
      pharmacokinetics of 5 compounds in rat plasma after the oral administration of
      DCH extracts. In addition, the anti-oxidant capacities of the 5 active
      ingredients of DCH extract in vitro and the total absorbed DCH extract in vivo
      were investigated at different concentrations during pharmacokinetic studies.

PMID- 28364701
TI  - Restoring function in major depressive disorder: A systematic review.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Functional impairment contributes to significant disability and
      economic burden in major depressive disorder (MDD). Treatment response is
      measured by improvement in depressive symptoms, but functional improvement often
      lags behind symptomatic improvement. Residual deficits are associated with
      relapse of depressive symptoms. METHODS: A literature search was conducted using
      the following terms: "major depressive disorder," "functional impairment,"
      "functional outcomes," "recovery of function," "treatment outcome," "outcome
      assessment," "social functioning," "presenteeism," "absenteeism," "psychiatric
      status rating scales," and "quality of life." Search limits included publication
      date (January 1, 1995 to August 31, 2016), English language, and human clinical
      trials. Controlled, acute-phase, nonrecurrent MDD treatment studies in adults
      were included if a functional outcome was measured at baseline and endpoint.
      RESULTS: The qualitative analysis included 35 controlled studies. The Sheehan
      Disability Scale was the most commonly used functional assessment. Antidepressant
      treatments significantly improved functional outcomes. Early treatment response
      predicted functional improvement, while baseline disease severity did not.
      LIMITATIONS: Clinical studies utilized various methodologies and assessments for
      functional impairment, and were not standardized or adequately powered.
      CONCLUSIONS: The lack of synchronicity between symptomatic and functional
      improvement highlights an unmet need for MDD. Treatment guided by routine
      monitoring of symptoms and functionality may minimize residual functional
      impairments.

PMID- 28364702
TI  - Multiplexed nanoplasmonic biosensor for one-step simultaneous detection of
      Chlamydia trachomatis and Neisseria gonorrhoeae in urine.
AB  - Development of rapid and multiplexed diagnostic tools is a top priority to
      address the current epidemic problem of sexually transmitted diseases. Here we
      introduce a novel nanoplasmonic biosensor for simultaneous detection of the two
      most common bacterial infections: Chlamydia trachomatis and Neisseria
      gonorrhoeae. Our plasmonic microarray is composed of gold nanohole sensor arrays
      that exhibit the extraordinary optical transmission (EOT), providing highly
      sensitive analysis in a label-free configuration. The integration in a
      microfluidic system and the precise immobilization of specific antibodies on the
      individual sensor arrays allow for selective detection and quantification of the
      bacteria in real-time. We achieved outstanding sensitivities for direct
      immunoassay of urine samples, with a limit of detection of 300 colony forming
      units (CFU)/mL for C. trachomatis and 1500CFU/mL for N. gonorrhoeae. The
      multiplexing capability of our biosensor was demonstrated by analyzing different
      urine samples spiked with either C. trachomatis or N. gonorrhoeae, and also
      containing both bacteria. We could successfully detect, identify and quantify the
      levels of the two bacteria in a one-step assay, without the need for DNA
      extraction or amplification techniques. This work opens up new possibilities for
      the implementation of point-of-care biosensors that enable fast, simple and
      efficient diagnosis of sexually transmitted infections.

PMID- 28364703
TI  - A sensitive immunosensor via in situ enzymatically generating efficient quencher
      for electrochemiluminescence of iridium complexes doped SiO2 nanoparticles.
AB  - A sensitive electrochemiluminescent (ECL) sandwich immunosensor was proposed
      herein based on the tris (2-phenylpyridine) iridium [Ir(ppy)3] doped silica
      nanoparticles (SiO2@Ir) with improved ECL emission as signal probes and glucose
      oxidase (GOD)-based in situ enzymatic reaction to generate H2O2 for efficiently
      quenching the ECL emission of SiO2@Ir. Typically, the SiO2@Ir not only increased
      the loading amount of Ir(ppy)3 as ECL indicators with high ECL emission, but also
      improved their water-solubility, which efficiently enhanced the ECL emission.
      Furthermore, by the efficient quench effect of H2O2 from in situ glucose oxidase
      (GOD)-based enzymatic reaction on the ECL emission of SiO2@Ir, a signal-off ECL
      immunsensor could be established for sensitive assay. With N-terminal of the
      prohormone brain natriuretic peptide (BNPT) as a model, the proposed ECL assay
      performed high sensitivity and low detection limit. Importantly, the proposed
      sensitive ECL strategy was not only suitable for the detection of BNPT for acute
      myocardial infarction, but also revealed a new avenue for early diagnosis of
      various diseases via proteins, nucleotide sequence, microRNA and cells.

PMID- 28364704
TI  - A long-lived phosphorescence iridium(III) complex as a switch on-off-on probe for
      live zebrafish monitoring of endogenous sulfide generation.
AB  - In this work, we report a novel iridium(III)-based luminescent switch on-off-on
      probe, for the in vitro and in vivo detection of sulfide ion. The mechanism of
      this platform is based on the effective charge transfer quenching of the
      iridium(III) complex 1 by Fe3+, followed by the restoration of luminescence upon
      the addition of Na2S. The probe, hereinafter referred to as 1-Fe3+, exhibited a
      linear range of detection for Na2S from 0.01 to 1.5mM, with a detection limit of
      2.9MUM at signal-to-noise ratio (S/N) of 3. We also demonstrate the utility of 1
      Fe3+ for cell-based imaging as well as for the detection of enzymatic sulfide
      generation in living zebrafish.

PMID- 28364705
TI  - A simple stripping voltammetric method for the determination of a new anticancer
      prodrug in serum.
AB  - The determination of ethyl [4-oxo-8-(3-chlorophenyl)-4,6,7,8
      tetrahydroimidazo[2,1-c][1,2,4]triazin-3-yl]acetate (ETTA), a new anticancer
      prodrug, using adsorptive stripping voltammetry (AdSV) was described for the
      first time. This method is based on adsorptive/reductive behaviour of ETTA at an
      in situ plated bismuth film electrode (BiFE) as a sensor. A number of
      experimental variables (e.g., a composition and pH of the supporting electrolyte,
      the conditions of bismuth film deposition, an accumulation potential and time,
      the scan rate, etc.) were thoroughly studied in order to achieve a high
      sensitivity. Experimental results under optimized conditions revealed an
      excellent linear correlation between the monitored voltammetric peak current and
      the ETTA concentration in the range of 2-50MUgL-1 following an accumulation time
      of 300s. The limit of detection (LOD) for ETTA following 300s of an accumulation
      time was 0.4MUgL-1. The proposed facile, sensitive and inexpensive method was
      successfully applied to the determination of ETTA in serum. The investigated
      prodrug was extracted from serum using SPE method.

PMID- 28364706
TI  - Biosensor for detection of dissolved chromium in potable water: A review.
AB  - The unprecedented deterioration rate of the environmental quality due to rapid
      urbanization and industrialization causes a severe global health concern to both
      ecosystem and humanity. Heavy metals are ubiquitous in nature and being used
      extensively in industrial processes, the exposure to excessive levels could alter
      the biochemical cycles of living systems. Hence the environmental monitoring
      through rapid and specific detection of heavy metal contamination in potable
      water is of paramount importance. Various standard analytical techniques and
      sensors are used for the detection of heavy metals include spectroscopy and
      chromatographic methods along with electrochemical, optical waveguide and polymer
      based sensors. However, the mentioned techniques lack the point of care
      application as it demands huge capital cost as well as the attention of expert
      personnel for sample preparation and operation. Recent advancements in the
      synergetic interaction among biotechnology and microelectronics have advocated
      the biosensor technology for a wide array of applications due to its
      characteristic features of sensitivity and selectivity. This review paper has
      outlined the overview of chromium toxicity, conventional analytical techniques
      along with a particular emphasis on electrochemical based biosensors for chromium
      detection in potable water. This article emphasized porous silicon as a host
      material for enzyme immobilization and elaborated the working principle,
      mechanism, kinetics of an enzyme-based biosensor for chromium detection. The
      significant characteristics such as pore size, thickness, and porosity make the
      porous silicon suitable for enzyme entrapment. Further, several schemes on porous
      silicon-based immobilized enzyme biosensors for the detection of chromium in
      potable water are proposed.

PMID- 28364707
TI  - Nuclease-free target recycling signal amplification for ultrasensitive
      multiplexing DNA biosensing.
AB  - Ultrasensitive biosensing technologies without gene amplification held great
      promise for direct detection of DNA. Herein we report a novel biosensing method,
      combining target recycling signal-amplification strategy and a homemade
      electrochemical device. Especially, the target recycling was achieved by a strand
      displacement process, no needing the help of any nucleases. In the presence of
      target DNA, the recycling system could be activated to generate a cascade of
      assembly steps with three hairpin DNA segments. Each recycling process were
      accompanied by a disassembly step that the last hairpin DNA segment displaces
      target DNA from the complex at the end of each circulation, freeing targets to
      activate the self-assembly of more trefoil DNA structures. This biosensing method
      could detect target DNA at aM level and can distinguish target DNA from
      interfering DNAs, demonstrating its high sensitivity and high selectivity.
      Importantly, the biosensing method could work well with serum samples.

PMID- 28364708
TI  - Evaluation of buffers toxicity in tobacco cells: Homopiperazine-1,4-bis (2
      ethanesulfonic acid) is a suitable buffer for plant cells studies at low pH.
AB  - Low pH is an important environmental stressor of plant root cells. Understanding
      the mechanisms of stress and tolerance to acidity is critical; however, there is
      no widely accepted pH buffer for studies of plant cells at low pH. Such a buffer
      might also benefit studies of Al toxicity, in which buffering at low pH is also
      important. The challenge is to find a buffer with minimal cellular effects. We
      examined the cytotoxicity and possible metabolic disturbances of four buffers
      that have adequate pKa values and potential use for studies in the pH range of
      4.0-5.0. These were homopipes (homopiperazine-1,4-bis (2-ethanesulfonic acid);
      pKa1 4.4), 3,3-dimethylglutaric acid (pKa1 3.73), beta-alanine (pKa1 3.70) and
      potassium biphthalate (pKa1 2.95; pKa2 5.41). First, tobacco BY-2 cells were
      grown in a rich medium containing 10 mM of each buffer or MES (2-(N-morpholino)
      ethanesulfonic acid) as a control, with the pH initially adjusted to 5.7. beta
      alanine was clearly toxic and dimethylgluturate and biphthalate were found to be
      cytostatic, in which no culture growth occurred but cell viability was either
      unaffected or decreased only after 5 days. Only homopipes allowed normal culture
      growth and cell viability. Homopipes (10 mM) was then tested in cell cultures
      with an initial pH of 4.3 +/- 0.17 in minimal medium to examine whether its
      undissociated species (H2A) displayed any cellular effects and no cytotoxic
      effects were observed. It is possible to conclude that among tested buffers,
      homopipes is the most suitable for studies at low pH, and may be especially
      useful for aluminum toxicity experiments.

PMID- 28364709
TI  - Approaches in modulating proline metabolism in plants for salt and drought stress
      tolerance: Phytohormones, mineral nutrients and transgenics.
AB  - Major abiotic stress factors such as salt and drought adversely affect important
      physiological processes and biochemical mechanisms and cause severe loss in crop
      productivity worldwide. Plants develop various strategies to stand healthy
      against these stress factors. The accumulation of proline (Pro) is one of the
      striking metabolic responses of plants to salt and drought stress. Pro
      biosynthesis and signalling contribute to the redox balance of cell under normal
      and stressful conditions. However, literature is meager on the sustainable
      strategies potentially fit for modulating Pro biosynthesis and production in
      stressed plants. Considering the recent literature, this paper in its first part
      overviews Pro biosynthesis and transport in plants and also briefly highlights
      the significance of Pro in plant responses to salt and drought stress. Secondly,
      this paper discusses mechanisms underlying the regulation of Pro metabolism in
      salt and drought-exposed plant via phytohormones, mineral nutrients and
      transgenic approaches. The outcome of the studies may give new opportunities in
      modulating Pro metabolism for improving plant tolerance to salt and drought
      stress and benefit sustainable agriculture.

PMID- 28364710
TI  - Aluminum induced physiological and proteomic responses in tea (Camellia sinensis)
      roots and leaves.
AB  - Tea (Camellia sinensis (L.) O. Kuntze), is an aluminum (Al) hyperaccumulator and
      grows well in acid soils. Although Al-induced growth of tea plant has been
      studied, the proteomic profiles of tea plants in response to Al are unclear. In
      the present study, the proteomic profiles in tea roots and leaves under Al stress
      were investigated using iTRAQ proteomics approach. In total, 755 and 1059
      differentially expressed proteins were identified in tea roots and leaves,
      respectively. KEGG enrichment analysis showed that the differentially expressed
      proteins in roots were mainly involved in 11 pathways whereas those from leaves
      were mainly involved in 9 pathways. Abundance of most protein functions in
      glycolytic metabolism were enhanced in tea roots, and proteins involved in
      photosynthesis were stimulated in tea leaves. The protein ferulate-5-hydroxylase
      (F5H) in lignin biosynthetic pathway was down-regulated in both roots and leaves.
      Furthermore, antioxidant enzymes (ascorbate peroxidase, catalase and glutathione
      S-transferase) and citrate synthesis were accumulated in tea roots in response to
      Al. The results indicated that active photosynthesis and glycolysis as well as
      increased activities of antioxidant enzymes can be considered as a possible
      reason for the stimulatory effects of Al on the growth of tea plants.
      Additionally, the down-regulation of F5H and the binding of Al and phenolic acids
      may reduce the accumulation of lignin.

PMID- 28364712
TI  - Economic growth, CO2 emissions, renewable waste and FDI relation in Pakistan: New
      evidences from 3SLS.
AB  - First attempt has been made to find the effects of foreign direct investment on
      environmental pollution and economic growth, in addition to finding the
      determinants of foreign direct investment inflows in Pakistan using the annual
      data set for the period of 1980-2014. Simultaneous equation model has been used
      to find relation between the variables of concern. Results from technique and
      composition effects show that increase in economic growth leads towards more
      pollution emissions. Scale effect shows stock of capital and labor have positive
      effect on the economic growth of Pakistan while pollution has negative effect on
      growth. In case of capital accumulation effect, economic growth and foreign
      direct investment have positive and significant effect on stock of capital.
      Although increase in economic growth increases pollution, however, economic
      growth declines as pollution crosses a certain limit. Foreign direct investment
      is also found positively related with pollution.

PMID- 28364711
TI  - Distribution of natural and anthropogenic radionuclides in northwest
      Mediterranean coastal sediments.
AB  - The distribution of radionuclides in NW Mediterranean coastal sediments, and the
      processes controlling their abundance were investigated in three cores taken near
      the island of Porquerolles and one offshore Monaco. The sediments collected near
      Porquerolles were strongly anoxic due to diagenetic processes involved in the
      decomposition of organic matter, whereas they transitioned from oxic to anoxic at
      a depth of 4 cm beneath the seawater interface at Monaco. Organic carbon (OC) was
      more abundant in sediments at Porquerolles (by about a factor of 3-5) than at
      Monaco and elsewhere in the coastal NW Mediterranean. Sediment cores collected NE
      of Porquerolles also possessed elevated uranium concentrations that correlated
      with high OC content and strong reducing conditions. The 239,240Pu and 241Am
      activities in surficial sediments ranged from 1 to 5.7 Bq kg-1 and 0.3 to 1 Bq kg
      1, respectively, while the 137Cs activity ranged from 0.3 to 6.2 Bq kg-1. The
      mean activity ratios of 241Am/239,240Pu and 238Pu/239,240Pu in Porquerolles and
      Monaco sediments were similar to the global fallout ratios. Sediment inventories
      of global fallout 239,240Pu (430-800 Bq m-2) and 241Am (150-285 Bq m-2) were by
      about a factor of 5-10 higher at Porquerolles, whereas the inventory of 137Cs
      (430-1000 Bq m-2) was substantially lower at the investigated stations than have
      been reported elsewhere at similar latitudes. Specific local conditions
      characterised by high OC sediment loads due to the growth and mortality of
      Posidonia oceanica have been responsible for deposition of large amounts of
      seagrass tissues at the NE corner of Porquerolles, which have had a profound
      effect on the distribution of radionuclides in the sediments.

PMID- 28364713
TI  - Variations in judgments of intentional action and moral evaluation across eight
      cultures.
AB  - Individuals tend to judge bad side effects as more intentional than good side
      effects (the Knobe or side-effect effect). Here, we assessed how widespread these
      findings are by testing eleven adult cohorts of eight highly contrasted cultures
      on their attributions of intentional action as well as ratings of blame and
      praise. We found limited generalizability of the original side-effect effect, and
      even a reversal of the effect in two rural, traditional cultures (Samoa and
      Vanuatu) where participants were more likely to judge the good side effect as
      intentional. Three follow-up experiments indicate that this reversal of the side
      effect effect is not due to semantics and may be linked to the perception of the
      status of the protagonist. These results highlight the importance of factoring
      cultural context in our understanding of moral cognition.

PMID- 28364715
TI  - A novel method for the quantitative determination of defects on graphene
      surfaces.
AB  - In this work, a novel method for the quantitative determination of defects on
      graphene surfaces has been presented in order to provide accurate, reliable and
      quantitative information for the defects on graphene products. It was based on
      the selective adsorption of a specific polar organic ion (Sodium
      benzenesulfonate) on the edges and defects on graphene surfaces, and the atomic
      force microscopy (AFM) imaging of the adsorption. By means of an image processing
      software, the AFM images could be analyzed and the areas as well as area
      percentages of the defects on the graphene surfaces could be determined.

PMID- 28364714
TI  - Enhancing the colloidal stability of detonation synthesized diamond particles in
      aqueous solutions by adsorbing organic mono-, bi- and tridentate molecules.
AB  - Colloidal stability of nanoparticles with particle sizes smaller than 100nm is a
      critical issue for various research areas, including material science,
      electronics and biomedicine. We propose a facile, fast and cost-efficient method
      to increase the colloidal stability by simply adding organic molecules as
      ligands, which adsorb to the nanoparticle surface subsequently. Citric acid,
      oxalic acid, glutamic acid and propylamine were found to stabilize the
      nanodiamond (ND) particles with a mean diameter of approx. 30-100nm. The charge
      of the particles could be controlled by the pH of the dispersions and by
      stabilizing with carboxylic acids or amino acids mentioned above. ND particles
      stabilized with citric acid and oxalic acid at a pH higher than 2.5 were
      negatively charged, while ND dispersions stabilized with glutamic acid were
      charged positively below a pH of 3.2. Furthermore, the stability of the
      dispersion was found to be dependent on the concentration of the stabilizing
      agent and the pH of the dispersion. Finally, we proposed the stabilizing
      mechanism of ND particles with propylamine. Glutamic acid and propylamine
      stabilized ND dispersions can be utilized for high seeding densities on
      negatively charged surfaces due to the amino-groups, which can be helpful for
      adsorption processes in electronics and material science. Due to the high
      biocompatibility, non-cytotoxicity and chemical inertness of ND particles,
      carboxylic acids and amino acids stabilized ND particles are envisaged to be
      useful in the biomedical field, i.e. bio-labels, drug delivery vehicles, and
      effective enterosorbent.

PMID- 28364716
TI  - Highly sensitive gold-decorated zinc oxide nanorods sensor for triethylamine
      working at near room temperature.
AB  - There is an increasing worldwide demand for chemiresistive sensors for specific
      gas working at low temperature, in particular for standalone and mobile systems,
      which call for small and low power devices. In this paper, we successfully
      assemble highly sensitive triethylamine (TEA) gas sensors working at near-room
      temperature with gold (Au)-decorated ZnO nanorods. ZnO nanorods grow directly on
      flat Al2O3 ceramic electrodes by a cost-effective hydrothermal method and Au
      nanoparticles are deposited onto ZnO nanorods by DC-sputtering. Au-loaded ZnO
      (Au/ZnO) nanorods sensor at working temperature of 40 degrees C and relative
      humidity of 30% exhibits high response (22-50ppm TEA), low detection
      concentration (~1ppm), and short response/recovery time (11s/15s), which are all
      much better than the pristine ZnO nanorods sensor. When the relative humidity
      increases, the sensor response decreases due to the water molecules adsorption.
      Moreover, the enhanced sensing properties of the Au/ZnO sensors are discussed in
      detail with the semiconductor depletion layer model introduced by the Au/ZnO
      Schottky contact and the catalytic effect of noble gold nanoparticles.

PMID- 28364717
TI  - Investigating the size effect of Au nanospheres on the photocatalytic activity of
      Au-modified ZnO nanorods.
AB  - Plasmonic nanostructures of semiconductors and noble metal nanospheres (NSs) hold
      great promise in the applications of solar energy conversion. Although it is
      known that the size of NSs plays a critical role in determining the
      photocatalytic performance of the resultant nanohybrids, the actual effects
      depend on multiple variables and needs to be elucidated for each specific
      scenario. Herein, ZnO nanorods (NRs) modified with AuNSs of diameters varying
      from 20 to 80nm have been prepared to investigate the size effect of AuNSs on the
      photocatalytic activity of Au-ZnO hybrids. Interestingly, the Au-ZnONRs with 40
      nm AuNSs demonstrate higher photocatalytic activity than the nanohybrids with
      AuNSs of either smaller or larger sizes. A possible "trade-off" mechanism between
      efficient charge transfer for smaller NSs and stronger LSPR effect for larger
      ones is proposed.

PMID- 28364718
TI  - Determination of 4-nitrophenol in water by use of a screen-printed carbon
      electrode modified with chitosan-crafted ZnO nanoneedles.
AB  - The toxicity and environmental pollution by nitro aromatic compounds in water
      samples is the most recognized problem in worldwide. Hence, we have developed a
      simple and highly sensitive electrochemical method for the determination of 4
      nitrophenol (4-NP) in water samples based on a chitosan (CHT) crafted zinc oxide
      nanoneedles (ZnO NDs) modified screen printed carbon electrode. The CHT/ZnO NDs
      were characterized by Field emission scanning electron microscope, Fourier
      transform infrared spectroscopy and X-ray diffraction technique. The CHT/ZnO NDs
      modified electrode showed an enhanced electrocatalytic activity and lower
      potential detection towards 4-NP, compared with other modified electrodes. Under
      optimum conditions, the differential pulse voltammetry (DPV) response of CHT/ZnO
      NDs modified electrode displayed a wide linear response range from 0.5 to
      400.6MUM towards the detection of 4-NP with a detection limit (LOD) of 0.23MUM.
      The CHT/ZnO NDs modified electrode was used for specific and sensitive detection
      of 4-NP in presence of possible interfering species and common metal ions with
      long-term stability. In addition, the excellent analytical performance of the
      proposed sensor was successfully applied for determination of 4-NP in water
      samples.

PMID- 28364719
TI  - Biosynthesis and application of Ag/bone nanocomposite for the hydration of
      cyanamides in Myrica gale L. extract as a green solvent.
AB  - This study focuses on the green synthesis of the Ag/bone nanocomposite by using
      Myrica gale L. aqueous extract as a reducing and stabilizing agent and
      investigation of its catalytic activity in the hydration of cyanamides under
      environmentally benign reaction conditions in aqueous extract as a green solvent
      without use of toxic and hazardous chemicals. The green synthesized Ag/bone
      nanocomposite was characterized by various analytical techniques such as X-ray
      diffraction analysis (XRD), field emission scanning electron microscope (FESEM),
      transmission electron microscopy (TEM) images, energy-dispersive X-ray
      spectroscopy (EDS), elemental mapping, and FT-IR spectroscopy. The advantages of
      this system include the use of green catalyst, benign reaction conditions without
      use of expensive and hazardous materials, easy work up, reusability of the
      catalyst and excellent yield of the products. The Ag/bone nanocomposite can be
      recovered and recycled several times without significant loss of activity.

PMID- 28364721
TI  - Effects of environmental temperature on oviposition behavior in three blow fly
      species of forensic importance.
AB  - A number of factors are known to affect blow fly behavior with respect to
      oviposition. Current research indicates that temperature is the most significant
      factor. However temperature thresholds for oviposition in forensically important
      blow flies have not been well studied. Here, the oviposition behavior of three
      species of forensically important blow fly species (Calliphora vicina, Calliphora
      vomitoria and Lucilia sericata,) was studied under controlled laboratory
      conditions over a range of temperatures (10-40 degrees C). Lower temperature
      thresholds for oviposition of 16 degrees C and 17.5 degrees C were established
      for C. vomitoria and L. sericata respectively, whilst C. vicina continued to lay
      eggs at 10 degrees C. C. vomitoria and L. sericata both continued to lay eggs at
      40 degrees C, whilst the highest temperature at which oviposition occurred in C.
      vicina was 35 degrees C. Within these thresholds there was considerable variation
      in the number of surviving pupae, with a general pattern of a single peak within
      the range of temperatures at which eggs were laid, but with the pattern being
      much less distinct for L. sericata.

PMID- 28364720
TI  - Metal oxide surfaces for enhanced colorimetric response in bioassays.
AB  - Physical stability of metal nanoparticle films on planar surfaces can be
      increased by employing surface modification techniques and/or type of metal
      nanoparticles. Subsequently, the enzymatic response of colorimetric bioassays can
      be increased for improved dynamic range for the detection of biomolecules. Using
      a model bioassay b-BSA, three planar platforms (1) poly (methyl methacrylate)
      (PMMA) with silver thin films (STFs), (2) silver nanowires (Ag NWs) on paper and
      (3) indium tin oxide (ITO) on polyethylene terephthalate (PET) were evaluated to
      investigate the extent of increase in the colorimetric signal. Bioassays for b
      BSA and Ki-67 antigen (a real-life bioassay) in buffer were performed using
      microwave heating (total assay time is 25-30min) and at room temperature (a
      control experiment, total assay time is 3h). Model bioassays showed that STFs
      were removed from the surface during washing steps and the extent of ITO remained
      unchanged. The lowest level of detection (LLOD) for b-BSA bioassays were: 10-10M
      for 10nm STFs on PMMA and Ag NWs on paper and 10-11M for ITO. Bioassays for Ki-67
      antigen yielded a LLOD of <10-9M on ITO platforms, while STFs platforms were
      deemed unusable due to significant loss of STFs from the surfaces.

PMID- 28364722
TI  - Examining Authenticity: An Initial Exploration of the Suitability of Handwritten
      Electronic Signatures.
AB  - Considering the increasing relevance of handwritten electronically captured
      signatures, we evaluated the ability of forensic handwriting examiners (FHEs) to
      distinguish between authentic and simulated electronic signatures. Sixty-six
      professional FHEs examined the authenticity of electronic signatures captured
      with software by signotec on a smartphone Galaxy Note 4 by Samsung and signatures
      made with a ballpoint pen on paper (conventional signatures). In addition, we
      experimentally varied the name ("J. Konig" vs. "A. Zaiser") and the status
      (authentic vs. simulated) of the signatures in question. FHEs' conclusions about
      the authenticity did not show a statistically significant general difference
      between electronic and conventional signatures. Furthermore, no significant
      discrepancies between electronic and conventional signatures were found with
      regard to other important aspects of the authenticity examination such as
      questioned signatures' graphic information content, the suitability of the
      provided sample signatures, the necessity of further examinations and the levels
      of difficulty of the cases under examination. Thus, this study did not reveal any
      indications that electronic signatures captured with software by signotec on a
      Galaxy Note 4 are less well suited than conventional signatures for the
      examination of authenticity, precluding potential technical problems concerning
      the integrity of electronic signatures.

PMID- 28364723
TI  - Tumefactive demyelination associated with developmental venous anomaly: Report of
      two cases.
AB  - We present two cases of tumefactive demyelination (TD) occurring in close
      association with a developmental venous anomaly (DVA). Our purpose is to describe
      the association between demyelinating lesions and venous anomalies, as only one
      case of TD associated with a DVA has been published in the literature.
      Appropriate recognition of this "do not touch" lesion may avoid invasive and
      potentially harmful procedures such as biopsy or resection.

PMID- 28364724
TI  - Magnetic resonance imaging characteristics of granulomatous mastitis.
AB  - Granulomatous mastitis (GM) is a benign chronic inflammatory condition of the
      breast. This study was performed to determine the utility of magnetic resonance
      imaging (MRI) in differentiating GM from malignancy. MRI findings in 12 women
      with clinical or histopathologically-proven GM were retrospectively reviewed. Non
      mass enhancement on MRI was present in all 12 patients with clustered ring
      enhancement being the most common pattern (n=7, 58%). Architectural distortion
      (n=10, 83%), skin thickening (n=10, 83%) and focal skin enhancement (n=10, 83%)
      were also very common. MRI features of GM are often identical to features
      considered suspicious for malignancy on MRI.

PMID- 28364725
TI  - Iron assimilation and utilization in anaerobic ammonium oxidizing bacteria.
AB  - The most abundant transition metal in biological systems is iron. It is
      incorporated into protein cofactors and serves either catalytic, redox or
      regulatory purposes. Anaerobic ammonium oxidizing (anammox) bacteria rely heavily
      on iron-containing proteins - especially cytochromes - for their energy
      conservation, which occurs within a unique organelle, the anammoxosome. Both
      their anaerobic lifestyle and the presence of an additional cellular compartment
      challenge our understanding of iron processing. Here, we combine existing
      concepts of iron uptake, utilization and metabolism, and cellular fate with
      genomic and still limited biochemical and physiological data on anammox bacteria
      to propose pathways these bacteria may employ.

PMID- 28364726
TI  - Long-term clinical outcomes and economic evaluation of the ketogenic diet versus
      care as usual in children and adolescents with intractable epilepsy.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: To examine long-term retention rate, clinical outcomes, cost-utility
      and cost-effectiveness of the Ketogenic Diet (KD) compared with care as usual
      (CAU) in children and adolescents with intractable epilepsy from a societal
      perspective. METHODS: Participants were randomized into a KD or CAU group.
      Seizure frequency, quality adjusted life years (QALYs), side-effects, seizure
      severity, health care costs, production losses, patient and family costs were
      assessed at baseline and during 16-months of follow-up. Incremental cost
      effectiveness ratios (ICERs) (i.e. cost per QALY and cost per responder) and cost
      effectiveness acceptability curves are presented. RESULTS: 48 children were
      included in the analyses of this study (26 from KD group). In total, 58% of the
      KD group completed the follow-up of 16 months; 11 dropped-out for various
      reasons. At 16 months, 35% of the KD participants had a seizure reduction>=50%
      from baseline, compared with 18% of the CAU participants. Mean costs per patient
      in the CAU group were ?53,367 (extrapolated) compared to ?61,019 per patient in
      the KD group, resulting in an ICER of ?46,564 per responder. Cost per QALY rose
      well above any acceptable ceiling ratio. At 4-months' follow-up, the KD group
      showed significantly more gastro-intestinal problems compared to the CAU group.
      At 16 months, the KD group reported fewer problems compared to CAU. Furthermore,
      46.2% of the KD group reported a decrease in severity of their worst seizure
      compared to 32% of the CAU group. CONCLUSION: The KD group resulted in more
      responders and showed greater improvement on seizure severity. Furthermore, the
      KD did not lead to worsening of side-effects other than gastro-intestinal
      problems (only at 4 months' follow-up). However, as only a minimal difference in
      QALYs was found between the KD group and the CAU group, the resulting cost per
      QALY ratios were inconclusive.

PMID- 28364728
TI  - Microbial ecology of fermentative hydrogen producing bioprocesses: useful
      insights for driving the ecosystem function.
AB  - One of the most important biotechnological challenges is to develop environment
      friendly technologies to produce new sources of energy. Microbial production of
      biohydrogen through dark fermentation, by conversion of residual biomass, is an
      attractive solution for short-term development of bioH2 producing processes.
      Efficient biohydrogen production relies on complex mixed communities working in
      tight interaction. Species composition and functional traits are of crucial
      importance to maintain the ecosystem service. The analysis of microbial community
      revealed a wide phylogenetic diversity that contributes in different-and still
      mostly unclear-ways to hydrogen production. Bridging this gap of knowledge
      between microbial ecology features and ecosystem functionality is essential to
      optimize the bioprocess and develop strategies toward a maximization of the
      efficiency and stability of substrate conversion. The aim of this review is to
      provide a comprehensive overview of the most up-to-date biodata available and
      discuss the main microbial community features of biohydrogen engineered
      ecosystems, with a special emphasis on the crucial role of interactions and the
      relationships between species composition and ecosystem service. The elucidation
      of intricate relationships between community structure and ecosystem function
      would make possible to drive ecosystems toward an improved functionality on the
      basis of microbial ecology principles.

PMID- 28364727
TI  - Hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis genetic variation and early stress moderates
      amygdala function.
AB  - Early life stress may precipitate psychopathology, at least in part, by
      influencing amygdala function. Converging evidence across species suggests that
      links between childhood stress and amygdala function may be dependent upon
      hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis function. Using data from college
      attending non-Hispanic European-Americans (n=308) who completed the Duke
      Neurogenetics Study, we examined whether early life stress (ELS) and HPA axis
      genetic variation interact to predict threat-related amygdala function as well as
      psychopathology symptoms. A biologically-informed multilocus profile score
      (BIMPS) captured HPA axis genetic variation (FKBP5 rs1360780, CRHR1 rs110402;
      NR3C2 rs5522/rs4635799) previously associated with its function (higher BIMPS are
      reflective of higher HPA axis activity). BOLD fMRI data were acquired while
      participants completed an emotional face matching task. ELS and depression and
      anxiety symptoms were measured using the childhood trauma questionnaire and the
      mood and anxiety symptom questionnaire, respectively. The interaction between HPA
      axis BIMPS and ELS was associated with right amygdala reactivity to threat
      related stimuli, after accounting for multiple testing (empirical-p=0.016). Among
      individuals with higher BIMPS (i.e., the upper 21.4%), ELS was positively coupled
      with threat-related amygdala reactivity, which was absent among those with
      average or low BIMPS. Further, higher BIMPS were associated with greater self
      reported anxious arousal, though there was no evidence that amygdala function
      mediated this relationship. Polygenic variation linked to HPA axis function may
      moderate the effects of early life stress on threat-related amygdala function and
      confer risk for anxiety symptomatology. However, what, if any, neural mechanisms
      may mediate the relationship between HPA axis BIMPS and anxiety symptomatology
      remains unclear.

PMID- 28364732
TI  - Effects of antibiotic concentration and nutrient medium composition on
      Escherichia coli biofilm formation and green fluorescent protein expression.
AB  - Recombinant protein production processes have to maximise yield while minimising
      cost, which involves balancing plasmid maintenance with cell growth and protein
      expression. The aim of this study was to analyse the influence of two factors on
      heterologous protein production in Escherichia coli biofilm cells-the
      concentration of antibiotic used to maintain the selective pressure and the
      nutrient medium composition. Escherichia coli JM109(DE3) cells transformed with
      plasmid pFM23 for enhanced green fluorescent protein (eGFP) expression and
      containing a kanamycin resistance gene were used. They were exposed to 20 or 30
      MUg mL-1 kanamycin during biofilm growth in two different culture media, a
      diluted medium (DM) or the lysogeny broth (LB). The higher antibiotic
      concentration increased the specific eGFP production in planktonic cells, whereas
      no increase was detected in biofilm cells. Biofilm formation was increased in DM
      when compared to LB. Nevertheless, bacteria grown in LB had higher eGFP
      production than those grown in DM in both planktonic and sessile states (20-fold
      and 2-fold, respectively). Therefore, among the conditions tested, LB
      supplemented with 20 MUg mL-1 kanamycin was the most advantageous medium to
      obtain the highest specific eGFP production in biofilm cells.

PMID- 28364731
TI  - Clonal diversity of extended-spectrum beta-lactamase producing Escherichia coli
      isolates in fecal samples of wild animals.
AB  - The clonal diversity of extended-spectrum-beta-lactamase (ESBL)-producing
      Escherichia coli isolates from nine different species of wild animals from
      distinct regions of Portugal and Spain and their content in replicon plasmids
      were analyzed. Among the initial 53 ESBL-producing E. coli isolates that were
      studied (from previous studies), 28 were selected, corresponding to different
      animal origins with distinct ESBL types and pulsed-field gel electrophoresis
      (PFGE) patterns. These 28 isolates produced different ESBLs ascribed to the
      following families: CTX-M, SHV and TEM. The isolates were classified into three
      phylogenetic groups: B1 (n = 11), A (n = 10) and D (n = 7). The seven E. coli of
      phylogroup D were then typed by multilocus sequence typing and ascribed to four
      distinct sequence types: ST117, ST115, ST2001 and ST69. The clonal diversity and
      relationship between isolates was studied by PFGE. Lastly, the plasmids were
      analyzed according to their incompatibility group using the PCR-based-replicon
      typing scheme. A great diversity of replicon types was identified, with up to
      five per isolate. Most of the CTX-M-1 and SHV-12 producing E. coli isolates
      carried IncI1 or IncN replicons. The diversity of ESBL-producing E. coli isolates
      in wild animals, which can be disseminated in the environment, emphasizes the
      environmental and health problems that we face nowadays.

PMID- 28364730
TI  - Genetics and evolution of Yersinia pseudotuberculosis O-specific polysaccharides:
      a novel pattern of O-antigen diversity.
AB  - O-antigen polysaccharide is a major immunogenic feature of the lipopolysaccharide
      of Gram-negative bacteria, and most species produce a large variety of forms that
      differ substantially from one another. There are 18 known O-antigen forms in the
      Yersinia pseudotuberculosis complex, which are typical in being composed of
      multiple copies of a short oligosaccharide called an O unit. The O-antigen gene
      clusters are located between the hemH and gsk genes, and are atypical as 15 of
      them are closely related, each having one of five downstream gene modules for
      alternative main-chain synthesis, and one of seven upstream modules for
      alternative side-branch sugar synthesis. As a result, many of the genes are in
      more than one gene cluster. The gene order in each module is such that, in
      general, the earlier a gene product functions in O-unit synthesis, the closer the
      gene is to the 5? end for side-branch modules or the 3? end for main-chain
      modules. We propose a model whereby natural selection could generate the observed
      pattern in gene order, a pattern that has also been observed in other species.

PMID- 28364733
TI  - Editorial: Why microbiologists are not barophiles.

PMID- 28364729
TI  - Intestinal microbiome landscaping: insight in community assemblage and
      implications for microbial modulation strategies.
AB  - High individuality, large complexity and limited understanding of the mechanisms
      underlying human intestinal microbiome function remain the major challenges for
      designing beneficial modulation strategies. Exemplified by the analysis of
      intestinal bacteria in a thousand Western adults, we discuss key concepts of the
      human intestinal microbiome landscape, i.e. the compositional and functional
      'core', the presence of community types and the existence of alternative stable
      states. Genomic investigation of core taxa revealed functional redundancy, which
      is expected to stabilize the ecosystem, as well as taxa with specialized
      functions that have the potential to shape the microbiome landscape. The contrast
      between Prevotella- and Bacteroides-dominated systems has been well described.
      However, less known is the effect of not so abundant bacteria, for example,
      Dialister spp. that have been proposed to exhibit distinct bistable dynamics.
      Studies employing time-series analysis have highlighted the dynamical variation
      in the microbiome landscape with and without the effect of defined perturbations,
      such as the use of antibiotics or dietary changes. We incorporate ecosystem-level
      observations of the human intestinal microbiota and its keystone species to
      suggest avenues for designing microbiome modulation strategies to improve host
      health.

PMID- 28364734
TI  - Editorial: Stewardship-in praise of thankless tasks and the respecting of
      Wombles.

PMID- 28364735
TI  - CrAgDb-a database of annotated chaperone repertoire in archaeal genomes.

PMID- 28364736
TI  - Bleeding Complications and Management on anticoagulant therapy.
AB  - Patients treated with anticoagulants have an unavoidable risk of bleeding
      complications. There are, for all oral anticoagulants, several potential options
      for management of major bleeding. The first action is to assess the causative
      role of the anticoagulant in the current bleeding. Supportive measures have been
      assessed in several post hoc analyses of the phase III pivotal trials with the
      non-vitamin K antagonist oral anticoagulants (NOACs). Those results will be
      reviewed here together with emerging data on the efficacy and safety of the
      specific antidotes idarucizumab (for dabigatran) and andexanet-alpha (for factor
      Xa inhibitors). Regular or activated prothrombin complex concentrates are also
      evaluated and might have a role as alternatives for management of NOAC-associated
      major bleeding if the "specific" antidote is not available. Once hemostasis has
      been achieved, it is imperative to assess the possibility and timing of
      resumption of anticoagulation, as these patients have an inherent prothrombotic
      state and a non-negligible proportion of patients will have thromboembolic
      complications during the first month after the hemorrhage. Many factors will have
      to be taken into account for this decision and unfortunately the guidelines in
      this respect are very weak if at all available. This review will hopefully
      provide some assistance in the management of major bleeding and posthemorrhage
      care.

PMID- 28364737
TI  - Viscoelastic Testing in Trauma.
AB  - Traumatic-induced coagulopathy (TIC) is a complex condition which develops both
      as a response to trauma as well as to clinical care interventions. Accurate and
      timely diagnostics are necessary to enable therapy aimed at correction of TIC.
      Viscoelastic hemostatic assays (VHA) are increasingly recognized for their
      potential to diagnose TIC as well as for guidance of treatment. This narrative
      review focuses on the evidence of the use of VHAs to diagnose TIC, to monitor
      efficacy of treatment of TIC during bleeding and to prognosticate outcome.
      Pitfalls of the use of VHA are also discussed.

PMID- 28364738
TI  - Introduction to Focus Issue: Complex network perspectives on flow systems.
AB  - During the last few years, complex network approaches have demonstrated their
      great potentials as versatile tools for exploring the structural as well as
      dynamical properties of dynamical systems from a variety of different fields.
      Among others, recent successful examples include (i) functional (correlation)
      network approaches to infer hidden statistical interrelationships between
      macroscopic regions of the human brain or the Earth's climate system, (ii)
      Lagrangian flow networks allowing to trace dynamically relevant fluid-flow
      structures in atmosphere, ocean or, more general, the phase space of complex
      systems, and (iii) time series networks unveiling fundamental organization
      principles of dynamical systems. In this spirit, complex network approaches have
      proven useful for data-driven learning of dynamical processes (like those acting
      within and between sub-components of the Earth's climate system) that are hidden
      to other analysis techniques. This Focus Issue presents a collection of
      contributions addressing the description of flows and associated transport
      processes from the network point of view and its relationship to other approaches
      which deal with fluid transport and mixing and/or use complex network techniques.

PMID- 28364739
TI  - Numerical proof for chemostat chaos of Shilnikov's type.
AB  - A classical chemostat model is considered that models the cycling of one
      essential abiotic element or nutrient through a food chain of three trophic
      levels. The long-time behavior of the model was known to exhibit complex dynamics
      more than 20 years ago. It is still an open problem to prove the existence of
      chaos analytically. In this paper, we aim to solve the problem numerically. In
      our approach, we introduce an artificial singular parameter to the model and
      construct singular homoclinic orbits of the saddle-focus type which is known for
      chaos generation. From the configuration of the nullclines of the equations that
      generates the singular homoclinic orbits, a shooting algorithm is devised to find
      such Shilnikov saddle-focus homoclinic orbits numerically which in turn imply the
      existence of chaotic dynamics for the original chemostat model.

PMID- 28364740
TI  - Noise-constrained switching times for heteroclinic computing.
AB  - Heteroclinic computing offers a novel paradigm for universal computation by
      collective system dynamics. In such a paradigm, input signals are encoded as
      complex periodic orbits approaching specific sequences of saddle states. Without
      inputs, the relevant states together with the heteroclinic connections between
      them form a network of states-the heteroclinic network. Systems of pulse-coupled
      oscillators or spiking neurons naturally exhibit such heteroclinic networks of
      saddles, thereby providing a substrate for general analog computations. Several
      challenges need to be resolved before it becomes possible to effectively realize
      heteroclinic computing in hardware. The time scales on which computations are
      performed crucially depend on the switching times between saddles, which in turn
      are jointly controlled by the system's intrinsic dynamics and the level of
      external and measurement noise. The nonlinear dynamics of pulse-coupled systems
      often strongly deviate from that of time-continuously coupled (e.g., phase
      coupled) systems. The factors impacting switching times in pulse-coupled systems
      are still not well understood. Here we systematically investigate switching times
      in dependence of the levels of noise and intrinsic dissipation in the system. We
      specifically reveal how local responses to pulses coact with external noise. Our
      findings confirm that, like in time-continuous phase-coupled systems, piecewise
      continuous pulse-coupled systems exhibit switching times that transiently
      increase exponentially with the number of switches up to some order of magnitude
      set by the noise level. Complementarily, we show that switching times may
      constitute a good predictor for the computation reliability, indicating how often
      an input signal must be reiterated. By characterizing switching times between two
      saddles in conjunction with the reliability of a computation, our results provide
      a first step beyond the coding of input signal identities toward a complementary
      coding for the intensity of those signals. The results offer insights on how
      future heteroclinic computing systems may operate under natural, and thus noisy,
      conditions.

PMID- 28364741
TI  - Multiplex multivariate recurrence network from multi-channel signals for
      revealing oil-water spatial flow behavior.
AB  - The exploration of the spatial dynamical flow behaviors of oil-water flows has
      attracted increasing interests on account of its challenging complexity and great
      significance. We first technically design a double-layer distributed-sector
      conductance sensor and systematically carry out oil-water flow experiments to
      capture the spatial flow information. Based on the well-established recurrence
      network theory, we develop a novel multiplex multivariate recurrence network
      (MMRN) to fully and comprehensively fuse our double-layer multi-channel signals.
      Then we derive the projection networks from the inferred MMRNs and exploit the
      average clustering coefficient and the spectral radius to quantitatively
      characterize the nonlinear recurrent behaviors related to the distinct flow
      patterns. We find that these two network measures are very sensitive to the
      change of flow states and the distributions of network measures enable to uncover
      the spatial dynamical flow behaviors underlying different oil-water flow
      patterns. Our method paves the way for efficiently analyzing multi-channel
      signals from multi-layer sensor measurement system.

PMID- 28364742
TI  - Lower bound of assortativity coefficient in scale-free networks.
AB  - The degree-degree correlation is important in understanding the structural
      organization of a network and dynamics upon a network. Such correlation is
      usually measured by the assortativity coefficient r, with natural bounds r?[
      1,1]. For scale-free networks with power-law degree distribution p(k)~k-gamma, we
      analytically obtain the lower bound of assortativity coefficient in the limit of
      large network size, which is not -1 but dependent on the power-law exponent
      gamma. This work challenges the validation of the assortativity coefficient in
      heterogeneous networks, suggesting that one cannot judge whether a network is
      positively or negatively correlated just by looking at its assortativity
      coefficient alone.

PMID- 28364743
TI  - A complex network representation of wind flows.
AB  - Climate networks have proven to be a valuable method to investigate spatial
      connectivity patterns of the climate system. However, so far such networks have
      mostly been applied to scalar observables. In this study, we propose a new method
      for constructing networks from atmospheric wind fields on two-dimensional
      isobaric surfaces. By connecting nodes along a spatial environment based on the
      local wind flow, we derive a network representation of the low-level circulation
      that captures its most important characteristics. In our approach, network links
      are placed according to a suitable statistical null model that takes into account
      the direction and magnitude of the flow. We compare a simulation-based
      (numerically costly) and a semi-analytical (numerically cheaper) approach to
      determine the statistical significance of possible connections, and find that
      both methods yield qualitatively similar results. As an application, we choose
      the regional climate system of South America and focus on the monsoon season in
      austral summer. Monsoon systems are generally characterized by substantial
      changes in the large-scale wind directions, and therefore provide ideal
      applications for the proposed wind networks. Based on these networks, we are able
      to reveal the key features of the low-level circulation of the South American
      Monsoon System, including the South American Low-Level Jet. Networks of the dry
      and the wet season are compared with each other and their differences are
      consistent with the literature on South American climate.

PMID- 28364744
TI  - Climate network stability measures of El Nino variability.
AB  - One of the crucial aspects that is currently limiting the success of El Nino
      predictions is the stability of the slowly varying Pacific climate state. This
      property determines whether or not sea surface temperature perturbations will be
      amplified by coupled ocean-atmosphere feedbacks. The so-called Bjerknes stability
      index has been developed for this purpose, but its evaluation is severely
      constrained by data availability. Here, we present new network based measures of
      the stability of the Pacific climate state. These measures can be evaluated by
      using only sea surface temperature data and efficiently indicate whether positive
      feedbacks of perturbations to the climate state will occur.

PMID- 28364745
TI  - Directed weighted network structure analysis of complex impedance measurements
      for characterizing oil-in-water bubbly flow.
AB  - Characterizing the flow structure underlying the evolution of oil-in-water bubbly
      flow remains a contemporary challenge of great interests and complexity. In
      particular, the oil droplets dispersing in a water continuum with diverse size
      make the study of oil-in-water bubbly flow really difficult. To study this issue,
      we first design a novel complex impedance sensor and systematically conduct
      vertical oil-water flow experiments. Based on the multivariate complex impedance
      measurements, we define modalities associated with the spatial transient flow
      structures and construct modality transition-based network for each flow
      condition to study the evolution of flow structures. In order to reveal the
      unique flow structures underlying the oil-in-water bubbly flow, we filter the
      inferred modality transition-based network by removing the edges with small
      weight and resulting isolated nodes. Then, the weighted clustering coefficient
      entropy and weighted average path length are employed for quantitatively
      assessing the original network and filtered network. The differences in network
      measures enable to efficiently characterize the evolution of the oil-in-water
      bubbly flow structures.

PMID- 28364746
TI  - Small-world bias of correlation networks: From brain to climate.
AB  - Complex systems are commonly characterized by the properties of their graph
      representation. Dynamical complex systems are then typically represented by a
      graph of temporal dependencies between time series of state variables of their
      subunits. It has been shown recently that graphs constructed in this way tend to
      have relatively clustered structure, potentially leading to spurious detection of
      small-world properties even in the case of systems with no or randomly
      distributed true interactions. However, the strength of this bias depends heavily
      on a range of parameters and its relevance for real-world data has not yet been
      established. In this work, we assess the relevance of the bias using two examples
      of multivariate time series recorded in natural complex systems. The first is the
      time series of local brain activity as measured by functional magnetic resonance
      imaging in resting healthy human subjects, and the second is the time series of
      average monthly surface air temperature coming from a large reanalysis of
      climatological data over the period 1948-2012. In both cases, the clustering in
      the thresholded correlation graph is substantially higher compared with a
      realization of a density-matched random graph, while the shortest paths are
      relatively short, showing thus distinguishing features of small-world structure.
      However, comparable or even stronger small-world properties were reproduced in
      correlation graphs of model processes with randomly scrambled interconnections.
      This suggests that the small-world properties of the correlation matrices of
      these real-world systems indeed do not reflect genuinely the properties of the
      underlying interaction structure, but rather result from the inherent properties
      of correlation matrix.

PMID- 28364747
TI  - Hidden hyperchaos and electronic circuit application in a 5D self-exciting
      homopolar disc dynamo.
AB  - We report on the finding of hidden hyperchaos in a 5D extension to a known 3D
      self-exciting homopolar disc dynamo. The hidden hyperchaos is identified through
      three positive Lyapunov exponents under the condition that the proposed model has
      just two stable equilibrium states in certain regions of parameter space. The new
      5D hyperchaotic self-exciting homopolar disc dynamo has multiple attractors
      including point attractors, limit cycles, quasi-periodic dynamics, hidden chaos
      or hyperchaos, as well as coexisting attractors. We use numerical integrations to
      create the phase plane trajectories, produce bifurcation diagram, and compute
      Lyapunov exponents to verify the hidden attractors. Because no unstable
      equilibria exist in two parameter regions, the system has a multistability and
      six kinds of complex dynamic behaviors. To the best of our knowledge, this
      feature has not been previously reported in any other high-dimensional system.
      Moreover, the 5D hyperchaotic system has been simulated using a specially
      designed electronic circuit and viewed on an oscilloscope, thereby confirming the
      results of the numerical integrations. Both Matlab and the oscilloscope outputs
      produce similar phase portraits. Such implementations in real time represent a
      new type of hidden attractor with important consequences for engineering
      applications.

PMID- 28364748
TI  - The two-parametric scaling and new temporal asymptotic of survival probability of
      diffusing particle in the medium with traps.
AB  - The new asymptotic behavior of the survival probability of particles in a medium
      with absorbing traps in an electric field has been established in two ways-by
      using the scaling approach and by the direct solution of the diffusion equation
      in the field. It has shown that at long times, this drift mechanism leads to a
      new temporal behavior of the survival probability of particles in a medium with
      absorbing traps.

PMID- 28364749
TI  - Percolation framework to describe El Nino conditions.
AB  - Complex networks have been used intensively to investigate the flow and dynamics
      of many natural systems including the climate system. Here, we develop a
      percolation based measure, the order parameter, to study and quantify climate
      networks. We find that abrupt transitions of the order parameter usually occur ~1
      year before El Nino events, suggesting that they can be used as early warning
      precursors of El Nino. Using this method, we analyze several reanalysis datasets
      and show the potential for good forecasting of El Nino. The percolation based
      order parameter exhibits discontinuous features, indicating a possible relation
      to the first order phase transition mechanism.

PMID- 28364750
TI  - Records in fractal stochastic processes.
AB  - The record statistics in stationary and non-stationary fractal time series is
      studied extensively. By calculating various concepts in record dynamics, we find
      some interesting results. In stationary fractional Gaussian noises, we observe a
      universal behavior for the whole range of Hurst exponents. However, for non
      stationary fractional Brownian motions, the record dynamics is crucially
      dependent on the memory, which plays the role of a non-stationarity index, here.
      Indeed, the deviation from the results of the stationary case increases by
      increasing the Hurst exponent in fractional Brownian motions. We demonstrate that
      the memory governs the dynamics of the records as long as it causes non
      stationarity in fractal stochastic processes; otherwise, it has no impact on the
      record statistics.

PMID- 28364751
TI  - Inferring directed climatic interactions with renormalized partial directed
      coherence and directed partial correlation.
AB  - Inferring interactions between processes promises deeper insight into mechanisms
      underlying network phenomena. Renormalised partial directed coherence is a
      frequency-domain representation of the concept of Granger causality, while
      directed partial correlation is an alternative approach for quantifying Granger
      causality in the time domain. Both methodologies have been successfully applied
      to neurophysiological signals for detecting directed relationships. This paper
      introduces their application to climatological time series. We first discuss the
      application to El Nino-Southern Oscillation-Monsoon interaction and then apply
      the methodologies to the more challenging air-sea interaction in the South
      Atlantic Convergence Zone (SACZ). In the first case, the results obtained are
      fully consistent with the present knowledge in climate modeling, while in the
      second case, the results are, as expected, less clear, and to fully elucidate the
      SACZ air-sea interaction, further investigations on the specificity and
      sensitivity of these methodologies are needed.

PMID- 28364752
TI  - Smooth information flow in temperature climate network reflects mass transport.
AB  - A directed climate network is constructed by Granger causality analysis of air
      temperature time series from a regular grid covering the whole Earth. Using
      winner-takes-all network thresholding approach, a structure of a smooth
      information flow is revealed, hidden to previous studies. The relevance of this
      observation is confirmed by comparison with the air mass transfer defined by the
      wind field. Their close relation illustrates that although the information
      transferred due to the causal influence is not a physical quantity, the
      information transfer is tied to the transfer of mass and energy.

PMID- 28364753
TI  - Three-component Gross-Pitaevskii equations in the spin-1 Bose-Einstein
      condensate: Spin-rotation symmetry, matter-wave solutions, and dynamics.
AB  - We report new matter-wave solutions of the one-dimensional spin-1 Bose-Einstein
      condensate system by combining global spin-rotation states and similarity
      transformation. Dynamical behaviors of non-stationary global spin-rotation states
      derived from the SU(2) spin-rotation symmetry are discussed, which exhibit
      temporal periodicity. We derive generalized bright-dark mixed solitons and new
      rogue wave solutions and reveal the relations between Euler angles in spin
      rotation symmetry and parameters in ferromagnetic and polar solitons. In the
      modulated spin-1 Bose-Einstein condensate system, new solutions are derived and
      graphically illustrated for different types of modulations. Moreover, numerical
      simulations are performed to investigate the stability of some obtained solutions
      for chosen parameters.

PMID- 28364754
TI  - Edge anisotropy and the geometric perspective on flow networks.
AB  - Spatial networks have recently attracted great interest in various fields of
      research. While the traditional network-theoretic viewpoint is commonly
      restricted to their topological characteristics (often disregarding the existing
      spatial constraints), this work takes a geometric perspective, which considers
      vertices and edges as objects in a metric space and quantifies the corresponding
      spatial distribution and alignment. For this purpose, we introduce the concept of
      edge anisotropy and define a class of measures characterizing the spatial
      directedness of connections. Specifically, we demonstrate that the local
      anisotropy of edges incident to a given vertex provides useful information about
      the local geometry of geophysical flows based on networks constructed from spatio
      temporal data, which is complementary to topological characteristics of the same
      flow networks. Taken both structural and geometric viewpoints together can thus
      assist the identification of underlying flow structures from observations of
      scalar variables.

PMID- 28364755
TI  - The existence of solutions for fractional differential equations with p-Laplacian
      at resonance.
AB  - By giving proper transformation, selecting suitable Banach spaces and operators,
      and using Mawhin's coincident theory, we investigate the existence of solutions
      for fractional differential equations with p-Laplacian at resonance under two
      kinds of boundary conditions, respectively. Examples are given to illustrate our
      main results.

PMID- 28364756
TI  - Spatio-temporal organization of dynamics in a two-dimensional periodically driven
      vortex flow: A Lagrangian flow network perspective.
AB  - We study the Lagrangian dynamics of passive tracers in a simple model of a driven
      two-dimensional vortex resembling real-world geophysical flow patterns. Using a
      discrete approximation of the system's transfer operator, we construct a directed
      network that describes the exchange of mass between distinct regions of the flow
      domain. By studying different measures characterizing flow network connectivity
      at different time-scales, we are able to identify the location of dynamically
      invariant structures and regions of maximum dispersion. Specifically, our
      approach allows us to delimit co-existing flow regimes with different dynamics.
      To validate our findings, we compare several network characteristics to the well
      established finite-time Lyapunov exponents and apply a receiver operating
      characteristic analysis to identify network measures that are particularly useful
      for unveiling the skeleton of Lagrangian chaos.

PMID- 28364757
TI  - Regenerating time series from ordinal networks.
AB  - Recently proposed ordinal networks not only afford novel methods of nonlinear
      time series analysis but also constitute stochastic approximations of the
      deterministic flow time series from which the network models are constructed. In
      this paper, we construct ordinal networks from discrete sampled continuous
      chaotic time series and then regenerate new time series by taking random walks on
      the ordinal network. We then investigate the extent to which the dynamics of the
      original time series are encoded in the ordinal networks and retained through the
      process of regenerating new time series by using several distinct quantitative
      approaches. First, we use recurrence quantification analysis on traditional
      recurrence plots and order recurrence plots to compare the temporal structure of
      the original time series with random walk surrogate time series. Second, we
      estimate the largest Lyapunov exponent from the original time series and
      investigate the extent to which this invariant measure can be estimated from the
      surrogate time series. Finally, estimates of correlation dimension are computed
      to compare the topological properties of the original and surrogate time series
      dynamics. Our findings show that ordinal networks constructed from univariate
      time series data constitute stochastic models which approximate important
      dynamical properties of the original systems.

PMID- 28364758
TI  - Predictability of large-scale atmospheric motions: Lyapunov exponents and error
      dynamics.
AB  - The deterministic equations describing the dynamics of the atmosphere (and of the
      climate system) are known to display the property of sensitivity to initial
      conditions. In the ergodic theory of chaos, this property is usually quantified
      by computing the Lyapunov exponents. In this review, these quantifiers computed
      in a hierarchy of atmospheric models (coupled or not to an ocean) are analyzed,
      together with their local counterparts known as the local or finite-time Lyapunov
      exponents. It is shown in particular that the variability of the local Lyapunov
      exponents (corresponding to the dominant Lyapunov exponent) decreases when the
      model resolution increases. The dynamics of (finite-amplitude) initial condition
      errors in these models is also reviewed, and in general found to display a
      complicated growth far from the asymptotic estimates provided by the Lyapunov
      exponents. The implications of these results for operational (high resolution)
      atmospheric and climate modelling are also discussed.

PMID- 28364759
TI  - Clustering coefficient and periodic orbits in flow networks.
AB  - We show that the clustering coefficient, a standard measure in network theory,
      when applied to flow networks, i.e., graph representations of fluid flows in
      which links between nodes represent fluid transport between spatial regions,
      identifies approximate locations of periodic trajectories in the flow system.
      This is true for steady flows and for periodic ones in which the time interval
      tau used to construct the network is the period of the flow or a multiple of it.
      In other situations, the clustering coefficient still identifies cyclic motion
      between regions of the fluid. Besides the fluid context, these ideas apply
      equally well to general dynamical systems. By varying the value of tau used to
      construct the network, a kind of spectroscopy can be performed so that the
      observation of high values of mean clustering at a value of tau reveals the
      presence of periodic orbits of period 3tau, which impact phase space
      significantly. These results are illustrated with examples of increasing
      complexity, namely, a steady and a periodically perturbed model two-dimensional
      fluid flow, the three-dimensional Lorenz system, and the turbulent surface flow
      obtained from a numerical model of circulation in the Mediterranean sea.

PMID- 28364760
TI  - Chimera states and the interplay between initial conditions and non-local
      coupling.
AB  - Chimera states are complex spatio-temporal patterns that consist of coexisting
      domains of coherent and incoherent dynamics. We study chimera states in a network
      of non-locally coupled Stuart-Landau oscillators. We investigate the impact of
      initial conditions in combination with non-local coupling. Based on an analytical
      argument, we show how the coupling phase and the coupling strength are linked to
      the occurrence of chimera states, flipped profiles of the mean phase velocity,
      and the transition from a phase- to an amplitude-mediated chimera state.

PMID- 28364761
TI  - Stochasticity induced mixed-mode oscillations and distribution of recurrent
      outbreaks in an ecosystem.
AB  - The effect of stochasticity, in the form of Gaussian white noise, in a predator
      prey model with two distinct time-scales is presented. A supercritical singular
      Hopf bifurcation yields a Type II excitability in the deterministic model. We
      explore the effect of stochasticity in the excitable regime, leading to dynamics
      that are not anticipated by its deterministic counterpart. The stochastic model
      admits several kinds of noise-driven mixed-mode oscillations which capture the
      intermediate dynamics between two cycles of population outbreaks. Depending on
      the strength of noise, the prey population exhibits intermediate to high
      amplitude fluctuations (related to moderate or severe outbreaks respectively). We
      classify these fluctuations as isolated or intermittent or as clusters depending
      on their recurrences. We study the distribution of the random variable N,
      representing the number of small oscillations between successive spikes, as a
      function of the noise intensity and the distance to the Hopf bifurcation. The
      distribution of N is "asymptotically geometric" with the corresponding parameter
      related to the principal eigenvalue of a substochastic Markov chain. Finally, the
      stochastic model is transformed into its "normal form" which is used to obtain an
      estimate of the probability of repeated outbreaks.

PMID- 28364762
TI  - Levitation of heavy particles against gravity in asymptotically downward flows.
AB  - In the fluid transport of particles, it is generally expected that heavy
      particles carried by a laminar fluid flow moving downward will also move
      downward. We establish a theory to show, however, that particles can be
      dynamically levitated and lifted by interacting vortices in such flows, thereby
      moving against gravity and the asymptotic direction of the flow, even when they
      are orders of magnitude denser than the fluid. The particle levitation is
      rigorously demonstrated for potential flows and supported by simulations for
      viscous flows. We suggest that this counterintuitive effect has potential
      implications for the air-transport of water droplets and the lifting of sediments
      in water.

PMID- 28364763
TI  - Understanding the geometry of transport: Diffusion maps for Lagrangian trajectory
      data unravel coherent sets.
AB  - Dynamical systems often exhibit the emergence of long-lived coherent sets, which
      are regions in state space that keep their geometric integrity to a high extent
      and thus play an important role in transport. In this article, we provide a
      method for extracting coherent sets from possibly sparse Lagrangian trajectory
      data. Our method can be seen as an extension of diffusion maps to trajectory
      space, and it allows us to construct "dynamical coordinates," which reveal the
      intrinsic low-dimensional organization of the data with respect to transport. The
      only a priori knowledge about the dynamics that we require is a locally valid
      notion of distance, which renders our method highly suitable for automated data
      analysis. We show convergence of our method to the analytic transfer operator
      framework of coherence in the infinite data limit and illustrate its potential on
      several two- and three-dimensional examples as well as real world data.

PMID- 28364764
TI  - Design and implementation of dynamic logic gates and R-S flip-flop using
      quasiperiodically driven Murali-Lakshmanan-Chua circuit.
AB  - We report the propagation of a square wave signal in a quasi-periodically driven
      Murali-Lakshmanan-Chua (QPDMLC) circuit system. It is observed that signal
      propagation is possible only above a certain threshold strength of the square
      wave or digital signal and all the values above the threshold amplitude are
      termed as "region of signal propagation." Then, we extend this region of signal
      propagation to perform various logical operations like AND/NAND/OR/NOR and hence
      it is also designated as the "region of logical operation." Based on this region,
      we propose implementing the dynamic logic gates, namely, AND/NAND/OR/NOR, which
      can be decided by the asymmetrical input square waves without altering the system
      parameters. Further, we show that a single QPDMLC system will produce
      simultaneously two outputs which are complementary to each other. As a result, a
      single QPDMLC system yields either AND as well as NAND or OR as well as NOR gates
      simultaneously. Then, we combine the corresponding two QPDMLC systems in a cross
      coupled way and report that its dynamics mimics that of fundamental R-S flip-flop
      circuit. All these phenomena have been explained with analytical solutions of the
      circuit equations characterizing the system and finally, the results are compared
      with the corresponding numerical and experimental analysis.

PMID- 28364765
TI  - Modeling the network dynamics of pulse-coupled neurons.
AB  - We derive a mean-field approximation for the macroscopic dynamics of large
      networks of pulse-coupled theta neurons in order to study the effects of
      different network degree distributions and degree correlations (assortativity).
      Using the ansatz of Ott and Antonsen [Chaos 18, 037113 (2008)], we obtain a
      reduced system of ordinary differential equations describing the mean-field
      dynamics, with significantly lower dimensionality compared with the complete set
      of dynamical equations for the system. We find that, for sufficiently large
      networks and degrees, the dynamical behavior of the reduced system agrees well
      with that of the full network. This dimensional reduction allows for an efficient
      characterization of system phase transitions and attractors. For networks with
      tightly peaked degree distributions, the macroscopic behavior closely resembles
      that of fully connected networks previously studied by others. In contrast,
      networks with highly skewed degree distributions exhibit different macroscopic
      dynamics due to the emergence of degree dependent behavior of different
      oscillators. For nonassortative networks (i.e., networks without degree
      correlations), we observe the presence of a synchronously firing phase that can
      be suppressed by the presence of either assortativity or disassortativity in the
      network. We show that the results derived here can be used to analyze the effects
      of network topology on macroscopic behavior in neuronal networks in a
      computationally efficient fashion.

PMID- 28364766
TI  - Chaos emerging in soil failure patterns observed during tillage: Normalized
      deterministic nonlinear prediction (NDNP) and its application.
AB  - Real-world processes are often combinations of deterministic and stochastic
      processes. Soil failure observed during farm tillage is one example of this
      phenomenon. In this paper, we investigated the nonlinear features of soil failure
      patterns in a farm tillage process. We demonstrate emerging determinism in soil
      failure patterns from stochastic processes under specific soil conditions. We
      normalized the deterministic nonlinear prediction considering autocorrelation and
      propose it as a robust way of extracting a nonlinear dynamical system from noise
      contaminated motion. Soil is a typical granular material. The results obtained
      here are expected to be applicable to granular materials in general. From a
      global scale to nano scale, the granular material is featured in seismology,
      geotechnology, soil mechanics, and particle technology. The results and
      discussions presented here are applicable in these wide research areas. The
      proposed method and our findings are useful with respect to the application of
      nonlinear dynamics to investigate complex motions generated from granular
      materials.

PMID- 28364767
TI  - The 3-cycle weighted spectral distribution in evolving community-based networks.
AB  - One of the main organizing principles in real-world networks is that of network
      communities, where sets of nodes organize into densely linked clusters. Many of
      these community-based networks evolve over time, that is, we need some size
      independent metrics to capture the connection relationships embedded in these
      clusters. One of these metrics is the average clustering coefficient, which
      represents the triangle relationships between all nodes of networks. However, the
      vast majority of network communities is composed of low-degree nodes. Thus, we
      should further investigate other size-independent metrics to subtly measure the
      triangle relationships between low-degree nodes. In this paper, we study the 3
      cycle weighted spectral distribution (WSD) defined as the weighted sum of the
      normalized Laplacian spectral distribution with a scaling factor n, where n is
      the network size (i.e., the node number). Using some diachronic community-based
      network models and real-world networks, we demonstrate that the ratio of the 3
      cycle WSD to the network size is asymptotically independent of the network size
      and strictly represents the triangle relationships between low-degree nodes.
      Additionally, we find that the ratio is a good indicator of the average
      clustering coefficient in evolving community-based systems.

PMID- 28364768
TI  - Consistency of heterogeneous synchronization patterns in complex weighted
      networks.
AB  - Synchronization within the dynamical nodes of a complex network is usually
      considered homogeneous through all the nodes. Here we show, in contrast, that
      subsets of interacting oscillators may synchronize in different ways within a
      single network. This diversity of synchronization patterns is promoted by
      increasing the heterogeneous distribution of coupling weights and/or asymmetries
      in small networks. We also analyze consistency, defined as the persistence of
      coexistent synchronization patterns regardless of the initial conditions. Our
      results show that complex weighted networks display richer consistency than
      regular networks, suggesting why certain functional network topologies are often
      constructed when experimental data are analyzed.

PMID- 28364769
TI  - Chaotic oscillator containing memcapacitor and meminductor and its dimensionality
      reduction analysis.
AB  - In this paper, smooth curve models of meminductor and memcapacitor are designed,
      which are generalized from a memristor. Based on these models, a new five
      dimensional chaotic oscillator that contains a meminductor and memcapacitor is
      proposed. By dimensionality reducing, this five-dimensional system can be
      transformed into a three-dimensional system. The main work of this paper is to
      give the comparisons between the five-dimensional system and its dimensionality
      reduction model. To investigate dynamics behaviors of the two systems,
      equilibrium points and stabilities are analyzed. And the bifurcation diagrams and
      Lyapunov exponent spectrums are used to explore their properties. In addition,
      digital signal processing technologies are used to realize this chaotic
      oscillator, and chaotic sequences are generated by the experimental device, which
      can be used in encryption applications.

PMID- 28364770
TI  - On the control of the chaotic attractors of the 2-d Navier-Stokes equations.
AB  - The control problem of the chaotic attractors of the two dimensional (2-d) Navier
      Stokes (N-S) equations is addressed in this paper. First, the Fourier Galerkin
      method based on a reduced-order modelling approach developed by Chen and Price is
      applied to the 2-d N-S equations to construct a fifth-order system of nonlinear
      ordinary differential equations (ODEs). The dynamics of the fifth-order system
      was studied by analyzing the system's attractor for different values of Reynolds
      number, Re. Then, control laws are proposed to drive the states of the ODE system
      to a desired attractor. Finally, an adaptive controller is designed to
      synchronize two reduced order ODE models having different Reynolds numbers and
      starting from different initial conditions. Simulation results indicate that the
      proposed control schemes work well.

PMID- 28364771
TI  - Smoothing effect for spatially distributed renewable resources and its impact on
      power grid robustness.
AB  - In this paper, we show that spatial correlation of renewable energy outputs
      greatly influences the robustness of the power grids against large fluctuations
      of the effective power. First, we evaluate the spatial correlation among
      renewable energy outputs. We find that the spatial correlation of renewable
      energy outputs depends on the locations, while the influence of the spatial
      correlation of renewable energy outputs on power grids is not well known. Thus,
      second, by employing the topology of the power grid in eastern Japan, we analyze
      the robustness of the power grid with spatial correlation of renewable energy
      outputs. The analysis is performed by using a realistic differential-algebraic
      equations model. The results show that the spatial correlation of the energy
      resources strongly degrades the robustness of the power grid. Our results suggest
      that we should consider the spatial correlation of the renewable energy outputs
      when estimating the stability of power grids.

PMID- 28364772
TI  - A perturbation-theoretic approach to Lagrangian flow networks.
AB  - Complex network approaches have been successfully applied for studying transport
      processes in complex systems ranging from road, railway, or airline
      infrastructures over industrial manufacturing to fluid dynamics. Here, we utilize
      a generic framework for describing the dynamics of geophysical flows such as
      ocean currents or atmospheric wind fields in terms of Lagrangian flow networks.
      In this approach, information on the passive advection of particles is
      transformed into a Markov chain based on transition probabilities of particles
      between the volume elements of a given partition of space for a fixed time step.
      We employ perturbation-theoretic methods to investigate the effects of
      modifications of transport processes in the underlying flow for three different
      problem classes: efficient absorption (corresponding to particle trapping or
      leaking), constant input of particles (with additional source terms modeling,
      e.g., localized contamination), and shifts of the steady state under probability
      mass conservation (as arising if the background flow is perturbed itself). Our
      results demonstrate that in all three cases, changes to the steady state solution
      can be analytically expressed in terms of the eigensystem of the unperturbed flow
      and the perturbation itself. These results are potentially relevant for
      developing more efficient strategies for coping with contaminations of fluid or
      gaseous media such as ocean and atmosphere by oil spills, radioactive substances,
      non-reactive chemicals, or volcanic aerosols.

PMID- 28364773
TI  - Diffusion-driven destabilization of spatially homogeneous limit cycles in
      reaction-diffusion systems.
AB  - We study the diffusion-driven destabilization of a spatially homogeneous limit
      cycle with large amplitude in a reaction-diffusion system on an interval of
      finite size under the periodic boundary condition. Numerical bifurcation analysis
      and simulations show that the spatially homogeneous limit cycle becomes unstable
      and changes to a stable spatially nonhomogeneous limit cycle for appropriate
      diffusion coefficients. This is analogous to the diffusion-driven destabilization
      (Turing instability) of a spatially homogeneous equilibrium. Our approach is
      based on a reaction-diffusion system with mass conservation and its perturbed
      system considered as an infinite dimensional slow-fast system (relaxation
      oscillator).

PMID- 28364774
TI  - Multi-piecewise quadratic nonlinearity memristor and its 2N-scroll and 2N + 1
      scroll chaotic attractors system.
AB  - In this paper, two kinds of novel ideal active flux-controlled smooth multi
      piecewise quadratic nonlinearity memristors with multi-piecewise continuous
      memductance function are presented. The pinched hysteresis loop characteristics
      of the two memristor models are verified by building a memristor emulator
      circuit. Using the two memristor models establish a new memristive multi-scroll
      Chua's circuit, which can generate 2N-scroll and 2N+1-scroll chaotic attractors
      without any other ordinary nonlinear function. Furthermore, coexisting multi
      scroll chaotic attractors are found in the proposed memristive multi-scroll
      Chua's circuit. Phase portraits, Lyapunov exponents, bifurcation diagrams, and
      equilibrium point analysis have been used to research the basic dynamics of the
      memristive multi-scroll Chua's circuit. The consistency of circuit implementation
      and numerical simulation verifies the effectiveness of the system design.

PMID- 28364775
TI  - Are continuum predictions of clustering chaotic?
AB  - Gas-solid multiphase flows are prone to develop an instability known as
      clustering. Two-fluid models, which treat the particulate phase as a continuum,
      are known to reproduce the qualitative features of this instability, producing
      highly-dynamic, spatiotemporal patterns. However, it is unknown whether such
      simulations are truly aperiodic or a type of complex periodic behavior. By
      showing that the system possesses a sensitive dependence on initial conditions
      and a positive largest Lyapunov exponent, lambda1~1/tau, we provide a tentative
      answer: continuum predictions of clustering are chaotic. We further demonstrate
      that the chaotic behavior is dimensionally dependent, a conclusion which unifies
      previous results and strongly suggests that the chaotic behavior is not a direct
      consequence of the fundamental kinematic instability, but requires a secondary
      (inherently multidimensional) instability.

PMID- 28364776
TI  - An observer for an occluded reaction-diffusion system with spatially varying
      parameters.
AB  - Spatially dependent parameters of a two-component chaotic reaction-diffusion
      partial differential equation (PDE) model describing ocean ecology are observed
      by sampling a single species. We estimate the model parameters and the other
      species in the system by autosynchronization, where quantities of interest are
      evolved according to misfit between model and observations, to only partially
      observed data. Our motivating example comes from oceanic ecology as viewed by
      remote sensing data, but where noisy occluded data are realized in the form of
      cloud cover. We demonstrate a method to learn a large-scale coupled synchronizing
      system that represents the spatio-temporal dynamics and apply a network approach
      to analyze manifold stability.

PMID- 28364779
TI  - The effects of Nobiletin, Hesperetin, and Letrozole in a combination on the
      activity and expression of aromatase in breast cancer cells.
AB  - Nobiletin (NOB) and hesperetin (HES) are the citrus polymethoxyflavone and
      flavonone. Aromatase or cytochrome P450 (CYP19) enzyme is a key enzyme in
      estrogen biosynthesis. The objective of this study was to investigate the
      combinational effects of HES, NOB and letrozole (LET) as aromatase inhibitors on
      the activity and expression of aromatase in MCF-7 cells. In this study, aromatase
      enzyme activity based on the conversion of androgen substrate testosterone to
      17beta-Estradiol was determined. Estradiol concentrations were measured using an
      electrochemiluminescence immunoassay. CYP19 gene expression was determined by
      quantitative real-time PCR. Our findings demonstrated that none of combinations
      including LET+NOB, LET+HES, LET+NOB+HES, and NOB+HES had no significant effects
      on aromatase activity and expression. The present study showed for the first time
      that the combination of HES, NOB, and LET had no effects on activity and
      expression of aromatase in MCF-7 breast cancer cells.

PMID- 28364780
TI  - The link between intergenic distances and controls exerted on the transcriptional
      regulation; an inferential approach.
AB  - The position of genes along the genome is an important evolutionary factor for
      organizing gene regulation. Hence, transcriptional regulatory network have been
      studied much more extensively from gene distributions rather than other
      viewpoints. The systematics of intergenic distances, therefore, should be taken
      into account as an important source of information on the controls exerted on
      gene expression by various biological mechanisms. Here we study a collection of
      features including, intergenic and interoperonic distances, distances between
      isolated genes, distances between regulatory genes and distances between isolated
      and regulatory genes/operons in order to provide a more informative picture of
      gene distributions via firstly discovering the statistical model of these
      features. We find that all these features significantly follow the lognormal
      distribution. Then we test a few important biological hypotheses particularly in
      relation to controls exerted in the transcriptional regulatory network in a
      completely inferential approach using generalized p-value based on the discovered
      model. We find that mean distances of isolated genes significantly is less than
      that of regulatory genes.  These findings are consistent with the previous
      evidences that many biological variables, especially in relation to systems
      biology, follow lognormal distribution. furthermore, our results inferentially
      support the crucial hypothesis on the two distinct logical types of control,
      namely digital control (i.e. control mediated by specific transcription factors)
      and analog control (i.e. control mediated by distribution of supercoiling energy
      and based on gene neighborhood) previously proposed by studying expression
      patterns.

PMID- 28364778
TI  - Clinical and molecular findings in a Moroccan family with Jervell and Lange
      Nielsen syndrome: a case report.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Jervell and Lange-Nielsen syndrome (Online Mendelian Inheritance in
      Man 220400) is a rare autosomal recessive cardioauditory ion channel disorder
      that affects 1/200,000 to 1/1,000,000 children. It is characterized by congenital
      profound bilateral sensorineural hearing loss, a long QT interval, ventricular
      tachyarrhythmias, and episodes of torsade de pointes on an electrocardiogram.
      Cardiac symptoms arise mostly in early childhood and consist of syncopal episodes
      during periods of stress, exercise, or fright and are associated with a high risk
      of sudden cardiac death. Jervell and Lange-Nielsen syndrome is caused by
      homozygous or compound heterozygous mutations in KCNQ1 on 11p15.5 or KCNE1 on
      1q22.1-q22.2. CASE PRESENTATION: We report the case of a 10-year-old Moroccan boy
      with congenital hearing loss and severely prolonged QT interval who presented
      with multiple episodes of syncope. His parents are first-degree cousins. We
      performed Sanger sequencing and identified a homozygous variant in KCNQ1
      (c.1343dupC, p.Glu449Argfs*14). CONCLUSIONS: The identification of the genetic
      substrate in this patient confirmed the clinical diagnosis of Jervell and Lange
      Nielsen syndrome and allowed us to provide him with appropriate management and
      genetic counseling to his family. In addition, this finding contributes to our
      understanding of genetic disease in the Moroccan population.

PMID- 28364777
TI  - In vivo MRI and ex vivo histological assessment of the cardioprotection induced
      by ischemic preconditioning, postconditioning and remote conditioning in a closed
      chest porcine model of reperfused acute myocardial infarction: importance of
      microvasculature.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Cardioprotective value of ischemic post- (IPostC), remote (RIC)
      conditioning in acute myocardial infarction (AMI) is unclear in clinical trials.
      To evaluate cardioprotection, most translational animal studies and clinical
      trials utilize necrotic tissue referred to the area at risk (AAR) by magnetic
      resonance imaging (MRI). However, determination of AAR by MRI' may not be
      accurate, since MRI-indices of microvascular damage, i.e., myocardial edema and
      microvascular obstruction (MVO), may be affected by cardioprotection
      independently from myocardial necrosis. Therefore, we assessed the effect of
      IPostC, RIC conditioning and ischemic preconditioning (IPreC; positive control)
      on myocardial necrosis, edema and MVO in a clinically relevant, closed-chest pig
      model of AMI. METHODS AND RESULTS: Acute myocardial infarction was induced by a
      90-min balloon occlusion of the left anterior descending coronary artery (LAD) in
      domestic juvenile female pigs. IPostC (6 * 30 s ischemia/reperfusion after 90-min
      occlusion) and RIC (4 * 5 min hind limb ischemia/reperfusion during 90-min LAD
      occlusion) did not reduce myocardial necrosis as assessed by late gadolinium
      enhancement 3 days after reperfusion and by ex vivo triphenyltetrazolium chloride
      staining 3 h after reperfusion, however, the positive control, IPreC (3 * 5 min
      ischemia/reperfusion before 90-min LAD occlusion) did. IPostC and RIC attenuated
      myocardial edema as measured by cardiac T2-weighted MRI 3 days after reperfusion,
      however, AAR measured by Evans blue staining was not different among groups,
      which confirms that myocardial edema is not a measure of AAR, IPostC and IPreC
      but not RIC decreased MVO. CONCLUSION: We conclude that IPostC and RIC
      interventions may protect the coronary microvasculature even without reducing
      myocardial necrosis.

PMID- 28364781
TI  - Methyl thiophanate-induced toxicity in liver and kidney of adult rats: a
      biochemical, molecular and histopathological approach.
AB  - The aim of this study was to elucidate the redox effects of Thiophanate methyl
      (MT) in the rat liver and kidney. Our results showed, after 3 days of MT
      injection (700 mg/kg), an increase in malondialdehyde (MDA), hydrogen peroxide
      and advanced oxidation protein products levels. Glutathione peroxidase and
      superoxide dismutase activities were also remarkably increased in the liver but
      decrease in the kidney. Glutathione and vitamin C values were significantly
      reduced. The changes in biochemical parameters were substantiated by histological
      and molecular data. A smear without ladder formation on agarose gel was shown,
      indicating random DNA degradation in the liver and the kidney of MT treated rats.
      The increase in cyclooxygenase-2 gene expression, marker of inflammation, and an
      increase in genes expression of glutathione peroxidase and superoxide dismutase
      in liver and their decrease in the kidney were also occurred after MT exposure.
      These data confirmed the pro-oxidant and genotoxic effects of this fungicide.

PMID- 28364782
TI  - The G-protein alpha-subunit gene CGA1 is involved in regulation of resistance to
      heat and osmotic stress in Chlamydomonas reinhardtii.
AB  - In eukaryotic cells, many important functions of specific G-proteins have been
      identified, but microalgal G-proteins are poorly studied. In this work, we
      characterized a gene (CGA1) encoding the G-protein alpha-subunit in Chlamydomonas
      reinhardtii. Independent knockdown mutants of CGA1 were generated via RNA
      interference (RNAi). CGA1 expression levels were consistently and significantly
      reduced in both independent CGA1 mutant cell lines (cga1). Both cga1 mutants had
      a higher survival rate at 35 degrees C in comparison with the wild type. This
      stronger resistance of the cga1 mutants became more evident during simultaneous
      exposure to heat and osmotic stress. The stronger resistance of the CGA1
      knockdown mutants to the two stressors was accompanied with significant
      morphological alterations-both cell size and cell wall thickness were different
      from those of the wild type. This finding supports the roles of CGA1 in C.
      reinhardtii morphology in response to stressors. To further understand
      biochemical mechanisms of the CGA1-mediated resistance, we thoroughly analyzed
      the level of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and the expression of several heat
      shock proteins or MAP kinase genes as possible downstream effectors of CGA1. Our
      data clearly indicated that CGA1 is implicated in the regulation of resistance to
      heat or osmotic stress in C. reinhardtii via HSP70A and MAPK6. Because the G
      protein alpha-subunit is highly conserved across microalgal species, our results
      should facilitate future biotechnological applications of microalgae under
      extreme environmental conditions.

PMID- 28364783
TI  - miRNA and mRNA expression profiling in rat brain following alcohol dependence and
      withdrawal.
AB  - Long- lasting alterations in brain gene expression in alcohol addiction have been
      determined although no clear mechanism has yet been elucidated. There exist many
      factors regulating the mechanism of gene expression. We aimed in this study to
      detect miRNA (microRNA) and mRNA expression profile at the specific brain regions
      regarding ethanol exposure and withdrawal. Rats were exposed to liquid alcohol
      consumption for 21 days. Oligonucleotides microarrays and bioinformatics analyses
      were used to identify gene expression, miRNA expression and their functions in
      the Prefrontal cortex, Hippocampus and Corpus striatum of wistar rats.  A
      bioinformatics strategy with microarray analysis, quantitative real time PCR,
      bioinformatics and mRNA (messenger RNA) miRNA- miRNA integrative analyses
      revealed that expression models interact with neuroplasticity and synaptic
      processes. Those significantly changed after ethanol exposure and withdrawal
      processes included 160 mRNAs and 29 rat-miRNAs at prefrontal cortex, 142 mRNAs
      and 26 rat-miRNAs at hippocampus, and 143 mRNAs and 30 rat-miRNAs at corpus
      striatum. Gene ontology and ingenuity pathway analyses revealed that most of the
      altered genes were responsible for synaptic plasticity, neuron differentiation,
      chromatin organization and some certain important signaling pathways. In
      conclusion, consistent and integrated variations in miRNA expression and in their
      focus mRNAs in rat brain were noted after alcohol exposure and withdrawal.
      Besides, understanding the molecular mechanisms of alcohol abuse will no doubt
      guide to development of significant cure methods for addiction. We are of the
      opinion that our findings may shed light on classification of novel biomarkers.

PMID- 28364784
TI  - TTY2 genes deletions as genetic risk factor of male infertility.
AB  - Y chromosome has a number of genes that are expressed in testis and have a role
      in spermatogenesis. TTY2L12A and TTY2L2A are the members of testis transcript Y2
      (TTY2) that are Y linked multi-copy gene families, located on Yp11 and Yq11 loci
      respectively. The aim of this study was to investigate frequency of TTY2L12A and
      TTY2L2A deletions in azoospermic patients compared with fertile males. This study
      was performed on 45 infertile males with idiopathic azoospermia without any AZF
      micro deletions (group A), 33 infertile males with azoospermia which do not
      screened for AZF micro deletions (group B) and 65 fertile males (group C), from
      October 2013 to April 2015 in west of Iran. Polymerase chain reaction (PCR)
      method was used for detection of TTY2L12A and TTY2L2A gene deletions in studied
      groups. No deletions were detected in normal fertile males of group C. 1 out of
      45 azoospermic males of group A (2.22%) and 3 out of 33 azoospermic males of
      group B (9.09%) had TTY2L2A deletion (p= 0.409 and p= 0.036 respectively), also 1
      out of 45 azoospermic males of group A (2.22%) and 4 out of 33 azoospermic males
      of group B (12.12%) had TTY2L12A deletion (p= 0.409 and p= 0.011 respectively). 
      None of azoospermic males in Group A and B had deletions in both genes. Our data
      showed significant correlation between non-obstructive azoospermia and TTY2L12A
      and TTY2L2A deletions. Thus, it seems that TTY2L12A and TTY2L2A deletions can
      consider as one of the genetic risk factors for non-obstructive azoospermia.

PMID- 28364785
TI  - Stable silencing of IGF1R using Lentiviral-mediated shRNA in HEK293T cells.
AB  - Insulin-like growth factors are among the peptide mitogens that regulate cell
      proliferation and differentiation as well as mediator of antiapoptotic signals.
      The imbalance between the expression and activities of these molecules may lead
      to malignancy in cells. Evidences have suggested the insulin-like growth factor 1
      receptor (IGF-1R) signaling pathway as a therapeutic target in the management and
      treatment of cancer. In this present study, we have generated silencing stable
      clones of HEK cells using six different pGIPZ (lentiviral vector) shRNAs targeted
      to human IGF-1R gene and a pGIPZ non-silencing shRNAmir lentiviral vector (as
      negative control). The recombinant lentiviral vectors were separately transduced
      into human embryonic kidney 293 T (HEK293T) cell lines. The knockdown of IGF-1R
      was confirmed by reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and the
      relative IGF-1R mRNA levels were expressed as a ratio of IGF-1R to beta-actin by
      REST software. The results showed significant reduction in the expression of IGF
      1R mRNAs in cells transduced with all six pGIPZ-IGF-1R recombinant lentivirals
      compared to non-silencing negative control. No significant difference was
      observed among the six cassettes. Results indicated that recombinant lentiviral
      vectors provided an efficient and stable knockdown of IGF-1R providing useful
      tool for IGF-1R pathway studies.

PMID- 28364786
TI  - Dandelion-enriched diet of mothers alleviates lead-induced damages in liver of
      newborn rats.
AB  - Lead (Pb) is a highly toxic metal present in the environment. It causes
      disturbances of several functions, including hematologic, renal, reproductive and
      nervous ones. Preventive or curative use of medicinal plants against these
      disorders may be a promising and safe therapeutic strategy. This study evaluated
      the hepatic toxic effects of prenatal exposure to lead in rats and the possible
      protective effect of dandelion (Taraxacum officinale) added to the diet. Female
      rats were given a normal diet (control) or a diet enriched with dandelion
      (treated). In addition, lead acetate was administered to half of the rats through
      drinking water from the 5th day of gestation until the 14th day postpartum. Lead
      toxicity was evaluated in their offspring by measuring body and liver weights,
      plasma biochemical parameters, liver damage, as well as protein content and
      activities of antioxidant enzymes in the liver tissues. Lead poisoning of mothers
      caused lead deposition in blood and stomach of their pups as well as hepatic
      tissue damages. Moreover, significant decreases in liver weight and protein
      content were found. Lead treatment caused oxidative stress and marked changes in
      the activity of antioxidant enzymes. However, no damages or biochemical changes
      were observed in puppies from the rats co-treated with lead and dandelion. These
      results indicate that supplementation of pregnant and lactating rats with
      dandelion protects their offspring against lead poisoning, likely through
      reduction of oxidative stress and liver damages.

PMID- 28364787
TI  - TGFbeta3 / SfaN1 gene variant and the risk factor of nonsyndromic cleft palate
      only among Indonesian patients.
AB  - Non-syndromic cleft palate only (NS CPO) is one of the most common congenital
      malformations that affect between 1 in 1000 - 2500 live births worldwide. The
      etiopathogenesis of clefts including NS CPO has been widely studied but is still
      poorly understood. NS CPO is considered to be a genetically complex,
      multifactorial disease. Based on several studies, mutations of TGFbeta3 gene
      emerged as the strong candidate gene associated with NS CPO. The purpose of this
      study was to analyze the relationship between the TGFbeta3 / SfaN1 gene variant
      and the risk of NS CPO in Indonesian patients. This study was case control design
      using samples from 31 NS CPO subjects and 35 control subjects. DNA was extracted
      from venous blood and the segment of TGFbeta3 gene/ SfaN1 were amplified by using
      polymerase chain reaction (PCR) technique, then digestion products by SfaN1
      restriction enzyme which can detect locus of gene variant / polymorphism from
      restriction fragment length polymorphisms (RFLP) method were evaluated. The
      results indicated that the gene variant as substitution of base G into A was
      identified in TGFbeta3 gene and the frequency of heterozygous mutant GA genotype
      was 63,6% in NS CPO subjects and 36,4% in control subjects. The frequency of
      heterozygous mutant GA genotype was associated with increased risk of NS CPO
      (odds ratio (OR) = 2,260, 95% CI = 0,592 - 8,625). In conclusion, TGFbeta3 gene /
      SfaN1 polymorphism can be considered as the risk factor associated with NS CPO in
      Indonesian patients.

PMID- 28364788
TI  - The clinical research of Thinprep Cytology Test (TCT) combined with HPV-DNA
      detection in screening cervical cancer.
AB  - Our objective is to explore the clinical value of thinprep cytologic test (TCT)
      combined with HPV-DNA detection in screening cervical cancer. 420 cervical cancer
      patients admitted in our hospital between April, 2011-April, 2014 were selected.
      All patients received TCT and HPV-DNA detection, and cervical tissue biopsy was
      used to confirm the diagnosis. TCT screening results showed that there were 175
      patients were >ASCUS and the positive rate was 41.7%, histopathological screening
      showed that there were 199 patients were >=cervical intraepithelial neoplasia
      (CIN) I and the positive rate was 47.4%. HPV-DNA detection showed 180 patients
      were positive which was 42.9%, and the positive rate of HPV-DNA detection was
      increased as the disease severity increased. The sensitivity of TCT combined with
      HPV-DNA detection was higher than single TCT or HPV-DNA, however the specificity
      was relatively low, and the positive predictive value and negative predictive
      value were higher which were similar to pathological results. TCT combined with
      HPV-DNA detection has high sensitivity and accuracy in screening cervical cancer,
      which is worthy of clinical application.

PMID- 28364789
TI  - Ghrelin did not change coronary angiogenesis in diet-induced obese mice.
AB  - Ghrelin is a 28 amino acids peptide that initially was recognized as an
      endogenous ligand for growth hormone secretagogue receptor (GHSR). Recently, a
      number of studies demonstrated that ghrelin is a cardiovascular hormone with a
      series cardiovascular effect. The main objective of this study was to investigate
      the effect of systemic ghrelin administration on angiogenesis in the heart and
      its correlation with serum leptin levels in normal and diet-induced obese mice.
      24 male C57BL/6 mice were randomly divided into four groups: normal diet (ND) or
      control, ND+ghrelin, high-fat-diet (HFD) or obese and HFD+ghrelin (n=6/group).
      Obese and control groups received HFD or ND, respectively, for 14 weeks. Then,
      the ghrelin was injected subcutaneously 100ug/kg twice daily. After 10 days, the
      animals were sacrificed, blood samples were taken and the hearts were removed.
      The angiogenic response in the heart was assessed by immunohisochemical staining.
      HFD significantly increased angiogenesis in the heart expressed as the number of
      CD31 positive cells than standard diet. Ghrelin did not alter angiogenesis in the
      heart in both obese and control groups, however, it reduced serum nitric oxide
      (NO) and leptin levels in obese mice. There was a strong positive correlation
      between the number of CD31 positive cells and serum leptin concentration
      (r=0.74). Leptin as an angiogenic factor has a positive correlation with
      angiogenesis in the heart. Although systemic administration of ghrelin reduced
      serum leptin and NO levels in obese mice, however, it could not alter coronary
      angiogenesis.

PMID- 28364790
TI  - The effects of melatonin on oxidative stress and prevention of primordial
      follicle loss via activation of mTOR pathway in the rat ovary.
AB  - Mammalian Target of Rapamycin (mTOR) signaling pathway has important roles in the
      regulation of puberty onset, gonadotropin secretion, follicular development and
      ovulation. Melatonin (N-acetyl-5-methoxytryptamine) is a lipophilic hormone has
      multiple functions in regulating the fertility. Recent studies have shown that
      melatonin affected the number or maturation of follicles in the ovary. The aim of
      this study was to investigate the effects of melatonin on mTOR expression and
      quantity of follicle in rat ovary. In the present study, a total of 45 female
      rats were randomly divided into three groups. Group 1; Control (C), Group 2:
      Vehicle (V) and Group 3; Melatonin (M). Melatonin was administered
      intraperitoneally at a dose of 50 mg/kg/day for 30 days in Melatonin group. The
      effects of Melatonin on the expression of mTOR and downstream components  were
      determined by Western Blot and Reverse Transcriptase PCR analysis. Upon Western
      Blot and RT-PCR evaluations, we detected higher expression and activation of
      mTOR, P70S6K, PKCalpha, PCNA and higher numbers of primordial  follicles in
      melatonin group compared with V and C group. In addition to this results,
      melatonin decreased oxidative stress markers, such as MDA, on the contrary,
      levels of antioxidative markers, such as CAT and GPx, were increased by melatonin
      in rat ovary. This study indicated that melatonin may have a significant
      protective effect on primordial follicles and increase the expression of mTOR and
      downstream components in rat ovary. Melatonin treatment may have a beneficial
      effect on fertility.

PMID- 28364791
TI  - Effect of nitrogen sources on some morphological characteristics of in vitro
      stevia rebaudiana Bertoni.
AB  - Stevia rebaudiana Bertoni belongs to Asteraceae family that leaves 200-300 times
      sweeter than sugar. Low seed fertility is one of the most important problems in
      Stevia production. So, Plant tissue culture is an efficient method for mass
      propagation of Stevia. In this research, we studied the effect of various
      concentrations of nitrogen on some morphological traits of stevia under in vitro
      conditions. We used axillary nodes as explants and they were cultured on
      Murashige and Skoog (MS) medium containing inorganic nitrogen sources i.e.
      NH4NO3(0, 825 and 1650 mg/l), KNO3(0, 950 and 1900 mg/l) were observed. The
      cultures were kept for 4 weeks at a temperature of 25+/-2 degrees C with a
      photoperiod of 16/8 hour low light/dark each day. Maximum shoot length (89.33
      mm), dry weight of plants (0.10 mg) and leaf fresh weight (0.42 mg) was observed
      on MS medium with 1650 mg/l NH4NO3 and 950 mg/l KNO3. Minimum shoot length (6.13
      mm), root length (6.60 mm), leaf number (4.26), leaf dry weight (0.01 mg), leaf
      fresh weight (0.05 mg), total dry and fresh weight (0.02 and 0.15 mg) and growth
      rate was observed on a MS medium without nitrogen sources. Moreover, presence of
      nitrogen sources increases both shooting and rooting in Stevia rebaudiana
      Bertoni.

PMID- 28364792
TI  - Identification of bacteria using volatile organic compounds.
AB  - The rapid diagnosis of respiratory infections has always been an important goal
      for medical professionals, because rapid and accurate diagnosis leads to proper
      and timely treatment, and consequently, reduces the costs of incorrect and long
      term treatments, and antibiotic resistance. The present study was conducted with
      the aim of detecting volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in three bacteria:
      Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Acinetobacter baumannii, Klebsiella pneumoniae. Headspace
      of the studied bacteria, after separately culturing in two types of liquid medium
      in three different time-periods, was extracted by solid phase microextraction and
      analysed by gas chromatography mass spectrometry The analysis results of the VOCs
      produced by the studied bacteria indicate that some VOCs are common and some are
      unique in each bacterium. 1-penten-3-ol, levomenthol, and 2-octyl-1-ol for P.
      aeruginosa, cyclohexene, 4-ethenyl, and cis-Dihydro-alpha-terpinyl acetate for A.
      baumannii and 1,3-butadiene, butyraldehyde, longifolene, octyl acetate,
      tridecanol, dodecenal, (E)-2-hexyl ester, butanoic acid, and 5,5-dodecadinyl-1 12
      diol for K. pneumoniae were identified as unique VOCs for each bacterium.
      Finally, it can be said that an accurate and rapid bacterial detection method can
      be achieved by using a tool that can detect bacterial VOCs. However, more studies
      are needed to design a tool for which all aspects have been assessed, so that it
      can give us a more complete pattern for the use of these compounds as biomarkers.

PMID- 28364793
TI  - Signaling networks in TMPRSS2-ERG positive prostate cancers: Do we need a Pied
      Piper or sharpshooter to deal with "at large" fused oncoprotein.
AB  - Overwhelmingly increasing scientific evidence has provided near complete
      resolution of prostate cancer landscape and it is now more understandable that
      wide ranging factors underlies its development and progression. Increasingly it
      is being realized that genetic/epigenetic factors, Intra-tumoral and inter
      tumoral heterogeneity, loss of apoptosis, dysregulations of spatio-temporally
      controlled signaling cascades, Darwinian evolution in response to therapeutic
      pressures play instrumental role in prostate carcinogenesis. Moreover, multi
      directional patterns of spread between primary tumors and metastatic sites have
      also been studied extensively in prostate cancer. Research over the years has
      gradually and systematically revealed closer association between tumor phenotype
      and type of gene fusion. Latest developments in deep sequencing technologies have
      shown that gene fusions originate in a non-random, cell type dependent manner and
      are much more frequent than previously surmised. These findings enabled sub
      classification and categorization of seemingly identical diseases. Furthermore,
      research methodologies have shown that many gene fusions inform us about risk
      stratification and many chimeric proteins encoded by the fused genes are being
      studied as drug target/s. We partition this multi-component review into the
      molecular basis of formation of fusion transcripts, how protein network is
      regulated in fusion positive prostate cancer cells and therapeutic strategies
      which are currently being investigated to efficiently target fusion transcript
      and its protein product.

PMID- 28364794
TI  - Review of new insights into antimicrobial agents.
AB  - People have known the bacteria and have used various ways to deal with them, from
      a long time ago. Perhaps, natural antibiotics with have been the first step in
      fighting against pathogens. However, several factors, such as dealing with
      unfamiliar bacteria or emergence of drug-resistant species, have motivated us to
      discover new antibiotics or  even change previous types. In this regard, a
      variety of natural and synthetic antibiotics with different origins, mechanism of
      action, structures and functional spectrum, have been developed and used. Some
      impact on the synthesis of nucleic acids and some affect protein synthesis so
      destroy bacteria. There is a ring in the structure of most of the antibiotics
      which gives them special properties. However, despite their numerous advantages,
      antibiotics also have drawbacks ehich limit their use in all situations.
      Therefore, other approaches such as photodynamic therapy (PDT) and antibacterial
      peptides were considered as alternatives. Photodynamic therapy (PDT) is a
      treatment that uses photosensitizing agents, along with light, to kill bacteria.
      The photosensitizing agents only work after they have been activated by certain
      kinds of light. Antibacterial peptides are a unique and diverse group of
      molecules which have  between 12 and 50 amino acids in general.  In this paper,
      will reviewt hree mentioned topics, namely antibiotics, photodynamic therapy and
      antibacterial peptides and will discuss the advantages and disadvantages of each
      approach briefly.

PMID- 28364795
TI  - The significance of DNA methylation profile in metastasis-related genes for the
      progression of colorectal cancer.
AB  - DNA methylation, an epigenetic modification plays a role in the pathogenesis of
      colorectal cancer (CRC). CRC cases, both sporadic and familial, are often
      characterized by abnormal pattern of the cytosine methylation in CpG
      dinucleotides in regulatory regions of genes important for cancer transformation.
      Also genes mutated in CRC can have their epigenetic pattern altered and we
      suggest that changes in DNA methylation array can be important for CRC metastatic
      potential - the main reason of CRC-associated mortality. These genes are: KRAS,
      genes of the Rho family of GTPases, MACC1, Met, MTA1 and RASSF1A. In addition,
      genes encoding miRNA important for epithelial mesenchymal transition and other
      metastasis-related effects, such as mir-9, miR-34 and miR-210 can be good
      candidates for associating their DNA methylation profiles with CRC metastasis.
      Analysis of DNA methylation profile in various stages of CRC along with other
      genetic/epigenetic changes specific for all main stages of CRC transformation
      could help in anti-metastatic therapy immediately after CRC diagnosis. However,
      targeting DNA methylation pattern in CRC therapy is a conception, which requires
      further work to precisely change DNA methylation array, without affecting genes,
      whose expression should not be changed.

PMID- 28364796
TI  - Comparison of two DNA extraction protocols from leave samples of Cotinus
      coggygria, Citrus sinensis and Genus juglans.
AB  - High quality DNA is essential for molecular research. Secondary metabolites can
      affect the quantity and quality DNA. In current research two DNA isolation
      methods including CTAB and Delaporta (protocols 1 & 2 respectively) were applied
      in three leave samples from Cotinus coggygria, Citrus sinensis and Genus juglans
      that their leaves are rich of secondary metabolites. We successfully isolated DNA
      from C. coggygria, C. sinensis and Genus Juglans using the two protocols
      described above. Good quality DNA was isolated from C. coggygria, C. sinensis and
      Genus Juglans using protocol 1, while protocol 2 failed to produce usable DNA
      from these sources. The highest amount of DNA (1.3-1.6) was obtained from them
      using protocol 1. As we discovered, procedure 1 may work better for plants with
      secondary metabolites.

PMID- 28364797
TI  - [A MOOC? A new approach for teaching pathology !]

PMID- 28364798
TI  - Antioxidative cellular response of lepidopteran ovarian cells to photoactivated
      alpha-terthienyl.
AB  - Photodynamic sensitizers as useful alternative agents have been used for
      population control against insect pests, and the response of insect ovarian cells
      towards the photosensitizers is gaining attention because of the next
      reproduction. In this paper, antioxidative responses of lepidopteran ovarian
      Tn5B1-4 and Sf-21 cells to photoactivated alpha-terthienyl (PAT) are
      investigated. PAT shows positive inhibitory cytotoxicity on the two ovarian
      cells, and its inhibition on cell viability is enhanced as the concentrations are
      increased and the irradiation time is extended. Median inhibitory concentrations
      (IC50) are 3.36MUg/ml to Tn5B1-4 cells, and 3.15MUg/ml to Sf-21 cells at 15min-UV
      A irradiation 2h-dark incubation. Under 10.0MUg/ml PAT exposure, 15min-UV-A
      irradiation excites higher ROS production than 5min-UV-A irradiation does in the
      ovarian cells, the maximum ROS content is about 7.1 times in Tn5B1-4 cells and
      4.3 times in Sf-21 cells, and the maximum malondialdehyde levels in Tn5B1-4 and
      Sf-21 cells are about 1.47- and 1.36-fold higher than the control groups,
      respectively. Oxidative stress generated by PAT strongly decreases the activities
      of POD, SOD and CAT, and induces an accumulation of Tn5B1-4 cells in S phase and
      Sf-21 cells in G2/M phase in a concentration-dependent fashion. Apoptosis
      accumulation of Tn5B1-4 cells and the persistent post-irradiation cytotoxicity
      are further observed, indicating different antioxidative tolerance and arrest
      pattern of the two ovarian cells towards the cytotoxicity of PAT.

PMID- 28364799
TI  - Diuron treatment reveals the different roles of two cyclic electron transfer
      pathways in photosystem II in Arabidopsis thaliana.
AB  - Three ecotypes of Arabidopsis thaliana, ecotype Columbia (Wild type, Wt) and two
      mutants (pgr5 and ndf4), were used to evaluate the effects of diuron on
      photosynthetic activity of A. thaliana. It was found that diuron adversely
      affected the fresh weight and chlorophyll content of the plants. Chlorophyll
      fluorescence studies determined that the pgr5 mutant was more sensitive to diuron
      than Wt and the ndf4 mutant. Gene expression analysis revealed different roles
      for the two cyclic electron transfer (CET) pathways, NAD(P)H dehydrogenase (NDH)
      and proton gradient regulation (PGR5) pathways, in the plant after diuron
      treatment. For example, a gene in the NDH pathway, lhca5, was activated in the
      low dose (LD) group in the pgr5 mutant, but was down-regulated in the moderate
      dose (MD) group, along with two other NDH-related genes (ppl2 and ndhH). In the
      PGR5 pathway, the pgr5 gene was functional under conditions of increased stress
      (MD group), and was up-regulated to a greater extent in the ndf4 mutant than that
      in the Wt and pgr5 mutant. Our results suggest that the PGR5 pathway in plants is
      more important than the NDH pathway during resistance to environmental stress.
      Deficiencies in the PGR5 pathway could not be counteracted by the NDH pathway,
      but deficiencies in the NDH pathway could be overcome by stimulating PGR5.

PMID- 28364800
TI  - Pyrethrum-extract induced autophagy in insect cells: A new target?
AB  - Pyrethrum extract (PY) is a natural insecticide that is extensively used across
      the world, and its insecticidal activity is attributed to the presence of six
      active esters known as pyrethrins. PY targets the nervous systems of insects by
      delaying the closure of voltage-gated sodium ion channels in the nerve cells.
      However, limited information is available regarding the toxicity and detailed
      mechanisms of PY activity. This study is aimed at understanding the toxicity
      effect and the underlying mechanisms of PY in cellular level, which have not yet
      been investigated on the non-nervous system of insects. Results of the MTT assay
      showed that the viability of Sf9 cells was inhibited by PY in a time- and
      concentration-dependent manner, and observation under a microscope revealed
      accumulation of intracellular vacuoles. Monodansylcadaverine staining analysis
      and transmission electron microscope images revealed typical autophagic
      morphological changes in PY-treated Sf9 cells. Autophagy-related proteins such as
      LC3, p62, and beclin-1 were detected using by Western blotting. Protein
      expression levels of LC3-II and beclin-1 were upregulated while that of p62 was
      markedly downregulated in a dose-dependent manner upon the PY treatment in Sf9
      cells. In conclusion, these results indicate that PY could induce autophagy in
      the non-nervous system of insects which may contribute to its insecticidal
      mechanism.

PMID- 28364801
TI  - Sulfated lentinan induced mitochondrial dysfunction leads to programmed cell
      death of tobacco BY-2 cells.
AB  - Sulphated lentinan (sLTN) is known to act as a resistance inducer by causing
      programmed cell death (PCD) in tobacco suspension cells. However, the underlying
      mechanism of this effect is largely unknown. Using tobacco BY-2 cell model,
      morphological and biochemical studies revealed that mitochondrial reactive oxygen
      species (ROS) production and mitochondrial dysfunction contribute to sLNT induced
      PCD. Cell viability, and HO/PI fluorescence imaging and TUNEL assays confirmed a
      typical cell death process caused by sLNT. Acetylsalicylic acid (an ROS
      scavenger), diphenylene iodonium (an inhibitor of NADPH oxidases) and
      protonophore carbonyl cyanide p-trifluoromethoxyphenyl hydrazone (a protonophore
      and an uncoupler of mitochondrial oxidative phosphorylation) inhibited sLNT
      induced H2O2 generation and cell death, suggesting that ROS generation linked, at
      least partly, to a mitochondrial dysfunction and caspase-like activation. This
      conclusion was further confirmed by double-stained cells with the mitochondria
      specific marker MitoTracker RedCMXRos and the ROS probe H2DCFDA. Moreover, the
      sLNT-induced PCD of BY-2 cells required cellular metabolism as up-regulation of
      the AOX family gene transcripts and induction of the SA biosynthesis, the TCA
      cycle, and miETC related genes were observed. It is concluded that mitochondria
      play an essential role in the signaling pathway of sLNT-induced ROS generation,
      which possibly provided new insight into the sLNT-mediated antiviral response,
      including PCD.

PMID- 28364802
TI  - Biocontrol potential of Halotolerant bacterial chitinase from high yielding novel
      Bacillus Pumilus MCB-7 autochthonous to mangrove ecosystem.
AB  - The multifaceted role of chitinase in medicine, agriculture, environmental
      remediation and various other industries greatly demands the isolation of high
      yielding chitinase producing microorganisms with improved properties. The current
      study aimed to investigate the isolation, characterization and biocontrol
      prospective of chitinase producing bacterial strains autochthonous to the extreme
      conditions of mangrove ecosystems. Among the 51 bacterial isolates screened,
      Bacillus pumilus MCB-7 with highest chitinase production potential was identified
      and confirmed by 16S rDNA typing. Chitinase enzyme of MCB-7 was purified; the
      chitin degradation was evaluated by SEM and LC-MS. Unlike previously reported
      B.pumilus isolates, MCB-7 exhibited highest chitinase activity of 3.36U/mL,
      active even at high salt concentrations and temperature up to 60 degrees C. The
      crude as well as purified enzyme showed significant antimycotic activity against
      agricultural pathogens such as Aspergillus flavus, Aspergillus niger, Aspergillus
      fumigatus, Ceratorhiza hydrophila and Fusarium oxysporum. The enzyme also
      exhibited biopesticidal role against larvae of Scirpophaga incertulas (Walker).
      [Lep.: Pyralidae], a serious agricultural pest of rice. The high chitinolytic and
      antimycotic potential of MCB-7 increases the prospects of the isolate as an
      excellent biocontrol agent. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first
      report of high chitinase yielding Bacillus pumilus strain from mangrove ecosystem
      with a biocontrol role against phytopathogenic fungi and insect larval pests.

PMID- 28364803
TI  - Pollen viability, physiology, and production of maize plants exposed to
      pyraclostrobin+epoxiconazole.
AB  - The use of fungicides in maize has been more frequent due to an increase in the
      incidence of diseases and also the possible physiological benefits that some of
      these products may cause. However, some of these products (e.g., strobilurins and
      triazoles) may interfere with physiological processes and the formation of
      reproductive organs. Therefore, the effect of these products on plants at
      different developmental stages needs to be better understood to reduce losses and
      maximize production. The effect of the fungicide pyraclostrobin+epoxiconazole
      (P+E) was evaluated at different growth stages in meiosis, pollen grain viability
      and germination, physiology, and production of maize plants in the absence of
      disease. An experiment was carried out with the hybrid DKB390 PROII and the
      application of pyraclostrobin+epoxiconazole at the recommended dose and an
      untreated control at 3 different timings (S1 - V10; S2 - V14; S3 - R1) with 5
      replications. Gas exchange, chlorophyll fluorescence, pollen viability and
      germination, as well as the hundred-grain weight were evaluated. Anthers were
      collected from plants of S1 for cytogenetic analysis. The fungicide
      pyraclostrobin+epoxiconazole reduced the viability of pollen grains (1.4%), but
      this was not enough to reduce production. Moreover, no differences were observed
      in any of the other parameters analyzed, suggesting that P+E at the recommended
      dose and the tested stages does not cause toxic effects.

PMID- 28364804
TI  - Altered gene expression by sedaxane increases PSII efficiency, photosynthesis and
      growth and improves tolerance to drought in wheat seedlings.
AB  - Succinate dehydrogenase inhibitor (SDHI) fungicides have been shown to increase
      PSII efficiency and photosynthesis under drought stress in the absence of disease
      to enhance the biomass and yield of winter wheat. However, the molecular
      mechanism of improved photosynthetic efficiency observed in SDHI-treated wheat
      has not been previously elucidated. Here we used a combination of chlorophyll
      fluorescence, gas exchange and gene expression analysis, to aid our understanding
      of the basis of the physiological responses of wheat seedlings under drought
      conditions to sedaxane, a novel SDHI seed treatment. We show that sedaxane
      increased the efficiency of PSII photochemistry, reduced non-photochemical
      quenching and improved the photosynthesis and biomass in wheat correlating with
      systemic changes in the expression of genes involved in defense, chlorophyll
      synthesis and cell wall modification. We applied a coexpression network-based
      approach using differentially expressed genes of leaves, roots and pregerminated
      seeds from our wheat array datasets to identify the most important hub genes,
      with top ranked correlation (higher gene association value and z-score) involved
      in cell wall expansion and strengthening, wax and pigment biosynthesis and
      defense. The results indicate that sedaxane confers tolerant responses of wheat
      plants grown under drought conditions by redirecting metabolites from
      defense/stress responses towards growth and adaptive development.

PMID- 28364805
TI  - Transcriptomic alterations in Sitophilus zeamais in response to allyl
      isothiocyanate fumigation.
AB  - To study the fumigation mechanisms of Allyl isothiocyanate (AITC) a promising
      biorational alternative to present fumigants (phosphine and methyl bromide), and
      provide theoretical basis for its further development in the control of stored
      grain pests, this research presents a transcriptome analysis of Sitophilus
      zeamais fumigated with AITC at the concentration of LC50 (5.69MUg/mL) and control
      over 8h. 21,869,022 and 23,873,110 clean reads in insects fumigated with AITC and
      control were gained, respectively. The results of RNA-seq were confirmed by qRT
      PCR determination of the expression levels of NADH dehydrogenase subunit 6 and
      Vacuolar ATP synthase subunit B in the insects fumigated with AITC at different
      concentrations. After enrichment analysis of differentially expressed genes, 117
      over-expressed and 271 down-regulated transcripts were gained. Following GO
      enrichment, these transcripts were classified into 38 GO subgroups (at level 2),
      and the majority enriched GO terms were "Binding" "Cell process" and "metabolic".
      KEGG enrichment analysis showed that the majority enriched pathway were "Folding,
      sorting and degradation", "Transport and catabolism", "Energy metabolism", and
      "Carbohydrate metabolism". Connected with previous researches on mechanisms of
      isothiocyanates, cytoskeleton collapse and mitochondria dysfunction are proposed
      to be significant lethal mechanisms of AITC.

PMID- 28364806
TI  - Lufenuron impact upon Anthonomus grandis Boheman (Coleoptera: Curculionidae)
      midgut and its reflection in gametogenesis.
AB  - The insecticide Match(r) (lufenuron), one of the main insect growth regulators
      used in pest control, has been presented as a viable alternative against the boll
      weevil, Anthonomus grandis (Coleoptera: Curculionidae), by inhibiting chitin
      synthesis. Thus, this study aimed to examine whether Match(r) interferes in the
      synthesis of the peritrophic matrix, leading to changes in the midgut epithelium,
      resulting in nutritional deficiency and reflecting, thereby, in the gametogenesis
      process of A. grandis. Floral cotton buds were immersed in the insecticide
      solution (800MUL of Match(r)+200mL of distilled water) and offered to the adult
      insects. The midguts of the insects were evaluated after 24 and 120h after
      feeding. The gonads were evaluated after 120h. The results showed that Match(r),
      in both evaluation periods, induced histopathological alterations such as
      disorganization, vacuolization and desquamation of the midgut epithelium;
      histochemical modifications in the distribution patterns of carbohydrates,
      although without quantitative changes; and a strong decrease in protein levels.
      No apoptosis were observed, however, there was an increase in the number of
      regenerative cell nests. In the testicles, a reduction in the amount of
      spermatozoids and reduced carbohydrate levels were observed, but no difference in
      protein levels. The ovarioles presented structural disorganization of follicular
      cells, yolk reduction and decrease in protein levels, however, no change in
      carbohydrates levels was noted. Therefore, it is concluded that Match(r) performs
      histopathologic and histochemical alterations in the midgut epithelium and the
      gonads of A. grandis adults, reflecting in the gametogenesis process, presenting
      itself as a promising tool in the management of this pest on cotton crops.

PMID- 28364807
TI  - Laboratory selection of chlorpyrifos resistance in an Invasive Pest, Phenacoccus
      solenopsis (Homoptera: Pseudococcidae): Cross-resistance, stability and fitness
      cost.
AB  - The cotton mealybug, Phenacoccus solenopsis is an important polyphagous sucking
      pest of ornamentals, horticultural and fiber crops worldwide. Some P. solenopsis
      populations have developed insecticide resistance. This study evaluated cross
      resistance, stability of insecticide resistance and life history traits affected
      by chlorpyrifos resistance in P. solenopsis. After nine generations selected with
      chlorpyrifos, P. solenopsis exhibited a 539.76-fold resistance level compared to
      an unselected population (UNSEL Pop). Chlorpyrifos selected population (Chlor-SEL
      Pop) displayed moderate cross-resistance to profenofos, nitenpyram and high cross
      resistance to lambda-cyhalothrin. Biological parameters of P. Solenopsis were
      affected by chlorpyrifos resistance. The Chlor-SEL Pop had a significant
      reduction in fitness (relative fitness=0.10), along with significant decreases in
      pupal weight, fecundity, egg hatching %, intrinsic rate of natural population
      increase, biotic potential, and mean relative growth rate. It is concluded that
      selection with chlorpyrifos had marked effect on resistance development in P.
      solenopsis and upon removal of selection pressure chlorpyrifos resistance
      declined significantly indicating unstable resistance. Development of resistance
      led to high fitness costs for the chlorpyrifos-selected strain. These findings
      should be helpful for better and more successful resistance management of P.
      solenopsis.

PMID- 28364808
TI  - Suppressing the activity of trehalase with validamycin disrupts the trehalose and
      chitin biosynthesis pathways in the rice brown planthopper, Nilaparvata lugens.
AB  - Trehalase (TRE) is a key enzyme in trehalose degradation and has important
      functions in insect growth and chitin synthesis. Though validamycin has the
      potential for pest control by suppressing TRE activities, it is not known whether
      validamycin acts on both trehalose and chitin metabolism. TRE1 and TRE2
      activities and glucose and glycogen contents decreased significantly after the
      injection of different doses of validamycin solution compared with the control
      group, while the trehalose content increased significantly. Overall, it showed
      that about 13 to 38% insects was appeared abnormal phenotypes, and 10 to 57% of
      insects died 48h after injection of solutions with different concentrations of
      validamycin; the chitin content also decreased significantly. Validamycin altered
      the relative expression levels of trehalose, glycogen and chitin metabolism
      related genes by suppressing the activities of two TREs. We showed that the
      expression levels of three TRE and two trehalose-6-phosphate synthase (TPS) genes
      increased, while the expression levels of GP; CHS1 and its two transcripts,
      CHS1a, CHS1b; six chitinases, including Cht3, Cht4, Cht5, Cht6, Cht7, Cht9; and
      the HK, G6PI2, GFAT, GNPNA, PAGM1, UAP, VVL, CI and AP genes decreased
      significantly 48h after the injection of any validamycin concentration compared
      with the control group. These results demonstrate that by inhibiting the
      activities of two TREs, validamycin alters N. lugens chitin synthesis and
      degradation and affects trehalose and chitin metabolism-related gene expression.
      The development of TRE inhibitors may provide effective pest control in the
      future.

PMID- 28364810
TI  - Liver Transplantation and Bariatric Surgery: Best Approach.
AB  - Obesity has become increasingly prevalent, and the number of obese patients in
      need of liver transplant is expected to continue to increase. In addition, liver
      disease due to nonalcoholic fatty liver disease is expected to become the leading
      cause of liver transplantation in the near future. However, obesity remains a
      relative contraindication in liver transplant. New strategies in managing this
      patient population are clearly needed. To this end, the authors review the
      current literature on the efficacy of bariatric surgery in the setting of liver
      transplantation in obese patients.

PMID- 28364809
TI  - Influence of Ephestia kuehniella stage larvae on the potency of Bacillus
      thuringiensis Cry1Aa delta-endotoxin.
AB  - The economically important crop pest Ephestia kuehniella was tested at two stages
      of larval development for susceptibility to Bacillus thuringiensis Cry1Aa toxin.
      Bioassays showed that toxicity decreased during the development of larvae stage.
      In fact, Cry1Aa toxins from BNS3-Cry- (pHT-cry1Aa) showed low toxicity against
      the first-instar larvae (L1) with a LC50 value of about 421.02MUg/g of diet and
      was not toxic against the fifth-instar (L5), comparing to the BLB1 toxins used as
      positive control which represent a LC50 value of about 56.96 and 84.21MUg/g of
      diet against L1 and L5 instars larvae, respectively. Effects of Cry1Aa toxins
      were reflected in histopathological observations by the weak destruction of
      midgut epithelium, slight hypertrophy of epithelial cells, and minor alteration
      of brush border membrane (BBM) detected mainly in L1 larvae stage comparing to
      the more extensive damage caused by BLB1 toxins. Interestingly, in vitro
      proteolysis of Cry1Aa toxins was found to correlate with the difference of
      toxicity during larval stage development. In fact, the weak proteinase activity
      detected inside the L1 midgut has led to the persistence of the Cry1Aa active
      forms (65 and 58kDa) during prolonged incubations, causing the alterations
      described previously. Three subfamilies of aminopeptidase (APN) receptors were
      detected in both larvae instars with different intensities and molecular weights
      (150kDa and 55kDa for APN1, and 90kDa for APN2 and APN4). Remarkably, binding
      assay using Cry1Aa toxin seems to have no direct correlation with larval stages
      toxicity differences, since same putative receptors were detected. Understanding
      the reasons for the clear differences in the effectiveness of Cry1Aa toxins
      during larval development stages of E. kuehniella is very important for the
      design of future improvement insecticidal approaches and for the accomplishment
      of resistance prevention strategies.

PMID- 28364811
TI  - Treatment Options in Patients Awaiting Liver Transplantation with Hepatocellular
      Carcinoma and Cholangiocarcinoma.
AB  - Liver transplantation (LT) provides a good chance of cure for selected patients
      with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and perihilar cholangiocarcinoma (pCCA).
      Patients with HCC on a waiting list for LT are at risk for tumor progression and
      dropout. Treatment of HCC with locoregional therapies may lessen dropout due to
      tumor progression. Strict selection and adherence to the LT criteria for patients
      with pCCA before and after neoadjuvant chemotherapy are critical for optimal
      outcome with LT. This article reviews the existing data for the various treatment
      strategies used for patients with HCC and pCCA awaiting LT.

PMID- 28364812
TI  - Coagulopathy Before and After Liver Transplantation: From the Hepatic to the
      Systemic Circulatory Systems.
AB  - The hemostatic environment in patients with cirrhosis is a delicate balance
      between prohemostatic and antihemostatic factors. There is a lack of effective
      laboratory measures of the hemostatic system in patients with cirrhosis. Many are
      predisposed to pulmonary embolus, deep vein thrombosis, and portal vein
      thrombosis in the pretransplantation setting. This pretransplantation
      hypercoagulable milieu seems to extend for at least several months post
      transplantation. Patients with nonalcoholic fatty liver disease, inherited
      thrombophilia, portal hypertension in the absence of cirrhosis, and
      hepatocellular carcinoma often require individualized approach to
      anticoagulation. Early reports suggest a potential role for low-molecular-weight
      heparins and direct-acting anticoagulants.

PMID- 28364813
TI  - Model for End-Stage Liver Disease-Sodium Score: The Evolution in the
      Prioritization of Liver Transplantation.
AB  - The adoption of the model of end-stage liver disease (MELD) score as surrogate
      marker of liver disease severity has been the greatest change in liver
      allocation. Since its implementation, waiting time has lost significance. The
      MELD score calculation was later modified to reflect the contribution of
      hyponatremia in the estimation of mortality risk. However, the MELD score does
      not capture accurately the risk of mortality of patients with hepatocellular
      carcinoma (HCC). Therefore the arbitrary assignment of MELD points has been used
      for HCC patients. The current allocation system still prioritizes transplantation
      in HCC patients.

PMID- 28364814
TI  - Extended Criteria Donors in Liver Transplantation.
AB  - Mortality rates on the liver transplant waiting list are increasing. The shortage
      of organs has resulted in higher utilization of extended criteria donors (ECDs),
      with centers pushing the limits of what is acceptable for transplantation. Donor
      quality is more appropriately represented as a continuum of risk, and careful
      selection and matching of ECD grafts with recipients may lead to excellent
      outcomes. Although there is no precise definition for what constitutes an ECD
      liver, this review focuses on frequently cited characteristics, including donor
      age, steatosis, donation after cardiac death, and donors with increased risk of
      disease transmission.

PMID- 28364815
TI  - Challenges in Renal Failure Treatment Before Liver Transplant.
AB  - Acute kidney injury (AKI) is common in patients with cirrhosis and ascites on the
      waiting list for liver transplant. Hepatorenal syndrome (HRS) is an important
      cause of AKI among cirrhotics. A dynamic definition of AKI in patients with
      cirrhosis has been introduced and changed the diagnosis criteria. Liver
      transplantation remains the better option but the medical management of HRS has
      changed. Terlipressin plus albumin is currently the gold standard. Surgery and
      liver or kidney support systems have been recommended. Clinical trials will
      assess the most appropriate approach for the treatment of HRS in light of the
      revised diagnostic criteria.

PMID- 28364816
TI  - De Novo and Recurrence of Nonalcoholic Steatohepatitis After Liver
      Transplantation.
AB  - Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is the most common cause of chronic
      liver disease in developing countries. Approximately 25% of patients with NAFLD
      develop nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH). NASH-related cirrhosis is now a
      leading listing indication for liver transplantation in the United States.
      Although posttransplant survival for NASH-related cirrhosis is comparable with
      that of other liver diseases, many patients have features of metabolic syndrome,
      which can contribute to a recurrence of NAFLD or NASH. This article reviews the
      epidemiology, pathophysiology, and treatment of de novo and recurrence of NASH
      after liver transplantation.

PMID- 28364817
TI  - Management of Immunosuppression in Liver Transplantation.
AB  - Liver transplantation outcomes have significantly improved over the past few
      decades owing largely to the introduction of effective immunosuppression
      medications. Further comprehension of the unique immune microenvironment of the
      liver has led to the development of newer molecular targeted therapeutics.
      Understanding the mechanism of action and adverse effect profiles of these
      medications is crucial for appropriate management of posttransplant patients. In
      this review, the author describes the immunologic response elicited by liver
      transplantation, chronicles the various immunosuppressant drug classes, discusses
      the evidence behind their use, and evaluates the management of special
      subpopulations of posttransplantation patients.

PMID- 28364818
TI  - Liver Transplantation in Alpha-1 Antitrypsin Deficiency.
AB  - Alpha-1 antitrypsin (AAT) deficiency is a common inherited metabolic disorder
      caused by a point mutation in the SERPIN1A gene. A small portion of homozygous
      PI*ZZ individuals develop severe liver disease that requires liver
      transplantation. Posttransplant survival is excellent. The largest burden of
      advanced liver disease lies within the adult population rather than children.
      Evaluation of lung function in adults before transplant is essential because of
      the underlying risk for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Post-liver
      transplantation lung function should also be monitored for decline. Although
      uncommon, cases of simultaneous lung and liver transplant for AAT deficiency have
      been reported.

PMID- 28364819
TI  - Predictors of Cardiovascular Events After Liver Transplantation.
AB  - Indications for liver transplant have been extended, and older and sicker
      patients are undergoing transplantation. Infectious, malignant, and
      cardiovascular diseases account for the most posttransplant deaths. Cirrhotic
      patients can develop heart disease through systemic diseases affecting the heart
      and the liver, cirrhosis-specific heart disease, or common cardiovascular. No
      single factor can predict posttransplant cardiovascular complications. Patients
      with history of cardiovascular disease, and specific abnormalities on
      echocardiography, electrocardiography, or serum markers of heart disease seem to
      be at increased risk of complications. Pretransplant cardiovascular evaluation is
      essential to detecting these risk factors so their effects can be mitigated
      through appropriate intervention.

PMID- 28364821
TI  - Cholestatic Liver Diseases After Liver Transplant.
AB  - Primary sclerosing cholangitis (PSC) and primary biliary cholangitis (PBC) are
      the most common cholestatic liver diseases (CLD) in adults. Liver transplant (LT)
      is desirable for those who progress to end-stage liver disease. CLD have become
      an uncommon indication for LT. PSC and PBC accounted for 7.1% of all adult LT in
      2015. CLD have the best post-LT outcomes compared with other indications for LT.
      Disease recurrence of PSC and PBC after LT is reported in up to 37% and 43% of LT
      recipients, respectively. Although recurrent PBC does not affect post-LT
      outcomes, recurrent PSC is associated with worse post-LT survival.

PMID- 28364823
TI  - Liver Retransplantation: How Much Is Too Much?
AB  - Hepatic retransplantation has been surgically challenging since the beginning of
      liver transplant. Outcomes have improved over time, but patient survival with
      retransplant continues to be significantly worse than that of primary transplant.
      Many studies have focused on factors to predict outcomes. Models have been
      developed to help predict risk, but the decision for retransplant must be a
      multidisciplinary transplant team decision. The question of "when is too much?"
      can be guided by recipient and donor factors but is an ethical decision that must
      be made by the liver transplant team.

PMID- 28364822
TI  - The New Era of Hepatitis C: Therapy in Liver Transplant Recipients.
AB  - Hepatitis C virus (HCV) is the leading cause of end-stage liver disease in both
      Europe and the United States and is the most common reason for liver transplant.
      In the absence of antiviral therapy, recurrent infection is the norm with
      subsequent graft hepatitis and impaired survival. Whether it may be better to
      postpone therapy in patients in whom higher risk of failure and toxicity is
      coupled with lower chance of liver function improvement likely depends on several
      factors, including waiting time, center allocation policy, presence of
      hepatocellular carcinoma and local prevalence of anti-HCV-positive donors.

PMID- 28364824
TI  - Erratum.

PMID- 28364820
TI  - Autoimmune Hepatitis in the Liver Transplant Graft.
AB  - Recurrent autoimmune hepatitis (AIH) and de novo AIH are 2 important causes of
      late graft failure after liver transplantation (LT). Recurrent AIH occurs in
      patients who undergo LT for AIH. De novo AIH occurs in patients who are
      transplanted for etiologies other than AIH. Although typically treated with
      standard treatment for AIH, including corticosteroids and azathioprine, both
      recurrent and de novo AIH may progress to end-stage liver disease requiring
      retransplantation.

PMID- 28364825
TI  - Liver Transplantation in the Twenty-First Century.

PMID- 28364826
TI  - Hand hygiene mantra: teach, monitor, improve, and celebrate.

PMID- 28364827
TI  - Common decisions made and actions taken during small-animal consultations at
      eight first-opinion practices in the United Kingdom.
AB  - In order for veterinary surgeons to undertake an evidence-based approach to
      making decisions about their patients, it is important that new evidence is
      generated to support the clinical decision-making process. Many of the decisions
      are likely to be around the actions taken to treat or manage health problems
      discussed during the consultation, and little is currently known about the
      factors which affect the type of action taken. The aim of this study was to
      determine the decisions made and actions taken for health problems discussed
      during first-opinion small-animal consultations, as well as identifying factors
      which may affect the decision-making process. Data were gathered during direct
      observation of small-animal consultations conducted by 62 veterinary surgeons in
      eight first-opinion practices in the United Kingdom. For each patient presented,
      data were gathered on all health problems discussed during the consultation. The
      decision made (whether an action was taken or not) and the action taken where
      applicable (e.g. therapeutic treatment with antibiotics) was also recorded. A
      three-level multivariable logistic-regression model was developed, with problem
      (Level 1) nested within patient (Level 2) nested within consulting veterinary
      surgeon (Level 3), and a binary outcome variable of action versus no action. At
      least one action was taken for 69% (n=2203/3192) of all problems discussed.
      Therapeutic treatment was the most common action taken (n=1286/3192 problems;
      40.3%), followed by management advice (n=1040/3192; 32.6%) and diagnostic work-up
      (n=323/3192; 10.1%). The most common therapeutic treatment was antibiotics
      (n=386/1286; 30%), while the most common management advice given was dietary
      advice (n=509/1040; 48.9%). The three explanatory variables remaining in the
      final model were whether the problem was a presenting or non-presenting problem,
      the type of diagnosis made, and the body system affected. Explanatory variables
      which did not remain in the final model were patient signalment, problem history,
      consultation type, clinical examination type, and who raised the problem
      (veterinary surgeon or owner). For over two-thirds of problems discussed, an
      action was taken which suggests these problems may be seen as important by the
      veterinary surgeon and/or pet owner. No action was taken for almost a third of
      cases which could represent 'watchful waiting', which has been highlighted as
      important in human healthcare. Future research should focus on the common actions
      taken, further exploring the complex decision-making process, and examining the
      effect of the decisions made on long-term patient outcomes.

PMID- 28364828
TI  - On-farm mortality, causes and risk factors in Estonian beef cow-calf herds.
AB  - High on-farm mortality is associated with lower financial return of production
      and poor animal health and welfare. Understanding the reasons for on-farm
      mortality and related risk factors allows focus on specific prevention measures.
      This retrospective cohort study used cattle registry data from the years 2013 and
      2014, collected from cattle from all Estonian cow-calf beef herds. The dataset
      contained 78,605 animal records from 1321 farms in total. Including unassisted
      deaths and euthanasia (2199 in total) the on-farm mortality rate was 2.14 per 100
      animal-years. Across all age groups of both sexes the mortality rate (MR) was
      highest for bull calves up to three months old (MR=7.78 per 100 animal-years, 95%
      CI 6.97; 8.68) followed by that for heifer calves (MR=6.21 per 100 animal-years,
      95% CI 5.49; 7.02). For female cattle the mortality risk declined after three
      months of age but increased again among animals over 18 months. The reason for
      death stated by the farmers was analysed for cattle under animal performance
      testing. Other/unknown reasons, trauma and accidents, as well as metabolic and
      digestive disorders, formed the three most commonly reported reasons for death in
      cattle of all age groups. Weibull proportional hazard models with farm frailty
      effects were applied in three age categories (calves up to three months,
      youngstock from three to 18 months and cattle aged over 18 months) to identify
      factors associated with the risk of mortality. Male sex was associated with
      increased risk of mortality in cattle up to 18 months of age. No difference
      between breeds was found for cattle up to 18 months of age. Beef cattle breeds
      rarely represented or dairy breeds (breed category 'Other') had the highest
      mortality hazard (HR=1.41, 95% CI 1.11; 1.78) compared to Hereford. The hazard of
      mortality generally increased with herd size for calves, young stock and older
      bulls. In female cattle over 18 months of age there was no difference in
      mortality hazard over herd size categories. Herd location was controlled in the
      models and regional differences in mortality hazard were found. Common to all age
      groups, calving season was associated with increased risk of mortality.

PMID- 28364829
TI  - Point of truth calibration for disease prioritisation-A case study of
      prioritisation of exotic diseases for the pig industry in Australia.
AB  - The objective of this study was to trial point of truth calibration (POTCal) as a
      novel method for disease prioritisation. To illustrate the application of this
      method, we used a previously described case-study of prioritisation of exotic
      diseases for the pig industry in Australia. Disease scenarios were constructed
      from criteria which described potential impact and pig-producers were asked to
      score the importance of each scenario. POTCal was used to model participants'
      estimates of disease importance as a function of the criteria, to derive a
      predictive model to prioritise a range of exotic diseases. The best validation of
      producers' estimates was achieved using a model derived from all responses. The
      highest weighted criteria were attack rate, case fatality rate and market loss,
      and the highest priority diseases were the vesicular diseases followed by swine
      fevers and zoonotic encephalitides. Comparison of results with a previous study
      in which probabilistic inversion was used to prioritise diseases for the same
      group of producers highlighted differences between disease prioritisation
      methods. Overall, this study demonstrated that POTCal can be used for disease
      prioritisation. An advantage of POTCal is that valid models can be developed that
      reflect decision-makers' heuristics. Specifically, this evaluation of the use of
      POTCal in animal health illustrates how the judgements of participants can be
      incorporated into a decision-making process. Further research is needed to
      investigate the influence of scenarios presented to participants during POTCal
      evaluations, and the robustness of this approach applied to different disease
      issues (e.g. exotic versus endemic) and production types (e.g. intensive versus
      extensive). To our knowledge, this is the first report of the use of POTCal for
      disease prioritisation.

PMID- 28364831
TI  - Using local language syndromic terminology in participatory epidemiology: Lessons
      for One Health practitioners among the Maasai of Ngorongoro, Tanzania.
AB  - Pastoralists and agro-pastoralists often occupy remote and hostile environments,
      which lack infrastructure and capacity in human and veterinary healthcare and
      disease surveillance systems. Participatory epidemiology (PE) and Participatory
      Disease Surveillance (PDS) are particularly useful in situations of resource
      scarcity, where conventional diagnostics and surveillance data of disease
      prevalence may be intermittent or limited. Livestock keepers, when participating
      in PE studies about health issues, commonly use their local language terms, which
      are often syndromic and descriptive in nature. Practitioners of PE recommend
      confirmation of their findings with triangulation including biomedical diagnostic
      techniques. However, the latter is not practiced in all studies, usually due to
      time, financial or logistical constraints. A cross sectional study was undertaken
      with the Maasai of Ngorongoro District, Tanzania. It aimed to identify the terms
      used to describe the infectious diseases of livestock and humans with the
      greatest perceived impact on livelihoods. Furthermore, it aimed to characterise
      the usefulness and limitations of relying on local terminology when conducting PE
      studies in which diagnoses were not confirmed. Semi-structured interviews were
      held with 23 small groups, totalling 117 community members within five villages
      across the district. In addition, informal discussions and field observations
      were conducted with village elders, district veterinary and medical officers,
      meat inspectors and livestock field officers. For human conditions including
      zoonoses, several biomedical terms are now part of the common language.
      Conversely, livestock conditions are described using local Maasai terms, usually
      associated with the signs observed by the livestock keeper. Several of these
      descriptive, syndromic terms are used inconsistently and showed temporal and
      spatial variations. This study highlights the complexity and ambiguity which may
      exist in local terminology when used in PE studies. It emphases the need for
      further analysis of such findings, including laboratory diagnosis where possible
      to improve specificity before incorporating them into PDS or disease control
      interventions.

PMID- 28364830
TI  - Impact of a 3-year pet management program on pet population and owner's
      perception.
AB  - Although pet population management programs have been established worldwide, few
      reports on program evaluation have been carried out to date. Accordingly, a 3
      year longitudinal study has been carried out in a 4000 household neighborhood
      located within the metropolitan area of Curitiba, the eighth most populated city
      of Brazil. Visits were conducted and questionnaires completed to estimate and
      characterize the local pet population (animal sex, reproductive and vaccination
      status, street access). Care provided by owners, community perception on stray
      dog management and the possible changes were compared in these variables over
      time (2010 and 2013) were evaluated, after the establishment of a city pet
      population management program. In addition, associations between having children,
      owning dogs and cats, responsible pet ownership education and owner's perception
      on stray dogs were statistically tested. A total of 354/4000 (8.9%) household
      families were interviewed in 2010 and 70/354 (19.8%) of the same families again
      in 2013. No significant changes were found in overall number of dogs and cats and
      average pet age, animal care and owner's perception on stray dogs following the 3
      year population management program. In 2010, an average of 1.6 dogs and 0.3 cats
      were found per family, with slightly more females (51.3% dogs and 51.1% cats),
      adults (4.0+/-3.5years for dogs and 2.1+/-2.4 for cats), intact (not neutered;
      94.2% dogs and 84.0% cats) and lacking regular visit to veterinarian (71.6%).
      Although more families (53.1%) had children under 12 years old, no association
      was found between having children and having dogs and cats. Questionnaires
      revealed that owners perceived neutering/spaying to be the best pet population
      control method (42.4%), with "society" (50%) and "government" (49.4%) as
      responsible for pet population management. A significant positive association has
      been found between education level and the best way to control stray dogs
      (p=0.03), between having dogs and in favor of neutering/spaying (p=0.04) and
      considering neutering/spaying as the best control method (p=0.02). The chances of
      thinking the best way to control stray dogs by neutering/spaying and adoption
      were almost 2.0 fold higher than other methods. In conclusion, the present study
      has provided indicators (education level, having dogs) for pet population control
      program assessment and effectiveness evaluation. Moreover, this study may serve
      as a warning on the real long-term effect of such programs, which should be
      periodically evaluated to identify necessary adjustments and/or improvements.

PMID- 28364832
TI  - Investigation of in-feed organic acids as a low cost strategy to combat
      Salmonella in grower pigs.
AB  - Salmonella carriage in pigs is a significant food safety issue. Dietary
      supplementation with organic acids has previously been shown to reduce shedding
      and transmission of Salmonella. Therefore, this study aimed to examine the effect
      of three commercially available organic acid-based products on Salmonella levels
      in grower pigs, using a model of experimental infection that closely mimics
      natural exposure to the organism. Seven week old trial pigs (n=40) with a mean
      weight of 14.7kg were placed in one of four pens with 10 pigs/pen. Pens had
      previously been contaminated with Salmonella Typhimurium 4,[5],12;i;- via seeder
      pigs. Trial pigs received one of four diets for 28days: 1, control diet; 2,
      sodium butyrate supplemented diet; 3, benzoic acid supplemented diet and 4,
      formic-citric acid supplemented diet. A further 10 pigs were placed in a
      Salmonella-free pen receiving the control diet. Pigs were weighed and blood
      sampled on days 0 and 28. Faeces was collected on day 0, 2, 3, 5, 7, 14, 21 and
      28 and examined for Salmonella. On day 28, 5 pigs/group were euthanised and
      ileocaecal lymph nodes (ILN) and caecal contents sampled for culture. The
      remaining 5 pigs/pen were then fed the control diet and faeces were collected on
      days 35 and 42. On day 42 pigs were euthanised and ILN and caecal contents tested
      for Salmonella levels. The trial was repeated once. Within the first two days of
      exposure to the contaminated environment, 96% (77/80) of pigs became infected.
      Most pigs shed Salmonella at levels of between 100-103 CFU/g faeces for at least
      7days post-exposure. A significant reduction in Salmonella faecal concentration
      was observed after supplementation with sodium butyrate (p=0.001) and a formic
      citric acid blend (p<0.0001). Average daily weight gain (ADWG) was significantly
      increased in all groups fed the supplemented feed when compared to the positive
      control group. The use of sodium butyrate or a blend of formic and citric acid in
      feed could be considered a cost-effective control measure to reduce Salmonella
      faecal shedding and improve ADWG in Salmonella infected herds.

PMID- 28364833
TI  - Peripartum dynamics of Coxiella burnetii infections in intensively managed dairy
      goats associated with a Q fever outbreak in Australia.
AB  - Coxiella burnetii may cause reproduction disorders in pregnant animals but
      subclinical infection in other animals. Unrecognised disease may delay
      implementation of control interventions, resulting in transmission of infection
      to other livestock and to humans. Seroreactivity to C. burnetii phase-specific
      antigens, is routinely used to interpret the course of human Q fever. This
      approach could be similarly useful in identifying new and existing infections in
      livestock herds to help describe risk factors or production losses associated
      with the infections and the implementation of disease-control interventions. This
      study aimed to elucidate the dynamics of C. burnetii infections using
      seroreactivity to phase-specific antigens and to examine the impact of infection
      on milk yield in goats in an endemically-infected farm that was associated with a
      Q fever outbreak in Australia. Seroreactivity pre- and post-partum and milk yield
      were studied in 164 goats (86 nulliparous and 78 parous). Post-partum, the
      seroprevalence of antibodies to C. burnetti increased from 4.7% to 31.4%
      throughout goats' first kiddings and from 47.4% to 55.1% in goats kidding for the
      second or greater time. Of 123 goats that were seronegative pre-partum, 26.8%
      seroconverted over the three-month peri-partum period, highlighting the
      importance of controlling infection throughout this time. The risk of
      seroconversion was comparable in first or later kidders, suggesting constant risk
      irrespective of parity. No loss in milk production associated with seroconversion
      to phase 2 was observed within the first nine weeks of lactation. However,
      seroconversion to only phase 1 was associated with extra 0.276L of milk per day
      (95% Confidence Interval: 0.010, 0.543; P=0.042), which warrants further
      investigation to ascertain whether or not the association is causal. Further
      studies on seroreactivity and milk production over longer periods are required,
      as milk production loss caused by C. burnetti may be an additional reason to
      control the disease in goat herds.

PMID- 28364835
TI  - Canine tungiasis: High prevalence in a tourist region in Bahia state, Brazil.
AB  - Tungiasis is a parasitic skin disease neglected by authorities, health
      professionals, and the general population. Its occurrence is significantly
      associated with poverty. A cross-sectional study was conducted to describe the
      prevalence of tungiasis, associated clinical signs and risk factors of the canine
      population at a tourist site in the city of Ilheus, Bahia (northeast Brazil). All
      village households were visited and dogs inspected after authorization by owners.
      A semi-structured questionnaire was administered. Of the 114 dogs included in the
      study, 71 (62.3%) were infested; all of them had lesions on their pads. An
      ectopic lesion on the nose was observed in one dog (1.4%). The number of
      manipulated lesions outnumbered the number of vital and avital lesions with an
      average of 88.3%. Edema (95.8%) and hyperkeratosis (85.9%) were the most
      prevalent clinical signs. Behavioral disorders such as excessive licking (6/71;
      8.5%), disobedience (1/71; 1.4%) and prostration (2/71; 2.8%) were reported. In
      the multi-variate analysis, semi-restricted condition of the dogs (adjusted
      OR=8.58; 95% CI=2.47-29.76) and the presence of sand on the compound (adjusted
      OR=14.23, 95% CI=2.88-70.28) were significantly associated with infestation. We
      concluded that, infestation with Tunga spp. is highly endemic in the canine
      population of the village. The low level of restrictions on dogs and the presence
      of sand in areas most frequented by the animals are perpetuating factors of
      infestation in the community, subject to integrated and multidisciplinary
      intervention measures.

PMID- 28364834
TI  - Chinese farmers' willingness to accept compensation to practice safe disposal of
      HPAI infected chicken.
AB  - Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI) is a high morbidity and mortality
      zoonotic disease, which threatens poultry and human health. An outbreak of
      disease in China requires strict slaughter and disposal of all chickens within a
      three-kilometer radius, incurring large private costs for farmers and encouraging
      black market transactions. A stated preference survey of 331 farmers across six
      provinces in China was conducted in 2015, in order to measure the responsiveness
      of farmers to accept various compensation prices for safely disposing of HPAI
      infected chicken. Findings suggest that about 25% and 40% of farmers in South and
      North China respectively would not adopt safe disposal at the current
      compensation price (10 yuan/bird) offered by the government. However, 80% of
      farmers would adopt safe disposal if the compensation price increased to 14.1
      yuan in South China and 18.9 yuan in North China. The adoption of safe disposal
      by farmers was positively and significantly influenced by compensation price
      (p=0.000) and regular contact with epidemic prevention staff (p=0.094). However,
      adoption was negatively and significantly influenced by net farm income (p=0.100)
      and chicken production income percentage (p=0.014). Although half of (51%) of
      farmers were willing to receive zero compensation, a reasonable compensation
      scheme along with strengthened supervision, may be considered the most effective
      strategy to encourage safe disposal of HPAI infected chicken and reduce the risks
      associated with black market transactions.

PMID- 28364836
TI  - Molecular diagnosis and phylogeographic analysis of Trypanosoma evansi in dogs
      (Canis lupus familiaris) suggest an epidemiological importance of this species in
      Colombia.
AB  - Surra disease is a zoonosis caused by Trypanosoma (Trypanozoon) evansi, a
      salivary trypanosome, originally from Africa, which affects a wide range of
      mammalian worldwide. Dogs are highly susceptible to T. evansi infection and they
      often exhibit strong clinical signs than can lead to death, even within weeks in
      untreated acute cases. The present survey is the first report through clinical,
      parasitological and molecular approaches, of two fatal cases of T. evansi in
      Colombian dogs. After analysing two presumptive cases of infection with
      Trypanosoma spp., in dogs by parasitological methods, we confirmed by molecular
      techniques the presence of T. evansi, finding clinical signs such as anaemia,
      thrombocytopenia and hepatosplenomegaly, with fatal outcomes within a week even
      after the treatment. A phylogenetic and phylogeographic analysis of both isolates
      from T. evansi, suggest a complex evolutionary relationship with species of
      Trypanozoon subgenus. Moreover, the haplotype H2 was observed for the first time
      in Colombia, in common areas where human cases of T. evansi infection has been
      reported. These findings imply a relevant problem for animal health in the
      country, and highlight the importance of this infection in domestic animals and
      the possibility of human cases.

PMID- 28364837
TI  - The science identity and entering a science occupation.
AB  - The initiative to increase the number of students in STEM disciplines and train
      them for a science-related job is a current national focus. Using longitudinal
      panel data from a national study that followed underrepresented college students
      in STEM fields, we investigate the neglected role that social psychological
      processes play in influencing science activity among the young. We study the
      impact of identity processes related to being a science student on entering a
      science occupation. More broadly, we examine whether an identity formulated in
      one institutional setting (education) has effects that persist to another
      institutional setting (the economy). We find that the science identity positively
      impacts the likelihood of entering a science occupation. It also serves as a
      mediator for other factors that are related to educational success. This provides
      insight into how an identity can guide behavior to move persons into structural
      positions across institutional domains.

PMID- 28364838
TI  - How does the personal become political? Assessing the impact of mothers'
      employment on daughters' participation in political organizations.
AB  - The "Millennial" generation grew up in a period of changing gender roles, when
      labor force participation of mothers of young children was rapidly increasing.
      Past research has found that daughters of employed mothers are more likely to
      defy traditional gender scripts by seeking employment and authority positions.
      Building on this literature, I assess whether exposure to a full-time employed
      mother has an impact on Millennial women's participation in political
      organizations. I use prospective data on childhood context from the Panel Study
      of Income Dynamics, and apply propensity score weighting and a matching technique
      based on covariates. Evidence suggests that exposure to a full-time employed
      mother increases participation in political organizations for low-SES daughters.
      According to sensitivity tests, these findings are reasonably robust to
      unobserved confounders. In contrast, exposure to a full-time employed mother does
      not have a significant effect on the participation of sons or high-SES daughters.

PMID- 28364839
TI  - Disparate vantage points: Race, gender, county context, and attitudes about harsh
      punishments in the US.
AB  - In this paper, I use data from the General Social Survey, FBI Uniform Crime
      Reporting Statistics, and other sources to consider differences in attitudes
      about punishment among four groups-Black men, Black women, White men, and White
      women-as well as how these differences vary according to county crime rates.
      Centering my expectations about group-specific attitudes within conflict theory
      and prior empirical findings, I am guided by the presumption that race and gender
      are cultural categories that shape attitudes about punishment by influencing our
      interactions with the criminal justice system, and that the meaning of these
      cultural categories varies by context. Analyses provide some evidence that race,
      gender, and context interact to shape attitudes about punishment. Overall, this
      research improves our understanding of group differences in punitive attitudes
      and of the cultural context in which the US system of incarceration operates.

PMID- 28364840
TI  - Status inconsistency in groups: How discrepancies between instrumental and
      expressive status result in symptoms of stress.
AB  - This study examines whether a mismatch between the positions that individuals
      hold in different status hierarchies results in symptoms of stress. Prior
      research has focused on inconsistencies between socioeconomic status dimensions
      (e.g., education and income) and did not find a significant relation between
      status inconsistency and stress. In this paper, we build on research on role
      differentiation and propose to study the effect of inconsistencies between
      instrumental status and expressive status in group contexts. We hypothesize that
      people with an inconsistency between these status dimensions experience feelings
      of uncertainty and frustration in their interactions with others and this
      manifests in stress-related symptoms. We test this hypothesis with data collected
      in a medium-sized Dutch childcare organization (N = 93). Polynomial regression
      analysis, visualized in response surface plots, suggests that status inconsistent
      employees report higher levels of stress.

PMID- 28364841
TI  - American crime drops: Investigating the breaks, dips and drops in temporal
      homicide.
AB  - OBJECTIVES: While a great deal of attention has been given to the 1990s crime
      drop, less is known about the more recent decline in homicide rates that occurred
      in several large U.S. cities. This paper aims to explore whether these represent
      two distinct drops via statistical evidence of structural breaks in longitudinal
      homicide trends and explore potentially differing explanations for the two
      declines. METHODS: Using homicide data on a large sample of U.S. cities from 1990
      to 2011, we test for structural breaks in temporal homicide rates. Combining
      census data and a time series approach, we also examine the role structural
      features, demographic shifts, and crime control strategies played in the changes
      in homicide rates over time. RESULTS: Statistical evidence demonstrates two
      structural breaks in homicide trends, with one trend reflecting the 1990s crime
      drop (1994-2002) and another trend capturing a second decline (2007-2011). Time
      series analysis confirms previous research findings about the contributions of
      structural conditions (e.g., disadvantage) and crime control strategies (e.g.,
      police force size) to the crime drop of the 1990s, but these factors cannot
      account for the more recent drop with the exception of police presence.
      CONCLUSIONS: Although both structural conditions and crime control strategies are
      critical to the longitudinal trends in homicide rates over the entire span from
      1990 to 2011, different factors account for these two distinct temporal trends.

PMID- 28364843
TI  - Children with disabilities and trajectories of parents' unsecured debt across the
      life course.
AB  - Prior research shows that having a child with a disability is economically
      burdensome for parents but we know little about whether this burden extends to
      unsecured debt. In this study, we examine the link between having a child with a
      disability that manifests between birth and age 4 and subsequent trajectories in
      unsecured household debt. We have three key findings. First, we find that having
      a child with an early-life disabling health condition is associated with a
      substantial increase in indebtedness in the years immediately following the
      child's birth, and that this association persists net of a range of potential
      confounders. Second, we find that parents do not quickly repay this debt, such
      that parents of a child with a disabling health condition have different
      trajectories of unsecured debt across the life course than do parents of children
      without a disabling health condition. Third, we find that the association between
      early-life child disability and debt is stronger for more severe conditions, such
      as those that require ongoing medical treatment. The results of this study are
      informative for understanding an important aspect of economic functioning
      indebtedness-for parents of children with disabilities, as well as the causes and
      correlates of rising unsecured debt in the U.S.

PMID- 28364842
TI  - Does death really make us equal? Educational attainment and resource compensation
      after paternal death in Finland.
AB  - Attempts to explain the persistent importance of family background for children's
      educational attainment typically highlight the ways in which parents pass down
      educational, economic and social resources to their children. However, parental
      resources may also play a crucial role for preventing family crises from
      spiraling into cumulative disadvantage. To study such compensation processes, we
      examine the consequences of a father's death on children's educational
      trajectories, using a Finnish register-based sample of children born between 1982
      and 1987. The results based on multilevel linear probability models both support
      and contradict our compensation hypothesis. Children who lost their father were
      not more likely to drop out of upper secondary school, as long as their surviving
      mother had high levels of socioeconomic resources. Similar compensation processes
      were visible in the case of entering polytechnic higher education. However, with
      regard to university attendance, bereavement noticeably reduced the traditional
      advantage of children with high-resource parents.

PMID- 28364844
TI  - Physical-psychiatric comorbidity: Implications for health measurement and the
      Hispanic Epidemiological Paradox.
AB  - Few studies examine the co-occurrence of physical and psychiatric health problems
      (physical-psychiatric comorbidity), and whether these patterns differ across
      social groups. Using the National Comorbidity Survey-Replication and National
      Latino and Asian American Study, the current study asks: what are the patterns of
      physical-psychiatric comorbidity (PPC) between non-Hispanic Whites and Latino
      subgroups, further differentiated by gender and nativity? Does the PPC
      measurement approach reveal different patterns across groups compared to when
      only physical or only psychiatric health problems are the health outcomes of
      interest? To what extent do sociodemographic characteristics (SES, stress
      exposure, social support, immigration-related factors) explain PPC differences
      between groups? Results reveal that compared to U.S.-born non-Hispanic White men,
      island-born Puerto Rican men experience elevated PPC risk. Mexican and Other
      Latino women and men experience relatively lower risk of PPC relative to their
      non-Hispanic White counterparts. Social factors explain some of the health
      disadvantage of island-born Puerto Rican men, but do not explain the health
      advantage of Mexicans and Other Latinos.

PMID- 28364845
TI  - Using item response theory to optimize measurement of chronic stress in
      pregnancy.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: Utilize Rasch analysis to develop an optimized self-reported measure
      of stress in pregnancy and examine the association with patient demographics and
      biologic measures of stress. STUDY DESIGN: Measured self-reported stress in
      pregnant women using 12 existing scales. Collected blood for biologic measures of
      stress (Epstein Barr Virus [EBV], C-Reactive Protein [CRP], Corticotropin
      Reactive Hormone [pCRH], and Adenocorticotropin Hormone [ACTH]). Used
      multidimensional scaling and Rasch analysis to produce an item reduced self
      report measure. RESULTS: Enrolled 112 women. Survey items reduced to two factors:
      perceived stressors and buffers of stress. Women with a domestic partner had
      lower perceived stress (p = 0.003). Caucasian women reported higher buffers of
      stress (p = 0.045), as did women with private insurance (p < 0.001), a planned
      pregnancy (p < 0.01), and a domestic partner (p < 0.001). Women with higher
      buffers of stress had lower levels of pCRH (adjusted p = 0.01). CONCLUSION: Item
      reduced, optimized measures of stress were associated with significant
      differences in patient demographics and biologic measures of stress.

PMID- 28364847
TI  - Sexual intercourse, romantic relationship inauthenticity, and adolescent mental
      health.
AB  - Numerous studies indicate sexual intercourse, especially when it occurs early in
      adolescence, increases youths' risk of mental health problems. However, no
      research has examined whether the association between sexual intercourse and
      mental health varies by romantic relationship inauthenticity, or the level of
      incongruence between thoughts/feelings and actions within romantic relationships.
      Using data from a subset of romantically-involved Add Health respondents, we
      measured sexual involvement in romantic relationships and applied sequence
      analysis to reports of ideal and actual romantic relationship to measure
      inauthenticity within adolescent romances. Regressions of depression symptoms
      indicate that the magnitude of the positive associations between sexual
      intercourse and girls' mental health is most pronounced in relationships
      characterized by high levels of relationship inauthenticity and that there is no
      association between sexual intercourse and girls' depression at low levels of
      relationship inauthenticity. Having sexual intercourse is positively associated
      with depression symptoms among boys, but relationship inauthenticity does not
      alter this association. We discuss the implications of these findings for
      research on adolescent sexuality and programs aimed at enhancing youth sexuality
      development.

PMID- 28364846
TI  - Breastfeeding, overweight status, and inflammation.
AB  - Research documents a host of health benefits of breastfeeding for infants and
      children, including long-term health conditions arising from inflammation. Here,
      we provide new evidence about this association, focusing on the link between
      breastfeeding in infancy and inflammation in early adulthood. Our study is based
      on the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent to Adult Health (Add Health)
      which allows us investigate a potentially important mediating pathway -
      overweight status from early adolescence into young adulthood. Results from
      pathway analyses in a structural equation modeling framework indicate that, in
      addition to a direct pathway linking breastfeeding and inflammation, an indirect
      pathway through overweight status across adolescence into young adulthood
      partially explains the association between breastfeeding and inflammation.
      Overweight status, moreover, links breastfeeding to inflammation not only through
      proximal timing of overweight status, but also through an indirect cascading
      process of overweight status over the life course that is evident in adolescence.
      Overall, this study highlights the importance of considering breastfeeding,
      overweight status and inflammation as dynamic life course processes that
      contribute to development of health inequalities.

PMID- 28364848
TI  - The adolescent family environment and cohabitation across the transition to
      adulthood.
AB  - This study draws upon a sample of men and women from Waves I and IV of Add Health
      to examine the linkages between the adolescent family environment and
      cohabitation behavior across the transition to adulthood. Using event history
      modeling the current paper considers the association between a variety of family
      factors and both the timing of first cohabiting unions and their outcomes
      (marriage, break up, still cohabiting). This paper also considers whether the
      impact of predictors for cohabitation timing and outcomes varies depending on the
      age of individuals. Results indicate that exposure during adolescence to family
      instability, parental cohabitation, lower parental SES, and low family belonging
      were associated with an elevated likelihood of entering into cohabiting unions,
      but primarily during adolescence and early adulthood. Family factors, including
      family belonging and parental relationship history, were also associated with the
      outcomes of first cohabitations.

PMID- 28364849
TI  - Are there neighborhood effects on young adult neighborhood attainment? Evidence
      from mixed-logit models.
AB  - Studies of racial residential attainment show an intergenerational transmission
      of racial contexts from youth to adulthood, but it is unclear why this
      transmission is so robust. It is possible that experiences in racial contexts
      during youth have lasting effects on neighborhood selection in adulthood, but
      evidence for this claim has come from research using statistical methods that
      suffer from problems of ecological dependence and conflation of other
      neighborhood characteristics. In this study, we address these limitations using
      mixed-logit models, a form of discrete choice analyses, allowing us to control
      for differences across metropolitan areas and for multiple characteristics of
      neighborhoods that may affect the selection of destination neighborhoods. Data
      for the analyses come from the National Educational Longitudinal Study, the 1990
      and 2000 Censuses, and other sources. We find that most of the intergenerational
      process results from young adults moving to neighborhoods short distances from
      their origin ones, but the models also suggest a contextual effect of youth
      experiences in racial compositions on neighborhood selection. The latter finding
      indicates that policies promoting integration among youth can have long-lasting
      effects on residential attainment.

PMID- 28364850
TI  - Power and the gendered division of contraceptive use in Western European couples.
AB  - Recent research has approached contraceptive use, or "fertility work", as another
      household task that is primarily managed by women. Building on the theoretical
      frameworks of relative resource theory and gender perspectives, this study
      investigates the association between partners' power (measured as their relative
      education, division of housework and decision-making) and the choice of male
      versus female, or no contraception. Data from the Generations and Gender Survey
      for four Western European countries (Austria, Belgium, France and Germany; 2005
      2010) are used to examine the hypotheses with multinomial logistic diagonal
      reference models. The results show that man's and woman's educational level are
      equally important predictors for a couple's contraceptive method choice.
      Furthermore, the findings suggest that households in which the man performs more
      housework or the woman has more say in decisions are more likely to rely on male
      methods or female sterilization, rather than on the more commonly used female
      reversible methods.

PMID- 28364851
TI  - Making gains or falling behind? Changes and stability in school readiness.

PMID- 28364852
TI  - Irregularly-shaped school attendance zones and racial integration.
AB  - This paper investigates how much the geographic shapes of school attendance zones
      within urban school districts are associated with levels of attendance zone
      racial segregation (while holding constant levels of residential segregation).
      Based on an analysis of 304 school districts, findings show that more irregularly
      shaped school attendance zones are correlated with lower levels of racial
      segregation in attendance zones after accounting for residential segregation. In
      fact, not one school district contains both highly irregularly-shaped attendance
      zones and unusually high levels of attendance zone racial segregation-although
      there are several school districts with irregularly-shaped zones and unusually
      high levels of racial integration. These findings undermine recent claims that
      irregularly-shaped attendance zones generally serve to segregate students by
      race. In addition to these empirical findings, this paper introduces a variation
      of the spatial information theory segregation index H~ that is useful for
      predicting segregation in school attendance zones and other types of geographic
      boundaries containing roughly equal populations.

PMID- 28364853
TI  - Affirmation effects on math scores: The importance of high school track.
AB  - Stereotype threat has been shown to affect academic performance of minority
      racial groups. Minority girls may experience the burdens of both race and gender 
      a "double bind" theorized to affect the underrepresentation of women in STEM
      fields. A randomized controlled trial focused on alleviating stereotype threat in
      three high schools in a large U.S. metro demonstrates the effects of affirmative
      writing interventions, which have previously shown positive effects for minority
      and female students. Results indicate effects for these groups were
      insignificant. However, results also show that student track is highly
      significant at p < 0.001, and interactive analyses suggest that the intervention
      may help alleviate threat for higher-achieving students.

PMID- 28364854
TI  - Unequal views of inequality: Cross-national support for redistribution 1985-2011.
AB  - This research examines public views on government responsibility to reduce income
      inequality, support for redistribution. While individual-level correlates of
      support for redistribution are relatively well understood, many questions remain
      at the country-level. Therefore, I examine how country-level characteristics
      affect aggregate support for redistribution. I test explanations of aggregate
      support using a unique dataset combining 18 waves of the International Social
      Survey Programme and European Social Survey. Results from mixed-effects logistic
      regression and fixed-effects linear regression models show two primary and
      contrasting effects. States that reduce inequality through bundles of tax and
      transfer policies are rewarded with more supportive publics. In contrast,
      economic development has a seemingly equivalent and dampening effect on public
      support. Importantly, the effect of economic development grows at higher levels
      of development, potentially overwhelming the amplifying effect of state
      redistribution. My results therefore suggest a fundamental challenge to
      proponents of egalitarian politics.

PMID- 28364855
TI  - Bankruptcy reform and congressional action: The role of organized interests in
      shaping policy.
AB  - This paper tests the degree to which PAC contributions can influence voting
      outcomes on legislation that disproportionately influences the poor. Using
      passage of the Bankruptcy Abuse and Consumer Protection Act of 2005 in the House
      of Representatives, the results show an association between PAC campaign
      contributions from the financial industry and support for final passage of
      bankruptcy reform. The findings suggest that one source of underrepresentation of
      the poor may be donations made by interest groups during campaigns.

PMID- 28364856
TI  - Can the welfare state replace parents? Children's cognition in the United States
      and Great Britain.
AB  - We compare family and parental effects on child verbal facility, verbal
      achievement and mathematics achievement in the United States and Great Britain.
      We study 3,438 5-13 year-old children from the 1994 NLSY Child-Mother Data Set
      and 1429 same-aged children from the National Child Development Study, also known
      as the British Child. Multivariate analyses suggest that the processes through
      which families invest in child cognition are similar across societies, with
      factors including low birth weight, child health, maternal cognition, family size
      and children's home environments being consequential. We conclude that parental
      investments are equally important across the two societies. The more developed
      welfare state in Great Britain does not notably compensate for parental
      investments in that society, although it may play a greater role when parental
      resources are absent or stretched thin.

PMID- 28364858
TI  - Call to Action: Addressing the Challenges Facing Pediatric Nursing.

PMID- 28364857
TI  - In the shade of a forest status, reputation, and ambiguity in an online
      microcredit market.
AB  - Scholars have long recognized status and reputation as pervasive forces
      reproducing comparative advantage in social and economic systems. Yet, due in
      part to methodological challenges, relatively few studies have examined how
      status and reputation interact. We use data from an online market for peer-to
      peer lending to study independent and joint effects of status and reputation on
      borrowers' success at obtaining loans. First, we find a positive main effect of
      status, even when reputational signals are reliable and abundant. Second, we find
      that status matters the most for borrowers with moderate (rather than high or
      low) reputations, suggesting a curvilinear effect of status x reputation on
      loans. These results support the idea that status matters not only under
      conditions of too little information that creates information asymmetry, as
      typically assumed, but also under conditions of abundant information and too many
      choices that creates ambiguity about how to evaluate candidates.

PMID- 28364859
TI  - Central synapse, neural circuit, and brain function.

PMID- 28364860
TI  - Regulatory effects of estetrol on the endothelial plasminogen pathway and
      endothelial cell migration.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Estetrol (E4) is a natural estrogen produced solely during human
      pregnancy. E4 is suitable for clinical use since it acts as a selective estrogen
      receptor modulator. In clinical trials E4 has been seen to have little or no
      effect on coagulation. Hence, it is interesting to investigate whether E4 alters
      endothelial-dependent fibrinolysis. OBJECTIVES: We studied the effects of E4 on
      the fibrinolytic system and whether this could influence the ability of
      endothelial cells to migrate. In addition, we compared the effects of E4 with
      those of 17beta-estradiol (E2). STUDY DESIGN: Human umbilical vein endothelial
      cells (HUVEC) were obtained from healthy women. Expression of plasminogen
      activator inhibitor-1 (PAI-1), urokinase-type plasminogen activator (u-PA) and
      tissue plasminogen activator (t-PA) proteins was evaluated by Western blot
      analysis. Endothelial cell migration was studied by razor-scrape horizontal and
      multiwell insert systems assays. RESULTS: E4 increased the expression of t-PA, u
      PA and PAI-1 in HUVEC, but less so than did equimolar amounts of E2. The effects
      of E4 on t-PA, u-PA and PAI-1 were mediated by the induction of the early
      immediate genes c-Jun and c-Fos. E4 in combination with E2 antagonized the
      effects induced by pregnancy-like E2 concentrations but did not impair the
      effects of postmenopausal-like E2 levels. We also found that the increased
      synthesis of PAI-1, u-PA and t-PA induced by E2 and E4 is important for
      horizontal and three-dimensional migration of HUVEC. CONCLUSIONS: These results
      support the hypothesis that E4 acts as an endogenous selective estrogen receptor
      modulator (SERM), controlling the fibrinolytic system and endothelial cell
      migration.

PMID- 28364861
TI  - Laser therapy for the restoration of vaginal function.
AB  - Laser therapy has a therapeutic role in various medical conditions and most
      recently has gained interest as a non-hormonal treatment for genitourinary
      syndrome of menopause (GSM) and as a non-invasive option for stress urinary
      incontinence (SUI). Several therapies are available to alleviate GSM symptoms,
      including hormonal and non-hormonal products. Both microablative fractional CO2
      laser and the non-ablative vaginal Er:YAG laser (VEL) induce morphological
      changes in the vaginal tissues, and data from non-randomized clinical trials
      suggest that laser therapy can alleviate vaginal dryness and dyspareunia. VEL has
      been reported to improve SUI as well as vaginal prolapse. Although large
      randomized trials have not been reported, the evidence suggests that VEL can be
      offered as a safe and efficacious alternative to hormone replacement therapy
      (HRT) for GSM, as well as a first-line treatment for mild to moderate SUI, before
      surgical procedures are resorted to. Randomized studies are needed to compare
      laser treatments with other therapies, as well as to assess the duration of the
      therapeutic effects and the safety of repeated applications. Research is
      presently evaluating both an automated robotic probe for VEL treatments and an
      intraurethral probe for the treatment of severe and type III SUI.

PMID- 28364862
TI  - Sleep patterns, sleep disorders and mammographic density in spanish women: The
      DDM-Spain/Var-DDM study.
AB  - We explored the relationship between sleep patterns and sleep disorders and
      mammographic density (MD), a marker of breast cancer risk. Participants in the
      DDM-Spain/var-DDM study, which included 2878 middle-aged Spanish women, were
      interviewed via telephone and asked questions on sleep characteristics. Two
      radiologists assessed MD in their left craneo-caudal mammogram, assisted by a
      validated semiautomatic-computer tool (DM-scan). We used log-transformed
      percentage MD as the dependent variable and fitted mixed linear regression
      models, including known confounding variables. Our results showed that neither
      sleeping patterns nor sleep disorders were associated with MD. However, women
      with frequent changes in their bedtime due to anxiety or depression had higher MD
      (ebeta:1.53;95%CI:1.04-2.26).

PMID- 28364863
TI  - Breast cancer in ethnic minority groups in developed nations: Case studies of the
      United Kingdom and Australia.
AB  - Recent research from the United Kingdom (UK) has highlighted some of the
      differences in breast cancer presentations between women of different ethnic
      groups. Analysis of a large database showed that Black women of African or
      Caribbean heritage living in England and Wales are more likely to present with
      stage 3 or 4 cancer than White British women and less likely to have their cancer
      detected through screening. In many countries around the world, migrant and
      cultural minority groups experience social and economic disadvantage and this is
      reflected in their health outcomes. With world migration at record levels, it is
      timely to reflect on ethnic disparities and to consider how developed nations can
      care for their minority groups, which are increasing in number and diversity.
      These issues and challenges are discussed, using the UK's migrant population and
      Australia's Indigenous and migrant populations as case studies.

PMID- 28364864
TI  - Evaluation of the efficacy and safety of Tribulus terrestris in male sexual
      dysfunction-A prospective, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical
      trial.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: The primary objectives were to compare the efficacy of extracts of the
      plant Tribulus terrestris (TT; marketed as Tribestan), in comparison with
      placebo, for the treatment of men with erectile dysfunction (ED) and with or
      without hypoactive sexual desire disorder (HSDD), as well as to monitor the
      safety profile of the drug. The secondary objective was to evaluate the level of
      lipids in blood during treatment. PARTICIPANTS AND DESIGN: Phase IV, prospective,
      randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial in parallel groups.
      This study included 180 males aged between 18 and 65 years with mild or moderate
      ED and with or without HSDD: 90 were randomized to TT and 90 to placebo. Patients
      with ED and hypertension, diabetes mellitus, and metabolic syndrome were included
      in the study. In the trial, an herbal medicine intervention of Bulgarian origin
      was used (Tribestan(r), Sopharma AD). Each Tribestan film-coated tablet contains
      the active substance Tribulus terrestris, herba extractum siccum (35-45:1) 250mg
      which is standardized to furostanol saponins (not less than 112.5mg). Each
      patient received orally 3*2 film-coated tablets daily after meals, during the 12
      week treatment period. At the end of each month, participants' sexual function,
      including ED, was assessed by International Index of Erectile Function (IIEF)
      Questionnaire and Global Efficacy Question (GEQ). Several biochemical parameters
      were also determined. The primary outcome measure was the change in IIEF score
      after 12 weeks of treatment. Complete randomization (random sorting using maximum
      allowable% deviation) with an equal number of patients in each sequence was used.
      This randomization algorithm has the restriction that unequal treatment
      allocation is not allowed; that is, all groups must have the same target sample
      size. Patients, investigational staff, and data collectors were blinded to
      treatment. All outcome assessors were also blinded to group allocation. RESULTS:
      86 patients in each group completed the study. The IIEF score improved
      significantly in the TT group compared with the placebo group (R<0.0001). For
      intention-to-treat (ITT) there was a statistically significant difference in
      change from baseline of IIEF scores. The difference between TT and placebo was
      2.70 (95% CI 1.40, 4.01) for the ITT population. A statistically significant
      difference between TT and placebo was found for Intercourse Satisfaction
      (p=0.0005), Orgasmic Function (p=0.0325), Sexual Desire (p=0.0038), Overall
      Satisfaction (p=0.0028) as well as in GEQ responses (p<0.0001), in favour of TT.
      There were no differences in the incidence of adverse events (AEs) between the
      two groups and the therapy was well tolerated. There were no drug-related serious
      AEs. Following the 12-week treatment period, significant improvement in sexual
      function was observed with TT compared with placebo in men with mild to moderate
      ED. TT was generally well tolerated for the treatment of ED.

PMID- 28364865
TI  - The effect of hormone replacement therapy and tibolone on lipoprotein (a)
      concentrations in postmenopausal women: A systematic review and meta-analysis.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: Data on the effect of hormone replacement therapy (HRT) and tibolone
      on lipoprotein (a) [Lp(a)], an independent risk factor for cardiovascular
      disease, are heterogeneous and conflicting. Studies of the effect of HRT and
      tibolone on Lp(a) concentrations in post-menopausal women are reviewed in this
      meta-analysis. DESIGN AND METHODS: MEDLINE, Scopus, EMBASE and Cochrane databases
      were searched (up to February 10, 2017). Two researchers identified randomized
      controlled studies and extracted data. Potential controversies were resolved by a
      third reviewer. RESULTS: In 24 eligible studies, HRT caused a significant
      reduction in Lp(a) concentrations compared with placebo or no treatment [mean
      relative difference: -20.35%, 95% Confidence Interval (CI): -25.33% to -15.37%,
      p<0.0001], with significant heterogeneity between studies (I2=98.5%), but without
      evidence of publication bias. No significant effect was found for tibolone (n=7)
      (mean relative difference: -23.84%, 95% CI: -63.43% to 15.74%, p=0.238)
      (I2=98.7%, but without publication bias). Oral estrogen caused a greater
      reduction in Lp(a) concentrations than transdermal estrogen (n=10) (mean relative
      difference: 37.66%, 95% CI: 16.84% to 58.48%, p<0.0001), with significant
      heterogeneity between studies (I2=99%), but no evidence of publication bias. No
      difference was observed when continuous was compared with cyclical HRT,
      conventional with low-dose estrogen, and estrogen monotherapy with estrogen
      combined with progestogen. No difference was observed between HRT and tibolone
      regarding their effect on Lp(a). CONCLUSIONS: HRT significantly decreases Lp(a)
      concentrations, with oral being more effective than transdermal estradiol. The
      type of HRT, dose of estrogen and addition of progestogen do not seem to modify
      the Lp(a)-lowering effect of HRT.

PMID- 28364866
TI  - Being overweight or obese is associated with harboring a gut microbial community
      not capable of metabolizing the soy isoflavone daidzein to O-desmethylangolensin
      in peri- and post-menopausal women.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: Obesity can be a considerable health concern for peri- and post
      menopausal women. Evidence suggests an association between the gut microbiome and
      obesity. The study objective was to evaluate the association between being
      overweight or obese and phenotypic markers of having an overall gut microbial
      environment not capable of metabolizing the isoflavone daidzein to equol or O
      desmethylangolensin (ODMA). STUDY DESIGN: Cross-sectional study of 137 peri- and
      218 post-menopausal women, aged 44-55 years, who consumed at least three servings
      per week of soy (source of daidzein). Equol and ODMA producers and non-producers
      were identified based on urinary concentrations of daidzein, equol and ODMA in a
      24-h urine sample. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Mean body mass index (BMI) and odds of
      obesity. RESULTS: Fifty-one women were ODMA non-producers and 226 were equol non
      producers. The ODMA non-producer phenotype was positively associated with obesity
      (OR: 3.33, 95% CI: 1.53, 7.23), and mean BMI was significantly higher in non
      producers (28.9kg/m2) than in producers (26.7kg/m2), after adjusting for age,
      ethnicity, and menopausal status. Positive associations with being obese were
      observed in both peri-menopausal (OR=3.92, 95% CI: 0.90, 17.0) and post
      menopausal (OR=3.00, 95% CI: 1.22, 7.70) women. The equol non-producer phenotype
      was not associated with obesity (OR=1.13, 95% CI: 0.64, 1.98), and mean BMI was
      not significantly different between equol producers (27.3kg/m2) and non-producers
      (26.5kg/m2). CONCLUSIONS: These results suggest that the ODMA non-producer
      phenotype is associated with obesity in peri- and post-menopausal women. Further
      work is needed to confirm these observations in additional populations and to
      evaluate possible mechanisms.

PMID- 28364867
TI  - Preventing urinary tract infections after menopause without antibiotics.
AB  - Urinary tract infections (UTIs) are the most common bacterial infections in
      women, and increase in incidence after the menopause. It is important to uncover
      underlying abnormalities or modifiable risk factors. Several risk factors for
      recurrent UTIs have been identified, including the frequency of sexual
      intercourse, spermicide use and abnormal pelvic anatomy. In postmenopausal women
      UTIs often accompany the symptoms and signs of the genitourinary syndrome of
      menopause (GSM). Antimicrobial prophylaxis has been demonstrated to be effective
      in reducing the risk of recurrent UTIs in women, but this may lead to drug
      resistance of both the causative microorganisms and the indigenous flora. The
      increasing prevalence of Escherichia coli (the most prevalent uropathogen) that
      is resistant to antimicrobial agents has stimulated interest in novel non
      antibiotic methods for the prevention of UTIs. Evidence shows that topical
      estrogens normalize vaginal flora and greatly reduce the risk of UTIs. The use of
      intravaginal estrogens may be reasonable in postmenopausal women not taking oral
      estrogens. A number of other strategies have been used to prevent recurrent UTIs:
      probiotics, cranberry juice and d-mannose have been studied. Oral
      immunostimulants, vaginal vaccines and bladder instillations with hyaluronic acid
      and chondroitin sulfate are newer strategies proposed to improve urinary symptoms
      and quality of life. This review provides an overview of UTIs' prophylaxis
      without antibiotics, focusing on a practical clinical approach to women with
      UTIs.

PMID- 28364868
TI  - Sex differences in the presentation of stroke.
AB  - Stroke affects both men and women of all ages, although the condition is more
      common among the elderly. Stroke occurs at an older age among women than among
      men; although the incidence is lower among women than among men, as women have a
      longer life expectancy their lifetime risk is slightly higher. Ischemic stroke is
      the most common type of stroke; and reperfusion treatment is possible if the
      patient reaches hospital early enough. Thrombolysis and thrombectomy are time
      sensitive treatments - the earlier they are initiated the better is the chance of
      a positive outcome. It is therefore important to identify a stroke as soon as
      possible. Medical personnel can readily identify typical stroke symptoms but the
      presentation of non-traditional stroke symptoms, such as impaired consciousness
      and altered mental status, is often associated with a significant delay in the
      identification of stroke and thus delay in or inability to provide treatment. Non
      traditional stroke symptoms are reported to be more common in women, who are
      thereby at risk of delayed recognition of stroke and treatment delay.

PMID- 28364869
TI  - A vaginal estradiol softgel capsule, TX-004HR, has negligible to very low
      systemic absorption of estradiol: Efficacy and pharmacokinetic data review.
AB  - This paper reviews the efficacy, safety, and systemic absorption of estradiol
      with TX-004HR, an investigational, low-dose 17beta-estradiol vaginal softgel
      capsule, designed to treat vulvar and vaginal atrophy (VVA) in postmenopausal
      women, with an improved user experience. In phase 2 (NCT02449902) and phase 3
      REJOICE (NCT02253173) studies, TX-004HR significantly improved the proportions of
      vaginal superficial and parabasal cells and vaginal pH, and in the phase 3 study
      decreased the severity of dyspareunia, vaginal dryness, and vulvar and/or vaginal
      itching or irritation. In two randomized, phase 1 trials, estradiol Cmax and AUC0
      24 were significantly lower with 10MUg and 25MUg TX-004HR than with the same
      doses of an approved vaginal estradiol tablet. A substudy (n=72) of the REJOICE
      trial showed that estradiol Cavg and AUC0-24 with 4MUg and 10MUg TX-004HR were
      not different from placebo on days 1 and 14. While TX-004HR 25MUg was associated
      with higher Cavg and AUC0-24 versus placebo on days 1 and 14, these levels
      remained within the postmenopausal range. Estradiol day-84 values for all three
      doses were not different from placebo, demonstrating no estradiol accumulation.
      All TX-004HR doses were well tolerated and had an acceptable safety profile in
      all reviewed studies. The local vaginal efficacy of TX-004HR was significantly
      better than that of placebo, while the overall safety profile was similar to that
      of placebo. Negligible to very low systemic estradiol absorption was observed
      whether given at 4, 10, or 25MUg. If approved, TX-004HR may be an alternative
      option for women with symptomatic VVA without increasing mean systemic estradiol
      absorption above postmenopausal levels.

PMID- 28364870
TI  - Plasma orexin A levels in recently menopausal women during and 3 years following
      use of hormone therapy.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: Alterations in sleep quality and metabolism during menopause are
      improved by menopausal hormone therapy (MHT). The mechanisms mediating these
      effects remain unclear. Orexin A (OxA) is a neuro-peptide that regulates
      sleep/wakefulness, food intake and metabolism. This study examined changes in
      plasma OxA levels during and after treatment in women from the Kronos Early
      Estrogen Prevention Study (KEEPS). METHODS: KEEPS randomized women within three
      years of menopause to: oral conjugated equine estrogen (o-CEE, 0.45mg/day),
      transdermal 17beta estradiol (t-E2, 50MUg/day), or placebo pills and patches for
      four years. Plasma OxA levels were measured by enzyme immunoassays in fasting
      blood samples collected annually from KEEPS participants at Mayo Clinic during
      and three years after MHT. Changes in menopausal symptoms and plasma OxA levels
      were assessed for treatment differences. RESULTS: During treatment, OxA levels
      increased more in women randomized to o-CEE compared with the other groups. Women
      randomized to either form of MHT demonstrated smaller increases in BMI than those
      on placebo. Insomnia severity decreased similarly among treatment groups.
      However, neither changes in sleep nor changes in BMI correlated with changes in
      plasma OxA levels. Changes in waist circumference correlated positively with
      changes in plasma OxA levels three years after discontinuation of study
      treatments. CONCLUSIONS: Although OxA levels increased only in women randomized
      to o-CEE, these changes did not correlate with changes in sleep quality or BMI.
      The modest correlation of OxA levels with waist circumference once study
      treatments were discontinued suggests that OxA may be modulated through multiple
      intermediary pathways affected by metabolites of 17beta-estradiol. Clinical Trial
      Registration for KEEPS: NCT00154180.

PMID- 28364871
TI  - Oxidative stress and frailty: A systematic review and synthesis of the best
      evidence.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: Oxidative stress (OS) is associated with accelerated aging. Previous
      studies have suggested a possible relationship between OS and frailty but this
      association remains unclear. We conducted a systematic review to investigate
      potential interactions between OS and frailty. METHODS: A systematic literature
      search of original reports providing data on 'OS and antioxidant' parameters and
      frailty was carried out across major electronic databases from inception until
      May 2016. Cross-sectional/case control and longitudinal studies reporting data on
      the association between frailty and anti-oxidants-OS biomarkers were considered
      for inclusion. Results were summarized with a synthesis based on the best
      evidence. RESULTS: From 1856 hits, 8 studies (cross-sectional/case control) were
      included (N=6349; mean age of 75+/-12years; 56.4% females). Overall, there were
      588 (=9.3%) frail, 3036 pre-frail (=47.8%), 40 (=0.6%) pre-frail/robust, and 2685
      (=42.3%) robust subjects. Six cross-sectional/case control studies demonstrated
      that frailty was associated with an increase in peripheral OS biomarkers,
      including lipoprotein phospholipase A2 (1 study), isoprostanes (2 studies),
      malonaldehyde (2 studies), 8-hydroxy-20-deoxyguanosine (2 studies), derivate of
      reactive oxygen metabolites (2 studies), oxidized glutathione/glutathione (1
      study), 4-hydroxy-2,3-nonenal (1 study), and protein carbonylation levels (1
      study). In addition, preliminary evidence points to lower anti-oxidant parameters
      (vitamin C, E, alpha-tocopherol, biological anti-oxidant potential, total thiol
      levels) in frailty. CONCLUSION: Frailty and pre-frailty appear to be associated
      with higher OS and possibly lower anti-oxidant parameters. However, due to the
      cross-sectional design, it is not possible to disentangle the directionality of
      the relationships observed. Thus, future high-quality and in particular
      longitudinal research is required to confirm or refute these relationships and to
      further elucidate pathophysiological mechanisms.

PMID- 28364872
TI  - Association between pelvic organ prolapse and climacteric symptoms in
      postmenopausal women.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: To evaluate whether climacteric symptoms are related to pelvic organ
      prolapse (POP) in postmenopausal women. STUDY DESIGN: A cross-sectional
      investigation was performed on 1382 postmenopausal women attending an outpatient
      service for menopause at a university hospital. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Data
      regarding climacteric symptoms, as captured by the Greene Climacteric Scale, and
      objective POP were retrieved from an electronic database. Additional data
      retrieved were age, anthropometric measures, personal and reproductive history,
      use of medication or drugs, coffee, smoking, state of anxiety (STAI scale score)
      and depression (Zung scale score). RESULTS: The score of Greene Climacteric Scale
      was higher (p=0.02) in women with (n=538) than in those without (n=844) POP
      (29.6+/-13.6 vs. 27.8+/-13.; p=0.02). In multiple logistic regression models, the
      score was independently related to POP as a whole (OR 1.012; 95%CI 1.003,1.022;
      p=0.009), and to bladder prolapse (OR 1.011; 95%CI 1.007,1.07; p=0.02) or to
      uterus prolapse (OR 1.003; 95%CI 0.99,1.016; p=0.63) or rectum prolapse
      (rectocele) (OR 1.004; 95%CI 0.988,1.02; p=0.62). CONCLUSIONS: In postmenopausal
      women, a higher burden of climacteric symptoms, is associated with POP.
      Underlying mechanisms were not assessed and deserve further investigation.

PMID- 28364873
TI  - Broadening our perspectives on complementary and alternative medicine for
      menopause: A narrative review.
AB  - Complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) is widely used for menopause,
      although not all women disclose use to their healthcare providers. This narrative
      review aims to expand providers' understanding of cross-cultural approaches to
      treating and managing menopause by providing an overarching framework and
      perspective on CAM treatments. Increased provider understanding and awareness may
      improve not only provider-patient communication but also effectiveness of
      treatments. The distinction between illness (what patients suffer) and disease
      (what physicians treat) highlights the gap between what patients seek and doctors
      provide, and may help clarify why many women seek CAM at menopause. For example,
      CAM is often sought by women for whom biomedicine has been unsuccessful or
      inaccessible. We review the relevance to menopause of three CAM categories:
      natural products, mind-body practices including meditation, and other
      complementary health approaches including traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) and
      Japanese Kampo. Assessing the effectiveness of CAM is challenging because of the
      individualized nature of illness patterns and associated treatments, which
      complicate the design of randomized controlled trials. Because many women seek
      CAM due to inefficacy of biomedical treatments, or cultural or economic
      marginalization, biomedical practitioners who make an effort to learn about CAM
      and ask patients about their CAM use or interest may dramatically improve the
      patient-provider relationship and rapport, as well as harnessing the 'meaning
      response' (Moerman, 2002) imbued in the clinical encounter. By working with women
      to integrate their CAM-related health-seeking behaviors and treatments, providers
      may also boost the efficacy of their own biomedical treatments.

PMID- 28364874
TI  - Is the hymen a suitable cut-off point for clinically relevant pelvic organ
      prolapse?
AB  - OBJECTIVES: The primary objective was to evaluate the ability of different
      anatomic cut-off points, as established in specialist urogynecology populations,
      to identify clinically relevant prolapse in a population of postmenopausal women
      with pelvic floor symptoms recruited from primary care. STUDY DESIGN: Cross
      sectional study among 890 women (>=55 years) screened for pelvic floor symptoms.
      MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: The Pelvic Floor Distress Inventory 20 was used to measure
      symptoms, and the Pelvic Organ Prolapse Quantification (POP-Q) system was used to
      assess prolapse. Areas under the curves, sensitivity, and specificity were
      calculated for the hymen as a cut-off point for symptomatic prolapse of the
      anterior and posterior vaginal wall. For the apical compartment, a cut-off point
      of -5cm relative to the hymen was used. RESULTS: Vaginal bulging was the only
      symptom reported more often with increasing POP-Q stages. Areas under the curves
      (95% confidence intervals) to discriminate between women with and without vaginal
      bulging symptoms were 0.66 (0.61-0.72), 0.56 (0.50-0.63), and 0.61 (0.55-0.66)
      for the anterior (Ba), posterior (Bp) and apical (C) compartment, respectively.
      When the hymen was used as the cut-off point, Ba had a sensitivity of 38.1% and a
      specificity of 82.4%, and Bp had a sensitivity of 13.3% and a specificity of
      96.5%. For C, the cut-off point of -5cm relative to the hymen had a sensitivity
      of 37.9% and a specificity of 73.1%. CONCLUSIONS: The anatomic cut-off points for
      clinically relevant prolapse established in the specialist urogynecology
      population cannot adequately identify symptomatic prolapse in a population of
      postmenopausal women with pelvic floor symptoms recruited from primary care.

PMID- 28364875
TI  - Care homes: The developing ideology of a homelike place to live.
AB  - This paper reports on part of a doctoral study which explored stakeholder
      perceptions of the importance of a homelike environment in a care home and which
      factors contributed to this. The changes in institutional care for older people
      have evolved from being a 'warehouse' type of environment for those too poor, too
      mad, too sick and too unloved, to a place where older people in need of care can
      spend their days in safety, in a 'homely' environment. Such an environment is one
      of the quality indicators of care home provision. Yet defining what 'homeliness'
      means is fraught with difficulties. This article presents a narrative literature
      review on the concept of 'home' and the common measures taken to address
      homeliness in a care home setting. The results show that although the word
      'homely' is used with the presumption of a shared understanding, the concept is
      elusive and highly subjective. Given that long-term care now provides homes for
      an increasingly wide range of age groups and individuals with increasingly
      diverse backgrounds and personal histories, is a shared viewpoint on homeliness
      possible? Indeed, is it ever possible to make an institution homely?

PMID- 28364877
TI  - SVEPM 2016 - Current multidisciplinary advances in veterinary epidemiology and
      economics, Society of Veterinary Epidemiology and Preventive Medicine conference
      Elsinore, Denmark 16-18 March 2016.

PMID- 28364876
TI  - Alterations of fatty acid profiles in gestational diabetes and influence of the
      diet.
AB  - Gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) is a pregnancy-induced complication with
      increased prevalence, especially in overweight women. Fatty acid (FA) composition
      in tissues can reflect dietary fat intake, especially essential FA intake.
      Moreover, it has been shown that FA profiles in blood lipid fractions are altered
      in diabetic patients. Consequently, women with GDM may also have a distinctive FA
      profile. The objective of this review is compare FA profiles in different blood
      lipid fractions and the influence of dietary fat intake in women with GDM or
      normoglycemic pregnancies. Results show that women with GDM have more saturated
      and less polyunsaturated FA (PUFA) in their red blood cell (RBC) membranes than
      normoglycemic pregnant women. Moreover, some studies reported that women with GDM
      have a greater energy intake from total fat and saturated FA, along with a lower
      energy intake from PUFA, when compared to normoglycemic pregnancies. Clinical
      trials showed that omega-3 PUFA levels in RBC membranes of GDM women can be
      restored by a dietary intervention. Further research is required to determine
      whether FA profiles are altered prior to the diagnosis of GDM and can be
      prevented by diet.

PMID- 28364878
TI  - Communication between doctor and patient in contemporary times.

PMID- 28364879
TI  - "Real-world" evaluation of AcceleDent.

PMID- 28364880
TI  - Child abuse prevention month.

PMID- 28364881
TI  - Authors' response.

PMID- 28364882
TI  - Necessities of documentation in canine-lateral transposition.

PMID- 28364883
TI  - Good science, bad science, and junk science.

PMID- 28364884
TI  - Authors' response.

PMID- 28364886
TI  - Who benefits?

PMID- 28364887
TI  - Does orthodontic treatment before the age of 18 years improve oral health-related
      quality of life? A systematic review and meta-analysis.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: Orthodontics aims to improve oral health-related quality of life
      (OHRQoL). In this systematic review, we examined the evidence for changes in
      OHRQoL after orthodontic treatment for patients treated before they were 18 years
      old. METHODS: The participants were patients aged less than 18 years. The
      interventions were nonorthognathic and cleft orthodontic treatment. The
      comparisons were before and after orthodontic treatment, or nonorthodontic
      control. The outcomes were validated measures of OHRQoL. The study designs were
      randomized controlled trials, controlled clinical trials, prospective cohort
      studies, and cross-sectional or case-control studies. Multiple electronic
      databases were searched, with no language restrictions; authors were contacted,
      and reference lists screened. The Newcastle-Ottawa scale was used for quality
      assessments. Screening, data extraction, and quality assessments were performed
      by 2 investigators independently. RESULTS: We found 1590 articles and included 13
      studies (9 cohort, 3 cross sectional, and 1 case control), with 6 in the meta
      analyses. All were judged of low or moderate quality. A moderate improvement in
      OHRQoL was observed before and after orthodontic treatment (n = 243 participants;
      standardized mean difference, -0.75; 95% CI, -1.15 to -0.36) particularly in the
      dimensions of emotional well-being (n = 213 participants; standardized mean
      difference, -0.61; 95% CI, -0.80 to -0.41) and social well-being (n = 213
      participants; standardized mean difference, -0.62; 95% CI, -0.82 to -0.43).
      CONCLUSIONS: Orthodontic treatment during childhood or adolescence leads to
      moderate improvements in the emotional and social well-being dimensions of
      OHRQoL, although the evidence is of low and moderate quality. More high quality,
      longitudinal, prospective studies are needed.

PMID- 28364888
TI  - Expert panels as a reference standard in orthodontic research: An assessment of
      published methods and reporting.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: The aim of this study was to investigate the expert panel
      methodology applied in orthodontics and its reporting quality. Additionally, the
      relationship between the reporting quality and a range of variables was explored.
      METHODS: PubMed was searched for orthodontic studies in which the final diagnosis
      or assessment was made by 2 or more experts published up to March 16, 2015.
      Reporting quality assessment was conducted using an established modified
      checklist. The relationship between potential predictors and the total score was
      assessed using univariable linear regression. RESULTS: We identified 237 studies
      with a mean score of 9.97 (SD, 1.12) out of a maximum of 15. Critical information
      about panel methodology was missing in all studies. The panel composition
      differed substantially across studies, ranging from 2 to 646 panel members, with
      large variations in the expertise represented. Only 17 studies (7.2%) reported
      sample size calculations to justify the panel size. Panel members were partly
      blinded in 65 (27.4%) studies. Most studies failed to report which statistic was
      used to compute intrarater (65.8%) and interrater (66.2%) agreements. Journal
      type (nonorthodontic: beta, 0.23; 95% CI, -0.07 to 0.54 compared with
      orthodontic), publication year (beta, 0; 95% CI, -0.02 to 0.02 for each
      additional year), number of authors (1-3: beta, 0.30; 95% CI, -0.13 to 0.74
      compared with at least 6; 4-5: beta, 0.18; 95% CI, -0.29 to 0.33 compared with at
      least 6), and number of centers involved (single: beta, 0.20; 95% CI, -0.14 to
      0.54 compared with multicenter) were not significant predictors of improved
      reporting. Studies published in Asia and Australia had significantly lower scores
      compared with those published in Europe (beta, -0.54; 95% CI, -0.92 to -0.17).
      CONCLUSIONS: Formal guidelines on methodology and reporting of studies involving
      expert panels are required.

PMID- 28364889
TI  - Streptococcus mutans forms xylitol-resistant biofilm on excess adhesive flash in
      novel ex-vivo orthodontic bracket model.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: During orthodontic bonding procedures, excess adhesive is
      invariably left on the tooth surface at the interface between the bracket and the
      enamel junction; it is called excess adhesive flash (EAF). We comparatively
      evaluated the biofilm formation of Streptococcus mutans on EAF produced by 2
      adhesives and examined the therapeutic efficacy of xylitol on S mutans formed on
      EAF. METHODS: First, we investigated the biofilm formation of S mutans on 3
      orthodontic bracket types: stainless steel preadjusted edgewise, ceramic
      preadjusted edgewise, and stainless steel self-ligating. Subsequently, tooth
      colored Transbond XT (3M Unitek, Monrovia, Calif) and green Grengloo (Ormco,
      Glendora, Calif) adhesives were used for bonding ceramic brackets to extracted
      teeth. S mutans biofilms on EAF produced by the adhesives were studied using the
      crystal violet assay and scanning electron microscopy. Surface roughness and
      surface energy of the EAF were examined. The therapeutic efficacies of different
      concentrations of xylitol were tested on S mutans biofilms. RESULTS:
      Significantly higher biofilms were formed on the ceramic preadjusted edgewise
      brackets (P = 0.003). Transbond XT had significantly higher S mutans biofilms
      compared with Grengloo surfaces (P = 0.007). There was no significant difference
      in surface roughness between Transbond XT and Grengloo surfaces (P >0.05).
      Surface energy of Transbond XT had a considerably smaller contact angle than did
      Grengloo, suggesting that Transbond XT is a more hydrophilic material. Xylitol at
      low concentrations had no significant effect on the reduction of S mutans
      biofilms on orthodontic adhesives (P = 0.016). CONCLUSIONS: Transbond XT
      orthodontic adhesive resulted in more S mutans biofilm compared with Grengloo
      adhesive on ceramic brackets. Surface energy seemed to play a more important role
      than surface roughness for the formation of S mutans biofilm on EAF. Xylitol does
      not appear to have a therapeutic effect on mature S mutans biofilm.

PMID- 28364890
TI  - Assessment of antibacterial and cytotoxic effects of orthodontic stainless steel
      brackets coated with different phases of titanium oxide: An in-vitro study.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: Our objective was to assess the antibacterial and cytotoxic effects
      of orthodontic stainless steel brackets coated with different phases of
      photocatalytic titanium oxide. METHODS: From a total sample of 115 brackets, 68
      orthodontic stainless steel brackets were coated with titanium oxide using a
      radiofrequency magnetron sputtering machine. The coated brackets were then
      converted into 34 each of the anatase and rutile phases of titanium oxide. These
      brackets were subdivided into 4 groups for antibacterial study and 3 groups for
      cytotoxicity study. Brackets for the antibacterial study were assessed against
      the Streptococcus mutans species using microbiologic tests. Three groups for the
      cytotoxicity study were assessed using the thiazolyl tetrazolium bromide assay.
      RESULTS: The antibacterial study showed that both phases were effective, but the
      rutile phase of photocatalytic titanium oxide had a greater bactericidal effect
      than did the anatase phase. The cytotoxicity study showed that the rutile phase
      had a greater decrease in viability of cells compared with the anatase phase.
      CONCLUSIONS: It is recommended that orthodontic brackets be coated with the
      anatase phase of titanium oxide since they exhibited a significant antibacterial
      property and were only slightly cytotoxic.

PMID- 28364892
TI  - Management of overbite with the Invisalign appliance.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: Most of the published literature on the management of overbite with
      the Invisalign appliance (Align Technology, Santa Clara, Calif) consists of case
      reports and case series. METHODS: In this retrospective study of 120 patients, we
      sought to assess the nature of overbite changes with the Invisalign appliance.
      Records were collected from 3 practitioners, all experienced with the Invisalign
      technique. The patients were consecutively treated adults (>18 years old) who
      underwent orthodontic treatment only with the Invisalign appliance. Patients with
      major transverse or anteroposterior changes or extraction treatment plans were
      excluded. The study sample included 68 patients with normal overbites, 40 with
      deepbites, and 12 with open bites. Their median age was 33 years, and 70% of the
      patients were women. RESULTS: Cephalometric analyses indicated that the deepbite
      patients had a median overbite opening of 1.5 mm, whereas the open bite patients
      had a median deepening of 1.5 mm. The median change for the normal overbite
      patients was 0.3 mm. Changes in incisor position were responsible for most of the
      improvements in the deepbite and open bite groups. Minimal changes in molar
      vertical position and mandibular plane angle were noted. CONCLUSIONS: The
      Invisalign appliance appears to manage the vertical dimension relatively well,
      and the primary mechanism is via incisor movements.

PMID- 28364891
TI  - Improvement in Peer Assessment Rating scores after nonextraction, premolar
      extraction, and mandibular incisor extraction treatments in patients with Class I
      malocclusion.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: Different treatment protocols implemented for correction of Class I
      malocclusion aim at achieving ideal occlusal characteristics. This study was
      planned to evaluate the improvement in the occlusal characteristics of Class I
      patients treated with nonextraction (NE), all first premolar extractions (PME),
      and mandibular incisor extraction (MIE) as assessed by the percentage of
      improvement in Peer Assessment Rating (PAR) scores. METHODS: This retrospective
      cross-sectional study was conducted on the pretreatment and posttreatment dental
      casts of 108 subjects with Class I malocclusion. The total sample was divided
      into 3 equal groups according to the treatment protocol implemented: NE, PME, and
      MIE. The mean pretreatment and posttreatment PAR scores, and the percentages of
      improvement were compared among the 3 treatment modalities using Kruskal-Wallis
      and post-hoc Dunnett T3 tests. RESULTS: The mean percentages of improvement in
      the PAR score were 75.8% +/- 25.8% in the NE group, 73.1% +/- 19.4% in the PME
      group, and 70.6% +/- 24.1% in the MIE group. There was no significant difference
      (P = 0.351) in the percentages of improvement in PAR scores among the 3 treatment
      modalities. However, the mean pretreatment and posttreatment PAR scores varied
      significantly (P <0.001) in the 3 groups. The average pretreatment and
      posttreatment PAR scores were highest in the MIE group and lowest in the NE
      group. CONCLUSIONS: The comparable percentages of improvement in PAR scores among
      the 3 groups denote that equivalent occlusal corrections were achieved in Class I
      patients treated with the NE, PME, and MIE protocols.

PMID- 28364893
TI  - Genetic polymorphisms underlying the skeletal Class III phenotype.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: Our goal was to verify the association between candidate
      polymorphisms and skeletal Class III malocclusion in a well-characterized
      homogeneous sample set. METHODS: Thirty-five single-nucleotide polymorphisms were
      studied from 10 candidate loci in 54 Class III subjects and 120 controls.
      Skeletal Class III characteristics included ANB angle less than 0 degrees , SNB
      angle greater than 83 degrees  (mandibular prognathism), SNA angle less than 79
      degrees  (maxillary deficiency), Class III molar relationship, and negative
      overjet. Inclusion criteria for the controls were ANB angle between 0 degrees 
      and 4 degrees , Class I molar relationship, and normal overjet. Chi-square and
      Fisher exact tests and principal component (PC) analysis were used to determine
      overrepresentation of marker alleles with alpha of 0.05. Odds ratios and 95%
      confidence intervals were calculated. RESULTS: MYO1H (rs10850110 A<G) (P <0.01;
      odds ratio, 7.44 [4.02-13.77]) was associated with an increased risk for the
      mandibular prognathism phenotype. These results were confirmed by PC analysis,
      which showed 4 PCs representing the sample variations (PC1, 37.24%; PC2, 20.02%;
      PC3, 12.18%; and PC4, 11.40%), and PC1 was associated with MYO1H (P <0.001). We
      also found by PC analysis associations between MYO1H (P <0.001) and GHR
      (rs2973015 A>G) (P = 0.001) with PC2 and between FGF10 (rs593307 A<G) (P = 0.001)
      with PC4. CONCLUSIONS: Polymorphism in MYO1H could be used as a marker for
      genetic susceptibility to Class III malocclusion with mandibular prognathism, and
      polymorphisms in GHR and FGF were associated with maxillomandibular
      discrepancies. This study may contribute to improved diagnosis and further
      research assessing possible differences in treatment responses based on genetic
      polymorphisms.

PMID- 28364894
TI  - Apical root resorption due to mandibular first molar mesialization: A split-mouth
      study.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: Our aim was to evaluate the risk of external apical root resorption
      (EARR) in mesialized mandibular molars due to space closure in patients with
      unilateral second premolar agenesis. The contralateral side served as the
      control. METHODS: After application of eligibility criteria, 25 retrospectively
      selected subjects (median age, 14.9 years; range, 12.0-31.9 years) were analyzed.
      Space closure (approximately 10 mm) was performed using skeletal anchorage. EARR
      was measured at the mandibular permanent canines, first premolars, and first
      molars in the pretreatment and posttreatment orthopantomograms. Measurements were
      performed by 2 examiners independently and were corrected for distortion and
      magnification of radiographs, which were assessed in a pilot study. Multivariate
      analysis of covariance and pairwise comparisons were performed. RESULTS: The mean
      enlargement factor of the panoramic machine was 29% +/- 0.3%. Distortion exceeded
      5% only in cases of large positioning errors (>20 degrees ). Intraclass
      correlation coefficients showed strong to almost perfect agreement (mean, 0.80
      mm; 95% CI, 0.75-0.85) of the two examiners. Multivariate analysis of covariance
      resulted in no difference in EARR between the canines and premolars of the space
      closure and control sides. On the contrary, there was a statistically significant
      difference between mesialized and nonmezialized molars (0.73 mm; 95% confidence
      interval, 0.19-1.27). The mean total EARR in each tooth type did not exceed 1 mm.
      CONCLUSIONS: Space closure through extensive tooth movement in the mandible was
      identified as a risk factor for EARR. However, the amount of EARR attributed to
      space closure and the total EARR were not considered clinically significant.

PMID- 28364895
TI  - Radiographic prognostic factors determining spontaneous space closure after loss
      of the permanent first molar.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: Permanent first molars (PFM) with a poor prognosis are routinely
      extracted in children throughout the United Kingdom. National guidelines suggest
      that to achieve spontaneous closure for the mandibular arch, the PFM should be
      extracted at 8 to 10 years of age, during bifurcation formation of the second
      molar. The literature is of limited quality and has suggested alternative
      variables that may be associated with successful space closure. Our aim was to
      investigate the radiographic prognostic factors associated with space closure
      after extraction of PFM. Two objectives of the research are reported in this
      article: to determine factors that might predict space closure of the second
      molar after extraction of the PFM, and to develop a tool kit to aid clinical
      decision making. METHODS: We assessed 148 maxillary and 153 mandibular PFM
      extracted from 81 participants retrospectively. Dental age, second molar
      developmental stage, second premolar and second molar angulations, and presence
      or absence of the third molar were assessed on the preextraction
      orthopantomograms. Outcome was assessed via visual examination, study models, or
      radiographs. RESULTS: Closure occurred in 89.9% of the maxillary and 49.0% of the
      mandibular quadrants. Dental age was statistically, but not clinically,
      significant in the maxillary arch (P <0.05). For the mandibular arch, presence or
      absence of the third molar and second molar angulation were statistically and
      clinically significant (P <0.01 and P <0.05, respectively). A tool kit was
      developed in relation to the mandibular arch variables. CONCLUSIONS: These
      findings are contradictory to the Royal College of Surgeons guidelines and
      suggest that the presence of the third molar and a mesially angulated second
      molar are favorable for space closure. The developed tool kit requires further
      validity testing.

PMID- 28364896
TI  - Sixteen-week analysis of unaltered elastomeric chain relating in-vitro force
      degradation with in-vivo extraction space tooth movement.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: The purposes of this study were to evaluate whether unaltered
      elastomeric chain can continue to move teeth for 16 weeks and to relate it to the
      amount of force remaining for the same batch of elastomeric chains. METHODS: The
      in-vivo portion of the study had a sample of 30 paired extraction space sites
      from 22 subjects who were measured for closure of the space every 28 days. The
      altered side elastomeric chain served as the control and was replaced at 28-day
      intervals whereas the experimental side remained unaltered. In the in-vitro
      portion of the study, 100 each of 2-unit and 3-unit segments of the same batch of
      elastomeric chains were placed in a water bath, and the force was measured for 20
      of each segment length at the 28-day measurement points. RESULTS: Statistically
      significant amounts of space closure occurred at both the altered and unaltered
      sites at all measurement time points. The mean space closure at the altered sites
      was minimally greater than that observed at the paired unaltered sites. The mean
      differences of space closure between the altered and unaltered sites ranged from
      a minimum of -0.05 mm at 4 weeks to a maximum of -0.14 mm at 8 weeks. The
      elastomeric chain force degraded rapidly by 4 weeks but continued a gradual
      diminution of force to 86 g at 16 weeks. CONCLUSIONS: Unaltered elastomeric chain
      continued to move teeth into extraction spaces for 16 weeks in this sample from
      both statistically and clinically significant standpoints. There were minimal and
      statistically insignificant differences in the mean space closure measurements
      between the paired altered and unaltered sites. The elastomeric chain force at 16
      weeks was less than 100 g, yet at the same time point, teeth continued to move
      clinically.

PMID- 28364897
TI  - Arch-width changes in extraction vs nonextraction treatments in matched Class I
      borderline malocclusions.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: The aims of this study were to identify a sample of borderline
      Class I extraction and nonextraction patients and to investigate posttreatment
      changes in arch-width and perimeter measurements. METHODS: A parent sample of 580
      Class I patients was subjected to discriminant analysis, and a borderline
      subsample of 62 patients, 31 treated with extraction of 4 first premolars and 31
      treated without extractions, was obtained. The patients' plaster casts were
      digitally scanned, and the maxillary and mandibular intercanine and intermolar
      widths and perimeters were assessed. RESULTS: The extraction group showed
      increases in maxillary and mandibular intercanine widths (P <0.001) and decreases
      in mandibular intermolar width and in maxillary and mandibular perimeters (P
      <0.001). The nonextraction group showed increases in all 4 arch-width
      measurements (P <=0.003), whereas the maxillary and mandibular perimeters were
      maintained. The posttreatment differences between the 2 groups showed significant
      differences in the maxillary (P <0.001) and mandibular intermolar widths (P
      <0.001). Also, the comparison of the arch perimeters between the 2 treatment
      groups showed adjusted differences of -8.51 mm (P <0.001) and -8.44 mm (P <0.001)
      for the maxillary and mandibular arches, respectively. The intercanine widths
      showed no changes between the 2 treatment groups. CONCLUSIONS: Borderline Class I
      patients treated with extraction of 4 first premolars had decreased maxillary and
      mandibular intermolar and perimeter measurements compared with nonextraction
      patients. The maxillary and mandibular intercanine widths showed no significant
      difference between the 2 treatment groups.

PMID- 28364898
TI  - Racial and sex differences in timing of the cervical vertebrae maturation stages.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: Our objective was to investigate skeletal maturation of female and
      male subjects from different racial groups by comparing the cervical vertebrae
      maturation (CVM) stages. METHODS: The study included 3 racial groups: white,
      African American, and Hispanic subjects. Each group was subdivided into female
      and male. The age range of the subjects was between 7 and 18 years. The sample
      included 60 lateral cephalographs for each subgroup. Skeletal maturation of the
      cervical vertebrae was assessed according to a method that described 6 CVM
      stages. RESULTS: Racial differences were evident in the mean ages of CVM stages
      2, 3, 4, and 5 (P = 0.002; P = 0.003; P = 0.001; and P = 0.001, respectively)
      among females; among males, only stage 3 was different (P = 0.001). Sex
      differences in the mean ages of stages 1, 2, and 3 in Hispanic subjects (P
      <0.001), and in stages 2 and 3 in African American subjects (P = 0.019 and P
      <0.001) and white subjects (P = 0.004 and P <0.001) were detected. CONCLUSIONS:
      In both sexes, racial differences were not apparent between whites and African
      Americans, but differences were evident between Hispanics vs both whites and
      African Americans. Sex differences were apparent between the sexes in each of the
      3 ethnic groups in CVM stages 2 and 3. No sex differences were detected in stages
      4, 5, or 6 in any of the 3 racial groups. It is recommended to consider racial
      and sex differences when using the CVM stage as a skeletal maturation indicator.

PMID- 28364899
TI  - Atomic force microscopy analysis of enamel nanotopography after interproximal
      reduction.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: Interproximal reduction (IPR) removes enamel and leaves grooves and
      furrows on the tooth surface, which may increase the risk of caries. The aims of
      this study were to assess the nanotopography of enamel surfaces produced by the
      most commonly used IPR instruments and to evaluate the effect of polishing after
      IPR. METHODS: Enamel slabs were cut from the interproximal surfaces of healthy
      premolars and then treated with diamond burs, strips, or discs, or Sof-Lex
      polishing discs (3M ESPE, St Paul, Minn). All samples were cleaned by sonication
      in distilled water. The control group had no IPR performed and was subjected only
      to cleaning by sonication. The enamel surfaces were assessed using atomic force
      microscopy. RESULTS: The IPR instruments all produced surfaces rougher than the
      control sample; however, the samples that received polishing with Sof-Lex discs
      after enamel reduction were smoother than untreated enamel (P <0.05 for all
      comparisons). The larger grit medium diamond burs and medium strips generated
      rougher enamel surfaces than their smaller grit counterparts: fine diamond burs
      and fine strips (P <0.001). The difference in roughness generated by mesh and
      curved disks was not statistically significant (P = 0.122), nor was the
      difference caused by fine strips and mesh discs (P = 0.811) or by fine strips and
      curved discs (P = 0.076) (surface roughness values for medium bur, 702 +/- 134
      nm; medium strip, 501 +/- 115 nm; mesh disc, 307 +/- 107 nm; fine bur, 407 +/- 95
      nm; fine strip, 318 +/- 50 nm; curved disc, 224 +/- 65 nm). The smoothest
      surfaces were created by use of the entire series of Sof-Lex polishing discs
      after the enamel reduction (surface roughness, 37 +/- 14 nm), and these surfaces
      were significantly smoother than the control surfaces (surface roughness, 149 +/-
      39 nm; P = 0.017). CONCLUSIONS: Different IPR instruments produced enamel
      surfaces with varied nanotopography and different degrees of roughness. Enamel
      surfaces treated with diamond-coated burs were the roughest, followed by diamond
      coated strips and diamond coated discs. Polishing with Sof-Lex polishing discs
      after IPR reduced the enamel surface roughness, and this surface was even
      smoother than untreated enamel.

PMID- 28364900
TI  - Leveling the curve of Spee with continuous archwire appliances in different
      vertical skeletal patterns: A retrospective study.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: The aim of this study was to determine the effects of the leveling
      of the curve of Spee in subjects treated with preadjusted appliances in different
      skeletal vertical patterns. METHODS: The study sample consisted of 90 white
      patients (39 male, 51 female; age, 19 years 4 months +/- 1 year 9 months), with a
      curve of Spee of 2 mm or greater before treatment. They were categorized into 3
      groups: low-angle group (30 subjects; 12 male, 18 female; age, 19 years 1 month
      +/- 1 year 4 months), normal-angle group (30 subjects; 14 male, 16 female; age,
      19 years 6 months +/- 2 years 1 month), and high-angle group (30 subjects; 13
      male, 17 female; age, 19 years 7 months +/- 1 year 5 months) by their vertical
      facial types. Cephalometric parameters were used to evaluate the different dental
      movements after treatment. The curve of Spee was measured on digital dental
      casts. Analysis of variance was used to determine any differences between the
      changes in the groups with time. RESULTS: For the skeletal variables, no
      significant modifications were found in the 3 groups. For the dentoalveolar
      variables, the low-angle group showed significant buccal movements and intrusion
      of the mandibular incisors. The high-angle group had greater extrusion of the
      posterior teeth associated with uprighting of the first and second molars.
      CONCLUSIONS: In low-angle subjects, leveling of the curve of Spee occurs through
      buccal movement and intrusion of the mandibular incisors; in high-angle subjects,
      it occurs through extrusion and uprighting of the posterior teeth.

PMID- 28364902
TI  - Orthodontic and surgical management of a patient with severe skeletal Class II
      deformity and facial asymmetry: A case report with a 5-year follow-up.
AB  - In this case report, we present the orthodontic and surgical management of an 18
      year-old girl who had a severe craniofacial deformity, including maxillary
      prognathism, vertical maxillary excess (gummy smile), mandibular retrognathism,
      receding chin, and facial asymmetry caused by unilateral temporomandibular joint
      ankylosis. For correction of the facial asymmetry, the patient's right mandibular
      ramus and body were lengthened via distraction osteogenesis after 5 months of
      preoperative orthodontic therapy. Subsequently, extraction of 4 first premolars,
      bimaxillary anterior segmental osteotomy, and genioplasty were simultaneously
      performed in the second-stage operation to correct the skeletal deformities in
      the sagittal and vertical planes. Postoperative orthodontic treatment completed
      the final occlusal adjustment. The total active treatment period lasted
      approximately 30 months. The clinical results show that the patient's facial
      esthetics were significantly improved with minimal surgical invasion and
      distress, and a desirable occlusion was achieved. These pleasing results were
      maintained during the 5-year follow-up.

PMID- 28364901
TI  - Analysis of dentoalveolar structures with novel corticotomy-facilitated
      mandibular expansion: A 3-dimensional finite element study.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: Surgically assisted mandibular arch expansion is an effective
      treatment modality for alleviating constriction and crowding. However, only
      mandibular symphyseal osteotomy is recommended for mandibular arch expansion. No
      relevant studies have compared the biomechanical responses of different
      corticotomy designs on mandibular expansion. Therefore, the aim of this study was
      to evaluate the effect of different corticotomy approaches and modes of loading
      on the expansion of adult mandibles using biomechanics. METHODS: Nine finite
      element models including 2 novel corticotomy designs were simulated. Stress,
      strain, and displacement of crown, root, and bone were calculated and compared
      under different corticotomy approaches and loading conditions. RESULTS: The
      biomechanical response seen in the finite element models in terms of displacement
      on the x-axis was consistent from anterior to posterior teeth with parasymphyseal
      step corticotomy and tooth-borne force application. In addition, the amount of
      displacement predicted by parasymphyseal step corticotomy in the tooth-borne mode
      was greater compared with other models. CONCLUSIONS: These results suggest that
      parasymphyseal step corticotomy with tooth-borne force application is a viable
      treatment option for true bony expansion in an adult mandible.

PMID- 28364903
TI  - Long-term follow-up of a patient with achondroplasia treated with an orthodontic
      approach.
AB  - We successfully treated a patient with achondroplasia with conventional
      orthodontic techniques. It was followed by long-term retention. The patient, a 12
      year-old boy, had chief complaints of occlusal disturbance and mandibular
      protrusion. He had been diagnosed with achondroplasia and had growth hormone
      treatment in his early teenage years. His facial profile was concave with a
      bulging forehead and a retrognathic maxilla. It was characterized by a skeletal
      Class III jaw-base relationship with a retropositioned maxilla. At the age of 12
      years 9 months, maxillary protraction was initiated with a reverse headgear; for
      2 years 6 months, the maxillomandibular growth was controlled. After the growth
      spurt, at the age of 15 years 6 months, leveling and alignment of both dental
      arches were started with preadjusted edgewise appliances. After 83 months of
      multibracket treatment, an acceptable occlusion with a Class I molar relationship
      and an adequate interincisal relationship was achieved, despite the simultaneous
      marked vertical growth of the mandible. The resultant occlusion was stable during
      a 6-year retention period, although considerable forward-downward mandibular
      growth was observed. Conclusively, our results indicated the necessity of long
      term observation in this patient with achondroplasia, especially because of the
      persistent mandibular growth.

PMID- 28364904
TI  - Camouflage treatment of skeletal Class III malocclusion with conventional
      orthodontic therapy.
AB  - Nonextraction camouflage treatment along with Class III elastics was used to
      treat a 39-year-old woman with a skeletal Class III pattern and a low mandibular
      plane angle and short lower anterior facial height. The total active treatment
      time was 26 months. Her occlusion, smile esthetics, and soft tissue profile were
      significantly improved after treatment.

PMID- 28364905
TI  - Memotain: A CAD/CAM nickel-titanium lingual retainer.
AB  - Approximately 1/2 of maxillary and 1/5 of mandibular multi-stranded lingual
      retainers fail during retention in some form, either bond failure or wire
      breakage. Memotain is a new CAD/CAM fabricated lingual retainer wire made of
      custom-cut nickel-titanium, as an alternative to multi-stranded lingual
      retainers. It offers numerous perceived advantages to the traditional multi
      stranded stainless steel wire, including precision fit, avoidance of
      interferences, corrosion resistance and even the potential for minor tooth
      movement as an active lingual retainer.

PMID- 28364906
TI  - Use of redundant arrays of inexpensive disks in orthodontic practice.
AB  - In a time when orthodontists are getting away from paper charts and going digital
      with their patient data and imaging, practitioners need to be prepared for a
      potential hardware failure in their data infrastructure. Although a backup plan
      in accordance with the Security Rule of the Health Insurance Portability and
      Accountability Act (HIPAA) of 1996 may prevent data loss in case of a disaster or
      hard drive failure, it does little to ensure business and practice continuity.
      Through the implementation of a common technique used in information technology,
      the redundant array of inexpensive disks, a practice may continue normal
      operations without interruption if a hard drive fails.

PMID- 28364907
TI  - Do web-site postings qualify as learned treatises?

PMID- 28364909
TI  - APIC 2017 to feature hot topics in infection prevention.

PMID- 28364910
TI  - Clean your hands on May 5, 2017: Fight antibiotic resistance-it's in your hands.

PMID- 28364908
TI  - Logistic regression: Part 1.

PMID- 28364912
TI  - Safety and use of peripherally inserted central catheters versus midline
      catheters at a large academic medical center.

PMID- 28364911
TI  - Influenza vaccination among workers-21 U.S. states, 2013.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Influenza illnesses can result in missed days at work and societal
      costs, but influenza vaccination can reduce the risk of disease. Knowledge of
      vaccination coverage by industry and occupation can help guide prevention efforts
      and be useful during influenza pandemic planning. METHODS: Data from 21 states
      using the 2013 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System industry-occupation
      module were analyzed. Influenza vaccination coverage was reported by select
      industry and occupation groups, including health care personnel (HCP) and other
      occupational groups who may have first priority to receive influenza vaccination
      during a pandemic (tier 1). The t tests were used to make comparisons between
      groups. RESULTS: Influenza vaccination coverage varied by industry and
      occupation, with high coverage among persons in health care industries and
      occupations. Approximately half of persons classified as tier 1 received
      influenza vaccination, and vaccination coverage among tier 1 and HCP groups
      varied widely by state. CONCLUSIONS: This report points to the particular
      industries and occupations where improvement in influenza vaccination coverage is
      needed. Prior to a pandemic event, more specificity on occupational codes to
      define exact industries and occupations in each tier group would be beneficial in
      implementing pandemic influenza vaccination programs and monitoring the success
      of these programs.

PMID- 28364913
TI  - No product, no program: The critical role of supply chains in closing the
      immunization gap.

PMID- 28364914
TI  - Immunization supply chains: Why they matter and how they are changing.

PMID- 28364915
TI  - The potential of next-generation supply chains to ease DRC's "Casse-tete".

PMID- 28364916
TI  - Transforming cold chain performance and management in lower-income countries.
AB  - In many countries, one of the common factors limiting full and equitable access
      to effective immunization is the existence of gaps in cold chain and logistics
      (CCL) systems. This article focuses on the critical contribution that better
      management of CCL performance can make in addressing these barriers, as well as
      some essential practices needed to achieve and sustain these gains. These include
      (i) an emphasis on continuous improvement in CCL performance indicators, (ii)
      strong coordination and accountability across multiple stakeholders, and (iii)
      making the most of limited financial resources. This article is informed by the
      Clinton Health Access Initiative's (CHAI's) experience working with National
      Immunization Programs (NIPs) and immunization partners to improve the
      effectiveness and efficiency of CCL systems (including CCE deployment and
      maintenance, temperature monitoring and control, stock management and
      distribution) across ten Gavi-supported "focus" countries.

PMID- 28364917
TI  - Making the leap into the next generation: A commentary on how Gavi, the Vaccine
      Alliance is supporting countries' supply chain transformations in 2016-2020.

PMID- 28364918
TI  - The origins of the vaccine cold chain and a glimpse of the future.
AB  - International efforts to eradicate smallpox in the 1960s and 1970s provided the
      foundation for efforts to expand immunization programmes, including work to
      develop immunization supply chains. The need to create a reliable system to keep
      vaccines cold during the lengthy journey from the manufacturer to the point of
      use, even in remote areas, was a crucial concern during the early days of the
      Expanded Programme on Immunization. The vaccine cold chain was deliberately
      separated from other medical distribution systems to assure timely access to and
      control of vaccines and injection materials. The story of the early development
      of the vaccine cold chain shows how a number of challenges were overcome with
      technological and human resource solutions. For example, the lack of methods to
      monitor exposure of vaccines to heat during transport and storage led to many
      innovations, including temperature-sensitive vaccine vial monitors and better
      methods to record and communicate temperatures in vaccine stores. The need for
      appropriate equipment to store and transport vaccines in tropical developing
      countries led to innovations in refrigeration equipment as well as the
      introduction and widespread adoption of novel high performance vaccine cold-boxes
      and carriers. New technologies also helped to make injection safer. Underlying
      this work on technologies and equipment was a major effort to develop the human
      resources required to manage and implement the immunization supply chain. This
      included creating foundational policies and a management infrastructure;
      providing training for managers, health workers, technicians, and others. The
      vaccine cold chain has contributed to one of the world's public health success
      stories and provides three priority lessons for future: the vaccine supply chain
      needs to be integrated with other public health supplies, re-designed for
      efficiency and effectiveness and work is needed in the longer term to eliminate
      the need for refrigeration in the supply chain.

PMID- 28364920
TI  - Is freezing in the vaccine cold chain an ongoing issue? A literature review.
AB  - Vaccine exposure to temperatures below recommended ranges in the cold chain may
      decrease vaccine potency of freeze-sensitive vaccines leading to a loss of
      vaccine investments and potentially places children at risk of contracting
      vaccine preventable illnesses. This literature review is an update to one
      previously published in 2007 (Matthias et al., 2007), analyzing the prevalence of
      vaccine exposure to temperatures below recommendations throughout various
      segments of the cold chain. Overall, 45 studies included in this review assess
      temperature monitoring, of which 29 specifically assess 'too cold' temperatures.
      The storage segments alone were evaluated in 41 articles, 15 articles examined
      the transport segment and 4 studied outreach sessions. The sample size of the
      studies varied, ranging from one to 103 shipments and from three to 440 storage
      units. Among reviewed articles, the percentage of vaccine exposure to
      temperatures below recommended ranges during storage was 33% in wealthier
      countries and 37.1% in lower income countries. Vaccine exposure to temperatures
      below recommended ranges occurred during shipments in 38% of studies from higher
      income countries and 19.3% in lower income countries. This review highlights
      continuing issues of vaccine exposure to temperatures below recommended ranges
      during various segments of the cold chain. Studies monitoring the number of
      events vaccines are exposed to 'too cold' temperatures as well as the duration of
      these events are needed. Many reviewed studies emphasize the lack of knowledge of
      health workers regarding freeze damage of vaccines and how this has an effect on
      temperature monitoring. It is important to address this issue by educating
      vaccinators and cold chain staff to improve temperature maintenance and supply
      chain management, which will facilitate the distribution of potent vaccines to
      children.

PMID- 28364919
TI  - Vaccine stockouts around the world: Are essential vaccines always available when
      needed?
AB  - INTRODUCTION: As countries rise to the challenge of implementing the priorities
      of this "Decade of Vaccine" and their commitments delineated in the Global
      Vaccine Action Plan (GVAP), many continue to face important challenges of
      securing a continuous supply of essential vaccine for their national immunization
      programme. This study provides evidence on the incidence of vaccine stockouts in
      countries, their root causes and their potential impact on service delivery.
      METHODS: Vaccine stockout indicators collected from the WHO-UNICEF Joint
      Reporting Form (JRF) and UNICEF's Vaccine Forecasting Tool were analysed for the
      years covering the first half of the GVAP (2011 to 2015) and using 2010 as the
      baseline year. While the JRF collects annual information on national and
      subnational stockouts by vaccine, the UNICEF Vaccine Forecasting Tool has the
      advantage of requesting UNICEF procuring countries to report on the reasons
      underpinning any stockouts. RESULTS: Every year on average, one in every three
      WHO Member States experiences at least one stockout of at least one vaccine for
      at least one month. The incidence is most pronounced in Sub-Saharan Africa where
      38% of countries in this area of the world report national-level stockouts. The
      vaccines most affected are DTP containing vaccines (often combined with HepB and
      Hib) and BCG. They account for respectively 43% and 31% of stockout events
      reported. While national level vaccine stockouts occur in countries of all income
      groups, middle income countries are the most affected. In 80% of cases, national
      level stockouts were due to reasons internal to countries. More specifically, 39%
      of stockouts were attributable to government funding delays, 23% were caused by
      delays in the procurement processes, and poor forecasting and stock management at
      country level accounted for an additional 18%. When a national level stockout of
      vaccines occurs, there is an 89% chance that a subnational stockout will occur at
      district level. More concerning is that if a district level stockout occurs, this
      will lead to an interruption of vaccination services in 96% of cases. DISCUSSION:
      There continues to be important challenges of ensuring a continuous availability
      of essential vaccines. The global community, together with countries, urgently
      need to design effective interventions aimed at reducing the frequency and
      mitigating the impact of stockouts.

PMID- 28364921
TI  - The people factor: An analysis of the human resources landscape for immunization
      supply chain management.
AB  - Human resources is the backbone of any system and the key enabler for all other
      functions to effectively perform. This is no different with the Immunization
      Supply Chain, more so in todays' complex operating environment with the
      increasing strain caused by new vaccines and expanding immunization programmes
      (Source: WHO, UNICEF). In order to drive the change that is required for
      sustainability and continuous improvement, every immunization supply chain needs
      an effective leader. A dedicated and competent immunization supply chain leader
      with adequate numbers of skilled, accountable, motivated and empowered personnel
      at all levels of the health system to overcome existing and emerging immunization
      supply chain (ISC) challenges. Without an effective supply chain leader supported
      by capable and motivated staff, none of the interventions designed to strengthen
      the supply chain can be effective or sustainable (Source: Gavi Alliance SC
      Strategy 2014). This landscape analysis was preceded by an HR Evidence Review
      (March 2014) and has served to inform global partner strategies and country
      activities, as well as highlight where most support is required. The study also
      aimed to define the status quo in order to create some form of baseline against
      which to measure the impact of interventions related to HR going forward. The
      analysis was comprised of a comprehensive desk review, a survey of 40 respondents
      from 32 countries and consultations with ISC practitioners in several forums. The
      findings highlight key areas that should inform the pillars of a HR capacity
      development plan. At the same time, it revealed that there are some positive
      examples of where countries are actively addressing some of the issues identified
      and putting in place mechanisms and structures to optimize the SC function.

PMID- 28364922
TI  - Understanding the policy environment for immunization supply chains: Lessons
      learned from landscape analyses in Uganda and Senegal.
AB  - As immunization programs around the world undergo rapid change and expansion,
      supply chain and logistics systems have become strained, making it increasingly
      challenging for national public health systems to provide reliable, safe, and
      efficient access to vaccines. Governments and immunization partners have been
      aware of this problem for several years, and in 2010, the World Health
      Organization (WHO) launched the Effective Vaccine Management (EVM) process to
      help countries identify shortcomings in their immunization supply chains and
      develop plans for systematic improvement. EVM improvement plans now exist in all
      Gavi-eligible countries plus many middle- and upper-income countries; however,
      implementation has been slow and in many cases fraught with financial,
      managerial, structural, and political roadblocks. Recognizing that significant
      change of any kind requires a supportive policy environment and strong
      leadership, PATH began working in Uganda and Senegal to landscape the policy
      environment around immunization and identify relevant policies, administrative
      and technical roles and responsibilities, and other issues that may be affecting
      the supply chain for immunization. The policy landscape assessments included a
      desk review and a series of structured, in-depth interviews with key
      international, national, and local stakeholders. The findings highlighted a
      number of critical issues and challenges in both countries that may be preventing
      supply chains from functioning optimally. These challenges include a need for
      better coordination and planning between immunization programs and supply chain
      managers; the need for sufficient, timely and reliable financing for all aspects
      of immunization programs; the need for high-level managers trained in
      immunization supply chain management; and an urgent need for better, more timely
      data for decision-making. Overcoming these challenges will require the
      involvement of high-level political actors-including ministers of health and
      finance, parliamentarians, and other officials who have the ability to approve
      and influence policy, personnel, and structural changes; ensure work plans are
      backed with adequate resources for implementation; and hold program managers
      accountable for achieving agreed indicators.

PMID- 28364923
TI  - Equity and immunization supply chain in Madagascar.
AB  - : Vaccination rates have improved in many countries, yet immunization inequities
      persist within countries and the poorest communities often bear the largest
      burden of vaccine preventable disease. Madagascar has one of the world's largest
      equity gaps in immunization rates. Barriers to immunization include immunization
      supply chain, human resources, and service delivery to reflect the health system
      building blocks, which affect poor rural communities more than affluent
      communities. The Reaching Every District (RED) approach was revised to address
      barriers and bottlenecks. This approach focuses on the provision of regular
      services, including making cold chain functional. This report describes
      Madagascar's inequities in immunization, its programmatic causes and the
      country's plans to address barriers to immunization in the poorest regions in the
      country. METHODS: Two cross-sectional health facility surveys conducted in
      November and December 2013 and in March 2015 were performed in four regions of
      Madagascar to quantify immunization system barriers. FINDINGS: Of the four
      regions studied, 26-33% of the population live beyond 5km (km) of a health
      center. By 2015, acceptable (fridges stopped working for less than 6days) cold
      chains were found in 52-80% of health facilities. Only 10-57% of health centers
      had at least two qualified health workers. Between 65% and 95% of planned fixed
      vaccination sessions were conducted and 50-88% of planned outreach sessions were
      conducted. The proportion of planned outreach sessions that were conducted
      increased between the two surveys. CONCLUSION: Madagascar's immunization program
      faces serious challenges and those affected most are the poorest populations.
      Major inequities in immunization were found at the subnational level and were
      mainly geographic in nature. Approaches to improve immunization systems need to
      be equitable. This may include the replacement of supply chain equipment with
      those powered by sustainable energy sources, monitoring its functionality at
      health facility level and vaccination services in all communities.

PMID- 28364925
TI  - System redesign of the immunization supply chain: Experiences from Benin and
      Mozambique.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: Evidence suggests that immunization supply chains are becoming
      outdated and unable to deliver needed vaccines due to growing populations and new
      vaccine introductions. Redesigning a supply chain could result in meeting current
      demands. METHODS: The Ministries of Health in Benin in Mozambique recognized
      known barriers to the immunization supply chain and undertook a system redesign
      to address those barriers. Changes were made to introduce an informed push system
      while consolidating storage points, introducing transport loops, and increasing
      human resource capacity for distribution. Evaluations were completed in each
      country. RESULTS: Evaluation in each country indicated improved performance of
      the supply chain. The Effective Vaccine Management (EVM) assessment in Benin
      documented notable improvements in the distribution criteria of the tool,
      increasing from 40% to 100% at the district level. In Mozambique, results showed
      reduced stockouts at health facility level from 79% at baseline to less than 1%
      at endline. Coverage rates of DTP3 also increased from 68.9% to 92.8%.
      DISCUSSION: Benin and Mozambique are undertaking system redesign in order to
      respond to constraints identified in the vaccine supply chain. Results and
      learnings show improvements in supply chain performance and make a strong case
      for system redesign. These countries demonstrate the feasibility of system
      redesign for other countries considering how to address outdated supply chains.

PMID- 28364924
TI  - Vaccine vial monitor availability and use in low- and middle-income countries: A
      systematic review.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: The vaccine vial monitor (VVM) registers cumulative heat exposure
      on vaccines over time. As low- and lower-middle-income countries transition
      beyond support from the Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunization (Gavi),
      they will assume full responsibility for vaccine financing and procurement. It is
      unclear to what extent countries transitioning out of Gavi support will continue
      to include VVMs on their vaccines. This paper aims to systematically review
      evidence on VVM availability and use in low- and middle-income countries to
      document factors behind global access to and country demand for VVMs. Such
      results could help identify actions needed to ensure continued use of VVMs in
      countries that transition out of Gavi support. METHODS: We performed a systematic
      review of electronic databases, reference lists, and grey literature in English
      and French languages with publication dates from 2005 onwards. The studies
      included were analyzed for the following outcomes: (1) availability and
      deployment of VVM-labeled vaccines; (2) VVM practices and perceptions in the
      immunization system; (3) vaccine introduction and decision-making processes; (4)
      Gavi graduation and vaccine program sustainability. RESULTS: The study found that
      VVM availability and use was affected by multiple sourcing of vaccines and the
      extent to which VVM was included in the vaccine specification in the tendering
      documents when procuring vaccines. Knowledge about VVM and its impact on the EPI
      program was found to be high among health workers as well as decision-makers.
      However, the study also found that weak capacity in key national institutions
      such as NRA and NPA might impact on demand for VVM. As countries take decisions
      regarding the adoption of new vaccines, factors such as disease burden and
      vaccine price may assume greater importance than vaccine characteristics and
      presentation. Finally, the study found that countries rely largely on the advice
      and recommendations from technical partners such as WHO and PAHO. CONCLUSION: The
      study concludes that global access to and country demand for VVM are dependent on
      policy statements and recommendations about VVM by key policy institutions such
      as WHO and UNICEF. The study also concludes that despite Gavi-eligible countries
      having access to VVM-labeled vaccines, inclusion is often below 100%. Weak
      institutional capacity in key national agencies such as NRA and NPA seems to be a
      contributing factor, while other factors include the procurement of clear
      national policies on the inclusion of VVM on vaccines, along with the capacity to
      enforce the policy. Finally, the study concludes that knowledge about VVM and its
      impact on vaccine program efficiency, safety, and cost is critical for
      transitioning countries' continuous demand for VVM.

PMID- 28364926
TI  - Transforming vaccines supply chains in Nigeria.
AB  - Nigeria is the most populous country in Africa and in 2012 was suffering some of
      the lowest vaccination rates in the World. A combination of factors had resulted
      in a dysfunctional immunization cold chain and supply chain. Recognizing that the
      number of unimmunized children contributed to high levels of under-5-mortality,
      and that health MDGs would not be attained, Minister of State for Health Mohammed
      Pate launched a vaccines transformation project in 2013. In partnership with
      BMGF, GAVI, UNICEF, WHO, other donors and implementing partners the
      transformation journey has so far taken three years and achieved impressive
      results. It has though faced challenges along the way and with the financial
      burden of GAVI graduation facing Nigeria, the economic downturn and the
      decentralized funding of health services, the results are far from sustained.
      This paper documents the work undertaken at the Federal level and then highlights
      specific work undertaken in partnership with Lagos State Government. It
      identifies the importance of taking an end to end approach and looking at the
      root causes of weak system performance. The strategy combined simple innovations
      in how data was captured, recorded and used to drive decision making. It included
      a comprehensive and systematic approach to cold chain procurement, installation
      and maintenance with a shift to a culture of active cold chain maintenance that
      is performing with higher levels of uptime. It also included supply chain
      redesign at both the Federal and State level. Finally, it involved an
      institutional transformation at the National Primary Health Care Development
      Agency (NPHCDA) to establish a data driven Department of Logistics and Health
      Commodities (DLHC) to manage the many challenges in immunizing 7.5 million
      children annually. While results have been impressive, there have been many
      challenges and lessons learned on the way. As Nigeria gets ready for its
      graduation from GAVI, a robust agile performing cold chain and supply chain will
      be essential for the good health of Nigeria's children and its economy. The
      necessary transformation journey has only just begun.

PMID- 28364927
TI  - Preliminary results from direct-to-facility vaccine deliveries in Kano, Nigeria.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: As part of its vaccine supply chain redesign efforts, Kano state now
      pushes vaccines directly from 6 state stores to primary health centers equipped
      with solar refrigerators. Our objective is to describe preliminary results from
      the first 20months of Kano's direct vaccine delivery operations. METHODS: This is
      a retrospective review of Kano's direct vaccine delivery program. We analyzed
      trends in health facility vaccine stock levels, and examined the relationship
      between stock-out rates and each of cascade vaccine deliveries and timeliness of
      deliveries. Analysis of vaccination trends was based on administrative data from
      27 sentinel health facilities. Costs for both the in-sourced and out-sourced
      approaches were estimated using a bottoms-up model-based approach. RESULTS:
      Overall stock adequacy increased from 54% in the first delivery cycle to 68% by
      cycle 33. Conversely, stock-out rates decreased from 41% to 10% over the same
      period. Similar trends were observed in the out-sourced and in-sourced programs.
      Stock-out rates rose incrementally with increasing number of cascade facilities,
      and delays in vaccine deliveries correlated strongly with stock-out rates.
      Recognizing that stock availability is one of many factors contributing to
      vaccinations, we nonetheless compared pre- and post- direct deliveries
      vaccinations in sentinel facilities, and found statistically significant upward
      trends for 4 out of 6 antigens. 1 antigen (measles) showed an upward trend that
      was not statistically significant. Hepatitis b vaccinations declined during the
      period. Overall, there appeared to be a one-year lag between commencement of
      direct deliveries and the increase in number of vaccinations. Weighted average
      cost per delivery is US$29.8 and cost per child immunized is US$0.7 per year.
      CONCLUSION: Direct vaccine delivery to health facilities in Kano, through a
      streamlined architecture, has resulted in decreased stock-outs and improved stock
      adequacy. Concurrent operation of insourced and outsourced programs has enabled
      Kano build in-house logistics capabilities.

PMID- 28364928
TI  - Costing analysis and anthropological assessment of the vaccine supply chain
      system redesign in the Come District (Benin).
AB  - OBJECTIVE: At the end of 2013, a pilot experiment was carried out in Come health
      zone (HZ) in an attempt to optimize the vaccine supply chain. Four commune
      vaccine storage facilities were replaced by one central HZ facility. This study
      evaluated the incremental financial needs for the establishment of the new
      system; compared the economic cost of the supply chain in the Come HZ before and
      after the system redesign; and analyzed the changes induced by the pilot project
      in immunization logistics management. METHOD: The purposive sampling method was
      used to draw a sample from 37 health facilities in the zone for costing
      evaluation. Data on inputs and prices were collected retrospectively for 2013 and
      2014. The analysis used an ingredient-based approach. In addition, 44 semi
      structured interviews with health workers for anthropological analysis were
      completed in 2014. RESULTS: The incremental financial costs amounted to
      US$55,148, including US$50,605 for upfront capital investment and US$4543 for
      ongoing recurrent costs. Annual economic cost per dose administered (including
      all vaccines distributed through the Expanded Program on Immunization (EPI)) in
      the Come HZ increased from US$0.09 before system redesign to US$0.15 after
      implementation, mainly due to a high initial investment and the operational cost
      of HZ mobile warehouse. Interviews with health workers suggested that the
      redesigned system was associated with improvements in motivation and professional
      awareness due to training, supportive supervision, and improved work conditions.
      CONCLUSIONS: The system redesign involved a considerable investment at HZ level.
      Benefits were found in the reduction of transportation costs to health posts (HP)
      and commune health center (CHC) levels, and the strengthening of health workers
      professional skills at all levels in Come. The redesigned system contributed to a
      decrease in funding needs at HP and CHC levels. The benefits of the investment
      need to be examined after the introduction of new vaccines and after a longer
      period.

PMID- 28364929
TI  - Professional changes induced by a redesigned immunization supply chain in the
      Come Health Zone, Benin.
AB  - At the end of 2013, the Government of Benin and Agence de Medecine Preventive
      (AMP) launched a demonstration project in Come Health Zone (HZ) to optimize the
      vaccine supply chain. A key part of the demonstration project was the creation of
      an "informed push model" of vaccine distribution supported by a new logistician
      position at the health zone (district) level. At the conclusion of the
      demonstration project in 2015, the authors conducted an anthropological study
      consisting of semi-structured interviews with 62 participants to assess how the
      new model changed the professional identities, roles, responsibilities, and
      practices of personnel involved in vaccine management during and just after the
      demonstration project end in Come HZ. The study found that health workers
      considered the logistician as a key player in enabling them to perform their
      public health mission, notably by improving knowledge and practices in vaccine
      management, providing supportive supervision, and improving the availability of
      vaccines and other supplies so that immunization sessions could occur more
      reliably and professionally within the communities they served. The demonstration
      project was widely accepted among study participants. The study was approved by
      the Cotonou Ethics Committee (CER-ISBA No. 56 dated 09/04/2015).

PMID- 28364930
TI  - Improving iSC performance through outsourcing - Considerations for using third
      party service providers to increase innovation, capacity and efficiency.
AB  - Development partners and donors have encouraged and incentivized governments in
      developing countries to explore ways of working with third-party service
      suppliers to reduce costs and increase service delivery capacity. The
      distribution of vaccines and medicines has for a long time shown demand for
      outsourcing but public health systems have struggled to develop the expertise and
      capital assets necessary to manage such ventures. Existing transport and
      logistics capacity within public health systems, in particular, is well
      documented as being insufficient to support existing, let alone future
      immunization needs. Today, a number of countries are contracting party logistics
      providers (3PLs) to supplement the in-house distribution operations of public
      health systems. This commentary reflects on recent, leading examples of
      outsourcing initiatives to address critical gaps in transport and logistics.

PMID- 28364931
TI  - Root cause analysis underscores the importance of understanding, addressing, and
      communicating cold chain equipment failures to improve equipment performance.
AB  - Vaccine cold chain equipment (CCE) in developing countries is often exposed to
      harsh environmental conditions, such as extreme temperatures and humidity, and is
      subject to many additional challenges, including intermittent power supply,
      insufficient maintenance capacity, and a scarcity of replacement parts. Together,
      these challenges lead to high failure rates for refrigerators, potentially
      damaging vaccines and adversely affecting immunization coverage. Providing a
      sustainable solution for improving CCE performance requires an understanding of
      the root causes of failure. Project teams conducted small-scale studies to
      determine the root causes of CCE failure in selected locations in Uganda and
      Mozambique. The evaluations covered 59 failed refrigerators and freezers in
      Uganda and 27 refrigerators in Mozambique. In Uganda, the vast majority of
      failures were due to a cooling unit fault in one widely used refrigerator model.
      In Mozambique, 11 of the 27 problems were attributable to solar refrigerators
      with batteries that were unable to hold a charge, and another eight problems were
      associated with a need to adjust thermostat settings. The studies showed that
      tracking and evaluation of equipment performance and failure can yield important,
      actionable information for a range of stakeholders, including local CCE
      technicians, the ministry of health, equipment manufacturers, and international
      partners such as the United Nations Children's Fund, World Health Organization,
      and Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance. Collaborative efforts to systematically collect
      and communicate data on CCE performance and causes of failure will help to
      improve the efficiency and reach of immunization programs in low- and middle
      income countries.

PMID- 28364932
TI  - Assessing stability and performance of a digitally enabled supply chain:
      Retrospective of a pilot in Uttar Pradesh, India.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Immunization supply chains in low resource settings do not always
      reach children with necessary vaccines. Digital information systems can enable
      real time visibility of inventory and improve vaccine availability. In 2014, a
      digital, mobile/web-based information system was implemented in two districts of
      Uttar Pradesh, India. This retrospective investigates improvements and
      stabilization of supply chain performance following introduction of the digital
      information system. METHODS: All data were collected via the digital information
      system between March 2014 and September 2015. Data included metadata and
      transaction logs providing information about users, facilities, and vaccines.
      Metrics evaluated include adoption (system access, timeliness and completeness),
      data quality (error rates), and performance (stock availability on immunization
      session days, replenishment response duration, rate of zero stock events).
      Stability was defined as the phase in which quality and performance metrics
      achieved equilibrium rates with minimal volatility. The analysis compared
      performance across different facilities and vaccines. RESULTS: Adoption appeared
      sufficiently high from the onset to commence stability measures of data quality
      and supply chain performance. Data quality stabilized from month 3 onwards, and
      supply chain performance stabilized from month 13 onwards. For data quality,
      error rates reduced by two thirds post stabilization. Although vaccine
      availability remained high throughout the pilot, the three lowest-performing
      facilities improved from 91.05% pre-stability to 98.70% post-stability (p<0.01; t
      test). Average replenishment duration (as a corrective response to stock-out
      events) decreased 52.3% from 4.93days to 2.35days (p<0.01; t-test). Diphtheria
      tetanus-pertussis vaccine was significantly less likely to be stocked out than
      any other material. CONCLUSION: The results suggest that given sufficient
      adoption, stability is sequentially achieved, beginning with data quality, and
      then performance. Identifying when a pilot stabilizes can enable more
      predictable, reliable cost estimates, and outcome forecasts in the scale-up
      phase.

PMID- 28364933
TI  - When technical achievements aren't enough: Lessons learned from efforts to
      catalyze policy action on supply chain in Senegal.
AB  - Before 2013, Senegal public health supply system was pull-based and fully public
      run. Lengthy and recurrent stockouts of essential health products (incl.
      contraceptives) were the rule, not the exception as they used to strike more than
      80% of public service delivery points (SDPs). Following a successful pilot in two
      districts in 2012, the Senegalese Ministry of Health and Social Action (MSAS)
      implemented the Informed Push Model (IPM) Project (2013-2016). In its first two
      years, IPM bridged key gaps and expanded the distribution of contraceptives by
      private third party logistics operators to all public SDPs in Senegal and nearly
      eliminated stockouts. However, the MSAS was slow to take ownership of the
      project. Understanding the roots of this reluctance, executing a range of
      targeted communication and advocacy efforts and preparing a strong transition
      plan are succeeding to push Government toward full ownership to enable the
      National Supply Pharmacy to distribute all health products going to SDPs,
      including vaccines, consistently with their Strategic Plan 2014-2018.

PMID- 28364934
TI  - Extending supply chains and improving immunization coverage and equity through
      controlled temperature chain use of vaccines.

PMID- 28364935
TI  - When are solar refrigerators less costly than on-grid refrigerators: A simulation
      modeling study.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Gavi recommends solar refrigerators for vaccine storage in areas with
      less than eight hours of electricity per day, and WHO guidelines are more
      conservative. The question remains: Can solar refrigerators provide value where
      electrical outages are less frequent? METHODS: Using a HERMES-generated
      computational model of the Mozambique routine immunization supply chain, we
      simulated the use of solar versus electric mains-powered refrigerators (hereafter
      referred to as "electric refrigerators") at different locations in the supply
      chain under various circumstances. RESULTS: At their current price premium, the
      annual cost of each solar refrigerator is 132% more than each electric
      refrigerator at the district level and 241% more at health facilities. Solar
      refrigerators provided savings over electric refrigerators when one-day
      electrical outages occurred more than five times per year at either the district
      level or the health facilities, even when the electric refrigerator holdover time
      exceeded the duration of the outage. Two-day outages occurring more than three
      times per year at the district level or more than twice per year at the health
      facilities also caused solar refrigerators to be cost saving. Lowering the annual
      cost of a solar refrigerator to 75% more than an electric refrigerator allowed
      solar refrigerators to be cost saving at either level when one-day outages
      occurred more than once per year, or when two-day outages occurred more than once
      per year at the district level or even once per year at the health facilities.
      CONCLUSION: Our study supports WHO and Gavi guidelines. In fact, solar
      refrigerators may provide savings in total cost per dose administered over
      electrical refrigerators when electrical outages are less frequent. Our study
      identified the frequency and duration at which electrical outages need to occur
      for solar refrigerators to provide savings in total cost per dose administered
      over electric refrigerators at different solar refrigerator prices.

PMID- 28364936
TI  - Who is preparing the next generation of immunization supply chain professionals?

PMID- 28364937
TI  - National logistics working groups: A landscape analysis study.
AB  - Several countries have acknowledged the contributions made by national logistics
      working groups (NLWG) to ensure equitable access to the expanded program on
      immunization's (EPI) vaccines against preventable diseases. In order to provide
      key insights to the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) and the World Health
      Organization (WHO) supply chain hub - as well as other players, including
      national EPI - a landscape analysis study was conducted from September 2015 to
      February 2016. This is a cross-sectional survey taken by 43 countries that
      combines qualitative and quantitative approaches. Data was collected through a
      desk review, consultation, interviews, and distance questioning. References and
      guidance were used to determine and specify the underlying mechanisms of NLWGs.
      The key findings are:This study has provided a general overview of the status of
      NLWGs for immunization in various countries. Based on the key insights of the
      study, technical assistance needs have been identified, and immunization partners
      will be required to help countries create and reinforce their NLWGs.

PMID- 28364938
TI  - Experiential and authentic learning approaches in vaccine management.
AB  - A high level of concern is placed on the storage, handling, transportation, and
      distribution of vaccines and other pharmaceutical products, particularly those
      that are time and temperature sensitive. While active and passive cooling
      equipment and monitoring devices are important, it is the various personnel
      responsible for executing and writing procedures, designing and operating
      systems, and investigating problems and helping prevent them who are paramount in
      establishing and maintaining a "cold chain" for time and temperature sensitive
      pharmaceutical products (TTSPPs). These professionals must possess the required
      competencies, knowledge, skills and abilities so they can effectively perform
      these activities with appropriate levels of expertise. These are complex tasks
      that require the development of higher cognitive skills that cannot be adequately
      addressed through professional development opportunities based on simple
      information delivery and content acquisition. This paper describes two unique
      learning solutions (one on a bus called the "wheels course" and the other online
      called "e-learning") that have been developed by WHO Global Learning
      Opportunities (WHO/GLO) to provide participants with opportunities not just to
      learn about cold chain systems or vaccine management, but, rather, to develop
      high levels of expertise in their respective fields through experiential and
      authentic learning activities. In these interactive learning environments,
      participants have opportunities to address real-life situations in contexts
      similar to what they may face in their own work environments and develop
      solutions and critical thinking skills they can apply when they return to their
      jobs. This paper further delineates the managerial and operational vaccine
      management functions encompassed in these two unique learning environments. The
      paper also describes the alignment of the objectives addressed in the "wheels
      course" and the e-learning version with effective vaccine management (EVM)
      criteria as prescribed by WHO. The paper concludes with an example of a real
      world product developed by course graduates (specifically a decision tree that is
      now used by some national programmes). These types of products, valuable in their
      own right, often emerge when learning environments based on authentic learning
      principles are designed and implemented as they were by WHO/GLO.

PMID- 28364939
TI  - Innovations in cold chain equipment for immunization supply chains.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Since 2010, numerous new technologies have entered the immunization
      cold chain equipment market. The World Health Organization (WHO) Immunization
      Devices Programme-Performance, Quality and Safety (PQS)-has played a key role in
      bringing these to market. In this article, the authors explore the emergence of
      new cold chain equipment technologies from 2004 to 2016 and the role of PQS in
      this evolution. METHODS: This review focuses on three major vaccine cold chain
      technology innovations-solar direct-drive refrigerators, long-term passive cold
      boxes, and equipment with user-independent freeze prevention. For the review, we
      used online data from WHO PQS, a literature search, and unpublished research
      reports. RESULTS: Timelines with key milestones in the emergence of the three
      focus technologies show delays of between one and three years between earliest
      field trials and publication of WHO specifications; procurement builds after the
      WHO prequalification of initial devices. DISCUSSION: The timelines show the role
      of PQS as both gatekeeper and enabler for cold chain equipment technologies. The
      use of target product profiles by PQS has increased its ability to signal
      preferred attributes and to engage with manufacturers during the product
      development stage. Procurement data show how demand for solar direct-drive
      refrigerators increased over time. Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, is employing
      demand-generation strategies to try to drive procurement of technologies with
      favorable technical attributes. CONCLUSIONS: 

PMID- 28364940
TI  - Seizing market shaping opportunities for vaccine cold chain equipment.
AB  - Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, supports immunisation programmes in eligible
      countries to reach children with lifesaving vaccines. Dramatic improvement in the
      scale and performance of current cold chain systems is required to extend the
      reach of immunisation services - especially for children living in remote
      locations - to advance progress towards full vaccine coverage. Achieving these
      improvements will require a healthier market for cold chain equipment where the
      products meet user needs, are sustainably priced, and are available in sufficient
      quantities to meet demand. Yet evidence suggests that the cold chain market has
      suffered from several failures including limited demand visibility, fragmented
      procurement, and insufficient information exchange between manufacturers and
      buyers on needs and equipment performance. One of Gavi's strategic goals is to
      shape markets for vaccines and other immunisation products, including cold chain
      equipment and in 2015, Gavi created a new mechanism - the Cold Chain Equipment
      (CCE) Optimisation Platform - to strengthen country cold chain systems by
      offering financial support and incentives for higher performing CCE. The main
      objective of the CCE Platform is to get more equipment that is efficient,
      sustainable, and better performing deployed to every health facility where it is
      required at an affordable price. To achieve these objectives, Gavi is putting in
      place tested market shaping approaches and tools adapted for the CCE market: the
      development of market strategies or 'roadmaps'; improvement of product
      performance through the development of target product profiles (TPPs); strategic
      engagement with CCE manufacturers and countries to enhance information sharing;
      and tailoring procurement tactics to the CCE market. These approaches and tools
      will allow for increased demand and supply of higher-performing, cost-effective
      and quality products. By strengthening immunisation systems with improved cold
      chain equipment, Gavi countries can begin to address the underlying problems
      limiting vaccine availability and improve the coverage and equity of vaccines.

PMID- 28364941
TI  - Exploring new packaging and delivery options for the immunization supply chain.
AB  - A variety of vaccine packaging and delivery technologies may benefit the
      immunization supply chain. These include alternative primary packaging, such as
      blow-fill-seal polymer containers, and novel delivery technologies, such
      intradermal delivery devices, microarray patches, and sublingual formulations of
      vaccines, and others in development. The potential timeline to availability of
      these technologies varies and depends on their stage of development and the type
      of data necessary to achieve licensure. Some new delivery devices are anticipated
      to be introduced in 2017, such as intradermal devices for delivery of inactivated
      poliovirus vaccine to stretch vaccine supplies due to a supply limitation. Other
      new technologies requiring vaccine reformulation, such as microarray patches and
      sublingual vaccines, may become available in the long term (2021 and beyond).
      Development of many new technologies requires partnership between vaccine and
      technology manufacturers and identification of the applicable regulatory pathway.
      Interaction with public-sector stakeholders early on (through engagement with
      forums such as the World Health Organization's Immunization Practices Advisory
      Committee Delivery Technologies Working Group) is important to ensure suitability
      for immunization program use. Key considerations for programmatic suitability of
      a new vaccine, packaging, and delivery device include cold chain volume, costs,
      and health impact.

PMID- 28364944
TI  - In Vivo Porcine Model of Venous Air Embolism During Pars Plana Vitrectomy.

PMID- 28364945
TI  - Same-site Trabeculectomy Revision for Failed Trabeculectomy: Outcomes and Risk
      Factors for Failure.

PMID- 28364942
TI  - Cardiomyopathy in Patients With Hereditary Bullous Epidermolysis.
AB  - INTRODUCTION AND OBJECTIVE: In recent decades, an association has been reported
      between epidermolysis bullosa (EB) and dilated cardiomyopathy (DC). DC is
      typically in an advanced phase when detected, leading to a poorer prognosis. Our
      objective was to determine the prevalence of DC in patients with EB seen in
      Hospital San Joan de Deu in Barcelona, Spain, between May 1986 and April 2015.
      METHODS: This was a descriptive, cross-sectional chart-review study in which we
      recorded the type and main subtypes of EB and the presence or absence of DC.
      RESULTS: Fifty-seven patients with EB were found, 19 with EB simplex, 10 with
      junctional EB, 27 with dystrophic EB (14 dominant dystrophic and 13 recessive
      dystrophic), and just 1 with Kindler syndrome. DC was detected in only 2 patients
      with recessive dystrophic EB. Twenty-three patients had presented factors that
      could have had a causal relationship with the potential onset of DC. CONCLUSION:
      DC is a possible complication of EB, particularly in recessive dystrophic EB.
      Periodic follow-up should be performed to make an early diagnosis and start
      treatment.

PMID- 28364946
TI  - Relationships Between Anthropometric Measurements and Intraocular Pressure: The
      Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey.

PMID- 28364943
TI  - Amygdala Lesions Reduce Anxiety-like Behavior in a Human Benzodiazepine-Sensitive
      Approach-Avoidance Conflict Test.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Rodent approach-avoidance conflict tests are common preclinical
      models of human anxiety disorder. Their translational validity mainly rests on
      the observation that anxiolytic drugs reduce rodent anxiety-like behavior. Here,
      we capitalized on a recently developed approach-avoidance conflict computer game
      to investigate the impact of benzodiazepines and of amygdala lesions on putative
      human anxiety-like behavior. In successive epochs of this game, participants
      collect monetary tokens on a spatial grid while under threat of virtual
      predation. METHODS: In a preregistered, randomized, double-blind, placebo
      controlled trial, we tested the effect of a single dose (1 mg) of lorazepam (n =
      59). We then compared 2 patients with bilateral amygdala lesions due to Urbach
      Wiethe syndrome with age- and gender-matched control participants (n = 17). Based
      on a previous report, the primary outcome measure was the effect of intra-epoch
      time (i.e., an adaptation to increasing potential loss) on presence in the safe
      quadrant of the spatial grid. We hypothesized reduced loss adaptation in this
      measure under lorazepam and in patients with amygdala lesions. RESULTS: Lorazepam
      and amygdala lesions reduced loss adaptation in the primary outcome measure. We
      found similar results in several secondary outcome measures. The relative
      reduction of anxiety-like behavior in patients with amygdala lesions was
      qualitatively and quantitatively indistinguishable from an impact of anterior
      hippocampus lesions found in a previous report. CONCLUSIONS: Our results
      establish the translational validity of human approach-avoidance conflict tests
      in terms of anxiolytic drug action. We identified the amygdala, in addition to
      the hippocampus, as a critical structure in human anxiety-like behavior.

PMID- 28364947
TI  - Reply.

PMID- 28364949
TI  - Back to the future (supply of dentists).

PMID- 28364948
TI  - Adoption of dental innovations: The case of a standardized dental diagnostic
      terminology.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Standardized dental diagnostic terminologies (SDDxTs) were introduced
      decades ago. Their use has been on the rise, accompanying the adoption of
      electronic health records (EHRs). One of the most broadly used terminologies is
      the Dental Diagnostic System (DDS). Our aim was to assess the adoption of SDDxTs
      by US dental schools by using the Rogers diffusion of innovations framework,
      focusing on the DDS. METHODS: The authors electronically surveyed clinic deans in
      all US dental schools (n = 61) to determine use of an EHR and SDDxT, perceived
      barriers to adoption of an SDDxT, and the effect of implementing an SDDxT on
      clinical productivity. RESULTS: The response rate was 57%. Of the 35 responses,
      91% reported using an EHR to document patient care, with 84% using axiUm; 41%
      used the DDS. Fifty-four percent of those who did not use an SDDxT had considered
      adopting the DDS, but 38% had not, citing barriers such as complexity and
      compatibility. CONCLUSIONS: Adoption of an SDDxT, particularly the DDS, is on the
      rise. Nevertheless, a large number of institutions are in the Rogers late
      majority and laggards categories with respect to adoption. Several factors may
      discourage adoption, including the inability to try out the terminology on a
      small scale, poor usability within the EHR, the fact that it would be a cultural
      shift in practice, and a perception of unclear benefits. However, the
      consolidation of the DDS and American Dental Association terminology efforts
      stands to encourage adoption. PRACTICAL IMPLICATIONS: The successful adoption of
      dental innovation depends not only on the intrinsic merit of the innovation, as
      some useful innovations do not achieve widespread traction. As such, it is
      important for health care providers to understand how to disseminate their ideas
      in order to ensure traction and widespread adoption.

PMID- 28364950
TI  - Unliganded and substrate bound structures of the cellooligosaccharide active
      lytic polysaccharide monooxygenase LsAA9A at low pH.
AB  - Lytic polysaccharide monooxygenases (LPMOs) have been found to be key components
      in microbial (bacterial and fungal) degradation of biomass. They are copper
      metalloenzymes that degrade polysaccharides oxidatively and act in synergy with
      glycoside hydrolases. Recently crystallographic studies carried out at pH 5.5 of
      the LPMO from Lentinus similis belonging to the fungal LPMO family AA9 have
      provided the first atomic resolution view of substrate-LPMO interactions. The
      LsAA9A structure presented here determined at pH 3.5 shows significant disorder
      of the active site in the absence of substrate ligand. Furthermore some
      differences are also observed in regards to substrate (cellohexaose) binding,
      although the major interaction with the N-terminal histidine remains unchanged.

PMID- 28364951
TI  - Between the lines: The 50th anniversary of long-term central venous catheters.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Tunneled central venous catheters (CVC) were developed five decades
      ago. Since then, several clinician-inventors have created a variety of catheters
      with different functions. Indeed, many catheters have been named after their
      inventor. Many have wondered who the inventors were of each catheter, and what
      specifically inspired their inventions. Many of these compelling stories have yet
      to be told. DATA SOURCE: A literature review of common catheters and personal
      communication with inventors. Only first person accounts from inventors or those
      close to the invention were used. CONCLUSIONS: CVCs are now essential devices
      that have saved countless lives. Though the inventors have earned the honor of
      naming their catheters, it may be reasonable to consider more consistent
      terminology to describe these catheters to avoid confusion.

PMID- 28364952
TI  - Early complications after percutaneous radiofrequency ablation for hepatocellular
      carcinoma: an analysis of 1,843 ablations in 1,211 patients in a single centre:
      experience over 10 years.
AB  - AIM: To evaluate the incidence of adverse events and associated factors after
      radiofrequency ablation (RFA) in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma within 30
      days. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The early complications that occurred within 30 days
      after RFA at a single institution from January 2000 to July 2010 were reviewed in
      order to evaluate the morbidity, mortality, and risk factors associated with the
      complications. In total, 1,211 patients (845 men, 70.5%) with a mean age of 68
      years (range, 27-88 years) underwent 1,843 RFA procedures. RESULTS: The overall
      incidence rate of complications was 6.8% (125 cases). Major complications (n=36,
      2%) included liver abscess (n=15, 0.8%), intraperitoneal bleeding (n=8, 0.4%),
      liver failure (n=5, 0.3%), variceal bleeding (n=3, 0.2%), haemothorax (n=2,
      0.1%), cholecystitis (n=2, 0.1%), and bowel perforation (n=1, 0.1%). Among the
      minor complications (n=89, 4.8%), the most common was the post RFA syndrome
      accompanied by pain and fever (n=75, 4.1%). Other minor complications included
      significant pleural effusion (n=7, 0.4%), skin wound infection (n=4, 0.2%), and
      thermal injuries to the skin (n=3, 0.2%). Procedural infections significantly
      increased with tumour size (OR=1.379; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.191-1.579;
      p<0.001), and multiple overlapping ablations (OR=1.118; 95% CI, 1.019-1.227,
      p=0.018). Thrombocytopenia (<50,000/MUl), prothrombin time, and serum albumin
      level were significantly associated with post-RFA bleeding episodes (p=0.041,
      p=0.021, and p=0.003, respectively). The overall mortality rate was 0.3% (three
      cases of hepatic failure, two case of sepsis, and one case of renal failure).
      CONCLUSIONS: RFA is a safe and effective local treatment for hepatocellular
      carcinoma. Careful selection of patients and appropriate RFA planning could
      decrease procedural mortality and morbidity.

PMID- 28364953
TI  - Comparison of Morphologic Features and Flow Velocity of the Left Atrial Appendage
      Among Patients With Atrial Fibrillation Alone, Transient Ischemic Attack, and
      Cardioembolic Stroke.
AB  - The left atrial appendage (LAA) is a major source of emboli responsible for
      cardioembolic stroke (CES). We hypothesized that there could be differences in
      the morphologic and functional features of LAAs among patients with atrial
      fibrillation (AF) alone, patients with cardioembolic transient ischemic attack
      (CETIA), and patients with CES. Patients with AF and CETIA/CES were included in
      either a CETIA group or a CES group. Patients with AF without past histories of
      stroke were included in an AF/non-CVA (cerebrovascular accident) group. Cardiac
      computerized tomography and transesophageal echocardiography were employed for
      morphologic and functional assessments of LAAs. Cauliflower LAA morphology
      increased and chicken wing LAA morphology decreased in frequency in the following
      order: AF/non-CVA, CETIA, and CES group. LAA orifice diameters were larger in the
      CETIA and CES groups than in the AF/non-CVA group. LAA flow velocity was higher
      in the CES group than in the other groups. Multiple multinominal regression
      analyses showed that the cauliflower morphology was associated with CETIA and
      CES; however, after LAA orifice diameters and flow velocity were adjusted, LAA
      morphology was associated with neither of them. Receiver operating characteristic
      curve analysis showed that LAA orifice diameter and flow velocity accurately
      predicted CETIA (c-statistic 0.839) and CES (c-statistic 0.896), respectively. In
      conclusion, cauliflower LAA morphology is associated with an increased risk of
      CETIA and CES through its large LAA orifice diameters and low LAA flow velocity.
      There are clear differences in LAA orifice diameters and flow velocity among
      patients with AF alone, CES, and CETIA.

PMID- 28364955
TI  - 49 Years-old man with fever, malaise and pulmonary nodules.

PMID- 28364954
TI  - Sol-gel processing of bioactive glass nanoparticles: A review.
AB  - Silicate-based bioactive glass nanoparticles (BGN) are gaining increasing
      attention in various biomedical applications due to their unique properties.
      Controlled synthesis of BGN is critical to their effective use in biomedical
      applications since BGN characteristics, such as morphology and composition,
      determining the properties of BGN, are highly related to the synthesis process.
      In the last decade, numerous investigations focusing on BGN synthesis have been
      reported. BGN can mainly be produced through the conventional melt-quench
      approach or by sol-gel methods. The latter approaches are drawing widespread
      attention, considering the convenience and versatility they offer to tune the
      properties of BGN. In this paper, we review the strategies of sol-gel processing
      of BGN, including those adopting different catalysts for initiating the
      hydrolysis and condensation of silicate precursors as well as those combining sol
      gel chemistry with other techniques. The processes and mechanism of different
      synthesis approaches are introduced and discussed in detail. Considering the
      importance of the BGN morphology and composition to their biomedical
      applications, strategies put forward to control the size, shape, pore structure
      and composition of BGN are discussed. BGN are particularly interesting
      biomaterials for bone-related applications, however, they also have potential for
      other biomedical applications, e.g. in soft tissue regeneration/repair.
      Therefore, in the last part of this review, recently reported applications of BGN
      in soft tissue repair and wound healing are presented.

PMID- 28364956
TI  - Gendered violence: Advancing evidence-informed research, practice and policy in
      addressing sex, gender, and child sexual abuse.

PMID- 28364958
TI  - Validation of the Spanish-language version of the Montreal Cognitive Assessment
      test in adults older than 60 years.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: Few studies have validated the Spanish-language version of the
      Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA-S) test in Latin American populations.
      OBJETIVE: To evaluate the psychometric properties and discriminant validity of
      the MoCA-S in elderly patients in Santiago de Chile. METHODS: 172 individuals
      were grouped according to their clinical diagnosis based on the Clinical Dementia
      Rating (CDR) scale as follows: amnestic mild cognitive impairment (aMCI; n+/-24),
      non-amnestic MCI (naMCI; n+/-24), mild dementia (n+/-20), and cognitively normal
      (n+/-104). Participants were evaluated with both the MoCA-S and the Mini-Mental
      State Examination (MMSE) to determine the discriminant validity of the MoCA-S.
      RESULTS: Mean age and years of schooling were 73+/-6 and 11+/-4 years,
      respectively, with no significant intergroup differences. The MoCA-S displayed
      good internal consistency (Cronbach's alpha: 0.772), high inter-rater reliability
      (Spearman correlation coefficient: 0.846; P<.01), and high intra-rater
      reliability (test-retest reliability coefficient: 0.922; P<.001). The MoCA-S was
      found to be an effective and valid test for detecting aMCI (AUC+/-0.903) and mild
      dementia (AUC+/-0.957); its effectiveness for detecting naMCI was lower (AUC+/
      0.629). The optimal cut-off points for aMCI and mild dementia were<21 and<20,
      respectively, with sensitivity and specificity rates of 75% and 82% for aMCI and
      90% and 86% for mild dementia. The level of education had a great impact on
      scores: as a result, 2 points were added for patients with less than 8 years of
      schooling and one point for patients with 8-12 years of schooling (MoCA-S1-2).
      The MoCA-S1-2 showed significantly greater discriminant validity than the MMSE
      for differentiating aMCI from dementia. CONCLUSIONS: The MoCA-S1-2 is a short,
      easy-to-use, and useful test for diagnosing aMCI and mild dementia.

PMID- 28364957
TI  - New insights into the source of decadal increase in chemical oxygen demand
      associated with dissolved organic carbon in Dianchi Lake.
AB  - Dissolved organic carbon (DOC) can be used an alternative index of water quality
      instead of chemical oxygen demand (COD) to reflect the organic pollution in
      water. The monitoring data of water quality in a long-term (1990-2013) from
      Dianchi Lake confirmed the increase trend of COD concentration in the lake since
      2007. The similarities and differences in the DOC components between the lake and
      its sources and the contribution from allochthonous and autochthonous DOC to the
      total DOC in this lake were determined to elucidate the reason of COD increase
      based on C/N atomic ratios, stable isotope abundance of carbon and nitrogen, UV
      visible spectroscopy, three-dimensional excitation-emission matrix (3DEEM)
      fluorescence spectroscopy. The terrigenous organic matter showed humic-like
      fluorescence, and the autochthonous organic matter showed tryptophan-like
      components. Agricultural runoff (9.5%), leaf litter (7.5%) and urban runoff
      (13.2%) were the main sources of DOC in the lake. Sewage tail was a major source
      of organic materials, 3DEEM for the indicates that sewage tail DOC composition
      did not change markedly over the biodegradation period, indicating that sewage
      tail contains a high load of DOC that is resistant to further biodegradation and
      subsequently accumulates in the lake. The change of land use in the catchment and
      the increase of sewage tail load into the lake are the key factors for the
      increase in COD concentration in Dianchi Lake. Thus, the lake should be protected
      by controlling the pollution from the urban nonpoint sources and refractory
      composition in point sources.

PMID- 28364959
TI  - Squamous cell carcinoma of the pinna: which histological features could be used
      to predict prognosis?
AB  - Squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) that originates in the pinna is thought to have a
      high risk of metastases (up to 16%) compared with under 5% for cutaneous SCC at
      any other site, and histological features of the primary tumour may provide
      evidence for further surveillance or treatment. To identify any association
      between histological features and the risk of metastases we made an electronic
      search of the histopathological records at the University Hospital Southampton
      NHS Foundation Trust for all patients who presented with auricular SCC from 2007
      2012. Inclusion criteria included origin in the pinna, complete two-year follow
      up, and no history of immunosuppressive treatment. We looked for
      histopathological features that were thought to be relevant to metastases. We
      studied specimens from 192 patients, four of whom developed metastases (2%), each
      with involved lymph nodes. Perineural invasion and local recurrence were
      significantly associated with increased risk of metastases (p<0.001 and p=0.006).
      The overall metastatic rate was much lower than those reported in other studies,
      and factors other than histological features alone may explain the results. We
      suggest that although some histological features were significantly associated,
      they do not predict a high enough risk of metastatic disease to provide evidence
      for further surveillance or elective lymphadenopathy.

PMID- 28364960
TI  - The IMF and government health expenditure: A response to Sanjeev Gupta.

PMID- 28364961
TI  - Socio-economic life course and obesity among adults in Florianopolis, southern
      Brazil.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: To estimate the association between socio-economic life course and
      body mass index (BMI), waist circumference (WC) and general and abdominal obesity
      in adults. METHODS: A cross-sectional analysis of a population-based cohort study
      of 1,222 adults (aged 22-63) from Florianopolis, southern Brazil. The socio
      economic life course was analysed using the educational level of participants and
      their parents. Height, weight and WC were measured by specially trained staff.
      Linear and logistic regressions were used with adjustment for confounding
      factors, and data were stratified according to sex. RESULTS: Mean BMI and WC were
      about 2kg/m2 (95% CI: -3.3 to -0.7) and 6cm (95% CI: -9.7 to -2.9) lower in women
      with a high socio-economic position, while the association was reversed in men
      with a high socio-economic position, with WC being about 4cm higher (95% CI: 0.1
      to 7.5). In addition, women who had always been in a high socio-economic position
      were less likely to have abdominal obesity (OR: 0.38; 95% CI: 0.20 to 0.76) while
      no such association was found in men. CONCLUSION: Socio-economic life course
      influences BMI, WC and obesity, with differences between males and females,
      thereby indicating that public policies that contemplate a socio-economic life
      course approach can be effective for controlling obesity.

PMID- 28364962
TI  - Skin-to-Skin Contact Facilitates More Equal Parenthood - A Qualitative Study From
      Fathers' Perspective.
AB  - DESIGN AND METHODS: A descriptive design was used where 20 fathers of premature
      infants were interviewed using a semi-structured interview-guide. The guide
      contained the following five topics: the fathers' feelings about and experiences
      of using skin-to-skin contact (SSC), the physical environment at the Neonatal
      Intensive Care unit, staff attitudes, and whether SSC had any impact on the
      relationship with their partner and other children in the family. The interviews
      were analyzed using directed qualitative content analysis and the results
      compared with those of a qualitative systematic review by Anderzen-Carlsson and
      colleagues. RESULTS: The result shows that the fathers' overall experience of SSC
      was positive and as in the aforementioned review, they described experiences that
      were both gratifying and challenging. They felt more included and just as
      important as the mother because SSC and the demands placed on them by the
      premature birth helped them to achieve more equal parenthood. CONCLUSION: The
      fathers' overall experiences of SSC were positive as they felt included in their
      infants' care and just as important as the mothers. To a great degree the
      theoretical model tested was supported, although some weaknesses and differences
      were identified. PRACTICAL IMPLICATIONS: It is important to include fathers in
      neonatal care and recognize that they feel equally important as mothers in caring
      for premature infants.

PMID- 28364963
TI  - Dopamine transporter availability in drug-naive patients with schizophrenia and
      later psychotic symptoms severity.

PMID- 28364964
TI  - Leaving Residual Varus Alignment After Total Knee Arthroplasty Does Not Improve
      Patient Outcomes.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Recent popularity of kinematic alignment and constitutional varus has
      caused some surgeons to leave varus limbs in residual varus after total knee
      arthroplasty (TKA). This study assessed whether if patients left in residual
      varus have improved outcomes compared with those fully corrected to neutral
      alignment. METHODS: A retrospective review of 361 consecutive primary TKAs was
      performed. Anatomic tibiofemoral alignment was measured and knees were
      categorized as neutral, varus, or valgus. Modern Knee Society scores and
      University of California Los Angeles Activity Level scores were collected at
      minimum 1-year follow-up. RESULTS: After exclusions for confounds and loss to
      follow-up, 262 knees were available for analysis, 67% (176) of which were
      preoperatively varus. Sixty-six percent of varus knees were corrected to neutral,
      25.6% were left in residual varus, and 8.5% were corrected to valgus. Median Knee
      Society objective scores at latest follow-up were greater in knees corrected to
      neutral (97), followed by knees corrected to varus (95), and valgus (93; P =
      .025), but post hoc comparisons between pairs of medians were not significant.
      There was no difference between groups in any other outcome measure (P >= .245)
      or the amount of improvement from baseline (P >= .423). Sixty percent of native
      varus patients corrected to neutral, 64% of those corrected to varus, and 40% of
      those corrected to valgus reported that their knee felt normal (P = .193).
      CONCLUSION: Findings fail to support the notion that leaving varus knees in
      residual varus will improve outcomes and pain. Caution is advised when leaving
      limbs in residual varus after TKA.

PMID- 28364965
TI  - High Rate of Local Recurrence and Complications Following Total Knee Arthroplasty
      in the Setting of Synovial Chondromatosis.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Synovial chondromatosis is a rare, monoarticular arthropathy due to
      synovial metaplasia. There is a paucity of data examining the outcome of total
      knee arthroplasty (TKA) in the setting of synovial chondromatosis. The purpose of
      this study is to investigate the outcome and function in patients undergoing TKA
      for management of synovial chondromatosis. METHODS: Twenty patients who received
      TKA for synovial chondromatosis over a 25-year period were identified for
      analysis and followed for a mean of 7 years. There were 12 males and 8 females,
      with a mean age and body mass index of 63 years and 30.7 kg/m2. Seventeen
      patients had "active" disease at the time of surgery. RESULTS: The 5-year disease
      free survival was 73%. Five patients sustained a recurrence that was treated with
      synovectomy and revision TKA (n = 2), observation (n = 2), and transfemoral
      amputation (n = 1) due to malignant degeneration to chondrosarcoma. One of the
      revision TKA patients underwent a transfemoral amputation 4 months later for
      recurrence. The overall rate of amputation was 10%. Nine patients (45%) sustained
      a complication, most commonly decreased knee motion (n = 7), leading to a
      revision TKA in 3 patients (15%). Mean preoperative knee range of motion was 73
      degrees , which improved to 97 degrees  postoperatively. The Knee Society Score
      and functional assessment improved from 35 and 42 preoperatively to 74 and 67
      following TKA. CONCLUSION: TKA in the setting of synovial chondromatosis improves
      patient function and knee range of motion; however, there is a high rate of local
      recurrence and complications.

PMID- 28364966
TI  - Early-onset myopathies: Entering a new age.

PMID- 28364968
TI  - [Sphenopalatine ganglion block for postdural puncture headache in ambulatory
      setting].
AB  - BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Postdural puncture headache (PDPH) is a common
      complication following subarachnoid blockade and its incidence varies with the
      size of the needle used and the needle design. Supportive therapy is the usual
      initial approach. Epidural blood patch (EBP) is the gold-standard when supportive
      therapy fails but has significant risks associated. Sphenopalatine ganglion block
      (SPGB) may be a safer alternative. CASE REPORT: We observed a 41 year-old female
      patient presenting with PDPH after a subarachnoid blockade a week before. We
      administrated 1l of crystalloids, Dexamethasone 4mg, parecoxib 40mg,
      acetaminophen 1g and caffeine 500mg without significant relief after 2hours. We
      performed a bilateral SPGB with a cotton-tipped applicator saturated with 0.5%
      Levobupivacaine under standard ASA monitoring. Symptoms relief was reported
      5minutes after the block. The patient was monitored for an hour after which she
      was discharged and prescribed acetaminophen 1g and ibuprofen 400mg every 8hours
      for the following 2 days. She was contacted on the next day and again after a
      week reporting no pain in both situations. CONCLUSIONS: SPGB may attenuate
      cerebral vasodilation induced by parasympathetic stimulation transmitted through
      neurons that have synapses in the sphenopalatine ganglion. This would be in
      agreement with the Monro-Kellie concept and would explain why caffeine and
      sumatriptan can have some effect in the treatment of PDPH. Apparently, SPGB has a
      faster onset than EBP with better safety profile. We suggest that patients
      presenting with PDPH should be considered primarily for SPGB. Patients may have a
      rescue EBP if needed.

PMID- 28364967
TI  - [Does the French Big Five Inventory evaluate facets other than the Big Five
      factors?]
AB  - INTRODUCTION: The Big Five Inventory (BFI) developed by John et al. (1991) is one
      of the most widely accepted tools for assessing dimensions of personality. It
      comprises 44 items that assess five broad dimensions of personality (the Big Five
      Factors): Extraversion, Agreeableness, Conscientiousness, Neuroticism and
      Openness to experience. Based on correlations with the facets described in the
      NEO Personality Inventory Revised (NEO PI-R), another Big Five assessment tool
      with 240 items and 6 facets per dimension, Soto and John (2009) showed that the
      dimensions in the BFI could be divided into two facets each (ten facets
      altogether). These results are in line with those of DeYoung et al. (2007), who
      ran factorial analyses with all the NEO PI-R facets and the International
      Personality Item Pool (IPIP) and identified ten intermediate factors (between
      facets and dimensions) which they called "aspects" (two per dimension). The goal
      of the present study is to investigate the ten facets described by Soto and John
      in a French sample, using the French version of the BFI (BFI-Fr), which has good
      psychometric properties, and to check whether the pattern of correlations of
      these facets with the NEO PI-R match those of the American version. METHOD: We
      created three groups. The first comprised 360 students from the Institut libre
      d'education physique superieure (ILEPS) and Tours University (psychology
      undergraduates). Participants (mean age 21.1 years+/-2.30; 58% women) completed
      the BFI-Fr and the NEO PI-R. The second comprised 142 psychology students from
      Tours University (mean age 20.6 years+/-1.78; 81% women); they completed the BFI
      Fr twice, two weeks apart (test and retest). The third comprised 252 psychology
      students from Paris-Nanterre University (mean age 23 years+/-4.2; 89% women) who
      described a total of 405 people they knew well (mean age 35.2+/-10.8; 49% women)
      using the peer-report format of the BFI-Fr. RESULTS: In the self-report format,
      eight of Soto and John's ten aspects had acceptable internal consistency (based
      on Guildford's (1954) internal consistency criteria, due to the small number of
      items), with Cronbach's alpha between 0.60 and 0.86 and test-retest correlations
      between 0.71 and 0.89, showing satisfactory temporal stability. We found a single
      facet for Extraversion (Assertiveness), two for Agreeableness (Altruism and
      Compliance), two for Conscientiousness (Self-Discipline and Order), one for
      Neuroticism (Anxiety), and two for Openness to Experience (Openness to aesthetics
      and Openness to ideas). Based on their convergence with the corresponding facets
      in the NEO PI-R, these eight facets showed satisfactory external validity. With
      regard to the peer-report format, the Activity facet of Extraversion, which did
      not have sufficient internal consistency in the self-report format, had
      acceptable properties (i.e. 9 out of 10 facets). Only the Depression facet of
      Neuroticism still had insufficient internal consistency. In this study, we
      proposed an improvement of two facets (Activity and Compliance) and added one
      facet specific to the French version (Emotional Instability) in place of the
      Depression facet. DISCUSSION: We showed that the BFI-Fr can be used to assess
      nine of the ten facets described by Soto and John. We also identified an
      Emotional Instability facet, replacing the Depression facet of Neuroticism.
      DeYoung et al. (2007) considered that anxiety and depression are indissociable
      and can be represented by a Neuroticism aspect they labeled Withdrawal. They
      suggested a second aspect of this dimension they called Volatility (with the N2
      Angry Hostility facet of the NEO PI-R as main marker and the N5 Impulsiveness and
      N3 Depression as secondary markers). The Emotional Instability facet we found
      corresponds closely to the N2 Angry Hostility facet of the NEO PI-R and appears
      to be a satisfactory marker of DeYoung et al.'s (2007) Volatility aspect.
      Although this study has limitations, particularly related to the samples
      (students), the BFI-Fr facets (derived from those defined by Soto and John in the
      BFI or proposed as improvements on the original facets) match the corresponding
      NEO PI-R facets and can also be seen as main markers of the aspects defined by
      DeYoung et al.

PMID- 28364969
TI  - [Gastroschisis repair under caudal anesthesia: a series of three cases].
AB  - Gastroschisis is a congenital anomaly characterized by a defect in the anterior
      abdominal wall with protrusion of abdominal viscera. Perioperative mortality is
      very high in these patients. Traditionally gastroschisis repair has been
      performed under general anesthesia with endotracheal intubation, requiring
      postoperative intensive care admission and mechanical ventilation. Caudal block
      is an attractive alternative to general anesthesia. We present a series of three
      neonates with gastroschisis, repaired solely under caudal anesthesia.

PMID- 28364970
TI  - Organizational structures and outcomes of newly hired and experienced nurse
      practitioners in New York State.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Given the projected increase in the nurse practitioner (NP)
      workforce, the number of NPs in health care organizations will grow. However,
      little is known about the capacity of these organizations to create conducive
      environments for NP practice. PURPOSE: Examine and compare the NP patient panel,
      job satisfaction, turnover intentions, and organizational structures of NPs with
      less than three (newly hired) and more than three (experienced) years of
      experience in their current job. METHODS: An online survey of New York State
      Nurse Practitioner Association members was conducted in 2012; 278 NPs completed
      measures of NP patient panel, job satisfaction, turnover intentions, and
      organizational structures. DISCUSSION: Both newly hired and experienced NPs faced
      organizational challenges such as poor relations with administration and lack
      infrastructure for care. Newly hired NPs were twice more likely to have turnover
      intentions. CONCLUSION: These organizational barriers should be addressed by
      administrators to assure optimal NP practice.

PMID- 28364971
TI  - The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Nurse Faculty Scholars program.

PMID- 28364972
TI  - Association of atopy phenotypes with new development of asthma and bronchial
      hyperresponsiveness in school-aged children.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Although previous studies have investigated the association between
      atopy phenotypes and allergic diseases, atopy characterizations in association
      with the development of allergic diseases remain poorly understood. OBJECTIVE: To
      identify atopy phenotypes in school-age children and to evaluate the association
      between atopy phenotypes and allergic diseases. METHODS: We enrolled 616 children
      with atopy defined as 1 or more positive allergen responses on skin prick tests
      and 665 children without atopy from the Children's Health and Environmental
      Research (CHEER) study. All children were followed up for 4 years at 2-year
      intervals. Atopy phenotypes were classified using latent class analysis. RESULTS:
      Four atopy phenotypes were characterized: later sensitization to indoor allergens
      (cluster 1); multiple early sensitization (cluster 2); early sensitization to
      outdoor allergens, especially Alternaria, and later sensitization to indoor
      allergens, including Aspergillus (cluster 3); and early sensitization to indoor
      allergens and later sensitization to outdoor allergens (cluster 4). New cases of
      asthma during follow-up were increased in clusters 2 and 3 (adjusted odds ratio
      [aOR], 2.76 and 4.25, respectively). The risk of new-onset bronchial
      hyperresponsiveness was highest in cluster 3 (aOR, 5.03). Clusters 2 and 4 had an
      increased risk of allergic rhinitis (aOR, 7.21 and 2.37, respectively).
      CONCLUSION: Identification of atopy phenotypes facilitates prediction of the
      development of asthma and bronchial hyperresponsiveness in school-age children.
      Our study suggests prevention of additional sensitization is required to modify
      the progression of allergic diseases.

PMID- 28364973
TI  - Perioperative fluid therapy recommendations for major abdominal surgery. Via RICA
      recommendations revisited. Part I: Physiological background.

PMID- 28364974
TI  - Inflammation and anesthesia, is there anything new?

PMID- 28364975
TI  - Existing and Future Educational Needs in Graduate and Postgraduate Education.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: This review was designed to make recommendations on future
      educational needs, principles of curricular development, and how the
      International Society for Sexual Medicine (ISSM) should address the need to
      enhance and promote human sexuality education around the world. AIM: To explore
      the ways in which graduate and postgraduate medical education in human sexuality
      has evolved and is currently delivered. METHODS: We reviewed existing literature
      concerning sexuality education, curriculum development, learning strategies,
      educational formats, evaluation of programs, evaluation of students, and faculty
      development. We reviewed literature relating to four main areas: (i) the current
      status of the international regulation of training in sexual medicine; (ii) the
      current delivery of education and training in sexual medicine; (iii) resident and
      postgraduate education in sexual medicine surgery; and (iv) education and
      training for allied health professionals. RESULTS: The main findings in these
      four areas are as follows. Sexual medicine has grown considerably as a specialty
      during the past 20 years, with many drivers being identified. However, the
      regulatory aspects of training, assessment, and certification are currently in
      the early stages of development and are in many ways lagging behind the
      scientific and clinical knowledge in the field. However, there are examples of
      the development of curricula with accompanying assessments that have attempted to
      set standards of education and training that might underlie the delivery of high
      quality care to patients in sexual medicine. The development of competence
      assessment has been applied to surgical training in sexual medicine, and there is
      increasing interest in simulation as a means of enhancing technical skills
      training. Although the focus of curriculum development has largely been the
      medical profession, there is early interest in the development of standards for
      training and education of allied health professionals. CONCLUSION: Organizations
      of professionals in sexual health, such as the ISSM, have an opportunity, and
      indeed a responsibility, to provide and disseminate learning opportunities,
      curricula, and standards of training for doctors and allied health professionals
      in sexual medicine. Eardley I, Reisman Y, Goldstein S, et al. Existing and Future
      Educational Needs in Graduate and Postgraduate Education. J Sex Med 2017;14:475
      485.

PMID- 28364976
TI  - Future of Penile Implant Surgery.

PMID- 28364977
TI  - Musings on Male Dysorgasmia.

PMID- 28364979
TI  - Factors Associated With Condom Use Among Sexually Active US Adults, National
      Survey of Family Growth, 2006-2010 and 2011-2013.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Condom-less sex can increase the risk of acquiring or transmitting
      HIV. AIM: To characterize the prevalence of condom use at the most recent sex act
      and identify factors associated with use of a condom at the most recent sex act
      in adults in the United States. METHODS: Data from the cross-sectional National
      Survey of Family Growth from cycles 2006 through 2010 and 2011 through 2013 were
      analyzed for sexually active men and women 18 to 44 years old who reported having
      sex (vaginal, anal, or oral) with an opposite-sex partner in the past 12 months.
      HIV-related sexual risk behaviors (SRBs) in the past 12 months included sex with
      at least four opposite-sex partners; exchanging sex for money or drugs; sex with
      an injection drug user; sex with an HIV-positive person; sex with a man who
      previously had sex with a man (women only); sex with a man (men only); or sex
      with a partner who had sex with other partners. OUTCOMES: The outcome for this
      analysis was condom use at the most recent anal or vaginal sex act. RESULTS:
      Overall prevalence of condom use was 24.8%; only 33.8% of adults with at least
      one SRB reported the use of a condom. Only 46.4% of unmarried or single men (vs
      14.7% married or cohabitating men) and 32.3% unmarried or single women (vs 14.1%
      married or cohabitating women) with SRBs reported using a condom at the most
      recent sexual encounter and were less likely to use a condom at the most recent
      sexual encounter compared with those who did not report SRBs. We did not find a
      significant relation between using a condom and SRBs in married or cohabitating
      men and women. STRENGTHS AND LIMITATIONS: Our analysis adds to the literature on
      how condom use varies by marital status. We measured the use of condoms at the
      most recent sexual act, which might not reflect an individual's previous behavior
      of condom use. Nonetheless, condom use at the most recent sexual act has been
      documented in previous studies as a valid proxy of condom use over time.
      CONCLUSION: Continued efforts are needed to promote condom use in heterosexual
      adults in the United States, particularly those at high risk for HIV, namely
      individuals engaging in anal sexual acts and with multiple sex partners.
      Nasrullah M, Oraka E, Chavez PR, et al. Factors Associated With Condom Use Among
      Sexually Active US Adults, National Survey of Family Growth, 2006-2010 and 2011
      2013. J Sex Med 2017;14:541-550.

PMID- 28364978
TI  - Associations of VEGF Gene Polymorphisms With Erectile Dysfunction and Related
      Risk Factors.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Repeated evidence from animal models suggests a strong link between
      vascular endothelial growth factor (VGEF) and penile vasculature and erectile
      function because VEGF can alter the physiologic pathways involved in the
      regulation of penile vasomotor tone. AIM: To investigate three VEGF polymorphisms
      and their link to erectile dysfunction (ED). METHODS: We enrolled 688 Taiwanese
      men with a mean age of 55.6 years (SD = 4.5) during a free health screening. All
      participants provided complete medical histories and underwent physical
      examinations. Fasting blood samples were obtained for biochemical analysis and
      hormone profiling. The allelic discrimination of three VEGF gene polymorphisms
      (460T/C [rs833061], 1154G/A [rs1570360], and 2578A/C [rs699947]) was performed
      using validated TaqMan single-nucleotide polymorphism genotyping assays.
      OUTCOMES: Subjects underwent assessment using the simplified five-item
      International Index of Erectile Function to diagnose and assess ED severity.
      RESULTS: The results showed that diabetes mellitus (odds ratio [OR] = 3.27, P <
      .01), hypertension (OR = 3.47, P < .01), and having the VEGF 2578A allele (OR =
      1.54, P = .01) were the three most independent risk factors for ED. In univariate
      analysis, all three VEGF polymorphisms (460C, 1154A, and 2578A) were
      significantly associated with a higher prevalence of coronary artery disease (P <
      .01) and greater frequencies of hypertension were found in carriers of the 1154A
      allele and the 2578A allele (P = .01). Multiple logistic regression analysis
      showed a significant association between VEGF 2578A allele carrier status and ED
      (OR = 1.54, 95% CI = 1.10~2.15, P = .01). Furthermore, the prevalence and
      severity of ED were significantly increased with an increment of the 2578A allele
      number (P < .05). CLINICAL IMPLICATIONS: VEGF 2578C/A gene polymorphisms could be
      a genetic susceptibility factor for the development of ED. STRENGTH AND
      LIMITATION: This is the first study to investigate the genetic susceptibility of
      VEGF polymorphisms to ED. This study was cross-sectional with a lack of
      functional and molecular production investigations. Data on the association among
      conditions might not allow definitive conclusions about causal links. CONCLUSION:
      This study showed that VEGF 2578A allele carriers in a Taiwanese population are
      at greater risk for ED. Lee Y-C, Huang S-P, Tsai C-C, et al. Associations of VEGF
      Gene Polymorphisms With Erectile Dysfunction and Related Risk Factors. J Sex Med
      2017;14:510-517.

PMID- 28364980
TI  - Sexual Quality of Life and Needs for Sexology Care of Cancer Patients Admitted
      for Radiotherapy: A 3-Month Cross-Sectional Study in a Regional Comprehensive
      Reference Cancer Center.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Providing early and better care in onco-sexuality and a better
      understanding of the sexual health care needs of patients before they start
      treatment is required. OBJECTIVE: To assess sexual quality of life and need for
      sexology care of patients when they are starting radiotherapy. DESIGN: We
      performed a cross-sectional study of adult patients with cancer admitted for
      radiotherapy treatment in a regional comprehensive cancer center. METHODS: We
      selected all consecutive adult patients scheduled to start radiotherapy within a
      3-month period and excluded patients who could not complete the questionnaires.
      Patients were asked to complete the Sexual Quality of Life Questionnaire (SQoL)
      and a needs-assessment questionnaire. OUTCOMES: Total score on the SQoL and
      willingness (yes or no) to get help for a sexual problem. RESULTS: The study
      sample was composed of 77 men and 123 women. The average SQoL scores were 68.4 +/
      20.9 and 47.1 +/- 13.0 for men and women, respectively (P < .001). Of sexually
      active patients, 58% had decreased frequency of intercourse or had completely
      stopped sexual activity after their cancer diagnosis. Half the participants
      wanted care for their sexual concerns. The proportion desiring specific types of
      care varied from 28.5% (couple counseling) to 54.5% (sexual physician) with
      variation by sex or type of cancer. Furthermore, 11.5% of participants declared
      their willingness to join support groups. CLINICAL IMPLICATIONS: Early
      interventions before radiotherapy could improve sexual quality of life,
      particularly in women. STRENGTHS AND LIMITATIONS: Strengths are the SQoL
      validated in men and women, the original window for assessment, and the study
      location. Limitations are the monocentric design, the potential recall bias for
      data before cancer diagnosis, and the fact that some patients had treatments
      before radiotherapy. CONCLUSION: Our data suggest the need to examine the sexual
      health trajectory in a prospective fashion from diagnosis to survivorship. Almont
      T, Delannes M, Ducasson A, et al. Sexual Quality of Life and Needs for Sexology
      Care of Cancer Patients Admitted for Radiotherapy: A 3-Month Cross-Sectional
      Study in a Regional Comprehensive Reference Cancer Center. J Sex Med 2017;14:566
      576.

PMID- 28364981
TI  - Heightened Pelvic Floor Muscle Tone and Altered Contractility in Women With
      Provoked Vestibulodynia.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Pelvic floor muscle (PFM) dysfunctions are reported to be involved in
      provoked vestibulodynia (PVD). Although heightened PFM tone has been suggested,
      the relative contribution of active and passive components of tone remains
      misunderstood. Likewise, alterations in PFM contractility have been scarcely
      studied. AIMS: To compare PFM tone, including the relative contribution of its
      active and passive components, and muscular contractility in women with PVD and
      asymptomatic controls. METHODS: Fifty-six asymptomatic women and 56 women with
      PVD participated in the study. The PVD diagnosis was confirmed by a gynecologist
      based on a standardized examination. OUTCOMES: PFM function was evaluated using a
      dynamometric speculum combined with surface electromyography (EMG). PFM general
      tone was evaluated in static conditions at different vaginal apertures and during
      repeated dynamic cyclic stretching. The active contribution of tone was
      characterized using the ratio between EMG in a static position and during
      stretching and the proportion of women presenting PFM activation during
      stretching. Contribution of the passive component was evaluated using resting
      forces, stiffness, and hysteresis in women sustaining a negligible EMG signal
      during stretching. PFM contractility, such as strength, speed of contraction,
      coordination, and endurance, also was assessed during voluntary isometric
      efforts. RESULTS: Greater PFM resting forces and stiffness were found in women
      with PVD compared with controls, indicating an increased general tone. An
      increased active component also was found in women with PVD because they
      presented a superior EMG ratio, and a larger proportion of them presented PFM
      activation during stretching. Higher passive properties also were found in women
      with PVD. Women with PVD also showed decreased strength, speed of contraction,
      coordination, and endurance compared with controls. CLINICAL IMPLICATIONS:
      Findings provide further evidence of the contribution of PFM alterations in the
      etiology of PVD. These alterations should be assessed to provide patient-centered
      targeted treatment options. STRENGTHS AND LIMITATIONS: The use of a validated
      tool investigating PFM alterations constitutes a strength of this study. However,
      the study design does not allow the determination of the sequence of events in
      which these muscle alterations occurred-before or after the onset of PVD.
      CONCLUSION: Findings support the involvement of active and passive components of
      PFM tone and an altered PFM contractility in women with PVD. Morin M, Binik YM,
      Bourbonnais D, et al. Heightened Pelvic Floor Muscle Tone and Altered
      Contractility in Women With Provoked Vestibulodynia. J Sex Med 2017;14:592-600.

PMID- 28364982
TI  - Medical Male Circumcision Is Associated With Improvements in Pain During
      Intercourse and Sexual Satisfaction in Kenya.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Two cohort studies using data from randomized controlled trials in
      Africa offer the best evidence to date on the effects of voluntary medical male
      circumcision (VMMC) on male sexual function and satisfaction, suggesting no
      significant impairments in sexual function or satisfaction and some improvements
      in sexual function after male circumcision. AIM: To assess the effects of VMMC on
      sexual function and satisfaction in a large population-based cohort of men
      circumcised as adults and uncircumcised controls in Kenya. METHODS: Sexual
      function and satisfaction of young (median age = 20 years) sexually active men
      (1,509 newly circumcised men and 1,524 age-matched uncircumcised controls after
      5% loss to follow-up) were assessed at baseline and 6, 12, 18, and 24 months,
      with data collected in 2008 to 2012. Self-reported data on lack of sexual
      interest or pleasure, difficulty getting or maintaining erections, orgasm
      difficulties, premature ejaculation, pain during intercourse, and satisfaction
      with sexual intercourse were analyzed with mixed-effect models to detect
      differences between circumcised and uncircumcised men and changes over time.
      OUTCOMES: Changes over time in sexual interest, desire and pleasure, erectile and
      ejaculatory function, and pain during intercourse (dyspareunia) in circumcised
      and uncircumcised men; group differences in time trends; satisfaction with sexual
      performance; and enjoyment of sex before and after circumcision. RESULTS: Sexual
      dysfunctions decreased in the two study groups from 17% to 54% at baseline to 11%
      to 44% at 24 months (P < .001), except dyspareunia, which decreased only in
      circumcised men (P < .001). Sexual satisfaction outcomes increased in the two
      study groups from 34% to 82% at baseline to 66% to 93% at 24 months (P < .001),
      with greater improvements in circumcised men (P < .001). On average, 97% of
      circumcised men were satisfied with sexual intercourse and 92% rated sex as more
      enjoyable or no different after circumcision compared with before circumcision.
      CLINICAL TRANSLATION: Results are applicable to VMMC programs seeking to increase
      the acceptability of male circumcision as part of comprehensive HIV prevention.
      STRENGTHS AND LIMITATIONS: Large-scale population-based longitudinal data
      restricted to sexually active individuals and adjusted for differences in
      baseline levels of outcomes and potential confounders are used. The questionnaire
      used, although not a standardized survey instrument, includes all major domains
      of male sexual function and satisfaction used in the most common standardized
      tools. CONCLUSIONS: Results are consistent with large cohort studies of VMMC
      using data from randomized controlled trials and indicate that VMMC has no
      significant detrimental effect or might have beneficial effects on male sexual
      function and satisfaction for the great majority of men circumcised as adults.
      Nordstrom MPC, Westercamp N, Jaoko W, et al. Medical Male Circumcision Is
      Associated With Improvements in Pain During Intercourse and Sexual Satisfaction
      in Kenya. J Sex Med 2017;14:601-612.

PMID- 28364983
TI  - Re: Effect of BKCa Channel Opener LDD175 on Erectile Function in an In Vivo
      Diabetic Rat Model.

PMID- 28364984
TI  - Re: More on Predatory Journals and Illegitimate Publishing.

PMID- 28364985
TI  - Response and Rebuttal to Re: More on Predatory Journals and Illegitimate
      Publishing.

PMID- 28364986
TI  - Erratum.

PMID- 28364987
TI  - Erratum.

PMID- 28364988
TI  - Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services Support for Medication Therapy
      Management (Enhanced Medication Therapy Management): Testing Strategies for
      Improving Medication Use Among Beneficiaries Enrolled in Medicare Part D.
AB  - In 2006, Medicare beneficiaries began receiving prescription coverage benefits
      through Part D of the Medicare benefit. Medicare Part D plans must provide
      medication therapy (MTM) services. MTM services aim to improve medication use and
      are targeted toward eligible beneficiaries, determined by morbidity, prescription
      use, and anticipated cost of prescription use. Now, 10 years after the start of
      Medicare Part D, several changes have been made to the program's design. This
      article focuses on changes related to MTM and the impact that these changes have
      and will continue to have on Medicare beneficiaries and medication use.

PMID- 28364989
TI  - The Role of Patient Preferences in Deprescribing.
AB  - Polypharmacy and the use of inappropriate medications has become an increasing
      problem globally. Deprescribing has gained attention as a means to rationalize
      medication use. Deprescribing interventions have been shown to be generally
      feasible and safe; in the few studies in which patient preferences are assessed,
      such interventions also seem to be acceptable to patients. Qualitative studies
      suggest that patients are interested in reducing medications, may need education
      about their medications to facilitate deprescribing, and highly value
      communication with their providers around deprescribing. This article focuses on
      patient preferences for deprescribing and highlights practical recommendations to
      overcome barriers to deprescribing.

PMID- 28364990
TI  - Polypharmacy Reduction Strategies: Tips on Incorporating American Geriatrics
      Society Beers and Screening Tool of Older People's Prescriptions Criteria.
AB  - There is no single definition of polypharmacy. Use of 5 or more medications
      commonly is used. An alternative, quantitative definition, such as use of more
      medications than clinically indicated or use of unnecessary or harmful
      prescribing, has been proposed. Protocols or algorithms to improve polypharmacy
      and prescribing in older adults have been developed. The American Geriatrics
      Society (AGS) Beers Criteria and Screening Tool of Older People's Prescriptions
      (STOPP) explicit criteria reflect elements that are common across protocols and
      algorithms. Concepts in AGS Beers and STOPP can be incorporated into polypharmacy
      reduction strategies to improve outcomes of care for older adults.

PMID- 28364991
TI  - Polypharmacy and Delirium in Critically Ill Older Adults: Recognition and
      Prevention.
AB  - Among older adults, polypharmacy is a sequelae of admission to the intensive care
      unit and is associated with increased medication-associated adverse events, drug
      interactions, and health care costs. Delirium is prevalent in critically ill
      geriatric patients and medications remain an underappreciated modifiable risk for
      delirium in this setting. This article reviews the literature on polypharmacy and
      delirium, with a focus on highlighting the relationships between polypharmacy and
      delirium in critically ill, older adults. Discussed are clinician strategies on
      how to recognize and reduce medication-associated delirium and recommendations
      that help prevent polypharmacy when interventions to reduce the burden of
      delirium in this vulnerable population are being formulated.

PMID- 28364992
TI  - Geriatric Polypharmacy: Pharmacist as Key Facilitator in Assessing for Falls
      Risk.
AB  - This article highlights the significant health impact of falls among older
      adults. An emphasis is placed on the vital role of the pharmacist, regardless of
      practice setting, in assessing and reducing falls risk for this growing
      population. In addition, the importance of a stepwise comprehensive approach to
      falls assessment by pharmacists in collaboration with other clinicians is
      elucidated.

PMID- 28364993
TI  - Medication Reconciliation in Long-Term Care and Assisted Living Facilities:
      Opportunity for Pharmacists to Minimize Risks Associated with Transitions of
      Care.
AB  - The transitions of care process involves pharmacists and other members of the
      health care team who are in a position to collect, review, and analyze
      medications lists to help improve health care outcomes. Medication reconciliation
      is a complex process, especially when providing care to elderly population due to
      increased medication use, the movement of the patient from one health care
      setting to another, the number of acute and chronic illnesses, and the
      intervention of multiple health care providers in different facilities. The use
      of electronic health records can provide many benefits.

PMID- 28364994
TI  - Can Managed Care Manage Polypharmacy?
AB  - Polypharmacy has come to mean the inappropriate use of multiple medications.
      Polypharmacy can occur as a result of a range of situations, including the
      excessive application of clinical guidelines, lack of coordination among multiple
      prescribers, treating adverse drug events, misaligned medications across
      transitions of care, patient self-treatment, and inappropriate overtreatment.
      Polypharmacy is a problem because the benefits of a specific medication at the
      dose and frequency that an individual patient is taking are often outweighed by
      the costs. These costs can be financial; however, they may place a greater burden
      when they lead to unrealized benefits or adverse clinical effects.

PMID- 28364995
TI  - Medication Risk Mitigation: Coordinating and Collaborating with Health Care
      Systems, Universities, and Researchers to Facilitate the Design and Execution of
      Practice-Based Research.
AB  - The high prevalence of inappropriate polypharmacy in geriatric populations is
      unacceptable. Traditional medication risk mitigation (MRM) strategies have proven
      to be effective at improving polypharmacy, but these strategies have not
      consistently translated into positive health outcomes. Enhanced MRM strategies,
      such as using pharmacogenomics information, are needed, and these strategies need
      to be tested. A formidable challenge is successfully integrating pharmacogenomic
      information into clinical practice. As the medication experts on health care
      teams, pharmacists have a clear role to play in developing, integrating, and
      assessing enhanced MRM strategies to improve therapeutic outcomes for geriatric
      patients.

PMID- 28364996
TI  - Geriatric Polypharmacy: Two Physicians' Personal Perspectives.
AB  - Being a clinical provider in today's health care environment has become complex
      with more levels of care to negotiate. Who is caught in the middle of this
      complexity? Senior citizens. As we evolve into the new quality model, new
      problems and complexities occur. Numerous protocols and guidelines necessitate
      the initiation of drugs for given diagnoses and aggressive treatments. This
      article discusses geriatric polypharmacy from two practitioners' viewpoints: Zhe
      Chen, MD, discusses the point of view of a physician provider, and Anthony
      Buonanno, MD, discusses providers' roles in their own families.

PMID- 28364997
TI  - Inroads into Polypharmacy: Moving Forward with Tools, Deprescribing, and
      Philosophical Reflection.

PMID- 28364998
TI  - Is a "gut full" of bad bugs driving metabolic disease in shift workers?

PMID- 28364999
TI  - Adaptive robust fault tolerant control design for a class of nonlinear uncertain
      MIMO systems with quantization.
AB  - In this paper, we investigate the adaptive control problem for a class of
      nonlinear uncertain MIMO systems with actuator faults and quantization effects.
      Under some mild conditions, an adaptive robust fault-tolerant control is
      developed to compensate the affects of uncertainties, actuator failures and
      errors caused by quantization, and a range of the parameters for these quantizers
      is established. Furthermore, a Lyapunov-like approach is adopted to demonstrate
      that the ultimately uniformly bounded output tracking error is guaranteed by the
      controller, and the signals of the closed-loop system are ensured to be bounded,
      even in the presence of at most m-q actuators stuck or outage. Finally, numerical
      simulations are provided to verify and illustrate the effectiveness of the
      proposed adaptive schemes.

PMID- 28365000
TI  - Efficacy and Feasibility of a Therapist-Guided Internet-Based Intervention for
      Older Persons with Childhood Traumatization: A Randomized Controlled Trial.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: Although cognitive-behavioral treatment approaches for post-traumatic
      stress disorder (PTSD) exist, only a small proportion of older adults seeks
      psychological treatment. Alternative treatment approaches are thus needed to fill
      the gap between provision and use of psychological interventions. This study
      aimed to investigate the efficacy and feasibility of an Internet-based, therapist
      guided cognitive-behavioral therapy (Internet-based CBT) for older individuals
      with PTSD symptoms. METHODS: Patients with clinically meaningful (i.e.,
      subsyndromal or greater) PTSD symptoms were randomly assigned to a 6-week
      treatment group of therapist-guided Internet-based CBT (N = 47; treatment group)
      or a wait-list group (N = 47; WL). The treatment group was assessed pre- and post
      treatment as well as at 3-, 6- and 12-month follow-ups. RESULTS: Linear mixed
      effects analyses showed a significant interaction between group (treatment versus
      WL) and time (pre versus post) for PTSD symptoms with a moderate between-group
      effect size in favor of the treatment group (d = 0.42). Effects in the treatment
      group were maintained up to the 12-month follow-up. Findings indicate a
      significant interaction (group * time) for quality of life (d = 0.39) and self
      efficacy (d = 0.38). With regard to the feasibility, attrition rate was very low
      in both groups (treatment group: 12.8%, WL: 6.4%) and working alliance was very
      high. CONCLUSIONS: Results suggest that therapist-guided Internet-based CBT is
      associated with a substantial reduction in PTSD symptoms, and increase in
      resource-related variables in older adults with (subsyndromal) PTSD. This
      Internet-based intervention may offer a promising option in a stepped-care
      approach for older trauma-affected persons who may otherwise not pursue mental
      health treatment.

PMID- 28365001
TI  - Meprin beta and BMP-1 are differentially regulated by CaCl2.
AB  - The two metalloproteases meprin beta and bone morphogenetic protein 1 (BMP-1) are
      both members of the astacin protease family. They share specificity for
      negatively charged residues around the scissile bond and they are expressed in
      overlapping compartments of the human body. One important proteolytic substrate
      they share is pro-collagen I. Ablation of one of the two proteases however leads
      to different collagen I associated phenotypes in vivo. Over the last years
      calcium emerged as a regulator for the proteolytic activity of both enzymes. For
      meprin beta a reduction and for BMP-1 an increase in activity was reported under
      increasing calcium concentrations. Here we revisit different compartments that
      rely on pro-collagen I maturation and explore the crystal structure of both
      proteases to highlight possible calcium binding sites. With this we aim to
      emphasize a to date underestimated regulator that influences both proteases.

PMID- 28365002
TI  - National Survey on Pediatric Acute Agitation and Behavioral Escalation in
      Academic Inpatient Pediatric Care Settings.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Pediatric acute agitation and behavioral escalation (PAABE) is common
      and disruptive to pediatric inpatient health care. There is a paucity of
      literature on PAABE in noncritical care inpatient pediatric care settings with
      little consensus on its evaluation and management. METHODS: In January 2016, a 34
      question survey was e-mailed to pediatric hospitalists and consultation-liaison
      psychiatrists through their respective professional listservs. Excluded responses
      included incomplete surveys, and surveys from providers in community care
      settings. The survey consisted of multiple-choice questions, rating scales, and
      free-text responses relating to the identification, education, and evaluation and
      management of PAABE at the respondent's respective hospital. RESULTS: Responses
      were obtained from 38 North American academic children's hospitals. Of the
      respondents, 69.3% were pediatric hospitalists and 30.7% were pediatric
      psychiatry consultants. Most respondents practice in urban areas (84.2%), and in
      hospitals with >=100 beds (89.4%). Overall, 84.2% of the respondents encountered
      PAABE at least once a month and as frequently as every week. Most respondents
      (70.0%) rated PAABE as an 8 or higher on a 10-point Likert scale. Despite being
      highly important and common, 53.9% of respondents do not screen for risk factors
      for PAABE, 63.6% reported no formal process to facilitate caregiver involvement
      in managing PAABE, and 59.7% indicated no physician training in PAABE evaluation
      and management. CONCLUSION: Many pediatric hospitals identify PAABE as a great
      concern, yet there is little training, screening, or standardization of care in
      PAABE. There is a need to consolidate existing knowledge regarding PAABE, while
      developing enhanced collaboration, training, and standardized practice in
      inpatient PAABE.

PMID- 28365003
TI  - Carotid intima-media thickness is associated with media rather than intima
      thickness.

PMID- 28365004
TI  - Erratum to "Multidisciplinary units in tertiary referral hospitals to improve
      management of Wilson disease" <[Gastroenterol Hepatol 39 (2016) 571-573]>.

PMID- 28365005
TI  - Neocortical and hippocampal TREM2 protein levels during the progression of
      Alzheimer's disease.
AB  - Heterozygous triggering receptor expressed on myeloid cells (TREM2) mutations are
      an Alzheimer's disease (AD) risk factor. Nonmutated TREM2 dysregulation occurs in
      AD brain. Whether TREM2 is altered in prodromal AD remains unknown. Western
      blotting was used to determine levels of TREM2 (~25 kDa) and Iba1 in the frontal
      cortex and TREM2 in the hippocampus from people who died with an ante-mortem
      clinical diagnosis of non- and mild-cognitive impairment, mild/moderate AD, and
      severe AD (sAD). Immunohistochemistry defined the relationship between amyloid
      and Iba1 profiles. Polymerase chain reaction analysis revealed that all subjects
      did not carry the most common R47H TREM2 variant. TREM2 was significantly
      upregulated in sAD frontal cortex but stable in hippocampus. Frontal TREM2 mRNA
      and protein level patterns were similar but not significantly different. Iba1
      immunopositive microglia counts increased significantly in frontal cortex
      containing plaques in sAD. TREM2 and Iba1 levels were not associated with
      plaques, tangles, neuropathological criteria, or cognitive performance. Frontal
      cortex TREM2 upregulation is a late event and may not play a major role early in
      the pathogenesis of the disease.

PMID- 28365006
TI  - Mutations in C19orf12 and intronic repeat expansions in C9orf72 not observed in
      Iranian Parkinson's disease patients.
AB  - Various neurodegenerative disorders share some clinical features that sometimes
      renders differential diagnosis challenging. Genetic-based classification also has
      limitations as mutations in the same gene are sometimes associated with different
      clinically based diagnoses. In this light, we screened the C19orf12
      neurodegeneration with brain iron accumulation (NBIA) causing gene and the
      C9orf72 intronic expansion mutation that is cause of amyotrophic lateral
      sclerosis in 186 Iranian Parkinson's disease (PD) patients. C19orf12 has
      previously been screened in PD patients in only one study, and to the best of our
      knowledge neither gene has ever been screened in a PD cohort from a Middle East
      population. The study was justified because mutations in C19orf12 had previously
      been shown to be common in Iranian neurodegeneration with brain iron accumulation
      patients and all the patients with mutations in this gene had exhibited
      Parkinsonism features. The C9orf72 intronic expansion mutation was screened
      because the mother of an Iranian amyotrophic lateral sclerosis patient with the
      expansion who had been diagnosed with PD also harbored the expansion. The
      screenings did not identify disease causing variations in either of the genes
      among the PD patients screened.

PMID- 28365008
TI  - [What are primary health care teams doing about loneliness?]

PMID- 28365007
TI  - Future remnant liver function as predictive factor for the hypertrophy response
      after portal vein embolization.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Preoperative portal vein embolization is widely used to increase the
      future remnant liver. Identification of nonresponders to portal vein embolization
      is essential because these patients may benefit from associating liver partition
      and portal vein ligation for staged hepatectomy (ALPPS), which induces a more
      powerful hypertrophy response. 99mTc-mebrofenin hepatobiliary scintigraphy is a
      quantitative method for assessment of future remnant liver function with a
      calculated cutoff value for the prediction of postoperative liver failure. The
      aim of this study was to analyze future remnant liver function before portal vein
      embolization to predict sufficient functional hypertrophy response after portal
      vein embolization. METHODS: Sixty-three patients who underwent preoperative
      portal vein embolization and computed tomography imaging were included.
      Hepatobiliary scintigraphy was performed to determine pre-portal vein
      embolization and post-portal vein embolization future remnant liver function.
      Receiver operator characteristic analysis of pre-portal vein embolization future
      remnant liver function was performed to identify patients who would meet the post
      portal vein embolization cutoff value for sufficient function (ie, 2.7%/min/m2).
      RESULTS: Mean pre-portal vein embolization future remnant liver function was
      1.80% +/- 0.45%/min/m2 and increased to 2.89% +/- 0.97%/min/m2 post-portal vein
      embolization. Receiver operator characteristic analysis in 33 patients who did
      not receive chemotherapy revealed that a pre-portal vein embolization future
      remnant liver function of >=1.72%/min/m2 was able to identify patients who would
      meet the safe future remnant liver function cutoff value 3 weeks after portal
      vein embolization (area under the curve = 0.820). The predictive value was less
      pronounced in 30 patients treated with neoadjuvant chemotherapy (area under the
      curve = 0.618). A total of 45 of 63 patients underwent liver resection, of whom 5
      of 45 developed postoperative liver failure; 4 of 5 patients had a post-portal
      vein embolization future remnant liver function below the cutoff value for safe
      resection. CONCLUSION: When selecting patients for portal vein embolization,
      future remnant liver function assessed with hepatobiliary scintigraphy can be
      used as a predictor of insufficient functional hypertrophy after portal vein
      embolization, especially in nonchemotherapy patients. These patients are
      potential candidates for ALPPS.

PMID- 28365009
TI  - Simply the best?

PMID- 28365010
TI  - Antithrombin III as predictor of liver reserve: A new parameter to improve the
      results of mechanical circulatory support therapy.

PMID- 28365011
TI  - Life after training: Learning new skills as a general thoracic surgeon.

PMID- 28365012
TI  - Postoperative atrial fibrillation: Formulating the problem may be more
      challenging than the solution.

PMID- 28365013
TI  - Optimal timing for stage II: Waiting for Godot.

PMID- 28365014
TI  - Functional tricuspid pathology: To treat or not to treat? That is the question.

PMID- 28365015
TI  - Thymectomy for myasthenia gravis: The elephant and the blind men.

PMID- 28365016
TI  - 2016 The American Association for Thoracic Surgery (AATS) consensus guidelines:
      Surgical treatment of infective endocarditis: Executive summary.

PMID- 28365017
TI  - Distended or not distended? Fat or nude saphenous vein? In medio stat virtus.

PMID- 28365018
TI  - The combined effects of elevated pCO2 and food availability on Tigriopus
      japonicus Mori larval development, reproduction, and superoxide dismutase
      activity.
AB  - Previous studies have shown that ocean acidification has little effect on adult
      Tigriopus japonicus copepods, and mainly impairs the early development and
      reproduction of females. This study investigated the possible interactive effect
      between CO2-induced seawater acidification and food availability on larval
      development and reproductive output in T. japonicus. Copepods were exposed to
      either pH8.1 or pH7.3 under different food concentrations (0.5*104
      80.0*104cells/mL). Both the development of nauplii and copepodites was delayed at
      pH7.3 with a greater effect at lower food concentrations. The reproductive output
      followed a bell-shaped curve with the highest reproductive output at food
      concentrations between 30*104 and 40*104cells/mL. As an indicator of oxidative
      stress, the activity of superoxide dismutase increased at lower pH, with a
      greater increase at lower food concentrations. Therefore, the effect of elevated
      pCO2 on T. japonicus was food dependent.

PMID- 28365019
TI  - Photosynthetic and transcriptional responses of the marine diatom Thalassiosira
      pseudonana to the combined effect of temperature stress and copper exposure.
AB  - A 96-h exposure experiment was conducted to elucidate the toxicity responses of
      the marine diatom Thalassiosira pseudonana upon exposure to different
      temperatures and copper (Cu) concentrations. Three Cu treatments (seawater
      control; 200MUg/L Cu, EC50 for the yield at 25 degrees C; and 1000MUg/L Cu, EC50
      for growth inhibition at 25 degrees C) were conducted against four temperatures
      (10 degrees C, 15 degrees C, 25 degrees C and 30 degrees C). Growth rate and
      photosynthetic responses showed a significant interacting thermal-chemical effect
      with strong synergistic responses observed at 30 degrees C treatments. Expression
      of heat shock protein (hsp) was positively modulated by increasing temperatures.
      Hsp 90, hsp90-2 and sit1 (related to silica shell formation) were highly
      expressed at 30 degrees C under 1000MUg/L Cu, while the genes encoding light
      harvesting proteins (3HfcpA and 3HfcpB) and silaffin precursor sil3 were
      significantly up-regulated at 15 degrees C under 200MUg/L Cu. Our results
      indicated an increase Cu toxicity to T. pseudonana under high temperature and Cu
      dose.

PMID- 28365020
TI  - Distributions and contamination assessment of heavy metals in the surface
      sediments of western Laizhou Bay: Implications for the sources and influencing
      factors.
AB  - Heavy metals (Cu, Pb, Cr, Cd and As) contents in surface sediments from western
      Laizhou Bay were analysed to evaluate the spatial distribution pattern and their
      contamination level. As was mainly concentrated in the coastal area near the
      estuaries and the other metals were mainly concentrated in the central part of
      the study area. The heavy metals were present at unpolluted levels overall
      evaluated by the sediment quality guidelines and geoaccumulation index. Principal
      component analysis suggest that Cu, Pb and Cd were mainly sourced from natural
      processes and As was mainly derived from anthropogenic inputs. Meanwhile, Cr
      originated from both natural processes and anthropogenic contributions. Tidal
      currents, sediments and human activities were important factors affecting the
      distribution of heavy metals. The heavy metal environment was divided into four
      subareas to provide a reference for understanding the distribution and pollution
      of heavy metals in the estuary-bay system.

PMID- 28365021
TI  - Trophic and stoichiometric consequences of nutrification for the intertidal
      tropical zoanthid Zoanthus sociatus.
AB  - Zoanthids are conspicuous and abundant members of intertidal environments, where
      they are exposed to large environmental fluctuations and subject to increasing
      loads of anthropogenic nutrients. Here we assess the trophic ecology and
      stoichiometric consequences of nutrient loading for symbiotic zoanthids
      inhabiting different intertidal habitats. More specifically, we analysed the
      stable isotope signature (delta13C and delta15N), elemental composition (C, N and
      P) and stoichiometry (C:N, C:P, N:P) of Zoanthus sociatus differently exposed to
      nutrification. Results suggest that autotrophy is the main feeding mode of
      zoanthids and that the effect water nutrient content differently affects the
      elemental phenotype of zoanthids depending on tidal habitat. Additionally,
      habitat effects on Z. sociatus P-related stoichiometric traits highlight
      functional differences likely associated with variation in Symbiodinium density.
      These findings provide an innovative approach to assess how cnidarian
      dinoflagellate symbioses response to ecosystem changes in environmentally dynamic
      reef flats, particularly nutrient loading.

PMID- 28365022
TI  - An algorithm for modeling entrainment and naturally and chemically dispersed oil
      droplet size distribution under surface breaking wave conditions.
AB  - A surface oil entrainment model and droplet size model have been developed to
      estimate the flux of oil under surface breaking waves. Both equations are
      expressed in dimensionless Weber number (We) and Ohnesorge number (Oh, which
      explicitly accounts for the oil viscosity, density, and oil-water interfacial
      tension). Data from controlled lab studies, large-scale wave tank tests, and
      field observations have been used to calibrate the constants of the two
      independent equations. Predictions using the new algorithm compared well with the
      observed amount of oil removed from the surface and the sizes of the oil droplets
      entrained in the water column. Simulations with the new algorithm, implemented in
      a comprehensive spill model, show that entrainment rates increase more rapidly
      with wind speed than previously predicted based on the existing Delvigne and
      Sweeney's (1988) model, and a quasi-stable droplet size distribution (d<~50MUm)
      is developed in the near surface water.

PMID- 28365023
TI  - Environmental complexity of a port: Evidence from circulation of the water
      masses, and composition and contamination of bottom sediments.
AB  - Ports are complex environments due to their complicated geometry (quays,
      channels, and piers), the presence of human activities (vessel traffic,
      shipyards, industries, and discharges), and natural factors (stream and torrent
      inputs, sea action, and currents). Taking these factors into consideration, we
      have examined the marine environment of a port from the point of view of the
      circulation of the water masses, hydrological characteristics, distribution of
      the sediment grain-size, mineralogical characteristics, and metal concentrations
      of the bottom sediments. Our results show that, in the case of the Port of Genoa
      (north-western Italy), the impact of human activities (such as a coal power
      plant, oil depots, shipyards, dredging of the bottom sediments, etc.), natural
      processes (such as currents, fresh water and sediment inputs from the torrents),
      and the morphology of the basin, are important factors in the sediment, water,
      and metal distributions that have given rise to a complex environment.

PMID- 28365024
TI  - Reply.

PMID- 28365025
TI  - The Effectiveness of Prescribed Rest Depends on Initial Presentation After
      Concussion.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: To evaluate if patients with signs of injury respond differently to
      prescribed rest after concussion compared with patients with symptoms only. STUDY
      DESIGN: Secondary analysis was completed of a prospective randomized controlled
      trial (NCT01101724) of pediatric concussion patients aged 11-18 years. Patients
      completed computerized neurocognitive testing and standardized balance assessment
      at the emergency department within 24 hours of injury and on follow-up (3 and 10
      days). Patients were randomized to rest or usual care and completed activity and
      symptom diaries for 10 days after injury. A series of 2?*?2 ANOVAs with grouping
      factors of patient group (symptoms, signs) and treatment arm (prescribed rest,
      standard of care) were used to examine differences on clinical measures.
      Univariate nonparametric test (ie, ?2 with ORs and 95% CIs) was used to examine
      the association between treatment arm and symptom status 1-9 days after injury.
      RESULTS: A 2?*?2 factorial ANOVA revealed a significant patient group * treatment
      arm interaction for symptom score at 3 days after injury (F?=?6.31, P?=?.01,
      ?2?=?0.07). Prescribed rest increased the likelihood of still being symptomatic
      at days 1-6 and 8 (P?<?.05) for the symptoms group. Rest was beneficial for
      patients in the signs group on verbal memory performance (t?=??2.28, P?=?.029),
      but not for the symptoms group. CONCLUSION: Compared with patients with signs of
      injury, patients with predominantly symptoms were more likely to remain
      symptomatic after injury if prescribed rest, whereas patients with signs of
      injury benefited from rest after a concussion. Individualized treatment planning
      after concussion should start in the emergency department. TRIAL REGISTRATION:
      ClinicalTrials.gov: NCT01101724.

PMID- 28365026
TI  - Statin-Associated Myopathy in a Pediatric Preventive Cardiology Practice.
AB  - OBJECTIVES: To describe muscle-related statin adverse effects in real-world
      pediatric practice. STUDY DESIGN: Using prospectively collected quality
      improvement data from a pediatric preventive cardiology practice, we compared
      serum creatine kinase (CK) levels among patients prescribed and not prescribed
      statins, and pre-/poststatin initiation. Multivariable mixed-effect models were
      constructed accounting for repeated measures, examining the effect of statins on
      log-transformed CK (lnCK) levels adjusted for age, sex, weight, season, insurance
      type, and race/ethnicity. RESULTS: Among 1501 patients seen over 3.5 years, 474
      patients (14?+/-?4 years, 47% female) had at least 1 serum CK measured. Median
      (IQR) CK levels of patients prescribed (n?=?188 patients, 768 CK measurements)
      and not prescribed statins (n?=?351 patients, 682 CK measurements) were 107 (83)
      IU/L and 113 (81) IU/L, respectively. In multivariable-adjusted models, lnCK
      levels did not differ based on statin use (??=?0.02 [SE 0.05], P?=?.7). Among
      patients started on statins (n?=?86, 130 prestatin and 292 poststatin CK
      measurements), median CK levels did not differ in adjusted models (? for statin
      use on lnCK?=?.08 [SE .07], P?=?.2). There was a clinically insignificant
      increase in CK over time (??=?.08 [SE .04], P?=?.04 per year). No muscle symptoms
      or rhabdomyolysis were reported among patients with high CK levels. CONCLUSIONS:
      In a real-world practice, pediatric patients using statins did not experience
      higher CK levels, nor was there a meaningful CK increase with statin initiation.
      These data suggest the limited utility to checking CK in the absence of symptoms,
      supporting current guidelines.

PMID- 28365027
TI  - Another small piece of the GERD puzzle.

PMID- 28365029
TI  - Chlorpyrifos exposure and child neurodevelopment in Costa Rica: Comments on van
      Wendel de Joode et al. (2016).

PMID- 28365030
TI  - Serum gelsolin levels in aneurismal subarachnoid hemorrhage: Preliminary results.

PMID- 28365028
TI  - Sequence-Modified Antibiotic Resistance Genes Provide Sustained Plasmid-Mediated
      Transgene Expression in Mammals.
AB  - Conventional plasmid vectors are incapable of achieving sustained levels of
      transgene expression in vivo even in quiescent mammalian tissues because the
      transgene expression cassette is silenced. Transcriptional silencing results from
      the presence of the bacterial plasmid backbone or virtually any DNA sequence of
      >1 kb in length placed outside of the expression cassette. Here, we show that
      transcriptional silencing can be substantially forestalled by increasing the
      An/Tn sequence composition in the plasmid bacterial backbone. Increasing numbers
      of An/Tn sequences increased sustained transcription of both backbone sequences
      and adjacent expression cassettes. In order to recapitulate these expression
      profiles in compact and portable plasmid DNA backbones, we engineered the
      standard kanamycin or ampicillin antibiotic resistance genes, optimizing the
      number of An/Tn sequence without altering the encoded amino acids. The resulting
      vector backbones yield sustained transgene expression from mouse liver, providing
      generic DNA vectors capable of sustained transgene expression without additional
      genes or mammalian regulatory elements.

PMID- 28365031
TI  - Secondary decompressive craniectomy for the management of refractory endocraneal
      hypertension in severe traumatic brain injury. Lights and shadows from recent
      studies.

PMID- 28365032
TI  - The Role of Mental Maps in Decision-Making.
AB  - A growing body of work is investigating the use of mental maps during decision
      making. Here we discuss how decision-making organizes experiences according to an
      internal model of the current task, thereby structuring memory. Likewise, we
      consider how the structure of mental maps contributes to decision-making.

PMID- 28365033
TI  - Pharmacokinetics and Tolerability of Lorcaserin in Special Populations: Elderly
      Patients and Patients with Renal or Hepatic Impairment.
AB  - PURPOSE: To determine whether dosage adjustment is likely to be necessary for
      effective and well-tolerated use of a pharmaceutical agent, guidance documents
      from the US Food and Drug Administration recommend pharmacokinetics studies in
      patients with impaired renal or impaired hepatic function and in the elderly
      population. Three studies were conducted to evaluate the pharmacokinetic
      properties and tolerability of lorcaserin in these populations. METHODS:
      Lorcaserin was evaluated in single-dose pharmacokinetics studies of 3
      overweight/obese populations: (1) elderly (aged >65 years) patients; (2) patients
      with impaired renal function; and (3) those with impaired hepatic function.
      FINDINGS: In elderly patients, Cmax was lower (geometric mean ratio [GMR], 0.83;
      90% CI, 0.71-0.97), but AUC was unchanged versus adult patients. In patients with
      renal impairment, Cmax was reduced versus that in patients with normal renal
      function (GMR: mild impairment, 0.99 [90% CI, 0.76-1.29]; moderate, 0.70 [90% CI,
      0.54-0.90]; and severe, 0.69 [90% CI, 0.53-0.89]); no trend in AUC was observed
      in this group versus renal impairment. In patients with hepatic impairment, Cmax
      was decreased (GMR: mild impairment, 0.92 [90% CI, 0.76-1.11]; moderate, 0.86
      [90% CI, 0.71-1.04]), and AUC was increased versus patients with normal hepatic
      function. IMPLICATIONS: Based on these findings, no lorcaserin dose adjustments
      are necessary in elderly patients with normal renal function or in patients with
      mild/moderate renal or hepatic impairment. ClinicalTrials.gov identifiers:
      NCT00828581, NCT00828438, and NCT00828932.

PMID- 28365034
TI  - Capsaicin 8% Patch Versus Oral Neuropathic Pain Medications for the Treatment of
      Painful Diabetic Peripheral Neuropathy: A Systematic Literature Review and
      Network Meta-analysis.
AB  - PURPOSE: A network meta-analysis (NMA) was performed, aiming to assess the
      relative efficacy and tolerability of the capsaicin 179-mg (8% weight for weight)
      cutaneous patch (capsaicin 8% patch) compared with oral, centrally acting agents
      (ie, pregabalin, gabapentin, duloxetine, amitriptyline) in patients with painful
      diabetic peripheral neuropathy (PDPN). METHODS: A systematic search of
      EMBASE/MEDLINE, Cochrane Library, and the National Health Service Centre for
      Reviews and Dissemination Database of Abstracts of Reviews of Effects was
      conducted to identify all randomized controlled trials. Data from eligible
      studies according to predefined inclusion and exclusion criteria were extracted,
      and analyses were based on aggregate-level data. Efficacy outcomes were the
      proportions of patients with >=30% and >=50% reductions in pain, and tolerability
      outcomes were somnolence, dizziness, nausea, diarrhea, constipation, headache,
      fatigue, insomnia, and rate of discontinuation due to adverse events (AEs). Data
      were analyzed by using a Bayesian NMA. Fixed and random effects models were
      estimated. Relative treatment effect was presented as odds ratios (ORs) with 95%
      CIs. Sources of heterogeneity were assessed. FINDINGS: The NMA included 25
      randomized controlled trials. For >=30% pain reduction, the capsaicin 8% patch
      was significantly more effective than placebo (OR, 2.28 [95% CI, 1.19-4.03]),
      exhibited a numerical advantage compared with pregabalin (OR, 1.83 [95% CI, 0.91
      3.34]) and gabapentin (OR, 1.66 [95% CI, 0.74-3.23]), and had similar efficacy
      compared with duloxetine (OR, 0.99 [95% CI, 0.5-1.79]). The evidence available
      was not sufficient to assess the relative efficacy of amitriptyline. In the NMA
      for tolerability, the capsaicin 8% patch was only included for headache because
      the incidence was 0% for the other outcomes. Oral, centrally acting agents had a
      significantly elevated risk compared with placebo for somnolence (pregabalin,
      gabapentin, duloxetine, and amitriptyline), dizziness (pregabalin, gabapentin,
      duloxetine, and amitriptyline), nausea (duloxetine), diarrhea (duloxetine),
      fatigue (duloxetine), and discontinuation because of AEs (pregabalin, gabapentin,
      and duloxetine). Compared with pregabalin and gabapentin, duloxetine had a
      significantly lower risk of dizziness but a significantly higher risk of nausea.
      IMPLICATIONS: This NMA suggests that the efficacy observed with the capsaicin 8%
      patch is similar to that observed with oral agents (ie, pregabalin, duloxetine,
      gabapentin) in patients with PDPN. The oral agents were associated with a
      significantly elevated risk of somnolence, dizziness, fatigue, and
      discontinuation because of AEs compared with placebo. The capsaicin 8% patch was
      as effective as oral centrally acting agents in these patients with PDPN but
      offers systemic tolerability benefits.

PMID- 28365035
TI  - Efficacy of Varenicline for Cigarette Reduction Before Quitting in Japanese
      Smokers: A Subpopulation Analysis of the Reduce to Quit Trial.
AB  - PURPOSE: This prospective analysis of the Japanese subpopulation of the
      varenicline reduce to quit study was conducted to evaluate whether results for
      Japanese participants were consistent with the full study population. METHODS:
      Patients received varenicline or placebo for a 24-week treatment period (12-week
      smoking reduction phase then a 12-week smoking abstinence phase) followed by a 28
      week nontreatment, follow-up phase. Participants were to reduce the daily number
      of cigarettes smoked by at least 50% by week 4 and by a further 50% by week 8,
      with the goal of achieving complete abstinence by week 12. The primary efficacy
      end point was the carbon monoxide-confirmed continuous abstinence during weeks 15
      to 24. FINDINGS: Overall, 210 Japanese patients were randomly assigned to 1 of
      the 2 study groups (varenicline, 107; placebo, 103). Continuous abstinence rates
      for weeks 15 to 24 were higher for participants in the varenicline group versus
      the placebo group (46.7% vs 12.6%; odds ratio = 14.68; 95% CI, 5.38-40.05), and
      the 7-day point prevalence of abstinence rates were higher for varenicline versus
      placebo at week 12 (odds ratio = 13.76; 95% CI, 5.28-35.86). The number of
      participants with a >=50% reduction in the number of daily cigarettes smoked from
      baseline to week 4 and a >=75% reduction by week 8 was greater in the varenicline
      group versus the placebo group (week 4: 59.8% vs 30.1%; week 8: 38.3% vs 12.6%).
      Serious adverse events were reported in 3.7% of varenicline participants and 1.0%
      of placebo participants. IMPLICATIONS: The efficacy and tolerability results of
      this analysis are consistent with those of the full varenicline reduce to quit
      study. Varenicline treatment and cigarette reduction before quitting may provide
      an alternative approach to smoking cessation in Japanese smokers who are not
      ready to quit immediately. ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT01370356.

PMID- 28365036
TI  - Toward a useful standard for hospitalizing pretrial jail detainees.
AB  - Severely mentally ill jail detainees require an adequate spectrum of mental
      health services during detainment. For some this means a limited period of
      treatment in a mental hospital, just as some mentally ill individuals in the
      community occasionally require hospital treatment. Unfortunately, this
      appropriate level of treatment is often denied or neglected for jail detainees
      with adverse consequences for them. Among the reasons for this neglect, may be
      standards for hospital transfer that are no longer practical and can be easily
      skirted by policymakers and administrators with little interest in ensuring this
      level of care for mentally ill jail inmates. A more realistic standard and
      justification would recognize the need for hospitalization for the mentally
      disordered detainee who because of psychotic anosognosia refuses appropriate
      treatment including medications and/or whose severely decompensated condition is
      worsening or failing to improve despite attempts at treatment in the jail.

PMID- 28365037
TI  - Empirical treatment prescribing improvement proposal in skin and soft tissue
      infection.

PMID- 28365038
TI  - Future considerations for clinical dermatology in the setting of 21st century
      American policy reform: The Medicare Access and Children's Health Insurance
      Program Reauthorization Act and the Merit-based Incentive Payment System.
AB  - As the implementation of the Medicare Access and Children's Health Insurance
      Program Reauthorization Act begins, many dermatologists who provide Medicare Part
      B services will be subject to the reporting requirements of the Merit-based
      Incentive Payment System (MIPS). Clinicians subject to MIPS will receive a
      composite score based on performance across 4 categories: quality, advancing care
      information, improvement activities, and cost. Depending on their overall MIPS
      score, clinicians will be eligible for a positive or negative payment adjustment.
      Quality will replace the Physician Quality Reporting System and clinicians will
      report on 6 measures from a list of over 250 options. Advancing care information
      will replace meaningful use and will assess clinicians on activities related to
      integration of electronic health record technology into their practice.
      Improvement activities will require clinicians to attest to completion of
      activities focused on improvements in care coordination, beneficiary engagement,
      and patient safety. Finally, cost will be determined automatically from Medicare
      claims data. In this article, we will provide a detailed review of the Medicare
      Access and Children's Health Insurance Program Reauthorization Act with a focus
      on MIPS and briefly discuss the potential implications for dermatologists.

PMID- 28365040
TI  - Future considerations for clinical dermatology in the setting of 21st century
      American policy reform: The Medicare Access and Children's Health Insurance
      Program Reauthorization Act and Alternative Payment Models in dermatology.
AB  - With the introduction of the Medicare Access and Children's Health Insurance
      Program Reauthorization Act, clinicians who are not eligible for an exemption
      must choose to participate in 1 of 2 new reimbursement models: the Merit-based
      Incentive Payment System or Alternative Payment Models (APMs). Although most
      dermatologists are expected to default into the Merit-based Incentive Payment
      System, some may have an interest in exploring APMs, which have associated
      financial incentives. However, for dermatologists interested in the APM pathway,
      there are currently no options other than joining a qualifying Accountable Care
      Organization, which make up only a small subset of Accountable Care Organizations
      overall. As a result, additional APMs relevant to dermatologists are needed to
      allow those interested in the APMs to explore this pathway. Fortunately, the
      Medicare Access and Children's Health Insurance Program Reauthorization Act
      establishes a process for new APMs to be approved and the creation of bundled
      payments for skin diseases may represent an opportunity to increase the number of
      APMs available to dermatologists. In this article, we will provide a detailed
      review of APMs under the Medicare Access and Children's Health Insurance Program
      Reauthorization Act and discuss the development and introduction of APMs as they
      pertain to dermatology.

PMID- 28365039
TI  - Tumor recurrence of keratinocyte carcinomas judged appropriate for Mohs
      micrographic surgery using Appropriate Use Criteria.
AB  - BACKGROUND: The use of Mohs micrographic surgery (MMS) has increased greatly to
      treat basal cell and cutaneous squamous cell carcinomas (keratinocyte carcinoma
      [KC]), and consensus-based Appropriate Use Criteria (AUC) were developed to
      identify tumors for which MMS is appropriate. OBJECTIVE: We sought to compare
      recurrence rates after different treatments in tumors judged appropriate for MMS.
      METHODS: We used data from an observational prospective cohort study and
      retrospectively categorized consecutive tumors as appropriate for MMS according
      to the AUC. Among appropriate tumors, we used survival analyses to compare 5-year
      recurrence rates after treatments. RESULTS: Among tumors appropriate for MMS (N =
      1483), adjusted 5-year recurrence rates were 2.9% (range, 1.4-4.3%) after MMS,
      5.5% (range, 3.1-7.9%) after excision, 4.0% (range, 0.6-7.2%) after destruction,
      and 5.9% (range, 1.5-10.2%) after other treatments. In tumors treated only with
      MMS or excision (the most similar subgroups), the adjusted hazard ratio of 5-year
      recurrence after MMS was 0.6 (95% confidence interval, 0.3-1.0; P = .06).
      LIMITATIONS: This study is limited by its uncertain generalizability, lack of
      randomization, and unmeasured characteristics. CONCLUSION: The AUC identified
      tumors for which recurrence would be less common after MMS than after excision,
      but the absolute difference in recurrence rates was small.

PMID- 28365041
TI  - Commentary: Future considerations for clinical dermatology in the setting of 21st
      century American policy reform: The Medicare Access and CHIP Reauthorization Act
      of 2015.

PMID- 28365042
TI  - Racial disparities in the impact of chronic pruritus: A cross-sectional study on
      quality of life and resource utilization in United States veterans.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Chronic pruritus has a lifetime prevalence of up to 26% in the
      worldwide population. Research has shown that the incidence and quality of life
      (QoL) impact of chronic pruritus varies by race. OBJECTIVE: We sought to explore
      the effects of race on specific pruritus-related QoL factors and resource
      utilization. METHODS: We performed a cross-sectional, national telephone survey
      of 6000 US veterans randomly sampled from the Veterans Hospital Patient Database.
      We administered surveys to assess QoL impact and resource utilization of chronic
      pruritus. RESULTS: Nonwhites overall reported higher levels of burning and
      scarring with their pruritus. African Americans had a significantly greater
      emotional impact and use of special soaps, lotions, and clothes. African
      Americans were also more likely to visit their primary care provider for pruritus
      (P = .03), yet had similar numbers of specialty care visits. LIMITATIONS: Because
      our sample was drawn from a veteran population, generalizability may be limited.
      CONCLUSION: The data indicate a racial disparity in specific QoL impact and
      resource utilization from pruritus. These findings merit further exploration into
      explanations, such as access, communication, trust of the medical system, and
      biologic differences.

PMID- 28365043
TI  - Effects of enhanced bioturbation intensities on the toxicity assessment of legacy
      contaminated sediments.
AB  - Many benthic communities within estuarine ecosystems are highly degraded due to
      the close proximity of urban and industrial contamination sources. The
      maintenance of recolonised, healthy ecosystems following remediation is a
      challenge, and better techniques are required for monitoring their progressive
      recovery. Rates of ecosystem recovery are influenced by the changes in the
      concentrations and forms of contaminants, the sensitivity of recolonising
      organisms to bioavailable contaminants, and a range of abiotic and biotic factors
      influencing the exposure of organisms to the contamination. Here we investigate
      the influence of bioturbation by an active amphipod (Victoriopisa australiensis)
      on the bioavailability of metals and hydrocarbons in highly contaminated
      sediments. Changes in contaminant bioavailability were evaluated by assessing
      sublethal effects to a smaller cohabiting amphipod (Melita plumulosa). For
      predominantly metal-contaminated sediments, the presence of V. australiensis
      generally increased survival and reproduction of M. plumulosa when compared to
      treatments with only M. plumulosa present (from 42 to 93% survival and 3-61%
      reproduction). The decrease in toxic effects to M. plumulosa corresponded with
      lower dissolved copper and zinc concentrations in the overlying waters (14-9 MUg
      Cu L-1, and 14 to 6 MUg Zn L-1 for absence to presence of V. australiensis). For
      sediments contaminated with both hydrocarbons and metals, the increased
      bioturbation intensity by V. australiensis resulted in decreased reproduction of
      M. plumulosa, despite lower dissolved metal exposure, and indicated increased
      bioavailability of the hydrocarbon contaminants. Thus, the presence of a
      secondary active bioturbator can enhance or suppress toxicity to co-inhabiting
      organisms, and may depend on the contaminant class and form. The results
      highlight the need to consider both abiotic and biotic interactions when using
      laboratory studies to evaluate the ability of organisms to recolonise and
      reproduce within benthic environments degraded by contamination, or for more
      general extrapolation for sediment quality assessment purposes.

PMID- 28365044
TI  - Do benefits in kind or refunds affect health service utilization and health
      outcomes? A natural experiment from Japan.
AB  - Although the payment systems of public health insurance vary greatly across
      countries, we still have limited knowledge of their effects. To quantify the
      changes from a benefits in kind system to a refund system, we exploit the largest
      physician strike in Japan since the Second World War. During the strike in 1971
      led by the Japan Medical Association (JMA), JMA physicians resigned as health
      insurance doctors, but continued to provide medical care and even health
      insurance treatment in some areas. This study uses the regional differences in
      resignation rates as a natural experiment to examine the effect of the payment
      method of health insurance on medical service utilization and health outcomes. In
      the main analysis, aggregated monthly prefectural data are used (N=46). Our
      estimation results indicate that if the participation rate of the strike had
      increased by 1% point and proxy claims were refused completely, the number of
      cases of insurance benefits and the total amount of insurance benefits would have
      decreased by 0.78% and 0.58%, respectively compared with the same month in the
      previous year. Moreover, the average amount of insurance benefits per claim
      increased since patients with relatively less serious diseases might have sought
      health care less often. Finally, our results suggest that the mass of
      resignations did not affect death rates.

PMID- 28365045
TI  - Phylogenetic Paleoecology: Tree-Thinking and Ecology in Deep Time.
AB  - The new and emerging field of phylogenetic paleoecology leverages the
      evolutionary relationships among species to explain temporal and spatial changes
      in species diversity, abundance, and distribution in deep time. This field is
      poised for rapid progress as knowledge of the evolutionary relationships among
      fossil species continues to expand. In particular, this approach will lend new
      insights to many of the longstanding questions in evolutionary biology, such as:
      the relationships among character change, ecology, and evolutionary rates; the
      processes that determine the evolutionary relationships among species within
      communities and along environmental gradients; and the phylogenetic signal
      underlying ecological selectivity in background and mass extinctions and in major
      evolutionary radiations.

PMID- 28365046
TI  - [The place of surgery in bilateral sequelae bronchiectasis].
AB  - INTRODUCTION: The aim of our study is to report our surgery results in bilateral
      sequelae bronchiectasis and to assess its impact on the life quality of our
      patients. METHOD: This is a retrospective descriptive study in thoracic surgery
      department of Teaching Hospital Hassan II of Fez in Morocco. It involved all
      patients with bilateral bronchiectasis which is predominant on a few lobes or
      segments (localized) and who underwent surgery during the period 2010-2015. The
      epidemiological, clinical and paraclinical data, the surgery results, the
      evolution and the impact on life quality were assessed. RESULTS: From a total of
      47 patients with bilateral bronchiectasis, 13 were operated, thus a frequency of
      27.6%. The average age was 32years, ranging from 15 to 54years. Women were in
      majority (61.5%) representing a sex ratio of 1.6. The association of chronic
      bronchorrhea and hemoptysis was the main reason of medical consultation in
      46.16%, followed by isolated chronic bronchorrhea in 38.46%. Surgical resection
      involved the left side in 61.5% of cases. The left lower lobectomy was the most
      accomplished gesture. An improvement in symptoms was found in 11 patients (84.6%)
      as a decrease in bronchorrhea, hemoptysis episodes and decreasing use of
      antibiotics. CONCLUSION: Bilateral bronchiectasis surgery can be performed with
      acceptable morbidity and mortality in well-selected patients with an improvement
      in symptoms.

PMID- 28365047
TI  - [Fatal bleomycin induced pneumomediastinum and bilateral pneumothorax].

PMID- 28365048
TI  - [The primary pulmonary Malt lymphoma: About a case].

PMID- 28365049
TI  - The authors' respond the letter: Fluid resuscitation of trauma patients: How much
      fluid is enough to determine the patient's response?

PMID- 28365050
TI  - Reply to: Fluid resuscitation of trauma patients: How much fluid is enough to
      determine the patient's response?

PMID- 28365051
TI  - Optimal front-line ALK (anaplastic lymphoma kinase) directed therapy.

PMID- 28365053
TI  - [Contact lens care and maintenance].
AB  - All contact lenses with replacement schedules longer than daily must be
      maintained. At each step of their use, the lenses may be contaminated. Contact
      lens solutions perform the essential functions of cleaning, decontaminating and
      preserving the lenses to prevent infectious problems and improve wearing comfort.
      Contact lens contamination essentially comes from hands, cleaning solutions,
      cases, water and the environment. The pathogenic microorganisms are mainly Gram
      negative bacteria, fungi and amoebae. Contact lens deposits may or may not have
      an organic origin. Their presence increases the risk of infection because they
      serve as a nutrient matrix for microbes, and they are responsible for wearing
      discomfort. Contact lens solutions differ in their composition, their mechanism
      of action and the concentration of the various agents. To prescribe the best lens
      care system to each wearer and for each material, it is necessary to be very
      familiar with them. Maintenance is the main cause of discomfort with contact
      lenses, either through improper use, solution-material incompatibility, or a
      reaction of the wearer to the components.

PMID- 28365052
TI  - Snacking and Diet Quality Are Associated With the Coping Strategies Used By a
      Socioeconomically Diverse Urban Cohort of African-American and White Adults.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Stress affects health-related quality of life through several
      pathways, including physiological processes and health behaviors. There is always
      a relationship between stress (the stimulus) and coping (the response). The
      relationship between snacking and snackers' diet quality and stress coping is a
      topic overlooked in research. OBJECTIVE: The study was primarily designed to
      determine whether energy provided by snacks and diet quality were associated with
      coping behaviors to manage stress. DESIGN: We analyzed a baseline cohort of the
      Healthy Aging in Neighborhoods of Diversity across the Life Span study (2004 to
      2009). PARTICIPANTS: The sample was composed of 2,177 socioeconomically diverse
      African-American and white adults who resided in Baltimore, MD. MAIN OUTCOME
      MEASURES: Energy from snacks was calculated from 2 days of 24-hour dietary
      recalls collected using the US Department of Agriculture's Automated Multiple
      Pass Method. Snack occasions were self-reported as distinct eating occasions.
      Diet quality was evaluated by the Healthy Eating Index-2010. STATISTICAL ANALYSES
      PERFORMED: Multiple regression analyses were used to determine whether coping
      factors were associated with either energy provided by snacks or Healthy Eating
      Index-2010, adjusting for age, sex, race, socioeconomic status, education,
      literacy, and perceived stress. Coping was measured by the Brief COPE Inventory
      with instrument variables categorized into three factors: problem-focused coping,
      emotion-focused coping, and use of support. Perceived stress was measured with
      the 4-item Perceived Stress Scale. RESULTS: Adjusting for perceived stress and
      selected demographic characteristics, emotion-focused coping strategies were
      associated with greater energy intakes from snacks (P=0.020), and use of coping
      strategies involving support was positively associated with better diet quality
      (P=0.009). CONCLUSIONS: Energy contributed by snacks and diet quality were
      affected by the strategy that an individual used to cope with stress. The
      findings suggest that health professionals working with individuals seeking
      guidance to modify their eating practices should assess a person's coping
      strategies to manage stress.

PMID- 28365054
TI  - Lipid Metabolism and Emerging Targets for Lipid-Lowering Therapy.
AB  - Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is one of the leading causes of morbidity and
      mortality worldwide, and dyslipidemia constitutes a major risk factor for CVD and
      premature atherosclerosis. Therapies to reduce the plasma levels of atherogenic
      lipoproteins are well established interventions that decrease CVD risk. However,
      treatment of dyslipidemia with the most widely used lipid-lowering drugs (ie,
      statins and ezetimibe) often fails to protect a significant proportion of
      patients from cardiovascular risk. The development of several novel therapies to
      treat lipid-related disorders and their associated risks is ongoing and includes
      the following: (1) reducing plasma levels of atherogenic lipoproteins using
      proprotein convertase subtilisin/kexin type 9 inhibitors, antisense inhibitors of
      Apolipoprotein (Apo)(a), microsomal triglyceride transfer protein inhibitors,
      antisense oligonucleotides of ApoB for inhibiting very low-density lipoprotein
      production, and inhibitors of angiopoietin-like protein 3 or ApoC-III for
      triglyceride-rich lipoprotein management upstream of low-density lipoprotein
      production as well as gene replacement therapy to improve low-density lipoprotein
      and triglyceride-rich lipoprotein clearance; and (2) emerging therapies that
      target high-density lipoprotein (HDL) and reverse cholesterol transport using
      cholesteryl ester transfer protein inhibitors, HDL peptide mimetics, and
      autologous infusion of pre-beta HDLs. Clinical trials of several of these
      emerging therapies are currently being conducted. Despite the potential efficacy
      of these new therapies in CVD prevention, their costs might limit their use
      because of limited reimbursement funds. Therefore, the real challenge facing the
      next generation of lipid-lowering agents will most likely be accessibility,
      reflecting a new paradigm that applies to almost all emerging therapies for any
      disease in the era of precision medicine.

PMID- 28365055
TI  - Precision Medicine for Hypertension Management in Chronic Kidney Disease:
      Relevance of SPRINT for Therapeutic Targets in Nondiabetic Renal Disease.
AB  - In this review we evaluate the literature to determine if lower blood pressure
      (BP) targets are beneficial for patients with nondiabetic chronic kidney disease
      (CKD). Modification of Diet in Renal Disease (MDRD), African American Study of
      Kidney Disease and Hypertension (AASK), and Ramipril Efficacy in Nephropathy-2
      (REIN-2), designed to assess the benefit of lower BP on progression of
      nondiabetic CKD, generally came to the same negative conclusion. They were not
      designed and powered to assess an effect of lower BP on cardiovascular outcomes.
      The Systolic Blood Pressure Intervention Trial (SPRINT) was the first trial
      designed and powered to address this issue, and showed a clear benefit of a lower
      targeted and achieved BP. SPRINT did not show any renal benefits from lower BP,
      and it was not designed to assess this outcome, and it enrolled patients with
      less "renal risk" per se. A distinguishing feature of SPRINT compared with other
      large trials is that it highlighted the importance of precise BP measurement
      methods in defining targets in hypertension treatment. Accordingly, we propose
      that SPRINT is truly a "game-changing" clinical trial that sets the bar for
      management of hypertension in select patients with nondiabetic CKD. In these
      patients, systolic BP target depends critically on the BP measurement method: <
      140 mm Hg when derived from 3 readings using a mercury sphygmomanometer after 5
      minutes of rest, < 130 mm Hg when calculated from at a minimum of 3 readings
      using an automated oscillometric device, and < 120 mm Hg when taken using an
      automated oscillometric device after 5 minutes of unattended rest.

PMID- 28365056
TI  - Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis.
AB  - Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis is a prototype of chronic, progressive, and
      fibrotic lung disease. Healthy tissue is replaced by altered extracellular matrix
      and alveolar architecture is destroyed, which leads to decreased lung compliance,
      disrupted gas exchange, and ultimately respiratory failure and death. In less
      than a decade, understanding of the pathogenesis and management of this disease
      has been transformed, and two disease-modifying therapies have been approved,
      worldwide. In this Seminar, we summarise the presentation, pathophysiology,
      diagnosis, and treatment options available for patients with idiopathic pulmonary
      fibrosis. This disease has improved understanding of the mechanisms of lung
      fibrosis, and offers hope that similar approaches will transform the management
      of patients with other progressive fibrotic lung diseases.

PMID- 28365057
TI  - Early Detection and Screening for Breast Cancer.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: To review the history, current status, and future trends related to
      breast cancer screening. DATA SOURCES: Peer-reviewed articles, web sites, and
      textbooks. CONCLUSION: Breast cancer remains a complex, heterogeneous disease.
      Serial screening with mammography is the most effective method to detect early
      stage disease and decrease mortality. Although politics and economics may inhibit
      organized mammography screening programs in many countries, the judicious use of
      proficient clinical and self-breast examination can also identify small tumors
      leading to reduced morbidity. IMPLICATIONS FOR NURSING PRACTICE: Oncology nurses
      have exciting opportunities to lead, facilitate, and advocate for delivery of
      high-quality screening services targeting individuals and communities. A
      practical approach is needed to translate the complexities and controversies
      surrounding breast cancer screening into improved care outcomes.

PMID- 28365058
TI  - Impact of high hydrostatic pressure on bacterial proteostasis.
AB  - High hydrostatic pressure (HHP) is an important factor that limits microbial
      growth in deep-sea ecosystems to specifically adapted piezophiles. Furthermore,
      HHP treatment is used as a novel food preservation technique because of its
      ability to inactivate pathogenic and spoilage bacteria while minimizing the loss
      of food quality. Disruption of protein homeostasis (i.e. proteostasis) as a
      result of HHP-induced conformational changes in ribosomes and proteins has been
      considered as one of the limiting factors for both microbial growth and survival
      under HHP conditions. This work therefore reviews the effects of sublethal
      (<=100MPa) and lethal (>100MPa) pressures on protein synthesis, structure, and
      functionality in bacteria. Furthermore, current understanding on the mechanisms
      adopted by piezophiles to maintain proteostasis in HHP environments and responses
      developed by atmospheric-adapted bacteria to protect or restore proteostasis
      after HHP exposure are discussed.

PMID- 28365059
TI  - Commentary Re: a critical appraisal of the mild axonal peripheral neuropathy of
      late neurologic Lyme disease, by Wormser et al. DMID 2016.

PMID- 28365060
TI  - Clinical evaluation of a new single-tube multiplex reverse transcription PCR
      assay for simultaneous detection of 11 respiratory viruses, Mycoplasma pneumoniae
      and Chlamydia in hospitalized children with acute respiratory infections.
AB  - Respiratory Pathogen 13 Detection Kit (13* kit) is able to simultaneously detect
      11 respiratory viruses, Mycoplasma pneumoniae (MP) and Chlamydia in a single
      reaction. Using 572 Nasopharyngeal aspirates collected from hospitalized
      children, the clinical performance of 13* kit for detecting 11 respiratory
      viruses was evaluated in comparison with a routinely used 2-tube multiplex
      reverse transcription PCR assay (2-tube assay) at provincial Centers for Disease
      Control and Prevention in China. The clinical performance of 13* kit for
      detecting MP and Chlamydia was evaluated by commercial real-time quantitative PCR
      (qPCR) kits or sequencing. For tested viruses, the assay concordance was 95.98%
      and the kappa coefficient was 0.89. All the MP and Chlamydia positive samples
      detected by 13* kit were confirmed as true positives. The utilization of the 13*
      kit in clinical settings will be helpful for doctors to assess clinical outcome
      according to virus type or multiple infections, and to limit the use of
      antibiotics.

PMID- 28365061
TI  - Gaze detection and gaze cuing in Alzheimer's disease.
AB  - People with Alzheimer's disease (AD) show problems with social processing in
      tasks which require the understanding of others' mental states. However
      traditional social processing tasks are cognitively complex, which may influence
      the effects of AD. Less is known about how AD influences more basic aspects of
      social perception, such as the ability to decode eye gaze direction or follow the
      gaze of another. The current research assessed whether those with AD showed
      difficulty in both explicitly decoding subtle manipulations of gaze direction
      (Study 1), and reflexively following another's eye gaze (Study 2). Those with AD
      were more impaired than a matched control group when making explicit
      discrimination distinctions between direct and averted gaze. In contrast people
      with Alzheimer's disease performed comparably to a control group when following
      gaze. This pattern indicates that more automatic aspects of social perception
      such as gaze following are unaffected by AD. In contrast, more controlled
      processes such as deciding whether someone is looking towards you are impaired in
      AD. This has implications for socially engaging with other people and
      interpreting their focus of interest.

PMID- 28365062
TI  - In situ deformation of growth plate chondrocytes in stress-controlled static vs
      dynamic compression.
AB  - Longitudinal bone growth in children/adolescents occurs through endochondral
      ossification at growth plates and is influenced by mechanical loading, where
      increased compression decreases growth (i.e., Hueter-Volkmann Law). Past in vivo
      studies on static vs dynamic compression of growth plates indicate that factors
      modulating growth rate might lie at the cellular level. Here, in situ
      viscoelastic deformation of hypertrophic chondrocytes in growth plate explants
      undergoing stress-controlled static vs dynamic loading conditions was
      investigated. Growth plate explants from the proximal tibia of pre-pubertal rats
      were subjected to static vs dynamic stress-controlled mechanical tests. Stained
      hypertrophic chondrocytes were tracked before and after mechanical testing with a
      confocal microscope to derive volumetric, axial and lateral cellular strains.
      Axial strain in hypertrophic chondrocytes was similar for all groups, supporting
      the mean applied compressive stress's correlation with bone growth rate and
      hypertrophic chondrocyte height in past studies. However, static conditions
      resulted in significantly higher lateral (p<0.001) and volumetric cellular
      strains (p<=0.015) than dynamic conditions, presumably due to the growth plate's
      viscoelastic nature. Sustained compression in stress-controlled static loading
      results in continued time-dependent cellular deformation; conversely, dynamic
      groups have less volumetric strain because the cyclically varying stress limits
      time-dependent deformation. Furthermore, high frequency dynamic tests showed
      significantly lower volumetric strain (p=0.002) than low frequency conditions.
      Mechanical loading protocols could be translated into treatments to correct or
      halt progression of bone deformities in children/adolescents. Mimicking
      physiological stress-controlled dynamic conditions may have beneficial effects at
      the cellular level as dynamic tests are associated with limited lateral and
      volumetric cellular deformation.

PMID- 28365063
TI  - Mechanical response and deformation mechanics of Type IV pili investigated using
      steered coarse-grained molecular dynamics simulation.
AB  - Type IV pili are long filamentous structures on the surface of bacteria, which
      can be rapidly assembled or disassembled with pilin subunits by molecular motors.
      They can generate force during retraction and are involved in many bacterial
      functions. Steered molecular dynamics simulations with coarse-grained MARTINI
      models are carried out to investigate the mechanical behaviors of pili under
      tension. Our study is the first to report a Young's modulus of 0.80+/-0.07GPa and
      a spring constant of 1294.6+/-116.5kJmol-1nm-2 for pilus. Our results show the
      mechanical responses of pili are different from those described by the worm-like
      chain model and the van der Waal's interactions play a critical role in the
      mechanical responses. Moreover, the effects of pulling rates and virtual spring
      constants of pilus on Young's modulus are studied and two distinct morphological
      stages with the conformational changes appear during the extension of pilus are
      observed. This work provide insight into the mechanics and the deformation
      mechanism of pilus assembly.

PMID- 28365064
TI  - Subject-specific 2D/3D image registration and kinematics-driven musculoskeletal
      model of the spine.
AB  - An essential input to the musculoskeletal (MS) trunk models that estimate muscle
      and spine forces is kinematics of the thorax, pelvis, and lumbar vertebrae. While
      thorax and pelvis kinematics are usually measured via skin motion capture devices
      (with inherent errors on the proper identification of the underlying bony
      landmarks and the relative skin-sensor-bone movements), those of the intervening
      lumbar vertebrae are commonly approximated at fixed proportions based on the
      thorax-pelvis kinematics. This study proposes an image-based kinematics
      measurement approach to drive subject-specific (musculature, geometry, mass, and
      center of masses) MS models. Kinematics of the thorax, pelvis, and individual
      lumbar vertebrae as well as disc inclinations, gravity loading, and musculature
      were all measured via different imaging techniques. The model estimated muscle
      and lumbar forces in various upright and flexed postures in which kinematics were
      obtained using upright fluoroscopy via 2D/3D image registration. Predictions of
      this novel image-kinematics-driven model (Img-KD) were compared with those of the
      traditional kinematics-driven (T-KD) model in which individual lumbar vertebral
      rotations were assumed based on thorax-pelvis orientations. Results indicated
      that while differences between Img-KD and T-KD models remained small for the
      force in the global muscles (attached to the thoracic cage) (<15%), L4-S1
      compression (<15%), and shear (<20%) forces in average for all the simulated
      tasks, they were relatively larger for the force in the local muscles (attached
      to the lumbar vertebrae). Assuming that the skin-based measurements of thorax and
      pelvis kinematics are accurate enough, the T-KD model predictions of spinal
      forces remain reliable.

PMID- 28365065
TI  - Infantile hemangiopericytoma of the tongue-Efficacy of ex utero intrapartum
      treatment procedure and combined-modality therapy.
AB  - Here we present an extremely rare case of giant infantile hemangiopericytoma
      (HPC) of the tongue diagnosed prenatally by fetal ultrasonography and MR imaging.
      Due to airway stenosis, the patient was delivered by the ex utero intrapartum
      treatment (EXIT) procedure at 36 weeks of pregnancy. Initial diagnosis was
      infantile hemangioma based on physical examination, diagnostic imaging and the
      high incidence of hemangioma. The tumor was resistant to conservative treatments.
      Due to severe tumor hemorrhage, the nutrient vessel was embolized by endovascular
      treatment on the 73th day after birth. Two days after embolization, a
      hemiglossectomy was performed. Histological analysis after surgery diagnosed
      infantile HPC with microscopically positive stumps. After receiving adjuvant
      chemotherapy, the patient has had no recurrence after 53 months with normal
      speech and swallowing function resulting in normal growth. Our findings support
      that infantile HPC is one of the differential diagnosis of infantile hemangioma.
      The EXIT procedure could be effective for infants with upper respiratory stenosis
      by head and neck tumor diagnosed prenatally. Though complete resection is
      required for infantile HPC, our report suggests that a conservative surgical
      approach followed by adjuvant chemotherapy should be used for giant head and neck
      infantile HPC.

PMID- 28365066
TI  - Transcanal endoscopic approach to lesions of the suprageniculate ganglion fossa.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: The aim of this paper would be to describe the first case series of
      exclusive transcanal endoscopic approach to treat lesions with limited extension
      at the suprageniculate fossa. This endoscopic approach allowed a complete removal
      of suprageniculate disesases with low complication rates using a minimally
      invasive surgical route. METHODS: This is a retrospective chart analysis and a
      surgery video recording review of these patients were performed in August 2015.
      From November 2011 to November 2015, 29 patients were submitted to an endoscopic
      transcanal lateral skull base surgery. From those 29 subjects, in 6 patients an
      exclusive endoscopic transcanal suprageniculate approach was performed to remove
      lesions located into the geniculate fossa. Surgical indications, pre-operative
      assessment, results were collected and the surgical technique were described.
      RESULTS: The final study group was composed of 6 patients. 3 male and 3 female;
      median age is 25.3 years old. In all 6 subjects it was possible to remove the
      lesions using an exclusive endoscopic transcanal suprageniculate approach. No
      intraoperaoperative complications were observed in any patients. The mean follow
      up period was 15.16 months. CONCLUSION: Exclusive endoscopic transcanal
      suprageniculate approach is definitely a minimally invasive technique and should
      be consider an optimal solution to treat lesions located in the suprageniculate
      fossa in some patients. We introduce a minimally invasive approach to the
      geniculate ganglion region in order to allow complete removal of suprageniculate
      disesases with low complication rates using a minimally invasive surgical route.

PMID- 28365068
TI  - The effect of guided imagery on physiological and psychological outcomes of adult
      ICU patients: A systematic literature review and methodological implications.
AB  - OBJECTIVES: Guided imagery (GI) is a relaxation technique that is being
      increasingly explored in various patients' populations. We systematically
      reviewed evidence on the effects of GI on physiological and psychological
      outcomes of adult critically ill patients and extracted implications for future
      research. REVIEW METHOD USED: Systematic literature review of published studies
      based on the Cochrane Guidelines. DATA SOURCES: Studies were located through
      literature searches of CINAHL, PubMed, Embase, Cochrane Database of Systematic
      Reviews and Psych-Info. REVIEW METHODS: We explored effects of GI in critically
      illness. The outcome measures included pain, anxiety, hemodynamic measurements,
      stress neuropeptides, length of stay, sleep quality, inflammatory markers,
      patient satisfaction and cost of care. The Cochrane Collaboration's tool for
      assessing risk of bias was employed. Extracted data included pathophysiological
      framework, sample, diagnoses of participants, specifics of intervention, design,
      experimental groups, analyses and main outcomes. RESULTS: Based on the selection
      criteria, 10 studies were identified, involving N=1391 critically ill patients.
      The main limitations include incomplete outcome data and selective reporting,
      incomplete blinding and lack of experimental group allocation concealment. Due to
      heterogeneity and incomplete reporting, a meta-analysis was not feasible. Our
      findings included: (a) favourable effects of the intervention with regard to
      decrease of pain, anxiety and LOS; (b) many studies employing randomised
      controlled trial designs; (c) a predominant focus on patients with cardiac
      surgery; (d) large heterogeneity in measurement of outcomes. Moreover, the
      evidence suggests that improvements in sleep quality, patient satisfaction and
      cost of care merit further investigation. Methodological implications include the
      need to clarify the underlying physiological framework, the use of repeated
      measure designs and the adjustment for confounders. CONCLUSIONS: On the basis of
      these results, and of the absence of reported side-effects, we conclude that GI
      is a promising patient-centered approach for the improvement of a number of
      patients' outcomes that merits further investigation in critical care.

PMID- 28365067
TI  - The utility of a phase angle analysis in patients with severe motor and
      intellectual disabilities.
AB  - PURPOSE: The purpose of the present study was to evaluate whether evaluating the
      phase angle (PhA), in a bioelectrical impedance analysis (BIA) is useful for
      estimating the nutritional status of severe motor and intellectual disabilities
      (SMID) patients. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: This retrospective study included 31 SMID
      patients (mean age: 33.9+/-13.5years, median age: 29years (range: 18-58years),
      male/female: 23/8). First, each of the parameters from the total study population
      and the male and female SMID patients were compared with those of healthy Asian
      subjects. Second, correlation analyses were conducted to investigate the
      correlation between the PhA and the other BIA parameters (appendicular skeletal
      muscle mass index (ASMI), appendicular muscle mass (AMM), extracellular water
      (ECW)/total body water (TBW)) as well as subjective global assessment and serum
      nutritional markers. Finally, all patients were divided into 2 groups according
      to their albumin (Alb) (<3.5 or >=3.5) values and PhA of the 2 groups were
      compared. RESULTS: The mean PhA and ASMI were a considerably low, whereas ECW/TBW
      was considerably high in comparison to the healthy Asian subjects. Significant
      negative correlations were observed between the PhA and ECW/TBW, whereas there
      were significant positive correlations between PhA and AMM, ASMI, total protein
      and albumin levels. Furthermore, PhA of Alb >=3.5 group was significantly higher
      than that of Alb <3.5 group. CONCLUSIONS: The present study indicated that SMID
      patients demonstrate the low PhA, which were similar to sarcopenia and a certain
      proportion of them also potentially have nutritional disturbances.

PMID- 28365069
TI  - Quality of life and prognostic factors after intra-articular tibial pilon
      fracture.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Intra-articular tibial plafond fractures are a challenge for the
      surgeon with generally poor functional outcomes. The purpose was to assess the
      impact of this injury on patient quality of life (QOL), as well as analyzed the
      predictor factors. METHODS: Retrospective study of 47 patients with mean age of
      44.4 (range 18-79) years. Patients were also invited for new clinical and
      radiological assessments. QOL was evaluated by the Short Form-36 questionnaire
      and compared to the standard in the age-matched general population. Olerud
      Molander ankle score (OMAS) was used to assess function. Digital radiographs were
      evaluated for linear and angular measurements. RESULTS: The mean follow-up at
      last visit was 5.3 (range, 2-10) years. Sequelae were present in 20 patients,
      mainly including chronic pain (8) and arthrosis (10). Articular step-off at least
      2mm was present in 20 patients had, articular gap greater than 2mm in 13, and
      malalignment in 5. Worse reduction was obtained with external fixation. QOL was
      significant lower than age-matched general population (p=0.000). Main prognostic
      factors of worse SF36 were fracture severity, reduction quality and arthrosis. A
      strong significant relationship was found between SF36-physical and OMAS scores
      (p=0.000). CONCLUSION: Intra-articular tibial plafond fracture had a dramatic
      impact on QOL. Among the predictors of unsuccessful outcome, the reduction
      quality was the only modifiable factor by the surgeon. The OMAS had a predictive
      value on the prognosis of QOL.

PMID- 28365070
TI  - Clinical outcome of primary medial collateral ligament-posteromedial corner
      repair with or without staged anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: Medial collateral ligament (MCL) is a prime valgus stabilizer of
      the knee, and MCL tears are currently managed conservatively. However,
      posteromedial corner (PMC) injury along with MCL tear is not same as isolated MCL
      tear and the former is more serious injury and requires operative attention.
      However, literature is scarce about the management and outcome of PMC-MCL tear
      alongside anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) tear. The purpose of this study is to
      report the clinical outcome of primary repair of MCL and PMC with or without
      staged ACL reconstruction. METHODS: A retrospective evaluation was performed on
      patients with MCL-PMC complex injury with ACL tear who underwent primary repair
      of MCL-PMC tear followed by rehabilitation. Further, several of them chose to
      undergo ACL reconstruction whereas rest opted conservative treatment for the ACL
      tear. A total of 35 patients of two groups [Group 1 (n=15): MCL-PMC repaired and
      ACL conserved; Group 2 (n=20): MCL-PMC repaired and ACL reconstructed] met the
      inclusion criteria with a minimum follow-up of two years. Clinical outcome
      measures included grade of valgus medial opening (0 degrees  extension and 30
      degrees  flexion), Lysholm and International knee documentation committee (IKDC)
      scores, KT-1000 measurement, subjective feeling of instability, range of motion
      (ROM) assessment and complications. RESULTS: While comparing group 2 versus group
      1, mean Lysholm (94.6 vs. 91.06; p=0.017) and IKDC scores (86.3 vs. 77.6;
      p=0.011) of group 2 were significantly higher than group 1. 60% patients of group
      1 complained of instability against none in the group 2 (p<0.0001). All the knees
      of both the groups were valgus stable with none requiring late reconstruction.
      The mean loss of flexion ROM in group 1 and 2 was 12 degrees  and 9 degrees 
      respectively which was not statistically different (p=0.41). However while
      considering the loss of motion, two groups did not show any significant
      difference in clinical scores. CONCLUSIONS: Primary MCL-PMC repair renders the
      knee stable in coronal plane in both the groups and further ACL reconstruction
      adds on to the stability of the knee providing a superior clinical outcome. Minor
      knee stiffness remains a concern after primary MCL-PMC repair but without any
      unfavorable clinical effect.

PMID- 28365071
TI  - Trochanteric entry femoral nails yield better femoral version and lower revision
      rates-A large cohort multivariate regression analysis.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: Intramedullary nailing (IMN) has become the standard of care for
      the treatment of most femoral shaft fractures. Different IMN options include
      trochanteric and piriformis entry as well as retrograde nails, which may result
      in varying degrees of femoral rotation. The objective of this study was to
      analyze postoperative femoral version between three types of nails and to
      delineate any significant differences in femoral version (DFV) and revision
      rates. MATERIALS & METHODS: Over a 10-year period, 417 patients underwent IMN of
      a diaphyseal femur fracture (AO/OTA 32A-C). Of these patients, 316 met inclusion
      criteria and obtained postoperative computed tomography (CT) scanograms to
      calculate femoral version and were thus included in the study. In this study, our
      main outcome measure was the difference in femoral version (DFV) between the
      uninjured limb and the injured limb. The effect of the following variables on DFV
      and revision rates were determined via univariate, multivariate, and ordinal
      regression analyses: gender, age, BMI, ethnicity, mechanism of injury, operative
      side, open fracture, and table type/position. Statistical significance was set at
      p<0.05. RESULTS: A total of 316 patients were included. Piriformis entry nails
      made up the majority (n=141), followed by retrograde (n=108), then trochanteric
      entry nails (n=67). Univariate regression analysis revealed that a lower BMI was
      significantly associated with a lower DFV (p=0.006). Controlling for possible
      covariables, multivariate analysis yielded a significantly lower DFV for
      trochanteric entry nails than piriformis or retrograde nails (7.9+/-6.10 vs.
      9.5+/-7.4 vs. 9.4+/-7.8 degrees , p<0.05). Using revision as an endpoint,
      trochanteric entry nails also had a significantly lower revision rate, even when
      controlling for all other variables (p<0.05). CONCLUSION: Comparative, objective
      comparisons between DFV between different nails based on entry point revealed
      that trochanteric nails had a significantly lower DFV and a lower revision rate,
      even after regression analysis. However, this is not to state that the other nail
      types exhibited abnormal DFV. Translation to the clinical impact of a few degrees
      of DFV is also unknown. Future studies to more in-depth study the intricacies of
      femoral version may lead to improved technology in addition to potentially
      improved clinical outcomes.

PMID- 28365072
TI  - Does femoral offset recover and affect the functional outcome of patients with
      displaced femoral neck fracture following hemiarthroplasty?
AB  - BACKGROUND: Restoring preoperative horizontal femoral offset (FO) promised good
      functional outcome in patients receiving total hip arthroplasty. However,
      relatively little was known regarding the clinical relevance of restoring the
      offset in patients with bipolar hemiarthroplasty to treat displaced femoral neck
      fracture. Therefore, the objective of this study was to evaluate postoperative FO
      accurately and verify its relation with functional outcome. METHODS: One hundred
      elderly patients who received bipolar hemiarthroplasty to treat displaced femoral
      neck fracture were identified. Preoperative CT scanning of contralateral hip
      joint and reconstruction of images led to rotation-free FO. By referencing
      postoperative implant specification and comparing to measured values in Picture
      Archive and Communication System, rotation-free postoperative FO and the amount
      of change were acquired. Postoperative Harris Hip Score (HHS) and Modified
      Barthel Index (MBI) were evaluated to measure functional outcome at 12-month
      after the surgery. Patients with significant FO change were identified. Multiple
      regression analysis was conducted to determine if the FO change might
      independently affect the outcome regardless of confounding factors. RESULTS: The
      mean preoperative offset was 37.4+/-2.5 increased by 12.7+/-9.6% after the
      surgery. Only 25.0% of postoperative offset after hemiarthroplasty was changed
      within +/-5% of preoperative offset. A total of 45.0% of postoperative offset
      changed within +/-10% while 77.0% of postoperative offset changed within +/-20%.
      23% of patients whose FO changed more than 20% showed significantly worse outcome
      score than the patients whose FO change remained within +/-20% of initial value.
      Mean MBI and HHS were negatively correlated with FO change. After adjusting for
      confounding factors, significant correlation remained between modification of FO
      and MBI, but not between FO change and HHS (B=4.576; beta=0.235; 95% confidence
      interval of B: 0.534 to 8.135). CONCLUSIONS: FO was not properly restored in 23%
      of subjects receiving bipolar hemiarthroplasty due to femoral neck fracture. FO
      restoration independently predicted fair MBI after the surgery. Therefore,
      surgeons should pay attention to restoring FO with meticulous templating.

PMID- 28365073
TI  - Different Characteristics of Anterior and Posterior Branch Atheromatous Diseases
      with or without Early Neurologic Deterioration.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Among several types of ischemic stroke (IS), branch atheromatous
      disease (BAD) is known to be the leading cause of disability. METHODS: A total of
      1919 patients with acute IS were retrospectively analyzed, and BAD patients were
      classified into anterior or posterior BAD, depending on the responsible vascular
      territories. These patients were further subcategorized with or without early
      neurologic deterioration (END or no-END). RESULTS: Of all IS patients, 14.3% had
      BAD, and 202 patients (73.7%) were further classified as anterior BAD and 72
      patients (26.3%) as posterior BAD. The prevalence of diabetes mellitus and END
      was significantly higher in posterior than in anterior BAD (44.4% vs 26.4%, P <
      .01; 18.1% vs 5.4%, P < .01, respectively). Posterior BAD showed a higher
      proportion of female patients and an older age (69.2% vs 39.0%, P < .05; 79.1 +/-
      7.7 vs 70.5 +/- 10.7, P < .01, respectively) in END than in no-END. The modified
      Rankin Scale was worse in posterior BAD at 90 days (2.5 +/- 1.6, P < .01) than in
      anterior BAD (1.6 +/- 1.4). CONCLUSIONS: Our present study shows that posterior
      BAD is a worse clinical outcome than anterior BAD, with more vascular risk
      factors. Older female patients with posterior BAD showed a higher risk of END,
      leading to a worse clinical outcome.

PMID- 28365074
TI  - Ultraviolet-B radiation mobilizes uranium from uranium-dissolved organic carbon
      complexes in aquatic systems, demonstrated by asymmetrical flow field-flow
      fractionation.
AB  - Humic substances have a tendency to form complexes with metal ions in aquatic
      medium, impacting the metal mobility, decreasing bioavailability and toxicity.
      Ultraviolet-B (UV-B) radiation exposure degrades the humic substance, changes
      their molecular weight distribution and their metal binding capacity in aquatic
      medium. In this study, we experimented the effect of UV-B radiation on the
      uranium complexed with fulvic acids and humic acids in a soft water system at
      different pH, uranium concentrations and radiant exposure. The concentration and
      distribution of uranium in a complexed form were investigated by asymmetrical
      flow field-flow fractionation coupled to multi detection technique (AsFlFFF-UV
      ICP-MS). The major concentration of uranium present in complexes was primarily
      associated with average and higher molecular weight fulvic and humic acids
      components. The concentration of uranium in a complexed form increased with
      increasing fulvic and humic acid concentrations as well as pH of the solution.
      The higher molecular weight fraction of uranium was degraded due to the UV-B
      exposure, transforming about 50% of the uranium-dissolved organic carbon
      complexes into low molecular weight uranium species in complex form with organic
      ligands and/or free form. The result also suggests AsFlFFF-UV-ICP-MS to be an
      important separation and detection technique for understanding the interaction of
      radionuclides with dissolved organic matter, tracking size distribution changes
      during degradation of organic complexes for understanding mobility,
      bioavailability and ecosystem transfer of radionuclides as well as metals.

PMID- 28365075
TI  - Determination of endocrine disrupting chemicals and antiretroviral compounds in
      surface water: A disposable sorptive sampler with comprehensive gas
      chromatography - Time-of-flight mass spectrometry and large volume injection with
      ultra-high performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry.
AB  - Many rural dwellers and inhabitants of informal settlements in South Africa are
      without access to treated water and collect untreated water from rivers and dams
      for personal use. Endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs) have been detected in
      surface water and wildlife of South Africa. EDCs are often present in complex
      environmental matrices at ultra-trace levels complicating detection thereof. We
      report a simplified multi-residue approach for the detection and quantification
      of EDCs, emerging EDCs, and antiretroviral drugs in surface water. A low cost
      (less than one US dollar), disposable, sorptive extraction sampler was prepared
      in-house. The disposable samplers consisted of polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) tubing
      fashioned into a loop which was then placed in water samples to concentrate EDCs
      and emerging pollutants. The PDMS samplers were thermally desorbed directly in
      the inlet of a GC, thereby eliminating the need for expensive consumable
      cryogenics. Comprehensive gas chromatography coupled to time-of-flight mass
      spectrometry (GC*GC-TOFMS) was used for compound separation and identification.
      Linear retention indices of EDCs and emerging pollutants were determined on a
      proprietary Crossbond(r) phase Rtx(r)-CLPesticides II GC capillary column. In
      addition, large volume injection of surface water into an ultra-performance
      liquid chromatograph tandem mass spectrometer (UPLC-MS/MS) was used as
      complementary methodology for the detection of less volatile compounds. Large
      volume injection reduced tedious and costly sample preparation steps. Limits of
      detection for the GC method ranged from 1 to 98pg/l and for the LC method from 2
      to 135ng/l. Known and emerging EDCs such as pharmaceuticals, personal care
      products and pesticides, as well as the antiretroviral compounds, efavirenz and
      nevirapine, were detected in surface water from South Africa at concentration
      levels ranging from 0.16ng/l to 227ng/l.

PMID- 28365076
TI  - Analysis of linear two-dimensional general rate model for chromatographic columns
      of cylindrical geometry.
AB  - This work is concerned with the analytical solutions and moment analysis of a
      linear two-dimensional general rate model (2D-GRM) describing the transport of a
      solute through a chromatographic column of cylindrical geometry. Analytical
      solutions are derived through successive implementation of finite Hankel and
      Laplace transformations for two different sets of boundary conditions. The
      process is further analyzed by deriving analytical temporal moments from the
      Laplace domain solutions. Radial gradients are typically neglected in liquid
      chromatography studies which are particularly important in the case of non
      perfect injections. Several test problems of single-solute transport are
      considered. The derived analytical results are validated against the numerical
      solutions of a high resolution finite volume scheme. The derived analytical
      results can play an important role in further development of liquid
      chromatography.

PMID- 28365077
TI  - Glass bottle sampling solid phase microextraction gas chromatography mass
      spectrometry for breath analysis of drug metabolites.
AB  - Breath analysis is a non-invasive approach which may be applied to disease
      diagnosis and pharmacokinetic study. In the case of offline analysis, the exhaled
      gas needs to be collected and the sampling bag is often used as the storage
      vessel. However, the sampling bag usually releases some extra compounds, which
      may interfere with the result of the breath test. In this study, a novel breath
      sampling glass bottle was developed with a syringe needle sampling port for solid
      phase microextraction (SPME). Such a glass bottle scarcely liberates compounds
      and can be used to collect exhaled gas for ensuing analysis by gas chromatography
      mass spectrometry (GC-MS). The glass bottle sampling SPME-GC-MS analysis was
      carried out to investigate the breath metabolites of myrtol, a multicompound drug
      normally used in the treatment of bronchitis and sinusitis. Four compounds, alpha
      pinene, 2,3-dehydro-1,8-cineole, d-limonene and 1,8-cineole were found in the
      exhaled breath of all eight volunteers who had taken the myrtol. While for other
      ten subjects who had not used the myrtol, these compounds were undetectable. In
      the SPME-GC-MS analysis of the headspace of myrtol, three compounds were detected
      including alpha-pinene, d-limonene and 1,8-cineole. Comparing the results of
      breath and headspace analysis, it indicates that 2,3-dehydro-1,8-cineole in the
      breath is the metabolite of 1,8-cineole. It is the first time that this
      metabolite was identified in human breath. The study demonstrates that the glass
      bottle sampling SPME-GC-MS method is applicable to exhaled gas analysis including
      breath metabolites investigation of drugs like myrtol.

PMID- 28365078
TI  - Macrophage and osteoclast polarization in bisphosphonate associated necrosis and
      osteoradionecrosis.
AB  - PURPOSE: Bisphosphonate-related osteonecrosis of the jaw (BRONJ) is a
      complication of antiresorptive therapy with nitrogen-containing bisphosphonates
      (BP). With various suggestions as to pathogenesis, the etiology of BRONJ is not
      sufficiently understood. Osteoclasts and their precursors, that is, macrophages,
      are the main target cells of BP. BP can repolarize regeneration- and healing
      associated M2 macrophages towards the tissue destructive M1-type. The current
      study aims to elucidate differences in macrophage and osteoclast polarization in
      BRONJ, osteoradionecrosis (ORN) and healthy control specimens. MATERIALS AND
      METHODS: A total of 39 jaw bone samples (18 BRONJ, 8 ORN and 13 healthy controls)
      were processed for immunohistochemistry to detect CD68-, CD11c- and CD163
      positive cells. Macrophages and osteoclasts were distinguished on the basis of
      morphological differences. Samples were digitized, and the macrophage and
      osteoclast cell counts were quantitatively analyzed. RESULTS: In jaw bone
      affected by BRONJ, a significantly increased macrophage infiltration and M1
      polarization of macrophages can be seen. The density of CD68-expressing
      osteoclasts is significantly increased in BRONJ specimens compared to ORN and to
      healthy controls. CONCLUSIONS: A bisphosphonate-derived shift of macrophage
      polarization towards M1-polarized macrophages might impair bone tissue
      homeostasis and thus contribute to the pathogenesis of BRONJ. The observed
      increase in osteoclast density might be caused by BP-induced prolonged osteoclast
      survival.

PMID- 28365079
TI  - A lateral cephalometry study of patients with neurofibromatosis type 1.
AB  - PURPOSE: Neurofibromatosis type 1 (NF1) is an autosomal dominant transmitted
      tumour suppressor syndrome and also a bone disease. Osseous dysplasia affecting
      the craniofacial region is characteristic of NF1. The aim of this study was to
      analyse the lateral cephalograms of NF1 patients in comparison to individuals who
      were not affected by this condition in order to describe the skeletal phenotype
      of NF1 in more detail. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The study comprises the lateral
      cephalograms of 172 patients with established NF1 diagnoses (female = 85, male =
      87). NF1 patients were distinguished by radiological and/or histological findings
      of the facial region suggestive of plexiform neurofibroma (PNF) or disseminated
      cutaneous NF (DNF). The analysed radiographs of a collection of 29 healthy
      volunteers with ideal occlusion served as controls. The focus of this analysis
      was cephalometrically defined angles. RESULTS: Cephalometric analyses of patients
      with DNF did not differ from those of controls for the vast majority of
      parameters. However, the measurement results of patients with PNF differed
      significantly from those of healthy volunteers and patients with DNF. The number
      of trigeminal nerve branches affected in PNF patients had an effect on the
      measurement results. CONCLUSION: Lateral cephalograms revealed no significant
      alteration of the facial skeleton in NF1 patients as compared to controls.
      Indeed, the stigma of a so-called 'NF1 facies' cannot be derived from the
      cephalometric findings presented. Notably, a wide range of deviating readings
      were recorded for individuals with facial PNF. Clinicians who treat patients with
      NF1 should be aware of deviations from cephalometric standards on lateral
      cephalograms in NF1 patients, especially when craniofacial surgical procedures
      are planned. Some of these findings, particularly asymmetries of the facial
      skeleton, could be indicators of an associated PNF.

PMID- 28365080
TI  - The CoCoS trial: Caloric Control in Cardiac Surgery patients promotes survival,
      an interventional trial with retrospective control.
AB  - BACKGROUND & AIMS: Malnutrition is widespread among cardiac surgery patients and
      is independently related to an adverse postoperative evolution or outcome. We
      aimed to assess whether nutrition therapy (NT) could alter caloric deficit,
      morbidity, and mortality in patients scheduled for non-emergency coronary artery
      bypass graft (CABG) or aortic valve surgery. METHODS: 351 patients undergoing
      either elective CABG or aortic valve surgery were studied. Patients receiving NT
      were enrolled from January 2013 until December 2014. A retrospective control
      group (CT) consisted of 142 matched patients. The primary endpoint was to
      evaluate whether NT could limit caloric deficit (Intake to Need Deviation).
      Secondary endpoints addressed the potential effect of NT on morbidity and
      mortality. Patients were followed for one year after surgery. RESULTS: There was
      no significant difference in patient, laboratory or mortality profile between the
      groups. Caloric deficit could be limited in the intervention group, essentially
      by providing oral feeding and oral supplements. A minority of patients required
      enteral or parenteral nutrition during their hospital stay. Caloric deficit
      increased after the second postoperative day because more patients were switched
      to oral feeding and intravenous infusions were omitted. Combining CABG and aortic
      valve surgery, male patients in the NT group had significantly less arrhythmia
      than in the CT group (7% versus 31%; P = 0.0056), while females in the NT group
      had significantly less pneumonia than in the CT group (7% versus 22%; P =
      0.0183). Survival was significantly higher in female NT patients compared to CT
      patients, both for CABG (100% versus 83%; P = 0.0015) and aortic valve surgery
      (97% versus 78%; P = 0.0337). CONCLUSION: The results suggest that NT
      beneficially affects morbidity and mortality in elective cardiac surgery
      patients. The impact of NT seems more pronounced in women than in men.
      Registration: Clinicaltrials.gov: NCT02902341.

PMID- 28365081
TI  - A possible role for CD26/DPPIV enzyme activity in the regulation of psoriatic
      pruritus.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Psoriasis (PSO) is one of the most common chronic inflammatory skin
      diseases, and pruritus affects approximately 60-90% of patients with PSO.
      However, the pathogenesis of pruritus in PSO remains unclear. Dipeptidyl
      peptidase IV (DPPIV) enzyme activity is involved in the regulation of peptide
      hormones, chemokines and neurotransmitters. OBJECTIVES: Our aim is to evaluate
      for a potential association between DPPIV and an increased risk of pruritus, and
      to identify possible underlying treatment targets in affected patients. METHODS:
      Utilizing clinical serum samples of PSO patients and in vivo experimental
      pruritus models, we evaluated for a potential association between DPPIV and an
      increased risk for pruritus, and attempted to identify possible underlying
      treatment targets in pruritus of PSO. RESULTS: We first showed that levels of
      DPPIV enzyme activity in sera of patients with PSO were significantly increased
      compared to those of healthy controls. We next evaluated levels of substance-P
      (SP), which is a neurotransmitter for pruritus and a substrate for DPPIV enzyme.
      Truncated form SP cleaved by DPPIV was significantly increased in sera of PSO. In
      an in vivo pruritus model induced by SP, scratching was decreased by treatment
      with a DPPIV inhibitor. Moreover, DPPIV-knockout mice showed attenuation of
      scratching induced by SP. Finally, scratching was decreased following the
      administration of a DPPIV inhibitor in an imiquimod-induced PSO model. On the
      other hand, scratching induced by imiquimod was increased in DPPIV overexpressing
      mice. CONCLUSIONS: These results suggest that inhibition of DPPIV enzyme activity
      regulates pruritus in PSO.

PMID- 28365082
TI  - Vascular Psoriasis Area Severity Index: A dermoscopic standard technique for
      assessing severity psoriasis and therapeutic management.

PMID- 28365083
TI  - Clinical transition to model-based dose calculation algorithm: A retrospective
      analysis of high-dose-rate tandem and ring brachytherapy of the cervix.
AB  - PURPOSE: To retrospectively compare clinical dosimetry of CT-based tandem-ring
      treatment plans using a model-based dose calculation algorithm (MBDCA) with the
      standard TG-43-based dose formalism. METHODS AND MATERIALS: A cohort of 10
      cervical cancer cohorts treated using the tandem and ring high-dose-rate
      applicators were evaluated. The original treatment plans were created using the
      department CT-based volume optimization clinical standards. All plans originally
      calculated with TG-43 dose calculation formalism were recalculated using the
      MBDCA algorithm. The gross target volume and organs at risk (OARs) were contoured
      on each data set along with significant heterogeneities like air in cavity and
      high-density plastic tandem and ring components. The patient tissue was modeled
      as homogenous liquid water. D90, D95, and D100 for gross target volume, D0.1cm3,
      D1.0cm3, and D2.0cm3 for bladder, rectum, and sigmoid were extracted from dose
      volume histograms for TG-43 and MBDCA calculated plans. Mean absolute difference
      +/- 2sigma in the above metrics was calculated for each plan. RESULTS: Using the
      manual applicator contouring method, MBDCA plans (n = 10) showed 2.1 +/- 1.1%
      reduction in dose to Point A average, 2.6 +/- 0.9% reduction in Target D90 dose,
      and 2.1 +/- 0.3% dose reduction to OARs. Results from plans using vendor supplied
      solid applicator models (n = 5) showed 2.2 +/- 1.10% reduction in dose to Point A
      average, 2.7 +/- 0.2% reduction in Target D90 dose, and 2.7 +/- 1.0% dose
      reduction on average to OARs. CONCLUSION: For unshielded plastic gynecologic
      applicators, minimal dosimetric changes (<5%) were found using MBDCA relative to
      standard TG-43. Use of solid applicator model is more efficient than manual
      applicator contouring and also yielded similar MBDCA dosimetric results.
      Currently, TG-186 dose calculations should be reported along TG-43 until we
      obtain studies with larger cohorts to fully realize the potential of MBDCA
      dosimetry.

PMID- 28365084
TI  - Perianal synovial sarcoma treated postoperatively with Iodine-125 brachytherapy:
      Technical details.
AB  - PURPOSE: A 23-year-old lady had an incompletely excised perianal sarcoma.
      Brachytherapy as the sole treatment, rather than further surgery or external beam
      radiotherapy, was considered to be the best option with the least morbidity.
      METHODS AND MATERIALS: Although brachytherapy techniques with iridium-192 for
      anal and rectal carcinoma are well described using a perianal template, the size
      of the template was not suitable for a two-plane implant that needed to be in
      situ for about 4 days. An anal canal applicator was designed, which carried three
      templates about 15 mm apart inside it, to ensure accurate alignment of the tubes,
      and an inferior template that was 90 mm from the perianal skin. Three inner and
      three outer tubes of iodine-125 seeds were designed to treat a 2 o'clock h wedge
      of perianal tissue as a temporary implant. A thin metal shield was placed around
      a hole to protect the uninvolved anal canal. The tubes were inserted under
      general anesthetic and delivered a dose of 59 Gy at 0.8 Gy/h over 75 h. A spinal
      anesthetic was maintained for the duration of the insertion. RESULTS: The
      treatment was well tolerated, and the patient is well and clear of disease 6
      years later with minimal morbidity. CONCLUSIONS: Iodine-125 is a low-energy
      isotope, readily available in our unit, that can be easily screened to reduce
      morbidity to surrounding normal tissues. In the form of seeds, it provides a
      flexible system that can be adapted to different tumor sites as required, as
      illustrated in this case.

PMID- 28365085
TI  - Authors' response.

PMID- 28365086
TI  - Synthesis and hyperpolarisation of eNOS substrates for quantification of NO
      production by 1H NMR spectroscopy.
AB  - Hyperpolarization enhances the intensity of the NMR signals of a molecule, whose
      in vivo metabolic fate can be monitored by MRI with higher sensitivity. SABRE is
      a hyperpolarization technique that could potentially be used to image nitric
      oxide (NO) production in vivo. This would be very important, because NO
      dysregulation is involved in several pathologies, including cardiovascular ones.
      The nitric oxide synthase (NOS) pathway leads to NO production via conversion of
      l-arginine into l-citrulline. NO is a free radical gas with a short half-life in
      vivo (~5s), therefore direct NO quantification is challenging. An indirect method
      - based on quantifying conversion of an l-Arg- to l-Cit-derivative by 1H NMR
      spectroscopy - is herein proposed. A small library of pyridyl containing l-Arg
      derivatives was designed and synthesised. In vitro tests showed that compounds 4a
      j and 11a-c were better or equivalent substrates for the eNOS enzyme (NO2-
      production=19-46MUM) than native l-Arg (NO2- production=25MUM). Enzymatic
      conversion of l-Arg to l-Cit derivatives could be monitored by 1H NMR. The
      maximum hyperpolarization achieved by SABRE reached 870-fold NMR signal
      enhancement, which opens up exciting future perspectives of using these molecules
      as hyperpolarized MRI tracers in vivo.

PMID- 28365087
TI  - Salivary Prostaglandin E2: Role in Tick-Induced Allergy to Red Meat.
AB  - Tick-induced allergy to red meat is associated with anti-alpha-Gal IgE antibody
      levels. We propose that tick salivary prostaglandin E2 triggers antibody class
      switching in mature B cells, increasing the levels of anti-alpha-Gal IgE
      antibodies. Immune tolerance to alpha-Gal in blood type B individuals might
      reduce the risk to this allergy.

PMID- 28365088
TI  - Heavy Drinking in Young Adulthood Increases Risk of Transitioning to Obesity.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: Heavy episodic alcohol use during young adulthood may contribute to
      excess weight gain and transition from healthy weight to overweight/obesity. This
      study is the first to evaluate the association between heavy episodic drinking
      during early adulthood and transition to overweight/obese status 5 years later
      using data from the U.S. National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent to Adult
      Health. METHODS: The study used data from Waves III and IV, when participants
      were aged 18-26 and 24-32 years, respectively. The final sample consisted of
      7,941 participants with measured height/weight who reported ever drinking
      alcohol. Multinomial logistic regression models tested the association between
      heavy episodic drinking and risk of transitioning to an unhealthy weight class.
      RESULTS: Heavy episodic drinking was associated with 41% higher risk of
      transitioning from normal weight to overweight (relative risk ratio, 1.41; 95%
      CI=1.13, 1.74; p=0.002) and 36% higher risk of transitioning from overweight to
      obese by Wave IV (relative risk ratio, 1.36; 95% CI=1.09, 1.71; p=0.008),
      compared with individuals not drinking heavily, while accounting for covariates.
      Heavy episodic drinking was associated with 35% higher risk of maintaining
      obesity (relative risk ratio, 1.35; CI=1.06, 1.72; p=0.016) and gaining excess
      weight (OR=1.20, 95% CI=1.03, 1.39, p=0.02). CONCLUSIONS: Regular heavy episodic
      drinking in young adulthood is associated with higher risk of gaining excess
      weight and transitioning to overweight/obesity. Obesity prevention efforts should
      address heavy drinking as it relates to caloric content and risk of transitioning
      to an unhealthy weight class.

PMID- 28365089
TI  - Dietary and Physical Activity Counseling Trends in U.S. Children, 2002-2011.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: In 2007 and 2010, Expert Committee and U.S. Preventive Services
      Task Force guidelines were released, respectively, urging U.S. practitioners to
      deliver preventive obesity counseling for children. This study determined the
      frequency and evaluated predictors of receiving counseling for diet and physical
      activity among a national sample of children from 2002 to 2011. METHODS: Children
      aged 6-17 years were used from the 2002-2011 Medical Expenditure Panel Surveys
      and analyzed in 2016. Parental report of two questions assessed whether children
      received both dietary and exercise counseling from the provider. Children were
      grouped by weight category. Bivariate analyses compared the frequency of
      receiving counseling; logistic regression evaluated predictors of receiving
      counseling. RESULTS: The sample included 36,114 children; <50% of children
      received counseling. Across all time periods, children were more likely to
      receive counseling with increasing weight. Logistic regression models showed that
      obese children had greater odds of receiving counseling versus normal-weight
      children, even after adjusting for covariates. Additional significant positive
      correlates of receiving counseling were Hispanic ethnicity, living in an urban
      setting, and being in the highest income stratum. Being uninsured was associated
      with lower odds of counseling. Years 2007-2009 and 2010-2011 were associated with
      increased counseling versus the benchmark year category in the multivariable
      model. CONCLUSIONS: Counseling appears more likely with greater weight and
      increased after both guidelines in 2007 and 2010. Overall counseling rates for
      children remain low. Future work should focus on marginalized groups, such as
      racial and ethnic minorities and rural populations.

PMID- 28365092
TI  - Cardiac injury after convulsive status epilepticus in children.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: Convulsive status epilepticus (CSE) is a medical emergency with high
      mortality that usually occurs within 30 days following the seizure activity. One
      of the potential mechanisms contributing to mortality in this period following
      CSE is cardiac injury. The aim of the present study was to evaluate cardiac
      injury after CSE in children. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Sixty children presented with
      CSE were enrolled in this study. Thirty healthy children with matched age and sex
      were taken as a control. Electrocardiogram (ECG), echocardiographic examinations,
      plasma concentration of cardiac troponin I (cTnI) and brain-type natriuretic
      peptide (BNP) were done 6 h after control of seizure for patients and control
      groups. RESULTS: Thirty three patients were presented with CSE for the first
      time. ECG changes were present in 55% of patients with CSE in the form of
      conduction abnormalities, ischemic changes, and arrhythmias. Echocardiographic
      examinations revealed a significant increase in left ventricular end-diastolic
      dimension (LVEDD) and left ventricular end systolic dimension (LVESD) in patients
      with CSE than control group. Moreover, a significant decrease in LV systolic
      function and RV diastolic function were detected by tissue Doppler. The mean
      plasma concentrations of BNP and cTnI were significantly higher in patients with
      CSE than the control group (p value < 0.001). The overall mortality in our study
      was 8.3% (5/60); four of them had ECG changes. There was significant increase in
      duration of CSE, length of intensive care and hospital admission in CSE patients
      with ECG changes than those without ECG changes with p values 0.001, 0.031 and
      <0.001 respectively. CONCLUSION: Cardiac injury in convulsive SE is common and
      may be under recognized. So, cardiac assessment should be a routine step in CSE
      patients' management.

PMID- 28365091
TI  - Return to work after trauma: A survival analysis.
AB  - PURPOSE: To evaluate the return to work (RTW) rate, time and predictors among
      trauma patients using survival analysis. METHODS: This cohort study was conducted
      with a three-month follow-up on 300 trauma patients hospitalized in Shahid
      Beheshti Hospital, Kashan, Iran in 2014. The data were collected through
      conducting interviews and referring to patients' medical records during their
      hospital stay and follow-up information at one & three months after discharge
      from hospital. Final analysis was conducted on the data retrieved from 273
      patients. Data were analyzed by chi-square test, Mann-Whitney U test and survival
      analysis method. RESULTS: The rate of RTW at the end of the first and the third
      follow-up months was respectively 21.6% and 61.2%. Survival analysis showed that
      the RTW time (Time between admission to first return to work) was significantly
      longer among patients with illiteracy, drug abuse, hospitalization history in the
      intensive care unit, low socioeconomic status, non-insurance coverage, longer
      hospital stay, multiple and severe injuries as well as severe disability.
      CONCLUSION: Our findings indicated that trauma has profound effects on the rate
      and time of RTW. Besides disability, many personal and clinical factors can
      affect the outcome of RTW.

PMID- 28365090
TI  - Smoking-Cessation Assistance: Before and After Stage 1 Meaningful Use
      Implementation.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: Brief smoking-cessation interventions in primary care settings are
      effective, but delivery of these services remains low. The Centers for Medicare
      and Medicaid Services' Meaningful Use (MU) of Electronic Health Record (EHR)
      Incentive Program could increase rates of smoking assessment and cessation
      assistance among vulnerable populations. This study examined whether smoking
      status assessment, cessation assistance, and odds of being a current smoker
      changed after Stage 1 MU implementation. METHODS: EHR data were extracted from 26
      community health centers with an EHR in place by June 15, 2009. AORs were
      computed for each binary outcome (smoking status assessment, counseling given,
      smoking-cessation medications ordered/discussed, current smoking status),
      comparing 2010 (pre-MU), 2012 (MU preparation), and 2014 (MU fully implemented)
      for pregnant and non-pregnant patients. RESULTS: Non-pregnant patients had
      decreased odds of current smoking over time; odds for all other outcomes
      increased except for medication orders from 2010 to 2012. Among pregnant
      patients, odds of assessment and counseling increased across all years. Odds of
      discussing or ordering of cessation medications increased from 2010 compared with
      the other 2 study years; however, medication orders alone did not change over
      time, and current smoking only decreased from 2010 to 2012. Compared with non
      pregnant patients, a lower percentage of pregnant patients were provided
      counseling. CONCLUSIONS: Findings suggest that incentives for MU of EHRs increase
      the odds of smoking assessment and cessation assistance, which could lead to
      decreased smoking rates among vulnerable populations. Continued efforts for
      provision of cessation assistance among pregnant patients is warranted.

PMID- 28365094
TI  - High-temperature ethanol production using thermotolerant yeast newly isolated
      from Greater Mekong Subregion.
AB  - The application of high-potential thermotolerant yeasts is a key factor for
      successful ethanol production at high temperatures. Two hundred and thirty-four
      yeast isolates from Greater Mekong Subregion (GMS) countries, i.e., Thailand, The
      Lao People's Democratic Republic (Lao PDR) and Vietnam were obtained. Five
      thermotolerant yeasts, designated Saccharomyces cerevisiae KKU-VN8, KKU-VN20, and
      KKU-VN27, Pichia kudriavzevii KKU-TH33 and P. kudriavzevii KKU-TH43, demonstrated
      high temperature and ethanol tolerance levels up to 45 degrees C and 13% (v/v),
      respectively. All five strains produced higher ethanol concentrations and
      exhibited greater productivities and yields than the industrial strain S.
      cerevisiae TISTR5606 during high-temperature fermentation at 40 degrees C and 43
      degrees C. S. cerevisiae KKU-VN8 demonstrated the best performance for ethanol
      production from glucose at 37 degrees C with an ethanol concentration of
      72.69g/L, a productivity of 1.59g/L/h and a theoretical ethanol yield of 86.27%.
      The optimal conditions for ethanol production of S. cerevisiae KKU-VN8 from sweet
      sorghum juice (SSJ) at 40 degrees C were achieved using the Box-Behnken
      experimental design (BBD). The maximal ethanol concentration obtained during
      fermentation was 89.32g/L, with a productivity of 2.48g/L/h and a theoretical
      ethanol yield of 96.32%. Thus, the newly isolated thermotolerant S. cerevisiae
      KKU-VN8 exhibits a great potential for commercial-scale ethanol production in the
      future.

PMID- 28365093
TI  - Cardiac Fibroblast Activation Post-Myocardial Infarction: Current Knowledge Gaps.
AB  - In response to myocardial infarction (MI), the wound healing response of the left
      ventricle (LV) comprises overlapping inflammatory, proliferative, and maturation
      phases, and the cardiac fibroblast is a key cell type involved in each phase. It
      has recently been appreciated that, early post-MI, fibroblasts transform to a
      proinflammatory phenotype and secrete cytokines and chemokines as well as matrix
      metalloproteinases (MMPs). Later post-MI, fibroblasts are activated to anti
      inflammatory and proreparative phenotypes and generate anti-inflammatory and
      proangiogenic factors and extracellular matrix (ECM) components that form the
      infarct scar. Additional studies are needed to systematically examine how
      fibroblast activation shifts over the timeframe of the MI response and how
      modulation at different activation stages could alter wound healing and LV
      remodeling in distinct ways. This review summarizes current fibroblast knowledge
      as the foundation for a discussion of existing knowledge gaps.

PMID- 28365096
TI  - Preventing Bad and Expensive Things From Happening by Taking the Healthy Living
      Polypill: Everyone Needs This Medicine.

PMID- 28365095
TI  - Human leptospirosis: occurrence of serovars of Leptospira spp. in the state of
      Minas Gerais, Brazil, from 2008 to 2012.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Leptospirosis is an infectious and acute disease caused by Leptospira
      spp. that have high epidemic potential. This study verified the main Leptospira
      spp. serovars detected by MAT from serum of patients with suspicion of
      leptospirosis from 2008 to 2012 in Minas Gerais State. METHODS: The laboratory
      received sera from 4654 patients. All serum were screened by IgM-ELISA according
      to the manufacturer's instructions. Each sample reactive or indeterminate were
      tested against twenty-four serovars of Leptospira by MAT. RESULTS: In this study,
      597 patients were classified as reactive on MAT. Only 301 patients were confirmed
      by laboratory test. It was not possible confirmation by laboratory diagnosis of
      296 patients. Among the samples classified as reactive on MAT, 273 patients
      exhibited titers bigger than 800 for one or more serovars; seroconversion was
      detected in 28 cases. Percentage of 85.1% of the samples reactive on MAT
      corresponded to males, 39.4% corresponded to patients aged between 20 and 39
      years old. The most common serovars found were Icterohaemorrhagiae, Andamana,
      Patoc, Tarassovi, Copenhageni, Hardjo and Australis. Concerning the samples that
      exhibited titers bigger than 800, serovar Icterohaemorrhagiae was also the most
      common, followed by Copenhageni, Andamana, Patoc, Tarassovi, Grippotyphosa and
      Canicola. In this study, 40% of the cases occurred to the metropolitan area,
      state capital and 34 neighboring towns. CONCLUSION: Our results show the possibly
      spreading serovars in Minas Gerais State and contribute to knowledge of human
      leptospirosis, aiming at improving the prevention, control of the disease, as
      well as the treatment of infected patients.

PMID- 28365097
TI  - Skilled Nursing Facility Use and Hospitalizations in Heart Failure: A Community
      Linkage Study.
AB  - OBJECTIVES: To examine the effect of skilled nursing facility (SNF) use on
      hospitalizations in patients with heart failure (HF) and to examine predictors of
      hospitalization in patients with HF admitted to a SNF. PATIENTS AND METHODS:
      Olmsted County, Minnesota, residents with first-ever HF from January 1, 2000,
      through December 31, 2010, were identified, and clinical data were linked to SNF
      utilization data from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. Andersen
      Gill models were used to determine the association between SNF use and
      hospitalizations and to determine predictors of hospitalization. RESULTS: Of 1498
      patients with incident HF (mean +/- SD age, 75+/-14 years; 45% male), 605 (40.4%)
      were admitted to a SNF after HF diagnosis (median follow-up, 3.6 years; range, 0
      13.0 years). Of those with a SNF admission, 225 (37%) had 2 or more admissions.
      After adjustment for age, sex, ejection fraction, and comorbidities, SNF use was
      associated with a 50% increased risk of hospitalization compared with no SNF use
      (adjusted hazard ratio, 1.52; 95% CI, 1.31-1.76). In SNF users, arrhythmia,
      asthma, chronic kidney disease, and the number of activities of daily living
      requiring assistance were independently associated with an increased risk of
      hospitalization. CONCLUSION: Approximately 40% of patients with HF were admitted
      to a SNF at some point after diagnosis. Compared with SNF nonusers, SNF users
      were more likely to be hospitalized. Characteristics associated with
      hospitalization in SNF users were mostly noncardiovascular, including reduced
      ability to perform activities of daily living. These findings underscore the
      effect of physical functioning on hospitalizations in patients with HF in SNFs
      and the importance of strategies to improve physical functioning.

PMID- 28365098
TI  - Relationship Between Cardiac Rehabilitation Participation and Health Service
      Expenditures Within a Universal Health Care System.
AB  - OBJECTIVES: To examine the relationship between cardiac rehabilitation
      participation and health service expenditures in Ontario, Canada. PATIENTS AND
      METHODS: A total of 6284 patients referred to cardiac rehabilitation between
      April 1, 2003, and December 31, 2010, were linked to 6284 matched cardiac
      rehabilitation eligible nonreferred controls and followed over a 3-year period
      across multiple linked administrative databases to identify health service
      utilization expenditures and mortality. All patients had previous cardiac
      hospitalizations within the preceding year. Four cardiac rehabilitation eligible
      groups of patients were balanced using propensity score weights: (1) no referral;
      (2) no participation; (3) low participation levels (ie, attending <67% of
      prescheduled classes); and (4) high participation levels (ie, attending >=67%
      prescheduled classes). Each group of patients was balanced in age, sex,
      geography, socioeconomic status, previous hospitalizations, ambulatory care
      conditions, cardiovascular risk factors, comorbidities, and previous health care
      expenditures. Generalized linear models were used to examine differences in
      health service expenditures (from all sources including hospitalizations,
      physician visits, diagnostic tests, and drugs for those older than 65 years) per
      "eligible day alive" over the 3-year period. RESULTS: Compared with the
      nonreferred population, health service expenditures followed a dose-response
      relationship and were lowest in patients who had the highest cardiac
      rehabilitation programmatic participation levels (P<.001). Cost differences
      across groups separated early, remained divergent, and applied to all components
      of health care expenditures (P<.001). Sensitivity analyses confirmed that the
      findings were not secondary to reverse causality. CONCLUSION: Participation in
      cardiac rehabilitation is associated with lower long-term health service
      utilization expenditures within a publicly funded health care system.

PMID- 28365099
TI  - Favorable Cardiovascular Health Is Associated With Lower Health Care Expenditures
      and Resource Utilization in a Large US Employee Population: The Baptist Health
      South Florida Employee Study.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: To examine the association of favorable cardiovascular health (CVH)
      status with 1-year health care expenditures and resource utilization in a large
      health care employee population. PARTICIPANTS AND METHODS: Employees of Baptist
      Health South Florida participated in a health risk assessment from January 1
      through September 30, 2014. Information on dietary patterns, physical activity,
      blood pressure, blood glucose level, total cholesterol level, and smoking were
      collected. Participants were categorized into CVH profiles using the American
      Heart Association's ideal CVH construct as optimal (6-7 metrics), moderate (3-5
      metrics), and low (0-2 metrics). Two-part econometric models were used to analyze
      health care expenditures. RESULTS: Of 9097 participants (mean +/- SD age, 42.7+/
      12.1 years), 1054 (11.6%) had optimal, 6945 (76.3%) had moderate, and 1098
      (12.1%) had low CVH profiles. The mean annual health care expenditures among
      those with a low CVH profile was $10,104 (95% CI, $8633-$11,576) compared with
      $5824 (95% CI, $5485-$6164) and $4282 (95% CI, $3639-$4926) in employees with
      moderate and optimal CVH profiles, respectively. In adjusted analyses, persons
      with optimal and moderate CVH had a $2021 (95% CI, -$3241 to -$801) and $940 (95%
      CI, -$1560 to $80) lower mean expenditure, respectively, than those with low CVH.
      This trend remained even after adjusting for demographic characteristics and
      comorbid conditions as well as across all demographic subgroups. Similarly,
      health care resource utilization was significantly lower in those with optimal
      CVH profiles compared with those with moderate or low CVH profiles. CONCLUSION:
      Favorable CVH profile is associated with significantly lower total medical
      expenditures and health care utilization in a large, young, ethnically diverse,
      and fully insured employee population.

PMID- 28365102
TI  - 2016 Section on Surgery annual meeting: AAP National Conference & Exhibition.

PMID- 28365101
TI  - Respiratory function after esophageal replacement in children.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Children born with esophageal atresia require an anastomosis between
      the proximal and distal esophagus. When this distance is too wide (long gap
      esophageal atresia, LGEA) esophageal replacement strategies have to be deployed.
      The aim of this study was to assess long-term respiratory morbidity and lung
      function after esophageal replacement with either stomach (gastric pull-up, GPU)
      or jejunum (jejunal interposition, JI) for LGEA. METHODS: Retrospective cohort
      study. Patients operated with GPU and JI for LGEA (1985-2007) underwent a semi
      structured interview and lung function testing (LFT). RESULTS: Seven GPU-patients
      and eight JI-patients were included. Median age was 12years. One patient per
      group could not perform LFT. Respiratory symptoms were reported by 13/15 patients
      (7/7 GPU-patients vs 6/8 JI-patients). All LFT items were lower than reference
      values; 6/13 patients showed restriction and 6/13 obstruction. All six GPU
      patients had abnormal TLC and/or FEV1/FVC vs 3/7 after JI. Restriction was noted
      in 4/6 GPU-patients vs 2/7 JI-patients. CONCLUSION: After esophageal replacement
      for LGEA many children have impaired lung function and respiratory symptoms are
      common. Lung volumes seem decreased after GPU compared to JI. This may be caused
      by the intrathoracic stomach which may limit normal lung growth. Respiratory
      follow-up in adult life is important after esophageal replacement. LEVEL OF
      EVIDENCE: III.

PMID- 28365100
TI  - Cardiac Rehabilitation for Women: A Systematic Review of Barriers and Solutions.
AB  - Cardiac rehabilitation (CR) services improve various clinical outcomes in
      patients with cardiovascular disease, but such services are underutilized,
      particularly in women. The aim of this study was to identify evidence-based
      barriers and solutions for CR participation in women. A literature search was
      carried out using PubMed, EMBASE, Cochrane, OVID/Medline, and CINAHL to identify
      studies that have assessed barriers and/or solutions to CR participation. Titles
      and abstracts were screened, and then the full-text of articles that met study
      criteria were reviewed. We identified 24 studies that studied barriers to CR
      participation in women and 31 studies that assessed the impact of various
      interventions to improve CR referral, enrollment, and/or completion of CR in
      women. Patient-level barriers included lower education level, multiple comorbid
      conditions, non-English native language, lack of social support, and high burden
      of family responsibilities. We found support for the use of automatic referral
      and assisted enrollment to improve CR participation. A small number of studies
      suggest that incentive-based strategies, as well as home-based programs, may
      contribute to improving CR attendance and completion rates. A systematic approach
      to CR referral, including automatic CR referral, may help overcome barriers to CR
      referral in women and should be implemented in clinical practice. However, more
      studies are needed to help identify the best methods to improve CR attendance and
      completion of CR rates in women.

PMID- 28365103
TI  - Race and outcomes in gastroschisis repair: a nationwide analysis.
AB  - BACKGROUND: The incidence of gastroschisis has increased 30% between the periods
      1995-2005 and 2006-2012, with the largest increase in Black neonates born to
      Black mothers younger than 20years old. OBJECTIVE: Racial disparities in peri-
      and post-operative outcomes have been previously identified in several types of
      adult and pediatric surgical patients. Is there an association between race and
      clinical outcomes and healthcare resource utilization in neonates with
      gastroschisis? METHODS: Retrospective study using national administrative data
      from the Kid's Inpatient Database (KID) from 2006, 2009, and 2012 for neonates
      (age<28days) with gastroschisis. Multivariable logistic regression was
      constructed to determine the association of race and socioeconomic
      characteristics with complications and mortality; linear regression was used for
      length of stay and hospital charges. RESULTS: We identified 3846 neonates with
      gastroschisis that underwent surgical repair, including 676 patients with complex
      gastroschisis. When controlling for birth weight, payer status, socioeconomic
      status, and hospital characteristics, Black neonates had increased odds of having
      complex gastroschisis and associated atresias. Mortality was higher in patients
      with complex gastroschisis, patients from the lowest income quartiles, and
      patients with Medicaid as primary payer (compared to those with private
      insurance). Length of stay (LOS) was increased in patients with complex
      gastroschisis, birth weight <2500g, and Medicaid patients. Hospital charges were
      higher in complex gastroschisis, Black and Hispanic neonates (as compared to
      Whites), males, birth weight <2500g, and Medicaid patients. CONCLUSIONS: There is
      an association between race and complex gastroschisis, associated intestinal
      atresias, and total charges in neonates with gastroschisis. In addition, income
      status is associated with mortality and hospital charges while payer status is
      associated with complications, mortality, LOS, and hospital charges. Public
      health and prenatal interventions should target at-risk populations to improve
      clinical outcomes. PROGNOSIS STUDY: Level of Evidence: II.

PMID- 28365104
TI  - Can we safely decrease intensive care unit admissions for children with high
      grade isolated solid organ injuries? Using the shock index, pediatric age
      adjusted and hematocrit to modify APSA admission guidelines.
AB  - BACKGROUND: In 2000, the American Pediatric Surgical Association (APSA)
      disseminated consensus practice guidelines for the management of blunt liver and
      splenic injury which included intensive care unit (ICU) admission for children
      with grade IV injuries. We sought to determine if we could better predict which
      children with isolated solid organ injuries (SOI) underwent an ICU-level
      intervention, thus necessitating ICU admission. METHODS: Children with isolated
      liver, spleen, or kidney injuries admitted to the ICU from November 2003 to
      August 2015 were identified in our trauma registry, and data were extracted from
      the medical record. ICU-level interventions were defined as transfusion,
      vasopressor use, intubation, and operative/procedural intervention. Shock index
      and pediatric age-adjusted (SIPA) was calculated for all patients. The
      sensitivity and negative predictive values (NPV) were determined. RESULTS: 133
      children met inclusion criteria. 19 (14.3%) required ICU-level intervention, and
      114 (85.1%) did not. 95% (n=18) of the intervention group had either an elevated
      SIPA or a hematocrit <30% on admission compared to 22% (n=25) of patients in the
      no intervention group. Sensitivity was 95%, and NPV was 99%. CONCLUSIONS:
      Limiting ICU admission in children with isolated SOI to those with an elevated
      SIPA or hematocrit <30% would reduce the ICU admission rate by two-thirds while
      maintaining patient safety. TYPE OF STUDY: Diagnostic study. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE:
      III.

PMID- 28365105
TI  - Helmet under-utilization by children during equestrian events is associated with
      increased traumatic brain injury.
AB  - PURPOSE: Awareness of equestrian related injury remains limited. Studies
      evaluating children after equestrian injury report under-utilization of safety
      equipment and rates of operative intervention as high as 33%. METHODS: We
      hypothesized that helmets are underutilized during equestrian activity and lack
      of use is associated with increased traumatic brain injury. We queried the trauma
      database of a level one pediatric trauma center for all cases of equestrian and
      rodeo related injury from 2005 to 2015. Analysis was conducted using SAS 9.4.
      RESULTS: Of 312 children identified, 142 were assessed for use of a helmet. Only
      28 children (19.7%) had documented use of a helmet. Most injuries occurred while
      riding a horse (83%) or bull (13%) with traumatic brain injury being the most
      common injury (51%). Helmet use was associated with decreased ISS (7.1 vs. 11.3,
      p<0.01), TBI (32.4% vs. 55.3%, p=0.03), and ICU admission (10.7% vs. 29%,
      p=0.05). Multivariable analysis reveals lack of helmet use to be an independent
      predictor of TBI (OR 2.5, 95% CI 1.1-6.3). CONCLUSION: Helmets are underutilized
      by children during equestrian related activity. Increased awareness of TBI and
      education encouraging helmet use may decrease morbidity associated with
      equestrian activities. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Retrospective comparative study, Level
      III.

PMID- 28365106
TI  - Nephron-sparing surgery in the treatment of pediatric renal cell carcinoma
      associated with Xp11.2 translocation/TFE3 gene fusions.
AB  - PURPOSE: To investigate the safety and efficacy of nephron-sparing surgery (NSS)
      in the treatment of pediatric Xp11.2 translocation renal cell carcinoma (RCC).
      METHODS: Clinical characteristics of 9 RCC children (7 males and 2 females) with
      Xp11.2 translocation who received NSS between January 1973 and December 2015 were
      retrospectively analyzed. The mean age was 7.8years (range: 4.5-13.5years).
      Xp11.2 translocation RCC was found in the left side in 4 patients and right in 5.
      3 tumors were located in the upper pole of the kidney, 1 in the middle dorsal, 1
      in the middle ventral and 4 in the lower pole. RCC presented with painless gross
      hematuria in 4 patients, abdominal mass in 1, and as an incidental finding by
      ultrasound examination in 4 patients. The mean course of hematuria was 3months
      (range: 1-7months). The mean tumor diameters were 3.7cm (range: 2.2-6.9cm).
      RESULTS: All the patients received NSS with open transperitoneal approach. The
      mean operative time and estimated blood loss were 115min and 40ml, respectively.
      The time of renal pedicle clamping was 19-25min (mean: 21.5min). No complications
      (such as leakage of urine, prolonged drainage or secondary bleeding) were noted.
      No patients experienced local recurrence during the mean of 50.1-month follow-up
      (range: 13-117months). Intravenous urography (IVU) or contrast-enhanced CT was
      conducted at 6months after surgery which showed favorable kidney function in all
      patients. CONCLUSION: Xp11.2 translocation RCC is a predominant pathological but
      biologically inert type of pediatric RCC. For Xp11.2 translocation RCC sized <4
      7cm in diameter and located in one pole, NSS is safe and feasible. TYPE OF STUDY:
      Treatment Studies, LEVEL IV.

PMID- 28365107
TI  - Recurrent and acquired tracheoesophageal fistulae (TEF)-Minimally invasive
      management.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: Recurrent and acquired fistulae are a serious complication of
      congenital esophageal atresia and tracheoesophageal fistula (TEF) repair and
      foreign body ingestion (FBI) (e.g., button battery). We report our experience
      with a minimally invasive approach to recurrent and acquired TEF. METHODS:
      Medical records of patients referred for management of recurrent and acquired TEF
      between 2003 and 2015 were reviewed retrospectively. Patients underwent
      endoscopic procedures (de-epithelization of fistulous tract and fibrin tissue
      adhesive-TisseelR) under general anesthesia. RESULTS: Nine children (7 male, 2
      female) with age range 3months to 3years (mean 1.5year) were managed. TEF closed
      spontaneously in four patients, whereas in 5 patients the TEF closed after
      combined endoscopic procedure. Three patients required repeat endoscopic
      procedures. Follow-up ranged between 7months to 10years (mean 4.2years).
      CONCLUSIONS: Active observation and repeat combined endoscopic procedures are
      safe alternatives to open surgical repair of acquired and recurrent TEF. LEVEL OF
      EVIDENCE: Level IV study.

PMID- 28365108
TI  - Hybrid interventions for catheter placement in pediatric intestinal
      rehabilitation patients with end-stage venous access.
AB  - PURPOSE: The purpose of this study is to analyze the combined approach of
      endovascular and open surgical procedures for insertion of permanent central
      venous catheters in children with intestinal failure and end-stage venous access.
      METHODS: Data of 14 children (16 interventions) with intestinal failure and end
      stage venous access, treated within the pediatric intestinal rehabilitation
      program at our institution between September 2011 and November 2016, were
      retrospectively reviewed. The patients underwent hybrid endovascular/open
      surgical approaches for insertion of central venous catheters. Access to central
      veins was established through endovascular intervention; catheter placement was
      achieved with combined interventional and surgical measures depending on the
      individual vascular conditions. RESULTS: Median age at intervention was 47months
      (interquartile range (IQR),29-74), median time for interventions was 66min
      (IQR,42-111). Catheter placement was successfully achieved in all patients. The
      median dose of irradiation during angiography was 0.2Gy*cm2 (IQR, 0.2-0.6), no
      complications occurred during or after interventions. CONCLUSIONS: Hybrid
      endovascular/open surgical procedures can be successfully applied for restoring
      or maintaining permanent central venous catheters in children with intestinal
      failure and end-stage venous access. These approaches are a valuable contribution
      in intestinal rehabilitation programs contributing to a further decrease of the
      need for intestinal transplantation in affected patients. TYPE OF STUDY:
      Treatment Study. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Level IV.

PMID- 28365109
TI  - Pushing the boundaries of ECLS: Outcomes in <34 week EGA neonates.
AB  - PURPOSE: Extracorporeal life support (ECLS) is usually reserved for infants
      >=34weeks estimated gestational age (EGA) owing to concerns about increased
      mortality and incidence of intracranial hemorrhage (ICH). We sought to
      characterize survival, rates of ICH, and complications in <34week EGA neonates
      placed on ECLS. METHODS: 752 neonates of EGA 29-34weeks were identified in the
      Extracorporeal Life Support Organization (ELSO) Registry (1976-2008). Data
      analyzed included birthweight, survival, pre-ECLS conditions, ventilatory
      parameters and complications (including ICH and other neurological outcomes).
      Data were compared using t-test, Chi-square and logistic regression analyses.
      RESULTS: When compared to survival rates of 34week EGA neonates (58%), survival
      was statistically different for 29-33week EGA (48%, p=0.05). No significant
      difference in ICH incidence was seen between the 29-33week and 34week groups (21%
      vs. 17%, respectively), but a significant difference was seen in the incidence of
      cerebral infarct between groups (22% for 29-33weeks vs. 16% for 34weeks; p=0.03).
      ICH and survival did not correlate with EGA during logistic regression analysis.
      CONCLUSIONS: Though rates of survival and cerebral infarction were worse at 29
      33weeks EGA compared with 34weeks, these differences were modest and may be
      clinically acceptable. This suggests that EGA<34weeks may not be an absolute
      contraindication to use of ECLS. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: III.

PMID- 28365110
TI  - Added dietary sulfur and molybdenum has a greater influence on hepatic copper
      concentration, intake, and performance in Holstein-Friesian dairy cows offered a
      grass silage-rather than corn silage-based diet.
AB  - To test the hypothesis that the metabolism of Cu in dairy cows is affected by
      basal forage and added S and Mo, 56 dairy cows that were 35 (standard error +/-
      2.2) days postcalving and yielding 38.9 kg of milk/d (standard error +/- 0.91)
      were offered 1 of 4 diets in a 2 * 2 factorial design for a 14-wk period. The 4
      diets contained approximately 20 mg of Cu/kg of dry matter (DM), and had a corn
      silage-to-grass silage ratio of 0.75:0.25 (C) or 0.25:0.75 (G) and were either
      unsupplemented (-) or supplemented (+) with an additional 2 g of S/kg of DM and
      6.5 mg of Mo/kg of DM. We found an interaction between forage source and added S
      and Mo on DM intake, with cows offered G+ having a 2.1 kg of DM lower intake than
      those offered G-, but no effect on the corn silage-based diets. Mean milk yield
      was 38.9 kg/d and we observed an interaction between basal forage and added S and
      Mo, with yield being decreased in cows offered G+ but increased on C+. No effect
      of dietary treatment on milk composition or live weight was noted, but body
      condition was lower in cows fed added S and Mo irrespective of forage source. We
      found an interaction between forage source and added S and Mo on milk somatic
      cell count, which was higher in cows offered G+ compared with G-, but not in cows
      fed the corn silage-based diets, although all values were low (mean values of
      1.72, 1.50, 1.39, and 1.67 log10/mL for C-, C+, G-, and G+, respectively). Mean
      plasma Cu, Fe, and Mn concentrations were 13.8, 41.3, and 0.25 umol/L,
      respectively, and were not affected by dietary treatment, whereas plasma Mo was
      0.2 umol/L higher in cows receiving added S and Mo. The addition of dietary S and
      Mo decreased liver Cu balance over the study period in cows fed either basal
      forage, but the decrease was considerably greater in cows receiving the grass
      silage-based diet. Similarly, hepatic Fe decreased more in cows receiving G than
      C when S and Mo were included in the diet. We concluded that added S and Mo
      reduces hepatic Cu reserves irrespective of basal forage source, but this
      decrease is considerably more pronounced in cows receiving grass silage- than
      corn silage-based rations and is associated with a decrease in intake and milk
      performance and an increase in milk somatic cell count.

PMID- 28365111
TI  - Lower working heights decrease contraction intensity of shoulder muscles in a
      herringbone 30 degrees  milking parlor.
AB  - Musculoskeletal disorders have been a main concern in milkers for many years. To
      improve posture, a formula was developed in a previous study to calculate
      ergonomically optimal working heights for various milking parlor types. However,
      the working height recommendations based on the formula for the herringbone 30
      degrees  parlor were broad. To clarify the recommendations for the optimal
      working height, we investigated the effect of working height on upper limb and
      shoulder muscle contraction intensities. We evaluated 60 milking cluster
      attachment procedures in a herringbone 30 degrees  milking parlor in 7 men and 9
      women. Specifically, we examined the effect of working height on muscle
      contraction intensity of 4 arm and shoulder muscles bilaterally (flexor carpi
      ulnaris, biceps brachii, deltoideus anterior, and upper trapezius) by using
      surface electromyography. The working heights (low, medium, and high), which
      reflect the ratio of the subject's height to the height of the udder base, were
      used in the milking health formula to determine and fit individual depth of pits.
      Data were evaluated for each muscle and arm side in the functions holding and
      attaching. Statistical analysis was performed using linear mixed effects models,
      where muscle contraction intensity served as a target variable, whereas working
      height coefficient, sex, subject height, and repetition were treated as fixed
      effects, and repetition group nested in working height nested in subject was
      considered a random effect. Contraction intensities decreased with decreasing
      working height for the deltoideus anterior and upper trapezius, but not for the
      flexor carpi ulnaris or the biceps brachii muscles in both holding and attaching
      arm functions. We found that milking at a lower working height reduced muscle
      contraction intensities of the shoulder muscles. Women showed higher contraction
      intensities than men, whereas subject height had no effect. The study
      demonstrated that a lower working height decreased muscular load during milking.
      These lower working heights should be used within the recommendations made by the
      milking health formula for the herringbone 30 degrees . Working heights could be
      adjusted effectively for milkers of varying body height. Future studies should
      therefore use the milking health formula as a tool to objectively compare and
      improve the accuracy of the working height coefficients.

PMID- 28365112
TI  - A mechanistic model of small intestinal starch digestion and glucose uptake in
      the cow.
AB  - The high contribution of postruminal starch digestion (up to 50%) to total-tract
      starch digestion on energy-dense, starch-rich diets demands that limitations to
      small intestinal starch digestion be identified. A mechanistic model of the small
      intestine was described and evaluated with regard to its ability to simulate
      observations from abomasal carbohydrate infusions in the dairy cow. The 7 state
      variables represent starch, oligosaccharide, glucose, and pancreatic amylase in
      the intestinal lumen, oligosaccharide and glucose in the unstirred water layer at
      the intestinal wall, and intracellular glucose of the enterocyte. Enzymatic
      hydrolysis of starch was modeled as a 2-stage process involving the activity of
      pancreatic amylase in the lumen and of oligosaccharidase at the brush border of
      the enterocyte confined within the unstirred water layer. The Na+-dependent
      glucose transport into the enterocyte was represented along with a facilitative
      glucose transporter 2 transport system on the basolateral membrane. The small
      intestine is subdivided into 3 main sections, representing the duodenum, jejunum,
      and ileum for parameterization. Further subsections are defined between which
      continual digesta flow is represented. The model predicted nonstructural
      carbohydrate disappearance in the small intestine for cattle unadapted to
      duodenal infusion with a coefficient of determination of 0.92 and a root mean
      square prediction error of 25.4%. Simulation of glucose disappearance for mature
      Holstein heifers adapted to various levels of duodenal glucose infusion yielded a
      coefficient of determination of 0.81 and a root mean square prediction error of
      38.6%. Analysis of model behavior identified limitations to the efficiency of
      small intestinal starch digestion with high levels of duodenal starch flow.
      Limitations to individual processes, particularly starch digestion in the
      proximal section of the intestine, can create asynchrony between starch
      hydrolysis and glucose uptake capacity.

PMID- 28365113
TI  - Associations between pathogen-specific cases of subclinical mastitis and milk
      yield, quality, protein composition, and cheese-making traits in dairy cows.
AB  - The aim of this study was to investigate associations between pathogen-specific
      cases of subclinical mastitis and milk yield, quality, protein composition, and
      cheese-making traits. Forty-one multibreed herds were selected for the study, and
      composite milk samples were collected from 1,508 cows belonging to 3 specialized
      dairy breeds (Holstein Friesian, Brown Swiss, and Jersey) and 3 dual-purpose
      breeds of Alpine origin (Simmental, Rendena, and Grey Alpine). Milk composition
      [i.e., fat, protein, casein, lactose, pH, urea, and somatic cell count (SCC)] was
      analyzed, and separation of protein fractions was performed by reversed-phase
      high performance liquid chromatography. Eleven coagulation traits were measured:
      5 traditional milk coagulation properties [time from rennet addition to milk
      gelation (RCT, min), curd-firming rate as the time to a curd firmness (CF) of 20
      mm (k20, min), and CF at 30, 45, and 60 min from rennet addition (a30, a45, and
      a60, mm)], and 6 new curd firming and syneresis traits [potential asymptotical CF
      at an infinite time (CFP, mm), curd-firming instant rate constant (kCF, % * min
      1), curd syneresis instant rate constant (kSR, % * min-1), modeled RCT (RCTeq,
      min), maximum CF value (CFmax, mm), and time at CFmax (tmax, min)]. We also
      measured 3 cheese yield traits, expressing the weights of total fresh curd
      (%CYCURD), dry matter (%CYSOLIDS), and water (%CYWATER) in the curd as
      percentages of the weight of the processed milk, and 4 nutrient recovery traits
      (RECPROTEIN, RECFAT, RECSOLIDS, and RECENERGY), representing the percentage ratio
      between each nutrient in the curd and milk. Milk samples with SCC > 100,000
      cells/mL were subjected to bacteriological examination. All samples were divided
      into 7 clusters of udder health (UH) status: healthy (cows with milk SCC <
      100,000 cells/mL and uncultured); culture-negative samples with low, medium, or
      high SCC; and culture-positive samples divided into contagious, environmental,
      and opportunistic intramammary infection (IMI). Data were analyzed using a linear
      mixed model. Significant variations in the casein to protein ratio and lactose
      content were observed in all culture-positive samples and in culture-negative
      samples with medium to high SCC compared to normal milk. No differences were
      observed among contagious, environmental, and opportunistic pathogens, suggesting
      an effect of inflammation rather than infection. The greatest impairment in milk
      quantity and composition, clotting ability, and cheese production was observed in
      the 2 UH status groups with the highest milk SCC (i.e., contagious IMI and
      culture-negative samples with high SCC), revealing a discrepancy between the
      bacteriological results and inflammatory status, and thus confirming the
      importance of SCC as an indicator of udder health and milk quality.

PMID- 28365114
TI  - A meta-analysis on the effect of dietary application of exogenous fibrolytic
      enzymes on the performance of dairy cows.
AB  - The aim of this study was to use meta-analytical methods to estimate effects of
      adding exogenous fibrolytic enzymes (EFE) to dairy cow diets on their performance
      and to determine which factors affect the response. Fifteen studies with 17
      experiments and 36 observations met the study selection criteria for inclusion in
      the meta-analysis. The effects were compared by using random-effect models to
      examine the raw mean difference (RMD) and standardized mean difference between
      EFE and control treatments after both were weighted with the inverse of the study
      variances. Heterogeneity sources evaluated by meta-regression included
      experimental duration, EFE type and application rate, form (liquid or solid), and
      method (application to the forage, concentrate, or total mixed ration). Only the
      cellulase-xylanase (C-X) enzymes had a substantial number of observations (n = 13
      studies). Application of EFE, overall, did not affect dry matter intake, feed
      efficiency but tended to increase total-tract dry matter digestibility and
      neutral detergent fiber digestibility (NDFD) by relatively small amounts (1.36
      and 2.30%, respectively, or <0.31 standard deviation units). Application of EFE
      increased yields of milk (0.83 kg/d), 3.5% fat-corrected milk (0.55 kg/d), milk
      protein (0.03 kg/d), and milk lactose (0.05 kg/d) by moderate to small amounts
      (<0.30 standard deviation units). Low heterogeneity (I 2 statistic <25%) was
      present for yields and concentrations of milk fat and protein and lactose yield.
      Moderate heterogeneity (I 2 = 25 to 50%) was detected for dry matter intake, milk
      yield, 3.5% fat-corrected milk, and feed efficiency (kg of milk/kg of dry matter
      intake), whereas high heterogeneity (I 2 > 50%) was detected for total-tract dry
      matter digestibility and NDFD. Milk production responses were higher for the C-X
      enzymes (RMD = 1.04 kg/d; 95% confidence interval: 0.33 to 1.74), but were still
      only moderate, about 0.35 standardized mean difference. A 24% numerical increase
      in the RMD resulting from examining only C-X enzymes instead of all enzymes (RMD
      = 1.04 vs. 0.83 kg/d) suggests that had more studies met the inclusion criteria,
      the C-X enzymes would have statistically increased the milk response relative to
      that for all enzymes. Increasing the EFE application rate had no effect on
      performance measures. Application of EFE to the total mixed ration improved only
      milk protein concentration, and application to the forage or concentrate had no
      effect. Applying EFE tended to increase dry matter digestibility and NDFD and
      increased milk yield by relatively small amounts, reflecting the variable
      response among EFE types.

PMID- 28365115
TI  - Antibiotic treatment of metritis in dairy cows-A meta-analysis.
AB  - The objective of this meta-analysis was to assess the efficacy of the treatment
      of bovine metritis with common antibiotic and nonantibiotic treatment options.
      Acute puerperal metritis, a systemic and potentially painful illness with rectal
      temperature >39.5 degrees C and signs of toxemia due to an infection of the
      uterus, occurs within 21 d after parturition. Because of the infectious nature,
      antibiotics are considered beneficial for the treatment of acute puerperal
      metritis. Each use of an antimicrobial drug, however, is associated with
      selective pressure for eventual emergence of resistant bacteria. The 23 trials
      evaluated in the course of a previously conducted systematic review were the
      basis for meta-analytic investigations. Selected trials were screened regarding
      their eligibility for the following investigations: (1) comparison of different
      antibiotic treatments with respect to metritis prevalence at time of re
      examination, (2) efficacy of ceftiofur treatment with respect to metritis
      prevalence at time of re-examination, (3) comparison of efficacy of antibiotic
      versus nonantibiotic drugs with respect to metritis prevalence at time of re
      examination, and (4) equivalence assessment of treatment effects on reproductive
      performance measures. Where at least 3 trials had investigated the same outcome
      variable and met the inclusion criteria (inclusion of a control or reference
      group diagnosed with metritis; reporting means and standard deviation in case of
      continuous data), meta-analytic investigations were carried out. Due to a
      shortage of comparable studies, we could not conduct investigations (1) and (3).
      Ceftiofur treatment of 828 metritic cows was associated with a decrease in the
      prevalence of metritis following treatment in comparison to 804 untreated cows.
      In conclusion, meta-analytic investigations uncovered a need for more high
      quality studies. Furthermore, a positive effect of the most commonly used
      antibiotic drug, ceftiofur, for the treatment of bovine metritis could be shown.
      A comparison with other antibiotic or nonantibiotic treatment options could not
      be made.

PMID- 28365116
TI  - Differential somatic cell count-A novel method for routine mastitis screening in
      the frame of Dairy Herd Improvement testing programs.
AB  - Somatic cell count (SCC) is used as key indicator in mastitis screening programs
      typically applied in the frame of Dairy Herd Improvement (DHI) testing programs.
      However, mastitis is still causing tremendous economic losses to the dairy
      industry. Hence, new biomarkers are needed that can be used for enhanced
      management of mastitis on dairy farms. Besides the determination of SCC,
      differentiation of cells has been described to be beneficial for a more definite
      description of the actual udder health status of dairy cows. The aim of this
      study was to develop a new method for rapid and simultaneous determination of SCC
      and a new parameter, differential somatic cell count (DSCC), in individual cow
      milk samples using flow cytometry. The method is sought to be applied in central
      milk testing laboratories, so that existing DHI infrastructures can be used. The
      DSCC represents the combined proportion of polymorphonuclear leukocytes (PMN) and
      lymphocytes expressed in percentage. The proportion of macrophages can be
      calculated by subtracting DSCC from 100%. Our research revealed increasing
      proportions of PMN, but decreasing proportions of macrophages as SCC increased.
      However, lymphocytes occurred fairly constantly with low proportions across the
      entire SCC range. Hence, the DSCC parameter reflects the antidromic trend of PMN
      and macrophages. Fluorescence microscopy was used to evaluate the specificity of
      the new Foss DSCC method in terms of DSCC and a high correlation was found. Apart
      from that, the accuracy of cell differentiation using the Foss DSCC method was
      confirmed in a cell sorting trial. Total SCC could be determined equally well
      using the new method as compared with existing methods. The new method was
      further proven to be robust toward a range of method and milk-sample-related
      factors. In an initial field trial, regular DHI samples of a local dairy herd
      were analyzed. The DSCC values occurred in a broad range from 34 to 79% in
      samples with <400,000 cells/mL. Higher DSCC values (53-89%) were found in samples
      with >400,000 cells/mL. In conclusion, the new Foss DSCC method allows reliable,
      repeatable, fast, robust, and accurate determination of both DSCC and SCC at low
      cost. This, in turn, provides more accurate information on the actual udder
      health status of dairy cows. The practical application of DSCC in the frame of
      DHI testing programs, however, needs further investigation.

PMID- 28365117
TI  - Two-dimensional gas chromatography time-of-flight mass spectrometry-based serum
      metabolic fingerprints of neonatal calves before and after first colostrum
      ingestion.
AB  - Neonatal calves show a remarkable increase in serum IgG levels after first
      ingestion of colostrum. They can absorb high-molecular IgG from colostrum in the
      small intestine by nonspecific receptor-independent fluid pinocytosis within 24 h
      after birth. However, little is known about the temporal changes in serum small
      molecule metabolites, such as carbohydrates and AA, in neonatal calves after
      first colostrum ingestion. In this study, we examined temporal changes in serum
      metabolites of neonatal calves after first ingestion of colostrum by
      comprehensive 2-dimensional gas chromatography mass spectrometry (GC*GC-MS).
      Forty serum samples obtained from 5 calves at 8 time points between 0 and 12 h
      after first colostrum ingestion were analyzed in triplicate by GC*GC-MS.
      Multivariate analyses of 120 GC*GC-MS results revealed significant variations in
      the serum metabolites, primary individual differences among the calves, and
      secondary temporal changes within each individual calf. Several serum metabolites
      increased temporally after ingestion in each calf, but only a limited number of
      compounds were increased universally in all 5 calves. Eight compounds, including
      oligosaccharides such as lactose, were associated with temporal changes in IgG.
      Some essential AA that must be supplied from the diet increased temporally after
      ingestion, but differed from the temporal pattern of the oligosaccharides and
      IgG. These results suggest that the colostral contents may be absorbed by complex
      mechanisms that include intestinal pinocytosis for IgG and oligosaccharides,
      along with others such as specific transporters in the intestinal epithelial
      cells for AA in calves.

PMID- 28365118
TI  - Effect of increasing the proportion of dietary concentrate on gastrointestinal
      tract measurements and brush border enzyme activity in Holstein steers.
AB  - The aim of this study was to determine the time course for adaptation of the
      reticulo-rumen, omasum, abomasum, and small intestine in response to an abrupt
      increase in the proportion of grain in the diet. Adaptive responses include
      tissue and digesta mass, small intestinal length, and brush border enzyme
      activity in the duodenum, proximal jejunum, and ileum. Twenty-five Holstein
      steers (213 +/- 23 kg; 5 to 7 mo of age) were blocked by body weight, and within
      block were randomly assigned to 1 of 5 treatments: the control diet (CTRL; 92%
      chopped grass hay and 8% mineral and vitamin supplement on a dry matter basis) or
      a moderate grain diet (MGD; 50% chopped grass hay, 42% rolled barley grain, and
      8% mineral and vitamin supplement) that was fed for 3 (MGD3), 7 (MGD7), 14
      (MGD14), or 21 d (MGD21). Dry matter intake was limited to 2.25% of body weight
      to ensure that changes in dry matter intake did not confound the results. On the
      last day of the dietary exposure, steers were slaughtered 2 h after feeding.
      Reticulo-rumen tissue mass and ruminal epithelium mass in the ventral sac of the
      rumen were not affected by the MGD. Wet reticulo-ruminal digesta mass decreased
      from CTRL to MGD7 and then increased, but reticulo-ruminal digesta dry matter
      mass did not differ between treatments. Omasal mass, omasal tissue mass, and
      omasum digesta mass decreased linearly with the number of days fed MGD, but
      abomasal tissue mass tended to increase linearly. Duodenal tissue mass tended to
      increase linearly, and ileal length increased linearly with the number of days
      fed MGD. Lactase activity in the proximal jejunum increased linearly and maltase
      activity in duodenum tended to increase linearly with days fed MGD.
      Aminopeptidase N activity in the proximal jejunum increased cubically with days
      fed MGD, and dipeptidylpeptidase IV activity in ileum tended to decrease from
      CTRL to MGD14 and then tended to increase. Adaptation to a diet with a greater
      proportion of concentrate involves changes in the mass and length of regions of
      the gastrointestinal tract and brush border enzyme activity. These changes take
      place gradually over at least 3 wk.

PMID- 28365119
TI  - Intensive liquid feeding of dairy calves with a medium crude protein milk
      replacer: Effects on performance, rumen, and blood parameters.
AB  - The objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of different liquid
      feeding systems using a medium crude protein milk replacer on performance, rumen,
      and blood parameters. Thirty newborn Holstein calves were blocked according to
      birth weight and date of birth, and randomly distributed to different liquid
      feeding systems: conventional (4 L/d), intensive (8 L/d), or step-up/step-down
      (wk 1, 4 L/d; wk 2 to 6, 8 L/d; wk 7 and 8, 4 L/d). The commercial milk replacer
      (12.5% solids, 20.2% crude protein, 15.6% fat) was fed twice daily (0700 and 1700
      h) until calves were weaned, at 8 wk of age. Calves were individually housed in
      wood hutches, with free access to water and starter concentrate, and to hay only
      after weaning. They were followed through 10 wk of age. Milk replacer and starter
      intake were inversely affected by feeding system. After weaning, starter intake
      and hay intake were similar among feeding systems. Total dry matter intake was
      higher during the liquid-feeding period for calves on the intensive system
      compared to calves on the conventional system, but conventional feeding resulted
      in the highest dry matter intake after weaning. Feed efficiency was similar among
      feeding systems before and after weaning. Average body weight and daily gain were
      not affected by feeding system before or after weaning. During liquid feeding,
      diarrhea occurrence was lower for calves on the conventional system; however,
      when calves on the step-up/step-down system were fed lower volumes of liquid
      feed, diarrhea occurrence was similar to that of calves on the conventional
      system. Plasma concentrations of beta-hydroxybutyrate were higher for calves on
      the conventional system, reflecting starter intake. Rumen pH, short-chain fatty
      acids, and N-NH3 were not affected by feeding system. Feeding higher volumes of
      milk replacer with a medium crude protein content had no beneficial effect on the
      performance of calves up to 10 wk of age.

PMID- 28365120
TI  - Estimating variance components and breeding values for number of oocytes and
      number of embryos in dairy cattle using a single-step genomic evaluation.
AB  - Reproductive technologies such as multiple ovulation and embryo transfer (MOET)
      and ovum pick-up (OPU) accelerate genetic improvement in dairy breeding schemes.
      To enhance the efficiency of embryo production, breeding values for traits such
      as number of oocytes (NoO) and number of MOET embryos (NoM) can help in selection
      of donors with high MOET or OPU efficiency. The aim of this study was therefore
      to estimate variance components and (genomic) breeding values for NoO and NoM
      based on Dutch Holstein data. Furthermore, a 10-fold cross-validation was carried
      out to assess the accuracy of pedigree and genomic breeding values for NoO and
      NoM. For NoO, 40,734 OPU sessions between 1993 and 2015 were analyzed. These OPU
      sessions originated from 2,543 donors, from which 1,144 were genotyped. For NoM,
      35,695 sessions between 1994 and 2015 were analyzed. These MOET sessions
      originated from 13,868 donors, from which 3,716 were genotyped. Analyses were
      done using only pedigree information and using a single-step genomic BLUP
      (ssGBLUP) approach combining genomic information and pedigree information.
      Heritabilities were very similar based on pedigree information or based on
      ssGBLUP [i.e., 0.32 (standard error = 0.03) for NoO and 0.21 (standard error =
      0.01) for NoM with pedigree, 0.31 (standard error = 0.03) for NoO, and 0.22
      (standard error = 0.01) for NoM with ssGBLUP]. For animals without their own
      information as mimicked in the cross-validation, the accuracy of pedigree-based
      breeding values was 0.46 for NoO and NoM. The accuracies of genomic breeding
      values from ssGBLUP were 0.54 for NoO and 0.52 for NoM. These results show that
      including genomic information increases the accuracies. These moderate accuracies
      in combination with a large genetic variance show good opportunities for
      selection of potential bull dams.

PMID- 28365121
TI  - Effects of dry period length and dietary energy source on inflammatory biomarkers
      and oxidative stress in dairy cows.
AB  - Negative energy balance in dairy cows in early lactation has been associated with
      increased inflammation and oxidative stress in these cows. The objective of this
      study was to evaluate the effects of dry period (DP) length and dietary energy
      source on inflammatory biomarkers and oxidative stress in dairy cows. Holstein
      Friesian dairy cows (60 primiparous and 107 multiparous) were assigned randomly
      to a 3 * 2 factorial design with 3 DP length (0, 30, or 60 d) and 2 early
      lactation rations (glucogenic or lipogenic). Cows were fed a glucogenic or
      lipogenic ration from 10 d before the expected calving date. Blood was collected
      in wk -3, -2, -1, 1, 2, and 4 relative to calving. Dry period length affected
      inflammatory biomarkers and oxidative stress, especially in wk 1 and 2 after
      calving. Cows with a 0-d DP had higher levels of ceruloplasmin, cholesterol, and
      reactive oxygen metabolites, and they tended to have higher haptoglobin levels
      compared with cows with a 30- or 60-d DP. Cows with a 0-d DP had a lower plasma
      paraoxonase and bilirubin in the first 2 wk after calving and a lower liver
      functionality index compared with cows with a 60-d DP. Cows of parity >3 fed a
      glucogenic ration had higher cholesterol levels compared with cows of parity >3
      fed a lipogenic ration. No interaction between DP length and ration was present
      for inflammatory biomarkers or oxidative stress variables. Plasma bilirubin
      levels for cows with a 0-d DP were negatively related to energy balance and
      metabolic status in these cows. Moreover, occurrence of clinical health problems
      (fever, mastitis, metritis, and retained placenta) was 41, 27, and 30% for cows
      with 0-, 30-, and 60-d DP, respectively. High levels of ceruloplasmin,
      cholesterol, and reactive oxygen metabolites in cows with 0-d DP were related to
      the occurrence of health problems in these cows. In conclusion, omitting the DP
      increased levels of ceruloplasmin, cholesterol, and reactive oxygen metabolites,
      and decreased levels of bilirubin and paraoxonase in plasma, independent of
      ration, compared with cows with a 60-d DP. These contrasting effects of DP length
      on inflammatory status could be explained in part by the improved energy balance
      and occurrence of health problems in these cows, but was not related to increased
      somatic cell count in cows with a 0-d DP. Cows with a 0-d DP had better energy
      balance, but also had higher levels of oxidative stress compared with cows with a
      60-d DP. Moreover, occurrence of health problems did not differ between cows with
      different DP lengths.

PMID- 28365122
TI  - Derivation and genome-wide association study of a principal component-based
      measure of heat tolerance in dairy cattle.
AB  - Heat stress represents a key factor that negatively affects the productive and
      reproductive performance of farm animals. In the present work, a new measure of
      tolerance to heat stress for dairy cattle was developed using principal component
      analysis. Data were from 590,174 test-day records for milk yield, fat and protein
      percentages, and somatic cell score of 39,261 Italian Holstein cows. Test-day
      records adjusted for main systematic factors were grouped into 11 temperature
      humidity index (THI) classes. Daughter trait deviations (DTD) were calculated for
      1,540 bulls as means of the adjusted test-day records for each THI class.
      Principal component analysis was performed on the DTD for each bull. The first 2
      principal components (PC) explained 42 to 51% of the total variance of the system
      across the 4 traits. The first PC, a measure of the level at which the curve is
      located, was interpreted as a measure of the level at which the DTD curve was
      located. The second PC, which shows the slope of increasing or decreases DTD
      curves, synthesized the behavior of the DTD pattern. Heritability of the 2
      component scores was moderate to high for level across all traits (range = 0.23
      0.82) and low to moderate for slope (range = 0.16-0.28). For each trait,
      phenotypic and genetic correlations between level and slope were equal to zero. A
      genome-wide association analysis was carried out on a subsample of 423 bulls
      genotyped with the Illumina 50K bovine bead chip (Illumina, San Diego, CA). Two
      single nucleotide polymorphisms were significantly associated with slope for milk
      yield, 4 with level for fat percentage, and 2 with level and slope of protein
      percentage, respectively. The gene discovery was carried out considering windows
      of 0.5 Mb surrounding the significant markers and highlighted some interesting
      candidate genes. Some of them have been already associated with the mechanism of
      heat tolerance as the heat shock transcription factor (HSF1) and the malonyl-CoA
      acyl carrier protein transacylase (MCAT). The 2 PC were able to describe the
      overall level and the slope of response of milk production traits across
      increasing levels of THI index. Moreover, they exhibited genetic variability and
      were genetically uncorrelated. These features suggest their use as measures of
      thermotolerance in dairy cattle breeding schemes.

PMID- 28365123
TI  - Technical note: Validation of a semi-automated software tool to determine gait
      cycle variables in dairy cows.
AB  - This paper presents the validation of a software tool called Cow-Gait-Analyzer
      (University of Bern, Switzerland) to determine gait-cycle variables in lame and
      non-lame dairy cows using features derived from low-cost, stand-alone 3
      dimensional accelerometers (400 Hz). The Cow-Gait-Analyzer automatically extracts
      the relevant gait events of foot load and toe off, which characterize gait-cycle
      duration, stance phase, and swing phase during walking. A nonautomatic step is
      visual inspection of the pedograms. If the software does not automatically choose
      the right peaks according to pedogram definitions, peaks can be manually chosen.
      We validated the algorithms by comparing the accelerometer data (pedogram) with
      the synchronized video data, which we used as a gold standard. We carried out the
      measurements at the metatarsal level of paired hind limbs during walking. We
      included 12 non-lame cows and 5 lame cows and expressed overall differences
      between the Cow-Gait-Analyzer and the gold standard as relative measurement error
      (RME). We analyzed 34 hind limbs with a mean of 9 gait cycles. The median RME for
      gait-cycle duration and stance phases were 0 and 1.69%, respectively. The peaks
      of gait-cycle variables showed RME of 0.67 and 0.24% for foot load and toe off,
      respectively. The semi-automated Cow-Gait-Analyzer can accurately determine gait
      cycle variables in both lame and non-lame cows, and could be used to assess gait
      patterns in routine clinical and research practice focusing on individual cows.

PMID- 28365124
TI  - Contribution of the novel sulfur-producing adjunct Lactobacillus nodensis to
      flavor development in Gouda cheese.
AB  - We assessed the efficacy of Lactobacillus nodensis CSK964 as an adjunct culture
      in Gouda cheese under various industrial conditions. We set up 4 different
      systems: a direct vat inoculum with and without adjunct using the calf rennet
      Kalase, and an undefined bulk starter culture with and without adjunct using the
      microbial rennet Milase (both rennets from CSK Food Enrichment, Ede, the
      Netherlands). During ripening, we subjected the cheeses to the following
      analyses: viability of starter and adjunct cells, composition, proteolysis, and
      flavor development by detection of sulfur compounds and descriptive sensory
      analysis. In general, the presence of Lb. nodensis increased secondary
      proteolysis and influenced cheese flavor, particularly in relation to volatile
      sulfur compounds; hydrogen sulfide and methanethiol were present in higher
      abundances in cheeses containing Lb. nodensis. The primary starter also
      influenced the range of volatile sulfur compounds produced. Methanethiol and
      dimethyl disulfide were more abundant in the nisin-producing direct vat inoculum
      cheese with adjunct; hydrogen sulfide was more prevalent when bulk starter
      culture was used with Lb. nodensis. Sensory analysis revealed that the direct vat
      inoculum cheese with adjunct scored significantly better in terms of smell and
      taste than the direct vat inoculum cheese without adjunct and lacked the dominant
      sulfur flavors of the bulk starter cheese with adjunct. Subsequent analysis using
      lead acetate paper and modified motility broth as indicators of hydrogen sulfide
      production confirmed that Lb. nodensis produced hydrogen sulfide in broth and in
      the cheese matrix. This study suggests that the inclusion of Lb. nodensis as an
      adjunct culture can significantly alter the flavor profile of the final cheese.
      However, the selection of a suitable primary starter is imperative to ensure a
      desirable product.

PMID- 28365125
TI  - Development of subcutaneous fat in Spanish and Latin American children and
      adolescents: Reference values for biceps, triceps, subscapular and suprailiac
      skinfolds.
AB  - Subcutaneous fat skinfolds represent a reliable assessment instrument of
      adiposity status. This study provides current percentile references for four
      subcutaneous skinfolds (biceps, triceps, subscapular, suprailiac) applicable to
      children and adolescents in Spain and in Latin American countries where data are
      scarce. The design consisted of a cross-sectional multicenter study performed
      with identical methods in 5 countries (Argentina, Cuba, Mexico, Spain and
      Venezuela). Total sample comprised 9163 children and youths (boys 4615 - girls
      4548) aged 6-18 years, healthy and without apparent pathologies. Percentiles 3,
      5, 10, 25, 50, 75, 90, 95 and 97 were calculated by the LMS method. Sexual
      dimorphism was assessed using the t-test and age differences with ANOVA.
      Normalized growth percentile references were obtained according to sex and age
      for each skinfold. The mean values of four skinfolds were significantly greater
      in girls than boys (p<0.001) and, in both sexes, all skinfolds show statistical
      differences through age (p<0.001) with different magnitudes. Except triceps in
      girls, peaks between 11 and 12 years of age are more noticeable in boys than in
      girls. Although the general model of growth is known, the skinfold measurements
      show variability among populations and differences of magnitude are presented
      according to the analyzed population. Therefore, these age and sex-specific
      reference percentile values for biceps, triceps, subscapular and suprailiac
      skinfolds, derived from a large sample of Spanish and Latin American children and
      adolescents, are a useful tool for adiposity diagnosis in this population for
      which no reference values were available.

PMID- 28365126
TI  - Prehistoric funerary complexity in northern Iberia studied by using dental
      morphology.
AB  - During the Neolithic Age and afterwards, several funerary practices coexisted in
      the northeast of the Iberian Peninsula from the Mediterranean to the Atlantic.
      According to archaeological data, there was a coexistence of sepulchral caves and
      megalithic monuments at the end of the Neolithic, following the dominance of open
      air pit burials during the Middle Neolithic. The aim of this work is to analyze
      the biological relationships between individuals representing those cultures,
      based on their dental morphology - the first such attempt. This study presents
      data of 156 individuals from this period, and will allow elucidate the population
      dynamics including the role of migrations and other factors. The results indicate
      that there were no significant differences between the groups living in Atlantic
      and Mediterranean areas. Moreover, pairwise comparisons for each trait only show
      two significant results. This lack of differences could be related to trade
      activities between the two basins, which would contribute to individual exchanges
      between groups. Furthermore, according to biological affinities, trade activities
      along the Mediterranean Sea had a more marked influence over the Catalan
      populations than those from the Atlantic basin. There are no biological
      differences between groups representing the open-air pit culture and the
      sepulchral caves in each area. Finally, the megalithic groups from the Atlantic
      basin differ the most from the surrounding populations. This could be indicative
      of a slightly different biological origin of the people related to this culture.

PMID- 28365127
TI  - Image-guided preoperative progressive pneumoperitoneum for large incisional
      hernia repair.

PMID- 28365128
TI  - Diagnosing autoimmune pancreatitis with the Unifying-Autoimmune-Pancreatitis
      Criteria.
AB  - BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES: We had developed the Unifying-Autoimmune-Pancreatitis
      Criteria (U-AIP) to diagnose autoimmune pancreatitis (AiP) within the M-ANNHEIM
      classification of chronic pancreatitis. In 2011, International-Consensus
      Diagnostic-Criteria (ICDC) to diagnose AiP have been published. We had applied
      the U-AIP long before the ICDC were available. The aims of the study were, first,
      to describe patients with AiP diagnosed by the U-AIP; second, to compare
      diagnostic accuracies of the U-AIP and other diagnostic systems; third, to
      evaluate the clinical applicability of the U-AIP. METHODS: From 1998 until 2008,
      we identified patients with AiP using U-AIP, Japanese-, Korean-, Asian-, Mayo
      HISORt-, Revised-Mayo-HISORt- and Italian-criteria. We retrospectively verified
      the diagnosis by ICDC and Revised-Japanese-2011-criteria, compared diagnostic
      accuracies of all systems and evaluated all criteria in consecutive patients with
      pancreatitis (2009 until 2010, Pancreas-Outpatient-Clinic-Cohort, n = 84). We
      retrospectively validated our diagnostic approach in consecutive patients with a
      pancreatic lesion requiring surgery (Surgical-Cohort, n = 98). RESULTS: Overall,
      we identified 21 patients with AiP. Unifying-Autoimmune-Pancreatitis-Criteria and
      ICDC presented the highest diagnostic accuracies (each 98.8%), highest Youden
      indices (each 0.95238), and highest proportions of diagnosed patients (each n =
      20/21, U-AIP/ICDC vs. other diagnostic systems, p < 0.05, McNemar test). In the
      Pancreas-Outpatient-Clinic-Cohort, seven patients were diagnosed with AiP (n = 6
      by U-AIP, n = 1 by Asian-criteria). International-Consensus-Diagnostic-Criteria
      confirmed the diagnosis in these individuals. Based on partial fulfillment of U
      AIP, AiP was initially suspected in 13% (n = 10/77) of remaining patients from
      the Pancreas-Outpatient-Clinic-Cohort. In the Surgical-cohort, we identified one
      patient with AiP by U-AIP and ICDC. CONCLUSIONS: Unifying-Autoimmune-Pancreatitis
      Criteria revealed a satisfactory clinical applicability and offered an additional
      approach to diagnose AiP.

PMID- 28365129
TI  - Long-term results of treatment of advanced dermatofibrosarcoma protuberans (DFSP)
      with imatinib mesylate - The impact of fibrosarcomatous transformation.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Dermatofibrosarcoma protuberans (DFSP) is rare, infiltrating dermal
      neoplasm, characterized by indolent growth and low probability of metastases. The
      first effective systemic therapy in DFSP introduced into clinical practice was
      imatinib, demonstrating high activity in advanced cases. The aim of the study was
      to perform an analysis of patients with advanced DFSP treated with imatinib, with
      or without surgery, in routine clinical practice with long-term follow-up.
      PATIENTS AND METHODS: We analyzed the data of 31 Caucasian patients (14 male, 17
      female; median age 56 years) with locally advanced/initially inoperable and/or
      metastatic DFSP who started therapy with imatinib at initial dose 800 mg daily
      between 12/2004 and 07/2014. All diagnoses were confirmed cytogenetically for the
      presence of specific COL1A1-PDGFB fusion. Median follow-up time was 5.3 years.
      RESULTS: Metastases were present in 15 cases (8 - lungs, 5 - soft tissue, 2 -
      lymph nodes). Fibrosarcomatous transformation (FS-DFSP) was confirmed in 16
      patients (52%). 5-year progression-free survival (PFS) rate was 58% (median 6.8
      years), 5-year overall survival (OS) rate was 64% (median time for OS was not
      reached). The shorter PFS and OS correlated with FS-DFSP and presence of
      metastatic disease. 5-year PFS rate was 93% for classic DFSP and 33% for FS-DFSP.
      The best overall responses were: 21 partial responses (68%, including 8 FS-DFSP,
      but the responses were shorter than for classic DFSP), 6 stable disease (19%) and
      4 progressive diseases (13%). Thirteen patients (47%) underwent resection of
      residual disease and nine of them remained free of disease, although imatinib was
      discontinued. Median survival after progression on imatinib was 19 months, and
      longer survival were observed only in cases were rescue surgery/radiotherapy was
      possible. CONCLUSIONS: Our results indicate the long-term activity of imatinib in
      therapy of inoperable and/or metastatic cases of DFSP, including FS-DFSP. Some
      DFSP patients initially evaluated as unresectable/metastatic or necessitating
      mutilating surgery turned resectable after imatinib therapy and this rational
      approach leading to complete remission maybe potentially curative.

PMID- 28365131
TI  - Evolutionary Transcriptomics and Proteomics: Insight into Plant Adaptation.
AB  - Comparative transcriptomics and proteomics (T&P) have brought biological insight
      into development, gene function, and physiological stress responses. However, RNA
      seq and high-throughput proteomics remain underutilised in studies of plant
      adaptation. These methodologies have created discovery tools with the potential
      to significantly advance our understanding of adaptive diversification. We
      outline experimental recommendations for their application. We discuss analysis
      models and approaches that accelerate the identification of adaptive gene sets
      and integrate transcriptome, proteome, phenotypic, and environmental data.
      Finally, we encourage widespread uptake and future developments in T&P that will
      advance our understanding of evolution and adaptation.

PMID- 28365130
TI  - Predictors of growth kinetics and outcomes in small renal masses (SRM <=4 cm in
      size): Tayside Active Surveillance Cohort (TASC) Study.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: To determine outcomes of small renal masses (<=4 cm) on active
      surveillance and explore factors which can influence their growth. PATIENTS AND
      METHODS: Two hundred twenty six patients between January 2007 and December 2014
      were analysed using cross-linked methodology of healthcare data and independent
      review. Cancer specific and non-specific survival were the primary outcomes.
      Growth kinetics, factors influencing growth and need for interventions were
      secondary outcomes. RESULTS: 101 (64.4%) solid and 4 (5.9%) cystic SRMs showed
      growth. 43 (19.02%) of SRMs required treatment interventions. Seven patients
      (7/158; 4.4%) died due to renal cancer at a median follow-up of 21.7 (SD 10.6,
      min 6-42) months, all in solid category. Independent review of serial
      radiological imaging of these seven cases showed two patients had subtle
      metastatic disease at the initial presentation, and 5 of the 7 did not adhere to
      recommended imaging regime. 33 (33/158; 20.8%) died due to other causes including
      non-renal cancers (14/158; 8.8%). Multivariate analyses showed that lower eGFR at
      baseline, co-morbidities and tumour location were independently associated with
      growth in size. CONCLUSIONS: A higher cancer-specific mortality was seen in the
      present study compared to the reported literature. Independent critical review of
      imaging of cases with poor outcome underscored the importance of adherence to a
      robust protocol including follow up. Comorbid conditions had a significant impact
      on growth and overall survival of patients with SRMs.

PMID- 28365133
TI  - In search of Insane Places.

PMID- 28365132
TI  - Exosomes in Cancer Nanomedicine and Immunotherapy: Prospects and Challenges.
AB  - Exosomes (versatile, cell-derived nanovesicles naturally endowed with exquisite
      target-homing specificity and the ability to surmount in vivo biological
      barriers) hold substantial promise for developing exciting approaches in drug
      delivery and cancer immunotherapy. Specifically, bioengineered exosomes are being
      successfully deployed to deliver potent tumoricidal drugs (siRNAs and
      chemotherapeutic compounds) preferentially to cancer cells, while a new
      generation of exosome-based therapeutic cancer vaccines has produced enticing
      results in early-phase clinical trials. Here, we review the state-of-the-art
      technologies and protocols, and discuss the prospects and challenges for the
      clinical development of this emerging class of therapeutics.

PMID- 28365134
TI  - Utility of Sonoclot in Prediction of Postoperative Bleeding in Pediatric Patients
      Undergoing Cardiac Surgery for Congenital Cyanotic Heart Disease: A Prospective
      Observational Study.
AB  - OBJECTIVES: To assess the utility of Sonoclot in prediction of postoperative
      bleeding in pediatric patients undergoing cardiac surgery with cardiopulmonary
      bypass for congenital cyanotic heart disease. DESIGN: Prospective, observational
      study. SETTING: Single university hospital. PARTICIPANTS: Eighty-seven pediatric
      patients undergoing cardiac surgery for congenital cyanotic heart disease.
      INTERVENTIONS: Laboratory coagulation parameters (prothrombin time, international
      normalization ratio, activated partial thromboplastin time, fibrinogen, D-dimer)
      as well as point-of-care Sonoclot glass bead activation time, clot rate, and
      platelet function (gbPF) were done before induction of anesthesia and following
      heparin reversal after termination of cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) in all
      patients. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: Postoperative blood loss was monitored
      by the amount of chest tube drainage. The primary outcome was to define Sonoclot
      parameters for prediction of postoperative bleeding. Secondary outcomes studied
      were amount of postoperative blood loss, transfusion requirement of various blood
      products, incidence of surgical re-exploration, duration of postoperative
      mechanical ventilation, intensive care unit and hospital stay. Among studied
      subjects, 37.9% (33 of 87 patients) were designated as bleeders while 62.1% (54
      of 87 patients) were non-bleeders. Lower age, D-dimer, and gbPF test after
      termination of CPB following heparin neutralization were predictive for
      postoperative bleeders. Among these, post-protamine gbPF had the highest area
      under the curve (0.725), 95% confidence interval (0.619-0.831) for prediction of
      postoperative bleeders. Duration of mechanical ventilation (26.41+/-36.44 v
      8.25+/-6.36 h, respectively, p = 0.001), intensive care unit stay (7.36 +/- 4.05
      v 4.96 +/- 2.49, p = 0.001), and hospital stay (11.69+/-4.82 v 8.63+/-3.48 p =
      0.001) were higher in bleeders; however, incidence of re-exploration was
      comparable between both groups. CONCLUSION: Postoperative bleeders may be
      predicted independently by post-CPB gbPF, postoperative D-dimer, and lower age of
      patients. Among these, post-CPB gbPF has maximum predictive value.

PMID- 28365135
TI  - Off-Label Prothrombin Complex Concentrates: Buyer Be Careful!

PMID- 28365136
TI  - Inappropriate Implantable Cardioverter-Defibrillator Shock Therapy During
      Anesthesia: How Do We Avoid This Complication?

PMID- 28365137
TI  - Vanishing Part of an Anterior Mitral Leaflet.

PMID- 28365138
TI  - Physical Incompatibility Between Protamine Sulfate and Ceftriaxone Sodium.

PMID- 28365139
TI  - Crohn's Colitis: Development of a multiplex gene expression assay comparing mRNA
      levels of susceptibility genes.
AB  - Crohn's disease (CD) is a multifactorial immunologically mediated disease. In
      this study we explored, for the first time, the efficacy of the Multiplex Gene
      Assay technology for detecting mRNA expression profile of 24 selected CD related
      genes in endoscopic biopsies and surgical specimens from CD patients with colonic
      localization of the disease. The polymorphisms of genes most frequently
      associated with CD were also analysed in DNA samples from the same patients. The
      analysis of endoscopic samples showed increased expression of 7 genes in inflamed
      mucosa compared to non-inflamed mucosa and suggests the activation of the
      autophagy process and of a Th17 adaptive response. The analysis of surgical
      specimens showed increased expression of 16 genes in inflamed tissue compared to
      non-inflamed internal controls and revealed the activation of immune-adaptive
      Th17 response in association with a Th1 response. Furthermore, an increased
      expression of genes involved in ionic transport and signal transduction was found
      in inflamed mucosa compared to non-inflamed internal controls. This study
      confirms the activation of Th17 and Th1 adaptive-immune response also in colonic
      CD. It should be stressed that these responses have been disclosed in biopsy
      tissue, while only Th17 differentiation is revealed in endoscopic tissue.
      Interestingly, the polymorphisms analysis revealed that a homozygous genotype is
      associated to a more complicated clinical course.

PMID- 28365141
TI  - Comparative Approaches to Genetic Discrimination: Chasing Shadows?
AB  - Genetic discrimination (GD) is one of the most pervasive issues associated with
      genetic research and its large-scale implementation. An increasing number of
      countries have adopted public policies to address this issue. Our research
      presents a worldwide comparative review and typology of these approaches. We
      conclude with suggestions for public policy development.

PMID- 28365143
TI  - Applying human factors and ergonomics to the misuse of nonsterile clinical gloves
      in acute care.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Health care workers (HCWs) are recommended to wear nonsterile
      clinical gloves (NSCG) for direct contact with blood and body fluids. However,
      there is evidence of extensive inappropriate NSCG use. METHODS: A mixed-methods
      study comprising observation of NSCG use in 2 acute hospitals and semistructured
      HCW interviews. Qualitative data were categorized using thematic analysis.
      Findings were mapped to the Systems Engineering Initiative for Patient Safety
      model and used to develop a strategy for improving NSCG use. RESULTS: Two hundred
      seventy-eight procedures performed in 178 episodes of care involved the use of
      NSCG. NSCG were inappropriate for 59% of procedures (165 out of 278). Risk of
      cross-contamination occurred in 49% (87 out of 178) episodes. Twenty-six HCWs
      were interviewed; emotion and socialization were key factors influencing
      decisions to use NSCG. Data from observation and thematic analysis were mapped to
      6 interacting components of the Systems Engineering Initiative for Patient Safety
      work system. Interventions targeting each component informed quality improvement
      strategies CONCLUSIONS: Despite intense promotion of hand hygiene as the key
      measure to protect patients from health care-associated infection, NSCG dominate
      routine clinical practice and potential cross-contamination occurs in 50% of care
      episodes. Such practice is associated with significant environmental and
      financial costs and adversely affects patient safety. The application of human
      factors and ergonomics to the complex drivers of inappropriate NSCG behavior may
      be more effective than conventional approaches of education and policy in
      achieving the goal of preventing health care-associated infection and improving
      patient safety.

PMID- 28365142
TI  - Risk of heart disease in relation to radiotherapy and chemotherapy with
      anthracyclines among 19,464 breast cancer patients in Denmark, 1977-2005.
AB  - BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: The risk of heart disease subsequent to breast cancer
      radiotherapy was examined with particular focus on women receiving anthracycline
      containing chemotherapy. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Women diagnosed with early-stage
      breast cancer in Denmark, 1977-2005, were identified from the register of the
      Danish Breast Cancer Cooperative Group, as was information on cancer-directed
      treatment. Information on heart disease was sought from the Danish National
      Patient and Cause of Death Registries. Incidence rate ratios were estimated
      comparing left-sided with right-sided cancer (IRR, LvR), stratified by calendar
      year, age, and time since breast cancer radiotherapy. RESULTS: Among 19,464 women
      receiving radiotherapy, the IRR, LvR, was 1.11 (95% CI 1.03-1.20, p=0.005) for
      all heart disease and among those also receiving anthracyclines the IRR, LvR, was
      1.32 (95% CI 1.02-1.70, p=0.03). This risk was highest if the treatment was given
      before the age of 50years (IRR, LvR, 1.44, (95% CI 1.04-2.01) but there was no
      significant trend with age or time since treatment. CONCLUSIONS: Radiotherapy for
      left-sided breast cancer is associated with a higher risk of heart disease than
      for right-sided with the largest increases seen in women who also received
      anthracycline-containing chemotherapy.

PMID- 28365144
TI  - An economic analysis of the benefits of sterilizing medical instruments in low
      temperature systems instead of steam.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Hydrogen peroxide-based, low-temperature sterilization has been shown
      to do less damage to medical instruments than steam autoclaves. However, low
      temperature systems are more expensive to run. Higher costs need to be balanced
      against savings from reduced repair costs to determine value for money when
      choosing how to sterilize certain instruments, which are able to be reprocessed
      in either system. METHODS: This analysis examines the economic effects of using
      low-temperature sterilization systems to reprocess rigid and semi-rigid
      endoscopes, which are sensitive to heat and moisture, but still able to be
      sterilized using steam. It examines the changes to costs and frequency of repairs
      expected over 10 years, resulting from a choice to sterilize these instruments in
      a low-temperature system instead of steam. RESULTS: Overall, the results showed
      that increased sterilization costs are outweighed by the savings associated with
      less frequent repairs. Over a 10-year period, in large health care facilities,
      the probability of achieving an internal rate of return of at least 6% is 0.81.
      CONCLUSIONS: Our model shows it is likely to be a good decision for large health
      care facilities to invest in low-temperature sterilization systems.

PMID- 28365140
TI  - Deregulation of CRTCs in Aging and Age-Related Disease Risk.
AB  - Advances in public health in the past century have seen a sharp increase in human
      life expectancy. With these changes have come an increased prevalence of age
      related pathologies and health burdens in the elderly. Patient age is the biggest
      risk factor for multiple chronic conditions that often occur simultaneously
      within a single individual. An alternative to disease-centric therapeutic
      approaches is that of 'geroscience', which aims to define molecular mechanisms
      that link age to overall disease risk. One such mechanism is deregulation of CREB
      regulated transcriptional coactivators (CRTCs). Initially identified for their
      role in modulating CREB transcription, the past 5 years has seen an expansion in
      knowledge of new cellular regulators and roles of CRTCs beyond CREB. CRTCs have
      been shown to modulate organismal aging in Caenorhabditis elegans and to impact
      on age-related diseases in humans. We discuss CRTC deregulation as a new driver
      of aging that integrates the link between age and disease risk.

PMID- 28365145
TI  - The Double Thenar Flap: A Technique to Reconstruct 2 Fingertip Amputations
      Simultaneously.
AB  - Fingertip injuries are a common problem. There may be pulp loss and exposed bone.
      Various techniques have been described to reconstruct function as well as
      aesthetics; yet it is still unclear which treatment options should be chosen for
      each specific injury. Evidence-based treatment strategies are limited because
      there are no prospective randomized clinical trials evaluating one method with
      another. Fingertip injuries are usually variable in their presentation, and
      therefore treatment decisions are often dictated by the knowledge and expertise
      of the treating physician combined with the patient's unique injury. With exposed
      bone and major distal soft tissue loss, many reconstructive techniques have been
      well-described including local advancement flaps, thenar flaps, and cross-finger
      flaps. There is scarce literature discussing surgical options when multiple
      fingers are involved. This report details a novel technique used to reconstruct 2
      simultaneously injured fingers using the double thenar flap.

PMID- 28365146
TI  - In Vivo Scaphoid Motion During Thumb and Forearm Motion in Casts for Scaphoid
      Fractures.
AB  - PURPOSE: In nonsurgical treatment for acute undisplaced or minimally displaced
      scaphoid waist fractures, immobilization of both wrist and thumb can be an
      option. However, in vivo scaphoid motion during forearm and thumb motion with the
      wrist immobilized in a cast has not been measured. Therefore, we examined the in
      vivo kinematics of the scaphoid during forearm and thumb motion with cast
      immobilization. METHODS: Ten healthy right wrists of 10 male volunteers were
      included. These wrists were immobilized in a short-arm spica cast with the thumb
      in a position of volar abduction and then were scanned with the forearm in
      supination, neutral rotation, and pronation using computed tomography. Next,
      these wrists were scanned with a forearm gauntlet cast in place with the thumb
      abducted radially and opposed with the forearm positioned in neutral rotation.
      From these data, the 3-dimensional position of the third metacarpal and scaphoid
      was analyzed. RESULTS: From forearm supination to pronation, the scaphoid showed
      0.2 degrees  radial deviation, 0.4 degrees  pronation, and 8.3 degrees 
      extension. The third metacarpal showed 14.6 degrees  ulnar deviation, 6.5 degrees
      pronation, and 1.6 degrees  flexion. During thumb opposition from radial
      abduction, the scaphoid showed 2.9 degrees  radial deviation, 0.4 degrees 
      supination, and 7.2 degrees  extension and the third metacarpal showed 4.5
      degrees  ulnar deviation, 2.8 degrees  pronation, and 5.5 degrees  extension.
      CONCLUSIONS: The scaphoid was not completely immobilized by either cast. However,
      the scaphoid motion during forearm and thumb motion was not significant. CLINICAL
      RELEVANCE: Several high-quality studies have shown that undisplaced or minimally
      displaced scaphoid waist fractures can be successfully treated with casts.
      Movement of scaphoid and wrist during forearm rotation or thumb motion with a
      cast may not be sufficient to have a negative impact on the outcome of scaphoid
      fracture using a cast.

PMID- 28365147
TI  - The Bare Area of the Proximal Ulna: An Anatomic Study With Relevance to Chevron
      Osteotomy.
AB  - PURPOSE: A chevron osteotomy of the ulna is widely used to obtain intra-articular
      access to the elbow in the treatment of type C distal humerus fractures. The
      trochlear notch of the proximal ulna is divided into 2 articular parts by the
      "bare area." Ideally, the olecranon osteotomy should be centered on the bare area
      to minimize damage to the joint cartilage. The goals of this study were to
      describe the anatomy of the bare area and design an ideal chevron-shaped
      osteotomy. METHODS: We dissected 38 cadaver elbows and measured the width of the
      bare area, the distance between the tip of the triceps insertion and the area on
      the olecranon cortex corresponding to the bare area. We then designed a chevron
      osteotomy to stay within the bare area and measured the distance from the tip of
      the triceps insertion to the osteotomy apex as well as the angle of the osteotomy
      plane and the angle of the chevron cuts. RESULTS: The bare area existed in all 38
      cadavers. The mean longitudinal and transverse widths were 4.0 mm (range, 1.0-8.6
      mm) and 19.0 mm (range, 16.9-23.8 mm), respectively. The mean distance between
      the tip of the triceps insertion and the area on the olecranon cortex
      corresponding to the bare area was 19.0 mm (range, 16.0-23.0 mm). The mean
      transverse and longitudinal widths of the cortical notch were 3.0 mm (range, 1.6
      4.5 mm) and 8.0 mm (range, 6.5-14.8 mm), respectively. The mean distance between
      the tip of the triceps insertion and the osteotomy apex was 22.0 mm (range, 18.0
      24.0 mm) and the mean angle between the osteotomy surface and the vertical plane
      corresponding to the tangent plane was 20 degrees  (range, 10 degrees  to 25
      degrees ). The mean angle of the V shape was 140 degrees  (range, 130 degrees  to
      150 degrees ). CONCLUSIONS: Using the narrowest edge lacking cartilage (lateral
      or medial side) as a point of reference to locate the bare area, the designed
      chevron osteotomy entered the joint in the bare area in most specimens and
      decreased associated damage to the joint cartilage. CLINICAL RELEVANCE: This
      study describes the anatomy of the bare area and the design of the ideal chevron
      shaped osteotomy to treat type C distal humerus fractures.

PMID- 28365148
TI  - Outcomes After Flexor Tendon Repair Combined With the Application of Human
      Amniotic Membrane Allograft.
AB  - PURPOSE: Clinically proven methods to prevent adhesion formation after flexor
      tendon repair have not yet been established. The aim of this pilot study was to
      assess the feasibility of amniotic membrane allograft as a mechanical barrier to
      decrease adhesion formation. METHODS: Ten patients having flexor tendon injuries
      were planned to be recruited to the pilot study. The operative treatment
      consisted of tendon repair and fixation of amniotic membrane allograft around the
      repaired tendon. The primary outcome variable was the range of motion of the
      operated finger 6 months after the operation. Patients were monitored for
      infections and repair failures. RESULTS: The study was terminated owing to
      unfavorable results after treatment of 5 patients. One patient had extensive
      stiffness and was subjected to tenolysis and joint release. Histopathological
      analysis of the tendon sheath revealed focal fibrosis. Another patient had a
      repair failure. The other 3 patients had fair to good results. CONCLUSIONS: It
      seems improbable that the use of amniotic membrane allograft would yield
      clinically relevant improvement compared with the existing techniques. However,
      it remains unclear whether the unfavorable results are associated with technical
      factors, amniotic membrane allograft itself, or an irregular distribution of
      complications. TYPE OF STUDY/LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Therapeutic V.

PMID- 28365149
TI  - Absolute Quantification of Protein and mRNA Abundances Demonstrate Variability in
      Gene-Specific Translation Efficiency in Yeast.
AB  - Protein synthesis is the most energy-consuming process in a proliferating cell,
      and understanding what controls protein abundances represents a key question in
      biology and biotechnology. We quantified absolute abundances of 5,354 mRNAs and
      2,198 proteins in Saccharomyces cerevisiae under ten environmental conditions and
      protein turnover for 1,384 proteins under a reference condition. The overall
      correlation between mRNA and protein abundances across all conditions was low
      (0.46), but for differentially expressed proteins (n = 202), the median mRNA
      protein correlation was 0.88. We used these data to model translation
      efficiencies and found that they vary more than 400-fold between genes. Non
      linear regression analysis detected that mRNA abundance and translation
      elongation were the dominant factors controlling protein synthesis, explaining
      61% and 15% of its variance. Metabolic flux balance analysis further showed that
      only mitochondrial fluxes were positively associated with changes at the
      transcript level. The present dataset represents a crucial expansion to the
      current resources for future studies on yeast physiology.

PMID- 28365150
TI  - Environment Tunes Propagation of Cell-to-Cell Variation in the Human Macrophage
      Gene Network.
AB  - Cell-to-cell variation in gene expression and the propagation of such variation
      (PoV or "noise propagation") from one gene to another in the gene network, as
      reflected by gene-gene correlation across single cells, are commonly observed in
      single-cell transcriptomic studies and can shape the phenotypic diversity of cell
      populations. While gene network "rewiring" is known to accompany cellular
      adaptation to different environments, how PoV changes between environments and
      its underlying regulatory mechanisms are less understood. Here, we systematically
      explored context-dependent PoV among genes in human macrophages, utilizing
      different cytokines as natural perturbations of multiple molecular parameters
      that may influence PoV. Our single-cell, epigenomic, computational, and
      stochastic simulation analyses reveal that environmental adaptation can tune PoV
      to potentially shape cellular heterogeneity by changing parameters such as the
      degree of phosphorylation and transcription factor-chromatin interactions. This
      quantitative tuning of PoV may be a widespread, yet underexplored, property of
      cellular adaptation to distinct environments.

PMID- 28365153
TI  - Incidence and pattern of medication errors in a general paediatric ward in a
      developing nation.

PMID- 28365151
TI  - A Cell-Surface Membrane Protein Signature for Glioblastoma.
AB  - We present a systems strategy that facilitated the development of a molecular
      signature for glioblastoma (GBM), composed of 33 cell-surface transmembrane
      proteins. This molecular signature, GBMSig, was developed through the integration
      of cell-surface proteomics and transcriptomics from patient tumors in the
      REMBRANDT (n = 228) and TCGA datasets (n = 547) and can separate GBM patients
      from control individuals with a Matthew's correlation coefficient value of 0.87
      in a lock-down test. Functionally, 17/33 GBMSig proteins are associated with
      transforming growth factor beta signaling pathways, including CD47, SLC16A1,
      HMOX1, and MRC2. Knockdown of these genes impaired GBM invasion, reflecting their
      role in disease-perturbed changes in GBM. ELISA assays for a subset of GBMSig
      (CD44, VCAM1, HMOX1, and BIGH3) on 84 plasma specimens from multiple clinical
      sites revealed a high degree of separation of GBM patients from healthy control
      individuals (area under the curve is 0.98 in receiver operating characteristic).
      In addition, a classifier based on these four proteins differentiated the blood
      of pre- and post-tumor resections, demonstrating potential clinical value as
      biomarkers.

PMID- 28365152
TI  - Dynamic Gene Regulatory Networks of Human Myeloid Differentiation.
AB  - The reconstruction of gene regulatory networks underlying cell differentiation
      from high-throughput gene expression and chromatin data remains a challenge.
      Here, we derive dynamic gene regulatory networks for human myeloid
      differentiation using a 5-day time series of RNA-seq and ATAC-seq data. We
      profile HL-60 promyelocytes differentiating into macrophages, neutrophils,
      monocytes, and monocyte-derived macrophages. We find a rapid response in the
      expression of key transcription factors and lineage markers that only regulate a
      subset of their targets at a given time, which is followed by chromatin
      accessibility changes that occur later along with further gene expression
      changes. We observe differences between promyelocyte- and monocyte-derived
      macrophages at both the transcriptional and chromatin landscape level, despite
      using the same differentiation stimulus, which suggest that the path taken by
      cells in the differentiation landscape defines their end cell state. More
      generally, our approach of combining neighboring time points and replicates to
      achieve greater sequencing depth can efficiently infer footprint-based regulatory
      networks from long series data.

PMID- 28365154
TI  - Activation and overexpression of Sirt1 attenuates lung fibrosis via P300.
AB  - Persistent fibroblast activation is a predominant feature of idiopathic pulmonary
      fibrosis (IPF), but the transcriptional and epigenetic mechanisms controlling
      this process are not well understood. Silent information regulator type-1 (Sirt1)
      is a member of class III histone deacetylase with important regulatory roles in a
      variety of pathophysiologic processes, but its role in fibrotic lung diseases is
      not clearly elucidated. Sirt1 expression in lung tissues of IPF patients and in a
      mouse model of bleomycin (BLM)-induced lung fibrosis were evaluated by
      immunofluorescence. The function of Sirt1 in BLM-induced lung fibrosis in the
      mouse model or transforming growth factor beta1 (TGF-beta1)-mediated lung
      fibroblast cellular model was investigated by Sirt1 activation, overexpression
      and knockdown of Sirt1. Finally, the involvement of p300 signaling pathways was
      assessed. In this study, we found up-regulation of Sirt1 in BLM-induced lung
      fibrosis, as well as in the lungs of IPF patients, including in the aggregated
      pulmonary fibroblasts of fibrotic foci. Activation or overexpression of Sirt1
      attenuated TGF-beta1-mediated lung fibroblast differentiation and activation and
      diminished the severity of experimental lung fibrosis in mice. Whereas knockdown
      of Sirt1 promoted the pro-fibrogenic activity of TGF-beta1 in lung fibroblasts. A
      potential mechanism for the role of Sirt1 in lung fibrosis was through regulating
      the expression of p300. Thus, we characterized Sirt1 as an important regulator of
      lung fibrosis and provides a proof of principle for activation or overexpression
      of Sirt1 as a potential novel therapeutic strategy for IPF.

PMID- 28365155
TI  - A soluble recombinant form of human leucocyte antigen-G 6 (srHLA-G6).
AB  - Human Leucocyte Antigen-G (HLA-G) is a non classical major histocompatibility
      complex (MHC) molecule that through RNA splicing can encode seven isoforms which
      are membrane bound (-G1, -G2, -G3 and -G4) and soluble (-G5, -G6 and -G7). HLA-G
      is described as important immune suppressor endogenous molecule to favor maternal
      fetal tolerance, transplant survival and tumor immune scape. HLA-G shows low
      protein variability and a unique structural complexity that is related with the
      expression of different isoforms followed by biochemical processes, such as,
      proteolytic cleavage, molecular interactions, and protein ubiquitination. Studies
      with HLA-G have shown difficult to assess the role of the individual isoforms.
      Thus, the aim of this work was to obtain a HLA-G6 recombinant form. The results
      indicated the production of high homogeneous preparations of soluble recombinant
      HLA-G6 (srHLA-G6) with molecular mass 23,603.76 Da, determined by MALD-TOF/TOF.
      In addition, native and denatured srHLA-G6 were detected by ELISA, using
      commercial monoclonal antibodies. Finally, we developed a suitable methodology to
      express srHLA-G6 that could contribute in structural and functional studies
      involving specific isoforms.

PMID- 28365156
TI  - Mild hypothermia protects against oxygen glucose deprivation/reoxygenation
      induced apoptosis via the Wnt/beta-catenin signaling pathway in hippocampal
      neurons.
AB  - Mild hypothermia is thought to be one of the most effective therapies for
      cerebral ischemia/reperfusion injuries. Our previous research revealed that mild
      hypothermia inhibits the activation of caspase-3 and protects against oxygen
      glucose deprivation/reoxygenation (OGD/R)-induced injury in hippocampal neurons.
      However, the mechanisms behind the activation of caspase-3 remain unclear. The
      aims of this study were to determine whether the protective effects of mild
      hypothermia were exerted through the Wnt/beta-catenin signaling pathway. We found
      that, under OGD/R conditions, the pathway was down regulated, but mild
      hypothermia induced the reactivation of the Wnt/beta-catenin signaling pathway,
      which had been suppressed by OGD/R injury. Mild hypothermia also caused the down
      regulation of the expression of apoptosis promoting proteins (Bax cleaved caspase
      3), up-regulated the expression of apoptosis inhibiting proteins (Bcl-2), and
      ameliorated OGD/R injury-induced apoptosis. The protective effects of mild
      hypothermia were blocked by DKK1 (an antagonist of the canonical Wnt signaling
      pathway). Taken together, these results indicate that the Wnt/beta-catenin
      signaling pathway mediates the protective effects of mild hypothermia against
      OGD/R-induced apoptosis. Our study provides evidence that mild hypothermia
      reactivates the Wnt/beta-catenin signaling pathway, which is suppressed by OGD/R
      injury, in hippocampal neurons and protects neurons from OGD/R-induced apoptosis
      via the reactivation of the Wnt/beta-catenin signaling pathway, ultimately
      suggesting that mild hypothermia could have therapeutic effects on OGD/R-induced
      apoptosis.

PMID- 28365157
TI  - Feasibility of a shorter Goal Attainment Scaling method for a pediatric
      spasticity clinic - The 3-milestones GAS.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Goal Attainment Scaling (GAS) is a method for writing personalized
      evaluation scales to quantify progress toward defined goals. It is useful in
      rehabilitation but is hampered by the experience required to adequately "predict"
      the possible outcomes relating to a particular goal before treatment and the time
      needed to describe all 5 levels of the scale. Here we aimed to investigate the
      feasibility of using GAS in a clinical setting of a pediatric spasticity clinic
      with a shorter method, the "3-milestones" GAS (goal setting with 3 levels and
      goal rating with the classical 5 levels). Secondary aims were to (1) analyze the
      types of goals children's therapists set for botulinum toxin treatment and (2)
      compare the score distribution (and therefore the ability to predict outcome) by
      goal type. METHODS: Therapists were trained in GAS writing and prepared GAS
      scales in the regional spasticity-management clinic they attended with their
      patients and families. The study included all GAS scales written during a 2-year
      period. GAS score distribution across the 5 GAS levels was examined to assess
      whether the therapist could reliably predict outcome and whether the 3-milestones
      GAS yielded similar distributions as the original GAS method. RESULTS: In total,
      541 GAS scales were written and showed the expected score distribution. Most
      scales (55%) referred to movement quality goals and fewer (29%) to family goals
      and activity domains. CONCLUSION: The 3-milestones GAS method was feasible within
      the time constraints of the spasticity clinic and could be used by local
      therapists in cooperation with the hospital team.

PMID- 28365158
TI  - Ontogenetic dietary shifts and bioaccumulation of diphenhydramine in Mugil
      cephalus from an urban estuary.
AB  - Though bioaccumulation of pharmaceuticals has received attention in inland
      waters, studies of pharmaceutical bioaccumulation in estuarine and marine systems
      are limited. Further, an understanding of pharmaceutical bioaccumulation across
      size classes of organisms displaying ontogenetic feeding shifts is lacking. We
      selected the striped mullet, Mugil cephalus, a euryhaline and eurythermal species
      that experiences dietary shifts with age, to identify whether a model base,
      diphenhydramine, accumulated in a tidally influenced urban bayou. We further
      determined whether diphenhydramine accumulation differed among size classes of
      striped mullet over a two year study period. Stable isotope analysis identified
      that ontogenetic feeding shifts of M. cephalus occurred from juveniles to adults.
      However, bioaccumulation of diphenhydramine did not significantly increase across
      age classes of M. cephalus but corresponded to surface water levels of the
      pharmaceutical, which suggests inhalational uptake to diphenhydramine was more
      important for bioaccumulation than dietary exposure in this urban estuary.

PMID- 28365161
TI  - Re: Jim C. Hu, David M. Nanus, Art Sedrakyan. Increase in Prostate Cancer
      Metastases at Radical Prostatectomy in the United States. Eur Urol 2017;71:147-9.

PMID- 28365163
TI  - Comparing Clinical Outcomes for Radium-223: Do Older Patients Do Worse?
AB  - PURPOSE: To examine the clinical benefits and toxicities of 223Ra in 2 different
      age groups of patients with castrate-resistant prostate cancer. METHODS AND
      MATERIALS: This was a retrospective study of patients treated with 223Ra in 2
      tertiary centers. Patients were divided into 2 different groups based on their
      age (>=72 years old and <72 years old). Treatment toxicities were graded
      according to Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events version 4.0.
      Comparison of characteristics and outcome was carried out with the Mann-Whitney
      test and analysis of overall survival with the log-rank test. RESULTS: In all,
      129 patients were treated during the study period. Clinical benefit was similar
      in both groups. However, a statistically significant higher proportion of
      patients in the younger group had previously been treated with docetaxel. There
      was a higher rate of grade 3 anemia in younger patients. CONCLUSIONS: In line
      with other studies, 223Ra was well tolerated with minimum toxicities. The
      significantly higher rate of grade 3 anemia in younger patients may be due to
      more cautious patient selection in the elderly population.

PMID- 28365160
TI  - Bipolar Androgen Therapy: A Paradoxical Approach for the Treatment of Castration
      resistant Prostate Cancer.
AB  - Bipolar androgen therapy (BAT) is a paradoxical treatment for castrate-resistant
      prostate cancer whereby testosterone levels are rapidly alternated between
      supraphysiologic and near-castrate concentrations. Initial studies demonstrated
      that BAT is safe and produces clinical responses. A trial comparing enzalutamide
      against BAT is ongoing.

PMID- 28365164
TI  - Plasma interleukin-6 in remitted early bipolar I disorder and subjects at high
      risk for bipolar disorder.

PMID- 28365165
TI  - The promotion of intrauterine contraception in low- and middle-income countries:
      a narrative review.
AB  - CONTEXT: The contribution of copper-bearing intrauterine devices (IUDs) to
      overall contraceptive protection has declined in many countries, despite their
      well-known advantages. In response, initiatives to promote this method have been
      undertaken. OBJECTIVE: To review and interpret the experience of interventions to
      promote use of IUDs in low- and middle-income countries in order to provide
      strategic guidance for policies and programs. METHODS: We conducted a systematic
      search of Medline, Popline, Embase and Global Health electronic databases for
      relevant journal papers, reports and gray literature since 2010. Telephone
      interviews were held with two donors and six international family planning
      organizations. RESULTS: We identified a total of 31 publications. Four reported
      the results of randomized control trials and three were derived from quasi
      experiments. The majority were based on service statistics. Eight publications
      concerned interventions for HIV-positive women or couples, nine for postpartum or
      postabortion cases and 14 for general populations. Intervention approaches
      included vouchers, franchising of private practitioners, mobile outreach
      services, placement of dedicated staff in high-volume facilities and demand
      creation. Most publications adduced evidence of a positive impact and some
      reported impressively large numbers of IUD insertions. Results to date on the
      uptake of IUDs in postpartum interventions are modest. There is also almost no
      evidence of effects on IUD use at national levels. Implant uptake generally
      exceeded IUD uptake when both were offered. CONCLUSION: The evidence base is weak
      and offers few lessons on what strategies are most effective. The overall
      impression is that IUD use can be increased in a variety of ways but that
      progress is hampered by persistent adverse perceptions by both providers and
      potential clients. Provider enthusiasm is a key to success. The lack of a
      population impact stems in part from the fact that nearly all interventions are
      initiated by international organizations, with limited national reach except in
      small countries, rather than by government agencies.

PMID- 28365166
TI  - "I was close to death!": abortion and medical risk on American television, 2005
      2016.
AB  - OBJECTIVES: To examine the portrayal of complications and long-term health
      consequences associated with abortion on television, recognizing the impact that
      fictional stories can have on public beliefs about abortion's safety. STUDY
      DESIGN: Using a systematic online search, we identified all instances of abortion
      on US television from 2005 to 2016. We qualitatively coded these plotlines to
      identify any occurrences of complications, interventions or long-term health
      consequences associated with abortion care, with 95% intercoder reliability. We
      calculated the frequencies and rates of these occurrences in Microsoft Excel.
      RESULTS: Our search identified 80 abortion plot lines. A percentage of 37.5 of
      characters who obtained an abortion experienced complications, interventions
      and/or negative health consequences. This rate contrasts with the 2.1% of real
      patients who experience complications or require intervention as a result of
      their abortions. Most onscreen complications were major events (e.g.,
      hemorrhage), as opposed to real women, whose complications are mostly minor.
      Major medical interventions (e.g., hysterectomy) were similarly overportrayed,
      while the most commonly used interventions for real patients (e.g., medication)
      were not depicted at all. Finally, 22.5% of characters faced a long-term adverse
      health consequence, including mental illness, infertility or death. The onscreen
      abortion mortality rate was 5%, about 7000 times the actual mortality rate.
      CONCLUSIONS: Overall, television dramatically exaggerates the risk associated
      with abortion procedures, overportraying medical complications - particularly
      major and life-threatening complications - and long-term adverse health
      consequences. This pattern of misrepresentation may be partially attributable to
      the occurrence of stories about illegal abortions or abortions taking place
      outside of modern medical contexts. IMPLICATIONS: Onscreen abortion portrayals
      may contribute to inaccurate beliefs about abortion's risk that are common among
      the public, broadly, and abortion patients, specifically. Abortion advocates and
      providers will be more equipped to respond misinformation if they understand how
      and to what extent our popular culture portrays abortion as unsafe.

PMID- 28365159
TI  - Genetic Alterations in the Molecular Subtypes of Bladder Cancer: Illustration in
      the Cancer Genome Atlas Dataset.
AB  - CONTEXT: Recent whole genome mRNA expression profiling studies revealed that
      bladder cancers can be grouped into molecular subtypes, some of which share
      clinical properties and gene expression patterns with the intrinsic subtypes of
      breast cancer and the molecular subtypes found in other solid tumors. The
      molecular subtypes in other solid tumors are enriched with specific mutations and
      copy number aberrations that are thought to underlie their distinct progression
      patterns, and biological and clinical properties. OBJECTIVE: The availability of
      comprehensive genomic data from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) and other large
      projects made it possible to correlate the presence of DNA alterations with tumor
      molecular subtype membership. Our overall goal was to determine whether specific
      DNA mutations and/or copy number variations are enriched in specific molecular
      subtypes. EVIDENCE: We used the complete TCGA RNA-seq dataset and three different
      published classifiers developed by our groups to assign TCGA's bladder cancers to
      molecular subtypes, and examined the prevalence of the most common DNA
      alterations within them. We interpreted the results against the background of
      what was known from the published literature about the prevalence of these
      alterations in nonmuscle-invasive and muscle-invasive bladder cancers. EVIDENCE
      SYNTHESIS: The results confirmed that alterations involving RB1 and NFE2L2 were
      enriched in basal cancers, whereas alterations involving FGFR3 and KDM6A were
      enriched in luminal tumors. CONCLUSIONS: The results further reinforce the
      conclusion that the molecular subtypes of bladder cancer are distinct disease
      entities with specific genetic alterations. PATIENT SUMMARY: Our observation
      showed that some of subtype-enriched mutations and copy number aberrations are
      clinically actionable, which has direct implications for the clinical management
      of patients with bladder cancer.

PMID- 28365167
TI  - Outcomes of the Ilizarov frame use in elderly patients.
AB  - AIM: The use of circular frame is widely accepted. This is an outcome review on
      use of circular Ilizarov frame in elderly patients. MATERIALS & METHODS: Data
      from all patients treated with an Ilizarov circular frame between January 2002
      and December 2014, who were 65 years of age or over at surgery was collected.
      Seventy Ilizarov circular frames were applied during this period in our unit at a
      mean age of 71.2 years. Clinical, radiological and quality of life questionnaire
      (SF-12) data were gathered. Mortality, complication and revision data were also
      collected. RESULTS: Indications of application of Ilizarov frame were fractures
      (53%), non-unions (19%), deformity correction (7%) and ankle fusions (21%). Mean
      period of time in the frame was 184.4 +/- 84.2 days. Mortality and complication
      rates were low (5-7%) at a mean follow-up 4.2 years. There was no case of septic
      arthritis or newly induced deep infection. Physical and Mental components of SF
      12 questionnaire returned to normal for that age group. There was no difference
      between the subgroups (tibia plateau fractures, pilon fractures, ankle fusions,
      non-unions, deformity correction and miscellaneous trauma) concerning the
      physical and mental subjective (PCS and MCS SF-12 component) outcomes (p > 0.05).
      CONCLUSIONS: Ilizarov circular frame as a definitive treatment of many kinds of
      trauma and orthopaedic conditions can be safely and reliably used in the elderly
      with good quality of life results.

PMID- 28365168
TI  - Verification of the sensitivity of functional scores for treatment results -
      Substantial clinical benefit thresholds for the Japanese Orthopaedic Association
      Back Pain Evaluation Questionnaire (JOABPEQ).
AB  - BACKGROUND: Validity and reliability of the Japanese Orthopaedic Association Back
      Pain Evaluation Questionnaire (JOABPEQ) had already been verified as the
      patients' self-rating assessment of low back pain and lumbar spinal disease and,
      the present study demonstrated the responsiveness of this measure. METHODS: 192
      subjects who were determined by medical instructors of the Japanese Society for
      Spine Surgery and Related Research were analyzed. They had completed a series of
      treatment and both surveys before and after the treatment. Authors investigated
      rates of concordance between assessment by physicians and subjective assessment
      by patients. The mean, standard deviation, minimum, 25th percentile, median, 75th
      percentile and maximum values for pre-treatment, post-treatment, and acquired
      points were calculated, and then, we also investigated the trend between
      subjective assessment by patients and mean acquired points for each JOABPEQ
      domain and substantial clinical benefit thresholds for the JOABPEQ. RESULTS:
      Symptom changes as assessed by physicians did not coincide with those by
      patients, and acquired points in each JOABPEQ domain were significantly increased
      with improved self-rating by patients. In addition, patients who rated symptom
      changes as "slightly improved" showed a mean acquired points of >=20, and those
      reporting "improved" showed a 25th percentile points of the acquired points of
      >=20 approximately. CONCLUSION: A significant correlation was noted between the
      self-rating of patients and acquired points JOABPEQ, suggesting that >=20
      acquired points can be interpreted as substantial clinical benefit thresholds for
      the JOABPEQ.

PMID- 28365170
TI  - Radio-frequency coils for ultra-high field magnetic resonance.
AB  - Radiofrequency (RF) coils are key components of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)
      systems. The primary purpose of this review is to provide a basic theory of RF
      coil designs and their characterization by bench measurements, electromagnetic
      field simulations and MR measurements. With the continuing increase of magnetic
      field strength in MRI instruments, the RF wavelength in the subject under study
      becomes comparable to or smaller in size than the anatomical dimensions of the
      tissue under study, which amplifies the signal inhomogeneity. Also, RF energy
      increases quadratically with the Larmor frequency, which leads to increased heat
      deposition in the subject, especially at ultra-high field. Elegant RF coil
      designs are explored here to address these challenges.

PMID- 28365169
TI  - Clinic meatotomy under topical anesthesia.
AB  - OBJECTIVES: Almost 20 years after Cartwright et al. (1996) demonstrated the
      feasibility and effectiveness of clinic meatotomy (CM) under topical lidocaine
      and prilocaine (EMLA) anesthesia, 50% of meatotomies are still performed under
      general anesthesia (GA) (Godley et al., 2015). The cost of a meatotomy under GA
      is approximately 10 times the cost of CM in the present practice. This study
      presented the outcomes for CM under topical anesthesia, in consecutive patients
      who presented with meatal stenosis secondary to circumcision. MATERIALS AND
      METHODS: This was a retrospective descriptive study of data, which were collected
      prospectively for quality improvement purposes from July 2013 to September 2015,
      of 55 consecutive boys who underwent CM for meatal stenosis (occlusion of
      urethral meatus by a crust; deflected stream). Meatotomy was performed after
      applying EMLA and covering it with a Tegaderm(r) dressing, and then waiting 20-60
      min. The recorded outcomes were pain and success rate. Pain was defined at the
      beginning of data collection as any sound, grimace or movement during the
      procedure. Success rate was recorded during follow-up in the clinic or over the
      phone, when the family was asked if symptoms were the same, improved or
      completely resolved. RESULTS: Forty-three boys (78%) had no pain and 12 (22%) had
      pain as defined above (Figure), but no CM had to be stopped due to pain. At a
      median follow-up of 1.6 months (IQR 1.3-2.7 months) 41 (75%) patients had
      resolution of their symptoms and a normal urinary stream, nine (16%) had improved
      symptoms, and three (5%) had unchanged symptoms. CONCLUSIONS: More patients
      reported pain than those in the Cartwright study; this was perhaps because a full
      hour was not waited after EMLA application with most of the present patients. The
      present success rate was also lower than that reported by Cartwright, and for
      that there is no explanation. However, all CM could be completed and >90% of
      patients saw resolution or improvement of their symptoms. At a cost ten times
      lower than a meatotomy performed under GA, and with no evidence of inferiority
      evident in the literature, it is believed that CM should be the standard of care
      when meatal stenosis is treated by a meatotomy.

PMID- 28365171
TI  - Midterm Clinical Outcomes and MR Imaging Changes after Transcatheter Arterial
      Embolization as a Treatment for Mild to Moderate Radiographic Knee Osteoarthritis
      Resistant to Conservative Treatment.
AB  - PURPOSE: To describe the safety and efficacy of transcatheter arterial
      embolization for mild to moderate radiographic knee osteoarthritis (OA) that is
      resistant to conservative treatment. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This prospective
      study included 72 patients (95 knees) with OA of Kellgren-Lawrence (KL) grade 1-3
      and persisting moderate to severe pain that was resistant to conservative
      management who were treated with transcatheter arterial embolization between July
      2012 and March 2016. Clinical outcomes were evaluated at 1, 4, and 6 months and
      then every 6 months for a maximum of 4 years. The Whole-Organ Magnetic Resonance
      Imaging Score (WORMS) was evaluated at baseline and at 2 years after embolization
      in 35 knees. RESULTS: Abnormal neovessels were identified in all cases. There
      were no major adverse events related to the procedures. Mean Western Ontario and
      McMaster Universities Osteoarthritis Index pain scores significantly decreased
      from baseline to 1, 4, 6, 12, and 24 months after treatment (12.1 vs 6.2, 4.4,
      3.7, 3.0, and 2.6; all P < .001). The cumulative clinical success rates at 6
      months and 3 years after embolization were 86.3% (95% confidence interval [CI],
      78%-92%) and 79.8% (95% CI, 69%-87%), respectively. WORMS scores at 2 years after
      embolization in 35 knees showed significant improvement of synovitis vs baseline
      (P = .0016) and no osteonecrosis or other evidence indicating aggressive
      progression of degenerative changes. CONCLUSIONS: Transcatheter arterial
      embolization significantly improved pain symptoms and clinical function in
      patients with mild to moderate knee OA that was resistant to conservative
      treatment.

PMID- 28365173
TI  - Marijuana advertising exposure among current marijuana users in the U.S.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Little is known about marijuana advertising exposure among users in
      the U.S. We examined the prevalence of advertising exposure among young adult
      marijuana users through traditional and new media, and identified characteristics
      associated with seeking advertisements. METHODS: We conducted a cross-sectional
      survey of 18-34 year-old past-month marijuana users in the U.S. using a pre
      existing online panel (N=742). The survey queried about passively viewing and
      actively seeking marijuana advertisements in the past month, sources of
      advertisements, and marijuana use characteristics. RESULTS: Over half of
      participants were exposed to marijuana advertising in the past month (28%
      passively observed advertisements, 26% actively sought advertisements). Common
      sources for observing advertisements were digital media (i.e., social media,
      online, text/emails; 77%). Similarly, those actively seeking advertisements often
      used Internet search engines (65%) and social media (53%). Seeking advertisements
      was more common among those who used medically (41% medical only, 36% medical and
      recreational) than recreational users (18%), who used concentrates or edibles
      (44% and 43%) compared to those who did not (20% and 19%), and who used multiple
      times per day (33%) compared to those who did not (19%) (all p<0.01).
      CONCLUSIONS: Exposure to marijuana advertising among users is common, especially
      via digital media, and is associated with medical use, heavier use, and use of
      novel products with higher THC concentrations (i.e., concentrates) or longer
      intoxication duration (i.e., edibles). As the U.S. marijuana policy landscape
      changes, it will be important to examine potential causal associations between
      advertising exposure and continuation or frequency/quantity of use.

PMID- 28365174
TI  - Which alternative communication methods are effective for voiceless patients in
      Intensive Care Units? A systematic review.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: To assess the effectiveness of Augmentative and Alternative
      Communication (AAC) strategies to enable people who are temporarily voiceless due
      to medical intervention, to communicate. METHODS: A systematic review informed by
      a protocol published on an international register. Ten databases were searched
      from January 2004 to January 2017. Included studies assessed the effect of using
      AAC strategies on patient related outcomes and barriers to their use. All
      included studies were quality appraised. Due to the heterogeneity of
      interventions and outcome measures findings were narratively reviewed. RESULTS:
      Twelve studies met the inclusion criteria and were included in the review
      reporting outcomes from 1981 patient and 454 health professional participants.
      The quality of included studies were moderate to weak. AAC communication
      strategies increased the number of communication interactions, improved patient
      satisfaction with communication and reduced communication difficulties. Barriers
      to usage were device characteristics, the clinical condition of the patient, lack
      of timeliness in communication and staff constraints. CONCLUSIONS: There is
      preliminary, but inconsistent evidence that AAC strategies are effective in
      improving patient satisfaction with communication and reducing difficulties in
      communication. A lack of comparable studies precluded the identification of the
      most effective AAC strategy.

PMID- 28365172
TI  - Segmental Yttrium-90 Radioembolization versus Segmental Chemoembolization for
      Localized Hepatocellular Carcinoma: Results of a Single-Center, Retrospective,
      Propensity Score-Matched Study.
AB  - PURPOSE: To compare segmental radioembolization with segmental chemoembolization
      for localized, unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) not amenable to
      ablation. MATERIALS AND METHODS: In a single-center, retrospective study (2010
      2015), 101 patients with 132 tumors underwent segmental radioembolization, and 77
      patients with 103 tumors underwent segmental doxorubicin-based drug-eluting
      embolic or conventional chemoembolization. Patients receiving chemoembolization
      had worse performance status (Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group 0, 76% vs 56%; P
      = .003) and Child-Pugh class (class A, 65% vs 52%; P = .053); patients receiving
      radioembolization had larger tumors (32 mm vs 26 mm; P < .001), more infiltrative
      tumors (23% vs 9%; P = .01), and more vascular invasion (18% vs 1%; P < .001).
      Toxicity, tumor response, tumor progression, and survival were compared. Analyses
      were weighted using a propensity score (PS). RESULTS: Toxicity rates were low,
      without significant differences. Index and overall complete response rates were
      92% and 84% for radioembolization and 74% and 58% for chemoembolization (P = .001
      and P < .001). Index tumor progression at 1 and 2 years was 8% and 15% in the
      radioembolization group and 30% and 42% in the chemoembolization group (P <
      .001). Median progression-free and overall survival were 564 days and 1,198 days
      in the radioembolization group and 271 days and 1,043 days in the
      chemoembolization group (PS-adjusted P = .002 and P = .35; censored by transplant
      PS-adjusted P < .001 and P = .064). CONCLUSIONS: Segmental radioembolization
      demonstrates higher complete response rates and local tumor control compared with
      segmental chemoembolization for HCC, with similar toxicity profiles. Superior
      progression-free survival was achieved.

PMID- 28365175
TI  - Outcomes following implantation of mechanical circulatory support in adults with
      congenital heart disease: An analysis of the Interagency Registry for
      Mechanically Assisted Circulatory Support (INTERMACS).
AB  - BACKGROUND: Adults with congenital heart disease represent an expanding and
      unique population of patients with heart failure (HF) in whom the use of
      mechanical circulatory support (MCS) has not been characterized. We sought to
      describe overall use, patient characteristics, and outcomes of MCS in adult
      congenital heart disease (ACHD). METHODS: All patients entered into the
      Interagency Registry for Mechanically Assisted Circulatory Support (INTERMACS)
      between June 23, 2006, and December 31, 2015, were included. Patients with ACHD
      were identified using pre-operative data and stratified by ventricular
      morphology. Mortality was compared between ACHD and non-ACHD patients, and
      multivariate analysis was performed to identify predictors of death after device
      implantation. RESULTS: Of 16,182 patients, 126 with ACHD stratified as follows:
      systemic morphologic left ventricle (n = 63), systemic morphologic right
      ventricle (n = 45), and single ventricle (n = 17). ACHD patients were younger (42
      years +/- 14 vs 56 years +/- 13; p < 0.0001) and were more likely to undergo
      device implantation as bridge to transplant (45% vs 29%; p < 0.0001). A higher
      proportion of ACHD patients had biventricular assist device (BiVAD)/total
      artificial heart (TAH) support compared with non-ACHD patients (21% vs 7%; p <
      0.0001). More ACHD patients on BiVAD/TAH support were INTERMACS profile 1
      compared with patients on systemic left ventricular assist device (LVAD) support
      (35% vs 15%; p = 0.002). ACHD and non-ACHD patients with LVADs had similar
      survival; survival was worse for patients on BIVAD/TAH support. BiVAD/TAH support
      was the only variable independently associated with mortality (early phase hazard
      ratio 4.4; 95% confidence interval, 1.8-11.1; p = 0.001). For ACHD patients
      receiving MCS, ventricular morphology was not associated with mortality.
      CONCLUSIONS: ACHD patients with LVADs have survival similar to non-ACHD patients.
      Mortality is higher for patients requiring BiVAD/TAH support, potentially owing
      to higher INTERMACS profile. These outcomes suggest a promising role for LVAD
      support in ACHD patients as part of the armamentarium of therapies for advanced
      HF.

PMID- 28365176
TI  - Into the hearts of babes: Stem cell therapy for pediatric heart failure.

PMID- 28365177
TI  - High-dose vitamin D after lung transplantation: A randomized trial.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Vitamin D may have innate immunomodulatory functions with potentially
      beneficial therapeutic effects in lung transplant recipients. METHODS: This was a
      single-center, double blind, randomized, placebo-controlled, prevention trial of
      once-monthly oral vitamin D (cholecalciferol; 100,000 IU, n = 44) vs placebo (n =
      43) during 2 years in adult lung transplant recipients enrolled from October 2010
      to August 2013. Primary outcome was prevalence of chronic lung allograft
      dysfunction (CLAD) 3 years after transplantation. Secondary outcomes included
      overall survival, prevalence of acute rejection, lymphocytic bronchiolitis and
      infection, lung function, pulmonary and systemic inflammation, and bone mineral
      density. RESULTS: All included patients underwent bilateral lung transplantation
      and were mostly middle-aged men with prior smoking-related emphysema. Levels of
      25-hydroxy vitamin D after 1 year (p < .001) and 2 years (p < .001) were
      significantly higher in the vitamin D group compared with the placebo group. No
      difference was observed for CLAD prevalence (p = 0.7) or CLAD-free survival
      between both groups (p = 0.7). Secondary outcomes were overall comparable between
      both groups (all p > 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Once-monthly oral vitamin D
      supplementation after lung transplantation fails to demonstrate a significant
      difference in CLAD prevalence, innate immunomodulatory, or a beneficial clinical
      effect compared with placebo.

PMID- 28365178
TI  - Pediatric Heart Donor Assessment Tool (PH-DAT): A novel donor risk scoring system
      to predict 1-year mortality in pediatric heart transplantation.
AB  - BACKGROUND: In this study we sought to quantify hazards associated with various
      donor factors into a cumulative risk scoring system (the Pediatric Heart Donor
      Assessment Tool, or PH-DAT) to predict 1-year mortality after pediatric heart
      transplantation (PHT). METHODS: PHT data with complete donor information (5,732)
      were randomly divided into a derivation cohort and a validation cohort (3:1).
      From the derivation cohort, donor-specific variables associated with 1-year
      mortality (exploratory p-value < 0.2) were incorporated into a multivariate
      logistic regression model. Scores were assigned to independent predictors (p <
      0.05) based on relative odds ratios (ORs). RESULTS: The final model had an
      acceptable predictive value (c-statistic = 0.62). The significant 5 variables
      (ischemic time, stroke as the cause of death, donor-to-recipient height ratio,
      donor left ventricular ejection fraction, glomerular filtration rate) were used
      for the scoring system. The validation cohort demonstrated a strong correlation
      between the observed and expected rates of 1-year mortality (r = 0.87). The risk
      of 1-year mortality increases by 11% (OR 1.11 [1.08 to 1.14]; p < 0.001) in the
      derivation cohort and 9% (OR 1.09 [1.04 to 1.14]; p = 0.001) in the validation
      cohort with an increase of 1-point in score. Mortality risk increased 5 times
      from the lowest to the highest donor score in this cohort. Based on this model, a
      donor score range of 10 to 28 predicted 1-year recipient mortality of 11% to 31%.
      CONCLUSION: This novel pediatric-specific, donor risk scoring system appears
      capable of predicting post-transplant mortality. Although the PH-DAT may benefit
      organ allocation and assessment of recipient risk while controlling for donor
      risk, prospective validation of this model is warranted.

PMID- 28365179
TI  - Reliability and number of trials of Y Balance Test in adolescent athletes.
AB  - BACKGROUND: The Star Excursion Balance Test (SEBT) is commonly used to evaluate
      dynamic equilibrium. The Y Balance Test (Y-BT) is a shortened version of the SEBT
      where a Y- Balance Kit is commonly used. To date, research concerning the
      protocol and reliability of the SEBT and Y-BT has been conducted only for adults.
      OBJECTIVES: The aim of the study was to assess the protocol (the necessary number
      of trials to stabilize the results) and reliability of the Y-BT in adolescent
      athletes. DESIGN: One-way repeated-measures analysis of variance (ANOVA) and
      reliability study. METHOD: The sample of 38 athletes (mean age: 15.6 years) was
      selected from a football club. A Y-Balance test kit was applied for the
      evaluation of dynamic balance. The analysis used the values normalized to the
      relative length of the lower limbs. RESULTS: After six attempts, three
      consecutive ones achieved stability for all directions and both extremities (p >
      0.05). The intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC3,1), standard error of
      measurement and minimal detectable change values for the three attempts ranged
      from 0.57 to 0.82, from 3 to less than 6% and from 7.68 to 13.7%, respectively.
      CONCLUSIONS: In the study of adolescent dynamic equilibrium using the Y-BT, it is
      recommended to perform nine attempts (including six trial attempts and three
      measurements). In order to increase reliability it is recommended that the
      average of the three measured attempts is analysed.

PMID- 28365180
TI  - Practices in management of cancer treatment-related cardiovascular toxicity: A
      cardio-oncology survey.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Cardiovascular toxicity has become a challenging issue during cancer
      therapy. Nonetheless, there is a lack of consensual guidelines for their
      management. We aimed to determine the current practices of oncologists regarding
      cardiovascular toxicity related to anthracyclines, trastuzumab and angiogenic
      inhibitors and to gather their opinions on the development of cardio-oncology
      programs. METHODS: A cross-sectional declarative study was submitted to French
      oncologists in the form of an individual, structured questionnaire. RESULTS: A
      total of 303 oncologists responded to the survey. Ninety-nine percent of
      oncologists prescribed cardiotoxic therapies, including anthracyclines (83%),
      trastuzumab (51%) and other angiogenic inhibitors (64%). The method adopted for
      managing cardiovascular toxicity was based on guidelines from expert oncology
      societies for only 35% of oncologists. None was aware of recommendations from
      expert cardiology societies. Prescription of pre-, peri- and post-therapy
      cardiovascular assessment was inconsistent and significantly less frequent for
      all classes of angiogenic inhibitors than for anthracyclines and trastuzumab
      (P<0.0001). Relative to pre-therapy assessment, post-therapy assessment was
      prescribed significantly less often for all cancer therapies (P<0.0001).
      Attitudes regarding the onset of left ventricular dysfunction were much more
      inconsistent when angiogenic inhibitors were involved. Additionally, the
      management of hypertension and QT prolongation was also inconsistent. Finally,
      88% of oncologists supported projects of cardio-oncology programs development.
      CONCLUSIONS: Practices of oncologists are disparate in the field of
      cardiovascular toxicity. This finding underlines the complexity of managing many
      different situations and the need for distribution of formal guidelines from
      oncology and cardiology expert societies. The development of personalized cardio
      oncology programs seems essential.

PMID- 28365181
TI  - Sudden death in ischemic heart disease - 2017.
AB  - At this time, we find ourselves with an abundance of guidelines for management of
      patients with manifest ventricular tachyarrhythmias, or at risk for such
      arrhythmias, in patients with coronary heart disease (CHD). The guidelines are
      focused primarily on the "appropriate use" of the implantable
      cardioverter/defibrillator (ICD). Unfortunately, the bulk of the guidelines have
      very little basis in the underlying pathophysiology responsible for sudden
      cardiac death (SCD) in patients with CHD. Rather, they are based primarily on the
      results of randomized clinical trials that merely sought to take broad
      populations at elevated total mortality risk and determining whether the ICD can
      reduce overall mortality. The trials were not aimed at elucidating or exploiting
      the varying pathophysiology responsible for the ventricular arrhythmias
      responsible for most sudden deaths in this setting. The goal of the trials is
      appropriate - to improve the survival. The problem with promoting trials that
      solely determine whether a broad-based population (identified by one parameter
      such as ejection fraction that bears no direct relation to the pathogenesis of
      arrhythmias) derives a survival benefit from a therapy such as the ICD, is that
      many patients that could benefit from the ICD are missed (not covered by the
      guidelines), and many patients that will never benefit from the ICD are exposed
      to its risks and costs. How can we advance the use of potent, but expensive
      therapies that carry risk such as the ICD to improve survival of patients with
      CHD today? There are several avenues worth pursuing, both for short-term as well
      as long-term gain. First, there are several models shown to have the potential to
      identify patients currently covered by the guidelines for ICD use, that are
      highly unlikely to benefit, because of the existing co-morbidities. These models
      are likely to be valid because there is significant overlap in the parameters
      identified in each model, and they have been tested retrospectively in a variety
      of study populations. These models are not likely to be incorporated into use
      guidelines, until they have been tested prospectively in a randomized trial in a
      contemporary patient population. This can, and should be done. Use of such a
      model, based on noninvasive, readily available clinical markers offers the
      possibility of improving the efficiency with which ICDs are used to reduce the
      risk of SCD in CHD patients. Second, we need to recognize the fact that SCD in
      this population is a result of multiple potential mechanisms. And, the
      electrophysiologic substrates underlying these mechanisms are influenced by
      interactions with the autonomic nervous system and hemodynamic conditions. While
      most out-of-hospital cardiac arrests do not occur in persons with overt heart
      failure, the presence of heart failure clearly increases the risk for SCD, likely
      by a variety of mechanisms. There is increasing evidence that altered left
      ventricular geometry may not only reduce LV mechanical efficiency, but may also
      have direct effects on the electrophysiologic substrate. Although there is an
      abundance of evidence supporting the importance of autonomic interactions in the
      genesis of spontaneous arrhythmias, the utility of prospectively measuring
      autonomic indices to predict future arrhythmic events has to date not proven to
      be useful. Of course, that is not to discount the significant impact of beta
      adrenergic blockade on survival and reducing arrhythmic events. Future works must
      focus more on both animal models of post-infarction arrhythmias, as well as
      integrating findings from such studies into human physiology, with subsequent
      testing in the form of randomized clinical trials.

PMID- 28365182
TI  - Hopes and disappointments with antiarrhythmic drugs.
AB  - Ventricular arrhythmias such as sustained ventricular tachycardia and ventricular
      fibrillation account for two thirds of sudden cardiac deaths. Most ventricular
      tachyarrhythmias have well understood mechanisms such that it is theoretically
      possible to conceive of an antiarrhythmic drug-based intervention that would
      prevent arrhythmias that cause sudden cardiac death. Pharmaceutical agents which
      interfere with ion channel activity are known as antiarrhythmic drugs. Acute
      experiments showing antiarrhythmic effects in the basic science laboratory have
      often not translated into clinical effectiveness. Evidence of efficacy has been
      difficult to assess and appears to be sparse. However, proarrhythmia is common
      and complicates assessment of the potential value of antiarrhythmic drugs.
      Important studies such as the Cardiac Arrhythmia Suppression Trial and the
      Survival With ORal d-sotalol study confirmed that antiarrhythmic drugs could kill
      rather than cure patients at risk of sudden cardiac death, and spelled the death
      knell for widespread use of antiarrhythmic drugs for the primary prevention of
      sudden cardia death in high risk patients. However, when the implantable
      cardioverter defibrillator was introduced into clinical practice the situation
      changed - a drug that generally suppressed ventricular tachyarrhythmias was
      needed, but safety concerns were alleviated because the ICD could reverse
      proarrhythmic adverse effects. The accent changed towards the development of
      drugs that might reduce the prevalence or the symptomatic burden of ventricular
      arrhythmias. Similarly, antiarrhythmic drug development progressed towards
      finding an agent that might reduce symptoms associated with recurrent atrial
      fibrillation rather than for the treatment of ventricular arrhythmia. In recent
      times the goal of antiarrhythmic therapy has changed again. No longer is it
      thought necessary to develop blockbuster therapies, but to concentrate on the
      specific mechanisms of cardiac arrhythmias in individuals and to develop
      therapies that can be specifically engineered to help carefully defined
      phenotypes. Personalised or precision medicine is now guiding the development of
      antiarrhythmic agents that are directed to very specific targets and arrhythmia
      mechanisms and are without off-target effects that may compromise their efficacy.
      The value of antiarrhythmic medical therapy has raised great hopes which have
      been followed by disillusionment. Now hopes and needs are rising again, and we
      are better prepared to make this therapy successful. If we understand the
      arrhythmias we may be able to design effective and uncomplicated therapy.

PMID- 28365183
TI  - Sudden cardiac death in 2017: Spotlight on prediction and prevention.
AB  - This commentary will provide a brief synopsis of the progress made in prediction
      and prevention of sudden cardiac death (SCD), the challenges that remain, and the
      opportunities available to make a real impact in this field. The dawning of the
      new millennium saw the prophylactic implantable defibrillator (ICD) firmly
      established as the major primary prevention modality, poised to make a major
      impact on the burden of SCD. More than a decade and a half later, has this
      expectation been realized? The modest impact of the primary prevention ICD on SCD
      burden is largely due to the now well-recognized inadequate performance of the
      left ventricular ejection fraction as a risk stratification tool. Consequently,
      the field has transitioned from a focus on the "high-risk ejection fraction" to
      the broader concept of the "high-risk patient". There are currently no effective
      means of stratifying SCD risk in patients with preserved EF, who constitute the
      majority (at least 70%) of all patients who will suffer SCD. Can the field be
      disrupted and novel predictors of SCD identified? In addition to the ongoing
      quest for identification of the high-risk patient early in the nature history of
      SCD, a new paradigm for preventing SCD in the "near-term", within several weeks
      of the lethal event, has been proposed. While rapid advances in technology, data
      warehousing and analysis will accelerate the process of enhancing SCD prediction
      and prevention; regulatory, funding and clinical implementation strategies will
      need to keep pace if these expectations are to be realized.

PMID- 28365184
TI  - Annotation of plasmid genes.
AB  - Good annotation of plasmid genomes is essential to maximise the value of the
      rapidly increasing volume of plasmid sequences. This short review highlights some
      of the current issues and suggests some ways forward. Where a well-studied
      related plasmid system exists we recommend that new annotation adheres to the
      convention already established for that system, so long as it is based on sound
      principles and solid experimental evidence, even if some of the new genes are
      more similar to homologues in different systems. Where a well-established model
      does not exist we provide generic gene names that reflect likely biochemical
      activity rather than overall purpose particularly, for example, where genes
      clearly belong to a type IV secretion system but it is not known whether they
      function in conjugative transfer or virulence. We also recommend that annotators
      use a whole system naming approach to avoid ending up with an illogical mixture
      of names from other systems based on the highest scoring match from a BLAST
      search. In addition, where function has not been experimentally established we
      recommend using just the locus tag, rather than a function-related gene name,
      while recording possible functions as notes rather than in a provisional name.

PMID- 28365185
TI  - Curcumin and its cyclohexanone analogue inhibited human Equilibrative nucleoside
      transporter 1 (ENT1) in pancreatic cancer cells.
AB  - Our group investigated combining the phytochemical curcumin and gemcitabine in a
      liposome, to improve gemcitabine's activity against pancreatic tumours. While
      optimising the curcumin: gemcitabine ratio for co-encapsulation, we found that
      increasing curcumin concentrations relative to gemcitabine resulted in
      antagonistic interactions. As curcumin is a promiscuous transporter inhibitor; we
      suspected that increased resistance occurred via inhibition of Equilibrative
      nucleoside transporter 1 (ENT1)-mediated gemcitabine uptake. To test our
      hypothesis, we determined whether curcumin and a related analogue, 2,6-bis((3
      methoxy-4-hydroxyphenyl)methylene)-cyclohexanone (or A13), inhibited ENT1
      mediated accumulation of [3H]uridine and [3H]gemcitabine into pancreatic cancer
      cells. We then confirmed the inhibition of gemcitabine accumulation by
      investigating whether curcumin/A13 could increase gemcitabine resistance in
      growth inhibition assays. We found that curcumin and A13 concentration
      dependently inhibited the ENT1-mediated accumulation of both uridine and
      gemcitabine in MIA PaCa-2 and PANC-1 cells. We also found that non-toxic
      concentrations of curcumin and A13 significantly increased the resistance of both
      cell lines to gemcitabine. Increased resistance only occurred when curcumin/A13
      was co-incubated with gemcitabine, and not with sequential exposure (i.e.,
      curcumin first, followed by gemcitabine, or vice versa). We also found that the
      curcumin analogue (3E,5E)-3,5-bis[(2-fluorophenyl)methylene]-4-piperidinone (or
      EF24) did not inhibit gemcitabine accumulation, making it more suitable in
      combinations than curcumin/A13. From these results, we concluded that curcumin
      and A13 are inhibitors of the ENT1 transporter, but only at high concentrations
      (2-20uM). Curcumin is unlikely to inhibit gemcitabine uptake in tumours but may
      interfere with the oral absorption of ENT1 substrates due to high gut
      concentrations readily achievable from over-the-counter tablets/capsules.

PMID- 28365186
TI  - Plastic bronchitis in a patient with silicosis.

PMID- 28365187
TI  - Percutaneous closure of coronary artery fistula before lung transplantation.

PMID- 28365188
TI  - Implementation and assessment of a training course for residents in neonatology
      and pediatric emergency medicine.
AB  - BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Residents must balance patient care and the ongoing
      acquisition of medical knowledge. With increasing clinical responsibilities and
      patient overload, medical training is often left aside. In 2010, we designed and
      implemented a training course in neonatology and pediatric emergency medicine for
      residents in pediatrics, in order to improve their medical education. The course
      was made of didactic sessions and several simulation-based seminars for each year
      of residency. We conducted this study to assess the impact of our program on
      residents' satisfaction and self-assessed clinical skills. METHODS: A survey was
      conducted at the end of each seminar. The students were asked to complete a form
      on a five-point rating scale to evaluate the courses and their impact on their
      satisfaction and self-assessed clinical skills, following the French National
      Health Institute's adapted Kirkpatrick model. RESULTS: Sixty-four (84%) of the 76
      residents who attended the courses completed the form. The mean satisfaction
      score for the entire course was 4.78+/-0.42. Over 80% of the students felt that
      their clinical skills had improved. CONCLUSION: Medical education is an important
      part of residency training. Our training course responded to the perceived needs
      of the students with consistently satisfactory evaluations. Before the evaluation
      of the impact of the course on patient care, further studies are needed to assess
      the acquisition of knowledge and skills through objective evaluations.

PMID- 28365189
TI  - [Drugs news].

PMID- 28365190
TI  - [Kikuchi-Fujimoto disease mimicking malignant lymphoma in adolescents].
AB  - Kikuchi-Fujimoto disease, also known as histiocytic necrotizing lymphadenitis, is
      a rare cause of lymphadenopathy in children. This benign disease can mimic
      lymphoma and misleads doctors. It was first described in Asia, where it occurred
      especially in young women. Recent publications show that it can also affect
      teenagers and young adults in Caucasian populations. The pathophysiology remains
      unknown. Three hypotheses have been raised for this disease: the role of viruses
      (in particular HHV-8), genetic predisposition (two alleles in HLA class II genes
      were found more frequently in patients with Kikuchi disease), and an autoimmune
      cause because of the correlation with lupus erythematosus. Few cases have been
      reported in Europe so far. In this article, we report three cases of Kikuchi
      disease observed in less than 2 months in a single hospital in France. All three
      patients were teenagers who presented with lymphadenopathy, either isolated or
      combined with fever, weakness, and weight loss. In all of them, the
      hypermetabolic activity of the lymph node on the PET scanner misled us to suspect
      lymphoma. The diagnosis of Kikuchi disease was finally made, for all patients,
      after 2 weeks in the hospital based on lymph node biopsy. Based on this report,
      we highlight that early biopsy in presence of lymphadenopathy can avoid
      unnecessary extensive investigations. Moreover, in this rare disease, it is very
      surprising to come across three cases that are not family-related, in such a
      short period of time. This strengthens the hypothesis of the possible implication
      of an environmental factor in the pathophysiology of Kikuchi disease.

PMID- 28365191
TI  - [Thymoma and autoimmune diseases].
AB  - The association between thymoma and autoimmunity is well known. Besides
      myasthenia gravis, which is found in 15 to 20% of patients with thymoma, other
      autoimmune diseases have been reported: erythroblastopenia, systemic lupus
      erythematosus, inflammatory myopathies, thyroid disorders, Isaac's syndrome or
      Good's syndrome. More anecdotally, Morvan's syndrome, limbic encephalitis, other
      autoimmune cytopenias, autoimmune hepatitis, and bullous skin diseases
      (pemphigus, lichen) have been reported. Autoimmune diseases occur most often
      before thymectomy, but they can be discovered at the time of surgery or later.
      Two situations require the systematic investigation of a thymoma: the occurrence
      of myasthenia gravis or autoimmune erythroblastopenia. Nevertheless, the late
      onset of systemic lupus erythematosus or the association of several autoimmune
      manifestations should lead to look for a thymoma. Neither the characteristics of
      the patients nor the pathological data can predict the occurrence of an
      autoimmune disease after thymectomy. Thus, thymectomy usefulness in the course of
      the autoimmune disease, except myasthenia gravis, has not been demonstrated. This
      seems to indicate the preponderant role of self-reactive T lymphocytes
      distributed in the peripheral immune system prior to surgery. Given the high
      infectious morbidity in patients with thymoma, immunoglobulin replacement therapy
      should be considered in patients with hypogammaglobulinemia who receive
      immunosuppressive therapy, even in the absence of prior infection.

PMID- 28365192
TI  - Community-level policy responses to state marijuana legalization in Washington
      State.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Washington State (WA) legalized a recreational marijuana market -
      including growing, processing and retail sales - through voter initiative 502 in
      November 2012. Legalized recreational marijuana retail sales began in July 2014.
      In response to state legalization of recreational marijuana, some cities and
      counties within the state have passed local ordinances that either further
      regulated marijuana markets, or banned them completely. The purpose of this study
      is to describe local-level marijuana regulations on recreational retail sales
      within the context of a state that had legalized a recreational marijuana market.
      METHODS: Marijuana-related ordinances were collected from all 142 cities in the
      state with more than 3000 residents and from all 39 counties. Policies that were
      in place as of June 30, 2016 - two years after the state's recreational market
      opening - to regulate recreational marijuana retail sales within communities were
      systematically coded. RESULTS: A total of 125 cities and 30 counties had passed
      local ordinances to address recreational marijuana retail sales. Multiple
      communities implemented retail market bans, including some temporary bans
      (moratoria) while studying whether to pursue other policy options. As of June 30,
      2016, 30% of the state population lived in places that had temporarily or
      permanently banned retail sales. Communities most frequently enacted zoning
      policies explicitly regulating where marijuana businesses could be established.
      Other policies included in ordinances placed limits on business hours and
      distance requirements (buffers) between marijuana businesses and youth-related
      land use types or other sensitive areas. CONCLUSIONS: State legalization does not
      necessarily result in uniform community environments that regulate recreational
      marijuana markets. Local ordinances vary among communities within Washington
      following statewide legalization. Further study is needed to describe how such
      local policies affect variation in public health and social outcomes.

PMID- 28365194
TI  - Corrigendum to "Role of a gitogenin-type steroidal saponin (3-O-beta-d
      glucopyranosyl (1->2)-beta-d-glucopyranosyl (1->4)-beta-d-galactopyranoside-25R,
      5alpha-spirostane-2alpha,3beta-diol), isolated from the leaves of Malvastrum
      coromandelianum in regulating thyrotoxicosis in rats" [Bioorg. Med. Chem. Lett.
      26 (2016) 4804-4807].

PMID- 28365193
TI  - Danger in the streets: exposures to bloodborne pathogens after community sharp
      injuries in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: Exposures to sharps injuries occurring in the community are relatively
      frequent. We describe characteristics of community sharp exposures reported in
      the city of Rio de Janeiro from 1997 to 2010. METHODS: A cross-sectional analysis
      of exposure reports to sharps in the community reported to a surveillance system,
      designed for health care workers, of the Municipal Health Department of Rio de
      Janeiro. The characteristics of exposed individuals analyzed included types of
      exposure, the circumstances of the accident, and the prophylaxis offered.
      RESULTS: 582 exposures were studied. Median age was 30 years and 83 (14%)
      involved children with less than 10 years of age. Two hundred and seventeen (37%)
      occurred with sharps found in the streets. The exposure was percutaneous in 515
      (89%) and needles where involved in 406 (70%) of them. The sharps were present in
      the trash in 227 (39%) or in the environment in 167 (29%) of the reports.
      Professionals who work with frequent contact with domestic or urban waste were
      196 (38%). The source was known in 112 (19%) of the exposures and blood was
      involved in 269 (46%). Only 101 (19%) of the injured subjects reported a complete
      course of vaccination for hepatitis B. Antiretroviral prophylaxis was prescribed
      for 392 (68%) of the exposed subjects. CONCLUSIONS: Sharps injuries occurring in
      the community are an important health problem. A great proportion would be
      avoided if practices on how to dispose needles and sharps used outside health
      units were implemented.

PMID- 28365195
TI  - Zebrafish FOXP3 is required for the maintenance of immune tolerance.
AB  - Regulatory T (Treg) cells play a central role in the suppression of excessive
      immune responses against both self and non-self antigens. The development and
      function of Treg cells are controlled by a master regulatory gene encoding the
      forkhead box P3 (FOXP3) protein in mammals. However, little is known regarding
      the functions of Treg cells and FOXP3 in non-mammalian vertebrates. In this
      study, we generated mutant zebrafish lacking a functional FOXP3 ortholog, and
      demonstrated a significant reduction in survival accompanied by a marked increase
      in inflammatory gene expression, mononuclear cell infiltration, and T cell
      proliferation in peripheral tissues. Our findings indicate that the zebrafish
      FOXP3 protein may have an evolutionally conserved role in the control of immune
      tolerance, illuminating the potential of the zebrafish as a novel model for
      investigating the development and functions of Treg cells.

PMID- 28365197
TI  - High-sucrose diets in male rats disrupt aspects of decision making tasks,
      motivation and spatial memory, but not impulsivity measured by operant delay
      discounting.
AB  - Excessive consumption of sugar sweetened drinks is proposed to produce functional
      changes in the hippocampus and prefrontal cortex, leading to perturbations in
      behavioural control. Impairments in behavioural control have been observed in
      obese people on tasks that involve making choices, including delay-discounting,
      indicative of increased impulsivity. In this study we examined the impact of 2h
      daily access to 10% sucrose (or no sucrose in controls) in young male rats on
      behavioural tasks reliant on hippocampal function including delay-discounting, T
      maze forced choice alternation and place recognition memory, as well as
      progressive ratio to measure motivation. We observed deficits in place
      recognition memory and T-maze forced choice alternation, indicative of
      hippocampal deficits in rats with a history of sucrose consumption. Moreover,
      rats with a history of sucrose consumption were less motivated to lever press for
      rewards on a progressive ratio schedule. However, rats with a history of sucrose
      consumption performed equally to control animals during the delay-discounting
      task, suggesting that they discounted for reward size over a delay in a manner
      comparable to control animals. These findings indicate that high-sucrose diets
      impact on spatial and working memory processes, but do not induce impulsive-like
      choice behaviours in rats, suggesting that unhealthy diet choices may not
      influence this aspect of decision-making behaviour.

PMID- 28365196
TI  - Female Sprague-Dawley rats display greater appetitive and consummatory responses
      to alcohol.
AB  - The narrowing of the gender gap in alcohol drinking patterns is a concern because
      women are more susceptible to adverse health consequences of alcohol use. Animal
      models of alcohol-seeking and -consuming are useful to delineate sex differences
      to test for effective sex-specific pharmacological treatments. We investigated
      potential sex differences in appetitive and consummatory responses to alcohol.
      Appetitive behaviors included numbers of head entries into the dipper access area
      and active lever presses. Consummatory behaviors included number of reinforcers
      delivered and consumed. Male and female Sprague-Dawley rats were placed on an
      overnight alcohol (10%) drinking schedule and trained to lever press for alcohol
      (10% solution). Separate groups of male and female animals had access to water
      overnight and were trained to lever press for sucrose (3% solution). Tests were
      conducted under a progressive ratio schedule of reinforcement. Alcohol-responding
      females demonstrated higher alcohol intake overnight and showed greater
      appetitive and consummatory responses compared to males. Similar sex differences
      were seen in the sucrose group. Effect sizes indicated greater sex differences in
      consummatory measures in the alcohol vs. sucrose groups. Conversely, greater sex
      differences in appetitive behaviors were observed in the sucrose vs. alcohol
      groups. Overall, the magnitude of the sex differences was stronger for appetitive
      behaviors compared to consummatory behaviors. Findings of quantitative sex
      differences in appetitive and consummatory behaviors for alcohol and for the
      natural reinforcer, sucrose, suggest this procedure is useful to assess efficacy
      of sex-specific treatments aimed at reducing appetitive and consummatory
      responses to alcohol.

PMID- 28365199
TI  - Outcomes of immature oocytes collected from ovarian tissue for cryopreservation
      in adult and prepubertal patients.
AB  - The efficiency of oocyte in-vitro maturation (IVM) and vitrification procedures
      after ex-vivo collection from ovarian tissue were assessed according to patient
      age, number of retrieved oocytes and tissue transport conditions. The combined
      procedure was performed in 136 patients: 130 adults (mean 27.6 +/- 5.6 years) and
      six prepubertal girls (mean 8.7 +/- 2.3 years). A higher mean number of oocytes
      were collected in girls compared with adults (11.5 +/- 8.0 versus 3.8 +/- 4.2,
      respectively, P < 0.001) but the percentage of degenerated oocytes was
      significantly higher in girls (35.5% versus 17.1%, respectively, P < 0.001). IVM
      rates were significantly lower in prepubertal than postpubertal population (10.3%
      versus 28.1%, P = 0.002). In adults, a negative correlation was observed between
      number of retrieved oocytes and age (P = 0.002; r = -0.271); the correlation was
      positive between anti-Mullerian hormone (AMH) and number of collected oocytes (P
      = 0.002; r = 0.264). IVM rates were not correlated with AMH levels (r = 0.06) or
      age (r = -0.033). At present, nine oocytes and one embryo have been warmed in
      four patients and one biochemical pregnancy obtained. This suggests the combined
      procedure could be an additional option for fertility preservation.

PMID- 28365198
TI  - [How to act when an alpha-blocker is associated with a potent inhibitor of
      CYP3A4].
AB  - OBJECTIVE: Combination of alpha-blockers with potent CYP3A4 inhibitors is either
      contra-indicated or not recommended. We searched data supporting this
      classification and guiding prescribers when such an interaction occurs. METHODS:
      We analyzed reports published by the French agency for drug safety, reference
      books and performed search in databases of pharmacokinetics studies and case or
      case series related with these interactions. RESULTS: The classification of the
      potential severity of these interactions defined by the French agency for drug
      safety evolved over time. Our literature search did not identify any cases or
      case series reporting serious clinical consequences of such interactions and no
      pharmacoepidemiological studies on the association between alpha-blockers and
      inhibitors of CYP3A4. The content of the summaries of product characteristics
      indicate that the combination of ketoconazole with alfuzosin, silodosin and
      tamsulosin increases the area under the curve of the alpha-blocker 3 fold.
      CONCLUSION: Data demonstrating the clinical consequences of an association
      between alpha-blocker and a potent CYP3A4 inhibitor are lacking. The 3 fold
      increase of the area under the curve for alfuzosin, silodosin and tamsulosin
      associated with ketoconazole while the association with the two first is contra
      indicated and is not recommended with the third raises questions. This lack of
      data leaves doctors and pharmacists in a situation of uncertainty on how to
      proceed when such an interaction occurs.

PMID- 28365200
TI  - Postoperative changes in neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio and platelet count: A
      simple prognostic predictor for adult-to-adult living donor liver
      transplantation.
AB  - BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVE: The neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) is a simple index
      that represents systemic inflammatory change. The number of platelets is also
      known to reflect both post-transplant graft regeneration and dysfunction. Thus,
      we aimed to investigate the usefulness of NLR and platelet number in predicting
      the clinical course after adult-to-adult living donor liver transplantation (AA
      LDLT) in the acute postoperative period in recipients. METHODS: Between January
      1999 and December 2013, 61 patients underwent their first AA-LDLT at our
      institute. We retrospectively analyzed their clinical data, including NLR and
      number of platelets, until postoperative day 14, and evaluated their ability to
      predict prognosis after AA-LDLT. RESULTS: The optimal cutoff values of
      postoperative maximum NLR and maximum platelets to predict prognosis were 50 and
      80 * 103/MUL, respectively. The 1- and 5-year survival rates were 87.5% and 79.1%
      in the normal maximum NLR group, respectively, and 46.2% for both in the high
      maximum NLR group (p = 0.0033). The 1- and 5-year survival rates, respectively,
      were 90.9% and 84.1% in the high maximum platelets group and 47.1% and 41.2% in
      the low maximum platelets group (p < 0.0001). In multivariate analysis, maximum
      NLR >= 50 and maximum platelets < 80 * 103/MUL were independently associated with
      1-year mortality. CONCLUSION: A high NLR and a low platelet count during acute
      postoperative period might correlate with poor prognosis after AA-LDLT.

PMID- 28365201
TI  - Pregnancy after Bariatric Surgery: Balancing Risks and Benefits.
AB  - The majority of bariatric surgeries in Canada are performed in women of
      reproductive age. Clinicians encounter more and more often pregnancies that occur
      after bariatric surgeries. The appropriate management and education of women who
      want to conceive after bariatric surgery is still unclear due to the lack of
      consistent data about maternal and neonatal outcomes following bariatric surgery.
      Maternal obesity during pregnancy confers a higher risk for gestational diabetes,
      hypertensive disorders, congenital malformations, prematurity and perinatal
      mortality. Generally, pregnancies in severely obese women who have undergone
      bariatric surgery are safe, and the women are at significantly lower risk for
      gestational diabetes, hypertensive disorders and large-for-gestational-age
      neonates, but the surgery confers a higher risk for small-for-gestational-age
      infants and prematurity. This review aims to provide evidence from recent
      publications about the risks and benefits of bariatric surgeries in the context
      of future pregnancies.

PMID- 28365202
TI  - Impact of Bariatric Surgery on White Adipose Tissue Inflammation.
AB  - Excess fat mass accumulation can lead to a wide range of metabolic and
      cardiovascular complications resulting from dysfunctional adipose tissue (AT).
      The latter includes immune cell infiltration and altered secretion of anti- and
      proinflammatory mediators, which contribute to systemic, low-grade inflammation.
      In this article, we review available literature documenting the impact of surgery
      induced weight loss on macrophage infiltration and tissue expression or
      circulating levels of a broad spectrum of inflammatory mediators. Reports
      generally show that bariatric surgery may reverse both macrophage infiltration
      and the altered secretory profile observed in the AT of patients with severe
      obesity. However, further studies are needed to confirm or elucidate the effects
      of specific bariatric surgery procedures on white AT inflammation and to shed
      light on the mechanisms involved in these effects.

PMID- 28365204
TI  - Individualized exergame training improves postural control in advanced
      degenerative spinocerebellar ataxia: A rater-blinded, intra-individually
      controlled trial.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Treatment options are rare in degenerative ataxias, especially in
      advanced, multisystemic disease. Exergame training might offer a novel treatment
      strategy, but its effectiveness has not been investigated in advanced stages.
      METHODS: We examined the effectiveness of a 12-week home-based training with body
      controlled videogames in 10 young subjects with advanced degenerative ataxia
      unable or barely able to stand. Training was structured in two 6-weeks phases,
      allowing to adapt the training according to individual training progress. Rater
      blinded clinical assessment (Scale for the Assessment and Rating of Ataxia;
      SARA), individual goal-attainment scoring (GAS), and quantitative movement
      analysis were performed two weeks before training, immediately prior to training,
      and after training phases 1 and 2 (intra-individual control design). This study
      is registered with ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT02874911). RESULTS: After intervention,
      ataxia symptoms were reduced (SARA -2.5 points, p < 0.01), with benefits
      correlating to the amount of training (p = 0.04). Goal attainment during daily
      living was higher than expected (GAS: 0.45). Movement analysis revealed reduced
      body sway while sitting (p < 0.01), which correlated with improvements in SARA
      posture and gait (p = 0.005), indicating training-induced improvements in posture
      control mechanisms. CONCLUSION: This study provides first evidence that, even in
      advanced stages, subjects with degenerative ataxia may benefit from
      individualized training, with effects translating into daily living and improving
      underlying control mechanisms. The proposed training strategy can be performed at
      home, is motivating and facilitates patient self-empowerment.

PMID- 28365203
TI  - The bidirectional longitudinal relationship between insomnia, depression and
      anxiety in patients with early-stage, medication-naive Parkinson's disease.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: While anxiety, depression and insomnia frequently (co-)occur in
      Parkinson's disease (PD) patients, little is known about their temporal
      relationship. In this study, we tested two hypotheses: i) insomnia predicts an
      increase in symptoms of depression or anxiety and ii) anxiety or depression at
      baseline predicts insomnia in PD patients six months later. METHODS: We used
      longitudinal data from a prospective cohort study of early-stage, medication
      naive PD patients. Primary outcome measures were: anxiety symptoms, measured with
      the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI); depressive symptoms, measured with the
      15-item Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS-15); and insomnia, defined as a score >=
      2 on item 1.7 of the Movement Disorder Society - Unified Parkinson's Disease
      Rating Scale. We performed linear and logistic regression analyses, correcting
      for baseline value of the respective outcome variable. RESULTS: Baseline insomnia
      was not associated with GDS-15 or STAI total score at follow-up. In a post hoc
      analysis, we found that insomnia predicted a higher STAI State score (B(SE) =
      2.50 (1.07), p < 0.05), while the association with the STAI Trait score was not
      significant. Baseline STAI scores (B(SE) = 0.02 (0.01), p = 0.001) and GDS-15
      score (B(SE) = 0.15 (0.05), p < 0.001) were significantly associated with
      insomnia at follow-up. CONCLUSION: Symptoms of anxiety and depression may
      constitute a risk factor for insomnia in PD. The relationship between insomnia
      and anxiety is bidirectional, which suggests that both anxiety and sleep
      disorders can start a negative spiral in PD patients, where one enhances the
      other. Independent clinical attention for these symptoms in PD patients is
      therefore warranted.

PMID- 28365205
TI  - Articular Ultrasound in Asymptomatic Volunteers: Identification of the Worst
      Measures of Synovial Hypertrophy, Synovial Blood Flow and Joint Damage Among
      Small-, Medium- and Large-Sized Joints.
AB  - Articular ultrasound of 6500 joint recesses was performed for the purpose of
      identifying which joint had the highest measurements among small-sized (SSJ),
      medium-sized (MSJ) and large-sized (LSJ) joints. Quantitative measurements of
      synovial hypertrophy (QSR) and semiquantitative measurements of synovial
      hypertrophy (SSH), power Doppler (SPD) and bone erosion (SBE) (score: 0-3) were
      made. Higher measurements (p < 0.01) of QSR were obtained in the second
      metatarsophalangeal joint (MTP), talonavicular joint, and hip. The highest SSH
      scores (2/3) were obtained in the second MTP, talonavicular joint, hip and knee;
      the highest SPD scores (1/2/3) in the first MTP, second MTP, dorsal second
      metacarpophalangeal (MCP) and radiocarpal recesses; and the highest SBE scores
      (2/3) in the radiocarpal, ulnocarpal and posterior recesses of the glenohumeral
      joint. In conclusion, higher measurements of synovial hypertrophy were found in
      the first and second MTPs (SSJ), talonavicular recess (MSJ) and hip (LSJ).
      Synovial blood flow was frequent in the first MTP and radiocarpal recess. Bone
      erosion stood out only in the glenohumeral joint.

PMID- 28365206
TI  - Prevalence and incidence density of unavoidable pressure ulcers in elderly
      patients admitted to medical units.
AB  - To describe the prevalence and incidence density of hospital-acquired unavoidable
      pressure sores among patients aged >=65 years admitted to acute medical units. A
      secondary analysis of longitudinal study data collected in 2012 and 2013 from 12
      acute medical units located in 12 Italian hospitals was performed. Unavoidable
      pressure ulcers were defined as those that occurred in haemodynamically unstable
      patients, suffering from cachexia and/or terminally ill and were acquired after
      hospital admission. Data at patient and at pressure ulcer levels were collected
      on a daily basis at the bedside by trained researchers. A total of 1464 patients
      out of 2080 eligible (70.4%) were included. Among these, 96 patients (6.5%)
      hospital-acquired a pressure ulcer and, among 19 (19.7%) were judged as
      unavoidable. The incidence of unavoidable pressure ulcer was 8.5/100 in hospital
      patient days. No statistically significant differences at patient and pressure
      ulcers levels have emerged between those patients that acquired unavoidable and
      avoidable pressure sores. Although limited, evidence on unavoidable pressure
      ulcer is increasing. More research in the field is recommended to support
      clinicians, managers and policymakers in the several implications of unavoidable
      pressure ulcers both at the patient and at the system levels.

PMID- 28365207
TI  - Quality of blood pressure measurement in community health centres.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: To determine the quality of the blood pressure measurements performed
      during routine care in community health centres. METHOD: An observational, cross
      sectional study was conducted in 5 private and public health centres in
      Maldonado, Uruguay, in July-August 2015. The observations were made during the
      measurements performed by health personnel, using the requirements established by
      the American Heart Association. An analysis was made on 36 variables that were
      grouped in categories related to environment, equipment, interrogation, patient,
      and observer. Statistical analysis was performed using Chi2 test or Fisher test.
      Statistical significance was considered to be less than 5% (p<.05). RESULTS: The
      measurements were made by a registered nurse or nurse in 71% of cases, physician
      in 20%, and student nurse in 9%. An aneroid sphygmomanometer was used in 89%, and
      mercury 11%. Satisfactory results were found in variables related to environment
      (93%), equipment (99%), and patient attitude (82%), and intermediate in the
      attitudes of the operator (64%), and poor in relation to the interrogation (18%),
      with the mean of correct variables per measurement being 69%. CONCLUSIONS: The
      main flaws in the procedure were the operator. The measurement of blood pressure
      is a manoeuvre that healthcare professionals perform thousands of times a year.
      If the measurement is used for the diagnosis and/or chronic management of
      arterial hypertension, not systematically applying the established
      recommendations leads to an inappropriate care of a very significant number of
      patients.

PMID- 28365208
TI  - Postoperative hyperalgesia-A clinically applicable narrative review.
AB  - Postoperative hyperalgesia (POH) is a condition characterized by signs and
      symptoms of pain despite the provision of conventional analgesia. In most cases,
      anesthesiologists are called upon soon after surgery, but occasionally it may
      occur as a late event. Persistent uncontrolled pain may transform into chronic or
      neuropathic pain. Correct diagnosis of POH is essential since similar phenomenon
      may exacerbate if misdiagnosed, while proper treatment is frequently achievable
      by pharmacological remedies. This review will describe the causes for POH and its
      bio-neuro-pharmacological basis, and clinical symptoms and signs directing the
      physician towards correct diagnosis of this paradoxical condition of pain, as
      well as modes capable of preventing POH from occurring. The pharmacological
      approach upon suspecting or diagnosing POH will focus on the use of anesthetic
      and non-anesthetic drugs that attenuate nociceptive- and opioid-induced
      paradoxical pain, and non-opioid adjuvant drugs, among which are ketamine or
      gabapentinoids, the two notably compounds that antagonize abnormal central
      sensitization that is at the basis of POH.

PMID- 28365210
TI  - Resolution of cassava-infecting alphaflexiviruses: Molecular and biological
      characterization of a novel group of potexviruses lacking the TGB3 gene.
AB  - Several potexviruses (Family Alphaflexiviridae) have been reported infecting
      cassava (Manihot esculenta Crantz) in the Americas. They were isolated from
      severely diseased plants during the last 30-40 years and include: Cassava common
      mosaic virus (CsCMV), Cassava Caribbean mosaic virus (CsCaMV), Cassava Colombian
      symptomless virus (CsCSV) and Cassava virus X (CsVX). However, their definitive
      classification as distinct species remains unresolved for several reasons,
      including the lack of sequence data and unavailability of samples from original
      isolates. This complicates disease diagnostics, cassava germplasm exchange
      certification, evaluation of virus cleaning protocols and epidemiological
      studies. Furthermore, a recently detected novel alphaflexivirus, indicates that
      cassava-infecting potexviruses may be more diverse. To solve the identity of
      these viruses, we started indexing samples from different parts of Colombia using
      different sets of PCR primers, antisera available and inoculation to indicator
      plants. Results show that there are three major phylogenetic groups of
      potexviruses infecting cassava, and they correspond to CsCMV, CsVX and the newly
      identified Cassava new alphaflexivirus (CsNAV). Bioassays and sequence analysis
      established that isolates of CsNAV and CsVX cause latent infections in different
      cassava landraces, they are not efficiently transmitted to the indicator plant
      Nicotiana benthamiana and they lack the gene 3 of the conserved potexviral
      'triple gene block' (TGB). In contrast, all isolates of CsCMV (which have a
      characteristic potexvirus genome arrangement) caused Cassava Common Mosaic
      Disease (CCMD) in single infections and were efficiently transmitted to N.
      benthamiana. Although phylogenetic analysis of the replicase sequence placed
      CsNAV and CsVX as members of the Potexvirus genus, their distinct genome
      arrangement and biological characteristics suggest they can be considered as
      members of a separate taxonomic group.

PMID- 28365209
TI  - Special Commentary: Early Clinical Development of Cell Replacement Therapy:
      Considerations for the National Eye Institute Audacious Goals Initiative.
AB  - The National Eye Institute launched the Audacious Goals Initiative (AGI) in 2013
      with the aim "to restore vision through the regeneration of neurons and neural
      connections in the eye and visual system." An AGI Town Hall held at the
      Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology Annual Meeting in 2016
      brought together basic, translational, and clinical scientists to address the
      clinical implications of the AGI, with a particular emphasis on diseases amenable
      to regenerative medicine and strategies to deal with barriers to progess. An
      example of such a barrier is that replacement of lost neurons may be insufficient
      because damage to other neurons and non-neuronal cells is common in retinal and
      optic nerve disease. Reparative processes such as gliosis and fibrosis also can
      make it difficult to replenish and regenerate neurons. Other issues include
      choice of animal models, selecting appropriate endpoints, ethics of informed
      consent, and regulatory issues. Another area critical to next steps in the AGI is
      the choice of target diseases and the stage at which early development studies
      should be focused. For example, an advantage of doing clinical trials in patients
      with early disease is that supporting cellular and structural constituents are
      still likely to be present. However, regenerative studies in patients with late
      disease make it easier to detect the effects of replacement therapy against the
      background of severe visual loss, whereas it may be harder to detect incremental
      improvement in visual function in those with early disease and considerable
      remaining visual function. Achieving the goals of the AGI also requires
      preclinical advances, new imaging techniques, and optimizing translational
      issues. The work of the AGI is expected to take at least 10 years but should
      eventually result in therapies to restore some degree of vision to the blind.

PMID- 28365211
TI  - A parental history of diabetes is associated with a high risk of retinopathy in
      patients with type 2 diabetes.

PMID- 28365212
TI  - Residues in the GluN1 C-terminal domain control kinetics and pharmacology of
      GluN1/GluN3A N-methyl-d-aspartate receptors.
AB  - N-methyl-d-aspartate (NMDA) receptors assembled from GluN1 and GluN3 subunits are
      unique in that they form glycine-gated excitatory channels that are insensitive
      to glutamate and NMDA. Alternative splicing of the GluN1 subunit mRNA results in
      eight variants with regulated expression patterns and post-translational
      modifications. Here we investigate the role of residues in the GluN1 C-terminal
      alternatively spliced cassettes in receptor gating and modulation. We measured
      whole-cell currents from recombinant GluN1/GluN3A receptors expressed in HEK293
      cells that differed in the sequence of their GluN1 C-terminal tail. We found that
      these residues controlled the level of steady-state activity and the degree to
      which activity was facilitated by zinc and protons. Further, we found that the
      phosphorylation status of sites specific to certain variants can also modulate
      channel activity. Based on these results we suggest that GluN1 C-terminal domain
      splicing may confer cell-specific and activity-dependent regulation onto the
      level and pharmacologic sensitivity of GluN1/GluN3A currents.

PMID- 28365215
TI  - Mean Arterial Pressure to Central Venous Pressure Ratio: A Novel Marker for Right
      Ventricular Failure After Left Ventricular Assist Device Placement.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Early right ventricular failure (RVF) is common after left
      ventricular assist device (LVAD) implantation and often leads to increased
      morbidity and mortality. It is difficult to predict early RVF on the basis of
      clinical and hemodynamic parameters. We investigated the utility of mean arterial
      pressure (MAP) to central venous pressure (CVP) ratio in predicting early RVF.
      METHODS AND RESULTS: We analyzed a retrospective cohort of 212 consecutive
      patients who underwent hemodynamic assessment before destination-therapy LVAD
      implantation. Patients were followed for early RVF and mortality. Receiver
      operating characteristic (ROC) analysis was used to determine discriminative
      capacity of MAP/CVP and tested the diagnostic and prognostic value of median
      MAP/CVP threshold. The ROC analysis demonstrated that pre-LVAD MAP/CVP was
      associated with an area under the ROC curve of 0.65 (95% confidence interval 0.58
      0.73; P < .001). MAP/CVP threshold <7.5 (simple nearest-to-median value) was
      associated with 70% sensitivity and 56% specificity for early RV failure.
      Patients with MAP/CVP <7.5 had a higher incidence of post-LVAD RVF than those
      with a ratio >=7.5 (44% vs 23%, respectively; P = .001). Right ventricular assist
      device requirement was higher in the MAP/CVP <7.5 group (11% vs 2%; P = .01). All
      cause mortality was higher in the MAP/CVP <7.5 group (annualized mortality 26% vs
      16%; log-rank P = .017). MAP-CVP ratio provided incremental prognostic value for
      RVF and all-cause mortality beyond established Heartmate II and RVF risk scores.
      CONCLUSIONS: Our findings suggest that pre-LVAD MAP/CVP <7.5 is associated with
      early RVF and increased mortality risk. This novel parameter can be used in risk
      stratification of LVAD candidates. Prospective validation of our findings is
      needed.

PMID- 28365213
TI  - Alternative activation-skewed microglia/macrophages promote hematoma resolution
      in experimental intracerebral hemorrhage.
AB  - Microglia/macrophages (MMPhi) are highly plastic phagocytes that can promote both
      injury and repair in diseased brain through the distinct function of classically
      activated and alternatively activated subsets. The role of MMPhi polarization in
      intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH) is unknown. Herein, we comprehensively
      characterized MMPhi dynamics after ICH in mice and evaluated the relevance of
      MMPhi polarity to hematoma resolution. MMPhi accumulated within the hematoma
      territory until at least 14days after ICH induction. Microglia rapidly reacted to
      the hemorrhagic insult as early as 1-1.5h after ICH and specifically presented a
      "protective" alternatively activated phenotype. Substantial numbers of activated
      microglia and newly recruited monocytes also assumed an early alternatively
      activated phenotype, but the phenotype gradually shifted to a mixed spectrum over
      time. Ultimately, markers of MMPhi classic activation dominated at the chronic
      stage of ICH. We enhanced MMPhi alternative activation by administering
      intraperitoneal injections of rosiglitazone, and subsequently observed elevations
      in CD206 expression on brain-isolated CD11b+ cells and increases in IL-10 levels
      in serum and perihematomal tissue. Enhancement of MMPhi alternative activation
      correlated with hematoma volume reduction and improvement in neurologic deficits.
      Intraventricular injection of alternative activation signature cytokine IL-10
      accelerated hematoma resolution, whereas microglial phagocytic ability was
      abolished by IL-10 receptor neutralization. Our results suggest that MMPhi
      respond dynamically to brain hemorrhage by exhibiting diverse phenotypic changes
      at different stages of ICH. Alternative activation-skewed MMPhi aid in hematoma
      resolution, and IL-10 signaling might contribute to regulation of MMPhi
      phagocytosis and hematoma clearance in ICH.

PMID- 28365214
TI  - in vivo localization of the neuronal ceroid lipofuscinosis proteins, CLN3 and
      CLN7, at endogenous expression levels.
AB  - The neuronal ceroid lipofuscinoses are a group of recessively inherited,
      childhood-onset neurodegenerative conditions. Several forms are caused by
      mutations in genes encoding putative lysosomal membrane proteins. Studies of the
      cell biology underpinning these disorders are hampered by the poor antigenicity
      of the membrane proteins, which makes visualization of the endogenous proteins
      difficult. We have used Drosophila to generate knock-in YFP-fusions for two of
      the NCL membrane proteins: CLN7 and CLN3. The YFP-fusions are expressed at
      endogenous levels and the proteins can be visualized live without the need for
      overexpression. Unexpectedly, both CLN7 and CLN3 have restricted expression in
      the CNS of Drosophila larva and are predominantly expressed in the glia that form
      the insect blood-brain-barrier. CLN7 is also expressed in neurons in the
      developing visual system. Analogous with murine CLN3, Drosophila CLN3 is strongly
      expressed in the excretory and osmoregulatory Malpighian tubules, but the knock
      in also reveals unexpected localization of the protein to the apical domain
      adjacent to the lumen. In addition, some CLN3 protein in the tubules is localized
      within mitochondria. Our in vivo imaging of CLN7 and CLN3 suggests new
      possibilities for function and promotes new ideas about the cell biology of the
      NCLs.

PMID- 28365216
TI  - Ultrasonic assisted hot metal powder compaction.
AB  - Hot pressing of metal powders is used in production of parts with similar
      properties to wrought materials. During hot pressing processes, particle
      rearrangement, plastic deformation, creep, and diffusion are of the most
      effective powder densification mechanisms. Applying ultrasonic vibration is
      thought to result in great rates of densification and therefore higher efficiency
      of the process is expected. This paper deals with the effects of power ultrasonic
      on the densification of AA1100 aluminum powder under constant applied stress. The
      effects of particle size and process temperature on the densification behavior
      are discussed. The results show that applying ultrasonic vibration leads to an
      improved homogeneity and a higher relative density. Also, it is found that the
      effect of ultrasonic vibration is greater for finer particles.

PMID- 28365217
TI  - Tropical arthritogenic alphaviruses.
AB  - Tropical alphaviruses have special tropism for bone and joint tissue. Patients
      can develop chronic rheumatic disorders similar to rheumatoid arthritis and
      ankylosing spondylitis. The prototype is Chikungunya virus, although other lesser
      known viruses in our environment such as Sindbis, Ross River, Mayaro, O'nyong
      nyong and Barmah Forest viruses have the potential to be sped through vectors and
      cause chronic rheumatic disease. International population movements have
      increased the numbers of patients diagnosed with these tropical viruses in areas
      in which they are not endemic. Since they can leave persistent symptoms and
      affect the quality of life of the patients, it is important that we be aware of
      them. Changes in ecosystems have favored the expansion of competent mosquitoes,
      making fears of local transmission in southern Europe a reality. The objective of
      this review is to provide a clinical approach to the different arthritogenic
      tropical alphaviruses, especially those in which chronic rheumatic disease is
      more frequent.

PMID- 28365218
TI  - Modelling of subarachnoid space width changes in apnoea resulting as a function
      of blood flow parameters.
AB  - During apnoea, the pial artery is subjected to two opposite physiological
      processes: vasoconstriction due to elevated blood pressure and vasorelaxation
      driven by rising pH in the brain parenchyma. We hypothesized that the pial artery
      response to apnoea may vary, depending on which process dominate. Apnoea
      experiments were performed in a group of 19 healthy, non-smoking volunteers (9
      men and 10 women). The following parameters were obtained for further analysis:
      blood pressure, the cardiac (from 0.5 to 5.0Hz) and slow (<0.5Hz) components of
      subarachnoid space width, heart rate, mean cerebral blood flow velocity in the
      internal carotid artery, pulsatility and resistivity index, internal carotid
      artery diameter, blood oxygen saturation and end-tidal carbon dioxide. The
      experiment consisted of three apnoeas, sequentially: 30s, 60s and maximal apnoea.
      The breath-hold was separated for 5minute rest. The control process is
      sophisticated, involving internal cross-couplings and cross-dependences. The aim
      of work was to find a mathematical dependence between data. Unexpectedly, the
      modelling revealed two different reactions, on the same experimental procedure.
      As a consequence, there are two subsets of cardiac subarachnoid space width
      responses to breath-hold in humans. A positive cardiac subarachnoid space width
      change to apnoea depends on changes in heart rate and cerebral blood flow
      velocity. A negative cardiac subarachnoid space width change to apnoea is driven
      by heart rate, mean arterial pressure and pulsatility index changes. The
      described above two different reactions to experimental breath-hold provides new
      insights into our understanding of the complex mechanisms governing the
      adaptation to apnoea in humans. We proposed a mathematical methodology that can
      be used in further clinical research.

PMID- 28365219
TI  - Study of the efficacy of melatonin for auditory brainstem response (ABR) testing
      in children.
AB  - STUDY OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the efficacy of oral melatonin to induce sedation
      (natural sleep) while measuring auditory brainstem responses (ABR) in children
      with suspected hearing loss by calculating the ABR success rate with the use of
      melatonin, the percentage of children in whom sleep was induced by melatonin and
      the time required to perform complete ABR testing. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Twenty
      nine children aged 1 to 6 years were included in this prospective study. ABR
      testing was performed as a day-case procedure in a single room ensuring suitable
      sleeping conditions. Five milligrams of melatonin (or 10mg in children over the
      age of 6 years) were administered orally before electrode positioning. An
      additional 5 milligrams were administered if the child failed to sleep after
      30minutes. RESULTS: ABR was performed with melatonin in 58 ears: complete ABR
      testing was performed in both ears in 19 children (65%), corresponding to 38
      examinations; only one ear was tested in 7 children (24.2%), corresponding to 7
      examinations; and ABR testing could not be performed in 3 children (10.3% failure
      rate). Good quality sleep was obtained in 17 children (59%), brief sleep was
      obtained in 4 children (14%), who nevertheless remained calm throughout the
      examination and 8 children (27%) did not fall asleep. The mean sleep-onset time
      after administration of melatonin was 41minutes with a mean sleep time of
      33minutes and a mean examination time of 52minutes after the first dose of
      melatonin. A complete examination therefore took an average of 93minutes.
      CONCLUSION: The use of melatonin allowed partial or complete ABR testing in 90%
      of children. This method is effective, but it requires adapted facilities to
      receive the child and the child's parents.

PMID- 28365220
TI  - Adaptation of running pattern to the drop of standard cushioned shoes: A
      randomised controlled trial with a 6-month follow-up.
AB  - OBJECTIVES: While several cross-sectional studies have investigated the acute
      effects of shoe drop on running biomechanics, the long-term consequences are
      currently unknown. This study aimed to investigate if the drop of standard
      cushioned shoes induces specific adaptations in running technique over a six
      month period in leisure-time runners. DESIGN: Double-blinded randomised
      controlled trial. METHODS: The participants (n=59) received a pair of shoes with
      a heel-to-toe drop of 10mm (D10), 6mm (D6) or 0mm (D0) and were followed-up
      regarding running training over 6 months or 500km, whichever came first. Spatio
      temporal variables and kinematics (foot/ground, ankle and knee joint angles) were
      investigated while running at preferred speed on a treadmill before and after the
      follow-up. RESULTS: The participants ran 332+/-178km in the study shoes between
      pre- and post-tests. There was no shoe version by time interaction for any of the
      spatio-temporal variables nor for lower limb angles at initial ground contact. A
      small but significant shoe drop effect was found for knee abduction at mid-stance
      (p=0.032), as it decreased for the D0 version (-0.3+/-3.1 vs. -1.3+/-2.6 degrees
      ) while it increased for the D6 (0.3+/-2.7 vs. 1.3+/-3.1 degrees ) and D10
      version (-0.2+/-3.2 vs. 0.5+/-3.1 degrees ). However, none of the pairwise
      comparisons was significant in the post-hoc analysis. CONCLUSIONS: Apart from
      knee abduction at mid-stance, no specific adaptation in spatio-temporal variables
      and kinematics was found between the three shoe versions during this 6-month
      follow-up. Thus, shoe drop of standard cushioned shoes does not seem to influence
      running biomechanics in the long term.

PMID- 28365221
TI  - Wood charcoal dust pneumoconiosis.

PMID- 28365222
TI  - Signaling pathways linking inflammation to insulin resistance.
AB  - Inflammation is closely linked to the pathogenesis of type 2 diabetes (T2D) and
      chronic inflammation is one of the main causes of insulin resistance. Insulin
      pathway is very important for the regulation of glucose, lipid, and energy
      homeostasis, growth and mitogenic. Proinflammatory mediators can be related to
      obesity and induce insulin- resistance in adipose tissue. Signaling pathways of
      transcription factors, particularly NF-kappaB signaling, are involved in insulin
      sensitivity. In addition, the crosstalk between M1-M2 macrophage polarizing plays
      an essential role in insulin resistance by switching from an M1 to an M2
      phenotype and also activation of transcription factors such as NF-kappaB and AP1.
      Here, we focus on the roles of transcription factors in inflammation-induced
      insulin resistance and their involvement in pathogenesis of insulin resistance.

PMID- 28365223
TI  - Antithrombotic therapy in patients with atrial fibrillation undergoing coronary
      stenting: Suggested strategies tailored to an integrated evaluation of different
      risk profiles.

PMID- 28365224
TI  - Design and evaluation of a phospholipase D based drug delivery strategy of novel
      phosphatidyl-prodrug.
AB  - A strategy is proposed to design a safe and simple amphiphilic prodrug delivery
      system, based on the elevated expression of phospholipase D (PLD) in cancer
      cells. The method utilizes the transphosphatidylation ability of bacterial PLD on
      alcohol groups and the hydrolysis activity of overexpressed PLD on phospholipids
      in cancer cells. Doxorubicin (DOX) was selected as a test drug, and the
      phosphatidyl-doxorubicin (PX) was synthesized by bacterial PLD. The PX prodrug
      could be readily self-assembled to nanoparticles with uniform size and was stable
      during storage and circulation. The pharmacokinetics and biodistribution
      investigations indicated DOX could be selectively released from PX in cancer
      cells triggered by the local overexpressed PLD, and PX could significantly
      prolong the half-life of DOX in the tumors and decrease the distribution in heart
      and kidney. Moreover, the PX prodrug enhanced cellular uptake in MCF-7/ADR cells,
      demonstrating it could reverse the multi-drug resistance. Consequently, the
      prodrug displayed favorable anticancer efficacy in the MCF-7/ADR xenograft model
      without the cardiotoxicity and nephrotoxicity of DOX. The results demonstrated
      that phosphatidyl modification method can be used as an efficient strategy to
      develop a promising nanoscale drug delivery system for some drugs.

PMID- 28365225
TI  - Safety and immunogenicity of one versus two doses of Takeda's tetravalent dengue
      vaccine in children in Asia and Latin America: interim results from a phase 2,
      randomised, placebo-controlled study.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Dengue is the most common mosquito-borne viral disease in human
      beings, and vector control has not halted its spread worldwide. A dengue vaccine
      for individuals aged 9 years and older has been licensed, but there remains
      urgent medical need for a vaccine that is safe and effective against all four
      dengue virus serotypes (DENV-1-4) in recipients of all ages. Here, we present the
      preplanned interim analyses at 6 months of a tetravalent dengue vaccine candidate
      (TDV), which is comprised of an attenuated DENV-2 virus strain (TDV-2) and three
      chimeric viruses containing the premembrane and envelope protein genes of DENV-1,
      DENV-3, and DENV-4 genetically engineered into the attenuated TDV-2 genome
      backbone (TDV-1, TDV-3, and TDV-4). METHODS: An ongoing phase 2, randomised,
      double-blind, placebo-controlled trial of a TDV is being done at three sites in
      dengue-endemic countries (Dominican Republic, Panama, and the Philippines) to
      determine its safety and immunogenicity over 48 months in healthy participants
      aged 2-17 years who were randomly assigned (1:2:5:1) using an interactive web
      response system (stratified by age) to subcutaneous TDV injection (one 0.5 mL
      dose containing 2.5 * 104 plaque-forming units [PFU] of TDV-1; 6.3 * 103 PFU of
      TDV-2; 3.2 * 104 PFU of TDV-3; and 4.0 * 105 PFU of TDV-4) in different dose
      schedules (two-dose regimen at 0 and 3 months, one dose at 0 months, or one dose
      at 0 months and a booster at 12 months) or placebo. The primary endpoint of this
      6 month interim analysis was geometric mean titres (GMTs) of neutralising
      antibodies against DENV-1-4 in the per-protocol immunogenicity subset at 1 month,
      3 months, and 6 months after the first injection. Safety was assessed as a
      secondary outcome as percentage of participants with serious adverse events in
      all participants who were injected (safety set), and solicited and unsolicited
      adverse events (immunogenicity subset). This trial is registered with
      ClinicalTrials.gov, number NCT02302066. FINDINGS: 1800 participants were enrolled
      between Dec 5, 2014, and Feb 13, 2015. 1794 participants were given study
      injection as follows: 200 participants were given two-dose regimen at 0 and 3
      months (group 1), 398 were given one dose at 0 months (group 2), 998 were given
      one dose at 0 months and will be given (trial ongoing) a booster at 12 months
      (group 3), and 198 were given placebo (group 4). These 1794 participants were
      included in the safety set; 562 participants were randomly assigned to the
      immunogenicity subset, of which 503 were included in the per-protocol set. TDV
      elicited neutralising antibodies against all DENV serotypes, which peaked at 1
      month and remained elevated above baseline at 6 months. At 6 months, GMTs of
      neutralising antibodies against DENV-1 were 489 (95% CI 321-746) for group 1, 434
      (306-615) for group 2, 532 (384-738) for group 3, and 62 (32-120) for group 4;
      GMTs of neutralising antibodies against DENV-2 were 1565 (1145-2140) for group 1,
      1639 (1286-2088) for group 2, 1288 (1031-1610) for group 3, and 86 (44-169) for
      group 4; GMTs of neutralising antibodies against DENV-3 were 160 (104-248) for
      group 1, 151 (106-214) for group 2, 173 (124-240) for group 3, and 40 (23-71) for
      group 4; and GMTs of neutralising antibodies against DENV-4 were 117 (79-175) for
      group 1, 110 (80-149) for group 2, 93 (69-125) for group 3, and 24 (15-38) for
      group 4. No vaccine-related serious adverse events occurred; 15 (3%) of 562
      participants in the immunogenicity subset reported vaccine-related unsolicited
      adverse events. The reactogenicity profile of TDV was acceptable, and similar to
      previous findings with TDV. INTERPRETATION: TDV is safe and immunogenic in
      individuals aged 2-17 years, irrespective of previous dengue exposure. A second
      TDV dose induced enhanced immunogenicity against DENV-3 and DENV-4 in children
      who were seronegative before vaccination. These data supported the initiation of
      phase 3 evaluation of the efficacy and safety of TDV given in a two-dose schedule
      3 months apart, with analyses that take into account baseline age and dengue
      serostatus. FUNDING: Takeda Vaccines.

PMID- 28365226
TI  - Rocky Mountain spotted fever in Mexico: past, present, and future.
AB  - Rocky Mountain spotted fever, a tick-borne zoonosis caused by Rickettsia
      rickettsii, is among the most lethal of all infectious diseases in the Americas.
      In Mexico, the disease was first described during the early 1940s by scientists
      who carefully documented specific environmental determinants responsible for
      devastating outbreaks in several communities in the states of Sinaloa, Sonora,
      Durango, and Coahuila. These investigators also described the pivotal roles of
      domesticated dogs and Rhipicephalus sanguineus sensu lato (brown dog ticks) as
      drivers of epidemic levels of Rocky Mountain spotted fever. After several decades
      of quiescence, the disease re-emerged in Sonora and Baja California during the
      early 21st century, driven by the same environmental circumstances that
      perpetuated outbreaks in Mexico during the 1940s. This Review explores the
      history of Rocky Mountain spotted fever in Mexico, current epidemiology, and the
      multiple clinical, economic, and social challenges that must be considered in the
      control and prevention of this life-threatening illness.

PMID- 28365227
TI  - Moving forward with Takeda's live chimeric tetravalent dengue vaccine.

PMID- 28365228
TI  - The thoracic morphology of the wingless dune cricket Comicus calcaris
      (Orthoptera: Schizodactylidae): Novel apomorphic characters for the group and
      adaptations to sand desert environments.
AB  - Schizodactylidae, splay-footed or dune crickets, represents a distinct lineage
      among the highly diverse orthopteran subgroup Ensifera (crickets, katydids and
      allies). Only two extant genera belong to the Schizodactylidae: the winged
      Eurasian genus Schizodactylus, whose ecology and morphology is well documented,
      and the wingless South African Comicus, for which hardly any studies providing
      morphological descriptions have been conducted since its taxonomic description in
      1888. Based on the first in-depth study of the skeletomuscular system of the
      thorax of Comicus calcaris Irish 1986, we provide information on some unique
      characteristics of this character complex in Schizodactylidae. They include a
      rigid connection of prospinasternite and mesosternum, a T-shaped mesospina, and a
      fused meso- and metasternum. Although Schizodactylidae is mainly characterized by
      group-specific anatomical traits of the thorax, its bifurcated profuca supports a
      closer relationship to the tettigonioid ensiferans, like katydids, wetas, and
      hump-winged crickets. Some specific features of the thoracic musculature of
      Comicus seem to be correlated to the skeletal morphology, e.g., due to the rigid
      connection of the tergites and pleurites in the pterothorax not a single direct
      flight muscle is developed. We show that many of the thoracic adaptations in
      these insects are directly related to their psammophilous way of life. These
      include a characteristic setation of thoracic sclerites that prevent sand grains
      from intrusion into vulnerable membranous areas, the striking decrease in size of
      the thoracic spiracles that reduces the respirational water loss, and a general
      trend towards a fusion of sclerites in the thorax.

PMID- 28365229
TI  - The role of interleukin 10 in human papilloma virus infection and progression to
      cervical carcinoma.
AB  - Although Human Papillomavirus (HPV) exerts a vital influence on cervical
      carcinogenesis, other factors influence the development of a squamous
      intraepithelial lesion (SIL) that may or not progress to cervical cancer. Among
      several cytokines, Interleukin 10 (IL-10) stands out as an important anti
      inflammatory factor, leading to immune system evasion through an
      immunosuppressive state. In the cervical microenvironment, during different
      stages of HPV infection, IL-10 production can be induced and maintained by
      different cell sources, including infected keratinocytes, some subsets of
      dendritic cells (DC), tumor associated macrophages (TAM), T regulatory cells
      (Treg) and tumor cells. Further, a wide range of effects can be exerted by IL-10
      on different cell populations, such as inhibiting proinflammatory cytokine
      production, DCs differentiation, antigen presenting function and T-helper 1 (Th1)
      polarization. IL-10 is one of several cytokines involved in cancer development
      and sustenance, although its role in cancer is still controversial and poorly
      understood. However, cervical IL-10 levels tend to increase in parallel to SIL
      development and are even higher within cervical tumors. Accumulating data have
      shown that after HPV infection, IL-10 levels are enhanced as a result of HPV E2,
      E6 and E7 proteins action over IL-10 gene transcription, while IL-10 stimulates
      HPV E6 and E7 expression. Therefore, this interplay between HPV and IL-10 creates
      a vicious cycle that could favor an immunosuppressive microenvironment in the
      cervix, facilitating the progression of a simple HPV infection to SIL or cervical
      cancer.

PMID- 28365231
TI  - Embryonic yolk removal affects neither morphology nor escape performance of
      larval axolotls.
AB  - Maternal effects, the influences of maternal phenotype on the phenotypes of her
      offspring, mediate early ontogenetic traits through maternal investment. In
      amphibians, provisioning eggs with yolk is the main source of maternal
      investment. While larger eggs generally result in larger, higher-quality
      offspring, the relationship between egg size and offspring phenotype is
      complicated because offspring can evolve to be more or less responsive to
      variation in yolk provisions. Previous studies of several ambystomatid
      salamanders suggest that the effects of embryonic yolk reserve reduction on
      hatchling life history traits increase with egg size. In this study, a similar
      controlled experimental yolk removal technique in Ambystoma mexicanum was used to
      determine the effects of reduced yolk reserves on phenotypes including hatching
      time and stage, hatchling and larval size and performance in predation trials
      with fish. Surprisingly, yolk reduction revealed no effects on any traits. These
      findings suggest that larval morphology in A. mexicanum is highly canalized and
      larval phenotypes are decoupled from yolk reserve variation. This surprising lack
      of yolk removal effects in hatchling and larval axolotls illustrates the
      evolutionary flexibility of early life history traits. Traits can evolve to
      increase or decrease their response to resources and can even become completely
      unresponsive. Since we found no effects in early life history, we hypothesize
      that domestication of the axolotl may have altered yolk properties or allocation
      dynamics and that maternal investment in yolk reserves may manifest at later life
      stages by reducing the time to reproductive maturity or increasing fecundity.

PMID- 28365230
TI  - Mutational Correlates of Virological Failure in Individuals Receiving a WHO
      Recommended Tenofovir-Containing First-Line Regimen: An International
      Collaboration.
AB  - Tenofovir disoproxil fumarate (TDF) genotypic resistance defined by K65R/N and/or
      K70E/Q/G occurs in 20% to 60% of individuals with virological failure (VF) on a
      WHO-recommended TDF-containing first-line regimen. However, the full spectrum of
      reverse transcriptase (RT) mutations selected in individuals with VF on such a
      regimen is not known. To identify TDF regimen-associated mutations (TRAMs), we
      compared the proportion of each RT mutation in 2873 individuals with VF on a WHO
      recommended first-line TDF-containing regimen to its proportion in a cohort of
      50,803 antiretroviral-naive individuals. To identify TRAMs specifically
      associated with TDF-selection pressure, we compared the proportion of each TRAM
      to its proportion in a cohort of 5805 individuals with VF on a first-line
      thymidine analog-containing regimen. We identified 83 TRAMs including 33 NRTI
      associated, 40 NNRTI-associated, and 10 uncommon mutations of uncertain
      provenance. Of the 33 NRTI-associated TRAMs, 12 - A62V, K65R/N, S68G/N/D,
      K70E/Q/T, L74I, V75L, and Y115F - were more common among individuals receiving a
      first-line TDF-containing compared to a first-line thymidine analog-containing
      regimen. These 12 TDF-selected TRAMs will be important for monitoring TDF
      associated transmitted drug-resistance and for determining the extent of reduced
      TDF susceptibility in individuals with VF on a TDF-containing regimen.

PMID- 28365232
TI  - Iterative Reconstructions in Reduced-Dose CT: Which Type Ensures Diagnostic Image
      Quality in Young Oncology Patients?
AB  - RATIONALE AND OBJECTIVES: To compare adaptive statistical iterative
      reconstruction (ASIR) and model-based iterative reconstruction (MBIR) algorithms
      for reduced-dose computed tomography (CT). MATERIALS AND METHODS: Forty-four
      young oncology patients (mean age 30 +/- 9 years) were included. After routine
      thoraco-abdominal CT (dose 100%, average CTDIvol 9.1 +/- 2.4 mGy, range 4.4-16.9
      mGy), follow-up CT was acquired at 50% (average CTDIvol 4.5 +/- 1.2 mGy, range
      2.2-8.4 mGy) in 29 patients additionally at 20% dose (average CTDIvol 1.9 +/- 0.5
      mGy, range 0.9-3.4 mGy). Each reduced-dose CT was reconstructed using both ASIR
      and MBIR. Four radiologists (two juniors and two seniors) blinded to dose and
      technique read each set of CT images regarding objective and subjective image
      qualities (high- or low-contrast structures), subjective noise or pixilated
      appearance, diagnostic confidence, and lesion detection. RESULTS: At all dose
      levels, objective image noise was significantly lower with MBIR than with ASIR (P
      < 0.001). The subjective image quality for low-contrast structures was
      significantly higher with MBIR than with ASIR (P < 0.001). Reduced-dose abdominal
      CT images of patients with higher body mass index (BMI) were read with
      significantly higher diagnostic confidence than images of slimmer patients (P <
      0.001) and had higher subjective image quality, regardless of technique. Although
      MBIR images appeared significantly more pixilated than ASIR images, they were
      read with higher diagnostic confidence, especially by juniors (P < 0.001).
      CONCLUSIONS: Reduced-dose CT during the follow-up of young oncology patients
      should be reconstructed with MBIR to ensure diagnostic quality. Elevated body
      mass index does not hamper the quality of reduced-dose CT.

PMID- 28365233
TI  - An Interprofessional Learning Workshop for Mammography and Sonography Students
      Focusing on Breast Cancer Care and Management Via Simulation: A Pilot Study.
AB  - RATIONALE AND OBJECTIVES: The literature surrounding interprofessional education
      claims that students who learn with, from, and about one another in well-designed
      interprofessional programs will practice together collaboratively upon
      graduation, given the skills to do so. The objective of this study was to examine
      attitudes to interprofessional practice before and after an interprofessional
      learning (IPL) activity. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A total of 35 postgraduate
      medical imaging students attended a week-long mammography workshop. The sessions
      provided a range of didactic sessions related to diagnosis and management of
      breast cancer. An IPL session was incorporated on completion of the workshop to
      consolidate learning. Props and authentic resources were used to increase the
      fidelity of the simulation. Participants completed pre- and post-workshop
      questionnaires comprising an interprofessional education and collaboration scale
      and a quiz to gauge knowledge of specific content related to professional roles.
      Responses to each statement in the scale and quiz score, pre or post workshop,
      were compared, whereas responses to open-ended questions in post-workshop survey
      were thematically analyzed. RESULTS: Seventeen paired surveys were received.
      There was a significant total improvement of 10.66% (P = .036). After simulation,
      there was a statistically significant improvement in participants' understanding
      (P < .05) that IPL offers holistic care to the patient and that teamwork is
      useful for reducing errors in patient care. Simulation helped participants
      develop more awareness of their role within the profession, improve their
      understanding of other professionals, and gain more realistic expectations of
      team members. CONCLUSION: This pilot study confirmed learning within an IPL
      simulation improved attitudes toward shared learning, teamwork, and
      communication. Simulation provides opportunities for learning in a safe
      environment, and technology can be used in diverse ways to provide authentic
      learning.

PMID- 28365234
TI  - Chart-stimulated Recall as a Learning Tool for Improving Radiology Residents'
      Reports.
AB  - RATIONALE AND OBJECTIVES: Workplace-based assessments gauge the highest tier of
      clinical competence. Chart-stimulated recall (CSR) is a workplace-based
      assessment method that complements chart audit with an interview based on the
      residents' notes. It allows evaluation of the residents' knowledge and heuristics
      while providing opportunities for feedback and self-reflection. We evaluated the
      utility of CSR for improving the radiology residents' reporting skills. MATERIALS
      AND METHODS: Residents in each year of training were randomly assigned to an
      intervention group (n = 12) or a control group (n = 13). Five pre-intervention
      and five post-intervention reports of each resident were independently evaluated
      by three blinded reviewers using a modified Bristol Radiology Report Assessment
      Tool. The study intervention comprised a CSR interview tailored to each
      individual resident's learning needs based on the pre-intervention assessment.
      The CSR process focused on the clinical relevance of the radiology reports.
      Student's t test (P < .05) was used to compare pre- and post-intervention scores
      of each group. RESULTS: A total of 125 pre-intervention and 125 post-intervention
      reports were evaluated (total 750 assessments). The Cronbach's alpha for the
      study tool was 0.865. A significant improvement was seen in the cumulative 19
      item score (66% versus 73%, P < .001) and the global rating score (59% versus
      72%, P < .001) of the intervention group after the CSR. The reports of the
      control group did not demonstrate any significant improvement. CONCLUSION: CSR is
      a feasible workplace-based assessment method for improving reporting skills of
      the radiology residents.

PMID- 28365235
TI  - Diagnosing Sarcopenia on Thoracic Computed Tomography: Quantitative Assessment of
      Skeletal Muscle Mass in Patients Undergoing Transcatheter Aortic Valve
      Replacement.
AB  - RATIONALE AND OBJECTIVES: This study aims to assess the use of skeletal muscle
      mass measurements at two thoracic levels to diagnose sarcopenia on computed
      tomography (CT) chest examinations and to analyze the impact of these
      measurements on clinical outcome parameters following transcatheter aortic valve
      replacement. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This study retrospectively included 157
      patients who underwent preoperative CT examinations. The total muscle area was
      measured on transverse CT images at the 3rd lumbar and 7th and 12th thoracic
      levels with skeletal muscle indices (SMIs) calculated at each level. SMIs were
      then compared to clinical outcome parameters, and thoracic cutoff values for
      sarcopenia at the 7th and 12th thoracic levels were calculated. RESULTS:
      Correlation between SMIs at the third lumbar vertebra (L3) and the 12th thoracic
      vertebra (T12) was stronger (r = 0.724, P < 0.001) than that between L3 and the
      seventh thoracic vertebra (T7) (r = 0.594, P < 0.001). SMIs at L3 and T12
      significantly correlated with prolonged length of stay. Thoracic cutoff values
      for the 12th thoracic level were 42.6 cm2/m2 (men) and 30.6 cm2/m2 (women), and
      those for the 7th thoracic level were 46.5 cm2/m2 (men) and 32.3 cm2/m2 (women).
      CONCLUSIONS: Skeletal muscle measurements at the T12 level could permit the
      diagnosis of sarcopenia and could be used to correlate sarcopenia with outcome
      parameters in patients undergoing CT limited to the chest.

PMID- 28365236
TI  - The assessment of the chronic hepatotoxicity induced by Polygoni Multiflori Radix
      in rats: A pilot study by using untargeted metabolomics method.
AB  - : Polygoni Multiflori Radix is the dried root of Polygonum multiflorum Thunb
      officially recorded in the Chinese Pharmacopoeia as HeShouWu (HSW) in Chinese
      pinyin. The processed HSW are commonly used in TCM to treat liver disease and
      Chinese Pharmacopoeia has described the actions of it to tonify liver-kidney,
      replenish essence and blood, blacken beard and hair, strengthen sinew and bone,
      and resolve turbidity and lower lipid hence making it use not only as a herbal
      medicine in TCM but also as supplementary food in health care. AIM OF THE STUDY:
      Concerns about the hepatotoxicity in association with Polygoni Multiflori Radix
      and its processed products have been reported in some countries. In the present
      study, we aim to investigate the potential hepatotoxicity of HSW in rats with
      oral administration of 95% ethanol-extracts of Polygoni Multiflori Radix by using
      metabolomics method. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Here, male rats with 150-180g body
      weight were received vehicle control or Polygoni Multiflori Radix extracts (HSW
      Ex) orally at 19.2 (low dose), 192 (medium dose), or 1920mg/kg/day (high dose),
      respectively, for 28 consecutive days. Signs of HSW-induced toxicity were
      monitored by traditional toxicity assessments (e.g., clinical pathology and
      histopathology). Metabolomics investigation of serum was performed to identify
      potential endogenous metabolites which may be relevant to liver injury. RESULTS:
      Rats received High and Medium dose of HSW-Ex showed greater sign of liver injury
      with increased levels of ASP, ALT, and AST, as well as reduced SOD activity when
      compared to vehicle control. In contrast, there are no significant changes
      relevant to liver injury observed in rats by receiving the low dose of HSW-Ex.
      Metabolomics analyses have identified ten potential endogenous metabolites varied
      significantly among the treatment groups with varying doses of HSW-Ex, of which
      might be related to liver injury. CONCLUSION: Our data has further suggested that
      liver damage resulting from HSW-Ex consumption is dosage dependent in rats. It is
      possible that disruption in amino acid and energy metabolism might lead to
      subsequent oxidative damage in the liver of rats. Because the clinic practice
      often use low dose in a short time, therefore HSW usage in TCM still keep safe
      currently, but we present a warning to the clinical doctors and make them has
      some concern about high dose of HSW usage in a long term that has potential
      danger to damage liver.

PMID- 28365237
TI  - Contributions of aortic pulse wave velocity and backward wave pressure to
      variations in left ventricular mass are independent of each other.
AB  - Aortic pulse wave velocity (PWV) and backward waves, as determined from wave
      separation analysis, predict cardiovascular events beyond brachial blood
      pressure. However, the extent to which these aortic hemodynamic variables
      contribute independent of each other is uncertain. In 749 randomly selected
      participants of African ancestry, we therefore assessed the extent to which
      relationships between aortic PWV or backward wave pressures (Pb) (and hence
      central aortic pulse pressure [PPc]) and left ventricular mass index (LVMI) occur
      independent of each other. Aortic PWV, PPc, forward wave pressure (Pf), and Pb
      were determined using radial applanation tonometry and SphygmoCor software and
      LVMI using echocardiography; 44.5% of participants had an increased left
      ventricular mass indexed to height1.7. With adjustments for age, brachial
      systolic blood pressure or PP, and additional confounders, PPc and Pb, but not
      Pf, were independently related to LVMI and left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH) in
      both men and women. However, PWV was independently associated with LVMI in women
      (partial r = 0.16, P < .001), but not in men (partial r = 0.03), and PWV was
      independently associated with LVH in women (P < .05), but not in men (P = .07).
      With PWV and Pb included in the same multivariate regression models, PWV (partial
      r = 0.14, P < .005) and Pb (partial r = 0.10, P < .05) contributed to a similar
      extent to variations in LVMI in women. In addition, with PWV and Pb included in
      the same multivariate regression models, PWV (P < .05) and Pb (P < .02)
      contributed to LVH in women. In conclusion, aortic PWV and Pb (and hence pulse
      pressure) although both associated with LVMI and LVH produce effects which are
      independent of each other.

PMID- 28365239
TI  - Breastfeeding initiation for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women in
      Victoria: analysis of routinely collected population-based data.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Increasing breastfeeding rates is one way of improving the short and
      long term health of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children (hereafter
      referred to as Aboriginal). Despite the benefits of breastfeeding and
      recommendations for strategies to increase breastfeeding among Aboriginal people,
      there is a lack of available population data. AIM: To use population-based data
      from Victoria, Australia to compare breastfeeding initiation for Aboriginal and
      non-Aboriginal women and to explore factors associated with breastfeeding
      initiation of Aboriginal women. METHODS: Routinely collected infant feeding data
      obtained from the Victorian Perinatal Data Collection (VPDC) was used. The VPDC
      is a mandatory, population-based system where maternal and infant data on all
      Victorian births are collected. FINDINGS: Compared with non-Aboriginal women,
      Aboriginal women were less likely to attempt to breastfeed their baby (87.2% vs
      95.3%; p<0.001); more likely to give formula in hospital (39.6% vs 30.6%;
      p<0.001) and less likely to give the last feed prior to discharge exclusively
      from the breast (64.4% vs 75.0% p<0.001). For Aboriginal women, factors
      associated with not initiating breastfeeding were being single, multiparous,
      smoking and length of stay. Infant factors were gestation less than 37 weeks and
      low birthweight (<2,500g). CONCLUSION: In Victoria, breastfeeding initiation is
      lower for Aboriginal women compared with non-Aboriginal women. Further research
      is needed to explore the effectiveness of interventions that may increase
      breastfeeding for Aboriginal women.

PMID- 28365238
TI  - An Open-Label, Randomized, Controlled Phase II Study of Paclitaxel-Carboplatin
      Chemotherapy With Necitumumab Versus Paclitaxel-Carboplatin Alone in First-Line
      Treatment of Patients With Stage IV Squamous Non-Small-Cell Lung Cancer.
AB  - BACKGROUND: The combination of necitumumab with gemcitabine-cisplatin
      significantly improved overall survival (OS) in patients with stage IV squamous
      non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC), in the phase III SQUamous NSCLC treatment
      with the Inhibitor of EGF REceptor (SQUIRE) trial. Paclitaxel-carboplatin was
      selected as an alternative standard of care in the current phase II study.
      PATIENTS AND METHODS: Patients were randomized (stratified according to Eastern
      Cooperative Oncology Group performance status and sex) 2:1 to <= six 3-week
      cycles (Q3W) of paclitaxel and carboplatin with or without necitumumab.
      Chemotherapy was paclitaxel 200 mg/m2 on day 1 Q3W and carboplatin area under the
      curve 6 on day 1 Q3W. Necitumumab 800 mg, on days 1 and 8, was continued until
      disease progression or intolerable toxicity occurred. The primary end point was
      objective response rate (ORR) on the basis of Response Evaluation Criteria In
      Solid Tumors version 1.1. RESULTS: One hundred sixty-seven patients were
      randomized to the necitumumab-containing arm (n = 110) or the chemotherapy-only
      arm (n = 57). The combination of necitumumab with chemotherapy resulted in an ORR
      of 48.9% versus 40.0%. Median progression-free survival and OS were 5.4 versus
      5.6 months (hazard ratio [HR], 1.0) and 13.2 versus 11.2 months (HR, 0.83; P =
      .379) in each treatment arm, respectively. Disease control rate was 87.2% versus
      84.0%. Grade >= 3 adverse events typically associated with epidermal growth
      factor receptor (EGFR) monoclonal antibodies showing a > 2% increase were
      hypomagnesemia (5.7% vs. 0) and rash (2.8% vs. 0). Any Grade thromboembolic
      events occurred in < 4% of patients in either arm. CONCLUSION: The results of our
      study support previously reported results that the combination of necitumumab
      with chemotherapy improves survival in patients with advanced squamous NSCLC and
      shows a safety profile consistent with that of EGFR monoclonal antibodies.

PMID- 28365240
TI  - Using Electronic Health Records to Build an Ophthalmologic Data Warehouse and
      Visualize Patients' Data.
AB  - PURPOSE: To develop a near-real-time data warehouse (DW) in an academic
      ophthalmologic center to gain scientific use of increasing digital data from
      electronic medical records (EMR) and diagnostic devices. DESIGN: Database
      development. METHODS: Specific macular clinic user interfaces within the
      institutional hospital information system were created. Orders for imaging
      modalities were sent by an EMR-linked picture-archiving and communications system
      to the respective devices. All data of 325 767 patients since 2002 were gathered
      in a DW running on an SQL database. A data discovery tool was developed. An
      exemplary search for patients with age-related macular degeneration, performed
      cataract surgery, and at least 10 intravitreal (excluding bevacizumab) injections
      was conducted. RESULTS: Data related to those patients (3 142 204 diagnoses
      [including diagnoses from other fields of medicine], 720 721 procedures [eg,
      surgery], and 45 416 intravitreal injections) were stored, including 81 274
      optical coherence tomography measurements. A web-based browsing tool was
      successfully developed for data visualization and filtering data by several
      linked criteria, for example, minimum number of intravitreal injections of a
      specific drug and visual acuity interval. The exemplary search identified 450
      patients with 516 eyes meeting all criteria. CONCLUSIONS: A DW was successfully
      implemented in an ophthalmologic academic environment to support and facilitate
      research by using increasing EMR and measurement data. The identification of
      eligible patients for studies was simplified. In future, software for decision
      support can be developed based on the DW and its structured data. The improved
      classification of diseases and semiautomatic validation of data via machine
      learning are warranted.

PMID- 28365241
TI  - Adjuvant Ab Interno Tumor Treatment After Proton Beam Irradiation.
AB  - PURPOSE: This study was performed to show long-term outcomes concerning globe
      preservation in uveal melanoma patients after proton beam therapy with the main
      focus on outcomes according to different adjuvant ab interno surgical procedures.
      DESIGN: Retrospective cohort study. METHODS: All patients treated with primary
      proton beam therapy for choroidal or ciliary body melanoma between June 1998 and
      June 2015 were included. RESULTS: A total of 2499 patients underwent primary
      proton beam therapy, with local tumor control and globe preservation rates of
      95.9% and 94.8% after 5 years, respectively. A total of 110 (4.4%) patients
      required secondary enucleation. Unresponsive neovascular glaucoma was the leading
      cause of secondary enucleation in 78 of the 2499 patients (3.1%). The 5-year
      enucleation-free survival rate was 94.8% in the endoresection group, 94.3% in the
      endodrainage group, and 93.5% in the comparator group. The log-rank test showed P
      = .014 (comparator group vs endoresection group) and P = .06 (comparator group vs
      endodrainage-vitrectomy group). Patients treated with endoresection or
      endodrainage-vitrectomy developed less radiation retinopathy (30.5% and 37.4%
      after 5 years, P = .001 and P = .048 [Kaplan-Meier], respectively) and less
      neovascular glaucoma (11.6% and 21.3% after 5 years, P = .001 and P = .01 [Kaplan
      Meier], respectively) compared with the comparator group (52.3% radiation
      retinopathy and 57.8% neovascular glaucoma after 5 years). CONCLUSION: This study
      suggests that in larger tumors the enucleation and neovascular glaucoma rates
      might be reduced by adjuvant surgical procedures. Although endoresection is the
      most promising adjuvant treatment option, the endodrainage-vitrectomy is
      recommended in patients who are ineligible for endoresection.

PMID- 28365242
TI  - [Adverse events in an internal medicine: A prospective study].

PMID- 28365243
TI  - CNS angiogenesis and barriergenesis occur simultaneously.
AB  - The blood-brain barrier (BBB) plays a vital role in the central nervous system
      (CNS). A comprehensive understanding of BBB development has been hampered by
      difficulties in observing the differentiation of brain endothelial cells (BECs)
      in real-time. Here, we generated two transgenic zebrafish line,
      Tg(glut1b:mCherry) and Tg(plvap:EGFP), to serve as in vivo reporters of BBB
      development. We showed that barriergenesis (i.e. the induction of BEC
      differentiation) occurs immediately as endothelial tips cells migrate into the
      brain parenchyma. Using the Tg(glut1b:mCherry) transgenic line, we performed a
      genetic screen and identified a zebrafish mutant with a nonsense mutation in
      gpr124, a gene known to play a role in CNS angiogenesis and BBB development. We
      also showed that our transgenic plvap:EGFP line, a reporter of immature brain
      endothelium, is initially expressed in newly formed brain endothelial cells, but
      subsides during BBB maturation. Our results demonstrate the ability to visualize
      the in vivo differentiation of brain endothelial cells into the BBB phenotype and
      establish that CNS angiogenesis and barriergenesis occur simultaneously.

PMID- 28365244
TI  - The CAM-ICU has now a French "official" version. The translation process of the
      2014 updated Complete Training Manual of the Confusion Assessment Method for the
      Intensive Care Unit in French (CAM-ICU.fr).
AB  - INTRODUCTION: Delirium is common in Intensive-Care-Unit (ICU) patients but under
      recognized by bed-side clinicians when not using validated delirium-screening
      tools. The Confusion-Assessment-Method for the ICU (CAM-ICU) has demonstrated
      very good psychometric properties, and has been translated into many different
      languages though not into French. We undertook this opportunity to describe the
      translation process. MATERIAL AND METHODS: The translation was performed
      following recommended guidelines. The updated method published in 2014 including
      introduction letters, worksheet and flowsheet for bed-side use, the method
      itself, case-scenarios for training and Frequently-Asked-Questions (32 pages) was
      translated into French language by a neuropsychological researcher who was not
      familiar with the original method. Then, the whole method was back-translated by
      a native English-French bilingual speaker. The new English version was compared
      to the original one by the Vanderbilt University ICU-delirium-team. Discrepancies
      were discussed between the two teams before final approval of the French version.
      RESULTS: The entire process took one year. Among the 3692 words of the back
      translated version of the method itself, 18 discrepancies occurred. Eight (44%)
      lead to changes in the final version. Details of the translation process are
      provided. CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE: The French version of CAM-ICU is now
      available for French-speaking ICUs. The CAM-ICU is provided with its complete
      training-manual that was challenging to translate following recommended process.
      While many such translations have been done for other clinical tools, few have
      published the details of the process itself. We hope that the availability of
      such teaching material will now facilitate a large implementation of delirium
      screening in French-speaking ICUs.

PMID- 28365245
TI  - Induced MiR-1249 expression by aberrant activation of Hedegehog signaling pathway
      in hepatocellular carcinoma.
AB  - Aberrant activations of Hedegehog (Hh) signaling were found in hepatocellular
      carcinoma (HCC) and some other cancer types. However, the details have not been
      completely understood and the underlying mechanism remains unclear. Here we
      reported that miR-1249 transcription in HCC cells was regulated through direct
      binding to the conserved sequences in miR-1249 promoter region by Gli1, which
      functions as a transcription factor and is a component in the Hh signaling
      pathway. Interestingly, expression of tumor suppressor PTCH1, which is another
      component of the Hh signaling pathway, was inhibited by miR-1249 through
      targeting its 3'-untranslated region. Down-regulation of PTCH1 further enhanced
      the downstream effects mediated by Gli1. In consistent with these findings, miR
      1249 expression level was correlated with degree of prognosis (p=0.005) in HCC
      patients. Taken together, our results suggested the existence of a positive
      feedback loop comprised of Gli1, miR-1249 and PTCH1. During the process of HCC
      progression, this positive feedback loop could be continuously activated to
      enhance tumor cell growth, migration and invasion.

PMID- 28365246
TI  - The association between oxidative stress-induced galectins and differentiation of
      human promyelocytic HL-60 cells.
AB  - Galectins are multifunctional beta-galactoside-binding proteins that are involved
      in the regulation of cellular stress responses and differentiation. The
      relationship between these processes is unclear and we report here that galectins
      display oxidative-stress specific expression patterns in neutrophil-like
      differentiated HL-60 cells. Three galectins (-1, -3, and -10) are upregulated in
      response to either menadione or DMSO exposure whereas galectins -9 and -12
      exhibited a stimulus-dependent downregulation. Changes in galectin expression are
      oxidant dependent based on the observations that 1) oxidative stress biomarkers
      HMOX1 (heme oxygenase-1) and NCF1 (neutrophil cytosolic factor 1, which is also a
      biomarker of neutrophil differentiation) are elevated in both cases, and 2) the
      antioxidant N-acetyl-L-cysteine restores basal expression of galectin-3 following
      oxidant exposure. In addition, our results suggest that the regulation of
      oxidative stress-sensitive galectins involves DNA hypomethylation mechanisms.
      Expression of galectin-3 and galectin-12 exhibits an opposite relationship to the
      expression of HMOX1/NCF1, suggesting a stimulatory and inhibitory role of these
      galectins in neutrophil-like differentiation of HL-60 cells. We also show that
      the inhibition of galectins reduces the growth rate of HL-60 cells, and
      facilitates their neutrophil-like differentiation. Collectively, our findings
      indicate that the process of cellular differentiation implicates, in part,
      oxidative stress-sensitive galectins, which further highlights a biological
      significance of galectin network remodeling in cells.

PMID- 28365247
TI  - Adipogenic miR-27a in adipose tissue upregulates macrophage activation via
      inhibiting PPARgamma of insulin resistance induced by high-fat diet-associated
      obesity.
AB  - Chronic low degree inflammation caused by macrophage activation is a crucial
      factor underlying insulin resistance induced by obesity. To illustrate the
      mechanism of regulating of macrophage activation in adipose tissue, the role of
      adipogenic miR-27a activating M1 macrophage polarization via blocking PPARgamma
      was evaluated. Obese mice model and miR-27a overexpression or knockdown mice
      model were established and related biochemical index were examined. Raw264.7 and
      3T3-L1 were cultured and co-cultured for mimicking the microenvironment of local
      inflammation. Macrophage infiltration was observed. MiR-27a and cytokines levels
      in serum and adipose tissue were measured. Macrophage polarization markers and
      protein expression in insulin or inflammatory signaling pathways were observed.
      Impaired glucose tolerance and insulin tolerance was observed in 4w, 8w and 12w
      of high fat diet and miR-27a overexpression mice. Concurrently, miR-27a was
      increased in serum in a time-dependent manner, along with M1 cytokines and M1
      macrophages increasing in adipose tissue clearly. Insulin signaling pathway was
      blocked, and PPARgamma was suppressed. However, NF-kappaB was activated. On the
      other hand, activated macrophages and hypertrophic adipocytes induced by miR-27a
      could increase the ratio of Raw264.7 migration, including improving cytokines
      generation, and blocking PPARgamma expression markedly. The present studies are
      conducted to clarify that miR-27a has increased along with up-regulation in the
      process of proinflammatory cytokines generation, macrophage influx and M1
      macrophage polarization in obesity. These indicate that miR-27a gives the novel
      target of intervention for inflammation and insulin resistance in obesity.

PMID- 28365248
TI  - Parent Distress and the Decision to Have Another Child After an Infant's Death in
      the NICU.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: To examine associations among parent perceptions of infant
      symptoms/suffering, parent distress, and decision making about having additional
      children after an infant's death in the NICU. DESIGN: Mixed-methods pilot study
      incorporating mailed surveys and qualitative interviews. SETTING: Midwestern
      Level IV regional referral NICU. PARTICIPANTS: Participants were 42 mothers and
      27 fathers whose infants died in the NICU. METHODS: Parents reported on infant
      symptoms/suffering at end of life and their own grief and posttraumatic stress
      symptoms. Qualitative interviews explored decision making about having additional
      children. RESULTS: Approximately two thirds of bereaved parents had another child
      after their infant's death (62% of mothers, 67% of fathers). Mothers who had
      another child reported fewer infant symptoms at end of life compared with mothers
      who did not (p = .002, d = 1.28). Although few mothers exceeded clinical levels
      of prolonged grief (3%) and posttraumatic stress symptoms (18%), mothers who had
      another child endorsed fewer symptoms of prolonged grief (p = .001, d = 1.63) and
      posttraumatic stress (p = .009, d = 1.16). Differences between fathers mirrored
      these effects but were not significant. Parent interviews generated themes
      related to decision making about having additional children, including Impact of
      Infant Death, Facilitators and Barriers, Timing and Trajectories of Decisions,
      and Not Wanting to Replace the Deceased Child. CONCLUSION: Having another child
      after infant loss may promote resilience or serve as an indicator of positive
      adjustment among parents bereaved by infant death in the NICU. Prospective
      research is necessary to distinguish directional associations and guide evidence
      based care.

PMID- 28365249
TI  - Umbilical Cord Care and Infection Rates in Turkey.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: To compare the efficacy of umbilical cord sponging with 70% alcohol,
      sponging with 10% povidone-iodine, and dry care on the time to umbilical cord
      separation and bacterial colonization. DESIGN: Prospective, interventional
      experimental study design. SETTING: Three different family health centers in
      Istanbul, Turkey. PARTICIPANTS: In total, 194 newborns were enrolled in one of
      three study groups: Group 1, 70% alcohol (n = 67); Group 2, 10% povidone-iodine
      (n = 62); and Group 3, dry care (n = 65). METHODS: Data were collected between
      January 2015 and July 2015. Umbilical separation time and umbilical cord
      bacterial colonization were considered as the study outcomes. RESULTS: The most
      commonly isolated bacteria were Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli, and
      enterococci. There was no significant difference among the groups for umbilical
      cord separation times (p > .05). CONCLUSION: Dry care may be perceived as an
      attractive option because of cost benefits and ease of application.

PMID- 28365250
TI  - Corrigendum to "Preclinical studies on new proteins as carrier for glycoconjugate
      vaccines" [Vaccine 34 (2016) 4235-4242].

PMID- 28365251
TI  - Country-level predictors of vaccination coverage and inequalities in Gavi
      supported countries.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Important inequalities in childhood vaccination coverage persist
      between countries and population groups. Understanding why some countries achieve
      higher and more equitable levels of coverage is crucial to redress these
      inequalities. In this study, we explored the country-level determinants of (1)
      coverage of the third dose of diphtheria-tetanus-pertussis- (DTP3) containing
      vaccine and (2) within-country inequalities in DTP3 coverage in 45 countries
      supported by Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance. METHODS: We used data from the most
      recent Demographic and Health Surveys (DHS) conducted between 2005 and 2014. We
      measured national DTP3 coverage and the slope index of inequality in DTP3
      coverage with respect to household wealth, maternal education, and
      multidimensional poverty. We collated data on country health systems, health
      financing, governance and geographic and sociocultural contexts from published
      sources. We used meta-regressions to assess the relationship between these
      country-level factors and variations in DTP3 coverage and inequalities. To
      validate our findings, we repeated these analyses for coverage with measles
      containing vaccine (MCV). RESULTS: We found considerable heterogeneity in DTP3
      coverage and in the magnitude of inequalities across countries. Results for MCV
      were consistent with those from DTP3. Political stability, gender equality and
      smaller land surface were important predictors of higher and more equitable
      levels of DTP3 coverage. Inequalities in DTP3 coverage were also lower in
      countries receiving more external resources for health, with lower rates of out
      of-pocket spending and with higher national coverage. Greater government spending
      on heath and lower linguistic fractionalization were also consistent with better
      vaccination outcomes. CONCLUSION: Improving vaccination coverage and reducing
      inequalities requires that policies and programs address critical social
      determinants of health including geographic and social exclusion, gender
      inequality and the availability of financial protection for health. Further
      research should investigate the mechanisms contributing to these associations.

PMID- 28365252
TI  - Assessment of sex-specific differences in adverse events following immunization
      reporting in Ontario, 2012-15.
AB  - We assessed sex-specific trends within passive vaccine safety surveillance in
      Ontario, Canada. AEFIs reported following vaccines administered between 2012 and
      2015 were included. There were 2466 AEFI reports; 66.2% were female. Annualized
      reporting rates were 5.9 and 3.1 per 100,000 population, for females and males
      respectively. The female:male reporting rate ratio (RRR) was 1.9. Sex-specific
      differences by age group were greatest in adults 18-64years (RRR 6.3); whereas
      there were no differences in children <10years. Vaccine-specific RRRs were
      highest for vaccines recommended for routine use in adults or high risk
      populations. All event categories were female-predominant. The highest event
      specific RRRs were for oculorespiratory syndrome (5.1), anaesthesia/paraesthesia
      (4.6) and anaphylaxis (3.0). Serious AEFIs (n=113) were more evenly distributed
      (57.5% female, RRR 1.3) than non-serious (66.6% female, RRR 1.9). AEFI reporting
      among females was consistently elevated within the passive surveillance system in
      Ontario. Further study of the relationship between sex/gender and AEFI reporting
      is needed.

PMID- 28365254
TI  - Regulation of hypoxia-inducible factor-1alpha in human buccal mucosal fibroblasts
      stimulated with arecoline.
AB  - Hypoxia-inducible factor (HIF)-1alpha is consistently and dramatically
      upregulated in a variety of fibrotic diseases. The aim of this study was to
      compare HIF-1alpha expression from fibroblasts derived from human normal buccal
      mucosa and oral submucous fibrosis (OSF) specimens and further to explore the
      potential mechanisms that may lead to induce HIF-1alpha expression. OSF buccal
      mucosal fibroblasts (BMFs) demonstrated significantly higher HIF-1alpha mRNA
      expression than normal BMFs (p<0.005). Arecoline, the major areca nut alkaloid,
      was also found to elevate HIF-1alpha mRNA expression in a dose-dependent manner
      (p<0.05). Moreover, arecoline-induced HIF-1alpha expression was downregulated by
      mitogen-activated protein kinase inhibitor U0126, phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase
      inhibitor LY294002, p38 inhibitor SB203580, cyclooxygenase-2 inhibitor NS-398,
      and glutathione precursor N-acetyl-L-cysteine (p<0.05). Taken together, hypoxia
      plays an important role in the pathogenesis of areca quid chewing-associated OSF.
      These pharmacological agents may be further used as chemoprevention agents for
      OSF.

PMID- 28365255
TI  - Corrigendum to "Oral treatment with enrofloxacin early in life promotes Th2
      mediated immune response in mice" [Pharmacol. Rep. 68 (2016) 44-50].

PMID- 28365253
TI  - Semiconductor diode laser device adjuvanting intradermal vaccine.
AB  - A brief exposure of skin to a low-power, non-tissue damaging laser light has been
      demonstrated to augment immune responses to intradermal vaccination. Both
      preclinical and clinical studies show that this approach is simple, effective,
      safe and well tolerated compared to standard chemical or biological adjuvants.
      Until now, these laser exposures have been performed using a diode-pumped solid
      state laser (DPSSL) devices, which are expensive and require labor-intensive
      maintenance and special training. Development of an inexpensive, easy-to-use and
      small device would form an important step in translating this technology toward
      clinical application. Here we report that we have established a handheld, near
      infrared (NIR) laser device using semiconductor diodes emitting either 1061,
      1258, or 1301nm light that costs less than $4000, and that this device replicates
      the adjuvant effect of a DPSSL system in a mouse model of influenza vaccination.
      Our results also indicate that a broader range of NIR laser wavelengths possess
      the ability to enhance vaccine immune responses, allowing engineering options for
      the device design. This small, low-cost device establishes the feasibility of
      using a laser adjuvant approach for mass-vaccination programs in a clinical
      setting, opens the door for broader testing of this technology with a variety of
      vaccines and forms the foundation for development of devices ready for use in the
      clinic.

PMID- 28365256
TI  - Corrigendum to "Epicutaneous immunization with protein antigen TNP-Ig and NOD2
      ligand muramyl dipeptide (MDP) reverses skin-induced suppression of contact
      hypersensitivity" [Pharmacol. Rep. 66 (2014) 137-142].

PMID- 28365257
TI  - Corrigendum to "Epicutaneous immunization with phosphorylcholine conjugated to
      bovine serum albumin (PC-BSA) and TLR9 ligand CpG alleviates pneumococcal
      pneumonia in mice" [Pharmacol. Rep. 66 (2014) 570-575].

PMID- 28365258
TI  - Corrigendum to "Eplerenone promotes alternative activation in human monocyte
      derived macrophages" [Pharmacol. Rep. 65 (2013) 226-234].

PMID- 28365259
TI  - Corrigendum to "Comparison of chosen activation markers of human
      monocytes/macrophages isolated from the peripheral blood of young and elderly
      volunteers" [Pharmacol. Rep. 66 (2014) 759-765].

PMID- 28365260
TI  - CXCL12 as a Predictor of Vitiligo Activity and Disease Progression.

PMID- 28365261
TI  - Seven Coils in 1 Heart: Therapeutic Option for Multiple VSD.

PMID- 28365262
TI  - Resting Versus Hyperemic Coronary Pressure Measurements for Stenosis Evaluation:
      The New Kids Have Come to Stay.

PMID- 28365263
TI  - Percutaneous Palliation of Right Ventricular Outflow Tract Obstruction Caused by
      Metastatic Malignancy.

PMID- 28365264
TI  - Extraluminal Migration of a Drug-Eluting Stent Into a Thrombosed Coronary
      Aneurysm With Preserved Antegrade Flow in the Right Coronary Artery.

PMID- 28365265
TI  - Successful TriCinch-in-TriCinch Transcatheter Tricuspid Valve Repair.

PMID- 28365266
TI  - Effect of Coronary Anatomy and Hydrostatic Pressure on Intracoronary Indices of
      Stenosis Severity.
AB  - OBJECTIVES: The authors sought to analyze height differences within the coronary
      artery tree in patients in a supine position and to quantify the impact of
      hydrostatic pressure on intracoronary pressure measurements in vitro. BACKGROUND:
      Although pressure equalization of the pressure sensor and the systemic pressure
      at the catheter tip is mandatory in intracoronary pressure measurements,
      subsequent measurements may be influenced by hydrostatic pressure related to the
      coronary anatomy in the supine position. Outlining and quantifying this
      phenomenon is important to interpret routine and pullback pressure measurements
      within the coronary tree. METHODS: Coronary anatomy was analyzed in computed
      tomography angiographies of 70 patients to calculate height differences between
      the catheter tip and different coronary segments in the supine position. Using a
      dynamic pressure simulator, the effect of the expected hydrostatic pressure
      resulting from such height differences on indices stenosis severity was assessed.
      RESULTS: In all patients, the left anterior and right posterior descending
      arteries are the highest points of the coronary tree with a mean height
      difference of -4.9 +/- 1.6 cm and -3.8 +/- 1.0 cm; whereas the circumflex artery
      and right posterolateral branches are the lowest points, with mean height
      differences of 3.9 +/- 0.9 cm and 2.6 +/- 1.6 cm compared with the according
      ostium. In vitro measurements demonstrated a correlation of the absolute pressure
      differences with height differences (r = 0.993; p < 0.0001) and the slope was
      0.77 mm Hg/cm. The Pd/Pa ratio and instantaneous wave-free ratio correlated also
      with the height difference (fractional flow reserve r = 0.98; p < 0.0001;
      instantaneous wave-free ratio r = 0.97; p < 0.0001), but both were influenced by
      the systemic pressure level. CONCLUSIONS: Hydrostatic pressure variations
      resulting from normal coronary anatomy in a supine position influence
      intracoronary pressure measurements and may affect their interpretation during
      stenosis severity assessment.

PMID- 28365267
TI  - Subintimal Crush of an Occluded Stent to Recanalize a Chronic Total Occlusion Due
      to In-Stent Restenosis: Insights From a Multimodality Imaging Approach.

PMID- 28365269
TI  - Does promoting resolution instead of inhibiting inflammation represent the new
      paradigm in treating infections?
AB  - Infections arise when the host response is overwhelmed by pathogens leading to
      organ dysfunction. In some instances patients progress to more severe conditions,
      including septic shock, that are associated with increased mortality. Current
      strategies in treating infections aim at either blocking inflammation using
      inhibitors to pro-inflammatory molecules and/or inhibiting bacterial growth using
      antibiotics. These approaches find their origins in studies conducted by Joseph
      Lister who demonstrated that applying carbolic acid to wounds promoted wound
      healing without suppuration, reducing both the necessity of amputation and
      mortality. While this approach is still applicable to certain infections,
      inhibition of the immune response is also associated with increased mortality,
      especially in septic patients. In many instances sepsis survivors succumb later
      to persistent, recurrent, nosocomial and secondary infections. This, together
      with a rise in resistance to many frontline antibiotics, has prompted a search
      for alternative ways to treat infections. Recent studies investigating processes
      engaged by the host response during self-resolving infections identified a novel
      group of mediators, termed as specialized pro-resolving mediators (SPM). These
      molecules, produced via the enzymatic conversion of essential fatty acids,
      actively reprogram the immune response to promote clearance of invading
      pathogens, and counter-regulate the production of inflammation-initiating
      molecules. Furthermore, recent studies also demonstrate that these mediators
      promote tissue repair and regeneration, essential processes in the re
      establishment of barrier and prevention of re-infection. The scope of the present
      review is to discuss the evidence underpinning the endogenous protective roles of
      these novel mediators, as well as the evidence demonstrating that dysregulation
      in their production and actions contribute to disease pathogenesis in infections.
      This review will also discuss the potential of resolution pharmacology-based
      approaches in developing new therapeutics for combatting infections that do not
      interfere with the immune response.

PMID- 28365270
TI  - Calcium-to-Citrate Ratio Distinguishes Solitary and Recurrent Urinary Stone
      Forming Children.
AB  - PURPOSE: The prevalence of urinary stone disease is increasing in children. We
      previously reported a high rate of urinary metabolic abnormalities, including
      hypercalciuria and hypocitraturia, in stone forming children. In this study we
      determined whether calcium-to-citrate ratio could help predict those at risk for
      recurrent stone formation. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We conducted a retrospective
      cohort study to assess calcium-to-citrate ratios in children with urolithiasis.
      Two 24-hour urine collections were performed. Urinary excretions of calcium and
      citrate were analyzed, and calcium-to-citrate ratio was calculated. Patients were
      stratified into solitary and recurrent stone formers and compared to a control
      group of normal children. RESULTS: We identified 73 solitary and 92 recurrent
      stone formers. Mean patient age was 13 years for both groups. Gender was well
      matched. A total of 29 normal children served as controls. Mean calcium-to
      citrate ratio was 0.41 in solitary stone formers and 0.64 in recurrent stone
      formers (p = 0.02). Mean value in normal children (0.33) was significantly less
      compared to recurrent stone formers (p = 0.002) and trended lower compared to
      solitary stone formers (p = 0.15). The ratio was abnormally high in recurrent
      stone formers (70%) compared to solitary stone formers (47%, p = 0.003).
      CONCLUSIONS: There are significant differences in urine calcium-to-citrate ratios
      between solitary and recurrent calcium stone forming children. Solitary stone
      formers trended higher compared to controls. These findings may allow more
      precise risk stratification and treatment to prevent recurrent stone episodes.

PMID- 28365268
TI  - Diagnostic Performance of Resting and Hyperemic Invasive Physiological Indices to
      Define Myocardial Ischemia: Validation With 13N-Ammonia Positron Emission
      Tomography.
AB  - OBJECTIVES: The authors sought to compare the diagnostic performance of
      fractional flow reserve (FFR), instantaneous wave-free ratio (iFR), and resting
      distal coronary artery pressure/aortic pressure (Pd/Pa) using 13N-ammonia
      positron emission tomography (PET). BACKGROUND: The diagnostic performance of
      invasive physiological indices was reported to be different according to the
      reference to define the presence of myocardial ischemia. METHODS: A total of 115
      consecutive patients with left anterior descending artery stenosis who underwent
      both 13N-ammonia PET and invasive physiological measurement were included.
      Optimal cutoff values and diagnostic performance of FFR, iFR, and resting Pd/Pa
      were assessed using PET-derived coronary flow reserve (CFR) and relative flow
      reserve (RFR) as references. To compare discrimination and reclassification
      ability, each index was compared with integrated discrimination improvement (IDI)
      and category-free net reclassification index (NRI). RESULTS: All invasive
      physiological indices correlated with CFR and RFR (all p values <0.001). The
      overall diagnostic accuracies of FFR, iFR, and resting Pd/Pa were not different
      for CFR <2.0 (FFR 69.6%, iFR 73.9%, and resting Pd/Pa 70.4%) and RFR <0.75 (FFR
      73.9%, iFR 71.3%, and resting Pd/Pa 74.8%). Discrimination and reclassification
      abilities of invasive physiological indices were comparable for CFR. For RFR, FFR
      showed better discrimination and reclassification ability than resting indices
      (IDI = 0.170 and category-free NRI = 0.971 for iFR; IDI = 0.183 and category-free
      NRI = 1.058 for resting Pd/Pa; all p values <0.001). CONCLUSIONS: The diagnostic
      performance of invasive physiological indices showed no differences in the
      prediction of myocardial ischemia defined by CFR. Using RFR as a reference, FFR
      showed a better discrimination and reclassification ability than resting indices.

PMID- 28365271
TI  - Dietary and Lifestyle Risk Factors Associated with Incident Kidney Stones in Men
      and Women.
AB  - PURPOSE: Several dietary and lifestyle factors are associated with a higher risk
      of kidney stones. We estimated the population attributable fraction and the
      number needed to prevent for modifiable risk factors, including body mass index,
      fluid intake, DASH (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension) style diet, dietary
      calcium intake and sugar sweetened beverage intake. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We
      used data on the HPFS (Health Professionals Follow-Up Study) cohort and the NHS
      (Nurses' Health Study) I and II cohorts. Information was obtained from validated
      questionnaires. Poisson regression models adjusted for potential confounders were
      used to estimate the association of each risk factor with the development of
      incident kidney stones and calculate the population attributable fraction and the
      number needed to prevent. RESULTS: The study included 192,126 participants who
      contributed a total of 3,259,313 person-years of followup, during which an
      incident kidney stone developed in 6,449 participants. All modifiable risk
      factors were independently associated with incident stones in each cohort. The
      population attributable fraction ranged from 4.4% for a higher intake of sugar
      sweetened beverages to 26.0% for a lower fluid intake. The population
      attributable fraction for all 5 risk factors combined was 57.0% in HPFS, 55.2% in
      NHS I and 55.1% in NHS II. The number needed to prevent during 10 years ranged
      from 67 for lower fluid intake to 556 for lower dietary calcium intake.
      CONCLUSIONS: Five modifiable risk factors accounted for more than 50% of incident
      kidney stones in 3 large prospective cohorts. Assuming a causal relation, our
      estimates suggest that preventive measures aimed at reducing those factors could
      substantially decrease the burden of kidney stones in the general population.

PMID- 28365273
TI  - Experimental study of dissolution of minerals and CO2 sequestration in steel
      slag.
AB  - This study strives to achieve a substantial amount of steel slag carbonation
      without using any harmful chemicals. For this purpose, experiments were performed
      in an aqueous medium, in a semi-batch reactor, to investigate the effect of
      varying reaction conditions during the steel slag CO2 sequestration process.
      Further, studying the effect of dissolution on carbonation reactions and the
      mineralogical changes that subsequently occur within the slag helps provide
      insight into the parameters that ultimately have an impact on the carbonation
      rate as well the magnitude of the impact.

PMID- 28365274
TI  - Growth and reproductive potential of Eisenia foetida (Sav) on various zoo animal
      dungs after two methods of pre-composting followed by vermicomposting.
AB  - Disposal of animal manure without treatment can be harmful to the environment. In
      this study, samples of four zoo animal dungs and one horse dung were pre
      composted in two ways: (a) traditional composting and (b) bokashi pre-composting
      for 1month, followed by vermicomposting for 3months. The permanence (PEf) and
      reproductive potential (RP) of Eisenia foetida as well as the quality of
      vermicompost were evaluated. The PEf values and RP index of E. foetida were
      higher for samples pre-composted using the traditional composting method (98.7
      88% and 31.85-16.27%, respectively) followed by vermicomposting (92.7-72.7% and
      22.96-13.51%, respectively), when compared with those for bokashi pre-composted
      samples followed by vermicomposting, except for the horse dung sample (100% for
      both the parameters). The values of electrical conductivity (EC), cation exchange
      capacity (CEC), organic C, total N, available P, C/N ratio, and pH showed that
      both treatments achieved the norms of vermicompost (<4mScm-1, 40cmolkg-1, 20-50%,
      1-4%, <=20, 5.5-8.5, respectively). However, the maturity indices of
      vermicompost, namely, organic matter loss, N loss, and CEC/organic carbon (OC)
      ratio indicated that bokashi pre-composting followed by vermicomposting produced
      the highest values (98.7-70.7%, 97.67-96.65%, and 2.7-1.97%, respectively), when
      compared with the other method adapted in this study. Nevertheless, further
      studies with plants for plant growth evaluation are needed to assess the benefits
      and limitations of these two pre-composting methods prior to vermicomposting.

PMID- 28365272
TI  - ERK1/2 signaling is required for the initiation but not progression of TGFbeta
      induced lens epithelial to mesenchymal transition (EMT).
AB  - Transforming Growth Factor Beta (TGFbeta) potently induces lens epithelial to
      mesenchymal transition (EMT). The resultant mesenchymal cells resemble those
      found in plaques of human forms of subcapsular cataract. Smad signaling has long
      been implicated as the sole driving force of TGFbeta-mediated activity. Rat lens
      epithelial explants were used to examine the role of the Smad-independent
      signaling, namely the MAPK/ERK1/2 signaling pathway, in the initiation and
      progression of TGFbeta-induced EMT. Phase contrast microscopy was used to observe
      the morphological changes associated with TGFbeta-induced EMT in this model,
      including cell elongation, cell membrane blebbing, cell loss as indicated by the
      area of bare capsule and capsular wrinkling. The levels of Smad2, Smad2/3 and
      ERK1/2 phosphorylation measured using western blotting confirmed that the
      addition of UO126 was sufficient in blocking all TGFbeta-induced ERK1/2
      activation, as well as reducing Smad signaling at 18 h. Immunofluorescent
      labeling and further western blotting confirmed that TGFbeta-induced EMT was
      associated with an increase in alpha-smooth muscle actin (alpha-SMA) and a
      reduction of E-cadherin at cell borders. Pre-treatment with UO126 was effective
      at blocking the TGFbeta-induced EMT, as evidenced by a reduction of alpha-SMA
      expression and protein labeling, E-cadherin labeling at cell borders, and a
      reduction of cell loss, cell elongation and capsular wrinkling. Post-treatment
      with UO126 at 2 and 6 h after TGFbeta addition was also effective at blocking EMT
      while post-treatment with UO126 at 24 and 48 h was not sufficient in hampering
      TGFbeta-induced EMT. Our data implicates ERK1/2 signaling in the initiation but
      not the progression of TGFbeta-induced EMT in rat lens epithelial cells. The
      tight regulation of intracellular signaling pathways such as ERK1/2 are required
      for the maintenance of lens epithelial cell integrity and hence tissue
      transparency. A greater understanding of the molecular mechanisms that drive the
      induction and progression of EMT in the lens will provide the basis for potential
      therapeutics for human cataract.

PMID- 28365275
TI  - Recovery of lithium and cobalt from spent lithium-ion batteries using organic
      acids: Process optimization and kinetic aspects.
AB  - An environmentally-friendly route based on hydrometallurgy was investigated for
      the recovery of cobalt and lithium from spent lithium ion batteries (LIBs) using
      different organic acids (citric acid, Dl-malic acid, oxalic acid and acetic
      acid). In this investigation, response surface methodology (RSM) was utilized to
      optimize leaching parameters including solid to liquid ratio (S/L), temperature,
      acid concentration, type of organic acid and hydrogen peroxide concentration.
      Based on the results obtained from optimizing procedure, temperature was
      recognized as the most influential parameter. In addition, while 81% of cobalt
      was recovered, the maximum lithium recovery of 92% was achieved at the optimum
      leaching condition of 60 degrees C, S/L: 30gL-1, citric acid concentration: 2M,
      hydrogen peroxide concentration: 1.25Vol.% and leaching time: 2h. Furthermore,
      results displayed that ultrasonic agitation will enhance the recovery of lithium
      and cobalt. It was found that the kinetics of cobalt leaching is controlled by
      surface chemical reaction at temperatures lower than 45 degrees C. However,
      diffusion through the product layer at temperatures higher than 45 degrees C
      controls the rate of cobalt leaching. Rate of lithium reaction is controlled by
      diffusion through the product layer at all the temperatures studied.

PMID- 28365276
TI  - Recovery of valuable components from waste LCD panel through a dry physical
      method.
AB  - A waste liquid crystal display (LCD) panel was recycled synthetically and cleanly
      by using dry physical methods, namely, mechanical exfoliation, dry crushing and
      vibrated gas-solid fluidized bed separation. Results of elemental and phase
      analyses show that indium and tin contents were enriched greatly in indium tin
      oxide concentrate obtained from colour filter and thin-film transistor glass. The
      results of crushing, ash content and scanning electron microscopic analyses show
      that when the LCD panel was crushed into particles smaller than 0.25mm, the
      polarizer film is nearly completely liberated from the glass. Moreover, the
      results of vibrated gas-solid fluidized bed separation show that gas velocity and
      separation time are the main factors influencing the separation. The vibration
      intensity of 6.8, gas velocity of 13.6cm/s and fluidizing time of 30s are the
      optimum operating parameters, and the degree of separation and recovery of
      polarizing film reached up to 37.69 and 72.3%, respectively. Based on these
      results, the combination of dry enrichment, dry crushing and dry separation in a
      flowsheet is proposed for recycling of waste LCD panel.

PMID- 28365277
TI  - Practical Management of Antibiotic Hypersensitivity in 2017.
AB  - Antibiotics are the most common class of medications that individuals report
      allergy or intolerance to. Adverse reactions are reported at a predictable rate
      with all antibiotic use that vary by antibiotic. Antibiotic allergy incidence
      rates are sex dependent, higher in females than in males. Most of these events
      are not reproducible or immunologically mediated. Antibiotic allergy prevalence
      increases with increasing age and is more common in hospitalized populations and
      in populations that use more antibiotics. Determining potential mechanisms for
      the observed symptoms of the adverse reactions is the starting point for
      effective management of antibiotic hypersensitivity. Skin testing and direct
      challenges are the primary tools used to determine acute tolerance in 2017.
      Commercially available in vitro testing is not currently clinically useful in
      determining antibiotic hypersensitivity, with rare exceptions. Desensitization
      can be used when acute-onset immunologically mediated hypersensitivity is
      confirmed to safely administer a needed antibiotic. Desensitization is not
      possible when clinically significant T-cell-mediated delayed-type
      hypersensitivity is present. Effective management of antibiotic allergy is an
      important part of a comprehensive antibiotic stewardship program.

PMID- 28365278
TI  - A role for plasma aromatic amino acids in injurious pecking behavior in laying
      hens.
AB  - Injurious pecking, including feather pecking (FP), is one of the most prevalent
      causes of mortality for commercial laying hens. The underlying biological
      mechanisms of FP are not yet fully understood, but they could be related to
      alterations in the serotonin (5-HT) and/or dopamine (DA) circuits within the
      brain. In the past, the central synthesis of 5-HT and DA was found to be
      influenced by the availability of their precursors, aromatic amino acids (AAA)
      such as tryptophan (TRP), phenylalanine (PHE), and tyrosine (TYR), in blood
      plasma, which are transported across the blood-brain-barrier into the brain.
      Because knowledge about plasma levels of AAA in laying hens is very limited, the
      present study compared the AAA profiles of a large sample of laying hens from two
      genetic lines: one selected for low mortality (LM) due to injurious pecking
      (n=129 birds) and one high production line (HP) selected for high egg-production
      only (n=132 birds). Head, comb, and feather covering were scored at the end of
      the experiment. Blood samples were collected at weeks 24 and 29 of age and were
      analysed for AAA using high performance liquid chromatography. Neither FP nor
      feather damage was observed in the present study, but aggressive pecking directed
      at the head/neck area occurred in several groups with an onset of this aberrant
      behavior between weeks 22 and 29. Eight HP pens and seven LM pens were affected
      by severe head/comb injuries inflicted via aggressive pecking. Therefore, our
      exploratory data analysis focused upon the possible interplay between the
      variability of our outcome measures (absolute levels of AAA in plasma as well as
      the ratios PHE/TYR and TRP/(PHE+TYR)) and the aggressive head/comb pecking as an
      expression of social stress within the pens. We found significantly lower TRP
      availability relative to PHE and TYR (TRP/(PHE+TYR) ratio) and higher TYR
      concentrations at week 24 in pens with an early onset of injurious aggressive
      behavior at weeks 22-23. This was most pronounced in the LM line, but at week 29,
      TRP availability normalized in both lines. It was furthermore evident that in LM
      birds, higher aggressive pecking activity per pen was associated with higher TYR
      levels (n=78 birds, r=0.643, p<0.001) and lower TRP/(PHE+TYR) ratios at week 24
      (r=-0.541, p<0.001). In the HP birds, these associations were of lower strength
      and were negatively correlated (TYR: n=73, r=-0.308, p=0.005; TRP/(PHE/TYR)
      ratio: r=0.314, p=0.004). Our findings indicate that in LM birds, lower TRP
      availability at week 24 may be attributable to higher stress levels in pens where
      injurious aggressive pecking developed early on. These findings may lay the
      important groundwork for the analysis of AAA plasma levels as a useful avenue of
      research to investigate underlying physiological mechanisms of behavioral
      problems in laying hens.

PMID- 28365279
TI  - Preliminary evidence of sex differences in behavioral and neural responses to
      palatable food reward in rats.
AB  - The female bias in eating disorder prevalence is the largest in all of
      psychiatry. Binge eating on palatable food (PF) is a core, maladaptive symptom
      that cuts across all major types of eating disorders and can be studied via
      animal models. Using an individual differences rat model of binge eating that
      identifies binge eating prone (BEP) and binge eating resistant (BER) phenotypes,
      we previously showed that, compared with males, females consume more PF and are
      more likely to be classified as BEP. One potential explanation for this sex
      difference is that PF is inherently more rewarding to females, leading to higher
      rates of binge eating. Here we tested the hypothesis that females have more
      robust behavioral and neural responses to PF reward than males. Adult male (N=18)
      and female (N=17) Sprague-Dawley rats were exposed to the Conditioned Place
      Preference paradigm using PF as the unconditioned stimulus. Select males (N=9)
      and females (N=9) were video-recorded during three of the PF-paired conditioning
      sessions to score feeding behavior. Following CPP, 13 male and 12 female rats
      were exposed to PF just prior to sacrifice to induce expression of the neural
      activation marker Fos, and Fos expression was quantified in mesocorticolimbic,
      hypothalamic, and amygdalar circuits. In the CPP paradigm, females displayed a
      more robust shift in preference for the chamber paired with PF compared with
      males, and behavioral analyses revealed that average duration of individual
      feeding bouts during pairing sessions was longer in females than in males. Fos
      expression was significantly higher in females vs. males in select regions of the
      mesocorticolimbic reward circuit, with no sex differences in hypothalamic or
      amygdalar regions. These results provide initial evidence that PF may be more
      rewarding to females than to males, possibly due to heightened responsiveness of
      neural substrates that mediate the hedonic and motivational responses to PF,
      which in part, may underlie sex differences in binge eating proneness.

PMID- 28365280
TI  - [Self-healing lesions in Langerhans cell histiocytosis].

PMID- 28365281
TI  - [The little and large of pediatric obesity prevention].

PMID- 28365282
TI  - [Risks associated with the uncontrolled use of donated breast milk].

PMID- 28365283
TI  - [Epidemiological and clinical characteristics of infants admitted to hospital due
      to human parechovirus infections: A prospective study in Spain].
AB  - INTRODUCTION: Human parechovirus (HPeV) is one of the recently described
      picornaviridae viruses that have been associated with fever of unknown origin
      (FUO), clinical sepsis, gastroenteritis, meningitis, or encephalitis in very
      young infants. The aim of this study is to describe the epidemiology and clinical
      features of these viruses. PATIENTS AND METHODS: A prospective multicentre 3-year
      study was conducted in 12 hospitals in Spain. Out of 850 specimens examined, 47
      were positive (5.52%), with HPeV-3 being the most frequent (29 cases). Infections
      occurred throughout the year, but mainly in May and July, and a biennial
      distribution was observed. More than half (57%) were neonates, and only 2
      children were older than 3 months. Fever was present in all children, with
      irritability in 45%, rash in 18.6%, and diarrhoea in 14%. The results of
      biochemical tests were all in normal range. The most common final diagnosis was
      FUO (61%), followed by clinical sepsis (29%). Up to 29% of infants were admitted
      to the intensive care unit, but only one patient had sequelae. RESULTS: Out of
      850 specimens examined, 47 were positive (5.52%) for HPeV, with HPeV-3 being the
      most frequent (29 cases). Infections occurred throughout the year, but mainly in
      May and July, and a biennial distribution was observed. More than half (57%) were
      neonates, and only 2 children were older than 3 months. Fever was present in all
      children, with irritability in 45%, rash in 18.6%, and diarrhoea in 14%. The
      results of biochemical tests were all in normal range. The most common final
      diagnosis was FUO (61%), followed by clinical sepsis (29%). Up to 29% of infants
      were admitted to the intensive care unit, but only one patient had sequelae
      CONCLUSIONS: HPeV circulates in our country, mainly during spring and summer, and
      affects young infants with a FUO and clinical sepsis. Molecular diagnostic
      techniques in all hospitals could help in improving the management of patients
      with these infections.

PMID- 28365284
TI  - Synthesis and mechanical properties of double cross-linked gelatin-graphene oxide
      hydrogels.
AB  - Gelatin is an interesting biological macromolecule for biomedical applications.
      Here, double cross-linked gelatin nanocomposite hydrogels with incorporation of
      graphene oxide (GO) were synthesized in one pot using glutaraldehyde (GTA) and
      GTA-grafted GO as double chemical cross-linkers. The nanocomposite hydrogels, in
      contrast to the neat gelatin hydrogel, exhibited significant increases in
      mechanical properties by up to 288% in compressive strength, 195% in compressive
      modulus, 267% in compressive fracture energy and 160% shear storage modulus with
      the optimal GO concentration. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, scanning
      electron microscopy and swelling tests were implemented to characterize the
      nanocomposite hydrogels.

PMID- 28365285
TI  - Magnetic stimuli-responsive chitosan-based drug delivery biocomposite for
      multiple triggered release.
AB  - Stimuli-responsive biomaterials offer a unique advantage over traditional local
      drug delivery systems in that the drug elution rate can be controllably increased
      to combat developing symptomology or maintain high local elution levels for
      disease treatment. In this study, superparamagnetic Fe3O4 nanoparticles and the
      antibiotic vancomycin were loaded into chitosan microbeads cross-linked with
      varying lengths of polyethylene glycol dimethacrylate. Beads were characterized
      using degradation, biocompatibility, and elution studies with successive magnetic
      stimulations at multiple field strengths and frequencies. Thirty-minute magnetic
      stimulation induced a temporary increase in daily elution rate of up to 45% that
      was dependent on field strength, field frequency and cross-linker length. Beads
      degraded by up to 70% after 3 days in accelerated lysozyme degradation tests, but
      continued to elute antibiotic for up to 8 days. No cytotoxic effects were
      observed in vitro compared to controls. These promising preliminary results
      indicate clinical potential for use in stimuli-controlled drug delivery.

PMID- 28365286
TI  - Detection of glycated hemoglobin with voltammetric sensing amplified by 3D
      structured nanocomposites.
AB  - Glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c), a marker for glycine level in blood, while detecting
      over a long period of time (up to 2-3 months) shows consistency. Therefore, HbA1c
      has been mostly used and indeed an established test for monitoring the glycemic
      control in persons suffering from diabetes. 3D-structured reduced graphene oxide
      (rGO), multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWCNT) and platinum nanoparticles (PtNPs)
      composite (PtNPs/rGO-MWCNT) were synthesized and used as interface for the
      development of an electrochemical HbA1c biosensor. The network structure of rGO
      MWCNT nanocomposite provides more active sites for Pt deposition and the
      synergistic effect of rGO, MWCNTs and PtNPs significantly improved the
      electrochemical performance of the working electrode. The structure of PtNPs/rGO
      MWCNT nanocomposite was characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM),
      cyclic voltammetry (CV) and electrochemical impedance study (EIS). This biosensor
      exhibited a response time of less than 3s, a wide linear concentration range of
      0.05-1000MUM with detection limit of 0.1MUM, good repeatability and satisfactory
      reproducibility. The biosensor retained 50% of its initial response after 12
      weeks at 25 degrees C. The proposed biosensor was successfully applied for the
      determination of HbA1c concentration in human blood samples with recoveries
      between 93.7 and 98.3%.

PMID- 28365287
TI  - Properties of gelatin-based films incorporated with chitosan-coated
      microparticles charged with rutin.
AB  - The aim of this study was development an active film based on gelatin
      incorporated with antioxidant, rutin carried into microparticles. The
      complexation between oppositely charged lecithin and chitosan was applied to
      prepare the chitosan-coated microparticles. The generated microparticles had an
      average size of 520+/-4nm and a span of 0.3 were formulated by a rotor-stator
      homogenize at the homogenization speed 10,000rpm. Composite films were prepared
      by incorporating chitosan-coated microparticles, at various concentrations (0.05,
      0.1, 0.5, or 1% (based on the weight of the gelatin powder)) in the gelatin-based
      films. For the prepared films, the results showed that obtained physicochemical,
      water vapor barrier, and mechanical were compared with native gelatin film with a
      slight decrease for chitosan concentration higher than 0.5%. The microstructure
      studies done by scanning electron microscopes, revealed different micropores
      embedded with oil resulting from the incorporation of the microparticles into the
      gelatin matrix. Moreover, the calorimetric results were comparable to those of
      gelatin control film with Tg value 45 degrees C and increased crystallinity
      percentage with increasing incorporation of microparticles. This original concept
      of composite biodegradable films may thus be a good alternative to incorporate
      liposoluble active compounds to design an active packaging with good properties.

PMID- 28365288
TI  - Nitrate removal from aqueous solutions by ZnO nanoparticles and chitosan
      polystyrene-Zn nanocomposite: Kinetic, isotherm, batch and fixed-bed studies.
AB  - Chitosan-polystyrene-Zn nanocomposite was synthesized through precipitation
      procedure and well characterized by analytical instruments such as Fourier
      transform infrared spectroscopy, field emission scanning electron microscopy,
      transmission electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction, and energy-dispersive X-ray
      spectroscopy. After characterizations, the nanocomposite was applied as an
      adsorbent for removal of nitrate ions from aqueous solutions. The study
      parameters influencing batch adsorption show that 0.5g of chitosan-polystyrene-Zn
      nanocomposite removed 90% of the nitrate ions (initial concentration 10mg/L) from
      25mL of water at pH=3 after 30min while, in fixed-bed column technique, and at a
      similar condition, it removed 82.5% of nitrate. On the other hand, ZnO
      nanoparticles after activation by HCl solution applied for removal of nitrate
      contamination at the same condition which was used for chitosan-polystyrene-Zn
      nanocomposite. But ZnO nanoparticles removed all nitrate in the polluted solution
      in both techniques. The Elovich and the Langmuir models successfully exhibited
      the experimental data kinetic and isotherm for the adsorption processes.

PMID- 28365289
TI  - Facile synthesis of bovine serum albumin conjugated low-dimensional ZnS
      nanocrystals.
AB  - We present a facile synthesis of bovine serum albumin (BSA) conjugated low
      dimensional ZnS nanocrystals. The experimental parameters such as effects of BSA
      concentration and precursor vol ratios of Zn:S on the formation of ZnS
      nanoparticles in BSA matrix were investigated. The ZnS crystalline sizes of 1.9,
      1.8 and 1.6nm were obtained by using the BSA concentrations of 1*10-4, 5*10-4 and
      10*10-4g/mL, respectively, with a fixed Zn:S vol ratio of 1:1. The ZnS samples
      prepared from 1:10 and 10:1 vol ratios of Zn:S at BSA concentration of 5*10-4g/mL
      shows the crystalline sizes of ZnS are 2.1 and 1.5nm, respectively. FT-IR
      analysis suggests that the prepared ZnS nanoparticles might be conjugated through
      the interactions of hydroxyl and amine groups present in BSA. We evaluate the
      cytotoxicity of the prepared ZnS nanoparticles, the THP-1 cells showed a good
      viability (>88%) for all the prepared ZnS samples. The plausible mechanism for
      the formation of ZnS-BSA composite has also been discussed.

PMID- 28365290
TI  - Biochemistry of fish stomach chitinase.
AB  - Fish are reported to exhibit chitinase activity in the stomach. Analyses of fish
      stomach chitinases have shown that these enzymes have the physiological function
      of degrading chitinous substances ingested as diets. Osteichthyes, a group that
      includes most of the fishes, have several chitinases in their stomachs. From a
      phylogenetic analysis of the chitinases of vertebrates, these particular
      molecules were classified into a fish-specific group and have different substrate
      specificities, suggesting that they can degrade ingested chitinous substances
      efficiently. On the other hand, it has been suggested that coelacanth
      (Sarcopterygii) and shark (Chondrichthyes) have a single chitinase enzyme in
      their stomachs, which shows multiple functions. This review focuses on recent
      research on the biochemistry of fish stomach chitinases.

PMID- 28365291
TI  - Novel chitin scaffolds derived from marine sponge Ianthella basta for tissue
      engineering approaches based on human mesenchymal stromal cells: Biocompatibility
      and cryopreservation.
AB  - The extraordinary biocompatibility and mechanical properties of chitinous
      scaffolds from marine sponges endows these structures with unique properties that
      render them ideal for diverse biomedical applications. In the present work, a
      technological route to produce "ready-to-use" tissue-engineered products based on
      poriferan chitin is comprehensively investigated for the first time. Three key
      stages included isolation of scaffolds from the marine demosponge Ianthella
      basta, confirmation of their biocompatibility with human mesenchymal stromal
      cells, and cryopreservation of the tissue-like structures grown within these
      scaffolds using a slow cooling protocol. Biocompatibility of the macroporous,
      flat chitin scaffolds has been confirmed by cell attachment, high cell viability
      and the ability to differentiate into the adipogenic lineage. The viability of
      cells cryopreserved on chitin scaffolds was reduced by about 30% as compared to
      cells cryopreserved in suspension. However, the surviving cells were able to
      retain their differentiation potential; and this is demonstrated for the
      adipogenic lineage. The results suggest that chitin from the marine demosponge I.
      basta is a promising, highly biocompatible biomaterial for stem cell-based tissue
      engineering applications.

PMID- 28365292
TI  - Evolving transpeptidase and hydrolytic variants of gamma-glutamyl transpeptidase
      from Bacillus licheniformis by targeted mutations of conserved residue Arg109 and
      their biotechnological relevance.
AB  - gamma-Glutamyl transpeptidase (GGT) catalyzes the transfer of the gamma-glutamyl
      moiety from donor compounds such as l-glutamine (Gln) and glutathione (GSH) to an
      acceptor. During the biosynthesis of various gamma-glutamyl-containing compounds
      using GGT enzyme, auto-transpeptidation reaction leads to the formation of
      unwanted byproducts. Therefore, in order to alter the auto-transpeptidase
      activity of the GGT enzyme, the binding affinity of Gln should be modified.
      Structural studies of the Bacillus licheniformis GGT (BlGT) complexed with the
      glutamic acid has shown that glutamic acid has strong ionic interactions through
      its alpha-carboxlic group with the guanidine moiety of Arg109. This interaction
      appears to be an important contributor for the binding affinity of Gln. In view
      of this, six mutants of Bacillus licheniformis ER15 GGT (BlGGT) viz. Arg109Lys,
      Arg109Ser, Arg109Met, Arg109Leu, Arg109Glu and Arg109Phe were prepared. As seen
      from the structure of BlGT, the mutation of Arg109 to Lys109 may reduce the
      affinity for Gln to some extent, whereas the other mutations are expected to
      lower the affinity much more. Biophysical characterization and functional studies
      revealed that Arg109Lys mutant has increased transpeptidation activity and
      catalytic efficiency than the other mutants. The Arg109Lys mutant showed high
      conversion rates for l-theanine synthesis as well. Moreover, the Arg109Met mutant
      showed increased hydrolytic activity as it completely altered the binding of Gln
      at the active site. Also, the salt stability of the enzyme was significantly
      improved on replacing Arg109 by Met109 which is required for hydrolytic
      applications of GGTs in food industries.

PMID- 28365293
TI  - A unified inter-host and in-host model of antibiotic resistance and infection
      spread in a hospital ward.
AB  - As the battle continues against hospital-acquired infections and the concurrent
      rise in antibiotic resistance among many of the major causative pathogens, there
      is a dire need to conduct controlled experiments, in order to compare proposed
      control strategies. However, cost, time, and ethical considerations make this
      evaluation strategy either impractical or impossible to implement with living
      patients. This paper presents a multi-scale model that offers promise as the
      basis for a tool to simulate these (and other) controlled experiments. This is a
      "unified" model in two important ways: (i) It combines inter-host and in-host
      dynamics into a single model, and (ii) it links two very different modeling
      approaches - agent-based modeling and differential equations - into a single
      model. The potential of this model as an instrument to combat antibiotic
      resistance in hospitals is demonstrated with numerical examples.

PMID- 28365295
TI  - In vitro and in vivo performance of monoacyl phospholipid-based self-emulsifying
      drug delivery systems.
AB  - This study investigates the effect of monoacyl phospholipid incorporation on the
      in vitro and in vivo performance of self-emulsifying drug delivery systems
      (SEDDS). Monoacyl phosphatidylcholine (Lipoid S LPC 80 (LPC)) was incorporated
      into four different fenofibrate (FF)-loaded long-chain SEDDS to investigate the
      impact of LPC on the emulsion droplet size, extent of digestion, colloidal
      structure evolution and drug precipitation during in vitro lipolysis simulating
      human conditions and drug bioavailability in a rat model. The four investigated
      SEDDS containing long-chain glycerides, polyoxyl 35 castor oil or polyoxyl 8
      caprylocaproyl glycerides with or without LPC. In situ synchrotron small/wide
      angle X-ray scattering (SAXS/WAXS) was used to simultaneously real-time monitor
      the kinetics of lamellar phase structure development and FF crystalline
      precipitation. Adding LPC increased the particle size and polydispersity of the
      dispersed SEDDS. The two LPC-free SEDDS generated lamellar phase structures
      (Lalpha) with d-spacing=4.76nm during digestion. Incorporating LPC into these
      systems inhibited the formation of lamellar phase structures. The amount of
      precipitated crystalline FF from the four SEDDS was similar during the first
      15min but differed during the last 45min of in vitro digestion. The kinetics of
      colloidal structure development and FF precipitation was related to the digestion
      kinetics. The in vivo bioavailability data showed no significant differences
      between the four SEDDS, which correlates with the in vitro FF precipitation
      during the first 15min of lipolysis. Thus, the presence of LPC, different
      emulsion droplet sizes and concentration of lamellar phase structures observed in
      vitro did not correlate with the FF absorption in rats. The study suggests that
      later time points of the in vitro lipolysis overestimated FF precipitation in
      rats because of the high enzyme activity, the lack of gastric and absorption
      steps, and the low bile salts and phospholipid concentrations of the in vitro
      model.

PMID- 28365294
TI  - Protein-lipid nanohybrids as emerging platforms for drug and gene delivery:
      Challenges and outcomes.
AB  - Nanoparticulate drug delivery systems have been long used to deliver a vast range
      of drugs and bioactives owing to their ability to demonstrate novel physical,
      chemical, and/or biological properties. An exponential growth has spurred in
      research and development of these nanocarriers which led to the evolution of a
      great number of diverse nanosystems including liposomes, nanoemulsions, solid
      lipid nanoparticles (SLNs), micelles, dendrimers, polymeric nanoparticles (NPs),
      metallic NPs, and carbon nanotubes. Among them, lipid-based nanocarriers have
      made the largest progress whether commercially or under development. Despite this
      progress, these lipid-based nanocarriers suffer from several limitations that led
      to the development of many protein-coated lipid nanocarriers. To less extent,
      protein-based nanocarriers suffer from limitations that led to the fabrication of
      some lipid bilayer enveloping protein nanocarriers. This review discusses in
      depth some limitations associated with the lipid-based or protein-based
      nanocarriers and the fruitful outcomes brought by protein-lipid hybridization.
      Also discussed are the various hybridization techniques utilized to formulate
      these protein-lipid nanohybrids and the mechanisms involved in the drug loading
      process.

PMID- 28365296
TI  - Running as a Key Lifestyle Medicine for Longevity.
AB  - Running is a popular and convenient leisure-time physical activity (PA) with a
      significant impact on longevity. In general, runners have a 25%-40% reduced risk
      of premature mortality and live approximately 3 years longer than non-runners.
      Recently, specific questions have emerged regarding the extent of the health
      benefits of running versus other types of PA, and perhaps more critically,
      whether there are diminishing returns on health and mortality outcomes with
      higher amounts of running. This review details the findings surrounding the
      impact of running on various health outcomes and premature mortality, highlights
      plausible underlying mechanisms linking running with chronic disease prevention
      and longevity, identifies the estimated additional life expectancy among runners
      and other active individuals, and discusses whether there is adequate evidence to
      suggest that longevity benefits are attenuated with higher doses of running.

PMID- 28365297
TI  - Endovascular Therapy for Acute Stroke.
AB  - Stroke is the most common cause of permanent disability, the second most common
      cause of dementia, and the fourth most common cause of death in the Western
      world. Recently, based on positive multicenter randomized clinical trials,
      endovascular therapy for acute stroke has undergone a revolution. Routine
      mechanical thrombectomy in addition to intravenous thrombolysis has been shown to
      provide excellent outcomes for patients with proximal anterior circulation
      occlusions. This procedure reduces disability and benefits are seen across a wide
      range of age and initial stroke severity. Important features that affect
      treatment decisions include time of presentation, the patient's clinical status,
      imaging characteristics, and lab tests. Under optimal conditions, it should be
      available to patients 24/7, similar to systems offering prompt percutaneous
      coronary interventions to patients with acute ST-segment elevation myocardial
      infarctions.

PMID- 28365298
TI  - Two-stage sparse coding of region covariance via Log-Euclidean kernels to detect
      saliency.
AB  - In this paper, we present a novel bottom-up saliency detection algorithm from the
      perspective of covariance matrices on a Riemannian manifold. Each superpixel is
      described by a region covariance matrix on Riemannian Manifolds. We carry out a
      two-stage sparse coding scheme via Log-Euclidean kernels to extract salient
      objects efficiently. In the first stage, given background dictionary on image
      borders, sparse coding of each region covariance via Log-Euclidean kernels is
      performed. The reconstruction error on the background dictionary is regarded as
      the initial saliency of each superpixel. In the second stage, an improvement of
      the initial result is achieved by calculating reconstruction errors of the
      superpixels on foreground dictionary, which is extracted from the first stage
      saliency map. The sparse coding in the second stage is similar to the first
      stage, but is able to effectively highlight the salient objects uniformly from
      the background. Finally, three post-processing methods-highlight-inhibition
      function, context-based saliency weighting, and the graph cut-are adopted to
      further refine the saliency map. Experiments on four public benchmark datasets
      show that the proposed algorithm outperforms the state-of-the-art methods in
      terms of precision, recall and mean absolute error, and demonstrate the
      robustness and efficiency of the proposed method.

PMID- 28365299
TI  - A minimal unified model of disease trajectories captures hallmarks of multiple
      sclerosis.
AB  - Multiple Sclerosis (MS) is an autoimmune disease targeting the central nervous
      system (CNS) causing demyelination and neurodegeneration leading to accumulation
      of neurological disability. Here we present a minimal, computational model
      involving the immune system and CNS that generates the principal subtypes of the
      disease observed in patients. The model captures several key features of MS,
      especially those that distinguish the chronic progressive phase from that of the
      relapse-remitting. In addition, a rare subtype of the disease, progressive
      relapsing MS naturally emerges from the model. The model posits the existence of
      two key thresholds, one in the immune system and the other in the CNS, that
      separate dynamically distinct behavior of the model. Exploring the two
      dimensional space of these thresholds, we obtain multiple phases of disease
      evolution and these shows greater variation than the clinical classification of
      MS, thus capturing the heterogeneity that is manifested in patients.

PMID- 28365300
TI  - Comparison of video analysis and simulations of a drum coating process.
AB  - Tablet coating is a common unit operation in the pharmaceutical industry. To
      improve currently established processes, it is important to understand the
      influence of the process parameters on the coating quality. One of the critical
      parameters is the tablet velocity. In this work, numerical results are compared
      to results obtained experimentally. Tablet movement in the drums was simulated
      using the Discrete Element Method (DEM). The simulation parameters were adapted
      to fit the simulation to the experimental data. A comparison of the experimental
      and simulation results showed that the simulation correctly represents the real
      tablet velocity. A change in the velocity over time and its dependence on the
      rotation rates and the baffle position in the simulation were similar to the
      experimental results. In summary, simulations can improve the understanding of
      tablet coating processes and will thus provide insights into the underlying
      process mechanics, which cannot be obtained via ordinary experiments.

PMID- 28365301
TI  - Species specificity profiling of rat and human organic cation/carnitine
      transporter Slc22a5/SLC22A5 (Octn2/OCTN2).
AB  - The purpose of this study was to characterize the uptake of carnitine, the
      physiological substrate, and the uptake of 3-(2,2,2
      trimethylhydrazinium)propionate, a consensus substrate by rat Octn2 and human
      OCTN2 transporters as well as to characterize drug-mediated inhibition of l
      carnitine uptake by the rat and human orthologs overexpressed in CHO-K1 cells. l
      carnitine and 3-(2,2,2-trimethylhydrazinium)propionate were found to be a lower
      affinity substrate for rat Octn2 (KM = 32.66 +/- 5.11 MUM and 23.62 +/- 4.99 MUM
      respectively) than for human OCTN2 (KM = 3.08 +/- 0.74 MUM and 7.98 +/- 0.63
      MUM). The intrinsic clearance (CLint) value for carnitine was higher for the
      human than for the rat transporter (22.82 +/- 5.57 ml/min*mg vs 4.008 +/- 0.675
      ml/min*mg). For 3-(2,2,2-trimethylhydrazinium)propionate, in contrast, the CLint
      value for rat Octn2 was higher than for human OCTN2 (323.9 +/- 72.8 ml/min*mg vs
      65.11 +/- 5.33 ml/min*mg). Furthermore, many pharmacologically important drugs
      were shown to affect l-carnitine transport by Octn2/OCTN2. The correlation
      between the IC50 datasets for the rat and human transporter resulted in an r
      value of 0.47 (p > 0.05). However, the greatest difference was less than seven
      fold and 13 of 15 compounds yielded a difference less than 3-fold. Thus, the
      transporters from these two species showed an overlapping but somewhat different
      substrate and inhibitor specificity.

PMID- 28365302
TI  - Nitroxides protect horseradish peroxidase from H2O2-induced inactivation and
      modulate its catalase-like activity.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Horseradish peroxidase (HRP) catalyzes H2O2 dismutation while
      undergoing heme inactivation. The mechanism underlying this process has not been
      fully elucidated. The effects of nitroxides, which protect metmyoglobin and
      methemoglobin against H2O2-induced inactivation, have been investigated. METHODS:
      HRP reaction with H2O2 was studied by following H2O2 depletion, O2 evolution and
      heme spectral changes. Nitroxide concentration was followed by EPR spectroscopy,
      and its reactions with the oxidized heme species were studied using stopped-flow.
      RESULTS: Nitroxide protects HRP against H2O2-induced inactivation. The rate of
      H2O2 dismutation in the presence of nitroxide obeys zero-order kinetics and
      increases as [nitroxide] increases. Nitroxide acts catalytically since its
      oxidized form is readily reduced to the nitroxide mainly by H2O2. The nitroxide
      efficacy follows the order 2,2,6,6-tetramethyl-piperidine-N-oxyl (TPO)>4-OH-TPO>3
      carbamoyl proxyl>4-oxo-TPO, which correlates with the order of the rate constants
      of nitroxide reactions with compounds I, II, and III. CONCLUSIONS: Nitroxide
      catalytically protects HRP against inactivation induced by H2O2 while modulating
      its catalase-like activity. The protective role of nitroxide at MUM
      concentrations is attributed to its efficient oxidation by P940, which is the
      precursor of the inactivated form P670. Modeling the dismutation kinetics in the
      presence of nitroxide adequately fits the experimental data. In the absence of
      nitroxide the simulation fits the observed kinetics only if it does not include
      the formation of a Michaelis-Menten complex. GENERAL SIGNIFICANCE: Nitroxides
      catalytically protect heme proteins against inactivation induced by H2O2
      revealing an additional role played by nitroxide antioxidants in vivo.

PMID- 28365303
TI  - Quasi-experimental study designs series-paper 4: uses and value.
AB  - Quasi-experimental studies are increasingly used to establish causal
      relationships in epidemiology and health systems research. Quasi-experimental
      studies offer important opportunities to increase and improve evidence on causal
      effects: (1) they can generate causal evidence when randomized controlled trials
      are impossible; (2) they typically generate causal evidence with a high degree of
      external validity; (3) they avoid the threats to internal validity that arise
      when participants in nonblinded experiments change their behavior in response to
      the experimental assignment to either intervention or control arm (such as
      compensatory rivalry or resentful demoralization); (4) they are often well suited
      to generate causal evidence on long-term health outcomes of an intervention, as
      well as nonhealth outcomes such as economic and social consequences; and (5) they
      can often generate evidence faster and at lower cost than experiments and other
      intervention studies.

PMID- 28365304
TI  - Quasi-experimental study designs series-paper 11: supporting the production and
      use of health systems research syntheses that draw on quasi-experimental study
      designs.
AB  - OBJECTIVES: To describe the infrastructure available to support the production of
      policy-relevant health systems research syntheses, particularly those
      incorporating quasi-experimental evidence, and the tools available to support the
      use of these syntheses. STUDY DESIGN AND SETTING: Literature review. RESULTS: The
      general challenges associated with the available infrastructure include their
      sporadic nature or limited coverage of issues and countries, whereas the specific
      ones related to policy-relevant syntheses of quasi-experimental evidence include
      the lack of mechanism to register synthesis titles and scoping review protocols,
      the limited number of groups preparing user-friendly summaries, and the
      difficulty of finding quasi-experimental studies for inclusion in rapid syntheses
      and research syntheses more generally. Although some new tools have emerged in
      recent years, such as guidance workbooks and citizen briefs and panels,
      challenges related to using available tools to support the use of policy-relevant
      syntheses of quasi-experimental evidence arise from such studies potentially
      being harder for policymakers and stakeholders to commission and understand.
      CONCLUSION: Policymakers, stakeholders, and researchers need to expand the
      coverage and institutionalize the use of the available infrastructure and tools
      to support the use of health system research syntheses containing quasi
      experimental evidence.

PMID- 28365305
TI  - Quasi-experimental study designs series-paper 9: collecting data from quasi
      experimental studies.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: To identify variables that must be coded when synthesizing primary
      studies that use quasi-experimental designs. STUDY DESIGN AND SETTING: All quasi
      experimental (QE) designs. RESULTS: When designing a systematic review of QE
      studies, potential sources of heterogeneity-both theory-based and methodological
      must be identified. We outline key components of inclusion criteria for syntheses
      of quasi-experimental studies. We provide recommendations for coding content
      relevant and methodological variables and outlined the distinction between
      bivariate effect sizes and partial (i.e., adjusted) effect sizes. Designs used
      and controls used are viewed as of greatest importance. Potential sources of bias
      and confounding are also addressed. CONCLUSION: Careful consideration must be
      given to inclusion criteria and the coding of theoretical and methodological
      variables during the design phase of a synthesis of quasi-experimental studies.
      The success of the meta-regression analysis relies on the data available to the
      meta-analyst. Omission of critical moderator variables (i.e., effect modifiers)
      will undermine the conclusions of a meta-analysis.

PMID- 28365307
TI  - Quasi-experimental study designs series-paper 2: complementary approaches to
      advancing global health knowledge.
AB  - Quasi-experiments have been infrequently used in the health sciences. Focusing on
      health systems implementation research, this article details key advantages of
      quasi-experiments and argues that they can complement (but not replace)
      randomized evaluations. Specifically, it may be possible to use a quasi
      experiment to study the causal effect of an intervention that cannot feasibly be
      randomized or that would be unethical (e.g., because the intervention has become
      the standard of care) to test in a randomized controlled trial (RCT). In
      addition, because they usually take advantage of routinely collected data, quasi
      experiments may be feasible when it is too costly (either financially or in terms
      of the required time) to carry out a RCT - an important advantage in research on
      health systems, which vary widely between settings. Nonetheless, we argue that
      RCTs will continue to be indispensable for implementation research because i) the
      assumptions needed to establish causality with a quasi-experiment are often
      unverifiable, ii) available data frequently do not allow for a rigorous quasi
      experiment, and iii) randomized designs tend to lend themselves more to informing
      policy makers of causal effects prior to (or during) the full-scale rollout of an
      intervention than quasi-experiments.

PMID- 28365306
TI  - Quasi-experimental study designs series-paper 7: assessing the assumptions.
AB  - Quasi-experimental designs are gaining popularity in epidemiology and health
      systems research-in particular for the evaluation of health care practice,
      programs, and policy-because they allow strong causal inferences without
      randomized controlled experiments. We describe the concepts underlying five
      important quasi-experimental designs: Instrumental Variables, Regression
      Discontinuity, Interrupted Time Series, Fixed Effects, and Difference-in
      Differences designs. We illustrate each of the designs with an example from
      health research. We then describe the assumptions required for each of the
      designs to ensure valid causal inference and discuss the tests available to
      examine the assumptions.

PMID- 28365308
TI  - Quasi-experimental study designs series-paper 10: synthesizing evidence for
      effects collected from quasi-experimental studies presents surmountable
      challenges.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: To outline issues of importance to analytic approaches to the
      synthesis of quasi-experiments (QEs) and to provide a statistical model for use
      in analysis. STUDY DESIGN AND SETTING: We drew on studies of statistics,
      epidemiology, and social-science methodology to outline methods for synthesis of
      QE studies. The design and conduct of QEs, effect sizes from QEs, and moderator
      variables for the analysis of those effect sizes were discussed. RESULTS: Biases,
      confounding, design complexities, and comparisons across designs offer serious
      challenges to syntheses of QEs. Key components of meta-analyses of QEs were
      identified, including the aspects of QE study design to be coded and analyzed. Of
      utmost importance are the design and statistical controls implemented in the QEs.
      Such controls and any potential sources of bias and confounding must be modeled
      in analyses, along with aspects of the interventions and populations studied.
      Because of such controls, effect sizes from QEs are more complex than those from
      randomized experiments. A statistical meta-regression model that incorporates
      important features of the QEs under review was presented. CONCLUSION: Meta
      analyses of QEs provide particular challenges, but thorough coding of
      intervention characteristics and study methods, along with careful analysis,
      should allow for sound inferences.

PMID- 28365309
TI  - Quasi-experimental study designs series-paper 8: identifying quasi-experimental
      studies to inform systematic reviews.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: This article reviews the available evidence and guidance on methods to
      identify reports of quasi-experimental (QE) studies to inform systematic reviews
      of health care, public health, international development, education, crime and
      justice, and social welfare. STUDY DESIGN AND SETTING: Research, guidance, and
      examples of search strategies were identified by searching a range of databases,
      key guidance documents, selected reviews, conference proceedings, and personal
      communication. Current practice and research evidence were summarized. RESULTS:
      Four thousand nine hundred twenty-four records were retrieved by database
      searches, and additional documents were obtained by other searches. QE studies
      are challenging to identify efficiently because they have no standardized
      nomenclature and may be indexed in various ways. Reliable search filters are not
      available. There is a lack of specific resources devoted to collecting QE studies
      and little evidence on where best to search. CONCLUSION: Searches to identify QE
      studies should search a range of resources and, until indexing improves, use
      strategies that focus on the topic rather than the study design. Better
      definitions, better indexing in databases, prospective registers, and reporting
      guidance are required to improve the retrieval of QE studies and promote
      systematic reviews of what works based on the evidence from such studies.

PMID- 28365310
TI  - Quasi-experimental study designs series-paper 3: systematic generation of
      evidence through public policy evaluation.

PMID- 28365311
TI  - Clinical impact and prevalence of MRSA CC398 and differences between MRSA-TetR
      and MRSA-TetS in an area of Spain with a high density of pig farming: a
      prospective cohort study.
AB  - OBJECTIVES: Tetracycline resistance (TetR) is a phenotypic marker of the
      livestock-associated methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) CC398
      clone. The aim of this study was to analyse the prevalence of MRSA CC398 in
      patients in contact with healthcare facilities and differences between patients
      with MRSA-TetR and MRSA tetracycline-susceptible (TetS) strains. METHODS:
      Patients diagnosed with MRSA from January 2012 to December 2015 were divided into
      two groups, MRSA-TetR and MRSA-TetS. Epidemiologic and clinical data were
      evaluated. Molecular analysis was performed (multilocus sequence typing, spa
      typing) on MRSA-TetR strains. RESULTS: Data from 288 MRSA patients were obtained,
      and 106 (36.8%) carried MRSA-TetR (93 typed as CC398 (87.7%); the remaining 13
      isolates were ascribed to CC9, CC1, CC121, CC30, CC97, CC146 and CC152). The most
      frequent spa type was t011 (56.6%, 61/106). Detection of MRSA-TetR increased over
      the years (21.9%, 16/73, in 2012; 50.7%, 36/71, in 2015; p <0.001). Hospital
      acquisition was found in 16.7% (19/114) of MRSA-TetR patients vs. 83.3% (95/114)
      in MRSA-TetS patients (p <0.001). Frequency of MRSA-TetR patients in nursing
      homes was lower than in MRSA-TetS patients (4.7%, 5/106, vs. 27.5%, 50/182, p
      <0.001). MRSA-TetR as distinct from MRSA-TetS was associated with workers on pig
      farms (49.0%, 52/106, vs. 1.0%, 2/182; p <0.001), fewer admissions to hospital
      (46.2%, 49/106, vs. 68.1%, 124/182; p <0.001) and fewer comorbidities (81.1%,
      86/106, vs. 59.9%, 109/182; p <0.001). Sixty cases of MRSA-CC398 infection were
      diagnosed, including, among others, endocarditis, septic arthritis, prosthetic
      joint infection, pneumonia and bacteraemia. CONCLUSIONS: Prevalence of MRSA-TetR
      (especially CC398) at the hospital level in a Spanish region with intensive pig
      farming activity is high and is responsible for severe infections. Significant
      differences were detected in clinical and epidemiologic characteristics among
      MRSA-TetR and MRSA-TetS patients.

PMID- 28365312
TI  - Activating transcription factor 3 is a target molecule linking hepatic steatosis
      to impaired glucose homeostasis.
AB  - BACKGROUND & AIMS: Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) contributes to
      impaired glucose tolerance, leading to type 2 diabetes (T2D); however, the
      precise mechanisms and target molecules that are involved remain unclear.
      Activating transcription factor 3 (ATF3) is associated with beta-cell dysfunction
      that is induced by severe stress signals in T2D. We aimed to explore the exact
      functional role of ATF3 as a mechanistic link between hepatic steatosis and T2D
      development. METHODS: Zucker diabetic fatty (ZDF) rats were utilized for animal
      experiments. An in vivo-jetPEI siRNA delivery system against ATF3 was used for
      loss-of-function experiments. We analyzed the baseline cross-sectional data
      derived from the biopsy-proven NAFLD registry (n=322). Human sera and liver
      tissues were obtained from 43 patients with biopsy-proven NAFLD and from seven
      healthy participants. RESULTS: ATF3 was highly expressed in the livers of ZDF
      rats and in human participants with NAFLD and/or T2D. Insulin resistance and
      hepatic steatosis were associated with increased ATF3 expression and decreased
      fatty acid oxidation via mitochondrial dysfunction and were attenuated by in vivo
      ATF3 silencing. Knockdown of ATF3 also ameliorated glucose intolerance, impaired
      insulin action, and inflammatory responses in ZDF rats. In patients with NAFLD
      and/or T2D, a significant positive correlation was observed between hepatic ATF3
      expression and surrogate markers of T2D, mitochondrial dysfunction, and
      macrophage infiltration. CONCLUSIONS: Increased hepatic ATF3 expression is
      closely associated with hepatic steatosis and incident T2D; therefore, ATF3 may
      serve as a potential therapeutic target for NAFLD and hepatic steatosis-induced
      T2D. LAY SUMMARY: Hepatic activating transcription factor 3 (ATF3) may play an
      important role in oxidative stress-mediated hepatic steatosis and the development
      of type 2 diabetes (T2D) in a Zucker diabetic fatty (ZDF) rat model and in human
      patients with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). Therefore, ATF3 may be a
      useful biomarker for predicting the progression of NAFLD and the development of
      T2D. Furthermore, given the significant association between hepatic ATF3
      expression and both hepatic steatosis and impaired glucose homeostasis, in vivo
      ATF3 silencing may be a potential central strategy for preventing and managing
      NAFLD and T2D.

PMID- 28365313
TI  - Transcriptome analysis provides insights into hepatic responses to moderate heat
      stress in the rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss).
AB  - The rainbow trout is an economically important fish in the world. The limited
      stress tolerance of this species to high summer-like temperatures usually leads
      to mass mortality and great economic loss. However, there is limited information
      on the mechanisms underlying moderate heat responses in the liver of the rainbow
      trout. Here, we performed transcriptome profiling of rainbow trout liver under
      moderate heat stress by using the HiseqTM 4000 sequencing platform. More than 277
      million clean reads were obtained from 6 libraries and aligned against the
      rainbow trout genome. A total of 128 unique transcripts were differentially
      expressed in the liver under heat-stress and control conditions, many heat shock
      protein genes for thermoregulation and some novel genes involved in heat stress
      were identified. Nine of the differently expressed genes were further validated
      by qRT-PCR. Gene ontology and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes analyses
      revealed that several pathways, including those for protein metabolism, energy
      metabolism, and immune system, were influenced by heat stress. Moreover, an
      important protein-processing pathway in the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) was
      identified, and the key role of ER-associated degradation and function of calpain
      as an upstream regulator of apoptosis were confirmed under heat stress. The
      results of this study provide a comprehensive overview of heat stress-induced
      transcriptional patterns in rainbow trout liver and would be particularly useful
      for further studies on the molecular mechanisms underlying responses to heat
      stress in this species.

PMID- 28365314
TI  - Paradoxical sleep deprivation modulates depressive-like behaviors by regulating
      the MAOA levels in the amygdala and hippocampus.
AB  - Paradoxical sleep is closely associated with depression, and brain monoamine
      oxidase A (MAOA) plays an important role in depression. However, the precise
      relationship between sleep and depression and the role of MAOA in this process
      remains unknown. Therefore, we established a paradoxical sleep deprivation model
      using the "multiple small platforms over water" protocol. Mice deprived of
      paradoxical sleep for 3days showed no depressive-like behaviors; however, mice
      deprived of paradoxical sleep deprivation for 5days (P5d) showed decreased
      locomotive activity in the first 3days after P5d. Additionally, the P5d mice
      showed depressive-like behaviors one week after P5d, with a longer immobility
      time and a decreased sucrose preference rate. In addition, the levels of the MAOA
      protein and mRNA in the amygdala and hippocampus significantly increased.
      Furthermore, the immobility time and sucrose preference rate of P5d mice
      recovered when the mice were injected with phenelzine. The P5d mice displayed
      depressive-like behaviors, which were likely modulated by the MAOA levels in the
      amygdala and hippocampus.

PMID- 28365315
TI  - Response inhibition or evaluation of danger? An event-related potential study
      regarding the origin of the motor interference effect from dangerous objects.
AB  - Previous studies have identified an interference effect from dangerous objects on
      prepared responses. However, its origin remains arguable. This study investigated
      the neural processes of this motor interference effect. The design adopted a
      motor priming paradigm mixed with a Go/NoGo task. Pictures of a left or right
      hand were used as primes, and green (Go signal) or red (NoGo signal) circles
      superimposed on dangerous or safe objects were used as targets. Participants were
      instructed to prepare the corresponding key press using the hand that was
      consistent with the handedness of the prime and not to execute until a Go signal
      appeared. Behavioral results indicated longer reaction times and a trend that
      participants made more errors for the dangerous condition than for the safe
      condition in the Go trials. However, the difference between the error rates for
      the dangerous and safe conditions did not emerge in the NoGo trials. Event
      related potential analysis revealed a similar effect on the P3 component, which
      may reflect an assignment of cognitive resources to evaluate danger. More
      positive parietal P3 amplitudes were identified in response to the dangerous
      condition in the Go trials. However, the difference in the P3 amplitudes between
      the dangerous and safe conditions was not significant in the NoGo trials.
      Together, the motor interference effect from dangerous objects may originate from
      the danger evaluations. Furthermore, differences between the dangerous and safe
      conditions also emerged in the P1, posterior N1, P2, and posterior N2 components;
      the possible processes that underlie these components were discussed.

PMID- 28365316
TI  - Bacterial arthropod-borne diseases in West Africa.
AB  - Arthropods such as ticks, lice, fleas and mites are excellent vectors for many
      pathogenic agents including bacteria, protozoa and viruses to animals. Moreover,
      many of these pathogens can also be accidentally transmitted to humans throughout
      the world. Bacterial vector-borne diseases seem to be numerous and very important
      in human pathology, however, they are often ignored and are not well known. Yet
      they are in a phase of geographic expansion and play an important role in the
      etiology of febrile episodes in regions of Africa. Since the introduction of
      molecular techniques, the presence of these pathogens has been confirmed in
      various samples from arthropods and animals, and more rarely from human samples
      in West Africa. In this review, the aim is to summarize the latest information
      about vector-borne bacteria, focusing on West Africa from 2000 until today in
      order to better understand the epidemiological risks associated with these
      arthropods. This will allow health and veterinary authorities to develop a
      strategy for surveillance of arthropods and bacterial disease in order to protect
      people and animals.

PMID- 28365317
TI  - The role of basic leucine zipper transcription factor E4BP4 in the immune system
      and immune-mediated diseases.
AB  - Basic leucine zipper transcription factor E4BP4 (also known as NFIL3) has been
      implicated in the molecular and cellular mechanisms of functions and activities
      in mammals. The interactions between E4BP4 and major regulators of cellular
      processes have triggered significant interest in the roles of E4BP4 in the
      pathogenesis of certain chronic diseases. Indeed, novel discoveries have been
      emerging to illustrate the involvement of E4BP4 in multiple disorders. It is
      recognized that E4BP4 is extensively involved in some immune-mediated diseases,
      but the mechanisms of E4BP4 involvement in these complex diseases remain poorly
      defined. Here we review the regulatory mechanisms of E4BP4 engaging in not only
      the biological function but also the development of immune-mediated diseases,
      paving the way for future therapies.

PMID- 28365318
TI  - Pronounced anti-proliferative activity and tumor cell selectivity of 5-alkyl-2
      amino-3-methylcarboxylate thiophenes.
AB  - 5-(2-(4-Methoxyphenyl)ethyl)-2-amino-3-methylcarboxylate thiophene (TR560) is the
      prototype drug of a recently discovered novel class of tumor-selective compounds
      that preferentially inhibit the proliferation of specific tumor cell types (e.g.
      leukemia/lymphoma). Here, we further increased tumor selectivity by
      simplification of the molecule through replacing the 4-methoxyphenyl moiety by an
      alkyl chain. Several 2-amino-3-methylcarboxylate thiophene derivatives containing
      at C-5 an alkyl group consisting of at least 6 (hexyl) to 9 (nonyl) carbon units
      showed pronounced anti-proliferative activity in the mid-nanomolar range with 500
      to 1000-fold tumor cell selectivity. The compounds preferentially inhibited the
      proliferation of T-lymphoma CEM and Molt/4, prostate PC-3, kidney Caki-1 and
      hepatoma Huh-7 tumor cells, but were virtually inactive against other tumor cell
      lines including B-lymphoma Raji and cervix carcinoma HeLa cells. The novel
      prototype drug 3j (containing a 5-heptyl chain) elicited a cytotoxic, rather than
      cytostatic activity, already after 4 h of exposure. The unusual tumor selectivity
      could not be explained by a differential uptake (or efflux) of the drug by
      sensitive versus resistant tumor cells. Exposure of a fluorescent derivative of
      3j revealed pronounced uptake of the drug in the cytoplasm, no visible appearance
      in the nucleus, and a predominant localization in the endoplasmic reticulum.
      These observations may be helpful to narrow down the intracellular localization
      and identification of the molecular target of the 5-substituted thiophene
      derivatives.

PMID- 28365319
TI  - Anthranilamide-based 2-phenylcyclopropane-1-carboxamides, 1,1'-biphenyl-4
      carboxamides and 1,1'-biphenyl-2-carboxamides: Synthesis biological evaluation
      and mechanism of action.
AB  - Several anthranilamide-based 2-phenylcyclopropane-1-carboxamides 13a-f, 1,1'
      biphenyl-4-carboxamides 14a-f and 1,1'-biphenyl-2-carboxamides 17a-f were
      obtained by a multistep procedure starting from the (1S,2S)-2-phenylcyclopropane
      1-carbonyl chloride 11, the 1,1'-biphenyl-4-carbonyl chloride 12 or the 1,1'
      biphenyl-2-carbonyl chloride 16 with the appropriate anthranilamide derivative
      10a-f. Derivatives 13a-f, 14a-f and 17a-f showed antiproliferative activity
      against human leukemia K562 cells. Among these derivatives 13b, 14b and 17b
      exerted a particular cytotoxic effect on tumor cells. Derivative 17b showed a
      better antitumoral effect on K562 cells than 13b and 14b. Analyses performed to
      explore 17b mode of action revealed that it induced an arrest in G2/M phase of
      cell cycle which was consequent to DNA lesions as demonstrated by the increase in
      phospho-ATM and gammaH2AX, two known markers of DNA repair response system. The
      effect of 17b was also related to ROS generation, activation of JNK and induction
      of caspase-3 dependent apoptosis.

PMID- 28365320
TI  - Use of white matter reference regions for detection of change in florbetapir
      positron emission tomography from completed phase 3 solanezumab trials.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: We compared subject-specific white matter (SSWM) and whole
      cerebellum (CBL) reference regions for power to detect longitudinal change in
      amyloid positron emission tomography signal. METHODS: Positive florbetapir
      positron emission tomography scans were analyzed from participants (66 placebo
      treated and 63 solanezumab treated) with mild dementia caused by Alzheimer's
      disease from the EXPEDITION and EXPEDITION2 studies. For comparison to CBL, a
      second normalization was performed on longitudinal data using an SSWM correction
      factor (SSWM normalization ratio [SSWMnr]). Analysis of covariance assessed
      baseline to 18-month change between treatment with solanezumab and placebo.
      Sample and effect size estimations provided magnitude of observed treatment
      changes. RESULTS: Longitudinal percent change between placebo and solanezumab
      using CBL was not significant (P = .536) but was significant for SSWMnr (P =
      .042). Compared with CBL, SSWMnr technique increased the power to detect a
      treatment difference, more than tripling the effect size and reducing the sample
      size requirements by 85% to 90%. DISCUSSION: Adjusting longitudinal standardized
      uptake value ratios with an SSWM reference region in these antiamyloid treatment
      trials increased mean change detection and decreased variance resulting in the
      substantial improvement in statistical power to detect change.

PMID- 28365321
TI  - The midlife cognitive profiles of adults at high risk of late-onset Alzheimer's
      disease: The PREVENT study.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: Although biomarker studies of late-onset Alzheimer's disease
      suggest pathology to be present decades before diagnosis, little is known about
      cognitive performance at this stage. METHODS: A sample of 210 adults (aged 40-59)
      of whom 103 have a parent diagnosed with dementia (family history subgroup)
      underwent computerized cognitive testing. Apolipoprotein E (apoE) status was
      determined, and 193 subjects had magnetic resonance imaging. Distance from
      dementia onset was estimated in relation to age of parental diagnosis, and
      Cardiovascular Risk Factors, Aging, and Incidence of Dementia Risk Scores were
      calculated. RESULTS: Lower hippocampal volumes (P = .04) were associated with
      poorer spatial location recall and higher Dementia Risk Scores with poorer visual
      recognition (P = .0005), and lower brain and hippocampal volume (P < .0001, P =
      .04, respectively). Family history subgroup participants closer to dementia onset
      had lower scores on visual working memory (P = .05), whereas those with an APOE
      epsilon4 allele performed better on form perception (P = .005). DISCUSSION:
      Middle-aged adults at risk of dementia show evidence of poorer cognitive
      performance, principally in visuospatial functions.

PMID- 28365322
TI  - Metallic nanoparticles augmented the antibacterial potency of Rhodomyrtus
      tomentosa acetone extract against Escherichia coli.
AB  - The present study was focused on the preparation of gold, silver, and gold-silver
      alloy nanoparticles using Rhodomyrtus tomentosa acetone extract (RAE). The
      synthesized nanoparticles showed the surface plasmon resonance absorption peak
      corresponding to gold and silver nanoparticle. However, Au-Ag-Alloy nanoparticles
      showed the single peak between the peaks of AuNPs and AgNPs. TEM observation
      ascertained the shape and size of nanoparticles. FTIR results indicated the
      involvement of RAE for the synthesis and capping of nanoparticles. Study on
      antibacterial activity demonstrated the enhanced activity of RAE capped on silver
      and Au-Ag-Alloy nanoparticles against Escherichia coli.

PMID- 28365323
TI  - Pathogenic potentials of Aeromonas species isolated from aquaculture and abattoir
      environments.
AB  - The present study elucidated the presence of antibiotics resistance, virulence
      genes and biofilm potentials among Aeromonas species isolated from abattoir and
      aquaculture environments in Benin City, Nigeria. A total of 144 wastewater
      samples were obtained from two independent aquaculture and abattoir environments
      between May and October 2016. Aeromonas species were isolated on Glutamate Starch
      Phenol Red (GSP) agar and confirmed using API 20NE kits. Antimicrobial
      susceptibility profile of the isolates was carried out using standard disc
      diffusion assay while biofilm potentials were detected by the microtitre plate
      method and PCR technique was used to detect antibiotics resistance and virulence
      gene markers. Overall, 32 and 26 Aeromonas species were isolated from the
      abattoir and aquaculture environments respectively. Isolates from both
      environments were completely resistant (100%) to penicillin G, ertapenem and
      tetracycline; whereas aquaculture isolates exhibited absolute sensitivity (100%)
      towards cefepime. All the virulence gene markers (aerA, hlyA, alt, ast, laf, ascF
      G, fla, lip, stx1, and stx2) investigated in this study (except laf) were
      detected in isolates from both environments. The laf genes were only detected in
      isolates from abattoir environments. Antibiotics resistant genes including pse,
      blaTEM and class 1 integron were detected in isolates from both environments.
      Majority of the isolates (53/58 91.4%) from both environments; demonstrated
      capacity for biofilm potential. The detection of antibiotic resistance and
      virulence gene markers as well as biofilm forming ability in Aeromonas species
      isolated from aquaculture and abattoir environments raise serious public health
      concern worthy of further investigation.

PMID- 28365324
TI  - Clinical features and antimicrobial resistance profiles of important
      Enterobacteriaceae pathogens in Guangzhou representative of Southern China, 2001
      2015.
AB  - OBJECT: This surveillance aimed to investigate the antimicrobial resistance
      profiles of Enterobacteriaceae pathogens in Southern China during 2001-2015.
      METHODS: A total of 6858 Enterobacteriaceae isolates were collected, including
      4276 E. coli, 1992 K. pneumoniae and 590 Enterobacter spp. Disk diffusion method
      and minimum inhibitory concentrations method were used for susceptibility
      testing, with results interpreted by the CLSI (2015). RESULTS: Urinary tract
      remained the dominant isolated site among E. coli (49.88%), whereas 53.26% K.
      pneumoniae and 45.25% Enterobacter spp. were from Sputum. The carbapenems
      maintained the highest antimicrobial activity (resistance rates <15%), followed
      by piperacillin-tazobactam and amikacin. Gentle increases were obtained in
      carbapenems-resistant K. pneumoniae and Enterobacter spp. (eg. from 4.5% to 11.2%
      and 3.2% to 14.5% in imipenem, repestively). The third-generation cephalosporins
      showed high and stable resistance among Enterobacteriaceae pathogens during the
      studied period, with ceftazidime as the most active third-generation
      cephalosporin against Enterobacteriaceae. Isolates from ICU department showed
      higher or similar resistance rates among Enterobacteriaceae pathogens compared to
      other wards. CONCLUSION: Carbapenems are the most potent antibiotic agents
      against Enterobacteriaceae pathogens. Due to the complicated susceptibility
      profiles, prescribing guidelines should be based on the knowledge of antibiogram
      of pathogens.

PMID- 28365325
TI  - Screening of novel actinobacteria and characterization of the potential isolates
      from mangrove sediment of south coastal India.
AB  - The importance of the current research is to investigate the different types of
      samples from the various mangrove sediments; as source of actinobacteria from the
      mangrove wet soil. Potential isolate screening by antimicrobial activity and
      identified actinobacteria was characterized based on cultural morphology,
      physiological and biochemical characteristics. Three different types of media
      were used to isolate actinobacteria from various geographical region of mangrove
      soil sediment and the genotype locus was recognized by 16S rDNA. Totally 144
      actinobacteria isolates were recovered from 10 samples using three media. The
      most active culture media in the isolation of actinobacteria were ISP2 and
      Glycerol Yeast Extract Agar. Among 144 isolates, 38 isolates (26.38%) exhibited
      antimicrobial activity. Out of 38 isolates, potentially active 2 cultures were
      further supported for morphological and biochemical characterization analysis.
      Most of the isolates were produced pharmaceutically important enzymes such as
      protease, amylase, lipase, cellulose and also revealed antimicrobial activity
      against tested microorganism. The enriched salt, pH and temperature tolerance of
      the actinobacteria isolates to discharge commercially valuable primary and
      secondary bioactive metabolites. The present results functionally characterize
      novel mangrove actinobacteria and their metabolites for commercial interest in
      pharmaceutical industry.

PMID- 28365326
TI  - Inhibitory effects of flavonoids on biofilm formation by Staphylococcus aureus
      that overexpresses efflux protein genes.
AB  - This study evaluated the efficacy of glycone (myricitrin, hesperidin and
      phloridzin) and aglycone flavonoids (myricetin, hesperetin and phloretin) in
      inhibiting biofilm formation by Staphylococcus aureus RN4220 and S. aureus
      SA1199B that overexpress the msrA and norA efflux protein genes, respectively.
      The minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) and minimum biofilm inhibitory
      concentration (MBIC50 - defined as the lowest concentration that resulted in
      >=50% inhibition of biofilm formation) of flavonoids were determined using
      microdilution in broth procedures. The flavonoids showed MIC >1024 MUg/mL against
      S. aureus RN4220 and S. aureus SA1199B; however, these compounds at lower
      concentrations (1-256 MUg/mL) showed inhibitory effects on biofilm formation by
      these strains. Aglycone flavonoids showed lower MBIC50 values than their
      respective glycone forms. The lowest MBIC50 values (1 and 4 MUg/mL) were observed
      against S. aureus RN4220. Myricetin, hesperetin and phloretin exhibited biofilm
      formation inhibition >70% for S. aureus RN4220, and lower biofilm formation
      inhibition against S. aureus SA1199B. These results indicate that sub-MICs of the
      tested flavonoids inhibit biofilm formation by S. aureus strains that overexpress
      efflux protein genes. These effects are more strongly established by aglycone
      flavonoids.

PMID- 28365327
TI  - Polypropylene microtitre plates modified with [Cr(OH)6]3- for enhanced ELISA
      sensitivity.
AB  - Chromium solutions have been used as wet chemical modifiers for polymer
      microtitre plates used in improving immunoassay performance. However,
      polypropylene has been excluded from the list of potentially modifiable
      substrates (AnteoTechnologies, 2015). Here we show that untreated polypropylene
      microtitre plates can indeed be modified using a [Cr(OH)6]3- complex. Compared to
      unmodified polypropylene, the chromium modified surfaces demonstrate an up to 4
      fold improvement in both assay sensitivity and signal intensity in an antigen
      capture ELISA. Atomic force microscope (AFM) images indicate that the chromium
      complex facilitates dispersion of the antibody, reducing aggregation.

PMID- 28365328
TI  - Comparison of 6B11 mAb and alpha-GalCer-loaded CD1d dextramers for detection of
      iNKT cells by flow cytometry.
AB  - Invariant natural killer T (iNKT) cells are a small population of thymus-derived
      T cells that are restricted by non-classical MHC class I molecule CD1d and
      express an evolutionary conserved TCR with an invariant alpha-chain. The
      frequency of iNKT cells in peripheral blood is very low, thus, accurate methods
      to identify and enumerate iNKT cells are needed. The aim of the study was to
      compare 6B11 mAb or alpha-GalCer-loaded CD1d dextramers usage in iNKT cell
      detection. The frequency of CD3+CD56+ lymphocytes is much higher, with
      statistical significance (p<0,001), than real iNKT cells detected by 6B11 mAb or
      alpha-GalCer-loaded CD1d dextramers. The frequency of iNKT cells, recognized by
      6B11 mAb or alpha-GalCer-loaded CD1d dextramers, was in a similar range.
      Nonetheless, when we compared whether 6B11+ and alpha-GalCer-loaded CD1d
      dextramers+ are the same populations, it turned out that by this approach we were
      able to identify three distinct subsets of iNKT cells: i) 6B11+/alpha-GalCer
      loaded dextramer- cells, ii) 6B11+/alpha-GalCer-loaded dextramer+ cells, and iii)
      6B11-/alpha-GalCer-loaded dextramer+. Thus, although 6B11 mAb and alpha-GalCer
      loaded dextramers may identify not exactly the same cells, application of these
      methods seems to give similar results of iNKT cell frequency in peripheral blood.
      It seems that both approaches for iNKT detection can be used for precise
      identification of these cells. Moreover, our results indicate that CD3+CD56+
      lymphocytes are a heterogeneous population of T cells, expressing activation
      markers of both NK and T lymphocytes, yet with not well characterized properties.

PMID- 28365329
TI  - Lot-to-lot stability of antibody reagents for flow cytometry.
AB  - The fluorescence detected using fluorochrome-labelled monoclonal antibodies
      depends not only on the abundance of the target antigen, but amongst many other
      factors also on the effective fluorochrome-to-antibody ratio. The diagnostic
      approach of the EuroFlow consortium relies on reproducible fluorescence
      intensities over time. A capture bead system for mouse immunoglobulin light
      chains was utilized to compare the mean fluorescence intensity of 1323
      consecutive antibody lots to the currently used lot of the same monoclonal
      antibody. In total, 157 different monoclonal antibodies were assessed over seven
      years. Median relative difference between consecutive lots was 3.8% (range: 0.01%
      to 164.7%, interquartile range: 1.3% to 10.1%). The relative difference exceeded
      20% in 8.8% of all comparisons. FITC labelled monoclonal antibodies (median
      relative difference: 2.1%) showed a significantly smaller variation between lots
      than antibodies conjugated to PE (3.5%), PECy7 (3.9%), PerCPCy5.5 (5.8%), APC
      (5.8%), APCH7 (7.4%), and APCC750 (14.5%). Reagents labelled with Pacific Blue
      (1.4%), Pacific Orange (2.4%), HV450 (0.7%), and HV500 (1.7%) demonstrated more
      consistent results compared to conjugates of BV421 (4.1%) and BV510 (16.2%).
      Additionally, significant differences in lot-to-lot fluorescence stability
      amongst antibodies labelled with the same fluorochrome were observed between
      manufacturers. These observations might guide future quality recommendations for
      the production and application of fluorescence-labelled monoclonal antibodies in
      multicolor flow cytometry.

PMID- 28365330
TI  - Differences in liver stiffness values obtained with new ultrasound elastography
      machines and Fibroscan: A comparative study.
AB  - BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Whether Fibroscan thresholds can be immediately adopted for
      none, some or all other shear wave elastography techniques has not been tested.
      The aim of the present study was to test the concordance of the findings obtained
      from 7 of the most recent ultrasound elastography machines with respect to
      Fibroscan. METHODS: Sixteen hepatitis C virus-related patients with fibrosis >=2
      and having reliable results at Fibroscan were investigated in two intercostal
      spaces using 7 different elastography machines. Coefficients of both precision
      (an index of data dispersion) and accuracy (an index of bias correction factors
      expressing different magnitudes of changes in comparison to the reference) were
      calculated. RESULTS: Median stiffness values differed among the different
      machines as did coefficients of both precision (range 0.54-0.72) and accuracy
      (range 0.28-0.87). When the average of the measurements of two intercostal spaces
      was considered, coefficients of precision significantly increased with all
      machines (range 0.72-0.90) whereas of accuracy improved more scatteredly and by a
      smaller degree (range 0.40-0.99). CONCLUSIONS: The present results showed only
      moderate concordance of the majority of elastography machines with the Fibroscan
      results, preventing the possibility of the immediate universal adoption of
      Fibroscan thresholds for defining liver fibrosis staging for all new machines.

PMID- 28365331
TI  - On the duration of the period between exposure to HIV and detectable infection.
AB  - HIV infection cannot be detected immediately after exposure because plasma viral
      loads are too small initially. The duration of this phase of infection (the
      "eclipse period") is difficult to estimate because precise dates of exposure are
      rarely known. Therefore, the reliability of clinical HIV testing during the first
      few weeks of infection is unknown, creating anxiety among HIV-exposed individuals
      and their physicians. We address this by fitting stochastic models of early HIV
      infection to detailed viral load records for 78 plasma donors, taken during the
      period of exposure and infection. We first show that the classic stochastic birth
      death model does not satisfactorily describe early infection. We therefore apply
      a different stochastic model that includes infected cells and virions separately.
      Since every plasma donor in our data eventually becomes infected, we must
      condition the model to reflect this bias, before fitting to the data. Applying
      our best estimates of unknown parameter values, we estimate the mean eclipse
      period to be 8-10 days. We further estimate the reliability of a negative test t
      days after potential exposure.

PMID- 28365332
TI  - Effector-Decoy Pairs: Another Countermeasure Emerging during Host-Microbe Co
      evolutionary Arms Races?

PMID- 28365333
TI  - Emerging Jasmonate Transporters.

PMID- 28365334
TI  - Can Locoregionally Recurrent Breast Cancer Be Cured?
AB  - Locoregional recurrence (LRR) of breast cancer can occur after multidisciplinary
      treatment of a primary breast cancer. With modern multidisciplinary breast cancer
      treatment, the incidence of isolated LRR is decreasing. Improvements in systemic
      therapy are driving the decrease in LRR. LRR does still occur, however. LRR
      reflects biology of the cancer, as does systemic recurrence. LRR of breast cancer
      is frequently associated with systemic disease recurrence and poor prognosis.
      Given this associated poor prognosis, historically, it has been unclear whether
      patients with LRR would benefit from aggressive therapy with curative intent.
      Findings in retrospective studies suggest that prognosis for patients with LRR is
      not universally poor, and some patients may benefit from aggressive locoregional
      and systemic therapy. The challenge remains to assess prognosis and appropriately
      treat patients with locoregional breast cancer recurrence.

PMID- 28365335
TI  - Competing Risks of Mortality by PAM50 Intrinsic Subtype of British Columbia
      Tamoxifen-Treated Cohort of Postmenopausal Patients With Breast Cancer.
AB  - BACKGROUND: PAM50 intrinsic subtypes have been shown to affect breast cancer
      prognosis. METHODS: A British Columbia cohort of 718 postmenopausal women treated
      with tamoxifen, without chemotherapy, had tumors intrinsically subtyped (luminal
      A, luminal B, basal, HER2) and centrally reviewed by immunohistochemistry (IHC)
      for estrogen and progesterone receptor (ER and PgR). We tested whether intrinsic
      subtype and other patient and tumor characteristics were associated with type of
      death. RESULTS: At median 11.7 years of follow-up, 429 (60%) of 718 women died:
      30% of deaths were breast cancer-specific; 30% were other type. In 425 women <70
      years, 32% died of breast cancer and 19% of other type. In 293 women >= 70, 27%
      died of breast cancer and 45% of other type. Intrinsic subtype was associated
      with breast cancer (P = .001); and older age, with other type (P < .001).
      Additionally, stepwise cause-specific models indicated larger tumor size (P <
      .001), more positive lymph nodes (P < .001), and less PgR stain (P = .03) were
      associated with worse breast cancer survival; more positive lymph nodes (P =
      .002) and lymphovascular invasion (P = .02) were associated with worse other
      type. Adjusted breast cancer and other type survival is provided by factors at 5,
      10, and 15 years. CONCLUSIONS: Intrinsic subtype was associated with breast
      cancer death, whereas age was associated with other type; most deaths in women >=
      70 were from other type.

PMID- 28365336
TI  - Associations Between Patient and Anthropometric Characteristics and Aromatase
      Inhibitor Discontinuation.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Toxicity can lead to noncontinuation of adjuvant endocrine therapy.
      We hypothesized that endocrine therapy-induced changes in grip strength would
      predict for early discontinuation of therapy because of musculoskeletal toxicity
      and would be associated with a patient's body mass index. PATIENTS AND METHODS:
      Postmenopausal women with breast cancer starting a new adjuvant endocrine therapy
      were enrolled in the present study. The patients were monitored for 12 months to
      assess their symptoms, endocrine therapy adherence and change in grip strength
      and baseline body mass index. The association between the change in grip strength
      and interval to discontinuation was assessed using a joint longitudinal and
      survival model. RESULTS: Of the 93 aromatase inhibitor (AI)-treated and 22
      tamoxifen-treated patients, 40.9% and 9% discontinued endocrine therapy within 12
      months because of toxicity, respectively (P = .019). A trend was seen toward a
      greater decrease in grip strength in the AI-treated patients over time (P =
      .055); however, the decrease was not significantly associated with the interval
      to discontinuation (P = .96). Receipt of an AI (hazard ratio, 5.49; P = .019) and
      baseline pain (hazard ratio, 1.19; P = .004) significantly decreased the interval
      to discontinuation. CONCLUSION: In contrast with the findings from previous
      reports, the change in grip strength in our study was not associated with the
      interval to discontinuation of AI therapy. Future research should focus on
      proactive treatment of patients at increased risk of AI intolerance, such as
      those with high levels of pre-existing pain.

PMID- 28365337
TI  - A strategy for promoting lipid production in green microalgae Monoraphidium sp.
      QLY-1 by combined melatonin and photoinduction.
AB  - Microalgae lipids are potential candidates for the production of renewable
      biodiesel. The combination of plant hormones and two-step cultivation regulates
      lipid production in microalgae. A strategy for promoting lipid accumulation in
      Monoraphidium sp. QLY-1 by combining exogenous melatonin (MT) and photoinduction
      was developed. The effects of melatonin on the lipid content, reactive oxygen
      species (ROS), and activities of three key fatty acid biosynthetic enzyme in
      Monoraphidium sp. QLY-1 were investigated. The lipid content increased by 1.32
      fold under 1MUM melatonin treatment. The maximum lipid content achieved was
      49.6%. However, the protein and carbohydrate contents decreased rapidly from
      57.21% to 47.96% and from 53.4% to 37.71%, respectively. Biochemical and
      physiological analyses suggested that the ROS and lipid biosynthesis-related
      enzyme activities correlated with increased lipid accumulation under photo
      melatonin induction conditions.

PMID- 28365338
TI  - On a clean power generation system with the co-gasification of biomass and coal
      in a quadruple fluidized bed gasifier.
AB  - A clean power generation system was built based on the steam co-gasification of
      biomass and coal in a quadruple fluidized bed gasifier. The chemical looping with
      oxygen uncoupling technology was used to supply oxygen for the calciner. The
      solid oxide fuel cell and the steam turbine were combined to generate power. The
      calcium looping and mineral carbonation were used for CO2 capture and
      sequestration. The aim of this work was to study the characteristics of this
      system. The effects of key operation parameters on the system total energy
      efficiency (nten), total exergy efficiency (ntex) and carbon sequestration rate
      (Rcs) were detected. The energy and exergy balance calculations were implemented
      and the corresponding Sankey and Grassmann diagrams were drawn. It was found that
      the maximum energy and exergy losses occurred in the steam turbine. The system
      nten and ntex could be ~50% and ~47%, and Rcs could be over unit.

PMID- 28365339
TI  - Impact of sulfadiazine on performance and microbial community of a sequencing
      batch biofilm reactor treating synthetic mariculture wastewater.
AB  - The impact of sulfadiazine on the performance, microbial activity and microbial
      community of a sequencing batch biofilm reactor (SBBR) were evaluated in treating
      mariculture wastewater due to the application of sulfadiazine as an antibiotic in
      mariculture. The COD and nitrogen removals kept stable at 0-6mg/L sulfadiazine
      and were inhibited at 10-35mg/L sulfadiazine. The microbial activities related to
      organic matter and nitrogen removals reduced with an increase in sulfadiazine
      concentration. The presence of sulfadiazine could affect the production and
      chemical composition of loosely bound extracellular polymeric substances (LB-EPS)
      and tightly bound EPS (TB-EPS) in the biofilm. High-throughput sequencing
      demonstrated that sulfadiazine could impact on the microbial richness and
      diversity of SBBR treating mariculture wastewater. The relative abundances of
      Nitrosomonas, Nitrospira, Paracoccus, Hyphomicrobium, Rhodanobacter, Thauera and
      Steroidobacter decreased with an increase in sulfadiazine concentration,
      indicating that the presence of sulfadiazine decreased the relative abundance of
      some nitrifying and denitrifying bacteria.

PMID- 28365340
TI  - Presence and transcriptional activity of anaerobic fungi in agricultural biogas
      plants.
AB  - Bioaugmentation with anaerobic fungi (AF) is promising for improved biogas
      generation from lignocelluloses-rich substrates. However, before implementing AF
      into biogas processes it is necessary to investigate their natural occurrence,
      community structure and transcriptional activity in agricultural biogas plants.
      Thus, AF were detected with three specific PCR based methods: (i) Copies of their
      18S genes were found in 7 of 10 biogas plants. (ii) Transcripts of a GH5
      endoglucanase gene were present at low level in two digesters, indicating
      transcriptional cellulolytic activity of AF. (iii) Phylogeny of the AF-community
      was inferred with the 28S gene. A new Piromyces species was isolated from a PCR
      positive digester. Evidence for AF was only found in biogas plants operated with
      high proportions of animal feces. Thus, AF were most likely transferred into
      digesters with animal derived substrates. Additionally, high process temperatures
      in combination with long retention times seemed to impede AF survival and
      activity.

PMID- 28365341
TI  - Engineering coenzyme A-dependent pathway from Clostridium saccharobutylicum in
      Escherichia coli for butanol production.
AB  - Clostridium saccharobutylicum has been proved to be efficient in butanol
      fermentation from various feedstocks. Whereas, lack of genetic manipulation
      system has severely hindered the engineering of C. saccharobutylicum for more
      extensive applications. In this study, recombinant Escherichia coli harboring
      heterologous coenzyme A-dependent pathway from C. saccharobutylicum DSM 13864 was
      constructed, which consisted of solventogenic pathway genes: acetoacetyl-CoA
      thiolase (thlA), aldehyde/alcohol dehydrogenase (adhE2) and bcs-operon (crt-bcd1
      etfB2-fixB2-hbd). Then, a butanol titer of 67mg/L was attained. After replacing
      thlA with acetyl-CoA acetyltransferase (atoB) from E. coli and deleting the
      competitive branch genes lactate dehydrogenase (ldhA), aldehyde/alcohol
      dehydrogenase (adhE1) and fumarate reductase (frdBC), the butanol titer was
      successfully improved for 3.8-fold (254mg/L). Under the optimum fermentation
      conditions, the final butanol titer reached 584mg/L after 120h. This result
      demonstrates the feasibility of adapting CoA-dependent solventogenic pathway from
      C. saccharobutylicum in E. coli for butanol synthesis.

PMID- 28365342
TI  - A continuous system for biocatalytic hydrogenation of CO2 to formate.
AB  - In this work a novel bioprocess for hydrogenation of CO2 to formate was
      developed, using whole cell catalysis by a sulfate-reducing bacterium. Three
      Desulfovibrio species were tested (D. vulgaris Hildenborough, D. alaskensis G20,
      and D. desulfuricans ATCC 27774), of which D. desulfuricans showed the highest
      activity, producing 12mM of formate in batch, with a production rate of 0.09mMh
      1. Gene expression analysis indicated that among the three formate dehydrogenases
      and five hydrogenases, the cytoplasmic FdhAB and the periplasmic [FeFe] HydAB are
      the main enzymes expressed in D. desulfuricans in these conditions. The new
      bioprocess for continuous formate production by D. desulfuricans had a maximum
      specific formate production rate of 14mMgdcw-1h-1, and more than 45mM of formate
      were obtained with a production rate of 0.40mMh-1. This is the first report of a
      continuous process for biocatalytic formate production.

PMID- 28365343
TI  - A systematic methodology to extend the applicability of a bioconversion model for
      the simulation of various co-digestion scenarios.
AB  - Detailed simulation of anaerobic digestion (AD) requires complex mathematical
      models and the optimization of numerous model parameters. By performing a
      systematic methodology and identifying parameters with the highest impact on
      process variables in a well-established AD model, its applicability was extended
      to various co-digestion scenarios. More specifically, the application of the step
      by-step methodology led to the estimation of a general and reduced set of
      parameters, for the simulation of scenarios where either manure or wastewater
      were co-digested with different organic substrates. Validation of the general
      parameter set involved the simulation of laboratory-scale data from three
      continuous co-digestion experiments, treating mixtures of different organic
      residues either at thermophilic or mesophilic conditions. Evaluation of the
      results showed that simulations using the general parameter set fitted
      experimental data quite well, indicating that it offers a reliable reference
      point for future simulations of anaerobic co-digestion scenarios.

PMID- 28365344
TI  - Azo dyes wastewater treatment and simultaneous electricity generation in a novel
      process of electrolysis cell combined with microbial fuel cell.
AB  - A new process of electrolysis cell (EC) coupled with microbial fuel cell (MFC)
      was developed here and its feasibility in methyl red (MR) wastewater treatment
      and simultaneous electricity generation was assessed. Results indicate that an
      excellent MR removal and electricity production performance was achieved, where
      the decolorization and COD removal efficiencies were 100% and 89.3%, respectively
      and a 0.56V of cell voltage output was generated. Electrolysis voltage showed a
      positive influence on decolorization rate (DR) but also cause a rapid decrease in
      current efficiency (CE). Although a low COD removal rate of 38.5% was found in EC
      system, biodegradability of MR solution was significantly enhanced, where the
      averaged DR was 85.6%. Importantly, COD removal rate in EC-MFC integrated process
      had a 50.8% improvement compared with the single EC system. The results obtained
      here would be beneficial to provide a prospective alternative for azo dyes
      wastewater treatment and power production.

PMID- 28365345
TI  - Potential plant growth-promoting strain Bacillus sp. SR-2-1/1 decolorized azo
      dyes through NADH-ubiquinone:oxidoreductase activity.
AB  - In this study, a bacterial strain SR-2-1/1 was isolated from textile wastewater
      irrigated soil for its concurrent potential of plant growth promotion and azo-dye
      decolorization. Analysis of 16S rRNA gene sequence confirmed its identity as
      Bacillus sp. The strain tolerated high concentrations (i.e. up to 1000mgL-1) of
      metals (Ni2+, Cd2+, Co2+, Zn2+, and Cr6+) and efficiently decolorized the azo
      dyes (i.e. reactive black-5, reactive red-120, direct blue-1 and congo red). It
      also demonstrated considerable in vitro phosphate solubilizing and 1
      aminocyclopropane-1-carboxylic acid deaminase abilities at high metal and salt
      levels. Bioinformatics analysis of its 537bp azoreductase gene and deduced
      protein revealed that it decolorized azo dyes through NADH
      ubiquinone:oxidoreductase enzyme activity. The deduced protein was predicted
      structurally and functionally different to those of its closely related database
      proteins. Thus, the strain SR-2-1/1 is a powerful bioinoculant for bioremediation
      of textile wastewater contaminated soils in addition to stimulation of plant
      growth.

PMID- 28365346
TI  - Efficient removal of lead from solution by celery-derived biochars rich in
      alkaline minerals.
AB  - Biochars were produced from celery biomass by slow pyrolysis at 350 and 500
      degrees C, and featured by high content of alkaline minerals namely salts of
      alkali and alkaline earth metals. The biochars' efficiency on removing Pb2+ from
      solution was investigated, and two biochars derived from celery stalk (StC350 and
      StC500) showed higher Pb2+ sorption capacity (288 and 304mg/g) than most biochars
      reported previously. The sorption mechanisms involving precipitation, cation
      exchange and surface complexation are related to three biochar fractions namely
      water-soluble matter, acid-soluble substances and insoluble organic carbon. The
      relative contributions of water-soluble matter and acid-soluble substances to the
      total Pb2+ removal were 59.8% and 36.6% for the StC350 biochar, and 62.8% and
      34.9% for the StC500 biochar, respectively. The results indicate that biochars
      derived from vegetable wastes are potential candidates for efficient sorption of
      heavy metals.

PMID- 28365347
TI  - Kinetic studies of the strengthening effect on liquid hot water pretreatments by
      organic acids.
AB  - The liquid hot water (LHW) pretreatments would be accelerated by the organic
      acids produced from the process. In the study, the organic acids included not
      only acetic acid but also lactic acid during LHW hydrolysis of reeds, at 180-220
      degrees C and for 15-135min. The lactic acid was presumably produced from xylose
      degradation in the pretreatment process. The different organic acids, such as
      acetic acid, lactic acid and acetic-lactic acids, were used to strengthen the LHW
      pretreatments for increasing xylose production. Moreover, the work presented
      kinetic models of xylose and hemicellulose at different conditions, considering
      the generation of lactic acid. The experimental and kinetic results both
      indicated that acetic-lactic acids had synergistic catalytic effect on the
      reaction, which could not only inhibit the degradation of xylose, but also
      promote the hydrolysis of hemicellulose. Besides, the highest concentration of
      xylose of 7.323g/L was obtained at 200 degrees C, for 45min and with 1wt% acetic
      lactic acids.

PMID- 28365348
TI  - Strengthen effects of dominant strains on aerobic digestion and stabilization of
      the residual sludge.
AB  - In order to strengthen the aerobic digestion of residual sludge, shorten the time
      of sludge stabilization and further reduce operating costs, 3 dominant strains
      identified as Pseudomonas sp. L3, Acinetobacter sp. L16 and Bacillus sp. L19 were
      isolated from long-term aerobic digestion sludge. Results showed that the sludge
      stabilization time were reduced by 3-4days compared with the control when the
      dominant strains were added to the process of sludge aerobic digestion. The
      addition of dominant strains accelerated the accumulation of TOC, nitrate
      nitrogen and ammonia nitrogen in the digestive solution at different levels, and
      it was beneficial to the dissolution of phosphorus. Controlling DO 3-5mg/L, pH
      6.5, the strains of Pseudomonas sp. L3 and Bacillus sp. L19 were combined dosing
      with the dosage of 2% in the process of sludge aerobic digestion, compared with
      the control, digestion rates of TOC and MLSS were increased about 19% and 16%,
      respectively.

PMID- 28365349
TI  - Reduction of greenhouse gases emissions during anoxic wastewater treatment by
      strengthening nitrite-dependent anaerobic methane oxidation process.
AB  - Nitrite-dependent anaerobic methane oxidation (n-damo) is a recently discovered
      process performed by NC10 phylum, which plays an important role in greenhouse
      gases (GHG) reduction. In this study, co-existence of n-damo bacteria and
      methanogens was successfully achieved by using upflow anaerobic sludge blanket
      (UASB) reactor. Reactor with inorganic carbon source (CO2/H2) showed the highest
      abundance of n-damo bacteria and the highest n-damo potential activity, resulted
      in its highest nitrogen removal rate. Significant reduction in GHG was obtained
      after introduction of n-damo process, especially for N2O. Furthermore, GHG
      emissions decreased with the increase of n-damo bacteria abundance. Community
      structure analysis found carbon source could influence the diversity of n-damo
      bacteria indirectly. And phylogenetic analysis showed that all the obtained
      sequences were assigned to group B, mainly due to in situ production and
      consumption of CH4.

PMID- 28365350
TI  - Media arrangement impacts cell growth in anaerobic fixed-bed reactors treating
      sugarcane vinasse: Structured vs. randomic biomass immobilization.
AB  - This study reports on the application of an innovative structured-bed reactor
      (FVR) as an alternative to conventional packed-bed reactors (PBRs) to treat high
      strength solid-rich wastewaters. Using the FVR prevents solids from accumulating
      within the fixed-bed, while maintaining the advantages of the biomass
      immobilization. The long-term operation (330days) of a FVR and a PBR applied to
      sugarcane vinasse under increasing organic loads (2.4-18.0kgCODm-3day-1) was
      assessed, focusing on the impacts of the different media arrangements over the
      production and retention of biomass. Much higher organic matter degradation
      rates, as well as long-term operational stability and high conversion
      efficiencies (>80%) confirmed that the FVR performed better than the PBR. Despite
      the equivalent operating conditions, the biomass growth yield was different in
      both reactors, i.e., 0.095gVSSg-1COD (FVR) and 0.066gVSSg-1COD (PBR), indicating
      a clear control of the media arrangement over the biomass production in fixed-bed
      reactors.

PMID- 28365351
TI  - Improving anaerobic digestion with support media: Mitigation of ammonia
      inhibition and effect on microbial communities.
AB  - This study aimed at providing a better understanding of the influence of support
      media (10g/L of zeolites, 10g/L of activated carbons, and 1g/L of chitosan) on
      key phylotypes steering anaerobic digestion (AD) performance in presence of 19g/L
      of Total Ammonia Nitrogen (TAN) within batch digesters. Support media did not
      influence TAN concentration. However, both zeolites and activated carbon 1
      reduced methanization lag phase by 47% and 25%, respectively. By contrast,
      activated carbon 2 and chitosan led to an increase of methanization lag phase by
      51% and 32%, respectively. 16S rRNA gene sequencing revealed that zeolites
      preserved Methanosarcina and enhanced Methanobacterium. In presence of activated
      carbon 1, Methanoculleus, became predominant earlier than without support while
      chitosan and activated carbon 2 limited its implantation. This study highlighted
      potentialities to use supports to enhance AD stability under extreme TAN
      concentration and evidenced their specific influence on the microbiota
      composition.

PMID- 28365352
TI  - Wastewater recycling technology for fermentation in polyunsaturated fatty acid
      production.
AB  - To reduce fermentation-associated wastewater discharge and the cost of wastewater
      treatment, which further reduces the total cost of DHA and ARA production, this
      study first analyzed the composition of wastewater from Aurantiochytrium (DHA)
      and Mortierella alpina (ARA) fermentation, after which wastewater recycling
      technology for these fermentation processes was developed. No negative effects of
      DHA and ARA production were observed when the two fermentation wastewater methods
      were cross-recycled. DHA and ARA yields were significantly inhibited when the
      wastewater from the fermentation process was directly reused. In 5-L fed-batch
      fermentation experiments, using this cross-recycle technology, the DHA and ARA
      yields were 30.4 and 5.13gL-1, respectively, with no significant changes (P>0.05)
      compared to the control group, and the water consumption was reduced by half
      compared to the traditional process. Therefore, this technology has great
      potential in industrial fermentation for polyunsaturated fatty acid production.

PMID- 28365353
TI  - Metabolomic analysis and lipid accumulation in a glucose tolerant Crypthecodinium
      cohnii strain obtained by adaptive laboratory evolution.
AB  - Adaptive laboratory evolution (ALE) was commonly used for strain improvement.
      Crypthecodinium cohnii is known to accumulate lipids with a high fraction of
      docosahexaenoic acid (DHA). In order to improve DHA production under high
      substrate concentration, a glucose-tolerant C. cohnii strain was firstly obtained
      by ALE after 260 cycles for 650days with gradually increased glucose
      concentration. The results of lipids content showed that DHA-rich lipids
      accumulation in the evolved strain could increase by 15.49% at 45g/L glucose
      concentrations. To reveal mechanisms related to glucose tolerance of C. cohnii
      through ALE, metabolic profiles were then compared and the results showed that
      hub metabolites including glycerol, glutamic acid, malonic acid and succinic acid
      were positively regulated during ALE. The study demonstrated that metabolomic
      analysis complemented with ALE could be an effective and valuable strategy for
      basic mechanisms of molecular evolution and adaptive changes in C. cohnii.

PMID- 28365354
TI  - Production of surfactin from waste distillers' grains by co-culture fermentation
      of two Bacillus amyloliquefaciens strains.
AB  - Distillers' grains (DGS), the main waste by-products of Chinese liquor industry,
      were used as substrate for surfactin production. Bacillus amyloliquefaciens MT45
      could grow with DGS as sole carbon source to produce 1.04g/l surfactin. However,
      low amylase activity of MT45 limited sugar supply and the subsequent surfactin
      production. Therefore, MT45 was co-cultured with Bacillus strains that exhibited
      remarkable hydrolases activities. Surfactin yield increased by 50% when MT45 was
      co-cultured with B. amyloliquefaciens X82 that showed no product inhibition
      effect and did not develop extracellular matrix. The inoculation ratio of X82
      greatly influenced the sugar supply, cellular growth, and surfactin production of
      the co-culture fermentation. Maximum surfactin titration (3.4g/l) was obtained
      when MT45 and X82 were co-cultured with inoculation ratio at 1:0.5, using 200g/l
      DGS. This work highlights the feasibility of using industrial waste DGS as
      promising feedstocks to produce value-added surfactin by co-culture fermentation.

PMID- 28365355
TI  - A prospective study on the safety and effectiveness of using lauromacrogol for
      ablation of pancreatic cystic neoplasms with the aid of EUS.
AB  - BACKGROUND AND AIMS: With the development of imaging techniques, the detection
      rate of pancreatic cystic neoplasms (PCNs) has increased. The surgical morbidity
      and mortality rates of PCNs are quite high. This study is intended to evaluate
      the safety and effectiveness of a minimally invasive treatment, EUS-guided PCN
      ablation with lauromacrogol. METHODS: From April 2015 to May 2016, 120 patients
      with PCNs were enrolled to undergo EUS. We prospectively studied 29 of the 120
      patients who underwent EUS-guided ablation with lauromacrogol. The follow-up
      contrast-enhanced CT or magnetic resonance image was conducted at 3 months and
      then 6 months after ablation. We determined the effectiveness of ablation by the
      changes in the volume of the cysts. RESULTS: Twenty-nine patients were enrolled
      in the study, and 7 of them underwent a second ablation; therefore, there were 36
      treatments. The mean tumor diameter was 28.6 +/- 14.5 mm preoperation, whereas
      the diameter postoperation was 13.4 +/- 10.5 mm. Mild pancreatitis occurred in 2
      patients and moderate fever in 1; they occurred in the cysts located in the
      head/uncinate. Among the 29 treatments with complete follow-up of 9 months
      (range, 3-15), 11 had complete response and 9 had partial response. The
      resolution rate was 37.9% (11/29) with 36.4% (8/22) in the cysts of the
      head/uncinate and 42.9% (3/7) in the body/tail (P > .05). CONCLUSIONS: EUS-guided
      PCN ablation with lauromacrogol is safe and efficient. Adverse event rates seem
      to be higher in the head/uncinate than in the body/tail, but their resolution
      rates are similar. Further studies involving larger populations and longer follow
      ups are warranted.

PMID- 28365356
TI  - Impact of cap-assisted colonoscopy on detection of proximal colon adenomas:
      systematic review and meta-analysis.
AB  - BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Proximal colon adenomas can be missed during routine
      colonoscopy. Use of a cap or hood on the tip of the colonoscope has been shown to
      improve overall adenoma detection with variable rates. However, it has not been
      systematically evaluated for detection of proximal colon or right-sided adenomas
      where the cap may have maximum impact on adenoma detection rate (ADR). Our aim
      was to perform a systematic review and meta-analysis to evaluate the impact of
      cap-assisted colonoscopy (CC) on right-sided ADRs (r-ADRs) compared with standard
      colonoscopy (SC). METHODS: PubMed, EMBASE, SCOPUS, and Cochrane databases as well
      as secondary sources (bibliographic review of selected articles and major GI
      proceedings) were searched through October 1, 2016. Primary outcome was the
      pooled rate of r-ADR. Detection of flat adenoma, sessile serrated adenoma/polyp
      (SSA/P), and number of right-sided adenomas per patient were also assessed.
      Pooled odds ratio (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were calculated using
      random-effect models. RESULTS: We screened 686 records and analyzed data from 4
      studies (CC group, 2546 patients; SC group, 2547 patients) that met criteria for
      determination of r-ADRs, whereas 6 studies (CC group, 3159 patients; SC group,
      3137 patients) were analyzed to estimate right-sided adenomas per patient. r-ADR
      was significantly higher with CC compared with SC (23% vs 17%; OR, 1.49; 95% CI,
      1.08-2.05; I2 = 79%; P = .01). CC also improved detection rates of flat adenoma
      (OR, 2.08; 95% CI, 1.35-3.20; P < .01) and SSA/P (OR, 1.33; 95% CI, 1.01-1.74; P
      = .04). The total number of right-sided adenomas (CC: 1428 [60%] vs SC: 1127
      [58%]) and number of right-sided adenomas per patient (CC, .71 +/- .5, vs SC, .65
      +/- .62 [mean +/- standard deviation]) were numerically higher for CC but were
      not statistically significant (P = .43). Approximately 17 CCs would be required
      to detect an additional patient with right-sided adenoma. CONCLUSIONS: Use of CC
      significantly improves the proximal colon ADR. In addition, flat adenoma and
      serrated colonic lesion detection rates are also significantly higher as compared
      with SC.

PMID- 28365357
TI  - Chronic Kidney Disease Is More Common in Locally Advanced Renal Cell Carcinoma.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: To retrospectively evaluate clinical predictors of chronic kidney
      disease (CKD) in renal cell carcinoma (RCC) patients to identify associations
      between patient- and tumor-specific factors with poorer renal function. CKD and
      RCC are interrelated, with 26%-44% of RCC patients having concomitant CKD at
      diagnosis. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Institutional registries from Spectrum Health
      and University of California, San Diego, were queried for preoperative glomerular
      filtration rate and proteinuria status before radical or partial nephrectomy.
      Preoperative clinical and tumor factors were recorded; proteinuria was classified
      as A1 (<30 mg), A2 (30-300 mg), and A3 (>300 mg). CKD was grouped by Kidney
      Disease Improving Global Outcomes classification (low, moderately increased,
      high, very high). RESULTS: We evaluated 1569 patients undergoing surgery for
      renal cortical tumors. CKD status was low risk in 860 (55%), moderately increased
      in 381 (24%), high in 194 (12%), and very high in 134 (9%) patients. Increased
      radius, exophytic or endophytic properties, nearness of tumor to the collecting
      system or sinus in millimeters, anterior or posterior, location relative to polar
      lines score, tumor size, and clinical tumor stage were strongly associated with
      increased CKD risk at baseline. Clinical stage T3/T4 disease had more at-risk
      patients than stages T2 and T1 disease (39.5% vs 22% and 19%, P = .0001).
      Clinical tumor stage and gender were the only predictors of proteinuria, lower
      glomerular filtration rate, and higher CKD risk group in both univariate and
      multivariate analyses. CONCLUSION: Forty-five percent of patients with RCC had
      moderate or higher CKD before treatment. A positive correlation between
      pretreatment CKD and locally advanced RCC (cT3/T4) was present. This likely
      relates to increased loss of functional parenchyma with increasing tumor size or
      stage, with important implications in patient management.

PMID- 28365358
TI  - Rapid and Short-term Extracellular Matrix-mediated In Vitro Culturing of Tumor
      and Nontumor Human Primary Prostate Cells From Fresh Radical Prostatectomy
      Tissue.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: To culture prostate cells from fresh biopsy core samples from radical
      prostatectomy (RP) tissue. Further, given the genetic heterogeneity of prostate
      cells, the ability to culture single cells from primary prostate tissue may be of
      importance toward enabling single-cell characterization of primary prostate
      tissue via molecular and cellular phenotypic biomarkers. METHODS: A total of 260
      consecutive tissue samples from RPs were collected between October 2014 and
      January 2016, transported at 4 degrees C in serum-free media to an off-site
      central laboratory, dissociated, and cultured. A culture protocol, including a
      proprietary extracellular matrix formulation (ECMf), was developed that supports
      rapid and short-term single-cell culture of primary human prostate cells derived
      from fresh RP samples. RESULTS: A total of 251 samples, derived from RP samples,
      yielded primary human tumor and nontumor prostate cells. Cultured cells on ECMf
      exhibit (1) survival after transport from the operating room to the off-site
      centralized laboratory, (2) robust (>80%) adhesion and survival, and (3)
      expression of different cell-type-specific markers. Cells derived from samples of
      increasing Gleason score exhibited a greater number of focal adhesions and more
      focal adhesion activation as measured by phospho-focal adhesion kinase (Y397)
      immunofluorescence when patient-derived cells were cultured on ECMf. Increased
      Ki67 immunofluorescence levels were observed in cells derived from cancerous RP
      tissue when compared to noncancerous RP tissue. CONCLUSION: By utilizing a unique
      and defined extracellular matrix protein formulation, tumor and nontumor cells
      derived from primary human prostate tissue can be rapidly cultured and analyzed
      within 72 hours after harvesting from RP tissue.

PMID- 28365361
TI  - The other-race effect does not apply to infant faces: An ERP attentional study.
AB  - It is known that paedomorphic characteristics, called "baby schema" by Lorenz,
      trigger an orienting response in adults, are judged as attractive and stimulate
      parental care. On the other hand, it is known that ethnicity may influence face
      encoding, with an advantage in recognizing faces of their own ethnicity (called
      own-race effect). Some have argued that this effect holds also for infant faces,
      which conflicts with the "baby schema" phenomenon. The aim of the study was to
      investigate the possible presence of the own-race effect on infant vs. adult face
      processing. Seventeen Caucasian students participated to the study. Their
      EEG/ERPs were recorded as they watched 400 pictures of adult and infant faces of
      different ethnicity (half Caucasian, half non-Caucasian), and subsequently
      responded to a target orientation. The behavioral results showed that responses
      were faster when the target was preceded by a child face, which enhanced the
      arousal level, regardless of ethnicity. The electrophysiological results showed
      an enhanced anterior N2 response to infant than adult faces, and a lack of ORE
      effect only for infant faces. Overall, the data indicate that baby faces
      automatically attract the adult viewer's attention and that face ethnicity has no
      effect on this innate response.

PMID- 28365360
TI  - Dysfunction of mitochondrial Lon protease and identification of oxidized protein
      in mouse brain following exposure to MPTP: Implications for Parkinson disease.
AB  - Compelling evidence suggests that mitochondrial dysfunction leading to reactive
      oxygen species (ROS) production and protein oxidation could represent a critical
      event in the pathogenesis of Parkinson's disease (PD). Pioneering studies have
      shown that the mitochondrial matrix contains the Lon protease, which degrades
      oxidized, dysfunctional, and misfolded protein. Using the PD animal model of 1
      methyl-4-phenyl-1, 2, 3, 6-tetrahydropyridine (MPTP) intoxication in mice, we
      showed that Lon protease expression increased in the ventral mesencephalon of
      intoxicated animals, concomitantly with the appearance of oxidized proteins and
      dopaminergic cell loss. In addition, we report that Lon is inactivated by ROS.
      Moreover, proteomic experiments provide evidence of carbonylation in alpha
      ketoglutarate dehydrogenase (KGDH), aconitase or subunits of respiratory chain
      complexes. Lon protease inactivation upon MPTP treatment in mice raises the
      possibility that Lon protease dysfunction is an early event in the pathogenesis
      of PD.

PMID- 28365362
TI  - The precuneus and hippocampus contribute to individual differences in the
      unfolding of spatial representations during episodic autobiographical memory.
AB  - Spatial information is a central aspect of episodic autobiographical memory
      (EAM). Space-based theories of memory, including cognitive map and scene
      construction models, posit that spatial reinstatement is a required process
      during early event recall. Spatial information can be represented from both
      allocentric (third-person) and egocentric (first-person) perspectives during EAM,
      with egocentric perspectives being important for mental imagery and supported by
      the precuneus. Individuals differ in their tendency to rely on allocentric or
      egocentric information, and in general, the subjective experience of remembering
      in EAM differs greatly across individuals. Here we examined individual
      differences in spatial aspects of EAM, how such differences influence the
      vividness and temporal order of recollection, and their anatomical correlates. We
      cued healthy young participants (n =63) with personally familiar locations and
      non-locations. We examined how cue type affects (i) retrieval dynamics and (ii)
      phenomenological aspects of remembering, and related behavioural performance to
      regional brain volumes (n =42). Participants tended to spontaneously recall
      spatial information early during recollection, even in the absence of spatial
      cues, and individuals with a stronger tendency to recall space first also
      displayed faster reaction times. Across participants, place-cued memories were re
      experienced more vividly and were richer in detail than those cued by objects,
      but not more than those cued by familiar persons. Volumetric differences were
      associated with behavioural performance such that egocentric remembering was
      positively associated with precuneus volume. Hippocampal CA2/CA3 volumes were
      associated with the tendency to recall place-cued memories less effortfully.
      Consistent with scene construction theories, this study suggests that spatial
      information is reinstated early and contributes to the efficiency and
      phenomenology of EAM. However, early recall of spatial information is not
      universal and other routes to recall exist, challenging some aspects of these
      models. Variability among participants highlights the importance of an individual
      differences approach to studying EAM.

PMID- 28365359
TI  - Leflunomide prevents ROS-induced systemic fibrosis in mice.
AB  - Systemic sclerosis (SSc) is a connective tissue disorder characterized by
      fibrosis of the skin and inner organs, vasculopathy and immunological
      abnormalities. Recent insights into the polarization of macrophages in
      scleroderma and into the implication of STAT6 and KLF4 in this process have
      prompted us to investigate the effects of the inhibition of STAT6 signaling
      pathway by leflunomide in mice. SSc was induced in BALB/c mice by daily
      subcutaneous injections of hypochlorous acid (HOCl) or bleomycin. Mice were
      treated (or not) every other day, for 4 or 6 weeks, by leflunomide. Skin and lung
      fibrosis as well as immunological features were studied. Mice exposed to HOCl
      developed a diffuse cutaneous SSc with pulmonary fibrosis and anti-DNA
      topoisomerase 1 auto-antibodies. STAT6 pathway was hyperactivated and KLF4 was
      overexpressed in the skin and the lungs of diseased mice. Their inhibition by
      leflunomide prevented skin and lung fibrosis. Moreover, the hyperproliferative
      and pro-oxidative phenotype of skin and lung fibroblasts was reversed by
      leflunomide. Beneficial immunological effects of leflunomide were associated with
      decreased activation of CD4+ and CD8+ T cells, B cell activation, decreased auto
      antibodies production and restored polarization of macrophages in the spleen. The
      improvement provided by leflunomide in both mouse models of SSc provides a
      rationale for the evaluation of this immunomodulating drug in the management of
      patients affected by this disease.

PMID- 28365363
TI  - Audio-visual temporal perception in children with restored hearing.
AB  - It is not clear how audio-visual temporal perception develops in children with
      restored hearing. In this study we measured temporal discrimination thresholds
      with an audio-visual temporal bisection task in 9 deaf children with restored
      audition, and 22 typically hearing children. In typically hearing children,
      audition was more precise than vision, with no gain in multisensory conditions
      (as previously reported in Gori et al. (2012b)). However, deaf children with
      restored audition showed similar thresholds for audio and visual thresholds and
      some evidence of gain in audio-visual temporal multisensory conditions.
      Interestingly, we found a strong correlation between auditory weighting of
      multisensory signals and quality of language: patients who gave more weight to
      audition had better language skills. Similarly, auditory thresholds for the
      temporal bisection task were also a good predictor of language skills. This
      result supports the idea that the temporal auditory processing is associated with
      language development.

PMID- 28365365
TI  - Re: Suppressed Recurrent Bladder Cancer after Androgen Suppression with Androgen
      Deprivation Therapy or 5alpha-Reductase Inhibitor: M. Shiota, K. Kiyoshima, A.
      Yokomizo, A. Takeuchi, E. Kashiwagi, T. Dejima, R. Takahashi, J. Inokuchi, K.
      Tatsugami and M. Eto J Urol 2017;197:308-313.

PMID- 28365366
TI  - Reply by Authors.

PMID- 28365364
TI  - Ganglioside and related-sphingolipid profiles are altered in a cellular model of
      Alzheimer's disease.
AB  - Sphingolipid-related issues are increasingly discussed to contribute to the
      neuropathological process of Alzheimer's disease (AD). In this study,
      gangliosides and related-sphingolipids (ceramides, neutral glycosphingolipids and
      sphingomyelins) were analyzed in neuroglioma (H4) cells expressing the Swedish
      mutation of the human amyloid precursor protein (H4APPsw) and compared with those
      of wild-type control H4 cells. These cells were chosen since H4APPsw cells were
      previously reported to reproduce well some essential features of AD. We found
      that H4APPsw cells exhibited a striking elevation of the simplest ganglioside
      GM3, an abnormality that was consistently reported in AD patients and animal
      models of AD. Concomitantly, the levels of both lactosylceramide (the immediate
      metabolic precursor of GM3) and ganglioside GD1a increased, suggesting a
      deregulation in the biosynthesis of gangliosides in the H4APPsw cells. Moreover,
      while the total ceramide level remained unaltered in H4APPsw cells, a shift in
      ceramide composition from long chain - to very long chain fatty acid-ceramide
      species was recorded. Because sphingolipid alterations occurring in H4APPsw cells
      were similar to those observed in transgenic mice and in human brains, this
      cellular model might be useful to further explore the complex role of
      sphingolipids in AD pathogenesis.

PMID- 28365367
TI  - Reply by Authors.

PMID- 28365368
TI  - Editorial Comment.

PMID- 28365369
TI  - Editorial Comment.

PMID- 28365370
TI  - Re: Efficacy and Safety of Prostatic Arterial Embolization: Systematic Review
      with Meta-Analysis and Meta-Regression: S. R. Shim, K. J. Kanhai, Y. M. Ko and J.
      H. Kim J Urol 2017;197:465-479.

PMID- 28365371
TI  - Trump administration budget proposals "bad for health, science, environment, and
      America".

PMID- 28365372
TI  - Endogenous Opioid Function and Responses to Morphine: The Moderating Effects of
      Anger Expressiveness.
AB  - : Long-term use of opioid analgesics may be ineffective or associated with
      significant negative side effects for some people. At present, there is no sound
      method of identifying optimal opioid candidates. Individuals with chronic low
      back pain (n = 89) and healthy control individuals (n = 102) underwent ischemic
      pain induction with placebo, opioid blockade (naloxone), and morphine in
      counterbalanced order. They completed the Spielberger Anger-Out subscale.
      Endogenous opioid function * Anger-out * Pain status (chronic pain, healthy
      control) interactions were tested for morphine responses to ischemic threshold,
      tolerance, and pain intensity (McGill Sensory and Affective subscales) and side
      effects. For individuals with chronic pain and healthy control participants,
      those with low endogenous opioid function and low anger-out scores exhibited the
      largest morphine analgesic responses, whereas those with high anger-out and low
      endogenous opioid function showed relatively weaker morphine analgesic responses.
      Further, individuals with chronic pain with low endogenous opioid function and
      low anger-out scores also reported the fewest negative effects to morphine,
      whereas those with low endogenous opioid function and high anger-out reported the
      most. Findings point toward individuals with chronic pain who may strike a
      favorable balance of good analgesia with few side effects, as well as those who
      have an unfavorable balance of poor analgesia and many side effects. PERSPECTIVE:
      We sought to identify optimal candidates for opioid pain management. Low back
      pain patients who express anger and also have deficient endogenous opioid
      function may be poor candidates for opioid therapy. In contrast, low back
      patients who tend not to express anger and who also have deficient endogenous
      opioid function may make optimal candidates for opioid therapy.

PMID- 28365373
TI  - Marijuana and acute health care contacts in Colorado.
AB  - Over 22 million Americans are current users of marijuana; half of US states allow
      medical marijuana, and several allow recreational marijuana. The objective of
      this study was to evaluate the impact marijuana has on hospitalizations,
      emergency department (ED) visits, and regional poison center (RPC) calls in
      Colorado, a medical and recreational marijuana state. This is a retrospective
      review using Colorado Hospital Association hospitalizations and ED visits with
      marijuana-related billing codes, and RPC marijuana exposure calls. Legalization
      of marijuana in Colorado has been associated with an increase in
      hospitalizations, ED visits, and RPC calls linked with marijuana exposure. From
      2000 to 2015, hospitalization rates with marijuana-related billing codes
      increased from 274 to 593 per 100,000 hospitalizations in 2015. Overall, the
      prevalence of mental illness among ED visits with marijuana-related codes was
      five-fold higher (5.07, 95% CI: 5.0, 5.1) than the prevalence of mental illness
      without marijuana-related codes. RPC calls remained constant from 2000 through
      2009. However, in 2010, after local medical marijuana policy liberalization, the
      number of marijuana exposure calls significantly increased from 42 to 93; in
      2014, after recreational legalization, calls significantly increased by 79.7%,
      from 123 to 221 (p<0.0001). The age group <17years old also had an increase in
      calls after 2014. As more states legalize marijuana, it is important to address
      public education and youth prevention, and understand the impact on mental health
      disorders. Improvements in data collection and surveillance methods are needed to
      more accurately evaluate the public health impact of marijuana legalization.

PMID- 28365374
TI  - Harnessing neural stem cells for treating psychiatric symptoms associated with
      fetal alcohol spectrum disorder and epilepsy.
AB  - Brain insults with progressive neurodegeneration are inherent in pathological
      symptoms that represent many psychiatric illnesses. Neural network disruptions
      characterized by impaired neurogenesis have been recognized to precede,
      accompany, and possibly even exacerbate the evolution and progression of symptoms
      of psychiatric disorders. Here, we focus on the neurodegeneration and the
      resulting psychiatric symptoms observed in fetal alcohol spectrum disorder and
      epilepsy, in an effort to show that these two diseases are candidate targets for
      stem cell therapy. In particular, we provide preclinical evidence in the
      transplantation of neural stem cells (NSCs) in both conditions, highlighting the
      potential of this cell-based treatment for correcting the psychiatric symptoms
      that plague these two disorders. Additionally, we discuss the challenges of NSC
      transplantation and offer insights into the mechanisms that may mediate the
      therapeutic benefits and can be exploited to overcome the hurdles of translating
      this therapy from the laboratory to the clinic. Our ultimate goal is to advance
      stem cell therapy for the treatment of psychiatric disorders.

PMID- 28365376
TI  - In search of oculomotor capture during film viewing: Implications for the balance
      of top-down and bottom-up control in the saccadic system.
AB  - In the laboratory, the abrupt onset of a visual distractor can generate an
      involuntary orienting response: this robust oculomotor capture effect has been
      reported in a large number of studies (e.g. Ludwig & Gilchrist, 2002; Theeuwes,
      Kramer, Hahn, & Irwin, 1998) suggesting it may be a ubiquitous part of more
      natural visual behaviour. However the visual stimuli used in these experiments
      have tended to be static and had none of the complexity, and dynamism of more
      natural visual environments. In addition, the primary task in the laboratory
      (typically visual search) can be tedious for the participants with participant's
      losing interest and becoming stimulus driven and more easily distracted. Both of
      these factors may have led to an overestimation of the extent to which oculomotor
      capture occurs and the importance of this phenomena in everyday visual behaviour.
      To address this issue, in the current series of studies we presented abrupt and
      highly salient visual distractors away from fixation while participants watched a
      film. No evidence of oculomotor capture was found. However, the distractor does
      effect fixation duration: we find an increase in fixation duration analogous to
      the remote distractor effect (Walker, Deubel, Schneider, & Findlay, 1997). These
      results suggest that during dynamic scene perception, the oculomotor system may
      be under far more top-down control than traditional laboratory based-tasks have
      previously suggested.

PMID- 28365375
TI  - Preclinical molecular imaging of glutamatergic and dopaminergic neuroreceptor
      kinetics in obsessive compulsive disorder.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Molecular neuroimaging was applied in the quinpirole rat model for
      compulsive checking in OCD to visualize the D2- and mGluR5-receptor occupancy
      with Raclopride and ABP-688 microPET/CT. METHODS: Animals (n=48) were exposed to
      either saline (CTRL; 1mL/kg) or quinpirole (QP; dopamine D2-agonist, 0.5mg/kg) in
      a single injection (RAC and ABP acute groups) or twice-weekly during 7weeks
      (chronic group). Animals underwent PET/CT after the 1st injection (acute) or
      before initial exposure and following the 10th injection in week 5 (chronic). For
      the latter, each injection was paired with an open field test and video tracking.
      RESULTS: The QP animals displayed a strong increase in visiting frequency
      (checking) in the chronic group (+699.29%) compared to the control animals. Acute
      administration of the drug caused significant (p<0.01) decreases in D2R occupancy
      in the CP (-42.03%+/-4.01%). Chronical exposure resulted in significantly
      stronger decreases in the CP (-52.29%+/-3.79%). Furthermore significant increases
      in mGluR5 occupancy were found in the CP (10.36%+/-4.09%), anterior cingulate
      cortex (13.26%+/-4.01%), amygdala (24.36%+/-6.86%), entorhinal cortex (18.49%+/
      5.14%) and nucleus accumbens (13.8%+/-4.87%) of the chronic group, not present
      after acute exposure. CONCLUSIONS: Compared to acute exposure, sensitisation to
      QP as a model for OCD differs both on a dopaminergic and glutamateric level,
      indicating involvement of processes such as receptor internalization and changes
      in extracellular availability of both neurotransmitters.

PMID- 28365377
TI  - A Three Month Home Exercise Programme Augmented with Nordic Poles for Patients
      with Intermittent Claudication Enhances Quality of Life and Continues to Improve
      Walking Distance and Compliance After One Year.
AB  - OBJECTIVE/BACKGROUND: The objective of this study was to collect 1 year follow-up
      information on walking distance, speed, compliance, and cost in patients with
      intermittent claudication who took part in a previously reported 12 week
      randomised clinical trial of a home exercise programme augmented with Nordic pole
      walking versus controls who walked normally. A second objective was to look at
      quality of life and ankle brachial pressure indices (ABPIs) after a 12 week
      augmented home exercise programme. METHODS: Thirty-two of the 38 patients who
      completed the original trial were followed-up after 6 and 12 months. Frequency,
      duration, speed, and distance of walking were recorded using diaries and
      pedometers. A new observational cohort of 29 patients was recruited to the same
      augmented home exercise programme. ABPIs, walking improvement, and quality of
      life questionnaire were recorded at baseline and 12 weeks (end of the programme).
      RESULTS: Both groups in the follow-up study continued to improve their walking
      distance and speed over the following year. Compliance was excellent: 98% of the
      augmented group were still walking with poles at both 6 and 12 months, while 74%
      of the control group were still walking at the same point. The augmented group
      increased their mean walking distance to 17.5 km by 12 months, with a mean speed
      of 4.2 km/hour. The control group only increased their mean walking distance from
      4.2 km to 5.6 km, and speed to 3.3 km/hour. Repeated ANOVA showed the results to
      be highly significant (p = .002). The 21/29 patients who completed the
      observational study showed a statistically significant increase in resting ABPIs
      from baseline (mean +/- SD 0.75 +/- 0.12) to week 12 (mean +/- SD 0.85 +/- 0.12)
      (t = (20) -8.89, p = .000 [two-tailed]). All their walking improvement and
      quality of life parameters improved significantly (p = .002 or less in the six
      categories) over the same period and their mean health scores improved by 79%.
      CONCLUSIONS: Following a 12 week augmented home exercise programme, most patients
      with intermittent claudication continued to significantly improve their walking
      distance and walking speed at 1 year compared with normal walking. Quality of
      life and ABPIs improved significantly after only 12 weeks and it is postulated
      that the improvement in ABPI was due to collateral development. These results
      justify the belief that an augmented home exercise programme will be as
      clinically effective as existing supervised exercise programmes, with the added
      benefits of lower cost and better compliance. Funding for a multicentre trial
      comparing an augmented home exercise programme with existing supervised exercise
      programme is now urgently required.

PMID- 28365378
TI  - Re "Analysis of the Elective Treatment Process for Critical Limb Ischaemia with
      Tissue Loss: Diabetic Patients Require Rapid Revascularisation".

PMID- 28365379
TI  - Phosphotransferase systems in Enterococcus faecalis OG1RF enhance anti-stress
      capacity in vitro and in vivo.
AB  - Phosphotransferase systems are common and essential in bacteria, which are in
      charge of sugar transportation and phosphorylation. However, phosphotransferase
      systems were found in recent years to be associated with environmental stress
      factors. This study investigated the role of the mannose/fructose/sorbose
      phosphotransferase systems in Enterococcus faecalis OG1RF in adaption to harsh
      environments by construction of pts mutants. More than one
      mannose/fructose/sorbose phosphotransferase system was found in E. faecalis
      OG1RF, and the elimination of pts gene at different loci generated different
      after-effects corresponding to different ambiences. An in vitro study showed that
      the presence of intact phosphotransferase systems in E. faecalis OG1RF promoted
      resistance to hydrogen peroxide and acid and enhanced susceptibility to pediocin.
      In vivo study demonstrated that the presence of intact phosphotransferase systems
      induced more hazardous substances like superoxide dismutase (SOD) in
      Caenorhabditis elegans and enhanced bacterial infection and survival in
      macrophages J774A.1 and BMM. In addition, phosphotransferase systems regulated
      transcription of antioxidant and catabolite genes such as katA, gor, lysR, hypR,
      rex, hprK and tpx to different extents (-6.3- to 3.5-fold). It is therefore
      suggested that pts genes are regulatory factors promoting adaption of E. faecalis
      OG1RF to stressful conditions, thereby enhancing the possibility of bacterial
      survival and infectivity.

PMID- 28365380
TI  - Unemployment and inflammatory markers in England, Wales and Scotland, 1998-2012:
      Meta-analysis of results from 12 studies.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: Unemployment represents for many affected individuals a substantial
      source of psychosocial stress, and is linked to both increased risk of morbidity
      and mortality and adverse health-related behaviours. Few studies have examined
      the association of unemployment with systemic inflammation, a plausible mediator
      of the associations of psychosocial stress and health, and results are mixed and
      context dependent. This study examines the association of unemployment with C
      reactive protein (CRP) and fibrinogen, two markers of systemic inflammation.
      METHODS: A random-effects meta-analysis was performed using a multilevel
      modelling approach, including 12 national UK surveys of working-age participants
      in which CRP and fibrinogen were measured between 1998 and 2012 (N=30,037
      economically active participants). The moderating impact of participant age and
      UK country was explored. RESULTS: CRP and fibrinogen were elevated in unemployed
      compared to employed participants; jobseekers were also more likely (Odds Ratio:
      1.39, p<0.001) to have CRP levels corresponding to high cardiovascular risk
      (>3mg/L), after adjustment for age, gender, education, long-term illness,
      smoking, and body mass index. Associations were not explained by mental health.
      Associations peaked in middle-age, and were stronger in Scotland and Wales than
      in England. CONCLUSIONS: Our study demonstrates that systemic inflammation is
      associated with an important but little-studied aspect of the social environment,
      as it is elevated in unemployed compared to employed survey participants.
      Modifications suggest the association of unemployment and inflammation is
      substantially influenced by contextual factors, and may be especially strong in
      Wales, where further investigation of this relationship is needed.

PMID- 28365382
TI  - Mapping the secretome of human chondrogenic progenitor cells with mass
      spectrometry.
AB  - Tissue engineering offers promising perspectives in the therapy of
      osteoarthritis. In the context of cell-based therapy, chondrogenic progenitor
      cells (CPCs) may be used to regenerate defects in cartilage tissue. An in-depth
      characterization of the secretome of CPCs is a prerequisite to this approach. In
      this study, a method was developed for the qualitative and quantitative analysis
      of the secretome of undifferentiated and differentiated CPCs. Secreted proteins
      from cells grown in two-dimensional as well as three-dimensional alginate
      cultures were extracted and analyzed by liquid chromatography/tandem mass
      spectrometry (LC-MS/MS). Quantitation was achieved by internal standardization
      using stable isotope-labeled amino acids in cell culture (SILAC). Qualitative
      analysis of CPC secretomes revealed ECM-components, signal proteins and growth
      factors most of which were also found in healthy cartilage. A quantitative
      comparison revealed significantly upregulated proteins with regenerative
      potential during differentiation, while proteins involved in catabolic metabolism
      were significantly downregulated. The development of methods for qualitative and
      quantitative analysis of the secretome of CPCs by mass spectrometry provides a
      foundation for the investigation of progenitor or stem cells from other sources.

PMID- 28365381
TI  - The anterolateral ligament (ALL) of the knee-Part of the iliotibial tract or a
      truly separate structure?
AB  - In this Short Communication, the issue is discussed whether the recently reported
      anterolateral ligament of the knee is a unique structure or just part of the
      iliotibial tract. The presented findings from investigations in body donors
      support the view of a unique structure.

PMID- 28365383
TI  - A comparative study of the effectiveness of early and delayed loading of short
      tissue-level dental implants with hydrophilic surfaces placed in the posterior
      section of the mandible-A preliminary study.
AB  - The objective of the present study was to compare the primary and secondary
      stability of tissue-level short dental titanium implants with polished necks and
      hydrophilic surfaces of two different designs and manufacturers. The first
      implant system used (SPI(r)ELEMENT RC INICELL titanium implants, Thommen Medical
      AG, Grenchen, Switzerland), allowed functional loading 6 weeks after its
      placement, whereas the second implant system (RN SLActiv(r) tissue-level titanium
      implants, Straumann GmbH, Fribourg, Germany), was loaded after 15 weeks. The
      degree of primary and secondary stability was determined using an Osstell ISQ
      measuring device. Marginal bone loss (MBL) was evaluated radiographically 12 and
      24 weeks after implantation and the Wachtel's healing index as well as the
      patient's satisfaction with the treatment was registered on a VAS scale. The
      intergroup comparison revealed significant differences in terms of primary
      stability as well as differences in MBL 3 months after the procedure, but no
      significant differences could be found after 6 months and for secondary
      stability. The primary stability was significantly higher for Thommen(r) compared
      to Straumann(r) implants. Insertion of short dental implants with a hydrophilic
      conditioned surface significantly shortens patient treatment time.

PMID- 28365384
TI  - Adaptive significance of precocious pupation in the bean blister beetle, Epicauta
      gorhami (Coleoptera: Meloidae), a hypermetamorphic insect.
AB  - Larvae of the bean blister beetle, Epicauta gorhami Marseul (Coleoptera:
      Meloidae), feed on grasshopper eggs in soil and undergo hypermetamorphosis. They
      normally enter diapause as a pseudopupa at the fifth instar, a form
      characteristic of hypermetamorphosis for meloid beetles. However, fourth-instar
      larvae exposed to long days and high temperature avoid pseudopupal diapause and
      pupate directly from the fourth instar. Fourth-instar larvae also tend to pupate
      precociously with a smaller body size if they are deprived of food. In these
      larvae, the critical day-length controlling induction of pseudopupal diapause
      becomes shorter than that for fully-fed larvae. In this study, we examined how
      the reaction norm of food-deprived E. gorhami larvae functions in nature by
      rearing insects from the egg stage outdoors in different seasons with
      manipulation of the food supply. The results indicated that most fully-fed larvae
      entered pseudopupal diapause, whereas food-deprived larvae tended to pupate
      precociously without entering diapause, especially early in the season. The
      resulting smaller adults reproduced early in the autumn and their progeny
      attained the pseudopupal stage before winter, indicating that the reaction norm
      may have an adaptive role in controlling seasonal development in the face of food
      shortages, producing a bivoltine life cycle.

PMID- 28365385
TI  - Molecular characterization and antibacterial activity of a phage-type lysozyme
      from the Manila clam, Ruditapes philippinarum.
AB  - A phage-type lysozyme, designed as RpPLYZ, was cloned and characterized from the
      clam Ruditapes philippinarum. The full-length cDNA of RpPLYZ was of 699 bp with
      an open reading frame (ORF) of 534 bp, encoding a polypeptide of 177-amino acid
      with a calculated molecular mass of 19.6 kDa and an isoelectric point of 9.05.
      Multiple alignments and phylogenetic analysis strongly suggested that RpPLYZ was
      a new member of the phage-type lysozyme family. The mRNA transcript of RpPLYZ was
      found to be constitutively expressed in a wide range of tissues and mainly in
      hemocytes and mantle. The relative expression of RpPLYZ mRNA in hemocytes was
      significantly up-regulated at 6, 24, 48 and 72 h after Vibrio anguillarum
      challenge. The recombinant RpPLYZ (rRpPLYZ) showed high activity against
      Entherobacter cloacae and Staphyloccocus aureus, and less effective towards
      Entherobacter aerogenes and V. anguillarum. Moreover, the optimal pH, temperature
      and ionic strength for rRpPLYZ activity was determined to be 5.5, 50  degrees C
      and 5 mM, respectively. These results suggested that RpPLYZ was a member of the
      phage-type lysozyme family and perhaps played an important role in the immune
      responses against bacterial invasion.

PMID- 28365386
TI  - Antibacterial function of herbal extracts on growth, survival and
      immunoprotection in the black tiger shrimp Penaeus monodon.
AB  - This study examined the effects of an herbal extract composed of nine herbs i.e
      Aloe vera, Andrographis pariculata, Annona squamosa, Azadirachta indica, Citrus
      aurantifolia, Coriandrum sativum, Ocimum sanctum, Ollium cepa and Psidium guajava
      on growth, survival rate and immunoprotection against pathogenic Vibrio harveyi
      in the tiger shrimp Penaeus monodon. The petroleum ether, methanol and N-hexen
      extracts of different herbal plants were selected, processed and thoroughly mixed
      in equal proportions and added to the shrimp diets at a concentration of 1.0, 2.5
      and 5.0 mL kg-1. After 60 days of feeding, shrimps were challenged with V.
      harveyi bacteria (1 * 107 cells mL-1), which were isolated and propagated from
      the infected shrimps. The shrimps fed on diets with methanolic extraction of 2.5
      mL kg-1 had significantly (P < 0.001) higher survival rate (76%), specific growth
      rate (4.26 +/- 0.11%) and better food conversion ratio (1.5) than the other
      groups. This study indicates that addition of methanolic herbal extracts of 2.5
      mL kg-1 can positively influence the immune response of tiger shrimp against V.
      harveyi infection.

PMID- 28365387
TI  - Structural analysis and insight into Zika virus NS5 mediated interferon
      inhibition.
AB  - The Zika virus outbreak in 2015-2016 is the largest of its kind for which WHO
      declared a Public Health Emergency of International Concerns. No FDA approved
      drug is available for the treatment of the viral infection. The interaction of
      flavivirus NS5 protein with SIAH2 ubiquitin ligase has been previously known. NS5
      of Zika virus has been implicated in the degradation of STAT2 protein, which
      activates interferon-stimulated antiviral activity. Based on our proposition that
      NS5 utilizes SIAH2-mediated proteasomal degradation of STAT2, an in-silico study
      was carried out to characterize the protein-protein interactions between NS5,
      SIAH2 and STAT2 proteins. The aim of our study was to identify the amino acid
      residues of NS5 involved in IFN antagonism as well as to find the association
      between NS5, SIAH2 and STAT2 to predict the interaction pattern of these
      proteins. Analysis proposed that NS5 recruits SIAH2 for the ubiquitination
      dependent degradation of STAT2. NS5 residues involved in interaction with SIAH2
      and/or STAT2 were found to be mostly conserved across related flaviviruses. These
      are novel findings regarding the Zika virus and require confirmation through
      experimental approaches.

PMID- 28365389
TI  - Efficient transfection of Xenobiotic Responsive Element-biosensor plasmid using
      diether lipid and phosphatidylcholine liposomes in differentiated HepaRG cells.
AB  - In this study, we evaluated cationic liposomes prepared from diether-NH2 and egg
      phosphatidylcholine (EPC) for in vitro gene delivery. The impact of the lipid
      composition, i.e. the EPC and Diether-NH2 molar ratio, on in vitro transfection
      efficiency and cytotoxicity was investigated using the human HEK293T and hepatoma
      HepaRG cells known to be permissive and poorly permissive cells for liposome
      mediated gene transfer, respectively. Here, we report that EPC/Diether-NH2-based
      liposomes enabled a very efficient transfection with low cytotoxicity compared to
      commercial transfection reagents in both HEK293T and proliferating progenitor
      HepaRG cells. Taking advantage of these non-toxic EPC/Diether-NH2-based
      liposomes, we developed a method to efficiently transfect differentiated
      hepatocyte-like HepaRG cells and a biosensor plasmid containing a Xenobiotic
      Responsive Element and a minimal promoter driving the transcription of the
      luciferase reporter gene. We demonstrated that the luciferase activity was
      induced by a canonical inducer of cytochrome P450 genes, the benzo[a]pyrene, and
      two environmental contaminants, the fluoranthene, a polycyclic aromatic
      hydrocarbon, and the endosulfan, an organochlorine insecticide, known to induce
      toxicity and genotoxicity in differentiated HepaRG cells. In conclusion, we
      established a new efficient lipofection-mediated gene transfer in hepatocyte-like
      HepaRG cells opening new perspectives in drug evaluation relying on xenobiotic
      inducible biosensor plasmids.

PMID- 28365390
TI  - Investigation of in vitro PDT activities of zinc phthalocyanine immobilised TiO2
      nanoparticles.
AB  - Phthalocyanines (Pcs) are commonly used as Photosensors (PSs) in Photodynamic
      Therapy (PDT) applications due to their intense absorption in the far red-near IR
      spectral region with a high extinction coefficient and high ability for
      generating singlet oxygen. Pcs targetspecifically tumors, and do not show any
      considerable toxic effects under the absence of light. In particular, their
      chemical versatility has allowed the introducion a number of substituent at the
      periferal or axial positions which provide modulating photophysical properties,
      increases the solubility of these compounds in organic solvents. Nanoparticles
      increase the bioavailability, stability, and transport of PSs to target tissue.
      TiO2 nanoparticles are prefered in these applications because of their non toxic,
      low cost and high chemical stability properties. In our study, a Zinc
      Phthalocyanine (ZnPc) was used as a photosensor. The design of ZnPc integrated
      TiO2 nanoparticles is intended to make PSs a more effective PDT agent. With the
      aim to examine the nuclear imaging/treatment potentials of ZnPc and ZnPc-TiO2 in
      hepatocellular carcinoma (HepG2), colorectal adenocarcinoma (HT29) tumor and
      human healthy lung (WI38) cell lines in vitro study ZnPc and TiO2-ZnPc were also
      labeled with 131I. It is determined that 131I-ZnPc-TiO2 nanoparticle show a
      potential as an agent for the imaging/treatment of hepatocellular cancer by in
      vitro. The toxicity studies revealed that TiO2 nanoparticle decreases the
      toxicity of ZnPc. In vitro PDT results show that TiO2-ZnPc has a potential as a
      PDT agent in colon tumor treatment. Consequently, synthesized ZnPc and ZnPc-TiO2
      could be promising candidates as theranostic agents.

PMID- 28365388
TI  - Comparative analysis of MBD-seq and MeDIP-seq and estimation of gene expression
      changes in a rodent model of schizophrenia.
AB  - We conducted a comparative study of multiplexed affinity enrichment sequence
      methodologies (MBD-seq and MeDIP-seq) in a rodent model of schizophrenia, induced
      by in utero methylazoxymethanol acetate (MAM) exposure. We also examined related
      gene expression changes using a pooled sample approach. MBD-seq and MeDIP-seq
      identified 769 and 1771 differentially methylated regions (DMRs) between F2
      offspring of MAM-exposed rats and saline control rats, respectively. The assays
      showed good concordance, with ~56% of MBD-seq-detected DMRs being identified by
      or proximal to MeDIP-seq DMRs. There was no significant overlap between DMRs and
      differentially expressed genes, suggesting that DNA methylation regulatory
      effects may act upon more distal genes, or are too subtle to detect using our
      approach. Methylation and gene expression gene ontology enrichment analyses
      identified biological processes important to schizophrenia pathophysiology,
      including neuron differentiation, prepulse inhibition, amphetamine response, and
      glutamatergic synaptic transmission regulation, reinforcing the utility of the
      MAM rodent model for schizophrenia research.

PMID- 28365391
TI  - Rational approach for design and evaluation of anti-aggregation agents for
      protein stabilization: A case study of trehalose phenylalaninate.
AB  - The present work introduces new anti-aggregation agent (AAA) derived through our
      new approach for design and evaluation of anti-aggregation agent as a multi
      purpose excipient to combat protein aggregation. Therapeutic proteins undergo
      aggregation due to even minor changes in environmental conditions like
      temperature, pH, shear and stress. Excipients play a vital role in prevention of
      aggregation. To stabilize a protein formulation different classes of excipients
      are used in combination after carefully selecting through laborious and time
      consuming trial and error experiments. To resolve these concerns, we have
      developed a rational approach based on molecular docking analysis and have
      designed, synthesized AAAs, and validated the approach by experimental studies.
      Trehalose phenylalaninate (TPA) has been synthesized and evaluated for
      stabilization of Bovine serum albumin (BSA). TPA was found to be non-toxic with a
      LC50 of >80MUg/ml. BSA solutions with and without TPA were subjected to thermal
      and agitation stress and aggregation was monitored using sophisticated analytical
      techniques. The helical structure of BSA was completely retained in stressed
      samples at 0.1% concentration of TPA. SEC-HPLC clearly demonstrated the absence
      of aggregates in presence of TPA. Although aggregation was not seen in
      fluorescence spectra but quenching due to TPA was evident. Moreover, molecular
      dynamics study on BSA-TPA complex showed lower RMSD.

PMID- 28365392
TI  - Effects of seaweed sterols fucosterol and desmosterol on lipid membranes.
AB  - Higher sterols are universally present in large amounts (20-30%) in the plasma
      membranes of all eukaryotes whereas they are universally absent in prokaryotes.
      It is remarkable that each kingdom of the eukaryotes has chosen, during the
      course of evolution, its preferred sterol: cholesterol in animals, ergosterol in
      fungi and yeast, phytosterols in higher plants, and e.g., fucosterol and
      desmosterol in algae. The question arises as to which specific properties do
      sterols impart to membranes and to which extent do these properties differ among
      the different sterols. Using a range of biophysical techniques, including
      calorimetry, fluorescence microscopy, vesicle-fluctuation analysis, and atomic
      force microscopy, we have found that fucosterol and desmosterol, found in red and
      brown macroalgae (seaweeds), similar to cholesterol support liquid-ordered
      membrane phases and induce coexistence between liquid-ordered and liquid
      disordered domains in lipid bilayers. Fucosterol and desmosterol induce acyl
      chain order in liquid membranes, but less effectively than cholesterol and
      ergosterol in the order: cholesterol>ergosterol>desmosterol>fucosterol, possibly
      reflecting the different molecular structure of the sterols at the hydrocarbon
      tail.

PMID- 28365395
TI  - Clinicopathological and immunohistochemical analysis of oral melanocytic nevi and
      review of the literature.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: Oral melanocytic nevi (OMNs) are uncommon benign melanocytic
      tumors, histologically similar to their cutaneous counterparts. The aim of this
      study was twofold: to contribute to the epidemiology with a literature review
      with the first Spanish series of OMNs, and to report on clinicopathological,
      immunohistochemical and demographic findings. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A
      retrospective analysis of cases attended over the period 1999-2010 was carried
      out using data drawn from the pathology unit files at two public hospitals in the
      Spanish region of Andalusia, serving between them a population of 823.614
      inhabitants (11%). RESULTS: Ten cases of OMNs were retrieved, accounting for
      0.18% of the total 5499 oral biopsies performed over the period. The female-to
      male ratio was 1.5:1; mean patient age was 30. The palate was the most common
      location (70%). Relative frequencies of histologic types were as follows:
      subepithelial (40%), common blue (30%), compound (20%) and junctional (10%).
      Immunohistochemical examination showed strong S-100 protein expression, variable
      reactivity to HMB-45 and high c-Kit expression by junctional melanocytes. Ki-67
      was <=3 in all cases. CONCLUSIONS: Although this first clinicopathologic analysis
      of OMNs reported in Spain was based on a small patient series, the results are in
      line with those reported in larger series and additionally provide new
      demographic data. Since OMNs and early melanomas are usually detected at routine
      dental examination, detailed oral exploration should always be performed, and in
      case of doubt a biopsy should be taken to ensure an accurate diagnosis.

PMID- 28365394
TI  - Neuropathic pain in the orofacial region: The role of pain history. A
      retrospective study.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: Orofacial neuropathic pain is often difficult to treat, mostly
      because of still unclear underlying mechanisms. The occurrence of such
      neuropathic pain varies depending on different factors, of which preexisting
      preoperative pain seems to be of high importance. The aim of this study was thus
      to test the hypothesis that prior history of pain could indeed be considered a
      risk factor for the development of orofacial neuropathic pain in the same region.
      METHODS: The study was performed in the dental department of the Groupe
      Hospitalier Pitie-Salpetriere (GHPS) in Paris, France. We investigated the
      presence of prior inflammatory pain before development of orofacial neuropathic
      pain in 56 patients. For each patient file, the following items were collected:
      age, gender; medical history; diagnosis; description of the pain (at time of
      consultation); presence or absence of prior dental treatment; date and type of
      dental treatment received. RESULTS: 41 patients (73%) of orofacial neuropathic
      pain patients had a history of pain compatible with an inflammatory condition; 4%
      (n=2) did not report any prior pain and 23% (n=13) could not remember. Among the
      patients with documented history of pain prior to neuropathy, 88% (n=36) received
      surgical treatment; 61%, (n=25) endodontic treatment and 22%, (n=9) restorative
      treatment. All eventually received endodontic treatment or tooth extraction.
      These dental treatments are compatible with the hypothesis of prior inflammatory
      pain in these patients. CONCLUSION: These results support the hypothesis that
      prior inflammatory pain could favor the development of orofacial neuropathic
      pain. Prevention and treatment of inflammatory trigeminal pain may therefore play
      a key role in preventing future neuropathic pain development.

PMID- 28365393
TI  - Peripheral Neutrophil to Lymphocyte Ratio Improves Prognostication in Colon
      Cancer.
AB  - BACKGROUND: We studied the role of peripheral neutrophil to lymphocyte ratio
      (NLR) on survival outcomes in colon and rectal cancer to determine if its
      inclusion improved prognostication within existing staging systems. PATIENTS AND
      METHODS: Disease-free (DFS) and overall survival (OS) hazard ratios (HRs) of
      pretreatment NLR were calculated for 2536 patients with stage I to III colon or
      rectal cancer and adjusted for age, positive/total number of nodes, T stage, and
      grade. The association of NLR with clinicopathologic features and survival was
      evaluated and compared with the American Joint Committee on cancer (AJCC) TNM
      staging and Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center (MSKCC) models. RESULTS: High
      NLR was significantly associated with worse DFS (HR, 1.36; 95% confidence
      interval [CI], 1.08-1.70; P = .009) and OS (HR, 1.65; 95% CI, 1.29-2.10; P <
      .0005) in all stages for patients with colon, but not rectal, cancer. High NLR
      was significantly associated with site-specific worse prognosis, which was
      stronger in the left versus right colon; an inverse relationship with grade was
      found. The impact of high NLR on DFS and OS occurred early, with the majority of
      deaths within 2 years following surgery. Adjusted HRs for 5-year and 2-year
      outcomes in colon cancer per each additional 2-unit increase in NLR were 1.15
      (95% CI, 1.08-1.23) and 1.20 (95% CI, 1.10-1.30), respectively. The addition of
      NLR enhanced the prognostic utility of TNM (TNM alone vs. TNM + NLR: concordance
      index, 0.60 vs. 0.68), and MSKCC (MSKCC alone vs. MSKCC + NLR: concordance index,
      0.71 vs. 0.73) models for colon cancer patients. CONCLUSION: NLR is an
      independent prognostic variable for nonmetastatic colon cancer that enhances
      existing clinical staging systems.

PMID- 28365396
TI  - Use of the 3D surgical modelling technique with open-source software for
      mandibular fibula free flap reconstruction and its surgical guides.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: Tridimensional (3D) surgical modelling is a necessary step to
      create 3D-printed surgical tools, and expensive professional software is
      generally needed. Open-source software are functional, reliable, updated, may be
      downloaded for free and used to produce 3D models. Few surgical teams have used
      free solutions for mastering 3D surgical modelling for reconstructive surgery
      with osseous free flaps. We described an Open-source software 3D surgical
      modelling protocol to perform a fast and nearly free mandibular reconstruction
      with microvascular fibula free flap and its surgical guides, with no need for
      engineering support. PROCEDURE: Four successive specialised Open-source software
      were used to perform our 3D modelling: OsiriX(r), Meshlab(r), Netfabb(r) and
      Blender(r). Digital Imaging and Communications in Medicine (DICOM) data on
      patient skull and fibula, obtained with a computerised tomography (CT) scan, were
      needed. The 3D modelling of the reconstructed mandible and its surgical guides
      were created. CONCLUSIONS: This new strategy may improve surgical management in
      Oral and Craniomaxillofacial surgery. Further clinical studies are needed to
      demonstrate the feasibility, reproducibility, transfer of know how and benefits
      of this technique.

PMID- 28365398
TI  - Are older drivers' on-road driving error rates related to functional performance
      and/or self-reported driving experiences?

PMID- 28365397
TI  - Hormonal underpinnings of status conflict: Testosterone and cortisol are related
      to decisions and satisfaction in the hawk-dove game.
AB  - A contribution to a special issue on Hormones and Human Competition.Testosterone
      is theorized to influence status-seeking behaviors such as social dominance and
      competitive behavior, but supporting evidence is mixed. The present study tested
      the roles of testosterone and cortisol in the hawk-dove game, a dyadic economic
      decision-making paradigm in which earnings depend on one's own and the other
      player's choices. If one person selects the hawk strategy and the other person
      selects the dove strategy, the player who selected hawk attains a greater
      financial pay-off (status differentiation). The worst financial outcome occurs
      when both players choose the hawk strategy (status confrontation). Ninety-eight
      undergraduate students (42 men) provided saliva samples and played ten rounds of
      the hawk-dove game with another same-sex participant. In support of the
      hypothesis that testosterone is related to status concern, individuals higher in
      basal testosterone made more hawk decisions - decisions that harmed the other
      player. Acute decreases in cortisol were also associated with more hawk
      decisions. There was some empirical support for the dual-hormone hypothesis as
      well: basal testosterone was positively related to satisfaction in the game among
      low basal-cortisol individuals but not among high basal-cortisol individuals.
      There were no significant sex differences in these hormonal effects. The present
      findings align with theories of hormones and status-seeking behavior at the
      individual level, but they also open up new avenues for research on hormone
      profiles at the collective level. Our results suggest that the presence of two or
      more high-testosterone members increases the likelihood of status confrontations
      over a limited resource that can undermine collective outcomes.

PMID- 28365399
TI  - Synchronised firing patterns in a random network of adaptive exponential
      integrate-and-fire neuron model.
AB  - We have studied neuronal synchronisation in a random network of adaptive
      exponential integrate-and-fire neurons. We study how spiking or bursting
      synchronous behaviour appears as a function of the coupling strength and the
      probability of connections, by constructing parameter spaces that identify these
      synchronous behaviours from measurements of the inter-spike interval and the
      calculation of the order parameter. Moreover, we verify the robustness of
      synchronisation by applying an external perturbation to each neuron. The
      simulations show that bursting synchronisation is more robust than spike
      synchronisation.

PMID- 28365400
TI  - MiRNA-29b suppresses tumor growth through simultaneously inhibiting angiogenesis
      and tumorigenesis by targeting Akt3.
AB  - The traditional anti-angiogenic cancer therapy could trigger hypoxia induced
      factor (HIF) response, leading to "reactive resistance" to chemotherapy.
      Simultaneously inhibiting both angiogenesis and tumorigenesis would be ideal to
      overcome this limitation. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are increasingly explored as new
      agents for cancer therapy. In the present study, we identified a microRNA (miR
      29b) with the ability of simultaneously inhibiting angiogenesis and
      tumorigenesis. Ectopic expression of miR-29b inhibits HUVECs formed three
      dimensional capillary-like tubular structures, tumor cell proliferation,
      migration and tumor formation. Systemic administration of miR-29b potently
      suppressed tumor vascularization and cancer cell activity in vivo, resulting in
      dramatic suppression of tumor growth without toxicity. Moreover, we demonstrated
      the role of miR-29b in anti-angiogenesis and anti-tumorigenesis is through
      targeting Akt3 and inducing VEGF and C-myc arrest in breast cancer cells. These
      findings indicate that this single miRNA could be used as an efficient anti
      cancer therapeutic agent to address a critical challenge in cancer therapy.

PMID- 28365401
TI  - Reverse Shoulder Arthroplasty in Patients With Amputation or Paralysis of the
      Contralateral Upper Extremity (One-Arm Patients).
AB  - BACKGROUND: Theoretically, patients with only one functional arm secondary to
      contralateral amputation or paralysis will subject their only functional upper
      extremity to increased loads. This could become an issue after reverse shoulder
      arthroplasty (RSA). However, there are no reported data on the implant survival
      or function for patients with a nonfunctional contralateral upper extremity.
      OBJECTIVE: To report the outcomes of RSA in patients with contralateral upper
      extremity amputation or paralysis. DESIGN: Retrospective case series. SETTING:
      Tertiary university hospital. PATIENTS: All patients who underwent RSA between
      January 2004 and December 2013. METHODS: Of 1335 RSA procedures performed, 5
      patients had a minimum 2-year follow-up and nonfunctional contralateral upper
      extremity. There were 3 men and 2 women, with a mean (standard deviation) age and
      length of follow-up of 72.4 (7.5) years and 56.4 (24-132) months. Two of the
      patients had a contralateral upper extremity amputation, and the other 3 had
      contralateral upper extremity paralysis as a result of stroke, traumatic brain
      injury, and traumatic brachial plexus injury at birth. MAIN OUTCOMES: Pain, range
      of motion, functional scores (Simple Shoulder Test, American Shoulder and Elbow
      Society and Quick-Disability of the Arm, Shoulder and Hand), satisfaction,
      complications/reoperations, and radiographic loosening. RESULTS: RSA resulted in
      substantial improvement in pain (P = .008), forward flexion (P = .02), and
      external range of motion (P = .01). The mean (standard deviation) Simple Shoulder
      Test, American Shoulder and Elbow Society, and Quick-Disability of the Arm,
      Shoulder, and Hand scores were 9.8 (1.3), 82 (13), and 17.8 (13.4), respectively.
      The results were excellent in 3, satisfactory in 1, and unsatisfactory in 1
      patient (due only to external rotation limited to 10 degrees ). Subjectively, all
      5 patients felt greatly improved and stated they would undergo RSA again. There
      were no complications or reoperations. There were no shoulders with component
      loosening. CONCLUSIONS: RSA seems to be a safe, effective, and successful
      surgical procedure for patients with a nonfunctional contralateral upper
      extremity. Studies with larger sample sizes and longer follow-up will hopefully
      validate the present findings. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: IV.

PMID- 28365402
TI  - Distinct fibrosis pattern in desmosomal and phospholamban mutation carriers in
      hereditary cardiomyopathies.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Desmosomal and phospholamban (PLN) mutations are associated with
      arrhythmogenic cardiomyopathy. Ultimately, most cardiomyopathic hearts develop
      significant cardiac fibrosis. OBJECTIVE: To compare the fibrosis patterns of
      desmosomal and p. Arg14del PLN-associated cardiomyopathies with the pattern in
      hearts with other hereditary cardiomyopathies. METHODS: A midventricular
      transversal slice was obtained from hearts of 30 patients with a cardiomyopathy
      with a known underlying mutation and from 8 controls. Fibrosis and fatty changes
      were quantitatively analyzed using digital microscopy. RESULTS: Hearts from
      patients with desmosomal mutations (n = 6) showed fibrosis and fibrofatty
      replacement in the left ventricular (LV) outer myocardium, mainly in the
      posterolateral wall, and in the right ventricle. A similar phenotype, but with
      significantly more severe fibrotic changes in the LV, was found in the PLN
      mutation group (n = 8). Cardiomyopathies associated with lamin A/C (n = 5),
      sarcomeric (n = 8), and desmin (n = 3) mutations all showed a different pattern
      from that of the desmosomal and PLN mutation carriers. The posterolateral LV wall
      appeared to be the most discriminative area with fibrosis and fatty changes
      predominantly at the outer compact myocardium in 13 of 14 hearts with desmosomal
      and PLN mutations (93%), in 0 of 13 hearts with lamin A/C and sarcomeric
      mutations (0%), and in 1 of 3 desminopathic hearts (33%) (P < .001). CONCLUSION:
      Desmosomal- and PLN-associated cardiomyopathies have a fibrosis pattern distinct
      from the patterns in other hereditary cardiomyopathies. The posterolateral LV
      wall appeared to be the most discriminative region between mutation groups. These
      results may provide a roadmap for cardiac imaging interpretation and may help in
      further unraveling disease mechanisms.

PMID- 28365403
TI  - Integration of heterogeneous and biochemical catalysis for production of fuels
      and chemicals from biomass.
AB  - The past decade has seen significant government and private investment in
      fundamental research and process development for the production of biofuels and
      chemicals from lignocellulosic biomass-derived sugars. This investment has helped
      create new metabolic engineering and synthetic biology approaches, novel
      homogeneous and heterogeneous catalysts, and chemical and biological routes that
      convert sugars, lignin, and waste products such as glycerol into hydrocarbon
      fuels and valuable chemicals. With the exception of ethanol, economical biofuels
      processes have yet to be realized. A potentially viable way forward is the
      integration of biological and chemical catalysis into processes that exploit the
      inherent advantages of each technology while circumventing their disadvantages.
      Microbial fermentation excels at converting sugars from low-cost raw materials
      streams into simple alcohols, acids, and other reactive intermediates that can be
      condensed into highly reduced, long and branched chain hydrocarbons and other
      industrially useful compounds. Chemical catalysis most often requires clean feed
      streams to avoid catalyst deactivation, but the chemical and petroleum industries
      have developed large scale processes for C-C coupling, hydrogenation, and
      deoxygenation that are driven by low grade heat and low-cost feeds such as
      hydrogen derived from natural gas. In this context, we suggest that there is a
      reasonably clear route to the high yield synthesis of biofuels from biomass- or
      otherwise derived-fermentable sugars: the microbial production of reactive
      intermediates that can be extracted or separated into clean feed stream for
      upgrading by chemical catalysis. When coupled with new metabolic engineering
      strategies that maximize carbon and energy yields during fermentation, biomass-to
      fuels processes may yet be realized.

PMID- 28365404
TI  - Metabolic engineering strategies to bio-adipic acid production.
AB  - Adipic acid is the most industrially important dicarboxylic acid as it is a key
      monomer in the synthesis of nylon. Today, adipic acid is obtained via a chemical
      process that relies on petrochemical precursors and releases large quantities of
      greenhouse gases. In the last two years, significant progress has been made in
      engineering microbes for the production of adipic acid and its immediate
      precursors, muconic acid and glucaric acid. Not only have the microbial
      substrates expanded beyond glucose and glycerol to include lignin monomers and
      hemicellulose components, but the number of microbial chassis now goes further
      than Escherichia coli and Saccharomyces cerevisiae to include microbes proficient
      in aromatic degradation, cellulose secretion and degradation of multiple carbon
      sources. Here, we review the metabolic engineering and nascent protein
      engineering strategies undertaken in each of these chassis to convert different
      feedstocks to adipic, muconic and glucaric acid. We also highlight near term
      prospects and challenges for each of the metabolic routes discussed.

PMID- 28365405
TI  - Novel insights into cardiac remodelling revealed by proteomic analysis of the
      trout heart during exercise training.
AB  - : The changes in the cardiac proteome of rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) were
      quantified during the early phases (4, 7, and 14d) of a typical exercise-training
      regime to provide a comprehensive overview of the cellular changes responsible
      for developing a trained heart phenotype. Enhanced somatic growth during the 14d
      experiment was paralleled by cardiac growth to maintain relative ventricular
      mass. This was reflected in the cardiac proteome by the increased abundance of
      contractile proteins and cellular integrity proteins as early as Day 4, including
      a pronounced and sustained increase in blood vessel epicardial substance - an
      intercellular adhesion protein expressed in the vertebrate heart. An unexpected
      finding was that proteins involved in energy pathways, including glycolysis, beta
      oxidation, the TCA cycle, and the electron transport chain, were generally
      present at lower levels relative to Day 0 levels, suggesting a reduced investment
      in the maintenance of energy production pathways. However, as the fish
      demonstrated somatic and cardiac growth during the exercise-training program,
      this change did not appear to influence cardiac function. The in-depth analysis
      of temporal changes in the cardiac proteome of trout during the early stages of
      exercise training reveals novel insights into cardiac remodelling in an important
      model species. BIOLOGICAL SIGNIFICANCE: Rainbow trout hearts have a remarkable
      ability for molecular, structural, and functional plasticity, and the inherent
      athleticism of these fish makes them ideal models for studies in comparative
      exercise physiology. Indeed, several decades of research using exercise-trained
      trout has shown both conserved and unique aspects of cardiac plasticity induced
      by a sustained increase in the workload of the heart. Despite a strong
      appreciation for the outcome of exercise training, however, the temporal events
      that generate this phenotype are not known. This study interrogates the early
      stages of exercise training using in-depth proteomic analysis to understand the
      molecular pathways of cardiac remodelling. Two major and novel findings emerge:
      (1) structural remodelling is initiated very early in training, as evidenced by a
      general increase in proteins associated with muscle contraction and integrity at
      Day 4, and (2) the abundance of proteins directly involved in energy production
      are decreased during 14d of exercise training, which contrasts the general
      acceptance of an exercise-induced increase in aerobic capacity of muscle, and
      suggests that regulation of energy pathways occurs at a different biological
      level than protein abundance.

PMID- 28365406
TI  - A proteomic and ultrastructural characterization of Aspergillus fumigatus'
      conidia adaptation at different culture ages.
AB  - : The airborne fungus Aspergillus fumigatus is one of the most common agents of
      human fungal infections with a remarkable impact on public health. However, A.
      fumigatus conidia atmospheric resistance and longevity mechanisms are still
      unknown. Therefore, in this work, the processes underlying conidial adaptation
      were studied by a time course evaluation of the proteomics and ultrastructural
      changes of A. fumigatus' conidia at three time-points selected according to
      relevant changes previously established in conidial survival rates. The
      proteomics characterization revealed that conidia change from a highly active
      metabolic to a dormant state, culminating in cell autolysis as revealed by the
      increased levels of hydrolytic enzymes. Structural characterization corroborates
      the proteomics data, with noticeable changes observed in mitochondria, nucleus
      and plasma membrane ultrastructure, accompanied by the formation of autophagic
      vacuoles. These changes are consistent with both apoptotic and autophagic
      processes, and indicate that the changes in protein levels may anticipate those
      in cell morphology. SIGNIFICANCE: The findings presented in this work not only
      clarify the processes underlying conidial adaptation to nutrient limiting
      conditions but can also be exploited for improving infection control strategies
      and in the development of new therapeutical drugs. Additionally, the present
      study was deposited in a public database and thus, it may also be a valuable
      dataset to be used by the scientific community as a tool to understand and
      identified other potential targets associated with conidia resistance.

PMID- 28365407
TI  - Reaching reveals that best-versus-rest processing contributes to biased decision
      making.
AB  - The study of human decision making has revealed many contexts in which decisions
      are systematically biased. These biases are particularly evident in risky
      decisions, characterized by choice outcomes that are probabilistic. One recently
      explored bias is the extreme-outcome rule: the tendency for participants to
      overvalue both the best and worst outcome when they learn about choice
      probabilities through trial and error (aka experience). Here we aimed to test
      whether the extreme-outcome rule arises in part from a disproportionate
      subjective weight on extreme values. Participants reached to choose between two
      options in a riskless task where each choice option always produced the same
      result. In contrast to the idea that the overvaluing of extreme outcomes results
      from participants overestimating the underlying choice probabilities (e.g.
      treating a 50% "worst" outcome as though it occurred 60% of the time), we find
      overvaluation of extreme outcomes even when they are not probabilistic.
      Particularly, we find strong evidence for overvaluation of the best outcome
      relative to all other outcomes in how participants enact their decision (reaction
      times and reaching movements), but no evidence for such overvaluation in
      participants' choice accuracy. Compared to the extreme-outcome rule, these
      results are more simply characterized in a framework where the "best" option is
      given a boost in processing relative to the "rest" of other available options.

PMID- 28365408
TI  - Mitochondrial dysfunction underlying outer retinal diseases.
AB  - Dysfunction of photoreceptors, retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) or both
      contribute to the initiation and progression of several outer retinal disorders.
      Disrupted Muller glia function might additionally subsidize to these diseases.
      Mitochondrial malfunctioning is importantly associated with outer retina
      pathologies, which can be classified as primary and secondary mitochondrial
      disorders. This review highlights the importance of oxidative stress and
      mitochondrial DNA damage, underlying outer retinal disorders. Indeed, the
      metabolically active photoreceptors/RPE are highly prone to these hallmarks of
      mitochondrial dysfunction, indicating that mitochondria represent a weak link in
      the antioxidant defenses of outer retinal cells.

PMID- 28365409
TI  - New caffeic acid derivative from Tithonia diversifolia (Hemsl.) A. Gray butanolic
      extract and its antioxidant activity.
AB  - Tithonia diversifolia, Asteraceae, a promising alternative for insect control
      such as leaf-cutting ants, have revealed repellent and insecticidal activity
      against Atta cephalotes. The different biological activities of T. diversifolia,
      are due to the existence of sesquiterpene lactones and phenolic compounds. Some
      phenolic compounds have antioxidant activity and curiously also exhibited
      tyrosinase inhibitory activity, key enzyme in insect metamorphosis. To expand the
      plant phytochemical knowledge, especially for isolation and identification of
      secondary metabolites such as phenolic compounds not yet discovered in the polar
      extracts, a new caffeic acid derivative was isolated from the leaves of Tithonia
      diversifolia. The structure was determined as (E)-3-(((3-(3,4
      dihydroxyphenyl)acryloyl)oxy)methyl)-2-methyloxyrane-2-carboxylic acid (1).
      Additionally, three known phenolic acids, 4,5-dicaffeoylquinic acid (2), 3,4
      dicaffeoylquinic acid (3) and 3,5-dicaffeoylquinic acid (4), were also isolated;
      1, 2 and 3 are the first reports for this species. The structures of compounds 1,
      2 and 3 were established based on LC-MS and one- and two-dimensional (1D)- and
      (2D)-NMR spectroscopic analyses. Spectroscopic data of compound 1 were compared
      with 4-O-caffeoyl-2-C-methyl-d-threonic acid (5). Antioxidant activity evaluation
      in 96-well plate format, showed caffeic acid derivatives as strong 2,2-diphenyl-1
      picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radical-scavengers and moderate ferric reducing antioxidant
      power (FRAP).

PMID- 28365410
TI  - Performance evaluation of direct fluorescent antibody, Focus Diagnostics
      SimplexaTM Flu A/B & RSV and multi-parameter customized respiratory Taqman(r)
      array card in immunocompromised patients.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Molecular assays for diagnosis of Flu A, Flu B, and RSV with short
      turn-around-time (TAT) are of considerable clinical importance. In addition,
      rapid and accurate diagnosis of a large panel of viral and atypical pathogens can
      be crucial in immunocompromised patients. OBJECTIVES: First, to evaluate the
      performance of the SimplexaTM Direct assay system in comparison with direct
      fluorescent antibody (DFA) and customized Taqman(r) Array Card (TAC) testing for
      RSV, Flu A, and Flu B in immunocompromised patients. Second, to evaluate
      different algorithms for the detection of respiratory pathogens in terms of cost,
      turn-around-time (TAT) and diagnostic yield. STUDY DESIGN: We collected 125
      nasopharyngeal swabs (NTS) and 25 BAL samples from symptomatic immunocompromised
      patients. Samples for which SimplexaTM and TAC results were discordant underwent
      verification testing. The TAC assay is based on singleplex RT-PCR, targeting 24
      viruses, 8 bacteria and 2 fungi simultaneously. RESULTS: The overall sensitivity
      was significantly lower for DFA testing than for the two molecular methods
      (p<0.05). Performance characteristics of SimplexaTM testing were not
      significantly different compared to TAC testing (p>0.1). For BAL samples only,
      the sensitivity and specificity of the SimplexaTM assay was 100%. In total, 6.7,
      16 and 18% of samples were positive for Flu A, Flu B or RSV by DFA, SimplexaTM
      and TAC testing, respectively. When considering not only these pathogens but also
      all results for TAC, the method identified 93 samples with one or more
      respiratory pathogens (62%). A co-infection rate of 15.3% was found by TAC. The
      estimated costs and TAT were 8.2? and 2h for DFA, 31.8? and 1.5h for SimplexaTM
      and 55? and 3h for TAC testing. CONCLUSIONS: Performing the SimplexaTM test 24h a
      day/7 days a week instead of DFA would considerably improve the overall
      sensitivity and time-to-result, albeit at a higher cost generated in the
      laboratory. Performing the TAC would increase the diagnostic yield and detection
      of co-infections significantly.

PMID- 28365411
TI  - Effects of intensive glucose control on microvascular outcomes in patients with
      type 2 diabetes: a meta-analysis of individual participant data from randomised
      controlled trials.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Intensive glucose control is understood to prevent complications in
      adults with type 2 diabetes. We aimed to more precisely estimate the effects of
      more intensive glucose control, compared with less intensive glucose control, on
      the risk of microvascular events. METHODS: In this meta-analysis, we obtained de
      identified individual participant data from large-scale randomised controlled
      trials assessing the effects of more intensive glucose control versus less
      intensive glucose control in adults with type 2 diabetes, with at least 1000
      patient-years of follow-up in each treatment group and a minimum of 2 years
      average follow-up on randomised treatment. The prespecified and standardised
      primary outcomes were kidney events (a composite of end-stage kidney disease,
      renal death, development of an estimated glomerular filtration rate <30 mL/min
      per 1.73m2, or development of overt diabetic nephropathy), eye events (a
      composite of requirement for retinal photocoagulation therapy or vitrectomy,
      development of proliferative retinopathy, or progression of diabetic
      retinopathy), and nerve events (a composite of new loss of vibratory sensation,
      ankle reflexes, or light touch). We used a random-effects model to calculate
      overall estimates of effect. FINDINGS: We included four trials (ACCORD, ADVANCE,
      UKPDS, and VADT) with 27 049 participants. 1626 kidney events, 795 eye events,
      and 7598 nerve events were recorded during the follow-up period (median 5.0
      years, IQR 4.5-5.0). Compared with less intensive glucose control, more intensive
      glucose control resulted in an absolute difference of -0.90% (95% CI -1.22 to 
      0.58) in mean HbA1c at completion of follow-up. The relative risk was reduced by
      20% for kidney events (hazard ratio 0.80, 95% CI 0.72 to 0.88; p<0.0001) and by
      13% for eye events (0.87, 0.76 to 1.00; p=0.04), but was not reduced for nerve
      events (0.98, 0.87 to 1.09; p=0.68). INTERPRETATION: More intensive glucose
      control over 5 years reduced both kidney and eye events. Glucose lowering remains
      important for the prevention of long-term microvascular complications in adults
      with type 2 diabetes. FUNDING: None.

PMID- 28365412
TI  - Tightening our understanding of intensive glycaemic control.

PMID- 28365413
TI  - Ultra-performance liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry for
      determination of Direct Acting Antiviral drugs in human liver fine needle
      aspirates.
AB  - An ultra-performance liquid chromatography with triple quadrupole mass
      spectrometry method was developed and validated for the determination of direct
      acting antiviral drug concentrations in human liver fine needle aspirates. Liver
      fine needle aspirate (FNA) biopsy samples were homogenized in acetonitrile to
      stabilize the analytes and precipitate protein. The acetonitrile supernatants
      were diluted with internal standards and mobile phase. Separation was achieved
      with a Waters Acquity BEH C18 column (50*2.1mm, 1.7um) with a gradient elution of
      0.1% formic acid in water and acetonitrile. The total run time was 4.25min.
      Detection of analytes was achieved using electrospray ionization (positive mode)
      and triple quadrupole selected reaction monitoring. Standard curve concentrations
      ranged from 12.5 to 5000ng/mL for dasabuvir and the m1 metabolite of dasabuvir,
      1.25 to 2500ng/mL for ombitasvir and ritonavir, and 5.00 to 5000ng/mL for
      paritaprevir. The intra- and inter-day accuracy and precision were less than
      13.7% in low, medium, and high quality control samples. The validated method was
      applied to the analysis of a liver fine needle aspirate of a patient undergoing
      direct acting antiviral therapy for hepatitis C virus.

PMID- 28365414
TI  - Impact of sample extraction on the accurate measurement of progesterone in human
      serum by liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry.
AB  - In the present study, the impact of the extraction solvent on the accuracy of
      endogenous progesterone assay in human serum has been investigated using two
      selective reaction monitoring (SRM) transitions (315>97 & 315>109). Higher levels
      of noise and more interference were observed when more polar solvents were used
      for extraction, thus resulting in serious bias of the measured values of
      progesterone in serum. This is confirmed by monitoring the ion ratio of 315>97
      315>109. This issue could not be easily resolved by changes in MS/MS transitions
      or chromatography conditions. More bias was observed with the SRM transition
      315>109 for the polar solvent extraction. Hexane and 1-chlorobutane (polarity
      index of 0 and 1, respectively) did provide the cleanest samples with a lower
      noise level in the chromatograms. Moreover, the measured values of progesterone
      were not changed with different SRM transitions or longer retention time in
      search of an improved separation. Recovery tests of progesterone have been
      performed with 1-chlorobutane in matrices with phosphate buffered saline (PBS)
      1x, PBS 1*3% bovine serum albumin (BSA), stripped serum/H2O (1:1) and unstripped
      serum. The recovery (70%~80%) consistency is observed not only at different
      levels but also in different matrices. The equivalent recovery between PBS 1x,
      PBS 1*3% BSA and unstripped serum shows that the impact of progesterone binding
      to serum proteins on the measurement accuracy can be avoided with this sample
      preparation procedure. No significant matrix effect on the determination of
      progesterone was observed with 1-chlorobutane. Within the range of 12.5
      2000pg/mL, a good linearity is observed with R>0.99 and weighting factor 1/X.
      Bias and covariance efficiency of QCs are within 10%. With 1-chlorobutane as the
      extraction solvent, the concentration of progesterone was measured where the
      range for postmenopausal serum is 5.74~91.7pg/mL, which is well below the
      reported concentrations of 314 pg/mL~942pg/mL in postmenopausal serum by
      immunoassay-based techniques, while the range in premenopausal serum is 12.8
      pg/mL~18.6ng/mL.

PMID- 28365416
TI  - Descending septal branch of right coronary artery: Rare, but important in
      hypertrophic cardiomyopathy.
AB  - A 54year old man with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy was evaluated for alcohol
      septal ablation. However there were no sizeable septal branches from the left
      anterior descending artery supplying the basal septum. He was found to have a
      rare variant, the descending septal branch from ostial right coronary artery and
      underwent ablation through the same. We describe our case and the relevant
      literature available for use of this anatomical variant in alcohol septal
      ablation.

PMID- 28365415
TI  - Immediate and short-term performance of a novel sirolimus-coated balloon during
      complex percutaneous coronary interventions. The FAtebenefratelli SIrolimus
      COated-balloon (FASICO) registry.
AB  - BACKGROUND AND PURPOSES: Drug-coated balloons (DCB) currently represent an
      alternative to drug-eluting stents (DES) for the treatment of in-stent restenosis
      and they are also variably used for small coronary vessel and bifurcation lesion
      management. All DCB variably elute paclitaxel as an anti-proliferative drug. The
      first sirolimus coated balloon (SCB) received the CE mark in 2016, but its
      clinical performance has not been shown yet. METHODS AND RESULTS: FASICO in an
      all-comer registry of the first consecutive patients with at least one lesion
      treated with SCB between March and July 2016 at the first European centre that
      used this device. All patients were prospectively enrolled in a dedicated
      database. Primary endpoint was procedural success; co-primary endpoint was the
      rate of major adverse cardiac events at short-term follow-up. The 32 patients (34
      lesions) enrolled had at least 6-month clinical follow up available. Forty-five
      percent had diabetes and indication to PCI was ISR in 47% of the cases. Lesions
      were always pre-dilated and device deployment was successful in all the cases.
      Procedural success was achieved in 100% of patients. We observed 3 cases of TLR
      at follow-up. CONCLUSIONS: SCB shows high immediate technical performance and
      adequate short-term efficacy and safety. The ongoing EASTBOURNE registry will
      shed light on mid-and long-term performance of this device in an adequately
      powered population.

PMID- 28365417
TI  - Fullerenol inhibits the cross-talk between bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem
      cells and tumor cells by regulating MAPK signaling.
AB  - The interaction between bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells (BDMSCs) and
      tumor cells promotes tumor proliferation and metastasis. We found that 4T1 breast
      cancer cells induced malignant differentiation of BDMSCs and that BDMSCs also
      affected the growth and metastasis of 4T1 cells. However, when the interaction
      between BDMSCs and 4T1 cells was attenuated or blocked by C60(OH)22
      nanoparticles, tumor growth and metastasis were significantly suppressed. The
      suppression of metastasis depended on the activation of MAPK signals in the
      BDMSCs, whereas the underlying pathways were related to a broad range of
      extracellular responses and were modulated by the secretion of multiple
      cytokines. Interestingly, C60(OH)22 regulated the malignantly differentiated
      BDMSCs via the Erk- and p38-MAPK and its downstream NF-kappaB signal pathway, but
      in normal BDMSCs regulation occurred only through Erk- and p38-MAPK and not by NF
      kappaB activation. This study may provide a novel mechanism for C60(OH)22
      nanoparticles as an anti-tumor drug.

PMID- 28365418
TI  - Higher functionality of extracellular vesicles isolated using size-exclusion
      chromatography compared to ultracentrifugation.
AB  - Extracellular vesicles (EVs) are nano-sized, lipid bilayer-enclosed particles
      involved in intercellular communication. EVs are increasingly being considered as
      drug delivery vehicles or as cell-free approach to regenerative medicine.
      However, one of the major challenges for their clinical application is finding a
      scalable EV isolation method that yields functional EVs. Although the golden
      standard for EV isolation is ultracentrifugation (UC), a recent study suggested
      that isolation using size-exclusion chromatography (SEC) yielded EVs with more
      intact biophysical properties. Whether this also leads to differences in
      functionality remained to be investigated. Therefore, we investigated possible
      differences in functionality of cardiomyocyte progenitor cell-derived EVs
      isolated using UC and SEC. Western blot analysis showed higher pERK/ERK ratios in
      endothelial cells after stimulation with SEC-EVs compared to UC-EVs, indicating
      that SEC-EVs bear higher functionality. Therefore, we propose to use SEC-EVs for
      further investigation of EVs' therapeutic potential. Further optimization of
      isolation protocols may accelerate clinical adoption of therapeutic EVs.

PMID- 28365419
TI  - Mindcontrol: A web application for brain segmentation quality control.
AB  - Tissue classification plays a crucial role in the investigation of normal neural
      development, brain-behavior relationships, and the disease mechanisms of many
      psychiatric and neurological illnesses. Ensuring the accuracy of tissue
      classification is important for quality research and, in particular, the
      translation of imaging biomarkers to clinical practice. Assessment with the human
      eye is vital to correct various errors inherent to all currently available
      segmentation algorithms. Manual quality assurance becomes methodologically
      difficult at a large scale - a problem of increasing importance as the number of
      data sets is on the rise. To make this process more efficient, we have developed
      Mindcontrol, an open-source web application for the collaborative quality control
      of neuroimaging processing outputs. The Mindcontrol platform consists of a
      dashboard to organize data, descriptive visualizations to explore the data, an
      imaging viewer, and an in-browser annotation and editing toolbox for data
      curation and quality control. Mindcontrol is flexible and can be configured for
      the outputs of any software package in any data organization structure. Example
      configurations for three large, open-source datasets are presented: the 1000
      Functional Connectomes Project (FCP), the Consortium for Reliability and
      Reproducibility (CoRR), and the Autism Brain Imaging Data Exchange (ABIDE)
      Collection. These demo applications link descriptive quality control metrics,
      regional brain volumes, and thickness scalars to a 3D imaging viewer and editing
      module, resulting in an easy-to-implement quality control protocol that can be
      scaled for any size and complexity of study.

PMID- 28365420
TI  - Cleaning up the fMRI time series: Mitigating noise with advanced acquisition and
      correction strategies.

PMID- 28365421
TI  - Quantitative validation of a nonlinear histology-MRI coregistration method using
      generalized Q-sampling imaging in complex human cortical white matter.
AB  - Advanced diffusion MRI methods have recently been proposed for detection of
      pathologies such as traumatic axonal injury and chronic traumatic encephalopathy
      which commonly affect complex cortical brain regions. However, radiological
      pathological correlations in human brain tissue that detail the relationship
      between the multi-component diffusion signal and underlying pathology are
      lacking. We present a nonlinear voxel based two dimensional coregistration method
      that is useful for matching diffusion signals to quantitative metrics of high
      resolution histological images. When validated in ex vivo human cortical tissue
      at a 250*250*500 MUm spatial resolution, the method proved robust in correlations
      between generalized q-sampling imaging and histologically based white matter
      fiber orientations, with r=0.94 for the primary fiber direction and r=0.88 for
      secondary fiber direction in each voxel. Importantly, however, the correlation
      was substantially worse with reduced spatial resolution or with fiber
      orientations derived using a diffusion tensor model. Furthermore, we have
      detailed a quantitative histological metric of white matter fiber integrity
      termed power coherence capable of distinguishing architecturally complex but
      intact white matter from disrupted white matter regions. These methods may allow
      for more sensitive and specific radiological-pathological correlations of
      neurodegenerative diseases affecting complex gray and white matter.

PMID- 28365423
TI  - Evaluation of theranostic nanocarriers for near-infrared imaging and photodynamic
      therapy on human prostate cancer cells.
AB  - This paper evaluates how effectively chloroaluminum phthalocyanine (ClAlPc)
      entrapped in colloidal nanocarriers, such as nanocapsule (NC) and nanoemulsion
      (NE), induces photodamage in human prostate cancer cells (LNCaP) during
      photodynamic therapy (PDT). The MTT cell viability assay showed that both ClAlPc
      NC and ClAlPc-NE induced phototoxicity and efficiently killed LNCaP cells at low
      ClAlPc-NC and ClAlPc-NE concentrations (0.3MUgmL-1) as well as under low light
      doses of 4Jcm-2 and 7Jcm-2, respectively, upon PDT with a 670-nm diode laser
      line. Confocal imaging studies indicated that ClAlPc-NC and ClAlPc-NE were
      preferentially localized in the perinuclear region of LNCaP cells both in the
      dark and upon irradiation with laser light. After PDT treatment, ClAlPc-NC
      treated LNCaP cells exhibited a higher green fluorescence signal, possibly due to
      the larger shrinkage of the actin cytoskeleton, compared to ClAlPc-NE-treated
      LNCaP cells. Additionally, ClAlPc-NC or ClAlPc-NE and mitochondria showed a
      relatively high co-localization level. The cellular morphology did not change in
      the dark, but confocal micrographs recorded after PDT revealed that LNCaP cells
      treated with ClAlPc-NC or ClAlPc-NE underwent morphological alterations. Our
      preliminary in vitro studies reinforced the hypothesis that biocompatible
      theranostic ClAlPc-loaded nanocarriers could act as an attractive photosensitizer
      system in PDT and could serve as an interesting molecular probe for the early
      diagnosis of prostate cancer and other carcinomas.

PMID- 28365424
TI  - Drug nanocarriers for cancer chemotherapy based on microemulsions: The case of
      Vemurafenib analog PLX4720.
AB  - Oil-in-water (O/W) microemulsions based on Tween 80 as the emulsifier and
      triacetin as the dispersed oil phase were formulated to be used as delivery
      vehicles of Vemurafenib analog PLX4720. PLX4720 is a lipophilic antitumor drug
      against various cancer types correlated with the BRAFV600E mutation. The limits
      of the single-phase region corresponding to O/W microemulsions as described by
      ternary phase diagrams were examined. Droplet size measurements determined by
      dynamic light scattering (DLS) showed mean droplet diameters equal to 10+/-0.1nm
      both in the presence and in absence of the drug. Cryogenic-transmission electron
      microscopy (Cryo-TEM) images of the microemulsions showed the existence of small
      structures with uniform size distribution having also average diameters of
      approximately 10nm. Electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) spectroscopy applying
      the spin probing technique confirmed PLX4720 location in the oil cores excluding
      its participation in the surfactants monolayer. Furthermore, cell viability
      assays on colon cancer cell lines Colo-205 and HT29 showed that microemulsions
      did not exhibit any cytotoxicity when added in ratios between 0.005% v/v and 0.2%
      v/v. When the cells were treated with encapsulated PLX4720 at two different
      concentrations (0.063 and 0.12MUMU) the same response as when dissolved in
      classic DMSO was observed.

PMID- 28365422
TI  - Mechanisms of the cyclic nucleotide cross-talk signaling network in cardiac L
      type calcium channel regulation.
AB  - Regulation of L-type Calcium (Ca2+) Channel (LCC) gating is critical to shaping
      the cardiac action potential (AP) and triggering the initiation of excitation
      contraction (EC) coupling in cardiac myocytes. The cyclic nucleotide (cN) cross
      talk signaling network, which encompasses the beta-adrenergic and the Nitric
      Oxide (NO)/cGMP/Protein Kinase G (PKG) pathways and their interaction (cross
      talk) through distinctively-regulated phosphodiesterase isoenzymes (PDEs),
      regulates LCC current via Protein Kinase A- (PKA) and PKG-mediated
      phosphorylation. Due to the tightly-coupled and intertwined biochemical reactions
      involved, it remains to be clarified how LCC gating is regulated by the signaling
      network from receptor to end target. In addition, the large number of EC coupling
      related phosphorylation targets of PKA and PKG makes it difficult to quantify and
      isolate changes in L-type Ca2+ current (ICaL) responses regulated by the
      signaling network. We have developed a multi-scale, biophysically-detailed
      computational model of LCC regulation by the cN signaling network that is
      supported by experimental data. LCCs are modeled with functionally distinct PKA-
      and PKG-phosphorylation dependent gating modes. The model exhibits experimentally
      observed single channel characteristics, as well as whole-cell LCC currents upon
      activation of the cross-talk signaling network. Simulations show 1)
      redistribution of LCC gating modes explains changes in whole-cell current under
      various stimulation scenarios of the cN cross-talk network; 2) NO regulation
      occurs via potentiation of a gating mode characterized by prolonged closed times;
      and 3) due to compensatory actions of cross-talk and antagonizing functions of
      PKA- and PKG-mediated phosphorylation of LCCs, the effects of individual
      inhibitions of PDEs 2, 3, and 4 on ICaL are most pronounced at low levels of beta
      adrenergic stimulation. Simulations also delineate the contribution of the
      following two mechanisms to overall LCC regulation, which have otherwise been
      challenging to distinguish: 1) regulation of PKA and PKG activation via cN cross
      talk (Mechanism 1); and 2) LCC interaction with activated PKA and PKG (Mechanism
      2). These results provide insights into how cN signals transduced via the cN
      cross-talk signaling network are integrated via LCC regulation in the heart.

PMID- 28365425
TI  - Extracellular polymeric substances dependence of surface interactions of Bacillus
      subtilis with Cd2+ and Pb2+: An investigation combined with surface plasmon
      resonance and infrared spectra.
AB  - Microbial extracellular polymeric substances (EPS) play an important role in
      resisting the shock load of toxic contaminants to microbial aggregates. In order
      to investigate the surface interaction process of bacteria with heavy metals, in
      this work, the kinetics and affinity of heavy metal (CdCl2 and PbCl2) binding on
      Bacillus subtilis with EPS and without EPS were determined using in situ surface
      plasmon resonance. The binding mechanism between bacteria (with EPS and without
      EPS) and heavy metals was probed using Fourier-transform infrared spectra. The
      effect of heavy metals on aggregations of microbial cells with EPS and without
      EPS was investigated. The results showed that both the binding of Pb2+ and Cd2+
      to bacteria with EPS had a similar kinetics process, however Pb2+ bound to
      bacterial surface without EPS more firmly compared with Cd2+. From our results we
      theorized that heavy metals changed the protein secondary structures of bacteria
      without EPS protection, that EPS reduced the influence of heavy metals on
      microbial aggregation, and that Pb2+ inhibited cell aggregation more easily
      compared with Cd2+ in the absence of EPS.

PMID- 28365427
TI  - Classification of maltreatment-related mortality by Child Death Review teams: How
      reliable are they?
AB  - Accurate estimation of the incidence of maltreatment-related child mortality
      depends on reliable child fatality review. We examined the inter-rater
      reliability of maltreatment designation for two Alaskan Child Death Review (CDR)
      panels. Two different multidisciplinary CDR panels each reviewed a series of 101
      infant and child deaths (ages 0-4 years) in Alaska. Both panels independently
      reviewed identical medical, autopsy, law enforcement, child welfare, and
      administrative records for each death utilizing the same maltreatment criteria.
      Percent agreement for maltreatment was 64.7% with a weighted Kappa of 0.61 (95%
      CI 0.51, 0.70). Across maltreatment subtypes, agreement was highest for abuse
      (69.3%) and lowest for negligence (60.4%). Discordance was higher if the mother
      was unmarried or a smoker, if residence was rural, or if there was a family
      history of child protective services report(s). Incidence estimates did not
      depend on which panel's data were used. There is substantial room for improvement
      in the reliability of CDR panel assessment of maltreatment related mortality.
      Standardized decision guidance for CDR panels may improve the reliability of
      their data.

PMID- 28365426
TI  - Rapid separation of bacteria from blood - Chemical aspects.
AB  - To rapidly diagnose infectious organisms causing blood sepsis, bacteria must be
      rapidly separated from blood, a very difficult process considering that
      concentrations of bacteria are many orders of magnitude lower than concentrations
      of blood cells. We have successfully separated bacteria from red and white blood
      cells using a sedimentation process in which the separation is driven by
      differences in density and size. Seven mL of whole human blood spiked with
      bacteria is placed in a 12-cm hollow disk and spun at 3000rpm for 1min. The red
      and white cells sediment more than 30-fold faster than bacteria, leaving much of
      the bacteria in the plasma. When the disk is slowly decelerated, the plasma flows
      to a collection site and the red and white cells are trapped in the disk.
      Analysis of the recovered plasma shows that about 36% of the bacteria is
      recovered in the plasma. The plasma is not perfectly clear of red blood cells,
      but about 94% have been removed. This paper describes the effects of various
      chemical aspects of this process, including the influence of anticoagulant
      chemistry on the separation efficiency and the use of wetting agents and platelet
      aggregators that may influence the bacterial recovery. In a clinical scenario,
      the recovered bacteria can be subsequently analyzed to determine their species
      and resistance to various antibiotics.

PMID- 28365428
TI  - Effectiveness of manualized case management on utilization of evidence-based
      treatments for children and adolescents after maltreatment: A randomized
      controlled trial.
AB  - : The objective of this study was to compare structured case management (CM) to
      usual care (UC) for helping victims of child abuse and neglect (CAN) with mental
      disorders access evidence-based treatment (EBT). N=121 children and adolescents
      aged 4-17 with a history of CAN and a current mental disorder were recruited in
      three German states in a multi-center parallel group trial. They were randomly
      assigned, stratified by study site and level of psychosocial functioning, to
      receive CM additionally to UC or only UC. CM was delivered by trained
      professionals and volunteers, most of them affiliated to local child welfare
      agencies or NGOs. UC comprised child welfare services typically delivered in
      Germany. The primary outcome was EBT utilization after 6 months. Secondary
      outcome was the time until commencement of EBT. Outcomes were determined by semi
      structured clinical interviews with assessors blinded to group allocation.
      Predictors of access to EBT and barriers to utilization of treatment were
      analyzed. The intent to treat analysis showed that after 6 months 23 of 60
      participants recruited to CM (38%) and 19 of 61 participants recruited to UC
      (31%) were using EBT, chi2 (1, N=121)=0.689, p=.261. Female gender, out-of-home
      placement, and home state were significant predictors of access to EBT. Less than
      40% of participants across both groups were successfully referred to EBT. Access
      to EBT seems to be in part due to system-level barriers, namely lack of
      implementation of EBT in community settings. TRIAL REGISTRATION: DRKS00003979
      German Clinical Trials Register.

PMID- 28365429
TI  - An unusual occurrence of plasmid-mediated blaOXA-23 carbapenemase in clinical
      isolates of Escherichia coli from India.
AB  - The blaOXA-23 group was considered as the first group of OXA-type beta-lactamases
      conferring carbapenem resistance and has been reported worldwide in Acinetobacter
      baumannii, however their presence in Escherichia coli is very rare and unique.
      This study describes an unusual occurrence of blaOXA-23 in 14 clinical isolates
      of E. coli obtained from intensive care unit patients admitted to a tertiary
      referral hospital in India. The blaOXA-23 gene was found located within a self
      conjugative plasmid of IncFrepB and IncK incompatibility types and simultaneously
      carrying blaCTX-M-15, blaVEB-1, blaPER-1 and/or blaNDM-1. The copy number of
      blaOXA-23 within the IncK-type plasmid was inversely proportional to increasing
      concentrations of imipenem, whereas in the case of the IncFrepB-type the result
      was variable; and increased copy number of the IncK-type plasmid was observed
      with increasing concentrations of meropenem. Plasmids encoding blaOXA-23 could be
      successfully eliminated after single treatment and were found to be not highly
      stable, as complete loss of plasmids was observed within 5-10 days. This study
      emphasises that carbapenem stress invariably altered the copy number of two
      different Inc type plasmids encoding the blaOXA-23 resistance gene and also
      highlights a potential threat of clonal expansion of this class D carbapenemase
      through a heterologous host in this country, which is in second incidence
      globally.

PMID- 28365431
TI  - Non-inferiority of colistin compared with standard care for the treatment of
      ventilator-associated pneumonia.
AB  - This study examined the literature on the treatment of ventilator-associated
      pneumonia (VAP) using colistin or standard care (SC). Based on this clinical
      material, a meta-analysis was conducted and a non-inferiority test was performed.
      Studies were selected for inclusion based on the following criteria: (a) patients
      with VAP; (b) experimental arm based on intravenous or aerosolized colistin; and
      (c) control arm based on SC. The meta-analysis employed a fixed-effect model, and
      the endpoint was the rate of clinical response. No pre-specified non-inferiority
      threshold for the upper boundary of the 95% confidence interval was adopted;
      instead, the intention was to perform a retrospective evaluation of whether the
      threshold suggested by the results was acceptable on clinical grounds. In total,
      eight controlled studies were included. The pooled risk ratio was 1.019 for
      colistin compared with SC (95% confidence interval 0.895-1.16); this result
      corresponds to a non-significant 1.9% increase in cure rate with colistin
      compared with SC (range +16% to -10.5%). Heterogeneity was minimal (0%). The post
      hoc non-inferiority threshold for colistin compared with SC was -10.5% in terms
      of relative cure rate (pooled risk ratio = 0.895). This margin was considered to
      be acceptable on clinical grounds. This analysis found that colistin can play a
      role in the treatment of VAP, particularly when given as a combination of
      aerosolized and intravenous drug.

PMID- 28365430
TI  - Old antimicrobials and Gram-positive cocci through the example of infective
      endocarditis and bone and joint infections.
AB  - The management of some serious infections such as infective endocarditis (IE) and
      bone and joint infections (BJIs) caused by Gram-positive cocci (GPC) is complex
      and requires great responsiveness and effective antimicrobials with high
      bioavailability in heart valves or bone tissues. Treatment of these infections
      requires the use of a higher dosage that may result in increased toxicity or the
      use of new promising antimicrobials to control the infection. However, use of
      these new antimicrobials could still bring about new toxicity and resistance.
      Another approach may be the 'comeback' of old antimicrobials, which is evaluated
      in this review in the treatment of IE and BJIs caused by GPC.

PMID- 28365432
TI  - Long-Term Outcome of Brachial Plexus Reimplantation After Complete Brachial
      Plexus Avulsion Injury.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Complete brachial plexus avulsion injury is a severe disabling injury
      due to traction to the brachial plexus. Brachial plexus reimplantation is an
      emerging surgical technique for the management of complete brachial plexus
      avulsion injury. OBJECTIVE: We assessed the functional recovery in 15 patients
      who underwent brachial plexus reimplantation surgery after complete brachial
      plexus avulsion injury with clinical examination and electrophysiological
      testing. METHODS: We included all patients who underwent brachial plexus
      reimplantation in our institution between 1997 and 2010. Patients were assessed
      with detailed motor and sensory clinical examination and motor and sensory
      electrophysiological tests. RESULTS: We found that patients who had
      reimplantation surgery demonstrated an improvement in Medical Research Council
      power in the deltoid, pectoralis, and infraspinatous muscles and global Medical
      Research Council score. Eight patients achieved at least grade 3 MRC power in at
      least one muscle group of the arm. Improved reinnervation by electromyelography
      criteria was found in infraspinatous, biceps, and triceps muscles. There was
      evidence of ongoing innervation in 3 patients. Sensory testing in affected
      dermatomes also showed better recovery at C5, C6, and T1 dermatomes. The best
      recovery was seen in the C5 dermatome. CONCLUSIONS: Our results demonstrate a
      definite but limited improvement in motor and sensory recovery after
      reimplantation surgery in patients with complete brachial plexus injury. We
      hypothesize that further improvement may be achieved by using regenerative cell
      technologies at the time of repair.

PMID- 28365433
TI  - Percutaneous Endoscopic Cervical Discectomy (PECD): An Analysis of Outcome,
      Causes of Reoperation.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: Percutaneous endoscopic cervical discectomy (PECD) is regarded as an
      effective treatment modality in cervical disc herniation, including radicular
      pain and lateral location of disc herniation. This study aimed to evaluate the
      clinical and radiologic outcomes of PECD along with the causes of reoperation and
      the technique itself. METHODS: Between January 2007 and November 2012, 101
      patients underwent PECD at the Busan Wooridul Hospital. Three patients underwent
      a 2-level PECD. The mean follow-up period was 34 months (range, 18-72 months).
      The mean age was 46.1 years; the most common operation was at the C5-C6 level (n
      = 45), followed by C6-C7 (n = 35), C4-C5 (n = 16), and C3-C4 (n = 8). The
      clinical outcomes were evaluated via the visual analog scale of the neck and arm
      according to the Neck Disability Index and the modified Macnab criteria. Among
      101 patients, 12 underwent an additional operation at the index level. Five
      patients had aggravated stenosis by disc height narrowing, 4 had recurred disc, 2
      had remained disc, and 1 had sustained symptoms. RESULTS: After PECD, there was a
      significant improvement in the visual analog scale and Neck Disability Index
      scores (P < 0.001). According to the modified Macnab criteria, excellent
      concordance was achieved in 65 patients, good in 22, fair in 2, and poor in 12.
      The reoperation performed on 12 patients improved their clinical outcomes. The
      mean duration was 4.8 months (2 days to 18 months) until reoperation. There were
      3 PECD revisions, 3 artificial disc replacements, 2 corpectomies, 2 anterior
      cervical discectomies and fusion with cages, and 2 transfers to another hospital.
      The common feature was older age (P = 0.016) and male sex (P = 0.031).
      Preoperative radiologic findings were characterized by the foraminal disc (P =
      0.04), disc degeneration at the index level (P = 0.05), combined bony spur (P =
      0.001), concomitant adjacent level degeneration (P = 0.019), cervical kyphosis (P
      = 0.015), and segmental angle deterioration after PECD (P = 0.038). No
      statistical correlation was seen between the operation level and herniation size
      (P > 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: In total, 87% patients showed successful clinical
      outcome. Poor and fair outcomes at initial PECD were overcome by revision
      surgery, which improved outcomes. Although PECD is a promising minimally invasive
      procedure for cervical disc treatment, the indications for PECD should be
      considered carefully.

PMID- 28365434
TI  - Ultra-Early Angiographic Vasospasm After Aneurysmal Subarachnoid Hemorrhage: A
      Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: After aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage (aSAH), prognosis is affected
      heavily by the presence of delayed cerebral ischemia (DCI). There is growing
      recognition of ultra-early angiographic vasospasm (UEAV) occurring within 48
      hours of aSAH; however, its relationship with DCI and ultimately prognosis
      remains unclear. METHODS: Various databases limited to the English language
      through September 2016 were searched systematically. Eligible studies were those
      comparing UEAV with control non-UEAV outcomes and follow-up. Two independent
      reviewers evaluated the quality of studies and abstracted the data, with
      discrepancies resolved by a third. We calculated odds ratios (ORs) and 95%
      confidence intervals for all outcomes by using random-effects meta-analyses and
      performed a heterogeneity analysis. RESULTS: Four comparative studies were
      selected for analysis. Pooled analysis demonstrated that UEAV compared with no
      UEAV was associated with greater proportion of rupture aneurysms sized greater
      than 12 mm (38.3% vs. 24.3%, P < 0.00001). A significantly greater number of
      patients with UEAV had ruptured MCA aneurysms compared with patients without UEAV
      (29.7% vs. 19.9%, P = 0.005). Compared with no-UEAV, patients with UEAV were
      significantly associated with symptomatic cerebral vasospasm (OR 2.07, P = 0.05)
      and DCI/infarction (OR 2.52, P = 0.02). A significant association also was found
      between UEAV and an unfavorable outcome at follow-up (OR 1.64, P = 0.03) and
      greater mortality (OR 2.65, P < 0.00001). CONCLUSIONS: UEAV was significantly
      associated with symptomatic cerebral vasospasm, DCI/infarction, unfavorable
      outcome at follow-up, and greater mortality. Patients with intracerebral
      hematoma, intraventricular hemorrhage (Fisher Grade IV), larger ruptured
      aneurysms >12 mm, and an MCA location were more likely to have UEAV.

PMID- 28365435
TI  - A DFT/B3LYP study of the mechanisms of the O2 formation reaction catalyzed by the
      [(terpy)(H2O)MnIII(O)2MnIV(OH2)(terpy)](NO3)3 complex: A paradigm for photosystem
      II.
AB  - We present a theoretical study of the reaction pathway for dioxygen molecular
      formation catalyzed by the [(terpy)(H2O)MnIII(O)2MnIV(OH2) (terpy)](NO3)3
      (terpy=2,2':6',2"-terpyridine) complex based on DFT-B3LYP calculations. In the
      initial state of the reaction, a partial oxido radical (0.44 spins) is formed
      ligated to Mn. This radical is involved in a nucleophylic attack by bulk water in
      the OO bond reaction formation step, in which the oxido fractional unpaired
      electron is delocalized toward the outermost Mn of the MU-oxo bridge, instead of
      the ligated Mn center. The reaction then follows with a series of proton-coupled
      electron transfer steps, in which the oxidation state, as well as the bond
      strength of the OO moiety increase, while the OOMn(1) bond gets weaker until O2
      is released. In this model, basic acetate ions from the buffer solution capture
      protons in the proton-transfer steps. In each step there is reduction of the
      OOMn(1) binding strength, with concomitant increase of the OO bond strength,
      which culminates with the release of O2 in the last step. This last step is
      entropy driven, while formation of hydroperoxide and superoxide moieties is
      enthalpy driven. According with experiments, the rate-limiting step is the double
      oxidation of Mn(IV,III) or peroxymonosulfate binding, which occur prior to the OO
      bond formation step. This supports our findings that the barriers of all
      intermediate steps are below the experimental barrier of 19-21kcal/mol. The
      implications of these findings for understanding photosynthetic water-splitting
      catalysis are also discussed.

PMID- 28365436
TI  - Longan seed and peel as environmentally friendly corrosion inhibitor for mild
      steel in acid solution: Experimental and theoretical studies.
AB  - Longan seed and peel were extracted and used for impeding the corrosion of mild
      steel in hydrochloric acid solution. Experimental analyses indicate that the
      water extract of Longan's seed and peel, a mixed type inhibitor, can be
      chemically adsorbed onto the steel surface, and its inhibition effect rises with
      increasing extract concentration. To understand the adsorption mechanism and the
      contributions of the four main compounds of the extract to corrosion protection
      effect, quantum chemical methods and infrared spectrum were also employed.
      Theoretically, four main antioxidant compounds were regarded as effective
      components in the water extract of Longan's seed and peel.

PMID- 28365437
TI  - Alkyl-imidazolium based organosilica supported Fe/porphyrin complex: As novel,
      highly efficient and reusable catalyst for the unsymmetrical Hantzsch reaction.
AB  - A noble alkyl-imidazolium ionic liquid based organosilica supported Fe/meso
      tetrakis(4-sulfonatophenyl)porphyrin complex (ILOS@Fe/TSPP) is prepared,
      characterized and its catalytic efficiency is studied in the unsymmetrical
      Hantzsch reaction. The ILOS@Fe/TSPP was prepared by hydrolysis and co
      condensation of 1,3-bis(3-trimethoxysilylpropyl)imidazolium chloride under acidic
      conditions followed by treatment with Fe/meso-tetrakis(4
      sulfonatophenyl)porphyrin complex at ambient temperature. The material was
      characterized with TGA, EDX, SEM, TEM, XRD and DRIFT analyses. The ILOS@Fe/TSPP
      was successfully applied as powerful catalyst in the Hantzsch reaction for the
      preparation of a set of different derivatives of polyhydroquinolines in high to
      excellent yields. This catalyst was recovered and reused several times without
      important decrease in its activity. Furthermore, compared to the classical
      studies, this study consistently demonstrated the advantages of low catalyst
      loading, free-solvent media, short reaction times and simple purification of
      products.

PMID- 28365438
TI  - Simple one-pot aqueous synthesis of AuPd alloy nanocrystals/reduced graphene
      oxide as highly efficient and stable electrocatalyst for oxygen reduction and
      hydrogen evolution reactions.
AB  - Herein, we develop a simple one-pot aqueous method to prepare AuPd alloy
      nanocrystals on reduced graphene oxide (AuPd NCs/rGO), by using 1-acetyl-4-(p
      hydroxyphenyl) piperazine (AHPP) as the reductant, stabilizing agent and
      structure-director, without any other additives (e.g., seed, surfactant or
      polymer). The product is mainly characterized by transmission electron
      microscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction and
      thermogravimetric analysis. The obtained AuPd NCs/rGO displays enlarged
      electrochemically active surface area and superior catalytic performances toward
      oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) and hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) relative to
      Pt/C, Pd/C, Pd/rGO and Au/rGO catalysts, showing promising applications in energy
      storage and conversion.

PMID- 28365439
TI  - Nickel-cobalt hydroxide nanosheets: Synthesis, morphology and electrochemical
      properties.
AB  - This paper reports the synthesis, characterization, and electrochemical
      performance of nickel-cobalt hydroxide nanosheets. The hydroxide nanosheets of
      approximately 0.7nm thickness were prepared by delamination of layered nickel
      cobalt hydroxide lactate in water and formed transparent colloids that were
      stable for months. The nanosheets were deposited on highly oriented pyrolytic
      graphite by spin coating, and their electrochemical behavior was investigated by
      cyclic voltammetry in potassium hydroxide electrolyte. Our method of electrode
      preparation allows for studying the electrochemistry of nanosheets where the
      majority of the active centers can participate in the charge transfer reaction.
      The observed electrochemical response was ascribed to mutual compensation of the
      cobalt and nickel response via electron sharing between these metals in the
      hydroxide nanosheets, a process that differentiates the behavior of nickel-cobalt
      hydroxide nanosheets from single nickel hydroxide or cobalt hydroxide nanosheets
      or their physical mixture. The presence of cobalt in the nickel-cobalt hydroxide
      nanosheets apparently decreases the time of electrochemical activation of the
      nanosheet layer, which for the nickel hydroxide nanosheets alone requires more
      potential sweeps.

PMID- 28365440
TI  - Evaluate the effects of long-term valproic acid treatment on metabolic profiles
      in newly diagnosed or untreated female epileptic patients: A prospective study.
AB  - PURPOSE: Excessive weight gain associated with sodium valproate (VPA) may
      predispose patients with epilepsy to other health problems such as insulin
      resistance. We prospectively evaluated the long-term impact of VPA monotherapy
      compared with lamotrigine (LTG) monotherapy on anthropometric and metabolic
      parameters in women with epilepsy. Our primary objective is to understand the
      underlying mechanism responsible for VPA-induced obesity. METHODS: Sixty-six
      female patients with newly diagnosed or untreated epilepsy were included in the
      study. Thirty-four patients with VPA and thirty-two patients with LTG were
      treated for a period of one year in our center. Anthropometric and clinical data
      were collected at 5 time points: before, at 6th week, 3rd month, 6th month, 9th
      month and 12th month (last visit). Biochemical and hormonal data were collected 2
      time points: before and last visit. RESULTS: Subjects in the VPA group had
      significantly higher body weight than LTG-treated subjects (64.88+/-3.25 vs.
      58.28+/-2.43, P<0.001). HOMA-IR level was significantly increased (2.76 vs. 1.35,
      P<0.05), and adiponectin levels were significantly lower in the VPA group (3.46
      vs. 6.22, P<0.05). Triglycerides levels were significantly increased (118 vs. 96,
      P<0.05), and HDL-C levels were significantly lower in the VPA group. Both the VPA
      treated group and the LTG-treated group showed no significant difference in term
      of total cholesterol, LDL-C, fasting blood glucose and serum leptin levels.
      CONCLUSIONS: Based on the findings of this study, we proposed that VPA induced
      hypoadiponectinemia which correlates significantly with insulin resistance. These
      two factors may be responsible for weight gain, possible by stimulating appetite.
      Valproic acid appears to be use cautionally in obese females with epilepsy.

PMID- 28365441
TI  - The multi-site docking protein Gab1 is constitutively phosphorylated independent
      from its recruitment to the plasma membrane in Jak2-V617F-positive cells and
      mediates proliferation of human erythroleukaemia cells.
AB  - The constitutively active Janus kinase 2 mutant Jak2-V617F is responsible for
      cytokine-independent growth of hematopoietic cells and the development of
      myeloproliferative neoplasms, such as polycythaemia vera and essential
      thrombocythaemia. Cells expressing Jak2-V617F exhibit constitutive STAT, MAPK,
      and PI3K signalling, and constitutive association of the multi-site docking
      protein Gab1 to PIP3 at the plasma membrane. Here, we demonstrate the crucial
      role of Gab1 for the proliferation of Jak2-V617F-positive human erythroleukaemia
      (HEL) cells. In Jak2-V617F-expressing cells Gab1 is constitutively phosphorylated
      by Erk1/2 on serine residue 552, which regulates binding to PIP3. Additionally,
      Gab1 is constitutively phosphorylated on tyrosine residue 627. Tyrosine 627 is a
      SHP2 binding site and required for Gab1-dependent Erk1/2 activation. As
      previously shown, Jak2-V617F-dependent Erk1/2 and PI3K activation act
      synergistically on the proliferation of Jak2-V617F-positive cells. Here, we
      examined whether constitutive membrane association of Gab1 explains cytokine
      independent Gab1 phosphorylation in Jak2-V617F-expressing cells. Although we
      could demonstrate Jak2-V617F-dependent constitutive serine 552 and tyrosine 627
      phosphorylation of Gab1, interestingly, both phosphorylations do not require
      binding of Gab1 to PIP3 at the plasma membrane. Instead, we observed a
      constitutive interaction of Gab1 with the erythropoietin receptor in Jak2-V617F
      expressing cells, which depends on Janus kinase activity. Thus, constitutive Gab1
      dependent signalling in Jak2-V617F-expressing cells does not occur due to the
      constitutive association of Gab1 with PIP3 at the plasma membrane.

PMID- 28365442
TI  - Loss of Cln3 impacts protein secretion in the social amoeba Dictyostelium.
AB  - Neuronal ceroid lipofuscinosis (NCL), also referred to as Batten disease, is the
      most common form of childhood neurodegeneration. Mutations in CLN3 cause the most
      prevalent subtype of the disease, which manifests during early childhood and is
      currently untreatable. The precise function of the CLN3 protein is still not
      known, which has inhibited the development of targeted therapies. In the social
      amoeba Dictyostelium discoideum, loss of the CLN3 homolog, Cln3, reduces adhesion
      during early development, which delays streaming and aggregation. The results of
      the present study indicate that this phenotype may be at least partly due to
      aberrant protein secretion in cln3- cells. It is well-established that Cln3
      localizes primarily to the contractile vacuole (CV) system in Dictyostelium, and
      to a lesser extent, compartments of the endocytic pathway. Intriguingly, the CV
      system has been linked to the secretion of proteins that do not contain a signal
      peptide for secretion (i.e., unconventional protein secretion). Proteins that do
      contain a signal peptide are secreted via a conventional mechanism involving the
      endoplasmic reticulum, transport through the Golgi, and secretion via vesicle
      release. In this study, Cln3 was observed to co-localize with the Golgi marker
      wheat germ agglutinin suggesting that Cln3 participates in both secretion
      mechanisms. Chimeras of wild-type (WT) and cln3- cells displayed delayed
      streaming and aggregation, and interestingly, cln3- cells starved in conditioned
      media (CM) harvested from starving WT cells showed near normal timing of
      streaming and aggregation suggesting aberrant protein secretion in Cln3-deficient
      cells. Based on these observations, LC-MS/MS was used to reveal the protein
      content of CM from starved cells (mass spectrometry data are available via
      ProteomeXchange with identifier PXD004897). A total of 450 proteins were detected
      in WT and cln3- CM, of which 3 were absent in cln3- CM. Moreover, 12 proteins
      that were present in cln3- CM were absent in WT CM. Label-free quantification
      identified 42 proteins that were present in significantly higher amounts in cln3-
      CM compared to WT, and 3 proteins that were present in significantly reduced
      amounts. A GO term enrichment analysis showed that a majority of the affected
      proteins are linked to endocytosis, vesicle-mediated transport, proteolysis, and
      metabolism. In total, the results of this study indicate that Cln3 functions in
      both conventional and unconventional protein secretion and that loss of Cln3
      results in deregulated secretion during early development. Importantly, this is
      the first evidence in any system linking CLN3 function to protein secretion.

PMID- 28365445
TI  - Antiatherogenic potential of ezetimibe in sitosterolemia: Beyond plant sterols
      lowering.

PMID- 28365444
TI  - Persistence of Nonceliac Wheat Sensitivity, Based on Long-term Follow-up.
AB  - We investigated how many patients with a diagnosis of nonceliac wheat sensitivity
      (NCWS) still experienced wheat sensitivity after a median follow-up time of 99
      months. We collected data from 200 participants from a previous study of NCWS,
      performed between July and December 2016 in Italy; 148 of these individuals were
      still on a strict wheat-free diet. In total, 175 patients (88%) improved (had
      fewer symptoms) after a diagnosis of NCWS; 145 of 148 patients who adhered
      strictly to a gluten-free diet (98%) had reduced symptoms, compared with 30 of 52
      patients who did not adhere to a gluten-free diet (58%) (P < .0001). Of the 22
      patients who repeated the double-blind, placebo-controlled challenge, 20 reacted
      to wheat. We conclude that NCWS is a persistent condition. Clinicaltrials.gov
      registration number: NCT02823522.

PMID- 28365443
TI  - Genetic Alterations in Esophageal Tissues From Squamous Dysplasia to Carcinoma.
AB  - BACKGROUND & AIMS: Esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) is the most common
      subtype of esophageal cancer. Little is known about the genetic changes that
      occur in esophageal cells during the development of ESCC. We performed next
      generation sequence analyses of esophageal nontumor, intraepithelial neoplasia
      (IEN), and ESCC tissues from the same patients to track genetic changes during
      tumor development. METHODS: We performed whole-genome, whole-exome, or targeted
      sequence analyses of 227 esophageal tissue samples from 70 patients with ESCC
      undergoing resection at Shantou University Medical College in China from 2012
      through 2015 (no patients had received chemotherapy or radiation therapy); we
      analyzed normal tissues, tissues with simple hyperplasia, dysplastic tissues
      (IEN), and ESCC tissues collected from different regions of the esophagus at the
      same time. We also obtained 1191 nontumor esophageal biopsy specimens from the
      Chaoshan region (a high-risk region for ESCC) of China (a high-risk region for
      ESCC) and performed immunohistochemical and histologic analyses to detect
      inflammation. RESULTS: IEN and ESCC tissues had similar mutations and copy number
      alterations, at similar frequencies; these differed from mutations detected in
      tissues with simple hyperplasia. IEN tissues had mutations associated with
      apolipoprotein B messenger RNA editing enzyme, catalytic polypeptide-like
      mediated mutagenesis (a DNA damage mutational signature). Genetic analyses
      indicated that most ESCCs were formed from early stage IEN clones. Trunk
      mutations (mutations shared by >10% of paired IEN and ESCC tissues) were in genes
      that regulate DNA repair and cell apoptosis, proliferation and adhesion.
      Mutations in TP53 and CDKN2A and copy number alterations in 11q (contains CCND1),
      3q (contains SOX2), 2q (contains NFE2L2), and 9p (contains CDKN2A) were
      considered to be trunk variants; these were dominant mutations detected at high
      frequencies in clones of paired IEN and ESCC samples. In the esophageal biopsy
      samples from high-risk individuals (residing in the Chaoshan region), 68.9% had
      an evidence of chronic inflammation; the level of inflammation was correlated
      with atypical cell structures and markers of DNA damage. CONCLUSIONS: We analyzed
      mutations and gene copy number changes in nontumor, IEN, and ESCC samples,
      collected from 70 patients. IEN and ESCCs each had similar mutations and markers
      of genomic instability, including apolipoprotein B messenger RNA editing enzyme,
      catalytic polypeptide-like. Genomic changes observed in precancerous lesions
      might be used to identify patients at risk for ESCC.

PMID- 28365446
TI  - Comorbidity trajectories in working age cancer survivors: A national study of
      Swedish men.
AB  - BACKGROUND: A large proportion of cancer survivors are of working age, and
      maintaining health is of interest both for their working and private life.
      However, patterns and determinants of comorbidity over time among adult cancer
      survivors are incompletely described. We aimed to identify distinct comorbidity
      trajectories and their potential determinants. METHODS: In a cohort study of
      Swedish men born between 1952 and 1956, men diagnosed with cancer between 2000
      and 2003 (n=878) were matched with cancer-free men (n=4340) and followed over
      five years after their first year of survival. Comorbid diseases were identified
      using hospital diagnoses and included in the analysis using group-based
      trajectory modelling. The association of socioeconomic and developmental
      characteristics were assessed using multinomial logit models. RESULTS: Four
      distinct comorbidity trajectories were identified. As many as 84% of cancer
      survivors remained at very low levels of comorbidity, and the distribution of
      trajectories was similar among the cancer survivors and the cancer-free men.
      Increases in comorbidity were seen among those who had comorbid disease at
      baseline and among those with poor summary disease scores in adolescence.
      Socioeconomic characteristics and physical, cognitive and psychological function
      were associated with types of trajectory in unadjusted models but did not retain
      independent relationships with them after simultaneous adjustment. CONCLUSIONS:
      Among working-age male cancer survivors, the majority remained free or had very
      low levels of comorbidity. Those with poorer health in adolescence and pre
      existing comorbid diseases at cancer diagnosis may, however, benefit from follow
      up to prevent further increases in comorbidity.

PMID- 28365447
TI  - Suvorexant for the treatment of primary insomnia: A systematic review and meta
      analysis.
AB  - Suvorexant is a dual orexin receptor agonist and is currently approved for the
      treatment of insomnia in the United States and Japan. We conducted a systematic
      review and meta-analysis to assess the efficacy and safety of suvorexant for the
      treatment of primary insomnia. We searched PubMed, EMBASE, and the Cochrane
      central register of controlled trials, contacted a relevant pharmaceutical
      company, and accessed websites of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and
      Pharmaceuticals and Medical Devices Agency (PMDA) for published and unpublished
      data. A total of four randomized trials involving 3076 patients with primary
      insomnia were included in our analysis. Our analysis suggested that suvorexant
      was associated with significant improvements in subjective time to sleep onset,
      subjective total sleep time, and subjective quality of sleep at 1 mo and 3 mo.
      Somnolence, fatigue, and abnormal dreams were the most common adverse effects. We
      concluded that suvorexant was associated with improvement in some sleep
      parameters and some adverse effects. To determine the place of suvorexant in the
      treatment of insomnia, comparative effectiveness trials are needed.

PMID- 28365448
TI  - Synthesis and biological activities of C-glycosides of KRN 7000 with novel
      ceramide residues.
AB  - The identification of immunoactive agents for clinical and mechanistic
      applications is a very active area of research. In this vein, analogues of the
      potent immunostimulant KRN 7000 with diverse cytokine profiles have attracted
      considerable attention. These compounds have been shown to activate iNKT cells
      via presentation by CD1d. Herein, we report on the synthesis and activity for
      four new C-glycosides of KRN 7000, 11-phenylundecanoyl and 11-p
      fluorophenylundecanoyl derivatives of C-KRN 7000, 2,3-bis-epi-C-KRN 7000 and the
      reverse amide of C-KRN 7000. In mice, compared to C-KRN 7000, 2,3-bis-epi-C-KRN
      7000 stimulated higher release of the anti-inflammatory cytokine IL-4 and lower
      release of the inflammatory cytokines IFN-gamma and IL-12. The phenyl terminated
      alkanoyl and reverse amide analogues were inactive. These data suggest that
      structure activity effects for KRN 7000 are not necessarily additive and their
      use in the design of new analogues will require an improved understanding of how
      subtle structural changes impact on cytokine activity.

PMID- 28365449
TI  - Multicenter evaluation of an enzymatic method for glycated albumin.
AB  - BACKGROUND: The use of glycated albumin (GA) has been proposed as an additional
      glycemic control marker particularly useful in intermediate-term monitoring and
      in situation when HbA1c test is not reliable. METHODS: We have performed the
      first multicenter evaluation of the analytical performance of the enzymatic
      method quantILab Glycated Albumin assay implemented on the most widely used
      clinical chemistry analyzers (i.e. Abbott Architect C8000, Beckman Coulter AU 480
      and 680, Roche Cobas C6000, Siemens ADVIA 2400 and 2400 XPT). RESULTS: The
      repeatability of the GA measurement (expressed as CV, %) implemented in the
      participating centers ranged between 0.9% and 1.2%. The within-laboratory CVs
      ranged between 1.2% and 1.6%. A good alignment between laboratories was found,
      with correlation coefficients from 0.996 to 0.998. Linearity was confirmed in the
      range from 7.6 to 84.7%. CONCLUSION: The new enzymatic method for glycated
      albumin evaluated by our investigation is suitable for clinical use.

PMID- 28365450
TI  - A microRNA expression profile for vascular invasion can predict overall survival
      in hepatocellular carcinoma.
AB  - BACKGROUND: The presence of vascular invasion (VI) in pathology specimens is a
      well-known unfavorable prognostic factor of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC)
      recurrence and overall survival (OS). We investigated the vascular invasion
      related microRNA (miRNA) expression profiles and potential of prognostic value in
      HCC. METHODS: MiRNA and mRNA expression data for HCC were accessed from The
      Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA). LASSO logistic regression models were used to develop
      a miRNA-based classifier for predicting VI. The predictive capability was
      accessed by area under receiver operating characteristics (AUC). Concordance
      index (C-index) and time-dependent receiver operating characteristic (td-ROC)
      were used to determine its prognostic value. We validated the predictive and
      prognostic accuracy of this classifier in an external independent cohort of 127
      patients. Functionally relevant targets of miRNAs were determined using miRNA
      target prediction, experimental validation and correlation of miRNA and mRNA
      expression data. RESULTS: A 16-miRNA-based classifier was developed which
      identified VI accurately, with AUC of 0.731 and 0.727 in TCGA set and validation
      cohort, respectively. C-index and td-ROC showed that the classifier was able to
      stratify patients into risk groups strongly associated with OS. When stratified
      by tumor characteristics, the classifier was still a clinically and statistically
      significant prognostic model. The predictive and prognostic accuracy of the
      classifier was confirmed in validation cohort. Vascular invasion related
      miRNA/target pairs were identified by integrating expression patterns of
      predicted targets, which were validated in cell lines. CONCLUSIONS: A multi-miRNA
      based classifier developed based on the presence of VI, which could effectively
      predict OS in HCC.

PMID- 28365451
TI  - Genetic analysis and literature review of Chinese patients with familial renal
      glucosuria: Identification of a novel SLC5A2 mutation.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Familial renal glucosuria (FRG) is an inherited renal tubular
      disorder characterized by persistent isolated glucosuria with normal blood
      glucose. SLC5A2 gene mutation was the causative of FRG. METHODS: Molecular
      genetic analysis of SLC5A2 gene by Sanger sequencing was conducted in two
      unrelated non-consanguineous Chinese families with isolated glucosuria. Extensive
      laboratory test and physical examination were performed. In silico algorithms
      were used to explore the potential effect of novel mutation on SGLT2 function. We
      also summarized the reported SLC5A2 mutations in the Chinese patients with FRG.
      RESULTS: A novel missense mutation (c.877A>T, p.Ser293Cys) in exon 3 was detected
      in proband 1 with weight loss accompanying by glucosuria and in her father with
      normal phenotype. In family 2, a previously reported compound heterozygous
      mutation (c.229G>C, p.Gly77Arg; c.1540C>T, p.Pro514Ser) was identified, and her
      healthy parents were heterozygous mutation carriers. The p.S293C mutation was
      predicted to be pathogenic. No hot spot mutation was found in reported Chinese
      patients with FRG. CONCLUSIONS: The novel pathogenic SLC5A2 mutation p.S293C was
      responsible for the onset of FRG. Our study further confirmed the co-dominant
      inheritance trait with variable penetrance and expanded the clinical and genetic
      spectrum of FRG.

PMID- 28365453
TI  - Multireference configuration interaction study of the 27 low-lying states of the
      PF+ cation.
AB  - This paper studied the spectroscopic parameters and vibrational properties of 27
      Lambda-S and 60Omega states of PF+ cation. The 27 Lambda-S states were the X2Pi,
      A2Sigma+, B2Pi, C2Sigma-, D2Delta, a4Sigma-, b4Pi, c4Sigma+, d4Delta, 22Sigma+,
      32Sigma+, 42Sigma+, 22Sigma-, 32Sigma-, 32Pi, 42Pi, 52Pi, 62Pi, 22Delta, 32Delta,
      12Phi, 24Sigma-, 34Sigma-, 24Pi, 34Pi, 16Sigma-, and 16Pi, which were generated
      from the first four dissociation limits. The 60Omega states were produced from
      the 27 Lambda-S states. All the potential energy curves were calculated with the
      CASSCF method, which was followed by the icMRCI+Q approach. The a4Sigma-, b4Pi,
      and D2Delta states were inverted with the spin-orbit coupling effect accounted
      for. The 24Pi, 24Sigma-, 22Delta, 32Delta, 32Sigma+, 42Sigma+, 12Phi, and 22Sigma
      states were repulsive whether the spin-orbit coupling effect was included or
      not, but the 52Pi and D2Delta states became repulsive only with the spin-orbit
      coupling effect included. The C2Sigma- state was very weakly bound. The a4Sigma-
      state had one barrier. The avoided crossings existed between the a4Sigma- and
      24Sigma- states, the 22Sigma+ and 32Sigma+ states as well as the D2Delta and
      22Delta states. Core-valence correlation and scalar relativistic corrections were
      taken into account. The extrapolation to the complete basis set limit was done.
      The spectroscopic parameters and vibrational properties were determined. The
      transition dipole moments were calculated and the Franck-Condon factors of some
      electric dipole transitions were evaluated. The spin-orbit coupling effect on the
      spectroscopic and vibrational properties was discussed.

PMID- 28365454
TI  - Corrigendum to "Laparoscopic totally extra-peritoneal hernia repair for bilateral
      Spigelian hernias and coincident inguinal hernia: A case report" [Int. J. Surg.
      Case Rep. 28 (2016) 169-172].

PMID- 28365452
TI  - Gd2O3-doped silica @ Au nanoparticles for in vitro imaging cancer biomarkers
      using surface-enhanced Raman scattering.
AB  - There has been an interest in developing multimodal approaches to combine the
      advantages of individual imaging modalities, as well as to compensate for
      respective weaknesses. We previously reported a composite nano-system composed of
      gadolinium-doped mesoporous silica nanoparticle and gold nanoparticle (Gd-Au NPs)
      as an efficient MRI contrast agent for in vivo cancer imaging. However, MRI lacks
      sensitivity and is unsuitable for in vitro cancer detection. Thus, here we
      performed a study to use the Gd-Au NPs for detection and imaging of a widely
      recognized human cancer biomarker, epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR), in
      individual human cancer cells with surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS). The
      Gd-Au NPs were sequentially conjugated with a monoclonal antibody recognizing
      EGFR and a Raman reporter molecule, 4-meraptobenzoic acid (MBA), to generate a
      characteristic SERS signal at 1075cm-1. By spatially mapping the SERS intensity
      at 1075cm-1, cellular distribution of EGFR and its relocalization on the plasma
      membrane were measured in situ. In addition, the EGFR expression levels in three
      human cancer cell lines (S18, A431 and A549) were measured using this SERS probe,
      which were consistent with the comparable measurements using immunoblotting and
      immunofluorescence. Our SERS results show that functionalized Gd-Au NPs
      successfully targeted EGFR molecules in three human cancer cell lines and
      monitored changes in single cell EGFR distribution in situ, demonstrating its
      potential to study cell activity under physiological conditions. This SERS study,
      combined with our previous MRI study, suggests the Gd-Au nanocomposite is a
      promising candidate contrast agent for multimodal cancer imaging.

PMID- 28365455
TI  - Toxic effects of polyethylene terephthalate microparticles and Di(2
      ethylhexyl)phthalate on the calanoid copepod, Parvocalanus crassirostris.
AB  - Large amounts of plastic end up in the oceans every year where they fragment into
      microplastics over time. During this process, microplastics and their associated
      plasticizers become available for ingestion by different organisms. This study
      assessed the effects of microplastics (Polyethylene terephthalate; PET) and one
      plasticizer (Di(2-ethylhexyl)phthalate; DEHP) on mortality, productivity,
      population sizes and gene expression of the calanoid copepod Parvocalanus
      crassirostris. Copepods were exposed to DEHP for 48h to assess toxicity. Adults
      were very healthy following chemical exposure (up to 5120ug L-1), whereas nauplii
      were severely affected at very low concentrations (48h LC50value of 1.04 ng L-1).
      Adults exposed to sub-lethal concentrations of DEHP (0.1-0.3ug L-1) or
      microplastics (10,000-80,000 particles mL-1) exhibited substantial reductions in
      egg production. Populations were exposed to either microplastics or DEHP for 6
      days with 18 days of recovery or for 24 days. Populations exposed to
      microplastics for 24 days significantly depleted in population size (60+/-4.1%,
      p<0.001) relative to controls, whilst populations exposed for only 6 days (with
      18 days of recovery) experienced less severe depletions (75+/-6.0% of control,
      p<0.05). Populations exposed to DEHP, however, exhibited no recovery and both
      treatments (6 and 24 days) yielded the same average population size at the
      termination of the experiment (59+/-4.9% and 59+/-3.4% compared to control;
      p<0.001). These results suggest that DEHP may induce reproductive disorders that
      can be inherited by subsequent generations. Histone 3 (H3) was significantly
      (p<0.05) upregulated in both plastic and DEHP treatments after 6 days of
      exposure, but not after 18 days of recovery. Hsp70-like expression showed to be
      unresponsive to either DEHP or microplastic exposure. Clearly, microplastics and
      plasticizers pose a serious threat to zooplankton and potentially to higher
      trophic levels.

PMID- 28365456
TI  - miR-21 promotes dengue virus serotype 2 replication in HepG2 cells.
AB  - Infection with the mosquito transmitted dengue virus (DENV) remains a significant
      worldwide public health problem. While the majority of infections are
      asymptomatic, infection can result in a range of symptoms. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are
      small non-coding RNAs that regulate gene expression through repression or
      degradation of mRNAs. To understand the contribution of miRNAs to DENV 2
      replication, we screened a number of candidate miRNAs for variations in
      expression levels during DENV 2 infection of HepG2 (liver) cells. Seven miRNAs
      were identified as differentially expressed, and one, miR-21, was differentially
      expressed at all time points examined. Interestingly, miR-21 was also
      differentially regulated in DENV 2 infection under conditions of antibody
      dependent enhancement of infection, and in direct Zika virus infection, but not
      in DENV 4 infection. The role of miR-21 during DENV infection was further
      examined by treating HepG2 cells with an anti-miR-21 (AMO-21) before DENV
      infection. The results showed a significant reduction in DENV 2 production,
      clearly suggesting that miR-21 plays a key role in DENV 2 replication. To further
      confirm the role of miR-21 in DENV infection, a peptide nucleic acid-21 (PNA-21)
      construct with a nucleotide sequence complementary to AMO-21, was co-administered
      with AMO-21 as an AMO-21/PNA-21 complex followed by DENV 2 infection. The results
      showed that AMO-21 significantly reduced DENV 2 titer, PNA-21 significantly
      increased DENV 2 titer and the combined AMO-21/PNA-21 showed no difference from
      non-treated infection controls. Taken together, the results show that miR-21
      promotes DENV 2 replication, and this mechanism could serve as a possible
      therapeutic intervention point.

PMID- 28365458
TI  - Corrigendum to "Effects of ambient temperature on stroke hospital admissions:
      Results from a time-series analysis of 104432 strokes in Guangzhou, China" [Sci.
      Total Environ. 580 (2016) 307-315].

PMID- 28365459
TI  - Estimation of CO2 reduction by parallel hard-type power hybridization for
      gasoline and diesel vehicles.
AB  - The purpose of this study is to investigate possible improvements in ICEVs by
      implementing fuzzy logic-based parallel hard-type power hybrid systems. Two types
      of conventional ICEVs (gasoline and diesel) and two types of HEVs (gasoline
      electric, diesel electric) were generated using vehicle and powertrain simulation
      tools and a Matlab-Simulink application programming interface. For gasoline and
      gasoline-electric HEV vehicles, the prediction accuracy for four types of LDV
      models was validated by conducting comparative analysis with the chassis
      dynamometer and OBD test data. The predicted results show strong correlation with
      the test data. The operating points of internal combustion engines and electric
      motors are well controlled in the high efficiency region and battery SOC was well
      controlled within +/-1.6%. However, for diesel vehicles, we generated virtual
      diesel-electric HEV vehicle because there is no available vehicles with similar
      engine and vehicle specifications with ICE vehicle. Using a fuzzy logic-based
      parallel hybrid system in conventional ICEVs demonstrated that HEVs showed
      superior performance in terms of fuel consumption and CO2 emission in most
      driving modes.

PMID- 28365457
TI  - The history of rabies in the Western Hemisphere.
AB  - Before the introduction of control programs in the 20th century, rabies in
      domestic dogs occurred throughout the Western Hemisphere. However, historical
      records and phylogenetic analysis of multiple virus isolates indicate that,
      before the arrival of the first European colonizers, rabies virus was likely
      present only in bats and skunks. Canine rabies was either rare or absent among
      domestic dogs of Native Americans, and first arrived when many new dog breeds
      were imported during the period of European colonization. The introduction of the
      cosmopolitan dog rabies lyssavirus variant and the marked expansion of the dog
      population provided ideal conditions for the flourishing of enzootic canine
      rabies. The shift of dog-maintained viruses into gray foxes, coyotes, skunks and
      other wild mesocarnivores throughout the Americas and to mongooses in the
      Caribbean has augmented the risk of human rabies exposures and has complicated
      control efforts. At the same time, the continued presence of bat rabies poses
      novel challenges in the absolute elimination of canine and human rabies. This
      article compiles existing historical and phylogenetic evidence of the origins and
      subsequent dynamics of rabies in the Western Hemisphere, from the era preceding
      the arrival of the first European colonizers through the present day. A companion
      article reviews the current status of canine rabies control throughout the
      Western Hemisphere and steps that will be required to achieve and maintain its
      complete elimination (Velasco-Villa et al., 2017).

PMID- 28365460
TI  - Aversive responses by shore crabs to acetic acid but not to capsaicin.
AB  - Nociception is the ability to encode and perceive harmful stimuli and allows for
      a rapid reflexive withdrawal. In some species, nociception might be accompanied
      by a pain experience, which is a negative feeling that allows for longer-term
      changes in behaviour. Different types of stimuli may affect nociceptors, but in
      crustaceans there is conflicting evidence about the ability to respond to
      chemical stimuli. This study attempts to resolve this situation by testing
      behavioural responses of the common shore crab, Carcinus maenas, to two chemical
      irritants frequently used in vertebrate pain studies (acetic acid and capsaicin).
      In our first experiment acetic acid, water, capsaicin or mineral oil were applied
      by brush to the mouth, and in a second experiment treatments were applied to the
      eyes. Application of acetic acid had a marked effect on behaviour that included
      vigorous movement of mouth parts, scratching at the mouth with the claws and
      attempts to escape from the enclosure. Acetic acid also caused holding down of
      the acid-treated eye in the socket. By contrast, capsaicin had no effect and was
      no different to the control treatment of mineral oil and water. These results
      demonstrate responsiveness to acetic acid and thus nociceptive capacity for at
      least some chemicals. Further, the responses that persist after application were
      consistent with the idea of pain, however, proof of pain is not possible in any
      animal.

PMID- 28365461
TI  - Age-dependent changes in sensitivity to a pesticide in tadpoles of the common
      toad (Bufo bufo).
AB  - The worldwide en masse application of pesticides and the frequently reported
      malign effects on several non-target organisms underpin the importance of
      ecotoxicological research on these anthropogenic pollutants. Previous studies
      showed that sensitivity to herbicides can vary widely depending on additional
      stress factors, on the species and even on the population investigated. However,
      there is little information about how sensitivity changes during ontogeny, and
      how the duration of exposure is linked to the magnitude of malign effects, even
      though this knowledge would be important for the interpretation of toxicity test
      results and for formulating recommendations regarding the timing of pesticide
      application. We exposed tadpoles of the common toad (Bufo bufo) to three
      concentrations (0, 2 and 4mg a.e./L) of a glyphosate-based herbicide during the
      1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, or 5th period of larval development or during the entire
      experiment, and measured survival, time until metamorphosis and body mass at
      metamorphosis to estimate fitness-consequences. Younger tadpoles were more
      sensitive to the herbicide in all measured traits than older ones, and this age
      dependence was especially pronounced at the high herbicide concentration.
      Furthermore, tadpoles exposed to the herbicide during the entire experiment
      developed slower than tadpoles exposed only early on, but we did not observe a
      similar effect either on body mass or survival. The observed age-dependence of
      sensitivity to herbicides draws attention to the fact that results of toxicity
      tests obtained for one age-class are not necessarily generalizable across
      ontogeny. Also, the age of test animals has to be considered when planning
      ecotoxicological studies and interpreting their results. Finally, taking into
      account the temporal breeding habits of local amphibians when planning pesticide
      application would be highly favourable: if tadpoles would not get exposed to the
      herbicide during their most sensitive early development, they would sustain less
      anthropogenic damage from our efforts of controlling weeds.

PMID- 28365462
TI  - Toward understanding the role of cartilage particulates in synovial inflammation.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: Arthroscopy with lavage and synovectomy can remove tissue debris from
      the joint space and the synovial lining to provide pain relief to patients with
      osteoarthritis (OA). Here, we developed an in vitro model to study the
      interaction of cartilage wear particles with fibroblast-like synoviocytes (FLS)
      to better understand the interplay of cartilage particulates with cytokines on
      cells of the synovium. METHOD: In this study sub-10 MUm cartilage particles or 1
      MUm latex particles were co-cultured with FLS +/-10 ng/mL interleukin-1alpha (IL
      1alpha) or tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha). Samples were analyzed for
      DNA, glycosaminoglycan (GAG), and collagen, and media samples were analyzed for
      media GAG, nitric oxide (NO) and prostaglandin-E2 (PGE2). The nature of the
      physical interaction between the particles and FLS was determined by microscopy.
      RESULTS: Both latex and cartilage particles could be phagocytosed by FLS.
      Cartilage particles were internalized and attached to the surface of both dense
      monolayers and individual cells. Co-culture of FLS with cartilage particulates
      resulted in a significant increase in cell sheet DNA and collagen content as well
      as NO and PGE2 synthesis compared to control and latex treated groups.
      CONCLUSION: The proliferative response of FLS to cartilage wear particles
      resulted in an overall increase in extracellular matrix (ECM) content, analogous
      to the thickening of the synovial lining observed in OA patients. Understanding
      how cartilage particles interface with the synovium may provide insight into how
      this interaction contributes to OA progression and may guide the role of lavage
      and synovectomy for degenerative disease.

PMID- 28365464
TI  - The effect of mindfulness group therapy on a broad range of psychiatric symptoms:
      A randomised controlled trial in primary health care.
AB  - BACKGROUND: The need for psychotherapy in primary health care is on the increase
      but individual-based treatment is costly. The main aim of this randomised
      controlled trial (RCT) was to compare the effect of mindfulness-based group
      therapy (MGT) with treatment as usual (TAU), mainly individual-based cognitive
      behavioural therapy (CBT), on a broad range of psychiatric symptoms in primary
      care patients diagnosed with depressive, anxiety and/or stress and adjustment
      disorders. An additional aim was to compare the effect of MGT with TAU on mindful
      attention awareness. METHODS: This 8-week RCT took place in 2012 at 16 primary
      care centres in southern Sweden. The study population included both men and
      women, aged 20-64years (n=215). A broad range of psychiatric symptoms were
      evaluated at baseline and at the 8-week follow-up using the Symptom Checklist-90
      (SCL-90). Mindful attention awareness was also evaluated using the Mindful
      Attention Awareness Scale (MAAS). RESULTS: In both groups, the scores decreased
      significantly for all subscales and indexes in SCL-90, while the MAAS scores
      increased significantly. There were no significant differences in the change in
      psychiatric symptoms between the two groups. The mindfulness group had a somewhat
      larger change in scores than the control group on the MAAS (P=0.06, non
      significant). CONCLUSIONS: No significant differences between MGT and TAU, mainly
      individual-based CBT, were found in treatment effect. Both types of therapies
      could be used in primary care patients with depressive, anxiety and/or stress and
      adjustment disorders, where MGT has a potential to save limited resources. TRIAL
      REGISTRATION: ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT01476371.

PMID- 28365463
TI  - Internet gaming disorder in early adolescence: Associations with parental and
      adolescent mental health.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Internet gaming disorder (IGD) has been included in the Diagnostic
      and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5). Currently, associations
      between IGD in early adolescence and mental health are largely unexplained. In
      the present study, the relation of IGD with adolescent and parental mental health
      was investigated for the first time. METHODS: We surveyed 1095 family dyads (an
      adolescent aged 12-14 years and a related parent) with a standardized
      questionnaire for IGD as well as for adolescent and parental mental health. We
      conducted linear (dimensional approach) and logistic (categorical approach)
      regression analyses. RESULTS: Both with dimensional and categorical approaches,
      we observed statistically significant associations between IGD and male gender, a
      higher degree of adolescent antisocial behavior, anger control problems,
      emotional distress, self-esteem problems, hyperactivity/inattention and parental
      anxiety (linear regression model: corrected R2=0.41, logistic regression model:
      Nagelkerke's R2=0.41). CONCLUSIONS: IGD appears to be associated with
      internalizing and externalizing problems in adolescents. Moreover, the findings
      of the present study provide first evidence that not only adolescent but also
      parental mental health is relevant to IGD in early adolescence. Adolescent and
      parental mental health should be considered in prevention and intervention
      programs for IGD in adolescence.

PMID- 28365465
TI  - Recovery, relapse, or else? Treatment outcomes in gambling disorder from a
      multicenter follow-up study.
AB  - PURPOSE: Gambling disorder is associated with various adverse effects. While data
      on the immediate effectiveness of treatment programs are available, follow-up
      studies examining long-term effects are scarce and factors contributing to a
      stable therapy outcome versus relapse are under-researched. MATERIALS AND
      METHODS: Patients (n=270) finishing inpatient treatment for gambling disorder
      regularly participated in a prospective multicenter follow-up study (pre
      treatment, post-treatment, 12-month follow-up). Criteria for gambling disorder,
      psychopathology, functional impairment were defined as endpoints. Changes in
      personality were defined as an additional parameter. RESULTS: At follow-up, three
      groups were identified: subjects maintaining full abstinence (41.6%), patients
      still meeting criteria for gambling disorder (29.2%), and subjects still
      participating in gambling without meeting the diagnostic criteria for gambling
      disorder (29.2%). Every group had improvements in functional impairment,
      abstinent subjects showed the lowest psychopathology. Significant decreases in
      neuroticism and increases in both extraversion and conscientiousness were found
      among abstinent subjects but not in patients still meeting criteria for gambling
      disorder. DISCUSSION: One year after treatment, a considerable percentage of
      patients kept on gambling but not all of them were classified with gambling
      disorder leading to the question if abstinence is a necessary goal for every
      patient. CONCLUSIONS: The changes of personality in abstinent patients indicate
      that after surmounting gambling disorder a subsequent maturing of personality
      might be a protective factor against relapse.

PMID- 28365466
TI  - Early clinical predictors and correlates of long-term morbidity in bipolar
      disorder.
AB  - OBJECTIVES: Identifying factors predictive of long-term morbidity should improve
      clinical planning limiting disability and mortality associated with bipolar
      disorder (BD). METHODS: We analyzed factors associated with total, depressive and
      mania-related long-term morbidity and their ratio D/M, as %-time ill between a
      first-lifetime major affective episode and last follow-up of 207 BD subjects.
      Bivariate comparisons were followed by multivariable linear regression modeling.
      RESULTS: Total % of months ill during follow-up was greater in 96 BD-II (40.2%)
      than 111 BD-I subjects (28.4%; P=0.001). Time in depression averaged 26.1% in BD
      II and 14.3% in BD-I, whereas mania-related morbidity was similar in both,
      averaging 13.9%. Their ratio D/M was 3.7-fold greater in BD-II than BD-I (5.74
      vs. 1.96; P<0.0001). Predictive factors independently associated with total %
      time ill were: [a] BD-II diagnosis, [b] longer prodrome from antecedents to first
      affective episode, and [c] any psychiatric comorbidity. Associated with %-time
      depressed were: [a] BD-II diagnosis, [b] any antecedent psychiatric syndrome, [c]
      psychiatric comorbidity, and [d] agitated/psychotic depressive first affective
      episode. Associated with %-time in mania-like illness were: [a] fewer years ill
      and [b] (hypo)manic first affective episode. The long-term D/M morbidity ratio
      was associated with: [a] anxious temperament, [b] depressive first episode, and
      [c] BD-II diagnosis. CONCLUSIONS: Long-term depressive greatly exceeded mania
      like morbidity in BD patients. BD-II subjects spent 42% more time ill overall,
      with a 3.7-times greater D/M morbidity ratio, than BD-I. More time depressed was
      predicted by agitated/psychotic initial depressive episodes, psychiatric
      comorbidity, and BD-II diagnosis. Longer prodrome and any antecedent psychiatric
      syndrome were respectively associated with total and depressive morbidity.

PMID- 28365469
TI  - The impact of frailty on depressive disorder in later life: Findings from the
      Netherlands Study of depression in older persons.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Physical frailty and depressive symptoms are reciprocally related in
      community-based studies, but its prognostic impact on depressive disorder remains
      unknown. METHODS: A cohort of 378 older persons (>=60 years) suffering from a
      depressive disorder (DSM-IV criteria) was reassessed at two-year follow-up.
      Depressive symptom severity was assessed every six months with the Inventory of
      Depressive Symptomatology, including a mood, motivational, and somatic subscale.
      Frailty was assessed according to the physical frailty phenotype at the baseline
      examination. RESULTS: For each additional frailty component, the odds of non
      remission was 1.24 [95% CI=1.01-1.52] (P=040). Linear mixed models showed that
      only improvement of the motivational (P<001) subscale and the somatic subscale
      (P=003) of the IDS over time were dependent on the frailty severity. CONCLUSIONS:
      Physical frailty negatively impacts the course of late-life depression. Since
      only improvement of mood symptoms was independent of frailty severity, one may
      hypothesize that frailty and residual depression are easily mixed-up in
      psychiatric treatment.

PMID- 28365467
TI  - The lipidome in major depressive disorder: Shared genetic influence for ether
      phosphatidylcholines, a plasma-based phenotype related to inflammation, and
      disease risk.
AB  - BACKGROUND: The lipidome is rapidly garnering interest in the field of
      psychiatry. Recent studies have implicated lipidomic changes across numerous
      psychiatric disorders. In particular, there is growing evidence that the
      concentrations of several classes of lipids are altered in those diagnosed with
      MDD. However, for lipidomic abnormalities to be considered potential treatment
      targets for MDD (rather than secondary manifestations of the disease), a shared
      etiology between lipid concentrations and MDD should be demonstrated. METHODS: In
      a sample of 567 individuals from 37 extended pedigrees (average size 13.57
      people, range=3-80), we used mass spectrometry lipidomic measures to evaluate the
      genetic overlap between twenty-three biologically distinct lipid classes and a
      dimensional scale of MDD. RESULTS: We found that the lipid class with the largest
      endophenotype ranking value (ERV, a standardized parametric measure of
      pleiotropy) were ether-phosphodatidylcholines (alkylphosphatidylcholine, PC(O)
      and alkenylphosphatidylcholine, PC(P) subclasses). Furthermore, we examined the
      cluster structure of the twenty-five species within the top-ranked lipid class,
      and the relationship of those clusters with MDD. This analysis revealed that
      species containing arachidonic acid generally exhibited the greatest degree of
      genetic overlap with MDD. CONCLUSIONS: This study is the first to demonstrate a
      shared genetic etiology between MDD and ether-phosphatidylcholine species
      containing arachidonic acid, an omega-6 fatty acid that is a precursor to
      inflammatory mediators, such as prostaglandins. The study highlights the
      potential utility of the well-characterized linoleic/arachidonic acid
      inflammation pathway as a diagnostic marker and/or treatment target for MDD.

PMID- 28365468
TI  - Intelligence and neuroticism in relation to depression and psychological
      distress: Evidence from two large population cohorts.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Neuroticism is a risk factor for selected mental and physical
      illnesses and is inversely associated with intelligence. Intelligence appears to
      interact with neuroticism and mitigate its detrimental effects on physical health
      and mortality. However, the inter-relationships of neuroticism and intelligence
      for major depressive disorder (MDD) and psychological distress has not been well
      examined. METHODS: Associations and interactions between neuroticism and general
      intelligence (g) on MDD, self-reported depression, and psychological distress
      were examined in two population-based cohorts: Generation Scotland: Scottish
      Family Health Study (GS:SFHS, n=19,200) and UK Biobank (n=90,529). The Eysenck
      Personality Scale Short Form-Revised measured neuroticism and g was extracted
      from multiple cognitive ability tests in each cohort. Family structure was
      adjusted for in GS:SFHS. RESULTS: Neuroticism was strongly associated with
      increased risk for depression and higher psychological distress in both samples.
      Although intelligence conferred no consistent independent effects on depression,
      it did increase the risk for depression across samples once neuroticism was
      adjusted for. Results suggest that higher intelligence may ameliorate the
      association between neuroticism and self-reported depression although no
      significant interaction was found for clinical MDD. Intelligence was inversely
      associated with psychological distress across cohorts. A small interaction was
      found across samples such that lower psychological distress associates with
      higher intelligence and lower neuroticism, although effect sizes were small.
      CONCLUSIONS: From two large cohort studies, our findings suggest intelligence
      acts a protective factor in mitigating the effects of neuroticism on
      psychological distress. Intelligence does not confer protection against diagnosis
      of depression in those high in neuroticism.

PMID- 28365471
TI  - Biosynthetic pathways of aminoglycosides and their engineering.
AB  - Despite decades long clinical usage, aminoglycosides still remain a valuable
      pharmaceutical source for fighting Gram-negative bacterial pathogens, and their
      newly identified bioactivities are also renewing interest in this old class of
      antibiotics. As Nature's gift, some aminoglycosides possess natural defensive
      structural elements that can circumvent drug resistance mechanisms. Thus, a
      detailed understanding of aminoglycoside biosynthesis will enable us to apply
      Nature's biosynthetic strategy towards expanding structural diversity in order to
      produce novel and more robust aminoglycoside analogs. The engineered biosynthesis
      of novel aminoglycosides is required not only to develop effective therapeutics
      against the emerging 'superbugs' but also to reinvigorate antibiotic lead
      discovery in readiness for the emerging post-antibiotic era.

PMID- 28365470
TI  - Coping as a mediator of stress and psychotic-like experiences.
AB  - BACKGROUND: There is evidence that individuals along the whole psychosis
      continuum have increased responsiveness to stress; however, coping responses to
      stressors have not been extensively explored in subthreshold psychotic symptoms.
      METHODS: In 454 undergraduates, psychotic-like experiences (PLEs) were evaluated
      using the positive items of the Prodromal Questionnaire. Perceived stress and
      traumatic life events were assessed using the Life Events Checklist and Perceived
      Stress Scale, and coping was measured using the Brief COPE. We also examined
      whether different coping styles mediated the relationship between perceived
      stress and PLEs, as well as whether different coping styles mediated the
      relationship between traumatic life events and PLEs. RESULTS: Both number of
      traumatic life events and current level of perceived stress were significantly
      associated with PLEs. These relationships were both mediated by higher levels of
      maladaptive coping. CONCLUSIONS: Results have the potential to inform treatment
      strategies, as well as inform targets for exploration in longitudinal studies of
      those at risk for psychosis.

PMID- 28365472
TI  - Bioengineering towards self-assembly of particulate vaccines.
AB  - There is an unmet demand for safe and efficient vaccines for prevention of
      various infectious diseases. Subunit vaccines comprise selected pathogen specific
      antigens are a safe alternative to whole organism vaccines. However they often
      lack immunogenicity. Natural and synthetic self-assembling polymers and proteins
      will be reviewed in view their use to encapsulate and/or display antigens to
      serve as immunogenic antigen carriers for induction of protective immunity.
      Recent advances made in in vivo assembly of antigen-displaying polyester
      inclusions will be a focus. Particulate vaccines are inherently immunogenic due
      to enhanced uptake by antigen presenting cells which process antigens mediating
      adaptive immune responses. Bioengineering approaches enable the design of tailor
      made particulate vaccines to fine tune immune responses towards protective
      immunity.

PMID- 28365473
TI  - Pioglitazone treatment following spinal cord injury maintains acute mitochondrial
      integrity and increases chronic tissue sparing and functional recovery.
AB  - Pioglitazone is an FDA-approved PPAR-gamma agonist drug used to treat diabetes,
      and it has demonstrated neuroprotective effects in multiple models of central
      nervous system (CNS) injury. Acute treatment after spinal cord injury (SCI) in
      rats is reported to suppress neuroinflammation, rescue injured tissues, and
      improve locomotor recovery. In the current study, we additionally assessed the
      protective efficacy of pioglitazone treatment on acute mitochondrial respiration,
      as well as functional and anatomical recovery after contusion SCI in adult male
      C57BL/6 mice. Mice received either vehicle or pioglitazone (10mg/kg) at either
      15min or 3h after injury (75kdyn at T9) followed by a booster at 24h post-injury.
      At 25h, mitochondria were isolated from spinal cord segments centered on the
      injury epicenters and assessed for their respiratory capacity. Results showed
      significantly compromised mitochondrial respiration 25h following SCI, but
      pioglitazone treatment that was initiated either at 15min or 3h post-injury
      significantly maintained mitochondrial respiration rates near sham levels. A
      second cohort of injured mice received pioglitazone at 15min post injury, then
      once a day for 5days post-injury to assess locomotor recovery and tissue sparing
      over 4weeks. Compared to vehicle, pioglitazone treatment resulted in
      significantly greater recovery of hind-limb function over time, as determined by
      serial locomotor BMS assessments and both terminal BMS subscores and gridwalk
      performance. Such improvements correlated with significantly increased grey and
      white matter tissue sparing, although pioglitazone treatment did not abrogate
      long-term injury-induced inflammatory microglia/macrophage responses. In sum,
      pioglitazone significantly increased functional neuroprotection that was
      associated with remarkable maintenance of acute mitochondrial bioenergetics after
      traumatic SCI. This sets the stage for dose-response and delayed administration
      studies to maximize pioglitazone's efficacy for SCI while elucidating the precise
      role that mitochondria play in governing its neuroprotection; the ultimate goal
      to develop novel therapeutics that specifically target mitochondrial dysfunction.

PMID- 28365475
TI  - Structural space of intramolecular peptide disulfides: Analysis of peptide toxins
      retrieved from venomous peptide databases.
AB  - Structural space of intramolecular peptide disulfides is the combination of
      arrangement of even number of cysteine residues in single polypeptide and the
      disulfide isomers resulting from differential connectivity between cysteine
      residues. In the current report, we are documenting theoretical analysis and
      derivation of general formula [2*4{(n2)-1}] to predict possible distinct cysteine
      patterns for given 'n' even number of cysteine residues in a sequence. Combined
      formula of predicting distinct cysteine patterns and different disulfide isomers
      can be used to deduce the truly available structural space of intramolecular
      peptide disulfides, which may be used in structural analysis of disulfide rich
      peptides and proteins. In this report, we have also analyzed cysteine patterns
      and disulfide connectivities of peptide toxins, which is the largest group of
      intramolecular peptide disulfide natural products, retrieved from publically
      available animal toxin databases. Observed 29 distinct cysteine patterns of
      toxins exhibited 61 unique intramolecular disulfide folds, with limitation of
      having up to eight cysteine residues in a sequence, compared to theoretically
      available 170 different cysteine patterns generating 13,946 distinct
      intramolecular disulfide folds. Database analysis of peptide toxins has also
      revealed the features of presence of same intramolecular disulfide motif in
      functionally divergent peptide toxins and adaptation of the same disulfide fold
      with similar functions in different venomous species. Calculations of relative
      accessible surface area of cystine and average value of non-cysteine residues in
      the representative intramolecular disulfide folds of peptide toxins has revealed
      the feature of poor accessibility of cystine to external agents and their
      dependency on number of disulfide bonds in the sequence. Implementation of new
      generation sequencing methods and novel disulfide mapping techniques will unravel
      hidden diversity of intramolecular disulfide motifs of toxins and current report
      points to the selection of disulfide motifs in peptide toxins.

PMID- 28365474
TI  - TDAG8 activation attenuates cerebral ischaemia-reperfusion injury via Akt
      signalling in rats.
AB  - BACKGROUND: T-cell death-associated gene 8 (TDAG8), a member of the proton
      sensitive G-protein-coupled receptor (GPCR) class with an immune-specific
      expression profile, was recently shown to be expressed in the rat brain; however,
      its role in ischaemic stroke remains unknown. METHODS: We initially confirmed the
      time-dependent expression of TDAG8 in rat brain tissue after ischaemic stroke and
      reperfusion. Further evaluations were performed to increase TDAG8 expression 6h
      prior to middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO) by injecting a specific agonist,
      BTB09089, into the lateral ventricle to increase TDAG8 expression. Twenty-four
      hours before MCAO, a specific small interfering RNA (siRNA) was introduced. The
      infarction volume, neurological deficit score and cleaved caspase-3 and Bcl-2
      expression were used to assess the effects of TDAG8 on ischaemic stroke. Finally,
      the effects of TDAG8 on the development of primary cortical neurons exposed to
      oxygen-glucose deprivation (OGD) were investigated. RESULTS: TDAG8 expression
      increased both in vivo and in vitro. Pretreatment with BTB09089 up-regulated
      TDAG8 and Bcl-2 expression and down-regulated cleaved caspase-3 expression, while
      the infarction volume was reduced, and neurological deficits were ameliorated 24
      and 72h after MCAO. However, the protective effects of TDAG8 were reversed when
      its level was reduced in TDAG8-deficient rats. More importantly, these findings
      are consistent with data from neurons subjected to OGD. CONCLUSIONS: TDAG8 plays
      an important neuroprotective role through inhibition of neuronal apoptosis and
      alleviation of neurological deficits by activating the Akt signalling pathway in
      rats.

PMID- 28365477
TI  - Reference natural radionuclide concentrations in Australian soils and derived
      terrestrial air kerma rate.
AB  - Sediment from drainage catchment outlets has been shown to be a useful means of
      sampling large land masses for soil composition. Naturally occurring radioactive
      material concentrations (uranium, thorium and potassium-40) in soil have been
      collated and converted to activity concentrations using data collected from the
      National Geochemistry Survey of Australia. Average terrestrial air kerma rate
      data are derived using the elemental concentration data, and is tabulated for
      Australia and states for use as baseline reference information.

PMID- 28365476
TI  - Secretive eating among youth with overweight or obesity.
AB  - PURPOSE: Secretive eating, characterized by eating privately to conceal being
      seen, may reflect eating- and/or body-related shame, be associated with
      depression, and correlate with binge eating, which predicts weight gain and
      eating disorder onset. Increasing understanding of secretive eating in youth may
      improve weight status and reduce eating disorder risk. This study evaluated the
      prevalence and correlates of secretive eating in youth with overweight or
      obesity. METHODS: Youth (N = 577) presented to five research/clinical
      institutions. Using a cross-sectional design, secretive eating was evaluated in
      relation to eating-related and general psychopathology via linear and logistic
      regression analyses. RESULTS: Secretive eating was endorsed by 111 youth, who
      were, on average, older than youth who denied secretive eating (mean age = 12.07
      +/- 2.83 versus 10.97 +/- 2.31). Controlling for study site and age, youth who
      endorsed secretive eating had higher eating-related psychopathology and were more
      likely to endorse loss of control eating and purging than their counterparts who
      did not endorse secretive eating. Groups did not differ in excessive exercise or
      behavioral problems. Dietary restraint and purging were elevated among
      adolescents (>=13y) but not children (<13y) who endorsed secretive eating;
      depression was elevated among children, but not adolescents, who endorsed
      secretive eating. CONCLUSIONS: Secretive eating may portend heightened risk for
      eating disorders, and correlates of secretive eating may differ across pediatric
      development. Screening for secretive eating may inform identification of
      problematic eating behaviors, and understanding factors motivating secretive
      eating may improve intervention tailoring.

PMID- 28365479
TI  - Preconception gynecological risk factors of postpartum depression among Japanese
      women: The Japan Environment and Children's Study (JECS).
AB  - BACKGROUND: Postpartum depression is one of the major causes of disability among
      women who are on their childbearing years. Identifying people at risk of
      postpartum depression may improve its management. The objective of this study was
      to determine the probable association between postpartum depression and some
      preconception gynecological morbidities. METHODS: Data from a nationwide birth
      cohort study, the Japan Environment and Children's study (JECS), up to one month
      of postpartum were analyzed. To assess postpartum depression, the Edinburgh
      Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS) was used; 11 preconception gynecological
      morbidities were considered as risk factors. Covariates included psychiatric
      illness history, psychosocial factors, some pregnancy adverse outcomes, birth
      outcomes, socio-demographic and health behavioral factors. RESULTS: Except for
      the prevalence of previous miscarriage, leiomyoma and polycystic ovarian
      syndrome, depressive women had more gynecological morbidities compared to non
      depressive ones. In logistic regression model, endometriosis (OR, 1.27; 95%CI:
      1.15-1.41), dysmenorrhea (OR, 1.13; 95%CI: 1.06-1.21) and abnormal uterine
      bleeding (OR, 1.21; 95%CI: 1.15-1.29) were associated with postpartum depression.
      LIMITATIONS: CONCLUSION: Women with endometriosis and menstrual problems were at
      risk of developing postpartum depression. This study suggests a perinatal mental
      health screening for predisposed women.

PMID- 28365478
TI  - Clinical correlates of acute bipolar depressive episode with psychosis.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Psychotic bipolar depressive episodes remain remarkably understudied
      despite being common and having a significant impact on bipolar disorder. The aim
      of this study is to identify the characteristics of depressed bipolar patients
      with current psychosis compared to those without psychosis. METHODS: We used
      baseline data of a comparative effectiveness study of lithium and quetiapine for
      bipolar disorder (the Bipolar CHOICE study) to compare demographic, clinical, and
      functioning variables between those with and without psychotic symptoms. Of the
      482 participants, 303 (62.9%) were eligible for the present study by meeting DSM
      IV criteria for an acute bipolar depressive episode. Univariate analyses were
      conducted first, and then included in a model controlling for symptom severity.
      RESULTS: The sample was composed mostly of women (60.7%) and the mean age was
      39.5+/-12.1 years. Psychosis was present in 10.6% (n=32) of the depressed
      patients. Psychotic patients had less education, lower income, and were more
      frequently single and unemployed. Psychosis was also associated with a more
      severe depressive episode, higher suicidality, more comorbid conditions and worse
      functioning. Most group differences disappeared when controlling for depression
      severity. LIMITATIONS: Only outpatients were included and the presence of
      psychosis in previous episodes was not assessed. CONCLUSION: Psychosis during
      bipolar depressive episodes is present even in an outpatient sample. Psychotic,
      depressed patients have worse illness outcomes, but future research is necessary
      to confirm if these outcomes are only associated with the severity of the
      disorder or if some of them are independent of it.

PMID- 28365480
TI  - Rational design of charged peptides that self-assemble into robust nanofibers as
      immune-functional scaffolds.
AB  - : Self-assembling peptides programed by sequence design to form predefined
      nanostructures are useful for a variety of biomedical applications. However,
      assemblies of classic ionic self-complementary peptides are unstable in neutral
      pH, while charged peptide hydrogels have low mechanical strength. Here, we report
      on the rational design of a self-assembling peptide system with optimized charge
      distribution and density for bioscaffold development. Our designer peptides
      employs a sequence pattern that undergoes salt triggered self-assembly into beta
      sheet rich cationic nanofibers in the full pH range (pH 0-14). Our peptides form
      nanofibrils in physiological condition at a minimum concentration that is
      significantly lower than has been reported for self-assembly of comparable
      peptides. The robust fiber-forming ability of our peptides results in the rapid
      formation of hydrogels in physiological conditions with strong mechanical
      strength. Moreover, fiber structure is maintained even upon dense conjugation
      with a model bioactive cargo OVA257-264 peptide. Nanofibers carrying OVA257-264
      significantly enhanced CD8+ T cell activation in vitro. Subcutaneous immunization
      of our peptide fiber vaccine also elicited robust CD8+ T cell activation and
      proliferation in vivo. Our self-assembling peptides are expected to provide a
      versatile platform to construct diverse biomaterials. STATEMENT OF SIGNIFICANCE:
      This work is an attempt of rational design of materials from molecular level for
      targeted properties and an exploration in molecular self-assembly. Current widely
      studied self-assembling peptides do not have stable nanofiber structures and form
      weak hydrogels under physiological conditions. To address this issue, we develop
      charged self-assembling peptides with a novel sequence pattern for strong fiber
      forming ability under physiological conditions. Our designer peptides can undergo
      salt-triggered self-assembly into nanofibers that are ultrastable in extreme pH
      (0-14) and dilute solutions, and into hydrogels with strong mechanical strength.
      Upon conjugation with a model bioactive cargo, our self-assembled peptides
      exhibit great potential as bioscaffolds for multiple applications.

PMID- 28365483
TI  - Structural transitions in torsionally constrained DNA and their dependence on
      solution electrostatics.
AB  - : Experimental studies on single molecules of DNA have reported a rich variety of
      structural transitions, including coexistence of three phases, in a torsionally
      constrained molecule. A comprehensive knowledge of these structural transitions
      is useful for unraveling the in vivo and in vitro behavior of DNA. Our objective
      is to understand the structural transitions in a torsionally constrained DNA
      molecule when it is pulled using optical or magnetic tweezers. We use
      foundational concepts from the Zimm-Bragg helix-coil transition theory and merge
      them with ideas from the theory of fluctuating elastic rods to model the
      mechanics of DNA. We also account for the electrostatic interactions between the
      ions and the negatively charged phosphate backbone of DNA. Using our model, we
      calculate the force and torque corresponding to the overstretching transition
      characterized by a 70% jump in the contour length of the molecule and examine the
      effect of salt concentration on this transition. We also deduce conditions under
      which the co-existence of B-, S- and P-DNA is possible. We examine how the
      cooperativity parameter for each transition affects the force-extension curve or
      torque-rotation curve. We attempt to rationalize the non-monotonic dependence of
      external work done on the ion concentration by connecting it to the electrostatic
      dependence of the interfacial energy between two phases of DNA. Our theoretical
      results are in agreement with multiple experiments documented in the literature
      and they generate falsifiable predictions that can be tested in new experiments.
      STATEMENT OF SIGNIFICANCE: The overarching objective of this paper is to explore
      the implications of variation in ion concentration on the structural transitions
      driven by external forces in a torsionally constrained DNA molecule. A
      comprehensive understanding of the phase behavior of torsionally constrained DNA
      is useful because DNA in cells is tightly packaged and is acted upon by molecular
      machines in different ionic environments. We examine the mechanics of the
      overstretching transition, characterized by a 70% jump in contour length, wherein
      a mixture of B- and S-DNA converts into a mixture of S- and P-DNA through a
      triple point in the phase diagram. Our results are corroborated by experimental
      data at every step and we make predictions that are experimentally verifiable.

PMID- 28365482
TI  - Distributed vasculogenesis from modular agarose-hydroxyapatite-fibrinogen
      microbeads.
AB  - : Critical limb ischemia impairs circulation to the extremities, causing pain,
      disrupted wound healing, and potential tissue necrosis. Therapeutic angiogenesis
      seeks to repair the damaged microvasculature directly to restore blood flow. In
      this study, we developed modular, micro-scale constructs designed to possess
      robust handling qualities, allow in vitro pre-culture, and promote
      microvasculature formation. The microbead matrix consisted of an agarose (AG)
      base to prevent aggregation, combined with cell-adhesive components of fibrinogen
      (FGN) and/or hydroxyapatite (HA). Microbeads encapsulating a co-culture of human
      umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVEC) and fibroblasts were prepared and
      characterized. Microbeads were generally 80-100um in diameter, and the size
      increased with the addition of FGN and HA. Addition of HA increased the yield of
      microbeads, as well as the homogeneity of distribution of FGN within the matrix.
      Cell viability was high in all microbead types. When cell-seeded microbeads were
      embedded in fibrin hydrogels, HUVEC sprouting and inosculation between
      neighboring microbeads were observed over seven days. Pre-culture of microbeads
      for an additional seven days prior to embedding in fibrin resulted in
      significantly greater HUVEC network length in AG+HA+FGN microbeads, as compared
      to AG, AG+HA or AG+FGN microbeads. Importantly, composite microbeads resulted in
      more even and widespread endothelial network formation, relative to control
      microbeads consisting of pure fibrin. These results demonstrate that AG+HA+FGN
      microbeads support HUVEC sprouting both within and between adjacent microbeads,
      and can promote distributed vascularization of an external matrix. Such modular
      microtissues may have utility in treating ischemic tissue by rapidly re
      establishing a microvascular network. STATEMENT OF SIGNIFICANCE: Critical limb
      ischemia (CLI) is a chronic disease that can lead to tissue necrosis, amputation,
      and death. Cell-based therapies are being explored to restore blood flow and
      prevent the complications of CLI. In this study, we developed small, non
      aggregating agarose-hydroxyapatite-fibrinogen microbeads that contained
      endothelial cells and fibroblasts. Microbeads were easy to handle and culture,
      and endothelial sprouts formed within and between microbeads. Our data
      demonstrates that the composition of the microbead matrix altered the degree of
      endothelial sprouting, and that the addition of hydroxyapatite and fibrinogen
      resulted in more distributed sprouting compared to pure fibrin microbeads. The
      microbead format and control of the matrix formulation may therefore be useful in
      developing revascularization strategies for the treatment of ischemic disease.

PMID- 28365481
TI  - Oligomeric proanthocyanidins released from dentin induce regenerative dental pulp
      cell response.
AB  - : Proanthocyanidins (PACs) are plant-derived, multifunctional compounds that
      possess high interactivity with extracellular matrix (ECM) components. The
      documented affinity of PACs for type-I collagen is directly correlated with their
      structural features and degree of polymerization. In this investigation,
      centrifugal partition chromatography (CPC) was used to sequentially deplete less
      active monomeric and polymeric PACs from a crude Pinus massoniana bark extract to
      create refined mixtures enriched in oligomeric PACs. The ability of these
      oligomeric PACs to modify the mechanical properties of the dentin collagen matrix
      and their biocompatibility with dental pulp cells (DPCs) was evaluated in an
      innovative biomimetic environment. The refined mixtures displayed high
      interactivity with dentin collagen as demonstrated by a significant increase (>5
      fold) in the modulus of elasticity of the dentin matrix. In a simplified model of
      the dentin-DPC complex, DPCs embedded within their native ECM in the presence of
      PAC-treated dentin exhibited increased proliferation. Quantitative gene
      expression analyses indicated that exposure to PAC-treated dentin increased the
      expression of key biomineralization and odontogenic differentiation regulators,
      including RUNX2, BMP2, OCN, and DSPP. LC-MS/MS analysis revealed that PACs two to
      four units long (dimers, trimers, and tetramers) were being released from dentin
      into media, influencing cell behavior. Overall, the results suggested that PAC
      dimers, trimers, and tetramers are not only biocompatible, but enhance the
      differentiation of DPCs towards a phenotype that favors biomineralization. PAC
      enriched refined mixtures can influence the field of biomaterials and
      regeneration by serving as renewable, non-cytotoxic agents that can increase the
      mechanical properties of biomaterials. STATEMENT OF SIGNIFICANCE: Pine bark
      extract is a renewable source of structurally diverse proanthocyanidins (PACs),
      multifunctional compounds whose interaction with collagen can be tailored to
      specific purposes by enrichment of selected PACs from the complex mixture.
      Oligomeric PACs were enriched from the extract and were shown here to sustain
      desired tissue modification and were thus assessed for cellular response in a
      model of the dentin-pulp interface. This model was developed to mimic leaching of
      potentially reactive compounds into pulp tissue. Dental pulp cells exposed to PAC
      treated dentin showed increased proliferation and expression of genes necessary
      for extracellular matrix deposition and biomineralization, processes crucial for
      forming new dentin. Thus, collagen-interactive PACs may also enhance tissue
      regeneration and have broad impact in tissue engineering.

PMID- 28365484
TI  - Bolus Administration of Fentanyl and Midazolam for Colonoscopy Increases
      Endoscopy Unit Efficiency and Safety Compared With Titrated Sedation.
AB  - BACKGROUND & AIMS: Guidelines recommend slow titration of sedatives for moderate
      sedation. Bolus sedation, in which a larger weight-based dose of medication is
      given upfront, has been shown in a single trial to be beneficial. We evaluated
      the effects of bolus sedation on procedural safety, efficiency, and patient
      experience. METHODS: We performed a retrospective analysis of colonoscopies
      performed between April 2010 and April 2011 at Duke Medical Center. Colonoscopies
      before October 2010 were performed with nurse-directed titration of sedative (n =
      966); colonoscopies performed after October 2010 were performed with physician
      directed administration of bolus sedative (n = 699). We compared sedation and
      recovery times, medication doses, and adverse events between groups. We also
      compared patient satisfaction in a subset of patients from each group. Data were
      compared using the chi-square test for categorical variables and Wilcoxon rank
      sum test for continuous and ordinal categorical variables. RESULTS: Patients in
      the bolus group had a shorter sedation time (6.0 min) than patients in the
      titration group (13.0 min; P < .01) and a slightly longer colonoscopy time (25.0
      min vs 24.0 min in the titration group; P < .01). Recovery time did not differ
      significantly between groups (53.0 min in the bolus group vs 52.1 min in the
      titration group; P = .07). Patients in the bolus group received lower weight
      adjusted doses of fentanyl (1.71 MUg/kg vs 1.89 MUg/kg in the titration group)
      and midazolam (0.065 mg/kg vs 0.075 mg/kg in the titration group). A smaller
      proportion of patients in the bolus sedative group developed hypotension (12.7%
      vs 17.9% in the titration group; P < .01). These findings persisted even after
      adjustment for baseline patient age, race, sex, smoking status, alcohol use, body
      mass index, and American Society of Anesthesiologists' classification.
      CONCLUSIONS: In a retrospective study of patients undergoing colonoscopy, we
      found that compared with titrated administration of sedative, bolus dosing
      improves endoscopy unit efficiency and safety and decreases the amount of
      sedative required. This benefit does not come at the expense of the patient
      experience.

PMID- 28365485
TI  - Association Between Ustekinumab Trough Concentrations and Clinical, Biomarker,
      and Endoscopic Outcomes in Patients With Crohn's Disease.
AB  - BACKGROUND & AIMS: Ustekinumab, an inhibitor of the p40 subunit of interleukins
      12 and 23, is an effective treatment for patients with Crohn's disease (CD).
      Trough concentrations of tumor necrosis factor (TNF) antagonists and presence of
      anti-drug antibodies are associated with important clinical and endoscopic
      outcomes. We investigated associations between trough concentrations of
      ustekinumab and clinical, biomarker, and endoscopic outcomes of real-world
      patients with CD. METHODS: We recruited 62 patients with CD who were either
      refractory or intolerant to TNF antagonists, treated with ustekinumab from April
      2014 to September 2015. Patients received 90 mg of ustekinumab subcutaneously at
      weeks 0, 1, and 2 during induction and 90 mg every 4 or 8 weeks during
      maintenance. Clinical, biomarker, and endoscopic outcomes, trough concentrations
      of ustekinumab, and anti-drug antibodies were assessed at both week 10
      postinduction therapy and at week 26 or later during maintenance therapy in a
      prospective longitudinal patient cohort or at week 26 or later during maintenance
      therapy in a cross-sectional patient cohort. Analysis was performed on data
      combined from both maintenance cohorts, which had similar outcomes at week 26 or
      later. A primary analysis determined if ustekinumab drug trough concentrations
      were associated with clinical response (reduction in Harvey Bradshaw Index score
      of 3 or greater), clinical remission (Harvey Bradshaw Index score <5), steroid
      free clinical remission, biomarker (serum level of C-reactive protein [CRP] or
      level of fecal calprotectin) reduction, biomarker normalization (serum level of
      CRP below 5 mg/L or level of fecal calprotectin below 200 MUg/g), endoscopic
      response (simple endoscopic score for CD reduced by 50% or more), or endoscopic
      remission (simple endoscopic score for CD of 2 or less). RESULTS: At week 26 or
      beyond, 80.7% of patients had a clinical response, 66.1% were in clinical
      remission, 50.0% were in steroid-free clinical remission, 58.9% had an endoscopic
      response, and 19.6% were in endoscopic remission. The mean trough concentration
      of ustekinumab at this time point was higher in patients with an endoscopic
      response (4.7 MUg/mL) than without (3.8 ug/mL; P = .03). An optimal ustekinumab
      threshold trough concentration at week 26 or later was found to be 4.5 MUg/mL
      (area under the curve, 0.67). A greater proportion of patients with trough
      concentrations of ustekinumab above 4.5 MUg/mL at week 26 or later had an
      endoscopic response (75.9%) than did patients with trough concentrations below
      this level (40.7%; P = .008). Patients with trough concentrations of ustekinumab
      above 4.5 MUg/mL at week 26 or later also had a lower mean level of CRP (12.6
      mg/L) than did patients with trough concentrations below this level (mean level
      of CRP, 23.9 mg/L; P = .04). We did not detect antibodies against ustekinumab in
      any patient. CONCLUSIONS: Ustekinumab therapy was effective in patients with CD
      who had not responded to or were intolerant to treatment with a TNF antagonist.
      Maintenance trough concentrations of ustekinumab above 4.5 MUg/mL at 26 weeks or
      later were associated with biomarker reduction and endoscopic response.

PMID- 28365487
TI  - A Flawed Meta-analysis? Similar Risk of Cardiopulmonary Adverse Events Between
      Propofol and Traditional Anesthesia for Gastrointestinal Endoscopy.

PMID- 28365488
TI  - Lymphogranuloma Venereum Proctitis.

PMID- 28365486
TI  - Improved Long-term Outcomes of Patients With Inflammatory Bowel Disease Receiving
      Proactive Compared With Reactive Monitoring of Serum Concentrations of
      Infliximab.
AB  - BACKGROUND & AIMS: Monitoring serum concentrations of tumor necrosis factor
      antagonists in patients receiving these drugs as treatment for inflammatory bowel
      disease (IBD), also called therapeutic drug monitoring, is performed either after
      patient loss of response (reactive drug monitoring) or in patients in clinical
      remission in which the drug is titrated to a target concentration (proactive drug
      monitoring). We compared long-term outcomes of patients with IBD undergoing
      proactive vs reactive monitoring of serum concentrations of infliximab. METHODS:
      We performed a multicenter, retrospective study of 264 consecutive patients with
      IBD (167 with Crohn's disease) receiving infliximab maintenance therapy. The
      subjects received proactive (n = 130) or reactive (n = 134) drug monitoring,
      based on measurements of first infliximab concentration and antibodies to
      infliximab, from September 2006 to January 2015; they were followed through
      December 2015 (median time of 2.4 years). We analyzed time to treatment failure,
      first IBD-related surgery or hospitalization, serious infusion reaction, and
      detection of antibodies to infliximab. Treatment failure was defined as drug
      discontinuation for loss of response or serious adverse event, or need for
      surgery. RESULTS: Multiple Cox regression analysis independently associated
      proactive drug monitoring, compared with reactive monitoring, with reduced risk
      for treatment failure (hazard ratio [HR], 0.16; 95% confidence interval [CI],
      0.09-0.27; P < .001), IBD-related surgery (HR, 0.30; 95% CI, 0.11-0.80; P =
      .017), IBD-related hospitalization (HR, 0.16; 95% CI, 0.07-0.33; P < .001),
      antibodies to infliximab (HR, 0.25; 95% CI, 0.07-0.84; P = .025), and serious
      infusion reaction (HR, 0.17; 95% CI, 0.04-0.78; P = .023). CONCLUSIONS: In a
      retrospective analysis of patients with IBD receiving proactive vs reactive
      monitoring of serum concentration of infliximab, proactive monitoring was
      associated with better clinical outcomes, including greater drug durability, less
      need for IBD-related surgery or hospitalization, and lower risk of antibodies to
      infliximab or serious infusion reactions.

PMID- 28365489
TI  - Subliminal modulation of voluntary action experience: A neuropsychological
      investigation.
AB  - Human voluntary actions are often associated with a distinctive subjective
      experience termed 'sense of agency'. This experience could be a reconstructive
      inference triggered by monitoring one's actions and their outcomes, or a read-out
      of brain processes related to action preparation, or some hybrid of these.
      Participants pressed a key with the right index finger at a time of their own
      choice, while viewing a rotating clock. Occasionally they received a mild shock
      on the same finger. They were instructed to press the key as quickly as possible
      if they felt a shock. On some trials, trains of subliminal shocks were also
      delivered, to investigate whether such subliminal cues could influence the
      initiation of voluntary actions, or the subjective experience of such actions.
      Participants' keypress were always followed by a tone 250 ms later. At the end of
      each trial they reported the time of the keypress using the rotating clock
      display. Shifts in the perceived time of the action towards the following tone,
      compared to a baseline condition containing only a keypress but no tone, were
      taken as implicit measures of sense of agency. The subliminal shock train
      enhanced this "action binding" effect in healthy participants, relative to trials
      without such shocks. This difference could not be attributed to retrospective
      inference, since the perceptual events were identical in both trial types.
      Further, we tested the same paradigm in a patient with anarchic hand syndrome
      (AHS). Subliminal shocks again enhanced our measure of sense of agency in the
      unaffected hand, but had a reversed effect on the 'anarchic' hand. These findings
      suggest an interaction between internal volitional signals and external cues
      afforded by the external environment. Damage to the neural pathways that mediate
      interactions between internal states and the outside world may explain some of
      the clinical signs of AHS.

PMID- 28365490
TI  - Abnormal structural connectivity between the basal ganglia, thalamus, and frontal
      cortex in patients with disorders of consciousness.
AB  - Consciousness loss in patients with severe brain injuries is associated with
      reduced functional connectivity of the default mode network (DMN), fronto
      parietal network, and thalamo-cortical network. However, it is still unclear if
      the brain white matter connectivity between the above mentioned networks is
      changed in patients with disorders of consciousness (DOC). In this study, we
      collected diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) data from 13 patients and 17 healthy
      controls, constructed whole-brain white matter (WM) structural networks with
      probabilistic tractography. Afterward, we estimated and compared topological
      properties, and revealed an altered structural organization in the patients. We
      found a disturbance in the normal balance between segregation and integration in
      brain structural networks and detected significantly decreased nodal centralities
      primarily in the basal ganglia and thalamus in the patients. A network-based
      statistical analysis detected a subnetwork with uniformly significantly decreased
      structural connections between the basal ganglia, thalamus, and frontal cortex in
      the patients. Further analysis indicated that along the WM fiber tracts linking
      the basal ganglia, thalamus, and frontal cortex, the fractional anisotropy was
      decreased and the radial diffusivity was increased in the patients compared to
      the controls. Finally, using the receiver operating characteristic method, we
      found that the structural connections within the NBS-derived component that
      showed differences between the groups demonstrated high sensitivity and
      specificity (>90%). Our results suggested that major consciousness deficits in
      DOC patients may be related to the altered WM connections between the basal
      ganglia, thalamus, and frontal cortex.

PMID- 28365491
TI  - Solvent signal suppression for high-resolution MAS-DNP.
AB  - Dynamic nuclear polarization (DNP) has become a powerful tool to substantially
      increase the sensitivity of high-field magic angle spinning (MAS) solid-state NMR
      experiments. The addition of dissolved hyperpolarizing agents usually results in
      the presence of solvent signals that can overlap and obscure those of interest
      from the analyte. Here, two methods are proposed to suppress DNP solvent signals:
      a Forced Echo Dephasing experiment (FEDex) and TRAnsfer of Populations in DOuble
      Resonance Echo Dephasing (TRAPDORED) NMR. These methods reintroduce a
      heteronuclear dipolar interaction that is specific to the solvent, thereby
      forcing a dephasing of recoupled solvent spins and leaving acquired NMR spectra
      free of associated resonance overlap with the analyte. The potency of these
      methods is demonstrated on sample types common to MAS-DNP experiments, namely a
      frozen solution (of l-proline) and a powdered solid (progesterone), both
      containing deuterated glycerol as a DNP solvent. The proposed methods are
      efficient, simple to implement, compatible with other NMR experiments, and
      extendable past spectral editing for just DNP solvents. The sensitivity gains
      from MAS-DNP in conjunction with FEDex or TRAPDORED then permits rapid and
      uninterrupted sample analysis.

PMID- 28365492
TI  - Interaction of mycotoxin zearalenone with human serum albumin.
AB  - Zearalenone (ZEN) is a mycotoxin produced mainly by Fusarium species. Fungal
      contamination of cereals and plants can result in the formation of ZEN, leading
      to its presence in different foods, animal feeds, and drinks. Because ZEN is an
      endocrine disruptor, it causes reproductive disorders in farm animals and
      hyperoestrogenic syndromes in humans. Despite toxicokinetic properties of ZEN
      were studied in more species, we have no information regarding the interaction of
      ZEN with serum albumin. Since albumin commonly plays an important role in the
      toxicokinetics of different toxins, interaction of ZEN with albumin has of high
      biological importance. Therefore the interaction of ZEN with human serum albumin
      (HSA) was investigated using spectroscopic methods, ultrafiltration, and
      molecular modeling studies. Fluorescence spectroscopic studies demonstrate that
      ZEN forms complex with HSA. Binding constant (K) of ZEN-HSA complex was
      quantified with fluorescence quenching technique. The determined binding constant
      (logK=5.1) reflects the strong interaction of ZEN with albumin suggesting the
      potential biological importance of ZEN-HSA complex formation. Based on the
      results of the investigations with site markers as well as docking studies, ZEN
      occupies a non-conventional binding site on HSA. Considering the above listed
      observations, we should keep in mind this interaction if we would like to
      precisely understand the toxicokinetic behavior of ZEN.

PMID- 28365493
TI  - Hydrogel containing silibinin-loaded pomegranate oil based nanocapsules exhibits
      anti-inflammatory effects on skin damage UVB radiation-induced in mice.
AB  - The present study shows the development of a topical formulation (hydrogel)
      containing silibinin-loaded pomegranate oil based nanocapsules suspension and its
      evaluation as an alternative for the treatment of cutaneous UVB radiation-induced
      damages. For this, an animal model of skin injury induced by UVB radiation was
      employed. Gellan gum was used as gel forming agent by its direct addition to
      nanocapsules suspension. The hydrogels showed adequate pH values (5.6-5.9) and a
      silibinin content close to the theoretical value (1mg/g). Through vertical Franz
      diffusion cells it was demonstrated that nanocapsules decreased the silibinin
      retention in the semisolid formulation. All formulations were effective in
      reducing mice ear edema and leukocyte infiltration induced by UVB radiation 24h
      after the treatments. After 48h, only the hydrogels containing nanocapsules or
      silibinin associated with pomegranate oil demonstrated anti-edematogenic effect,
      as well as the positive control (hydrogel containing silver sulfadiazine 1%).
      After 72h, the hydrogel containing unloaded pomegranate oil based nanocapsules
      still presented a small activity. In conclusion, the results of this
      investigation demonstrated the feasibility to prepare a semisolid formulation
      presenting performance comparable to the traditional therapeutic option for skin
      burns (silver sulfadiazine) and with prolonged in vivo anti-inflammatory activity
      compared to the non-nanoencapsulated compounds.

PMID- 28365494
TI  - Kazachstania gamospora and Wickerhamomyces subpelliculosus: Two alternative
      baker's yeasts in the modern bakery.
AB  - Saccharomyces cerevisiae, the conventional baker's yeast, remains the most
      domesticated yeast monopolizing the baking industry. Its rapid consumption of
      sugars and production of CO2 are the most important attributes required to leaven
      the dough. New research attempts highlight that these attributes are not unique
      to S. cerevisiae, but also found in several non-conventional yeast species. A
      small number of these yeast species with similar properties have been described,
      but remain poorly studied. They present a vast untapped potential for the use as
      leavening agents and flavor producers due to their genetic and phylogenetic
      diversity. We assessed the potential of several non-conventional yeasts as
      leavening agents and flavor producers in dough-like conditions in the presence of
      high sugar concentrations and stressful environments mimicking conditions found
      in flour dough. We tested the capabilities of bread leavening and aroma formation
      in a microbread platform as well as in a bakery setup. Bread leavened with
      Kazachstania gamospora and Wickerhamomyces subpelliculosus had better overall
      results compared to control baker's yeast. In addition, both displayed higher
      stress tolerance and broader aroma profiles than the control baker's yeast. These
      attributes are important in bread and other farinaceous products, making K.
      gamospora and W. subpelliculosus highly applicable as alternative baker's yeasts.

PMID- 28365495
TI  - Relationship of the lumbar plexus branches to the lumbar spine: anatomical study
      with application to lateral approaches.
AB  - BACKGROUND CONTEXT: Injuries to the lumbar plexus during lateral approaches to
      the spine are not uncommon and may result in permanent deficits. However, the
      literature contains few studies that provide landmarks for avoiding the branches
      of the lumbar plexus. PURPOSE: The present anatomical study was performed to
      elucidate the course of these nerves in relation to lateral approaches to the
      lumbar spine. STUDY DESIGN: This is a quantitative anatomical cadaveric study.
      METHODS: The lumbar plexus and its branches were dissected on 12 cadaveric sides.
      Metal wires were laid on the nerves along their paths on the posterior abdominal
      wall. Fluoroscopy was performed in the anteroposterior and lateral positions. The
      relationships between regional bony landmarks and the branches of the lumbar
      plexus were observed. RESULTS: When viewed laterally, the greatest concentration
      of nerves occurred from the posteroinferior aspect of L4, inferior along the
      posterior one-third of the body of L5, then at the level of the sacral
      promontory. On the basis of our study, approaches to the anterior two-thirds of
      the L4 vertebra and anterior third of L5 will result in the lowest chance of
      lumbar plexus nerve injury. In addition, lateral muscle dissection through the
      psoas major should be in a superior to inferior direction in order to minimize
      nerve injury. Laterally, the widest corridor between branches in the abdominal
      wall was between the subcostal and iliohypogastric nerves. CONCLUSIONS: The
      findings of our cadaveric study provide surgeons who approach the lateral lumbar
      spine with data that could decrease injuries to the branches of the lumbar
      plexus, thus lessening patient morbidity.

PMID- 28365497
TI  - System-level perturbations of cell metabolism using CRISPR/Cas9.
AB  - CRISPR/Cas9 (clustered regularly interspaced palindromic repeats and the
      associated protein Cas9) techniques have made genome engineering and
      transcriptional reprogramming studies more advanced and cost-effective. For
      metabolic engineering purposes, the CRISPR-based tools have been applied to
      single and multiplex pathway modifications and transcriptional regulations. The
      effectiveness of these tools allows researchers to implement genome-wide
      perturbations, test model-guided genome editing strategies, and perform
      transcriptional reprogramming perturbations in a more advanced manner than
      previously possible. In this mini-review we highlight recent studies adopting
      CRISPR/Cas9 for systems-level perturbations and model-guided metabolic
      engineering.

PMID- 28365498
TI  - Microbial glycoproteomics.
AB  - Mass spectrometry-based "-omics" technologies are important tools for global and
      detailed mapping of post-translational modifications. Protein glycosylation is an
      abundant and important post translational modification widespread throughout all
      domains of life. Characterization of glycoproteins, including identification of
      glycan structure and components, their attachment sites and protein carriers,
      remains challenging. However, recent advances in glycoproteomics, a subbranch
      that studies and categorizes protein glycosylations, have greatly expanded the
      known protein glycosylation space and research in this area is rapidly
      accelerating. Here, we review recent developments in glycoproteomic technologies
      with a special focus on microbial protein glycosylation.

PMID- 28365496
TI  - Optimum pelvic incidence minus lumbar lordosis value after operation for patients
      with adult degenerative scoliosis.
AB  - BACKGROUND CONTEXT: Schwab classification for adult degenerative scoliosis (ADS)
      concluded that health-related quality of life was closely related to curve type
      and three sagittal modifiers. It was suggested that pelvic incidence minus lumbar
      lordosis value (PI-LL) should be corrected within -10 degrees ~+10 degrees .
      However, recent studies also indicated that ideal clinical outcomes could also be
      achieved in patients without the ideal PI-LL mentioned above. PURPOSE: This study
      evaluated the relation between the clinical outcomes and the PI-LL of Chinese
      patients with ADS who received long posterior internal fixation and fusion. STUDY
      DESIGN: This was a single-center retrospective comparative study of patients
      treated by long posterior internal fixation and fusion in our hospital between
      2010 and 2014. PATIENT SAMPLE: Inclusion criteria were age >45 years at the time
      of surgery, Cobb angle of lumbar curves >=10 degrees , long posterior internal
      fixation and fusion >=least 3 motion segments, follow-up >=2 years, complete
      preoperative and postoperative radiographic data, and functional evaluation
      results. Exclusion criteria were history of previous lumbar spine surgery, other
      kinds of scoliosis, history of severe spinal trauma, spinal tumor, ankylosing
      spondylitis, and spinal tuberculosis. Seventy-four patients were enrolled in this
      study. OUTCOME MEASURES: Operative parameters included intraoperative blood loss,
      duration of surgery, length of hospital stay, number of fusion levels, and
      decompression. The radiological measurements included Cobb angle of the curves
      and PI-LL. Clinical outcomes were evaluated by the Japanese Orthopaedic
      Association score, Oswestry Disability Index (ODI), visual analog scale, and
      Lumbar Stiffness Disability Index (LSDI). In addition, the complications of
      surgery were also collected. One-way analysis of variance, Student t test,
      Kruskal-Wallis test, Pearson chi-square test, and curve estimation were
      calculated for variables. METHODS: All the patients were divided into Group 1
      (long instrumentation and fusion to L5) and Group 2 (long instrumentation and
      fusion to S1). Operative parameters, radiological measurements, clinical
      outcomes, and complications of surgery were compared between two groups to
      confirm whether distal fusion level could influence therapeutic effect. Then
      patients were divided into PI-LL<10 degrees  (Group A), 10 degrees <=PI-LL<=20
      degrees  (Group B), PI-LL>20 degrees  (Group C). Operative parameters,
      radiological measurements, clinical outcomes, and complications of surgery were
      compared between each of the two groups. Curve estimation was performed to
      evaluate the relationship between postoperative PI-LL and clinical outcomes.
      RESULTS: No difference was found between Group 1 and Group 2 in all postoperative
      parameters (p>.05). There were significant differences in final ODI (p<.001) and
      final LSDI (p<.001) among Group A, Group B, and Group C. Cubic curve model fitted
      the relationship between PI-LL and final ODI better than other models (R2=0.379,
      p<.001). Cubic curve model fitted the relationship between PI-LL and final LSDI
      better than other models (R2=0.691, p<.001). There was a significant difference
      in proximal junctional kyphosis (PJK) among groups (p=.038). No significant
      difference was found in other parameters. CONCLUSIONS: Optimal PI-LL value may be
      achieved between 10 degrees  and 20 degrees  in Chinese patients with ADS after
      long posterior instrumentation and fusion surgery with excellent clinical
      outcomes and a lower PJK occurrence.

PMID- 28365499
TI  - Highly efficient simultaneous adsorption and biodegradation of a highly
      concentrated anionic dye by a high-surface-area carbon-based biocomposite.
AB  - Mesoporous high-surface-area activated carbon (MHSA-AC), which has a honeycomb
      structure, was produced from coconut shells by simultaneous chemical and physical
      activation and used for the rapid adsorption of an anionic dye, namely acid
      orange 10 (AO10), from water. Owing to its porosity and high Brunauer-Emmett
      Teller surface area (2283.91 m2g-1), MHSA-AC is a highly efficient adsorbent. It
      also has good biocompatibility and is a good immobilization carrier; the grooves
      on the MHSA-AC surface facilitate immobilization. Here, a new, highly efficient,
      and environmentally friendly simultaneous adsorption and biodegradation (SAB)
      process was developed. Highly concentrated AO10 (6000 mg L-1, 20 mL) was removed
      with an efficiency of 100% (pH = 7, 35  degrees C) by SAB using cells immobilized
      on MHSA-AC (500 mg). The immobilized cells were used directly, without
      pretreatment; the SAB process is therefore simple and has good potential for
      application in the treatment of dyes in industrial wastewater.

PMID- 28365500
TI  - Comprehensive assessment of heavy metal pollution in topsoil of historical urban
      park on an example of the Planty Park in Krakow (Poland).
AB  - The Historic Centre of Krakow is on the UNESCO World Heritage List and includes
      the Main Market Square, which is surrounded by the historical Planty Park. Soils
      in the Planty Park are an example of a green area in an urban environment that is
      particularly exposed to heavy metal-rich pollution. To assess the relative
      content of heavy metals and evaluate the sources of the contamination, pollution
      indices were used: Enrichment Factor (EF), Geoaccumulation Index (Igeo), Nemerow
      Pollution Index (PINemerow), Potential Ecological Risk (RI), and Contamination
      Security Index (CSI). Pollution indices were calculated on the base of both
      reference and local geochemical backgrounds. Sources of heavy metals in soils of
      Planty Park are related to its historic role as a metallurgy centre, as well as
      the more recent urban and industrial development of Krakow centre and
      neighbouring areas. It is concluded that increased accumulation of heavy metals
      is an effect of growing numbers of emission sources. The variation of each
      element may not unambiguously reflect the natural or anthropogenic effect on the
      Planty Park soil cover. In general, the present and historical emission of
      pollutants and heavy metal-rich contamination has led to a mixed origin of Cd,
      Cu, Pb, and Zn. Moreover, it can be assumed that the content of Cr and Ni is
      derived from natural sources. Furthermore, a comparison of the quality of the
      Planty Park topsoil with the heavy metal content assessment in other urban parks
      in the world has been presented.

PMID- 28365502
TI  - Groundwater quality in Ghaziabad district, Uttar Pradesh, India: Multivariate and
      health risk assessment.
AB  - This study aimed to assess the quality of groundwater and potential health risk
      due to ingestion of heavy metals in the peri-urban and urban-industrial clusters
      of Ghaziabad district, Uttar Pradesh, India. Furthermore, the study aimed to
      evaluate heavy metals sources and their pollution level using multivariate
      analysis and fuzzy comprehensive assessment (FCA), respectively. Multivariate
      analysis using principle component analysis (PCA) showed mixed origin for Pb, Cd,
      Zn, Fe, and Ni, natural source for Cu and Mn and anthropogenic source for Cr.
      Among all the metals, Pb, Cd, Fe and Ni were above the safe limits of Bureau of
      Indian Standards (BIS) and World Health Organization (WHO) except Ni. Health risk
      in terms of hazard quotient (HQ) showed that the HQ values for children were
      higher than the safe level (HQ = 1) for Pb (2.4) and Cd (2.1) in pre-monsoon
      while in post-monsoon the value exceeded only for Pb (HQ = 1.23). The health
      risks of heavy metals for the adults were well within safe limits. The finding of
      this study indicates potential health risks to the children due to chronic
      exposure to contaminated groundwater in the region. Based on FCA, groundwater
      pollution could be categorized as quite high in the peri-urban region, and
      absolutely high in the urban region of Ghaziabad district. This study showed that
      different approaches are required for the integrated assessment of the
      groundwater pollution, and provides a scientific basis for the strategic future
      planning and comprehensive management.

PMID- 28365501
TI  - Flame retardants and their metabolites in the homes and urine of pregnant women
      residing in California (the CHAMACOS cohort).
AB  - Organophosphate flame retardants (PFRs), used in consumer products since the
      1970s, persist in the environment. Restrictions on penta-polybrominated diphenyl
      ether (PBDE) flame retardants resulted in increased use of Firemaster(r) 550
      (FM(r) 550), and the organophosphate triesters: tris(1,3- dichloro-2-propyl)
      phosphate (TDCIPP); tris(chloropropyl) phosphate (TCIPP); tris(2-chloroethyl)
      phosphate (TCEP); and triphenyl phosphate (TPHP). The objectives of this study
      were to (1) identify determinants of flame retardants (4 PFRs, PentaBDEs and
      FM(r) 550) in house dust, (2) measure urinary PFR metabolites in pregnant women,
      and (3) estimate health risks from PFR exposure. We measured flame retardants in
      house dust (n = 125) and metabolites in urine (n = 310) collected in 2000-2001
      from Mexican American women participating in the CHAMACOS birth cohort study in
      California. We detected FM(r) 550 and PFRs, including two (TCEP and TDCIPP) known
      to the state of California to cause cancer, in most dust samples. The maximum
      TCEP and TDCIPP dust levels were among the highest ever reported although the
      median levels were generally lower compared to other U.S. cohorts. Metabolites of
      TDCIPP (BDCIPP: bis(1,3-dichloro-2-propyl) phosphate) and TPHP (DPHP: diphenyl
      phosphate) were detected in 78% and 79% of prenatal urine samples, respectively.
      We found a weak but positive correlation between TPHP in dust and DPHP in 124
      paired prenatal urine samples (Spearman rho = 0.17; p = 0.06). These results
      provide information on PFR exposure and risk in pregnant women from the early
      2000's and are also valuable to assess trends in exposure and risk given changing
      fire safety regulations and concomitant changes in chemical flame retardant use.

PMID- 28365503
TI  - Complete catalytic debromination of hexabromocyclododecane using a silica
      supported palladium catalyst in alkaline 2-propanol.
AB  - Although the brominated flame retardant 1,2,5,6,9,10-hexabromocyclododecane
      (HBCD) has been widely used to reduce the flammability of polymeric materials, it
      is a toxic and persistent organic compound. In this paper, we report an efficient
      method for the debromination of HBCD by using a Pd-catalyzed system. HBCD was
      completely debrominated to the C12 cyclic compounds such as cyclododecatriene,
      cyclododecadiene, and cyclododecene in a solution of 2-propanol/methanol (99:1,
      v/v) containing dissolved NaOH in the presence of a silica-supported Pd catalyst
      (Pd/SiO2) at 35  degrees C. The reaction achieved product yields of 92% for the
      bromine-free products and 94% for the released Br ions. In the absence of
      Pd/SiO2, HBCD was partially debrominated to yield penta-, tetra-, and
      tribrominated C12 cyclic compounds. The HBCD debromination pathway seems to
      involve both HBr elimination by reaction with NaOH and Pd-catalyzed
      hydrodebromination by hydrogen transfer from 2-propanol.

PMID- 28365504
TI  - Metal(loid) speciation and size fractionation in sediment pore water depth
      profiles examined with a new meso profiling system.
AB  - In an exemplary incubation study with an anaerobic sediment sampled at an oxbow
      of the river Lahn in Germany (50 degrees 18'56.87"N; 7 degrees 37'41.25"E) and
      contaminated by former mining activity, a novel meso profiling and sampling
      system (messy) is presented. Messy enables a low invasive, automated sampling of
      pore water profiles across the sediment water interface (SWI), down to ~20 cm
      depth with a spacial resolution of 1 cm. In parallel to the pore water sampling
      it measures physicochemical sediment parameters such as redox potential and pH
      value. In an incubation experiment of 151 days the ability of the setup was
      proven to address several different aspects relevant for fresh water and marine
      sediment studies: (i) The influence of mechanical disturbance and oxygen induced
      acidification on the mobility of 13 metals and metalloids (Cd, Co, Cu, Fe, Mn,
      Mo, Ni, Sb, U, V, Zn) was quantified based on 11 profiles. The analytes were
      quantified by inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry. Three groups of
      elements were identified with respect to the release into the pore water and the
      overlying water under different experimental conditions. (ii) The capability to
      investigate the impacts of changing physicochemical sediment properties on
      arsenic and antimony (III/V) speciation is shown. (iii) An approach to obtain
      information on size fractionation effects and to address the colloidal pore water
      fractions (0.45 MUm-16 MUm) was successfully conducted for the elements Ag, As,
      Cu, Fe and Mn.

PMID- 28365505
TI  - Influence of extreme concentrations of hydrophilic pore-former on reinforced
      polyethersulfone ultrafiltration membranes for reduction of humic acid fouling.
AB  - To address the issue of membrane fouling by ubiquitous humic substances, a
      hydrophilic pore-former-blended polyethersulfone UF membrane was successfully
      synthesized via the phase inversion method. For the first time, extremely high
      concentrations of polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP), up to 20 wt%, were tested as the
      hydrophilic pore-former in order to determine the optimum concentration for humic
      acid fouling. Intrinsic membrane parameters such as permeability and selectivity
      were evaluated using a cross-flow UF filtration setup. Interestingly, as little
      as 1 wt% added PVP can significantly improve membrane permeability. That tiny
      amount of added PVP increased membrane flux to 1107 L/m2h.bar from zero flux,
      with over 90% rejection of humic acid. In addition, pure water permeation
      increased to over 2400 L/m2h.bar without sacrificing humic acid rejection (around
      90%) when 10 wt% PVP was added; pure water permeation decreased to around 1000
      L/m2h.bar as added PVP was increased to 20 wt%. The order of water flux increased
      with the amount of added PVP up to 20 wt% during humic acid fouling while
      maintaining membrane selectivity. However, the membrane with 10 wt% added PVP
      showed the best fouling resistance in terms of flux recovery ratio (98%), total
      flux loss, reversible fouling ratio, and irreversible fouling ratio. Therefore,
      the addition of 10 wt% PVP is recommended considering cleaning efficiency and the
      moderately high flux during humic acid fouling for field operation in wastewater
      reclamation and water treatment processes.

PMID- 28365507
TI  - IDO1: An important immunotherapy target in cancer treatment.
AB  - Indoleamine 2,3-dioxigenase 1 (IDO1) acts in pathogenic inflammatory processes
      and engender immune tolerance to tumor antigens. IDO1 can decrease the tryptophan
      and produce a series of toxic kynurenine metabolites to promote the immune
      toleration via GCN2 pathway, mTOR pathway, toxic effect of kynurenine and
      favoring differentiation of Tregs. IDO1 can be induced in most human cells,
      especially APCs and cancer cells through canonical and non-canonical NF-kappaB
      and Jak/STAT pathways, as well as PKC and TGF-beta signaling pathways. A series
      of human cancers over-express IDO1 in a constitutive way. Thus, IDO1 is likely to
      be an attractive target for developing inhibitors of tumor treatments. Many
      preclinical and clinical trials have been underway and suggest that IDO1
      inhibitor maybe an effective tool against a wide range of cancers. However, the
      IDO1 inhibitor alone had been verified that to be disappointment in achieving
      effective antitumor efficacy. Concentrating on its molecular mechanism in immune
      toleration and complex environments of cancer, IDO1 inhibitor could cooperate
      with chemotherapies and other immune target inhibitors to lessen the tumor.

PMID- 28365508
TI  - In vitro the differences of inflammatory and oxidative reactions due to sulfur
      mustard induced acute pulmonary injury underlying intraperitoneal injection and
      intratracheal instillation in rats.
AB  - This study was to investigate the differences of inflammatory reaction and
      oxidative stress due to sulfur mustard (SM)-induced acute pulmonary injury via
      two ways in rats. In intraperitoneal and tracheal SM groups, injected
      intraperitoneally and instilled intratracheally with 0.1mL diluted SM (0.96
      LD50=8mg/kg) and SM (0.98 LD50=2mg/kg) were administered in rats. In
      bronchoalveolar lavage fluid, serum, and alveolar septum, lactate dehydrogenase,
      glutathione peroxidase, tumor necrosis factor-alpha, interleukin-1beta,
      interleukin-6, C-reactive protein, intercellular adhesion molecule-1, vascular
      cell adhesion molecule-1, l-selectin, r-glutamyl transpeptidase, thiobarbituric
      acid reactive substances levels as well as the expression of CD4, CD20, CD68, 8
      hydroxy deoxyguanosine, nuclear factor-E2-related factor 2, and heme oxygenase-1
      measured by ELISA, immune scatter turbidimetry and immunohistochemical method in
      the intraperitoneal SM group were increased at each time-point compared with the
      tracheal SM groups, respectively. These data demonstrated an increased
      inflammatory reaction and oxidative stress indices in rat via intraperitoneal
      injection under similar SM LD50 doses.

PMID- 28365506
TI  - New developments in RAN translation: insights from multiple diseases.
AB  - Since the discovery of repeat-associated non-ATG (RAN) translation, and more
      recently its association with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis/frontotemporal
      dementia, there has been an intense focus to understand how this process works
      and the downstream effects of these novel proteins. RAN translation across
      several different types of repeat expansions mutations (CAG, CTG, CCG, GGGGCC,
      GGCCCC) results in the production of proteins in all three reading frames without
      an ATG initiation codon. The combination of bidirectional transcription and RAN
      translation has been shown to result in the accumulation of up to six mutant
      expansion proteins in a growing number of diseases. This process is complex
      mechanistically and also complex from the perspective of the downstream
      consequences in disease. Here we review recent developments in RAN translation
      and their implications on our basic understanding of neurodegenerative disease
      and gene expression.

PMID- 28365509
TI  - Myristic acid-modified thymopentin for enhanced plasma stability and immune
      modulating activity.
AB  - Natural albumin ligand (fatty acids)-conjugated peptides can rapidly bind to
      circulating albumin and form complexes to control the release of peptides. The
      purpose of this study was to prolong the half-life and immune-modulating effects
      of thymopentin (TP5) by using the albumin binding strategy. We synthesized
      myristic acid-modified TP5 (TP5-MA) by conjugating a myristic acid-acylated
      lysine to a permissive site of TP5, which improved the albumin binding affinity
      of TP5-MA and dramatically enhanced its stability in human plasma. We observed
      well-preserved bioactivities of TP5-MA in RAW264.7 macrophages using a tumor
      necrosis factor (TNF)-alpha stimulation assay. Moreover, the prolonged immune
      modulating effect of TP5-MA was confirmed by the normalized CD4+/CD8+ ratio in
      immune-depressed rat models, which resulted in a reduced administration frequency
      (twice per week). In general, the enhanced pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic
      properties of TP5-MA make it a promising product for the treatment of
      immunodeficiency diseases.

PMID- 28365510
TI  - Drivers and applications of integrated clean-up technologies for surfactant
      enhanced remediation of environments contaminated with polycyclic aromatic
      hydrocarbons (PAHs).
AB  - Surfactant-enhanced remediation (SER) is considered as a promising and efficient
      remediation approach. This review summarizes and discusses main drivers on the
      application of SER in removing polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) from
      contaminated soil and water. The effect of PAH-PAH interactions on SER efficiency
      is, for the first time, illustrated in an SER review. Interactions between mixed
      PAHs could enhance, decrease, or have no impact on surfactants' solubilization
      power towards PAHs, thus affecting the optimal usage of surfactants for SER.
      Although SER can transfer PAHs from soil/non-aqueous phase liquids to the aqueous
      phase, the harmful impact of PAHs still exists. To decrease the level of PAHs in
      SER solutions, a series of SER-based integrated cleanup technologies have been
      developed including surfactant-enhanced bioremediation (SEBR), surfactant
      enhanced phytoremediation (SEPR) and SER-advanced oxidation processes (SER-AOPs).
      In this review, the general considerations and corresponding applications of the
      integrated cleanup technologies are summarized and discussed. Compared with SER
      AOPs, SEBR and SEPR need less operation cost, yet require more treatment time. To
      successfully achieve the field application of surfactant-based technologies,
      massive production of the cost-effective green surfactants (i.e. biosurfactants)
      and comprehensive evaluation of the drivers and the global cost of SER-based
      cleanup technologies need to be performed in the future.

PMID- 28365511
TI  - Influence of graphene oxide on the transport and deposition behaviors of colloids
      in saturated porous media.
AB  - The effects of graphene oxide (GO) on the transport and deposition behaviors of
      colloids with different sizes in packed quartz sand were investigated in both
      NaCl (10 and 50 mM) and CaCl2 solutions (1 and 5 mM) at pH 6. Fluorescent
      carboxylate-modified polystyrene latex microspheres (CMLs) with size ranging from
      0.2 to 2 MUm were utilized as model colloids. Both breakthrough curves and
      retained profiles of colloids in the presence and absence of GO in suspensions
      under all examined solution conditions were analyzed. The breakthrough curves of
      all three different-sized CMLs with GO were higher yet the retained profiles were
      lower than those without GO at both examined ionic strengths in NaCl solutions.
      The observation showed that GO increased the transport and decreased the
      deposition of all three different-sized CMLs in NaCl solutions. However, in CaCl2
      solutions, opposite observation was achieved at two different ionic strength
      conditions. Specifically, the presence of GO increased the transport and
      decreased the deposition of all three different-sized CMLs in 1 mM CaCl2
      solutions, whereas, it decreased the transport and increased the deposition of
      all three different-sized CMLs in 5 mM CaCl2 solutions. Comparison the
      breakthrough curves and retained profiles of CMLs versus those of GO yielded that
      the overall transport and deposition behaviors of all three different-sized CMLs
      with GO copresent in suspensions agreed well with the transport and deposition
      behaviors of GO under all examined conditions. The transport and deposition
      behaviors of CMLs in packed porous media clearly were controlled by those of GO
      under the conditions investigated in present study due to the adsorption of CMLs
      onto GO surfaces. Our study showed that once released into natural environment,
      GO would adsorb (interact with) different types of colloids and thus have
      significant influence on the fate and transport of colloids in porous media.

PMID- 28365512
TI  - Solute pools in Nikanotee Fen watershed in the Athabasca oil sands region.
AB  - Overburden and tailings materials from oil sands production were used as
      construction materials as part of a novel attempt to create a self-sustaining,
      peat accumulating fen-upland ecosystem. To evaluate the potential for elemental
      release from the construction materials, total elemental concentrations in the
      tailings sand, petroleum coke and peat used to construct a fen ecosystem were
      determined using microwave-assisted acid digestions and compared to a leaching
      experiment conducted under environmentally-relevant conditions. A comparison of
      solid phase to aqueous Na, Ca, S and Mg concentrations showed they were highly
      leachable in the materials. Given that the concentrations of these elements can
      affect plant community structure, it is important to understand their
      leachability and mobility as they migrate between materials used to construct the
      system. To that end, a mass balance of aqueous Na, Ca, S and Mg was conducted
      based on leaching experiments and materials analysis coupled with existing data
      from the constructed system. The data indicate that there is a large pool of
      leachable Na, Ca, S and Mg in the system, estimated at 27 t of Na, 14 t of Ca,
      37.3 t of S and 8.8 t of Mg. Since recharge mainly drives the fen-upland system
      water regime, and discharge in the fen, evapo-accumulation of these solutes on
      the surface may occur.

PMID- 28365513
TI  - Relationships between soil parameters and physiological status of Miscanthus x
      giganteus cultivated on soil contaminated with trace elements under NPK
      fertilisation vs. microbial inoculation.
AB  - Crop growth and development can be influenced by a range of parameters, soil
      health, cultivation and nutrient status all play a major role. Nutrient status of
      plants can be enhanced both through chemical fertiliser additions (e.g. N, P, K
      supplementation) or microbial fixation and mobilisation of naturally occurring
      nutrients. With current EU priorities discouraging the production of biomass on
      high quality soils there is a need to investigate the potential of more marginal
      soils to produce these feedstocks and the impacts of soil amendments on crop
      yields within them. This study investigated the potential for Miscanthus x
      giganteus to be grown in trace element (TE)-contaminated soils, ideally offering
      a mechanism to (phyto)manage these contaminated lands. Comprehensive surveys are
      needed to understand plant-soil interactions under these conditions. Here we
      studied the impacts of two fertiliser treatments on soil physico-chemical
      properties under Miscanthus x giganteus cultivated on Pb, Cd and Zn contaminated
      arable land. Results covered a range of parameters, including soil rhizosphere
      activity, arbuscular mycorrhization (AM), as well as plant physiological
      parameters associated with photosynthesis, TE leaf concentrations and growth
      performance. Fertilization increased growth and gas exchange capacity, enhanced
      rhizosphere microbial activity and increased Zn, Mg and N leaf concentration.
      Fertilization reduced root colonisation by AMF and caused higher chlorophyll
      concentration in plant leaves. Microbial inoculation seems to be a promising
      alternative for chemical fertilizers, especially due to an insignificant
      influence on the mobility of toxic trace elements (particularly Cd and Zn).

PMID- 28365514
TI  - Automation of plasma protein binding assay using rapid equilibrium dialysis
      device and Tecan workstation.
AB  - Binding of drug molecules to plasma proteins is an important parameter in
      assessing drug ADME properties. Plasma protein binding (PPB) assays are routinely
      performed during drug discovery and development. A fully automated PPB assay was
      developed using rapid equilibrium dialysis (RED) device and Tecan workstation
      coupled to an automated incubator. The PPB assay was carried out in unsealed RED
      plates which allowed the assay to be fully automated. The plasma pH was
      maintained at 7.4 during the 6-h dialysis under 2% CO2 condition. The samples
      were extracted with acetonitrile and analyzed by liquid chromatography tandem
      mass spectrometry. The percent bound results of 10 commercial drugs in plasma
      protein binding were very similar between the automated and manual assays, and
      were comparable to literature values. The automated assay increases laboratory
      productivity and is applicable to high-throughput screening of drug protein
      binding in drug discovery.

PMID- 28365515
TI  - Pharmacokinetic properties of the synthetic cannabinoid JWH-018 and of its
      metabolites in serum after inhalation.
AB  - Each year, synthetic cannabinoids are occurring in high numbers in the illicit
      drug market, but data on their pharmacology and toxicology are scarcely
      available. Therefore, a pilot study was performed to assess adverse effects of
      JWH-018, which is one of the oldest and best known synthetic cannabinoids. Six
      subjects inhaled smoke from 2 and 3mg JWH-018. The drug and nine of its
      metabolites were analyzed in their blood samples taken during the following 12h
      by liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MSMS). The maximum concentration
      of JWH-018 reached 2.9-9.9ng/ml after inhalation and markedly decreased during
      the next 1.5h, followed by a multiexponential decline (t1/2 in median 1.3h and
      5.7h). The concentration of the pentanoic acid metabolite was slightly higher
      than that of the 3-, 4- and 5-hydroxypentyl metabolites and of the 6-hydroxyindol
      metabolite. The data also suggest a multiexponential decline and slow terminal
      elimination of JWH-018 and all metabolites. The detection of JWH-018 and of its
      metabolites in serum requires high analytical sensitivity. The pharmacokinetic
      properties of inhaled JWH-018 are similar to that of THC. A slow terminal
      elimination of drug and metabolites may lead to accumulation in chronic users.

PMID- 28365516
TI  - Charged derivatization and on-line solid phase extraction to measure extremely
      low cortisol and cortisone levels in human saliva with liquid chromatography
      tandem mass spectrometry.
AB  - The aim of this study was to develop a sensitive, reliable and high-throughput
      liquid chromatography - electrospray ionization - mass spectrometric (LC-ESI
      MS/MS) method for the simultaneous quantitation of cortisol and cortisone in
      human saliva. Derivatization with 2-hydrazino-1-methylpyridine (HMP) was one of
      the most challenging aspects of the method development. The reagent was reacting
      with cortisol and cortisone at 60 degrees C within 1h, giving mono- and bis
      hydrazone derivatives. Investigation of derivatization reaction and sample
      preparation was detailed and discussed. Improvement of method sensitivity was
      achieved with charged derivatization and use of on-line solid phase extraction
      (on-line SPE). The lower limit of quantitation (LLOQ) was 5 and 10pg/ml for
      cortisol and cortisone, respectively. The developed method was subsequently
      applied to clinical laboratory measurement of cortisol and cortisone in human
      saliva.

PMID- 28365517
TI  - Host-guest kinetic interactions between HP-beta-cyclodextrin and drugs for
      prediction of bitter taste masking.
AB  - Cyclodextrins (CD) are widely used bitter taste masking agents, for which the
      binding equilibrium constant (K) for the drug-CD complex is a conventional
      parameter for quantitating the taste masking effects. However, some exceptions
      have been reported to the expected relationship between K and bitterness
      reduction and the relationship between kinetic parameters of a drug-CD
      interaction, including association rate constant (Ka) and disassociation rate
      constant (Kd), and taste masking remains unexplored. In this study, based upon a
      database of kinetic parameters of drugs-HP-beta-CD generated by Surface Plasmon
      Resonance Imaging for 485 drugs, the host-guest kinetic interactions between
      drugs and HP-beta-CD for prediction of taste masking effects have been
      investigated. The taste masking effects of HP-beta-CD for 13 bitter drugs were
      quantitatively determined using an electronic gustatory system (alpha-Astree e
      Tongue). Statistical software was used to establish a model based on Euclidean
      distance measurements, Ka and Kd of the bitter drugs/HP-beta-CD-complexes
      (R2=0.96 and P<0.05). Optimized parameters, Ka3, Kd, KaKd, Kd3, Ka2 and Ka/Kd
      with notable influence, were obtained by stepwise regression from 12 parameters
      derived from Ka, Kd and K (Ka/Kd). 10-fold cross-validation was used to verify
      the reliability of the model (correlation coefficient of 0.84, P<0.05). The
      established model indicated a relationship between Ka, Kd, K and taste masking by
      HP-beta-CD and was successful in predicting the extent of taste masking by HP
      beta-CD of 44 bitter drugs, which was in accordance with the literature reported.
      In conclusion, the relationship between kinetics of drug-CD interactions and
      taste masking was established and providing a new strategy for predicting the
      cyclodextrin mediated bitter taste masking.

PMID- 28365518
TI  - Immunological implications of bovine leukemia virus infection.
AB  - This study examined neutrophil and monocyte functions and the blood lymphocyte
      profile of naturally BLV-infected cows with or without persistent lymphocytosis
      (PL). The percentage of neutrophils and monocytes that phagocytosed
      Staphylococcus aureus was lower in BLV-infected dairy cows, particularly those
      with PL. The relative percentage of CD44+ monocytes and neutrophils and CD11b
      expression by neutrophils was also lower in BLV-infected dairy cows with PL. A
      correlation between the percentage of CD11b+ neutrophils and that produced
      reactive oxygen species (ROS) was found. Furthermore, the percentage of CD44+
      monocytes was positively correlated with the percentage of monocytes that
      phagocytosed S. aureus and the same phenomenon was observed for neutrophils. In
      BLV-infected dairy cows, particularly those with PL, inhibition of monocyte and
      neutrophil apoptosis was observed. Additionally, the percentage of neutrophils
      producing ROS was lower in BLV-infected cows with PL, in contrast to higher
      intensity of intracellular production of ROS by monocytes. The result from the
      lymphocyte immunophenotyping of BLV-infected cows with PL was an increase in B
      cells, mainly B CD5+ CD11b+, due to the apoptosis inhibition. In conclusion, this
      study provides novel insight into the implications of BLV infection for cattle,
      which can include the dysfunction of blood monocytes and neutrophils.

PMID- 28365519
TI  - Tissue-specific gene-expression patterns of genes associated with
      thymol/carvacrol biosynthesis in thyme (Thymus vulgaris L.) and their
      differential changes upon treatment with abiotic elicitors.
AB  - Thyme (Thymus vulgaris L.) is known to produce a variety of phenolic monoterpenes
      such as thymol and carvacrol. Thymol and carvacrol are health-promoting, biocide
      and antitoxin compounds and have been considered as the main constituents of
      essential oils in T. vulgaris. To improve our understanding of the regulation of
      monoterpene biosynthesis in thyme, the expression of genes related to thymol and
      carvacrol biosynthesis in different tissues and in response to abiotic elicitors
      was analyzed. Methyl jasmonate (MeJA), salicylic acid (SA), trans-cinnamic acid
      (tCA) and UV-C irradiation were applied to T. vulgare leaves and transcript
      levels of early (DXR) and late (TvTPS1, CYP71D178 and CYP71D180) biosynthetic
      genes of thymol and carvacrol were measured. The results showed that early step
      and late step genes in thymol/carvacrol biosynthesis are differentially
      regulated. DXR was not found to be exclusively expressed in glandular trichomes;
      in contrast, biosynthetic genes including gamma-terpinene synthase (TvTPS1) and
      two cytochrome P450s, CYP71D178 and CYP71D180, were preferentially expressed in
      glandular secretory trichomes. The high expression of late biosynthetic genes in
      glandular trichomes, which also contain the highest concentration of thymol and
      carvacrol, suggests that glandular trichomes are the structure in which
      thymol/carvacrol biosynthesis and accumulation occur. Our results indicate that
      in addition to abiotic elicitors, developmental and spatial factors also play a
      key role in the biosynthesis of thymol and carvacrol, most likely relating to
      glandular trichome density and/or activity. Hence optimization of these factors
      could be considered as a useful strategy to achieve high yield of valuable
      compounds in T. vulgare or other closely related plant species.

PMID- 28365520
TI  - Lack of effect of the procarcinogenic 17beta-estradiol on nutrient uptake by the
      MCF-7 breast cancer cell line.
AB  - Breast cancer is one of the most frequent cancers in the population, especially
      in older women. Estrogen is known to be a key hormone in the development and
      progression of mammary carcinogenesis. In this study, we investigated if the
      procarcinogenic effect of 17beta-estradiol (E2) in breast cancer MCF-7 cells is
      dependent on changes in glucose or folic acid cellular uptake. The effect of E2
      on uptake of 3H-deoxy-d-glucose, 3H-folic acid, cell proliferation (3-thymidine
      incorporation assay), culture growth (sulforhodamine B assay), viability (lactate
      dehydrogenase activity assay), lactate production and migration capacity (injury
      assay) was evaluated. E2 (48h; 100nM) increased culture growth (16%),
      proliferation rate (24%), cellular viability (36%) and lactate production (38%).
      In contrast, E2 did not significantly affect the migration capacity of MCF-7
      cells. The pro-proliferative, but not the cytoprotective effect of E2 was found
      to be ERbeta-dependent. The polyphenols rutin and caffeic acid were not able to
      counteract the effect of E2 upon cell proliferation and viability. Uptake of 3H
      deoxy-d-glucose was not affected by E2, either in the absence or presence of GLUT
      inhibitors (cytochalasin B plus phloridzin). Moreover, E2 did not change GLUT1
      mRNA levels. Finally, 3H-folic acid uptake was also not affected by E2, both in
      the absence and presence of the RFC1 inhibitor, methotrexate. The pro
      proliferative and cytoprotective effects of E2 are not dependent neither of
      stimulation of glucose cellular uptake (both GLUT and non-GLUT-mediated) nor of
      stimulation of folic acid uptake (both RFC1-and non-RFC1-mediated).

PMID- 28365521
TI  - Cynanchum atratum inhibits the development of atopic dermatitis in 2,4
      dinitrochlorobenzene-induced mice.
AB  - Cynanchum atratum Bunge (Apocynaceae) is a folk medicine to treat skin
      inflammatory diseases. However, the effects of C. atratum on atopic dermatitis
      have not been elucidated. In this study, we evaluate the effects of aqueous
      extract of C. atratum (CA) and its molecular mechanism on atopic dermatitis (AD).
      1 and 100mg/mL CA were topically applied to 2,4-dinitrochlorobenzene (DNCB)
      induced AD-like skin lesions for 11 days. The number of scratching behavior was
      evaluated for 20min. AD-like symptoms including elevated serum IgE, skin
      hyperplasia and mast cell infiltration were investigated. The expressions of pro
      inflammatory cytokines and mediators were analyzed in AD-like skin legions. In
      addition, pro-inflammatory cytokine production was confirmed in human mast cells
      (HMC)-1 stimulated with PMA plus A23187 (PMACI). Topical application of CA
      attenuated total serum IgE level and scratching behavior. Skin hyperplasia
      including epidermis and dermis was ameliorated in CA-treated skin legions. The
      number of infiltrated mast cells was significantly decreased by CA treatment. In
      addition, CA reduced pro-inflammatory cytokines, such as IL-6, IL-1beta and TNF
      alpha and Th2 cytokine, IL-4, in both of AD-like skin lesions and PMACI
      sensitized HMC-1 cells. Furthermore, CA decreased the expressions of NF-kappaB,
      phospho-IkappaBalpha and MAP kinase. These results suggest the inhibitory effects
      of CA on the development of AD by regulating pro-inflammatory cytokines and
      mediators. CA could be an effective substance for the treatment of AD.

PMID- 28365523
TI  - Thrombin generation as a predictor of thromboembolic events in multiple myeloma
      patients.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Multiple myeloma (MM) is characterized by an increased incidence of
      thromboembolic events, especially when immunomodulatory drugs are used.
      Currently, our ability to predict these thrombotic events is limited. We
      hypothesized that global coagulation tests may be predictive of thrombotic events
      in MM patients. METHODS: Blood samples were taken from 36 MM patients before and
      during routine treatment. Thrombin generation (TG) tests including endogenous
      thrombin potential (ETP) and peak height were analyzed. RESULTS: Patients were
      followed for a median of 2.5years. Those who developed thrombotic events were
      characterized by significantly higher ETP and peak height values compared to
      those who did not (P=0.001). In these patients, we identified a gradual increase
      in TG parameters that preceded the thrombotic event. Anticoagulation therapy was
      associated with a significant decrease in ETP and peak height values (P<0.001).
      There was no statistically significant difference in TG parameters between newly
      diagnosed MM patients and healthy subjects, as well as between MM patients prior
      to and during chemotherapy. CONCLUSIONS: TG tests might predict thrombotic events
      in MM patients. Thus, TG tests may be incorporated into decision-making protocols
      of prophylactic anticoagulant therapy in MM patients.

PMID- 28365522
TI  - Longitudinal course and characteristics of cyclothymic disorder in youth.
AB  - OBJECTIVES: Epidemiological studies suggest that cyclothymic disorder is the most
      prevalent subtype of bipolar disorder (BD). However, it is rarely diagnosed,
      especially in youth. This may be because it can be difficult to ascertain whether
      a youth meets diagnostic criteria. Clearer, easy-to-apply criteria could reduce
      misdiagnosis. The objective oftable this study was to determine whether proposed
      research diagnostic criteria for cyclothymic disorder (RDCyc), based on DSM-5
      criteria, could be quantified and validated in youth. METHODS: Participants from
      the Longitudinal Assessment of Manic Symptoms (LAMS) study were recruited based
      on symptoms of mania and followed prospectively. RDCyc criteria were: 1) At least
      one core symptom each of mania and depression; 2) one additional symptom of mania
      and of depression; 3) persistence over two consecutive six-month periods, and 4)
      impairment. Exclusionary criteria were having a [hypo]manic or depressive
      episode. Outcomes at the two-year follow-up were compared between RDCyc youth and
      other diagnostic groups (BD I/II, BD NOS/non-RDCyc cyclothymic disorder,
      disruptive behavior disorders [DBD], depression). RESULTS: Thirty-seven youth met
      RDCyc criteria. There were no consistent differences between the RDCyc youth and
      youth with other BD subtypes (ps=0.001-0.960, with all-but-one p value >0.02).
      RDCyc youth had higher depression (p<0.0005) and mania scores (p=0.001), lower
      functioning (p=0.012), and higher suicide risk than DBD youth (p=0.001). They had
      higher mania scores than depressed youth (p.018). LIMITATIONS: The majority of
      youth in the sample were recruited due to elevated symptoms of mania, which may
      limit the generalizability of the results. Youth were followed for two years,
      which may not be long enough to determine whether or not they will eventually
      develop a manic or depressive episode. CONCLUSIONS: Applying RDCyc criteria
      identified youth who were similar to others with BD and were more impaired than
      those with DBD. Using these criteria could reduce misdiagnosis and increase our
      understanding of this prevalent, but largely ignored, diagnosis.

PMID- 28365524
TI  - Pancreas and liver uptake of new radiolabeled incretins (GLP-1 and Exendin-4) in
      models of diet-induced and diet-restricted obesity.
AB  - INTRODUCTION: Radiolabeled GLP-1 and its analog Exendin-4, have been employed in
      diabetes and insulinoma. No protocol in conventional Diet-Induced Obesity (DIO),
      and Diet-Restricted Obesity (DRO), has been identified. Aiming to assess
      pancreatic beta cell uptake in DIO and DRO, a protocol was designed. METHODS: GLP
      1-betaAla-HYNIC and HYNIC-betaAla-Exendin-4 were labeled with technetium-99m.
      Four Swiss mouse models were adopted: Controls (C), Alloxan Diabetes Controls
      (ADC), DIO and DRO. Biodistribution and ex-vivo planar imaging were documented.
      RESULTS: Radiolabeling yield was in the range of 97% and both agents were
      hydrophilic. Fasting Blood Glucose (FBG) was 79.2+/-8.2mg/dl in C, 590.4+/
      23.3mg/dl in ADC, 234.3+/-66.7mg/dl in DIO, and 96.6+/-9.3 in DRO (p=0.010).
      Biodistribution confirmed predominantly urinary excretion. DIO mice exhibited
      depressed uptake in liver and pancreas, for both radiomarkers, in the range of
      ADC. DRO only partially restored such values. 99mTc-HYNIC-betaAla-Exendin-4
      demonstrated better results than GLP-1-betaAla-HYNIC-99mTc. CONCLUSIONS: 1) Diet
      induced obesity remarkably depressed beta cell uptake; 2) Restriction of obesity
      failed to normalize uptake, despite robust improvement of FBG; 3) HYNIC-betaAla
      Exendin-4 was the most useful marker; 4) Further studies are recommended in
      obesity and dieting, including bariatric surgery.

PMID- 28365525
TI  - Radiosynthesis of (S)-[18F]T1: The first PET radioligand for molecular imaging of
      alpha3beta4 nicotinic acetylcholine receptors.
AB  - Recent pharmacologic data revealed the implication of alpha3beta4 nicotinic
      acetylcholine receptors (nAChRs) in nicotine and drug addiction. To image
      alpha3beta4 nAChRs in vivo, we aimed to establish the synthesis of a [18F]
      labelled analog of the highly affine and selective alpha3beta4 ligand (S)-3-(4-(4
      fluorophenyl)-1H-1,2,3-triazol-1-yl)quinuclidine ((S)-T1). (S)-[18F]T1 was
      synthesized from ethynyl-4-[18F]fluorobenzene ([18F]5) and (S)-azidoquinuclidine
      by click reaction. After a synthesis time of 130min (S)-[18F]T1 was obtained with
      a radiochemical yield (non-decay corrected) of 4.3+/-1.3%, a radiochemical purity
      of >99% and a molar activity of >158 GBq/MUmol. The brain uptake and the brain-to
      blood ratio of (S)-[18F]T1 in mice at 30min post injection were 2.02 (SUV) and
      6.1, respectively. According to an ex-vivo analysis, the tracer remained intact
      (>99%) in brain. Only one major radiometabolite was detected in plasma and urine
      samples. In-vitro autoradiography on pig brain slices revealed binding of (S)
      [18F]T1 to brain regions associated with the expression of alpha3beta4 nAChRs,
      which could be reduced by the alpha3beta4 nAChR selective drug AT-1001. These
      findings make (S)-[18F]T1 a potential tool for the non-invasive imaging of
      alpha3beta4 nAChRs in the brain by PET.

PMID- 28365526
TI  - Analysis of MCNP simulated gamma spectra of CdTe detectors for boron neutron
      capture therapy.
AB  - The next step in the boron neutron capture therapy (BNCT) is the real time
      imaging of the boron concentration in healthy and tumor tissue. Monte Carlo
      simulations are employed to predict the detector response required to realize
      single-photon emission computed tomography in BNCT, but have failed to correctly
      resemble measured data for cadmium telluride detectors. In this study we have
      tested the gamma production cross-section data tables of commonly used libraries
      in the Monte Carlo code MCNP in comparison to measurements. The cross section
      data table TENDL-2008-ACE is reproducing measured data best, whilst the commonly
      used ENDL92 and other studied libraries do not include correct tables for the
      gamma production from the cadmium neutron capture reaction that is occurring
      inside the detector. Furthermore, we have discussed the size of the annihilation
      peaks of spectra obtained by cadmium telluride and germanium detectors.

PMID- 28365527
TI  - Imatinib discontinuation in chronic myeloid leukaemia patients with undetectable
      BCR-ABL transcript level: A systematic review and a meta-analysis.
AB  - PURPOSE: Tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) are the cornerstones of treatment for
      patients with chronic myeloid leukaemia (CML). In recent years, several studies
      were conducted to evaluate the safety of TKIs discontinuation. We performed a
      systematic review of the literature to determine the incidence of CML relapse, to
      identify possible factors relapse rates and to evaluate the long-term safety in
      CML patients with stable undetectable BCR-ABL transcript level who discontinued
      TKIs. DESIGN: Studies evaluating TKIs discontinuation in CML patients with
      undetectable BCR-ABL transcript level were identified by electronic search of
      MEDLINE and EMBASE database until May 2015. Weighted mean proportion and 95%
      confidence intervals (CIs) of CML relapse was calculated using a fixed-effects
      and a random-effects model. Statistical heterogeneity was evaluated using the I2
      statistic. RESULTS: Fifteen cohort studies, for a total of 509 patients, were
      included. Nine studies were at low-risk of bias. All 15 studies included only
      patients on imatinib. Overall weighted mean molecular relapse rate of CML was 51%
      (95% CI 44-58%; I2 = 55). Weighted mean molecular relapse rate at 6-month follow
      up was 41% (95% CI 32-51%; I2 = 78). Eighty percent of molecular relapses
      occurred in the first 6 months. All 509 patients were alive at 2-year follow-up
      and only one patient (0.8%, 95% CI 0.2-1.8%; I2 = 0) has progressed to a blastic
      crisis. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings suggest that imatinib discontinuation is
      feasible for the majority of CML patients with stable undetectable BCR-ABL
      transcript level. Approximately 50% of patients remain therapy-free after
      imatinib discontinuation. Restarting TKIs therapy was followed by a very high
      rate of molecular response, with no deaths 2 years after discontinuation.

PMID- 28365528
TI  - European Organisation for Research and Treatment of Cancer consensus
      recommendations for the treatment of mycosis fungoides/Sezary syndrome - Update
      2017.
AB  - In order to provide a common standard for the treatment of mycosis fungoides (MF)
      and Sezary syndrome (SS), the European Organisation for Research and Treatment of
      Cancer-Cutaneous Lymphoma Task Force (EORTC-CLTF) published in 2006 its consensus
      recommendations for the stage-adapted selection of management options for these
      neoplasms. Since then, the understanding of the pathophysiology and epidemiology
      of MF/SS has advanced, the staging system has been revised, new outcome data have
      been published and novel treatment options have been introduced. The purpose of
      the present document is to update the original recommendations bearing in mind
      that there are still only a limited number of controlled studies to support
      treatment decisions for MF/SS and that often treatment is determined by
      institutional experience and availability. This consensus on treatment
      recommendations was established among the authors through a series of consecutive
      consultations in writing and a round of discussion. Recommended treatment options
      are presented according to disease stage, whenever possible categorised into
      first- and second-line options and supported with levels of evidence as devised
      by the Oxford Centre for Evidence-Based Medicine (OCEBM). Skin-directed therapies
      are still the most appropriate option for early-stage MF, and most patients can
      look forward to a normal life expectancy. For patients with advanced disease,
      prognosis is still grim, and only for a highly selected subset of patients,
      prolonged survival can be achieved with allogeneic stem cell transplantation
      (alloSCT). There is a high need for the development and investigation in
      controlled clinical trials of treatment options that are based on our increasing
      understanding of the molecular pathology of MF/SS.

PMID- 28365529
TI  - Giant cell tumour of bone in the denosumab era.
AB  - Giant cell tumour of bone (GCTB) is an intermediate locally aggressive primary
      bone tumour, occurring mostly at the meta-epiphysis of long bones. Overexpression
      of receptor activator of nuclear factor kappa-B ligand (RANKL) by mononuclear
      neoplastic stromal cells promotes recruitment of numerous reactive multinucleated
      osteoclast-like giant cells, causing lacunar bone resorption. Preferential
      treatment is curettage with local adjuvants such as phenol, alcohol or liquid
      nitrogen. The remaining cavity may be filled with bone graft or
      polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA) bone cement; benefits of the latter are a lower
      risk of recurrence, possibility of direct weight bearing and early radiographic
      detection of recurrences. Reported recurrence rates are comparable for the
      different local adjuvants (27-31%). Factors increasing the local recurrence risk
      include soft tissue extension and anatomically difficult localisations such as
      the sacrum. When joint salvage is impossible, en-bloc resection and
      endoprosthetic joint replacement may be performed. Local tumour control on the
      one hand and maintenance of a functional native joint and quality of life on the
      other hand are the main pillars of surgical treatment for this disease. Current
      knowledge and development in the fields of imaging, functional biology and
      systemic therapy are forcing us into a paradigm shift from a purely surgical
      approach towards a multidisciplinary approach. Systemic therapy with denosumab
      (RANKL inhibitor) or zoledronic acid (bisphosphonates) blocks, respectively
      inhibits, bone resorption by osteoclast-like giant cells. After use of zoledronic
      acid, stabilisation of local and metastatic disease has been reported, although
      the level of evidence is low. Denosumab is more extensively studied in two
      prospective trials, and appears effective for the optimisation of surgical
      treatment. Denosumab should be considered in the standard multidisciplinary
      treatment of advanced GCTB (e.g. cortical destruction, soft tissue extension,
      joint involvement or sacral localisation) to facilitate surgery at a later stage,
      and thereby aiming at immediate local control. Even though several questions
      concerning optimal treatment dose, duration and interval and drug safety remain
      unanswered, denosumab is among the most effective drug therapies in oncology.

PMID- 28365531
TI  - Macrophage activation syndrome: A new complication of checkpoint inhibitors.

PMID- 28365530
TI  - Regression of melanoma metastases and multiple non-melanoma skin cancers in
      xeroderma pigmentosum by the PD1-antibody pembrolizumab.

PMID- 28365532
TI  - Application of the fragment molecular orbital method analysis to fragment-based
      drug discovery of BET (bromodomain and extra-terminal proteins) inhibitors.
AB  - The molecular interactions of inhibitors of bromodomains (BRDs) were
      investigated. BRDs are protein interaction modules that recognizing epsilon-N
      acetyl-lysine (epsilonAc-Lys) motifs found in histone tails and are promising
      protein-protein interaction (PPI) targets. First, we analyzed a peptide ligand
      containing epsilonAc-Lys to evaluate native PPIs. We then analyzed
      tetrahydroquinazoline-6-yl-benzensulfonamide derivatives found by fragment-based
      drug design (FBDD) and examined their interactions with the protein compared with
      the peptide ligand in terms of the inter-fragment interaction energy. In
      addition, we analyzed benzodiazepine derivatives that are high-affinity ligands
      for BRDs and examined differences in the CH/pi interactions of the amino acid
      residues. We further surveyed changes in the charges of the amino acid residues
      among individual ligands, performed pair interaction energy decomposition
      analysis and estimated the water profile within the ligand binding site. Thus,
      useful insights for drug design were provided. Through these analyses and
      considerations, we show that the FMO method is a useful drug design tool to
      evaluate the process of FBDD and to explore PPI inhibitors.

PMID- 28365533
TI  - iMOLSDOCK: Induced-fit docking using mutually orthogonal Latin squares (MOLS).
AB  - We have earlier reported the MOLSDOCK technique to perform rigid
      receptor/flexible ligand docking. The method uses the MOLS method, developed in
      our laboratory. In this paper we report iMOLSDOCK, the 'flexible receptor'
      extension we have carried out to the algorithm MOLSDOCK. iMOLSDOCK uses mutually
      orthogonal Latin squares (MOLS) to sample the conformation and the docking pose
      of the ligand and also the flexible residues of the receptor protein. The method
      then uses a variant of the mean field technique to analyze the sample to arrive
      at the optimum. We have benchmarked and validated iMOLSDOCK with a dataset of 44
      peptide-protein complexes with peptides. We have also compared iMOLSDOCK with
      other flexible receptor docking tools GOLD v5.2.1 and AutoDock Vina. The results
      obtained show that the method works better than these two algorithms, though it
      consumes more computer time.

PMID- 28365534
TI  - Performance or appearance? Young female sport participants' body negotiations.
AB  - The aim of this qualitative study was to examine young female sport participants'
      experiences and thoughts in terms of sport, their bodies, and social appearance
      norms. Six focus groups with female sport participants (N=25) from Sweden were
      conducted. Participants raised many positive experiences in relation to their
      sport participation, but they also witnessed a conflict in the intersection
      between the culture within their sport (emphasizing physical performance) and the
      culture outside their sport (emphasizing physical appearance). Through thematic
      analysis, four themes illustrating the balancing act between these two cultures
      were formed: (a) the performing body versus the objectified body, (b) food as
      fuel versus source of shame, (c) appreciation of body type diversity versus
      appearance prejudice, and (d) empowerment and agency versus disempowerment and
      restraints. The findings of this study indicate that young women who engage in
      sport have to face complex, ambiguous, and restricting norms and notions.

PMID- 28365535
TI  - A systematic review of the usefulness of pre-employment and pre-duty screening in
      predicting mental health outcomes amongst emergency workers.
AB  - Despite a lack of proven efficacy, pre-employment or pre-duty screening, which
      alleges to test for vulnerability to PTSD and other mental health disorders,
      remains common amongst emergency services. This systematic review aimed to
      determine the usefulness of different factors in predicting mental disorder
      amongst emergency workers and to inform practice regarding screening procedures.
      Systematic searches were conducted in MEDLINE, PsycINFO and EMBASE to identify
      cohort studies linking pre-employment or pre-duty measures in first responders
      with later mental health outcomes. Possible predictors of poor mental health were
      grouped into six categories and their overall level of evidence was assessed.
      Twenty-one prospective cohort studies were identified. Dynamic measures including
      physiological responses to simulated trauma and maladaptive coping styles (e.g.
      negative self-appraisal) had stronger evidence as predictors of vulnerability in
      first responders than more traditional static factors (e.g. pre-existing
      psychopathology). Personality factors (e.g. trait anger) had moderate evidence
      for predictive power. Based on the evidence reviewed, however, we are unable to
      provide emergency services with specific information to enhance their current
      personnel selection. The results indicate that pre-duty screening protocols that
      include personality assessments and dynamic measures of physiological and
      psychological coping strategies may be able to identify some personnel at
      increased risk of mental health problems. However, further longitudinal research
      is required in order to provide meaningful guidance to employers on the overall
      utility of either pre-employment or pre-duty screening. In particular, research
      examining the sensitivity, specificity and positive predictive values of various
      screening measures is urgently needed.

PMID- 28365536
TI  - Personality traits are associated with the valence of future imagined events in
      individuals with schizophrenia.
AB  - The relationships between the valence (positive or negative) of future imagined
      events and personality dimensions were examined in patients with schizophrenia.
      Correlational analyses showed that Extraversion was positively associated with
      the simulation of more positive future events whereas a statistical trend between
      Neuroticism and negative emotional valence was found. As in nonclinical
      individuals, personality is related to characteristics of mental time travel in
      schizophrenia patients.

PMID- 28365537
TI  - Suicide attempters examined in a Parisian Emergency Department: Contrasting
      characteristics associated with multiple suicide attempts or with the motive to
      die.
AB  - Among patients examined after a suicide attempt in a Parisian emergency
      department, we aimed to compare individual characteristics of i) first time and
      multiple suicide attempters, ii) attempters whose principal motive was "to die"
      and attempters who had any other motive. Information regarding sociodemographics,
      clinical characteristics, prior mental health care and outgoing referral was
      collected in 168 suicide attempters using a standardized form. Associations of
      these variables with suicide attempt repetition (yes or no) and with the motive
      underlying the attempt (to die or not) were examined using descriptive statistics
      and multivariable logistic regression models. Multiple attempters were more
      likely to have no occupation and to report previous mental health care: mental
      health follow-up, psychiatric medication or psychiatric hospitalization. The
      motive to die was not associated with the risk of multiple suicide attempts but
      related to past suicidal ideation and to some specific precipitating factors,
      including psychiatric disorder. Patients who intended to die were also more
      likely to be referred to inpatient than to outpatient psychiatric care. Multiple
      attempters and attempters who desire to die might represent two distinct high
      risk groups regarding clinical characteristics and care pathways. They would
      probably not benefit from the same intervention strategies.

PMID- 28365538
TI  - Co-infection with HIV associated with reduced vulnerability to symptoms of
      depression during antiviral treatment for hepatitis C.
AB  - In this prospective study, we examined new-onset major depressive disorder (MDD)
      and the differential expression of depressive symptoms in a sample of 132 HCV
      mono-infected and 40 HIV/HCV co-infected patients initiating pegylated interferon
      based treatment, including protease inhibitor therapy. The semi-structured
      clinical interview (SCID-I) was used to assess MDD. Severity of depressive
      symptoms was assessed using the Hamilton Depression Rating Scale. Of the total
      sample, 60 patients (34.9%) developed SCID-I defined MDD during antiviral
      treatment. The proportion of HCV mono- and HIV/HCV patients developing MDD during
      treatment was not significantly different (37.9% vs. 25%; p=0.185). In both
      groups, there was a significant increase in HAMD total score from baseline to
      week 4, and a significant decrease between week 24 and 6 months post-treatment
      cessation. The greatest increase was observed in the symptoms of the
      neurovegetative syndrome. HCV mono-infected patients reported higher scores than
      co-infected patients, particularly impaired activity and somatic symptoms, but
      the differences were only significant at week 12. The finding that co-infected
      patients appear less vulnerable to the development of depressive symptoms during
      HCV treatment than HCV mono-infected patients warrants further exploration,
      including a thorough analysis of the biological and psychosocial factors
      associated with this emergence.

PMID- 28365539
TI  - Electrospinning of continuous poly (L-lactide) yarns: Effect of twist on the
      morphology, thermal properties and mechanical behavior.
AB  - Electrospinning PLLA solutions from two oppositely charged nozzles gives a
      triangle of fibers, also called E-triangle, that assemble into yarns at the
      convergence point. The formed yarn at the E-triangle was taken up by a unit
      comprising a take up roller and coupled twister plate, which twist rate can be
      varied. At all twist rates, uniform and smooth fibers without any beads were
      formed. The apex angle of the deposited fibers at the E-triangle was larger at
      higher twist rates. By increasing the twist rate from 80rpm to 320rpm the
      orientation angle of fibers in the yarn changes from 18.8 degrees  to 41.5
      degrees . Increasing the twist rate revealed a higher polymer crystallinity
      likely due to the polymer orientation by the applied tension to the fibers. The
      ultimate strength and modulus of electrospun yarns were higher when prepared at
      higher twist rates. However, at the highest twist rates, the strength and modulus
      of electrospun yarns leveled off and even decreased slightly. The results
      revealed that the mechanical properties not only depend on the polymer
      crystallinity but also on the alignment of the fibers in the yarn and the angle
      at which they were deposited. These biodegradable materials are promising
      materials to be used in a wide range of applications where environmentally
      friendly products are required.

PMID- 28365540
TI  - Unusual effect evidenced at the investigations of the mechanical behavior of
      composite hydrogels under cyclic compression.
AB  - An unusual type of mechanical behavior was registered while studying the swollen
      hydrogel compositions "cellulose-polyacrylamide" in the conditions of multiple
      cyclic compression tests with the broad variation of the deformation speed. While
      increasing the deformation rate the clearly seen inversion of the positions of
      compression and decompression parts of the cyclic stress-strain curves was
      detected. While carrying out the cyclic compression tests with relatively low
      deformation speed (about 100-200% of the initial sample's height per minute) the
      well defined hysteresis of the stress-strain curve can de seen and in these
      conditions the decompression part of the curve is situated inferior the part
      corresponding to compression. But while increasing the speed of the deformation
      the tendency to the progressive approach of the compression and decompression
      curves to each other is clearly seen. This effect results in the full
      disappearance of the hysteresis at some value of the deformation speed: the
      decompression curve coincides with the compression curve. Along with the further
      increase of the deformation speed the hysteresis appears again but the curve
      corresponding to compression process is situated inferior the curve corresponding
      to decompression: the "inversion" of the hysteresis was detected. The precise
      character of this process depends upon the stiffness of the hydrogel under study.
      Up to date the convincing explanation o this effect can not be put forward. The
      authors can only present some hypotheses to explain this phenomenon.

PMID- 28365541
TI  - Fracture strength and probability of survival of narrow and extra-narrow dental
      implants after fatigue testing: In vitro and in silico analysis.
AB  - PURPOSE: To assess the probability of survival (reliability) and failure modes of
      narrow implants with different diameters. MATERIALS AND METHODS: For fatigue
      testing, 42 implants with the same macrogeometry and internal conical connection
      were divided, according to diameter, as follows: narrow (O3.3*10mm) and extra
      narrow (O2.9*10mm) (21 per group). Identical abutments were torqued to the
      implants and standardized maxillary incisor crowns were cemented and subjected to
      step-stress accelerated life testing (SSALT) in water. The use-level probability
      Weibull curves, and reliability for a mission of 50,000 and 100,000 cycles at
      50N, 100, 150 and 180N were calculated. For the finite element analysis (FEA),
      two virtual models, simulating the samples tested in fatigue, were constructed.
      Loading at 50N and 100N were applied 30 degrees  off-axis at the crown. The von
      Mises stress was calculated for implant and abutment. RESULTS: The beta (beta)
      values were: 0.67 for narrow and 1.32 for extra-narrow implants, indicating that
      failure rates did not increase with fatigue in the former, but more likely were
      associated with damage accumulation and wear-out failures in the latter. Both
      groups showed high reliability (up to 97.5%) at 50 and 100N. A decreased
      reliability was observed for both groups at 150 and 180N (ranging from 0 to
      82.3%), but no significant difference was observed between groups. Failure
      predominantly involved abutment fracture for both groups. FEA at 50N-load, O3.3mm
      showed higher von-Mises stress for abutment (7.75%) and implant (2%) when
      compared to the O2.9mm. CONCLUSIONS: There was no significant difference between
      narrow and extra-narrow implants regarding probability of survival. The failure
      mode was similar for both groups, restricted to abutment fracture.

PMID- 28365542
TI  - A methodology for the customized design of colonic stents based on a parametric
      model.
AB  - The choice of necessary stent properties depends mainly on the length of the
      stenosis and degree of occlusion. So a stent design with variable radial
      stiffness along its longitudinal axis would be a good option. The design proposed
      corresponds to a tube-based stent with closed diamond-shaped cells made from a
      NiTi alloy. By acting independently on different geometric factors, variable
      geometries can be obtained with different radial force reactions. A design
      adjustment according to specific requirements, in order to get a better fit to
      ill-duct and reduces complications, is possible. A parametric analysis using
      finite element has been conducted to determine the influence of slot length,
      number of circumferential slots, tube thickness and shape-factor on stent
      mechanical behavior, which allow eliminating the need for extensive experimental
      work and knowing and quantifying the influence of those factors. The results of
      finite element simulations have been used, by means of least-squares fit
      techniques, to obtain analytical expressions for the main mechanical
      characteristics of the stent (Chronic Expansive Radial Force and Radial
      Compression Resistance) in terms of the different geometrical factors. This
      allows the stent geometry to be customized without launching an iterative and
      costly process of modeling and simulation for each case.

PMID- 28365543
TI  - Hyper-elastic modeling and mechanical behavior investigation of porous poly-D-L
      lactide/nano-hydroxyapatite scaffold material.
AB  - Poly-D-L-lactide/nano-hydroxyapatite (PDLLA/nano-HA) can be used as the
      biological scaffold material in bone tissue engineering as it can be readily made
      into a porous composite material with excellent performance. However,
      constitutive modeling for the mechanical response of porous PDLLA/nano-HA under
      various stress conditions has been very limited so far. In this work, four types
      of fundamental compressible hyper-elastic constitutive models were introduced for
      constitutive modeling and investigation of mechanical behaviors of porous
      PDLLA/nano-HA. Moreover, the unitary expressions of Cauchy stress tensor have
      been derived for the PDLLA/nano-HA under uniaxial compression (or stretch),
      biaxial compression (or stretch), pure shear and simple shear load by using the
      theory of continuum mechanics. The theoretical results determined from the
      approach based on the Ogden compressible hyper-elastic constitutive model were in
      good agreement with the experimental data from the uniaxial compression tests.
      Furthermore, this approach can also be used to predict the mechanical behaviors
      of the porous PDLLA/nano-HA material under the biaxial compression (or stretch),
      pure shear and simple shear.

PMID- 28365544
TI  - Outcomes from extensive training in critical care echocardiography: Identifying
      the optimal number of practice studies required to achieve competency.
AB  - PURPOSE: Optimal instruction and assessment of critical care ultrasound (CCUS)
      skills requires an assessment tool to measure learner competency and changes over
      time. In this study, a previously published tool was used to monitor the
      development of critical care echocardiography (CCE) competencies, the attainment
      of performance plateaus, and the extent to which previous experience influenced
      learning. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A group of experts used the Rapid Assessment of
      Competency in Echocardiography (RACE) scale to rate a large pool of CCE studies
      performed by novices in a longitudinal design. A total of 380 studies performed
      by twelve learners were assessed; each study was independently rated by two
      experts. RESULTS: Learners demonstrated improvement in mean RACE scores over
      time, with peak performance occurring early in training and a performance plateau
      thereafter. Learners with little experience received the greatest benefit from
      training, with an average performance plateau reached at the twentieth study.
      CONCLUSIONS: Supporting earlier results, the RACE scale provided a
      straightforward means to assess learner performance with minimal requirements for
      evaluator training. The results of the present study suggest that novices
      experience the greatest gains in competency during their first twenty practice
      studies, a threshold which should serve to guide training initiatives.

PMID- 28365545
TI  - Alpha-particle radiotherapy: For large solid tumors diffusion trumps targeting.
AB  - Diffusion limitations on the penetration of nanocarriers in solid tumors hamper
      their therapeutic use when labeled with alpha-particle emitters. This is mostly
      due to the alpha-particles' relatively short range (<=100 MUm) resulting in
      partial tumor irradiation and limited killing. To utilize the high therapeutic
      potential of alpha-particles against solid tumors, we designed non-targeted, non
      internalizing nanometer-sized tunable carriers (pH-tunable liposomes) that are
      triggered to release, within the slightly acidic tumor interstitium, highly
      diffusive forms of the encapsulated alpha-particle generator Actinium-225 (225Ac)
      resulting in more homogeneous distributions of the alpha-particle emitters,
      improving uniformity in tumor irradiation and increasing killing efficacies. On
      large multicellular spheroids (400 MUm-in-diameter), used as surrogates of the
      avascular areas of solid tumors, interstitially-releasing liposomes resulted in
      best growth control independent of HER2 expression followed in performance by (a)
      the HER2-targeting radiolabeled antibody or (b) the non-responsive liposomes. In
      an orthotopic human HER2-negative mouse model, interstitially-releasing 225Ac
      loaded liposomes resulted in the longest overall and median survival. This study
      demonstrates the therapeutic potential of a general strategy to bypass the
      diffusion-limited transport of radionuclide carriers in solid tumors enabling
      interstitial release from non-internalizing nanocarriers of highly-diffusing and
      deeper tumor-penetrating molecular forms of alpha-particle emitters, independent
      of cell-targeting.

PMID- 28365546
TI  - Joint multiple fully connected convolutional neural network with extreme learning
      machine for hepatocellular carcinoma nuclei grading.
AB  - Accurate cell grading of cancerous tissue pathological image is of great
      importance in medical diagnosis and treatment. This paper proposes a joint
      multiple fully connected convolutional neural network with extreme learning
      machine (MFC-CNN-ELM) architecture for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) nuclei
      grading. First, in preprocessing stage, each grayscale image patch with the fixed
      size is obtained using center-proliferation segmentation (CPS) method and the
      corresponding labels are marked under the guidance of three pathologists. Next, a
      multiple fully connected convolutional neural network (MFC-CNN) is designed to
      extract the multi-form feature vectors of each input image automatically, which
      considers multi-scale contextual information of deep layer maps sufficiently.
      After that, a convolutional neural network extreme learning machine (CNN-ELM)
      model is proposed to grade HCC nuclei. Finally, a back propagation (BP)
      algorithm, which contains a new up-sample method, is utilized to train MFC-CNN
      ELM architecture. The experiment comparison results demonstrate that our proposed
      MFC-CNN-ELM has superior performance compared with related works for HCC nuclei
      grading. Meanwhile, external validation using ICPR 2014 HEp-2 cell dataset shows
      the good generalization of our MFC-CNN-ELM architecture.

PMID- 28365547
TI  - Hospitalizations for ambulatory care sensitive conditions across primary care
      models in Ontario, Canada.
AB  - The study analyzes the relationship between the risk of a hospitalization for an
      ambulatory care sensitive condition (ACSC), and the primary care payment and the
      organizational model used by the patient (fee-for-service, enhanced fee-for
      service, blended capitation, blended capitation with interdisciplinary teams).
      The study used linked patient-level health administrative databases and census
      data housed at the Institute for Clinical Evaluative Sciences in Ontario. Since
      the province provides universal health care, the data capture all patients in
      Ontario, Canada's most populous province, with about 13 million inhabitants. All
      Ontario patients diagnosed with an ACSC prior to April 1, 2012, who had at least
      one visit with a physician between April 1, 2012, and March 31, 2013, were
      included in the study (n = 1,710,310). Each patient was assigned to the primary
      care model of his/her physician. The different models were categorized as Fee-for
      Service (FFS), enhanced-FFS, blended capitation, and interdisciplinary team. A
      logistic regression was used to model the risk of having an ACSC hospitalization
      during the one-year observation period. Adjustments were made for patient
      characteristics (age, sex, health status, and socio-economic status) and for the
      geographic location of the practice. Using patients belonging to FFS models as
      the reference group, the risk of an ACSC hospitalization was higher for patients
      belonging to the blended-capitation model using interdisciplinary teams (Adjusted
      Odds Ratio [AOR] = 1.06, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.00-1.12) and lower for
      enhanced-FFS (AOR = 0.78, CI = 0.74-0.82) and blended capitation patients (AOR =
      0.91, CI = 0.86-0.96). Using patients with hypertension as the reference group,
      the odds of an ACSC hospitalization were much higher for patients with any other
      ACSC and increased with patients' morbidity. The risk was lower for patients of
      higher socio-economic status (AOR = 0.63, CI = 0.60-0.67) in the highest
      neighborhood income quintile.

PMID- 28365548
TI  - Water balance assessment of different substrates on potash tailings piles using
      non-weighable lysimeters.
AB  - Water balance is an important tool to evaluate water deficit or excess in crop
      systems. However, few studies have evaluated the water balance of vegetation
      grown on the residues from potash mining because the high sodium chloride levels
      of the residues hinder agricultural development. Therefore, this study aims to
      measure the water balance components in eight non-weighing lysimeters installed
      on a potash tailings pile in Heringen (Werra), Germany. These lysimeters were
      filled with different mixtures of household waste incineration slags and coal
      combustion residues, resulting in 4 different substrates with two repetitions.
      Manual seeding was performed using 65% perennial ryegrass (Lolium perenne L.),
      25% red fescue (Festuca rubra L.) and 10% Kentucky bluegrass (Poa pratensis L.).
      Environmental conditions were monitored using an automatic weather station;
      ground-level and 1-m-high rain gauges. Precipitation and drainage were recorded
      weekly following the initial saturation of the lysimeters. Water balance
      components were determined for two hydrological years based on the expression: ET
      (mm) = P - D, where ET = evapotranspiration, P = precipitation and D = drainage.
      In addition, evapotranspiration was studied using the standard FAO Penman
      Monteith equation and Haude's method. The lysimeter water balance measured in
      2014 revealed an actual evapotranspiration rate of 66.4% for substrate 1, 66.9%
      for substrate 2, 65.1% for substrate 3 and 64.1% for substrate 4. In 2015,
      evapotranspiration ranged from 65.7% for substrate 4 to 70.2% for substrate 1. We
      observed that the FAO Penman-Monteith and Haude's evapotranspiration models
      generally overestimated the water use of the green coverage by 67% and 23%,
      respectively. Our study suggests that an evapotranspiration cover for potash
      tailings piles may decrease brine drainage from these piles and reduce soil and
      water contamination.

PMID- 28365549
TI  - Greenhouse gas balance of mountain dairy farms as affected by grassland carbon
      sequestration.
AB  - Recent studies on milk production have often focused on environmental impacts
      analysed using the Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) approach. In grassland-based
      livestock systems, soil carbon sequestration might be a potential sink to
      mitigate greenhouse gas (GHG) balance. Nevertheless, there is no commonly shared
      methodology. In this work, the GHG emissions of small-scale mountain dairy farms
      were assessed using the LCA approach. Two functional units, kg of Fat and Protein
      Corrected Milk (FPCM) and Utilizable Agricultural Land (UAL), and two different
      emissions allocations methods, no allocation and physical allocation, which
      accounts for the co-product beef, were considered. Two groups of small-scale
      dairy farms were identified based on the Livestock Units (LU) reared: <30 LU
      (LLU) and >30 LU (HLU). Before considering soil carbon sequestration in LCA,
      performing no allocation methods, LLU farms tended to have higher GHG emission
      than HLU farms per kg of FPCM (1.94 vs. 1.59 kg CO2-eq/kg FPCM, P <= 0.10),
      whereas the situation was reversed upon considering the m2 of UAL as a functional
      unit (0.29 vs. 0.89 kg CO2-eq/m2, P <= 0.05). Conversely, considering physical
      allocation, the difference between the two groups became less noticeable. When
      the contribution from soil carbon sequestration was included in the LCA and no
      allocation method was performed, LLU farms registered higher values of GHG
      emission per kg of FPCM than HLU farms (1.38 vs. 1.10 kg CO2-eq/kg FPCM, P <=
      0.05), and the situation was likewise reversed in this case upon considering the
      m2 of UAL as a functional unit (0.22 vs. 0.73 kg CO2-eq/m2, P <= 0.05). To
      highlight how the presence of grasslands is crucial for the carbon footprint of
      small-scale farms, this study also applied a simulation for increasing the forage
      self-sufficiency of farms to 100%. In this case, an average reduction of GHG
      emission per kg of FPCM of farms was estimated both with no allocation and with
      physical allocation, reaching 27.0% and 28.8%, respectively.

PMID- 28365550
TI  - Organic waste vermicomposting through the addition of rock dust inoculated with
      domestic sewage wastewater.
AB  - The aims of the present study are to assess the organic waste vermicomposting
      process (cattle manure mixed with tannery sludge) by using inorganic waste (rock
      dust) inoculated with treated domestic wastewater sewage, as well as the
      vermicompost application in Ruellia brittoniana seedling production. Different
      proportions of organic and inorganic waste moistened (or not) in wastewater were
      vermicomposted (by Eisenia foetida) for 120 days in the first stage of the
      experiment. Statistically significant earthworm density increase was observed
      between the 60th and 90th experimental vermicompositing days in all the assessed
      groups. There was decreased E. foetida population density after 90 days. The K,
      P, TOC, C/N ratio and Ca, Na and Mg concentrations significantly decreased at the
      end of the vermicompositing process in comparison to the initial concentrations
      identified in most treatments. On the other hand, there was pH and N, Fe, Zn and
      Mn concentration increase in most of the vermicomposts assessed at the end of the
      experiment. All plants grown in soil containing vermicomposts presented higher
      Dickson Quality Index (DQI) than the control group, which was cultivated in soil
      containing commercial topsoil. Plants grown in soil containing 100% cattle manure
      and tannery sludge, moistened in treated domestic wastewater sewage, showed the
      highest DQI. Thus, the vermicomposting waste used in the present study, which was
      inoculated with treated domestic wastewater sewage, is an interesting
      vermicompost production technology to be used in ornamental plant production.

PMID- 28365551
TI  - Microwave drying remediation of petroleum-contaminated drill cuttings.
AB  - The oil reservoir drilling phase generates contaminated cuttings with oil
      formation itself. These cuttings must be subjected to a decontamination process
      before being disposed of in the environment. Several technologies are cited in
      literature for the remediation of soil contaminated with oil or diesel, but none
      have been reported to remedy drill cuttings contaminated with oil from reservoir.
      The reservoir drill cuttings are a problem because its discharge is not allowed.
      The drying technology using microwave has shown promise in the decontamination of
      cuttings with non-aqueous base drilling fluid, conciliating good robustness and
      high removal efficiency. Considering the aspects mentioned previously, the
      application of heating and drying technology using microwave in the remediation
      of oil contaminated cuttings from well drill was studied. The influence of
      temperature, specific energy and initial content of water in the drying operation
      of the reservoir cuttings and of the drilling cuttings artificially contaminated
      with oil were analyzed. The results showed an influence of temperature in the
      drying of the cuttings, being necessary to reach the boiling temperature of
      heavier hydrocarbons to reach an efficient removal in the operation. The specific
      energy has a strong influence, reaching a total decontamination using 2.67
      kWh/kg. The initial water content was effective in removing oil, reducing the
      residual level of oil with the increase of initial content of water. It also
      modifies the temperature profiles of the kinetic-warming of the contaminated
      cuttings. Both the technology and the equipment used proved effective for
      obtaining total decontamination of oil from the cuttings.

PMID- 28365552
TI  - Nitrate reduction in water by aluminum alloys particles.
AB  - Nano zero-valent iron (NZVI) particles have been extensively investigated for
      nitrate reduction in water. However, the reduction by NZVI requires acidic pH
      conditions and the final product is exclusively ammonium, leading to secondary
      contamination. In addition, nanomaterials have potential threats to environment
      and the transport and storage of nanomaterials are of safety concerns. Aluminum,
      the most abundant metal element in the earth's crust, is able to reduce nitrate,
      but the passivation of aluminum limits its application. Here we report Al alloys
      (85% Al) with Fe, Cu or Si for aqueous nitrate reduction. The Al alloys particles
      of 0.85-0.08 mm were inactivate under ambient conditions and a simple treatment
      with warm water (45  degrees C) quickly activated the alloy particles for rapid
      reduction of nitrate. The Al-Fe alloy particles at a dosage of 5 g/L rapidly
      reduced 50 mg-N/L nitrate at a reaction rate constant (k) of 3.2 +/- 0.1 (mg
      N/L)1.5/min between pH 5-6 and at 4.0 +/- 0.1 (mg-N/L)1.5/min between pH 9-11.
      Dopping Cu in the Al-Fe alloy enhanced the rates of reduction whereas dopping Si
      reduced the reactivity of the Al-Fe alloy. The Al alloys converted nitrate to 20%
      nitrogen and 80% ammonium. Al in the alloy particles provided electrons for the
      reduction and the intermetallic compounds in the alloys were likely to catalyze
      nitrate reduction to nitrogen.

PMID- 28365553
TI  - Restoration of liquid effluent from oil palm agroindustry in Malaysia using
      UV/TiO2 and UV/ZnO photocatalytic systems: A comparative study.
AB  - In this study, we have employed a photocatalytic method to restore the liquid
      effluent from a palm oil mill in Malaysia. Specifically, the performance of both
      TiO2 and ZnO was compared for the photocatalytic polishing of palm oil mill
      effluent (POME). The ZnO photocatalyst has irregular shape, bigger in particle
      size but smaller BET specific surface area (9.71 m2/g) compared to the spherical
      TiO2 photocatalysts (11.34 m2/g). Both scavenging study and post-reaction FTIR
      analysis suggest that the degradation of organic pollutant in the TiO2 system has
      occurred in the bulk solution. In contrast, it is necessary for organic pollutant
      to adsorb onto the surface of ZnO photocatalyst, before the degradation took
      place. In addition, the reactivity of both photocatalysts differed in terms of
      mechanisms, photocatalyst loading and also the density of photocatalysts. From
      the stability test, TiO2 was found to offer higher stability, as no significant
      deterioration in activity was observed after three consecutive cycles. On the
      other hand, ZnO lost around 30% of its activity after the 1st-cycle of
      photoreaction. The pH studies showed that acidic environment did not improve the
      photocatalytic degradation of the POME, whilst in the basic environment, the
      reaction media became cloudy. In addition, longevity study also showed that the
      TiO2 was a better photocatalyst compared to the ZnO (74.12%), with more than
      80.0% organic removal after 22 h of UV irradiation.

PMID- 28365554
TI  - Worse than imagined: Unidentified virtual water flows in China.
AB  - The impact of virtual water flows on regional water scarcity in China had been
      deeply discussed in previous research. However, these studies only focused on
      water quantity, the impact of virtual water flows on water quality has been
      largely neglected. In this study, we incorporate the blue water footprint related
      with water quantity and grey water footprint related with water quality into
      virtual water flow analysis based on the multiregional input-output model of
      2007. The results find that the interprovincial virtual flows accounts for 23.4%
      of China's water footprint. The virtual grey water flows are 8.65 times greater
      than the virtual blue water flows; the virtual blue water and grey water flows
      are 91.8 and 794.6 Gm3/y, respectively. The use of the indicators related with
      water quantity to represent virtual water flows in previous studies will
      underestimate their impact on water resources. In addition, the virtual water
      flows are mainly derived from agriculture, chemical industry and petroleum
      processing and the coking industry, which account for 66.8%, 7.1% and 6.2% of the
      total virtual water flows, respectively. Virtual water flows have intensified
      both quantity- and quality-induced water scarcity of export regions, where low
      value-added but water-intensive and high-pollution goods are produced. Our study
      on virtual water flows can inform effective water use policy for both water
      resources and water pollution in China. Our methodology about virtual water flows
      also can be used in global scale or other countries if data available.

PMID- 28365555
TI  - Reported hours of infection education received positively associated with student
      nurses' ability to comply with infection prevention practices: Results from a
      nationwide survey.

PMID- 28365556
TI  - A fluorescent glycosyl-imprinted polymer for pH and temperature regulated sensing
      of target glycopeptide antibiotic.
AB  - This paper demonstrates a new strategy for developing a fluorescent glycosyl
      imprinted polymer for pH and temperature regulated sensing of target glycopeptide
      antibiotic. The technique provides amino modified Mn-doped ZnS QDs as fluorescent
      supports, 4-vinylphenylbronic acid as a covalent monomer, N-isopropyl acrylamide
      as a thermo-responsive monomer in combination with acrylamide as a non-covalent
      monomer, and glycosyl moiety of a glycopeptide antibiotic as a template to
      produce fluorescent molecularly imprinted polymer (FMIP) in aqueous solution. The
      FMIP can alter its functional moieties and structure with pH and temperature
      stimulation. This allows recognition of target molecules through control of pH
      and temperature. The fluorescence intensity of the FMIP was enhanced gradually as
      the concentration of telavancin increased, and showed selective recognition
      toward the target glycopeptide antibiotic preferentially among other antibiotics.
      Using the FMIP as a sensing material, good linear correlations were obtained over
      the concentration range of 3.0-300.0MUg/L and with a low limit of detection of
      1.0MUg/L. The analysis results of telavancin in real samples were consistent with
      that obtained by liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry.

PMID- 28365557
TI  - Ultrasensitive electrochemical biosensing platform based on spherical silicon
      dioxide/molybdenum selenide nanohybrids and triggered Hybridization Chain
      Reaction.
AB  - An ultrasensitive sandwich-type electrochemical biosensor for DNA detection is
      developed based on spherical silicon dioxide/molybdenum selenide (SiO2@MoSe2) and
      graphene oxide-gold nanoparticles (GO-AuNPs) hybrids as carrier triggered
      Hybridization Chain Reaction (HCR) coupling with multi-signal amplification. The
      proposed sensoring assay utilizes a spherical SiO2@MoSe2/AuNPs as sensing
      platform and GO-AuNPs hybrids as carriers to supply vast binding sites. H2O2+HQ
      system is used for DNA detection and HCR as the signal and selectivity enhancer.
      The sensor is designed in sandwich type to increase the specificity. As a result,
      the present biosensor exhibits a good dynamic range from 0.1fM to 100pM with a
      low detection limit of 0.068fM (S/N=3). This work shows a considerable potential
      for quantitative detection of DNA in early clinical diagnostics.

PMID- 28365558
TI  - Trends in prevalence and management of diabetes and related vascular risks in
      Japanese adults: Japan National Health and Nutrition Surveys 2003-2012.
AB  - AIMS: To examine temporal changes in health system performance for the control of
      diabetes and related risks for vascular complications in Japan over a decade.
      METHODS: Data of 51,128 individuals aged >=20years were obtained from the
      National Health and Nutrition Surveys in 2003-2012. Diabetes was defined as
      currently being treated by insulin or oral hypoglycaemic agents or having a
      glycated haemoglobin (HbA1c) level >=6.5% (>=48mmol/mol). We estimated the
      prevalence and proportions of people with diabetes being treated and achieving
      target goals of HbA1c <7.0% (<53mmol/mol), blood pressure <130/80mmHg, and non
      high-density lipoprotein cholesterol <130mg/dL. All estimates were age
      standardized using the Japanese population in 2010. RESULTS: The age-standardized
      prevalence of diabetes remained constant at approximately 8% and was
      significantly higher in men (P<0.001) and in individuals age >=65years (P<0.001)
      throughout the study period. The proportion of people with diabetes being treated
      significantly increased from 41.8% (95% confidence interval, 37.2-46.5%) in 2003
      to 54.9% (51.9-57.8%) in 2012, and the proportion of those having controlled
      HbA1c significantly increased from 13.4% (10.3-17.3%) in 2003 to 28.8% (26.3
      31.5%) in 2012. These two rates were significantly higher in age >=65years
      compared with younger adults in most of the survey years (P<0.05). The control
      rates of blood pressure and non-high-density lipoprotein cholesterol remained
      around 20% and 30-40%, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: Diabetes management in Japan
      has improved over the past decade but is still inadequate for prevention of
      vascular complications.

PMID- 28365559
TI  - Different inverse association of large high-density lipoprotein subclasses with
      exacerbation of insulin resistance and incidence of type 2 diabetes: The Nagahama
      study.
AB  - AIMS: In addition to its antiatherogenic action, high-density lipoprotein (HDL)
      may also have an antidiabetes function. Although the biological actions of small
      HDL (HDL3) and large HDL (HDL2) subclasses may be different, evidence in support
      of that hypothesis is lacking. The aim of this study was to clarify the
      difference in prognostic significance of HDL subclasses for exacerbation of
      insulin resistance and incidence of type 2 diabetes in the general population.
      METHODS: Study participants included 8365 community residents 52+/-13years of age
      not taking lipid lowering drugs. Serum HDL cholesterol subclasses and low-density
      lipoprotein subclasses, were measured by a homogeneous assay. Insulin resistance
      was assessed by homeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance (HOMA-IR).
      RESULTS: Cross-sectional analysis adjusted for possible covariates found that
      HDL2 cholesterol (HDL2-C) levels were inversely associated with HOMA-IR (beta=
      0.169, p<0.001), whereas HDL3-C had the opposite association (beta=0.054,
      p<0.001). Similar results were found in an analysis for type 2 diabetes (HDL2-C,
      odds ratio=0.96, p=0.001; HDL3-C, odds ratio=1.04, p=0.181). In a longitudinal
      analysis with 5.0years of follow-up, HDL2-C was inversely associated with
      exacerbation of insulin resistance (beta=-0.163, p<0.001); HDL3-C had the
      opposite association (beta=0.026, p=0.037). During follow-up, 205 individuals
      were newly diagnosed with diabetes, and HDL2-C level was associated with an
      inverse risk of type 2 diabetes incidence (odds ratio=0.98, p=0.006).
      CONCLUSIONS: HDL may have an antidiabetic function; the prognostic value of HDL2
      C for diabetes and insulin resistance might be better than that of HDL3-C.

PMID- 28365560
TI  - Clinical significance of serum complement factor 3 in patients with type 2
      diabetes mellitus.
AB  - AIMS: Although serum complement factor 3 (C3) is an acute phase reactant mainly
      synthesized in the liver, several recent studies have shown high C3 gene
      expression in adipose tissue (AT). However, the relationship between C3 and AT
      levels has not been fully clarified in type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) patients.
      METHODS: A total of 164 T2DM patients (109men and 55 women) participated in this
      cross-sectional study. A computed tomography scan was performed to measure
      visceral, subcutaneous, and total AT. The correlation between these factors and
      C3 levels was examined using Pearson's correlation analysis. A multivariate
      regression model was used to assess an independent determinant associated with C3
      levels after adjusting the explanatory variables (i.e., all ATs [visceral,
      subcutaneous, and total], and clinical features [sex, age, body mass index, waist
      circumference, glycated hemoglobin, duration of diabetes, systolic blood
      pressure, diastolic blood pressure, aspartate aminotransferase levels, alanine
      aminotransferase levels, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, high-density
      lipoprotein cholesterol, log(triglyceride levels), estimated glomerular
      filtration rate, and log(high-sensitivity C-reactive protein levels)]). RESULTS:
      Serum C3 levels were correlated with visceral, subcutaneous, and total AT among
      both men (r=0.505, p<0.001; r=0.545, p<0.001; r=0.617, p<0.001, respectively) and
      women (r=0.396, p=0.003; r=0.517, p<0.001; r=0.548, p<0.001, respectively). In
      the multivariate regression model, the association between total AT and C3 levels
      remained significantly positive (beta=0.490, p<0.001). CONCLUSIONS: Serum C3
      levels are associated with visceral, subcutaneous, and total AT in T2DM patients.
      Furthermore, C3 levels seem to be a marker for overall adiposity rather than
      regional adiposity.

PMID- 28365561
TI  - Are the results from the 2014 UK national survey on the management of diabetic
      ketoacidosis applicable to individual centres?
AB  - BACKGROUND: In 2013 the Joint British Diabetes Societies published an update to
      their 2010 guideline on the management of diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA). In 2014 a
      national survey was conducted to assess the management of DKA across the UK using
      the JBDS or local guidelines. Hospitals were invited to submit data on 5 people
      presenting with DKA. These data were published in 2016. However, whether those
      national results were applicable to individual hospitals remains unknown. AIM: To
      assess the management of people presenting with DKA at a single hospital and
      compare the results with the national dataset. METHODS: Using the identical data
      collection tool as used in the national survey we collected information on 40
      subjects (a total of 52 admissions) admitted with DKA between April 2014 and July
      2015. RESULTS: The data collected locally were very similar to those found in the
      national dataset. The management of DKA was best during the first few hours after
      admission, then biochemical and physical monitoring frequency decreased. The
      number of people who developed hypokalaemia and hypoglycaemia were very similar
      to the national data. Rates of biochemical improvement were slightly better
      locally. CONCLUSIONS: The data from the national DKA survey, even though based on
      a maximum of 5 people per hospital from across the UK are applicable at a
      hospital level.

PMID- 28365562
TI  - Responses of mixed methanotrophic consortia to variable Cu2+/Fe2+ ratios.
AB  - Methane mitigation in landfill top cover soils is mediated by methanotrophs whose
      optimal methane (CH4) oxidation capacity is governed by environmental and complex
      microbial community interactions. Optimization of CH4 remediating bio-filters
      need to take microbial responses into account. Divalent copper (Cu2+) and iron
      (Fe2+) are present in landfills at variable ratios and play a vital role in
      methane oxidation capacity and growth of methanotrophs. This study, as a first of
      its kind, therefore quantified effects of variable Cu2+ and Fe2+ (5:5, 5:25 and
      5:50 MUM) ratios on mixed methanotrophic communities enriched from landfill top
      cover (LB) and compost soils (CB). CH4 oxidation capacity, CH4 removal
      efficiencies, fatty acids content/profiles and polyhydroxybutyrate (PHB; a
      biopolymer) contents were also analysed to quantify performance and potential co
      product development. Mixed methanotroph cultures were raised in 10 L continuous
      stirred tank reactors (CSTRs, Bioflo(r) & Celligen(r) 310 Fermentor/Bioreactor;
      John Morris Scientific, Chatswood, NSW, Australia). Community structure was
      determined by amplifying the V3-V4 region of 16s rRNA gene. Community structure
      and, consequently, fatty acid-profiles changed significantly with increasing
      Cu2+/Fe2+ ratios, and responses were different for LB and CB. Effects on methane
      oxidation capacities and PHB content were similar in the LB- and CB-CSTR,
      decreasing with increasing Cu2+/Fe2+ ratios, while biomass growth was unaffected.
      In general, high Fe2+ concentration favored growth of the type -II methanotroph
      Methylosinus in the CB-CSTR, but methanotroph abundances decreased in the LB
      CSTR. Increase in Cu2+/Fe2+ ratio increased the growth of Sphingopyxis in both
      systems, while Azospirllum was co-dominant in the LB- but absent in the CB-CSTR.
      After 13 days, methane oxidation capacities and PHB content decreased by ~50% and
      more in response to increasing Fe2+ concentrations. Although methanotroph
      abundance was ~2% in the LB- (compared to >50% in CB-CSTR), methane oxidation
      capacities were comparable in the two systems, suggesting that methane oxidation
      capacity was maintained by the dominant Azospirllum and Sphingopyxis in the LB
      CSTR. Despite similar methanotroph inoculum community composition and controlled
      environmental variables, increasing Cu2+/Fe2+ ratios resulted in significantly
      different microbial community structures in the LB- and CB-CSTR, indicative of
      complex microbial interactions. In summary, our results suggest that a detailed
      understanding of allelopathic interactions in mixed methanotrophic consortia is
      vital for constructing robust bio-filters for CH4 emission abatement.

PMID- 28365563
TI  - Pedestrian Inattention Blindness While Playing Pokemon Go as an Emerging Health
      Risk Behavior: A Case Report.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Cases of trauma resulting from the use of mobile phones while driving
      motor vehicles have become quite common in recent years. Road injuries incurred
      by people playing video games on mobile phones (or other media devices) while
      walking have also become a cause for concern. Pokemon Go has been the world's
      most popular game since it was launched in July 2016, with more than 15 million
      players trying to catch all Pokemon available in the game; however, the case
      detailed here is the first reported accident in the medical literature caused by
      a pedestrian distracted by the game while crossing a street. OBJECTIVE: We aim to
      provide additional information on the innovative nature of distractions that
      generate risks in road-users, and to explore the underreporting of pedestrian
      motor vehicle collisions due to mobile device usage. METHODS: We included in this
      case report a 25-year-old male who suddenly crossed a road while playing Pokemon
      Go and was hit by a van, reporting several injuries and being assisted by the
      Emergency Medical Service of our hospital (Padova, Italy). The patient's history,
      the circumstances in which the collision happened, imaging data, and clinical
      course information were recorded per our hospital's privacy policy. RESULTS: The
      patient hit by the van was playing Pokemon Go on his mobile phone while crossing
      a street, despite red traffic lights, which he did not notice due to of the
      distraction induced by the game. CONCLUSIONS: Mobile videogames that imply
      movement (ie, walking, running, cycling) to play are an effective way to improve
      physical activity practice, especially in adolescents and young adults.
      Nevertheless, cases like the one presented here point out that these games could
      pose a significant risk to users who play while walking, cycling, or driving in
      unsafe areas such as city streets, because players become distracted and may
      ignore surrounding hazards. Comprehensive, multilevel interventions are needed to
      reduce accidents caused by distraction, and to stress findings on the positive
      and negative effects of video games, which are becoming a source of public health
      concern. Health care providers should be aware of their chief role in these
      possible prevention strategies, based on their direct interactions with road
      incident victims.

PMID- 28365564
TI  - Statin Treatment and Clinical Outcomes of Heart Failure Among Africans: An
      Inverse Probability Treatment Weighted Analysis.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Randomized control trials of statins have not demonstrated
      significant benefits in outcomes of heart failure (HF). However, randomized
      control trials may not always be generalizable. The aim was to determine whether
      statin and statin type-lipophilic or -hydrophilic improve long-term outcomes in
      Africans with HF. METHODS AND RESULTS: This was a retrospective longitudinal
      study of HF patients aged >=18 years hospitalized at a tertiary healthcare center
      between January 1, 2009 and December 31, 2013 in Ghana. Patients were eligible if
      they were discharged from first admission for HF (index admission) and followed
      up to time of all-cause, cardiovascular, and HF mortality or end of study.
      Multivariable time-dependent Cox model and inverse-probability-of-treatment
      weighting of marginal structural model were used to estimate associations between
      statin treatment and outcomes. Adjusted hazard ratios were also estimated for
      lipophilic and hydrophilic statin compared with no statin use. The study included
      1488 patients (mean age 60.3+/-14.2 years) with 9306 person-years of observation.
      Using the time-dependent Cox model, the 5-year adjusted hazard ratios with 95% CI
      for statin treatment on all-cause, cardiovascular, and HF mortality were 0.68
      (0.55-0.83), 0.67 (0.54-0.82), and 0.63 (0.51-0.79), respectively. Use of inverse
      probability-of-treatment weighting resulted in estimates of 0.79 (0.65-0.96),
      0.77 (0.63-0.96), and 0.77 (0.61-0.95) for statin treatment on all-cause,
      cardiovascular, and HF mortality, respectively, compared with no statin use.
      CONCLUSIONS: Among Africans with HF, statin treatment was associated with
      significant reduction in mortality.

PMID- 28365565
TI  - Bilirubin Prevents Atherosclerotic Lesion Formation in Low-Density Lipoprotein
      Receptor-Deficient Mice by Inhibiting Endothelial VCAM-1 and ICAM-1 Signaling.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Numerous epidemiological studies support an inverse association
      between serum bilirubin levels and the incidence of cardiovascular disease;
      however, the mechanism(s) by which bilirubin may protect against atherosclerosis
      is undefined. The goals of the present investigations were to assess the ability
      of bilirubin to prevent atherosclerotic plaque formation in low-density
      lipoprotein receptor-deficient (Ldlr-/- ) mice and elucidate the molecular
      processes underlying this effect. METHODS AND RESULTS: Bilirubin, at
      physiological concentrations (<=20 MUmol/L), dose-dependently inhibits THP-1
      monocyte migration across tumor necrosis factor alpha-activated human umbilical
      vein endothelial cell monolayers without altering leukocyte binding or cytokine
      production. A potent antioxidant, bilirubin effectively blocks the generation of
      cellular reactive oxygen species induced by the cross-linking of endothelial
      vascular cell adhesion molecule 1 (VCAM-1) or intercellular adhesion molecule 1
      (ICAM-1). These findings were validated by treating cells with blocking
      antibodies or with specific inhibitors of VCAM-1 and ICAM-1 signaling. When
      administered to Ldlr-/- mice on a Western diet, bilirubin (30 mg/kg
      intraperitoneally) prevents atherosclerotic plaque formation, but does not alter
      circulating cholesterol or chemokine levels. Aortic roots from bilirubin-treated
      animals exhibit reduced lipid and collagen deposition, decreased infiltration of
      monocytes and lymphocytes, fewer smooth muscle cells, and diminished levels of
      chlorotyrosine and nitrotyrosine, without changes in VCAM-1 or ICAM-1 expression.
      CONCLUSIONS: Bilirubin suppresses atherosclerotic plaque formation in Ldlr-/-
      mice by disrupting endothelial VCAM-1- and ICAM-1-mediated leukocyte migration
      through the scavenging of reactive oxygen species signaling intermediaries. These
      findings suggest a potential mechanism for the apparent cardioprotective effects
      of bilirubin.

PMID- 28365566
TI  - Prognostic Significance of Interleukin-34 (IL-34) in Patients With Chronic Heart
      Failure With or Without Renal Insufficiency.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Renal dysfunction, commonly associated with cardiac dysfunction, has
      predictive value for adverse long-term outcomes in heart failure (HF). We
      previously identified a novel renal biomarker, interleukin-34 (IL-34), elevated
      in HF patients and associated with kidney dysfunction and coronary artery disease
      during HF. However, the prognostic value of IL-34 in HF remains unclear, so that
      the present study aimed to determine it. METHODS AND RESULTS: This prospective,
      observational study included 510 consecutive HF patients with their serum IL-34
      as well as other variables measured at baseline, and they were followed up for 2
      years. The primary end point was a composite of cardiovascular death or a first
      HF hospitalization, with cardiovascular death, HF hospitalization, and all-cause
      mortality as secondary outcomes. There was a significant and gradual increase in
      risk as IL-34 increased, determined by log-rank tests with Kaplan-Meier curves.
      Serum IL-34 was also a significant prognostic predictor of the primary end point
      (1.301 [1.115-1.518]; P=0.001), cardiovascular death (1.347 [1.096-1.655];
      P=0.005), HF hospitalization (1.234 [1.018-1.494]; P=0.032), and all-cause
      mortality (1.343 [1.115-1.618]; P=0.002) in HF as per SD increase in the log IL
      34 level after adjusting for age, sex, traditional risk factors, and N-terminal
      pro-brain natriuretic peptide. Especially, IL-34 had a more-significant
      prognostic value in HF patients with kidney impairment than those without.
      CONCLUSIONS: IL-34 is a significant predictor of cardiovascular death, HF
      hospitalization, and all-cause mortality in chronic HF, especially when
      concomitant with renal dysfunction. Serum IL-34 measurement may provide new
      insights linking kidney impairment to poor HF outcomes beyond other renal
      markers.

PMID- 28365567
TI  - Use of p53-Silenced Endothelial Progenitor Cells to Treat Ischemia in Diabetic
      Peripheral Vascular Disease.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Peripheral vascular disease is a major diabetes mellitus-related
      complication. In this study, we noted that expressions of proapoptotic p53 gene
      and its downstream cascade gene such as p21 are upregulated in hyperglycemia.
      Therefore, we investigated whether p53- and p21-silenced endothelial progenitor
      cells (EPCs) were able to survive in hyperglycemic milieu, and whether
      transplantation of either p53 knockout (KO) or p21KO or p53- and p21-silenced
      EPCs could improve collateral vessel formation and blood flow in diabetic vaso
      occlusive peripheral vascular disease mouse models. METHODS AND RESULTS: We
      transplanted p53 and p21KO mouse EPCs (mEPCs) into streptozotocin-induced
      diabetic (type 1 diabetes mellitus model) C57BL/6J and db/db (B6.BKS(D)-Leprdb/J)
      (type 2 model) post-femoral artery occlusion. Similarly, Ad-p53-silenced and Ad
      p21-silenced human EPCs (CD34+) cells were transplanted into streptozotocin
      induced diabetic NOD.CB17-Prkdcscid/J mice. We measured blood flow at 3, 7, and
      10 days and hindlimb muscles were obtained postsacrifice for mRNA estimation and
      CD31 staining. Enhanced blood flow was noted with delivery of p53 and p21KO mEPCs
      in streptozotocin-induced diabetic C57BL/6J mice. Similar results were obtained
      when human Ad-p53shEPCs(CD34+) and Ad-p21shEPCs(CD34+) were transplanted into
      streptozotocin-induced nonobese diabetic severe combined immunodeficiency mice.
      Gene expression analysis of p53 and p21KO EPCs transplanted hindlimb muscles
      showed increased expression of endothelial markers such as endothelial nitric
      oxide synthase, vascular endothelial growth factor A, and platelet endothelial
      cell adhesion molecule 1. Similarly, quantitative reverse transcriptase
      polymerase chain reaction of human Ad-p53shEPCs (CD34+)- and Ad-p21shEPCs (CD34+)
      transplanted hindlimb muscles also showed increased expression of endothelial
      markers such as vascular endothelial growth factor A, noted primarily in the p53
      silenced EPCs group. However, such beneficial effect was not noted in the db/db
      type 2 diabetic mouse models. CONCLUSIONS: Transient silencing of p53 using
      adenoviral vector in EPCs may have a therapeutic role in diabetic peripheral
      vascular disease.

PMID- 28365568
TI  - Benefits of Permanent His Bundle Pacing Combined With Atrioventricular Node
      Ablation in Atrial Fibrillation Patients With Heart Failure With Both Preserved
      and Reduced Left Ventricular Ejection Fraction.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Clinical benefits from His bundle pacing (HBP) in heart failure
      patients with preserved and reduced left ventricular ejection fraction are still
      inconclusive. This study evaluated clinical outcomes of permanent HBP in atrial
      fibrillation patients with narrow QRS who underwent atrioventricular node
      ablation for heart failure symptoms despite rate control by medication. METHODS
      AND RESULTS: The study enrolled 52 consecutive heart failure patients who
      underwent attempted atrioventricular node ablation and HBP for symptomatic atrial
      fibrillation. Echocardiographic left ventricular ejection fraction and left
      ventricular end-diastolic dimension, New York Heart Association classification
      and use of diuretics for heart failure were assessed during follow-up visits
      after permanent HBP. Of 52 patients, 42 patients (80.8%) received permanent HBP
      and atrioventricular node ablation with a median 20-month follow-up. There was no
      significant change between native and paced QRS duration (107.1+/-25.8 versus
      105.3+/-23.9 milliseconds, P=0.07). Left ventricular end-diastolic dimension
      decreased from the baseline (P<0.001), and left ventricular ejection fraction
      increased from baseline (P<0.001) in patients with a greater improvement in heart
      failure with reduced ejection fraction patients (N=20) than in heart failure with
      preserved ejection fraction patients (N=22). New York Heart Association
      classification improved from a baseline 2.9+/-0.6 to 1.4+/-0.4 after HBP in heart
      failure with reduced ejection fraction patients and from a baseline 2.7+/-0.6 to
      1.4+/-0.5 after HBP in heart failure with preserved ejection fraction patients.
      After 1 year of HBP, the numbers of patients who used diuretics for heart failure
      decreased significantly (P<0.001) when compared to the baseline diuretics use.
      CONCLUSIONS: Permanent HBP post-atrioventricular node ablation significantly
      improved echocardiographic measurements and New York Heart Association
      classification and reduced diuretics use for heart failure management in atrial
      fibrillation patients with narrow QRS who suffered from heart failure with
      preserved or reduced ejection fraction.

PMID- 28365569
TI  - An Appraisal of Methods Recently Recommended for Testing Salt Sensitivity of
      Blood Pressure.

PMID- 28365570
TI  - The pathogen-related yeast protein Pry1, a member of the CAP protein superfamily,
      is a fatty acid-binding protein.
AB  - Members of the CAP superfamily (cysteine-rich secretory proteins, antigen 5, and
      pathogenesis-related 1 proteins), also known as SCP superfamily (sperm-coating
      proteins), have been implicated in many physiological processes, including immune
      defenses, venom toxicity, and sperm maturation. Their mode of action, however,
      remains poorly understood. Three proteins of the CAP superfamily, Pry1, -2, and 
      3 (pathogen related in yeast), are encoded in the Saccharomyces cerevisiae
      genome. We have shown previously that Pry1 binds cholesterol in vitro and that
      Pry function is required for sterol secretion in yeast cells, indicating that
      members of this superfamily may generally bind sterols or related small
      hydrophobic compounds. On the other hand, tablysin-15, a CAP protein from the
      horsefly Tabanus yao, has been shown to bind leukotrienes and free fatty acids in
      vitro Therefore, here we assessed whether the yeast Pry1 protein binds fatty
      acids. Computational modeling and site-directed mutagenesis indicated that the
      mode of fatty acid binding is conserved between tablysin-15 and Pry1. Pry1 bound
      fatty acids with micromolar affinity in vitro, and its function was essential for
      fatty acid export in cells lacking the acyl-CoA synthetases Faa1 and Faa4. Fatty
      acid binding of Pry1 is independent of its capacity to bind sterols, and the two
      sterol- and fatty acid-binding sites are nonoverlapping. These results indicate
      that some CAP family members, such as Pry1, can bind different lipids,
      particularly sterols and fatty acids, at distinct binding sites, suggesting that
      the CAP domain may serve as a stable, secreted protein domain that can
      accommodate multiple ligand-binding sites.

PMID- 28365571
TI  - Subclinical Cardiac Dysfunction in Polymyositis and Dermatomyositis: A Speckle
      tracking Case-control Study.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: Subclinical heart disease occurs in up to 50% of patients with
      idiopathic inflammatory myopathies (IIM) and is difficult to detect through
      conventional imaging. We investigated the usefulness of global longitudinal
      strain (GLS) measurement to detect a subclinical systolic ventricular dysfunction
      in patients with IIM. METHODS: We enrolled 28 patients with IIM and 28 matched
      controls in a 1:1 fashion. Standard variables for the left ventricle (LV) and
      right ventricle (RV) systolic and diastolic function were measured and compared
      between cases and controls, along with speckle-tracking GLS of the LV and RV. A
      possible correlation between GLS and muscle strength, disease activity,
      cardiovascular risk factors, and other organ systems involvement was searched.
      RESULTS: Standard variables of systolic and diastolic dysfunction were similar
      between patients and controls. GLS was significantly lower in patients when
      compared with controls for both LV (-18.7 +/- 4.2% vs -21.2 +/- 2.1%, p = 0.006)
      and RV (-19.3 +/- 6.3% vs -22.5 +/- 3.8%, p = 0.033). Patients with IIM had a 4.9
      fold increased risk for impaired left GLS [relative risk (RR) 4.9, 95% CI 1.5
      15.8, p = 0.006], which involved usually basal and mid-segments of the anterior,
      anterior-septal, and lateral wall. Patients with IIM had a 3.4-fold increased
      risk for impaired right GLS (RR 3.4, 95% CI 1.1-11.7, p = 0.04) with the basal
      segment of the free RV wall most frequently involved. Muscle strength, disease
      activity, damage and duration, other organ system involvement, and previous
      treatment were not associated with reduced GLS. CONCLUSION: Subclinical systolic
      impairment is common in patients with IIM without overt LV dysfunction. In this
      context, GLS is a potentially useful variable.

PMID- 28365572
TI  - Cost-effectiveness Analysis for Genotyping before Allopurinol Treatment to
      Prevent Severe Cutaneous Adverse Drug Reactions.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: Patients with an HLA-B*58:01 allele have an increased risk of
      developing severe cutaneous adverse drug reactions (SCAR) when treated with
      allopurinol. Although one-off pharmacogenetic testing may prevent life
      threatening adverse drug reactions, testing prior to allopurinol initiation
      incurs additional costs. The study objective was to evaluate the cost
      effectiveness of HLA-B*58:01 screening compared with using other available urate
      lowering agents (ULA). METHODS: A decision-analytical model was used to compare
      direct medical costs and effectiveness [including lifetime saved, quality
      adjusted life-yrs (QALY) gained] in treating new patients with the following
      options: (1) genetic screening followed by allopurinol prescribing for
      noncarriers of HLA-B*58:01, (2) prescribing benzbromarone without screening, (3)
      prescribing febuxostat without screening, and (4) prescribing allopurinol without
      screening. A 1-year time frame and third-party payer perspective were modeled for
      both the entire cohort (base-case) and for the subgroup of patients with chronic
      kidney disease (CKD). RESULTS: The incremental cost-effectiveness ratio of
      genetic screening prior to ULA therapy was estimated as New Taiwan (NT) $234,610
      (US$7508) per QALY gained in the base-case cohort. For patients with CKD, it was
      estimated as NT$230,925 (US$7390) per QALY. The study results were sensitive to
      the probability of benzbromarone/febuxostat-related hypersensitivity, and a
      negative predicted value of genotyping. CONCLUSION: HLA-B*58:01 screening gave
      good value for money in preventing allopurinol-induced SCAR in patients indicated
      for ULA therapy. In addition to the costs of genotyping, it is important to
      monitor ULA safety closely in adopting HLA-B*58:01 screening in practice.

PMID- 28365573
TI  - Serum Levels of Interleukin 33 and Soluble ST2 Are Associated with the Extent of
      Disease Activity and Cutaneous Manifestations in Patients with Active Adult-onset
      Still's Disease.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: Interleukin 33 (IL-33), a member of the IL-1 family and a ligand of
      the orphan receptor ST2, plays key roles in innate and adaptive immunity. We
      examined the associations between IL-33/ST2 levels and clinical manifestations of
      patients with active adult-onset Still's disease (AOSD). METHODS: Blood samples
      were collected from 40 patients with active AOSD, 28 patients with rheumatoid
      arthritis (RA), and 27 healthy controls (HC). The serum levels of IL-33 and
      soluble ST2 were determined using ELISA. Expression levels of IL-33 and ST2 in
      biopsy specimens obtained from 34 AOSD patients with rash were
      immunohistochemically investigated. RESULTS: IL-33 levels of patients with AOSD
      were higher than those of patients with RA and HC. Soluble ST2 levels of patients
      with AOSD were higher than those of HC, but not of patients with RA. Serum IL-33
      levels correlated with systemic score, erythrocyte sedimentation rate, ferritin
      levels, and aspartate transaminase levels. However, serum soluble ST2 levels
      correlated only with ferritin levels. The numbers of inflammatory cells
      expressing IL-33 and ST2 were elevated in skin lesions of patients with AOSD
      compared to HC, but did not differ from those of the skin lesions of eczema or
      psoriasis. CONCLUSION: We found significantly higher serum IL-33 and soluble ST2
      levels in patients with active AOSD. Results indicate that the IL-33/ST2
      signaling pathway may play a role in the pathogenesis of the acute inflammation
      and skin manifestations associated with AOSD.

PMID- 28365574
TI  - Developing a Core Set of Outcome Measures for Behcet Disease: Report from OMERACT
      2016.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: The Outcome Measures in Rheumatology (OMERACT) Vasculitis Working
      Group has been working toward developing a data-driven core set of outcome
      measures for use in clinical trials of Behcet's syndrome [Behcet disease (BD)].
      This paper summarizes the group's work through OMERACT 2016, discussions during
      the meeting, and the future research agenda. METHODS: Qualitative patient
      interviews were conducted among 20 patients with BD who have different types of
      organ involvement. A 3-round Delphi among BD experts and patients was initiated
      to identify domains, subdomains, and outcomes to be assessed in clinical trials
      of BD. The results of these studies were discussed during OMERACT 2016 and next
      steps were planned. RESULTS: Patients' perspectives and priorities were
      identified through qualitative interviews that identified candidate domains and
      subdomains for inclusion in the Delphi and characterized some shortcomings of the
      currently used patient-reported outcomes in BD. The first round of the Delphi was
      completed and several domains or subdomains were endorsed by the experts and/or
      the patients. Because many more items were endorsed than would be feasible to
      assess during a clinical trial, rating and ranking of items by physicians and
      patients was planned as a next critical step. The challenges of assessing
      specific organ system involvement was also discussed. CONCLUSION: The OMERACT
      Behcet Syndrome Working Group research program will identify core domains for
      assessment in BD with the goal of developing a core set of outcome measures for
      use in all trials of BD with the option to incorporate additional outcomes for
      specific organ involvement.

PMID- 28365575
TI  - A Patient-reported Outcome Measure for Effect of Glucocorticoid Therapy in Adults
      with Inflammatory Diseases Is Needed: Report from the OMERACT 2016 Special
      Interest Group.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: The need for a standardized instrument to measure the effect of
      glucocorticoid (GC) therapy has been well documented in the literature. The aim
      of the first GC Special Interest Group was to define a research agenda around the
      development of a patient-reported outcome measure (PROM) in this area. METHODS:
      The results of a background literature search and the preliminary results of a
      pilot survey and 2 qualitative studies were presented to facilitate the
      development of a research agenda. RESULTS: It was agreed that there was a need
      for a data-driven PROM that identified both positive and negative effects of GC
      therapy to be used across all inflammatory indications for systemic GC use in
      adults. A research agenda was developed, consisting of further qualitative work
      to assess the effect of GC across different groups including various indications
      for GC use, different age groups, different dosages, and duration of treatment.
      CONCLUSION: There was agreement on the need for a PROM in this area and a
      research agenda was set.

PMID- 28365576
TI  - Decreased Cardiovascular Mortality in Patients with Incident Rheumatoid Arthritis
      (RA) in Recent Years: Dawn of a New Era in Cardiovascular Disease in RA?
AB  - OBJECTIVE: To assess trends in cardiovascular (CV) mortality in patients with
      incident rheumatoid arthritis (RA) in 2000-07 versus the previous decades,
      compared with non-RA subjects. METHODS: The study population consisted of Olmsted
      County, Minnesota, USA residents with incident RA (age >= 18 yrs, 1987 American
      College of Rheumatology criteria was met in 1980-2007) and non-RA subjects from
      the same underlying population with similar age, sex, and calendar year of index.
      All subjects were followed until death, migration, or December 31, 2014. Followup
      was truncated for comparability. Aalen-Johansen methods were used to estimate CV
      mortality rates, adjusting for competing risk of other causes. Cox proportional
      hazards models were used to compare CV mortality by decade. RESULTS: The study
      included 813 patients with RA and 813 non-RA subjects (mean age 55.9 yrs; 68%
      women for both groups). Patients with incident RA in 2000-07 had markedly lower
      10-year overall CV mortality (2.7%, 95% CI 0.6-4.9%) and coronary heart disease
      (CHD) mortality (1.1%, 95% CI 0.0-2.7%) than patients diagnosed in 1990-99 (7.1%,
      95% CI 3.9-10.1% and 4.5%, 95% CI 1.9-7.1%, respectively; HR for overall CV
      death: 0.43, 95% CI 0.19-0.94; CHD death: HR 0.21, 95% CI 0.05-0.95). This
      improvement in CV mortality persisted after accounting for CV risk factors. Ten
      year overall CV mortality and CHD mortality in 2000-07 RA incidence cohort was
      similar to non-RA subjects (p = 0.95 and p = 0.79, respectively). CONCLUSION: Our
      findings suggest significantly improved overall CV mortality, particularly CHD
      mortality, in patients with RA in recent years. Further studies are needed to
      examine the reasons for this improvement.

PMID- 28365577
TI  - Submaximal Exercise Capacity in Juvenile Dermatomyositis after Longterm Disease:
      The Contribution of Muscle, Lung, and Heart Involvement.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: To compare submaximal exercise capacity in patients with juvenile
      dermatomyositis (JDM) with controls, and analyze contributions of muscle, heart,
      and lung impairment in patients. METHODS: Fifty-nine patients with JDM, with a
      mean 16.9 years after symptom onset, and 59 sex- and age-matched controls
      completed a 6-min walk test (6MWT) and a timed up and go (TUG) test. Muscle
      function, disease activity/damage, and health-related quality of life (HRQOL)
      were assessed by validated tools; heart function by echocardiography and
      electrocardiography; and lung function by spirometry, DLCO, and body
      plethysmography. A thoracic high-resolution computed tomography (HRCT) scan and
      magnetic resonance imaging of the thighs were completed in patients. RESULTS: The
      6MWT distance (6MWD) was 592 +/- 81 m in patients versus 649 +/- 79 m in controls
      (p < 0.001), and 563 +/- 75 m in active versus 622 +/- 76 m in inactive JDM (p =
      0.004). The TUG time was 13.1 +/- 2.1 s in patients versus 12.3 +/- 2.0 s in
      controls (p = 0.034), and 13.7 +/- 2.2 s in active versus 12.5 +/- 1.8 s in
      inactive JDM (p = 0.028). No statistically significant difference was found
      between inactive JDM and controls in either test. In patients, the Childhood
      Myositis Assessment Score influenced the 6MWD and TUG time the most, followed by
      a low DLCO and HRCT pathology in the 6MWT and forced vital capacity in the TUG
      test. Medical Outcomes Study Short Form-36 physical component summary correlated
      strongly with both tests. CONCLUSION: Submaximal exercise capacity was reduced in
      patients with JDM, particularly those with active disease. This reduction was
      associated with muscle and lung dysfunction and poorer HRQOL.

PMID- 28365578
TI  - Patients with Early Rheumatoid Arthritis in the 2000s Have Equal Disability and
      Pain Despite Less Disease Activity Compared with the 1990s: Data from the BARFOT
      Study over 8 Years.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: To compare outcomes over the first 8 years in patients with early
      rheumatoid arthritis (RA) recruited in the 1990s and the 2000s, with a special
      focus on functional disability and its possible predictors. METHODS: Data were
      acquired from 1938 patients with early RA (American College of Rheumatology 1987
      criteria) included in the BARFOT study, who had completed the 8-year followup.
      The patients were divided into 2 cohorts: cohort 1 (n = 928, 68% women) included
      from 1992 to 1999 and cohort 2 (n = 1010, 70% women) included from 2000 to 2006.
      Health Assessment Questionnaire (HAQ), 28-joint Disease Activity Score (DAS28),
      visual analog scale pain, and radiographs of hands and feet scored by the van der
      Heijde modified Sharp method were assessed during the 8 years. Longitudinal data
      analyses were performed using a generalized linear model. RESULTS: Despite more
      active medical treatment during the 2000s, the courses of HAQ and pain showed no
      difference between the cohorts during followup, in either women or in men, with
      significantly higher levels in women compared with men. However, as expected,
      disease activity decreased more over time in cohort 2 compared with cohort 1, for
      both sexes, and women in cohort 2 had less radiographic progression compared with
      cohort 1. HAQ was associated with DAS28, pain, radiological scores, and sex in
      both cohorts, and in cohort 2 also with age and smoking. CONCLUSION: Patients
      included in the 2000s had lower disease activity, but not less activity
      limitation and pain over 8 years of followup despite more active treatment. Pain,
      aging, and smoking might explain why patients included in the 2000s still had the
      same disability levels as those included in the 1990s.

PMID- 28365579
TI  - The Use of Magnetic Resonance Imaging in Axial Spondyloarthritis: Time to Bridge
      the Gap Between Radiologists and Rheumatologists.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is involved in the assessment of
      axial spondyloarthritis (axSpA); however, anecdotal evidence suggests diverse
      practice among radiologists. The objective of this study was to describe current
      practice in the use of MRI for assessment of axSpA by UK radiologists. METHODS:
      Six hundred ninety-nine UK radiologists were invited to complete an online
      survey. Availability of MR scanners, familiarity with axSpA disease-specific
      lesions, and MRI protocols and definitions of positive sacroiliac joint (SIJ) or
      spinal MRI were assessed. RESULTS: Two-hundred sixty-nine radiologists (38%) from
      131/180 (73%) acute UK National Health Service trusts/health boards responded.
      MRI waiting times < 2 months were reported by 90% of radiologists. Twenty-nine
      radiologists (11%) used contrast as standard, 256 (91%) used T1 and short-tau
      inversion recovery, and 172 (64%) also used T2 sequences. Five percent scanned
      only SIJ, 33% scanned SIJ and lumbar spine, 29% scanned SIJ and thoracolumbar
      spine, and 30% scanned SIJ and the whole spine. Mean scan time was 34 min.
      Eighteen percent did not use the subchondral bone marrow edema of the SIJ to help
      diagnose axSpA and 18% did not use the inflammatory vertebral corner lesions to
      assist diagnosis. Awareness of axSpA was reported by 75% of radiologists, and
      awareness of definitions for positive MRI of SIJ and spine by 31% and 25%,
      respectively. CONCLUSION: These data highlight the need for better rheumatology
      radiology collaboration on the identification of diagnostic axSpA MRI lesions and
      support the need for a consensus on the most appropriate MRI protocols for the
      assessment of axSpA.

PMID- 28365580
TI  - Measuring Physical Activity in Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis: Activity Diary
      Versus Accelerometer.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: (1) To determine convergent validity of an activity diary (AD) and
      accelerometer (Actical brand/Phillips-Respironics) in measuring physical activity
      (PA) in children with juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA). (2) To determine how
      many days give reliable results. (3) To analyze effects of correcting
      accelerometer data for non-wear. METHODS: Patients with JIA (8-13 yrs) were
      recruited from 3 Dutch pediatric rheumatology centers. PA was assessed for 7 days
      with an AD and accelerometer, and was expressed as mean min/day of rest, light PA
      (LPA), moderate to vigorous PA (MVPA), and PA level (PAL). To analyze convergent
      validity, intraclass correlation coefficients (ICC) were calculated and paired
      sample Student t tests were performed. The required number of days to achieve
      reliable results was calculated using the Spearman-Brown prophecy formula.
      RESULTS: Convergent validity between AD and accelerometer was moderate for rest
      and PAL (ICC 0.41). ICC for LPA and MVPA were < 0.24. AD overestimated PAL and
      MVPA compared with the accelerometer. Wearing the accelerometer 7-19 days gave
      reliable PA estimates on group and individual levels. For the AD, 13-36 days were
      needed. Adjusting accelerometer data for non-wear resulted in a clinically
      relevant higher mean number of min/day spent in LPA (effect size 1.12), but not
      in MVPA (effect size 0.44). CONCLUSION: Convergent validity between AD and
      accelerometer is moderate to poor. In children with JIA, 1-week assessment with
      an accelerometer is sufficient to measure PA (all levels) reliably. On an
      individual level and for clinical use, 3 weeks are required. Additional use of AD
      enables correction for non-wear of accelerometer data.

PMID- 28365581
TI  - Validation of a Knowledge Transfer Tool for the Knee Inflammation MRI Scoring
      System for Bone Marrow Lesions According to the OMERACT Filter: Data from the
      Osteoarthritis Initiative.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: To assess feasibility and reliability of scoring bone marrow lesions
      (BML) on knee magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in osteoarthritis using the
      Outcome Measures in Rheumatology Knee Inflammation MRI Scoring System (KIMRISS),
      with a Web-based interface and online training with real-time iterative
      calibration. METHODS: Six readers new to the KIMRISS (3 radiologists, 3
      rheumatologists) scored sagittal T2-weighted fat-saturated MRI in 20 subjects
      randomly selected from the Osteoarthritis Initiative data, at baseline and 1-year
      followup. In the KIMRISS, the reader moves a transparent overlay grid within a
      Web-based interface to fit bones, then clicks or touches each region containing
      BML per slice, to score 1 if BML is present. Regional and total scores are
      automatically calculated. Outcomes include the interreader intraclass correlation
      coefficients (ICC) and the smallest detectable change (SDC). RESULTS: Scoring
      took 3-12 min per scan and all readers rated the process as moderately to very
      user friendly. Despite a low BML burden (average score 2.8% of maximum possible)
      and small changes, interobserver reliability was moderate to high for BML status
      and change in the femur and tibia (ICC 0.78-0.88). Four readers also scored the
      patella reliably, whereas 2 readers were outliers, likely because of image
      artifacts. SDC of 1.5-5.6 represented 0.7% of the maximum possible score.
      CONCLUSION: We confirmed feasibility of knee BML scoring by new readers using
      interactive training and a Web-based touch-sensitive overlay system, finding high
      reliability and sensitivity to change. Further work will include adjustments to
      training materials regarding patellar scoring, and study in therapeutic trial
      datasets with higher burden of BML and larger changes.

PMID- 28365582
TI  - The Relationship Between Cardiac Conduction Times, Cardiovascular Risk Factors,
      and Inflammation in Patients with Early Arthritis.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: To investigate the prevalence of conduction disorders in patients with
      early arthritis and the relationship with inflammation and traditional
      cardiovascular (CV) risk factors. METHODS: Patients with rheumatoid arthritis
      (RA) have a 2-fold higher risk of sudden cardiac death, possibly owing to
      conduction disorders. This increased risk might already be present at the
      clinical onset of arthritis. Therefore, we assessed electrocardiography, blood
      pressure, 28-joint Disease Activity Score (DAS28), lipid profile, erythrocyte
      sedimentation rate (ESR), and C-reactive protein (CRP) level in 480 patients with
      early arthritis at baseline and after 1 year. RESULTS: The prevalence of
      conduction disorders was 12.5%. Conduction times at baseline were not associated
      with DAS28, ESR, or CRP levels and did not change during antirheumatic treatment.
      Baseline and the improvement in DAS28 (European League Against Rheumatism
      response), ESR, and CRP were significantly associated with heart rate, lipid
      profile, and blood pressure. Elevated total cholesterol and blood pressure were
      associated with an increased QRS time. The change in heart rate differed 7.3 bpm
      between patients with the least versus largest DAS improvement. CONCLUSION: The
      prevalence of conduction disorders in patients with early arthritis was 12.5%,
      which is similar to the general population and was not associated with changes in
      inflammation markers. However, a high cholesterol was associated with a prolonged
      QRS time. Therefore, the emphasis of CV risk management in arthritis should not
      be only on treatment of disease activity but also on traditional CV risk factors.
      The relationship between the improvement in disease activity and heart rate is
      remarkable because this could imply a 10-year CV mortality risk difference of
      24%.

PMID- 28365583
TI  - Predictors of Relapse after Discontinuing Systemic Treatment in Childhood
      Autoimmune Chronic Uveitis.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: To identify clinical predictors of relapse in childhood autoimmune
      chronic uveitis after stopping systemic treatment. METHODS: A retrospective,
      multicenter, cohort study. RESULTS: Ninety-four children in remission, receiving
      no treatments and with at least a 6-month followup, were enrolled. A higher
      probability of maintaining remission after discontinuing treatment was shown in
      idiopathic compared with juvenile idiopathic arthritis uveitis (Mantel-Cox chi
      square = 23.21) if inactivity had been obtained within 6 months from starting
      systemic treatment (Mantel-Cox chi-square = 24.17) and by antitumor necrosis
      factor-alpha treatment (Mantel-Cox chi-square = 6.43). CONCLUSION: Type of
      disease, time, and type of systemic therapy to achieve inactivity predict
      different duration of uveitis remission after treatment withdrawal.

PMID- 28365584
TI  - Antifibrillarin Antibodies Are Associated with Native North American Ethnicity
      and Poorer Survival in Systemic Sclerosis.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: To examine the clinical correlates and survival in patients with
      antifibrillarin antibodies (AFA) in a large international study population
      consisting of well-characterized systemic sclerosis (SSc) cohorts from Canada,
      Australia, and the United States. METHODS: Baseline clinical data from the
      prospective cohorts (Canadian Scleroderma Research Group, the Australian
      Scleroderma Cohort Study, and the American Genetics versus Environment in
      Scleroderma Outcome Study) were investigated. Clinical variables were harmonized
      and sera were tested for AFA using a commercially available SSc profile line
      immunoassay, regardless of the immunofluorescence staining pattern. Association
      of demographic and clinical features with AFA was investigated by logistic or
      linear regression. Further, a survival analysis was performed by Cox regression
      analysis. RESULTS: A total of 1506 patients with SSc with complete serological
      profiles were included in the study. Fifty-two patients (3.5%) had antibodies
      detected against fibrillarin. Patients of African descent and Native North
      American ethnicity were more likely to be AFA-positive compared with other
      ethnicities. After adjustment for demographic factors, diffuse involvement, and
      intestinal bacterial overgrowth requiring antibiotics, gastrointestinal reflux
      disease showed a trend for association with AFA. Further, AFA positivity was
      associated with shorter survival independently of demographic factors and disease
      type (HR 1.76, 95% CI 1.11-2.79, p = 0.016). CONCLUSION: In this large
      multinational SSc cohort, AFA was associated with Native American ethnicity and
      was an independent predictor of mortality.

PMID- 28365585
TI  - Ventilator-induced lung injury increases expression of endothelial inflammatory
      mediators in the kidney.
AB  - In critical illness, such as sepsis or the acute respiratory distress syndrome,
      acute kidney injury (AKI) is common and associated with increased morbidity and
      mortality. Mechanical ventilation in critical illnesses is also a risk factor for
      AKI, but it is potentially modifiable. Injurious ventilation strategies may lead
      to the systemic release of inflammatory mediators from the lung due to ventilator
      induced lung injury (VILI). The systemic consequences of VILI are difficult to
      differentiate clinically from other systemic inflammatory syndromes, such as
      sepsis. The purpose of this study was to identify unique changes in the
      expression of inflammatory mediators in kidney tissue in response to VILI
      compared with systemic sepsis to gain insight into direct effects of VILI on the
      kidney. Four groups of mice were compared-mice with sepsis from cecal ligation
      and puncture (CLP), mice subjected to injurious mechanical ventilation with high
      tidal volumes (VILI), mice exposed to CLP followed by VILI (CLP+VILI), and sham
      controls. Protein expression of common inflammatory mediators in kidneys was
      analyzed using a proteome array and confirmed by Western blot analysis or ELISA.
      VEGF and VCAM-1 were found to be significantly elevated in kidneys from VILI mice
      compared with sham and CLP. Angiopoietin-2 was significantly increased in
      CLP+VILI compared with CLP alone and was also correlated with higher levels of
      AKI biomarker, neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin. These results suggest
      that VILI alters the renal expression of VEGF, VCAM-1, and angiopoietin-2, and
      these proteins warrant further investigation as potential biomarkers and
      therapeutic targets.

PMID- 28365586
TI  - ENaC and ROMK activity are inhibited in the DCT2/CNT of TgWnk4PHAII mice.
AB  - Mice transgenic for genomic segments harboring PHAII (pseudohypoaldosteronism
      type II) mutant Wnk4 (with-No-Lysine kinase 4) (TgWnk4PHAII) have hyperkalemia
      which is currently believed to be the result of high activity of Na-Cl
      cotransporter (NCC). This leads to decreasing Na+ delivery to the distal nephron
      segment including late distal convoluted tubule (DCT) and connecting tubule
      (CNT). Since epithelial Na+ channel (ENaC) and renal outer medullary K+ channel
      (ROMK or Kir4.1) are expressed in the late DCT and play an important role in
      mediating K+ secretion, the aim of the present study is to test whether ROMK and
      ENaC activity in the DCT/CNT are also compromised in the mice expressing PHAII
      mutant Wnk4. Western blot analysis shows that the expression of betaENaC and
      gammaENaC subunits but not alphaENaC subunit was lower in TgWnk4PHAII mice than
      that in wild-type (WT) and TgWnk4WT mice. Patch-clamp experiments detected
      amiloride-sensitive Na+ currents and TPNQ-sensitive K+ currents in DCT2/CNT,
      suggesting the activity of ENaC and ROMK. However, both Na+ and ROMK currents in
      DCT2/CNT of TgWnk4PHAII mice were significantly smaller than those in WT and
      TgWnk4WT mice. In contrast, the basolateral K+ currents in the DCT were similar
      among three groups, despite higher NCC expression in TgWnk4PHAII mice than those
      of WT and TgWnk4WTmice. An increase in dietary K+ intake significantly increased
      both ENaC and ROMK currents in the DCT2/CNT of all three groups. However, high-K+
      (HK) intake-induced stimulation of Na+ and K+ currents was smaller in TgWnk4PHAII
      mice than those in WT and TgWnk4WT mice. We conclude that ENaC and ROMK channel
      activity in DCT2/CNT are inhibited in TgWnk4PHAII mice and that Wnk4PHAII-induced
      inhibition of ENaC and ROMK may contribute to the suppression of K+ secretion in
      the DCT2/CNT in addition to increased NCC activity.

PMID- 28365587
TI  - Electronic nicotine delivery system (ENDS) use during smoking cessation: a
      qualitative study of 40 Oklahoma quitline callers.
AB  - OBJECTIVES: Approximately 10% (40 000) of US quitline enrollees who smoke
      cigarettes report current use of electronic nicotine delivery systems (ENDS);
      however, little is known about callers' ENDS use. Our aim was to describe why and
      how quitline callers use ENDS, their beliefs about ENDS and the impact of ENDS
      use on callers' quit processes and use of FDA-approved cessation medications.
      DESIGN: Qualitative interviews conducted 1-month postregistration. Interviews
      were recorded, transcribed, double-coded and analysed to identify themes.
      SETTING: Oklahoma Tobacco Helpline. PARTICIPANTS: 40 callers aged >=18 who were
      seeking help to quit smoking were using ENDS at registration and completed >=1
      programme calls. RESULTS: At 1-month postregistration interview, 80% of callers
      had smoked cigarettes in the last 7 days, almost two-thirds were using ENDS, and
      half were using cessation medications. Nearly all believed ENDS helped them quit
      or cut down on smoking; however, participants were split on whether they would
      recommend cessation medications, ENDS or both together for quitting. Confusion
      and misinformation about potential harms of ENDS and cessation medications were
      reported. Participants reported using ENDS in potentially adaptive ways (eg,
      using ENDS to cut down and nicotine replacement therapy to quit, and stepping
      down nicotine in ENDS to wean off ENDS after quitting) and maladaptive ways (eg,
      frequent automatic ENDS use, using ENDS in situations they did not previously
      smoke, cutting down on smoking using ENDS without a schedule or plan to quit),
      which could impact the likelihood of quitting smoking or continuing ENDS use.
      CONCLUSIONS: These qualitative findings suggest quitline callers who use ENDS
      experience confusion and misinformation about ENDS and FDA-approved cessation
      medications. Callers also use ENDS in ways that may not facilitate quitting
      smoking. Opportunities exist for quitlines to educate ENDS users and help them
      create a coordinated plan most likely to result in completely quitting
      combustible tobacco.

PMID- 28365588
TI  - Associations of anthropometry and lifestyle factors with HDL subspecies according
      to apolipoprotein C-III.
AB  - The presence of apoC-III on HDL impairs HDL's inverse association with coronary
      heart disease (CHD). Little is known about modifiable factors explaining
      variation in HDL subspecies defined according to apoC-III. The aim was to
      investigate cross-sectional associations of anthropometry and lifestyle with HDL
      subspecies in 3,631 participants from the Diet, Cancer, and Health study
      originally selected for a case-cohort study (36% women; age 50-65 years) who were
      all free of CHD. Greater adiposity and less activity were associated with higher
      HDL containing apoC-III and lower HDL lacking apoC-III. Per each 15 cm higher
      waist circumference, the level of HDL containing apoC-III was 2.8% higher (95%
      CI: 0.4, 5.3; P = 0.024) and the level of HDL not containing apoC-III was 4.7%
      lower (95% CI: -6.0, -3.4; P = <0.0001). Associations for physical activity were
      most robust to multivariable modeling. Each 20 metabolic equivalent task hours
      per week reported higher physical activity was associated with 0.9% (95% CI: 
      1.7, -0.1; P = 0.031) lower HDL containing apoC-III and 0.5% higher (95% CI: 0.1,
      1.0; P = 0.029) HDL lacking apoC-III. Lower alcohol consumption was associated
      with lower HDL lacking apoC-III (percent difference per 15 g/day: 1.58 (95% CI:
      0.84, 2.32; P = <0.0001). Adiposity and sedentary lifestyle were associated with
      a less favorable HDL subspecies profile.

PMID- 28365589
TI  - Survival and cause of death in multiple sclerosis: a 60-year longitudinal
      population study.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: Survival and causes of death (COD) in multiple sclerosis (MS) provide
      ultimate endpoints. We aimed to investigate survival and COD in a 60-year
      population-based MS cohort compared with the general population. METHODS: All
      patients with incident multiple sclerosis (MS) (N=1388) with onset during 1953
      2012 in Hordaland County, Western Norway, were included. Data were obtained from
      patient records at Haukeland University Hospital and linked to the Norwegian COD
      registry. Survival adjusted for sex, age and disease course were estimated by
      Kaplan-Meier analyses from birth and from disease onset. Mortality and COD in MS
      relative to the general population were examined by standardised mortality ratio
      (SMR). RESULTS: Of 1388 patients, 291 had deceased, mainly of MS (56.4%). Median
      life expectancy was 74.7 years for MS and 81.8 years for the general population
      (p<0.001); 77.2 years for women with MS and 72.2 years for men with MS (p<0.001).
      Life expectancy for patients with relapsing remitting MS (RRMS) was 77.8 years
      and -71.4 years for primary progressive MS (PPMS) (p<0.001). Overall SMR was 2.7
      (p>0.0001); 2.9 in women and 2.5 in men (p=0.0009). SMR was 2.4 in RRMS and 3.9
      in PPMS (p<0.0001). SMR from disease onset during 1953-1974 was 3.1; 2.6 during
      1975-1996 and 0.7 during 1997-2012 (p<0.0083). No difference in cause-specific
      deaths were found (p=0.0871). CONCLUSION: We found a 7-year shorter life
      expectancy and almost threefold higher mortality in MS compared with the general
      population. A rise in survival in MS was observed during the entire observation
      period.

PMID- 28365590
TI  - Familial primary lateral sclerosis or dementia associated with Arg573Gly TBK1
      mutation.

PMID- 28365591
TI  - 2016 Winner: Viswanadh Madugula.

PMID- 28365594
TI  - Similar dynamics for ORC and Y RNAs in replication.

PMID- 28365595
TI  - A mechanosensory role for p130Cas FAT.

PMID- 28365597
TI  - How mycolactone affects Sec61 - it's complicated.

PMID- 28365593
TI  - Development and dynamics of cell polarity at a glance.
AB  - Cells exhibit morphological and molecular asymmetries that are broadly
      categorized as cell polarity. The cell polarity established in early embryos
      prefigures the macroscopic anatomical asymmetries characteristic of adult
      animals. For example, eggs and early embryos have polarized distributions of RNAs
      and proteins that generate global anterior/posterior and dorsal/ventral axes. The
      molecular programs that polarize embryos are subsequently reused in multiple
      contexts. Epithelial cells require apical/basal polarity to establish their
      barrier function. Migrating cells polarize in the direction of movement, creating
      distinct leading and trailing structures. Asymmetrically dividing stem cells
      partition different molecules between themselves and their daughter cells. Cell
      polarity can develop de novo, be maintained through rounds of cell division and
      be dynamically remodeled. In this Cell Science at a Glance review and poster, we
      describe molecular asymmetries that underlie cell polarity in several cellular
      contexts. We highlight multiple developmental systems that first establish
      cell/developmental polarity, and then maintain it. Our poster showcases repeated
      use of the Par, Scribble and Crumbs polarity complexes, which drive the
      development of cell polarity in many cell types and organisms. We then briefly
      discuss the diverse and dynamic changes in cell polarity that occur during cell
      migration, asymmetric cell division and in planar polarized tissues.

PMID- 28365596
TI  - Dendritic NOX2 replenishment from the lysosome.

PMID- 28365598
TI  - Combining serial-section EM with immunogold labelling to visualise connexosomes.

PMID- 28365599
TI  - The Era of Personalized Dentistry Is Upon Us: It's Time to Include It in Dental
      Curricula.

PMID- 28365601
TI  - Productivity of Senior Dental Students Engaged in Comprehensive Care: A Seven
      Year Follow-Up Study.
AB  - The aims of this study were to determine the trend of senior dental students'
      rate of production of clinical procedures performed in the comprehensive care
      clinic at one U.S. dental school and to compare that trend to what was reported
      immediately following inception of that clinic. In addition, total clinic
      revenues collected were recorded and compared. The periods used for comparisons
      were 2005 and 2006 combined, the last years before introduction of comprehensive
      care (called "pre-comp care"); 2007 and 2008 combined, the first two years of
      comprehensive care (called "post-comp care"); and subsequent years through 2014.
      The number of procedures and total charges were tracked in the electronic health
      record, and the total number of student-hours was calculated by multiplying the
      number of students in the class by the total number of available clinic hours.
      The rate calculated in this way was then multiplied by a factor of 1,000 for ease
      of interpretation. The results showed a generally upward trend and a significant
      increase from post-comp care to 2014 for all procedures combined and for indirect
      restorations. There was a generally downward trend and a significant decrease
      from post-comp care to 2014 for direct restorations, extractions, and root
      planing. There was some up and down fluctuation but no significant change from
      post-comp care to 2014 for exams. In terms of all procedures, the rate per
      student/1,000 clinic hours increased from approximately 227 to 419, an 85%
      increase over seven years. These results show that implementation of the
      comprehensive care clinic model of clinical education has increased the total
      clinical productivity of senior dental students at this dental school. Additional
      studies are indicated to determine the proper balance between a quality education
      and the financial capabilities of the institution.

PMID- 28365600
TI  - Dental Students' Clinical Experience Across Three Successive Curricula at One
      U.S. Dental School.
AB  - As dental schools continue to seek the most effective ways to provide clinical
      education for students, it is important to track the effects innovations have on
      students' clinical experience to allow for quantitative comparisons of various
      curricula. The aim of this study was to compare the impact of three successive
      clinical curricula on students' experience at one U.S. dental school. The three
      were a discipline-based curriculum (DBC), a comprehensive care curriculum (CCC),
      and a procedural requirement curriculum plus externships (PRCE). Students' clinic
      experience data from 1992 to 2013 were analyzed for total experience and in five
      discipline areas. Clinic experience metrics analyzed were patient visits (PVs),
      relative value units (RVUs), and equivalent amounts (EQAs). A minimum experience
      threshold (MET) and a high experience threshold (HET) were set at one standard
      deviation above and below the mean for the DBC years. Students below the MET were
      designated as low achievers; students above the HET were designated as high
      achievers. The results showed significant differences among the three curricula
      in almost all areas of comparison: total PVs, total EQAs, total RVUs, RVUs by
      discipline, and number of high and low achievers in total clinical experience and
      by discipline. The comprehensive care approach to clinical education did not
      negatively impact students' clinical experience and in many cases enhanced it.
      The addition of externships also enhanced student total clinical experience
      although more study is needed to determine their effectiveness. The insights
      provided by this study suggest that the methodology used including the metrics of
      PVs, EQAs, and RVUs may be helpful for other dental schools in assessing
      students' clinical experience.

PMID- 28365602
TI  - Benefits of Case-Based versus Traditional Lecture-Based Instruction in a
      Preclinical Removable Prosthodontics Course.
AB  - This study compared the acceptability and relative effectiveness of case-based
      learning (CBL) versus traditional lecture-based (LB) instruction in a preclinical
      removable prosthodontics course in the University of North Carolina at Chapel
      Hill School of Dentistry DDS curriculum. The entire second-year class (N=82)
      comprised this crossover study's sample. Assessments of baseline comprehension
      and confidence in removable partial denture (RPD) treatment planning were
      conducted at the beginning of the course. Near the end of the course, half of the
      class received CBL and LB instruction in an RPD module in alternating sequence,
      with students serving as their own control group. Assessments of perceived RPD
      treatment planning efficacy, comprehension, and instruction method preference
      were administered directly after students completed the RPD module and six months
      later. Analyses of variance accounting for period, carryover, and sequence
      effects were used to determine the relative effects of each approach using a
      p<0.05 statistical significance threshold. The results showed that the students
      preferred CBL (81%) over LB instruction (9%), a pattern that remained unchanged
      after a six-month period. Despite notable period and carryover effects, CBL was
      also associated with higher gains in RPD treatment planning comprehension
      (p=0.04) and perceived efficacy (p=0.01) compared to LB instruction. These gains
      diminished six months after the course-a finding based on a 49% follow-up
      response rate. Overall, the students overwhelmingly preferred CBL to LB
      instruction, and the findings suggest small albeit measurable educational
      benefits associated with CBL. This study's findings support the introduction and
      further testing of CBL in the preclinical dental curriculum, in anticipation of
      possible future benefits evident during clinical training.

PMID- 28365603
TI  - Predoctoral Dental Students' Perceptions of Dental Implant Training: Effect of
      Preclinical Simulation and Clinical Experience.
AB  - The aims of this study were to assess 1) differences in perceptions of dental
      implant training between dental students who received didactic training alone
      (control group) and those who received didactic plus simulation training (test
      group); 2) differences in response between students with and without clinical
      experience in implant dentistry; and 3) the interaction effect of simulation
      training and clinical experience on students' satisfaction. A survey was
      distributed to the control group in 2014 and to the test group in 2015; both
      groups were at the same U.S. dental school. Data were collected on confidence
      levels with various implant restorative procedures along with overall
      satisfaction and number of implant restorations performed by each student. The
      response rate was 78.7% in the control group and 81.3% in the test group. In the
      control group, 85.7% of students reported being satisfied with implant training
      compared to 90.8% of students in the test group. The interaction effect of
      simulation training and clinical experience on overall student satisfaction was
      OR=1.5 at 95% CI: 0.8, 3.0. The students who had clinical experience with implant
      restorative procedures had significantly greater satisfaction than those who did
      not (OR=4.8, 95% CI: 2.1, 11.1, p<0.01). This study found that both the
      simulation and clinical experience affected these students' confidence and
      satisfaction levels with implant education: they were almost five times more
      satisfied with implant training when clinical experience in implant restorative
      procedures was a part of their implant education.

PMID- 28365604
TI  - Patients' Perceptions of Dental Students' Empathic, Person-Centered Care in a
      Dental School Clinic in Malaysia.
AB  - Empathy has been identified as a crucial foundation in building an effective
      dentist-patient relationship. The aim of this study was to assess patients'
      perceptions of dental students' empathic care in the primary oral health care
      clinic at International Medical University in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia in May
      October 2014. The study also assessed the validity and reliability of the
      Consultation and Relational Empathy (CARE) Measure in this setting; the
      association between number of encounters and students' CARE Measure scores; and
      the association between students' empathy (measured by the Toronto Empathy
      Questionnaire) and CARE Measure scores. Participants were 283 patients (aged >=18
      years) who were asked to self-complete the ten-item CARE Measure immediately
      after their clinical encounter with students who provided care under supervision
      of the teaching staff. The results showed that the CARE Measure demonstrated good
      internal consistency (Cronbach's alpha=0.95). A single factor solution emerged,
      accounting for 69% of the variance. The mean CARE Measure score in the
      consultations was 43.55+/-6.14, and 26% of the students achieved the maximum
      possible score of 50. The mean number of encounters with each student was 2.33+/
      2.78. An increase of one episode was associated with an insignificant average
      CARE score decrease of 0.05 (-0.28, 0.38), whereas students' empathy was
      associated with a small increase in average CARE Measure score of 0.63 (0.08,
      1.18). These results provide evidence of the measure's ability to support
      feedback to dental students on their empathy when interacting with patients.

PMID- 28365605
TI  - Perceived Dentist and Dental Hygienist Task Distribution After Dental and Dental
      Hygiene Students' Team Intervention.
AB  - Attitudes of dental students regarding the provision of treatment tend to be
      dentist-centered; however, facilitating mixed student group formation could
      change such perceptions. The aim of this study was to investigate the perceived
      scope of practice of dental and dental hygiene students and whether their
      perceptions of task distribution between dentists and dental hygienists would
      change following an educational intervention consisting of feedback, intergroup
      comparison, and competition between mixed-group teams. The study employed a
      pretest-posttest single group design. Third-year dental students and second-year
      dental hygiene students at a university in The Netherlands were randomly assigned
      to intraprofessional teams (four or five members) and received team-based
      performance feedback and comparison. The intervention was finalized with an award
      ceremony for the best intraprofessional team. Before and after the intervention,
      students completed a questionnaire measuring their perceived distribution of ten
      tasks between dentists and dental hygienists. A total of 38 dental students and
      32 dental hygiene students participated in the intervention-all 70 of those
      eligible. Questionnaires were completed by a total 88.4% (n=61) of the
      participants: 34 dental (89.5%) and 27 dental hygiene students (84.4%). Dental
      and dental hygiene students had similar perceptions regarding teeth cleaning
      (prophylaxis) (p=0.372, p=0.404) and, after the intervention, preventive tasks
      (p=0.078). Following the intervention, dental students considered four out of ten
      tasks as less dentist-centered: radiograph for periodontal diagnosis (p=0.003),
      local anesthesia (p=0.037), teeth cleaning (p=0.037), and periodontal treatment
      (p=0.045). Dental hygiene students perceived one task as being less dentist
      centered after the intervention: radiograph for cariologic diagnosis (p=0.041).
      This study found that these dental and dental hygiene students had different
      opinions regarding the scope of practice for dentistry and dental hygiene. The
      number of redistributed tasks after the intervention was especially substantial
      among the dental students, although the amount of change per task was minimal.
      Half of all tasks were perceived as less dentist-centered as a result of the
      intervention.

PMID- 28365606
TI  - Assessment of Thiel-Embalmed Cadavers as a Teaching Tool for Oral Anatomy and
      Local Anesthesia.
AB  - The aim of this study was to determine whether Thiel-embalmed cadavers would
      provide a useful anatomy teaching tool for topics that cannot be approached using
      formalin-fixed cadavers such as oral cavity examination and maxillary anesthesia.
      The suitability of Thiel-embalmed bodies for performing oral examinations was
      assessed by asking first-year dental and dental hygiene students at a dental
      school in Ireland to identify oral structures on a classmate and on a Thiel
      embalmed body. The study was conducted in 2016. The ease of location was compared
      in the two settings, and their quality was assessed on the cadavers. The
      suitability of Thiel-embalmed cadavers to teach maxillary anesthesia was assessed
      by students' performing mock injections at five adjacent sites daily for five
      consecutive days, followed by inspection of the gingival surface by experienced
      anatomists and dentists. Data were obtained from 57 students, but only the 54
      forms that were fully completed were analyzed, for an overall response rate of
      85.7%. The results showed that most oral structures were more difficult to locate
      on cadavers. The texture and appearance of features in the cadavers were rated at
      a midpoint between realistic and unrealistic. The relative inexperience of the
      participants, the accumulation of fixative in the oral cavity, and discoloration
      were mentioned as potential confounding factors. Visual analysis of images
      obtained following repeated injections revealed no deterioration of the tissue.
      Importantly, the puncture marks appeared to reduce over time, suggesting that the
      gingival tissue maintains some elasticity following Thiel fixation. These
      findings suggest that Thiel-embalmed cadavers may be a useful tool to provide
      students more time to localize and study aspects of the oral cavity. Likewise,
      the recoiling capacity of gingival tissue suggests that Thiel-embalmed cadavers
      may provide an ideal tool for teaching injection technique of local anesthetics.

PMID- 28365607
TI  - Do Standard Bibliometric Measures Correlate with Academic Rank of Full-Time
      Pediatric Dentistry Faculty Members?
AB  - The aim of this cross-sectional study was to assess the relationship between
      quantitative measures of research productivity and academic rank for full-time
      pediatric dentistry faculty members in accredited U.S. and Canadian residency
      programs. For each pediatric dentist in the study group, academic rank and
      bibliometric factors derived from publicly available databases were recorded.
      Academic ranks were lecturer/instructor, assistant professor, associate
      professor, and professor. Bibliometric factors were mean total number of
      publications, mean total number of citations, maximum number of citations for a
      single work, and h-index (a measure of the impact of publications, determined by
      total number of publications h that had at least h citations each). The study
      sample was comprised of 267 pediatric dentists: 4% were lecturers/instructors,
      44% were assistant professors, 30% were associate professors, and 22% were
      professors. The mean number of publications for the sample was 15.4+/-27.8. The
      mean number of citations was 218.4+/-482.0. The mean h-index was 4.9+/-6.6. The h
      index was strongly correlated with academic rank (r=0.60, p=0.001). For this
      sample, an h-index of >=3 was identified as a threshold for promotion to
      associate professor, and an h-index of >=6 was identified as a threshold for
      promotion to professor. The h-index was strongly correlated with the academic
      rank of these pediatric dental faculty members, suggesting that this index may be
      considered a measure for promotion, along with a faculty member's quality and
      quantity of research, teaching, service, and clinical activities.

PMID- 28365608
TI  - Challenges of Dental Assisting Students in Their Pursuit of Academic Success.
AB  - The aim of this study was to identify the challenges encountered by dental
      assisting students, especially those from underrepresented racial and ethnic
      groups (UREG), that affected their achieving academic success. In 2016, directors
      of the nine northern California dental assisting programs were contacted via
      email to explain the study and request an opportunity to administer the 26-item
      survey to their currently enrolled students. Student responses were entered into
      a survey research program, which tabulated the data and calculated the frequency
      of responses to each item. All nine programs participated, and the overall
      student response rate was 98%. Most (71%) of the 215 respondents agreed that they
      had experienced challenges in achieving academic success. Respondents reported
      the following challenges that made it difficult to perform well at school:
      financial responsibilities (41%), family responsibilities (33%), and language
      challenges (21%). These challenges, as well as difficulty understanding the
      language and vocabulary of instructional materials and cost of tuition and
      supplies, were statistically related to respondents' perceptions of their
      challenges to academic success. Most (83%) of the respondents perceived that
      faculty members supported their academic success. One-third of the respondents
      were from UREG: Hispanic, African American, and Native American. Higher
      percentages of UREG than non-UREG participants worked more hours/week (p=0.03)
      and tended to perceive financial (52%/32%) and family (42%/28%) responsibilities
      as challenges. Since both UREG and non-UREG respondents experienced these
      challenges, all students should be informed of institutional and programmatic
      resources that can assist them in achieving academic success.

PMID- 28365609
TI  - Improving Documentation, Compliance, and Approvals in an Electronic Dental Record
      at a U.S. Dental School.
AB  - The aims of this study were to improve progress note documentation by dental
      students, achieve accurate and timely charge capture and treatment code and note
      approval, and determine the effectiveness of multiple interventions in improving
      overall documentation of patient encounters in the clinic of one U.S. dental
      school. The study, conducted in 2014-15, used a logic model to create a process
      to address documentation issues in the clinic's electronic dental record (EDR)
      and to assess the effectiveness of interventions. An initial documentation review
      using the EDR was performed to obtain a baseline measurement. A significant
      correlation was noted at baseline between poor documentation and unapproved
      treatment codes and notes. Unapproved treatment codes and corresponding
      documentation were then reviewed each month. Students who had the highest number
      of unapproved treatment codes were identified as potentially having documentation
      issues. These students were contacted and met individually with the associate
      quality and compliance officer to review documentation and charge practices.
      Large group education was also provided to key learners: dental students and
      supervising faculty members. Education consisted of an in-service event for
      faculty members and a Moodle site course on documentation for students. After one
      year, the results showed that documentation rates improved from an overall rate
      of 61% to 81% of required documentation elements being present in the progress
      note. Although this educational intervention was successful in significantly
      improving documentation of treatment in the EDR, 19% of the notes at the
      conclusion of the study were still missing key elements. Further research is
      necessary to determine whether the interventions will continue to improve
      documentation or if additional measures need to be taken.

PMID- 28365610
TI  - Stereoscopy in Dental Education: An Investigation.
AB  - The aim of this study was to investigate whether stereoscopy can play a
      meaningful role in dental education. The study used an anaglyph technique in
      which two images were presented separately to the left and right eyes (using
      red/cyan filters), which, combined in the brain, give enhanced depth perception.
      A positional judgment task was performed to assess whether the use of stereoscopy
      would enhance depth perception among dental students at Osaka University in
      Japan. Subsequently, the optimum angle was evaluated to obtain maximum ability to
      discriminate among complex anatomical structures. Finally, students completed a
      questionnaire on a range of matters concerning their experience with stereoscopic
      images including their views on using stereoscopy in their future careers. The
      results showed that the students who used stereoscopy were better able than
      students who did not to appreciate spatial relationships between structures when
      judging relative positions. The maximum ability to discriminate among complex
      anatomical structures was between 2 and 6 degrees. The students' overall
      experience with the technique was positive, and although most did not have a
      clear vision for stereoscopy in their own practice, they did recognize its merits
      for education. These results suggest that using stereoscopic images in dental
      education can be quite valuable as stereoscopy greatly helped these students'
      understanding of the spatial relationships in complex anatomical structures.

PMID- 28365611
TI  - Top-Cited Articles in Problem-Based Learning: A Bibliometric Analysis and Quality
      of Evidence Assessment.
AB  - The aims of this study were to identify characteristics of the top-cited articles
      in problem-based learning (PBL) and assess the quality of evidence provided by
      these articles. The most frequently cited articles on PBL were searched in April
      2015 in the Science Citation Index Expanded database (List A) and Google Scholar
      database (List B). Eligible articles identified were reviewed for key
      characteristics. The Oxford Centre for Evidence-Based Medicine guidelines were
      used in assessing the level of evidence. The number of citations varied (62 to
      923 on List A and 218 to 2,859 on List B). Countries that contributed the
      majority of articles in both lists were the United States, Netherlands, United
      Kingdom, and Canada. No significant correlations were found between number of
      citations and number of years since published (p=0.451), number of authors
      (p=0.144), females in authorship (p=0.189), non-medical authors (p=0.869), number
      of institutions (p=0.452), and number of grants (p=0.143), but a strong
      correlation was found with number of countries involved (p=0.007). Application of
      the Oxford hierarchy of evidence showed that 36 articles were at levels 4 and 5
      of evidence. This study found that research articles represented approximately
      one-third of PBL articles assessed and reported mainly on questionnaire-based
      studies. The most highly cited articles occupied top-ranking positions in the
      journals in which they were published. The lower level of evidence observed in
      most top-cited articles may reflect the significance of innovative ideas or
      content of these articles. These findings have implications for dental educators
      and dental researchers.

PMID- 28365612
TI  - Determining Recommendations for Improvement of Communication Skills Training in
      Dental Education: A Scoping Review.
AB  - Professional communication skills have a significant impact on dental patient
      satisfaction and health outcomes. Communication skills training has been shown to
      improve the communication skills of dental students. Therefore, strengthening
      communication skills training in dental education shows promise for improving
      dental patient satisfaction and outcomes. The aim of this study was to facilitate
      the development of dental communication skills training through a scoping review
      with compilation of a list of considerations, design of an example curriculum,
      and consideration of barriers and facilitators to adoption of such training. A
      search to identify studies of communication skills training interventions and
      programs was conducted. Search queries were run in three databases using both
      text strings and controlled terms (MeSH), yielding 1,833 unique articles. Of
      these, 35 were full-text reviewed, and 17 were included in the final synthesis.
      Considerations presented in the articles were compiled into 15 considerations.
      These considerations were grouped into four themes: the value of communication
      skills training, the role of instructors, the importance of accounting for
      diversity, and the structure of communication skills training. An example
      curriculum reflective of these considerations is presented, and consideration of
      potential barriers and facilitators to implementation are discussed. Application
      and evaluation of these considerations are recommended in order to support and
      inform future communication skills training development.

PMID- 28365614
TI  - 'Evolution, not revolution, at the changing of the Guard'.

PMID- 28365615
TI  - Practical steps in promoting synergies between clinical medicine and public
      health.

PMID- 28365616
TI  - The new UK internal medicine curriculum .
AB  - Reform of physician education is needed to meet the needs of patients, based on
      comorbidities, chronic disease management and complexity. The Joint Royal
      Colleges of Physicians Training Board has developed a new internal medicine
      curriculum for physician training that aims to not only deliver this expectation,
      but will simplify competency-based education, smooth the transition to the
      medical registrar role and hopefully fill some of the current empty funded
      training posts. However, the change process is complex and requires close working
      with the General Medical Council and other partners in curriculum delivery.

PMID- 28365617
TI  - The Francis Crick Institute.
AB  - The Francis Crick Institute Laboratory, opened in 2016, is supported by the
      Medical Research Council, Cancer Research UK, the Wellcome Trust, and University
      College London, King's College London and Imperial College London. The emphasis
      on research training and early independence of gifted scientists in a
      multidisciplinary environment provides unique opportunities for UK medical
      science, including clinical and translational research.

PMID- 28365618
TI  - Diagnosing gestational diabetes mellitus: implications of recent changes in
      diagnostic criteria and role of glycated haemoglobin (HbA1c).
AB  - Gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM; approximately 5% of pregnancies) represents
      the most important risk factor for development of later-onset diabetes mellitus.
      We examined concordance between GDM diagnosis defined using the original 1999
      World Health Organization (WHO) criteria and the more recent 2013 WHO criteria
      and 2015 National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) criteria. We
      studied two groups: a case-control group of 257 GDM positive and 266 GDM negative
      cases, and an incident cohort 699 GDM positive and 6,231 GDM negative cases. In
      the incident cohort, GDM prevalence was 3.7% (WHO 1999 criteria), 11.4% (NICE
      2015 criteria) and 13.7% (WHO 2013 criteria). Our results showed that a
      significant number of additional cases are detected using the more recent NICE
      and WHO criteria than the original 1999 WHO criteria, but these additional cases
      represent an intermediate group with 'moderate' dysglycaemia (abnormal blood
      glucose levels). Our results also show that use of these newer criteria misses a
      similar group of intermediate cases that were defined as GDM by the 1999 WHO
      criteria and that glycated haemoglobin in isolation is unlikely to replace the
      oral glucose tolerance test in GDM diagnosis.

PMID- 28365619
TI  - The assessment of headaches on the acute medical unit: is it adequate and how
      could it be improved? .
AB  - Neurological emergencies represent 15-25% of the medical take, second only to
      cardiac and respiratory cases. However, the UK's number of neurologists is lower
      than that of other developed nations. This quality improvement project aimed to
      develop a guideline to optimise acute headache management by non-specialists,
      informed by the findings of a survey and audit of doctors' knowledge and
      practice. In total, 62 doctors responded to our survey. 53/56 (94.6%) agreed a
      guideline would be useful. Knowledge of some important causes of headache was
      high, but was lower for others, including cerebral venous sinus thrombosis and
      cervical artery dissection. A consultant neurologist deemed 14/27 (51.9%) of
      acute headache presentations audited pre-guidelines to have had appropriate
      management. After guideline launch, a re-audit demonstrated this proportion was
      18/22 (81.8%) (p=0.04). We conclude the investigation and management of acute
      headache requires optimisation and a guideline may help to achieve this.

PMID- 28365620
TI  - Current characteristics, challenges and coping strategies of young people with
      cystic fibrosis as they transition to adulthood.
AB  - This study provides detailed data on the current characteristics, perceptions and
      outcomes of 45 young people with cystic fibrosis (CF) as they transition into
      adulthood. Although many had severe disease, they generally coped well, found
      attendance at a transition clinic helpful and welcomed the increased independence
      of an adult healthcare environment. Levels of psychological distress were low
      with only 15.6% having anxiety and 6.7% depression. The main psychological coping
      strategy used was optimistic acceptance. Overall, most remained stable after
      transfer but 33% had some decline in lung function and 9% in nutritional status,
      requiring intensification of treatment. They had high levels of satisfaction with
      their relationships and life situations and 76% were in employment or education.
      These results are encouraging and as life expectancy improves, young adults with
      CF are coping well with transition into adulthood.

PMID- 28365622
TI  - Proton pump inhibitor failure in gastro-oesophageal reflux disease: a perspective
      aided by the Gartner hype cycle.
AB  - Some patients with gastro-oesophageal reflux disease (GORD) experience symptoms
      despite proton pump inhibitor (PPI) treatment. In the early years of their
      availability, these drugs were thought to be a highly effective treatment for
      GORD and realisation that symptom relief was often incomplete came as a
      disappointment. This review considers the evolution of thinking with the aid of
      the Gartner hype cycle - a graphical depiction of the process of innovation,
      evolution and adoption of new technologies. Acknowledging that over-simplistic
      concepts of GORD have been largely responsible for inflated expectations of PPI
      therapy is an important step forward in establishing how patients with persistent
      symptoms, despite PPIs, should be assessed and treated.

PMID- 28365621
TI  - Physician associates in England's hospitals: a survey of medical directors
      exploring current usage and factors affecting recruitment.
AB  - In the UK secondary care setting, the case for physician associates is based on
      the cover and stability they might offer to medical teams. We assessed the extent
      of their adoption and deployment - that is, their current usage and the factors
      supporting or inhibiting their inclusion in medical teams - using an electronic,
      self-report survey of medical directors of acute and mental health NHS trusts in
      England. Physician associates - employed in small numbers, in a range of
      specialties, in 20 of the responding trusts - were reported to have been employed
      to fill gaps in medical staffing and support medical specialty trainees.
      Inhibiting factors were commonly a shortage of physician associates to recruit
      and lack of authority to prescribe, as well as a lack of evidence and colleague
      resistance. Our data suggest there is an appetite for employment of physician
      associates while practical and attitudinal barriers are yet to be fully overcome.

PMID- 28365623
TI  - The late medical effects of cancer treatments: a growing challenge for all
      medical professionals.

PMID- 28365624
TI  - Getting to the heart of hypopituitarism.
AB  - A 53-year-old woman was diagnosed with hypopituitarism following an acute
      presentation with cardiac tamponade and hyponatraemia, having recently been
      investigated for a pericardial effusion. Secondary hypothyroidism is a rare cause
      of pericardial effusion and tamponade, but an important differential to consider.
      Management requires appropriate hormone replacement and, critically, a low
      threshold for commencing stress dose steroids. Clinical signs classically
      associated with cardiac tamponade are frequently absent in cases of tamponade due
      to primary and secondary hypothyroidism, and the relatively volume deplete state
      of secondary hypoadrenalism in hypopituitarism may further mask an evolving
      tamponade, as the rise in right atrial pressure is less marked even in the
      presence of large effusion. Our case demonstrates the importance of a high index
      of suspicion for cardiac tamponade in this patient cohort, even in the absence of
      clinical signs, and for measuring both thyroid-stimulating hormone and thyroxine
      levels when evaluating a pericardial effusion.

PMID- 28365625
TI  - Paradoxical reaction in the form of pleural effusion after onset of anti
      tuberculous medication for tubercular lymphadenitis.
AB  - We present the case of a 26-year-old Indian male who developed pleural effusion
      while undergoing treatment for tuberculous lymphadenitis. We describe the work-up
      for his condition and how he was managed. The possibility of development of a
      paradoxical reaction in the form of pleural effusion after initiation of anti
      tuberculous therapy has to be kept in mind while treating such patients.

PMID- 28365626
TI  - Update in diagnosis and management of interstitial lung disease .
AB  - The field of interstitial lung disease (ILD) has undergone significant evolution
      in recent years, with an increasing incidence and more complex, ever expanding
      disease classification. In their most severe forms, these diseases lead to
      progressive loss of lung function, respiratory failure and eventually death.
      Despite notable advances, progress has been challenged by a poor understanding of
      pathological mechanisms and patient heterogeneity, including variable
      progression. The diagnostic pathway is thus being continually refined, with the
      introduction of tools such as transbronchial cryo lung biopsy and a move towards
      genetically aided, precision medicine. In this review, we focus on how to
      approach a patient with ILD and the diagnostic process.

PMID- 28365627
TI  - Corrigendum: Headache in an HIV positive patient: diagnostic challenges and
      approach to treatment.

PMID- 28365628
TI  - The latest national clinical guideline for stroke.

PMID- 28365629
TI  - Mimics and chameleons in stroke.
AB  - Ischaemic stroke is a treatable medical emergency. In an era of time-dependent
      reperfusion techniques, it is crucial that an accurate and prompt diagnosis is
      made. Approximately 30% of patients admitted to hyperacute stroke units are
      subsequently found not to have a final diagnosis of acute stroke although some of
      these patients do have incidental or previously symptomatic cerebrovascular
      disease. These patients do not benefit from thrombolysis and may require the
      input of other specialists or treatments. Meanwhile, a proportion of patients
      with acute stroke have unusual presentations and are sometimes initially admitted
      to general medical admissions units prior to accessing stroke unit care. It is
      important that atypical presentations of stroke are recognised so that patients
      are not denied the benefits of stroke unit care and secondary prevention. This
      article describes some characteristics of common stroke mimics and chameleons,
      considers how to avoid diagnostic mistakes and discusses the contributory role of
      imaging.

PMID- 28365631
TI  - Management of acute intracerebral haemorrhage - an update.
AB  - Managing acute intracerebral haemorrhage is a challenging task for physicians.
      Evidence shows that outcome can be improved with admission to an acute stroke
      unit and active care, including urgent reversal of anticoagulant effects and,
      potentially, intensive blood pressure reduction. Nevertheless, many management
      issues remain controversial, including the use of haemostatic therapy, selection
      of patients for neurosurgery and neurocritical care, the extent of investigations
      for underlying causes and the benefit versus risk of restarting antithrombotic
      therapy after an episode of intracerebral haemorrhage.

PMID- 28365630
TI  - Thrombolysis and thrombectomy for acute ischaemic stroke.
AB  - The likelihood of disability-free recovery after acute ischemic stroke is
      significantly improved by reperfusion either by intravenous thrombolytic drug
      treatment or with endovascular mechanical thrombectomy in selected cases. The use
      of intravenous thrombolysis is limited by the short treatment window and you need
      to assess individual balance of benefit and risk of symptomatic intracranial
      haemorrhage. Benefit is greater for shorter onset-to-reperfusion time intervals,
      requiring optimisation of pre-hospital and in-hospital pathways. Symptomatic
      haemorrhage is more likely with more severe strokes, but a greater proportion of
      patients are left free of disability than suffer a treatment-related haemorrhage
      at all levels of severity. Extracranial haemorrhage and orolingual angioedema are
      less common complications. Endovascular mechanical thrombectomy can be used in
      selected patients with imaging-proven large artery occlusion. Successful therapy
      depends on well-organised services that can deliver treatment within a short time
      window at centres with adequate expertise to perform the procedure.

PMID- 28365632
TI  - Stroke unit care, inpatient rehabilitation and early supported discharge.
AB  - Stroke units reduce death and disability through the provision of specialist
      multidisciplinary care for diagnosis, emergency treatments, normalisation of
      homeostasis, prevention of complications, rehabilitation and secondary
      prevention. All stroke patients can benefit from provision of high-quality basic
      medical care and some need high impact specific treatments, such as thrombolysis,
      that are often time dependent. A standard patient pathway should include
      assessment of neurological impairment, vascular risk factors, swallowing, fluid
      balance and nutrition, cognitive function, communication, mood disorders,
      continence, activities of daily living and rehabilitation goals. Good
      communication and shared decision making with patients and their families are key
      to high-quality stroke care. Patients with mild or moderate disability, who are
      medically stable, can continue rehabilitation at home with early supported
      discharge teams rather than needing a prolonged stay in hospital. National
      clinical guidelines and prospective audits are integral to monitoring and
      developing stroke services in the UK.

PMID- 28365633
TI  - CME Cerebrovascular disease (108460): self-assessment questionnaire.

PMID- 28365634
TI  - Lesson of the month 1: Beware the atypical presentation: eosinophilic
      granulomatosis with polyangiitis presenting as acute coronary syndrome.
AB  - We describe the case of a 45-year-old woman presenting with troponin positive
      cardiac-sounding chest pain. An initial emergency angiogram demonstrated two
      vessel coronary disease, including a distal right coronary artery occlusion. No
      percutaneous coronary intervention was performed and the patient was treated
      medically. At re-presentation with further pain a few days later, coronary
      angiography demonstrated no significant coronary lesions. After consideration of
      other multisystem symptoms and raised eosinophil count, the patient was diagnosed
      with eosinophilic granulomatosis with polyangiitis (formerly known as Churg
      Strauss syndrome) presenting with coronary arteritis. This case should remind
      physicians to be vigilant and to consider non-atherosclerotic causes of acute
      coronary syndrome presentation, which should not always result in a stent.

PMID- 28365635
TI  - Lesson of the month 2: A choroid plexus papilloma manifesting as anorexia nervosa
      in an adult.
AB  - A Caucasian female previously diagnosed with anorexia nervosa was referred by
      psychiatric services to the general medical team. She presented with dehydration,
      vomiting, weakness, a body mass index of 13 kg/m2 and was treated with
      intravenous and enteral supplementation. During admission her vomiting worsened
      and she developed visual hallucinations and confabulation. Neurological
      examination demonstrated cerebellar signs and bilateral papilloedema on
      fundoscopy. Subsequent magnetic resonance imaging of the brain revealed a large
      fourth ventricular tumour causing obstructive hydrocephalus. The tumour was
      excised and histologically confirmed to be a choroid plexus papilloma.
      Postoperatively her neurological symptoms and negative feelings towards eating
      resolved.

PMID- 28365636
TI  - Image of the month: All puffed out - a case of crack lung.

PMID- 28365637
TI  - Setting the record straight: patient recordings of consultations.

PMID- 28365638
TI  - Where did the acute medical trainees go? A review of the career pathways of acute
      care common stem acute medical trainees in London.

PMID- 28365639
TI  - Where did the acute medical trainees go? A review of the career pathways of acute
      care common stem acute medical trainees in London.

PMID- 28365640
TI  - Where did the acute medical trainees go? A review of the career pathways of acute
      care common stem acute medical trainees in London.

PMID- 28365641
TI  - Stroke mimic diagnoses presenting to a hyperacute stroke unit.

PMID- 28365642
TI  - UK Medical Education Database: an issue of assumed consent.

PMID- 28365643
TI  - Response.

PMID- 28365646
TI  - Because Women's Lives Matter, We Need to Eliminate Gender Bias.

PMID- 28365644
TI  - High-Throughput Genomics and Clinical Outcome in Hard-to-Treat Advanced Cancers:
      Results of the MOSCATO 01 Trial.
AB  - High-throughput genomic analyses may improve outcomes in patients with advanced
      cancers. MOSCATO 01 is a prospective clinical trial evaluating the clinical
      benefit of this approach. Nucleic acids were extracted from fresh-frozen tumor
      biopsies and analyzed by array comparative genomic hybridization, next-generation
      sequencing, and RNA sequencing. The primary objective was to evaluate clinical
      benefit as measured by the percentage of patients presenting progression-free
      survival (PFS) on matched therapy (PFS2) 1.3-fold longer than the PFS on prior
      therapy (PFS1). A total of 1,035 adult patients were included, and a biopsy was
      performed in 948. An actionable molecular alteration was identified in 411 of 843
      patients with a molecular portrait. A total of 199 patients were treated with a
      targeted therapy matched to a genomic alteration. The PFS2/PFS1 ratio was >1.3 in
      33% of the patients (63/193). Objective responses were observed in 22 of 194
      patients (11%; 95% CI, 7%-17%), and median overall survival was 11.9 months (95%
      CI, 9.5-14.3 months).Significance: This study suggests that high-throughput
      genomics could improve outcomes in a subset of patients with hard-to-treat
      cancers. Although these results are encouraging, only 7% of the successfully
      screened patients benefited from this approach. Randomized trials are needed to
      validate this hypothesis and to quantify the magnitude of benefit. Expanding drug
      access could increase the percentage of patients who benefit. Cancer Discov;
      7(6); 586-95. (c)2017 AACR.See related commentary by Schram and Hyman, p. 552This
      article is highlighted in the In This Issue feature, p. 539.

PMID- 28365647
TI  - Consequences of Transfusing Blood Components in Patients With Trauma: A
      Conceptual Model.
AB  - Transfusion of blood components is often required in resuscitation of patients
      with major trauma. Packed red blood cells and platelets break down and undergo
      chemical changes during storage (known as the storage lesion) that lead to an
      inflammatory response once the blood components are transfused to patients.
      Although some evidence supports a detrimental association between transfusion and
      a patient's outcome, the mechanisms connecting transfusion of stored components
      to outcomes remain unclear. The purpose of this review is to provide critical
      care nurses with a conceptual model to facilitate understanding of the
      relationship between the storage lesion and patients' outcomes after trauma;
      outcomes related to trauma, hemorrhage, and blood component transfusion are
      grouped according to those occurring in the short-term (<=30 days) and the long
      term (>30 days). Complete understanding of these clinical implications is
      critical for practitioners in evaluating and treating patients given transfusions
      after traumatic injury.

PMID- 28365648
TI  - Passive Leg-Raising and Prediction of Fluid Responsiveness: Systematic Review.
AB  - Fluid boluses are often administered with the aim of improving tissue
      hypoperfusion in shock. However, only approximately 50% of patients respond to
      fluid administration with a clinically significant increase in stroke volume.
      Fluid overload can exacerbate pulmonary edema, precipitate respiratory failure,
      and prolong mechanical ventilation. Therefore, it is important to predict which
      hemodynamically unstable patients will increase their stroke volume in response
      to fluid administration, thereby avoiding deleterious effects. Passive leg
      raising (lowering the head and upper torso from a 45 degrees  angle to lying
      supine [flat] while simultaneously raising the legs to a 45 degrees  angle) is a
      transient, reversible autotransfusion that simulates a fluid bolus and is
      performed to predict a response to fluid administration. The article reviews the
      accuracy, physiological effects, and factors affecting the response to passive
      leg raising to predict fluid responsiveness in critically ill patients.

PMID- 28365649
TI  - Clinical Application of Prothrombin Complex Concentrate in Blood Management in
      Patients.
AB  - Management of patients receiving anticoagulants is a major factor in achieving
      better outcomes. Anticoagulant therapy may need to be discontinued or rapidly
      reversed before urgent surgery or invasive procedures. In these situations,
      treatment with concentrated vitamin K, fresh frozen plasma, and/or clotting
      factors can achieve more rapid anticoagulant reversal than can drug
      discontinuation alone. Activated prothrombin complex concentrate is used to treat
      hemophiliac patients with acquired factor VIII inhibitors. Nonactivated
      prothrombin complex concentrates are used for anticoagulant reversal. The
      concentrates are effective within minutes of dosing, providing a nearly immediate
      decrease in the international normalized ratio. The concentrates are lyophilized
      powders that can be quickly reconstituted, do not require ABO blood typing before
      use, and contain 25 times the concentration of vitamin K-dependent clotting
      factors compared with fresh frozen plasma. Studies suggest that the concentrates
      are associated with better clinical end points than is fresh frozen plasma.

PMID- 28365650
TI  - Advancements in Pacemaker Technology: The Leadless Device.
AB  - Leadless pacemakers will most likely be the future of cardiac pacing. Leadless
      pacing employs a single-chamber system to pace only the right ventricle and is
      fully self-contained, which eliminates the need for leads. These systems,
      implanted by using a transcatheter sheath, are indicated for patients who need
      right ventricular pacing only. These devices enable patients to avoid lead
      related complications, from lead fracture to extraction challenges, as well as
      pocket-related complications such as infection and disfigurement. Leadless
      pacemakers also are compatible with magnetic resonance imaging and do not require
      surgical placement, so patients avoid postoperative mobility restrictions.
      Because this technology will be increasingly used for cardiac internal electronic
      devices, commonly seen in critical care nursing, nurses must be knowledgeable
      about the indications for use of a wireless pacemaker, the implantation
      procedure, postprocedural care, device interrogation, and follow-up. This article
      discusses leadless pacemakers, clinical indications for their use, key
      similarities and differences between the current devices being used, key points
      for nursing care of patients with a leadless device, and the future of this
      technology.

PMID- 28365651
TI  - Access to Continuing Education for Critical Care Nurses in Rural or Remote
      Settings.
AB  - Caring for the critically ill does not occur solely in large medical centers or
      urban areas. Nurses practicing in rural or remote settings practice as nurse
      generalists, caring for a wide range of patients, including those needing
      critical care. As a nurse generalist, the need for a wide variety of skill sets
      challenges nurses in rural areas to maintain current practice through continuing
      education across many content areas. They also may not come in contact with
      critically ill patients or emergent situations as often as their urban
      counterparts, which can make remaining comfortable with more advanced skills
      difficult. Because nurses working in rural or remote areas may care for
      critically ill patients less often, the need to remain vigilant in pursuit of
      continuing education is increased; however, access to continuing education can be
      problematic because of geographic isolation, difficulty getting time off from
      work, limited financial resources, and perceived lack of applicable topics. With
      advances in technology, critical care nurses working in rural areas have more
      options for continuing education, which is crucial for maintaining a skilled
      nursing workforce in rural health care facilities. This article addresses
      challenges critical care nurses working in remote or rural areas face in pursuing
      continuing education and provides information about available educational
      opportunities.

PMID- 28365652
TI  - Interstage Home Monitoring After Newborn First-Stage Palliation for Hypoplastic
      Left Heart Syndrome: Family Education Strategies.
AB  - Children born with hypoplastic left heart syndrome are at high risk for serious
      morbidity, growth failure, and mortality during the interstage period, which is
      the time from discharge home after first-stage hypoplastic left heart syndrome
      palliation until the second-stage surgical intervention. The single-ventricle
      circulatory physiology is complex, fragile, and potentially unstable. Multicenter
      initiatives have been successfully implemented to improve outcomes and optimize
      growth and survival during the interstage period. A crucial focus of care is the
      comprehensive family training in the use of home surveillance monitoring of
      oxygen saturation, enteral intake, weight, and the early recognition of "red
      flag" symptoms indicating potential cardiopulmonary or nutritional
      decompensation. Beginning with admission to the intensive care unit of the
      newborn with hypoplastic left heart syndrome, nurses provide critical care and
      education to prepare the family for interstage home care. This article presents
      detailed nursing guidelines for educating families on the home care of their
      medically fragile infant with single-ventricle circulation.

PMID- 28365653
TI  - Platitudes and Attitudes.

PMID- 28365654
TI  - A Paradigm Shift for Patient/Family-Centered Care in Intensive Care Units: Bring
      in the Family.

PMID- 28365655
TI  - Nonpharmacological Interventions for Sleep Promotion in the Intensive Care Unit.

PMID- 28365656
TI  - Can We Talk? The Bedside Report Project.

PMID- 28365663
TI  - Assessment and Management of Delirium Across the Life Span.

PMID- 28365664
TI  - Complications of Peripheral Venous Access Devices: Prevention, Detection, and
      Recovery Strategies.
AB  - Most hospitalized patients have placement of a peripheral venous access device,
      either a short peripheral catheter or a peripherally inserted central catheter.
      Compared with central venous catheters that are not peripherally inserted, the
      other 2 types are generally perceived by health care providers as safer and less
      complicated to manage, and less emphasis is placed on the prevention and
      management of complications. Expertise of nurses in inserting, managing, and
      removing these devices may reduce the likelihood of complications, and increased
      recognition of complications associated with use of the devices is important to
      ensure continued improvements in the safety, quality, and efficiency of health
      care. Complications associated with short peripheral catheters and peripherally
      inserted central catheters include tourniquet retention, tubing and catheter
      misconnections, phlebitis, air embolism, device fragment embolization, and
      inadvertent discharge with a retained peripheral venous access device.
      Integration of prevention, detection, and recovery strategies into personal
      nursing practice promotes the quality and safety of health care delivery.

PMID- 28365665
TI  - Nutrition Support Protocols: Enhancing Delivery of Enteral Nutrition.
AB  - In critical care, malnutrition has a significant, negative impact on a patient's
      ability to respond to medical treatment. Enteral nutrition is known to counteract
      the metabolic changes associated with critical illness that increase the risk for
      serious complications and poor clinical outcomes. Inadequate delivery of
      nutrition support and underfeeding persist in intensive care units despite the
      availability of guidelines and current research for best practice. Recent studies
      have shown that nutrition support protocols are effective in promoting
      nutritional goals in a wide variety of intensive care patients. It is essential
      to find approaches that enhance early delivery of enteral nutrition that meets
      requirements and supports improved outcomes. Nurses are in a unique position to
      take an active role in promoting the best nutritional outcomes for their patients
      by using and evaluating nutrition support protocols.

PMID- 28365666
TI  - 2017 National Teaching Institute Evidence-Based Solutions Abstracts: Presented at
      the AACN National Teaching Institute in Houston, Texas; May 22-25, 2017.

PMID- 28365667
TI  - ERRATUM.

PMID- 28365668
TI  - ERRATUM.